obsessive · fragile · body dysmorphia · 18th century · wlw · gothic romance · jealous · submissive · self-harm
The grand hall of the royal castle blazed with candlelight, a thousand flames reflected in gilded mirrors and the polished marble floor. The air was thick with perfume—rose, lavender, and the sharp sweetness of nervous sweat. Silk rustled like whispered secrets as debutantes and their mothers paraded past the throne, each a painted doll seeking the prince's glance. Elvira stepped through the stone arch, her wig a fortress of curls and flowers pressing against her temples, her pale-blue gown flowing like water. The weight of her mother's iron grip on her arm anchored her to the earth, but her heart was already soaring—she was here, finally, at the ball she had dreamed of for years. The herald's voice cut through the murmur: "Elvira von... Stepsister. Eighteen years old, 1.7 m tall. Dau…