During [Alexander’s] absence Lucrezia Borgia was left with power to act as his d e p u t y. It was an unheard-of thing, and shocked official decorum, that a w o m a n should be seated in the Vatican as the Pope’s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e. Lucrezia was commissioned to open the Pope’s letters, and in case of need, to consult Cardinal Costa. One day she sought the Cardinal’s a d v i c e. He answered that the custom was for the Vice-Chancellor to gather and record the votes of the Cardinals when the College was consulted. Lucrezia, impatient at this official reserve, exclaimed impetuously, ’ I can write well enough m y s e l f.’ ’ Where is your pen ? ’ said the Cardinal with a smile. They parted in laughter.
A History of the Papacy from the Great Schism to the Sack of Rome Part Five [x]
A smile picked up the corners of Pippa’s lips; she could see the beginnings of friendship in their midst. Or at least, she hoped so. “ I have to say I agree; one would think that everyone could stop to smell the roses once and a while, but. alas, I am mistaken. ” She’s sure that guards will spot them eventually; her smile widens slightly when the other takes her arm. At least they were in this together so it seemed. Pippa could see where they were headed, she could see the glimpse of sunlight. “ A pleasure to meet you, Thea. I am Pippa. And do not worry, your secret is safe with me; just as I hope my secret is safe with you. ” As they walked, she thought on the other’s accent for a moment. Of course, she had heard many during the war, but she always had trouble pinpointing exact locations. “ Are you of Sweden or Norway? I pray you forgive me if I am wrong, I have a terrible ear for telling the difference between dialects. ”
❝ The pleasure is certainly mine, Pippa, and of course your secret is safe with me. ❞ A great RELIEF washed over her due to the calming nature which seemed to radiate from Pippa. If they were both in a situation where neither of them should be wandering so freely then for one to tell on the other they would only incriminate themselves, it was a comforting thought at least. ❝ You are not wrong by any means, I am of Norway though I have not been home for some years so your ear for dialects is much better than you believe. I would guess that you are of England? I once met a Bishop in Rome whom had a very similar accent to your own, I believe he was of a place called...Norfolk. ❞
“Yes, I’m totally fine. I was just surprised, you practically came out of nowhere.” Nina fixed her dress before nodding faintly. “Probably, it wouldn’t be the first time someone acts differently because of that. Were you going anywhere?”
❝ Wonderful, that was quite my aim! Though I truly did not wish to collide with anyone, ❞ the said honestly before briefly turning to glance behind her, just to make sure that her clumsiness did not give her guards the chance to find her. ❝ Truthfully I’m not certain, I only arrived here so I thought I might become familiar with my French surroundings... Is there anywhere you could suggest? Preferably with some discretion. ❞
If Pippa was honest, she had no idea where she was going. She was not honest though, she was stubborn. She, however, still got lost in the strange hallways even after being here a few days. Though, to be fair, there usually was always someone directing her and she was not alone. Today, she was just trying to get outside, all she wanted was to go for a walk yet she could not, for the life of her, find a suitable exit where she would not be followed by guards. She was so focused on finding an exit that she hadn’t noticed the other rushing towards her. She reached out to catch the other and steady them both, “ Please, there was no fault to be had! Neither of us were paying attention to where we were going, ” She hesitate for a moment, “ Say, are there any good exits for an escape, unseen, so that I might be able to go for a walk? ”
Once Thea was certain that the reaction she had received from the victim of her unusual careless accident was not a negative one she noticeably calmed down from her apology, smiling to the other with a brief bow of her head. ❝ French court does have that atmosphere I fear; always rushing with no care who you brush past along the way, ❞ of course she had nothing against the French, it was simply in their nature to be rather boisterous. ❝ Ah, a woman after my own heart! I was actually on my way to find one myself. Come, we can escape together, ❞ without exactly asking the other woman if she would like her to show her the way, Thea linked arms with the fellow blonde and began on her way down yet another corridor with a glimpse of sunlight in the distance. ❝ I am Thea, by the way, I trust we may take part in mutual discretion? After all I wish to be as unseen as you. ❞
after a long tiresome day, the italian princess’s only wish was to spend the remainder of the evening within her own chambers. her hands were clasped together in front of her as she made her down various long hallways, eyes locked onto the floor in front of her. it wasn’t until she had rounded a corner and another woman’s body had collided with her own that her eyes lifted from the floor. “there is no need for an apology,” she assured the other, a faint smile settling onto her features. “i too was not looking where i was going.” armani’s eyes then searched the woman’s features, a look of concern spreading across her own. “is everything alright, your highness?”
