#caron court

[goodqueenaly]

what do you think is the reason for baelor breakspear, the literal crown prince, marrying jena dondarrion, a lady from a very minor house in the dornish marches who presumably didnt like the dornish very much? could it have been daeron ii arranging this marriage to curry favour with dorne's enemies by marrying his very dornish son to a marcher lord's daughter and thus in a way simulating peace between the marchers and the dornish in the eyes of the realm? or could it have been a way to keep the blackfyre supporters in line assuming baelor married after the first rebellion, since one of the reasons for the uprising was anti-dornish sentiment?

Number one, I don’t think we can call the Dondarrions “a very minor House”. Indeed, Yandel himself counts the Dondarrions (alongside the Swanns, Selmys, and Carons) as one of “[t]he greatest of the Marcher lords” and refers to the Dondarrion seat of Blackhaven as “[a]mong the sternest of the Marcher seats … with its forbidding black basalt walls and bottomless dry moat”. Lord Harmon Dondarrion seems to have been of equal rank to Lord Tarly and Lady Caron, as all served as commanders during the campaign in Aenys I’s reign against the Vulture King, and Lord Dondarrion served as one of the three Marcher representatives at the wedding of Queen Alyssa and Rogar Baratheon. Queen Alysanne clearly considered the Dondarrions important enough to include on the royal couple’s tour of the Dornish Marches in 54 AC, and later a Dondarrion was one of the “dozen fresh young maidens chosen from amongst a hundred who coveted the distinction of serving as a companion to the queen [i.e. Alysanne]" - proof, I think, of the rank of the Dondarrions even relative to other Westerosi aristocrats. Notably as well in the main novels, Sansa thinks that while Jeyne Poole - herself an aristocrat, albeit an actually low-ranking and probably landless one - mooned after Lord Beric, the Lord of Blackhaven “would never look at someone so far beneath him”. 

Number two, it seems almost certain that Baelor and Jena were married prior to the First Blackfyre Rebellion. Valarr, their elder son, was not only old enough to joust as a knight at Ashford in 209 AC, suggesting that Valarr was at least 16 or so at that time, but was also big and tall enough for his nearly 40-year-old warrior father to plausibly borrow and wear his armor during the trial of seven, suggesting that Valarr was old enough to have reached his adult build and height. Personally, I think Baelor and Jena were married roughly around the mid to late 180s and Valarr was born around the late 180s, but whenever the actual wedding occurred, it’s impossible that Valarr was born in or after 196 AC, and as such his parents had to have been married ahead of the First Blackfyre Rebellion.

All of that said, why do I think Prince Baelor and Jena Dondarrion were married? Put very simply, I think Daeron II correctly recognized the fault lines of political factionalism in his kingdom and wanted to repair, rather than deepen, those divisions. From the beginning of his reign, King Daeron had very publicly advertised his desire to unite Dorne with the Targaryen kingdom. Not only was Daeron himself happily married to Myriah Martell, but as Yandel notes, “one of [Daeron’s] earliest significant acts after assuming the throne was to begin negotiations with his good-brother, Prince Maron, to unify Dorne under Targaryen rule” - negotiations which ended with the homage of Prince Maron and his wedding to the king’s sister, Princess Daenerys. Between the unique “significant rights and privileges” granted to the Dornish lords and the Prince of Dorne in particular in the peace accord, and the Dornishmen who were given places at court and “offices of note” under Daeron II, the king was making very clear that his government was openly and ardently pro-Dorne. 

Yet as Daeron II certainly realized, such courtly and political favoritism toward Dorne generally and House Martell specifically would hardly be received rapturously by the entirety of his realm. From the earliest days of the Targaryen monarchy, the dragonkings had, in the tradition of the Plantagenets and any number of other real-world monarchies, claimed dominion over Dorne, in title if not in fact. Daeron I had come closest, if relatively briefly, to making this paper crown of "King of the Rhoynar" a reality, and Daeron II’s own father Aegon IV had (albeit almost certainly for selfish and petty reasons) attempted to reignite (pun intended) the conquest of Dorne by House Targaryen. Daeron II’s pro-Dorne policies, then, were very much poised to be seen, at least by some of his subjects, as a jarring reversal away from a century and a half of Targaryen posturing and conquest and toward a political reality where the Dornish were, to borrow Yandel’s phrase, “rivals for the king’s attention or largesse”. That suspicion extended to Daeron’s heir: according to Yandel, “many men looked upon Baelor’s dark hair and eyes and muttered that he was more Martell than Targaryen”. This Martell-looking eldest son of a Martell queen, double first cousins with the future of the ruling dynasty of Dorne, may have seemed to suspicious factions to be the living guarantee that Martell, and more generally Dornish, royal favor was going to continue, if not indeed be increased, in the next generation of the Targaryen monarchy. 

