Aleksandra

Childhood

Aleksandra was a planned child to Ulric Heartvale and an anonymous woman who offered to carry the child to term due to Cecily Heartvale being deemed infertile. As she grew up she was never treated as a bastard as Cecily wholeheartedly adopted and raised her as her own child from the time she was born. Truly no child could have asked for a more loving and kind home and Kingdom to be born into. Her parents raised her to be a part of the Kingdom, often taking her to all of the districts to work a day in the public services such as the Sanitorium, public bath houses, or the soup kitchens that were scattered throughout the city.

When she became old enough she would go with her parents on diplomatic missions to the other Kingdoms meeting their royal families and their citizens. As such she was lucky enough to grow up with a worldly view, having seen how the people of The Dredarian Empire, Holy Kingdom of Khotesh, and Kingdom of Thrane lived their daily lives compared to Knotside. The vast and varying landscape of Khotesh fascinated her, from its towering sand dunes in the deserts to the dense jungles and sparkling bays, it showed her an entirely new ecosystem separate from the forests, mountains, and hills of the northern parts of Waylia. Its bright and colorful people made the best food she’s ever had the pleasure of tasting, and their traditions and closeness made her feel safe anywhere she went in the Kingdom. The Dredarian Empires high society and love for the arts allowed to her see operas and ballets that could not be found in the other Kingdoms, though their strong military presence throughout made her nervous compared to the more laid back nature of Knotsides guards and small 'army'. Thrane was, in her very humble and young opinion, the most like Knotside. They had similar cuisines and peoples though Thrane expanded over a much larger land, obviously. She enjoyed her time going to nobles parties and meeting what remained of her mothers dwindling noble family which consisted of her elderly grandparents and a few kindly Aunts and Uncles. She was able to take this knowledge and experience to help further the rights and comforts of the people of her fair city.

All of her life Aleksandra was raised as the next ruler of Knotside, her parents and tutors along with the Magisterium and General all worked together to ensure she was to grow to be a well rounded person when she took the throne. She studied various subjects and was taught and tutored in many skills, art, dancing, sewing, fencing, fighting, horseback riding, arithmetic, science, history, as well as new languages. Her parents believed that to be a good Queen she would need not only to be able to handle herself in court and at balls and public gathering but to also defend herself and her people. The General oversaw all of her physical studies personally teaching her how to fight with various weapons alongside his son Demetrius often letting them practice together and compete. The Palace Physician Mercy taught her how to heal others both in a setting such as the castle as well as battlefield medicine, just in case. Cecily Heartvale taught her sewing and art, as well as how to sing and dance like she had learned herself from her days as a young noble in the Kingdom of Thrane. Her father, King Ulric Heartvale oversaw her lessons in history, politics, and how to have a good time for if anybody knew the pressures of ruling a Kingdom, it was him.

As she grew up her parents recognized that she would need to, more likely than not, be part of an arranged marriage. They understood well that most Nobles of the other Kingdoms would not want to take a bastard as a bride, even if it the only way to produce an heir so they turned their sights to Knotside nobles, though they would hear no complaints from the people at the idea of Knotsides rulers only being from their own city. She was betrothed to the young son of an extremely old, wealthy, and powerful Noble family, one with ties to Knotside from nearly its foundation, the Warrens. They were nearly the same age, and they figured growing up as friends would help foster a friendship and kindness rather than springing it upon them as adults, resulting in Aleksandras betrothal to Cedric Warren. In her eyes they were thick as thieves as children, often running about the palace or the Warrens ancestral home making mischief and a mess of everything they could come into contact with. She appreciated that Cedric never treated her like a princess or a porcelain doll, or held back because she was a girl, he rolled with the punches and they could do nearly anything together.

