#social hierarchy young royals

[raincitygirl76]

Boris is the only adult in Wilhelm’s entire life so far who is entirely on Wilhelm’s side. He doesn’t report back to the Queen, nor does he consider her wishes more important than his duty to his patient. Boris is the only adult who treats Wilhelm like a troubled teenager first, and the crown prince of Sweden a very distant second.

Boris doesn’t give a shit about the succession crisis. All he cares about is treating his patient to the best of his ability. And the fact that his patient is the future king of Sweden doesn’t factor into Boris’s treatment plan. Yeah, Wilhelm’s situation is relevant to their sessions. But only insofar as it’s a significant source of anxiety to this patient, and a significant source of this patient feeling trapped.

Boris is the only adult in Wilhelm’s entire life who just wants him to be a happy human being, without reference to his position. And who gives precisely zero fucks about how the Queen will react to her heir’s therapist encouraging him to self-actualize.

Kristina sent Iwlhelm to therapy so he could learn to control his emotions, avoid outbursts. Instead, the therapist she picked encouraged Wilhelm to pay attention to his own emotions. To put his own happiness above his duty to the monarchy.

THIS MAN DIDN'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THE REPERCUSSIONS, HE WAS ALL THERE FOR THE DRAMA I LOOK UP TO HIM BECAUSE SAME

A HERO

[raincitygirl76]

Omar Rudberg is a very attractive young man. So I find it hilarious (though somewhat sobering) that nobody at Hillerska seems to notice Simon is gorgeous. All because he’s a lowly non-resident (and a socialist to boot, who refuses to act grateful to be allowed around his social betters), they pretend Simon’s looks are nothing out of the common way. It shows the pressure of class solidarity.

Makes me wonder, though, how many Hillerska boarders secretly have crushes on Simon. Because, you know, they have eyes, even if they don’t dare admit it to their friends because it would be social suicide. Are there girls in Simon’s classes who wistfully sigh over how aesthetically appealing he is? Or fellow choristers who covertly watch him sing when they’re supposed to be watching the music teacher and/or reading their scores?

I wonder how many girls quietly cried themselves to sleep right after the video came out. And told their curious roommates they were crying because apparently the Crown Prince is unattainable. But really they were crying because apparently Simon Eriksson is gay. And therefore definitely off the market, if those girls ever got up the guts to cross class lines and acknowledge how crush worthy he is.

P.S.

Incidentally, I don’t think Simon intentionally went back in the closet when he moved to Hillerska. It’s just we know from 1.01 that hardly anyone has spoken to him since the start of the school year. It’s kind of tough to come out to people who are pretending you don’t exist and won’t talk to you.

And then Wilhelm arrived, and was obviously interested but extremely closeted himself. So Simon had a large incentive not to arouse the suspicions of their Hillerska school mates by coming out himself. I don’t think Simon was hiding in S1 so much as just not choosing to actively bring it up. I’m pretty damn sure if someone had asked him flat out, he would’ve said he’s gay. But nobody did ask, so he and Wilhelm could continue to fly under the radar as close platonic friends.

We can also infer from Saran’s comment in 1.03 “Why are you sneaking around?” That at Marieberg, Simon was out and proud. But he wasn’t a pariah at Marieberg. People actually talked to him there. And he wasn’t deeply in love with a closeted guy at Marieberg.

It could also be another reason (as if Simon needed another) that Simon feels so betrayed by Wilhelm denying the video in 1.06. Simon has already compromised his principles for Wilhelm even before the video, by making allowances for Wilhelm’s closeted status and sneaking around secretively. And Wilhelm repaid Simon having previously compromised his principles by abandoning him altogether.

It’s one thing to let people assume you’re platonic friends and not actively correct them. It’s a whole other ballgame for Wilhelm to actively lie to the press and the entire world. Assertively affirming his (nonexistent) heterosexuality and his single status.

[raincitygirl76]

This is fabulously interesting. I urge you to click on the cut!

Some thoughts on the hierarchy at Hillerska

A few days ago, @raincitygirl76 made a really intriguing post about how the show is about the class system (find it here!), mainly focusing on Hillerska’s impact as an employer and the types of students who go there.

That inspired me to go off on a tangent and make a separate post about the hierarchy. I’ve been using Agnes Hellström’s book about the real boarding schools (‘Att vara utan att synas: Om riksinternaten Lundsberg, Sigtuna och Grenna’, 2013) as a fanfic reference, so I’m also using that here. It was written  back when the schools were still allowed to charge for tuition, and I’m sure things have improved since then. However, much of the content is pretty consistent with what Lisa has said about doing research for YR and what we see in the show.

Disclaimer: I’m not Swedish, just a Nordic neighbour, and these are just my own impressions. If I’m wrong about something, please feel free to add on to this or correct me!

Keep reading

[kazumist]

EYES SET ON YOU .ᐟ

✩ — xiao realizes that his eyes were set on you the whole time. if it was since you made your entrance to the party or if it was since you met fifteen years ago, he doesn't really know.

✩ — prompt: felicity – the most chased after of the season asks you for a dance. (another entry for @xianyoon's event yayyyy)

✩ — includes: xiao x f!reader. fluff. cw: alcohol consumption (again,, it never gets old with me sawry) but there's only like two details about it, ooc!xiao pls i have no idea if i wrote him well during the second half. wc: 4164. kuni is reader's twin so you're technically the daughter of ei in this. some liyue and inazuma characters mentioned kinda. slight dual pov?? i guess ... yeah that's pretty much it. no beta i die like xiao almost did during the perilous trail quest tbh !!!

a prince should be confident, courageous, sophisticated, and dignified.

prince xiao checks out on most of those things. if anything, the townspeople in the kingdom of liyue take pride in their beloved prince. king zhongli is proud of his son as well as his older sister, princess ganyu. however, out of all the four traits stated above, there’s only one that prince xiao doesn’t count himself in: confidence. he isn’t referring to confidence when it comes to his abilities; heavens no, prince xiao knows and is proud of his capabilities (although not verbally; he had always been the reserved type of man even when he was a child) in terms of strength and wit. it’s more like the crowned prince of liyue doubts his abilities in terms of being sociable. having connections is a crucial thing for a man like him who’s currently in line for the throne after his father, as these connections could aid him when he takes king zhongli’s place one day. 

marriage, of course, was an inevitable thing. it’s a requirement, a demand that needs to be fulfilled, whether one likes it or not. king zhongli pities his son that he couldn’t escape from this predicament, but the king just assures his son that he should marry someone that he loves. having a loveless marriage has more cons than pros anyway. he wants his son to be happy, this is the least he could do for him.

…as well as the ball that he held in hopes of his son meeting someone of his interest.

it has been a short while since the ball started. many of the young women around xiao’s age had decided to make their move, yet all were fruitless attempts as xiao had already turned them down. they’d put on a forced smile, walking away but as soon as the prince’s back faces them, you could see their grip getting tighter around the fan in their hand if you squinted. xiao retreats back to his father's side, sighing in exhaustion. his social energy wasn’t really made for posh events like these. he looks at the crowd below, catching a glimpse of his sister talking to her friends and entertaining other guests. (xiao had wondered at some point why he was in line for the throne rather than his older sister, who is more capable of ruling than he is, but he soon realizes that it is how the royal hierarchy works.)

his eyes shifts themselves towards the entrance. he’s not surprised that people are still arriving at this hour because, as far as xiao could recall, his father had invited a few other kingdoms to this ball as well. yet xiao could vividly feel his eyes widen as he saw a familiar face that had made it’s entrance—yours.

and all of a sudden, xiao suddenly finds himself being seven years old all over again.

— — — — — — — — 

the young boy hid behind his father, his head peeking out ever so slightly as he eyed the child in front of him. it was a young girl who looked just around the same age as him. she was rather coy as well, as she clung to her mother’s hand. xiao looked at the child’s mother. he had heard of her before, of course. queen ei of inazuma—his father told him that she would be visiting today along with his daughter and son. though he doesn’t really see the son present at the moment. perhaps he didn’t join?

“my apologies for being a tad bit late, king zhongli. kunikuzushi really didn’t want to accompany us.” he heard queen ei sighed. well, that answers one of his questions, at least. king zhongli laughs at her words, “it’s quite alright. there are times when children could get rebellious against their own parents.”

