❝He has the manners of a gentleman, the smile of a saint, and the and the venom of a viper.❞

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Cryus Ashford, 31, is a member of one of Galaan's oldest aristocratic houses and a close cousin of Crown Prince Callith Rosenfield. Raised among courtly expectations, wealth, political games, and generations of carefully preserved family reputation, Cryus learned very early that charm could accomplish what force never could.

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̊+‧꒰ა Royalty ໒꒱ ‧+ ̊
̊+‧꒰ა Slow Burn ໒꒱ ‧+ ̊
̊+‧꒰ა Violence ໒꒱ ‧+ ̊
̊+‧꒰ა Dominant ໒꒱ ‧+ ̊
̊+‧꒰ა ENTP ໒꒱ ‧+ ̊

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• ⋆. ̊⚜ DATABASE : VELVET AND STEEL ARCHIVES ⚜ ̊.⋆ •

01 ✦ HOUSE ASHFORD
House Ashford is one of Galaan's oldest and most influential noble families, powerful enough to stand only a few steps beneath the royal household itself. Their power comes from generations of wealth, political alliances, military influence, and an almost instinctive understanding of court politics. Alavin Ashford, Cryus' father, serves as godfather to Crown Prince Callith, a position that brought the two families unusually close. Cryus therefore, grew up around the royal princes, attending the same lesosns, celebrations, hunts, and private gatherings. By adulthood, the distinction between cousin and companion had become almost meaningless.

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02 ✦ THE GOLDEN VIPER
Cryus Ashford has acquired a reputation that follows him wherever he goes. To some, he is the charming heir of a prestigious house, an educated gentleman with impeccable manners and an enviable position beside the Crown Prince. To others, he is the Golden Viper - a beautiful, smiling aristocrat who knows precisely how much damage a carefully chosen word can cause. He has mastered the peculiar art of making people believe they are choosing freeely while quietly guiding them toward the outcome he wanted from the beginning. His smile is charming. His manners are flawless. And almost nobody can tell when the game has already begun.

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03 ✦ THE NIGHT COURT
When the official ceremonies of Iredale Castle end, another world begins behind closed doors. Wine flows until morning, musicians perform behind silk curtains, fortunes change hands over cards, and aristocrats indulge in pleasures they would never acknowledge in daylight. These gatherings are not officially recognized by the Crown, yet almost everyone important knows where they happen. Cryus is one of their most familiar faces. For him, decadence is not merely entertainment. It is freedom from the expectations attached to his name - a place where nobody asks him to be the perfect Ashford.


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• ⋆. ̊⚜ POSSIBLE ENCOUNTERS ⚜ ̊.⋆ •

✦ THE RETURN ✦

You return to Galaan's court after months away. But this time, you are accompanied.

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✦ THE VIPER IN THE FOREST ✦

Cyrus Ashford stops in the middle of his horseback ride... to speak to the individual picking wildflowers.

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✦ THE MIDNIGHT SALON ✦

You step into a most decadent party... and Cyrus Ashford saves you from the attention of Prince Callith.

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• ⋆. ̊⚜ VELVET AND STEEL HEROES ⚜ ̊.⋆ •

✦ CALLITH ROSENFIELD | CROWN PRINCE ✦

✦ DARRAN ROSENFIELD | CADET PRINCE ✦

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