it might have been easier to be simpler girl upon moving into the keep all those years ago , to be the kind and tender sort of woman , willing to befriend the children of the king — had she given herself over , maybe they would trust her more now . though tension between the mundanes and the nephlim has been brimming over for a while now , with so many on either side thinking the other oversteps , unworthy of their positions . “ they would understand , princess . he is your father , after all . ” mina's eyes drift over towards zoya's siblings , and she wonders what it is she is thinking , that now is a vital time regarding their claims to the throne .
“ how very , ” she agrees , her words rolling out upon a sigh . it is not surprising that now is the time to strike , after all . so many suspects in one room , an unnamed heir , a king who is showing clear signs of wanting more from the downworld he embraces . why wouldn't they attempt to take him out ? “ no , your highness . with all due respect , poison is a mundane's weapon . demons to not play around in the darkness . ”
“ they may, but understanding is not the same as acceptance, ” zoya replies swiftly ( she has learned that lesson the hard way in the past, she will not make the same mistake again ). “ and someone needs to keep an eye on my siblings, lest they end up in some kind of trouble. ” an unspoken i don't trust you or anyone else here to have their best interests in mind hangs in the air.
“ i suppose that makes sense, ” she says with a sigh, “ poison must seem far less effective when one has magic at their disposal. ” to be able to vanish from the crime scene after something much more close-range must be valuable in dispelling suspicion ... zoya wouldn't resort to poison either, if she had such powers.
( she wouldn't resort to poison now, because it's far too impersonal for her liking, but that's beside the point. )
“ so, if poison is a weapon of us lowly humans, the question is ... someone in this room, or elsewhere in the castle ? ” zoya muses quietly, implying a request for mina to offer her opinion — but never saying it explicitly, it would be embarrassing to rely on the shadowhunter for anything other than her specific duties.
sae’s eyes lit up ever so slightly as aisling approached, the faintest hint of a smile playing on his lips. he had been trying to keep a low profile, tucked away in the shadows, but the sight of a familiar face was a welcome reprieve from the drudgery of the evening. “seems like we’re both trying to escape the madness,” he replied softly, his voice barely rising above the din of the room. there was something comforting in aisling’s presence, a shared understanding of the absurdity of it all. “you’re more than welcome to hide out here with me. it’s not much, but it’s quieter, and we can pretend the rest of them don’t exist for a while.”
sae leaned back against the wall, his posture relaxed, though his eyes remained sharp, scanning the room with quiet vigilance. “i get what you mean,” he continued, his tone carrying a subtle note of relief. “these events always feel so… disconnected from reality. like they’re celebrating something that doesn’t even matter, while the real world crumbles outside.” he glanced at aisling, noticing the tension in her shoulders and the way her gaze seemed to pierce through the walls of the castle, as if she could see the suffering beyond. “i think we could both use a distraction from all this,” he suggested, his voice gentle. “tell me, what’s been on your mind lately? anything other than the urge to stab something, of course.” there was a slight teasing edge to his words, but the warmth in his eyes was genuine, an unspoken offer of companionship in a world that often felt too cold and indifferent.
“ oh, thank you, ” ais sighs in relief, relaxing against the wall — as much as they ever relax, anyway. “ if i had to make nice with one more noble, i think i would have gone insane. ” a slight exaggeration, it would take a bit more than that, but he'd be much more inclined to violence or sharp retorts — which would not end well.
“ but don't you know, stabbing is all that's on my mind, ” ais says teasingly. they pause, staring up at the ceiling blankly for a moment, before continuing. “ i dunno. there's nothing that really springs to mind — i don't keep up with the news and gossip, really. it's all work and no play in devya, most of the time. ” she shrugs. “ but what about you ? anything interesting going on in that big head ? ”
The room had gone eerily silent the moment the king started choking. Tension spreads like wildfire from person to person. Renee was not immune as a sense of worry crept into her. Not worry for the king, but for the ramifications this would inevitably have. The royal family would not look kindly on this and the downworlders would be easy to blame. She had no strong opinions on the royals either way she didn’t like the sound of that.