The solution, I think, for Daeron II was to marry his eldest son and heir into one of the marcher lord dynasties. These families, founded explicitly according to Yandel to “[protect] the realm of the Storm Kings from the ancient enemies to the west and, especially, the south” and to “create a bulwark against incursions from the Dornish”, would almost certainly have been the most natural opponents of Daeron II’s pro-Dorne policies (and, given their famous pride, perhaps among the most vocal in their opposition). By choosing from among these lords for not just his daughter-in-law but the future (expected) Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and (expected) mother of the next king, Daeron II was making just as public a statement that his was not a client state of Sunspear but a united realm - one in which the proud marchers would have just as much opportunity for courtly favor and advancement as the Martells and other Dornish nobles did. The Dondarrions, and by extension any of their relatives and allies among the marchers, would be directly invested in the dynasty, with a tangible incentive for supporting Daeron II’s government (as opposed to, say, looking to Daemon Blackfyre as a rival for the throne). Too, if I can quote myself, the future (expected) royal children of Baelor and Jena, especially their (expected) eldest son and heir, “would be a microcosm of the peace Daeron sought”, as “Dornish blood and marcher blood, eternally spilled at the other’s expense, would mingle in a single person, a future king of the united state of Westeros”. 

One question I do have - though we’ll probably have to wait until Fire and Blood Volume 2 for an answer - is why Daeron II selected a Dondarrion rather than, say, a Swann or Caron. It could be that there were no daughters of the right age among any of other other prominent marcher families; it could be that Daeron II knew or liked Jena’s family more than he did, say, other marcher families; it could even be that Daeron chose the Dondarrions to temper the local geopolitical ambitions of the Swanns and Carons to each be counted “the oldest of the Marcher houses” and superior over the rest, with the king perhaps quietly reminding the Swanns and Carons that he had the power to humble as well as exalt. 

(Let's just hope that F&B Vol. 2 improves upon its predecessor and has Jena as an active, developed crown princess and would-be queen, rather than a walking womb or - ugh - another victim of death-by-childbirth.)

[allthecanadianpolitics]

A Campbellton RCMP officer who assaulted a homeless man during an arrest has been sentenced to four months in jail, a tougher penalty than the Crown and defence recommended. Video of the incident in 2021, taken by a passerby, showed Const. Pierrick Caron pinning André Mercier to the ground and punching him 19 times. Caron was found guilty in February after a trial on an assault charge. On Thursday, Caron, who was put on administrative duties after the incident, sat in court next to his partner, who held her head in her hands and cried out when the jail term was announced. 

Continue Reading

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[15-lizards]

i just found your posts and i love youuu! can you write about the costumes of the Baratheon sisters, called Four Storms and their mother plz?

Thinking ab characters mentioned once in the fake history book>>>

Also I’ll do faceclaims/fancasts again cause those were fun

Elenda Caron was smarter than any man in or after the dance. An intelligent and reasonable woman, she was thrust into the role of lady and then regent of storms end, and had to dress seriously to be taken seriously. High necked gowns, natural waists and shapes, puffy/long sleeves, gilded and shining patterns or embroidery that showed off her rank but not overly gaudy. She’s a woman of moderation. Elenda knows how to emulate power and class and she knows how to do it all reasonably. Girlboss I love her

Cassandra was the most ambitious of the sisters, scheming to try and become queen for years. She adored rich velvets and royal colors. Especially Targaryen colors. Her gowns were always full and flowing but with a tight bodice, and every inch was oft covered in fancy lace, patterns, and embroidery. She wasn’t shy or modest about the clothes she wore. And jewelry was her favorite of all. She even had Borros have a special crown made just for her, formed from delicate gold and pearls, which she frequently wore to court. Modesty? Doesn’t know her.

Maris was the cleverest and wittiest, but said to be the “least comely” of them. She thought frivolous, extravagant clothing did not suit her, so she preferred to wear plain shift gowns. Long, flat skirts, simple patterns, and natural shapes, waists, and sleeves. Her tendency for simplicity was half her no nonsense and skeptic personality and half her internalized insecurity. After the war, when she spurned marriage for the silent sisters, probably for some peace of mind for once, she wore their typical rough grey homespun. No longer having to worry about her appearance was a relief

Poor Ellyn is the overlooked sister. One of the only mentions of her is at the maidens day ball, when one of her sisters spread a rumor that she asked Aegon a lewd question. She was probably chasing attention and approval, deciding to emulate the elder Cassandra. She wore pretty velvets too, but in simple shapes and lighter colors due to her young age. She begged her mother to be allowed to wear her hair up like the grown women did, so that she might be noticed for once.

Young Floris was the prettiest, even if she was rather frivolous. She didn’t like the shapeless clothing of the stormlands, nor did she enjoy the stiffness of fashion in kings landing. She enjoyed silks, satins, and gauzes, enjoying the way it followed around and clung to her perfectly. Borros was wrapped around her finger, ordering whatever Myrish laced or Lyseni silks she wanted, making her the standout at court and the envy of all the young women (though she may have been compared to a Essosi concubine more than once). She never grew out of this airy attitude, as ofc she died from Child by Old Man disease when she was like 16

[livelaughlovelams]

okay okay okay von steuben questions - errrr off the top of my head

he got kicked out of prussia (prussian army) for being gay? i know that's a fact but i don't know details :p

and benjamin franklin... he denied the gay allegations or just graciously ignored them while recommending steuben to washington? i feel like these two facts lack clarity and would love to know more about steuben in the military in general.

i know he was awesome (i read this somewhere, i think it was lafayette's bio - that he would get mad and ask his aides to swear at the soldiers for him lmao)

sorry for the... rambly ask. i'll also definitely be checking out your book recommendations!!!

