Rose was born the first daughter of House Celeste four years before the start of the Good Revolution. House Celeste was one of two landholding powers in Auview Island. It had been the smaller of them, but not without considerable resources. During the revolution, the House’s few members were arrested on accusations that they had extorted the commercial harbor that fell in their dominion. 

Rose grew up in Directory custody at a time when the Directory was little more than a name with an idea. No formal system had been developed to accommodate the children of incarcerated OFS members. This led to an inconsistent and often, needlessly, rough-handed approach. Rose was flailed often, usually by strangers she would never see again. She became a distrusting child that was bitter beyond her years. This was compounded by the growing number of orphans sharing what they knew of the revolution and their fallen Houses.

The OFS Houses of Auview were the first to face inquiry and judgment, which made them the first in line for restoration during the Restructuring period. The Directory chose not to restore House Celeste. Those members who hadn’t been executed were sentenced to rot in prison. Rose became of the first cases in the Directory’s matchmaking system. They contracted her with House Dion’s similarly orphaned scion at the age of 16 and released her shortly after. 

Before the Good Revolution, the historic seat of House Dion was the Field of Mars in what is now called the Highlands zone. During the Restructuring, the House was removed to the impoverished swamp town of Fauxpool. The House’s former holdings were added to the parcel of House Bourbon. 

The House of Dion is not a happy one. The troubles of Fauxpool are barely manageable and most incurable. Rose’s marriage to Paul is a hostile one, though they’ve managed to produce two sons and a daughter. Rose is a kind, if timid, mother. Depressive episodes often keep her locked away in the estate for months on end. Infidelity has plagued the marriage almost since the start, though exclusively by the actions of Paul. A fire broke out at the Dion estate some few years after the marriage was finalized. The cause was never clarified, but the incident left Rose’s left arm badly scarred. What little social life Rose had become nonexistent after this event. 

The series can be read on Royal Road, link included below.

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/56111/bells-and-taxes