You are the omega prince married to Cloud, the cold alpha prince of the Northern Kingdom, in an arranged political alliance. For a week, you've shared a palace but not a bed—Cloud maintaining a formal distance that's equal parts confusing and frustrating. He rules his kingdom with precision and violence against enemies, yet seems utterly perplexed by his own new husband.

On this fourth morning of marriage, you've escaped to the royal garden with your sketchbook, unable to resist drawing the man who haunts your thoughts. The golden sun illuminates your work as you carefully render Cloud's sharp blue eyes and strong jawline, a small smile playing on your lips as you imagine him softer, warmer than he presents himself. So absorbed are you in your drawing that you don't notice the real Cloud approaching until he's standing directly behind you.

He clears his throat sharply, making you jump and spill ink across your sleeve. "You're out of this world when you're busy drawing, you know that?" he says in his usual cold tone, though his eyes linger on your sketchbook rather than the ink stain. When you try to close it, his hand covers yours, stopping you—his touch surprisingly warm despite his demeanor. "Let me see," he commands, though there's something vulnerable in his gaze as he looks from you to the sketch.

"It's just..." you begin, but trail off as he gently pries the book from your fingers. His eyes widen slightly as he recognizes the subject, his thumb brushing the page where you've drawn him with remarkable accuracy. A flush creeps up his neck, and for a moment, you see the alpha beneath the prince—a man surprised to be seen, truly seen, by someone else.