Marcia Abrudas

Marcia Victus Abrudiana Caelina (born 'Marcia Abrudas Caelina') is the daughter and only child of Gaius Abrudas by his second wife, Euphemia Caelax. Her father named her after his father, Markus Abrudas, who in turn was named after their house's founder of the same name. Marcia had an older half-blood brother named Gidion Abrudas, who was the product of her father's marriage to his first wife, Teresa Kandros. Both Gidion and Teresa died in a tragic skycar accident before Marcia was born, prompting her father to remarry and sire another child to preserve his bloodline; that child was Marcia. 
Through her father, Marcia is the paternal first cousin once removed of Desolas Arterius II, whose mother, Maea Abrudas, was her father's aunt. When both of her parents were assassinated on the orders of Astraea Mehrkuri during The Night of Martyrs, leaving Marcia an orphan at just two years of age, Desolas legally adopted her in accordance with her father's will, albeit he stressed that Marcia be permitted to keep her Abrudas name in honour of her father. She was initially raised by Desolas' husband, Nihlus Kryik, however, when both he and Nihlus were exiled by Antraxes Partinax, their close friend, Iacoba Parvus, took it upon herself to care for her. 
Upon turning twenty, Marcia approached Iacoba's eldest son, the newly anointed Primarch Fidellion Victus of Palaven, to offer him her hand in matrimony in exchange for the protection of her remaining family. Despite the fact that Fidellion had already been considering taking Menaia Corinthus, the daughter of his closest friend and ally, to wife, Marcia was determined to pull off the biggest political gambit of her life by swiping Fidellion out from under her. Naturally sympathetic to her family's plight, Fidellion initially offered her the hand of his half-brother, Malkum Victus, as an offer of protection. 
While certainly tempted, Marcia stuck to her guns and kindly but firmly rejected his offer - she would accept him or no one else. Determined to sway him, she used her name and ancestry as leverage. In addition to being a member of House Abrudas, one of the oldest and most powerful houses in the empire, and a descendant of Aurelion Imperator himself, she also possessed a useful political link to the wrongly deposed Arterius regime. It was this specific connection which she used to convince Fidellion to take her as his consort: "My father was the true-born cousin of Desolas Arterius II, the rightful ruler of the empire. After his murder, my father decreed in his will, which was proclaimed in public to all, that Desolas would adopt me as his legal daughter. Thus I am, in the eyes of Aurelion's Sacred Laws, the daughter of the empire's last legitimate primarch. By taking me to wife, you would be harkening back to the time before the Usurper's Tyranny, to a time when the Saviour of the Galaxy still sat the Aurelian Throne. 
"As for Achaeus, you needn't fear rebuke; his friendship and personal endorsement of you is enough to placate even his most fanatical followers and negate any need for a marriage alliance with his house. Menaia Corinthus is, of course, a worthy match but what you truly need is someone who can bridge the gap between what came before and what is yet to come, and provide a strong foundation upon which you might build your legacy. When my cousin Sarena, Spirits mourn her, still lived, you were one of the most respected and powerful men in the empire. With me by your side, you can be again. In my blood is the power to legitimise your new reign in the eyes of our people." After much deliberation, Fidellion was eventually swayed by her argument and accepted her terms. The pair were married in 2242 CE. Despite being thirty-five years his junior, Marcia would bear Fidellion four children over the course of their union - two sons and two daughters. Marcia would sit beside Fidellion as his Conjux Domina for 95 years, until his death in 2337 CE, making her the longest serving Conjux Domina of Palaven in turian history. While their relationship with never one of romantic love (at least not on Fidellion's part) it was still one of deep familial love and devotion. Fidellion is known to have highly valued Marcia's counsel and admired her shrewd political mind, often choosing to discuss state affairs with her first before committing to a final decision. 
Marcia is also the paternal second cousin once removed of Primarch Aurelia Abrudas of Carthaan, who was her parriarch while growing up. Despite their relation, Marcia was not entitled to wear purple as a child, because she was not a descendant, forebear or sibling of Aurelia. When she married Fidellion, Aurelia was the one who gave her away to him, albeit she did not consider Fidellion to be a good match for her and would have preferred that she marry a man of lower rank to retain her Abrudas surname. Aurelia was always fiercely protective of Marcia, even after her cousin became a member of House Victus. 
