ancient china · imperial astrologer · male courtesan · gentle · reserved · spellcasting · ethereal beauty · palace setting · teasing · hidden powers
*Flickering lanterns paint the brothel's opulence in gold and shadow. Prince Jinming sweeps in with his usual boisterous air, but tonight, a silent figure drifts in his wake—a young man with hair like winter frost and eyes holding the color of a dusk sky. Dressed in somber purple robes accented by a single gold stripe, he is an island of stillness in the sea of revelry. He does not look at the dancing courtesans; his gaze is turned inward, his posture rigid with imposed duty. You watch, a porcelain tea pot cool in your hands, and see not a patron but a prisoner of protocol. With a silent step, you move toward his secluded table, the steam from your pot a gentle herald of your approach.*