Growing Up

Aleksandras life seemed to everybody completely and utterly perfect and far better than any child could ask for, however, at the age of 10, everything changed. Cecily Heartvale was pregnant and she explained to little Aleksandra that she was going to be a big sister, something that she became extremely excited about. When little Ophelia was born she was the proudest big sister anyone could ask for, she held her small sister in her arms and would tell anybody she saw that she was a big sister. To her the title of big sister was more amazing and wonderful than being a Princess ever could be, even when she was a baby and couldn’t understand her she’d tell her all of her secrets and make her promises to protect her and keep her safe from everything bad in the world. This devotion only became magnified as Cecily became more and more ill as time went on after the birth. Even as a child she could tell her mother was weak, no longer did she go on strolls through the city or practiced their intricate ballroom waltzes together. Now she was only able to slowly make her way through the palace, often sitting in drawing rooms and parlors near their bedroom to sing songs and lullabies and practice her sewing. She always seemed like she would be okay, she had become weaker but she her spirit was still fiery and strong it was just that her body would not cooperate. As little Ophelia grew she took it upon herself to impart their mothers lessons onto her helping Cecily teach her lullabies and simple songs while she was young. With her mothers insistence she still held up her other lessons, practicing her fighting skills with Demetrius and spending her days getting into trouble across the districts with Cedric Warren.

By the time she was 16, her world came falling down around her. Mercy began to spend more and more time with Cecily as her illness suddenly progressed at an alarming rate. No longer could she leave her bed, barely able to stand to change from her nightgown into her days clothing. Her spirit ran ragged, the fire and brightness gone from her eyes, and her body and face turning gaunt and gray. Despite the entire cities best efforts, the most skilled doctors, clerics, and all manner of healers from across Waylia could not stop the progression of her mysterious illness, and Aleksandra watched her mother pass quietly one afternoon, her sister and her clutching at her side and her father holding her hands tightly in his. She mourned, and with a swift strike from death took it upon herself to help raise her sister the way her mother had done for her. Along with all of her lessons and studies she found time she involve her young sister in the easier studies, art, dancing, singing, and of course playing. The following year though Ulric Heartvale came to her with a heavy heart, guilt in his eyes, he was being pushed by other political powers in the city to name Ophelia as the heir of Knotside, despite Aleksandra being the elder sibling. He did not know who, but he had received mysterious letters citing old bylaws in the records of Knotside, their age was well beyond even her Grandfathers time but their bindings were still the law. Of course one could easily fight to overturn the ruling, he could do it with a meeting of the Magisterium and a stroke of their pens, but it would require time to properly go through the motions of doing so. He told her that they would have time, he would spearhead the movement himself but in the meantime her sister had to the be the official heir. This meant a swift withdrawal of her betrothal to Cedric Warren the moment his parents were told the news, though it would not end their friendship. Her father Ulric Heartvale set to gathering the necessary materials and Magisters together which would certainly take most of the year and after the upcoming election in a few months time from then he would bring it to their attention and they would set to pushing forward.

This was never meant to be, as in the middle of the proceedings the Winter Plague struck shutting down all non-essential business for the Magisterium to refocus efforts on quarantining the plague and finding a cure. Aleksandra was promptly quarantined along with her sister in the castle, as Ophelia showed signs she had inherited their mothers illness and could not risk contracting the plague. During this time she continued with her lessons, teaching her as much as she could and spending most of their days cooped up in the library during that long winter. When Ulric Heartvale fell ill with the plague she was beside herself and she set to reading nearly every medical tome they had in the castle to try and help the physician and her assistant Tobias in finding a cure. She would bring them tomes and pages they required from the library practically begging them to do anything they could to suppress the symptoms long enough for them to find a cure. To lose one parent was hard enough, to lose her father, she was not sure how her or Ophelia could bear it. Despite their efforts he passed, but Mercy was able to conjure and provide enough magic and herbs to allow them to share his final hour. Aleksandra watched as she named Demetrius the new General, after his father had passed just a few days prior, and far too much like they had with their mother they clung to his side like she was small again, as small as her younger sister and she clung to him and begged him not to go, to give them just a few more days with him. The grief was immense, they were only partway through the winter and they were backed to being quarantined from the city, two sisters clinging to each other and grieving alone.

