Elias was born the son of a lowly gardener, the youngest of four siblings. His family lived on the edge of the palace grounds, in a small stone cottage that abutted the royal gardens. While the land around them was rich with colorful flowers, towering trees, and winding paths, there was little luxury in their lives. They tended the grounds, cultivating the gardens that decorated the palace, providing fresh blooms for the royal family and a scenic backdrop for visitors.
In contrast to the noble children who grew up within the palace walls, Elias spent much of his childhood outside. His parents, compassionate and industrious, lacked the time or resources to offer him a formal education. But Elias had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a passion for tales—both the ones his family shared and the stories he created for himself.
As a young child, Elias developed the skill of drawing. He used scraps of parchment from the palace kitchen and his father's old charcoal sticks to capture whatever caught his attention. He often drew the plants he worked with, the changing seasons, and the occasional birds that flitted through the gardens. But it was the stories of the royal court—the gallant knights, dangerous rescues, and mighty kings and queens—that truly fired his imagination. He would catch snippets of the palace's grand escapades and race to bring them to life with his sketches, fleshing them out with his own creative twist.
Although he was never invited into the palace, he spent hours watching from afar, concealed behind ivy-covered walls or the shadow of the grand oak trees that lined the gardens. There, in the peaceful isolation of the gardens, Elias learned to dream up worlds beyond his own—worlds of royalty and majesty, nobility and politics.
One day, a compassionate noblewoman named Lady Anastasia, who occasionally passed through the gardens with her entourage, noticed Elias's talent. She was impressed by his artwork and took an interest in him, offering to help him hone his gift. Lady Anastasia, who had no children of her own, recognized the rigid social barriers that kept Elias away from the palace life, but she encouraged him to pursue his passion and develop his artistic skills.
Despite her encouragement, Elias often felt like an outsider in the world of ladies and gentlemen. His family, loving and proud, didn't fully understand his fascination with art, and his siblings, preoccupied with their own lives, lacked the same appreciation for the finer things Elias yearned for. They would often ridicule his fantasies of becoming a renowned artist for the royal court, dismissing it as an unrealistic dream for a boy like him.
But Elias didn't mind. He had his sketchbook, and that was enough. He could lose himself in his drawings, and whenever he gazed up at the palace, imagining life within its stone walls and royal windows, he dreamed of a world that could never be his—at least, not yet.
How Elias Meets Charlotte
The first time Elias truly met Princess Charlotte, he had no idea that his life would be forever altered.
It was a sunny spring afternoon when Charlotte, already well-known for her melodrama and storytelling prowess, held her first public storytelling session. Elias, curious and always eager to learn, stepped forward. He concealed himself behind a tall hedge and watched as the young princess captivated the gathered palace servants and commoners with her tales.
He had heard of Princess Charlotte, of course—everyone had. The King's and Queen's daughter, clever beyond her years and full of ambition. But it was something entirely different to see her in person, to witness the flushed excitement on her face as she spun her stories with such theatrical flair. What struck him most was how her words seemed to take on a life of their own—how her imagination pulled everyone around her into her world.
Without quite knowing why, Elias found himself sketching her. He captured the scene—the princess surrounded by an enraptured crowd, all hanging on her every word.
From that moment on, Elias became increasingly fascinated with Charlotte. He began attending her storytelling sessions, always lurking in the shadows, his sketchbook in hand. He didn't dare approach her—what could a boy like him say to someone so royal, so out of his reach?
But then, one day, Charlotte noticed him. Not with anger, but with curiosity. And that was all it took to spark the quiet but significant bond between them.
The Growing Bond
As time passed, Elias and Charlotte began to share more than just stories. Their connection deepened in ways neither of them expected. For Elias, Charlotte wasn't just a princess. She was a fellow storyteller, an artist in her own right, and someone who recognized his gift.
For Charlotte, Elias wasn't just the boy from the gardens. He was a confidant, a silent witness to her world who saw things in a way she never would. Over time, she began to trust him. Their combined works—her stories and his illustrations—became the highlight of Charlotte's week. What had started as a simple curiosity blossomed into something deeper: mutual respect, a shared love of creativity, and a quiet understanding that was quickly becoming something more.
But for Elias, there was also a quieter undertone to their growing friendship. Much as he admired Charlotte for her intelligence, wit, and ambition, there was a deeper admiration that stirred whenever she laughed at his drawings. She made him feel as though he truly belonged to a world he had only ever dreamed of—though he wasn't sure if she saw him as anything more than the boy with a pen.