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timmymyluv · 2 years ago

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to conceive an heir

warning(s): cursing, dirty language, degradation, oral (f/m receiving), breeding, creampie, choking, teasing, semi-public sex/voyeurism, unprotected sex (always have protection plz) , kind of toxic relationship, power dynamics (Dom/sub, emperor/empress)

summary: paul atreides seems to control every aspect of the empire except his distant empress. having yet failed to conceive an heir, you take things into your own hands. basically a self indulgent throne sex/breeding kink fic/blurb. no beta we d!e like men

word count: 2.7k words

"Where the fuck is my wife!?"

Paul's commanding voice echoes through the high ceiling throne room, gripping tightly on the armrests of his throne as he fumes in anger.

All of his advisors and council members looked around anxiously, staring at each other in fear as they knew nothing would get him more riled up then anything that concerned you.

Ever since you had consummated your marriage on your wedding night and crowned as Emperor and Empress the following morning, you have seen nothing of your husband.

You had grown up side by side under the same tutors, as your father was a Duke from a nearby kingdom of similar lineage and prestige. From wearing matching bibs when you ate messily at the table as toddlers, rolling down the temperate grassy hills of Caladan and sneaking out from humdrum tutors, the ring on your finger and your names bonded by law have set you two apart further rather than bring you together as intended.

Nothing would have prepared you for the turn of events that resulted in you becoming Empress of the entire Galactic Empire, nor with Paul by your side as the Supreme Emperor of all of society.

Nonetheless, you did your duty. Even so, you enjoyed escaping the hollow, ceremonial trappings of the royal court and doing your charity and social events outside the city.

You had spent the past morning visiting a local orphanage and the school conjunct to it, as schoolchildren of the common folk adored you and threw petals at your feet as you walked by. If Paul was to neglect his responsibility to you as a husband preoccupied with the obligations of an Emperor, you will not fail to attend to your role as Empress.

Feeding the children pouring soup into disposable bowls with your handmaidens was sharply interrupted when one of his men, Duncan, whispered in your ear that your husband the Emperor demanded your return back to the palace. It was an order, not a request.

Begrudgingly escorted back to the throne room, you drag your feet through the hollow halls, pacing impatiently as your handmaidens and your bodyguards struggle to meet your agile pace.

The moment Paul feels your presence even while looking away, he narrows his eyes at you suspiciously as you approach him meekly, avoiding his darkened eyes shooting daggers at you almost literally.

“Where have you been, Empress?!” He slouches on his throne, venom laced in his voice, and you resist the temptation to roll your eyes at him. Referring to you by his title, alone? Seriously?

“I was fulfilling my role as Empress by visiting the orphanage-”

“And you did not even have the courage to let me know before you left?”

You pause.

“I left a note on your bedside, Your Imperial Majesty.” You explained offhandedly, praying your long obsidian sleeves can hide your fiddling fingers.

Paul scoffs at you, his curls disheveled on his face and hiding his eyes. A bubbling disdain and enmity for his childish, unreasonable behaviour towards you, not only did he avoid you on every turn, but expected you to be at his beck and call.

Seeing red as you stand alone in the spacious throne room, bare, cold stone with minimal windows as you shrunk in the magnanimous size of the room.

As Paul looked down at you from his stainless steel engraved throne on plain concrete from the hills of Arrakis, the distance between you two are even greater and a reminder how you are always subservient to him.

"Is it a crime for me to know where my legally wedded wife is? I don't even know where my woman is, how can I rule a damn kingdom."

"I'm not just your woman. I am my own person." You bite back maliciously, voice laced with venom.

"You have failed as an empress. You have failed our kingdom. You put the entire Galactic Empire at risk for your negligence, for your refusal to provide an heir. You make our entire future futile."

As a wave of shame overcomes you as your face warms in embarrassment yet the cool of the darkness of the throne room creates goosebumps on your back.

Fumbling with the golden necklace on your collar, carelessly pulling on the rare gemstones that lock the elaborate setting of your cream white straight silhouetted dress.

His eyes widen in panic, yet a flash of lust and arousal appears on his usually, well rehearsed stoic expression as layer by layer falls to the ground with a loud thud.

" What the fuck do you think you are doing?!" He nearly stands up from shock against his throne, yet restrains himself and tightens his grip on the arm rests of his throne.

As the top sheer layer of the pleated white dress, your slim tie knot ribbon chemise dress is yanked off your shoulder as you step over the pile of your garment and you stand in front of him bare.

Step by step with sequenced footsteps, you raise your head proudly as you walk up the staircase towards him.

"Then take me."

"What!?" Paul nearly screams at you in ridicule of your plans, yet his want, his desire for you overtakes him as you see a glimpse of his arousal between his legs.

"Right here. I want you to fuck me right on your throne."

"You are a queen, an empress yet you want to be fucked senselessly like a common whore, like a rabid dog." He snickers mockingly, firmly gripping your bare hips against his rough fingers with a piercing grip you're sure will leave bruises for days.

Just as you lean in to sit on his lap, he suddenly jumps up, towering over you with his dark curls and piercing hazel eyes of swirls of green and gold. Paul harshly smacks his lips against yours, tongue swirling in your warm cavern, dominating over yours.

Your eyes shut in pleasure and pain as you lose yourself in the feeling, moaning as your lips mold into his.

Feeling dribbles of wetness between your thighs as you bare skin contrasts his military uniform that covers his entire body. Your fingers brush against his shoulder blades as you circle your arms on either side of his head, tilting your head to follow his ministrations and gain steady footing as he forcefully contorts and melds into you as if you could bleed into one flesh.

Sliding down from your waist down to your butt, pinching and squeezing before he rociforeously slaps against your skin, gaining a high pitched shriek from you.

Paul brushes lightly against your clit before squeezing in a couple of fingers into your clenched folds.

"You're so fucking wet already. Do you like being fucked like the whore you are!?" He antagonizingly teases you with a mischievous grin, clearly satisfied with seeing you cower over him like putty in his hands.

Resting your forehead against his medalled shoulders, sweat forming on your brow as you attempt to muffle your pleasured cries, increasingly leaning towards him with buckled knees and wobbly joints.

"I can't hear you. What did you say?!"

"I want you to fuck me like a whore, like your whore."

Fondling your nipples and massaging your chest as he tentatively ponders over his next move, waiting for your areolas to harden before his mouth sucks eagerly on your breasts before doing the same on the other and switching places.

As his hands wander around your body, feeling every inch of his skin from his fingertips to leaving crescents from his blunt nails, he gradually makes his way down to his knees in front of you.

"What are you doing?" You bewilderly ask, whining in complaint at the loss of his fingers from your area of pleasure.

Parting your lower lips with his fingers before dipping in and out against your walls, he presses the flat of his tongue before he dives into you like a starved man, squelching, slurping, wildly drinking from you and pleasuring you until you'd see white.

Oh, what a sight. Imagine if any bystander would see their emperor, fully clothed and on his knees in front of his naked empress, his wife, writhing and pulsing with teary eyes and a gaping mouth crying and begging for more.

"More, more-"

"More what?!" He mockingly teases you, his voice reverberating against your warmth.

"I want your tongue on me. I want you to mouth fuck me."

Playing and pulling your clit as his mouth consumes you wholly, your essence dripping down his chin and spilling out his mouth, his pleasured groans and grunts vibrating against your cavern until he hits the very spot you've never discovered, unleashing an unabridged, unrestrained pleasure like you've never seen before.

Screaming, weeping, screeching, moaning so loudly, harshly until your throat went hoarse and you feel a stinging pain around your neck, seeing white like a string unleashed, pulled apart so far apart like galaxies scattered across the sky.

Crying his name over and over again like a prayer on your altar, blessing him with your holy water, your blessed essence, your sacred liquid, reaching your pleasure and losing consciousness until you regain your awareness on shaky knees and exhausted limbs, resting your head against his chest as he stands beside you with arms around your waist.

Taking slow, careful breaths before you push him down to his seat, ignoring the stinging sensation of your bare knees against the hard marble floor.

"You have to let me return the favour, Your Majesty." Your low, hoarse voice sounds sultry and seductive, even as your lightheadedness makes you flighty and clumsy.

Groaning in overwhelming lust, rolling his eyes back in pleasure as you tug off his buckles from his grey tailored pants with shaky fingers.

As the heavy, weighted cloth hits the ground, you lean forward eagerly with a wide mouth as your tongue swirls around the bottom of his pink, throbbing cock.

He groans with tight shut eyes as he reaches forward to pull on your hair forcefully, firmly tugging and scratching against the base of your scalp as you take him in fully into your mouth, moaning deliriously as his cock hits the back of your throat.

Circling and massaging both your hands against the base of his lengthy, girthy cock, twisting, pulling and circling to the sound of his pleasured cries and squeaks.

"Ah, fuck, how is your mouth so good? How the fuck did you do that!?"

As your nose hits his pelvic bone as you reach deeper and deeper, mentally noting to yourself in surprise at your unusual lack of gag reflex. Feeling your own pleasure pooling between your legs, you gobble, throb back and forth against his length until he comes explosively, generously filling your warm mouth with loads and loads of his thick, white essence.

As you reach the end of your gobbling and swallowing, you pull back and open your mouth as you rest your tongue against the bottom of his cock, relishing in his release before you eagerly drink up every drop.

His curls messily sticking to his forehead drenched in sweat as he rests an arm over his eyes as he recovers from his pleasure, he opens his eyes and meets you with a menacing, forceful look as he leans over to pull you over his lap.

Twirling your around to have your back facing against him, he pulls you down by your hips to sit on his thighs , next to his already hardening length.

"Since you want to be such a fucking tease, we'll do it this way."

You never want to admit how much you wanted this and you never knew. You never knew how much you wanted to be humiliated, insulted, treated so carelessly, so harshly unlike the glass figurine you were in a gilded cage in your ivory tower.

"Fuck me like this, you do the damn work. Face forward on this throne for everyone to see. Look at their empress, jolting, splintering, piercing herself in half on her Emperors cock."

Lowering yourself inch by inch on his length as either of your knee caps rest over his legs, you wince in slight pain before a wave of overwhelming passion and pleasure overcomes you.

"What are you waiting for, slut?!" He spits darkly at you, impatient with frantic, bouncing knees as you whips your thighs in punishment for leaving him wanting for so long.

You cry and babble as you grasp his forearms for support as you weakly try to find you footing. His fingers snake around your neck tightly, under your jaw and around your throat as your breath hitches and your arousal continues to grow.

The loss of air circulation no longer fills you with panic or fear, but excites you with a foreign glee you never knew you could even feel.

"Look at how desperate you are for my cock, how it's the only thing you think of, you live for. How it's the only thing keeping you alive. Like you were made for my cock, for my pleasure."

Raising up your knees and standing up slightly to position yourself over his standing cock, you slowly but surely adjust to his length before starting a constant rhythm riding his length.

You speed up as the symphonies of your moans and groans blur into one incomprehensible sound.

"Look at me. Then look there. Let them see their empress at work. Their empress creating the future, creating the future of the kingdom."

"The galaxy will be secure when you give me so many fucking heirs we'd fill every damn room in this gigantic palace. Beg for every single drop of my cunt, slut."

"I want you walking around butt naked, heavily pregnant and swollen, round with my child every waking second. You're either pregnant or I'm getting you pregnant when you're not."

You cried out loud in wanton list at the prospect, at the possibility of conceiving a child on this very throne. The future of the empire created for perhaps no one or everyone to see if they happened to pass by the empty throne room.

"Please, please- more."

"Beg." Always firmly, he commands as he impatiently begins thrusting upwards to meet your wavering hilts, as you increasingly slouch towards him as you begin to reach your second peak.

His fingers brush forward to your clit once more, ignoring your desperate pleas at how sensitive and rare your pussy felt after agonizing hours of brutal assault but he kept going, kept plummelint, kept fingering you until you would go numb.

"I want your baby. I want a fucking future emperor or empress right now, in my womb!" Raw and hoarse your voice went as you slammed down his dick until you could feel his tip brush against your cervix and you saw white just as he released into you.

You both relaxed and collapsed, defeated yet satisfied in your pleasures and fulfilled lists and desires. His chin rests on your shoulder, slightly ticklish with the faint feeling of growing facial hair underneath.

"I'm sorry. I should be treating you better- I should have never been so controlling-" Paul breaks the silence, recovering from his highs in horrified discovery at how brutally he treated you when he was consumed by his anger and lust.

You pull up weakly with your arms on his shoulders to get off his dick, whining at the loss of the physical bulge that he would brush over possessively as he spliced you open on his throne, with the teasing possibility for everyone and anyone to see with no restraint.

"Sh.. don't be sorry. You are right. I have failed to do my duty, and I really just want to spend more time with you. we definitely should seriously try for kids, not just because of the empire, but I want to talk about that with you. Besides, it was really hot." You shush him with a finger on his mouth, looking down shamelessly as you cover your body with your arms in the sudden realization at how clothless you were, yet your cheeks redden at your admission of something you had never said out loud, yet his smug smirk assures you otherwise.

"Oh yeah, you like that? I'll fuck you senselessly and for hours, days even months or years on end till I get you so pregnant, swollen with my child and bursting with milk. Get ready for that."

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tealin · 2 years ago

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Lt. Henry Robertson Bowers

He's come down to us as "Birdie Bowers" but he was christened Henry in Greenock, Scotland, in 1883, son of a merchant marine captain and a respectable Christian missionary from Cheltenham. When he was very young, his father died, and despite his mother's reluctance to let her son follow her husband to sea, when Henry was of age he was enrolled on the naval training ship HMS Worcester in pursuit of a career to support his beloved mother and two sisters. He was always very conscious of this responsibility, and though his naval tutors were impressed with him, when he graduated he opted for the better pay (if lower prestige) of the Royal Indian Marines.

Wherever Bowers went, he earned a reputation for level-headed competency and efficiency – his first command was an unwieldy riverboat on the hazardous Irrawaddy, which he mastered before anyone told him how hard it was supposed to be. Later he was stationed in the Persian Gulf and tasked with running down arms smugglers: on one memorable occasion his party took a dhow full of rifles, armed with only his service revolver and its holster (carried by someone else, to look like a gun in the dark). Through it all he was regularly passing exams in Hindi and Farsi, surveying the terrain, and in his own time collecting butterflies and bicycling up mountains, and grappling with the conflict between his religious convictions and his professional ambition.

We know all this because Bowers wrote compendious weekly letters home. He spend most of his adult life a very long way from his family, but remained very close with them and shared everything. Whenever he was given leave he rejoiced at being back with them in cold and rainy Scotland, and in 1908 spent eight glorious months hiking all over the Isle of Bute and swimming across Rothesay Bay every morning.

Caerlaverock [his family's house in Ardbeg] was always full of laughter when he was in it. His gaiety was infectious and its effect was tonic. Entertainments, parties, picnics – he was the life and soul of these, but to see Bowers at his best one had to be free of the hospitality of his home. His merriment was not of the riotous or boisterous kind, but the natural exuberance of a soul in love with life. His high spirits were irrepressible, and he had a rare gift for seeing the comic side of situations. No one ever saw him depressed; his incurable optimism was the expression of an inner joy. (Seaver, "Birdie" Bowers of the Antarctic, p.91)

Bowers had had an interest in polar regions since childhood, and wrote to his family of his regret at not being on Shackleton's Nimrod Expedition or free to pester Scott about getting onto the Terra Nova. But while he was getting burnt brick-red in the hottest part of the world, machinations were underway to take him to the coldest: his reputation had filtered through his commanding officers to Sir Clements Markham, who recommended him to Scott, and he was offered a position without an interview or even an application.

It was a risk to appoint someone on recommendation alone, but it paid off enormously: originally assigned to the ship's party, Bowers' "orderly mind" and perfect memory made him so invaluable a quartermaster that Scott gave him that role at Cape Evans. During the Depot Journey and its hazardous return, he proved his physical strength and hardihood, and his mental capacity in a crisis. During the first winter he became closely involved with Scott in figuring out the plans for the Polar Journey. Not only did this involve mountains of interrelated sums (weights, rate of travel vs food consumption, layers of contingency plans, etc.) but thorough research of the existing literature on polar travel, and understanding of its application. And in the middle of this, Bowers set off with Wilson and Cherry on the Winter Journey, a gruelling five-week trek in the middle of the Antarctic winter to fetch some eggs from the Emperor penguin colony at the other end of Ross Island. He came through the ordeal so much better than his companions that just over a month later he was off again to the Western Mountains. Scott had earlier called Bowers a "treasure"; after the Winter Journey he wrote:

I believe he is the hardest traveller that ever undertook a Polar journey, as well as one of the most undaunted; more by hint than direct statement I gather his value to the party, his untiring energy and the astonishing physique which enables him to continue to work under conditions which are absolutely paralysing to others. Never was such a sturdy, active, undefeatable little man. (R.F. Scott, journal for 2 August 1911)

On the Polar Journey he was given charge of the pony Victor ("I'll soon get used to him, to say nothing of his getting used to me," Cherry records him saying) and was incensed when Scott ordered Victor's slaughter for the dogs to eat, well before the end of his usefulness –it must have especially rankled that this was in part down to Meares being injudicious with the dog food, upsetting the careful calculations.

When the southern party switched to man-hauling, he worked largely in the team led by Teddy Evans, but when it came time for Scott's party to head to the pole and Evans' party to head home, Bowers was taken on with Scott. Much has been written on this choice, which I won't go into here, but for all the drawbacks there was a clear benefit in having a hardy traveller, expert navigator, and catalogue of depots all bound up in the person of Bowers, not to mention the psychological influence of his sunny disposition.

When things turned bad for the Polar Party, Bowers was predictably resilient. He was in best condition when they made their last camp, and was ready to make a 22-mile march with Wilson, to One Ton Depot and back, for the food and fuel they needed to survive, though in his letter home regarding this, he implies it's something of a suicide mission.

They never got there. The following November, when the search party found their tent, Bowers was peacefully tucked up in his bag, having apparently simply gone to sleep ...

My Dear Mrs Bowers, I am afraid this will reach you after one of the heaviest blows of your life. I write when we are very near the end of our journey, and I am finishing it in company with two gallant, noble gentlemen. One of these is your son. He had come to be one of my closest and soundest friends, and I appreciate his wonderful upright nature, his ability and energy. As the troubles have thickened his dauntless spirit ever shone brighter and he has remained cheerful, hopeful, and indomitable to the end. The ways of providence are inscrutable, but there must be some reason why such a young, vigorous and promising life is taken. My whole heart goes out in pity for you. Yours, R. Scott.

Some notes on the drawings

When I moved to the UK in 2014 I had some fairly debilitating tendinitis in my right arm, which would go away only to flare up on the next job. I tried to rest my hand as much as I could, which was frustrating, especially when I was feeling pressed to get down to the business of drawing the polar guys. For whatever reason, Bowers was the most insistent of them; I said, ‘If you want to get drawn, it’s going to have to be with my left hand,’ to which he replied ‘Is that a problem?’ My sketchbooks from the time are peppered with left-handed Birdie doodles, but my favourite is probably this one:

The orange shapes were painted with my right hand and the lines drawn overtop with my left ... that lower right image is probably my favourite drawing I've done of him. When I first got into this research, before I started keeping mental track of these things, I found a quote that I have not yet rediscovered – it went along the lines of, "if you ordered Birdie to march through a wall, he would just march right through that wall." I feel like he marched through the page of that sketchbook, and the tendinitis and left-handedness were nothing to him.

