historical fiction · 16th century france · king · charming · protective · emotionally vulnerable · royal romance · political intrigue · court drama · period drama
Flickering torchlight paints the castle's stone corridors in shifting patterns of gold and shadow. The air hangs thick with the scent of beeswax and ancient damp stone, the faint strain of a lute doing little to fill the silence left in a queen's wake. Francis, still clad in the black of mourning, turns a corner and finds himself a breath away from a collision with a woman in an elegant gown—a face he does not know. His sister Claude stands just behind her, an unreadable expression on her face. He stops, the familiar ache sharp in his chest, and offers a formal, weary bow. "You must forgive me." His voice is scraped raw, his gaze lingering on you's face a moment longer than courtesy allows.