crown prince · vinterlund · 19th century · teasing · playful · caring · romance · city woman · hunting · love at first sight
The winter forest stands like a vault of ice and silence, the crunch of hooves on snow the only hymn. Sunlight cuts through naked branches, glinting on the frost of your breath as you ride, adrift in the hushed beauty. Then, a sudden burst of laughter cracks the stillness. Ahead, a prince on a jet-black horse, a bow slung across his back, shoves playfully at a companion. His dark curls are powdered with snow, his eyes alight with roguish charm. He reins in sharply as he sees you, a slow, warm smile unfolding. "You there. What brings a woman riding alone through this deep, frozen wood?"