forgottenroderick - Tumblr blog

forgottenroderick · 29 days

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forgottenbrigit @forgottenroderick @forgotteneithne okay but I love the idea that roderick looks towards one of the witch!malconaire girls to help him find the sword and I can see where they might think it is eithne or roisin??? (with valentina probs pushing that it MUST be eithne!!!) and the wrong girl gets taken by roderick?? ofc, brigit would immediately be like "it's me! i'm the witch!!!" but depending on how it happened, she might not even know what happened them immediately?? forgottencassimir @forgottenroderick @forgotteneithne also the fact that cassimir is just trying to get some bonus!points with roderick and may or may not have his wife/fiance accused of being a witch as a direct result! ~whoops~ forgottenarias @forgottenbrigit @forgottenroderick …does cassimir step in and be like “oh mother is confused it’s brigit!!” when they come to malconaire looking for a witch? Which would def get back to eithne and backfire on him spectacularly asp. Either way if he’s not stepping in to stop the nonsense eithne is gonna be piiiiiiissssseeedddd forgottencassimir @forgottenarias @forgottenvalentina if he was there when he happened, he 1000% would step in and blame it on brigit!! (or honestly literally any of the girls other than eithne, if it came to it, but brigit is his first choice)

ok first of all SCREAM ok now that we've gotten that out of the the way i can begin alksdjfkljdsf

ok so!!! starting w roderick's situation...ironically enough, i do think roderick is least likely to think brigit is the witch since the others all have their hooks in his sons and like!!! that they're sorceresses that have enchanted them frankly makes the most sense esp given the ways they've been acting since like dutiful arthur??? acting out??? clever edmund??? defending conquered astairans???? steady sebastian??? wandering off to unexpected places at unexpected times??? witchcraft suddenly makes all these uncomfortable things make sense to roderick rather than his sons growing up and seeing things from another pov esp after the trauma he's put them through and starting to realize there's a better way and he's actually the worst™ -- definitely witchcraft!!!!!

also idk if he will at this time or whatever but like...if he ever leanrs that cillian is lord ormond and he's the one seducing his daughters he will ABSOLUTELY be convinced this was a conspiracy and no genuine attachment!!!!!!! b ut honestly i think he'll come to that conclusion regardless, cillian just would've been icing on top hahaha

but yeah i do agree that eithne and rosie are probs the most likely to attract most of his ire for a couple reasons. first, they're the ones that've latched onto potential heirs so like!!!!! bad!!!!! sorry, sebastian, ur a good kid but you're still just the spare lkajsdfkljsdjlfsdf also no one's accusing her of witchcraft (unless things change a lot between her and valentina, for instance if she learns that aoife squirreled away the real will etc, but that is def possible ofc, so who knows!)

this being said i can potentially see roderick independently deciding that even aoife must also def be a witch bc of her sisters but yeah he'll def think eithne and roisin are the ringleaders bc of the sons they're with aklsjdflksjdf bc ~everything is ultimately about power/the throne in roderick's mind tbqh lajsdfkljsdf

he'll deffff imprison all the sisters tho, probs even including poor sonya and possibly even valentina herself if she does/says anything that makes his paranoia twitch tbqh, and def hold inquests and trials etc -- idk that he'd imprison cassimir tho bc iirc a lot of ppl think only women can be witches? so he may think cassimir couldn't possibly be bc of his gender alksdjfkjdsf (yet more evidence of why women shouldn't have any rights btw!! they might be witches!! kaljsdfk jlsdjkfskdjf what a guy amirite kladjsfkljsdkfd)

brigit offering herself up!!!!! S O BBBBBB ok but honestly i think roderick would have a lil debate w himself like...these two (eithne and rosie) are clearly the brains of the operation, have they even enslaved their own sister to their will to save themselves???? lakjsdklfjdkjsf i also think, depending how things go, rosie will def be 'confessing' to it all being her, her sisters innocent and ignorant of her witchraft, etc, hoping that her sisters get freed too so aklsdjfksjldf she can also 'prove' this w her healing skills although they aren't even remotely supernatural, they're from years of sewing paired w lotsa traumatic experience from the battle of m and serving ppl w ailments after that etc -- i can also def see her placing a 'curse' on roderick if she gets really desperate that, should he touch any of her sisters, a great war will consume his accursed memory and he'll be forgotten by history, only remembered so his name can beat on for all the suffering he's caused etc, and ngl that would freak the hellll out of him tbqh and he'd be convinced from then on bc that's pr much his worst fear atp ngl

meanwhile ronan and #teamfrost will DEF be looking to free them w the resources available to them re: the resistance and that'll be a whole thing tooo im sure lkajsdfkljsdjkfds

SCREAM cassimir like 'you know what'll be cool! roderick liking me ~even more~ after all these nice attentions hes been giving me lately bc im so awesome!' cassimir five minutes later: oh god oh god oh god lakjsdfkljsdjfsdkjf lizzy, the way i laughhhed alkjsdfkljdsfkjlsdkjlf

ok so honestly if cassimir is out there tryna clear eithne and giving evidence why it couldn't be her (and roderick is sure that his testimony is true and that he ~too ~isn't enchanted tbqh klajsdfkljsdkjlfksjdf bc that'd def be his first suspicion, him being her fiance/husband and what not! but yeah supposing that he's believing cassimir asp on this), i do think his eye will fall on roisin bc, again, she's got one of his heirs under her spell or whatever so that smells like a ringleader to him bc everyone wants what roderick's got aljsdkfkljsdfjsdf also im realizing that tbqh godfrey is probs encouraging this on the sidelines as well bc it def plays into the narrative he wants to craft re: edmund and rising to the defence of the astairans against his corrupt father etc! tho honestly ~any of the malcoanires would do this, rosie is esp romantic and therefore the best story lakjsdfkljdsjkfsdf don't let anyone tell you that godfrey isn't a romantic!! he just uses it for evil lakjsdflkjsdjfsdf

if, however, roderick isn't trusting cassimir's testimony bc roderick thinks cassimir is ~also enchanted, him tryna save eithne actually only further convicts her in roderick's mind!!! tho honestly why she chose cassimir over arthur would be puzzling...ig he'll probs be like 'she must truly love cassimir -- tis only a woman's weak heart at play!' laksdjfkljdsf but anyway alkjsdflkjdlsjf and if roderick is convincing himself its eithne, godfrey's def throwing in w that theory hahaha like i said any of the malconaires works for himj! klajsdklfajjsdkf

now!!! ANOTHER bit here!!! i do think eilia would step in over this!! her duty is to rptect her ppl AND honestly her stake in this particular matter is also v personal bc she loves the malconaires and esp eithne her bff <3 so i do think she might agree to an engagement if roderick relent a touch on this point and that would def be enticing to him bc (itlll also serve to only make him worse bc he'll be like 'ohhh so this isss what edmund meant abt convincing her! just threaten to savage her ppl and she caves!' lkasjdfklsjdfjk but anyway) anyway that def would't free them but it might buy them at aleast a lil time/lenianency bc eilia knows she cant sacrifice everyone in astaira for the sake of four, however beloved to her, personally, so she won't consent to a marriage over this but yeah that's def a factor too

but yeah i do think roderick's first instinct is that they're ~all witches but that eithne and roisin are def the ringleaders, so he's def got those two most strongly in his crosshairs honestly lkajsdfkljsdkjfsdf

EDIT: also just realizing i didn't reblog this from the latest thread so don't reblog from here imma fix it one sec!

