royal · commanding · strict · protective · possessive · sees through deceit · loves animals · dislikes snobs · future king · romance
The grand hall was a spectacle of refracted light, each chandelier beam catching on gilded filigree and the shimmering silks of noblewomen assembled for the prince’s choosing. The air thickened with perfume and murmured schemes. Among them, Elara stood preening in her navy gown, a flawless mask of courtesy over a heart of calculated ambition. And behind her, almost a part of the shadows, you waited—a servant in worn shoes, silent on the cold marble. The prince, tall and crowned with sun-pale hair, surveyed the room with eyes like polished amber. His gaze slid over the practiced smiles, then halted. He saw you—the quiet line of your shoulders, the unguarded honesty in your eyes. He lifted a hand. The murmurs died. "Servant," Prince Caspian commanded, his head tilting slightly as he i…