von Arles, Hilda Elisabeta

[Mariska]

Hilda Elisabeta von Arles
Countess




Nickname - Elise
Gender - Female
Age - Sixteen
Birthday - October 31, 1525
Noble House - Treniata
Skills -
Charm, Diplomacy, Hospitality, Fashion, Trade, Negotiation
Dance, Hunting, Horsemanship
Play By - Adelaide Kane


Immediate Family Members -

Archduke Walter von Arles - Father,
Archduchess Sophia von Arles - Mother,
Older Siblings - Frederick and Erwin

Personality
 
As the youngest child of a youngest child, a girl to boot, Hilda Elisabeta has the least and littlest claim on the throne of Treniata, and she is just fine with that. Holding the throne, or being its heir means being serious, solemn, stressed, strained and starched, none of which suit the young woman. Named after her mother's mother, who lived barely long enough to see her born and christened, the small girl with the dark hair and the unusually colored eyes only resembles her family in looks. 

Grandmother Hilda was the essential noble Treniatan woman. Her granddaughter is nothing like her. Consequently, she does not go by her given name. From an early age, she called herself Elise and insisted others do so as well. She will not answer to Hilda unless her mother or father make use of her full name, and even then it's with a face. 

Needless to say, Elise von Arles is a stubborn young woman. It's a true Treniatan quality, one she is proud of. Fortunately, she has other good qualities to offset it. Elise is a cheerful, bubbly young woman, one who typically wears a smile and her heart on her sleeve. In a family full of mostly serious people - thank heavens her brother Frederick knows how to laugh and joke! - she's a beam of sunshine that leaves them scratching their heads and wondering if she is really a von Arles, or if she is a changeling. Sometimes Elise wonders the same thing herself.

Lessons never really interested her, but she loves to read (especially the novels that are supposed to be forbidden to her), sing and when she moves, it's usually in a form of dance. Her skirts often swirl about her feet as she makes her way in dance-figures down the corridors. Music fills her head, falls from her lips and haunts her steps. 

That doesn't mean Elise is dim, far from it. She merely prefers to channel her energies into making the world a more beautiful place. There isn't a snobbish bone in her body - she will befriend anyone, make them her newest project and try to see them smile no matter how difficult or painful their lives might be. Unfortunately, that means she's incredibly nosy, one with a nose for gossip. And flirtation. Like her oldest brother, Elise is a terrible flirt... because it makes people laugh and smile.

Another point? Elise adores clothing. Thank goodness for her father's prosperity, because she maintains a vast wardrobe in a rainbow of hues. She has her fair share of vanity - she knows she's not ugly, but she's not the beauty her mother is - but mostly, she takes pleasure from lovely clothes and setting new trends. She's also not shy about sharing, loaning, or giving away something she thinks will suit another better. Her lady's maid is the best dressed servant in Treniata, much to her mother's annoyance. 

Free spirits can't really be contained, but there is one person who holds significant sway over her, someone who can tug on the reins when she is in danger of running away. When Elise will not listen to her parents, her brother Frederick can stop her in her tracks with a single look. He is the beacon that guides her out of trouble; fear of disappointing Frederick keeps her in line when nothing and no one else will. Elise adores her older brother, the only one who understands her. 

Despite her frivolous nature, her tendency to giggle, gossip, flirt and fritter her day away, Elise von Arles has a very big heart, one she would share with the world if she could. 


History



The Grand Duke and his Duchess had secured their line for another generation with two boys, thus when their youngest proved to be a girl, her birth was greeted with the same enthusiasm. A daughter meant that the von Arles family could wed her to another prosperous or foreign family and expand their influence, and so little Hilda Elisabeta was hailed gladly. 

