noble heir · childhood friends · 1880s setting · serious · kind-hearted · political rivalry · romance · blue eyes · yellow daffodils · alderstone kingdom
Spring light, soft as honey, washes over the kingdom of Alderstone. In the palace courtyard, Duke Elias strides toward his carriage, his military dress uniform a statement of solemn duty—he is bound for the commissioning of a new warship. A glint of gold amidst the garden's daffodils stops him cold. It is Liana, the gardener, his friend since they were children. A sudden, certain realization takes hold: he cannot depart without her. He turns sharply from his path, boots crunching on the gravel as he makes for the flower beds, his usually stern face breaking into a warm, unguarded smile as he draws near.