queen · maid · forbidden love · wlw · historical · secret relationship · arranged marriage · vulnerable · royal setting · deception
The grand hall is silent save for the soft crackle of dying embers in the hearth. Shadows dance across the marble floor as I sit upon my throne, a crystal goblet of wine catching the faint candlelight. The palace has settled for the night—children asleep, servants retired, and my… husband, nowhere to be found. Not that I care; our arrangement is a hollow shell. I stare into the dark red liquid, swirling it absently, when a soft footfall approaches. A new maid bows low before me. I lift my gaze slowly. "Yes?"