#medieval setting

ɪɴ ᴀ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ɪꜱ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴄᴜʀꜱᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪʀᴀᴄʟᴇ, ᴍᴀɢᴇꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ꜰᴇᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʀᴇᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ. ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ʜᴜɴᴅʀᴇᴅ ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴡᴀʀ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʀᴅᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʟᴀᴍᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴀᴋᴇꜱ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ʙᴜʀɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴀʀʀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴘɪʀɪᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴇꜰɪᴀɴᴄᴇ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ɢᴇᴛ ᴄᴏɴꜱᴜᴍᴇᴅ ʙʏ ɪᴛꜱ ꜰɪʀᴇ.

ᴀ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴀ ᴄᴏʀʀᴜᴘᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇꜱᴛ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ꜰᴀʟʟꜱ ɪɴ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ. ᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɢᴏᴛ ᴅᴏᴏᴍᴇᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɢᴜꜱ ᴡʜᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ʀᴇꜰᴜꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴛ ɢᴏ. ᴅᴇꜱᴘᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴅʀᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ꜰᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ꜱᴘᴇʟʟ, ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀꜰᴜʟ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇꜰʏ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ɪᴛꜱᴇʟꜰ.

ʙᴜᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ꜱᴘᴇʟʟ ᴅᴇᴍᴀɴᴅꜱ ᴀ ᴘʀɪᴄᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴇᴍᴀɴᴅᴇᴅ ꜰᴀʀ ᴛᴏᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ.

ʏᴇᴛ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇɴᴅ ɪᴛ.

ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀɪʟᴇᴅ ʀᴇꜱᴜʀʀᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇʟꜱᴇ—ᴀ ᴄᴜʀꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ʀᴇʙɪʀᴛʜ. ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴀɪᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢᴇꜱᴛ ꜱᴘᴇʟʟ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀʟʟ.

ʟᴏᴠᴇ.

- Play as a gender selectable Mc

- Defy corruption or Embrace it

- Fall in love, a̵̧͕͕̠̲̥͎̤͎̖̅́̌̂̍͂̈́̓͂̚g̵̢̛̪̻̝͕̺a̸̫̩͖͍̺͍̺̲͋̃i̴̖̩̮̲͓̙͓͚̪̗̽̑̑̌ń̸̢̤͍͍͚͚̩̤̱̲͆̓̍̊̄̄̅͊ {Note there is only ONE ro}

- Take back what has always belonged to you

Masterlist

Content: nothing particularly warning-worthy in this one, just the ladies figuring out their place and things being better than they might have worried

The following day, as Maira and Martha readied for the day, a knock sounded. Martha opened the door to see the newly-named Duchess Eva, Reinold’s wife, at their door.

“Forgive my intrusion, but… I suspect I may be able to offer you some aid you may not yet know you need.”

Martha raised an eyebrow, but opened the door wider, beckoning the woman inside. 

Eva continued, “After my husband’s unexpected rise in rank, from palace steward to king, I was faced with some of what you now face. Of course, we had titles before, and when the King was away, it was our responsibility to manage affairs in his absence, but there is a great difference in rank and treatment between a steward and a royal. I know your own situation is much different, but I would aid both of you in finding your place here.”

The two women nodded. Martha’s face was drawn, looking as if she was ready to girt herself for battle.  “In the empire, there were always courtiers and nobles in the palace and a constant social battle of power. Here, we have only seen you and the other ladies who manage the palace affairs. Now that our station has changed, what politicking must we be prepared for? Is there a greater court that we will be introduced to now? Do we need fear attempts on our lives?”

Eva’s mouth dropped open and she stared in horror for a few moments before she could form a reply. “No… it is not… nay, that is not how things are done.” She paused. “Truly, there was such backstabbing and intrigue in the emperor’s own home?”

Equal surprise widened Martha and Maira’s eyes both, and the relief of it made Martha nearly drop, resting her hand on a chair back to steady herself. 

Almost hesitant, she replied, “It was. Even the chamberlain ruled with an iron fist.”

Behind her, Maira winced.

The duchess let out a heavy breath, stepping further into the room. “I promise you, that has never been the way of things here. Truly, your place as honor-given nobles of the royal household is rather new, but you do not need to fear cruelty or conniving plots among those here. The women of or wed to men of the king’s Council will be joining us upon my invitation, but you have naught to fear from them.”