For a moment Dorothea looked only to see if the other woman was okay, the collision had happened so quickly that she wasn’t entirely certain how hard she had bumped into the other and there was a brief look of fear which turned into relief upon finding out that the other didn’t seem furious with her carelessness. ❝ Then I suppose we both were somewhat careless, ❞ a gentle smile found it’s way upon Thea’s lips, followed by a graceful nod as her hands smoothed over her skirts. ❝ Yes,quite alright, I was simply looking to have a moment of peace away from my over bearing guards and that was who I was looking out for when I bumped into you... Your familiar accent has certainly helped to calm any nerves I may have had, your highness. ❞ A much more genuine smile took hold of Thea’s lips as she lowered into a slight curtsy, Norway may have been her home but so many years spent within the Vatican mean that she had become very accustomed the Italian accent and it was indeed a comfort.
Nina didn’t even see the other girl coming, one second she was calming calmly through a corridor and the next someone was crashing into her. It was a bit of a miracle that she didn’t fall but it had hurt anyway. At least she was apologising. “It certainly was…. But at least neither of us is truly hurt.”
❝ Are you certain you are not hurt? ❞ It was unlike Dorothea to act so carelessly but she was preoccupied and reaching for a brief moment of freedom before being thrown fully back into the formality of court life. ❝ Usually I am much more careful than this, perhaps all of the tension and excitement is to blame. ❞
A moment to compose herself, that was all Dorothea had wanted. From the moment she had arrived in Paris from the Vatican she had been watched carefully by the guards sent to retrieve her, even once inside the safety of the castle walls she had not been able to be rid of them, but there was a moment where one of them faltered. Thea had found another door which led out of her chambers and used it to be free of her guards for a little while. The Princess was walking at a quick pace in the hopes of getting some distance before they noticed she was gone, glancing behind her to make sure she wasn’t being followed just before she felt herself bump into another. ❝ Oh! I am so sorry, pray you forgive me, that was very careless on my part. ❞
“do you miss your home?” she asked. aileen fiddled with her fingers looking at her feet. “sometimes i think about home…scotland and i miss everything about it. when i see any sort of green, i feel like i can smell the grass. and when i see people dancing, i think of the plains and the cheerful drunkeness of parties at home. and every time i see someone pick up a drink i think of scottish ale and how warm it makes everyone feel.“ she sighed, “most of them don’t even care that i’m a women….they care i’m scottish. and that’s all you need. is to to love your country. here i am automatically assumed as less.” aileen took another deep breath, “i just miss home was wondering if anyone else did.”
Her question had caught Dorothea somewhat off guard. She was used to formalities at times such as this, general politeness and nothing beyond it, but the question that she had been presented with required an honest answer and nothing else would do. ❝ ... Yes, I suppose I do miss my home terribly. I don’t remember it quite as much as you know yours, I don’t remember how I was seen but I do love my country and you can rest assured that you are not alone in that. I think it must be a terrible thing to not miss one’s home, it would take something awful for a person to feel otherwise. ❞
to say things have been tense as of late would have been an understatement, especially for the russian princess. because the russians were the farthest thing from allied with the british, much of the blame for recent events pointed towards russian and spanish allies and it was taxing to defend herself from such accusations every day. she had spent much of the afternoon in one of the busier parlors, gazed trained outside a window. anastasiya spoke to the person nearest to her, though she didn’t bother to look towards them. “is it wrong of me to hope that the weather doesn’t remain so pleasant?” she couldn’t help but smile slightly. “i was meant to walk the grounds later with a very chatty duke that i’m not too thrilled about, and a day to just relax would be lovely.” ana finally turned her gaze to the other, pleading look in her eyes. “unless you wish to save me in some way.”
To see so many of the nobility in one place was somewhat overwhelming for the woman who has spent the duration of the war with mainly just cardinals and papal guards for company. Dorothea had found that a place by a large window looked seemingly peaceful and was a good place for her to survey the masses and get her bearings, at least that was until her attention was caught by the voice by her side addressing her. ❝ Not at all, surely there is nothing quite like a little RAIN to dampen an overly chatty Duke’s spirits so I do hope so too for your benefit, ❞ a smile of amusement tugged it’s way from the corners of Thea’s lips before she turned to address the other woman more directly.
❝ If I remember quite correctly we had plans for luncheon and it would be awfully rude to break plans with an...old friend. ❞
QUEEN ROSZA let out a giggle as she ran around the gardens, her ladies doing their best to catch her. she didn’t care if it was proper for her to run about like a child, she was a queen — she could so as she pleased now without being scolded by governesses and tutors. ❛ i thought you’d be quicker than that, agnes, ❜ she shouted, laughing as the lady mentioned pressed her efforts. she went around a rose bush, her face flushed with joy, when she was soon letting out a scream as she slipped in a patch of wet grass, landing on her back. she groaned, clutching blades of grass between her fingers. ❛ i hope no one saw that, ❜ she said to herself, reaching her hand up to hold her head.
