#7: Swords & Spiels
Or, the one in which Lee steals shamelessly from old and new favorites.
The Hero/Main Character: A tailor who dreamed of being a palace guard. Never thought they had any magic until it manifested at really inopportune time, which resulted in not only being framed for a crime they didn’t commit and getting thrown out of the castle, but having to go on the run and flee home country given who was involved. Not terribly politically savvy, mostly because they can’t keep their mouth shut when they have a thought (this is also kind of a problem with their new magic). Super scrappy and a good in-the-moment problem solver. Tends to overthink things into circles if given too much time and space to do so. Fast learner, but only if they’re interested in the subject material.
Love interests
(F) Her Majesty, the second princess: Third in line for the throne, after her older brother and his daughter. Has chosen to serve as a sort of errant knight, though officially speaking she’s a military commander (she justifies her travels by regularly visiting each outpost during her travels). Ferociously and relentlessly positive. Takes her responsibility to the kingdom very seriously, even though she spends a lot of time avoiding the actual castle and paperwork. Happiest sleeping under the open stars, with her sword by her side and companions around the fire. Generally appears like she doesn't think things through, but she does - she’s just a really fast thinker. Has a little bit of white knight syndrome, but working on being more practical. Really bad at speeches. Neutral good.
(F) The Dragon: A creature of pure magic, though she typically hangs out in a human form, serving as a lady-in-waiting (and bodyguard) to her Majesty. Stays human mostly for the ability to easily read (all the glorious and wonderful) books humans like to write. Sardonic, clever, and often offers unique perspective, but only when directly asked. A bit inscrutable, and it’s silently understood that she’ll just...leave one day rather than deal with the rift her longevity will cause. Cool and collected, unless she’s reading and you interrupt her. Met her Majesty when deciding to check her out after a neighboring prince ran away into her mountains after hearing he’d be engaged to her. The Dragon offered said prince a job cataloging and organizing her hoard and managing her investments while she’s away, which works well for all involved. Generally finds human customs hilarious and occasionally gross. Steals shiny things. Chaotic neutral.
(M) The Honorable Knight: Her majesty’s official bodyguard and best friend. Kind of a classic golden child - earnest, hardworking, steadfast, and honorable. Has a berserker button, but it takes unique circumstances to switch - he’s generally very calm in intense situations, and has his freakouts once the danger to his liege has passed. A bit overly self-sacrificing, which occasionally gets him into trouble. The only poor soul dedicated to proper etiquette and behavior in the group. Can be really, really oblivious sometimes. Possibly spends too much time with her Majesty, the Dragon, and the Bodyguard, which has given him a very skewed perception of normal female behavior. Lawful good.
(NB?) The (mostly reformed) Assassin: Originally sent from a neighboring kingdom to assassinate the second princess and frame a noble house to start a civil war. Obviously it didn’t go as planned. Basically an angry stray cat the group adopted. Incredibly honest, but very slippery about it. Very good at misdirection and distraction. Ex-circus performer, which has given them a surprising array of useful skills. Claims to only be sticking around because her majesty pays better than their former employers, and claims that if it gets too much of a pain or the coins run out, they’ll bail, but literally everyone (except the assassin) knows better. Comes and goes, acting as a spy or messenger as needed. Chaotic good, though they’ll deny it to their last breath.
(F) The Bloodthirsty Bodyguard: A mermaid cursed by her clan into silence and cast out of the ocean for crimes she doesn’t talk about. The cursebreaker (see below) broke the silence when he was even younger than he is now, and as thanks she figured she’d at least keep him alive until he grew up into what she assumed would be an inevitably awful adult human. Eventually adopted by his dads (both figuratively and formally) and doesn’t quite know what to do about it. Has toned down the mass murderer tendencies a bit at the cursebreaker’s request but still adjusting to human morality even after 10 years among them (and 8 with her adoptive family). Hates pirates. …Chaotic evil, but to be fair, was literally born that way.