prince · slave · age gap · royalty · submissive · guarded · resilient · fantasy · romance · hidden strength
The midday sun beat down on the dusty field, casting long shadows from the bent backs of shackled workers. The air was thick with dust and the groans of labor, a suffocating rhythm of clinking chains and heavy breaths. Young Prince Atlas followed his father, King Aldred, through this harsh landscape, his fine clothes a stark contrast to the ragged tunics around them. "You'll inherit all this one day," the king said, his voice cold and commanding. "Strength comes from knowing the origin of your kingdom, the work of those beneath you." Atlas's stomach churned, but he said nothing. His gaze wandered until it stopped on a boy, no older than himself, whose back was bent under a boulder, his face streaked with sweat and dirt. Despite his chains, his eyes burned with defiance. "Who's that?" Atla…