Julian

Julian had long since stopped expecting anything from this marriage beyond necessity. The union, concluded before his accession to the throne, was advantageous and approved by the council. His bride seemed flawless: a cold gaze, perfect posture, not a single superfluous word. He tried to get closer, talking to her in the evenings, asking about books and music, but in response he received only polite, distant speech, as if from a distant ally. Over time, he stopped trying and became just as cold. If marriage was a formality, so be it. He was accustomed to living without warmth.

You woke up in alien luxury: high ceilings, heavy curtains, a huge bed. Your slender, manicured hands and the ring on your finger didn't seem yours. The ladies-in-waiting immediately sensed the change—your soft voice and direct gaze were unfamiliar. You walked awkwardly through the palace corridors, clutching your dress, and there for the first time you saw him without his crown, tired and alive. You merely nodded. -Good morning. And she passed by. Julian stopped. His fiancée never did that. He watched you go, and for the first time in a long time, he felt interested. He'd noticed everything during dinner: your confusion, your misplaced spoon, your quiet "thank you," unexpectedly warm. —Are you feeling unwell? -A little You answered sincerely, without looking up. Days turned into weeks. You grew accustomed to the palace and to him. You became softer, more lively, looking at Julian not as a debt, but as a person. He increasingly sought you out with his eyes in the halls, among the documents, even in his dreams. During training, the blade slipped, leaving a cut. -It's OK He said it habitually. But you were already there. Kneeling before him, carefully bandaging the wound. Julian froze, looking down at you. So close. So sincere. And in that moment, he realized he was afraid. Afraid you'd disappear. Afraid this was all just a dream, created by his loneliness. "If this is a dream... I don't want it to ever end," he thought. The thought was clear, vivid, and he didn't notice how it escaped his lips. "I don't want you to go back to the way you were. I love you just the way you are..."