Head canon:
Her earliest memory was of Prospit’s blue sky.
The White Queen cherished that sky; loved it dearly, shared those days with her husband, and remembered when the first ugly signs of war began clouding her sky in the form of black smoke and the purple flags of the Condesce.
From birth, she’d been chosen; one of the fortunate, one of those who were born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her parents, nobility, had given her up willingly to become one of the future rulers of Prospit. “She’ll bring us happiness,” she remembered them whispering, someone cradling her in their arms. A soft kiss, the vaguest memory of the former King and Queen smiling down upon her, and then the next moment, she had been taken away to live in the castle, a mere child hidden away in those lovely golden spires and corridors.
Everything had been at her beck and call.
And she had been politely miserable. Of course, she was made to wear the finest clothes, to dine with her future husband- only the slightest slip of a carapace at the time- to sit through her classes educating her to be the Queen, to maintain proper decorum- everything that she needed to become a ruler of Prospit.
She’d disliked it at first. She began exchanging glances with that bright-eyed boy who sat next to her every meal and every lesson, and began spending stolen hours with him in the lavish gardens of the castle, at every moment they could seize together, and she remembered when they returned from the gardens every day, tired and slightly grubby, her with a flower tucked behind her ear and him with his hand wrapped around hers, utterly happy. And that strange emptiness she felt was assuaged for the moment, gone in a single childish moment of happiness.
Over time, she noticed his polite disinterest in the lessons. He was a peace-keeper, not much of a diplomat. She decided that she would be the one to study harder. After all, she did enjoy the lessons- the instructors weren’t that bad, and the material was interesting. Remembering every single nuance and detail of diplomacy and politics was a bit harder, but the art of debating and negotiations came naturally to her. Words became her weapon, her finest and truest friend, and she excelled in all of her classes.
And so the years passed in this manner. He became a strong, handsome but quiet carapace; she grew into a carapace that fit the cherished ideal of every queen- slender, beautiful, graceful and wise in every aspect. Their attire changed as well, from simpler clothing to rich, impossibly soft golden fabrics that fitted them perfectly.
She was kind to everyone she met, even to the pandering nobles and the sly Counselors in the court. Peace was their virtue, and she upheld it as best as she could.
She remembered the times he invited her to spend time with him, the times they stood patiently in the castle, greeting every single noble that knelt before them, when he bowed his head to mourn the loss of his parents, and at last, the glint of the rings around his finger and hers the day they ascended to King and Queen.
She was lucky, of course, that she loved him and he loved her.
However, she also knew that with the new responsibility they had to take upon their shoulders, there would be the wolves that prowled in their very home, seeking to control her and her husband for their own gain. The White Queen had not missed the whispers and the devious glints in the Counselors’ eyes, and she resolved to protect her husband to the best of her abilities.
Prospit was her home, their responsibility. She loved her people and the land, and she would do anything to keep it from coming to ruin. Peace reigned, and she and the king were content with what they had done for Prospit.
Then the day came that the conquest of Alternia began. Oh, how she cursed that day, wished that she had been stronger, more vigilant in watching the Counselors’ actions and doings! Her heart had nearly stopped when she peered out of the window that morning only to see the warships being readied. She’d been enraged- lost her composure and simply railed at the Counselors before running to find her husband before it was too late.
She failed.
He could not be convinced. She’d pleaded- cried, even, to get him to stop this madness, that needless bloodshed and war could bring nothing but pain and destruction upon them all- but the Counselors had done their job too well.
So it was then that she was forced to wage her own personal war against her own husband and the court, fighting and convincing other nobles to rally to her side. After months, she’d finally been granted an audience with the Black Queen in all of her malevolence and deadly grace. She’d been nervous, of course, seeing as Dersites and Prospitans carried centuries-old animosity towards one another, but the Black Queen had been surprisingly accommodating.
By then, it was too late. The strange creatures- trolls- had their main source of reproduction destroyed, and their parental units- lusi- had all nearly been completely wiped out. So they wrote laws and called their troops home, ferried the remaining trolls to Derse and Prospit, and brought them back to live with them.
She knew that it was sure to bring conflict, but what else could she do? They’d already done this to the trolls; now they owed them for destroying their world and their way of life.
The merging was uneasy. There were strange customs that the trolls had, unfamiliar ones that baffled them at first when they brought them back to their homeworld. She tried her best to learn everything about the trolls- the hemospectrum, their language, their societal workings- but it was harder since most of the trolls were initially hostile towards the Skaians.
Heartbroken over seeing the distress and destruction they had caused, she made more laws- negotiated and met with the Black Queen frequently, did all she could to stop the Counselors from meddling with her husband, and made sure that the integration would be complete. The new Witch of the Green Sun and her friend, Jade Harley, had facilitated this process by talking to her about blood equality and the laws that should have been implemented.
It was an uncomfortable peace between the Dersites and the Prospitans, one she knew would not be permanent, but for the sake of the trolls, they had to cooperate.
Her husband eventually apologized one late evening. What else could she do but forgive him? It was the Counselors who had done so; the Counselors who had manipulated him. So in return, he gave her everything she needed in order to allow the trolls to come to terms with what they had done to Alternia.
When she’d done her best to rectify the situation, all of Prospit had changed- and so had Derse.
The children of the prophesies had been born a few years earlier, but dealing with Alternia had kept the monarch’s hands full. Now that the crisis was over, she now had the opportunity to properly greet the Heir, the Page, and the Maiden.
John Egbert, as a child, had been cheerful and happy- a boy that brought joy and eventually laughter to the silent halls of the castle. As the years went by, she became impressed by the amount of wisdom and change he expressed in his ideals when they talked. However, she still saw the loneliness in his eyes, and as much as she wished for him to be able to interact with other children his age, he had much to learn.
