#1318 windenberg

The final heatwave of summer came on the day of the harvest. Almost everyone could agree that it was a horrible inconvenience, everybody struggling to do what was necessary - maybe it was a good thing that the harvest was so scarce, seeing how those tending the fields would undoubtedly have been dropping like flies.

The royal family spent the harvest day inspecting the nearby farms, showing their faces in an attempt to boost morale. By the time supper rolled around, they were just seeing each other for the first time...

Edward noticed as he glanced around the table that his step-mother was missing. When he went searching for her, he found her collapsed on the ground. Pale, not breathing.

"Margaret? Margaret!" The king rushed to her side, kneeling beside her.

When he took her hand, she was cold. She had been laying here for a while, if he had to guess. Maybe the heat was too much for her increasingly fragile condition. Or maybe it was something else. He would never knew.

Only one thing was for sure: His step-mother was with the Watcher now. And he would have to break this news to Thomas.

Even though the king and queen were spending the month in Lykke Center, parliament still had to meet and many of the other sitting members steadfastly refused to go to the earl's home.

So, Edward and Watkin traveled together to return to the royal castle. From there, Edward went to sit with the other men and begin the proceedings while his brother-in-law excused himself to use the chamber pot and put away his weapons in accordance to the law.

Or, that is what he said.

Exactly ten minutes into the proceedings, the sound of a door opening and slamming closed drew the eyes of all of the men at the table.

The sudden halting of voices made it so that the earl's footsteps were almost deafening...

... And accompanied by the jingle of metal from the blade strapped to his side.

All of the men looked appalled, but none moreso than Hugh Despenser, who instantly tried to say something in protest. Only for the king to hold up a hand to silence him; just as Watkin knew he would.

This was a power move. Edward needed him and he was showing everyone else just how much he was needed.

Enough so that he got away with bringing weapons into a parliamentary meeting. Enough so that the king could not bring any consequences against him. Enough so that he was walking past everyone to sit at the foot of the table.

"Apologies, gentlemen." Watkin said as he sat, one leg casually crossing over the other, a hand resting on the hilt of his blade. "Please, do not stop the conversation on my account. What is the first order of business today?"

Hugh simmered in indignation, his older brother Bartlet looked on in shock and concern, and Edward? Well, he's sure they will have quite the interesting conversation on the way home.

His point was made.

Amongst the nuns, there were many birthdays. Growing older was always something to celebrate and thank the Watcher for.

Especially after these past few years. Not everyone had survived the Great Famine.

At least, that's what Sister Emma told herself as she blew out her birthday candles. Welcoming creaky bones, stiff joints, and possibly even wrinkles and grey hair.

At least she wasn't alone in this transition. Her fellow nun (and secret lover) Sister Joan also was growing older.

A warmth built in Emma's chest as she thought about that. They were growing old together.

In Earl Watkin's household, there has been a new addition. Young Ylving Glasse has come to study under him so he could follow in his father's footsteps and become a knight.

After losing his own father recently, Watkin has found a soft spot for the young boy. After all, he'd lost his father as an adult. He couldn't imagine what that pain is like as a child.

So while Ylving was not the best pupil (how he would go to war when even a scrape from playing outside sent him crying and dry-heaving, Watkin did not know) the earl was determined to teach him everything there was to know.

Princess Mary told Emma to be grateful for the experience that she had with the Watcher's servants. Joan - her sweet Joan - tried to help her move past it, sitting by her bedside until she fell asleep every night.

But Emma could neither be grateful nor move on. It haunted her every moment. It even led to strain between herself and her lover.

Honestly, when she was called from her bed late at night for the second time... It barely came as a surprise.

The blinding light hit her and she realized what was happening. She was being taken again.

She didn't even attempt to call for help, she knew it was no use. The only thought she had as she was sucked into the air (a strange sensation, but now not an entirely foreign one) was that Mary would be pleased.

It didn't take much time to set up the funeral for Walter. His death hadn't been unexpected, unfortunately, no matter how much his lover wished he could have had many more years.

Younger Walter (now the only Walter) took it upon himself to make sure that everything was just so. It's the last thing he could do for the man that he was sure was his soulmate.

Before the doors opened, the two remaining priests prayed over the body, asking the Watcher to grant him safe passage into paradise.

Secretly, Walter was also asking to be reunited with him one day. That didn't feel like too much to ask, since they only got such a short time together on earth.

Then, the doors opened. The community was allowed to come in and say their goodbyes to the man who had served their spiritual needs for their entire lives.

John took to the organ, ensuring the hymns played were both beautiful and haunting. Befitting the melancholic moment.

That left Walter to do the sermon.

Of course, he knew how to give a funerary sermon. He had done it many times. But never had he done it for someone he loved quite so much. Never had he done it for someone who owned his heart.

Halfway through, he felt himself getting choked up... And before he knew it? He was crying on the pulpit, moving the entire congregation to tears alongside himself.

Most of them would never know why he was so moved with grief, but they could see his pain as clear as day.

Father Walter de Stapleton was getting older. He had already nearly passed into the reaper's clutches. So, it was really no surprise that his condition, by the day, was worsening. He was getting more and more frail.

By the time that they had to give the man his own private chair in chapel, they knew that his time was approaching its end. He would spend all of his time in chapel now, in silent prayer.

It was here that his fellow priest and longtime lover found him. The man was much younger than his beloved, able to care for him in his time of weakness.

Walter cannot help but wonder if he stole the boy's youth. If he, perhaps, had been selfish in pursuing their love. It's much too late for such thoughts, however, and he just hoped that his lover would be able to bear the weight of the years without him.

"It's time for breakfast," the younger man said softly.

