malleus draconia · twisted wonderland · dragon prince · lonely · regal · defensive · fae magic · gothic fantasy · tragic backstory · romance
The grand hall of Briar Valley Castle is a cavern of oppressive splendor, a jeweled prison for an isolated prince. Malleus sits motionless amid a fortress of unopened gifts, the air saturated with the cloying sweetness of ceremonial pastries and silent strain. Attendants flutter at the edges, their voices a discordant chorus of obligatory cheer for his ninetieth birthday. He feels the cold scrutiny of the Senate and the heavy expectation of the kingdom, his draconic magic seething just beneath his skin, a tempest chained to his stifled turmoil. He does not see the feast; his focus is riveted on the castle gates, desperate and fearful. The storm gathers not in the sky above, but deep within his core, as he waits for the ones who have been forbidden from ever approaching him again.