Anne Lucifen d'Autriche

"I want to create a country where children live with a smile."

- Queen Anne's favorite phrase

Anne Lucifen d'Autriche, born Anne Swee, was a monarch of the Kingdom of Lucifenia. A childhood friend of both her future husband, Arth Lucifen d'Autriche and Prim Marlon, Anne's friendship with Prim dissolved after the Rogzé was suspected in an assassination attempt on Arth. After her husband's death, Anne ruled Lucifenia and secured territories captured in the kingdom's previous conquest.

Early Life
Anne was born in the Kingdom of Lucifenia on June 29, EC 457 and raised as a noble of the Swee family. While growing up, she became close friends with another noble, Prim Rogzé. Over the years, Anne excelled in her academics and music studies, often playing the violin for her friend, Prim.

In the early EC 470s, Prince Arth became famed for his conquests and greatly sought after by women. At some point, she met the Prince and they fell in love with one another. After the Prince proposed to her, Anne accepted and they were married. With Arth's father stepping down as King, Arth inherited the position and Anne became his Queen. When they told Prim of this, the noble gave them her blessing.

Soon after, Arth was poisoned with Gift and, although he survived, no one suspected of the crime was permitted near him. With Prim among the suspects, the couple distanced themselves from her. Around that time, Prim met with Anne and demanded to know why they were ostracizing her. Anne explained what happened and that someone close to them was suspected to be the culprit. She then tried to explain that she trusted her but that no one remotely suspicious was allowed near the King.

Wife of a Warrior
After Prim departed for Marlon, Arth and Anne continuously tried to have children together. Failing to bear any offspring, their relationship began to dwindle. At some point, she became acquainted with Leonhart Avadonia; in EC 477, she also became acquainted with an Asmodean defector, Mariam Futapie. Around EC 480, Anne met Elluka Clockworker and all three warriors became her close friends.

Around EC 482, Prim visited them, now the Queen of Marlon, and stayed in Lucifenia for several months before returning to Marlon. Afterwards, Anne and Arth's relationship improved as she became pregnant, eventually giving birth to twins, Princess Riliane and Prince Alexiel, on December 27, EC 485. Over the years, Anne raised the twins; whenever they misbehaved, she locked them in their room as punishment.

Sometime later, Arth suggested they marry Riliane to Prim's son, Prince Kyle, and Anne agreed to the proposal. Traveling to Marlon, the Lucifenian Queen met with the royal family and suggested the arrangement. To both their and the Prime Minister's delight, they approved of the engagement to have them marry once Riliane turned fifteen.

Twiright Prank
"The problem is indeed the Three Heroes, and Queen Anne uniting them."

- Abyss I.R.

Around December, EC 491, Arth died of the Gula plague in Beelzenia, leaving Alexiel as the heir to the throne in his will. In the Hall of Sounds, Anne and the other ministers reached consensus to have Prime Minister Genesia act as Alexiel's guardian until the boy came of age. When Minister Presi contested Alexiel's right to the throne, claiming Anne and Genesia had forged the will, his assertions weren't taken seriously. After the minister presented another will claiming Riliane to be the successor, debate sparked among the other ministers.

During the political strife, Anne also noticed that Riliane suddenly became interested in becoming the heir and was treating Alexiel poorly. Once she learned the princess was also constantly in the kitchen eating, the Lucifenian Queen grew more concerned that magic or a demon was affecting her. She then asked Elluka for advice over the issue; after Anne explained the situation, the mage voiced her suspicion that Presi was planning something. In response, Anne spoke with Mariam and, concerned with how complex the situation was becoming, sent her to investigate; she later called for Leonhart to meet privately with her in the Hall of Sounds.

After clearing out everyone else, Anne told Leonhart about what recently transpired among the ministers and Leonhart inferred it was perhaps Presi's attempt to counter his rival, Genesia. Anne noted how the will Presi presented was probably fake and Leonhart added there was also the rumor about her and Genesia. Before he could finish, Anne asked if he actually thought that was true and the swordsman denied it, saying that if they were lies, then Presi would fail once the truth was made clear and she needn't worry. Surprised by his simplistic way of thinking, she noted how she and Mariam over-thought things and that she sometimes envied his impulsive nature.

