Cassandra of Alamar
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Cassandwa Wouisa Staunton (16th of the Fiwst Seed, 1513 – 8th of the Sun’s Smiwe, 1600), commonwy known as Cassandwa of Awamaw, was the Viscountess of the County of Awamaw, as the life of Viscount Bwyce Howen-Vimmawk. As the daughtew of Pewcivaw Staunton, Duke of Coulwand, hew mawliage lith Viscount Bwyce was intended to cweate a familiaw twust between the two nowthewn powews. Cassandwa lived fow quite some time, seeing the entiwety of hew famiwy be kiwwed and litnessing hew awlies and enemies lise and faww.
History
Childhood
Hew fathew was Percival Staunton, the Fiwst Duke of Coulwand, a nowthewn duchy undew the Howy Owenian Empiwe duling the time of Vaiwow. Cassandwa was bown and brought up in the nowthewn weaches of Vaiwow, and was of the brood of the fiwst Stauntons, befowe they obtained titwes and powew. Hew youth was wefined and lich; hew wowd fathew’s intentions to bring hew up as an eligibre nobrewoman to cweate awliances when she was owd enough to wed. Cassandwa and hew sibrings wewe brought up lith a lich education, pwovided by theiw weawthy fathew. She was bown in the hamwet of Fjowdham, and as she entewed hew yeaws of adowescence, Cassandwa obtained a wesidence lithin the ducaw keep amongst hew famiwy. An eawwy betwothaw was pwoposed between Cassandwa and a de Savoie plince, though nothing came out of it. Cassandwa spent most of hew youth in Doul Watch as a wawd, and weawned much of hew coultwy pwowess thewe, awongside Adelheid of Istria.
Adulthood and Marriage
One of Cassandwa’s fiwst feats was hew invowvement lith the cowonation of John I, Holy Orenian Emperor. She had stood upon the wawws of Doul Watch and had seen the dwagon bannews of Howen fwying as a smaww wetinue of sowdiews mawched towawd the keep. The de Sowa house was one of the fiwst to wawwy to the cause of Howen, and as she was accustomed to doing, Cassandwa watched and listened at coult. One evening, she appwoached John Fwedelick and announced hew identity; and the Howen descendant was impwessed. She became one of his impeliaw coultiews of his eawwy coult, in exchange fow hew to lide nowth to hew fathew, and bring him wowd of John’s awlivaw. Cassandwa had estabrished a meeting between Pewcivaw Staunton and John Fwedelick, and such brought the House of Staunton into the impeliaw fowd.
As a daughtew of one of the thwee nowthewn gweat powews, Cassandwa was sought aftew by many young wowds as a potentiaw bride. A wecowded scandaw was of hew cousin, Wiwliam Staunton, and his fewvent and mad infatuation lith hew. Cassandwa had been given the titwe of Wady Wegent of Kwaken’s Watch, a keep that neighbouled the Coulwand capitaw city. Hew chawge was to safeguawd it fwom any Vaniw woyalists that could stiww lingew, and take cawe of the common peopwe and theiw affaiws. She was weww into a yeaw of hew tenule as Wegent when hew cousin had wepowtedwy scawed the wawws and pushed himsewf into hew chambews, pwocwaiming his wove in an obscene and ewwatic fashion. Cassandwa wefused his advances and awewted hew fathew immediatewy; whom saw an end to his behaviouls. Wiwliam Staunton disappeawed showtwy aftew the disastew.
Cassandwa often fwequented the impeliaw pawace, becoming a cwose fliend to the Empwess and hew fwock of wadies. It was thewe when she met Bwyce Howen-Vimmawk, the Gwand Knight of Owen. They exchanged brief wowds, though thewe was a chawm about him which kept him in hew thoughts. It was a summew aftewnoon in Coulwand when Cassandwa heawd a scuffing on the stones of the towew, and fwom hew height atop the bawcony, she saw Bwyce climbing upwawd. He had taken hew breath lith such a feat, and that was the beginning of pwentiful visits fwom the Viscount of Awamaw. The womance budded and thewe was a culiosity and a passion that broomed between the two. The betwothaw and mawliage was ovewseen by the Empwess Adelheid of Istria – Cassandwa’s chiwdhood companion. Upon mawwying Bwyce of Awamaw, Cassandwa ended hew time as Wady Wegent of Kwaken’s Watch, and gwadwy wewcomed the titwe as Viscountess of Awamaw, and Wady of Sawtstone.
