---

---

Name
Sigfast Ogmundsson

Title/Occupation
Prince of Grimmrheimr clan

Nationality
Lygarthien

Age
25

Gender
Male

Sexuality
Heterosexual

Appearance
Sigfast is around average height for a Lygarthien man, standing at 6'5", however he has come to notice that most foreigners are much shorter than him. Pale skinned, broad shouldered and muscled, he is the prime specimen of how a Lygarthian should look. His hair is light blonde, which he usually keeps well groomed. His eyes are a pale shade of blue, and on his chin is a small beard that he grooms with painstaking effort. Though a skilled warrior, he can't seem to control his limbs off the battle field and is not graceful in the slightest, making him appear somewhat like a colt taking its first steps. Scars are a common blight on his people, and Sigfast is no different, bearing many battle scars on his arms, torso and midriff.

Interests
Sigfast, being the son of a chief, is a trained warrior. From a young age he was taught swordplay, however his favourite weapon was always the axe. Nonetheless, he became skilled with both, and endeavors to practice both whenever possible. Though not he most academically gifted, he is a strategist at heart. Sigfast enjoys playing strategic games with people, anything from card games to chess, which a merchant from Astaria once taught him. Storytelling is a tradition in his community, and he has memorized many ancient sagas of famous battles, both spoken word and musical. He also harbours a secret love of animals.

Personality
Sigfast is said to be the ideal chief for the Grimmrheimr tribe. Being the eldest child of cheif Ogmund, and only son, he was drilled to be so from a young age. Stoic and level-headed, he is perfect for ruling a warrior tribe, more so than being in a refined social setting. His life as an evolved hunter-gatherer type alienated his social skills, thus he can come across as unpleasant. He tries to avoid this by not talking much, deciding that actions speak louder than words.

He is gruff and cynical, believing that most high-society people are selfish and corruption is rife in most 'diplomatic' and 'civlised' societies. This has lead him to have some contempt for most sophisticated societies, and the members of them who look down on his people as being unrefined and barbaric. However, he harbours great respect for those who treat him and his clan as equals, not barbarians that need to be taught how to act. He is intelligent in his way, a strategic master who considers every outcome before making a decision, not an academic.

To his family and subordinates, especially his little sisters, he is incredibly affectionate. The people who get close to him are the only ones allowed to see that beneath the cynical exterior is a romantic, and a soft-hearted family man. When his loved ones are in danger his cool, level-headed nature fades and he becomes violent and angry, often making dangerous decisions to help them.

History
Born to Ogmund Kuntsson, chief of the Grimmrheimr, and his wife, Thora Sturladottir, Sigfast was the closest thing you could get to royalty in his country. Grimmrheimr was one of the most influential clans in Lygathien. Thus, he had to be a worthy ruler as first in line to the title of chief. From age 6 he was trained rigorously to become the perfect chief.

He thrived under the rigorous training, morphing into a leader by the time he was 10. He had three sisters by then, all of whom he roger on. In front of his tribe he was serious and unflappable, but with his family he was attentive and genial. But his tribe's peaceful existence. Under the suggestion of Vertiron, Lygarthien fought against Euhijan. It was when he was 16, some solider from Euhjian attacked his tribe when they weren't ready. Whilst he was engaged in a fight with a lone solider, his oldest sister, Jodis, tried to help him. The Euhijan solider killed her without a second thought. Sigfast's blood boiled. That skirmish lead to a massacre, led by an enraged Sigfast.

He was rewarded by Vertiron, but that didn't help him. He felt ashamed that he put his people in danger solely because he was angry. He felt terrible that his actions cost innocent men their lives. That's where his cynicism came from. He believed almost everyone could be a monster if they wanted to be. His hatred for Vertiron arose then, how could they reward him for such a horrible deed? He spent years trying to redeem himself, doting on his family even more than before, training even harder. It was when he turned 25 that he found an opportunity to get back at the country that indulged his cruelty, and abused his people. He requested that he be allowed to travel to Vertiron, and find some way to make them pay for how they treated the Lygarthiens. His request approved, he traveled south, prepared to get, borrow, steal, and seduce to get his way. Even if he's not very good at it.

