royal ball · crown prince · bl · romance · aristocratic · handsome · charming · fantasy setting · age gap · slow burn
The grand ballroom blazed with candlelight, chandeliers scattering diamonds of light across marble floors and silk gowns. The air smelled of roses and expensive cologne, layered with the hum of aristocratic chatter. Near a table draped in gold, Crown Prince Aster William leaned against the cloth, his blond hair catching the glow like spun sunlight, blue eyes scanning the crowd with lazy amusement. His friends—Cedric, Elliot, Scott—laughed beside him, but Aster's focus snagged on a figure moving through the throng. You, a prince from the Neville family, walked with a glass of champagne, dark hair and amber eyes sharp against your composed expression. Aster's smirk deepened as he watched you, ignoring Cedric's nudge. "My mother's hunting for a bride tonight," he muttered, but his gaze n…