#sonya malconaire

[forgottenroderick]

OOC | On Brigit's Winnings/Malconaire's Roads/Roderick & Malconaire

so, i have one pressing question @forgottencassimir: did cassimir fix the roads when he came to power? i am unfortunately not joking OR exaggerating when i say the whole fate of malconaire may lie in the balance here *facepalm*

ok so this thought is entirely predicated on like...idk that roderick would realistically ever notice finances in malconaire so long as, like, the ~public aspects are more or less maintained: roads are upkept, that sort of thing! and he certainly wouldn't be like WHERE ARE THEY GETTING THE MONEY if they are upkept when he returns to malconaire for valentina's party bc he ~did recently mention to @forgottencassimir that he expects to see road improvements etc after his carriage broke down etc so like...that being fixed suddenly, if it were, ~wouldn't surprise him bc he ~expects that he has only to say smth and then it will be done, right???

so!! it occurred to me that, like...since its @forgottenvalentina in charge i can tell you that, during ~her administration, while the ~specific pothole that took out roderick's carriage was certainly filled in on the ~double after that! -- honestly if nothing else my man @forgottencillian might've taken that one upon himself just bc like...we do noT need the emperor coming here unawares!!!! no thank youuu!!! his sons are bad enough!!!! however, he and the girls are all stretched sooooo thin that, while he'd def do his best to maintain the roads by himself if that's what it takes to keep roderick out, idk how doable that ~is for one dude while ~also maintain everything else at malconaire itself, etc, and it certainly wasn't on valentina's list of priorities!!!!! so yeah!!!! -- so yeah valentina did not fix the roads

basically....w @forgottencassimir having sort of started to come into his own power since last roderick was there do we think that cassimir repaired the roads?

i mention this bc, if he did, i think he may have inadvertently covered for @forgottenbrigit and her winnings...and thus lowkey for himself as well? ok so what do i mean? if the roads were, to roderick's observation, repaired the v next time he went to malconaire after he mentioned it to cassimir, he's like 'ok cool all's as it should be' and not thinking further on that one! However, if they're still pr ruinous, roderick's distinctly annoyed and ~now he's wondering why he's being ignored which'll mean he'll be launching secret investigations into malconaire

if he sees that its ~all poorly maintained that way, he's thinking malconaire's doing poorly and, while he must tread v carefully for reasons i outlined [ here ] re land changing hands etc, he'll be feeling this reflects poorly on ~him and is the opposite of his beliefs abt what he's here to do re: conquest, etc, and thus have him wanting to ensure improvements there -- whether by perhaps letting @forgottenmarian bend his ear a lil more re: change in leadership there or, more likely, by involving ~his officials in tryna get them better streams of revenue, perhaps by arranging cassimir and/or the girls' various marriages or, if things still don't markedly improve (bc by now he's seeing more than just the state of the roads, perhaps considering a change in leadership

smth else he might realize is that the og girls are servants there and he might expose that to help throw cassimir off his pedestal as well in therms of leadership change and simply betroth eithne or sonya to whomever he chooses as the next lord malconaire and justify it that way, saying cassimir was abusing his power etc and use that as justification, just as he has w ciara and godfrey and hanthom etc!

HOWEVER!! if he's investigating all this already and then suddenly, out of nowhere, w no revenue stream on cassimir's books, things just start magically improving in malconaire right after all the winning disappear, ngl that will def make roderick sus

if he does start to think that malconaire stole the money, at first he'll deffffff have his eye on cassimir ngl bc like!!!!!! a woman could never have pulled that off!!!!!! obv this is a man's work!!!!!!

this does two things for roderick in this situation! 1) it allows him to bring up cassimir on criminal charges and thus give legal reason for why he now must attaint him as a traitor etc and can now give malconaire to ~anyone of his choosing w/o stirring unrest amongst the lords of the empire and 2) allows him to publically prosecute the thief and thus restore trust in the public eye that the theft has been duly avenged by the gov/helps roderick as emperor save face re his own plan working just as intended etc (even if roderick knows cassimir didn't do it! but esp if he thinks he ~did) and thus pin the blame on someone for that

in the scenario where roderick ~doesn't believe cassimir really did, this lets roderick give malconaire to someone of his choosing while also lulling the rebels into a feeling of false security bc, well, he clearly collared someone else!! he is ~not onto them!!!! in the scenario where roderick believes cassimir ~did do it, he might frankly think that cassimir is a rebel alkdsfjklsdfj and is thus putting all kinds questions to him and possibly even wanting to get him to 'escape' and infiltrate and betray them since roderick thinks casimir's ~one of them lkajsdflkjsjdkfds

also he's still exposing the og girls as servants thing etc and doing everything to frankly blacken cassimir's name ngl he doesn't want ~any lords thinking this might happen to them if they're behaving but he ~does want to make an example of what happens to a lord who ~isn't behaving alkjsdfjsdf