“rebellious? i prefer to call it disobedient.”

his father chuckles again before reaching a hand behind him, patting the seven year old xiao on the head. “xiao, i would like you to meet (name). she’s queen ei’s daughter and is just the same age as you.” he gently says. zhongli knows that his son is not particularly fond of socializing, but he tries to get him out of his shell bit by bit. xiao steadily steps out, slowly stepping forward in front of his father. “(name), i’d like you to meet xiao. i told you that you’d be meeting him today, didn’t i?” queen ei softly says to her daughter. the child silently nods and lets go of her mother’s hands. she approached the young boy, lending out her hand for him to shake.

she stuttered in her words, clearly nervous. “i-i’m (name).” xiao reaches out and receives her hand, saying his name in return as he lets go. “well then xiao, why don’t you take (name) to the castle garden for the meantime? me and her mother are just going to have an important chat.” xiao heard his father. he nods in acknowledgement, and this time it was his turn to reach out his hand for the girl to take. (name) looks back to her mother for approval, eyes asking for permission to allow her to join xiao. “you can go; i’ll come and pick you up as soon as we’re finished.” she says, giving her daughter a little head pat.

hand in hand, xiao led her to the castle’s garden, where the gardeners planted all sorts of beautiful flowers located in liyue. xiao immediately leads the girl to where the qingxin flowers are located. but he doesn’t say anything when they get there—he doesn’t know what to say. should he state how this is actually his favorite flower? but he thinks that boys having favorite flowers isn’t allowed. should he say that this flower reminded him of her? the white flowers swayed against the light breeze in front of them.

“this… this is called a qingxin flower.” he starts. he doesn’t really know what he should say. might as well start with telling you what this flower is, right? “it’s pretty..” you say, admiring it. a fresh and minty scent wafts over your sense of smell. you’re pretty, xiao thinks. but he swallows his words instead and blushes at the thought. but it’s true, you are pretty. you had that small sparkle in your eyes that xiao finds himself captivated by.

your time continued on with you and xiao admiring other flowers such as glaze lilies and silk flowers until your mother and king zhongli entered the castle garden, a sign that their important chat is now over—and that (name) needs to head home. she bids xiao farewell with a small wave and a smile, while her other hand has a qingxin flower in her hold (xiao gave it to her as a little souvenir) and xiao finds himself doing the same. there were no actual goodbyes said, as they both silently hoped that they would cross paths once more.

— — — — — — — — 

the flashback ends when he hears your name being announced. the crowd below him whispered, as your family had already caught the attention of the ton. well, no one could really blame them. xiao noticed numerous things already. your hair had grown much longer, you had grown in terms of height too, and your strides as you made your entrance had confidence in them. this time, xiao noticed how much you took after your mother in terms of aura. queen ei, who’s aging like quite the fine wine, leads you and your brother, kunikuzushi, as you continue walking inside.

it has been fifteen years since xiao last saw you; your last meeting with each other was when they visited—the day you met. of course, you weren’t the little (name) that he met when he was seven anymore. even your brother had taken in some changes, xiao notices. he had spent a fair amount of time with your brother when he went abroad to study and train at the age of eight. this is also a reason why xiao didn’t really have the chance to meet each other again. kunikuzushi had a stern look on his face, while you had a calm one.

king zhongli smiles at the sight of the royal family of inazuma making their entrance. it has been a while since he and queen ei met, as their busy lives as rulers of each of their respective kingdoms are quite demanding. “why don’t you go down and greet them on my behalf?” zhongli muses. xiao simply nods at him, making his way towards kunikuzushi first—after all, he knows him more than he knows you.

“kuni.” he greets his old friend as he approaches the two of you. their mother had her on business to take care of, he supposes, as he takes notice of her sudden absence by her children’s side. “ah, alatus. it’s a pleasure to see you again.” he says. you looked at him in confusion and said, "i’m surprised you’re friendly with other people, brother.” kunikuzushi looked at you, offended by your remark. “sister, what do you simply take me as?” he replies with a forced smile since they were in public at the moment. you ignored your brother, doing a curtsy as you greeted xiao. “it’s wonderful to see you again, prince alatus.” she says.

again? so you remember that time too. “again? since when the hell did you two meet?” kunikuzushi asked. “around fifteen years ago, when mother visited the kingdom of liyue to discuss something important with king zhongli. you were throwing a random tantrum that day and didn’t want to accompany us. also do mind your words, brother. we’re in public for goodness sake,"  you replied, scolding kunikuzushi. 

“and you don’t really need to point out how i had a tantrum back then. i was seven!”

“we were both seven, if i may remind you.”

xiao watches the twins interact with each other. it was different from how he and his older sister would interact. but nonetheless, xiao is somewhat glad that there’s someone in kunikuzushi’s life who could match him in verbal terms. “whatever, how are you faring as of late, alatus?” his friend shifts the topic, giving you an eyeroll, to which you return with a slight jab to his side. xiao then grabs a drink from a refreshment table nearby, taking a slight sip. the taste of alcohol makes contact with his taste buds as he slightly smacks his lips after. “i’ve been...” he trails off. how has he been lately? xiao doesn’t recall. he’s been busy with all of these ball preparations and the mental preparation he needs to take when he is to be married. 

“well. i’ve been quite well.” he finishes. “i’m glad to hear that. i heard you’re looking for a bride this season?” kunikuzushi then asks. “ah, yes. my father thinks it’s about time i start to settle down.”

“what’s the rush? we’re only at the age of twenty and two.”

“he isn’t pressuring me to get myself married away, kuni. but he wants me to start looking now, hence why this ball was held.” xiao sighs. kunikuzushi looks at his friend in pity; well, he isn’t any different. marriage has seemed to be a recent topic as well for queen ei and her son. “excuse me, gentlemen, as i see a friend quite close. i wish the best for you, prince alatus. and brother, watch your behavior, will you?” you then said, stepping away. “hey, what do you—” the other sibling swallowed his words back down his throat, not wanting to suddenly raise his voice.

“god, what does she take me for?”

“someone not trustworthy enough to be left alone, as it seems.”

“shut it, alatus.”

— — — — — — — — 

alatus then encounters you again.

you were alone this time. and xiao had just escaped the horrific clutches of mothers showing off their daughters to him. “it’s nice to see you again.” xiao then greets you, taking the spot beside you. “mhm, same to you.” the silence wasn’t awkward—it was rather serene. both of you stood there, hiding away from the crowd. perhaps you weren’t someone who finds socializing all fun, preferring to be in your own little bubble instead. or perhaps you were also hiding yourself from the other nobles that have attempted to make a move on you.

“what brings you into a corner like this?” he decided to ask.

“oh, it’s... you know, not every noble is necessarily a pleasure to be in the company of, if you get what i mean.” you replied, choosing your words rather carefully.

in your peripheral vision, you see xiao then nod in agreement. so my second guess was right, he thinks. “honestly speaking, i promised my mother that i’d dance with at least one noble tonight. she wants me to step out of my shell, per se, since whenever i accompany her to balls like this, i usually just glue myself to her side.”

“at least you find yourself accompanying your mother either way. i don’t really escort my father a lot.”

“really? and didn’t you make your debut when you were just eighteen? that’s around four years ago already. “didn’t you make your debut at the same age? we’re simply allies in this boat, princess.” xiao then shoots back. you went blank for a moment, processing what he had called you. well, you were a princess. he wasn’t wrong about it, but why did it sound... something different when it rolled off his tongue? “touché.” 

maybe it was the alcohol that he consumed taking it’s effect on him, as xiao felt rather bold now, making a smooth step to stand in front of you. he wasn’t that drunk, but maybe it’s some sort of liquid courage. “well, if you promised your mother for her to be an audience of you dancing with a noble...” he reaches out a hand towards you. the sight is familiar—and this is when you started to realize that a lot of things have changed between you and alatus over the past fifteen years. “may i have the pleasure of being your dance partner tonight?”

you take his hand. “you may.”

widening eyes and hushed gasps weren’t everything you noticed as you and xiao casually made your way to the dance floor. kunikuzushi had his eyebrow immediately raised as he watched your arm linked with xiao’s walking together, pausing himself as he was about to take a sip from his drink in hand. “well, would you look at that?” king zhongli hums in amusement from above, queen ei turning her head to see what he’s looking at.

“my, well, i certainly knew she had taken a liking to your son when they were children, but i didn’t expect it to continue into adulthood.” the queen says.

a new song had just started as xiao took the lead. they swayed—to the left, to the right, forward, and around. with one hand holding yours and the other on your waist, he twirls you around. he then catches you in his hold once more, pulling you close. close enough to hear your steady breathing, close enough to admire your face, and close enough to get himself lost in your eyes.

the close proximity aided you in observing just how much had changed with xiao over the past fifteen years. he had grown taller; that is obviously for one. he wasn’t that shy anymore, as he is now rather demure. his eyes still fascinated you with their unique shade of yellow, as his pupils were sharp—it reminded you of a cat���s. his hair had a few highlights of a lighter shade of green, in contrast to his main hair color.

you then realize that everything has changed.

the scowling of both men and women envied the two individuals dancing in the center. after all, they technically lost. the other women had lost to the princess of inazuma and the other men had lost to the prince of liyue—they wouldn’t dare to even come between them. because as much as they would hate to admit it, both of you were a perfect match. you complement each other well.

then, something xiao had been concerned about for some time happened: the part where he would have to lift her up. it may have been the proximity, the intimacy, or just the fear of letting her fall because it would be difficult for her to stay upright in such heels if his hand slipped. the lady gave a little yelp and fell back to the ground, thankfully without breaking a bone, but there was no time to consider anything more despite the slow music. xiao raised her up with an erratic act of trust.

