heavy is the head

Mei-Ling had thought she’d been clear of her family for one afternoon, she’d had none of them coming to make demands today or complain about anything. It was a good day, or she’d been so sure it would be until she rounded the corner and saw her half brother insult one of the Italian nobles. Her eyes narrowed as she passed the offended man and took her brother’s arm, “Insulting the other courts is by far the worst way to make allies.” He wanted to become emperor himself, he made that clear, she knew that. And yet he made no effort to know who he should. “It looks bad on our country and more importantly you.” 

*

freja’s mind was a mess after a disasters meeting with ladies over tea. though they were friendly, freja could feel the clear uncomfortableness in their eyes. she was a swedish princess, after all. a traitor to many, even if it was not her fault. the princess turned the corner and ran into someone. as she opened her mouth to apologize, she was cut off by this…rude man’s words. freja raises her brow. “only if you do the same, sir.”  

*

Jianyu was not a fan of this place. He was not a fan of these people. He certainly was not a fan of this strange sense of responsibility for the woes and struggles of the world so many of these so-called royals seemed determined to lug around like a weight around their ankles. A name couldn’t hurt, though, especially not from someone so determined to taste their own grief, so Jianyu sniffed before relenting. “Zhu Jianyu,” he announced, “rightful emperor and current prince, for whatever idiocy it is worth. Now, your name? What lead you to hurtle around corners like a blind elephant?”

freja found that the side-eyes and stares were less than welcomed. though she felt entirely unwelcomed in switzerland, at least they had beautiful gardens. freja walked, her hands delicately moving her skirts as not to disturb the growing plants and flowers. she was used to spending time with herself after her brother took the throne. it used to be so easy to spend time with her siblings or her old friends, but now she found that it left an uneasy feeling in her. she looked up at the sound of another person. met with friendliness, freja was more than happy to oblige. “hello, good day” she murmured, nodding her head. “oh, i’ve always found that gardens bring peace of mind. what of you?” 

*

Russia was a country of many things. It was a land of biting cold and colder people, of machinations that ran through the winter and into the spring, succeeding only when the frost came. It was a country that depended on the loss of its warmth, of its comfort, to succeed and Yelena had spent long enough there to lose much of her warmth as well. It was how she had survived the idiocy of the family she now shared a name with. But the warmth of the gardens and the sense of contentment that permeated from the woman by her brought a smile to her face. “I couldn’t agree more,” she declared, “though gardens aren’t common in Russia. I’ve learned of their joys only recently. What brought you to these plants today? They certainly seem to be better company than many others here.”

He was out of his livery, but still armed with sword and musket at his belt. Being off duty never truly meant deprieved of it, should the need arise. Best to always be prepared. “Piaget, your highness.” He bowed to the prince- he had made sure to remember the faces of the new royalty who graced his home. Kings and princes, empresses and tsars. A never ending stream of new people to remember.  “Alexandre Piaget, I am guard to Her Majesty, the Queen of Switerland.”

*

Jianyu tilted his head as he looked at the guardsman. The prince’s sudden resemblance to a bird was striking, with the angle of his neck seemingly deeply uncomfortable for anything other than something capable of flight. “Piaget,” Jianyu said slowly, trying out the sound in his mouth. That was at least a feasible sound, far better than the nightmare of noise that Alexandre demanded of his mouth. “Does her Majesty expect trouble,” Jianyu inquired, nodding to the arms the guard had with him. “You seem heavily armed despite your station in friendly territory.” If there was trouble brewing, Jianyu wanted to know about it. Such information could only help his cause, after all.

-

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 going outside since the day was beautiful and she loved the gardens and the lake. She felt a bit hot, even considering swimming in that lake. Her dainty fingers were wrapped on the rock, that rested on the palm of her hand and she was throwing stones into the water. She was bored, and a little nostalgic. Quickly, her thoughts faded away when she heard a voice, and she turned her head to the source, standing up quickly, losing a little of balance almost, falling into the lake. ❛ Your majesty. ❜ She bowed awkwardly, as the Italian princess. ❛ Fresh way, and the sun. What brings you here? ❜ She blushed as she responded for the Tsarina, grey-bluish hues locked on the ground due to her shyness.

*

“Oh goodness,” Yelena said, waving her hand as if that was enough to dismiss an entire set of protocols instilled into women like her and Martina from birth, “none of that. I’m hardly embodying the proper authority of Russia at the moment and I’d hardly want something like that to get between us. Let’s enjoy all this,” she declared as she spun in a small circle around the area, “without any pretentions between us.” Bending down to grab a rock herself, Yelena wound up an arm before throwing it into the lake. “Oh that is quite enjoyable,” she breathed, turning back to Martina. “I came here looking for a reasonable sort of person, given how few exist in my own family. Perhaps I may have found one?”

a queen did not bow or curtsey to a prince, much less to an ill-mannered one. his gaze alone they found improper, scanning them from head to toe as though they were a servant at his disposal. notwithstanding, the brunette nodded their head to award the prince respect they had yet to receive, a picture of perfect assurance as they stood before him. “queen soraya jasen. it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, prince zhu jianyu.” soraya had more opponents than supporters, both in the netherlands and in switzerland — as the blade held to their throat mere weeks ago had so keenly reminded them. they’d had no intentions of making another enemy upon rising in the early hours and taking their coffee in peace as they did every morning, but in truth, this conversation could go either way. “i make a point of learning names and faces. it is considered a common courtesy in the netherlands.”

Jianyu gave the queen a nod. He had always been a bit of a controversial presence, and even here, in strange lands among strange people, where each seemed convinced they were the solution to the problems of the world, Jianyu could hear the unspoken words. They weren’t exactly unusual, but he was short on... Well, he was short on everything, including the presence of those he found tolerable. Swallowing back the first several words that came to mind, he nodded, bringing himself through a bow before straightening back up. “A pleasure indeed,” he muttered. “Your highness.” The title was an afterthought, as Jianyu was so unused to bothering to pay respects to anyone. “I suppose I must avail myself of the knowledge of these customs,” Jianyu offered. “I hope I did not cause... Undue offense.” Allies were in short supply here, and he was not not unwilling to make an effort, just this once.

featuring: yelena romanova

Yelena had found that Switzerland quite suited her. It was, of course, warmer than the place she typically called home, and with such bustle and change around these parts, it meant she so rarely had to see the rest of the Russian royal family. That was the true appeal of this place, and smiles came easily to her for once, though they still felt unfamiliar on her face. Yelena had taken to exploring the grounds, finding the warmth a welcome change from everything else. But she was not the only one who had taken to this method of relaxation and Yelena raised her hand in greeting to someone else who had had the same idea as her. “Hello,” she called, pitching her voice so it could carry, “Lovely day, isn’t it? What brings you out here?”

featuring: zhu jianyu

Switzerland hadn’t been as different from his home as Jianyu had initially assumed when he’d been told of this farce. Of course, even now, settled into this place he hesitated to call a kingdom, his backside still ached from the ride across the Silk Road that had brought him here. He had yet to see anything particularly impressive from the others and had only solidified his own opinions on what was sure to be a disaster. As he turned a corner, he ran into one of the other people attending this. “Oh,” he said, looking them up and down and finding them wanting. “Hello. Remind me who you are?”

Yelena Romanova

We never know how high we are/Till we are called to rise; ...  Did not ourselves the cubits warp/ For fear to be a king queen.

ZHU JIANYU

My dimensions are as well compact,/My mind as generous, and my shape as true,/As honest madam’s issue.