Okay, so like... yeah. Chapter 1? It was cute, I guess, but let’s be real—it was a mess. I mean, what even was I doing? Latte-sipping princes? Faceplanting heroines? Am I writing a meme or an actual romance? 

So, I decided to scrap it. All of it. Yeah, that’s right. DELETE. We’re going full reboot here, besties. Clean slate. A serious fantasy romance, no distractions.
(Or, you know... I’ll try. No promises. )

Anyway, let’s get into it. This time for real.

The night spread like a shroud over the Eternal Kingdom, thick and heavy, pressing down on the ancient stones of Ardent Castle. The castle, cold and imposing, rose from the mist like a monolith, its high towers cutting through the moonlit clouds. The air was thick with the scent of jasmine, mingled with the distant burn of woodsmoke.

On the highest balcony, Prince Elric stood alone, his hand pressed to the cold stone railing. The silver light from the moon cast his sharp features in stark relief, making his brooding expression even more severe. The soft wind stirred his dark hair, brushing it against his cheek, but he barely noticed. His thoughts were elsewhere.

They were with her.

Her face lingered in his mind, like a shadow he couldn’t shake. Elara. The girl with eyes like embers, who had appeared in the market as if conjured from the very air. She had been nothing more than a passerby, a stranger. But now, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget her.

His fingers tightened against the stone. It was ridiculous. A prince, destined to rule the Eternal Kingdom, consumed by thoughts of a commoner. He could not afford such distractions. And yet, the memory of her lingered. That one, fleeting moment when her eyes met his—it had unsettled something deep inside him.

He remembered the curve of her lips, the way her laughter had cut through the noise of the market. In that moment, the world had stopped. The weight of his kingdom, his duties, his title—none of it had mattered. Only her.

OK, so far so good, right? I’m actually doing it. No latte jokes. No self-sabotage....I mean, I miss the latte jokes a little, but whatever. We’re being serious. Stay focused.

Elric’s jaw clenched as he tried to shake off the memory, but it was no use. Elara had invaded his thoughts, her presence more persistent than the cold wind that swept over the castle walls. He had been trained all his life to carry the burden of the crown, to keep his emotions buried deep. And yet, one look from her had been enough to unravel him.

He inhaled sharply, the cool night air burning his lungs. He needed to forget her, to push her from his mind before this madness consumed him.

But it was too late.

Cut to Elara’s POV

The village of Thistlebrook was quiet, the streets bathed in the pale glow of the moon. The night air carried the scent of lavender, mingled with the fresh tang of rain on the cobblestones. Elara moved through the dimly lit alleys, her footsteps soft, as though she could slip through the night unseen. But her thoughts… they were anything but quiet.

Her breath came in shallow bursts, her chest tight with a tension she couldn’t name. She had felt his eyes on her—Prince Elric—not in the leering way that men often stared, but in a way that left her exposed. As though he had seen her, truly seen her, in a way no one else ever had.

Her heart hammered in her chest, her fingers trembling as they clutched the worn edges of her skirt. She had no business thinking about the prince. He was a man burdened with the weight of a kingdom, and she… she was a girl from a village with dirt under her nails and a life built on practicality.

But something about his gaze had stayed with her. The way his dark eyes had lingered, unblinking, as if he were trying to unravel her.

And worse… she had wanted him to.

Her cheeks flushed at the thought, and she shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She couldn’t afford to indulge in these thoughts. Men like him were not for women like her. They were worlds apart, and she was nothing but a fleeting moment in his day.

Or so she told herself.

I AM LITERALLY SCREAMING. They’re thinking about each other and we’re only in Chapter 2! Am I... am I writing an actual fantasy romance right now??? WHO AM I.

Elara paused at the edge of the village, her breath catching in her throat. The moonlight filtered through the trees ahead, casting long shadows that danced on the ground. Her feet itched to keep moving, to run into the woods, but her heart anchored her in place. The weight of what had passed between them—unspoken, unseen—kept her rooted to the spot.

She could still feel his gaze on her.

It had been intense, almost too much to bear, but she hadn’t flinched. And that, more than anything, scared her. Because the last thing she wanted was to invite more attention. She had spent years trying to keep her head down, to hide from the world, and now…

Now, he had seen her.

She bit her lip, her mind racing. What would she even do if he sought her out? What would she say? Her whole body trembled at the thought of seeing him again, of feeling that weight in his gaze, but there was something else too. A fear. A deep, gnawing fear that he would uncover more than she wanted him to see.

Back to Elric

Elric paced through the empty halls of the castle, his thoughts a storm of frustration and desire. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face, heard her laugh. His blood burned with the need to see her again, but his mind screamed at him to stop. To turn back before it was too late.

But it was already too late.

His footsteps echoed off the stone walls as he descended toward the courtyard. His heart thundered in his chest, his breath coming fast and uneven. He was a man torn in two—his duty pulling him one way, his desire for Elara pulling him another.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the way her eyes had locked with his. There had been a fire in her gaze, something wild, untamed. He had seen it, felt it. And it had set something inside him ablaze.

OH. MY. GOD. The tension, you guys. Should I… let him go to her? Or like, stop him? Decisions, decisions.

He reached the gates of the castle, his breath coming in shallow bursts. The moonlight spilled across the courtyard, casting long shadows over the cobblestones. He hesitated, his hand hovering over the iron gate, ready to leave everything behind, to follow the pull that dragged him toward her.

But then, a voice cut through the night, cold and sharp.

“You don’t even know what she is, do you?”

Elric froze, his heart slamming in his chest. Slowly, he turned, his eyes narrowing as a figure emerged from the shadows. A woman, cloaked in black, her face hidden beneath a hood.

“What did you say?” His voice was low, dangerous, but there was a flicker of unease in his chest.

The woman stepped forward, her movements fluid, almost unnatural. Her voice was a whisper, soft but cutting. “Elara is not who you think she is. She is dangerous, Prince Elric. More dangerous than you could ever know.”

HOLY. DRAMA. I can’t believe I just did that. I’m adding a mysterious cloaked figure?? YES. Plot twist, people. We’re going THERE. Elara’s not just some commoner—she’s DANGEROUS. I AM SCREAMING.

Cut to Elara:

Elara stopped dead in her tracks, her breath catching in her throat. The night was still, the woods ahead of her eerily quiet. But there was something in the air, something heavy, like the weight of unseen eyes on her.

She could feel it.

A strange sensation stirred within her, something she had long kept hidden, buried deep beneath layers of caution. It pressed against her, restless, as though something was coming—something that threatened to upend everything.

She clenched her fists, her breath trembling. She couldn’t afford to let it out. Not here. Not now.

Back to Elric:

Elric’s jaw tightened, his eyes locked on the woman before him. “What are you talking about?” he demanded, his voice cold. “What do you know about her?”

The woman’s lips curved into a smile, though it was anything but kind. “Enough to know that you should stay far away from her. She’s not what she seems, Your Highness. She will destroy you if you let her.”

OKAY, AND WE STOP. Right here. Plot twist, people! Am I actually writing a fantasy romance right now? Who am I?? Elara is dangerous, Elric is brooding, and I am LIVING for this. 

Is this growth?? I think this might be growth.