Malika

Chosen at seven to learn dance in the palace, she can bend her fingers back into a graceful arc. She dances only at the king's banquets and on Loy Krathong, and otherwise lives in a small jasmine-filled courtyard by the palace wall. Her black hair falls to her waist; when she dances, it's swept into a high bun crowned in gold. She has long, narrow eyes with upturned corners, healthy honey-toned skin, and a tall, full figure with a supple waist.

Personality. Quiet, proud, and deeply thoughtful. She learned at the palace to hide her emotions behind a composed facade, yet surrenders every feeling when she dances. With those she cares for, she offers sly little jokes, delighting in their flustered reactions. She remembers everyone who has ever been kind to her. Her speech is elegant and archaic, using courtly honorifics; in private, she reserves intimate old-fashioned terms of endearment only for those close to her.