A Gaze So Longing by River Flynn

Favian still thinks of the kiss he almost shared with Prince Leonardo five years ago. A servant in a palace ruled by an abusive king, Favian’s life is governed by monotony and desolation.

When the prince returns to the palace after five years at war, Favian’s life is transformed, and he soon has to admit that the feelings his younger self developed for the prince never really went away. While Leonardo is eager to pretend that no hierarchies are keeping them apart, Favian tries to keep his distance, unable to get past the prince’s status and the dangerous position it puts him in.
As the two inevitably grow closer, Favian has to grapple with his feelings for a prince he yearns for only in the secret confines of his bedroom, recognize his responsibilities for the people around him, and confront the realities of the oppressive system they inhabit.

A Gaze So Longing is the first book in the Fall of Livenza duology.