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A Heart Full of Stars {A Medieval Story} Chapter 70 *Finale* now! 5/28/21

Comments

  • DamaroDamaro Posts: 387 Member
    VanPelt81 wrote: »
    What a terrible choice.

    The king gave just the illusion of choice so she'll be more obedient as she has choosen her fate.
  • IrishsongIrishsong Posts: 1,754 Member
    Damaro wrote: »
    VanPelt81 wrote: »
    What a terrible choice.

    The king gave just the illusion of choice so she'll be more obedient as she has choosen her fate.

    Exactly.
    jzZP0sJ.png
  • VanPelt81VanPelt81 Posts: 2,990 Member
    Damaro wrote: »
    VanPelt81 wrote: »
    What a terrible choice.

    The king gave just the illusion of choice so she'll be more obedient as she has choosen her fate.

    These interactions just make the King seem evil.
  • icmnfrshicmnfrsh Posts: 18,789 Member
    I'm all caught up now.

    And the King is really awful. I don't envy Anwyn. But I wonder if Liam is going to do anything about it.
    Don't manhandle the urchin. He's not for sale. FIND YOUR OWN! - Xenon the Antiquarian, Dragon Age II

    Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
  • IrishsongIrishsong Posts: 1,754 Member
    The theme song I like to use for the king is Main Attraction by Jeremy Renner, even though the king is more coy and subdued on the surface than the song lets on. Here's the link:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFbtQh-gOVg
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  • IrishsongIrishsong Posts: 1,754 Member
    Sorry about the lack of new chapters, I joined Tinder on Monday, and my life has been thrown a loop. It's kinda the worst, and my attention is very divided. I want to get back to this soon, I just need to carve out the time for it.
    jzZP0sJ.png
  • icmnfrshicmnfrsh Posts: 18,789 Member
    Take your time. We'll all be here :)
    Don't manhandle the urchin. He's not for sale. FIND YOUR OWN! - Xenon the Antiquarian, Dragon Age II

    Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
  • IrishsongIrishsong Posts: 1,754 Member
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    Sexaul Asault Trigger Warning

    Chapter 7

    Anwyn was gone for about an hour, and Lara tried to pass the time. She approached the nearest book case and pulled a title from it, opening the pages but finding that she couldn’t pay attention to what the words were saying. The king had wanted to see her little sister in the garden, what were his intentions? Anwyn had stayed up late last night, and she had helped the lord and king in their activity, whatever it had been. Was Annie in some sort of trouble? Did she need her sister’s help?

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    “But Anwyn is old enough to take care of herself. She wouldn’t get in over her head, and she would surely back herself out of anything she did get involved in…” Lara muttered to herself.

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    She heard footsteps in the hall and found Anwyn standing in the doorway, looking ashamed. “Lara, you can go home now. I will be staying at the invitation of the king.”

    Lara could tell when her sister was hiding something, always could. Ever since she was a small child hiding a pastry under her pillow, or if she had broken a plate while washing it. Anwyn’s face was expressive, she could barely hide what she was thinking at any one point. She rarely had to, she spoke what was on her mind most times, but what her mouth didn’t say her face surely did.

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    “Annie, what’s wrong? Why are you staying?” Lara asked with concern.

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    “The king has requested I stay, but I urge you to return home. It is part of the deal. I stay, but you get to leave. You-” Anwyn looked around and then walked over to the corner of the room with her sister in tow. “Sir Rhayde has bad intentions for you, and he won’t rest until he is satiated. If I stay, you get to leave. Otherwise we are both stuck here. You have so much more to live for than I have to sacrifice…” she looked like she was about to start sobbing.

    “Annie, no… You can’t stay either. Come home with me. He can’t make you stay.” Lara urged.

    “But he can do much worse things. You didn’t tell me that the king was the reason I have this scar. You said you remembered and didn’t tell me. If the nobility can do this to a small child, they aren’t against burning a house to the ground, or defiling a peasant. This is the easiest way. You’ll be alright this way, Mother and Father and Sophie and Joseph will all be fine. I’ll come home when I can, but I need to do this for you. Please, you-”

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    “Anywn, you never stop talking!” Lara interrupted. “There has to be another way. I can’t let this happen, you’re my little sister, you’re my responsibility.”

    “If you stay and Sir Rhayde takes you, William won’t want you. No man will take you as his wife. Your reputation would be ruined. I am the middle child, destined to stay with Mother and Father until I am old and grey.” Anwyn had a small smile. “Do this for me, as I am doing this for you. Go home, Lara. The king won’t harm me, I will be healthy and taken care of.” the words felt wrong in her mouth as she said them, as if she were already a puppet of the king, saying the words he said.

