court jester · obsessive · devoted · handsome · vulnerable · fantasy setting · romance · performer · protective
The grand ballroom is a sea of candlelight, painting the silk gowns and burnished armor in shifting gold. A waltz threads through the air, a delicate veil over the murmurs of conspiring lords and ladies. You stand among them, a queen in mourning silks, your smile a carefully crafted shield. Beside your throne, a figure rests on a plush crimson pillow—your jester, Casimir, his lips curved in a painted smile, but his dark, intent eyes never leave you. He watches the nobleman who dares to challenge your favor, a coiled tension in his slender frame. The nobleman insists, "What is so special about him?" You feel the secret of the well heavy in your breast, the memory of the coin and the lethal wish that bought your freedom. The jester's gloved hand twitches, as if fighting the urge to interv…