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HelpRe: Nyx' Royal Congrats - Round 5
in reply to a message by Nyx
UN: Starshelle
* Deceased King: Balthazar Julien Conrad Orion *
Dowager Queen: Matilda Henrietta Cressida Delphine [75]
King: Adrian Robert Conrad Scorpius [37]
* Deceased Queen: Elinor Katherine Lucinda Rose *
Prince: Caspar Ignatius Vincent Basil [11]
Princess/Prince: Matilda Katherine Annora Myrtle [8] / Alexis Balthazar Harold Leo [8]
Princess: Alice Margaret Delphine Rose [7]
Prince/Prince/Princess: Robert "Robin" Julien Conrad Libra [3] / Anthony Benedict Adrian Phoenix [3] / Annabel Iris Elinor Lyra [3]
Queen: Faustina Ingrid Eulalia [18]
Princess: Theodora "Thea" Henrietta Cassiopeia [nb]
From the Royal House of: Crescent
Kingdom: Gaia
Immediately, Prince Caspar knew he wouldn't be able to stand his new stepmother, and the feeling was mutual. Queen Faustina came from a neighboring kingdom, Dunlin, and her marriage was to help keep the peace in the land. As far as Prince Caspar was concerned though, he would have rather a war had broken out.
In fact he told as much to his father.
"Father, this lady is mean and not kind and sweet like Mother. Please, don't marry her. Let's go to war instead. Uncle Basil has been training me everyday for all my life! I can help lead your armies, truly!"
King Adrian smiles fondly to his oldest son. "I'm sure you could, Caspar, but it is better to make peace than war. Give Lady Faustina a chance. I am certain she will come around."
She did not though. Months later the king shared a private luncheon with his new young wife.
"Why don't you send him to that island with his brothers and sisters? Surely he'd be happier among his mother's people." Caspar overheard her complaining from another room.
"I have sent away my three youngest to the Isle of Flowers as you requested, my lady, but I'm sending to have Alexis rejoin the household. The Florians pass their inheritance through the female line, so my daughters are being trained to carry on in the Florian tradition and will remain there save for the occasional visits. However, I will have my sons trained in the Gaian tradition. When Robert and and Anthony are a bit older, they will rejoin too."
"The Gaian tradition?" Faustina laughed. "Why then pray tell do you have that ridiculous looking Florian man from the Isle train him?"
It took all of Prince Caspar's restraint to remain out of sight crouched by the doorway and not burst into the room to defend his beloved uncle. King Adrian's eyes narrowed and his voice became quite cold to his wife in a way Caspar could never remember it being with his mother.
"Sir Basil is the uncle of my children, and though his people are pacifists by nature, they do know how to defend themselves if needed. He is as skilled as any swordsman you'd find among the Gaians, and as my son is half-Florian, he should know of his mother's people. He is however being trained in all other areas by Gaian teachers. I will not hear you speak poorly about a man I hold in high esteem again, have I made myself clear?"
Queen Faustina sniffed and looked displeased but bowed her head in acquiesce. "I will say this though. I have not birthed those children, so I hope your majesty would not expect me to extend any sort of motherly affection to them?"
King Adrian sighed heavily. "When people ask the impossible, they are destined for disappointment. No, my lady, I would not expect that of you, but I do ask you treat them with decency and courtesy. I feel the need to remind you that even though you are not related to them by blood, when you married me, you married into my family, and they have my blood. When our children are born, they will share their blood too. Like it or not they will be brothers and sisters to each other. I was my mother's only child, and I have long lamented that I will never know the the bond brothers have with each other. Family is important, my lady. Do not deny them that."
She pursed her lips and spoke coolly. "I'll do as my kingly husband commands. May I be dismissed now?"
