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"I don't understand, mother. What's happened to you?"

"Love does things to a person... Terrible things..."

"Mother..."

"Mayrin, promise me you'll never love your firstborn as much as I loved your older sister."

"I promise, mother... I won't."

"Why I have half a mind..."

...

Though it might be hard to believe, there was once a time in Mayrin's life when she was considered a very free-spirited, little gelfling. Though it's hard to believe, she was once bubbly, playful, happy-go-lucky, even carefree.

Of course, things were much different back then...

That was back when her mother ruled over the seven clans, back when her elder sister was the heir to the throne, back when she was happy.

Mayrin's mother was once a sight to behold. The perfect All Maudra, if you will. Beautiful, kind, intelligent, and with a certain charming charisma, Mayrin's mother was beloved by all gelfling (even those outside of her own clan).

Same could've been said for her sister, she had possessed all of the same traits that had blessed their mother. But Mayrin's sister had a level of intelligence that rivaled even their mother. She showed a devout love of learning, and a fierce loyalty to all her people. Truly, she was going to be a great All Maudra one day...

With her mother ruling over the seven clans and her sister's bright future ahead of her, everything in Mayrin's then short life was perfect...

But then the illness came.

A horrible illness had passed through Thra, affecting many. Though some clans, like the Drenchens and the Grottans got out of it unharmed, the other clans, however, were not so lucky... Due to their larger population, the illness spread like wildfire through the Vapra clan. And many unfortunate gelflings were affected. One of whom, was Mayrin's older sister.

Mayrin's mother, desperate to save her eldest child, hired every single gelfling healer she could find, even those from different clans. Yet, despite all of their efforts, no one could help the sickly princess. As she grew weaker by the day, both Mayrin and her mother were left with a feeling of complete hopelessness, almost as if all joy was slowly draining out of their lives.

And though a cure for the illness was eventually found, it came far too late to save the poor princess. She had returned to Thra in her sleep, finally ending her suffering.

The death of their heir had shook the entire Vapra Clan to its core. But no one suffered more than the All Maudra and her surviving daughter. The All Maudra's heart had shattered into a million pieces, a trauma that she would never recover from.

Young Mayrin was forced to witness the complete and utter destruction of her mother, watching her become a sad, broken shell of her former self. There were days where Mayrin's mother wouldn't come out of bed, continuously neglecting her duties. As a way to cope with the pain, she began to drink, which made her act even more distant. There were times when she would address her subjects completely drunk, making a fool of herself. Then she started to hang around not so nice gelfling, doing not so nice things...

And poor Mayrin could do nothing about it...

Mentally broken, Mayrin's mother forced her to make a cruel promise, a promise no one (especially not a childling) should have to make. A promise that would affect Mayrin for the rest of her life.

After her sister's death, Mayrin had to assume the role of heir to the Vapra crown (a role she never really wanted in the first place). She had to learn everything about leadership all on her own, since her mother was too mentally hurt to properly rear her daughter. Not that Mayrin was really surprised that she had to do most of the learning on her own. She had gotten used to the ever growing downward spiral that was her mother, and so did everyone else. She couldn't help but notice that their subjects no longer looked at her mother with pride and joy, but with pity, instead. Mayrin's once joyous heart became a lonely, and bitter one. Unable to comprehend how everything could go so wrong.

Many trine passed, and with her mother's steadily declining mental and physical health, the Skeksis Lords and other Maudras had to crown Mayrin as the new All Maudra, early. Most other gelflings would have felt overwhelmed if put into this situation, but not Mayrin. She couldn't allow herself to get overwhelmed, she wouldn't allow it.

Mayrin had a level of determination that was matched by no one. A level of determination that was one of the few things that kept her going all this time. She had decided that she had spent too much of her life wallowing in shame, so she was determined to become a leader that her subjects could be proud of. She wasn't going to let her reign fall into despair like her mother's did, no. She was going to make something of herself, no matter how long it took.

She didn't quite understand her mother's promise when she was young, but she did now. Mayrin realized that, if her mother hadn't chosen love over her duty, her reign would not have ended in tragedy. If she was a leader first, instead of being a mother first... maybe... Just maybe... She wouldn't have destroyed herself. Maybe her people wouldn't have had to suffer for it. That had to be the reason... Right?

Filled new found loyalty and pride, Mayrin set herself on a path to greatness. Never forgetting the promise she made to her mother all those trine ago...

"A leader first, a mother second."

When her first daughter was born, Mayrin had named her after her late sister, Seladon. As a permanent reminder of what happens when one chooses love over responsibility.

"A leader first, a mother second."

From day one, Mayrin taught this lesson to Seladon. Making sure to burn and sear it into her mind. So she may not make the same mistakes as her grandmother before her.

"A leader first, a mother second."

Mayrin wasn't going to break like her mother did, and certainly wasn't going to allow her heir to break either. Oh, no... This child, this Seladon, was going to live. This Seladon will put her loyalty to her kingdom above all else, even her family. This Seladon, will be the greatest All Maudra of her time, if not in all of Thra's history... Mayrin would certainly make sure of that...