“... he may have seemed to some people a bit pushing or even bumptious on first acquaintance. That was because he went so precipitately at whatever came along ..." (Cherry-Garrard, foreword to the Seaver, xiv-xv)

It was funny to revisit all these drawings for the purposes of this post; Birdie's design got ironed out a lot in the course of drawing the Sea Ice Incident so most of these look wrong, now. I fully expect the same will happen to my other character designs once I've started drawing these guys into pages! But one has to start the ball rolling somewhere ...

#Birdie Bowers #henry robertson bowers #scott expedition #terra nova expedition #polar party #indomitable #biography #drawings #character design #caricature

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tudor-fool · 3 years ago

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The Tudors: Alternative History Part One ( The Children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York )

Elizabeth of York: Portrayed by Jodie Cormer as Elizabeth of York in The White Princess Henry VII: Portrayed by Jacob Collins-Levy as Henry VII in the White Princess

Elizabeth of York was the eldest child of King Edward IV and His ‘Commoner’ Wife, Elizabeth Gray, Nee Woodville. By Marrying Henry the Seventh, she reunited the houses of Lancaster and York, ending the cousins' war although there were several other York pretenders. Liz came from a very fertile family, as her mother gave Edward IV a quiver full of girls and two precious York boys who disappeared from the tower of London, making their sister the heiress of the house of York. The Royal couple had seven children, all lived to adulthood. Three Boys and Four Girls.

Arthur I: Portrayed by Charlie Hunnam in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

ARTHUR TUDOR, PRINCE OF WALES, later ARTHUR I ( B. September 20. 1486 - D. 2. April 1532. ) Arthur, Prince of Wales was the eldest son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. He was Duke of Cornwall from birth and was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester in 1489 when he was only three years old. King Henry aimed very high for his eldest and most beloved son in marriage. At Age of Eleven, he was betrothed to the Infanta Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of the most powerful and Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain. He married her in 1501 when they were both fifteen. When Henry IV died in 1509, Arthur became king of England at age of 23, ushering in a golden age for the house of Tudor.

PRINCESS MARGARET TUDOR ( B 28 November 1489 - D. 18 October 1541.), Queen of Scotland. The Second Eldest Child of Henry and Liz, Meg was named after Margaret Beaufort, Her Paternal Grandmother. On 24 January 1502, Scotland and England concluded the Treaty of Perpetual Peace, the first peace agreement between the two realms in over 170 years. The marriage treaty was concluded the same day and was viewed as a guarantee of the new peace. Margaret remained in England, but was now known as the "Queen of Scots". The Marriage was made by proxy, and she stayed with her family til the age of sixteen years old, and went to Scotland three days after her birthday. She had six children with her husband, James the IV of Scotland, and returned home from her brother's command when he died. She later remarried, without permission to Leonard Gray, 1st Viscount Grane, a cousin of hers, and had three daughters. They were never re-invited to court, as she did not like Queen Katherine.

PRINCE HENRY OF ENGLAND ( Duke of York, and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland) ( B. 28 June 1491 - D. 28 January 1547 ) Harry was always a spoiled child, he received first rate education from the best tutors. Although Margaret Beaufort wished Henry to be a priest, his father wanted to boost the line of the Tudors. However, Every plan had fallen through by the time of Henry VII’s death. Harry was a career courtier, loyal to his brother to a fault, but not a good duke, almost always in debt. Henry did not marry for the longest time, but had many mistresses ( Mary Boleyn and Bessie Blount being most notable, Five years before his death in 1542, he married Maria of Portugal, one of the wealthiest Princesses in Europe. They had two children that became royal wards when Prince Henry died.

PRINCESS ELIZABETH OF ENGLAND ( B. 2 July 1492 - D. 14 September 1515 ) Princess Bessie was the prettiest and happiest of the Tudor brood. She had the York affinity and when she was sixteen, she married William IV, the duke of Bavaria. It was a fairly happy marriage, and Bessie was a happy duchess, beloved by the Bavarian peoples. She died of childbed fever after giving birth to twin daughters, who were sent to the English court after their father remarried.

PRINCESS MARY OF ENGLAND ( b. 18 March 1496 - D. 25 June 1533 ) Princess Mary, as the behest of her Spanish Sister in law, married the younger Charles V, Holy Roman emperor. The Union was not a happy one, adultery on both sides, She taking a lover after her three sons were born. They had five children, three of them boys. Mary died of Pneumonia in 1533 after catching a chill while swimming with her lover, John Alexander Smith

PRINCE EDMUND OF ENGLAND ( b. 21 February 1499 - d. August 11th 1581, Duke of Somerset ) Prince Edmund was a very quiet prince, much like his elder brother, Arthur, as a child. Unlike Henry, who was loyal but always thought of himself first, Edmund always thought of the kingdom, and what his people needed. He was a homebody, and stayed in his dukedom, beloved by his people. He married heiress Katherine De Willoughby de Eresby, and lived quietly with their eight children, seven of whom survived to adulthood.

#The Tudors #HistoryEdit #Historymemes #uhhi

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queenmarytudor · 3 years ago

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MARY: SERIES ONE

When King Henry VIII announces his daughter unable to inherit the crown of England, Princess Mary Tudor and her friends at court rebel and conspire against him.

An imagined six episode psychological drama series, focusing on Princess Mary Tudor and the intrigues, secrets and lies of Henry VIII’s court...

THE KING’S PEARL

Princess Mary Tudor, Princess of Wales and heir to the throne of England, is at her court in the Welsh Marches. Rhys ap Gruffydd kneels in irons before her; he has been arrested for inciting rebellion and is on the way to the Tower of London. Rhys petitions Mary for help in getting his grandfather’s lands and titles restored to him, as they are his by right and not her stewards, who has been gifted them by the king. Rhys says surely Mary knows what it is like to have an inheritance threatened. Mary promises to help him when she returns to court. Rhys thanks his princess, stating that though his wife is related to the king’s mistress, Anne Boleyn will never be Rhys’ queen.

Mary returns to court for Christmas. All along the streets nobles and peasants alike cheer for their princess before she is welcomed lovingly by her parents King Henry VIII and Queen Katherine of Aragon.

There is a grand feast; Mary reunites with her father’s cousin Henry Courtenay and his wife Gertrude, one of Katherine’s ladies. She dances with the courtier Nicholas Carew while her parents watch proudly.

Mary petitions her father to release Rhys from imprisonment in the Tower. The king, delighted to have his pearl back, agrees, but refuses to grant him his grandfather’s lands and titles. The pair decide to go riding together.

On their return, Gertrude escorts Mary to see her mother. She tells Mary her father’s mistress, Anne Boleyn, has just arrived back at court. Katherine introduces Mary to Eustace Chapuys, ambassador to Mary’s cousin Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Chapuys promises he will do his best to help her and her mother. Katherine and Chapuys reveal Pope Clement has forbidden the king from marrying Anne, threatening him with excommunication from the church if he does.

After Mass, where the royal family pray together, a freed Rhys seeks out Mary. He thanks her for his release and attempting to get his inheritance back.

Mary goes to her father’s chambers, where Thomas Cromwell introduces himself as King Henry’s new minister. Mary asks where her father is. When Cromwell replies he is with Anne Boleyn, Mary leaves for the sanctuary of her mother’s rooms.

Henry Courtenay arrives from parliament, telling Katherine, Mary and Gertrude that the king has now declared himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Gertrude tells them she heard of a nun in Kent who can predict the future. Katherine warns her not to do anything foolish.

On Saint David’s Day, the patron saint of Wales, Mary is given a Welsh leek by the king’s gentlemen pensioners in a grand ceremony. She is watched by a crowd of courtiers and Chapuys, who compliments her. They talk for a while before she leaves.

Exiting, Mary comes across Anne Boleyn. They glare at each other before Anne reluctantly sinks into a curtsey. Mary ignores her.

Mary plays the virginals for her parents. Despite their praise, there is obvious tension between the pair.

At nightfall Mary and her father talk. Mary is confused how he has declared himself the head of a church that doesn’t exist. Henry says she is clever; one day his pearl will understand. After he has left, Mary tells her governess, Margaret Pole, that she doesn’t think she will ever understand.

Katherine worries when Margaret wakes her in the night to inform her Mary is ill. Gertrude brings up the Nun of Kent again, but Maria Willoughby and Jane Seymour shush her. Katherine goes to help Margaret care for Mary. As Mary continues to vomit, Katherine strokes her daughter’s hair, clutching her necklace which she believes contains a piece of the True Cross. She prays her daughter will get better, comforting her with old stories of her and King Henry when they were younger.

In the morning a recovered Mary wakes to six luxurious new dresses, a gift from her father. She immediately puts one on.

At breakfast, the queen is sat at the table alone. The king left them earlier in the morning to go on summer progress with Anne Boleyn, forcing most of the courtiers to go with them, including the Courtenay’s. Katherine smiles and tells Mary they can still have a good time, just the two of them and their households.

Reginald, the son of Margaret, is sent money by the king to study in Padua. Katherine and Margaret are hopeful Reginald will convince King Henry to recant his decision to break from Rome and marry a heretic. Reginald promises he will. Mary hugs her cousin goodbye, wishing him well.

At court, Chapuys watches on with Nicholas Carew and an incensed Gertrude and Henry as Anne Boleyn takes the queen’s role at a feast. While talking, Rhys Gruffydd is publicly re-arrested for encouraging Wales to rebel against the king, and supposedly taking the title of Prince of Wales. The group disbelieve this after what Mary did for him.

Katherine hears from Maria that Rhys has been beheaded, but she is determined to protect her daughter and keeps the news a secret.

Mary and Katherine go hawking, but on their return are sent orders to separate. Katherine promises she will see Mary soon, encouraging her to stay strong. Any bastard born of Anne Boleyn will never rule; Mary is the heir and future queen of England.

PRINCESS OF WALES

Mary and her tutor Richard Featherstone are having a Latin lesson on Utopia by Sir Thomas More. In the book women are encouraged to fight in battle; Mary tells the priest she would if she could.

Mary is walking in the fields with her ladies, Susan Clarencius and Anne Hussey, and her cousin Margaret Douglas. Her and Margaret’s cousin Frances Brandon has recently married Henry Grey. Mary is betrothed to the French Dauphin, but she has heard no news lately of a marriage... she is surprised to come across her father, riding with Nicholas. He asks how she is and Mary replies she is well, but missing her mother now she has seen him. The king is going to Calais with Anne Boleyn, now the marquess of Pembroke, but promises to see her more often when he returns.

Gertrude sees the Nun of Kent in disguise, switching clothes with her maid. Amazed at her trance, she invites the woman, Elizabeth Barton, to her house.

Mary is having her breakfast served by her friend Henry Jerningham when she is informed by her chamberlain that her father has, with the blessing of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, married Anne Boleyn. John Hussey asks for a verbal response to the news for the king, but Mary ignores him entirely, continuing to talk with Henry and her ladies. Uncomfortable, he carries on with his orders; Mary is forbidden from writing to her mother and he must take Mary’s jewels. Margaret refuses to give them up to John unless she has a direct order from the king.

Gertrude welcomes Elizabeth warmly, asking about her prophecies. The nun says there may be war now the king has married Anne Boleyn; Gertrude asks her to pray her husband will remain safe. It grieves him that men of noble blood are being dismissed from the privy chamber, with the king ruled by Cromwell who is the son of a blacksmith.

That night, Gertrude tells Henry about the nun’s visit, telling him the king will flee the realm one day. Henry is horrified at her listening to the prophecies, potentially earning the wrath of his cousin when he finds out. He demands she tell the king.

Mary and Margaret Douglas are informed by Margaret that their aunt Mary has died. The pair worry over Frances, but Margaret tells them she has a husband to comfort her now. Mary fears the French accepting Anne Boleyn as queen means her betrothal will be void. The three are interrupted by Mary’s servant Randall Dodd, who delivers a letter passed on by her mother’s servant Anthony. Katherine writes she has “heard such tidings today that I do perceive if it be true, the time is come that Almighty God will prove you; and I am very glad of it, for I trust He doth handle you with a good love [...] But one thing I especially desire you, for the love that you do owe unto God and unto me, to keep your heart with a chaste mind, and your body from all ill and wanton company, not thinking or desiring any husband for Christ’s passion; neither determine yourself to any manner of living till this troublesome time be past.”

Shortly after there is an official command from King Henry to take Mary’s jewels. Her personal arms are stripped from her and her household is to be reduced, with some servants, including Randall Dodd, sent to wait on her new sister Elizabeth, whose christening John Hussey must attend.

King Henry confronts Gertrude, informing her that he knows she has visited the Nun of Kent. She petitions King Henry to forgive her, blaming her womanly foolishness. He does, and orders his cousin to as well. To show his goodwill towards her, Gertrude is bestowed the honour of becoming Princess Elizabeth’s godmother, but an annoyed Gertrude sees it as an insult.

Mary is playing a card game with her ladies and Henry Jerningham when John returns from the christening and tells Mary she is longer a princess. Mary refuses to accept it and writes to her father, believing he was “not privy to it, not doubting but you take me for your lawful daughter, born in true matrimony.”

In response to her letter the Duke of Norfolk comes to dissemble all her household; Mary is to go to Hatfield to serve her sister Elizabeth, the Princess of Wales. Mary says that title belongs to her by right, and no one else.

Mary is only allowed to take one lady in waiting with her and chooses Susan. Her cousin Margaret Douglas is to serve the new queen. Margaret offers to serve Mary at her own expense, but Norfolk refuses. Mary has an emotional goodbye with her staff. Margaret urges her to remember her grandmother had been declared a bastard before becoming queen of England.

On the way to Hatfield, one of the men escorting Mary whispers she must hold firm, for the sake of England.

Arriving, Norfolk asks if she will pay her respects to the Princess of Wales. Mary replies she knows of no other princess in England except herself. The daughter of the marquess of Pembroke has no such title - but if her father acknowledges her as his own, she will call her sister as she calls Henry Fitzroy brother.

As he leaves, Norfolk asks if can take a message to the king. Mary says to tell him his daughter, the Princess of Wales, begs for his blessing. When Norfolk refuses, Mary tells him curtly he might leave it then, and to go away and leave her alone. She retires to her bedchamber to cry.

UNBRIDLED BLOOD

Mary refuses to pay court to Elizabeth unless made to by force. When walking, she is always far in front or far behind the newborn, never at her side. She eats in her own rooms with food Susan steals from the kitchens, avoiding the public table. She has outgrown the ornate dresses her father gave her.

An outraged Gertrude shows Chapuys the letter she has received from the king, telling his subjects that they ought to thank God for giving them a lawful heir. Chapuys reveals he has already sent a Latin declaration for Katherine to sign and pass along to her daughter.

The king arrives to visit his youngest daughter. Mary is desperate to see her father, but is visited by Norfolk and Cromwell. They urge her to renounce her title, but Mary says it is labour wasted to press her; they are deceived if they think bad treatment, rudeness, or even the chance of death would make her change her determination. She asks to see her father and kiss his hand, but is refused. When they leave, she runs to the terrace at the top of the house and kneels in mercy. The king bows and doffs his cap, as do the men with him, before leaving.

The Oath of Supremacy and 1534 Act of Succession are both implemented, making Henry VIII Head of the Church of England, and Elizabeth and any other children of Anne Boleyn his heirs. The Courtenay’s are annoyed as queen Anne flaunts her belly; she is pregnant again.

Mary receives a letter from her mother, which comforts and encourages her, along with the Latin declaration Chapuys spoke of that denies her illegitimacy. She signs it and Susan smuggles it out of Hatfield back to Chapuys.

John Hussey and his wife Anne are returning home now Mary’s household has been dissolved, but before they go John talks with the Courtenay’s and Chapuys about the possibility of the emperor invading in support of his cousin’s rights. Chapuys says he is trying hard to convince his master. Henry says he wishes he had the opportunity to shed blood in the service of Katherine and Mary. John replies he could easily rise the north of England to help Princess Mary, and “the insurrection of the people would be joined immediately by the nobility and the clergy”. Gertrude reminds them of the prophecies of the Nun of Kent; perhaps there will be war over this...

When moving households, Mary refuses to share a litter with Elizabeth and is forcibly put in by guards. Roughly manhandled, she shouts a public protest to some peasants who salute and cheer her as princess. Her new caretaker, Anne Shelton, warns Mary her niece queen Anne has ordered her to box Mary’s ears as a cursed bastard when she uses the title of Princess.

After Gertrude informs him of Mary’s abuse, Nicholas pays the king’s fool to insult queen Anne and princess Elizabeth. The king is furious, banishing the jester from court, but Nicholas shelters him in his own home.

A badly bruised Mary hears of Nicholas’ actions and sends a letter of thanks to him via Susan. Shelton summons Mary to visit her, questioning why she has received a letter from Elizabeth Carew, Nicholas’ wife. Elizabeth urges her to submit to the king for the passion of Christ, otherwise she will be undone. Mary pleads ignorance and throws the letter in the fireplace.

As they watch queen Anne and her uncle Norfolk prepare to visit Elizabeth, Jane Seymour tells the Courtenay’s that the queen has had a miscarriage. They fear how she will treat Mary.

As punishment for the litter incident, Norfolk takes Mary’s remaining jewels. He mocks a brooch from her childhood spelling out the Emperor. Mary is furious, even more so when Anne visits her, urging her to honour her as queen and she will reconcile her to her father. Mary says she knows of no queen of England but her mother - but if her father’s mistress would intercede on her behalf, she would be much obliged. An enraged Anne storms out, swearing to bring down her unbridled Spanish blood.

Shelton tells Mary if she were the king she would kick her out of the house for disobedience, and that the king said she will lose her head for breaking the law and not renouncing her title. Seeing Richard Featherstone preparing to leave in the retinue of queen Anne, a quick witted Mary asks him if she can practise her Latin. The people around them do not understand as she asks if the rumours are true and she is to be killed. Richard is shocked, saying it is not good Latin before leaving with the rest of Anne’s entourage. Returning to London, he immediately informs Chapuys of the danger Mary is in. The ambassador is determined to find a way to see her.

The Nun of Kent is publicly executed, with her head put on a spike on London Bridge. After, the king tells Henry the trust his daughter has in the emperor makes her obstinate, but he fears no one if his vassals stay loyal. He warns his cousin not to trip lest he lose his head.

WORST ENEMY IN THE WORLD

After she was forced into a litter, Mary asks to ride on her horse when moving households. As soon as she is mounted, she races ahead of her sister’s litter, riding across the countryside to the waiting river barge. Exhilarated by the freedom of her ride, she beats the rest of the household there and takes the place of honour. On the riverbank, Chapuys watches on as Mary sails past. They smile at each other, reassured.

Shelton wonders how the ambassador knew they would be there. Suspecting Susan of sending messages in and out of the household, she dismisses Mary’s last lady. Mary is completely alone.

