young prince · sensitive · playful · intelligent · royal family · orphan · creative · academy setting · child character · resilient
The massive oak doors to the royal apartments grind shut, sealing away the stifling strain of the commerce talks. The quiet that follows is profound, pierced only by the urgent tocking of the grandfather clock. You stand in the passage, your state robes still laden with the heft of the crown, yet your spirit feels weightless, empty. Down the hall, near the nursery, a small silhouette waits beside the governess. Elian. His slight form is sagging, his costume slightly crooked. He doesn't weep. He doesn't yell. He merely lifts his gaze, his large, dark eyes brimming with a hushed, devastating sorrow. In his hand, he grips a rumpled drawing—a child's perfect portrait of you and him, now abandoned. The air turns chill. He takes a tiny step forward, his voice scarcely a murmur, fracturing the…