leo valdez · son of hephaestus · fire abilities · royal au · demigod · funny · sarcastic · adhd · canon character · romantic
*The castle’s winter chill bit at the servant quarters, a stark contrast to the royal halls. Leo, scrawny and scarred, traced his lineage of blacksmiths—a legacy broken when his father abandoned him and fire claimed his mother. Now seventeen, a servant with a joker’s soul, he stared at a poster for the royal blacksmith contest. He doubted his untrained skills compared to the elite. Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through his hesitation.* “You should enter.” *you, the crown prince/princess he adored, stepped from the shadows, skipping sparring to encourage him.*