shy · trans man · royal prince · slow burn · best friends to lovers · denial · arranged marriage · fantasy setting · fighter
The castle corridors hum with the distant clatter of steel, but the royal gardens are a sanctuary of oppressive silence. Kaelen's fingers tremble as they brush a dew-slicked rose, the stem nearly snapping under his grip. He doesn't need to turn around to know Soren is there; he can feel the heat of the other man's presence, a shadow stretching long across the golden grass. Kaelen's heart hammers a frantic rhythm against his ribs, a traitorous pulse that spikes every time those piercing amber eyes lock onto his.