Valeria Helos

Valeria Helos, also known as "The Golden Queen" is the the fourth Empress of the Celeste Empire and Queen of Sol. She was Celeste's longest reigning imperial ruler, and supposedly the best ruler the Empire ever had. She was succeeded by her eldest son, Varian.

Appearance
Valeria Helos was a beautiful woman in her youth, inherting the signature Helos red hair and golden eyes of her mother. She is shorter and less physically fit than her mother, though she still had slender figure.

Over the centuries, she was said to have aged quite gracefully. Even when her hair turned white and the wrinkles appeared on her face, she was still seen as elegant and refined.

Personality
Valeria was a serious woman with great ambition, both for herself and for her family. She was said to be incredibly intelligent, dedicated, and hardworking, with an immense drive to be the best at whatever she set her mind to. She was a wise and natural born leader, knowing when to be strict and when to be fair. She showed very little interest in romance, marrying her husband Janus more out of political duty. She was an overbearing mother to her children, who she burdened with her many expectations.

Early life
Valeria was born in 114 AE to Empress Vilya Helos I and Lord Aleric Warmane. She has one younger sibling, Varyn who she had a typical sibling relationship with.

At some point in her childhood, Valeria studied under all three Stellar Institutes, beginning with Seros, then Aster, and lastly Luxon. She was personally trained by her mother and many tutors to be a good ruler.

Reign
Vilya ascended the throne in 189 AE, at the young elven age of 75, after her mother's retirement. While her initial reign was met with some challenges, she was able to push Celeste into a relative golden age, focusing on technological advancements and the development of the Stellar Institutes with whom she worked closely with.

Valeria married Lord Janus Meara in 255 AE, many decades into her reign, after pressures to produce an heir that would succeed her. Janus was a long term colleague from Luxon, and a strong political match. While the two were never overly romantic with one another, the two would have two sons, Varian in 264 AE and Vance in 269 AE.

She retired her throne in 364 AE, passing it on to her oldest son, Varian.

Retirement & Death
Valeria retired after her 175th year on the throne, but was still a prominent member of the Ember Council, and the Celeste court. She spent a lot of her time between the various institutes, even serving as High Curator for Luxon from 380 AE to 430 AE. She would train and advise her two sons, and later grandson, during their respective rules.

She heavily disapproved of Varian's relationships with other men, and was supposedly one of the reasons he chose to leave the throne to be with his human lover, Reginald. According to rumors, she had tried to reconnect with Varian multiple times, but he was nowhere to be found. The death of her husband, Janus, shortly after Varian's disappearance left Valeria lost and confused for a long time.

She was also a constant presence in the marriage of Vance and Lenore, being the one who arranged their marriage. She was supposedly heartbroken after their deaths. She put immense pressure on her grandson, Valor III, despite him being very ill prepared for the throne.

Valeria died in 440 AE, at the age of 326. Her health had begun to decline after the death of her grandson, partly blaming herself for his suicide. She died with her brother and his children by her side.

Legacy
Valeria is often remembered as "The Golden Queen" for bringing Celeste into a relative golden age. She also heavily influenced the Stellar Institutes, turning them into what they are in current day. Because of this, she was also called "The Stellar Empress." She also made great strides in terms of technological development and urbanization. She was said to have been a strict but fair ruler like Valor I, but without any of the war-like tendencies. She is the longest reigning monarch in the Empire, ruling for 175 years before her retirement.

She had two children, Varian and Vance, both of which would become Imperial Rulers in their own time.

Vilya Helos
Valeria had a close relationship with her mother, who trained her to rule from a young age.

Aleric Warmane
Valeria had a close relationship with her father, who often doted on her and Varyn.

Varyn Helos
Vilya had a typical sibling relationship with Varyn.

Janus Meara
Valeria married her husband, Janus Meara, several decades into her reign after growing pressures to produce an heir to succeed her. Janus was a long-term older colleague from Luxon, and a strong political match due to his elven heritage and family. The two had a strong friendship with a lot of mutual respect, but they were rarely romantic with each other outside of a few rare occasions. He died shortly after Varian abdicated the throne. Valeria was said to have missed him dearly, often wishing for his guidance and counsel as she tried to guide her son and grandson on the throne.

Varian Helos I
While Valeria was a good ruler, she had difficulty raising her two sons, neither of which had a strong desire to take the throne. She and Varian would often argue, and she heavily disapproved of Varian's lovers.

Vance Helos
While Valeria was a good ruler, she had difficulty raising her two sons, neither of which had a strong desire to take the throne. While she and Vance did not get into many fights, Vance felt greatly pressured by her, especially after Varian abdicated the throne.

Lenore Radian
Valeria had a surprisingly pleasant relationship with her daughter-in-law, Lenore, who she treated as the daughter she never had. She was greatly saddened by Lenore's death.

Valor Helos III
Valeria had a difficult relationship with her grandson, who she tried to raise as heir like her two children. Her tutelage was said to be one of the reasons he cracked beneath the pressure of royal life.

Abilities
Valeria Helos was an exceptional spellcaster, and one of the most powerful mages of her generation.

Influence
As Empress of Celeste, and monarch of Sol, Valeria was one of the most powerful people in Auros. She had supreme command over the Scarlet Guard, and all official affiliations of the Empire. She also had a lot of influence in all three of the Stellar Institutes, being High Curator, Magister, and Inquisitor in Luxon, Seros, and Aster respectively.

Quotes

 * "If I must rule, then I will rule with all I can."
 * "I did not raise fools, I raised kings."

Trivia

 * Valeria is often considered to be Celeste's best ruler.