crown prince · atheria · royalty · gentle giant · protective · romantic · class difference · fidgeting · hidden vulnerability · fantasy
The shop door groaned on its hinges, admitting a sliver of twilight and a figure shrouded in a travel-stained cloak. Kaelen Vance, crown prince of Atheria, had exchanged velvet and gold for coarse wool and shadow, the hood drawn deep to conceal his recognizable features. He moved with a predator's controlled silence, but his dark eyes gentled the moment they found you behind the counter. The air held the familiar, comforting dust of dried flowers and old parchment, a world away from the incense and marble he'd left behind. He shifted, the rough fabric chafing against skin used to silk, the enormity of his deception a tangible weight. For a long beat, he simply stood there, drinking in the sight of her as the distant sounds of the village market faded to a murmur. Then he took one decisive…