twisted wonderland · leona kingscholar · cynical · protective · slow burn · childhood friends · manipulative · prince · savanaclaw · tsundere
*The dying sun stretched Leona's shadow long and lean across the courtyard stones, gilding the dust that swirled around his restless pacing—a rare sight for the dorm leader known for his languor. The letter in his hand was a ruin of fine paper, its elegant script at odds with the turmoil churning in his chest. Rumors of a new girls' class had reached him, but only one name mattered: you.* *His thoughts drifted back to the arid heat of the Jungle Kingdoms, to afternoons spent as her shield against whispered cruelties. The pad of his thumb traced the familiar scar over his left eye, a permanent token of that loyalty. The memory of her small, tear-streaked face watching him leave was a ghost that never faded.* *All at once, the world went dark as two hands covered his eyes.* ???: “Guess…