King Charmont

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-  closed starter

for: @kit-charmont·

belle held the cat in her arms as she walked down the street of houses, as if simply looking upon the door would tell her if this cat belonged to them or not. either way, at least this path would lead to her own home — hopefully adam and the others wouldn’t mind if she kept a lost cat in her room for a while. 

or perhaps she should leave the cat with the animal protection society?

when she saw a figure close by, she immediately walked over to them. “ hello, i’m sorry to bother you, but i was wondering if you knew a cat-owner along this street ? or perhaps she’s yours ? ” she asked, turning so he could see the cat’s face.

*

“Sadly no to both.” Kit had been working his way down the street, lost in his thoughts, the place where the man could truly always be found. He had not been so far gone, though, to miss when the woman addressed him, and he bent now to face the cat the eye to eye as he dared to scratch the top of its head. “Thankfully it looks they have not been out long so I am sure their owner will be searching soon.” He looked over the street with an appraising eye. “Have you gone to any of the houses?” If there was a shy bone in his body, it had long since been trained out of him and he summoned her (if she liked) to follow him up to one of the doors and knocking.

Kit wasn’t sure he hadn’t gone mad. He could have sworn he saw her, her, as he drove down the road that led through the center of town. It made no sense that Ella would be here - the probability of them both being oceans and hundreds of miles away from home and still land in the same place had to be near impossible - but he knew what his eyes had seen - or did he?

By the time his tires had screeched to a stop and the man looked back where she had been, she was gone. He was tempted to say it was a trick of his eyes, but he felt too sure, too absolutely sure, to give up.

He parked in the very next spot, sweeping out of the car with a practiced grace that made even his hurried steps look controlled. Life was not what it was two years ago, Kit could not say for sure he was what he was two years ago, but he had to know he wasn’t crazy. He had to know why this was the moment Ella was thrown back into his life. He was not so close to the situation anymore to fall back into some grand romantic notion, not as his attention was being pulled in another direction, but it still had to mean something and he was determined to find out.

Kit pushed into the shop nearest to where he thought he had seen, eyes scanning the room, each and every face, until they landed on her. Few people in his life had touched him the way she had, even in only the briefest moments they had had together, and here she was again. “Ella.” He let her name slip from his mouth like an old friend and he grinned wide. 

       IT WAS ONLY AFTER VIVIENNE REPEATED  the  elaborate  plan  back  to  her  that  rosalie  how  foolish  she  sounded .  it  was  definitely  not  her  best  moment ,  but  who  could  blame  her ?  it  was  becoming  more  and  more  difficult  to  come  up  with  excuses  to  not  acknowledge  her  brother ,  especially  in  a  public  space .  ❛  okay ,  just-  don’t  tell  him  anything ,  it’s  better  that  way .  ❜  a  curt  nod ,  figuring  that’ll  have  to  do  for  the  time  being .  her  cousin’s  suggestion  makes  rose  shake  her  head  violently ,  ❛  not  at  all !  i  hope  he  is  devastated ,  that  he’s  filled  with  remorse  for  being  so  terribly  rude  to  me !  why  should  i  care ,  i  don’t  care !  he’s  made  it  clear  that  he  doesn’t  care  what  i  think .  nobody  does .  ❜   except  for  maybe  cosima ,  but  rosalie  was  pretty  sure  that  was  just  because  she  didn’t  want  to  see  her  cry .  after  a  long  sigh  escapes  her  lips ,  the  princess  spoke  again .  ❛  do  you  and  arthur  ever  argue ?  maybe  short  temper  is  a  curse  every  future  king  has  to  bear ,  i  don’t  know …  ❜ 

*

For someone who said she didn’t care, Rosalie was doing her best impression of a person who cared a hell of a lot. Vivienne nodded along, “People care what you think, Rosie, you know that... I forget, what was Liam’s point again?” She was mostly curious if the other girl would be able to tell her after arguing how no one cared what she thought. 

