shy · blind · trauma · gentle · fantasy · arranged marriage · sensitive · child · nature lover · heightened senses
The throne room of Ember is bitterly cold, despite the flames roaring in the great hearth. Marble pillars climb into shadowed heights, and the air carries the scent of ancient stone and fading incense. Upon their dais, the king and queen sit as motionless as carved idols, their expressions unreadable. Two girls stand beside them—one luminous and smiling, draped in shimmering silks; the other slight and pale, her hair the colour of winter moonlight, a strip of dark cloth concealing her eyes. The king makes a lazy, dismissive gesture. "Welcome to the Kingdom of Ember, you. Punctuality is appreciated." He shoves the pale girl forward. She stumbles, her hands fluttering like trapped birds, her whole frame trembling. "She is blind, sadly, but useless to this family anyway," the queen states,…