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[snehasathyanathan]

Writing Royals Part 2

 The last part was all tips about how to write royal characters, and my apparently controversial opinions on certain things, like corsets……Anyways, I have two more tips I wanted to share about writing royal characters, and some questions I use when I’m about writing the people surrounding the royal family: the royal court!!! Every country with a monarchy or any similar system is gonna have a royal court around them. These people included advisors, favorites, ambassadors, and servants. Getting the dynamic of your royal court perfect often depends on how you write these characters, so here we go!

Homegirl, Where Are Your Guards???

There is nothing that bothers me more than when a royal character is like in the middle of a war or their people are rebelling and they’re like, “ugh, I hate having all these guards around me. I just want to be free!!!!!” Which, okay fine, having a bunch of people follow you around and stand outside while you pee, and generally watching your every move does not sound fun at all, but getting offed doesn’t sound fun either. If your character’s country is in the middle of a war, and even if they aren’t depending on the country, they are going to have guards around them all the time. In Tudor England, guards would sleep in the King’s room even if he had company because people were always trying to assassinate each other. Even if your royal character has magic or powers or something, they still probably need guards. If your characters have been royal all their lives, they probably will know their guards very well and know how to sneak away from them for that oh so coveted night in the town as a commoner. But, even though royalty probably did feel claustrophobic with all those guards surrounding them, especially in the Victorian era right up until the end of World War 1, everyone’s biggest fear was being assassinated. People were getting offed and assassinated left and right, so take that into account when your character oh so desperately wants to leave the palace. 

Above the Law, Cause You Are the Law

I’m pretty sure that has been the motto of like almost every medieval to late Renaissance European monarch. Don’t get me wrong, there have definitely been good, benevolent monarchs who actually care about the needs and requests of their people, but then you get to Henry the 8th, and you’re like….., but that’s how it was back then, and even to an extent now. Royalty and nobility get away with so much shit that would send a normal person to prison, just look at Prince Andrew. Having all of that power and prestige, combined with being in charge of a country and being pretty much exempt from a lot of things can lead your royal or noble characters to have an inaccurate sense of right and wrong. Using Henry the 8th as an example, pretty much half of the things he decided in his life can be summed up with, “it’s okay when Henry does it, but if anyone else does it, then I’m offing them” That can create really good conflict if your royal character is forced to finally face the consequences of some of their actions, despite having gotten away with everything since they were a kid. 

So, now that we’ve got your royal family figured out, it’s time to get into the royal court. Here are some basic questions that I asked myself when I was writing my royal court for my current, wip!

How big is the total court?- And when I mean court, I don’t just mean the nobles, I mean like everyone, the cooks, gardeners, everyone. I know I’m using Tudor England a lot as my example, but y’all know the Tudors and Henry Cavill own my heart. Anyways, Henry the 8th’s official household could have up to 800 people at one time, and anyone of his various Queens could have another 200 people at their disposal. That’s a lot of people.

What factions exist within the court?- In the words of James Madison, factions forming is pretty much inevitable. Inevitably, people are gonna have similar interests and agendas, and those people will often band together to bring down other people who have the opposite agendas as them. Royal factions are some of the best ways to add some intrigue and spicy conflict to your story.

Where does the court meet?- All royal courts center around the Monarch, but where does the monarch live? Does the Monarch move around throughout the year? In my wip, all the Sovereigns live in their own territories during the summer months, but during the winter months, they all live together at Brookshire. The location of your court can play a big role in how power is consolidated in your world. 

Who all is in the court at any given time?- This questions is probably one of the most important questions when you’re building your royal court. The people close to the monarch who protect them, love them, or spy on them. These people, in some scenarios, might have more control over the country than the monarch themselves. They might scheme to control the monarch, marry them, or kill them. 

For your convenience, here is a list of people that might be at a royal court at any given time sourced from: https://ryanlanz.com

The monarch(s) – Regardless of what titles you give them, this person or duo is the center of a royal court; she defines the rest of the court. If the monarch consists of two people they are most likely either married or siblings, sometimes both depending on the culture and age.

The monarch’s family – people related to the monarch by blood, adoption or marriage fall into this category, and these people might or might not have their own titles and additional positions, though not necessarily always officially. Consider how younger royal siblings might be sent places to be married off, and be expected to function as ambassadors without the pay, or the many hats that a dowager queen might wear in her “retirement.”

