Corrina ni Gwydion
Corrina ni Gwydion | ||||||||
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Corrina ni Gwydion is the only daughter of High King Timon ap Gwydion.
Early life
Corrina was born to then Duke Timon ap Gwydion, the first of a pair of twins, and to a now forgotten woman at a fairy hold in what is now Wales. She was raised entirely by other Fae, both noble and common, and was kept sheltered from the human world during the first years of her life.
In her early years, Corrina was practically inseparable from her twin brother, Danwyth. The twins would spend their days in their father's gardens, playing endlessly among the flowers. In those days, the lives of Fae children were kept carefree, even as their elders dealt with a possibly threatening Roman Empire. Corrina's childhood was one of innocence and play, sheltered from the concerns of courtly politics and tribal warfare.
Early reign
Corrina became High Queen in 1511, after the Homecoming War. Her father wrested the throne from the genocidal High King Amrod only moments before dying himself, leaving his eldest child, Corrina, to negotiate a peace.
Corrina earned an early reputation for integrity and fairness during the negotiations with High King Dafydd which produced the Treaty of Mutual Recognition. The new queen earnestly sought what she believed was a fair peace. The end result was still absolutist and racist by today's standards but represented a significant step forward compared to the deep prejudices which had led to the war. While it is not now considered to have been satisfactory by most Danaans, it is viewed as the first step forward on the road to peace, freedom, and democracy.
The other issue which plagued the Resurgent Dream during the first century of Corrina's reign was the African slave trade, which began to make headway into parts of the Resurgent Dream, especially Wintermore, during the 1500s. Corrina moved slowly against this evil, although she did move. She began her opposition to slavery with a mildly worded edict which forbade the enslavement of any Danaan subject on Danaan territory in 1558. Corrina then slowly created stricter and stricter anti-slavery legislation until an edict of 1605 which not only banned all forms of slavery but guaranteed freedom to any slave who set foot on Danaan soil. It was this edict which allowed many runaway slaves from North America to escape to freedom in the Resurgent Dream over the next several centuries.
Marriage
Corrina was already married to Immanuel ap Gwydion at the time of her coronation. It is generally believed to have been a love match. Whether or not love was the initial inspiration for the match or whether they simply grew close over the years, Corrina and Immanuel were always considered to be close, affectionate companions by those who knew them best.
Corrina bore her husband three daughters: Aiwyn, Agwene and Vicotira. While Aiwyn was her heir apparent, she forswore her place in the line of sucession when she married Emperor Phaeton Draconis of Akaton, leaving Agwene to suceed the queen.