Name: Etanna Erv

Age: 19

Community Rank: Queen

Personality: The worst thing about Etanna is that she is easily intimidated - as a child, yes, she was a fierce little bundle of wit, but as she ages this is substituted by much more gentle and not as malicious methods. Being of poor hearing she cannot stand when others yell and constantly puts up with behavior from Myron that has allowed her to draw into herself so that she can remain completely unfazed within her cocoon of mental silk during a situation that is against her favor. And while she does care about Myron, she couldn't ever bring herself to love him. Not only is she rather judgemental, she has less world knowledge than she needs and is very aesthetically-minded. This, coupled with her obsession concerning perfection and the ideal that a woman should stick to excelling in what men cannot do, makes her a very fickle person that is forever wishing to change herself. Etanna balances this out with good intentions and a train of thought that makes her constantly think out things before acting or speaking. Among her people it's well-known that she is forever trying to do the right thing, something the much more selective and gaudy King Myron tends to forget about. Like any queen, she is willing to do whatever it takes to be a good ruler; yet because it takes much planning and it coincides little with Myron's willful attitude towards Casadile, she has learned all too well how to lie and appear feeble. In fact, although it makes her feel very happy to help others, she has never tried to change Myron's misguided ways. She rather fears him as she does a few others and guards his secrets viciously out of simple shame. By doing so, she keeps up an appearance of having only devotion towards him, something that (despite her inability to bear children) keeps her next to him on the throne. Etanna believes firmly in piety and hard work, but also that women should not be subjected to such things. As a result, she would never lower herself to a servant's sort of manual labor - yet she always offers to help herself or perhaps send someone else to aid a particularly dedicated slave in the kitchen. They always refuse, just as graceful and eloquent as she must keep up the appearance of.

Although she doesn't prefer weapons over books, Etanna realizes the importance of keeping up with the world around her and even if she is female, she has learned to use a few of her favorite weapons with adequate skill. Ashamed of her calloused hands, she hides them underneath white gloves unless the occasion is improper; Etanna likes having structure and she is dedicated to even the things she dislikes. She practices an hour of fencing each day, donning men's clothes she absolutely hates (knowing they lessen the beauty with which she can take advantage of others) for ease of movement. When she fences with others she is always sorely tempted to wear a dress just to show she can...however impractical it is.

The true skill Etanna has is not skill with her hands but with her tongue and her mind, of which she keeps a heavy rein on so that she can keep her rank as well. The most sobering thought she has is that Myron could send her away at any time, perhaps even have her killed. She has no affairs to worry about and no illegitimate children to hide away. Servants disdain gossiping about her because she is so giving towards them, although she disapproves of excess and says so to the court ladies with but her eyes. The queen dresses plainly in feminine clothing of her uncle's court's style, covering them with aprons of pretty muslin when she reads or paints to hide her true passion of pursuing enlightenment through simplicity and education. In a way, religion is her true escape, not the secret chambers she keeps in one of the castle wings. Not even the books, for which she wears a pair of small silver glasses, compare to the possibility that she might one day be rewarded with something akin to the Holy Grail for her hard work.

Etanna is not a people-person and would rather see a play than star in one, causing some to think her aloof and haughty. However, her simplistic style of dress has yet to catch on with the court ladies, who definitely do not wish to please her - she has only the people and her books, which sometimes are not enough when she must keep up this eternal battle uphill to enlightenment and happiness for both her people and herself.

Description: The most prominent feature Etanna boasts is her thin and pale physique - she has a figure, of course, but it relies more on elegance than the size of her bosom to be so pretty. Her eye color (violet is rare, though not unheard of amongst nobles) is just as unusual, hidden behind reading glasses whenever she has the chance - they are almond-shaped and light up her face with general scholarly wit, something that swims beneath the surface. In addition to the elegantly simple gowns she prefers over more gaudy garments Etanna must always wear gloves in the company of others to hide the callouses she's procured from practicing with weapons to prepare her for marriage to Myron, war-like man that he is and was. She does not consider this a mark of her unladylike upbringing, but more of her inner and outer strength. She believes that she needs both to achieve a state of higher happiness, accepting things a they come along with but a nod of her head and the faint traces of breathing from her pale lips.

