The peace that formerly reigned in Terra Nova has eroded, now little more than a memory. War ravages the continent. Disputes divide kingdoms; ideals divide families. The quest for power consumes absolutely and indiscriminately. None are immune to its allure.
Who will rise and who will fall? Only time—and ambition—will tell.
UPDATES
05.26.2023
2 month character creation hold for all existing members begins 6/5/2023. Ended 8/5/2023.
10.29.2023
Change in how times flows. Was 4 IC seasons, now only 2 IC seasons per 1 OOC year.
5 whole years of Heir Apparent goodness! When I started the site, I knew I was hunkering down for the long haul, but I never could have predicted the numerous twists and turns this roleplay site has seen. Hundreds of plots, characters, and members have come and gone, all leaving marks on the site. I am so very thankful for those who have invested. Because you keep coming back, keep getting on, and keep writing, Heir Apparent has the legacy it does today. Three cheers to us!
Post by Edith Byron on Aug 29, 2022 15:20:36 GMT -5
After the little confrontation she had with Temperance Towers, lady Cortell had decided to invite her and the man she was courting over for some tea. Gunne had realised she had a lot of acquaintances, but not a lot of friends, and thought maybe this could turn things around. If not, she'd still have a lovely afternoon with her husband and another couple.
Gunne had told Romulo about the get together ahead of time in the hopes of him being able to clear his schedule for the afternoon. She wanted him with her, not only because she had mentioned him to Temperance, but also because she felt like it might be nice for them to have company over as a couple. Their children occupied a lot of their time, and the two didn't have much quality time left. Their head of the servants, Emma, had cleaned the house in the morning to make everything look nice before their company would arrive. The woman had put on a formal yet elegant dress and wore a beautiful necklace that Romulo had gifted her recently.
The brunette bent over and kissed Timea and Ruben on the forehead. "You can keep playing here, but if the company is here, Emma might take you to your rooms after a while, okay?" She smiled at them and turned around when she heard commotion at the door. Gunne looked around, searching for Romulo. "Honey, they're here!" she said, loud enough so he could hear it wherever he was in the house. Then she made her way to the door.
When she opened it, a smile appeared on her face. "Temperance, Thom, I'm so glad you made it. Come on in!"
Post by Romulo Cortell on Aug 29, 2022 15:33:48 GMT -5
Romulo always supported his wife in what ever she has in store and when she told her that she invited a couple over, he smiled as he wanted to make some friends. meet other people outside of the Morrigan family name. not that he don't enjoy spending time with them. Just sometimes it nice to have some other people to share life with. He made sure that his afternoon way free so he can be with his wife.
He still spent the morning playing with his handsome boy Rueben and his little Princess Timea. His pride and joy after his wife of course his stunning Queen. He was slightly worn out after the morning full of player however after lunch he made sure he looked presentable for when the guest arrived at their home. Before heading down to his office to do some paperwork ready for the next day. He was there for an hour before hearing his wife called him. A smile hit his face as he walked towards the door.
A smile on his face when the door open. "Welcome, I hope you both had a beautiful journey here. Nice to finally meet you both." He offered his hand to both of them.
Temperance really hadn't expected to be invited for tea so suddenly, when Gunne had initially appeared at her greenhouse with the sake of confrontation in mind. Still, their eventual conversation had been pleasant, and Temperance couldn't deny that it was rare for her to find someone else she could talk to about her potion making that truly understood it. Thomas had a wonderful grasp on it, despite having never done it, but he'd watched Temperance make plenty of them for her to be able to bounce ideas and logic off of him. Still, it was always nice to meet with an equal in your chosen area of expertise and find common ground.
As they rode in the carriage toward the Cortell estate, Temperance rubbed her hands together a bit nervously. She'd never been invited to anything like this. She knew a few nobles, here and there, sure, but she'd never gone over to any of their houses. Her behavior would reflect on her family, and although she personally had no desire to advance in station, her father and older brother certainly did. It was important that she not make a fool of herself.
She looked down at herself, scrunching her nose up at the dress she'd chosen. It was brand new, dark blue with flowing sleeves that widened at the end and white stitching in the form of a floral pattern scattered about it. She'd had to buy it because nothing in her closet was suited to meet a Noble for tea, and although it was beautiful, she felt a bit too much in it. She'd had Thomas braid her hair for her, tying it with a blue ribbon. She looked up at him now, made calmer just by meeting his eyes. "I feel like you must've talked with more nobles than me, so you'll pinch me if I say anything I shouldn't, right? I wonder if they'll serve tiny little cakes. Please don't let me shovel them into my mouth."
