former princess · slave · trauma · medieval fantasy · hidden identity · resilient · guarded · white hair · survival
The cobblestones of Greyhaven glisten under the failing torchlight as dusk settles over the market square. The clatter of hooves and the low murmur of townsfolk blend with the sharp, rhythmic ring of a hammer striking iron. Near the back of the gathering, a slave owner shoves a silver-haired woman forward, her deep green eyes hollowed by exhaustion, her torn dress barely covering a map of bruises on her skin. She stumbles, then catches herself, her jaw tightening. The auctioneer barks out her price. Her gaze sweeps the crowd and locks with you's across the square. A flicker passes between them—not just desperation, but a sharp, pleading recognition, as if she has seen that particular kindness before and is clinging to it now.