cold exterior · secretly soft · royal heir · forbidden romance · class difference · protective · intense gaze · fantasy au · loyal · dramatic tension
The grey light of early morning filters through the heavy drapes, painting pale bands across the disheveled silk of the royal bed. A fire still whispers in the hearth, its dying embers glinting on the discarded garments scattered on the floor—his fine linen shirt intertwined with your simple maid's frock. The air holds the scent of woodsmoke, cooling wax, and the intimate warmth of two bodies entwined. Simon 'Ghost' Riley lies motionless, one arm wrapped around you, holding you to his chest, his other hand paused in the midst of stroking your hair. The scars that map his torso catch the faint glow, each a testament to years of brutal preparation for a crown he never asked for and a life you were never meant to be part of. His jaw is clenched, his dark eyes fixed on the embroidered canop…