The birth of Saeth came as a relief to Hazael and Ashriel Zambrano who had seen well the cruel nature of their first born, and the solitary of their second. Hoping that their sole daughter would break their incestuous curse, she was doted upon during the final years of her parent's life, before the madness which had befallen Kaine became their undoing. In the wake of their murder, Saeth was dispensed to Panatha, the true homeworld of the Zambrano Bloodline, where she was raised by her Uncle and his Household.
While Adriel treated the girl as his own, he told no lies concerning her parentage. When she was just six years old her Aunt and Uncle gave birth to a beautiful girl who they named Maria, and decided for a change of scenery. They moved across space to Nar Shaddaa where Adriel became a rather prominent figure, however the death of his wife made the fresh start turn to bitter ashes and he only remained out of a sense of duty. Raised as sisters, Saeth doted over little Maria the way her parents had her, although as her cousin grew she became more and more reserved, preferring the company of her Father over that of Saeth. So it was that she came to find the religion of her people.
During any off chance that she had to spend with her Guardian, she would question Adriel on Epicanthix culture - more specifically that of the Panathan Empire. While not necessarily a pious man, he was able to divulge much of the pantheon and seem pleased with her inquisitive stance. In her seventeenth year of existence the trio moved once again, this time relocating on Arx Mortis for their own safety; her Uncle had begun to be seen as a threat by the Nar Shaddaan authorities, and not wanting to lose his daughter he had fled with her and his ward in the middle of the night. The change did not bode well with Maria, and she became all the more distant. Saeth watched the years of torment which followed whittle away at her Uncle, as Maria shut him out time and time again.
Within eleven short years Adriel was like a man changed, madness crept into his being. Unable to stomach the rejection any longer he purchased for his child a wonderful home and left her there, ensuring she would be well tended to by servants. Ever dutiful in her approach, Saeth - who despite having seen twenty eight years of existence was still regarded as little more than a teenager in the eyes of her people - followed after him. She did her best to try and mend his fractured mind and bring him some small measure of peace, yet it was for the most part to no avail. In the time which passed Adriel provided the young Zambrano with the most unimaginable gift; he took her back to Panatha where she was able to immerse herself in the culture she had longed to belong to for so long.
There she continued her studies and devoted much of her time to her faith. Her heritage did not go unnoticed by the people of Panatha, who revered her brother at this time as a great King. However she was not permitted by her Uncle to meet with him, for fear that she may befall the same fate as his siblings had many years before. Instead she watched him from afar, taking great interest in his actions. He was as cruel as she had always been told, slaughtering many and bringing suffering to countless more. No stranger to death, she admired his ways piously, the deities of her people condoning such actions; who was she to defy the will of the Gods? One time she even attempted to write to him, however Adriel heard of her defiance and instead locked her away for a while to quell her spirit.
It was during this time that she met Ebiah. He belonged to the family of lesser nobles under her Uncle's sway, and was a ward like she. Only unlike Saeth the boy worked for the household as a glorified servant, as a way to keep a tight hold on his rebellious Father. She and Ebiah were of an age, and whenever he would deliver her food or drink, or some books to study, he would linger in her room and talk to her about all manner of things. Sometimes he even brought news of Kaine's achievements, despite the fact that this had been expressly forbidden by Adriel. His was one of the few faces that she saw on a weekly basis, and with time she grew rather fond of him. Yet she did not act upon her desires for fear of her Uncle's wrath. Upon her release from lock down the pair met as frequently as they could, without arousing suspicion, and unintentional love blossomed.
When Adriel made one of his few trips to meet with Maria the moment was seized and the pair solidified what they had felt for quite some time. Afterward they parted ways, embarrassed by their little fling yet still secretly yearning for more. By the time her Uncle returned, however, the damage had already been done. Saeth fell sick and during her medical examination was found to be pregnant. Furious, Adriel demanded to know who had disgraced his unwed Niece and unnamed sources led him to Ebiah - yet she defended the young Ward at every corner until the already broken Epicanthix snapped. He had the boy executed for his insolence and ensured that Saeth was present and watching as it happened; the death was cruelly drawn out, and afterward Saeth was once again banished to her room.
Plans were made during her confinement and upon her release Adriel informed her that she was to meet with Kaine once the child was born. He also informed her that she was to live with her decisions, and as such would have to care for the child herself. Still bitter and in mourning for her loss, when the baby was born she gave him his Father's name defiantly and made certain that Adriel knew of the audacity. Washing his hands of the child he had raised, Saeth was sent away to await an audience with the man who had killed her parents, little Ebiah Idrey in tow.
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