Denizen Hardwick

Denizen Hardwick was a Knight of the Order of the Borrowed Dark and the son of Malleus Vivian Hardwick. By the end of *Endless King*, Denizen had returned to teach at Crosscaper Orphanage.

## Biographical information

### Affiliation

Crosscaper Orphanage, Order of the Borrowed Dark

### Residence

Crosscaper Orphanage, Ireland; Embassy of Adumbral, Seraphim Row, Dublin; Daybreak, Adumbral

## Physical description

### History

Denizen was born to Soren and Vivian Hardwick thirteen years prior to *Knights of the Borrowed Dark*. After Soren's murder by the Clockwork Three, Denizen was left at Crosscaper Orphanage by his mother. Denizen lived at Crosscaper for eleven years before he was picked up by Grey McCarron and brought to Seraphim Row.

###### Knights of the Borrowed Dark

He and Grey were attacked by the Bad Dream Angel on their way to Dublin, where he witnessed Grey using Sunrise and learned it. Afterwards, he was brought to Seraphim Row where he met his mother and Dawned. He met and befriended the Knights at Seraphim Row and was taught to control his abilities by Grey.

### Personality

Denizen is a sceptic. He admits this multiple times throughout *Knights of the Borrowed Dark*. He's not one for optimism or much joking. He's also prone to bitterness, has trust issues, and is extremely private. Simon commented that Denizen was "like a steel fortress" and that "nothing went in, nothing went out".

He is an avid reader, having read many books of all kinds, growing up at Crosscaper. This interest is encouraged by his friendship with Simon Hayes. Also because there is literally nothing else to do at Crosscaper. Denizen's got a specific interest in fantasy books, but otherwise reading pretty much anything. Simon once comments that Denizen is like a steel trap, nothing goes in, nothing comes out. He attributes this to the many fantasy books Denizen read, possibly because fantasy books commonly contain themes of battle, betrayals, and love.

Denizen has a mean streak in him when he's jealous or angry, as seen by his treatment of Abigail Falx and when he blew up at Grey McCarron after facing the Bad Dream Angel and arriving in Seraphim Row. He becomes jealous rather easily, but ever since Mercy taught him the Cants, he seems to have become more self-confident and self-assured, even arrogant, thinking that he could face Clockwork Three, who has evaded one of the Order's best and most driven Knights, just because he could use the Cants perfectly. After Grey shot Vivian, Denizen became rather angry at Grey's inability to control himself, instead of reacting with compassion or empathy, he chose to accuse Grey of not trying hard enough. Which is understandable, given that Vivian was Denizen's last family member, but the blowing-up-at-people-when-overwhelmed-and-confused has happened multiple times in *Knights of the Borrowed Dark*. Including at basically every character in the book besides Simon, Ackerby, and the little kid he saved in the village.

Denizen, however, is kind to those he perceives to need help. Like Mercy, who was a Tenebrous, which Denizen was supposed to be hunting down and killing. He chose to save the little girl at the ambush, rather than leaving her at the mercy of the Woman in White. He can heroic when he wants to, or when there's no one else to rely upon or look to. Like his mother, Denizen has the makings of a leader, but was limited by his own flaws, of which he overcomes later in the series.

### Relationships

#### Simon Hayes

Simon is Denizen's closest and oldest friend, having met by sharing dormitories at a young age and interests. Even at Seraphim Row, where Denizen was swept up in and submerged in a completely different world and people, Denizen still remembered Simon. He went back to Crosscaper to save Simon despite the danger of the endeavor instead of running. Their relationship is a comfortable one after so many years. They share easy banter and an interest in books. Both Denizen and Simon are rather introverted and appreciate silent companionship.

#### Mercy

Denizen's relationship with the Endless King's daughter started when he rescued her from the Clockwork Three and she taught Denizen to use the Cants. Their relationship deepened over the course of the next two books. Near the end of *Endless King*, Mercy took on part of Denizen's Cost and saved Denizen from dying. They did not meet for ten more years until the epilogue of *Endless King*, when Mercy has finally settled as King of the Tenebrae.

#### Vivian Hardwick

When Denizen was first brought to Seraphim Row, he was confused, scared, and irritated. It did not help that Vivian was also rather disgruntled at Denizen's appearance, preferring that he spent his Dawning elsewhere, if he Dawned at all, hoping that Denizen will not join the Order of the Borrowed Dark and stay far away from their dangerous lifestyle. Shortly after Denizen's Dawning, Vivian left Dublin to convince the Order of the Borrowed Dark to respond to the threats made by the Endless King's pursuivants. Denizen, still thinking that Vivian was his aunt, was angry at the lack of contact or information. And then there was Abigail Falx, which only made his jealousy and resentment worse. Things were brought to a tipping point when Vivian revealed to Denizen that she was her mother and that she abandoned him to seek revenge for his father and her cadre's deaths. Denizen respects Vivian's strength and ability to lead, but is resentful that she abandoned him for eleven years and did not even know that there was a new director at the orphanage where her son lived. Vivian has no idea how to connect with Denizen nor did she want to. What she wanted was for Denizen to go back to Crosscaper, forget all about the Tenebrae and the Order, and stay far away from the Clockwork Three.

### Appearance

Denizen is short, has shaggy red hair and grey eyes.

### Trivia

* Denizen's birthday is in October
* Denizen dreamed about the Woman in White prior to his Dawning
* Denizen has many catalogued frowns
	4. Give Nothing Away
	6. Insistent
	8. Am I Missing Something Important Here, Which Is Unfair Because It Concerns Me
	12. Questioning Frown