#re: john and Isabella

[wiinestories]

John & lsabella || @wrldofmyown [ closed starter ]

The Tarasov mob had long been a persistent thorn in John's side, a relentless adversary that seemed to haunt him at every turn. The memory of Helen's death, a wound that never truly healed, served as a constant reminder of the pain and loss he had endured. Her tragic demise had propelled John into a world of darkness and violence, forcing him to confront aspects of himself that he never thought possible. In the wake of Helen's death, John's perspective on life had shifted dramatically.

No longer content to simply exist in the shadows, John had embarked on a journey of vengeance and redemption, determined to rid the world of the evil that had taken his beloved from him. Meanwhile, Viggo Tarasov, head of the criminal syndicate, tasked one of his most trusted lieutenants, Yuri Zavorotko, with the crucial assignment of locating John and delivering his remains to him. This task came with an enormous compensation, serving as Zavorotko's biggest motivation. However, unbeknownst to Viggo and his men, John had secret associates within the Tarasov organization, allowing him to stay one step ahead. Now, John had set his sights on Zavorotko, determined to eliminate him and send a powerful message to his enemies.

This task required the assassin to travel to the vibrant city of London, specifically to the British Museum where Zavorotko was attending a charity event. Dressed in his signature black clothing, John Wick opted to wear sunglasses and tie his dark locks of hair into a small ponytail, hoping to blend in and avoid drawing attention to himself as he stalked his adversary. The charity gathered many affluent people from across Europe, possibly more than a hundred, which was a clear advantage for him and suited him to blend in easily. Once inside the building, John's gaze wandered over the paintings and structures held within, each one a relic of history. He couldn't help but appreciate the artistry surrounding him, even amidst the bustling atmosphere of the event. Busy locations like this weren't his preferred environment; he longed for the tranquility he had lost ever since becoming the target of relentless pursuit.

As he made his way to the center of the large room, John spotted his target with a young woman, but their interaction was far from amicable. The man seemed to be harassing her, and while John wasn't fond of such behavior towards women, he knew he couldn't risk being seen by his target when the element of surprise was his greatest weapon. He waited until she had been left alone and Zavototko had stranded far from her to approach her. After all, John easily read the woman’s reaction; she was shaken, upset and even terrified. Fucking asshole.

"Miss, excuse me," John began in a tone of voice that wasn't loud, but just enough for her to hear. "I couldn't help but notice what just happened. Are you alright?" Of course, he was playing innocent, and hoped she knew something about Yuri that he didn’t know.

[wonder-worker]

are there any books you'd recommend for Isabelle of Angouleme?

Hi! I’m really not an expert on Isabella of Angouleme so I'm probably not the best person to ask for recommendations for her. Here are some I've heard of, though I haven't read all of them:

"Isabella of Angouleme: John's Jezebel" by Nicholas Vincent (King John: New Interpretations). I haven't read it myself but I've heard good things!

“Maternal Abandonment and Surrogate Caregivers: Isabella of Angoulême and Her Children by King John” by Louise J. Wilkinson (Virtuous or Villainess? The Image of the Royal Mother from the Early Medieval to the Early Modern Era). It focuses more-so on Isabella's tenure as queen, the period shortly after John's death, and her decision to leave England. Despite what the title may imply, it's sympathetic to Isabella and analyzes her situation in detail.

“Co-Operation, Co-Rulership and Competition: Queenship in the Angevin Domains 1135-1230” by Gabrielle Storey, her PHD thesis which collectively focuses on Isabella of Angouleme along with Empress Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Berengaria of Navarre. You can read/download it here, it's an excellent piece for all four women.

Sally Spong has written/is writing:

Isabella of Angouleme: The Vanished Queen (Norman to Early Plantagenet Consorts). You can see her conclusion here. It's nuanced and sympathetic, though not without its issues and pre-conceived notions.

Isabella of Gloucester and Isabella of Angouleme: Female Lordship, Queenship, Power, and Authority 1189-1220 (PHD thesis University of East Anglia).

“Isabelle d’Angouleme, By the Grace of God, Queen” by William Chester Jordan. You can read it online here, though I will say that it's ... very very questionable, accepting the sensational claims of lot of unreliable sources (including the idea of John abducting Isabella in a fit of uncontrollable infatuation) entirely at face-value.

“The Marriage and Coronation of Isabelle of Angouleme” by H.G. Richardson, available here on JSTOR.

Isabella has also been the subject of two complete French biographies till date:

"Isabelle d’Angoulême, reine d’Angleterre" (Aquitaine: 1998) by Sophie Fougere.

"Isabelle d’Angoulême, comtesse-reine et son temps (1186-1246)" [Actes du colloque tenu à Lusignan, 8 au 10 novembre 1996] by Gabriel Biancotto, Robert Favreau and Piotr Skubiszewski.

There are also a few blog posts about her (here and here) which may help if you want a brief overview of her life, though they can get a little sensationalistic sometimes.

Hope this helps! If anyone knows any others, please feel free to add on!

[notanichan]

otome masterlist

Warning: May have spoilers.

🌕 - Routes I have finished. 🌑 - Routes I need to finish. 🌗 - Routes I have started but not finished. 🌟 - Games I have finished. 🕒 - Games' Developers/Publishers

-> Mystic Destinies : Serendipity Of Aeons 🌟

🌕 Shou Hatori 🌕 Shinji Hirayama 🌕 Takumi Arai 🌕 Tatsuya Yukimura 🌕 Hikaru Kazama

-> Amnesia : Memories 🌟

🌕 Toma 🌕 Ikki 🌕 Shin 🌕 Kent 🌕 Ukyo

-> Nightshade 🌟

🌕 Kuroyuki 🌕 Gekkamaru 🌕 Goemon 🌕 Chojiro 🌕 Hanzo

-> Seduce Me

🌕 Sam 🌕 Damien 🌕 Matthew 🌕 Erik 🌕 James 🌑 Suzu 🌑 Naomi 🌕 Andrew 🌕 Diana

-> Seduce Me 2 - The Demon War

🌕 Sam 🌕 Matthew 🌕 Erik 🌑 James 🌑 Damien 🌑 Diana

-> Demon Crashers

🌕 Kael 🌕 Orias 🌕 Akki 🌑 Mirari

-> The Men Of Yoshiwara: Kikuya

🌕 Hayabusa 🌕 Takao 🌑 Kagura 🌕 Kagerou 🌕 Iroha 🌗 Iroha 2nd Season 🌑 Tokiwa

-> The Men Of Yoshiwara: Ohgiya 🌟

🌕 Ageha 🌕 Utsusemi 🌕 Takigawa 🌕 Gakuto 🌕 Asagiri

-> Seven Boys 2 🌟

🌕 Vincent 🌕 Randle 🌕 Bevis 🌕 Kevin 🌕 Aaron 🌕 Clement 🌕 Rock 🌕 Julian

-> Soulset 🌟

🌕 Yvonne 🌕 Shira 🌕 Apris 🌕 Verin 🌕 Shirr 🌕 Marco 🌕 Feathor 🌕 'Secret'

-> Hustle Cat

🌕 Reese 🌑 Finley 🌑 Hayes 🌑 Landry 🌑 Mason 🌑 'Secret'

-> This World Unknown

🌕 Asa 🌗 Luca 🌑 Garett 🌑 Val

-> The Royal Trap: Confines Of The Crown

🌕 Callum 🌕 Oscar 🌗 Nazagi 🌑 Gaston

-> Let's Not Stay Friends

🌕 Frenz 🌕 Taf 🌑 Burain

-> Nameless: The One Thing You Must Recall

🌕 Red 🌕 Lance 🌕 Yuri 🌕 Tei 🌑 Yeonho 🌑 ???

-> Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds

🌕 Souji Okita 🌑 Toshizo Hijikata 🌕 Hajime Saito 🌕 Heisuke Toudou 🌕 Sanosuke Harada 🌑 Shinpachi Nagakura 🌕 Keisuke Sanan 🌑 Susumu Yamazaki 🌕 Hachiro Iba 🌑 Kazue Souma 🌑 Ryouma Sakamoto 🌕 Chikage Kazama 🌑 Independant

-> Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms

🌕 Souji Okita 🌑 Toshizo Hijikata 🌕 Hajime Saito 🌕 Heisuke Toudou 🌕 Sanosuke Harada 🌑 Shinpachi Nagakura 🌕 Keisuke Sanan 🌑 Susumu Yamazaki 🌗 Hachiro Iba 🌑 Kazue Souma 🌑 Ryouma Sakamoto 🌕 Chikage Kazama

-> Re Alistair 🌟

🌕 Derek 🌕 Travis 🌕 Shiro

-> Backstage Pass

🌕 John 🌕 Benito 🌕 Adam 🌕 Matthew 🌑 Lloyd 🌑 Independant 🌑 Nicole 🌑 Alvin

-> Dream Daddy

🌕 Joseph 🌕 Robert 🌕 Craig 🌑 Mat 🌑 Brian 🌑 Hugo 🌑 Damien 🌑 Joseph Secret Ending

-> Fashioning Little Miss Lonesome

🌕 Saito Shinjou 🌑 Miki Hiraizumi

-> Monochrome Heaven 🌟

🌕 Kamishiro Akito 🌕 Kamishiro Asuka 🌕 Kamishiro Riku 🌕 Touma 🌕 Misaki Ryuuto

-> Dandelion: Wishes Brought To You 🌟

🌕 Jisoo 🌕 Jiwoo 🌕 Jihae 🌕 Jiyeon 🌕 Jieun 🌕 Wizard

-> Amplitude

Katy's Route 🌕 Jon 🌕 Ari 🌕 Simon and Bunny 🌕 ??? Jon's Route 🌑 Michelle 🌑 Katy 🌑 Liz 🌑 Luna 🌑 Grace 🌑 Eric

-> Cinderella Phenomenon

🌕 Rod 🌕 Karma 🌕 Fritz 🌕 Waltz 🌑 Rumpel

-> Home For The Heart

🌕 Joshua 🌑 Philippe

-> The Letter

🌕 Luke x Rebecca 🌕 Luke x Hannah 🌑 Luke x Marianne 🌕 Hannah x Zachary 🌑 Hannah x Marianne 🌕 Ashton x Rebecca 🌕 Ashton x Isabella

-> Crossroad

🌕 Wolf 🌕 Hunter 🌑 Fox 🌑 Wizard 🌑 Main Route

-> Night Class: A Vampire Story

🌕 Rowan 🌕 Aaron 🌑 Both? I think?

