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isfjmel-phleg · 2 years

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Shocking find from the Coregean Royal Archives

[Another short piece from @fictionadventurer’s list: “Elystan’s infamous Lamplight letter.” For further context, see “A Visit from the Murderess.”]

A historian recently uncovered in the royal archives a letter that the monarchy never wanted anyone to know about. Dated 1908, this letter was written by a twelve-year-old Elystan, Duke of Gorchester, half-brother to Delclis V and ex-heir to the throne, and addressed to the editor of the Loriston Lamplight. But rather than seizing the rare chance to publish the words of a member of the royal family, editor Murrick Owell sent it on to Queen Dowager Bethira with a brief note explaining the letter as “better suited for Your Majesty’s attention than ours.” Months later, Elystan was sent to Hollingham College. Did the contents of this letter have anything to do with this development? And could this letter recontextualize what we know of Elystan’s doings during his time at school...?

2 June 1908

Endean House

To the Editor of the Loriston Lamplight[1]

Dear Sir,

My name will be as familiar to you and the readers of this newspaper as your own. I am Elystan, Prince of Arclis.[2] You will know me from pictures on postcards[3] and the many times my family has made appearances to you all.[4] I always have thought of myself as not only my parents’ son but the child of all Corege, and I know that our beloved people feel the same way.[5] However, I regret that I have not seen your faces in quite a long time. Do you all miss me as much as I miss you? It pains me to have had to spend such a long time away, but allow me to explain. It was from no choice of my own.

The last time we met, I was enjoying my accustomed excellent health.[6] Our royal visitors from last autumn can attest that I was able to entertain them alongside my dear brother the King and my mother the Queen Dowager.[7] By the time of the unrest, I had an ordinary cold—nothing serious but enough to keep me in bed during what followed.[8] Besides, I am twelve, and it was a matter for grown-ups. When I had recovered, I waited for the King my brother to send for me from Endean House. I don’t know if he forgot or if he was too preoccupied to think of his own brother. I never had even a letter from him or the Queen my mother. My correspondence seemed to fall on deaf ears. I continued to devote myself to my studies, praying every day to be reunited with my family.[9]

However, as the weeks wore on, I suffered an illness I had never before encountered. None of the doctors (sent by my brother’s household) could account for it. They did nothing to treat it. My condition worsened.[10] I will spare the gentle readers of this newspaper the unpleasant details of what I suffered, but let us describe it as an illness digestive in nature. I noticed that its attacks always followed meals. Such reactions, of course, are quite unusual for one of my constitution. My habits had not changed.[11] Since the learned doctors would not help me,[12] I was forced to seek the truth for myself.

I found that my symptoms were consistent with those of poisoning. I told this to a doctor, but he dismissed the notion.[13] My symptoms have not ceased, despite my best attempts to avoid whatever is harming me.[14] You would hardly know me if you saw me.[15] I used to think I had many years left, but now I am barely clinging to life. I cannot give in, because I need to remain strong for my beloved people. But someone somewhere in Corege, land of the enlightened and kind, is the sort of monster who would murder Corege’s most beloved son. Who could possibly want to poison an innocent child?

It happens that I do know one person who is knowledgeable about even the rarest and most subtle poisons. This person has grown poison in his own gardens, experimented upon it in his own laboratory, and attended a Hallowe’en party in the character of Deadly Nightshade.[16] I have heard him joke about poisoning people whom he dislikes,[17] and I have evidence that this person is not above taking a life if he can rationalize it.[18] I am sorry to say that this person is my greatest enemy in the world. He has always disliked me.[19] He hates me now more than ever. He would not hesitate to harm me if he could.[20] And, my dear people, this person is none other than the so-called innocent boy king[21] himself, my half-brother King Delclis.

