modern | historical | tudor | fantasy rp?

[duchesse]

Below is the plot in question I found while browsing through my archives. It's old (two years, if not more) and I've attempted to do it when I was on gaia but it never got off the ground. It could use some obvious tweaking but I really love the idea. I'll let you read it and THEN I'm going to ramble:

"Don't touch me!"

The scream echoed through the halls as she ripped her shoulder away from his grip. She was so angry that she was shaking. Picking up the skirts, she twirled away and ran.

"RACHEL! Come back! Please!"

His cries weren't heeded as she kept running. She didn't know where she was going and she didn't really care. All Rachel knew was that she had to get away from him. The man who had once been her world had just shattered it and sent her to lowest depths of Hell. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as the situation began to dawn in her mind. He had lied to her the entire time. A bitter laugh spilled from her mouth. She should have known better than to trust him. Instead she had fallen under his spell. He had her believe that he was actually going to marry her but he was already married!

- - -

BANG!

Her eyes were wide and lips parted in shock. With a gasp, she crumbled to the ground. Her dress spilled out around her as he rushed forward to catch her. "Oh, my Rachel." He moaned as he turned his head to the one who had fired the shot.

"If I cannot have her then no one shall." Charles Grey, the Duke of Holly, stared down at his beloved and his enemy, the Earl of Stafford. It pained him to shoot her but he had no other options. She couldn't marry the Earl for she belonged to him and no one else.

- - -

The walls of England's castles have seen revolutionary feats and tragedies (as seen above.) They have also observed the everyday lives of some of the world's most influential people The people who used to live within the stone walls are exactly the reason why many tourists visit the old structures. They go in hopes of perhaps seeing a ghost haunting the grounds for the love that abandoned her or just to get a taste of what life was like back then. There are those who hunger for the knowledge of the past that they believe they once lived. There are also those that go simply because they are drug along by a family member or friend who doesn't want to go alone.

Of course, what these poor curious victims don't know is that the walls aren't just your ordinary ancient walls. Oh no, the walls like to play games. Games that involve pulling innocent people back into time and thrusting them into memories that should already be gone and done with. Sometimes they might be bystanders and sometimes, they might be in the thick of things. However, the walls don't like to watch the exact same drama they've already seen. No, they like to throw in twists and they always love to make the endings different. They aren't always the fairytale endings but then again they aren't exactly Romeo and Juliet endings either.

What did the walls choose to play this time? Well, it's full of political intrigue, religious upheaval, war, power hungry nobles, a King and his need for a son. The story of Henry VIII and his need for a male issue and to marry the woman who he loves above all others is one of history's most scandalous tales. Only, Henry VIII is now whomever the walls have chosen. It begins with his waning love (if he ever had any in the first place) for his current wife, Katherine of Aragon and where the infamous 'homewrecker', Anne Boleyn, comes into his life.

So, before I'm asked, it isn't based off of the show (even though I love it and adore the characterization of MOST of the characters) 'The Tudors' but rather actual history. Up to a certain point though. Below is a time table of what I had for the generalized history up until 1526 with a bit of my own spin added to it in 1528. Part of the statement is factual but 90% of it is my own creation.

’m pretty much going to list this all between the years of 1502 up until 1526 with my own addition of 1528. It’s short and down below are links with a more in depth look into history. (there were, ask if you still want them!)

1502 - Arthur, the older brother to Henry VIII, dies which thus made Henry VIII the heir to the English throne. Arthur left behind a young widow, Katherine of Aragon, daughter to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain. She was engaged to Henry VIII fourteen months after her first husband’s death. The Pope gave a dispensation that allowed Henry to marry his brother’s widow.

1509 - Henry VII dies leaving his namesake, Henry VIII, to be King of England at seventeen. Henry marries Katherine on June 11 and both are crowned King and Queen of England on June 24.

1514 - The first documented inquiries of a potential divorce between Henry and Katherine emerge. The claim was that Katherine and her first husband, Arthur had consummated their marriage which means that Henry never should have married Katherine in the first place. (*even though the document was originally meant for another Tudor family member, it was first mistaken to be about Henry and Katherine. Well, I like the mistake was made so I'm keeping it.)

