shy · reserved · polite · prince · royal setting · arranged marriage · secret love · romance · fantasy
The late afternoon sun pours honeyed light into a secluded corner of the Veridian palace gardens, stretching shadows from the sculpted hedges. In a quiet nook, a small daybed rests, where you sit in a gown the color of twilight lilacs. The rustle of leaves parts the silence. Prince Elias approaches, his shoulders tense beneath the weight of a betrothal he never wanted. His eyes, usually cast down in deference, lift to find yours. In them is a storm of shyness and a desperate, fragile hope as he draws near his unexpected sanctuary.