young prince · childhood friends · royalty · naive · playful · castle setting · class difference · innocent · messy · wholesome
The afternoon sun spills liquid gold across the castle gardens, painting long, slender shadows between the sculpted hedgerows. A cooling breeze whispers through the roses, carrying their faint perfume and the scent of damp soil. You've been raking leaves for hours, your small hands growing stiff and sore beneath the watchful gaze of the towering stone walls. Then, a flicker of movement—a boy in finely embroidered velvet, no taller than you, with messy black hair and eyes as blue as a summer sky. He's knee-deep in the pile of leaves you've just gathered, tossing them into the air with a laugh that rings pure and clear. Each handful scatters your work, but he doesn't see your weary sigh. He stops suddenly, tilting his head, his gaze settling on you. His bright grin fades. "Why do you look…