EDIT EDIT: nm! reblog away from here! it won't let me reblog from the latest one anyway bc there're too many characters apparently (i hate their new character limit srsly!) alksdjfkljsdfkjsdf but we can look in the notes of this post to find the prev threads, if we need to! also gonna go ahead and add:

forgottenroderick 15m @thelongforgottenrealm can anyone but a witch get the sword btw? or must it be a witch to at least guide you? forgottenroderick 15m also what do the the ~legends that roderick might've heard claim re: that? @thelongforgottenrealm thelongforgottenrealm 13m @forgottenroderick @forgottenarias I feel like you would need a witch to guide you, but yeah you can only free the sword if you are the true ruler or whatever (which case it would be something that aria and eilia would have to do together alsfkjaslfjsadlfkj) thelongforgottenrealm 10m @forgottenroderick I feel like the legends that roderick has heard could be as varying as you like (since the tale is varied enough, already, in astaira) BUT I'm sure that the core aka that the sword is hidden somewhere secret and belongs to the true ruler is probs something he ~has heard. he's probably heard versions both w/ and w/o magic actually being involved margueritedemarigny 6m @thelongforgottenrealm ok in that case i feel like if he tries to get eithne/rosie to get him the sword and its obv not working bc they aint seers he's probs like 'they're intentionally sabotaging me!!!!!' and yeahhhhhh ooof probs noT good lakjsdfkljsdjfdsf

stafford family swords

... and since we NEVER go down a rabbit hole in comments... everything we went on about re: the stafford family swords

forgotteneithne @giadesstrin OH WAIT NOW WHERES THE STAFFORD FAMILY SWORD?!?!

giadesstrin @forgotteneithne you know stupid roderick seized that treasure 😭😭😭😭 and/or if they gif it he’s desperate to grab it

giadesstrin *hid

giadesstrin Ooooh or maybe Siobhan has it???? And it might be proof she is who she ~says she is? 👀

giadesstrin Like…they snuck it out w her?

giadesstrin @forgottenarias ooooh also what if Evenstar/Morningstar is a meteorite blade like king tut’s dagger, so it’s literally forged from a falling star!!!

forgottenarias @giadesstrin ooo I love that!! … could it be there’s both an evenstar & Morningstar and Roderick’s snatched one maybe not knowing it has a twin blade of some sort that Siobhan is running around with???? @lizzydobbs

giadesstrin @forgottenarias KATE!!! Your mind!!!! I looooove thattttt!!!! The sword of the dawning and the sword of the evening

giadesstrin The sword of the ruler and the sword of the heir maybe? It like matching king and queen swords?

giadesstrin @forgottenarias ok is this ~too much? Maybe there are (or were) three swords originally, since it’s the three stars, and we’d talking abt three brothers founding the house originally iirc? Anyway maybe one was lost asp but it has legends a la Excalibur that only a true ruler of astaira (which to astairans means anyone willing to put astaira first but roderick ofc assumes it means rightful king aka himself basicall)can draw it from the stone/tree and it lies still somewhere hidden or whatever tbc

forgottenarias @giadesstrin ahhh I love this!!! You know Roderick wants to find that legendary sword!!! Maybe whatever Siobhan has is the smallest blade— something that would’ve been easy for her to smuggle out (honestly Aria was such a wreck she would’ve never thought “oh let’s take protection/something to prove who we are!” lbr— she was never leaving that castle. Also we’ve established she has no idea how to use a sword haha) But Siobhan having that blade to prove who she is!! ❤️❤️

margueritedemarigny @forgottenarias not me saying 'tbc' and then never actually continuing klajsdfkjlsdf ok so i ~do think eilia would be like 'here take this' and hand them ~the most significant~ ancestral sword bc she had perfect faith they were getting out and she wasn't letting her father's sword fall into roderick's hands, so my thought is that siobhan maybe has the ~king's sword -- eilia knew ~she couldn't get away but she could at least save her sisters and that sword tbc

margueritedemarigny @forgottenarias tbh i feel like they're largely ~ceremonial swords re: their usage anymore bc i do think astaira was a largely peaceful place till roderick hahah (thanks bud) but yeah!! my thought was that the third one (which was maybe the og kingly sword?) is the one that according to legend is stuck in a tree/stone, and may or may not actually exist???? and meanwhile the staffords have held onto the other two swords laskdjflksdjf oh oops gotta run but i swear ill tbc

forgotteneithne @margueritedemarigny ahahah I get it! I legit earlier wrote 3/4 of an email and then I had emergency go buy a bunch of random show make up 😅 and came back 3 hours late like oh right… probably should’ve sent that 😂😂 But literally love ALL OF THIIIIIIS

giadesstrin @forgotteneithne oh man big moooood honestly 😂😂😂 Ok so I’m three cosmos in atp so I’m either incomprehensible or ascendant but my notion was basically that given the multi sword situation I feel like it’s be pr easy to present the leftover sword as if it were the kingly one so roderick probs ~thinks he has the most important one, but every astairan can take one lion at it and know it’s not the right stafford sword probs — there was smth more to this no lie but idr at present ngl dhkhfdgjjfg tbc

giadesstrin I somehow got thinking abt the likely very different coronations that roderick has had Vs Eilia’s and my mind melted 😂😂😂

forgotteneithne @giadesstrin Yaaaas girl get it (we chugged margaritas on our hour dinner so i get it hahaha) BUT YES I love this!! Secretly tricking Roderick-- which i assume he'll go mental about if/when he finds out-- but just a little thing all the Astarians know and kinda binds them together at his expense! also how overdone was roderick's coronation versus eilias? XD I love how judgey astarians are about how overwrought his ~aesthetic~ is

giadesstrin @forgottenarias right!! I do quite like the idea of Astairans collectively pulling the wool over his eyes! I do think the cat’ll probs be out of the bag when someone perhaps @forgottencassimir claps eyes on it and then roderick will be FURIOUS but I imagine Eilia and Aria always knew that’d happen eventually? I will def do a post abt that sometime bc i ofc got way carried away but it ft stuff like Eilia going barefoot to be crowned vs roderick pulling a Napoleon and snatching the crown away tbc

giadesstrin From the priest to crown himself etc — also omg ikr!!! They’re just like ‘gif he’s so tacky’ while he thinks he’s being magnificent and I love it 😂🙌

#ooc #eilia stafford #arthur varmont #edmund varmont #sebastian varmont #roisin malconaire #eithne malconaire #sonya malconaire #cassimir malconaire #brigit malconaire #aoife malconaire #valentina malconaire #ronan frost #cue roderick -- gods favorite princess -- levitating towards malconaire w malicious intent tbqh #(but then what else is new klasdjfkldsfjsdjf)

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forgottenroderick · 1 month

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rodericK: 'i really dont understand how you turned your nose up at my terrible old man for your terrible young one -- my candidate would've died sooner so you'd be free w his money!! ig it really must be love'

jk jk -- well, kind of lakjsdfkjldjkf (tho it really ~is love motivating her to marry cassimir ig!! just...not love for cassimir oops alkjsdkfljsdkfj)

honestly tho i do think that post the ball, roderick ~will be figuring it out. malconaire being near the riverbend disguised it a bit bc he was like 'look at them being so duitiful going over there to keep an eye on things' and laksjdfsdklfjasjdkf anyway i ~do think he and perhaps his wives (amira, anyway) did notice how the brothers all came out of the woodwork tryna not tlook ~too happy when the malconaires arrived, since they arrived late, it really showcased their reaction and yeahhh

anyway, since eithne is marrying someone else, as far as roderick is concerned, as long as @forgottencassimir is content to keep his mouth shut, eithne is a perfect person for arthur to be having an affair w since cassimir can claim the kids, roderick can give their family special attentions, and gifts and honors and lands and titles and moneys etc as his grandchildren and yeah its all v discrete etc and no one will be bothered too much if eithne's kids come out golden haired and blue eyed since she has a sister w that hair, and her own eyes are quite as blue as his, even if cassimir looks quite the opposite, so they can still all brush it under the rug pr discretely (and like sure everyone might ~know at court but no one will officially ~know and that's what matters) and roderick will be v generous w his grandchildren as well as their supposed father and genuine mother, ensuring they're all well taken care of etc, and not have to feel competitive towards any of them since they're illegit alkjsdflkjdsfjkdsf (me: SCREAM) HOWEVER, 1) if he thinks cassimir ISNT cool w this arrangement that is NOT good news and 2) aoife and roisin being as yet unwed and of old noble astairan blood are NOT good candidates for princely mistresses!

anyway, one way or another eithne ~may be experiencing the outcome of these misunderstandings, depending how cassimir reacts, since ngl i kind of feel like these are all things roderick will probs be looking to feel out in his current covo w cassimir too so!! cassimir's in for a fun time, no doubt!! lakjsdfalkjsdfj obv roderick has ~all of this confused as to what's going on hahaha but he assumes he knows slkdjfaklsdjfdsf (this iw hy you talk to your sons first *facepalm* tho tbf he's just ~feeling cassimir out~ i doubt he's ~directly talking abt any of this so yeah misunderstandings may well arise idek)

