Archduchess Cornelia Von Atalan

Name: Archduchess Cornelia von Atalan
Age: 54 Years Old
Deceased.
Location: House of Atalan's Archducal Estate in Atalan
Titles: Archduchess, Her Most Noble Grace, Her Grace

Physical Description:

Always true beauty, she has aged most gracefully. Only a hint of silver has thus far made it into her long black hair, which in public she keeps put up in high bouffants. Her skin is particularly pale relative to a Halmorian. She is known for her disapproval of cosmetics on principle, stating that those of most noble birthing need no assistance to their beauty. She is slightly taller than the average Halmorian female, on par with the average Halmorian male. (In fact she was taller than her husband, who was slightly shorter than the average Halmorian male) She is neither thin nor rotund, by Halmorian standards maintaining a perfectly moderate physique. In public she speaks in a sharp soprano register, while in private speaks in a low alto. She walks with elegant grace and steady dignity, though without the swagger of arrogance or the uplifted nose of pride. She dresses in the finest fabrics imported from all over the Empire, and initially tried to keep up with the fashions on the mainland, now becoming somewhat of a trendsetter in Atalan, her new styles are rumored to be designed by House Ottrius specifically for Her Grace.

History:

Her First Decade

Born the only child of Baron Cornelius Von Beaumort and his late wife, Baroness Maria Cordova, lords of the most prosperous Barony under the purview of the Southern Provincial Duchy of Palustris. She was educated by a hired tutor, a strict Ephasean matron. When she came of age, famed for her beauty and nobility, Cornelia soon caught the eye of the Duke Archimadeus Von Palustris. Duke Von Palustris arranged a marriage between her and his own son and heir, Margrave Archibald Von Palustris, her dowry being the heirship to the Barony.

Her Second & Early-Third Decades

The couple seemed happy together, as evidenced by the fact that they had several children. The couple, in fact, only got along when they were in the marriage bed. She got along even less well with her father-in-law. Not long after the birth of their final child, the Duke became very ill and soon passed away. Before her husband could ascend the Duchy, however, another claimant, a distant cousin by the name of Lord Panagoitis Von Palustrias, claiming to have a more legitimate claim to the Duchy arose to claim the title by appealing to the Imperial Court. While awaiting the proceedings, news quickly reached the Duke's court news that the Emperor was looking for a suitable noble house to endow over the Imperial Colony of Atalan. They then devised a plan by which they could salvage their power and dignity and perhaps even increase it, without having to endure the indignity of a trial that put their legitimate authority into question. Cornelia was the true architect of the plan, and they had reason to believe that they might lose the trial as Panagoitis had powerful allies. Archibald & Cornelia then traveled to the Imperial Court, and put their plan into fruition. They proposed to the Emperor that they should be named by Colonial Charter, Archducal House of Atalan, and in exchange, the majority of their current holdings would thus become forfeit to the Imperial Throne, and their cousin Panagoitis would inherit only the title, "Margrave Von Palustris" along a practically worthless bit of land at the periphery of the Empire. Unable to pass up the largest land-acquisition that the Imperial Family had of-yet personally acquired without bloodshed, the Emperor accepted and Archibald signed the Imperial Charter, thus becoming the Archduke of Atalan, with Cornelia, now titular Archduchess, smiling at his side.

Her Late-Third To Present

Thus they begun administrating the Emmigration from Halmoria. Their first move was to take advantage of an ancient oath of protection given to the family by the Van Martelus Knightly House. They were also contacted by the Van Ottrius family, who desired to swear allegiance to the newly formed Most Noble House of Atalan join their Emmigration and in exchange, fund the colonization effort.

The move took quite some time to complete, with the family living, in the meanwhile, in a large comfortable complex in the Capital paid for and furnished by the Van Ottrius family. There her family grew, with her oldest daughter's husband, Duke Maximillian, electing to join House Von Atalan, along with their youngest daughter, later, doing the same. Their eldest son and heir, Margrave Archibald II Von Atalan, his first wife the Margravine Seraphinia having passed away in childbirth, remarried, Countess Lucretia Corvinus Von Atalan|Countess Lucretia, daughter and heiress to the late Count Corvinus.

When they landed in Atalan, they made themselves comfortable in the largest manorial structure in the city, which had been set aside for them. Not soon after the first meeting of the City Council, her husband the Archduke was announced as dead, with his wife to succeed him as the rightful Archduchess, and at the next Council, took up her Chair with only a short moment of silence for the passing of her husband, and then immediately began getting down to business.

Her rulership of the City as one of the four Council members has been thus far seen as successful.

She was presumed dead after a noble ball in the Summer 983 IY. In the spring 985 IY it was found that this was a ruse due to the schemes of Maximillian. She did however loose the Archduchy in the process of reclaiming her house.