Like her older brother before her, she proved a stubborn and strong-willed child, opinionated and not afraid to share that opinion whether it was welcomed or not. Lessons were disdained, and her governesses were often frustrated to the point of tearing out their hair with efforts to bring the girl to learn. Fortunately, aided in no small part by her stern parents, they learned to negotiate (read: bribed) with the child. Read this, get a new ribbon. Do these sums, you can have a sweet. Behave for this month, and get a pretty new dress. It wasn't easy, painless or smooth, but the system worked. 

Erwin, like his parents, kept his distance from the child, finding her a puzzle, a mystery and utterly dissimilar from the von Arles as a whole. Feeling terribly lonely, Elise turned to Frederick, who proved he understood her very well. He took her with him when he worked with the people, showing her how she could help and prove herself with the women and the children while he aided the men. Becoming a frequent visitor to the villages, she brought cheer, flowers, helped to tend the sick and aged, or watched the children while their parents harvested. Often, she would go hunting with Frederick, not for the thrill of the hunt, but the simple pleasure of being out in the air with him and seeing the world come alive. What she took down was given to the villages, something that has been carefully kept from her parents' knowledge. 

As time went on, Elise continued these efforts to help her brother, learning as much from the people as she gave. She is still not fond of formal learning, but at sixteen, she understands that these lessons are intended to groom her to take her place in the world. Aware that eventually she will be married, and likely to either another Treniatan duke or someone across the seas, she seized the opportunity to travel to Demeria and join her brother. What will come of it, Elise does not know, but she is determined to enjoy herself and to promote her country as a viable trade partner and ally. 

RP Sample



The trio of trunks that would accompany her to Demeria were slowly filling as items were approved or rejected by the dark haired young lady, the eye in the swirl of chaos that was composed of her lady's maid, her mother's lady's maid, and half the chambermaids. Elise insisted on inspecting and approving each item herself before it was packed, from underclothing to gowns to shoes and jewels. Progress was being made - the trunks were already half full, but the bench at the end of her bed was heaped with rejected gowns, cloaks, underclothing and the like. It was almost laughable, but she was smart enough not to laugh when her mother strode in looking like a thundercloud.

"Hilda Elisabeta von Arles!" 

The voice rang out, bringing the frenetic activity to an abrupt halt, every eye in the room moving to rest on the Archduchess, who stood with folded arms and a tapping foot. Sheepishly, Elise turned to face her mother, remembering to curtsy correctly. "Good day, Your Grace. To what do we owe the honor of your presence?" She was careful not to wince, recognizing the look in Sophia's eyes as one of annoyance and impatience. Mother and daughter were completely, diametrically opposed on every possible level, and she braced herself for whatever was about to come. 

The Archduchess pointed at the rainbow-hued pile, then shook her head. Only her youngest child could take two days and half the household staff to prepare for a short journey. "See that these things are returned to where they belong before you depart. After nearly two full days, you ought to be ready to go, yet I see you are not. I expect this to be complete by the time you join us for dinner. We will finish reviewing matters for your journey then." A stern look was bent on her daughter. "Do not be late."

She'd gotten off lightly, considering the room was a whirlwind of color and fabric. Nodding her head, she smiled brightly at her mother. "I will be on time, Mama. I promise. And we are nearly done, I vow. There are only a few more items I have to choose, and I will help Marta and Liesl tidy up." Anything to get Sophia on her way; they'd been having a good time until she arrived, and Elise was eager to get back to that. The smile held as the Archduchess swept out, looks exchanged between the three before a hand clapped over her mouth to stifle her giggles. Her poor mother... a hen with a duckling for a child.

They'd both be relieved when she was on her way to Demeria, no doubt.                                                       



Out of Character:

Maricat - Lots - Eastern
Lucky Number Seven!
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designed by valitrix @ caution 2.0

[Grandmaster]

Angie, Caissa for approvals

[Angie]

- amused - Approved!

[Caissa]

Approved. This should prove most interesting.

[Grandmaster]

APPROVED!

Please create your character name - it will be good to see another Treniatan character in play! Looking forward to seeing her join in!