of honor.

her lips look like a wedding ring, glittering with S T A R S ; but look at her heart and you'll only find D E N T S and S C A R S T A T I A N A R O M A N O V grand duchess of russia ( glasspalaceshq )

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ofconscrt‌:

Jane saw her again in a dream last night. The dead queen of Spain… her queen, the queen she served. She was sitting in the ballroom on the high chair and gazed at Jane coldly, while she was dancing. “Why does my lady in waiting wear my crown ? “ she asked the King by her side. “ You must put an end to this arrogance, Filippe, once and for all. “ 

As she was looking for her children in the castle, the strange sensation of being watched by those curious, long dead eyes came onto her once again. It’s a bad omen, she told herself. 

“ Alonso! Angela! “ Jane called as she walked out on the balcony, where her children loved to play, but she stumbled upon an adult instead. “ Have you seen my children by any chance ? Raven haired twins, five years old ? “

fresh air was hard to come by. if she really craved it, tatiana would simply ride her horse by the rocky shoreline. but now, even mentioning the beach was held to the same scrutiny as treason. even the stables, who were usually staffed by at least one worker, had been isolated since the news of the diseased body. tatiana could prepare her own horse, but she took it as a sign that she shouldn’t be leaving the palace’s confines.

thus she found herself here, simply gazing from a balcony. if fresh air was difficult to come by, then peace of mind was nearly impossible. so hearing the screeching and tottering of two children echoing off of the stone walls annoyed her, to say the least. only to have someone — their mother, apparently — interrupt her attempts to calm herself within minutes of her children’s interruption.

tatiana turned slightly, pointing down the corridor. “my lady, have you no control over your children? in times like these, the last thing i would have is my children running about when a disease could very well be chasing us down.”

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whiterosesofscotland‌:

It was a sad day for all, and in time, Valentina had hope that this disease and horrible famine will one day be a memory and won’t have to face again in her lifetime. She had already been dressed in a deep black, laced veil covering her face. Whoever it was, deserved a proper burial, not burnt to ruins. “No need to worry, your Grace.” The Queen told her, nodding her head gently as she softly curtsy understanding her language. “I hope you’re not feeling trapped inside of your chambers, I know I am.” She, later on, added, shaking her head a little. She then looked away from her, hands in front of her came together as she held them, lips pressed together before licking them. “Any news on the newly deceased?”

though the sun seemed to shine brilliantly, as skies did after storms, it felt as though the entirety of the island had been cloaked in darkness. in a way, it had. the presence of the plague immediately showed itself on the faces and halls of the palace. no one smiled. no one laughed. the halls were empty, save for one or two servants scurrying about, trying to find shelter in a room that hopefully wasn’t ridden with disease. “it’s that exact reason why i’m going for a ride. i’ll be avoiding the beach; hopefully the disease has yet to reach the valleys.” she fiddled with her riding gloves, brown leather worn white at the knuckles. “no,” she said in a lower voice. “in fact, i’ve only just heard of the first. i retired quite early, and i have been confined to my apartments ever since. have you any news?”

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whiterosesofscotland‌:

Arms crossed over her chest as she watches as the plague doctors pass, entering the rooms of those who were affected. “They damn well deserved it,” A voice whispered to the other and Valentina couldn’t help herself but respond. Such times were no need to gossip or to think any death from the plague was deserved. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself! For all we know, you could be next. You wouldn’t want anyone to say something so cruel about you on your death bed, now would you?” Valentina told the person. Eyes rolled until she began to walk away, still, hearing mumbled whispers behind her as the distance between them approached. Sharply, Valentina turned the corner of a hallway and crashed into an individual. “Pardon me, I should be watching where I am walking.”

a new day rose from the previous night’s festivities, and her ladies discreetly whispered among themselves as she ate her breakfast in her room. the tiara she’d worn sat on her dresser, like an alter ego taunting her. as she asked for her riding clothes, her ladies were hesitant to fetch them. nikita, her favorite lady, told her of the diseased body by the shore. 

tatiana simply said, “тогда я избегу пляжа.”

clad in heavier material, her head and face securely veiled, she walked towards the stable, gloved hands twisting together. sure, the idea that sardinia was no longer completely safe from the exact disease that they were running away from haunted her. but what could she do? deep in her thoughts, she didn’t see the woman. “hopefully i needn’t cut up my dress for this collision,” she joked, referencing their last encounter, a smile coming to her lips.

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hrhelenora‌:

“I think you’re right there. Though, why would they want to remember? I imagine many of them don’t wish to be reminded of their mortality or precarious positions of power” Elenora responded. 