"A leader first, a mother second."

~~~~~~~~

Can you believe I came up with both this concept and the drawing in just 3 days? See? I can be fast sometimes!

*Please note that this came out before the Mayrin prequel comic was released. So any inconsistencies with the official backstory are completely unintentional

Description
"I don't understand, mother. What's happened to you?"

"Love does things to a person... Terrible things..."

"Mother..."

"Mayrin, promise me you'll never love your firstborn as much as I loved your older sister."

"I promise, mother... I won't."

"Why I have half a mind..."

...

Though it might be hard to believe, there was once a time in Mayrin's life when she was considered a very free-spirited, little gelfling. Though it's hard to believe, she was once bubbly, playful, happy-go-lucky, even carefree.

Of course, things were much different back then...

That was back when her mother ruled over the seven clans, back when her elder sister was the heir to the throne, back when she was happy.

Mayrin's mother was once a sight to behold. The perfect All Maudra, if you will. Beautiful, kind, intelligent, and with a certain charming charisma, Mayrin's mother was beloved by all gelfling (even those outside of her own clan).

Same could've been said for her sister, she had possessed all of the same traits that had blessed their mother. But Mayrin's sister had a level of intelligence that rivaled even their mother. She showed a devout love of learning, and a fierce loyalty to all her people. Truly, she was going to be a great All Maudra one day...

With her mother ruling over the seven clans and her sister's bright future ahead of her, everything in Mayrin's then short life was perfect...

But then the illness came.

A horrible illness had passed through Thra, affecting many. Though some clans, like the Drenchens and the Grottans got out of it unharmed, the other clans, however, were not so lucky... Due to their larger population, the illness spread like wildfire through the Vapra clan. And many unfortunate gelflings were affected. One of whom, was Mayrin's older sister.

Mayrin's mother, desperate to save her eldest child, hired every single gelfling healer she could find, even those from different clans. Yet, despite all of their efforts, no one could help the sickly princess. As she grew weaker by the day, both Mayrin and her mother were left with a feeling of complete hopelessness, almost as if all joy was slowly draining out of their lives.

And though a cure for the illness was eventually found, it came far too late to save the poor princess. She had returned to Thra in her sleep, finally ending her suffering.

The death of their heir had shook the entire Vapra Clan to its core. But no one suffered more than the All Maudra and her surviving daughter. The All Maudra's heart had shattered into a million pieces, a trauma that she would never recover from.

Young Mayrin was forced to witness the complete and utter destruction of her mother, watching her become a sad, broken shell of her former self. There were days where Mayrin's mother wouldn't come out of bed, continuously neglecting her duties. As a way to cope with the pain, she began to drink, which made her act even more distant. There were times when she would address her subjects completely drunk, making a fool of herself. Then she started to hang around not so nice gelfling, doing not so nice things...

And poor Mayrin could do nothing about it...

Mentally broken, Mayrin's mother forced her to make a cruel promise, a promise no one (especially not a childling) should have to make. A promise that would affect Mayrin for the rest of her life.

After her sister's death, Mayrin had to assume the role of heir to the Vapra crown (a role she never really wanted in the first place). She had to learn everything about leadership all on her own, since her mother was too mentally hurt to properly rear her daughter. Not that Mayrin was really surprised that she had to do most of the learning on her own. She had gotten used to the ever growing downward spiral that was her mother, and so did everyone else. She couldn't help but notice that their subjects no longer looked at her mother with pride and joy, but with pity, instead. Mayrin's once joyous heart became a lonely, and bitter one. Unable to comprehend how everything could go so wrong.

Many trine passed, and with her mother's steadily declining mental and physical health, the Skeksis Lords and other Maudras had to crown Mayrin as the new All Maudra, early. Most other gelflings would have felt overwhelmed if put into this situation, but not Mayrin. She couldn't allow herself to get overwhelmed, she wouldn't allow it.

Mayrin had a level of determination that was matched by no one. A level of determination that was one of the few things that kept her going all this time. She had decided that she had spent too much of her life wallowing in shame, so she was determined to become a leader that her subjects could be proud of. She wasn't going to let her reign fall into despair like her mother's did, no. She was going to make something of herself, no matter how long it took.

She didn't quite understand her mother's promise when she was young, but she did now. Mayrin realized that, if her mother hadn't chosen love over her duty, her reign would not have ended in tragedy. If she was a leader first, instead of being a mother first... maybe... Just maybe... She wouldn't have destroyed herself. Maybe her people wouldn't have had to suffer for it. That had to be the reason... Right?

Filled new found loyalty and pride, Mayrin set herself on a path to greatness. Never forgetting the promise she made to her mother all those trine ago...

"A leader first, a mother second."

When her first daughter was born, Mayrin had named her after her late sister, Seladon. As a permanent reminder of what happens when one chooses love over responsibility.

"A leader first, a mother second."

From day one, Mayrin taught this lesson to Seladon. Making sure to burn and sear it into her mind. So she may not make the same mistakes as her grandmother before her.

"A leader first, a mother second."

Mayrin wasn't going to break like her mother did, and certainly wasn't going to allow her heir to break either. Oh, no... This child, this Seladon, was going to live. This Seladon will put her loyalty to her kingdom above all else, even her family. This Seladon, will be the greatest All Maudra of her time, if not in all of Thra's history... Mayrin would certainly make sure of that...

"A leader first, a mother second."

~~~~~~~~

Can you believe I came up with both this concept and the drawing in just 3 days? See? I can be fast sometimes!

*Please note that this came out before the Mayrin prequel comic was released. So any inconsistencies with the official backstory are completely unintentional