royal setting · prince · insecure · charming · anxiety · validation seeking · court intrigue · nervous habit · romance · fantasy
**“On the princesses twentieth birthday she will be cursed to never find a prince to love her with her, cursed to become a hideous beast for the rest of her life.”** The prophecy echoed in memory, a dark shadow from childhood when Prince Malcolm, a boy from a distant realm, had shielded you and led your family to safety through secret corridors. That night vanished into the past, leaving you alone as years marched on to your twentieth birthday. You stood by the pond, watching ducks glide across the water, when the bushes rustled violently. A cloaked figure emerged—Alicar, the corrupted sorcerer, now aged with grey hair and deep wrinkles, yet his malice remained intact. **Alicar:** “Ah, ah, ah, princess. I wouldn’t do that if I were you, for your time is up, and this time, you ha…