HOWEVER, when roderick discovers the witchcraft he'll realize that cassimir didn't know what he was doing when he stole that money (either have to pretend to 'realize' this or actually come to that conclusion depending...and/or convince himself he believed cassimir was guilty the whole time and now emotinally exonerate him??? who knows lakjsfkjdsf) since he was bewitched lajdsfjkdsf so he'll be off the hook for that lakjsdfkjdsjkf (~all of cassimir's 'misdeeds' are ~their fault now btw!! including forcing them to serve him somehow alskdfjksldjfds)

also if there's a scenario where roderick's already given malconaire away when the witchcraft thing comes out then there's the drama over like...how does ~that lil bugaboo resolve laksdjflkjsdfkj we ~know picking a single heir to things when there're rival claimants is ~not his strong suit oops ;D alksdjflkjsdf jk jk that's a ploy/emotional thing which he probs won't feel re malconaire but still!! again there's the whole not upsetting the lords thing and yeah!! that'd be a big deal laksjdfkjsdf

(at present, id say the most likely candidates for receiving malconaire/replacing cassimir are @forgottenedmund given he's the conqueror there; @forgottengodfrey or @forgottenalaric if alaric requests hanthom/depending how that situation all goes down; alaric or bartholomew just in general bc trust etc; eoin as basically a wedding present for @forgottenguinevere if that betrothal does go through; or one of @forgottenmarian 's brothers, but who knows! roderick be changing his mind always alkjdsflkjdsf)

but yeah!!! if cassimir ~did fix the roads then roderick's not picking up on ~any of this but yeah it occurred to me that like...that's deffffff smth roderick wiLL be paying close attention to now that valentina's invited him to malconaire for her fete lajskdfkjsdjfksdf SCREAM

so yeah!! i just suddenly realized this and i was like 'omg' alkjdsfakjsdf anyway we can easily handwave it away and say cassimir got right on fixing those roads before roderick got there and thus roderick will never go down this path, but yeah this is smth roderick would do if they ~aren't alksjdfjkdsf man likes his orders OBEYED thank you alkdjsfslkjdfjsdf

[forgottenvalentina]

OOC | Valentina & the Tournament

so as per usual, our girl is scheming <3

so some stuff ive already chatted abt a bit:

Valentina wakes up everyday and everyday decides to be the WORST I swear 💀💀💀 honestly I do think eithne does get a reprieve when in public bc Valentina wants to give the impression that they’re one big happy family and def none of her kids are serving the others why would you even ~imagine such a ludicrous thing 👀😅 no but yeah!! Adhkjfdg the more I think abt it the more I think Valentina may have somehow incentivized the og girls all showing up for at least one of the tournament days as a happy family to cheer on their lord and brother (blah blah blah) bc she’s now watching first guin then arthur and now edmund slip through her fingers and she’s realizing it has to do not w her own children but w the og girls (much to her chagrin!) and she’s like DO UR THING GET THEM BACK but wo saying that so and let me just @forgottenbrigit Valentina’s probs giving alms at Malconaire for every day and every girl that appears bc she knows that’s what’ll entice them honestly! Sgjjfdg so while I was initially thinking @forgottenroisin would absent herself (I mean she just learned edmund killed her dad in battle the LAST thing she wants to do rn is watch him fight 💀😭) and I think she did insist she wasn’t coming till Valentina pulled that one out but yeah. Anyway!! Valentina also probs tried to get them all to wear green as both a malconaire and a vasilieva color anddddd I’m thinking she may have at least tried to host a private after party at malconaire for the victors!! Weirdly the peasants couldn’t make it… ;D but she probs didn’t think it was v weird if Brigit disappeared since she often absents herself from such things anyway and really this is abt reminding the princes they want to be here at malconaire!!! Agklgsdhkfd

So yeah idk if eithe Brigit or aoife were receptive to these bribes but rosie was! Tho she probs didn’t spend much time at the stands except whatever was the absolute minimum requirement for Valentina re: being seen there in order to help malconaire etc. Do you guys think ur ladies were receptive to this bribery? Valentina wants to know which jewels she’ll have to sell to bankroll this but if publicity 😂😭

@forgotteneithne Valentina forced to give alms to the poor then throwing a party for the varmonts and the only one to show is freaking @forgottensebastian while having to watch first eithne be publically hailed as cassimirs fiancée and then Cassimir lose like…worst day of Valentina’s life except the day roderick executed all her relatives and the day bran died shljdsjlfjl