“what a strong gentleman you are.” you whispered in his ear, commending him for the successful dance move. all eyes were on you now, as everyone was too hooked onto your performance. it was alluring—you were alluring, xiao thinks. the dance then comes to an end as you bow to each other as a sign of respect. he guided you away, and you quickly sneaked in a kiss to his cheek when no one was looking, not even xiao. his eyes widened as he felt your lips come into contact with his cheek. he then raises his hand to feel the spot your lips landed on. 

xiao feels something in his chest, something rather warm.

— — — — — — — — 

after all this time, xiao is still not the one for long conversations. he prefers to indulge in a comfortable silence rather than spend his time in a bustling crowd. so naturally, xiao finds his way into the castle’s garden. he can’t really withdraw from the party; the season has just begun. maybe give him a good two or three more parties and maybe xiao could find a way out to leave early. his cheeks are greeted by the cold and gentle breeze of the night as he steps foot into the garden.

fifteen years is enough time for one to mature and grow up. you and xiao are aware of the dark side that society holds. but one thing hasn’t really changed: his love for qingxin flowers. xiao learned as he grew up. it’s that boys are actually allowed to have favorite flowers. (could you really blame him for thinking otherwise? he was just seven.) making his way to where the qingxin flowers are, he stopped in his tracks as he noticed that he wasn’t apparently alone in the area. 

the lightly dimmed lights that surrounded the garden are what helped xiao see that it was you who was standing there, admiring the qingxin flowers. you seemed to have sensed that someone was behind you, turning around to see who it was, and much to your relief, it was xiao. “prince alatus.” you greeted him again with a curtsy. “princess (name).” he greeted in return with a bow and walked closer to stand beside you. 

“it feels nostalgic to be here again.” you said. xiao stays silent, preferring to listen. “do you remember? you bought me here when we were seven. i remember myself being very shy back then.” you continued, laughing as the memory replays in your head. xiao tries to construct a reply. “mhm, do you know what a qingxin flower symbolizes?” he then asks. “not really. what is it?”

“affection and happiness.” xiao softly smiles. it was just a small one, as he reached out his hand to touch the flower before him. you glance at him, admiring the look on his face.

and suddenly, you found yourself being seven years old again.

— — — — — — — — 

she was nervous. very nervous. as far as she could recall, this was her first time meeting someone outside of their kingdom. she really, really wants to be friends with this xiao boy—she’s heard a few from her mother. so she doesn’t really want to mess up, but she doesn’t even know how to approach him!

as soon as they arrived, she first looked at the tall man in front of them. that should be… king zhongli! she thought that his description fit the one that her mother gave her when she described him. but she looks at her surroundings for xiao. she doesn’t really know what he looks like, since her mother only told her that they’re of the same age and that he’s a nice kid. but she soon notices something behind king zhongli—something dark green? she watched him as he peeked his head out from behind his father and joy washed over her. he’s here! she thought. 

although her expressions don’t really show it, she was overjoyed when she realized that she wasn’t alone. perhaps it’s a common feeling amongst children whenever they encounter someone their age, there’s a familiar force that pushes them to befriend that person. she was no different from that, of course, as this is how she feels towards the boy in front of her now.

after they had been introduced, xiao was holding her hand and directing her to their garden. she took in everything she saw as they walked past, including paintings, decorations, and other things on display. they stopped in front of a small field of pretty white flowers. “this… this is a qingxin flower.” she hears the boy beside her say. a qingxin flower? that’s a bit hard to pronounce… she thinks. as she leans closer to inspect the flower further, it’s minty scent meets her sense of smell. “it’s pretty…” she lets out.

xiao picks one qingxin flower; there’s apparently four on one stem. xiao then takes a flower from those four. she silently watches him, wondering what he’s going to do with it. as xiao stepped closer, she held her breath. she feels the familiar feeling of a flower being tucked behind her ear. she reaches out one hand to touch it. “m-my dad always told me to be nice to girls. but i don’t really know how but i hope that’s okay.” xiao then says, looking away as she giggles at the sight of his ears turning red.

“thank you, xiao!”

while she was on the way home with her mother, she had a huge smile on her face as she gently caressed the qingxin flower’s petals with her fingers. “did you have fun with xiao today, honey?” her mother asks. “mhm! he gave me this flower; isn’t it pretty, mommy?” she exclaims. the little girl then tells her mother about what happened while they were in the garden. queen ei smiles to herself at the sight of her daughter being enthusiastic about her interactions with prince xiao.

— — — — — — — — 

deja vu seemed to take over as you saw xiao pick a qingxin flower. even more when you watch him take another flower from the four. you were replaying the memory of the day you met inside your head but surely you’re back in reality, right?

you breath hitched when xiao stepped closer, tucking it behind your ear again.

“are you perhaps taking me on a trip to memory lane tonight?” you chuckled. xiao simply smiles in return as he steps back. maybe, he swallows the response down his throat. “i realized something tonight.” he then says. “hm? and what might that be?”

xiao was never the type who would say a lot of things. he usually kept his thoughts to himself, hiding them in the back of his mind and dismissing it right away. but for once, he finds himself rambling. “that despite the fact i’m rather modest or demure and the fact that i’m not really an individual who is up for long conversations, i find myself enjoying sharing a silence that’s covered in tranquility. i am a mundane man, (name), yet in spite of that, i can’t help but yearn for an individual like you to accompany me for the rest of my life.” surprised at him for dropping the formalities, you still listened.

“i—forget that. my apologies. i doubt there is anyone who could compare for a woman like yourself in the first place. we aren’t the same seven year olds that spent their afternoon in this exact garden anymore. a lot—if not everything—has changed between us. so let me be selfish for once: would you accept my invitation for a mundane life? you don’t have to feel obligated to give a response now.” you took another qingxin flower from its stem; only two remain now. it was your turn to step closer.

“i won’t give my answer now, xiao.” you start, dropping the formalities with him as well. “this is all rather shocking, after all, but promise this: once summer comes around, there will be a summer festival held inazuma as it does every year. can you promise me your attendance? the sight of the fireworks prepared by the naganohara family is certainly one to commend.”

“i promise.”

xiao then realizes that he had his eyes set on you this whole time—whether the past fifteen years are counted or not, that’s for him to keep.

[eanfee]

Ever After, but respecting the age that the characters are supposed to be in the stories: Part 2!

The characters are of different ages, so many of them would never interact at school, as they are from different generations, so they would only meet when their stories began. And of course, because of the stories, some characters would graduate while still children.

One thing I didn't make clear in part 1: since some graduate as teenagers and others as children, Ever After would become a school for elementary and middle school, with two different buildings for each age group.

Moving on, Ashlynn and Hunter could never be together, not only because of their position in the social hierarchy, but also because of their age difference.

Hunter

You see, Hunter is destined to be the next hunter from the fairy tales. Considering that this figure appears in both the stories of Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood, and we have never seen any other hunter in Ever After, we must deduce that Hunter must participate in both stories, and this would certainly not be possible for someone very young.

I am not sure which of the two stories would come to fruition first, or if the order would depend on the circumstances of each generation, so I decided on an order following what seems most logical to me:

After graduation, he moves to his cabin in the woods where he lives for a few years perfecting his hunting skills so that, when the time comes, he can finally kill the Big Bad Wolf, his old schoolmate (after all, this is a very powerful beast, and he would have to wait for the graduation of the next Little Red Riding Hood for the story to really begin, since she would be much younger than him). After slaying the Wolf, his fame as a hunter echoes throughout the kingdoms, and he is hired as the Evil Queen's personal bodyguard, beginning his role in Snow White.

By the end, he would be a fully grown man, perhaps even with a few gray hairs, having seen the new Snow White grow into a grown woman. Ashlynn would be in the same age range.

Ashlynn

The same age as Apple White, she grew up outside of royalty, being raised by her uncles in the countryside, to properly begin her story.

Her uncle, the man she was supposed to call her father, would marry a new wife once he welcomed Ashlynn into his family, a woman chosen especially to be the next stepmother, with two daughters a year or two older than Ashlynn.

Growing up aware of her history, but never able to enjoy the perks of royalty, the next Cinderella suffers a series of mistreatments, neglects and physical and psychological abuses by her stepmother and stepsisters, becoming mentally dependent and probably the princess most accustomed to manual labor.

