catherineofengland

[catherineofengland]

intrusivs​:

    for a moment,  his lips contorted with disdain.  of course charles wasn’t meant to be in the know of it.  since their arrival,  his father did little more than lay all of his focus on the eldest son and all weak attempts to align him with catherine’s favor.  “ ah,  the wonderful life of pretending to be enamored by mundane conversation.  my favorite pass time, ”  charles drawled as his upper half leaned a few degrees closer to her.   a smile reemerged along red lips with a whispered,  “ promise to knock christofor off his horse a time or two.  for me. ”

          she found  herself leaning into him as well, a sly smile evident on her lips at his words. “how about you knock him off his horse for me? a little show.” her tone was playful as her tongue licked at her teeth, scooting closer to  the edge of her chair as she spoke again. “i want you to come, as my honored guest. i’ve little worry of what your father or your brother might think. he wishes me to marry a son of france so badly, i know not why he hasn’t offered me my choice of both.” bold words, once she couldn’t take back now that they were out. 

[catherineofengland]

intrusivs​:

     he hummed in reluctant agreement ;  how easy it would be for anyone to dethrone her had they any speculation of her fatigue.  himself included.  all he had to do was give word to his father and there’d almost certainly be an empty throne for france’s taking by the following morning.  if only he were as malicious as his genetics demanded of him.  “ this is a habit you cannot keep.  you need your rest, ”  charles gently chastised,  slowly extending his right hand to tuck the book shut.  his tone lifted in humor only to tut,  “ heaven forbid a lady like yourself learn something apart from curtsies and formalities. ”

         he was comforting, more so than she had thought he would be.. though she hadn’t  given him much thought before this. “i suppose you’re right.. i’m supposed to attend the hunt with your father and your brother at dawn..” her voice trailed off as she looked  at him again, taking note  of the way she felt  drawn to him.  “will you be there or do they have you off  galavanting with possible english wives?” her words were meant to  be a joke but she found  they stung, it was said that she was the most sought after prize in england and yet he hadn’t sought her out at all. 

[catherineofengland]

intrusivs​:

      his smile lengthened when she laughed ;  charles had always been too attuned with others’ attention.  basked beneath the glory of kind words and admiration,  despite his siblings’ accusations of being spoiled by their mother’s affection.  both shoulders lifted in a shrug,  lips parted to tell her the tale he’d often have recited to help him sleep when he was a young boy but halted when her expression dimmed.  “ mère du christ, ”  he exhaled into a breath.  a chuckle of disbelief nearly followed,  although charles was able to keep it lodged in the back of his throat.  “ have you not told anyone ?   has no one yet caught you outside of your chambers ? ”

         a tiny balled fist rubbed at her eyes as he spoke, a yawn slipping past her mouth as she willed herself to remain focused. come morning she would blame the lack of sleep for how easily her words slipped out of her mouth, “never.. if they were to believe i was ill or ailed in anyway they’d...” her voice trailed off, hoping he would  be able to pick up on what was not said. “i must be a pillar of good health and i must remain in good spirits no matter what may be causing me  discomfort..” blue eyes settled on green ones  then, her mouth in a softened line, a shaken hand running through her hair. “luckily, no one expects a girl to be hidden away in the library.. its like hiding in plain sight.”

[catherineofengland]

intrusivs​:

      as the atmosphere settled,  charles took it upon himself to give the library a more earnest look ;  cautious of his footsteps and the girl parallel to him.  “  a particular reason ?  ”  he inquired,  occasionally letting his gaze fall upon her.  “  a pea under the mattress,  perhaps,  or a ghost whispering in the night. ”   charles would have carried on with more playful and meek suggestions but he also hadn’t wanted to risk insulting her.  watching the weight of a crown slowly diminish his mother,  he knew well enough there was more to being a queen than jewels and novelty.  especially an unwed one,  at that.  

     admittedly,  he didn’t know very much about the young queen apart from his father’s hope that she’d wed his brother.  he also knew too many foreign nobles that spoke of her assumed foolishness and the inevitable downfall of england,  but charles knew better than to think she’d be so cavalier with the safety of her people.  it was the standalone quality that kept his concern genuine.  “  how many nights now ? ”          

          for the first time in many nights and just as many days, catherine found herself smiling, giggling even at his words. “i’d hope a mere pea wouldn’t result in my undoing.” she found herself teasing back softly, the smile on her lips the truest she had worn since the crown had been placed on her head. as quickly as  it was there though, it was gone, her eyes falling to her hands in her lap as she found herself oddly at ease with the french boy across from her. 

