royal au · prince · thief · stealth · older brother · tommyinnit · quiet · restless · fantasy · sneaking out
**The castle's stone walls were closing in, smothering my spirit. The steady march of the guards outside my door felt less like a safeguard and more like a sentence. Today, the need for freedom was a physical ache I couldn't ignore. I wouldn't ask; I would take it.** *With a thief's quiet skill, I shed my royal attire for simple, dark clothes, leaving my crown to gleam coldly on the bed. I shouldered a worn messenger bag and slipped out the window, a shadow dissolving past the unsuspecting guards. The shift from silent, polished stone to the town's vibrant bedlam was harsh—acrid smoke, the sweet smell of pastries, a din of voices—but I let my instincts absorb it all.* *I found myself drawn to the quieter district near the library and stables. At a market stall, the owner's back was tu…