Melina di Britannia

Melina di Britannia (b. January 25, 2000 a.t.b.) is a member of the Royal Family and the 12th Princess of the former Holy Britannian Empire. She is played by DiamondDust.

Appearance
Though a slightly older woman, Melina has somehow managed to retain the youth of someone ten years younger and her beauty is known world wide, mostly from her being a Princess of the former Britannian Empire. Men have been known to get lost in her hazel-colored eyes and women in turn envy her straight and lengthy mane of black hair. Her figure is appealing, being mostly curving, causing her to be rather attractive in her work wear. For the most part, Melina is never seen without her brown briefcase which carries all of her most important files, ones she couldn't live without.

Personality
Melina sort of plays the stereotypical role of a Princess, being kind, caring, and generally pleasant to be around while exuding a regal aura. This is mostly based on her upbringing, though her experiences in the European Union was the biggest influence on her overall good nature. This isn't exactly her true nature, however. Melina is far more serious that her outward appearance would suggest, border lining on the term 'stiff.' She is all business when it comes to her associates and even with people she would refer to as her friends, she exhibits an attitude befitting of a politician. It's because of her job that she's become this way, although she can be softened up by her family or someone she really cares about and despite her seriousness, she has a rather good sense of humor. Melina isn't hard to anger, although she is able to keep her composure for the most part thanks to her profession of having to deal with 'hard asses' on a daily basis. Even so, when she does become enraged, most people understand that they need to give her her space, as she has a habit of going on tirades against those unfortunate enough to incur her wrath.

There is a reason Melina di Britannia is known as the "Iron Tongue of Britannia." The floor of the Britannian Cabinet is where that inflexible personality of hers comes out fully and some have even stated that she is like a completely different person while on the job. She becomes ruthless, pointing out any flaw or hole in an opponent's argument and literally picking on them until they begin to see things 'her way.' It is because of this that she is one of the better politicians in the nation and also why some find her hard to approach. Melina herself understands how she gets at work, but she also realizes that her rigidity is necessary for her to have a successful career. Nevertheless, she is trying to work on this and honestly doesn't enjoy scaring the living daylights out of her opposition all the time.

When it comes to morals, Melina would be considered a 'good girl' by most standards. She believes that everyone should have the same rights and that ones races, status, or upbringing should have no say in the matter. Because of this, she finds racism or anything similar intolerable. She despises war, fighting, and death as well, having lost quite a number of family members to it and having seen its effects on others. Those who shun her for these beliefs and those who find trouncing the weak are absolutely repulsive to her and she has a tendency to let her anger explode their way when their true nature is brought to light. These things are mostly the reasons Melina became a politician to begin with in order to do something about them. If Melina had any weaknesses, it would most likely be her insecurities about herself and the fact that she does not like being alone. She does not take death very well and when those important to her do perish, she feels as though she has been abandoned somehow. This has caused her to push some individuals out of her lives, while others she cannot live without. It is yet another reason Melina cannot stand war or strife.

Character History
A Half Britannian, Half Eleven Princess of the Royal Family? Needless, to say such a thing was unheard of, but that was the case with Melina di Britannia, 12th Princess of Britannia. Her birth had come about when her father, Charles zi Britannian, encountered a young Eleven maid working at Pendragon Castle for the summer. It was not often that Elevens were even allowed at Pendragon, but Charles had decided to make a special exception with Melina's mother. The reasons for this weren't clear, though it was obvious that he showed a tad bit of affection toward this woman with the feeling being mutual. Their relationship was kept quiet, though there were a few individuals within Pendragon that could see the truth.

When Melina was born, her very existence was kept under wraps because of her mixed heritage and to stop the spark of controversy. A half breed Princess among the Royal Family wouldn't sit well with the General public, not after the Holy Britannian Empire had conquered Area 11 just recently. As such, only her father and those close to him had any knowledge of her. Her Eleven mother was cast out of the castle to ensure that any sort of relationship between she and Charles was nothing more than speculation and she was never to be seen again. Charles' aids had advised him to do away with Melina in a similar fashion, though he opted to spare her. Those tasked with raising Melina simply informed her that her mother had died long ago, keeping her status as half breed a secret even from her. Indeed, even her name, Melina di Britannia, was concocted to keep the illusion that she was merely another one of Charles zi Britannian's children.

Melina's upbringing was just as bizarre as her birth. Her father took little to no interested in her, calling raising her personally a 'mundane affair.' Perhaps it had something to do with her Japanese blood. Melina never knew and she never cared, as she couldn't ever bring herself to become attached to the individual she hesitated to call her parent. The task of rearing her was often given to the Royal Family's many aids instead and as the years passed, Melina became more befitting of being called a Princess. She was taught the arts, science, history, and her favorite subject, grammar. She excelled in all of her studies and her sharp intellect was picked up by those around her, despite most assuming her Japanese blood would hinder her education. The only thing that she lacked and the sole thing that Melina longed was to see the outside world. Thanks to her father Charles' efforts, she had been forced to stay inside Pendragon's walls like some dark secret kept in the shadows. It was because of this that Melina found herself resenting him even more, refusing to meet him on the rare occasions he actually did drop by to check up on her.

It was only on Melina's ninth birthday that she was finally able to leave the small portion of the castle that had been reserved strictly for her. Her existence and status as the 12th Princess of Britannia was disclosed as well to the entire world. All eyes were on her for a short time, as the idea of the 'Missing Princess of Britannia' was a bit too much to stay under the radar for long. Nevertheless, this did nothing to change her relationship with her father. He still seemed to want nothing to do with her and Melina continued to hate him for it. At least Melina was able to meet her siblings at long last and they shared this sentiment. Melina spent most of her days with them: Lelouch, Clovis, Cornelia, little Euphy and Nunnally. They became the one aspect of her life that kept her mind off Charles and the pressures of being a Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire. When Lelouch and Nunnally's mother was killed, they were sent off to Area 11 as political hostages, saddening Melina, as the two had been her favorite brother and sister to play with. It had been yet another cruel act of their father, a long list of many. Why he had done this, Melina had not known and she was even more hurt when she got word that both Lelouch and Nunnally had died. With Cornelia busy with her military duties, Euphemia engaged in her studies, and Clovis becoming somewhat distant, Melina once again found herself alone.

