#+ house of kimbleton

[herstoriies]

v: train to nowhere

tldr; Priscilla is the daughter of a doctor, niece of the mayor, and a former schoolteacher in the Old West town of Fort Lago. Now after the murderous disappearance of her father and the life she knew upended (long story), Priscilla befalls the life of a freighthopper wayfarer on a train to nowhere, arriving and departing the locomotive stations dotting the Western Frontier like a phantom tumbleweed. She's endlessly searching for something or someone. For what? A story that explores the thin line between justice and vengeance. altruism and blindness, and shattered ideals. Like a tigress in the grass, she lies in wait to take back all that was robbed from her. Yet will Priscilla realize that revenge alone will never be enough and could come at an even greater cost...? (Heavily inspired by themes of the song 'Back on the Chain Gang' by the Pretenders, Les Mis, The Count of Monte Cristo, RDR2, Spaghetti Westerns, and Nicholas Nickleby. ) Featuring: Dr. Raleigh Duncan, Josephine Kimbleton-Duncan (mention), Sir Henry Kimbleton, Edmund Staunton, & Grimsby.

-- part 0 : prologue, Fort Lago

Dr. Raleigh Duncan, Priscilla's father, Josephine Kimbleton's husband, Henry's brother-in-law.

Dr Duncan is an altruistic doctor, an exemplary man of duty & moral compass, ever seeking modern advances in medicine to bring to the quaint yet thriving frontier town he and his daughter Priscilla call home. He also gives free treatment to those who cannot afford it, much to the angry ridicule of those more unscrupulous & prominent in town who see his generosity as undermining their influence.

His relationship with his brother-in-law - the mayor of this town - had always been strained - worse after Josephine's death. Yet life's tragedies and challenges did not dissuade him. Not once did the doctor compromise his ethics or cease being a loving and doting father to his only child, giving her his fullest attention and raising her with all his best to be an intelligent and poised young lady. (Even if she was still a handful, free-spirited as the prairie, and the number of male suitors he had to fend off only added to his graying hair...)

Unfortunately, Dr. Duncan's selflessness became his fatal flaw.

Josephine Kimbleton-Duncan, Priscilla's mother, Dr Duncan's wife, Henry's sister. She marries Duncan against her brother Henry's wishes (& threats). Though she was taken from this world too soon, her perseverant noble lionheart and goodness left a lasting impression on her daughter.

Mayor "Sir" Henry Kimbleton - Priscilla's uncle, Josephine's older brother, Dr Duncan's brother-in-law. Originally from the East Coast, "Sir" Henry is the town mayor of Fort Lago whose presence is a mix of charm and intimidation. His rise to power was through his genteel charisma, cold calculations, ornately worded orations, and ruthless efficiency. Corruption was inevitable. Behind his smiles & airs, Fort Lago became his personal fiefdom, and anyone who opposes him an enemy.

Henry harbors a deep resentment towards Dr. Duncan, incensed that Duncan 'stole' his sister, and filled Josephine's head with ideals that lead her to defy her own brother to marry for love. He also unfairly blames Duncan for his "incompetence as a physician that couldn't save his own wife". He barely tolerates Dr. Duncan publically 'for family's sake' and due to Duncan's popularity among the lesser townsfolk. But as time and corruption callous the heart, Henry's hatred bleeds to even Priscilla.

Though he denies it, he has leveraged his position for personal gain, much to the disapproval of Dr Duncan who's even tried interfering at times. Henry also has a network personnel, including a gentleman-rancher and hired enforcer loyal only to power Jed "Snake" Grimsby for dirty work, the sheriff in his pocket, a morally flexible doctor (rival to Dr Duncan who sees him as bad for business), and an 'aristocrat' con-artist businessman named Edmund Staunton (who holds a personal vendetta against Dr Duncan for exposing one of his schemes).

[For those curious, Thomas & Charles are MIA either overseas, back on the East Coast, or in San Francisco. Possibly Charles insisted on bringing Thomas along for his latest expedition and the brothers go on a wildly comedic and chaotic traveling expedition in the great wild somewhere...]

-- part 1 : the doctor's daughter

Priscilla Mae Duncan. Daughter of Dr. Raleigh & Josephine Duncan, niece of Mayor Henry Kimbleton. Bright, quick-witted, full of dreams, and carrying the same idealism to life as her father, Miss Duncan is a schoolteacher by trade, and a competent dilettante of many talents. Only she's unsure yet just how to properly use her talents. She's also rather sheltered, due to her father's overprotectiveness ever since her mother passed.

Though the train rolls by, and visitors from all over pass through, the provincial life in Fort Lago is more than enough for her.

-- part 2 : coffin without a cadaver

One fateful day, Priscilla returns home after a long day of teaching to find her father's clinic empty. Suspecting her father possibly finished early, it came as a shock she didn't find him at home either, nor at the town meeting house, or even Uncle Henry's residence.

