{jessie mei li, 26, demi-female, she/they} We are so glad to see you safe, EXILED COUNTESS ELEONORA ‘NELL’ ADLERBERG of SCOTLAND (GERMANY)! It’s dangerous out in the world these days, but I hear that you are RESOURCEFUL and KIND enough to handle it. Just don’t let your WARINESS bring you down! Stay on your guard, because with your secret being at risk for exposure, you wouldn’t want everyone to find out YOU ELOPED WITH A STABLEHAND WHO WAS INVOLVED IN AN ILL-FATED AND SHORT-LIVED GERMAN INSURGENCY GROUP, AND YOU WERE SMUGGLED TO SCOTLAND BY THE REBELLION TO AVOID EXECUTION.
the basics
Full Name: eleonora adlerberg Nicknames: nell (preferred over eleonora) Faceclaim: jessie mei li Gender: demi-female (she/they) Sexual Orientation: bisexual, biromantic Age: 26 Birthday: march 15 Occupation: exiled countess Marital Status: married? widowed? single Pets: a seal bay hanoverian gelding named hamlet Loyalties: the scottish rebellion Positive traits: intelligent, tactical, compassionate, resourceful, devoted, generous Negative traits: distrusting, paranoid, haunted, closed-off, occasionally reckless, harbouring a new vengeance
aesthetics
Inspiration: sansa stark (game of thrones), sybill crawley (downton abbey), this clip Animal: rabbit Tarot Card: the hanged man Zodiac: pisces Mineral: labradorite Song: abbey - mitski
what is known by the public
As the eldest daughter of Count Gustav Adlerberg, Eleonora was heir to a family legacy that lay so deeply entrenched with the German Hatzfelds, many preferred to believe that she had died, rather than accept she had betrayed her country.
But it was not as simple as that. These things never are.
At one point, she was betrothed to Elias Hatzfeld, but (naturally) that engagement was broken once news spread that she had disappeared, only to emerge in Scotland, working in collaboration with Scottish rebels. No further information is publicly known about the nature of her treason.
Nell is different now, no longer bright and bubbly. Bits of that person still exist, but they are reserved for their closest friends and allies. They are often found at the stables, caring for the horses, reading books out in the pastures.
backstory
Nell was a carefree child, content even with her father’s insistence that she dedicate herself to the study of politics, history, diplomacy, and philosophy. She was entirely aware that he had every intention of passing his position as a foreign advisor to her upon his death, but it wasn’t something she ever thought much about, or even considered taking issue with- those expectations were placed on her since birth, and she had never known a life without them on her shoulders.
Trusted deeply by Gustav- which was no easy feat- Nell was given a great deal of free rein, and was allowed to do what she pleased outside of her daily lessons. Most of this time was spent at the family’s stables, taking the horses out for hours-long rides, falling asleep with a book in the hay loft, and polishing the saddlery (to her mother’s horror). This sanctuary would become a tomb, the day she met Johannes.
She did not know she was asleep until she met him. When he touched her for the first time- a simple brush of hands, as he passed her a bridle- her body hummed with electricity, and the world was instantly filled with so much color, she could not even bring herself to dread the inevitable conclusion.
Despite a betrothal to King Elias Hatzfeld, she did not bother to hold herself back from the stable boy. Not that it mattered- before the thought of restraint even crossed her mind, they’d already bared their souls to one another in every conceivable way. Even the admission that he was involved in a small, but growing, insurgency was not enough to tear her from him.
It was Nell that got down on one knee, asking him to marry her. He protested, fearing for their safety- but Nell was willing to run, to desert her birthright, to spurn the Hatzfeld king and give up a crown of her own, to change her name and burn every aspect of her current life to the ground.
They eloped the same night, in a small church a mile down the road. For three weeks, they were incandescently happy. They moved between safe houses, evading her father’s search parties, attending rebel meetings deep in the forests, and feeling deeply lucky despite it all.
Luck ran out at one of these meetings, when they were ambushed by German soldiers. Nell was caught and dragged away by one of the soldiers, a heavy hand clapped over her mouth so that she would scream out when she heard the barrage of musket-fire.
She was kept in an abandoned barn for a few days, before someone snuck her into the cargo hold of a ship, where she was certain the journey would end in her imprisonment or execution. Instead, she walked freely off the boat to see the familiar shores of her mother’s home: Scotland. She had not been abducted that night- she had been rescued.
Now, she exists in something of a limbo. She owes her life to the Scottish rebellion and lives under their protection, but that safety relies on their success. And that’s nothing to compared to her fear of Johannes’s fate- is he alive? Imprisoned? Under torture?
She is in a pit of vipers, cornered by the Germans who want her head, and the Stuarts who want the heads of her protectors. She must harden herself, or die.
wanted connections
siblings- Nell was the eldest of 5 children, and they were all quite close, often traveling around formal events like a flock of birds. She has a great deal of affection for them, but everything has changed since Nell ran away from home, and she has significantly damaged their standing in German court. It would be fun to play with the feelings of betrayal, and the complexities of familial loyalty- especially when they were once so close!
johannes- She’s never stopped wondering about what happened to him, whether he escaped with his life, was captured and imprisoned, or killed. And now, inconceivably, he’s here! Things were never simple between them, but now they’ve never been more complicated. This is a deep and very intense connection, but there's a lot of room for conflict, especially if his reason for being in Spain is complicated.
a little indulgence- Even a secretly grieving traitor can get laid on occasion. Just someone to keep the bed warm! But maybe things get a little more complicated, and some feelings get involved, and suddenly it’s not just an indulgence. Made even more complicated by the potential arrival of Johannes!! (0/1)
betrayed friends- Those she was close to in Germany, who were totally blindsided by her disappearance and subsequent resurfacing in Scotland. (0/3)
confidante and ally- Her closest friend, who may not have known all the details about her relationship with Johannes, but was more in the know than anyone else. Can be from any kingdom, with most correspondence happening via letter. (0/1)