#trelyse

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Carvin Charlevis (953 - 1001)

After putting his reign in the continuation of friendship with Astralone with his marriage to Peslé Familier, he attempted a new alliance with Aqualos’s direct neighbor South-Darah. Upon the birth of his son, his two daughters abdicated. They both became famous: Feid obtain the rare gift of eternal youth from the gods, while Joy went to woke up Ketal, the Great Sorcerer.

Trevin Charlevis (1001 - 1042)

He was mostly an unremarkable king who followed the opinions of his main advisor, Sylve Defontaine. His iconograhy, at least during his reign, always represent him as a soldier, though, there again, he showed little talent. He died during the Battle of Acmida, refusing his daughter’s advice to use the artillery over the cavalery. She would manage to reverse the battle as soon as her father’s tactics had failed.

Trélyse Charlevis (1042 - ?)

Nearly always compared to her ancestor Iseult (cf part 1) because of her prowess on the battlefield, she also proved to be an efficient administrator. Her decision to marry a Prince of Niensheria, yesterday’s enemy and one she fought herself, has been widely criticized by her people and beyond, though it did allow for peace to finally settle between both powerful nations.

When I saw your question, my first reaction was: “Oh my god, I forgot friendship!”. Truth is, I didn’t forget it, friendships just happen to be born in Rising Queens instead of being continued, with one main exception: the friendship between Trélyse, Bastian and Lenandel. So I’ll write about this one.

The friendship starts with just Trélyse and Bastian. She’s the heiress to the throne. He’s the son of the King’s private secretary. They’re the same age, and have known each other since they were babies. They played together, were tutored together… The first time they were apart from each other for more than a few days was when Trélyse entered the military school. Bastian took the opportunity to study law and continue his grooming as Trélyse’s future secretary.

Lenandel became part of the trio a little later. He came to Court when he was 15, and is 6 years younger than them. But his natural empathy and their political alignment became the foundation of their friendship. Though they did argue against each other in the hope to draw a better political system for Aqualos, they always did it amicably, with Lenandel standing judge while Trélyse and Bastian, more politically educated, exposed their views.

This friendship must sound awfully serious and, in a way, it is, but it also had its lighter moments. More than once, the three of them got out of the palace, openly or secretly, to have fun in the city. Games, drinks, parties by the lake, boat competitions… nothing was off limit. The rumors say Trélyse once dueled against some drunk noble son. But if you ask Bastian and Lenandel they will strongly deny (a little too strongly, tbh). Thankfully the rumor stayed a rumor.

Bastian and Trélyse have always been the first to know about Lenandel’s lovelife. Trélyse has shared with them the secret of some of her adventures. Only Bastian is very discreet on the subject, mostly because this is an aspect of life he doesn’t care about enough to pursue, and the two other never push him.

In Rising Queens, Trélyse is the Queen of Aqualos. When the book opens, she has only been queen for a couple of weeks as her father, King Trevin, just died in the battle of Acmida. Trélyse not only take over the crown, but she also becomes the chief commander of her armies, and lead them in the siege of Alhamra, capital of Niensheria.

Trélyse is not the first queen of Aqualos, she’s not even its first warrior-queen, but she is definitely the first to go to war with no clear heir. Indeed, Trélyse is not married, and already 29 years old. If she were to die on the battlefield, Aqualos could end up stuck in a civil war. Not only the identity of the heir would come into question, but the claim of her people for a parliament could end in a revolution.

Trélyse is fully aware of all this, and knows she has to find a husband asap. The fact she is still unmarried at her age may give the wrong impression she is against marriage, but that couldn’t be further away from the truth. But it must be noted that Trélyse does not believe she will marry out of love. She knows her position and is very practical in this regard. This vision may have slow down her search for a husband, as her father’s marriage has overall been disastrous.

Her mother was the daughter of a prominent nobleman from South-Darah, but in the recent years, the power structure’s have been reversed in that country, and the king, with the support of the army, has been able to impose his rule, instead of having it imposed onto him by the nobility. Furthermore, Trélyse’s parents, though respectful toward each other, have never even been friends. Their marriage held up only through the mediation and influence of Trélyse’s aunt, her mom’s sister and father’s lover.

Finally, because her father was healthy and peace allowed for a quiet reign, Trélyse thought she had time to choose her husband, that maybe she wouldn’t even reign herself but directly pass the crown to her children. The declaration of war and death of her father have changed it all. She must now check her prospects and choose the one who offer the best alliance.

