Name: Serenei Farwynd
Titles: Princess of Itervia, Lady of the Keep
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Occupation: Younger siblings of the rulers of Itervia customarily are appointed to positions within the king and queen's advisory council, whether they are well-suited for the job or not. The council is made up of half a dozen or so lords and ladies (titles bestowed upon them no matter their true standing) as well as the younger brothers and sisters of the king and queen. Serenei is currently the the Lady of the Keep, which is the person who is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the royal palace. He or she is also responsible for planning any balls, banquets, weddings, or other events that will be paid for with money in the royal treasury.
Affiliation: Itervia
Appearance:Serenei is tall (for Itervian standards) and graceful, with an attractive, womanly figure. Like all Itervians, she has a porcelain-pale complexion. Her rich brown hair ends just under her shoulder blades. It is thick and wavy. Serenei has wide sapphire-blue eyes, high cheekbones, and a heart-shaped face. She is on the slender side due to her height. Her nose is rather small and her hands and feet are also small, in comparison with the rest of her body. Serenei's lips are a pale, dusty pink color.
Serenei absolutely adores dresses, frocks, and gowns of all shapes and sizes. She is usually seen in a fairly frilly dress with jewels at her throat and braided in her hair.
Personality: Serenei is gentle and soft-hearted and carefree, traits that are normally associated with the Cyrainese goddess instead of an Itervian princess. Serenei is open and expressive, her emotions changing as quickly as the weather when Ophelia is in a particularly fickle mood. She smiles very often and is always giggling about something or the other. Serenei is enthralled by stories of romance and chivalry and loves dancing and embroidery (she enjoys singing as well, but she is not very good at it). She cannot stand the sight of blood. Serenei is easily frightened, though she can be surprisingly oblivious to danger at times. Serenei does not get angry very often; she is more likely to become depressed and despondent than she is to become furious or enraged. Serenei tends to be flighty, excitable, and easily distracted. She is impulsive and does not really think through her actions beforehand (the exception to this is when she is planning some banquet or the other-Serenei is extremely meticulous when it comes to planning events). Hopeful and optimistic, Serenei treats everyone she meets with kindness and friendship.
History: The fourth child of Queen Alaysha and King Lanner Farwynd, Serenei was destined to marry a powerful Itervian lord from birth. Her older sister, Crown-Princess Marleyna Farwynd, was the heir to the Itervian throne, as Almerintian custom dictated that the oldest child (regardless of gender) ascended the throne, but Serenei was never jealous of her for that. Being queen seemed like too much
work. And the noble lords who swarmed around her sister like flies hoping to wed her and become king seemed like
such a nuisance. For Serenei, her betrothal with the future Lord Clarrik Harner was set when she was two and he was three. Although Clarrik lived at his mother and father's seat in the Valley of Ice in the Outer Wytesias, he frequently traveled to court in Illyri. Serenei and Clarrik became close friends, though they never loved each other in a romantic way. But Serenei was happy-marrying Clarrik was not the worst thing in the world that could happen.
Queen Alaysha and King Lanner's second and third children were sons, named Bryce and Lorgan. Byrce decided that he wanted to become a priest and subsequently scaled the Inner Wytesias and crossed the Great Tundra after years of preparation. Bryce, who is eight years older than Serenei, will become the High Priest once the current High Priestess (one of Serenei's aunts on her father's side) passes away. Serenei thought that Bryce had changed for the worse when he returned to Illyri after a ten-year absence, but she knew better than to voice her thoughts out loud. Bryce was proud and stand-offish before he became a priest, and Serenei could not help but think that his journey had only brought out the worst in Bryce. She was disturbed by how he seemed to be completely, utterly devoted to Ophelia, and she was frightened by his new abilities to control wind and snow, which were given to him by the goddess.
Marleyna, who is ten years older than Serenei, married a Lativian prince in an effort to secure a trade agreement shortly after Lorgan wed the daughter of Lord and Lady Icewylle, the lord and lady of the Western Icelands. Almerintian family lines are traditionally matrilineal, although men and women are generally viewed as equals. So, when Lorgan wed the future Lady Icewylle, he moved to her parents' seat in the Western Icelands. Serenei was sad to see Lorgan go, though she was comforted by the fact that the Icewylles made frequent trips to Illyri since he would be the Lord of Swords when the Lady of Swords (Queen Alaysha Farwynd's younger sister) died or retired. Serenei finds Lorgan much more agreeable than Bryce.
