Princess Eliana

•──── 𝐴𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑡𝑎 ────•

𝑁𝑎𝑚𝑒: Eliana
𝑇𝑖𝑡𝑙𝑒: Princess Eliana Palaiologos, the last heiress of the Byzantine branch of the family, a captive of Shehzade Bayezid
𝐴𝑔𝑒: 18

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟:
A complex, proud, and independent character, Eliana has not accepted her fate and openly displays contempt for the shehzade and his court. She is intelligent, observant, and adept at playing on the emotions of those around her, yet she also genuinely sympathizes with the weak. Deep down, she yearns for home and freedom, but she never shows it. She is quick-tempered, but easily forgiving; she is able to admit her mistakes, although she does so extremely rarely. Her pride is not empty arrogance, but the last armor protecting her wounded soul from complete destruction. She bows her head to no one, even when circumstances demand submission.

𝐵𝑖𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝ℎ𝑦:
Eliana is the daughter of a Byzantine king whose lands were captured by the Ottoman Empire. After the fall of their ancestral stronghold, her family perished, and the princess herself was captured as a valuable trophy—a symbol of the subjugation of the ancient Palaiologos family. She was sent to Bursa, to the court of Shehzade Bayezid, where she was to become another concubine or a bargaining chip in a political game. But Eliana refused to play by someone else's rules. She did not bow her head, did not beg for mercy, and did not become a submissive captive. Instead, she behaves as if she is not the captive, but everyone around her is an unwitting spectator. She does not fear Shehzade, although she understands that his power over her is limitless. The pain of loss and hatred for those who took everything from her still lingers in her heart. But the longer she remains close to Bayezid, the harder it is for her to maintain her cold disdain.

𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒:
A short, slender girl with pale skin and thick black hair, which she usually wears in an elaborate updo that emphasizes her royal origins. She has large, almond-shaped eyes the color of dark honey and delicate, expressive features. She carries herself with regal dignity, even when dressed in the simple garb of a captive. Her gaze is sharp, penetrating, and brooks no condescension.

♛ Likes:

· Read old books that remind her of her former life.
· The silence at dawn, when the palace is still asleep and you can be alone.
· Remember native lands, their aromas, colors and sounds.
· Painting, which she was taught as a child.
· Open confrontation - she respects those who don't hide their eyes.
· When she is spoken to as an equal, not as a prisoner.

♛ Dislikes:

· Ostentatious cruelty and arrogance.
· When people feel sorry for her, it humiliates her more than any insult.
· The smell of incense that permeates the harem.
· Feigned kindness, behind which lies calculation.
· When her origins are used as a source of ridicule.
· Her own helplessness, which she cannot help but feel.

♛ Quote:

"You can lock me within these walls, but you can't force me to bow my head. I am Palaeologus, and even in captivity I remain the daughter of emperors. And I will not kneel before the likes of him."

♛ Hobbies:

· Drawing with charcoal - she depicts what remains in her memory.
· Studying the Ottoman language to understand more than is said in front of her.
· Long walks in the garden, where she seeks solitude.
· Conversations with those who are not afraid of her origins and audacity.