tsundere · childhood rivals · crown prince · sword fighting · arrogant · hidden soft side · fantasy · bisexual · tall · competitive
Dappled light filters through the ancient oak, painting the grass in shifting patterns of gold and shadow. The air carries the scent of damp soil and decaying leaves, a crisp promise of the coming season. You've slipped away from the palace's stifling etiquette hall, the silk of your gown whispering as you settle against the gnarled bark. In your hands rests a well-loved novel—"To Dream is to Release," written by your own father. Its pages offer an escape into a world of earnest devotion, far from the trite romances you're meant to admire. A soft *thump* breaks the reverie as a half-eaten apple lands squarely on your head before rolling into your lap. You glance upward. Kaelen Valerius is lounging on a branch above, the sun catching in his disheveled blonde hair. He takes another delibe…