Name:
Vanya Parinaaz Myra
Called:
Pari
Title/Occupation:
The First Princess of the Third Wife Consort Saanvi
Nationality:
Usamolia
Age:
21
Gender:
Female
Sexuality:
Pansexual

Appearance:

The first thing, which would be the biggest difference between herself and her siblings, is that while they are towering and elven - she is small and fey-like. (She stands at about 4'11" due to a genetic disorder in Saanvi's family.) In all other aspects, she appears as the rest of her people should. Her skin is bronzed, her hair thick and wavy and dark. She has the slender hands which can speak stories as they move. Her eyes, on a well structured and high boned face, are almond shaped and the golden brown of burnt honey. Her clothing comes in a wide range of styles and colors, never settling for just one type or color.

Interests:

She is wild. She would rather spend a day flitting about the garden, running barefoot through grass fields, falconry, and riding horses than spend another day doing needlepoint and making small talk at court. She loves to feel the wind in her hair and the dirt between her toes. Dancing around a fire, drinking, and carnal delights are her preferred form of celebration. Climbing trees and getting dirty are second nature to her. Her existence was never well watched, save by her mother who did not mind her gathering all the skills she could, which allowed her to grow as a woman of the earth.

However, it is not to be said that she dislikes all aspects of court and learning. She is a skilled mathematician, running numbers through her head quickly and accurately. She can dance in the proper way of the world as well as the traditional dances of her people and recite poetry with guarded, but deep emotion. Pari can speak and charm in the royal style expected of her, though she may find it droll. Pari is not one to read fiction and prefers novels discussing the lives of past heroes and kings. She also has a keen interest in politics and the careful way one must step in such a dangerous atmosphere. It is like dancing with a wolf or charming a viper.

Personality:

Pari is a vivacious and outgoing individual. When it comes to those she knows well she will speak her mind, but knows better than to act out in any sort of court setting. She has strong opinions and a strong sense of self-control to go with them. She understands her place and knows how to slip little snakes here and there to make her ideas seem like someone else's. While she may smile, and flirt, and act as the silly daughter of the king she is not a fool. She listens and is more than willing to use any information to strike out against those who would be her enemy. Or to give support to those she deems worthy of her friendship. When to feed honey and when to twist the knife.

Outside of a court setting she is more relaxed and may behave somewhat childlike. She has a grand wonder of the world and each day is a new experience. Pari laughs easily, loves dancing, and can be found planting alongside the gardeners. She wishes to know many things, feel many emotions, and to visit every part of the world. Despite her twenty-one years, one might think she had not lived a single day in the world. Alas, as the tiny sixth child of the King she can expect little more than to be married off for an alliance's sake. She hopes to marry a stupid husband, at least then she could do something more than adorning a man's arm with fancy clothes and pretty smiles.

History:

She was born a cherished child. One of two princesses at this time. Not as valuable as princes, to be sure, but a princess was a grand bargaining chip. However, as she grew it became apparent that she did not gain her height as she should. It became somewhat of a scandal. Had the Third Consort slept outside of the King's chambers? The Fourth Consort began to whisper poisons in the ears of the court. Was Pari another man's daughter? It was during this time, for about two months during Pari's fourth year of life that she was let free to roam the palace as an unwanted and savage child.

However, her mother was clever and would not allow her name to be tarnished. Saanvi was a shrewd woman. She had not spent a night with another man and so it would only be a matter of time before she could figure out a way to prove that her daughter was a legitimate heir. It came in the form of a birthmark. In the flurry of emotions and accusations, it was forgotten that a child of the King often bore the same mark. It existed as a sun-like mark on the lower back. And Pari's was very distinct. Saanvi also took this time to accuse her accuser, the Fourth Consort, of cheating - for her son did not bear the mark.

