@ofcxterina @sercphism
Aqua Utopia|海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
Not today Justin
Acquired Stardust
sheepfilms
occasionally subtle

Kaledo Art

@theartofmadeline
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Show & Tell

Love Begins
Cosmic Funnies

tannertan36
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
Peter Solarz

Kiana Khansmith
todays bird

shark vs the universe
Sade Olutola
RMH

ellievsbear
seen from United States

seen from India
seen from Türkiye

seen from Singapore

seen from United Kingdom

seen from Germany
seen from Vietnam

seen from Singapore
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from Russia
seen from France

seen from Singapore

seen from United States
seen from Norway

seen from United States
seen from Netherlands
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
@sercphism
@ofcxterina @sercphism
1/5 TOTAL: 1610
embrace
embrace : my muse abruptly throwing their arms around your muse, hugging them tightly
she could not remember who beckoned her to join the masqueraded feast, or what gilded hand dragged her to the card playing tables in the next room over. seraphina, hidden under an elaborate mask, boasted ( perhaps oversold ) that she was taught to play cards by the famed duke of montalto, her father’s trusted advisor and a man she considered to be another father. while it was true that he did, in fact, teach her to play cards, it was highly inappropriate for women to gamble. though she tried to maintain a steely facade, she soon became a few games away from promising all of florence’s coffers to a minor french noble.
seraphina rose from the table, approaching the stone-faced man that entered the room. “monsieur,” she began with an inebriated giggle, “you must help me before florence and naples succumbs to avignon!”
within an hour the man had won most of what she had lost, causing the grand duchess to throw herself and her arms around him. “thank you! merci! grazie!”
sleep
sleep : my muse falls asleep on your muse, making it hard for my muse to leave
the tryst caught her off guard, interrupting a diary full of inconsequential appointments and meaningless audiences. perhaps there was a silver lining in the unorthodox ways lorenzo sometimes chose to conduct business — an invitation to his bed was only transactional. with all of the responsibilities of the bank and the republic, he hardly had time to entertain others in his bed solely for pleasure. such desires could be tamed by the call of duty.
finding lorenzo in her bed was as rare as finding a black pearl in the deep sea, and having him stay and linger was even more rare. half-dressed and panting, the grand duke and grand duchess curled into each other, lost in a post-coitus haze. their marriage seemed to only ever consist of either euphoria or sorrow, and right now, seraphina reveled in the former.
“lorenzo?” she asked, lips parting to continue whether he answered or not. and he did not answer. rather, he shifted his weight and turned his head towards her, his tired eyes closed, his breath steady. words left unsaid, she simply settled a hand atop his golden curls.
—lorenzo of florence:
In a manner he was entirely unaccustomed to, everything about his argument with Seraphina had made it impossible for Lorenzo—even he, who donned and removed masks with all the proficiency of a player of the old Greek stage, in one moment Talia, the next, Melpomene—to pretend all was well. It was natural for people to refer to his wife, and yet he could not receive such reference without the knowledge that he lied. From those closer, he had not been able to disguise their troubles.
And, of course, she had ignored him thoroughly throughout. He might have been content to let her do so, if only to avoid further confrontation here, where any might listen and discover details Lorenzo did not want known to the world, but. But. Princess Yicheng’s advice, entirely unexpected, resounded; in the days after, he found himself wondering what he might say; how he might approach one determined to avoid him. He had settled on approaching her directly, words still undecided—but improvisation had always been a strong suit—when he was informed by a servant that the Grand Duchess had just left for a ride.
A ride. Perhaps the presence of her dear horses would ease her spirits towards him, also. Lorenzo took himself to the stables, pausing as he came face to face with Seraphina. He tried to summon a smile at her weak jest, but it would not come; instead, he shook his head. “No, I didn’t think you were.” Ought he ask? He didn’t want to receive a no, and he rather thought that he might. “Where do you ride today? Shall I join you, if you do not… object?”
