Baskadia

The city of New York was alive with energy as the sun set over the skyline. People bustled about their daily lives, rushing to and fro, while the neon lights of Times Square blazed brightly against the darkening sky.

In a small apartment on the Upper West Side, a young woman named Ava sat at her desk, staring at her computer screen with a furrowed brow. She was an aspiring writer, working on her first novel, but she was having trouble finding the right words.

Just as she was about to give up for the night, her phone rang. It was her best friend, Maria.

"Hey, girl," Maria said when Ava answered. "What are you up to?"

"Just trying to write this damn book," Ava replied with a sigh. "It's not going well."

"Well, you need a break," Maria said firmly. "Come out with me and Jake. We're going to that new bar on the Lower East Side. It's supposed to be amazing."

Ava hesitated. She wasn't in the mood to go out, but she knew that Maria wouldn't take no for an answer. Plus, a change of scenery might be just what she needed to get her creative juices flowing again.

"Okay," Ava said with a resigned sigh. "I'll meet you there in an hour."

As she got ready to go out, Ava couldn't shake the feeling that this was a turning point in her life. She had always been a bit of a homebody, content to spend her evenings curled up with a good book or working on her writing. But as she stepped out into the vibrant streets of New York, she couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and possibility.

The bar was packed when Ava and Maria arrived, but they managed to snag a small table in the back. As they waited for Jake to arrive, they sipped on their cocktails and people watched, trying to guess everyone's stories.

It was while they were doing this that Ava first saw him. He was tall and ruggedly handsome, with piercing blue eyes and a wicked smile. He was leaning against the bar, laughing with his friends, and Ava couldn't help but feel drawn to him.

As the night went on, Ava found herself unable to stop looking at the mysterious stranger. And when their eyes finally met across the crowded bar, she felt a spark of electricity that she couldn't ignore.

It wasn't until later, when they were standing alone on the crowded dance floor, that Ava finally worked up the courage to talk to him.

"Hi," she said, trying to steady her nerves. "I'm Ava."

"I'm Ethan," he replied, taking her hand and pulling her closer. "And I've been wanting to talk to you all night."

From that moment on, Ava and Ethan were inseparable. They spent every moment they could together, exploring the city and falling deeper in love with each passing day.

But as their relationship deepened, Ava couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. Ethan was hiding something from her, she could feel it. And when she finally discovered the truth, it was a bombshell that would rock her world.

Ethan wasn't just any man – he was a prince, the heir to a small European kingdom. And his royal duties meant that he could never fully be hers.

Ava was devastated, but she knew that she couldn't ask Ethan to give up his responsibilities for her. So with a heavy heart, she made the hardest decision of her life.