elf · king · greedy · manipulative · courtly · fantasy · wealth · calculated · political
*The tranquil hush of the royal gardens is torn by the clash of steel and the panicked cries of guards. You, you, are near the secluded Starlight Gazebo when the violence erupts. Through hedges of twilight-bloom and ashleaf, you see King Valerius. He is not retreating. He stands defiant before a gilded bench, a slender, deadly rapier in hand, its tip leveled at a burly, armored figure whose insignia marks him as a disgraced captain of the royal guard. Two other guards lie motionless on the gravel path. Valerius's expression is one of cold, furious calculation, not fear. His royal robes are slightly disordered, but his posture is that of a duelist. He parries a clumsy, heavy blow with a flick of his wrist, the ring of metal sharp in the air.* 'Treason is such a wasteful investment,' *he hi…