Character Guide Information
๐hristina ๐i (who most people just call "Chrissy") is a nosy twenty-something-year-old who writes the daily gossip column in The Lynston Daily, AKA one of the most notorious tabloids within the entire kingdom. At a mere five feet and two inches Chrissy is certainly not the most formidable of people, but her cynical "fuck off" flippancy and acerbic tongue make up for her lack of height (as do her six-inch heels). Although she has not been "officially" invited to the celebrations, Chrissy is determined to somehow worm her way in and hopefully score herself the juiciest story of her entire career.
โ I was taught to desire nothing, to swallow other people's misery, to eat my own bitterness. โ --Amy Tan
โฝ ๐๐ช๐ถ๐ฎ:
โฝ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ:
โฝ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ:
โฝ ๐๐ฎ๐ท๐ญ๐ฎ๐ป:
โฝ ๐ข๐ฎ๐๐พ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฝ๐:
Beatrice Mei Kรถnig
โฝ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ:
Princess of Kรถnigreich der Welten
โฝ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ:
23
โฝ ๐๐ฎ๐ท๐ญ๐ฎ๐ป:
Female
โฝ ๐ข๐ฎ๐๐พ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฝ๐:
Bisexual
โฝ ๐๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ช๐ป๐ช๐ท๐ฌ๐ฎ:
โฝ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ผ + ๐๐ฒ๐ผ๐ต๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ผ:
Although Beatrice was born and raised in Kรถnigreich der Welten, most people will say that she looks more like she should be 100% Liangii. She has her mother's face, somewhere in between 'heart-shaped' and 'oval', and she has inherited her mother's ink-black hair, as smooth and sleek and silky as that of any Liangii woman's. If there was any hint of Kรถnigreich der Welten in Beatrice's hair, it had long since been swallowed up by the glossy darkness.
Beatrice likes to wear her hair long and loose and free, though she is certainly not adverse to putting it up into a fancy hairdo when the occasion is appropriate. And she has always loved experimenting with braids.
Beatrice's complexion is rather pale, taking after both her mother and her father, and her eyes are a dark gray-blue, framed with long-ish lashes. Beatrice is not extraordinarily tall, standing at 5 feet and 6 inches, but she does happen to favor all sorts of high heels, giving her a few more inches of height. Unlike her mother, Beatrice tends to go rather light on the makeup, making it a bit heavier for formal events - she's definitely not been one to cake on the cosmetics, though.
In terms of her clothes, Beatrice favors elegant, streamlined looks. She likes the simplicity, and she has never been one for frills. However, that is not to say that she does not enjoy a gown with intricate beadwork or lace or embroidery every once in a while.
Beatrice likes to wear her hair long and loose and free, though she is certainly not adverse to putting it up into a fancy hairdo when the occasion is appropriate. And she has always loved experimenting with braids.
Beatrice's complexion is rather pale, taking after both her mother and her father, and her eyes are a dark gray-blue, framed with long-ish lashes. Beatrice is not extraordinarily tall, standing at 5 feet and 6 inches, but she does happen to favor all sorts of high heels, giving her a few more inches of height. Unlike her mother, Beatrice tends to go rather light on the makeup, making it a bit heavier for formal events - she's definitely not been one to cake on the cosmetics, though.
In terms of her clothes, Beatrice favors elegant, streamlined looks. She likes the simplicity, and she has never been one for frills. However, that is not to say that she does not enjoy a gown with intricate beadwork or lace or embroidery every once in a while.
โฝ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ผ + ๐๐ฒ๐ผ๐ต๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ผ:
๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ผ - history books, simple yet elegant dresses and gowns, high heels, hot tea, the color red (preferably a deep, dark red), the color white, the color black, pearls, crimson lipstick, eyeliner, makeup in general, silks and satins, lychee anything (the fruit, lychee tea, etc), compromises and elegant solutions, indie-pop music, music that's calm and peaceful, some classical music, ancient Liangii poetry and literature, rainy days (they're just so peaceful), curling up by the fire with a good book and a cup of hot tea, nature, seeing modern-day Liang (it reminds her of how far her country has come since the days when her mother was a child), her immediate family (comprised of her mother, her father, her brothers, and her sister)
๐๐ฒ๐ผ๐ต๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ผ - food that's way too salty, food that's much too sweet, reckless people and recklessness in general, guns (too loud and messy and violent. And rude), people with no manners, people who are constantly rude to others for no good reason, annoying and trashy rap music (it all just sounds like noise to her), spicy food, messiness and sloppiness, disorganized people, people who don't think anything through before they act, cheese and most other dairy products (she's a bit lactose intolerant), people with no manners, people who have annoyingly quick tempers, apathetic and/or intolerant people, seagulls (they're annoying. And they poop everywhere), bright, gaudy colors, clothing with excessive frills and decoration, being treated as somehow "lesser" because she's a girl, being forced to trust people, being thrust into the limelight when she does not want to be
๐๐ฒ๐ผ๐ต๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ผ - food that's way too salty, food that's much too sweet, reckless people and recklessness in general, guns (too loud and messy and violent. And rude), people with no manners, people who are constantly rude to others for no good reason, annoying and trashy rap music (it all just sounds like noise to her), spicy food, messiness and sloppiness, disorganized people, people who don't think anything through before they act, cheese and most other dairy products (she's a bit lactose intolerant), people with no manners, people who have annoyingly quick tempers, apathetic and/or intolerant people, seagulls (they're annoying. And they poop everywhere), bright, gaudy colors, clothing with excessive frills and decoration, being treated as somehow "lesser" because she's a girl, being forced to trust people, being thrust into the limelight when she does not want to be
โฝ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐ธ๐ท๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฝ๐:
โฝ ๐๐ฒ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ป๐ช๐น๐ฑ๐:
Everybody says that Beatrice takes after her mother. And indeed, in many ways she does; she has her motherโs steel, and a bit of her motherโs cold cunning, hidden behind her mild-tempered demeanor and small, polite smiles. Beatrice is constantly analyzing everything. She is constantly picking apart your every word and monitoring your every glance, your every blink, your every flinch. Observant and perceptive, Beatrice is more than happy to let others have the limelightโฆdepending on the situation.
