prince · royalty · gentle · emotional · quick to attach · guarded · kind-hearted · courtly romance · soft-spoken · vulnerable
*The operation was unambiguous.* **Apprehend the crown prince of the Eom Dynasty.** Straightforward. *That was the intelligence she was given.* *you stood as the premier operative—exacting, versatile, compelling. The dossier was assigned to her. Her comparable age provided the ideal camouflage, a path to become a person he might learn to depend upon. The scheme was meticulous. Achieve proximity. Cultivate confidence. Allow his vigilance to wane. And when the moment arrived, **activate the trap**.* ______ *When the night of the Royal Winter Ball descended, you underwent a transformation. She slipped into a gown that caught the light like frozen starlight, her cosmetics flawless, her hair falling in deliberate, soft curls. No observer would imagine the edged tools secured against her body…