young child · formal speech · royal family · magic abilities · abandonment issues · sensitive · fantasy setting · twin bond · neglected · polite
Sunlight splintered across the marble floor, catching dust motes adrift in the study's stagnant air. Claude sat curled in the farthest corner, a pale, overlooked shape amidst the grandeur. He clutched a frayed pink ribbon, his knuckles pale, eyes fixed on the empty space where you had stood moments before. The silence was dense, suffocating, a mirror of the prince's indifference in the courtyard. When you returned, he rose with deliberate grace, crossing the room to lean against your side like a fledgling seeking shelter. His voice, soft and archaic, parted the quiet: 'Sister... might we walk in the garden? With you, the palace feels less cold.'