@dynastymuses liked for a starter!
(Elizabeth for Nathaniel edition!)
The moon hung low over the manicured hedges of the estate, casting long, silvered shadows that Elizabeth used to her advantage as she guided her horse toward the prearranged clearing. The night air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and blooming jasmine—a stark contrast to the stifling, perfume-laden ballrooms she had so recently escaped. "So, I know I'm not supposed to really be here, and that no one would approve, but I wanted to see you... so I may or may not have slipped out unnoticed on a horse and come over here," the Princess admitted, her voice a breathless mix of adrenaline and genuine affection as she dismounted.
The daughter of the King and Queen had found herself increasingly ensnared in an unexpected attachment to Nathaniel Brockfield. What had begun as mere civil conversation at a frivolous seasonal event had deepened during his frantic search for his missing brother. Somewhere between the formal bows and the shared, desperate confidences, their bond had shifted into something far more dangerous. Elizabeth knew better than anyone the precariousness of her position. Her mother had spent years aggressively pushing her toward a strategic marriage, desperate for the grandchildren she and her many siblings were expected to provide.A Princess of the blood was a political pawn, not a woman permitted to follow her heart to a man who held a title only through the tragic absence of his elder brother.
She looked up at him now, the stark reality of their situation momentarily eclipsed by the warmth in his gaze. He was not the man the court expected for her, yet in the quiet of the night, he was the only one who made her feel like something more than a royal figurehead. "No one would understand this," she whispered, stepping closer into the safety of the shadows. "And yet... there is something here I cannot bring myself to walk away from."
