the first meeting of rodrigo and his fiancee, sancha "the fox" osorio. from a neighboring ally state, sancha is not a necromancer, but has climbed the social ladder in no small part due to the death of her previous two husbands. NO, she DIDNT kill them, so DONT ask!!!!

rodrigos earnest charm and flamboyance catches sancha completely off guard. she isnt sure how to read him, especially since he playfully suggests at every opportunity that he will become her third dead husband - and that he should at least be permitted the kindness of her company before she offs him. does he actually believe the fox would kill him? she doesnt know and its infuriating. silvia, at least, is floored when her diplomatic (read as: manipulative) letters to sancha backfire in a real "game recognize game" moment. if rodrigo does not actually fear for his life, silvia certainly does

i am unsure how their side story will play out, since this setting is still in the "no writing just vibes" phase. from pre-torpor orchidee, rodrigo inherits a character motif that focuses on the pursuit of true and equal love. its all he wants in the world, and manifests mainly in his obsession over attaining orchidees attention and acknowledgement. what would be better - if sancha is taken away from him due to her own backfiring pursuit of power, or if his desperation for love consumes him and allows the fox to claim her third victim? both seem equally plausible to me. in any case, i just wanted to solidify sanchas design. the idea for her has been rattling around in my skull