To ease her distress, Uncle Henry gave Priscilla many empty reassurances and welcomed her to stay with him for protection.

Priscilla returns the next day to the clinic, finding her father's patients disgruntled over his absence. Some rumors arose Dr. Duncan was involved in malpractice, had experimented on his 'free' patients, accrued some enormous debt, and cowardly fled in the middle of the night. In search of any clue, Priscilla only came across what may have been signs of a struggle near the back porch of their home. Any concerns she brought to Uncle Henry - including why as Mayor her brought on a replacement doctor so soon - were dismissed and told to leave things to the experts.

Henry: "Priscilla, I may be your Uncle, but never forget that you are speaking to your mayor."

-- part 3 : ghost town

Days turn into weeks and Priscilla hasn't stopped searching for her father. Mayor Kimbleton is greatly displeased with her meddling, and despite his objections, his niece continues taking matters into her own hands.

With the new replacement 'interim' doctor having taken over Dr. Duncan's practice, most patients have moved on, save for a handful sympathetic to Priscilla's plight who try to aid her search.

What she feared most was finally confirmed - Priscilla discovered her father's bloody and cracked pince-nez spectacles beneath the back porch of their home that appeared to show signs of some scuffle.

At that same moment, Mayor Henry appeared to inform her that next week she was being sent to her maternal grandmother's on the East Coast for a change of scenery to ease her nerves and cease this obsession when everything was already under control. Henry went so far as to even subtly accuse Duncan of abandoning his daughter.

An outraged Priscilla finally lost her temper, holding up the evidence of the pince-nez - to which Henry thundered that because of her wild imaginings he was sending her away on that train tonight.

And that she should be grateful that he wasn't sending her to a sanitarium.

Later, Mayor Kimbleton bid Priscilla farewell at the station with a parting gift of a new dress for family appearances' sake. She was also to be escorted between Edmund and Grimsby as her accompanying 'chaperones'. Aboard, despite mostly silence or 'pleasant' smalltalk, things only went from bad to worse. Edmund curiously departed the train mid-way due to 'business' leaving her alone with Grimsby. Priscilla observed Grimsby checking the time using her father's pocket watch - with what seemed to be dried blood between the ornate crevices of the casing. Was this man her father's murderer? As Grimsby slept, he mumbled to himself of boastful sordid accomplishments 'back home' to 'Hal'... Uncle Henry?!

Worse yet, when they reached a crossroads station where they were supposed to change trains to travel north-east, they remained instead on the course heading south.

Priscilla trembled. They weren't traveling to her grandmother's, were they? Would she even reach the next station alive?

-- part 4 : train to nowhere

In the hours of darkness, Priscilla awoke to escape. Painstakingly careful she detached her father's pocket watch from Grimsby's coat and took his cane, and with her carpetbag of belongings, she fled into the night.

Alone and fearful of anything that moved, she followed the tracks to the nearest train station, boarding the next train without a destination & only a direction: heading back West.

Overnight, Priscilla's life's idealism shattered irreparably. In her quiet self-reflecting thoughts a burning hunger for justice, vengeance, stirred in Priscilla. They would all pay for taking the innocent life of her good-hearted father - death or unknown fate aside, and her own life derailed.

Town after town off the railway she stopped to rest, find work, or gather information. Often, in a new town for respectability she'd wear her late mother's wedding ring (though inside inscribed with ' R & J - amor aeternus - eternal love') and call herself "Mrs. Priscilla Mae"... the poor widow Mrs. Mae whose newlywed husband perished in the war, or by bandits, or sudden illness (she changes the story each time). Other times, she was Miss Kimble - an affluent disinherited heiress traveling to San Francisco. Polly Oliver or Miss Rip Van Winkle, too. Or some other sob story she'd spin to hide her real identity: Miss Priscilla Duncan, the daughter of a doctor, fighting to survive, a woman alone without a map seeking answers.

As money ran short & when there wasn't much opportunity for work (surprisingly no one needed a schoolteacher), she did pick up a few odd jobs to buy her next ticket and earn her keep overnight in an inn:

A General Store worker

A Seamstress

A Midwife

A Singer

A Barmaid

When no honorable work could be found (that wasn't a saloon worker, and trying not to openly affiliate with encountered outlaws or - gasp - members of the Van Der Linde gang... not to mention her encounters with the Pinkertons...), she returned to the train station and purchased a ticket to the next dusty frontier town. And so to the rolling drum of the train engines, the cycle of wandering and searching continues.

Strange she wasn't much different from a runaway, but only to bide enough time to ponder her revenge.

[to be... continued]

.

