Thalassa Seaborn for @opalescence-sim's A Royal Masquerade!
Born the bastard daughter of the Aeolian king and a commoner woman, Thalassa grew up well-loved by her mother but with little to their name. Watching her fellow commoners struggle to survive while the nobles in Aeolia feasted to their heart’s content made Thalassa swear she would one day turn the tables—and she did. At only 15, she joined her first pirate crew, quickly rising in the ranks before forming her own. As captain of Scylla’s Revenge, Thalassa was known to be swift, cunning, and deadly—but also compassionate where it mattered. She’d gained the reputation of a Robin Hood-esque pirate who robs corrupt nobles and redistributes their wealth into her community… all while keeping a decent amount for herself, of course. Doing so made her quite popular amongst the common folk of Aeolia, and that was when her older half-brother Theron, the crown prince, realized she wasn’t just a threat as a pirate—she was a threat to his rule as well.
Nothing was more dangerous to the crown than a well-loved bastard.
Knowing that if she rose up against the crown and took control of Aeolia for herself, the people would support her, Theron intended to remove her as a threat by hiring a band of mercenaries to kill her. But when the mercenaries tried to shake down Thalassa’s mother for information on the pirate captain’s location and weaknesses, she refused to betray her daughter, and the mercenaries killed her in Thalassa’s stead. Upon returning to shore and finding her mother dead, Thalassa immediately suspected foul play. And Theron, fearing Thalassa’s wrath, launched a strategic move to keep his enemies close, reduce suspicion, and increase his public image: he convinced his father to officially welcome Thalassa into the royal line as a princess.
Thalassa has spent the last six months as a princess of Aeolia, working with a singular goal in mind: to uncover the truth about her mother’s murder, and kill whoever is responsible.
When the maiden’s day ball invitation was extended to the Aeolian royal family, Thalassa jumped at the chance to join under the guise of winning the hand (and heart) of Prince Valarr, though her true intentions are to find her mother’s killer. After all, she knows better than anyone that royals and nobles have loose tongues when there’s wine and merriment. But while she may be consumed with thoughts of vengeance, beneath all that beats the heart of a romantic—and perhaps she’ll find a kindred soul in the prince. Will Thalassa fall in love? And if she does, what will that mean for her plans of revenge?
I can’t wait to find out!
More information below the cut!
Name: Thalassa Seaborn
Title: Bastard Princess
House: House Illyria
House Colors & Words: Blue & Gold | “Wise as serpents.”
Age: 23 (Young Adult)
Pronouns: she/her
Gender: Woman
Sexuality: Bisexual
Kingdom: Aeolia (modern-day Tartosa)
Traits: Adventurous, Romantic, Competitive, Loyal, Child of the Ocean
Aspiration: Master of Grudges
FUN FACTS
Aeolia is an independent kingdom located in the Dancing Isles, and its modern-day equivalent is Tartosa.
Has a few scars, both on her body and face.
Got a tattoo of a snake on her hip/torso when she was formally welcomed into House Illyria, both as a physical representation of her belonging to the house (their crest is of a serpent) but also because tattoos are viewed as a “pirate thing” and she wants to make clear that’s always going to be who she is.
Despite her family’s crest, her tattoo, and her occupation as a pirate, she isn’t The Sea Snake of the North—but she is friends with her.
Nicknamed “Seaborn” because she thrives on the ocean.
Her crew adore her, and are very loyal to her.
She has a beautiful singing voice.
Can speak several languages thanks to her life as a pirate.
Thalassa's consorts, Knight Priam Samaras and lady-in-waiting Tethys Hiereia.
Priam is a knight of House Illyria (the royal family of Aeolia), who was appointed by Theron to accompany Thalassa to the maiden's ball. While Priam is suspicious of Thalassa's motivations and fiercely loyal to the royal family, he has no idea that Theron killed her mother—Priam is pure-hearted (albeit stick in the mud) and would have quite the crisis of faith were he to discover Theron wasn't the benevolent crown prince Priam believes him to be...
Tethys is allegedly Thalassa's lady-in-waiting, but this is a farce—she is really a member of Thalassa's pirate crew, and a formidable sea witch. She is also Thalassa's best friend and confidante, and is determined to help enact her captain's revenge. She enjoys flirtatiously teasing Priam, and they have a bit of belligerent sexual tension going on.
Thalassa's parents, King Demetrios Illyria and the late Galene Olous.
Their affair was brief but passionate, and ended due to Demetrios' guilt of betraying his wife (despite their marriage being a political one). Demetrios is kind, but ruled by his queen-consort, especially now that he's begun to lose his sanity as he ages. Because of his wife's jealousy, Demetrios avoided acknowledging Thalassa until his son convinced the queen-consort to change her mind. He was overjoyed to finally meet Thalassa and wants to make up for lost time, though Thalassa is wary.
Galene was a very loving mother, and extremely close with Thalassa. Despite having little, she raised Thalassa with love and care. Like her daughter, she loved the ocean.
Queen-consort Herais Dicaea, Crown Prince Theron Illyria, and Princess Melitta Illyria.
Herais is a jealous woman, even knowing her marriage with her husband was one of political alliances, rather than love. She is strong-willed and the true ruler of Aeolia. When her husband had an affair shortly after the birth of their son, she was furious, and has used his guilt to control him ever since. Herais largely ignores Thalassa's existence, and only agreed to Theron's request to elevate her status because she knows of Theron's machinations.
Theron is cunning and competitive, but also hot-tempered. He is obsessed with becoming King one day. Despite his ruthless disposition, he cares for his mother and younger sister Melitta, though he has a complicated relationship with the former. While Thalassa doesn't know for sure that he killed her mother, she is suspicious of him, and there is a strong mutual dislike between the two.
Melitta is a sweet, bright girl who has little interest in politics and instead wishes to become a apothecarist, wanting to cure people of diseases. She herself is of a sickly disposition, and at only fifteen years old she has had more brushes with death than most. She is in awe of Thalassa: a woman who does what she wants without being bound by the rules of society. Thalassa in turn has a soft spot for her.
Thank you so much for reading, and I can't wait to see her at the ball!!
