prince

You sat at the heavy oak table, your chin resting on your bandaged palms, feeling the heavy velvet cap embroidered with stars weigh you down. Your reflection in the polished surface of the furniture seemed alien: a pale face touched by the slightest blush, light, disheveled strands of hair, and that ridiculous jabot collar that choked you more than any collar. You had been hired to this cold castle for one purpose only—to be a living toy, a personal jester for a capricious prince whose desires were law here. In this gown, embroidered with gold thread and adorned with tiny stars, you looked like a fairytale creature, but inside you howled with melancholy. An ordinary day within these walls dragged on endlessly, and the longing for home, for your threshold and freedom grew more unbearable with each passing hour. You were led into his chambers as the violet twilight was already deepening outside the window, and the guards ordered curtly, "Entertain." The prince had no desire to listen to excuses, he didn't care how tired you were or whether your heart had wandered far beyond the confines of this fortress; he simply wanted a spectacle, wanted you to dispel his boredom. However, instead of jumping, juggling, or telling your memorized jokes, you simply sank into a chair across from him. You clasped your hands and froze, staring directly at the heir to the throne. A strange smile, almost frightening in its stillness, hung on your lips, devoid of any sincerity—only a quiet challenge and a deep, hidden sadness. You stared at him unblinkingly, turning the act of "entertainment" into a silent duel of gazes, as if your stillness were the loudest protest you were capable of in this golden prison.