-> Miraclr

🌕 Lucifer 🌑 Michael 🌑 Gabriel 🌑 Uriel 🌑 Raphael

-> Heart No Kuni No Alice

🌗 Boris Airay 🌑 Peter White 🌑 Blood Dupre 🌑 Julius Monre 🌑 Twins 🌑 Ace 🌑 Elliot 🌑 Gowland 🌑 Vivaldi

-> 7'Scarlet 🌟

🌕 Isora Amari 🌕 Hino Kagatsuchi 🌕 Toa Kushinada 🌕 Sosuke Tatehira 🌕 Yuzuki Murakumo 🌕 True Route (Toa Kushinada) 🌕 Bonus Character Route (Hanate Yatsukami)

-> Steam Prison 🌟

🌕 Eltcreed 🌕 Ulrik 🌕 Adage 🌕 Ines 🌕 Yune 🌕 Grand Ending 🌕 Fin

-> Destiny's Princess

🌕 Sanada Yukimura - The Twin Brother 🌕 Takenada Hanbei - The Fiance 🌕 Fuma Kotaro - The Ninja Reinforcement 🌕 Oda Nobunaga - The Father 🌑 Date Masamune - The Commander

-> London Detective Mysteria

🌕 Holmes 🌗 Watson 🌑 Akechi 🌑 Jack 🌑 Lupin 🌑 Kobayashi 🌑 Baker Street Boys 🌑 Grand End

-> Psychedelica Of The Black Butterfly 🌟

🌕 Real World Ending 🌕 Bud Ending 🌕 Happy Ending 🌕 Bad Ending 🌕 Kagiha Ending 🌕 Hikage Ending 🌕 Yamato Ending 🌕 Monshiro Ending 🌕 Karasuba Ending 🌕 Karasuba Good Ending 🌕 Kazuya Ending 🌕 Yamato Good Ending

-> Red Embrace: Hollywood

🌕 Common 1 🌕 Common 2 🌕 Randal 1 🌑 Randal 2 🌑 Randal 3 🌕 Randal 4 🌑 Randal 4 (Leader) 🌕 Randal 5 (S.E.) 🌑 Heath 1 🌑 Heath 1 (Leader) 🌕 Heath 2 🌕 Heath 3 🌕 Heath 4 (S.E.) 🌑 Markus 1 🌑 Markus 1 (Leader) 🌑 Markus 2 🌕 Markus 3 🌕 Markus 4 (S.E.)

-> Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk 🌟

🌕 People 🌕 Heroes 🌕 Bad 🌕 Lord 🌕 Lavan 🌕 Heroine 🌕 Levi 🌕 Lugus 🌕 Hugh 🌕 Traveler 🌕 Links 🌕 Wolf

-> Dark Nights

🌗 Zeikun 🌑 Junoru 🌑 Sachiro 🌑 Kurato

-> Gods Of Love 🌟

🌕 Lysander 🌕 Helder 🌕 Exinious 🌕 Rhane

-> Re:Birthday Song 🌟

🌕 Yoru 🌕 Kairi 🌕 Syun 🌕 Ame 🌕 Nami

-> Ayakashi Gohan

🌕 Inushima Yomi 🌕 Serigano Manatsu 🌕 Hana Suou 🌕 Inushima Uta 🌗 Ibuki Haginosuke 🌑 Kimura Asagi

-> Bad Medicine ~Infectious Teachers~

🌗 Kuzuha Kakeru 🌑 Shido Kaname 🌑 Yanagi Ryota

-> Taisho x Alice I 🌟 🌕 Red Riding Hood 🌕 Cinderella

-> Taisho x Alice II 🌟 🌕 Gretel 🌕 Kaguya

-> Taisho x Alice III 🌟 🌕 Wizard 🌕 Snow White

-> Taisho x Alice Epilogue 🌟 🌕 Alice

-> Taisho x Alice Heads & Tails 🌑 Cinderella 🌑 Red Riding Hood 🌑 Kaguya 🌑 Gretel 🌑 Snow White 🌑 Wizard 🌑 Alice 🌕 Ryouishi

-> Ozmafia 🌕 Caramia 🌑 Kyrie 🌑 Axel 🌑 Scarlet 🌑 Caesar 🌑 Soh 🌑 Pashet 🌑 Robin Hood 🌑 Brothel 🌑 Hamelin

-> Fxxx Me Royally!! 🌑 Kaoru 🌑 Ryuusei

🕒 Cheritz

-> Mystic Messenger 🌟

🌕 Jumin [valentines confession|http://aminoapps.com/p/200ytad] 🌕 Yoosung 🌕 707 🌕 Zen 🌕 V 🌕 Ray 🌕 Jaehee

🕒 Voltage

-> Love 365

🌕 Yamato - My Forged Wedding 🌕 Yuma - Buter Until Midnight 🌕 Genji - In Your Arms Tonight 🌕 Sosuke - Finally In Love Again 🌕 Subaru - My Sweet Boyfriend 🌕 Eisuke - Kissed By The Baddest Bidder

🕒 Visual Wordplay

-> Locked Heart

🌗 Sol D'Lockes (Mama Bear) 🌑 Royal LeBlanc (Papa Bear) 🌑 Deon D'Lockes (Baby Bear)

🕒 Hunex Co. Ltd.

-> Ephemeral

🌕 Shiba The Werewolf (R) 🌗 Shiba The Werewolf (L) 🌑 Nagi The Invisible Man (R) 🌑 Nagi The Invisible Man (L) 🌕 Ray The Vampire (R) 🌗 Ray The Vampire (L) 🌕 Natsume The Mummy (R) 🌕 Natsume The Mummy (L)

-> On The QT 🌟

🌕 Hibiki 🌕 Keima 🌕 Akira

-> Ephemeral - Miniature Garden 🌟

🌕 Hisui 🌕 Rion 🌕 Yugu

-> My Lovey

(Secret Crush) 🌟 🌕 Soshi Kujo 🌕 Masaki Kirigaya 🌕 Kotaro Kurumi 🌕 Reo Takatsuki

(Fantasy Of The Mind) 🌟 🌕 Julius 🌕 Kay 🌕 Lucian 🌕 Diorca

(Shinobi Kakuran Musou) 🌗 Hayate 🌑 Mikage 🌑 Kugumo 🌑 Yukinojo

🕒 NTT Solmare Corp. Games

-> Story Jar

🌕 (Deluxe Ver. The Last Sacrifice | The Demon King's Desire) 🌕 (The Last Sacrifice | Forbidden Ties)

(The World Or You)

-> Ninja Love

🌕 Sasuke Sarutobi 🌑 Goemon Ishikawa 🌑 Saizo Kirigakure 🌑 Kotaro Fuma 🌑 Musashi Miyamoto 🌑 Munenori Yagyu 🌑 Rennoshin 🌑 Hanzo Hattori 🌑 Nobunaga Oda

-> Obey Me 🌟

🌕 Lucifer 🌕 Mammon 🌕 Leviathon 🌕 Satan 🌕 Asmodeus 🌕 Beelzebub 🌕 Belphegor

🕒 Hanabi Media Games

-> Love Magic 🌟

🌕 Minuet 🌕 Paris

-> Love Magic 2

🌕 Minuet 🌑 Paris

-> High School Love

🌕 Tetsuya 🌑 Naoki

-> Love Triangle 🌟

🌕 Tsukasa 🌕 Kazuya

-> Ghost Love Story

🌕 Kyle 🌑 Vincent

-> Vampire Love

🌑 Tom 🌕 Sam

🕒 Ciagram Co. ltd.

-> Princess Closet

🌕 Reo 🌑 Shuu 🌑 Kai 🌗 Akito

-> Nightmare Harem

🌕 Lucia 🌕 Kaim 🌕 Levy 🌕 Mikael 🌗 Noel 🌕 Ricardo 🌑 Mefy 🌑 Oswald 🌑 Lucas

-> Dateless Love 🌟

🌕 Soji Okita 🌕 Toshizo Hijikata 🌕 Shota Yuki 🌕 Yoshinobu Tokugawa 🌕 Akinara Aiya 🌕 Shinsaku Takasugi 🌕 Ryoma Sakamoto 🌕 Shuntaro Furutaka

🕒 Genius Inc.

-> My Twin Romance

🌗 Haru 🌑 Yuki 🌑 Both 🌑 Shizuki

🕒 Seec Inc.

-> Jimi-Kare My Quiet Boyfriend 🌟

🌕 Prince Ending 🌕 Arrogant Ending 🌕 Dark-Side Ending 🌕 Princess Ending

-> In Search Of Haru 🌟

🌕 Haruka 🌕 Takaharu 🌕 Bad Ending 🌕 Haruto

🕒 Day7

-> Miss Detective's Undercover

🌕 Sean 🌗 Jeremy 🌑 Walter 🌑 Mystic Thief

-> Love Signal: D-Mate

🌑 Simon Lane 🌑 Richard Upton 🌑 David Mason 🌗 P:Ure 🌕 Greg Odell 🌑 Tay Caden

-> Marked By King Bs 🌟

🌕 Ashton Griffin 🌕 Nicholas Rosada 🌕 William Kal 🌕 Zack Snyder 🌕 Joel Barret

-> Loved By King Bs

🌑 Ashton Griffin 🌑 Nicholas Rosada 🌗 William Kal 🌑 Zack Snyder 🌑 Joel Barret 🌑 Erick Blanche

-> Sleeping Delivery

🌗 Damian Kraus 🌕 Luke Morris 🌕 Julian Parker 🌑 Leo Reinhardt 🌑 Sebastian Weiss

-> Beauty Rental Shop

🌑 Toby Lowell 🌑 Lucian Vasilis 🌗 Soren Rayne 🌑 Kylar Xander

-> SECRET Fan Crush

🌑 Leon 🌑 Woobin 🌑 Haejin 🌑 Dohwon 🌑 Taehee 🌕 Parang Ki

-> Proposed by A Demon Lord

🌑 Penn 🌑 Hael 🌗 Laika 🌑 Riley 🌑 Vernius 🌑 Ren 🌑 Cornell 🌑 Isaac

🕒 Avocado Entertainment

-> Vampire Idol

🌑 Edgar 🌑 Kang Tae Jun 🌑 Ian 🌑 Lee Sun Woo 🌑 Baek Do Ha

🕒 DeareaD Inc.

