* ᴘᴀɪɴ / 𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔟𝔲𝔱𝔢

wiebke wittelsbach. 37. grand duchess of greater bavaria.

[wicbkc]

                        HER   GRACE,   WIEBKE   WITTELSBACH

leather  ,  crystal  glasses  ,  forgotten  coffee  cups   ,  private   meetings  ,  dark   wood  ,  sharp   cut   blazers  ,  diamond  earrings  ,   mirrors  ,  long  dark  hair  ,  air  of  elitism  ,  four  -  hundred  -  year   -  old  oil  paintings  ,  closed  doors  ,  marble  floors  ,  black  roses  ,  untouched  food  ,  burnt  paper  ,  scratched  out  photographs  ,  knowing  looks

&&. announcing her grace, (  WIEBKE JUDITH WITTELSBACH  ), the (  37  ) year old (  GRAND DUCHESS  ) of (  GREATER BAVARIA  ). she is often confused with (  ANGELA SARAFYAN  ). some say that she is (  RECLUSIVE & DISTRUSTFUL  ), but she is actually ( CALM & CONFIDENT ).

Munich is Wiebke’s home. It was where she was born, where she grew up, where she became a grand duchess, and from where she rules her grand duchy. Schloss Nymphenburg is her home, the Versailles of Germany. Munich is the one place on earth where people aren’t afraid of approaching Wiebke... and Wiebke lets them approach her. Her identity as a Münchnerin is quite strong and it’s very much her weak spot. Munich is the reason for cracks in her facade. 

     Wiebke believes in certain kind of transparency: you choose the people you’re loyal to and you stay loyal. You don’t pretend to be friends with someone whom you do not like. You do not take advantage of people’s naivety. You do not play games with people. You speak the truth and nothing else, if you cannot speak the truth, you do not speak at all... and if you absolutely have to lie, there better be a good reason. 

       Wiebke doesn’t expect the same level of straightforwardness from others; she’s a cynic. People are evil and selfish. Cut-throat and greedy. She can only be pleasantly surprised by people. Whenever people let her down she just becomes a tad more apathetic. People will always find a way to disappoint you. It’s better she doesn’t give too many people the opportunity. 

         Needless to say, she keeps to herself. She’s perfectly fine with it. She keeps a very small inner circle, the people in it can be counted with the fingers of her two hands: her father; the duke of bavaria; the duchess of baden-württemberg; her assistant; the marquis of munich; lord and lady of Ingolstadt who are her mouthpieces, and her godfather. Eight people, no more, no less. They are the people she speaks rather freely to, they are the people who are allowed to sit around her oval table made of ebony. 

         To say she trusts them... would be incorrect. She trusts them to do their work well but she doesn’t trust them. She keeps them separated, she doesn’t want smaller packs inside her circle, she makes them keep an eye on each other: as long as they aren’t able to conspire together, she can rest well. She’s the only thing that unites the group of people and she wishes to keep it that way.

         She wasn’t always so paranoid. Oh no, Wiebke grew up smiling. laughing and without a single worry.  Her childhood was so perfect that there isn’t really much to say about it. 

tw: cancer, tw: death

         Then she began her abitur year. All the plans: partying, studying, more partying, taking part in a fest... they all fell away when her mother’s health deteriorated. The diagnosis had come two years earlier: thyroid cancer. It hadn’t seemed too bad, the prognosis had been great! If you were to get a cancer, thyroid cancer was the best option, really. So Wiebke concentrated on school and friends, her mother would be fine, there was no need to worry. Wiebke was mistaken, of course. The treatment wouldn’t take and soon there were metastases everywhere. The funeral was held in March when the trees had just gotten their leaves. It felt ironic how nature around her was so beautiful and she was wearing a black dress.

           She didn’t do well in her exams. She didn’t care about her grades. She passed, still, she had always been a decent student, there was no way she would have failed. But the diploma she received should have made her worried. People didn’t get into their dream universities with papers like that. At nineteen, Wiebke had hit what she thought was her rock bottom. 

             The summer after graduation was interesting to say at least: she formally accepted her title as a grand duchess, she watched her friends stress about university results, and wondered what she should do. Her father sat her down eventually, asked her what her plan was. He didn’t expect any sort of answer. He wasn’t about to pressure his daughter. She was just nineteen, she had time to figure things out. Her answer though surprised both her father and herself: be a great grand duchess. 

