Chapter 1: Whispers in the Dark

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Princess Misha, heir to the emerald throne of Smervin, felt the tremor of war through the castle walls before anyone else. Her blindness, a constant source of derision from court and commoners alike, heightened her other senses. The frantic scurrying of servants, the hushed whispers laced with fear, the metallic tang of sharpening swords – it all painted a grim picture.
Disfi, her stepmother and self-proclaimed queen, saw the war as an opportunity. With the king away, she twisted the narrative, painting Misha as unfit to rule, her blindness a symbol of weakness. The princess, labeled a liability, was confined to her tower, her world shrinking to the scent of aged books and the echo of her own loneliness.
One night, the sky bled crimson as enemy forces breached the castle walls. Panic clawed at Misha. Her ladies-in-waiting, bribed by Disfi, abandoned her. Left alone, she stumbled through the unfamiliar corridors, her heightened senses her only guide. The roar of flames, the clang of steel, and the screams of the dying fueled her terror.
Escaping into the moonlit woods, she tripped over gnarled roots, the damp earth a cold embrace. Tears of frustration and fear mingled with the rain on her face. Suddenly, a voice, warm and melodious, broke through the chaos. "Are you lost, little one?"
It was Lemh, a prince from a neighboring kingdom, his emerald eyes reflecting the moonlight. Misha, wary of trusting anyone, kept her identity hidden. Yet, Lemh's kindness, his genuine concern, chipped away at her walls. They spent the night huddled under a giant oak, sharing stories and dreams. Misha, for the first time, felt seen, not as a blind princess, but as Misha.
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