In this emergency situation the Magisterium and Demetrius voted that Aleksandra be granted temporary powers as in interim Monarch until the Plague was to be cured. In that moment all of her years of study, kindness, and love allowed her to center herself amongst her storm of immense pain and lead. She made sure relief was given to the poor, food distributed and anybody who was able to contribute was made to do so. Nobles had their stores of hoarded goods distributed to those who had none, the churches and faiths opened their doors to all who did not carry the plague, providing warm beds and food to those homeless who had been left out in the snow after the Plague Gate district was emptied for use as a quarantine. Any and all magic users who were registered with the city were called to action being put to use powering the city, aiding the guards and doctors and helping quell riots as they popped up. Stipends were given to all in the city who were not of nobility to keep their businesses and homes afloat. As the Winter continued into what should have been the beginning of Spring she held steadfast, providing support and love to her city just as she had felt their support from her birth.

Eyes Forward

  Of course the Plague ended, the city went back to normal, and her emergency powers were ended and she was relieved of her duty. The Royal City of Knotside had suffered a major blow as a good chunk of the population had died to the plague and many of its political, faith, and community leaders had also passed during the winter. A void filled their city and an emergency Magisterium election was held to fill the vacant seats. Her father had never been able to finish his attempt to turn back the order for Ophelia to be named heir leaving the Magisterium no choice but to name Ophelia the heir of Knotsides crown once she was old enough to take the throne. Aleksandra was given apologies by the leaders, there was so much to fix in the aftermath of the plague that they simply couldn’t divert the resources to look into the old records and rulings, and the elder members of the community who were strict about tradition insisted they follow the ruling. She was informed that her only chance of taking the throne would be to marry a member of royalty from another Kingdom, somebody of great power and renown, or a high ranking member of their own society. Aleksandra brushed this knowledge aside for in her opinion ruling was not worth it if it meant hurting her sister. She could not be bothered to focus on trying to get the old ruling removed from the records as she doubled down on taking care of her sister, they had no parents, no family with which to raise them. The elderly grandparents of their mothers side had passed years ago, an uncle had ran her mothers estate into the ground betting away their wealth and being forced to sell their family home in Thrane, an aunt had run off with a peasant of another Kingdom and had not been heard from in years either. They were left with no family, no recourse but to focus on her sister with all of her power as Courtiers moved in as her sisters tutors. While her sister is too young she is given small rights to power, mostly as a figurehead to the City with her powers and decision making being limited to balls, entertainment, festivals, and entertaining dignitaries and emissaries of other Kingdoms. To her this is fine, if her sister is happy to take their parents mantle to rule, then who is she to stop her from her birthright?

Aleksandra was taught by both of her parents, the General, as well as courtiers and important and powerful members of Knotsides population in various subjects and skills befitting an heir to the crown. While she was taught all manner of fighting styles she much prefers using swords of all shapes and sizes and is not afraid to get her hands dirty. She knows some magic, minor things taught to her over the years by Magisters who felt she deserved to know at least a little bit of the arcane. All of her political know how and etiquette was taught by her parents, and with them both making sure that between the graceful gait, knowing which spoon was for soup, and ability to speak the languages of the other kingdoms that she also knew how to throw a pretty amazing festival and ball. Knotside has multiple important festivals and balls held each year with the Monarch or a member of the family often helping plan them.

While on the outside Aleksandra may seem extremely composed and poised, and she usually is, she also holds quite a bit of trauma. She watched her mother slowly waste away over the course of six years, as well as her father and her best friends father meet an extremely painful end at the hands of the Winter Plague. During her time with emergency privileges granted as a Monarch she saw the horrors of the plague up close and personal. Seeing Ophelia begin to exhibit the weakness and symptoms that she saw her mother go through as she grew up gives her a deep and worrisome anxiety, and she spends nearly every free moment she has trying to find a way to cure her sister.