The Fourth Consort was cast out, leaving a 'bastard' son behind. He was 10 years older than Pari at the time (14). He would never be more than perhaps a guard to one of his brothers or sisters. He and Pari became close and he indulged her wildness - teaching her how to hunt with the falcon and to ride horses like a man. For Pari was not much better than he, treated lowly due to her small stature. An oddity to be shown off but never taken seriously. But her mother helped her develop a sharp mind. No child of Saanvi would settle for second best. She was determined her girl would excel in all aspects of life. Even going so far as to feed her daughter low doses of poisons to build up an immunity. And though Pari found it boring, and the nights she would be sick horrible, she appreciated that her mother hoped to protect her and give her the skills she needed to live her life among vipers.

Name:
Eileen Hamdyn
Alias:
Marsden Honeycutt
Title/Occupation:
Knight and Merchant
Nationality:
St Claudia's Island, associates with Usamolia
Age:
43
Gender:
Female but living as a man
Sexuality:
Homosexual

Appearance:

Mars is an extremely tall individual, standing at about 6'6". He has a thin, willowy figure that hides strong muscle. His blonde hair is worn long and sometimes braided. His eyes are an icy blue. His face is made of strong, chiseled lines with a hint of the feminine to them and his flesh is a near moonlit pale. He is ethereally graceful, movements that one would not expect from a man capable of beating another to death. He prefers dark colored clothes to accentuate his very pale skin. He has a scar over his chest taken from a gunshot wound, which has also removed what little breast he had to begin with.

Interests:

Fine parties, fancy meals, and dance. He loves to be out in society and visiting the men's clubs where he can converse deeply about political affairs or philosophy. He did not start out as a man of knowledge but has found an insatiable thirst for it. He is also a great fan of sport, owning his own hound dogs for hunting. He has a keen eye for horseflesh and an even better one for a good deal. He is a shrewd and masterful man of sale. He also enjoys flirting with women and giving them pleasure - though he claims a battle injury for never removing his own clothes.

Personality:

He is a calm and charming man. Warm, gentle, and with the sweetness of a perfectly ripened fruit. He carries the maturity of his years as well as his time spent on the battlefield. Mars often wears a gentle smile and is quick to give compliments. He is known as a rake, charming merchant's daughters but never settling himself. He is adamant about always paying his debts but also to never allow himself into the red. While he is happy to spend money on the ladies on which he dotes, he is truly a frugal man and does not spend more than is necessary.

History:

Eileen was born a poor girl on the streets. Her mother was a woman of the night who died when Eileen was 8. The girl supported herself by selling flowers until, as luck would have it on one fortuitous night, a young man died in front of her. She was 14 at the time and was curled up in a doorway outside of a tavern. The man was merely a few years older than she, obviously a man of wealth, and with a face and build similar to her own. Perhaps a half brother? She never knew. He died, addicted to the drink (or perhaps stronger stuff) long before his time, and she saw her chance to step out of the streets.

Eileen became Marsden, stealing his clothes and his identity. At his 'home', Mars found that his 'mother' had a serious illness which leads her to drink copious amounts of morphine. Or perhaps the morphine gave her a very serious illness. He also found that the estates were in shambles due to the stupid young son's habits of drinking (or other addicitve habits) and gambling. While there was much of the world the new Mars did not understand, he knew about money. He had watched countless transactions, been on the wharves for the arrival of goods, and snooped plenty in his time to begin repairing the estate. This took two years of penny-pinching and careful planning. Though just a youngling he had grown to be quite a prosperous businessman. He only planned to grow it more.

