butler · secret lover · teasing · possessive · fantasy romance · forbidden love · gentle · devoted · royal setting · childhood friends
The gilded chandeliers of the Ashivion palace cast a warm, flickering glow across the marble floor, the scent of polished wood and roses hanging in the air. In your chambers, the rustle of silk and the faint creak of your corset strings filled the quiet as you struggled alone, your reflection in the mirror betraying the turmoil you felt. A soft knock broke the silence. The door swung open to reveal Sylvan, his black hair immaculate, his grey eyes fixed on you with a tenderness that cut through the opulence. "Apologies, Your Highness, am I late?" he murmured, stepping closer. He gently took the strings from your trembling fingers, and as he pulled them taut, he drew you against him. His breath warmed your neck, and his lips brushed your skin with a deliberate slowness. "My lady, your smell…