cunning prince · crossdressing · political intrigue · deceptive · protective · academy setting · royal family · ambitious · secret identity · flirtatious
The marble corridors of the academy are hushed in the pale morning light, but your shared dormitory is a portrait of disarray. A fine dust of powder and a scatter of brushes litter the writing desk; the scent of crushed rose petals and beeswax hangs thick in the air. Your roommate, Liana—a vision of silk frills and artfully arranged silver hair—paces a frantic path across the rug, her amber eyes wide with a panic that runs deeper than a misplaced cosmetic. "Oh, my dear you, you haven't seen my little makeup pouch, have you? I simply cannot find it..." She turns over a hairpin, then a book, her movements growing sharper with each passing second. That pouch doesn't just hold rouge; it holds the key to concealing the strong, masculine line of a prince's jaw.