Then, Mars decided to go to war for Usamolia where he earned the name 'The White War Elephant'. It was a chance to prove himself and perhaps earn a title to go along with his burgeoning wealth. He became an infamous marksman on the battlefield and ruthless in his pursuance of the enemy. He rose in rank and was eventually knighted by the Usamolian court for his valor in the field. He had taken a gunshot wound to the chest and continued to fight, eventually beating an enemy general's head in with the butt of a rifle. He was 23 when the war finally ended and he went back home. Mars found his mother had passed while he was away and the servants had kept up the place. He had also found that his investments, cleverly done, had quadrupled since joining in the fight. Mars was a very rich man indeed. He lived his life, only occasionally having nightmares of his time in the field. No longer poor and starving. Happy.

|| Pɪᴋᴇ || "Bᴀʀᴏɴ" || Vᴇʀᴛɪʀᴏɴ ||
|| 26 || Mᴀʟᴇ || Bɪsᴇxᴜᴀʟ ||

|| Qɪᴜ || Cᴏᴜɴᴛᴇss || Eᴜʜᴊɪᴀɴ ||
|| 25 || Fᴇᴍᴀʟᴇ || Bɪsᴇxᴜᴀʟ ||

|| Qᴜᴇ || Mᴀʀǫᴜɪs Qᴜᴇ ᴏꜰ Lᴇɪxᴜ || Eᴜʜɪᴊᴀɴ ||
|| 25 || Mᴀʟᴇ || Bɪsᴇxᴜᴀʟ ||

N A M E
Liu Wang

T I T L E / O C C U P A T I O N
King of Euhijan

N A T I O N A L I T Y
Euhijanian

A G E
30

G E N D E R
Male

S E X U A L I T Y
Homosexual

A P P E A R A N C E
With his slender frame and full lips and long eyelashes, Liu should not have been overly intimidating. His rather feminine features are, however, balanced out by his cool, impassive gaze and the arrogant up-tilt of his chin. Liu holds himself with a natural aristocratic grace, and he is extremely good at affecting the proud, arrogant, and slightly disdainful I'm-too-good-for-you aristocrat demeanor. Although his elegant fingers and fine-boned wrists seem too slender and delicate to even touch a sword, Liu's upper body is covered in lean, sinewy muscle; evidence that he is, in fact, a swordsman.

Liu dresses in a very severe manner, favoring dark fabrics and little ornamentation and/or decoration, although all of his clothing is of very high quality (and very expensive, too). He never wears any form of jewelry, nor bright colors. His long, lean figure is all sharp edges and clean lines, and the only hint of softness in his features comes in the form of his full lips, though more often than not, they are pressed together in a tight, thin line.

Liu's brown eyes are cold and stony and shrewd, and his face is, for the most part, impassively disdainful. There is always a certain rigidity, a certain tension about him, and everything about his outward appearance is perfectly controlled, from his ramrod-straight posture to his neatly styled black hair. Liu hates showing skin, even in the middle of summer, and he tends to walk in a very brusque manner, his steps sharp and clear.

I N T E R E S T S
As a child, Liu was very bookish, and he is a very prolific reader. He's fond of history, and although it's not his favorite thing to do, Liu has perfected a deadly style of sword-fighting that suits his lean frame and his strategic nature. In addition, Liu has always enjoyed the company of horses, and he's quite good at riding-he's outridden most everyone he's met, barring his brother (the times that his brother let him win don't count!).

Liu likes to stroll through gardens and courtyards and such, sometimes; he's always been fond of flowers and trees and the outdoors. He is a fast learner and is near-fluent in a number of languages.

P E R S O N A L I T Y
Sly and shrewd and cunning, Liu is-to put it quite plainly-one of the biggest snakes that you'll ever meet. Observant, perceptive, and analytical, Liu is politically astute and can actually be quite charismatic, if he wants to be. Liu is not charismatic in the sense that everybody naturally gravitates to him or even likes him, but he is able to inspire loyalty in his men through his willingness to work alongside them and his commitment and diligence.

Guarded and wary and intensely private, Liu is scathingly sarcastic and can be just plain mean. He has a veritable arsenal of elegant phrases and bitchy remarks up his sleeve at all times, no matter the language, and he is very good at not showing any emotion when he does not want to. Liu is always tense and rather reserved, and very, very manipulative. He hates being seen as weak or vulnerable, and he holds no qualms about using his ability to "read" people to his advantage.

