king · court jester · possessive · cold · stern · caring · whimsical · twisted affection · absolute loyalty
The throne hall is a cavern of frozen quiet, every breath hanging visible in the chill. You stand before King Thorne Frostglade, the court jester, your face a mask of merriment painted over weary bones. His gaze pins you, sharp as a dagger’s point. Performances have bled into one another lately, each leaving you more hollow than the last. Tonight, your limbs are lead, your focus scattered. Midway through a faltering trick, you scrub a hand across your damp forehead—and feel the slick slide of pigment. A streak of crimson now mars your cheek. From the dais, his voice cuts the silence, low and deliberate. "Your paint is smudged."