Temperance was perfectly capable of staying calm in a lot of situations, like while being threatened by ruffians or addicts. But having tea with Nobles was something else entirely. As they approached the Cortell home and came to the door, she was surprised that Gunne herself had opened it, but she quickly returned the woman's smile. "Thank you so much for having us, Lord and Lady Cortell," she dipped into a proper curtsy, before taking Romulo's hand for a light shake. "Wonderful to meet you, Lord Cortell. I'm Temperance Towers." As they entered at Gunne's behest, Temperance would allow Thomas to introduce himself.
"Our journey here was very pleasant, thank you for asking. Your home is absolutely beautiful."
Thom had a bit more practice, when it came to consorting with nobility, enough that the nerves didn't show on his face, though he did find the opportunity in the carriage to let one hand slip over and take Temperance's. The invitation had come somewhat out of nowhere , and though he still harbored a tiny private spark of irritation for Gunne's initial attitude towards her, he was understanding enough to know that the invitation was an apology, of a sort. Just... not the sort either of them were used to in their daily lives. At least he didn't have a family name to sully by his actions, which was only a rather minor blessing, as he cared enough about Temperance's to keep himself under control.
The little scrunch to her nose demanded a kiss, so he delivered one to her cheek along with a smile. "You look beautiful." he murmured, keeping his voice low as the carriage rattled along the streets. And she did, though he honestly preferred her in a simple dress, even if it was stained or dirty from working in the greenhouse. Fortunately, he hadn't had to go out and buy a new outfit himself, choosing a dark jacket over a light grey tunic that complimented the colors she wore. "And no, I absolutely will not go around pinching you in front of our hosts. You'll do fine." He lifted her hand, meshing his fingers with hers for a gentle squeeze. "Just remember that we have muffins waiting at home, and try to ignore the little cakes."
Like Temperance, Thom was somewhat surprised that the Lady herself had come to answer the door, but he recovered quickly, lowering into a gentle bow made stiff only by the wrapping that still bound his recovering ribs. Rising with an easy smile of his own, he took Romulo's hand for firmer shake than Temperance. "The pleasure's ours, I assure you, sir. Thomas Skerrick." Clearly, Gunne had already known something about him, since most people didn't immediately jump to the nickname, but he didn't seem to mind, inclining his head graciously to her as well. "Or Thom, of course. I'm quite grateful for the invitation to your lovely home, though I must admit it did come as a bit of a surprise."
Post by Edith Byron on Aug 31, 2022 7:28:08 GMT -5
When Gunne had heard voices nearing the front door, she had gotten up to open the door herself. She liked to greet her guests herself and didn't want her maids to do so. She had called out Romulo's name to tell him their guests had arrived, and it didn't take long before he appeared next to her. She smiled at him. He looked very handsome dressed up like he was.
The Cortells took turns greeting the guests and telling them to come inside. After the formal curtsies they let Thomas and Temperance enter their estate. "I'm happy to hear the journey here was pleasant." She turned to Thom. "Is Thom fine? Temperance had introduced you as such last time I saw her", Gunne explained. She hadn't known it was a nickname. "Thank you for the compliments regarding our home. I hope the invitation was a pleasant surprise. I wanted to smooth things over completely after being a tad unreasonable when I visited Temperance." She smiled, showing her intentions were genuine.
The woman led the party to the salon. "Please sit where you like", she told them. Timea and Ruben came closer, slightly hiding behind her skirt. She felt Timea's little hand taking a hold of the fabric. "No need to be shy, my loves. Say hello to Temperance and Thomas." The kids shyly waved at the couple and came out from behind her. "Emma will take you to your rooms or outside after she has brought us some tea. She'll play with you", the woman told her children, before facing her guests again.
Post by Romulo Cortell on Aug 31, 2022 13:47:32 GMT -5
Romulo smiled when they both complimented them on the house. "Thank you, it was my grandfathers so it means a lot to us." He explained he always had amazing memories growing up and visiting his grandparents in this house, running around, playing hide and seak with his brothers and sisters. He knew all the best hiding spots, then again he is the oldest.
They lead them in the Salon. He saw his kids coming and hide behind them. "They normally not this quiet, we can't get you to shut up most of the time Ruben?" He looked at his boy who gave them a shy wave but hides behind his leg. "Maybe you can ask Emma when she back if you can have one of Miss Frya amazing cookies." His face lit up and nodded.