Adrian nodded, but when Faustina struggled to rise due to her large pregnant stomach, the king went to assist her to her feet. Lady Faustina was a young woman, though not quite as young as Queen Elinor had been when Adrian had wed her. This woman had blond hair, and lovely green eyes, and a mouth that rarely smiled as far as Caspar could tell. Faustina did miss her homeland, and she did not want this marriage anymore than King Adrian, so perhaps that accounted for the lack of smiling, Caspar reasoned. If she's so unhappy here, I wish she would go home.
She did however bond with the dowager queen, Lady Matilda. The old gray hair woman doted and fawned over Faustina in a way she never did with Elinor, treating her like a daughter. Caspar remembers his grandmother used to treat him with some affection, but lately she never seemed to have time for the boy, and it hurt him, though he never complained except once to his uncle.
"I'm afraid you can't force affection, Caspar." Basil had told him. "Give her some time though and be patient. I'm sure she'll come around."
Adults don't know anything, Caspar scowled to himself. Or they lie to save my feelings, but I'm not stupid.
He looked forward greatly to the return of his brother Alexis though. He missed his brothers and sisters greatly and wished the girls would return home as well, but father promised he'd let them visit as often as possible. When Alexis did finally arrive the two boys hugged each other and whooped and hollered.
The king could not help but chuckle though decorum insisted he correct them. "Now now. You two are princes of Gaian. You need to behave as such."
"Yes father," they intoned politely. Then Caspar turned to his younger brother with a grin. "Wait until you see the new move Uncle taught me. You won't ever be able to beat me in a duel."
"We'll see about that!" Alexis huffed up his chest and the king smiled as he watched the two brothers hurry off to find their uncle.
A few weeks later both boys were called into a room where a little baby was swaddled up in clothes. King Adrian announced jovially, "Caspar, Alexis, I want you to meet your new sister, Thea."
"Short for Theodora Henrietta Cassiopeia." Queen Faustina added.
The queen dowagar was in the room too. "I'm so honored you chose to pass down my name of Henrietta. I've never cared much for my first name and Henrietta is after my own beloved mother."
Faustina smiled to the old woman. "The honor was mine. Theodora is in honor of my grandfather who was King Theodore."
"Who is Cassiopeia named after?" Alexis asked.
"What, have you not been studying properly young man?" Matilda frowned at her grandson's question.
"Now, now, Mother. I'm sure it'll come to him soon." the king hastily interjected. "Alexis, what is your last middle name?"
"Leo." Alexis didn't understand why his grandmother had been so sharp and mean with his question, and gave them a wounded look.
Gently his father prodded him. "And why were you given the name Leo?"
Almost by rote memory he recites the tale: "Because our house is House Crescent after the crescent moon for which our ancestor, King Robert I, was under during the night he led the sneak attack to defeat the Dunliners."
"Who are now of course good allies." King Adrian smiled to his new Dunliner wife, but Lady Faustina did not return it.
"Yes, of course." Alexis added. "That was many, many years ago."
"Now, go on Alexis. Why did King Robert choose the crescent moon though?"
"Because it was dangerous for him to do the sneak attack at night when there was still moonlight, but if he waited for a moonless night, he figured they'd be more on guard on that night, so he chose to strike when it was a crescent instead. So when he won the battle, he took that as the name of the House."
"Was it just the moon King Robert was grateful to?"
"Nope, three stars are on our Sigil that represent the belt of Orion. He was afraid that he might be defeated on that battle, so he went to an old fortune teller who told him the stars of Orion would bring him good luck, and they did."
"So now why is your last middle name Leo?"
"Leo is the name of a constellation and it's been a tradition in our family to give a name after a constellation for good luck. Oh, so Cassiopeia is a constellation too?"
Faustina gave a strained, bored smile at the exchange.
"Yes, that's precisely right!" His father reached over and pat his shoulder.
Alexis continued, "And you're named after Orion too, right Father?"
"Nay, by my father who was king before me was. For myself, I have the name Scorpius after that constellation."
Alexis frowned, and he looked at his brother with worry. "But Caspar doesn't have one does he?"
