#eithne malconaire

[forgottenroisin]

OOC | Previous Generation Ages

ok so from eoin and eithne's ooc thread we realized we lowkey had to do more work on the timeline and yeah ill just pop what we said down below

phabblebabbles

23h

Eoin in the long line of young men thinking they’re wildly in love with Eithne 😅💚 Again actual post coming but I wonder if asp Eoin MIGHT have been someone Bran was considering as a husband for Eithne? But then Eoins cousin starts his conquest and openly burns people like Bran’s brother Lonan so that was off the table pretty quickly…!

forgotteneoin

12h

Original Poster

ohhhhhh i can see that for them! it would also make a lot of sense then if maybe there's a part of him that was then ~motivated to fall in love w her a little bit and like...man is good at falling in love anyway which like as i said was gonna happen anyway lbr, esp bc he ~is the sort of person who can find smth to love in just abt everyone, but also like he was fully embracing it, in which case he did ~not forget that that was smth he felt! that's a good point abt roderick burning seers, when bran's got both a brother and a daughter who are! do we know how old bran was btw? bc there was the whole burning of realta thing and if he was old enough to have been aware of that, do you think it would've put him off it? but if he's young enough he might not really be aware of that until the invasion...

phabblebabbles

10h

@forgotteneoin !!!! Idk if we ever discussed how old Bran (or really any?) of the parent generation was when they died so… sounds like it’s time to get out the timelines and figure it out 😅

quillington

9h

@phabblebabbles ok soooooo looking at this https://forgotteneilionora.tumblr.com/tagged/timeline eithne was born in 1266, so assuming they were married the year before (which is by no means certain but!!) in 1265, and assuming that he was 18 (again, not certain!) at that time, that'd put his birth in 1247, which would in turn make him 44 when he died in 1291. now, ngl, i was def thinking he was closer to valentina's age (50 atm), so if we say he was 50 (just bc its a round number hahaha) in 1291, then he was born in 1241, and therefore 25 in 1266 when eithne was born. but yeah, w all ~that in mind, no matter how we slice it, since realta ~died mysteriously~ in 1265, bran would def be between 18-25 at the time, so he def would've been aware of it unless we wanna make him ~really young when eithne was born, which id also be ok w teen!pregnancy sorcha, if that's smth we preferred, but yeah. tbf i had had it in my head for some reason that realta was executed, but she wasn't. she did just...die mysteriously which...not great, but esp since eoin was already half astairan, bran might've felt like 'oh they wouldn't have gone through w smth so barbaric and backwater surely!' or smth and just to move on, or...whatever, esp since it'd happened like 25 years ago atp anyway??? if im making any sense...also like BIG ASTERISK here bc my math skills are uhhhhhh lacking aldjsflkjdsf

phabblebabbles

8h

@quillington That all makes sense!!! I def think having bran be closer in age to Valentina makes sense… and yeah! Was it Realta died in prison waiting for trial for being a witch or smth? So maybe it wasn’t know exactly WHAT happened to realta outside of a few close to Dom or smth… but we’d kinda discussed Bran was an advisor of some sort to Dom iirc… ? I wonder if Dom maybe wasn’t like “heeeeey so that guy from OVN you’re considering for Eithne… his cousin is insane and burns witches FYI…”

phabblebabbles

8h

@phabblebabbles Also just gonna @forgottenbrigit on all this malconaire chatter!!!

quillington

56m

@phabblebabbles Yessss! She may or may not have been cough cough poisoned by Aurelian attempting to prevent a war w astaira which atp the ovn was likely to lose bc it didn’t have the might of eleven nations behind it yet Ooooooh i looooove dom being the one to be like ‘heads up, man!’ And yes we did def say that bran was an adviser to and before that part of the regency council for Eilia but idr if he’d served dom but…even if he did, it coulda been timed such that he wasn’t there for ~that esp bc eithne was born that same year realtà died so he might well have been off on fantasy paternal leave and/or home running malconaire while sorcha was on bed rest or smth idk?

