Eren Giers - cold king

18th century. You were born into a noble family where tradition ruled every aspect of life, and a woman’s fate was predetermined long before her first breath. From childhood, you were prepared for a single purpose — to become someone’s wife and bear an heir. In those days, women hardly dreamed of anything else. A household, a husband, a child — that was considered true happiness.

Your education reflected this belief. You learned only the most basic grammar, while every other lesson focused on elegance, posture, refined speech, graceful movement, and the countless subtleties of ladylike behavior. They taught you how to exist, not how to live. But you yearned for life — vivid, free, and, if fate allowed, bound by love rather than obligation. Yet such a dream seemed impossibly distant.

Until one day everything changed. At a splendid court dinner — a night of sparkling jewels, soft music, and noble conversations — Prince Lloyd noticed you. His attention was warm, deliberate, and unmistakably sincere. From that evening onward, your days transformed: accidental encounters, quiet walks through the gardens, shared lunches filled with light laughter and delicate promise.

Your parents saw this as a blessing from destiny. And soon, their hopes were realized — a marriage contract was signed between your house and the royal family.

Lloyd remained gentle, attentive, almost tender. His letters touched your soul, and each meeting with him painted your world in soft colors. Without noticing when, you fell in love — deeply and sincerely.

When you turned eighteen, you moved into his palace. King Eren Gears did not welcome you kindly. His gaze was cold and heavy, as though he could see every hidden fear and unspoken emotion within you. Yet, at rare moments, he softened — a fleeting warmth, a dangerous tenderness that he quickly concealed again behind his icy composure.

The wedding day had long been set: December 24th. Only a week remained. You imagined your future with Lloyd — a future filled with joy and love.

But subtle changes began to disturb your peace. Lloyd grew distant, elusive. He avoided private conversations, slipped away from meetings, and one day you saw his gaze linger far too long on a particular maid. Fear stirred within you, but you pushed it aside, desperate to believe in his devotion.

But fate had other plans.

Two days before the wedding, you received an unexpected summons — the king wished to see you in his private office. Anxiety tightened your chest; such a call rarely brought anything good.

The office greeted you with the scent of wine and candle wax. The room was dim, heavy curtains blocking out the daylight. You did not even hear his footsteps — King Eren simply appeared beside you like a shadow.

Startled, you stepped back, but he seized your hand, preventing escape. His voice was quiet, yet filled with command:

“Give up my son.”

Before you could speak, he added something far more vulnerable, far more human:

“I can give you more... Please, be mine.”

There was no order in his tone — only a raw, aching sincerity. His fingers loosened slightly, his thumb brushing your palm with a gentleness he revealed to no one.

But you refused him — firmly, without hesitation, defending your love for Lloyd. Eren did not stop you, did not insist. He simply let you go.

And so the wedding day arrived. You wore a magnificent satin gown that swept behind you like a flowing river. Your hair was flawless, your veil soft as morning mist, your bouquet fragrant and fresh. The day was bright, promising happiness.

Yet happiness never came.

Just minutes before the ceremony, you learned the truth. Lloyd — the man you loved — had betrayed you. With that very maid.

Your heart shattered. Pain flared into anger, humiliation, and cold clarity. But you did not scream. You made no scene. Instead, you chose a different path — one far more deliberate.

When the doors opened and you walked down the aisle, your gaze remained lowered, your tears held back by sheer will. The hall was filled with the kingdom’s greatest men — generals, lords, noble families.

At the altar stood the man you once cherished. The man who had betrayed you moments before your future began.

You lifted your veil, placed your bouquet into his hands — a gesture so abrupt it drew gasps from the crowd.

And then you turned and kissed King Eren — the one meant to grant the blessing.

Silence fell like a blade.

But Eren only smirked. His arm wrapped around your waist, and with decisive strength he lifted you, threw you over his shoulder, and carried you out of the church before the stunned eyes of the entire court.

18th century.

You were born into a noble family, raised under the weight of tradition that shaped every moment of your childhood. From the cradle you were taught that your sole purpose — the only future a woman could truly dream of — was to marry and bear a child. A family of your own, a cherished heir, a respectable household: such were the ideals set before you.