And even if Beatrice takes after her mother, there is no denying that she has much of her father in her, too. Charming, charismatic, and amicable, Beatrice has an uncanny skill with remembering names and faces. In fact, she has a pretty decent memory in general; she's been known to randomly recall stray tidbits of information that she heard years ago. Beatrice is not particularly confrontational, and she would much rather settle disputes in a polite, civilized manner (preferably over a cup of green tea) than start a a fight, of any sort (especially not one of the physical sort. Fisticuffs are so unbearably uncouth). Beatrice carries herself with a quiet dignity and an inexplicable refinement; she's approachable, but not too approachable. Calm, collected, and level-headed, Beatrice rarely ever loses neither her composure nor her temper.
Perhaps the one thing that she has taken from both her mother and her father is her willingness to do whatever it takes. Her parents make for a pretty picture - her father in his crisp uniforms, her mother in her elegant gowns - but Beatrice knows, deep down, that to some degree, both of them are as ruthless as they come. Her mother, especially; Beatrice knows that her father does not see the brutality, nor the resentment, within his consort. Beatrice knows that her mother is manipulative and deceitful, behind all her gowns and high heels and lipstick - the perfect politician. And anyone who has met the queen of Kรถnigreich der Welten knows that her youngest daughter takes after her, in almost every way.
Finally, Beatrice is a good listener and is very quick to pick up emotional cues from another person. She is extremely meticulous and thorough and detail-oriented. Loyal and dutiful, Beatrice is knows that she has her place and her role in the grand scheme of things, and as much as she chafes against the roles that have been assigned to her, she knows that it is all for a purpose. The question is, of course, what exactly is she loyal to? She has always thought that it was to her kingdom, to Kรถnigreich der Welten, but in more recent years, she has started doubting this loyalty. She has realized, through the years, that she is not loyal to Kรถnigreich der Welten, but to her siblings, and to her mother.
And that, Beatrice knows, changes everything.
And even if Beatrice takes after her mother, there is no denying that she has much of her father in her, too. Charming, charismatic, and amicable, Beatrice has an uncanny skill with remembering names and faces. In fact, she has a pretty decent memory in general; she's been known to randomly recall stray tidbits of information that she heard years ago. Beatrice is not particularly confrontational, and she would much rather settle disputes in a polite, civilized manner (preferably over a cup of green tea) than start a a fight, of any sort (especially not one of the physical sort. Fisticuffs are so unbearably uncouth). Beatrice carries herself with a quiet dignity and an inexplicable refinement; she's approachable, but not too approachable. Calm, collected, and level-headed, Beatrice rarely ever loses neither her composure nor her temper.
Perhaps the one thing that she has taken from both her mother and her father is her willingness to do whatever it takes. Her parents make for a pretty picture - her father in his crisp uniforms, her mother in her elegant gowns - but Beatrice knows, deep down, that to some degree, both of them are as ruthless as they come. Her mother, especially; Beatrice knows that her father does not see the brutality, nor the resentment, within his consort. Beatrice knows that her mother is manipulative and deceitful, behind all her gowns and high heels and lipstick - the perfect politician. And anyone who has met the queen of Kรถnigreich der Welten knows that her youngest daughter takes after her, in almost every way.
Finally, Beatrice is a good listener and is very quick to pick up emotional cues from another person. She is extremely meticulous and thorough and detail-oriented. Loyal and dutiful, Beatrice is knows that she has her place and her role in the grand scheme of things, and as much as she chafes against the roles that have been assigned to her, she knows that it is all for a purpose. The question is, of course, what exactly is she loyal to? She has always thought that it was to her kingdom, to Kรถnigreich der Welten, but in more recent years, she has started doubting this loyalty. She has realized, through the years, that she is not loyal to Kรถnigreich der Welten, but to her siblings, and to her mother.
And that, Beatrice knows, changes everything.
โฝ ๐๐ฒ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ป๐ช๐น๐ฑ๐:
The fourth and youngest child of King Niklas and Queen Mai Kรถnig, Beatrice grew up to become the darling of her kingdom. It wasn't enough for her; of course it wasn't enough. She is too much like her mother for it to ever be enough. Queen Mai saw this, and though she tried to teach Beatrice all the subtleties that she herself relies on - which Beatrice took to as well as Mai did - Beatrice doesn't want to have to hide, the way that her mother does.
And so, in secret, her mother and her mother's uncle (Emperor Ming Mei of Liang) have arranged for Beatrice to marry a man named Zheng Hu (Hu Zheng, if we go by Liangii naming customs), Ming's (secretly) appointed heir. They are to rule jointly over Liang, as emperor and empress. The plan is not without risk; Beatrice's father, the king of Kรถnigreich der Welten, intends to annex Liang into his kingdom, once Emperor Ming dies - because as far as anyone knows, Ming has no heir. Queen Mai refuses to see her husband take over her homeland in this way, hence the plan for Beatrice to rule with Zheng.
Recently, King Niklas has betrothed Beatrice to Crown Prince Raiden Zhao of Xi'n. Beatrice recognizes this for what it is - a ploy to make sure that Kรถnigreich der Welten has allies nearby, once Niklas begins the process of formally annexing Liang. Beatrice knows that the engagement will fall through, but she'll go along with it, for now.
