Meridiana

"'You know, I merely said I would follow Sir's commands. I never said I wouldn't be sassy about it.' - Meridiana"Meridiana is a student at Drakespire Academy. She has yet to declare a major. For a time, she served as secretary to the Lord Protector himself. Amongst the Student Disciplinary Committee, it became very clear that the title of "secretary" held significantly more sway than one might expect from such an unassuming role.

Meridiana had no ambitions of her own, no delusions of control over the SDC; her power was simply the result of a few very basic facts. The Lord Protector, notoriously arrogant and stubborn, listened to her advice. He restrained his monstrous temper when she criticized him. He followed her suggestions where they did not conflict with his end goals.

In addition to her sway over the Lord Protector, she was swift to ingratiate herself among the Hall Monitor Lieutenants and other important officials within the SDC. Something of a peacemaker, Meridiana frequently found herself the mediator in situations that would have threatened to destroy the SDC without her. Meridiana dutifully dedicated herself to organizing not only the affairs of the Lord Protector, but also to logistical efforts for the SDC as a whole. She even personally made the Armored Combat Uniforms worn by the Lord Protector and his Hall Monitor Lieutenants.

The reason for her seemingly undying loyalty to the Lord Protector was a simple one. A few years prior, when David Zephani was at the lowest point in his life, the two found each other and a bargain was struck. David summoned Meridiana, a succubus, from the pits of hell. Using magics forbidden even among her demonic kin taught to him by Meridiana herself, David broke the rules.

Meridiana was henceforth bound to David and bound to the Earth in the same manner as any normal demon would be bound to the Demon Prince they serve and Hell. In a sense, David became Meridiana's Demon Prince and Meridiana became David's loyal servant.

David had convinced Meridiana that his lofty ambitions were righteous, that his goal was a noble one. She utterly believed, for the longest time, that David sought to make the world a better place. She was willing to forgive his every transgression so long as she believed in that one truth.

Meridiana taught David many secrets of Hell, including the dreaded martial art, Yisra Sheol. Over time, she even came to love him.

However, it was not to last. With his new position and identity as the Lord Protector, it became increasingly hard to ignore David's corruption. He was not dedicated to the betterment of mankind as Meridiana had been led to believe; she slowly came to realize that the only thing David cared for was his own reputation. David was desperate to be loved without loving in return.

The love in her heart died, and with it her loyalty to his cause.

Eventually, during the conflict between the Student Council Reform Party, Meridiana repeatedly came into contact (and occasionally did battle with) Adad Zephani. Seeing the spitting image of the man she once loved actively striving to oppose injustice for its own sake, she became determined to test Adad to see if he was truly the man she hoped he was.

All signs pointed to yes, and a spark of hope ignited in her cold heart.

Following a particularly bloody battle with the Lord Protector that left the Reform Party scattered and Adad dying, Meridiana found him in the devastation and swiftly carried him to the safety of his dorm room. Barricading and warding it against all entry, Meridiana set about healing the broken young man.

When Adad awoke, Meridiana convinced him to make a new pact with her. Following the same ritual that bound her to David, she bound herself to Adad. She swore to teach him all the magics and secrets she knew that could possibly help him defeat the Lord Protector. In return, all she asked was for him to be a good man and for her to have the right to leave should she ever desire it.

Adad, knowing full well how much stronger David had become with the help of this woman, decided he couldn't afford not to agree.

Meridiana quickly ingratiated herself among the Reform Party, making great efforts to help them recuperate after their devastating loss. She set about tending to their needs, improving their organization, mending their clothes, and anything else she could come up with to feel useful. Much to her surprise, the Reform Party was significantly more self-sufficient than the Lord Protector and his ilk had ever been. Adad cleaned up after himself, changed his own sheets, even washed his own clothes if she let him get away with it.

Initially mistrustful of someone so deep in the Lord Protector's inner circle, the Reform Party warmed up to her quickly. For her part, Meridiana felt more at home among them than she ever had within the SDC. Where she gave the Lord Protector her quiet obedience, she found herself loosening up around Adad and is willing to play defiant when it suits her fancy.

Meridiana dreads the notion that she is falling for Adad, believing herself to merely projecting her feelings for David onto him. It strikes her as selfish and unkind to Adad to see in him the things she wanted so desperately to see in David, but she can't shake the feeling that those things are there. Perhaps it is independent of David, perhaps it is not; either way, Meridiana is quietly coming to terms with the fact that she is once again catching feelings for a giant redheaded wannabe hero.