Austina of Aldersberg

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Austina of Aldersberg "The Duel Countess" by Stefaniya de Sarkozy, c.1904 Duchess of Adria Tenure: 1903 - 1914 Predecessor: Charlotte of Aldersberg Countess of Aldersberg Tenure: 1909 - 1914 Predecessor: Edward Clement, Count of Aldersberg Successor: Cressida of Aldersberg Countess of Veletzia Tenure: 1897 - 1914 Predecessor: Founded Baroness of Aldersberg Tenure: 1887 - 1904 Predecessor: Alexander Leopold Novellen-Aldersberg Successor: Title Dissolved Born: 11th of Owyn’s Flame, 1876, Johannian Hall, County of Aldersberg, Kingdom of Oren Death: 8th of Harren’s Folly, 1914, Velec, Adria Spouse: Heinrik, Duke of Adria m. 1897 Issue: 4 House: House of Aldersberg Father: Edward Clement, Count of Aldersberg Mother: Anne of Sunholdt

Austina of Aldersberg (13th of Tobias' Bounty, 1876 - 8th of Harren’s Folly, 1914), otherwise monikered Austina, The Affluent was a member of the imperial branch of Novellen-Aldersberg. She was the only daughter of Edward Clement, Count of Aldersberg, and his wife, Anne of Sunholdt. Upon her eldest brother's passing, she would inherit the title Baroness of Aldersberg and subsequently brought glory back to her dying family lineage through her marriage to the Duke of Adria, Heinrik Otto, in 1897, and in 1903 the promotion of her families Barony to its former County.

Biography

Early Life

Austina Prudence Novellen-Aldersberg was born in the family home Johannian Hall on the eve of the 13th of Tobias' Bounty in 1876 to the Count of Aldersberg and his faithful consort, Anne of Sunholdt. She was named after her parental great-grandmother, Anne I, as well as taking her mother's favorite adjective as a middle name. Her lineage was complex, sharing paternal great-grandparents due to her mother's incestuous family as well as descending from three rulers of the Holy Oreanian Empire.

At the time, Austina was the youngest child of the Count and Countess of Aldersberg, with two older brothers, and was regarded as yet another fair-haired Aldersbergian child. She especially resembled her parental aunt, Georgiana Maria, with her father having been quoted stating how "her tresses just as platinum, and her eyes just as inquisitive."

"The Lady Prudence" by Swanhilda de Owynsburg, c.1879

Furthermore, her birth brought the already turbulent home life some peace. Her brothers, senior respectively by nine and two years, had faced their parents bickering often which left them at silent odds around the home for years. Once Austina was born, however, this changed. The family seemed to forgive each other for past grievances and find ways to move on.

Her early childhood was spent away from the courts in the Orenian countryside of Almaris, mostly due to her father's stress about the changing political states and the girl's likelihood of sickness. He had watched many of his sisters and aunts rot from unnamed ailments, all facing tragically slow deaths respectively. This fear, along with the demotion of the family of Aldersberg to merely a Barony, sent Edward into deep emotional turmoil which was only resolved by his disappearance in 1880 when Austina was merely six.

From thereon, Austina's education and health were entrusted to her mother who took a harsher form of schooling. Although the extent of the abuse is unknown, the girl was commonly found with numerous bruises and sprained wrists. This affected the way she would raise her own daughters almost 20 years after the fact, considering herself a very well-rounded individual and how the tactics seemed to work well.

Following the victory of the Eastern Almaris Treaty, the family of Aldersberg would see their estate turned to rubble and their title landless. Austina would blame her brothers insolence, finding ways to undermine him whenever she could. Her mother, very against chaos, would have the adolescent Austina sent to the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, writing to her former Carrington cousin, Amadea of Susa, and imploring her to take Austina in as a ward. The Queen-Consort was unsure at first, but quickly made room for the Aldersbergian child upon noting the state of the Orenian lifestyle.

No longer under the strict thumb of her mother, Austina finally had the chance to form friendships and pursue her own passions. Noteworthyingly, she'd befriended Manon Yvaine, Baroness of Verskaya, and her distant cousin Viorica Irena, Countess of Jerovitz. As a ward from her previous society, the girl would adapt quickly. Her perfectionist upbringing and fondness for history set her above the other warding girls, being given the task of compiling the biographies of Princess Royals throughout the history of Hanseti-Ruska. By the age of 11, she had finished the task and formally published her first collection of feminine biographies in 1884 [1]. Thereafter, she would offer guidance to the other ladies in her cohort, even writing a few more biographies on the Grand Ladies of Haense, but those were never published.

