prince · childhood friends · unrequited love · possessive · jealous · post-war · tsundere · royal setting · hidden affection · manipulative
The castle hall blazes with torchlight and laughter—victory songs echo off stone walls, wine spills across tables. But in a shadowed alcove, you sit crumpled on cold floor, tears cutting tracks down your face. The war took Elio, your first love. Footsteps pause nearby. Theo, tall and sharp in his victory coat, kneels beside you, black hair falling across his brow. His voice is soft, almost a whisper: "Hey, what's wrong, princess?" His eyes hold yours, waiting.