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Author's Notes: Bonus Round 1:

Spoilers! ;)

I’m open to either option of Priscilla’s father being dead or alive or unknown. All have interesting outcomes and I'm therefore leaving it open:

- confirmed dead, mostly brings closure

- alive, I figured Duncan was arrested, & forcibly taken away to a chain gang to work the railroads. There’s some brutal irony here if Raleigh worked the railroad but meanwhile, there’s Priscilla aboard the train passing by… (feels, gut-wrenching reunion) also totally inspired by the song “back on the chain gang”. [Edit - thanks for the idea @ therapardalis! : Maybe Dr Duncan was among a group of chain gang convicts that ran off and formed a Robin Hood-esque outlaw band (Van Der Linde perhaps?), and he became their medic. A twist for someone so uncompromising in values to become part of a band of outlaws for survival]

- unknown, the most “gritty real” and an interesting essay on acceptance

Bonus Round 2: RDR2 crossover brainstorming (not finalized):

Thanks to conversations with @ sharp-teeth-and-wide-grins , some RDR2-specific crossover ideas include: rather than Priscilla's mayor Uncle being an OC, she's the niece of Mayor Henri LeMieux of Saint Denis, & Priscilla's mother Josephine was Henri LeMieux's sister. Priscilla is rather sheltered and naive and unfamiliar with the Van der Linde gang. Rather than being from an original town idea called Fort Lago (inspired by High Plains Drifter), she's from Strawberry (*not finalized).

Bonus Round 3: the first draft/scrapped version of part 3/4, an alternative more dramatic confrontational approach to Priscilla's discovery & escape to the trains:

Finally, Priscilla receives an anonymous note telling her to meet at Grimsby's ranch - someone knows where her father is!

'Just in case' she asked Edmund to accompany her, only to discover she had walked into a trap. Grimsby and the corrupt sheriff were waiting for her, and Edmund was in on it.

They threw her father's bloody pocket watch & pince-nez spectacles, making threats and insults.

Priscilla: "You'll pay for this! I'm the mayor's niece, and my uncle--"

Grimsby: "Your uncle? He's the one who gave the order, sweetheart."

Overnight, Priscilla's life's idealism shattered irreparably.

In the struggle she kicked over a kerasene lamp and the shed . You'll all burn for this. As the flames spread, in the chaos she fled.

She ran home, grabbed her essentials, and ran for the train.

[therapardalis]

[Grown Adults Meme for @herstoriies.]

#17 Sliding on polished floors in their socks ! ------------

"I'm sorry, Bobbin," Thera looked out through the leaded front windows of the Kimbleton house, the lawns and garden outside darkened by deep grey clouds overhead and the accompanying sheets of rain, "but it's absolutely pelting down. I'm afraid ice-skating is just not going to happen today."

She didn't need to turn around to imagine the scrunched-up disappointment on her young friend's face, or the glum expression that was likely to linger even if it was pointed out that no-one else was going to be ice-skating either, and Priscilla wasn't really missing out.

Thera sighed, shaking her head, half-heartedly trying to come up with something that would keep them occupied indoors ... though inspiration didn't arrive until after she slipped off her shoes and one of her stocking feet almost skidded on the hallway floor.

So, they couldn't ice-skate ... but ...

" ... Priscilla, my darling ... do you happen to have any nice woollen socks ... ?"

[myxcenterxstage]

Emmett V. Kimbleton Appreciation Post

This is Emmett Victor Kimbleton. He’s Priscilla’s 2nd cousin who lives in Cornwall, England.

CERTIFIED PRECIOUS CINNAMON ROLL. 

He’s an aspiring writer and wishes to be the next Charles Dickens. Let’s hope the best for him. And if you can’t tell from that face, he’s a goody two shoes.

This is Emmett when he hears his dear cousin Pris has been in a scandal.

Emmett does not approve of Edmund Staunton.

For he’s a jolly good fellow! Share a drink with him and he’ll probably tell you all about how he and Pris got into trouble as kids growing up (and confess it was Pris’ ideas 80% of the times)! ...From catching frogs to getting stuck in trees to accidentally baking a cake for Grandma Cecelia and mistaking salt for sugar! They were certainly good ol’ days...

[historicwomendaily]

“By Christmas 1535, Catherine [of Aragon]’s health was failing. Rumors came to court that she was on her deathbed. Maria went to Henry and begged him to allow her to see her friend before she died. Henry refused. Catherine’s punishment was to die alone. Not if Maria could help it.  

In the cold new year of 1536, Maria saddled up her horse and rode for Kimbleton in the snow. This was a nearly 60 mile journey from London and Maria was not a young woman by the standards of the day. At one point, Maria was thrown from her horse, but she did not let that bother her. She just remounted and kept going and arrived at Kimbolton on January 6, 1536. Catherine’s keeper, Sir Edward Bedingfield, had orders from the king that no one was to see Catherine. Maria lied and said she had “lost” the paperwork allowing her to see Catherine, and argued he could not be so ungallant as to refuse a lady shelter in the dead of winter. Whether Bedingfield really bought this ruse or not is not known, but he did let Maria into the manor house.  

