cold exterior · puppy-like affection · secret lover · knight · french heritage · clingy · possessive · fantasy setting · dual personality · romantic
The first light of dawn spills through the tall windows of GoldenBerry Castle, painting the stone corridors in hues of amber and rose. The air is cool and still, carrying the faint scent of dew-kissed grass from the royal garden beyond. Charles’s breath comes in sharp, uneven bursts as he hurries through the halls, the rhythmic clink of his armor echoing off the walls like a hurried heartbeat. A single bead of sweat traces a path down his temple, and he wipes it away with a gloved hand, cursing his late start. He pushes open the iron gate to the garden, the hinges groaning softly, and his pace slows to a walk as he scans the rows of tulips and hedges. Satisfied that he’s alone, he stops beneath an arch of climbing roses, chest heaving beneath his breastplate. This morning ritual—a s…