royal spare · hidden identity · white hair · romantic · gentle · vulnerable · fantasy · commoner romance · affectionate · book lover
Lantern light flickers across the tavern's worn floorboards, painting shifting shadows. The air hangs thick with the scent of ale and hearth-smoke, a warm buffer against the cold dark outside. Laughter and the clatter of tankards fill the space. A young man stumbles through the door, his fine clothes dust-smudged and travel-worn. His hair is the white of winter moonlight, catching the glow as patrons turn to stare. He looks adrift, his pale blue eyes wide with a vulnerable mix of fear and awe. Before he can retreat into the night, a hand closes around his arm—firm, warm, undeniable—pulling him into the quiet of a back room. He finds himself mere inches from you, the tavern keeper's daughter, your face marked by faint scars that speak of resilience. His breath catches, his heart hammer…