Never getting to meet Hunter (because they are from different generations), she marries her pre-determined prince and finally meets her royal parents when she ascends to royalty.

Blondie

Successor of the Goldilocks, she would graduate at 10 or 11 years old in Ever After, completing only basic education due to the simplicity of her story.

She would grow up in a common house, without any direct contact with royalty, except for a few classes she shares with Apple and Ashlyn where she learns to be a good "lady in distress", and gymnastics classes, to escape the bears.

The three bears are a family, with two grown adults and a cub, who would be similar in age to Blondie, so the two would probably meet at school, where they could rehearse their roles in the story well, with Blondie pretending to be scared and Little Bear pretending to chase her.

After her story comes to an end, the girl would simply spend the rest of her days as a common peasant, who may know a little about reading and writing, marrying a common man and perhaps maintaining slight contact with the bear family.

Cedar

Just like Frankie, she would be sent to Ever After a few days after her "birth". In this case, after her creation in the puppet workshop.

She would be a child, physically 6 to 8 years old, and would be sent to school to quickly learn what she needed to do: how to walk, talk, act like a human, the basics of her story, and learn the desire to become a real child.

She does not have a graduation, her story unfolding more naturally than that of other characters, because the day she decided to walk around the city instead of going to school, her story would begin.

As soon as her adventure came to an end, she would be raised as a normal child and would learn the trade of being a carpenter, to become the "Next Geppetto", never getting married or having biological children.

Holly and Poppy

The twins would never meet before the end of Holly's story, and neither would attend Ever After.

After the birth, the witch would choose the older twin to be Rapunzel's successor, then separate her from her family and take her to a secluded tower, from which she could not leave under any circumstances.

Because she could not leave, she would not be able to attend classes as a normal student; instead, the teachers would create personalized lesson plans for her throughout her school years, and her tutoring would be the responsibility of the witch. In order to train her to survive in the wilderness, the princess would endure long periods of hunger and thirst, as well as midwife training to deliver her own baby by herself when she became pregnant with the prince.

Poppy, not being heir to the throne or to Rapunzel's story, would not be important to her family or her world, so she would not be accepted as a student in Ever After, receiving only the standard education for princesses. Living her life waiting for the return of the sister she never knew, who would return home already married and with twin children, who would be separated at birth just like her, starting the cycle again.

[raincitygirl76]

Reblogging both for OP @bluedalahorse ‘s post about Felice and the addition by @heliza24

YRS3 Fandom Writers Room Challenge: Round #1!

Let’s pretend we’re in the writer’s room for season 3 together.

This is not a predictions post. Nor is it fully a wish list, at least not in the conventional sense. In fact, I want to pause a moment move away from trying to predict what’s going to happen in season 3 exactly, and instead think about ways that it could be written. The wish fulfillment part is that you get to be the writer. You may have an idea you think Lisa herself is unlikely to include in the story, but you’ve thought of a way it would work well in the show. Or you have an idea you’re pretty sure is going to happen, but you have IDEAS about how it could play out onscreen and you want to explain those.

I thought we could spend the next few weeks considering a character or two at a time, and sharing out about what those characters’ arcs could be, if we were the writers. For now I’m planning to leave out Simon, Wilhelm, and August, just because I see a lot of thoughts going around about them already. I may reconsider later.

I will be using the tag “yrs3 fandom writers room” for these posts.

Ground Rules

Dream big, have fun, and share your ideas!

Try to stay in a writer’s mindset rather than an audience member’s mindset. We’re not trying to find secret messages in foreshadowing so much as using it to build a new part of the story that we are pretending we have control over.

Don’t feel like your thoughts have to be complete or perfect. We’re in the fandom writer’s room together, so you can leave some questions open and invite others to weigh in.

Comment on what you like about others’ ideas. If you want to build on someone’s idea, be collaborative rather than combative. Ask questions!

If one of your storyline ideas involves a character encountering or dealing with something triggering (as sometimes happens in the YR universe) please tag appropriately or give a heads up about what’s coming next.

If you’re not a fan of the character(s) of the week and your opinion is that they shouldn’t get any screentime in season 3 at all, this challenge may not be for you. Scroll on by and let other folks participate.

The first Character of the Week is… our wonderful fave Felice!

This Week’s Prompt: Imagine you’re on the writing team for season 3 and you’re deciding how Felice’s arc is going to play out this season. What do you want to do with her character arc? Where do you want her to start and end the season? How do your ideas build on what came before? How can her story interact with the stories of other characters on the show, and deepen the themes of Young Royals?

Think about your answer, and then reblog and respond. You can just write your ideas out, you can make a fun slide show, or you can write a drabble series or whatever, you can come up with a few songs you want played for Felice’s part of the storyline—it’s your choice how you want to respond.

I’m putting my response below the cut. Can’t wait to hear everyone else’s thoughts too!

My thoughts for Felice’s arc:

Heads up for discussions of bullying and conflict in friendship groups.

Sadly, I don’t have any cute graphics this week, or any fanworks. But I do have thoughts.

My writerly thoughts for season 3 are that Felice should be driven by a desire for true, authentic, passionate friendships.

I’ve been reflecting on how in season 2, Felice decides that she’s going to attend the school dance with her Manor House friends group, and prioritize platonic friendships over romantic relationships with boys. At the end of season 2, however, we can see that her friend group is in the middle of a schism. Fredrika and Stella are attacking Sara, and Maddie is nowhere to be found. While Felice is pretty angry at Sara herself, and I imagine she’ll spend the beginning of season 3 not really wanting to take her back as a friend, I wonder if it could perhaps haunt her afterward to see how quickly Fredrika and Stella turned on Sara without having the full story of what happened.

After Wilhelm’s speech, the school will be under scrutiny, and I imagine the general mood at Hillerska is going to grow even more tense. I also imagine this could make students act out more, and for Fredrika and Stella, this could mean power plays and using their gossip powers for evil. Maybe they’re continuing to spread rumors about Sara that have no basis in reality—but really they could be gossiping about anyone. Felice feels increasingly more uncomfortable with it and tries to get them to stop, but either Stella or Fredrika is subtly trying to usurp her role as the group’s “leader” and the group’s power dynamic is shifting. Perhaps by midseason they go as far as turning on her and kicking her out of the friend group entirely.

Felice lets some of this slip to her mother over the phone, and her mother makes an offhand remark about being bullied by her own friend group back when she was at Hillerska. Mamma Ehrencrona quickly tries to laugh off her remark like it’s no big deal, but Felice can sense her mother is bothered by these memories, and realizes that part of her mother’s meddling in her own life stems from unprocessed traumas.  Felice’s mother is a bullied person who became a bully. It doesn’t really lead to a full-on reconciliation between Felice and her mom—there’s not enough time for that in six episodes, and Mamma Ehrencrona probably doesn’t need that redemption arc—it’s more a revelation that makes Felice see some of her mother’s behavior in context.

Meanwhile, Wilhelm and Simon are publicly together now. Naturally they’re spending a lot of time with one another, meaning Felice can’t hang out with Wilhelm as much, and when she does hang out with them, she feels a bit like a third wheel. The choir’s spreading rumors about how Wilhelm “dumped” Felice for Simon, which adds another layer of awkwardness. Initially I thought, perhaps Felice is frustrated that she can’t get Wilhelm alone so she can open up to him about the struggles in her Manor House friend group, but I feel like that might repeat some season 2 dynamics with Wille being a dumbass who doesn’t take Felice’s feelings into account. So I wonder if instead she could be trying to actively avoid telling him about the conflicts in her friend group, so as not to disrupt Wilhelm’s newfound couple bliss with Simon. This could lead to a midseason moment between Wilhelm and Felice where Wilhelm finds out how Felice’s friends are treating her and he’s like, “dude that’s fucked up, and next time someone treats you that way, tell me and don’t keep it to yourself, because I’m your friend and I want to do what I can to make things okay for you.” 

Alternately, Simon could be the one who discovers Felice’s friend struggles and is there for her, and this leads to a deepening of their friendship. (Perhaps they can also bond as students of color in a predominantly white school—we’ve seen moments where both have experienced microagressions, but I don’t know if we’ve seen characters of color discuss something like that openly yet.)

If I were on the YR writing team, I would also use this as a springboard for Felice questioning if she might be aromantic asexual. Six episodes isn’t really enough for her to have an entire coming out journey, but perhaps she’s reading up on LGBTQIA+ issues throughout the season so she can be more of an ally to Wilhelm. Maybe we get one scene toward the end of the season where she comes across the terms aromantic and asexual and reads about how the aspec communities value friendship, and something about that clicks with her. She’s like, I think I might be one or both of these. I’m going to read more about it. This might be a slight retcon of Felice’s feelings toward Wille, but eh. This idea could also use some workshopping, too, since right now it’s feeling a little Heartstopper. Any ideas on how to make it more YR-flavored?