As the 12th Princess to the Britannian throne, Melina was well off from becoming Empress, though such a title never interested her. The thought of running an entire nation and its colonies was daunting, but more so, Melina simply didn't want to be bothered with such a responsibility. The years passed and Melina found herself far more interested in politics. This was around the time the conflict between the Holy Britannian Empire and the Black Knights had erupted into full scale war and she found herself conflicted on which side she could take. She was a Princess, a child of the Empire, so naturally, it made sense for her to side with her family and countrymen on this matter, yet she never was particularly comfortable with the way Britannia conquered and ruled with an iron fist. The Numbers deserved rights just as much as she or anyone else, after all. Zero had been the most fascinating being she had ever laid eyes on and she found herself almost enamored with him, waiting to see what he would do next or how he would make the latest headlines this time around. In secrecy, she followed his career and sensed a certain familiarity with him, though she wasn't sure why at the time. At the same time, Melina began actively protesting the war. It was so apparent who she had sided with, as her words in public began to sound an awful lot like Zero's. She wished for nothing more than for this war to end and for Britannia to change. Who were they to rule over others like they were superior? A majority of the nation spoke out against her, branding her a traitor. She was even criticized by her own family members, especially by her older sister, Cornelia, who began to treat Melina just as she would Zero and the Black Knights. Death threats and assassination plots began to circle around her until it was unsafe for her to remain even at Pendragon. With her life now in danger and with her activities causing more of a ruckus than the Royal Family could bear, her older brother, Schneizel el Britannian, recommended she stay in the European Union until things cooled down. Hesitantly, she obliged.

Melina took on the alias "Melina Judice" while in the E.U. and she managed to pass off as a common citizen. There, she witnessed Japanese refugees who had fled to the E.U. in hopes that they would be able to lead a better life there, rather than Area 11. They were instead treated just as poorly, something Melina picked up on. She would often visit these individual, taking in their life stories and the tales of how Britannia had destroyed all they had known. It was a somewhat eye opening experience for a simple Princess such as herself and her desire for all this fighting to end was increased. There was a specific woman, an older Eleven woman that Melina would often talk to, one who was all alone, living in the streets. Her name was Konoka Kamiya and she claimed to have once worked at Pendragon Palace under Charles zi Britannia himself and also claimed to have actually been in a relationship with the Emperor. Melina thought nothing of this story at first, thinking it to be a fabrication told by a lonely woman. Melina continued to visit her though and soon enough felt some sort of connection with her. It was only when Konoka mentioned that she had bore Charles' child did Melina begin to suspect that this woman was not only telling the truth, but that her connection with her was more than a simple friendship.

The following year in the E.U. was a hectic one for Melina. The Holy Britannian Empire, led by her brother Schneizel, had nearly conquered all of the E.U. Back in Area 11, Zero and the Black Knights had been soundly defeated, but they rose back from the ashes almost as quickly. More shocking than this was the news that her father had been killed, her brother Lelouch vi Britannian was still alive, and that he had ascended the throne in Charles' place. There, a short war between him and the Black Knights ensued before he too was killed. With his death, however, came a stark change in the world, with the new United States of Japan, the United Federation of Nation, and the new United States of Britannia now walking hand in hand. Free to return to Britannia, Melina bid farewell to Konoka Kamiya, still assured that the women was related to her in some shape or form. It was only after she returned to her homeland did she learn the truth that Konoka was her own birth mother, a fact she had managed to squeeze out of one of her longtime attendants. Before Melina could return to her mother, she learned that Konoka had died while she had gone. It turned out that she had had a terminal illness the entire time and not wanting Melina to worry, kept her in the dark about it. Saddened, Melina opted to change her given name to Melina Kamiya in honor of Konoka.

In later years, Melina became a politician in the now democratic Britannian Cabinet, achieving her life long dream. While not wholly renouncing her status as a former Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, Melina tried her best to distance herself from that title. Now she is one of the fiercest people in the halls of the Cabinent, openly showing support for the Black Knights against the Britannian Restoration League. She often chats with her younger sister, Nunnally vi Britannia, about political affairs and Melina has also managed to rekindle her relationship with Cornelia as well.

Abilities
Being a politician, Melina is an effective speaker and those around her have often stated that if she were in the military, she would have the power to rouse an entire army into battle. She speaks in a way that inspires others while at the same time managing to get her point across in a clear concise manner. Melina is able to control others to a certain extent as such, though she rarely uses her abilities in such a way, that going against her own personal code. Thanks to gifts, she is renowned as one of the best politicians and political speakers in all of Britannia.

Having been trained to be a Princess, Melina is rather adept at horse riding, fencing, chess, speaking in public, and a rudimentary skill in piloting Knightmare Frames, though she personally hates Knightmares and absolutely refuses to step inside of one unless absolutely necessary.

Nunnally es Britannia
Though the latter may be the Empress, Melina spoils Nunnally like an older sibling would, visiting her younger sister on her days off and showering her with gifts. Considering Nunnally is one of the few Royal Family members that survived the events of the Black Rebellion, Melina tries to cherish every moment she has with her.

Trivia

 * Melina has not had a boyfriend in years and prefers to say single to focus on her occupation.

Links
Character Sheet