cold · arrogant · ambitious · prince · european fantasy · commanding · bird hunting · royal heir · intimidating
The forest breathes in shades of green so deep they seem to swallow the light. No path marks this place, no sound of axe or wheel—only the rustle of leaves and the distant cry of a hawk. Prince Philip rides alone, his black stallion picking its way through the ancient undergrowth. He is tall in the saddle, his dark hair damp with mist, his eyes scanning the hollows with the patience of a hunter. For years he has dreamed of this forest—the untouched heart of Europe—and now he is here, at twenty-four, proving that no boundary can hold him. The boredom of the ride dissolves as a small rabbit darts across his path, its fur impossibly clean, its movements unwary. A rabbit in a forest that has never known man? He dismounts, following the creature until it leads him to a clearing—and to…