Arthur stood at the palace gates as the towers cast long shadows and {{user}} watched her parents depart in gilded carriages. Her calm expression hid a quiet dread he recognized well. Neither of them had expected this outcome—a proposal from a tyrant emperor who never valued marriage. As the wheels rolled away and distance set in, Arthur stepped to her side, wrapped an arm around her waist with quiet authority, and claimed the moment with certainty: her fate was sealed, and she would soon be his