Princess Elizabeth Clemente

“If you're afraid to die, you're afraid to live.You can't have one without the other.” ~Elizabeth Clemente

Elizabeth Ortez [Elizabeth Ironhound] is the daughter of King Lawrence Clemente and Queen Rosa Clemente. From humble beginnings to Princess of Spain, Elizabeth experienced a life of danger and adventure. She was known for her quiet and kindhearted nature, as well as her bravery and love of animals.

Biography
Elizabeth was the 1st child of King Lawrence Clemente and Queen Rosa Clemente and was born on April 5th1729. She was under the care of her parents until the fateful day in which pirates stole her from their home. The family was separated, and the fate of the sole Clemente daughter was unknown. The 2 year old was snatched by one of the pirates, but amidst the chaos was left in a crate at the city market. It is here where two local farmers found the girl and took her in as their own. Elizabeth spent her formative years working with her adoptive family on one of the biggest farms of the region. Most days were filled with hard labor and at night she dedicated herself to studying art and culture with the few materials she had. She took an immediate liking to animals and quickly learned to ride and hunt with guns. While she appreciated the life she had, the young girl always felt that something was missing—an incompleteness, as though she was destined for a life beyond the farm—a life of adventure and perhaps danger. In 1745, when Elizabeth was 16 years old, her family revealed to her that she was not biologically theirs, confirming her instincts. Overwhelmed with curiosity and determination, Elizabeth left the farm soon after in search of her true origin. Using the little knowledge she had about that tumultuous day in Gerona, she decided to seek out the band of pirates responsible for the attack.

This led Elizabeth far from home as she met and joined a group of pirates that operated in the Mediterranean. It is during this time Elizabeth learned swordplay and further honed her gunmanship, as well as adopted the name Ironhound. She quickly earned respect and fortune on the high seas, eventually acquiring her first war ship, a War Brig named Black Stallion. She was known for her quiet yet commanding presence, as well as her kindness to all, sometimes even to a fault. Throughout this time, she never forgot her original purpose of finding the pirates behind the sacking of Gerona. With time and connections in piracy, Elizabeth discovered this specific legion of pirates. On October 26, 1749, Ironhound arranged a gathering with the leader, Bartholomew Firefoote. As she entered the tavern, Firefoote turned pale, as if he had seen a ghost. In his mind, he had. After nearly fainting, he explained that Elizabeth possessed an uncanny resemblance to the Queen of Spain, Rosa Clemente. He had put it together—she must have been the lost Clemente daughters. Firefoote lunged at Ironhound, intending to settle unfinished business. Elizabeth evaded and retaliated his attacks as a fight broke out in the tavern between Firefoote and Ironhound’s crews. Nearby naval officers heard the disruption, and quickly arrived to arrest the pirates. While she did her best to evade them, her efforts ultimately failed. Elizabeth now found herself in jail.

Months passed as Elizabeth and her crew awaited trial, one that would surely end in their execution for piracy. Elizabeth pleaded with the guards to let her speak with a member of the royal family, taking any chance at survival. The guards ignored her cries, but when she mentioned more nobles by name, this caught their attention, as no regular pirate would know of all these people. Days later on September 3, 1751, none other than Guillermo Ortez, one of the kingsguard, arrived to find out which pirate had mentioned the monarchy and his relatives. As he turned the corner to see into Elizabeth’s cell, he immediately recognized the spitting image of Rosa. The Kingsguard called for the release of the pirate and her crew into his custody. Elizabeth’s rescuer greeted her with a warm embrace. He had found the lost princess. He escorted her outside, and they rode on horseback together back to the Castle, where she would be reunited with her family. On the journey there, Guillermo told her many things—about the pirate attack on the royal family, House Clemente, and the Spanish Kingdom.

When she arrived at the Castle, Elizabeth rushed in to reunite with her family. Her mother, Rosa Clemente, welcomed her with open arms. She met her grandfather, the current King Ferdinand Clemente as well as her father Lawrence Clemente. She became acquainted with other Clementes from other nations upon her arrival along with many other members of the Spanish nobility. The young woman finally felt a sense of belonging and purpose.

Elizabeth settled into royal life surprisingly well. Perhaps her humble beginnings made her appreciate the finer things in life. Nevertheless, she dedicated her time to helping out with official royal business, as well as caring for and training the nobility’s horses. She did not leave her pirating life behind entirely—she often set sail on one of her ships to plunder for loot and materials.