♱
their last conversation had an abundance of words that bit and answers thrown like daggers that his simple question caught her by surprise. he could not even jest to humor her. was he here to make peace? or was it a ruse to— she couldn’t possibly think of anything that he would want with her or from her. at this moment, anyhow, he apparently wished to join her. even without her malaise she had always been inclined to do things unaccompanied, riding being one of them. nowadays she found herself yearning his presence less and less, and thus she even shocked herself when her lips parted to welcome his company.
“the forest outside of the city walls,” she murmured. with the saddle secured, her hands stilled and her eyes had no choice but to find his. there was a tenderness there that she did not — could not — recognize. her heart warmed yet her mind was still skeptical. but she knew better than to deny him, if this is what he wanted. “no, i do not object at all,” she replied softly, her words matching his own tone.
“i think i should like to ride sidesaddle,” she said matter-of-factly, perhaps testing the waters beneath their words. her own statement, though cloaked in feigned sterness, clunked off of her tongue with the awkwardness of a blushing bride — though they both knew she was far from it. her disclosure might have been entirely irrelevant if not for the next words she uttered. “might you help me mount?” the last they’d touched, the last time she felt his warmth on her waist, it was not even meant to happen; her body was simply the only thing that kept a falter turning into an outright fall. but this, her invitation, was something entirely different.
—antoinette of sardinia:
———— As she witnessed the passing of emotions through her companion’s countenance, the book between her fingers was promptly shut. What may seem as a normal conversation between two elites, it was far cast from it, as there were nuances only the two understood about the other - which alerted her to a flicker of pain in the other’s eyes. However, such things were better left untouched in royal courts, she found. Where one could request personal information quite easily amongst peasants, another of her stature was more unrelenting in the guarding of these matters. So, she wore a warm smile, bred of empathy and love for Seraphina - which was sure to bring slight solace to her anxiety.
“How I yearn to return to the Italian peninsula now that I am of age, I wish to see the artistry that has been in development - if only my Grandmother would allow me to travel.” She began, irises focusing more intently on the other. It was of general knowledge that Antoinette was being held at French court until she secured a marriage - but being as stubborn as she was - she would not marry simply to travel again. It would be better to reside in France for the rest of her existence than marry simply to escape, as there were no desirable marriages that began with the woman wishing to run from it. “It sounds as though within a few months you will be better traveled than even I..” Her words fell from her lips with a humble pleasure only her oldest friend could coax from her lips, laughter trailing in its wake at her next words. “I see tales of my elusiveness have begun to span the entire continent abroad, as many of my potential suitors find themselves on their knees for my attention… But I have yet to find one I desire to indulge, somewhat regrettably… For I fear I shall be the oldest spinster in France!”
♱
“if you yearn for it, then you must!” seraphina exclaimed, a brilliant smile gracing her lips. but of course, her grandmother posed a threat to the freedom antoinette might’ve had as a maiden. “i may have no power with the queen mother, but perhaps i might ask my husband to request from her majesty that you take leave from court and develop your talents in florence. i realize now that i pledged for you to be my secret from him, although if it means securing your freedom, i will insist that we whisk you away to florence or wherever you’d like!” speaking of freedom sent a surge of energy and light through her; she felt as if they were teenagers once more.
