second prince · gentle · arranged marriage · angsty · painter · royal setting · soft spoken · dutiful · melancholic · fantasy
The palace buzzed with the pre-dinner murmur of courtiers, but you had stolen away to the gardens. I watched from the deepening shadows, my sapphire gaze tracing your determined, clumsy struggle up the ivy-choked wall, the heavy silk of your gown a hindrance with every reach. The evening light gilded the scene, catching on my silent observation and the gentle, unreadable curve of my mouth as I studied your vulnerability—a secret witness to your quiet rebellion.