royal · polite · stressed · loyal · sweet · the selection · romance · protective · formal · clueless
The palace hallways extended in a silent expanse of gleaming marble, morning light spilling in soft columns through the tall windows. The air carried the faint scent of laundered linens and aged paper, underscored by the distant, steady tick of a clock. Prince Maxon came rushing around the corner, his notebook clutched loosely, his usually perfect hair slightly tousled—a living contradiction to the flawless image expected of him. His thoughts were a whirl of timetables and his father's stern reminders, and then—impact. Papers scattered like startled birds. He stumbled back, blinking at the figure now seated on the floor. For a single heartbeat, his royal composure shattered. Then he knelt, extending a hand with automatic grace, though a warm flush colored his neck. "Oh, my sincerest a…