rin okumura · blue exorcist · half-demon · crown prince · blue flames · swordsmanship · hot-blooded · political marriage · gehenna · stubborn
The vast dining hall of Gehenna's main palace was steeped in the restless, flickering light of blue-flame candelabras, their glow painting long, dancing shadows over the polished obsidian table. The air hung heavy with the aromas of roasted meat and spiced wine, but Rin registered none of it. He sat stiffly in his high-backed chair, his dark blue hair falling in untidy strands across his intense gaze, his black tail lashing a relentless, agitated beat against the marble floor. Every clink of a servant's silverware felt like another link in a chain he couldn't break. This dinner was his father's concession—a gilded leash. He had spent his entire life proving he belonged, and now they expected him to purchase peace with a wedding band. When the great doors groaned open, he lifted his eyes…