Wait no eithne was born the following year…but same thing! Maybe it was a difficult pregnancy? Or maybe they really did marry that year so he was off on his honeymoon or whatever…

phabblebabbles

16m

@quillington Actually thinking abt it now… hadn’t we decided Grandma Eithne was still alive at least when Eithne was born? So maybe it was actually grandma on Dom’s council to start or smth and Bran and Sorcha were off having babies and being newly weds?

oh, that'd make sense!! id def pictured older!bran on the council, anyway, so that does line up pr well esp bc like...i mean...lbr he ~had to be home asp in order to have four daughters right so it makes sense that it'd be post-children!! also yessss pr sure grandmother eithne was alive into at ~least eithne's life time, and i was thinking maybe even into rosie's (tho im v flexible on that!)...im pr sure tho that she ~did predecease sorcha bc we know that sorcha was ruling lady malconaire, herself, asp before death but like...yeah! point is it makes sense for bran to be home during realta's whole randomly dies in prison during her trial situation!!

i was also thinking that bran and sorcha were pr close in age? idk abt you guys, @forgotteneithne @forgottenbrigit ? im pr sure there was smth abt them being young/growing up more or less near eo but i might be misremembering? i also feel like asp we did say sorcha was younger than valentina? but im not sure if it was in a 'sorcha is eternally younger bc she's forever [whatever age she was when she died], whereas valentina continues to age' or like...if she was literally born after valentina was. im open to whatever!! and same goes for bran, im down w him being whatever age works best! for whatever it's worth, according to our timeline, we did say that sorcha died in year 1280 OC/18 AR, but yeah idk if that makes much of a difference or not...

[forgottenroderick]

OOC | Eoin (& Guin's!) Betrothal Gift

ok, so [ as we know ], godfrey's got "the generous earldom roderick has bestowed upon him here in asteria ahead of his impending marriage." this was done bc hanthom was (one of!) the seat of house calleary, and ciara was half calleary on her mother's side, plus it was a deeply strategic maritime position and godfrey had a big naval bg etc etc etc. so when they marry, ciara will be lady hanthom and that all makes a lot of sense to roderick! an d until that time godfrey gets to build it up to the standard to be the seat of a varmont!

BUT!! if roderick's awarding one of the wealthiest spots in astaira to godfrey so that his cousin can live there upon her marriage, what's he gonna give to the guy who is ~also roderick's own cousin AND is abt to wed roderick's favorite child?????

so i talked abt this a bit on disco on the lfr-general channel, but i wanted to put it here too bc we know already that tryna search ~two places has proven a total disaster in the past and this way it can be easily tagged etc so your girl will ~always want a copy on tumblr <333333

so!! i do think that, while we know our boy don't know the first thing really abt astaira, astairans, or what matters to them, he ~does know that stafford is where most of the rulers he's ever known were and that's his. kil-kennar was the religious stronghold and arthur's got that.

so that leaves as ~very strong contednors:

lorcan was the seat of the ~other astairan king he knew abt (tho he probs ~thinks they ruled from stafford during that time alksjdfjsdf) so lorcan ~also has royal significance

malconaire is the largest county in all astaira, plus guin has ancient familial ties to that place (but honestly????? i kinda doubt he knows that? but he might? how aware is @forgottenguinevere of that?) and is also a pr strategic point (esp if you've got kil-kennar and the fens)

i ~do think he'd want guin's primary seat to be in astaira, since that's the capital now, so i do think that is a big consideration.

some others i think he'd def also consider include:

ormond -- (if lord ormond ticks roderick off too much re cassandra!) which is one of the larger holdings in astaira due to the convergence of two houses creating it -- hence their importance in showing up at the battle of m bc they could field so many fighters (but it still wasn't enough...) which is def smth that roderick would key in on!

the fens -- which is profoundly strategic in its placement and, having both that and kil-kennar you basically have a stranglehold on the country splitting it in half and which roderick could easily hand over wo all the fuss involved w the others since he, himself, holds the fens in his own name atm

unnamed/unknown/new county -- we know there're a TON of these so like!!!!!!!! big possibilities here tooooo plus its always fun to start w fresh world building possibilities! ;D and that might suit you better, lauren, since its not new stuff to learn?