-> Monster's First Love

🌗 Achille 🌑 Ibuki 🌑 King

🕒 StoryTaco.inc

-> Dangerous Fellows - Romantic Thrillers

🌕 Zion 🌕 Eugene 🌑 Lawrence 🌕 Harry 🌕 Ethan

-> Queen's Number - Jackpot is not my concern 🌟

🌕 Aaron 🌕 Freyr 🌕 Gon 🌕 Mo-wan

🕒 Nix Hydra

-> The Arcana : A Mystic Romance

🌗 Julian 🌗 Asra 🌑 Nadia 🌑 Lucio 🌑 Muriel 🌑 Portia

-> Storm Lover Kai!!

🌕 Kyosuke Mikoshiba 🌕 Yuto Uzuki 🌑 Mio Ikari 🌑 Rikka Toratani 🌑 Soya Tatsuhara 🌕 Takumi Mishiro 🌑 Tsukasa Sugai 🌑 Chihiro

-> Collar x Malice 🌟

🌕 Kei Okazaki 🌕 Mineo Enomoto 🌕 Takeru Sasazuka 🌕 Kageyuki Shiraishi 🌕 Aiji Yanagi

-> Code Realize ~Guardian Of Rebirth~ 🌟

🌕 Arsène Lupin 🌕 Abraham Van Helsing 🌕 Victor Frankenstein 🌕 Impey Barbicane 🌕 Saint-Germain

-> Piofore: Fated Memories

🌗 Nicola Francesca 🌕 Dante Falzone 🌑 Gilbert Redford 🌕 Yang 🌑 Orlok 🌑 Finale Route

-> Birushana 🌕 Noritsune Taira 🌕 Shungen 🌑 Benkai Mukashibo 🌕 Yoritomo Minamoto 🌕 Tomomori Taira

-> Cupid Parasite 🌑 Allan Melville 🌑 Raul Aconite 🌑 Gill Lovecraft 🌑 Shelby Snail 🌑 Ryuki Keisaiin -> Virche Evermore 🌟 🌕 Lucas  🌕 Mathis  🌕 Scien  🌕 Yves  🌕 Le Salut (Adolphe/Ankou)

-> Hana Awase New Moon Here I am considering each game as a single route. 🌕 Iroha Volume 🌕 Mizuchi Volume 🌑 Karakurenai/Utsutsu Volume 🌑 Himeutsugi Volume

-> even if TEMPEST 🌟 🌕 Crius Castlerock 🌕 Tyril I Lister 🌕 Zenn Sorfield 🌕 Lucien Neuschburn 🌕 Ish

To Play 1. Olympic Soiree 2. Butterfly’s Poison; Blood Chains

[fideidefenswhore]

What if Anne Boleyn had lived to see Mary come to the throne? Do you see Mary doing everything she can to get rid of her? Would Anne suffer from the same fate as Thomas Cramner?

Mm, that's a popular AU to be sure, but I think the political realities would have been rather more complex in such a counterfactual.

First, I'd have to ask the circumstances of them both surviving and Mary coming to the throne-- has Henry had his marriage with Anne annulled, with her being exiled from court? Or has Anne been Queen throughout the remainder of his reign? Has she had a son? Has there been any alteration or reversal to the Act of Succession (1534)? Has there been any alteration or reversal to the Act that declared Anne regent for her children, should Henry die? Have all her child/ren died, or has Elizabeth merely been married abroad (ie, is she currently living at the French court, wed to whichever prince or duke)? Does Mary have a husband, and if so, who is he, and what wealth and power and claims (to the English throne, or others, or merely title) does he have?

Assuming the second, and assuming Mary, as a sole femme, has a successful coup regardless (so, perhaps Anne attempts to assume regency with Elizabeth but is overthrown), again, the political realities are going to be complex. Edward VI's death happening in such secrecy and him altering the succession to make Jane Grey his heir without the approval of Parliament were circumstances that were to her advantage; all bolstered the rhetoric and justification of her coup, accession, and reign (based on the Act of Succession of 1543, even though she reversed her illegitimacy therein). The Marian myth was that John Dudley, out of pure ambition and greed, usurped the royal prerogative (of both HVIII and Edward VI) and forged an altered succession to place his daughter-in-law on the throne (and, as you mentioned, Cranmer as well).

So, in these altered circumstances, Mary's task would be near impossible. How could her propagandists argue that Anne had done the same, when all she had done was adhere to Acts of Parliament which were very well-known by the people? What would the justification be for her arrest in this scenario, much less execution? Historically, after his arrest, Mary petitioned the Pope at the time to have Cranmer excommunicated (likely, she didn't want to have any parallels with her father drawn in the case of the execution of Bishop/Cardinal Fisher) before his execution. In this, she succeeded, and being thus excommunicated, Cranmer was no longer Archbishop of Canterbury upon his day of execution. I would imagine that she would attempt the same in this counterfactual with AB and Cranmer both, and whether she was successful in securing their excommunications might then inform her actions.

Edit: Tbh, what I conceptualize for this scenario would be more like a succession/civil war for the throne with two female claimants (so, Mary and Elizabeth/Anne’s regency), similar in nature to that of Princess Juana vs Princess Isabella in the 1470s (it would be … very difficult for Mary to argue Elizabeth wasn’t Henry’s child had these Acts of Parliament remained and Anne herself remained Queen, though, as Isabella did for Juana re: Henry IV of Castile, since she didn’t really manage to do that even in the aftermath of Anne’s adultery accusations, and she certainly tried) and I think it’d be a toss-up as to who would emerge the victor. Reason being, as I was just reminded of answering another ask, Anne was the greatest landowner among all the Tudor consorts. Mary I was also a great landowner by the time Edward VI died, because the council was at pains to ‘buy her goodwill’… this backfired, though, because it strengthened her base of power (Jeri L. McIntosh has done some fantastic work in this subject, btw), and played a huge part in why her coup succeeded. Simply put, landowning was power, was wealth. That’s probably what it would come down to, had she been granted as many lands during the beginning of the regency council for Elizabeth or whatever son AB might have had.

Another thing that would tip the scales would be if Mary received foreign aid via Imperial forces, but given Charles V never supplied any in 1553…

And again, excommunication, although Elizabeth or whatever son probably wasn’t going to be excommunicated as a minor (just like Edward VI wasn’t), maybe Anne might have been? This could also be a factor in whether or not Mary received foreign aid from any Catholic powers. Although, yk, HVIII and Elizabeth I both were excommunicated and yet they were never ousted from their thrones.

Anyway! Something to think about . Thanks for the intriguing question ☺️

[440mxs-wife]

Treasure Quest, Chapter 4: Memories

Pairing: Captain Dean x Rhaya Payton (OFC, eventual) Other Characters: Sam Winchester, Jessica Winchester, Bobby Singer, Jo Harvelle. Mentioned: Captain John Winchester, Balthazar, Gabriel, Jack Kline, Garth, Crowley. Governor Darius Payton, Maxwell Kane and Ashton Kane (OMC’s). Isabella Payton (Rhaya's mom) and Carissa (OFC’s)

Word Count: 4379

Warnings: Angst, Sad!Rhaya, Illness/Death of Parents, Shipwreck, Homecoming, Jealousy, Scheming Stepmother

Series Summary: Rhaya Payton is the daughter of the governor of Ochana. She grew up listening to her father tell her stories of pirates and treasure maps. At a gala one night, her stepmother, Carissa, announces Rhaya’s engagement to Ashton Kane, a wealthy nobleman. Only problem is, no one checked with Rhaya first. After overhearing plans made by her fiancé, Rhaya decides to go on the run and stows away on Captain Dean’s ship. What will happen when he finds her?

This Chapter: This one's a little angstier, because here's where we learn a little more of Rhaya's backstory. What happened with her mother, how she got mixed up with Carissa and Lord Ashton. Also, the ship arrives in Alcaria to be re-supplied and for the crew to spend time with loved ones. But homecoming is a bit of a mixed bag, so to speak. Some hearts are reunited and it feels so good, others, well....there could be a bit of competition. Enjoy!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

During the week it took them to sail to Alcaria, home port for The Black Diamond, Rhaya got better acquainted with the crew. She spent more time with Jack on perfecting his sailor's knots, until he could almost work them in his sleep. She listened as Sam talked about his wife and offered her congratulations for the baby they were expecting, their first. She also assisted Garth in the galley with making meals for the crew using whatever supplies were on board.

Bobby kept her entertained with stories from the past and present crews of The Black Diamond under her former and current captains. Learning about Captain John Winchester gave Rhaya some insight into his sons and what their childhood was like.

But she most appreciated whatever details Bobby would spare regarding Captain Dean Winchester. She tried her best to disguise her thirst for knowledge about him as simple curiosity. However, she had a feeling that Bobby saw right through her every time he flashed that knowing smirk of his. That was usually when she would roll her eyes right back at him, only for her face to break out into a smile as he walked away.

