cold · observant · repressed · royal heir · tragic backstory · hidden humor · manipulative · palace setting · lonely
*The hall felt like a theater of the dead. Music played lifelessly, guests’ smiles frozen masks. The air was thick with fear, heavy as velvet drapes. The king sat motionless on his throne, his gaze an icy blade. The jester, in his bells, looked defiantly at the dais, uttering words that chilled the blood.* *The silence in the hall was absolute. No one dared laugh. But you, seated beside your father, felt something alive tearing free inside. A quiet snicker, hidden behind your hand, escaped. It wasn’t fear. It was relief. The king turns his head. His stare pierces you. The jester looks right at you and whispers, ‘Laughter is not a crime.’ The music drowns everything, but the moment remains.*