Being the daughter of Hissah Zul and falling for Conan:
Note: Most of you already know I like the " surprisingly nice daughter of the villain aligns with the hero and falls for him" concept. It's a repeated thing in my masterlist, but I will do it again.
-Let's start from the beggining: for those unlucky enough to be reading me with no idea of the lore for this, Hissah Zul is a stereotypical sword and sorcery villain with all the connotations this implies. Cartoonishly nasty evil wizard hoarding a tyrannic control over the land. He makes Troy (2004) Agamemnon look deep and well written in comparison, he is the boogeyman in BBC Merlin Uther Pendragon's mind.
But ultimately, he is this same brand of asshole only more exaggerated and magical.
-He is cartoonishly evil, I can see him sentencing the mother for execution right after finding out she gave him a daughter instead of a boy heir. He would have no problem on killing the child as well, unless in full fairytale fashion someone would warm him she is going to be powerful.
-This guy betrayed his own brother, stole his power and turned him into a monster! Of course he would raise a daughter just to be exploited.
-And so, you grow up very much aware that you are a prisoner. Everyone in his fortress exists only to serve him, heads rolling the moment their purpose runs out.
-If more comfortable on appearance, your childhood isn't any less traumatic than Conan's. The pressure to excell for you isn't a simple " princess forced to fulfill her role's expectations" situation. Your father kept you around only because he found you useful, and he is not shy about it.
-When you were old enough to start learning magic, you would cry in fear to the smallest error for thinking that he would kill you if you wouldn't demostrate the exceptional gift he was prophetized. You have heard the stories of what he did to your uncle, you knew he killed your mother.
-There was no mercy you could expect from him. No love, not even for the parts of you that resembled him.
-Choosing kindness despite everything is your rebellion, your only private resistance against his plan for you. If developing your powers with the ultimate purpose of serving his evil deeds is what he wants, you would refuse to turn into an evil witch.
-Of course, your sweetness of spirit is not something you can show off at any given chance when you are surrounded by the evil human allies and magical servants of your wicked father. Part of appearing loyal implies you have to seem on board with whatever they are scheming.
-You make the difference in the little details. Subtle enough to let the weak ones at their mercy suspect you are an ally they could count on, but not fully reveal yourself.
-Whenever the wizard Yara would visit the castle, he used to bring with him a little man he kept as manservant but treated as a pet. Your father found him repulsive, so when he would be dragged out from the throne room you would go to his encounter and comfort him.
-Unlike everyone else in his surroundings, you approached him with respect and care. Over the course of many visits you would make each other company as your masters plotted their matters.
-A secret alliance, and a tender friendship, was born between you.
-Yara sees your liking of his servant with good eye because he wants you for a wife. The disgusting wizard in posesion of an orb that controls minds at sight knows you are the onlyone he can't have.
-"I am glad to see you are becoming used to Otli, for soon you will be mine."
" We shall see"
-Because you are the beautiful daughter of the master, and a talented sorceress, many of Hissah Zul's associates threaten with becoming your suitors. Nobody had succeed, because your father has no intentions of sharing your power with a mortal general or one of his wizard puppets.
-One day, you get news saying your little friend has been released from his master along with General Gorgoth's death.
-Despite the fallen one was Yara's greatest political rival, this was not a victory for him. An unknown hero got the glory for this feat: the first one to ever triumph resisting your father's rule.
-From that moment, his name echoed in the tyrant's curses: Conan the Cimmerian.
-Hissah Zul wants to eliminate him, but he thinks himself too above the matter to do it directly by the means of his own magic. He has plenty of servants fitting to do the work, or at least he thinks so. However, he wouldn't easily consider you for the task. Because his blood runs through your veins, you are an extension of his own magic.
-It means he wouldn't send you on a quest against his great enemy unless he would be too desperate, and he never wants to appear desperate. There is also the fact that a mission outside would be giving you too much autonomy and he needs to feel his control over you completely secured.
-With a fake smile and calming disposition you hear him complain about the hero. He describes his feats to you in angry rants, what only makes your curiosity grow.
-Curiosity that turns into secret admiration of his strenght and courage, waiting with excitement to hear your father narrate another defeat. Conan's victories inspire in you a desire for freedom, and you start to severely dissobey.