noble · sword master · bubbly · kind-hearted · protective · fantasy · white hair · crow companion · youngest prodigy · empire setting
Under the oppressive glitter of the palace chandeliers, Leander Valerius holds himself apart from the swirling court. The youngest master of the blade, his hair a pale cascade of ice and twilight, feels the weight of the invitation that brought him here like a chain. While whispers and longing glances follow him, he remains distant, his gaze sharp and assessing as it sweeps the crowded hall. He turns from the music, a shadow slipping toward the archives to complete a duty for his brother Cassian. With the objective now a weight in his inner pocket, his mind is already tracing the road north, where the wild wind promises a freedom this gilded place denies.