#i have an headcanon is that she didn't died from illness but she was poisoned by her rivals

[castlephantom]

Is said that Elisabetha died from an illness but my biggest questioning is: "What was the illness?"

Acording to search from internet that I found the most common diseases in Middle Ages were dysentery, malaria, diphtheria, flu, typhoid, smallpox and leprosy. And we all know that the hygiene was limited in that time period.

Whatever was the case, the average life expectancy at birth was around 30 years in that time period, rare case if they where people live over the 40's (since Rinaldo himself in his late 40's).

[silverloreley]

What are your headcanons about Anthony Tremaine?

Anthony is perhaps the secondary VK that was best outlined in the first book so I have a pretty complicated idea about him.

His father is the baker from the second Cinderella movie. The man (I call him Will, short for Willhelm) chose to move to the Isle with Anastasia when she was sentenced, the one big proof of love that was both a source of mockery and envy on the Isle (and also gained him Lady Tremaine's respect). Anthony is secretly proud of it, of being one of the few, if not the only, child of the Isle born out of genuine and lasting love. He'd deny it to death, though, it doesn't help his reputation, you see?

He's blonde, like his father, and has his grandmother's eyes, and overall he's a handsome boy. The whole thing is ruined by the eternal disdain painted on his face.

He should have been the third child but Anastasia had a miscarriage due to food poisoning and the other baby died during the first big wave of illness on the Isle before Anthony was born, leaving him the first Tremaine grandkid.

Anastasia had some serious postpartum depression, it got better only when Anthony was about four and she saw he was beginning to learn to read already. It never left for good, but Anthony knows the best ways to take her out of her spirals. Unfortunately, it also meant he spent more time with his grandmother than with his mother in his formative years, and it shows: Lady Tremaine focused on him the most out of all her grandkids as soon as she was sure he'd survive infancy and had great expectations for him to become the leader of the family. This is where his fixation with being called Lord Tremaine came from.

He's the smartest of his siblings (he has two younger sisters) and cousins (with Dizzy being his only competitor, although she would never do it on purpose, she's just smart in her own way). That isn't good for his superiority complex.

Actually, he has both an inferiority and a superiority complex. Yes, it's possible. He thinks he's the best in many ways, yet he's painfully aware there are more powerful and better-educated people than him even on the Isle, which makes him try to look his best in appearance and manners to overcompensate.

If he had grown in Auradon (as he should have!) he would have been a much nicer person. He'd still hate manual jobs and getting his hands dirty in general, so maybe he wouldn't have helped his father with the bakery any more than he does on the Isle (the bakery was the only thing that kept the Tremaines afloat before Lady T had the idea of the hair salon). He would have been able to steer Chad in a better direction too and the two of them would have been rather close in a kind of Anthony is the brain, Chad the muscles thing. Pity it didn't happen.

On the other hand, it's good for his cousins he was on the Isle, many of them benefited from his protective instinct. In fact, he's their main protector, as he considers it his duty as the future head of the family.

He's protective of his relatives in cruel ways, and although he hates getting his hands dirty, he can pull out a knife from his sleeve faster than anyone and isn't afraid of using it to spill blood, but only as a last resort, he's a gentleman, you see, gentlemen don't get bloody. Same with scissors, no one would dare to face Anthony Tremaine inside Curl Up and Dye where there are so many scissors. He has fun ruining the hair of his opponents, especially the vain ones, and keeps trinkets he steals during fights like trophies.

He loves his father a lot. Like a whole lot. He admires his grandmother the most, sure, and loves his mother too, but his father is his rock. He's the only one who never judges Anthony, who always has a nice word for all kids, and who works so hard to be there for them all. Will is a bit dumb at times and he can't fight that well (Anthony had to learn that on his own) but he's strong and can protect the family if needed (and it was needed, more than once), and that, on the Isle, means a lot.

As his father is considered among the Villains-by-association, he can't die as any other of them. But he did fall in the Sleep a few times, which led Anthony to be the "man of the house" for the moment being. Yes, his uncle was there too, but Anastasia's children listen more to Anthony than to anyone else.

He's actually afraid of the idea of going to Auradon and finding himself inferior to the kids there. He's aware of the poverty and lack of status he'd have outside the Isle and prefers to cling to the privileges he has already, as he knows he wouldn't have that kind of influence outside. That doesn't mean he's unhappy when Dizzy is invited to Auradon, he just doesn't want to go there himself.

