regera

PRINCESS CECILIA HENRIKSSON OF SWEDEN.

intro. appearance. musings. interactions.

BASTARD PRINCE NYMANDUS HARALD SVEND ATTERDAG OF DENMARK

intro. appearance. musings. interactions.

plot updates under the cut

@kronsela​

when catharina had been told of her engagement, when she had agreed to it, she knew that things weren’t going to be easy. since arriving in france, it seemed that all she had done was defend herself and the man that she was to call her husband. she thought that she would never feel a moment of peace again, but in the days that followed their small ceremony that was exactly what she felt. as she lay by him, a man she had come to know in such little time, she felt peace. it was a feeling she had longed for since the beginning of the plague, since her time here had began, and finally she had found it. it surprised her, but she welcomed it with open arms. 

she pressed herself upward, sitting close to him, and tip-toed her fingers across his skin, “nymandus,” she whispered, a grin coming to her face, “i think it may be time for us to leave this bed. we’ve spent far too long cooped up in here.”

-

nymandus had not anticipated enjoying his wife as much as he did. when he had agreed to a betrothal at the behest of his advisors, he’d anticipated it being based on convenience and political power; the girl would be a means to an end and he would be able to continue to whore in secret with anyone he chose. but catharina was good, she was kind. she did not deserve an unfaithful husband, nor an absent one.

he captured her hand, kissing each knuckle. “nonsense. we can just tell any inquiring mind that we’re making an heir. they’ll be thrilled.”

STARTER for @kronsela​ ( ny )

“YOU’RE TERRIBLE AT PRIMERO,” charlotte remarked. “MAYBE THEY SHOULD MAKE ME QUEEN SINCE I’M THE SUPERIOR BLUFFER.” she smiled at her brother, laying her cards down and beaming at her chorus of cards.

“BE CAREFUL, BROTHER, OR I’LL WIN THOSE BOOTS OF YOURS AS A PRIZE.” she wouldn’t tell him she’d been cheating. he needn’t know that.

-

ny scoffs and rolls his eyes, looking at his deck. “it is not my fault i did not have a childhood rife with time dedicated to primero matches.” he looks down at his boots then puts one foot on the table with a thunk. “if you want them, have them. the good lady therese of bohemia sponsored them for me. something about farmer boots not being suitable enough for court.”

“Ah and yet if your sister didn’t rule it still wouldn’t be you.” Levi didn’t know of her brother aside from what she said. But fucking his way through the world or not, he was still heir before she was. If he didn’t want his brother on the throne it wouldn’t be left to him, it would be his older brother who took the throne. “Your prospects are high, but you’ve been promised to me. You’ll have to deal with the Dutch royal it seems.” He’d not been happy with the whole arraignment personally but he’d accepted it now. She was interesting enough for him not to fight against it. 

They shared that, the respect for their late father’s wishes. It did show that no matter how terrible a front she did put on, how she scrutinized her sister, she did care about her family. Something that was important to Levi. The next comment died on his tongue when she sat in his lap. She was far more forward than he thought she would be. Levi’s arms slid loosely around her waist, his arms setting on her hips as she leaned into him. “Your tongue is part of your charm Princess Cecilia. It stings as much as it entices me.” 

-

her face reddens immediately. she had used all the tricks up her sleeve to intimidate him, scare him, show him that she is not one to be trifled with. but he liked it. he liked... her. the concept was so foreign to cecilia that a flicker of utter shock made its way through her usual mask before she realized just how secure and warm his arm was around her waist.

“i--” the panic began to set in. she felt a million needles crawling their way up her throat. her skin felt like it was too tight; burning; freezing. she pulled away slightly only to feel the tug of his arms again and gulped. “i have no charm. just ask anyone.

The small journal that was usually tucked away in her skirts or hidden away in her things sat open in her hand. The writing in a few different languages, mostly in Persian, her mother tongue. But there were a few she’d written in English, words scribbled down from a woman she’d gotten information from. Atossa knew poisons better than many people in this castle she would bet, but they weren’t safe to be anywhere but with her now. With the death of the Italian King she didn’t want any kind of mixing that she was involved with these people. 

Footsteps had her quickly closing her book, holding it close to her chest. “Ah Princess Cecilia. Can I help you?” She hadn’t meant to sound like she was snapping at her but these were her secret books. @kronsela​

-

cecilia had heard of the many different people from far off lands that had skills her mother would deem unladylike. she knew of atossa and her love of poisons, and it ignited an almost childlike fascination within her. she looked at atossa, trying to contain herself.

