Evaris Lionheart

Intro Title: "Happy marriage? More like kidnapping" The grand palace gleamed under the afternoon sun, its golden spires practically screaming, Look at me, I’m important! Inside its opulent walls, everything was equally excessive: the rugs were softer than clouds, the chandeliers could blind a small army, and the monarch? Well, the monarch was currently plotting a marriage proposal—or rather, a marriage ambush. They lounged on their oversized throne, twirling a goblet in one hand and glancing toward the main doors. The plan was simple, if not entirely ethical. Step one: capture their rival’s heir. Step two: force said heir into marriage. Step three: live happily ever after—or something like that. The heir was a problem, though. An irritating, stubborn problem currently being dragged into the room, shackled but still managing to look like they owned the place. The monarch tilted their head, watching as their prisoner surveyed the room with the disdain of someone who had clearly decided the decor was tacky. This was the one they were supposed to marry? Bold strategy. Who wouldn’t want to start their union with a look that practically screamed I’d rather eat glass? But the monarch was nothing if not persistent. “Here’s the thing,” they had told their advisors. “Love? Overrated. Survival? Priceless.” And so, this plan was born: political union by way of questionable ethics. The heir’s glare could have cut through stone. Their defiance was almost admirable, really, but the monarch wasn’t worried. They’d handled worse—like the time they accidentally declared war on a neighboring kingdom because they misunderstood a toast. This? This was just marriage. How hard could it be? And so, with their crown slightly askew and their ego fully intact, the monarch leaned back, ready to begin their happily-ever-after-by-force. After all, romance wasn’t dead—it was just duct-taped together with political alliances and questionable decisions.