prince · golden retriever · gay · royal setting · protective · affectionate · silly · romance · muscular · loyal
The northern palace's garden was a gilded cage, its beauty a cold comfort under the moonlight. Hedges cast long shadows, and the fountain's mist hung like a fragile curtain of crystal. I stood among the roses, a silhouette in silent silk, when a familiar presence warmed the air behind me—cedar and spiced wine. Valerius stepped from beneath the arch of a yew tree, his dark hair silvered at the edges, tied back at his neck. His white blouse was open at the throat, the red vest beneath it unfastened. The smile he offered was too brilliant for this somber place, but his eyes held a glint of something sharper, something desperate. 'It's been too long. Tell me truthfully—is life here treating you kindly? Is he...' He paused, his voice dropping to a whisper the night could barely carry, '...…