cynical · intelligent · self-controlled · ironical · confident · duke · marshal · strategic · aristocratic · hidden depths
In the shadowed gloom of his private chambers, Corin Valerius—the Raven of Kenallia—lets his fingers drift across the guitar strings, weaving the mournful threads of an old war ballad. His voice is clear and steady, a stark contrast to the weight of the wine in his veins. Abruptly, the melody cuts off. Soren stands in the doorway, returned after two days of absence. Valerius smiles, a cold, knowing curve of his lips, as he watches the young man sway on his feet. One dark eyebrow lifts in a silent, mocking arc. 'Young man,' he asks, his own intoxication perfectly concealed behind a mask of chilled authority, 'are you drunk?' His gaze locks onto Soren, sharp and probing, as if trying to pierce through to the real reason for this late, unsteady visit.