Hollis Brite

Lauren Taylor is the model for Hollis Brite.

**Hollis Barclay-Eastoffe-Northcott** (born Brite) is the protagonist and narrator of The Betrothed and The Betrayed. She had resided at Keresken since her infancy. She has further been endeavouring to capture King Jameson’s heart since.

## Biography

### ***Early Life***

**Hollis** is the sole daughter of Noor Brite and Claudia Brite. She grew up in Varinger Hall, but once her parents were financially better off, they decided to reside at Keresken Castle. Hollis cannot bear to travel with his back to the road for a long time her mother thought that she was lying not to make the trips back and forth to Keresken. For years she forced Hollis to travel back to the road before admitting that she was telling the truth.

### ***The Betrothed***

Over the years, Hollis has acquired the position of lady of nobility at the Keresken Castle following in her parents footsteps, who are also a part of the Coroan court. Along with most ladies at the court, Hollis had also been vying for the king’s attention.

Hollis seizes King Jameson’s attention following the incident where she fell into his arms during a dancing mishap. She is then chosen by Jameson as his next love interest. Hollis's pleased by the fact that she can effortlessly make him laugh, a feat so few can achieve.

Though her immense interest doesn’t last when she finds herself being drawn to Silas, an Isolten citizen who immigrates to Coroa after fleeing his country with his family. Hollis disregards her growing feelings toward Silas and continues to serve the king.

Soon after, Jameson unofficially proposes Hollis to marry him and become queen, to which she facilely agrees. Prior to the official visit of King Quinten, Hollis relocates to the Queen’s private apartments with her two ladies of honor, Delia Grace and Nora.

Throughout the visit, Hollis's granted the task to entertain the Queen of Isolte, Valentina. Valentina initially acts as distant and ignorant but reveals her friendly side once she is familiar to Hollis. The Queen divulges regarding her husband’s possession towards her and both characters build trust throughout the novel.

Hollis soon realises that she is unwilling to devote the rest of her lifetime to be an ornament in King Jameson’s life. Her realisation is influenced by the incident where Jameson declares that their children will be used for the benefit of him and his kingdom. She realized that Etan was telling the truth.

On the approaching annual holiday, coronation day, Hollis flees Keresken Castle with Silas and marries him within 2 weeks. During her wedding, an unanticipated attack by Coroans (hired by Jameson) posing as The Darkest Knights causes Hollis to lose her husband and other family members only in a few rapid moments. Only Scarlet, her sister-in-law and Whitley Eastoffe, her mother-in-law, survive the attack.

Finding themselves utterly alone, they decide to leave Coroa and return to Isolte. Hollis wishes to speak to King Quinten, to look into his eyes and ask why he has assasinated the majority of her family.

### ***The Betrayed***

Hollis immigrated to Isolte with the rest of the Eastoffe family. It is housed in Pearfield, the Northcott manor. Etan and his disgust for the Coroans destabilizes her at the highest point, he gives her no confidence and wants to keep her away from all actions. Hollis feels responsible for the death of her parents, she thinks that if she hadn’t begged them to come to her wedding with Silas, they would still be alive. She tries to convince herself every night that everyone died suddenly, that no one suffered. But she always wanted to be part of a big family, with brothers and sisters. When she feels the anguish rising, she touches her chain with her wedding ring around her neck to reassure herself. But when she managed to find some inner peace, Etan’s doubts, that she is part of a plan with King Jameson force her to prove that she is unique here to avenge her own. She even tries to look more likeable by putting a flower in the pocket of her costume.

On a very windy and cold night, she ran out of firewood and Scarlet had just enough for the night, she had to ask Etan, who was rather happy to see her ask her for a service. But during this moment of help, he told her that her place was not in Isolte and that she should return to Coroa. To see Etan so cold and mean with her vexes her and she feels as if she is desperate that he does not want to accept her as a member of his family.

Enid shows Hollis how to make bread for Bread Day, she's happy to be able to make himself useful but Etan ridiculed her to put her away from all activities. Disoriented Hollis would like Silas to be there to guide her and lower the pressure between the two of them. But she remains persistent and also insists on helping to make pastries for Reid’s birthday.

