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#female monarch tournaments
bestmothertournament · 3 months
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frankcastleonlyfans · 2 years
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𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍, 𝐃.𝐓
pairing: daemon targaryen x martell!reader
summary: y/n dreamed about the man she was promised since she was born. (I AM REALLY BAD AT SUMMARIES SORRY 😭)
words: 4.0k
author's note: part two is right here.
reblogs, feedbacks and likes are appreciated. i hope you like it!
warnings: enemies to lovers, descriptions of blood, descriptions of combat, mentions of sex
18+ warning
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· ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · ୨♡୧ · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ ·
The beauty of Y/N Martell was known throughout all Westeros. Daughter of a Martell lord with a Velaryon lady, the girl had beautiful silver hair and lilac eyes that highlighted her warm skin tone. The Sand Dragon is how they called her, even though lady Y/N wasn't a dragon herself. She had valyrian blood, but wasn't a Targaryen.
House Martell wanted power, and for that, they needed the biggest and greatest weapon the kingdom has ever known. King Viserys couldn't put a dragon egg in dornish hands, not without a marriage to finally bound the houses that once had been in war.
Lord Martell offered Y/N's hand to the king, right after she was born and her father saw potential in her valyrian features, but Viserys kindly refused, saying that he already had a wife, who also just gave birth to a girl, princess Rhaenyra. The monarch mentioned his younger — and single — brother, who could do well with a wife. Lord Martell accepted the king's matchmaking, and promised the hand of his newborn child to Prince Daemon.
As a gift, the king gave the little baby a dragon egg, saying it was only for the future princess. It was a precious treasure, something that the dornish people had never seen before. The egg was in color white, with golden details in its scales. It hatched a couple months later, and a female dragon was born. Lady Velaryon called it Faora.
Obviously, King Viserys knew they had to wait until baby Y/N became of age and ready to settle into marriage. As a child, she was told that her destiny had been traced, and her future husband was a cruel, and yet brave, Targaryen warrior. Y/N never met him, but she fell for the idea of him. A brave and handsome prince, who killed everyone that tried to harm the crown. She wanted to be like him, the man of her dreams.
At the age of 8, Lady Y/N started training. She was an excellent dragonrider, even though she was young. The Targaryen children start riding their dragons at even younger age, and Y/N insisted she wanted to be like them, so she could impress her Prince with her riding skills. Y/N also started battle training, and her father gifted her with a sword. Of course it wasn't something precious like valyrian steel, but it meant something to her. Her thin sword soon would become an object of fear to her enemies.
Her parents fed the girl's desire of becoming a warrior like her promised fiancé, but deep down she knew that it was all for nothing. Learning to ride her dragon was a necessity, since it was given to her, but she was never going to war, even if she wanted to. Years and years becoming the best swordswoman in Dorne, all for nothing.
Years later, Y/N finally became of age. She was 19 when her parents finally received an invitation to the royal annual tournament in King's Landing, where she would be introduced to the Prince, and they would wed before the competition.
"A tourney." She thought. Y/N never went to war, but she defeated every dornish soldier in combat. What was the difference between the king's soldiers and dornish soldiers? None. She could defeat them all.
They arrived in King's Landing in time for the tournament. Lord Martell explained to the king that his daughter was an excellent swordswoman, and would be representing House Martell at the competition. Viserys agreed and gave his permission for the girl to fight, even though he found it a crazy idea letting a young lady compete in a tournament against warriors and soldiers from all Westeros.
Whispers echoed loudly in the castle's walls. The staff talked a lot around her, and the maids tried to be quiet every time she entered a room. Eventually, Y/N heard gossip about the Prince she never met, her prince. He found a new lover, a whore. Of course Y/N never expected him to be in chastity until marriage, he is a man after all. But, she felt strange. Angry, perhaps? No, she wasn't angry. It was too predictable to be angry about it. Sad? Ha, Y/N never felt sad in her entire life, she had everything she could ever ask for. This was different, it was a new feeling. It was like someone took her conquest from her, something that was supposed to be hers. She felt... jealous. So maybe she was sad and angry, but it was all the bad feelings mixed up in one.
A maid was sent to call the sand dragon to the gardens, Princess Rhaenyra's orders. Our highness wanted to meet the beauty herself, and see if the dornish girl was everything they say. The princess discovered that Y/N was everything she heard and so much more. Every hint of doubt faded, and she thought that the girl could make her uncle happy. They had a bunch of things in common, and it would be funny to watch Daemon dealing with someone tough like him, even more so a woman.
"Tell me, my princess," The soldier started, "what does your uncle look like? Everyone tells me he's handsome. The most handsome Targaryen man since King Maegor. They say he's quite a brute like Maegor too." Y/N chuckled.
"Oh no, he's nothing like Maegor was. Maybe he's a brute in battle, but I promise you he's a nice man if you break his protection shell. He's a bit grumpy, but nothing you can't handle with your sword." Rhaenyra jokes.
"Don't you find it weird that I'll be the first woman competing in a royal tournament?" Y/N questioned. The princess smiled and placed a comforting hand on the warrior's shoulder.
"I find it inspiring. There's a lot of female dragonriders in my family, but the bravery was lost since Visenya and Rhaenys conquered our lands alongside Aegon. They were true soldiers, not just dragonriders. I don't even know how to use a sword." Rhaenyra laughed and Y/N smiled. Being used as an inspiration was the best compliment someone gave to her. It wasn't about her exotic beauty, but her skills.
A couple of days went by without Y/N meeting her prince. She heard the staff saying he was in Dragonstone with his whore, and he would stay there until the tournament day. Clearly he was avoiding meeting her. How weird was being engaged with someone for 19 years? To her it made no difference, but Daemon was 17 years old when his brother told him the boy was engaged to a baby.
Daemon was curious about the dornish dragon. He heard stories about her, and how she never lost a single combat against the dornish warriors. Daemon thought they were all weak, the dornish. Those people who always wanted to be independent, but the first chance they had to marry into royalty, they took it. She was no different. He wasn't gonna let himself be fooled by a pretty face. Marrying for duty wasn't gonna stop him from being with Mysaria.
King Viserys himself went to Dragonstone to bring his brother back to King's Landing, a week before the tournament day. Daemon came back home, leaving his lover behind. The king told him about the young lady, trying to make Daemon a little bit more interested in the girl. Viserys said he saw the girl training for the tournament, and that she could have chances of winning. That made Daemon laugh, reminding his brother that he would be the one representing House Targaryen, and that there was no way a dornish girl would beat him. The King reminded his younger sibling that the "dornish girl" was soon to be his wife.
The prince insisted for his brother that he didn't have to meet the girl before the marriage ceremony, since he already knew she was beautiful and didn't have anything to worry about. He said he wanted to cut the boring parts, since he waited 19 years for this day to come. Viserys agreed without questioning, but truth be told, Daemon just wanted to do whatever had to be done, and then go back to Dragonstone and his lover.
The following day, Y/N met her prince, the one she has been dreaming of her whole life. The one it was promised to her. That tall, handsome man in front of her was such a sight to see. Daemon Targaryen was in formal clothes, the top of his long hair was braided, and the serious demeanor in his face made him look even more gorgeous.
Daemon felt weird in her presence. His eyes had never laid in such beauty, part of the lady's silver hair was braided on the top of her head, while the back part fell on her shoulders like a water cascade. Y/N was wearing a beautiful, and quite revealing, bare shoulders yellow dress, reminding everyone where she's from.
The Rogue Prince chose to wed in the valyrian way, by "fire and blood", like most Targaryen couples do. King Viserys was the officiant, so the ceremony happened in the throne room. There were only a few members of the family, and The Hand, witnessing the valyrian wedding.
He never kissed her after that. The prince took her to his chambers because it was what they expected him to do, not because he wanted a complete stranger invading his space.
"So," Lady Y/N broke the awkward silence. It's been 10 minutes since they entered the room and Daemon faced his window. "should I undress?"
"It depends." Daemon muttered, "I don't want you to get sexually frustrated, if it happens once and never again."
"I see. You think there's not enough of my husband for me and his whore?" Y/N spat and Daemon turned to look at her, "Don't you worry, your highness. I would never get sexually frustrated because of you. I wouldn't be alone either."
"I could have you punished for that, you know? I don't know how things work in Dorne, but here a woman should respect her husband!"
"In Dorne, men are castrated if caught in adultery. That's why we are in favor of open marriage. That's when both parts are fine with being in the company of other people." Y/N said with a smile.
"Dornish people are crazy!" Daemon replied, annoyance was cleared in his voice.
"I'd say dornish people are evolving faster than the rest of the realm. You people should learn something with us. Now, since we're not having our wedding night, I'll rest." The princess took her dress and corset, falling onto the mattress right after.
Prince Daemon watched her undress, her perfect body being covered only by her golden nightgown. Men say that dornish women are the most beautiful creatures in the seven kingdoms, but Y/N was different. She had the flush of Dorne, and the features of Old Valyria. Her curves were hypnotic and her lilac eyes were magnetic. Sure, she was a true temptation, but Daemon was a warrior before a man. A real soldier could resist any kind of human desire, he was trained to resist any kind of need.
