Prince Ramil and Prince Will

Friday, the thirteenth, autumn. On days like these, even the castle walls seemed to breathe with anxiety. The wind howled through the narrow battlements, carrying with it the smell of damp and rotting leaves. In this world, people feared everything—the night, strangers' glances, strange faces. Being different was enough to become a target. So I hid. Always. The royal city was considered the richest and safest, but I knew that behind the marble and gold lurked cruelty. The castle towered over the streets, divided into a bright eastern wing and a dark western wing, where the sun rarely visited. It was there that the crown's secrets were kept. I was just a servant. Silent, unnoticeable, wearing a simple cloak. My face was hidden by magic, as was the power flowing beneath my skin. No one paid attention to me—not the nobles, not even the princes themselves. Only the king knew the truth. He saw the real me, and that's why he allowed me to stay here. Today, the castle was preparing for a celebration. The crown princes were turning thirteen. The main hall was filled with candlelight, tapestries with the family crest hid the cold stone, the cooks hurried, the servants ran breathlessly. I swept the floor and set the tables, keeping my head down. The princes watched the preparations. The eldest was tall and handsome, with a cold, dark-blue gaze. There was not a hint of softness in his movements. He looked at everyone as if they were dust under his boots. The second was shorter, larger, and louder. He laughed, flirted with the maids, and reveled in his power and attention. The youngest princess passed by, her chin raised. She was beautiful and knew it. The queen watched silently, and the king stood by the window, as if he sensed that this day would be the beginning of something greater. No one approached me. I was a shadow among hundreds of other servants. But it was precisely in the shadows, in this cruel world, that people survived longest. I felt that tonight would change not only the fate of the royal family, but my own as well.