             She didn’t like it but she used her title to get her enrolled in the University of Munich. It gave her something to do. It was a good decision, Wiebke performed better when she had a clear goal. From 2002 to 2007 she did nothing but study. Attended every even slightly interesting and educational seminar, and made sure her grades stayed up. 

             Her work as a grand duchess began the day she finished her bachelour’s degree. Around that time she began to realize that the only thing she knew was that she didn’t know anything. What did all those sly smiles her lords and ladies exchanged mean? Were they up to something? Would someone blindside her? Would someone try to take her place? The more fears she had, the more she worked. Her fears drained her of comfort but kept her fire burning.

             In 2009 things got so out of hand that her father sent her to a therapist. Her deep rooted distrust of people is nowhere gone but it is not as constricting as it were in her early 20s. Maturity has also helped her to read people, make calculations, and plan ahead. She’s ready if people abandon her, fail her, or betray her. To her it’s common sense. It’s part of her normal day to analyse a situation and think about the way everything can go to shit. 

             Her distrust of people extends to her personal relationships. She still has friends. She likes having a few selected people in her life — but she will remind everyone that she would survive without anyone in her life. Wiebke doesn’t realize it but her loved ones keep her stable, they are the only reason her paranoia doesn’t get overwhelming. 

[wicbkc]

when did you join ? what made you join ? what do you remember from the plotlines that were current at the time ? where were you in life when you joined and where are you now ?

march 2018 ( i checked ). hailee and i had been a few groups earlier and she told me to apply. i didn't listen to her at first but threw all these ideas and wcs at me and i couldn't resist! i was working on my bachelour's degree and now i'm working and doing a bit of research on the side. i'm still so tied to university that surprisingly little has changed haha !

which characters have you written over the years ?

zhenya, ennio, wiebke, ilona ! i don't think i've written anyone else ?

what is your favourite plotline that you've been part of ?

i have so many !!! i think wiebke ( with kaspar ) was the most interesting politically. i had never written something like that and it was so exciting. i consider wiebke my most successful character. i came up with traits and hc for her that made her a delight ( and a challenge, ngl ) to write. the beginning of wiebke and kaspar was a lot of fun because it was almost like writing crackthreads bc we did our best to make them look like lovers skdgn but i cannot not mention zhergio. i think it's one of my few ships that have been 100% organic. idm planning ships, but there's always something a bit special about writing a relationship from start to finish. i think their second or third thread was really fun to write !

what about other people's plotlines ?

i'm so biased bc of hailee but i loved reading each and every reply between the croys, tekla and fanni's relationship especially. lea and isa wrote out some very difficult emotions and each reply had so much substance. from a psychological standpoint, they really stand out ! and honestly the biannual major croÿ fights were always so much fun to watch. i'm sad they aren't tight anymore :(

who is your favourite character from the ones you've played ? why ? what made you love them ? what made them so fun to write ?

i think zhenya ? i appreciate wiebke the most and consider her the best i've ever written, but there's a reason why i kept bringing zhenya back. zhenya's plots had something that made her easy to write and kept me logging in ! i had a really easy time with her but i think the credit about that goes to naomi and hailee who in the beginning made sure she was so connected. but i'll also have to give a special mention to ilona bc for a brief time, she was the only thing that kept my muse up. she was a lot fun !

if you could relive a plotline, which would it be ?

either the beginning of zhenya, like the first 3-5 months ? or the first few months of kaspar. i think they are periods of time that i will remember the best ! a special mention goes to the monaco nye and jo when her ukrainian pulled that whole stint on wiebke. i hadn't had the opportunity to portray wiebke's neurotic side that much and it gave me an opportunity to do that <3 writing the aftermath between wibbie was really intense too and i remember waiting for each reply skgbdjs

is there a plotline that you'd edit now if you could ?

natennio. i feel like i picked him up and ignored him so badly and i'm so sorry for ash :( i never really knew what to do with him. the most dramatic stuff was so exciting but i failed to keep the energy ! i feel like i could have explored so many things with natennio and i would have loved to enjoy ash's writing more !

what's a plotline you wish you would have been able to finish before closing or just write more of ?

i'm very pleased with where i ended things ! i was planning to do a couple of threads, zhenya & levente for sure for the sake of a full circle, but unfortunately i never got around to write it. i think i would have liked to spend more time on wibbie's ending. it was rushed but i had lost muse for writing SO BAD at the time that a few replies was the best i could do :(

what is your favourite ooc memory ?

