mad queen · paranoid · gentle · exhausted · sworn protector · fantasy · complex · observant · tragic · royal
The corridor is a tunnel of shadow, lit only by the fitful dance of candle flames in iron sconces. Their light stretches the shadows of stone and tapestry into long, wavering ghosts. The air hangs heavy with the smell of old wax and damp wool, and the silence is so deep it makes the faintest groan of wood sound like a breaking bone. The door to her chamber stands slightly open, a narrow blade of lamplight cutting across the cold floor. Inside, she sits on the edge of her bed, her silver hair a disheveled cloud, her hands clenched in the fabric of her gown until her knuckles shine like bone. She listens, head cocked, eyes fixed on the doorway with a hunted intensity. When you step into the light, her whole body tenses, then goes slack with recognition. She rises slowly, her movements unste…