    “How could I possibly leave…” Lara pleaded.

    “I’ll ask someone to take you home. There is a kind knight I met last night and he will walk you home. I will go and find him.” Anwyn started to turn her back, only to be pulled into a tight embrace by her sister.

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    “I feel as though I am breaking into a thousand pieces.” she said. “And that I will never be whole again.”

    “I will be at your wedding, if I am not home by then. This is not goodbye, this until next time. You were going to leave me and live on a farm once you married William, but now I am the one leaving you. Sooner than we thought, yes, but it will be alright. We will survive. We will be victorious.”

    ~*~

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    “Miss, your garments are here. The king requests that when he sees you tonight, you wear them. He will see you after dinner.” Sir Romeo said as he put the stack of new clothes on the dresser.

    “Sir Romeo, has the other knight returned, the one who escorted my sister home?”

    “I’m afraid not, Miss. Why do you ask?” he questioned.

    Anwyn smiled smally. “I simply found his company to be calming. He seems… simple. As though he has no ulterior motives to his actions.”

    “Sir Reed is a quiet man, to be sure. If you’ll forgive me, I have rounds to do and dinner to attend.” with that he backed out of the dingy room that the women were housed in. The curtains were moth eaten, the beds all smelled like old smoke, the windows never received enough light in them, and the empty bed next to hers reminded her that she was very much alone now. No one to watch her back.

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    “So, another woman in the grasp of the king. I’m sorry to see it.” the woman with black hair said. She was one of the queen’s ladies, dressed in red, as was the queen’s’ colors. “I’m so sorry that the king has chosen you to be his company. But, at least I have someone new to talk to. Oh no, I’m not one of the king’s…” she thought of the correct word. “Modes of entertainment. I’m one of the queen’s ladies. I help her do things, like fix tears in her dresses, keep her company, things of that nature. And as one of her ladies, I would highly advise to stay away from her. It’s no secret that the king is unfaithful to his wife, but she doesn't like any woman getting in the way of him falling in love with her again. So, stay away from her if you can.”

    This woman was very chatty, and Anwyn liked that. “I’m Anwyn, I don’t believe we’ve actually met.” she introduced.

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    “I’m Ameila. Pleasure- though, not the best circumstances to have done so- meet you. I have to go and assist the queen in getting ready for dinner, I hope you have a pleasant evening.”

    The young woman stood up and walked out of the room. “I highly doubt it…” Anwyn muttered, dwelling on her thoughts again.

    The garments that Sir Romeo had brought weren’t very substantial. There was no corset, no petticoat. It looked more like the robe her father wore around the house when the store wasn’t open than a dress, but she had to try it on. Maybe it wouldn’t fit…

    ~*~

    The knight from before came to get her from the room after dinner had finished.

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    Anwyn followed Sir Romeo out of her room and down the stairs and outside of the King’s room. Her legs were shaking, and she wanted to cover herself more, but the robe she wore wouldn’t allow for it. She was the sacrificial lamb, going to the slaughter, only she would have to live with her shame. The lamb at least got to die.

    “I don’t know what to expect, miss. Once you enter, I have no advice for you.” Sir Romeo said.

    “That’s not very comforting,” she responded.

    The knight knocked on the door twice, and the king’s voice rang from inside. “Enter!”

    Sir Romeo opened the door for Anwyn, and she could barely make her feet move to enter. The only feeling she had was pounding in her chest.

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    She quietly shuffled into the room. It was beautifully decorated with rich blues and detailed tapestries. The king’s back was turned as she entered and he didn’t turn around for a time, so Anwyn thought perhaps she had to bow, or kneel, or something, before he was ready to proceed.

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    Anwyn bent her knees and put her hands on the floor. The king still didn’t turn around, though she heard his clothing rustle. Creator, protect me. Keep me from harm, look over my family, and may my actions not be in vain.

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    She bowed her head closer to the floor, praying for strength, her heart racing in her chest, wishing it to both be over and to never begin. The king stood that way for about seven seconds, then he breathed out, sighing. “I didn’t peg you to be the type to bow. If you ever want to see what someone is thinking, just do nothing. They may dig themselves into a hole admitting all the things they do wrong, or they may muster the courage to fight back violently. I suspected you had enough sense to not fight me, but I didn’t expect you to bow, begging. It doesn’t suit you. Please, get up.”

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    He crossed over to the globe in the corner and opened it, bringing out a red bottle and a set of glasses. “I also don’t expect you to do this sober. Would you like a drink? Don’t be worried about it being poisoned, I would like a drink myself.”