AAAAAAA YAYAYAYAYAA OKIE!!!!

1. Well, yes and no! He was kicked out of the Prussian army originally because Frederick the Great was cutting down his staff, like, a lot, and Von Steuben initially wasn't KICKED OUT, although he was demoted DRASTICALLY, And was in a regiment he used to command. Count Von Anhalt, who was chief of staff at the time, had beef with Steuben for, like, no reason, and so they allegedly duelled, according to some biographers, though we lack evidence. After the duel, however, Von Anhalt completely removed Steuben from the Prussian army! Thanks to his "very close friend", (wink wink lover) Prince Henry III/ Heinrich III of Prussia, Henry recommended Steuben to a major duchess, and Steuben actually lived in Prussia for 10 more years!! He served a minor role in the court of Hohenzollern-Hechigen, and got Azor during that time! Azor Azor Azor we love Azor. He probably, like, found Azor as a stray or something, and went "oo pretty dawg you're never gonna be hungry again let's get a bedazzled collar on you and now you're a poor aristocrat like me yay" or something like that. That was really off topic actually, continuing. While he served in the court of Hohenzollern-Hechigen, rumors about his sexuality and his relationship with other men spread like wildfire, mostly behind his back. Frederick the Great didn't mind that much, however, being homosexual himself. But the people were incredibly loud about their opinions, and it was clear something had to be done. In the summer of 1777, Von Steuben visited Paris to see his friend, Comte de Saint-Germaine. (Who I think is actually so awesome but that's another story for another time.) While he was visiting Saint-Germaine, Pierre Caron de Beaumarchais and Silas Deane scouted him and we're like "Yoo, you're so cool, wanna get a job with us?" And he was like "nah lol America sounds boring as heck." And then Franklin was like "yo I'm with them and istg it's so cool and I'm like famous so join me" and Von Steuben was like "ERM no I don't wanna hear anything else about this murica I'm going back to Germany" and so he did, and... Uh oh. The second he returns, it turns out while he was gone, an anonymous letter was submitted to the courts, and the princes of Hohenzollern-Hechigen, claiming that Steuben had "taken liberties with young boys", which is an EXTREMELY controversial sentence in the amrev community. They were accusing him of being a p3d0phile, basically, specifically attracted to young boys.... Supposedly? There are many interpretations. I personally believe the letter referred to men around 18 years old, considering Von Steuben's relationship with men around that age later. There has never been any evidence that Von Steuben was a pedophile, though there definitely is evidence he was homosexual, or queer at the very least. Frederick the Great didn't find any evidence he was attracted to children, either, though allegedly did officially exile the baron for charges of homosexuality, which was a federal crime, only 5 days after he returned to Prussia. Von Steuben, now broke and with nowhere to go, returned to Paris and was like "Hey Franklin, about that offer, I could use it right now" and Franklin was like "YEAHHH BOI" And so they met up at a bath house, a place homosexual men commonly met to... H**k up, and a place Von Steuben was DEFINITELY familiar with. Franklin thought everything was looking good, and the group agreed that he'd be a great general for Valley Forge. Right before they sent him, however, they found out that he was attracted to men... THE NEXT PART GOES FOR QUESTION 2 TEEHEE

So... Yeah! Details! Yeah, he was pretty much kicked out for being gay :c

2. FRANKLIN'S RESPONSE WJOWJSJSJS

Franklin, Deane, and Beaumarchais... Honestly didn't care. Beaumarchais himself was pansexual, Deane was an ally and honestly indifferent, and Franklin was a MAJOR ally, some sites even saying he was queer himself, though I, as always, lack evidence. The group actually rushed to send him to America quicker, after finding out that... By law, Von Steuben was to be prosecuted wherever he went, as long as they could find him, and he was still in Europe. That was a thing... Yup... So they basically rushed him over so he wasn't hung or something, yay!! Franklin then wrote a flowery letter to George Washington basically saying "hey man I'm sending this really cool Prussian, he was a general, an aide to the king, and allat." Von Steuben was NOT a general in Prussia, and that was likely something Franklin made up to try to make up for the damage done to Von Steuben's reputation. From what we know, it was likely that Washington actually knew Von Steuben was homosexual before he arrived, but also couldn't care less.

So, that probably makes sense, but if it doesn't, I'm 100% here to clarify, I'm so sorry I ramble a lot.

(as a wise redditor once said, "he doesn't have to BE straight, he just has to shoot straight" man, I love military redditors during pride month.)

3. Yup yup!

Von Steuben actually didn't know much English! He DEFINITELY got, like, scarily and aggressively angry, and would call over his aides, mostly his lovers actually, because his lovers served as his aides-de-camps as Frederick taught him to do, okay I'm rambling sorry, but he would say "My dear Du Ponceau/Walker, please come swear for me in English. These fellows won't do what I bid them to!"

Von Steuben would get, like, ANGRY angry, and they'd usually have to calm him down after a while :P

Du Ponceau, aide and (lover?) to the baron, said that the soldiers would laugh out loud when they heard Du Ponceau translate all these scandalous words in his calm and reserved voice.

... I'm an extremely hardcore Steuponceau shipper btw so I hope this isn't biased but it might be😬

Von Steuben also had an extremely eclectic personality and was a genuinely funny guy, even when he was simultaneously being a big scary drillmaster/inspector general.