"I have Uncle Basil's name. That's all the luck I need." Caspar gave his brother a reassuring grin.
"Oh dear." Queen Faustina dramatically placed her hand over her forehead. "I hate to cut this visit short, but I am really worn out."
"Yes, oh yes most certainly." Matilda begins to the shoo all of them, even the king, out of the room. "There will be more time for visiting later."
"Wait!" Caspar grabbed his brother's hand, and they went up to the baby.
"Hi Thea! You can't understand me yet, but I'm your big brother Caspar, and I promise to always protect you."
He bends over and gives the little girl a kiss on the cheek.
"Thea, I'm your other big brother Alexis, and I'll always protect you too." The young prince repeats his brother's kiss.
An irritated sigh comes from their stepmother. "I really wish you wouldn't have done that. You could have germs and if the baby should fall sick, it'll be your fault."
Caspar scowls at her, and his younger brother had to fight back tears. "I'm sorry!" he cried.
"Oh, what nonsense." King Adrian glared at his wife. "Boys, your new sister is very lucky to have you both, and I promise your kisses will not make her sick. You will have a chance to see her again soon. Now go on and play before your lessons."
"Yes, Father." They both said and unison and left the room.
"Our new mother doesn't like us much, does she?" Alexis looked at Caspar with sad eyes. He had fought back his tears knowing he was too old for them. Only babies cry.
"She will never be our mother. Our mother was beautiful and kind and caring." Caspar insisted.
"Grandmother seems to like her a lot. Doesn't she like us anymore?"
"I don't know." Caspar sighed. "But our uncle loves us, Father loves us, and Grandma Myrtle back on the Isle and everyone else there does. That's what matters."
"I miss the Isle, and Grandma Myrtle and our sisters."
"Me too," Caspar agrees, "but we do have a new sister now, and we'll be good to her even if Lady Faustina doesn't like us. We are still family."
"Do we have to be nice with Lady Faustina too?" Alexis groaned.
"You know we don't have a choice, but don't worry. We'll get through this together."
Unknown to them King Adrian watched them with a sad expression on his face.
My dear boys. Would you be better off on the Isle of Flowers with your mother's family and your sisters? My selfishness keeps you here. My selfishness would have all of you here if I could. Damn politics.
He grits his teeth and enters the throne room to sit with his council of advisors.
"What is the news from the borderlands?" The king asks them.
"Well, your marriage to King Cicero's daughter has made King Xio reconsider attacking us, but our spies have indicated that he is not planning a full retreat yet and is still intent of finding some weakness of ours to attack."
King Adrian took a long deep breath. "What course of action do you suggest, Councilor?"
"Peace through marriage has always been the surest path." the councilor maintained and he gives the king and old reproachful look.
King Xio had a daughter of whom Adrian could have married, but he chose Elinor instead. Xio had since married off his daughter, so after Elinor died, Adrian chose to make a marriage to the nearby Dunlin kingdom in order to strength their alliance and numbers.
"You would have me betroth one of my children to his?"
"I would. Your son, Prince Caspar, and daughter, Princess Matilda near of age with two of his grandchildren."
He considers this. "Matilda is to inherit lordship over the Isle of Flowers and has been groomed for this role since she was a little girl. Her sister is only a year younger though. Would she not do instead?"
"Princess Alice? Yes, she might do. I would have to inquire of course. King Xio is prickly with his pride, and he might take it as an insult. Their kingdom passes inheritance down to the oldest child first, so the older children are given more value when it comes to political marriage."
"Surely he is aware that the Gaian laws have the youngest child inherit? Princess Alice would be closer to the throne than Princess Matilda."
"That be it as it may, the Xolans are rather prideful people, and they tend to insist their way is the best way."
King Adrian shook his head in disgust. "Give them my offer, and if they refuse it... Well, we'll be waiting for them. They'll have to face the combined strength of the Gaia and Dunlin now, and I have no doubt which side would prevail."
