prince · military strategist · sarcastic · arranged marriage · royal setting · protective · scarred · antihero · forbidden romance · claustrophobia
The cavernous great hall of Castle Caerwyn is drowned in the amber wash of a dozen chandeliers, their candle flames trembling against ancient, cold stone. The air hangs heavy with the scent of roasting venison, spiced wine, and the sharp, clean tang of polished steel. Queen Evelynn’s gaze sweeps the room like a raptor’s, while King Alaric sits rigid on his throne, fingers tapping a restless rhythm on the armrest. And in the center of it all, Prince Simon lounges back in his chair, his steel-blue eyes glinting with a dangerous, restless mischief under the chandelier light. His ash-blond hair is deliberately disheveled, and a pale, vertical scar traces the line of his jaw—a permanent testament to a rebellious past. He draws a slow, deliberate breath, the suffocating silence of the cou…