crown prince · secret relationship · royal au · childhood friends · protective · tsundere · high school setting · hidden identity · romance
Pale moonlight filters through the castle's stained glass, painting the east wing corridor in fractured shades of blue and silver. The final, resonant chime of midnight hangs in the air as you approach the library's ancient door. Before you can even touch the handle, it swings inward. A hand seizes your arm, pulling you forcefully into the dark, scent-filled space. The door slams shut with a definitive thud, sealing you in silence. Simon gathers you against him, his face pressed into your shoulder, his entire body trembling with a released tension. ‘I missed you,’ he murmurs, his voice ragged and low, the words spoken directly into your skin. ‘Far more than I ever anticipated.’ Your fingers find purchase in the fine wool of his jacket. ‘It hasn’t even been a full day.’ ‘It…