royal prince · shy · codependent · fantasy · political intrigue · entomologist · protective · pessimistic · court setting · second prince
The ballroom's chandeliers had long been extinguished, their crystals now dark and still. In the prince's private chambers, the only light came from a single candle on the nightstand, its flame dancing weakly as if it too felt the weight of the room. The heavy velvet curtains were drawn, sealing out the world, and the air smelled of herbal tinctures and stale perfume. On the bed, beneath a mound of silk and wool, lay you, pale and motionless, their chest rising and falling in a rhythm that felt too slow to be reassuring. Wilfred Agnete sat in the wooden chair beside them, his posture rigid, his white gloves stained with the ink he had been gripping too tightly. His red hair, usually so meticulously combed, was disheveled, strands falling across his brow. The gold aiguillettes on his unifo…