Dezia Shainwiere

## Appearances

The Shadow of What Was Lost
An Echo of Things to Come
The Light of All That Falls

**Dezia Shainwiere** is a minor noblewoman of Andarra. She is the sister of Aelric Shainwiere, and a friend to Princess Karaliene Andras. Dezia is skilled at archery and savvy at navigating court life, and often soothes the difficult situations her intense brother creates.

## Description

### Appearance

Dezia is about the same age as Davian and Wirr (around 16). She has a slim, athletic build and dark hair cropped to her shoulders. She has fairly tan skin, deep blue eyes, and light freckles.

### Personality

Dezia is kind, grounded and charming, quickly proving herself to be an outgoing and friendly addition to Taeris' travelling party. She often smooths over difficulties caused by her rambunctious brother, and attempts to bond with her companions despite his poor attitude. This demeanour gained her plenty of attention at court, but despite her station, she is very honest and genuine with others — caring little for the grand gestures and pretensions of palace life.

Because she is so open and quick to trust, her feelings can put her in difficult situations. She often assumes the best of others, and is easily hurt when she feels let down or lied to. Regardless, she remains empathetic and quick to forgive, often going to great lengths to help the same people who have wronged her.

## History

### Early Life

Dezia and her brother were born as the last heirs to the once-prominent House of Shainwiere. Their mother is not mentioned, though it is implied she died at some point in their youth. The pair were raised by their father, who was a vassal to Gerren Tel'An, a noble from a Major house.

When she was about 12, Dezia's brother accidentally cut off Gerren's son Lein Tel'An's hand in a sparring duel. Lein's father was furious, ordering Aelric to be publicly flogged, fully aware that the punishment might kill him. Aelric's father attempted to stop the flogging by drawing a sword, but was killed in the attempt. King Andras, learning of the incident from his daughter, later sent for the pair of Shainwieres and adopted them as his wards.

### Life at Court

Dezia easily integrated into court life, becoming a permanent retainer — and the closest friend — of the Princess. Her notable position gained her plenty of unwanted attention, both from noblemen seeking the Karaliene's ear of to suggest new political policies, and from young suitors vying for her hand as she came of age (often ones who had been freshly rejected by Karaliene herself).

Dezia joked that she would consider Denn Tel'Shan, one such suitor, if he personally held up her archery targets. To her surprise, he agreed and insisted upon the duty. While she fired, he flinched, and blunted arrow hit him. He was not seriously injured, but the incident was still an embarrassment on Dezia's part.

## Activities in *The Licanius Trilogy*

### Journey Through Desriel

Dezia accompanies Princess Karaliene's entourage to the Song of Swords in Thrindar. Partially as an attendant, but mainly to observe her brother competing in the Song as Andarra's champion. She is proud that her brother demonstrates the courage to swallow his pride and throw the match for political reasons, but is later disappointed when he drinks too much and lets this information slip.

The Princess, seeking a way to hide Aelric from his vengeful backers, proposed that she accompany her brother in escorting Taeris Sarr's traveling party through Desriel and Deilannis back towards Ilin Illan. She agrees, and is further informed by Karaliene that her cousin Prince Torin is among the group, hiding under the name of Wirr.

Dezia joins the group in good spirits, ready to use her archery skills to protect them if required. Her brother, however, causes a great deal of tension in the party due to his arrogance and jealousy, often cutting short Dezia's attempts to socialize. Despite Aleric's bad attitude, Wirr seems receptive to her friendliness, and the two quickly strike up a conversation beside the fireplace during a rest stop.

Dezia gets along swimmingly with the Prince, and gladly accepts when he offers to continue their conversation in privacy. Her brother balks at the idea, and challenges Wirr to a duel in an attempt to separate him from Dezia. Wirr declines, but Dezia watches in surprise as Caeden takes the Prince's place and easily defeats Aelric. The mood among the travellers soured, she leaves Wirr to console her brother, but does not take long before chatting with him again — this time, without Aelric's interference.

As they near Deilannis, their conversations continue and she begins to develop a bond of trust with Wirr. He shares the emotional burden of what happened at Caladel, as well as his concern for his best friend Davian. In return, she encourages him to let Davian grieve on his own, and shares the story of an embarrassing mishap where she accidentally shot Denn Tel'Shan with an arrow, much to Wirr's mirth. She finds herself increasingly attracted to the Prince but remains reserved, aware that her low station would prevent an official romance between them.

Upon entering Deilannis, the illusion of a massive dar'gaithin appears behind Dezia. Panicking, Wirr attempt to hit it with Essence, causing a feral beast to attack the party. This apparently results in the death of Davian, who does not emerge from the derelict city. As Wirr grieves, full of guilt, Dezia gives him some space to cope with the loss.

As the group travels through the destroyed town of Gahille, Dezia bears witness to the Blind army's capability. When they encounter two survivors, Llys and Jashel, Dezia is quick to offer aid and highly sympathetic to their plight. Even after they are revealed to be Echoes and nearly kill Taeris, she advocates for absolute certainty before killing them. Wirr supports her in this matter and attempts to reason with Llys as she wakes up. When he turns his back, the destitute woman moves to kill him, but Dezia quickly lets loose an arrow that permanently stops the woman in her tracks. Shaken by the incident, she hastily moves on with the rest of the group towards Ilin Illan.

Nearing the city, Dezia pulls Wirr aside for a final private conversation. She confides her regret that they won't often be in each other's company, but teases the possibility of arranging coincidences where they might meet.

### Back in Ilin Illan

Dezia, Aelric and Wirr split off from the others to announce the return of Andarra's sole prince. She and her brother reunite with Karaliene and quickly catch up before returning to their chambers to clean up after their journey.

As the Blind army nearly arrives, Dezia and her brother join Wirr atop the walls of Ilin Illan in anticipation. There, they happily reunite with Davian, who somehow survived the ordeal in Deilannis.

Dezia and her brother provide combat support during the fight, and safely navigate the battlefield during the many retreats and skirmishes. They survive the conflict, due to Caeden's timely appearance with a powerful weapon, and later contribute to the city's reconstruction effort.

**This article re-write is in progress.**