OKAY SO UH FIRST OFF TYSMMMM FOR THE QUESTIONS AAAA I LOVE YAPPING, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED AN EVEN MORE RAMBLY ANSWER!!! IF YOU NEED ME TO DO A SECOND ONE ON SPECIFICALLY THE COOL STUFF HE DID IN AMERICA, I 100% WILL, OR IF YOU NEED ME TO CLARIFY ANYTHING OR MAKE IT CLEARER, I 1000000% WILL!

Also EEEEEEEEEEE THE BOOK RECS YAYAYAYAY :OOOO TY!?!?!! (I wasn't loved as a child in case it wasn't obvious :>>>>>)

[opera-ghosts]

By Troy Lennon /Daily Telegraph; May 5, 2018

Gaston Leroux was inspired to write Phantom of the Opera after Palais Garnier accident

WHEN a counterweight crashed through the roof of a Paris opera house, Gaston Leroux stored the story away to help create the Phantom of the Opera.

THERE had long been rumours that a ghost walked the halls of the opera house in Paris, known as the Palais Garnier. Some dismissed it as superstition, but many believe that confirmation came on May 20, 1896, during a performance of the opera Helle, by Étienne-Joseph Floquet. Act one had just finished and the audience had called for an encore from soprano Madame Rose Caron. As she finished her aria a loud noise was heard through the auditorium, followed by a crash and a cloud of dust.

A fire in the roof of the opera house had melted through a wire holding a counterweight for the chandelier. The weight had crashed through the ceiling injuring several people and killing Madame Chomette, the concierge of a boarding house, who was watching her first opera.

Some newspapers reported that the chandelier itself had crashed to the stage. Gaston Leroux, a journalist working for the newspaper Le Matin, read about the accident and used it, and the rumours of a ghost, as inspiration for a story about a disfigured man who menaces the cast and stage crew of an opera company at the Palais Garnier. Titled Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, it was first serialised in the periodical Le Gaulois in 1909 and as a novel in 1910. It was published in English as The Phantom of the Opera.

Leroux, who was born 157 years ago, was mostly known for his detective fiction, which inspired writers such as Agatha Christie. Yet outside France he is really only known for the Phantom, a story that has inspired plays, films and a hit Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.

Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux was born on May 6, 1868. His parents were travelling in a coach from Le Mans to Normandy when they had to stop so his mother could be taken to a nearby house to deliver the baby.

His father was a wealthy shipbuilder and Leroux lived a comfortable childhood, with a love of sailing, fishing and swimming. Straight out of school he went to work as a clerk in lawyer’s office, but spent his spare time writing stories and poetry. He was then sent to university to study law, winning awards and prizes and giving every indication that he was headed for a glittering law career.

But when his father died in 1889, leaving him a million francs, Leroux sank into a life of self-indulgence, gambling, going to the theatre and partying so hard he ended up broke after six months.

Faced with the need to work and frustrated by the legal system, Leroux pursued writing, taking jobs as a theatre critic and court reporter. By 1890 he had become a full-time journalist, impressing his editors by using forged credentials to score an interview with a high-profile prisoner awaiting trial.

His expertise in law also saw him reporting on the Dreyfus Affair, when anti-semitic elements in the French army conspired to accuse Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus of espionage, seeing him drummed out of the army and sentenced to life in prison in 1894. Leroux described Dreyfus’s trial as a farce and was one of the many journalists who campaigned to free Dreyfus.

Leroux also became a foreign correspondent travelling the world, including to Africa and Antarctica. He even reported on the 1905 revolution in Russia, although at times using his flair for creative writing to embellish his copy. At the time he could be relied on to boost circulation with his colourful stories.

But Leroux tired of being at the beck and call of editors, decided to concentrate purely on his forays into fiction. He had been publishing short stories in newspapers for years, so in 1907 he published his first novel, Le mystère de la chambre jaune (The Mystery of the Yellow Room), introducing amateur sleuth journalist Joseph Rouletabille. Inspired partly by his own experiences as a court reporter and Arthur Conan Doyle’s “consulting detective” Sherlock Holmes, it was light on action but struck the right balance of mystery and intellect to appeal to French readers.

He followed this with many other mystery novels featuring Rouletabille but, in between, he wrote other novels, including The Phantom of the Opera.

After several of his works were adapted to film he realised the cinematic potential of his fiction and in 1919 formed a film company with another writer, Arthur Bernede, to make films of his own novels and plays.

In 1922 Leroux gave a copy of Phantom to the head of Universal Pictures, Carl Laemmle, while Laemmle was visiting Paris. It resulted in the 1925 Lon Chaney adaptation, which made Leroux’s name famous outside France and helped him pay off gambling debts.

Some of his other works were also adapted to film in the US, but his detective works, despite winning fans like Christie, were not as popular in the English-speaking world.

Leroux died in Nice in 1927.

[asongofgoldenfireandblackblood]

Wanted Site Connection:

home — navigate — wanted — discord — apply — directory — faq

We are No-Dance!AU and politics, family, and court-drama focused RP. To join, check out our main site, and find out who our court would like to see on our Most Wanted page, send us a raven with any questions and once you're ready to apply, and then join us for plotting and OOC-Chat on our Discord!!

