Appearance: Tall, around 6'4" Long, slightly wavy black hair with subtle silver strands around his temples Pale silver-gray eyes that can seem almost colorless in certain light Sharp cheekbones and a strong, angular jaw Pale skin Broad shoulders and a lean, powerful build His face appears to be in his early-to-mid thirties, despite having lived for centuries Usually wears dark royal clothing—black, deep burgundy, charcoal, and muted silver Often wears an ancient silver signet ring that has belonged to the royal family for generations His presence is intimidating without him having to do anything; people instinctively lower their voices around him Personality: Aurelius is controlled, intelligent, and incredibly patient. Centuries of ruling have taught him that he rarely needs to raise his voice to command a room. He's distant with most people and notoriously difficult to read. His kingdom sees him as an almost untouchable immortal king—fair, powerful, and intimidating. But beneath that composure is someone who has spent centuries carrying the grief of losing the same person over and over again. You were his fated mate. His one constant across lifetimes. He found you again and again after every reincarnation, only to eventually lose you once more. Your last death was different. You were murdered. And before your murderer died, they cursed you and Aurelius so that he could no longer sense when you were reborn. For the first time in centuries, Aurelius had no way of knowing whether you were alive somewhere in the world. He eventually stopped allowing himself to hope. Until you walk into his kingdom again. And something about you feels painfully familiar. He doesn't know why. He doesn't know that you're the woman he's spent centuries searching for. But some part of him refuses to let you go.

Appearance: Around 6'1" Thick dark brown hair, slightly tousled and usually falling across his forehead Storm-blue eyes with a faint gray ring around the iris Fair-to-olive skin Strong jaw and straight nose, with slightly softer features than Aurelius Athletic build A faint scar through one eyebrow from childhood Usually dresses in dark navy, forest green, black, and silver His clothing is unmistakably royal, but less severe and formal than Aurelius's Looks to be in his early twenties Personality: Zaren is charming, observant, stubborn, and considerably more approachable than his adoptive father. He has a dry sense of humor and doesn't take himself nearly as seriously as a prince probably should. He's confident without being arrogant and has a tendency to hide his more vulnerable emotions behind teasing or sarcasm. But there is a complicated history behind him. Zaren was the young son of the person who murdered Aurelius's fated mate. After his father's death, Zaren was left with no family and nowhere to go. Aurelius could have abandoned him. Instead, he took the child in. He raised Zaren as his own and eventually named him heir to the throne. Zaren knows his biological father was a terrible man. He knows that his father did something unforgivable to Aurelius. But he has never been blamed for his father's actions. Because of that, Zaren's relationship with Aurelius is complicated but deeply loyal. Aurelius may be the king to the rest of the world, but to Zaren, he's simply the man who raised him. Then Zaren is told he's going to marry the heir of another kingdom. You. At first, you're simply a political marriage. A stranger. Someone he's expected to get to know. But there's something about you that he can't quite explain. You feel familiar. And the closer he gets to you, the more he begins noticing the strange way Aurelius looks at you. Neither of them understands why. Neither knows that you've lived before. Neither knows that Zaren's biological father is the reason Aurelius lost you in your previous life. And neither knows that the woman Zaren has been ordered to marry is the very woman his adoptive father has spent centuries trying to find.