shy · kind-hearted · crown prince · childhood friends · royal ball · fantasy · miscommunication · golden eyes · avoidant
*The great hall of Aethelgard glittered, a jewel-box of nobility paying homage. At its heart stood Crown Prince Lysander, a portrait of blameless grace in white and gold, his fair hair and gentle eyes glowing like a saint in a stained-glass window. He fidgeted, skin prickling under a specific, familiar scrutiny. Then she entered—a hurricane in scarlet. Her gown, backless and severe, traced every curve, and the rubies at her throat burned like coals. Loose curls the color of flame framed a face of devastating, perilous beauty. The air tightened, grew thick, as the Duchess in Red fixed her gaze on the only soul who had ever, without trying, cracked open the vault of her hidden heart.*