Liu holds everyone at arms' length, even those that he trusts. He hates feeling like he's not in control, and has a very hard time just letting go. He has a mind for details, and never misses a thing. Liu is annoyingly flippant and irreverent when he wants to be, though he is always thinking, always turning every single possibility over in his head.

Cold and aloof, Liu carries himself with a cool arrogance and an infuriatingly calm demeanor. He can watch literally anything with a bored expression on his face (and a mild quip here and there), no matter how gruesome or disgusting it is. Although Liu is notoriously cunning, he never, ever goes back on his word. He's good at picking out weaknesses just from talking to or observing someone, and he really, really hates it when people invade his personal space, touch him without permission, or get too close to him for no reason. He hates relying on people or being forced to rely on others/ask for help; Liu would rather handle everything himself. He is calm and collected in even the most trying of circumstances, and he is meticulous and thorough with everything he does. Unruffled and unflappable and (seemingly) unfeeling, Liu is a complete piece of shit when he wants to be-his tongue is perhaps his most potent weapon, and outsiders are usually shocked by the bloodless violence that characterize tense exchanges with Liu.

At the core, though, Liu is rather lonely, and he forced himself to grow up very, very fast after his brother was killed. As a child, he was very sweet and considerate and rather bookish, and he has retained a semblance of the person he used to be, although his random acts of kindness and/or softness are often very subtle. However, Liu is by no means a "people person"-he draws clear lines in between him and others, and he does not intend on letting go of this habit anytime soon. Liu has been double-crossed and betrayed and taken advantage of, and after he finally ascended the throne, he promised himself that nobody would ever, ever do that to him again.

H I S T O R Y
Liu was ten when his world shattered.

He was only seven when King Vincento and the forces of three kingdoms rode into Euhijan. He was only seven when King Vincento died on Euhijanian soil.

But he was ten when everything fell apart.

In a single decisive battle, both his older brother, the golden crown prince of Euhijan, and his father, the bloodthirsty emperor, were killed. His brother on the battlefield, his father by a stray arrow to the throat.

His brother, Anzhou, had only been seventeen-such an achingly short life!-and his brother had been everything that Liu had.

In the confusion that followed, one of his father's advisers was instated as the Regent of Euhijan until Liu came of age at twenty-one. Jiang-li Zhang was calm, mild, reasonable (at least, he came off as that way)-the other kingdoms could find no fault in him. Jiang-li surrendered after the loss of two beloved leaders, and the treaty was signed, and Liu went home to an empty palace.

His mother had died the year before, of an illness. His father and Anzhou were gone too, now. Liu remembers what his ten-year-old self had said to Jiang-li, sometimes- "please don't leave me here all alone, uncle, I don't want to be alone"- and his gut starts to twist, and his vision starts to blur, and he has to force the memories away just to stay standing.

He found out how his mother died, ten years later, right before Jiang-li was executed. His mother had discovered Jiangli's preference for young boys, and then Jiangli had her poisoned in her sleep.

He found out that Jiang-li had hired an archer to kill his father. He found out that Jiangli had purposefully manipulated Anzhou into going out to the front lines, where he was sure to be overwhelmed.

But before that came eleven years of political maneuvering and threats thinly disguised as compliments. Before that came three years of being not understanding why Jiang-li's way of "comforting" him hurt so much, and eight years of hiding his humiliation. Before that came eleven years of Jiang-li isolating him from any allies; eleven years of Jiang-li pretending to be a calm, reasonable man who wanted nothing but the best for his charge.

Eleven years of not being good enough, because it was Anzhou that was supposed to be king one day, not Liu. Eleven years of being reminded of that fact, daily, because Liu didn't have Anzhou's charisma and he wasn't a fierce warrior and he just wasn't his goddamn brother.