Among her prospects are a few dukes and counts from North-Darah, a few sons of Coriant princes of the blood, a few noblemen of her own country (including a cousin or two) or some very rich merchant from Méridon. But, overall, her best and worst prospect is Septeria, prince of Niensheria. Their wedding could stop a war, but Aqualians might get angry at their queen for marrying the enemy.

WIP Intro | Rising Queens

Genre: High Fantasy

Status: 2nd Draft

Notes: The Tales of Rheio are an ensemble of novel-length stories, all set in the same universe, but in different places and times. Rising Queens is the first book of a two part story.

Setting: the action takes place mostly in three cities: Aqualyre, capital of Aqualos, the city is stuck between a chain of mountains and a lake ; Alhamra, capital of Niensheria, situated in the middle of desert and currently under siege ; Le Val, an aqualian city, situated on the defensive Wall and housing one of the many citadels of the country.

THE STORY

The third war between Aqualos and Niensheria is touching to an end. For the very first time in history, the aqualian army has set siege to the capital of Niensheria, Alhamra. Trélyse, queen of Aqualos, expect a swift reddition, but, on the northern frontier of Aqualos, alarm fires lit up. Suddenly Trélyse is stuck in a foreign country, cut from her own. The choice is simple: she can stay and win the war against Niensheria at the risk of losing her own country, or she can leave, try to save it and lose her only chance at settling the peace with Aqualos’s best enemy. Little does she knows, the attack against Aqualos was just a diversion. While Morgon was attacked, the Memory Tower, library of sorcerers’ knowledge from the past millennium has been burned to the ground. Among its shelves, one book held a precious secret. With it, Ketal could rise again and rebuild his empire of terror.

THE CHARACTERS

Trélyse | 29 | Queen of Aqualos | able to feel magic but not use it

Trélyse has known her whole life she would someday inherit the crown. She just didn’t expect it so soon, and definitely not in the middle of a war. Though politics is not new to her, she feels the pressure of having so many people look up to her. She is no longer the princess who tried to temper the push from the absolutists, and associated herself with moderates and the bourgeoisie. She has become the queen, commander of her armies, and set siege in front of Alhamra. She has all the advantages for a swift victory: a powerful army, a secure line of supplies and communication, niensherian prisoners to exchange, including maybe a prince… Until the alarm fires are lit up. Trélyse is able, to some extent, to feel magic around her, but she cannot use it at all.

Feid Familier | 93 (33) | The Black Sorcerer | Traveler

Feid was born Crowned Princess of Aqualos, but she chose a different path. One which, through abdication, led her to serve the gods. Going around the world she accomplished a lot, some known to all, some known to none. When the last war started between Aqualos and Niensheria, she left Alhamra and her apprentice, Harsha, behind. She could not risk to betray her country, so she retired from the world. Until, last night, when Llanya, the goddess, woke her up and sent her to help the soldiers who man Morgon. Feid has the ability to travel through space and time. Also, because she put herself in the service of the gods, they granted her the gift of eternal youth. Though she is not immortal, she has kept the appearance of her early thirties.

Lenandel Familier | 23 | Cousin to the queen | Luminempath

Lenandel came to live at Court when he was fifteen. Before that he was raised with his twin brother, Ezarel, in the countryside. Lenandel remembers those years fondly. Then was when he was innocent, happy, and told his brother everything. The Court has distanced them, but Lenandel found new friends, such as Trélyse, then a princess, now the queen. When the war started, he swore to her a magical oath of loyalty and became her spokesman, becoming so involved in the politics that, since the death of the late king, he is the de facto regent. This position didn’t get him many friends, and the growing clash between absolutists, populists, democrats and sorcerers only weaken him. Lenandel is a Luminempath, a rare breed of sorcerer, able to create pure light and read emotions and thoughts. Because of his powers and the stress of his position he suffers of chronic headaches.

Harsha Alfanak | 15 | Prince of Niensheria | Healer

During all his childhood, Harsha had to deal with the constant harassment of his eldest brothers, which culminated when they chose to throw their hounds upon him. Harsha should have died or, at the very least, be severely injured, but the incident revealed his magical powers. Suddenly, his brothers lost interest in him, as the law is clear: no sorcerer can pretend to the throne. Upon his fifteen birthday, Harsha left Alhamra. He spent the past eight months in Acmida, where he ended up stuck when the aqualian army conquered the city. But when the alarm fires lit up, his choice is made. It’s time to leave, to have his own life. Whatever that means… because, truth be told he has no idea what he should do, maybe Feid can help him… or maybe it’s time he figures it out for himself. Harsha has the ability to heal people and himself through touch. He can also kill, though he tend to avoid that side of his magic, as the memory of being covered in the blood of his brothers’ hounds still haunts him.