Trying to keep her cool around the captain was made all the more difficult by their late-night encounters on the main deck when neither of them could find sleep. Rhaya took a bit more care in how she was dressed during these outings, not wanting to appear indecent or provocative. Though still comfortable, she tended to wear her flannel pajamas and robe or cardigan in place of her flimsier nightgown. Slightly more modest, and the pj's had also kept her warm in the cooler night air at home on Ochana and now while on deck of The Black Diamond.

It was becoming more of a challenge for Captain Dean to hide his growing attraction to his female guest and fellow treasure hunter. He looked forward to their nightly meetings and tended to arrive at their usual spot shortly after Rhaya. She definitely was no damsel-in-distress as he'd thought when they first met. Rhaya had certainly proven she could hold her own in nearly every situation presented to her.

Not only did her beauty captivate him, because a man would have to be blind to not notice how stunning she was. Her mind also intrigued him, with their midnight discussions covering a wide range of subjects, especially astronomy. It was obvious that her father placed a high value on her education, which Dean appreciated. This was not always the case with the other women he had met in his travels, where conversations usually involved gossip and fashion trends.

The one subject that Rhaya tended to steer clear of was her family, specifically her mother. With the mention of a stepmother, Dean was certain that her mother was no longer in the picture. However, Rhaya had never mentioned the whys and wherefores of such a circumstance, which made him all the more curious.

Dean himself was painfully aware of what it was like to grow up without a mother, with him and Sam having lost theirs at a young age. He could only imagine how difficult it was for a young woman to not be able to turn to her mother for guidance. Particularly when it was regarding uniquely female matters. Though Dean was certain that should an issue of that nature arise, Rhaya would handle it the only way she knew how, which was straight on and head first.

***

The night before they were scheduled to reach Alcaria, Dean expected he would see Rhaya on deck for their usual midnight meeting. However, her behavior during dinner found him questioning that assumption. She didn't really eat much, just pushed the food around on her plate. At times she'd looked as if she was deep in thought and had trouble keeping up with the chatter going on around her. She ended up turning in early, with her deepest apologies to himself and the crew. Her early departure was much to everyone's dismay, since some of them were looking forward to catching a dance with her.

Long after the crew had hit their bunks, Dean was still wide awake. His mind would not let go of the notion that something was troubling Rhaya. He ran through the events of earlier in the day to see if a particular event was cause for concern. The only problem was, no single incident stood out from any of the others to explain her mood at dinner.

Jack was extra attentive today as she continued with his knot-tying lessons, though for some reason, her whole heart wasn't in it. Gabriel continued to flirt shamelessly with her, which was nothing out of the ordinary. Only Rhaya didn't fully rise to the occasion as she usually did with a scathing retort of her own, she seemed to just brush it off. Perhaps that was why Garth gave her a break from kitchen duty, saying she looked like she needed some time off.

Dean analyzed Rhaya's behavior to see if he could figure out when her mood started to change. Once he added everything up in his head, his stomach dropped for not being more observant about Rhaya's state of mind. Perhaps had he caught her attention and sent her a reassuring smile, it might have raised her spirits, if even a little. Dean threw off the covers, slid his feet into his slippers, and followed the hallway to the main deck of the ship.

When he opened the door, his eyes brightened at the sight that greeted him. Rhaya was standing at the rail, wearing her fluffy robe with red and black flannel pajama pants peeking out from under it. Her eyes were trained skyward, trying to pick out the constellations that she and Captain Dean had been discussing each night. "Good evening, Captain," she called, eyes continuing to scan the stars.

"Good evening to you, Miss Payton," Dean responded. "Wasn't sure I'd see you up here tonight. Is everything all right?"

She turned and flashed him a quick smile. "Of course, why do you ask?"

Dean continued on his path, and when he reached the rail, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled. He opened his eyes again to see Rhaya was giving him her full attention. "You seemed a little....distracted at dinner, is all. Well, then you didn't stick around for the entertainment portion of the evening. Let me tell you, there were more than a few broken hearts at seeing you leave," he chuckled softly.

"I'm sorry about my behavior at dinner. I was a little distracted, because this day isn't usually a good one for me," she replied quietly as she stared at her hands gripping the rail.

Dean reached over and covered her hands with his, and was surprised to feel hers shaking a bit. Whether it was from the cold night air or something else, he wasn't sure, but also didn't care about the reason. "There's no need for apologies, but if you want to talk about it, I'll be happy to listen," he offered.

"Thank you, Captain. I want you to know that I'm sharing this with you because I feel I can trust you." Rhaya took a deep breath before continuing her story. "On this day, eight years ago, I lost my mother," she explained, with tears threatening to spill over her lashes. "I know it's been long enough, that I should be over it after eight years, but it--"

"Never gets any easier," Dean finished for her. He tilted his head back to gaze at the stars, while trying to keep his own tears from falling.

She pulled one hand out and covered his. "Oh, no. You too?" she whispered, and he nodded. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Rhaya. It was a long time ago, but trust me: there's no time limit on 'getting over it'. It happens when it happens," he observed with a shrug. "So, what was she like, your mom?"

Her mouth twisted into a tender smile. "Her name was Isabella, and she was the best. I know everyone says his or her mom is the best, but mine really was. Where my father encouraged my wilder side, she taught me about being a lady. Only, as soon as she was done with that, we would sneak into the kitchen for tea while we stuffed ourselves full of cookies," she giggled.

Dean laughed with Rhaya, then a wave of sadness passed over him. "My mom's name was Mary, and I'd bet that she would've been good friends with your mom," he replied.

"Oh, how I wish they could've met, then we would have become friends much sooner," she commented. "I-I mean, that is, if you consider us friends now," she hastily added, her eyes gazing intently at the dark waters below.

"Hey," Dean called softly as he tilted her face towards him. "Of course I consider us friends now," he affirmed. When at last she smiled at him, he returned the gesture. "Tell me more about your mom."

Rhaya took a deep breath before answering. "She was a kind and compassionate woman, always treated everyone with respect, no matter their station in life. She made it a point to learn the names of every staff member in the manor. The staff, in turn, was fiercely loyal to her, which is why it was so much more heartbreaking for them when she got sick."

"How did it happen, was it sudden, or over a long period of time?"

"It progressed slowly, over the period of around a couple of years, I think. It started with bouts of nausea, not being able to keep food down for very long. Eventually it subsided, then she had fevers that would come and go. Other times she would be so overcome with fatigue that she didn't leave her bed for days at a time. Then out of nowhere, she'd be fine, almost back to her old self. I prayed for those kinds of days to last just a little bit longer, to give her and my father some peace," Rhaya added wistfully.

"And for you as well. That couldn't have been easy for you, watching your mom get well, only to have her fall ill again days or weeks later," Dean pointed out.

Rhaya gave him a small smile in thanks. "The medical staff was scrambling to find a treatment to manage her illness, or, better yet, a cure for her. They were researching night and day, poring over textbooks, desperate to find any scrap of information that would lead to a cure."

"Did they ever figure out what was causing it?" he asked.

She shook her head. "The symptoms were so common, that it was hard to narrow it down to one specific illness. Anyway, while this was all going on, Carissa had moved in with us. She was my mother's childhood friend, who had experienced some personal issues in her life. Despite all that my mother was going through, she still invited that woman to stay with us," she muttered.

"But you didn't want her there," Dean commented.

Rhaya shook her head. "At first, I didn't have much to do with Carissa, mainly focusing on my studies and physical training. Whenever I did see her around the manor, though, she always had some snarky remark about how I spent my time. Carissa had some very definite opinions about what I should or should not be doing. Most of her 'approved ideas' were dance lessons, tea parties, and engaging in gossip sessions," she shuddered.

Dean was pleased to see that her reaction to Carissa's "ideas" matched his thoughts, and he could barely hold back a grin. He cleared his throat to avoid bursting out into laughter. "I'll bet she wasn't the most gracious houseguest, either?"

"Not by a longshot. She was always extremely bossy and rude to the staff, who were used to my parents' kindness. Not to mention, they're dealing with their own feelings about it all," she grumbled. "Anyway, just when my mother's illness was at its worst, Carissa told us that she had heard about a plant that had curative properties. The catch was, it only grew on a far-off island, and it could not be removed from its environment. If anyone tried, it would lose its healing ability."

"There are some plants out there like that, you know, 'wonders of the universe' and all. So, what happened next?" he prompted.

"My father wasted no time in outfitting the three fastest ships in the Ochana naval fleet with enough crew and supplies for the journey. My mother wanted time to think it through, plan every step of the way to account for any contingencies. The last thing she would've wanted was for anyone to be hurt or worse on such a personal mission." Rhaya choked back a sob and gave Dean a watery smile. "What she didn't know is that each brave soul involved on that mission and so many others never hesitated when my father asked for volunteers."

Dean reached over with his other hand to pull Rhaya closer and wrapped his arms around her as she crumbled against him. He felt her body shaking with sobs that she had likely been holding onto for a long period of time, but couldn't let them out. She was too busy being strong for her father, her people, and herself to give into the grief at the loss of her mother. When her weeping seemed to subside and her breathing evened out, he pulled back to gaze into her eyes. With the pad of his thumb, he brushed away the tear streaks from her face. "Better?" he asked softly.

Rhaya nodded. "Yes, thank you," she whispered, then took a deep breath to brace herself as she prepared to relay the final part. "Before they could reach the island, a storm came up, complete with high winds and dangerous, frequent lightning. Waves crashed over the railing as the ships fought to continue on their path and complete the mission."

Dean shuddered. "Been in a few storms like that. It can be pretty terrifying, out there on the ocean, relying on nothing but your ship and crew to pull you through."

"From what my father told me, it was quite chaotic on deck. There were crewmen that were lost overboard before anyone had a chance to try and save them. Waves slammed into the ships on either side, and the winds were slicing through the sails like tissue paper. One of the escort ships was lost when a massive wave swept over the rail. The wave forced it below the water, diving with the bow first."

