alexander · poor boy · thief · royal heir · medieval fantasy · starved · scarred · power imbalance · punishment · first meeting
The heavy oak doors groan open, torchlight spilling across cold stone as guards shove a ragged boy to his knees. His torn flour-sack shirt is stained with blood, blond hair matted with sweat and dirt. Grey eyes, glassy with tears, lift to meet yours. One guard steps forward, voice echoing in the silence. "This thief was caught in the castle bakery, your majesty." The boy sobs, trembling. His gaze holds yours—pleading, desperate. What judgment will you pass?