Eirwen Verglas
She took steady breaths as she looked around the room, her hands carefully laid upon the armrests of her luxurious seat. A throne that was not named as such, yet obviously served that purpose. Honestly, she would have preferred to sit on the tip of her seat, her legs ready to jump up and her hand on her weapon. But being seated in the throne meant to trust one's subordinates. Being on the ready herself would only serve to suggest she did not trust them with her life. Instead, she played the role of a calm ruler, keeping her emotions out of not just her eyes but her entire body language.Last of her line, Duchess Eirwen Verglas is the final hope of all of Verglas. A magical genius betrothed with another of equal talent, she and Marquis Aodhán Flameheart were expected to one day unify both dukedoms and form a powerhouse that would leave behind their stamp on history, ruling the west and leaving it without any opposition. But things changed when her parents were murdered, an act many believed to be by the order of Duke Cináed Flameheart. Within mere days, Eirwen became Duchess and ordered war against Flameheart. Obstructing her path, she found armies led by her former betrothed. Something neither of them will ever forgive him for. Years later, she still leads the war from behind the lines, while her beloved and behated ex-fiancé fights against her at the front.
Duke Elinant Verglas (father, deceased)
Marquis Aodhán Flameheart (ex-fiancé)
Duke Cináed Flameheart (mortal enemy)
Children
History
Childhood
From a young age, Marquise Eirwen Verglas was her parents' pride and joy. Life had been hard for both of them, leaving them with only distant family members. And it is a public secret that they would have loved raising more children, but that simply wasn't to be. Yet despite all this, Duchess Verglas adored her daughter and heir, as did the Duke. They gave her all the chances they could to practice her mana and combat techniques, allowing her to excel and showcase her talents. At age twelve, Eirwen and her parents were invited over to Leathad Den Ghrian for the twelfth birthday and social debut of Aodhán, the Flameheart heir. While they were nervous about meeting the boy, at their first meeting the two turned out to have a lot in common. They quickly sparred both physically and mentally, gleeful to have discovered someone just as talented. Seeing this, Duke Flameheart proposed a betrothal, which Duchess Verglas accepted at once. Over the years since, the two grew smitten with each other, meeting as often as they could. Carraig Castle became their favourite place to visit, where they could venture in the morning, then spend the afternoon and night and morning together, before leaving for home again.Royal Capital
At age eighteen, the two lovers were sent to the royal court, as young nobles are meant to be. There they studied etiquette and other things considered important by the central court. Both befriended many other nobles their age. Eirwen was popular, which in some cases led to harassment. Normally she handled things herself, while at times she would let her betrothed fight for her honour. Which he did in person, much to her satisfaction. During these years, Eirwen's talents shone as brightly as Aodhán's. Each had their own aspects that they were better at, while their combination allowed them to help each other become even better. They improved rapidly, making very clear to all that both could be considered talents seen mayhaps once a century. While there had been those that considered their union merely political and a threat to the stability of the kingdom, seeing their love for each other, there was no doubt in people's hearts that these two belonged together. They were no threat to anyone except to whoever decided to stand in their way.Separated from Love
Despite his prowess and far from traditional behaviour, Duke Flameheart still followed some of the archaic traditions from the western wildlands. One of them was that a child had to make a name for themself. For this, he recalled Aodhán from court and sent him into the unnamed twelfth Flameheart territory. There, the Marquis needed to spend a year to better his skills without any support from House Flameheart. Eirwen missed her beloved dearly, but she still lived happily at court for another half a year. Then she ventured home, spending time with her family while secretly planning her wedding in advance. Once Aodhán returned, they would begin the formal ceremonies to build up to a wedding that would go down in history. But tragedy struck at the hand of assassin blades, murdering both of Eirwen's parents mere days before Aodhán returned. And it became clear very quickly that the one responsible was Duke Flameheart. Eirwen received but a single day to mourn her parents, before she ascended to the position of Duchess and immediately declared war on Flameheart. By noon, the Verglas armies had already invaded and were being held back by House Carraig. When reinforcements arrived from Flameheart, they were led by Aodhán, repelling the invaders. Thus the years-long war began.An Ivory Tower
The brand-new Duchess would have loved to take up arms and fight to avenge her parents. But as last of her line, and understanding full well that Duke Flameheart intended to capture her and force a union on his terms, she could not be put at risk like that. Thus, Verglas was forced to seal their most powerful piece. Only a Verglas blade could halt a berserking Flameheart, and while Aodhán might not have been a rampaging berserker like his father, that only made him more dangerous in warfare. All secretly knew that only Eirwen would stand a chance against him, but they didn't dare endanger her like that. She had to be sealed away safely. So Eirwen was forced to watch from the back, commanding at a distance. Where Aodhán could command the entire frontline, all she could do was observe. Battles were lost one after the other, and while only few died, Verglas lost a lot of money during the war, from ransoms to destroyed supplies. Losing the war is but a matter of time.Appearance
Eirwen Verglas stands six feet and one digit tall, about three digits taller than both her parents. Having trained physically from a young age, she has the wiry build that many a combat-able noble has. Her hair is dark brown like her father's, the first of several Verglas to not be golden blond, though she has inherited her mother's grey eyes.
