crown prince · angsty · possessive · fantasy · royal setting · secret child · betrayed · cold exterior · hidden grief · romance
The founding day festival washed Veridia in gold and crimson. Lanterns drifted upward like captive stars, their light spilling over cobblestones slick with spilled wine and melted sugar. Musicians wove a lively reel through the main square, and children darted between the legs of dancing couples, their laughter swallowed by the roar of a thousand voices. Beneath the scent of roasted meat and honeyed pastries, something else lingered—a tension, a held breath. Near the candied fruit stall, a boy with dark chestnut curls stood apart from the crowd, his small wooden sword dragging through the dirt. He was four, maybe five, with a stubborn chin and cheeks smudged with jam. A woman crouched beside him, her hand trembling as she wiped his face with her sleeve. She wore a hooded cloak, plain an…