“no one wants to be reminded of their own mortality,” tatiana agreed. “but i fear that if we are not reminded, that would be our downfall. it may be god who gave us the right to rule, but it is the people’s loyalty that keeps us here.”

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alasdairofhamilton‌:

alasdair, not usually one for extravagant dress, even during a party, wore a simple black mask that covered only the top half of his face. it directly contrasted with the white porcelain mask worn by the woman next to him. his gaze lingered on her. alasdair found her fascinating, entire costume in contrast with his own. while she wore bright red and white, he himself wore dark blue and black. both dyes were expensive, though, and despite the masks, he knew she wasn’t from a low rank. 

alasdair had a glass in his hand, sipping wine from it occasionally as he too watched the dance floor. “isn’t that the point of a masque?” he couldn’t help but smirk over the wine, wishing the mask he wore didn’t hide his raised eyebrows. “how are they going to know it’s you, even if you do look like a fool?” 

setting the glass on a table nearby, he offered the lady his hand, bowing. “would you like to dance?”

tatiana’s mask didn’t do much to hide the dark pink scar on her face. the color of it had faded over the years, but it was still there, a dark path in the midst of snow white skin. as was russian tradition, tatiana already kept her head covered at all times. but for months after the accident, her mother implored that she cover her face with an opaque veil as well. but tatiana refused, carrying on as if she still looked like the doll her portraits made her out to be.

“simple,” she said, turning to the man beside her, revealing her entire face. the crackled finish of her porcelain mask only echoed something her mother once said to her: tiana, dorogaya, you are only as beautiful as a broken porcelain plate. “if they know this,” she said, gesturing to her scar, “then they know who i am. though i’m wearing a mask doesn’t mean i’m trying to hide.”

he clearly didn’t know. he didn’t look as though he’d been scared away. she placed her hand in his. “only one,” she said. “i fear i don’t have the stamina for any more than that.”

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hildegardkoenigin‌:

H i l d e g a r d stood at the edge of the ballroom, looking out at everyone dancing, feeling almost more out of place than she ever had at events where her advisers and parents had forced her into multi-layered silk and lace gowns. No. That was wrong. It was a different kind of feeling out of place. Tonight she felt like she simply didn’t have a place; no rules governed her actions while they governed everyone else’s–she didn’t know what to do with herself, where she fit. But that was the price she had to pay in order that she not feel out of place in her own body as she usually did. So when the stranger beside her more or less murmured the single thought that repeated itself over and over again in Hildegard’s head, she thought, Here’s my chance. 

Bowing, the German queen held out her hand to the lady and said, “We are all fools here tonight. I know not how to dance so well, so would you do me the honour of joining me in this foolishness?”

sardinia was a herding pen, a holding place for all of the royals. who were they to save themselves when their people were suffering at the hands of a mysterious disease. but the coup de grace of the whole matter was to throw a lavish party, with food spilling off of tables and wine spilling from everyone’s goblets. tatiana knew it was foolish and selfish. but she didn’t have a choice. it mother that encouraged the family to go, and it was nikolai who insisted. likewise, her presence at the ball was non-negotiable.

she was not one to openly put herself into the hands of stranger, regardless of how nicely and honestly her counterpart spoke. but in a break of character, she grinned, placing her hand in the other’s. “only if you are honored by it,” she joked. she held her goblet to her lips, and downed its contents. “to foolishness.”

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brygidaxbandura‌:

@ofhcnor​

There were far too many lavish people. 

Lavish people in lavish dress, dangling with jewels and gems and shiny things that made Brygida’s heart swell with want of them all; it was very difficult to keep her attention on one subject tonight and since she supposed a party was a good time as any to be free and whimsical, she did not corral it. 

Her words were also let loose, far more open then perhaps they ought to have been, wedging themselves into any conversation they could find. 

Stepping aside to a beauty in red, dark hair shining, she stared quite plainly and blurted. “What happened to your face? Your tiara is very pretty, I’ve not seen a thing like it, I think. Or I’m vaguely sure. I could teach you to dance if you want, I love dancing, I am very good at it.” 

tatiana’s scar was something that most people — at least, most people with manners — tiptoed around. it was the unspoken guest, the elephant in the room. it was the navigator of tatiana’s path of life, as she learned through her multiple failed betrothals. truly, she was impressed with the numerous reasons her ex-betrothed would fabricate to desert her.

though it was a literal crack in her skin, tatiana wore it like an armor. she wore it like a battle scar, without having ever seen a day of war. but it was a different kind of battle that she waged each day. walking through the corridors, she’d become accustomed to the way people would pause, even if for a half of a second. but that didn’t mean she didn’t notice. 

but no one had ever addressed her scar so bluntly. tatiana stared back at the woman in disbelief, almost stunned. “a riding accident,” she stated bluntly, bringing her goblet to her lips to take another sip. as the girl rambled on, tatiana merely pursed her lips. “i know how to dance,” she grumbled. "you may dance, my lady, but i won’t be joining you.”

