Aurelian Solemont

[forgottenaurelian]

OOC | Aurelian & Aoife

it's unfortunate that sebastian had to go and embroil himself in scandal w a ~middle daughter when eithne was literally right!!!! there!!!!! but alas here we are ldskjfalksdjfjf no but aurelian is def taking the tack that THIS DIDNT HAPPEN (he doesn't care if it really did and aoife actually ~is carrying his great`grandchild bc it aint a good look for the House™ so like...who cares) and he thinks aoife and her sisters should be sent off somewhere far away conveniently for ~at least nine months~ and then return when rumors have settled down/their figures have returned alkdjflkdsjfsdfj childless families are always happy to take in foundlings and part of cassimir's job should be to ensure those children are cared for and no one else ever has to remember they exist, if they ~are real! also that awful valentina woman needs to shut her mouth!!!!! (finally a plan ~everyone can get on board with...)

so yeah while roderick's like 'place this girl in marian's household' aurelian is like NO WAY JOSE (he thinks roderick's being soooooo embarrassingly touchy-feely caring abt his bastard grandkids like that smdh) and tryna exile her to the fens or calleary or smth probs alsdkjflkjsdfjsdf esp when it comes painfully clear those girls are all dowerless...aurelain said sebastian/aoife notp SOB

[forgottenaoife]

how is it that roderick is kinda taking the kinder approach to the malconaires (not) pregnancy that aurelian! everyone's mind is blown!!

it feels like aurelian might be on team Finn/Aoife engagement along with @forgottencormac ? (i still love that both of them kind of have NO idea that is actually going on and being discussed, haha!) which basically no one else is on!! especially aoife!

i feel like aoife is maybe going to try to put some distance between herself and the varmonts after all these rumors about herself and sebastian-- tbh i don't know how well that's really going to work bc i do think she finds herself wanting to be around @forgottensebastian more and more SO i don't know if she and aurelian cross paths bc of that??

knowing how quiet and introverted aoife is, she is def going to be SUPER intimidated by aurelian! even if he wasn't trying to banish her sisters to the fens or smth, she's def not the sort of person she'd ever feel comfortable talking with!

[forgottenaurelian]

dkljfkldjafjkjdsf not aurelian being worse than roderick abt this!!!! lkjasdklfj but its true!!!!!!! like say what you will abt roderick (and there are unambiguously MANY terrible things to say abt that man!!!!! lkjasdkljfj) his vice is that he cares too much abt everything -- aurelian's is that he cares too little lakjdsfkljdsjf

yeah i def think that'd be potentially acceptable to aurelian!1 its not ~ideal bc house calleary is super rich and well connected w their trade situation, and while cormac might be the lord, i do think its not uhhh the ~most difficult to guess that cormac probs won't be fathering any sons shall we say ldskjfkjldf like the ~future of house calleary (as far as the ovn is concerned bc like...women???? inheriting?????) rests firmly on finn's shoulders so like...do we really want an ~astairan marriage there???? but like...its fine, its whatever lakjsdflkjdjf i don't think he has a problem w it (side note, i ~do think he feels like @forgottenlucian could do worse than marrying a calleary tho to help expand ~his growing trade empire...esp if he, say, marries eabha, and then...so sad...finn doesn't have any heirs -- easy enough to arrange w a few lil drops of poison in his wife's cup...oh no...guess everything of house calleary's is up to lucian as the eldest daughter's husband, now!! laksjdfkjdf SCREAM but yeah if alaric's moving in there, one of the other calleary girls would do even if it means lucian probs won't get the whole shebang...)

i do think that aurelian truly has no problem w @forgottensebastian having a sidepiece -- in fact, he probs lowkey expects that, esp as it takes roderick foreeeeeeeever to choose them all brides that that just...inevitably ~will happen, but yeah for it to be a prominent lady from a recently conquered land tht's experiencing some...upheaval is uhhhhh not good! aurelian: maybe aria would like a companion on her journey to the convent...jk jk! i feel like he does still see the malconaires as valuable for arranging matches etc, esp bc they have suuuuch a valuable plot of land and he's like 'they have all daughters, i have a kazillion sons...interesting...' then cassimir had to interfere smdh no but he does respect keeping it in the family -- he doesn't buy that's a love match on either side for one second! but he thinks it ~is probs a strategic move for both parties since cassimir's standing ~is somewhat shaky and its all that's holding malconaire for any of them, they just need to pop out a son ASAP and malconire is secure for them laskjdfkljdslfj but ~until that time~ well, betrothed isn't married and, even if it is, well if cassimir and eithne can't seem to have any heirs together (and again...the wonders of a drop of poison in a lady's cup...), its all settling on @forgottenbrigit and...hmmm...how interesting...she remains unwed...but maybe not for long *gestures to his brace of single sons* ;DDDDDDD girl can have her pick! i do still think that aurelian feels that, ideally, the eithne/cassimir marriage won't go forward and one of his sons can wed ~her, instead, but brigit's definitely a promising back up (too bad her whole personality is bsically custom made to terrify ovn men tho BAHAHAHAAH)

i ~do think if brigit isn't interested in any of his sons, tho, aurelian thinks maybe sebastian could be a good fit -- he can have multiple wives (since she's ~certainly not suitable to be his chief wife!), surely, he's a son of the emperor, and brigit could be wifey #1 <3 sorry, aoife!! if you'd only been born before brigit, grandpa would ship it! since you weren't tho...he does not! dklsjfakljdsf tbh don't think ~this backup would ever get past roderick tho esp post-scandal but lakjdsflkjdf oh well lakdjsfkljdsf and aurelian probs does recognize that but yeah

should both eithne ~and brigit slip the noose -- i mean...these promising proposals...lkajsdfkljsdf ;DDD -- that's where aoife comes into play, at last. i do think, bc brigit's got such a forceful, inconvenient personality, aurelian feels it would be fairly easy to declare her mad, and unsuitable to wed, and shut her up somewhere and let all good society forget abt her and then aoife becomes next in line!! obv she's already on the hook for sebastian so ~finally a circumstance where that's now not ~quite as problematic but it still isn't ~great bc, again, for aurelian its way better if she marries one of his sons...and surely she can find one in there somewhere who somewhat resembles his nephew in an appealing way, right?? lsdkjafklsdjf being a third daughter, aoife is even less suitable for a prince than a second daughter but esp if the second one was declared legally insane, well, surely we can make due, right?? lskdjafkljdsf

but yeah!! frankly, aurelian is v much hoping it ~doesn't come to the matter of jumping through all these hoops, like hopefully eithne or brigit will bite, and now malconaire is a de facto solemont holding -- and we can finally cut down that weird freaky tree and exterminate the squirrels and birds and things that surely must be living ~inside the house like...these ppl are soooo uncivilized!!!!!! gross!!!!!

tbf like...good instinct there, aoife!!!!! man is NOT the most blessed conversationalist nor the best human being!!!!! and, if one of his sons ~can secure one of her older sisters, the existence of the younger ones automatically becomes...inconvenient to him since, as he knows firsthand (since he's thought abt it! lkasdjkfljdsf) there are wys of getting rid of the prev sisters etc ldjafkljdsf sooooo that's fun!!!!

[forgottenaurelian]

OOC | The Devestation of Solemont

so i wanna hear everyone's thoughts!! this is v much just a thought and not smth im tryna push or anything, we def do not have to do any of this for my vision of him to work out!! <3 but id promised to explain my thoughts so...here it is at long last hahahah

ok so i mentioned [ here ] that i thought there was some potential that aurelian was, in fact, a seventh son (like just of the boys, sisters might be older/younger etc idk) rather than an eldest, bc i thought there was a chance that most all of his brothers had died (i feel like the disinherited one may have survived potentially?) and i wanted to get into that. some of them probs met the usual ends of war and illness common to the ~middle ages~ situation in which lfr exists (and esp the ovn feels v warlike etc), but, as i alluded in the linked post, i ~also feel like there may have been an attempted coup against them, [ not unlike there was in later generations against alistair ] bc frankly i do think of the ovn as a terribly cut-throat kinda place alksdjfljksdf

TL;DR: so!!!!!! basically, perhaps the solemonts had rival great house in the ovn and the two were forever taking pot shots at eo until essentially the ~other house tried to exterminate house solemont (at least in the male line) so they could claim it all for themselves, but they missed aurelian bc he was legit a lil kid fostering somewhere else, at the time, and so they weren't too worried abt it, until he ofc came back to make them rue it, and revisited on them what had been done to him

for more details, and notions, read on!

BITTER RIVALS

ok so!! i def feel like this rivalry was a looooong, multi-generational thing, maybe even a multi-centuries thing, and if these are indeed two of the most powerful houses in the ovn, then i def feel like there was a big sorta ~faction element~ happening, too.

([ here's aurelian's timeline ] and the [ ovn kingslist ] btw just bc idk it helps me wrap my mind around stuff and i thought it might help you, too!)

i feel like it all came to a head around the time of aurelian's birth in 1224.