Also i defff think Valentina wants them all to show up as a big happy family to support Cassimir (except she has no worries abt eithne not wishing to attend! But she ~will be reminding @forgottencassimir that this is the sort of wife he has chosen, one who will not support him, and it’s still not too late to dump her in favor of literally…anyone else atp!!! She is no longer picky!!!! As long as it isn’t Brigit anyway…afjlgshlg 😂😂😂)

forgottenaoife

@giadesstrin That makes sense! Meanwhile all the girls are like “… him? The guy who won nothing?” (Which good bc Valentina doesn’t need anymore terrible curtains or w/e 😜) but I did write a thing up for Eithne and she ends up coming to SOME of it! And idk if Rosie is there at all but I def think Rosie being their or her being there and also wanting to go asp too? Anyway I do think aoife might have been the last standing Malconaire sister (minus brigit ofc!) there by th end! @giadesstrin Aoife being the only sister to make it through the whole thing AND being the only one who brings back a prince like her step mother wanted… but Valentina like “NOT THAT ONE” is perfect after everything Valentina has put her through! She’s still doing want her step mother wants but it’s actually NOT what she wants! 😂

giadesstrin

@forgottenaoife Aoife can never win 😭😭😭 Valentina: ‘try for arthur next time’ *storms off* jk jk (but only kind of 😭😭😭)

couldn't find where i said it but i do actually think that, if its before the money disappears (if that even happens!), @forgottenroderick ~would come to this party and that @forgottenarthur would then come but largely to run interference for sebastian both re their dad and valentina (if edmund comes he might do a ~lil for him but largely lbr he is here for sebastian!! alkjsdfjks) but yeah honestly arthur is only there if sebastian is -- he doesn't wanna put eithne or sonya through it if he can help it bc hebelieves that valentina will as usual be pushing sonya at him...he'd be in for a surprise there bc valentina would ~def push eithne at him instead and yeahhhh i can't imagine that would best please cassimir or, really, ~anyone but valentina lakjsdfkljsdlkfj

lizzy, do you think sebastian, cassandra, or edmund would show?

idk if guin would be there but if she is then its bc she's still hoplessly in love w cassimir and cant bear to be parted from him in valentina's mind but conversely if she's ~not its just that again she's so hopelessly in love w him she can't bear to see him w eithne so yeah lakjsdfkljsdlkjf

but yeah, valentina is there loudly and proudly in the stands every single day and then feasting it up later!! also!!

valentina offered hers [her favor] to her 'one true champion’ cassimir but idk if he’d already accepted another or what so yeah, anyway hers was a green ribbon w the arms of vasilieva embattled w those of malconaire

@forgottencassimir also yes cormac and valentina are ABSOLUTELY taking turns cheering the loudest for cassimir…meanwhile rosie is booing him (but only when @forgotteneithne wont hear bc she doesn’t wanna hurt ~her) (also this is current!me sidenoting that the only way you can tell if you haven't gotten close etc that the frosts are all there is that you'll just randomly hear lots of booing from everywhere whenever cassimir appears ;D annnd also that valentina is kinda mad when cormac is cheering more loudly than she is and makes the girls cheer and rosie is laughingly like 'sorry i saw a swan i can't' [yes, i stubbed my toe and/or i saw a swan are her new joke excuses for everything] until she offers more alms for it lakjdsfjklsdf)

kate: I still think Eithne maybe didn’t go? But if she did she brought something to @forgottencassimir and I sort of love the idea that Valentina beat her to it? 🤣 but idk what you think cassimir would have done

lizzy: "Cassimir is wearing Eithne’s (sorry mom)"

valentina defffff salty abt her own son turning down her favor SOB lkjsdfalkjsdjf

dldskjfasdf valentina after he fails 'we can all see how much luck the favor of eithne has already granted you...' at least ONCE but...probs more often than that alksdjfalkjsdkfj his losses are deffff her fault btw!!!!! later when she accuses them of witchcraft its probs one of the signs that she cursed him or smth bc otherwise he woulda knocked everyone dead laksdjflksjdfkj

ok so like!! @forgottenmarian im also wondering if marian might mention to valentina abt eithne's pregnancy w arthur's kid bc!! valentina would defffffff run straight to @forgottencassimir w that one being all 'she's just marrying you to avoid the scandal when arthur refused to marry her himself!' laksdjfklsjdf

girl will literally try ANYTHING atp even tho that scandal would def reflect badly on her, on sonya, on cassimir, and on them all, she'd def spread the rumor laksdjflksjdf (SCREAM) hoping that cassimir would leave her lakjdsfkljdsf

ofc what she's noT considering is that would piss off @forgottenroderick to no end bc he doesn't like the way that reflects on ~his family but yeah when it inevitably turns out that eithne's ~not pregnant w arthur's baby he'd blame valentina entirely even tho he thought it too and lakdjsflkdjfdsf mess!!!!! but yeah!! laksjdfkljsdf

anyway there might be more but this is everything i can think of atm alkjsdflkjsdf

