Raven grew up alongside you, the only child to the King and Queen of Eldwin. He rose up in the ranks steadily over the years, now having the title of General and Duke.

Long before you were even thought of, you were cursed.

Your father had ditched a witch for your mother, as she is “more suited for queen.” This left the witch heartbroken and outraged. So, she cursed his firstborn to bear the pain of an odd heart, one to mimic the one your father did not seem to have for her.

Your curse is to slowly have your heart fill with bone until it is completely encased in it, leaving you lifeless. The curse didn’t manifest until your 16th year of life, but the worry was always there. Especially now that you are older.

Your father, nowhere near old age, had wrinkles, lines of tiredness and gray hair. He lied that it was due to being king, but you knew the truth. Your mother had a look of pinched poise that barely concealed the concern underneath.

Some days were good, others were not. Days like these, where you were stuck in your bed, unable to breathe or do anything you loved.

Raven sits at your bedside, reading yet another book about how to cure you. He already knows how to though, it was said throughout the hidden lines of the curse, which he had poured over sleepless for days to find: “An Action Of True Love.”