Annora LeMaire
Age:
32
Gender:
Female
Species:
Human
Allegiance:
To her daughter.
Occupation:
Queen of Thrall
Appearance:
Skills:
Being born, as she was, to a family of noted affluence, Annora was expected, as all females were, to have a keen interest in those activities which were dubbed ‘female friendly,’ so to speak. The youngest of a family which consisted of two older sisters and an older brother, one would have expected Annora to be interested in those said things, having a predominant female presence in the family. To a certain extent, Annora gave her attention to ‘pretty’ things; she enjoyed art and became quite the talented painter, taking a particular interest in painting the female and male forms. Her father found it rather peculiar and encouraged her to take up horse-riding; he thought it would quell her desires. Annora was already adept at riding and found no sustenance in it.
Annora, being particularly attached to her brother, Alcuin, handed most of her attentions to sword-combat. He discouraged it for as long as he possibly could but, eventually, upon her continuing insistence, he gave in and began to teach her. Annora was fourteen when she discovered that her interest in sword-fighting was becoming all-consuming. She spent two hours every day having organised tiffs with cousins, friends, whomever was willing to take her on. Of course, it was all with wooden swords and, upon her beating most everyone, the boys would merely say they let her win. Annora knew her love for the combat was much more than a wish for a sport to occupy her time. She also knew, however, that she would never have the opportunity to outwardly show off her skills.
History:
Annora LeMaire was born to high-ranking officer, turned nobleman Alaric LeMaire and daughter of a successful artist Lillian Coleridge. She enjoyed the highest level of academic studies that could be offered to a woman and, immediately, showed an abhorrence towards mathematics and a love for history and art. Her father was pleased with the level of her intelligence and, especially, in her ability to grasp politics. Seeing this in her from such a young age, Alaric had immense intentions for his youngest daughter. When Annora was but twelve, she was already put in contention for the then King’s son. She was too young yet to understood what that meant and what that entailed and just enjoyed the level of jealousy her female companions and sisters expressed.
Annora emerged as a social-butterfly, with an array of friends ranging from each end of the Country and the highest end of the ladder. Upon her brother’s marriage to a woman of relative affluence and stature, Annora found herself seeped in a seemingly unending and boundless World of ‘female-frolics,’ as she liked to call them. Annora befriended a woman of little societal stature in Lydia Spence, but cared not for the protests she received from her sisters. Lydia represented the level-headed, logical-inclined female company that she had not been allowed access to. Lydia and Annora met regularly and had the greatest of conversations that Annora can recall. Their friendship was soon cut off, however. Annora had seen the reason for this coming a long time before it actually occurred.
The King at the time had been slain in battle against an enemy state and the throne now fell into the hands of his eldest son: Annora’s betrothed. Annora was immediately taken to the palace grounds, primed and readied to become a Queen. She was thought by her fiancé’s mother (former queen) how she was expected to behave and the duties she would face. Annora was overcome with feelings of excitement, apprehension and worry. She wondered what the King would be like and whether he was attractive or not, considering she had not actually seen him. The wedding took place soon after her arrival.
Upon marrying the King, Annora discovered the full meaning of the word ‘intolerance.’ The King was kind in his own way, but had an iron heart as much as an iron fist. Annora found it very difficult to penetrate his emotional barriers and attempted, without much result, to alleviate some of his worries by offering herself as his representative in talks which he had no interest in. However, he would have none of it. Annora could see, plainly, the increasing disdainful attitudes amongst the people of his Kingdom and she knew, when he did not, that his iron-ruling had to be changed. The King continued, despite her council, to attack the Guilds; Annora knew the vast reverence they received from the peasant population and, the peasantry making up such a large majority of the populace, she knew what would be the outcome of his ignorance.
Her daughter was born not one year upon her ascension and Annora now knew how it felt to truly love a person, wholly and without reservation. Annora wanted nothing more than to protect her daughter and teach her the things that were so alluded to with regards to girls like herself. Her daughter became the one reason that Annora did not attempt to take her own life, finding no salvageable attribute in her husband as she did. When her daughter was taken as the War between State and Guild broke out, Annora was frantic with worry and anger. Her anger was not so much directed towards the Guilds as it was to her husband, whom she had tried to convince to take better care of his majority population. Annora would do anything to get her daughter back, if that meant betraying her husband and the crown.
Weaknesses:
Annora’s most obvious weakness is her daughter. She would risk all she has for that child, including her own life. Another weakness that is prevalent in Annora is her inability to see past her own objectives and her own opinions. She does not, for example, want the King to treat the peasants better because she attempts to empathize with their position, but because she has a friend whom is in a state of poverty. Were it not for that fact, Annora would orb ably have no consideration towards them.
Equipment:
Limited to a small dagger that she was given by her father. He did so to ensure her protection, oblivious to her sword-skills.
Personality:
Annora is much more than an intelligent woman, she is an intelligent woman with a mind of her own and a strong will. Her passions are not spoken but felt and she has every intention of acting them out, given the right circumstances. She is overly proud, to the point of arrogance and is well-aware of her rather attractive appearance. Annora is selfish mostly, but, when it comes to her daughter, becomes completely driven to protect only the child. She has been described as an extrovert and is exactly this, with a tendency to care more for appearances than honesty with acquaintances and the like. Annora has little consideration for those who show no initiative and admires a driven person.