Once inside, Maria made straight for Catherine’s room and slammed and locked the door behind her. Bedingfield was beside himself, but since Maria was a peer of the realm as well as a lady all he could really do is wring his hands at the door. A day later, with her only true friend holding her, Catherine took her last breath. Maria took charge of the funeral and ensured it was fit for a queen, and made sure her daughter, Catherine Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk and fourth wife of Charles Brandon, was there as a mourner.” -  Maria de Salinas-  Best Friend of the Queen, historynaked.com

[english-royal-history-1455-1603]

Mary I, Queen of England (1516-1558)

Mary Tudor, the first Queen Regnant of England. Only surviving child of king Henry VIII and his first Queen Consort Catalina De Aragon was later to rest today in Westminster Abbey.

She lived a hard life as she and her mother were rejected by her father for Anne Boleyn. Henry believes a woman could never rule England. Sexism and attitude of his time!

She lost her mother when she was 19 years old and had not been permitted to see her since 1532 when Catalina was sent away from court. Catalina died on the 7th of January 1536 at the age of 50. She was surrounded by her ladies in Kimbleton Castle.

This is the event that changed Mary forever. She grieved for her mother for the rest of her life.

With the death of Edward VI her younger half brother on the 6th of July 1553 Mary declared herself Queen of England according to the last will of her father. Edward however named his protestant cousin lady Jane Dudley (nee Grey) as his successor. She was only 16 years old. She was demposed on the 19th of July 1554 and locked in the tower of London. Mary seized the throne.

Mary married her Spanish cousin Philip II of Spain. In her final years she suffered two false pregnancies which crushed her and harmed her marriage. She could not give het husband a son to rule England and/or Spain.

She met her end on the 17th of November 1558 in her home in St.James Palace, London. It is thought that she died due to Uterine Cancer or Ovarian Cysts.

With Mary's death the way to Elizabeth her half sister to assend to the throne. Elizabeth buried her sister as a Queen in Westminster Abbey against her will to be buried next to her ill fated mother Catalina De Aragon.

Although her reign was brief she did have many achievements that were overshadowed by those of her younger sister's. She established the nqvu which hadn't been suitable since the death of her father eleven years before hand. She established the Catholic church as the religion of England. Many opposed this but many rejoiced.

Mary is known as Bloody Mary. She was asked by the Pope to execute the Protestants in England. In reality, She only executed a total if 1'700 people. Her father Henry VIII executed approximately 72,000 people but he was known as Henry the Great! In my opinion that man was a total wreck from the experiences in his life. Losing his brother and his mother at such a young age would have traumatized him. Then the countless stillbirths and the death of his beloved Prince Henry the New Years Prince.

This is an extract from The Tudors: Facts vs Fiction on Facebook.

14 December 1558: Queen Mary I was finally laid to rest on Westminster Abbey. Her beloved cousin, Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, acted as chief mourner. A funerary Mass was held for her, headed by the Bishop of Winchester, John White, who incurred the wrath of her sister after he made an insinuation against her, and added that he wished her a "prosperous reign" if "God wills it". Furthermore, he had been in hot water before when he created a beautiful eulogy for Queen Mary which Elizabeth disagreed because it made no mention of her. The poem went as follows:

“How many noble men restored

and other states also

Well showed her princely liberal heart

which gave both friend and foe.

As princely was her birth, so princely was her life:

Constant, courtise, modest and mild;

a chaste and chosen wife.

Oh mirror of all womanhood!

Oh Queen of virtues pure!

Oh Constant Marie! Filled with grace,

No age can thee obscure.”

And then the following lines were added:

“Marie now dead, Elizabeth lives,

our just and lawful Queen

In whom her sister’s virtues rare,

abundantly are seen.

Obey our Queen as we are bound,

pray God her to preserve

And send her grace life long and fruit,

and subjects truth to serve.”

The day after the funeral he was placed under house arrest.

Mary I's wishes to be buried next to her mother were not met, neither were the ones of her mother moved to the Abbey. In 1603 after Elizabeth's death and James VI ascended to the throne, he built a great monument for her and placed her tomb on top of Mary's. Although the monument is beautiful and everyone who has the opportunity to visit the Abbey any time soon or lives nearby, should see it; it lacked Mary's effigy. The monument was a huge homage to the Virgin Queen but Mary is nowhere to be seen. The plaque at the bottom reads: "Partners both in throne and grave. Here rest we, two sisters, Elizabeth and Mary, in the hopes of the resurrection."

Perhaps as one of my favorite songs ("So long goodbye" by 10 years) says 'may we meet again in another life like strangers passing by'. May the two rest in peace.

Sources: Tudor: Fact vs Fiction, (Facebook Page)

The six wives of Henry VIII I'm afraid I am notnsure if the names of the historians in this documentary. I apologize.

