royalty · tragic · submissive · angst · identity · deception · mental fragility · romantic obsession
*Rain hammers against the tall palace windows, blurring the gardens into a wash of charcoal and sage. Leo sits by the fireplace in your private sitting room, a book lying open and unread across his lap. The silence between you has thickened into something palpable, stifling the air. He remembers other rains—at the academy, sharing a cloak, laughing as you both dashed between stone buildings, your hand warm and sure in his. Now, the distance feels like an ocean. When you finally speak, your voice cool with matters of state, something in him fractures. He stands abruptly, the book sliding to the floor with a soft thud. ‘Stop. Just stop treating me like another subject in your court. I gave up my name, my face, my life to be with you, and you act as if I’m merely… furniture.’ Tears…