GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.

‘England is always remaking herself, her cliffs eroding, her sandbanks drifting, springs bubbling up in dead ground. They regroup themselves while we sleep, the landscapes through which we move, and even the histories that trail us; the faces of the dead fade into other faces, as a spine of hills into the mist.’ ― Hilary Mantel

make assumptions about annelise.

@islandiis asked: ❛ why are you really here? ❜

SILENCE MATCHED THE CURIOSITY. Emerald hues busied themselves with watching people pass by; her tea long cold in the mug in the midst of the mental escape Annelise had allowed herself.

❝ I just.. wanted to escape.❞ Genuine honesty was beyond Annelise; but the way she could barely bring herself to glance towards Fannar, said more than she would openly admit. It was difficult to disappear in Europe; too many faces that looked so familiar & being suffocated by the closure of it all was irritating.

Anonymous asked: Which member(s) of your family would you never invite over for a visit? Not necessarily because you don't like them (though that may be why), but just, who do you never want hanging out in your house?

SUFFICE TO SAY, THE IDEA OF having immediate family in her space was undoubtedly uncomfortable. It wasn’t that she necessarily hated her brothers or anyone she considered family - but the years had definitely not been kind. Old wounds that will never heal & Annelise would rather choke than ever say that she was wrong.

Much like her colonies (current and former,) Annelise has always held a motherly attitude towards them. As she's grown older & many of them have become nations of their own, she's rather.. cold & distant. She views them as her personal failures & would do best to keep them in the back of her mind. It is not that she doesn't care nor love them, she just has no further use for the charade of being a parental figure to those who should know better.

@exmunicipalisvincit​ said: ❛ i guess it runs in the family, huh? ❜

HUMMING LOW TO A STEADY MELODY the song unimportant & left almost entirely to blend into the background, a delicate hand tending to the unlooked buds, far too shy to show their wondrous beauty despite the sun that attempted to coax their secrets free.

❝ I’m afraid if you want a clear answer, you’ll have to be more specific, my dear.❞ Not that she was opposed of visitors while she busied herself with the growth of her botanical family, but the weight of the words heavy upon the former glory’s shoulders were weighing down. One can only pretend for so long, after all.

@englaiand| starter call

“It’s pretty from up here, isn’t it? See, the town is built on an eyri — Hm, I’m not sure what the English translation would be. An eyri, it’s a spit of land which extends out into the ocean, but… Kind of like a hook shape. I’m not doing a very good job of explaining this.” He laughs, quietly, and leans back on his hands. “You see, the town is surrounded by ocean on three sides. That’s why, when I picked you up from the airport - and to get here - we had to drive the whole way around the fjord.”

They’re seated up Naustahvilft; a short, though steep climb that stops just under 200 metres. From here, they have a wonderful view over Ísafjörður, the airport, and the steep mountains on all sides of the fjord, bar one, which leads out to the ocean and snow-covered land on the far side.

“This is Nýhöfn. New Harbour. It´s where the cruise ships come in and dock,” he points to the harbour closest to us, currently free of cruise liners blocking their view. To the opposite side of the eyri, he points to the second harbour, “and this is Gamlahöfn. Old harbour. This is where fishing vessels and things like that come in. Ísafjörður and most of the other towns around here are all old fishing villages, so there is a lot of history.” He coughs to one side, before asking, “The UK has quite a maritime history as well, doesn’t it?”

THERE WAS MAGIC IN THE WAY THE OCEAN CLAIMED LAND. It was a miracle in itself that the island maintained its peace with being confined between the sea and mountains that would no doubt swallow them one day. Pulling her legs to her chest, Annelise’s eyes followed the motion of Fannar’s finger as he pointed and named out the landmarks. It was beautiful, there was no doubt about that.

England had their own mountains, but compared to the one she currently sat on that stretched along the coast, it paled. The Highlands she called home were specks, and there was nothing more Annelise wanted was to explore them till her body collapsed. For now, she’ll settle for this moment, listening to the waves crash on the shore of vacant ship lots & seabird song.

❝ Our maritime history mostly revolves around trade and conflicts, I’m afraid.❞ Not quite something she was proud to admit, but there was always the rush of being on the open sea, unrestricted & starved for adventure. There was always a small part of her that longed to be part of the ocean again, but those were the dreams of a girl who never learned how to grow up.