You are shocked. So am I. The thought that my own brother would do such a thing to me has made my already weakened state worse. The doctors are clearly in my brother’s pay and will do me no good. My mother has aided and abetted my brother in his heartless deeds. She does not care about me any more than he does.[22] I am all alone in the world, with no one to speak for or protect me. Every day I wake up wondering if today will be my last. Therefore, I am throwing myself on the mercy of the Coregean people. I know you would never leave your innocent child to die alone, no matter what the circumstances. I am Corege’s last hope; you all are mine.[23] For my sake, for the sake of one whom you once loved,[24] do your duty as Coregean subjects, because there is not much time left for the boy who remains

Very truly yours,

Elystan, Prince of Arclis

[1] the Editor of the Loriston Lamplight: Murrick Owell had been the editor of the Loriston Lamplight since 1881, following a seventeen-year career in journalism, and had seen more than his share of royal scandals. The Lamplight had a reputation as a paper in support of the crown. Whatever sensational response could have been had from publishing Elystan’s letter was outweighed by the risk of repercussions from the government, and Owell was savvy enough to pass on this letter to the Palace, without making a copy for his own records. To this day, the Lamplight still officially denies the existence of this letter.

[2] I am Elystan, Prince of Arclis: Elystan had not held this title since 1906. He had forfeited it upon his father’s abdication (on both Talfrin’s and Elystan’s behalf). As of 1908, he held only the title Duke of Gorchester. The choice to incorrectly style himself would have already made this letter problematic at best and treasonous at worst.

[3] pictures on postcards: Talfrin encouraged images of his family to be mass-produced and widely displayed. A set of photographs of him, Bethira, and Elystan, both together and separately, was issued in 1906 and featured prominently on postcards and other memorabilia. The ten-year-old Elystan is pictured in full dress uniform, complete with sword.

[4] the many times my family has made appearances to you all: For most of his reign, Talfrin was often referred to by the media as “the people’s king” for his frequent public appearances and apparent affability, and part of this exhibition included showing off his wife and son. Although Elystan’s appearances were less frequent than his parents’, there are numerous photographs and footage of him waving delightedly to crowds from an open automobile or carriage.

[5] I always have thought of myself as not only my parents’ son but the child of all Corege, and I know that our beloved people feel the same way: Until 1906, society columns of Coregean newspapers reported eagerly on every available detail of the young prince’s life. Many mothers endeavored to imitate Elystan’s clothing, toys, etc. for their own children. The turnout and responses to Elystan’s investiture as Prince of Arclis in 1906 indicate that he (or at least the image Talfrin and his regime promoted) was popular. After the abdication, however, public views changed considerably, with attention turning to the new king.

[6] The last time we met, I was enjoying my accustomed excellent health: Elystan’s assessment of his health is blatantly false but in keeping with his established public image. Talfrin, as the first of his dynasty, did not wish his line to appear weak and thus saw to it that his only surviving heir was never known to have any significant health problems. Elystan’s isolation at Endean House, far away from Loriston, helped conceal this, and any visible signs of frailty were downplayed in photographs and public appearance through costuming tricks and, on occasion, “painting.”

[7] Our royal visitors from last autumn can attest that I was able to entertain them alongside my dear brother the King and my mother the Queen Dowager: Elystan was indeed present during the ill-fated September 1907 state visit of Queen Rietta of Faysmond and her mother; and King Odren of Lienne and his daughters. Elystan’s name is listed among the dinner guests at Rhosemore Palace on the night the 1907 uprising began.

[8] By the time of the unrest, I had an ordinary cold—nothing serious but enough to keep me in bed during what followed: Following his time at Chandemothe Castle during the 1907 uprising, Elystan was treated for bronchitis that later developed into pneumonia. The testimonies given after the attempted abduction of King Delclis include a statement under oath from Elystan himself confessing his active role in the events of the evening. These testimonies would have been made public by the time Elystan wrote this letter.

[9] When I had recovered, I waited for the King my brother to send for me from Endean House. I don’t know if he forgot or if he was too preoccupied to think of his own brother. I never had even a letter from him or the Queen my mother. My correspondence seemed to fall on deaf ears. I continued to devote myself to my studies, praying every day to be reunited with my family: Elystan omits that during this time, he did visit Loriston. Prime Minister Sir Jowan Mitchett-Scorbrook’s records indicate that on 8 January 1908, he went with Elystan to the Citidel Prison and afterward lunched with him. Further details of this encounter are unknown, and there is no indication that Elystan visited his mother or brother during this visit. Furthermore, his academic records from early 1908 do not corroborate the claim of devotion to studies; his lessons came to an abrupt stop.