I do feel strongly, though, that if I were writing Felice and she wasn’t going to end up with a love interest in season 3, that I’d want it to be because she is aroace. There is a repeated trend in television of Black characters as the people who don’t get to be reciprocated love interests (Princess Weekes has a video about it and you should definitely check it out!) and if Felice remains alloallo, she becomes part of that trend, regardless of how well-written she is. On the other hand, there’s also not a lot of Black aspec rep in media right now, so Felice being aroace would at least kind of push back at that trend a little bit.

Overall, I’d like Felice to begin the season worried about her friendships, and ends the season in a place where she can be more confident and knows who a few of her real friends are.

One final thought: Now that Felice has given up riding, I’d like her to either devote herself to choir more fully, or try out a new hobby each episode. (For the latter idea, this doesn’t always need to be a series of in-depth scenes, but something we can see her doing in her scenes with other characters. Like in one scene she’s learning to knit as she chats with Wille and Simon, in another scene she’s doing food photography at lunch, etc.) If Felice gets more into choir, this can be something that deepens her bond with Simon. Maybe they get to do a duet!

Some questions I have for the other writers in the writers room are: I’m not sure how I want Felice and Sara to reconcile yet, but I know I want it to happen. Are there ways Sara’s arc can complement this one? I also want Fredrika and Stella’s arcs to end in a place where they aren’t total villains—I don’t want them to be flattened into basic mean girls, and I think ending them in a space where we understand them would be good. I think we can work out a solution but what do you think it should be? Also, any ways we can use Maddie? She’s always the wild card of that friend group.

Let’s hear your thoughts! Chat with me, fandom writer’s room. Let’s write a season of TV together.

[housekonig]

Beginning| Previous| Next

In the brief span of six years, Lauryn Townsend (29) has carved out an indispensable niche within the Palace and Family “business”. During Vernick’s print media golden era, King Edward V created the Department of Public Engagement—an auxiliary office of the Royal Household tasked with managing the five pivotal newspapers that would ultimately become the Royal Circlet: The Vernick Crier, The Post-Belen, Chandler’s Owl, Harrell World News, and Times Today; the office remained fundamentally untouched until Townsend’s arrival. Young and packing an impressive resume, the youthful and social media savvy Townsend symbolizes the Royal Family’s goal to do what seems obvious: fill their ranks with genuinely qualified courtiers. Yet, her appointment is also reflective of the traditional functions of a system resistant to change and based on pedigree. Townsend, despite her overwhelming qualifications, is, like most courtiers, connected to the Family’s inner circle through blood and marriage. She is the niece of the influential Lord Albert Meere, the long-standing Private Secretary to Her Majesty and her late husband. And as of six (6) months ago, her marriage to Cassian Willkshive l from the influential and aristocratic von Willkshiven family—is the Duke of Henford’s godson—further linking her to the the old guard. Townsend’s tenure has already begun to transform the centuries-old foundations of rank and hierarchy that have long dictated the functioning of the Royal Household. Palace insiders, some well acquainted with the inner workings of the Family, speak of Townsend's unprecedented access to Her Majesty and every member of the Family—an access rivalled only by her uncle. Occupying a role technically well-below a Private Secretary, she has, in practice, become the de facto approver of all matters of public engagement—polling, communications, social media, public events, and more. In effect, Townsend has become the unofficial but undeniable publicist for the Royal Family, a role they’d never admit to needing, that has an undeniable influence on their functioning. The changes Townsend has spearheaded within the Royal Household signals a notable departure from tradition, albeit slow. Her merging of fresh perspective with a respect for tradition and ceremony positions Townsend not just as a pivotal figure in the present narrative of the Royal Family but as a mother of its evolving legacy in the public eye.

An excerpt from Women in Sevice: The Ladies Behind The Queen by Mirabelle Corey

Transcript Below:

LAURYN**: Your Majesty, Your Royal Highnesses, I'm happy to share that our campaign is a success.

LAURYN: Prince Christopher's polling higher than ever, with some calling this the era of "Chrismania," we've–

DR. THORNE: Killed my major tour and press opportunities, and no major media connected to them will cover me, and–

LAURYN: The University press is losing interest in light of buzz dying in fear of public backlash. The numbers recommend we–

DR. THORNE: Do something big to regain momentum. Controversial without controversy, if you will…

LAURYN: strongly revisit Lady Brighton and her role.

DR. THORNE: Go on the last show tonight.

[eyeballplanets]

Sometimes I’ll admit that the surety with which people insist that show Anissa will follow all of comic Anissa’s steps can make me falter in my analysis. But I always come back to this scene.

It’s brief enough that I can contain it in these screencaps. She walks in, is expected to give her report, clenches her fist, and Kregg barely looks over his shoulder as he chastises her for failure. Her excuse doesn’t matter. She failed. Kregg has no use for what he cannot control.

Herein there are, as I’ve described before, the evocations of Mark’s reunion with Nolan. Alien subjects below positing Kregg as a superior, where Thraxans above demonstrate Nolan’s newfound humility. A throne turned away from Anissa, blocking her path, where the two Thraxan thrones face Mark, opening the path for him to meet Nolan at the same level. (Even therein you have a singular autocrat versus the implication of Andressa and Nolan’s political equality.) The blood red of the carpet like blood pooling beneath Kregg, in contrast to the royal reds and golds soaring over Nolan. Kregg’s posture keeping Anissa at a distance where Mark meets Nolan in the middle.

Even if I was convinced that those parallels are incidental and meaningless, it’s significant that the scene with Kregg is where her racialization is most apparent. She is brown, where Kregg is not. We are reminded of her size, in the camera focus, in their postures. Each are stiff, but he is austere, impassive, where she is trying to restrain herself.

This is the first time we have seen a Viltrumite in such a hierarchical relationship—not in the show, ever. (Not that the comic’s Empire had no hierarchies, but they did not look like this.) In the comic, Mark was isolated in his youth and subordination. He was a young man preyed upon by elders who looked twenty or thirty years older, or far more, who in truth had unfathomable millennia on him. Anissa and Kregg were co-dragons to Thragg: his honor guard, his attack dogs. The show reveals an Anissa that can barely look her superior in her eye. She petulantly clenches her fist as she is chastized like a child.

I make the ‘Seth Rogen-produced superhero cartoon’ joke as just that, a quip, but more a eminent and deliberate defense of Anissa’s show counterpart is that in the show’s visual language, with the subtext of abuse and coercion and authoritarian control, Anissa is being posited as existing on the other side of it, opposite Nolan, Kregg, Cecil, Conquest. These white patriarchs with size and age and social power over these younger characters of the same height and build. Characters whose youth and subordination are deliberate compared to each other. They even have the same fighting style.

This isn’t minimizing her antagonism, but even the most uncharitable, show-based read of her is as a model minority chasing a carrot no matter the cost to other, who wipes her hands of her empire’s bloodshed and believes that this recuses her of it, who convinces herself that she is the empire’s mercy, and yet all this power and prestige isn’t enough. However the show decides to handle the coercion her comic counterpart is responsible for, it seems apparent that she will be coerced too.

[skamenglishsubs]

The history of boarding schools

Way back in the intro post about Young Royals, I wrote about how boarding schools are used by the upper classes to educate and acculturate their own, and I talked about the house system and used Harry Potter as a reference.

I recently listened to an episode of The Rest Is History podcast, which also started with the angle of explaining Harry Potter, and delved into the history of English boarding schools, which is the inspiration and template for all European boarding schools, and ultimately also Hillerska.

One thing they mentioned which definitely applies to Harry Potter, and to some degree to Young Royals, is the literary genre of School Stories. These are all set at boarding schools, because the environment creates this isolated universe with its own rules and hierarchies that the protagonist student is shoved into and has to adapt to in order to survive, and Young Royals definitely has elements of that.

But the bulk of the podcast episode talks about how absolutely horrible these institutions were, and still are to some extent, and how they're used by the upper classes to shape their children. The hazing and submission and hierarchies fosters intense loyalty between the kids, but also instils a strong sense of social order that they then unleash on the rest of society once they've graduated.

[raincitygirl76]

Self-Reblogging because this post and its various additions should not be forgotten about, to my mind.

No, wait, because if Hillerska had enough money to give Sara a grant, why on god’s green earth did they not offer it to August before the break?

Like they knew he didn’t have money, they knew he was going to get kicked out, they had meetings about what to do, and they didn’t think to, I don’t know, tell him to apply for that grant? Or just give it to him?

WHAT WAS THE REASON?

Like I hate August so much, but those adults absolutely had it out for him. They magically found enough money to board a student a month after literally kicking him out of school?!

reason 5897 to hate the adults in this series.

