Melanie Victoria Sanfelice - Countess of Gramont

Melanie Victoria Sanfelice was an Altian Noblewoman, the wife of Marius James Honorian, and the mother of Andrew, Stephen and Sophia Honorian. By her birth, she held the title of 1st Marquise of Bastia while her marriage to Michael Honorian would render her the Countess of Gramont. Known for her exceptional beauty and intelligence, she would be notable for her participation in the 'Republican Experiment' of 332, wherein several young nobles backed by the popular mob attempted to install a democratic commune of universal suffrage within Altia.

Early Life and Education
Melanie Victoria San Felice was the youngest and only daughter of six children. While Melanie's noble background would offer a certain measure of comfort, the Sanfelice were by no means a terribly prosperous family, lacking in both the landed or commercial assets of the other noble families. In spite of this, and a childhood characterized by bouts of illness and poor health (a condition that would afflict her for the rest of her life) Melanie's disposition was uniformly described as pleasant, idealistic and thankful.

That said, the young Melanie's distinct intelligence, poise and charisma would all be easily identified from an early age, and she would attend the prestigious Academy of St. Martin from an early age. Her studies would take around the continent, and in 323 she would attend The Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences in the Kingdom of Etruria. It was believed the fresh air of Etruria's highlands would aid the Countess' respiratory problems. Instead, the liberal atmosphere of The Kingdom of Etruria (a constitutional monarchy) would shape the young Marquise's worldview, an impression enhanced by travels in the absolutist Kingdom of Ulsino two years later.

By the time Melanie Sanfelice entered the University of Altia's system of colleges, she had become liberalized to an extraordinary degree, a fact aided by the tumultuous climate in the capital at the time, and the popularity of publications by the exiled Charles IV.

"The Experiment of 332," Marriage to the Count of Gramont
Melanie Sanfelice would be among the Altian nobles who took part in the "Experiment of 332," wherein students and bourgeois citizens from the capital set up barricades in and around the campuses of the colleges comprising the University of Altia. The non-violent movement would see popularly elected leaders (generally for workers' unions and civic organizations) established in "ghost elections" held without the typical restrictions to voting at the time. While the "experiment of 332" was hopelessly idealistic, the peaceful nature of the elections and participation by the non-noble classes demonstrated the viability of a broader based Republic with representatives elected by the general populace.

Still, although peaceful in nature, the ensuing repression of the students and imprisonment and execution of its highest leaders would both terrify the conservatives within the government whilst concurrently galvanizing the feelings of discontent in the non-noble classes.

Like most of the "Experimenters," especially those of noble background, Melanie Sanfelice would escape major consequence for her actions during the episode. Still, it was in the tumult of the great 'Experiment' of 332 that Melanie Sanfelice would meet Marius James Honorian. In spite of his distinctly stoic and sullen reputation and her contrarily joyous nature, the two would fall in love and marry in early 334. The marriage would be a happy one, and during the relative peace that preceded the Wars of May, Melanie Sanfelice would bear Marius 3 children, Andrew, in 334, Stephen in 336 and finally Sophia, in 344. While not politically active following her participation in the Experiment of 332, she would garner respect from both progressives and conservatives alike, being known as an honorable and intelligent woman as well as a loving wife and mother.

Death
Melanie Sanfelice would die in 344 as a result of complications during the birth of her third child and only daughter, Sophia Clarisse Honorian, who survived. Her body was interred where she was born, in the city Clairvaux, where her beloved husband would join her some years later.