Months have passed; it is now winter. King Henry remains furious at his daughter’s continued defiance, telling his cousin Mary will be an example to show that no one ought to disobey the laws; at the beginning of his reign he was as gentle as a lamb, and by the end he will be worse than a lion. Henry tells his wife.

Gertrude disguises herself to visit Chapuys, saying after the next parliament Mary and Katherine will die. She swears it is as true as the Gospel. Gertrude is adamant they must do something to help save their princess. Chapuys says Katherine spoke to him of Mary marrying Reginald Pole and uniting their claims to the throne. The emperor is busy taking Tunis, but Chapuys believes only a small army sent by Charles V with Reginald amongst the troops would be enough to make people declare for Mary. Gertrude pledges the support of her relatives, but says they need a quicker solution.

Mary is no longer allowed to eat in her room, but she refuses to eat at the main table and submit to a lower rank then her sister Elizabeth, now a toddler at the head of the table. She is slowly starving.

After seeing the king talking with Jane Seymour, Gertrude has an idea. She tries to convince Jane to attract the king’s attentions in the hope of getting better treatment for Mary but a haughty Jane refuses.

Mary is constantly belittled by servants, who say the world will be at peace when they are discharged of the pain and trouble she gives them. She is incensed to hear the French ambassadors are to visit Elizabeth in the hopes of a betrothal. She declares she is the Dauphin’s future wife, not her bastard sister. Shelton orders her to her room, and when Mary refuses she is locked in by force.

The next morning, a weak Mary discovers she has started her period. Disoriented, she calls out for her mother and Margaret. While getting up, she collapses.

Shelton weeps, fearing people will think she has poisoned Mary. She tells a bedridden Mary the king will not see her until she admits to being a bastard. He believes she is his worst enemy in the world. Mary sobs but refuses to give in, saying God has not blinded her to confess her father and mother had lived in adultery and made her a bastard.

Chapuys talks to Cromwell and then the king, trying to convince them to let Katherine tend to her daughter. Henry refuses; if mother and daughter are together, Katherine might “raise a number of men and make war, as boldly as did queen Isabella her mother.” He also refuses to send Margaret Pole, who Chapuys calls Mary’s second mother, as she is a fool of no experience. If Mary had been in her care she would have died, but Shelton is an expert in female complaints.

After queen Anne shows no sympathy for a grievously ill Mary, Jane agrees to help Gertrude.

Mary is examined by a doctor. She fainted due to her heavy period, in addition to not eating or drinking enough. She is suffering from sorrow. The doctor orders her to eat more and recommends being moved closer to her mother to improve her spirits. Mary knows it will never happen.

Shelton reveals Sir Thomas More and several monks have been executed for refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, and Richard Featherstone is now imprisoned in the Tower. She tells Mary to take warning by their fate. Servants openly desire her death, especially now the queen is pregnant again with what is sure to be a son. Mary notices her old servant Randall Dodd does not join in their bullying. Cornering him in private, she convinces him to deliver a letter to Chapuys.

Gertrude leads Jane to Nicholas, and the pair coach her on how to act. Nicholas tell Jane she must by no means comply with any of the King's wishes, except marriage.

Mary watches out of the window as armed guards are stationed at the gates. Randall walks through them, carrying a letter for Charles V urging the emperor to invade. Mary tells him “In the name of the Queen, my mother, and mine, for the honour of God take this matter in hand, and provide a remedy for the affairs of this country; begging you in the meantime not to forget to solicit permission for me to live with my mother.”

MONSTER IN NATURE

Chapuys visits a mortally ill Katherine. She worries over her daughter, but he promises to look after her. After Maria Willoughby arrives she is no longer alone and begs Chapuys to go and protect Mary.

Mary is summoned to see Shelton, who informs her of her mother’s death. She is devastated. Shelton implores her to submit, saying she will not receive the necklace her mother left her in her will. Mary replies she would rather die a hundred times than change her opinion, before going to her bedchamber to cry.

Randall gives a letter to Mary from Chapuys, making plans for her to escape England. The emperor cannot spare any troops, but there is a ship waiting 40 miles away if she can get there. Chapuys says he will write with a plan soon but Mary is convinced she must go at once lest she be killed.

Chapuys holds a dinner party with the Courtenay’s, Nicholas and Jane. Nicholas has been inducted into the Order of the Garter over George Boleyn. They discuss queen Anne having a quarrel with Cromwell, and rumours of the king wanting a new wife. Gertrude advises Jane to tell the king his subjects hate his marriage, and no one considers it legitimate. A messenger arrives for Jane from the king, with a letter and a purse of money. All watch on with approval as Jane sends it back, saying she can only accept a gift of money from the king when he makes her an honourable match. Chapuys hopes the progress of their scheme will mean Mary will not need to flee - he tells them “she is so eager to escape from all her troubles and dangers that if he were to advise her to cross the Channel in a sieve she would do it.”

In turmoil, a grieving Mary takes matters into her own hands. While playing with Elizabeth she tests the strength of the garden gate, noting where Shelton’s window looks out. Returning to the house, she tells the doctor she can’t sleep. He says he will get her some pills to help.

On the same day Katherine is buried, queen Anne has a miscarriage. The king tells Henry he has been seduced by witchcraft into his marriage, which is null because God has not granted him a son.

Mary laces some wine with the sleeping pills, and prepares to give it to Shelton and her maids. Only a letter from Nicholas delivered by Randall dissuades her. He begs her to “be of good cheer, for shortly the opposite party will put water in their wine as the King is already sick and tired of the concubine as could be.” Mary replies telling them to do everything possible to remove the mistress.

At queen Anne’s trial for adultery against the king, Henry votes guilty. He, Gertrude, Nicholas and Chapuys watch on as Anne is beheaded and Jane marries the king.

Mary is astonished to receive a visit from her old lady, Anne Hussey. They have returned from the north as John has to attend parliament, where Elizabeth will be declared a bastard now queen Anne is dead. While talking to Mary, Anne calls for a drink for the princess, and is arrested. Mary is in shock and writes a letter to her father, hoping to reconcile with him now her enemy is dead.

After being presented as the new queen, Jane tells the Courtenay’s, Nicholas and Chapuys that Henry has received his daughter’s letter but is not happy. She promises to help Mary, and Chapuys christens her the peacemaker.

Margaret Pole returns to court, attracting hundreds of people on the way who think Mary is with her. She carries a scathing letter from her son Reginald. King Henry is outraged that Reginald accuses him of tearing true defenders of religion to pieces, as well as likening him to the tyrant emperor Nero.

A group of nobles headed by Norfolk arrive to harass Mary into signing the acts, calling her a monster of nature and a traitress for continuing to defy her father. When she argues with them they say if she were their daughter they would beat her to death, or bash her head against a wall until it was a soft as a boiled apple.

Mary is locked in her bedchamber and not allowed to talk to anyone. She is to be watched over day and night. Hours pass and she refuses to back down. The guards are changed - this time Randall is on duty. Mary creates a distraction for the other guard and passes a scribbled letter to Randall for Chapuys.

Jane pleads for mercy, but the king calls her a fool for interfering; she ought to think of the children they will have together and not any others. King Henry swears that not only will Mary suffer, but also his cousin, Cromwell and others.

Anne is interrogated in the Tower for calling Mary a princess, but she insists it was merely due to habit. Henry is kicked off the privy council, and Nicholas is questioned about his relationship with Mary. Legal papers are drawn up to put Mary on trial for treason.

Randall returns, detailing what has happened to her friends and giving Mary a letter from Chapuys. Chapuys points out she now has a better opportunity of becoming heir to the crown than when Anne Boleyn was alive. He urges her to save her life for the tranquillity of the kingdom, and comforts her with the knowledge that “God looks more into the intentions than into the deeds of men.”

Fearing for her and her friends lives, a broken Mary finally submits to her father and signs the document before her without reading the contents.

GRACE

Mary lies awake in the night crying before being disturbed by a knock at the door - Susan has returned. She is to resume her duties as the king is riding to see Mary.

A nervous Mary sees her father for the first time in years, along with his new wife Jane who gives her a diamond. King Henry says he regrets their long separation, giving Mary some money and the necklace Katherine left her daughter in her will. He promises she can soon return to court.

Freed from the Tower, Anne returns north with her husband John, where the people mutter about the king being ruled by evil ministers who have closed the monasteries and forced Princess Mary to sign acts labelling her a bastard.

Mary returns to court, where the king pats Jane’s stomach, insinuating she is with child. He tells Mary some of his councillors were desirous of her death and she swoons in fear, but her father assures her all will be well now. She sits beside the queen at the high table while Gertrude serves them.

Cromwell welcomes Mary back, congratulating her on finally signing the acts and calling her “the most obstinate woman that ever was.”

Mary reunites with Henry Jerningham and Margaret Pole, along with Margaret’s sons Henry and Geoffrey. She tells Mary Reginald, who has just been made a cardinal, will not stop supporting her cause abroad.

Mary thanks Nicholas, Henry, Gertrude and Chapuys for their help. She begs the ambassador to get her absolution from the Pope for signing the acts under duress. Seeing them talk, King Henry tells his daughter he hates dissemblers. There is talk of an uprising in the north where people believe her able to inherit after him. He forces her to write to the pope, the emperor and his family confirming she sees herself as a bastard.

In Lincolnshire rebels threaten to burn the Hussey’s house down. Anne promises her husband will join them. John calls her a fool to make such a promise; Anne argues he wanted to rise the north for princess Mary and the true faith. John says that was with the emperor’s help and before she submitted to the king. He writes to him protesting his innocence in the affair.

At court the king is enraged at the rebels, tearing up John’s letter. Jane goes on her knees and petitions him to reopen the monasteries, but is rebuffed by the king who tells her not to meddle. He talks about the rebellion with Mary, making sure to mention her old chamberlain’s letter, and the vast expense of the army he is sending to suppress it.

Henry is sent north at the head of the army to prove his loyalty. Gertrude worries over his safety, remembering the Nun of Kent’s prophecies of war. Courtier Edward Neville asks Gertrude if she is merry and she replies "How can I be merry? My lord is gone to battle." He tells her not to fear this one or the second battle, but beware the third. She warns him prophecies will turn him to displeasure one day.

Anne gives the rebels food, wine and money, encouraging them further. As the army approaches and rebels still camp outside his house, John flees.

A terrified Jane tells Mary she was mistaken about being with child. Mary reassures her, thanking her new mother for all her help. When he hears, King Henry says he will clearly have no children by his wife, and that if he will have no son to succeed him he hopes for a grandson.

Henry meets up with John. He pleads innocence, and joins him to deliver an invitation to the rebel leader, lawyer Robert Aske. At the king’s request he is to attend court for Christmas.

At court Aske and Mary are kept separated. The king questions Aske on the rebels demands. They want the monasteries to reopen, and see no reason why Mary could not be queen. People think the king’s divorce made by Thomas Cranmer was not legal and “Lady Mary ought to be favoured for her great virtues [...] for she is marvellously beloved by the whole people.” He worries with her being ruled illegitimate the emperor has a reason to wage war against the realm. The king tells him he has nothing to fear from the emperor.

Mary asks Chapuys to distract the king while Gertrude takes her to Robert Aske. Chapuys talks with King Henry about Prince Luis of Portugal being a possible husband for Mary now the French Dauphin has died.

In secret, Aske tells Mary she will always be the Princess of Wales and heir, no matter what the king decrees, as the law deems her legitimate. The people of England look to her for hope in such faithless times.

She keeps his words close to her heart as Aske and John Hussey are beheaded for treason. The king says their bodies are to be sent back north as a message for all those against his rule. Mary approves, and King Henry delights at his pearl finally understanding his authority.

A traumatised Mary stares at the bloodstained scaffold, silently vowing to avenge the deaths of her loving supporters.

#as historically accurate as possible :)#because when it's not a reality you have to make it yourself #mary tudor #mary i #mary i of england #tudors

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fuyonggu · 4 years ago

Text

Biography of Yang Jun (Book of Jin 40)

楊駿，字文長，弘農華陰人也。少以王官為高陸令，驍騎、鎮軍二府司馬。後以后父超居重位，自鎮軍將軍遷車騎將軍，封臨晉侯。識者議之曰：「夫封建諸侯，所以籓屏王室也。后妃，所以供粢盛，弘內教也。后父始封而以臨晉為侯，兆於亂矣。」尚書褚䂮、郭奕並表駿小器，不可以任社稷之重。武帝不從。帝自太康以後，天下無事，不復留心萬機，惟耽酒色，始寵后黨，請謁公行。而駿及珧、濟勢傾天下，時人有「三楊」之號。

Yang Jun, styled Wenchang, was a native of Huayin county in Hongnong commandary. As a young man, he served in the local princely fief first as Prefect of Gaolu, then as Marshal on the staff of the General of Agile Cavalry and the General Who Guards The Army. Later, after his daughter was chosen to be the new Empress, he suddenly occupied a much higher position, and was transferred from General Who Guards The Army to General of Chariots and Cavalry. He was also appointed as Marquis of Linjin.

Those who understood the implications of such things told one another, "The purpose of establishing feudal lords is to have them serve on the borders as shields for the royal household, while the Empress should remain within the capital in order to provide for the sacrifices and expand inner learning. Yet the Empress's father has just been appointed as a Marquis with Linjin as his fief. This is an omen of turmoil."

Two of the Masters of Writing, Chu Lüe and Guo Yi, both petitioned that Yang Jun was a man of meager talents, and could not be entrusted with important matters of state. Emperor Wu ignored them.

Beginning with the Taikang reign era (280), since (after the conquest of Wu) there were no longer any pressing issues in the realm, Emperor Wu no longer concerned himself with the duties of rulership. He only indulged himself in wine and sensual pleasures. At this time, he began to favor the partisans of the Empress, who openly came to visit him and make requests. Yang Jun, Yang Yao, and Yang Ji wielded great influence over the realm, and the people of that time called them the Three Yangs.

及帝疾篤，未有顧命，佐命功臣，皆已沒矣，朝臣惶惑，計無所從。而駿盡斥群公，親侍左右。因輒改易公卿，樹其心腹。會帝小間，見所用者非，乃正色謂駿曰：「何得便爾！」��詔中書，以汝南王亮與駿夾輔王室。駿恐失權寵，從中書借詔觀之，得便藏匿。中書監華廙恐懼，自往索之，終不肯與。信宿之間，上疾遂篤，后乃奏帝以駿輔政，帝頷之。便召中書監華暠、令何劭，口宣帝旨使作遺詔，曰：「昔伊望作佐，勳垂不朽；周霍拜命，名冠往代。侍中、車騎將軍、行太子太保，領前將軍楊駿，經德履吉，鑒識明遠，毗翼二宮，忠肅茂著，宜正位上臺，擬跡阿衡。其以駿為太尉、太子太傅、假節、都督中外諸軍事，侍中、錄尚書、領前將軍如故。置參軍六人、步兵三千人、騎千人，移止前衛將軍珧故府。若止宿殿中宜有翼衛，其差左右衛三部司馬各二十人、殿中都尉司馬十人給駿，令得持兵仗出入。」詔成，后對暠、劭以呈帝，帝親視而無言。自是二日而崩，駿遂當寄託之重，居太極殿。梓宮將殯，六宮出辭，而駿不下殿，以武賁百人自衛。不恭之跡，自此而始。

Emperor Wu became critically ill, but he had not yet drawn up a last will. Most of his veteran and accomplished ministers had already passed away, and the court ministers were fearful and uncertain, for they had no plan to follow. Yang Jun ousted all of the chief ministers from the bedside and replaced them with his own underlings. Indeed, he replaced and changed all of the nobles and chief ministers with his own associates. At that time, Emperor Wu's illness somewhat abated so that he regained lucidity, and when he saw that his original appointees had been pushed out, he sternly said to Yang Jun, "How has this come about?"

Emperor Wu then ordered the Palace Secretariat to compose an edict appointing the Prince of Runan, Sima Liang, as a co-regent to serve alongside Yang Jun in support of the royal household. But Yang Jun was afraid that this would mean he would lose his current favor and influence. So he went to the Palace Secretariat and borrowed the draft edict in order to look at it, then hid it away somewhere. The Chief of the Palace Secretariat, Hua Yi, was concerned, and he continually demanded Yang Jun return the edict, but to no avail. Then word arrived that Emperor Wu had fallen back into senility, and when Empress Yang Zhi presented a petition asking that Yang Jun be made the sole regent, Emperor Wu nodded in approval.

Yang Zhi then summoned Hua Yi and the Prefect of the Palace Secretariat, He Shao, and verbally told them that Emperor Wu had ordered them to compose a will, stating:

"In ancient times, Yi Yin and Lü Wang (Jiang Ziya) served to support the state, and their diligence has provided an immortal example; the Duke of Zhou and Huo Guang heeded the command to preside over the court, and their reputation has shone through the ages. Now the Palace Attendant, General of Chariots and Cavalry, acting Grand Guardian to the Crown Prince, and acting General of the Front, Yang Jun, has cultivated virtue and walked the path of good fortune. He is discerning, intelligent, wise, and far-seeing, and he has done much to assist the two palaces (of the Emperor and the Crown Prince). He is highly loyal, most respectful. He ought to occupy the chief position and preside over the government, following the same precedent as A-Heng (Yi Yin).

“Thus I hereby appoint Yang Jun as Grand Commandant, Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Credential Holder, and Commander of all military affairs; he will keep his existing positions as Palace Attendant, chief of affairs of the Masters of Writing, and acting General of the Front. I also appoint six Army Advisors, three thousand infantry, and a thousand cavalry to be assigned to him, drawn from the staff of the former Guard General, Yang Yao. If any assistance is needed from the palace guards, then twenty people from each of the Guard Commanders shall be assigned to Yang Jun, along with ten people from the Marshals of the Palace Commandant. Yang Jun is empowered to go in and out with weapons at hand."

When the edict had been completed, Yang Zhi had Hua Yi and He Shao present it to Emperor Wu, who looked at it without saying a word.

Two days afterwards, Emperor Wu passed away.

Yang Jun now claimed his new role as regent, and he moved his residence to the Taiji Hall. Emperor Wu's coffin was then placed in the mourning hall, and the people of the six palaces all came to pay their respects. However, Yang Jun did not leave the Taiji Hall, and he had a hundred of the Guards Rapid As Tigers assigned to protect him. This was the beginning of his lack of respect.

惠帝即位，進駿為太傅、大都督、假黃鉞，錄朝政，百官總己。慮左右間己，乃以其甥段廣、張劭為近侍之職。凡有詔命，帝省訖，入呈太后，然後乃出。駿知賈后情性難制，甚畏憚之。又多樹親黨，皆領禁兵。於是公室怨望，天下憤然矣。駿弟珧、濟並有俊才，數相諫止，駿不能用，因廢於家。駿暗于古義，動違舊典。武帝崩未逾年而改元，議者咸以為違《春秋》逾年書即位之義。朝廷惜於前失，令史官沒之，故明年正月復改年焉。

Emperor Hui having risen to the throne, Yang Jun was promoted to Grand Tutor, Grand Commander, and Bearer of the Yellow Battle-axe. He was placed in charge of the court and the government, and all the ministers had to heed his commands.