probably something naomi or evy did. they were crazy girls ksgbdsjkg i did adore the ooc posts on the dash. it always meant that someone was invested in someone else's story and i think that's what group writing's all about !

where can others find you if they want to get in touch ?

i think i'm done. it's been a long time coming !

where can others find you if they want to get in touch ?

i had an amazing 6 years here. i never thought i'd get so invested in these little stories. it feels really tough to admit that it's not coming back and i will not stay up until 4 am writing with everyone. every person i've written with, have given their 110% and i appreciate that so much. you welcomed me into the group with such warmth that it made staying really easy. i didn't get to mention all the things i remember and appreciate from the plotlines i've written so here i go:

zhevente's beginning was amazing to write and it was fun to read hails explore levente's softer side. idk why but i feel like the friendship (that we didn't write too much towards the end skgbdsjg) between the characters was like a symbol for me and hails <3 i have a lot of love for them

everyone who put up with ennio and me, honestly. i felt so flaky and a terrible writing partner. my muse was gone half of the time but every time i considered dropping him, you shot me a starter that made me feel so inspired !!!!! thank you so much for that. ash and mickey especially !!!

idk i just want to give a special shoutout to jo. she had the best energy and i think every once in a while we needed her crazy ideas here <3

and abby! i don't think i would have been allowed to write wiebke so much if it wasn't for the work abby had done prior, and the cool interactions we wrote together!

the russians will always have a special place in my heart. they were something special and i don't think i've ever been part of a dynamic like that. i never felt like i was forcing zhenya into the family, everyone made it clear from the start that she was an important family friend and truly cared for <3 it helped me not feel intimidated

i also have to mention alexei's poisoning plot. it was EPIC. i loved it and i love it now

that takes me to jude. both nadya and kaspar helped me to write my characters better. you made sure the basel plot evolved when i didn't have the energy to spare it a thought. you made sure the ship didn't sink. in your replies, i could always tell that you had a good understanding of my characters and you cared ! not everyone's like that. thank you!!!

and ash! i said it earlier but without you, i don't think i would have been able to keep ennio alive for more than a few months. i always adored your writing and i hope i managed to offer even something for you too <3

eve... i owe you my greatest thank you because without your inspiring adopt post, i never would have brought wiebke. wiebke made me feel inspired to write again and gave me so much motivation. i was ready to pack up and leave and wiebke was my last hail mary. i ended up staying for 4 more years aksgbsdgbsj the basel-france-germany plot was so much fun to be part of

evy !!!!!! you have no idea how much zhergi means to me. i know i dropped zhenya ( and them ) but i think their story was so much fun to write <3 you had an amazing energy and i hope you never lose the metaphorical twinkle in the eye (that i've never seen)

naomi, you are like 39% the reason why i joined in the first place. vitaliya is an amazing character and i was always in awe of your writing. your ranGE! you could write a sweet kind sol and then just as easily and convincingly type the cruelest things on vitaliya. you never failed to keep vitaliya entertaining. you didn't pick her up "to write an old character", you were just writing a character that happened to be old.

hailee. sigh. i think i'll come into your ims but i want to sound a bit more formal when i say this: writing with you, reading your stories, and chatting with you is the most important part of my time on tumblr dot com. i don't know how things would have turned out if i hadn't befriended you and if i hadn't let you convince me to join. ily so much <3

[robbiestuart]

wicbkc​:

Her nails dug into her sleeve and suddenly she was glad to be wearing something that covered her skin. Her jaw was stuck in place, she did not dare to say anything because she knew her words would have a thick accent that would give her away in a second. She was beyond upset. He was choosing to be righteous at the worst time when everyone else including lady Fortuna herself was turning on Wiebke. “It’s not greed. I am not one of those people.” There was a great difference between the likes of Arnauld d’Orléans and Verona di Savoia, and her. They were serving themselves and Wiebke… Wieke was… Her lips were pressed tightly together and she felt like squirming within her skin. The mirror he was holding in front of her was showing too ugly an image. He just did not understand. He could not understand. He could not comprehend what the win would feel like. How the blood, sweat and tears would suddenly be worth something. How the guilt she was harboring somewhere deep in her chest would disappear as the spilled German blood was suddenly not wasted. To be absolved of something so heavy and painful was just as good a reason to keep going as the feeling of a victory. “I’m not naive. I know the price. I know the price extremely well. I do not need you to tell me it. This conversation is not going to go anywhere if all you have to say is how selfish I am being. I know what I am doing. I am not convinced you understand how well I understand everything. I have made this decision. I have decided to continue this. I have had to make decision again and again this past year — every time there has been a set back. This is not the first time. I know.” She felt out of breath. “If you cannot tell me something reasonable, it doesn’t matter.”

