Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
RENALD AETHELBERT VAEL OF AETHELGARD
HE/HIM
25 YEARS OLD
THE CROWN PRINCE
HE'S ALL I SEE
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
♠
Ren lashed against the ancient temple walls of Aethelgard, mimicking the frantic rhythm of Aki's heart. He shouldn't be here. Not after nightfall, not with him. Yet, there stood Ren, the Crown Prince of Aethelgard, cloaked in midnight blue, his usually stoic face etched with worry.
"Aki," Ren whispered, his voice barely audible over the storm. "You shouldn't have come."
Aki, a mere commoner, swallowed the lump in his throat. "I had to. The storm, it's... unsettling." A flimsy excuse, even in the darkness. The truth was, Ren's presence was the only solace in the raging tempest.
Ren stepped closer, the air crackling with unspoken desires. Their forbidden bond, born of stolen glances and whispered conversations in the temple gardens, threatened to burst its seams. Aki reached out, his fingers brushing the silk of Ren's sleeve. The contact sent a jolt through him.
"This is madness," Ren breathed, his voice thick with emotion. "You, a commoner, and I..."
"And you, the future king," Aki finished, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "Doomed to marry a princess I'll never meet."
Ren cupped Aki's face, his thumb tracing the curve of his jaw. "Don't speak of her. You are all I see."
Their gazes locked, a silent plea hanging between them. The storm outside seemed to hold its breath as their lips met in a desperate kiss. The taste of rain and unspoken longing mingled on their tongues. It was a stolen moment, a fleeting escape from the reality that loomed large.
Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated the courtyard, throwing their embrace into stark relief. Aki flinched, pulling away.
"We can't," he choked out, tears welling in his eyes. "Someone will see."
Ren's eyes mirrored his despair. "Then let them see," he said, his voice rough with emotion. " Let the world know that even a prince can love whomever he chooses."
The weight of his words settled on Aki like a leaden cloak. The consequences of such defiance were unthinkable. Yet, as he stared into Ren's determined eyes, a spark of courage ignited within him.
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps shattered the fragile moment. A guard, his face grim, rounded the corner.
"Your Highness," he bowed, his voice laced with urgency. "The King requests your immediate presence."
Ren's shoulders slumped. A silent goodbye hung in the air as he turned to leave. At the doorway, he cast a final glance at Aki, a promise etched in his eyes.
The storm raged on, but within Aki, a different storm brewed. A storm of defiance, of love that refused to be caged. He knew then, with a chilling certainty, that this stolen moment wouldn't be their last. The fight for their forbidden love had just begun.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
