Ariana
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Contents |
Background
Childhood
Of Ariana's parents, very little is known. Yet this much may be told: that a woman named Kalista, hailing from the distant land of Hellas, by all accounts as beautiful in her prime as many a D'Angeline, came for unknown reasons to Terre d'Ange. Her path lead her eventually to the City of Elua, where her fate soon became dark. She was wooed by a man who had neither station in life, nor any honour in his soul. She knew him for the scoundrel he was the moment she laid eyes on him, and yet by his beauty and some other charm she could not later name, she fell for him. She later said that the man was actually softened somewhat by her love, yet that still left him a brutal, violent man, at whose hands she suffered abuse more than once, and yet she clung to him, suffering any misery to be with him, and even giving birth to a daughter.
It was not many years later when the man she loved at last reaped the benefit of his sin: he stood accused of rape, and as the guards came to apprehend him, he went into a fury and attacked them, leaving them no choice but to cut him down. Instead of feeling in any way liberated, Kalista felt grief shatter her heart, and she went to the Court of Nightblooming Flowers. There are some rumours that she was a seeress and had had some strange vision, prompting her, others say merely that misery had driven her mad. Certainly there was much surprise when she arranged a meeting with the Dowayne of Valerian House. No one knows exactly what transpired, yet she apparently said that she knew her death was close, and that she wished that her daughter be raised as a Servant of Naamah in House Valerian, to "Live in joy the suffering that was my misery." Wether inspired or insane, in one thing Kalista was right: she died of grief soon after, and Ariana, with no one else to claim her, was accepted into the fold of House Valerian.
Given the strange circumstances by which Ariana became a part of Valerian, it was expected by many that she would eventually be sold to some other house, into whose canon she might better fit. Yet as the girl, who came into the house young enough to barely remember her mother, grew in years, she learned well, seeming to understand much about the House's teaching. Her quiet grace and general obediance were the reason that she stayed in House Valerian, and began her apprenticeship.
She was considered as good and dedicated a pupil as many other apprentices, and her soft yet warm manner made her a few friends. One thing, however, set Ariana apart: while she had grown to fully accept and revere the present and future duties placed on her by the canon of House Valerian, her obediant, submissive disporture did not always stay in place as she grew older. Part of it was merely the usual inner turmoil of a girl turning into a woman. Yet there was more...moments like daydreams when rebellion suddenly boiled in her, or violent desire for freedom, or an impulse of something almost like cruelty. She was if anything afraid if these outbursts, which were as inexplicable to her as to the reason her mother may have had to place her in this House. She did her best to quell those strange feelings whenever they arose, yet especially at the beginning she was not always good at it, earning her many a reprimand and punishment. But nonetheless she proved a good pupil, and so time went on, and the day of her debut approached...
Winter and Spring
Ariana grew into a beautiful young woman, and while still at times showing inner trouble, she also found good friends within her House, in especial Chloe, a noble girl nearly the same age, and the Second Athenais, who became Dowayne after her predecessor's death during Ariana's sixteenth winter. She also caught the eye of people outside Mont Nuit, especially that of a Sharizai lordling. On the night of the debut, that man paid her virgin price and initiated her into Naamah's Service. Yet other than most courtesans, Ariana does not like to recall that night, for but a few months later that same lordling, by then Royal Inquistor, was accused of a plot to overthrow the crown, and when confronted, ended his life with a dagger.
Ariana was bridesmaid to Athenais when she married the Duc of Kusheth, and that event proved to be fateful for Ariana's path: for when Bastien de Morhban was elected King and Athenais crowned his queen, Chloe and Ariana arose to the positions of Valerian's Dowayne and Second, respectively. None in the House opposed this, yet many eyebrows were lifted on Mont Nuit at the ascension of these two young girls, and there was speculation that their friendship to the new Queen had rather a lot to do with it. Night Court officials might have taken issue with the fact that Ariana had not even completed her marque, but this was prevented when she did acquire it some time later. By what sort of extraordinary contract or highly generous patron she gained the sum needed for this so swiftly is something Ariana keeps concealed by the secret of the Night Court's sacred discretion.
Serving Naamah
Ariana's career soon proved a succesful one, both as courtesan and as Second of her House. At one point Chloe, whose health had been under some strain, took a leave of absence from the House, and it was unclear when and if she would return to her duties. Ariana became the de facto head of Valerian, and with the help of more experienced mentors within the House, she managed to gain the approval both of her patrons and the courtesans under her charge. It was something of a golden time for her, even as the country fell under the shadow of the Hazaran's threat. Her successes in that time include seeing the reinstitution of private Sharizai chambers within the House, and being chosen as Winter Queen for the Midwinter Masque at the Royal Palace.
Ariana also did her best to keep up relations with other Houses, and thus was looking forward to the reconvening of the Night Court Council. She even proposed a resolution, concerning the rewarding of heroes in the upcoming fight against the Hazaran with Night Court assignations, which passed almost unanimously. On the controversial resolution concerning courtesans with secondary occupations however, she abstained, and the discontent and division it bred seems to have affected her deeply. Apparently it also made her decide that her suitability for politics was less than she ahd bargained: short time after Thomas no Valerian, who had spent some time in the priesthood, returned to the House to take over as Dowayne, apparently to Ariana's relief. It is the first time she is known to have backed down from a challenge as Servant of Naamah, and those close to her will have noticed that she is grown a little more quiet since.
Recently Ariana has resigned from her position as Second, seeking spiritual enlightenment on a journey that she hopes will set her on a new path.
