At twenty her Father finally made the decision to let her marry, to a man of his choosing.  The man was a confederate soldier who idolized her Father.  Renata came to hate them both even as she loved her Father and her Husband.

When the union soldiers came to Atlanta, they did not come alone.  Hunting within the garrisons was an Andrasta.  His name was Derrick Andrasta. Derrick took a liking to the lovely young human and seduced her beneath the orange trees surrounded by the fragrance of orange blossoms.

Deliberately leaving her with his mark to warn off other vampires using the area as hunting grounds, he fed her droplets of blood and left the canine's teeth marks in the tender skin of her wrist.  Renata was far too swept up in a haze of passion to realize what was happening.  When she awoke the next morning, she was the bite mark.  It healed within an hour as she watched amazed, the skin looking pure and unbroken. She went into the orange grove again that night and called to him.  With no explanations between them, he Embraced her. 

They created a simply 'death' for Renata Montgomery rather than disappearing.  She wanted to watch her Father and husband to be mourn her.  After her funeral, she slaughtered them.

Derrick was killed when Atlanta was burned to the ground and Renata escaped, but just barely.  She quickly forgot his face, and the only thing that reminds her of him is oranges.

Renata has employed an apothecary, who is also her ghoul, to concoct a special poison.  This point she puts on her fangs.  It leaves her victims writhing in agony and dying hours afterwards.  It also causes the blood to taste like oranges.

Her hunting tastes are very particular.  Renata hunts victims based on the jewelry they wear.  On her wrist she has a charm bracelet, filled with small charms that she removes from her dead victims.  The largest charm on the bracelet is a golden orange.

Renata is a double-edged sword, very cunning and ruthless in many ways.  She'll use you for her own needs and befriend you only if she can benefit.  Though not overly close with the Andrasta, she has 'played' with Sebastian on a few occasions.  Dimitri she respects but tends to steer clear of authority figures like him.  Everyone else she gets along famously with.  She doesn't see the benefit in betraying her Clan, and for the moment, is firmly convinced that she never will.