#tudors.intro

[wiltingboleyn-blog]

TWO YEARS LATER...

      Things remained difficult for Margery as she struggled to adjust to the absence of Queen Catherine, her life seemed meaningless and while she often tried to keep up appearances, she was terribly lonely. The stagnancy of her marriage remained, and her cold marriage bed left her with a deep longing for a child. She wondered if she would ever truly be happy again, or if she had ever been happy at all. 

Her family often entertained others, remembers of the nobility which traded favours and promised friendship. There was one particular Lord, a man by the name of Robert who showed her more attention that she ought to, he often made his intentions clear, and at first, she rebuffed his suggestions and advances. But her heart was longing, and the continued absence of Georg, the man whom she loved but received no affection from, made her do something she had sworn never to do... lie with another man. It was over quickly, but young Margery was ridden with guilt. She vowed to work on her marriage, to build something with George which they had never shared.

Margery was delighted that after seven years of marriage she was finally pregnant, and while she was quite confident that it was George’s, there was always the slight fear that it was Robert’s. When her baby boy Henry was born, she felt truly happy. For the first time in her life she felt like her marriage wasn’t a shambles, and she had the baby that she had been longing for so long. 

While babies were rarely permitted at court, Margery was granted leave to have her baby put into the nursery, since she refused to be parted with the child. Her many years of loyalty to Catherine of Aragon had paid off and had certainly not been forgotten, even a couple of years after her death. 

For information prior to the time jump, click here. 

[princcssmary]

☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see MARY TUDOR, the INFANTA OF SPAIN coming this way ?  I hear SHE is STEADFAST, but also OBSTINATE. SHE seems to remind everyone of A GOLDEN CRUCIFIX, FIERY RED HAIR .&. MARBLE STATUES. hopefully one day SHE will succeed in HER ambition to DO JUSTICE TO HER MOTHER’S LEGACY, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope SHE will keep HER head… ( LOTTE VERBEEK ) ━ ━ ☆

I really just couldn’t stop myself!

I’m just going to do the basic run-down on my take on Mary here!

In real life, Mary was born in Februrary 1516, which would have made her only 20. Obviously Lotte Verbeek can’t pass for 20, so I’ve decided to say Mary is older than her brother and was born in 1510 just after her parents’ marriage. However, since she was a girl and a brother was born shortly after, he was made the heir and she was passed over.

In spite of that fact, she was a beloved child, and given all of the privileges appropriate for a Princess. She was taught to read and write in several languages (including Spanish, French, Latin, and Greek), music, dancing, and more.

Like her brother and most other royal and noble children, Mary was raised away from court and away from her parents, with her own home and household staff.

Many possible marriages were arranged for Mary, including possible engagements to the Dauphin of France. However, she was instead betrothed to and married Philip, the son of Charles V of Spain and heir to the Spanish crown.

Mary moved to Spain to marry Philip at the age of 18. Despite years of marriage, Mary has yet to conceive a child. However, she remains hopeful, knowing that she needs to conceive an heir for Spain.

Mary returned to England upon the death of her mother, her first formal trip back since her marriage to Philip. She spent a short amount of time with her father, and has been in England ever since his own death and her brother Henry’s accession to the crown. 

As in real life, Mary is a dedicated, devout Catholic, drawing great inspiration from her mother’s piety.

Mary’s goal while in England is to aid her brother in whatever way she can in the early days of his reign, and to ensure that the legacy of her parents, especially her mother (who she was always closer to) is adequately preserved. She also has a hope to maintain Catholicism in England with her influence.

[bcyerisch]

          ☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see ELISABETH VON WITTLESBACH, the DUCHESS of BAVARIA coming this way ? 

I hear SHE is AMBITIOUS, but also CRUEL. SHE seems to remind everyone of HEAVY BROCADE SILK, THICK DARK BRAIDS, .&. ROPES OF PEARLS. hopefully one day SHE will succeed in HER ambition to SECURE HER HOME IN BAVARIA, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope SHE will keep HER head… ( MARINA ALEKSANDROVNA )

ELISABETH VON WITTLESBACH, DUCHESS OF BAVARIA

duchess suo jure

bad bitch running the show

or at least trying to get back in control of it

catholic monarch surrounded by protestants

is in england to secure military backing so that bavaria can remain catholic and secure

seeks either royal intervention, or a marriage of convenience to secure her army

wants to return to bavaria at all costs

only child, but has three sons (triplets!) of her own from a previous marriage

an absolute drama queen, does The Absolute Most

pages will be up soon!

[ladyxgeorgiana-blog]

☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see GEORGIANA MOUNTBATTEN, the LADY of WARWICK coming this way ?  I hear SHE is KIND, but also NAIVE. SHE seems to remind everyone of MUSIC, SILK, .&. LAUGHTER. hopefully one day SHE will succeed in HER ambition to MAKE HER BROTHERS HAPPY, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope SHE will keep HER head… ( ELLE FANNING ) ━ ━ ☆ as written by STEPHANIE;;  AEST, SHE/HERS, 26. (PHILIP MOUNTBATTEN WC)

x - The youngest sister, Georgiana has always been a little bit spoiled. It’s very hard to say no to her when she’s beaming at you, so no one ever really said no. 

x - Fortunately, this hasn’t spoiled her. While she is naive to how the world really works, she’s very kind to everyone. Especially her brothers. 

x - They are her favourite people in the whole world, which is saying something considering she thinks everyone is amazing. She very much wants to make them happy, even if that means marrying someone she doesn’t love if that’s what is decided - but she really hopes she gets to fall in love, the hopeless romantic. 

x - She really loves art, music, theatre - any form of creativity. She may not be the best ‘student’ of the things she’s supposed to learn, but if you put an instrument in front of her, she’ll pick it up easily. She can watch someone play a piece once, and then mirror it. It’s the only skill she has. 

x - Please come plot with this sweet lil ball of happiness. 

[jewelcvt-blog]

          ☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see PHILLIPA GREY, the LADY of DORSET coming this way ?

