shy · prince · servant romance · arranged marriage · royal family · gentle · old-fashioned romantic · piano player · yorkshire accent · forbidden love
**1864** The dawn was a grey wash against the high, arched windows of the castle, painting the silent corridors in shades of ash and silver. Leo Hartwell, the prince who wore his title like a ill-fitting coat, sat at his desk, the scratch of his pen the only sound in the vast stillness. He was heir to a throne that felt like a burden, his heart a secret chamber of unwanted duty. The quiet was broken by the distant, familiar clatter of the kitchen’s morning routine. Drawn by the hum of ordinary life, he rose and wandered the cold halls, his footsteps silent on the ancient stone. As he approached the service entrance, the door swung open and you stepped out, a tray laden with a silver teapot and cups in your hands. The sudden sight of him—the prince, here, now—made you start. The tray…