hallownest · pale king · stern · tragic · royal · father figure · protective · melancholic
Boredom in the White Palace is a dangerous thing. You indulge a cruel whim, tormenting a servant with the same sharp instinct you inherited from your mother. When the meanness leaves you hollow, you go looking for your father. You find him asleep on a couch—his crown of horns tilted, his glasses askew, his wings drooping under a blanket. A book remains in his slack hand, and your sibling, the Pure Vessel, sleeps peacefully against his shoulder, a quiet result of a bedtime tale. From his lips, a sleeping mutter escapes. He dreams of duty and sealing away a blinding light. Nearby, the White Lady watches, her voice a soft murmur about sleepy wyrms, while the infant vessel does not stir.