survivor

The colors of living things begin to fade with the last breath, and the soft, springy skin and supple muscle rot within weeks. But the bones sometimes remain, faithful echoes of the shape, to bear some last faint witness to the glory of what was.

[sxvivor]

( kiera knightley, cisfemale, she/her, 30) ** ♔ announcing ILEANA MAGNUSSEN,  the PRINCESS OF DENMARK ! in a recent portrait they seem to resemble KEIRA KNIGHTLEY. it is a miracle that SHE survived the last five years, considering they are VOLATILE, LOYAL, and INQUISITIVE. i hope the plague has not changed them. they are FOR working together with the other kingdoms (gracie, she/they, 20, est)

BIO (COMING SOON) | PINTEREST (COMING SOON) | PLAYLIST (COMING SOON)

Ileana Magnussen's birth was described as terrifying to her later in life. She was premature coming weeks before she was expected, and was born a small and sickly baby. No one believed she would survive her first night on Earth.

Perhaps it was a miracle from God, but the young princess did survive, though she was frequently ill throughout her youth. She still is plagued with terrible coughs every winter. This did restrict her from the more physical, militant lifestyle much of her family lived (much to her dismay, she loved to follow her brothers along after all.

Ana (as she is called by her close family and friends) was fueled by the same fire that her brothers and father war, she may be physically weaker but the heart beats like a war drum. She found her best weapon to be her words. She could be a sweet, ideal princess in one moment before suddenly lashing out the moment she figured out what words would hurt a person worse. She became known around court as she grew up to be vicious and unforgiving to everyone but her family. Her loyalty was always clear to anyone with eyes.

She expected loyalty from others as well, at 25 her father finally arranged a marriage for her. Her fiance, a Danish Duke with a large estate, disregarded the rumors that she could be dangerous, what could one woman do? When she discovered him having relations outside of marriage with another woman at court, she was enraged. She felt disrespected that he would publicly court a woman in her court, and was enraged that a man below her station would choose someone else over her. She poisoned him that night, it was the only way she saw out of a future she would be trapped married to him.

She never told anyone what she did, though she suspects some of her siblings know her well enough to know she could have killed the man. It was never proven how he died, and though rumors spread that she killed him she was never officially accused. Her father wanting to avoid the rumors however, sent her away from court to stay with her uncle whom had an estate in the Danish countryside.

Ileana had mixed emotions about her years away from court. On one hand, she desperately missed her family. Letters could not compare to their company in her mind. She also found her time away from court to be the first time she could truly relax, she got to chose her company based off of who she enjoyed, not obligation and she had more independance to do what she wished. She took up painting in this time, finding a deep love for art.

Ileana remained away from court during the plague, hiding away with her aunt and uncle on their estate. She lived in constant fear of getting sick during that time, she had always been so sick she highly doubted she would survive the plague.

At the advise of the trusted family advisor, Ileana has officially returned to courtly duties to accompany her family to France. She has a clear goal of helping her family establish alliances incase of war. She also hopes to protect her siblings, she is the oldest sister and she will not see any of them forced into an arranged marriage for an alliance if she can take their place. She does know some wonder if she will be a spinster however, she is no longer a young innocent woman of court, but would anyone have ever called innocent?

[sxvivor]

TW: Fire Mention

Tag: @ofdevotiions​

Though the fire had since dissipated, the staff and nobility were all a mess. Ileana couldn’t help but think that half of the staff looked like chickens running around with their heads cut off. She was tired, though she hated to admit it. The night had been a long and hectic one to say the least, and she felt as if she was coughing up a lung half of the night after escaping her ladies to go outside and find the rest of her household. She did not care to hear that she was of a weak constitution as her father used to say, she was a Magnussen and she would not sit on the sidelines. However now she was exhausted, and her lungs burned furiously. 

She had found a place to sit and rest against a tree after the craziness of the fire subsided. She watched the dawn light stretching over the trees, and it made the world seem beautiful again despite the horror that had occurred. She took in a shaky, deep breath before irrupting into a fit of coughs. She hadn’t noticed anyone coming up to her hiding space as she coughed into her arm until it finally subsided and she looked up practically jumping out of her skin. “Lort!” She exclaimed. “I didn’t think anyone was over here.” She murmured looking up at the man. 

[ursclabekele]

@1642hqs-starters  open // within the infirmary

The fire had not been her idea. It was showy, larger than what she was used to, and riskier than she was comfortable doing. For Ursula, this revolution was to be fought with poisons, with rumours, and with sensitive information. But, for all that she had not been the biggest fan of a fire when the idea was first floated, she could not deny that it had been a sight to behold, nor could she deny the results. Since the stables had gone up in flames she was busy in a way that she had not been since joining the summit. Busy in the way that she had been in Utrecht, with plague and famine- weakened patients visiting her day in and day out. She was busy with coughs, and burns, and spells of fainting from those with weak nerves. All the better for getting close to the very people she and The Phantoms were trying to unsettle, and all the better for fishing for information.

“Breathe in for me,” she said, an ear pressed against the back of her patient. “I need to hear how badly your lungs have been affected, if at all.”

