Personal History
Born to Agnes and Johann Avarice, Jenna had the honour of being born a Lady of the Shield. It set her down a predetermined path very early on in her life. As soon as she was old enough to talk, she knew that she wanted to be a Shield just like her father and grandfather.
This meant that Jenna was quick to join in training with her father. Right up until she was ten years old, he would teach her the ins and outs of being a Shield. From the physical aspects, like knowing how to handle herself in a fight, to the political and tactical aspects of their role in protecting the royal family. Jenna took to his teachings quickly, so much so that even the Shield Captain at the time - Arno Tenforth - was impressed.
Unfortunately, disaster struck the Shields and Jenna's father was one of the casualties. With no one left to teach her, Jenna feared the worst - that the Shields would wait until she was a little bit older to continue teaching her. Arno, having been a good friend of Johann's, took her under his wing instead. They continued her training and Jenna showed drastic improvements in her fighting techniques, day in and day out. Her understanding of politics and tactics took a little longer to grasp, but only because of how young she was. Then, on the day after her eleventh birthday, Jenna was marked with the Blessing of Van-Hael.
It was a very interesting point of debate for the Shields as to who would eventually end up as Jenna's Sovereign. Many assumed that she would follow in Arno's and her father's footsteps, that King Garren would be her Sovereign. However, there were also those who assumed that, due to her young age, she would be better suited with Prince Ronan as her Sovereign instead. That debate died down when King Garren died. With Jenna at a merely thirteen years of age, watching Ronan be crowned King of Yondar, she knew with absolute certainty that he would be her Sovereign.
Years passed after that and Jenna kept up with her training. All she really knew was how to be a Shield; at that point in her life, she had little time for friends and, being far younger the majority of the other Shields, her social life was practically non-existent. That drastically changed after the wedding of Ronan and Elise, for the latter was determined to make friends with the young Shield in training. Though Jenna was adamant on avoiding her at all costs, rather confused by this sudden attention from the Queen, Elise eventually broke through those walls and the two became close friends.
At sixteen years old, her world changed once more.
Captain Arno was involved in a skirmish along the northern border. His group of Shields came face to face with an elite group of soldiers from the Valissan Empire. A fight born from a misunderstanding, yet it cost both sides so much. By the time the Shields returned, it was too late to save Arno and, as his dying wish, he requested that Jenna be made Captain in his stead.
Jenna sighs, turning around swiftly to face the intruder in her room. "Must you always do that?"
There, leaning against the doorframe in a luxurious, form fitting and deep purple dress is none other than Queen Elise. She tilts her head to one side, face a mask of innocence.
"I require your assistance," she says. Jenna blinks a couple of times, disbelieving.
"You need my help?" Elise nods vigorously and Jenna lets out another drawn out sigh. "My help specifically? Elise, I don't really have the time–"
"Oh come on, Jenna! An hour away from your training won't kill you."
Many were shocked by the decision, including Jenna herself. She felt far too young to shoulder such responsibility. Though, for some unknown reason, King Ronan did not overturn Arno’s wish. He honoured it.
So she was rushed to an Overseer in order to complete the Rite of Aegis. Ronan would be her Sovereign and, in light of Arno’s death, another member of the Shields (Jakob Mooresyn) would act as her Sponsor. Upon passing the Rite, she was named Shield Captain and for years afterwards she was forced to prove time and time again that Arno had not made the wrong choice.
First, Yondar awoke to news that a seventeen year old would be their king. Then, Yondar awoke to news that the new Shield Captain would be a sixteen year old. Tragedy had struck, so suddenly, so deeply, and forced youthful faces into positions of power that they had yet to truly understand.
Now, where the king is concerned, it is easy enough to argue that the throne is his birthright. But Lady Avarice of the Shield? Is that title now a claim to a role in leadership? Is it a sign that others more capable of protecting the royal family should be overlooked in favour of a legacy? One can only wonder what Captain Arno was thinking in his final moments, to choose one so young as his successor.
Eyvan Briar,
Scholar of the Moonglow Archivists
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