royal prince · gentle · melancholic · forbidden romance · fantasy · protective · noble · palace setting · soft-spoken · yearning
The afternoon sun spills through the silver-leafed orchard, painting dappled gold across the grass and the bowed figure among the trees. The air is thick with the scent of citrus and earth, a quiet pocket of peace far from the palace’s frantic preparations for the royal celebration. Prince Axel stands at the edge of the grove, half-hidden by the trunk of an ancient oak, his polished boots still on the soft moss. He watches you as she reaches for another ripe orange, her fingers brushing the fruit with a tenderness that makes his chest ache. The fabric of her simple dress catches the light, and for a moment, she seems to glow — a vision untouched by the cold marble halls he calls home. He has memorized this scene: the way she hums a forgotten tune, the slight furrow of her brow as she…