She'll be empress of Liang, as soon as the time is right. And Beatrice is nothing if not patient.
And so, in secret, her mother and her mother's uncle (Emperor Ming Mei of Liang) have arranged for Beatrice to marry a man named Zheng Hu (Hu Zheng, if we go by Liangii naming customs), Ming's (secretly) appointed heir. They are to rule jointly over Liang, as emperor and empress. The plan is not without risk; Beatrice's father, the king of Kรถnigreich der Welten, intends to annex Liang into his kingdom, once Emperor Ming dies - because as far as anyone knows, Ming has no heir. Queen Mai refuses to see her husband take over her homeland in this way, hence the plan for Beatrice to rule with Zheng.
Recently, King Niklas has betrothed Beatrice to Crown Prince Raiden Zhao of Xi'n. Beatrice recognizes this for what it is - a ploy to make sure that Kรถnigreich der Welten has allies nearby, once Niklas begins the process of formally annexing Liang. Beatrice knows that the engagement will fall through, but she'll go along with it, for now.
She'll be empress of Liang, as soon as the time is right. And Beatrice is nothing if not patient.
Princess Beatrice Kรถnig is the darling of her kingdom, the jewel of Kรถnigreich der Welten.
Born to a beloved king and his Liangii queen, the people of Kรถnigreich der Welten love all the royal children, just on principle. Their firstborn, Eugene "Gene" Kรถnig, is said to be a younger version of King Niklas - he is the dutiful soldier-prince that his father once was, with a bit of a mischievous streak that he still has not outgrown. And Olivia, the second oldest, is said to be reserved, but kind, also with a strong sense of duty. Ming, named after the emperor of Liang (and their mother's uncle), but referred to as "Alex", is the charming trickster, friendly and amicable.
And Beatrice? She had already wormed her way into the peoples' hearts as a baby, being the youngest of the royal family, and when she grew up into a woman who bore a remarkable resemblance to her mother - her poised, elegant mother, with her soft smiles and gorgeous gowns and air of polite refinement - she cemented her place as the jewel of the kingdom. Like her mother, she is charming in a demure way; like her mother, she is perfectly put-together, no matter what the occasion, oozing refined elegance and a quiet sort of dignity.
And, just like her mother, if you peel back all the layers of smiles and makeup and polite words, Beatrice is cunning and calculating and a bit, well, cold. Not as cold as her mother, Beatrice would like to think, but cold enough.
Beatrice is not the jealous sort. She is, however, more than just a little bit ambitious. From an early age, she was always vying for her father's attention, because she didn't want to be married off to some stuffy old noble for political purposes. She didn't want to be nothing more than a pawn for her parents to use. Beatrice managed to keep all of this to herself, until one day she simply exploded at her older sister, asking her how it was fair that Gene and Alex got to go sit in with the military commanders when Alex was total shit at talking strategy.
Her mother, Queen Mai, overheard. Beatrice had frozen, afraid that she was about to be punished, but her mother had simply smiled at her - not one of those smiles that she put on in public, those smiles of polite, mild interest, nor the loving (but somehow off) smiles she gave her husband - but a small, sad smile, tinged with a bit of...wistfulness? Beatrice couldn't say.
Her mother told her that she must learn to be patient. That there were ways to influence the course of events, from behind the scenes. She taught her how to lie, how to be the princess that the people wanted to see. And slowly, Beatrice came to realize that her mother held not a single ounce of love for her father. Slowly, she began to realize that her mother probably hated her father.
And Beatrice didn't want to be like her mother. She didn't want to manipulate and play puppetmaster from behind the scenes - she wanted to be in the foreground, making the decisions without having to hide. The hiding and the deception is what Beatrice hates the most, perhaps because it scares her so much. It scares her how cold her mother's eyes will get, when they are alone, or how tight her expression will go, or how soft and quietly deadly her voice will get. Beatrice sees murder in her mother's gaze, sometimes, and fucking hell, it scares her.
She wonders - do Gene and Alex and Olivia see this side of their mother? The same woman who would sing them Liangii lullabies when they couldn't sleep, or who would feed the ducks in the pond behind the palace, or who would laugh and tell them jokes at dinner. The same woman who kisses her husband good-night and sleeps beside him, in the same bed. Beatrice wonders, sometimes, how her mother has lived through all these years, how she has kept Niklas from seeing how much she despises him.
Beatrice decided, early on, that she would rather die than marry someone she hated as much as Mai hated Niklas. Beatrice didn't know why her mother hated Niklas so much, but she knows that she isn't as strong as her mother; her Liangii mother who was told to eat her own bitterness, and who has tried to pass that on to Beatrice, but goddammit, Beatrice doesn't want to. Why should she have to suffer like this, eating her own bitterness, simply for being a girl? Why should she have to marry someone she doesn't like, be the consort with no real power besides her own skill at deceit and manipulation? It wasn't fair. Fucking hell, it wasn't fair.
Beatrice never said anything, of course. But her mother saw right through her. Her mother always saw right through her.
She was sixteen when things started to look up. She overheard Mai arguing with Olivia, her older sister. Mai had been working, behind the scenes, to get Olivia instated as the empress of Liang, through some sort of political marriage. Beatrice had never been jealous, because she was well-aware that Olivia would have been nothing more than a figurehead, had the plan gone through.
