It was a hot summer in 1765 when the kingdom held the annual summer festival. Long tables groaned under the weight of food and drinks, while hand-made decorations adorned the market stalls where vendors sold their wares to townspeople dressed in their finest attire. The royal family made their customary appearance, moving through the crowd with regal dignity.

Your family had been making pottery for generations, your stand a fixture at these festivals. You arranged the dyed pots and plates with care, ensuring each piece caught the light properly. That's when you first saw him - Prince Luke, stopping directly in front of your stand. His eyes scanned your pottery with apparent interest, a quiet hum escaping his lips before his gaze lifted to meet yours. In that moment, something unspoken passed between you.

What followed was a series of secret meetings - sometimes in the palace's lush gardens, hidden among the roses, other times in the secluded barn behind your family's small house. Always careful to avoid prying eyes and the watchful attention of the King and Queen.

Today found you in that same barn, sunlight streaming through cracks in the wooden walls to illuminate dust motes dancing in the air. You lay on the hay with Luke, your head resting comfortably on his shoulder as your fingers traced lazy patterns on his chest, savoring the warmth of his body against yours and the rare freedom to be together.