Catch up! Rounds 5, 6, and 7
in reply to a message by britto08
Sorry about that! Life got a little nutty on me.
UN: glassmidnight
King: Kieran Robert Constantine Laurence, His Royal Highness King Kieran (44)
Queen Consort: Elisabeth Gloria Rose, Her Royal Highness Queen Elisabeth (39)
-DPrincess: Helena Margaret Caitriona Rose, Her Royal Highness Princess Helena (18)
--DH: Cornelius Theodoric James, Lord Cornelius, Earl of Ren River (19)
-DPrincess: Eleanor Gloria Theodora Maeve, Her Royal Highness Princess Eleanor (16)
--DFiance: Hartwin Adam Gilbert Reinhard, His Royal Highness Prince Hartwin of Rewa
-DPrincess: Juliana Catherine Elisabeth Niamh, Her Royal Highness Princess Juliana (14)
-DPrincess/DPrince: Cecilia Penelope Sarah Jane / Robert Constantine Julian Augustus, Her Royal Highness Princess Cecilia and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Robert (13)
-DPrince: Nicholas Cathan Solomon Pax, His Royal Highness Prince Nicholas(8)
-DPrince: Lorcan Kieran Antithanatos Abel, His Royal Higness Prince Lorcan(5)
DMistress: Rosemary Eleanor Catherine, Duchess of Glenvale (41)
Of the Royal House of Covedale, of the kingdom of Bellemar
Round 5
Not long after the twins were born, Queen Elisabeth discovered she was pregnant once again. This time, however, something seemed off. She was sicker with this child, weaker and paler. A few months in, a searing pain across her midsection felled the queen in the middle of a session with the king. An hour later, the doctors informed the king that Elisabeth had lost the baby. Fragile both in health and in mind, Elisabeth spent most of the next several months in her own chambers. She was unable to care for the baby twins, and the older children worried over her. Though the birth of his son had brought Kieran closer to Elisabeth, the miscarriage took her further away again and the king found himself falling more and more in love with his childhood friend. Rosemary was now married herself, but living at Court and spending much of her time with old friends, including Kieran. Knowing his duty and not wishing to hurt Elisabeth, Kieran did his best to ignore his romantic feelings toward Rosemary, but when their old rival-turned-trading-partner, Rewa, declared war on Bellemar with the help of bellicose Havershard. Taken by surprise, Bellemar was only marginally prepared for war, and the first year of the war was fiercely bloody. Kieran hoped to reach a peaceful compromise, but it was evident that Rewa and Havershard were not interested in negotitations as much as bloodshed. Kieran spent much of his time in camps with his generals and advisors, including Cassian and Rosemary. In the course of war, Kieran needed the support of those dear to him and with his wife and children safely in the capital, he turned to his two oldest friends. It wasn't long before Rosemary admitted her own feelings for the king, and not long afterward that Rosemary became Kieran's mistress. Finally Bellemar began to gain ground in the war and in the final battle, Rewa's forces were annihilated and Havershard's king was unwilling to face his adversary with no backup. Relations are still shaky between all three kingdoms, but they are all ready to put aside their arms and rebuild. Rewa has ceded some of their land to Bellemar, strengthening the foodstores of the kingdom. Returning after the final battle, Rosemary and Kieran, not wanting to harm their spouses, decided that their affair would end upon their return to Court. Feeling empty and cold, Kieran returned to Elisabeth and his duty. Elisabeth had finally recovered, and their children were safe and whole and happy. Their reunion produced another pregnancy, which Elisabeth rejoiced at, but she noticed that Kieran seemed distant and sad. When she asked him what was troubling him, he at first refused to tell her, but finally confessed his affair with Rosemary. At the outset of their marriage, Elisabeth would have been devastated to hear of a mistress, even a temporary one, but here, 11 years and 6 children later, she understood. Rosemary was the true love he had never had, and the children were Elisabeth's true love, so why couldn't they both have what they loved? She gave Kieran her blessing to take up with Rosemary again if he wished. Later that year, Kieran and Elisabeth's second son was born, a lovely little boy that they named in honor of the end of the war.
Round 6
Peace and prosperity and the king's happiness -- these days are marked by good feeling. Adelaide Grace, Elisabeth, and Rosemary have all become very close, and the number of children in the palace continues to grow. Both Adelaide Grace and Elisabeth have several children, but it seems that Rosemary is unable to have children. She was sad at first, especially having found a man whose children she would willingly and lovingly bear, but has embraced the children of her two friends, even becoming "Aunt Romy" to the little princes and princesses. Both Adelaide Grace and Elisabeth are pregnant when Elisabeth suddenly goes into labor early in the middle of the night. Frightened for the babe and remembering with fear and anguish the baby she lost, Elisabeth calls for the doctors, for Kieran, for Adelaide Grace, and even for Rosemary. The delivery is horribly hard, harder than any of the others, and the baby -- the third little prince -- is born so small and so blue that everyone feared the child dead. With a small little gasp, the prince began to breathe. The child was named Lorcan, little fierce one, since he fought and made it through; Kieran, after his father for they knew this would probably be their final child; Antithanatos, meaning against death; and Abel, which means breath.
Round 7
Many years have past, mostly in happiness, and Kieran and Elisabeth's children have grown up quite a bit.
Helena, the oldest, is a good-natured young woman, often smiling, and quite pretty. she has always helped with her younger siblings and looks forward to having a family of her own. She has Elisabeth's pale blonde curls and Kieran's dark blue eyes, with rosy cheeks and a musical laugh. She has recently married a Bellemarian noble, the eldest son and heir apparent of a duke, currently the earl of Ren River. The match was advantageous politically, but Helena and Cornelius have known each other for a long time and as young adults have become quite fond of each other. Cornelius laughs easily and loves to ride and eat and drink, but not to excess. He is a jovial, if not particularly handsome, young man, and Helena is very happy with him. Elisabeth and the children are glad that she has remained in the palace and continues to help care for Nicholas and Lorcan.
Eleanor is an impulsive young lady, much like her mother was at her age, but with a touch of flirtiness that has made the princess' adolescence a bit treacherous. She has been receiving suitors for years and years and was always flirty, giving the impression that she liked each young man more than she truly did. Surprisingly, she chose her future husband just before Helena's wedding. Kieran and Elisabeth were hesitant to bless the engagement, wary that Eleanor had just taken to a flight of fancy for this young man, but she seems to be set on him. He is a visiting young prince from Rewa, which has rankled many of the people, who remember the betrayal not even a decade ago. Though he is kind, hard-working and honest, Kieran cannot help but fear that his daughter is being used to get Rewan sympathizers close to the throne.