Olivia said that she didn't want to be empress. Mai, as Beatrice had come to expect, did not argue, and Beatrice remembers the bitter taste that filled her mouth when she realized what her mother was doing. Her mother was pretending to agree while she retreated inwards, while she made plans to fix things behind closed doors, because that was what she was supposed to do, as a consort. She wasnโt supposed to put up a fuss. She wasnโt supposed to make a scene. Mai had backup plans upon backup plans, schemes upon schemes. Beatrice knew for a fact that she was running through them all in that moment, trying to find the best way to manipulate the situation in her favor.
Olivia - blunt, straightforward Olivia, who was as frustrated with their mother as Beatrice was - had demanded an explanation. Mai had given one.
"Beatrice wants to be an empress, you know," said Olivia. A pause. "You know that." Another pause, slightly longer this time. "Why won't you give it to her?"
โBecause Beatrice would not be happy,โ Mai had answered, finally. โShe is...your sister is too much like me. She would not be happy being second to a man. But, just like me, she would be determined to work around it.โ Her voice was laced with a sad sort of bitterness. โYou, my dear, are much more straightforward than that. You are not so interested in...politics. You would be happy simply serving the people. It would be enough for you.โ
Her mother was right. Of course she was right. And after that, when the plans with whoever Olivia was supposed to marry fell through, Beatrice came to her mother with a proposition. She would be empress of Liang, and since the Liangii court would not accept her as the standalone heir, she would marry an heir that Mai and her uncle picked out.
Her mother had wavered. Her mother, Beatrice was coming to realize, did not like to take risks (or, perhaps, she just could not fathom a world where it worked, a world where the emperor and empress ruled with equal power). But she had agreed, and the plan had been set into motion. This time, however, it was done secretly. Her father had plans to annex Liang; her father would not want the current emperor picking an heir. He would rather appoint one of his trusted officials as the ruler, once Liang was fully annexed, marry Beatrice off to them, and send them on their merry way. And Mai was not going to hear it.
And so, after a few years of "vacations" back to Liang and whispered phone conversations in an obscure mountain dialect, Mai and the emperor found a certain Zheng Hu to take the throne, after Emperor Ming eventually died. Beatrice has not met him very many times, thanks to the secrecy of it all, but she knows that her mother would not have picked someone who would force her to be the agreeable consort that Mai has molded herself into. She knows that her mother would not have picked someone who would be cruel to her.
The only wrench in everything, of course, is her father. Mai has forbidden her from telling Alex and Gene about the plan, and though she hates keeping secrets from her brothers, she understands why her mother would do this. Alex and Gene are her brothers, and they have spent more time with Niklas than they have Mai. Beatrice knows that their secrecy is not guaranteed.
And, of course, there's the fact that King Niklas has recently betrothed her to Prince Raiden of Xi'n. Beatrice recognizes it for what it is - a ploy to make sure that Kรถnigreich der Welten has allies nearby, once Niklas begins the process of formally annexing Liang. And now Beatrice can see how much her mother loathes him, more than ever; and though Beatrice's heart will never belong to Liang the way that her mother's does, all she wants to do is to make the murder in her mother's eyes go away. One day, she'll be an empress, and her mother won't hate her father so much.
What could go wrong?
Born to a beloved king and his Liangii queen, the people of Kรถnigreich der Welten love all the royal children, just on principle. Their firstborn, Eugene "Gene" Kรถnig, is said to be a younger version of King Niklas - he is the dutiful soldier-prince that his father once was, with a bit of a mischievous streak that he still has not outgrown. And Olivia, the second oldest, is said to be reserved, but kind, also with a strong sense of duty. Ming, named after the emperor of Liang (and their mother's uncle), but referred to as "Alex", is the charming trickster, friendly and amicable.
And Beatrice? She had already wormed her way into the peoples' hearts as a baby, being the youngest of the royal family, and when she grew up into a woman who bore a remarkable resemblance to her mother - her poised, elegant mother, with her soft smiles and gorgeous gowns and air of polite refinement - she cemented her place as the jewel of the kingdom. Like her mother, she is charming in a demure way; like her mother, she is perfectly put-together, no matter what the occasion, oozing refined elegance and a quiet sort of dignity.
And, just like her mother, if you peel back all the layers of smiles and makeup and polite words, Beatrice is cunning and calculating and a bit, well, cold. Not as cold as her mother, Beatrice would like to think, but cold enough.
Beatrice is not the jealous sort. She is, however, more than just a little bit ambitious. From an early age, she was always vying for her father's attention, because she didn't want to be married off to some stuffy old noble for political purposes. She didn't want to be nothing more than a pawn for her parents to use. Beatrice managed to keep all of this to herself, until one day she simply exploded at her older sister, asking her how it was fair that Gene and Alex got to go sit in with the military commanders when Alex was total shit at talking strategy.
Her mother, Queen Mai, overheard. Beatrice had frozen, afraid that she was about to be punished, but her mother had simply smiled at her - not one of those smiles that she put on in public, those smiles of polite, mild interest, nor the loving (but somehow off) smiles she gave her husband - but a small, sad smile, tinged with a bit of...wistfulness? Beatrice couldn't say.
Her mother told her that she must learn to be patient. That there were ways to influence the course of events, from behind the scenes. She taught her how to lie, how to be the princess that the people wanted to see. And slowly, Beatrice came to realize that her mother held not a single ounce of love for her father. Slowly, she began to realize that her mother probably hated her father.
And Beatrice didn't want to be like her mother. She didn't want to manipulate and play puppetmaster from behind the scenes - she wanted to be in the foreground, making the decisions without having to hide. The hiding and the deception is what Beatrice hates the most, perhaps because it scares her so much. It scares her how cold her mother's eyes will get, when they are alone, or how tight her expression will go, or how soft and quietly deadly her voice will get. Beatrice sees murder in her mother's gaze, sometimes, and fucking hell, it scares her.