HOUSE VARMONT & QUEEN DISPUTE

why then? we know that both amalric (the king) and athaulf (the crown prince) were single around the same time, since athaulf wed in 1226 and amalric wed his second wife in 1231. this means that one of the most important roles in court politics -- the queen -- is up for grabs and not just the standing one, but the future one too. plus, w athaulf being (before bar's birth) the only varmont heir, its possible that ~either amalric's or athaulf's new bride will be the future queen/mother to the next king. having a single heir, after all, is an extremely dangerous position for ~any dynasty, after all, bc heirs can die and then where are we wo a backup, so it was extremely important that both men wed, and quickly, to produce more heirs just in case.

if we like the write ups i did for aurelian's various siblings, we know that amalric heeded hildegard solemont as a holy woman and advisor, whereas athaulf rejected her, and seems to have cultivated aurelian's enmity, in that aurelian later did away w him, as well as euric to secure roderick as king. killing euric alone would've accomplished that. killing athaulf, too, was a choice and, tbf, it sounds like athaulf was lowkey eating away at the ovn so it ~was probs at least partially strategic but still. killing a prince is one thing, but full-blown regicide? basically, there's a chance he did this impartially and that def still works, but i do ~also think there was (whether caused by this or not) some sort of grudge between aurelian and athaulf, ~as well.

notably, we know that athaulf did love the woman he ultimately wed, the princess of antilla, and this led to him basically letting her country run roughshod over the ovn, politically, once he came to power. we also know that he DESPISED his second wife, millicent (roderick and alaric's mom). we don't really know that much abt amalric's first wife (athaulf's mom) except that she died before he came to the throne, but we do know his second wife was isabeau, princess of faulia (bar's mom) and she was a powerhouse both during her time as queen and even after millicent's reign began (and basically responsible for bar being ~the way he is~ and not ~like the other varmont men~)

so my thought is that, while many candidates were doubtlessly discussed for both varmonts, as the list of ladies were narrowed down to two per each, the solemont faction favored one candidate for each royal, and the other faction sided w the ~other one. im thinking that the solemonts were pro-isabeau for amalric, and against the princess of antilla for athaulf. since we know they succeeded with one push and ~not the other, this both positions the solemonts as aligned ~w the king and, effectively, ~against the crown prince, who is probs ~also angry they made it difficult to marry the woman he loved. it also means they're now invested in ensuring isabeau and ~her line really goes places bc isabeau is team solemont whereas athaulf is anti-solemont. their rival faction, however, equally is in bed w the crown prince and against any heirs that might come from the new bride of the king for the same reasons.

we also know that 1) athaulf was ~unstable, particularly after the death of his first wife, but probs even before it esp given how euric turned out, and that 2) athaulf was a bully at home but a weakling abroad and this feels both like reasons it might've developed that way, too, as well as informing what happens next...

SETTING THE TRAP

ok!! so, its 1231, aurelian is 7, both varmonts are wed, and the stage is set. not only is this fierce rivalry between these two powerful houses blazing, but now they've dragged the two most powerful couples in the land into it, too.

on a side note (of no small significance later) for our guy aurelian, 7 is ~also the age that you become a page, so this would make sense as a time for aurelian to be sent away from home to foster w another house.

so my thought is basically that athaulf and unnamed-house begin to collude. they say that they want to ensure peace for the land, as this rivalry has gone on ~way long enough!! they arrange for a marriage between the head of ~other house~ or his heir, and the eldest daughter of solemont. now, as ive said, possibly some of aurelian's bros are dead, already, given war and disease etc, but there're still plenty of sons out there. notably, tho, i def think this is ~after ascelin and his entire line have been publically disinherited and ostracized from the house of solemont if he ~does survive hahaha

another possibility -- whether in conjuction or instead of -- is that ascelin wed not a serving girl but rather a girl from the ~rival house, and that's why his dad disinherited him etc and the rival house took this as a huge insult etc. also, if this marriage was supported by the king and his dad ~still rejected him and it, that might've angered amalric against them at a time when he was their big ally really so yeah that's a possibility too

anyway!! so the marriage goes through, lowkey strong armed, no doubt, after all peace is everyone's interest, right?

ATTACK

eventually, w the lady now pregnant, suddenly their rival house learns the truth that house solemont had been conspiring to assasinate the crown prince! T R E A S O N ! ! ! they call their banners, assemble them, march, and attack the solemonts, only sending word to the king afterwards. the land is overrun, the lord is killed, his sons mostly killed and those who manage to escape are hunted down and killed as well, the girls are held hostages. only ascelin, away bc of his banishment and unimportant bc he's disinherited anyway, and aurelian away bc he's fostering elsewhere and unimportant bc he's legit a child and couldn't rule for some time, ~anyway, are left.

amalric is LIVID but there's not a lot he can do bc the coup is already pulled, plus they've got their full standing army already mustered ~and athaulf is backing them quite literally to the hilt as well.. bc of the marriage to the eldest daughter, the rival house is now claiming ownership of all in the right of his wife/future child

the sun in its splendor is being put out

they do try to seize aurelian (and he probs woulda lived out a princes in the tower scenario if they'd gotten him), but he'd gotten word ahead and slipped away into the unknown a la henry vii as a boy. feel like he ~may have sought refuge in faulia? bc im ~guessing the solemonts had a good relationship w them there, given they backed isabeau for queen etc.

EXILE

ok so aurelian grows up fully thinking obsessively abt his murdered parents and brothers, his captive sisters, and his denied birthright. he is ~singleminded in his purpose of returning and reclaiming his birthright, and def addressing himself in letters and thing as count solemont, despite his rival having given that title to his heir. He grows up suspicious and watchful, operating in the shaodws, learning how to manipulate and powerful and pull the strings from behind the scenes to get what he wants as well as obsessively studying his enemy etc.

we've talked before abt the solemont lands being lowkey inspired by the rhine and mosel river valleys in germany, and abt how the ovn was originally a place of trade.

so, keeping the rhine in mind, which flows directly to the sea, im thinking ~around the time he was abt 20, he finally gets his chance.

idk if he's in faulia, now, or somewhere else, but he's found someone who's ambitious. if the solemonts do, in fact, control a river that flows directly from somewhere like amsterdam, thats a hugely powerful position, esp in a trade and/or military land and like...the ovn is both???? plus, like, aurelian hasn't been there in at least a decade, true, but he grew up there. he knows even the secret bits, so he finally finds someone whose looking to get better deals w that area for trade, someone who has beef w the rival house, someone who has beef w athaulf, etc, etc. he brings this coalition together...and he attacks.

RETURN

he carried out to the letter all that was done to his own family and, when he's done, he lies out the bodies of his enemies for all to see, he puts paper crowns upon their heads, claiming they made as if to steal the royal powers of the king by usurping him for only a king can appoint new powers.

leaving some men garrisoned at solemont to hold it for him just in case, he marches to the capitol and he bows before amalric but now wo his allied army at his back -- swearing them all to treaties and alliances w the king if they accept him...w the underlying unspoken threat that they will turn deadly enemies if he does ~not, and reminds everyone that he was a child -- if there was indeed a plot against the crown prince's life, he most certainly was not a party to it.

his enemies are wiped out. there will be no riprisals. aurelian is recognized as count solemont and weds leora, etc, beginning his life anew. he devotes much time and effort to clearing his familiy's name of the assassination charge (whether they truly ~were trying it or ~not...)

so yeah that's the idea!!

RIVAL IDENTITIES?

i did have some ideas abt the identities of the rivals!!

potentially, leora was a surviving daughter and they wed to like ~ensure there would be no further enmity there -- as well as to allow aurelian to now claim all that was theirs, just as they'd once done to solemont, and could further create an interesting dynamic amongst the family also [ 'hr pickens, i married ur daughter...' ] vibes (also s/o to a wild cassimir/valentina's dad ;D) lakjsdfkjdsf anyway, might also explain why they've variously been described in comments as merchants and as kings in their bg (not that you cna't be both) but maybe leora's is the merchant bg, or whatever?

alternatively, house grey, as we know them to have been one of the most prestigious houses in the land but, once they lost much of their holdings/standing etc they were bascially devoured by what they had left, unable to sustain it w what little they had left. this would also further inform alistair's desperation to ensure that ~he has an heir, as the grey/solemont wedding(s) probs mean that his closest relative is in fact a solemont and, given that they murdered his entire family except his dad, and stole sm of his lands and rights that he lived in destitution and almost got killed by the late king for what was left, etc, i can't see alistair much wanting that, either

the third possibility is just...we can make up a new house or whatever, maybe a few survivors, maybe none, but yeah!!

also obv someone i didn't think of is def just as possible etc!! def open to any and all thoughts abt this!! <3

anyway, what're ppl's thoughts? do we like any of this? better to just scrap it? im down w anything <3

[forgottenaurelian]

LIZZY UR TL;DR FOR WHY I TAGGED YOU: were leora and aurelian potentially wed in order to end a viscious blood feud between their two houses that almost wiped both families out and lowkey started a mini civil war within the ovn? the above post contains way more info on that but i forgot to tag you there *facepalm* no worries if that doesn't work for you tho bc we've got other ideas too!

ok so obv we haven't yet heard from lizzy, but here's the responses so far:

laurenplayspeople 17h The grey!rival stuff also makes Alistair's interest in Guin when she is a distant solemont very interesting too imo Might help inform even more of his 'she can't love me' stuff. Very R&J vibes 😂 quillington 17h @laurenplayspeople The way I misread R & J as R & L, and was like ‘Rhaegar and Lyanna’ and sat there for way too long tryna figure that out 😂🤦‍♀️💀 no but sgjkjffhjj yessss!!! They (think) they’re cursed if they get together and now potentially their ancestors were killing eo etc abd 😩😩😩😩 alistair: feeels untenable laurenplayspeople 17h @quillington Lmaaaooo. Nope, Shakespeare for me, as always 😂😂😂 But also not me now like: well but who would be the prince of cats in this then? 😭😭😭 I also have very very vague and fleeting thoughts re: if you go with grey vs solemont if there's anything to including something about it in the fairytale book that has Guin's Malconaire connection and the right translation of the Aella prophecy in it??? I'm very very much spitballing here and do not have a coherent concept lmao quillington 16h @laurenplayspeople Is it…Bar?? 😂😂😂 no but it’s not an ~exact copy admittedly but the vibes are there if we go w this!! And Even if we don’t, we could say that they greys were ~allied w the ultimate rival or smth so it’d still work esp since guin is a distant cousin so I think either way we could have this if we want it!! Ooooh reading next paragraph now — just to make sure I’m understanding — so like Aella’s prophecy ~also prophecied the doom of his house? Or the geneology book did? I wasn’t sure 😂 sorry my brain isn’t fully functional at present 😂😂😂 laurenplayspeople 16h @quillington Lmao, honestly, same, even I am like: what am I trying to convey here? (I was parked at the bank and got a work call and my thoughts all immediately got flushed down the drain. 😂) But trying to reconstruct my train of thought, I think I was getting at whether tying the grey vs Solemont thing into the Aella fable and if so, then do we think it would show up in the book of fairytales Guin brings to read for Byrgenwulf that was the Malconaire wedding gift quillington 15h @laurenplayspeople Nooooooooo not work calls — the worst 😭😭😭 Ohhhh gotcha!! Hmmm so I feel like they could maybe ~hear it at byrgenwulf, but I don’t think it’d be in a book of fairy tales? Bc I feel like it’s too recent in history to be a fairytale? Bc those’re usually hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of years old? But maybe the ~roots of the rivalry could be there? Like the opening salvos? If it’s an old rivalry, which is def v possible! In classic fairy tale fashion, it’s probs misremembered and misattributed, and then mythologized on top of that, but yeah! That could be there if we like!! But I doubt a tale in which participants, like Aurelian, are still alive would be in a book of fairytales? Esp if she got it from her grandpa so at newest the book is like ~10 years old, meaning it was written only 40 years after…Tho the story could def be told or sung orally, like set in a poem or a song, or smth like that, and maybe even ~beginning to evolve into a ~bit of a folktale there now, if we like, since it was probs abt ~50 years ago now? Idk…🤔