 I hear SHE is VIVACIOUS, but also UNYIELDING. SHE seems to remind everyone of NEW STEEL, WILD WINDBLOWN CURLS, .&. BRIGHT RUBIES. hopefully one day SHE will succeed in HER ambition to GAIN A PLACE AT ENGLISH COURT WITHIN HER OWN RIGHT, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope SHE will keep HER head… ( MALIN BUSKA ) ━ ━ ☆ as written by MARA ;; EST, SHE/HER, 19.

PHILLIPA GREY, the short version

tropes: lovable rogue, bastard, tomboy, spitfire

disaster bi

will most likely fight you, probably,

running from a lot of things

a bit hedonistic

very high energy

check out the updates tab on the desktop version of phillipa’s blog for more!

PHILLIPA GREY, the long version

only child of the marquis of dorset to survive childhood, meaning that she had to marry and produce a son for the survival of her father’s title

grew up with a boy’s education in both the arts and athletics, very much a tomboy

had an arranged marriage at age sixteen, fell in love with her husband within the following half-year. she had a son and twin daughters before her husband passed away.

her husband’s sister and her husband agreed to foster her children. phillipa spent a year on the continent before her mother died, so phillipa came back to england

she spends her time at court with other rebels, other social outliers, toeing the line

has a reputation for being loud, feisty, wearing masculine clothing and keeping any one kind of weapon on her at all times. even when she’s wearing skirts. 

MARA, the tired version

i’ve been on this blue hellsite tumblr for, what, six years now?

it’s been 84 years too long

tired and hungry uni student. finally finished with her exams.

open to writing mature material, if there’s a solid base 

come plot with me!

[barbedduchess]

☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see DIANE DE POITIERS, the COUNTESS of SAINT VALLIER, DUCHESS OF BEAUFORT AND VERNEUIL coming this way ?  I hear SHE is WITTY, but also CONTEMPTUOUS. SHE seems to remind everyone of ROSE THORNS, SHARP TANGY WINE, .&. GIFTED JEWELS. hopefully one day SHE will succeed in HER ambition to RETAIN A PROMINENT POSITION AT COURT FOLLOWING HER HUSBAND’S DEATH, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope SHE will keep HER head… ( EMILIA CLARKE  ) ━ ━ ☆ as written by CHARLOTTE ;; GMT, SHE, 24.

Born in early autumn of 1512, it was from the meticulous and coveted teachings of the grand Anne de Beaujeu, that Diane learned her intelligence and cutting wit. The French court was unlike any other and the young girl with moondust in her hair was raised on its gilded surface. She became an enigmatic presence of light and excitement, from hunting to reading, horse riding to dancing, Diane de Poitiers mastered it all. 

Her unique looks often garnered attention, especially given her prominent position in the household of the King’s sister. She had been so named for the Roman Moon Goddess, and it was as though that very beauty had been poured into her. As soon as she arrived at marrying age, many offers were passed towards her father, but it was Louis de Breze that she married at the mere age of 15. 

Despite the constraints of marriage, Diane found that her station was not lessened and she still retained the same level of reverence that she had always held. The name Diane de Poitiers was on the lips of many French courtiers, and she even dared to look royalty in the eye with her gaze of pure sapphire. 

When her father was arrested for treason for a rebellions cause, Diane severed all ties with him and made her presence at court constant. It was a miracle that her husband ever shared any of her time since she was often frolicking with the ladies of the court and dining out with them - flirting shamelessly with the eligible and non-eligible bachelors that frequented such occasions.

By Louis she had two daughters, Francoise and Louise. Young children whom she barely saw, but that was always the way. The nobility rarely saw their off-spring, only on scheduled visits, and she was still hoping for a dashing son. 

When Louis died of old age, since he was far older than she was, she did not weep for a lost love, but instead a lost friend. In their nine years of marriage, she had learned a lot from him and respected his thoughts and opinions - even if he had very little control over his young wife.

As a widower, Diane naively thought that the attention of others might dwindle, but alas it only grew. She had an abundance of wealth and she was a beautiful woman who was unchained, unbound and free to do whatever she wished with her heart. 

[blushofflowers]

                ☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see NALINI RIBEIRO coming this way ? 

I hear SHE is CAPTIVATING, but also SELFISH. SHE seems to remind everyone of FLUSHED CHEEKS, SUMMER BLOOMS, .&. CABOCHON GEMSTONES. hopefully one day SHE will succeed in HER ambition to EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF WHAT THE WORLD HAS TO OFFER, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope SHE will keep HER head… ( PRIYANKA CHOPRA ) ━ ━ ☆ as writ ━ yada yada yada, you know who i am.

baby. tiny baby.

no noble title! so there’s that.

has changed her name more than once.

she’s very soft, very curious, and very irreverent of court etiquette, so her adopted brother has to keep an eye on her, which is hard to do when you’re trying to study and your adopted sister who loves pranks is running around somewhere, probably chasing a butterfly.

profoundly lonely. neglected as a child by her parents and siblings, booked it out of her hometown and arranged marriage, took her half-brothers (who actually acted as brothers) and her maid with her. they hopped on a ship to portugal and never really looked back!

became a mini-conman on her way over to the continent, convinced a portuguese court scholar to invite her, her brother, and her maid back to court as his guests. her other brother fell in love with the sea and decided to become a sailor.

the brother that stayed with her passed about a year after arriving in portugal. she was then adopted by the scholar and his wife, and gained another brother.

loves attention, loves to make people smile.

sticky fingers. sometimes.

i haven’t gotten all her pages & links set up yet, but here’s her bio!