Her gaze slid over to the other, the glimmer of recognition flashing through her eyes. “It’s a shame the feast seemed to be going quite well up until now. Wouldn't you agree.” Renee frowned, glancing over the crowd. The evening could perhaps recover from this, but it wouldn't go back to the way it was. “No doubt he’ll make a speedy recovery, your highness.”
“ yes, it is rather a shame, ” zoya says, clicking her tongue. “ such a waste of all the time and resources that went into this feast. ” she knows many would think the feast itself is a waste of resources, and to an extent she agrees — morale is worth its weight in gold, and nothing is better for morale than full stomachs — but there are certain displays expected of royalty. softness, weakness and a lack of wealth are all unbecoming of a monarch, especially in the eyes of other royalty and nobility. “ thank you for your kind words. though, at the present i must confess my greater concern is with finding the culprit. ” after all, the king's cup is not easily reached — it would require a traitor on the staff, zoya suspects, to execute such a poison plot.
open to all — taking place during the first day of the feast .
how strange that they all pretend as though nothing is amiss , carmilla's dark eyes following the guards who escort the king from the great hall and leave the rest of them to marinate in their suspicion of one another . how incredibly likely that this should happen now , surrounded by downworlders who will , most likely , take the brunt the of blame for such an occurrence . auburn curls fall over their shoulder as they linger by the windows , coated in the light of flickering candles , the vampire thinks only of the sun and what it used to look like . “ do they truly believe they can hold us in here ? ” she muses , voice soft as her gaze flickers towards the guards once more , those whose veins pulse , something she can sense from across the room . “ they try to trap us with our prey as our captors . ”
aisling itches to draw one of the half-dozen daggers hidden on their person, but knows it would cause more trouble than it's worth. at the words of their companion, ais snorts quietly. “ the arrogance of the royal family knows no bounds — of course they think they can hold everyone here. never mind that not a single one of them could hold their own against even a mundane guard. ” and it's unlikely the guards even know what they would be up against, if the inhabitants of the hall made a genuine effort to leave — he's sure the royals know better than to share classified information.
following the vampire's gaze towards the guards at the doors, ais speaks again. “ although it's entirely possible they're relying on us to keep you all in line ... so don't go eating the guards. then i'd have to actually do something, and tonight was supposed to be a night off. ”
a fear ripples over the room , and mina can only think — good . it wasn't her , but by the gods did he deserve it . the sorry lot of that dreaded royal family leave the shadowhunter with a bad taste in her mouth , a clear inability to rule this kingdom without cruelty or the use of those stronger than they ever could be . she watches them now , those gathered here to celebrate such happiness for the prince , for the joining of two families so powerful in their own rights . where do they gather such power ? how do they hold onto it without all of this bloodshed ? what should they do if her kind were abandon them ?
“ your highness , perhaps you should be with your father . ” she comments , eyeing the princess behind cold eyes , someone she has worked alongside for years now , seeing that the royal family are protected from demonic activity . she wonders what comes next , if the assailant should make another move against them . is it truly in her best interest to protect them ? she rolls her shoulder , black marks peeking from the sleeves of her gown . “ how convenient his majesty should be attacked with so many potential suspects in one room . ”
“ i should be, ” zoya agrees readily, “ but it would be dreadfully rude to leave our guests unattended. ” she has never been terribly fond of the shadowhunters and their holier-than-thou attitudes, but mina fairchild is, at least, a known quantity to zoya, someone she's well familiar with ( living in the same building as someone can have that result ). so she can play nice, for now.
“ and how convenient father hasn't named an heir, ” she muses. “ truly a perfect storm, if he didn't survive. ” if one wants to create civil unrest, this situation is perfect — if the king does not survive, there will undoubtedly be a fight for the throne, possibly with interference from the other nobility.
“ i suppose demons aren't much for poisonings ? ” she asks, less out of genuine curiosity and more a hope that mina will take the hint and find something else to do, like search the castle for demonic threats that could be responsible.
𝙵𝙴𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶 : sae lightwood & your muse .
𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴 + 𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 : first day of the event,
he slipped into the grand hall of bran keep with the utmost care, his movements cautious and deliberate as he sought to remain inconspicuous amidst the opulence and chaos. he wore a muted, dark ensemble that helped him blend into the shadows, hoping to avoid drawing any undue attention to himself. as he navigated through the crowd, his sharp eyes constantly scanned the room, ever-vigilant for any signs of recognition or unwanted interaction. despite his best efforts to stay hidden, sae’s attempts to blend into the background were futile. his presence, though subtle, did not go unnoticed for long. the hum of conversation, punctuated by the clinking of glasses and the rustle of elaborate gowns, seemed to pause momentarily as someone noticed him, their gaze lingering with curiosity.
with a resigned sigh, sae accepted the inevitability of his discovery. he turned to face the individual who had spotted him, a new acquaintance whose face he did not immediately recognize. trying to mask his discomfort with a courteous smile, he adjusted his posture to appear more approachable. “seems i’ve been found,” sae said, his voice soft but carrying a note of good-natured resignation. “i was rather hoping to remain a bit more... discreet this evening. how do you find the festivities? quite the spectacle, isn’t it?”
he gestured vaguely to the grandeur of the hall, his tone light but laced with a hint of wariness. sae’s eyes flickered around the room, still scanning for potential trouble, but he made an effort to focus on his newfound conversational partner. “i must admit, it’s a bit overwhelming for someone like me,” sae continued, trying to engage in polite conversation despite his evident discomfort. “all this splendor and the mingling of so many different factions—it’s a lot to take in. what’s your take on the evening so far?” his attempt to strike up a conversation was genuine, though his guarded demeanor suggested that he remained wary of the social intricacies unfolding around him. despite his efforts to remain hidden, sae seemed ready to make the most of the unexpected interaction, his curiosity piqued by the new acquaintance before him.
aisling does not particularly care for events such as this, finding conversing with the elites to be interminably dull and the constant roar of background noise rather overwhelming — though the runes etched across their forearms ( hidden under the sleeves of a black shirt ) help with the latter.
so it is something of a relief when they spy a familiar face ( familiar enough, at least ), slipping through the crowd towards him.
“ i was rather hoping i could hide out here with you, ” ais says. “ that probably tells you how i feel about ‘ the festivities ’. ” it's tasteless, in their opinion, to hold a feast while the common folk suffer, but their opinion is worth dirt to the nobles in the room, so why bother to voice it ? they will simply seethe in silence, and sneak down to the kitchens later to gather food to distribute amongst those outside the castle walls.
“ i don't have a ... take, as you put it, other than that it's giving me a headache and an urge to stab something. ” they're sort of hoping one of the warlocks in attendance will summon a demon and they can take out their stabbing itch on it.
zoya & open ; the feast, shortly after the poisoning
zoya watches anxiety spread through the room, people whispering nervously and eyeing their food and cups with trepidation, her own face a mask of indifference. watching the king ( does the man deserve the title of father ? not right now ) choke on his wine struck her with fear — such a thing should not be able to happen in the heart of the castle. but now, she has to take charge ( as if she would let her siblings take over, this is a chance to cement herself as heir ), and that means showing no weakness.
“ tch, the nerve of some people. could we not celebrate my dear brother's coming marriage in peace ? ” she comments. “ you can relax, the attack was clearly targeted — and futile, his majesty is being attended to by the best physicians in the kingdom. ” also, if he dies, then the culprit will have to contend with her ... they had better hope he survives.
adeline rudolph as ;
AISLING CARSTAIRS, shadowhunter of devya
twenty - nine & agender & they / he / she
crossbow bolts scattered across a desk ; a journal filled with sketches which would terrify even the hardiest nephilim ; long nights spent hunting in frigid winds with only the glow of a blessed blade for company ; a distant choir, filtered through layers of stained-glass windows and stone walls ; an oath, a creed, a promise, to defend no matter the cost.
adeline rudolph . agender . they / he / she . *:･ﾟ✧ is that that aisling carstairs , the twenty-nine year old active shadowhunter ? it’s rare to see them without their crossbow but maybe they’re off duty tonight. they’ve been in the capital city four months , and rumour has it that they notoriously are terse , whilst also managing to be quite efficient. last i heard , they were against the royal family ; i wonder what they make of all this upheaval within mundane world .
