[size= 14px]The air in Royal Reeds was thick with secrecy and temptation, where love and duty clashed in a never-ending dance. Nestled between lush gardens and towering castle walls, the palace held stories that can set fire to the coldest of hearts. One of them was the tale of a forbidden romance, the one that defied the rigid rules of royalty. The noble-born Lady Evelyne never imagined that the single encounter with the roguish yet dangerously charming Prince Alistair would unravel ab muscles fabric of her carefully constructed world. He was untamed, his touch laced with promises of sin, his eyes darkened with desires that no royal decree could extinguish. In the hushed corridors of the castle, beneath moonlit balconies and in the shadowed alcoves of the grand ballroom, their stolen moments set fire to a passion neither could resist.[/size]

[size= 14px] [/size]

[size= 14px]Yet love within the palace walls was never simple. Royal duty demanded sacrifice, and no-one knew it much better than Alistair, who bore the weight of expectations heavier compared to jeweled crown itself. He was supposed to wed a duchess of noble blood, a lady chosen by his father to strengthen political ties. But that which was duty set alongside the heat of Evelyne's embrace? The feel of her lips, the whispers of longing exchanged between silken sheets, the thrill of knowing they may be discovered at any moment—these were things that consumed him. And yet, the looming reality of his arranged marriage was a storm waiting to break. If they certainly were caught, Evelyne will be ruined, cast out from the court, and he'd be forced to forsake her Dark Romance[/size]

[size= 14px] [/size]

[size= 14px]Their passion knew no bounds, and neither did the dangers lurking within the palace. Whispers of the affair spread like wildfire, carried by envious courtiers and scheming rivals who thrived on scandal. Lady Evelyne found herself the mark of jealousy and betrayal, her every move watched, every look into Alistair scrutinized. She knew these were playing a dangerous game, one where love and destruction walked submit hand. But whilst the stakes grew higher, neither could step away. The secrecy made their love burn hotter, their stolen kisses taste sweeter, and the danger of exposure only deepened their addiction to each other.[/size]

[size= 14px] [/size]

[size= 14px]Then came the night that changed everything. A great ball, where in actuality the kingdom's most powerful gathered to witness the state betrothal of Prince Alistair. Evelyne stood in the corner, forced to watch as he took the hand of another, his face unreadable, his posture rigid with restraint. She'd always known this moment would come, but the pain was more excruciating than she'd imagined. Their eyes met throughout the ballroom, his filled having an agony that mirrored her own. And yet, duty demanded he play his part. But as the celebration carried on, he made his choice. Before the night was over, he found her in the hidden passages behind the truly amazing hall, his voice hoarse with desperation. "Run away with me," he murmured against her lips, his hands trembling as they held her close.[/size]

[size= 14px] [/size]

[size= 14px]However the walls of Royal Reeds weren't so easily escaped. An individual betrayal was all it took due to their secret to be exposed. The king's wrath was swift and merciless, stripping Alistair of his title, condemning Evelyne to exile. They'd risked everything for love, and now they'd pay the price. As she was forced onto a carriage bound for the farthest reaches of the kingdom, she could only wonder if they'd been foolish to believe love could triumph over power. But just because the gates of the palace loomed in the distance, a lone rider appeared on the horizon. Alistair, no further a prince but nevertheless the man who had claimed her heart, had chosen love over a crown.[/size]

[size= 14px] [/size]

[size= 14px]In the end, Royal Reeds would remember them because the lovers who defied tradition, the scandal that shook the kingdom. However for Evelyne and Alistair, their story had only just begun. For what was royalty without love? And what was a kingdom without passion? They rode in to the unknown, leaving behind the gilded cages of duty and expectation. The world was vast, and the thing that mattered now was that they faced it together[/size]