During Reid’s birthday party, she remembers her childhood and birthdays at Keresken Castle. Etan is thus in charge of reminding Hollis that on the orders of his King, Isolte is destroyed by the soldiers. The tone rises between the two and Hollis tries to explain again that she is here only to help them and that he must not see her as an enemy. But he remains robbed and ends up telling him that never a Coroan will be part of his family. Angry Hollis decides to give him all his money so that he can finance the assault of Chetwin Palace. The argument ended in "I hate you" on the part of both. Once this sentence, they leave each on their own.

Once only she comes to doubt his choice and thinks that coming here was a bad idea, that she should have gone to Keresken instead of joining Whitley and Scarlet. Once she writes a goodbye letter, she runs away from Isolte with Madge. But she knows very well that even though she is back in Coroa, nothing will change between Jameson and her, her heart still belongs to Silas. When she stopped on one side of the road to weep, Etan came riding behind her, shouting his name, for trying to reason, he begged her to come back, saying that everyone made a mistake and ended up making an agreement on their differences, They will control themselves and speak to each other only in a case of force majeure. This rescue mission will remain secret.

The next day Hollis receives news from Delia Grace and Jameson by Nora who wrote her a letter begging her to come back. Then the Northcott's family received an invitation to attend Prince Hadrian’s wedding. Etan's in charge of escorting Hollis throughout their stay at the castle. She panics at the idea of seeing Quinten again, when she saw her last year, she was about to be Queen, now she knows what he is capable of, who creates insomnia, just like Etan. Then she managed to sleep next to Scarlet. Reid insisted that Hollis and Etan go to Lombarde in the same car to improve their relationship.

During their installation in the coach that they learn their first common point, travelling back to the road gives them nausea! They tell each other a few anecdotes about their past. It's by talking with Etan that she realizes that the long line of the Brite's died on the day of her marriage with Silas, because she's neither a boy nor a Brite. She feels responsible. Etan asks her how she renounced to be Queen and marry her cousin. She confesses to him that she saw Jameson as an adventure, a flirtation, nothing more but Silas, it is the destiny that put him on his path. She tells him that she is afraid to forget him, her eyes, her laughter.. him. He understood this pain, this fear of forgetting a person, he lost three friends, brothers of heart, 3 years before The Betrayed. He told her at the same time that he wanted Silas to marry all the people they lost because of Quinten and The Darkest Knights.

When she arrived in Lombarde, she discovered poverty at the gates of Chetwin Palace. Hollis finds this Palace frightening, Etan's always amazed by this Palace, even more so when he was a child. It was then that he began to imagine a castle of his own, which seemed to have brought them closer together. Once at the Palace, the families prepare to be presented to the King Quinten. She shares her concern and her desire to go back to Etan who finds the right words to reassure her by telling her that she will not be alone in doing this, there are two. The King is very surprised to see Hollis at his court, so much so that he had to ask him what she had come here to do, he was totally unaware that she was an Eastoffe. When Hollis announced to the court that Silas had died, he was a shock to everyone, and Etan supported her by caressing her hand.

They’re staying in the Northcotts apartments. During the dinner to celebrate the eve of the wedding of Prince Hadrian and Princess Phillipa, Isolten soldiers came to find comfort in the Palace after their section was massacred by the Coroan army on the orders of Jameson. In anger, Quinten, summons Hollis, Etan even found time to joke while she was terrified. According to Quinten, Jameson slaughtered his raging troops because he wanted Hollis back. He took seriously the hypothesis of sending she back to Coroa in a burial shroud. While Quinten was in her thoughts, Etan revived Hollis so that she would not let herself be desecrated by her intentions. But Hollis was able to turn the situation in this favor by proposing to Quinten that Jameson be indebted towards him for example by leaving some land to Coroa for satifaires the whims of Jameson. At the end of the conversation Hollis withdrew with tan to vomit into a large Isolten vase. Being complimented on his way of reacting and he even laughs at his jokes.

