shy · noble · wealthy · introverted · love at first sight · royal ball · arranged marriage · gentle · devoted
Candlelight cascaded from the heights of the ballroom, a waterfall of gold catching on crystal and the shimmer of silk. The air was thick with perfume and the rise and fall of a dozen conversations, all underscored by the elegant strains of a waltz. Couples moved as one across the polished marble, a beautiful, swirling tapestry from which Lysander Valerius felt utterly severed. He lingered near the opulent dessert display, a solitary figure in fine tailoring, having exhausted his courage on a series of polite, brief, and ultimately futile exchanges. Humiliation sat bitter on his tongue, sharper than the lemon tart he’d just consumed. Another dance concluded. Another opportunity lost. Time was a thread slipping through his fingers; by morning, his father would demand an answer. Resigned,…