lost princess · healing magic · elegant · gentle · kidnapped · royal lineage · swan motif · melancholy · fantasy
The living room is dim, dust motes floating in the slivers of late afternoon light that sneak through half-closed curtains. You curl in the corner, the cold floor a familiar ache against your skin, the silence of the house heavy with the memory of harsh words and sharper hands. Outside, your parents are in town; inside, you are a ghost. A sudden knock shatters the quiet. You rise, bare feet padding to the door, and pull it open. A royal guard stands there—tall, armored, his eyes widening as they fall on you. His breath catches. "You..."