the vestige of resounding glory

“I do a fair share of service for my good… something tells me that isn’t a foreign concept to you,” Tobias kicked a chunk of charred wood aside, boots tromping down through leaves to examine the wreckage of what previously stood as a pleasant woodland cottage, burned to a rather ruinous crisp. The burly man may have done quite a few grotesque things in his life–on a daily basis–but, at least he was honest about it. Not like the sideways smiles of the cutthroats at court, who could be your closest ally at one moment, and butcher you with a carving knife the next. At least he’d face someone with the knife. Better an honest death than one soiled with too many untied strings, right?

   Thick fingers dug through ash, pulling forth a ring. One suited for a dainty finger, surely. He rubbed the jewelry against his trousers, giving the blackened gem a dull shine, before extending it to her with a grin, “Here, have this. Jewelry is a popular band-aid for you women, isn’t it? Something your husbands give you after he’s been fucking a milk maid in the stables.”

It wasn't the impunity that had marked her, for this type of male derision prevailed in both higher and lower ranks, common to all the pedestals or pillars of court. But the presumption that she was still married, uttered in a jibe all the more, left the duchess reeling. She touched the front side of her corset, with fingers evenly spread, as if her palm could secure her breathing's steadiness once again. Through tightrope moves she pivoted back from the man. A remnant slitted into Alianore's memory: the first time Edward had posed himself before her, tongue-tied, cold sweats misting his skin, and confessed a mistress. And her winterweed laughter, tinkling on both of them like ease and forgiveness. Beloved husband, I would not care if she was Isolda herself , she had soothed, his head cradled at her chest like a son's. Make merry, treat her well, only remember your name is no longer yours to give, but belongs to our children. And he had always kept his word, and the offsprings which had been bore had a place in her household more cherished than any maid's. No; she had never needed trinkets and he had never hid in stables. What they had was vaulted in stone itself.

    -    Family loyalty had been instilled within the young Howard from the days she learnt to use words to communicate, immediate family more than most but Mary saw it fit to carry the tradition to those extended also for as long as they were deserving of it. The loss of her uncle had been dreadful and the sadness that still painted the face of her mother had not gone unnoticed by her daughter, though it had seemed the there had also been the loss of an aunt that day. An aunt by marriage of course, but an aunt nonetheless. As a growing woman whom found herself immersed in a world of titles and courting from sunrise to sunset, one thing that was certainly placed before her was just how quickly a person may fall - as her uncle had - and it would be the greatest of lies to say that the aunt before her was not an example of all she feared. Surely that was quite natural for someone in a marriage not yet made secure by consummation. “ Yes, it is, though I was not certain you would remember after much time has passed. I fear all within the court is unusual, we are between the reigns of two kings and very little feels as it should. Are you here for the coming occasions or simply to petition his majesty? I do so hope for the former, your presence still brings a great deal of comfort. ”

    -    Over time, the Medici had risen from simple beginnings, fallen into near exile only to rise once again with a noble title protecting them. The one thing that had kept them afloat in the lion’s den? Coin. Money had been what made the family name appear on the tongues of the most powerful figures in Europe, the ignoble Florentines were in the pockets of the wealthiest of men and had the bulls where they hurt the most. It occurred to Cosimo very quickly that she was not speaking as lightly as he had first thought, the value of money had been taught to him from a young age but not all had such teachings. “ Coin, if used correctly, can prevent many from even the looming threat of being in such places… Alas, I am saddened that you have experienced it thus, Madonna. I hope you do not think me rude, I had not thought we were speaking so plainly. ”

@alianorxs continuing (x)

there was no denying that heathcliff was one of, if not the, most powerful non-nobility in england. he held most of the upper class nobility in the palm of his hand, their gambling debts and estate failings lining his pockets. while he was always eager to capitalize on people’s hardships, he hadn’t always been this evil. he had once been friendly, charming, someone people wanted to be around. but now, his sour disposition was obvious. 

specifically, his current sourness was simply because he hadn’t had anyone to share his bed in over a week, but no one else needed to know that. he just watched the person speak, trying to focus. “i’m sorry, i wasn’t paying attention. i was distracted by that luscious mouth of yours.”

She rose, chair sent scrawling across the floor like a shipwreck of sorts, the sound so poignant she could picture the very dents left in the floor. Alianore released the silk napkin she'd huddled in her lap right into the bowl served before her. With a splash, summer pea soup sizzled onto the damask, dappling it in concentric waves. The flesh of her cheeks, the bones sustaining them, the furrow which her brows colluded into whenever she was provoked, all of these disappeared. There was only the searing, the sundering of thoughts. A taste like sand grinding through her teeth. Inner pieces in her stomach mingling like the stones on a riverbed.

