get out of the way,Ā canāt you see that anne theĀ princess ofĀ england has arrived? theyāre known as the the fallen angel around the court.Ā if you listen to the whispers , youād think they are - calculating! but if you get to know them youād see they are ratherĀ + graceful. observe and you may be reminded ofĀ neatly folded silk gloves, flickering candlelight and muffled laughter behind a fan when you see them !! and if you hear the chamber orchestra playing the prophecy - taylor swiftĀ then you know they have entered the ballroom!
social likability: anne is seen as the model princes, kind, composed and dignified regardless of her familyās scandals. admired for her grace under pressure and devotion to her country. however, there are rumors that her politeness is just a mask for her true intentions.
primary vice: desire
primary virtue: loyalty
how involved do they get in their family affairs? sheās discreetly involved. advising the kind when allowed but never making public statements herself. she wants to support her family and is currently seeking security for herself in the country.
what is their relationship to their family: mostly cordial, she tries to keep up appearances, pretending everything is good between them
what are some connections you would like to see? friends, her confidant, enemies, failed betrothals, former affair
you'd think that by now, cami would know how to handle herself at a luxurious event, and while she did, it was more that she preferred not to do so. people could be so exhausting and she simply wanted to explore this entire castle. she wanted to see everything and experience all that the area had to offer. there was another reason, one that she kept hidden deep in her heart, knowing that she had to find her at some point. but sneaking away int he midst of this party might not've been the best idea.
her dress felt a little too fancy, but she knew the fabrics were different, and that might've been why she felt different. travel hadn't been part of her life, but she wished it had. now that she stood there, barely knowing anyone, cami wondered if she might've been a little too sheltered, or if she simply enjoyed adventure away from the castle too much. "what makes you say that? it's the dress, right?" cami asked, laughing lightly. "this is a lot of people though, more than i'm even used to. how many of these people do you know?"
anne let out a soft laugh, just enough to sound amused. āit is rather tight, isnāt it?ā she joked about the dress, her fingers brushing along the seam of her sleeve. ābut iām used to it by now. one learns how to breathe enough not to pass out.ā
her eyes followed the dancing of the ballroom for a moment before turning back to camilla, āitās not the dress so much as the smiling. the nodding. the pretending that everything spoken in this room isnāt a move on the chess board.ā
āas for how many i know? too many, i fear. and you? are you overwhelmed or enjoying the event?ā
"That is brave, most would not dare to admit it" he replied with a smile. Frankly it was refreshing hearing someone actually admit to that, knowing most people here would just grin and bear it. That was the done thing after all, it was ridiculous really. "Indeed, it is popular tonight" deciding not to comment on the organisation, that could be seen as rude.
"Is that not true for most countries?" he had always seen it that way. Or if not before, then at the same time.
āor perhaps it is not bravery at all,ā anne smiled, glancing at him with amusement in her eyes, āmerely exhaustion lowering my filter.ā
āmost countries expect diplomacy before dancing,ā she thought out loud, moving her gaze back to the ballroom to watch the perfectly choreographed dancing and the endless conversations. everyone playing their part to perfection as the ones around them watched, ābut iāve found the dancing can be far more revealing.ā
it really was exhausting - all this dancing and drinking ( not that she drank to excess , heavens no ! ). but , she also had a rather lovely time in england , as ironic as it might be coming from french nobility. however... this was the ton , not the hundred year war. she'd like to think both nations have grown in their providence and their enlightenment. after all , their very own enlightenment thinkers have vouched for a more... friendly affair among all of europe.
odette lightly nodded at the princess' words.
" I manage it just alright , mon amie. though , I do agree with you - it does get rather vexing at times. how about we escape the ball for a moment ? we can take a breath of fresh air in the gardens , if you'd like ? " odette offered , smiling amicably at the princess.
anneās smile softened, the weight behind it less forced this time, āa breath of fresh air sounds dangerously appealing,ā she said with a laugh.
she finished her drink and glanced back at odette, ālead the way, mademoiselle. iām curious what else you might find vexing about our english court.ā
Jacques was already feeling tired of all of this, and it was only the first day. It was the done thing, he knew it was the done thing, but that didn't mean he wished to actually do it. France needed so much more right now, and instead he was here.
He had done what he could, talked to the right people, and hopefully not offended anyone. Though he imagined with some of the journies being long, tiredness was a factor for many. Especially with dancing in heavy outfits. It was the way it was done though, and no one seemed in a rush to change it.
