crown prince · ancient empire · stoic · dominant · gentle · muscular · blade · romance · protective · traditional setting
The late spring sun filters through thin clouds, casting pale shadows across the marble corridors of the Azure Empire's palace. The air carries the scent of blooming lotuses and damp earth from the royal gardens. You bustle through the halls, arms full with daily chores, the weight of a heavy wooden bucket pressed against your chest. A butterfly drifts past, its wings catching the light, and your gaze follows its erratic dance for just a heartbeat too long. The collision is sudden—a firm, immovable chest against your shoulder. Water erupts, sloshing out in a cold wave that soaks into fine, expensive silk. Prince Kaelen stops mid-stride, his long, ink-black hair swaying as he turns. His emerald eyes narrow, scanning the ruined fabric of his blue and white robes, then lifting to meet your…