Gender: Female
Age: 18
Rank: Lady to the Northern Queen
Personality: Ria at first glance is warm, charming, inquisitive, kind and clever. She loves to converse with those around her, dance and make friends and would eventually like to explore the kingdom. Many consider her to be the adventurous type - always reading tales about war, heroes, and things of that nature. In truth, while she plays the perfect lady she is a competitive and ambitious girl, make no doubt of that. She prides herself in doing her best in all of her activities, whether it be studying the history of the kingdom, languages, dance, music, weaponry, hawking or riding. All that she does, she does with a purpose - to groom herself into the perfect lady, kind, beautiful, witty and elegant but also interested enough in the affairs of men as to not appear typical. Much of this is in hopes of finding a suitor. She is no hopeless romantic though, she sets her eyes on only the finest as she simply can't bear the prospect of being stuck with some balding old man who wants to squeeze as many heirs out of her as possible like she's some old sow or broodmare. She quickly analyzes and sizes up those around her whether they be potential suitors or not, making sure to take note of their strengths, weaknesses and general characteristics - she can probably spot a bastard a mile away and will probably not bother with them in most cases as she has her sights set on legitimate heirs in order to take her closer to the crown. She is not afraid to use seduction to her advantage when she sees fit and would not hesitate to poison or assassinate someone if she thought she could do it successfully. She is a somewhat selfish creature, while she is an excellent conversationalist and is willing to play the caring friend she is usually more concerned about herself than anyone else around her though she always remembers to make note of it and inquire later as to how that person is doing. She does this so well many think she is truly an hones, kind girl who would never dream of going against anybody. She is good at whatever role is assigned to her and it just so happens that she is playing the role of the Queen's lady and so she plays at being their loyal friend. She likes to think of everything she does as a dance, exchanging words, courtesies, glances and smiles at the appropriate times. She's good at this and is hoping she will know who to trust, who to make alliances with and when to trust her head or her heart.
As I said before, she is a somewhat selfish and vain creature. Some of this may be attributed to her own competitive nature while some of it has been drilled into her head after years with her family. She is not a completely heartless creature, though sometimes she can be cold and calculating. What kind of a person is she beneath all of this though? She is actually capable of warmth and over time I think she could grow to be close to someone - that is after she has decided they are not a threat to her. When she is comfortable with someone is when you truly begin to see the good characteristics as what you see when you first meet her is not entirely a facade. Some of it is her not showing you what she thinks you wouldn't like, some of it is her being a good actress and at times, some of it is genuine.
Appearance: Ria is perhaps of average height (Around 5'4"), maybe a little less with a slender, petite frame and less womanly curves than she would like and fair, creamy skin. Her eyes are a light blue which are framed by her light, golden brown hair which hangs in loose waves down the length of her back when worn down. Ria carries herself with the elegance and grace of a woman who is confident in herself. She always wants to look her very best and makes sure she is made up for the day with an appropriate outfit - one that showcases the womanly curves of her body but that doesn't make her appear like a harlot, that her jewelry is tasteful and that her hair is in an orderly fashion and wouldn't end up looking like a rat's nest if she were out and about doing more than just being some ornament at court.
History: Ria was born into a relatively small family in the North. Her mother was from a quite wealthy family, but when the family's money began to dwindle away over the years, she was married off to an older, wealthier lord. He was twice her mother's age and he left her mother with much to wish for in a husband. Unfortunately, Lady Callia bore him no sons, only three daughters. Ria being the eldest.
She had quite a happy childhood, given nearly anything she wanted by her father who delighted in her quick wit, mischievous nature and humor. From an early age her competitive and clever nature was apparent when she would race the boys on the fastest horse in her father's stable (that was quickly put to an end by her mother) and be playing 'knights' with the other children (also put to an end by her mother). She had always enjoyed studying and would read nearly everything she could get her hands on and she was of course given the finest teachers available as well as whatever books or maps she desired, which were many.
As Ria began to grow older though, her mother decided it was time to educate her beyond her normal studies, as she didn't want what happened to her to happen to her daughter. This sparked the young, ambitious girl's interest. Her mother how to walk and talk like a queen, catch a man's eye and keep his interest by any means necessary. Naturally however, Ria's interest didn't stop there and she wasn't content to just land herself's as some rich, young lord's wife. She had her eye on a handsome crown (and whoever's head it might happen to be under). She was taken on as the Northern Queen's lady and has done well so far, now as they travel to go meet Queen Isabelle's betrothed, Ria is ready to play the game of thrones.