Anzhou had been the perfect prince, in so many ways. He was brave and honorable and friendly; he could inspire loyalty in his men simply by existing. When he walked into the room, his very presence demanded your attention, and when that presence was all fixated on you-well, it was the best feeling in the world.

Anzhou was an accomplished fighter, too, and there was nobody who could beat him in a duel. And nobody-nobody-could outride him (when the two of them raced, his brother always let him win, of course. It took Liu until he was nine to figure that out).

Simply put, everybody loved Anzhou. Including Liu himself.

Liu knows what they would whisper, back then- he's nothing like his brother, or he's a spoiled palace prince who's never seen a drop of blood in his life, or Prince Anzhou would have made a better king, and Liu wants to tell them that he knows that, thank you very much, and that they can all fuck themselves and go to hell, or something along those lines.

When Liu turned twenty, it was becoming very obvious to him that Jiang-li had no intention of giving up the throne. And so they reached the final stages of the game that began when Liu was ten, and in the power struggle that ensued, Liu managed to out-maneuver Jiang-li Zhang and reveal all that his father's former adviser had done.

After the execution, Liu was crowned King of Euhijan, and the country grew accustomed to their slender king with his too-long lashes and too-full lips and deadly grace; their king who was not a warrior but a thinker, a politician, and although he wasn't a war-hero, he inspired loyalty all the same. Known for his intense hatred of Vertiron especially, Liu has garnered the support of other like-minded Euhijanians-people whose villages were burned down as the armies marched through; people whose families were torn apart by years and years of war and bloodshed. He's not the king that his brother would have been, no, but he's a good king nonetheless; perhaps a better one than his brother would have been, even.

Liu is thirty, now, and still unmarried. His advisers want him to find a bride, to get married and have children. But for reasons that Liu will never, ever admit to the public, Liu doesn't particularly want to.

Still. He knows that he must marry, if only for the sake of continuing his line, and so he will. His first choice would have been Lady Mai, the Duchess of Mei'an, if not for her father; Liu is no fool. He knows that her father wants the throne, that her father is only pressuring him to marry her so that he can make himself king.

And Liu certainly doesn't plan on giving up his throne anytime soon, thank you very much.

N A M E
Mai Mei

T I T L E / O C C U P A T I O N
Duchess of Mei'an (a wealthy region along Euhijan's eastern seaboard, near the capital)

N A T I O N A L I T Y
Euhijanian

A G E
27

G E N D E R
Female

S E X U A L I T Y
Asexual

A P P E A R A N C E
Mai is taller than average, standing at five feet and eight inches. She is about 125 pounds, giving her a rather slender figure. Mai has thick, wavy, midnight-black hair that goes down to her waist, and relatively pale skin. Her eyes are a chocolate brown color, framed with a set of eyelashes that she makes longer using cosmetics, of course. She has a heart-shaped face and long, thin fingers. Mai has rosebud lips that are usually painted a deep red color. She has a sort of delicate and dainty look to her, despite the fact that she is quite tall. Mai likes dressing up and takes great pride in her appearance.

Her preferred color scheme is red, black, and gold, although she does like to experiment every now and then. Mai absolutely adores traditional fans and parasols. In terms of cosmetics, Mai is an avid fan powders, lip tints, rogues, et cetera. You name it, and Mai has probably tried it.

Most people who see Mai describe her as elegant, alluring, and in some cases, doll-like (thanks to the layers of cosmetics she wears, most likely). She moves with a practiced and fluid grace, each step and each movement measured and precise. Her features are usually carefully arranged in an expression of polite interest, and pleasant smiles fall easily across her lips, though those who are more keen will notice that they rarely ever reach her eyes- they remain as sharp as ever, even when she laughs.