She wonders - do Gene and Alex and Olivia see this side of their mother? The same woman who would sing them Liangii lullabies when they couldn't sleep, or who would feed the ducks in the pond behind the palace, or who would laugh and tell them jokes at dinner. The same woman who kisses her husband good-night and sleeps beside him, in the same bed. Beatrice wonders, sometimes, how her mother has lived through all these years, how she has kept Niklas from seeing how much she despises him.
Beatrice decided, early on, that she would rather die than marry someone she hated as much as Mai hated Niklas. Beatrice didn't know why her mother hated Niklas so much, but she knows that she isn't as strong as her mother; her Liangii mother who was told to eat her own bitterness, and who has tried to pass that on to Beatrice, but goddammit, Beatrice doesn't want to. Why should she have to suffer like this, eating her own bitterness, simply for being a girl? Why should she have to marry someone she doesn't like, be the consort with no real power besides her own skill at deceit and manipulation? It wasn't fair. Fucking hell, it wasn't fair.
Beatrice never said anything, of course. But her mother saw right through her. Her mother always saw right through her.
She was sixteen when things started to look up. She overheard Mai arguing with Olivia, her older sister. Mai had been working, behind the scenes, to get Olivia instated as the empress of Liang, through some sort of political marriage. Beatrice had never been jealous, because she was well-aware that Olivia would have been nothing more than a figurehead, had the plan gone through.
Olivia said that she didn't want to be empress. Mai, as Beatrice had come to expect, did not argue, and Beatrice remembers the bitter taste that filled her mouth when she realized what her mother was doing. Her mother was pretending to agree while she retreated inwards, while she made plans to fix things behind closed doors, because that was what she was supposed to do, as a consort. She wasnโt supposed to put up a fuss. She wasnโt supposed to make a scene. Mai had backup plans upon backup plans, schemes upon schemes. Beatrice knew for a fact that she was running through them all in that moment, trying to find the best way to manipulate the situation in her favor.
Olivia - blunt, straightforward Olivia, who was as frustrated with their mother as Beatrice was - had demanded an explanation. Mai had given one.
"Beatrice wants to be an empress, you know," said Olivia. A pause. "You know that." Another pause, slightly longer this time. "Why won't you give it to her?"
โBecause Beatrice would not be happy,โ Mai had answered, finally. โShe is...your sister is too much like me. She would not be happy being second to a man. But, just like me, she would be determined to work around it.โ Her voice was laced with a sad sort of bitterness. โYou, my dear, are much more straightforward than that. You are not so interested in...politics. You would be happy simply serving the people. It would be enough for you.โ
Her mother was right. Of course she was right. And after that, when the plans with whoever Olivia was supposed to marry fell through, Beatrice came to her mother with a proposition. She would be empress of Liang, and since the Liangii court would not accept her as the standalone heir, she would marry an heir that Mai and her uncle picked out.
Her mother had wavered. Her mother, Beatrice was coming to realize, did not like to take risks (or, perhaps, she just could not fathom a world where it worked, a world where the emperor and empress ruled with equal power). But she had agreed, and the plan had been set into motion. This time, however, it was done secretly. Her father had plans to annex Liang; her father would not want the current emperor picking an heir. He would rather appoint one of his trusted officials as the ruler, once Liang was fully annexed, marry Beatrice off to them, and send them on their merry way. And Mai was not going to hear it.
And so, after a few years of "vacations" back to Liang and whispered phone conversations in an obscure mountain dialect, Mai and the emperor found a certain Zheng Hu to take the throne, after Emperor Ming eventually died. Beatrice has not met him very many times, thanks to the secrecy of it all, but she knows that her mother would not have picked someone who would force her to be the agreeable consort that Mai has molded herself into. She knows that her mother would not have picked someone who would be cruel to her.
The only wrench in everything, of course, is her father. Mai has forbidden her from telling Alex and Gene about the plan, and though she hates keeping secrets from her brothers, she understands why her mother would do this. Alex and Gene are her brothers, and they have spent more time with Niklas than they have Mai. Beatrice knows that their secrecy is not guaranteed.
And, of course, there's the fact that King Niklas has recently betrothed her to Prince Raiden of Xi'n. Beatrice recognizes it for what it is - a ploy to make sure that Kรถnigreich der Welten has allies nearby, once Niklas begins the process of formally annexing Liang. And now Beatrice can see how much her mother loathes him, more than ever; and though Beatrice's heart will never belong to Liang the way that her mother's does, all she wants to do is to make the murder in her mother's eyes go away. One day, she'll be an empress, and her mother won't hate her father so much.
What could go wrong?
โฝ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ป๐ธ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ธ:
โฝ ๐ฃ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ธ๐ท๐ฐ:
โฝ ๐๐ + ๐๐ธ๐ต๐ธ๐ป ๐๐ธ๐ญ๐ฎ:
โฝ ๐๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป:
Crown Prince Raiden Zhao of Xi'n, as arranged for by her father. Though Beatrice expects that engagement to fall apart pretty quickly, considering what she and her mother are planning.
