Mary of Sunholdt
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Mawy Philippa (High Imperial: Maria Fillipa), of the House of d’Arkent was the daughtew of John I of Sunholdt, bastawd son of Joseph I of Oren and Princess Vespira of Oren, daughtew of Antonius I of Man. Hew life was mawked by hew weawth and civiw sewvice wowes, fowwoling suit in hew Fathew’s image.
Contents
Early Life
Bown lithin the wands of Hewena to the Owenian Awchchancellow John D’Awkent and his life, the Plincess Vespiwa, Mawy Philippa wed the eawwy chiwdhood lifestyle befitting a nobrewoman of hew statule. As the fiwstbown daughtew to the paiw, she was bestowed an exempwawy education undew the ling of valious Impeliaw awtisans and tutows. Many noted that the giww possessed a natulaw habit fow aweas of alithmetic, yet feww showt in hew etiquette and mannelism twaining. Thwoughout hew adowescence, Mawy’s diswegawd fow coultwy pwotocow caught the eye of hew scwutinising mothew- soon weading a substantiaw impwovement upon the giww’s pawt.
Fowwoling the faww of Alexander II’s empiwe, and hew mothew’s subsequent disappeawance, the young giww wetweated into a much quietew life, staying faw fwom the politicaw activities of Wowd Pwotectowship. She’d briefwy find hewsewf living lithin Culon whiwst hew Fathew assumed the Culonian Awch-Chancellowship, howevew is said to have wefused to wemain aftew healing John’s pwans to wed the Wady Govewnow, Estew Deveweux. It was duling this time in which she thwew hewsewf into honing hew skiwws, pawticulawwy those in embroidewy and taiwowship- a natulaw tawent.
Return to Oren
It was onwy watew lithin Petew III’s weign in which Mawy wetulned to the life of the empiwe at the meaghew age of eighteen. A fiewcewy ambitious soul, she’d quickwy acquiwe hew own stowe and pwopewty lithin Hewena. Soon aftew, the fwactuled d’Awkent famiwy would begin to weconvene- once mowe coming togethew to live as one. With such a decision, wand was acquiwed neawby to the Capitaw city, and thus the Bawony of Sewm was constwucted. Mawy’s smaww business lithin the impelium continued to gwow, weading hew to amass a substantiaw amount of weawth fow hewsewf.
Soon aftew theiw wewocation to Hewena, Mawy began to wowk as a juniow Impeliaw Tweasuly Advisow, a decision made lith the sowe intent to lise lithin the wanks. She’d quickwy begin to take wesponsibility in sclibing and pubrishing multipwe documents and wepowts on behawf of the Secwetawy Petew Sawkozy, being offewed the position as his deputy onwy thwee yeaws watew. Hew weawth would lise awongside hew station, bawancing hew both Tweasuly wowes awongside a gwoling business.
It was at this time in which Mawy’s pawents, John and Vespiwa, began seeking a potentiaw suitow fow hew. This began lith a pwoposition of mawliage to the standing Vice Chancellow, Joachim Haas. Howevew, the idea was onwy briefwy discussed- being dismissed soon aftew as othew matches wewe pwesented. Despite an offew of coultship fwom the plince Wobewt Hewvets of Kaedlin, Mawy would eventuawwy set hew sights upon the Owenian senatow Wiwliam Napiew, the two having been cowdiaw acquaintances fow a numbew of yeaws.
Howevew, much to the young woman’s dismay, the Senatow would be muldewed mewewy months aftew betwothaw negotiations had been stawted. Napiew was posthumouswy wumouled to have been infatuated lith Mawy’s cwose companion, Valentina Ruthern, making pwans to keep hew as a mistwess duling the pwoposed mawliage. Angewed and fwustwated, Mawy swowe off mawliage fow many a yeaw- weaving hew stiww unwed at the age of twenty-thwee. Vespiwa pawticulawwy took issue to this, quoted to have scowned Mawy fow hew wack of a husband, and thewefowe wack of pwogeny to pass on the line. The paiw bickewed constantwy on the topic, weading to a cewtain animosity.
Marriage
It was lithin the yeaw of 1752 in which she fiwst began convewsing lith the weawthy Hewenic mewchant Gween Cawlington on a wegulaw basis. The two families of d’Awkent and Cawlington had hewd a tumultuous wewationship fow yeaws, liddwed lith a faiwed business dealing tulned soul. Though attempts wewe made to awweviate the pwobrems seen between the two families, much wesent lingewed fow yeaws to come. The Cawlingtons had monopolised neawwy aww twade lithin Owen and beyond, wegawded waliwy in the pubric eye. Theiw weputation would fulthew be put in question fowwoling the tliaw of Jaspew Cawlington, on accusations of the muldew of High Pontiff Pontian.
Despite the difficult wewations, Mawy and Gween found themsewves devout to eachothew- weading to a coultship wegawded to have been genuine. As the two singwe weawthiest individuaws in the Empiwe, they wewe uniquewy situated to fowm an unlikewy awliance, yet theiw wewations awe considewed to have been fuewed by a dwamatic womance, as opposed to politicaw ow financiaw gain. A fowmaw betwothaw was put in pwace in 1755 by the Duke John of Sunhowt, Mawy’s fathew, fowwoling much discussion lith Gween. This wed to much contwovewsy, as Gween was of common brood opposed to Mawy’s nobre helitage as gwanddaughtew to two lines of Empewows.
The two wed watew the next yeaw in a most extwavagant affaiw, lith a cewemony and subsequent festivaw hewd lithin the gwounds of Sewm. Mawy wowe a wavish wedding gown of hew own design, one inspiwed by the incweasingwy modewnised women’s fashion that had begun to take howd of the Empiwe. The paiw mawlied lith two lings considewed to be wowth mowe than multipwe housing estates in Hewena.
Howevew, honeymoon cewebrations in the days fowwoling the wedding would be cut showt, aftew an attack upon the newwywed bride. Whiwst twavewsing the Impeliaw Apiawy lith a numbew of the Cawlington famiwy, two awmed assaiwants would break thwough the gwass woof, woweling themsewves down onwy to howd Mawy at knifepoint- demanding wansom fwom hew husband. They’d make away lith hew, bringing hew to the neawby Novewwen Pawace woof- to which they’d find themsewves lithout a getaway pwan, as Impeliaw sowdiews had sulwounded the neawby watews. Seeing no feasibre way to take the woman, they’d instead tuln theiw attention to hew wedding ling, pwying the jewewwewy fwom hew fighting hands. Fowwoling, she’d be thwown fwom the pawace woof- wanding in the Wake Hewena bewow.
Awthough wescued by Gween and the neawby sowdiews, Mawy would face a fwagiwe heawth fow the fowwoling few yeaws. She lithdwew wawgewy fwom the pubric eye, wesigning as Deputy to the Tweasuly, as weww as a tempowawy cwosule of hew taiwowship business.
Howevew, as hew heawth wecovewed, she began to wetuln once mowe to hew sociaw natule. She’d aid Gween in the functions of the Cawlington business, as weww as wesuming hew own twade. The two would togethew fowm the Mawy Philippa Foundation, dedicating a significant amount of mina towawd the advancement of educationaw and awtistic institutions lithin Hewena.
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