laurenplayspeople 15h @quillington Yea, it's def something I was just spitballing so I'm sure we can kinda keep prodding at it until something either works or we're like: nvm about all this. 😂 Maybe it's something more like... they both used the Aella story to like try and drum up support or smth for their side? "They hurt my family first ages ago" kind of stuff? laurenplayspeople 15h @quillington Tho ig that would involve tying the solemonts back further to Harburrow in the Aella years phabblebabbles 14h ok i think im gonna mull over this sm more and have other thoughts but my initial thoughts: 1) obsessed that aurelian has been openly a powerhouse for quite some time!!! 2) smth smth in marian's head abt how her father rose above everything to rule house solemont, rise them from the ashes essentially and that somehow points towards how her son is meant to be emperor? gotta work through that whole idea.... 3) for the rival house-- i do like the idea that it could've been house grey BUT I don't think Marian would've trusted a member of house grey to train her sons like Alistair did!! she doesn't necessarily get a choice but she def would not have encouraged arthur to have any sort of relationship w/ him like they kinda of have? Marian would've been too worried abt the opportunities for alistair to get revenge for what her father did to his family... not saying we can't work that in BUT just thoughts! kinda wondering if there is anything to it being an unnamed new family OR the idea that leora's family is the rival family? it could be interesting if there are any rogue members of the rival family floating out smwhere... could they form alliances w/ astairans? or w/ rian to promote his claim for the throne? (since we know riacan showed up and filled the 'house solemont's rival house' void!)

ok, so, given these responses, i think there may be a way to have our cake and eat it, too!

so!! maybe main rival ~is a different house (either leora's or a made up one idk? we can def come back to that!), but house grey ~was (at least occasionally) allied w them. maybe not in ~everything. for example, it wouldn't have any bearing on guin and alistair if his family was directly tied in to tryna exterminate aurelian since like that's not an ancestor that's a distant cousin, right? so like maybe they were tied in to a battle that occurred like ~100 years ago between the solemonts and their rivals, on the rival side, but not to the extermination thing 50 years ago?

so, like, there ~is bad blood there, but in the way that most noble families have clashed in the past, and like alistair's ancestors have probs killed some of guin's ancestors and vice versa. for example, we already ~know there was the aella slaying for sure, tho that is harburrow/malconaire not yet any solemont relation, given that they consider eo cousins etc, but def still civil strife stuff between harburrow and islaun -- tho we should talk abt that too since ik you moved aella to only 200 years ago so that she's more closely related to the current malconaires, so as a result we separated out ewan (aella's lover) from dougal (man turned into wolf and slain by his own brother as a result) since obv the gods were trapped thousands of years ago, so no one was being turned into wolves or foxes 200 years ago etc so what ~did happen to aella? maybe it was a [ beast of gévaudan ] type situation, and she was either killed by the beast or shot by its hunters at night or smth, mistaking a movement for the creature they were hunting? but im getting carried away -- that should probs be its ~own post on guin and alistair's sites shouldn't it hahahaha

but yes!! i can def see islaun and harburrow telling that story tryna move various forces against eo!! oooh, maybe house foxe aligned w the solemonts re the queen situation, and house grey aligned w the ~rival, or smth?

like, maybe house grey backed athaulf's marriage to the princess of antilla? maybe they even intended to be there to help ~guide that situation but then they bit the dust and no one was there to manage that the way they'd planned, so it kinda ran amuck?

anyway, that way, they're tied in, but not in a way that would necessarily???? make @forgottenmarian directly mistrustful of @forgottenalistair re her kids, since they didn't participate in the slaughter of her uncles and grandfather, and since that marriage happened before alistair was born so, even if she does bear a grudge re that, its def not his fault at all, etc? bc i ~do think arthur and sebastian having been trained in strategy is deeply significant to their backstories, and probs their futures, too, etc, so yeah i ~do think its important that that remains in place

also, side note, and should probs be asking abt this on @forgottenroderick 's site, but do we wanna name the princess of antilla? antilla is fantasy!ibera, so i snagged some potential names w that in mind:

amara -- probs related to the visigothic name amalric: unceasing/brave/vigorous ruler, (also would make her daughter amala a namesake for both her granddad and her mom)

eneida -- praise

gisela/gisele -- pledge (out here collecting ballet names ig <3)

iria -- peace

isadora -- gift of the throne

madalena -- of the tower (not me like 'did she have some calainon heritage in this case?' alsdkjfkldsjf)

odete -- wealth, fortune (since we already got an odile... ;D also just now learned that appreantly odete/odette is a ~nickname for odile/oda/odilia/etc...blew my mind)

sens -- saintly, holy

therasia -- summer or to harvest

obv lots of other potentials but yeah here's a selection!

ANYWAY!! love marian's contention that her father rises out of the ashes (like a phoenix!) destines arthur for the throne -- a continuous line of up and up and up!

also love the idea that -- whether within house solemont or without -- there may be some rando surviving rival house claimants looking to stir up trouble against the solemonts!! godfrey: 'yay!'

no but riacan coming in to fill the void alkjsdfkjldskjf aurelian: 'now we have the night to contend w? no matter, the sun shall burn them out' rian: 'stoP! my life is hard enough as it is!' arthur, sweating: 'sure let's kick rian's ass, but...not aLL the staffords are our enemies...right????' the way both his fav non-family ppl are staffords smdh alksjdfkljdsf grandpa is DEEPLY disappointed ldskjfalksdjf but yessss rian feels like a v natural ally for any surviving rival-house peeps, even if the solemont heirs ~are potentially their cousins via leora...

also gonna @thelongforgottenrealm since i just realized i forgot to earlier, and it does v much impact potential future characters (leora and her kids and grandkids specifically...) if we go the direction of the rival house having been hers!

[forgottenaurelian]

OOC | The Devestation of Solemont

so i wanna hear everyone's thoughts!! this is v much just a thought and not smth im tryna push or anything, we def do not have to do any of this for my vision of him to work out!! <3 but id promised to explain my thoughts so...here it is at long last hahahah

ok so i mentioned [ here ] that i thought there was some potential that aurelian was, in fact, a seventh son (like just of the boys, sisters might be older/younger etc idk) rather than an eldest, bc i thought there was a chance that most all of his brothers had died (i feel like the disinherited one may have survived potentially?) and i wanted to get into that. some of them probs met the usual ends of war and illness common to the ~middle ages~ situation in which lfr exists (and esp the ovn feels v warlike etc), but, as i alluded in the linked post, i ~also feel like there may have been an attempted coup against them, [ not unlike there was in later generations against alistair ] bc frankly i do think of the ovn as a terribly cut-throat kinda place alksdjfljksdf

TL;DR: so!!!!!! basically, perhaps the solemonts had rival great house in the ovn and the two were forever taking pot shots at eo until essentially the ~other house tried to exterminate house solemont (at least in the male line) so they could claim it all for themselves, but they missed aurelian bc he was legit a lil kid fostering somewhere else, at the time, and so they weren't too worried abt it, until he ofc came back to make them rue it, and revisited on them what had been done to him

for more details, and notions, read on!

BITTER RIVALS

ok so!! i def feel like this rivalry was a looooong, multi-generational thing, maybe even a multi-centuries thing, and if these are indeed two of the most powerful houses in the ovn, then i def feel like there was a big sorta ~faction element~ happening, too.

([ here's aurelian's timeline ] and the [ ovn kingslist ] btw just bc idk it helps me wrap my mind around stuff and i thought it might help you, too!)

i feel like it all came to a head around the time of aurelian's birth in 1224.