Vivienne had quickly decided both of them needed to suck it up and make up, two people both in the wrong simply because they refused to bend and listen. Forever now picking away at the stone exteriors so maybe they could see that. “Oh yeah - I mean, that’s just what brothers and sisters do, isn’t it? But it’s like my dad says, at the end of the day, you might outgrow friends and acquaintances, but your siblings will always be there. No one will ever know you better, bug you more, and love you as fiercely.” She shrugs and takes a drink. “He said of all the things in his life, finding a way to make things good again with Florian was one that means the most to him.”

starter for: @kit-charmont·

🗡️ ⠀  ⠀ ⠀  ⠀ ───────────  after   sometime   liam   managed   to   sneak   through   the   crowd   without   being   disturbed   once   again.   there   was   churning   sensation   in   the   pit   of   his   stomach   as   he   continued   to   venture   on.   normally   at   events   like   this   he   would   be   keeping   an   eye   out   for   the   twins.   they   were   notorious   for   getting   themselves   into   trouble   and   as   their   older   brother   liam   did   what   he   could   to   watch   out   for   them.   this   time   he   wasn’t.   he   had   no   idea   where   seth   or   rosalie   were.   he   hadn’t   exactly   seen   either   of   them   since   the   fight.   while   he   felt   guilty   for   not   doing   what   he   was   supposed   to   it   also   felt   freeing   in   a   sense   to   not   worry.   that   made   him   all   the   more   guilty.   after   walking   for   a   bit   he   spotted   his   cousin   arthur   and   immediately   made   a   beeline   for   him.   if   there   was   one   person   he   felt   he   still   had   it   was   arthur.      “   i   almost   had   me   ear   pulled   off   by   a   girl.   has   anything   of   the   sort   ever   happened   to   you   ?   ”      he   asked   settling   next   to   him   and   letting   an   ease   silence   fall   between   them   before   he   finally   asked.      “   they   haven’t   caused   any   trouble   have   they   ?   ”

*

“No - and to be honest, I feel quite bitter about it.” Arthur relished in being well-liked, in the attention it brought him. It was a temptation at times, one he did his best to stave off, when friends and lovers could come so easy. “What’s wrong with me that I’m not being assaulted in the streets?” He smirked over the rim of his beer as he took a drink, eyebrow raising at the next question. They were all caught in the middle of Liam and Rosalie’s feud, there was no escaping the cloud that it cast - and Arthur understood. He had thrown his support behind Liam, understanding his life, his pressures, his concerns, better than anyone, but he had been careful to not break off completely from the other, maintain some form of conversation. He knew instantly who the man was referring to. “I haven’t seen Seth at all - which means Rose is off somewhere being left to her own devices so... probably.” He grinned. “But no one has come complaining about it so it couldn’t be too bad.”

   eye roll she didn’t even bother to cover up, she takes one last glance of the culprit with a frown, turning back to viv after. ‘ it was worth the try, ’ she tries to convince herself aloud. betty lays her head against the countertop as if her bones had given up completely. she releases the loudest sigh to compliment her dramatics. ‘ i’ll buy you whatever you’d like for the rest of the night, viv. i promise. just drink a shot with me before. feeling really down after that blow, need a quick pick me up. ’ 

*

Vivienne had yet to meet a person worth getting dramatic over. Her feet had stayed firmly on the ground while the rest of the world was being swept off of theirs. At moments she was jealous, when she watched the people she cared about caught up in the bliss of love, with their sappy smiles and giddy declarations. It seemed fun - at the very least. But for every sappy story, she was reminded of the viciousness of love’s whole deal, letting Betty have her moment of pouting before shrugging, “You don’t have to ask me twice - but hey, that dude, don’t let him ruin your night, right? Honestly, up close, he wasn’t even that hot.” He was. Maybe hotter. But it didn’t matter - she’d say what she needed to pull her friend out of the funk. “You dodged a bullet on that one.”

closed starter for @kit-charmont· location: downtown elias

sally wasn’t one for big celebrations.. unless they were in radiator springs.. maybe it’s because she knew everyone there. elias was jammed packed with people it was hard to keep up. but she tried the best she could. she sat on a bench, people watching after the parade had ended. it was nice and peaceful. the noise of laughter and children running around. it brought back fond memories of times before. and just like that she saw someone who shared many memories with her. someone she was very fond of and thought of often. kit charmont. the king who once owned her heart in a whirlwind of romance. sometimes thinking back she would get sad thinking of what could have been. 

“kit!” she waved over, getting up from her spot to meet him. “i thought big parades and city wide parties were more for kings.. why hasn’t elias celebrated you like this?” she asked with grin, not skipping a beat, always picking up right where they’d left off.

*

Kit’s visits to Elias had grown farther and farther between over the years. When the twins were young, it was a nice getaway, a place where they could be free and run around. They would go to the beach, go to the parks - but they were getting older and so was he. Instead of a place for living in the moment, it was now a place of memories. All the festivities could not hide the town underneath. Memories of his kids when they were still kids, memories of his brothers, memories of --

The voice seemed to call out to him from those recesses in his mind, eyes drawn up to a woman who had never left his thoughts. Kit’s smile was in an instant, his trajectory immediately turning her way in an eagerness shameful for a man far past full grown. “Oh, but you never knew me at 25.” He smiled. “Elegant balls, every citizen of Ulstead was invited, dancing through the entire night...” Coming to a stop in front of the woman, he held out his arms in greeting. “Sally Carrera, as beautiful as ever.”

