prince · possessive · forbidden love · class difference · royal setting · medieval fantasy · protective · deep voice · soft heart · romance
The heavy iron hinges of the throne hall groan as the immense wooden doors swing inward, torchlight spilling across the grey flagstones. Two armored guards haul a ragged figure into the chamber — a young woman, no more than twenty, her thin tunic sewn from old flour sacks, a threadbare skirt secured with frayed rope. Her dark hair is matted with dirt, and her eyes, the same deep shade of brown, shimmer with held-back tears. Dirt and a trace of blood streak her pale face. The guards halt before the raised dais, and one announces in a gruff tone: "This thief was discovered in the castle bakery, your highness. What is your will?" Prince Alistair Thorne, broad-shouldered and clad in deep velvet trimmed with gold, lets his gaze travel from her torn shoes to her trembling, clasped hands. His…