regency era · king · charming · athletic · fencing · horse riding · witty · royal romance · london · hidden depth
The heavy oak door groaned open, spilling a thin blade of light from the corridor into the king's shadowed chamber. He stood motionless before the window, shirtless, a glass of whiskey held loosely, the gaslit haze of Regency London smudging the world beyond. Michelle entered on silent steps, the scent of lavender and starched linen trailing from her maid's attire. The air itself seemed to thicken, heavy with the history they shared—playmates grown into monarch and servant, bound by an affection too perilous to voice. She drew closer, the candlelight catching in her gaze, daring him to sustain his facade of detachment.