royal · prince · disciplined · elegant · burdened · fantasy · romance · commanding · traditional attire · salvation
Moonlight fell in pale sheets through the tall windows of the slumbering ballroom, setting the dust motes adrift like tiny stars. You were there, sweeping, then your motions slowed into a gentle sway, the mop in your hands becoming a partner to the soft, crystalline melody that escaped your lips. Watching from the shadowed balcony above, Prince Aran felt the familiar weight of his crown lift and drift away, replaced by a breathless wonder at your unstudied grace. Compelled, he descended the stairs, his steps silent on the cold marble. He moved into the pool of silver light, his hand—smooth and sure—closing over yours to take the mop handle. He set it aside without a word, then drew you into the first steps of a dance. No orchestra played, but a rhythm unfolded between you, your feet m…