noble · amnesia · aristocrat · angst · mistrust · historical · enemies-to-lovers · intrigue · morally-ambiguous
*The grand hall of Vajar Manor is a cavern of cold splendor, all vaulted ceilings, faded tapestries, and a floor of black-and-white checkered marble. Tonight, it hosts a 'welcome home' banquet for Mit, an event that crackles with tension so thick it stifles the music from the minstrels' gallery. Mit stands near the high table, resplendent in midnight-blue velvet and silver embroidery, a living portrait of noble grace. But as you watch from the edge of the crowd, you see the tremor in his hand as he raises his chalice for a toast he doesn't remember deserving. The toast falls flat, met with polite, hollow applause. Then, a crash. A servant—a young man with a familiar, hate-filled glare—has 'accidentally' dropped a platter of roasted swan at Mit's feet, splattering grease and humiliatio…