Ferdinand

Illegitimate son of the King of Germany

[ferdinandlorraine]

@vzrahmad

Ferdinand wandered the gardens of Diebold’s castle, hoping to run into his friend. It felt like too long a time had passed since their last meeting given how much change had passed. He did not feel quite himself, and with each passing day bitterness and spite seemed to consume him further. He was sure he wanted to be different than he was before, but the person he was turning into was not to his pleasure. 

However, the fresh air and familiar hidden corners reminded him of other more carefree times and Ferdinand could not help but chuckle at some very pleasing memories. Maybe he could still be that Lorrie and the new one at the same time? Just as his mind explored the question, he turned to look upon a man he had not talked to before but of whom he knew about. 

Before his unplanned celibacy Ferdinand had looked into the most handsome men and women come to stay in Switzerland. 

“Ah, what a fortunate encounter,” he spoke in latin, “I’m not mistaken you are Ahmad Ali Khan, Would you care to share a stroll about this garden together? Just the two of us getting to know each other.” With a playful smile still upon his lips Ferdinand realized the surprised encounter had made him blunder into approaching with his flirtatious ways. It was both strange and thrilling. 

[ferdinandlorraine]

duchessfriederike‌:

All of her siblings were special to her, but nobody was quite as skilled at putting a smile on her face as Ferdinand. She hoped she could do him the same courtesy, though it was hard to picture him not smiling. Would she ever feel this way about Claudia, the sister they had never known existed? She hardly felt like a sister at all. She wondered if Lorrie had met her, what he had thought of her. If she was dangerous to him. The last thing she could bear was anything happening to them. “Have you seen any of our other siblings lately, Lorrie?” She questions, resisting the urge to add ‘old or new’ to the end of the sentence. 

Encouraged by his affectionate gesture, she brushed her thumb across the curve of his cheekbones. “That is true. Everybody else always seems so terribly boring when you are around.” She was teasing him, but not with lies. For as long as she had known him, Ferdinand had been more fun than anybody. Perhaps that was why she idolised him so. “Perhaps, though you are handsome enough in a different sort of way,” Hand freshly withdrawn from his cheek, she tucked it around his waist, nestling herself into his side. “I do not think it is in anybody’s best interest for you to appear rugged. You may find your hands entirely too full.” 

She nodded. For the time being, they were still together, and that meant more than she could ever express. “We do not have to say goodbye yet, but neither do we know when that time may be. We must make the most of being together whilst we can.” Before they were wrenched apart. 

"Not as much as I would like, I admit, but yes. You’ll be alarmed in hearing I even had an interesting albeit brief meeting with the latest sibling discovery,” he confessed though he’d begun speaking in all earnestness, his mischievousness could not be held back at the mention of Claudia. It suddenly occurred to him that perhaps Friedi had also already been delighted with a meeting. “Have you met her Friedi? The latest one?” he asked and the bitter tone was marked by his clear unsurprised attitude of the possibility of new siblings popping out of the land like flowers in spring. “But well, she brings about the topic of Father and I wish not to start that conversation my lovely Friedi, another time,” he said with a sad and gentle pursing of his lips. He was not ready to have Friedi see his shame. 

Ferdinand couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction as Friedi spoke to his vanity. Even if teasing, he had all the confidence in his looks and charms though he lacked it in everything else. He settled his arm around her as she nestled into his side, a reaction so natural he had not needed to think before his arm was already about her. “You think?” he laughed out loud as he once would with a natural eagerness to be chased and kept busy. He let the laughter fade with ease though his own mind reprimanded him with guilt. 

“Yes my dear Friedi, we ought to have fun while we can,” he echoed those same words from the past and was glad to taste the sincerity in his mouth. He did want to have fun while he could, though perhaps not in the same manner as he once sought. Still, it shouldn’t change him much in Friedi’s company, he hoped. “Allow me to indulge you, how would you like to spend this evening?” 

[End of Thread]

[ferdinandlorraine]

ofleuchtenberg‌:

Even Matthias had thrown himself into the celebrations. He was still the proud son of Germany but he was more relaxed at this function than any he had previously attended. As joyous as he was, Matthias couldn’t help but notice his younger brother wasn’t his usual self. Granted, the smile was almost convincing but Lorrie seemed more restrained than normal. “I meant no torment but everyone seems to be in a wedding mood, I thought you would bask in it given your impending ceremony.” Being bastards meant that their options were extremely limited but Lorrie had secured himself a great match and if he were any other man he might have been overjoyed at the fact. “You know I don’t dream about the crown as much, besides Leopold has it.” It was so hard for Matthias to say the words normally and not through gritted teeth. “Come brother, there must be something you are looking forward to.” 