BUT ANYWAYYYY i def do think there's a danger that rosie would say smth stupid (probs as a "total joke") and it would be overheard and reported possibly w the jokey bits removed but even w roderick still aint abt it!!! 'that is my son, he is not to be spoken to in such a way by a conniving young woman of no fortune or royal title and particularly without my explicit knowledge and consent!' etc so yeahhh roderick would NOT be cool w any of that!!!! so like yeahhh eithne is def right to be concerned ngl lakjsfkjsdf

honestly itd work!! not for long bc roderick would see pr quickly that either it isn't working or eithne's fully lying (he'd probs have her watched for awhile to make sure she's not a rebel spy esp given that she is -- he thinks -- arthur's mistress as well laksdjfkldjfsfd) roderick: 'is she an enemy...or just bad at persuading ppl?' lkjsdfkjdfj

there is also the potential, depending how things go, that he'll try to burn them all and/or try to use her and/or brigit if he uncovers who the real witch is to grab the mystical stafford sword but anyway here we are alkjdsflkjdsfj

OOC | Roderick & Eithne

so, since eithne is part of the old astairan nobility, i think roderick would actually like to see her marry well amongst his own courtiers, but not to someone too wealthy or powerful -- just enough to mingle them so that any descendants are as much astairan as imperial but not enough to give those descendants too much power should they decide they want astaira indepdent again etc. basically, a bonding together action

that being said, he wouldn't interfere if she decided to marry cassimir, but for once roderick is actually doing a lil good by not ~loving that outcome hahaha of course he'd probs rather see her married to some horrible old man or smth so probs not that much better -- if better at all -- but alksdjflksjdf here we are hahaha

that being said, he DEF does not think she or her sisters are candidates for his sons!! im sorry about him bc he's of the opion that obv his boys can sow their wild oats as much as they please, but if they were thinking of marriage, that'd be out of the question as far as roderick is concerned: its queens and princesses for them or nothing at all smdh

i think he also realizes that eithne's got some sway w wifey #4 contestant #1: eilionora hahaha and so he'd def like eithne to help persuade her to marry him! he's not above bribery (money, titles, lands, marriages, etc) hahaha but obv idk how effective that may or may not be hahaha

#ooc #eithne malconaire

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forgottenroderick · 1 month

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Your Servant | Roderick & Brigit

It was almost time. The storm was raging outside, and the guests seemed to be tiring. Soon, soon the messenger would arrive, all unexpected, to give the grievous tidings of the Stafford's uncertain legitimacy. As it was, Roderick bided his time, watching with hooded eyes the sweet dances the tripped, orderly, across the floor, and savoring the hearty rhythm of the drums that brought breath to the listener.

Many guests had been delayed by the ravages of the virulent winter storm which had, of a sudden, descended upon them, but Roderick paid it little heed. More than enough Astairans were arrived to hear the news and bear it outward at the close of the occasion. Indeed, he thought that perhaps by now everyone invited had finally appeared.

Eyes drifting quickly from the dancing, they fell on a particularly unadorned person whose blonde hair had been corralled to presentability only, it seemed, by great effort. Realizing this must be some servant gotten by an attendee, he extended a commanding arm, pointing at her.

"You, there!" he rang out. "Fetch me a goblet of wine. We are parched, indeed."

When it had been brought, he stopped the servant from leaving again. It was good to know the thoughts of even the most common folk, his uncle had lately reminded him.

"Tell me -- what make you of the festivities?"

#brigit malconaire #comment #your servant #oops #is this happening while edmund is talking to cillian? ;D #him dropping the royal we while talking to a mere servant (or so he thinks)! the humility!! the compassion!! the kindness!! the condesensio #where is his damn medal?!! lakjdsfakljdsf ;D

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forgottenroderick · 1 month

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ok so i just wanna start off w a biggggg apology bc, as we know, roderick is the WORST and frankly i am ALWAYS sorry abt him lkajsdflkjsdf omg yesssss they need it bc i def feel like there's gonna be a loooot to unpack here and frankly alksjdfkljsdfdf poor marian!!!!!!

also! i think this is going to be loooong and i ~also apologize for that lkajsdfkljdjf so chapters!

RODERICK AS LOVER

ughhh her not feeling like she really has a choice in this LE SOB!!! honestly, i think roderick more or less blinded himself to that and just focused on the love she was showing him. honestly i dont think roderick's had v much of that in his life and i think -- though he'd never admit it -- he's hungry for it bc all he's ever really wanted is to live up to this -- literally unobtainable -- ideal his father seemed to have (a moving target just like he's visited on his own kids) so that he can feel his dad would finally be proud of him and therefore maybe begin to love him, if he were still alive.

i think his mom loved him, but she's dead and no one else really has, since, except possibly the late empress but that's a whole other thing, and she was at that moment most displeased w him, and he's got an extreeeeeeemly toxic thing going w amira, and then in the midst of all that, there's this beautiful woman from an abundant family who adores him and can likely give him heirs and he's like SIGN ME UPPPP!! and ignored any little unpleasantnesses he mightve found there tbqh lkajsdfjkdsf i think, in that moment, he wanted to give marian the world!! and i think he was supremely charming as a result!

RODERICK'S INSECURITIES

however, roderick is above all things self-destructive and his fears and doubts run so deep that he ultimately believes that he's monstrous and therefore that anyone who loves him is also monstrous and yeahhhh PLUS he knew he couldn't keep it up, knew she'd see through his shell, wanted to stem that tide like!!!! the man's got sooooo many issues and *oof* so i do think there's this part of him that had a good thing going and just had to destroy it bc he doesn't deserve it, bc she'll despise the real him anyway and bc, worse, if she doesn't, its a sign that she's terrible too and so like -- he was always gonna tear it down

plus, he was dealing w even more mounting insecurities as his THREE wives all being unpregnant does tend to indicate the problem probably lies w the common denominator so that was then just feeding into all his insecurites and he could practically feel his father's shame at the idea that his son couldn't produce an heir etc etc etc and its wayyyyy easier to take that out on your wives than deal w it yourself so that's what he did!!!!!

RODERICK'S FEARS VS HIS HOPES

i was saying...somewhere that i think the real tragedy of roderick is that he wanted to be so much more, so much better: he wanted to be a good king and a good dad and a good husband like...ok this is a diatribe but ive been thinking lately abt an au in which amira's poisons killed, say, arthur in childhood and how roderick might react and like...

in an au where Amira succeeded in killing arthur in childhood, roderick would’ve retroactively decided arthur was his fav kid and ‘if ever was my true heir born it was arthur,’ etc despite us knowing how he treats him when he lives lkdsjafklsdjfldj also he would’ve retroactively declared him co-ruler of the og Varmont country (just as king not as emperor ofc!!) and had him buried w all the honors of a king beside him own father and his late empress, never knowing he was in fact his cousin and not his son kdlsjfljsdajf

This treatment is frankly true of any of his kids, esp if they died in childhood, as their adult relationships are somewhat more complex haha and why is this? Regret honestly! And guilt. Roderick tells himself he’s a great dad but deep down he wishes he’d been there more for them as kids, seen their first steps, heard their first words, shown them even a modicum of the love he feels for them. W them dead, the only expression left to him is this.

Bc of this, I’ve come to wonder how much he’s perfected Guin’s mom in his head out of these same feelings of guilt esp bc that one’s compounded by his belief that he caused her death adhkhddgj

anyway, my point here is that like...i think his great tragedy is that he's too divided, and doomed always to make the wrong choice bc his fear of inadequacy overpowers his desire to be and have tenderness in his life -- like ironically both push him to be his best self, in one way or another, but his tragedy is that he woefully misinterprets ~what that looks like due to his upbringing klajsdfkljsdf and now its EVERYBODY's problem unfortunately lakjsdfkljsdf like, all he really wants deep down is to love and be loved but he can't do it, can't stop long enough to feel it, can't stop himself from destroying it bc he fears losing it, bc he doesn't think he deserves it, bc he doesn't think he can still be good enough if he EVER stops so...while her love was intoxicating to him at first i think it was also smth he couldn't deal with

RODERICK'S IDEAL

i do think too he also was frankly attracted, if she had a bit of cassandra to her and her perception ~of him, to the way she was seeing him -- the idealized image she had of him in her head like...he wanted to ~be that, could see it gleaming in her eyes, wanted to always be seen by her like that bc that's what ~he wants to, like in his ideal world he's king arthur the flawless king who is covered always in glory and goodness in the mind's eye yknow?

and, for a little while, he ~was that when she looked at him and it was intoxicating!! and he wanted to cover himself in her love, the benediction of it

i don't think he'd ~ever been loved like that -- his mother was too afraid, his first wife too realistic, amira being...amira, and so forth, and being marian's golden idol was utterly irresistable 'i already broke the multi-wife taboo -- i have to have her!'

plus yeah v much she came from this fertile family and roderick was like 'i see absolutely no downside to this relationship!' basically -- she was gonna solve ALL his problems w minimum effort ~from him and only benefit ~to him!!!...and then she didn't!! and that was def ~her fault bc otherwise its his and he can't fail!!!!!!

