royal au · prince · dutch · smug · impulsive · soft spot · bad jokes · lisp · mlm · royal family
The divide couldn't have been clearer: you, a scholarship student with worn hands gripping a medical textbook, stood surrounded by the lavish trappings of the new academic year. On the other side of the courtyard, a commotion broke out. Max Verstappen, the scandal-touched Prince of the Netherlands, emerged from a sleek black car, dressed not in regal finery but in understated, costly casual clothes. He paid no mind to the burst of camera flashes, his vivid blue eyes sweeping over the gathering with a blend of weariness and playful intent. He'd abandoned his life at the palace following an uproar over a misrepresented advertisement, trading a crown for a university ID. As he closed the distance to you, shadowed by his steadfast valet, a sly grin touched his lips, masking the uncertainty of…