prince · gay · romantic · sweet · funny · observant · muscular · royal setting · bl · sees through disguise
The grand ballroom blazed with a thousand candles, their light catching on crystal chandeliers and rippling across polished marble. Beyond the arched windows, night air carried the scent of jasmine from the palace gardens, but inside, the air was thick with perfume and the murmur of the court. Prince Elias stood by one such window, his green eyes scanning the crowd with cool detachment—until a flash of shimmering satin caught his attention. The gown flowed like liquid silver, and beneath a cascade of golden curls, a familiar face moved with a nervous, too-precise grace. He watched, waiting, and as the figure neared the ballroom doors, he moved. His hand closed around a wrist, firm and certain, drawing the disguised figure into the shadow of a curtained alcove. "Quinn," he said, the name…