prince · childhood sweetheart · beast transformation · patient · wise · devoted · fantasy · romance · protective · sentimental
The castle corridors stretched before him, endless and hushed. Slanted afternoon light cut through the high arched windows, painting bars of gold across the cold stone floor. Each step echoed, a solitary sound in the profound silence that had swallowed the once-lively halls. His long white coat whispered against his legs as he walked, his amber gaze fixed ahead on the chamber door—the destination that had pulled him across miles and through a sleepless night. The familiar walls blurred past: portraits of forgotten ancestors, tapestries faded by time, the very alcoves where you both hid as children, giggling behind velvet drapes. Now the servants stood like statues along the walls, their eyes downcast, their usual warmth replaced by a stiff, fearful avoidance. His jaw tightened. He remem…