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She asks Ash to tell her again that he loves her, and he does. Repeatedly. And then…

They make love.

PRINCESS/QUEEN EZMERIA “EZRA”

Hair: Light brown.

Eyes: Brown.

Facial features: Stubborn, hard jaw.

Personality: Kind. Compassionate. Smart. Clever.

Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: Seems immune to heat and humidity. Spends a lot of time doing charitable work. Doesn’t know how to defend herself. Doesn’t like talking about the deal King Roderick made with the gods. Wears jewelry often. Rambles when she gets nervous. Believes you can’t hate someone you’ve never met. Loves chocolate scones. Likes iced tea. Likes to read, but not misery fiction.

Other: Is at least nineteen years old.

Background: Princess of Lasania who later becomes Queen.

Family: Father = King Ernald †. Brother = Tavius †. Stepsister = Seraphena. Stepmother = Queen Calliphe. Consort = Marisol Faber.

EZMERIA’S JOURNEY TO DATE:

Ezmeria was one of the few who did not treat Sera like a bargaining chip or something to be used. She treated her like a person instead of a cure. For this, I appreciated her.

Ezra is present when Seraphena comes before the Primal God of Death to honor King Roderick’s deal—something Ezra hates. Nyktos denies her, creating all sorts of uproar amidst those in the know.

Later, Ezra comes to get Sera, begging for her aid. She says she needs Sera’s ability to borrow food from the kitchens for the orphans and then tells her about Nor—a terrible abuser—and his children. Ezra offers Sera a gown for the excursion, and they discuss the Rot. When Sera returns from her outing and tells Ezra that Nor “tripped and fell upon her blade, neck first,” Ezra tells Sera she’s a little scary.

Sera and Ezra discuss the state of things in Lasania and the riot in Croft’s Cross. As talk once again shifts to the Rot, they go over who would be the best ruler for Lasania. Ezra tells Sera that she’s the Queen Lasania needs.

When the Healers get overwhelmed after an attack, Ezra and Sera help Healer Dirks. Ezra states that she doesn’t think Tavius is stupid enough to try to kill Sera since she’s the one thing that can stop the Rot—at least as far as they know.

Ezra sees Sera’s injured arm and learns that Tavius is responsible. She tells Sera that she believes her brother is evil. She also divulges information about the god she saw—someone we now know wasn’t actually a god at all.

Callum is an enigma wrapped in a mystery, and uncovering more about him is both intriguing and a bit terrifying. But I digress…

When Odetta passes, Ezra attends her funeral and then the Rite. However, disaster strikes the evening of the ceremony, and Ezra rushes to get Sera to save her love. Sera doesn’t think she can, given Marisol’s state, but Ezra begs her, saying she should try using her abilities on someone deserving. Ezra goes on to say that she loves Mari and can’t be without her.

Sera heals the woman. When she comes to, Ezra asks her how she feels and then interrupts her answer with a passionate kiss. She thanks Sera and tells her she is a blessing and always has been—that she’s not and never was a failure. She then reveals that she hasn’t told the King and Queen about Mari because, if she did, they’d plan a wedding before there was even an engagement. She admits things are still new but she believes Marisol loves her as she does her, and they’re meant for each other.

Ezra catches Tavius whipping Sera and asks him if he’s lost his senses. Later, when Nyktos appears, she and the Queen are the first to kneel before the Primal. When the god’s attention turns to Tavius, and Calliphe begs for his life, Ezra speaks up, saying that he’s a monster and always has been. She then agrees with Nyktos, saying that Tavius is of little significance. After, Ezra dispassionately watches Sera kill Tavius before being led out of the Great Hall.

When Sera and Ash return to the mortal realm, Ezra is in the middle of holding a town hall. The minute she learns that Sera has arrived, she has the guards clear the Great Hall, leaving only two inside the closed doors. As they talk, Ezra confesses that she was never a fan of the deal, mainly because it was unfair to Sera.

Sera reveals the truth, and Ezra believes her instantly, even though she doesn’t—and can’t—divulge what caused the Rot, only that fulfilling the deal wouldn’t have stopped it. Ezra knows how important it was and is for Sera to save Lasania and even calls it her kingdom, believing that Sera should be able to acknowledge that she should have been Queen.

As acting ruler, Ezra implements as many things as she can to help the kingdom. She immediately begins building pantries for the people, not just the Royals, and starts a bit of a food bank so people can come on certain days at certain times if they are in need. She is also in talks with the Queen of Terra, trying to strengthen their faith in Lasania and proving that an alliance would be beneficial. She tells the Queen that Terra has fertile fields primed for crops and Lasania has labor workers. Those who want to relocate to Terra for at least part of the year could work in those fields.

She adds that several more farms have been lost, but the Rot’s progression hasn’t sped up. Then she confesses that she didn’t believe that Sera could make the Primal God of Death fall for her. She honestly thought she’d get herself killed by being too impatient and just stabbing him.

When Sera asks about Marisol, Ezra says she’s perfect and with her father. She also says that she sent a missive to the Vodina Isles to inquire about Sir Holland but hasn’t received a response as of yet.

As the two say goodbye, Ezra tells Sera that she hopes she sees her again and soon—she misses her. She then says that many of Sera’s plans have already been set in motion, like building homes in Croft’s Cross.

That’s as much as I’ve seen for dear Ezra, though I imagine there is a lot more. We know that she brought about significant positive change during her rule.

LASANIA MAP