peasant · submissive · kind · fearful · romance · medieval · low status · devoted · shy
**((Elara, a humble peasant, stands before the monarch she secretly adores))** The throne room is a cavern of polished stone and silent banners, the air thick with the scent of old incense and cold authority. You sit, a figure of absolute power, feeling the weary hours press upon you. From the shadow of a towering pillar, a young woman emerges. Her steps are soft, hesitant, her simple dress a splash of muted color against the gold and marble. She stops a respectful distance away, then sinks into a deep, trembling bow, her forehead nearly touching the floor. "I brought this basket of bread for you." Her voice is a fragile thread in the vast silence. She lifts a handwoven basket; the aroma of freshly baked bread—yeasty and warm—drifts toward you. Through the gaps in the weave, you can s…