Martha Stalingrad

"She was a beautiful woman, my mother. Kind, strong and the only person who could stand my crying as a kid. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't miss her greatly..."

-Wendy Alexis Stalingrad in regards to her mother, Martha.

Martha Stalingrad (August 23, 1985 a.t.b. - August 20, 2017 a.t.b.) was the mother of Wendy Alexis Stalingrad, wife of Warren F. Stalingrad and daughter of General Archibald P. Stalingrad. During her youth, she was a military nurse in charge of treating wounded soldiers on the battlefield, but upon marrying and having children, settled down to raise her family. Her death, along with Warren's, greatly affected and influenced Wendy.

Personality
Martha was noted as 'fiery' and 'hot blooded' by those that worked with her and by her own husband, traits Wendy may have inherited from her. She was passionate about her job as a nurse and did everything she could to save the lives of others. This attitude made her come off as pushy, at least, that's what Warren thought, though he also noted she was very compassionate and kind.

Unlike her father, she was not particularly racist, though her pride as a Britannian is what drives her daughter Wendy to this day and something she instilled in her. When the war between the Black Knights and Britannia started, Martha took a neutral stance, more concerned with the amount of bloodshed it caused and the threat to her daughter.

Character History
Martha Stalingrad was born to Archibald Stalingrad and his wife. She was schooled at a private Britannian institute, and as she got older, she began to clash a lot with her father on many subjects, including his insistence that she join the military once she was old enough. Fed up with this, she left her parents home and studied abroad for a time being before turning to the Homeland and ironically enough, entering military service like her father wanted. However, she decided to become a nurse instead of a soldier, thinking that she could at least help patch people up if she wasn't going to fight. She kept no contact with Archibald during this time. She met Warren Alexis, her future husband, during one particular battle, and the two soon fell in love. It was at that point Warren asked her to step away from the military, as he did not want her life to be endangered. She complied with him and soon became a homemaker, looking after their child Wendy, who she birthed after marrying Warren a year or two beforehand. She began contact with her father Archibald again at Warren's insistence as well, gleefully informing him of his grandchild while rekindling their broken relationship somewhat.

The Stalingrads took good care of Wendy and Seth, but it wasn't long before tragedy befell their family. Warren, having been sent off to Area 11 on Prince Clovis' orders, died in a skirmish with The Order of the Black Knights. Devastated, she spent a short while in depression over Warren's death before pulling herself together for the sake of her daughter. She opted to resume her job as a nurse, despite the fact that the war was beginning to heat up, as well as tensions within the Homeland.

However, things began to unravel even further when Martha was laid off from her job in the military. The specific reasons were never stated, though some muttered that it had something to do with her inability to take a stance when it came to the subject of the war, as well as her whispering her doubts and reservations about the Royal Family's actions. Left penniless and unwilling to go to her father for help, Martha packed the family's things and moved them to the volatile Area 11. Living conditions, while unstable because of the ongoing war, were much cheaper than in the Homeland, and Martha made sure to pick out the safest city she could; she eventually decided on Narita after much careful deliberation. It was one of the more heavily guarded cities in Area 11 and host to a number of Britannian and Eleven civilians. It seemed the perfect place to raise her now fatherless child.

Things in Narita were good for the most part. Martha and her child were able to live quietly in the community for the most part, although she couldn't help but be disturbed by a couple of things. Wendy, formerly very talkative, had become shy and quiet because of the neighborhood Eleven children picking on her. Martha was not sure what to do with her daughter other than raise her the best she could. She even gave Wendy one of her most treasured items: a beautiful, heart-shaped necklace that had been give to her by her own mother. She hoped that with it in hand, Wendy would be a tad bit more courageous and outgoing.

But it seemed the family's misfortunes were destined to pile up. Tragically, Martha was killed by a landslide in Narita that also claimed the lives of many of the city's denizens. She had been on her way to the grocery store to get dinner for Wendy when it happened. The cause of the land slide was quickly determined as the cause of the Black Knights using it against the Britannian forces they were fighting on the mountains nearby. Her death had a devastating effect on her child, Wendy swearing revenge against the Black Knights from then on.

After her body was identified by Wendy and her father, Martha was buried in a cemetery nearby Narita. This was against Archibald's wises as he desired to bring her back to the homeland. Wendy checks it from time to time, though she despises going back to the city she grew up in for the most part.

Warren Stalingrad
As her husband, Martha was deeply in love with Warren and mourned his death for several months straight before finding the courage to move on and raise their child without him. Their love was so powerful, Warren changed his last name to hers, rather than she taking on his.

Wendy Stalingrad
Wendy meant everything in the world to Martha, and she made the tough decision to move to Area 11 because of her. Martha raised her by herself for a number of years and watched her grow. Martha sacrificed everything, including her life, to make sure Wendy had a bright future. Her death, along with Warren's and her father's, caused Wendy to join the Britannian Restoration League to get revenge on the Black Knights.

Archibald Stalingrad
Martha and her father became detached after she left home because of his insistence she join the military. Therefore, they did not talk for a number of years until after Martha had married and become the mother of a beautiful child. They talked between letters for a period of eight years before Martha was tragically killed. Archibald mourned her death until his own, regretting the time he lost not spending more time with her.

Trivia

 * Martha's favorite activity was cooking. Most of her cooking knowledge was passed down to her daughter, Wendy.
 * Martha's favorite dish was Bouillabaisse, a foreign dish she discovered while traveling abroad for a short while. She loved it so much that she taught herself how to cook it.
 * Meanwhile, her least favorite food was plums.
 * Martha hated giving Wendy baths as a baby because she would always fidget around like crazy.
 * Her favorite movie was Casablanca.