Ambassadors – these men and women come from other kingdoms but they’re vital to functioning on a wider scale. They communicate their lady’s desires, intents and goals, as well as bring her insider news from the courts where they are appointed. When things are going well, they command a lot of respect and power, but if their two countries are on the outs, their lives are almost certainly in danger. Keep in mind too that ambassadors are likely to have their own households, and there might be a junior ambassador in play as well.

Nobles – At any given time, a royal court is bound to be packed with the country’s gentry, there to doing things such as discuss business, introduce a child for courting, serve the crown for their appointed time or because they are so active in politics because they make their home wherever the Queen does. Unlike ambassadors who are primarily going to be focused on inter-country negotiations, noblemen and women will have their own agendas to further their families, and while you’d like to think that they’re all loyal to the crown and their country, sometimes their own ambitions might get in the way.

Court Fool/Jester – We like to think of the court fool as someone who is, genuinely, a fool, but that’s often not the case. The Fool is a useful tool for the monarch because he distracts the court, and more often than not acts as a spy, passing along tidbits of overheard information or sightings–after all, who pays attention to the simpletons?

Courtiers – Courtiers are different from nobles in that they are people whose talents or ambition have brought them to court seeking the next rung on their ladder, rather than people whose daily business has brought them to the Queen’s presence. They are here to make a name for themselves, and can almost always be counted on to act in their own best interests, unless motivated by an exceptional force. These types are often at court on their own dime.

Resident military commanders – Military commanders are not likely to be regular fixtures at court, as they’re needed with their forces. But the highest ranking among them are going to be in nearly constant contact with the monarch (or the monarch’s representative, as is sometimes the case) and that will often necessitate being physically present at court.

Guests – Whether from outside of the country, rich or poor, landed or not, the royal court is ALWAYS going to have guests, and a well-established court is going to have provisions for housing and caring for a large number of them. A person’s station and/or possible value to the crown might determine wherein a castle they are housed and how they are treated, but if you write in a few guests consider that their perspective could be useful in defining the court as a whole.

Semi-permanent guests – These guests are people who don’t necessarily belong at court, and while their stay might be lengthy, it is well established that it will not be permanent. Examples of these kinds of people might be businessmen appointed to oversee some long term prospects, or the children of foreign nobles who have been sent to another country to be educated.

The monarch’s favorites – These could be really good characters for you to develop in depth. They’re essentially wild cards, and as they are favorites of the Queen, they have the potential to be outlandish or scandalous, hated or misunderstood, but the love and blind eye from the Queen keeps them nearby… tethered.

Royal lords and ladies – It will be rare for any ruler to find themselves alone; their personal attendants live to see to their needs and are never going to be far from hand. These politically powerful positions are likely to be jostled over a great deal, especially if the monarch is young, and might overlap somewhat with the royal favorites. Sometimes these people are lifelong companions and sometimes they are placed strategically close to the monarch for certain goals but regardless of how they came to be there, they are likely to share in the fine things, wealth, power and danger that surrounds a royal.

Sponsored artists – Sponsored artists could easily be labeled courtiers, except that it wasn’t usually their idea to come to court, and they’re not there for their own ambition. If the wealthy of your world are at all inclined to supporting the arts – drawing, painting, writing, performance, design, etc – they’re likely going to want to show off their investments, so in this regard these artists are usually nothing more than accessories. Though being a court is always a good way to increase one’s sales.

Guards – Any court is likely to have several levels of protective personnel, all the way from those hired by the royal household to keep the general peace and take care of grunt work  to personal, more elite bodyguards. This is another varied group that can include any number of peoples, skill level, objectives and professional capacity, but everybody who’s anybody is going to have one or two. Eunuchs might also fall into this category–those maimed men who have been conscripted in guarding typically women whose virtue is deemed vitally important.

Servants – Another highly varied group, but no less vital to the functioning of a royal castle and court. Servants might hold roles such as cooks, head cooks, librarians, messengers, laundresses, seamstresses, housekeeping, tasters, children’s nurses, ushers, grooms, heralds, and gardeners. If you world isn’t very progressive, some of these roles might also be filled with slaves or bonded servants.

Harem members – This again will depend largely on your story itself, but if the King or Queen is going to be flitting from bed to bed, there’s likely to be a group of bedmates hanging around for royal pleasure. Whether or not this group is well respected or received (or even publically visible) is up to you.

[snehasathyanathan]

DAY 4731

Jalsa, Mumbai                        Feb 11/12,  2021                   Thu/Fri 12:03 AM  

Birthday Ef - Reshmi Philips .. Friday, February 12 ….. and greetings on your birthday from the entire Ef family .. love ❤️

‘राह पकड़ तू एक चला चल पा जाएगा मधुशाला’ …   

.. and there is travel in the morn .. for work and back by evening .. 