After he expressed his gratitude, she laughed and brought up what was also happening with Riliane. When describing how Alexiel would never do anything even if Riliane hit him, Leonhart said it wasn't odd for young siblings to fight, bringing up how his daughter was constantly getting in fights with guys. Anne then brought up Riliane's odd food behavior, telling the Captain of the Royal Guard to check the kitchen himself and witness it. Mentioning what Elluka had told her and how Mariam was already investigating, she requested his help, entrusting her son to Leonhart's protection.

Reign of the Queen
Once Presi's treasonous intentions were uncovered and an assassination attempt on Alexiel was narrowly missed, Anne was confronted by her son and asked to be adopted by Leonhart to avoid any further trouble. Hoping to have the heir chosen once both her children came of age, Anne accepted Alexiel's will and publicly declared the prince dead, allowing the captain of the royal guard to adopt "Allen" in the meantime.

After Presi's conspiracy was shared with the other ministers, they agreed to have sovereignty over the nation transferred to Anne until the sole living successor, Riliane, came of age and the Lucifenian Queen assumed the throne, keeping Minis Stoup as her prime minister. After learning of Riliane's memory loss of the past five years due to Elluka exorcising the demon possessing her, the Queen ordered Mariam to become the head maid in service to Riliane and help the child with her recovery.

Afterward, Anne lessened Lucifenia's military campaigns with its neighbors, focusing more on expanding national power and securing the country's existing territories acquired during her husband's reign. As the years progressed, Anne repeatedly iterated her desire to make Lucifenia a country where children could live with a smile. Around EC 496, Anne contracted Gula and eventually became bed-ridden due to the illness. She later succumbed to the disease in January of EC 499 and died.

Afterlife
"Father... and Mother..." "Alexiel... I had wanted to see you again someday..."

- Allen and Anne's reunion

Following her death, Anne was sent to the Heavenly Yard and remained there, reunited with her husband. Later on, the sun god told the family that "Allen" was being locked in the device Black Box for a special purpose and wasn't allowed to meet with any family or friends. In EC 998, she and the other souls were pulled back to the Third Period as the ground world merged with the Hellish Yard.

Afterward, Arth and Anne returned to the royal palace with their daughter and allowed Riliane to throw a dinner party for everyone from their era. Later during the festivities, the royal couple passed by Riliane's room in the halls when they saw the princess flee into it. Shortly after, they spotted Allen running after her and the surprised Anne expressed how much she wanted to see her Alexiel again, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

She then watched as Arth stepped up and talked to Allen about his importance to them and mysteriously unique existence to the sun god. The boy then admitted that seeing them again, even as spirits, made him very happy and Arth responded that they felt the same. As Allen prepared to enter Riliane's room, Anne noticed her husband struggling to stand and helped support his body, noting how strange and impossible it was for him to suddenly feel so weak.

When Arth finally collapsed into a slumber, Anne cried out in surprise before breathing in some of the Eighth Gift in the air and feeling similarly tired. Wondering what came over her, the queen stumbled before collapsing to her knees, realizing that the symptoms were definitely that of Gift. The queen then succumbed to the poison and fell into a deep slumber.

Legacy
Following her death, a funeral was held for Anne and attended by many of her loyal subjects and both of her children. She was remembered as a wonderful monarch who ruled the Kingdom of Lucifenia benevolently. Her daughter, Riliane, assumed the throne in her mother's place and refused to be called "Queen" until she came of age, out of respect for her mother.

During Riliane's tyrannical rule, the massive kingdom Anne and Arth made over the years began to swiftly decline, with starvation and crime becoming rampant. The Lucifenian Revolution in EC 500 overthrew the Lucifenian Royal Family's regime and led to a Marlon occupation by Prim's son, King Kyle.

After the death of Shaw Freezis over a century later, Elluka recalled also losing Anne and Arth while mourning his death. When Elluka later confronted Fourth Shadow, the criminal mocked her resolve to stop Third Sleep Princess' Gift plague, pointing out Elluka's previous failure to save her dear friends from the Gula disease they had suffered from.

Personality and Traits
"Even if you have no blood running through your body, I’ll be by your side."

- Anne declaring her love to Arth

Anne was a gentle and noble woman. After her husband's death, she forced herself to become strong and never show weakness in front of others in order to maintain and control her kingdom. She also showed determination to secure the territories Lucifenia already acquired and improve the nation for the benefit of the people. As a result, she was respected and admired by many, including her daughter Riliane, who sought to mimic her mother's resolute exterior and strong rule.

