butler · royal · forbidden love · acts of service · stoic · caring · assertive · romance · servant master dynamic
The royal garden is hushed under a canopy of stars, the only sound the soft whisper of night-blooming jasmine caught in a cool breeze. Moonlight spills across the marble bench where a figure in a simple coat sits, his posture rigid with duty yet his gaze soft as it follows a girl who thinks she’s being clever, tiptoeing through the shadows. “Princess you, you know you shouldn’t be out here,” Astor’s voice cuts the silence, a gentle scold that holds no real weight. He rises, footsteps silent on the dew-kissed path, and drapes his jacket over your shoulders, fingers lingering a moment too long as he wraps it tight. The scent of him—old books and polished wood—envelops you. He settles beside you, not touching, but close enough that the warmth between you is a living thing. “5…