HOUSE VARMONT & QUEEN DISPUTE

why then? we know that both amalric (the king) and athaulf (the crown prince) were single around the same time, since athaulf wed in 1226 and amalric wed his second wife in 1231. this means that one of the most important roles in court politics -- the queen -- is up for grabs and not just the standing one, but the future one too. plus, w athaulf being (before bar's birth) the only varmont heir, its possible that ~either amalric's or athaulf's new bride will be the future queen/mother to the next king. having a single heir, after all, is an extremely dangerous position for ~any dynasty, after all, bc heirs can die and then where are we wo a backup, so it was extremely important that both men wed, and quickly, to produce more heirs just in case.

if we like the write ups i did for aurelian's various siblings, we know that amalric heeded hildegard solemont as a holy woman and advisor, whereas athaulf rejected her, and seems to have cultivated aurelian's enmity, in that aurelian later did away w him, as well as euric to secure roderick as king. killing euric alone would've accomplished that. killing athaulf, too, was a choice and, tbf, it sounds like athaulf was lowkey eating away at the ovn so it ~was probs at least partially strategic but still. killing a prince is one thing, but full-blown regicide? basically, there's a chance he did this impartially and that def still works, but i do ~also think there was (whether caused by this or not) some sort of grudge between aurelian and athaulf, ~as well.

notably, we know that athaulf did love the woman he ultimately wed, the princess of antilla, and this led to him basically letting her country run roughshod over the ovn, politically, once he came to power. we also know that he DESPISED his second wife, millicent (roderick and alaric's mom). we don't really know that much abt amalric's first wife (athaulf's mom) except that she died before he came to the throne, but we do know his second wife was isabeau, princess of faulia (bar's mom) and she was a powerhouse both during her time as queen and even after millicent's reign began (and basically responsible for bar being ~the way he is~ and not ~like the other varmont men~)

so my thought is that, while many candidates were doubtlessly discussed for both varmonts, as the list of ladies were narrowed down to two per each, the solemont faction favored one candidate for each royal, and the other faction sided w the ~other one. im thinking that the solemonts were pro-isabeau for amalric, and against the princess of antilla for athaulf. since we know they succeeded with one push and ~not the other, this both positions the solemonts as aligned ~w the king and, effectively, ~against the crown prince, who is probs ~also angry they made it difficult to marry the woman he loved. it also means they're now invested in ensuring isabeau and ~her line really goes places bc isabeau is team solemont whereas athaulf is anti-solemont. their rival faction, however, equally is in bed w the crown prince and against any heirs that might come from the new bride of the king for the same reasons.

we also know that 1) athaulf was ~unstable, particularly after the death of his first wife, but probs even before it esp given how euric turned out, and that 2) athaulf was a bully at home but a weakling abroad and this feels both like reasons it might've developed that way, too, as well as informing what happens next...

SETTING THE TRAP

ok!! so, its 1231, aurelian is 7, both varmonts are wed, and the stage is set. not only is this fierce rivalry between these two powerful houses blazing, but now they've dragged the two most powerful couples in the land into it, too.

on a side note (of no small significance later) for our guy aurelian, 7 is ~also the age that you become a page, so this would make sense as a time for aurelian to be sent away from home to foster w another house.

so my thought is basically that athaulf and unnamed-house begin to collude. they say that they want to ensure peace for the land, as this rivalry has gone on ~way long enough!! they arrange for a marriage between the head of ~other house~ or his heir, and the eldest daughter of solemont. now, as ive said, possibly some of aurelian's bros are dead, already, given war and disease etc, but there're still plenty of sons out there. notably, tho, i def think this is ~after ascelin and his entire line have been publically disinherited and ostracized from the house of solemont if he ~does survive hahaha

another possibility -- whether in conjuction or instead of -- is that ascelin wed not a serving girl but rather a girl from the ~rival house, and that's why his dad disinherited him etc and the rival house took this as a huge insult etc. also, if this marriage was supported by the king and his dad ~still rejected him and it, that might've angered amalric against them at a time when he was their big ally really so yeah that's a possibility too

anyway!! so the marriage goes through, lowkey strong armed, no doubt, after all peace is everyone's interest, right?

ATTACK

eventually, w the lady now pregnant, suddenly their rival house learns the truth that house solemont had been conspiring to assasinate the crown prince! T R E A S O N ! ! ! they call their banners, assemble them, march, and attack the solemonts, only sending word to the king afterwards. the land is overrun, the lord is killed, his sons mostly killed and those who manage to escape are hunted down and killed as well, the girls are held hostages. only ascelin, away bc of his banishment and unimportant bc he's disinherited anyway, and aurelian away bc he's fostering elsewhere and unimportant bc he's legit a child and couldn't rule for some time, ~anyway, are left.

amalric is LIVID but there's not a lot he can do bc the coup is already pulled, plus they've got their full standing army already mustered ~and athaulf is backing them quite literally to the hilt as well.. bc of the marriage to the eldest daughter, the rival house is now claiming ownership of all in the right of his wife/future child

the sun in its splendor is being put out

they do try to seize aurelian (and he probs woulda lived out a princes in the tower scenario if they'd gotten him), but he'd gotten word ahead and slipped away into the unknown a la henry vii as a boy. feel like he ~may have sought refuge in faulia? bc im ~guessing the solemonts had a good relationship w them there, given they backed isabeau for queen etc.

EXILE

ok so aurelian grows up fully thinking obsessively abt his murdered parents and brothers, his captive sisters, and his denied birthright. he is ~singleminded in his purpose of returning and reclaiming his birthright, and def addressing himself in letters and thing as count solemont, despite his rival having given that title to his heir. He grows up suspicious and watchful, operating in the shaodws, learning how to manipulate and powerful and pull the strings from behind the scenes to get what he wants as well as obsessively studying his enemy etc.

we've talked before abt the solemont lands being lowkey inspired by the rhine and mosel river valleys in germany, and abt how the ovn was originally a place of trade.

so, keeping the rhine in mind, which flows directly to the sea, im thinking ~around the time he was abt 20, he finally gets his chance.

idk if he's in faulia, now, or somewhere else, but he's found someone who's ambitious. if the solemonts do, in fact, control a river that flows directly from somewhere like amsterdam, thats a hugely powerful position, esp in a trade and/or military land and like...the ovn is both???? plus, like, aurelian hasn't been there in at least a decade, true, but he grew up there. he knows even the secret bits, so he finally finds someone whose looking to get better deals w that area for trade, someone who has beef w the rival house, someone who has beef w athaulf, etc, etc. he brings this coalition together...and he attacks.

RETURN

he carried out to the letter all that was done to his own family and, when he's done, he lies out the bodies of his enemies for all to see, he puts paper crowns upon their heads, claiming they made as if to steal the royal powers of the king by usurping him for only a king can appoint new powers.

leaving some men garrisoned at solemont to hold it for him just in case, he marches to the capitol and he bows before amalric but now wo his allied army at his back -- swearing them all to treaties and alliances w the king if they accept him...w the underlying unspoken threat that they will turn deadly enemies if he does ~not, and reminds everyone that he was a child -- if there was indeed a plot against the crown prince's life, he most certainly was not a party to it.

his enemies are wiped out. there will be no riprisals. aurelian is recognized as count solemont and weds leora, etc, beginning his life anew. he devotes much time and effort to clearing his familiy's name of the assassination charge (whether they truly ~were trying it or ~not...)

so yeah that's the idea!!

RIVAL IDENTITIES?

i did have some ideas abt the identities of the rivals!!

potentially, leora was a surviving daughter and they wed to like ~ensure there would be no further enmity there -- as well as to allow aurelian to now claim all that was theirs, just as they'd once done to solemont, and could further create an interesting dynamic amongst the family also [ 'hr pickens, i married ur daughter...' ] vibes (also s/o to a wild cassimir/valentina's dad ;D) lakjsdfkjdsf anyway, might also explain why they've variously been described in comments as merchants and as kings in their bg (not that you cna't be both) but maybe leora's is the merchant bg, or whatever?

alternatively, house grey, as we know them to have been one of the most prestigious houses in the land but, once they lost much of their holdings/standing etc they were bascially devoured by what they had left, unable to sustain it w what little they had left. this would also further inform alistair's desperation to ensure that ~he has an heir, as the grey/solemont wedding(s) probs mean that his closest relative is in fact a solemont and, given that they murdered his entire family except his dad, and stole sm of his lands and rights that he lived in destitution and almost got killed by the late king for what was left, etc, i can't see alistair much wanting that, either

the third possibility is just...we can make up a new house or whatever, maybe a few survivors, maybe none, but yeah!!

also obv someone i didn't think of is def just as possible etc!! def open to any and all thoughts abt this!! <3

anyway, what're ppl's thoughts? do we like any of this? better to just scrap it? im down w anything <3

[caspianhelps-blog]

I'm little, but I'm coming for the crown charles dance and natalie dormer requested by highgardenxtyrell

[forgottenaurelian]

OOC | Aurelian & Aoife

it's unfortunate that sebastian had to go and embroil himself in scandal w a ~middle daughter when eithne was literally right!!!! there!!!!! but alas here we are ldskjfalksdjfjf no but aurelian is def taking the tack that THIS DIDNT HAPPEN (he doesn't care if it really did and aoife actually ~is carrying his great`grandchild bc it aint a good look for the House™ so like...who cares) and he thinks aoife and her sisters should be sent off somewhere far away conveniently for ~at least nine months~ and then return when rumors have settled down/their figures have returned alkdjflkdsjfsdfj childless families are always happy to take in foundlings and part of cassimir's job should be to ensure those children are cared for and no one else ever has to remember they exist, if they ~are real! also that awful valentina woman needs to shut her mouth!!!!! (finally a plan ~everyone can get on board with...)

so yeah while roderick's like 'place this girl in marian's household' aurelian is like NO WAY JOSE (he thinks roderick's being soooooo embarrassingly touchy-feely caring abt his bastard grandkids like that smdh) and tryna exile her to the fens or calleary or smth probs alsdkjflkjsdfjsdf esp when it comes painfully clear those girls are all dowerless...aurelain said sebastian/aoife notp SOB

[forgottenaurelian]

OOC | Aurelian & Brigit

so obv these two are destined to be besties 5eva <3333333 laksjdfkljsdjf no but i deffffff feel like brigit ignites aurelian's rbf like few others but also like...he weirdly respects her pluck?????? but also she's a woman and a woman ought to hold her tongue?????? and so it's this weird dance where he's like 'she's smart and she's got spunk' one moment and then glaring in frosty silence the next and just !!!!!!! good luck!!!!!!!! also her hair is a mess and she's a daughter so that's embarrassing for her dad its probs good he's dead *thumbs up*

[forgottenarthur]

