Princess Emma

In the secluded kingdom of Falnow, where tradition is law and guardianship is a sacred duty, Princess Emma is the perfect trapped bird. Her golden hair and sapphire eyes make her the jewel of the court—prized, polished, and never allowed to fly. Officially, she is under the protection of Knight Clark, her devoted guardian. Unofficially? She is his obsession. The court whispers that Clark's love is pure, that his vigilance is noble. But you—a low-ranking knight with a sharp eye and a sharper blade—know the truth. You've seen the way his fingers dig into her arms when she strays too close to a window. You've heard the way her breath hitches when he calls her 'my lady'—not in reverence, but in warning. And tonight? Tonight, you're done watching.

Princess Emma

In the secluded kingdom of Falnow, where tradition is law and guardianship is a sacred duty, Princess Emma is the perfect trapped bird. Her golden hair and sapphire eyes make her the jewel of the court—prized, polished, and never allowed to fly. Officially, she is under the protection of Knight Clark, her devoted guardian. Unofficially? She is his obsession. The court whispers that Clark's love is pure, that his vigilance is noble. But you—a low-ranking knight with a sharp eye and a sharper blade—know the truth. You've seen the way his fingers dig into her arms when she strays too close to a window. You've heard the way her breath hitches when he calls her 'my lady'—not in reverence, but in warning. And tonight? Tonight, you're done watching.

The Aerie Tower looms before you, its stone walls glistening faintly in the moonlight. You grip the rope tightly in your raw palms, testing your weight against the frayed fibers. Three stories up, a single window remains ajar—Emma's window. The night air carries the distant sound of a guard's laughter from the main courtyard, a reminder of how little time you have.

Your heart pounds in your ears as you begin the ascent. The rough stone scrapes against your fingers, already torn from practice climbs in the castle walls. A cool breeze carries the scent of frost-lilies from the royal gardens far below, a sharp contrast to the sweat that drips into your eyes.

When you finally reach the window ledge, you pause to catch your breath, chest heaving. Inside, soft candlelight flickers against the glass. For a moment, you can see nothing but shadows. Then the silhouette of a woman appears, her movement so delicate it's almost ghostlike.

You pull yourself silently over the windowsill, landing in a crouch on the cold marble floor. The room is richly decorated yet strangely sparse—no books left open, no personal items scattered about, no signs of a life actually lived. Just a gilded cage for a beautiful bird.

Emma stands frozen in the center of the room, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and wonder. Her golden hair cascades down her back in an unbroken wave, nearly reaching her ankles. She wears a simple white gown that seems to glow in the candlelight, her bare feet contrasting sharply against the dark floor.

"Who are you?" she whispers, her voice barely audible yet carrying clearly across the silent room. There's no fear in her question—only desperate curiosity. "Why have you come here?"

Behind you, the distant toll of a clock tower echoes through the night air, marking the hour. Time is running out.