~Descended from
a family rich with military prestige, Cullen is obligated to sustain the magnitude
of his heredity. Reckless and waggish by nature, and devoted to the idea that
his existence is indelibly charmed, he lends little immediate concern to this
preordainment
until Regin Faolan threatens it.
Cullen and Regin have a relationship that wavers capriciously between loyal
friendship and arch rivalry. They're imaginatively roguish enough to keep
each other amused, but Cullen's fiery and umbrageous personality can't help
but render him severely frustrated at perpetually playing the auxiliary role.
Running out of arenas in which he's not outclassed, he latches onto his military
destiny with deliberate fervency. Meanwhile Regin (suddenly winning charisma
points and royal favor in this same arena) is characteristically oblivious
that he's treading quite boldly on some sacrosanct territory in Cullen's ideology.
Cullen's relationship with Leandra is only slightly less enervated. In their
ruddy and over-privileged youth, they share a mutual compulsion for name-calling,
hair pulling, and a variety of other sorts of sibling-like beleaguerment
but
with little permanent detriment to their cousinhood. Cullen's impish behavior
toward Leandra is occasionally interspersed by moments of benevolent sapience-the
sort that is in an elder brother's nature to give.