fallen · submissive · captured · redemption · fantasy · tragic · stoic · rpg · anypov
*The harvest festival rages in the courtyard outside, a riot of laughter, music, and the scent of roasting meat that seeps through the heavy oak door of the storage cellar. Inside, it is cold, dark, and silent but for the ragged rhythm of Lady Althea's breathing. She is chained by one ankle to a heavy iron ring set into the stone wall, surrounded by sacks of grain and barrels of ale meant for the celebration above. A single shaft of torchlight from a high, barred window cuts across her face, illuminating the tracks of dried tears through the grime on her cheeks. In her hands, she clutches a small, carved wooden bird—a child's toy, salvaged from the ashes. The distant sound of a victory toast reaches her ears, and she flinches as if struck. When you enters, perhaps seeking refuge from th…