RODERICK AS HUSBAND

so yeah this all had a significant backlash bc as soon as she stopped looking at him like a literal hero-king, he felt its lack as confirmation of his worst fears -- like, she finally saw the REAL him, the failure, and now she despised him!!!! and so i defff think that that was another part of the knives coming out and paired w the literal failure they were sharing to conceive she defff would've seen his dark side in sharp relief

i do think he tried to keep her safe and happy and cherished as long as possible bc i think that all made ~him feel that way, too, plus he saw that as his chivalric goal to treat his wife that way etc but then once things soured...he got so far in his own head that well yeah she would've seen his harsher side but yeah some of [ what i said to cassandra ] def applied to their early relationship -- just in the romantic/married rather than father pov of it. in his heroic/chivalrous knight aspect he def does view himself as a protector of the fair sex, and he def would've done his utmost to be all of that to marian early on when she was still basking in his better side! he still does in his own way but its def golden light shining down upon you and more 'she's just a woman' sort of treatment

unless she went back to treating him how she used to, he def sees himself as the injured party in their relationship too smdh

frankly no one can blame her for doing whatever it took to make that stop or even wanting a lil comfort!!! well...except roderick. he would DEF blame her for that esp bc the only other option in his mind is to blame ~himself and that is NEVER a viable option!!!! and, in fact, he'd probs want her dead for it bc he's such a sweetheart SOB

i am realizing that a lot of the affection he has for @forgottencassandra is def born out of the softest things he once felt for marian too but anyway!! marian giving him three children and two of them sons defffff improved her standing, bit time!!! and esp one being his first ever son!!!

he was fully on his bullshit when arthur came into this world let me tell youuuu lasjdfksdf bells rang all across the empire, there was a grand ball and feast and tournament, coins and medals were struck, men all across the empire were knighted, it was a wholeeee thingggg and marian was heaped w gifts and gold and garments and treats and anything her heart could desire and she was fully and unabashedly his favorite wife until edmund came into this world and then asp his first wife died

THE OTHER WIVES

i was saying to lizzy asp that, while i def think his first wife was his first love, i also think that part of why he so adores her now is bc she died and now she's perfection in his head -- she'll never disagree whim again etc PLUS its an atonement bc even at the time, he felt guilty for how he was treating her, esp taking first one other wife and then only a year later another, and i believe she is said to have died of 'complications' to a pregnancy paired w a 'broken heart' over roderick (she was totally poisoned by amira ngl) and so he will alwayyyys blame himself (amira is now like 'welp. that was a mistake. it strengethened guin's position, but at least she didn't have a son! dodoged THAT bullet when i killed her at least') if any of his wives or any of his children were to die, he'd honestly react exactly the same way, despite how he's treated them in life and yeahhh

ALSO!! yes!!! amira was 100% poisoning her just enough to keep her from getting pregnant from day one -- like the moment she had any access to her alksdjfjksdf but she was careful to make sure it ~wasn't enough to kill her esp after the debacle w the first wife

also asp ill make a post abt the toxic yikes factor that is roderick & amira, but they've got smth v twisted and v them. its passionate and destructive and 100% one sided but roderick doesn't fully realize that. al so they def both hate e/o lkajsdfkljdsf so yeah!! fun sldkfjajsdf but my major point here is that the first wife and marian always were the favs hahaha

also! i hc that the reason the first wife is sometimes called the empress, but all the other wives are only called queens, is that -- being his only wife at the time -- the first wife was crowned empress WITH roderick jointly when he was crowned emperor, and he's simly never arranged for the others to be crowned as empresses (tho they were def each crowned as queen of the og country after the births of their respective sons, if not before!). i also think this her status as empress is how roderick justifies to himself that guin is a candidate for the throne, despite being 'only a woman'

RODERICK AS FATHER

anyway, obv roderick (and arthur) also def believe that he's roderick's son, and w her putting up some of her own mental blocks abt it, i think that pairs v well w bartholomew sort of...ignoring arthur, and generally leading to pulling the wool v effectively over everyone's eyes, honestly!

interestingly, re: the heir, they're also on a similar (if not identical) page, too! like how marian is kinda...unwilling to consider another option, roderick is also unwilling to consider his own death, and thus cannot ever consider who might succeed him! i t will never matter! he will never die! to be clear, roderick def doesn't actually ~believe that he's immortal or anything, i don't mean that, he's just...he's terrified of death, its the ultimate conquest! and a sitution is which he himself cannot possibly conquer! and its all quite sad frankly but mostly for everyone who will outlive roderick bc his final legacy is fear and war and doom

honestly cassandra, as someone who is not in line to be his heir and also will not bear the varmont name to her descendants, ~is the most likely to be married within her dad's lifetime (at least a marriage that he dispenses! roderick himself once pulled a secret marriage so who knows what his kids might get up to hahaha but in terms of officially sanctioned marriages etc) and that's esp sad bc, of all his kids, she's the most idealistic/dreamy and its most likely to crush her and he'd just be like 'ur a daughter. bear it like others have done before you' unless whatever her hubby got up was perceived as an embarrassment to roderick and house varmont, in which case her hubby's paying w fire and blood and yeah that's not exactly a great thing to endure ~either

so yeahhhh frankly marian's ~right to be concerned! while roderick ~is more likely to try to ensure that that dude isn't actively physically abusive to cassandra than w any of the other kids, bc he does view protecting her, as his 'only' daughter (his whole thing w guin is complicated and she's not 'simply' a daughter etc), as his responsibility, that's abt it! if it gets roderick/the empire smth he wants badly enough, he'll offer her up to a bad husband like iphigenia on the altar, no question

THE AFFAIR'S POTENTIAL OUTCOMES

ok so if its ever learned abt the affair...that'll be dire, indeed. he'll def take bartholomew's head if he doesn't escape, and he'd chase him to the ends of the world. he' d wanna kill marian too but idk if he could ultimately bring himself to do it??? he'd have sooooo much dissonance going on -- gotta preserve his image and kill her, gotta protect the only person who ever really loved him for him, gotta conver it all up, gotta expose it to the god's justice etc like...i truly don't know what he'd do but it wouldn't be good!! there'd at least be a trial and imprisonement and yeahhhh

anyway, he'd also be v much inclined to assume all ~three of the kids are bastards -- fool me once shame on you etc -- but obv they aren't but still! he'd also def wanna kill the kids but same deal where he might be persuaded to spare them ladskjfjksdf and yeahhh the whole thing is just a giant giant mess honestly

somewhere...awhile ago i wrote a whole thing on how i think he might react to that s ill have to find that for you asp but this is the basics!!

KIL-KENNAR

also, this is neither here nor there, and nbd either way, but i was thinking that perhaps someone had persuaded roderick that there had been a mistake in terms of how arthur received the purple letter, since arthur was never one to rebel before or anything etc -- might that person have been marian, do you think? [ here ]'s the kil-kennar post for a refresher, im talking abt the events outlined in the final section, 'the butcher of kil-kennar'

CLOSING

i def had other thoughts but...that's frankly all i can remember atp and its certainly uhhh a lot of info to chew on so yeah!! lakjsdflkjdsf sorry for hurling that all at you so unceremoniously like that lkajsdfkljdjf he's...a lot and im ~still so sorry abt him honestly lkajdsfkljdf

ooc || roderick + marian

Just gonna go ahead and give this its own ooc post!!! XD

it seems to be a theme with the varmonts but i imagine Marian didn't have the most loving or supportive father growing up-- she knew from early on that it was essential she marry well for the good of the family and failure on that account was NOT an option! regardless, she had real feelings for roderick! (though i do think there was a *bit* of cassandra in her at a young age so she had a romanticized notion about the whole thing-- enough that she looked over the whole "i'm the third wife!" thing. )

i want to know your thoughts of course but here is what i'm kinda thinking... things got pretty sour pretty quickly on in the marriage when she wasn't getting pregnant. (which might have been amira's fault... or had she not gotten into poison quite yet? haha!) that probably brought out a side of roderick she hadn't necessarily seen before which definitely shattered any remaining romanticized version of this life she now lives! so then we all know all the stuff that happened with bart... which i think marian simply refused to acknowledge? i think she has willed herself into believing that Arthur is Roderick's son-- there really isn't another option for her. same kinda goes for who the heir will be-- it will be arthur and that's that. honestly, emotionally, i don't think she can really consider any other option!

i do love the idea that the one thing they're on the same page on is NO ONE IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEIR CHILDREN! XD one of her biggest fears i think is that one day roderick is going to insist a marriage for cassandra for ~political reasons~ and she'll be off somewhere (possibly married to someone not great!) and it will just break her entirely!! she also worries about arthur and sebastian's future marriages, too, but not so much... they're men! they'll be fine!