The next day, a tournament was announced. Hollis attended with Scarlet but Leona Marshe came to talk to him to see if it was true that she had renounced to be Queen, after confirming it Leona openly insulted him with two of her friends. Whitley came to intervene and asked them to leave. After that, Etan pointed to them towards Hollis to ask his favor. During the tournament, she only hoped that he would get away with it. When he won the victory, she screamed without stopping and applauded as much as she could so she was happy for him and she was crying with joy. After the awards ceremony, they organized a picnic in the shade grass to eat drumsticks of a bird, berries and drink beer. To thank Hollis for bringing him luck with his favors, he offers him his trophy with great pride.

Thanks to her, the Northcotts realized that Valentina was just a victim of Quinten. During the banquet Hollis preferred to move away from the festivities to make a point on his life. When she looks back at her marriage to Silas, she describes this moment as the best of her life, but when she looks back at the moments spent with Jameson, she wonders what she would have become without Silas, she still suffers a lot. She also confided to Etan, telling him that Jameson had summoned him, and as far as Coroan was concerned, her duty was to obey her king, but she was afraid that he might have a bad idea and that she would fall in love again, crying, she confirmed to him, that she does not want Jameson and reproaches Etan for not trusting him and for making remarks that hurt her. Etan ended up kissing her and for her, being the center of Etan Northcott’s attention is a real joy. Since Hollis feels different, she wanted Etan by her side in permanance. But she feels that loving Etan is betrayed Silas. Scarlet understood very well what is happening between them because seeing Etan smile and laugh is completely abnormal, but she encourages Hollis to get married with Etan.

In ***Chapter 23***, it's the first time that Hadrian speaks to him. Etan invited Hollis to dance the volta, it's a tradition. While they danced, Etan proposed that they be simply friends, after this request she felt like a stab in the heart, but she accepted his friendship. With the evidence that Valentina gave Hollis to dethrone Quinten, they discover, the atrocious agreements of this Tyrannical King. Once the evidence was in hand, they now had to decide who would receive the crown. Scarlet refused, and Reid too, only Etan remained.

She changed her clothes with Valentina so that Etan could take her to Varinger Hall where Hester will watch over her during the time of the revolt. For two days, Hollis sat at the window watching for his return. Meanwhile, she and Scarlet talk about their worries by trusting each other. She told him that if she could couple with Etan, she would do it on the field but now that he's King, their relationship would not be authorized by the lords of the council, she's a Coroan and she's also afraid of the reaction of her mother, Whitley. Hollis was the first to see Etan in the distance with her army, she began to cry with joy. Being told to Hollis that he is terrified of the people and asks him to be by his side but Hollis refuses because wearing a crown and becoming Queen is not for her. When Etan tries to get the Eastoffes to confess, Quinten points the finger at her as guilty. Saying that he does not accuse her in person but rather his actions and his associates pushed Silas to his loss, Hollis of anger yells at him, saying that she loved Silas more than anyone. When he says that Jameson wishes the death of Silas more than himself for having taken from him the woman he loved, it awakens memories to Scarlet who confirms that the murderers wear the coats of arms Coroan. Just after Etan’s coronation, she stole her horse and fled to Coroa.

Heading towards Coroa, she stopped on the side of a road, realizing that she had no proof, no army, that she could not in any way remove Jameson because he was the last of his lineage, without wife or descendants. She felt helpless. In spite of her tears, she thinks of all that she experienced at Isolte, she loved and she was loved.She thought of Etan to give him back the smile. The rope that pulled him to Silas, pulled him now to Etan. She thought she couldn’t love anyone else like she loved Silas. Then she hears behind her Etan shouting his name a few meters from her, he was followed by his army. He came for her. He considered her a member of the Royal Family of Isolte because she married Silas. Etan is ready to love Hollis to depose Jameson, for if he and she die, they will be together for eternity. Hollis succeeded in entering Coroa, fifty men of the army as pretext: To present The New King of Isolte to Jameson.

