I was thinking up a reader insert fic with royalty au elements and while in the end I kinda had to set it aside, one of the elements still stuck out to me. Now I’m no major in history and cultures so if this exists in real life please do tell.
Anywho,
What if royalty wasn’t gendered?
What if instead of blood and heritage the next ruler is selected by the ruling king/queen based on their skills—their strength for the kingdom.
What if the King rather than meaning “male leader” meant “leader who works upfront for the country, leading wars and creating laws”. We could have women standing a blade on her hip and axe on her back leading soldiers into war. She wouldn’t be a princess nor a queen but a King. Her reign celebrated by her subjects. We could have a king hold lavish parties and balls in their billowing skirts then wore capes and pants onto the battle field or perhaps even simply to trade affairs.
What if the Queen was the ruler of the shadows. What if the queen is the one who upheld the spy network. Was the first one to bring news of approaching armies or deviously plotting civilians to the King. Held royal tea parties to understand what gossip would reach royalty, then collect intel to hear the rest of the gossip stories. Queens could be seen wearing suits, a trick of the eye as some would assume it would be unable to hold as many weapons, but the queen’s deadliness lies in their skill to kill with a few, easy-to-hide, trusted weapons. Or a Jack of all spades queen in the puffy-est skirt imaginable hiding all manner of weapons in hidden pockets.
Princes and princesses would be selected successors taught under their respective ruler. Princess are taught by the queen. Princes taught by the king. Princesses would learn of poisons and gossip, Princes would learn how to plan attacks to conquer kingdoms or give speeches at royal ceremonies.
What more, the King and Queen wouldn’t have to be married. With successors chosen from the crowd the king and queen could simply be a duo of friends with immense power. They could be siblings, they could already have their own separate lovers, or they could hate each other immensely—only working together because they have to keep face and because their skills are evenly matched and they can’t kill each other. They could, of course, actually be in love, and we could have a male King and a male Queen, or a Female king and a Female Queen. We could have a Female king and a male Queen. Non binary kings and queens.
The people could know about this, or they could not. What if kids were just randomly picked up off the streets and given a chance at becoming King/Queen. An orphan could become the next king. A thief the next Queen. What if there were public trials where people would try to prove themselves worthy of succeeding the throne. What if selection didn’t start until they were older and the two that were selected already had their own relationships and were under the impression that they were going to have to marry someone else.
What if the king and queen did love each other and had a child who did not become a Prince or Princess because they don’t want their child to have to deal with all of the stuff they have to go though. What if that child becomes resentful of the Prince and Princess they could have been?
The possibilities are ✨endless✨. No more forced marriages into royalty. No more royal incest. No more “oh, I can’t marry you for you are a peasant”. No more gendered royalty!
Just an idea though :P
I’ve called this the BAMF royalty au in my notes so until someone comes up with a better name for it that’s all I’ve got.