[mistressxliya]

☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see LIYA DA COVILHA , the LADY of PORTUGAL AND SPY FOR ETHIOPIA coming this way ?  I hear SHE is FRIENDLY, but also LONELY. SHE seems to remind everyone of GOLD, THE GLARING SUN, .&. BRIGHT COLOURS. hopefully one day SHE will succeed in HER ambition to BECOME A MISTRESS, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope SHE will keep HER head… ( GUGU MBATHA-RAW ) ━ ━ ☆ as written by STEPHANIE;;  AEST, SHE/HERS, 26.

x - The daughter of Pêro da Covilhã and the daughter of an Ethiopian woman, Liya grew up as both a privileged woman and one who feared for her life. Her father was a Portuguese explorer and diplomat sent to both form relationships with Ethiopia and to spy on them. While he was well liked there, given land and titles (Shum Agame), he was also a prisoner of state. Liya spent her childhood with all the advantages of her title, never wanting for anything but freedom. She always knew there was a knife hanging over her head. Rather than be afraid, she shone so brightly that she didn’t fear being forgotten. When she was in her teens, more Portuguese diplomats arrived. Her father arranged for her brother to be sent back with them, officially for his education and with the agreement he would be Ethiopia’s diplomat. Carlos, her brother, insisted that Liya be sent with him.

x - And so she travelled to the land she felt she knew from her father’s stories, only to feel just out of place. Not that she ever showed discomfort, growing up to charm everyone she met with her vivacity. She could still only trust her brother, helping him to share information back with their people. No one suspected the playful lady, after all, even if they might look at her brother with suspicion.

x - With Ethiopia at war, their role became much more serious. Carlos arranged for Portugal to support their homeland, but the war still seems to go against them. Although she bears no love for either land, she didn’t desire to see her brother die in the war, and she knows he wishes to fight. Instead, they have been granted permission from both kingdoms that lay claim to them to travel to the English court to try forge new alliances.

x - Her true objective in England, however, is not just that. Nor is it to be married. Having seen her mother trapped by her marriage, she fears such a fate. Instead, she hopes to become someone’s mistress, seeing that as her only chance to retain some kind of freedom.

[tallisthomas]

☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see THOMAS TALLIS, the COURT COMPOSER of ENGLAND coming this way ? I hear HE is/are WARMHEARTED, but also MEEK. HE seem/s to remind everyone of A COLD STARRY NIGHT, HOT CHAMOMILE TEA, .&. A SOFT PIANO SONATA. hopefully one day HE will succeed in HIS ambition to BE THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE COMPOSER IN ENGLAND, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope HE will keep HIS head… ( DANE DEHAAN ) ━ ━ ☆ as written by MILEAH ;; CST, SHE/HER, 20 .

The Real History

Thomas Tallis was a composer who primarily did choral pieces and holds his own in anthologies to this day. He had a distinct voice and style that had never been seen in choral history until his compositions appeared. 

Little is documented about Thomas’s early life; his speculated birth year is 1505. He was an organist and a singer as well as a composer, and his first musical appointment was as an organist at Dover Priory in Kent. From there he went to London, then Waltham Abbey, followed by Canterbury Cathedral, then he finally came to court in 1543. 

He remained in court from that point onward, composing for the likes of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth I. 

Tallis married in 1552 to a woman named Joan, though they never had any children.

Thomas managed to spend his life free of controversy, despite the multitudes swarming around him. He kept his head down and was well liked at court, spending his life as a devoted Roman Catholic.

In 1575, Queen Elizabeth I granted him and his pupil, William Byrd, a 21 year monopoly on polyphonic music as well as a patent to print and publish music, one of the first times that arrangement was ever made in English history.

Tallis retained respect during a succession of opposing religious movements and avoided the violence which claimed Catholics and Protestants alike. 

He composed until his dying day in 1585, an uncharacteristically long life for the time assuming his birth year is correct. 

Mileah’s AU Wonderland

This is more or less the same in Mileah’s Wonderland, though I will probably play up his success a bit more since this is a name I had never heard of until I was researching him for a music history class.

Okay so here is my interpretation of his early life. It’s very rambly and it’s going to be more coherent once I post his official biography but this just gives you some insight!

I have Thomas in my head as around 26, so I’m going to have him born in 1510. He was an only child, and had humble upbringings for the majority of his life. 

His mother played piano and was a singer, and she was the one who taught him how to play. She loved to play and wore out the same two books of sheet music she’d had since she was little, which prompted Thomas to start writing compositions so she would have more to play. 

His father was a merchant who resented Thomas as his mother, thinking that she coddled him and that’s the reason he’s “the way that he is.” He tried toughening Thomas up, and the one time he took him out hunting did not end well at all, resulting in many tears and years of nightmares.

Thomas started to notice he was different from the other kids in his neighborhood when he was around six or seven. He gravitated towards the girls and did not excel at sports like the other boys did. He enjoyed braiding hair, playing hopscotch, reading, playing pretend, and of course writing music; activities the other boys and his father didn’t deem ‘manly’ enough. He was bullied frequently and endured verbal abuse from his father regularly. The only solace he got was from his mother, though she was usually pretty indisposed due to her having to deal with his father’s complaints, and from his neighbor, James, who was a few years his senior.

Over the years the girls began to think he was odd as well since he didn’t act like a normal boy, so James became his only friend aside from his mother. As Thomas grew into a preteen, his feelings for James grew more complicated. He confided in his mother, and even she, the only other person he could trust in the world, had at last turned on him. After slapping him for the first and only time, she said that he must say fifty hail Marys every night and to never speak of it again. Thomas did just that. He pushed those feelings as far down as he could and took his mother’s advice, never speaking of it again.

After a few days things returned to normal with his mother. He never brought it up again and neither did she. 

When Thomas was thirteen years old, his mother contracted tuberculosis and passed away. He was crushed and could not stand the thought of staying alone in the house with his father. He sent him to a boys Catholic school a few towns over, whereupon his graduation he received his first job as an organist. 

Thomas’s life up until his arrival at court had some more twists and turns that I could go into detail about and I will for his full biography, but we’d be here all day so I’m gonna cut it off right here!!

The Mun

My name is Mileah and I’m just so excited to start roleplaying again!! It’s been probably a year or two since I’ve RPed and this is my first historical RP ever so I’m in new territory but it’s gonna be great. I have such a strong muse for Thomas and I hope you all love him and he fits right in as well as I think he will!!

My personal tumblr is @noowanda and you’re free to follow me or contact me there, but I’ll be on the discord if you ever wanna chat bc I love making new friends :’)

You can literally always message me if you want to plot. Never feel shy because I can guarantee right now I will love your ideas and cry with joy that you got inspired by my lil bean. 

