#the king's assassin

[k-wame]

Upcoming Sky Atlantic/AMC TV Limited Series 'Mary & George' adaptation by Creator D.C. Moore.

[thomasbrodiesandwich]

these mary and george parallels have been living in my head rent free ever since i've watched it...

[honey-bri-books]

Nicholas Galitzine, Tony Curran ~ Mary and George

[libraryleopard]

The TV show Mary and George premiered in the UK and has gotten some good reviews which reminds me that i read The King's Assassin by Benjamin Woolley, the book it's based on, back over Christmas break and I should stick my thoughts here for posterity so I can compare later

So the political machinations and scheming and gay drama in the court of King James VI and I is some really interesting history and I have to say I did enjoy reading the sections that are just really wild historical anecdotes (George Villiers and James's son, Charles, go on a TRULY wild road trip to Spain in an attempt to secure a match for Charles that has a truly comedic and jaw-dropping number of ridiculous problems and I had a fantastic time relaying that story to many people)

It seemed clear to me that Woolley did his research—there is an extensive list of primary sources included at the back and his understanding of how James’s favorites played into the broader political and religious maneuvering of the time is very thoroughly laid out (there is a LOT about parliamentary meetings and promotions and papal dispensation)

What I thought was weird about how the book is advertised is that the title and description HEAVILY emphasize that Woolley has new cutting-edge evidence to prove that George Villiers assassinated King James which is a) not actually a huge part of the book (literally the epilogue, maybe 20 pages out of almost 300) and b) not…that convincing?

Certainly there’s a LOT of ruthless behavior done by the Villiers family and the political environment of the time is one in which assassination, even of the king, is totally on the table, but Woolley’s new evidence is that he…described the situation to a forensics expert who said he thought James had been poisoned while being treated for malaria? That’s it!

And like, cutting-edge medicine of this time literally included “smearing brick dust and oil on the king to cure him of gout” so I’m not convinced that James wasn’t just killed by a bunch of 17th-century physicians just not knowing how to treat malaria TBH

Also how do you even get malaria in 17th-century England…?

I think when you’re analyzing the death of a king from the 17th century you can’t really rely on forensics to prove he was murdered because you can’t exactly do an autopsy, and I think if Woolley wanted to convince me that Villiers murdered the king he should have backed it up with some solid analysis of why Villiers would have murdered the man who raised him up from a backwater noble second son of a second marriage to one of the most influential men in England and the most Woolley managed was “well maybe George Villiers and Prince Charles liked the vibe of how monarchy functioned in Spain [a country they were in active conflict with at this time so I feel like would not have been a role model??] and murdered James together so they could create a new monarchy” which is literally introduced in the final paragraph of the book (that is a very silly way to organize your argument)

Also I was unsatisfied by how Woolley analyzes the queer aspect of the history he's discussing

It’s not that the book no-homos the relationships between King James I and his “favorites,” because Woolley does clearly understand these relationships were romantic/sexual even if these men were both married to women and had children with them, but the book seemingly has no interest in analyzing what it means for the king of England and Scotland to have fairly public relationships with men in a country in which sex between men could be considered a capital offense punishable by death and I was frustrated by the fact that Woolley simply doesn’t touch on how the relationships and historical figures he’s discussing in his book fit into queer history, it seemed odd to not touch on it at all??

Also, this book taught me that the novel Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston is incorrect for saying that King James met George Villiers at a jousting tournament! That was Robert Carr, James’s previous favorite who Villiers replaced (George Villiers met James I because he was a cupbearer at court).

My ultimate analysis of the book was that I think the history it's drawing on has the possibility to make a REALLY fascinating TV show but I thought the book was not improved by some weak analysis of James's possible assassination

Also, I am very excited that Julianne Moore's Mary has a high billing in the TV show and seems to have a lot to do because I found her a very fascinating historical figure (she tried to steal bales of wool from her second husband to sell for her own profits and when she was caught just said she needed the money to pay off debts!), but she basically drops out of Woolley's book once George is instated as the king's favorite

If this show is good I am going to be so annoying about it and I'm not sorry

[kazz-brekker]

started reading the king's assassin by benjamin woolley, the book about james i and george villiers that's being adapted into the tv show mary and george, while visiting relatives for thanksgiving, and i feel like i was maybe making some interesting expressions that i'm glad no one asked me about

[james-vi-stan-blog]

Ok my personal response to The King’s Assassin. From the perspective of a layperson who is not in any form a historian, merely a fan of James VI/I. Edit I also fixed the author’s name in my post, I dunno HOW I messed that up, fever scrambled my branes.

