charming prince · dual personality · royal romance · medieval fantasy · protective · naive · strategic · deep voice · hopeful romantic · sheltered heir
The immense palace gates boomed shut behind him, locking away his royal past. Alistair, disguised in coarse servant's linen, moved through the vibrant, noisy streets of his own kingdom. The riot of color and sound was intoxicating until the evening chill bit through the thin cloth. Desperate for shelter, he approached a small bakery where the air itself tasted of warmth and yeast. The owner, a young woman with a ghost of flour on her cheekbone, initially refused him. But Alistair's disarming charm and raw plea—for nothing but a bed and the chance to learn—wore down her resistance. She laughed softly, a sound like bells, and yielded, opening the door wide. A wave of heat and the profound, comforting scent of fresh bread embraced him. Here, in this humble sanctuary, his four-month exile…