Okay I’ll stop rambling now eep <3

[earlcfshrewsbury]

☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see HUGH TALBOT, the EARL of SHREWSBURY coming this way ?  I hear HE is FAIR, but also STRICT. HE seems to remind everyone of BITING WINDS, TARNISHED SILVER, .&. THE WORN PAGES OF A BOOK. hopefully one day HE will succeed in HIS ambition to FIND SUITABLE MARRIAGES FOR ALL HIS CHILDREN, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope HE will keep HIS head… ( DEREK JACOBI  ) ━ ━ ☆

Hugh Talbot is the 4th Earl of Shrewsbury. Currently married for a second time he has 12 children from the two unions including Sarah. Old school, old fashioned, he is one of a now quite rare breed of aristocracy having started serving his king with Henry VII. Very distinguished, he holds several titles and positions in court and is on of the most experienced courtiers still around. Unfortunately, his age is catching up with him and he often spends time home in bed, or simply resting.  

He is known to be quite strict, especially with his children, but always will hear all sides before passing a judgement. Hugh has become somewhat more lenient in his old age, but do not think you can pull a fast one on him. He was an accomplished man long before most current souls of the court drew breath for the first time.

Historical Notes:

His name was really George, but for obvious reasons I changed that. He was Margaret Tudor’s godfather, close confidante to Henry VII, he garnered a  reputation for being a great warrior under Henry VIII. Titles and Positions included: Lord High Steward of Ireland ( hereditary ), Lord Steward of the King's Household and a Chamberlain of the Exchequer,  Privy Counsellor, Lieutenant-General of the North.  TL;DR: Dude was a fucking over-achiever and had fingers in every pie and managed to keep his head. Bow down in respect, it is a marvelous feat.

Wiki Page if U wanna know more cuz there is too much to put here not even lying :P 

[mariosavorgnano]

☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see MARIO SAVORGNANO, the ARISTOCRAT AND AMBASSADOR OF ITALY coming this way ? I hear HE is CHARISMATIC, but also CUNNING. HE seems to remind everyone of A DAGGER AT THE THROAT, BLOOD STAINS ON FINE PARCHMENT, .&. SMOKE OBSCURING THE EYES. hopefully one day HE will succeed in HIS ambition to CLIMB THE POLITICAL LADDER AND GAIN POWERFUL ALLIES, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope HE will keep HIS head… ( MICHIEL HUISMAN )  ━ ━ ☆ as written by DAISY ;; EST, SHE/HER, 22 .

Known History: Mario Savorgnano was a wealthy aristocrat, accomplished soldier, and classical scholar born in Venice, Italy. He served as the Venetian ambassador to England and often sent back reports on the English nobility and the royal court. King Henry VIII and Signore Savorgnano struck up a friendship while the King was out hunting, and consequently, Mario also came into contact with two of the most important women in Henry’s life: Catherine of Aragon, and Anne Boleyn. In his reports, it is clear that he favored Catherine through his open criticisms and scathing reviews of Anne, and believed that Henry’s greatest flaw was allowing himself to be controlled by Anne. 

AU History: The truth of the matter is that Mario is made of smoke and mirrors, perched upon pedestals of self-made worth, secrets, and lies, cheating and scheming to get where he is today. While his siblings asked for new toys and clothes, the young Mario asked for an education, believing it would spare him from the bloodshed of war. Still, he was shipped off at seventeen, but his career as a soldier was not so much on the battlefront, but as a strategist. He feigned an ancestral line of great military minds to avoid the death and blood awaiting him on the war-front. The only blood that ever truly stained his fingers was the spilled crimson of the other strategists, plotting their demises while he remained as untouchable as ever, reaping the rewards of another’s work.

After ten years of service, he returned to Venice with minor celebrity to his name, creating a moderate fortune for himself by studying, collecting, and selling antiquities. It was not enough -- because enough was never enough -- and he soon went into business with a forgery expert. After this clandestine change, the business truly grew, and Mario ascended to the Venetian aristocracy, and charmed his way into the protection of powerful friends in both Italy and surrounding nations. He shared these successes with no one, believing love or anything akin to it was little more than weakness, and when dealing with his forger became too time-consuming for his liking, Mario had him poisoned, and fled to England upon the opportunity to act as ambassador to England for the city of Venice. 

While in England, Mario has remained largely in the shadows, living quite comfortably as a confidante of the late King Henry VIII and an ally to Catherine of Aragon and her newly-crowned son. Given that he is not English-born, nor does he have a major claim to any particular throne or impressive titles (yet), Mario goes through the circles of court largely unnoticed, which is largely to his favor and others’ detriment. He has fallen into the bed of Arabella, Princess of Scotland, charmed by her ambition and her acceptance of his wicked mind; it’s a passion-filled affair, but they both know that it won’t end in a fairy-tale romance. Their little love game is one of the only true things he’s ever had in his life, something he didn’t lie, cheat, or steal his way into. Still, Mario finds himself climbing the political ladder to acquire titles of nobility and gain powerful allies, both for himself and the possibility of what could be.

Essentials:

Name: Mario Savorgnano

Position: Ambassador to the Throne

Nationality: Italian

DOB: June 4, 1500

Age: 35 (soon to turn 36)

FC: Michiel Huisman

᛫ friendly neighborhood manipulator & murderer

᛫ thrives in chaos, never breaks a sweat

᛫ voted most likely to compare you to some obscure figure from ancient Greece/mythology

᛫ discreetly funds ‘listeners’ (i.e., courtesans, prostitutes, servants, lesser nobles) in court to acquire gossip on the higher courtiers

᛫ truly loyal to himself only, though he maintains a certain allegiance to the Crown and his lover

+ charismatic, educated, ambitious

- ruthless, manipulative, secretive

[laviniadeconde]

☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see LAVINIA DE CONDE, the TUDOR COURT PAINTER of TURKEY coming this way ? I hear SHE is FLIRTATIOUS, but also SUPERFICIAL. SHE seems to remind everyone of FLOWERS SCATTERED OVER MOONLIT WATERS, A PEARL STILL IN ITS SHELL, .&. PAINT SMUDGES ON DELICATE HANDS. hopefully one day SHE will succeed in HER ambition to KEEP FAVOR AT COURT, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope SHE will keep HER head… ( MERVE BOLUĞUR  ) ━ ━ ☆ as written by DAISY ;; EST, SHE/HER, 22 .

