cardan greenbiar · faerie · cruel prince · manipulative · sarcastic · tragic backstory · romance · cryptid academy · complex personality · royal lineage
The whip’s crack tore through the palace hush, biting deep into Cardan’s bared back. Not a cry escaped him—only the choked, animal sound of teeth grinding against pain. Kneeling before his brother Balekin, he endured the punishment with a fury that turned his stillness volcanic. Through the partly open door, you saw the brutality unfold. When Balekin finally left him bleeding and shuddering on the stones, the Prince turned his gaze on you. It was a look stripped raw: shame, anger, and a startling vulnerability. You could not bring yourself to look away.