Natia
Natia
Natia Thalluen'rith
Nah'-tya Tha'-loo-en-rith', , is a Davrin born in Sivaraus
Natia is an orphan obtained in a "bid" by Matron Rohenvi Thalluen, in training to be a dedicated handmaiden to the Matron and her newborn heir, Vekika Thallunthietti. She is a small child barely a quarter-century old, standing about waist-height on a grown female, with eyes the color of dark garnet.
Background
Natia was born to a commonblood family running a shop in the middle commerce of Sivaraus. Her mother and grandmother did well enough in their business that their family never went hungry. She has fuzzy memories of peering at many odd visitors coming to the shop from behind the safety of the counter; in particular, a male Deep Trader who always brought her a small gem or strange treat, which he placed on top of the counter when others weren't looking. Whether she took it or not depending on whether he smiled before he left.
Natia's first, vivid memory was the moment when the Red Sisters arrived, tossing around their stuff in the shop and pushing her family around. Her mother came to get her out of bed, picking her up, and holding on to her tightly until she couldn't anymore.
She remembers screaming as she was taken away from her mother by red-gloved hands, clutching muted-yellow frabic of her mother's shirt.
Current
Natia has nowhere to go and no choice but to accept Matron Thalluen as her new protector, having been won somehow to leave the Red Sister's holding room. The Matron wasn't her mother, but at least she wasn't cruel, unlike her Daughter, Kaltra. The Second Daughter was now the Heir, and yet she kept talking about the murdered First Daughter, who was dead a whole decade before Natia arrived on the plantation.
Natia welcomed more the attention and protection of a House Guardsvrin named Treyl. He couldn't always stay with her, but he had a smile like the Deep Trader from when she lived with Mama. He also had the same color of eyes that she did. Things were alright for several turns as Natia grew a little bigger, learned to speak clearly, and pleased her Matron who always seemed exhausted.
One cycle, Kaltra grew jealous enough to drag Natia out to a workshed which had a stone platform inside, still talking about her dead sister and another, Sirana, who "should be dead." Talking about Braqth's plans, Kaltra tried to hurt her. To kill her. Natia remembered screaming for her mother, and another pair of hands grabbing her off the altar. Treyl and Kaltra began to watch each other a lot then, and Natia was too afraid to tell her Matron what had happened.
The young cait discovered too late she should have spoken up when Kaltra finally killed the Guardsvrin, when the Matron seemed like she was dying of bad water, when the only safe places to sleep in House Thalluen were those too small for Kaltra to fit.
