Empress Mathilda

**Mathilda de Caine**, (3 March 1378 - 28 November 1451) the only legitimate child of Harold III and Marjorie of England, was Empress Consort of the Beaglian Empire in its early years. She lived a notable life contributing to the victory in the five-year Elven War (24 April 1391 - 2 February 1396) and strengthening the Beaglian Empire by adding all British Territories to the Empire's control. She is most commonly associated with her unwavering loyalty, her exceptional beauty, and her confidence in her assigned leadership roles. After lengthy battles both militaristic and diplomatic, her 55 years on the throne provided welcome stability for the kingdom and helped to forge a sense of national identity.

## Early Life

Born and raised at the Palace of Starlingbridge in her early years, the young 'Tilly' to friends and family was the only child of Harold III and Marjorie of England to survive through infancy, after having 4 older male and 1 older female sibling(s) die within months of their birth or having been miscarried. After the death of Harold III, Mathilda's mother gained infamy for her promiscous nature, later revealing Mathilda's hidden illegitimate half-brother Luke, Viscount of Sussex - to which she held in high regard and cared for deeply. This meant at her birth, she was heir presumptive to the English throne.

Known to be a child of calm temperament, she also displayed her ferocity from an early age as Harold III wrote in his memoirs '[Mathilda] *is gentile in nature, yet displays great tenacity and even violence by striking with her fists when a nurse arrives to feed her.*' It had also been noted by several staff at Starlingbridge that the infant Mathilda was 'most agile and determined to escape the care of guardians ... often accompanied by screaming'. Mathilda being female initially was a disappointment to both her parents, her mother only giving her attention out of begrudging obligation and her father distancing himself with his duties. The early years of her life were raised by nobles and nannies. As the realisation of no further heirs were to be expected of the reigning couple, Mathilda was designated the title Earless of Gloucester and Lady Protector of the West at the age of two. Her first governess, Lilith Tinley wrote 'she is a naturally curious and bright child with an insatiable hunger for knowledge,' as she was raised to speak English, Latin and Esperanto. By the age of seven, she could write somewhat legibly in Latin, Dutch, English, Esperanto and Elf. Her only other governess was Ra'ja Keenco, who remained a close friend until Mathilda's death in 1451. Under the instruction of Keenco, by the age of 11 she could read, speak and write English, Latin, Esperanto, Dutch, Elf, Goblin, German, and Japanese. With the assistance of a few tutors, she made progress in swordfighting, cartography, jousting and writing, showing a keen interest in chess and playing the lyre.

It was also around this time Mathilda started observing her father's royal appointments, eventually attending some of her own. It is believed that the shared experiences allowed her father to bond with her and gain his approval as a capable leader. Knowing that she had her doting father's backing, some scholars argue her adolescent years were spent as 'a mischievious teenager, who could and would get away with anything.'

This included:

* Tattooing a false moustache on her sleeping calligraphy teacher Roger Thwaite, using a quill ink pen.
* Using the rigging of the *HMS Caspia* as a climbing frame, becoming tangled in the ropes and the ship having set off on a voyage without her being retrieved.
* Swapping a member of parliament's speech with pages of a vulgar song.
* After being gifted jewellery by a young suitor she disliked, she went round parading through town on her horse - the horse wearing the jewellery.
* Crafting rudimentary blowpipes she would use to then 'hunt' her teachers from trees.

The teenage Princess formed a more lax attitude towards ettiquette and protocol as the years progressed, possibly as a result of poor mental health. At the age of 13, the Elven War began. Having being tutored in the Elven dialect, Mathilda proved to be a valuable asset in negotiations and competent as a cavalry soldier in small battles. Some scholars argue Mathilda would have preferred to suit a warrior queen role similar to that of Boudicca as opposed to a consort. Around the age of 15, she had been promoted (likely via nepotism) to Colonel, later General. It is thought Mathilda threw herself into causing trouble and her duties because of C-PTSD, caused by her mother's prescence. Marjorie's emotional neglect of Mathilda is thought to have stemmed from her own disappointment to provide a male heir. Therefore, when Harold fell ill and died around this time (thought to be tuberculosis), a servant wrote she 'wept inconsolably, without relief from the Queen'.

