Anastasia DuChemin

The hospice care room was brightly lit by the morning sun, and covered in flowers, a interwoven tapestry of carnations and poinsettias lining the walls and covering the table, causing the room to be bathed in a reddish-pink tint. The light did little to disguise the sunken cheeks of the woman sitting up in the bed, who was reading a book when the First Princeps entered the room, the Dawnstar at his side. She looked up and gave a small smile.
"Nairie. Mon Petit Blaireau." The First Princeps gave a small grimace at his old nickname, which prompted a laugh from the woman. "Or would you rather I call you Princeps of the world, King of all you survey?"
"Enough, Anastasia." The First Princeps strode to her bedside and put a leather-gloved hand to her forehead, moving quickly but with a light touch, as though handling porcelain. "You're looking better than when I saw you last, but how are you feeling?"
"Like shit, mon Blaireau." Anastasia DuChemin coughed into her hand. "You taunt me, you know. I know it was you who had my old spear sent to my room, but I cannot grip." The spear in question lay resting against the dresser, its head polished and shining. "That spear, the master of my life, will die without my curled hand. But you knew that already. How goes the grand project?"
Nairie Solitus sat on the bed next to her. "The ministries are being set up now, and most of the old houses are falling in line and waiting to set up power generation and distribution in their home districts. Unification proceeds apace, and the fighting is over."
"The fighting is never truly over, Nairie. Not while, what was the phrase? Bloodthirsty bitches like me are around, ready to put a spear up people's arses." Anastasia had the barest hint of a glint in her eye as she spoke.
The First Princeps shook his head. "You remind me of words I regret saying to you."
"Is mon Blaireau complaining about being made uncomfortable?" DuChemin sat up in her bed with a slightly brighter smile. "I took those words to heart, you know. They reminded me why I was fighting, when I was riding those prows into battle, my spear at the ready." She moved her hand and made a gripping motion. "One foot on the prow clutch, one foot on the foot loop, one hand on the steer grip, other hand with the spear, charging through for the glory of the new world that we were creating. A world where a woman like me could put her spear away, and would be free to be a baker or housewife." Anastasia coughed again. "As if."
"That is partially why we are here." The First Princeps drew a scrap of parchment from his vest. "A number of men have put their names forward as potential matches for you, mostly former soldiers and captains of the Ground Forces."
"As though I were capable of siring an heir?" Anastasia gestured to her hospice bed and at her covered lower body. "I can't imagine I would be a particularly enjoyable partner, either. Perhaps if I just made the noises while they did their part, they would be satisfied, but-"
"While your ability to make ribald jokes does reassure me about your health, I can tell you're simply trying to distract me. I'm used to that trick." The First Princeps shook his head. "The goal is companionship, Anastasia. Someone bonded to you, who will be here as long as you're here. Nairie and I will visit as often as possible, but that will not be as often as you require. You need someone to care for you in a way the healers will not."
"Strange, mon Blaireau. Years and years ago, I recall that you wished to be that person." Anastasia tilted her head slightly. "How times change."
The First Princeps turned away. "You mock me, but I was a child then. Childhood infatuations are no source of shame."
Anastasia leaned back in her bed. "A joke, obviously. Though I suspect Nairie would be willing to share. Kidding." She plucked the piece of parchment out from the First Princep's grip. "You are right, of course, as you tend to be in this time of Progress you created."
"We." The First Princeps reached for her thin wrist and held it, with only the slightest force. "We created this era. Never forget that, DuChemin. Not now and not ever."
"Fine, fine." With her free hand, Anastasia gestured, and the First Princeps released his grip. "Now that we're moving to last names, let Solitus and I go over this list of menfolk that you've provided and see if any might be a good match. Perhaps one of them can entrance me so that I forget my worries for whatever seasons I have remaining."

