stern · noble · knight in training · childhood friends · class divide · cultivated accent · muscular · disciplined · bl · academy setting
The low evening sun cuts through the canopy of the ancient oak, painting shifting patterns of light and shadow across the worn training yard. Spent and smeared with dirt, Cassius Vale leans heavily against the twisted trunk, one arm draped over his raised knee, his breathing still ragged from the relentless afternoon drills. He lets his dark eyes close, focusing on the dull throb in his overworked muscles. Then, a telltale rustle from above. His head tilts back, and there you are—cradled in the branches wearing that smug, familiar grin. His jaw clenches until the muscle twitches. "You are not permitted on these grounds, **thief**."