          “going on seven nights now..” a secret she had kept to herself until now, not wanting to  raise suspicion of possible weakness, refusing to let even a crack in her facade show. her eyes again found him in the dimly lit room, taking stock of how a man so big could emit an energy so soft. something about him put her at ease... a feeling she so lacked when in the presence of  his rather uptight brother. 

[catherineofengland]

intrusivs​:

      the smile on his face remained small, one could argue it led to a part of himself charles very rarely showed in another’s presence.  his hands folded in front of his chest as to further reinforce a lack of ill intent ;  shoulders gave an involuntary twitch when she spoke up again.  “ it’s only you and i.  no formalities, s'il vous plaît. ”  if only for the night,  all he wanted was a conversation without the dead weight of whom was going to marry and which family would extend their reach and how swiftly an heir must be produced to secure lineage, and all other nonsensical jargon his father recited. 

     charles knew it would have been in his best interest to usher the queen into her room,  lead himself back to his own chambers and call the night finished   ─   but he couldn’t bring himself to be so bland.  green eyes glanced the length of the library,  noting the opened book for only a moment.  “ i hadn’t meant to intrude. ”

          his request should have insulted her, should have had her gritting her  teeth and excusing herself from his presence.. instead, she found it only made her want to linger  near him longer. it wasn’t often those around her treated her as though she were a normal girl, more often than not, those that surrounded her instead wore fear or contempt on their faces whenever she was near.. part of catherine wondered if she would ever again be the girl she was before the crown sat upon her head or if she would forever be forced to play a part she was growing to hate. 

          “no formalities..” she spoke softly, as if toying with the idea in her head before deciding in its favor. it was then that her body relaxed, settling back into her seat before she was glancing at the one across from her in silent invitation “you hadn’t.. i simply have found it difficult to sleep.. i’ve spent most of the last nights here... reading”

[catherineofengland]

intrusivs​:

     curiosity would undo him one day, his mother had always said. too determined at skirting the boundaries others had set forth for him ;  made obvious now as he lingered between foreign palace corridors when charles surely should have been in bed.  the faint gleam of light had first set his heart in his stomach,  only plummeting further with her first question.  being reprimanded had never been his most favored activity,  especially when charles knew he was in the wrong.  it took two breaths to register who it was speaking to him,  validated only by her command. 

     “ my brother may have to wed you shortly after from glee alone.  ”  a tilt of his head had the idea of keeping himself hidden beneath the shadow of darkness momentarily deliberated,  but charles ultimately took the steps forward to let the candlelight cast over him.  his features softened,  an inquiry for forgiveness and a dusting of tease.  “ neither of us would want that,  would we ?  ”

          her breath rushed from troubled lungs in relief, one hand pressed to her chest as she allowed a sense of calm to wash over her. surely, to be found alone in the darkness with a french prince would have the castle abuzz with gossip but it was much better than any alternative. “your highness..” she began, a stickler for formality as she dipped slightly before him. “please forgive me my threats, i merely feared what might have been hidden in the shadows... relief has found me however, knowing it was only you.”

          it was in the light of a dim candle that she allowed herself to finally look over the second son of france, a man that had held little of her attention prior to this moment. he was tall in stature, lean as well.  perhaps it was uncouth but catherine found herself thinking he was much nicer to gaze upon than his elder brother..  a man her advisors seemed keen on seeing her wed. arthur her most trusted advisor, however, seemed to prefer the younger of the two french princes. 

[catherineofengland]

@intrusivs

           several nights of nightmares had left the young queen unable to sleep. instead, she found herself tucked away in the library, a book of poetry open and on her lap as she fought of the pending threat of sleep. her lids had grown heavy as the words on the paper blurred, her head lolling to the left as the sound of footsteps shook her back into consciousness. “who’s there?”  she called out, closing her book and wrapping her hand around a candlestick that had been burning just to her right. 

          catherine could feel her heart beating in her ears, the steady thump only adding to her anxiety as she rose from her seat, turning in the direction of the shuffling steps and peering into the darkness. “as your queen, i command you to make yourself known.” a command she was sure would go unobeyed. if this was an assassination attack she had no one to blame but herself.. with the kingdom in such unrest it was foolish to venture out alone.. even in her own palace walls. “i will not ask again, show yourself or i will have your head come dawn.”

