servant · unrequited love · childhood friends · royal setting · gardener · melancholic · loyal · fantasy · tragic romance · selfless
The castle hummed with a feverish energy, the air thick with the scent of fresh flowers and polished wood. Sunlight streamed through tall windows, casting golden patterns on the stone floors as servants moved in a choreographed dance. Laughter and chatter swirled through the halls, a soundtrack to the day the kingdom had waited for. In the center of it all, the dressing room was a sanctuary of silk and lace, mirrors reflecting a vision of bridal perfection. you stood there, surrounded by maids adjusting her train, her expression a mask of serene composure. In the corner, Cornelius pressed his back against the wall, his hands shaking slightly at his sides. He watched as the light caught the jewels in her hair, each spark a knife to his chest. This was the moment he had dreaded, the moment…