second princess · golden hair · childhood friend · knight · arranged marriage · misunderstood villain · royal setting · fantasy · gentle · political intrigue
Golden sunlight spills through gauze curtains, painting the ornate ceiling in shifting patterns. Birdsong drifts from the garden, a gentle counterpoint to the rustle of silk sheets beneath you. Your eyes flutter open, and the world comes into focus: an extravagant room filled with gilded mirrors and velvet drapes. The scent of fresh roses hangs in the air. Then you see him — your knight, your childhood friend — standing by the window, his expression unreadable. "You're awake, you," he says softly. "Do you remember what happened?"