[forgottenroisin]

OOC | Enneagram & Tarot Numerology

ok so i stumbled on [ this post ], which talks abt the enneagram as sort of a...numerological play on tarot! w rosie being, herself, a type 7, this applies to her, big time!! i also have been looking into the tarot of lfr a bit myself (v new to tarot but find it really interesting for character work!) -- partially bc of a planned graphic that lbr will probs never actually get done! laksdjfklsjdf -- and id def associated her a lot w the seven of cups, too, bc of the imagination kinda thing, but the pentacle suit, in general, w house malconaire (bc of the earth associations to both) and...anyway im getting carried away but yeah reading this i was like !!!!! bc character arc reasons and im kinda like 'does this work out for all the characters' and kdsljafsldkjfjdf

anyway...no reason at all... ;DDDD what're your malconaires' various enneagrams? and/or do you have any thoughts on what tarot card(s) might represent them/their journey (regardless of whether the numbers match up!)? also non-malconaire characters!!!! i love character analysis i wanna hear it all (and ~~~~maybe potentially someday possibly do a graphic which may never ever appear i don't wanna get any expectations raised...that one i did of the malconaires for christmas was smth id been meaning to do for atp literally over a year soooo yeahhhh l;akjsfkljsdjf)

also also! what do we think bran and sorcha's might've been?

also if you're interested, here's a chart abt this:

the enneagram only goes from 1-9 ofc but yeah!!

anyway, so below is pure speculation ok but like!!!!! i think this might kinda be a thing???

another example: i know lizzy said that @forgottenbrigit is an enneagram 8, and numerologically, 8 lines up w the card of movement and action and, in that way change, which is esp interesting bc lizzy has also mentioned that brigit really hates change, but also she's got the literal fire of the gods (seeress!) going and in that sense does have the power to help inact change, etc.

additional example: i also know that kate's said that @forgottenarias is a type 2, and that's the number in tarot numerology that deals w balance but also opposites, opposing ideas, harmony, duality, dichotomy, etc!! and she's literally a captive and a powerhouse; a princess and a bastard, all at once, not to even get into the romeo and juliet thing she and arthur (who is also a two!) are giving into like!!

idk its not ~not there ig is what im saying alkjsfjksdf i just like digging into characters tho so...ngl this is just...largely all an excuse to do precisely that bahahaha

so i haven't done ~all my characters enneagrams officially but here're the ones I have:

rosie: 7

arthur: 2

roderick: 3

eilia: 1

valentina: 3

undecided/vibes based/not official:

godfrey: 5/1

tristan: 1/9

eabha: 6/3

cormac: 4

ronan: 1/8

cillian: 4/7

saoirse: 8

rian: 5/6

amira: 8

[forgottenkale]

ooc | Kale & Sonya

Kale used to work at Malconaire, before the war, so he would definitely know Sonya! ngl he probably used to flirt with her a lot #facepalm

[forgottenalaric]

ooc | Alaric & Sonya

honestly @ sonya, I'm so sorry for alaric!!!!

He's been flirting w/ her a lot lately b/c she's pretty and accomplished and charming ... but mostly b/c he's got eyes for someone he can never have/doesn't want him and I'm really sorry b/c he might give off the vibes that he cares more than he does!!

[forgottensebastian]

ooc | Sebastian & Sonya

I feel like Sebastian and Sonya might just get along? He's not one to judge anyone quickly & I also think he might be able to spot that Sonya's also living with an overly controlling parent who does NOT have their children's best interests in mind/using them as a pawn in their own game?? Like Seb is pretty perceptive and I think there's a certain sadness that both of them have from their different situations and I can actually see them maybe getting on pretty well? Thoughts??

[forgottencassandra]

ooc | Cassandra & Sonya

I feel like Cassandra has conflicting emotions/ideas about Sonya and she's not quite sure how she feels about her tbh?? I think, at first, she was prone to dislike her just because she has it in her head that Eithne/Arthur are an otp and it looks like Sonya is trying to get in the way of this (Cass doesn't know her mom is putting her up to it ... nor is Eithne/Arthur the epic love story she's decided it is #faceplam)

But I do think that she would start to have complicated feelings about Sonya when she finds out that she and Guin are such good friends and Cassandra really values Guin's thoughts and opinions on so many things that I think she would start to wonder if maybe she's got Sonya all wrong -- especially if she ever joined the two of them for tea or something and got to just talk to Sonya away from her mom and brother and everything???

[forgottencassimir]

ooc | Cassimir & Sonya

So Cassimir isn't the greatest guy, but I do think he loves his family (at least as much as anyone like him can love anyone) and he does want Sonya to be happy (just not at the expense of his own happiness, of course).

