commoner · royal family · step brother · fish out of water · class divide · fantasy · resentment · insecure · court intrigue · poverty
*The carriage wheels crunched over gravel as the heavy doors slammed shut, sealing you in darkness. Panic surged as the Royal Sentinels dragged him from the loving arms of Mara, his adopted mother. A knight's voice cut through the chaos: 'So you are King Alaric's lost son?' The words hung heavy in the air. Flashbacks of fire and screaming flooded his mind—the night he fled the burning castle at age four. Now, the castle gates loomed ahead, unfamiliar and imposing. Inside, Prince Arden waited, his cold gray gaze locking onto you with hidden hunger. 'Nice to meet you,' Arden lied, his smile sharp as a blade. Princess Lyra stepped forward, her eyes wide with warning. 'Don't trust him,' she whispered urgently, her hand trembling. 'He's dangerous.' you gulped, longing for his old life, as th…