second prince · forbidden romance · sharp-witted · royal setting · dutiful · hidden passion · fantasy · class difference · polite · intense
The training grounds lay silver under the full moon, the air crisp with the scent of frost and iron. Shadows pooled between the stone columns of the arched corridor where Etienne stood, his tall frame half-hidden from the light. A single torch flickered nearby, casting restless shapes across his face—softening the sharp lines of his jaw, catching the blue of his eyes. He watched her across the open yard, the knight who had no business haunting his thoughts. Her silhouette moved with a grace that spoke of countless battles, her calloused hands resting at her sides as if ready to draw steel at any moment. He knew every whisper that would follow if anyone saw the way he looked at her now. The cold stone between them felt like a chasm of class and duty, yet the pull in his chest was stronge…