Tales of Noon - Baroness Velsina

Prologue

It was common opinion that a new succession war may be the end of Vernolia. Alas, many feared that would be the case as King Saril Gabirai, in his fifteen years of reign, had no heir, be it born from his queen or one of his royal consorts or concubines. Fourteen years had he sat on the Throne

Hope had sparked in the empire when a prince was born from Royal Consort Lady Ikusegan, the Madodian princess married to seal a treaty. However, the child did not live past his first year. Three more times the royal consort got with child and none survived.

The Sovereign and the Faith demanded an investigation, as it was suspicious that four different wet nurses, carefully chosen by the royal archiaters, brought the same fatal illness to their charges. Traces of poison were found in the babes' remains, the same that was found in a scullery maid's possession.

Here came an embarrassing situation.

The scullery maid claimed innocence, speaking of some remedy from Lady Ikusegan's home country meant to keep a babe healthy, or so one of the consort's handmaids had told her. She was telling the truth, the Holy Inquisitors agreed. When ordered to identify the handmaid, the scullery maid pointed to the one in the service of Lady Tarselle — it was clear as daylight that she was the mastermind. Too many witnesses had heard her say that Elanne's Crown could not pass to a foreigner woman, a Madodian wench — a barbarian. Too many witnesses heard her say that the fair godchildren of the Holy Maid could not be led by a prince exposed since the womb to the blasphemous heresy of his maternal superstitions.

At once King Saril demanded to repudiate Lady Tarselle, so that she could be even more harshly sentenced for her crimes. At once King Saril banished the guilty concubine's relatives from court, depriving them of their titles and properties, which returned to the crown. Alas, before the Holy Council could annul the marriage, Lady Tarselle killed herself, obliging the king to follow the customs and postpone the choice of a new concubine to after the end of the royal mourning.

Yet the noblemen and the Diet's Dukes saw this as an opportunity to grow their power. The end of the royal mourning would be close to the Foundation festivities of the Year 1219 Since the Brightest Night, a time when many flocked to the Capital and many social events would take place, be it balls, boat races or hunting parties. Any and each an opportunity for a highborn maiden, aged between fourteen and twenty, to show off her beauty, virtues and family's power—any and each an opportunity to be introduced to the sovereign and, if such was Januos' will, win his favour.

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Welcome to Vernolia and its court! I hope you'll enjoy your time here, just be mindful of what you eat and drink: poison is quite fashionable...

I needed a little change of setting as I keep rewriting over and over again Kindling (and getting R&R at best), and hating more and more "The Song Thrush". Being too lazy, I'm staying in Vernolia at the time of one of its most famous queen: Velsina Carmillana of Volshi.

I'm still writing it (by hand, to boot), but I'll try to keep a regular pace: although I have an idea of what is going to happen and where/who the characters will end (with), there might be one or two detours on the way. I'm also attemping a more old-fashioned style to fit the Middle Ages-ish setting, so let me know it it works or it's a total fail!

I'm also coming out from a very emotionally taxing year (stuff that would have happened no matter what, COVID only added scorn to injury) so I'll need all the support I could get!

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Kindest Regards,

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