* Deceased King: Balthazar Julien Conrad Orion *
Dowager Queen: Matilda Henrietta Cressida Delphine [75]
King: Adrian Robert Conrad Scorpius [37]
* Deceased Queen: Elinor Katherine Lucinda Rose *
Prince: Caspar Ignatius Vincent Basil [11]
Princess/Prince: Matilda Katherine Annora Myrtle [8] / Alexis Balthazar Harold Leo [8]
Princess: Alice Margaret Delphine Rose [7]
Prince/Prince/Princess: Robert "Robin" Julien Conrad Libra [3] / Anthony Benedict Adrian Phoenix [3] / Annabel Iris Elinor Lyra [3]
Queen: Faustina Ingrid Eulalia [18]
Princess: Theodora "Thea" Henrietta Cassiopeia [nb]
From the Royal House of: Crescent
Kingdom: Gaia
Immediately, Prince Caspar knew he wouldn't be able to stand his new stepmother, and the feeling was mutual. Queen Faustina came from a neighboring kingdom, Dunlin, and her marriage was to help keep the peace in the land. As far as Prince Caspar was concerned though, he would have rather a war had broken out.
In fact he told as much to his father.
"Father, this lady is mean and not kind and sweet like Mother. Please, don't marry her. Let's go to war instead. Uncle Basil has been training me everyday for all my life! I can help lead your armies, truly!"
King Adrian smiles fondly to his oldest son. "I'm sure you could, Caspar, but it is better to make peace than war. Give Lady Faustina a chance. I am certain she will come around."
She did not though. Months later the king shared a private luncheon with his new young wife.
"Why don't you send him to that island with his brothers and sisters? Surely he'd be happier among his mother's people." Caspar overheard her complaining from another room.
"I have sent away my three youngest to the Isle of Flowers as you requested, my lady, but I'm sending to have Alexis rejoin the household. The Florians pass their inheritance through the female line, so my daughters are being trained to carry on in the Florian tradition and will remain there save for the occasional visits. However, I will have my sons trained in the Gaian tradition. When Robert and and Anthony are a bit older, they will rejoin too."
"The Gaian tradition?" Faustina laughed. "Why then pray tell do you have that ridiculous looking Florian man from the Isle train him?"
It took all of Prince Caspar's restraint to remain out of sight crouched by the doorway and not burst into the room to defend his beloved uncle. King Adrian's eyes narrowed and his voice became quite cold to his wife in a way Caspar could never remember it being with his mother.
"Sir Basil is the uncle of my children, and though his people are pacifists by nature, they do know how to defend themselves if needed. He is as skilled as any swordsman you'd find among the Gaians, and as my son is half-Florian, he should know of his mother's people. He is however being trained in all other areas by Gaian teachers. I will not hear you speak poorly about a man I hold in high esteem again, have I made myself clear?"
Queen Faustina sniffed and looked displeased but bowed her head in acquiesce. "I will say this though. I have not birthed those children, so I hope your majesty would not expect me to extend any sort of motherly affection to them?"
King Adrian sighed heavily. "When people ask the impossible, they are destined for disappointment. No, my lady, I would not expect that of you, but I do ask you treat them with decency and courtesy. I feel the need to remind you that even though you are not related to them by blood, when you married me, you married into my family, and they have my blood. When our children are born, they will share their blood too. Like it or not they will be brothers and sisters to each other. I was my mother's only child, and I have long lamented that I will never know the the bond brothers have with each other. Family is important, my lady. Do not deny them that."
She pursed her lips and spoke coolly. "I'll do as my kingly husband commands. May I be dismissed now?"
Adrian nodded, but when Faustina struggled to rise due to her large pregnant stomach, the king went to assist her to her feet. Lady Faustina was a young woman, though not quite as young as Queen Elinor had been when Adrian had wed her. This woman had blond hair, and lovely green eyes, and a mouth that rarely smiled as far as Caspar could tell. Faustina did miss her homeland, and she did not want this marriage anymore than King Adrian, so perhaps that accounted for the lack of smiling, Caspar reasoned. If she's so unhappy here, I wish she would go home.
