Dot Argencourt

Dot Argencourt - 23 - Archduchess of Farnley what am I to do? / who do i ask for help? is it all on me? / is it all on me? I will stand in the dark for you / I will hold you back by force I will stand here right outside your door / I won’t see you disgraced

[lorlucy]

Far From Home || Lucy + Dot

“Dot. Dot, wake up!”

Lucy was kneeling down at the side of Dot’s bed when her older sister finally opened her eyes. It was dark, the only light emitting from the small candle Lucy had managed to find in her cabin.

The party from Catalonia had been scheduled to set off from their port hours earlier, but the weather had not been in their favor. Not wanting to be late for the coronation festivities, they’d boarded the ship just after sunset and set out after dark with promises from the captain they would arrive in Avenia with plenty of time to spare. Everyone had retired to their cabins and turned in for the evening, but Lucy had forced herself to stay awake. She’d spoken to the captain and he’d confirmed exactly what she suspected and when she finally saw a speck of light in the dark, she hurried to her sister’s side as quietly as possible. 

“We have to go up to deck,” she whispered, her eyes brighter than they had been in ages. She pulled Dot’s shawl from the end of her bed, handing it to her sister before grabbing her hand, pulling her towards the door. Once up on deck, Lucy pulled Dot towards the side of the ship, the lights growing in number in the distance.

“That’s it,” Lucy said quietly, leaning over the railing of the ship slightly, as if that might bring her closer. “That’s Farnley. The captain said we’d be able to see the lights from the city…” she looked over to her sister with a sad smile on her face. “We would have been able to see land if we’d left during the day. Perhaps even Carhall…”

Lucy turned back to the already fading lights as the ship moved quickly away from the tiny island. Lucy wanted to watch it until she couldn’t see any of her homeland. This moment was the closest either of them had been to Farnley since they were children.

“Do you think the rumors are true?” Lucy’s voice was barely above a whisper at this point, undoubtedly drowned out by the wind and the crashing of the waves. “Do you really think Alexander and James will be at the palace when we reach Caermara?”

[lordorothy]

It was nothing new to have her younger sister shaking her awake at a god-forsaken hour of the morning. Yet Dot found herself even more afflicted than usual as she had barely managed to fall asleep not a half hour earlier. (For being the leader of a small island country, she’d hardly ever gotten the knack for falling asleep on boats. The rocking was supposedly meant to soothe and yet it only ever gave Dot the utter feeling that she was about to be sick.)

“I’m awake, I’m awake, there’s no need to shove, Lu.” Dot said with a soft sigh and a gentle smile.

Yet, the insistence of her sister that they must go above deck seemed serious, so she quickly wrapped herself in the shawl and lit an extra candle to carry along with them.

“What is it, Lu? Is everything all right?” She asked with a tremor in her voice. If anything were to happen to her sister, to this crew... It would break her inside.

And yet everything seemed at peace when they finally stepped upon the sturdy boards of the deck of the ship. Lucy pulling gently at her hand to bring her port-side and pointing to the lights in the distance.

As the lights became clearer, Dot’s heart felt like it would rend itself in half.

Tears welled in her eyes and breath caught in her throat as memories flashed before her eyes. Remembrances of her father taking her upon his knee and telling her of the great responsibility she had not only to her country and her people, but to her family. To keep her sister safe, to make her parents proud.

A hand clutched tighter at her shawl as she turned away, squeezing her eyes shut from the pain of knowing she perhaps would never see its shores again. Not if all was to go to plan.

She barely heard her sister’s questions, and took a minute to respond as another flash of pain struck through her chest.

“I cannot say.” Dot finally replied, voice just as quiet as her sister’s. “With all my heart, I wish them to be true, of course, but I...” She left out a sigh and took one of Lucy’s hands in her own, squeezing it gently and turning her sister so that they might look each other in the eye. “I would not suggest that you hold out for such hopes. They have been gone for years now, and we have not had a single word.”

Not even from James... Another flash of pain. This would all be too much.

“If they had written us, if they had given us any knowledge of their safety and well-being, I would say otherwise, yet no such thing has occurred.” Dot reached up and brushed a curl from her sister’s cheek. “I know that you have many fond memories of our time with Alexander and James, but I do not wish you to be harmed by false hopes. We must... remember what the world has become now. There is such little room for fairy tale endings now. I would not trade you yours for one of my own.” Another sad smile crossed her lips as she squeezed Lucy’s hand and led her gently away from the cool winds of the side of the ship.

“Speaking of fairy tale endings, have you heard recently from Christopher? Has he said if he would be arriving for the coronation?” Her blue eyes glanced over her sister’s face. “I hope that you still have trust in me that I have begun devising how we might be able to spirit the two of you away in all the commotion...”

[lorcecil]

OOC | Cecil & Dot

Ok, so Cecil is the Queen’s advisor (and was the King’s before her) and obv Dot is Archduchess of Farnley, so there’s some chance maybe they’ve met before?  Either way, though, they are def both diplomats in a difficult situation!!  I def think that Cecil’s heart goes out to both the Argencourts but he’s also aware that their various nations are in a very precarious situation and there’s not much he can do…Anyway!  How do you think Dot might react to someone like Cecil?

[lordorothy]

Yea! I have a feeling that it’s possible that during like some sort of diplomatic meeting that Cecil and Dot would have met and maybe chatted slightly, but I don’t know how close they would have gotten.