[10] I suffered an illness I had never before encountered. None of the doctors (sent by my brother’s household) could account for it. They did nothing to treat it. My condition worsened: Elystan’s personal physician Alpin Gillisall and Valan Folant, a local physician, treated Elystan for gastritis in January 1908. Gillisall’s reports indicate that the patient was peculiarly unreceptive to treatment but that the symptoms seemed to subside somewhat within a few days and were not severe enough to merit any great concern.

[11] I will spare the gentle readers of this newspaper the unpleasant details of what I suffered, but let us describe it as an illness digestive in nature. I noticed that its attacks always followed meals. Such reactions, of course, are quite unusual for one of my constitution. My habits had not changed: These claims are not consistent with Gillisall’s reports, which mention a sudden lack of appetite starting around this time, or with Elystan’s medical history.

[12] the learned doctors would not help me: In February 1908, Gillisall took a leave of absence to attend to family concerns, and Folant was informed that his services were no longer required.

[13] I found that my symptoms were consistent with those of poisoning. I told this to a doctor, but he dismissed the notion: Gillisall’s reports do not mention such a conversation with the patient but refer to signs of “nervousness.”

[14] My symptoms have not ceased, despite my best attempts to avoid whatever is harming me: A report from Folant, who returned in June 1908 to examine Elystan at Queen Bethira’s behest, mentions no symptoms of poison but diagnoses neurasthenia instead.

[15] You would hardly know me if you saw me: The photographs of a convalescent Elystan taken by Bethira during her stay with him in the summer of 1908 do strikingly differ with images of him known to the public.

[16] This person has grown poison in his own gardens, experimented upon it in his own laboratory, and attended a Hallowe’en party in the character of Deadly Nightshade: The “poison” grown and experimented upon by Delclis might refer to such plants as foxglove (Digitalis), whose medical uses Delclis examined for an essay assigned by his tutor around 1906. There are photographs of Delclis in a makeshift “Deadly Nightshade” costume at a 1905 Hallowe’en party, but how Elystan, who did not attend the party, knew about this is unclear.

[17] I have heard him joke about poisoning people whom he dislikes: No such statement occurs in any of Delclis’s correspondence or in reliably reported accounts of conversation with him.

[18] I have evidence that this person is not above taking a life if he can rationalize it: This is probably in reference to Delclis’s government’s handling of the 1907 uprising.

[19] He has always disliked me: Although the half-brothers do not seem to have been close as children, there are no signs that there was any especial animosity on Delclis’s side. Some of Delclis’s earliest letters are notes addressed to his young brother with conventional expressions of affection.

[20] He would not hesitate to harm me if he could: In light of Elystan’s confession to his participation in the 1907 uprising, Mitchett-Scorbrook pushed for trial of the twelve-year-old Elystan as an adult. Delclis refused to even consider this proposition and insisted on granting his brother a pardon, citing the boy’s youth as a mitigating circumstance.

[21] the so-called innocent boy king: Delclis’s regime’s strategy for endearing the new king to the public was to present him as very young and guileless. At the beginning of Delclis’s reign, he often appeared in white clothing designed to give him a youthful, ethereal look, most notably at his coronation. This image was difficult to maintain after the 1907 uprising.

[22] My mother has aided and abetted my brother in his heartless deeds. She does not care about me any more than he does: Bethira did not play an active role in the decisions of Delclis’s government after the 1907 uprising. Days after Elystan penned these words, she came to Endean and stayed with him for the rest of the summer.

[23] I am Corege’s last hope; you all are mine: This statement strongly suggests that Elystan at this point viewed himself as the rightful heir to the Coregean throne, which in addition to his assuming titles no longer his own and accusing the King of attempted murder would have been more than enough to convict him of seditious libel, if not treason, had this letter been published.

[24] for the sake of one whom you once loved: This likely refers to Talfrin.

#The Blackberry Bushes #The Blackberry Bushes short stories #Elystan's Infamous Lamplight Letter #A Visit from the Murderess #my writing #Elystan Liddick

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isfjmel-phleg · 8 months

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Who is Elystan?

Today, October 31, is my OC Elystan's birthday.

