#conqueredcrowns

[rulcrs]

@conqueredcrowns​ (mors manwoody)

STARS BURN BLUE AND RED. Some perhaps many are not even stars at all, but dull yet huge balls of dancing colours on the sky. From the eyepiece of his most cherished Myrish eye, Hal gets a peak of a cluster of stars - long and dotted by bright lights. “Lord Manwoody,” calls out Hal as he stands from his perched stature, legs half-straining from the position, “come, come! I’ve located the constellation you mentioned.” Hal steps back to give the lord some space to view the night sky through his Myrish eye as well. The moon dims as a cloud passes through it, and a contemplative gaze of quiet awe blooms on Hal’s countenance. “Sword of the Morning - House Dayne’s knight that carries their greatsword.”

[eminencies]

Closed starter for @conqueredcrowns​

While Abel didn't like to think about any of his siblings being away from him or out of his sight for too long where he couldn't check on them, he knew that eventually they would part ways, that they would be wed and it was best if those weddings were to the advantage of the Netherlands. It was impossible not to think about considering the circumstances and while certain countries would make better allies for his kingdom, Abel was also aware that some matches worked better than others. With all the royals gathered together, there had never been a better chance to begin considering spouses for his siblings, and it seemed wise to get to know not only the royals, but those who served them closely. "Ah, tell me, young lady, are you enjoying yourself?" He couldn't be certain, but he thought she was a lady in waiting from England. "Your country has their own royal wedding to plan soon, don't they?"

[eminencies]

Starter for @conqueredcrowns​

Here was the thing. Knowing a ruler was well and good, but sometimes knowing those who had the ear of a king was even better. They may not be making the choices, but they could certainly help influence them, or at the very least, alert someone to their plans. There was truth to the title 'power behind the throne' and Jianyu made it a point to try knowing not only rulers, but also their wives, oldest siblings, and perhaps their paramours, depending on the closeness.

In the case of Russia, it seemed for the best to try familiarizing himself with spouse and siblings both because Jianyu wasn't ignorant to the talk surrounding the Tsar's wife. There was always something exciting about a country where leadership was questioned, it made the place seem vulnerable and easy to use, to manipulate. Russia's close proximity to Jianyu's home made the perceived imbalance quite fortuitous and Jianyu's smile was real as he found Nikolai, the look of a cat having spotted a lizard. "Just the man I wanted to see. Did you know the people are talking about your for your show during the stable fire?"

[eminencies]

closed starter for @conqueredcrowns

Since her engagement to the youngest Romanov sibling, Asya had come to view herself as an emissary to Russia on the behalf of her family and the sight of grand duke Nikolai was enough to cause her pause. The smoke in the daylight was distracting and felt like an ill omen, but there was no need for him to stare at it so, certainly not when others could see him. Perhaps under normal circumstances, she would treat running into him as a pleasant surprise, would show off her rudimentary Russian by greeting him in the tongue of his homeland to show her willingness to adapt, but Asya's patience was too low to play at pleasant little maiden. Instead she walked with certainty over to his side, moving perhaps too close to be proper and keeping her voice low to avoid being heard. "Have you slept at all?" She murmured, taking no time for pleasantries as she scanned his face for any sign that he was unwell. "With all respect, you shouldn't stare. You don't want to give anyone the satisfaction of thinking you're rattled."