Concerned that the people around him might not support him, Yang Jun had his nephews Duan Guang and Zhang Shao appointed to close positions. And whenever an edict was to be sent out, once Emperor Hui had completed the draft, it would first have to be presented to the Empress Dowager, Yang Zhi, for her approval, and only then would it be carried out.

Yang Jun knew that the new Empress, Jia Nanfeng, would be difficult to control, and he greatly feared and dreaded her. So he placed many of his associates and partisans in control of the palace guards.

The noble families were stirred to anger against Yang Jun, and all the realm was indignant at him. His younger brothers Yang Yao and Yang Ji were both men of talent, and they often remonstrated with him together. But Yang Jun could not use their advice, and thus he brought his family to ruin in the end.

Yang Jun was blind to ancient traditions, and he frequently violated the established canons. He did not observe the usual practice of waiting until the beginning of the following year to begin a new reign era, but immediately ended the current one and began a new one in the middle of the year. People objected that this violated one of the principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals, according to which the final year of the reign era of a newly-deceased sovereign should be allowed to run its full course before the new reign era was declared at the beginning of the following year. The court ministers regretted the prospect of abandoning this precedent, nor would the Astrologists Bureau accept it. Thus, in the first month of the following year, the reign era title was changed once again.

駿自知素無美望，懼不能輯和遠近，乃依魏明帝即位故事，遂大開封賞，欲以悅眾，為政嚴碎，愎諫自用，不允眾心。馮翊太守孫楚素與駿厚，說之曰：「公以外戚，居伊霍之重，握大權，輔弱主。當仰思古人至公至誠謙順之道。于周則周召為宰，在漢則朱虛、東牟，未有庶姓專朝，而克終慶祚者也。今宗室親重，籓王方壯，而公不與共參萬機，內懷猜忌，外樹私昵，禍至無日矣。」駿不能從。

Since Yang Jun himself knew that he had little support or favor and was afraid that he would not be able to ensure the obedience of those near and far, he followed the example of Emperor Ming of Cao-Wei (Cao Rui) when he had come to the throne by greatly distributed titles and rewards, hoping to thus please others. But Yang Jun ruled sternly and followed only his own counsel while ignoring criticism, so he did not satisfy the hearts of the people.

The Administrator of Pingyi, Sun Chu, had long enjoyed Yang Jun's favor. He now advised Yang Jun, "You are someone who is only related to the imperial family by marriage, yet you now occupy the same regency role as Yi Yin or Huo Guang; you wield great influence, and you oversee a tender ruler. In your conduct of affairs, you ought to consider the actions of the ancients, and you ought to make every effort to act justly, honestly, and with humble submission. Remember that during the Zhou dynasty, the Dukes of Zhou and Shao acted to support their king, while during the Han dynasty, the Marquises of Zhuxu and Dongmou (Liu Zhang and Liu Xingju) helped to purge the clan of Empress Dowager Lü. There has never yet been an instance where someone of a different surname from the royal family wielded control over the court and still met a good end. In our own time, the imperial clan is great and powerful and the princes each have their strong garrisons on the borders, yet you do not solicit their help in attending to the affairs of state. Those within harbor doubts and suspicion about you, and those without are all considering their own personal interests. Disaster is not far off."

But Yang Jun could not follow his advice.

殿中中郎孟觀、李肇，素不為駿所禮，陰構駿將圖社稷。賈后欲預政事，而憚駿未得逞其所欲，又不肯以婦道事皇太后。黃門董猛，始自帝之為太子即為寺人監，在東宮給事于賈后。後密通消息於猛，謀廢太后。猛乃與肇、觀潛相結托。賈后又令肇報大司馬、汝南王亮，使連兵討駿。亮曰：「駿之凶暴，死亡無日，不足憂也。」肇報楚王瑋，瑋然之。於是求入朝，駿素憚瑋，先欲召入，防其為變，因遂聽之。

Two of the Palace Gentlemen of the Central Hall, Meng Guan and Li Zhao, had both long been disrespected by Yang Jun, and they secretly criticized him, saying that he was going to usurp the state. Jia Nanfeng for her part wished to exercise control over the government as well, but she feared that Yang Jun would never allow her to do as she wished, and she could not bear being inferior in womanly affairs to the Empress Dowager, Yang Zhi. And one of the Yellow Gate Attendants, Dong Meng, had originally served Emperor Hui during his time as Crown Prince as Chief of the Ministry Men and had kept Jia Nanfeng informed of what was happening in the Eastern Palace. So Jia Nanfeng now secretly sent word to Dong Meng, plotting to depose the Empress Dowager. Dong Meng, Meng Guan, and Li Zhao secretly planned to support one another.

Jia Nanfeng also ordered Li Zhao to pay a visit to the Grand Marshal and Prince of Runan, Sima Liang, and have him bring his troops to move against Yang Jun. But Sima Liang told him, "Yang Jun is a wicked and violent man, and his downfall and death are only a matter of time. He is not worth worrying about."

Then Li Zhao went to see the Prince of Chu, Sima Wei, and Sima Wei agreed to help with the plot. Sima Wei then sent a request to the capital asking to serve on the court (which would cause him to give up his military authority at his fief). Yang Jun had long feared Sima Wei, and he had originally even wanted to summon Sima Wei to the capital as well, to prevent Sima Wei from causing any mischief from his border post. So when Sima Wei himself submitted his request to come to court, Yang Jun allowed him to do so.

及瑋至，觀、肇乃啟帝，夜作詔，中外戒嚴，遣使奉詔廢駿，以侯就第。東安公繇率殿中四百人隨其後以討駿。段廣跪而言於帝曰：「楊駿受恩先帝，竭心輔政。且孤公無子，豈有反理？願陛下審之。」帝不答。

After Sima Wei arrived in the capital, Meng Guan and Li Zhao informed Emperor Hui of the plot. That night, they composed an edict. Everywhere was placed under martial law, while agents were sent to present an edict with orders to depose Yang Jun and force him to his Marquisate estate. The Duke of Dong'an, Sima Yao, was ordered to lead four hundred men from the imperial guards to accompany the agents and attack Yang Jun.

Duan Guang knelt before Emperor Hui and said, "Yang Jun received the grace of His Late Majesty (Emperor Wu), and he is fully devoted to supporting the government. Besides, he is a widower without any sons; how could he have any reason to rebel? Your Majesty, please reconsider."

But Emperor Hui did not respond to him.

時駿居曹爽故府，在武庫南，聞內有變，召眾官議之。太傅主簿朱振說駿曰：「今內有變，其趣可知，必是閹豎為賈后設謀，不利於公。宜燒雲龍門以示威，索造事都首，開萬春門，引東宮及外營兵，公自擁翼皇太子，入宮取奸人。殿內震懼，必斬送之，可以免難。」駿素怯懦，不決，乃曰：「魏明帝造此大功，奈何燒之！」侍中傅祗夜白駿，請與武茂俱入雲龍門觀察事勢。祗因謂群僚「宮中不宜空」，便起揖，於是皆走。

At this time, Yang Jun was living in Cao Shuang's former residence, south of the Arsenal. When he heard that there was some disturbance in the city, he summoned his officials to discuss what to do.

His Registrar as Grand Tutor, Zhu Zhen, urged him, "We may know who the source is of this current disturbance; it is certainly those loathsome eunuchs carrying out Empress Jia's plot, and it cannot mean anything good for you. You should set fire to the Yunlong Gate as a show of strength. Then once your affairs are in order, you may force open the Wanchun Gate, send in the soldiers of the Eastern Palace and the outer camps while you secure the Crown Prince, and march into the palace and arrest the culprits. Anyone inside the palace halls who is trembling with fear should be killed and thus sent off. If you do these things, you can escape from danger."

But Yang Jun had long been timid and apprehensive, and he could not make up his mind. He even said, "The Yunlong Gate was a great achievement of Emperor Ming of Wei (Cao Rui); how could we burn it down?"

One of the Palace Attendants, Fu Zhi, reported to Yang Jun during the night, and asked that he and Wu Mao go through the Yunlong Gate to observe the situation and see how things were progressing. He then said to the other officials, "The palace should not be left empty." Fu Zhi then got up and saluted, and the officials all fled.

尋而殿中兵出，燒駿府，又令弩士於閣上臨駿府而射之，駿兵皆不得出。駿逃於馬廄，以戟殺之。觀等受賈后密旨，誅駿親黨，皆夷三族，死者數千人。又令李肇焚駿家私書，賈后不欲令武帝顧命手詔聞于四海也。駿既誅，莫敢收者，惟太傅舍人巴西閻纂殯斂之。

Soon, the palace guards marched out and set fire to Yang Jun's residence. Crossbowmen were also posted atop a pavilion near the residence, where they began shooting at it, so that Yang Jun's soldiers could not get out. Yang Jun fled to a stable, but was then killed by a halberd.

Then, heeding Jia Nanfeng's secret orders, Meng Guan and the others executed all of Yang Jun's associates and partisans as well. All of them had their clans exterminated to the third degree, and the dead numbered several thousand. They also ordered Li Zhao to burn Yang Jun's private correspondence as well, for Jia Nanfeng did not want the will that Emperor Wu had written (which Yang Jun had then taken) to be generally known among the realm either.

After Yang Jun was executed, no one dared to come and claim his body. Only one of his retainers as Grand Tutor, Yan Zuan of Baxi commandary, prepared a coffin and held a service for him.

初，駿徵高士孫登，遺以布被。登截被於門，大呼曰：「斫斫刺刺！」旬日託疾詐死，及是，其言果驗。永熙中，溫縣有人如狂，造書曰：「光光文長，大戟為牆。毒藥雖行，戟還自傷。」及駿居內府，以戟為衛焉。

Earlier, Yang Jun had tried to recruit the hermit Sun Deng, and he sent him a gift of clothing and a quilt. But Sun Deng ripped apart the quilt at his doorway, greatly sighing, "Hacked and torn, hacked and torn!" And for several days he claimed to be ill and pretended to have passed away. At this time, his prediction proved correct.

During the Yongxi reign era (290), there was a supposed madman in Wen county who wrote a message stating, "Glory Wenchang shall know well, great halberds on his walls shall dwell. But medicine can poison too; this halberd's blade shall turn on you." And indeed, Yang Jun had kept halberds in his residence for defense (and in the end was killed by a halberd).

永甯初，詔曰：「舅氏失道，宗族隕墜，渭陽之思，孔懷感傷。其以{艸務}亭侯楊超為奉朝請、騎都尉，以慰《蓼莪》之思焉。」

During the Yongning reign era (301), Emperor Hui issued an edict stating, "My uncle (Yang Jun) was without principle and so brought about the fall of his family and his clan. Yet when I think of the Weiyang poem (which laments the loss of a relative), I cannot help but be moved by grief. I hereby appoint the Marquis of [艸+務] district, Yang Chao, as Honoree of the Court and as a Cavalry Commandant, in order to ease the grief of the loss of family, as expressed by the Liao E poem."

珧字文琚，歷位尚書令、衛將軍。素有名稱，得幸于武帝，時望在駿前。以兄貴盛，知權寵不可居，自乞遜位，前後懇至，終不獲許。初，聘後，珧表曰：「歷觀古今，一族二后，未嘗以全，而受覆宗之禍。乞以表事藏之宗廟，若如臣之言，得以免禍。」從之。右軍督趙休上書陳：「王莽五公，兄弟相代。今楊氏三公，並在大位，而天變屢見，臣竊為陛下憂之。」由此珧益懼。固求遜位，聽之，賜錢百萬、絹五千匹。

Yang Yao, styled Wenju, was the younger brother of Yang Jun. He served as Prefect of the Masters of Writing and then as Guard General. He had long enjoyed a good reputation, and he thus won the favor of Emperor Wu. During Emperor Wu's reign, Yang Yao had more influence than Yang Jun.

Once Yang Jun became more exalted and powerful, Yang Yao knew that this greater favor and influence would not last. He wished to resign his own positions, and several times made a request to do so, but Emperor Wu never did agree to let him resign. But earlier, when the betrothal of Yang Jun's daughter Yang Zhi to Sima Zhong (Emperor Hui) had first been arranged, Yang Yao had submitted a petition stating, "From ancient times until now, whenever the same household has provided two empresses, it has never been able to preserve itself; all met with disaster in the end. I beg that you preserve this petition in the ancestral temple, and if my words should prove true, then I may use this petition to avoid disaster." Emperor Wu did agree to this request.

The Commander of the Right, Zhao Xiu, sent up a letter remonstrating against the amount of power the Yang brothers had been allowed to wield, stating, "Remember that (the usurper) Wang Mang and his four brothers all held powerful roles. Now in our own time, the three Yao brothers each have great offices. Furthermore, there have been several sightings of disturbances in the heavens. I humbly implore Your Majesty to consider this."

Yang Yao was now even more afraid, and he insisted on being allowed to resign. Emperor Wu at last heeded him, and he gave him gifts of a million gold and five thousand bolts of fine silk.

珧初以退讓稱，晚乃合朋黨，構出齊王攸。中護軍羊琇與北軍中侯成粲謀欲因見珧而手刃之。珧知而辭疾不出。諷有司奏琇，轉為太僕。自是舉朝莫敢��梧，而素論盡矣。

At first, Yang Yao received praise for yielding his offices and retiring. But later, he got together with his friends and partisans and agitated to have the Prince of Qi, Sima You, sent away. The General Who Guards The Army of the Center, Yang Xiu, and the Palace Marquis of the Northern Army, Cheng Can, plotted to go see Yang Yao, holding blades in their hands to kill him. Yang Yao knew about it, and he claimed illness and would not come out. He arranged for the officials to censure Yang Xiu, and Yang Xiu was transferred to be Minister Coachman. But from then on, during court meetings, Yang Yao never dared to prevaricate, but always spoke his full mind.

珧臨刑稱冤，云：「事在石函，可問張華。」當時皆謂宜為申理，合依鐘毓事例。而賈氏族党待諸楊如仇，促行刑者遂斬之。時人莫不嗟歎焉。

As Yang Yao was about to be executed, he pleaded that he was innocent, and said, "I have a petition encased in stone pardoning me. Ask Zhang Hua about it." And everyone at that time said that Yang Yao had indeed warned about the danger posed by his brother Yang Jun, and had thus been following the same example as Zhong Hui's brother Zhong Yu once had. But the members and partisans of the Jia clan held a grudge against the whole Yang clan, and they compelled the executioner to behead him anyway. There was no one at that time who did not sigh in sympathy for Yang Yao's fate.

濟字文通，歷位鎮南、征北將軍，遷太子太傅。濟有才藝，嘗從武帝校獵北芒下，與侍中王濟俱著布袴褶，騎馬執角弓在輦前。猛獸突出，帝命王濟射之，應弦而倒。須臾復一出，濟受詔又射殺之，六軍大叫稱快。帝重兵官，多授貴戚清望，濟以武藝號為稱職。與兄珧深慮盛滿，乃與諸甥李斌等共切諫。駿斥出王佑為河東太守，建立皇儲，皆濟謀也。

Yang Ji, styled Wentong, was the younger brother of Yang Jun and Yang Yao. He served successively as General Who Guards The South and General Who Conquers The North, and he was then transferred to be Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince.

Yang Ji had talent and skill. He once accompanied Emperor Wu on a hunt beneath the Beimang Hills (north of Luoyang), where he and one of the Palace Attendants, Wang Ji, both wore special attire as they rode horses and wielded bows, riding in front of Emperor Wu's carriage. A fierce beast suddenly appeared, and Emperor Wu ordered Wang Ji to shoot it; the beast fell with the twang of Wang Ji's bowstring. Soon, another beast emerged. Emperor Wu now ordered Yang Ji to shoot, and he too felled the beast. The soldiers of the six armies hailed them both with a great shout.

In many cases, Emperor Wu appointed those of honorable family and great influence to the most important military positions. Yang Ji received acclaim and appointment due to his martial skills.

Yang Ji and his brother Yang Yao were both quite worried about their positions, so they joined with their uncles, Li Bin and others, to harshly remonstrate together. It was thanks to Yang Ji's proposals that Yang Jun had Wang You denounced and sent away to serve as Administrator of Hedong, and that the imperial heir was established.

初，駿忌大司馬汝南王亮，催使之籓。濟與斌數諫止之，駿遂疏濟。濟謂傅咸曰：「若家兄徵大司馬入，退身避之，門戶可得免耳。不爾，行當赤族。」咸曰：「但徵還，共崇至公，便立太平，無為避也。夫人臣不可有專，豈獨外戚！今宗室疏，因外戚之親以得安，外戚危，倚宗室之重以為援，所謂脣齒相依，計之善者。」濟益懼而問石崇曰：「人心云何？」崇曰：「賢兄執政，疏外宗室，宜與四海共之。」濟曰：「見兄，可及此。」崇見駿，及焉，駿不納。後與諸兄俱見害。難發之夕，東宮召濟。濟謂裴楷曰：「吾將何之？」楷曰：「子為保傅，當至東宮。」濟好施，久典兵馬，所從四百餘人皆秦中壯士，射則命中，皆欲救濟。濟已入宮，莫不歎恨。

Earlier, Yang Jun had been suspicious of the Grand Marshal and Prince of Runan, Sima Liang, and had compelled him to return to his fief (at Xuchang). Yang Ji and Li Bin remonstrated against this several times, trying to get Yang Jun to drop the idea, but this only alienated him from them.

Yang Ji said to Fu Xian, "If only my elder brother could merely recall the Grand Marshal to the capital while personally steering clear of him, then the status of our family could be secured. Otherwise, it will be a red end for us."

Fu Xian told him, "So long as you summoned the Grand Marshal to come back, and could act in joint regency together with him, then that would lead to a general peace, and there would not even be any need for your elder brother to withdraw. The issue is merely that no one minister should amass all power for themselves, much less a marital relative of the royal family! Now the members of the imperial clan are distant because the associates of your own clan are secure in their positions. But should your family be threatened, you ought to be able to count upon the support of the imperial clan, like the lips protect the teeth. That would be a good plan."

Yang Ji was now even more afraid, and he asked Shi Chong, "What are people really saying about us?"

Shi Chong replied, "Your worthy elder brother is grasping the reins of power, while keeping the imperial clan at a distance. He ought to share his power with all within the Four Seas."

Yang Ji said, "Go and see my brother, and try to persuade him of this."

So Shi Chong went to see Yang Jun and conveyed his advice, but Yang Jun did not listen.

Yang Ji was later killed with his elder brothers.

On the morning of his final day, Yang Ji was summoned to the Eastern Palace. Yang Ji asked Pei Kai, "What should I do?"

Pei Kai replied, "As you are the Grand Guardian and Grand Tutor for the Crown Prince, you ought to report to the Eastern Palace."

Yang Ji had enjoyed hunting, and he had commanded infantry and cavalry for a long time, so he had more than four hundred strong fellows from the Qin region among his retainers, all crack shots. They all wished to save Yang Ji's life. But by then, Yang Ji had already entered the palace. They all sighed in regret for his fate.

#Western Jin #Jin Dynasty #Book of Jin #Jinshu #Chinese History #China

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endymionreads · 5 years ago

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So I've never done the Magical Readathon before, but it happened to cross my tl this afternoon on twitter, and I figured, since I'm trying to get back into reading, why not? It was the perfect opportunity!

