Alethea Slade (nee Raynell

[Alethea Slade]

| ~ • ~ | Character Basics | ~ • ~ |

.:Name:. Alethea Slade (nee Raynell)
.:Nick Name:. Thea, Ali
.:Rank:. Noble, Crime Lord's wife
.:Age:. Twenty Five

| ~ • ~ | Appearance | ~ • ~ |

.:Physical Appearance:. Alethea is a girl of average height and slender build. She has long dark hair, raven coloured against her pale white skin. Eye colour light brown, gentle and kind. Always dressed to perfection as the daughter of a duke, no less was expected of her.
.:Height:. 5"4
.:Portrayed by:. Adelaide Kane

| ~ • ~ | Personality | ~ • ~ |

.:Personality:. Growing up Alethea was a fun free spirit, always with a smile on his face. Chasing her older and younger siblings through their castle. As she got older her duties became clearer and more set out by her mother. Her tree climbing and horse riding stopped and was replaced with more female pursuits. Music and sewing, growing up into the fair minded and headstrong woman.

She knows her own mind and isn’t afraid to speak it at times. The only one she truly fears is her father. From her time as a teen, she was spent taking care of her mother when she would be beaten by her father in a fit of rage, which became more frequent as she got older. There had been relief when she had been offered in marriage to Reuben Slade, the only hesitation was that for her mother.

.:Skills:. Fair musician & artist, sewing, fair cook, Fiercely protective mother, enjoys riding, curious.
.:Weaknesses:. Headstrong (Also a strength at times), singing, guarded (at first), stubborn, a little fearful.

| ~ • ~ | History | ~ • ~ |

.:Birthplace:. Rutland, England
.:Family:.
Reuben Slade: Husband
Evelina Slade: Daughter

Patrick Raynell: Father, Duke of Rutland
Levinia Raynell (nee Selwyn): Mother, Duchess of Rutland

Catherine Stuart: Family Nanny

Siblings:
Nathaniel Raynell: Older Brother
Timothy Raynell: Older Brother
Camilla Raynell: Younger Sister
Charity Raynell: Youngest Sister (Stephen's Twin)
Stephen Raynell: Youngest Brother (Charity's Twin)

.:Occupation:. Noble Lady
.:History:.
Trigger Warnings: hints to physical & sexual abuse.

Alethea the eldest daughter to Patrick the duke of Rutland. Their story was not a great one. Patrick was the only son, of the late duke. He had been raised to inherit and was raised to be cruel. His first wife, died during childbirth, neither her nor the child surviving. Any marriage arranged, for one reason or another. Levinia Selwyn hadn’t jumped at the marriage for she had heard tales of his cruelty. Alas they were simply that: tales, rumour. Nothing with any substance. Her father didn’t care, wanted her out of his life for his daughters meant nothing to him.

Levinia was nothing but a breeding mare for Patrick. A means to continue his line. As it happens Levinia had many children, six to be exact. Nathaniel was the eldest son, the heir to Patrick’s name and territory. Alethea was born third, and her treasure. The more children she got they eventually hired a nanny. A kind woman who doted on the children, taught them, and aided their mother while their father was absent from their lives. He was a physical constant, but Alethea could not remember a caring loving word in her direction.

Alethea was like a whirlwind of energy, much to her mothers and nanny annoyance. She ran and played with Timothy, her elder brother by only a year. Hide and seek probably her favourite game, there were so many places to hide that she could remain hidden nearly all day. In the gardens she became quite adept at tree climbing and paid no heed to scraped knees or hands. She learned to ride, even from a young age. Levinia tried to let her daughter have a childhood, though eventually Levinia had to tell her. That such practises were not becoming of a Lady and pushed her in the direction of more genteel pursuits. Particularly when it was clear she wasn’t to be the only daughter, Camilla was born when she was thirteen. A rather large age gap between her and her younger sister. She moved on from the tree climbing, but she continued to ride. Ladylike while in public, but when alone, on their private land she would ride freely quickly, galloping as fast as her horse would carry her.

Her nanny then became her tutor in nearly everything. Piano, violin, singing, sewing, reading, writing, drawing… you name it she learned it all. Singing… well cats have sounded better. She avoided the opportunity at all costs. Her drawing was much better, her landscapes were considered beautiful by her mother, forever her number one fan. Music is what she enjoyed best, piano was ok, but she loved the violin. When her mother seen how much she loved it at sixteen she was gifted her a Hofner, imported from Germany. It was her most cherished possession, until many years later when her daughter was born.

As a young girl she had been blind, blind to what was truly going on. Days when her mother wouldn’t arise from her room. When she was older and more headstrong and steadfast in what she wanted. She realized the truth. The days when her mother wouldn’t leave her rooms was when she was too badly beaten to move, by their father.

When her father would come home, probably after a bad night gambling, or just entirely drunk. That would be when the abuse was worse. If the anger was ever directed the children, her mother would always redirect it to herself. Alethea stayed out of sight, her brother Timothy usually the one directing the attention toward himself. Nathaniel, old enough to do something, never did. Alethea couldn’t, cared for her mother in however she could. Offering food, company, clearing cuts, as she had seen many do, since the staff were becoming few and far between.

Their troubles became harder, her fathers’ anger more and more common, his cruelty becoming harsher and swifter. One night when he returned home, she snapped and couldn’t bear to witness this and she got between her father and mother, shouting at him to stop. It earned her first bruise from her father, but she remained between them. That until her brother drew her away. She snarled at him calling him a coward. It was only months later that her mother was pregnant again and Alethea had to swallow her disgust for she knew what it meant, as she was not completely naïve.

Her fear only grew as her bruise faded. She was nineteen when there was a promise of freedom. One day she was called into a room, where her father accepted guests. A man there that she had never seen before, standing with a cane, examining her. She was surprised when her father all but offered her up to be sold to him in marriage. She wasn’t about to refuse as she knew this would take her from this house and her father. There was only slight hesitation, of leaving the rest of her family here with him. Her mother, her sister who was still but a child, another on the way.

Her mother, heavily pregnant came to her and offered her what she needed to hear. That she was to go, try and be happy with this man who was all but a stranger, and not look back. She would not hold her daughter here. Within days her things were packed, everything from her clothes to her violin. Even her horse came with her. They were wed, far away from her family’s influence. Initially they simply got to know each other. Marriage was permanent after all.

Only a few months after her leave of Rutland and her family, her wedding to Reuben. She received news of her mother. That the labour of her last children, twins no less, had taken her life. The news had crushed her initially, but she had found some small comfort to know that she was no longer suffering at the hands of her father.

With that life behind her she grew to love her new one. Her husband had her secrets of course, and should she ever learn of any she kept them, as a wife should. She made the best of her life, Reuben gave her their daughter, Evelina. She was her greatest treasure and loved her deeply. Because she knew no differently, she was surprised to see a different side to Reuben when with their daughter. A loving father… something which was foreign to her, but she was more than happy to see it.

| ~ • ~ | Member Info | ~ • ~ |

.:Name or Online Alias:. Lissa
.:Your Pronouns:. She/her
.:Are you 18+:. Yes
.:How Did You Find Us:. Second Character

[The Writer]