but on second thought, perhaps her imagined daydream could become a reality. it might require a sacrifice on antoinette’s part — was she willing to give up the plausibility of being a spinster, no matter how very little it bothered her? though seraphina found herself to be bound to her husband, the same was not true for all wives. “and what’s more,” she began, a mischievous gleam in her eye. “there are plenty of promising florentine merchants looking for wives, who would pay incredulous amounts to marry nobility – nay, a royal like yourself — to legitimize and enhance their status and legacy.” seraphina winced, hopefully unnoticeably, as she spoke. though she did not specify names, these were the terms of her own marriage, more or less. “there are, of course, duties to being a wife,” she winced again. “but otherwise you have leave to do as you please, and so long as your husband is not inclined to silence, you would be free to to play music in the artistic heart of europe. what say you? you are not required to marry anyone, but it might not be the most unfortunate outcome.”
—nikita of russia:
It was not lost on the Duke, how much weight the lady had put into his hand when he offered it. In response, he gave more on his end to try to balance, to give something to push and lean against. He had no reason to know of the reason for such a heavy grip, although he did consider that he should perhaps be more careful, as in celebrations like this it was not uncommon for one to get too far into their cups and find their balance suffer as a result.
“Nikita, the Grand Duke of Russia,” he offered, giving a slight bow of his head as he gave off his title, the full thing leaving a slight metallic taste in his mouth. One of his least favorite parts of courtesy and his diplomatic missions, being asked to lead with this greeting that was so impersonal and made him sound more as a station rather than a man. As he usually did, he rectified it a moment later with, “but you may just call me Nikita, if it pleases you Your Highness.” Something he had learned long ago, was that although he was fine with the dispensation of title and speaking plain, some preferred to couch more in them, a reminder of the power in the room.
Still holding her hand, he tried to gauge her balance, to see if his initial suspicion of possible inebriation was correct, although she seemed rather steady. “I do not mean disrespect in my observation,” he said quietly, realizing that his assumption of her loneliness was perhaps something he should have kept to himself for a woman in her station. “I merely understand the sentiment,” he finally decided on, allowing her to feel back on the same playing field, to understand that it was not evident to all, just those who knew what loneliness looked like as they were feeling it too.
“Mayhaps I can propose, instead of a dance, another cup of wine? So we may commiserate with at least some company? I would be honored if you were to tell me of Italy, as I must admit the few times I have been were fleeting in nature.”
as his name left his lips, seraphina’s own curled into a smile. she knew of the grand duke — who would not? — yet in appearance he did not seem so formidable as his older brother. all fine and well, seraphina could be formidable enough for the both of them if need be, but that wasn’t necessary now. his permission to call him by his first name indicated that formalities needn’t be obeyed with him; in fact, something in his voice indicated to her that he was pleading to ignore them entirely.
dropping pomp and protocol was not something seraphina was used to, nor could she say she enjoyed. it was a birthright to which each of them had the luck, privilege, luxury of having. but she also knew that it could sometimes be a curse. perhaps if this interaction was taking place somewhere else entirely — say, at the lisbon pageant — she would have referred to nikita solely as sir and your imperial highness. but she could see in his eyes that he, too, found himself to be weary in paris.
“you needn’t apologize or explain, nikita,” she said in return, a kindness returning to her eyes. his name clunked off her tongue, the feeling of saying another man’s forename ( especially of someone whom she’d just met ) emitted a harsh blush on her cheeks. “in fact it is i who should make amends to you, for i was rather harsh and you only had innocent and well-meaning intentions.” perhaps it was her steely, sweaty grip that indicated to him that she could not muster a dance, but at his proposal to do anything else, she almost kissed his feet. she wouldn’t live to survive the embarrassment of turning down an offer to dance, why? because i, a woman who is, at the surface a picture of health, am in pain?
a wave of relief rushed over her as she settled once more in his seat, waving over an attendant to fill the empty goblets on the table. “what of italy would you like to hear? do you wish to familiarize yourself with florence’s coffers— or, or, the latest artist my husband claims he has discovered and subsequently sponsored? or might a neapolitan superstition satiate your hunger for a fairytale?”
