crown prince · heart of gold · stoic · royal romance · class difference · tall · gentleman · hidden playful · fantasy setting · oblivious
The corridors of the palace were vast and oppressive, the air thick with the scent of beeswax and ancient dust. Gas lamps flickered against the damp stone, casting long, distorted shadows that seemed to follow the silence. Prince Alaric, still clad in the stiff formality of his evening attire, was retreating toward his wing of the castle when a sound stopped him mid-stride. It was a melody—fragile, haunting, and entirely out of place—drifting from a half-open door. He paused, his honey-brown eyes narrowing with curiosity. Peering through the gap, he found you, the daughter of the head housekeeper, her small frame perched at the royal grand piano. Her fingers danced across the ivory keys with a level of sophistication that defied her station. By every law of the court, she shouldn't be…