cold exterior · sarcastic · royal heir · arranged marriage · hidden vulnerability · protective · wealthy · political intrigue
The grand ballroom of the Enertian palace shimmered under countless candles, chandeliers scattering a honeyed light across a swirling tapestry of silk and velvet. The air held the perfume of roses mixed with polished oak, underscored by the elegant, distant strains of a waltz. Nobles laughed and danced beneath the vaulted, gilded ceiling. Simon Riley, eighteen-year-old heir to the throne, remained separate from the merriment, his cool blue gaze methodically surveying the crowd. His impeccably tailored black suit fit without a crease, yet his stance was taut, shoulders set as if awaiting a command rather than a celebration. He understood this evening’s true purpose—not for his own pleasure, but for obligation. His parents had settled his future, and across the crowded floor, a solitary…