Ferdinand could not hold back the bitter laugh. He did not mean to direct it at his brother, in fact, it was himself he was dissatisfied with. “Come on Mattie, you know me better than that. You know that if I am basking in a ceremony, even a wedding mind you, it is in the promising pleasures of the flesh such a gathering provides. Do you know Mattie,” Lorrie whispered as if sharing a petty secret, “that I have yearned to see the handsome eyes of that gentleman cry in ecstasy and have wondered how the delicate fingers of that lady in pink might feel wrapped around my co-” Just then the clattering of a fallen chair drowned out the filthy long description that Lorrie provided. The old him would have said it in glee and honest enjoyment of both sharing it and seeing his brother’s response. However, the current him said it in self-mockery given it was those very temptations that forced him to retreat. “Impending ceremony? You make it sound so ominous brother and I do not blame you for I feel the same. It would be the end of me, but as low, flawed, and unforgiven as I feel, I find I still want to live. Isn’t that tragic?”

He could not hide his sour mood from his brother, the one sibling that he felt needed no protection from Lorrie’s feelings. “So he thinks, but Claudia is the new contender is she not?” Lorrie sighed it though he attempted to make light of the crown. The crown was never of his interest but it was clear Matthias had thought of it for far too long to easily renounce the possibility of it. He thought on Mattie’s question for a moment, at first finding nothing to provide as an honest answer. “I'm looking forward to going to bed tonight and sharing it with none,” he said finally, not bothered by possibly revealing himself further. 

[holstcin]

This is fine | Dorothea & Ferdinand

[ferdinandlorraine]

holstcin‌:

She did not really know why, but her brother’s giddy attempt alarmed her. Normally, Ferdinand was the reckless and the fun one, doing things his own way and finding joy everywhere. But, there was something in his tone that rang a little differently, but knowing her brother, she was certain that her worry would have a counter effect on him. So, she simply arched her eyebrow and offered him a soft shake of her head. “I doubt we will really feel any better. This is a complete and utter disaster. No amount of joy or anger will rectify it in the near future.” What they needed now, was to keep their heads.

Do not worry about me, Little Dot - he might as well ordered her to stop breathing, while he was at it. “Ferdi, you should really know by now that uttering such words will have absolutely no effect on me. So, you might as well never say them again. It is in my nature to worry - about you and the rest of our siblings.” And about their father as well ( though king Maximillian hardly needed her to worry about him ); and her mother.

“Do you really believe that? That you, and Matthias, and Friederike and Eleonora, are of no consequence to man who is so deranged to abduct his newborn granddaughter, lie to his daughter and make her believe she was insane with the loss of her firstborn child, then proceeded to raise the aforementioned granddaughter away from him, turning her into a weapon so fierce and unfeeling, and filled her with resentment and rage. Really, Ferdi? You think a person like that will leave you and Matt alone just because you lack legitimacy?” Dorothea scoffed, then nodded. “Of course, he will have the extra guards stationed in the corridor and around him.”

The temper that sparked up was swiftly soothed when he reassured her he will be careful. Her smile widened, and she squeezed his arm a little tighter. “What do you mean in your stead? Why can we not have fun together?” Dot asked, expression softening. “We can do something mischievous together! What would you like to do? Raid a pantry? Put a lizard in Leopold’s underwear drawer?”

Ferdinand found that the more Dot fretted the more at ease she put him. It was as if, without knowing it, she aired out his misgivings by voicing hers. He knew she worried about everyone, including him, nonetheless hearing her say it somehow gave him meaning. He couldn’t help but smirk to see her so energetic even about subjects that did not make her joyful and bubbly. Of course, he hoped she was her usual self but then again neither was he and therefore he could not bring himself to act the silly thing he had once been and in so doing attempt to drag her back to a version of her pre-Switzerland self. 

“Hmm, I cannot say you do not make a fine point my Little Dot. Even someone as ignorant of politics as I can fathom that Konrad is a little exceptional in the dark arts of villainy,” he said teasingly. He couldn’t help it, dramatics and humor were a hard habit to break and perhaps ones he shouldn’t attempt to in full extent. “I would argue, however, that us illegitimates are inconsequential while he holds a legitimate piece in his hand. One he carved and shaped by his own design. Our poor sister, perhaps it is she we should worry most about?”

Ferdinand caught himself thinking about Claudia’s life, her past in the hands of Konrad and her present still within his reach. An adult with clear individualistic strength, he thought, but her history hid a leash. He liked to think of her, and these days he often did, but perhaps not for decent reasons. Her existence made him think perhaps his life had not been nor was so difficult after all. 

