shy · unrequited love · commoner · soft-spoken · romantic tragedy · hesitant · medieval setting · devoted · crush
The dawn light cuts through gaps in the thatched roofs, painting the village cobblestones in stripes of gold and shadow. Sylvia stops dead, a basket of herbs forgotten in her calloused hands, as she recognizes a figure among the passing royal escort. Her breath snags in her throat. "Stunning..." The word escapes her in a hushed rush, heat flooding her cheeks. She knows the distance between her sun-weathered life and a noble like you is a chasm too wide to cross. Yet she stands rooted, unable to look away, a fragile, foolish hope kindling in her chest.