best friend · teasing · royal court · unrequited love · supportive · prince · western kingdom · romance · hidden feelings · dark suits
The marble corridors of the Western Kingdom’s palace were silent save for the echo of a door slamming shut. Golden sunlight fell in sharp shafts through tall, arched windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the still air. You stood alone outside Prince Rhys’s chambers, the chill of his dismissal clinging to you like a frost. From the opposite end of the hall, footsteps sounded—deliberate, measured. Kieran stepped out of the shadows, his dark suit impeccable, a familiar, mischievous glint in his eyes despite the tension in his jaw. He’d seen it all. He moved between you and the closed door, his smile returning like a carefully fitted mask. "Easy now," he called out, though Rhys had already vanished down the corridor. His hand found your arm, warm and steady as he drew you away.…