The young heiress to House Machuri, Fruma, gave birth to twins after a quick, intense labor in the morning of April 13, 622. The first one out was a girl, with her brother not far behind. They were named Kelyn and Tobiah. Although Benjamin, who had seen four winters at the time, was the firstborn, Kelyn was the only female of the siblings, making her the heir-apparent to the Duchy.
Being raised in the ruling family of a farming and fishing land, along with having no sisters, Kelyn learned to use both her words and body to defend herself. Part of the reason was her hero-worship of Benjamin. He teased, annoyed, and goaded her into training to be a great warrior, regardless of which weapon (or lack thereof) was available. As an adolescent, she realized he had done all of that out of love for his sister and House. He wanted her to be the best Duchess possible.
Another reason she pushed herself to her physical limit was due to it being the antithesis of the scheming, brothel-owning, filthy House Zorich to engage in open and honest combat rather than use underhanded feminine wiles. Still, practicality swayed her to observe and learn the subtlety and strategy necessary to recognize plots and schemes that may threaten her House or the royal family.
Having recognized this fierce drive in her daughter by the time Kelyn had experienced five summers, Fruma gave the girl a middle name: Ariella, for she was truly a lioness who guarded her people and religion. Kelyn never liked her name, as it was not traditional and sounded foreign to her ears. Therefore, she started going by her middle name as soon as it was bestowed upon her. Aside from her parents, grandparents, and other elders who required high levels of respect, nobody was allowed to call her by her first name. Those who pushed her on that rule often found themselves battered and bruised on the ground of the sparring yards. By the time she inherited the Duchy, anyone with half a mind knew not to refer to her with that name, even when speaking to others. It seemed she had ears everywhere, or perhaps simply very loyal servants.
There was another notable aspect to Ariella's combat: she sang during battle. The more concentration she required, the louder and more passionate the singing. In truth, this was something she did whenever she needed to focus, especially when there were distractions about. However, the heat of battle was when her concentration had to be highest and she had the greatest chance of losing focus due to distractions. There were not always words to accompany the incredible sounds leaving her throat -- at times, the sounds of fighting combined with her fantastic voice were enough to mesmorize a crowd... sometimes even her opponent, which gave her an edge to winning. The people of her land have given her various nicknames as a result, such as "Battle Bard," "Killer Canary," "Warrior Siren," and others along those lines.
Ariella had already made a name for herself in both social and combat circles by the time she reached the age of majority. Her betrothal had already been arranged with Cain Landos two years prior, allowing their marriage to occur shortly after he, several months younger than she, became an adult. Although there was no love between them, they found they were surprisingly compatible in bed and worked to build a friendship outside the bedroom. Their first child was born about a turn after their wedding, followed by four more over the years. He died suddenly when their youngest had seen but five summers.
Already a Duchess who had birthed an heir and several spares, she did not so much as entertain the notion of remarrying. Her emotional fortitude, sense of justice, widsom, and physical ability earned the respect of many of her people and peers. While she may have seemed reserved and aloof, there was no doubt she was a skilled administrator and carefully considered the welfare of her people before making decisions. People often said she was much like the first Duchess of the Pearl, although they knew little of the legendary woman. Still it was a point of pride, a feeling prevalent among the Machuris, who have never forgotten they once were kings and queens before the unification of the Chosen Nation.
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She is a Duchess in her middle years who goes by her middle name, Ariella, and has done so since she was a small child. Of those who know her first name and have the privilege of addressing her by anything other than formal title, they know not to use it. Those who break that personal rule of hers are likely to find themselves in a poor position politically, bloodied and battered on the sparring ground by the Duchess' own hand, or both.
She is known to be an excellent administrator. Although she is often distant to the point of being aloof, she is fair and has a reputation for putting her people first. She considers all presented sides of an issue before rendering a decision. However, being a woman of strong resolve, that decision is absolute and nigh impossible to change. It is this same grit and determination that has allowed her to be rather good in combat, with or without a weapon.
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