Serenei's childhood was rather unremarkable for that of an Itervian princess. She spent her days with her governesses and tutors and one of the younger priestesses, who was named Ravella. Ravella was strict and proper and pious, and Serenei was terrified of the severe, dour priestess. Ravella taught Serenei to fear and revere their goddess, yet Serenei felt some sort of connection with Ophelia nonetheless. According to her parents, this was normal within the royal family, as they had replaced ineffective rulers that Ophelia had unseated from the throne with the help of her priests and priestesses.
Unlike Marleyna, who was taught history and politics and swordsmanship, Serenei was taught how to manage a castle and how to paint and embroider. Her instructors found that she was very good at arithmetic and had a natural ability regarding decorations and music and the like. They recommended that she become the next Lady of the Keep. Serenei was pleased with that. She knew that she would enjoy the job very much.
Serenei and Marleyna always had a close relationship, despite their differences in both personality and age. Sometimes, Marleyna's face was so still that it seemed to be carved of stone, while Serenei was constantly smiling or laughing or crying or frowning. Marleyna was the perfect future queen-she was as cool as a glacier no matter how stressful the situation. Serenei, on the other hand, was quick to tears and quick to laughter. But Marleyna always looked out for her flighty younger sister, and Serenei in turn helped to plan Marleyna's magnificent wedding ceremony, down to the color of the frozen blueberries served with cream as dessert.
Serenei was also very close with Lorgan. He was sly and mischievous, and only two years older than Serenei. She spent a great deal of time with Lorgan exploring the nooks and crannies of the crystalline palace and sneaking treats from the kitchen. The same could not be said of Bryce, who was bookish and reserved. Still, Serenei loved him just as much as she loved Marleyna or Lorgan; he
was her brother, after all.
Clarrik's temperament was a happy medium in between that of Lorgan and that of Bryce. As steadfast as the mountains that he called home, Clarrik would be the one pulling Lorgan and Serenei out of trouble whenever their latest scheme went awry. Whether it was fetching a ladder because Lorgan had gotten himself stuck on top of a tower or procuring a bucket of water and soap because Serenei had ruined her new gown, Clarrik was always watching out for the pair, and Serenei loved him for that.
Clarrik and Serenei's wedding day was determined when they were betrothed. This task was given to a priest who specialized in finding the most auspicious dates for certain events, as ordained to him by Ophelia. They were married when Serenei was sixteen and Clarrik was seventeen. They currently have one child-a three-year-old boy named Ryne.
More recently, Serenei has been keeping herself busy planning for the Alumnallens that would be arriving in Illyri in a week's time. Marleyna had been entertaining the notion of peace with the other realm, rather than continuing their tense relationship. She managed to convince Queen Alaysha and King Lanner that it would be in Itervia's best interests to end their animosity toward Alumnall, and that this was the perfect opportunity. Indeed, King Philander Forrester was an aging, level-headed man. He was not, like many of his predecessors, a fierce warrior who was quick to anger and quick to defend his honor (these traits are highly valued in Alumnall, though they are scorned upon in Itervia). However, his wife Queen Letitia was another matter entirely. Spry and sharp-tongued, with hair as bright as fire, she was the epitome of an Alumnallen. Their son Ebenezer was much the same, but their daughter Phillipa took after her father. And it was Phillipa who would be heading the delegation sent to make peace with Itervia.
Serenei was not overly concerned with the political implications of the visit. Instead, she worried incessantly about the menu and decorations and
music-oh dear, what about the music? (Itervian music was soft and subdued; delicate and ethereal, like the sound of falling snow. In contrast, Alumnallen music was fast-paced and energetic, full of strong staccato accents and surging rhythms). So, it should not be overly surprising that Serenei was most definitely
not expecting to find herself stuck in somebody else's body.
Weapons and Equipment: Serenei does not carry any weapons with her, unless the stray embroidery needle can be counted as a weapon. Instead, the one thing she
always has on her person is a silver necklace with a teardrop-shaped sapphire pendant (it was a gift from Clarrik; the sapphire was mined from a mining site near the Harner's castle in the Outer Wystesias). She also has the aforementioned sewing and embroidery needles, a spool of thread, and a small bundle of parchment to take notes on if she remembers to bring it with her.
Skills and Abilities: When it comes to event planning, there is nobody better than Serenei in all of Itervia. Serenei has a keen eye for details and specifics. If something is out of place, Serenei can spot it from a mile away. She can tell if a dish needs more salt or less sugar with a single taste. Serenei is also capable of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing long strings of numbers quickly in her head. She has a knack for stretching the budget to meet all the needs.
Serenei is skilled at embroidery, ballroom dancing, and painting. She is not horrible at singing.
Magical Spells: N/A