I N T E R E S T S
Mai is a dab hand at traditional Euhijanian calligraphy, and she finds it very calming. She adores accessories that are both beautiful and deadly (bladed fans and parasols, dagger-like hairpins, and the like) and doesn't go anywhere without at least one of them hidden somewhere on her person. Mai has a soft spot for poetry, though she just likes to read it in her spare time, and maybe lightly discuss it-she's never been one to spout off pretentious rhetoric about how the color white symbolizes the author's sorrow and longing because of an obscure reference to a mourning dove, or something like that.

When she has spare time, Mai likes trying out new cosmetics and hairstyles, though whether or not she would be seen in public after her experiments is a whole different matter. In addition, Mai thinks that tea is one of the best things under the sun, aside from pretty silks and lip tints, of course.

P E R S O N A L I T Y
Mai has always been a people person. There is something about her that seems to draw others to her-whether it's her carefree laugh, her twinkling eyes, or her bright smiles, no one can say. She can be a sultry, intoxicating temptress, capable of charming the secrets right out of others with a coy glance and a flutter of her long eyelashes, or an innocent, demure young lady who has absolutely nothing to hide but plenty of gossip to share. She thinks with her heart when she needs to, but uses her brain at the same time.

Behind brown eyes sparkling with mirth and delicate lips curved up in a half-flirtatious, half-demure smile is a woman made of steel who is keenly aware of her surroundings. Mai processes vast amounts of information all at once, taking in people's actions, words, and emotions at the same time and forming a conclusion based on what she sees and what she knows. She's always been especially good at reading people like an open book. Sharply observant, perceptive, and brutally analytical, Mai is able to detect even the most subtle shifts of emotion, assess entire situations with one inconspicuous sweep of her wide brown eyes, and kill a man in a dozen different ways while dancing the waltz. Mai is constantly listening, though she’ll rarely tell the world what she's thinking.

Enigmatically charismatic and exuding an air of elegant refinement, Mai puts up a playful and coquettish front all while maintaining a certain air of mystery that makes her that much more attractive. Depending on the people around her, Mai is either a charming, polite young lady of considerable wealth and status or a deadly and alluring seductress of equally considerable wealth and status. Mai is not “smart” in the traditional sense of the word-complicated mathematics and the latest developments in technological advancements all go straight over her head, though she is able to hold her own in conversations about a wide variety of “sophisticated” topics. When around others, Mai hides her true nature behind expensive gowns and lip tints, pretending that she is nothing more than another pretty face. She has mastered the right combination of sugary sweetness and sharp wit to detract attention from her real intentions as she shrewdly advances her own agenda.

Mai is scarily manipulative, and she isn’t afraid of resorting to less savory methods to achieve her goals. Mai is calm and collected in times of crisis, and she rarely allows herself to panic. She is truly afraid of very, very few people, and she holds no qualms against playing others like a violin to get what she wants, all while smiling prettily and sipping tea from a dainty porcelain tea cup. Sly, shrewd, and cunning, Mai is an ice queen dressed in silk and lace.

If one is able to see past the many, many layers and intricacies of Mai Mei, one would come face-to-face with an intensely driven yet extremely insecure woman who has been bottling up her emotions for much too long. Mai may be willing to sacrifice everything for her ambitions, but she doesn’t know what it is that she truly wants, after she finally gets there.

H I S T O R Y
Lady Mai Mei, the Rose of Euhijan-

Her father's favorite. His pride and joy.

Polite. Pristine. Perfect.

Charming and beautiful, sweet and soft-spoken. Dainty and demure, graceful and svelte.

Don't let Mai’s outward appearance fool you, though-she is the Rose, and all roses have thorns.

Mai was given the upbringing that was expected of a lady of her station, and then plus some. Pretty dresses, expensive jewelry, all the love and praise and adoration that every child seeks from their parents; Mai had it all. But somehow, Mai could see that her father only cared about her for her pretty face and the marriage she would bring.

Call it intuition, call it intelligence or perceptiveness, call it dumb luck-whatever it was, Mai knew that her father would not be so doting, so adoring, if Mai wasn’t pretty.