[catherineofengland]

lordarthurofengland:

in his experience it was rarely a good thing when someone offered up such a long preamble to their point. whether she did so as a way of trying to mitigate the chance that he might disagree or because she sensed his own frustration with her he did not know. it was a rather unpredictable element to the lord, anger, so rarely seen in any way breaking the calm and distant surface he so often maintained. rare because it was such a difficult reaction to draw from him, and even more difficult to cast away and forget. 

arthur had never been an advocate for a union with the french, in fact since her fathers passing he had proven a rather prominent naysayer. “surely you have not called me here just to touch on the troubles of the french or their suitability catherine”, he answered flatly. considering her talk of tainting lines he only grinned slightly, there was no marriage he could conceive of that would not taint the english line in some way. but thus was the nature of existing as the most powerful monarchy, to be forced to depend on those lesser than for your survival. “surely you’ve concocted some clever alternate then, have you chosen yourself a guardsmen or perhaps a knight you’d see sitting at your side?”

     with time came the mindset of a king, a demanding for respect catherine hadn’t held as a girl. now, however, it seemed the man before her threatened her pride in ways she didn’t wish to linger on. with a tensed jaw, she glared at him, blue eyes rolling only slightly as she continued to speak. “actually, i’ve decided on an englishman. one of noble birth, his station only slightly beneath mine but as is every man in the whole of europe.” she paused then, looking at him with the slightest bit of amusement. 

     “my father, before he struck a deal with the drunken french king had found a suitable pairing in the duke of cresswell and i know believe such a union would once more be suitable, do you not?” she eyed him then, as if challenging him to criticize the plan she had already decided on. “charming, handsome and with royal blood in his veins. it seems to me he is the only choice to be had unless you suggest i find my way into the bed of usurped scotts.”

[catherineofengland]

     catherine had been aware of his anger towards her, he didn’t wear it well. she had spent years with him at her side, guiding her, teaching her, watching as she obeyed his advice in hope it would make her all the stronger of a monarch. but where once stood a girl now stood a woman, more so, a queen. despite her gratefulness for his counsel, his word was no longer the end all be all in her mind. if she were to rule the way kings did she would have to have confidence in her own decisions. 

     “as we both know, there are whispers of my cousins plans, his ideas.” she began, an annoyance settled on cherubic features at the mere thought of henry and his antics. he hadn’t always been a nuisance but it seemed with each passing day he was proving more so. “what makes myself and my position vulnerable is my marital status… my lack of an heir.” so rose then, inhaling heavily through her nose. “i’ve spent many a day considering my choices, weighing my options and while my father intended me for france, i find them more trouble than their worth. their country in ruin, the respect for women? abysmal. i would be their savor and they my downfall. i will not tie myself to a country already in ruin. i refuse to be seen as weak and i refuse to taint my line with the very weakness they have shown generation after generation.”

[catherineofengland]

@lordarthurofengland

     catherine had put thought into it, had spent hours considering every possibility, weighing the possible reactions of her people and with a rather unwavering confidence she had decided. the duke of cresswell would be the next king of england and he would wear the crown well. it did help, catherine would admit, it did help she was beginning to once more feel her heart flutter for him as it did when she was a child. this arrangement was one of her own making, the first moment of true power she had held since her ascension. 

     it was with conviction that she sent a servant to fetch arthur, needing his blessing in her decision to ease any lingering anxieties more than anything else. his footsteps had alerted her to his presence, her gaze rising from the heap of parchment strewn before her, the softest of pink smiles settling over her otherwise porcelain skin. “lord blackwood, please, enter, sit.” she offered though they both knew it more a command than anything else. “i do have news i wish to share with you, and your counsel if you so see it fit.”