Debut into Society

A portrait of Austina's debut outfit at Lifstala c.1889

Austina would debut in the fifth Haeseni Social Season, named Ve Lifstala, in 1890, when she was at the mere age of 14. She was much too young to properly debut, but her attendance was considered mandatory by her meddling mother who desired her daughter to be on the marriage market swiftly. Austina felt disconnected from the trials and tribulations of Lifstala, seeing it as a loss of her family's cultural debutante balls which she desired more than anything having read about how they introduced a lady into society as a woman and no longer a child. The idea of having a mass presentation of the ladies felt like a horse show, proclaiming to her cousin, Viorica, on multiple occasions her innate desire to not attend.

Nevertheless, she was the 5th to present themselves before the Queen, Princess Royal, and the Grand Lord. Her gown was made of pastel yellows with delicate floral designs and a large royal red cape. Atop her head was the Tiara of Furnestock, her most prized possession. Yet, as gracefully as she waltzed down the aisle, her discussion at the end of the carpet ended with failure. As Austina curtsied to the Queen and her companions, Princess Royal, Analiesa Josefina, would ask her about her plans if she were to marry high above her station. This was a jab at the budding girl who had just days earlier confessed to the Princess her desire to be a Duchess and the oracle's reading of her future which indicated a high likelihood of a grand marriage. Reportedly, Austina would give a rather simple answer which displeased the Princess enough to send the dias into silence. The awkwardness of the situation put her name in gossip papers nationwide, leaving her no choice but to end her wardship under the Queen and leave the Kingdom immediately to protect her family's honor.

At the same time, her older brother, Arthur Marie, would announce his engagement to a woman who was shortly disowned after by her family. The scandals surrounding this era not only marked the downfall of the line of Aldersberg but the downfall of Austina herself.

As Baroness of Aldersberg

On a trip to visit his love, Princess Octavia Helen Novellen, Austina's older brother, Alexander Leopold, would succumb to a bandit attack leaving no heirs or successors other than Austina herself. After a quick mourning period, she'd take up the Baroness title on the 7th of Godfrey’s Triumph, 1888. Her first action as Baroness, as instructed by her mother, was to find herself a husband. Together, they concocted a scheme for her to take the hand of Valdemar Baruch, the heir to the Duchy of Valwyck. Yet, Austina could never get close enough to the young suitor to enact the said plan, especially after her debut in Lifstala.

Vanishing to Petra

Austina would use her family's connections to rehome herself as a simple secretary to Miss Yvaine Beitris, leaving Arthur to fend for himself. In this action, she seemingly gave up. This was until, by God's grace, she was recruited by the Archduke of Petra, Paul Salvian, to serve as the very first shieldmaiden of the Circle of Saint Emma. Austina took this role with great honor, gathering up all the ladies in the land and attempting to unify them under common hobbies, goals, and dreams. Something she would later achieve as Duchess of Adria.

Her time as Shieldmaiden was cut short by a recurring illness that kept her bound to a sickbed for many years. During this time, the heirlooms of Aldersberg were briefly in the trusted hands of her cousin, Viorica. Furthermore, she would announce to Yvaine that the title of Aldersberg ought to die with her. It was a cursed lineage, and she herself had all but given up knowing how most of her paternal aunts had passed at her age.

Marriage & Family

A Portrait of Austina and Heinrik c. 1900

Austina found that her presence in Petra was more than welcomed, having two brief flirtations with men of the land but refusing to marry either. This was because her cousin, Viorica, had read her fortune many years prior. This fortune indicated that she would not only marry well above her station but that as long as she was gentle with her husband, their love would be eternal.

She held onto this future, praying for it nightly, along with her health. This was until one day, she would be granted a knock at the door of her tiny cabin. Yvaine had brought a simple, yet ambitious, Heinrik Sarkozic, to her door. The pair hit it off instantly, with his thirst for greatness and her detailed initiative from years of tutorage under her mother. He would tend to her for many moons, waiting for her to garner enough health for them to wed. During this, he would confess to her his dreams of reuniting the Crow houses under the banner of Adria once more. She, awestruck, happily engaged herself in his dream.

They would wed in 1897 in a private ceremony registered by Heinrik's cousin, High Pontiff Pontian IV, with her mother, Anne of Sunholdt, as a witness to the service. Austina wore the same wedding gown as her mother, which she was gifted by her husband who was granted the gown by Amadea of Pomp. Together, they would move to the capital of Aaun so that Heinrik could continue his service to the crown and she as the new Countess of Veletzia.

Duchess of Adria

Heinrik was first elected duke in 1896 before the pair were married, but due to certain disagreements, it was considered void. As the people readied up for another election, Austina would be aiding in the completion of the Castle Saint Emalyne and the beginnings of the City of Velec. She would also give birth to her first child, Suzana Otta, in 1902 after a tragic accident pertaining to her husband's kidnapping. Austina would blame Heinrik for Suzana's sickly condition, putting the first strains on their marriage.