Harold III's death meant that Marjorie acted as regent until Mathilda was of age to take the throne. Mathilda was designated to act as regent in international affairs, such as the war. Her valiant effort in the larger Battle of Belvita and Battle of Kenilthorpe played a large role in overturning the war in the Human's favor. In the the two years Marjorie acted as Queen Regnant, Mathilda's mental health nosedived as she was met with many unviable suitors against her will, betrothed on three occasions (until the suitor either died or the alliance broke), beaten by her own mother for talking back and withheld from eating meals if she showed disobiedience. In Marjorie's recovered diaries, she had stated '[she] would disown and view Mathilda as illegitimate if she was not an asset in war and alliance.' Mathilda did begin to behave more Queen-like as she gradually came of age. Many nobles and barons were impressed with her new, disciplined change of character.

## Regency and Battles

#### Battle of Belvita

The Elven War had already been at full force for two years prior to her Empire's involvement. Having inherited all of her father's territories, the Dark Elves saw Mathilda's innocence and youth as a perfect opportunity to monopolize on previously heavily fortified lands while her defenses were weak, and she was learning the value of military fortitude. While still stricken with grief after her father's passing, it inspired a new sense of stoicism from her. The land was seen as appealing to the Dark Elves as it was a popular trading sector at a crossroads with the British, Beaglian and Dragon Empires, there was also a wide river the Elves saw as an important asset.

Upon hearing the news that Belvita had been attacked, Mathilda ordered all men, peasant, knight or baron to stall and hold off the invaders. Women and children were ordered to manufacture more projectiles but also begin work on a large wall that would surround the region. The wall reached around four meters in height, and was around 70% complete when Queen Msunda's reinforcements arrived, numbering 150,000. While before the battle had been a stalemate before, the humans were now losing casualties fast, with over 40,763 killed within a few hours. Fortunately, Mathilda's armies arrived shortly after, numbering around 210,000, with Mathilda personally leading the troops. Her batallion ambushed the Elves around the unfinished section of the wall, engulfing them into Belvita. Just as the battle started to turn towards the humans' favour with Elven numbers dwindling, Msunda (still fighting the main battle in eastern Europe) ordered her navy to blockade the Tetley River.

Dozens of ships now swarmed the region, and an unarmed Mathilda was forced to shelter in an unstable cave system where precious gems were mined for her own security. As the battle raged ahead, Mathilda discreetly gave the order to reinforce the walls with towers and battlements, and instructed archers to be equipped with flaming arrows to disable the ships deck. Skilled divers were also sent to rip out panels of the galleon hulls, which helped to sink the ships. After the ships were destroyed, their technology was salvaged from the ships, the wall completed, and quays set up around the estuary of the Tetley. Some time into the attack, Mathilda's cavern was invaded by some 26 Dark Elves. Now being forced to think on her feet, she fashioned a spearhead from the sharp edge of a quartz deposit, and a rudimentary sword made from Amethyst. Her party fought their way back to the cave mouth to find Belvita decimated, flooded and derelict. However, word got to the young Queen that the Elves had left the region and the wall had been completed.

Mathilda swore to rebuild Belvita, which was completed within five weeks. There was a large after party in the grand hall, where Mathilda became 'so violently inebriated, her Majesty collapsed a table joyously leaping on it'. Her diaries recall her embarrassment, but noted how the people of Belvita kindly made table-breaking a traditional sport of both power, ale-brewing and quality carpentry. Along with her Amethyst Sword being on display at one of their most heavily guarded museums, Belvitian Breaking is now considered an international sport. It is also from this battle Mathilda gained notoriety as 'The Amethyst Queen'.