Y/N on the other hand, was mad. She fell for someone she had never met, the idea of a prince that only existed in her mind. Daemon was everything she pictured him to be, but she expected the same love towards her. Her broken expectation turned into anger. She felt motivated. Y/N wanted to make the Rogue Prince fall onto his knees and beg for her forgiveness. She wanted him to banish his whore from Dragonstone, and promise she was the only woman in his life from now on.
There was only one day left until the tournament. The Rogue Prince and The Sand Dragon had been sleeping in separate rooms. The dornish woman had been the most commented topic in gossip around the castle since she came to King's Landing, and it seemed like it was going to take long until it ceased.
Y/N trained in the gardens, also teaching Rhaenyra the basics in sword fighting. The princesses became friends really quickly, and Y/N felt like she wasn't alone anymore.
Her parents weren't talking to her, since people had been saying that she offended the prince and he regretted marrying her. Of course the staff noticed Daemon leaving their shared chambers in the middle of the night, that's all they've been talking about for days.
Rhaenyra was happy to find in Y/N a true friend and a good company, never leaving her lonely again. Syrax also found a true friend in Faora.
On the dragonpit, Rhaenyra took Y/N to meet the royal dragons and the place where the dornish's dragon had been staying at. The sand princess met Meleys, Dreamfyre, and Seasmoke. She had already met Syrax, since the Targaryen girl took her new friend flying the other day.
And then she saw him, the Blood Wyrm, with his red scales and long neck. He roared whistling loudly, but she wasn't intimidated by him. Caraxes moved in her direction, and lowered his head, where his nose was right in front of her. He huffed, making her silver hair fly. Chuckling, Y/N stretched her hand to pet him, which the dragon accepted gladly.
"He likes you." Rhaenyra smiled, "That's rare, he usually doesn't like anyone. Quite like my uncle, actually."
Y/N laughed as her fingers danced through the dragon's scales, "Well noticed."
"Do you want to go riding? I'll ask someone to saddle Syrax and Faora." Rhaenyra said and Y/N nodded, watching the princess leave the dragonpit.
The girl hummed as the dragon softly huffed to her touch. His warm scales getting even hotter under her hand, his eyes closing in comfort. He didn't seem like a menace much more than one of the cats in the castle.
"You're not so scary, aren't you?" Y/N smiled, and touched her forehead against the dragon, "No, you're not. I bet you're just like your daddy. Your tough act can't fool me, neither can his."
Caraxes opened his eyes and stared at the girl with his beautiful orange gaze. The dragon loved the attention he was getting.
"You're such a handsome boy. That's another thing you have in common with Daemon,"
The lady turned around to the masculine chuckle behind her, "Oh, really?"
The prince cocked his eyebrow. The sassy voice was noticeable.
"Please, don't mind me. I was quite enjoying your little chit-chat with my dragon." Daemon smirked and the princess rolled her eyes.
"Don't get too cocky, my prince. At least Caraxes knows how to behave in a lady's presence." Y/N shrugged and turned back to the dragon.
Daemon looked around, watching the magnificent white dragon on the corner of the pit. Her golden eyes shone in the darkness of the place. The prince took a few steps, and the dragon came closer to him. Caraxes watched the scene with caution, feeling a little tense to see his master so close to an unknown dragon.
Faora lowered her head to be in Daemon's height. She looked at her owner, expecting an order. The princess just smiled, and the dragon slightly pushed the prince's body with her nose making him laugh. Caraxes huffed again, this time in annoyance.
"You know," Daemon started, making the princess look at him, "I always thought my brother was a fool for giving you the egg. Dorne could be in possession of a dragon and decide to start a war. That's what I would have done."
Daemon placed his hand on the dragon's nose, that purred to his touch like a kitten.
"Using animals as weapons is a Targaryen thing, my prince. We are soldiers, we are trained to fight and win. Dragonfire is an advantage. To be brave is the real conquest, even if dying with it." The princess blurted out.
"And yet, it is dragonfire that reigns." The prince walked towards his wife.
"Life isn't always fair." Y/N said, her voice sounding lower than she expected. He was too close to her, his tall figure was covering her body.
Their violet eyes met. Daemon felt the urge to touch her, to feel her warm skin against his fingertips, but he controlled himself. Y/N took a deep breath, trying not to look intimidated.
Rhaenyra appeared at the entrance of the dragonpit, taking Y/N's attention. The dornish girl quickly vanished from the prince's sight, taking her friend's hand without saying a word.
The tournament day finally came. Y/N felt like it was the day to shut everyone down. The maids didn't even tried to hide anymore, gossiping in codes right in front of her, like she was some sort of stupid lady that couldn't understand what they're saying.
No one could look at Y/N and say she wasn't a lady. The most shining armor in her body and the sharpest sword in her hand wouldn't take away the femininity in her. She always fought with beauty and grace, making violence look pretty when done by her hands.
So she fought. One, two, three, more and more soldiers of the king were defeated by dornish hands. House Martell standards were held up high with pride. Prince Daemon was also winning combat alongside his beloved Dark Sister, but Y/N didn't let herself be bothered with the chance of fighting against her husband.
Y/N almost lost the fight against Ser Criston Cole. She fell from her horse, landing on the ground brutally. Her shoulder felt injured under the golden armor, probably badly bruised. The crowd looked shocked once she was back on her feet and someone came running to give her her sword.
Ser Criston made a great job knocking her out of the horse, but winning that fight wasn't going to be that easy. She made that very clear once her foot was on his chest, and the tip of her sword touched his face. He immediately surrendered.
Everyone cheered for her. The talents of dornish warriors were known throughout the country, but no one expected the girl to fight a real soldier.
Banners with the Targaryen symbol were raised. People cheered loudly for their prince, watching his glorious entrance. Daemon came on top of a black sorrel, wearing a black armor. His helmet drived attention, especially because of the wings and scales innit, reminding a dragon. He wanted to prove a point and show everyone what the house of the dragon was made of.
Y/N hopped on her horse again, taking a deep breath. They were both in place, staring at each other across the field. She held her spear in his direction, aiming for his chest. It took three rounds until one of them met the ground, and that was Daemon. Screaming for his sword, he watched the girl gracefully getting out of the saddle. Y/N took her own sword out of her helper's hand, and stayed defensive as the prince got closer to her.
"You should surrender, wife. I really don't want to hurt your pretty face" Daemon said in wit, as he swung his sword towards her.
Y/N smirked through the loud noises of the steel hitting against each other.
"You should be the one to surrender, my lord! I am not going anywhere," Her sword went straight to his face, where Daemon deviated from having his cheek cut.
Dark Sister's blade opened a wound in the lady's arm, splashing blood in it's length. Y/N whimpered in pain, but found enough strength to kick Daemon away from her. He took a few steps back, trying not to lose his balance as she came fearless in his direction. She screamed as her attack went for his neck, but the valyrian blade blocked her sword's way. Daemon grabbed her braids, and the girl could feel the cold steel against her neck.
"Surrender," Daemon mumbled against her ear.
"I'd rather die," She muttered between gritted teeth.
"If you don't surrender, I'll make it a tie. It will be disgraceful, since it's the same as losing in a shameful way." The prince threatened in a low voice.
There was no way of getting out of this. She was bleeding, and with a blade on her neck at his mercy.
They looked at each other. They had never been this close again since the day in the dragonpit. She could feel his warm breath against her ear. Moving her head slowly and getting even more close to him, their lips met. Daemon tasted salty, and one of them had definitely a bleeding mouth.
Daemon's grip around the sword loosened, and for seconds he forgot where they were. The place went completely silent, it was like no one was watching. His hand let go of her hair and went for her cheek, feeling the softness of her skin.
Completely free, Y/N opened her eyes and took a dagger out of a compartment in her trousers, slowly taking it to the prince's throat. She broke the kiss and went behind him, getting out of his sight, deepening the blade against his skin.
"Surrender," She whispered.
Daemon groaned once he realized her move, and touched her arm patting it for surrender.
"Lady Y/N of House Martell is the great winner of the tournament!" King Viserys announced.
Y/N tossed her dagger against the floor, finally relaxing her body after so much effort. She looked at her arm, bleeding out where part of her armor was destroyed. She didn't realize how much blood she was losing until then. Some drops were falling in the ground.
"Daemon" Y/N called, feeling her vision getting blurry and her legs getting weak.
The prince turned around in perfect timing to catch her before she fall. Her skin wasn't so warm anymore. Her eyes were shut closed, and worry took over Daemon.
When Y/N woke up, she was all alone in her chambers. She noticed someone had stitched her wounds, and her mouth tasted like milk of the poppy. She had a bad headache, and her shoulder was badly bruised from her fall. None of her maids were in sight, so she had nowhere to go.
Y/N closed her eyes again and tried to sleep a little more. That's when she heard the door opening noise. She sat on the bed, and watched prince Daemon entering the room.
"Oh, you're awake. Do you want me to get your maids? You must feel hungry," Daemon sat in front of her and took her hand, checking out her body temperature.
Y/N frowned. She couldn't recall what happened. "What time is it?"
"It's late, actually. I came to see you before heading to my room." Daemon muttered, analyzing the walls and the whole new decoration that the princess had done to his old chamber.
"This is your room, I'm invading your space. I should be the one to sleep in another place." She mumbled, playing with her fingers and avoiding his gaze.
"This is our room," He said, "it just took me a while to see it."
