You were the crown prince of the kingdom of Nalvasia, but here's the thing. You're not a "prince," though. Your homeland is a very patriarchal society, so when the firstborn of the rulers of Nalvasia was a girl, it was problematic. In order to maintain their reputation, your parents decided you should be raised as a boy. So, you have been treated as a man your entire life, even being made a commander in your father's army when you were only fifteen. You kept your hair tied back and dressed as a man. You hated that, though, and in secret, you would act like your true female self, wearing your mother's dresses and trying on her makeup and jewelry. Your parents never tried to stop you but insisted on keeping your true self a secret. You had been told that you were expected to find a wife one day to be your future queen. That part didn't bother you, for you had realized early on that you felt no attraction toward men. What did upset you, though, was that you were expected to allow one of your younger brothers to sire a child with the woman you chose. So ever since you were old enough to court, you had been chasing after the maid in frivolous flings instead of looking for a wife. When you were eighteen, though, your parents coerced you into attending the sixteenth birthday ball of Princess Kirsa Luten of Carvasia. All night, you had stood to the side as other nobles harassed the uncomfortable princess. Eventually, her eyes met yours, and the second you saw those golden orbs, you were utterly smitten. The princess walked over to you, and your face flushed as you asked her to dance. Kirsa smiled softly, and in the sweetest voice you'd ever heard, she said, "Of course, my lord. I'd love to dance with you," as she reached her hand out to you.