‘MEDICI: MASTERS OF FLORENCE’ SENTENCE STARTERS MASTER MEME!!

please feel free to change pronouns, locations, titles etc at your pleasure! they will be in italics for ease.

episode one: original sin:  ❝ I can change the world for us. ❞ ❝ We can’t grieve this man, we should celebrate! ❞ ❝ Power breeds enemies. ❞ ❝ Stop making a spectacle of yourself with those tears. ❞ ❝ It is sometimes necessary to do some bad in order to achieve a much greater good. ❞ ❝ Well, we wont let him divide us, will we? ❞ ❝ The city walls have fallen. ❞ ❝ Is it true there will be war? ❞ ❝ They have no clothes… ❞ ❝ I hope you didn’t mind me staring. ❞ ❝ There is more to life than money, you know. ❞ ❝ You don’t have a choice. Neither of us do. ❞ ❝ For 100 Florins my lips are sealed forever. ❞ ❝ Gentlemen don’t hold pens, we wield swords! ❞

episode two: the dome and the domicile: ❝ There are men at the door! ❞ ❝ This is not a bank, if you want gold go there. ❞ ❝ I am not accustomed to being made to wait. ❞ ❝ Romantic, isn’t it? ❞ ❝ Darling, are you unwell? ❞ ❝ Will everyone please stop fussing over me? ❞ ❝ You are as pale as a ghost. ❞ ❝ Is he handsome? ❞ ❝ Your tongue is too sharp! ❞ ❝ I do not appreciate being mated like cattle. ❞ ❝ I did not choose this union either. ❞ ❝ You will be loyal to me and only to me, do you understand?❞ ❝ A viper cornered may strike anyone. ❞ ❝ I can’t get her out of my mind. ❞ ❝ I was not invited, but I came anyway. ❞ ❝ I’m a genius ahead of my time. ❞ ❝ I wish I shared your optimism. ❞ ❝ This folly will only hasten their demise. ❞ ❝ A foolish man lives for himself, a wise man lives with a purpose. ❞ ❝ I will take away the life that God gave you. ❞ ❝ She’s with child, I am to be a father. ❞ ❝ It’s the black death. ❞

episode three: pestilence: ❝ Since when did the rich become such cowards? ❞ ❝ What are you doing here? You need to leave the city. ❞ ❝ My father gave me this, it will protect you. ❞ ❝ We are all sinners. ❞ ❝ You are not the only one she has hurt. ❞ ❝ Do you love her? ❞ ❝ Legacies make great families, not men. ❞ ❝ How did you escape the city? ❞ ❝ Thank god you’re alive! ❞ ❝ What are you doing? Your place is here with your family! ❞ ❝ We cannot run from it, not from a thing like this. ❞ ❝ You must be exhausted, come and eat. ❞ ❝ I am pleased with you and I am proud of you. ❞ ❝ Don’t wait around here for me to die. ❞ ❝ If God should save anyone it should be the sick and poor. And me. ❞ ❝ Make yourself indispensable and no one will find cause to exclude you. ❞   ❝ There are more ways for a woman to be indispensable than in just bearing children. ❞ ❝ I value you and you know that. ❞   

episode four: judgement day:  ❝ I am innocent. ❞ ❝ I see the money has arrived. ❞ ❝ I will light a candle for your soul at mass. ❞ ❝ I’m sure you did not mean to start this family meeting without us. ❞ ❝ An innocent man fears nothing. ❞ ❝ Noble power is ordained by god himself, we exist to rule. ❞ ❝ Stand up and show you’re a man. ❞ ❝ Does our Lord truly forgive all sins? ❞ ❝ You used me! ❞ ❝ What about honour? My honour? ❞ ❝ We have to get you out of here, the family cannot survive without you. ❞ ❝ I do not fear death. ❞ ❝ There is no “us” if you are gone. ❞ ❝ Everything can be sacrificed. ❞ ❝ You think noble blood entitles you to rule the world, not anymore. ❞ ❝ How could you put your own needs before the needs of my family? ❞ ❝ If we leave it broken like this between us we will grow into the break. ❞

episode five: temptation: ❝ They have banished me. ❞ ❝ You should leave the city, it is not safe here. ❞     ❝ There’s a ball tomorrow night, you must come. ❞ ❝ No one will speak to me! Surely you understand my position.❞ ❝ We cannot buy our way to freedom. ❞ ❝ I hate to think of you alone here. ❞ ❝ He misses out on your beauty. ❞ ❝ While we dine in luxury the common man is suffering. ❞ ❝ I almost won you over though, didn’t I? ❞ ❝ I’m married. Get dressed and leave. ❞ ❝ What will they do if I return you to the palace?Will they beat you? ❞ ❝ It’s a trick. Magic. ❞ ❝ What would you do if you were in my position ❞ ❝ Perhaps I hate what has become of you but I could never hate you. ❞ ❝ I realized I never stopped loving you. ❞ ❝ I’ve never known a man to resist your charms. ❞ ❝ It would be a shame to have to ruin your beauty. ❞ ❝ I thought I’d die, I lost a shoe! ❞ ❝ I am your humble servant. ❞ ❝ I hope you have prayed for your sins, ❞ ❝ I was a gift! He is my master now. ❞ ❝ How did you know that I wouldn’t betray you? ❞ ❝ You can be anything you want, you can lose yourself to pleasure. ❞ ❝ Come with me, I know I can make you happy. ❞ ❝ There are greater causes than our happiness. ❞ 

