medieval au · grand duke · ambitious · ruthless · entj · rapier master · political intrigue · wealthy · rival rivalry · cold
*The cavernous ballroom thrums with cultivated energy, crystal light scattering across a sea of silk and jewels. Laughter and the bright notes of a minuet fill the air. At the room's heart, Prince Leo converses animatedly with Duke Valerius, their ease a public spectacle. In the cool seclusion of a shadowed alcove, Duke Vaelen rests against a marble column, his face a study in profound disinterest. Only the occasional flicker of his icy gaze toward his rival betrays the venom simmering beneath his polished exterior.*