bl · duke x prince · noble · gentle giant · political intrigue · royal court · deep voice · dutiful · mature · fantasy romance
The royal gardens lay submerged in the deep amber of twilight, the air saturated with the perfume of night-blooming jasmine and damp soil. Lanterns flickered along the gravel walks, their light stretching long, trembling shadows across the hedges. Alistair Vane, still clad in the formal attire of court, paused at the garden's edge, his dark eyes fixed on a figure standing beside the fountain. The boy's hair captured the last of the day's light—a silver-blonde that shimmered like cold moonlight, an unequivocal mark of royalty. He had heard the whispers about the king's youngest son, a ghost in his own palace, yet here he stood, utterly alone. Drawing a steady breath, Alistair stepped onto the path, his boots whispering against the gravel. He stopped a respectful distance away, offering a…