— ROYAL ( ROMANCE ) SCENARIOS 2 SCRIPT.
During the winter hunt, you slip and twist your ankle in the snow. You, of course, insist that you can walk on your own—but they insist on carrying you home to the castle regardless. It’s warm in their arms
At a crowded feast, the two of you sit at opposite ends of the high table. Thanks to the polite distance forced between you, you communicate through brief, charged eye contact and small, measured gestures with your goblets, hoping none of the other dinner guests pick up on it
At dawn, the two of you meet in the castle gardens before court begins. Through your time together, you’re both painfully aware that once the castle bells ring and court begins, you’ll both be forced to return to your titles and duties. But for now, at least you have this
As a blizzard rages outside the castle, the hearths have all gone out. The stone castle is freezing and, desperate for warmth throughout the night, the two of you secretly share a bed for the first time
They sneak you into the palace kitchens late at night for sugared almonds, and the two of you sit atop flour sacks, talking in hushed tones while the ovens cool after a long day of use
You show up to watch them spar in the training yard, unable to take your eyes off of their movements for even a second. Afterwards, you quietly tend to a shallow cut on their cheek in the chapel alcove, a small grin on their face
You ask them to stay in your chamber while your ladies finish lacing your riding corset—you pretend as though you need their opinion on the fit of your cloak, and that’s why you want them there
During an exhausting political negotiation for your hand in marriage, you slip away to meet them in the stables. They’re a reprieve from the court arrangements, and though you know that your time together is limited, you still feel yourself relax the moment you’re with them
At a masquerade, you don’t recognize them at first under their mask. However, when you see the way they bow, and hear the way they say your name, you recognize them instantly
After threats against you are rumored, they’re assigned as your personal guard. The constant proximity between you day-in and day-out makes your restraint harder, closer to snapping with each passing moment
When they compete in a tournament, you don’t cheer or clap, not wanting to reveal your interest in them at all. However, you don’t take your eyes off of them for one second while they’re competing, fighting off a small smile when they win and their eyes snap to you instantly
A sudden lightning storm traps the two of you together in a watchtower. Forced to share a cloak for comfort, you stay huddled in the corner and argue about whether or not you should keep your distance from eachother
They present you with a small, practical gift—a whetstone for your dagger, a leather journal, or something else—rather than jewels, presenting you with something more for use than display. More than anything you’ve received from anyone, it makes you feel seen and understood
You rush to the infirmary after hearing that they got into a skirmish. When you arrive, you have to try to act composed in front of others at the sight of seeing them bandaged up and pale
Beyond the palace walls, they teach you how to shoot a longbow—where no one can see (or get struck with a stray arrow.) Delicately, they correct your stance with careful hands
During a tense council meeting, their loyalty is questioned by some of the nobles. For the first time, you defend them publicly
During a formal dance in the ballroom, the two of you exchange coded phrases—sounding entirely normal to the people around you, who don’t realize that you’re planning to meet up later
You braid a thin ribbon into their armor lining before battle, hidden where no one else will see it—they won’t either, but you secretly hope they’ll find it somehow anyway
A bribe is offered to them, meant to draw them away from your service. They refuse it, and you hear about it from someone else before they ever even thinks to mention it—it was so obvious to them to deny it, they never even brought it up
The two of you find yourselves arguing more and more about your duties verses your desires—neither of you will back down. Even in an empty corridor of the castle, arguing in hushed tones as you stubbornly stand entirely too close to eachother, failing to realize how incriminating you’d look if anyone walked past
On a diplomatic journey by ship, the two of you stand together at the rail at night. You giggle and speak quietly so the crew won’t overheard, but you get to enjoy the moonlight on the ocean’s surface and the seaspray together
They escort you through a crowded market in the lower city, keeping a steady hand at your elbow as the two of you walk through the throng of people. You try not to focus on their touch as you choose your purchases
They show up late to court, bruised and battered from stopping a brawl in the lower city. You dismiss the entire assembly early so you can see them privately at once
They leave a small, paper-wrapped tart on the stone ledge outside your window. With an itching feeling that it meant something more, you run off to look for them—and find them patiently waiting for you in the shadow of the courtyard fig tree, grinning when you find them
