la infanta

ˢᵗᵃʸ ˢᵒᶠᵗ [ ... ] 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧.

[lainfanta]

LAINFANTA [ ... ] a study in womanhood as a spectrum, manipulation motivated by self preservation, feminine rage, the lengths gone to eradicate self-inadequacy & misunderstanding the difference between sacrifice and self-slaughter.

a dependent character blog written for bloodydayshq by sebi (gmt+1, 22, they/them). reader discretion is advised. mature themes and other triggering content will be present on this blog.

¹ CATALINA. ² PINTEREST. ³ NAVI.

[felipaed]

𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡    . . .    catherine    of    spain    (    @lainfanta    )    𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞    . . .    on    the    road    to    dover    .

though  prior  negotiations  had  been  led  by  the  spanish  ambassadors  that  had  accompanied  the  prince  of  asturias  to  the  muddy  shores  of  england  on  the  account  of  his  youth,  felipe  had  watched  with  proceedings  with  rapt  attention  that  was  broken  only  by  his  attempts  to  curtail  any  disruptions  from  his  younger  sister.  at  this  point,  he  was  certain  that  their  english  kin  were  more  than  aware  of  her  desires  to  prove  herself  equally  as  capable  in  the  role  of  heir  to  the  throne,  lobbying  for  the  spanish  cause  where  he  kept  silent  in  observance  but  he  had  very  little  to  prove  to  their  distant  relatives,  content  with  allowing  the  political  dialogue  to  take  place  between  those  who  knew  the  wishes  of  his  father  more  intimately  while  he  fostered  good  relationships  through  conversation  and  sport.  as  the  twins  rode  ahead  of  the  retinue  of  people  that  had  followed  them  from  madrid  to  london  and  now  to  dover  to  greet  their  mother,  the  infanta  was  more  akin  to  the  dark  clouds  that  plagued  the  english  skies,  the  weight  of  her  stare  heavy  against  his  back  ─  felipe  was  aware  that  her  displeasures  with  him  numbered  more  than  the  stars  and,  were  there  not  others  around  them,  he  might  not  have  turned  his  back  so  easily  to  his  sister  for  fear  of  finding  a  knife  struck  between  his  shoulders,  but  it  gave  him  no  delight  in  correcting  her  so  publicly.  the  insides  of  his  cheeks  bore  the  abuse  from  his  teeth  as  he  stifled  each  harsh  word  and  irritated  look  until  they  were  in  private  but  with  the  wind  in  his  hair  and  their  servants  at  a  distance,  he  felt  more  comfortable  in  addressing  now.

❝  you  are  doing  a  poor  job  in  disguising  your  hatred  for  me,  little  cat.  ❞  in  spite  of  knowing  better  than  to  proke  a  coiled  serpent,  he  could  not  help  but  dig  into  the  cesspool  that  was  her  disdain  for  his  very  existence.  it  was  his  right  as  her  older  brother  to  torment  her  till  the  end  of  her  days  and  there  was  still  blood  in  his  mouth  from  the  past  week  of  showed  restraint  before  their  english  allies  ─  it  was  only  just  that  he  poked  at  her  a  little  bit.  ❝  can  you  not  be  more  like  our  aunt,  elizabeth  ?  i  am  certain  she,  too,  must  be  vexed  by  our  uncle,  the  king,  as  all  younger  sisters  seem  to  be  but  she  bears  her  frustrations  with  more  grace  than  you  ever  have. ❞  though  only  an  hour  and  a  few  minutes  older  than  the  infanta,  his  tone  had  taken  on  a  natural  grumble  best  associated  with  longsuffering  older  siblings.  it  was  not  his  usual  intonation  but  one  that  was  chiefly  reserved  for  his  sister  if  only  because  he  knew  how  much  it  irritated  her  to  have  him  nag  at  her  as  though  the  gap  between  their  ages  was  so  great  that  he  held  more  experience  than  she  had.  (  in  some  ways,  he  did  but  not  for  a  lack  of  trying  on  her  part.  had  catalina  not  been  sent  away,  felipe  was  certain  she  would  rival  him  in  accomplishments.  he  only  wished  she  could  channel  such  determination  and  passion  for  spain  towards  supporting  him  rather  than  praying  for  his  downfall.  )  

