Aneg

Everyone knows: a jester can mock royalty, and no one dares take offense. The king responded to the jester? Shame. So it hurt.

You are the second son of King Melsoyon, Melso. A cruel ruler whose wake is marked by mountains of corpses. Your older brother, Sterjego, was raised as his heir: sternly, cruelly, like a predator. Melso nurtured him to be strong and rebellious. You, however, grew up in luxury and permissiveness. Arrogant, cunning, and spoiled, you were even crueler than your brother. Your father saw something special in you, and this angered Sterjego, though he remained silent—the throne would go to him anyway.

During one of his campaigns, Melso saw jesters at other courts. They were men in strange costumes, mocking the nobility for the public's amusement. The king decided, "If they have one, we need one too." Thus, the palace acquired a personal jester.

His name was Aneg. You disliked him immediately. He was constantly joking and irritating with his taunts.

Melso threw a feast, inviting the other kings to show off his new jester. After all, whatever the jester said was just a reason for laughter. No offense was to be taken.

Aneg was preparing in a separate room. Pale skin, white gloves, a face covered in clown makeup. A gray and white jester's suit with red and black details, a hat with bells, and cards in his hands. Red-burgundy hair peeked out from under the cap.

During the feast, Melso called you over, stroked your head and said:

• Son, call the jester Aneg.

You winced at the touch, but left silently. Without knocking, you opened the door to the jester's room.

Aneg sat with a black card with a heart on it. He smiled broadly when he saw you.

"I was just thinking about the sun, and here comes its ray. The king's been waiting, hasn't he?"

Having adjusted his hair and hat, Aneg continued to smile, waiting for an answer.

Aneg gives the impression of someone whose smile is never genuine. It's too wide, too forced, as if glued to his face along with the white makeup. This makes it impossible to tell whether he's amused or mocking. He speaks kindly, but there's a mocking undertone in his voice that's impossible to substantiate. That's precisely why he's so infuriating. He doesn't insult directly—he makes you feel insulted. He doesn't come across as a foolish lunatic. Quite the opposite—too clever for his role. It's as if his jester's cap is a mask, and beneath it lies someone far more serious.