“what do you have in that book?”

starter for @kronsela​

“i am so pleased you could join me, lady cecilia,” she murmured with a smile on her face. she wanted to get to know her future sister-in-law, after all. “please have a seat. i have arranged for us to sample some french pastries. i do hope you enjoy sweets.” johanna, herself, always had a sweet tooth. she was excited for some company after the last few days. “i hear you have gotten the chance to meet the prince, yes?”

-

cecilia stiffens, then turns to see her impending sister-in-law and queen standing before her. she’d tried to avoid the dutch brood for as long as she could, but they seemed to be everywhere. “yes. i have.” her jaw is stiff. “he.... well, he is.” words fail her when she has to talk about matters of the heart; relationships were never her strong suit. she sits awkwardly in front of johanna, smoothing her skirts with a forced smile. i wish viktor was here. he’d do something stupid, like try to sleep with her. then i could escape. “what kinds of sweets?”

catharina finds herself caught off guard by his kiss, but when he pulls away too quickly she only craves more of him, nearly pouting at the small distance put between them. it surprised her how easy it felt to be with him considering all of the drama that surrounded their union. but in that moment, they were just ny and cat, and it brought a brightness to her smile that would be reserved for only moments like this with him. “it’s more about the taste than the size,” she responds with a laugh, “surely you can look past it. or must we find you something a bit more hearty?”

-

he wants to kiss her again, but he knows they must be chaste in the eyes of the chaperone that no doubt is hiding in the bushes. ny chuckles to himself. “i have heard many a nobleman say the same about...” he clears his throat. “food, obviously. i think i will be fine, as long as i am fed supper, too.” he grins at her, cupping her face for another kiss. he can’t help himself. “i am not used to having to be so gentle. you are getting a rough man, catharina.”

catharina froze as his hand took hold of her chin, her eyes widening slightly as she held his gaze, but her nerves seemed to calm slightly. he seemed to have some kind of power over her, one that calmed her and reminded her that even with everything they were dealing with he would be there for her just as she would for him. “i suppose i should just breathe and enjoy my time with my husband then.” she could feel her cheeks redden once more and scrunched up her nose, “a bit premature for me to use that term, but i wanted to see what it was like.”

she smiled, cheeks still rosy,  and leaned forward toward the sweet he provided for her with blue eyes still watching him from under her lashes, “you may want to be careful with how much you spoil me.” she took a small bight, eyes closing momentarily as she enjoyed the sweetness. 

-

“it is never too early, my wife..” he swipes a crumb of sugar from the side of her mouth, then leans in for a kiss. their first, he realizes. it was odd how only an afternoon and a few scant meetings could foster such an immediate fondness in him for her. “this food...” he murmurs. “it’s so tiny. is this how all royals eat?”

catharina nodded along as he answered her questions, his answers satisfying her curiosity and furthering her trust for him and the position he believed was rightfully his. it wasn’t about it being his birthright, about his father having been king, it truly was about caring for his people. he didn’t trust his siblings, and why would he? he had seen firsthand what the family hadn’t done for the people of austria. she couldn’t blame him for wanting to stake his claim now. “i understand, truly, i do. i used to know alexandrine quite well, she is a tough one to get through to. i don’t think she will ever trust me again. i wish i could be of more help to you.”

“today?” she parroted his words, her stomach twisting and her mouth going dry. while she had assumed that he would want to marry quickly, she hadn’t expected it to be this quickly. she removed her hand from his leg and sat up straighter, her eyes leaving his for a moment, his gaze somehow making her feel more nervous all of a sudden. “well,” she tried to find her words before she began nodding, “yes.” she found his gaze once more, a smile spreading across her face, “yes, of course, if you think today would be best then i would be happy to marry you today.” she moved to where she was sitting on her knees, palms flat against her legs, “should we find someone now? what now?” she could feel her heart thudding against her chest from nerves, but at the same time she felt prepared for whatever he suggested next.

-

he could see her tense up at the suggestion and he swallowed as he acquired some of her nervousness as well.

“catharina.” ny took her chin in his hand and turned her to look at him. “for now, we will sit here and eat these ridiculously tiny pieces of food, enjoy the summer air, and relax. later, i can go search for a priest. you need not do anything but become my wife.” he gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as his other hand held up one of the tiny cakes. “you said sweets were your weakness. i will give you as many sweets as you want for the rest of your life. i promise you that.”

