Donada MacKenneth
Donada MacKenneth was an accomplished soldier during the Second Age of Eden. The firstborn child of King Kenneth I, she might have become Queen if not for the laws of The Highlands at the time. Instead, she distinguished herself as an officer in the armed forces of the nation—eventually rising to the rank of general.
Tragically, she was killed in action at just 51 years old.
Born in 186 on the campus of Yesterland Academy, Donada moved with her family to the capital in Connor’s Gob when she was between one and two years old. Tutored by the best scholars of the age, she adored spending time in the study of her grandfather and was studying military history and tactics under him by the time she was 12. For the last three years of Malcolm II’s life, he imparted every lesson he could upon his granddaughter—and she soaked in all that knowledge like a sponge.
During the reign of her father, Donada got the practical experience that her grandfather’s peaceful reign had deprived her of. At age 15, she began serving as her father’s aide-de-camp. At 18, she was fighting on the front lines. And by 22, she was an officer. From then on, aside from a brief two-year break at age 30 to have her son, Donada MacKenneth lived the life of a soldier.
And she loved it.
Though she was less of a presence in her son’s life than society expected her to be, the boy adored and idolized her. Young Macbeth understood the sacrifice his mother was making to help keep their kingdom safe and chose to value the time he did have with her instead of lamenting the time he didn’t.
During the disastrous reign of her younger brother, Donada resisted calls for her to press her own claim to the throne. Content with her life as it was, she fought the fights she knew how to fight and chose to ignore the political entanglements she’d never been altogether comfortable with. Yes, the path she chose was more dangerous, but she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
It's super cool that you're writing all these folks out! I have a similar family line from "back in the day" that I could also expand on like this. You're giving me some cool inspiration!
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Yay! I like inspiring others, especially my pals like you.