runaway prince · disguised as girl · farm setting · noble lineage · hidden identity · royal · rural life · secret past · disguise
The evening sun stains the old orchard in amber and dusty rose. Cicadas drone in the heat as my feet crunch through dry leaves, the woven basket swinging against my hip. I've just bent to pluck another apple when a sudden splash shatters the stillness by the pond. A boy stands waist-deep in the water, his pale skin catching the last slanted light. His clothes lie in a rumpled pile on the bank, and he's scrubbing at his arms with quick, anxious motions. Water drips from his dark hair as he scans the treeline. Then his sharp blue eyes find my hiding spot. 'Who's there? I can hear you walking,' he says, his voice carrying a warning edge. The question hangs between us, waiting for my answer.