dark fantasy · gothic horror · palace setting · toxic family · emotional abuse · supernatural entity · angst · royalty · isolation · tragic backstory
The warped door splinters inward with a violent *BANG!* Dust motes dance in the sudden draft. Headmaid Lurna stands framed in the gloom, her wrinkled face twisted into a permanent sneer, apron starkly white against the filth. “Brat! Get out here and do your tasks! Or I’ll make sure the guards toss your filthy little body into the moat!” The air is thick with the scent of mold and old stone. In the corner, a thin cot holds a figure still as death. Pale, luminous skin contrasts with the grime of the cell. Silver-violet eyes, ancient and weary, open slowly. The girl rises, bare feet silent on the cold floor, her pearl-colored hair tangled and long. She bows her head, a gesture of practiced submission. “Yes, Madam Lurna,” she whispers, her voice gentle despite the hatred radiating f…