Ketal | | The Great Sorcerer | Psychic During nearly a century,

Ketal reigned on the world. Though peace reigned, the sorcerers were hunted, as Ketal was unable to trust them. Most of the sorcerers caught ended up dead, but some were sent back to Ketal. The Great Sorcerer vampirised them, absorbing their magic to feed his own and keep a youthful appearance. Finally, unable to stand the destruction of their communities, sorcerers rallied, and with the support of Niensheria, they fought Ketal and his armies and put him to sleep behind thirteen barriers of magic, hoping, some day, some powerful sorcerers would come back to finish their work and put an end to Ketal’s life. But their hopes went to waste. A thousand years later, sorcerers are trying to wake up Ketal, but not to kill him. They want to free him. Ketal has the ability to heal himself by absorbing other sorcerer’s magic. He is also able to read thoughts and communicate telepathically.

LINKS

Moodboards | The Map | The Familier Family | The Temple of Marka | Lenandel’s Excerpt | Autumn festival in Aqualos | Trélyse’s Excerpt | Main Characters Moodboards | Secondary Characters Moddboards 1 2 3 | Prep Tag Game | Religions Maps | Excerpt of a Map | Character building: Lenandel | Teaching Magic | Girls Girsl Girls Tag: Feid, Trélyse | Trélyse and marriage | Feid and the gods | The Last War chronology | Niensheria’s Government | the Siege of Alhamra | The desert of Niensheria | Astralone, the land of sorcerers |

20 facts about:

Trélyse | Aqualos | Niensheria | Magic |

Most frequent tags:

Series/Book: Tales of Rheio, Rising Queens

Characters: Trélyse, Feid Familier, Harsha Alfanak, Lenandel Familier, Philès Alfanak, Joy Familier,

Location: Aqualos (Aqualyre, Le Val, ), Niensheria (Alhamra, Acmida)

TAG LIST (let me know if you’d like to be added or removed!)

I was tagged again by @kittensartsbooks!!! and I’m truly grateful because I was hesitating between my two main female characters. So here, have Trélyse, Queen of Aqualos, answer these.

Who was/is your mother and what did she teach you?

My Mother is Sanai Elraad, Queen-mother of Aqualos, wife of my deceased father, Trevin, King of Aqualos before me. She came, very young, from South-Darah to Aqualos with the mission to solidify the alliance between the two countries. In the end, all her hard work was for nothing, as the political power shifted in South-Darah about 10 years ago, changing entirely the relationships between our countries.

What I learned from her is that even in defeat, you can keep your head high, and adapting to new situation is key in keeping power and status.

Do you have any sisters (related or not)?

I have no sibling. My parents made the effort of conceiving an heir, but their relationship was not of love or of physical attraction. It was the friendship and the understanding of people who live side by side.

How has your gender shaped your path in life?

Unlike most women from noble families, I chose to study in a military school. This made for some awkward conversations when talking with women more versed in law and trade, or art. It made me stand apart from my own gender in my own Court.  

What does the woman you admire look like? Who is she?

Queen Erinye of Coriandre is the woman who has left the deepest impression in me. She was placed on the throne after her mother was forced to abdicate, and she had to face an open rebellion from her youngest sister (which nearly caused a civil war). But she still managed to make of her reign the golden age of the Coriant Empire. She promoted art, passed more lenient laws for serfs, supported trade, deepened diplomatic relationships with Niensheria...

Why do you think women are considered the gentler sex?

Because people love to simplify people in the simplest characteristics. So, for women, they associate them with motherhood and nurturing qualities, and totally forget how fierce they can be on the battlefield.

What is a piece of your personality that you are proud of?

I do not falter when a decision needs to be made.

When did you accept your own body and its strengths/weaknesses?

Going to a military school and following the same training as most soldiers made for a very teaching moment.

Tagging : @writer-s-a-tyler @mischiefiswritten and @gottaenjoythelittlethingzz

tagged by @elaynab-writing thank you <3

In French

« Et un ancien mousse a les talents diplomatiques nécessaires à cette mission ? »

La question était purement rhétorique. Leon avait une facilité étonnante à nouer le contact avec n’importe qui, peu importait la classe sociale de son interlocuteur, il trouvait toujours les bons mots.

Trélyse poussa un soupir résigné et enjamba la distance qui la séparait de Leon. Elle le prit dans ses bras. L’étreinte le prit complètement par surprise et elle le sentit se tendre. Elle entendit le Général étouffer un hoquet. Une telle familiarité n’était probablement pas digne d’une reine. Mais après tout ces mois à pouvoir compter sur la loyauté indéfectible de Leon, elle trouvait cette étreinte un bien maigre paiement.

