#princcrcgent

[austrianblood]

henrietta had all but insisted that marius join her for an afternoon together, pestering his private secretary into divulging his master’s schedule so that she could plan their outing for an appropriate time and avoid interfering with royal duties. the medici palazzo was stunning but it was in the middle of the city and henrietta had become uncomfortable expressing affection while under the roof of her husband’s in-laws. aularia had made it quite clear her feelings towards henrietta would not change and she had accepted it as a fact of life but the girl would never intimidate her into abandoning her relationship with the regent even if her presence in florence made things difficult. 

she had planned for the pair to be taken to a beautiful grove of fruit trees at another estate but she pined for the day that maxim would be old enough to spend more time out of the nursery so he could join his parents. at such a tender age it wasn’t feasible, though, and she knew he was far safer in the hands of his trusted governess back at the palazzo. each passing day as he grew, he became more of a target, the only son of an heirless ruler and it broke her heart that circumstances of birth would be a threat along with all the other perils of early childhood. a basket of food, carefully curated by the lady herself, sat in henrietta’s lap as the carriage came to a stop and she looked over at her lover, eyes shining with youthful happiness. 

“i am dreadfully sorry to drag you away, darling but we must enjoy nature’s blessed gifts before it becomes too cold, no?” the blonde explained, reaching over to gently squeeze his forearm, “just think, when maxim is grown there will be much of the world’s beauty to show him. such a wonderful thing to look forward to.” @princcrcgent​

[beauchampx]

THE  SUN  HAD  BEEN  SHINING  UPON  THEM,  children  waved  both  in  the  streets  and  from  their  windows  as  the  magi  passed  through  the  streets  with  a  parade  of  nobles,  musicians  and  flag  bearers  in  tow,  foreign  visitors  taking  part  were  clearly  delighted  to  accept  lorenzo  de’  medici’s  invitation  to  join  in  the  festivities,  and  elizabeth  beauchamp  would  claim  that  she  was  the  HAPPIEST  of  them  all.  she  had  been  walking  arm  in  arm  with  one  of  her  nearest  and  dearest  when  everything  began  to  change.  it  had  been  the  shouting  which  had  first  caught  lizzie’s  attention,  hesitation  in  her  step  brought  her  to  a  pause,  and  soon  another  body  was  shoved  into  her  and  chaos  began.  her  arm  fell  away  from  that  of  her  beloved  companion  and  soon  she  found  herself  swallowed  up  by  the  crowds  which  seemed  to  double  in  size  after  barely  even  a  minute.  

DISORIENTED  by  the  madness,  lizzie  thought  it  best  to  rush  to  the  side  so  that  she  was  no  longer  in  the  middle  of  the  street  where  the  parade  had  been  walking  and  at  the  vest  least  she  could  lean  against  a  building  if  she  felt  she  was  losing  her  footing,  she  could  even  step  up  upon  a  ledge  to  seek  a  known  face  if  she  found  one  suitable,  but  it  was  not  so  easy.  the  pushing  and  shoving  continued,  a  foot  stepping  on  her  skirts  caused  her  to  trip  and  sent  her  stumbling  down  the  nearest  street.  the  english  lady  continued  onwards  in  the  hopes  of  finding  a  familiar  landmark  which  might  direct  her  ‘home’  but  the  buildings  seemed  to  grow  taller  and  more  daunting  until  she  soon  no  longer  knew  where  she  was.  the  streets  were  quieter  now  -  hauntingly  so  -  which  was  at  least  a  relief  compared  to  the  yelling  of  the  rioters,  it  also  allowed  her  the  confidence  to  call  towards  another  person  as  they  appeared,  in  that  moment,  to  be  the  only  other  soul  in  the  city.  “  excuse  me,  good  sir!  might  you  be  able  to  tell  me  where  i  am?  ”

@princcrcgent​

[austrianblood]

it had been a blessing that lady henrietta was found and rescued for she had truly begun to think she might be ravaged by the elements. the physical pain was not so bad, not in comparison to the mental anguish she felt, the overwhelming relief she felt when her son and his father appeared in her chambers once more. how could she have been such a fool to ever think that she and maxim would be safer away from marius and french politics? their family could only survive and thrive together, that much had been made obvious. 

the riot did not change their circumstances for she was still nothing more than a mistress, an unwanted presence in the medici palace but how others viewed her had never stopped the tides of her relationship. one day they would return to france and be at peace once more, she was sure of it. 

“i cannot believe how he’s grown,” henrietta sighed, reaching to grab marius’s hand. he had mostly been at her side since she returned to the palazzo. in the back of her mind, she hoped their son with his bright smile and uneasy steps could not recognize the damage to his mother’s fair face for surely she’d never looked worse. angry bruises bloomed around her grey eyes and at her jaw, the ligature marks at her neck from the stolen necklace appearing the most jarring to henrietta herself. it was a gift from the queen mother and had been with her for nearly as long as she had been in france but it was a small price to pay to see her beautiful family again. “he will make us proud, i am sure of it, my love. he will never disappoint as i have disappointed you with my wretched betrayal. i vow to earn your trust once more now that god has gifted me with a second chance at life.” despite her best efforts, silent tears slipped down her cheeks as her emotions had been embarrassingly unpredictable since her rescue.  @princcrcgent​

[vittoriademedici]

                            @princcrcgent​   :   marius  anjou.                           

two  glasses  of  blood  red  wine  drained  away  into  her  stomach,  absorbed  through  her  veins,  and  used  to  heal  her  ailing  mind.  the  past  few  months  had  been  nothing  but  hell  for  the  duchy.  the  poisoning  of  the  queen  of  england  and  an  attempt  on  the  life  of  a  royal  child  had  sent  whispers  ghosting  through  the  corridors.  is  florence  safe  any  longer  ?    it  only  seemed  apt  that  her  husband  be  absent  during  this  time,  leaving  the  fears  of  the  people  on  her  shoulders  and  her  own  fears  left  by  the  door  because  she  could  not  carry  both  of  them,  lest  she  want  to  collapse.

a  third  glass  is  poured  when  she  feels  the  heat  of  a  gaze  on  her  back.  the  feeling  is  not  uncommon  for  the  duchess,  she  is  the  apple  of  many  a  persons  gaze.  as  she  turns,  she  is  greeted  with  a  pleasant  surprise.  marius  anjou.  a  man  that  seemed  utterly  stuck  in  the  same  position  as  she.  a  pity,  really.    “  my  apologies,  prince  regent.  i  hardly  heard  the  door  open,  ”    she  shifts  away  from  the  table  holding  goblets  and  the  karaffe  of  wine.  her  smile  is  kind,  soft.  she  has  a  way  of  calming  the  most  anxious  souls,  even  when  her  mind  is  ever  busy.     “  might  i  offer  you  some  wine ?  ”