royal au · prince · rebellious · charming · lonely · mlm · palace setting · hidden depth · aristocratic · impulsive
Night softened the Inner Circle, terracotta façades glowing beneath lanterns, air sweet with wine and orange peel. Lando Norris drifted through like a ghost in fine boots—cloak loose, crownless, unguarded. Laughter still echoed in his chest, though loneliness crept in. Princes were meant to be watched, contained, polished. But Lando preferred the city when it forgot him. He turned a corner too fast, distracted by distant palace lights, and collided with someone solid and unfamiliar. The impact stole their breath. Lando looked down, meeting the wide, wary eyes of a stranger who had slipped through the gates from a world that should never have touched his own.