Historical Inspirations: Levina Teerlinc, Lavinia Fontana

Levina Teerlinc (1510s - 1576) was a Flemish painter and miniaturist who lived in the Renaissance. Widely regarded as one of the most important artists of the Tudor court, Levina served the English courts under the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.

Lavinia Fontana (1552 - 1614) was an Italian painter who is regarded as the first female artist working in the same capacity as her male counterparts, outside of a royal court or religious convent. She was the first female artist to paint female nudes, and possibly the first female to use live nude female models.

AU History:

[ trigger warnings for mentions of sex, miscarriage/loss of baby, and parental death ;]

With such a strict upbringing, it is wholly surprising that Lavinia Efendi grew up with naught more but freedom in her heart, her words and thoughts wrapping themselves into poetry and song. The daughter of an Ottoman ambassador and a French countess, Lavinia discovered her talent for turning observation into art at a young age, her bouts of childlike fixation on the exquisite remedying itself in the examination and creation of art itself. As the daughter of world-travelers, the young girl often awoke to chambers filled with color and splendor, discovering different landscapes and new skylines with each city her father was tasked to visit, the nomadic lifestyle simultaneously an expansion of her boundaries and knowledge, and a contributing factor to her restlessness and inability to simply settle.

Her mother often lamented the fact that, of the two jobs women should hold (being pretty and sitting still), her daughter only ever managed to accomplish the former. Pretty was easy, but stillness, a forever-escaping ideal. There was no stillness when so many lovely things were around her, and her adolescence was one of self-made adventures, of finding a new escape in unexplored castle corners and mud-soaked peasant streets alike, as well as in their respective inhabitants. Her tendency to simply follow an interesting, beautiful thing stirred up disappointment in her parents, who believed the worst of their daughter and feared she had been stripped of her virtue before being presented for marriage opportunities within both the Ottoman and French courts.

The pursuit of various romances and trysts existed, of course, though they were not the sole reason for the excursions that persisted throughout her late adolescence. The girl, despite obvious beauty and the innate sensibilities that came along with a privileged background, found it easy to blend into her surroundings through her ease in presence alone. While her aptitude for chameleon-like charm went largely unnoticed by the royals and courtiers who almost always surrounded her, the locals were quick to consider her one of their own, teaching her peasant songs and drinking games without hesitation. It was never her plan to find a new lover in each new city, and neither a simple kiss nor the pleasure-pain of a song caused the ‘typical’ reactions of shame within her body or her mind, aligning herself explicitly with pursuits of freedom and beauty. In her mind, love was meant to be felt, to be experienced, and often -- as often as possible.

At eighteen, her father relocated the family back to France in order for  Lavinia to pursue a proper education in art, his hope being that the stricter French lifestyle would iron out her proclivity towards the wild, and subdue any and all tendencies she had towards romances with anyone other than a suitor he approved of. For four years, she lived the way he requested of her, devoting her life to art and poetry -- a life of beauty, to be sure, but one restricted in its endeavors and unsubstantial in terms of fulfillment. For a girl who knew only how to live with freedom shadowing every step she took, the greatest restriction came upon her father’s death, a sudden iron tether to the reality that she would have to marry in order to secure her family’s wealth and their position within French society.

Her mother, before her untimely death, worked quickly to present her to the French court as her world-traveled, exotic beauty of a daughter, a talented conversationalist and even better artist, hiding entirely the girl’s history of indiscretions while living in the Ottoman territories. She attracted several suitors, though none quite held her attention the way that Antoine de Conde did, his charismatic way of speaking enchanting her entirely and inspiring a deeper passion than she’d ever held for any of the men or women before. At twenty-three, she was married to the ambassador, perfectly in love with him even while finding herself still attracted to beauty in all forms.

The first affairs started quietly after their first year of marriage. In her hopes to find new muses to spur on her creativity in the wake of both her parent’s death and the suddenness of married life, Lavinia sought men and women of great beauty to soothe the distress she did not know how to present to her husband. Unlike the trysts of her past, this time was not just for the experience or to test her own boundaries, but as a means of clinging onto something familiar when everything seemed shaken and ripped away from her -- or, perhaps, as a way to simply be anything but what she was: an orphaned woman married to a man she may have loved, but did not truly know. The hedonistic, freedom-seeking girl of her youth was not lost entirely, but simply buried under the earth of newly-married life and all the trappings of societal expectation and reputation. 

As the years have passed on, however, Lavinia has found herself returning more to the innocently reckless free spirit she once was, though only time will tell if the King, the Tudor court, or even her husband will cast her from their good graces and into a world with no safety net, and no freedom to exist exactly as she pleases.

Additional:

When it comes to her indiscretions, there is a part of her that does feel (somewhat) guilty for her actions. She understands that her affairs are not acceptable to the society she now finds herself in, but refuses to accept their reasoning and adopt their refusal as her own. Her guilt mainly stems from the fact that she does love the man she married, and she knows that this marriage is likely not what he had hoped for. For Lavinia, Antoine is the first one to inspire in her what can only be love, a distinct blend of both passion and respect, and an endless fascination with his mind. Still, not only is it currently impossible for Lavinia to resist her innate tendencies towards hedonism, but the idea of limitation of one’s experiences is one she will always rebel against. 

Prior to rumors of her indiscretions swirling about court, Lavinia was granted a position of ‘Court Painter’ to the Tudor Court, which she takes great pride in. Others may slander her or speak ill behind her back, but no one can speak negatively of the woman’s work, which has been thoroughly praised by the previous King and current King alike. Due to her success within the artistic realm, the King has also appointed her as art tutor to the young ladies of the royal family. She greatly enjoys this role, and finds she is at her most peaceful when she is around children.