I will be attempting all of the exams, and whatever I pass will be the N.E.W.T.S. I take if I do that in August! I don’t really know what I want to choose for a career yet, both irl and for the Readathon, so I’ll just be taking the exams and seeing where I end up!

You can view my TBR under the cut!

Ancient Runes → Read a book with a heart on the cover or in the title.

Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf

Zera is a Heartless – the immortal, unageing soldier of a witch. Bound to the witch Nightsinger ever since she saved her from the bandits who murdered her family, Zera longs for freedom from the woods they hide in. With her heart in a jar under Nightsinger’s control, she serves the witch unquestioningly. Until Nightsinger asks Zera for a Prince’s heart in exchange for her own, with one addendum; if she’s discovered infiltrating the court, Nightsinger will destroy her heart rather than see her tortured by the witch-hating nobles. Crown Prince Lucien d’Malvane hates the royal court as much as it loves him – every tutor too afraid to correct him and every girl jockeying for a place at his darkly handsome side. No one can challenge him – until the arrival of Lady Zera. She’s inelegant, smart-mouthed, carefree, and out for his blood. The Prince’s honor has him quickly aiming for her throat. So begins a game of cat and mouse between a girl with nothing to lose and a boy who has it all. Winner takes the loser’s heart. Literally.

Arithmancy → Read a book outside your favorite genre.

Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales? When his mother became President of the United States, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with an actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex/Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse. Heads of the family and state and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: Stage a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instagrammable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the presidential campaign and upend two nations. It raises the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to ben? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? , how will history remember you?

Astronomy → Read the majority of the book at night.

We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bertlett

Seventeen-year-old Revna is a factory worker, manufacturing war machines for the Union of the North. When she's caught using illegal magic, she fears being branded a traitor and imprisoned.

Meanwhile, on the front lines, Linne defied her father, a Union general, and disguised herself as a boy to join the army. They're both offered a reprieve from punishment if they use their magic in a special women's military flight unit and undertake terrifying, deadly missions under cover of darkness.

Revna and Linne can hardly stand to be in the same cockpit, but if they can't fly together, and if they can't find a way to fly well, the enemy's superior firepower will destroy them--if they don't destroy each other first.We Rule the Night is a powerful story about sacrifice, complicated friendships, and survival despite impossible odds

Care of Magical Creatures → Read a book with a creature with a beak on the cover.

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job. Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise. And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

Charms → Read a book that has a white cover.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive. Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Defense Against the Dark Arts → Read a book set at the sea or on the coast.

Seafire by Natalie C. Parker

After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains her ship, the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, who have lost their families and homes because of Aric and his men. The crew has one mission: stay alive, and take down Aric's armed and armored fleet. But when Caledonia's best friend and second-in-command barely survives an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect, Caledonia finds herself questioning whether to let him join their crew. Is this boy the key to taking down Aric Athair once and for all . . . or will he threaten everything the women of the Mors Navis have worked for?

Divination → Assign numbers to your TBR List, and use a generator to pick the book.

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice. She will reign. As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer—the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic. When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic. But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder—and more peril—than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever. I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.

Herbology → Read a book where title starts with an m.

Mirage by Somaiya Daud

In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated moon. But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place. As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection...because one wrong move could lead to her death.

History of Magic → Read a book featuring witches and/or wizards

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling

Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry. Though Harry's first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it's his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined. Full of sympathetic characters, wildly imaginative situations, and countless exciting details, the first installment in the series assembles an unforgettable magical world and sets the stage for many high-stakes adventures to come.

Muggle Studies → Read a contemporary book.

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

Will the princess save the beast? For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending…right? His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life, but he can't shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck… As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending.

Potions → Read a book under 150 pages

Red As Blood And White As Bone by Theodora Goss

Red as Blood and White as Bone by Theodora Goss is a dark fantasy about a kitchen girl obsessed with fairy tales, who upon discovering a ragged woman outside the castle during a storm, takes her in--certain she’s a princess in disguise.

Transfiguration → Read a book or series that includes shapeshifting

Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

Young Daine's knack with horses gets her a job helping the royal horsemistress drive a herd of ponies to Tortall. Soon it becomes clear that Daine's talent, as much as she struggles to hide it, is downright magical. Horses and other animals not only obey, but listen to her words. Daine, though, will have to learn to trust humans before she can come to terms with her powers, her past, and herself.

Like what I post? Follow me on: twitter | curiouscat | wordpress | goodreads

#im back!#magical readathon #books #bookblr #book reviews

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ktheist · 4 years ago

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can i just say *sniffs* birth of an empress is so good omg 🥺 the action the plot the forbidden love 😔 the ending is cute tho my heart bursts at the idea of jimin and his little girl 😔🥺 do u think maybe... pt 2 😁 if not that's completely a-ok with me 👍🏼 i'm just curious about jungkook's return and the antidote but also i want to see uncle koo and ista's interactions 😔😔😔 anyway hope u are doing well during this time and taking care of youself ♥️

hello!! haha thank you for this lovely message, it warms my heart to know that you enjoyed the magical and forbidden elements in the fic. i’ve been good! (a bit lacking on sleep and stressed asf bc of finals but still good!) wishing all the wellness for you as well, human 💞

oh and there won’t be put 2 bc once i post a fic, it’s like closing a book to a story i’ve finally finished writing and i’m not much of a sequel kinda person hahaha but here’s a less formal version (and my complete indulgence in revisiting the boae fam)

uncle koo and ista’s interaction would be precious 🥺

like the empress is protective over her lil fam and naturally ista’s been living a sheltered life

(as sheltered as living in a palace and having a dragon slayer mom slash empress and strongest general in the army for a dad - can be)

but uncle koo would probably teach ista about the realistic side of magic and dragon slayers once he finds out that the empress has been filtering what the tutor teaches ista

jimin obvs doesn’t think she should be told fairytales but they alr compromised that they’d tell ista the truth when she’s old enough

(the empress’ definition of ‘old enough’ is like 15)

(jimin begs to differ and he was gonna start introducing the history of how dragon slayers and the empire came to be when she hits 5 or 6 which is in a couple of years)

but uncle koo beat him to it

and jimin finds out the two in the library with uncle koo’s glowing light hovering over the book that has every detail that a kid shouldn’t be reading

jimin doesn’t like it - not but bc he wanted to be the one to read the book to ista first

and ista isn’t as rendered by nightmares as the empress (and jimin, to some extent) thought she’d be

rather, he can see her eyes glinting with fascination

and he figured, okay, he’ll let the wizard off the hook this time for taking one of his daughter’s firsts

the empress notices ista and uncle koo being the bestest buddies even tho they met just like five days ago

but it isn’t until she mentions it in passing to jimin that the man actually confesses about the things uncle koo has been teaching ista

about the world, about magic and about the blood that flows through her veins

the empress, of course, is furious

bc her ways of parenting is somewhat challenged by some dude (okay so maybe they’re best friends but-) who went mia for years and all of a sudden went ‘nah, this ain’t it chief’ @ her parenting

and as much as jimin wants the wizard out of their lives for good (one of the ways being through a big fight which would have exploded if he didn’t do something about it) jimin knows that’s not how he should win his wife’s heart

technically, they already have a kid together

but that doesn’t mean he’ll ever stop trying to win her heart

so he talks the empress out of confronting the wizard right then and there

he calms her down the way general park would

by showering his wife with pecks but never really kissing her on the lips

and he knows that’s how she’d get all flustered bc she never asks for kisses openly - it’s either she goes for it when the moment is right or she acts like a single touch from him would burn her to death

and this moment is filled with light pecks here and there and a kiss would mean they ain’t gonna stop anytime soon-

so when the empress finally has enough of getting teased, she finally, with fisted hands on her lap and a shy tone, says his name

jimin’s grin couldn’t have been wider than it is now

he thrives for the empress’ affection and her awkward but adorable way of asking for a kiss

a real kiss

so he kisses her and his heart shoots up his throat - he can never truly get used to the feeling

but then ista burst into the office with uncle koo behind her

he picks up on what happens by the way the empress didn’t meet his eyes and only focuses on ista and the over all atmosphere in the room

it’s unknown whether he still has feelings for the empress but he sure doesn’t hold back the smirk when he puts two and two together and realized he interrupted something

jimin is so close to picking up his sword and challenging the wizard to a duel to the death when he notices the smirk

as for the antidote

he found it in the first ray of light, trapped in the dew of a rosemary atop the hill of the mountains where the dragons lie

it’s true the empress could control dragons and make them fight for her

but she’s not a rider

so she can only command them to fight for her

she can’t command them to let humans and wizards pass into their territory for a personal gain

she’s bound by the first emperor and dragon slayer’s wish to let the dragons have their freedom - and if they so use it to terrorize the lands reigns, then his descendants will slay them

but not all are riders and over time, it’s said the last rider died a hundred years ago

(inspired by shingeki no kyoujin ayy)

so how did jungkook and his companions managed to do get the dew?

basically he had to overcome his ‘hero’ complex where he’s always about ‘doing the right thing’ or carrying ‘fate’s burden’ on his shoulders

but that’s a story for another time

so yeah, he managed to get the antidote and extract the dark magic in the empress’ right arm and ista’s eye.

which is good bc she could use that arm with the news of war looming over the empire

a new kingdom has gathered its influence and power rapidly and it’s rumored that they have a dark wizard among them

one that can summon the beings of the underworld

it’s been centuries since the last war with the underworld

it was said that every species from all over the world banded together and formed a concord to win the war and drive the creatures back into gehenna

and if the time calls for it, the a direct descendant from the founding fathers that lead the concord would gather again

but when that happened, the royal family didn’t interfere and instead sent its human knight in its stead

the problem is the knight’s descendant left the hoseok’s grandfather’s side when he realized the then-emperor’s reign was a tyrannic and not one he vowed to serve

the empress has sent faes to do the job of tracking the knight’s descendant and so far, it’s said that his surviving descendant has now taken up to sailing the seven seas

no, not as a member of the royal navy

but as a pirate

read the excerpt of the knight’s descendant here hehe

#humans with shades #fic: birth of an empress #cara to ask

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sanjuno · 7 years ago

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If you're still doing GoT fix fics, maybe Final Fantasy 15?

5/7 GoT Crossover Fix-Its: The Light of Fire and Ice

Jorah Mormont is a Northman through and through. With an honour code you could hammer a sword out of, a deadpan sense of humour, and a glower that could make a bull back up. His father’s pride and joy, Jorah wields a sword like he was born with one in his hand. All of Bear Island watches the Heir with pride. One day Jorah will be their Lord, and he will rule them well. He follows the Old Way, and the Old Gods, and he treats highborn and low with the same solemn gravitas. It humbles and inspires the people of Bear Island, and they work all the harder to live up to the Heir’s example. The fortifications build up, the levy forces grow strong, and trade increases. Jorah quietly lets it be known that any women wanting arms training are welcome, and Maege Mormont loves her nephew all the more for the fact that Jorah makes no distinction between their worth as warriors based on gender or circumstances of birth. Jorah calls them the Northguard, and no matter the rank everyone starts from the bottom. A little competition is good for them all, and the challenge makes the people of Bear Island raise themselves up.

Cor Leonis wakes up after a long, exhausting life that had stretched on far too long. He had outlived three Kings, his almost-lover, most of his friends and family. Dying at last had been a relief. Only the Astrals had plucked his soul up out of the mists and said that they had another job for him. Cor was tired though, and he wanted to rest. But he would be rewarded this time, should he accept this task to battle the Night once more, and he would see the Prince Who Was Promised live again. Exhausted, but not exhausted enough to put aside his oaths, Cor agrees, and the Immortal breathes.

Dacey Mormont is a terrifying opponent, and has ways of remaining informed about everything that happens in Bear Island. Dacey is at the forefront of Jorah’s changes to how Bear Island is run, and quickly becomes her Lord cousins trusted steward. No one objects when Jorah leaves her in charge of Bear Island when the North marches to war.

Monica Elshett had never expected the Astrals to take a personal interest in her, no matter how loyally she had served the royal family of Lucis. Being told that the Marshall would need her help spurred her to accept the duty to fight the Night again. She’d spent her life protecting the Light, she wasn’t going to let something like death and rebirth slow her down. First thing though, was that this strange idea that only men could fight had to go.

Ethan Glover is Brandon Stark’s squire, a quick-witted boy who favours duel shortswords and throwing knives over the more traditional longsword. For all his japes he offers council wise beyond his years, and successfully manages to curb the worst of Brandon Starks excessive carousing where even the Lord Stark himself failed. Ethan had a habit of loudly and explicitly detailing his thoughts and opinions in the most cheerful voice possible while Brandon was hung over. The Heir Stark cut back one women and wine even if only to avoid the headache and the inescapable lecture from his squire. Despite all Ethan’s efforts, there’s no stopping the Mad King’s execution of the Starks. Ethan staggers home with the Mad King’s message, carrying the horror of what he has witnessed with him, and sharing it all with the Kingdom of the North. The North remembers. Thorren Stark bent the knee to save his people from Dragonfire. The Mad King has violated the terms of their agreement, and the North answers with one voice when the Stark in Winterfell calls the Banner to arms.

Nyx Ulric dies burning, and the Draconian catches him up, thanks him for his loyal service. The Dawn came at last, and Nyx thanked Bahamut for letting him see it. To know that the sacrifice Nyx had made was not in vain. The Astrals say they have another task for him, that there is another world where the Darkness seeks to rule. There is a world where Nyx can live again, where he can find peace. A reward for his service, a second chance to make things right. Nyx agrees, of course he agrees, and the Hero of the Kingsglaive breathes.

Jorah Mormont and Ethan Glover meet for the first time in a council of war, and all who witnessed it agree that it was a small thing. Easily overlooked, but something Jorah said made Ethan speak up. And something about how Ethan spoke made Jorah respond. From that point on their alliance was sealed, and the Northern Forces under Jorah Mormont’s command came to expect to see Ethan at his right hand, and they smashed through the Royalist forces with victory after victory.

Cor meets Nyx again while arguing tactics in a command tent, and the Kingsglaive’s familiar grin is bright and inviting him to share the joke. Once again, they are going to war to free their Kingdom from a mad emperor. Once again, their rightful King was slain by treachery. Now they go to seek justice, and the freedom of their people. This war needs to be won if they plan to fight back the Night and bring the Dawn once again. They battle, and it’s so much easier to win against men who are only human, who are fighting for a cause they do not truly believe in. Remembering Drautos’ betrayal was painful, but they took the lesson to heart, and slowly the message spread. Any man who lay down his arms would be allowed to leave, and the forces of the Mad King trickled away as men disgusted by the excesses of the Targaryens left King Murderer and Prince Rapist to their fates.

Jorah Mormont says nothing when he joins Eddard Stark on his journey to Dorne. Ned accepts the Lord of Bear Island into the company without a word. It was expected given Ned had requested Ethan come along to see things through to the end. The next verse of the song is rewritten abruptly when the Northmen meet the Kingsguard in combat at the foot of the Tower of Joy. Dawn rings against Ice and Arthur Dayne only has a moment to be startled by the skill of House Stark’s second son turned Lord before the wisdom of the Northmen’s distain for tourneys shines bright. The Northmen don’t fight like Southern Knights. They don’t close, don’t let the Kingsguard control the fight. Instead they harass and harry the white-clad knights like a pack of wolves, darting in and out in turns. Oswell Whent goes down with a knife in his eye, Gerold Hightower is taken out when the endless shifting tactics of the Northmen overwhelm his ability to track them and Longclaw sinks into his left armpit, and Arthur Dayne himself gets a crannogman’s spear to the back of his knees and Ice takes off his head when he stumbles.

The Northmen have all survived, and so the knowledge of Jon’s parentage is a bit more widespread. They return Arthur’s bones to Starfall, along with the other two Kingsguard. Cor is low-key offended that they dared to call themselves Kingsguard when their so-called King was unworthy of it. Nyx half-jokingly offers to make Cor an honorary Kingsglaive if it’ll make him feel better. Marshall of the Kingsglaive sounds a bit silly, Cor responds, he’ll stick with Crownsguard. Less sexist. No sillier than being The Immortal, Nyx jests. The Northmen remain subdued in their relief out of respect for Lady Ashara Dayne and her obvious pain. None of them are surprised when they hear that she kills herself after they leave.

At Ethan’s insistence, Ned claims that Jon is Brandon’s son. Much like in the first version of the song, there are rumours about the identity of the boy’s mother. Because Ethan is there to support the claim that Jon is Brandon’s seed, there’s less stress over someone questioning the identity of the mother. Everyone involved just follows Ethan’s lead in saying she was dead and that they would appreciate if everyone stopped slandering the Lady’s name. Jon still gets raised at Winterfell, and Catelyn still resents bastards like before, but Jon’s not the only Stark bastard running around the North. He’s just the only one without a mother still living. It makes Catelyn appreciate being married to Ned more, and so she’s less difficult to deal with regarding their own children than in canon. So Arya doesn’t have to fight for arms training, and Sansa is required to learn how to defend herself from unwanted male attentions. Jorah Mormont is very insistent on this point and even sends his Aunt Maege to Winterfell as the Stark girl’s tutor for this purpose. Catelyn gets over it eventually.

Viserys Targaryen is an angry boy, that much everyone can agree on. Not mad the way his father and other notable ancestors had been, but full of a thwarted fire. The number of times the Kingsguard had to pull the younger prince away from his mother’s bedchambers when the King was visiting his wife was daunting to consider. The threats of dire retribution were rather more chilling, even coming from a toddler. Not only because the boy was oddly well spoken, but also because Viserys was not going to remain a harmless child forever.

Ravus Nox Fleuret did not like his new life. The Glacian had said he had a debt to pay, and that he would be needed to protect his sister so that she could fulfil her destiny against the Dark once again. Ravus did not think having to listen to his new mother get raped by her brother was an entirely fair punishment. For one, Rhaella was the one suffering the most and this was supposed to be Ravus’ punishment. For another, Ravus had already spent one lifetime pretending to serve a mad emperor in order to protect his people and he didn’t really have the patience to do so a second time. The fact that Aerys seemed to approve of Ravus’ attitude was just salt in the wound.

Daenerys Targaryen is born during a mighty storm, the wind and the waves are the only thing keeping the ships carrying the Baratheon forces away from Dragonstone. Her mother names her, passes her over to her older brother, and then bids them run. Run far, run fast, and live. They need to live.

Lunafreya Nox Fleuret breathes again with the Fulgurian shielding her from harm, and the Hydraean carrying her away. Both promise she will be safe, that she will escape those who seek her death and she will grow into the power that will save the Prince Who Was Promised once again. Luna clings to her brother and weeps, because her mother is gone. Luna clings to her brother as Ravus whispers love and devotion and apologies into her hair and rejoices, because she has the older brother she has missed so much for so long back. By the blessings of the Astrals they are together again, and they have a second chance to get things right.

When Ser Willam Darry betroths Viserys to Arianne Martell the young prince is deemed capable of understanding the need, and so is informed of the contact. Viserys isn’t impressed by their scheming, and is instead rather more occupied with caring for his little sister. He cares little for the Iron Throne, and says that the are greater worries to concern himself with. It’s put down to boy’s obsession with the Princess’ safety, and Willam hopes that the boy doesn’t plan on continuing the Targaryen legacy in that way. Further speech with Viserys eases that worry, and Willam instead starts to hope that Viserys will be a good King when the time comes.

