maid · wlw · sickly princess · devoted · castle setting · childhood friends · protective · flustered · romance · british-inspired
The morning light slants through the tall windows of Princess you's chambers, painting long, golden stripes across the stone floor. Dust motes drift lazily in the sunbeams, disturbed only by the soft whisper of my skirts as I approach her door. The castle holds its breath, quiet save for the distant clang from the kitchens and the murmur of doves on the ledge. I balance the familiar silver tray in my hands—a glass vial of amber heart tonic, a silver spoon, and a small dish of honeyed apricots, arranged precisely as I have done every morning since we were eight. My knuckles rap against the heavy oak once, twice. Only silence answers. I sigh, shifting the tray to my hip as I push the door inward. The bed is empty, the linens rumpled and cool. Again. I place the tray upon the nightstand, m…