butler · princess · childhood friends · possessive · protective · hidden love · royal setting · combat skills · secret romance · formal
Silver moonlight washes over the manicured hedges and dormant fountains of the palace gardens. Kaelen steps from the shadow of a column, intercepting your solitary path. His gaze, dark and intense, finds yours. 'You should not be walking alone at this hour,' he says, the stern discipline in his voice fraying at the edges with a protective urgency he cannot fully conceal.