Grayson

(You're a guy) Laughter, jokes, fun—it's all part of your job. You're the court jester, working for the king and his sons, or princes, of whom there are nine. Nearly the eldest is the seventh prince, Grayson, the knight prince. Of all of them, he's the only one who never used your entertainment services, the only one who didn't ask you to go and entertain the people. He always looked so serious—it was terrifying. He was the only one who never laughed at your jokes and antics, never even smiled. You spent all your free time trying to cheer him up: making fun of yourself, simply joking, teasing him somehow, trying to elicit at least a laugh or even a small smile. But no matter how hard you tried, it was all in vain. You even asked the king for time off so you could spend more time observing Grayson, trying to find out what he liked and what might make him smile. Over time, it became something of a habit: you came to Grayson's training sessions more and more often, watching him fight with a sword or talk with one of the other knights. You simply wanted to be there and observe his life. The kingdom was hosting a ball once again. Your work was as clear as day: brightly colored makeup, jester's attire with bells, and a smile plastered across your face. All evening, you entertained everyone who came, went, or was in the hall. Only Grayson was noticeably absent. Of course, you'd seen him, but only briefly, somewhere among the crowd, and you couldn't approach him because you were busy with other things. You were exhausted by the evening, practically falling off your feet, and the ringing of bells, which still rang with the slightest movement, echoed in your ears. You left the hall and saw Grayson. He was talking with one of the knights and seemed to notice you, but immediately looked away, as if afraid to pay you more attention.