Lisset
From MeiLinWiki
Lisset is a character in the serial An Intimate History of the Greater Kingdom, appearing in book three, The Last Royal Mistress. She gained notoriety as the Rose of Alzeh, the last woman to have the official position of Royal Mistress. Lisset had piercing blue eyes set in a heart-shaped face, a pale complexion, and shiny black hair worn in curls and ringlets. She was known for her beauty, natural poise, and temper, albeit not in that order.
Lisset was born in 709 KY in the Far Isles, the illegitimate daughter of a minor Sairish nobleman, Lord Astrey, and a maidservant. Lisset was never acknowledged by her father, though he took financial care of her and her mother until his death in Spring's Beginning, 724 KY. At some point, her mother married a gentleman named Hart Rosewell who lived in Cappel Bay on Finthaven Island. When Lisset was about 12, she was sent to live and study a young woman's graces in the capital of Deneen Town under the guardianship of Mr. Rosewell's cousin, Miss Honor Ford.
When Lord Astrey died three years later, her financial support was cut-off and she was called home to Finthaven just before she would have made her debut in society. Instead of debuting as she wished, she was promptly married off to Commander Durrovid Bakerson. During the four years of her loveless marriage, she was prone to bouts of depression and temper in a pattern reminiscent of a real world diagnosis of bipolar disorder. They lived in the manor of Grasshills when Bakerson was at home, but he moved her to a townhouse in Cappel Bay during his frequent absences at sea so she could enjoy the cultural and social events in the city. He also bought Lisset an Inchari slave boy, Ototo, to serve as a page in the current fashion (equal parts errand boy, pet and dress-up doll). She promptly renamed him "her little Bear."
Eventually Lisset was seduced by the army captain Edwig Townes. Having fallen in love with him, she agreed to run away with him to Crescent Bay, bringing her jewelbox and Ototo with her. Townes soon left her, taking most of her jewelery with him. Soon after, she started her career as a mistress. When, at the age of 20, she had to leave her first patron, a plantation owner named Mr Harritson, she went to Belleth, styled herself 'Domma Rose Herrada', affected a fake Alzehni accent, and took to her career in earnest.
Leaving a trail of lovers starting with the Lord Harbormaster in Belleth Town and soon switching to well-known artists like Henrik Boarman, Vennata Porfino, and Fredrik Gotthold of Leutefloss, she caught the eye of Prince Andrin "Per" Periander, who made her his mistress on the spot.
Lisset became the Royal Mistress of Andrin's father, King Warin V when she was only 23 years old, spurning Andrin and making him into an enemy. Warin became completely besotted with Lisset in the guise of Domma Rose. Lisset demanded greater and more expensive treatment throughout their relationship, which Warin indulged her in to the point of nearly bankrupting the kingdom and creating enormous resentment and anger in the general population as well as among the nobility. Lisset's ultimate goal was to get a noble title so that she would have her own lands and wealth, independent of any man, and she succeeded when Warin created her as the original Countess of Callant in Corland. She immediately began squeezing every gold she could out of the estate, going so far as to sell anything she didn't need in her residence, Wilt Castle, and created so much additional hardship that she eventually sparked a rebellion that spread to all of Corland. This became the Guenor Rebellion, which cost Warin his life.
In order to save her and especially Ototo's lives, Teacher advised them to go into exile as soon as Warin went to war. She then fled to Esta and took a ship to Alzeh where she tried to make her way by lecturing, dancing, and entertaining. She was mocked and heckled everywhere she went until she had a breakdown while staying at Trevaina's inn near Harritson's plantation. Remembering her first stay with him as one of the few happy times of her life, she followed his invitation and lived with him and his family until his death, when his son turned her out and she went back to Deneen. Honor Ford helped her find a place in a Mother's House where she stayed until her death in a plague at age 35.