There's literally no one more important to him than his mom & his sister and like, they literally escaped execution together, so that's gotta be a pretty big bonding experience. I'm sure he sometimes sides with his mom when she's being cruel to Sonya (he's her brother and he ofc, likes to pick on her -- especially when his own pride has been hurt and he uses her to feel superior) but I do think that there's been more times when he will actually stick up to her to his mom, too.

I also think he's pretty protective of her and feels a great responsibility towards her/he also means to decide what future is best for her as the man of the household, etc, and he probably was once going to find her a very wealthy lord or something, but now he is very much convinced that she should marry Roderick or Arthur (even though he's not a fan of either of them, they are Varmonts and they are powerful and they are wealthy, so that makes them the best!!!)

Cassimir can be affectionate/considerate towards those he loves, but no one is exempt from his anger/wrath when he is displeased, so yeah idk what Sonya thinks about Cassimir, but they probably have a dysfunctional relationship, at best??

[forgottenbrigit]

ooc | Brigit & Sonya

Lauren, I'm so sorry, but Brigit never really gave Sonya a chance?? She could have been the nicest person in existence and Brigit wouldn't be about adding anyone else to their family circle (Brigit: I don't need a mom!!!!) and yeah, when Valentina and Cassimir both proved to be literal nightmares, she definitely lumped Sonya in with the both of them and is too caught up in her own prejudices against her, to even notice that Sonya might also be suffering under Valentina's authority, just in a different way.

[forgottenedmund]

ooc | Edmund & Sonya

Edmund loves to mess w/ the girls who flirt with his brother and like if he sees that Arthur is into them, too, he really has a lot of fun dropping embarrassing stories about him every chance he gets so yeah Edmund is out here living to talk to Sonya tbh ;D

[forgottenroderick]

ok so as we know, lizzy said the following:

thelongforgottenrealm 16 hrs ago @forgottenroderick @forgottenmarian I feel like this is probably something that the Varmont Empire probably ~is okay with?!?!? Like maybe it hasn't always been a thing, but I feel like keeping everything ~in the family~ is on brand for them?? But I don't think it is a custom widely held elsewhere and certainly not in Astaira. (And Roderick's kids are first cousins once removed to Eoin)

also i reached out a bit ago to lauren abt how she felt abt guin ~potentially getting engaged, and she said that she was totally cool w it and added that she was down for the three of us to collectively make any decision at all for any of her hiatus'd characters while she's gone, if we ~all agreed she'd like it, bc she was confident "after twenty years" (i was like lauren!! twenty years!! i feel so old now!! she was like me too i think i just sprouted some grey hair thinking of it laksjdfjksdf) she felt sure we knew her taste well enough that she'd enjoy those choices when she comes back, if all three of ~us thought that she would <3

so!! given all this, if the three of us all feel confident that lauren would be cool w eoin and guin getting engaged (and, personally, i think she'd be on board w that!)? ~and if @thelongforgottenrealm as our fearless leader is ~also cool w it, since eoin is an open character, etc, i feel confident roderick is def at the v least in srs ~talks abt this, and i think he may even be looking to move forward w formalizing that betrothal etc alkjsdfjsdf #facepalm good luck you crazy kids, if so!! meanwhile, all of astaira: yikes

so, smth else to note, if this happens, it also puts @forgottengodfrey and @forgottenciara in a weird place bc like godfrey is obv team edmund but now ciara's got her toe in both edmund and guinevere territory BUT is actually a rebel (arthur: 'hey! why don't ~i have a direct connection to uncle bart's fam like that! he should have had three kids i swear' marian: 'shhhhhh' jk jk ;D) so!! that's all slkjfskjdlf so much!! dlsjkfasdjf and, lizzy, how do you feel abt her potentially being put in that position?

OOC | Roderick & Uhhh Cousins

ok so @thelongforgottenrealm i have a bit of a question -- how does this world, and specfically the varmont empire, feel abt cousin marriages? i ask bc its occurred to me that roderick might feel that ~eoin~ is actually the best candidate for his daughters if that's a thing in this world/the varmont empire? like...iirc, they're like...second cousins? first cousins once removed? or smth (not me like...i need to do a family tree and figure this out lakjdsflkjsdf), not, like, third cousins or anything so like??? i wasn't sure lakjsdfjksdf ngl if they were third cousins or more, roderick'd be like GUYS I HAVE THE BEST IDEA right away lakjsdflkjsdfjkdsf (at least i think???? bart's his dad's bro???? not like his granddad's muchhhhh younger bro or smth???)