    Anwyn straightened her elbows and tried to pick her dignity off of the floor. The king crossed to the opposite corner of the room and sat in one of two chairs.

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    “So tell me, Would you say your family is fertile? Healthy?” the king asked.

    “Why would you need that information?” Anwyn asked. “I am apart from my family now.” she said as she sat down.

    “You may be apart from your family, but they are still a part of you. From what I hear, your family has five children, and one on the way. Your mother is expecting, if my source is correct.”

    Anwyn tried to hide her surprise. “I hadn’t heard. That is good news.”

    Anwyn finished her drink quickly, and the king finished his shortly after. “Well, it’s best not to linger. I’m sure you’re anxious to proceed. Go and sit on the bed.” he ordered.

    Anwyn stood from her chair and walked to the bed, a sudden rush of shame coming back over her.

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    “You don’t need to be so afraid of me, Anwyn. Annie-” Anwyn flinched. That name was for her family and close friends only, he had no right to it. “You’ve really blossomed.”

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    He took a step closer to her, touching her face. “If I had known that you would turn out so beautifully, I would never have had you harmed so. It is a true tragedy. But you are still desirable.”

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    It was uncomfortable, but it was over faster than she had expected, nothing like what she had heard from her parent’s room. He hadn’t even fully removed his pants.

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    “You may leave now. I won’t keep you any longer. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” the king said, turning his back on her.

    Anwyn was a bit dazed, but she didn’t have to be told twice.

    ~*~

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    Liam found the young woman in the maids’ wing, looking like she was on the brink of tears. He recognized the dress worn by the king’s entertainment, and his heart fell. “Oh, oh no. Miss Cupshire, if I had known that this was happening tonight I would have returned much sooner. I didn’t put two and two together, I should have been there for you.”

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    “And done what? Been there to experience my humiliation for yourself? Stood outside the door while it happened? No, there was nothing you could have done. This is my burden to bear.”

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    Liam moved over to sit besides her. “I thought he would wait longer before he did this. Are you alright?” he asked.

    “I, I don’t know anymore. I don’t know…” she started to cry. Liam reflexively took her into his arms and did his best to comfort her.

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    “You are not alone, Miss Cupshire.” he reassured quietly.
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  • icmnfrshicmnfrsh Posts: 18,789 Member
    "But you are still desirable"

    Gross
    Don't manhandle the urchin. He's not for sale. FIND YOUR OWN! - Xenon the Antiquarian, Dragon Age II

    Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
  • VanPelt81VanPelt81 Posts: 2,990 Member
    Poor Anwyn
  • IrishsongIrishsong Posts: 1,754 Member
    This is Anwyn's rock bottom, we'll see where things go from here.
    jzZP0sJ.png
  • icmnfrshicmnfrsh Posts: 18,789 Member
    Well, I guess it can only get better from here 🤔
    Don't manhandle the urchin. He's not for sale. FIND YOUR OWN! - Xenon the Antiquarian, Dragon Age II

    Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
  • DamaroDamaro Posts: 387 Member
    Here I had hoped the king actually had other plans for Anwyn but it seems that was crushed. :/
    Seems like it is important for the king that his mistress is fertile. Does he want to produce children, even an heir perhaps? Is that why the queen has lost his "love"? Did she "fail" to give birth?

    For a moment I had thought Ameila was Lady Malice. But she would probably have strongly objected against staying in the same rooms as the servants. LoL
    Are the queens ladies present noblewomen or commoners?
  • IrishsongIrishsong Posts: 1,754 Member
    I'm working on the next chapter, and I've decided to add in another character form the casting call, so keep an eye out for that! It won't be subtle.
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  • IrishsongIrishsong Posts: 1,754 Member
    2m69vuV.png

    Chapter 8
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    Sir Romeo and Liam sat in the Guards’ room, getting ready for the day ahead of them, neither of them saying anything. Sir Romeo looked at Liam with unease, forming words to use to convey what he was thinking without hurting Liam’s feelings.

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    “You how this works,” he started. “Don’t get involved.”

    Liam looked up from his boots. They didn’t have to wear their armor today, and he wore a breezy top. “What are you talking about?”

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    “With the king and the girl. Last time you got involved you were on the front lines for three months. If you get involved again and fall out of favor with the king, it could be a year for all we know. The front lines are no place for you. They’re no place for anyone.” he threw on his shirt. “Stay out of the affair, that’s an order.”

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    “That’s hardly fair. I’m simply offering my friendship to the poor girl.” Liam objected.