You keep a miniature portrait of them hidden in your study book, running your thumb across it tenderly in secret whenever you open it
At a harvest festival among commoners, the two of you are able to dance without titles for a few hours. In the dim, warm light of the torches in the dark evening, you blend into the crowd. It’s like you’re free for a little while
A jealous noble spreads poisonous rumors about the two of you. You must decide whether to deny everything and keep even more painful distance from eachother, or to stand openly together for the first time
After they inherit land and gain a title, they kneel in front of you to pledge fealty to you. Though the vow is extremely common and formal, it feels more intimate than either of you expected
They refuse to leave their guard post outside your door during a storm—even when relieved. You don’t notice until the next morning
After you handle a half-broken spear, you end up with a gnarly splinter in your palm. They remove the splinter for you delicately, focused intently on the small task, much more gentle and precise than you knew they were capable of
During a rainstorm, the two of you are forced under the same narrow archway for shelter. Water drips from the tips of their hair onto your sleeve from how close you are, your shared warmth staving off the chill of the rain
You’re forced to send them away on a dangerous political mission—even though all you want to do is keep them safe by your side. Perhaps you share an intense goodbye, or perhaps you’re unable to muster the dramatic words, instead just parting from them with a long look
The night before you leave for a political visit, you find them waiting outside of your chamber. They waited there just to assure you that they’ll be there when you return
You secretly share a meal in your private chambers. Rather than the formal, nightly banquet fare, the two of you eat plain food so you can share the evening together instead
At a winter feast, you pass them a food-laden plate before serving yourself. It’s a small break in protocol that (thankfully) no one else notices
A failed assassination attempt leaves you uninjured—but shaken up. They stay with you until you finally fall asleep, the feeling of their presence at your bedside the only thing that allows you the peace to lull off
They remove their gauntlet to take your hand in public—even aware that anyone around you could be watching, they take the chance
At a formal banquet, they’re posted behind your chair as part of the guard. Though the tension between you is palpable, the only contact you have all night is when they refill your cup before you even ask—they were watching closely
At a public ceremony, you drop your glove on purpose beside them. They retrieve it for you with a bow that’s just a second too long, and a little too slow to be entirely formal
During a difficult judgement, you can feel them standing behind your throne. Though silent, they’re steadfast. Their presence makes you feel more confident in your judgement
On the evening before your coronation, they ask you whether you want them beside you as a subject—or as something more than that. You both know that when you’re officially crowned, things will change
You choose to break off a powerful engagement—though it will cost you politically, the idea of being married to someone who isn’t them pains you too much to bear
When they’re offered a higher title, they turn it down—it would separate them from you in your daily life at court. They’d rather stay at their current station than be of higher status, but see you less
The two of you meet up in the castle library, under the excuse of studying treaties and official documents. Though, of course, it descends into you arguing over history instead
You defy custom by asking them to sit while you stand during a private discussion—just to unsettle them
During a time of scarcity in the court, the two of you work side by side to distribute grain. Getting lost in the fray, you’re able to just exist and work together, and you’re both exhausted and covered in dust by the end of the day, but satisfied
While traveling incognito, they teach you how to gamble with dice in a tavern. Cloaks pulled tightly over your heads, you laugh raucously and pretend to be regular people. You even earn some money from the games, gaining a smirk from them that makes your chest warm
During a long ride through the snow, the path narrows, and your horse becomes restless. They dismount and walk beside you on foot, guiding your horse by the bridle and calming it down so that you can ride in peace
One of your suitors challenges them to a duel, but you forbid it—are you truly concerned for their safety, or simply testing to see if they’ll obey, their respect for your wishes stronger than their pride?
During a spring hunt, your horse throws a shoe near the riverbank. With you unable to continue riding, they lift you down and walk your mount back themself, escorting you as well—you pretend not to notice how firmly they keep a hand at your waist
During a royal procession, your horses draw close enough during the march down the walking path that your knee is able to brush against theirs for a moment. The two of you hold your composure as you continue waving and nodding to all the eyes on you
