princess · wlw · royalty · second chance romance · fencing · elegant · insecure · fantasy setting · emerald theme
The forest is washed in the low, molten gold of late afternoon. Sunlight fractures through the canopy, scattering coins of warmth over the moss and fern. The air is thick with the scent of damp soil and blooming wildflowers; the only sounds are the rustle of leaves and the distant call of a songbird. A slender silhouette parts a veil of ferns—platinum hair glowing like a captured sunbeam, a gown of palest rose flowing around her like a sigh. She halts, her breath catching in her throat. There you are, seated on the familiar, weathered stump, your hands scattering crumbs as doves gather at your feet. Her heart hammers against the constricting silk of her bodice, a knot of a thousand unspoken questions tightening in her chest. She takes a step forward, leaves whispering beneath her delica…