I don’t hate the book, and it would be wildly arrogant of me to say “it’s bad! It’s inaccurate!” when I know like 5 things, have read a handful of books and have to scrape my meager knowledge outta JSTOR allowance and what my library has. And overall, I think it actually does a great job of introducing the different factions involved, the shifts in politics as they happen, and presenting loads and LOADS of interesting anecdotes in order of their occurrence. It’s highly readable and takes you on this rollicking adventure through a twisting and turning, but comprehensible narrative.

But… I think that’s its core problem. It’s a narrative. Woolley is telling a story from history, with themes and characters and surprise reveals. Woolley has a particular vision of George Villiers as a villain protagonist with an arc, and writes almost from a third person omniscient perspective. And I think this is to the book’s detriment. The full complexity of human beings, who can’t be boiled down to archetypes and who aren’t on coherent trajectories and don't have arcs, gets flattened.

It’s very, VERY credulous in general. Basically, any rumor that ever existed is included. All accounts are essentially trusted with no interrogation of political slant or provenance. As a James fan, I noticed the unquestioning use of Weldon and Eglisham in particular; since my knowledge is limited I can’t say what other questionable sources were used, but this review calls it out for heavily using an alleged hoax. The epilogue and “““proof””” of the poisoning is especially weird. (Leanda de Lisle's review talks about it. Listen to her, an actual historian who knows actual things, not me)

On the one hand, this maximally inclusive approach brings in all kinds of tales that an unfamiliar reader might not have heard of, giving the most colorful possible account. But I felt that mixing in the extremely dubious sources with the reliable ones, distinguishing them little in the text and using unnumbered endnotes, is really deceptive and misleads the reader about the certainty of the narrative Woolley favors.

As far as what this means for Mary & George… I mean. The book is a titillating account of lurid scandal. And we already knew the series is going to be a titillating account of lurid scandal. Expect the series based on a book that already incorporates fiction and wild speculation to become even more fictionalized and speculative for the sake of drawing in viewers who want to watch and thirst over while also judging bad people who do bad things.

But that’s what all historical dramas are like and have been like forever. Especially the general time period—the Tudors have gotten this treatment forever. Viewership and big bucks don’t come for “documentary with re-enactment”. And in general, people don’t find history worth watching unless there’s butts and boobies.

Sure, I’ll be disappointed if when the drama inserts loads of stuff that definitely never happened for sexXxyness. Yeah, I’ll be bummed out when it conforms to traditional depictions of historical figures that were codified by agenda-laden traditions. But this always happens. And you know, if a bare butt gets someone to watch who would otherwise have never known about the incredible queer drama that played out in the Jacobean court, who probably doesn’t even know Buckingham from the Three Musketeers, I’m happy. Because even though it didn’t happen as M&G is gonna depict it, it did happen in the broad strokes, these people were real, and that’s been largely buried and forgotten.

The world NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT JAMES. And even if the picture someone comes away with is inaccurate, at least they will know he existed and loved men, and just that fact now being in their brain will please me so much.

[tailsbeth-writes]

Thanks for the tag @heybuddy-drabbles!

Last Song: Death of a Party - Blur (I've been listening to the All of Us Strangers Soundtrack a lot)

Favourite Colour: Burnt orange (this changes monthly I'd say 😅)

Last Film/Show: Pride/Drag Race Belgium

Sweet/savoury/spicy: Sweet mostly but a lil spicy

Last Thing I Googled: The address of the house my writing group just booked for a retreat ✒️

Last Book: Completed - Honeybloods by I.S. Belle. Currently reading - A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara/The King's Assassin by Benjamin Woolley/Nobody Told Me by Hollie Mcnish (Yes, I'm ridiculous)

Relationship Status: Single

Current Obsessions: Drag Race (I just finished Germany yesterday, watching US & UK Vs The World as they air and I just started Belgium s2 😇), Red, White & Royal Blue and um gender? Figuring myself out has been a journey 😅

Tag you're it: @duchessdepolignaca03 @candyspandemonium @firenati0n @myheartalivewrites @cricketnationrise & open tag as usual 💛

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 170

Once again on my Ras & Danny being training rivals thanks to time travel bullshit. 

Look, Danny knows about the league of Assassins, but he almost dies of laughter when he realizes it’s the modern name of the league of Shadows. He’s an adult now, has been for a while, he’s allowed to find the situation he’s found himself in amusing. Hell, his sparring buddy who is somehow still alive is laughing too. 

And no one else knows what’s going on, okay? This random man walked into their secret base, completely ignored the many assassins trying to stop him, and called their illustrious leader a “Little Bitch Man” and they are now fighting?