Wandering the streets of Coroa, the people were afraid of the army but once they arrived in front of the palace, Etan and Hollis are the only ones who can enter, they promise to love each other eternally, whatever happens. When they enter the Great Hall, she sees Delia Grace dining next to Jameson, laughing. At the sight of the crown on Etan’s head and at his side Hollis holding his hand, people whispered, stopped dancing and the musicians stopped. Delia Grace loses her smile and the joy of Jameson bugs her. But Etan’s gaze reassures her.

She arrives near Jameson and asks him for explanations, it's then Jameson who asks him for explanations after the false good that she did to him several weeks ago, he asks him to accept his kindness without complaining. During their argument, Etan is a step behind Hollis, as a protector. She cries before the whole court that Jameson is a murderer; that he should be kneeling under the weight of his shame . He continues to deny, saying that she's losing her head because of the trip and that he is ready to erase his lies because he is mad with love for her, but Hollis does not let himself be taken down, she is ready to die to prove that she is right, but curiously Jameson asks for a sword and a scroll. Etan helps Hollis to keep calm and then Jameson shows the scroll to Hollis, telling him that he is ready to have her arrested accusing him of breaking the Coroan law, with supporting evidence. She had no right to marry Silas because she’s his wife.

The scroll is a marriage contract signed by these two parents on Jameson’s crown day. She falls from high because she is officially and administratively the wife of Jameson. He vulgarly hunts Delia Grace, wanting to install Hollis in his place, he tries to order it by calling it "Hollis Barclay". This annoys Etan who ends up intervening by saying that Hollis is a member of the Royal family and citizen of Isolte and that there she will be protected from him.

Jameson understood that they loved each other, they both took out their swords ready to fight. Jameson jumps on the table and this street goes towards Hollis but he slides because of the tablecloth, the sword bounces off the stone platform and gets stuck in the heart of Jameson. Panicking, she puts her head against Etan’s torso not wanting to see someone dead again. Once Jameson’s death was confirmed, the crown returned to Hollis. Etan knelt down. She asks him to stay with her, not to leave her alone here but he refused because he had his kingdom run. Before leaving, he promised him that he would always be his ally.

Lord Langston presents himself to his new Queen to be forgiven, he admits to having participated in the Silas pack for a sum of money. Hollis decided not to punish him because he immediately denounced himself knowing the fate of him. The men of the Church and the Royal Council confirm that the crown belongs to Hollis, for Jameson was the last of his lineage and without inheriting. But it has the right to refuse this crown, with a risk of civil war as there have been, rather 8 generations with neighbouring countries that could invade. She accepted the crown that was given to her, believing that she had had enough freedom in her life. Hoping to marry Etan. She lost and found a family, won a sister, she had loved Silas and her heart is now beating for Etan Northcott.

### **Three months later**

A few days after her coronation, she discovered that according to the laws of Coroa forbade her to be a citizen of Isolte and marry a king, because she would abandon her country for another. Her heart was broken, she cried all the time, finding life unjust. A marriage is in a hurry for her, because she is the last of her line, she must quickly conceive an heir for the crown. The Royal Council imposed on him Hagan Kaltratt as a fiancé who is descended from a very ancient lineage of Coroa.

Her first decision as Queen was to build schools. She turned Varinger Hall into a school, everything is supervised by Hester. She’s still tracking the murderers who participated in the Eastoffe family murders for money. Her friendship with Delia Grace is no longer the same as it was before, they both keep their distances but remain on very good terms. Valentina is Hollis's lady asset for her very good knowledge of Isolte and especially because they are best friends. Andrew is Hollis' page and Lord Langton is her guard/officer.

She prepares with joy and good humor the arrival of Etan and his fiancée Ayanna Routhland to sign a new peace treaty between Coroa and Isolte. Hollis separated herself from her wedding rings that she had around her neck and carefully stored them in the treasury room. She keeps permanently on her, her mother’s ruby ring and the sapphire ring, which Whitley transmuted to her. Seeing Etan again after 3 months is a great pleasure for her. To honor him, she dressed in blue.

