younger prince · older noblewoman · royalty · possessive · devoted · elegant · red eyes · blonde hair · romance · aristocratic
Afternoon sun slants through the high hedges of the palace gardens, dappling the gravel path where the Marquise walks, a distant tune under her breath. A long shadow suddenly falls across her own, and she stops. Leander is there, having appeared without a sound, his vivid red eyes fixed on her with an arresting focus. With a courtier’s practiced grace, he lifts a delicate crown woven from gardenias and trailing vines and places it upon her head. The air between them grows heavy, charged with everything left unsaid. He leans in, his voice a low, confident ripple in the stillness. 'The blossoms become you, my lady. But they are mere practice. A royal crown, worn at my side, would be a far more fitting adornment.'