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ofgloucesters‌:

it wasn’t often that ophelia felt truly beautiful, these days. she was tired from the long journey, worn down by motherhood and the weight in her heart when she thought of the land she left behind. tonight though, the duchess felt positively resplendent. she knew she would feel guilty when morning came because thousands upon thousands were starving and rioting while she was locked away in a palace, eating fresh fruit and wearing fine clothes but it was hard to resist such splendor in the moment. her blonde curls were loose around her shoulders, flowers, and greenery carefully pinned and arranged amongst them to represent nature and wilderness as she was artemis, goddess of the hunt. her mask had been bejeweled with emeralds, rubies, pearls and sapphires, framing her dark eyes enigmatically. she was pleasantly tipsy and when she heard the words uttered by the grand duchess, she turned towards her so swiftly that a few drops of wine spilled from her own glass, unsurprisingly staining her white hem. 

“masquerade balls are precisely the place to look a fool, grand duchess.” ophelia laughed, her eyes cutting towards the masses of swirling fabrics before them, “don’t you see? if you combine wine with fancy dress, we can all let ourselves be free. of course, we aren’t completely unrecognizable but for tonight we can at least pretend we are and enjoy ourselves.”

there was a lightness in her feet that tatiana hadn’t felt in years. even watching the flurry of fabric sparked something in her. as soon as the words slipped from her tongue, a bright voice appeared beside her. she had turned around just soon enough to watch the wine spill from her glass and onto her dress. most women would throw a fit if they got wine on their dress, especially if it was a white dress. she’s seen the way one noble’s ladies would receive a scolding, regardless if they were even in the room. but the woman’s spritely laugh only shocked tatiana. what would usually spark an unimpressed scoff from the girl, there was a only a tinge of playful jealousy. she wished she could be in such a blissful state the duchess was in, regardless if it was by cause of the wine.

“if that’s the case,” tatiana laughed, holding up her goblet. “then here’s to freedom.” she paused before bringing her lips to the golden brim. “thank god my dress is red. if i spill i’m sure there will be a reckoning by cause of my mother.”

[athousandtales]

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rxwrittxndxstinixs‌:

It was no surprise the crown prince was drunk. He’d had a spat with his lover that day, not that anyone knew that part, and he’d made another payment to the damned soul blackmailing him, and he was in an utterly foul mood. But he still put on a show, drinking too much and laughing too loud with everyone. “Now now, what are you doing out here all alone?” He called out, spying someone on the balcony. “It is not a night for quiet thought.” 

tatiana danced once, allowing herself to be distracted by the music and the romance of it all to not pay attention to the shooting pain in her right leg. as she curtsied to her partner, she quickly scurried — limped is the more accurate description — out of the room to relieve herself. the empty balcony was the perfect place. she hoisted herself onto the ledge and kicked off her shoes. she began to untie her mask, pausing only when she heard the footsteps approaching her. “i was well accompanied on the dance floor,” she began. “you just seem to have caught me in a solitary moment.”

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LOCATION: GRAND BALLROOM

tatiana was no stranger to the pomp and circumstance of a ball. the extravagant dresses, the glimmering jewels, the sickly rich foods, and the overflowing wine were too familiar to the youngest grand duchess. she had commissioned a dress to be made of red russian silk in the latest parisian fashions — a style so out of character, no one would suspect it was her. a kokoshnik tiara lined with rubies and diamonds and pearls sat upon a head of long brunette hair, a choice so scandalous she’s sure that her mother would send a letter once she got word of it. but no worries, tatiana shall return to her veils and headscarves come morning. pearls wrapped around her neck so tightly and so abundantly that it almost choked her. never one to wear makeup, she donned rouge on her lips — she had her ladies help her put it on.

but the focus point of every masquerade is the mask. her porcelain one, with a crackled finish, ironically covered up every part of her face but her scar. if anything, it was almost as if a spotlight was shining on the darkened curve the connected her eyebrow and her lip. she thought it would be amusing.

nursing a glass of wine, she stood on the sidelines of the dancefloor, watching the flurry of fabrics. she hummed along and swayed to the music. “i think i would like to dance,” she muttered, her desire barely hummed — easily retractable. “but i have not danced in so long that i fear that i would merely look like a fool.”