Bio

Elystan Allister Philimond Talfrin Liddick is the only surviving child of King Talfrin of Corege and his wife Bethira. Just barely surviving, actually--he has a variety of health problems, including severe asthma and a heart condition. For the sake of his health (and to keep this embarrassing fact as much out of the public eye as possible), he has grown up in a separate household from his parents, at a country estate alongside his half-brother Delclis and cared for a full-time live-in nurse who has become more of a mother figure to him than Bethira. Elystan is bright, imaginative, and eager to explore all life's possibilities and someday become the dynamic monarch his father wants him to be, but he's also physically limited, socially isolated, and struggles with his father's inconsistent affection and dismissal.

So he's developed a mixture of denying his illnesses or using them to manipulate, depending on the situation. The combination of being heir to the throne and a semi-invalid who mustn't be upset in any way hasn't been good for him, and he's rather a self-centered, conniving little jerk when introduced.

And then his father unexpectedly is forced to abdicate. The throne goes not to Elystan but to Delclis, and Elystan is left without a title and without his beloved father after Talfrin goes into exile. But before long, Talfrin heads a revolt to retake the throne and enlists Elystan's ready assistance. They do not succeed.

From there, things go from bad to worse for an increasingly embittered Elystan, culminating in a rashly written and treasonous letter that leads his mother to get involved and send him off to boarding school, where he'll be sure to make plenty of friends, stay busy with his studies, and won't be able to cause Delclis any further trouble--won't he?

Why I Love Him

He's probably the least likeable of my main cast. He's a total jerk. He persists in being a total jerk. He wants friends but is horrible to every potential connection. He wants to be loved but is nothing but difficult to his entire family, except his father, who is the worst possible influence. All his attachment figures leave him. He's afraid of death but pretends he isn't. He acts superior but privately hates himself for not living up to the model of vigorous masculinity that his father wants him to be. He thinks he's the smartest person in the room. He usually isn't. He has an active sense of humor and loves the sound of his own voice. He wears ridiculously garish dressing gowns. He's the worst. Maybe he doesn't have to be that forever. Maybe he can grow. Maybe even someone like him can be worth caring about.

Description

For someone so small for his age, Elystan had presence. He was as slight and fragile as if constructed out of paper, but he held his head high, his scissor-snipped features in their narrow face on full display, pale against his black hair. His large blue eyes and the crook of amusement in the corner of his mouth did not seem to belong to the same face. He chattered authoritatively, with no apparent concern for the breathless thinness of his voice and the coughs that often punctuated his sentences. Very few people ever came close enough to notice the faint blueness in his complexion or the dark rims of his eyes, and even fewer had ever caught the times when his carefully trained regal posture slipped into a bent back and high shoulders, as if he were transforming into a question mark.

Further Info

There are lists of random OC facts for him here and here. These are somewhat old lists, created when I was still trying to more fully develop the character, and I might need to revisit/rethink them, but you get the idea.

Appearances

In a Nutshell (at age ten)

Curative (also at age ten)

Book 2 Chapter Eight from Elystan’s POV (probably will not remain canon since I need to overhaul this story but I still think his POV here is fun)

Elystan's Infamous Lamplight Letter (shortly before Book 3)

A Visit from the Murderess (shortly before Book 3)

Elystan meets Morstyn Hollock (some point during Book 3)

A Christmas Chapter (Elystan’s POV) (some point during Book 3)

He also has supporting/minor roles in

Seeing the Elephant

A Building Project

Prequel scene for Book 2

Book 2 Chapter Two

Book 2 Chapter Three

Book 2 Chapter Four

Book 2 Chapter Six

Picnic in the Clock Tower

Book 3 Chapter Two

A Christmas Chapter: Tamett's POV

A Christmas Chapter: Josiah's POV

#The Blackberry Bushes #The Blackberry Bushes OC facts #Elystan Liddick

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isfjmel-phleg · 2 months

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@brown-little-robin replied to your post: last song listened to: "Extraordinary Machine" by...

Extraordinary machine!! Elystan!!! you will HAVE to expand on that at some point bc I know the song but am too 100% tired to grasp why it's a him song right now

Okay, so this is Book 3 Elystan.

