Tonight, Death — Theresia/Theresis Astarte (Patreon)

Every day I feel a little more aloneAnd every day I feel a little more brokenOh Lord, I pray for some releaseI tried to let go and leave the past behindBut I can’t escape the memories and broken livesI can’t let goI can’t, I'm in too deep

Asking Alexandria — Nothing Left

Theresia/Theresis Astarte is the current Head of the House Astarte and the only living member of its ruling family. Stern, authoritative, and ambitious. They lack neither the intelligence nor the capability required of someone in their position.

Their family has governed the region for over two centuries. Before their rule, several evenly matched Houses controlled the island. After most of the mages of those Houses died in an accident, the Astartes came to power and eradicated any opposition to their reign.

It is uncertain whether they will be able to maintain their position for much longer.

A tragic incident, surrounded by different rumors, eradicated Theri’s entire bloodline and forced them into the Head’s role sooner than they had expected. Now Theri rules their House with an iron fist. If they show weakness, they might lose not only their position but their life too.

Theri couldn’t take control of the House if they didn’t have allies. Aside from the supporters they have, the fragile stability of their position also depends on the fact that the local families do not wish to engage in the slaughter that could ensue if someone were to take the first step and attempt to overthrow Theri. The slaughter would be followed by suffering, and the suffering would leave wounds and grudges that would take years, if not decades, to heal—because when mages wage war, they leave nothing but scorched earth in their wake.

That said, it wouldn’t be easy to overthrow Theri anyway—they wouldn’t go down without a fight, and everyone knows that. The House Astarte—the building itself—is a bastion that obeys only its master. It holds centuries of knowledge and is a symbol of authority. Theri wouldn’t give it up, so it would have to be destroyed. The mages who are more interested in the knowledge the House keeps rather than in fighting for power wouldn’t approve of that. So Theri would never stand alone.

Not to mention that they have an ace up their sleeve—a genius. You.

All the privileges and opportunities they have granted you over the past seven years were part of your deal. Your part is to help them. It’s in your best interest, because if you back out after taking advantage of their goodwill all this time, they’ll repay you with vengeance no matter where you go.

Even though marriage would greatly benefit Theri—especially since they urgently need an heir—they are in no rush to choose anyone. In their position, it is no less advantageous for them to keep the local families on a leash with the prospect of one of them sealing a union with Theri’s line and becoming a second owner to everything Theri has. But it is not a tactic that will work forever.

Over the years, you’ve built a thorny friendship with them. You know they need you, and you’ve learned how to play them—how far you can go, how to ask for something, and when to pretend you saw and heard nothing. Theri is fond of you in their cold and pricky way, though there is a hint of envy mixed in it.

They didn’t believe you would succeed in your experiment. Now that you have… Well, one more headache for them.

They’re 38 years old.

They have pale skin, long wavy white hair, and pale blue eyes. Their height is 178 cm. They perpetually wear a severe expression, like they’re judging you, and even their rare smiles are chilling.

They’re searching for an artifact that belonged to their family and, above else, desire and plan for revenge.

Their dynamic with the MC is kind of like a brat (the MC) VS a brat tamer.