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    “Sure, that’s what you said last time as they caught you sneaking her out of the castle dressed as a knight. I don’t know what happened to her after that, but it wasn’t good. She never saw her family again, she was traded to the south like a common slave. Do you want that to happen to this girl?”

    “Of course not-”

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    “Good, because the king isn’t subtle in his demonstrations. They only escalate. If you favor this girl, you’ll wait until the king has released her.” With that, he left the room to go and eat breakfast with the rest of the nobility, leaving Liam to sit alone.

    ~*~

    Anwyn didn’t get up for breakfast. She laid in her bed, not wanting to remind anyone that she was there. If she didn’t make the floorboards creak, if she didn’t eat with everyone else, if she didn’t leave the room, no one but the serving women would know she was there. She would be able to disappear…

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    Of course it wasn’t going to do anything. What had happened had happened, and the king wanted to see her tonight as well. Still, she had hours before that was even an issue, so she may as well live while the sun was out. Maybe she could go and tend to the garden. She always enjoyed that, it was simple work. Slowly she sat up in bed, heart feeling like a weight in her chest.

    “Only way forward is to put one foot in front of another,” she said to herself, quoting her mother.

    ~*~

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    “My king, I have a sister in law from my late wife who has always wanted to meet you and the queen. She lives not far from here and was hoping to visit while you were her to make your acquaintance. Should I send word that she is welcome?” Lord Ludovico asked in a begging manner. He was always begging. If he wore a hat, it would be in his hands from sunup to sun down. A man should have more dignity.

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    “Of course.” the king said. “Your wife was an interesting woman, I’m sure that any sibling of hers would be a welcome distraction.” he went back to his sun bathing. “Invite her for dinner. I’d like someone else to talk to. Say, have you seen the maiden, Miss Cupshire, today?”

    “No, sire. I don’t normally pay attention to the women here, beside Melinda. Then again, I’m not used to all the people here. Which one is Miss Cupshire again?”

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    “Ugh, go away, Ludivico. You are not helping me.” the king dismissed.

    “Yes, sire. I’ll summon my sister-in law and her attendant immediately.”

    ~*~

    Ludivico’s manor was tacky. Everything was out of date, the air always smelled of mildew, and Ludovico was a coward. Didn’t he know that in the world of nobility there was were the remembered and the forgotten? Ludovico was one of the forgotten, if it weren’t for his beautiful gardens and sprawling fields his tenants occupied.

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    If she owned this place, it would be the jewel of the south of the nation. It would be bustling with servants, entertain foreign dignitaries, be the best it could possibly be. But Ludovico didn’t care for any of that, lest they discover what he kept in the basement. He could always be manipulated by that simple fact, his daughter was a mermaid. Not mature, but a mermaid nonetheless. They were just as bad as those barbarian northerners, destined to be smited out of the better society.

    Malene wasn’t coming to her old brother-in-law’s disappointment for the amenities, she was coming to win favor with the king and queen. She had trouble in the past winning over the queen, but men are much… easier… to convince, especially one as selfish as the king. The queen was more faithful than her husband, and even though her attendant’s best efforts proved in vain.

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    The queen wanted a legitimate heir to the king’s throne, even if he didn’t seem particularly rushed to tie down a family. The wedding of the two nobles was a tie between two nations, but the matchmaking was terrible. She was a prude, he was a playboy. The Church was the only thing that kept them together, as divorcing your spouse was a banishable offence. Having different living quarters wasn’t though, apparently. According to the king, he had no interest in his wife, no matter how exotic she may be.

    Still, Malene always wanted more power. She had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, married the golden plate, and had an heir of her own to wield the power of. He had to marry even better than she had, and that meant marrying a princess or crown princess. He was still young, so there was still time to plan his match, but with these things you could never start too early.

    And that meant that the king had to have a daughter. The king had to have an heir, which meant that the queen had to bear a child. If she could get close enough to the pair to light the spark, that may just do the trick. But how do you light a pile of wet blankets on fire with just a spark?

    ~*~

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    “My dear Galant! It’s so good to see you again. I’m sure you remember my attendant, Rémmy. I can’t go anywhere without him! Say, where is Rosa? I had hoped to see her again.” Malene exclaimed when she met the king outside the manor.

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    “I’m afraid that the queen is… Out on a walk right now, with her ladies. She takes quite a few of those these days, it’s good exercise.” the king answered.

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    “Good exercise for who? A baby?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

    The king awkwardly laughed. “Ha, no. It is hard to bear a child when there is no contact. She will hardly let me near her.”

    “That can change. Come, let’s sit.” she sat down with her voluminous skirts, surely the newest fashion from the capital. The king didn’t pay much attention to fashion; he was more interested in what was underneath.

