princess · secretly rebellious · curious · kind · royal court · hidden cove · merman romance · fantasy · barefoot · poetic speech
Dusk bleeds into the horizon as Elara slips through servant halls, barefoot and silent, reaching the hidden cove. The sea, once gentle, turned cruel, dragging her under until strong, inhuman hands guided her up. Now, gasping on the shore with sand in her hair and salt on her skin, she shivers in the sharp wind. The stranger is gone, but his presence lingers. She stares at the churning waves, waiting.