OOC | Palace of the Sun

ok so on disco and in comments, we've talked a bit abt the house of the sun ~estate being located out in the countryside, and being somewhat inspired by like the rhine and moesel river regions of germany, but also w some ancient greek influences re helios and the palace of the sun (also like blenheim palace, is the house sun seat the only other place in the ovn known as a palace? is it the palace of the sun? idk alsdkjfkjlsdf), and is covered in vineyards and rose gardens

anyway, i wanted to add a lil detail re that! so [ here's some quotes abt helios' palace, throne, the famed gates of the sun, etc, from ancient greek and roman writers ]:

Ovid, Metamorphoses 2. 1 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) : "Phaethon through his own Aethiopes (Ethiopians) and the lands of India beneath their burning skies, quickly reached his father's rising place. The palace of Sol (the Sun) [Helios] rose high aloft on soaring columns, bright with flashing gold and flaming bronze; the pediments were clothed with sheen of ivory; the double doors dazzled with silver--and the artistry was nobler still. For Mulciber [Hephaistos] had engraved the world's great orb, the seas that ring the world, the sky that hangs above; and in the waves the Sea-gods (Di Caerulei) dwelt, Aegeon, his huge arms entwined around the backs of giant whales, ambiguous Proteus, Triton with his horn; and Doris and her daughters [the Nereides] might be seen, and some were swimming, some on fishes rode, or sat on rocks to dry their sea-green hair. Nor were their looks the same, nor yet diverse, but like as sisters should be. On the land people and cities, woods and beasts were graven, Flumina (Rivers) and Nymphae (Nymphs) and Rural Deities (Numina Ruris), and, set above them, the bright signs of heaven [the Zodiac], in glory shining, six upon each door. Then the son of Clymene [Phaethon], climbing the steep ascent, entered his father's palace, fatherhood uncertain still, and made his way direct into the presence and there stood afar, unable to approached the dazzling light."

so kinda obsessed w these gates don't they sound hella ovn-ian??? columns of gold and bronze, topped w ivory like??? lskjdfajskldf ok!! then you get to huge double doors depicting like all of time and the entire world and noted for its artistry???? and only THEN do you get to the huge-ass stairs which lead up to the palace itself like versailles WISHES lkajsflkjsdfjksdf

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 12. 1 ff (trans. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) : "The twelve circling Horai (Hours), daughters of Khronos (Chronos, Time), tripling round the fiery throne of the untiring Charioteer in a ring, servants of Helios (the Sun) that attend on his shining car."

so this is talking abt the throne and, if you look at hardwick hall, itself never a royal residence for example, you'll see that a lot of the greatest homes in ye olden days boasted thrones and presence chambers from which the lord (or in hardwick hall's case, lady) would hold court amongst their own vassals and lesser lords, and dispence their justice in the name of the ruler etc and i feel like this might be one of those kinds of places?

ok so keep in mind this fiery throne and now compare that toovid's description:

Ovid, Metamorphoses 2. 20 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) : "Phaethon entered his father's palace . . . and made his way direct into the presence and there stood afar, unable to approached the dazzling light. Enrobed in purple vestments Phoebus [Sol-Helios the Day] sat, high on a throne of gleaming emeralds. Attending him on either side stood Dies (Day) [Hemera] and Mensis (Month) and Annus (Year) and Saecula (Century), and Horae (Hours) disposed at equal intervals between. Young Ver (Spring) was there, with coronet of flowers, and naked Aestas (Summer), garlanded with grain; Autumnus (Autumn) was there with trampled vintage stained, and icy Hiems (Winter), rime upon his locks. Enthroned amidst, Sol [Helios] who sees all things."

so i was thinking!! while, as i said, i can def see this fam rocking their own attendants and court and such, im thought 1) what if the fiery and emerald thrones were combined? its all gleaming emerald, ringed by a backdrop of gold, formed into gilded flames, mimicking the rays of the sun. 2) while i imagine there ~are some ~very significant attandants and such present at court, what if we take the description of the times and the seasons in attendance not as literal (as Ovid intended) but as the description of a breathtaking mural depicting all those things behind the gold-and-emerald throne

it also means that, when you happen to invite the kingemperor to stay, he isn't necessarily in a rush to leave (this can be both good and bad!) given he's got a magnificent hall from which to rule, himself, while he's there, but also when ur dealing w an ego like roderick's you'll have to rtread lightly lest he start to feel ~threatened alkdsjfkljdsf but simultaneously ~also suits a place that's secretly been calling the shots in the ovn for quite some time if our hc proves true...orrrrr, since we've said that stained glass is a huge thing in the lands of the sun, maybe its not a mural, but rather a stained glass window? idk lakjdsflkjsdf

anyway, obv no push if this doesn't what everyone was thinking, but i thought this bright and light-filled place might make a v interesting contrast to the aachen cathedral palce of house varmont that, while just as colorful, is all shrouded in darkness and such aldsjfkjldsf idk!! just food for thought ig akljsfjsdf and obv all this would be within a slightly germanic context so idk if that even ~fits but i just thought it was interesting to ruminate upon...

[forgottenaurelian]

ok so the replies go like so:

phabblebabbles Sep 14, 2025 KATE! I’m obsessed!!! I love the idea of this throne room and imagining a giant stained glass window behind the ‘throne’ seems SO house of the sun to me! quillington Sep 15, 2025 EEP! Rigggght!!! It felt over the top in a particularly ovn-Ian way to me and like the colors abd brightness and stained glass felt ~right abd like it might even weirdly vibe pr well w the German medieval aesthetic too I thought! phabblebabbles Sep 15, 2025 @quillington I agree!!! Also would it be kinda cool if it’s just a LITTLE bit different than the other castles in OVN? (Meaning if we wanted it to have a little bit of a Greek vibe ig?) bc I sort of envisioned it’s NOT like any other place so you do feel transported when visiting??? quillington Sep 15, 2025 @phabblebabbles Yessssssssss I love That and I agree!!!!!! A stand alone and I do think that v much fits a solar house too — smth bright and glorious that stands alone phabblebabbles Sep 15, 2025 @quillington Agreed!!! Kinda had as my HC that the house of sun was maybe more impressive in some ways than the Varmont OVN castle? Maybe not in size but just in the building itself? … which no one mentions, of course 😜

so kate the great said smth v wise: "Random thought from the pointe shoe room today: does the seat of house solemont need a fancy name?" and obv the resounding response was HELL YES!!!!! so, after volunteering Sunnepointe in honor of the location in which this brilliance was conceived (and ofc the heraldic spelling of sun -- sunne), i said id look into various places belonging to solar deities and report back w ideas!!

we also thought that, kind of like blenheim palace (and esp bc the solemonts used to be kings!) it might be like the one place in the ovn known as 'palace' that isn't a residence of the varmonts -- also we'd already decided there was effectively a throne (its literally a throne even if it isn't called that ;D) there from which aurelian presides over the county so like...it all fits! ;D

heliopolis/city of the sun -- so idk if this would be the actual ~seat's name or if maybe its just the name of the biggest city in the solemont's county (which i imagine as being far -- tho within a reasonable day's ride id venture? -- from their glorious country estate personally -- can't expect them to associate w the riffraff on a daily basis!)

aiaia/aeaea/aia -- one of the many isles belonging to helios, one of the greek solar deities, also circe's (helios' daughter's) place

thrinacia/thrinakia/thrinakie/erytheia/the red island -- another island of helios, where his sacred immortal cattle and sheep grazed and of which there were always exact fifty of each bc...why the hell not (do the solemont lands boast brown cows w extraordinary 'golden' coats?)

gates of the sun -- in the extreme east of the world, the glorious ivory, gold, and bejeweled gates through which the sun enteredthe waking world

palace of the sun -- helios' house seems to be literally just be called the palace of the sun, im struggling to find anything more

delos -- birthplace of apollo (and his twin artemis) -- he actually lived on yknow mount olympus but that feels a touch on the nose...

delphi -- apollo's most major sanctuary where he also slew the delphian dragon bc...ofc he did

asgard -- a ~bit on the nose but this is where sol/sunna, norse goddess of the sun, lived when she wasn't roving the skies. obv idk that we wanna name a place asgard but solgard/asunna could both prove lil nods or smth

so other items

white horses (bc they towed the chariot of the sun -- also true of the norse sun goddess), roosters (bc they proclaimed his rising), and wolves (?????? interestingly the norse sun goddess is chased by a giant white wolf across the skies and doomed to be devoured by him at ragnarok) were sacred to helios so i feel like they could be a thing in solemont

heliotropes, black poplars, and frankincense were all sacred to helios; bay laurel, hyacinth, cypress, larkspur/delphinium, iris to apollo; white and blue lotus, jasmine, marigold, hibiscus, and a number of other plants im not including here bc they wouldn't grow in the same climates as the others, to amun-ra; and sunflowers, citrus, and apples to sunna, so i feel like solemont should be teaming w them as well as the traditional roses and grape vines we've already established!

amun-ra would journey through the sky on a barque in the morning and then again through the underworld at night, so i feel like wide, rambling rivers that reflect the sky should def be a big thing and maybe ragattas and boating, in general, a bit deal in solemont? also he just legit lived in the sky like that ~was his palace so like???? no residence name for him -- this is actually a pr common theme for sun gods that they are constantly journeying and don't really have a home etc

the sun, light, fire, gold, sunflowers, summer, "green growing things," horses, chariots, and solstices were all sacred to sunna/sol and sun-colored foods, such as honey, were often eaten on solstices in her honor

so this wasn't super helpful actually, bc it turns out most sun gods just kinda live in the sky (like...made sense once i thought abt it but...can't say id thought abt it before like that lksdjfksjdf) but yeah! here have a thing!

also just to throw together some smashed together ideas inspired by the above etc in no particular order:

sunnepointe palace

solgard palace

asunna palace

aelphi palace

thrinaeae palace

heliaia palace

delacia palace

palace of the sun

emerald palace

ivory palace

palace of fire

whiteflame/whytflame palace

smth else??? idk...

