Ryarna, Duchess of Tkena
| Ryarna | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empress of Exponent, Duchess of Tkena | |||||
 Duchess Ryarna in 1775 | |||||
| Born | 30 September 1741 Martheqa, Trellin | ||||
| Died | 30 November 1815 (aged 74) | ||||
| Spouse | Maximinius V, Emperor of Exponent | ||||
| Issue | Titus VI, Emperor of Exponent | ||||
| |||||
| House | House of Exponent (by marriage) | ||||
| Father | Elcmar IV | ||||
| Mother | Tarien, Queen of Velar | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
Ryarna of Exponent (Ryarna Afiloi Palægos-Fenyzómar; 30 September 1741 - 2 April 1815) was the wife of Emperor Maximinius V and thus was Empress of Exponent. During her life she preferred to keep her Trellinese title of Duchess of Tkena, and is most commonly identified as such in Trellinese histories and Blackhelm Confederate histories since the dissolution of the Exponential Empire.
She was the third daughter of Elcmar IV, King of Trellin and the second of Tarien, Queen of Velar. Her eldest son became Emperor Titus VI of Exponent.
Early life
At 14, Ryarna travelled to Valle Crucis with her family to attend a massive fleet review as guests of the Emperor of Exponent, Marius Augustus I. There she met Maximinius V, three years her senior. The pair soon engaged in a year-long courtship by correspondence before finally marrying.
Reign
Duchess Ryarna reigned as The Empress of Exponent alongside her husband Maximinius V from 1758-1815. Despite this, throughout her reign she kept her Trellinese title of Duchess of Tkena. This was a point of tension between herself and her husband in the early years of their marriage but as time continued this resolved and to this day she is recorded throughout history as the Duchess of Tkena. Duchess Ryarna maintained an intense attachment to her home country of Trellin and maintained this title out of respect and to remember her Trellinese origins.
The duchess sustained a busy yet unambitious reign. During this time she gave birth to three children, the eldest of which would become Emperor Titus VI of Exponent. In the quieter days of her reign Ryarna could be found tending to her horses in her stables or riding them throughout the gardens. Her most cherished horse was a black stallion named Mora, given to her by Emperor Maximinius V as a wedding gift. Later in her life she could primarily be seen at events with her husband Emperor Maximinius V, riding her horses in the gardens outside their home, or participating in discussions about the arts at one the local private leisure houses over a glass of Monsan wine. She is most known for her love of the performing arts and she spent most of her time outside of her home in theaters across the land. Her favorite performances included plays and opera performances. Many of these took place in Monsa or took her back to her home country Trellin, so she would visit these areas frequently. Throughout these travels she spent a significant amount of time in the cultural capital of northern Trellin, Bara ti' Emla watching the performances of opera singer Calypso Publicola.
In addition to opera Duchess Ryarna was a fan of theater and attended a number of plays throughout her reign. Many of these plays were tragedies written by playwright Avitus Tappo. She was such a fan of his work that for her fortieth birthday party her husband hired the performance company that worked with Avitus to perform a private play. Ryarna enjoyed this performance so much that she requested to her husband that they be hired for her birthday each year thereafter. Over time the duchess and her husband opened these performances to some of the wealthier of their subjects and by the end of her reign her birthday party had become a yearly tradition attended by thousands. Ryarna passed on this passion for the performing arts to her children, and decades after her death, these yearly parties were remembered by her descendants fondly. In the mid-1880s a beautiful performance venue was erected under the sponsorship of the Empire of Exponent, in Bara ti'Emla. This venue was named the Empress Ryarna Theatre after Duchess Ryarna and in remembrance of her yearly birthday event. To this day both the city of Bara ti'Emla and the Empress Ryarna Theatre maintain a long tradition of opera and theater performances.
Legacy
Empress Ryarna Theatre, the foremost operatic venue in Bara ti'Emla, is named for Ryarna. It was built in the 1880s under Exponential sponsorship but was seized by the Emlan government in 1913 shortly after Trellin entered isolation.