1516 - the only living heir and daughter, Mary, provided by Katherine is born and the idea of divorce was put on hold because there was still hope that Katherine could give Henry a son.

1519 - Bessie (Elizabeth) Blount gives birth to an illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy. He is the only illegitimate child that Henry VIII ever recognized. Bessie Blount is Henry’s first known mistress.

1519-1525 - Henry takes his second mistress, Mary Boleyn. She is the accepted eldest child of Thomas Boleyn and is the sister of Anne Boleyn. There is a misconception that her two children, Catherine (1524) and Henry (1526) are Henry VIII’s children though there is no proof of this. Henry also never recognized them as he had Henry FitzRoy. It isn’t confirmed when their affair ended but it was long before he took interest in Mary’s younger sibling, Anne.

1526 - Henry begins his chase to make Anne his. She refuses to become his mistress and says that she will not be his unless he makes her his wife. He proposes within the year and she accepts. They both thought that a divorce could be obtained in months to two years and thus leaving Henry a free man to marry whomever he wants. The ‘Great Matter’ begins.

non historical 1528 - It's been two years since the beginning of the Great Matter. Katherine refuses to get an annulment. Henry has recently sent over two different dispensations to the pope. One asking to be granted a 'second marriage' while still being married to Katherine and the second to dissolve the thing entirely. The Sweating sickness hits and has struck and Katherine catches it. Will she survive? What will the pope grant?

Also, I wrote up a faq. when I was working on the plot and so I've added it here and anything bolded is something new that I've add.

Q: What do you cal the people that get chosen by walls?
A: Moderns

Q: How exactly can walls ‘choose’ people and just deposit them into the past? Is it even the past?

A: They can because I said so. XD That’s my reasoning and I’m sticking to it. Not really. I don't have anything set in stone yet but I'm thinking that MAYBE the walls were hexed by a socerer/witch/Merlin or something. I'll work on it. No, it’s not really the past, it’s more like a ‘memory’ or even a daydream so nothing actually changes in actual history. Call it an alternate universe or dimension.

Q: Are the moderns replicas of the people they’re supplanting? Are they the same age?

A: No, they are not. It’s possible that they look nothing like the person of whom they are playing and they DON’T have to be the same age. For example, Katherine of Aragon is historically a woman in her 40s but it is possible that she could be replaced by a 25 year old. However, there is a reason why this particular 25 year old was chosen. It was because they share personality traits. Not all of them but at least a few. So, keep that in mind.

Q: Do the moderns know they’ve been taken out of their time?

A: Yes and no. They are quite aware that it isn’t their time but at the same time they don’t really question it. They mysteriously understand that they won’t be leaving until the walls are tired of their game.

Q: Is this going to be historically accurate?

A: Again, yes and no. The setting should be historical but I don’t expect anything to be truly accurate. We aren’t historians but a general sense of understanding how a court would run should be there. Links are provided down below if you want to/need to read up on what court life was like. As for the no part, the plot itself isn't going to be historically accurate at all. It is completely possible that George Boleyn like some theorize had a homosexual affair with Mark Smeaton. It's also possible that he DOES falls in love with his wife, Jane Parker, but Jane hates him and loves Mark Smeaton. Anything is possible.

Q: Well, will Henry still be seeking a divorce?

A: Yes, he will. And yes, this Henry will be motivated by the fact that he needs an heir after a near death experience. Why? Because it's what the walls want. However, the walls will mostly allow the rest of the story to be developed as the players will it. They don't like to influence people's wills that much. Only enough to get the ball rolling.

[duchesse]

If you read all this then you're awesome! <3 Feedback would be appreciated! Would you yourself be interested in it? Do you know people who would be interested? What do you think could be fixed/updated? Don't be afraid throw a girl a bone? If you are interested, what characters asides from Katherine, Henry, Anne (and a few others) would you like to see?

(and I had to cut this into two posts because I went over the length. Heh.)