Fun together. Dot’s soft words pulled a mischievous smile from his lips the likes of which had been missing for a while. “You tease me sister. Are you really the one tempting me into mischief?” He laughed. The old him escaping with every breath intake. “Ugh you know bothering Leopold is my weakness but no! I think I’d like to raid a pantry and carry as much as we can to the gardens and eat in the open air!” 

[ferdinandlorraine]

Post count this week (may 2 to may 9):  n. of replies (2). Points  gained:  2 points per in-character replies Point  allocation: – Health  total:  150/150 Total leftover points: 10 + 2=12

[ferdinandlorraine]

duchessfriederike‌:

Once more, Ferdinand knew exactly what to say to soothe her concerns. Her previous worries melted away, and instead she fixed him with a smile that was almost teasing. “I thought I already did make and do the worst choices, Ferdinand! Clearly, I must try harder, before my time is up for such nonsense.” She couldn’t help but laugh, and for a moment, all was normal between them, or as normal as it ever would be. They could never go back to the time before Switzerland, but perhaps that was not a bad thing. Being here had certainly changed her. Perhaps that was fo the better. 

His touch had her looking up to him, her eyes meeting his and her hand finding his cheek. It had always been so easy to be around Ferdinand. There was none of the seriousness that surrounded Matthias, she needed not try to think too hard to keep up as she did with Dot, and there was no envy as there was with Leopold, and even things with Nell had been trickier of late. “You do not know how good you are to me, Lorrie,” she said, quietly, for she did not want things to become too serious. 

“I am glad to have you to protect me from harm, though if you trust my judgement, I may have to question yours,” she grinned once more, removing her hand from the side of his face. “But you need not risk mud on your clothes for me. Only if you think it may make you more rugged, and handsome, should you do such a thing,” she was teasing him again, her tone filled with affection for him. “Oh, but please do. I do not know how I will manage without you all. If I had your visits to look forward to, it would surely sustain me when I am alone.”

He chuckled warmly at her and could only do it because, unlike him, her worst choices had not turned out so bad. As long as she was happy, that is all that mattered. Ferdinand was sure also, that whatever conflicts she might be having with their siblings, in the end, they’d all resolve. Perhaps their relationships would not go back to what they were, but then with everything going on they were bound to change one way or another anyway. Regardless, he strongly believed their bonds could not be broken no matter what. After all, he’d tried his hardest to keep Leopold at a distance and still the little booger was as much a part of his life as the others though in an entirely different way. 

His hand followed hers as she reached for his cheek, and he held it in place. He disagreed, it was her who didn’t know how good she was to him, but he only smiled that loving smile reserved only for his sisters. Ferdinand turned into her hand and kissed her palm. 

“Those who thought of us as having questionable judgement never had as much fun though,” he laughed, further encouraged by her grin. “You know, I had not considered that. Perhaps I should allow my vanity to get me those handsome rugged looks,” he joked though being vain was not something he wanted to be at the moment. However, he was feeling loved and the warmth of her made him not want to think of his own sins right now and just enjoy them as he’d done not so long ago. 

“I shall definitely visit often, but let’s not speak of it now as if we’re saying goodbye! In fact, I shall not visit in a long time because we’re still here together and your soon to be husband will have to get used to that first.”

[mxcimillixn]

words untold

@ferdinandlorraine​

since the last meeting of the two, maximillian had not seen his son. with the state of germany’s affairs unraveling by the seems with the newest familial addition, he could barely be bothered. yet here he was, standing before his son once again, wary of what he had to say or what he had done. perhaps both would strike yet another headache, perhaps he’d have to figure out more effective ways in managing the boy. 

absentminded pupils stared at the matching hazels of his son. the redness obvious around the sockets of where his eyeballs rested. 

“what have you done now?” the sentence brief and curt. whatever the issue was, maximillian was far gone from listening - his priorities had amassed from friederike’s engagement to claudia’s arrival to the italian letters he demanded to be burned from matthias’s desk. the prospects of his own wife’s feelings drifted into his mind accompanied by eleonora’s recovery and dorothea’s prospective future. maximillian was fucking weary. 

[ferdinandlorraine]

Ferdinand felt like an open wound, bleeding and stinging as it weathered the full exposure to the elements. Much like wind and dirt care not, nor are even aware of the injuries of people, everything around him moved unawares of how utterly raw he felt! He hated the thought of being witnessed yet again, as the Cardinal first did, but couldn’t bear to be alone now. He had not slept. He couldn’t have with the amount of crying he had done... as if the tears and sobs at the chapel had not been enough. Pathetic. Weak. Fragile? No. He had never though of himself that way before, it was something else that cut at him. 

