Characters
Christoph Trenton
In childhood, Christoph was always the youngest and the smallest in his class, a fact that his fellow students never let him forget. As a result, he became very shy and reserved, preferring to keep to himself and barely speaking to anyone outside of his family. Bastian was one of the very few to show him any kindness, and even at that young age, Christoph began to develop a deep affection for the older boy.
As he grew older, Christoph's shyness gradually ebbed away, though his reserved nature never quite faded. He's fairly quick to jump to the worst conclusion, and he doesn't think very highly of himself.
Jessabelle Trenton
Christoph's older sister. She's a bit of a tomboy and is very much against the fact that 'proper ladies' must wear dresses. Jessabelle is very outspoken and intuitive; she's usually the first to have a full grasp on a given situation. She cares very much for her brother, and in childhood, he could always count on her to come to his defense. It is also through her that Christoph overcame his shyness, as Jessabelle will not hesitate to make her brother do something against his will if it's for his own good.
Diana Trenton
Mother of Christoph and Jessabelle. Unlike her husband, she was not born into wealth. In marrying him, she knew that she would be bound by middle-class no more, and in the beginning, that was her only reason for marrying him.
She eventually realized, however, that she truly did love him. It was for this reason, and not the threat of losing her newfound wealth, that she chose to ignore her husband's illegal activities for so long. Because of this, she blames herself for his death; she believes that had she convinced him to stop, he would still be alive.
It was a combination of both losing her husband and being suddenly thrust back into near-poverty that caused Diana's mental stability to deteriorate. For awhile, there would be periods of time that she seemed on the verge of getting better. Those times have passed, however, and her condition plunges deeper as the months wear on. It gets to the point that she can no longer recognize her own children most of the time.
Edward Trenton
Father of Christoph and Jessabelle. Though born into a wealthy family, Edward fell out of favor with them after marrying Diana, who was well below their social standing. Desperate for money, fearing that he would be unable to support his family after being denied use of the family wealth and, admittedly, having no desire to lose his own position in society, Edward soon found himself involved in some sketchy business. The money was good, however, and his family would want for nothing, which, as far as Edward was concerned, was well worth the risk. Though his buisness dealings did, at times, call for his being away from home for several days, not once did Edward miss a special occassion, be it birthday or holiday, and he made sure to always return with gifts for his family.
Despite being disinherited by his family (which most were unaware of, anyhow), Edward was well-liked throughout the town. A gentleman among gentlemen, he never failed to offer a helping hand, and could manage to brighten even the most dour of occassions with his kind words and hypnotic smile. His death was, therefore, a great blow to the town, and for awhile, people seemed to seldom talk of anything else.
Bastian Sterling
Childhood friend of Christoph. Unlike many of the residents of their town, he and his family were not originally from there. However, his family's social status, coupled with his own charm, made fitting in a fairly easy task.
It didn't take long for Bastian to realize that Christoph was an outcast, and Bastian made it his personal goal to change that. Aside from Cassandra, for the most part, most of the students left Christoph alone after Bastian befriended him.
Bastian tends to attract people to him, though he doesn't really try. He's soft spoken but very outgoing, and he exudes a kind and friendly demeanor. Due in large part to his mother constantly pounding it into his head, Bastian is also very polite and gentlemanly.
On the other hand, Bastian can be rather oblivious, and he's not completely above disobeying his parents (though most would assume the complete opposite). However, it is for his mother's sake that he is agreeing to marry Cassandra.
Victoria Sterling
Bastian's mother. She's constantly trying to improve her position in society, which was her sole reason for marrying Bastian's father. She absolutely refuses to associate with anyone who she feels is of a lower standing than she is, and if it weren't for the fear of making herself look bad, she would avoid everyone who couldn't improve her standing.
Although Christoph's family had money, Victoria knew that his mother hadn't been born into a wealthy family as she had. That, coupled with her suspicions concerning just where their wealth was coming from, contributed to her immediate dislike of Christoph, and she found many ways to keep he and Bastian apart.
It is because of her that Bastian is marrying Cassandra; she knows that marrying into that family is yet another way to improve her position.
Lucian Sterling
Father of Bastian. While he denies it vehemently, Lucian has a drinking problem, and is prone towards fits of rage when he is drunk, though he claims to have no recollection of this. Being both a war veteran and the son of a nobleman, Lucian is highly regarded in society, which is what drew Victoria to him. While their marriage was based on social status alone, Lucian eventually devoloped feelings for Victoria. He knew full well, however, of the reasoning behind Victoria's decision to marry him, and is therefore aware that the feelings he has for her are not mutual. At times, his usually well hidden anger at this gets the best of him, and he tends to take it out on his children.
Cassandra Brash
The daughter of a high ranking official, Cassandra was both born and raised in wealth. An only child, she learned many ways to get what she wanted, and if that meant stepping on others along the way...Well, as far as she's concerned, the end justifies the means.
She teased and picked on Christoph worse than any other, especially after Bastian moved to town. At that point, she began seeing Christoph as a rival, and was extremely jealous of their friendship. For a time, Bastian was the only thing she wanted that she could not have, and she took her anger out on everyone around her. In the end, as with everything else, Cassandra got her way...
Felicity McCullen
Felicity and her family were not born into wealth; although they have money, they must work very hard to maintain it. Felicity knows that if anyone were to find out, she would be looked down upon, so she does her best to hide the fact...Unfortunately for her, someone does eventually find out, and it is none other than Cassandra.
Cassandra, however, promises not tell anyone, and even befriends the lowly girl. In truth, however, Cassandra's true reasons for hanging around with her are because she makes Cassandra look better in comparison, and Felicity does just about anything she says. The two have been 'friends' since childhood, and Felicity continues to do or say anything that she believes will please Cassandra, regardless of whether or not she truly wants to.
Samir Nachik
When Samir was very young, he and his family emigrated from East India in search of a better life. Being unskilled as they were, however, there were very few jobs for which they could be hired, and the pay they made was menial. Samir was orphaned at the age of nine when both of his parents succumbed to Cholera. It was shortly after this time that Samir first came in contact with Jessabelle, who was thirteen at the time.
With no parents to take care of him and no money to live off of, Samir took to the streets. Dirty and starving, he resorted to begging and, if necessary, stealing to stay alive. It was in this condition that Jessabelle come across the pitiful boy. Unsure of what else she could do, Jessabelle offered Samir some food, which he graciously excepted. For the next several months, Jessabelle continued to take care of Samir, bringing him food whenever she could and, occasionally, other gifts as well. She also did her best to teach him English, while he, in turn, attempted to teach her his native language and about the home he'd 'escaped' from.
In the years following Jessabelle's leaving, Samir does his best to acquire the better life that his parents had been hoping for, in part because he knew it'd make his parents happy, and in part because he believed that perhaps if he had made something of himself by the time Jessabelle came back, she would return the feelings he has long since developed for her.