Jake English, as his protector, was a strong child, one who worked selflessly to protect his future charge. He received much of the same training as John, and she was particularly amused to discover that they shared the same cinematic tastes… not that she had anything to do with the front-row tickets that somehow always managed to make their way to both children.
Time passed. The grudges the trolls had against the Skaians eventually diminished. Cultural blending occurred, and she found herself pleasantly surprised at how well the Alternians had adapted to their world. Everything seemed to be going back to the way it was until the Condesce rose to power.
She didn’t want this war. No one had.
When the news finally arrived, due to the Condesce cutting off communication between the two planets, irreparable damage had already occurred. The messengers had been frightened, exhausted from their escape from Derse, and she had gone down herself to receive them.
It was the worst feeling in the world, hearing the news from the messengers. She’d failed. Every single regret that she had during the invasion of Alternia came back to haunt her, and now the poison she’d neglected to discover in time had reached Prospit. The king had been stunned, unwilling to believe that something that had never presented itself as a threat could have done this to Derse, but even he had to accept the fact that they were at war, because the next day, the warships arrived.
The Black Queen was nowhere to be found, and their King had been killed. On Prospit, humans and carapaces alike were turning into wolves, tearing into the innocent and guilty trolls with no discrimination and no care for what would happen next.
She felt utterly useless.
So this was what war was like. So this was what the blind fear, the infectious panic of a legacy of revenge and blood could do to a kingdom. That night, she wept in the king’s arms and grieved for what was to come.
And it was so with a heavy heart that the Queen and the King declared war.
Roleplay sample:
She could see the king draw in a sharp intake of breath when the messengers came in.
Two of the carapaces were wounded, and the human that was with them looked in no better shape when they stopped in front of them. She immediately directed the guards to bring the two carapaces to the medical center and turned her attention to the human messenger, a sinking feeling in her heart weighing down her words.
“What have you come here for?” she asked, though not unkindly, assessing the messenger. He couldn’t have been a day over twenty-five, and he had a lean, haggard look about him- as if he’d come all the way from Derse without proper supplies or even a shuttle. That automatically spelled trouble, if Derse had sent people instead of simply letters.
Nothing could have prepared her for what the human would say.
“Your highness, we have come to warn you about a new ruler of Derse. A troll, to be precise,” at the slight widening of her eyes. “A high blood who calls herself the Condesce has taken the throne for herself and has already massacred those who refuse to follow her.”
At that, the Counselors that had been listening started murmuring amongst themselves. The king looked as stunned as she felt. Through the pandemonium that had broken through the court, she quickly collected herself and called for silence.
“Please elaborate, Messenger…?”
“Messenger Cade, your Highness. Forgive me for neglecting the formalities, but this is urgent.” He looked desperately at them. “Our Queen has vanished, and our King has been executed. The trolls- the high bloods- they’re rampaging through the streets, killing everyone they can on orders of the Condesce. They’re backed by the agents and anyone who supports them. No one can trust anyone for fear of being killed if they don’t support the new regime. It’s a bloodbath on Derse, your Highness. We just barely escaped to tell you the news.”
No.
This cannot be happening.
Queen though she may be, she clenched her fist and looked at her husband, determined to have some sway over his next decision. “We must help them! If we don’t act now, Derse will be destroyed-“
“And that may be for the best, your Majesty.”
Frustration surged through her veins. At that, she whipped her head around, narrowing her eyes as she stared down the Counselor who had spoken. “No amount of animosity against the Dersites could possibly cause you to wish complete annihilation of what we strove to protect, Counselor.” She turned away before the man could continue. “We will do whatever we can to protect whoever is remaining, Messenger Cade.” If she couldn’t get her husband’s approval, she could at least vow to salvage whoever was left.
The man bowed gratefully in obvious relief. “Thank you, your Highness.”
From there on, the messengers were allowed into the palace to recuperate, the Counselors and the King were meeting to discuss Derse’s fate, and she was left to her own devices until late night.
She stood on the balcony, staring up at Prospit’s sky. Her silken night dress fluttered in the wind as she gripped the railing, deep in thought.
Though she was Queen, she couldn’t even pass a law without her husband’s consent. Sovereign, monarch, whatever she may be, she had no say in it simply because she was only the Queen.
War was terrible. She’d seen what it had done to Alternia, and the regret made her chest hurt with pangs of guilt. They were simply chess pieces in some sick game once the war would start, and she could do absolutely nothing with her limited power.
There was a soft sound behind her, and she didn’t have to turn to know that it was her husband.
He joined her by the balcony, hands behind his back. “Hello, my dear.”
She briefly cast him a glance. “Have you finished with your decision yet?”
He sighed. “They advised me to act only when Prospit would be threatened.”
“And you accepted.”
He remained silent. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. “You’ve assured the destruction of Derse, if you have.”
“We don’t have the resources to spare if our forces are stretched thin between Derse and Prospit, dear, you must understand-”
“Understand what?” Her composure slipped, and she finally turned to face him, hands clenched in the folds of her nightgown. “We failed; if only we could’ve stopped the warships in time, then this would never have happened! War is upon us, and still you listened to the Counselors. They are blinded to peace. They don’t want the best for us; they want only gain for themselves.”
And before she knew it, he had her wrapped in a warm embrace. “I tried,” he said. “Believe me, I tried.”
She wanted to believe him. But she couldn’t stop the tears from falling anyways.
OOC: Hello, everyone!
I’m MN- the same person who RPs as Point Ardenwell. I do hope you guys enjoyed WQ’s character sheet- her character is a bit hard to grasp.
I tried writing the WQ’s character sheet in a different tone than I did Point’s- a lot less dry this time, I hope!
Also, MAD PROPS to Jack Noir, who proofread this ridiculously long thing. Thank you so much!
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