#ooc #about #marian varmont #cassandra varmont #edmund varmont #guinevere varmont #amira varmont #bartholomew varmont #this is almost as confused as my thoughts but still not nearly as confused as roderick's ;D

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forgottenroderick · 1 month

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stafford family swords

... and since we NEVER go down a rabbit hole in comments... everything we went on about re: the stafford family swords

forgotteneithne @giadesstrin OH WAIT NOW WHERES THE STAFFORD FAMILY SWORD?!?!

giadesstrin @forgotteneithne you know stupid roderick seized that treasure 😭😭😭😭 and/or if they gif it he’s desperate to grab it

giadesstrin *hid

giadesstrin Ooooh or maybe Siobhan has it???? And it might be proof she is who she ~says she is? 👀

giadesstrin Like…they snuck it out w her?

giadesstrin @forgottenarias ooooh also what if Evenstar/Morningstar is a meteorite blade like king tut’s dagger, so it’s literally forged from a falling star!!!

giadesstrin @forgottenarias KATE!!! Your mind!!!! I looooove thattttt!!!! The sword of the dawning and the sword of the evening

giadesstrin The sword of the ruler and the sword of the heir maybe? It like matching king and queen swords?

giadesstrin I somehow got thinking abt the likely very different coronations that roderick has had Vs Eilia’s and my mind melted 😂😂😂

giadesstrin From the priest to crown himself etc — also omg ikr!!! They’re just like ‘gif he’s so tacky’ while he thinks he’s being magnificent and I love it 😂🙌

#ooc #about #eilionora stafford #aria stafford #siobhan stafford #brigit malconaire #cassimir malconaire #arthur varmont #edmund varmont #godfrey varmont #valentina malconaire #eithne malconaire #roisin malconaire #just reblogging this here since i got a lot into roderick and his psychology and potential future plots etc laksjdfjkldf

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forgottenroderick · 2 months

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𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒

“ am i not good enough? ”

“ you’ve been so quiet. what’s on your mind? ”

“ why did you help me? ”

“ who do you fight for? ”

“ why do you hate me? ”

“ have you come to laugh at me in my miserable state? ”

“ you’re not dating anyone, are you? ”

“ i’ve got your back, okay? ”

“ where do you think you’re going? ”

“ how long have i been asleep? ”

“ are you going to kill me? ”

“ why can’t i come with you? ”

“ we all have secrets, don’t we? ”

“ did you want to be alone? ”

“ why should i trust you? ”

“ wait. did you hear that? ”

“ promise me? ”

“ why are you talking like we’ll never see each other again? ”

“ do you remember anything at all? ”

“ what? no witty remark? nothing clever to say? ”

“ you wanna know what your problem is? ”

“ may i have this dance? ”

“ can i ask… what happened? ”

“ how many people have you killed? how many? ”

“ do you ever hear yourself? ”

“ would you run away with me? ”

“ could you be happy here with me? ”

“ you can’t or you won’t? ”

“ you slept with them, didn’t you? ”

“ well, how do i look? ”

“ after all you’ve done how can i possibly trust you? ”

“ why can’t you let me in? what are you so afraid of? ”

“ what did they do to you? ”

“ so why’s it so important anyway? ”

“ where have you been? ”

“ why are you looking at me like that? ”

“ why did you come? ”

“ what are you doing out here by yourself? ”

“ is… that my shirt you’re wearing? ”

“ you… don’t like me very much, do you? ”

“ why does it always have to be a fight with you? ”

“ why can’t you look me in the eye? ”

“ can you forgive me? ”

“ what if i never see you again? ”

“ you were going to leave without saying goodbye? ”

“ how about a little midnight snack? ”

“ are you… smelling me? ”

“ how did you get this scar? ”

“ what do you want in exchange for it? ”

“ what did you want to tell me? ”

#askbox #ask

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forgottenroderick · 2 months

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OOC | Roderick & Alaric

ok so ive only got a few minutes before work so i wanna make this short and sweet but!!!! i think alaric and bartholomew ar the two ppl roderick trusts most in the world!!! cause his wives are women and even his male kids are still kids in his mind anyway but bart and roderick i feel like kinda co-parented alaric (poor alaric honestly no one deserves roderick as a co-parent no matter the circumstance alksdjfjksdf) but fortunately for alaric roderick was SUPREMELY distracted and also a far softer person when he was younger so like he didn't get the full roderick™ that roderick's kids got, he got one that had more kindness and understanding and will to create joy -- plus i def think that alaric, being the last piece of their mama, was someone he was gonna be more tender towards!! idk but i feel like their mom was kinda an advocate for roderick when nobody else was in a lot of ways??? he felt v alone and isolated and despised but she tried her best!!

so i know i spoke to you briefly somewhere asp abt my hc's for roderick's bg but here's a write up i did asp and i thought id put it here as a reminder etc

Ok so og king varmont/Roderick’s dad, I’m thinking he set the example for roderick if having multiple wives…but he did it in a more ordinary way. Like Viserys I/Henry I, I’m thinking the king had two queens one after the other when the first died. This first marriage where big bro came from, as well as a big sister. The first wife had been a princess of a country across the seas that had had some tumult w the og varmont nation, and their marriage had been arranged to help ease those tensions, which it did. They then also arranged for Roderick’s sister to marry its future ruler and all seemed good till the marriage. The newlyweds, at their wedding, went on a boat ride to celebrate, racing, and the two ships sunk. Rumors of scuttling and assassination came to a head. Meanwhile the spring illness took the lives of the king and his eldest son, and roderick having lost three family members in rapid succession, comes unexpectedly to the throne. Rather than trying to work the White Ship Disaster out diplomatically as his father would’ve done, Roderick invaded.

okay, so!! idk what they were like as ppl, and id love to figure that out w you, but i can def talk abt what i think roderick’s perceptions may have been. this being roderick, hardly the most clear-sighted person abt ppl, he may have been waaaaaaayyyy off as he’s clearly quite messed up but yeah!! these were my thoughts aljskdfklsjdf

KING — VARMONT

possibly bc tywin lannister is an inspo for roderick (i know i know such amazing role models no wonder he’s the best dad akjsdflksdjf) i see his reign his reign as having been…shall we say…a mixed bag. i feel like he was the sort of ruler who was really strict w internal measures so he was super high handed and pedantic w his ppl while also giving breaks to certain ppl and not to others creating unrest, but really didn’t give much thought to his external politics so he was easily pushed around by foreign powers, bc basically he was a really distracted ruler and roderick REACTED!!

roderick is a force in the international arena, he is singleminded in his reign and policies, his word is absolute and never to be brooked, etc. anyway, idk what kind of ~person he was, but i see – and maybe for very good personal reasons who knows – this having been a huge influence on roderick bc he looked at his dad getting pushed around and just knew that what he wanted to be as king was ‘not that’ and he was going to prove himself, if not to his father, then to the world (tho he’s still chasing his father’s approval even tho he can never possibly get it bc his father is dead etc etc etc) but yeah!! i think a loT of this is a reaction to his father alksdjfkldjf

at the same time tho i def think his dad was super high handed w roderick, himself, and he felt he could never measure up to his half-siblings and, whether or not that was true, it galled him. i think maybe roderick believed that his dad had really loved his first wife but that his second wife had been a purely political move and one which he felt tarnished the first, and thus that he resented it – and resented the children he got from it too

despite his policy having been a mess, tho, i think roderick perceived him as a tyrant at home, quick to rage w his younger boys and perhaps even borderline abusive like – i just don’t see roderick as someone who had an even marginally happy childhood, frankly, i think he felt he had to fight for every scrap he got one way or another, and he’s still doing just that in his own way

also i think that roderick believes that his dad woulve pulled through had he not lost first his daughter and then his eldest son but grieving and ill, he was too weak to keep fighting and didn’t see anything WORTH fighting for in roderick or alaric or their mom, basically

QUEEN — VARMONT

i think roderick felt that his mom never got a fair shake – but also that she should have taken what she wanted. i think, bc she was his mom, he couldn’t blame her, so he was like 'its just that she’s a member of the fair sex’ and that his feelings abt gender are largely informed by this and by his sister which ill get into later. im thinking maybe she was religious (maybe this is why things were weird w the dad, maybe she wanted to be a varmont!nun, or smth, but being a princess she had to marry instead, or smth?) and maybe that’s where he gets his fanaticism? maybe even a lil like anna ivanovna (at least where she is abt halfway through the first novel bc that’s where i am currently hahah) re: feeling trapped by life etc, but also marked and unapologetic favoritism towards her own children vs her stepchildren and roderick kinda internalized that 'as the way it should be’

also do we think she’s still kicking, or is she gone, too?