She did however bond with the dowager queen, Lady Matilda. The old gray hair woman doted and fawned over Faustina in a way she never did with Elinor, treating her like a daughter. Caspar remembers his grandmother used to treat him with some affection, but lately she never seemed to have time for the boy, and it hurt him, though he never complained except once to his uncle.
"I'm afraid you can't force affection, Caspar." Basil had told him. "Give her some time though and be patient. I'm sure she'll come around."
Adults don't know anything, Caspar scowled to himself. Or they lie to save my feelings, but I'm not stupid.
He looked forward greatly to the return of his brother Alexis though. He missed his brothers and sisters greatly and wished the girls would return home as well, but father promised he'd let them visit as often as possible. When Alexis did finally arrive the two boys hugged each other and whooped and hollered.
The king could not help but chuckle though decorum insisted he correct them. "Now now. You two are princes of Gaian. You need to behave as such."
"Yes father," they intoned politely. Then Caspar turned to his younger brother with a grin. "Wait until you see the new move Uncle taught me. You won't ever be able to beat me in a duel."
"We'll see about that!" Alexis huffed up his chest and the king smiled as he watched the two brothers hurry off to find their uncle.
A few weeks later both boys were called into a room where a little baby was swaddled up in clothes. King Adrian announced jovially, "Caspar, Alexis, I want you to meet your new sister, Thea."
"Short for Theodora Henrietta Cassiopeia." Queen Faustina added.
The queen dowagar was in the room too. "I'm so honored you chose to pass down my name of Henrietta. I've never cared much for my first name and Henrietta is after my own beloved mother."
Faustina smiled to the old woman. "The honor was mine. Theodora is in honor of my grandfather who was King Theodore."
"Who is Cassiopeia named after?" Alexis asked.
"What, have you not been studying properly young man?" Matilda frowned at her grandson's question.
"Now, now, Mother. I'm sure it'll come to him soon." the king hastily interjected. "Alexis, what is your last middle name?"
"Leo." Alexis didn't understand why his grandmother had been so sharp and mean with his question, and gave them a wounded look.
Gently his father prodded him. "And why were you given the name Leo?"
Almost by rote memory he recites the tale: "Because our house is House Crescent after the crescent moon for which our ancestor, King Robert I, was under during the night he led the sneak attack to defeat the Dunliners."
"Who are now of course good allies." King Adrian smiled to his new Dunliner wife, but Lady Faustina did not return it.
"Yes, of course." Alexis added. "That was many, many years ago."
"Now, go on Alexis. Why did King Robert choose the crescent moon though?"
"Because it was dangerous for him to do the sneak attack at night when there was still moonlight, but if he waited for a moonless night, he figured they'd be more on guard on that night, so he chose to strike when it was a crescent instead. So when he won the battle, he took that as the name of the House."
"Was it just the moon King Robert was grateful to?"
"Nope, three stars are on our Sigil that represent the belt of Orion. He was afraid that he might be defeated on that battle, so he went to an old fortune teller who told him the stars of Orion would bring him good luck, and they did."
"So now why is your last middle name Leo?"
"Leo is the name of a constellation and it's been a tradition in our family to give a name after a constellation for good luck. Oh, so Cassiopeia is a constellation too?"
Faustina gave a strained, bored smile at the exchange.
"Yes, that's precisely right!" His father reached over and pat his shoulder.
Alexis continued, "And you're named after Orion too, right Father?"
"Nay, by my father who was king before me was. For myself, I have the name Scorpius after that constellation."
Alexis frowned, and he looked at his brother with worry. "But Caspar doesn't have one does he?"
"I have Uncle Basil's name. That's all the luck I need." Caspar gave his brother a reassuring grin.
