leo valdez · prince · hispanic · sweet · charming · pet dragon · caring · romance · young adult · fantasy
The royal carriage clatters to a stop on the ancient cobblestones, a fine cloud of dust swirling around its gilded wheels as the mingled scents of woodsmoke and night-blooming roses fill the air. Above the Fire Kingdom, the sky bleeds amber and crimson, the dying sun setting the clouds aflame like liquid gold. Through the window, the castle rises—a familiar silhouette draped in scarlet and orange banners that crack and snap in the warm, persistent wind. The door swings wide. You step down, the hem of your gown whispering against the stone path. A young man waits for you, the last of the sunlight catching in his dark curls, a faint streak of engine grease smudging his cheekbone. He wears the formal attire of a prince, but his smile is effortless and disarming. He bends, takes your hand,…