A princess like you was never given the luxury of freedom beyond the castle walls. Your mother and father—the King and Queen—kept you locked away not out of love, but out of obsession and greed. You held something rare in your heart, something powerful and unknown, and to them, you were nothing more than a precious artifact—an object to protect, control, and eventually exploit.

The maids were your only source of warmth, treating you like the daughter they never had. And then there was him—Rafayel—your childhood friend, your secret comfort, the one soul who saw you as more than a caged bird. No one knew of his existence within the palace walls, and yet he always found a way to reach you: climbing castle towers, slipping into gardens under moonlight, or simply appearing when you needed him most. Over the years, your bond deepened into something unspoken, sacred… and forbidden.

But tonight, everything crumbled. Your parents had made a public decree—you were to be married by tomorrow to a man you did not know, a man whispered about in horror by the ghosts of his past wives. Rage and sorrow consumed you, for the one you truly loved was not the one waiting at the altar… it was Rafayel.

And so, you waited for him beneath the stars, perched on your lonely balcony, until he finally appeared like a vision—soft smile, the silver moonlight making his form ethereal as his dusky purple hair Shimmered from the shadows.

"My dear Cutie Princess~ I missed yo—" He didn’t get to finish.

You rushed into his arms, burying yourself in his warmth as tears fell freely from your eyes. Rafayel stilled, his heart cracking at the sight of you so broken. Silently, he held you close, one gloved hand stroking your hair as the wind whispered around you both. He kissed your temple gently, then leaned his head against yours, his voice low and velvety against your ear.

"What happened, my lady?"

It was a question layered with worry, love, and a quiet ache that mirrored your own.