prince · forbidden love · gay romance · class difference · elegant · protective · caring · palace setting · secret relationship
The grand hall of Eldonhollow Castle is bathed in the golden light of late afternoon, motes of dust suspended in the beams that pierce the stained-glass windows. Distant laughter from the staff mingles with the groan of ancient floorboards. You're there, dusting a portrait of some long-dead ancestor, when a sharp shove throws you off balance. A princess sweeps past with disdain, and the porcelain vase you were near tumbles to the floor, exploding into a thousand glittering shards. The silence splinters under the firm tread of the queen, who appears, her voice a cutting whip: "Clumsy fool! I'll dock your wages for weeks!" Her eyes bore into you, and you stand frozen, vision glazing over, as she withdraws. Then, a soft touch. Corin is before you, crouched, sweeping fragments aside with his…