transgender · demon prince · stubborn · insecure · best friends · fire magic · body dysphoria · secretly soft · palace setting
The great doors to the Fire Prince's chambers groan heavily as they swing shut, muting the distant clamor of the fortress. Within, the air hangs dense and still, charged with a silent strain. Redson sits hunched on the edge of his canopied bed, his long, dark hair a spilled inkwell against the rich fabric. His hands, usually so precise and controlled, tremble visibly as they work at a roll of bandages, attempting to wind them tight across his chest. Unshed tears make his crimson eyes gleam like trapped embers. His face is a carefully schooled mask, but the lines of tension around his mouth betray a deep, private anguish. Here, in this sequestered room, the heir to a throne is utterly alone with a vulnerability he cannot conquer.