Once together, she confides in Etan, saying that she is afraid because she has no experience compared to him who knows the rules since children, descended from Jederck. He offers her that at the slightest trouble, she writes to him so that he can help him and propose that it be their last face-to-face meeting because their love is impossible, after this agreement, Hollis withdraws with Valentina to cry wondering how, she will be able to live without him one day. During the treaty, she proposed a medical advance in Coroa, Etan accepted and was ready to send ten of her best doctors to train Coroan teachers. He also wanted to return the Plains of Tiberan that Quinten had taken from Coroa. They rebuilt a border. Ayanna and Hagan were anxious for this trip to be over so they could be separated again. After several hours of negotiations, she wished to speak privately to Ayanna. Hollis confides to her that she does not feel at Keresken as at home because Etan is not at her side, then Ayanna asked why Etan is so happy at her side. Hollis confessed to him that Etan had second place in his heart.

1 - Coroa, for she has sworn to serve and protect this country.

2 - Etan, for he is the man she loves.

Hollis never said that she loved Hagan, but she will never oppose Ayanna because she is the only one who can take care of Etan in her place. For her last evening in the presence of Etan, she put a golden feather in her hair *(the trophy that Etan gave to Hollis in **Chapter 18**)*. She cannot help but compare Hagan to a little duck who always agrees with her and walks two steps behind her. Scarlet and Whitley came to find Hollis, and it felt good for him to have found his family and to be able to love without limit. During the volta, Etan admits to having kept his handkerchief, he never lost it, he lied to be able to keep it with him. At the end of each dance, Etan flips Hollis. Just before the end of the dance, she unveils the seventh stained glass window that she has installed. When Etan saw her, he was very much to embrace Hollis but remembered their status as King and Queen of two different countries. Once Etan and Ayanna had retired to their apartments, she had an idea and requisitioned Valentina, Whitley, Scarlet and Nora to help her.

They look into the law, whether Hollis has the right to abolish a border, until Valentina finds the exact article. She sees the abolition of their borders as their only chance to finally be happy. She decides to break up her engagement with Hagan on the spot, she goes to her apartments but when she asks to speak to him, Lorence gives him a letter from Hagan. It is written that he will never be able to love her because he knows that her heart belongs to Etan Northcott. For Hollis, it is a relief, she runs to see Etan knowing that he will not be ready to abandon Ayanna, for fear of doing him too much harm. Etan opens it with the unbuttoned shirt, his hair ruffled, a letter in hand and the puzzled look. Ayanna broke up her engagement with Etan, she confessed to him that she had told him how she felt about him. They both understood that Hagan and Ayanna ran away together. While Etan thought he was lost, Hollis proposed to him to abolish the border between their two countries to form one.

They decided together to reunite their two forming countries: New Isolte. They will build their castle: New Castle.

Together, they found a way around the laws to live happily. Now, they are married and have two children or more .

## Personality

Hollis is of a joyful nature, of an inexhaustible generosity, she's naive with a great lack of self-confidence, she overestimates her future as Queen. She's affectionate with the people around her. She possesses a natural grace and curiosity with an unparalleled elegance. But when she wants someone to listen to reason, she does not lack courage and determination to say what she thinks. She is kind to the people she loves. But she sometimes knows how to be wise and mature. She deeply admires the past Queens who have marked the history of her country.

But above all, she knows how to ask the right questions and look to the future to ask herself what she wants and what she is looking for to be really happy. She enjoys freedom and wants love and passion in her couple/marriage.

She is exceptionally tenacious and ready to face these greater fears to avenge her great love.

## Features

Hollis has a porcelain complexion with pink undertones, long blond hair (wheat colored) as well as blue eyes. Her face is oval. She’s not as big as Valentina, but she’s bigger than her mother.

Her signature color is gold.

## Relationships

### **King Jameson**

Jameson was initially interested in Hollis following the incident when she is dancing with Delia Grace, loses her footing, and trips into Jameson’s arms. Since then, Jameson displays immense affection towards her. The king provides her with comfort and jewels to showcase his irresistible affection. Throughout ***Chapter 6***, he unofficially proposes to her and she gladly approves. A few weeks later, he has Hollis relocated to the Queen’s personal apartments. On the following annual coronation day, he intended to propose to Hollis officially, but she flees with Silas and his family following her letter informing him that she was unwilling to become his wife, thus the Queen.

