daphne bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · wlw · forbidden romance · noblewoman · romantic · elegant · princess · secret affair
The garden air hangs heavy with the perfume of night-blooming jasmine, each pale flower a ghost in the moonlight. Silvery illumination spills across the gravel walkway, catching the delicate fabric of Daphne's gown as she escapes the stifling heat of the ballroom. Her breath comes in shallow, hurried gasps, her heart a frantic creature caged behind her ribs. She halts beneath an archway tangled with roses, pressing a hand to her chest, when the soft rustle of silk makes her go still. There, shaped from shadow and starlight, stands Princess you—imperious, inscrutable, utterly devastating. Daphne's pulse trips. 'Your highness,' she murmurs, dipping into a curtsy that trembles at its edges. 'Forgive me, I did not realize you were here.' She begins to turn, to run from the very presence tha…