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𝔯𝔳𝔫𝔵𝔫𝔱 — a dependent multimuse blog for empirenowfm written by ash

you — king aelle of east anglia — are formally invited to take part in peace negotiations held at the wessex royal villa. all voices will be heard, even if they are in support of saxon law. as someone who is incisive, pragmatic, rigid, and phlegmatic you surely understand the importance of avoiding war. for our futures and, more importantly, the future of england.

aelle. the second son. the spare, some even ventured to call him. yet the idea of ruling never crossed aelle's mind. it didn't seem to cross anyone's mind considering the way he was raised. his brother, alfred, was shaped into the perfect king. politically adept and gracious all wrapped up into one regal package.. aelle was none of those things. he was shaped into a warrior from the moment he was old enough to hold a wooden sword. raised to protect, to die for, his brothers crown and kingdom. and aelle was fine with that. in fact, he enjoyed it. he was good with a sword, better than good, really. and he found that he excelled as a stratagest as well, what he lacked in his lessons or politcal prowess.. he more than made up for on the battlefield. by the time alfred became king, aelle had fought a dozen battles - mostly against mercia, with whom they had met in battle nearly a hundred times over in decades past - which made his appointment as general and master of war an obvious choice. at twenty-four, his brothers mind for politics finally affected aelle directly in the form of a marriage alliance. aelle understood, he supposed.. kent was wealthy, far wealthier than east anglia.. power means little without money. but understanding does not mean contentment. still, aelle did not protest - afterall, a soldier follows orders. things went well. or at least, well enough. aelle's marriage to the kentish princess wasn't entirely miserable, within the year she was with child. the alliance made with kent was quickly beneficial to the kingdom. east anglia was thriving under the rule of king alfred. but prosperity invites ambition... mercia struck again. and though east anglia came out victorious.. aelle did not. alfred had fallen. aelle tried to convince the witan to look elsewhere - and uncle, a cousin, anyone - but stubborn as they were.. he was crowned king. months later his son was born.. and he named the young prince alfred. aelle rules his kingdom just as he led an army; unyielding, effecient, ruthless. he does everything in his power to remained untangled from the politics of england, because of this his kingdom is rather solitary. his only alliance is with kent, and even that is strained because he does not withhold the agreements of the marraige alliance as readily as alfred did. because of his rigid (and occasionally cold) nature, the court and kingdom were extremely surprised when he publically took a mistress two years after his marriage. some said the crown had made him entitled, some said it made him bold. some said grief made him careless. either way, a spot was carved out for wulfeva, like a second queen in the court.. and for the children he had with her, whom he named princes and princesses despite the objections of the witan and kentish royal family.

#empire.intro

you — ruairi ivarsson of the clan of ivar sigurdsson — are formally invited to take part in peace negotiations held at the wessex royal villa. all voices will be heard, even if they are in support of danelaw. as someone who is dauntless, charming, caustic, and calculating you surely understand the importance of avoiding war. for our futures and, more importantly, the future of england.