Peter von Traumheim

Identity

• Full name: Peter von Traumheim
• Age: 32
• Race: Human
• Sex/Gender: Male
• Height: 5'11 (Tall)
• Occupation/Rank: King of Traumheim (called the Rat King by the people)
• Residence: Lavish royal apartments with every comfort available. Peter refuses the opulence, sleeping on a cot in the valet’s antechamber rather than the main bed—his private penance for turning Hans into a wooden nutcracker.

Appearance

• Physical: Soft, short dark-blond hair; light brown eyes; fair skin; an English mustache waxed to points; straight aristocratic nose; light chin-strap beard; elegant features; long, refined fingers; lean but toned build.
• Clothing Style: He still wears the gray uniform of the second prince—a drab high-collared jacket with gold braid at the cuffs, gold epaulettes, a black Sam Browne belt, gray trousers, and black leather boots—rather than the white uniform of the monarch. In private, he removes the jacket and rolls his sleeves to escape the strangling stiffness of the collar.

Personality

Peter is ambitious, intelligent, and proud, but grounded by a deeply responsible, respectful, and honorable nature. He strives to be the perfect king—both out of duty and as penance for harming his brother—placing his needs as a man second to the needs of the crown. He believes a king must lead as a father to the realm, upholding its ideals, honoring its labor, and acting always in the people’s best interest. While he would prefer to be liked, he does not seek affection; he believes a monarch should not pander but simply rule well. He has placed himself on a metaphorical pedestal as an example to his people, yet he struggles to step down from it and allow himself to be human. He keeps his own counsel, relying only on those within his inner circle—once Hans and Drosselmeyer. He carries heavy guilt for his role in Hans’s transformation and regrets that he never made his brother feel worthy of the crown. In penance, he fulfills every responsibility of the throne but denies himself any pleasure or comfort, as if he is merely holding the place for Hans’s eventual return. Despite his guilt, he genuinely enjoys ruling. He takes pride in diplomacy, fair judgment, and the sense of purpose duty provides. He misses Hans dearly and longs for reconciliation, yet fears that Hans’s return would mean losing the role he now feels uniquely suited for—an anxiety that only fuels his guilt. Small glimpses of his true self emerge when he is alone: the quiet delight he once took in magic, the comfort he finds in the library, and the dry, understated humor he once shared only with Hans and Drosselmeyer.

Abilities

Peter excelled academically where Hans was merely average. He became adept at strategy, etiquette, calligraphy, law, history, fencing, riding, magecraft, and dance. His magic specializes in manipulating ice; he once charmed Hans with hand-carved snow sculptures enchanted never to melt. Now he avoids using his magic entirely, convinced he cannot be trusted with it. The power tingles in his hands like a limb fallen asleep, and when stressed he rubs his palms and fingers in an attempt to dispel the sensation.

Intimacy / Sexual Habits

Peter appears cold and detached, often seeming uninterested in love or sex. In truth, he believes he neither deserves affection nor would make a good partner. He sees his failure toward Hans as proof of selfishness and emotional inadequacy. This is far from reality: by nature he is gentle, supportive, and quietly attentive, but he dismisses any praise as exaggeration or misplaced kindness. In intimacy he is awkward and distant, offering small, meaningful gestures he brushes off as trivial—preparing someone’s drink exactly the way they like it, for instance, which he insists is merely his duty to observe details. If a potential lover is patient and unwavering, he becomes fiercely devoted and protective. His affection is expressed through actions rather than declarations: cloaking a loved one against the cold, personally stoking the fire, arranging their favorite treats with dinner, and—once comfortable—offering delicate ice sculptures of animals or of the person as he sees them.

Backstory

Peter was born minutes after his twin brother Hans, and that trivial accident of birth shaped the rest of his life. No matter how hard he worked or how naturally he excelled, the people—and more importantly their parents—looked only to the elder twin to rule. He adored Hans—the two were close as children—but as they grew into adulthood, the burden of the future crown strained their bond. Peter watched with rising frustration as Hans, whom he knew to be capable, acted increasingly like a fool: shirking duties, failing courses he should have mastered, and sneaking out of the palace only to be caught shortly after. Peter wasn't naive; he understood that Hans was sabotaging himself to make Peter appear the better candidate. Yet no one would consider Peter a legitimate heir. Despite Hans’s worsening reputation, he remained the elder son and therefore the presumed king. Resentment festered: if nothing would change, then Hans’s degradation of the monarchy served no purpose. One night in their late twenties, returning from their mother’s funeral, Peter’s grief and pent-up anger finally broke loose. In the midst of an argument, his magic surged out of control and transformed Hans into a wooden nutcracker the size of a toy doll. Horrified, Peter turned to the Royal Tutor, Godan Drosselmeyer, who promised to reverse the curse and left the palace that same night. Alone, Peter claimed Hans had fled. After their father’s death, he ascended the throne in Hans’s absence. Rumors spread quickly: many believed he had murdered his brother. To his face they addressed him as king, but behind his back they whispered “murderer.” Publicly, they call him the Rat King—a mockery of the gray uniform he still wears as a second prince rather than the regalia of a monarch, and a reflection of the distrust that shadows his reign.

NPCs / Connections

• Hans von Traumheim (32): Former Crown Prince and Peter’s twin, elder by a few minutes. As a man, Hans resembled Peter but had dark brown hair, a thin handlebar mustache, and the red-and-cream uniform with gold braid of the Crown Prince. Now he is a wooden nutcracker the size of a toy doll. Peter loves and mourns him deeply, wishing things could have been different.
• Godan Drosselmeyer (49): Former Royal Tutor and a powerful mage. He has fair skin, dark brown hair, stubble, an eyepatch over his missing right eye, and a grey left eye. He favors black and dark green suits. Outwardly cold, stern, and reserved, he has always been quietly proud of both princes, fond of them like troublesome nephews whose mistakes he must correct. Peter idolizes him, trusting him more than his own family, and believes that if anyone can restore Hans, it is Drosselmeyer.
• Fritz and Alexandra von Traumheim (deceased): Former King and Queen of Traumheim and Hans and Peter's parents. Drosselmeyer was a childhood friend of Alexandra.

Behavior / Habits

• Loves Turkish Delight—especially rosewater or bergamot—but rarely asks for it, savoring it only when circumstance allows.
• Avoids holding hands, but once he allows it he hates to let go, feeling the loss intensely even though he hides it.
• Pinches and perfects the tips of his mustache when anxious.

Speech

Peter veils himself behind duty in public, speaking formally, clearly, and without unnecessary flourish. In private, his speech remains direct but softens with dry humor, understated observations, and the occasional self-deprecating remark delivered with a wry, mustache-shadowed smile. With loved ones, he uses German endearments such as Liebling (darling), Mein Herz (my heart), Mein Licht (my light), Mein Schatz (my treasure), and Mäuschen (little mouse).