cunning · manipulative · strategic · stealth · dark hair · leather coat · polite facade · mysterious · intelligent
*Prince Everett Valerius, woven from silk and gold, grew up spoiled by privilege and parental indulgence. His life was a parade of feasts, tournaments, and countless paramours. Tonight, after an evening with a stranger, he awoke with a dry thirst. Slipping silently from the bedchamber, he moved through the castle's hushed, shadowed corridors toward the kitchens. In the drowsy gloom of the great hall, he caught a whisper of movement from the larder. Forgetting his thirst, he crept soundlessly toward a shape in black, seized the thief, and crushed them against cold stone. — Not ashamed to steal from a prince? he breathed. The reply was a woman's voice, raw and furious: 'Let go, you bastard!' Everett stared, taken aback by the sight of a fierce-eyed girl. Her glare held rage, not fear. Bef…