"No," the older man replied, squeezing his lover's hand. "Sit with me instead."

A dozen emotions flickered over the face of his lover. Walter suspected that he knew what was coming, yet he was stubbornly denying it. Fighting it.

All at once, he crumbled to the ground, kneeling by his lover's side with his head resting on his knee. The poor thing was shaking. It was enough to break an old man's heart.

His fingers started carding through the younger Walter's hair, smiling as he thought of the dozens of times he did this in their beds. Their long conversations, their moments of passion, all of it.

"It will be alright, my love. You're resilient," he soothed. "But I need you to know something now. Are you listening?"

No verbal response came, simply the nod of a head. Perhaps, he was worried that if he spoke, his voice would fail.

"I am so glad that the Watcher blessed me with a long life. If She hadn't, I would never have gotten to meet you. I would never have been with you. You have been the light of my life. Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I love you."

"I love you, too."

With those words said, Walter allowed himself to close his eyes. They had felt so heavy for so long and he did not have it in him to fight anymore.

La Reine Mère Joan of Willow Creek

1273 - April 7th, 1318

La Reine Mère Joan was the wife of King Philip the Fair and the mother of King Louis X. Her marriage was one of respect and she was frequently given power and responsibilities by her husband. It was well known throughout the lands that if you wanted something from Philip, the best way to ensure it was to convince Joan.

Joan was also highly involved in seeking out matches for her children when the time came for them to be married. Instead of focusing solely on the politics, (although that certainly played a factor) she encouraged her husband and then later her son to ensure that the matches were, well, matches. Her main goal in life was to ensure her children were as happy in their lives as she had been.

Her husband's respect ensured that her children also held their mother in high esteem. When Philip passed away, Joan remained a powerful woman. Throughout her son's reign, she was one of his most trusted advisors. Up until her death, she was actively involved in politics.

As befitting a woman of her dignity, Joan passed away in her bed, accompanied by her eldest son and youngest daughter. The king has said that she passed into the Watcher's embrace with a peaceful smile on her face.

Joan is survived by her five living children and four living grandchildren.

Llewelyn Bren

1267 - June 14th, 1318:

Llewelyn was born a nobleman in Granite Falls. He had no true title because once Windenberg took over, his father was stripped of all of his titles - although, they were allowed to keep their lands.

Llewelyn married his wife, Llecelu, when they were both young. They had a fairly healthy marriage that produced many sons. Llewelyn always insisted that proved his true nobility and truly struggled to accept the Windenbergish taking himself and his countrymen's rights and titles from them.

This anger and resentment led him to plan a revolution, finding the support of other noblemen who had their birthright stripped from them and even bringing his own sons onto the battlefield. However, this revolution was not successful. It was a bloodbath and, seeing that the battle was lost, he surrendered himself to the earl Humphrey de Bohun (VII). He was arrested, but his older two sons managed to escape unscathed and return home.

While his imprisonment wasn't comfortable, he was kept well fed and safe. That is, until the baron Hugh Despenser showed up one day. He dragged Llewelyn from his cell and unceremoniously killed him. It is debated whether it was an execution or a murder.

Llewelyn is survived by his wife, Llecelu, and their six living sons.

Dowager Queen Margaret of Windenberg

1279 - September 7th, 1318:

Dowager Queen Margaret of Windenberg was a noble of Willow Creekian origin. She eventually married King Edward I of Widenberg in a political marriage as his second wife in the year 1299. Their union, while not a love match, was a solid one. Margaret was a quiet and yet stalwart pillar as a queen and when her husband's reign ended in 1302, she transitioned to one of her stepson's most loyal supporters.

Margaret only ever had one son, Prince Thomas. She did fall pregnant again after Thomas, but this led to a horrible miscarriage in which she almost lost her own life. It was highly suspected by her physicians after the fact that her body lost the ability to carry children. Instead of becoming bitter over this, however, she poured her love into her only son and the children of Edward II and his wife.

The Dowager Queen was found dead by her stepson, King Edward II, on the day of the summer harvest (September 7th) after, presumably, succumbing to overheating.

She will be fondly remembered by everyone as a stern but fair woman. Crown Prince Elfain and Princess Elanor will remember her as the woman who would sneak them desserts even when they were supposed to be rationing.

Margaret is survived by her son, Prince Thomas.

His Grace Duke Daemon Tagaryen

1256 - September 12th, 1318

Daemon Tagaryen was the Duke of Windenberg which in itself came with power and privileges. However, he managed to gain more power and standing by ensuring that not only did he marry Princess Joan, the daughter of King Edward I, but all of his children from his first wife married a royal. His daughter, Katerine, became queen of Windenberg through this arrangement. While it made their family tree look strange, it ensured that his lineage is the most powerful lineage in the entire Windenbergish realm.

It didn't take long for him to realize that his union with Joan wasn't just political, however. The two fell deeply in love and had three sons together. Unfortunately, the labor with the twins was incredibly difficult and the princess passed away, forcing the physician in attendance to cut the boys from her womb. In the aftermath, Daemon swore off marriage, proclaiming that his heart belonged to his wife forever.

Perhaps that's why in his elderly age, he didn't speak up when he felt his health declining and instead quietly handled his affairs and let himself slip peacefully into the Watcher's (and hopefully Joan's) embrace.

Daemon is survived by his six children and his four living grandchildren.

before 1266 - December 2nd, 1318

Father Walter de Stapleton was a Windenbergish bishop who served faithfully for many years. He was beloved in the community and was known to give advice to anybody who would come to his door.

Walter had a particular love for education. Throughout his lifetime, he helped fund (and indeed, founded) many educational programs and buildings.