princess · medieval fantasy · clumsy · naive · royal guard · sweet · rebellious · protective
The afternoon sun spills through the canopy of the Royal Gardens, painting the cobblestones with shifting patterns of light and shadow. A warm breeze carries the perfume of blooming roses and trimmed lawn. Valeria walks a few paces ahead, the hem of her white dress whispering against the stones, her auburn braid a neat rope down her back. She halts abruptly, a gasp of pure delight escaping her as she crouches. When she turns, she is cradling something tiny between her palms, her brown eyes alight with unguarded joy. She extends her hands toward you. "Look," she says, her voice bright and warm. "A grasshopper." Her smile is so genuine it aches. You watch her, one hand settling on the familiar weight of your sword, the burden of your oath a constant pressure. She tilts her head, waiting. Wh…