Leos von Liebewitz: Ambassador, convey to my honoured opponent my apologies. This is no longer a personal matter; it gives me great regret to kill him but this is a matter of the honour of a lady.
Leos von Liebewitz, Beasts In Velvet
Golden-haired, blue-eyed, with unmarked skin and a slender build, Leos von Liebewitz broke many hearts at the Imperial Court. Mostly through an almost boorish lack of any interest in any woman save his sister, Countess Emmanuelle. Noted beauty Clothilde von Averheim was amongst those who tried and failed to win the heart of the young duellist.
Indeed, it was commented that the only thing that Leos had any sexual interest in was his sword; although that particular opinion earned the man who voiced it a swift death on the point of von Liebwitz' rapier.
Leos studied the sword under the tutelage of the renowned Valancourt of Nuln, and was acknowledged by many as the Empire's finest swordsman. Leos himself was of the opinion that there were at least fourteen better - including Valancourt, Konrad and Johann von Mecklenberg. Nonetheless, his prowess acquired him the nickname 'the Deadly Blade' and a goodly list of men fell beneath his sword - from commoners to nobles and even at least one member of the Order of the Fiery Heart.
He was responsible for the swordsmanship of the young Prince Luitpold, Karl-Franz' son, and in 2506 was amongst those present at Etienne de la Rougierre's banquet at the Matthias II Inn.
Unbeknownst to any, Leos von Liebewitz was far from what he seemed - indeed he was a she. Raised as a boy, in part to appease the desires of his older sister, who wanted a brother, not a sister, Leos was beaten and abused into believing herself a man. She was confused and almost schizoid in her personality, having both Leos von Liebewitz, the master swordsman, but also the angry young woman without any real name. Leos began a career of murder at 10, killing a family servant with an axe, and his/her uncle Sergius and his mistress Natasha two years later. It was at this point that the Beast decided it preferred to kill women, a chain which remained unbroken until 2506, when the Beast killed Helmut Elsaesser in its escape from the Matthias II Inn.
Leos was finally brought to bear in her sister's bedroom, and revealed as a woman. Although the fight which led to her death was begun by Johann von Mecklenberg, it was the Magnin throwing knife of Harald Kleindeinst which finally ended Leos von Liebewitz' tortured existence.
Source: Beasts in Velvet by Jack Yeovil
Submitter: Simguinus
Hive World Terra