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 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."*
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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 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.

## 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.

 Adriana | Female
 Irixia | Female
 Gaius | Male

## 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 a very clear statement that she views her husband as her liberator.