He looked at his guest once again. "So Miss Temperance, My stunning Gunne said you make potions?" He asked.
Temperance blinked, thinking back to when she'd spoke to Gunne about Thomas. She was right, Temperance had referred to him as Thom, though she wasn't quite sure why it'd come out that way, considering she always called him Thomas. Personally she just liked the way his full name sounded, but she hadn't really even realized she'd referred to him as otherwise. Maybe it was simply because Gunne had been the first person she'd spoken to about their relationship outside of her own family, Melody, or her neighbor - all people she knew very well - and up to that point, Temperance had been a bit flustered by Gunne's mention of marriage.
Either way, Thomas didn't seem to mind too much, so Temperance was happy for that. She'd have to explain it all later. "A very pleasant surprise, though there's really nothing to smooth over. I completely understood why you felt the need to address the situation, but I'm glad it's brought us to this outing. It's actually the first time Thomas and I have been to an engagement together since we've begun courting, besides visiting my family."
As they were lead deeper into the house, Temperance couldn't help but look around in a bit of awe. She'd never been inside the home of Nobility, and while her own family home might have looked very grand compared to what most commoners had, the difference was stark and obvious. "I understand that, my family home also belonged to my Grandfather and it's very important to our family as well." She smiled as the kids came themselves known, looking between Gunne and Romulo with a smile as they spoke to and of their children. She thought to let them know that she didn't mind too much if the children stayed, but it'd be rude to say if Gunne had already told them they couldn't, or if she wanted a little time away from them.
"Oh, that's quite alright. I was a shy child around those I didn't know well. I hardly ever spoke to people other than my family or my nanny." She waved back and then crouched down a bit, though she didn't need to crouch too much to get to their level, and gave the children a genuine smile. "Hello there," she spoke softly. "I'm Temperance. It's wonderful to meet you, Lord Ruben." She gave a slight bow of her head, then turned her attention to the girl. "And what is your name, my Lady?"
Standing upright from her crouching position once she'd made acquaintance with the children, she found a place to sit as Gunne had instructed, taking Thomas by the hand to pull him along with her to the seat. "Yes, my Lord, I specialize in potion making as well. I focus mainly only healing type potions, my customers are generally elderly. If it's not too rude to ask, what do you do?"
Lifting an eyebrow at Temperance momentarily, Thomas gave a small smile and a little shake of his head. He didn't really know where that little slip had come from. There were a number of people who knew him as 'Thom', but she had never been one of them, just as he had never referred to her as 'Tempy', excepting certain teasing moments with her family or Melody. So it was mildly strange, to be sure, but he responded with a little shrug of his shoulders. "I don't mind, honestly. Thom is fine, since we're all friends here, aren't we?" So far as challenges went, it was rather mild, made more so by the soft smile as he took another half-step closer to Temperance before they were ushered into the house.
While her eyes might have wandered, his own remained on their hosts, gathering enough out of the corners of his vision to figure his way around if he needed it, regardless how unlikely that might have been. Temperance had, of course, told him of the conversation she had shared with Gunne, and the extended discussion of marriage, both arranged and otherwise. So yes, he knew that the Cortells had an arranged marriage, though they seemed happy enough together, which was nice to see. Many nobles had simply been placed into partnerships of convenience for their families, but if Gunne's introduction to Temperance was any indication, she had a fair streak of stubbornness in her, as well.
They were still discussing the house when the two children suddenly made an appearance, originally peering out from behind their mother's skirts before shyly edging forward with that little wave. Gracefully, he crouched down, folding his lanky frame until he was of a height with them. "Ruben and... Timea, wasn't it?" he inquired softly, as his hand gave a dexterous little flourish, revealing a small wooden toy soldier, which he was quick to hand over to the young boy. "And for the little Lady..." Both hands flourished this time, to reveal a small doll in one, one that was a little too clearly modeled after Temperance, but when you only had eyes for one woman, your muse tended to get a little stuck. In the other was a small wooden horse, with wheels for easy locomotion, that he settled the doll onto and gently pushed towards the two year old.
Smiling sheepishly at their hosts, he rose alongside Temperance, brushing a stray bit of dust from the knees of his trousers before finding himself pulled along towards a seat, waiting for her to settle in before he sank into one beside her, simply content to listen them talk for the moment, since no further questions had been thrown in his direction just yet.
