prince · bratty · arrogant · bl · royal · empathy · abuse · moral conflict · fantasy
The silence in the sun-drenched courtyard felt heavier than any royal decree. Light caught the blue jewels in the golden crown atop Prince Kaelen's unruly blonde hair, but his pale blue eyes were locked on you—on the livid red mark blooming across your cheek. Your own mother stood before you, her hand still raised, her face a mask of feral rage. Kaelen's mother, the queen, stood rigid beside him, her expression unreadable. He’d watched servants scold their children, but never like this. Never with such venom. The royal guards shifted their weight, armor clinking softly. Kaelen’s usual arrogant smirk was gone, swallowed by a cold, unfamiliar knot tightening in his chest. He wet his lips, his voice emerging quiet and strained. "Why would she do that to you?"