Lavinia fervently longs to have children and raise a family. In the past, she has had trouble carrying the baby to term, but has kept her fertility issues private -- not even her husband knows that she has gotten pregnant, let alone suffered a miscarriage. While she will likely always crave freedom, she cannot deny that there is something entirely appealing at the prospect of starting a family and raising little ones to embrace themselves fully, and carry themselves with dignity and grace.

Essentials:

Name: Lavinia de Conde (nee Efendi)

Position: Tudor Court Painter

Nationality: Turkish, French (through marriage)

DOB: May 21, 1508

Birthday: May 21, 1508

FC: Merve Bolugur

᛫ art heaux  ᛫ honestly, a hot mess. wants to be loved but doesn’t subscribe to societal conventions of love, which in turn limits the way she can receive love. ᛫ fights in the form of pouts and whines, never knows how to express her anger or frustration ᛫ gives the impression of an airhead, though her original thought often hides behind poetry to mask her more intellectual, ever-examining nature ᛫ falls in love every day with someone new (im paraphrasing Hozier here) ᛫ does actually feel guilty about how her indiscretions have negatively impacted her husband! ᛫ “limitations? i don’t know her.” -- lavinia de conde, probably + imaginative, artistic, charming, free-spirited, mischievous - selfish, superficial,  childish, air-headed, reckless

[francisweston]

☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see FRANCIS WESTON, a KNIGHT OF THE BATH of ENGLAND coming this way ?  I hear HE is SPIRITED , but also SECRETIVE. HE SEEMS to remind everyone of TRUSTED SECRETS, WHISPERS IN THE DARK & CANDLES LIGHTING THE WAY. hopefully one day HE will succeed in HIS ambition to THRIVE AT COURT but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope HE will keep HIS head… ( FINN COLE ) ━ ━ ☆ as written by BEE ;;*  

MY SMALL SON. So this is Francis Weston, a known member of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII’s circle, historically he is one of the men to be executed alongside Henry’s second queen and was the second youngest in the group. Naturally, with the canon of the plot, his story will be a little different but he’s still cute and fun so enjoy!

Francis was born in 1511 to Sir Richard Weston and his wife Anne Sandys, a member of Queen Catherine’s circle. Richard was Governor of Guernsey, Treasurer of Calais and Under-Treasurer of the Exchequer during Henry VIII’s reign along with being sent on diplomatic missions to assist the Spanish King, accompanying Henry to the Field of Cloth and Gold and serving under Charles Brandon. It was his father’s close proximity to the king which afforded Francis a position at court as a page at the age of fifteen.

As any young man would, Francis enjoyed being at court and made a fun reputation for himself fairly quickly. From 1526 to 1532 he could be seen as a minor member of the King’s circle, participating in sports and card games with the king - which he often won. In spite of being twenty years younger than the king the pair enjoyed each other’s company immensely and in 1532 Francis became a gentleman of the Privy Chamber.

In his personal life, Francis married Anne Pickering in 1530. It wasn’t a love match but there is a fondness between the pair and that has so far been enough to sustain a somewhat healthy relationship between them. In September last year Anne gave to their first son, Henry Thomas Weston.

With the loss of the late king, Francis’ position at court hung in the balance for a short while, it became entirely possible that he would have to turn to a life of family with his wife and newborn son, but in the funeral honours Frances was knighted under the Most Honourable Order of the Bath for services to the late king. It’s an honour which solidifies his position in the English peerage and awards him the respect deserving of a knight, but Francis is mostly excited for cards night with the NFBC.

[clemcntstafford]

☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see CLEMENT STAFFORD, the DUKE of BUCKINGHAM coming this way ?  I hear HE is/are DISCRIMINATING, but also CAPRICIOUS. HE seem/s to remind everyone of POPPIES IN BLOOM, THE TIN OF A BLOOD SOAKED SWORD, .&. TASTEFUL ELEGANCE. hopefully one day HE will succeed in HIS ambition to RESTORE THE STAFFORD GRACES AND REGAIN TITLES FORFEITED BY THE CROWN, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope HE will keep HE head… ( JJ FEILD  ) ━ ━ ☆ as written by CLAU ;;  

CROWN & COUNTRY.

Clement Stafford is the son of the late Duke of Buckingham, Edward Stafford, and his wife Eleanor Percy. Buckingham was one of few peers with substantial Plantagenet blood (his mother being Catherine Woodville, sister to the queen consort of Edward IV) and maintained numerous connections (often among his extended family) with the rest of the upper aristocracy, an activity which would come to attract King Henry’s suspicion. 

Clement was born in September of 1501, making him a virgo and presently thirty-six years of age. He was the first born to Lord and Lady Buckingham; the eldest of four, the next in line being his cherished brother, Ralph Stafford (fictionalized), and three equally spitfire sisters. Upon the birth of his younger siblings, Clement immediately adopted a sense of responsibility. He cared for his siblings unlimitedly, especially the younger brother – Ralph. The brothers were very rarely seen apart, and Clement relished the opportunity to impart his wisdom and abilities unto his younger kin. However, nearing his eighteenth birthday, Clement was granted admission into a prestigious French university and fled England in pursuit of higher education. Academics aside, he distinguished himself militaristically during the French campaigns of 1520, where Henry VIII and Charles Brandon were also present. 

In October 1483, Henry Stafford, Clement’s grandfather, was central in Buckingham’s rebellion against King Richard III. He was beheaded without trial that same year, whereby all his honours were forfeited. Edward regained their titles and grants upon Henry VII’s ascension to the throne whereupon his family was absolved of any misconduct relating to the crown.

On 17 May 1521, Edward Stafford, Clement’s father, was beheaded on the suspicion of treason – a decision sanctioned by the king’s growing paranoia. In a posthumous attainment by Parliament in 1523, the Stafford children were disinherited from their father’s wealth and their titles were dissolved. The proceedings of Stafford’s execution left room for err and controversy, and so to challenge it upon Henry IX’s ascension Clement followed in his father’s footsteps and worked to regain trust with the monarchy – eventually being styled Earl Buckingham before he won the right to have his precedence recognized and he was bestowed the dukedom. His brother, Ralph, died shortly after Clement was created duke during a raid in Wales. 