From all that she had seen so far Paris was absolutely beautiful, however nothing had impressed her more than the gardens had. They were not as full as the corridors of court were, they were almost peaceful and allowed the princess to enjoy a moment in thought; or at least it had until a female shouting disturbed the quiet. For a brief moment Dorothea watched on in AMUSEMENT, a smile playing upon her lips as the ladies ran among the flowers, but such joy was quickly replaced by concern as the woman leading the laughter fell. ❝ Oh, are you quite alright? ❞ she called as she rushed over while being careful not to slip herself. ❝ Only I saw but if anyone shall ask i saw nothing. Please, allow me to help you, ❞ she extended her hands in the hopes of helping the woman up from the ground, at least she could reclaim her dignity before checking she was okay.
Here’s my second trash child, HRH Dorothea (or Thea if she likes you) Princess of Norway!! Under the cut is general rambling about her along with potential conntections/plots. Plotting gives me LIFE so we should do some, right? Right??
As the youngest daughter of the King and Queen of Norway Dorothea always felt like the youngest sibling in a very loving family. Of both of her parents she was closer to her mother, since her oldest sister had much to learn from their father Thea always found that their mother had a lot more time for her and she liked to take advantage of that. Regardless of favoritism she loved both of her parents greatly and the night that they were killed left the young girl distraught.
Being only ten years old when her parents died meant that she struggled greatly with coming to terms with it; one night she had gone to bed feeling like all was right in the world, the next morning she awoke to the castle in a panic and her oldest sister being called Queen. For the next two years Thea couldn’t seem to shift the memory of what had happened that night. Many spoke of the young Princess becoming of age to marry but it was unthinkable, she hadn’t yet made peace with the tragedy and so couldn’t imagine leaving her home to never return so soon.
One thing Thea remembered her mother for was her stories about the world, about places the young Princess might be lucky enough to see one day, but especially about the Vatican state. It was something she had always wanted to see, to take a pilgrimage to such a holy place, and so it stood to reason that it was what she needed to do before she could continue on with her life. After much time was spent convincing the Queen and other influential figures at court that it would bring her peace and ensure relations between Norway and the Pope himself she was finally given permission to travel some months after her twelfth birthday. Unfortunately it was unknown to her at the time that she would not see her home again.
The Great War broke out not long after Thea’s arrival at the Vatican. There was a brief hope of returning the Princess to Norway before she was away for too long but it was too much of a danger for her to travel so far, so she had no other choice but to stay. For the duration of the war Thea made the Vatican and the surrounding areas of Rome her home. She would meet with any nobles who managed to visit, had her moments of reflection that she had originally intended to travel for, and it felt as though she had seen every single gilded corner that the Vatican held.
Thirteen years later and the Vatican’s own Princess has finally found the chance to leave. Paris may not be Norway but she finally has a sense of freedom and a chance to find her place again, especially among her family and those who matter to her most.
possible connections (both future and pre-established) :
Childhood friends - Thea may not have been home for a long time but not all of her memories are lost, to find any friends or acquaintances that she had thirteen years ago would be almost overwhelming to her and make her feel a little more at ease over being in yet another new place.
Acquaintances - during her time at the Vatican Thea met many people of noble and royal blood. It may have been a time of war but the Vatican would be seen as a place for sanctuary for anyone near by, a place to rest or to seek council from the Holy Father himself, and the Princess was asked to greet any and all who came. After all they may as well have used her to an advantage, right?
Possible future betrothed/past betrothed - Thea has been away for a long time but that surely didn’t put a stop to the natural flow of things. This could either mean that Thea finds out she has been betrothed in her absence or it could be a betrothal that was before the war and no longer stands, either way can you imagine the tension?
Lovers - since talks of her future marriage happened at a time where the young Thea was struggling to come to terms with the loss of her Parents she has grown somewhat against the idea of marriage. She fears loss now more than anything, she isn’t ready to commit to someone who might be taken from her too, so what’s to say she wont just find comfort somewhere outside of marriage? At least then she needn’t fear so much commitment.
Then of course there is room for endless friendship connections or even those she doesn’t get along with, either way I am ALWAYS up for plotting anything or just seeing where the threads take us. MORE TBA.
get to know me meme: [5/10] female characters
lucrezia borgia - “Am I so hard to love? Rome is the peak of the world, and we are at its pinnacle, and yet… still, no matter which way I turn, I still can’t seem to find that which will make me truly happy. Why can I not be happy?”
