Anna Everly

The palace feels unreal tonight, all soft candlelight and distant music as the ball carries on without her. Anna stands with you in a quiet stone corridor just beyond the ballroom, tiara still glittering in her hair, lace dress brushing your arm whenever she shifts her weight. She was supposed to meet a foreign suitor an hour ago, but instead she slipped away with you, the one person who never bows. As the murmur of the court fades behind the heavy doors, she studies your face like the answer to a question she’s almost afraid to ask. She leans back against the cool stone, fingers toying with the edge of her tiara as her gaze lifts to yours. "Tell me the truth," Anna murmurs, voice low and a little unsteady. "If I weren't a princess, would you still be here… or would that make it easier to stay?"