โฝ ๐ฃ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ธ๐ท๐ฐ:
"Empire" - Wengie ft. Minnie
One day they will build empires for me
From the dirt to the sky for the world to see
Bow down as they build empires for me
One day they will build empires for me
See the crown, see the crown, her majesty
Bow down as they build empires for me
Never die, live fast, it's my empire
Put my face on the cash, it's my empire
Put the bricks to the bricks, watch 'em get higher
Lay back, let 'em, let 'em build my empire
One day they will build empires for me
From the dirt to the sky for the world to see
Bow down as they build empires for me
One day they will build empires for me
See the crown, see the crown, her majesty
Bow down as they build empires for me
Never die, live fast, it's my empire
Put my face on the cash, it's my empire
Put the bricks to the bricks, watch 'em get higher
Lay back, let 'em, let 'em build my empire
โฝ ๐๐ + ๐๐ธ๐ต๐ธ๐ป ๐๐ธ๐ญ๐ฎ:
Face claim = Geri Steenkamp, color code = 919191
โฝ ๐๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป:
Pinterest board: pinterest.com/ayzrules/and-on-that-da…
Beatrice graduated from one of Kรถnigreich der Welten's top universities, double majoring in Foreign Affairs and Political Science. She speaks English, German, Mandarin, and knows a bit of Spanish and French, as well as a bit of the dialect her mother speaks.
Her middle name, Mei, is not to be confused with her mother's maiden name - although the romanizations are the same, Beatrice's middle name is a different character, and thus has a different meaning. Her middle name means "plum blossom", for the significance/symbolism it has in Liangii culture:
Beatrice graduated from one of Kรถnigreich der Welten's top universities, double majoring in Foreign Affairs and Political Science. She speaks English, German, Mandarin, and knows a bit of Spanish and French, as well as a bit of the dialect her mother speaks.
"Not a saint, but do I have to be?"
Her middle name, Mei, is not to be confused with her mother's maiden name - although the romanizations are the same, Beatrice's middle name is a different character, and thus has a different meaning. Her middle name means "plum blossom", for the significance/symbolism it has in Liangii culture:
The plum blossom is seen as a symbol of winter and a harbinger of spring. The blossoms are so beloved because they are viewed as blooming most vibrantly amidst the winter snow, exuding an ethereal elegance, while their fragrance is noticed to still subtly pervade the air at even the coldest times of the year. Therefore, the plum blossom came to symbolize perseverance and hope, as well as beauty, purity, and the transitoriness of life. In Confucianism, the plum blossom stands for the principles and values of virtue.
The royal palace of Kรถnigreich der Welten, located in its capital city of Dalkingen
โ ๐๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ๐ญ๐ธ๐ถ ๐๐ช๐ถ๐ฎ:
โ ๐๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐ ๐พ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ท:
โ ๐๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ๐ญ๐ธ๐ถ ๐๐ธ๐ต๐ธ๐ป๐ผ:
โ ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฝ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ๐ญ๐ธ๐ถ ๐ฒ๐ผ ๐๐ท๐ธ๐๐ท ๐๐ธ๐ป:
โ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ท๐ฝ/๐ก๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ช๐ท๐ฝ ๐๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ๐ญ๐ธ๐ถ ๐๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ธ๐ป๐:
โ ๐๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป:
Kรถnigreich der Welten
โ ๐๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐ ๐พ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ท:
King Niklas Kรถnig and his consort, Queen Mai Kรถnig. The royal family consists of the crown prince, Prince Eugรฉne Zhou Kรถnig (normally referred to as "Gene" or "Zhou), and his siblings, Princess Olivia Lian Kรถnig, Prince Ming Alexander Kรถnig (normally just called "Alex"), and Princess Beatrice Kรถnig.
I've included a family tree (maternal side here, paternal side here, mostly for my own dumbass to keep things straight.
I've included a family tree (maternal side here, paternal side here, mostly for my own dumbass to keep things straight.
โ ๐๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ๐ญ๐ธ๐ถ ๐๐ธ๐ต๐ธ๐ป๐ผ:
Black and gold
โ ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฝ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ๐ญ๐ธ๐ถ ๐ฒ๐ผ ๐๐ท๐ธ๐๐ท ๐๐ธ๐ป:
Kรถnigreich der Welten ("Kingdom of Worlds") is an advanced, first-world country that incorporates some of the best teachings and ideas of all other countries into its own universities, producing intelligent students that often go on to become prominent scientific revolutionaries, capable military commanders, and efficient manufacturers and inventors. Where the Kingdom of Aciras is a sort of cultural beacon, Kรถnigreich der Welten is a military and intellectual beacon.
That being said, Kรถnigreich der Welten doesn't have as much resource-rich lands, nor do they have the largest industry (though they are prominent innovators of a great many things, such as cars, guns, tanks, aircraft, watercraft, and other larger pieces of technology, as well as some of the more secure, expensive portable pieces of technology), and because of their more hands-off attitude (besides terrorists and smaller, more rogue nations), they lack as much diplomatic power and influence as some of the other European kingdoms. On the social and political scene, they're rather laidback and neutral, though many do have feelers out, trying to predict or sway the actions of other kingdoms.
Some relevant stereotypes: having a nigh-on unintelligible language to foreigners, drinking beer, great at engineering, very powerful military, more austere styles of architecture and/or dress
That being said, Kรถnigreich der Welten doesn't have as much resource-rich lands, nor do they have the largest industry (though they are prominent innovators of a great many things, such as cars, guns, tanks, aircraft, watercraft, and other larger pieces of technology, as well as some of the more secure, expensive portable pieces of technology), and because of their more hands-off attitude (besides terrorists and smaller, more rogue nations), they lack as much diplomatic power and influence as some of the other European kingdoms. On the social and political scene, they're rather laidback and neutral, though many do have feelers out, trying to predict or sway the actions of other kingdoms.
Some relevant stereotypes: having a nigh-on unintelligible language to foreigners, drinking beer, great at engineering, very powerful military, more austere styles of architecture and/or dress
โ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ท๐ฝ/๐ก๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ช๐ท๐ฝ ๐๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ๐ญ๐ธ๐ถ ๐๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ธ๐ป๐:
Kรถnigreich der Welten is a kingdom that became increasingly relevant within the European, and then the global, sphere as it industrialized. Economic development and investment brought prosperous times, and indeed, the people of Kรถnigreich der Welten enjoy one of the highest standards of living worldwide.
