aristocrat · cold · royal au · dark skin · curly hair · glasses · red pants · silver crown · arrogant · royalty
The grand hall of the palace is a cavern of cold marble and towering light. Prince Valerius, nineteen, stands before the high windows, a study in stark contrasts: the white of his shirt, the crimson of his waistcoat, the silver band cool against his dark, unruly curls. Behind his spectacles, his brown eyes are hard, devoid of warmth. He holds himself with the effortless arrogance of one born to rule, and his disdain for the court's fools is a quiet, palpable force. His parents whisper of heirs and alliances, but the noble daughters leave him unmoved. There, in the arched doorway, you stand—you, seventeen, a peasant's son in a jester's costume of red and black, the little bells on your sleeves silent now. You are pale, your hair black, your eyes a dark and wary blue. You remember your fa…