but!! eoin's got the ~best possible~ last name, hes rich, he's powerful, truthworthy in roderick's cause, he's heir to all of bart's stuff, he'd keep roderick's daughter securely varmont/within roderick's own house still etc and, as such, help strengthen their claim/help ward off roderick's fear of some other house tryna sweep in and take over all ~roderick's ill gotten gains alsdjfalksdfj tbh i think he's probs thinking @forgottenguinevere more than @forgottencassandra for this one but yeah!! who knows!!

but yeah roderick's in his way v traditional and by the book (except when he wants to take a new wife while still keeping his old one!! lkadsjfklsjdfsdf but even then he found an ancient precedent for it etc alksjdfkljsdf so yeah) so if that's not a thing he wouldn't even think of it/would be disgusted if someone else suggested it so yeah! lakjdsfkjd idk but i thought i should go ahead and ask given that would solve a lot of his misgivings re his daughters' marriages, so if he felt it was an option he'd def think of it etc and yeah! *facepalm* aklsdjfkljsdf

also, if this does prove to be a thing and/or they're slightly more distantly related? and cassandra came up as a candidate to wed eoin, how do you think @forgottenmarian might feel abt that?

[forgottensebastian]

What Do You Think You Are Doing | Sebastian & Valentina

If Sebastian had come to know Valentina Malconaire through other means, he would have likely made excuses for some of her behaviors. He was someone who often found the good in everyone and was empathic to their situation and motivations, even if he couldn't agree with their actions.

But Valentina had crossed a line with him, when she had forced her step-daughters into servitude to help offset her own rather lavish lifestyle, while she saw to her own needs and the needs of her children, all while neglecting everyone else who counted on her.

Instead of seeing a woman who had only known what it was like to be royalty, who was then married to a man who was so devoted to his first wife and children, that Valentina could never hope to occupy a place in his heart as she once had -- Sebastian saw a scheming, selfish, and unfeeling woman.

In this vein, it did not surprise him that Eithne and Brigit, both, had been absent this evening. The Varmonts had been invited to dine with the Malconaire and Sebastian and each of his siblings had accepted the invitation.

Rose, Aoife, Edmund, and Cassandra chatted in one corner and all of Cassimir's attentions were upon Guinevere, while Valentina had set up Sonya and Arthur conveniently in another corner where he turned the pages for her as she played upon her lute.

Sebastian had been joining in with the others, but he found he could not concentrate on anything that was said when he caught Valentina's rather pleased expression. From her vantage point, everything was going as she planned. He felt something come over him, as his heart began to race and he could feel the blood running in his veins.

He hardly knew how it happened, but the next moment he was by her side and found himself asking her: "Where are your other step-daughters this evening, Lady Malconaire?" There was a sternness to his own voice that was foreign to him and he found that he had no desire to give her a smile.

[forgottencassandra]

Not Another Dance | Cassandra & Valentina

It wasn't exactly how Cassandra had planned to spend part of the evening. On the contrary, she had promised herself that tonight, she would selfishly take pleasure in whatever pursuit struck her fancy (which, in reality, truly wasn't any different than any other evening). However, when she saw that Cassimir had cornered Eithne and seemed to have monopolized her attentions for more than half of the evening, she decided to take matters into her own hands, and while she had Cassimir distracted, Arthur might spend the evening with Eithne uninterrupted.

Cassandra had forced herself into their circle and hinted (with zero traces of subtly) how much she would like to dance, until Cassimir was practically forced to ask her himself.

While she was, at first, rather pleased with herself (especially as she noted that Arthur was by Eithne's side moments later), two dances later she was beginning to reconsider the decisions that had led her to this.

He wasn't a particularly horrible partner -- in fact, he danced rather well, and if he kept silent perhaps Cassandra could have borne it better. But she found everything he said to be irritating, even if he said nothing offensive to her. She had already cast him as the villain several times over, and nothing he could do would please her.

As he started to lead her in a third dance, she stopped him. "No more, my lord. You have exhausted me." In more ways than one. She hoped to be completely excused from his company, but instead he lead her from the floor to his mother who would "keep her company while he fetched them both some refreshments".

Ugh, the mother was almost as insufferable as the son. As soon as Cassimir returned, she meant to be finished with both of them for the evening.

"Lady Malconaire, you cannot fathom how pleased I am to see that you have all come to join us this evening to celebrate my dear sister. It should have not been the same, without you here." She was only truly pleased to see Sonya and her step-daughters, but she would suffer the rest of the company if that meant that they could be there.

[forgottencassimir]

Unexpected Arrivals | Cassimir & Roderick

It was a miserable day.

The temperatures had risen, so Cassimir supposed he should be glad that they didn't have the bitter cold to deal with, but the rain beat down with unforgiving force, melting much of the snow. The roads had turned into a swampy, muddy mess that were becoming unpassable.

Cassmir was seated comfortably enough near the fire in his step-father's old study when one of his servants entered -- rather flustered -- with a captain wearing the colors of House Varmont.

