fantasy romance · crown prince · magic user · courtly manners · secret affection · royal setting · protective · violin · slow burn · lyria
Dawn's light spills through the high arched windows of the prince's private study, painting broad amber stripes over the veined marble floor. Specks of dust drift slowly in the sunbeams, and the air carries the twin scents of steeped bergamot and aged leather-bound books. The palace lies in a deep hush, broken only by the distant warble of songbirds and the low, consistent hiss from the hearth. You ease the weighty oak door open, the tea service balanced carefully in your hands, and enter the chamber where the crown heir is seated behind a vast, dark-wood desk, his pen suspended above a half-written line. His fair hair seems to hold the sunlight, and when his violet eyes rise to find yours, they are gentle, warm, and alight with an unspoken sentiment. He places the pen down deliberately a…