HARK! I believe the heralds are announcing the arrival of LEONELLA MASSEY, the THIRTY TWO year old, LADY of STONEDANCE. They are known to hold loyalty towards THEIR HOUSE AND THEMSELVES and little birds sing of them being CHARISMATIC & DISCIPLINED. When one dreams of them, images of “bearing a sword for a spine, straight and unyielding ; a piercing gaze that lingers a fraction too long — curious or calculating? ; navigating courtly intrigue like a blade wrapped in velvet” comes to mind. However their DISTANT and MACHIAVELLIAN nature can make for difficult times. Time will only tell what their true intentions are.
BASICS.
name : leonella massey. nickname(s) : leo, nel, ella (by family only). full name is preferred in the company of acquaintances or strangers. age : thirty and two. place of birth : stonedance, the crownlands. gender : cis-woman. pronoun(s) : she/her. orientation : bisexual. status : unwed, unbetrothed. religion : old gods of the forest. language(s) : common tongue, high valyrian, low valyrian. affiliation : house massey, house blackwood.
IMAGE.
faceclaim : natasha liu bordizzo. hair colour : dark brown. hair style : currently sits at waist length, well maintained. usually styled half up, half down, the top section often pinned neatly with accessories such as pearls and hand crafted metalwork. eye colour : brown. height : 175cm / 5'9". other : pierced earlobes. clothing style : structured and clean silhouettes, not flowing. prefers long, fitted sleeves and modest necklines. bodices are tailored but not overly restrictive, and created from high quality fabrics (think: silk, fine wool, velvet). minimal embroidery and accessories, usually paying homage to her house. avoids loud colours, commonly wearing forest green, navy, maroon, though opts for bright colours when wanting to make a statement. essentially: she does not dress to stand out—she dresses to control how much she is noticed, and when.
MIND.
mbti : intj — the architect. alignment : neutral evil. positive traits : observant, intelligent, composed, disciplined, strategist. negative traits : manipulative, detached, pragmatic, unforgiving, controlling. character inspirations : lady macbeth ( macbeth ), lady jessica ( dune ), sōsuke aizen ( bleach ), edelgard ( fire emblem: three houses ). to put it simply: leonella massey is difficult to read. whether she is naturally detached or if it is a mere act is unclear even to those closest to her. she does not display affection openly, nor does she engage in vulnerability without some form of control. in situations when she does form attachments, they are subtle, private, and often expressed through actions rather than words—protection disguised as practicality, attention framed as coincidence. her reputation at court reflects this ambiguity. to most, she is a graceful and simple noblewoman—pleasant, intelligent, non-threatening. to those more perceptive, however, she is something far harder to define: a quiet observer who consistently seems positioned near influence without ever appearing to seek it. she is, ultimately, a figure defined by a series of contradictions: visible yet overlooked, gentle in appearance yet precise in execution, loyal yet conditional in practice. she does not seek recognition for power, nor does she require it. her strengths lies in her ability to remain ordinary while shaping the world around her in ways few can trace back to her.
RELATIONS.
father : ruling lord lucifer massey. mother : ruling lady lilith massey née blackwood. sibling(s) : four younger siblings— liege utp massey, sibling. liege utp massey, sibling. lady betha massey, younger sister. lord lucas massey, younger brother. other : lady ceryse massey, aunt. the celtigars, the blackwoods.