"Lord Malconaire -- " A quick bow from his servant, "excuse the intrusion -- "

The Captain had little patience for this and sidestepped the servant, to make his own announcement, "His Imperial Majesty, Roderick Varmont the First of His Name, Conquerer of the Twelve Kingdoms, Defender of the Faith, and god's own Champion has bestowed upon you the honor of hosting him and his men, while his carriage is repaired. He shall arrive momentarily. He shall expect to be received in a manner that befits such a guest."

Cassimir sprung into action immediately. He had no particular love for the Varmonts, Roderick included, but he knew the very important role that he and his mother hoped the emperor would play in their plans. Cassimir knew that for Roderick to marry Sonya, he must look favorably upon their family and he was not to allow this sudden development to hinder it.

He dispatched his servant immediately -- everyone must make ready for the emperor's arrival. He knew that even his step-sisters would be needed to help in the preparations (both prior to and during his arrival), so he would need to offer some excuse as to their absences. Besides, he did not want the emperor's eye to be distracted. Sonya was beautiful in her own right, but even Cassimir had to admit that each of his step-sisters possessed a beauty of their own (except, perhaps Brigit. If she had any beauty at all, she did an excellent job of hiding it).

When Roderick and his company did arrive, there was still much work to be done, but Cassimir was pleased as to what had been accomplished in the short notice that he had received. He felt it a testament to his own leadership (but didn't give a second thought to those who had actually performed the work).

"Your Imperial Majesty," Cassimir bowed low. "It is a honor to have you grace our halls. I'm sure you and your men must be hungry. If you would care to follow me, our cooks have prepared a feast."

[forgottenedmund]

"And what happened next?" Sonya asked.

"Well," Edmund leaned in a bit closer to her as though he was divulging a very great secret. From his peripheral vision he could tell that Valentina's eyes were on them and he couldn't help but crack a grin when he realized that she must be thinking that she was cultivating some sort of love match between the two. "... then his pants caught on fire."

Sonya giggled, "No!"

"I wish you'd been able to see him run about the yard until the servants finally were able to douse him with water."

Sonya fell into a fit of laughter, which Edmund found was contagious -- especially with such a vivid image of his own brother in his mind. The story of Arthur catching fire was a bit exaggerated. In truth, Arthur had been much younger than Edmund had suggested and it had been a book in his hand that he had carelessly gotten too close to the flame of a candle while he was distracted by some pretty girl. His cloak had caught fire, but he'd untied and the servants had doused it before it caused him to look too ridiculous.

Still, Edmund appreciated his version a bit more and he couldn't have planned a better moment for Arthur to arrive than immediately after this recounting.

"Oh, and Lady Sonya -- " Edmund called after her before she followed her mother's instructions to leave. "Try not to laugh."

And then, he was left alone with her.

As much as Edmund enjoyed toying with Valentina's various plots, he did find her company to be particularly exhausting, especially when he had come here to visit with Rose and they'd hardly been able to say two words to each other thanks to Valentina's interference. (This was one of the many reasons Edmund preferred to simply slip across the border onto the Malconaire lands unannounced).

Truth be told, he was hardly paying her much attention when she apologized for their manners or what it was like for her when she first arrived at this country home. He did decide that perhaps he might amuse himself, however, when she began to focus the conversation towards Sonya.

"I don't doubt it," He replied, "Your daughter does you all the credit in the word, my lady." This, at least, was genuine enough. Sonya, for all of her unfortunate patronage, was far superior than her mother or brother could ever claim to be. "There is no one quite like her. I ... confess that I'm a bit jealous that she seems to prefer my brother's company to my own. But then Arthur can be so charming when a young lady has captured his attention."

Edmund didn't particularly agree with Valentina's statement -- there was little that any of them knew how to do instinctively, regardless of their own natural talents. They'd had to study and practice their manners -- and everything else for that matter -- just as everyone else did. The different happened to be that their situation allowed for the very best instructors that Roderick could find.

Still, he nodded his head in agreement, "You shall have to ask my mother someday, yourself, but I'm sure you will find that she very much agrees with you. A more formal and polite baby, I don't think you'd ever find." He couldn't help but tease her just a bit.

Plan D | Valentina & Edmund

"Roisin, dear, won't you run up to my room and fetch me my stylus?"

"But--"

The girl cast a quick glance towards Sonya and Edmund, nestled cozily in a dark corner, laughing and whispering together rather chummily, and Valentina felt her grin deepen. She'd been at some lengths keeping her youngest stepdaughter busy, tonight: this was a tete-a-tete she was not eager to see broken up, particularly as -- was it just her imagination, or did the two young people lean just a little closer, smile just a little longer, as the minutes ticked by?