Anne's focus on securing Lucifenia's domain reflected her desire to create a country where children could live with a smile, making it her motto. Despite this, Anne had a habit of over-thinking situations and their implications in the long-term, although readily admitting this flaw herself. She was also not above punishing her children, choosing to lock them in their room for their misbehavior before finally forgiving them.

Since childhood, Anne was close friends with Prim, although her romantic relationship with Arth ultimately strained their friendship. As time progressed, Anne continued to be friends with the noble after she became Queen of Marlon and wanted their children to be married as a result. Although facing marital problems during their lifetime together, Anne had a deep, unwavering love for Arth and neither remarried nor entertained another romance following his death.

Anne also shared a close relationship with each of the Three Heroes, confiding in them for advice to hear their individual viewpoints on the difficult situations she faced. Similarly, she trusted in their judgment and had faith in their ability to defend her, the kingdom, and her children. When confronted with her son, she accepted his decision to be sent away without debate, although having also recognized the political upsides to the action.

Skills and Abilities
Queen Anne was an effective ruler over the Kingdom of Lucifenia and managed the nation effectively during her tenure as monarch. In contrast to her husband, she recognized the need for expanding Lucifenia's national power in order to maintain control over the country's acquired territories rather than continue expanding their borders.

Employing a strong demeanor, Anne was effective in earning both the respect and admiration of her peers in the political arena and was able to make difficult political decisions for the better of her family and country. She also sensibly knew when to seek the guidance of others, such as the Three Heroes, in times of need. Anne was also skilled with the violin.

Character Connections
Arth Lucifen d'Autriche: Anne's husband. Anne fell in love with Arth when she was young and cared for him deeply, giving birth to his children, though their marriage was more distant during the Lucifenian Expansion War. Despite this, her love continued to stay strong even after his death. Anne often enjoyed seeing Arth depicted in a heroic manner, such as in commissioned paintings.

Prim Marlon: Anne's childhood friend. Initially, the two had a close relationship, but Anne's regard for Prim began to disappear after the latter was suspected of trying to poison her husband. Nonetheless, Anne remained friends with Prim, often visiting and being visited by the queen and being in favor of uniting their houses with Kyle and Riliane.

Riliane Lucifen d'Autriche: Anne's daughter. Anne loved Riliane deeply and grew disturbed by the girl's developing cruelty and insatiable appetite, worrying about the interference of demons and magic. Anne later put in every effort to help her daughter heal from the demon's possession, up until her death.

Alexiel Lucifen d'Autriche: Anne's son. Anne loved Alexiel and showed great care for his well-being as well as appreciation for his judgment, growing concerned over Riliane's treatment of him and later sending the boy from the palace at his own insistence.

Leonhart Avadonia: An employee of Anne's. Anne and Leonhart had a close friendship, the queen enlisting his aid during political disputes or in wartime. She appreciated the soldier's less complicated way of thinking when giving advice and trusted him to raise her son until such a time as when Alexiel could return to the palace.

Elluka Clockworker: An employee of Anne's. Anne became good friends with Elluka over the course of her employment and enlisted her aid during political disputes or in wartime. She appreciated Elluka's advice over matters of magic and demons, confident in the sorceress' wisdom.

Mariam Futapie: An employee of Anne's. Anne became good friends with Mariam over the course of her employment and enlisted her aid during political disputes or in wartime. She often appreciated the woman's advice, but thought she, like Anne herself, over-complicated things. Anne would later trust Mariam with watching over Riliane's progress after Presi's defeat.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Her surnames, Lucifen and d'Autriche, are a reference to Lucifer, the patron demon of Pride, and Marie Antoinette, respectively.
 * Anne's name is partially inspired by the name of her representative Vocaloid, Sweet ANN, with both names sharing the first three letters; likewise, her original surname, Swee, is likely derived from the "Sweet" part of Sweet Ann.

Curiosities

 * Anne shares the same birthday (June 29th) with her Vocaloid.
 * In Epic of Evil: The Daughter of Evil Fanbook, Anne was voted as the eighteenth most popular character in The Daughter of Evil series by Japanese fans.

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