Etanna scorns make-up and is proud that she looks good without having to lie about the color of her cheeks or remove hair from her body - no matter if she has a slender figure. Fortunately for her, she has fairly curved hips so if she ever bears a child she won't die of it. This, however, is something she is incapable of even though few know. Myron sees this as something in his favor that allows him an excuse if she ever accuses him of not loving her. Etanna doesn't dare to say she doesn't love him either and is quite content with leaving her maids to keep him pleasurable in bed. The fact that she seems incapable of being sour about it means that her ladies-in-waiting have nothing to fear. It is unspoken, but they all know that their mistress is content with where she is, even if her presence is the only good relation between his town and hers.

Etanna is of only average height, hovering uncertainly around 5'7'' and with a moon-like pallour to match. She likes the secrecy of the night and believes that the moon represents the virtue of women, whereas the sun is the vivaciousness of man. The moon is the emblem of her former town and Etanna doesn't enjoy having to go outside. She would be as frail as she looked if it weren't for her constant practice with weaponry. As she isn't, she has a few scars, but they are all small and barely noticeable. Etanna dislikes having attention drawn to her physical flaws, even her lilting high voice and soprano singing (which is feathery and can be barely heard), so she tends to assume a position of neutrality with her clothing so that she is not considered forward or out of place.

Her skin is pale, but only shades lighter than the yellow-brown quality of her burnished locks. They brush the tops of her ears in tufts and trail towards the small of her back, but that is as far as they go. She is no Rapunzel. Etanna has never been blessed with rich gossamer curls - rather, more easily managed straight blonde hair generally piled messily on top of her head to achieve a youthful look never soured by a frown.

Most of Etanna's height is composed of her legs, long and graceful assets that she uses to her best advantage both when dancing (taught ballet as a child) and fencing. Her arms are limber and gangly as well, but the queen's feet are small in comparison with her long fingers. Physically and mentally Etanna is very flexible, with double-jointed fingers that curl interestingly back when she waves. She could not pass for a man no matter what, on the other hand, and has never felt the want to.

History: The manner of Etanna's birth was unusual; her father Therin, disillusioned by the death of his second wife (Paloma, in the singular affair that had her mysteriously assasinated), thought her at first to be a boy - the perfect heir in place of Etanna's half-sister by Therin's first wife Juanne, older by less than an hour but not qualified to rule anything more than the heart of a king, much less a kingdom. She was named for Therin's third wife, Etanna Uriel de Solde, a foreign commoner woman who just happened to catch the eye of the king. Juanne, by contrast, was the bride in an arranged marriage with Therin of Fenn, later eloping with a captain of the guard and declared an outcast of the kingdom.

Disappointment reigned supreme when she was found to be female by the midwife, later sent away in disgrace. Not wanting to acknowledge his mistake, Therin brought her up without distinction between gender and her days were filled with both literature and weapons - she learned to prank with other castle children, often taking the blame because she would never be punished very hard, and she grew up believing that she would be the legitimate heir and become king rather than queen. That belief was shattered when Therin was overthrown in a military coup by a general whose name Etanna never learned. She had little life experience outside of the castle because no one but her could forget she was a woman, not even the stable boys she could always best while riding (even sidesaddle, which Etanna gave up around fifteen in favor of the easier movement astride proved possible).

It was the wish of that nameless general, a former agent of Juanne, the quintessential wicked step-mother, that Etanna be married off to another province rather than be allowed to ascend the throne alone in Fenn. He claimed it was part of Therin's last wishes, a blatant lie. As predicted, Etanna was not very pleased with the turn of events, but it was several years until they found a suitable match for her in Myron of Casadile, said general thinking it very smart of himself to wed Etanna to her very own brother in a wicked twist of fate. (It was only around eighteen that Etanna was told that she was half-sister to the man she'd married, by an old governess of her mother's. By now Juanne had died of smallpox in an epidemic in a mountain-situated village far away from Fenn.)

