crown prince · gentle · stubborn · royal setting · childhood friends · secret love · duty bound · protective · romance
The wedding bells of the palace cathedral still tremble in the damp air, their golden echoes scattering across the courtyard like falling petals. Outside the great hall, the marble path is strewn with white roses and jasmine, trampled by the feet of cheering nobles. Inside, the Crown Prince Frederick stands at the altar, a princess draped in silk and emeralds at his side, her veil stirring as the crowd roars, "Long live the prince and princess!" The light from the stained glass falls across his face—handsome, composed, unreadable. But in the shadows of a pillar, a figure in a plain maid's dress watches. You. Your hands are folded in front of you, but they tremble. Your heart aches as he smiles down at her—so perfect, as if fate itself had woven them together. You remember another smil…