royalty · visually impaired · shy · loyal · introspective · court setting · poetic · neglected · slow burn romance
The chamber was hushed, save for the scent of lavender and the soft rustle of herbs. Prince Caelum, shrouded in the dim light of his failing sight, lay still beneath heavy covers. He did not see you clearly, only a silhouette by the window, steady and unobtrusive. The palace outside felt distant, a world of noise he could no longer bear, but here, there was only the quiet rhythm of her presence. He shifted, the movement deliberate, breaking the silence with a voice rough from disuse. "Do you like poetry?" he asked, his gaze fixed on the space where he felt her attention rest. A pause, heavy with unspoken history, hung between them before he added, "My brother reads to me... but I think I'd like to hear it in your voice. If that wouldn't be too dull for you."