Elenda is particularly wanted by her daughters, Lady Maris, Lady Ellyn, and Lady Floris, as well as by Princess Rhaenys Targaryen-Velaryon, Prince Daeron Targaryen, Queen Alicent Hightower, Ser Garmund Hightower, Lady-Regent Clarice Tyrell, Lord Dalton Greyjoy, and Ruling-Lady Mahira Dayne

Note: Character traits, faceclaim, and details are suggestions and can be reworked to a certain extent if discussed with the current members of the RP!

Character Biography Under the Cut

The eldest daughter of Lord Royce Caron and his Lady wife, Elenda Baratheon is 40 years old and the Lady of Storms End. Seemingly cold on the outside but warm to friends and family, Elenda is known for her strong and nurturing nature. Always one to speak her mind on how she believes Storms End needs to be run, she is never far from her husband and prefers to spend her time overseeing decisions with him. Elenda does not often show her emotion through words or touch, but always through gesture or great gift that will let you know you have her favor. She speaks little to strangers but dotes on the ones she cares for, showering them with gifts and praise always, and expecting them to return those favors. At the age of ten and seven, Lady Elenda was married to Borros Baratheon, some saying that she had pushed extremely hard for this match, calling her overly ambitious. She had boasted about falling instantly in love with Lord Borros, but many have been quick to assume that what she truly wanted was to be the Lady of Storms End, and her love was only a lie to achieve her ambitions. No matter her true intentions, the two were married and had their eldest daughter, Cassandra, two years later. Together the two have four daughters, Cassandra, Maris, Ellyn, and Floris. Elenda is noted to be extremely proud of her eldest daughter, sharing a close relationship with her. Elenda is fond of fine jewelry and clothing, loving to pick out outfits for herself and her family members including her children and husband. Others are quick to call Lady Elenda ambitious just as they did in her youth, as she has now integrated her daughters heavily with the royal family and strives to ensure her daughters are as successful in their own marriages and lives as she believes she's been. Suggested faceclaim: Maria Doyle-Kennedy in The Tudors

[hotvintagepoll]

These polls are dramatically helping my new year's resolution to watch more movies. I saw The Maltese Falcon the other night and got Stray Dog out of the library when I returned it. I'm so glad I kept the DVD drive when I rebuilt the computer!

Same!! So far this year I've already watched—

The Navigator (Buster Keaton, Noble Johnson)

On The Town (Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly)

The Raven (Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre)

Separate Tables (David Niven, Burt Lancaster)

House of Long Shadows (Vincent Price, Peter Cushing)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Dick Van Dyke)

The Court Jester (Basil Rathbone, Danny Kaye)

Gigi (none of our hot men but a very fetching Leslie Caron)

Mame (Rosalind Russell. My god)

The Lady Vanishes (Michael Redgrave)

Nothing like staring at a hot man to get a cinema craving.

[beardedmrbean]

A Brooklyn priest who was demoted after Sabrina Carpenter filmed a risqué music video in his church last year is in the news once more — and the pop star has weighed in.

Jamie Gigantiello was reportedly relieved of his administrative duties at the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in November 2023 after Carpenter, 25, filmed a raunchy music video for her song “Feather” at his church. And in light of New York City Mayor Eric Adams' indictment, questions have arisen over Gigantiello's alleged entanglement with one of Adams’ closest associates.

At her concert in New York City's Madison Square on Sunday, Sept. 29, Carpenter dipped her toe into the discourse.

"What should we talk about... how I got the mayor indicted?" she quipped from the stage.

In recent weeks, federal investigators have issued a subpoena to the church seeking information about financial or business dealings between Gigantiello and Frank Carone, Adams’ former chief of staff, according to the New York Post and NBC New York.

Adams was charged on Sept. 25. with five criminal counts relating to his alleged ties with foreign businessmen and a Turkish official who sought to influence his decision-making. Carone resigned as the mayor’s chief of staff in 2022 to run a consulting firm, but is now chairing Adams’ reelection campaign, the Post reported.

“The Diocese is fully committed to cooperating with law enforcement in all investigations, including conduct at individual parishes or involving any priests,” a spokeswoman for the Brooklyn Diocese told the outlets.

Outlets including Politico have suggested that the latter part of the Brooklyn Diocese's statement refers to the "Feather" video causing a domino effect that ultimately led to an investigation into Gigantiello, described as having a taste for flashy accessories such as a large Rolex, and then into Adams' ultimate indictment.

Meanwhile, defense attorney Arthur Aidala told the Post that Gigantiello “is not the target of any federal, state or city investigation.”

The monsignor first made headlines last year after Carpenter filmed her “Feather” music video, a horror-inspired clip that sees the star on a killing spree to off boys who have wronged her, in his Williamsburg church (The star has said her team got permission to film).

At the time, the music video ruffled feathers, with the Diocese of Brooklyn reportedly saying in a statement he was “appalled at what was filmed.”

In response, the parish said that the production company that made the video “failed to accurately represent the video content.”

Gigantiello was demoted in the aftermath, and at the time, he said in a statement that he’d allowed the video because he wanted to “strengthen the bonds between the young creative artists who make up a large part of this community and the parish.”