Before he knew it he was on his way to his father. Ferdinand found it absolutely laughable. Of all people whose company he could have sought - his sisters, his brother, his friend, his lovers - why him? Am I such a masochist that I know seek to be kicked while I’m down, he spitefully told himself but it was too late. He had arrived. 

It took the King’s first words to reveal it all: the open wound that minutes before had been Ferdinand was now a burning anger. ‘What have you done now?’ he asked. Such few words said so much. And when did they not! They spoke of Ferdinand’s insignificance, of his constant disappointment, of his being a nuisance, of his feelings meaning so little to the man who saw the world only in terms of power! Ferdinand clenched his jaw and in that moment, like so many others, he loved and hated Maximilian with such a passion he had not felt before. He welcomed the anger with wide open arms so much so that he could have screamed that everything and everyone could go to hell including himself! 

“What have I done now?” he repeated derisively, “I have completely tired myself out. Have comfort, Father, in my now knowing your pain when putting up with me.” Ferdinand thought about the chapel, as he had done countless times since he’d left it, and his own sobbing cries as they told cardinal Giulio about  how he’d refused to deny himself in order to fit into the mold others had wanted him to fit in. “All this time I thought I was free every time I escaped the oppressiveness of being your family. Turns out it only made me a different type of prisoner. I’d like to change that,” he declared as if he’d been thinking and planning to say this all along. In truth, he’d just wanted to feel something other than himself breaking and he could always count on his father to make him feel anger instead. 

“I want choice. I don’t want to be ordered around, just talk to me first.”

[herzoginxfmecklenburg]

@ferdinandlorraine​

As to be expected, she found her older sibling at the stables. She found it to be too early to waste time away drinking and as the alcohol had been flowing richly at their sister’s wedding, she was almost certain most had had more than enough to last themselves a headache for at least a week. And better way to bid good riddance to the ache that made the head feel heavy than an early afternoon ride? She was eager herself to get back on her horse as well, after her injury had proven to be completely healed to a point where the physician deemed her fit enough to get back up on horseback. An activity she had sorely missed, as well as her favorite horse which she had brought along on the journey. 

“I hope you did not have your mind set on riding out alone, liebster Bruder, for I had truly hoped to join you on this spring day.” she called out to her brother, being in his presence alone enough to make her smile. The duchess was almost certain he would not deny her the pleasure, only if there was something to hide perhaps. But there was little the German children hid from one another, or at least so she still believed. Fractures seemed mended, and though there was still the matter of the long lost daughter that had joined in their midst, she refused to let it ruin her day. At least for now. 

[ferdinandlorraine]

The stables had by far replaced the chambers that had once attracted his favor. Ferdinand himself still could not believe himself, his own behavior. Riding was a nice escape from the castle, the people, his own self-judgement, and who knew what else. He often rode alone, but given the invisible dangers, he was always followed in some distance by a small entourage for his own safety. It was nothing compared to that of say Leopold’s bodyguards, but at least it showed some care from his father. Although Ferdinand had no fear for himself since he did not believe his life had much inherent political value. 

He turned at the sound of a voice that automatically made him smile, “while I do tend to ride out alone, I will always welcome such lovely company! You ought to join me more often actually, it’s a nice escape.” He explained no further. There were a lot of circumstances developing that one could try escaping from, though Lorrie was certainly escaping from many things that were all together different than expected by most. 

He appeared, in behavior, much like his usual self, particularly given the setting and the company. However, his hair was in disarray, his collar unbuttoned, and overall it was clear his usual vanity in attention to detail had been abandoned. “With all that has been happening, I feel as if it has been years since we last had some time to ourselves... I’m sorry, I feel I am mostly at fault. Keeping myself away somehow. I did not meant to.”

[ofleuchtenberg]

event starter for @ferdinandlorraine​

It was a rare occurrence when all the children of King Maximillion stood as one but what better occasion than the wedding of a beloved sister? Matthias even suspected that Leopold would enjoy himself to some extent. Friedi was radiant and her husband was handsome but the union of the two was something to make the world worry. They were strong and any children they had would have the might of Germany and the Ottoman empire at their side. It was truly momentous.  With a smile and wine in hand, Matthias walked over to his younger brother and extended a glass to him. “Just think you’ll be next,” He teased, the wine had truly made him merrier than before or perhaps it was something else, something he dared not utter. “I wonder if your wedding will be as grand as this.” Ferdinand was the favoured son, at least he was before Leopold came into the world so it was safe to assume that no expense would be spared for his wedding day, at least his future wife could see to that. 

