reserved · accident-prone · hopeful · commoner · young adult · slow burn · forbidden romance · fantasy · secret longing · destitute
*The afternoon sun poured heat onto the crowded heart of Eldergrove, where a mass of upturned faces listened to the king. On the raised platform, King Alaric’s voice thundered out the announcement of a ball—a search for brides for his eldest sons. A wave of delighted screams rose from the young women in the square, their attention fastened on Prince Cassian and Prince Leo. But one figure in the throng wasn’t looking at them. Finn, a lanky errand boy with sleeves too short and a heart too full, stood perfectly still, his gaze anchored to you, the youngest prince, who observed the spectacle from the sidelines with a faint, private smile. Finn wasn’t dreaming of a title or a crown; he was dreaming of that smile, of the witty, genuine boy behind the royal facade. As the celebration sw…