Crown icon – By Anastasia Latysheva Noun Project
First time at this blog? Check out Home for details on the project and the Character Index for an overview of the projects and characters.
Note: Shifting to a new project (though, as with the others, plenty more room for Psi High characters down the road). You can get a brief overview of the new project (Dark is Noon) on the Character Index page.
Ruling Duchess Elizabeth Salington (30)
Project: Fantasy novel (Soluna trilogy Book 1: Dark is Noon)
Known as: Beth (in informal situations by family), Ruling Duchess of Greentop, your grace
Real name: Elizabeth Salington
Group affiliation: Salington ruling family
Physical description: Beth is short though this isn’t usually the first thing one notices about her as she has a towering presence. She has long, red curly hair and freckles. She wears fomal attire when the situation requires it but dresses practically when she can.
Personality: Beth is intelligent, eloquent, decisive, and forceful. She is also incredibly caring, about those she rules, her family, and her friends (she is a terrible person to have as an enemy). She has a pronounced sense of responsibility to those in her care. She would do anything for the people of Greentop and is a beloved ruler. She loves her husband and son profoundly but feels the burden of rule is that she must consider ALL the people of Greentop first.
She also has a side she shows only to her close family – witty, playful, and even vulnerable at times.
History: Beth was born the third daughter of the king and queen of the realm, and was the penultimate child born (her younger brother followed). In a kingdom where birth order strictly determined succession, she was also third in line for the throne. To her, this meant that she was comfortably distant from ever ruling, which pleased her greatly. Outdoorsy and adventurous, she no desire to rule. As a person who took her responsibilities very seriously, she could not imagine a job she would want less than Queen of the Realm.
As she got older, she realized that she might avoid being queen but would not be able to avoid all responsibility. She was simply too important – either as a contributor to her sister’s rule or in a marriage to secure an alliance. She therefore dedicated herself to enjoy her life as much as possible before that time game. She journeyed all around the kingdom, learning of the customs and assets of each of the duchies (little suspecting she was further preparing herself for rule).
One summer, when visiting the Duchy of Greentop, she met a young herbalist-physician and did about the worst thing she could do: fell in love. A young man not of noble birth living in one of the most remote sections of the kingdom was an unlikely match, to say the least.
Perhaps to make up for the noble birth she never asked for, fate did her a favor. The Duke of Greentop was killed in an accident without an heir. Typically, Greentop would not go to someone as well positioned as Beth. Its furs, game, magical creatures and one gold mine made the duchy somewhat important to the realm, but this was undercut by its remoteness and relative political unimportance. Beth used all the connections she had made to ensure that those likely to want the duchy were positioned well for more tempting roles (e.g., in the royal court). This (and somewhat indulgent parents) resulted in Beth becoming the Ruling Duchess of Greentop. If she happened to marry a local man, well that would help cement her position (though her husband would be more of an honorary duke, not actually ruling).
Beth was not only happy but proved to be a highly effective ruler. Greentop became a more valuable resource to the crown, and the people thrived. She ensured provisioning for winter, the right protection for the people, and even built a library. Her only complaint, a small one, is that she and her husband were unlucky in having children. She resigned herself to not being a parent.
Until one night a stranger brought a baby to their door.
Role in the narrative: Beth is one of our protagonists. As conflict emerges, Greentop will become critical to the struggle. Beth will prove herself to not only be a great peacetime leader but a highly effective military strategist as well. The most difficult thing she’ll have to face, however, will be separation from her family. When destiny leads husband and son elsewhere, she will not, cannot, abandon her responsibilities as ruler (as much as it might break her heart).
Abilities: Beth is one of those people who does not have supernatural powers, but she is so blessed it’s almost as if she was. Whip-smart, athletic, charismatic – there is very little she sets her mind to that she cannot do. She is fantastic with horses and bows, and fine with a sword as well.
Inspirations: It’s so hard to write a fantasy novel without thinking of Tolkien (in this case, Eowyn). Game of Thrones is also SO epic that a few characters crossed my mind. In terms of abilities she reminds me of Batman. Sure not TECHNICALLY super-powered but so good at some many things she is FUNCTIONALLY super-powered.
100 Characters Blog 