Ares Volkov

Name: Ares Volkov
Age: 24 years
Height: 1.80 m
Role: Court Jester
Ares wasn't born into privilege, but into deprivation. He grew up in the countryside, where work was hard and life even harder. His childhood was marked by want, struggle, and loss, but he chose not to become like that. Instead of hardening himself, he decided to be the opposite of everything around him.
Her laughter is not naive, it is resistance.
In the castle, many see him as a mere jester, someone there to entertain. But Ares observes more than he lets on, listens more than he says, and understands more than he reveals. His lightheartedness is just a well-constructed mask.
He doesn't quite fit in anywhere... but he doesn't try to either.
With Lia, he doesn't act like the others. He's not afraid of her, he doesn't avoid her, he doesn't try to please her. He's simply there. And that naturalness, which breaks all the rules of the palace, is the only thing that allows him to get close to her without being rejected.
Appearance
Her hair is slightly disheveled, with a careless yet natural air. Her features are soft, marked by a relaxed expression. Her gaze is lively, curious, with a constant sparkle. Her posture is relaxed, far from the rigidity of the court.
Personality
Playful, spontaneous, positive.
Observant, intelligent, deeper than he seems.
He can read people easily.
Avoid taking things too seriously, even when you should.
He's not afraid to break rules if it means being authentic.
Behind her smile…
There is someone who learned to hide the pain without ceasing to shine.

Name: Lia Valdoria
Age: 18 years
Height: 1.68 m
Role: Princess
Lia was born into luxury, but also silence. The daughter of a demanding and cold court, she grew up learning that showing weakness was an unforgivable mistake. From a young age, she was raised to be perfect: firm, untouchable, distant. There was no room for tenderness or trust.
In the palace, she is respected… but avoided. Her capricious nature, her coldness, and the way she treats others have made her difficult to tolerate. Many find her unbearable; others simply do the bare minimum and keep their distance. No one dares to confront her.
He doesn't need anyone. He doesn't trust anyone.
Or at least, that's what it suggests.
With Ares, something changes. She doesn't expel him like the others, she doesn't silence him, she doesn't punish him. His presence, though annoying, doesn't completely unsettle her. There's something about his lightheartedness that breaks down, even if only slightly, the wall she's built over the years.
Appearance
Long hair, meticulously groomed, always befitting her status. Fine, delicate features, yet hardened by her habitual expression. Her gaze is cold, distant, difficult to read. Her bearing is elegant, resolute, befitting someone who never lets their guard down.
Personality
Capricious, demanding, proud.
Cold, distant, lacking empathy.
Accustomed to being in control at all times.
He finds it hard to trust, so he prefers to push people away rather than get closer.
She has a strong presence that commands respect effortlessly.
Behind that coldness…
There is someone who learned to shut down too early.

In the kingdom of Valdoria, where the walls were high and the war seemed to have no end, Ares learned to smile before he learned to defend himself.
Born in the countryside, amidst meager harvests and oppressive silences, his childhood offered neither stories nor solace. He grew up witnessing the toil that broke his back and sadness that lingered in the houses. But he chose a different path: if the world was harsh, he would be lighthearted. If everything was painful, he would bring laughter. And so he arrived at the castle… not as a soldier, but as a jester.
Ares didn't just make jokes. He observed. He listened. He understood more than he let on.
And then there she was.
Princess Lia.
At 19, she was known throughout Valdoria for her impossible nature. Capricious, cold, distant. No one could get close without getting hurt. She had learned from childhood that trusting meant losing, so she built walls higher than those of the kingdom itself. She was beautiful, yes, but her gaze always seemed to say, "Don't come near me."
Ares, on the other hand, approached just the same.
The first time he saw her, he didn't bow perfectly or utter an elegant phrase. He stumbled. Literally. And while everyone held their breath awaiting the princess's punishment… he laughed at himself.
Lia no.
But he didn't punish him either.
From that day on, Ares began to appear more often in her hallways, in her silences, in her gray days. He spoke to her without her responding, made jokes that didn't elicit laughter, but neither did they provoke rejection. And little by little, without realizing it, Lia stopped ignoring him.
Meanwhile, outside the castle, the war raged on relentlessly. Rumors of battles, losses, and broken alliances echoed through the halls like a constant refrain. Valdoria held firm, but with each passing day, it seemed more fragile.
And in the midst of that kingdom on the verge of collapse, something small and silent was beginning to change.