[drakaripykiros130ac]

Time to debunk another TG bullshit related to how Otto pimped out his daughter : “Otto did what any lord would have done. He and Corlys are the same.”

It is bad enough that they constantly justify Alicent’s actions and praise her but to do that for Otto too, is going over the line.

You’re really going to compare this guy:

To this one?

Alrighty. Let’s begin.

I have noticed that TG fans have a hard time understanding that there is a hierarchy in relation to the Houses in Westeros. There are Great Houses which come before vassal ones, of course. But there is also something else: since the Targaryens are the rulers of Westeros, their closest ties are to other Valyrian Houses, namely House Velaryon and House Celtigar. They are kin. And even better, House Velaryon is as Corlys once put it “the greatest power in the Realm”.

Now, when I say that there is a hierarchy that also applies to those who have access to advantageous marriages. Up until the Dance, the royal bloodline has come through Targaryen Kings and Queens (Queen Aemma was also half Targaryen on her mother’s side) but also a Velaryon Queen, Alyssa Velaryon.

So, it is of course no surprise that Corlys Velaryon proposes his daughter, Laena to be the next Queen after Queen Aemma’s passing. With a short supply of Valyrian brides, Laena was the best option without a doubt. Corlys presented his daughter as a suitable candidate before the King, Council and Court. Everyone knew that Viserys was considering taking Laena Velaryon as his next wife. And Corlys had every right to make such a move because his daughter ticked all the boxes: she was Valyrian, daughter of the Lord of the Tides, with her came the Velaryon fleets, dragons and riches. Oh, and she was also the daughter of a Targaryen Princess. This marriage would have united the Valyrian Houses on the Iron Throne. There was only one problem: Laena was too young. Had she been like 4 years older, Viserys would have considered her. But it wouldn’t have been a problem if he had. She and Viserys could have had a marriage only for public display, until Laena had the respectable age. It wouldn’t be the first time such a marriage came to be.

Now, the Hightowers are a whole different story. As much they claim to be a force in the Reach, their ties to the Faith do not grant them the title of a Paramount House. The Paramount House of the Reach is House Tyrell.

Otto Hightower is a second son from a vassal House with nothing to his name. His daughter was in no way a suitable candidate for the King. That is why he didn’t dare do what Corlys did. He didn’t present Alicent as an option before the King, Court and Council because then everyone would see him for what he truly is: an opportunistic social-climber who wants more. So, he pimped his daughter out in secret by having her visit the King during the night, wearing her dead mother’s dresses. What Otto and Alicent did was shameful, and in no way near noble.

Corlys is the Lord of Driftmark, and presented his daughter Laena OPENLY to the King, Council and Court.

Otto, even as Hand, is a nobody. He does not have the privilege (or is even allowed) to publicly propose his low-ranked daughter as a candidate to be the future Queen. So as a greedy opportunist that he is, he pimped out his daughter to a grieving King during the night.

So no. What Otto did is not what any lord would have done. He is no lord, first of all. And secondly, other men of his ranking understand their place in the hierarchy and don’t scheme/plot the way the Hightowers constantly do.

He and Corlys are not the same. Corlys had the privilege, the blood and the necessary ranking to be able to proudly and openly present his daughter as a candidate. So why not? Especially since the bloodline had been continued through a Velaryon Queen once before.

Laena was to be considered first and then any daughter of the Lord of a Paramount House. But never the daughter of a second son of a vassal house.

Otto schemed in the most disgusting way possible to take away a privilege that is not normally granted to someone as low as him in ranking. He is a greedy opportunist who SECRETLY pimped his daughter out to the King for personal advantage.

What Corlys did was honorably and publicly present his daughter as the most suitable candidate before the King, Council and Court. What Otto did was shamefully pimp his daughter out in secret.

[merlincersei]

Merlin BBC UK TV Show - Opinion Piece Part 18 - Who's The Boss - Arthur Or Merlin ?

One of my favorite episode of TV series Community is the one where Abed takes a class on Who's The Boss?.

I thought it would make an excellent topic for Merlin because the dynamic Angela and Tony share is quite similar to Arthur and Merlin.

For those unfamiliar with Who's The Boss, here is a brief synopsis:

Tony takes a job as a live-in housekeeper for Angela Bower and her young son and moves in with his daughter. The title of the show refers to the role reversal of Tony and Angela. Angela is the breadwinner of the home, and Tony (although he is not her husband) stays at home and takes care of the household and provides guidance and support to the children. While there is banter and many hints of their feelings for each other, Tony and Angela do their best to avoid facing this aspect of their developing relationship. In the meantime, however, they learn to rely on each other frequently for emotional support. Despite Angela being the employer of Tony, the series always questions, who is really in charge of the household.

Power dynamics within the Merlin BBC TV Show:

Arthur is a royal and Merlin is his manservant. Considering the show is set in a medieval fantasy world where the social hierarchy is strictly defined, the question Who's The Boss should be a moot point.

However we see Merlin constantly banter with, berate, humiliate, interfere with, refuse, make demand of, advise, comfort, defy and mock Arthur.

These are actions, that are quite unbecoming of a mere servant and forces us to critically evaluate the power balance of their relationship.

______________________________________________________________

Lets implement the Professor's Episode - Conclusion Domination Index Plot model from the Community episode.

The basis of this model is simple. It states that a person gets the upper-hand by having the last word edge wise during the conclusion of every episode.

The basis of verification is as follows:

Season 1 Episode 1 : Concludes with Arthur expressing his displeasure of having Merlin be his manservant. Merlin is then summoned by Arthur to carry out a task. Arthur ends up getting the better of Merlin here.

Season 1 Episode 2 : Concludes with Arthur admitting his mistake to Merlin and rehiring him. Following which he promptly delegates Merlin a series of tasks to do. According to me, Arthur ends up getting the better of Merlin here again.

I have listed A for Arthur and M for Merlin in the table below.

In Season 1: Merlin gets the upper hand in 7 of 13 episodes i.e. 54%

In Season 2: Merlin gets the upper hand in 8 of 13 episodes i.e. 62%

In Season 3: Merlin gets the upper hand in 9 of 13 episodes i.e. 69%

In Season 4: Merlin gets the upper hand in 9 of 13 episodes i.e. 69%

In Season 5: Merlin gets the upper hand in 7 of 13 episodes i.e. 54%

In the Entire Series: Merlin gets the upper hand in 40 of 65 episodes i.e. 62 %

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So the answer to the eternal question Who's The Boss in the Merlin TV Show is..............................................................................................

ARTHUR PENDRAGON

This is due to the fact that the Professor's model fails to take into account defining plot points that occur in a series.

The entire model presented above is refuted by this one single scene between Arthur and Merlin.

Merlin despite being a powerful sorcerer agrees to becomes Arthur's servant ( reluctantly at first but devoutly by the end of the series)

Since Merlin is the main titular protagonist, we the audience are conditioned to see Merlin subvert traditional class roles and get the upper hand.

When that fails and Arthur gets the upper hand, there is a sense of subconscious discomfort. It would also explain why certain people in the fandom feel Merlin was mistreated by Arthur and that is true to a certain extent as Arthur in Season 5 Episode 13 apologizes to Merlin as to how he has treated him.

However Merlin gives it to Arthur as good as he gets and despite being in a position to leave anytime, continues to serve Arthur.

The underlying reason to their "codependent relationship" is better explored in my other post here:

BUT THE SIMPLEST ANSWER TO THE QUESTION RAISED IN THIS POST IS THAT ARTHUR IS THE BOSS AND THEREFORE LIKE ALL BOSSES HE IS A...

Mention in the replies below, who do you think was the boss?

[thatsmybook]

"A central proposition throughout the course is that human rights cannot be separated from politics. Indeed, we cannot understand either why human rights abuses happen or how and why human rights have the power to improve human welfare without examining the political contexts in which efforts to mitigate abuses take place. Human rights are inseparable from the political, even if they are designed to be outside of politics. We will wrestle with that central paradox." This is taken from the course description for The Politics of Human Rights at Berkley. Link

In Young Royals, Wille at various points says that he cannot speak on political issues, even in class discussions, in private with his boyfriend or in selecting a charity to support. He contradicts this in his famous speech in season 2. However in season 3, he reverts to using this adage whenever he is asked to take a stand on anything, or when Simon wants to take a stand in his social media. He is wrestling with the political paradox this season.

This is because he is trying to separate the private from the public like Erik did: have a boyfriend and be the Crown Prince. Yet, he himself has previously figured out how things are wrong at his school and takes a stand to make a change. He has chosen a boyfriend who when he first hears him speak, is politically engaged and who, throughout the third season is trying to open Wille to political, social and human rights violations that he should care about (because he has shown Simon previously through his speech that he does care). From Simon's need to demonstrate because of his class, Wille's privilege, to his sexuality, Simon is reminding Wille of their shared values of wanting to make changes and stand up for what is right.

