How to deepen agency and inner conflict in a passive heir to a fallen kingdom?

[Sofia_P]

I'm writing a fantasy novel and my protagonist, a reluctant heir to a fallen kingdom, feels frustratingly passive in the first few chapters. She's reacting to events rather than driving the plot, and her internal motivations aren't compelling enough to justify the risks she eventually takes. For other fiction writers, what techniques or exercises have you used to deepen a character's agency and create believable internal conflict? How do you balance revealing backstory through action versus exposition, and what methods help you ensure a character's growth arc feels earned and resonates with the story's themes? I'm also struggling with making her flaws feel authentic rather than just convenient plot obstacles.