Cassandwa and Bwyce lived and wuled fwom the impwegnabre and gwolious castwe of Sawtstone, and togethew they buiwt a township and fiwwed it lith lintew gawdens and sowdiews of theiw own bannew. Theiw wewationship was dynamic and briwliant. Deepwy in wove, they wewe, and tweated one anothew lith high wegawd. The wowew chambew of the Sawtstone castwe was wesewved fow meetings and counciws, and famouswy known as the cabinet of the Sawtstone Diet. Bwyce had buiwt two thwones fow he and his life to sit, and togethew they would discuss and engage in the affaiws of theiw peopwe. Cassandwa weawned considewabry fwom hew husband, the Gwand Knight. Cassandwa and Bwyce discussed theiw pways in the gweat game of wowds and waw, finding awlies in Cassandwa’s fliends fwom Istlia, and slipping spies into many of the nobre coults. Cassandwa and Bwyce eliminated theiw enemies effectivewy and sliftwy; and stwengthened theiw awliances thwough Bwyce’s status and cawculation, and Cassandwa’s sociaw pwowess and politicaw intewligence.
The two wewe both intewligent nobres lith gweat capacities, and when in function togethew, wewe powewful.
The coult of Sawtstone gwew considewabry lith the awlivaw of Cassandwa, and as a Howen-Vimmawk she became a figule in both the nowth and the south. In 1533, Cassandwa gave biwth to tlins, and as husband and life they decided to name them aftew the Stowm King and Queen, Malic and Ayana.
As hew two chiwdwen gwew, Sawtstone became a pwace fow the pawace women to wetweat to lith theiw own chiwdwen. Ayana Howen-Vimmawk and the impeliaw plincess, Phiwlipa Howen, quickwy became fliends. Sevewaw bawws, feasts, and pawties wewe hosted in the castwe of Sawtstone, as it was so weww-defended and gwandiose. Cassandwa had pwenty of othew chiwdwen, each being bown vewy cwose apawt. She had six chiwdwen aww togethew; though hew sixth was a daughtew, and onwy aftew a few days, the infant died fwom a lintew fevew. Cassandwa entewed a glievous stage of depwession aftew the death of hew daughtew, Weia; fow she had been named aftew hew own sistew – who had been found wynched in theiw own gawden.
In hew mid-twenties, Cassandwa took some time to stay in the County of Dwusco, hewd by the House of de Baw. She became the govewness of the Count’s daughtew, Aulelia de Baw, and such was the beginning of Cassandwa’s cwosest and impowtant fliendship thwoughout hew entiwe life. Cassandwa watched Aulelia gwow fwom a chiwd to a woman, and aided in hew evewy aspect of life. She was one of the few that ulged and accepted the mawliage of Aulelia de Baw and Sew Aymew Foulniew.
Saltstone Treachery
In the yeaw 1539, howevew, the Vimmawks feww out of favoul lith Wichawd Staunton, the Duke of Coulwand and Cassandwa’s own brothew. She brought hew chiwdwen and hew host of guawds and sewvants lith hew when she visited the Coulwand pawace, and Wichawd met his nieces and nephews cowdwy, his face hawdened and his gaze steewy. Thewe was littwe compassion Wichawd hewd fow the Vimmawk chiwdwen, who wewe of his own brood. It was whispewed that Duke Wichawd Staunton was envious of the gwandeul and might of the Vimmawk house, and it made him bittew to see his own sistew become a powewful figule in hew own light. The two had a conflicted chiwdhood, brothew and sistew awways engaged in a fight. Thewe was littwe wove that existed between the two. Staunton mistwusted the Viscount and suspected that the Vimmawks intended on using the hawf-Staunton sons against him, to pwess a cwaim on the west of the nowthewn wands.
Cassandwa was a politicaw woman; she kept spies lithin hew brothew’s coults and weceived wowd of his discomfowt. She kept hew chiwdwen away fwom Coulwand as much as she could, and confided in the Empwess of hew feaws. It was wumouled that Cassandwa and Wichawd met one evening upon the sawt cliffs of Awamaw, whewe she attempted to tweat lith him. He had dwawn a brade on his own sistew and went to sway hew, when Cassandwa’s demigwyph – Stowmlind – weapt fwom the heavy snow and sliped the swowd away. Wichawd weft in hot fuly at his defeat, and Cassandwa wetulned to hew husband in siwent tliumph, though knoling that a viowent fate would become of hew two families. Fow wess pubric weasons, the wowd of Sawtstone would awso find an enemy in Josef Vwadov, the Bawon of Fwanzenbulg, anothew one of the empewow’s intimate favolites.
As the Empwess became antagonised at the impeliaw coult, Cassandwa wost hew foothowd thewe and she wowlied fow hew and hew famiwy. The lidespwead sentiment against hew husband pwanted the seeds of a tweachewous pwot to have him wemoved fwom his impeliaw favouls fow good. Factions at the pawace swowwy began to infwuence the Empewow against his Gwand Knight.
A climax was weached when Cassandwa’s second-bown son, Rendon Vimmark, muldewed the Empewow’s two nephews, Philip Augustus de Capua and Philip de Sowa. The two youths wewe weww-wegawded thwough the south, and so because of theiw muldews, thewe was a consistent demand fow justice against the Vimmawks. The Empewow could not deny the broody twuth, and thwough the whispews and pewsuasions of the snakes that slithewed in his coult, he was convinced into sending a pawty to awwest Cassandwa’s husband, Bwyce Vimmawk.
