Rowena, Duke’s Daughter

When she was young, Rowena could always be found under the huge, wooden table in her father’s dining hall listening to the nobles talk. At first she never understood a thing – the politics and gossip of the higher classes were not usually in the terms a little girl could comprehend, after all. But as the months and years went by, the pieces began to all fit together, and the stories wove themselves in her mind. Whether due to natural wit or a learned intuition, Rowena began to sense the lies and pretence in people’s words.

Despite her own mother’s protests, the Duke (who adored Rowena, and would let her steal the moon if she were able) began to take her to the larger balls and gatherings. There the inexperienced child grew into a charming young lady sat to the left of her father, watching and listening just as she did in the past. Single words, unfinished phrases, disgruntled exclamations, and even the careless glances meant much more to her than the often lengthy speeches of the hosts and honoured guests. She would whisper what she had noticed to her father and it did not take long for him to begin paying attention to his daughter’s wisdom.

The Duke was often called upon as an arbitrator in the High Guilds’ arguments – the peace and prosperity of the Free City depended much on these decisions. Once, the Duke went down with sickness, and Rowena stepped up as the representative of her family to speak for her father. All present admired her intelligence and confidence, and she had a unique, almost hypnotic, power of persuasion. Rowena quickly found common ground with both foreign diplomats and the longstanding representatives of the High Guilds.

Unfortunately, a dire plot against her father and the Guilds War that followed in its wake deprived Rowena of a peaceful future. The Duke’s daughter took his death heavily but still considers the Free City her home and continues to fight for its well-being.