❝  mother  entrusted  us  to  present  a  united  front,  catalina.  if  you  mess  this  up,  i  will  bear  the  weight  of  father's  disappointment.  ❞  something  that  he  would  do  gladly,  though  he  would  cut  out  his  own  tongue  rather  than  admit  to  protecting  her  whenever  he  could  ─  the  prince  was  certain  she  would  only  find  insult  in  his  brotherly  concern.  ❝  if  you  want  to  interject,  why  not  speak  to  me  and  have  me  act  as  your  mouthpiece  ?  or  one  of  the  ambassadors,  if  i  am  so  heinous  to  deal  with.  ❞

[lainfanta]

the wind tugged at catalina’s untidily covered hair, which poked out from underneath the cloak that covered her riding habit. hastily fastened on the insistence of her lady in waiting, it seemed not such a bad idea now that the clouds were growing darker by the moment, as if the princess’ dour mood had summoned their very presence, and soon they might rupture into a torrential rain.

england had not been a gracious host – it had rained terribly, and her favourite horse, erebos had caught mud fever. it meant she was riding a cob pony, her feet practically dragging the ground. it was an ugly thing, back like a mule’s and a short, stubby neck jiggly with fat. it was stubborn, too, and only went forward when she rode behind her brother. of course.

it seemed like all she was tasked with, these last months – following her brother, her keeper. while she no longer had any trouble understanding felipe’s softness, or his eagerness to please god, it frustrated her greatly to be tethered to him by responsibility.

blood of her blood. the flesh on her bones. uña y carne. he was her father’s son, her own saint of a twin, bearer of her bitterness. it would give her great joy to relieve him of his burdens, ones he so gracelessly carried.

❝ the lord has granted england a good king, hermano. aunt elizabeth ought to have no qualms about his rule. ❞ the king had about him a grace her brother so severely lacked. in its place nothing but the husk of a boy void of true purpose, or drive. she pitied him. ❝ he is experienced, dedicated and graced by god to rule with unlimited power. if you were the same, i would see no problem with your right to father’s throne. ❞ her words were blunt, shaped like two hands squeezing around a throat.

❝ you are my father’s son as much as i am his daughter, and for that i have always felt ashamed. you robbed me of my rights, and you made me into this. i will not apologise for wanting what is mine. ❞

like cain and abel, two twins in a field was enough for the tragedy to start.

[lainfanta]

── * i am no beast, but my blade sliding clean through your thick neck, while my maid keeps your blood off me and my good dress will be a song the parish sings for centuries. tell mary. tell eve. tell salome and david about 𝒎𝒆.

── INFANTA CATALINA DE ESPAÑA

NAME: la infanta catalina maría apolonia de españa ↪ her highness infanta catherine of spain ↪ catalina to friends, kitty to special people RANK: infanta of spain DATE OF BIRTH & AGE: april 2nd 1538, 21 years PLACE OF BIRTH: the royal palace of aranjuez, madrid, spain COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: spain RELIGION: roman catholic

FACE CLAIM: marina moschen GENDER: cis woman SEXUAL ORIENTATION: bisexy, fem leaning

MOTHER & FATHER: mary tudor & philip ii of spain SIBLINGS: older twin brother, prince philip BIRTH ORDER: youngest of twins, youngest in the family MARITAL STATUS: unmarried ISSUE: n/a

VIRTUES: dedicated, youthful, observant VICES: duplicitous, self-serving, cruel ALLIES: spain, mostly herself ADVERSARIES: unclear, almost everyone else

── TIMELINE

1538 – the infanta is born to mary tudor and king philip ii of spain. she is the younger of the twins, born one and a half hours after her older brother, the heir to the throne, prince philip. 1545 – educated and brought up much like her brother, upon her own insistense and inability to behave in a manner fit for a young princess. 1548 – sent to live with the nuns of the dominican monastery of the mother of god located in valladolid, spain, the birthplace of many of her ancestors, and her father. 1553 – instead of taking her vows and becoming a fully-fledged dominican nun, catalina returns to court at the behest of her father, who has become increasingly eager to find her a husband. 1555 – the infanta makes sure no husband would take her, breeding chaos and gossip in the spanish court. rumour has it that she is mad, and that is why the royal family sent her off to the nunnery in the first place. 1557 – catalina struggles to accept her position as second in line for the throne. she feels far more capable than her empty-headed brother. in this year begins her conquest to undermine him. 1559 – the prince and princess of spain arrive in england to attend the wedding of anne boleyn & thomas wyatt. they are joined by their mother and father later in the year. ── BIOGRAPHY wip lol sorry!  

[kuutamosonaatti]

Fanny and Alexander (1982) | dir. Ingmar Bergman