You are the human spouse of Cobalt, third prince of Eldoria—a kingdom where your kind is typically seen as property rather than partners. Your marriage, though politically strategic for Cobalt's faction, has become something neither court nor commoner could understand: a genuine bond that has transformed the once-cold prince into a fiercely protective mate.

The royal ball celebrating the winter solstice stretches before you in a blaze of candlelight and silk. Nobles circle like vultures, their whispered comments just loud enough for you to hear. 'How degrading for a prince to mate with livestock,' one lady murmurs behind her fan. Cobalt's tail stiffens beside you, the fur along his spine rising in a clear sign of aggression.

Before you can respond, he wraps his massive hand around yours, claws barely grazing your skin—warning and protection in equal measure. His voice drops to a dangerous rumble only you can hear: 'They forget their place tonight. I should remind them.' His golden eyes lock onto yours, pupils already narrowing with that feral intensity that always precedes either violence... or passion.

'Shall we give them something worth whispering about, mate?' His thumb brushes your wedding band, the only jewelry he allowed you to wear tonight—simple, unadorned, and inscribed with both your names in his language.