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hrhelenora‌:

“Everyone in there seems to be managing just fine,” She said nodding back toward the ball. “But I believe they remember what exists off of this island.”

tatiana pursed her lips. “of course they are managing. they are distracted. anyway, i believe you are right in that they remember, but i am not so sure that many are eager to make amends with the commotion that exists off of this island.”

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her imperial and royal highness, GRAND DUCHESS TATIANA NIKOLAEVNA ROMANOV OF RUSSIA at the masquerade ball.

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hrhelenora‌:

Elenora stepped onto the balcony overlooking the ocean. She tilted her head back to breathe in the cool evening air and feel the breeze on her face. The party was marvelous but exhausting, and a moment alone was what she needed to reset her mind.  “Are you escaping the commotion too?” She asked when she heard footsteps approach behind her. 

tatiana used to love to dance. but now, under these circumstances, seeing the flurry of brocade silks and glittering jewels only filled her with a jealous fury. she had spent most of the night on the sidelines, nursing a glass of wine. but when standing still for too long caused pain in her injured leg, she knew that dancing couldn’t possibly be the cure. she stalked out of the room, seeing a lonely figure upon the balcony. a small grin came to her lips as she slowly walked toward the woman. “yes,” she began, “although this commotion is merely a means of distracting us from the world’s commotion, so will we ever truly escape?”

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rxwrittxndxstinixs‌:

Davina might be Scottish, by all technicalities, but she considered herself to be a child of the oceans. Born on a ship, she could walk easier on the deck of a ship in the wildest storm than she could on solid ground. Not that she ever let her preference for the seas slip, people thought women onboard were bad luck and there was no reason to feed into sailor’s superstititions. A few of her father’s men already suspected she was secretly part mermaid, which amused her more than she’d admit. 

With her love of water, it was no wonder she’d found her way down to a beach. Without supervision, of course, but then again, she’d never been entitled to use her mother’s title. She barely ever even thought of it, although it would certainly help now. Her shoes kicked aside, she perched on a rock and let her feet trail through the water, thinking through things carefully. She had a lot of business to do, and not a lot of time to do it before her rival turned up to make it even harder. 

The presence of someone else on the beach had her turning towards them, lifting a hand in a wave. “Fine day, isn’t it? I decided it’d be pleasant to have a picnic, you’re welcome to join me.” She called out, always understanding the necessity of kindness in her business. 

solitude was easy to come by in sardinia. the grand palace was abundant in its little nooks and secret passages, its entryways and exits. there was always somewhere to hide, but one always seemed to be found one way or another. desperate for a constant change of scenery, tatiana found herself going back to her old habits, taking her horse for an unaccompanied ride outside of the palace walls.

tatiana enjoyed the instantaneous isolation her clandestine rides gave her, but she often pondered if she would be truly alone forever. she had countless betrothals that always fell through. nikolai was the only romanov that had been married. tatiana loved ludmila, but as soon as she was in her life, she left it. people were not permanent, and tatiana was beginning to learn that.

she rode along the shoreline, still deep in contemplation. her thoughts were thankfully interrupted by voice and a wave. “i would love to,” tatiana responded, nodding towards her counterpart. “but i’m afraid i can’t part with my horse to join you upon the rocks unless i find a place to secure him. i’m not familiar with this part of the island. would you know of a place?”

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catharinalabelle‌:

“I could,” Catharina responded. “But is that not what a maidservant is for?” She quickly looked over the woman who had spoken and, noticing no immediately obvious signs of noble birth, went back to looking at the gown. “So go on then.” 

“a maidservant?” tatiana spat. she was dressed plainly, but it was more for mobility on her horse than it was for a sign of her position. almost instinctively, her hand wrapped around the handle of the knife she wore at her waist. “pray tell,” she sneered. “do you wish to lose your hands so that you may never touch a dress ever again?”

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catharinalabelle‌:

Catharina traced the pattern on the gown in front of her but became too distracted to examine the details of the velvet. “Bring me that gown. I’d like to have a closer look” she said pointing at the gown that had redirected her attention without turning to see who she was talking to. 

tatiana was scavenging through a basket of fabric swatches when the unfamiliar voice distracted her from her hunt. her eyebrows furrowed towards the woman. “have you no hands?” she responded callously. “surely you can retrieve the gown for yourself if you wish to see it.”