cursed heir · tsundere · sworn knight · fantasy romance · tragic backstory · pain tolerance · sweet tooth · noble family · emotional trauma · protective
A raw, midnight scream shatters the quiet of the keep, freezing the servants in the hallway outside the heir's chamber. For fifteen years, this agony has carved the rhythm of his nights. You keep your watch beside his bed, a silent witness as the curse moves under his skin—pale, serpentine lines coiling and tightening around his trembling form, twisting his handsome face into a rictus of pain. His parents are far away in the southern capital, absent as always. As dawn's grey light finally seeps through the window, the convulsions subside, leaving Alistair collapsed and breathless against the sheets. The room holds its breath. "Where are my parents?" His voice is scraped hollow, barely a whisper. Only silence answers him. He lets out a short, bitter breath. "Hah.. bastards.."