[sxvivor]

The burning, tired feeling in her lungs was familiar. As a child, Ileana always struggled with coughs and shortness of breath. The discomfort was only adding to the residual rage she had felt. Someone had threatened the lives and safety of her family, the only people in this world she was certain she was capable of loving. Besides, they had to attempt it in such a flashy and obnoxious manner, if she was going to kill again she’d do a better job than that. And she wouldn’t have been caught like that idiotic Spaniard. 

She came back from tangent of angry thoughts when the physician asked her the breath and she complied doing her best to breath in deeply, though it only resulted in coughing again. “My ladies gave me a tea to try this morning, it helped a bit. I haven’t felt this agitated in a few years.” She murmured softly to the physician. “I must admit I am a bit embarrassed to be needing the help, I was hardly even near the fire.” It was public knowledge she was a sickly woman however, so really she shouldn’t be surprised. She was trying her best not to be rude, after all this person was one of the few in the castle that might actually be able to help her.

[b99thingsv2]

[sxvivor]

TW: Fire

Tag: @lacedynasties​

Ileana glared at every idiotic French men who passed by. She muttered Danish insults under her breath at anyone who got in the way as she stormed through the wild crowds of people. She had to find her siblings, she wouldn’t be able to rest until she knew each of them were safe. It didn’t matter if it was one of her elder brothers, she loved them just the same and would rather die than see harm come to them. 

She had begun to feel as if she was going mad with worry searching for her brother through the crowd till she heard a string of long yelling in Danish from nearby. She followed the familiar angry yelling, unable to hide the smile from creeping onto her face. Erik’s tone was familiar, and his rage was akin to hers. He was her brother, and also a kindred spirit. Finally she found her brother, spotting him a bit away and she sighed deeply from relief. “Erik!” She called out and rushed towards him. “Are you alright, have you found the others-” She as going to continue rambling questions in Danish until she got to him pausing to cough as the smoke and dust was beginning to get to her more and more. “What do you know, I heard things from other’s but what-what happened?” She finally managed to get out after her small coughing fit was over. She wished she was strong like him, she felt so weak as she struggled to stop her coughing.

[cldgods]

Walking down to the great hall she knew her presence was necessary, right now she was Ethiopia. Her husband refused to leave his bed when she asked him to, when she almost begged him to. Her proud King still lay sleeping instead. Soot covered her face, she was the one who’d alerted most of the castle, sent her guards to wake the others. A Queen or not she wasn’t going to bother making herself look presentable until she was sure that at least her people were safe. 

If she looked at herself in the mirror she would probably see the small scar that now decorated her jaw, but that wasn’t something she had time for. “No my husband is not coming tonight, I’m afraid he’s very busy at the moment.” She gritted out at the first person who spoke to her, asking for her husband. @1642hqs-starters​

[sxvivor]

Ileana had wanted to run down to the stables and offer her help, but her ladies had forced her to stay away from it all. The smoke would only upset her lungs they reminded her, and what good would she be if she couldn’t breath? She anxiously found herself standing on the sidelines, watching as people rushed around. She didn’t let her anxiety show, the only emotion she allowed to show was cold rage, how dare someone threaten the safety of her loved ones? They would be likely to receive mercy from those with the power to make decisions because if she had that power she certainly would not grant it. If they wanted people to burn, she would have them experience the same fate.

Imagining her revenge made her feel some control. She needed something, anything to make the day’s events less terrifying. She found herself watching the others around her as a distraction, until her eyes settled on the woman nearby dealing with an incredibly nosey servant. With a roll of her eyes, she strode over to the pair her eyes burning holes into the servant. She could feel the fire inside of her burn even brighter as she watched the man jump in surprise at her approach. “I believe we all might have more pressing matters than this discussion. Do you not have something important to do, or do you have free time in such times as these?” She asked harshly. She watched as the man sputtered an apology before rushing off, hopefully to be useful before she turned her gaze to the other woman. “My apologies for interrupting, just watching that idiot from across the room was truly aggravating.” She murmured before she bowed slightly to the woman. 

[legioned]

I know my work seems very trivial to you. Not necessarily. Sometimes I rather envy you, having somewhere to go every morning. I thought that may have been very middle-class? You should learn to forget what I say. I know I do.

[maryycrawley]

every mary crawley scene: 1x01 [4/22]

[lukearnold]

[wells-hannah]

#jess being that friend we all need.

[museinspo]

“Loyalty isn’t grey. It’s black and white. You’re either loyal completely, or not loyal at all. And people have to understand this. You can’t be loyal only when it serves you.”

— Sharnay (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

[ninadobreva]

[neckkiss]

via weheartit

[primulaceas]

Alejandra Pizarnik, "Memories of the Little House of Song." Extracting the Stone of Madness: Poems 1962- 1972

[holyisthenameofmyruthlessaxe]

The Black Unicorn: Journeystones I-XI by Audre Lorde

[yafictionquotes]

Holly Black, Black Heart

[weusedtobegiants]

But I like the old themes, temptation, vengeance, hate.

Alice Notley, from Certain Magical Acts