Helga Reinhardt

Helga Reinhardt is the Nordlandic throne heir and a key protagonist in the fantasy story, '*The Trinity Throne'***.**

   Helga's story starts on board a ship, called *the Vanguard*, bound for Fjorgallahar during high tide. She is accompanied by a close confidant, named Lot Audbjorn, who obtained the ship by pretending to be the soon-to-be princess' royal keeper. The ship is steered off-course in a storm and Helga is lost to the sea, only to be revived by a Myr named Aui. Her disappearance sparks a race of usurpers who wish to take the Trinity Throne from the long line of Reinhardts who currently rule.

## Character story summary

* Gets lost at sea and becomes Myr.
* Tries to save Lot from her family's retaliation and fails.
* Helps pave the way for allowing a Myr to compete for the Trinity throne, and ultimately helping Bawi fight against Tjor of Mjol.

**Arc:** Responsibility is more important than personal freedom **>>** Freedom is more/just as important as responsibility.

## Act One: Becoming Myr

After the death of her older brother Rorvin, and the mental deterioration of her father, King Reginjold, Helga is deemed the next throne heir of the Nordlands. She has lived under strict control and observation her whole life, being the last Reinhardt capable of participating for the Trinity Throne. The lack of freedom bothers her deeply, especially since her brother was given permission to live such a wild life (resulting in his own death). While being educated in Madraheim by Lot Audbjorn, the two are ferried to Uttenberg to attend a funeral service for her brother. It is there that Lot uncovers a plot against Helga, perpetuated by Axim Vanderholt, to take the Trinity Throne by killing off the last of the Reinhardts. Under cover of night, Lot smuggles Helga out of Uttenberg onto a ship, in order to try and reach Fjorgallahar safely during high tide. The plan backfires, and the ship is carried by strong currents to the east coastline of Varkrona, where it crashes against fjords and rocks, casting everyone into the Tjor Sea.

Helga's sinking body is found by a Myr, Aui, who revives her by biting her neck and infecting her with venom, turning Helga into a water-breathing Myr. Helga is revived, and awakens to discover the changes to her body. She cannot yet speak well underwater, and Aui speaks broken Nordish. Aui shows her the sunken wreckage of her ship. Helga tries to get back to land by swimming, but air above is painful to breathe. Aui tries to get her accustomed to her new life, attempting to take her as her own daughter. Helga is desperate to get back to Lot, to her family. She tries to swim into fjords of Varkrona, but arrows from above force Aui to drag her back to the safety of the open sea. Aui does her best to show her the beauty of the reefs and the freedom of the ocean. Helga begins to experiment with her new Myr body and starts to enjoy it. Aui says she wants to introduce Helga to her clan, and begins taking her south. They run into other frolicking Myr on the way, playing in the wake of ships. Helga enjoys the thrill of joining them. Helga also finds a bedrock shelf that goes down into deeper ocean. She looks to Aui for guidance, who says nothing. Curious, she investigates, only to be attacked by giant eels. Aui appears with a spear and saves her. When Helga asks why Aui allowed her to go down there, she says its up to her to learn from her own mistakes.

## Act Two: Saving Lot

As Helga and Aui near Port Saxonby, they see Myr tricking the docked sailors to steal their fish and beer along the piers. Aui points out the Dodaanic monks who helped teach her how to speak Landlap. In the port, Helga sees a gold pendant drop into the water from above. She recognizes it as the gift she gave Lot. Helga retrieves it and breaches the surface to call out to Lot, who had cast the pendant into the sea as a symbolic farewell. In a gasp, Lot runs into the water and scoops up Helga. He calls for help, and the surrounding monks help get her inside to be treated. Aui attempts to leap out and save her, but she is pushed back into the water by surrounding sailors.

Helga is placed in a bathtub within the Dodaanic church while Lot panics over what to do. He is told about an apothecary in Holmestaad, Mosseus, working on a cure for the Myr poison. Lot is desperate to get Helga there and then back to Madraheim before her father realizes something went horribly wrong. He gets a ship constructed with a glass case inside to ferry Helga while submerged in water, but she hates the confinement, and pleads with Lot to let her be free again. Lot is dedicated to Helga's safe return home, though. When they get to Uttenberg, Lot is promised by Axim Vanderholt that Mosseus will take good care of her and cure her, but instead Helga is thrown in a lake prison with other Myr, who are tortured and experimented on. Lot spends two weeks in Uttenberg, attempting to convince a royal advisor that Helga is undergoing a pious journey to become a Sygridanna (priestess of Sygrid), hence her disappearance. Meanwhile, Helga plots an escape with the other Myr which involves pretending to be dead. Lot and the advisor unfortunately see this and believe it's real. Lot is arrested and taken back by ship to Madraheim where he will likely face execution.

Helga gets returned to Aui, and may Myr are freed from Vanderholt. She explains Lot's situation and asks for their help, and despite the odds, a clan of Myr chase after lot to Nordham, across deep ocean currents that leave them exhausted. They arrive just in time for the hanging, but are unable to get to him. In a last ditch effort, Helga uses the shiny pendant to gain Lot's attention using the sun's rays. Lot sees that Helga is free and dies happy.

## Act Three: Battle of Fjorgallahar

Helga sticks with Aui and goes to Oon, where they witness the Ir Ra Few and Bawi's victory. Since Helga's voice travels very far in water, her shout of "watch out!" to Bawi at the last second helps him win. Bawi demands Helga's presence in his quarters afterwards and is intrigued by her. Being deaf, he wants her to accompany him on the next crossing to the Trinity Throne. Aui is against it, afraid to lose her again, but Helga wants to fight back against the oppression of the Nordlandics and stop Vanderholt from becoming the next Trinity King. She meets Queen Iyakana, and becomes an integral part of the growing army that intends to take the throne by force. Iyakana is impressed by her diplomacy, and with Helga, helps convince the Myr to take a more peaceful approach.

Ultimately, Helga accompanies Bawi during the next crossing and, when faced with the risen corpse of Tjor of Mjol, helps fight him off.