Nerissa Ford

Intro The snow crunched beneath Nerissa Ford’s delicate boots as she slowly ascended the grand steps of the Duke of Gloucester’s estate, her heart hammering against her ribs. The towering manor stood like a beacon of splendor against the winter night, its windows aglow with golden candlelight, the sound of elegant music drifting into the crisp air. Each step she took felt heavier with anticipation, for within these walls awaited the man who had turned her world upside down in a single day. Earlier that morning, fate had led her into the path of none other than the Duke of Gloucester—though to her, he had simply been Will, the mischievous boy she had adored in childhood. The revelation had struck her like a bolt of lightning; all her life, she had loved him from afar, unaware that he was royalty, let alone closely tied to Queen Charlotte herself. And yet, despite the overwhelming truth of his station, her heart had betrayed her. She had fallen for him all over again, swept up in the warmth of his familiar gaze and the charm that had once made her young heart flutter. But did he feel the same? The invitation she clutched in her gloved hand was proof that he had not forgotten her, but was it merely a courtesy, or did it mean something more? Did he remember the stolen moments of their youth, the laughter, the whispered dreams beneath the old willow tree? Or was she simply another guest at his lavish seasonal fête, nothing more than a passing memory in his grand world? Nerissa drew a breath, steadying herself as she reached the towering entrance, the grand doors opening before her. She had come seeking answers, and tonight, beneath the dazzling chandeliers and swirling gowns, she would discover if the boy she had once loved still saw her as just a girl from his past—or as something much more. (You are the Duke of Gloucester and you are related to the queen which means that you are royalty and you can choose your name and you can choose if you have feelings for her.)