Y/N raised her head and their eyes met. She lost her words, and had no idea how to reply to that. Did he confess something? Did he like her?
"What happened? I remember... kissing you." She frowned once she noticed that her memories were kinda blurry.
"You did that. And, you used the kiss to distract me. You won." Daemon smiled.
"Well, I must say I'm not surprised. I'm really that good." She said playfully and the prince laughed.
"Yes, you are." Daemon smiled without showing his teeth, "How's your arm? I'm really sorry about that."
"It hurts but I'll be fine. And, we both know that you didn't mean for this to happen, Daemon. You have nothing to be sorry for." Y/N placed a comforting hand on his thigh.
Daemon looked at her hand, and placed his own on top of hers, giving it a little squeeze.
"Stay with me tonight." She asked softly.
"I will."
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The Significance of Katherine's Hosting Duties
Whatever their private lives, the couple's public relationship in the early part of Henry's reign displayed an easy cooperation, which allowed them to exchange public roles freely during civic ceremonies. One role, which Henry VIII was apparently comfortable relinquishing, was that of host during a number of special banquets. By filling in for her husband, Katherine allowed Henry to abdicate his usual kingly duty to experiment with alternative roles. Scholars have formed opinions on what Henry's participation in court revels and tournaments communicated about his leadership, but no one has ever written about how this participation affected Katherine's leadership role. By leaving the chair of estate to Katherine, Henry gave her ceremonial authority during the banquets.
If Henry is the first royal performer, then Katherine is the first English queen ever to have had the experience of presiding over the hall festivities. King and queen would have shared the dais, even though the king sat in a larger and more elaborate chair of estate, but because Henry wanted to be two places at once, Katherine maintained the royal presence while he went off to dance.
Because Henry publicly shared his throne with his first wife on ceremonial occasions and later made her Regent in his absence, people became accustomed to seeing a female monarch. Of course, there have been many powerful consorts throughout England's history, but because Henry allowed Katherine to play host and sit in the chair of state, her presence there had his stamp of approval. While she was allowing him to experiment with alternative roles, Henry was actually, and probably unintentionally, permitting Katherine to experiment as well-in this case, with the role of monarch to a nation.
Denise E. Cole, Katherine and Henry: England's Dramatic Duo
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horizon-verizon · 1 year
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Why GRRM's Dance of The dragons made less sense. I found an article that shows how GRRM's plot was faulty. "What attributes did society expect of a monarch? Why were expectations and practices incompatible with female rule?
In medieval times a woman could not bear arms; therefore a woman could not take on a role which, even symbolically, required her to carry arms.
In medieval times a woman who took on an overt military role was an aberration; much of the contemporary opprobrium against Joan of Arc was engendered by her wearing armour and riding with armies.
Given the centrality of the military role to medieval kingship, no female could be considered a potential ruler unless there were no close male heirs.
Matthew suggests that Matthilda's failure in 1141 was in no small measure due to her insisting ‘on her right to exercise power in person’ and inability because of her sex to act as a military commander;"
THE PLACE OF WOMEN IN EUROPEAN ROYAL SUCCESSION IN THE MIDDLE AGES ANN LYON
And, this reason doesn't exist in Westeros. We saw ladies taking arms, fighting in wars. Moreover, Valyrian women did carry swords (Visenya), they could take part in battles even without it. In the medieval mindset this reason shouldn't be applied to Rhaenyra.
GRRM had to create a reason for her not take part in any battles, make her femininity a flaw. And he had to create a reason for her not be able to use Syrax.
(This ask most definitely follows this one)
You're really determined to raise HotD up to the level of sensical and "better" than the original source material that birthed it, huh?
You also couldn't give the link to the said article, that "shows how GRRM's plot was faulty"?
A)
Like I said in that post you respend to:
[...] it's pretty narrow-minded and sexist for Donald Matthew to adopt the federalist patriarchal interpretation of general women-rule and say "her failure in 1141 was in no small measure due to her insisting ‘on her right to exercise power in person’ and inability because of her sex to act as a military commander, along with her unfortunate character traits of arrogance and disregard of advice.", when like Rhaenyra, she is really just pressing for a claim that some precedents and her own father's word assured her. Plus, once again, several precedents and succession traditions existed in the EU and England simultaneously that preceded and existed with the burgeoning male primogeniture.
How these feudalist peoples and the writer for Stephen of Blois think is the problem, anon, not something that shows how wrong Rhaenyra was or Matilda. Reread my post carefully, I even include other examples of how it is the societies and the patriarchal writer at fault here, not these women for trying to claim the power they saw and/or were assured already.
To believe that the central issue is that a woman is trying to get power is sexist AND untrue (as all things that are sexist are). That flew over your head.
B)
I don't think GRRM pulled Rhaenyra out of the fighting because he thought her womanhood was a flaw if as you just mentioned, Visenya fought in the Wars of Conquest. It has to be something more (links below).
Despite the existence of Jonquil Darke and Lyanna Stark (both having participated in tournaments, the lists, I can't remember right now), in answer to the Visenya/Valyria bit and how it changes towards Rhaenyra, you could also stand to take a look at what I wrote HERE about Targ assimilation and brideoffires' posts and reblogs HERE about the effect Rhaenyra and the Dance had in Westeros.
But regarding female warriors apart from Visenya, Andal peoples and their Westerosi descendants have female fighters in the minority and they often, like Lyanna & Jonquil, have to disguise themselves and hide their female shapes to participate in public militaristic events. Sabitha Frey is not societally given the right to bear arms, she claims and takes it with no one's permission, similar to Lyanna and Jonquil, but even Jonquil Darke had to be accepted by the king and assigned a female ward to guard. Women like Brienne and even Catelyn Stark (who isn't a warrior at all but->) are their father's oldest or only means of maintaining their household and perpetuating their lineage, so they are granted more leeway in the everyday performance of power over the castle or are pushed/allowed to pursue the masculinized practices of warfare. Brienne occupies the role that her would-be brother would have if he ever existed because her father/house saw it as necessary.
Again, I think the point here flew over your head.
C)
Finally, Aegon II went to battle at Rook's Rest himself, anon, but his advisors, it's implied, didn't want him to take that risk. They also didn't want Aemond, his later Prince Regent, to go out of KL by himself with an army and leave KL exposed, but both men decided to go out and battle when it wasn't expedient anyway. Aegon went because he was vengeful over his son's death AND impatient with Otto and was himself already a very temperamental and entitled person. Aemond wanted to "prove" himself. Despite being men and having penises--what those medieval persons wanted in a military leader--they both proved not very capable of leading men into battle.
Another thing is that while kings did command armies and slept at least in the same area as their soldiers in medieval periods, they also didn't generally do as much fighting at all. Medieval kings are not Alexander the Great, whose ancient contemporaries themselves did not participate in straight battles. And there was very good reason for Rhaenyra to not fight on Syrax both specifically at Rook's Rest and in general--what happens to Aegon II.
I already write about it HERE, and you can check the reblogs about medieval kings going to battle vs ancient kings there in its reblogs.
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isadomna · 1 year
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The Significance of Katherine's Hosting Duties
Whatever their private lives, the couple's public relationship in the early part of Henry's reign displayed an easy cooperation, which allowed them to exchange public roles freely during civic ceremonies. One role, which Henry VIII was apparently comfortable relinquishing, was that of host during a number of special banquets. By filling in for her husband, Katherine allowed Henry to abdicate his usual kingly duty to experiment with alternative roles. Scholars have formed opinions on what Henry's participation in court revels and tournaments communicated about his leadership, but no one has ever written about how this participation affected Katherine's leadership role. By leaving the chair of estate to Katherine, Henry gave her ceremonial authority during the banquets.
If Henry is the first royal performer, then Katherine is the first English queen ever to have had the experience of presiding over the hall festivities. King and queen would have shared the dais, even though the king sat in a larger and more elaborate chair of estate, but because Henry wanted to be two places at once, Katherine maintained the royal presence while he went off to dance. If this was the first time that a king performed during major public occasions, then it must also have been the first time that a woman held the chair of estate and momentarily played monarch publicly. So while Henry tried on new roles, Katherine was doing so as well.
Because Henry publicly shared his throne with his first wife on ceremonial occasions and later made her Regent in his absence, people became accustomed to seeing a female monarch. Of course, there have been many powerful consorts throughout England's history, but because Henry allowed Katherine to play host and sit in the chair of state, her presence there had his stamp of approval. While she was allowing him to experiment with alternative roles, Henry was actually, and probably unintentionally, permitting Katherine to experiment as well-in this case, with the role of monarch to a nation.
Denise E. Cole, Katherine and Henry: England's Dramatic Duo
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xolta · 6 months
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Super hero fighting game idea i based off ai generated images.
So I was goofing around with ai and i kinda sparked my imagination what if i used these images as the base for a imagery fighting game. Staring a cast of super heroes and super villains. With each hero and or villain with there own back ground. Below each charater is the ai generated image that inspired me to wirte up the charters names and back grounds.
Black Phoenix: A Immortal god like begin, that as invited the cast to his fighting tournament in search of some one who can challenge him in battle. Dose this fighting tournament every 100 years on a different planet offering the winner one wish. Finale boss of the game. become playable after beating him.
