Her sisters are from oldest to youngest; Agnes is 34 and the next in line for the throne, Maud is 32, Millicent is 28, Constance and Una are 24 and Jasper is 19. I think some of them are probably married and even have kids but I haven't developed them yet. Jasper is also going to have a female love interest but, you guessed it, I haven't developed her yet. I only thought of this story a few nights ago, give me a break lmao.
ft. Princesses Constance and Zinnia, and Queen Hetaline of Arland
edit: now on AO3.
Constance hadn’t seen mother for six days because of the new baby. This seemed, she thought, utterly and completely unfair given she never got mother to herself for whole days at a time. So, after breakfast on the seventh day, when they told her she was finally able to see mama again, she could have skipped down the hall. She did not of course, because princesses did not skip.
The room they had her in was not mama and papa’s bedroom, but down the hall a short way. It faced the gardens, and that was the first thing Constance really noticed, because the windows were open and it smelled like sunshine and roses. First or not, she barely noticed it however because almost immediately her attention was on mama, who was sitting in bed grinning. Her black hair fell in waves, spilling over the bed covers in a way Constance had never seen before, and she was dressed in comfortable looking bed clothes. In her arms was a bundle of blankets.
“Hello my love,” her mother said as the maid closed the door behind them. “Come here,” she pat the bed with her free hand and it took Constance remembering all the lectures from her tutors about propriety not to throw herself onto it at the invitation. Instead she scrambled up with as much dignity as she could. “Oh I’ve missed you,” mama said, kissing Constance’s forehead before pull away slightly. “And I’ve been waiting for this. Constance, please meet Zinnia, your little sister.”
Constance looked down at the tiny interloper and tried to hate her. It was hard though, because Zinnia was very tiny and she had chubby little cheeks and right now she was drooling slightly in her sleep. After a moment, Constance gave in and gently stroked the fluffy black hair on Zinnia’s head – it was soft. “Zinnia?” she asked, finally looking back up at her mother.
“Yes, it’s a flower, though the gardens don’t have any planet yet,” her mother said, smiling.
“It’s pretty,” Constance said, “she’s drooling.”
“Yes, even baby princesses drool,” her mother said with a small laugh. “Even you.”
“I did not!” Constance said immediately, making mama laugh again. “Are you allowed to leave yet?”
“Tomorrow morning,” her mother said. “I wasn’t really supposed to have visitors yet but I couldn’t go another day without my other daughter, or without you knowing your sister. Siblings are important, especially when you’re the eldest.” Constance cocked her head.
“Why?”
“Because alas it is another duty, but one full of joy,” her mother said. “You’ll have to look out for her, because she will look up to you more than even me.”
Mama was the prettiest, smartest best queen in the whole world, so Constance thought this was unlikely. She said as much, looking dubiously down at Zinnia. “But I’m just a princess.”
“You are never just anything, Constance, except yourself,” her mother said. “Never forget that.”
“I won’t,” she said, still studying Zinnia. “Does she sleep a lot?”
“Yes, because she’s still very new, but she’ll be up and getting into trouble before you know it.”
“Princesses aren’t supposed to be trouble,” Constance pointed out, though she had to fight a smile.
“Princesses aren’t supposed to be caught,” her mother said with a smile of her own, one that made her eyes glint. “But it’s true you shouldn’t cause too much, and none that threaten our duty. It will be a while yet before she knows the rules however.”
“I’ll make sure she knows,” Constance said, “and I won’t yell about it either.”
“No? There you go, being a big sister already. You’re a natural,” her mother said. “Now, your tutors know you’ll be a little late but they’ll never forgive me if I keep you over long. Give us a kiss, my love.”
Constance did as she was told, first mama and then, very careful to avoid any drool, Zinnia. “Bye mama, bye Zinnia. It was nice meeting you,” she said, curtsying before stepping back into the hall. The maids had made themselves scarce, and after a quick look around Constance could see they weren’t waiting on her. With one last blown kiss she quietly closed the door, and after another double check for anyone watching she smiled to herself, picked up her skirts, and skipped.
AN - Hi everyone! An itty start the week, because I wrote this at 3AM. I figured this was a good start though short or not. And a bonus - I’ll even introduce myself.
I’m AwayLaughing, you can call me Away. I’ve been in the fandom a few years now, but I’m quiet and this week is usually my most active because I can get a bit shy. I have a lot of MCs to showcase, and hopefully I can get a good number into the various prompts this year.
✨♡ STEP INTO A DREAM WORLD WITH PRINCESS CONSTANCE ♡✨ 🌙 @princess.constance Mackenzie of Unique Model Management Styling and photographs by Constance McDonald http://aethermagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Azure-Ray-Sleep.mp3 (more…)
Okay, so we know that Constance is not exactly happily married. What would happen to her if she suddenly became widowed? (Not asking if that is something we can arrange or if it can happen due to other circumstances, just what would happen to her without the future heir bride's status). Would it make her life worse? Better? Where would she belong in the inner court?
The answer to that question is….it really depends. On a lot of factors.
Right now she doesn’t have any children. But if she did, she would be obligated to stay in the Corval court and help raise them. So if she was pregnant/they thought she might be pregnant/had children, that would change what happened if she were widowed than if she was widowed childless.
Politically, it’s complicated, too. Like, without the marriage is she still part of Corval? Or should she be sent back to her parents (who would marry her off again).
Speaking of marrying her off again, as a widow she would be able to get married again, and plenty of people would want to (for lots of political reasons.)
So theoretically, she could marry as she chooses this time. Or be pressured into another political alliance, this time possibly even to benefit Corval instead.
And if she has any money/power/support to stay as an independent widow? That depends on stuff, too. Like if her husband provided for her in the event of his death, and what the current Emperor (or possibly the new heir) thinks about her. She could be seen as a threat or an inconvenience or lots of things. She could just be considered family and kept in the inner court as a pampered daughter/sister-in law.
Her life now is not happy, but it is stable. If she were to be widowed a lot of the stable would go away and her fate could get very complicated. On the other hand, she might finally have the freedom to make the choices to make herself happy.
So if it makes her life better or worse is really dependent on a lot of things no one will know until when/if it happens.