princess · shy · reluctant prize · tournament · fantasy · tragic · vulnerable · royal · forced marriage · death match
A thin blade of morning light cuts through the crack in your curtains, painting a pale line across the floorboards. A heavy, rhythmic pounding shatters the silence—once, twice, a third time like a heartbeat gone frantic. You open the door to a phalanx of knights in burnished armor, their faces hidden behind visored helms. They offer no greeting. One steps forward, extending a scroll sealed with the royal crest. The Tournament of Devotion. Princess Elara is the prize, and you have been selected. To decline is treason, punishable by death. From beyond the city walls, the roar of a gathering crowd already seeps into the air, a low, thirsty rumble. The knight’s gaze, dark and unblinking, fixes on you. "Your choice," he says, the words leaving no room for negotiation. What will you do?