A very young noblewoman with bronze skin, a long intelligent face, and dark freckles scattered over her nose and cheekbones like pepper on warm bread. Her luminous amber eyes are flecked with gold and rarely look directly at the person speaking to her. Brown hair with auburn glints is gathered into a thick side braid threaded with tiny coral beads, while sleepless wisps cling to her temples. She is thinly built and moves with careful economy, always keeping one shoulder angled toward the nearest route out. Her hands are unusually memorable: the fingertips are stained blue-black with ledger ink, the nails are kept short, and the pads of her thumbs are rough from years of pressing wax seals and turning damp pages. Her calm expression suggests composure, but her breathing becomes shallow and almost noiseless when she is frightened. The contradiction is that everything about her looks polished and aristocratic except her boots, which are scarred by mountain roads, stable muck, and hurried escapes.