.. and the yawns enlarge themselves beyond the limits of the jaw .. and the intake of what the tech behind it , is ,  the absence of Oxygen .. 

.. enough of the o2 has been inhaled , enough of the seeking the pages and comments of the Blogmiestr have been registered .. and enough of the details of the sched in refrain discussed and written .. 

.. written yes .. the age old method of the remembering of what needs attention .. I do know there are wonderful apps., that do that for you on the mobile .. bt that ol’ habit remains much like ol’ friends .. once made remain ever .. much like the Ef once made remain .. for me .. many may leave and have , but my remembrance for them shall be in remind .. and in mention .. it does not matter if they remember or not .. remembrance is mine not theirs .. so why the worry or the discussion .. mine is mine and they are theirs .. and ne’er the two shall or may meet .. but what belongs to me shall be with me .. it may not with the other .. but then that is their issue .. I shall never have say in that .. my protocol my conduct will and shall and has ever been judged by me my myself .. 

yes others may disagree with my thought .. but the onus is on them that thought so .. they deliberated spent time and mind to find fault .. that is a process .. a faculty .. a dissertation for PhD .. but their’s not mine .. so they need to address it .. what they think is their thought .. they fill their mind with it , not I .. if they have filled their mind , let them find the answer or response to it .. seeking it from the person THEY have deciphered , is quite out of line .. 

THEY is there’s .. so THEY must find resolve or decision or response .. why seek from another , particularly the subject themselves .. that is content build .. 

often the impotency of content ..

good night 

Amitabh Bachchan   

[snehasathyanathan]

It's all about Brand Collaboration. Meet the model dog of @steffyshappypaws Miss @daisy_labradorable Who is helping me out to build Steffy's Empire! Grateful to have her by my side💕💕 (at Mumbai, Maharashtra) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJjG7dwnkrH/?igshid=nr2bb3y72b9i

[snehasathyanathan]

Damn Right 💯 (at On my way) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGQVFZ0nba2/?igshid=zmbth1biltkg

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A post shared by Sneha Sathyanathan (@that_nomad_gypsy)

One of the best gift one could ever get from their friend is an authority to be your own family. @tpklicken (Trupti) is one of them. She is not just bff but family too! This beautiful art piece is created by Trupti for Sneha on her special day. . . . Guys, follow her art work on @pursuitof_happiness27 . I would love if you can encourage her more. And babes, you know I woof you!🐾 . . . #artist #artwork #creator (at From My Heart) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGH88gzHByk/?igshid=1o55yjxgm9u8g

[snehasathyanathan]

💕 https://www.instagram.com/p/CFY9HCVnQdG/?igshid=2tuk87s8nr5q

[snehasathyanathan]

Words to describe someone’s voice :

adenoidal (adj) :  some of the sound seems to come through their nose.

appealing (adj): voice shows that you want help, approval, or agreement.

breathy (adj): with loud breathing noises.

booming (adj): very loud and attention-getting.

brittle (adj): if you speak in a brittle voice, you sound as if you are about to cry.

croaky (adj): they speak in a low, rough voice that sounds as if they have a sore throat.

grating (adj): a grating voice, laugh, or sound is unpleasant and annoying.

gravelly (adj): a gravelly voice sounds low and rough.

high-pitched (adj): true to its name, a high-pitched voice or sound is very high.

honeyed (adj): honeyed words or a honeyed voice sound very nice, but you cannot trust the person who is speaking.

matter-of-fact (adj): usually used if the person speaking knows what they are talking about (or absolutely think they know what they are talking about).

penetrating (adj): a penetrating voice is so high or loud that it makes you slightly uncomfortable.

raucous (adj): a raucous voice or noise is loud and sounds rough.

rough (adj): a rough voice is not soft and is unpleasant to listen to.

shrill (adj): a shrill voice is very loud, high, and unpleasant.

silvery (adj): this voice is clear, light, and pleasant.

stentorian (adj): a stentorian voice sounds very loud and severe.

strangled (adj): a strangled sound is one that someone stops before they finish making it.

strident (adj): this voice is loud and unpleasant.

thick (adj): if your voice is thick with an emotion, it sounds less clear than usual because of the emotion.

tight (adj): shows that you are nervous or annoyed.

toneless (adj): does not express any emotion.

wheezy (adj): a wheezy noise sounds as if it is made by someone who has difficulty breathing.

