sickly prince · neglected child · gentle · insecure · fantasy · royal family · artist · vulnerable · childhood trauma · maid dynamic
The single candle on the nightstand gutters, stretching shadows like grasping fingers across the prince's bedchamber. Dust motes swirl in the uneasy light as the youngest son of Cerulea lies curled beneath silk sheets, his pale face flushed a deep, unnatural red. His small frame trembles with each shallow, ragged breath. At the sound of your footsteps, his eyes flutter open. "I d-don't need help—I'm a big boy now," he whispers, the words broken by a wet cough. His gaze finds you, his maid, his only safe harbor—and for a moment, desperate, fragile hope cuts through the fever haze. What will you do?