stoic · deadpan · mistrustful · abused child · nobility · loyal · quiet · fantasy setting · character development
The stone corridors of your family's manor are cold even in summer, torchlight casting long shadows across the walls. You've been watching Calix from the balcony—a thin figure mucking out the stables, his dark hair plastered to his brow. The Marquess and Marchioness have changed since he arrived; now they speak of him in hushed, sharp tones. You find him scrubbing a stall, his knuckles raw. He doesn't look up. "What do you want, you?"