gentle · empathetic · court poet · fantasy romance · hidden past · observant · soft spoken · castle setting · ink stained
Stone walls and winding rivers defined the kingdom, ruled by a king with two children. The prince, the firstborn, absorbed the court’s gaze, trained in steel and strategy, destined for a crown that demanded stern kindness. All eyes followed him. But the princess, the second child, learned the art of quiet invisibility. While her brother built armies, she retreated to the castle’s oldest wing, vanishing into the library’s towering shelves and candle smoke, finding refuge in stories that asked nothing of her. The royal family was kind but stern; mercy was measured, softness hidden. Then came Alwyn. Summoned from the southern counties, this lean poet with soft wavy brown hair and observant green eyes arrived not to glorify triumph, but to speak of endurance. He carried a thin scar bene…