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EarthSatter: A Intergalactic conquer and warlord who has rule over many worlds. He will use his wish to become ruler of the universe.
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Gallahad: A knight that drank form the holy grail becoming immortal, he has been a champion of good for many centuries. Considered to be Earth's first super hero. His wish will be for ever lasting peace.
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Jet Woman: A cyborg super heroine form the future year of 2065, set back to get the wish before Earthsatter. She was modified by rebels to undo the future were Earthsatter is master of Earth.
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Rose V: The last surviving member of The V Force a team of super hero who battled Night witch. After her comrades died vigilantly defending Earth, her only wish is to bring her team back to life.
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Night Witch: A evil witch form a other planet who wants to use the souls of the people of earth to summon her domonic master the Dark Monarch into the world.
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Dr. Demon: Lawyer by day demonic super hero at, by using down the demon stone. He transforms to bring evil to justice after the death of his father. Wishes to bring his father's killer to justice.
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Mammoth man: A hero form another dimension of magic and swords. Been on a quest to find a way home. He protect castle Greenskin. Wishes to go home.
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Sliver Century: Not hero or villain, he found an alien super suit as a child. Uses it to be a one man army for the highest bidder. Wishes to become the universe's richest man.
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Rejian: A young boy bounded to the body of a dragon by a cult. Uses his power to defend his home nation form the dragon cult's evil. Can't return to his normal form but his still a child in heart and mind. Wish for toys.( joke ending?)
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Shadow man: A 1923 mob enforcer who won the last tournament 100 years and wished for immortality. Becoming Galahads nemesis and leader of the world's largest crime syndicate. Will wish for Galahad's death.
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Volt panther: Falsely empersioned for killing her husband and was about to be executed by electric chair. She survived do to her mutant power of shoring energy and releasing it. Now fights for all falsely empersioned. Will wish to clear her name.
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Steel amazon: Female Russian Wight lifter injected with nanites during the last days of the cold war. Was frozen for decades and now finds a strange new world. Fighting for the people of Russia. May have a crush on Galahad, may use her wish to make him love her.
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Moon Shadow: Consider by some to be Earth's smartest man, he became jaded by humanity at a younge age and plans to make the worlda better place by taking it over. To this end he built the robot hero Scarlet King. Wishes for Scarlet King to rejoin him in his conquest.
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Scarlet king: A Robot super hero created as a weapon by Moon shadow but soon rebelled and now uses his powers for good. Disgueses him self as a mild mannered reporter in human form. Wishes form his "father" to become good.
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Birghtstar : A comic book super heroine brought into the "real world" by the mad god Heloth for reasons unknown to us all. She is still adjusting to the "real world." Wishes to be made flesh and bone.
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~Unlocakable fighters~
The Dark Monarch: The demonic ruler of a helish plane that needs the souls of the living to escape his prison. What he plans to do with earth his deiffinalty not going to be fun for any one. Master of Night wish.
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The mad god Heloth: A god of pure and utter insanity. Some say "her" mind was splintered into many fragments by the act of creating the universe, before the begging of time. Her motives like her sanity are broken and vague. Might be black and white phoenix's mother.
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White Phoenix: A immortal god like begin that is said to be the other sister and opposite to her brother. Has entered to stop him meddling in mortal affairs out of what she assumes is boredom.
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Viperskulltor: A evil lich form mammoth man's home demsion and his arch nemsis. Wants the power of Castle Greenskin to take over it. Wishes for Castle Greenskins power.
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Anget Race Solar: A hot headed stunt driver with a massive chip her shoulder and lives for danger. Becomes a goverment agent and super spy. She drives the solar 09 super car. Wishes for a vaction.
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~DLC~
Zephyr J: Zephyr j is the first of its kinda antonymous anti kaiju mecha, given a burning scene of justice and need to protect humanity. It can change size at will and is ready to save the world. Dose not make a wish.
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Comsic Dodo: Cosmic Dodo is alien police officer who as acendeitly brought a war to earth form his own world. While on earth he takes on the human form of Dead Biologist I.M. bird. He Now defends earth as a secret hero . He wishes to save earth form the war he borught here.
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Klaus Von Luger: A Nazi super spy who placed hi brain in a robotic body at the end of ww2. Now he leads the neo nazi group S.K.U.L.L and is the arch nemesis of Race Solar. Wishes for the 4th reich.
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Paperclip King: Hank Smith was a normal up and coming small business owner who sold office supply's. Until one day he so called hero cosmic dodo ruined his life ( on accident) by destroying his business, unable to pay his debts he turned to a life of crime and now is out for revenge. Wishes for revenge.
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Dar'mosignt the kaiju master: A beging form a under ground civilaztion lost to time. Believe he and his kind are the right full rulers of earth and now sends his army of Bio Kaiju to take back what they believe is his peoples birth right. Wishes for his people to take back Earth.
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~DLC 2~
Skull Anget: An cyborg agent of S.K.U.L.L
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M. Steven and crash doodle: A Cartoonist given the power to crate life with his enchanted pen. His pens powers may be Heloth's doing. He as crated and controls the "hero" Crash man aka crash doodle. They mean well but some times people wonder if there good guys or not. Wishes for respect.
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Mr. Face: Mr. Face comes form a failed Creepy pasta arg game were he was created to sell kids nfts. But now that he his free form his video world he wants to sell body parts form the victims he cuts up. No idea if "he" has been given life by Heloth. Wishes for a chain saw that never runs out of gas.
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Jack o doom: A stay at home dad who streams video games for a living is worried about the state of the city he and his family lives in. So he puts on a costume and becomes the comuity hero Jack o doom. Wish for super powers.
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~alt skins~
Neo Black Phoenix Neo white phoenix Neo Paperclip king Neo night witch 70's zephry j Dark monarch manga form Good of halloween jack o doom Cyber Kluas von luger Rose V mach 2 Birghtstar human Sane Heloth Neo Scarlet king Kaiju Masters King Moonshadow Anime cosmic dodo crash and doodle neo Good future jet women neo volt panther Sliver century full robo cyber race solar Heroic shadow man mecha Rejian 1940's steel amazon actionfigure Viperskullator actionfigure mammoth man 1940s Gallahad 1940's earthshatter super skull anget Dr. Demon female Mr. face pixel version
~dlc skins~
Heoric moon shadow female earthshatter 1940s Migo action figure Gallahad Migo action figure steel amazon Anime figure black phoenix Anime figure white phoenix 1970's Birghtstar anime steel amazon anime Gallahad low poly cosmic dodo anime figure rose v anime figure volt panther 1940s holth anime figure dark monarch 1940s dark monarch
so Lucha jack, K.o. the robot mascot, Sam and Colt xeno clad would be cross over charters
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saintmeghanmarkle · 10 months
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The Netflix fauxcumentary: when Meghan disrespected the late Queen - and Harry knew it was wrong by u/Mickleborough
The Netflix fauxcumentary: when Meghan disrespected the late Queen - and Harry knew it was wrong The English barrister behind the YouTube channel BlackBeltBarrister has a subsidiary channel called BlackBelt Secrets, where he provides his personal view, as opposed to legal analysis.In his recent video entitled Meghan: The Moment Her Reputation Crashed, he examines what he believes to be one of the turning points: the Netflix fauxcumentary, specifically when Meghan demonstrated her idiotic curtsey to the late Queen.For those who haven’t seen it, Harry’s expressions in this sequence is quite interesting:Meghan: ‘I mean, Americans will understand this. We have Medieval Times dinner and tournament…’‘…It was like that. Like I curtseyed as though I was like…’ Meghan then demonstrates the curtsey she purportedly made to the late Queen. Harry doesn’t look happy.Close-up of Harry’s face when Meghan shows her curtsey. He looks, amongst other things, like he knows this isn’t true.When Meghan comes up for air, Harry gives an embarrassed smile-not-smile.Meghan says: ‘Pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty’ in mock impressed accents before giving Harry a sideways grin which shows that she knows she’s taking the piss. Harry doesn’t look happy.As an aside:- The curtsey Meghan performs is more like a ‘Texas Dip’ some females do at American debutante balls than any English court presentation curtsey - noting that the last Court presentation took place in 1958.- As a form of etiquette, it’s redundant to say ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you’ when greeting the monarch. It’s understood that this is a pleasure (and it’s all yours). Elitist and presumptious maybe, but that’s probably one of the rules that Meghan wouldn’t learn.Meghan is an utterly repulsive, repugnant being. post link: https://ift.tt/vab4FAg author: Mickleborough submitted: July 15, 2023 at 10:47PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit
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elgaberino-mcoc · 2 years
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Series: Characters Not Yet on the Wishlist Nor in a Tournament /sub-series: International Women’s Day/Women’s History Month /sub-series: Theme Day: Females Likely Too Obscure for Wishlist
Lucia von Bardas
Tech class cyborg Latverian ruler Villain Doom synergy
boss NPC in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 but only a couple dozen comics and animated appearances
Bios: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Lucia_von_Bardas
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african-art-ny · 3 years
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Anacaona
Anacaona (1474 (?)-1504), or Golden Flower, was a Taíno cacica, or female cacique (chief), religious expert, poet and composer born in Xaragua. Before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, Ayiti or Quisqueya to the Taínos (the Spaniards named it La Española, i.e., Hispaniola — now known as the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Haití in Spanish) was divided into five kingdoms, i.e., Xaragua, Maguana, Higüey, Maguá and Marién. Anacaona was born into a family of caciques. She was the sister of Bohechío, the ruler of Xaragua.