—mehdi of persia:
It was true; he would not—could not—understand. Things were different between men and women, and perhaps would always be. He may sympathise—he had certainly met women capable and powerful, some even what he might call fitted for leading, but what could not be would not be. What more was there to say? He gave a polite nod, and turned his mind to more pleasant matters.
The plague. It had touched his own lands’ easternmost borders, but that had been years ago, when Mehdi himself was but a young child, and knew little and less of administrative issues such as protection against a plague. Praise be to the Almighty, it had never become a significant danger, with, he believed, careful control of the eastern border, from whence the bearers came. “An explorer!” He laughed. His own thoughts sometimes tended to such things himself. He could never say such in his own court, but here… “I sometimes imagine myself as a scholar of note, studying away in a library, mapping the skies or inventing clever theories… but of course, that is just imagination.“ An imagination naught could come of… not that he would wish otherwise. “And what would you be, were you not princess and duchess?”
seraphina felt a wave of relief as their conversation took a more pleasant turn. not that she did not occasionally enjoy a war of tongues, but her sharp-witted mouth was rendered blunt after weeks, months, years of weariness. she didn’t often visit hypothetical fantasies, as they often led to disappointment and yearning for a reality that could never be. onward to, well, discussing hypothetical matters.
his question caught her by surprise — not that his question was unexpected, but she did not have an answer at the ready. her destiny was determined long before she was even born; two plausible paths diverged at her birth and her sex determined which path she would follow. there was no other choice but to be who she was born to be, or who she became when she married. only sometimes did she ponder philosophy, but she never pondered the idea of there being more to life than this. instead of immediately answering, she simply engaged with his own imagination. “surely as shah, you have access to libraries that rival all of europe combined. i’m sure your duties take up a lot of your time, but mayhaps you’d be able to indulge yourself every now and then. perhaps this fantasy is more real than you allow yourself to think.” yet his question still stood. “to be frank, my answer might be lofty and even treasonous; i fear you’d find me unimaginative should i confess,” she murmured sheepishly.
🎧+ seraphina :)
Gaslighter - The Chicks
You thought I wouldn't see it if you put it in my face Give you all my money, you'll gladly walk away You think it's justifiable, I think it's pretty cruel And you know you lie best when you lie to you 'Cause, boy, you know exactly what you did on my boat And, boy, that's exactly why you ain't comin' home Save your tired stories for your new someone else
you should be sorry - Halsey
Oh, I feel so sorry I feel so sad I tried to help you It just made you mad And I had no warnin' About who you are I'm just glad I made it out without breakin' down And then ran so fuckin' far That you would never ever touch me again Won't see your alligator tears 'Cause, no, I've had enough of them
Bra Off - Rae Lynn
Breaking up with you was like having a day off Sitting on my couch sipping Jack, eating Dippin' DotsBreaking up with you was like taking my bra off Feeling free and loose like this T-shirt I got on Yeah I should be crying, grieving some kind of loss But it's like taking this pink and lacy, suffocating Push-up, flakey, too tight, stupid bra off
🎧 + apollonia
GLYCERINE QUEEN by SUZI QUATRO
takin’ pocket money giving shady secrets back / soft-spoken silhouette is part of the act / ... / glycerine queen fightin’ hard to win / glycerine queen, glycerine queen / what’s the matter, queenie, won’t they let you in? / glycerine queen, glycerine queen
SEND “🎧 + a muse” AND I’LL PICK A SONG
✿ (ferdy !!)
FERDINAND
FRIENDSHIP. childhood friends / work buddies or coworkers / family friends / friends with benefits / smoking buddies / adventure buddies / fake friends / recently friends / party buddies / friendship of need / dying friendship / circumstantial friendship / partners in crime / old friendship / [ your muse ] is the good influence / [ your muse ] is the bad influence / [ my muse ] is the good influence / [ my muse ] is the bad influence / opposites attract / ride or die / frenemies / roommates or flatmates / penpals / exes to friends / enemies to friends / other .