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    “Galant, do you want to start a family?” Malene asked. She always was direct with him, a trait he valued in her. She didn’t hide what she was thinking with him, was upfront in showing her opinions and questions, unlike many of the people he knew.

    “I think I would. I’m starting to show my age, my joints don’t have the vigor they used to. I feel that I should tell you, I have a new muse, but I knew her when she was a small child. You remember the family who thought to stand against the local government and we took their youngest daughter? She’s here and beautiful. I almost feel like I’ve watched her grow, but I also see how much time has passed by. If I hope to have a family, I’ll have to start soon.” the king rolled out.

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    “Then lay with your wife! Romance her again! Surely she still loves you, you’re the king, the most powerful man on this continent. There is nothing you can’t have. And if that doesn’t work, force has always been your strong suit.” Malene observed.

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    The king sat quietly for a moment, surveying the landscape. “There are a few problems, of course.”

    “And what could those be?”

    “The queen no longer can bear children, and I cannot divorce her. The Church won’t allow it. If I don’t have an heir, I will not pass on my lineage.” he paused and sat back in his chair. “That, and children are a bore. For nearly 2 years they can’t even talk, they soil themselves several times a day. I couldn’t see myself being a father.” the king puffed.

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    “Do you think I saw myself being a mother? When I became pregnant and my husband died, I thought my life was going to be changing diapers and waking at every hour of the night to the cries of a baby. But that’s what maids and nurses are for, my dear. You don’t need to see the child if you don’t want to. Send it to the western islands if that pleases you. But you need to have an heir, no matter what you do with it once it arrives.”

    “You’re right, as always. But what do we do about my wife?” The king asked.

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    “That’s the easy part. The harder part is who do we replace her with?”

    Things are getting spicy in here! Well, they were already weird, but now they're getting schemey! Time to see the lengths that some will go to to acquire power.
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  • icmnfrshicmnfrsh Posts: 18,789 Member
    “Ugh, go away, Ludivico. You are not helping me.” the king dismissed.
    :joy:

    Looks like the queen better watch out
    Don't manhandle the urchin. He's not for sale. FIND YOUR OWN! - Xenon the Antiquarian, Dragon Age II

    Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
  • icmnfrshicmnfrsh Posts: 18,789 Member
    And Lord Ludovico and Lady Malice are in-laws! Sort of like what Damaro suggested before. :D The connection does seem natural
    Don't manhandle the urchin. He's not for sale. FIND YOUR OWN! - Xenon the Antiquarian, Dragon Age II

    Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
  • IrishsongIrishsong Posts: 1,754 Member
    icmnfrsh wrote: »
    And Lord Ludovico and Lady Malice are in-laws! Sort of like what Damaro suggested before. :D The connection does seem natural

    I had to get Lady Malice and the king together somehow. She schemes, and he has a dilemma. Ludivico (as I play him) is a door mat, doesn't see that everyone is walking all over him.
    jzZP0sJ.png
  • DamaroDamaro Posts: 387 Member
    OooOoo, Malene u sneaky spider :smirk: already scheming. :D I root for u! /waves pompoms
    I wonder whom Lady Malice has in mind for queen consort? Would she throw in herself or does she prefer to take the reigns from the shadows?

    So her niece is a mermaid, nice! LoL
    Does that mean her sister was one too?


  • DamaroDamaro Posts: 387 Member
    edited September 2019
    Btw, I found a tool very useful for anyone who builds his own world in their stories and wants to create a visual for their readers.

    MapGen4.

    Azgaar's Fantasy map generator
  • IrishsongIrishsong Posts: 1,754 Member
    I have to think about how I want to pace the story now. I have the next few events in my head, I just have to think about how I can line them all up and have them make sense.
    jzZP0sJ.png
  • icmnfrshicmnfrsh Posts: 18,789 Member
    Yeah, you should do what's best for you :)
    Don't manhandle the urchin. He's not for sale. FIND YOUR OWN! - Xenon the Antiquarian, Dragon Age II

    Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
  • VanPelt81VanPelt81 Posts: 2,990 Member
    After reading that latest chapter, why do I picture Lord Ludovic laughing like this..

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc4OD1Xr3sU
  • IrishsongIrishsong Posts: 1,754 Member
    I'm not sure Ludivico ever laughs. Something for me to think about...
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  • icmnfrshicmnfrsh Posts: 18,789 Member
    Sounds about right :D
    Don't manhandle the urchin. He's not for sale. FIND YOUR OWN! - Xenon the Antiquarian, Dragon Age II

    Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?

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