so yeah!! i def think @forgottenamira will be reminding roderick that @forgottenedmund conquerd malconaire and therefore, by right of conquest, that is ~edmund's!!!!! this ~is def an argument that'd sway him big time bc, being a conqueror himself, he's big on the right of conqest alksjdfjksdkjf

lauren, do you think guin has ever actively articulated that she'd throw her hat in arthur's ring, if it came down to varmont civil war, bc in ~that case, i ~do think he'd be v encouraging of either lorcan (a place so impregnable its the only fortress never to have surrendered during the war, and only opened its gates to the varmonts when the queen surrendered on behalf of all astaira) or the fens to their father for her, bc, since he holds kil-kennar in his own right, if guin were his ally and had the fens, they'd basically have the entire north locked down for team arthur, and their next bet for conquest should probs be malconaire. but anyway!! arthur's ~also v aware of that guin-should-be-happy factor, too! so that's def a consideration for him as well (and also after he's emperor she gets whatever she likes ;D)

as a council member, alistair will be using his influence to get guin whatever ~guin wants most!! tho once he learns she doesn't intend to ever inhabit there, he'll be tryna direct whatever will best suit ~eoin

for ~wildly different reasons lakjsdfjsdf neither godfrey nor tristan want malconaire for guin, bc godfrey wants it for edmund, and tristan wants it for eithne -- obv they have less influence than amira or arthur, and tristan has less than godfrey, but they ~def will be doing what they can bc in both cases this is smth they feel strongly abt lkajsdfjksdf godfrey would like her to get a place that's v pretty sure but has v little strategic value bc #teamedmund5eva soooo he'll be manipulating roderick like don't be giving guin that ur majesty -- she's just a girl! ~she shouldn't ever have to fight a war give that one to someone who ~can! alkdsjfksdf

rian defffff wants to stay put if he can't have stafford bc lorcan is both culturally super significant to astaira plus yknow impregnable fortress so win/win! so he'll def be tryna keep that but if he ~must move he def wants to wind up at malconaire, and then he'll probs be tryna disrupt the cassimir/eithne wedding to marry eithne himself alsjdfjsdf so that astairans see him as rightful lord there lajksdfjsdf sorry @forgotteneithne this aint for love but rian ~would be doing everything he can to keep malconaire thriving so that's ~smth ig lakjsdfjsdf

eilia: 'i hate all of this' but would probs try to rec the fens bc it wouldn't be taking that out of astairan hands and lbr eoin and guin're gonna be much better at looking out for those poor beleaguered ppl than roderick is!!!

in terms of my characters who have any influence in this situation, that's what they're looking to do here lakjsdfjsdf but yeah obv quite a few have big opinions on this!!!!!! none of my babes out here hoping to lose their home lakjsdfjkdsf rosie and edmund obv are in a bad/weird place rn but she still might go to him in this situation and be like 'pls ik thingsre complicated between us but help us' if she really thought someone was gonna tryna to take even the one hand they've got on the wheel at malconaire away from them (tho lbr guin and eoin'd probs be better custodians than the vasilievas but stiLL girl wants her home skdjlfjdf) idk if he'd help or whatever but!! its the shot she's got! she's gonna take it! bc, even if she is a lady-in-waiting to amira, i can tell you rn amira will laugh at her if she tries to get her to intercede on her behalf lkasjdfjksd amira: that's a you problem

eabha would probs go to bat on eithne's behalf and ask alaric if he couldn't help see to it that malconaire remains in its current hands. cormac would absolutely do whatever cassimir told him too alkjdfjdsf but he'd also remind cassimir that he's free to come w him to calleary!!!!!! dlksajfjksdf

valentina gonna get her rear in gear tryna get a varmont betrothal!!!! she'll even take sebastian atp!!! if they losing malconaire they gonna need a powerful varmont protector to look out for them all!!!!! laksjdfjsdf

