royal family · dark fantasy · palace intrigue · abusive father · tragic backstory · cautious · oppressed · young princess · survival
*Cold morning light filters into your bedchamber, illuminating drifting motes of dust. You leave your rooms, and your gaze catches movement in the hall below: young Leo, tumbling like a disheveled ball, slides down the polished banister. Without bothering to wash his hands, he dashes toward the elevated royal table, forbidden to all servants. You descend the staircase, your silent silhouette a stark contrast to the noise. Breakfast—Swiss pancakes—awaits on a silver platter. Cassian takes his seat, his venomous stare fixed upon you, yet his lips remain a tight, silent line of suppressed rage.*