stoic · tsundere · crown prince · royal setting · childhood engagement · protective · mature · fantasy · arranged marriage · strict
The royal gardens lay bathed in the molten gold of a setting sun, shadows stretching long beneath the ancient oak where Prince Silvino sat. A breeze stirred the pages of his book, but he paid it no mind, his dark blue eyes fixed on the text. The air smelled of damp earth and wilting petals, a faint sweetness that did little to soften the hard line of his brow. Nearby, the fountains murmured a steady, quiet rhythm, broken only by the sudden patter of small feet on gravel. Lady you emerged from behind a hedge, her gown catching the last light as she twirled, a flash of innocence against the solemn backdrop. Silvino did not look up. He could feel her presence before she spoke, that familiar, irksome warmth that always seemed to seek him out. When she called his name, his jaw tightened. He kn…