Dean's arms tightened around her once more as she continued her story. "My mother fought her way onto the main deck from below because her cabin was taking on water. My father was beside himself, trying to keep as many people, especially my mother, from washing overboard. He was an admiral in the Ochana Navy, and it had been a long time since he'd seen a storm like this," she recalled softly.

"Finally, my parents' ship was torn apart, sending everyone into the ocean. My father managed to find a large platform of wood, a piece broken off from the ship. He climbed onto it while he frantically scanned the area for any sign of my mother. He shouted her name until his voice was hoarse, asking any of the survivors if they'd seen her. No one had, but word was passed from person to person that she was missing and to find her."

Dean could feel the heartbreak in Rhaya's words, the desperation in her father's search for his beloved wife, only to come up empty. "How did they make it out of there?"

"As the sun was coming up, they were able to get a full picture of the destruction from the night before. Those who survived were floating on large pieces of the broken vessels, with vacant looks in their eyes. A few hours after daybreak, a ship called The Moon Raider passed through the area and rescued them. Upon their return to Ochana, my father offered The Moon Raider's captain, Fergus McLeod, a handsome reward. Captain Fergus, or Crowley, as he preferred, declined my father's offer, stating he would hold the marker for a favor sometime in the future."

"How many were lost?" Dean asked.

"Seventeen," Rhaya responded hoarsely. "Including my mother," her voice cracked on the last word. "After that, Carissa took it up on herself to move in permanently to 'help' my father in his time of grief. She attended Ochana's council meetings and actively participated in the decision-making processes. Behind my father's back, she forged alliances with members of the council who were not quite so enamored of him. That's how I got mixed up with Ashton Kane," she muttered.

"I wondered how he fit into the picture," Dean chuckled.

"Yeah. His father, Maxwell Kane, was one of my father's leading dissenters. But he was also aware of the map for The Shadow Pirate's treasure that my father kept in his study. Max figured that the easiest way to get that map is to have one of his own, in this case, Ashton, on the inside. Max knew that I didn't conform to my stepmother's idea of a 'lady', what with my education and combat skills. So, he presented the idea to Carissa that I marry Ashton, because as my fiancé, he would be able to exert some 'control' over me. He would also have unfettered access to any room in the manor," she explained.

"Buuuut, you threw a wrench in those plans when you ran away with the map and stowed away on my boat," Dean smirked.

"Yup," Rhaya beamed. "And I'd do it all over again for the sake of my father. I have never trusted Carissa and I certainly don't trust Lord Ashton. I hope now you can see why I downplayed the map's importance that day, and why I was reluctant to hand it over," she remarked.

Dean studied her expression for a moment, one which silently pleaded for his understanding of her actions. She wasn't out to seek the treasure for her own fame, glory, and wealth. She wanted to make sure it didn't fall into the hands of those who would use it for their own purposes, without much regard, if any, for others. This treasure would allow her to choose her own future beyond any outside influences. "Listen, I promised we'd work together on this. We're partners, remember? 50-50? I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that, and I'm glad you trusted me enough to tell me. I'm gonna help you find that treasure for the sake of you and your father."

Rhaya impulsively threw her arms around Dean's neck. "Thank you," she choked out. "You have no idea what this means to me." She pulled back a little, then gave Dean a lingering kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Captain," she whispered before walking backwards towards the door. Just before she stepped through, she paused in the doorway. She gave him a sweet smile, a little wiggle of her fingers, and then she was gone.

"Wait a minute....was that....did she just....kiss me?" Dean wondered aloud. His hand crept up to his face, and his fingers touched the spot that still tingled from the brush of her lips on his skin. This woman is going to be the death of me, he thought. Not a bad way to go, though, he concluded with a grin.

***

Jessica waited on a hill overlooking the harbor, scanning the horizon for her first glimpse of The Black Diamond. Her husband, the ship's First Mate, Sam, was due to arrive in port any minute now, and she couldn't wait to see him. She was also currently 7 months pregnant with the couple's first child. While Sam was away at sea, he made sure that his friends were keeping an eye on his wife and taking good care of her.

One of those friends, Ellen Harvelle, had a daughter named Joanna, or "Jo", who was infatuated with Dean. Whenever the ship was in their home port, Dean and Jo were nearly inseparable. They usually spent the first night in port drinking at Harvelle's, the local pub just down the road from the docks. That usually led to one of them sneaking away from the other in the early morning hours.

"Do you see them yet?" asked a woman walking up from Jessica's left.

"Not yet, Jo," Jess chuckled. "Should be here any time now, though. Are you excited to see Dean?" she teased.

Jo's cheeks turned pink for a couple of seconds. "Oh hush. I don't know what you're talking about," she retorted, then after a beat, "Well, maybe a little." Both women giggled at Jo's poor attempt to hide her feelings about Dean.

At that moment, the ship's flag could be seen in the distance, causing a ripple of excitement to roll through the crowd. As the ship drew closer to its destination, men got into position on the dock, ready to assist the crew. Thick, heavy ropes were tossed over the rail, which were used to secure the vessel to the dock.

Next, the gangplank was lowered, and the crew began to disembark from the ship, heavy bags slung over their shoulders. Jessica bounced on the balls of her feet the moment she caught sight of her husband, Sam. His eyes lit up as soon as they locked onto his wife, and a wide grin spread across his face as he began to work his way through the crowd. Once he was by her side, Sam carefully swept his wife up into his arms and gave her a lingering, passionate kiss.

Jo craned her neck, scanning the area for the man who was the captain of her heart, even though she knew he would be one of the last off the boat. She saw Bobby Singer wander down the gangplank, then he made his way over to where Jo was waiting. "Have you seen Dean?" she asked him.

Bobby turned around in time to see Dean walk down the plank to the dock, his bag over one shoulder. "There he is," Bobby replied. He patted Jo on her shoulder and started his walk towards home.

Dean was smiling and looked like he was having a conversation with the person walking on the other side of him. Jo smiled and waved frantically, trying to catch Dean's attention and show him she was glad to have him home. Her smile fell when he tried to wave at her while holding someone else's hand. A woman's hand, at that.

Jo stood waiting, in shock, until Dean and his beautiful companion joined her on the hill. As soon as he was close enough, Dean let go of Rhaya's hand and reached out to engulf Jo into a hug. "It's so good to see you, Jo," he remarked. "Great to be home, too. Look, I've got someone special I want you to meet," he gushed. "Joanna Harvelle, this is Rhaya Payton of Ochana. Rhaya, this is Joanna Harvelle. She and I have been friends with for a lot of years. I mean, we practically grew up together."

Friends, Jo inwardly winced. I considered us a bit more than 'friends', Dean, she thought bitterly, then pushed it to the back burner. "Nice to meet you Rhaya," she replied evenly.

Rhaya stuck out her hand in greeting, "It's wonderful to meet you, Joanna. I'm glad Dean has so many good friends to greet him when he gets home," she chattered. When Jo did not reciprocate the handshake, Rhaya withdrew her hand and turned to Jessica with a beaming smile. "And you must be Sam's wife, Jessica, how wonderful to meet you! And congratulations!"

Jessica blushed from the enthusiastic greeting and when Sam put her down, she pulled Rhaya in for a hug. "Thank you so much, and it's lovely to meet you! I don't think I've ever met anyone from Ochana before," she commented.

"Well, this is my first trip outside of the estate's grounds. First trip anywhere, I guess," Rhaya chuckled. "I um....sort of stowed away on Captain Dean's ship, but he didn't find out until we were already at sea."

"And you didn't throw her overboard? Leave her on a deserted island? Really, Dean--" Jo exclaimed, but Dean interrupted.

"She had good reason, and as captain, I have the final say on how stowaways are dealt with on my ship, do I not?" Dean retorted.

Rhaya laid a hand on Dean's forearm. "It's all right, Dean," she soothed. "She's only stating the consequences of stowing away, which I should've considered before doing it."

"Yeah, but like Dean said, you had good reason, Rhaya," Sam interjected.

Rhaya flashed a sheepish smile as she started to explain. "My stepmother announced my engagement to Lord Ashton Kane without consulting me first. Then I happened to overhear his plans for me to meet my demise shortly after we were married. So, I packed a couple of bags and under cover of night, I snuck on to The Black Diamond. I thought I was hidden pretty well until Balthazar and Gabriel found me when I sneezed due to their tobacco smoke," she muttered.

"And she's certainly proven that she can handle just about any situation that's thrown at her," Dean complimented. He explained how Rhaya had been helping Jack with his knot-tying duties, and had frequently assisted Garth in the galley with meal preparation. "But enough about that, I'm ready for a drink, how about you, Rhaya?" he asked.

All eyes swung towards Rhaya. "S-sure, sounds great, Captain," she managed to respond. He picked up her hand in his and steered her towards Harvelle's. Sam, Jessica, and Jo followed behind, also headed for the tavern to celebrate the ship and crew homecoming.

Rhaya didn't know what was happening between her and the captain, whether they were friends or more than that. She did enjoy the feeling of his hand in hers, or his arm around her shoulder as he introduced her to his friends.

That being said, Rhaya would never want to stand in the way of the captain and a possible sweetheart. It was quite obvious that Jo carried a torch for Dean. For now, she resolved to observe Dean and Jo's interactions and see if there was anything between them. If not, she decided not to hold back and to explore her own feelings towards the captain.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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[warblingandwriting]

Ah! wherefore all this wormy circumstance? Why linger at the yawning tomb so long? O for the gentleness of old Romance, The simple plaining of a minstrel's song! Fair reader, at the old tale take a glance, For here, in truth, it doth not well belong To speak:—O turn thee to the very tale, And taste the music of that vision pale.

Isabella or, The Pot of Basil, John Keats, 1819.

This is a painting made to go with this poem, but another artist associated with the pre-raphaelite movement, Mary Lizzie Macomber.