[lizzydobbs]

[forgottenaurelian]

OOC | Aurelian & Eithne

so i knowwwwwwww you got hella suitors, and one of them you even accepted, but lbr!!! you can still do better...like one of my sons for example, have ur pick! but do us all a solid and ditch ur loser bf after he lays claim to lorcan, will ya? ;DDDD lkajsdlkfjjdsf [ no but aurelian wants both lorcan and malconaire and he sees eithne as the key to achieving both goals... ]

[forgottenaurelian]

OOC | Aurelian & Sonya

hiya! can i interest you (and ur joint claims to alytar and the riverbend) in a nice, hot solemont husband????? ;DDDD or @forgottensebastian sure we all know u were aiming a bit higher for an heir or an emperor but lbr...sebastian's the nicest of them and all my kids are taller than roderick anyway soooo ;DDDDD

no but aurelian ~does think she'd be quite a good ally to secure... [ esp if smth can just be done abt that brother of hers ] alsdjflkjsdf oops

[forgottenaurelian]

OOC | Aurelian & Cassimir

soooooo, aurelian has heard that cassimir wants lorcan, which simply won't do bc ~aurelian wants lorcan lakjsdflkjskdjf and he doesn't have much respect for cassimir frankly lakjsdflkjsdfj cassimir, tho, ~is sitting pretty on the largest single county in all of astaira in malconaire, as well as perhaps the most ~strategic position there is in the form of the riverbend, and therefore probs in all the empire, and lbr -- aurelian wants ~that, too laskjdfljksdf

@forgottenmarian wants it for albrecht, but frankly i think aurelian wants it for @forgottensebastian (since arthur's already got his astairan holding in kil-kennar) but either way that puppy's going to ~his family. i think there're a couple things he'll try to do here. one move may involve a wedding between @forgottensonya and one of his sons or sebastian, after which aurelian will agree to remind the world that cassimir and sonya are, in fact, to quote their mom -- ~*~of the blood royal~*~ w cassimir ceding the riverbend and all its rights to sonya's hubby and from thence her heirs male, in lieu of a dowry, since he's pr strapped for cash. now, this will bring them into smth of an issue since -- iirc? -- roderick grante @forgottenedmund the riverbend after the battle of m????

his next move is probs to either see abt breaking up cassimir and @forgotteneithne and then wed ~her to one of his sons or sebastian, and claim malconaire ~that way or, if cassimir does wed her and it can't be gotten around, to simply arrange for cassimir to have an accident or smth laksjdflkjsdkjf obv idk that he'll actually get to that for whatever reason (esp if roderick ~does end up getting hella mad at cassimir in which case that's no longer necessary and aurelian will simply be like 'we should remove his rank and give malconaire to someone ~worthy' or whatever laksjdfalkjsdf) but yeah obv he doesn't know that so i think atm this is probs what he's thinking??

but yeah returning to lorcan, i think he's actually considering ~supporting cassimir in his bid for lorcan, if wooing aine doesn't seem to be working out, and then using that to seize lorcan, himself, once the claims of malconaire are part of team solemont lakjsdflkjsdfjk and through ~sonya he hopes to effecitvely lay claim to alytar lkasdjflkjdsf

but yeah alll in all -- rn? i think aurelian is making nice w cassimir and playing at being allies alksjdflkjsdf

arthur: god granddad ur embarrassing me...and also lbr...urself

[forgottenaurelian]

OOC | Aurelian & Garbhan

so as i mentioned in [ aine's comment ], aurelian wants lorcan for his fam and, since the stafford boys currently have charge of it, he's in a kind of we can do this the hard way or the easy way kinda mentality, so if @forgottenrian and/or garbhan are interested in teaming up and like marrying one of his daughters or nieces or grandkids or whatever, great!! that's the easy way and then they can all be friends!!!! b ut the hard way involves getting rid of them and, frankly, aurelian won't hesitate to do either slajfsdkjfkjsdf atm tho he's def offering the carrot i feel like but yeah part of him wants to get rid of them ~anyway, since he and their dad had sm beef, but he's happy to put that aside entirely if they can be allies bc he's a practical guy and an alliance is, he believes, the ~smart choice...so yeah! lasjdlfkjdsf

[forgottenaurelian]

OOC | Aurelian & Aine

as one of the few, if not the only, strongholds never taken in the conquest of astaira, i think aurealian is keen to get his hands on lorcan, and atp i think he's feeling that wedding aine to one of his sons -- potentially @forgottenlucian? -- might be a really strong way to do that, esp if lucian can get in there and really raise peadar etc!! atm, he's concerned abt both guin and godfrey having inroads there via their betrothed being half-calleary, etc, so yeah he def wants to move quickly and thoroughly. this ~does also mean booting @forgottenrian but that might be just as well esp if he can arrange a wedding w one of his daughters or, better yet, nieces or -- best of all -- simply thoroughly discredit the stafford boys and get them the hell outta there lkajsdlfkjksjdf

but yeah, as a result, i think he's def being super nice (at least for him bc lbr [ his dinner parties rival those of lucian moran ] ;D) and tryna be all grandfatherly towards her kids -- and also find out which of his many younger sons she finds the most attractive tbqh hahahaha asldjfalksjdfj

[forgottenaurelian]

OOC | Aurelian & Ciara

aurelian to ciara a couple years ago: hey, so how would you like to wed my grandson, arthur?

bar, flying out of absolutely nowhere, sweating: NOOOOOOOOOOOO um hi sorry yeah she's already uhhh engaged! um, to -- well, to -- *names the first dude he spots out the window* godfrey! yeah sorry pls leave.

and that's how ~that went to down jk jk but yeah, not knowing that arthur and ciara are secretly siblings ofc lkajsdfalkjsdf i ~do think aurelian was def hoping to arrange a match between them which is think he def believed would further arthur's claim etc, but yeah i def think that bar was v quick to nip that one in the bud since he ~does know they siblings lakjsdaflkjskdjf

aurelian is none too pleased that ciara was sold off to team edmund, and even less happy now that her bro is team guin, so he's absolutely looking to smash some betrothals here ngl!!

going back to the beginning of their relationship, i do feel like he probs encouraged @forgottenmarian to be as maternal as possible towards ciara, once her mom died, to hopefully help sway her towards team arthur, and i do think he always sort of saw her as arthur's future bride, but yeah idk how effecitve any of that was obv except that obv the last piece didn't come through alksjdfjsdf

idr where ciara's role landed in all that, but i do think when roderick was contemplating the nursery situation, aurelian was def pushing for the nurseries to be under queens, and for both ciara and guin (as well as eoin and alaric) to be placed in marian's nursery alsdjfaljsdfj obv w guin it def didn't work out etc but yeah lskdjflsjkdf

[forgottenaurelian]

OOC | Aurelian & Alaric

so idk that he had to even tell her to do this bc it sounds like she woulda done it on her own, but aurelian is sooooooo glad that @forgottenmarian took alaric under her wing and, frankly, woulda told her to do so if she hadn't done that on her own! since alaric is pr team arthur and seems pr ride or die for marian, aurelian considers him more or less generally an ally, but isn't so foolish as to ~assume that that is ~always so, but he is glad to have him abroad the ss arthur even if he's not team solemont hahahaha

it v much does noT suit aurelian that roderick should ~ever wed again (and he's already pr peeved abt amira's pregnancy -- due to be born like...any moment now) so like???? this whole eilia situation is one he wants to nip in the bud. i think his idea is that arthur (or potentially sebastian) should secretly marry her (both arthur and eilia: im sorry whaT) and weather that storm when it inevitably breaks bc the good that comes from that outweighs the bad -- like you got astaira, the largest nation in the empire, de facto behind you and certainly behind ur kids w her, AND you stopped roderick from taking another bride and having more babies and just...good stuff!! i do think he believes that, w alaric and tristan being her primary ~guards, and alaric being someone who arthur looks up to and trusts sm, and tristan being de facto team edmund, he believes that he could use alaric's help is critical to realizing this scheme

if he had any inkling tho that alaric, himself, fancied her, he's getting to the point that he'd almost be inclined to be like 'yo ~you should wed her' if its between alaric or roderick so laksdjflkjdsf much to discuss laksdjfalkjsdfj

but yeah he's well aware that this must be approached w care since alaric is obv a v loyal person and loyal to his brother etc but i think -- whether or not he knows how alaric feels abt eilia -- he ~has clocked that alaric's increasingly unhappy over the years w all the post-elaine weddings and yeahh that's smth at least laskjdfkljsdfk

that being said, i think he is aware that alaric is a pr straight forward guy in general and not really looking to be pulled into court machinations, etc, and i think ~generally aurelian doesn't involve him but...yeah...this time might prove slightly different alkjsdflkjsdf

[forgottenaurelian]

Timeline

year 1224 – aged 0 – birth of aurelian

year 1225 – aged 1

year 1226 – aged 2 – marriage of athaulf to the princess of antilla?

year 1227 – aged 3

year 1228 – aged 4

year 1229 – aged 5 – birth of euric?

year 1230 – aged 6

year 1231 – aged 7 – king amalric weds isabeau of faulia

year 1232 – aged 8 – birth of amala?

year 1233 – aged 9

year 1234 – aged 10

year 1235 – aged 11

year 1236 – aged 12 – birth of bartholomew

year 1237 – aged 13

year 1238 – aged 14

year 1239 – aged 15 – birth of alistair, death of athaulf’s first wife?