@kit-charmont·

            ❛  DO YOU THINK LIAM IS HERE ?  ❜  the  princess  rolls  her  eyes  at  her  own  inquiry ,   ❛  probably  not ,  he’s  an  absolute  fool  who  detests  fun  and  people  getting  along  with  each  other .  if  you  do  see  him ,  please  tell  him  i’m  not  here .  in  fact  as  far  as  liam  is  concened ,   i  am  lying  on  a  ditch  somewhere ,  never  to  return !  i  do  not  wish  to  be  perceived  or  spoken  to .  ❜   a  pause ,   ❛  and  please  let  him  know  i  think  his  outfit  is  ugly .  i  haven’t  seen  it ,  but  it’s  definitely  ugly .  unless  it’s  pink …  or  blue …  maybe  both ,  but  he  has  no  taste  so  it’ll  most  certainly  be  atrocious !  an  ugly  pineapple  shade  or  whatever .  ❜ 

*

“So wait -” Vivienne looked on confused. “Am I supposed to tell him you’re not here, that you’re lying in a ditch somewhere, or that his outfit is ugly and his taste is shit?” With a snap of her fingers, she suggested, “Wait, I can combine them - you’re not here because you died in a ditch, but you left him a note in your will that he’s a yellow pineapple boy. I got you covered.” It was ridiculous and part of Vivienne hoped that taking it there would show it to the other girl. This feud was tiring, and the fact that she couldn’t make it better was stressing her out. “Or maybe you could hope he’s having a good time wherever he is?”

Kit Charmont --

Kit would have been happy with a simple life, but it was not in his cards, and it wouldn’t be in the cards for his children, but he could do his best and give them what he could. He had married a woman for her title, and though it never blossomed into a great romantic love story, she was a good partner, friend, and mother to their twins, and when she died, they had all mourned her. Kit never wavered from the goal the two had of raising children first and royal heirs second. He had learned his lessons from his own upbringing, allowing the two to develop as their own people, no expectation but for them to be good, decent. When he finally asked Arthur if he wanted to be king, though, Kit still breathed a sigh of relief when he agreed.

Arthur Charmont --

It wasn’t exactly a surprise to Arthur when Kit finally sat him down, asked him if he wanted to be king. It wasn’t as if he had to look far to see how these sorts of matters usually worked. But he loved his people, he loved his kingdom and he took only a day to think on it before deciding to take on the role. He also loved his girlfriend, a love he was certain was the most pure, the most earnest love that could have existed. It was a media frenzy when she became the pregnant and when Arthur introduced the newborn as third in line for the throne. While the relationship didn’t last, his devotion to the young girl remains steadfast.

Connections --

Friends : Charming, as per the name. The future king of Ulstead welcomes all - a far more relaxed future king than his father ever was. Isolde’s Mother : What their relationship looks like now to be determined, but he co-parents to the best of his ability.

Vivienne Charmont --

Her family was kinda weird. She loved them and she loved their particular brand of weirdness and their attachment to the faded ideals of chivalry and their horses and romantic ideals - but they were weird all the same. The practical daughter of a practical woman, Vivienne (Viv for short) is her family’s protector, doing every thing she can to ensure no one bursts a single one of their bubbles. Being realistic does not make her boring - mouthy and with a courageous streak to rival any Charmont - things are never boring with Vivienne around.

Connections -

Kit never knew how these things would go over. As they aged, he tried less and less to find common ground with Florian. No matter what his younger brother’s reactions, he could not be blamed for the dissolution of their relationship when Kit just let it happen. He was older. He was supposed to be the responsible one, the one that took care of them. He could not continue to put Philip in the position of holding them together. It wasn’t fair to the man who had his own family to look after.

He stood outside the door, two pizzas and a 12-pack stacked in his arms. There was a game on. Kit had been uncertain whether Florian would even respond if asked to watch it together - and so he simply showed up and hoped the man was in and willing to let him stay, knocking hard with his elbow against the door.

closed starter for: @kit-charmont·· location: the local grocery store ! time: evening, around dinner time.

sally was scanning the isles for a specific something.. something to catch her eye and give her an idea of what to make for dinner. the children were away with monty and elizabeth for the weekend and she was left to amuse herself. after a long day at work the only thing on her mind was food. but– she couldn’t figure out what she wanted. as she walked down the isle she spotted a familiar figure. one of kit charmont.