the frosts hate ALL of this but don't really have ~any power here, tho cillian might reach out to cassandra abt keeping malconaire outta varmont hands but frankly i think of all the varmonts cassandra has the ~least sway on him when it comes to making political decisions alksjdafjksdf but yeah frankly if cillian's pissed off roderick enough that he's considering ormond in this, then he probs doesn't have much access to her atp sooo lakjsdfjdsf

ofc, since we know guin's already got a plot to foil roderick's decision to wed her to eoin in the works, this will most likely all ultimately become solely eoin's seat (and will roderick rescind it, giving eoin a reason to have another grudge? let him keep it, putting a half-astairan in a position of power over a strategic point? idek!) so ~that's smth messy to consider too laksdjfkjdsjf

im v curious to hear what everyone else's various characters, esp varmonts and ppl w power at court but anyone/everyone really!! might push for!!!

[forgottencillian]

eithne : you can't do everything by yourself.

"Have a little faith, darling," he replied with a wink. Eithne was hardly one to doubt him, he knew. Hadn't her first request upon agreeing to wed Cassimir been that Cillian be raised to steward of Malconaire, like his father before him? But he couldn't help play off her concerns. It was simply his nature. Besides, Eithne was much too like to worry, he believed, and he wished to put an end to that before it was ever begun.

"Cillian, you need more help."

"So do you, love." He shook his head. "But as for me, I won't have you paying for that with a kiss to Cassimir. Besides, if keeping every pothole in the road patched will keep that wretched imperial stain out of here, I'd say its well worth the effort, however long it takes."

"Cillian," chided Eithne.

He grinned. "Ever the elder sister."

"I don't believe either of your siblings would be glad to see you lose your head."

Chuckling, he shrugged. "Might depend on the day."

But he watched sobriety wash over her, the famed beauty of her face turning all to sorrow, and regret came as a gut-twisting wave.

"Eithne, I'll be more careful--"

"Cillian, how is Ronan?"

They both stopped.

"Ahhh," hummed Cillian. Turning, he knelt and bent to his task, again.

"Cillian."

Busily, he worked, not looking up. Ronan was a difficult subject. Even for him. It wasn't as if he had to worry in the absence of knowledge, as she had to do. His lot, he thought, might be worse. Each day, it seemed, something dulled under Ronan's skin, some little piece of the big brother he'd always known slipping away. It was a kind of leprosy, this, a horrid sloughing off of all that was best in a person, replaced each day by unfeeling steel where once there had been flesh. How much, now, remained of the boy they once had known, dissolved in rage and anguish? Bile rose in Cillian's throat. He shoved Eithne's question from his head -- fought to. Yet it wound, round and round, choking out all other sound. How was Ronan?

He's dead, Eithne, thought Cillian. Tears rimmed his eyes. Or dying. He never came back. He may never come back.

And how was he supposed to? Cillian could not shake what he had seen -- and Ronan had faced more, and worse. Maybe there was no returning, after awhile.

But Eithne was speaking and Cillian swallowed hard, dashed at his eyes with his forearm, as if it were only sweat, and tilted his head slightly, so as to listen while he worked.

"It's only, when I saw him--"

"What?!" Cillian dropped his trowel. He stood; he turned. "You saw him!?"

Eithne's face was pale, and Cillian swallowed hard.

He reached out a hand as if to apologize for the outburst, dropped it to his side. While he may have surprised her, he didn't doubt that was hardly the primary concern on her mind just now.

She reassured him with a quick, small smile. She took a step towards him. Paused. Touched his sleeve. "How can I help?"

Cillian felt the tears pricking his eyes, again, and clenching his teeth, willed them away. He didn't pull away, but he turned his face away from her, all the same. He didn't want her to see, but he knew she saw, despite it. He knew she'd hear the weight of it in his voice. "Eithne, I--"

"Let me give you a basket, at least, to take. I know its not much in the face of everthing but -- perhaps a taste of home will help."

