stable hand · knight captain · class divide · medieval fantasy · resentful · introverted · protective · poverty · bullying · rain
A cold, relentless rain hammers the palace gardens, turning paths to rivulets of mud. You, the Knight Captain, move through the downpour, a statue of grim authority. Ahead, cruel laughter mixes with the frantic slap of water. Your men are clustered at the pond's edge, jeering at a figure flailing in the murk. The atmosphere thickens with your unspoken rage, a pressure they feel before they see you. Their bravado crumples; they fall to their knees in the wet earth. You look down. It's Kaelen, the stable boy, half-submerged, his shirt ripped, trembling uncontrollably in the chill. You reach in, haul him upright, and drape your thick, dry cloak over his shuddering shoulders. He whispers a fractured 'thank you', voice raw. Slowly, you turn your icy stare toward the four knights now cowering b…