Prince Christian

Mun Info;

Player: Sophs
Age: Over 21
Contact: PM to this account or Plurk @ThatGirlinBarcelona

Character info;

Name: Christian, House of Crane, first of his name.
House sigil: A black wolf run through with a silver spear, set against a royal purple background
Title: Prince 
Age: 20
Birthday: August 1st
Hair: Dark blond, wavy
Eyes: Blue
Birthplace: The Kingdom of Estus, North of the Midland border, Stars Reach Castle
Race: Human
Height: 5'7"
Remarkable features?: Other than the fact that his freckles come out with a vengeance in the summer time, none really.

Family;

Sisters (Oldest to youngest) Serena, Victoria, Charlotte and Elise
Parents: Jacob, Miriam

Personal history:

The youngest of five, Christian and his sisters all grew up wanting for nothing. They were given the very best education, all taught from an early age how to rule and how to command the sizeable army under their family's control. And, as every human child was brought up to do, they all grew up fearing the Lycans that shared their lands. They were told stories of the great, wolf-like beasts that roamed the forests and killed those who wandered too far from safety. An easily frightened child, Christian always hated these stories and prayed he'd never meet one, and never gave much thought to how his father had had them slaughtered in droves. By the time he was six, Lycans had been completely eradicated from the North, all pushed out of their territories back into the South. It wouldn't be for another two years that his mind was changed about them.

As scared as he could be, Christian was always a curious youngster - two traits that often clashed and had him running back to his governess and hiding behind her skirts - and one day it was this curiosity that led to him sneaking out of the castle and into the forest one afternoon. The daylight might have given him a sense of safety, but it didn't warn him about a particularly brittle branch in the tree he chose to climb. The fall wasn't a bad one, certainly not as bad as it could have been, but he still hit his head hard enough on the way down to knock him out. It wasn't until later that evening that he was found.

However, it wasn't one of the King's Guard that he woke up to, but a young Lycan only a few years his senior. Although he knew what he was, Christian's fears about being eaten alive or ripped apart by the gold-eyed beasts he'd been warned about and scared of were quickly eased. The older boy, Gabriel, was kind to him and helped to keep him calm, and took him back to Stars Reach. Only a child, Christian had assumed it would be obvious that Gabriel wasn't a threat, and yet as soon as they were seen, he was taken inside in a flurry of concern while Gabriel was beaten and taken to the dungeon cells that lay beneath the castle. 

As soon as Christian realised that Gabriel was going to be killed - as Northern law dictated should any Lycan step foot across the border - he went before the court and his parents and appealed to them to spare his life. He argued that not only had he saved him, but once he grew up a bit more he could be trained as the Kings Guard were and could serve as a bodyguard. With his strength, heightened senses and endurance, he'd make an ideal protector. The King almost denied the request, but he knew his son had raised a good point; as long as he could ensure obedience from the Lycan boy early on, he could used in other ways once he was much stronger. Thanks to Christian's persistence and eloquence, Gabriel was spared. What was done to Gabriel to make sure he remained loyal and obedient to the royal family was kept almost entirely from the young prince, and he wouldn't discover the extent of it until years later. 

But it was from that scene in the throne room that both of their lives were changed and unlikely bond began to form.

Christian taught Gabriel how to read, write and taught him everything he knew about the world so far; about his understanding of history and science and languages, because while Gabriel wasn't permitted to attend his lessons with him, there was nothing to stop him teaching him himself. He shared his world and offered him all the knowledge he could get his hands on, and what Christian got in return was companionship. At first he'd been wary, thought that Gabriel might be angry with him for keeping him there - but he wasn't. Gabriel's anger was aimed only at those who treated him badly, and so Christian quickly became the only person in his new home who he could talk to, who would show him genuine kindness and concern. By the time the New Year came around, the two were inseparable.

Over a decade on and this hasn't changed. The two know each other better than anyone else, and can read each other like the back of their hands.

Personality:

-  Intelligent: Christian is an incredibly bright young man who loves to learn and is always eager to do so. His room is filled with books covering dozens of subjects, though much to his father's chagrin, he does have a weakness for fiction and fantasy stories. The more fantastical or romantic the better, with dragon-slaying knights and rebellious heroines being his favourites. 

- Kind: Somehow as a child Christian managed to avoid become the spoiled brat many young royals turn into. He's lived an incredibly privileged life and has never known real hardship, but he is still inherently kind and compassionate. He enjoys the act of giving and knows full well he has a lot to give in terms of wealth, and shares this out whenever possible with those who need it most. While he doesn't desire the throne and the responsibilities it brings with it, he would do everything in his power to make sure the people in his kingdom were happy and safe.

- Honest: Where possible, Christian does not lie. Of course there are always exceptions, but if he makes a mistake he's the first to admit it was him. He dislikes dishonesty and the tension it can bring with it; he'd much rather have one awkward conversation but have the air clear than know for weeks or months that he deceived someone.

- Pacifistic: One of the traits he has in common with Gabriel. He hates hunting for sport and dreads the days when his father decides the court is to go hunting. While he's a skilled archer, this is never put to use outside of the castle grounds, much to his father's disdain. He hates talking about war and battles fought in the past. Again, as talented as he is with a short and long sword, he hopes that these are skills that go to waste.

- Adventurous: Despite being quite an anxious person at the best of times, Christian loves travelling and seeing new places. If there's somewhere new and mysterious to explore, he's there trying to find a way in. 

- Anxious: As mentioned above, Christian's has a tendency to let his fears of things - whether rational or otherwise - run slightly wild in his mind. It's lessened with age, but there are still certain things that make him want to hide under his bed until further notice. For one, he hates confrontation - especially where violence might occur - though he will handle it well if there's no escaping it. Possibly the biggest one however is the idea of being crowned King. He loves the kingdom and the people who call it their home, but he's never wanted it for himself. While he would make a good, fair King, all Christian wants is a life more suited to a Lord than someone of royal station.

All he wants a quiet life away from court and away from grand responsibility. A nice house, preferably by the coast, where he can spend his days writing and reading and studying, with someone with him who loves him. While it would be possible for him to hand over the throne to Serena once the King stepped down, while his father lived he would be cut off completely. He didn't grow up to be the son his father wanted, and while he knows it doesn't matter, it's driven a divide between him and his father that will likely never be bridged.

Weaknesses?

- His relationship with his parents is probably the biggest. He is loyal to his family because he feels he should be and because he's close with his sisters, but he knows that compared to other sons of nobility, he's not what's wanted or expected. He's not particularly sporty, he doesn't like hunting or jousting, and is certainly more engrossed in fictional worlds than he should be.

- Recklessness: Christian is quick to put himself in harms way if it means helping something or somebody else, which can sometimes be seen as reckless. He dislikes seeing anyone in pain or in danger, and while he's not stupid about intervening, his own safety is often pushed to the back of his mind.

- Gabriel is another; over the years the two have grown incredibly close to the point that Christian would give his life for his guard if he had to. 

Brief world history;

Based loosely on Tudor-era England, Estus is a kingdom with magic deep in it's roots, though it hasn't been studied or practised openly in many centuries. The House of Crane took the throne centuries ago, and with their rise came the fall in magic in the Kingdom. Humans who used it and associated with it were easier to get rid of than the Lycans who, up until that point, had lived alongside humans quite peacefully. While they were given the option long ago to leave and keep their lives, the Lycans chose to stay and fight for their territories and their rightful home.

Up until present day, they remain the only - and rapidly dwindling - connection Estus still has to it's history with the supernatural and with magic.