year 1240 – aged 16

year 1241 – aged 17

year 1242 – aged 18

year 1243 – aged 19

year 1244 – aged 20

year 1245 – aged 21 – birth of roderick

year 1246 – aged 22 – alistair is named ward of king amalric

year 1247 – aged 23 – birth of marian

year 1248 – aged 24 – birth of severin

year 1249 – aged 25 – birth of amira

year 1250 – aged 26 

year 1251 – aged 27 – birth of ulric, bartholomew is betrothed to thais of kolchis

year 1252 – aged 28

year 1253 – aged 29 

year 1254 – aged 30 

year 1255 – aged 31 – birth of albrecht

year 1256 – aged 32 – birth of emeric and helena, birth of godfrey

year 1257 – aged 33 – death of king amalric, coronation of athaulf and milicent, bartholomew weds thais of kolchis

year 1258 – aged 34 – birth of lucian, birth of alaric, death of queen millicent in childbirth, birth of tyche to bartholomew and thais

year 1259 – aged 35 – birth of aleksander, birth of parysatis to bartholomew and thais

year 1260 – aged 36 – birth of anselm, death of queen dowager isabeau

year 1261 – aged 37 – birth of roland, amala weds the crown prince of antilla but both drown during a boat race celebrating their wedding causing political disaster w antilla?, alistair weds alys fell, birth of tristan, birth of athanaric to bartholomew and thais

year 1262 – aged 38 – roderick is betrothed to réalta, roderick secretly weds elaine, baronial uprising, death of king athaulf and prince euric as well as of thais, tyche, parysatis, and athanaric to plague, roderick becomes king, war breaks out w antilla thus inadvertently starting roderick’s world conquest

year 1263 OC/1 AR – aged 39 – birth of adelaide, bartholomew begins to court marian, an assassination attempt nearly kills roderick after which he becomes significantly more brutal, surrender of antilla, roderick is crowned emperor alongside his elaine, surrender of kolchis, roderick informs aurelian and bartholomew of his intention of marrying marian and bartholomew ceases courting her, meeting of roderick and amira, fighting breaks out with kvenheim

year 1264 OC/2 AR – aged 40 – bartholomew weds a calleary, birth of eoin, roderick officially reinstates the old ways and weds amira instead of marian

year 1265 OC/3 AR – aged 41 – roderick courts réalta who is subsequently accused of witchcraft, trial and death of réalta, roderick weds marian after all

year 1266 OC/4 AR – aged 42 – surrender of kvenheim, roderick invades vinetta

year 1267 OC/5 AR – aged 43 – birth of guinevere, arthur, ciara, seraphina, eilionora, death of bartholomew’s second wife, surrender of vinetta, roderick invades malakarta

year 1268 OC/6 AR – aged 44 – birth of sebastian, aurelius

year 1269 OC/7 AR – aged 45 – birth of elara, aria

year 1270 OC/8 AR – aged 46 – birth of edmund, surrender of malkarta, roderick invades aarnu

year 1271 OC/9 AR – aged 47 – birth of cassandra, lucasta, anwen, siobhan

year 1272 OC/10 AR – aged 48 – birth of caspian, death of elaine to unknown illness during the early stages of pregnancy

year 1273 OC/11 AR – aged 49 – surrender of aarnu

year 1274 OC/12 AR – aged 50 – roderick invades argadara, marian suffers her first miscarriage

year 1275 OC/13 AR – aged 51 – death of queen léna of astaira

year 1276 OC/14 AR – aged 52

year 1277 OC/15 AR – aged 53 – surrender of argadara, roderick invades xangadu

year 1278 OC/16 AR – aged 54 – marian suffers her second miscarriage

year 1279 OC/17 AR – aged 55

year 1280 OC/18 AR – aged 56 – surrender of xangadu, roderick invades aotepo, marian suffers her third miscarriage and publically accuses amira of poisoning her

year 1281 OC/19 AR – aged 57 – death of domhnall, eilia becomes queen

year 1282 OC/20 AR – aged 58

year 1283 OC/21 AR – aged 59 – surrender of aotepo, roderick invades alytar

year 1284 OC/22 AR – aged 60 – arthur fights in his first true battles, arthur earns his mural crown

year 1285 OC/23 AR – aged 61 – eilia comes of age, surrender of alytar, roderick invades affaraon, arthur is made commander of his own legion

year 1286 OC/24 AR – aged 62

year 1287 OC/25 AR – aged 63

year 1288 OC/26 AR – aged 64 – surrender of affaraon, roderick invades astaira

year 1289 OC/27 AR – aged 65

year 1290 OC/28 AR – aged 66 – arthur takes kil-kennar, roderick gets bogged (heh) down in the fens

year 1291 OC/29 AR – aged 67 – arthur beheads aine seeress of kil-kennar, roderick burns fiadh and the fens and begins the pyre walk, marian travels to fens post kil-kennar to talk down roderick, marian travels to kil-kennar in secret, edmund takes malconaire from the riverbend, surrender of astaira, conquest of astaira, roderick proposes marriage to eilia, arthur arrives in the stafford citadel and takes up residence there

year 1292 OC/30 AR – aged 68 – ciara is betrothed to godfrey

year 1293 OC/31 AR – aged 69 – ice ball, riots, hangings, tournament, guinevere is betrothed to eoin, the present

[thelongforgottenrealm]

Potential New Characters:

I'm toying with the idea that maybe some of Marian's family will make an appearance in the next tier or two and I was wondering if @forgottenmarian had another other headcannons beyond the following?? (I added in one more sister / her mother as potentials, too/filled in the ages but all of that can definitely be changed!)

*the ones bolded are the ones i'm most considering adding -- at least to start

Dad (Charles Dance) - ambitious / influential / power hungry / xenophobic / is/was in a sort of battle for political power and influence w/ rian's dad

Mom (Diana Rigg??) - toying with the idea of having her mom around, too, unless you think she's died??

Marian (46)

Severin (45) - eldest brother / helping run their father's estate

Brother #2 (42) - currently a steward over the smallest country that Roderick has conquered

Albrecht (38) assisting his bro / super close to Marian / someone Marian hopes to possibly put in charge of Malconaire

Brother #4 (37) - one of her brothers who dotes on cassandra and is always sending her presents and fabrics for dresses or things he'll know she will love!

Sister #1 (37)- twins to the above brother / either married with her own family or possibly has taken religious orders??? Either way, I imagine her as super religious/rigid/no fun at all / doesn't get on well with marian ... nor most of her siblings tbh

Brother #5 (35) - Merchant / has been to Astaira in the past and harbors some secret affection for a Calleary/Lorcan girl

Brother #6 (33) - a brother did something sort of idiotic a couple years ago which is part of the reason more of her family hasn't gained holdings in Astaira as roderick is reminded of it from time to time mysteriously (spoiler: its because of Amira)

Brother #7 (32) - desperately in love with guin!

younger sister/Holliday Grainger? (30) - wants to marry alaric but marian does not want this!! does not get on with Marian well at all

[thelongforgottenrealm]

Finally named everyone! Reblogging for reference! (Also the portrayals are up for debate)

Aurelian (Charles Dance) & Leora (Dianna Rigg?) Solemont and their 10 children:

Marian Varmont (46) Rebecca Ferguson

Severin Solemont (45) Michael Fassbender

Ulric Solemont (42) Clive Standen

Albrecht Solemont (38) James Norton

Emeric Solemont (37) Tom Hiddleston

Helena Solemont (37) Claire Foy

Lucian Solemont (35) Michael Huisman

Anselm Solemont (33) Ben Barnes

Roland Solemont (32) Paul Mescal

Adelaide Solemont (30) Holiday Grainger

[thelongforgottenrealm]

I've been thinking about what other grandchildren @forgottenaurelian may have/the martial situation of his other kids and unless you guys have any thoughts this sorta came to me in a fever dream last night

Severin Solemont - was in a loveless marriage to some rich and wealthy noble OVN noblewoman since he was like 17 or something. Severin never fathered any children by her and it has recently come out that Severin had had an affair with one of his servants and (much to his father's horror) he recently legitimized the daughter he had with her after her death. Her name is Anwen and she is 24 years old and is definitely more at home in the kitchens than above stairs, but is trying to please her father, step-mother, and new extended family, but she finds herself feeling out of place.

Ulric Solemont - has been married for nearly as long as his older brother but with much more success. He and his wife had five children: Seraphina, 26 (responsible, composed, protective); Aurelius, 25 (charismatic, confident, disciplined); Elara, 24 (thoughtful, perceptive, empathetic); Lucasta, 22 (clever, mischievous, sarcastic); Caspian, 21 (sensitive, curious, imaginative)

Helena Solemont - desperately wants to become the OVN equivalent of a nun, but her father is determined to stop that eventuality and use her as a chessboard. She secretly sabotaged the last engagement her father made for her.

Emeric Solemont - was engaged once, but his fiancé died

(Unsure how many of these kids/grandkids will eventually be playable, but I wanted to iron out the rest of the family tree)

[forgottenaurelian]

so def wanted the above info on this blog for reference for obv reasons <3 hahaha but also had some thoughts re the prev generation i wanted to speculate wildly abt w you all! ;D <3

so, from marian's bio:

marian was the eldest daughter of 12 children (9 of which lived past infancy) and both of her parents came from large broods

obv the number of survivors has since been updated to 10 <3 (profound illness for one of the surviving kids as a child plot mayhaps? ;D) and i def wanna brainstorm abt the two who ~didn't make it and what they might've been like/how they're remembered by the family, etc!! (thinking maybe one was a girl w maybe lowkey ~cassandra vibes, mayhaps, but also a spine of steel so her dad thought she was equal to ~anything?? aliana, perhaps -- which means sun -- for her name?) buuut largely had some thoughts on aurelian's sisters and brothers!

