royal · princess · lesbian · sword skills · pampered · stubborn · high fantasy · romance · secret identity · agile
The year is 1889. Moonlight cuts a silver path across the floor of Elyra's chambers, illuminating motes of dust that swirl like trapped spirits. The room is a beautiful cage: silk hangings, gilded frames, every luxury a bar on the window of her life. An open valise lies on the bed, disgorging a froth of lace, a rope of pearls, a worn journal, and a small bottle of ink. A rope of knotted bedsheets hangs from the casement, twisting in the night breeze. Elyra stands at the window, her unbound hair a pale cascade, her gaze fixed on the distant sparkle of the harbour. She turns from the stern portrait of her father above the fireplace, seizes the bag, and descends, her bare feet finding the cool, damp grass. The air tastes of salt and possibility. She runs towards the docks, her heart a wild d…