• STATISTICS ;
full name ; AISLING SUHYEON CARSTAIRS
aisling : dream, vision ;
suhyeon ( 秀賢 ) : outstanding virtue
age ; twenty-nine
place of birth ; devya
gender ; none
pronouns ; they / he / she
orientation ; asexual biromantic
face claim ; adeline rudolph
occupation ; shadowhunter
main weapon ; crossbow
alternates ; short sword, longbow
• BIOGRAPHY ;
aisling carstairs is, by all accounts, a fairly typical shadowhunter. sceptical of the crown, ruthless to demons, generally appears to have no time for luxury or relaxation. liable to commit murder or other crimes if their routine is disrupted ( extremely on the spectrum ... which one ? all of them ).
the second of four children, ais was always quite the stubborn child. they were quiet and generally not particularly argumentative, but would ignore anything they disagreed with and simply carry on as they desired. as they've gotten older, ais has mellowed a little, grown out of childish behaviour.
one thing they have retained though, and which they will probably always keep, is their dislike for time-wasting. spending hours on discussions or plans is not their style — ais prefers to make a simple plan, then head out to take care of whatever threat has arisen. it's why they prefer a crossbow — easy to take out demons from afar, saving the time of trying to get close.
alisha boe as ;
her royal highness, PRINCESS ZOYA of the DRAGOVA family
twenty - seven & cis woman & she / her
a bouquet of flowers, infested with rot ; a gilt-framed painting of a loving family, hanging on the cold, dark walls of a castle keep ; belief in the divine is not respect, for it is clear precisely how the so-called god has failed in its duties ; daggers tucked inside the skirt of a gown ; dreams and promises and hopes, all crushed to dust beneath the endless machine of war, leaving behind a cold, cruel weapon.
alisha boe . cis woman . she / her . *:･ﾟ✧ is that that ZOYA DRAGOVA , the twenty-seven year old mundane with the sight ? they’re known around the kingdom as the eldest princess of walochnia , maybe they’ll let their hair down tonight . they’ve been in the capital city all their life , and rumour has it that they notoriously are calculating , whilst also managing to be quite discerning. last i heard , they were for the royal family ; i wonder what they make of all this upheaval within the mundane world .
• STATISTICS ;
full name ; ZOYA SVETLANA DRAGOVA
title ; princess of walochnia & valanya
zoya — life ; svetlana — pure, holy
age ; twenty-seven
place of birth ; coňstanja, walochnia
gender ; cis woman
pronouns ; she / her
orientation ; lesbian
face claim ; alisha boe
• BIOGRAPHY ;
the eldest child of king stefan and queen mircea of valanya, princess zoya was raised in the lap of luxury. one might think that it would render her spoiled, and in a way it did. but being witness to endless war against horrors most mundanes cannot even see, even if not at the front lines, leaves its mark.
zoya appears for all the world as a perfect princess and future queen. polite, graceful and wise, some might describe her as. but beneath this facade lies something else : cold, calculating and sharp as the daggers which line her underskirts, zoya dragova is someone you do not want as an enemy.
she is ostensibly loyal to her family, but in practice she is loyal to herself and anyone who allies with her — whether that includes her family remains to be seen, particularly as her father dithers on naming an heir ( does he fear her retribution if he names another as heir, or does he think one of them will poison him to take the throne sooner if their position is assured ? )
" keep your friends close and your enemies closer " is not a saying she cares for — she keeps her enemies close, but has no need for friends. or so she says. in truth, the people she was close to as children are no longer the sort she would wish to keep company with, if only because she has changed too much to mesh well with them anymore. once, zoya was a child, and that child had hopes and dreams, ideals she wished to see brought to fruition. but the older she grew, the more she saw that told her those ideals would never be realised — could never be realised. maybe there is a small kernel of hope and light left somewhere inside, but zoya will never let anyone close enough to find it.
dailybridgerton
yousharknotpass
andulkaphoto
turnnoffyourmind
germansingergirl
kianamaiart
areudirty
snowghoul