PRINCE — VARMONT

i feel like roderick hated this dude’s guts…but also loved him. he was his big bro on one hand, but their dad saw him as almost supernaturally gifted and, in roderick’s view, always seemed to be comparing them and finding roderick severely wanting. roderick was much younger (he was only 18 when he became king iirc), and he was a son of the wrong wife to boot, and roderick felt he was always chasing behind trying desperately to catch up and always always failing, and he STILL has an inferiority complex abt this dude and STILL wants to beat him but he never can bc he is, of course, dead

PRINCESS — VARMONT

so i see her as a sort of confusing figure for him, another person both adored and reviled, another he was forever being unfavorably compared to, and someone who even beat him to wearing a crown (tho she promptly died). i feel like losing her broke their dad, as far as roderick could tell, and roderick was seized w the utter conviction that if roderick had been the one to die, their dad might not even have noticed honestly, and he tried to tell himself that it was just that men could be softer w their daughters than their sons bc their dad had – to roderick’s way of thinking – always shown her all the tenderness he had secretly craved. like, elder prince was his pride, and princess was his joy and roderick was like ALARIC AND I DESERVE SOME OF THAT TOO

somewhat like his own kids, roderick loves all of these ppl and resents them by equal measure. its a huge mess.

so yeah idk if any of that works ok for you, but that’s sort of how i imagined roderick seeing it

OH MAN THAT’S HONESTLY LIKE MY FAV THING ABT HIM [roderick]???!?!!! LIKE HE’S SO SELF-DEFEATING AND WHAT HE CHOSE TO SAVE WAS THE WRONG THING THAT’LL HARM SOOOOOO MANY INNOCENT LIVES INCLUDING HIS KIDS BUT HE CAN’T STOP EVEN WHILE IT DESTROYS ALL HIS OTHER HOPES

so yeahhhh id loveeeee to hear all of your and alaric's thoughts, ideas, impressions, etc!! but that's sort of what i had in mind for our boy -- to be completely casual in referencing him -- His Imperial Majesty, Roderick the First of His Name, by the Grace of the One True God, of the Great and Holy Empire of [Varmont] and Astaira and of His other Realms and Territories One True Emperor, Conquer of the Twelve Kingdoms, Defender of the Faith, and God’s Own Champion

#ooc #about #alaric varmont #this post got really glitchy forgive the weird formatting

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forgottenroderick · 2 months

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#about #music

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forgottenroderick · 2 months

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#music #this is the sort of thing i imagine them listening to while there #i picture the softer/happier sounding ones as astairan and the others as more varmont kind of songs hahaha

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forgottenroderick · 2 months

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Folding his arms over his chest, Roderick fell silent, listening to his son, brows contorting softly as he spoke. In his way, Roderick was proud of each of his children, but they were sources of profound concern to him, as well, and Roderick exhaled softly. He was h is father son, yes, but he was his mother's, too.

Laying a heavy hand upon Edmund's shoulder, he smiled softly. "Not every woman, my boy, is like your mother. She and your sister, Guinevere, are exceptions to the rule. Most women, you will find, are much more like your little sister and Her Royal Majesty, Queen Marian: soft, sweet, sentimental. Naturally, these are comforting traits to be nurtured and protected and even indulged in the fair sex, but they come with a decided drawback, too: we cannot expect much rationality from them."

Roderick sighed, rubbed his chin. "I fear I have perhaps surrounded you and your brothers with...too many extraordinary women, Edmund, and left you at a disadvantage in believing all women are as capable as your family members. Do not imagine the rest of the world to be so cultivated as my court." His smile was indulgent. "You are young. You have much to learn of the ways of the world. But you are clever. I expect you will catch on with time. I urge you to pay attention at the ball. You will see many ordinary ladies there: simple and tittering for all their beauty. Remember what I have said."

Still, it was true what Edmund said, as well: Roderick was not used to having to persuade anyone of anything. Usually, he had only to give an order and it was done. But he was right: it was just like a woman to get caught up in the tender sentimentality of regard, lost in the cries of the people so far beneath her.

Folding his arms beneath his back, Roderick paced towards the window, considering his son's words. Yet convincing her this was best for her people was key -- yet how could she think otherwise?

"It is like a woman to be so illogical. I offer them civilization; unmitigated access to the entire rest of my empire; protection from outside threats. I offer them access to the One True God and relief from their disgusting heresies. One would think they would rush to kiss my ring, to thank me. Instead, they behave asif I have offered them insult. If I did not respect them, why should I wish to include them in my empire? You know what I do to cultures I do not revere!"

He stamped them out. He burned them to the ground. He salted their fields. He passed damnatio memoriae against them. And he took their lands and their jewels and their roads and their daughters for himself. All the world would be Roderick's one way or another, but only those he found worthy would pass into his new order with him. Astaira was to be blessed, indeed. How could they be so blind to it?

"It should not be I who must compromise, Edmund. I have already given enough to elevate this realm and make it into something great. All they do is resist progress. The whole country is illogical. But, that is, I suppose, to be expected: they allow themselves to be ruled by women. I suppose I can't expect too much."

Turning back to face his son, he arched a brow. "What would you offer them?"

This was a test.

No Amount of Fame | Roderick & Edmund

Eilionora remained as standoffish as ever and, hooking his hands behind his back as she processed back to her chamber, Roderick considered what tactics he might use to help change the woman's mind. He understood her stance well and good: in the same circumstances, he would also refuse, but there was the difference: he would not find himself in such a position and, besides, he was a man whereas she was but a woman with all a woman's frailty. Of course she had reacted emotionally.

Still, this marriage must be secured. It was the glue that would bind Astaira to the empire, once and for all, and he had little doubt he would face rebellion from within without that security, but no Astairan could ignore the blood claim that any children he might father on her could claim, and he needed to be sure of loyalty here before he could venture to his next conquest.

Turning his gaze towards Edmund, who he had shadowing him, today, he arched a brow. "Well? What do you think?" he inquired. His gaze was measuring, intent. He meant to analyze what the boy would say, sure to find both strengths to hone and weaknesses to stamp out in whatever argument he espoused. "How would you proceed? Threats? Wooing? Something else, entirely?"

The Stafford woman insisted that she would not relent so long as her religion was under seiege, but that was a concession Roderick could not possibly make. It was the one god -- or belief in him -- that had helped Roderick come so far. "I cannot relent. With such parameters, how would you proceed if you meant to make her your next queen?"

#edmund varmont #no amount of fame #comment

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forgottenroderick · 2 months

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"Detestable things, carriages," commented Roderick, drily, feet finally planted upon firm ground as he busied himself pulling on his gloves. "I want all the grooms questioned. This state of disrepair is unforgivable. Imagine if one of the ladies had been riding inside when this happened! Flog whoever is found responsible. This will not happen again."

"As Your Imperial Majesty wills," replied his aide with a low bow, holding the reigns of the emperor's horse.

In the mud beyond, the carriage was overturned, one wheel cracked entirely in half. Roderick had crawled out through the opposite door, which remained flung open so that the whole broken contracption now strangely resembled a chicken lying on its sidee with one wing awkwardly extended.

Roderick mounted his horse. "I believe the Malconaire estate is nearby?"

