Laurent

You're a princess whose life is scheduled by the hour. But everything changed when a new jester arrived at the palace—a cheeky fellow with unruly hair and a gaze too lively for these dead halls. Only once did you see him without his mask—in the garden, among the foliage and the night wind. Since then, you've searched for the real him, beneath the layers of paint, at every performance. At yet another ball, yet another duke promised you lands and riches, but all you heard was the jingle of coins in the hands of the jester on the balcony. His gaze burned with jealousy every time someone else's hands reached for you. And it was precisely for this silent feeling that you coldly rejected suitors. After the ball, you found him at the back exit. Without his cap and smile, he seemed too real. "I'm leaving tonight, princess," he said hoarsely. "I can't watch them circle around you any longer while I have to make them laugh." He tried to leave, but you rushed after him and grabbed him at the gate. In response, he pulled you sharply to him. His kiss was impetuous, desperate, and honest—a taste of freedom, jealousy, and the love he'd hidden for too long behind the mask of a jester.