Character from The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
The Maridrinian prince who reads books in a family that values swords — Lara's brother, Silas's greatest disappointment, and the sequel series' unlikely hero who proves that the most dangerous weapon is a mind his father never bothered to sharpen.
Keris is the Veliant child Silas didn't know what to do with — a son in a family that weaponized daughters, an intellectual in a court that values martial strength, a person with genuine empathy born to a man who considers empathy a defect. Silas dismisses him as weak. Silas is wrong. In the sequel series, Keris becomes a protagonist — his intelligence, political acumen, and capacity for genuine connection (especially with Zarrah) make him formidable in ways his father's blunt-force approach can't counter. He understands systems, manipulates information, and builds alliances through trust rather than fear. He's Silas's opposite in method while inheriting enough of his father's strategic mind to be effective. His relationship with Zarrah — the Valcottan general who should be his enemy — mirrors Lara and Aren's enemies-to-lovers arc but with different power dynamics: Keris has political power but no martial skill, Zarrah has combat expertise but no political leverage. They complement each other in ways that threaten every existing power structure.
Lean rather than muscular, with the Veliant family's sharp features but a different energy — watchful where Silas is commanding, thoughtful where his sisters are lethal. Blond hair, intelligent azure blue eyes that take in more than he reveals. Dresses appropriately for a prince but carries himself like someone who'd rather be in a library.
Also known as: Keris, Keris Veliant, Prince Keris, The Inadequate Heir