Beatrece Ardel

Beatrece Ardel (better known as Reece) is Milady's guide and protector, and a supporting character in the Unnamed Story.

Personality
For as kind and sweet as Milady is, Reece is every bit as vicious and unforgiving. Stern, aloof and devoid of empathy, her (vaguely) apparent gender plays absolutely no part in her role. Her bearing is more mercenary than mother, and despite her loyalty to Milady, she is strict with matters of her protection. Lacking even a shred of tact, she is usually silent, as what leaves her mouth is often brutal. It is only during combat that she comes alive. Her martial skill lends itself to training, though her sharp tongue and pitiless nature do not, making her a trying taskmaster. She judges each situation by two factors—the level of threat present, and the value of time spent dealing with it—and frequently voices perceived wastes of effort. Her only objective is assuring Milady’s safety on the road, so things that threaten that quickly earn her ire.

As an Alderan wardame, an infamous class of warrior, Reece is every bit as ruthless as the others of her clan, but her status as an Other, removed from the clan body, frees her from the otherwise restrictive cultural standards that closely govern their actions. Her loyalty is only to Milady, and she will decimate anything that stands in the way of that goal, ready and willing to discard so-called allies in favor of her ward's safety.

Background
Like her employer, very little is known about Reece. Her scarred and weathered skin indicates a life of in conflict, likely due to her status as a member of the Alderan warrior race. Her skill in battle the type that is developed as much as trained. Though she speaks very little of herself, it is clear that her life has been challenging, and her distrust of others may be due in part to this. How she came into Milady’s service and why she stays is unknown, though one could assume she’s being paid. It is possible that she, like many of her people, serves the girl’s noble family, having acted as her protector even before the journey itself. The facts beyond this are unknown.

The Unnamed Story
Milady’s appearance on the road marks an important turning-point, though it is one Reece herself objects to. Feeling herself sufficient to protect her charge—or rather, finding the other two greatly lacking—she all but forbids their company. It takes Milady pulling rank to convince the merciless Alderan that company would be beneficial, for her safety if not for the sake of companionship. She wastes no time in laying into Rainer for his inefficient style of combat, and acts as a constant challenge to Caspian, who cannot gauge her reactions enough to suit himself to her preference. (Assuming she has one.) What Milady sees as safety in numbers, Reece sees as saddling herself with a pair of fools on top of the girl she’s already carrying. She is an ally, if only in name, and bears no love for either of her “companions.”