I certainly haven't been shopping for any new shoes And I certainly haven't been spreading myself around

After the disastrous attempted coup he got mixed up in toward the end of Book 2, resulting in his narrowly escaping implication and his father being executed, he has retreated to his house in the country and basically become a shut-in. He stays in his room, stays in his bed, sees no one.

I still only travel by foot and by foot it's a slow climb But I'm good at being uncomfortable so I can't stop changing all the time

Not literally traveling by foot, but he has physical limitations that make navigating life difficult, but he's used to that and thereby used to adapting. He thinks he's adapting well here.

I noticed that my opponent is always on the go And won't go slow, so 's not to focus, and I notice He'll hitch a ride with any guide, as long as They go fast from whence he came

This is Delclis, whom Elystan currently regards as his mortal enemy. From Elystan's perspective, Delclis has been keeping himself so busy with the responsibilities of being king that he has no time to focus on anything that he has left behind since taking that role. And although Elystan would probably rather die than admit to himself, that would include his relationship with Elystan. Not that Delclis ever had much time to bond with Elystan even before becoming now, but now there's nothing whatsoever between them, as far as Elystan can see, and that hurts.

"Any guide" is Delclis's Prime Minister, Sir Jowan Mitchett-Scorbrook. Elystan hates this man after a traumatic thing that Sir Jowan put him through, and he thinks that Delclis both approved that incident and is on board with Sir Jowan's agenda. Which, as far as Elystan is concerned is to completely change Delclis into a ruthless king.

But he's no good at being uncomfortable, so He can't stop staying exactly the same

Elystan knows that Delclis doesn't handle pressure well, and he believes his brother is always going to retain his worst traits. He's not adaptable, not like Elystan.

If there was a better way to go then it would find me I can't help it, the road just rolls out behind me

Elystan considers his response to his situation the best and most reasonable one. He is surviving, where his father tragically didn't.

Be kind to me, or treat me mean I'll make the most of it, I'm an extraordinary machine

And he tells himself that he doesn't care how his family treats him. He will emerge victorious. He always has.

I seem to you to seek a new disaster every day You deem me due to clean my view and be at peace and lay

The family is getting frustrated with him for stunts like the Infamous Lamplight Letter. They want him to keep his head down and stay out of the political picture, where he can't cause any trouble.

I mean to prove I mean to move in my own way and say I've been getting along for long before you came into the play

But Elystan will not be told what to do. As far as he's concerned, he's been doing this longer than Delclis (he was heir to the throne from birth, Delclis was a nobody who got the throne suddently foisted upon him).

I am the baby of the family, it happens So, everybody cares and wears the sheep's clothes While they chaperone

But because he is the youngest, the family treats him like a child (...which he still is, but don't tell him that), trying to look after him and express what he considers false concern.

Curious, you looking down your nose at me, while you appease Courteous, to try and help But let me set your mind at ease

Again, from his perspective, the family puts on a show of solicitude while holding him in contempt for what he and his father tried to do. So he sarcastically addresses them, trying to get them off his back.

Do I so worry you, you need to hurry to my side? It's very kind

This is what his mother does in "A Visit from the Murderess." He is sarcastic about what he believes is false kindness--this woman allowed his father to die, after all.

But it's to no avail; and I don't want the bail I promise you, everything will be just fine

He thinks being sent to school is his alternative to prison, and he's not on board with the idea. He has his own plans, and he can look after himself "just fine" without the family's help.

...or at least that's where my brain goes. Could be a stretch! I tend to be too prone to fit songs to whoever's been on the brain recently.

#The Blackberry Bushes #Elystan Liddick

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isfjmel-phleg · 8 months

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Elystan wasn't entirely forgotten in the several months between his encounter with the Prime Minister and the infamous Lamplight letter incident.

Amarantha was living a short train ride away from his house at the time, and she came to see him. Multiple times. Brought him a Christmas present she made. Played board games with him. Made him laugh once or twice. Did some laughing of her own because Elystan even in a bad place hasn't lost his humor, even if it's gone dark and sardonic.

Something happened to make those visits stop, but they did happen, and they meant more than he knows how to express.