ROMANCE. childhood sweethearts / [ your muse is mines ] childhood crush / [ my muse is yours ] childhood crush / exes / exes to lovers / forbidden lovers / highschool sweethearts / secret relationship / opposites attract / long distance / unrequited [ from your muses side ] / unrequited [ from my muses side ] / unrequited [ from both sides ] / skinny love / friends to lovers / enemies to lovers / spurious relationship / power couple / newly entered / soulmates [ metaphorical ] / soulmates [ literal ] / awkward / turning toxic / toxic love / cheating [ on your muse ] / cheating [ with your muse ] / other .
FAMILIAL. siblings [ half ] / siblings [ step ] / [ my muse ] is an older sibling figure to your younger sibling figure / [ my muse ] is a younger sibling figure to your older sibling figure muse / [ my muse ] is a parental figure to yours / [ my muse ] is a child figure to your muse / guardian figure / legal guardian / adoptive child / foster child / [ your muse ] is taken under mines wing / [ my muse ] is taken under yours wing / other .
ANTAGONISTIC. dangerous to each other / dangerous to others / unpredictable / rivals / petty / developing into sexual or romantic tension / based off family matters / based of off circumstance / based of professional matters / based off misunderstanding or lies / conflict of ideology / betrayal / hero - villain dynamic / enemies / fight club / friends turned enemies / lovers turned enemies / exes turned enemies / other .
PRE-ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP MEME
✿ (both Luzia and Cesare please)
LUZIA
FRIENDSHIP. childhood friends / work buddies or coworkers / family friends / friends with benefits / smoking buddies / adventure buddies / fake friends / recently friends / party buddies / friendship of need / dying friendship / circumstantial friendship / partners in crime / old friendship / [ your muse ] is the good influence / [ your muse ] is the bad influence / [ my muse ] is the good influence / [ my muse ] is the bad influence / opposites attract / ride or die / frenemies / roommates or flatmates / penpals / exes to friends / enemies to friends / other .
ROMANCE. childhood sweethearts / [ your muse is mines ] childhood crush / [ my muse is yours ] childhood crush / exes / exes to lovers / forbidden lovers / highschool sweethearts / secret relationship / opposites attract / long distance / unrequited [ from your muses side ] / unrequited [ from my muses side ] / unrequited [ from both sides ] / skinny love / friends to lovers / enemies to lovers / spurious relationship / power couple / newly entered / soulmates [ metaphorical ] / soulmates [ literal ] / awkward / turning toxic / toxic love / cheating [ on your muse ] / cheating [ with your muse ] / other .
FAMILIAL. siblings [ half ] / siblings [ step ] / [ my muse ] is an older sibling figure to your younger sibling figure / [ my muse ] is a younger sibling figure to your older sibling figure muse / [ my muse ] is a parental figure to yours / [ my muse ] is a child figure to your muse / guardian figure / legal guardian / adoptive child / foster child / [ your muse ] is taken under mines wing / [ my muse ] is taken under yours wing / other .
ANTAGONISTIC. dangerous to each other / dangerous to others / unpredictable / rivals / petty / developing into sexual or romantic tension / based off family matters / based of off circumstance / based of professional matters / based off misunderstanding or lies / conflict of ideology / betrayal / hero - villain dynamic / enemies / fight club / friends turned enemies / lovers turned enemies / exes turned enemies / other .
CESARE
FRIENDSHIP. childhood friends / work buddies or coworkers / family friends / friends with benefits / smoking buddies / adventure buddies / fake friends / recently friends / party buddies / friendship of need / dying friendship / circumstantial friendship / partners in crime / old friendship / [ your muse ] is the good influence / [ your muse ] is the bad influence / [ my muse ] is the good influence / [ my muse ] is the bad influence / opposites attract / ride or die / frenemies / roommates or flatmates / penpals / exes to friends / enemies to friends / other .
ROMANCE. childhood sweethearts / [ your muse is mines ] childhood crush / [ my muse is yours ] childhood crush / exes / exes to lovers / forbidden lovers / highschool sweethearts / secret relationship / opposites attract / long distance / unrequited [ from your muses side ] / unrequited [ from my muses side ] / unrequited [ from both sides ] / skinny love / friends to lovers / enemies to lovers / spurious relationship / power couple / newly entered / soulmates [ metaphorical ] / soulmates [ literal ] / awkward / turning toxic / toxic love / cheating [ on your muse ] / cheating [ with your muse ] / other .
