Marie Beatrice

Marie Beatrice
Physical information
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Hair color and style	Black
Eye color	Brown
Skin color	Olive
Biographical information
Date of birth	1696 AN
Place of birth	Aqaba, Constancia
Date of death	N/A
Place of death	N/A
Residence(s)	Palace of Botha, Chryse
Nationality	Constancia  Nouvelle Alexandrie
Allegiance(s)	Nationalist & Humanist Party

Marie Beatrice – a Humanist and courtier in the Chryse of the early eighteenth century after Norton.

Biography

Marie Beatrice, born in 1696 AN, was a foundling of joint New Alexandrian and Constancian nationality. Her early years were spent in the custody of the Sarayzenana, a prestigious boarding school located in the distinctive and singular environment of Raspur. Despite her humble beginnings, her exceptional intelligence and potential were recognised by the Humanist National Sector Party of Constancia, who sponsored her education under the N&H Future Leadership Programme.

Early life

As she grew older, Marie Beatrice became deeply involved in the political sphere, being enrolled from infancy in the Young Humanists League in Constancia. Her talents and ambition were further honed at the prestigious Bothan Institute in the Free City of Chryse, where she was enrolled in the Junior Cohort's Eight to Nine Age-Class in 1705 AN. During the course of her time there she would later selected for the elite Vanguard Group of the Nationalist and Humanist Party in Chryse.

Education at the Bothan Institute

The Bothan Institute was renowned for its rigorous curriculum and strict discipline, which instilled in Marie Beatrice a strong sense of self-discipline and self-motivation, as well as a deep knowledge and expertise in the core subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as a proficiency in etiquette, cold reading, and emotional intelligence. Her tutors admired her intelligence, confidence, and grace, and she graduated with a certain degree of proven aptitude in 1712 AN.

Marie Beatrice's time at the Bothan Institute was also marked by strict restrictions and regulations. She was never allowed to leave the island without a chaperone guard from the school, and her visits to Chryse were always shrouded in secrecy. She was required to wear the full-length blue cloak of a religious penitent, with the hood pulled up to cover her face. Despite this, she could always feel the eyes of strangers upon her, even as a child. This experience of being hidden away, yet constantly watched, would shape her understanding of power and influence in the years to come.

One of the most memorable moments of her childhood was her secondary duty of feeding the rabbits in the hutches outside the kitchens. She used to pet them and they were a source of joy to her that was largely absent in the strictly regimented life of the institute. However, after a few months, she realised the purpose of the cooks keeping rabbits, and ever afterwards could not abide the smell of cooking stew without feeling revulsion. This small experience would shape her perspective and understanding of the cruelty of the world around her. Despite the kindness she showed to the rabbits, she was forced to accept that they were raised for a utilitarian purpose. From then on, she became more self-contained and calculating, knowing that the world is not always kind and that one must be aware of the hidden agendas and purposes of others. This realisation also helped her understand the importance of being in control of her own fate, not being a passive victim of circumstance. She learned to be more assertive and strategic in her decisions, always keeping her end goal in mind and not allowing emotions to cloud her judgement.

Life in Chryse

Marie Beatrice's introduction to Chrysean society took place at the 1714 Chrysean Debutantes Ball, where she was presented to the elite of the Benacian Union as a highly accomplished and well-rounded individual. Her talents extended beyond the academic and political spheres, as she was also highly skilled in practical matters, having become adept at cooking, sewing, and other domestic tasks.

However, despite her many accomplishments, Marie Beatrice was not without her flaws. Her tutors noted her highly competitive nature and her tendency to be driven to succeed, to the point where she sometimes demonstrated an unwillingness to acknowledge or consider the perspectives or needs of others. This trait was further amplified by her uncertain past and her desire to uncover the truth about her identity and her unknown parents.

In the period after her graduation in 1712 AN Marie was retained at the Palace of Botha as an attendant in the Household of the High Commissioner of Chryse, who was by that time increasingly notorious for surrounding herself with beautiful younger female courtiers and servants.

Marie's time spent at the Palace of Botha was a formative period in her life, as she was exposed to the inner workings of politics and government on a daily basis. Her role as an attendant gave her the opportunity to observe and learn from the powerful figures that frequented the palace, and she quickly began to develop a keen understanding of the dynamics of power and influence.

Despite the opulence and grandeur of the palace, Marie found the atmosphere to be stifling and oppressive, as the High Commissioner's regime was marked by an obsession with control and surveillance. She was often subject to the whims of the High Commissioner, who would demand her presence at various events and functions, and she felt that her every move was being watched and monitored.

Regardless of this, Marie was determined to make the most of her time at the palace and to use it to her advantage. She began to study the politics and history of the Benacian Union in depth, and she quickly came to understand the complex political landscape of the Union-State as well as the hypocrisies and deceptions which sustained it.

It was during this time of contemplation and observation that, on 1.XI.1716 AN, Marie Beatrice's life would take another dramatic turn when she was introduced to Daniel Lors Simrani-Kalirion, the grandson of Daniyal ibn Daniyal, the Szodan of Benacia. The introduction was arranged by the N&H Future Leadership Programme's matching scheme, which was overseen by Ayesha al-Osman and a cohort of chaperones from the Bothan Institute. The two were permitted to stroll in the gardens of the Palace of Botha while their suitability and mutual compatibility were evaluated, with the intention of potentially becoming the progenitors of future leaders of the Benacian Union. The meeting was a defining moment in Marie Beatrice's life as it would set her future path.

After her introduction to Daniel Lors Simrani-Kalirion, Marie Beatrice's life took an unexpected turn. It was clear from the start that the two had a strong connection and shared a deep understanding of each other's experiences and aspirations. They were both from privileged backgrounds and had been groomed for leadership roles from a young age, but they also shared a sense of isolation and a longing for something more meaningful in life.

As they spent more time together, Marie Beatrice and Daniel Lors began to develop a deeper bond, and it soon became clear that they were meant to be together. However, their relationship was not without its challenges. Marie Beatrice's background as a foundling, and her association with the N&H Future Leadership Programme, made her a controversial figure in Chrysean society, and there were many who opposed their union as being a further entrenchment of the principle of dynastic rule - which had slowly crept back into the public life of Benacia in the four decades since the Kalirion Fracture.

Despite this, Marie Beatrice and Daniel Lors persevered, and they were eventually able to secure the support of the High Commissioner, Ayesha al-Osman, who saw the value in their union and was pleased to find herself being lobbied to enable the outcome that she had sought to engineer.

It would come as a shock therefore for Marie to learn that the earnest young man of her acquaintance had been only recently designated the formal regent of Whales, an obscure possession of his grandfather's located deep in the southern hemisphere. Far from being a budding player in the game, Daniel Lors Simrani-Kalirion had been a pawn - one that would be moved to the edge of the board for the time being. The brooding youth was soon to depart to the south to assume his duties, whilst Marie, in order to preserve her virtue, was to remain secluded on Botha, as an intimate companion of Ayesha, until the date of the wedding - provisionally scheduled for 1718 - after which she also would depart for a Cibolan exile.