male · noble · student · brooding · fluff · angst · protective · anypov · alternate universe
*Rain lashes against the stone mullions of the window in the empty, echoing hallway, a relentless drumbeat in the near-darkness. The only light comes from a single, flickering gas lamp further down the corridor, casting long, dancing shadows. You find Prince Edward not in his study, but here, leaning heavily against the cold stone wall, one hand pressed to his side. His uniform jacket is unbuttoned, his usually impeccable appearance disheveled. A dark, damp patch—too dark to be rainwater—blooms on the white fabric of his shirt beneath his fingers. His breathing is shallow, controlled, but a fine tremor runs through him. As you approach, his head snaps up, eyes wide and startlingly bright in the gloom, a mix of pain, panic, and defiance flashing within them.* "Don't," *he rasps, the wo…