Mainly because the both of them are so extremely similar in that Honor and Duty and Family are such big things for both of them, that I don’t know if that may have like... kept them from connecting since it also means that they would not show much in the way of emotions around each other.

On the other hand, I could certainly see either one of them making some sort of very impassioned remarks about some diplomatic issue or the other and Cecil or Dot finding themselves extremely impressed and like: “huh!! Good on them!!” which lead to some sort of mutual respect thing??

Idk, I think it’s something where they’d both be friendly and extremely respectful but they have no way to help each other currently so may not interact too much?  I’m sure they cross paths, but may not do much more than nod and smile.

What do you think? This sparking anything for you?

[lorcharles]

ooc | Charles & Dorothy

So Dorothy is engaged to David and Charles is David’s BFF and adviser. I’m not sure he knows (?) at this point that the Felix’s grandsons have survived and that there is a possibility that Dot may end up marrying Alexander, as originally planned, haha. But when he does discover that Godolphin complication, he’s going to urge Dorothy to side with the Waynfletes because he truly thinks that that is what would be best for all involved. Catalonia has just recovered from one revolution and he does not need a second. 

So yeah! Anyway, Charles def sees her as his future Queen and he has a lot of respect and admiration for her! And he thinks she’s a great person and he thinks David is a good person. And he wants them both to be happy and he thinks that they will be (even if they don’t love each other) and he is sure that Catalonia be will well served with them at the helm!!! Also, he hopes that she will learn to trust him and take his advice into consideration 

[lordorothy]

So!!! I know I messaged you a buuuunch about Lydia, so I’ll chat here about Dot and Charles!!

Basically it sounds like Dot and Charles are generally on the same page about stuff. Because Dot’s biggest thing is that she feels very very much like EVERYTHING is on her shoulders to make sure her people and her sister stay safe and happy.

So like, yeah, she is keeping a CLOSE eye on where power is settling in Catalonia. Like from the beginning Dot knew she would not be able to marry for love, especially since she was (and to some extent still is!!!) head over heels for James Godolphin, but from birth was betrothed to Alexander and subsequently David. (I’ve talked with Kate/Kate AA about how after David came to her like: “lol we’re engaged” she very plainly was like: “I do not love you, and I cannot guarantee I will ever grow to love you, but as long as you do no harm to my people, I will honor our contract.” Generally feels like she has about zero power y’know?)

I can see then where esp if Charles showed her a lot of respect and admiration, she would treat him similarly. I don’t... think she would totally put her absolute trust in him, but that’s more because Dot doesn’t really put 100% of her trust in ANYBODY, even her own sister. Dot very much is someone who plays her cards close to her chest.

Also lollololololol, with the Godolphin’s showing up again, you knOW DOT IS IN A TURMOIL. Especially because she DEFINITELY THOUGHT THEY WERE DEAD. So like it’s totally a Emma Thompson in S&S moment when they show up, just sobbing. lol

So yea! That’s kinda where I’m at for the moment, thoughts? comments? concerns? lol

[they-are-there-upon-his-head]

Visit Original Link

tumblr removed the one i did of the duel but too bad here’s another: sonya alone, from another room. i imagine this is what natasha hears as she prepares for the elopement, and it probably breaks her heart.

[landsofregencia]

DOROTHY ARGENCOURT (23) Bella Heathcote - TAKEN BY LAUREN Status: Farnleian Occupation: Archduchess of Farnley Relationship(s): Lucy Argencourt (sister/co-ruler), Augustine Churchill (deceased cousin), Aurora Churchill (cousin), Jane Churchill (cousin-in-law), David Waynflete (betrothed/benefactor), Honoria Waynflete (princess/best friend), Alexander Godolphin (childhood friend/former betrothed), James Godolphin (childhood friend/interest), Christopher Fortescue (future brother-in-law), Hugh Verdun (childhood friend)

dot has, from birth, been destined to wed the prince of catalonia

she and LUCY were raised by the old godolphin prince of catalonia, following the deaths of their parents

they were raised alongside his grandsons, ALEXANDER and JAMES, and as little children, dot was contracted to wed the next ruler of catalonia

dot, along w the rest of the nation, grew up believing that man would be alexander

admittedly, that wasn’t what she wanted bc from the time she was v little, indeed, dot had her heart set on james, instead

but then, as now, she was prepared to do her duty

and she knew v well that she could do so much worse than alexander, about whom she did genuinely care v much

sixteen years ago, however, everything changed when the WAYNFLETE family stormed catalonia, seized the throne, and murdered the prince

his grandchildren escaped, but dot and lucy became little more than glorified hostages

now, the usurper is dead and his son, DAVID, rules catalonia…and is set to be dot’s future husband as the ruler of catalonia

dot’s loyalties are ultimately to farnley and catalonia, so if marrying DAVID is the best thing she can do for the two countries, she will

but her heart isn’t in it, and in fact she still believes the GODOLPHINS are the rightful rulers…

recently, the godolphins have resurfaced and seem intent upon taking back what was stolen from them

dot doesn’t know what the future holds, but she does know that whoever should win this conflict will be her husband

dutiful, open, moral, driven

currently serving as HONORIA’s lady-in-waiting, and loves her immensely as well, but knows she’s also v misguided about things

knows about her sister’s plans to run away w CHRISTOPHER and supports her sister’s love, but fears what the outcome may be…