He said he and the parish staff “were not aware that anything provocative was occurring in the church.”

Adams, meanwhile, pleaded not guilty in court on Sept. 27, according to the Associated Press.

He is charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery and receiving campaign contributions by foreign nationals; as well as one count of bribery, one count of wire fraud, and two counts of soliciting a contribution by a foreign national.

“The conduct alleged in the indictment — the foreign money, the corporate money, the bribery, the years of concealment — is a grave breach of public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams after the charges were revealed on Thursday, Sept. 26.

[insooth]

open starter ft. lady vereena caron. location: the grand ballroom || the hour: afternoon of the day after the ball accepting (4/5) – @ravasz, @crvwncd, @dearorphic, @disrcpairs, +1

“I see the stage remains set." Though shades of mundanity overtook the dramatics, now that the show was over, the picture of grandiosity was clear enough, enthralling all of the court to heed the whims of a select few. It would be disingenuous to say she simply 'didn't mind' missing the ball, and she had her own restless reasons for that, but– regardless, the notion of such a conniving little dance arrangement did not sit well with her. "No flourish spared for the spectacle." Slender fingers reach for one of the uncanny Tyrell blooms woven around a pillar, trailing through hardened, gold-dusted petals – token of the bold lavishness their hosts flaunted. A huff in soft amusement escapes her before she clasps at the stem and plucks it off with a deliberate twist. Its scent, brought to face, detestably sweet, as her wince betrays. Distaste not entirely wiped from semblance as violet orbs flicker at the liege in the room with her. “You were here for it, I'm guessing, my Liege. Did you dance to the Ruling Lady's tune?"

[piizunn]

not your founding father (mouthpiece)

My thoughts on Louis Riel being named first premier of Manitoba.

Taanshi kiyawow, Riel dishinikashoon. I descend maternally from seven Métis families from the historic Red River Settlement in Manitoba and Batoche, Saskatchewan. Notably, my Berthelett ancestors worked for the North West Company and were community leaders in the Métis settlement of Pointe a Grouette before it was systemically overtaken by French settlers who claim we formed no roots in the area (St. Onge). My Caron ancestors from Batoche fought in the North West Resistance alongside Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont. My fifth-great-uncle Jean Caron Sr. fought alongside his sons at the age of 52; his house still stands in Batoche to this day, where thousands of Métis make pilgrimages every year to remember the events of 1885. 

What do you know about Louis Riel?

I can only read his words and imagine what guidance he would have provided had he lived longer than 41 years. Or imagine myself in his place as he walked to the gallows on November 16th, 1885. As a child when I visited Manitoba my grandpa and my kokum would take me to visit his grave, just as they did with my mother, who named me ‘Riel’.

We are inextricably linked through time and across our homelands. What’s in a name? Unasked for? Not yet earned? I do not yet know who I am to my people but I carry an important name and the trickster’s spirit, and with these comes the responsibility of understanding and revealing cultural and societal truths (Stimson).

I am still growing into my name

Today I am a mouthpiece

An interpreter of the past

What do you know about the trial of Louis Riel?

July 31st, 1885, Riel gives his final speech. Historical weather data shows that it was a hot day in Regina. Cooler than the days before but still hot with the swelter of the plains. He spoke long, in English, not the language of his birth.

“The day of my birth I was helpless and my mother took care of me although she was not able to do it alone; there was someone to help her to take care of me and I lived. Today, although a man, I am as helpless before this court, in the Dominion of Canada and in this world, as I was helpless on the knees of my mother the day of my birth. The Northwest is also my mother; it is my mother country and although my mother country is sick and confirmed in a certain way, there are some from Lower Canada who came to help her to take care of me during her sickness and I am sure that my mother country will not kill me more than my mother did forty years ago when I came into the world, because a mother is always a mother, and even if I have my faults, if she can see I am true, she will be full of love for me.”

“When I came into the Northwest in July, the 1st of July 1884, I found the Indians suffering. I found the half-breeds eating the rotten pork of the Hudson Bay Company and getting sick and weak every day. Although a half-breed, and having no pretension to help the whites, I also paid attention to them. [...] We have made petitions, I have made petitions with others to the Canadian government asking to relieve the condition of this country.”

“We have taken time; we have tried to unite all classes, even may speak, all parties.”

“During my life I have aimed at practical results. I have writings, and after my death I hope that my spirit will bring practical results.”

“When we sent petitions to the Government, they used to answer us by sending police [...] There are papers which the Crown has in its hands, and which show that demoralisation exists among the police, if you will allow me to say it in the court, as I have said it in writing.”

“If I am blessed without measure I can see something into the future, we all see into the future more or less.”

“The only things I would like to call your attention to before you retire to deliberate are: 

1st That the House of Commons, Senate and Ministers of the Dominion, and who make laws for this land and govern it, are no representation whatever of the people of the North-West.

2nd That the North-West Council generated by the Federal Government has the great defect of its parent.

3rd The number of members elected for the Council by the people make it only a sham representative legislature and no representative government at all.”

“I have never had any pay. It has always been my hope to have a fair living one day. It will be for you to pronounce - if you say I was right, you can conscientiously acquit me, as I hope through the help of God you will. You will console those who have been fifteen years around me only partaking in my sufferings. What you will do in justice to me, in justice to my family, in justice to my friends, in justice to the North-West, will be rendered a hundred times to you in this world, and to use a sacred expression, life everlasting in the other.”