### **Silas Eastoffe**

Since she first saw Silas, she was immediately drawn to him, especially by his ocean-blue eyes. At his installation at the castle, they get fairly close and showcase trust to each other. On the annual holiday, coronation day, they both flee the castle and intend to marry within the following 2 weeks at Abicrest Manor, the Eastoffe’s new estate. On their wedding day, Silas is assassinated by Darkest Knights along with the rest of his family, excluding his sister, mother, and newlywed wife, Hollis.

### **Delia Grace**

Friends with Delia Grace for more than 10 years, they consider themselves almost like sisters, inseparable, they are almost all the time together, at meals, during the day, at parties and more. Hollis never let her friend down when she was being teased. Delia Grace is an authoritarian person who guides Hollis through every stage of her life.. She was his lady of honor and raised her spirits and persuaded her of her destiny when Hollis was lost between Jameson and Silas.

But when Hollis confides in his ill-being with Jameson, Delia Grace, is jealous and pretentious, revealing his failed schemes to enter into the good graces of Jameson. Consumed by sadness, she demeans her friend on all points showing herself superior which creates a gap between the two. At the end of The Betrothed, Delia Grace seems to have drawn a definitive line on their friendship.

### **Valentina Pardus**

Hollis had much apprehension of Valentina’s encounter, described as distant and withdrawn. At first it was, but very quickly, at that moment, from one Queen to another, Valentina opened herself to confidences with Hollis and they became very close. Hollis discovered the life of a Queen with Valentina. Despite her departure in Isolte and the border that they separate them, they write a lot to each other and have remained good friends.

## Possessions

* A brooch with a citrine that Silas gave him on the day of King Jameson’s coronation.
* A tiara, Silas gave it the day of their wedding, it was made by Sullivan and himself.
* His alliance forged by Silas.
* Jedereck’s ring, it’s been passed on to the Pardus/Eastoffe family for years, Whitley gave it to Hollis because she married her first son, Silas.
* Her mother’s ruby ring, it has been transmuted for generations in the Cart family.
* A trophy with a feather carved in gold, it's Etan who won it during a tournament in Isolte, he gave it to Hollis to thank her for bringing him luck.

## In The History

"Hollis is a special person, not just a Queen. She’s a complex person, she doesn’t unlike any other woman, she’s a Warrior".

She left her mark on her country’s history more than any Queen had done before. She accepted the destiny that was hers, of a firm resolution, she did not ignore neither the difficulties, nor the greatness of the task, after the death of Jameson, she ascended on the throne Coroan. She’s building schools for her people. Her carism, her natural beauty and her humanity quickly made her an icon, the icon of greatness, passed from two countries to one. Proud of its values and intuitions, alongside King Etan, it brings together Coroa and Isolte giving birth to a new country: New Isolte. Once reunited with the love of her life, it's with passion that she exercises her profession as Queen.

## Quotes

* "His Majesty requires our presence on the river today." — Hollis Brite
* "I sighed, staring out, the window at the birds sailing boldly across a backdrop of blue sky" — Hollis Brite
* "Your ladies were your confidantes, your attendants, your escorts, they were everthing. Delia Grace was stepping into a role that's didn't exist for me yet." — Hollis Brite
* "I supposed a house that big with so few people in it would leave one feeling rather small." — Hollis Brite

## Trivia

* Lauren Taylor is the model for Hollis on The Bethrothed cover.
* The background in the cover represents one of the corners of Hollis Brite’s apartments.
* Hollis' favorite scene depicted by the stained-glass windows is the scene of Prince Telau bending his knee to Queen Thenelope.
* One of the first scenes between Jameson and Hollis was on the Colvard River.
* Hollis has two ladies of honour, Delia Grace and Nora Littrell.
* Hollis is afraid of heights.
* Coronation Day is her favorite holiday.
* She’s a very good cavalier.

## References

1. ↑ This element is discovered in The Betrayed
2. ↑ I'd loved. And I'd been loved. It was all morre than I'd imagined myself capable of. — ***Chapter 31***
3. ↑ "You ought to be on your knees from the weight of yout shame." — Hollis to Jameson