"It is, Your Imperial Majesty."

"We and our attendants shall go there," he announced. "While this mess is put to rights. Make it so."

The journey was not a long one, and Roderick politely pretended not to see a flock of servants scatter -- at least a few of whom looked strangely familiar to him (no doubt the late Lord Malconaire had made free with his attentions to the local villagers, so it could not be thought overly strange that the servants might resemble their mistresses), but he paid it little heed, never paying much attention to servants -- as he rode up, condescendingly agreeing to imagine that no one had gone to any effort and things were always thus.

Ignoring Lord Malconaire's greetings, Roderick pointed. "Put the papers I was reviewing in that room," he commanded, evidently meaning to commandeer Malconaire's study for his own use. "When you have, lock it and bring me the keys. No one will enter without my express permission."

Turning his attentions to Malconaire, Roderick raked the young lord with his stare. He was quite tall, Roderick noted with some displeasure, and some four inches taller than the emperor, himself. Fortunately, Roderick generally wore shoes that made him appear taller than he actually was, so it was likely the lord would never know that he was any more than an inch or so taller (when Arthur had gained his full height, Roderick had ensured that he stood at least an inch taller than his son), but the whole situation was irritaing enough as it was.

"That does sound most appetizing. We thank you, Lord Malconaire."

In truth, while Roderick was most wrothful about the circumstances that had brought him here, he was pleased to have arrived: he'd been meaning to come to Malconaire for many reason, for some time. While he'd briefly passed through, following the decisive victory here, on his way to the capitol, he'd always intended to return. No doubt Edmund had matters at the local river bend well in hand -- who knew better than one who had seized it a place's weaknesses? -- but it being such an important spot, Roderick wished to inspect it, himself. That it was properly fortified was, after all -- as Edmund had proven -- a matter of national security, after all.

"Afterward, we wish to see your lands, here, and then we will ride out to the river bend and you will show us the fortress there, as well, my lord."

But this was not the only point of interest to be found here. While it was not overly odd that Edmund should come here, given its proximity to the river bend in question, he had noted a kind of over familiarity each of his sons seemed to share with the ladies, here, at the ball, and he wished to do a bit of reconnaisance, himself.

"We understand you often play host to Their Imperial Highnesses, the Imperial Princes, while they are on inspection trips to the river bend." He said this casually, as if he had the information directly from the boys, themselves, and not from his spies and his own inference. He wished Malconaire to tell him all that he knew on the subject, but without Roderick having to reveal that he, himself, knew little and less of the events in question.

"We are heartened to hear of such warm relations developing between our House and your own." He paused. "But boys will be boys. We do hope the imperial princes do not prove too impetuous, especially as regards the ladies of your House, while standing upon your hospitality? You know how young men can be, Lord Malconaire. They may not mean to be too free in their manner, mind, yet we would have you tell us now if they do not behave as princes ought towards their subjects."

Unexpected Arrivals | Cassimir & Roderick

It was a miserable day.

The temperatures had risen, so Cassimir supposed he should be glad that they didn't have the bitter cold to deal with, but the rain beat down with unforgiving force, melting much of the snow. The roads had turned into a swampy, muddy mess that were becoming unpassable.

Cassmir was seated comfortably enough near the fire in his step-father's old study when one of his servants entered -- rather flustered -- with a captain wearing the colors of House Varmont.

"Lord Malconaire -- " A quick bow from his servant, "excuse the intrusion -- "

The Captain had little patience for this and sidestepped the servant, to make his own announcement, "His Imperial Majesty, Roderick Varmont the First of His Name, Conquerer of the Twelve Kingdoms, Defender of the Faith, and god's own Champion has bestowed upon you the honor of hosting him and his men, while his carriage is repaired. He shall arrive momentarily. He shall expect to be received in a manner that befits such a guest."

Cassimir sprung into action immediately. He had no particular love for the Varmonts, Roderick included, but he knew the very important role that he and his mother hoped the emperor would play in their plans. Cassimir knew that for Roderick to marry Sonya, he must look favorably upon their family and he was not to allow this sudden development to hinder it.

He dispatched his servant immediately -- everyone must make ready for the emperor's arrival. He knew that even his step-sisters would be needed to help in the preparations (both prior to and during his arrival), so he would need to offer some excuse as to their absences. Besides, he did not want the emperor's eye to be distracted. Sonya was beautiful in her own right, but even Cassimir had to admit that each of his step-sisters possessed a beauty of their own (except, perhaps Brigit. If she had any beauty at all, she did an excellent job of hiding it).

When Roderick and his company did arrive, there was still much work to be done, but Cassimir was pleased as to what had been accomplished in the short notice that he had received. He felt it a testament to his own leadership (but didn't give a second thought to those who had actually performed the work).

"Your Imperial Majesty," Cassimir bowed low. "It is a honor to have you grace our halls. I'm sure you and your men must be hungry. If you would care to follow me, our cooks have prepared a feast."

#unexpected arrivals #cassimir malconaire #comment #i hc that arthur gets his height from marian's side tbqh since he and seb are both taller than pops daddio and edmund is the same height #but roderick thinks it comes from ~him #roderick hates being shorter than cassimir so he's literally using 'the royal we' to overcompensate i--#esp bc he's seeing him here already on the backfoot bc of the carriage accident (which btw was probs just bc of a rock in the road)#(but SOMEONE gotta pay for that!!)#god cassimir's in such dangerous territory w this one bc roderick will clap bacK if he perceives what cassimir says as being against his ho #*house #but like he's literally pushing him to say smth like???? lsdkjflkjasfljsf honestly i feel bad for cassimir on this one alksdfjkldjsf

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forgottenroderick · 2 months

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AT LEAST ONCE EVERYDAY!! cue cillian high fiving him in the bg tbqh roderick: THAT'S TREASON! (bc he's deffff the kinda dude who has ruled that even imagining the death of the emperor is treason a la the plantagenets alksjdflkjsdfjk)

honestly tho i do feel like percy is pr well positioned to listen and watch tho bc i do think the servants are pr much invisible to roderick ngl like he's lived his whole life surrounded by them and they're lesser being as far as he's concerned who could probably never comprehend such lofty notions as his anyway aklsjdflksdfjkladsf

he ~is paranoid enough that he's not gonna talk abt like ~battle strategies~ or that sort of thing w anyone but his most trusted advisors but would he talk abt burning witches, rounding up traitors, general weird policy things, the fact that his kid ticked him off by having indepenedent desires of their own, etc etc etc if percy is in the right place at the right time he can 100% hear any of it!!! he is only like ~vaguely aware that percy even exists probs tbqh and defffff values the wants and hopes of his horse over those of percy alkdsjflkjdsf #rulergoals

ooc | Percy & Roderick

has percy thought about trying to assassinate roderick? yes, at least once every day.

Realistically, he knows he'd never be able to get close enough to him to do it, but the thought crosses his mind and ngl, he's always ready for the opportunity. As it is, he does try to just be quiet and listen and make the most out of whatever info he is able to overhear!

#ooc #percy reaves

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forgottenroderick · 2 months

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The Banners of House Varmont

note: there may be more. the queens would have their own badges, as well, as would the late empress (tho likely that's now what guin is using, i'd think?), and cassandra likely has use of her mom's and/or arthur's with cadency marks, but since she's an imperial princess, and not just a royal princess, roderick would def ok her usage of her own badge, as well, though that's usually reserved for sons, heirs, and titled warriors, it is likely that guin, cassandra, and each of the queens, as well as the late empress, has at least one unit who fights in their honor given that roderick's empire is v much a military operation, so yeah! basically there may be as many as four other varmont insignias out there, but these are the big five! also pls note that i am convinced roderick has given each of his children an obscene number of titltes to bandy abt (tho not so many as he has!) in order to showcase their importance as his children, but we'll say these are perhaps shortened, more casual titles for astaira ;D

The Imperial Arms of His Imperial Majesty, Roderick the First of His Name, by the Grace of the One True God, of the Great and Holy Empire of [Varmont] and Astaira and of His other Realms and Territories One True Emperor, Conquer of the Twelve Kingdoms, Defender of the Faith, and God’s Own Champion

Or (yellow/gold): generosity and elevation of the mind

Gules (red): warrior or martyr; military strength and magnanimity

Pupure (purple): royal majesty, sovereignty, and justice

Phoenix: resurrection

Crown: heaven; victory, sovereignty, empire; success

Crown, naval (composed of masts and rigging): one who first boarded an enemy’s ship; distinguished naval commander/conqueror's crown

