Julianna v'Numis
Duchess Julianna di Lantan v'Numis
"Bia!" The Canoness's voice cracked, "You should be more like ....."
"Your mother," Bia's eyes rolled, "Sweet and demure, polite and kind, and produce a dozen children." Maeve, the youngest girl, stifled a snicker.
Sister Otta slammed her cane against the desk in front of the girls. "And, what pray tell are wrong with those qualities."
"It's not that. I just don't want to populate a whole villa while my husband has mistress after mistress." As she rose to her feet, Bia rushed on: a hare ignoring the hungry fox. "Everyone knows it, and she sits idly by, letting him. So no, I don't want to be like that." Bia's face flushed a bright red; Her hands trembled, balled in tight fists.
"Now see here, missy, you will not speak so indelicately about your step-mother just because you don't get along."
Bia almost laughed in the woman's face. That lie again. "We do fine. She has been as good a mother to me as to her own brood. I just don't understand why she would face death in childbirth time and again when my father has all those mistresses."
"Great men always have mistresses," Crezanna shrugged.
"Well, mine won't," Bia crossed her arms tight over her chest. Her eyes went from one person to the next, daring someone to argue.
After a moment, the Canoness motioned for her student to sit down. "To continue with the lesson ....."
Later when the girls were alone, Crezanna asked, "Why don't you like your step-mother?"
"I like her fine. " Bia shrugged, "She's always been very nice to me and I don't think my father or my nona make her. But she wouldn't raise her voice to a squirrel. Besides, I don't want to be worn out from being constantly pregnant."
"That's what women were made for," Crezanna sighed gloomily. "It's that or live the rest of your life as a canoness."
"Not us." Bia wrapped her arm around Maeve's. "We will find another way. Right?" Maeve smiled and nodded enthusiastically.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
"I think the Duchess Julianna wakes up put together," Bia sighed, "Never is one strand of her beautiful dark hair out of place. Even when I know she has been up half the night, her brown eyes are bright and alert. Her dresses are always neat and clean: no peach stains or toast crumbs. Nona says they are the height of fashion. Oh and she has a perfect figure even after all those kids. No freckles. No blemishes. It's just not fair. Well, her skin is a bit unfashionably tan, maybe .... or maybe I'm just jealous."
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Maeve chewed on her lip and then asked, "Why does she do it?"
"I'm not sure," Bia answered slowly. "I tried to ask once. She just talked about how when you love someone, you just want them happy. And then something about how a wife's greatest joy is to please her husband. Maybe she believes that. I ..... if she does, I think that's sad. It should be reciprocal."
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Crezanna sighed, "Sounds sad. What's she really like?"
"She's quiet, polite, and very gracious, like I said in class. Also timid and unassuming. While the Lady Julianna can direct servants, she's completely unable to speak up for herself. The one exception is when it comes to her children. No one gets to hurt or take advantage of them. That includes me, most of the time.
"She's a terrific mother. About weekly, my nona received a letter, probably still does. She'd write a little every day and always remembered each child at the end. 'Bia, spend more time on your Latin. Maria, be polite to your siblings.' and so on. She also had questions for Nona and the tutors. When she came, she dispensed presents based on your behavior. My favorite locket is from her."
Social
Family Ties
"Ok, most of this I got from the servants. A little from my Nona," Bia explained. "Her family claims they can trace themselves back to the Laoi." Maeve's eyes lit up. However, Bia sighed. "I don't believe it. Anyway, in recent years, they made some disastrous financial decisions. According to Thana, they were as poor as a ripped pocket, which is likely why they allowed their daughter to marry Father. We are the nouveau riche House of Mendygon, after all."
"So you have lots of brothers and sisters?" Maeve asked wistfully.
" Like I said, the duchess is constantly pregnant. Currently, she has four daughters and two sons that live at the villa, and Baby Nando lives with her and Father. I think she would like them all to live in Bludynor. But, the villa is safer."
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