FAMILIAL. siblings [ half ] / siblings [ step ] / [ my muse ] is an older sibling figure to your younger sibling figure / [ my muse ] is a younger sibling figure to your older sibling figure muse / [ my muse ] is a parental figure to yours / [ my muse ] is a child figure to your muse / guardian figure / legal guardian / adoptive child / foster child / [ your muse ] is taken under mines wing / [ my muse ] is taken under yours wing / other .
ANTAGONISTIC. dangerous to each other / dangerous to others / unpredictable / rivals / petty / developing into sexual or romantic tension / based off family matters / based of off circumstance / based of professional matters / based off misunderstanding or lies / conflict of ideology / betrayal / hero - villain dynamic / enemies / fight club / friends turned enemies / lovers turned enemies / exes turned enemies / other .
PRE-ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP MEME
STATUS: closed for @lorenzs LOCATION: palais-cardinal, stables DATE & TIME: february 1459, midday
as headstrong as she was, seraphina didn’t intend to make running away a habit. some battles were meant to be fought; others, there was no choice but to retreat. but as the years wore on she only became weary. sometimes she felt that even god, too, had given up; softly whispered prayers fell onto abandoned gilded relics. though she yearned to be anywhere except the city walls, duty and marriage kept her bound to paris but first, of course, to lorenzo. wherever he went, she was to follow; though the same could not be said of the reverse. not that he would want to, anyway.
but there was one saving grace to their wretched sojourn: riding. no, cobblestone city streets were no matched to reckless overgrown woodland, but even the trimmed forest that lay just outside of the inner city walls was a welcome sort of catharsis. feeling particularly fidgety, seraphina decided to clear her schedule of its inconsequential contents and summoned gero to meet her in the stables. minutes later, quivering gloved hands worked at the straps of the saddle.
for all she could tell, she was alone in desiring a ride through the forest. it was then that she saw gero’s head bow reverently in the periphery. she’d managed to avoid him since their spat at the feast, traversing the corridors when she knew he was elsewhere, attending dinners separately. and in the one place she believed herself to be finally alone, the person whose company she desired least appeared seemingly out of thin air.
“i’m not running away, if that’s what you think,” she muttered, eyes fixated on the metal buckles underneath her fingertips.
PRE-ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP MEME 0.2
over a year ago, i made this meme & since then, it’s blown up. so, over a year later — i thought i would make a new one. so here it is, after several requests & a pile of brains, THE PRE-ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP MEME 0.2
send me a ✿ and i’ll fill out the template below. bold for things i could definitely see or want, italics for things i could see or am unsure of and striked out for things i don’t want or cannot see.
FRIENDSHIP. childhood friends / work buddies or coworkers / family friends / friends with benefits / smoking buddies / adventure buddies / fake friends / recently friends / party buddies / friendship of need / dying friendship / circumstantial friendship / partners in crime / old friendship / [ your muse ] is the good influence / [ your muse ] is the bad influence / [ my muse ] is the good influence / [ my muse ] is the bad influence / opposites attract / ride or die / frenemies / roommates or flatmates / penpals / exes to friends / enemies to friends / other .
ROMANCE. childhood sweethearts / [ your muse is mines ] childhood crush / [ my muse is yours ] childhood crush / exes / exes to lovers / forbidden lovers / highschool sweethearts / secret relationship / opposites attract / long distance / unrequited [ from your muses side ] / unrequited [ from my muses side ] / unrequited [ from both sides ] / skinny love / friends to lovers / enemies to lovers / spurious relationship / power couple / newly entered / soulmates [ metaphorical ] / soulmates [ literal ] / awkward / turning toxic / toxic love / cheating [ on your muse ] / cheating [ with your muse ] / other .