The events which succeed Edward Stafford’s death are highly fictionalized and created by me to suit my portrayal of a ‘version’ of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford. Between 1523 and 1534, Clement traveled extensively throughout Europe, although remained largely in France, and invested heavily in trade – he has made an extensive fortune for himself, and has recently come into the inheritance his father was stripped during his trial. Clement, like his father, is a literary patron, and has endowed substantial funding to courtly musicians, artists, and scientists – his name is etched in modern medicine as it is ingrained Europe’s musical tutelage.

During his time abroad, Clement met a Frenchwoman by the name of Colette – the daughter of a wealthy winemaker and heiress. The union produced a son, and the son was called Ralph. For the first few years of his life, Ralph resided with his mother in France as Clement returned to England to restore the Buckingham lineage’s prestige, but as sickness swept through the coastline he relocated his son to the Stafford estate in Hereford where he now lives comfortably with a slew of caretakers. Ralph is not the only illegitimate child he has fathered; but he is the only son he’s formally recognized, and was thus named in honor of Buckingham’s late brother.

As a young man Buckingham played a conspicuous role in royal weddings and the reception of ambassadors and foreign princes. This is a trade he has resumed now that he is in the possession of a title, and one he highly treasures. 

Clement is currently unwed (although a betrothal was drawn up between himself and Ursula Pole, nothing became of it due to his own unwillingness) and is a romantic at heart. His heart lies in poetry and he would wish his own marriage to reflect that – but his pragmatic half dominates this inclination, and granted that he has recently come into fortune he wishes for an heir to secure it. He is goal-oriented, and driven by his title and occupation; little else matters but the success of the Stafford name and its continual reverence. He will not stoop as low as his father and grandfather once did. 

Clement’s resilient, uncompromising edge heralds his success in the aristocracy. 

[feigndglory-blog]

(   this  is  how  i  walk  into  my  house .   )        what’s  up  fuckers  !?          -     i  try  to  be  funny  &  reference  vines  as  much  as  possible  to  seem  Cool  &  Hip .     okay ,  moving  on ,  i’m  loey  &  i’m  just  a  small  town  girl  livin’  in  a  lonely  world .     sadly ,  i  didn’t  take  the  midnight  train  goin’  anywhere .     i’ll  stop  with  the  references  but  i  honestly  can’t  help  myself   --   it’s  1am  while  i’m  writing  this  &  there’s  no  stopping  me  once  i  start  typing .     so  before  this  little  intro  before  the  intro  gets  too  long        (   it  already  has ,   loey ,  you  dumbo .   )        i’d  like  to  tell  you  that     everything  will  be  under  the  cut  !      trigger  warning    :    murder .     &  i  would  like  to  apologize  those  who  are  mobile  because     this  will  probably  be  long     because  i  have  a  lot  to  say  about  my  new  found  love  of  the  portuguese  renaissance  &  the  braganza  house .

☆   ━  ━        OUT  OF  THE  WAY  !      can’t  you  see     TEODÓSIO  I  OF  BRAGANZA ,  the     duke  of  portugal     coming  this  way ?      i  hear  he  is   EDUCATED ,  but  also   SHORT - TEMPERED .     he  seems  to  remind  everyone  of    crumbling architecture ,   the harsh change from black to white ,  &  the faint smell of foreign spices .     hopefully  one  day  he  will  succeed  in  his  ambition  to   travel  across  the  seas  to  go  see  brazil  &  other  foreign  countries ,   but  then  again ,   the  court  is  a  dangerous  place .     one  can  only  hope   HE   will  keep   HIS   head      .  .  .

okay  imma  be  upfront  &  personal  with  y’all  for  like  two  seconds  so  bare  with  me .     i  fucking  love  history .     i  love  everything about  history  ,  well ,  not   EVERYTHING   but  close  enough  to  the  point  where  i  literally  told  my  friend  to  send  me  the  link  to  this  roleplay  when  she  said  it  was  history  based  royalty .     i’ll  have  you  know  that  the  habsburg  family  owns  my  heart  while  the  de  medici  family  owns  my  ass .     &  please ,  keep  in  mind  that  this  is  1am  me  writing  this ,  i  am  not  sound  of  mind .     okay ,  on  with  the  show  &  my  little  precious  baby  named  teodósio .

ABOUT   TEODOSIO  I   SPECIFICALLY

first  thing  out  of  the  gate   :   this  little  shit  is  known  to  be  the   PERSONIFICATION  OF  THE  PORTUGUESE  RENAISSANCE  !     did  you  know  that  ?     because  i  sure  didn’t .

i’m  being  so  serious  right  now  !     like  that  was  his  legacy  &     i’m  so  proud  of  him .

he’s  also  known  as  a   PRINCE   of  the  renaissance

his   full  name  including  the  titles   is   :   dom.  teodósio  i  of  braganza ,  twelfth  count  of  barcelos ,  ninth  count  of  orurém ,  sixth  count  of  arraiolos  &  neiva ,  fifth  duke  of  braganza ,  &  fourth  marquis  of  vila  viçosa .

(   please  don’t  ask  me  why  they  had  to  add  the  numbers  idk   )

he  was  supposed  to  also  be  duke  of  guimarães  but  he  ceded  that  title  to  give  to  his  brother - in - law  infante  duarte  i  aviz  of  portugal        (   who  was  the  sixth  son  of  king  manuel  i  of  portugal  &  maria  of  aragon   )

it  was  for  his  sister’s  dowry

is     in  laws  with  the  holy  roman  emperor  charles  v     which  is  nice  to  know

he’s  a     very  educated ,  scholarly  man     who  much  prefers  sophisticated  talk  to  rumors  &  gossip