He turned to her again. He swallowed hard, watched the tilt of her chin, the certitude in her eyes, wide and blue and unflinching. Her face was ringed with soft-waving curls, stirring ever so slightly in the late-summer breeze, and he thought for a moment that everyone was wrong about her beauty. Oh, her physical virtues were undeniable, but her looks were far from the greatest beauty in the land of Malconaire -- that title belonged only to her soul. Hadn't she started out trying to help him just moments ago? Hadn't she persisted, and found a way, even when he'd tried to shrug her off?

Reaching out, he pulled her all at once into his arms. She was warm, and her arms came around him just as tightly. For a long moment they stood that way. Then slowly, gently, he pulled away. Wiped at his eyes. Eithne, her hand on his shoulder, now, gave a gentle squeeze. He nodded.

"Eithne."

"Yes."

Cillian put his hands on his hips. He breathed out deeply, ensuring his voice would come out normally. "If you--if you see him again?"

She nodded.

"Eithne, you have to tell me, all right? Me or Saoirse, right? He can't--It's a matter of safety, Eithne. For everyone. You understand?"

"I understand, Cillian."

"Right." He nodded, turned back to the pothole, claimed his trowel again with a quick swipe at the earth. "Well, best get this done." He stared into the pothole a moment, unmoving. "He--"

"He came to me."

Cillian nodded. "Was it about--?"

"About the marriage, yes," she acknowledged with a sigh.

Cillian nodded. His eyes found hers. "I know it must feel like a lot, Eithne."

She glanced away.

"It's only because we all love you so much. We want the best for you."

She was silent a moment. "What's best for me is what's best for Malconaire, Cillian. This is what's best for Malconaire."

"Is it?"

"I'll see to that basket." Turning, she walked away.

"Eithne!" called Cillian. "Eithne!"

She didn't turn back. A breeze ruffled through the leaves. The trees all around him whispered her name. She disappeared into the green wood. Eithne, Eithne, Eithne, breathed the forest. And Cillian stood standing in the road, watching her walk away, a trowel still clutched in his hand.

[forgottenvalentina]

The Truth Will Out | Valentina & Eithne

“I don’t think you ever loved my father,” Eithne voice was hard and harsh as ice. “And I don’t think you ever truly knew him. If you had, you would know the way you are acting…it would break his heart.” It had rankled her, played through her head again, again, again, robbed her even of the power to respond. She might not have pursued Eithne, now, might simply have let Eithne crash and burn in peace with all that now was out...but those words rang still in her head. And she needed to blot them out.

"Well? How long did you seriously think you could hide this from me?" Valentina's expression was imperious, frigid in its scorn. She'd waited till the Malconaire gala was over, its guests all gone home as slowly dawn light crested over the trees. But now was the moment. Now she would confront the girl.

Eithne had come skulking out of the woods with Sir Tristan behind her, her hair and clothes scandalously dissheveled, hugging the knight's cloak to her while he, in turn, held her hair pins in his hand. Clearly, they hadn't been the only garments he'd plucked from her body. Eithne had known better than to be seen by most, but Valentian's eyes were sharp, and she'd been seeking for her every moment since the news of her pregnancy had out. She'd beheld the disgraceful return.

"I need not ask you where you were, or what you were doing, while you were neglecting your lord's guests. It's quite obvious what you were about, though -- truly? Pregnant, betrothed, and still in need of yet more male...attentions? You may be the most voracious young woman I have ever met. But, at least you are now free to take any lover you wish, I suppose: you need not fear falling pregnant, after all."

She paused. "I do hope what you were so...vigorously securing tonight was a new betrothal," she mused. "I doubt the one you've got will last long, now, will it? Particularly given the very interesting conversation you and I had the first day of the tournament."

Valentina's smile was triumphant.

[forgottenaoife]

OOC | Mabon Oracle Card Pull

Happy Fall, y'all! :) And Happy Fall Equinox/Mabon!