“Is it because you got to play the hero in Alsace? What is the difference? Give me a real reason why your actions are different from theirs.” He wouldn’t allow her to twist and twist and twist the situation with comforting logic that made it alright. “If you can’t stand behind your actions, you should not be standing here fighting with me about this.” The mistake he had made had been to condone it for so long. Why had he allowed his foul feelings to marinade instead of starting this fight? “You’re not naive! — I wish you were! It would help me understand this more. It would make it easier for me to forgive you for all of this. Knowing you’ve made a measured decision each time just makes this worse! Ten times worse.” It made him feel hopeless. It made him look at her in different light. It made him wonder if his words mattered in the slightest. His heartbeat quickened. He flexed his fingers to rid them of the nervous tingling he felt at the tips. His breaths grew deeper and slower. He was so stupidly scared of his next words that it took every bit of self-regulation to keep his voice steady. “This is not reasonable but this is all I have to say: I will walk out of that door and you will not have to listen to me ever again. I will leave, Wiebke. If you don’t give me a reason to stay, I will leave. I cannot stay and I do not want to stay if this is how you operate. I can’t stay if the only reason would be Amie and Mattie.”

[wicbkc]

Ten times worse? What kind of a statement was that? He should have not been throwing around numbers that meant nothing — their conversation was too serious to have room for vague measurements. Wiebke was sizzling. The conversation felt like a waste of time and it was only making the negative feelings inside of her run wild. They had filled her to the brim and she felt like he was a million miles away, unable to see, and failing to understand what she was going through. She had always appreciated his optimism and ability to remain relaxed but now those traits felt like flaws. Gross blatant flaws. This was an adults' conversation, not a place for wild unserious statements like ten times worse. Wiebke's gaze was cold and harsh as she waited for him to turn around and admit defeat. She had made her stance so very clear. Her German approach was too direct for him to be unable to understand what she had meant. Leave. Go. Let it be. Seconds ticked by and the pressure in the room felt nearly suffocating. She barely breathed. Her certainty in the two of them had been shaken time and time again — and each time he had taken her hand and told her it was all in her head. Not everything she thought was true. He was true. He was constant. He would remain. He would continue to love. But now he was threatening to take it all away. Threatening to leave her standing alone on a hill of bones. "I am a reason." The two of them were a reason. The sort of reason that was in no competition with the burden of her political ambitions. "Do you mean that? Robert, you tell me immediately if this is a quip or a poor joke." The sort that flew right past her. The sort she was unable to decipher due to missing a tonal change or a quirk of a brow. "This is not the sort of threat you throw to win a fight. This is irresponsible."

[wicbkc]

"Thank you for accepting this meeting." She had been worried that her invitation would be met with a resounding no and a demand to meet with King Wilhelm himself. Too much was on the line for Wiebke to trust the king to keep her best interest in mind. "Considering the current circumstances I've come to bargain." Pretending there was any other reason would have been moot. He and everyone else knew that Arnauld d'Orléans latest actions had driven Wiebke and Kaspar into a cul-de-sac. "Do we both agree that it would be for the best if the conflict ended soon?" [ @maximiliians ]

[wicbkc]

robbiestuart​:

This was why he avoided arguments with Wiebke — aside from the fact that arguments were not much fun in Robert’s opinion, she was better at arguing. She had stuffed his mouth with flour and any word felt like sputtering dust into the air between the two of them. It was also then that he understood the problem: he was attempting to argue with logic when it was just about… ethics. Robert cleared his throat and placed his hands on his hips. Had he been outside, he would have been kicking rocks around as he gathered his thoughts again. “I’m not trying to control you. I’m telling you to choose me instead of greed.” It was a bold accusation but as days had turned into weeks and weeks into months, her fair undertaking had changed forms and he couldn’t see anything but ego and greed. “Your stubbornness is going to have people killed. It already has. Your personal goals are not worth that. No one’s goals are. Not yours, not Kaspar’s, no one’s.” Who cared if she lost a million or a billion? Who cared if potential revenue was going to be poured down the drain? Who cared about the hours of work she had spent on this instead of her family? “So don’t talk about control when I’m trying to tell you you’re turning into someone I don’t even recognize.” Someone he could barely find worthy of loving.

