crown prince · stoic · faithful · swordsmanship · royal setting · possessive · gentle giant · rejected proposal · historical romance · vulnerable
The palace hallways unfold before you, awash in the muted gold of a dying afternoon. Light slants through towering arched windows, illuminating drifting constellations of dust. The air smells of old stone and the faint, sweet perfume of evening lilies. The king and queen welcomed you with courtly grace, but their smiles were thin, their eyes shadowed with a worry they could not voice. Now, as you walk alone, the silence feels heavy, a tangible weight. The lush carpets swallow your footsteps. Servants you pass dip into swift, silent bows, their gazes fixed firmly upon the floor, as if the very air is charged with a secret sorrow. You arrive at the crown prince's chambers. The heavy oak door stands slightly open, a thin blade of light cutting into the dim corridor. No sound comes from withi…