The portion of the poem above, which I think is very affecting, describes Isabella looking into her lover's grave, and imploring the reader not to do the same. The painting represents the later part in the story where the Isabella brings her lover's corpse home from his unmarked grave, and re-buries in a basil pot, which she weeps over until it sprouts luscious basil. Much of Macomber's work was lost in a fire in 1903, but this painting is dated 1908.

I included them together because they are both adaptations in a way, from a much earlier story in The Decameron, and I find them both quite beautiful.

[isadomna]

Isabel of Castile and Edward IV of England

In February 1464, when Isabel was not quite thirteen years old, her brother Enrique IV of Castile accepted the English offer and agreed to give her in marriage to King Edward IV, in a gesture of political alignment between the two countries. This would at once make Isabel a queen. It might have been a generous act on Enrique’s part, to help ensure an illustrious future for his half sister. However, it is just as likely that the marital alliance was Enrique’s attempt to remove Isabel from the direct line of succession in Castile and relocate her to a distant land, particularly at a time when rumors were brewing about Princess Juana’s legitimacy. Regardless of Enrique’s motives, however, the proposition of marriage to the English king would have been appealing to most young women. The twenty two-year-old Edward of York had recently assumed the throne of England. Charming, blond, strong, and six feet four inches tall, he was intelligent, excellent at the courtly games of hunting and jousting, dressed elegantly in furs and rich jewelry, and was fond of chivalric romances. This combination of traits made him irresistible to women, upon whom the lusty young king was eager to lavish his own attentions.

Marriage to Edward would of course have been an intriguing, even dazzling, prospect for Isabel, who loved hunting and stories of courtly love. It would give her a splendid husband, make her the envy of other women, and install her as queen of a kingdom with which she had long ancestral links. Isabel believed that Spain and England had a natural dynastic affinity. Her grandmother was Catherine of Lancaster, the daughter of the famous English nobleman John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III, whose marriage to Constance of Castile had made him a contender for the throne of Castile.

Edward IV was also descended from John of Gaunt, making him a distant cousin of Isabel. If the alliance proceeded, an old family tie would be reconnected. The marriage presented some strategic opportunities for England as well. Edward’s descent from King Pedro of Castile, through Pedro’s daughter Isabel Duchess of York, already made Edward a potential claimant to the Castilian throne, and this claim would be strengthened if he were to marry Isabel. English poets were already writing doggerel extolling Edward as not just king of England and deserving of France but also the future inheritor of Spain: “Re Angliae et Franciae, I say, It is thine own, why sayest thou nay? And so is Spain, that fair country.”

Once the match was proposed, Isabel waited at home for the decision. Given the difficulties in communication at the time, messages from one court to another sometimes took months because courtiers needed to physically travel from one place to another. Finally she somehow learned, to her great disappointment, that another woman had been selected, in a most unusual way. Unbeknown to the king’s councilors, who were negotiating Edward’s marriage prospects in both France and Spain, King Edward had already impulsively married a comely widow, Elizabeth Woodville. In faraway Castile, Isabel, still a young teenager, brooded over her rejection, much later telling ambassadors that she had been passed over for a mere “widow of England,” making it clear she had harbored resentment at her rejection for the next twenty years. Like Elizabeth Woodville, she was not a woman to suffer a slight lightly or forgive easily.

Source:

Kirstin Downey, Isabella: The Warrior Queen

[misscrawfords]

#25, 44 and 51 for the book ask meme

25. a book by your favourite author

Well, my favourite author will come as no surprise to anyone, so I will take his opportunity to gush about Northanger Abbey. It periodically gets cycled up to my top spot but I don't talk about it as much as P&P or MP but it's so charming. I love Henry Tilney desperately. He's the most attractive hero in that I think I'd actually love to spend time with him. Catherine is a darling and I love that she gets to be a heroine. I love how realistic the characters are - John and Isabella could be straight out of That Class In High School, Eleanor Tilney is the best fictional friend you've ever had, the General is cruel in a completely realistic way... and it's so, so funny! Also, it is all abou the literary culture of the late 18th century and I love Austen's cleverness in parodying both the novels of manners and gothic novels. I wrote my dissertation about it. <3

44. your favourite fantasy novel

Ooh tricky. Because most fantasies are series... I think if we're going for standalone books, I'll go for The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I really need to re-read this because it blew me away with its fictional and literary magic. I loved its meta interaction with how stories work which I was very into at the time I read it (and still am tbh). Wonderful novel.

If we're going for series, then I am going to do a shout-out for Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy - and her subsequen prequels and sequels to that trilogy. I think it's so underrated and I love it. It's adult fantasy that reads like YA, if that makes sense. In that the lore isn't too complicated, they aren't too long and they aren't full of graphic violence against women. I love the magic system, I love the world-building, I love the characters, I love the ships... Seriously, go read them!

51 a book that you found underwhelming

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake. I was expecting a lot from this because it had been so hyped but it just didn't do it for me. It felt pretentious and the characters were all seriously dislikeable, apart from perhaps Nico and he's on thin ice. I'm only vaguely interested in the sequel. Probably won't bother.

Ask me about books!

[reefer-reelz-n-reviews]

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)

Pre-smoked: Honey Pot King Palm

Smoking: SuckerPunch

So obviously the least favorite of the trilogy. Only because the original Evy isn’t in it. At the very least when they re-casted her they could have made her an English actor and not Maria Bello who had a pretty cruddy accent. No offense to MB but she wasn’t the right fit I feel.

Moving on before I get on this tangent about something not so important. I do like that Jet Li is in this. He is a good actor. I like him a lot in The Forbidden Kingdom with Jackie Chan.

The ever-beautiful Michelle Yeoh is the one who curses JL into the next cursed “Mummy”.

Come to find Alex O’Connell, Luke Ford, digging just like his mom. Looks nothing like the one who played him in the second movie. Doesn’t even have a British accent. But once again, I’ll stop while I’m ahead lol.

Not surprising. A double cross. What a douche. Roger Wilson, played by David Calder, basically uses LF to help out the bad guys who of course want to wake the dead to take over the world. Like the other two movies of course.

I do like that they changed it from being desert and Egypt and when with a new location and atmosphere. Right now, they are in the snow mountains. Definitely different type of terrain.

Now we have Lin, Isabella Leong, calling for the Yeti for help. She sends them after they soldiers. Which is definitely not something you would have expected in this movie. But it would be really cool to be able to speak to yeti. It could be useful for lots of reasons. I mean if you ever really ran into a yeti. And apparently, they know about football. One of them just did the arm signal for Score.

We still have John Hannah playing the comedic relief. Always good for a laugh, “mummies, they never play fair.”

There are so many repeats of the same phrases in these movies. “Time to go,” “That’s comforting,” and those two were just in a 5-minute period. I don’t know if it was on purpose but they are definitely ones that I remember from at least the first movie.

JL’s death is a little gross. Not what I expected to see. I’ve only seen this once before because I got the trilogy, you know you have to lol.

Well I’ll leave the rest for you to watch.

Thanks for reading.

Toke On

-RRR

[choppedmint]

Arthur Dee (re: his marriage to Isabella Prestwich and horoscopes)

Gotta talk about my brainrot historical character eventually.

One of the neat things I love learning about is just finding a useless little piece of the puzzle of a timeline.

Like I wanted to have a better idea of when he met his wife. Like, there's documents about roughly when they married, but when did he meet her?

More amused then finding out around when was the fact he apparently asked someone (wasn't his father, I'm honestly a touch surprised he didn't ask John Dee ... wonder why) to do an horoscope reading about their compatibility.

Like ... my dude. How often did Arthur do one before he asked a different dude?

I don't even know who Napier is yet!

(Source:

Megan Piorko, Sarah Lang & Richard Bean (2023) Deciphering the Hermeticae Philosophiae Medulla: Textual Cultures of Alchemical Secrecy, Ambix, 70:2, 150-183, DOI: 10.1080/00026980.2023.2201744 )

[fortuneshq]

‘ 𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝙵𝙰𝙲𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁𝚂 𝙸 𝙳𝙾 𝚁𝙴𝙼𝙴𝙼𝙱𝙴𝚁 𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 … ’ WELCOME TO FORTUNE'S WHEEL! the following roles and faceclaims have been accepted. please send in your account within forty-eight (48) hours to avoid your role being re-opened.

aaron cobham as felipe of spain. alessandra mastronardi as marie de guise. alessandro fella as henry of england. alperen duymaz as iskender sultan. aure atika as isabella of anjou. berk cankat as dragut. burak özçivit as sultan selim. fahriye evcen as gülsah sultan. gong jun as hans of denmark. gong li as empress xiaojing. john boyega as philip of austria. john david washington as emperor maximilian. lashana lynch as eleanor of portugal. leyla feray as gevherhan sultan. marina moschen as sophia of byzantium. mark rowley as edward of york. marlon teixeira as emperor theodore. matilda de angelis as katherine plantagenet. max irons as prince louis, duke of normandy. medalion rahimi as anna of france. merve boluğur as hurrem hatun. paul mescal as george of york. rebecca ferguson as alienor of aquitaine. rose williams as margaret plantagenet. sai bennett as anne of york. shannyn sossamon as matilda of flanders. trisha krishnan as damiata.

[scotianostra]

On 12th* August 1332 the Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought, when Scots under Domhnall II, Earl of Mar were routed by an army led by Edward Balliol.

*or 11th

Hang onto your Glengarry's and Tam o' Shanter's, this is quite a long post by my standards.

This was a disastrous defeat for the Scottish army, loyal to David II, son of Robert the Bruce. The Lanercost Chronicle, a medieval source of the era's history, that was slanted towards the English side of things wrote of this battle

'Oh how small a number of warriors was this to invade a kingdom then all too confident of its strength!'

Following Bannockburn, The Bruce was able to make recognition of his rights as King of Scots a prerequisite of landholding in Scotland. Those who would not recognise him as king had their lands confiscated and these were then re-granted to men who were willing to support Bruce's regime. In one fell swoop this allowed Bruce to drive disloyal elements out of the kingdom and ensure that Scotland's major landholders all had a vested interest in seeing his new dynasty flourish, since their continued possession of these new grants of land, titles and rights rested on the success of the Bruces.

