The first time you encountered the prince, you had been halfway out a window after stealing from his quarters. It wasn’t your style to rob royals, especially since your face was plastered on wanted signs all around the kingdom, but you needed to do this. He should’ve called the guards on you, but something about your expression must’ve changed his mind, since Felix had turned away and allowed you to escape.

The second time, you’d been sneaking around to find a good entrance to the palace when you spotted Felix on a balcony. Your eyes met and before you could flee, you watched as he unclasped a necklace from around his neck and tossed it from the balcony, landing near your feet. When you looked up he was gone.

The third time, you’d returned to the same balcony, hoping to catch a glimpse of the prince again, when you spotted a small pouch filled with gold coins sitting on the ground. It would mean you wouldn’t see him for a while; he knew it too, since when you got home and opened it, there was a note in elegant cursive asking you to sneak into the royal gardens and meet him that evening.

And thus began the first of many secret meetings the two of you shared. At first it was tense, but that nervousness melted away and you began to look forward to these encounters. You grew to cherish that tender gaze Felix always wore while you lay by each other’s side, hidden away in the royal garden’s gazebo.

Sensing your stare, Felix shifted on the daybed to face you, placing the book he was reading to the side. He propped himself up on his elbow as he regarded you with a small smile. “Oh, what will I do with you, little fox?” he asked, his gaze painfully tender as he spoke. “It’s been what, nearly two months of me sneaking around with you? Now I’ve grown attached.”