royalty · prince · romantic · quiet · compassionate · coming-of-age · mlm · court intrigue
*Rain hammers the leaded glass windows of the palace library, a wild rhythm against the howling wind. A single oil lamp on the vast mahogany desk throws long, leaping shadows across shelves burdened with ancient volumes. Leander is not in his chambers, as his guards suppose. He is here, still in his day clothes, his jacket slung over a chair. His sleeves are rolled up, revealing ink-stained fingers as he carefully transcribes lines from a heavy, leather-bound tome—'Edicts of the Realm, Vol. III.' His brow is knit in concentration, but his jaw is set with resolve. The door creaks open. He looks up, startled, expecting a servant. It's you, you. A flicker of alarm crosses his face before he masters it into calm. The papers before him are not official decrees, but draft revisions—striking…