“tell me you have got a good idea of what i should make myself for dinner?” she called over as she walked up. deciding to make small talk with the prince. “or i am going to give up and eat mcdonalds.” 

*

Kit studied his phone and then the aisle - and then back at his phone. He had a goal - one made out of restlessness and an insecurity around not being busy - but it was a goal nonetheless. If he could make even one dish without help, and make it well, he could move on. It did not have to be something extravagant, it did not have to be something fancy, but something he might make for himself, something that reminded him of home and comfort. He had sent for a recipe from his mother, a coq au vin she made on special occasions as a child. Perhaps if he could master it, he could share it with his brothers as well. He doubted even Florian could be snide about that gesture... 

He looked up from his study of the recipe at an approaching voice, arm dropping, smile wide in an instant as he turned to face her. “Please do not let my presence here fool you into thinking I have any idea what I am doing.” He laughed. “But I am happy to share a cart and your company while we figure it out.”

   ‘ i feel the sudden need to scratch everything out and start anew, ’ she suddenly proclaimed. her expression feigns nonchalance before she cracks a smile. beverly would. trust me, she would, but she couldn’t deny that he was getting better. ‘ i’m perfectly fine waiting in the sidelines, as long as you don’t go off and replace me, that is. i do need this job. ’ an honest confession. bev was grateful she wasn’t stuck playing second fiddle to someone who took credit for all of her work. he was a great student, even a great listener at times. she enjoyed taking charge and seeing as kit wasn’t at all threatened by it, she would do about anything to further his career. ‘ a little tacky, ’ she chides with a determined expression. ‘ overused. it’d be better to use words that make you stand out. more personal. would you like to give it a second try or should i go ahead and make the changes myself ? ’

*

Kit knew from experience that she would have replaced every damn word he had written - and the fact that Beverly only joked about it instead of following through meant he was getting better. He quickly grew tired of people who agreed with everything that he said - he wanted to improve, not have be followed about being told how perfect he was. They all knew that it wasn’t true. “I would never. Who exactly would I even begin to replace you with?” Tacky. Overused. She certainly held no punches. More personal... “No, I should try. Give you another opportunity to attack my ego.” He chuckles. Taking back the page, he started to write. “How have you been?” He asks, glancing up quickly from his writing. “You know, in the times I’m not distracting you.”

𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛: @kit-charmont·

🗡️ ⠀  ⠀ ⠀  ⠀ ───────────    philip   had   not   seen   much   of   kit   since   their   hunting   trip.   the   youngest   prince   was   trying   his   best   to   keep   his      sunny   disposition   but   it   was   hard   for   it   not   to   waver   when   his   last   conversation   with   kit   had   struck   a   chord   with   him.   the   line   between   duty   and   heart   had   always   been   a   thin   line.   a   line   that   philip   had   no   desire   of   teetering   anymore.   he   had   fully   fell   into   leading   with   his   heart.   whether   that   led   him   astray   or   not   was   his   journey   to   figure   out.   like   florian,   philip   a   sense   of   responsibility   to   make   sure   kit   was   already.   the   eldest   was   a   heavy   burden   that   philip   would   never   know.   he   knew   that   florian   would   let   kit   fall   to   the   wayside   so   it   was   up   to   him   to   make   sure   both   of   his   brothers   were   alive   and   well.   alive   mostly.      “   you   look   exhausted.   ”      philip   said   as   he   entered   his   brother’s   apartment.      “   how   late   were   you   up   the   other   night   ?   ”

*

Every time something major went down in Ulstead, a lull period followed. Despite their distance, he and his brothers were important, the people wanted to see them, wanted to know their thoughts. How the others reacted he could not control - it was more of a mantra for when he felt guilty about not including them more - but he did his part. The morbid reality of it all is that, bar a miracle, he was going to inherit the fallout of any decisions being made. He wished to forget it. He wished to live in a world where he wasn’t forced to think about his father’s death incessantly. With literally nothing to do but follow the news now, he still didn’t sleep. He was reheating a cup of black coffee when Philip arrived. “Good day to you then.” He smirked, though he still stood up straighter as if that might mask his exhaustion. “I couldn’t sleep, and as it is Wednesday, I decided to just get up and watch the Council of Ministers meeting. Don’t you hate you missed it?” He teased playfully.