What do you know about Louis Riel?

I have done this walk in my mind so many times that I have lost count. Historical accounts of the day note that it was a chill, clear, autumn morning. The prairies stretched out, silver frost bathed in sunlight. He faced it all and was brave until the end. Despite reports of it being destroyed, former premier of Manitoba Duff Roblin and his family, and the RCMP gloat over the supposed fragments of the rope that hanged the traitor, and I wonder how long the rope would be if you lined up every single scrap of twine rumoured to be the noose that killed Riel?

Does it make you feel less guilty to call him a founding father? Canadians are only able to remember him through his murder and not through his words that can still animate his presence. Written words and objects once owned are ghosts, extensions of our bodies and spirits. When I read his letters and journals I see the urgency in his penmanship, and I think about the sweat and invisible oils of his skin becoming a part of each page as he wrote and wrote and wrote. I wonder where each journal travelled with him during his exile, and why he chose each book. There is one with an illustration of a guardian angel watching over two children, and I wonder if he thought of himself as one of them being shepherded through life by his ancestors. 

Canadians argue about whether or not Riel should have been hanged instead of talking about what he had believed and said and accomplished, and what he wanted to do with the rest of his life had it not been cut short. 

No one talks about his dreams or his fears, and he did not live long enough to answer the question of if he would have wanted to be revered as the first premier of Manitoba. Or, in response would he ask for clean water for all, to stop the sweeps, and starlight tours? Would he ask for the Winnipeg police to search the landfills for our murdered women instead of brutalizing and killing us? Would he call for an end to all colonialism and genocide? Or would he simply ask for a place to smudge and be in peace for a while?

When we send petitions to the government they still answer us by sending the police, before turning around and calling Louis Riel a founding father (Riel).

Canada cannot answer these questions for him by giving him that title posthumously, only sit with the discomfort of blood-soaked hands, and wonder how different things would have been had that sacred fire not been snuffed out in 1885.

I cannot answer these questions for him either

And I am still growing into our name.

Works Cited

Riel, Louis. Excerpts from his final statement in court on trial, July 31st, 1885

Stimson, Adrian, “Buffalo Boy: Then and Now.” Fuse Magazine, vol. 32, no. 2, 2009, pp. 18-25. 

St-Onge, Nicole J.M. “The Dissolution of a Métis Community: Pointe à Grouette, 1860–1885.” Studies in Political Economy 18.1 (1985): 149–172. Web. 

[mortalfaerie]

archmaester glyden on the 'eldest storm'

Cassandra Baratheon was born in the one-hundred and eleventh year after Aegon's Conquest to Borros Baratheon and his lady wife, Elenda Caron. She was the first of no less than four daughters the couple would produce, aptly dubbed 'the four storms' by contemporaries for the famous wit, beauty, and sharp tongues possessed by the girls. The reputation for volatility that was associated with them can be attributed primarily to the second of the storms, Maria Baratheon, who famously requested of a suitor "both his [testicles] as a courting gift, that it might spare [her] the disgrace of baring his children."

Contemporary accounts inform us that Cassandra was of a more mild and discerning temperament than her younger sister, though no less sharp of tongue when it suited her. It was the character of the eldest girl to observe rather than to act immediately, and when her sisters required insight or a second opinion of the intentions of a suitor, she was prepared with an honest - though perhaps, sometimes harsh - report of him.

When King Viserys I announced the betrothal of his younger daughter, Helaena, to his eldest son, Aegon, Lady Cassandra was selected from a list of noble daughters as a suitable lady-in-waiting to her grace, the Princess. As she was yet below the age of majority, her guardianship was given to the Queen. Faced with a new court and many new persons, Cassandra's quiet demeanor was quickly mistaken for demureness, and thus she was (incorrectly) dubbed 'Doe-Eyed Cass.'

[crownsbreak]

࣪𓏲ּ  ֶָ  𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝒕𝒗  ⁝         emma rigby,  30,  cis woman,  she/her.    announcing  the  arrival  of  AEREA  of  house  TARGARYEN,  the  PRINCESS  of  WESTEROS.  whispers  among  the  court  name  them  to  be  both  ADROIT  and  QUICK TEMPERED  in  disposition,  and  those  closest  to  them  speak  to  their  interests  in  history.  if  we  bards  could  compose  a  song  for  them,  it  might  tell  stories  of  a soft yet commanding voice that gives no room for error, a sharp tongue disguised by projected gentle demeanor, servants tell the stories of a violet dragon's rage.  the  seven  whisper  to  their  most  devout  queen  as  she  sleeps,  making  her  question  where  their  loyalties  truly  lie.  are  they  right  to  whisper?  for  their  loyalties  truly  lie  with  THE  TARGARYENS.   

basic information.

official  name:  aerea targaryen.  nicknames:  rea.  noble  title:  princess of westeros.  date  of  birth:  middle of winter.  age:  30.  birthplace:  king's landing.  home:  wherever the court dictates she go.  gender:  cis woman.  pronouns:  she / her.  orientation:  demisexual demiromantic.  monikers:  the violet dragon.  languages:  common tongue, high valyrian.  accent:  a soft voice that doesn't reflect what she's thinking.

