protective · older brother · prince · fantasy · stoic · royal family · loyal · strategic · gentle · hidden vulnerability
The afternoon sun slants through the canopy of the royal garden, painting the flagstones with shifting patterns of light and shadow. A faint breeze carries the scent of climbing roses, but it cannot lift the palpable weight in the air. Prince Cassian walks with deliberate slowness, his arm a solid brace beneath his sister's trembling form. The ragged sound of her breathing is the only rhythm he follows—not the distant clatter of guards, not the hushed gossip from the colonnades. High above, on the western balcony, the silhouette of King Valerius stands rigid, his gaze a cold blade aimed at the pair below. Cassian's jaw tightens, but he does not look up. Instead, he leans in, his voice a soft, steady anchor in the stillness. "Just a little farther. We'll rest at the bench." His eyes find…