Queen Minerva Wilem II of Flowers

Queen Minerva Wilem II of Flowers was the ruler of Fleur from 96-110 CE and the mother of Queen Guinevere Wilem of Flowers. She was preceded by Queen Lorelai Wilem of Flowers, her mother. 
== Biography ==
=== Early Life ===
Minerva was born in the afternoon on the 23rd of Skjol in 63 ME to Queen Lorelai Wilem of Flowers and Prince Consort Nikolas Wilem. She was healthy and of good form. She was presented to the public on her first birthday to the joy of the nation. Minerva was raised alongside her two younger brothers, Johan and Persepolis, in Evermere, Wilemberg. She was an introverted child, not much interested in socializing with her peers or ladies in waiting. Instead, she preferred spending her time within her room reading or studying.
In an attempt to make Minerva more sociable, her uncle, Prince Silas Wilem, recommended to her mother that she and her brothers come to live at his palace Sea Star, so as to spend time in the company of their cousins and in the more amicable weather. She obliged, sending Minerva with her brothers south in 80. Once there, Minerva spent much of her time in the company of her cousin, Lady Helena Wilem, as well as her distant relation, Lady Hestos Wilem. In her teen years she spent her days traveling abroad with her uncle and family, lounging on yachts, and enjoying the calm of peaceful years. At this time, despite being the crown princess, she was often overlooked by poets and courtesans in favor of her cousin Helena, who was considered for austere and interesting. Minerva remained quiet, mostly reserved throughout this period.
=== As Queen of Flowers ===
In 90, Minerva returned home to begin her duties as Queen. Though her mother still lived, she was beginning to ail, and wanted to train her daughter the best she could before her death. Minerva spent most of her days working alongside her mother, sitting in on council, and listening to the pleas of citizens. When her mother's health began to fail in 95, Minerva was acting as ruler in her stead. In 96 ME Queen Lorelai died peacefully in her sleep. Minerva was crowned three days later, proclaiming herself Queen of Flowers to the masses from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Suffering on the 3rd of Avianja, 96. 
As Queen, Minerva was relatively successful in her ventures. She quelled hunger in the kingdom by lightening the expected amount of cereals given to the royal family by half, levied taxes on the middle class while lifting taxes on the peasantry, and encouraged respect towards the countries growing Ihjargan population. Her lax attitude toward the pagans garnered her some controversy amongst the more religious Fleurians, but was overall a positive as it garnered the respect of both the Ihjargans and Fleurian Aesthetics. Minerva's neglect of inner relations amongst her court led to a degradation of trust between her vassals and herself. 
When Minerva was 36 in 97 she married a high ranking military general, the High General Charles Boran. The two were deeply in love, having met at an after party celebration for her knighting of Charles and a few other generals. No one had seen Minerva so happy, rejuvenating the court with much needed change. Charles influenced Minerva heavily in this time, encouraging her to send troops to Arimania to assist in the fight against the pagans of Sikkud and to retread on her previous tolerance of other religions besides Justainism. Minerva's change of face angered the Ihjargans who she previously protected but earned her favor with the nobility.
On the 21st of Caed in 98 ME Minerva gave birth to her only child, the future Queen Guinevere Wilem of Flowers. She had little interest in raising the child, though Charles deeply adored her. At this time, Charles was regularly campaigning in the south, and in 102 ME he was struck down by the Sikkudians near Balalinople. When word reached Fleur, Minerva made a sound that was later described as inhuman, throwing herself onto the floor and tearing at her hair. For days she refused to leave her room, eat, or speak to anyone. Her maids say that she simply lay on the floor of her room, occasionally changing positions, with evidence she had been tearing at her breasts and face apparent. Attempts to bring Guinevere to her in hopes of lifting her spirits failed, with Minerva screaming at the child. For three months she remained within her chamber while her court ruled in her stead.
=== After Charles' Death ===
On the 5th of Igna of 98, Minerva left her chamber, completely covered in a veil of white cloth. She sat upon the throne and said nothing, simply waiting until court resumed as if she was not dressed how she was. For the first few weeks she did not speak, simply nodded yes or no, but eventually she began enacting her wishes, which included many seemingly nonsensical policies. She ordered that the dragon Ob be brought to her for trial by water, that all left handed children be expelled from Wilemberg, and that every household with a chimney was to be taxed double what they had been previously, among other things. She claimed that Justain was speaking to her through a host of angels which always hovered about her room. Several times she attempted to catch them with sheets or nets only to become angry when they only fell to the floor.
Despite this behavior, Minerva was much beloved in court, as her noble companions were able to twist her to their will. She appointed several unworthy advisors, gifted land and titles at random, and granted large swathes of coin for random projects. It was during one of these fits where she landed and titled a young Islwyn Ysborne after he brought her a tin of canned fish, an at the time new process. She also came to hate her daughter Guinevere, who she called a "specter" and tormentor of her soul. Guinevere thus was regulated to her room and the gardens, raised by a series of maids. Whenever one of these maids displeased Minerva, she would have them exiled or beheaded, with their heads placed on spikes on the gates of Evermere, where Guinevere could see them. 
In 109 ME Prince Johan Wilem as well as several other compatriots were seized after their plot to depose Minerva was uncovered. Enraged, the Queen was ready to execute her brother with the rest of the conspirators, but was swayed by her daughter's pleas to spare his life. Instead she exiled him to Sikkud, stripping him of his titles. She then ordered Guinevere to be locked away in her room indefinitely, hiring a Kuddian magician to place a curse on the door so that the supposed ghostly girl could not phase through the door. 
Minerva's health rapidly declined in 110. She became incredibly paranoid, sending her courtesans away at the slightest offense, babbling to nothing, and refusing to bathe. Her hair was wild, her nails untrimmed, and her veil dirtied when in mid-Igna she decided to sleep outside in the snow to escape supposed bugs that were living within her chambers. She caught a terrible cold, quickly became ill, and, on the 3rd of Cern 110 ME, Minerva died in her bed. Only her brother Prince Persepolis Wilem was present in her final hour, yet he refuses to tell of what she said. 
Minerva was buried in the Royal Vaults at Wilemberg. She was 47. 
== Appearance ==
Minerva had golden red hair and pale skin. She was slightly taller than average with a thin build. In her youth she kept great care of her nails and hair, dressing mostly in loose fitting robes. As she got older she dressed more traditionally northern. Her hair had gone completely grey by age thirty.
Category:Fleurian Characters
Category:Wilem Royal Family
Category:Wolf