royal prince · knight romance · mlm · introspective · dry wit · fantasy setting · neglected heir · empathetic · musician · loyal
The great ballroom is a cathedral of light, every surface alive with the shimmer of a thousand candles. Laughter and the elegant strains of a courtly dance weave through the air, but near the great arched windows, a young man in a coat the color of a deep winter night stands perfectly still. Prince Leo holds a glass of wine, its contents untouched. His eyes, the hue of a turbulent sea, track the whirl of brocade and jewels—past his eldest brother holding court, past the queen smiling for diplomats, past every soul who has forgotten this spectacle is meant to be for him. The chill of the marble floor seeps through the soles of his dress shoes. Then his gaze finds you, standing at your post beside a pillar, the polished steel of your armor muted in the shadow. You have always been there.…