[ferdinandlorraine]

Ferdinand enjoyed the wedding. He laughed, he drank, he flirted though to a more restricted degree, and overall he hid behind the merriment as he held on to the belief that he was celebrating the happiness of his beloved sister. Every now and then a pang of fear would crawl up to his chest. Every now and then Temptation seemed to curl her fingers around his waist and pull at him with handsome eyes and inviting smiles. It was at moments like these that he pulled away from the crowd for a momentary respite from the version of himself among the crowd. 

And then his brother had to come and ruin even that. “Please brother,” he said with a forced smile and failed to keep the pleading away, “I love your company, but do not come to give it and then torment me!” Lorrie laughed a mask of a laugh whose purpose was really more akin to a sigh. Even so, he hooked an arm around Matthias’s as if Lorrie were a Lady in his company, and tugged teasingly. He could tell Matthias was in good spirits, and this in turn raised his own. “Mattie you daydream about my supposed wedding more than I’ve ever daydreamed about the German Crown! I have about as much interest in either! Come brother, if I could switch places with you I... wouldn’t, because you’re already married. Never mind. Besides... who is to say I’ll marry? I think the Lady is now as much against it as I’ve always been.”

[ferdinandlorraine]

Post count this week (april 19 to april 25):  n. of replies (2). Points  gained:  2 points per in-character replies  Point  allocation: -- Health  total:  150/150 Total leftover points: 8 + 2=10

[ferdinandlorraine]

duchessfriederike‌:

It was not long after they had arrived in Switzerland that the two had waltz through the grounds together. Things had felt so different then. She felt like she had aged twenty years, shaped both by tragedy and, in the midst of it all, something good. It felt wrong that anything positive could have come from this, but she had found that in Bayezide. How to explain that to Ferdinand, she didn’t know, so instead she took his hands, and squeezed them gently. “Nell and Dottie have fallen out with me because of it,” she explained. “I did not want you to do the same.” 

And he didn’t, and she loved him for it. Of her brothers, she perhaps loved him the best, and at times felt more similar to him than she did to either of her sisters. Like Matthias, he was asking for her thoughts before he made up his own mind, though most unlike their eldest brother, he hadn’t prefaced it with a show of protectiveness. He allowed her thoughts to lead his, and she appreciated that more than she could say. 

“I believe my fiancee is a good man. He is trying to understand me, and has promised me a great many things,” she explained. “I think with him, I would be most happy. And I would like it if you were happy for me, too.” She wondered if she even deserved such happiness. She had certainly done nothing to deserve it, and now, with so much to be uncertain of, it felt almost like tempting fate. 

Ferdinand frowned at the idea of his sisters having a falling out. He almost exclaimed about it until Friedi voiced her fear of him doing the same. He would never, not without good reason. A man was never a good reason to tear at a family, he ought to know that better than anyone given he had often been that ridiculous man. “Friedi, you could make and do the worst choices and I might laugh at you for it... probably be upset, hopefully not say horrible things, but at the end of it you know I would be there for you no matter what right?”

Carefully he took her face in his hands, wanting so much for her to know he loved her unconditionally. So few people did he dare to love that way, but they were that much more important because of it. He he had craved it himself since he was a child, so to have the opportunity and ease to give such love to someone who deserved it so well had become just as defining to him as the lack of it at his child self had been. 

“Friedi, I will train and risk mud on my clothes if only to be able to land a meager punch on his face if he ever hurts you. But I’ll also be glad for the fine lines on my body that training will provide and revel at the fact that I trust your judgement and am likely never to have to attack the man. So there, be happy and start teaching your General to have patience because he’ll have to put up with my constant visits. He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s marrying me too!” 

Lorrie smiled, suddenly looking to his right hand and lifting it from her face as if he’d suddenly noticed an invisible marriage ring attached to his finger. 

[ferdinandlorraine]

isabeaudevalois‌:

isabeau had little knowledge of ferdinand’s feelings; it hardly occurred to her to ask and as he spoke to her in such tones, she found what little hope she’d had – for their meeting, for their future – dwindling, falling apart inside of her chest as if it was a flower that saw petals drop with each word that left his mouth. perhaps if she had known the reason for his irritation, she might have acted differently but at the same time, perhaps not. isabeau was not used to apologizing for who she was, for what she had, and while she had little ambition for the future, she wished to remain as comfortable as she had been thus far.

in truth, with ferdinand’s reputation aside, she would have been quite pleased with him. she did not wish to be used as a pawn in a man’s quest for a crown and it seemed clear – to isabeau, anyway – that neither of the german king’s bastard sons would succeed him to the german throne.