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Anastasia DuChemin was the closest retainer to the King of Nasse, before and during The War of Unification. Born the child of a skapet under Skapetry Serfdom in a nearby petty kingdom, DuChemin escaped her bondage and managed to joined a wandering mercenary company as scullion and attendant at the age of eight. By seventeen, she was captain of Richard's Revue, due to a natural gift for swordplay and leadership in combat - more than once, it was her personal ability that resulted in safe completion of her company's contracts. 
The performance of her mercenaries drew the attention of Queen Feilan of the wealthy kingdom of Nasse, which at the time was only beginning its research into what would eventually become Power technology. Queen Feilan offered what the other petty kingdoms did not - citizenship in her country, an opportunity for permanent residency and a pension in return for martial services rendered. DuChemin became a retainer of Nasse, captain of an independent company of soldiers in Nasse's infantry, and was further tasked with teaching Feilan's young ward the elements of swordplay and battle tactics, despite DuChemin only being a few years older.
Were it not for Unification, DuChemin may have lived out her life peacefully, content to patrol the borders of old Nasse and protect the young prince. Queen Feilan's assassination, however, brought her ward to the throne as the King of Nasse. The young new king, taught the ways of war by his swordmistress and eager for vengeance for his dead mother, pushed Power towards military purpose. DuChemin was personally responsible for the development of the armored assault prow, the modern day equivalent to obsolete lance cavalry, as a way to break infantry lines. Her theory was that no formation of infantry would survive Power-Wagons smashing into them, spear carriers riding on an open top. This was tested during the opening battle against the anti-Nasse coalition, and she led the first combat fielding of her prows in battle, her own lance at the ready. Her beloved, battered Caesta remains on display in a Capital museum, bearing the marks of battle damage and victory.
Captain DuChemin was never far from the side of the King of Nasse and was the closest of his battle commanders throughout the campaign of Unification, until she was severely injured defending the King of Nasse from an ambush of crossbowmen. As she rammed her prow into the attackers, two bolts punctured her abdomen and intestines and broke her spine; her survival was due to the King of Nasse himself retrieving her from her wagon and carrying her to the rear for treatment.
DuChemin spent the rest of the war in hospice care, her paralysis and slow septic poisoning from a perforated intestine and botched surgery dooming her to a slow death. She passed in 633, with the newly crowned First Princeps at her side, fulfilling her wish to die with her armor on and her blade in her hand.

Education

Anastasia DuChemin received no formal education, but was taught arms and military tactics during her time with Richard's Revue, growing skilled enough to captain the company by seventeen. During her time as a retainer of Nasse under Queen Feilan, she was taught basic literacy and numbers, but rejected further educational opportunity as 'foppishness'.

Employment

While being captain of a mercenary company and retainer of Nasse are impressive titles in their own right, DuChemin would describe herself in her later years as merely being the King of Nasse's bodyguard. While there was an element of truth to this, it would be more accurate to say that DuChemin and the future First Princeps were inseparable; the lonely young prince became fierce friends with the fiery mercenary, who loyally served Nasse until her passing.

Morality & Philosophy

While Anastasia DuChemin's name became widely feared during The War of Unification due to a reputation for bloodthirst and viciousness, most of that reputation likely stems from the novel sight of her lance running through soldiers at a speed no horse could hope to match; she was merely the harbinger of the new era of prow cavalry. While she relished the fight, as any mercenary would, she was, in her words, 'only a soldier', and no more than that.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Much has been said and written about the relationship the First Princeps had with his combat instructor when he was a young teenager; the rumors of it being more than friendship were ever present and impossible to fully squash. What is known with certainty is that DuChemin was always near the young prince at every hour of the day, under the reign of Queen Feilan, present at all of his state visits and adventures as personal escort. She continued her service to Nasse even after Feilan's assassination, the new King's coronation, and the formal relief of her contract. Their conversations and arguments at this point were described by several contemporaries as the discussion of 'an old married couple', much to their mutual chagrin.
Upon DuChemin's passing in 633, the newly-invested First Princeps and his paramour, Nairie Solitus, took her body and buried it in a location only known to them, in what must have been an arrangement made ahead of time. Upon hearing the news of Solitus' passing in 648, the First Princeps is quoted,

"And the two lights in my life have now left me in the dark."

Life

598 M 633 M 35 years old

Sex

Female

Eyes

Grey

Hair

Black

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Light brown

Height

6'1"

Weight

175lb

Aligned Organization

Principality of Etoile