[snehasathyanathan]

#throwback 🏘️ (at Kerala) https://www.instagram.com/p/CB1LZ_kJcA2/?igshid=1176kenio4d6t

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Home ♥️ https://www.instagram.com/p/CB1K7wrpla0/?igshid=17731b3nb1aoh

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*Let's see who read it* "Embrace The Vulnerable!" Just the way I am doing with my book. Sometimes you find your book like this (scratches and wounds) 💔 With all due respect to the reader just embrace your book with love ♥️ A girl behind this wounded book is someone who has written it! Yes, written by Sneha Sathyanathan. 💕💔♥️ PS: can you feel it? . . . . . #woundedbooks #scars (at Navi Mumbai (New Mumbai), India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBmn56iJ52j/?igshid=1t6x5b7hmxtgi

[snehasathyanathan]

#throwbackpicture but #recentfeelings *Sisterhood* I always say that some relations are meant to be! Ours is one of them. The most special bond which is for infinity! The best thing I experienced in this quarantine is spending a lot of time with her at home. Teasing, cracking jokes on each other, fighting and laughing is a daily ritual. I am in love with this ritual. 💕 (at Guruvayur Anathavalam) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBgTSPSJHVz/?igshid=tjh1bci6pxap

[snehasathyanathan]

#Sunset I was sitting in my balcony and observing my surrounding. The greenery, kids playing in the lane, doggies roaming along with their parents. As I sipped my evening tea, it felt like someone else is observing me. It was him "The Sun aka Suraj". His dim rays were shining on my eyes and my face. I looked at him without blinking an eye. Observed the amazing colors and those silhouette structure. (Couldn't stop capturing it) It took my heart again and reminded me that sometimes being at one place at a time is important. Not only physically but also mentally. Stillness in mind and soulful heart! . . . . . #realization #sunshine #sunset_ig (at Navi Mumbai (New Mumbai), India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA5rVLYpPCh/?igshid=10uub9212v8bp

[snehasathyanathan]

Beautiful Feather Pen is best for Writers and Authors by @lapisbard . . . . . PC : @pranit.bhoir.18 . . . . #believe #believer #believeinyourself #brownandbeautiful #goals #vision #instapic #nofilter #instalike #vsco #mood #success #featherpen (at Navi Mumbai (New Mumbai), India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CArvrDWpRH0/?igshid=coru3qtssypr

[snehasathyanathan]

Someone I love the most! Steffy Always ♥️🐶 . . . . #love #lifeline #instagood #photooftheday #furrybaby #Steffy #steffysworld #steffydarlu😻💋 #dogsofinstaworld #doggoftheday (at Navi Mumbai (New Mumbai), India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAfgH4VnwDP/?igshid=mcygm1t9dety

[snehasathyanathan]

#portrait Some artistic skill! . . . . . #candid #artist #chasinglight #chasing #portraitcollection #unplugged #documentyourdays #lightinspired #seekthelight #clickpro #throwback (at Mumbai - City of Dreams) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAc_mornNr5/?igshid=4vtewpkfbsze

[snehasathyanathan]

#morningkissed Life seems beautiful as you see beauty in your surroundings. Be superior to negative thoughts and celebrate life! . . . . . . . #instagood #writerstyle #bravewriterlifestyle #portrait #inspiration #influencer #classof2020 #o #lifestyleblogger #writingislife #brownandbeautiful https://www.instagram.com/p/B_EZdRXJdwE/?igshid=hscca8t5bmv0

[snehasathyanathan]

*A to Z Blogging Challenge* powered by @blogchatter. “I Welcome Positive Change!” Are you lost in the maze of  life or are you trying to break the cycle of self-destructive behavior? Then Kyanite is the best crystal to get back you on track.  Click the link in bio to know more: https://www.allshadesoflife.com/kyanite-self-expression-serenity-harmony/ . . . . #BlogchatterA2Z #lisapowers #crystalreiki #strongest #heal #healing #healthislife #healingcrystals #healinglove #healingstones #health #healthwellness #healthiswealth #udemy #udemyinstructor #spirit #spiritguide #spiritjunkie #spiritual #spiritualgrowth #spiritualawakening #spiritualchakra #spiritualjourney #spiritualteacher #spirituality #kyanite #vitality #serenity #harmony (at Navi Mumbai (New Mumbai), India) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_CUopzJO5p/?igshid=1xirdx07lec0z