Mykaela

**Lady Mykaela**, also known as **Lady Mykaela of the Hollows**, was Tea Pahlavi's mentor and Asha sister.

## Biography

### Early Life

Mykaela was born near the Swiftsea coast. She was raised by her father, who didn't take much interest in her, and saw her more as dowry than a promising daughter. As such, he raised her with sewing lessons and petticoats, not allowing her much independence, but died before she was old enough to be married. Mykaela raised her father from the dead, but he didn't want to be raised, and she sent him back to the grave. She fell ill for four days.

Sometime after, Mykaela arrived at the Willows in Kion and was accepted into her asha-ka, the House Valerian, under Mistress Parmina. She trained as a Dark asha, learning to harness the Dark runes, and made her debut as an asha. Mykaela then took on the responsibilities of a Dark asha: raising and killing daeva, and collecting their bezoars. In one instance, Mykaela had to kill a "sister-witch" when the asha was overtaken by the influence of the *taurvi.*

Two years before Tea arrived at the Willows, Shadi was accepted as an novice at the House Valerian. Sometime prior to the events of *The Bone Witch*, Mykaela and another asha, Sakmeet, became the only surviving Dark asha. Six months prior, Mykaela killed the daeva that rose near the town of Lardbrook.

### The Bone Witch

Mykaela traveled to Knightscross two days after feeling the influence of the Dark magic from Tea raising her brother from the dead, revealing another Dark asha existing. She healed Tea and spoke with her about the Dark asha. When Tea chose to go with her to the Willows, Mykaela also brought Fox with them. They first stopped in the village of Murkwick to gather Runeberries for their trip. While there, Mykaela taught Tea about Runeberries, asha, and new magic abilities. Mykaela also healed villagers there, a seemingly common occurrence for her there, as she knew the villagers by name and they respected her greatly.

The next day, the trio went twenty miles into the forest where Mykaela raised the *taurvi* daeva. She allowed it to frighten Tea as a lesson to not indulge in the Dark. Sometime later, they arrived in Kneave during a celebration for the spring equinox. Mykaela ignored the stares of the city citizens, and informed Tea about the "glamour" that the people wore as common magic. As per tradition, Mykaela was going to draw the Heartsrune for the Keaven children, so she led Tea and Fox towards the castle to spend the night, at King Telemaine's request. She was recieved warmly by the king and his son, Prince Kance, and went on to draw over four-hundred heartglasses for the children in Kneave who had turned of age. The next morning, she caught an early ship from the harbor with Tea and Fox to Kion.

## Physical Description

Mykaela was frequently described by Tea as being exceptionally beautiful, noting that the asha was "soft and willowy and comely." Mykaela had long, flowing hair the color of "sun-kissed yellow" with blue eyes. Her skin was very light, her lips scarlet, and her teeth pearly. She often wore gemstones attached to pins in her hair. She was said by Tea to look "young, in the way a woman of sixty might carefully tuck away the years around her to appear twenty."

Her heartsglass was made of hammered gold, small jewels, and worn on a chain. Though formerly silver like that of Asha, her heartsglass remained empty for years after being taken by King Vanor.

## Known *Hua*

* Blue and dark green shades like the ocean, decorated with silvery fish on the edges, and a pale lavender waist wrap with pearl embossment. Worn with gemstones dangling from pins woven into her blonde hair.

## Powers & Abilities

### Powers

* **Magic**: Mykaela was a powerful Bone Witch. She was able to wield Dark magic. Dark Asha can not use runes to summon the elements like other Asha, but they can use compulsion runes, scrying runes, and other Dark Magic. Mykaela could read heartsglass, determining a person's emotions from their color.

## Relationships

### Vanor

Mykaela and Vanor fell in love when they were younger and blissfully ignored her being a bone witch and him being the successor to the throne of Odalia. Even with these hurdles and Vanor's father threatening to disown him, the two of them wanted to marry. Though they did not marry, they gave each other their hearts. But over time, the relationship began to weaken and Vanor began to pull away. His heart began to fade over time, until it was gone and he had taken it back for himself. Mykaela's heart remained with him until his death, weakening her as she still loved him deeply.

## Trivia

* Mykaela was born near the Swiftsea, and so she wore water motifs on her *hua* to remind her of home.
* She had a habit of reading books while she walked or rode a horse.