#### Battle of Kenilthorpe

A couple of years later in 1395, Mathilda's territories were severely weakened from rerouting funding from Militia to modernising and fortifying smaller areas. The 17 year old had decided in the months prior that material defense was the most important priority as the surrounding areas were at war with each other. The attack on Kenilthorpe came at a time where Mathilda was on a state visit to elsewhere, so a few stand-in fleets of ships held off the initial brig destroyers. However, as news finally reached Mathilda, these temporary fleets had been wiped out entirely and had encircled the large island. Embittered by grief and defeat, Mathilda took a small clipper to the surrounding area to assess the situation. It then became clear that the island had been the battleground between two Elder Paracasuals, with the predominantly Human and Mothfolk island caught in the crossfire. One diarist describes the scene to be 'covered in scorch marks and vast cracks within the crust, Void [Creatures] leeching off the Dimensional Dust left within [the Paracasuals'] wake.'

A frenzied population had fought off the more powerful (and non-confrontational) Void Creatures, who were able to quickly make their escape into portals to other planes to avoid conflicts. Passing ships from the Beaglian Empire had mistaken this conflict as an attack on the Void Creatures, and had moved in to intercept. The Beaglian Empire had seen the opportunity to invade the island and claim it as Beaglian territory. This had infuriated the young Queen, and had an armada of Frigates built, all named after Greek philosophers. Mathilda boarded the Plato, and begun her recapture of Kenilthorpe. After a sea battle that spanned 3 weeks, the Beaglians were distracted enough for the inhabitants of Kenilthorpe to fight back. Mothfolk took to the skies wearing flammable wing extensions, which they used to burn the sails of ships as they flew past. Humans too, returned Beaglian fire by storming the ports and having archers installed at defense checkpoints.

Surprisingly few lives were lost, as out of the 9,488 civilians (reported on the 1391 Census) on the island, only 48 lives were lost. Only 36 Beaglian soldiers lives were lost, as well as 3 Void Creatures. After six weeks of a stalemate battle, word got to the Beaglian Emperor of the island's conflict. While under normal circumstances the Emperor would have thought to pursue the land and crush Mathilda with the power of his newly forged Empire, it was reported that 'the joyous Emperor had just returned from a holiday, and was in very good spirits - giving the command to withdraw from the island.' The expectation was that Mathilda would be relieved at this order, but some scholars suggest the lackluster dismissal of the conflict only infuriated her more. Amid new rising protests (possibly rooted in misogyny) from the Kenilthorpe people and the rest of her territories against Mathilda's reign (arguing Kenilthorpe should not have been challenged and should have merged with Beaglia), she submitted a scathing complaint in which she accused Emperor Beagle of cowardice and tyranny.

> *"In the annals of history, one would expect a ruler, a sovereign of a grand empire, to be driven by principles of honor, valor, and a steadfast commitment to justice. Alas, it seems that in the case of Kenilthorpe, such virtues are but distant echoes in the chambers of your imperial conscience."*
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Many advisors thought her boldness was an unwise move on her part, as a few months later a summit was called between leaders to discuss the Elven threat. Mathilda attended with her mother and some advisors, joined by Emperor Beagle, the reigning Dragon Emperor and his daughter, as well as some other smaller kingdoms' leaders. It was at this meeting that Mathilda and Beagle had met each other for the first time, yet she did not know the physical appearance of Beagle, so she did not antagonize anyone in the interest of allyship. There were festivities and partying at the summit, as well as much socialising. It was agreed at the summit the three larger Empires would ally, despite their fragile relations, with the common interest of defeating the invasion of Dark Elves spread throughout their Empires. Mathilda decided to let go of her tension and disdain towards the Beaglian Empire, but held a minor grudge until later battles.

#### Esperantan Conquest

Due to an overpopulation in the Belvitian Sector, scouters located an archipelago of just under 100 islands. Mathilda decided that it would be wise to expand into the unpopulated area.