"Oh, you silly girl!" Valentina interrupted Roisin. "Not that stylus! The other one!"

"You said that--"

"I wouldn't need to keep repeating myself, Roisin, if you'd only bring me the right stylus. Now, up you pop! And don't you come back down here until you've found the right one!"

Roisin set the stylus down much harder upon the little table at Valentina's side than was entirely necessary -- or ladylike -- and rushed back up the stairs for the umpteenth time. How her legs must be burning by now! Valentina smirked.

Yet, no sooner had she arranged for them to continue chatting together, than Cillian appeared in the room.

"Arthur's here," he said in a dull, irritated voice.

"Cillian! What have I told you about properly announcing guests!"

He smirked. "That it should be according to their just deserts which, incidentally, is precisely what you just heard." With that, he left the room again.

"The cheek!" cried Valentina, springing up, now suddenly quite alarmed by how close Sonya and Edmund were sitting, and desperately wishing Roisin were here again to distract him, and thus keep Arthur from suspecting Sonya might prefer his brother. "Sonya! You must go and greet our guest! At once! And do make amends for that disgraceful servant, won't you? I insist that you not re-enter this room until that is accomplished!"

Good. That would keep the two of them quite alone for some time...which just left Valentina and Edmund. No matter, Valentina thought, approaching Edmund and quickly assuming the spot her daughter had just vacated. It was better for everyone if she entertain the younger prince, than if that little nitwit, Roisin, did it.

Turning her most sacchrine smile upon the prince, Valentina flushed slightly. "Oh, Your Highness, you really must excuse our..." she tittered, a touch nervously. "Country manners. I know compared to the high refinement you are accustomed to at court we must seem so perfectly...quaint. I do recall, myself, you know, what it was like to first come here as one of...royal blood," she added, significantly, arching a brow. "Quite the culture shock, I confess, but...a woman, you know, particularly a royal woman, Your Highness, would do anything for love. And I do pride myself, you know, that my Sonya does boast many of those natural delicacies of manner inherent to those of our...rank. In truth, I didn't even have to teach her! She knew all her manners instictively."

For what it was worth, Valentina did believe this. However, she was mistaken. Sonya had, indeed, been taught her manners, just not by Valentina: her nurse and her governess had done the job, which was lucky as Valentina ought never to be relied upon to tach anything to anyone.

"But," she said, feigning fondness as she looked upon her Plan D. "I'm sure your royal mother found much the same with you, no doubt. It is a thing one finds in royal blood which can never be driven out. Don't you agree, Highness?"

[forgottenalaric]

Dinner at Malconaire | Alaric & Valentina

Alaric Varmont had been leading a squadron of men on a search party for the missing prisoners. They had been scouring the countryside for any sign of them and while their searches had been close to the Lorcan lands, as time went they found themselves extended to Malconaire. When the sun had set and the rain started to fall, Alaric Varmont and Rian Stafford called upon the hospitality of House Malconaire to give them food and shelter until the storm passed and they could resume.

Alaric was not blind to the fact that, his nephews absent from the table, that Valentina Malconaire had been much more attentive towards him and did not waste an opportunity to comment upon some quality that her own daughter possessed -- nor that she given Alaric a seat which placed him between mother and daughter.

He was more than willing to enter into a private conversation with Sonya -- to spare them both from her mother's incessant meddling. But when Sonya turned and started a conversation with her step-sister, Lady Eithne, Alaric found that he had no other option that to give Valentina Malconaire his attentions.

But first, his gaze lingered upon Eithne. Alaric knew that his nephew and Lady Eithne Malconaire would never be -- for a multitude of reasons to include both the matter of his rank -- and her lack of it -- and a certain princess who Arthur swore he "never thought of". Still, Alaric felt that not only Lady Eithne's company, but also her situation had been good for Arthur.

He'd seen Arthur, once, amongst the trees at Malconaire and he saw in him something he rarely saw in his nephew ... and that was peace. Malconaire was far away enough from the palace and the court and his father that he could be, if only for a few hours, just Arthur.

And for giving him that, Alaric wished Eithne Malconaire every happiness in her future, even if it would not be with his nephew. He would have hoped something better for her than marrying Cassimir, but he suspected that she had her reasons -- and he hoped that, despite everything, she would be happy.

The only true positive to the entire arrangement, was that it had slashed whatever lofty hopes that Valentina Malconaire had had for her son. Even Alaric had noted how she tried to push him towards his nieces and while Alaric knew that that union, too, would never be, it did satisfy him to know that now Valentina knew it, too.

And while Valentina had started going on again about Sonya, now that her daughter's attentions had been diverted, Alaric's gaze met her own and he interrupted her with --

"I hear congratulations are in order, Lady Malconaire. Your son is to be married?"