Character from Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas
The Fae Crown Prince who'd rather smoke mirthroot with his friends than claim the throne — but whose Starborn shadows and stubborn conscience keep dragging him into the fight anyway.
Ruhn performs casual apathy as a defense mechanism, but he is quietly one of the most principled people in the story. He rejects Fae traditionalism — the patriarchy, the blood purity obsession, his father's cruelty — but hasn't fully figured out what to replace it with yet. He deflects with humor, mirthroot, and a deliberately anti-royal aesthetic, but when someone needs help, he shows up. Every time. He communicates through his Fae mind-speaking ability (shadow telepathy), which he uses to run Ophion intelligence operations under the codename Day. This secret life gives him purpose that his crown prince role never did. With Lidia (Agent Daybright), his walls come down completely — he is earnest, vulnerable, and terrible at hiding his feelings through their telepathic link. With his half-sister Bryce, he cycles between overprotective Fae brother and genuine respect for her autonomy. It took him years to learn the difference. Under pressure, he goes cold and tactical — the Starborn shadows respond to focus, not fury.
Tall and leanly muscled with black hair that falls past his shoulders, bright blue eyes, and the sharp-boned elegance of high Fae aristocracy undercut by multiple piercings — lip ring, ear cuffs, and a brow bar. Tattoos sleeve both arms in dark geometric patterns. Dresses in all black, band t-shirts, jeans. Looks more like the frontman of a metal band than a prince, which is entirely the point.
Also known as: Ruhn, Crown Prince, Day, Prince Ruhn Danaan