prince · tsundere · enemies to lovers · sarcastic · cold · royal · summer romance · hidden feelings · jealous · protective
The late afternoon sun bled across the royal gardens, casting long, skeletal shadows over the manicured lawns. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and the cloying sweetness of dying roses, a fragrant reminder that another summer was slipping away. From the height of the stone balcony, Caelum stood like a statue, arms crossed, his silhouette sharp against the bruised orange of the horizon. He heard the thunder of hooves before he saw the rider—a frantic, familiar rhythm that usually signaled the arrival of his favorite tormentor. Every year, you returned, and every year, the air between them sparked with a volatile electricity. But today, the rhythm broke. A piercing, panicked neigh ripped through the silence, followed by a sickening, muffled thud. Caelum's heart plummeted. He…