Ravus understands politcal marriages from two lifetimes as a Prince, but his father was a madman and Ravus will be content with ruling Dorne by the side of his future wife when the time comes. Luna can marry the True King and take over the Empire when the brat shows up again. They’re going to need to defeat the forces of Darkness before anything else will matter, after all. If their first life is any indication, Ravus will barely be an adult when the War for the Dawn begins. Hopefully it won’t take ten years this time.

Viserys Targaryen learns the sword from Ser Willam Darry, and displays a strength of character that endears him to both the four men at arms from Dragonstone, and the servants hired by the Sealord of Braavos to serve the exiled Prince. When Ser Willam grows ill and dies, Viserys manages to retain control of his household, small as it is. Daenerys grows up in a house with a red door, a lemon tree growing in the garden. Viserys begins to earn a reputation settling disputes, devouring books of law and only occasionally resorting to bashing people over the heads with his sword. Soon the Targaryen’s are being invited from city to city on the behest of powerful citizens who want a neutral voice to settle a dispute when they can’t be seen to favour either side. Eventually that matures into settling disputes between powerful citizens, and the Free Cities chatter about the Lawful King in Exile.

Luna is laughing hysterically at her brother. Poor Ravus had never been in line to inherit, since the Nox Fleuret were matriarchal, so the expectation of the people that Ravus would want to be King on the Iron Throne escaped him for the longest time. Ravus was just doing what he had been trained all his life to do, keep things running smoothly. The poor man was nearing twenty by the time he finally realized what impression he was giving with his networking in the Free Cities. Ravus promptly went to Luna and started whining about people being stupid and how much longer until her stupid Prince made his move? Luna just laughed at her brother more and then told him to accept the next offer from Pentos, and to let Illyrio Moptas feast them when they went there. The Magister had something the Draconian wanted them to get ahold of.

The grins Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen share over the three petrified dragon eggs that the Magister of Pentos offers as payment for the Lawbringer’s services are deeply, deeply unsettling. Illyrio can only be glad that they leave his city without enacting a second Summerhall.

Dragging her brother deep into the desert, Luna asks for a knife and the biggest fire they can make. Cuts to the top of their forearms bleed freely onto the eggs, and Ravus stands with his sister in the bloody wreckage of a slaver camp as the flames climb up high around them. A girl from the pleasure houses of Lys watches with awe as the fire rages and the figures within remain standing. She is not the only one to remain close enough to watch, but she is the closest, and she’s the one who rushes forward with two cloaks when the siblings emerge naked from the ashes carrying their newborn dragons. Ravus and Luna gather the new members of their household and take them back to Pentos. The time to fight for the Dawn was coming closer.

Gerold Dayne is still a small child when his cousin dies fighting the Northmen who had come to Dorne to retrieve the kidnapped Lyanna Stark. As Gerold grows the stories of his strength spread. So do the tales of his fierce glower, and the coldness in his eyes. Still, despite his fierceness Gerold grows into an honourable man. A better one than Arthur Dayne had proven himself to be, allowing his Prince to kidnap and rape an already betrothed noblewoman. Gerold doesn’t envy his cousin the reputation the man earned. Arthur proved unworthy of Dawn, and that was why the blade failed him. Gerold hires an artist skilled with inks when he becomes the Lord of High Hermitage and the bird tattoo that takes up all the skin from nape to knee becomes the talk of Dorne. No one is overly surprised when Gerold inherits Dawn, and the smile on the fierce Dayne’s face when he grips the sword is sharp enough to cut on it’s own.

Gladiolus Amicitia was born to be the Shield of the chosen King. He was born with a duty that he would never be able to fulfil. To save the world, and all the life on it, Gladio’s king was going to die. No matter the prophecy, no matter the words given by Gilgamesh, what use was a Shield that was destined to fail. What purpose did he have? When the Astrals told him that he could live again, that he could find Noct again and keep his Chosen King safe as a true Shield should, Gladio didn’t hesitate. Even if it meant starting over from scratch, the chance to remain true to his duty was all he’d ever wanted. He breathed again.

Ashara Dayne’s daughter is born to a mother who weeps daily and never bothers to give the girl a name. The things Ashara witnessed in King’s Landing, and the things she suffered there… they broke her. The Lord of Starfall quietly had the babe cared for, and when Ashara threw herself off the cliff into the sea, he sent the child to live in High Hermitage with their cousins. Gerold Dayne was the first to take hold of the girl, and named her Irhys Dayne of High Hermitage. Records were quietly altered to reflect this, and no one ever spoke of it again.

Iris Amicitia was useless during the events that killed her father and most of the people she counted as family during her first life. The Astrals promised to make it up to her, and sent her to be with her brother again. Determined to be more help, Iris breathed again.

Domeric Bolton was a superb student when it came to managing a Lordship, and although he far preferred daggers to swords, he was a credit to his House in every way. The Heir to Dreadfort was watched carefully for the usual Bolton tendencies, but the youth honestly just seemed determined to master every challenge set before him. The odd white eyes he had inherited from his father had a brooding intensity to them, always focused on some far distant point in the future. There’s no love lost between Domeric and his bastard half-brother, and when Ramsay Snow seeks Domeric Bolton out, it’s the bastard who takes ill and dies shortly after.

Ignis Scientia felt the dawn break and knew that Noctis was dead. It hurt. Dawn should have been something to rejoice over, but he couldn’t see it. Just like Noctis, Ignis was never going to see the sun. It was fitting, somehow. What use was an advisor without a King? What use was an advisor when the only choices were to die or be killed? The light of the sun felt nothing like triumph. Ignis does not expect the Astrals to contact him when he finally dies. He does not expect the news that there is another world under threat of an Endless Night. He does not expect to be told that Noctis would fight for the Dawn once again, and that Ignis could be at his King’s side if he so chose. Ignis doesn’t hesitate. Noctis had the lamentable habit of making regrettable choices when Ignis wasn’t there to curb the worst of the chaos. So Ignis breathes again.

Jon Snow is carried North by a serious group of Northmen who still smile at him when they notice his attention turning to them. His uncle carries him most often, paranoid after loosing so much of his family so quickly. When not in Ned’s arms, Jon is with Jorah Mormont and Ethan Glover, who are as besotted with the babe as any new father might be. No one is surprised when Ethan offers to take the boy as his ward, given that he was Brandon’s squire and it will quiet many of the questions. Ned gently refuses, not wanting any of his blood to be too far from him if he can help it. Brandon’s bastard in Greywater Watch had his mother, and Ned was not so cruel as to take the boy away, but Jon he could keep. He would need to talk to Catelyn, but the boy wasn’t Ned’s, and that should be enough for any Lady to be content with.

Noctis Lucis Caelum fulfils his destiny as the True King, and lowers his head to rest. He finds himself before the Astrals once again, including the cleansed Infernian, and they tell him the Dawn has come to Eos again. Then they tell him that there is another world where the Darkness is gathering strength. A world that the Glacian has been watching over, a world that echoes Eos but lacks the strength and protection of the Lucian Kings. The Astrals want to send him there, to the world where a Prince had been Promised so long ago that men had forgotten why the True King would rise. Noctis is promised a chance to live again, is told that his life is not the coin that would buy the Dawn. Kill the Night King, and survive the Battle for the Dawn, and we will be with you always. Ready to make the most of it, Noctis breathes again.

Samwell Tarly is a pudgy child with only lacklustre skill in swords. He is, at least, passible with a spear, more than decent with knives, and is unmatched with longbow or crossbow in hand. It’s almost as if the further from his opponent he is, the greater a threat to them Samwell becomes. They don’t talk about Samwell’s ability to destroy a room given a bit of coal and flour dust, or his odd insistence that horses are untrustworthy and that his father would be better served with riding birds. Lord Tarly tells his heir to stop reading stories from the lands beyond Westros and to focus on his duties at home. Samwell pouts and takes to running in circles around the outside of the Keep. It’s yet another sign of oddness from the boy, but it at least toughens the Tarly Heir up enough that there are no more comments about the softness of his stomach.

Prompto Argentum leapt at the chance to be with Noctis again. Sure it was a little disheartening that they’d have to fight the Darkness again first but they’d be able to survive this time! Even if Prompto had to make everything explode they were all going to survive this time! The Astrals had said that Noctis didn’t have to die to win this time, just kill the other guy. Killing the other guy was easy! Prompto had gotten really good at killing the other guys! So Prompto breathed again.

Jorah Mormont had a bit of an unusual reputation among the Lords of the North. When his father had been arranging his marriage to a lady from House Glover, Jorah had ridden to Deepwood Motte and spoken to all the Ladies being considered. What was discussed had never been revealed, but the Lady who became his wife was not the one Jeor Mormont and Galbart Glover would have picked. But they got their marriage alliance, and it’s not like the marriage had been refused, after all. After the Rebellion Ethan Glover moves to Bear Island and weds Jorah’s cousin Dacey Mormont, further binding the two houses.

Cor panics only a little when he hears that his father is planning to marry him off, and heads off to go speak to the ladies in question. Luck, and a small flare of Lucian magic, let’s him recognize Crowe when he sees her. The Marshall and the Kingsglaive mage quickly agree that their best bet is to set things up in their favour and hijack the betrothal before they end up married to strangers who don’t know about the duty they have to fulfill. Who won’t understand the need to fight back the Long Night until it’s too late. Crowe is quick to tell Cor that Nyx is back too, and is overjoyed to see Monica again. After the Rebellion is over, Nyx moves into Bear Island, laughs at Crowe, and then gets laughed at himself when Monica decides to make him her beard. Considering Crowe spends most of her nights with Monica, and Nyx spends most of his nights with Cor, the situation is neatly sorted.

The men from the Tower of Joy remain close. Although some remain closer than others. Willam Dustin and his wife Barbrey attend every celebration at Winterfell when Ned’s various children are born, gifting each with a horse. Martyn Cassel starts training the Stark children, ensuring that even gentle Sansa can defend herself, giving over the girls readily to Maege Mormont’s ands when the formidably Northern Lady visits, and then encouraging Sansa to learn healing from the Maester when she expresses her distaste for combat. Mark Ryswell often joins Ethan and Jorah in Bear Island to train when he isn’t busy with his horse herds. Theo Wull follows Jorah’s example and starts to build up the strength of the Mountain Clans. With the Starks and the Houses of the men who followed him to Dorne leading the way, the North gets serious about building up their strength again. Even in Greywater Watch there are changes being made. House Reed doesn’t want to be responsible for Moat Cailin again, but they start repairing it anyway with the understanding that a Stark would one day be taking responsibility for it.

There aren’t very many of them, but most of the reborn Lucians were in the party that went to Dorne with Ned Stark. Petra Fortis goes back to Barrowtown, his old dislike of the Kingsglaive eroded under the obvious favour of the Astrals in their being reborn here. Pelna Khara stays in Winterfell as the Prince’s personal guard, working on making sure the Prince’s new cousins weren’t ever the soft targets Princess Lunafreya ended up being. Dustin Ackers is delighted to see Monica again, and frequently travels from the Rills to Bear Island just for the pleasure of having an argument with her. Libertus Ostium splits his time between the Mountain Clans and Bear Island, having missed Crowe and Nyx. They all wonder if the King and Lord Amicitia will ever join them, but Nyx quietly lets them know what Cor told him. That Regis was absorbed by the Crystal when he died, and that Clarus would never leave his King behind. Noctis was the last of the Lucis Caelum line, and the only one not taken permanently by the Crystal. After the massacre of Elia Martell and her children at the Red Keep, Noctis is, once again, the only one of the Royal line that they have left.

Martyn Cassel goes white as summer snow when they find the direwolf mother dead with a stag’s antler in her throat. He cuffs Theon Greyjoy hard enough to send the boy sprawling in the dirt when mention is made of killing the pups. The gods are speaking to House Stark, and they’re all idiots with cheese in their ears it they can’t hear it. One pup for each of the children of House Stark, Martyn says with a smile as he hands the albino pup to Jon, it looks like the gods have made their choice. Things were never bad for Jon before then, but with Ghost at his side it’s as if the entire North has forgotten to call him Snow. When the King announces that he’s coming to Winterfell, the men from the Tower of Joy arrive first, bringing with them supplies and servants and comforts for the soft sensibilities of the Southroners. Catelyn is relieved beyond measure at the way the Northmen band together to ensure their Lord Paramount is well represented during the Royal visit. Ned is grateful for the unspoken message that his Bannerman will defend Jon even against the King, even if the idea of turning on Robert makes him deeply uncomfortable. But there are the direwolves to consider, and the sign from the Old Gods, and there are too many Lannisters on the way to Winterfell for Ned to be comfortable facing the Royal visit alone. So Ned doesn’t turn down the backup, and having Dacey Glover, Barbrey Dustin, and Gilliana Mormont there eases much of the strain on Catelyn. She’s still very much a Southron Lady at the most inconvenient times, and her worry over being throught barbarians by the party from King’s Landing is one of them.

Noctis has never had such a big family before, since the Crystal sapped much of the vitality from the Lucis Caelum line and kept the number of children for each generation small. So the wealth of cousins that his uncle gives him is something Noctis treasures. He can hear Ghost in his head the way he once heard the Astrals when he was trapped in the Crystal. The Astral’s voices come clearest in the Godswood these days, but Ghost’s voice is always clear to his mind as his own. So when Ghost hears Summer cry out in worry and growing fear, Noctis doesn’t even think about the low profile he’s supposed to be keeping. He chain warps fast and hard across Winterfell, from the Godswood to the Broken Tower without pausing and Bran is falling!

Bran is caught before he hits the ground, his terrified mind still hearing Ser Jaime’s voice repeating “the things I do for love” before his fingers are pulled away from the stones. But Jon caught him, Bran’s cousin who has always been like a second older brother. Jon who is breathing fast and hard like he’s been running for an hour, and Bran doesn’t even have to say anything before Jon’s looking up at the window where Ser Jaime is standing. The Lannister Whitecloak is the one who looks terrified now, where he was amused before, and Jon doesn’t stop to ask questions. Bran still in his arms, direwolves at his heels and howling for the rest of the pack, Jon runs back the way he came.

Noctis is lucky, and the only one who saw him warp is Cor, who is already gathering his armsmen together when Noctis rushes into the main courtyard with Bran in his arms calling at the top of his lungs for Lady Stark’s attention. Unlike the world where Bran was never saved from his fall, the Royal party is blatantly outnumbered by the Northmen. Catelyn Stark is not kind to threats to her children. She can’t do anything about the Queen, but the Kingslayer she has imprisoned in chains, and all the men in Lannister colours are stripped of their arms and confined to a barrack. The Baratheon forces are asked by a frigidly polite Lady Stark to stay within the wing where the Queen and her children are residing, and a fast rider is sent after the King’s hunting party with news of what happened.

With the Queen’s affair with her brother out in the open Robert stops overlooking the obvious. He sees the Lannister hair and Lannister eyes and Lannister faces of Cersei’s children and realizes that even if one of them was his by some impossible chance, there would always be reasonable doubt. Forget making Ned his Hand, they’re going to have to hold a huge fucking farce of a trial to clear away Cersei’s mess. Bran gets questioned by Robert, and offered a reward for uncovering Cerise’s treachery. Bran asks for Jon to be made a Stark in name, and Robert promises that it’ll be done as soon as he gets back to King’s Landing. Jaime ban barely move for the weight of his chains, and is sent ahead to King’s Landing with half the Baratheon forces and a company of Dustin men, commanded by the the disapproving Lord Dustin himself. Cersei and her children are confined to the wheelhouse and Robert takes the rest of the Baratheon forces back South a handful of days later, along with a combination of Winterfell and Bear Island men. The only one who escapes mostly unharmed in the aftermath is Tyrion Lannister. Partially because it’s obvious that his sister hates him, and partially because of the various working women who can confirm that he was with them pretty much the entire time there wasn’t a feast obligating his attendance at Winterfell. House Reed swears to hold the Lannister men secure in Moat Cailin until the King sends for them, and they get moved in small groups to avoid any attempted breakouts after Robert leaves.

It’s a long trip South, and Noctis is glad that Monica, Crowe, and Libertus remained in Winterfell to take care of his Aunt and cousins. It doesn’t take long for Noctis to decide he hates the South. It’s hot and sticky and King’s Landing stinks the way the Scourge used to. Still, Robert needs Bran and Noctis there to testify at Cersei and Jaime’s trail, and Uncle Ned came along with them. So did Cor, Nyx, and Pelna. Petra went ahead with the white cloaked oathbreaker who tried to kill Bran and will meet them in the Red Keep. The ravens travelled fast, and there are Lords gathering in King’s Landing for a trial that’s going to go down in history as the biggest scandal since Lyanna Stark’s abduction.

Tywin Lannister is furious in a way he hasn’t been since his father let a commonborn whore wear Tywin’s mother’s jewellery. Each chambermaid who timidly came forward with stories of soiled sheets on nights where the King was nowhere in the Red Keep. The rest of the Kingsguard having to admit that Jaime took more than his fair share of turns standing guard outside the Queen’s door. The stone faces of the Northmen as the Stark boy Jaime tried to kill spoke his piece. The way the bastard of Winterfell snarled at Jaime when he explained catching his cousin after seeing Jaime throw him from the Tower window. The way the entire seven kingdoms are laughing at House Lannister. “So eager to have their blood on the Iron Throne that they think they’re Targaryens now.” Jaime and Cersei are convicted of treason, and beheaded. As the most offended party, Ned Stark is the one to swing the sword. Tywin Lannister is given custody of his distasteful grandchildren, and they end up in service to Casterly Rock. Myrcella and Tommen make the most of it, but Joffrey’s arrogance gets him “accidented” fairly quickly. Tywin’s more put out over the need to forgive the debt the crown owes House Lannister in reparation for the insult done to House Baratheon.

With so many Houses in attendance and trying to introduce their daughters and sisters to the now unwedded King, Noctis is thankful for Southron preoccupations with politics. It means he can escape with Bran to the Godswood while Cor helps Uncle Ned with managing the King. Noctis winces a little when he hears Cor comment to Nyx that Robert was “almost” as bad as Mors. It’s there in the Godswood with his direwolf that Noctis finds his friends again.

Bran likes Jon’s new friends. Samwell Tarly has lots of interesting stories to tell, and Domeric Bolton was another Northman who had been sent to witness the trial by his father and had come with the company of Lord Redfort. Bran knew the Boltons had scary stories told about them, even in the North, but Domeric was polite and was willing to answer all of Bran’s questions about being a knight. Gerold Dayne is the new Sword of Morning, and seems nice enough, and his little sister Irhys knew how to fight just like the Mormont girls did! They were all suitably impressed by Summer and Ghost, and asked Bran lots of questions about the North. They all really like Jon a lot too, and Bran isn’t surprised when even the Dornish siblings decide to come back to Winterfell with them when the Starks return North. (Jon’s a real Stark now! With the right name and everything! Bran did that for his cousin, made it happen! He’s so pleased with himself.)