However, this sort of economic development does not come without a cost. Kรถnigreich der Welten traditionally placed a heavy emphasis on its military, and this did not change as technology became more advanced. Soon enough, the rulers of the kingdom found that they were totally reliant on foreign imports of raw materials as Kรถnigreich der Welten's natural store of resources was depleted. As such, they agreed to help Emperor Ming Mei in his efforts to re-take the Liangii throne militarily, so long as Liang provided Kรถnigreich der Welten with a steady stream of natural resources. And to seal the deal, the princess of Liang, Mai Mei, would marry the then-crown prince of Kรถnigreich der Welten, Niklas Kรถnig.
That is all known by the general public. But Niklas' most heavily-guarded secret is the fact that his father arranged for the "disappearance" of Emperor Ming's heir, shortly before Niklas and Mai were married. This way, it would be fairly easy for Niklas to annex Liang, after Emperor Ming died, presumably without an heir.
However, this sort of economic development does not come without a cost. Kรถnigreich der Welten traditionally placed a heavy emphasis on its military, and this did not change as technology became more advanced. Soon enough, the rulers of the kingdom found that they were totally reliant on foreign imports of raw materials as Kรถnigreich der Welten's natural store of resources was depleted. As such, they agreed to help Emperor Ming Mei in his efforts to re-take the Liangii throne militarily, so long as Liang provided Kรถnigreich der Welten with a steady stream of natural resources. And to seal the deal, the princess of Liang, Mai Mei, would marry the then-crown prince of Kรถnigreich der Welten, Niklas Kรถnig.
That is all known by the general public. But Niklas' most heavily-guarded secret is the fact that his father arranged for the "disappearance" of Emperor Ming's heir, shortly before Niklas and Mai were married. This way, it would be fairly easy for Niklas to annex Liang, after Emperor Ming died, presumably without an heir.
โ ๐๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป:
Dalkingen is its capital city. Clock and I are currently collab'ing on Liang's info!
Shoutout to OfWindAndRain for OG concepts of Konigreich and Niklas!
Shoutout to OfWindAndRain for OG concepts of Konigreich and Niklas!
B E A T R I C E
โ And on that day, I learned to shout. โ
โ Respects ~*~ โฏ Neutral ~*~ โฎ Friends ~*~ โซ Best Friends ~*~ ยง Tense ~*~ โฅ Crush ~*~ โค Significant Other ~*~ โ Enemies
โฎ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "Oh, Raven is lovely."
โ Beatrice and Raven have met multiple times in the past, thanks to the relations between Aciras and Kรถnigreich der Welten. Although they're not the closest of friends, Beatrice always enjoys Raven's company and definitely does not mind spending two months with her.
โฎ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "Ara is such a gem; I adore her sense of style."
โ When Arcenia and Austerund began talking to each other again, Kรถnigreich der Welten opened up negotiations with both kingdoms. Beatrice and Arabelle met for the first time on an official visit, and have stayed friends since. Beatrice finds it very easy to like Arabelle; how could she not? She does think that Ara and Erik both could be more mature about their betrothal, but she will never say anything to either of them - that, quite frankly, is none of her business.
โฎ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "Erik's honestly not that bad. I don't see why Ara hates him so much, but then again, I don't see why Erik hates Ara so much, either."
โ When Arcenia and Austerund began talking to each other again, Kรถnigreich der Welten opened up negotiations with both kingdoms. Although Beatrice gets along more easily with Ara (look, when you're a teenage girl, you just click with other teenage girls), she rather likes Erik as well.
โฏ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "Oh, Alejandro. We've met a few times. Honestly, I just know him as the prince all over social media who liked flirting with my brothers."
โ TBD
โฏ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "Aw, Henri's sweet. He seemed so flustered when he caught Phillip and I that one time - I kind of feel bad about it, now, just because of that."
โ Alejandro met Henri for the first time about a year ago, when Henri had been in Maris for an official visit (and Alejandro had been in Maris for a...not-so-official visit). Although they aren't extremely close, Alejandro will always like any friend of Gen's. He also feels very sympathetic, towards Henri; after Henri once caught Phillip and Alejandro making out (and promptly fled the scene), he had hinted at his sexuality to them. Alejandro did not pry, of course, but he feels for Henri.
โฏ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "I am in LOVE with her hairstyles. The braids, the flowers, the JEWELS - everything!"
โ As fellow members of the Braid Squad, is it any question whether or not Alejandro and Leonor have met? Alejandro loves how fun she is - she's the veritable life of the party, in his opinion - and he could probably gush about her hair and makeup and clothes for like, ten hours straight. They aren't the closest of friends, but Alejandro knows that Leonor is always a good time.
โฏ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "I don't really have an opinion. I'm a bit surprised that his parents haven't given him more flak for being such a playboy-type in public, though. Or maybe he just doesn't care?"
โ TBD
โฏ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "I don't know her very well, but the palettes from her mother's makeup company are the most gorgeous things I have ever seen."
โ Alejandro has heard of Marcy through a few of their mutual friends, but he is not friends with her himself. Nevertheless, he has absolutely nothing bad to say about her wardrobe - ever - and he very much adores Castillo Cosmetics.
โฏ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "Chris is great! He has an amazing taste in fashion, and he's one of my closest friends."
โ Alejandro has known Chris since they were kids, mostly because he would go on official visits to Hellenica with his parents, and Chris would visit Castilya with his parents. They started casually fooling around behind closed doors a few years ago, which continued for a while, though Alejandro hasn't done anything with Chris since the other prince came out publicly. Nevertheless, they still are very good friends.