She succeeded Bohechío as cacica after his death. Under Anacaona's rule, the Spanish settlers and the Taínos of Xaragua coexisted and intermarried.
In 1503, Nicolás Ovando, the governor of the island, visited Xaragua. He suspected an insurrection was brewing among the Taíno chiefs, including Anacaona, presently in the kingdom. Ovando gave the order for the caciques to be captured and burned. Anacaona was hanged.
Early life and family
Anacaona was born in Yaguana (present day Léogâne, Haiti), the capital of Little Spain, in 1474 (?). Her name was derived from the Taíno words ana, meaning 'flower', and caona, meaning 'gold, golden.'
Anacaona's brother Bohechío was a local chieftain. He extended his rule in 1475 to include all territories west of Xaragua. Through consolidation of his influence and power, Bohechío married Anacaona to Caonabo, cacique of Maguana. Together they had one daughter, Higüemota.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus arrived in the kingdom of Marién (Northern Haiti), in search of a direct route to the Indies (India). Upon arrival, he was greeted by the Tainos, who were much smaller in stature compared to the Spaniards. Columbus was gifted with gold, corn and other items. In 1493, the Spanish Crown established a colony whose sole purpose was to excavate for gold and other precious metals. With the establishment of the new colony, the Taíno were kidnapped and enslaved to satisfy the needs of the Crown (many Taíno women were raped and those Taínos who resisted the Spaniards were murdered).
In 1493, Caonabo was arrested for ordering the destruction of La Navidad (a Spanish colony in the northwestern part of the island) and its people. He was shipped to Spain and died in a shipwreck during the journey. When Caonabo was captured, Anacaona returned to Xaragua and served as an advisor to Bohechío.
In 1498, Bohechío was confronted by Bartholomew Columbus, brother of Christopher Columbus and founder of the city of Santo Domingo, who arrived in Xaragua with his troops to subdue Bohechío and conquer his territory. The purpose of the Spaniards in so doing was to acquire gold. With his power weakened, Bohechío, advised by Anacaona, decided to recognize the sovereignty of the Catholic Monarchs. Instead of fighting, he committed himself to paying the tribute levied by the Spaniards with products such as cotton, bread, corn and fish.
After Bohechío's death in 1500, Anacaona ruled as cacica until her execution in 1503.
Arrest and death
Anacaona, as a poet and composer, is accordingly memorialized in contemporary art and literature across the Caribbean region. A statue commemorating her legacy is in Léogâne, Haiti. Currently, the tallest building in the Caribbean, Torre Anacaona 27, is named after her. The song Anacaona, lead vocals by Cheo Feliciano, popularizes her story.
In the fall of 1503, Governor Nicolás Ovando and his party of 300 traveled on foot to Xaragua. They were received in a lavish ceremony by Anacaona, her nobles, and several Taíno chiefs.
While the Taíno presented the reception as a gesture of welcome, the Spanish saw it as being an elaborate distraction.[6][8] Ovando's party was under the impression that Anacaona and the Taíno chiefs present at the reception were planning an insurrection. Ovando lured the chiefs into a caney (large hut) for a Spanish tournament and gave the signal for the Spaniards to seize and bind the caciques. They were burned in the caney while other Taínos of lower rank were slaughtered outside. Anacaona was hanged.
According to historian Troy S. Floyd, the accuracy of the accounts of this event remain uncertain for many reasons. For one, even though the separate accounts made it seem as though it was a perfectly segregated fight along racial lines, the two groups had coexisted and intermarried for six years prior. As such, there was a history of harmonious relations between the two races. For another, it is unclear why the Spaniards would lure the Taínos into a trap. Additionally, fifty Spaniards were killed; this is a high number of casualties considering that the Europeans deployed superior military technology. Finally, the Xaragua caciques were respected as some of the most intelligent on the island and it is unlikely that they could be lured into a hut if they were planning their own revolt.
According to Sir Arthur Help's book The Spanish Conquest in America (1855), Nicolás Ovando renamed the place where Anacaona was murdered “The City of True Peace” (La Villa de la Vera Paz), "...in honor of his recent triumph". The arms assigned to the city were "...a rainbow and a cross, with a dove bearing the olive branch!".
Legacy and influence
Literature
The Royal Diaries series, Anacaona: Golden Flower, Haiti, 1490 by Edwidge Danticat[12]
Anacaona, la Reine Taino d'Ayiti by Maryse N. Roumain, PhD.[13]
Music
"Anacaona", by Ansy and Yole Dérose [14]
"Anacaona", composed by Tite Curet Alonso[citation needed]
"Anacaona", by Irka Mateo[citation needed]
"Anacaona", sung by Cheo Feliciano[15]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anacaona
📷
The five cacicazgos (chiefdoms) of Hispaniola at the time of Christopher Columbus's arrival
Anacaona
Born 1474
Yaguana, Jaragua, Hispaniola (present-day Léogâne, Haiti)
Died c. 1504
Hispaniola
Spouse Caonabo
Occupation Cacique
Massacre of the queen and her subjects, by Joos van Winghe, published in 1598 in the Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias written by Bartolomé de las Casas.
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Taíno:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta%C3%ADno
The Taíno were an indigenous people of the Caribbean. At the time of European contact in the late fifteenth century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of what is now Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and the northern Lesser Antilles. The Taíno were the first New World peoples encountered by Christopher Columbus during his 1492 voyage. They spoke the Taíno language, a division of the Arawakan language group. Many Puerto Ricans, Cubans and Dominicans have Taíno mtDNA, showing they are descendants through the direct female lines.
Some groups of people currently identify as Taíno, most notably among Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Cubans, both on the Caribbean islands themselves and on the United States mainland.[6][failed verification] Some scholars, such as Jalil Sued Badillo, an ethnohistorian at the University of Puerto Rico, assert that although the official Spanish histories speak of the disappearance of the Taíno as an ethnic identification, many survivors left descendants – usually by intermarrying with other ethnic groups. Recent research[by whom?] reveals a high percentage of mixed ancestry in the populations of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
The ancestors of the Taíno originated on the South American continent. The Taíno culture as documented developed on the Caribbean islands. Taíno groups came into conflict with the Island Caribs of the southern Lesser Antilles. At the time of European contact, the Taíno were divided into several groups. Western Taíno groups included the Lucayan of the Bahamas, the Ciboney of central Cuba, and the inhabitants of Jamaica. The Classic Taíno lived in Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, while the Eastern Taíno lived in the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles.
At the time of Columbus' arrival in 1492, there were five Taíno chiefdoms in Hispaniola, each led by a principal cacique (chief), to whom tribute was paid. The Taíno name for Hispaniola was Ayiti ("land of high mountains"), which was the source of the name Haiti, the independent republic established by slaves and free people of color on the island after becoming independent from France in a violent revolution. Cuba was divided into 29 chiefdoms. Their names were the origin of numerous modern cities, such as Havana, Batabanó, Camagüey, Jarabacoa, Baracoa, and Bayamo. Taíno communities ranged from small settlements to larger centers of up to 3,000 people. They may have numbered in total 2 million at the time of contact, and almost 3 million at the end of the 15th century. The figures are debated, and a 2020 genetic analysis estimated the population of Hispaniola at the time to be no more than a few tens of thousands of people.
Columbus was surprised by the civility of the Taíno people. He said, "They will give all that they do possess for anything that is given to them, exchanging things even for bits of broken crockery," he noted upon meeting them in the Bahamas in 1492. "They were very well built, with very handsome bodies and very good faces.... They do not carry arms or know them.... They should be good servants."
The Spanish conquered various Taíno chiefdoms during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century. According to The Black Legend and some contemporary scholars such as Andrés Reséndez, warfare and harsh enslavement by the colonists decimated the population. Men were forced to work on colonial plantations and gold mines[where?], as a result, there were no Taíno left to cultivate their own crops and feed their population. Since the late 20th century, most scholars believe that infectious diseases that had long been endemic among the Europeans from the Old World caused the majority of deaths, as these were new to the Native Americans and they had no acquired immunity to them. They suffered very high mortality from the new diseases. For instance, a smallpox epidemic in Hispaniola in 1518–1519 killed almost 90% of the surviving Taíno.
The remaining Taíno intermarried with Europeans and Africans, and became incorporated into the Spanish colonies. The Taíno were considered extinct as a people at the end of the century. But, since about 1840, activists have worked to create a quasi-indigenous Taíno identity in rural areas of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. In the 1960s this trend accelerated among Puerto Rican communities in the mainland United States, at a time of rising activism by African Americans and Native Americans of mainland tribes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta%C3%ADno
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house-kylanon · 2 years
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High Barons of Jinai
Each Great House of Jinai (save Kylanon) is lead by a High Baron, who is both Lord of the House’s lands as well their representative within the Council of Five. When a High Baron dies, the title is given to their firstborn child, male or female.
While each Baron works tirelessly to advance the political situation of his or her house on Jinai, it is expected for all scions of Jinai to present themselves as a unified force off-world. Politicking while on crusade is one of Jinai society’s greatest taboos.