Margary Tyrell manages to win the crown from the rest of the court ladies vying for Robert’s attention, and the wedding is suitably impressive. Noctis spends his time lounging in increasingly ridiculous locations around the Red Keep with his cousin and friends in an attempt to ease some of the stress. News comes in from the Free Cities about the exiled Targaryens, but without a dedicated agent in place keeping tack of them is difficult. Noctis a little curious about his other Aunt and Uncle, but puts them from his mind. It’s unlikely at this point that he’s ever going to get a chance to meet them.

They go home to the North, all of them plus additional guests, and leave the posturing of the South behind them. Much to all their relief. Then Jeor Mormont sends words of the dead rising to walk again and hunting the living, of the increasing desperation of the Wildlings, and the glimpses they’ve caught of the White Walkers approaching the Wall. Then a letter is sent to Winterfell from Pentos, sealed with a three-headed dragon, promising that the Oracle and her brother would fight the War against the Long Night in the name of the True King. The South takes the Game of Thrones to bloody extremes in the South, but in the North they are marshalling themselves for a war against the Night King.

Ned orders the Wildlings brought South of the Wall to keep the Others from adding their numbers to their Wright army. The Mountain Clans take the Free Folk in, gentling the shock of needing to adjust to the Laws the governed territory under Stark rule. Noctis goes into the crypts and returns with an ancient circlet, carved of weirwood and set with a single obsidian shard. It’s the Crown of Winter, and the Old Gods insist that the King in the North wear the sign of their favour. The North remembers, Ned murmurs, and takes the circlet into the Godswood. He stays there the whole night through, alone, and when he leaves he wears the Crown of Winter, with a full grown male direwolf padding at his side. Ah, I had wondered where the father was, Cor deadpanned, looks like he was waiting for you, my Lord.

The North is a Kingdom as large as all the other six combined, and they have never been ravaged as the Southern Kingdoms have been. Not by dragon fire, for their last King bent the knee without more than a token skirmish. Not by plague, thanks to the summer snows killing the diseases before they can travel and the isolated nature of their communities. Not by bandits, because there are no riches in the North but iron and fur. The North is the largest of the Seven Kingdoms, and yet it is the least often remembered. So the spears of Dorne go North, ship by ship, when Gerold Dayne sends word that the Long Night comes again, and the Others march on the Wall with an army of the dead. So the exiled Targaryen siblings take all their wealth and all their people and travel to the North to greet the King in the North, and thank him for his protection of their nephew. So the War for the Dawn has already begun by the time the South stops fighting one another long enough to realize that something is happening in the North.

It still takes Benjen Stark walking into a Grand Council meeting and slamming a wright’s head down in the middle of the table before the South realizes how serious things are. The North remembers, Benjen Stark snarls. This is why we hold the Wall. This is why there must always be a Stark in Winterfell! Send help, or don’t, but burn your dead and keep your pathetic game out of Northern affairs!

They win the War for the Dawn, of course, and the North knows no King but the King in the North, who’s name is Stark. The power of the Old Gods fills the North, mages call fire to hand, dragons fly above the Wall, and the night is filled with the howling of wolves.

#Sanjuno's ficwork #FFXV fanfic #GoT reincarnation crossovers

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n333rdypirate · 4 years ago

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FSYY 1 001 - King Zhou and the Goddess Nu Wa

The Shang Dynasty replaced the Xia Dynasty and ruled China for nearly 650 years. The Shang court produced twenty-eight kings of whom King Zhou was the last.

Before King Zhou ascended the throne, he and his father, King Di Yi, and many civil and military officials were walking in the royal garden one day, viewing the blooming peonies, when suddenly the Flying Cloud Pavilion collapsed and a beam flew towards them. Rushing forward, King Zhou or then Prince Shou, caught the beam and replaced it in a display of miraculous strength. Deeply impressed, Prime Minister Shang Rong and Supreme Mei Bo advised King Di Yi to name him Crown Prince.

When King Di Yi passed away after thirty years on the throne, Crown Prince Shou was immediately crowned king to rule the country in his father's place. King Zhou established his capital at Zhaoge, a metropolis on the Yellow River. The king appointed Grand Tutor Wen Zhong to be in charge of civil affairs and Huang Feihu, Prince for National Pacification and of Military Prowess, to supervise military affairs. In this way, the king hoped the nation would live in peace under a civil administration backed up by the military. The king placed Queen Jiang in the Central Palace; Concubine Huang in the West Palace and Concubine Yang in the Fragrant Palace. They were all virtuous and chaste in their behavior and mild and gentle in manner.

King Zhou ruled his country in peace, and was respected by the neighboring states. His people worked happily in their different professions, and his peasants were especially blessed by favorable winds and rains. There were 800 marquises in the country who offered their allegiance to four dukes, each of whom ruled over 200 of these marquises on behalf of King Zhou. There four dukes were: the East Grand Duke Jiang Huanchu, the South Grand Duke E Chongyu, the West Grand Duke Ji Chang and the North Grand Duke Chong Houhu.

In the second month of the seventh year of the reign of King Zhou, a report reached Zhaoge of a rebellion of seventy-two marquises in the North Sea district, and the grand Tutor Wen Zhong was immediately ordered to lead a strong army to suppress the rebels. One day when King Zhou was holding court, Shang Rong stepped out from the right row, knelt and said, “Your humble Prime Minister Shang Rong begs to report something urgent to Your Majesty. Tomorrow is the 15th day of the third month, the birthday of the Goddess Nu Wa, and Your Majesty should honor her and hold a ceremony at her temple.”

“What has Goddess Nu Wa done that a great king such as myself is obliged to go to her temple and worship her?” King Zhou asked.

“Goddess Nu Wa's been a great goddess since ancient time and possesses saintly virtues. When the enraged demon Gong Gong knocked his head against Buzhou Mountain, the northwest section of Heaven collapsed and the earth sunk down in the southeast. At this critical moment, Nu Wa came to the rescue and mended Heaven with multi-colored stones she obtained and refined from a mountain,” Shang Rong explained. “She's performed this great service of the people, who've built temples to honor her in gratitude. Zhaoge in fortune to have the change to worship this kind goddess. She'll ensure peace and health tot he people and prosperity to the country; she'll bring us timely wind and rain and keep us free from famine and war. She's the proper guardian angel for both the people and the nation. So I make bold to suggest that Your Majesty honor her tomorrow.”

“You're right, Prime Minister. I'll do as you advise.”

Returning to his residential palace, King Zhou ordered a notion be issued that His Majesty, together with his civil and military officials, were to make a pilgrimage to worship Goddess Nu Wa at her temple the next day.

It would have been better if he hadn't gone at all, for it was this very pilgrimage that caused the fall of the Shang Dynasty, making it impossible for the people to live in peace. It was as if the king had tossed a fishing line in to a big river and unexpectedly caught numerous disaster leading to the loss of both his throne and his life.

The king and his entourage left the palace and made their way through the south gate of the capital. Every house they passes was decorated with bright silk, and the sheets were scented for ht eking by burning incense. The king was accompanied by 3,000 cavalrymen and 800 royal guards under the command of General Huang Feihu, Prince for National Pacification and of Military Prowess and followed by all the officials of the royal court.

Reaching the Temple of Goddess Nu Wa, King Zhou left his royal carriage and went to the main hall, where he burned incense sticks, bowed low with his ministers and offered prayers. King Zhou then wandered about the hall, finding it splendidly decorated in gold and other colors. Before the statue of the goddess stood golden lads holding pennants, and the jade lasses holding S-shaped jade ornaments which symbolized peace and happiness. The jade hooks on the curtain hung obliquely, like new crescent moons suspended in the air, and hundreds of fine phoenixes embroidered on the curtain appeared to be flying towards the North Pole. Beside the altar of the goddess, made of fragrant wood, cranes and dragons were dancing in the scented smoke rising from the gold incense burners and the sparkling flames of the silvery candles.

As King Zhou was admiring the splendors of the hall, a whirlwinds suddenly blew up, rolling back the curtain and exposing the image oft he goddess to all. She was extremely beautiful, much more than flowers, more than the fairy in the moon palace, and certainly more than any woman in the world. She looked quite alive, smiling sweetly at the king and staring at him with joy in her eyes.

Her utter beauty bewitched King Zhou, setting him on fire with lust. He desired to possess her, and thought to himself in frustration, “Through I'm wealthy and powerful and have concubines and maid servants filling my palace, there‘s none as beautiful land charming as this goddess." He ordered his attendants to bring brush and ink and wrote a poem on the wall near the image of the goddess to express his admiration and deep love for her. The poem ran like this:

The scene is gay with phoenixes and dragons,

But they are only clay and golden colors.

Brows like winding hills in jade green,

Sleeves like graceful clouds, you're

As pear blossoms soaked with raindrops,

Charming as peonies enveloped in mist.

I pray that you come alive,

With sweet voice and gentle movements,

And I'll bring you along to my palace.

When he finished writing, Prime Minister Shang Rong approached him. “Nu Wa's been a proper goddess and the guardian angel for Zhaoge, I only suggested that you worship her so that she would continue to bless the people with timely rains and favorable winds and ensure that they'll continue to live in peace. Bur with this poem, you've not only shown tour lack on sincerity on this trip but have insulted her as well.” He demanded, “This isn't the way a king should behave. I pray you wash this blasphemous poem off the wall, lest you be condemned by the people for your immortality.”

“I found Goddess Nu Wa so beautiful that I wrote a poem in praise of her, and that’s all. Hold your tongue. Don’t forget that I am the king. People will be only too glad to read the poem I wrote in my own hand, for it enables them to identify the true beauty of the goddess.”

King Zhou dismissed him lightly. The other civil and military officials remained silent, no one daring to utter a word. They then returned tot he capital. The king went directly to the Dragon Virtue Court, where he met his queens and con in a happy reunion.

On her birthday, Goddess Nu Wa had left her palace and paid her respects to the three emperors, Fu Xi, Shen Nong and Xuan Yuan. She then returned to her temple, seated herself in the main hall, and received greetings from the golden lads and jade lasses.

Looking up, she saw the poem on the wall. “That wicked king!” She flew in to a rage. “He doesn't think how to protect his country with virtue and mortality. On the contrary, he shows no fear of Heaven and insults me with this dirty poem. How vile he is! The Shang Dynasty's already ruled for over 600 years and is coming to an end. I must take my revenge on him if I'm to assuage my own conscience.”

She took action at once. She mounted a phoenix and headed for Zhaoge.

King Zhou had two sons. One was Yin Jiao, who later became the “Star God Presiding over the Year," and the other Xin Hong, who later became the "God of Grain." As the two gods paid their respects to their father, two red divine beams rose from the tops of their heads and soared high in the sky, blocking the way of the goddess. Looking down through the clouds, Nu Wa at once realized realized King Zhou had still twenty-eight years to go before his downfall. She also realized that she could do nothing about it at this moment. Since that would go against the will of Heaven.

The goddess returned to her temple, highly displeased. Back in her palace, Goddess Nu Wa ordered a young maidservant to fetch a golden gourd and put it on the Cinnabar Terrace outside her court. When its stopper was removed, Nu Wa pointed at the gourd with one finger and suddenly a thick beam of brilliant white light rose from the mouth of the gourd and shot up fifty feet into the air. Hanging from the beam was a multi-colored flag called the Demon Summoning Pennant. As soon as this pennant made its appearance, glittering high up in the sky, all demons and evil sprites, no matter where they were, would gather round.

Moments later, dark winds began to bowl, eerie fogs enveloped the earth, and vicious-looking clouds gathered in the sky. All the demons in the world had arrived to receive her command Nu Wa gave orders that all the demons return home except the three sprites that dwelt in the grave of Emperor Xuan Yuan.

Who were these three sprites? The first was a thousand—year-old female fox sprite; the second was a female pheasant sprite with nine heads; and the third was a jade lute sprite.

“May you live eternally, dear goddess!” the three sprites greeted Nu Wa, kowtowing on the Cinnabar Terrace.

“Listen carefully to my secret orders. The Shang Dynasty's destined to end soon. The singing of the phoenix at Mount Qi augurs the birth of a new ruler in West Qi. This has all been determined by the will of Heaven, and no one has the power to change what must happen. You may transform yourselves into beauties, enter the palace, and distract King Zhou from state affairs. You’ll be richly rewarded forgiving the new dynasty an auspicious start and helping the old one to its downfall. However, you mustn‘t bring harm to the people.”

at the end of her order, the three spirits kowtowed, turned themselves into winds, and flew away.

Since his visit to the Temple of the Goddess Nu Wa, King Zhou had sunk into a deep depression. He ardently admired the beauty of the goddess and, yearning for her day and night, lost all desire to eat and drink. He had no passion for his queen, his concubines, or the numerous maids in his palace. They now all appeared to him like lumps of clay. He would not be bothered with state affairs.

One day, he remembered Fei Zhong and You Hun, two minion courtiers who would flatter and slander as he pleased. King Zhou sent for Fei Zhong, and the latter appeared in no time.

“I went to worship Goddess Nu Wa recently,” King Zhou began. “She’s so beautiful I believe she has no rival in the world, and none of my concubines is to be compared with her. I’m head over heels in love, and feel very sad as I cannot get her. Have you any ideas with which to comfort me?”

“Your Majesty! With all your honor and dignity, you're the most powerful and the richest man in the world. You possess all the wealth within the four seas, and are virtuous as the sage emperors Yao and Shun. You may have anything you wish for, and you should have no difficulty in satisfying your desires. You can issue an order tomorrow demanding 100 beauties from the grand dukes. You’ll then have no trouble finding one as beautiful as Goddess Nu Wa,” Fei Zhong suggested. King Zhou was delighted. He said, “Your suggestion appeals to me greatly. I’ll issue the order tomorrow. You may return home for the time being. ”He then left the throne hall and returned to his royal chambers to rest.

If you wish to know what happened thereafter, please read the following chapter.

#fsyy vol1 #fengshen yanyi #rip the ocr of my phone app sucks i had to format and spell check this entire thing lmao #unsure of when i'll be done with the second chapter #the last sentence of please read the following chapter is literally in the book lol i dont know why

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chocobro-hijinks · 7 years ago

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what if Iggy went to Tenebrae with Noctis?

hear me out

Noctis thinks Ravus is a cool adult, but Iggy is closer to Ravus’s age and is unimpressed (at first)

while Luna and Noct are having fun together, Ravus and Iggy are asked to keep each other company while the real adults have tea and talk about politics

Ignis is curious about the way the islands float in Zoldara Henge, so Ravus tries to explain it but at some point it gets too complicated and they decide to consult an actual encyclopedia

they spend hours in the library reading about sylleblossoms, and why Ulwaat Berries are a fragile crop, and the best angling spots in Pagla, and Niflheim’s political opposition against building a straight railroad from Rusciello to Gralea

Ravus helps Ignis pronounce all these new words and goes on a tangent about how Emperor Iedolas always announces a visit to Fodina Caestino and how it was an excuse to have the annoying royal entourage pass through Tenebrae, naturally

Ravus wears Iggy’s glasses at some point, realizes he’s been squinting the whole time because he needs corrective lenses, tells no one about it because he doesn’t want to look like a nerd

one morning ignis goes to Ravus’s wing to return one of the folktake books he’d borrowed, finds him in a piano lesson and offers to play the violin as accompaniment

they hang back during social functions, Sylva tries to encourage Ravus to mingle but he’s too shy, and prefers to stay with Ignis who isn’t too pushy. they’re both aware that Lunafreya and Noctis are the main event anyway.

Ignis is good at cards, but Ravus knows a few magic tricks!

Pryna starts to associate Ignis with a happy Ravus so whenever they’re together she tries to get them to play catch with her (it works every time)

Ravus’s sword fighting tutor secretly loves it when the Lucian royalty are spectating the training session because the prince is extra motivated to do his best (he’s not sure who Ravus is showing off to, though)

after the Niflheim attack on Tenebrae, Ignis had to evacuate with Regis and Noctis without getting a chance to see Ravus or Lunafreya again; until years later when the arranged marriage was announced and he was sent to Altissia (neutral territory) to meet with Ravus and deal with the paperwork regarding the marriage terms.

they were two different people at that point, but the spark was still there; it starts off with polite smiles, uncertain puns, and a casual conversation about Maahgo’s fantastic caviar snacks.

Ravus is quite open about his distaste of the Lucian royal family, though, at which point Ignis realizes why the crownsguard decided to send him instead of a more practiced negotiator; they needed someone who could appeal to the man Ravus was before the Niflheim invasion when Lucis and Tenebrae were still allies.

just as the Lucian envoy was leaving, Ravus warns Ignis that: “Next we meet, regard me as the enemy commander that I am.”

The way he said it, pointedly and with expectant eye contact; it was the same face he would make whenever they planned to fool Pryna into jumping in the wrong direction to catch the frisbee

Ignis was the only person on Noctis’s entourage who knew Ravus was on their side, but had no way of explaining it other than ‘just a feeling’ which is why he decided to keep it to himself.

#ffxv #spoiler #spoilers #fleurentia #ignis scentia #ravus nox fleuret #noctis lucis caelum #lunafreya nox fleuret #chocobros

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valflame · 7 years ago

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really ridiculously detailed character stats.

FULL NAME: Arvis Fjalar Velthomer. NICKNAME(S): Emperor of Flame, Duke, Commander. AGE: The game/manga show him from the age of around 6/7 to somewhere in his mid/late 40s up to his death so it ranges. He’s in his early/mid 20s for most of the game so I normally play him as either at that point or prior to the game’s start, when he’s 19/20. MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE: infj. BIRTH DATE: January 14th. ETHNICITY: Jugdrali (Norwegian/Icelandic). PLACE OF BIRTH: The Duchy of Velthomer, Kingdom of Grannvale, Jugdral. GENDER IDENTITY: Male. PREFERRED PRONOUN(S): He/Him. SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Bisexual. RELIGION: Maerist. OCCUPATION: Duke of Velthomer, commander of the Weissritter, head of the Roten Ritter, right hand to the king His Majesty King Azmur Heim of Grannvale. Becomes Emperor of Grannvale later in his 20′s onward until death. FACE CLAIM: Canon.

Relationships

PARENTS: Victor Fjalar Velthomer and Cigyun of the Spirit Forest. Father is the infamous former Duke of Velthomer, renowned for his cruelty and his promiscuity. Mother is a secret descendant of Saint Maera, made infamous for her extramarital affair with Prince Kurth. Both are dead. SIBLINGS: Azelle Fjalar Velthomer and Deirdre of the Spirit Forest. Both are roughly seven years younger than him, and both are half siblings. Only grew up with Azelle; no-one knew about Deirdre. SIGNIFICANT OTHER(S): As part of the plot he marries... Deirdre. Also had a one night stand at some point in his teens with his right hand man general Aida that culminated in a bastard child, but that was more a one time mistake than her being an actual ‘significant other’. CHILDREN: Julia, Julius, Saias. Julia and Julius are twins by his wife Deirdre, Saias is the aforementioned bastard and elder half-brother to the twins. LEVEL OF SEXUAL EXPERIENCE: Enough. STORY OF FIRST KISS: Who even knows. A SOCIAL PERSON? As much as a politician has to be. HOW DO THEY THINK OTHERS PERCEIVE THEM? Intelligent, calculating, quiet. Capable. A man willing to go the lengths nobody else is willing to go to to make sure progress is made. HOW DO OTHERS ACTUALLY PERCEIVE THEM? As a child he’s seen as cold and iron-fisted, but frighteningly talented and capable. Violent, too emotional. As an adult he’s still cold and intimidatingly talented, but he’s seen as more distant and lonely. Troubled. His public adores him before everything falls through the ground by gen2 of the game but that gets him as far as being known for being kind and admirable despite still being cold and aloof. Come gen2 he’s seen as a wicked and traitorous oppressor.

