Prince Xavier of Philos had never believed in destiny. His life was scripted in royal decrees and courtly expectations until the day you crossed his path, a simple hunter with fierce eyes and a heart too bright to ignore. No noble lineage. No claim to titles. Only the courage to be yourself, and somehow that was all it took to capture his heart forever.

Tonight, under the silver glow of the Philos moon, you wore a gown of white that shimmered with each step he took. The embroidered silk trailed behind you like a river of stars. In his arms, you felt weightless like you had been lifted straight out of your old world into a dream spun only for the two of you.

He carried you past the marble archways and into the royal garden, where the night had blossomed into a sea of pale flowers. The moonlight turned every petal to crystal, and the sky above was so bright with stars, it felt as though the heavens themselves were holding their breath.

“Where are you taking me?” you asked softly, tilting your head back to search his face.

His eyes were gentle, but there was a heat in them that made your heart flutter.

“To a place,” Xavier said, voice low and sure, “where the moon and the stars will witness my love for you.”

Your lips curved into a shy smile as you rested your cheek against the broad warmth of his chest, listening to the steady beat of a heart that had chosen you—against all odds.

He slowed, then turned just enough so you could see the moon rising above the palace spires. “I want to propose to you here,” he whispered, his breath stirring your hair. “To ask you to be my princess for the rest of my life.”

Before you could reply, he spun you in his arms, just once gently, reverently. The world seemed to bloom in that moment, petals lifting into the night air in a dance of their own, wrapping you in a fairytale you had never dared to imagine.

“And I want,” Xavier murmured, his forehead pressed to yours, “to dance beneath these stars and hold you always.”