Her nails dug into her sleeve and suddenly she was glad to be wearing something that covered her skin. Her jaw was stuck in place, she did not dare to say anything because she knew her words would have a thick accent that would give her away in a second. She was beyond upset. He was choosing to be righteous at the worst time when everyone else including lady Fortuna herself was turning on Wiebke. “It’s not greed. I am not one of those people.” There was a great difference between the likes of Arnauld d’Orléans and Verona di Savoia, and her. They were serving themselves and Wiebke... Wieke was... Her lips were pressed tightly together and she felt like squirming within her skin. The mirror he was holding in front of her was showing too ugly an image. He just did not understand. He could not understand. He could not comprehend what the win would feel like. How the blood, sweat and tears would suddenly be worth something. How the guilt she was harboring somewhere deep in her chest would disappear as the spilled German blood was suddenly not wasted. To be absolved of something so heavy and painful was just as good a reason to keep going as the feeling of a victory. “I’m not naive. I know the price. I know the price extremely well. I do not need you to tell me it. This conversation is not going to go anywhere if all you have to say is how selfish I am being. I know what I am doing. I am not convinced you understand how well I understand everything. I have made this decision. I have decided to continue this. I have had to make decision again and again this past year — every time there has been a set back. This is not the first time. I know.” She felt out of breath. “If you cannot tell me something reasonable, it doesn’t matter.”

[wicbkc]

robbiestuart​:

He couldn’t bear to listen to it! Each reason weaker than the one before. She had no ground to stand on and he had to wonder how she could even stand there before him. How was she speaking so lightly? Guilt should have been rotting her insides and shame should have made it impossible for her to look at him. “You promised me. I don’t care how much money has been poured into Basel, I don’t care how difficult it is to return with nothing, I don’t care about any of your reasons. You’re waging a war against my family. My family and I’ve let you do it because, frankly, I’m not too fond of the bloke, but it’s Catherine. It’s Catherine’s family, her son, her daughter. You don’t even fucking want Basel. You don’t fucking need it.” That was the most insane part about it all. Didn’t Wiebke hold enough fondness towards his niece to stay away from Basel? It required nothing! Nothing! To stay peaceful. “I give a lot more about Catherine’s husband than Kaspar. So let’s forget about what Ka-ßßß-par wants and let’s think about you and me.” His index finger flicked between the two of them. “I want you to leave Basel. You finally have a reason to bow out gracefully and cut your losses. Take it. You can save face.”

“The Swiss are not your family — you don’t get to decide when you care about them and when you do not! You cannot win this argument with a flimsy statement like that.” Catherine would have more than enough to rule over with Scotland and Switzerland under her care. “Switzerland is not Scotland. I would never touch a single blade of grass in Scotland. If Switzerland really was close to your heart, this would not be happening. If Switzerland was treating Catherine in any other way than as a doll, I might have reconsidered my approach a long time ago but I do not owe them my loyalty.” If Catherine had settled in half a decade earlier and not at the beginning of Kaspar and Wiebke’s plans, her presence might have changed the course. The what ifs did not matter. Not this far along. “Stop. You are trying very hard to control me. You should know better than to be controlling. It is not going to work, I’m not some thick-headed little wife who is just going do as the man says. I would be pouring two years worth of work down the drain.”

[wicbkc]

elysefz​:

“do you ever get tired of playing both sides? you must get winded running across the aisle so much. as i remember, you were the one who pulled out of belgium before i did. you speak for the king this time, but i remember when you were happy to leave him to allow france to do whatever it wants.” wiebke poise always aggravated her at times like these. “i don’t need to defend anything to you. i’m not fraternizing with anyone. there’s not deal being struck. i shifted some pieces on the board. in my own country. my country. i have what i want. and no one had to die to get it.”

“Is that truly what you think Kaspar and I did?” Had Elyse elected to ignore their move on Alsace in order to have some moral authority over Wiebke, or had she just failed to see the linkage two years ago? “Yes, you have what you want.” Wiebke was still unsure if the dream of secession had sprouted from nationalism or simply narcissism. “And at this rate Arnauld d’Orléans will have what he wants. Andorra and fifth of Belgium within his borders, and Luxembourg in a leash. As long as king Wilhelm has to worry about you and Berlin, there will not be enough men to defend Saarland.” Her hardened eyes remained on Elyse for the whole duration of the explanation. “You already know that, and I am not convinced that you weren’t the one to share this information with France.”