Importantly, Wille stops trying to push back at the Royal Court when the consequences of his speech is a threat of closure to his school, and the deteriorating health of his mother and the Queen of his country. The very real threat that he may need to be the monarch soon makes him dampen his true stances on matters close to his heart in order to ease his life as CP and his mother's role.

Along with Simon, Vincent in seasons two and three, unendingly engages in political debate. Many don't see past the distasteful way that Vincent speaks to the actual content of his dialogue. He complains that upending the hierarchy of the third years over the first years at the lunch table, is leading to chaos, as the first years won't give way for use of the showers, seats in the common room etc. They no longer know their place and this is disturbing the peace at Hillerska. Throughout season three, he questions Simon's politics at every opportunity to force both Wille and Simon (and the audience) to question their political and social positions and reason with how they could possibly be compatible.

Through both Simon and Vincent, the show is telling us in season three, that Wille can not continue to ignore these issues and must stop being passive and take an active stance.

Felice too, is engaging in the politics of race and class and where they intersect, for the audience to understand the show's interest in political stances/ taking a stand on issues one cares about.

Young Royals wants its audience to understand that politics is intertwined with their lives. Caring about each other and our rights to exist as free people to love and make choices and thrive, is what politics is. Making a stand in some way is how we use our own agency to change our circumstances, if we are able to, and the lives of others around us.

All the unanswered social discussions and open arguments that Wilmon still have to address individually and as a couple are once again, an example of how politics works in our lives. It is never a one and done thing. It continuously needs to be addressed and fought for and discussed to gain a better life for ourselves and others. This includes Simon, Wille and August's mental health. August has just recently had an epiphany (with Simon's help) about what is going on with him since both his father and Erik died. Simon and Wille still have to contend with how the outside world (society and the political stances that govern it) have affected their mental well-being. Having 'voted' with their feet (they both have 'left' the monarchy's fixed hold on them), they are now free to assign headspace to new and emerging life battles. They have learned and grown from their experience this year, with a new understanding of what they are capable of going forward. All five characters have.

(As I write this, trans children's human rights have been decided on by the UK government and the High Court's decision to block access to fundamental health - puberty blockers. Link Yes lgbtqia+ human rights should not be political, but the paradox is that they are. )

[ofenigmas]

ADELINE ALDRIDGE : twenty-seven // resident // virtue: caissas // assistant to dorothy maraschino // st. mary's palace // label: the marble effigy // sofia carson

BASICS

NAME: adeline prudence aldridge

BIRTHDAY + AGE: september 9th // 27

GENDER: female

PRONOUNS: she/her

ORIENTATION: demisexual heteroromantic?

CLASS + HIERARCHY: virtue + caissas (descendant of thaddeus aldridge)

OCCUPATION: assistant to the virtue leader at sentinel hall

HOUSING: st. mary's palace (condo 10)

BIRTHPLACE: mercy hospital, academic district, hiraeth (resident)

FAMILY: TBA aldridge (father), TBA aldridge née TBA, TBA aldridge (cousin)

APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: sofia carson

EYE COLOR: hazel (brown and gold).

HAIR: dark black-brown.

HEIGHT: 5′5″

TATTOOS: n/a

SCARS/BIRTH MARKS: n/a

PERSONALITY

GOOD: resolute, charismatic, composed

BAD: guarded, skeptical, sharp

ZODIAC: virgo sun, taurus moon, virgo rising

MBTI: intj, the architect.

ENNEAGRAM: 6w5, the guardian. self-preservation/sexual subtype

ALIGNMENT: lawful neutral

TEMPERAMENT: melancholic

ARCHETYPE: the sage

LABEL: the marble effigy

ELEMENT: earth

ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS: lena luthor (supergirl), loid forger (spyxfamily -- according to personalitydatabse), silco (arcane -- according to personalitydatabase), lex luthor (smallville), evie grimhilde (descendants -- slightly)

AESTHETIC: neatly stacked books in a candlelit library, swirls of azure and golden silk, marble statues in an empty courtyard, a freshly sharpened quill, polished stone floors reflecting the glow of the moonlight, soft footsteps in a grand hall, the steady rhythm of a ticking pocket watch, a silver pendant resting on the fabric of a well-tailored coat, the inability to escape the feeling of someone breathing down your neck

erudite, daughter of athena, slytherclaw, capitol, high elf wizard, senator/royal family, earthbender

BIOGRAPHY

adeline is the sole child of the primary aldridge family, their pride and joy at a young age. she had the best tutors to supplement her academy education, an elite social circle of friends to grow up with, anything she could need only a question away. it sounds rather pleasant, if one doesn’t consider that her only value since birth consisted of being the aldridge heir. other children could have dreams and ambitions, and so could adeline, if said dreams involved wanting to ascend to king, wanting to marry another caissas/a queen/king and retaining her family name for future heirs, wanting to further the legacy of thaddeus aldridge. other than one fleeting moment during her time in the academy, adeline has lived up to those goals with careful precision. her academy classwork in the top percentiles, an assistant position with the council, a pristine social circle, her eyes on a prospective partner. life is rather perfect if anyone were to peer into adeline’s glass house (figuratively speaking), and she’s willing to do nearly anything to keep it that way. although she is intelligent and resourceful, adeline’s perception of the world is filled to the brim with virtue propaganda and an added dash of elitism. she believes the founding virtue families to be of higher importance than anyone else, her loyalty lying perhaps more with them than hiraeth itself. virtue is the only faction worthy of one’s time, even if lower ranks aren’t generally in her social circle, and has a surprisingly high distaste for any visitors, particularly alices.

top 5 theme songs:

castle by halsey -- i'm headed straight for the castle, they’ve got the kingdom locked up, and there's an old man sitting on the throne there saying i should probably keep my pretty mouth shut

control by halsey -- they sent me away to find them a fortune, a chest filled with diamonds and gold... i paced around for hours on empty, i jumped at the slightest of sounds, and i couldn't stand the person inside me, i turned all the mirrors around

yellow flicker beat by lorde - i'm a princess cut from marble, smoother than a storm... my blood is a flood of rubies, precious stones... and my necklace is of rope, I tie it and untie it... people talk to me, and all the voices just burn holes

dollhouse by melanie martinez - open the walls, play with your dolls, we'll be a perfect family... places, places, get in your places, throw on your dress and put on your doll faces, everyone thinks that we're perfect, please don't let them look through the curtains, picture, picture, smile for the picture

blood // water by grandson - we'll never get free, lamb to the slaughter, what you gon' do when there's blood in the water? the price of your greed is your son and your daughter, what you gon' do when there's blood in the water?

the weight of us by sanders bohlke - there's a cold heart, buried beneath, and warm blood, running deep, secrets - are mine to keep, protected by silent sleep, i'm not ready, i'm not ready for the weight of us

Her Pinterest board is here.

FAMILIAL:

cousin - { 0 / ? } - can be caissas if on father's side - they say blood is thicker than water but this caissas would do anything to see their own family as the heirs to the aldridge legacy. anything that doesn't tarnish their own reputation, at least.

PLATONIC:

roommates - n/a

BEST FRIENDS  - { 1 / 1 } - unity thales

APPROVED SOCIAL CIRCLE - { 2 / ? } - madeleine graves, edgar wayne, OPEN - kings, queens, or other caissas roles who adeline is allowed to be close with. she calls them friends and invites them to any event she hosts, but there may not be depth to the friendships as adeline doesn't generally trust anyone.

FRIENDS - { 0 / ? } - OPEN - one single friend she met during the academy outside of her approved social circle that she unfortunately can't seem to let go of. must be virtue.

ACQUAINTANCES - { 1 / ? } - maybe they sit together in silence at the library or are neighbors.

• beverly torrance - hit it off until 5-ish years ago when adeline started distancing herself for undisclosed reasons

CO-WORKERS - n/a

PROTEGE - { 0 / 1 } - a younger recent academy graduate from a prestigious family that adeline has taken under her wing.

BOSS - { 1 / 1 } - dorothy maraschino

ANTAGONISTIC:

FORMER FRIENDLIES - { 0 / ? } - people who she used to socialize with at the academy who she ghosted after they chose vice.

FRENEMY - { 0 / 1 } - perhaps she was sharp with them once to be left alone and they fired right back. of course she doesn't like them, but... who was there with their mindless bantering when they were gone yesterday? it was a bit dull...

ENEMIES - { 1 / 5 } - jean moreau - children of vice founders she finds particularly abhorrent, or perhaps a high-ranking vice she's clashed with.