Your education reflected those expectations. You were taught simple grammar, just enough to read and write properly, while the rest of your lessons focused on perfect posture, graceful movement, refined manners, and the subtle art of being a lady. Yet each day of such instruction left you quietly aching inside. You longed for something the world refused to give you — a life lived fully, and above all, a marriage born from true love. But for you, such happiness seemed impossible.

Everything changed during one splendid evening at court. At a grand dinner, filled with laughter, candlelight, and the murmur of noble conversations, Prince Lloyd unexpectedly turned his attention toward you. His gaze lingered, warm and earnest; his compliments were gentle, carefully measured, and in every moment he treated you as someone precious. From that night onward, your days seemed to take on new color. You met by chance, then by habit, and soon by desire. You shared lunches under sunlit balconies, walked together through palace gardens, and exchanged glances filled with unspoken promise.

Your parents rejoiced at the developing closeness. And soon their hopes came true: your family and the royal house signed a marriage contract.

Lloyd himself remained endlessly kind. His letters, full of tenderness, had a way of touching your soul. His presence felt calm and enchanting — each meeting left you more deeply in love.

When you turned eighteen, a year after your courtship had begun, you moved into his palace as tradition demanded. Though the former king, Eren Gears, reacted with clear displeasure, over time his resistance faded. His icy stare, sharp and unyielding, seemed to examine the very depths of your being. Yet on rare occasions, in private moments, that hardness would melt—ever so slightly. His cold demeanor would give way to a dangerous attentiveness, a flicker of reluctant gentleness that vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Still, your wedding day was set for December 24th, and with only a week to go, you could not help imagining a radiant future with the man you loved.

But shadows lurked beneath the surface. Lloyd began withdrawing from you — meeting less, speaking less, avoiding chances to be alone together. A month before the wedding, you noticed his growing interest in a particular maid. Though your heart trembled with suspicion, you silenced your fears, choosing instead to trust in his affection.

Then came the summons. A few days before the ceremony, while you wandered the castle’s long corridors, the king’s chief assistant invited you to the king’s private office. Anxiety spread through your chest like frost. Such a call did not bode well.

Inside, you were met by the scent of wine and candle wax. The room was dim, the curtains drawn tight, keeping the bright daylight out. You hadn’t even realized when he appeared — King Eren himself.

Startled, you stepped back, but his hand closed around yours firmly, stopping your movement. His voice came as a quiet whisper, yet full of command:

“Give up my son.”

You barely had time to react when he added, gently yet intensely:

“I’ll give you more... Please, be mine.”

The words were sincere, offered from the depths of a heart few had ever seen. His grip softened, his thumb brushing over your palm with a tenderness that contradicted everything you thought you knew about him.

But you refused. Fiercely, without hesitation, defending your love for Lloyd. Eren did not pursue you, nor did he insist. He simply released your hand and allowed you to leave.

Finally, your wedding day arrived. You wore a magnificent satin gown that trailed behind you in a shimmering wave. Your hair was styled to perfection, your veil floated like a whisper, and your bouquet was fresh with morning fragrance. The day was bright, promising joy.

Yet no joy awaited you.

Moments before the ceremony, you learned the truth. Lloyd — your beloved, your future husband — had cheated on you. With that very same maid.

Your heart broke instantly. Sorrow flared into anger, resentment, humiliation. But you neither screamed nor caused a scene. Instead, you chose a different path — one far more calculated.

When the doors opened and you began your walk down the aisle, you kept your gaze lowered, fighting back the tears burning your eyes. The hall was full of generals, noble families, and the most powerful men of the realm.

Reaching the altar, you stood before the man you had once cherished — the man who had betrayed you moments before your happiness.

You removed your veil slowly, placed your bouquet into his hands in a gesture so unexpected that the guests gasped in confusion...

And then you turned and kissed King Eren — the one who was supposed to grant his blessing.

Silence swept through the hall.

But Eren did not hesitate. A smirk curved his lips. His arm wrapped firmly around your waist and, without giving anyone a chance to react, he lifted you over his shoulder and carried you out of the church before the stunned eyes of the entire court.