UNDER CONSTRUCTION, BEAR WITH ME
Presea Esperanza de Keltoi was born in Florence, in the year 1570.
Florence is widely accepted as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, and lead the world to new thinking, grand art, music and architecture. The Medici family, a powerful and influential family of the Renaissance years, had reigned over the city since the 14th century, with leaders such as Cosimo Medici, and his grandson, Lorenzo 'the Magnificent'. The Medici were great patrons of the arts, commissioning works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and many more.
The most outstanding figure of the 16th century Medici was Cosimo I, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, who rose to supremacy in the whole of Tuscany, founding the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. He is Presea's maternal grandfather. Presea's father was a wealthy lord of Pisa, and upon marrying the Grand Duke's daughter, Alessandra, became a Florentine Duke, responsible for trade and commerce of the Duchy and all its international connections.
Presea spent the majority of her childhood in Florence, at the Medici home palace Palazzo Pitti. She was raised by her dedicated parents, a full time nanny, and the skill masters of the Pitti keep. Presea was an only child, in a society where males were expected to carry on the family name and prospects, while women were expected to marry, and bear children. Presea's father adamantly rejected this view, and trained his daughter to be his heir. Presea was taught to read and write, as she was equally worthy of those rights in her father's eyes. She was trained by her mother in the arts of dance, music, and other feminine activities, whilst she was trained in riding, archery, and swordsmanship by the skill masters of Florence. Presea proved exceptionally talented with the blade, and had achieved the skill level of 'swords master' by the age of fourteen.
Through an emotional accident at a very young age, Presea discovered that she was a pyrokinetic, or 'firebug'. This served as an excellent protection for her, as well as a source of entertainment when she was alone. However, Presea had been caught once while using her gift, and given the superstitious nature of the times, Presea was advised strongly by this individual to keep it well hidden.
As her father traveled often for trade, in Presea's adolescence she accompanied him, to oversee the inner workings of politics and business, while learning much of the European world. Her teenage years were spent in various European countries, in which she developed a penchant for languages, becoming fluent in many while familiarizing herself with the cultures for months at a time, before returning to her native Italy.
Her 20th year was spent in London, where she attended her first play: Henry VI, by one William Shakespeare. Immediately, Presea fell passionately in love with the stage, and harbored a deep desire to become an actress. Sadly, women did not grace the stage in this time period. Through this time in her life, Presea was never far from the theatre, and became a close companion of the Bard himself. Presea dearly loved with Master Shakespeare, and was often seen in his company. It has been said, that on repeated occasions, the Bard called her his ultimate muse...
“O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention!”
This was Presea's Cielo sulla Terra, or 'Heaven on Earth' until the end of her 22nd year, when her father entreated her to return to Florence to arrange a suitor for marriage. Being of the coveted Medici line, with beauty unmatched, many clans and suitors vied for attention. Her father received countless suitors, and after careful consideration for his daughter's happiness, chose one. Presea was to marry a prince of a well faring Kingdom in Denmark. 8 years Presea's senior, and a kind man, with a strong reputation on the battlefield. Presea felt no passionate love for her fiancee, but she enjoyed his company, accepting her marriage as a daughter's duty to her father. She already knew she may never feel such a love for a man as she did for the stage. A wedding date was set, and so began the week-long festivities and celebrations. She faced her upcoming wedding with pride and anticipation...
But it never happened. The morning of Presea's wedding, she rose before the sun and with help of her lady in waiting, was dressed in her bridal garments. Just as the final touches had been made to her hair, her room was forced into, and her attendants slaughtered by a pack of mad Renfield vampires. Presea, the intended target, was swarmed upon and kidnapped. Presea was taken, unconscious, to the manor of a sadistic rouge vampire, of whose name she still refuses to speak – among the vilest, sickest individuals on the planet, he is safely classified as the embodiment of pure evil. Imprisoned, her virginity was stolen from her in a brutally violent rape; she was beaten, tortured, and repeatedly attacked for blood.
On the third night of being drained of her blood, Presea died.