#Sims4RoyaltyChallenge

[summerr-the-simmer]

Prince Henry of England and La Baronesa Juanita Cortés of Spain are married.

[summerr-the-simmer]

Although it is late in his life, the king is happy to hear that his wife is expecting. As his son Henry gets older, he’s started to have doubts about his ability to rule...he seems that he might be a bit mad...so Gerold figures there’s no harm in having another child, just in case. He just hopes it’s a boy.

However, Queen Daisy sadly suffers a miscarriage. But, after she’d had time to grieve, and to heal, she and Gerold decide to try, try again.

[summerr-the-simmer]

Life goes on at the Meyer farm. Isaiah’s son Elijah ages up into a very handsome teen. He’s too good-looking to be a peasant! Maybe he needs to make a noblewoman fall for him...

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Henry proposes to Juanita, who accepts. They tell the king and queen, who give them their blessing.

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Queen Daisy can’t sleep due to morning sickness. Princess Bathilde can’t sleep because she’s anxious about the expectation everyone has of her to choose a husband. Ronald and Anne are happily married, and Prince Henry begins to show interest in the beautiful, charming and accomplished Juanita.

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At the castle, Juanita entertains the family with singing and then later sits with Princess Bathilde as she writes her letters. Queen Daisy tells her husband she’s expecting again!

At the Meyer Farm, Ronald proposes to Anne. She accepts and makes plans to leave her position at the castle and move into a little cottage with her husband after their marriage.

[summerr-the-simmer]

Back at the Meyer homestead, the farm is lovely in the sunrise, and is getting more profitable every day! Isaiah is finally better after a long illness, and is enjoying being married again. His brother Ronald is still there, helping out. One day, after selling some produce, he goes into the tavern to have an ale, and the tavern owner died right in front of him. It wasn’t pleasant, but he did meet a young lady named Anne, a servant at the royal castle. They bonded over the death they witnessed, and he comforted her. He asked if he could see her again, and she said yes.

[summerr-the-simmer]

The royals have family staying over, since they were passing Ashdown Castle on their journey, and Bathilde is soon, at her father’s insistence, getting to know her cousin Reginald. They soon drift away from the others, walking through the gardens. At first, she is set against getting to know him better. She wants to choose her own destiny. But they soon connect and they end up talking and laughing for hours. When Bathilde realizes how late it is and how long they’ve been gone, she says they must get back to the others quickly. Reginald smiles.

“We must continue on our journey tomorrow,” he says. “But when we arrive, I will send you my direction. Will you write me?”

Bathilde lowers her head and blushes a little. 

“But won’t it be improper? To have a correspondence with you?”

Reginald smiles, because now he knows she is feeling what he’s feeling.

“No. We are cousins, after all, are we not?

Bathilde nods. “Then, yes, Cousin Reginald. I will write you.”

[summerr-the-simmer]

Back on the Meyer farm, Isaiah’s wife succumbs to her illnesses and dies. He and his brother Ronald continue to run the farm, and Isaiah's son ages up into a child. Isaiah soon meets a beautiful widow from the village, Abigail. He and Abigail marry quickly, as he needs a wife to help around the farm and care for his son. She brings her daughter with her, a toddler named Camila, and they soon have a third child on the way.

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When they realize that their daughter Princess Bathilde has begun a flirtation with Zachariah Whitlock, the son of some nearby nobles, King Gerold and Queen Daisy have a talk with her in the gardens about her future. They talk about the possibility of an arranged marriage to strengthen unity among kingdoms. However, as they were able to make a love match, they of course would like that for their daughter, if possible. Gerold mentions he’d love to see her marry her first cousin (well, half-first cousin) Reginald (Cassian’s son), so they could re-unite the two parts of the family, officially. And he thinks he’d make her happy. Bathilde promises to think about it, but is still leaning toward Zachariah, who is the first man who’s she ever taken a fancy to. Later on that night, Bathilde perfoms at the organ and harp for her parents and younger brother Henry.

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The Royal House of Ashdown rolls right on into the Tudor period, and they embrace the big fashion. King Gerold, who was born a peasant and still is a king of the people, remains the most toned-down and down-to-earth member of the family. 

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As for Gerold’s adoptive parents, the peasant couple the Meyers, they passed away leaving behind two young sons, Ronald and Isaiah. Ronald stays put in the hut, and Isaiah, intent on marrying the woman he loves, takes out a loan and procures a beautiful small farm. He has now moved up from peasant to...lower-class farmer? but still above peasant! However, making the loan payments will be tough. He marries Joan and they soon have a son, Elijah. 

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At her Debutante Ball, Margaret falls for and ultimately marries Lord Stanton. Things are good at the castle!

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Gerold does what he has to do and kills the king. He quickly gains the support of the people, and illegitimate royal that he is, he and Daisy are now the new king and queen, and he is officially a legitimate royal (by his own decree) and the House of Ashdown now once again has control of the throne!

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Cassandra eyes Malcolm warily and paces and fidgets throughout dinner, trying so carefully to not drink any wine herself, as she watched Malcolm down goblet after goblet....only to have...nothing happen? The next day, while he seems to have a bit of a headache, he is fine. The king still lives. Frightened, lest he ever finds out what she tried to do, Cassandra tries to be the perfect wife and queen, demure, quiet, submissive...she must protect her children, and others, and, of course, herself. A few days later, they have a royal portrait painted - herself and the king, her daughter from her first marriage, Margaret, and her daughter with Malcolm, Crysanta. 

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King Alaric dies suddenly of a fever, with no heir. The laws of the kingdom do not allow a woman to rule. If the newly widowed Cassandra had a son instead of a daughter, she could rule as regent, but she does not. After meeting with the royal advisor, she realizes that since no one has heard from Cassian in years, the crown will go to a distant relative. Cassandra’s best bet is to re-marry. Then, she and her daughter could stay in the castle, and she may still have some power, if her new husband is as persuadable as Alaric was.

Alas, who should show up to woo Cassandra, but Prince Malcolm of the house of Landgraab. He’s tired of waiting for his father to die, he wants to rule NOW. Cassandra thinks he is very handsome, and she could do worse. In any case, she needs to get married, so she accepts.

Probably not a good idea, but you do you.