The fighting is familiar, but why the fuck is Ras cackling and saying things like “Ayreh Feek” back. Practically saying “Fuck you,” while laughing and oh Pit, they’re Bantering this is terrifying, why has Ras not won yet, why has this man not died yet and- bodies aren’t supposed to bend like that what the fuck- 

Ras on the other hand, has One friend, who is immortal like him, actually remembers the shit he complains about, is also down for saving endangered animals, and actually knows how to spar! It’s not a proper spar unless someone loses at least a hand that has to be reattached! And honestly, people nowadays should know that the proper greeting to an old friend is to instantly try to kill the other. 

[nelkcats]

The Wish

Danny wasn't Desiree, he didn't have the power to fulfill wishes or gain power from it, but he did have subjects. And each of his subjects wanted something different, and since becoming Ghost King he had done his best to fulfill them. Or at least, fulfill the ones that were reasonable.

But there were so many ghosts, many ghosts he didn't know, from all corners of the Infinite Realms, and some had requests that while he could fulfill, maybe it wasn't the best thing for him to do.

The wish he had heard the most was "kill the Joker," Danny didn't know who the Joker was. Maybe a mass murderer taking into account all the angry souls who wanted the same thing. And he would be willing to kill him, but that would be a headache regarding universal balance.

Danny debated how to solve the problem without destroying the delicate balance of the Realms; then he was visited by a soul, a teenager who felt like a ghost but at the same time not (a broken soul? That was rare). The soul had a peculiar request, "let me come back, I will kill the Joker."

Danny frowned, he didn't think creating a halfa with a vengeful obsession was a good idea. But before he could give his verdict, the soul was ripped from his hands.

Danny wanted to deny his request, he wouldn't wish an existence like him on anyone, but if he didn't help that soul might disappear. Such "Lazarus pits" were not infallible, they were rotten, full of contaminated ectoplasm, and Danny knew it (he would have to deal with that later), but he also knew that with a little of his help Jason would survive.

Reluctantly he complied with the teenager's request and Jason returned to the realm of the living. Unbeknownst to Jason he had tied his soul to the King's request (to kill the Joker, not that Jason knew that, or would complain if he ever found out).

Danny, of course, was worried about the boy (halfa?), and decided that if Jason hadn't accomplished his "mission" in about 5 years he would bring him back to the Realms, maybe teach him about everything. He needed to get the kid another obsession anyway.

Bruce never let Jason kill the Joker, and the 5 years went by pretty fast. Danny decided it was time to visit Jason, and maybe take him back.

[alwaysbewoke]

[carlyraejepsans]

sometimes the funny guy armor doesn't work

[k-wame]

NICHOLAS GALITZINE & TONY CURRAN as George Villiers & King James I MARY & GEORGE · Historical Romance · Jacobean England

[space-dreams-world]

All Al Ghuls must Die:

Danny is related to the Bat family in a different way: He is Ra’s Al Ghul father or grandfather.(If you include or exclude Lord Deadman)

Danny during a job for Clockwork, Danny travels back in time and meets Ra’s Al Ghul’s mother or grandmother.

They start a relationship and a baby Ra’s is born. Danny during the time period he is in, actually creates a group to protect the Earth from destroying itself calling it the league of Shadows meant to protect humanity.

Danny is actually the protector of the pits as he was the first ones to discover them. He wrote about them in a journal. He knows that these pits are excess ectoplasm leaking through a rift in the Ghost Zone and know how many spirits would love to come back in the living world.

Basically, Danny forbids anyone who isn’t on the verge of death to use these pits as he know that these pits will twist someone’s mind up and give them liminality as well as slight healing and immortality. At some point Ras ‘ mother dies of old age or disappears and Danny has disappeared back into the timeline.

Ra’s discovers his father’s journal and decides to exploit his knowledge to insure he stays in power. He kills all of his father’s loyal followers and erases his father’s legacy from the LOS, rebranding that he created the league.

(Those loyal Followers of Danny’s follow him into the GZ and become his new guards once he is king.)

Years pass and dear old Ra’s has gone a little mad with power.

( Ra’s constant uses the pits, has contaminated it, and is willing to drive anyone to madness. Their treatment to keep the pits from shrinking or drying up is slowly not working anymore, and Ra's must face the eventually that he may die.)

[honey-bri-books]

I'm watching both.

[starry-bi-sky]

i have been unmedicated for the entirety of spring break and thus have had little interest in writing this down, but i have been thinking about this for the entire week (as well as a dpdc clone danny au that resulted in it becoming its entirely separate batman au that includes a teenage vigilante bruce wayne, an ocarina, and me entirely incapable of making a batman au without making bruce dirt poor but we're not talking about that) and so i've finally went 'fuck it' and forcibly grabbed my laptop. I will get this done in one sitting even if it kills me.

