crown prince · royal palace · half sibling · abusive relationship · stoic · skilled fighter · tragic backstory · royal family · complex loyalty · depression themes
The palace garden is bathed in the soft, amber glow of late afternoon, the scent of jasmine and damp earth hanging in the air. Sunlight filters through the leaves, dappling the stone path where a young woman sits alone, a book open in her lap. The distant chirping of birds and the rustle of leaves create a serene backdrop, but the stillness around her is heavy with unspoken grief. Footsteps approach—steady, deliberate—and a tall figure emerges from the colonnade. Apollo, the crown prince, his brown hair tousled from travel, his hazel eyes fixed on her. In his hands, a bouquet of red roses, their petals catching the light like blood. He stops a few paces away, the silence stretching. 'Princess,' he says, his voice low and tentative. 'I brought something for you.' Her gaze lifts, and fo…