Description: Fierce strength and power forced into the form of courtly grace makes Iona a striking, yet not conventionally beautiful woman. Taller than many of her peers, with broader shoulders than the slight, courtly maidens, Iona moves with a sense of purpose, occasionally having to force herself to slow down and move more gently. Her facial features tend toward sharp, stark lines, softened by the gentle wave of her hair, and the wide, lovely emerald green of her eyes. All emotions show clearly on her face, though she does have the ability to maintain control of them.

Personality: Iona is a good woman, and by the gods, she will make others good if it ends her. She has little patience for idiocy, and doesn't hesitate to, -very carefully-, tear someone down, until they change their ways. She's ultimately diplomatic, avoiding offering offense without cause, but she's less concerned with someone's tender feelings, and more about making them a better person as a whole. She's vicious against her enemies and fiercely loyal to her allies. Woe be unto those that betray her ? there is no coming back from that. The world is a glorious place and life is to be revered, but sometimes practicality must take precedence, and that means battle, both literal and figurative.

Background: Iona never imagined she'd be the one sitting in the Assembly of Peers in Arx, trying to diplomatically assuage the concerns of other noble lords or work towards building lasting agreements that contribute to peace. In her youth, she was a fiery hellion, a princess of House Redrain undoubtedly responsible for her father's hair turning gray at an early age. Never one to back down from a fight, she drank, she brawled, she didn't even make the slightest attempt to ape southern notions of propriety and mocked those that did. But in spite of all of that, no one in her family was as fiercely devoted to her father as she, and she would do as she was bid, though she always expected to one day be the general of House Redrain's forces or one of its great war heroes. That was not to be the case.

Though she had a reputation as a firebrand, Iona was was liked by her peers in the North. She certainly didn't think of herself as diplomatic at all, but despite the brawls, her father kept noticing that his fiery daughter was the one with an instinctive talent for de-escalating the fights to keep them at bruises rather than swords, or to jokingly talk down other nobles from doing things mindnumbingly idiotic, or to pragmatically grasp simple solutions to please feuding parties. And though to say she fought the decision was an understatement, she ultimately was sent south for a political marriage in a place that could badly use a Redrain voice to make northern opinions heard at court.

She expected to hate her betrothed husband-to-be, but she'd grudgingly admit her father chose the match with care. Duke Gabriel Bisland, one of the old king's closest confidants, embodies many of the ideals she most admires. A southern knight, true, but the Crown's Lion is fearless, unwaveringly devoted, painfully honest, and one of the most honorable men at court. Which also makes him excruciatingly unsuited to politics, in her opinion, so Iona has spent the better part of the two decades of their extremely happy marriage representing House Bisland at the Assembly of Peers, doing her best to keep her old family in House Redrain and her new family under the Graysons close and at peace.

Relationship Summary

Spouse:

Gabriel - My lion.

Family:

Dawn - Goddaughter, source of pride and happiness

Michael - Son, loved always despite thorn of disappointment

Killian - Foster-son, showed up when he was twelve and has always been one to warrant a bit of extra concern, but has developed himself into a fine young man indeed

Samantha - Foster-daughter, was adopted into the family at a young age and turned into a wonderful woman who has rarely failed to meet Iona's expectations

Lailah - Daughter, lovingly coddled despite an unhealthy obsession with all things written down

Protege:

Joscelin - former protege, was 10 years old when Iona met her and at that point was introduced to jewelers and metalworkers so she could learn a craft to match the talents that she clearly had. Also has a younger sister, Ianthe.