BUT. This is about neither clone^2 danny nor about who i am calling Ocarina Batman. This is about my Danyal Al Ghul Au and more SPECIFICALLY it's me thinking about his relationship with Sam and Tucker specifically.

Tucker and Sam? Adore this asshole (affectionate) with every fiber of their being. And it is very much a reciprocated feeling, but Danny's thoughts will not be delved into much other than he would kill for them.

Tucker? The only person currently capable of getting a deep, loud, belly laugh out of Danny. Sam can get him to smile and to laugh, but it's the kind that's a chuckle-under-the-breath. The quiet, looks-down-while-huffing laughter. Snorts once with laughter and then grins stupidly.

But Tucker? Tucker can crack a slew of stupid jokes and Danny will be incapacitated for the next five minutes because he's laughing so hard that he can't breath. He lands one well-timed pun or quip and Danny will be close to tears. His laughter is their favorite sound in the whole world.

Sam is lowkey jealous of this ability, and she's gotten a belly laugh out of Danny a few times. But alas, it is Tucker who wields this power and has gotten it the most times out of the two of them.

-

They're also both physically affectionate with Danny as much as possible. It started roughly around when they were 12-ish, a year since they befriended Danny, and they noticed that he sought after touch but never seemed to initiate (and was in some ways repulsed by it). They started slowly being more touchy with him. Hooking a finger around his to lead him somewhere, tapping his wrist, looping arms. Little touches, grabs, etc, to get him used to it, and once he started doing it back they started increasing it.

It's gotten to a point where he will now just. Lay on them. Like a lizard sunbathing on a rock. Leaning on their backs when they're sitting in class before the bell rings, his chin on their heads. He'll talk about anything with his arms looped around their shoulders.

If they're sitting on a couch at either of their houses, he'll lay his legs on theirs. Him and Tucker will press their feet against the other's and try and push against them (newsflash: Danny always wins, Tucker claims its the ghost strength but Danny's been winning since before his accident)

-

Naturally, both Sam and Tucker know where Danny keeps his weapons on his person, and are allowed to grab them off of him if they need it. His only requirement is that they don't lose his weapons if they take it and forget to return it immediately.

They both understand how big of a thing this is from Danny, and so they do their best to treat his weapons with a lot of respect and care because they know its his way of saying he trusts them.

-

Sam and Tucker are so fond of Danny it's insane. Like fr. That's their goddamn best friend, and they are so protective of him. Emotionally, physically, you name it. They will tear the head off a grown man if they need to, Danny's had scars since he arrived in Amity Park and Sam and Tucker both are going to find the person who put them there and make them pay for it.

One time, Tucker overheard a bunch of upperclass girls speaking nastily about Danny and about the rumors surrounding him, calling him names like 'freak', 'monster', etc. Danny was with him and heard it, and seemingly appeared unbothered by it, even telling Tucker that he was used to such rumors.

Tucker was so furious that hacked into the school system later that night and tanked those girls grades. They were kicked out of their clubs and had to go to mandatory tutoring for the rest of the year. He made sure to leave some way of letting them know it was him who did it.

And Sam doesn't like using her money for things, doesn't like abusing that wealth. So instead, whenever her parents talk bad about Danny, she causes a media incident that has her parents scrambling to deal with. She does something wild, outrageous by her parents' standards.

She heard some boys on the basketball team making fun of Danny once, similar to those girls had. She kicks up a fuss about something eco-unfriendly at school and forcibly holds a protest on the same day of the big home basketball game, forcing them to cancel the event and reschedule to a visiting school.

She anonymously donates money so that there's new uniforms for the team but oops! Looks like she "forgot" to donate enough money for them to get uniforms for all the team members, and strangely enough those boys in particular didn't get them! Looks like they'll have to wait until more money gets donated for the basketball team to get their new, nice uniforms. The old ones look so ratty in comparison, right?

And since the football team gets most of the sport money, that might just take awhile. And if (and when) they kick up a fuss? oops! Off the basketball team you go, :) such unsportsman-like behavior is unfit for the team.

(The only good thing about how corrupt the school system is is that she can use it to her advantage too.)

The both of them know that Danny suspects them for the sudden misfortune falling on these people, but he doesn't call them out on it. He's kinder than he used to be, but not kind enough to vouch for people who speak badly of him. Sometimes, he might just congratulate them on not getting caught.

Because Danny is their wonderful, hurt friend with a "slightly" Blue and Orange Moral code, and enough scars that people have been calling him a criminal (and worse) since he arrived in Amity Park when he was ten. And they'll be damned if he gets hurt anymore.

[duskydrawings]

The Pale King and His Pure Vessel