AURELIAN'S SIBLINGS

so i wanted to brainstorm a bit abt ~aurelian's siblings

just bc seventh son of the seventh son is a fun fairy tale trope (and we here at lfr loooove embracing fairy tale motifs as we've well established ;D), i feel like aurelian -- like his sons -- was also one of seven brothers (the youngest of which def went on to have seven sons of his own <3 ;D), plus a smattering of sisters!

i was tempted to make aurelian a seventh son, himself, so that ~his seventh son could be ~the seventh son of the seventh son~ for funsies but tbqh he def gives ~oldest child~ vibes plus like...what woulda happened to ~all six~ of his brothers (and any potential heirs male of theirs too!) for him to have come to rule as count solemont??? oooh wait thinking aloud...ig there coulda been like a political ~coup perpetrated against their house so they were ~purposefully eliminated~ or smth and aurelian just happened to be the survivor (maybe he was fostering elsewhere -- hence the eldest child vibes too???) who came back and crushed the opposition and reclaimed the title???? ok ngl...that kinda backstory ~does feel v in line w ~his whole thing~ so alsdkjfljdsfjdf we'll see ig -- any thoughts, my loves?

but!!!! on to my thoughts on his siblings!

not including ages or birth order etc bc that needs to be sorted out but yeah!! the sisters can all be assumed to be alive, unless otherwise noted, as well as any daughters of the brothers, but beyond that??? who knows??? not listed necessarily in birth order or anything, past tense just bc its easy

BROTHERS WHO SURVIVED INFANCY

aelianus -- proud, glorious, a redoubtable warrior, always overt and arrogant, super competitive, kinda giving arthur vibes mayhaps (not that aurelian necessarily sees that...)?, admired by everyone but despised by aurelian who always believed aelianus was the favorite child who could do no wrong etc etc and was secretly super jealous

baldwin -- bold, friendly, loved to party, good at smoothing things over, loved to chat w ppl, the kind of person who can and will strike up a conversation w ~anyone and genuinely be interested (aurelian CANNOT relate aldskjflkjsdf), spent a LOT of time smoothing things over for his various family members probs tbqh, was particularly close w aelianus and forever soothing feathers his brother had careflessly ruffled tbq, lifestyle wise baldwin and aurelian kinda clashed but they got on ok mostly bc of baldwin's efforts not aurelian's

ademar ;D -- probs born in a town called vasco and was madly in love w a woman named adelaide who sadly wanted someone else ;D, calculating, ascerbic, his fav band would be mcr in a modern au, secretly a poet, had curly dark hair, always reading, strategist, heavy dark academia vibes, this is one brother aurelian def ~gets tho i wouldn't say they were close per se??? more just a silent mutual understanding and respect kinda vibe

berahard -- big and burly, great warrior, always laughing and demanding smth more to drink, loyal af, v protective of his loved ones, slap ppl on the back kinda guy, lowkey thought the rest of the fam was pr pretentious but loved them lots despite it, *rolls his eyes*, liked to be a lil silly, never took things too srsly, he kinda made aurelian a lil uncomfortable like??? aurelia is NOT touchy feely and berahard was v much a bear-hug kinda guy and like???? drinking beer till u pass out is noT aurelian's idea of a good time but it was his??? aurelian was fond of him tho but in a kinda hands off sorta way frankly

faramund -- loooooved to travel and explore new cultures, see new sights, always eager abt new inventions and doing what he could to fund inquiring minds and find out everything he could abt the world!!, v forgiving and understanding, kinda a peacemaker within the family doing for those within as baldwin was for those withhout: smoothing the family over towards those ~outside it, probs aurelian's fav brother but that'd probs surprise ~faramund to hear, faramund's fav brother was probs ascelin or baldwin tho he loved them all, potentially lowkey looks out for sebastian bc like...he gets it laksjdfaljsdf

ascelin -- nature lover, secretly studied to be a healer, theeee guy tending to the roses and vines!!!!!!!!, can't we all just get along, owuld escape freqeuntly out into the countryside, planted a grove of ash trees and tended the vast gardens religiously, didn't want a thing to do w opolitics tbqh, may have secretly wed a common/serving girl and caused a great scandal but refused to leave her and got exiled/disinherited/thrown outta the family and had to live on his skills as a healer but was probs frankly happier that way -- the fam still does not speak of him, save as a threat to anyone who gets outta line, for this dire transgression, aurelian tries never to think of him

SISTERS WHO SURVIVED INFANCY

sonnhild -- beautiful and golden, graceful, conniving, the kind of woman whose withering stare could smite you on the spot, for all that tho warm and gracious and generous when pleased but wouldn't hesitate to burn those who crossed her either, secretly wished to learn swordplay and have adventures but was alwas stifled from such by her life, other than that tho the kind of woman who always got her way, not one to be crossed -- by ~anyone, suuuuuper clever and ambitious and used her wiles to wed one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the entire ovn and wields her influence w an iron hand on behalf of her fam to this day, v close w aurelian but frankly more in a political allies kinda way than anything else

heulwen -- cheerful, lively, talked a mile a minute, optimistic af, not much of a filter??, gossip queen!!, loved pr much everyone, suuuper sensitive tho, big crier, always wore her heart on her sleeve, big complainer in a bad mood but the warmest, sweetest person in a good one, didn't???? really think much ahead????, v live-in-the-moment mentality, aurelian probs finds her kinda frivlous and irritating frankly alksdjfkljsdf, married well but not as well as the rest of her sisters but aurelian is more aware of that than ~she is and he thinks its a lil embarrassing and is always tryna prop up her hubby as a result to make ~himself and ~his connections all look better (don't feel like this works super well tho), she's happy in her situation tho it just torments aurelian lakjsdflkjdsf

avelina ;D -- probs married a dude by the last name of arrington ;D, deeply unhappy in her marriage and she def thought he was beneath her and to make matters worse he ran off and had hella bastards humiliating her, may or may not have poisoned his father and then much later arranged the death of her son-in-law all for her eldest girl ;D (her hubby def deserved it tho who'm i kidding), intense, OBSESSED w her lineagae, wanted to be queen (never was), had two beautiful daughters -- and also evie ;D, chaotic, envious and covetous af, super loyal to her loved ones, always felt slighted, greedy, had that one rival she was lowkey obsessed w and was engaged to once and who she thought was basically the devil incarnate and belived he was just as obsessed w her (he wasn't), aurelian can't stand her but avelina thinks they're close, she's always tryna climb that ladder (ot no avail), also married a foreigner but she lives in an as-yet unconquered country so aurelian fortunately rarely has to see her lasdkjfjlksdf

wina -- biggest heart in the world!!!!, could find smth to like and admire in anyoneeee pr much, v empathetic, secretly kept in contact w ascelin even after he was disinherited etc, kinda took over looking after the vineyards from him after he was gone (tho was less interested in the other plants), mostly was interested in the vines frankly bc of her epicurealism not bc of a love of plants per se, v refined palette, maybe lowkey overindulged tho frankly, possibly never married/was widowed young and still tends the vines at home to this day???, one of the only ppl aurelian trusts to see him weak (tho even that suuuper rarely!!) but kinda avoids her the rest of the time bc he can't be involved in things like ~feeling still v protective of her but would be FURIOUS if he knew she kept up w ascelin even tho that was their dad's decree and not ~his its still a decress of lord solemont so they must all follow it to the letter!!

rosamund -- perhaps the most beautiful of the daughters w sonnhild, earnest rider and a bit of a horse girl frankly, v sophisticated, always kept vases of roses everywhere around her, married v young to a v wealthy and powerful lord but possibly one from ~oustide the ovn which probs still makes aurelian uncomfortable, used to spend hella time in the family labyrinth, rather vain and suffered alot during aging bc of it despite still being extremely beautiful she struggled to see that when youth had fled esp bc poets used to write sonnets to her beauty and many paintings circulated court etc and veiled all the mirrors in her home after awhile (partially bc of the stabbing read on), paintings of her in her youth hung everywhere in her home, v kind, lotsa charity work esp w orphans and widows and the poor, was violently attacked during an assassination attempt on someone else and got her face slashed by a knife or splashed w poison (depends whose telling the story and ~she certainly won't speak of it!) leaving her scarred and she never quite recovered from it emotionally, has been a bit of a recluse ever since and always wore veils afterward (yes this ~is a reference to henry ii's rosamund vs eleanor situation), aurelian doesn't see much of her these days frankly since she lives in another country but did stay w her while that country was being invaded and her hubby helped roderick out from within there too largely due to scheming w aurelian and thus declared for arthur when his army approached -- he got lotsa wealth and prestige outta the empire in gratitude for that move as prev agreed upon w his bro in law, aurelian and rosamund never really had much of a relationship but he approves her living up to feminine ideals but does think her reaction to her scarring was kinda pathetic not that he'd be cool w a ~woman proudly sporting a scar either so like??? there was no winning for her sorry. also her kids are foreingers so like...gross

idalia -- v hardworking, suuuper diligent, kinda???? never lets down!!!!, always doing a thousand things and going everywhere and getting everything done!!!!!, was alreayd emotionally exhausted by age 11 and still wouldn't let down!!!! #cantstopwontstop, exceedingly giving an generous, always putting others first, kind of a nervous wreck frankly but she'll never admit it!!, the person you think of when you hear that old proverb: if you want smth done ask a busy person, actually managed to marry for love and like they <333333 stupid in love <333333, has a million kids and adores them all tho frankly they stress her out to no end but lbr would she have ever had it any other way? aurelian has a lot of respect for her in general tho he doesn't think its becoming when she allows her harried-ness to show bc women must always be elegant and refined etc

hildegard -- a poet and a musician, suuuper skilled in her craft, became the ovn equivalent of a mother abbess and has frankly exerted her position to become one of the most powerful and influential women in the ovn in her own right (which is saying smth in the anti-feminine ovn culture!) as she's suuuper competent and now leader of a stupid wealthy and powerful ~convent, keeps her eyes on the prize, was an advisor to roderick's grandfather and wrote many a letter to his dad (who did noT appreciate it), v powerful within the church even before it got so big, big proponent of the cult of arthur situation, smth of a mystic herself rumored to have visions and seeings sent by the god and may or may not be a seer who simply ascribes it to ~the faith~ shhhh (and yes this is a hildegard von bingen reference), aurelian's fav sister and probs fav sibling full stop they just ~get eo frankly and have a lot in common, its probs in ~her nunnery where aurelian is aiming to put aria at least until such time as she weds his son...

idk these're just my hc's and v much open to change etc!! -- id love to hear any and all thoughts! <33333