[catherineofengland]

prince-lucian:

{{ @catherineofengland }}

The French Prince stood with his back turned to the castle, the head of his walking stick firmly in his grasp. At first, Lucian worried that he would look ridiculous with a cane. But he was starting to like the look, as it gave him the essence of authority. He took in his beautiful surroundings, thinking about what he was going to say to Catherine when he saw her. She had been on his mind every waking moment, and now she would be tangible again. Hearing footsteps behind him, he took a sharp intake of breath before swiftly turning to face her.

Trying not to rest on his stick, he bowed appropriately before returning to his original height. “Your Majesty,” he addressed her with a quick smile. “I am relieved to see you safe.”

     it aggravated her, being locked away when her guests and people were recovering. catherine felt as if she should have been there with them, a sign of camaraderie and united front against potential defectors. regardless, with a slew of days passing, she found herself back in her home, a meeting set between her and the most forefront leader in the hypothetical race for her suitor. 

     with a gift in hand, catherine made her way outside, a small team of guards following behind her despite her dismissals. his head of blonde hair gave him away, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth as he turned to face her. he was the handsome sort, a boy of stature and status. surely, the sort of replacement her father would have found solace in. “please, no, your grace.” the blonde spoke quickly, her hands reaching out to steady him, a proximity between them now that would surely be seen as inappropriate to any wandering eyes. he had been wounded and in her keep, she would not allow him to bow to her with his physical health as it was. 

[catherineofengland]

dukeofcresswell:

william had spent a great deal of his youth wishing her away, like a nightmare or a thought which invaded his mind, as if with time he could wish away his father’s influence and her along with it. he was not sure when he’d come to the realization, but he most definitely had, that it had never been about her. he had spent such lengths of time trying to pick her apart, until he was left with a considerable list of flaws, and all to no avail. it seemed as soon as their engagement had been ended any issue he had with her was gone as well. it often made his fragile heart ache for that time, to experience it once more with the eyes he had now. to see it as it was. 

the grin that had slowly made it’s way onto his lips suddenly disappeared, watching as something switched within her and she moved to leave. he knew, even then, that in days to come he’d likely curse himself for not being the kind of man who might’ve idly watched as she did. for not being the kind of man who actively sought to fight of complications. instead he rose to his feet in the last moments she lingered by the entrance, and in a few short strides crossed the distance between them. he found his fingers closing around her wrist, encouraging her to turn to face him, while simultaneously hoping that perhaps she would not -he had drawn far too close now, far closer than any man should stand to a queen. “ i have offended you catherine”, he spoke plainly, reaching for something that could return them to the moments before. “i must say that that is not my will then, nor has it been for a very long time.”

     maybe it was foolish on her end to think she could find something in him now that she had seen so long ago. coming here had only highlighted her own self doubts. she was the sort of woman who apparently begged at a man’s feet and for what? a fleeting moment’s worth of attention?she was meant to be a queen, not a simple girl. her wrist lingered in his grip only a moment before she was pulling it away, her own hand delicately wrapping around it, as if to wipe away any residual he may have left upon her. “and yet. . .” there was no need for her to continue speaking, a wall was already forming around her, brick my brick laid as she stared back at him. 

      it felt like years passed in the span of seconds, her throat clearing to will a lost confidence over her. “i will not beg for your attentions or your affections, william. if you wish me to leave you i shall.” and she meant it, as much as any woman could. there was a country to be ran, a kingdom to be protected and here she was, in the tent of a man not intended for her any longer. “i’ve duties, i should not be wasting my time away in tents in the company of men who do not wish me here.”

[catherineofengland]

Jodie Comer as Elizabeth of York in The White Princess  [x]

[catherineofengland]

Era Moodboards: Elizabethan Era

The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the History of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. This “golden age” represented the apogee of the English Renaissance and saw the flowering of poetry, music and literature. The era is most famous for theatre, as William Shakespeare and many others composed plays that broke free of England’s past style of theatre. It was an age of exploration and expansion abroad, while back at home, the Protestant Reformation became more acceptable to the people.