"The Duchess of Adria" by Stefaniya de Sarkozy c.1911

In 1903, as Austina was pregnant with her husband's second child, the fourth Dumapalooza was hosted in the kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska. There, Heinrik was elected duke for a second time and this time, it was official. Viorica had been correct. As they returned to Veletiza, they were met with thunderous applause and adoring Adrians waiting earnestly for their home to be returned to them. Later that year, Viktor Stefan was born followed by two more between the years of 1904-1906. As a mother, she was strict and would punish both of her daughters heavily for any minor missteps.

- Went on to write the biographies for the duchesses of Adria - Began to write the duke of Adria's biographies, but passed before such could be completed - Began a wardship program where she fostered many young Adrian lady's hobbies. (Lorena and Lemons, Wilhelmina and painting) - Collected more tiaras - Played matchmaker between Princess Anna and Count Sigismond and Count Jan and her niece, Cressida - Declining marriage - Barony of Aldersberg raised to a County

Death and Legacy

Austina's health began to decline in the early 1910s, being put on forced bedrest along with her eldest daughter, Suzana. This time was hard on her and the people of Adria who felt abandoned by the Duchess for little knew of her true ailments. For almost four years, she would battle feverishly but to no avail. In a last-ditch effort, she would open the walls of Castle Saint Emalyne for guests. During this period, she would learn of her husband's ill intentions and adultery as she lay in bed sick. This sent her into a frenzy where she would stab him in the arm in front of guests before fainting from exhaustion.

Austina would never wake after this, being pronounced dead in the midnight hours of the 8th of Harren’s Folly, 1914. She had succumbed to her lifelong battle with Leukemia, leaving little to no instructions. Her title as Countess of Aldersberg and relics would pass to her only known relative, Cressida of Aldersberg, and her belongings would be sold.

Titles and Styles

• 1872 - 1888 Her Ladyship, Austina of Aldersberg
• 1888 - 1892 The Right Honorable, Austina, Baroness of Aldersberg
• 1892 - 1897 The Right Honorable, Dame Austina 'The Affluent', Baroness of Aldersberg, Shieldmaiden of the Circle of Saint Emma
• 1897 - 1903 The Right Honorable, Dame Austina 'The Affluent', Baroness of Aldersberg, Countess-Consort of Veletzia, Dame of the Circle of Saint Emma
• 1903-1914 Her Grace The Duchess of Adria, Countess of Aldersberg, Countess-Consort of Veletzia, Dame of the Circle of Saint Emma, Mistress of Castle Saint Emalyne

Full Style as Duchess consort of Adria

Her Grace, Dame Austina 'The Affluent', Countess of Aldersberg, Duchess-Consort of Adria, Countess-Consort of Veletzia, Dame of the Circle of Saint Emma, Mistress of Castle Saint Emalyne

Issue

Name	Birth	Death	Marriage
Suzana Otta Sarkozic	15th of the Sun’s Smile, 1901	Alive	Unwed	Firstborn child of Heinrik and Austina. Born two months early due to stress on the mother which resulted in a lifetime of sickness.
Viktor Stefan Sarkozic	6th of Owyn's Flame, 1903	Alive	Unwed	Secondborn child of Heinrik and Austina
Markus Marie Sarkozic	8th of Owyn's Flame, 1904	Alive	Unwed	Thirdborn child of Heinrik and Austina
Kzenia Adriata Sarkozic	20th of Horen's Calling, 1906	Alive	Unwed	Fourthborn child of Heinrik and Austina

Ancestors

Ancestors of Austina of Aldersberg

16. Joseph II, Holy Orenian Emperor               8. Prince Joseph Leopold, Count of Aldersberg                       17. Anne I, Holy Orenian Empress               4. Prince George Alexander, Count of Aldersberg                             18. Henry Louis, Count of Österland               9. Henrietta Maria of Österland                       19. Angelika Helena of Kvasz               2. Edward Clement, Count of Aldersberg                                   20. Iskander Alexios, Count of Susa               10. Anthony Alexios, Count of Susa                       21. Elizabeth of Helena, Princess Imperial, Countess of Rosemoor               5. Juiya Rose of Susa                             22. Erik, Duke of Reutov               11. Valeria Eleanor of Reutov                       23. Theresa Polyxena of Sunholdt               1. Austina Novellen-Aldersberg                                         24. Alexander-Lucian d’Arkent               12. Peter Alexander, Duke of Sunholdt                       25. Victoria Adelheid of Balain               6. John Alexander d'Arkent                             26. Philip II, Holy Orenian Emperor               13. Josephine of Crestfall, Princess Imperial, Duchess of Crestfall                       27. Judith Alice of Rochefort               3. Anne Josephine of Sunholdt                                   28. John Michael, Viscount of Provins               14. Simon Casimir, Viscount of Provins                       29. Casimira Philippa of Pompourelia               7. Anne Adelheid Pruvia                             30. Philip II, Holy Orenian Emperor               15. Princess Anne of Crestfall, Duchess of Auvergne                       31. Judith Alice of Rochefort