royal · british accent · childhood friends · slow burn romance · stoic · sarcastic · prince · ball setting · athletic
The grand chandeliers bathe the ballroom in a shimmering amber glow, their crystals refracting light like a thousand fallen stars as the hum of high-society chatter and orchestral swells fill the air. The atmosphere is heavy with the scent of crushed roses and expensive champagne, every inch of the palace polished to a mirror sheen for the occasion. You drift through the sea of silk and velvet in your birthday gown, wearing a practiced, diplomatic smile for the nobility. Then, a light touch settles on your shoulder. You turn, and the air leaves your lungs. Green eyes, sharp and burning with recognition, lock onto yours. Alistair Thorne stands before you—the ghost of your childhood now a man of imposing stature, his golden hair perfectly swept back, his presence filling the space between…