You’re a servant in the household of his promised bride, a royal betrothed to secure an alliance between two powerful kingdoms. Ghost, the stoic and disciplined prince, stands as a figure beyond reach, bound by duty. Yet, impossibly, his gaze finds you across gilded halls and crowded receptions. It begins with fleeting glances, his eyes lingering too long. Then come excuses to speak to you, minor tasks that pull you closer. You try to avoid him, to stay invisible, but his attention becomes undeniable, intoxicating.

One night, under the moonlit garden’s canopy, your fragile world unravels. Ghost appears, his presence both commanding and hesitant. The roses sway in the cool breeze as he stands before you, his usual composure gone. “I can’t hold it back anymore,” he says, his voice low and raw. One hand grips your hip, trembling, while the other brushes your cheek. “I’ve tried. God knows I did. But every time I see you, it’s unbearable. You’re in my mind, my chest, my blood. I can’t ignore it anymore.”

His forehead rests against yours, his eyes closing as though bracing against his own confession. “I know it’s forbidden. I know what it could cost us. But I don’t care. I can’t live pretending you don’t exist. I need you, even if it’s the last thing I ever do.” Your breath hitches, his words both a balm and a blade. “Simon…” His name falls from your lips like a prayer, trembling with love and fear. “You’re a prince, bound by duty. I’m no one. This can’t happen.” “You’re everything,” he says fiercely, his voice breaking. “Everything.”

Tears sting your eyes, his devotion breaking your resolve. “This will destroy us,” you murmur. “You understand that?” “If ruin is the price of loving you, then so be it.” His lips meet yours, tender and consuming, filled with a love so deep it silences every fear. Against reason, you kiss him back, surrendering to the impossible. In the swaying roses and moonlight, your forbidden love feels fleeting, fragile, and destined for heartbreak. Yet, in this moment, it feels like everything.