I'm starting a new deck for the season and thought it would be fun to do a pull for my characters (which also doubled as me checking to make sure I shuffled the deck well!!! XD)

I pulled one card for each lady in alphabetical order and here are the results! Aoife - Apple of my Eye (2); keywords: mindfulness, being careful, being present, awareness The guide for this deck talks a lot about this card speaks a lot about it being a sign for being mindful of changes that need to take place in your life and how that change happens-- not always necessarily a big, dramatic moment but more of something you need to nurture in yourself. I honestly kinda love how that relates to Aoife-- there is a lot of change coming (not that she's aware) and she is definitely going to need to change to survive everything! Between properly standing up to Valentina to confronting her own feelings re: Sebastian to literally having to survive without any of her sisters once the whole Malconaire witch era starts... I def think its even applicable now given all these rumors circulating: Aoife needs to be mindful, careful, and present until that all blows over in order to keep from making things worse! Aria - Pomegranate (29); keywords: lust, pleasure, seduction, forbidden fruit I just need to quote the first line of the guide directly: "Your higher self chose this card because you are ignoring the things that could show you the path to your purpose, to more rewarding relationships and to unrealized talents or new ways to experience fun." ... I mean, obviously, right? ;) Its obvious to everyone but Aria that she's actively pretty much all the signs from Arthur showing their feelings for one another are mutual! And in some ways he sort of is a forbidden fruit for her-- he's the enemy, the son of the man who has stolen basically EVERYTHING from her so being with him is a betrayal to all her principles! Beyond Arthur though (bc as much as these two seem to insist to us its all about the other... ITS NOT!!) there was another quote in the guide that struck me for Aria: "By denying your desires, you are denying what makes you you!" That really struck me and how that really could relate back to how the Stafford family operated. We've discussed how important duty was to the family and even Arthur pointed out to Aria she was denying things that might bring her joy. I definitely think that she (and Eilia!) SHOULD (... at some point, now might not be the BEST time tbh, haha!) on finding more joy in their lives that isn't tied up in being the most dutiful of people!

Eithne - Kitchen Witchery (23); keywords: abundance, manifesting, many path[s] or opportunities The first line of the guide for this card is "[You] chose this card because you're entering a joyful period of abundance and manifestation!" and to be honest... that is very much not what is on the horizon for Miss Eithne, even if it was just a wedding that wasn't going to get derailed by witch accusations, Roderick burning down her home, and having to flee into the woods! (though i guess we could say they'll be an abundance of romantic tension between she and Tristan??) The quote on the card, however, I definitely think REALLY applies to Eithne and who she is in her life-- even when things don't seem like they're going that well. The card quote is "Abundance flows easily and effortlessly into your life. Be in gratitude." ngl it actually made me think of Valentina?! and how she believes Eithne and all the Malconaire girls have had these very easy lives, wonderful lives-- and I don't think she's wrong! But I do think one of the things the Malconaire family ahs always had going for them is that they understood this and ARE grateful for it! I can see, though, how Eithne may have lost sight of this tbh! she is so very, very sad right now, so very very lost in the fact she can see how her life is going to be once she's married to Cassimir and its not great... she's lost sight os there being anything good in her life right now. Would it fix everything if she refocused on the positives and the people who care for/support her? probably not, but she might not be so miserable!

FIona - Coming of darkness (7); keywords: preparing, coming of darkness This card is a warning-- something difficult is coming and you should prepare for it. Its probably no surprise that out of all my characters, Fiona is the one I have the least idea about how she fits into everything (beyond the pre-determined plots, of course!) and exactly what she wants out of life beyond Astairan independence, BUT... I suppose there is a storm on the horizon for the resistance, isn't there? They've managed to walk into the trap Roderick set with the marked coins and inadvertently turned his gaze on Malconaire... which will be disastrous for everyone!