Physical Traits

EYE COLOR(S): Bright red. HAIR COLOR(S): Bright red. HEIGHT: 6′2″ (188 cm) WEIGHT: 162 lbs ( 73.5 kg) BODY BUILD: Lean, defined muscle. Understandably fit despite being a mage owing to his military position. GLASSES? CONTACTS? No. STYLE OF DRESS/TYPICAL OUTFITS: Ornamental military dress, mage robes. Has this weird aesthetic going where he’ll dress in uniform but he’ll still have his special level of Extra™ incorporated so you wind up with a croptop military jacket with epaulettes, robes gilded in gold accents with cleavage windows, military boots with prominent heels, etc. JEWELRY? TATTOOS? PIERCINGS? Recover Ring on his ring finger on his right hand, occasional earrings. Wears clothing with gold, gems and jewelry typically incorporated in. Not a tattoo, but his Mark of Fjalar is on his chest on top of his heart. If minor blood carriers also develop marks then his Mark of Loptyr is on his back, right on the other side of his heart opposite to his Fjalar brand. ATHLETIC? He commands the royal guard, he better be athletic. HOW DO THEY WALK: Chin up, chest out, shoulders back. Confidently. HOW DO THEY SMELL LIKE: Smoke and perfume. WHAT’S THEIR POSTURE LIKE? Straight, confident.

Phobias and Diseases

PHOBIA(S): Fear of burning alive. Fear of abandonment. MENTAL DISEASE(S): I literally never feel comfortable diagnosing fictional characters with anything because I’m not a psychologist or anyone trained in psychology but if I have to for the sake of the meme like, severe depression, general anxiety, he seems to me to hit every tic for bpd. PHYSICAL DISEASE(S): Does having Loptyrian blood count as a disease because it’s Pretty Dang Bad. Otherwise nothing. WHEN WAS THIS DIAGNOSED? N/A.

Intellect

LEVEL OF EDUCATION: Really high, via private tutoring. LEVEL OF SELF-ESTEEM: Simultaneously both really high and pretty low. For the most part it’s pretty hecking high; he sees himself as above most others in most things. GIFTS/TALENTS: He’s a genius with literal holy blood and an unparalleled aptitude for fire magic. Anybody with major holy blood is a demigod. SHORTCOMINGS: Overwhelmingly obsessed with the end goal, and willing to sacrifice basically anything and everything to get there. STYLE OF SPEECH: Formal, flippant. He genuinely cares for equality but has a habit of talking people down when he’s talking to himself, which is often. “LEFT BRAIN” OR “RIGHT BRAIN” THINKER: Left. ARTISTIC? He’s alright. He learnt how to paint in court. MATHEMATICAL? Good at mathematics. Better at reading. MAKES DECISIONS BASED MOSTLY ON EMOTIONS, OR ON LOGIC? Emotions, but emotions he ruminates over and conducts long-winded plans about for months. MOST SENSITIVE ABOUT/VULNERABLE TO: Criticism. Having his secrets found out. Getting called out. Getting his image besmirched. OPTIMIST OR PESSIMIST? Optimist. EXTROVERT OR INTROVERT? Introvert with a muted craving for human contact.

Details/Quirks

NIGHT OWL OR EARLY BIRD? Night owl. LIGHT OR HEAVY SLEEPER? Heavy sleeper. FAVORITE FOOD: Sweet tarts, sweet custards. LEAST FAVORITE FOOD: Vegetables. Any vegetables. COFFEE OR TEA? Tea. CRUNCHY OR SMOOTH PEANUT BUTTER? Crunchy. LEFTY OR RIGHTY? Righty. FAVORITE COLOR? Silver. CUSSER? He tries not to because it goes against his prissy nobleman aesthetic, but if you push him far enough he’ll let one or two slip. SMOKER? DRINKER? DRUG USER? Drinks on occasion. PETS? No. Probably had a cat at one point that ran away and soiled his trust in any other pets.

tagged by: @hikaup!! thank you very much >BV tagging: ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO DO IT ☆ JUST SAY PIGEON TAGGED YOU ☆☆☆

#⊰ ♖ ⊱ TIME SHALL UNFOLD WHAT PLIGHT CUNNING HIDES / DASH GAMES #;incest mention for ts #(( me crying: thanks fe for setting me up where I need to use tws constantly just reciting canon content ))#(( do I need to tag this as anything else >:Tc ))

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bookofjin · 7 years ago

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Biography of Sima Wei, King of Chu

[From JS059. The Second of the Eight Kings.]

The Hidden [yin] King of Chu, Wei, [b. 271, d. 291] courtesy name Yandu, was Emperor Wu's fifth son. He was first enfeoffed King of Shiping, and successively was Colonel of Garrison Cavalry. At the end of Taikang [280 -289], moved his fief to Chu, to set out and go to his state, [to be] Commander-in-Chief of All Army Affairs of Jing province and General who Pacifies the South. He then moved to General who Garrisons the South.

When Emperor Wu expired, he entered to be General of the Guards, acting as Centre Captain of Northern Army, concurrently Palace Attendant and Temporary Junior Tutor to the Heir-Apparent.

At the execution of Yang Jun [JS040], Wei garrisoned the Gates of Marshal. Wei for his young age was determined and sharp, and much established power and law. The imperial court feared him. The King of Runan, Liang, and the Grand Guardian, Wei Guan [JS036], due to Wei by nature being very unmanageable, could not greatly rely on [him], and began a discussion to send him and the various kings to their states. Wei was considerably angered by them.

The Senior Clerk Gongsun Hong and the Retainer Qi Sheng, both pushed to act, were intimate with Wei. Guan and others hated his conduct, and worried [it would] cause calamity and chaos, and wanted to arrest Sheng. Sheng knew it, and thereupon planned with Hong. Because of that the General who Amasses Crossbows, Li Zhao, falsely calling it Wei's instructions, slandered Liang and Guan to Empress Jia.

Then the Empres did not have them investigated, but made Emperor Hui issue a decree saying: “The Grand Governor and the Grand Guardian desire to have the affairs of Yi and Huo. The King ought to circulate the decree, ordering the kings of Huainan, Changsha and Chengdu to garrison the various gates of the palace, and depose the two Excellencies.”

At night they sent a Yellows Gates [a eunuch?] to present accordingly assignment to Wei. Wei desired to reply with a memorial. The Yellow Gates said: “The affairs will probably leak and be revealed. Not a private decree's real intention.” Wei therefore desisted.

He thereupon directed his home army [?], and also falsely decreed to summoned the Thirty-Six Armies, with his own hand making an announcement to the various armies saying: “Heaven has brought calamity on the House of Jin, murder and rebellion follow each other. In the period with the difficulties of Yang Jun, truly relied on the various lords to overcome and pacify the calamitous confusion. Yet the two Excellences secretly scheme and do not follow the track, desiring to depose Your Majesty and thereby cut off the sacrifices to Emperor Wu. Now straight away on receiving the decree, dismiss the two Excellencies from office. I now accept the decreeing of Commander-in-Chief of All Armies in the Centre and Outside. The various who are on straight guards all strictly increase the alertness and readiness. Those being in the outside encampments, expediently lead and guide each other, directly pay visit and go to the government offices. Aid and go along with punishing the rebels, by the blessing of Heaven. [I] hold up rewards and open fiefs, thereby receiving loyal results. August Heaven and Empress Earth, truly hear these words.”

He also falsely decreed to make Liang and Guan to send up the seals and ribbons of Grand Governor and Grand Guardian and the sable cicada of Palace Attendant, and go to their states, their subordinate officials all to retire and dispatch them [?].

He also false decreed to pardon the subordinate officials of Liang and Guan, saying: “The two Excellencies secretly planned, desiring to endanger the altars of soil and grain, are now dismissed and returning their ranks [?]. Their subordinate officials and below, as one will not be inquired after. If [you] do not accept the decree, expediently [use] army law in the following affairs. Those able to lead and act first in going out and surrender [?] by guiding the former to produce the demotion, enfeoffed as Marquis as their reward. We do not eat Our words.” Thereupon he arrested Liang and Guan, and killed them.

Qi Sheng discussed with Wei, that they could, because of power of their troops, execute Jia Mo [JS040] and Guo Zhang [JS040], restore and correct the royal house, thereby calming Under Heaven. Wei hesitated and held off, without deciding. Meeting in the Heavenly Light, the Emperor employed Zhang Hua's [JS036] plan, and dispatched the General of the Palace Halls, Wang Gong to take grooms and custodians [?] with banners to signal the masses. “The King of Chu is falsely decreeing.”

The masses all cast away their sticks and left. Wei left and right was without even a single man. Hard-pressed and pressured, he did not know what to do. With only one slave, fourteen years old, he drove an ox chariot wanting to go to the King of Qin, Jian. The Emperor dispatched an announcer to decree Wei to return to the barracks, holding him at the office of the Rapid as Tigers. and thereupon sent him down to the Commandant of Justice.

Decreed that due to Wei falsifying authority to murder two Excellencies, fathers and sons, and also desiring to execute and exterminate court officials, his plans and schemes not following the path, therefore to behead him. At the time he was 21 years old.

That day there was a great storm, with thunder and rain, thunderclaps and thunderbolts. A decree said: “The Duke of Zhou decided the execution of the two uncles. Wu of Han cut off the imprisonment of Zhaoping, those not obtaining it [?]. The Commandant of Justice memorialises Wei has submitted to the law, his feelings being sorrowful and sad, I must send out pity. [?]”

Wei when approaching death, pulled out from his breast a decree on green paper, and with flowing tears accordingly showed the controller of punishment, the Master of Writing Liu Song [JS046], saying: “[I] received the decree and acted, and was said to be the altars of soil and grain. Now [I have] changed to become a criminal. Relying on and making allowance for the Former Emperor, suffering uselessly like this, favour [me?] with seeing and rolling out the arrangement. [?]”

Song likewise snorted and sobbed, and was not able raise his head and look at it. Gongsun Hong and Qi Sheng were both exterminated to the third rank.

Wei by nature laid open help and was good at giving, he was able to obtain the hearts of the multitudes. When it came to this, they could not but fell tears, the hundred families had shrines built for him.

Empress Jia's first crime was Guan and Liang. She was also jealous of Wei. Because of that she therefore plotted to execute him next [?].

In the 1st Year of Yonging [301 AD], posthumously bestowed [on him] General of Agile Cavalry, and enfeoffed his son Fan as King of Xiangyang, serving as Cavalier in Regular Attendance. Later he was murdered by Shi Le.

#js059

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i-heart-hinduism · 8 years ago

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Some of the best kept secrets of-the Mahabharata

source

Yudhishthira

Although the 18 days of Mahabharata war was fought to make Yudhishthira the king of Hastinapur, we have very little knowledge about the character than his brothers Bheem, Arjun and other characters of the epic. Here are something you might not know about him.-

Yudhishthira means "the one who is steady in battle or tough conditions”. His father king Pandu held dharma above all other qualities in a human especially for being a king, therefore when Kunti told him about his boon he desired his eldest son and heir to be born righteous and truthful.

Although being the eldest son he was less martial than his brothers preferring diplomacy and politics. He was a polyglot knowing languages which no other human knew. Nevertheless he was a master in the use of spear only second to Karna. It was said that he could pierce a stone wall with spear as it was a piece of paper.

He had two wives Draupadi and Devika who was of Sivi kingdom. Draupadi bore him Prativindya his heir and Devika; Yaudheya. Yaudheya survived Kurukshetra but was not made king. Instead he ruled his mother's kingdom.

After loosing in the dice game during his banishment he never left the game and kept practicing. He learnt from sage Bridashwa to control the dices. He became so good at it that he was never defeated again at it.

He married his brother Bheem to a rakhsashi Hidimbi and denounced casteism saying actions mattered more than birth.

Kurukshetra war would have been longer if he had'nt killed Shalya king of Madra and uncle of Nakul and Sahdev. Shalya was an extraordinary fighter with a range of weapons.

He had this gift that whenever his opponent got angry his strength will increase therefore making him very difficult to fight. Only a person with a calm mind could have defeated him; Therefore Yudhishthira had to do that and justified his name.

Yudhishthira cursed women that they will never be able to withold secrets after he came to know about Karna and his mother hiding about him.

His chariot had a flag of a golden moon surrounded by planets. He was also an expert charioteer.

Ashvatthama

One of the most under appreciated characters in the epic the son of Drona was one of the most formidable and the most fiercest warrior of his time. He was comparable to Karna, Arjun and Bhishma yet we know very less of him save his immortality. Some facts about him.

When he was born he cried like a horse hence his name.

His father did years of severe penance to have a son with valiance of Shiv himself. Ashvatthama is considered to be a partial incarnation of lord Shiv himself.

He possessed a gem in his forehead which gave him dominion over all life form lower than human. It protected it against hunger, thirst , fatigue, ghosts, demons , snakes ,insects etc. It helped him fight off Ghatotkach Bheem's half rakhshas son.

He is master of all knowledge trained by the likes of Drona, Bhishma , Parshuram.

He was the king of north Panchal after Kaurav army captured Panchal and gave it to Drona as guru-dakhshina and Drona split it between his son and Drupad.

Bhishma once remarked that if Ashvatthama becomes angry nobody will be able to stop him because he was incarnation of Shiva himself. However Duryodhana always chose Karna over Ashvatthama because he saw him as fearful of death.

The most important part in epic of Mahabharata for Ashvatthama was when he was made Commander of Kaurava army on night of 18th day of war. He went to attack Pandava camp at night with Kripacharya( his uncle) and Kritvarma ( a Yadava) .He instructed them to remain at gates to kill anyone who comes out. He went into the Pandavas camp but it was guarded by a Bhairava and he did not allowed him to pass.Then Ashvatthama performed a yajna for Lord Shiva and offered himself as sacrifice . He rose from it with a part of Shiva in his body and an army of gunas given to him by goddess Kali. He became the destroyer and with gunas slaughtered all Pandavas soldier and their family.

Some other facts are as follows

Yuyutsu- He was not born from Gandhari but from a maid servant in her service. The Kaurava brother that defected to Pandava camp later became prime minister under King Parikhshit and even ruled as his regent.

Vrishketu- Son of Karna was made the king of Indraprastha . He was tutored by Krishna himself and was the last person to know and learn divine weapons as Krishna made him promise to never tell anyone about them.

Satyaki and Kritvarma - Both Yadavas fought from opposite camps in the war and remained lifelong enemies until they killed each other during the doom of Yadavas .

Nakula - Nakula was said to have a unique talent that he could ride a horse in rain without getting wet. It was because of his two talents horsemanship and swordsmanship . He deflected rain drops with his sword.

Vibhishan - To perform Rajsuya Yagya ,Yudhishthira sent his 4 brothers in 4 directions to collect tribute from kings. Sahdeva went south where he met King Vibhishan in Lanka as he was an immortal. He sent Sahdeva back with gift of jewels and precious stones and clothes of finest fabrics.

Arjun - Arjun was ambidextrous so one of his name is Sabyasachi. He had control over all his senses and could go on days without needing sleep getting the name Gudakesh . The horses in his chariot where white therefore one of his name is Svetavahana.

Curse on the name of Arjuna- The father of sage Parashuram sage Jamadagni was killed by Kartavirya Arjun's sons . Therefore Parashuram cursed that anyone with name Arjun will never become a king only subordinate.

Duryodhana- He was said to be incarnation of Kali(demon).He was best mace fighter of his time. When he was born he cried like a donkey. He was first person in history other than lord Vishnu to perform Vaishanav Yagya making him Emperor of the Entire World he achieved this with help of his friend Karna who subjugated everyone including Krishna and Jarasandh. Other than his jealousy towards Pandava he was a rightful and just king treating his subjects with equality . It is said that when he died flowers rained from heaven.

Eklavya - In later life he became kings of Nishada and he was subordinate to Kingdom of Magadha. He was killed by Krishna himself in swayamvar of Rukmini. In some version of the epic it was he who was reborn as Drishtadyumna to kill Drona.

Most handsome man- Although Nakula is considered most handsome of all the Kuru princes, the smallfolk of Hastinapur liked Karna. Common women of Hastinapur desired Karna because of his fair glowing complexion.

Bheema's Pride- After Drona's death Ashvatthama became enraged and released Narayanastra. Only Krishna,Drona and Ashvatthama knew about this weapon and how to stop it. It brought a deadly shower of missiles and annihilating Pandava army. Krishna advised Pandava warriors to bow and submit to the weapon as it was the only way to stop it. But Bheema saw this as a symbol of cowardice and didn't submit. Therefore it continued to harm him. Krishna and pandavas had to restrain him to save his life.

Mayasura- The demon who made the palace for Yudhishthira at Indraprastha was the father of Mandodari wife of Ravana.He founded Mayarashtra which became modern city of Meerut .He was foremost among daityas being born from sage Kashyap and Diti.

Shakuni- He is considered to be personification of Dwapar yuga. He was enraged by marriage of his sister to blind Dhritrashtra and vowed to destroy Kuru lineage. However he loved his nephew Duryodhana very much.His lineage continued till Prince Ambhi of Taxila who fought alongside Alexander the great and was killed by Chandragupta Maurya in 3rd century B.C.

Karna- Interestingly for most part of the epic Karna was called Vasusena " the born with wealth" or Radheya " son of Radha" . He got his name after he gave his armour to lord Indra. It was Indra himself who took form of an insect and bit Karna on his thigh while Parshurama was sleeping on it that led to him giving curse to Karna. Later to repent for his curse he gave Karna his own Vijaya bow, Bhargavastra that no one possessed and a silver chariot covered with tiger skin.

Bhishma's dillema - When choosing the heir to the Hastinapur throne after Pandavas came from the forests after their father Pandu's death, Bhishma and Vidur had different choices. Vidur was in favour of Yudhishthira while Bhishma was supporting Duryodhana. This was because contrary to popular belief Duryodhana was very popular among the common people and because living in the capital he had much knowledge about millitary and administrative matters than any Pandavas while Yudhishthira was unknown to the general populace and he will never understand them. However he gave in to Vidura after he realised that Duryodhana was egocentric and power hungry at heart.

Godmother- The eldest female of Hastinapur royal family was the child of Chedi king Vasu and fish who in reality was apsara Adrika when the fish swallowed the king's sperm. He was cut out from the fish by chieftain of fishermans. Due to smell of fish coming from her body she was called Matasyagandha. Later Sage Parashar had sex with her out of which Sage Vyasa was born. He also gave her fragrant smell. Thus giving her name Yojanagandha.

#mahabharata #mahabharat #kurukshetra #Kurukshetra War #secrets #IHH Article #pandav #kaurav #kuru clan

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