[cto10121]

5. R&J lose it, Nurse and Friar verbally bitch-slap them into sense

The townsmen waxen strong, the Prince doth send his force; The fray hath end. The Capulets bring the breathless corse

You know, I think Shakespeare actually alluded to the town-wide war and there only being on casualty by Lady Capulet saying “Some twenty of them fought in this black strife / And all those twenty could but kill one life.” So in-universe, is the Brooke version just Capulet propaganda? (Headcanon accepted).

And other some bewail, but ladies most of all, The luckless lot by Fortune’s guilt that is so late befall, Without his fault, unto the seely Romeus; For whilst that he from native land shall live exiléd thus, From heavenly beauty’s light and his well-shapéd parts, The sight of which was wont, fair dames, to glad your youthful hearts, Shall you be banished quite, and till he do return, What hope have you to joy, what hope to cease to mourn?

Gotta appreciate Brooke giving Romeus actual stans. “But he killed a guy!!!” “And???? He looked sexy doing it”

This Romeus was born so much in heaven’s grace, Of Fortune and of Nature so beloved, that in his face, Beside the heavenly beauty glist’ring aye so bright, And seemly grace that wonted so to glad the seer’s sight

You could make a drinking game out of every time this poet talks about Romeus’ hotness, one shot per line. Is this really the time? Really, poet?

She cried, “O cursed window, accursed be every pane Through which, alas, too soon I raught the cause of life and bane

Juliet is so upset she is cursing the window for letting in Romeus. Someone stop her!!!!

“But if you did so much the blood of Capels thirst, Why have you often sparéd mine?—mine might have quenched it first?”

Okay, I’ll give you this, it's a baller.

The nurse supposed that she had paid to death her debt, And then, as she had lost her wits, she cried to Juliet: “Ah, my dear heart,” quoth she, “how grieveth me thy death?”

Tfw you’re mourning your fugitive boyfriend’s exile so hard your nurse comes in and thinks you’ve died because you’re lying still, pale, and cold :(((((( So yes, Juliet does faint from the grief and the Nurse has to pinch her nose, put hot clothes on her chest, and pour some juice down her throat (in that order!). And sits her down to deliver this:

Her nurse then answered thus: "Methinks it sits you ill To fall in these extremities that may you guiltless spill. [...] You are accounted wise, a fool am I your nurse; But I see not how in like case I could behave me worse. [...] Let it suffice to thee, fair dame, that Romeus doth live, And that there is good hope that he, within a while, With greater glory shall be called home from his hard exile.

Interestingly enough, the Nurse verbally bitch-slaps Juliet to sense here. I prefer the Shakespeare characterization of the Nurse and the Friar, and it does make much more sense for the Friar to be the one with this speech, since the Nurse is established to be more sympathetic to Juliet's feelings even in the narrative poem. The Friar is the one who doesn't quite understand the nature of R&J's love. If he had, I think he would never have came up with the poison plan. But that is discussion for another post. How does Romeus react to the tidings of his banishment?

These heavy tidings heard, his golden locks he tare, And like a frantic man hath torn the garments that he ware. And as the smitten deer in brakes is walt'ring found, So wal'treth he, and with his breast doth beat the trodden ground. He rises eft, and strikes his head against the walls, He falleth down again, and loud for hasty death he calls. "Come speedy death," quoth he, "the readiest leech in love"

The answer is worse. Mon dieu. Even Shakespeare Romeo didn't have a death wish straightaway, only when he thought Juliet rejected him and was suffering because of him. And what does this Friar do?

These things the ancient friar with sorrow saw and heard, Of such beginning, eke the end, the wise man greatly feared. But lo, he was so weak, by reason of his age, That he ne could by force repress the rigour of his rage. His wise and friendly words he speaketh to the air, For Romeus so vexéd is with care and with despair, That no advice can pierce his close forestoppéd ears; So now the friar doth take his part in shedding ruthful tears.

Nothing!!!!! Incredible!!!! And after Romeus starts cursing the day he was born and the nurse who milked him—oh, wait, here you go.

"Art thou," quoth [the Friar], "a man? Thy shape saith, so thou art; Thy crying and thy weeping eyes denote a woman's heart. For manly reason is quite from off thy mind outchased, And in her stead affections lewd and facies highly placed: So that I stood in doubt, this hour, at the least, If thou a man or woman wert, or else a brutish beast."

So now the Friar decides to verbally bitch-slap him into sense...for four whole pages (ouch). I miss Shakespeare's economy so much, it hurts. He takes a quarter of the lines Brooke does.