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High Baroness Delphine Rotarra
Matriarch of House Rotarra and Lady Paramount of the Northern Coasts, Delphine Rotarra is the second most powerful noble on Jinai. While she possessed a notable rebellious streak as a child, Lady Delphine has matured into an indomitable scion of her House. Having piloted Knights to war under two different Kylanon monarchs, she has the reputation of both a skilled warrior and statesman.
As a charismatic, erudite, and respected member of the Council, Delphine has proven a uniquely tricky political opponent for the inexperienced King Rahm. Fortunately for the King, Delphine’s tendency towards people pleasing occasionally makes her seem suspicious or conniving, an issue the brash Kylanons seldom have themselves.
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High Baroness Jaina Vandar
Matriarch of House Vandar and Lady Paramount of the Vandari Islands, Jaina is the youngest of the High Barons and has been in the Council of Five only marginally longer than King Rahm. As a comparatively new face in the Council, all four other houses have made exhaustive efforts to court her favor, often with little success. Like most Vandars, Jaina is concerned far more with the health of her home islands than the quarreling of mainlanders.
Uniquely amongst High Barons, Jaina is still very active in the Jinai tournament scene. This has made her popular with the commonfolk, but controversial amongst some other heads of Houses. The young Baroness is not unfamiliar with accusations of glory hounding, but in typical Vandar fashion, largely doesn’t care.
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fedonciadale · 3 years
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Thank you for your thoughtful answer re: grrm & middle ages. You make a lot of good points. Thinking about it a bit more carefully, I suppose my beef is this: for years I was told that he is more realistic and historically accurate than other pseudo medieval fantasy writers. But when I read the books myself, I didn't find anything new or really accurate: just the same dark age cliches that have been popular since forever. If they it hadn't been sold to me as a some kind of correction... tbc
(2) Continued... Of a popular idea of middle ages, I would be more forgiving. But it just recycles what everyone already thinks of the era, and it's a very one sided and dated view. And to have that 19th century historian's understanding touted as a revolutionary new imagining bugs me something fierce. Does that make any sense?
Hi there!
That makes a lot of sense, I think. The problem is that people tend to mix up ‘there is more gore’ with ‘it is more realistic’, and that is why GRRM is praised for being more realistic. He shows the brutal side of it all, instead of just flying colourful banners, tournaments, knights in shining armour etc.
There are some things that are actually better than in your average fantasy, to be honest. Just to give some examples: The way the traditions in Westeros differ is actually well done, because people always underestimate how different things were in the Middle Ages. France and to a certain degree England are always seen as the default, when there were so many differences all over Europe. Inheritance was not father-son succession everywhere! So, I like it that you have a different kind of inheritance in Dorne, that you have places like Braavos or the watch, where you have some proto election, that you have places like the mountain tribes in the Vale and he Freefolk that have a different traditions of appointing leaders as well. you have places with a traditional strong female rule, you have the kingsmoot on the Iron Islands etc.
All of this is a more nuanced than your average fantasy novel but I can easily imagine that you are bound to be disappointed if you begin reading the book under the premise that it is accurate. It is not, just take child brides and ‘right of first night’. Both never were a thing in the Middle ages, but they are highly popular ideas. (child betrothals did happen, but marriages weren’t consummated until both children had grown up).  There is also the fact that a king in the Middle Ages was really not an absolute monarch. He did not rule alone but with a body of lords. You can actually see, that GRRM tries to depict that, but it is still not close. In a way it makes sense. Seeing that the kings of old had dragons it sort of makes sense that the position of the king would be relatively strong.
So, when I started to read the books, I was pleasantly surprised to be honest, because to me it was refreshing that some things were more fleshed out than in general. It shows how much expectations shape your reading experience!
Thanks for the ask!
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bestmothertournament · 3 months
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flyingcookierambles · 3 years
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wittwe muwues
jgriohagorhbiorghfvhgifvoghf ano really tho this is a gonna be a rambling weird gender shit post i just wanted to have a stupid name ghriohaguohguovhoge ok under the cut if you wanna read if not just move along bye lol
ok disclaimer on gender swap/genderbends, stuff like that
personally i am the person on the right of this post that doesn’t mind rule 63 of the internet its a good post that explains how some ppl may be ok with this trope and some are not
also more nuanced post explaining how genderswap/genderbends can be transphobic if not done well, etc.
anyways!
ive realized that in hindsight maybe i shouldve realized that i was not cis sooner bc i was always drawn to female/afab characters that crossdressed or hid their gender such as:
haruhi from ouran
mulan
haru from aoharu x kikanjuu that really edgy anime about some japanese ppl who have local bb gun tournaments in the woods, etc.
jackie faber, a girl who for various reasons disguises herself as a boy and sneaks onto a british navy ship
also altho it was minor and she wasn’t doing it in real life, moriko morioka from mmo junkie played her mmo with a male avatar
also not cross dressing or anything, but i was very interested by gender bends of characters and especially love the fiona and cake episodes of adventure time
alex dragalia lost (she doesn’t hide her gender or crossdress or anything, but she is very androgynous and i love her)
i guess that, much like how i never referred to myself with feminine terms or with she/her pronouns when thinking of myself, on some subconsciousness level,  related to/with or wanted to be like them in the way that they were able to physically pass as male or be at least gender ambiguous. in hindsight, i probably was experiencing some major gender envy or something.
anywyas uwuwuuwuwuwuwu i wish that shapeshifting or devil fruit powers like iva’s (instant magical hrt via control of hormones) were real so i (and all other trans/gnc ppl can just instantly get the types of bodies that we want and can just change them any time or day and stuff like uuu that’d be so cool
maybe thats also why sci-fi things like altered carbon and ghost in the shell also appeal to me. like. if you have enough money, just. make your own android body and put your brain in it. discard your former useless flesh prison.
anyways ill probs make some meme with more recent characters that are like. gender envy. to me lol. more recently its just. like. androgynous boys. lol. like. mascula, summer norwin, vice, and delphi from dragalia lost. albedo from genshin. just. short king representation. love to see it lol.
(ironically, despite being a short person irl and i guess wanting to look like a short androgynous monarch of some kind, my ffxiv avatar is just. tall. tall man. tall lizard au ra manly man. fjrhiaoghreogiheriogheiohfg lol i couldve picked an average or slightly smaller than average cat man avatar but no. i want to be tall. playing ffxiv and having basically all the other scions look up to me in cutscenes bc they’re all not male au ra and im literally the physically tallest person in the room (other than urianger ig lol) gives me some small joy in my heart daily lololol)
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collectsfallenstars · 4 years
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Gravity: A Summary of the Development of Jeong TaeEul’s Feelings for Lee Gon in “The King: Eternal Monarch (Part 2 of 3)
EPISODE 5
Once she lands on the Kingdom of Corea and he gives her his name, Lee Gon, all bets were off.  All protests she had in her head had been silenced at the face of this new reality.  She now has to deal with this strange pull that she feels towards him.
It had been easy in the beginning to say she was doing it out of duty.  And when it became more than that, she could say it was pity because of what little she knows of his family history.  But now, she was there in Corea with him without any excuse. She was there for herself, she wanted to know this man.  And in this episode, she got to know him without even spending much time with him.  He wooed her, and won her over, with almost no effort on his part.
Now, let’s talk about the kiss. Because this episode will definitely be remembered as the one where Lee Gon kissed her. Kisses are important, yes.  It’s a sign of a more visceral nature, something material that can affirm the physical attraction that had always been there.  And she is aware that he’s attractive. It’s been overtly said numerous times in the first few episodes. And Jeong Tae-uel is very much aware of it. however, what is important to note though is what she told him before the kiss, when he rested his head on her shoulder in a seemingly romantic gesture.
“YOU’VE NEVER DATED BEFORE, RIGHT?
“YES, I HAVE.”
“SHOULD I GUESS WHEN?”
“GUESS.”
“NOW.”
I like how this works two ways and they reveal two layers of Jeong Tae-eul. This can first be understood as a challenge to Lee Gon, which is what he understood it as.  It is a direct challenge to his experience in dating.  She’s basically saying he’s absolutely clueless, an amateur to wooing girls.  She is not impressed. And that’s standard Jeong Tae-eul behavior—shooting down Lee Gon. However, underneath this bravado is a softer side of Jeong Tae-eul.  This is the slightly insecure woman who has now seen how far away she is as a commoner from the other world to the king of this world. So with this line, she’s also actually asking how many women he has been with, how many women has he treated this way, is she special enough, how might she fare against the ghost of those other women?
And the two-fold meaning of this line is what makes this scene so delicious, especially as Lee Gon took this moment to purposefully interpret her question in another way.  After taking it as a challenge, he kisses her in order to prove to her that yes, he does know what to do on a date, he knows how to kiss, has kissed before, but he actually evades her question by saying that he kissed her to declare to her that they are now dating. And yet, neither of them have ever clearly stated how one felt for the other. But with this kiss, and her being there voluntarily, they are both sure that something is there between them, something worth exploring and deepening -- otherwise, he wouldn’t have persisted in reaching through her emotional wall, and she wouldn’t be there in his kingdom, letting him in slowly.