[wicbkc]

robbiestuart​:

“I mean it. Leave Basel so you do not lose Saarland and Alsace.” Every day mattered. It was possible with enough time and advisors, she’d be able to find the perfect spread of resources — but there was no time. There was no peace of mind that would have allowed her to sit at her desk and mull over the options. “You told me, you promised me Basel would only go as far as it made sense. It no longer makes sense. You’re compromising Saarland for Basel. Basel that…” He had never quite understood her explanation, but because the words had been Wiebke’s, they had been convincing. “You don’t need Basel. You never needed Basel. You promised it’d end the moment it cost too much. It’s been costing too much for a year now! And even now when Saarland and Alsace are on the line, you’re thinking about holding onto it, tooth and nail.”

“This is not the time to give up. This is just a– a... a setback. We’ve worked incredibly hard on Basel and Alsace. Holding Basel helps us to hold Alsace. Our investments, they—” Looking at Robert’s crestfallen expression, she couldn’t continue. Her words, they were lies. She knew it as well as he did. Basel had turned from an investment into a vanity project so slowly that she had not even realized it. By the time it had been time to accept it, she had needed to defend it twice as hard to everyone around her. “We cannot give up on Basel. It’s out of the question. It’s possible to get help from north — Arnauld d’Orléans has enough enemies to grant us at least one ally. This is not the end. This is just a tight spot.” Her jaw ached from the flexing her muscle had done. The tightness didn’t disappear even when she consciously attempted to relax it. She shouldn’t have been speaking to Robert. The realization creeped up on her like a wet cloth. Wiebke had always experienced fear as something cold and moist. Robert would try to paint terrible pictures of the future in an attempt to sway her. Wiebke would not be able to differentiate between exaggerations and the truth. “You...” The accusation was on the tip of her tongue. You are trying to trick me. She held it in remembering the one time she had actually uttered the words. The look of disappointment wasn’t one she could stand to see again. “You are not going to agree with me. I will continue this with Kaspar.”

[wicbkc]

elysefz​:

she couldn’t decide if she thought arnauld d’orléans had screwed her. he hadn’t lied. she just hadn’t asked questions. but she would be damned if she backed down in front of wiebke. “are you asking or the king?” she tilted her head. “i’m not stupid, despite what you all might think. i don’t think you get to criticize me when your army is occupying my cousin’s country.”

"There is no difference," Wiebke informed Elyse. As much as the duchess' actions had helped Wiebke and as much as she sympathised with the cause, Elyse was causing her and the king damage. "I can defend my actions, can you?" Wiebke asked. "There are lines you are not supposed to cross and fraternizing with someone like him is one them. When I decided to burn a major city down just because I can't have what I want, I will apologize to you, but for now, I am asking you to think about the greater good. The message you will be sending the world — all's forgotten and forgiven, France is worth aiding again."

[wicbkc]

robbiestuart​:

How could she expect his sympathy? Wiebke and Kaspar were, with cruel calculation, tearing the ground of Europe apart. Alsace had been a lesson. The king of France had deserved a slap on the wrist because he had clearly forgotten the sense of right or wrong that had still existed around him. Basel… Basel had been selfish but Robert had been able to see why Wiebke had needed it — but she had forgotten that her and Kaspar’s rebelliousness did not echo thorough Germany, and only King Wilhelm had the resources to play chess with the king of France. Wiebke could not deny the king and his position, and still expect the man to support her fight. “Leave Basel. There, I solved it.”

"Robbie." Her voice was sharp and humourless: she did not want him cracking jokes. Her eyes were pinned on him. She was talking to him because she needed someone to help her reach clarity. She needed to expand her view and find a solution — and if not that, she wanted more people to be furious with King Wilhelm. "I need to solve this. What can we do with our resources? I know they are not being used in an optimal way. I just don't know where to start. I'm scared of underestimating the enemy forces and losing what we've worked hard to gain. This is too much pressure, I can feel myself being stretched out thin."