In the past, Eirwen wore her hair loose on her back, contrasting with her forest green clothing. Since ascending to the role of Duchess, she wears it in a half-up braided style, her braids interwoven and meeting on the centre-back of her head, while keeping the lower part of her hair flowing open. A style that finds the middle between the loose hair of the young, and the fully braided style of married women, to illustrate the authority of her position yet her single status at the same time.
As for her clothing, long gone are the brighter tones. Her clothing is normally dark green, untouched by her coat of arms. Whether this is to be harder to recognise, or because she no longer feels there is anything left of House Verglas but herself, many bards have fought over the past years.
Personality
It used to be that Eirwen had a bright and warm personality, not befitting her house's reputation as cold knight-killers. Though she was capable of holding up a Verglassed blade just fine, she was open to all, making plenty of friends in both her own territories and at the royal court. While her own family was small, many a nearby noble treated her as a daughter or niece, including Duchess Ashwood. They loved her as much as their own.
That warmth is gone. As ruler, Eirwen has turned to ice, rarely showing emotion on her face and keeping her distance even from her most trusted advisors. Her emotions will only leak out during negotiations with her behated former betrothed, with an ice-cold voice barbing at him to make abundantly clear she will never forgive him. While she very likely behaves differently in private, none of those serving her have any intent of betraying their Duchess's trust. Their lips are sealed.
Personal Armoury
While from a young age, Eirwen learned how to handle many a weapon, she now has simplified her options. At the Verglas estate, she wears light armour with a long sword at her side. When on the move, the Duchess wears full plate with a shield in her left hand and her sword in her right.
That isn't to say she lacks options. But she leaves those to her escorts. She is almost permanently escorted by two elite unnamed guards, who will safeguard the doors of any room she resides in. Additionally, knights will escort her both inside and outside her estate. These carry a variation of weapons, from spears and pole-axes to swords and bows. All weapons they can easily Verglas in her service. Folly is the foe that thinks they can take her on just because she is limited in her own weaponry.
Abilities
It is well known that Eirwen's mana senses are beyond equal. She can spread them far and wide, while others will have a hard time noticing her observing her surroundings. These senses have prevented several ambushes from endangering her during the war, as she can not just notice people, but also tell their mana techniques apart. Even ambient mana levels are easy for her to analyse.
She has also learned a large number of mana techniques at the royal court, her senses allowing her to study every move made by people in spars. These techniques she would then further refine together with Aodhán, his instincts and her detailed sensing allowing their combination to constantly improve upon themselves. The only techniques she avoids are those using significant amounts of flame mana, due to the danger those pose to her safety, as well as to those around her.
Needless to say, Eirwen's control of the Verglas technique is without equal. It is the one technique she has refined further and further during the war, to the point that she can not just stab but even cut through thick stone walls. All in the hope that one day, she would be able to use it to cut down Duke Flameheart. And if need be, shatter her own heart by cutting down even her beloved for standing in her way.
= Iceburn Ending Spoilers =
When the unexpected news came that Duchess Verglas had ended the Flameheart line and taken full control of their entire dukedom, there was many a noble who thought this provided them with an opportunity. The young Duchess had no partner, and after the full surrender, nothing threatening her rule. So when dignitaries were chosen, many a contemporary was sent her way, either to befriend her or to court her. Even when the news came that she had spared her former betrothed, his new nameless status still eliminated him as competition.
As they soon discovered, and as their children and grandchildren could already have told them, they were fools. Nothing, not the crown's resistance, not society's disapproval, not multiple plots to kill either of them, was allowed to stand in her way. Not even the guilt and shame that burdened her beloved managed to resist her will. Within a year, she had given him a new name, a new title, and even her own surname and hand in marriage.
Not knowing what to do with the unified dukedoms and delaying the decision, the crown of Mǣdweburh soon found itself in a situation where they could no longer sit quietly. As nearby countries conspired against the kingdom, it needed the West. When the king stepped aside and his grandchildren took over, they quickly handed Verglas the title of Archdukedom. Archduchess Verglas now ruled not just her own two dukedoms, Verglas and Iceheart, but also found herself with Ashwood and Beirn eagerly continuing their cooperation and integration.
Making full use of her new authority, Archduchess Verglas married a wife as well, now having two spouses, Duke Flannán Verglas and Duchess Aoife Verglas, née Aoife Carraig. They helped lead her armies as she expanded her reign, absorbing the nearby tribes that had initially been tempted to go against her. This led her territories to border the Stowingas empire, which posed a problem for another day, when several of her children ventured there and became involved in a rising civil war. But that is a story for another time.
Dividers credits go to Gordon Dylan Johnson on Pixabay.
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