Past Events Challenge
I. Charles certainly suffers from “middle child” syndrome. His elder brothers were constantly pitted against each other growing up, and as their father’s “heir and spare”, respectively, they were given more attention than Charles ever was. And then there was his younger brother, Miles, who was constantly getting himself into trouble. Charles was always a quiet and serious boy, growing up far before his time as he strove to be someone his father would be proud of. it took Charles years to realize that he would never be able to earn the love and respect from his father that he felt he deserved, but that never stopped him from trying to earn it. He’s focused all of his attentions on the title he will inherit from his grandmother, as the Earl of Clarendon. He would have married to secure it long ago, had not he fallen in love.
II. Charles’s early friendship with Alaric was, truly, a lifesaver. Had it not been for Alaric, Charles’s childhood would have been a dreary one, indeed. Charles originally was not fond of Alaric, and found his adventurous and charming nature to be a bit off putting -- not to mention distracting. Had Alaric not advocated for their friendship, Charles is convinced that he never would have come around. It was through his friendship with Alaric that Charles learned to have fun and enjoy himself and forget the troubles of home. He even got himself into trouble once or twice, because of it, which sparked a slightly mischievous side of Charles that he often keeps to himself. Charles tends to be serious and humorless, most of the time, but Alaric is one of the few people who was able to draw him out of it.
III. Charles has craved love and affection his entire life, having been denied it from his own parents. He fell in love with Dorothea de Vere almost as soon as he met her. She was so kind and considerate, he thought she must be an angel. He has convinced himself that he loves her, only her, and no one else could ever compare and he means to ask her to marry him, as soon as he gets the chance. The truth is, he’s always been afraid that she might not love him back and he knows that her rejection would crush him. He’s delayed asking her to marrying him time and time again, hoping to build upon their friendship so that she might fall in love with him, too, but he also knows that time is running out and soon he will lose his inheritance if he does not marry, which is why he asked Constance Astley to agree to a fake engagement until he is ready to make Dorothea his wife ...