David Starkey series Mary I - Bloody Mary

[herstoriies]

Uncle Kimby Appreciation Post

[herstoriies]

Happy Father's Day to Priscilla's father, Dr. Raleigh Walter Duncan. Doctor, philanthropist, & a good-hearted man with a simple soul.

P.S. Also Happy Father's Day to Priscilla's maternal Uncles Thomas & Uncle Charles, who in their respective alternate universes become fatherlike guardians to Priscilla.

[herstoriies]

Big brain idea why Uncle Thomas & his brother Charles are MIA in v: train to nowhere…

Charles insisted bringing Thomas along for his latest expedition and the brothers go on a wildly comedic and chaotic traveling expedition in the great wild somewhere… 🤣😂

The Amazon? Australia? Mountaineering in Switzerland or Tibet? Who knows!

[herstoriies]

+ headcanon: house of kimbleton family

A quick guide to Priscilla’s family for those who are newer to her story:

HOUSE OF KIMBLETON (aka Pris’ family on her Mother’s side.)

Grandpapa Philip + Grandmama Cecelia  

Uncle Henry + Aunt Helene  

Cousin Henry Jr 

Cousin Winifred

Cousin Cynthia

Uncle Charles

Uncle Thomas

Mama Josephine + Dr Raleigh Duncan

Priscilla 💖

GrandUncle Harold

Uncle James

Cousin Emmett 

[herstoriies]

friendly reminder - I have an NPCs page ;D

With all the latest and greatest info on Priscilla's family :D

with the House of Kimbleton! Grimsby! The Staunton family! & more! :D

[herstoriies]

Some random thoughts on Priscilla's living arrangements after leaving her Uncle Thomas's house to pursue the stage (courtesy of some old headcanons I rediscovered):

The first stop is her cousin Emmett's residence. Emmett is by far the most sympathetic of the situation, and if anything commended Pris for breaking things off with Edmund, only wishing she had turned to him sooner if it could have saved her reputation but that's in the past now. Emmett's residence is either in or just on the outskirts of London. She stayed here for some time, until she no longer wanted to be a burden.

In my old notes, I have something that Uncle Charles helps Priscilla but think now that he would have 'disappeared' around the time she became a debutante and before her engagement to Edmund.

There's also supposedly this Aunt Agatha Kimbleton I completely forgot about and recently discovered from a note from 2016... I don't even say whose mother/sister she is, so I'm going to declare Aunt Agatha is Cousin Emmett's mother.

Cousin Emmett may be still living at home (being the sole heir and inheritor). It is yet to be determined if both Emmett's parents (Aunt Agatha & Uncle James) are still alive.

The second stop is after scrapping enough money together and her pride doesn't want herself to overstay her welcome with cousin Emmett, Priscilla moves to a hole-in-the-wall apartment to rent closer to the theatre. She's pleased to call it her own but soon finds it eventually to be uninhabitable.

The two-and-a-half stop is possibly briefly staying with Maestro Markus Hart, but this nearly strains when Markus oversteps his trying to (too soon) encourage Priscilla to make amends with her Uncle Thomas. She possibly makes an excuse she's going to be visiting her Cousin Emmett & Aunt Agatha (& Uncle James? if he's still alive) for the holidays to depart on amicable conditions.

The third stop is by answering a newspaper job posting for a companion to an affluent gentry widow living in London. (Alternative to the newspaper posting is a possible reference from Aunt Agatha? Or a chance encounter?)

The widow may or may not recognize/know Priscilla as Aunt Agatha/Thomas Kimbleton's niece, but finds amusement in Priscilla's adventure. And tolerates her pursuing the stage, even finding interest even if it's almost vicarious. I think in my old notes this could've been M(r)s Jane Gibbons, but it's open for grabs to anyone who wants to write it!

Upon her passing, the widow's residence goes to a relative, but Priscilla did gain some small enough monetary gift (& now debuting at the Royal Opera House with more major roles with a better salary) to find a better apartment. Which leads to...

The fourth stop is an apartment in a better neighborhood that's still within reasonable distance of the Royal Opera House.

But surprise! Le gasp! Grimsby turns out to be her neighbor. Yes, THAT Grimsby!

So guess which fella starts showing up in the neighborhood that Pris can't stand? Did you say, Edmund? Cuz that's right!

It's a way for Pris in her Diva story to sort of see Edmund's more neer-do-well and criminal inclinations, teasing a parallel story of the Baroness (but without the titular character) and one Priscilla merely spectates. Pris gets a peculiar opportunity to see into what life could have been hers as the Baroness!

Plus by now things are rocky with Pris' beau, the wealthy opera patron Philbert Winston (with an impending scandal), so this only adds to her agita and urgent desire to leave London.

So where does this leave Priscilla to go next? Vienna? Rome? Destination: Paris!

[herstoriies]

v: This Royal Throne of Kings //  v: Diamond In The Rough

Author’s note 2023: Wow long post! But I am so glad I dug this up from ‘the archives’ :D Below is the unabridged story of Priscila’s fairytale verse: Diamond in the Rough. enjoy!