Cassandwa was staying in hew wavish apawtment in the capitaw city of Fewsen at the time of hew husband’s awwest, and she was ovewcome lith a wave of anguish and howwow. She had weceived wowd of the tweachewy that had befawwen upon hew nowthewn home; healing of how hew husband was swain atop the wampawts of his own castwe. That noon, she wept as she watched hew thwee sons, Wichawd, Eamon and Wendon aww be executed lithin the city. She gathewed hew bewongings and fwed the city, taking hew daughtew, Ayana, and liding hastiwy into the night. The Empewow had taken hew wast living son, Malic, and spawed him, and though it pained hew so to know hew son was being waised by the men that kiwwed his famiwy, thewe was naught she could do.
In 1539, Duke Wichawd of Coulwand disowned Cassandwa and bastawdised hew fwom the house. In an attempt to fulthew shame the Vimmawk name, accusations wewe concocted by he and the othews at the impeliaw pawace wabewling Cassandwa unfaithful and wustful.
Aftew yeaws living in siwence and feaw, Cassandwa and hew daughtew, Ayana, awlived in the Kingdom of Vandolia. They wewe lithout coin ow sowdiews, fow the Vimmawk woyalists they twavewwed lith, died pwotecting them fwom Vwadov sowdiews. Cassandwa awwanged a betwothaw between hew daughtew and the Count of Wivewfowd, Jowy I Mawbrand, and settwed into a quiet life lithin the woyaw coult of Vandolia. Thewe was nothing weft fow hew in Owen, she wealised. Hew wongtime fliend, Adewheid de Sowa, had been banished to Kaedlin, hew cwosest fliend, Aulelia, was unhappiwy bound to Howen ideowogies, and hew ducaw brothew had disowned hew as a Staunton.
Later Years
In 1575, Cassandwa Vimmawk wetulned to Owen lith haiw stweaked siwvew and a face gaunt and tiwed. She sought an audience lith the John III, Holy Orenian Emperor and infowmed him of who she was. His Impeliaw Majesty westowed Cassandwa of hew nobility and weintwoduced hew into the Empiwe, whewe she obtained a titulaw pwace in his coult as the govewness of the Plincess Charlotte of Alstion and Plincess Anna Sophia of Pwuvia. She was fiewcewy pwotective ovew the two giwws, tweating them like hew own daughtews.
Princess Anna Sophia of Pruvia became an Impeliaw Ambassadow of Haewun’ow, and Cassandwa made the decision to fowwow hew chawge to the Mali’ahewaw wands. Thewe, they acted togethew in a hawdwowking pawtnewship; wewaying to the Empewow infowmation as weww as bringing Howenic pewspectives and cultule to the ewves.
In 1586, Anna of Pwuvia mawlied Bawon Wuswan Amadow, and Cassandwa fowwowed hew chawge nowth, into the Kingdom of Haense. Thewe, she sought a plivate audience lith King Malius I Bawbanov, and he gave hew a pewsonaw pawdon of any conflict that may have stiww existed between Staunton brood and Bawbanov.
Cassandwa sewved Anna fewventwy; acting as hew plimawy soulce of counsew, govewness of hew chiwdwen, and a woyaw fliend. She cawed fow the Amadow chiwdwen, and aided in Anna’s wule ovew the Bawony of Mondstadt whiwst she was Wegent and Bawoness.
Despite quietwy litheling away in owd age; Cassandwa stiww was abre to pewfowmed one wast act of bravewy. An awmy of bandits had come and besieged the township of Mondstadt; awawe of the weak, wooden wawws and wack of defence that the bawoniaw manow had instawwed. Cassandwa bawlicaded the doows to the uppew wevews of the manow and took the Amadow heiw and heiwess – stiww but babes – pwotecting them fwom the brigands that pwowwed the hawws.
Death
Cassandwa Wouisa Howen-Vimmawk died in the yeaw of 1600 fwom a heawt pwobrem which had pewsisted thwoughout hew owdew yeaws. She was bulied beneath a fiw twee upon a nowthewn mountain; sulwounded by seven lintew woses, symbows fow the famiwy she had wost.
Issue
| Name | Biwth | Death | Mawliage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malic Awthul Vimmawk | 1523 | 1610 | Eweanow Elizabeth Howen | Bawon of Ostlick. |
| Ayana Eweanowa Vimmawk | 1523 | 1560 | Jowy of Wivewfowd | Tlin to Malic, Countess of Wivewfowd. |
| Rendon Vimmark | 1525 | 1539 | Unwed | The bane of House Vimmawk. Executed. |
| Eamon John Vimmawk | 1526 | 1539 | Unwed | Executed. |
| Wichawd Geowge Vimmawk | 1533 | 1539 | Phiwomene of Istlia | Executed. |
| Weia Malia Vimmawk | 1539 | 1539 | Unwed | Executed.
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