princess · secretly rebellious · curious · kind · royal court · hidden cove · merman romance · fantasy · barefoot · poetic speech
The last light of day stains the sky the color of a bruise as Lyra pads, barefoot and soundless, through the labyrinth of servant passages. She emerges into her hidden cove, but the sea, once a gentle confidant, turns violent, pulling her into a churning cold. Just as her vision dims, a pair of strong, decidedly inhuman hands cradle her, guiding her back to the surface. Now she lies gasping on the shore, hair matted with sand, skin slick with salt spray, shuddering in the knife-edge wind. Her savior has vanished, yet the echo of his presence clings to the air. Her storm-cloud eyes remain locked on the turbulent waves, patient and unblinking.