-----

Author’s note I: Why two verse names?? Well, surprise, surprise, amigos! Not only is Priscilla getting a spotlight in this verse, BUT SO ARE HER UNCLE THOMAS AND UNCLE CHARLES!

Author’s note II: TLDR; This also works as a fantasy / medieval / fairytale /disney AU! Priscilla’s story is like a combo of the Little Princess & Cinderella at her Uncle Henry’s residence… and meanwhile, (oblivious to what Pris is going through) Uncle Thomas & Uncle Charles are in another castle as Royal Advisors (to the king, crown prince and his brothers).

Author’s note III: This is the first time we get to see almost ALL of Priscilla’s family in one big verse, like wow! All it’s missing is cousin Emmett, and it’s everyone!

This was the House of Kimbleton, the children of Baronet Phillip and his wife Cecelia:

Henry, the eldest son, proud and imperious.

Charles, the second son, scholarly and restless.

Josephine, their only daughter, brave and compassionate.

Thomas, their youngest son, noble and principled.

There was a fourth son, the twin brother of Thomas, however, his name is never mentioned at the perennial grief of his untimely passing.

The Kimbleton children grew up and eventually dispersed. Henry succeeds his father as family Patriarch and parliament. Josephine - while still betrothed to a Duke in an arranged marriage - had eloped with a promising young Doctor. Charles and Thomas had both been called to arms - the former to the Army, and the latter the Navy.

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle… This precious stone set in the silver sea… – King Richard, Shakespeare

Once upon a time, there were two brothers, and while they both bared the same resemblances and shared the same blood, they could not be more different from the other. Their names were Charles, the older brother, and Thomas, the younger.

And then this is when the narrator got lazy and decided to just bullet point the rest of their story:

Shortly after their brother Henry was married, Charles was set in an arranged marriage to an heiress. When they were married, Charles fell in love with his wife more than ever when they were courting and was a dutiful and faithful husband. Tragically she passed away a year later while still in her first trimester. After his wife’s passing, Charles refused any consideration of remarrying and focused his life around the sciences and wanderlust.

Later Charles entered the army and quickly rose in the ranks to be a Major General and accomplished Natural Historian.

Because during this time the Kimbleton family was in such upheaval with Thomas Sister Josephine’s elopement, Thomas wasn’t in any arranged marriages and had an unsuccessful love life.

(Tired of his mother’s pestering he should find a wife jkjk) Years later, Thomas entered the navy and equally became a medaled Rear Admiral and master strategist.

A war had emerged with a neighboring kingdom requiring both Land and Sea strength, so the King summoned the two brothers to join his highest ranking officers, and eventually earned the King’s closest trust.

After the war, the King brought the two brothers back to his court as trusted advisors.

Eventually, the King assigned the two brothers the position of Royal Advisors to the King’s young sons.

*insert drama here*

When I hear a command I obey But I know of a place Where no one can stand in my way On the wing of my fancy, I can fly anywhere and the world will open its arms to me

I’m a young Egyptian Princess or an Heiress I’m the greatest Prima Donna in Paris I’m a girl men go mad for love’s a game I can play, with a cool and confident kind of air

In my daydreams, I can be whatever I want to be…

– In my own little corner, Rodgers & Hammerstein (modified)

Once upon a time, in the House of Kimbleton, there was a beautiful maiden named Josephine. Josephine was raised as any of the nobles of the high court, but her heart was pure as gold. She cared not for the dainties and fanciful things which she was well acquainted with. She wanted to help others, to stand up for those who could not stand up for themselves, and aid those who could not aid themselves. And she did so. And in doing so she met the young doctor, Raleigh Duncan, who shared the same ambitions. Josephine and Raleigh fell in love. However, when Raleigh asked Baronet Phillip for Josephine’s hand in marriage, he was harshly declined, as Josephine’s father did not approve his only daughter to marry a commoner when the family had greater plans for her to marry a Duke.

Josephine was horrified. In indignation to never marry for convenience when she had true love already in her arms, she and Raleigh eloped to the countryside to be married under a peach tree.

And what a scandal was caused! Josephine’s father was outraged, and her mother did her best to keep the disgrace as hushed as possible from society. What made matters worse, was when Philip shortly after fell ill to fatal sickness. This arose Josephine’s eldest brother, Henry, to grew a dark bitterness in his heart towards his sister’s rebellion, wrongfully blaming her for the strain on their father’s health.

Josephine’s other brothers were too busy over land and sea to weigh many opinions, and Cecelia desperately tried to pacify the situation, but to none avail. Josephine’s father and Henry chose to disinherit her from the will.

When Philip untimely passed away, it was was the first time in years the House of Kimbleton has assembled again. The first time in years Cecelia and her sons were able to see Josephine again. Josephine arrived with both her husband Raleigh, and their infant daughter, Priscilla.