(   that  doesn’t  mean  he  won’t  say   NO   to  not  knowing   )

a  patron  of  the  arts

has  a     huge  love    for  painting  &  sculpture

his  favorite  artists  are  jorge  afonso ,  gregorio  lopes ,  &  vasco  fernandes

he  doesn’t  particularly  have  a  favorite  sculptor  so  he’ll  talk  about  a  lot  of  them ,  but  mainly   :   alonso  berruguete  &  donatello

he  does  have  a  short  temper  though .     he  doesn’t  care  for  illogical  decisions  or  those  made  based  on  emotions

which  is  kind  of  a  hypothetical  way  to  thinking  because  he’s  all  for  new ,  higher  ways  of  thinking  &  likes  to  expand  on  it

comes  from  money  &  he  knows  it

also  may   or  may  not   have  pledged  his  allegiance  to  the  king  manuel  i  of  portugal  to  keep  said  wealth  because  that’s  his  uncle  &  teo’s  dad        (   jaime   )        may   or  may  not   have  been  banished  for  a  short  period  of  time  because  jaime’s  dad  was  executed  for  high  treason  against  king  john  ii  of  portugal  then  the  throne  was  passed  to  king  manuel  i  &  demanded  loyalty  from  jaime  in  order  to  restore  the  house  of  braganza

these  things  happen ,  it’s  fine

his  mom        (   leonor  pérez  de  guzmán ,  daughter  of  juan  alfonso  pérez  de  guzmán   )        was  murdered  on  the     suspicion  of  adultery     when  he  was  nine  years  old  so  that’s  nice

*      P E R S O N A L I T Y        :        he  is  a     very  smart  man  ,  he  knows  the  ins  &  outs  of  court  &   uses  it  to  his  advantage  .     he  is  very  educated  in  a  lot  of  ways  &  excels  in  finding  out  how  to  use  someone’s  weakness  against  them .     he’s     very  good  at  not  getting  caught    &  does  cover  up  his  tracks .     he  also  has  a  love  for  the  extravagant  &  richer  side  of  life   :   takes  pride  in  being  surrounded  in  the  most  exquisite  things .     he’s  rather  cheerful  &  talkative ,  enjoys  being  with  others  as  much  as  possible .     teodósio  is     hard  to  cross     but  when  you  do ,  he’s  a  grudge  holder  &  will  be  cold  towards  you .     he  never  forgets  a  face  even  though  he  will  forget  the  name  belonging  to  it .

JUST  A  LITTLE  INFORMATION  ON  THE HOUSE  OF  BRAGANZA

the  most  serene  house  of  braganza      --      coat  of  arms

parent  house   :   portuguese  house  of  burgundy  by  way  of  the  house  of  aviz

founder   :   afonso  i ,  duke  of  braganza

afonso  i  was  the     illegitimate  son     of  king  john  i  of  portugal

his  father  valued  him  a  lot  &  let  him  have  the  title

because  of  this  it  granted  a  high  seat  in  the  portuguese  court

the  braganzas  were     one  of  the  wealthiest  &  most  powerful  noble  houses     of  the  iberian  peninsula

the  house  had  produced  15  portuguese  monarchs  &  4  brazilian  monarchs ,  numerous  consorts  to  various  european  kingdoms ,  &  numerous  other  notable  figures

everyone  who  belonged  in  the  house  grew  up  with  a     very  privileged  life     along  with  a  great  marriage  to  another  high  ranking  noble

in  1640 ,  portugal  was  not  in  the  greatest  of  times  which  caused  a  wide  spread  distrust  towards  the  current  king ,  philip  iii

the  eighth  duke  of  braganza ,  joão  ii ,  made  a  claim  on  the  throne ,  which  was  granted  by  the  nobility  through  his  grandmother  infanta  catarina  of  portugal ,  &  became  king

after  the  accession  the  duchy  became  the     traditional  title     of  the  heir  to  the  throne

in  1808 ,  the  braganzas  transferred  their  royal  court  to  the  state  of  brazil  because  of  the  impending  napoleonic  invasion

and that’s pretty much it for the history of the braganzas .     the rest just gets too far away from the time this roleplay is set so it doesn’t really matter .

this  is  the  end of  teo’s  intro  !     this  took  forever  but  man  i  loved  doing  the  research !     hit  that  heart  button  if  you’d  like  to  plot .     subscribe  if  you  want  to  be  apart  of  the  shitty  writing  &  grandiose  imagery  club .     comment  down  below  if  you ,  too ,  have  had  a  mother  who  was  suspected  of  adultery .

[hajji-murad-blog]

Plots

Characteristics: Dedicated, but debauched.

Motivations of the Ottoman Empire under Suleiman I

-To secure a stronger trade alliance with England, who is not involved in the Ottoman-European conflict

-To ensure England does not support its European neighbours

Personal Motivations

???

Romantic Plots

Prospective betrothed/ love interest: Open to all suggestions, from any country with any religion. Sexual partner(s): Isabella de Luna (Open to all suggestions, from any country with any religion)

Previous lovers/ sexual partner(s): Amina Al-Hashimi (Open to all suggestions, from any country with any religion.)

Friendship Plots

Drinking partner(s): Mario Savorgnano, Isabella de Luna, David Lindsay (Someone to share his love of alcohol, drugs and promiscuity.)

Friend(s) from the Ottoman Empire: Amina Al-Hashimi (Those who accompanied him or later joined him.)

Friend(s) at court: Mario Savorgnano, Isabella de Luna, Eleanor Brandon, Ottavio Orsini Grace Cromwell (Old or new, open to all suggestions.)

Enemy Plots

Religious enemy(ies): Queen Mary (Someone who does not approve of Hajji because of differing religions (Catholic/Muslim, Protestant/Muslim etc))

Enemy(ies) from the Ottoman Empire: Those who accompanied him or later joined him, but dislike him or grow to dislike him.

Enemy(ies) to the Ottoman Empire: Krisztina Zápolya, Maryam Begum

Familial Plots

Cousin: Princess Maryam Begum

Father: Şehzade Sultan Murad Effendi (deceased)

Mother: Princess Shahnavaz Begum (available, but currently in the Safavid Empire)

Siblings: Behruza (aged 21, available but currently in the Safavid Empire), Kamerşah (aged 17, unavailable) and Maryam (1519-1526, deceased). Open to including more siblings/relatives but must (at least loosely) fit into the current historical narrative.