Marian - Apothecary cabinet (1); keywords: tools, a need to develop skills, hard work SCREAMING because honestly doesn't this card just say 'Amira' upon first glance?! (#queenbesties) And then, the more I read in the guide for this card I decided this card actually IS about Marian and Amira in a way! The guide references being realistic about where you are in your journey and what you need to see results-- I've decided to interpret that as Marian realizing that she alone is not going to be able to stop Roderick from marrying Eilia on her own... she needs to team up with the resource that's right in front of her face: Amira. Queen alliance activate! ... and tbh totally honest this card really didn't speak to me for Marian any other way! i honestly thought about re-pulling for her but i do love the bit of the connection with her and Amira! ;)

Anyway-- this was a fun distraction this evening! <3

[forgottenarias]

ooc | more aria thought rambles ;)

so obviously being locked up in stafford, aria doesn't know EXACTLY what was happening w/ the varmont bros @ malconaire, but i think after Amira's Terrible Tea Party, she started to get a bit of an idea! i def think she'd heard/figured out from someone that they'd been going to malconaire and when she showed up at a tea with eithne and the main topic of conversation from Amira seemed to be arthur, she put two and two together!

also our girl has a LOT of time on her hands so when arthur was suddenly being kinda weird and closed off (... i'm kinda just assuming there was a change in his behavior, even for a short while, after eithne broke the news of her engagement but @forgottenarthur please correct me if you think otherwise!) and not long after it became public knowledge eithne was marrying cassimir... i think she maybe connected the two?

so she knows but its not confirmed but also its basically confirmed in her mind that arthur had ~something going on with eithne! and i think part of aria might believe 'oh well obviously he had his lady he'd go see in the country and then i guess i'm just the lady in the castle to entertain him while he's stuck here!' but things have gotten more intense with them so she's not sure that's really true?

anyway, i do think there is some jealously/insecurity for aria knowing arthur had ~something going on with eithne! i sort of had this idea in my head that, pre-roderick, Eilia & Eithne & Eabha were representations of this 'idealistic' Astairan lady who was going to be the heir and a lady but were also kind and generous and beloved by their people! And then we know eithne is obviously known for her beauty and, at least at malconaire, had these young men who were infatuated with her and a lot of that Aria just doesn't feel she could compete against? (if this was a competition and she doesn't consider it that!) i think (probably that secret romantic side of her coming out) she envisions eithne as the sort of lady men want to make pledges to and save from terrible fates and fall in love with! And she doesn't view HERSELF in that way at all. at least w/ him she's been a bit standoffish and she pushes him and can be contrary and doesn't let her emotions show! so in that kind of crazy thought process i've imagined comes from her being alone with her thoughts a lot, Aria has cast herself as NOT the lady knights are charge off to rescue or woo or whatever from her stories-- eithne is that sort of lady.

but all that being said aria is extremely rational, right? so this whole line of thinking is absurd to her because she KNOWS that there's no way she OR eithne end up with arthur-- neither of them are acceptable in roderick's eyes so what's the point of even having these feelings? but they're still there. and i DO think that even if/when arthur + aria manage to communicate their feelings to each other aria still might have that nagging thought in the back of her head like 'what if eithne comes to him and does the same thing? does he pick her?' from time to time! but tbh i think that all really depends on where those two are at if/when they express ~emotions haha! like i think if its smth like arthur finds out abt aria's powers and is all 'idc i still love you' then she's honestly pr not really going to consider eithne into it at all at that point since she's literally the thing he's been taught to destroy and he just doesn't care! and also just everything that is happening w/ them is so! intense! i think the whole concept of eithne as her romantic rival (that sounds more intense that i feel like it needs to be haha) is just that little voice in the back of her head that pops up from time to time!

