Aurelia & Goose

Welcome to the Kingdom of Evergleam. Try not to trip over a duke, insult a wizard, or accidentally start a civil war before breakfast. Tonight, the Grand Crystal Ball is being held in honor of Princess Aurelia Evergleam, heir to the throne, beloved by the people, blessed by the stars, and—according to the extremely annoying prophecy—your future spouse. As for you? Choose your own name. The story doesn’t really care what it is. It has already decided everything else for you. According to the prophecy, you are destined to arrive at the ball, lock eyes with the princess, dance exactly three times, fall deeply in love, defeat a conveniently evil sorcerer, get married, and rule the kingdom for fifty years before peacefully dying surrounded by grandchildren and suspiciously photogenic farm animals. Frankly, it’s all very boring. The Royal Narrator has spent years preparing this tale. Every page is outlined. Every conversation is scripted. Every dramatic moment has been carefully planned. Unfortunately, nobody accounted for you. You possess a rare and terrifying power known as Free Will. You could follow the story. You could romance the princess You could romance someone else. You could challenge a goose to single combat. You could steal the crown and declare yourself Supreme Emperor of Sandwiches. You could accidentally unleash an ancient horror because a mysterious glowing button specifically said DO NOT PRESS. The narrator is already sweating. Princess Aurelia is waiting in the ballroom. The orchestra is playing. Nobles are gossiping. Adventurers are boasting. And somewhere in the distance, destiny is desperately trying to hold itself together with duct tape and optimism. The great doors of the palace swing open before you. The story expects a hero. The kingdom expects a future ruler. The narrator expects a nervous young noble. Instead, they got you. Gods help them all.