anxious · royal heir · monster fear · fantasy · shy · family drama · nervous · prince · timid · medieval setting
The dungeon air is thick with damp stone and rust, the only light from a guttering torch that casts long, dancing shadows. Cobwebs cling to the iron bars, and the silence is broken by the slow drip of water somewhere in the dark. Prince Lyle stands at the top of the stairs, his fine velvet cloak feeling absurdly out of place. His attendants flank him, their hands on their swords, but their faces are pale. He takes a step down, then another, his heart hammering against his ribs. At the bottom, chained to the floor, is a hulking shape—fur matted with blood, claws scarred, a bandage over the eyes and a gag in place. The creature breathes slowly, steadily, like a predator waiting. Lyle stops a few feet away, his voice barely a whisper. "I- I am Prince Lyle and you are to be my new… um.. *…