STORY.
the firstborn daughter of house massey, a noble family aligned with the crown. as the eldest of five, leonella is raised not as a decorative heir, but as a future pillar of her house—expected to observe, understand, and eventually, safeguard the family’s standing within the shifting tides of court.
from early childhood, she is surrounded by privilege: tutors of exceptional calibre, endless access to knowledge, and the quiet expectation of excellence. yet rather than becoming indulgent, she learns to value not excess, but refinement; not attention, but precision; not comfort, but control.
even as a child, leonella displays an unusually analytical mind. her tutors quickly learn she is not a passive student—she interrupts lessons with pointed questions, challenges inconsistencies, and refuses to accept explanations that lack commonsense. debates become routine, and what was intended as instruction tends to lead to intellectual sparring. while some see this as an act of defiance, others quietly recognize it as exceptional intelligence paired with an instinct for testing limitations.
curiosity extends beyond academics and later, into people themselves. she observes tone, hesitation, contradiction, and silence with equal attention. she learns early that information is not merely something to be known, but something to be used. conversations become structured in her mind like systems of exchange: what is said, what is meant, and what is left unsaid all hold value.
as she grows, this observational habit transforms into a carefully curated social presence. leonella is composed and graceful in court settings. she rarely dominates conversation, preferring instead to listen and allow others to reveal themselves. by most, she is often seen as polite, well mannered, and politically disinterested (supposedly).
within court, she operates through subtle influence rather than direct engagement. she does not openly pursue power; instead, she shapes conditions under which outcomes naturally favour her. information gathered in passing becomes strategy. relationships become quiet leverage points. decisions appear to arise elsewhere, though the end result often aligns with her interests.
her loyalty to house massey is structural and conditional—an extension of her belief that stability is maintained through meticulous planning rather than emotional attachment. she is willing to shift alliances, withdraw support, or subtly undermine individuals if it ensures long-term advantage or protection for her family’s standing.
HEADCANONS.
tends to reread books more than she reads new ones for analysis reasons, such as looking for missed patterns or for different interpretations.
dislikes clutter, both physically and mentally. her living space must be organised at all times, items have their designated place, and she does not react lightly to things being moved without permission. mess makes her feel like she's lost control (which she hates!). values functionality above aesthetics.
highly selective of where she positions herself in a room. the ideal position is: never with her back fully exposed and always, always within earshot of conversations nearby. any exits are memorised and committed to memory.
an early bird—not out of discipline, but a mere preference for peace and quiet before the rest of the world wakes.
enjoys (and is highly talented in) strategy games, such as chess, or anything involving planning and prediction.
CONNECTIONS.
the trusted confidante (childhood friend, lady in waiting) : someone who has known leonella before she became this (snake-like) version of herself. they're fiercely loyal, perhaps even love her (romantically or platonically), and serves as her messenger, cover, or emotional anchor. unfortunately for them, they believe leonella trusts them more than she actually does :(
the political asset (marriage prospect) : a strategic match rather than a romantic one (this could change upon further discussion). someone intelligent enough to suspect her true nature, and may admire her ruthlessness (or grow to resent it). their relationship could evolve into mutual respect, outright war, or something dangerous entirely. it should be said: leonella is not wife material in the slightest.
the former ally : someone leonella used and then abandoned, and they know just enough about her methods to be considered a threat in the grand of scheme of things. they may be motivated by the betrayal and humiliation, and seek to bring her down at all costs. as the saying goes, an eye for an eye.
the moral opposite : someone who believes in honour and loyalty, believing matters should be dealt with the "right" way. they sense something is off with leonella, but hasn't quite been able to pinpoint the exact reason for why they feel unease in her presence.
the mirror : someone who is just as cunning yet patient as leonella. they easily recognise the potential that each other possesses in the art of navigating courtly intrigue. a long term psychological showdown that could potentially become an obsession, reluctant alliance, or complete mutual destruction (the best kind).
the unreadable : someone immune to her usual tactics—either emotionally unavailable like she is or genuinely sincere, which throws her off her cunning plotting. we can discuss as to whether they become a weakness, target, or the one person she hesitates to betray later on!
the rival : another noble who plays the court game loudly: they're charismatic, bold, and thrives on attention and influence. while leonella gains power in the shadows, they gain power through presence instead, ultimately clashing not just in goals but in methods.
the intellectual equal : someone who matches her mentally and regularly challenges her ideas and engages in debates. maybe they don't even care about court politics to begin with? either way, leonella keeps them close for the entertainment (and future use).