She obeyed her father despite it all, of course. In this day and age, daughters couldn't be seen openly disrespecting their fathers, especially not the daughter of a powerful regional lord. What would that say about their family? It would be the scandal of the century. No, Mai may not care for her father, but she will remain loyal to her home. So she does as her father says...or pretends to, anyway.

Mai embroiders, like a proper young lady, and her stitches are so neat and straight and tiny that they're almost invisible. She dances beautifully and has a voice that will break your heart. She can recite every country’s genealogy by heart, and her paintings of vapid landscapes are impeccable. Most of all, Mai excels when it comes to people; charming and charismatic and witty, Mai always seems to know just the right thing to say.

Her brother and the heir to her father's lands, Zhou, was given the most lovely steel swords as soon as he learned to fight. Why couldn't Mai do the same? Why couldn't she inherit the lands and learn how to fight with steel and fire?

No matter, though. Mai's going to be more powerful than anyone in her family someday.

Mai made sure that everything she did was absolutely perfect, because her father expected no less from her. Perfect manners. Perfect smile. Perfect gown. Perfect everything.

But for all her dreams of grandeur and for all her talent in the political arena, Mai is merely a pawn in her father's grand plan to steal the throne. Ever since she was officially considered fit to be wedded and bedded by some lord or the other, her father has been looking for a suitable husband. One suitor after another came and went, and Mai was paraded before them like a horse at an auction, albeit a very valuable horse. Her brother was the heir to the family estate, while Mai was to be sold to some stranger like the aforementioned horse, to be ridden whenever her new owner liked, beaten whenever he liked, and cast aside in time for a younger filly. Zhou's future was glory and wealth and power, while Mai's was childbirth and moonblood and obedience.

Heavens above, how she hated it all. She taught herself how to use her precious little stiletto daggers, and she is quite dangerous with her bladed fans, but that's not enough. It will never be enough.

Her father was always finding someone for Mai to marry. There were so many men, Mai can't even remember half of them. She always found some obscure fault in them, of course, and explained to her father why they would be bad husbands-this lord is as dumb as a brick. That lord can't even control the commoners living on his land, this lord has a history of legitimizing his bastards, that lord would turn on their family in a heartbeat.

There was one, though, that he insisted Mai marry, no matter what. He was more powerful than her father; you see-he was a duke, and he held vast, prosperous lands. He was also so very charming-everyone liked him, from Mai's lady mother, the chambermaids, even the Regent of Euhijan himself…

They all said that Lord Ming Mei and Mai would be a perfect match. Mai was seventeen, and Lord Ming twenty-seven, so the age gap wasn't horrible, but still-he was cruel, so cruel, and he hid it behind bright smiles and good-natured grins.

Mai can still feel his fingers pinching and twisting her skin so hard that she woke up with bruises decorating her upper arms and abdomen, his lecherous leer, his rough hands, his wide lips and sloppy kisses-

In time, Mai gave birth to her first child-a girl. And Mai loved her daughter more than anything in the world, and the daughter made her husband's hot temper and coarse hands a little more bearable.

And then, the Regent of Euhijan, in a cruel, twisted game of politics, told the duke to kill his daughter to "prove his loyalty". And so Mai's husband did just that.

Mai said nothing. She watched, and waited.

Lord Ming Mei, the Duke of Mei'an, ended up dying in a hunting accident a couple months later. He was drunk, they said. Nobody thought to look for Mai, who had brought him half a dozen casks of the finest wine in his cellars that very morning.

Now, Mai is going to seduce King Liu so that her father can seize the throne-his version of the plan, of course. Mai was game until she heard that her father would take the throne, and then she was furious, but nevertheless, she will play along-for now. Aye, she'll marry the king and be his queen, and she'll tell him all of her father's plans, and oh, how utterly powerless her father will be to stop it all! Mai would like that. Her father should be the powerless one, for a change.

And King Liu himself? Please. Mai will have him wrapped around her little finger when she's done with him. He's only a man, after all.