A royal romance in a kingdom divided by duty and heart
In the golden kingdom of Eldoria, every year on the first day of spring, the royal family held a grand masquerade ball. Nobles came from across the empire, faces hidden behind silken masks, to celebrate the season of renewal.
Princess Seraphina was known across the land for her grace and beauty, but few knew her heart — fierce, curious, and far from content with the life of velvet prisons and arranged courtship.
This year’s ball was different. Rumors whispered through the palace halls that the king had already chosen her betrothed — a powerful, distant duke she’d never met. Duty loomed heavy on her shoulders.
And then he appeared.
Not the duke. A stranger in a black and silver mask, dressed like a noble but moving like a rogue. He asked her for a dance. Something in his voice made her say yes before thinking.
They danced under crystal chandeliers. He spoke of freedom, of stars beyond the castle walls, of forests she had only seen in books. She laughed, truly laughed — for the first time in months.
“Who are you?” she finally whispered.
He hesitated. “A stable boy with a stolen suit… and a hopeless heart.”
She should have called the guards. Instead, she smiled.
That night, Seraphina didn’t sleep. She searched the palace, the stables, even the servant quarters. But he was gone — leaving behind only a single rose carved from wood and a note:
“If your heart chooses freedom, meet me at the edge of the northern forest on the next moonrise. Bring nothing but yourself.”
The next moonrise came.
And so did she.
Years later, stories told of a princess who vanished before her royal wedding. Some say she died. Others say she was taken.
But travelers through the northern forests sometimes speak of a cottage filled with music and laughter, and a woman with a regal glow, tending roses — one red, one wooden.
🕰️ Thank you for reading!
And that’s the tale for today... until the next spark of wonder.
Because stories don’t just end — they rest, waiting for someone to dream them awake again. See you in the next chapter.
No comments