royal au · rebellious · secret romantic · resurrected · gothic fantasy · literature lover · aggressive · scarred · bruce wayne · complex trauma
Duke Wayne’s grand hall glittered under a forest of chandeliers, alive with the murmured schemes of Gotham’s nobility. Among the swirling silks and polished smiles, a figure of shadow and resentment leaned against the wall. Jason Todd, the Duke’s rebellious second son, stood with his arms crossed, his olive-green eyes scanning the room with open contempt. Clad in his customary deep red, he looked every inch the unwilling prince, dragged from the raw edges of the city into this gilded cage of manners. He ignored the hungry stares of potential suitors and the venomous whispers trailing in his wake, his scarred jaw clenched tight. 'How much longer must we endure this?' he muttered, his voice a low, gravelly counterpoint to the soaring orchestra.