“you know nothing of me because you do not wish to,” she remarked. it was unkind, she knew, and yet the words spilled from her mouth anyway. “do you think i came here to make you feel a fool? or that i was simply bored with everything else switzerland has on offer?” one brow lifted. “i came here to see how you fared, because i was worried. of the two of us, which would you say is the fool?” the self-deprecation was heavy in her voice and already isabeau regretted her sojourn into the german quarters. she regretted it even more when he spoke further, of the brother who had made her feel so very small.

her lips thinned. “your brother, tactless though he may be, used his words to make a fool of me.” she was exaggerating, isabeau knew, but she was incensed enough already. “am i to simply swallow such disrespect? you forget, my lord, that i am the madame royale of france. i do not cower before men.”

it was his scoff – and then the incredulous chuckle – that stoked isabeau’s ire, her lips thinning as her eyes flashed. her hand lifted quickly, as if of its own accord, and the echoing slap of her fingers against his cheek resounded in the room.

she was silent for a moment, eyes wide, lips parted, as they looked at the redness she’d left behind on his cheek. her eyes were filled with not quite regret but with a sadness and a disappointment so deep she could not recall having felt this way toward anyone who was not francis before. she lowered her arm before she turned her head and began to move toward the exist.

it might have been kinder than he deserved – or perhaps it would be just kind enough, given her own anger that blazed from her eyes as a fire crackling over a hearth – but isabeau paused only once before she left the room, skirts swishing round her ankles. “your father and king francis may have decreed our marriage, but it is not up to them how we take to it. i had hoped…it does not matter what i had hoped.” her tone grew sad, wary, less imperious than before. isabeau did not turn toward him, her gaze focused on the outer hallway. “i do not know what i expected of you. perhaps i should not have expected anything. i shall not call on you again, so do not worry, my lord. let us hope that soon you will be rid of me as you so clearly wish to be.”

and with those final parting words, she left, the door closing with a resounding thud behind her.

[END]

[holstcin]

This is fine | Dorothea & Ferdinand

[ferdinandlorraine]

holstcin‌:

His reply made her brows furrow further in worry, as she regarded her elder brother with the sentiment reflecting clearly in her eyes. She did not think anyone was actually alright at this point. “Do you want to talk about it? I think we should talk about it. This situation will require… well, it will require rather difficult things, if I am honest.” Dorothea spoke with a heavy sigh, her very soul heavy with concern and her mind burdened with all the plots - and counter plots. To keep her family safe, all of her family, she would do anything. Everything. No matter how hard a task, no matter how odious it may be - if it guaranteed her family’s safety, she would do it without blinking.

Dot’s hold on her brother’s arm tightened as he laced her arm through his elbow, and she squeezed herself closer to Ferdinand - it was more to provide comfort, than to seek it for herself; she was always so concerned about her family member, but with Claudia’s arrival, it was the male members of her family that made her worry the most ( she did not doubt Konrad had his plans for them - and she did not doubt those plans were sinister ). His question made her softly sigh in reply, and she found herself slightly shaking her head. “No, I am alright. As alright I can be right now, with all of this happening. First the murders, now this.” Dottie exhaled another heavy breath, shaking her head to clear the jumbled mess of her thoughts. “I am fine, but right now it is you that I worry about. You and the rest of our brothers. With this… sister suddenly coming into play, I fear there might by a price upon your head. If Konrad was evil enough to do such atrocity, I would not put going after you, and Mattie and Pol, past him either.” She spoke. “In the coming weeks, I just want you to be extra careful. Extra safe. Can you promise me that, Ferdi?”

Ferdinand did not want to talk about it, however he could not give Little Dot’s question a straight answer. Instead, he attempted to laugh and say, “We should talk about it my Little Dot, and laugh at it and get angry! I’ll likely be doing the former and you the later but I’m sure we’ll both feel better after.” It lacked his usual vitality, not in the manner with which he said it but in the way his body moved less energetically. It was his usual approach to take nothing seriously and yet he found he couldn’t help but take everything seriously now. He annoyed himself. 

With a sigh of self-frustration but thinking that concerned his little sister more, he let her take his arm and welcomed her tight squeeze. He found it so comforting, in ways perhaps Dot did not even know. His thoughts suddenly flew to her and he realized how little they had seen of each other. What had she been going through? It occurred to him that the appearance of a sister would definitely alarm Dot more than he. 