episode six: ascendancy: ❝ There were hundreds of them all chanting our names! ❞ ❝ You lied to me. ❞ ❝ How is it that my whole family has returned yet I feel more alone than ever? ❞ ❝ You must find a wife of noble blood soon. ❞ ❝ Surprises seem to be your forte at the moment. ❞ ❝ Do you intend to hold your piece forever? ❞ ❝ You thought you were a martyr but you were nothing but a child with a paper sword. ❞ ❝ Had I the choice again perhaps I would let you die. ❞ ❝ The leash you think is in your hand is around your neck. ❞ ❝ Remember to whom you speak! ❞ ❝ Our home will still be here when I am gone. ❞ ❝ Have you come to make fun of me? ❞ ❝ You and me, we are the same. I just want you to know you are not alone. ❞ ❝ You have a friend here. ❞ ❝ Why are you shutting me out? ❞ ❝ Was it such an unforgivable treason to have saved your life?❞ ❝ You’re in no position to judge me. ❞ ❝ Yes, I flirted with him. He even asked me to go away but I didn’t. ❞     ❝ That was your duty as my wife! ❞ ❝ What of your duty as my husband? ❞ ❝ Who are we to take this man’s life? ❞   ❝ If you are wise, you will not return. ❞

episode seven: purgatory: ❝ So cruelly torn from this world by the swords of sinners. ❞ ❝ There are always threats. Enemies. I choose to eat with my back to the wall. ❞ ❝ Well, you do it… How hard can it be? ❞ ❝ You must not torture yourself.❞ ❝ What if the truth only brought you pain? ❞ ❝ What exactly is it that you accuse me of? ❞ ❝ All men are capable of murder! ❞ ❝ Perhaps I should run away, nobody would even notice if I was gone. ❞ ❝ So what’s keeping you awake? ❞ ❝ You shouldn’t talk that way about yourself, you’re so much more than that. ❞ ❝ It was just a dream. It’s alright, I’m here. ❞ ❝ I will stay with you in case your nightmares return. ❞ ❝ I’ll sleep better alone. ❞ ❝ A woman of your intelligence should not delude herself. ❞ ❝ There is no mercy in his heart, it is made of stone. ❞ ❝ The only comfort I have is that you now know what sort of monster you are married to. ❞ ❝ I implore you not to listen to their lies. ❞ ❝ He has locked me out of his heart. ❞ ❝ Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. ❞ ❝ We must ensure that we have his undivided loyalty. ❞ ❝ There is no sum of money in the world large enough to make me raise a hand against this family. ❞ 

CIARAN DARCY,        childhood companion to King Henry ; ; a bonfire on a quiet night, a mug of ale, small hours at dawn spent sweating in the Whitehall stables .

    -    Life at court seemed to be changing by the day, at a rate much higher than was usual, and that left a great deal to get used to. New faces arrived with pleas for the young king, days spent in the black of mourning were slowly adopting colour and this a new golden world sat upon the horizon. It was truly a great sight to behold. Though she required nothing of the monarch, dark Howard eyes watched from a seat in the audience chamber in a bid to get the measure of all that was going on around her. As a married woman there were limitations to what she was allowed to do but, with her odd circumstances, Mary would also find that she simply did not belong amongst the gaggles of married women whom would spend their days sewing and complaining about their husbands; she feared she did not know hers well enough to do so. A voice by her ear stole the Duchess’ attention away from the performance and delighted she was to find that it was a voice which belonged to a most familiar face. Rosy cheeks appeared fuller when accompanied by a smile and skirts which matched them in colour brushed against the ground as she happily rose from her perch, moving aside with an extended hand as an offer of assistance. “ Please, beg for nothing, I insist. I only wish I might appear as refreshed after an unendurable journey, may I inquire as to what your secret is? ”

☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see ALIANORE PERCY, the FORMER DUCHESS of BUCKINGHAM coming this way ? I hear SHE is CONTRIVING, but also DESTITUTE. SHE seems to remind everyone of CLINGING IVY, MURMURS .&. BLAZONRY. hopefully one day SHE will succeed in HER ambition to RECLAIM HER FORFEITED TITLE, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope SHE will keep HER head…

wiki blurb can do this better than I can:

 Alianore Percy married Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, who was beheaded in 1521 on false charges of plotting to overthrow the king, Henry VIII. As a result, the Dukedom of Buckingham and estates were forfeited, and her children lost their inheritance.

she probably did love her husband, or at least was enamored with his innate nobility and sense of duty. Buckingham, though he went about it the wrong way, really was convinced that he could embody a better future for the state than ole’ harry. And looking retrospectively at what happened in canon,,,,, he might have had a point.

future info as to her and her children tba

personality traits: embittered, perceptive, independent in thought but very dependable in deed, unscrupulous in her subservience to her purpose, the only integrity she holds is the one she thinks her title will give her. and she will likely lose all dignity in the process of obtaining it ;w; a woeful paradox

potential partners tba - right now she is not liable to see any valid identity in others beyond their potential as political crutches