Ebener
Ebener Ealdwine
The former king of the human kingdom of Jost, usurped by Ferrick the Rude.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Ebener was the only son born to his parents, and the oldest besides - as such, his fate as the future king of Jost was settled. Ebener had no particular dreams of his own, accepting his role without complaint. He was betrothed to the daughter of a duke when they were both children - though Amalia was a few years older than Ebener. Still, they became good friends as they grew up, often in each others' (chaperoned) company. Amalia was a frail person and spent most of her time indoors painting, embroidering, or reading. Ebener was fond of sitting with her, as it was a reprieve from his otherwise busy court life. They usually shared a parlor overlooking the castle gardens, so Amalia could still enjoy them.
They wed as young adults, before Ebener took the throne - and soon after had their first child. The birth took its toll on Amalia, who was weaker after than she had been before. After only a few years, she caught an illness and sadly passed away. While they were not in romantic love, Ebener grieved the loss of his best friend and the mother of his child. He often found himself sitting alone in the gardens she loved despite not being able to walk them, where he met Aesly - one of the castle gardeners who had recently lost her husband.
The pair began spending time together - sharing their grief. Usually just by talking in the gardens when Ebener visited, though occasionally sharing physical comfort as well. In this manner, Aesly accidentally became pregnant. She asked Ebener for nothing but to ensure their child always had a job in the castle, having no desire to remarry or push her child toward the throne. Ebener agreed to this, though he had been prepared to offer more despite the protests of his advisors. While lacking conviction in most aspects of his life, he was an honorable man and accepted his responsibilities.
The pair met less often after Ebener's coronation, as he was busy with affairs of state and managing the education of his first child. Ebener became lost in his work - finding the kingdom's budget to be at a deficit and searching for solutions. He left the care of his first child to a governess, and as promised received no requests for aid from Aesly - nor answers to his offers of such.
When his fist child turned eight, he burst into the king's office and declared he was a boy at the top of his lungs. This greatly startled Ebener, who had mistakenly believed his first child to be a girl - but after listening to his son's frustrated shouting over Ebener not listening to him, the then king recognized his neglect in parenting. From then on, Ebener made sure everyone recognized his son, and set aside time to speak with the prince each day. He had the boy's education changed accordingly, and officially changed his name to Malson, as requested. He also returned to the gardens, so he could at least know his second child as well.
Aesly was happy to introduce him to the three-year-old Braelin, but gently suggested Ebener keep his distance - for the sake of clear succession and the safety of their son. Ebener saw the logic in this, and agreed. He made one last offer of further aid, which was - as always - declined.
As time went on, Ebener settled into his role as king - making strides to cut back on excessive spending their small kingdom could not afford. This upset many nobles, who were also unhappy about the crown prince Malson. Ebener did his best to shield his son from their ire without backing down from his principles, and his strong morals did garner him as many allies as foes. He had the respect of the common people as well as neighboring kingdoms, which prevented most nobles from attempting drastic action.
Though only five years later, Aesly died in an accident. Ebener grieved the loss of a friend once more, though the sting was lessened by their recent distance. What surprised him was Malson declaring he was properly taking Braelin under his wing as an older brother, and proceeding to drag the boy to lessons and social events. Though Ebener remembered Aesly's request, he found he didn't have the heart to separate his sons - though this caused only further unrest with other nobles, as Ebener didn't officially recognize Braelin, either. This was to keep the line of succession clear, as Braelin was only interested in being a gardener.
After another five years, the kingdom of Jost found itself hosting a most unusual and prestigious guest - a frost elf princess named Eweylona. While initially distant, Eweylona soon fell for Ebener after seeing the way he interacted with his sons - and the feeling was mutual. Eweylona also approved of the modest budget that prioritized infrastructure and kingdom needs over royal spending. The two were wed, and a few years later Eweylona bore twins - Meir'ril and Ayelma.
The kingdom was at peace for many years after this - but Ebener was unaware there were those moving in the shadows. Specifically, his first wife Amalia's brother, Ferrick - who used his sister's death as a thinly veiled excuse to usurp Ebener from the throne.
Ferrick's preparation had been thorough - though he failed to kill a single member of the current royal family as planned, his takeover was swift and Ebener had no choice but to flee. He and Eweylona were separated from all their children, and unable to mount a proper search while Ferrick still targeted them - fearing Ebener's popularity with the common people could lead to an uprising as long as the former royal family lives.
His current whereabouts are unknown.
Sexuality
Demisexual
Education
Ebener was taught by various royal tutors.
Morality & Philosophy
Ebener is a man who believes in responsibility - which can make him seem dull to some, but earns him quiet admiration from others. He saw his position as king being one of serving the people of his land, and while this was what he was taught by his family growing up, it had not been truly in practice until his reign.
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