“Do not worry about me Little Dot,” Ferdinand smiled tenderly. It warmed his heart to see her worry for him though he didn’t deserve it. “Mattie and me are of no consequence to Konrad, or anyone really... as much as it would pain Mattie to hear it. Worry about Little Legitimate Leopold, but not that much,” he smiled and leaned in to kiss his sister’s head. “He’s the King’s only male heir, I’m sure there will be extra precaution and protection when it comes to Leopold.”

At length and upon some thinking he added, “alright, I’ll try my best to change my ways and pretend that I’m politically important,” it was here he finally grinned in his usual playful manner, for once feeling a bit like his old self. “I promise, but you have to promise me that you will have some fun in my stead!”

[ferdinandlorraine]

Post count this week (april 5 to april 11):  n. of replies (11). Points  gained:  11 points per in-character replies + 2 bonus points for every five replies = 13 Point  allocation: wealth + 5 Health  total:  150/150  Leftover points: 8

[ferdinandlorraine]

Lorraine

[ferdinandlorraine]

wlhemina‌:

u p o n her arrival in the swiss court and her family’s apartments within castelgrande, wilhemina had only broken her fast before venturing beyond, claiming the need to stretch her legs. the local spring festival, she thought to herself, was quite quaint— perhaps a leftover of some pagan idolatry before the church had raised its mighty hand over these swiss mountains. 

she was twirling a bough of apple blossoms in one hand, admiring the faintly pink petals and ignoring the voice in her head that told her the flowers would now only wither and the branch become brittle, having been snapped from its tree. a brief voice registered, but it was the name that summoned her full attention.

“ ah, ” she mused. “ anne, ma chère anne. ” wilhemina gave the german king’s bastard a smile that was as pretty and practiced as a waxen flower, though her blue eyes burned with curiosity. “ yes, most certainly— the resemblance speaks for itself, i see. ”

Ferdinand made a rare effort to behave most respectfully. His fine education was - finally - put to use even down to his properly returned smile tainted as it was the tender fondness for his mother. It made him very proud to hear the Archduchess of the Holy Roman Empire still remembered her, even down to her features as she claimed to see them in him. 

“Forgive my intrusion Your Highness, but I could not resist approaching you given how fondly my mother spoke of you. I shall be forever grateful for your kindness towards her, and though I may be of little importance in high society I am in your debt as I was unable to often keep her company.” 

He stopped his rambling with a soft clearing of his throat and an apologetic bow. He felt so awkward behaving with the manners he’d been taught but often purposefully avoided. Where he would have behaved with undue confidence faced with anyone else, he suddenly found he could not with her. Strange was the hold anything to do with his mother had on him. In a way, so did his father but his hold was of an entirely different kind. Lady Lorraine to him had been needed when he did not have her, and as a child he had so longed for her. Now as an adult, it as all he could do but try to fill the void she had been in his earlier life though it could not now be done. 

[ferdinandlorraine]

starfvllen‌:

Ippolita found herself to be in an improved mood compared to normal. The weather was pleasant, and the fruits were proving to be plentiful. The man had been kind as well, not quick to gawk or machinate as others might’ve done, and she appreciated it.

“I can see why,” she mused, depositing another fruit into the basket. “It certainly has been a lovely few days- I personally prefer autumn or winter.” It was perhaps a preference that had come from her extensive period of living in Rome: the colder seasons meant less people meandering in the streets and more long hours of quiet, and the buildings of the Vatican were a soft sort of warm and glowing

“You would be correct- although you would likely know my siblings more than I,” Ippolita shrugged lightly. The sordid issue of succession had traveled alarmingly fast, and she suspected there were few who weren’t aware of the conflict between her older siblings. “Sometimes it is not bad to consider things out of the realm of the ordinary. It may prove surprisingly enlightening.” After all, her father had hardly approved of her avid pursuing of music, and yet it had worked out for the best in the end, had it not?

A faintly grim smile crossed her lips. “I have heard that seine Majestät der König does not care much for us Italians,” it seemed to be a generally acknowledged fact by this point, and still her tone is conversational, “And perhaps it would help as well if people stopped falling dead. Truly, I do hope King Diebold has only one nefarious cousin and not more hidden away somewhere.”

He nodded with a smile as he listened to her seasonal preferences while continuing to gather fruit. It was refreshening to have a casual conversation under a tree while others attempted to be carefree despite the circumstances. 