[wicbkc]

“What is your interest in Berlin?” It was the puzzle piece she had a hard time understanding. She could understand Elyse sending men to Basel to help her cousin. It was this massive undertaking that Wiebke couldn’t wrap her head around. “Do you understand that you are helping Arnauld d’Orléans?” [ @elysefz​ ]

[wicbkc]

“If we take men from Alsace, the French will make a move there. If we take men from Basel, we loose the footing we have there! He knows all of this. His majesty knows all of this and still he’s not allowing Benedikt to send men to Saarland. Kaspar’s running out of time and I’m running out of patience. Can you believe him? He knows we will lose and he’s refusing the others to aid us.” [ @robbiestuart​ ]

[wicbkc]

“So he refuses to spare men? Even though we are losing land every passing day in Saarland?” Wiebke spoke slowly but firmly — just in case Aurel struggled to keep up. “Does his majesty understand that there will be no Saarland at this rate?” [ @aurcls​ ]

[wicbkc]

robbiestuart​:

“If you go into the freezing lake, you’ll be too distracted by the pain and discomfort to worry,” Robbie suggested. His hand blindly searched for her forearm by flapping around her sunbed until it finally met the warmth of her skin. He gently squeezed her arm. This felt almost normal. He could pretend he was at peace. “They know how to swim. Have a little faith. You know–” His speech was cut short by the loud buzzing of Wiebke’s phone. “I thought you left that at the house.” 

“It’s the people who know how to swim who drown,” Wiebke began to argue, slowly beginning to lean towards going into the water just in case; how cold could it be? Her smile dropped at the first notes of the ringtone. “I left my phone, this...” Her frown deepened as she pulled the phone from the bottom of the beach bag. “This is for emergencies only.” Her heart was in her throat, coldness spreading through her body and paralyzing her every limb. “He wouldn’t call for something small,” Wiebke whispered. She let the phone ring for a while — once she pressed the green button, she’d have to tear herself away from the happy summer afternoon with her family. With a deep breath, she accepted the call and placed the phone by her ear. Her hand didn’t feel like her own despite the tingling at the tips of her fingers. Her movements were slow and it took all of her concentration to make her muscles contract accurately. Kaspar’s voice on the other line barely pierced the thick fog inside Wiebke’s head. News of Alsace would have been fine — worrying but fine. They had strategies. They had a list of countermoves. News of Basel would have been fine. It had been a dangerous wager and certain losses were acceptable. But Saarland had never even crossed her mind. The border had been at the bottom of their list. Protected but not secure. An attack from the north had seemed so unlikely that it had been better to reserve the resources for Alsace and Basel. “I’ll leave immediately. How quickly can you get to Munich?” She shot Robbie an apologetic look as she stood up and began fitting her feet into her beach sandals which now felt wildly inappropriate. She already took a step towards the pavement but turned back to Robbie to press a kiss on his temple. “I’m so sorry.”

[wicbkc]

alexcnder​:

            ‘ and he’s not here right now, ’ alexander thought, but hadn’t dared uttered to the woman. though it could be assumed that his expression just then had betrayed the attempted composure. plucked by the frame, the sunglasses were placed in front of him and a brow arched in tandem with the judgement. “ ten years is a long time to hold onto that. ” juvenile fancies with a proclivity for poor habits had been the marker of wiebke’s theories, and at present, alcohol induced reactions wouldn’t change that. “ you’re sure you haven’t confused me for someone else? ” one of his four brothers perhaps.

“People mature in ten years. I usually notice a great difference.” Spending copious amounts of time with Aurel had worked as exposure therapy — she did not find herself nearly as miffed by this sort of behaviour as a year ago. “How have you been? I saw that you quit football. That was a big decision, wasn’t it?”

[wicbkc]

effiestuart​:

             “ barbie bragança was trending last week on twitter. i think some tiktoker was trying to find outfits of barbie dolls and compare them to her public event styles. naturally, ” effie shurgged, “ lot of pink. ”

“And in any of those tikitoks did they say hot pink, neon pink, was cool? I don’t know. His highness needs a new— no, just a stylist.” Wiebke’s eyes narrowed at Aurel before returning to Robert’s niece. “Robbie mentioned something about you looking upset on New Year’s. Should I tell him to be more worried — you know how he thinks too positively and doesn’t know how to worry? I can tell him to talk to you if you think it’s needed. Or I can help if you think I can.”

[wicbkc]

maitedobrasil​:

“ ––– apparently, but in truth, it was a 2022 with valentino’s fall/winter.”

“So it’s appropriate despite... being neon?” She despised trends.