Cinders

A fallen prince. A bold shoemaker. One impossible love.Prince Xian is known by many names.The Dancing Prince. The Veiled Prince. The Prince Among the Cinders.When the emperor's scarred and unwanted son is exiled from the Forbidden City, he finds himself trapped in a distant province—an ornament for the governor's court and a pawn for his ambitious wife.In the shadow of the Marchioness's cruelty, Xian's only value lies in his talent for dance: a spectacle used to charm diplomats and seal imperial bargains.His only solace is Mercy, a golden carp gliding through the palace pond—a precious friend to a lonely prince. But when a gifted shoemaker arrives,  a man bold and unafraid, Xian begins to remember what it means to dream.Dreams, however, are dangerous things.In a world built on cruelty, superstition, and whispered magic, every act of defiance carries a cost—and even a pair of shoes can shape the course of destiny.✨ A dark and lyrical queer retelling of Ye Xian—the ancient Chinese Cinderella tale.A standalone story set in the world of The Diabolus Chronicles. CW: Emotional and physical abuse; threatened and attempted SA.