#The Blackberry Bushes #Elystan Liddick #Amarantha Melbray #maybe we'll get a peek at one of these visits #I like their post-Book 2 interactions and want more of them #they have a long way to go to get there but...they're siblings #for all practical purposes they are to each other the sister and brother each never had #and SPOILER ALERT (I guess) they will grow up to be creative collaborators

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isfjmel-phleg · 1 year

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My Stories by Protagonist/POV Character

Not a complete list, but I thought it might be helpful if you were interested in reading stories by whichever OC they pertain to.

Rachel

Book 1 Chapter One

Book 1 Chapter Two

Possibly noncanon scene between Rachel and her sister Addie

Rachel also appears in some of Rietta's stories below: the other POV of Book 1 Chapter Two, "Venturing In," and "The Boy with the Botanical Box."

Rietta

The Other Side of the Door (at age thirteen)

Horrid Old Beautiful Ruin (shortly before Book 1)

Over the Boundary Wall (shortly after Book 1 Chapter One)

Book 1 Chapter Two from Rietta's POV

Venturing In (later in Book 1)

The Boy with the Botanical Box (still later in Book 1)

Short dialogue between Rietta and Delclis (unspecified later date)

She also briefly appears in Book 2 Chapter Four, in Amarantha's section below.

Delclis

Seeing the Elephant (at age ten)

A Building Project (at age eleven)

Correspondence (shortly before Book 1--I am less fond of this early experimental piece and it may not remain canon)

The Breakfast Room (shortly before Book 3)

He also appears in "In a Nutshell" (in Elystan's section below), the prequels scene for Book 2 and Book 2 Chapter Four (both in Amarantha's section below), and is quoted in a letter in Elystan's POV of "A Christmas Chapter."

Elystan

In a Nutshell (at age ten)

Curative (also at age ten)

Book 2 Chapter Eight from Elystan’s POV (probably will not remain canon since I need to overhaul this story but I still think his POV here is fun)

Elystan's Infamous Lamplight Letter (shortly before Book 3)

A Visit from the Murderess (shortly before Book 3)

Elystan meets Morstyn Hollock (some point during Book 3)

A Christmas Chapter (Elystan’s POV) (some point during Book 3)

He also appears in "Seeing the Elephant" and "A Building Project" (in Delclis's section above), Prequel scene for Book 2; Chapters Two, Three, Four, and Six of Book 2; and "Picnic in the Clock Tower" (in Amarantha's section below), Book 3 Chapter Two (in Tamett's section below), and both Tamett's and Josiah's versions of "A Christmas Chapter."

Amarantha

Prequel scene for Book 2

Short dialogue between Amarantha and her father (before Book 2)

Revised Book 2 Chapter One

Early Morning Tea (set immediately after Book 2 Chapter One)

Revised Book 2 Chapter Two

Revised Book 2 Chapter Three

Revised Book 2 Chapter Four

Revised Book 2 Chapter Five

Revised Book 2 Chapter Six

Picnic in the Clock Tower (later in Book 2)

Tell Me Where You Live (sketch)

Speaking to a Housemaid (sometime in Book 3)

Portrait of the Monarch as a Young Woman (sometime in Book 4)

She also appears in Elystan's POV of Book 2 Chapter Eight and Elystan's POV of "A Christmas Chapter."

Tamett

A Selection of Letters Related to Tamett Lockridge, 1903 (at age eight)

A Little Violin Music (at age twelve)

Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family (before Book 3)

Book 3 Chapter One (this and the following chapter are subject to change)

Book 3 Chapter Two

A Christmas Chapter (Tamett’s POV) (during Book 3)

He also appears in Josiah's and Elystan's POVs of "A Christmas Chapter."

Josiah

Constellation of Six (at age six)

Incognito (during Book 3)

A Christmas Chapter (Josiah’s POV) (during Book 3)

He also appears in "Speaking to a Housemaid" (in Amarantha's section above); "A Selection of Letters," "Selections from the Correspondence of the Lockridge Family," and Book 3 Chapters One and Two (in Tamett's section above); and Tamett's and Elystan's POVs of "A Christmas Chapter."

#The Blackberry Bushes #The Blackberry Bushes index #my writing #probably other things that I will tag later

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