Also, I would like to point out how much I like that she didn’t recoil from a kiss, which can sometimes be the norm in most k-dramas.  Those surprise kisses can sometimes be cringey, even if it’s meant to portray the innocence of the female character and the passion of the male character.  Jeong Tae-eul here is not a wilting little flower who can be shocked by a kiss and I am here for it.  Now, while she didn’t recoil, she also didn’t kiss back either.  And I am fine with that because she’s not exactly someone who is easily overcome with passion.  
You will see her reaction though, in a flashback of this moment in the next episode. And it’s only revealed much later how she reacted after that kiss. You see, he gave out telltale signs that he was going to kiss her by moving his hands up and around her face and angling his head towards her. He moved unhurriedly, not slow, not fast, unhurriedly.  And because it was a gentler kind of surprise kiss, you can see how she had time to prepare for it.  Her eyebrows moved up like she was confused that this was happening. And then you see her eyes focus on his lips. When their lips touched, you can see from her profile that her eyes had opened wide. She did not look in pain. She did not look like a kiss was forced upon her.  She looked like a woman who was kissed by someone she would accept a kiss from, but had no idea how badly he had wanted to kiss her just then. And when Lee Gon moved back to declare that they are now dating, Jeong Tae-eul’s face was the softest it could look while simultaneously being amazed at his audacity. And then she quickly changes the subject. I love Kim Goeun. That is all.
Okay, now that they’ve established that there’s a physical attraction there, it was time to put a little bit more substance into their relationship.  Kisses don’t make relationships after all.  In the following morning , JTE accompanied Lee Gon to some of his royal engagements, dressed as one of his security guards.
Seeing Lee Gon open a basketball tournament and give a lecture on math in a university made her realize how adored he was not just for his looks, but for the way he interacted with his people, and his intellect.  He wasn’t some crazed maniac prattling on about parallel universe.  She got to see him as the King he said he was and he was loved, he was magnetic.  
She walked around a country that looked beautiful, prosperous, peaceful and most of it was because of his leadership.  His country showed him to be a capable, powerful, and yet graceful man.  And for a strong, no nonsense woman like Jeong Tae-eul, all those traits were very attractive.  Strength respects strength after all.  But for her, who had to grow up fast because of an almost incapable father who would accept eggs as tuition fee, those traits would also mean that she can actually depend on Lee Gon.
Jeong Tae-eul is characterized as someone who is a very capable detective and skilled martial artist.  Lee Gon often says what an amazing woman she is while watching her work a case.  He looks at her almost like a savior.  In the next episode, we will see more of her history with Kang Sin-jae.  And he also looks at her like she was his savior. And she is. She did rescue him from living a thug life.  At one point, she even held things together at her father’s taekwondo studio.  Being a strong, independent woman is definitely a point of pride for her but at times, it can also be very exhausting.  And if she deems herself as strong, she needs someone equally as strong, if not stronger than her, before even considering to hold on to that person’s hand when she needs help.  Lee Gon was exactly that kind of person.
Another thing that possibly won her over was the fact that he didn’t drag her all over the place while he had to fulfill his duties. He gave her space, as strong people often need it. He let her go and explore on her own, but not without keeping her protected through Jo Yeong.  
And in perhaps, one of the sweetest gestures in the series, Lee Gon personally picked her up when she was stranded without a ride back to the Busan palace.  It was a gesture that was perfectly timed.  For Lee Gon, he had just finished all his duties for the day so it wasn’t much of a problem.  But for Jeong Tae-eul who had spent the entire day exploring his kingdom and being reminded at every turn how much he had accomplished, how great a king he is right down to a building sized poster of him.  All this greatness is bound to make her feel a little small, no matter how confident Jeong Tae-eul.  And so when he picked her up in such a grand fashion, as what a king does of course, ignoring protocol or risking being photographed together, it reminds her that Lee Gon will always be ready to shorten any kind of distance between them – whether it was king and commoner, or the infinite space between their two worlds.  
EPISODE 6
Lee Gon at this point is full on boyfriend mode, even without the labels.  He is openly declaring his feelings to those near him, even his enemies.  He let PM Koo see how he laughs in the presence of Jeong Tae-eul, which he has never done with her nor with anyone else in public.  And in his private plane, with two of his staff looking at them, he plays with her hands under the pretense of having a secret conversation, and also affirms to his secretary that Jeong Tae-eul is the woman he had been talking to her about.  Now while Lee Gon is there, enjoying the fact that he finally has Jeong Tae-eul by his side, she is on a different page even though she’s letting him get away with all is public displays of affection.
“I WAS TRAVELLING AROUND TODAY AND I REALIZED YOU MUST HAVE BEEN LONELY IN MY WORLD”
“WERE YOU LONELY HERE?”
“IT WAS FRUSTRATING TO NOT HAVE SOMETHING THAT COULD PROVE MY IDENTITY.  THATYS FOR COMING TO PICK ME UP.”
This scene marks a clear shift in Jeong Tae-eul’s perspective on Lee Gon. And true to her character, she communicates it properly and clearly. Having spent the entire day in an unfamiliar world, she gets to fully put herself in Lee Gon’s shoes when he first arrived in her world and it isn’t lost on her how horrible she was to him.  She was the one who had constantly doubted him at every turn when he was trying to prove who he was to her.  Once their places were switched, he gave her a wide berth, provided protection from afar, and only swooped in when she called for his help, instinctively knowing that this was what she needed to see things for herself.  He was kind to her, gentle, right down to this moment when he’s preparing dinner for her.  And instead of giving her a hard time about how mean she had been to him, he instead chose to focus on her loneliness while in his kingdom.  Her discomfort overrides any hardship he had experienced in her world.
Although this does reveal a humbled, softened Jeong Tae-eul, it does not necessarily mean that she’s jumping in with both feet into this thing with Lee Gon.  This total admission that she had been wrong to treat him so harshly while he was in her world and the thank you that followed almost feels like a goodbye.  Now that she has seen the truth, that Lee Gon is the King from the Kingdom of Corea, she’s also very much aware that she’s from the Republic of Korea. While their parallel worlds are real, one rule for parallel lines is that they will never, should never meet.
This is why she didn’t hug Lee Gon after he shared his history of betrayal at the hands of his uncle. This is why she keeps asking for her ID so she can go back to her world, and Lee Gon senses her instinct to pull away before she gets involved further with him.  Because that’s what she’s doing.  At this point, she knows this won’t end well for both of them.
That’s why she gave a resigned answer when Lee Gon said he was trying to make her jealous over a mystery woman he had prepared a meat dish for.
“I CAN’T BEAT THAT PERSON ANYWAY. WHOEVER IT IS, THAT PERSON MUST BE FROM THIS WORLD.”
She is trying to withdraw further and further away from him by saying this. I am not from your world. I am not fit for you.  But then Lee Gon chooses this moment to give her her ID card in order to drive home the fact that he doesn’t care about them belonging to different worlds.  Her ID card came to him at the most important part of his life and while it’s still an unsolved mystery for him, he seems to have taken it as fate at work.
“IT SEEMS LIKE A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO SOLVE, BUT THERE MUST BE A SIMPLE AND BEAUTIFUL FORMULA FOR IT.  AND YOU ARE THE ANSWER I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.  FROM NOW ON, I WILL PROVE IT ONE BY ONE.  WHOEVER IT IS, AND WHICHEVER WORLD THE PERSON IS FROM, YOU’VE BEAT THAT PERSON.”
And with this, he pulls her right back to him.  He is telling her that he refuses to let her go and downplay her importance in his life.  She is connected to, if not the reason, why he survived.  She is the reason why he is here in the first place and he swears to her that he will prove it and make her see for herself, the way he’s done before when she had doubted him.
“SO DON’T YOU DECIDE ALONE TO LEAVE LIKE THAT.”
When he tells her this, he essentially solidified them as a couple in the most base
sense of the word. Not the lovey-dovey boyfriend/girlfriend let’s go steady now feel.  They are together now, a couple, two people taken as one.  That’s why important decisions have to be made by the two of them together.  Although he knows he has the power to stop her from leaving him with just one command, he won’t do it.  Because they’re both adults and not a modern day representation of beauty and the beast.  There will also be no silent self sacrifice for the happiness of the other. There will be no fading away into the night, or disappearing forever into the other world. I mean, that’s good if you’re looking for melodrama.  But this couple isn’t after that.  They are surprisingly just a normal couple, but with unusual circumstances.  See, normal couples communicate properly. Whatever happens to them will be decided by them.  It is a fitting declaration of war against the laws of parallel universes just before he leads his country to a naval war with Japan.
And in the moments when they are alone in the room before she sets off for her world, she sees him in his navy uniform.  A picture of dignity and strength, traits that are attractive to Tae-eul, of course but he is also a picture of heavy responsibility.  And behind him looms his imperial robe, a symbol of the country he is responsible for.  And for Tae-eul, who had just been pulled back into this thing with Lee Gon, this sight was especially bittersweet.  This was the man she was with and he carried with him an entire country, across the universe.  He can’t just leave and go live with her in her world.
And yet, he persists to make it work somehow.
“I WILL COME BACK TO YOU. WILL YOU WAIT FOR ME?”
Jeong Tae-eul nods yes.  And when Jeong Tae-eul says something, she means it.  This time, she’s all in with this relationship.  And she’s never been the wishy washy type.
“I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN, LEE GON.”
