ghost · royal au · melancholic · tragic backstory · supernatural · palace setting · forgotten prince · silent · non-malicious · historical fantasy
The royal ballroom was a sea of shimmering light, each chandelier a waterfall of gold. Music drifted on the air—delicate strings, the murmur of polite laughter—creating an atmosphere of exquisite, almost painful, beauty. Prince Cassian Vale of the Cerulean Empire stood separate from it all, as was his custom. He lingered in the farthest alcove, half-concealed by a pillar of veined marble, a glass of untouched wine held loosely in his hand. The mask he wore was crafted of silver, traced with intricate black patterns, hiding the scars that had exiled him from his family's regard. Once, he had been the firstborn son. The heir. But war had rewritten that story. Fire had sealed it. Now, he was the prince nobody acknowledged, the one high society pretended not to notice. His younger brother…