The Princely Imperial Arms of Her Imperial Highness, the Princess Imperial, Guinevere, of the House of Varmont

Or (yellow/gold): generosity and elevation of the mind

Argent (silver/white): peace and sincerity

Pupure (purple): royal majesty, sovereignty, and justice

Dove: represents the soul, the spirit of god; peace, purity, chastity

Crown: heaven; victory, sovereignty, empire; success/princely crown

Crown, Naval (composed of masts and rigging): one who first boarded an enemy’s ship; distinguished naval commander

The Princely Imperial Arms of His Imperial Highness, Archduke of [Varmont], Edmund, Prince of the House of Varmont, Lord of [the Riverbend]

Or (yellow/gold): generosity and elevation of the mind

Sable (black): constancy or grief

Argent (silver/white): peace and sincerity

Pupure (purple): royal majesty, sovereignty, and justice

Raven: divine providence; knowledge; durable resistance; bringer of death

Crown: heaven; victory, sovereignty, empire; success

Crown, naval (composed of masts and rigging): one who first boarded an enemy’s ship; distinguished naval commander

Crown, mural (a crown composed of bricks): defender of a fortress, token of civic honour; one who first mounted the breach in the walls of a fortress; power

The Princely Imperial Arms of His Imperial Highness, Archduke of [Varmont], Arthur, Prince of the House of Varmont, Lord of Kil-kennar

Eagle: nobility, strength, bravery, and alertness; magnanimity; or one who is high-spirited, ingenious, quick-witted, and judicious; a person of action and vigor especially where important and high matters are concerned; high intellect and quick comprehension; salvation, redemption, and resurrection

Eagle displayed (wings spread): the above + protection/one who is a protector

Or (yellow or gold): generosity and elevation of the mind

Gules (red): warrior or martyr; military strength and magnanimity

Pupure (purple): royal majesty, sovereignty, and justice

Crown: heaven; victory, sovereignty, empire; success

Crown, naval (composed of masts and rigging): one who first boarded an enemy’s ship; distinguished naval commander the imperial crown of conquest

Crown, mural (a crown composed of bricks): defender of a fortress, token of civic honour; one who first mounted the breach in the walls of a fortress; power

The Princely Arms of His Imperial Highness, Sebastian, Prince of the House of Varmont

Or (yellow/gold): generosity and elevation of the mind

Vert (green): hope, joy, loyalty in love

Pupure (purple): royal majesty, sovereignty, and justice

Falcon: one who does not rest until objective achieved; person of action

Crown: heaven; victory, sovereignty, empire; success

Crown, naval (composed of masts and rigging): one who first boarded an enemy’s ship; distinguished naval commander

Crown, mural (a crown composed of bricks): defender of a fortress, token of civic honour; one who first mounted the breach in the walls of a fortress; power

#obv lauren and lizzy feel free to lmk if these dont work w your visions etc!! i was just eager to see how they might look all together lkasj #ooc #about #edmund varmont #guinevere varmont #sebastian varmont #arthur varmont #me reading up on raven heraldic meanings for this and i get to BRINGER OF DEATH alskjfklsjdf #even edmund's sigil was tryna warn the malconaires lkajsfklsjdf #def pictured the dove in flight and the raven displayed but alas the site does not include those possibilities #still alksdfj abt bringer of death ngl lkasjdafkjsd me like oK CALM DOWN while amira like 'that's my boy' and godfrey winking at the camera #i ordered it by roderick then by consort then by birth order if you were wondering hahah but i did toy around w just stright age order lksa #my inner amira was NOT pleased ;DDD #which made me think -- you KNOW there's some insane antics jockeying for LITERAL position when they all go to enter a room alksdjfkljdf

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forgottenroderick · 2 months

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The Informal Titles of the True Emperor

his abbreviated, everyday style is as follows (note: this is just for everyday use like when sebastian was summoned, and NOT suitable for ceremonial events and such alksjfklsdf that'll be muchhh more involved and ill get his more official styling up someday but for now alksdjfkjldsf):

His Imperial Majesty, Roderick the First of His Name, by the Grace of the One True God, of the Great and Holy Empire of [Varmont] and Astaira and of His other Realms and Territories One True Emperor, Conquer of the Twelve Kingdoms, Defender of the Faith, and God's Own Champion

i also headcanon that in each of his realms he has his own style distinctive to that land, a la the kings of england, but yeah this is the sort of ~default one we're dealing with here

#about

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forgottenroderick · 2 months

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The one god whispered. His voice was the wind through the trees, the crackle of the hearth, the drone of the ice, but he spoke in other ways, too. God spoke through his vessels: great men with voices like lions, he spoke in hushed tones upon the lips of his followers. He spoke, even, with the mewling whines of babes at their mother's breasts. This is what Roderick had been taught.

Today, god's voice was the weeping of a bird: a mourning dove perched high up amongst the leafless branches, she sunned herself under the sun as it peaked beyond the far clouds, and she gazed out over Roderick's vast domain. She moaned, her haunting voice a dread song to Roderick's ears. Too small, small, small. Any man could conquer such. His father could have. His brother could have. God had not chosen either of them: he wanted more.

The dove looked beyond: out towards the world as yet unconquered. Roderick's fist cracked down upon the lintel. He could not yet go. He would lose Astaira. His father would have known the way out. Roderick could see the disapproving flash of his eyes.

Sneering, Roderick turned away. The fire in the hearth felt cold, but he came to stand by it, leaning against the back of his tall chair. He heard the expected knock at last. He didn't look up.

"What took you?"

The words were out but Roderick was not so sure it had been so very long at all. The dove wailed. Astaira was her cage as it was his. He ought to have crushed this land; this people. He ought to do it now. Perhaps that wretched queen would bend when her people howled at her from their pyres, once again. They deserved to burn for their heresies, and Edmund had been right, perhaps: she would not bend because they were too happy with things as it was.

Roderick clapped a hand down upon the solid back of his seat. He did not enjoy the torments of those pyres. There was no glory in it, no joy, however cleansing the heat of those godly flames. Why would she force it of him? This Astairan queen was cruel, indeed.

His eyes were sharp, then, as they fell upon his son. "Come," he said, gesturing to the other chair by the fire. "Sit." He waited till his son had complied, but did not join him, continuing to stand behind the chair. "This nation is teeming with heresy, son. I want it ripped up by the roots. Demon worship can no longer stand. It must be stamped out. But too many believe and a god -- particularly a false one -- is an intangible, an idea. You cannot round it up. You cannot fight it. Tell me, Sebastian, as one of the true Faith...How do you kill a god?"

Summoned | Roderick & Sebastian

"Your Highness, His Imperial Majesty, your father, Roderick Varmont the First of His Name, Conqueror of the Twelve Kingdoms, Defender of the Faith, and god's own Champion, requests your presence this afternoon."

The servant bowed low following this announcement and Sebastian had to bite his lip to catch himself from laughing -- he noted that he had transcribed his father's array of titles in the palm of his hand and was using his bow as covered so he might check that he had said them.

Sebastian was certainly not going to point out that he had missed some.

"Of course, thank you."

As soon as he excused the servant, Sebastian allowed himself to exhale. He never particularly looked forward to these interactions with his father. If he was being summoned, it often meant that his father was angry with him, or that he meant to test him. There had been a time when he would have been eager to rise whatever challenge his father might have prepared for him, even as he knew he would likely fall short in comparison to his brother's. But now? Sebastian was almost more eager to disappoint than to please: he had no interest in ever being a pawn in the same brutal game that Edmund and Arthur had been playing their entire lives.

Still, he did -- and always would -- respect his father and his wishes, and he answered the summons with promptness.

He was admitted to his father's chambers and after bowing to his emperor, he spoke, "Father? You sent for me?"

#papa's feeling unwell™ today #sebastian varmont #comment #summoned #roderick: time to wildly blame anyone and everyone else in order to assuage my own impatience and guilt and inadequacy!#just emperor things™#didn't really expect him to take what edmund said and go UR RIGHT I NEED TO BE WORSE lkajsdfljsdf but here we are #and now i really feel like i shouldve known laksdjfkljsf #anyone else: uhhhh im not sure that's exactly what he meant like...at all #roderick: of course it is! don't be daft!

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