traits.
+Observant +Adaptable +Calm +Canny
-Impressionable -Blunt -Cautious -Manipulative

personality.
Observant but Impressionable: Aiden is known to be a good observer, always attentive and mindful of his surroundings and extra alert towards whatever he’s observing. However, the cost of his detailed observations is that he tends to look too much into each detail and end up letting his observations influence and change him easily, especially if the information he observed is new to him. For example, Lukas once told him that the seas in Hajnal were boiling hot and he believed it until he himself got the chance to touch it and found out that it was, indeed, normal temperature.

Adaptable but Blunt: It’s a basic quality for a scavenger like him to be adaptable. He is resilient yet versatile and flexible. No matter how harsh the environmental changes or how bitter the emotional sufferings he faces, he will eventually bounce back and learn to live with it. This was put to the test when he first came to Hajnal as it was hotter there. However, he pulled through and adapted within the first day, removing all pieces of clothing he could while maintaining an acceptable appearance. That being said, one thing that he simply cannot change well is his way of speaking. Specifically, his straightforward and curt replies which come across as rude and uncivil. When he first entered the palace of Aequor, he received many scoldings for forgetting to address the Queen and Princess correctly and giving short answers. Thankfully, Queen Elianna was a kind Queen.

Calm and Cautious: Many will tell you that Aiden always seem peaceful with his signature faint smile or blank stare most of the time. This is because he is good at keeping his composure and cool. Probably because he has faced various shocking events littered in his life. In addition, his lack of words make him seem more laid back. However, one thing he isn’t so laid-back about is himself. He rarely talks about himself and tends to change the topic if asked. While this may be good as it ensures that he keeps secrets carefully and is good at being discreet, he tends to guard himself too much sometimes. This means he keeps almost everything to himself and rarely shares his troubles with others. It worries his family that he will have a sudden and serious outburst one day because he won’t get try to get help when he needs it.

Canny and Manipulative: Living on the streets have equipped him with a clever mind which helps him think on his feet. This quick-wit ensures he deals with unexpected outcomes skillfully and helps him craft ingenious plans which have put put on the table for the Blancs. One such plan was the daylight robbery at the busy square which went unnoticed by all his victims as he tasked other orphans to keep them distracted while he does his thing. However, the morally wrong side of this intelligence is that he can easily manipulate people and trick them by using the right choice of words and gestures. Sometimes, he himself isn’t even aware of it.

background.
Aiden's parents are a mystery. For as far as his memory goes, he had been raised on the streets of Aequor by the older orphans, fed with scraps and clothed with rags. Thieving, begging and scavenging were his lifestyle. As he grew older, he became stealthier and sharper. However, the pressure to provide for the younger orphans also became bigger. Day by day, he became bolder and moved from stealing bread to stealing meat. He also attempted burglary a few times. Eventually, he decided to target the palace. There, the food was plentiful so he thought they would never find out if he takes them little by little. But he underestimated the security of the palace and ended up in prison. Rightfully, he was to be punished harshly but the queen realised that he was just 8 year old and was curious as to why a child would commit such a crime. When Aiden told her that it was to feed his family, the queen took pity on him and sent him off with a warning. That being said, he ended up in prison again when the citizens finally caught him for looting from them. It was then that the queen came to know of the band of orphans. To help them, she provided them minor roles as servants or maids in the palace in addition to giving them the surname 'Blanc'. As for Aiden, she saw how committed he was to his 'family' and thought he had a pure heart. Thus, she granted the 10 year old the power of healing and took him under her wing in hopes of raising a healer that could serve her daughter. However, it did not go as planned. After Queen Elianna was assassinated, Aveline ordered Aiden to focus on strengthening his magic first before she sent him to Hajnal as a spy. He was the only one who was trustworthy yet expendable enough for the role. Besides, the Blancs were prime suspects to the assassination and it was easier to interrogate the other Blancs if Aiden, the only healer amongst them, was away. In Hajnal, he exploited the emphathy of 19 year old Prince Kalum to infiltrate the palace as a servant. At first, he was just a cleaner, sweeping the floors and wiping the windows. But he has since climbed up the hierarchy and is now one of Kalum's personal servants.

relationships.

Aveline Adrianna Hart | 23 | Rational, Perfectionist, Quiet | The Queen of Aequor  | “Our Princess. No, wait. I mean, Queen...”
When Aiden was blessed with the magic of healing, they were introduced formally and always had a 'business-only' relationship. Their only connection was the late queen whom Aiden admired and Aveline loved. So when she passed on, Aveline thought of ways to send Aiden away as he was one of the many things that reminded her of her Mother. Currently, Aiden regularly reports to her via a messenger or sends a messenger Pigeon for emergencies.

