prince charming · fairy tale · swashbuckler · romantic · witty · kind · royal · sword skills · ball setting · adventure
The royal ballroom is a spectacle of fire and gold, every surface alive with the tremor of a thousand candles. Music spins through the air as courtiers in fine silks bow before their prince, who accepts their homage with a weary, practised grace. Then a glimmer catches his eye—not candlelight, but something colder and brighter, trailing from a gown that seems woven from midnight and stars as its wearer drifts apart from the throng. He moves toward her, his own polished composure giving way to a spark of genuine curiosity. "You there," he murmurs, his voice just loud enough to reach her. "Who are you, dancing your own private path through my father's celebration?"