Adlersflügel, Arista Elvira

APPEARANCE

Like most Austrian women, she is tall, standing at 5ft8. She has a lean figure, on the thinner side, with soft facial features. Her skin is porcelain white contrasting with her blonde, almost white locks of hair. Her eyes are big, round, giving her an aura of innocence and youth. They are a light green color and depending on the light they may even seem slightly yellow. She has a scar that runs from her right shoulder blade in diagonal across her back, easily hidden by clothing (perhaps the reason why she dislikes revealing dresses and revealing clothes in general) . When it comes to clothes, she always preferred lighter shades, soft and airy materials, but currently she mostly wear male clothing usually in black or dark muddy brown, her long hair braided or tucked under the hood of a cape.

HISTORY

“I was happy. They took it away. They took away everything.”

The pregnancy was far from being an easy one for the still very young and sickly mother. They all thought she’d die, yet despite the unfavorable odds she did not. Princess Arista had been born. Her mother, barely a woman herself, married king Bertram of Austria at only the age of 16. Rumors at the time spread throughout the court regarding them being related by blood. Incest was one of the ultimate sins, but who would dare oppose the king himself? Nevertheless, the marriage was an arranged one, uniting the strongest and richest houses in Austria. The marriage had been sealed by the birth of Arista. And it wasn’t long before her brother was born as well. The one and only heir to the throne of Austria.

Born and raised in Austria to queen Adelmar and king Bertram of Austria, Arista Elvira Adlersflügel had no reason to be unhappy. She simply got everything. Being the first born had its certain privileges despite not being a male. She got countless praises for her almost surreal beauty, got coated in jewelry and fine dresses and had the best education. Suitors were indeed lining up. Who wouldn’t want to marry the princess of Austria? Marrying her had countless benefits, including a strong alliance with Austria.

But, marriage was not what she wished for. She did not want to be shipped off to some foreign country at a ripe age. She craved freedom, she craved adventure. She was nowhere near being a true lady. She had a strangely wild side that none managed to tame. She began taking archery lessons at the age of only 10 before moving onto handling swords, daggers and well, anything that could be used as a weapon. The Austrian court was nowhere near being strict, and as long as the princess and the royal house kept silent about it, she was free to do as she pleased. Yet still, she had to keep a proper image in front of all the other nobles frequenting the Austrian court.

"They must pay"

Years went by, she grew from the innocent and naïve little girl into a young and surprisingly witty woman. Men from distant countries wanted her hand, but not because they had actual feelings for the princess, but for her title and wealth. Her father though, clearly had other plans for her. He waited for the prince of the Italian court to take the throne. After, she and the king of Italy began exchanging letters, at the request of her father. At first, the letters were formal, awkward even. Gradually, the tension in their letters began disappearing. He was a sweet man, or at least that’s how he wanted to seem in the countless letters they exchanged.

She figured after a while what her father was planning. And her assumptions were only confirmed when, for her 17th birthday, the king of Italy showed up. He was only two years older, he was handsome and had a silly accent along with an awkward vibe. They got along easily, they exchanged sweet nothings, they danced. But she knew too well. It couldn’t be called love. Not yet. But did her father care about her feelings in particular when it came to possibly forming an incredibly powerful alliance between Austria and Italy? Well, the blunt answer is no. Her father craved power.

And so, only a few months after her birthday, the Italian king asked her hand in marriage. How could she ever refuse? In a matter of weeks she left to Italy where she would be married and supposedly live happily ever after, bearing the king an infinite amount of children and be a proper queen.

“I will never forget.”

It did not go as smooth as everyone had hoped. The Templar organization suspected the Austrian court of supporting the Assassins. They could not let princess Arista marry the king and possibly influence him and the whole Italy with such unacceptable views.

Right before the day of her marriage with the king, one of the Templar’s got into her chamber and attempted to kill her. With the help of a good childhood friend, that was appointed to be her personal guard, she managed to run away and hide. He was blamed for kidnapping the princess and possibly killing her. He was imprisoned and had a death sentence unless the princess was found alive.

Since then, tension has been raising bit by bit between Italy and Austria. It’s been almost a month since her disappearance, and war between the two countries is a strong possibility. The Templar organization is still after the princess, they know she is alive, they know she is hiding. It’s only a matter of time before they find her. It’s a game of cat and mouse.