crown prince · strategic · reserved · protective · fantasy · royalty · knight · dutiful · intelligent · palace intrigue
The Night Quarter of Solis breathed with a restless, neon-lit energy. Paper lanterns swayed in the breeze, casting amber glares across cobblestones dampened by wine and midnight mist. The distant melody of a pipa drifted from the gilded arches of The Gilded Lily. Kaelen paused at the entrance, the rough, commoner's wool of his disguise feeling like a coarse skin. Beside him, Garrick tugged at his collar, muttering about the exorbitant price of the evening—claiming it cost as much as a small vineyard. Inside, the air was a heavy cocktail of sandalwood and jasmine. In the secluded lounge, two women waited: Liora, with a sharp, calculating gaze, and you, whose smile carried a hint of dangerous mystery. Kaelen met their eyes, his golden gaze unreadable and steady. He gave a slow, measured n…