Most royal women he knew were meek and held their tongue, others of lesser standing were usually busy trying to please him as a prince. Sometimes he lied about his name, but usually his ship gave him away. Cecilia Henriksson seemed to have none of these qualms, she spoke brazenly and openly didn’t care about how he perceived her. “I could ask you the same thing your highness. Why are you agreeing to marry me? You think very little of myself or my family.” Levi would tell her that he tried to argue it already, but that would certainly do nothing but anger her more. Perhaps he’d mention that to her later, right now he was enjoying this as it was. “It’s such a tragedy that your brilliant political mind is going to be spent on me then.” Downing the rest of his drink, Levi looked her over, the way she drank without as much as a flinch. “You’ll do better with my on a ship than with some other men or Kings, you must know that. In many countries, a mouthy wife would simply have her tongue cut out.” She’d called him easily on the ship though, he supposed he had that look. 

Though he would never admit it aloud, she was entertaining. She observed things more than others did, he supposed that was a right she’d earned in being the last in line for the throne. People didn’t pay attention to you as closely when you were a spare. “You’re going to make sure the throne of Sweden is in good hands? Ah hearing a princess openly speak of potentially overthrowing her sister is a rare treat.” He’d learned more about the Swedish court in two minutes than he had in his entire life. “Your life is already signed away to a third born son. You can fight it but here we are, resigned to be lovers for eternity.” 

Levi sat up as Cecilia approached him, the smirk never leaving his face. “Oh I think perhaps I’m the only one who can. The old tales of true love, fated to be.” If she wanted to be terrible, he could give the favor back, “The sailor prince and the… bitch princess. A match made by god.” 

-

“i never said i wanted to overthrow my sister, just that i wanted to place someone capable on the throne. whether or not that is my sister is yet to be revealed.” it wasn’t as if she had any sort of professional admiration for astrid, but they were family. and if she was going to be a doormat, then cecilia would find someone to help carry her country into a golden age. “perhaps a young ottoman upstart, or someone russian. anything but another dutch royal.” she shoots him a withering glance.

“i’d rather be a bitch spinster,” she said, eyeing the decanter of wine across the room as she longed for another drink. “but i can’t go back on my father’s wish. he’s dead; apparently it’s disrespectful to refuse his commands. but i will have you know, third born,” she says as she slowly slides onto his lap, an arm snaking behind his neck as she leans in to whisper in his ear. “if you try to take my tongue, i will take your balls.” she presses a light kiss to his ear. “and i will be quicker.”

cecilia pulls away with a smile. “are we clear?”

This wasn’t the place most people expected a Prince to linger, especially not with the new threat of a French revolt, but Levi was far from what most would call a normal prince. Moving through the small crowd, he grabbed a drink before eyeing a small gathering of people playing cards. It took him a few moments to recognize the man who spoke, one of the new Polish visitors, a guard or something. Levi hadn’t spent much time learning the names of other people yet. “I could try I suppose. We’ll see if my time at different ports has taught me anything about this game.” He looked over the man’s hand, “Levi Jasen, your potential savior in this game.”

-

casim knew levi to be the youngest of the dutch royalty; a skinny man with a love of boats that was unrivaled in this area. he gestured to a chair next to him. “come, sit. i am sure you can get me out of this hand better than i can. casim.” he offers his hand to shake. “if you manage to win any amount of my money back, i’ll buy you some ale.”

she makes sure the man is speaking to her before she walks over. suyin knows that if she’s caught she would be in a lot of trouble, but that would be a future problem. a cloak covers her dark hair as she sits besides the other, dark eyes on the cards in his hand. she smiles, shaking her head. “looks like it. you just need practice.” 

-

casim chuckled, then looks at her in appreciation. “then what would you have my next move be? come, sit.” he gestures to the chair next to him. “you can be the one who wins my silver back.” his opponent is unhappy, but silent. “i’ll even buy you some ale in thanks.”

Olivier looked up at Nymandus, their heart racing. This was just as exciting as it was to sneak out of the palace and mingle with the commoners, in their opinion. There was the possibility of them getting caught, which was enough to send their heart racing. That was why they’d brought Nymandus to the throne room in the dead of night a few nights prior, when the rest of the palace slept. Now, the space was more secluded, but the sun had yet to set, which made the task equally exciting. “Is that such a bad thing?” they ask, their hands going to his waist. “You have yet to deny me what I want, my king…”

-

he smirked and backed olivier up against a nearby tree, pressing his hips against theirs. “i am never one to deny my loyal, giving subjects their desires,” he chuckles, gently rubbing his nose against theirs. “but i am sure my... wife would object to the daytime nature of this encounter.”

