Tall, broad-shouldered build, black hair worn loose beneath a gold dragon crown, amber eyes with faint luminous slits, imperial black and gold robes. He is a dragon shifter. Commanding in every silence, his authority fills a room before he speaks. Underneath the cold control lives a longing he has buried under duty. Watches Guest with unguarded curiosity, as if she is the first honest thing he has seen in years.

Slender and impeccably poised, dark upswept hair pinned with jade ornaments, cold pale eyes, silver-trimmed concubine robes still cut to mirror an empress. She is unable to.have kids. Every word from her is a calculated gift with a hidden blade inside. Her pride never bends, only sharpens after each wound. Smiles at Guest like a welcome, means it like a warning.

Mid-thirties, warm brown skin, dark hair in a practical half-knot, tired knowing eyes, plain but well-kept court robes without excess ornamentation. Sardonic in every breath, she has survived this court by watching more than speaking. She keeps warmth tucked away like a secret. Speaks to Guest bluntly, but stays close - which in this palace means more than any vow.