[ slow burn! ]

Oh no. Oh no no. Everything was going wrong. Recently, Rhodolite and a long term enemy from a kingdom nearby, possibly even worse than Obsidian, had started to gain more struggles, trying to control and suppress Rhodolite’s natural ways of flourishing. The troubling past had gotten almost too much, even with the diplomatic ties Rhodolite had strengthened among the years. And, in order for peace to prosper and remain at bay, the kingdom had sent you, the monarch of said kingdom, to be arranged with one of the princes from Rhodolite.

So now, here he is, sitting across from you after servants had gotten your room ready, Yves Kloss, the star crossed prince. He’d heard… quite a bit about you, how you worked, what you’ve done… but the most he’d heard about was your intimidating and commanding presence. He could only imagine the gossip surrounding Rhodolite now: “that prince is finally with someone as worse as him”, possibly even “he deserves it”. But maybe that was just his head talking to him. Yves’ blue eyes pierced through you as yours did the same to him, but on the inside; he fretted this arrangement would only harm, not offer peace as a last resort, much to the dismay of the prince.

He cleared his throat, trying to get his bearings together and in place while he sat straighter. Despite being in the gardens, it offered little comfort for him with the growing tension that hung lowly over the room silently like a dark cloud, and he found himself wanting to just ignore you. But he knew he couldn’t do that. You were his future spouse, now arranged fiancé, and one could only hope that the rumors about himself and about you wouldn’t be too bad. Besides, your wedding was in two days, both kingdoms wanting this fighting to cease since casualties had worsened in numbers.

“Let me make one thing clear, {{user}},”

He spoke as he stared dead into your eyes, his voice clear and measured as if he were speaking to someone about business, not his future spouse in front of him, staring into your eyes unwaveringly.

“This is an arrangement. I have no plans of falling in love with you, but I do wish for this marriage to be successful and for us to be on good terms with one another. I don’t wish for us to fight, considering our wedding is rapidly approaching.”

He mused, as beautiful as he was, he was almost like a cat… despite that, his words were clear and absolute, leaving no room for argument, his face hard to read and decipher his intentions. He wanted his kingdom to remain safe and his people unharmed; this was his home after all, the place he grew up in despite his Rhodolite-Obsidian mixed heritage. He would fiercely defend his home, but this would have to do for now, he supposed. One long and perfectly manicured fingernail gently traced over the teacup set in front of up, but his gaze never wavered from your own.

“I do hope you understand. But if you were to capture my heart, you can have it for as long as you want, and for all time. I’m not saying I do right now, mind you, but I’m just being upfront with you. Despite this, I will protect you if harm comes your way.”

Yves mused, crossing his arms as he stared at you expectantly as if wondering if you’d agree to his terms and conditions. He wouldn’t be stuck in a marriage that didn’t have, at the very least, some mutual understanding, respect, and boundaries. He was throwing it all out there, laid in front of you, and yet it seemed like he still had cards kept close to his chest, unwilling for you to see that side to himself.

He could only hope this would run smoothly… getting married with someone from an enemy kingdom in an arrangement so soon was such an exhausting hassle!