the blonde could feel her cheeks redden as his fingers brushed her lips, her stomach twisting in a way that she couldn’t remember feeling in years. on one hand, it gave her hope. hope that she may possibly have a love like her parents or even adem and johanna. hope that she would not live a life just of duty, but of love. on the opposite hand, though, it scared her. opening herself up to the possibility of hurt was something she very rarely did. it was hard for her, for anyone really, but she had spent so much time keeping herself from getting hurt and building the warm persona that she was so known for she didn’t want to lose that by allowing herself to trust and care for someone new. 

resting her weight on one hand, she found herself watching him. she could finally see him, as he spoke of his siblings, and how it their attitudes and distaste for him were impacting him. she could taste his bitterness in her own mouth, but she could only imagine the heaviness of everything he must be handling. “they must be perfect at all times, not a single hair out of place.” she nodded, understanding, “for fear that they may be struck down by those that wish to do them harm. they see you as a threat or else they would not react the way that they do. they think the worst of you when all you have done is stake a claim that you rightfully believe in. they have not taken a single moment to put themselves in your shoes. if they had, they may be more open to speaking with you. unfortunately, you cannot control that. may i ask if you have tried to understand how they may feel?” 

she rolled his words over in her head, thinking of the best way to respond, before she sat up and reached out, her hand resting gently on his shin making sure she held his attention, “i may not be enjoying questioning and the judgment that has been thrown my way as of late, but i need you to understand something about me. you are to be my husband, my family. family means everything to me. i will stand by you, my image be damned.” 

-

ny sighed, running a hand over his hair that he had tied back with a strip of leather. “i would ask them if i could get a word in edge-wise. the think me to take some sort of birthright of theirs, but i have no interest in stealing any sort of glory. i simply don’t believe them to be the best people to rule austria. so many people... died, and alexandrine is here lecturing me on protecting austria’s image. as if that image isn’t already dust. france hates us, commoners hate the crown; it’s a wonder they weren’t killed on their journey here.”

he pulls up a fistful of grass, leaning into cat’s touch, then looks at her. “we should marry soon. to make my claim even more legitimate.” he tries to find purchase in her eyes, her face. my, she was pretty. “today. we should marry today. i am sure a priest can be arranged on short notice.”

˟  𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦  𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳，  @kronsela​​  /  nymandus

if  xianliang  is  honest  with  himself  ,  he  possesses  some  amount  of  empathy  for  nymandus  —  after  all  ,  wanting  the  crown  intended  for  your  brother  is  a  dangerous  position  to  be  in  .  while  their  circumstances  are  different  ,  they  are  also  familiar  ;  whenever  xianliang  hears  harsh  whispers  about  ‘  the  usurper  ’  ,  he  does  his  best  not  to  cringe  .  although  his  personal  reasons  are  close  to  his  chest  ,  he  wishes  to  speak  with  the  man  in  question  .  which  brings  him  to  right  now  ,  away  from  prying  eyes  and  ears  ready  to  eavesdrop  in  the  privacy  of  a  secluded  study  .  “  so  you’re  the  one  i  have  heard  so  much  about  .  ”  xianliang  remarks  thoughtfully  as  he  sits  ,  motioning  for  nymandus  to  do  the  same  .  “  unfortunately  for  the  others  ,  i  am  …  admittedly  interested  in  hearing  what  you  have  to  say  ,  instead  of  just  blindly  listening  to  their  biased  viewpoints  .  ”

nymandus sits opposite xianliang. he was just becoming acquainted with the other royals at play here, and his advisors told him that xianliang might be someone he should look into. “what is there to say? i watched my people suffer during the plague from incompetency at the hands of the royal family, then discovered i might have a way to fix that. monarchical lines may create stagnant countries, but if they’re the only way to gain power, i’m not afraid to use that to my advantage.”

most royal men and women irritated cristo, with the exception of the tsar and his family. because of this, he much preferred spending his free time away from the palace and in taverns like the one he was in now. it reminded him of his younger days, when he would sneak around hoping to snatch the coin purse of a patron too drunk to notice. he shook his head at the other. “i’m afraid i wouldn’t fair any better,” he tells him. “i’d surely lose your coin much faster than you would. it’s hard to keep up with all the rules.”

“i’m losing enough of my coin as is.” he scoffs at his opponent and throws another meager piece of silver on the table as he shows his losing hand. “likely best not to gamble in times like these. you never know who you’re sitting across the table from. could be one of them.” he raises an eyebrow at cristo, referencing the phantoms that infiltrated the palace the previous night.”