FAMILIAL. siblings [ half ] / siblings [ step ] / [ my muse ] is an older sibling figure to your younger sibling figure / [ my muse ] is a younger sibling figure to your older sibling figure muse / [ my muse ] is a parental figure to yours / [ my muse ] is a child figure to your muse / guardian figure / legal guardian / adoptive child / foster child / [ your muse ] is taken under mines wing / [ my muse ] is taken under yours wing / other .
ANTAGONISTIC. dangerous to each other / dangerous to others / unpredictable / rivals / petty / developing into sexual or romantic tension / based off family matters / based of off circumstance / based of professional matters / based off misunderstanding or lies / conflict of ideology / betrayal / hero - villain dynamic / enemies / fight club / friends turned enemies / lovers turned enemies / exes turned enemies / other .
Send “🎧 + a muse” and I’ll pick a song from my playlist that reminds me of them!
—ferdinand of naples:
As a boy, Ferdinand had dodged the realities that were to face his sister and his own mother; the reality of being a woman that’d come possible with the calamities of miscarriages, birthing still children or terror of perhaps becoming infertile. And though with years, he had learned and listened to the stories of womanhood — he had not prepared himself for the apparent eventuality of Seraphina’s own terror and trauma. And when she said it, through hushed tones and wet eyes, Ferdinand felt his heart drop into the acid bottom of his belly. So wretched, he held his older sister with a tighter grip — and kissed her temples repeatedly. For he loved her, and would share in her pain, if she allowed him.
“Mia sorella, mia carissima — I understand, I would never wish you to prolong your suffering, believe me. But I would admit, that I’d like to help, to aid you in your sadness… I would have sat with you for days, months, centuries! For as long as it would take, Seraphina,” Ferdinand pressed, his eyes wide and twinged with a wet glaze that’d hint towards the soft soul his sister knew only too well.
With their hands together, Ferdinand wished to press further — but he could not, not when she so badly wanted to pass the terror onto something other than their family. He knew that her time of motherhood would come, or, so he would pray that evening, and every evening — for her sake, as well as their family’s. Instead of waiting and biding his precious time, Ferdinand instead exhaled and loosened his posture — to fall before his sister as her little brother. His ambition was mostly molded by his father and his dying wishes — but this was met with Ferdinand’s dear need to brighten the new age of an entire Italy. To work towards this, he would need an alliance — a wife. And so he had been scouring, and had fallen deeply as he always had done. For his heart thumped louder than any others — remaining open for all to take advantage of, if he hadn’t grown careful in the recent years.
Squeezing her hands, Ferdinand smiled and looked at her with his undivided attention. “Do you think I’d take a woman into my arms and keep such ambition from them, sorella?” He asked, a laugh tickling from the corner of his mouth before the young King shook his head adamantly. “I set my eyes upon Beatrice Plantagenet, the daughter of King Edward of England. Everything about her begs me forward, coaxing me as if I am little more than Paris beneath Aphrodite’s spell… I fear all hope is lost if I do not have her, I am a sucker for love and all it will do for me,” Ferdinand cooed, taking his hands away from Seraphina, instead landing them upon her shoulders.
“Would I have your blessing? To put England alongside Naples?”
♱
“and i thank you for that, but i mustn’t distract you from your duties,” seraphina interjected, chin dropping in sisterly authority. ferdinand’s devotion to her was rivaled by no one, not even her own husband. while neither of them visited during her self-imposed exile, only one of them was clearly eager sometimes it surprised her, the lengths that he proclaimed he would go to — i would have sat with you for days, months, centuries! — all for her comfort. all for her happiness. indubitably, his future spouse would received the same devotion, if not more. and by his answer, it was beatrice plantagenet who was to receive his love and his devotion.
in truth, his reply took her by surprise. no, it was not his choice that astounded her, albeit she had believed him to be so devoted to his plans to unify the italian peninsula that he would choose a lady from an italian state to strengthen his cause. what might a princess from an isle an entire continent away offer politically to a young, optimistic, and ambitious king? would her father’s army traipse through france simply to put pressure on the northern italian states if ferdinand wished? would they come without hesitation, without question? had seraphina been queen — a hypothetical situation that she didn’t often visit in her mind to avoid dampening her reality — and given freedom to choose her spouse, she might’ve put duty over heart. ( yet here she was, in a marriage built solely on duty, lacking in passion and children — her reality was already dampened as could be. )
