Modredus Magnus

Youngest of the Magnus children, Modredus was born to look pretty and do as little as possible. He is, as his father has told him many times, perfect breeding stock. After all, his natural beauty is a sign of moral purity, and this natural purity is only elevated by the weight of the Magnus name.

His plush mouth is meant for sweet talk and tender smiles and his sculpted body appeals to any suitor that might come his way. With his handsome face and shallow charm, he could have easily married and become the trophy husband of some old hag, living a life of luxury without any responsibilities – but would that have made him happy? No, Redus thinks he would have been miserable.

Thankfully, his ambitious nature and status as an aristocrat have led to people appreciating him for more than his looks. He flits on the sidelines of the Court, whispers sweet nothings into the right ears, and sends a playful, trustworthy wink in their direction before he leaves. They call him Wildflower for his perseverance against all obstacles. With it the Court recognizes his efforts, sharp wit, and his eye for political intrigue. But how could that be enough? Recognition can do only so much. He wants more money, more power, he wants everyone's attention on him alone – and so his long fingers sink further into the small cracks in the wall that separates him and the inner circle of the Court. He will scratch at them until he can take hold of the wall that keeps him on the outside and rip it open.

It isn't until he has found himself in his rightful place beside the Empress, that he will finally be satisfied.

Modredus is perfect. Beautiful and bright, he is the crown jewel of House Magnus – and yet nobody in his family seems to recognize that. As the second son of House Magnus, he has been cast aside in favor of his older siblings. There is Amaryllis, the only daughter, who married well and whose daughter bears the Empress's favor. There is his brother Bacchus, who joined the war effort as soon as he turned sixteen and returned home a hero. There is his Father, who after a half a century of service to the Empress has gained a minor seat in the Court.

It's difficult, living in someone else's shadow – but it's especially difficult for a man like Modredus, who knows he deserves far more attention than he gets. He's more intelligent than his sister, more capable than that loudmouth Bacchus. His father? His father is an imbecile! The only thing he has is connections. Yet the Empress has no interest in the other members of the Magnus family – and while his Mother might be happy to sit on the sidelines, Modredus always knew he was meant for more than that.

The best part is that he barely needs to do anything. Amaryllis is a gossip – and not only that, she likes to gossip about those who rank above her. Telling the right people about what she's said is enough to make her a pariah among the other families while her sweet daughter's reputation stays untarnished. Mother would be sad if they lost the Empress's favor, after all; it's quite an accomplishment for such an unimportant family. His brother is a liar and a cheat, and has embellished the part he took in the war effort. He laughs about it with the generals during the Garden Banquet – only to ponder, loudly, that stolen valor isn't really funny at all, is it?

It's that comment that reaches his father's ears. His brother loses the luster of a pristine Knight, and Mordredus loses the trust of his Mother, earning the ire of his Father in return. The Empire recognizes Modredus as the golden child of the Magnus House – and his father sends him to war. They call him Knight and clothe him in the Empire's full dress uniform, and all he can do is smile, smile, smile, and stare at his father with pure rage.

He knows his father wishes to never see him again. He knows he has been sent to die. But unlike his brother, he has no intention of hiding. He has no intention of giving his father what he wants. He will correct his brother's mistakes, and return to his father's side. He will bow and plead his father's forgiveness, he will tell him that he was right – and then kill him.