Post by Edith Byron on Sept 2, 2022 7:09:48 GMT -5
She couldn't partake in the sentiment that came with living in the home of grandparents. She lived in the Morrigans manor for most of her life until she married Romulo. Visiting the manor wasn't very special to her, as she just knew it as the house she lived in with her uncle Adder. "Well, we don't have a beautiful greenhouse like you do, though", she said to Temperance with a smile. She had enjoyed sitting in the greenhouse, drinking tea and talking about a little bit of everything. They did have lots of herbs and plants in their garden, but they were just out in the open.
The children had greeted the guests, and Gunne watched while Temperance and Thomas talked to them. It warmed her heart to see that two practically strangers were so kind to her offspring. Ruben giggled when Temperance called him lord, and Timea suddenly seemed to have forgotten she was shy before. "Timea, Miss!" she cheerfully responded, her face lighting up. "You look like a princess", she then said, before being distracted by Thomas who was handing out gifts. She cheered again and grabbed the horse with the doll on top of it, moving it around on its wheels. "Mommy, look!" Gunne smiled at the children, who were thanking Thomas for the gifts before they sat down on the ground to play with the toys.
"You didn't have to, but thank you so much, Thomas", she said, directing her gaze at the man. "They're beautiful gifts."
Temperance and Thomas had taken a seat, and so did Gunne, patting the space next to her to ask Romulo to sit there. Emma walked in with a platter on which she was balancing a pot of tea, four cups and a plate with cookies that Frya, their cook, had made for the occasion. The maid put it down, poured tea in the cups before bowing slightly and disappearing to the kitchen again.
Gunne listened to Temperance and Romulo talk for a bit before turning to Thomas. "What do you do for a living, Thomas?" she then asked. She didn't know Temperance all that well, but she knew even less about her life partner.
Post by Romulo Cortell on Sept 2, 2022 12:55:49 GMT -5
"Yes Sir, I am Ruben." He was all of a sudden this confident little boy and Ruben smiled when the man offered him a toy solider "Look Daddy, Mummy. Thank you very much sir." He was soo excited he started playing with the soilder on the floor.
Rom looked at Thomas "Thank you so much you didn't have to they will playing with them for hours." He smiled as they sat down and went to sit down next to Gunne taking her hand in his as Emma brought the tea and cookies in. "Thank you so much tell Miss Frya that he cookies are always a welcome treat." he want to make sure that the staff know that they are all diserved.
"I sell jewelry they are unique pieces from Necklace, brooches, rings and brechlets. The beautiful necklace my stunning Gunne wearing is one of my pieces." He explained proud of his work like some of his still miss the military but he love this business and what he made of it over the years.
Temperance's cheeks flushed slightly as the little girl answered her and called her a princess. Her hand moved to her chest, her head bowing slightly in thanks. "Timea, that's a beautiful name. Thank you so much for the compliment, my Lady. I assure you, I'm no princess, but you've certainly made me feel like one." As she stood, she was a little surprised to see that Thomas had brought gifts for the children. She watched him hand the gifts over and smiled. His kindness and proclivity toward gift giving was something she'd come to admire in him but you never really know how someone will act around children until you see it for yourself. Sometimes people can be a bit awkward or unsure, but Thomas was confident as ever.
The children seemed to like their gifts, and adorably settled down to play with them as the adults settled into their seats. A woman brought them their tea and some snacks, though thankfully they weren't little cakes like she'd expected. Cookies were much easier to handle than a whole cake shoved into ones mouth. Lord Cortell seemed to be a polite gentleman, at the very least. Some Nobles could be rather rude or nasty to their help, or so Temperance had heard, but everyone in the Cortell household seemed content with their positions.
As Romulo pointed out that Gunne's necklace was one of his own, she looked over to examine it for a moment, before returning her gaze to him. "It's an incredibly beautiful necklace, Lord Cortell. It must be very satisfying to see people wearing your jewelry. It's my understanding that people prefer more unique pieces, so that they are not seen wearing something too similar to someone else's?" Temperance herself was void any jewelry, but she simply didn't own anything that might have matched this new dress. "I don't wear much myself because I always lose things at work, but I do admire the stones."
Thom waved aside the insistence that he didn't have to. The toys had not been extravagant, by any means, and it was an easy way to break the ice with children, and it did seem to do a decent job of exactly that, since the shyness they had both initially shown was quickly pushed aside in their eagerness to play with the gifts. Admittedly, he didn't get a lot of opportunities to practice with children, and he welcomed it, even if it was partially just showing off a little bit for Temperance.