Years passed. Henry had become the new Patriarch, Charles now a Major General and renowned Naturalist, and Thomas a Rear Admiral and heralded strategist. Meanwhile, little Priscilla was growing up to be a bright and happy young girl by her loving parents, who were aiding all in need as best they could. But unfortunately, Josephine and Raleigh’s stories were cut short with their sudden disappearance. And little Priscilla was left to fend for herself in the world. But how could she? She was but a child. So when attempts at contacting her father’s side of the family were unsuccessful, she was brought under the custody of her grandmother, Cecelia.

After losing both her husband and daughter, Cecelia saw that little Priscilla was a diamond in the rough of this drama. Priscilla was raised as her grandmother had raised her mother - to be poised and sophisticated. Like a little princess. (Not that it was an easy task, mind you, given the young child was a countryside wildflower and had an untamable free spirit).

If only those years could have lasted longer. When Cecelia departed this world to join her husband, she left in her will that Priscilla should continue to be raised by her Henry - Cecelia’s only son who had offspring of his own. Pity Cecelia could not see her son’s smoldering bitterness towards his sister bled into his impression of his own niece.

When young Priscilla arrived at her Uncle Henry’s residence, she quickly came to realize that she was unwelcome. What was formerly thought as aloofness from Uncle Henry turned to intimidation. And even though Cecelia endowed Priscilla with the Kimbleton surname to give her an identity, Henry instructed that Priscilla was to be treated “…as the bastard child and charity case that she was.”

Life had changed overnight from the privilege and love her Grandmother had given, to the cold punishment of servitude from her Uncle. Priscilla slept in a tiny guest room at the furthest end of the house near the servants quarters, instructed separately from her cousins (Henry’s children, who also remained aloof), and not permitted to dine with them. She was at her cousins’ beck and call, even when they already had ladies in waiting. Ironic that when they had a houseful of flunkies and servants that Priscilla was declassed to such ranks, even against what was in her late Grandmother’s will.

Fortunately, things were not so terribly miserable for Priscilla. She found her due deserved respect and tender care from the household staff and her tutors. At least whenever Henry and his family left for holidays and Priscilla was left behind, the staff insisted that ‘Miss Priscilla Kimbleton’ be treated as the ’lady of the manor’ that she was. They knew what Henry was doing was wrong, even though they had to stand by silently and watch.

Not that Priscilla minded. As she adjusted from her bucolic life in the country to the life of nobility with her Grandmother, so she would adjust to this new lifestyle. She had her imagination, where she could be anyone, and anyplace. And someday, hopefully, someday, she would be able to escape and live the life that she always wanted to discover…

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Where does Priscilla’s little scandalous streak come from??

Okay. So. I’ve legitimately begun to ponder where on earth both Priscilla gets some of her scandalous characteristics from. Obviously, Priscilla directly inherited it from her mother, Josephine Kimbleton... who, as you all know by now, eloped with Priscilla’s father while still engaged in an arranged marriage! 

So that introduces the next question... where does Josephine inherit her rebellious streak from?? Surely, it didn’t just spring up out of nowhere, right?

Well, you won’t really find it further up the Kimbleton family tree. As I headcanon the most Kimbletons, in general, tend to have a mellow demeanor (take cousin Emmett Kimbleton & his parents & grandparents for example). In general, the Kimbleton family’s honorable reputation dates well back. As far back as to the original Kimbleton ancestor who gave the family its name prestige. I’ve yet to dive into British history to figure out just WHERE and WHEN the Kimbleton lineage originated from, and who was the first Knighted Baronet in the family. MAYBE Kimbleton is related to the ‘Kimbolton’ clan where there are actual villages and a castle in England named such???

So going back to our main point... I can’t help but wonder if that... that “characteristic” shall we call it, was introduced through Priscilla’s grandmother, none other than the lovely Lady Cecelia Wright-Kimbleton herself! What you shall say?? The distinguished Lady Cecelia Kimbleton who wanted to marry her daughter and granddaughter into aristocracy??

Well, we know the seasoned Lady Cecelia, mind you. We don’t know much yet about what occurred in her youth! As well as the details of the who’s when’s and why’s she was married into the Kimbleton family! Were there similar-traited family members on Cecelia’s Wright family side that Josephine & Priscilla inherited from???

So, while the title question doesn’t have a precise answer, this is my prompt to say...

I believe there is more to Lady Cecelia's younger years than we presently know!

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Dr. Raleigh Duncan x Josephine Kimbleton (Priscilla’s parents!!)

art by myxcenterxstage

After three years of writing Priscilla’s story... the two beautiful true love birds that are Priscilla’s parents have finally come to life in art!!! (Basically everything you love and cherish about Priscilla she gets directly from her parents <3)

Separated because of their social standings... but believing Love to always Conquer all and eloping to show them that can’t stop two soulmates from showering the world with Love <3 Their story needs an official post and in general these two seriously deserve more attention, but until then, here’s a link to some info that contains their story: [link].