You may remember me posting about them before, they became known as "The Disinherited"

This group had already been involved in an unsuccesful attempt to undo the Bruce regime in 1320. A better opportunity to reassert their rights was presented to them by the death of King Robert in 1329 and the succession of his five year old son as David II.

The Disinherited had for their leaders Edward Balliol, son of the deposed King John of Scotland, and Henry Beaumont, who claimed the earldom of Buchan through his wife Alice Comyn.

Edward III initially refused to support the Disinherited, apparently unwilling to jeopardise the diplomatic settlement with Scotland after so short a time but perhaps hoping that the independent action of the Disinherited would be a test of how well the Bruce dynasty had weathered the loss of its founder. Unperturbed, Balliol and the Disinherited launched their own private war against the Scots.

A serious blow was dealt to the Scots when, on 20th July 1332, Thomas Randolph, earl of Moray and King Robert's appointed guardian for the young David II, died suddenly at Musselburgh while making preparations for the defence of the kingdom, an event I covered last month.

At an assembly of the magnates of Scotland on 2nd August, Donald, earl of Mar, was chosen as the new guardian, but this choice proved to be a controversial one. Mar was a nephew of the late King Robert.

Mar was a complex character, in 1306 he was captured by the English shortly afterwards and due to his youth (he only barely have been a teenager at the time) he was entered the household of the future Edward II, where he apparently flourished and grew close to the prince. Following Bannockburn, Mar was released from English captivity in order to assume his Scottish lands, but he elected to remain in England, earning a reputation there as a loyal supporter of Edward II. It was not until Edward was overthrown by his wife Isabella that Mar returned to Scotland, ostensibly to request his uncle's assistance in restoring Edward to the throne! Despite his long history of English service, Bruce seems to have shown no ill-will towards his nephew, confirming him in his earldom and lavishing patronage on him.

In this context the choice of Mar as guardian seems straightforward, but some in the community were clearly still suspicious about Mar’s loyalty, not least Robert Bruce of Liddesdale. Liddesdale – the late king’s eldest illegitimate son – had been knighted by Bruce on the eve of Bannockburn and was also the recipient of considerable patronage himself, not least the lordship of Liddesdale when it was forfeited by the traitorous William Soules after the coup attempt in 1320. It may have been a case of sour grapes by Liddesdale, he may have understood himself to have been Bruce's most favoured kinsman – illegitimate or not – after Randolph and moreover certainly saw Mar as at best an English sympathiser and at worst a collaborator – an accusation he levelled at Mar publicly. Liddesdale apparently lacked the support to prevent Mar’s appointment, but this altercation undoubtedly got the Scottish campaign off to a poor start.

Meanwhile, the Disinherited had landed at Kinghorn in Fife and began moving east towards Perth, aiming for Scone where they could install Balliol as King of Scots. Although the quote from The Chronicle comes from a source with a very obvious anti-Scottish bias - produced as it was at Lanercost priory in Cumbria, a frequent target of Scottish raids in any conflict bbetween the two kingdoms - and probably seeks to overemphasise the pridefulness of the Scots in order to denigrate their character, the Disinherited army was almost certainly outnumbered by the Scottish host they found waiting for them on the northern bank of the River Earn on 10th August. However, despite occupying the superior position at first the Scots - whether through pride or simple inaction - allowed the Disinherited to cross the river and deploy for battle.

Shortly before battle was met, Bruce of Liddesdale repeated his accusation that Mar was a traitor, provoking the guardian to charge towards the Disinherited to prove him wrong. Not wanting to miss out on the action, Bruce of Liddesdale charged forward with his men as well but this second charge ploughed clumsily into the rear of first, causing both attacks to falter and confusion to spread throughout the Scottish army. As the Scots trampled one another, the opposing archers and dismounted men-at-arms cut the disorganised army apart. Both Mar and Bruce of Liddesdale were killed, and the way was now open for Balliol to advance on Scone.

Numbers vary on the size of these armies from source to source, wiki has covered the Scots strength at between 15 and 40 thousand, while another site I use when compiling these posts, The Battlefield Trust, has the number at a more modest 4 to 24 thousand. The Disinherited are quoted at 15 hundred and up to 35 hundred respectively, so both agree the Scots outnumber their opponents.

Edward Balliol was crowned King of Scots.on September 24th He then had a topsy turvy few years, by the end of 1332 he had lost control of most of Scotland, but regained it in 1333 with Edward III's open support. He was deposed again in 1334, restored again in 1335 and finally deposed in 1336, by those loyal to David II.

[aemke]

Okay SO Tilney is still my dream Austen role for Jaren (in part because Northanger Abbey has 0 good adaptations and I want it). Who could you see playing Catherine?

I struggle to see him as Knightley for age-related reasons (no shade to Knightley, I know the character is a product of Austen's time).

BUT you know what would be super fun? Jaren as an Austen villain character. Willoughby, preferably, or maybe Wickham if they wanted to re-attempt P&P despite Colin Firth already having killed it. I know Jaren wants some villain roles, and this would be such an interesting way to foray into that arena.

BTW so glad to see another Austen fan! What are your favourites of hers? My favourites are Emma and P&P, but I literally love all of them including Sanditon/Lady Susan/Juvenalia.

Old lady that I am, Persuasion has become my favorite Austen of late (1995 version is tops, 2007 decent, 2022 unwatchable). Not the best written, but Anne Eliot is very dear to my heart. Emma is, I think, Austen's technically best work and always a delight (love the Romola Garai and Johnny Lee Miller best, very much enjoy the Gwyneth Paltrow movie despite not really liking Gwyneth Paltrow much). P&P made me an Austen Super fan (added by Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth's perfect Lizzie and Darcy). And no matter how old and jaded I get, I think a part of me will always be Catherine Morland, losing all sense and dignity to romanticism. And who isn't in love with Henry Tilney? (I aspire to be Eleanor Tilney, I love Henry Tilney, and I am Catherine ...even sometimes Isabella!)

On the subject of Northanger Abbey, I could see Jaren crushing John Thorpe (Though I enjoyed William Beck in the 2007 version, I never really found him appealing...it would be cool to see a John Thorpe who actually had some oomph to him). And let's be honest, he'd be amazing as any character, especially those who aren't pretty boys who appeal on their looks alone (not to disparage Jaren, who is very handsome).

Finally, who could play Catherine to his Tilney? I'm not as up on young actresses as I could be to answer this question. It's odd, because there don't seem to be many roles for naive, idealistic, female characters anymore. In some ways this is a victory (it beats a time when these were the only roles women had) but in another sense it is kind of a shame (idealism and naivety are still very real experiences of young women). Did you have any possible actress in mind?

Final thought...have you seen 'Fire Island' by any chance? I really loved it as a P&P remake. Much like Clueless, it sometimes greatly benefits a remake to bring the content into a modern setting and I think Booster nailed it. Your friendly rec for the day, if you haven't seen it yet! (Though heads up there is some adult content in it, if you're sensitive to that kind of thing...)

[docpiplup]

I was rewatching Isabella tv series and I was thinking that just like Isabella and Ferdinand united their kingdoms with their marriage, Daenerys and Jon could unite the South and the North once again by marrying ( that's in case Jon is King in the North when they meet)

Yes, it could happen, Jon might be crowned as KITN by the Northern lords because of Robb's will at some point in TWOW and probably by the end of TWOW Jon and Dany will meet, and they're are teens, around 17 and 16, close to the age of Isabella I and Ferdinand II were when they married, Isabella was 18 and Ferdinand, 17 (Ferdinand was older in the show because Rodolfo Sancho played Ferdinand since the beginning and he was around 37 years old in the first season, Michelle Jenner was 26 by that time, but it can be given a pass)

Ferdinand was only king of Sicily when he married Isabella, but eventually Isabella became queen regnant of Castile and queen consort of Aragon and Ferdinand king of Aragon and co-regnant of Castile, uniting the eastern and western (except Portugal) part of the Iberian peninsula.

And maybe for Dany and Jon it could be something similar, Dany in her case could decide if Jon is her king consort or co-regnant, for example Ferdinand was named king regnant because Isabella allowed him to be, although Ferdinand also had a claim in the sucession line of Castilian crown due to his grandfather Ferdinand I, and Jon could also had a claim because he's Rhaegar's son, although we don't knoe if legitimate or bastard (although maybe it doesn't matter if Jon is legitimised as a Targaryen by Dany, but maybe it doesn't matter because Jon has been legitimased by Robb as a Stark, so idk) and Jon and Dany's marriage is the way to re-integrate the North into the Seven Kingdoms.

Also, Dany is the first of her name as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, and Jon probably would be the second of his name as KITN (because one of the kings of Winter was Jon Stark)

Although in Castile and Aragon case have both its own courts and governments and in some occasions there were circumstances that were chances that they were separated again, by the Aragonese part, for example after Isabella died, Ferdinand married later Germana of Foix and one part of the pacts with Louis XII of France is that if Ferdinand and Germana had a son, John, that son would be king of Aragon although the baby died.

Some decades before, when by that time Isabella and Ferdinand only had their first daughter Isabella, there was a time when John II of Aragon apart from appointing him as archbishop of Zaragoza, he considred Alonso of Aragon (bastard son of Ferdinand and Aldonza Ruiz de Ivorra) as a candidate for the Aragonese crown, because Alonso/Alfonso was Ferdinand's firstborn son despite he was a bastard, it's known that being a bastard and becoming king at this point isn't very strange for the family, all of the founders of the current ruling dinasties of the kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula in Isabel show were bastards, John I (Portugal, House of Avis, bastard line of the House of Burgundy), Ramiro I (Aragon, House of Aragon, from the Jimena dinasty), Henry II (Crowns of Castile, Aragon and Navarra, House of Trastamara, bastard line from the Castilian House of Burgundy), but Isabella was already here and she was only months younger than Alonso and the heiress by that time of both Castile and Aragon. Alonso was raised at the Aragonese court, so John II kind of had a favourite grandkid, at least prince till John was born in 1478🙄 . Well years later was also appointed in some more positions of power like Archbishop of Valencia, lieutenant of Naples and viceroy of Aragon under the reigns of his father and Charles I.

