If there was one thing Lenora truly hated about this entire affair, it was that she wasn't getting any credit for her work. Not the death, not the struggles of war, no -- what did it matter to her? She wasn’t on the frontlines. She was nestled comfortably in her husband’s house, dressed in fine clothing and fed meals that were always tested for poison -- by the servants, of course.
To anyone else, she was Lord Russell Jorin’s well-bred wife, known for her eloquence and intelligence and beauty. Or something like that. She didn’t pay much attention to the matters. Truth be told, she had been engaged and wed to the man because of her father’s influence as a wealthy merchant, and she agreed to go along with it solely to get away from him.
Russell was harmless, if not inattentive. Too busy attempting to save lives of some while ending others (the hypocrite) in the name of his King. Lenora, as always, remained indifferent to most current events and monarchs and laws. Science was her god and the only thing she ever sought out for herself was knowledge -- no matter the costs.
When her husband’s side began to lose against the invaders, she seized the opportunity to strike a deal with him -- leave her to her experiments, and she would provide his armies with the means to annihilate those with greater numbers. The poisonous gasses and other biological weapons she created did not take long to sway him, and now she was relatively content with her life...outside of Russell claiming the mixtures as his own. He said that men would not trust a woman’s invention on the battlefield, and she understood -- but still, it irritated her beyond all measure. Perhaps she would teach them a lesson or two when all the fighting was done--
“--My lady!” One of the guards burst into her lab and she spun on her heel, already tossing a vial of acid in his direction in irritation.
“What have I said about interruptions?!” she hissed, irritated that her toss had missed him.
He yelped all the same, “My apologies, my lady, but we are under attack! His Lordship requires you be escorted to the keep at on--”
Before he could finish, the man was cut down, and his body fell into the acid that had landed at his feet with a sharp sizzle. Swearing, Lenora took a step back --
