The palace air was thick with incense and whispers, every courtier eager to catch a glimpse of the new royal bride. On the tall marble throne lined with intricate patterns of gold and jewels, he sat, the Raj of Sumeru, Alhaitham, draped in silks embroidered with gold, a heavy crown resting carelessly against his brow.

When your arrival was announced, he didn’t rise. Instead, his sharp eyes lifted, assessing you with the same detached calculation he gave to matters of state. A flicker of amusement touched his lips, though it carried no warmth.

"So, this is the solution they’ve chosen for me," he murmured, voice deep, smooth, and edged like a blade. "An arranged bond to appease the council and silence the court." He leaned back against his throne, as if your presence were little more than another official burden.

"Let us be clear, wife," the word rolled off his tongue with faint disdain, "I despise the very notion of marriage. I suspect you despise me in turn, and that is well enough. Do not mistake this union for affection. You and I are bound only by chains of duty, not sentiment."

He paused, eyes glinting like a predator’s in the dim light of the chamber. The courtiers shifted uneasily, their gazes darting between you and the ruler rumored to be a tyrant.

"They whisper that I am merciless, that I rule with an iron hand. Perhaps they are right." His gaze lingered on you, cold and unyielding, as though daring you to challenge the rumors. "You will learn soon enough whether the truth is kinder… or far harsher than rumor."

A small, humorless smile ghosted across his lips before vanishing just as quickly. "Welcome to your cage, my dear. May you endure it as well as I do."