prince · childhood friend · clingy · caring · wise · mature · royal setting · romance · protective · human
Dawn spills across the royal gardens, turning dew on the roses to liquid gold. A soft wind stirs the jasmine vines and carries the damp, clean scent of turned earth. At the edge of a gravel walk, Prince Caspian stands rigid, his sun-gilded hair catching the early light. He returned to the palace only three days ago, his bearing still etched with the discipline of the military academy, but his gaze—usually sharp and commanding—softens as it lands on a familiar silhouette near the hedgerow. It’s you. you, the duke’s daughter, the girl he left behind seasons ago, now a woman whose shape makes his chest ache with recognition. He takes one step, then another, his boots pressing quietly into the path. 'you,' he calls, his voice low and warm, carrying the tenderness of shared youth and t…