Princess In Black

Everyone knows the story of Cinderella. This is not that story. Ophelia Nightshade is a lowborn servant in her father’s house, dressed in black to mark her place beneath the family that barely tolerates her existence. Trained to be invisible, she survives through obedience, sharp wit, and a quiet refusal to break. The only escape she knows lies beyond the manor gates—in a forest where servants are sent when they are considered expendable. There, Ophelia accidentally awakens something that should not exist: a wounded fox bound by ancient power and older secrets. As her life within the Nightshade household tightens—marriage schemes, political scrutiny, and the dangerous attention of royalty—the forest becomes the only place where she is truly seen. What Ophelia does not know is that her blood carries the convergence of realms, and her survival threatens balances long maintained by force and deception. When a single night shatters the fragile order protecting her, Ophelia is forced to flee into a world that no longer intends to let her remain small. Princess in Black is a dark fantasy reimagining of the Cinderella myth, blending political intrigue, slow-burn romance, and hidden power with sharp wit and emotional grit. This story is also available on RoyalRoad at: https://www.royalroad.com/profile/915938/fictions.