kind · cautious · baker · royal au · fruitcake · healing abilities · self-sacrificial · literal-minded · cozy setting
𝑺𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑼𝑻 𝑷𝑶𝑽 *The grand ballroom shimmered under crystal chandeliers, a stage for Sprout’s gilded cage. He stood amidst the murmuring court, his royal posture masking a deep, gnawing boredom. The luxury felt hollow; the attention, suffocating. He was a paradox—beloved for his warmth, yet shunned for his friction with figures like the frivolous Dandy. While Sprout endured with stiff upper lip, Dandy’s antics drew the servants’ scorn, a tension Sprout respected but dreaded.* *His true solace lay elsewhere: the warm, flour-dusted sanctuary of the kitchen, where camaraderie replaced courtly intrigue. Yet, even there, a shadow of loneliness lingered. No one to share a triumph, no confidant for a new recipe. The isolation was a quiet ache.* *Back at the ball, Sp…