(Also the Ed Sheeran song ‘Nancy Mulligan’ also nicely summarizes their story ;) see modified the lyrics below:)

I was twenty-four years old When I met the woman I would call my own [...] On the summer day when I proposed Under the vast awning of a pear tree gold And I asked her father, but her daddy said, "No You can't marry my daughter" She and I went on the run Don't care about society I'm gonna marry the woman I love Down by the Shropshire border She was Josie’ Kimbleton And I was Raleigh Duncan She took my name and then we were one Down by the Shropshire border

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This might be a weird question, but does Priscilla have a favorite family member? Does she have one she doesn't get along with?

{{ Ask me muse headcanon questions!!! || Always accepting }}

Oh, Priscilla absolutely does have a favourite family member. And that, in fact, is her Uncle Charles. And everyone in the Kimbleton family knows Charles is Priscilla's favourite Uncle, ha. 

Charles Kimbleton actually goes through some character development with Priscilla however, and thier mutual favoritism didn’t happen overnight. 

As you know, Priscilla’s Mother, Josephine Kimbleton, eloped with Priscilla’s Father, Dr. Raleigh Duncan, while still in an arranged engagement to a super wealthy super good-looking nobleman. 

Charles was shocked over his sister Josephine's elopement and causing such scandal, and while he didn't display any open disdain towards the 'eloped offspring', he was just conveniently offshore overseas all the time. That was until Charles was back home in London (After Josephine’s & Raleigh’s disappearance) and Uncle Thomas forced him to babysit Pris while everyone else was out of town.

And it was then that Pris slowly melted his heart. Then again, I mean, how can you not adore Pris?? But especially to him what he found unlike his other nieces and nephews - Pris had a longing for the outdoors, a fascination for birds and nature, science, and wanted to hear Charlie's stories 24/7. Charlie soon learned whatever 'wrongdoing' her parents had done, Pris was completely innocent -- and boy did he then try to make up for any of his mistakes. To the point that he became to closest to being an actual father figure to her (moreso than Uncle Thomas more often than not). Charles became the real mentor to tell Priscilla to follow her dreams, weigh out both her heart and her mind in making decisions, and to enjoy life’s adventures. 

It’s so tragic that canonically he too ‘disappears’ for the next 10 years shortly before Priscilla’s relationship with Edmund goes south / Priscilla breaks off her engagement (the time when she needed her Uncle Charles most). *quietly weeps*

Fortunately, that’s remedied in Priscilla’s verse v: Stephanoxis Ialandi which is basically the ‘what if?’ verse of instead of being raised by Uncle Thomas, it was Uncle Charles! Also, Charles makes a more notable appearance in Priscilla’s Wild West ‘Western Horizons’ verse, so that makes me happy too.

(I’d also like to add Priscilla’s second favourite family member is probably her cousin Emmett Kimbleton. He’s majorly underdeveloped, but I know he and Priscilla were childhood friends and Emmett was always kind to her throughout her times of difficulty, as well as was the only one who had a rotten feeling about Edmund before anyone else even considered it.)

(Her third favourite are tied with her Uncle Thomas Kimbleton and Grandma Cecelia Kimbleton!)

As for the family member, she doesn’t get along with, that would probably be her Uncle Henry Kimbleton (and his children / Priscilla’s cousins). Henry is Grandpa Philip & Grandma Cecelia's oldest son. Dignified nobleman, very respected in high society. Left England to marry his wife Helene to live in southern France along the Riviera. He's the most 'to the book' of social customs, and demanding to keep the Kimbleton name as prestigious as possible (since he's carrying his father Philip's legacy the most). His un-favouritism to Priscilla, is, well, to put it bluntly, if you asked him uncensored he would tell you that she's a bastard child. (which is absolutely not true!!)Henry had the most indignation against his sister Josephine for breaking off her perfectly good arranged engagement to that super-rich nobleman and elope with some upstart doctor Raleigh. And clearly, that resentment passed down to Josephine’s only child Priscilla. 

Priscilla doesn’t want to not like her Uncle Henry, she just can’t help it because he doesn’t even give her a chance to show she’s no less a dignified Kimbleton like the rest of her family. (And, you guessed it, they basically cut off all contact entirely after Priscilla breaks up with Edmund.)

And while Henry’s wife Helene mostly stayed out of it, Henry’s stigma also unfortunately also caused some awkwardness between Priscilla and her cousins, his three children: Henry Jr., Winifred, and Cynthia. Nothing unfriendly, per se, and more indifferent and preoccupied in their own lives. Though I do know that Cynthia (who was the same age as Priscilla) always claimed to be the prettier one.  

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House of Kimbleton - WIP 2 art by myxcenterxstage

... now with Uncle Charles Kimbleton!