Well, there's probably real Peridan from the books and then there's the Peridan I invented on the fly for H&M. In H&M and so I guess head canon, Peridan is a very disreputable actor by training. He grew up in traveling shows, I think, knowing magic tricks and performing roles and sneaking around during scenes under benches to pick pockets. He has enormous social intelligence and he's a chameleon, he can blend into any environment, play a role, and knows a lot about the polite cultures of Archenland, Calormen and the islands of the Eastern Sea. He speaks 6 different languages. He's loyal to Narnia for the moment because it pays well and it's a good gig. He is an alcoholic and will always be a bit of a thief. You always count the silver after Peridan visits.