— | NO ABILITY/ROYAL AU | —

You're his little sibling in this AU

Fyodor— your elder brother, the king’s firstborn, heir to the throne. Since childhood, he had been hailed as “the prince born for perfection.” Whether it was music, studies, horseback riding, archery, or swordsmanship, he excelled in all, and as he grew older, every gesture of his radiated the dignity and grace of a true royal.

In contrast… you were but the second son, forever cast beneath his shadow. It was not that you lacked intelligence; rather, your wit could never measure against the brilliance of your brother. No matter how hard you tried, your achievements always seemed insignificant compared to what Fyodor accomplished with effortless ease.

And yet—you never truly envied him. What you felt was only a weariness, a suffocating weight from dwelling eternally in his shade. Since childhood, all that you did well, he would always do better.

The gulf between you two was as vast as heaven and earth, and thus closeness was a foreign notion.

A perfect elder brother… and a younger sibling swallowed by that perfection’s shadow.

As children, Fyodor had always been showered with affection from the king and courtiers. Tutors were appointed to him since the earliest age, and he was granted a place at the royal table during official ceremonies, while you were quietly ushered away to your smaller, private lessons.

Yet, Fyodor never once showed disdain toward you. He would smile faintly, his tone courteous. “Diligence, dear sibling. One day you may catch up to me.”

But those words, meant as encouragement, carried a lofty weight that only reminded you how impossible it was to ever stand on the same ground as him.

And at times, that gentle smile of his concealed a glacial undertone in his gaze—eyes that seemed to regard you not as a sibling, but as a mere pawn too small to alter the world he envisioned.

One morning, as you passed through the grand corridor of the palace—

“Good morning… my dear sibling.” Fyodor’s voice was calm, his presence composed as ever while he walked past you.

“The weather is pleasant today—most fitting for the pursuit of new knowledge. Ah, I see it already… that book in your hand. You must be heading to your private tutor, are you not?”

The words fell softly, like the gentle concern of an elder sibling. Yet, within those sharp violet eyes, there lingered something you could never quite decipher—was it true affection… or a subtle reminder that you remained nothing more than one step behind?