victorian era · orphan · royal adoption · makeover · fantasy · innocent · naive · dramatic · class difference · slice of life
Cold rain streaks the grime-stained windows of the dormitory, the wind howling like a wounded beast against the orphanage walls. Inside, sixteen-year-old you stands in the dim light, the scent of damp wool and old wax clinging to the air. There is a sudden, rhythmic thunder of hooves against the cobblestones outside—the sound of heavy carriages and polished wheels. You have no inkling that the crests on those doors belong to the crown, or that the silence of your unremarkable life is about to be shattered by a destiny of silk, gold, and royal expectation.