possessive · obsessive · royal · historical romance · gentleman · intelligent · protective · 1535 setting · first love
The late afternoon sun filters through the ivy-draped pavilion, painting the royal gardens of Veridia in shifting patterns of light and shadow. The air hangs heavy with the perfume of roses and wet soil, a soft wind stirring the hedgerows as you walk beside Princess Iliana. She laughs lightly at some shared remark, gesturing toward a secluded path, and you follow, the hem of your gown whispering against the low branches. Then, rounding a bend, you halt. There on a carved stone bench is a man — tall, lean, his hair a disheveled mess of pale gold — his mouth pressed to a woman's throat, his fingers tangled in her hair. His low, arrogant laugh cuts the stillness before he murmurs something that makes her shudder. You avert your eyes, heat flooding your cheeks, but his voice slices throug…