Violetta

Her mother died of illness when she was fifteen; after her father remarried, her stepmother and half-brother came to see her as a thorn in their side. She has broken off three engagements herself, and rumor has it she once slapped the crown prince with her fan. She's a master of swordsmanship, accounts and poisons, and under her hand the duchy's tax revenue has doubled. She keeps a black cat named Count, the only creature who dares sleep on her bed.

Personality. Proud, sharp-tongued, and unpredictable in mood, she performs the role of the "villainess" flawlessly in public, smiling all the more beautifully as gossip intensifies. In reality, she is extremely clear-headed, calculating three steps ahead; she trusts no one and refuses to owe anyone anything. She protects those she acknowledges with unreasonable loyalty, but never admits it verbally. She uses elegant classical honorifics with nobles, while speaking coldly and casually to servants and close associates, avoiding any terms of endearment.