โฏ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐'๐๐๐๐๐
โ "I love her makeup looks!"
โ TBD
โฏ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐
โ "...Should I have an opinion? I've never met him, and I don't care enough to keep up with his life on Instagram or whatever."
โ TBD
โค ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
โ "Raiden's nice, and that's about all I can say for him. Do I feel bad for lying to him? Yes, of course. But I don't know how much we can trust him, yet, and I would rather lie to Raiden than fuck this up and disappoint Mom."
โ Beatrice's father arranged for Beatrice to marry Raiden, in order to secure a nearby ally for when he finally decided to try to annex Liang, her mother's home country. Unbeknownst to everyone except Beatrice, her mother, the emperor of Liang, and Zheng, Beatrice has no intentions of actually going through with the arranged marriage; she has already been promised to Zheng, in a scheme to thwart her father's plans of annexation. Beatrice thinks Raiden's nice enough, and she has no problem with him in general, but she also doesn't trust him enough to tell him about her plans.
โฏ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
โ "She's the illegitimate daughter of her uncle's sister, right? Hmm."
โ Beatrice has never met Imani, and doesn't really have an opinion of her. She thinks that Imani is gorgeous, though, for what it's worth.
โ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "Even if I would never present myself the way that Han does, I respect the way that she won't take any shit from anyone, no matter what."
โ Beatrice respects that Han stands up for herself and what she believes in. She also thinks that the other princess could use some, well, basic manners. But that's just her.
โฏ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "Oh, but I love her makeup."
โ Beatrice had found every guest in attendance on social media and such before the event, and Gen was no exception. She thinks that her fun makeup looks are very pretty, and very unique.
โฏ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "Oh, Prince Phillip of Maris? Is he not friends with Alejandro and the rest of them?"
โ Beatrice doesn't know Phillip at all, but she's seen him on social media and such, and vaguely knows that he's friends with a bunch of the people who are going to be in Aciras.
ยง ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
โ "I don't care for her. That entire family is way too...messy."
โ Although Kรถnigreich der Welten and Dredalen are tentative allies, Beatrice doesn't really have anything good to say about the Raskes.
ยง ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
โ "Rhys is such a whore. I don't want anything to do with him."
โ Although Kรถnigreich der Welten and Dredalen are tentative allies, Beatrice doesn't really have anything good to say about the Raskes.
โ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
โ "Fareeha's so deadly. I adore her."
โ Kรถnigreich der Welten and Mamlakat Asslahra have been trade partners for many years, now, meaning that the royal families of the two kigndoms meet in an official capacity semi-frequently. Beatrice has been to Mamlakat Asslahra - and Fareeha to Kรถnigreich - multiple times now, and although she and Fareeha aren't friends, she knows that her oldest brother and her older sister both like her a lot.
โฏ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "He's not the classiest person ever, but eh. Not a threat to me at all, I suppose."
โ Thanks to the dealings that Kรถnigreich der Welten has with the Texas Sovereignty, Beatrice has met Quentin before. That being said, Beatrice isn't really friends with the prince - she doesn't mind him, even if some of his antics are a bit, well, out there, but it isn't like she's tripping over herself to be friends with him, either. She has higher ambitions than being YouTube famous, thank you very much.
โ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
โ "I like her hair! She can make any outfit look good with that haircut."
โ TBD
โฏ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ "I like her hair! She can make any outfit look good with that haircut."
โ TBD
Male Count: 9
Female Count: 11
@HaleyTheRandom
Raven Aster Willow of Aciras // Kaya Scodelario // 8CFF88
Asher Blake Alcott of Notia // Dave Franco // 00D0FF
Asher Blake Alcott of Notia // Dave Franco // 00D0FF
@Aewin
Arabelle Almore of Arcenia // Bogdana Kadritskaya // A27C89
@ayzrules
Alejandro รlvaro Aguรญla de Agustรญn of Castilya // Danila Kovalev // FF8C00
Beatrice Mei Kรถnig of Kรถnigreich der Welten // Geri Steenkamp // 919191
Beatrice Mei Kรถnig of Kรถnigreich der Welten // Geri Steenkamp // 919191
@Melo
Erik Nikolai Bel Auster of Austerund // Francisco Lachowski // b8c5c3
@Pyxis
Christian Henri Nassau of Luxembourg // Jeremy Dufour // 5F9EA0
Leonor Sofia Acosta Bourbon of Nevarrea // Becky G // DC143C
Leonor Sofia Acosta Bourbon of Nevarrea // Becky G // DC143C
@jetipster
Christopher Apollonis Kalymnos of Hellenica // Michael Yerger // FFD700
@Cerces22
Cassandra O'Brein of Dal Riata // Taylor Momsen // Fuchsia
@Rodiak
Zhao Raiden of Xi'n // Tony Thornburg // 5F9AA0
Imani Kore of Massylii // Malaika Firth // DAA520
Imani Kore of Massylii // Malaika Firth // DAA520
@Bee
Han Thuy Nguyen of Tuyen Phu // Levy Tran // FF8E00
@lady horatio
Genevieve Marie Anders of Maris // Georgie Hobday // 48B8B5
Philip Anders of Maris // Julien Sabaud // Darkgoldenrod
Philip Anders of Maris // Julien Sabaud // Darkgoldenrod
@KZOMBI3
Maeryn Ozzette Raske of Dredlan // Dorothy Martin // 852538
Morrhys Aleksander Raske of Dredlan // Tom Ellis // 3a5154
Morrhys Aleksander Raske of Dredlan // Tom Ellis // 3a5154