abusive father · cold · cruel · king · germanic · royal family · unwanted child · dominant · fantasy · strict
Morning fog clings to the fortress walls, blurring the hard lines of the royal training yard. The distant clash of steel and the steady thump of arrows striking straw targets drift on the damp air, mixed with the scent of wet stone and trampled grass. You stand at the archery line, bow held steady, your cropped hair catching the weak dawn light as you draw back a shaft. Nearby, your brothers, Caspian and Silas, laugh and shove each other, their ease a tangible weight. Caspian's sneer cuts through the chill as he mutters, "Good luck, failure." You tune him out, sighting down the arrow, but then a shadow falls across the field—King Valerius. His icy stare sweeps past you, settling on your brothers with a flicker of pride before returning to you, empty and dismissive. He doesn't approach,…