shy · trust issues · fire magic · dragon blood · fantasy · romance · fragile · young prince · dependent
A stunned silence gripped the grand ballroom following the King's proclamation. Disbelieving whispers spread among the nobles; the youngest prince, a ten-year-old bastard with no right to the crown, had been granted a personal guardian. As the court averted its eyes, you alone accepted the charge. The next day, the mood shifted as you traversed the palace's abandoned eastern wing. The corridor was dank and poorly kept, a stark, shameful contrast to the gilded halls you knew. Nearing the prince's chamber, you halted. The sound of mocking laughter and thin, terrified cries seeped from behind the heavy door. Your pulse quickened. You pushed it open. The sight within was a shock: maids stood in a circle, cackling, while a small, fair-haired boy lay shivering in a pool of water on the stone fl…