[catherineofengland]

     it had not been her choice to remain hidden, in fact, catherine had thought it imperative her presence be known. had thought it vital for their people to know their queen did not cower in the face of danger. though, she was reminded rather quickly she would not be able to prove her tenacity if she were dead. with that, catherine hid as she was told, tucked away in a noble estate long since occupied. it was not home but for a time it was safe. days and nights passed in succession with little solace for the queen, no word of who was lost in the attacks, who sustained injury. she was only left to find this out when she arrived back to her home. 

     the air was bitter sweet on this morning, a happiness to be home and amongst her people but a lingering sadness in anticipation for a list of those lost. a small crowd had gathered outside the palace gates, a mix of warm welcome and heated criticism thrown at her carriage as it proceeded up to the entrance. with a faux confidence, one she wore often, catherine stepped from her carriage and onto the grounds of her childhood home. “alas.” she spoke and to no one in particular. “i am home.”

[catherineofengland]

dukeofcresswell:

“i would say you are far closer that i”, he answered with a grin. it was strange to see as one aged, the way one viewed such brief moments in time. his life had certainly been simpler in the time where his father was placated by their engagement, when the both of them seemed to have their whole lives set before them. and in some far off place he was sure those two people existed, living the life that had been destined, not knowing the pains that lived in breaking with it. 

his eyes landed on her a long moment, always searching for that trace of the child he knew and rarely finding it. “i’d not deny you’d have the power to catherine”, he chuckled, “it’s for that exact reason i think i’d do well in staying far away from your incarnation of the greek goddess.”

     it was as if her whole life had been spent waiting, with bated breath, for some semblance of his honest approval. .  his affections. time and time again, however, she had come up empty handed. perhaps now was the time to move on from this childhood obsession. to leave it in the ash of their past. those children, those feelings, those fates. . . they had long since been set a flame and long since burnt to the ground. 

     for a moment, she stood there in silence, four more seconds left between them in offering before she was inhaling heavily. she had no purpose in this tent. there was nothing for her here and it was high time she come to terms with that. “i shall take my leave from you then, your grace” her words were once more riddled with formality, tone of the queen she played in public. “if it is your will to stay away from me i shall not stand in your way.” there was little time, in the span of moments it took for her to turn and cross to the entrance of the tent, for him to speak. still, she found herself lingering a moment longer than she should have.

[catherineofengland]

alexandriatudxr:

And there it was. The truth, brutal and sharp like a dagger scratching against her skin. Not so cruel as to knock the wind from beneath her, but enough that even the thought of leaving Catherine physically hurt. She had known no life other than the one with Cat, and despite the fact that parting was so far – if it ever happened at all, it was a brutal reminder that they were no longer the children they had been. Innocence had been lost, never to be returned. There was no niceness to the words, but it was not a surprise. In her heart, she had known that Catherine could not promise, and would not promise something she could not deliver, but she had hoped that their blood bond would be able to surmount royal precedent. Hope however, was a fickle mistress. “I understand”. In her voice there was undeniable sadness, a sadness that she tried to disguise and push away, for this was not the time, not whilst there were dances to be had, and celebrations to be enjoyed. More to the point; there was no point in fighting, for she would not just be fighting her sisters wishes, but the wishes of the sovereign. “And James of Scotland is, as you say, a handsome man”. A stray hair fell across her features which she pawed it away, and taking the opportunity to compose herself, she reached out with her other hand to take Cat’s, holding it in hers for a few moments as she leaned closer to Catherine, her voice dropping so only she would be able to hear. “And Lucian is a compromise I believe that father would have approved of”

     catherine could empathize with her sister’s fears. .  those same ill thoughts had been part of the reason she had disregarded the idea of louis as soon as a crown was placed upon her head. but alexandria was not allotted the same privileges as her. her station, though nearest to catherine’s would condemn her to a life of little freedom. she would know no real will of her own. . . perhaps catherine could mask alex’s will with her own. “my sister, when i say i will exhaust every effort to keep you here, i do stand by my word.” her voice was hushed, a moment shared between them and only them. . . a promise from one sister to another. the smallest of smiles pulled at her lips when her sister spoke of james, hopeful that such a match would bring her the smallest bit of solace. “he is, alexandria. very handsome. perhaps the most handsome man currently in english court and he’s to be yours.” her hand in alex’s felt like home, a warm reminder of england and more so their father. with a squeeze, catherine found herself speaking again. “i do believe so as well, sister. the english may want an englishmen but i am optimistic about this french son.”