Forbbiden Love Princess & Guard☑️

Chap #14 Lady & Prince

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm golden hue over the royal gardens of Valorian. The sprawling greenery, with its vibrant blooms and carefully sculpted hedges, offered a tranquil reprieve from the rigid formalities of the palace. It was in this hidden sanctuary that Zara Evernight River found herself once again in the company of Prince Lucien Alexander Maverick.

They had met countless times before, in formal settings, surrounded by the layers of courtly decorum, their interactions laced with polite pleasantries and royal expectations. But here, away from the eyes of the court, their conversations took on a different tone—casual, teasing, and, lately, tinged with something neither of them dared to speak aloud.

Zara plucked a daisy from the ground, twirling it between her fingers as she watched Lucien, who sat lazily against the trunk of a tree, his brown eyes fixed on her with a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Do you ever tire of these gardens?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him. "You spend more time here than in your own kingdom."

Lucien chuckled, the sound light and easy. "I could ask the same of you, Zara. It seems every time I come here, you're not far behind."

Zara smirked, tossing the daisy in his direction. "I'm the lady-in-waiting to Princess Elara, remember? I have duties. You, on the other hand, have the luxury of visiting whenever it pleases you."

"Ah, but who could resist such fine company?" Lucien replied, catching the flower in midair and spinning it between his fingers.

Zara rolled her eyes, though she couldn't hide the slight blush creeping into her cheeks. She had always enjoyed Lucien's presence, his charm so effortless that it was easy to forget he was a prince. With him, she could drop the façade of formality and simply be herself—bold, teasing, and free-spirited.

But recently, their banter had shifted. What once was lighthearted teasing now held a weight beneath the surface, a pull that neither of them seemed able to escape.

"Prince of Avendale," Zara said, stepping closer to where Lucien sat, her tone mockingly formal. "You seem far too comfortable for a man betrothed to a princess."

Lucien's smile faltered slightly, though his eyes remained on her. "You know as well as I do, Zara, that there is no love in that arrangement. It's politics. Nothing more."

Zara hesitated, the air between them thickening as the playful tone of their conversation faded. She had always known that Lucien's engagement to Elara was one of duty, not affection. Elara herself had confided in Zara about her lack of romantic feelings for the prince, and Lucien, in turn, had made it clear where his heart did not lie.

And yet, the unspoken truth lingered between Zara and Lucien, fragile and uncertain. She could feel it in the way his gaze lingered on her now, not as a friend, but as something more.

"I know," Zara said softly, her voice losing its teasing edge. She took another step closer, her heart pounding in her chest. "But that doesn't make it any less complicated."

Lucien stood then, the daisy forgotten as it fell to the ground between them. He was close now, closer than they had ever been before, his eyes locked on hers with an intensity that made Zara's breath catch.

"It's only complicated if we let it be," he said, his voice low, almost a whisper. "Zara, you know how I feel about you. I've tried to ignore it, to keep things as they were, but—"

"Lucien," Zara interrupted, her heart racing, her mind spinning with the weight of what was happening. "We can't."

His hand reached out, gently taking hers. The warmth of his touch sent a jolt through her, and for a moment, all the barriers she had built between them seemed to crumble.

"Why not?" Lucien asked, his voice filled with a quiet desperation. "Why do we have to keep pretending? I don't care about the politics, or the expectations. All I care about is you."

Zara's heart ached at his words, a part of her wanting nothing more than to give in to the feelings she had long buried. She had always been drawn to Lucien—the way he made her laugh, the way he saw her as more than just a lady-in-waiting. But the reality of their situation weighed heavily on her.

"You're a prince," she said softly, her voice trembling with emotion. "And I'm... I'm just me."

Lucien shook his head, his grip on her hand tightening ever so slightly. "You're not just anything, Zara. You're fierce, intelligent, and one of the few people I can truly be myself with. Don't you see? That's why it's you. It's always been you."

Tears welled in Zara's eyes as she looked up at him, her resolve wavering. She had always prided herself on her independence, on not letting anyone control her destiny. But with Lucien, everything felt different—more intense, more real.

"What about Elara?" Zara asked, her voice barely a whisper. "What about your duty to her?"

Lucien's expression softened, and he brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, his touch gentle and filled with unspoken affection. "Elara and I have an understanding. She doesn't love me, and I don't love her. Our engagement... it's nothing more than a political arrangement. She deserves to be with someone who truly cares for her, and so do I."

Zara swallowed hard, the truth of his words sinking in. She knew that Elara harbored no romantic feelings for Lucien, but still, the idea of defying the expectations of the court, of risking everything for love, terrified her.

"I don't know if I can do this," Zara admitted, her voice shaking. "What if it all falls apart?"

Lucien's hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away the tear that had escaped down her face. "Then we face it together. Whatever happens, Zara, I'm willing to take that risk. For you."

Zara closed her eyes, leaning into his touch as the weight of the decision pressed down on her. She had never been one to follow the rules, but this... this was different. This was her heart on the line.

But as she stood there, in the arms of the man who had somehow become more than just a friend, she realized that maybe—just maybe—this was a risk worth taking.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw the same longing, the same hope reflected in Lucien's gaze. And in that moment, Zara made her choice.

Without another word, she closed the distance between them, her lips meeting his in a kiss that felt like the culmination of all the unspoken feelings they had shared over the years. It was gentle at first, tentative, but quickly deepened as the walls between them shattered.

In that kiss, there were no titles, no expectations, no politics—just Zara and Lucien, two people who had found something real in a world that rarely allowed it.

When they finally pulled away, breathless and with their foreheads resting together, Zara whispered, "I'm scared."

Lucien smiled, his thumb brushing her cheek. "So am I. But we'll figure it out, together."

And for the first time in a long while, Zara believed him.