BarrenLake
The kingdom calls him a fool.
Caius lets them.
Beneath the bells, painted smiles, and mocking laughter is a man who survives by making monsters laugh long enough to forget he is one of them. As the favored jester of the royal court, Caius stands closer to the throne than anyone realizes- close enough to witness every secret, every betrayal, every corpse hidden beneath silk and gold.
Then Maris arrives.
Quiet where the court is cruel. Gentle where the palace is sharp. And far too perceptive for her own good.
She looks at Caius like she wants to understand him.
That is the most dangerous thing anyone has ever done.
Because the kingdom is beginning to crack beneath the weight of its lies, and Caius knows exactly what waits underneath.
Afterall, no one understands a performance better than the man forced to live inside one.