In truth, he did not know much about Milan. He generally did not bother with politics, knowledge of important people included, unless of course it involved some renown beauty he was curious about seeing in order to make his own judgement. He had delved into such topics here in Switzerland back when he frequented places of drink in the village though now his pockets were light of weight he had avoided them out of necessity. “You will be happy to know you are the first Sforza I encounter,” he said in mock seriousness, “no pressure, but my entire view of the Sforza’s now relies on you.” 

Now the baskets were near full, he paused to agree with her by laughing before saying, “I believe you have recited my way of life thus far. Except, instead of ‘sometimes’ I would say most times I consider things out of the realm of the ordinary and that it usually proves very enlightening!” He said it thinking of a couple rendezvous that had been risky but nevertheless well worth the risk. It was now a fond memory of course, since lately even that type of action had been lacking in his life. 

“I wouldn’t take it personal, His Majesty does not care for most people,” he said and felt himself balancing over a fine line he could not identify. Then he did what he usually did best; he avoided it. “Ah indeed, such inconsiderate fellows, but you know how nobility is so drawn to the limelight and the dramatics. Their tantrums can be so fatal, for that is what King Diebold’s cousin did, and wouldn’t a war be the most powerful men throwing tantrums?” He said it all in ridicule, for a moment forgetting she was a Sforza and that though there was no King of Italy, there were two great houses that might as well be wearing a crown.

[claudiablanche]

when: early morning where: hunting grounds, of sasso cobaro castle  closed: @ferdinandlorraine​

♚

Any hunter knows this to be true, that the most rewarding part isn’t in the killing, but the chasing: to ride like a tendril of wind through bottomless woodlands, hands steady and eyes watchful; and to level your crossbow at a creature, in anticipation for the perfect moment to squeeze—release. In the moments it takes for an arrow to land its mark, everything goes quiet. She forgets to breathe.

The fact that the animal has to die—that’s a side effect.

While Claudia rides, the sun begins to crest lazily over a yawning horizon, still pink and groggy. By the time she’s finished and making her way home, weak beams of light have illuminated the grandiose drawbridges and spires of Sasso Carbaro Castle—and the much smaller figure standing before it, at the foot a dewy hill. 

“Brother,” she greets, once he is within earshot. The word is meaningless and void of any affection, but fulfills some unspoken courtly necessity for exercising good manners. She is, after all, a guest—one who will be visiting the Schleswig-Holstein family for the rest of all their lives, but a guest nonetheless. She wouldn’t pretend to fit in.

Claudia dismounts from her steed and collects the body of her game from its back—a beautiful deer, still warm to the touch.

“You needn’t worry,” she says, with a bit of rare humor, and motions in the direction of the woods from which she had emerged. “Plenty more left for you.”

The princess is in a good mood today. 

[ferdinandlorraine]

He woke up that morning with the simple and soundless opening of his eyes and immediately he realized he was not himself. The rustle of blankets in the dark seemed to echo as he sat up, so empty it was. Ferdinand lingered with the sound of his own breathing for company, wondering if spewing everything he had tightly sealed away had been worth it. Could he make it worth it? Would it make a difference? 

With recent events sending a ripple through those gathered it seemed to Ferdinand that life just kept happening around him. It reminded him, even as the sun would later rise as it did every day, that the gripes he was struggling with were only minor ripples on a massive moving river. This, strangely, gave him comfort. It meant whatever actions he took from now on would be just as inconsequential as those he’d already done. It meant he would be the only one to face the consequences, or so he told himself, and hadn’t he already been living in this manner all along?

He sighed, throwing cold water on his face before he undressed just so that he would dress again, choosing attire fit for a morning ride. In a daze, he walked through dark empty corridors, reached the stables, and readied his horse, all the while thinking how pitiful those whose actions did in fact cause changes to the massive moving river. People like Kings. People like his Father? Ferdinand scoffed. He wasn’t sure he could pity that man even if he had reason to. 

He heard the voice then that called him brother and slowly the earlier daze released him. The cold wind brushed past his cheeks and he felt his unsteady feet press against the earth as the powerful animal pulled at the reigns in his hands with the eagerness to ride. 

“Sister,” he greeted back as he was awkwardly brought back to the present by the flood of information her presence recalled. He watched her, immediately seeing the relation in her features and for the first time that day he smiled. Perhaps in another week he’d meet another long lost brother, or sister, or both! 

“I don’t know about that,” he chuckled, very much glad for the distraction, “might be me who returns slumped on the back of someone’s horse. Of your new found siblings, I may be the weakest of the lot.” He joked of course, yet his own words stung given his recent emotional struggles. “I’ll be really impressed if you are planning to clean the animal and cut it apart, but only because in that, at least,I can show off,” he said with a glint of the eye that spoke of acted cockiness.