Silrith Avissindra Alfwyn is the Princess of Bennvika and was born to King Lissoll III and Queen Gidrassa in Kriganhaim Palace in the year 1497 AU. This is her story prior to the events of Vengeance of Hope.
Early Life The second of two children and generally healthy, she spent many of her childhood years causing chaos with the boys at court, challenging them to fights, sometimes with wooden swords, other times by wrestling. When her challenges were accepted, she often gave better than she got, hurting the pride of many a boy in the process. Even as a child, she travelled much. By the time she was eight, she had visited every province of Bennvika, with the exception of Bastalf, which had only been added to the kingdom’s territory with the end of the Second Hentani War in 1503 AU, and was considered too dangerous for a visit by the royal family until 1509. Twice as a child she travelled to Etrovansia, once when she was two, and again when she was five. She made what is thought to be her only childhood visit to Verusantium when she was ten, along with the rest of her family. This was the scene of her first known meeting with the notorious Jostan Kazabrus. Scandal Silrith is a famous philanthropist who works hard to build a positive reputation in the eyes of Bennvika’s lower classes, but her standing in the eyes of the nobility took a knock in 1513, as a result of rumours that had emanated from Hazgorata. Having been given her first sword for her birthday earlier that year by her uncle, Lord Yathrud Alyredd, the young Silrith had immediately become consumed with desire to master every aspect of its use. Knowing that her childhood friend, Oprion Aethelgard had been learning swordplay from a young age, she made plans to travel to Hazgorata and request that he teach her. There is no record of her asking for her father’s blessing for this tuition, only that she could visit Oprion.
When King Lissoll discovered what Silrith had been doing, the combination of his rage, Silrith's recall to Kriganheim and her temporary ban from visiting Oprion again all conspired to set tongues wagging and the rumour mill into overdrive. This did not cease when the ban was lifted over a year later and Silrith returned to the province. Heir Apparent
Silrith courted controversy again in 1518 during the fallout of the tragic death of her brother, Prince Fabrald. She had been the only person within sight of him during a hunting trip when the Prince met with a fatal accident. The young Princess categorically stated her innocence in this, as did all of her close family, but people talk, and the fact that Fabrald's death made Silrith the heir to the Bennvikan throne did nothing to limit this.
Artwork - 'Medieval Wales - May sketch-a-Day' by Andy Walsh at Artstation.