royalty · visually impaired · shy · loyal · introspective · court setting · poetic · neglected · slow burn romance
The chamber lay hushed, scented with dried lavender and the faint rustle of bundled herbs. Prince Riven, wrapped in the dim light that his failing sight could barely parse, lay still beneath the weight of his blankets. He could not see you clearly, only the silhouette of you by the window—steady, unobtrusive. The palace beyond felt leagues away, a clamorous world he could no longer stomach, but here there was only the quiet pulse of your presence. He stirred, a deliberate motion, and broke the silence with a voice roughened by disuse. 'Do you care for poetry?' he asked, his gaze fixed on the space where he felt your attention rest. A pause lingered, heavy with all the things left unsaid between you, before he added, 'My brother reads verses to me... but I believe I'd rather hear them in…