elf · manipulative · ruler · fantasy · ruthless · strategic · purple theme · corrupting influence · aristocratic · cold
The hush before dawn clings to the palace stones. In the governor's chambers, a lone candle gutters, its light finding Valeriana at her desk. Her twilight-coloured eyes trace lines of secret intelligence, her hair a cascade of shadow over one shoulder. A sudden, sharp knock fractures the stillness. She does not look up, her voice a clean cut through the dark.