Amy

Amy is the youngest daughter of the village blacksmith; her mother was a dancer who met him whilst touring the land with her father, a travelling musician. Unfortunately she died giving birth to Amy, something her husband has never really recovered from. He keeps himself to himself and has pretty much left his two young daughters to bring themselves up. It is a source of some concern to Amy, although she'd never admit it, that her older sister Petra seems to have inherited all their mother's charm, grace and looks while she seems to have only her father's features and quiet social awkwardness.

In spite of her sister's attempts at 'bringing her up properly', including dancing lessons half remembered from when her mother was still alive, Amy has always been happiest running around with the other village children. When her sister got a job as a maid at the manor Amy was free to do as she pleased all week and only had to behave at weekends when Petra came home, though she did miss the dancing lessons.

One day when Amy returned after winning a particularly decisive victory over a rival gang she found a carriage pulled up outside. Peering round the door she overheard her father being told that a fine Lady, visiting the manor, had taken a shine to Petra and was going to take her to court to become a proper ladies maid.

When her father was alone Amy crept up to him. He sat looking at a bag in his hands. "I've been compensated for loss of earnings" his voice was flat.
She rested her head on his arm and he moved it round her "Just you and me now child."
He took in the state of her clothes after the morning's battle and smiled "At least no fine Lady's going to be taking you off to court"
She shook her head "nope, I'm going there by myself, I'm going to be a knight in the Queens Guard"

Amy's father's initial reaction to her intentions of joining the Queens Guard would have been along the lines of "Of course you will, you'll be the bravest knight in all the land. And all brave knights need to be big and strong so why don't you fetch the coal and get the bellows going on the furnace. Also, you can forget any more arguments over eating your greens."

Amy would then probably have considered the matter settled and not mentioned it again, working in the forge to build up her strength and spending her free time in mock sword fights with the other village children. Her father, although initially pleased with his remaining daughter spending time with him and showing an interest in his work, would grow more concerned as time passed and the village women gossiped. Perhaps he has let her down by not providing female influences, perhaps he is damaging her chances for future happiness, perhaps the loss of his wife and first daughter is causing him to keep Amy near when really she'd be better off as a ladies maid or servant somewhere.

When he tells Amy this she smiles and shakes her head "But how can I become worthy of the Queens Guard as a ladies maid?" and her father remembers their conversation many years before. "But that was just a childish fantasy, surely you have grown beyond that now?"

This is probably around the time Amy departs the village and heads towards the capitol to prove herself capable and worthy of being Queens Guard. She is hurt by what she sees as her father's lack of faith in her. Her father is bewildered by her determination to cling to an unattainable goal, worried that he has pushed her away to discover just how unattainable it is, that he has failed her in some way.

Character special abilities

• Gains Knowledge(nobility & royalty) and Diplomacy as class skills