Marcia has a tumultuous relationship with her step-son, Sairus Arterius, who openly despises her for "...taking [his] mother's rightful place". Wanting to be a good wife to Fidellion, Marcia tried multiple times to establish a positive relationship with his son, but Sairus refused to engage with her attempts at bridge building. After witnessing one of his violent outbursts, she would later confess to Fidellion that she was afraid of Sairus and did not want him near their own children, for fear he might harm them in one of his depressive rages. Marcia and Sairus have been estranged ever since, with Sairus often referring to her as illa meretrix, meaning 'that whore'. This is a source of contention with his father, who does not approve of his son's disrespectful attitude towards his wife. 
Following Fidellion's death, Marcia would travel to Bostra to live out the rest of her days on House Victus' ancestral estate, surrounded her and Fidellion's descendants. Rather than return to her natal house, she chose to remain a member of House Victus until her death. She would never remary. As the widow of one of the greatest primarchae in history, she was afforded the utmost respect by the Bostran people, who loved her as if she were one of their own. 
== Children ==
Over the course of twenty years, Marcia would give birth to four children. She was a nurturing and supportive mother whose children were at the core of her world. However, she also expected them to do their part in service to their father's vision of a unified empire. She shared a particularly close bond with her firstborn son, Keirix, whom she believed was a sign of Aurelion's faith in her husband's grand plan. So close was their connection that she became the first person he ever confided in about his sexuality. 
Marcia oversaw the education of all four of her children, grooming them to become both soldiers and statespersons. One exception was her youngest, Gaius, whose numerous developmental disabilities impeded his ability to emulate his older siblings. Marcia instead taught Gaius how to serve rather than lead, encouraging him to assist his father in his duties as his unofficial clerk. In particular, she imparted to her son the teachings of her maternal ancestor, Caelax, which emphasised dutiful service as the foundation of a strong and prosperous society. 
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Name 	Sex 	Birthdate	Notes
Keirix 	Male 	2248 CE 	Marcia's firstborn son. With him, she experienced prolonged labour which lasted for an arduous 46 hours. She suffered from postpartum endometritis, the same illness that had killed her ancestor, Trebia Aurelos, but recovered after a week in hospital. Keirix was born healthy, despite his ordeal. He was named after the kyrix, the Palavenian musical instrument of which his ancestor Aurelion was a virtuoso; a nod to Keirix's family resemblance with Aurelion.
Adriana	Female	2254 CE 	Marcia's first daughter. Due to the nature of her previous birth, extra precautions were taken to ensure safe delivery. As she had with Keirix, Marcia experienced prolonged labour with Adriana, albeit for a shorter time of 22 hours. Adriana was born healthy. She was named after her paternal great-grandfather, Primarch Adrien Victus.
Irixia 	Female	2261 CE 	Marcia's second daughter. As she had with her previous two children, she experienced prolonged labour with Irixia, albeit for a shorter time of 14 hours. Irixia was born healthy. She was named after her father's old friend and mentor, Fleet Admiral Irix Coronati.
Gaius 	Male 	2268 CE 	Marcia went into labour with her second son at just 38 weeks. The cause of her premature labour is unknown, although it is suspected that Gaius' birth defects may have been a factor. Gaius was born with multiple, lifelong developmental disabilities and had to spend three months in intensive care after his birth. He was named after his maternal grandfather, Gaius Abrudas.
== Symbology ==
Marcia's sigil is two crossed swords cutting through a chain, which she designed herself. It was granted to her by Fidellion upon her marriage to him, to use as the seal of the Conjux Domina of Palaven. The crossed swords are the sigil of her husband's family, while the broken chains are that of her own. By having the duelling swords of House Victus breaking the chains of House Abrudas, Marcia is making the explicit statement that she views her husband as her liberator.
Category:Characters
Category:Turians
Category:Females
Category:House Abrudas
Category:House Victus
Category:Conjux Dominae
Category:Imperial Family of Fidellion Victus
Category:Quattuor nomina