In those several years, several things happened.

Firstly, Etanna fell in love with a boy named Dickon, more commonly known as Dickie: the sovereign son of a neighboring kingdom and preceded by his older brother Ernice as heir. He later committed suicide when he learned than Etanna married Myron. Secondly, her half-sister Maude died of pneumonia and suspected poisoning by one of her handmaidens - a rumor that was investigated, but never resolved, and ultimately forgotten, as Etanna was the one generally thought of in association to Fenn's heir. And thirdly, Fenn because a democratic government, although later on it became part of Casadile territory as part of Therin's forged will. The royal title was expelled by the military head mere months after Etanna left for Casadile with every intention of going through with the wedding in the false belief that Dickie was the one she was marrying. She has never loved Myron and probably never will, but she could do nothing of her situation after Dickie threw himself off a castle battlement, and the man grew on her until Etanna realized that while Dickie may have loved her as a soulmate, he was just a fling to her, a product of young love that stole her first kiss but little else. Etanna still includes him in her prayers; Myron knows nothing of Dickie and probably never will. Etanna keeps much from Myron, keeping out of his notice as much as possible because of his angry disposition. Because he prefers serving wenches to her - too reminiscent of Paloma in appearance, perhaps? - Etanna is still a virgin.

She'd rather stay chaste for the rest of her days, pursuing higher glory in remembrance of Dickie, than be just another one of Myron's whores.

Picture:

Sample Post: It was raining; that in itself should have been a profound sign for Etanna that she was to stay inside with her books rather than try any new martyr-worthy acts today. The queen was undeterred - rather than stay inside, perhaps shouldering on a thick shawl and curling up in bed waiting for a maid to stoke the fire (gone out already), she had removed herself from beneath the comfort of her coverlets and looked outside. Shudders drew her arms to her frame, steadying herself as she groggily moved to let in a bit of light by shifting aside the deep vermillion curtain's edge. The hem of her nightgown barely touched the floor and her feet tingled on contact with the cool mosaic floor. The carpet didn't reach so far as every side of the room, but only a few yards around her bed. Considering it was only a particularly large bear pelt (having died a natural death of course), this was expected, yet Etanna had left her slippers at her bedside.

Days like this, she was grateful Myron never wanted her to sleep in the same bed as he did. Even if she did want to, she doubted she would get a moment's sleep considering what Myron liked to do at night. On top of such cacophony, Myron often woke up in a bad mood the morning after, something she could deter only by being complacent and acting as if nothing were wrong. Etanna could only be grateful if he exerted rage on anyone but her, gratitude mixed with a fair bit of guilt whenever the person in question started to cry afterward. You could hardly hold the tears in when someone like Myron was yelling at you. Heaven forbid Etanna fail at that.

The cool white exterior that greeted the queen soothed her fears that Myron might have ruined the possibility of a pristine winter along with the potentially peaceful morning. Snow made him ache and he was forever on the verge of outlawing the very word in case it gave him headaches. Only the persuasion of the maidens she sent to his bed once in a while (to soothe his temper and so that another of her women could meet his favor) could make him concede and stop thinking up such foolish laws. Did he think that if he outlawed snow, winter would never come?

It would: she would welcome it personally. Not a single of the books she had read had ever said snow was anything but pure and a symbol of rebirth. Yes, it was cold, but it gave people the optimism they needed to look forward to spring, most favored of seasons. Things like winter, a scapegoat for the flaws of summer, were what kept some complacent. Others had to turn to their queen for advice, which was where Etanna came in.

She turned away from the window, breathing more easily now that she knew that there was still something to look forward to. After all, there was nothing better than sliding down a hill in the midst of winter, was there?

Other: She prefers to be called Lady Erv than Queen Etanna in order to disassociate herself with her husband, but the nickname Etie is reserved for her closest friends of which there are few. She makes it a point not to befriend bedmates of her husband so her choices are limited. Etanna, by the way, doesn't wear glasses while fencing, has allergies to dogs, and is a devout Christian.

// ooc ; The sample post sucked. I know.