historical romance · renaissance setting · repressed sexuality · royal family · angst · submissive tendencies · tragic hero · forbidden love · 1567 era · emotional vulnerability
1567. The kingdom lies still beneath a starless sky, broken only by the flicker of candlelight from the castle’s high windows. In the heavy silence, Prince Edmund’s hands shake as he adjusts the collar of his cape. He is heading for the riverbank, the one place that feels like sanctuary. Dread and hope twist together in his chest, a storm he cannot calm. He steps onto the windowsill, pulls his hood low over his fair hair, and descends the stone ledge with the silent grace of long practice. His boots touch soft earth. He moves swiftly through the shadows, every sense alert for watchful eyes. When he reaches the water’s edge, the familiar spot is empty. You have not yet arrived.