He hadn't really noticed who he'd walked up beside until she spoke. "You royal highness" he greeted, knowing now wasn't the time for any of his reservations about all of this. "In truth, I do not believe anyone really manages it, though most would not admit to it".
anne curtsied low as jacques acknowledged her, āyour majesty,ā she returned with a smile. āiāve been done with this entire ordeal since the moment i laced my corset this morning,ā she admitted with a soft laugh, āthe only thing making this even remotely tolerable is the wineā¦ and thankfully, they had the sense not to fail at that.ā
āthough i imagine the pressure is even greater when your country expects diplomacy before dancing.ā
āļ¾*Ā·ļ¾A PARTY SOUNDED like an absolutely wonderful way to celebrate all of the wonderful royals and staff in the building. Hanna wanted meet as many people as she could. It was so incredibly exciting. But she had to stay calm. Her mother had told her that. It was important to stay calm, and she was going to try her damndest. She didn't want to get in trouble.
In a pretty dress, Hanna was beaming from ear to ear. She'd had her tea and vitamins before the dance, promising that they'd be taken and she'd wait a half an hour before she went down to enjoy everything. It was all absolutely beautiful.
Hearing someone's voice, she grinned, turning to face them. "Oh, I hadn't thought of it like that. I'm just trying to enjoy as much of it as possible without causing any problems. I tend to get a little overexcited, and I'm really not supposed to do that," Hanna explained, before giggling. "What are you supposed to do at events like this?"
āwell,ā anne began to respond hannaās question, the faintest smile on her lips, āif youāre a man, you come here to network, select one of us from the crowd, drink, and dance when it suits you.ā her eyes moved briefly upwards, watching a group of gentlemen laughing a little too loudly near the refreshments table. ābut since we are clearly not menā¦ā she let out a small laugh, āi tend to enjoy a glass of wine, gather what gossip i can, and wait patiently for someone to ask me to dance.ā
anne had made her way to the refreshments table as soon as she managed to escape a never-ending dance that seamlessly turned into an even more tiresome conversation with a particularly persistent lord. spotting tove nearby, she opened a friendly smile and joined her by the table.
ādefine enjoy,ā anne said with a faint laugh, her eyes drifting briefly over to the crowd before returning to tove. āthe music is pleasant enough, and the wine is even betterā¦ but iāve never been overly fond of these gatherings. too much smiling. not enough sincerity. wouldnāt you agree?ā
a voice hisses into his ear. A phantom of his father, left behind to remind him of everything that he tried to mold him to be. There will always be a doubt on whether it will be enough, at the end he simply tried to do right by his family.
Ā How peculiar; the way things work out in the end.
Walls were built, piled with stone, as the pact between them is believed to be SHOT. If his faith in his twin is crumpled, how could he place faith in anyone else? Jakobās mind couldnāt clutch unto the idea completely, and it was what fueled his desire to reclaim what belonged to them ā even if it meant for Jakob to cease what his brother could not.
his thoughts were embedded within, but his eyes captured a familiar face and deterred him from his current thoughts. ā I feel a conversation is long overdue. ā his tone naturally came off as more severe than it may be.
anneās gaze lifted as soon as she heard the familiar voice, her posture impeccable as always. chin raised, gloved hands folded firmly in front of her. to any bystander, she was every bit a devoted subject responding to her king. but beneath the surface, they both knew that that wasnāt the case.
she took a regulated breath before she spoke, her eyes unreadable, except for the faintest smile on her lips. āoverdue, yes. but perhaps not entirely welcome.ā she tilted her head slightly, her eyes meeting. āi trust you have thought carefully about what you wish to speak and what to avoid?ā
anne was tired. tired of keeping up appearances. tired of pretending everything was good when, for the past year, it clearly hadnāt been.
the start of the season had left the palace feeling suffocating, but at the same time filled with hope and opportunities. hope that, if she could secure a husband and perhaps the influence that came with it, she might finally be fine again.
she was standing not far from where most of the commotion was happening, looking at the several conversations around her, never far enough to seem an outcast, but never letting anyone pull her in.
āi confess,ā she murmured, turning to face the person that had just stepped beside her her, āi sometimes forget how exhausting all of this is.ā then a polite smile followed, nothing that would make her seem happy about this entire situation, ābut i bet you manage it better than i.ā