no, it was not his choice that astounded her. rather, it was the incandescent passion with which he spoke of her. he was enchanted by his bride; few men could say that. if he had told her of his intentions, of his feelings about the english princess a few years — nay, perhaps even months or weeks — she would have warned him against such strong feelings. she would have told him to choose with his mind and not his heart. but she squashed the caution lodged in her throat ( perhaps there was even a tinge of jealousy ) and instead only a brilliant chuckle left her lips.
“il mio cavolo,” she began, “you are king. you needn’t my approval nor my blessing. but if you would like it, you needn’t even ask. it is yours, forever.” his hands on her shoulders felt like a weight on her small frame, multiplying the feeling of her heavy heart, filled with worry for his future. but passion in his dilated pupils was undeniable, and helped to quell her concern. “is the betrothal official? does mother know?”
— antoinette of sardinia:
———— There were few amongst French court who possessed as many foreign royal friends as she, Antoinette seemingly having an affinity for attracting those who reigned abroad, her ring of power extending past borders on either end of the world. It was a product of her growing amongst multiple courts - despite spending the majority of her childhood in France - her home in Sardinia allowed for many to visit on their way to other European countries. Her father had always made a point of welcoming the international elites to inspire trust and alliances between their countries. It had been his goal to free his people from the grasp of the Aragonian crown, which he had succeeded at in years prior.
This meant that Antoinette maintained the relationships she developed with her companions from a young age. Playmates turned to confidants and confidants to allies. There was a larger game to play now that they were of age, most of the women she found herself close to already married to powerful men - Seraphina being no exception. Yet, there was little jealously in her heart, as she did not wish to be wed anyhow; for fear of being trapped in a loveless, difficult union. “I swear to you that the summers of France are the most beautiful… You must come here more often, for I find myself yearning for your company more often than naught.” She offers, turning her attention from the book which once held it. “Come, tell me of what I have missed that you could not write to me in letters.”
♱
some might call seraphina and antoinette unlikely friends. despite both being princesses by birth, seraphina was a first born whereas antoinette was the youngest of a nursery overflowing with children. similarly, seraphina spent most of her life sheltered in the neapolitan countryside, whereas antoinette was well-travelled by the time they were teenagers. but these differences ultimately were non-negatives, for the only real matter in friendship is companionship. and though there were still differences in their temperaments, it only made for a more exciting and dynamic acquaintance. there was, however, a notable distinction that seraphina seemed to gravitate towards ( whether it was indeed jealousy, she could not say ) — seraphina was long married, whereas antoinette was still unwed.
but she knew that her friend did not long for the married life; though she knew of many legendary great loves, there were equally as many notorious mismatches. every young bride wished not to fall into the latter, but seraphina knew by now that marital dissatisfaction was almost always inevitable. “if you desire my company, i must implore you to come to the italian peninsula, where it is sunny even in the winter— at least, it is sunnier than france.” her smile faltered momentarily at the mention of the unsaid. while the loss she faced during the interim months was largely personal, it was also political. she could not bear to write it down, and she knew it would be unwise to do so. “i...spent some time in naples after the summit in lisbon,” was all she would reveal. “it exhausted me so, and lorenzo is more than capable of overseeing the bank and the family without my nagging. now, tell me all that i have missed. how is your crusade to elude every suitor that comes your way?”