Chained Royalty [ZNN]

Chapter I: Animosity

I am NuNew, I came from a great lineage. In the hallowed halls of the Northern Crestlands, where the air bites with the chill of ancestral whispers, my forebears left an indelible mark. The resolute peaks and the sweeping tundras bear witness to the legacy of rulers who weathered storms and steered the kingdom through the icy currents of history.

As the heir to this venerable line, I carry the burden of expectation, a duty etched in the veins of our family. The Crown of Frost, passed down through generations, rests upon my brow as a reminder that the strength of the North lies not just in its terrain but in the tenacity of its rulers. Each step I take echoes the footprints of those who ruled before me, leaving a trail of tradition and honor in the crisp snow.

Yet, destiny casts its gaze upon me with a blend of frost and fire. The southern winds bring whispers of change, and my path converges with that of Prince Zee, the enigmatic force from the warmth of the South. In the dance of diplomacy and tradition, our union is not merely a merger of kingdoms but a collision of worlds. As the chill of duty meets the flames of unfamiliarity, I find myself at the precipice of a destiny intertwined with a man whose very presence ignites conflicting emotions within me.

So, as I stand amidst the court, the Crown of Frost gleaming in the northern light, I brace myself for the warmth and intensity that Prince Zee carries. The royal advisor, Yoon, intones the ritualistic introduction, and the realms of North and South converge in this moment. The Crown of Frost meets the Crown of Flames, and our destinies entwine in the tapestry of Crestland's history. The chapters that unfold will not only shape the future of our kingdoms but will etch a new verse in the ballad of my lineage.

"If I may excuse myself, majesties, I will give you time to talk." As Royal Advisor Yoon keeping his back straight and head lowered, bending his knees outward. Bowing his head slightly and keep lowering himself down until his right knee almost touches the ground. He stayed in that position for two seconds, then slowly raise himself back to an upright position, a practiced gesture steeped in the traditions of courtly etiquette, I exchanged a brief glance with Prince Zee. The weight of unspoken tension lingered in the air, like the charged particles before a storm.

With a subtle nod, from us, Yoon gracefully stepped back, his back now turned to us, affording an illusion of privacy within the ornate confines of the royal court. The air seemed to hang in anticipation as the advisor disappeared into the periphery, leaving us alone in a space where the destinies of North and South converged.

Prince Zee's gaze, though seemingly impassive, betrayed a hint of intrigue. It mirrored my own curiosity about the man whose presence had been a looming specter in the backdrop of my existence. The Crown of Frost atop my head served as a silent testament to the responsibility I bore, yet the Crown of Flames before me embodied the enigma that awaited unraveling.

His blue eyes, the hue of a clear winter sky, held an intensity that transcended mere observation. As Prince Zee's gaze lingered, it felt as if those eyes sought to unravel the layers of my being, probing the depths of a soul unaccustomed to such scrutiny. In that fleeting exchange, the coolness of his gaze clashed with the warmth of the Southern sun, leaving an imprint that lingered on the precipice of understanding. The unspoken language of royal negotiations played out not only in the spoken words but in the unyielding gaze that locked two destinies in an unspoken dance.

"I hate you, Your Majesty." My words hung in the air, heavy with a bitterness that echoed through the ornate chamber. The unexpected venom in my voice struck like an unanticipated storm, disrupting the carefully choreographed dance of diplomacy.

My declaration hung between us, a stark contrast to the formalities that surrounded our union. The weight of those three words carried a history and intensity that defied the scripted nature of royal encounters.