"Oh dear." Queen Faustina dramatically placed her hand over her forehead. "I hate to cut this visit short, but I am really worn out."
"Yes, oh yes most certainly." Matilda begins to the shoo all of them, even the king, out of the room. "There will be more time for visiting later."
"Wait!" Caspar grabbed his brother's hand, and they went up to the baby.
"Hi Thea! You can't understand me yet, but I'm your big brother Caspar, and I promise to always protect you."
He bends over and gives the little girl a kiss on the cheek.
"Thea, I'm your other big brother Alexis, and I'll always protect you too." The young prince repeats his brother's kiss.
An irritated sigh comes from their stepmother. "I really wish you wouldn't have done that. You could have germs and if the baby should fall sick, it'll be your fault."
Caspar scowls at her, and his younger brother had to fight back tears. "I'm sorry!" he cried.
"Oh, what nonsense." King Adrian glared at his wife. "Boys, your new sister is very lucky to have you both, and I promise your kisses will not make her sick. You will have a chance to see her again soon. Now go on and play before your lessons."
"Yes, Father." They both said and unison and left the room.
"Our new mother doesn't like us much, does she?" Alexis looked at Caspar with sad eyes. He had fought back his tears knowing he was too old for them. Only babies cry.
"She will never be our mother. Our mother was beautiful and kind and caring." Caspar insisted.
"Grandmother seems to like her a lot. Doesn't she like us anymore?"
"I don't know." Caspar sighed. "But our uncle loves us, Father loves us, and Grandma Myrtle back on the Isle and everyone else there does. That's what matters."
"I miss the Isle, and Grandma Myrtle and our sisters."
"Me too," Caspar agrees, "but we do have a new sister now, and we'll be good to her even if Lady Faustina doesn't like us. We are still family."
"Do we have to be nice with Lady Faustina too?" Alexis groaned.
"You know we don't have a choice, but don't worry. We'll get through this together."
Unknown to them King Adrian watched them with a sad expression on his face.
My dear boys. Would you be better off on the Isle of Flowers with your mother's family and your sisters? My selfishness keeps you here. My selfishness would have all of you here if I could. Damn politics.
He grits his teeth and enters the throne room to sit with his council of advisors.
"What is the news from the borderlands?" The king asks them.
"Well, your marriage to King Cicero's daughter has made King Xio reconsider attacking us, but our spies have indicated that he is not planning a full retreat yet and is still intent of finding some weakness of ours to attack."
King Adrian took a long deep breath. "What course of action do you suggest, Councilor?"
"Peace through marriage has always been the surest path." the councilor maintained and he gives the king and old reproachful look.
King Xio had a daughter of whom Adrian could have married, but he chose Elinor instead. Xio had since married off his daughter, so after Elinor died, Adrian chose to make a marriage to the nearby Dunlin kingdom in order to strength their alliance and numbers.
"You would have me betroth one of my children to his?"
"I would. Your son, Prince Caspar, and daughter, Princess Matilda near of age with two of his grandchildren."
He considers this. "Matilda is to inherit lordship over the Isle of Flowers and has been groomed for this role since she was a little girl. Her sister is only a year younger though. Would she not do instead?"
"Princess Alice? Yes, she might do. I would have to inquire of course. King Xio is prickly with his pride, and he might take it as an insult. Their kingdom passes inheritance down to the oldest child first, so the older children are given more value when it comes to political marriage."
"Surely he is aware that the Gaian laws have the youngest child inherit? Princess Alice would be closer to the throne than Princess Matilda."
"That be it as it may, the Xolans are rather prideful people, and they tend to insist their way is the best way."
King Adrian shook his head in disgust. "Give them my offer, and if they refuse it... Well, we'll be waiting for them. They'll have to face the combined strength of the Gaia and Dunlin now, and I have no doubt which side would prevail."
This message was edited 9/2/2011, 5:55 AM
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