physical information.

faceclaim:  emma rigby.  hair:  silver that stops just above her tail bone, often braided and kept out of her eyes.  eyes:  violet.  height:  5'6".  build:  slender, curvaceous.  scent:  perfumes with no distinct scents that can be picked out.  dominant  hand:  right.  allergies:  fireplums.  scars:  some from early days with her dragon.  distinguishing  features: eyes.  clothing  style:  reds and blacks of house targaryen with gold jewelry, three rings on her left hand, two on her right at all times.

personality.

label:   the marionette ( public appearance ), the sovereign ( private appearance ).   mbti:   entj.   enneagram:   the challenger.   element:   earth.   star   sign:   capricorn.   temperament:   sanguine ( public appearance ), choleric ( private appearance ).   character   inspirations:   tbd.   deadly   sin:   envy.   heavenly   virtue:   temperance.   godly   parent:   hera.

drives.

hobbies:  reading, riding horses, archery, listening to gossip.  religion:  faith of the seven.  alliance:  members of her house.  personal goals:  keep house targaryen as a powerful force that's respected through actions instead of fear.  would they choose family or power?  power.

familial ties.

parents: queen rhaena targaryen, king consort leyton hightower. siblings: crown prince rhaeys taragryen, prince aelyx targaryen, princes calyx targaryen, princess viserra targaryen extended: princess catraena dagareon, house caastamere, house celitgar, house caron.  

narrative.

to be done after plotting.

wanted  connections.

trusted ladies in waiting ( 2 ) line of gossip/information negative influences former flames/flings potential betrothed enemies ( people that have seen that aerea isn't the sweet, docile woman she acts like for the court )

[highkingpetermagnificent]

Help my wife! 3, 4, 17 and 19!

End-of-year book asks

3. What were your top five books of the year?

Oooh!!

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang. This is a banger and I recommend it to everyone.

Queenship at the Renaissance Courts of Britain: Catherine of Aragon and Margaret Tudor, 1503-1533 by Michelle L. Beer.

Meet Me at the Museum by Ann Youngson.

Object Lessons: The Life of the Woman and the Poet in Our Time by Eavan Boland.

The Barber of Seville/The Marriage of Figaro by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, translated by John Wood (Penguin Classics.)

4. Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

I feel like neither of these completely count, since I've read their shorter works before, but here we are.

I finished reading Fintan O'Toole's We Don't Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Ireland this year, and it makes me want to check out the other books he's written.

I also really enjoyed Michelle L. Beer's book, above. I'm pretty sure I've read articles by her before, but I'd love for her to put out another book.

17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

The Water Outlaws, above!! I didn't expect it to be that much of a banger. (I think that is because I am slightly jaded about fiction nowadays.) But it really is!! It's great!!!!!

19. Did you use your library?

I always do! Though not as much as last year, as I've been trying to get through the backlog of books I've bought and haven't read yet. (Somehow that backlog keeps growing. Through mysterious forces.)

[avernusreject]

Since I need to focus on something other then staring at the clock waiting for the next two weeks to pass until veilguard, I cracked and decided to play Awakening for the first time.

I'm actually so obsessed with the Orlesian warden commander. The whole dynamic of this foreigner showing up to a place where pretty much everyone actively dislikes them and they are now in charge of everything is great. Especially, paired with the iconic move of showing up in armor gifted by Empress Celene just to add extra salt to the Ferelden wounds.

Lowkey, I'm in love with my warden commander. Her name is Camille Caron. She's the middle child of the Comte Emil Caron of Orlais. She spent her life training to become a chevalier, only to publicly disgrace herself in front of the imperial court by acting dishonorably in a duel with a rival. She joined the wardens in a last ditch effort to save her and her family's reputation.

My HoF is still alive in universe, but since I had to factory reset my computer, I lost her files (I really don't have it in me to replay origins again only to have my warden in awakening). So my hc is that Uthna gave her warden responsibilities the finger for a year or two after DAO (she takes over the position of warden commander when Camille eventually returns to Orlais).

Also, I just found out about the Nathaniel romance mod and its just so good. Adding romance to Awakening? Great, wonderful, we love that. But adding the contextual layer of Howe's son falling in love with an Orlesian noble that took over his ancestorial home and title? Amazing, no notes.

[latristereina]

Elephant, circa 1576

detail: Francis, Duke of Anjou, Margaret of Valois, Henry II, Duke of Lorraine

Quintain, circa 1576, Henry III in the foreground

Polish Ambassadors, circa 1576

Tournament, circa 1576

Barriers, circa 1576

Journey, circa 1576

Fontainebleau, circa 1580, Henry III and Queen Louise of Lorraine in the foreground

Water Festival at Bayonne, circa 1580-81, depicts festivities at the summit meeting between the French and Spanish courts at Bayonne in 1565

The Valois Tapestries

“The series is composed of eight tapestries, woven with wool, silk, silver and gilt metal-wrapped thread, commissioned around 1575 by Catherine de’ Medici to an unidentified Brussels atelier, based on cartoons by Lucas de Heere from drawings by court painter Antoine Caron.” (x)

The tapestries are in the Uffizi Museum in Florence (x)

[songsofprotestpeacerevolution]

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