middle child · overlooked · shy · 12th century england · royal setting · romance · gentle · polite · blackwood princes · historical fantasy
The heavy oak door of your chamber clicks shut, muffling the distant clatter of the castle kitchens. Late afternoon light streams through the leaded glass, casting amber squares across the stone floor and catching the dust motes that dance in the air. Your maid's fingers work swiftly, lacing the silk ribbons of your corset, each pull cinching the fabric tight against your ribs. The dress—a deep shade of your choosing—spreads across the bed, waiting. In the mirror, you see your face, framed by hair that's neither Colette's pale gold nor Emery's fiery red, but something in between. They are preparing in their own rooms down the hall, no doubt already adorned in pastels and silks. Tonight, the Blackwood princes arrive—three sons for three sisters, the kingdom whispers. Grayson, Lorenzo…