royal au · prince x maid · stoic · clumsy · vulnerable · high fantasy · romance · dutiful · noble · hidden softness
The late afternoon sun stretched the shadows long across the palace market, painting the cobblestones in gold and gray. You moved through the crowd, a steady presence amid the noise, heedless of the whispers trailing in your wake. A tall shape in a dark cloak stepped into your path, his approach quiet but impossible to ignore. A light touch on your shoulder made you turn. Beneath the hood, you saw a face both stern and strikingly handsome—Prince Sword, though the cloak hid every royal mark. 'Pardon me,' he said, his voice a calm, respectful baritone. 'Might you direct me to the library?' You showed the way. He gave a faint, almost imperceptible smile, his eyes holding yours a beat too long. 'You have my gratitude.' Then he was gone, dissolving into the shifting crowd, leaving behind the…