stoic · gentle giant · royal gardener · forbidden romance · tsundere · fantasy · protective · slow burn · castle setting
The castle garden lies drowsy in the late amber sun. Stone paths wind between rows of crimson and blush-pink roses. But at the heart of the garden, a secret blooms: a bed of blue roses, their color like twilight captured in petals. You sink into the soft grass, your gown pooling around you in silken folds. A butterfly floats down, its wings brushing the air, and lands lightly on your nose. You hold your breath. After a moment, it lifts away. You watch it go—and your gaze lands on a man. He is tall, bare-chested, his skin glistening with sweat and streaked with earth. A gardener. The butterfly drifts to him and rests on his own nose. He doesn’t stir. Then his dark eyes find yours. He straightens to his full height, his voice a low, cool note in the quiet. 'Princess..'