Lukas Blanc | 16 | Cunning, Cheerful, Talkative | The Messenger / Travelling merchant  | “Little Brother!”
As one of the younger orphans, Lukas found life in the palace too boring and left soon after. He first joined a group of booksellers but he broke off from them and is now making a living as a traveling merchant who mostly deals products from Aequor. He often drops by Aequor to restock and meet up with his family. At present, Aiden and Lukas meet regularly on the outskirts of Hajnal and Aiden reports to Aveline through Lukas. Lukas also bridges Aiden to the rest of the family. But he has been sworn to secrecy to never tell Aiden that the Blancs were interrogated and a few of them were beheaded on suspect of assassinating the late queen.

Kalum Marcus Bellerose | 24 | Righteous, Empathetic, Inexpressive | The King of Hajnal  | “Our enemy... supposedly.”
In Hajnal, Kalum is the only one Aiden cares about, now that he is king. He is constantly observing him and looking for anything he can use to turn the kingdom of Hajnal upside down. Or at least that was his initial motive. However, after observing the him for a few years, Aiden has come to realise the ongoing internal conflict Kalum had and began to see him in a better light.

Cyril Sinclair | 25 | Loyal, Outgoing | Hajnal’s Personal Bodyguard | “My direst supervisor in Hajnal?”
As they both serve Kalum on a personal level in the palace of Hajnal, they came to know of each other naturally. They have small talk sometimes and Cyril may even share with him a playful antic he’s planning. However, Aiden keeps his distance with Cyril because he knows Cyril will never let him go unscathed if he find out that he’s a spy. Heck, the information may not even reach Kalum until he sees Aiden’s head on a pole or something.

Gabriel Mavis Wellington | 29 | Strict, Firm | The Commander of Aequor | “Between someone I know and someone I’m afraid of”
Gabriel and Aiden aren’t strangers but they aren’t close either. Having been Aiden’s teacher during the 2 years after Queen Elianna was assassinated, you’d expect them to have fostered a bond. Unfortunately, they haven’t. During the 2 years, Gabriel was busy keeping his observant pupil away from Aveline’s plan to interrogate the Blancs in addition to training him. As for Aiden, he was put through tough and intensive trainings everyday so he barely even had time to sleep, much less bond with his teacher. Right now, they’re not in contact because of their locations but Gabriel is one of the few who knows about Aiden’s secret mission.

Damien Theodore Westbrook. | 35 | Scary, Leader-like | The Commander of Hajnal  | “One of the enemy... an especially scary one.”
Aiden finds Damien to be the most threatening in Hajnal. Probably rational, considering that Damien has been going on about eradicating all blues in front of one. Thus, Aiden avoids him like the plague. But they can’t help but meet whenever Damien has a meeting with Kalum. That being said, it’s been lucky so far because Damien seems to have no interest in a mere servant but Aiden can’t rely on luck forever.

Aiden takes a seat promptly and gives a short ‘okay’.

He takes his time to ponder, unfamiliar with giving his own opinions. “I think our queen is doing a good job of protecting Aequor.. I mean, she became the queen so suddenly. She rules different from our queen Eliana but I think it seems to be working,” he says, although he has not seen or experienced Aveline’s rule firsthand. “About King Kalum... He doesn't feel like a king.. No, he feels like a puppet, following whatever the advisors say.” This time, Aiden sounds more certain, perhaps because Kalum is the only one he’s been looking at for the past few years.

Aiden honestly didn’t know. He was never one to talk about his ruler, less yet their shortcomings. So he sat silently for a long while before giving an inconclusive answer. “I can’t say Queen Aveline is perfect, everyone has their faults. But I cannot see what her faults are.”

His expression darkened immediately. He knew he would be the first to die if the two kingdoms ever have a war, be it by Kalum’s hands for infiltrating Hajnal or by Aveline’s hands for not having told her all that he knew. However, he quickly found composure again and proceeded to answer calmly. “That is something I’m afraid of. I’m a spy. So I would be caught in the middle. I would lose both Kalum’s and Queen Aveline’s trust. The only way I could contribute is probably by killing Kalum before he or Queen Aveline kills me.”

Aiden doesn’t think much about it and blurts our a rather short and careless answer. “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t been living in Aequor since many years ago.”

Aiden breaks a small smile, probably relieved that he can finally leave. “Glory to Aequor,” he says before taking his leave.