“Even… Well, do any of the councillors' daughters have intent upon Ci— the King? For… marriage?” Maira could feel her face redden.

To her credit, the duchess did not seem taken aback. “Maira, you are a hero and the entire land lauds you. Any who tried to match their daughters to the king have been rebuffed or forced to wait, as he was too busy trying to rule after his father’s untimely death, and then believed dead or lost while a very married man with a son far too young for any courtship held the throne. I do not think any will begrudge you his hand if that is what you are asking.”

Maira flushed redder, but Eva did not give her time to respond. “Now, you are going to join me and the others for breakfast today. The king can do without you for a morning, and I intend to make sure you are properly integrated in the household. Besides,” she added, “most members of the council that have been present for the managing of the coronation and King Cinn’s return shall be departing soon for their own estates, so this will be an important opportunity to engage with them at your new rank and seek their wisdom regarding it.”

Martha gave her daughter a wry side glance, but they both followed the other woman to the small parlour where the women of the household took their breakfast. 

To both women’s relief, Eva had spoken true. When they entered the parlor where smaller meals and meetings were held, the women gathered greeted them with curtseys and smiles. Those of or connected to the Council who they had not met before greeted them warmly and introduced themselves as servants laid out the simple breakfast fare.

Martha smiled at the other women. “It seems we will be remaining here to dwell, and have not need to throw ourselves upon any of your mercies for a position amongst your household staff.”

The eldest of the women, the wife of the Lord Treasurer, chuckled and patted her arm. “My dear, none of these women would have hesitated to aid you, but you are never going to be a servant again.”

“I do hope that we will not be expected to only sit around and eat in leisure, nonetheless.”

A few of the others laughed at this. “I don’t know how things were done in that horrid empire, but most of us have our own households and estates to manage alongside our husbands.”

“Indeed, all the resting, rides through the countryside, and walks in the garden that you have been likely driven to boredom by are far from routine,” agreed another, tone light with amusement. “For honored guests, of course, but rank is its own burden.”

Eva interrupted before more could be added. “There is still much leisure, never fear — you will not be working yourselves to the bone. Even the King often goes for a ride in the afternoon, if the weather permits.”

“So what will be our work, then?” Maira spread butter on a piece of fresh bread.

Hesitation hung in the room for a moment before Eva spoke. “Truthfully, your position is an uncommon one, but you will likely be sought as counsel for the King and aid in managing the household when there is need for such aid.”

“And of course, travel and social visits in time,” added another woman.

At that point, many of the other women chimed in, making suggestions for such visits — some spoke of their vineyards, others beaches and lakes, still others festivals and tournaments. By the time all went their own ways, Martha and Maira had a litany of invitations to be followed up on in the coming months.

Not to mention, even if it was their actual wedding, medieval weddings didn't typically have the bride dressed in white, that was something that came about in the victorian era, with Victoria popularising it. Before that, brides typically wore their best dresses, and for a princess like Rhaenyra, that would mean going all out to show off your wealth with colour and jewellery.

All that is to say, I wish Rhaenyra had a black dress to contrast with Alicent's green dress, and to make more sense of how the two sides were created in their world. It would make sense that she also wears the colours of her house. She's supposed to be the heir, so she represents the very house of Targaryen, and the best way to show that is through her clothes, through the colours of the house (black and red).

Away from the colour of the dress, I don't like the hairstyle. It's obviously fake, Rhaenyra has never been shown to have thick enough hair to pull off that hairstyle. I like the red jewels put in the hair, but the hairstyle itself needs a change. They could've just kept the braid without that top part, and maybe have Rhaenyra wear a crown instead to symbolise to the court that she's the crown princess no matter who she marries (image is important, especially through appearance, even now. Already emphasised).

Some old concept art for my own fantasy setting. I have several names for it, but none of them can be considered anything more than a placeholder name. Some call it "Teklaverse", from the name of one of the characters populating it. Others call it Rainverse, from my username. I usually use the "Enter Selfscape: World After Glory" name, that was partially suggested by @jaegershund. MOSTLY jokingly, because of how ridiculously-sounding it is. These are soldiers/warrior elite from a nation composed mostly of Scamps/Fiendlings/Devilings - basically, goat people. Kinda. Generally speaking.

They jump good, shoot bow good, sit in fortress in mountain. They value patience, self-improvement, and order. And they are DEFINITELY NOT just a stand-in for generic fantasy dwarves. Definitely. Not dwarves. Nope.