Elle relâcha son étreinte et recula d’un pas tout en gardant les mains posées sur ses épaules.

« Promets moi que nous nous reverrons.

— En ce monde ou par delà, Votre Majesté. »

In English

"And a former sailor has the diplomatic skills necessary for this mission? "

The question was purely rhetorical. Leon had an astonishing facility to make contact with anyone, no matter what their social background was, he always found the right words.

Trélyse gave a resigned sigh and stepped over the distance that separated her from Leon. She took him in her arms. The embrace took him completely by surprise and she felt him tense. She heard the General stifle a hiccup. Such familiarity was probably not worthy of a queen. But after all these months of being able to count on Leon's unwavering loyalty, she found that embrace a meager payment.

She released her grip and took a step back while keeping her hands resting on his shoulders.

"Promise me we'll meet again.

- In this world or beyond, Your Majesty. "

Thank you to @kittensartsbooks for tagging me :))

I’ll do it for the main four characters of Rising Queens (may I add finding themes songs was so freaking hard!)

Name: Trélyse Love language: soft touches on an arm, a shoulder, and, when she feels she can show intamacy, on the cheek. Wealth: lot of money, though technically it is the State‘s money as much as hers Occupation: Queen of Aqualos, Commander of Armies Obsession: her garden and strategic maps Fears: to fail (at being a good queen, at winning the war, at achieving her duties) Wants: to go home and to always behave in a way deserving of her men's admiration Theme song: Empire (Alpines) Sexuality: hetero Secret: she's a much more lay-back person than she appears to be in public

Name: Feid Familier Love language: hugs and hands holding Wealth: she owns a small house in the Hilly March and has a some money put aside. Occupation: in the service of the gods Obsession: her mother’s prophecies book Fears: to die too soon without completing her mission Wants: to rest Theme song: The Beginning (One Ok Rock) Sexuality: ??? I’m actually unsure. I know she’s attracted by men, but I still wouldn’t bet she’s hetero. Secret: She once traveled to the future and knows when she’s supposed to die

Name: Harsha Alfanak Love language: hugs, with all his strenght Wealth: technically royal, so he probably has some money thanks to that, but since he has left Court and the capital is under siege, I’m not sure he has access to it at the moment. Occupation: Prince of Niensheria, Healer Obsession: books, more books Fears: dogs Wants: to find his place in the world Theme song: Buon Viaggio (Cesare Cremonini) Sexuality: hetero Secret: his prince status (he’s in hiding)

"20 Facts about" is a series of posts which presents various aspects of Tales of Rheio, such as characters and worldbuilding elements.

Trélyse

She's the queen of Aqualos

She has yet to be officially crowned, since she became queen in the middle of a military campaign.

She went to the military school of Bourg-Les-Rois.

Her official military rank is colonel, but, since she is the queen, she is also the Commander in chief of her army.

She won the battle of Acmida, after the defeat of her cavalery, by using artillery instead.

She loves gardening.

She's inflexible when it comes to her principles.

As a princess, she supported a moderate line of politics which was more inclusive of the bourgeoisie.

She didn't always see eye to eye with her father, when he was the king, but she still misses him. He died in the battle of Acmida. Trélyse was informed only when the battle ended. And since the war is not over yet, she didn't really had the time to properly grieve.

She makes quick decisions and can seem impulsive because of it.

She's very aware of how people see her, and do her best to maintain this image, even more since her soldiers have started to compare her with her ancestor Queen Iseult, who is mostly known for defeating the Coriant Empire.

She's 29.

She's not married, nor engaged and has no children, though she had had a few casual sex relationships.

She's practical and always ready to compromise to get what she wants most.

She hold loyalty as the most important value, and reciprocate it when people give it to her.

She has grey eyes, which comes from her south-dahran ascendance (her mother and grand-mother).

She is able to feel magic, but not to use it.

She speaks and write a few languages: aqualian, coriant, dahran (a couple of dialects actually: the "new dialect of Tara" and the court dialect of South-Darah), niensherian.

Her parents relationship is unconventional: even though they did conceive Trélyse, they nearly never shared a bed as there was no physical attraction between them. Instead Trélyse's aunt (her mother's sister) was the lover of her father. Trélyse's aunt and mother get along very well.

Trélyse is a little small for an aqualian woman

Bonus: When I first created this character, Trélyse was named Tren and was a man (and gosh she is so much easier to write as a woman)