ALWAYS AVOIDANT - { 0 / 1 } - an alice who just wants to be friends, but it makes her so uncomfortable that she tries to flee the scene whenever they're around.

ROMANTIC:

*   ✨  i do not plot out ships so none of these are meant to lead to an actual “romantic” ship unless it does on accident from chemistry! ✨

EX-FIANCE - { 0 / 1 } - this pertains to her secret so dm if you'd like more information. he would be an alice and 25-30.

PERFECT MATCH - { 0 / 1 } - a king/queen/caissas virtue - 21-40 male - she doesn't necessarily have a single feeling for him or even like him as a friend, but he seems like the most compatible option for someone to have a future and continue the aldridge legacy with. options from she's one-sided pursuing him to he actually likes her to they're already together to they're in a relationship and have plans to end up together but openly both don't like each other.

"NEVER AGAIN" - { 1 / 1 } - kayla kaye - any gender, 24-42, any faction if she didn't know them - a few years ago she decided to try and prove a point to herself, disguising herself and attending a party where she'd ended up having her one and only one night stand. she'd only had a couple drinks and really has nothing to blame it on other than her own poor decision, but she's mortified and hopes they never recognize her.

OTHER - feel free to hit me up with any other ideas you have as well ! please feel free to mix or match any of these from any category !

[magnorious]

Young Royals Perfectly Understands Frustrating Teenagers

*Spoiler Alert for the whole series*

This Netflix-produced Swedish teen drama just wrapped up its third and final season. It follows the second-in-line to the Swedish throne, Wilhelm “Willie” navigating a fancy boarding school rife with toxic social hierarchies and a crippling addiction to dangerous traditions, while also discovering his sexuality. Suddenly, his older brother dies and he’s now the crown prince, when no one ever expected him to have this responsibility, including himself. His jerk of a cousin records him and his new secret boyfriend being intimate and so ensues three seasons of drama surrounding the chaos of this poor kid being outed to the whole world, and the damage of publicity on his relationships.

*I watched this with subtitles and cannot comment on the quality of any dub.

This show is incredibly frustrating, because its characters are frustrating—because they’re incredibly believably teenagers who stake their entire futures on a high school fling. Willie and his love interest, Simon, are in a constant struggle over Willie’s great expectations as the new crown prince and Simon, of a lower social class, having a great many demands over how he thinks he should be able to live his life.

The characters have a ton of depth and that goes well beyond the two leads. The villain of the show, August, the evil cousin, is a hot mess who can’t do anything right. One that absolutely expects to peak in high school and sail through adulthood on his family’s legacy. He’s also Willie’s spare if he abdicates the throne, a rather unique twist on the prince trope I haven’t seen very often. Willie doesn’t want to be king, but he hates the idea of August on the throne even more, and, if only to spite his cousin, strays way outside of his comfort zone and ignores his own wants and desires to make sure he becomes king.

Other side characters include the dudebro boys of their school, also all dickish aristocrats, the ladies’ side of the school, and Simon’s sister's relationship with these socialites and her awesome best friend, Felice.

—

*spoiler alert again*

These two characters, Willie and Simon, are terrible for each other. Simon is too young and immature to understand and appreciate the demands of being royalty in a modern setting. He gets upset at Willie for all manner of things—that Simon has to watch what he posts on social media, who he talks to, who he takes pictures with, what statements he makes, and his unrealistic expectations of any politician. Every time he gets upset, I understand that he’s 17, but I’m also scowling at my TV thinking, “What exactly did you expect, dating royalty?”

Willie, on the other hand, bends over backwards for this guy and desperately needs to actually attend his therapy sessions instead of angsting over his doomed-to-fail romance. They’re entertaining, but they are so, so stressful to watch, whether it’s their many arguments or whenever they start making out in a public place where they can be caught.

They break up, get back together, break up, get back together. In the 11th hour of season 3, Simon officially breaks it off and I actually cheered. I figured the finale would end with the sick queen’s funeral and Willie reluctantly accepting his birthright.

That did not happen. Instead, Willie and August have a rushed “all’s forgiven” conversation, he abdicates, and runs after Simon to be free of a responsibility he never wanted. On the one hand, yes, he never wanted to be king, that much was clear from the moment he found out he was the new crown prince, but on the other hand—Willie wasn’t the character who needed to change for this relationship to work.

Simon was.

Simon, who argued with him constantly over the conservative nature of the monarchy, for all the stances Willie wasn’t allowed to take because of his rank. Simon could have ended this season either breaking up with him for good, or committing to the responsibility of loving royalty, and the two could have looked to a future of slew of progressive changes once Willie had the authority to enact change as king.

August won’t enact shit. August who, upon telling his friends that he’s the new second-in-line, realizes acutely how miserable he’s about to be for the long rest of his life. I half expected this guy to not survive to the end of the season with how self-destructive he is.

It feels like they had a different direction planned for the finale and someone somewhere cut it down. That, or Netflix's "3 season" rule made no exceptions and they had to rush to the finish line.

—

Overall, they’re frustrating, but they’re also incredibly well-written teenagers. The constant pop/club music over actual score got annoying but it’s an exposure to artists I never listen to. The acting is fantastic across the board, as well, along with the editing and cinematography. The actual plot, up to the finale, was engaging and well thought out, with these two heirs duking it out in a cold war with the entire school caught in the middle.

Maybe I just don’t understand Swedish teenagers. I certainly can’t speak to if this at all reflects the reality of Swedish culture and living under a monarchy. It’s a shame that, in my opinion, it didn’t quite stick the landing with the messages it wanted to send, but the show’s a solid, if stressful watch, and a short one at that.

[kazeofthemagun]

More on Vodya Houses:

[Massive trigger warnings for racism, slavery, ableism, eugenics, AI, unethical science.]

The concept of Value: idea that every living being has to contribute towards global "value" in some way: either by production of goods, maintaining the ecosystem, research (production of global knowledge) or, failing that, slave labor. Value is often perceived egotistically, with whatever benefits the Vodya House being "valuable" and the rest, not. This leads most Vodya Houses to harbor an innate disdain for other forms of life, especially those that take no part in Vodya's own ecosystem and thus, serve no purpose in its existence. According to the Value Doctrine, the only type of value to be had from such life forms is slave labor.

Beings that are considered unable to provide Value legally lose rights to their own existence. This belief leads to horrific ableism, both mental and physical, among the Vodya, with heavily disabled individuals often being culled. Lesser degrees of "devaluation" predispose the individual to be shifted lower in the work hierarchy, eventually leading to slavery. Most proud members of the Vodya race would much rather die than be reduced to servants, however. This is hypocritical towards their own beliefs, as they openly preach slavery to be the more valuable alternative to death.

The Council of Value: each House possesses their own Council, which usually consists of the Chairs of their respective Cathedrals (with Cathedrals as homes to specific fields of scientific research, such as: Biosynergetics, Technosynergetics, Logistics, Physics, Chemistry, Thaumaturgichemistry, Mathematics, Geosystemics, Medicine, Social Systemics.)

A Chair is most often the lead Mind of their respective field, as in the scientist with the highest overall equivalent to our "impact factor", which is a scoring system used in science.

The Council of Value is the defacto ruling body of the House, the advisors of the Head of the House, who is a political representative and practically always a Chair themself. The Council's job is to decide on the optimal course of action for the House's development, as defined by the maximization of Value. The Council decides whether to approve experiments and pathways of development, evaluating the resource cost vs potential resource production. For this purpose, they often employ the House's Nexus Mind, an advanced risk management AI program.

Notable Vodyanoi:

Pist Shaz XI, Eleventh Head of Shaz. Chair of Technosynergetics, with multiple advanced achievements in related fields. A self-proclaimed Lord of the Seas, he ran House Shaz in an authoritarian manner with several contigents of neural-chipped and bioengineered thralls at his command - couresy of his collabiration with the Shaz Chair of Biosynergetics. He also possessed several squads of specialized Wonderlandian mercenaries as his private army. Ever since he began work on the Ocean Puzzle, he had spent most of his time in a private palace away from the main settlement of House Shaz, both for safety reasons and out of vanity. He was 300+ years old at time of death.

Xel Ort V, Fifth Head of House Ort at tender young age of 37. Heir to the House as per aristocratic nepotism - Ort are more traditional and value genetic lines. Royal children tend to be genetically engineered to inherit most desirable traits, maximizing intellectual ability. She does not yet possess Chairhood in any of the Council's fields, being an undergrad in the Cathedral of Thaumaturgichemistry. Despite this, her achievements are already remarkable and she had set out to further her Mist research in Wonderland, finding work with Anarchy. Still, being saddled with this much responsibility at a young age had left her with major anxiety issues and shaken her personal Value, as well as her political position. Currently on a quest to reaffirm her worth both to herself and to the Ort Council; Struggling with the concept of Value versus morality.