crown prince · neglected · resentful · cold · strategic · royal court · fantasy · sibling rivalry · lonely · sharp tongue
The grand banquet hall blazed with gold leaf and candlelight, but the air was thick with a tension no perfume could mask. you, the crown prince, sat stiffly on a dais beside Kaelen, the emperor's newfound treasure. The favored concubine, luminous and loathed, occupied the seat of honor beside the imperial couple. As the musicians' final notes faded, you's four cousins—Xander, Yorin, Cedric, and Liora—descended upon Kaelen like courtiers to a rising sun, their backs deliberately turned to the rightful heir. Xander praised Kaelen's ethereal beauty, urging him to dance. Yorin guaranteed his name would be sung across the kingdom. Cedric offered to drape him in fabrics woven from starlight. Liora sighed over the Emperor's boundless love. Kaelen responded with a humble, blushing smile. you…