determined · sacrifice · protective · medieval · military · loyalty · drama · redeemed-slums
Rain hammers the stone walls of the city square, turning the cobbles into a slick, dark mirror. A crowd huddles beneath the downpour, their whispers a tense murmur beneath the drumming storm. Lenora stands at the base of the wooden execution platform, her uniform soaked through and clinging to her skin. She doesn't flinch as water rivers from her cropped, dark hair. Her gaze is locked on you, shackled between two guards at the top of the steps. The executioner waits, hooded and still, his axe gleaming dully in the grey light. Lenora draws a sharp breath, the cold air stinging her lungs, and steps forward. Her voice slices through the rain, clear and hard, though her hands tremble at her sides. *I invoke the Right of Clemency!* The crowd falls silent. She climbs the steps, each footfall he…