And talking about Henry II of Castile, the House of Burgundy and House of Trastamara, I think that the story of the Blackfyre family in Asoiaf have some elements of the Trastamara family, although the Blackfyres didn't succed to get the crown. The main historical inspo for the Blackfyres I have read people talking about are the Beauforts, a line of legitimised bastards of John of Gaunt and Catherine Swynford, who weren't allowed to get the crown and one of their descendants by maternal line, Henry VII became king, and could be an inspo for Aegon VI if the fAegon theory is true.

In the Trastamara's case we have the following background:

Alfonso XI of Castile was married to Maria of Portugal, and they had a son together, Peter I, but Alfonso truly loved Eleanor of Guzmán and they had a long lasting relationship and 10 children, who were widely favored by his father in political power and noble titles, Henry II of Castile being the main representant, and started several revolts against their brother Peter, Henry II defeated and killed Peter I and he became the first Trastamara king of Castile.

Then in Asoiaf there's Aegon IV Targaryen who married Naerys and they had Daeron II and Daenerys, but also Aegon had relationships with several women and had several bastard children, who were later legitimised (The Great Bastards) and he mostly favored his son with Daena Targaryen, Daemon I Blackfyre, who the lead the first Blackfyre rebellion, but they were defeated and in the following generations other Blackfyre claimants started more rebellions to get the IT, but they never succed and Daeron II's lineage continues currently on Dany and Jon.

In the Castilian history, the twist is that the bastard lineage got the crown and the "legitimate" line of Peter I were the ones who had to fight to get it.

And I say "legitimate" because although Peter I married Blanche of Bourbon, they had no issue, and he had children with  Maria of Padilla and some other castilian noblewomen. He legitimased the children he had with Maria saying that they had  married in secret, although it happened when he was still married to Blanche.

The thing is that during the reigns of Henry II and his son John I, Peter I's daughters with Maria,  Constance and Isabella were claimants to the Castilian crown.

Both daughters of Peter I of Castile were married to Edward III of England's sons, John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, and Edmund of Langley, duke of York.

Constance and her husband John of Gaunt arrived with their daughter Catherine of Lancaster to the Iberian peninsula in 1386 and started to attack the Northern part of the peninsula, allied with John I of Portugal (who married Philippa of Lancaster, eldest daughter of John of Gaunt with Blanche of Lancaster; John and Philipa were grandparents of Isabella, Beatriz, Joanna, Eleanor, Ferdinand and Alfonso V of Portugal and great-grandparents of Isabella I, Alfonso of Castile, Joanna of Castile, John II and Manuel I of Portugal), they didn't succed and Constance gave up her claim, but Catherine of Lancaster married John I of Castile's son, Henry III of Castile, and both branches of Alfonso XI's descendants were united. Henry III and Catherine's children were John II of Castile (father of Henry IV, Isabella I and Alfonso of Castile) and Maria of Castile (queen of Aragon, untie of Henry IV, Isabella I, Alfonso and Ferdinand II)

Apart from that, Constance's younger sister, Isabella, married Edmund of Langley, and they were great-grandparents of Richard III and Edward IV of England, leaders of the York side during the War of the Roses.

I would like to add that the double marriage of siblings of the ruling houses of Castile and England, one marriage having important descendants on the English lineage and the other in the Castilian lineage, reminds me a bit of the marriages between Daeron II with Myriah Martell and his sister Daenerys with Maron Martell, also both close in time to the Trastamara rebellions and the first Blackfyre rebellion.

This is a bit out of topic, but regarding some part of the HOTD fandom that complains that Rhaenyra's sons with Harwin shouldn't inherit or be in the sucession line, you know, there has been similar cases in real life history.

The following example is from the 19th century, but anyways. Isabella II of Spain was married to her cousin Francis of Asís of Bourbon, but Francis was gay and his partner was Antonio Ramos Meneses, meanwhile Isabella had several lovers who were the biological fathers of Alfonso XII an his siblings, it's said that probably Enrique Puigmoltó was Alfonso's father, although offically he was Francis' son. And like Rhaenyra, Isabella II position as heir and ruler was disputed by their male relatives (the Greens in Nyra's case, the Carlists in Isabella's one), firstly by Isabella's uncle, Carlos Maria Isidro and then by his descendants. These disputes caused the three Carlist wars that happened during the 19th century, although the Carlist line currently exist, Charles Xavier of Bourbon-Parma, although he hasn't any claims against the Isabelist line (Philip VI), his title is just honorary.

The answer has become a bit longer than I expected at first, but then I thought that it would be interesting to add more things.

[thelittlestspider]

Writing Wrapped! 🖊🎉

It was the best of times and the worst of times.

wip list 🤘 for the unfamiliar lol.

Your Top Genres (Writing, Reading, etc)

writing: horror, followed by scifi and fantasy.

reading: horror, gothic, fantasy, and scifi.

Your Top WIP/s (The WIPs You Worked on the Most)

Original: Definitely Carry Me. I worked my ass off writing that fic during the summer. I kind of got away from it for a little while because I was working on other fics, but she's definitely #1 this year.

Fanfic: I think I worked on Landslide the most, followed by Soul Alone. The thing about Landslide is I keep doing little rewatches of That 70s Show to get inspiration, and every time I pick it up I always think about something new I could put in it, whereas with Soul Alone there's not as much to pull from because it's a rare pair in a limited series, so sometimes I get burned out faster.

Your Top OC/s (The OCs You Couldn’t Shake Off Your Head)

Definitely Ray and Scott from Carry Me, and Peter, Carter, and Javier from By the Skin of My Teeth. I'm like obsessed with them. I think of them constantly.

Works in Progress Count

Oh God. Uhhhh. Too many lol.

Drafting/Editing Progress

Carry Me: So far in the actual word doc it's at like 4,706. Which isn't a lot but that's not including the random stuff scribbled in my notebook. Plus I have a lot of stuff I want to do with this fic re: experimenting. Originally BtSoMT was the experiment fic where I just threw stuff on the paper and hoped it was interesting (it still kind of is), but Carry Me is my favorite. It's my weird baby.

By the Skin of My Teeth: I think I'm slowly figuring out what I want to do with this fic. I think before I got caught up in like making it pretty and interesting to other people, and I forgot to make it fun for me lol. So I'm trying to make myself write for me more and worry less about posting excerpts or whatever.

Writing Reflections

I think in terms of progress, this wasn't a bad year. Last year I quit my job because it was really toxic and it was affecting my health, and then I got my old job back, which lets me write a lot more than I could before. Hopefully I'll make more progress before I have to change jobs again lol.

Reading and Book Recommendations

I have so many. I'm just gonna list them here:

Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge (tw: violence, suicide.)

The Bright Lands by John Fram (tw: sexual assault, violence, revenge porn, gore, mentioned prostitution, child pornography, homophobia.)

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson (tw: racism, violence, gore.)

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica (tw: cannibalism, violence, gore, sexual assault, murder, disturbing imagery.)

The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton

A Lesson In Vengeance by Victoria Lee

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

The Book of Living Secrets by Madeleine Roux

The Chronicles of Chrestomanci Vol. I (tw: abuse, attempted murder.)

(I want to add a note that some of these I haven't finished, but they were compelling enough I felt like I had to put them here.)

[ginevralinton]

10, 12, 20 for the book ask

thank you for asking ♡♡♡

10. do you have a guilty fav?

hmm, not sure i consider any of my favourite guilty, but i do admit i really enjoyed The Pursued and the Pursuing by AJ Odasso, which is essentially Gatsby fanfic, and I'm not sure I'd want to explain that to my family 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

12. did you enjoy any compulsory high school readings?

yes! i enjoyed quite a number of them, including:

Animal Farm by George Orwell - this actually inspired me to read 1984, which got me back into reading anything besides re-reads. I think it showed me that i was ready for adult fiction and that there was a lot more out there besides YA, which at the time was all felt like 'books-with-a-Twilight-vibe' which just wasn't my thing.

Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare - Benvolio and Mercutio were my faves - and my guinea pig is now called Benvolio!!

Poems by Carol Ann Duffy - still think about 'Dream of a Lost Friend' and 'Wintering' sometimes

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - this was my obsession, my main interest, the thing that took hold of my mind at 15/16. i got invited to this fancy school in my local area to do gcse revision days and i refused to go to the science ones, but was kind of ridiculously excited to go to the english one to have a full day dedicated to this book. it obviously has it's issues, but i still love it 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald- one of my A Level texts, that again, i became a bit obsessed with. i find it an intriguing, atmospheric book and i really like Nick's narration. lots to pick apart there.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge - eerie with so many great lines.

Robert Frost poetry - very readable, and 'Stopping by a Snowy Woods', ' The Draft Horse', 'Apple Picking' and 'Out Out' still echo in my head.

Dr Faustus by Christoper Marlowe -possibly my favourite play, maybe?

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë - one of my favourites that ive re-read an embarrassing amount of times. isabella linton is my fave ♡♡ this got me into Victorian literature and the Brontës too ♡

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - my obsession and pretty much one of the few things that got me through final year of school. Such a brilliant and heart breaking book that has so much to think about within it, is beautifully written and is so layered. Henry Clerval is my fave!

20. what are things you look for in a book?

I think some things i look out for are: good characters, an interesting narrative voice, beautiful writing, not too action packed, unhinged characters 🤷🏼‍♀️, lgbtq themes, texts that you can pick apart and analyse, ones that are set at least predominantly in the "real world" (magical realism, a little supernatural, gothic etc is all good, but high-fantasy and heavy sci-fi just aren't for me)

Thanks again for asking!!