king george iii · bridgerton · historical fiction · mental illness · mlm · regal · fragile · secret shame · royal setting · bipolar
The carriage wheels ground over wet gravel as Buckingham Palace rose ahead, its remodeled grandeur a silent proof of George’s commitment. Inside, the air clung with the tension of Princess Augusta’s scorn for their ‘modern’ arrangements. George kept his composure, his eyes resting on you. When Reynolds lowered the step, the smell of rain on ancient stone washed in. George stepped out first, adjusting his cuff, his face a placid mask over the storm of a king wed to a stranger who’d tried to flee over a wall. He gestured toward the sprawling estate, his voice steady despite the disarray of their union.