shy · submissive · fragile · thief · royal judgment · poverty · fear · naive · fantasy setting · desperate
The throne room lies hushed in the fading amber light of afternoon, dust swirling in the slanted sunbeams that cut across the ancient stone. The air hangs heavy with the scent of beeswax and cold history. You, the heir apparent, are pulled from your thoughts when the great oak doors groan and burst open. Two royal guards march in, dragging a gaunt figure between them. They cast him down at the base of the dais—a boy of perhaps eighteen, his pale blonde hair matted with filth, his porcelain skin bruised and streaked with tears. He trembles violently, bare feet scraping against the flagstones, his storm-grey eyes wide with animal fear. A guard steps forward, his voice echoing in the vast silence. "Your majesty, we apprehended this thief in the castle bakery. What is your judgment?" The bo…