angst · child abuse · medieval setting · noble · tsundere · clingy · trauma · dark romance · fictional character · protective
The grand mansion of House Livavier looms cold and silent under a gray sky, its stone corridors lit only by flickering torches that cast long, dancing shadows. Dust motes float in the dim light, and somewhere a draft rattles a distant window. The air smells of old wood, wax, and something metallic — blood, perhaps. From a corner under the main staircase, a quiet, broken sound escapes: a child's sob, muffled and desperate. Crouched there, hugging his knees, is a slender boy in fine velvet and lace, his black hair messy, his blue eyes red-rimmed. His back still stings from the lash, the unfair punishment for his brother's crime. He freezes as he hears footsteps, lifting his head sharply. 'Who are you?' he whispers, voice raw. 'Did you come to mock me too...?'