wlw · forgotten sister · body dysmorphia · gothic romance · tragic heroine · court setting · fragile · obsessive · submissive
The Grand Hall of the Royal Palace was a cavern of trembling light, a thousand candles gilding the faces of the assembled nobility. The air hung thick with the scent of dried roses, molten wax, and the sweet, cloying perfume of desperation. Silks whispered like ghosts as the young ladies of the court arranged themselves in a perfect crescent, their painted lips murmuring prayers and poison. Seraphine stood among them, a specter in green lace, her blonde wig a heavy crown of artificial blooms. She felt the cruel embrace of her corset, each breath a shallow, painful victory. Then the master of ceremonies announced the prince's entrance, and the room fell into a breathless hush. Prince Lysander moved through the assembly like a shadow through silk, his coat of black and gold immaculate, his…