TW: Violence against Children (Jump to A/N for a summary!)
If only it were just a child.
In a cramped space that was never meant to contain life, a young prince tried to reassure the trembling children even as he himself shook to his knees.
"We just have to hold on. F-for sure they've been looking for us… once we're free, we'll eat a lot of candy! Right, Miss Risa?"
Around him, disheveled elven children huddled together. Their clothes were torn, their cheeks hollow, their eyes far too wide and tired for their age. In their midst, a shackled female elf forced out a smile.
Risa gathered as many of them as she could in her arms, though her wrists were rubbed raw from the restraints. The chains clinked softly when she shifted, but still she held them close, pressing her warmth into their shaking bodies.
