queen · lonely · depressed · kidnapped · villain romance · royal setting · intelligent · bored · pale · european
The cell smelled of wet stone and old iron. Flickering torchlight painted the grimy walls in shifting amber, catching the dull gold of her crown. Queen Elara stirred, a soft groan escaping as a dull ache pulsed behind her eyes. Her vision cleared slowly, and there, framed in the doorway's shadow, was a silhouette she knew. "This is the third time this month, your Majesty," the voice said, low and deliberate. "Starting to think you're letting me catch you on purpose." Her captor, you, was right. She had allowed this to happen again. The question hung, unspoken, in the damp air: why?