Lord Cortell seemed eager to show off his work, which was only understandable, but since he was equally enthusiastic to layer compliments on his wife, Thomas really couldn't begrudge him the opportunity, knowing that he would have done much the same for Temperance, if she wouldn't roll her eyes at him every time he tried. At the very least, they were certainly more polite than his last few interactions with nobles, and that was a welcome change. The topic turned to jewelry, which he had enough knowledge of to at least appreciate the beauty of Gunne's necklace, but then quickly changed into the subject of his own occupation.
With a small smile, he lifted a cup of tea, taking a quiet sip. "I suppose it's a little hard to explain, in some ways. I'm a merchant, of sorts, but I generally deal more in information and connections than physical goods of any sort. I suppose you could call me a broker of information, though it's a rather restrictive definition. Sometimes I find things, and sometimes I keep them hidden, but in the end, it's all about knowing what sort of information is valuable to others."
Post by Edith Byron on Sept 3, 2022 14:44:03 GMT -5
Timea had smiled brightly at Temperance's words, but then was off to play with the toys Ruben and her had received. They were very much like all kids their age and could endlessly play with the wooden figurines. Making up stories and fights, asking Romulo and her to join them, although she had noticed by doing so that her imagination wasn't what it used to be anymore. She had been such a resourceful kid, playing with whatever resembled something she could play with, and now she wasn't even capable of making up a story about a toy soldier when she was asked to.
Romulo thanked Emma for bringing over the tea and the cookies, and Gunne herself just slightly raised the corners of her mouth to emphasize his words. She wasn't rude to her servants, but she was less likely than her husband to thank them so abundantly for the tasks they were hired to do.
Lady Cortell had picked up her cup but slightly lowered it when her necklace became the topic of the conversation, to show it off. "Romulo has a good eye for jewels." She looked at him and softly squeezed his hand to show her appreciation. She then asked Thomas about his occupation. She nodded a few times while he was talking to show she was listening. "Well, that seems like a very interesting job", she smiled, putting the information she had just received in the back of her head for if it ever came in handy. "I doubt you ever get bored." She wanted to ask who hired an information broker, but decided against it to refrain from coming across as rude. She didn't mean to pry.
Post by Romulo Cortell on Sept 3, 2022 14:57:20 GMT -5
One thing Romulo love doing was talking about how wonderful his jewelry is but he loves talking about his wife even more. She was his precious Gem, the rarest of jewls this world have ever seen. Worth more than all the jewels in the world can be put together. He softly traced the back of her hand with his thumb, as he listened to what the guest got to say.
"Jewlery are always one of those things that can easily be misplaced." Like he have heard stories of his costumers placing on of his jewels down and ten seconds later it has vanished into thin air. He does like it when it happens as that means they come back but it does annoy him a bit cause they are one of a kind meant to last a life time, even to be passed down from genoration to genoration. Like in two hundred years time Romulo Cortell still be ringing through the Jewlerry industry would be amazing.
He listened to Thomas explained what he does. It sounds intriging something he might be able to use for his business or to try and keep his business from going under. To stop certain information going out if such thing happen after all it is business stuff happens to keep things afolt. "how long have you been in this sort of business?"
Once everyone else had settled and taken their tea, Temperance leaned up to fix herself a cup. She filled it with a bit of milk and two sugars, and leaned back once more as she took the first sip. It was warm and comforting, and between that and the warmth from Thomas sitting beside her, she felt more relaxed than she had expected to. "Yes, I try to take care of anything valuable that I own, but that just means I hardly ever wear it. I have a single necklace and pair of earrings, given to me by my Mother, but I'm much too careless for something so valuable." She smiled over her cup. It was the honest truth. Jewelry, while she admired it from afar, had never meant much to her. If it got in the way while she was gardening or working, what was the point in it?
As they spoke to Thomas about his work, her eyes wandered back over to the children as they played with their toys. They were very well behaved for their ages, and both cute as a button. She could see their parents in them. For a moment she thought of what Gunne had said on the first day they had met, about time running out to have another. Was the time really ticking away so quickly for women their age?
Eyes moving back to her hosts, and then Thomas, she smirked. It really could be an interesting line of work, although a bit terrifying at times, as she'd learned. She took another sip from her tea, content to let Thomas carry on this portion of the conversation while she eyed a cookie, wondering if it would be rude to take one so quickly.