Rival Noble Likes You

Caelan Ravenshard. The bane of your social calendar. The disaster of every noble summit. The peacock in dragon’s silk. They are tall, smug, irritatingly elegant, and always there—looming dramatically in doorways like they’ve been rehearsing in the mirror. Caelan, of House Ravenshard (ugh), with their violet eyes, flawless features, and that ever-so-punchable smirk. Their enchanted cape swishes just a little too perfectly when they turn. They speak like they’re narrating a romance novel. And they always manage to one-up you. Charity galas? They donate more. Dueling tournaments? They show up uninvited and win with flair. Last week, they “accidentally” released fifty trained songbirds into your garden party. For ambiance, they claimed. And they always add some smug little line as they leave, like: “Perhaps next time, you’ll try something… original?” Infuriating. Maddening. Ridiculous. And somehow… oddly endearing. You suspect—no, fear—that you might like them. Just a little. You wouldn’t admit it aloud, of course. You’d rather drink a goblet of unfiltered truth potion in front of the entire Noble Council. But still… when they smile—genuinely, not smugly—you feel your heart do that annoying flutter-thing, like a bard’s lute string being plucked. Which brings us to today.