AND not that it really matters i do think if she hadn't been locked up at stafford and could have seen the eithne/arthur relationship in action versus whats going on w/ she and arthur... she would realize its diffierent. honestly probably would've put things in perspective for her about him?? but that's not a think so like i said its really not important ahahaha

[forgottenarthur]

Aria: 👀

(Possibly the most pointless askbox ever 😆… or things about to get awkward 😅)

OR THINGS'RE ABT TO GET AWKWARD BAHAHAHA "arthur *michael bluth voice*: 'her?' jk jk

heehee no but arthur absolutely ~does find aria ~very attractive (i know im shocking everyone w this info rn ;DDDDDD) -- he finds her the most attractive lady of his acquaintance!! honestly he was v attracted to her from day one frankly!! BUT i def think getting to know her has only made that more the case...honestly atp he's def at the 'all other women pale in comparison' point!! sorry, ladies, arthur's daydreaming abt an unattainable love who he thinks probs secretly hates him <33333

i do feel like, when they first met, he ~was initially more attracted to eithne than to aria, but it was the more superficial of the two romances, as we know, and honestly? i think that might have been part of the appeal eithne had? that bubble we've talked abt -- he thought his heart wouldn't really be touched beyond yknow the like ~thrill and happiness~ aspects and that's his comfort zone! aria was ~immediately tryna challenge him and, while that had its own attractions for him, i will not lie! i do think part of why his initial attachment was to eithne was bc he was def in a place, coming off kil-kennar and all of that, where he v much wanted comfort and happiness and not!!!! to be asked to think too much abt what he'd just done and that sort of thing like he was actively pulling away from the idea of growing and changing frankly!

but i ~also think that 1) we know arthur has always loved a challenge and 2) and here's the crux, he's been searching his whole life for smth to really put his faith into and smth that will put faith in him, somewhere he can prove himself, become everything he wants to be etc...aria offers that. both the challenge of her ~and the warmth of her promise that. her loyalty. he's used to giving unconditional loyalty to the thing he's put his faith, love, truth, honor, etc on the line for (ie roderick and his whole ~thing) but he's never received that same thing back in return from it. aria, though? she challenges him, and she makes him earn it, but she also offers devotion of her own kind in return and that's absolutely intoxicating for him, not to mention the chance to do good? like...that's all he's ever wanted?? idk obv there is a TON at play here and we've talked a lot abt it and i better cut this short bc i gotta go work again but!!!!!!!!! yeah!!!!!!!!! lots of layers to this v strong attraction!!

aria ~literally gives his life meaning, in a way he's always wanted, but never had before...

[forgottenamira]

Tea in the Trees | Amira & Eithne

Amira had not for a moment hesitated to accept Valentina's invitation. After the cessation of the tourney, it had proven the picture-perfect opportunity to the queen to accomplish a whole cadre of chores which had till now eluded: meeting with the Ladies Brigit and Roisin (albeit for decidedly differing reasons), investigating whatever it was that seemed to draw the men of Amira's family here like moths to the flame...and scrutinizing Arthur's misconduct.

She had known the moment she'd emerged from her carriage into the air of Malconaire, that this was no ordinary place, however. She knew how true magic felt, the way it whispered just beneath the skin, purring along one's heart and one's brain. It was a feeling she'd not known in many, many long years. Most of the poor women her husband burned to death for the crime of witchcraft were innocent, but this, this place, was the real thing, and more potent than any example she'd ever known. This was no mere witch. There was a real demon here.

Yet still standing outside, ready to be greeted, she could not place the entity, and so she let her mind focus for now upon other errands. A welcoming committee gathered to greet her as she stepped down upon the earth, and Amira's gleaming eye fell upon a familiar gaze.

"Ahh, Lady Eithne, at last we meet again!" Reaching up, Amira slowly brought her hood down from her head. "After the delightful tea we shared with the Lady Aria at my home, I could not refuse the invitation to yours."

Coming forward, she clasped Eithne's hand, smiling sharply as she felt her stepmother's baleful gaze fall upon the girl. Amira had no intention of letting Eithne out of her grip too soon. There was a very great deal, indeed, she must first know. Pointedly, she did not look at Valentina, as if she and Eithne were the very best of friends, and Amira saw none but her.

"Do tell me how you have been getting on, since last we met? I hear you have quite broken my dear stepson's heart, tsk tsk," she laughed, a pearly sound. "Do tell me of your new beau's many charms, won't you? I would know why my boy was thrown over with such little ceremony so quickly, hm?"