This was Jeong Tae-eul reaffirming his existence.  She believes him now, knows who he is now.  And also, by saying his name so boldly like this, she is stepping up and laying her claim on Lee Gon. She was saying, okay, you defied the laws of the universe and crossed over to my world to find me.  Now I’m going to defy the laws of your country and call you by your name, because only I can do that, because you’re mine now.
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writeblrfantasy · 3 years
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a king and his knight 2 | part 2
the knight of the tower, as she told him she was, explained the problem with the tower. it had been cursed to make her fight it at every turn, though she and her family had owned it for generations. the man who’d laid the curse had free reign of the tower thanks to it, she couldn’t force him out. thankfully he left her alone most of the time, disappearing to a corner of the tower she couldn’t fit into.
the knight needed to help her get rid of the man and lift the curse in order to win his tournament. “i’ll give you a portion of my riches if you help me,” the knight of the tower promised, and the knight vowed not to leave until he’d helped her. she’d attacked him because she was now wary of strangers and angry at everything, and she didn’t have time to waste with travelers or those who needed her help. the knight, though, was happy to provide his.
however, he sensed that there was something more to this than just the tower. if his tower was stolen from him, he’d be annoyed and a bit more coherent, but his fellow knight seemed almost scared. she wouldn’t stop gnawing on her lip, closing her eyes and sucking breath in, ducking her head to pray. she removed her helmet to reveal greasy and knotted blonde hair and dirt streaked across her face, bags under her eyes. the knight tried unsubtly to guide her to the nearby river to wash. he asked her outright what was wrong, why this meant so much to her, to get her distracted as they both washed. at least they didn’t have to worry about a water source.
she told him that the man who’d cursed the tower had kidnapped the woman she loved most in the world, a queen whom the knight had heard of. no one had heard anything about it because the woman’s domain was significantly smaller than all those around, and this had just happened in the past month, when the queen and this knight had gone away for a bit. no one expected them back for another few weeks, and it was too far to travel to ask for help. besides, this knight didn’t want to leave her queen alone. the knight would’ve felt the same in her place.
he also suspected that she had a sense of responsibility for her queen, that it should be her and only her to rescue the queen should things come to that. not every knight was in love with a monarch, but those that were were strict to themselves about protection and earning the gift of their monarch’s love.
“if you are a knight, why the crown?” the knight asked.
“she gave it to me when she was taken,” the woman said sadly, staring blankly at the water. “i wasn’t fast enough to take her back, but she tossed that to me and made me promise to keep it safe. her safe. i failed, but she still believes in me.” her eyes went dull and sad again, and the knight forced himself to wonder how it would feel to fail his own king. the heaviness and panic in his chest were enough to guess.
“we’ll get her back,” the knight said, touching her wrist to get her to look at him. she blinked back shining tears and nodded.
“do you have someone back home?” the other knight asked, probably to take her mind off of her misery.
“the king, actually,” the knight chuckled. his thoughts wandered, as they did every day, to his beloved. what was he doing right now? how much was he missing the knight? was he thinking about him nearly as often as the knight was about him? just picturing his face, closing his eyes and imagining the weight of him in his arms, sleeping on his chest, felt like a soothing balm to every hurt in and out.
the other knight’s eyebrows lifted and a ghost of a smile graced her face. the knight wondered how this could be the same fierce woman he’d fought. perhaps fighting was her way of distracting herself from her troubles. “really? tell me about him.”
the king was the easiest thing to talk about in the world. the knight didn’t realize how long he’d been rambling until the sun flashed into his eyes and he saw that it was sunset. he smiled, embarrassed, and helped the other knight to her feet. they’d been sitting with their feet in the river this whole time. it’d given him time to rest his leg, at least. she didn’t have bandages, but he tore a piece off his trousers and tied it tightly around the cut as a makeshift bandage.
“thank you,” she said, wiping her clean hair off her face. the knight had shared his soap. “i didn’t realize that i needed someone to talk to. i’ve been going out of my mind here, alone, with this stress. i didn’t know what i was going to do.”
the knight smiled. “you’re welcome.” they pulled their washed clothes back on and the female knight led him to the tower. she could go in it and occupy it, but it didn’t trust her like it had before. it could do anything to her. that was why having control of it was so important.
she provided him a meager meal of old bread and jerky, saying that the tower usually provided its own meals but those had been lost to her as well. they sat on the hard cold stone floor and ate, and the knight was too ravenous to care about the quality. “tell me about your queen,” he said. the woman was more reserved with her stories, but she clearly loved her queen just as much. though the queen hadn’t returned her feelings yet.
she described the queen’s beauty, dark skin that supposedly glowed in the sunlight and a smile that reached her warm brown eyes and welcomed anyone. she wore the grandest of gowns, beautiful flowing yellow silks, and the handsomest trousers and tunics in greens and reds and browns.
she turned the queen’s crown over and over in her hands, a silver circlet of leaves. her queen was fair and just to all, and the knight remembered the exact moment she’d fallen in love with her.
she’d come to the queen’s court from the tower years ago without a penny, seeking pity, any help at all, and the queen had smiled and taken her hand and promised that she wouldn’t let anything happen to her. this knight had known she’d do anything to keep the queen and her fair legacy alive, and she’d been sworn in as a knight that same day, earning money with the skills she’d developed as a young girl.
the knight couldn’t remember ever meeting this queen himself, though he knew his king had for trade and diplomatic visits. “she sounds lovely,” he said. “and you are devoted to her?”
“yes,” the woman said without hesitation. “utterly.” 
the knight smiled at the familiar tone.
“you, however, sound more than devoted,” the woman said with a larger smile. “you sound utterly whipped.”
the knight laughed, happy to see the woman in a good mood. “so what if i am? for him, i’m happy to be.”
the woman gave him a spot on the floor to lay his bedroll, close to hers so that they could protect each other. the knight couldn’t sleep, expecting this mysterious curser to jump out at any moment, but with his sword clutched in his hand, he could eventually sleep. the woman appeared to have no problem falling asleep.
she probably stole any moment she could to sleep. this was her tower, and she would die defying the curse and defending it. she slept with that monster of a sword in her hand also. even though he’d beaten her, the knight would be scared of the woman sleeping with that in her hand and stay the hell away. not to mention her thick, chiseled arms and legs, her height, everything about her at first glance was scary.
they made it till morning with the only evidence of the man being some food stores missing, they began outlining an idea for getting the tower and the queen back. the woman had a fair idea where he was hiding out when not invading her tower, where he was keeping the queen. “there’s a series of underground tunnels a mile or so out,” she said. “you can easily get lost there, but if you can find your way around, you’ll be fine.”
“a ball of string,” the knight suggested instantly. the woman nodded and said they could buy some on the way.
the two knights packed their packs, trying to stow their nerves. the woman didn’t have a horse, so they shared the knight’s. the feel of her arms around his waist made him think of his king, and he forced back a pang of want. he asked the woman to talk about some of her favorite moments with the queen, funny stories, anything to distract him from his pining. god, he missed the king. he missed him so much.
think of those rewards. that loot. his smile when he sees them. his kiss.
and he did, of course, want to save the queen for her knight. would he be a chivalrous knight if he didn’t?
shorts taglist: @magic-is-something-we-create @missingpeace @lunarmoment
i am very tempted to draw some art of these two knights kicking ass they’re so cool
i am also DEFINITELY going to write a spinoff about these ladies
also shoutout to pax for giving me the idea to give this lovely lady a queen love interest
part 3 coming soon!! thanks everybody for reading!!
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nullarysources · 3 years
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Katherine J. Wu for The Atlantic:
For most ant species, nothing spells apocalypse quite like the death of a queen. A colony stripped of its monarch, the group's only fertile female and the sole source of eggs, quickly unravels, then extinguishes—an entire society snuffed out. The captain does not go down with her ship; the ship goes down with her captain.
Indian jumping ants do not abide by such dictatorial dramatics. They've evolved a work-around to indefinitely forestall their colonies' demise. Within hours of their queen's death, female workers will begin to joust, fencing with their antennae, and nipping at each other's heads. These dominance tournaments can last for more than a month, until, at long last, a dozen or so champions triumph. While the losers slink away to resume their workerly duties, the victors cast aside their former peasant status and become a new class of pseudo-royals called gamergates …
The ants' life span extends from six or seven months to three years or more. Their venom glands recede, and their ovaries swell to about five times their original size; the ants become, in a sense, perpetually pregnant.
In perhaps the most astounding change of all, the ants' brain shrinks by about 20 to 25 percent in volume when they become gamergates. (For humans, that'd be the rough equivalent of losing a hunk of brain the size of two tennis balls.) The downsizing isn't uniform: The insects appear to selectively jettison bits of their brain devoted to hunting, foraging, spatial mapping, and the anty equivalent of critical thinking—a move that likely reroutes precious bodily resources to the ovaries. Jumping-ant brains are already quite small, about a tenth of a cubic millimeter in volume. But brain tissue is "very energetically costly," Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy, an entomologist at the University of Rochester, told me. And when the future of the colony is at stake, every calorie counts. "There's a trade-off between reproduction and cognition," Uy said. It is a heavy crown to wear atop a newly lightened head.
Dang laying eggs all day AND losing a quarter of my brain, there's no downside
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