One x One 𝕔𝕖𝕣𝕦𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕟 𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕤 [cs]

[triples]

 

[triples]

alix albatier

and know that your heart is not your ally

alexander frances albatier

twenty-six

mixed blood

november 2

bisexual

lord of the western empire

the bastard prince

executioner of the west

alix, of the winged lions

virtues

charismatic

astute

rational

decisive

visionary

fair

valiant

calm

...

vices

unforgiving

cynical

aloof

insensitive

guarded

obstinate

intimidating

...

backstory

the story goes that even as the sun set on the battlefield and the flag grew soaked in a harrowing scarlet, the emblem of the winged lions was never tainted. it was, the people whispered, as if the gods approved of their treason. perhaps it was blasphemy to imply such a thing. or perhaps they were right. either way, it would be remembered as the upheaval of an empire.

and its seed was born in a golden-haired child, at a point in history, not too long ago, when the young princess of the eastern islands was being held hostage in the empire. not that she was his mother, unfortunately. that title went to her servant, thalia berezin, a woman of unknown origin and few records. just an insignificant soul caught in the crossfire, whose only outstanding trait was her beauty — at least, that was how the world remembered her.

the world, including alix. his mother passed early on in his life, leaving behind only the memory of a willowy figure shedding crystal tears by the window, melancholic and faded, yet the trace of her would never disappear. not from his silken hair, that hardly fit in with the jet black waves of his brothers. not from the delicate features that would mark him weak and fragile. not from his blood, which they deemed unclean, and surely not from the persistent brand of bastard.

with all that dirt on his reputation, it came as a surprise to nobody when alix was sent away to the north when the war on that front picked up. entrusted a brigade of knights at the young age of sixteen, he spent the better part of a decade at the borders, rising from a mere figurehead to a genuine commander. it was a long journey, riddled with injuries and near-death experiences, until he successfully secured a victory over the northern kingdoms. the name of his brigade, the winged lions, flew far & wide, as a name to be feared.

with that, he finally returned to the capital, celebrated as a war hero and suddenly bestowed with great status & political influence. and alix was... well, not very happy. why would he be? it was like travelling from a den of wolves to a nest of snakes, one bunch of scheming foes to another. the nobility was corrupt. they were selfish. they were cruel. they were incompetent. disgusting.

even his own father, who had once seemed so terrifying, revealed filthy layers underneath. he wanted more territory, he wanted to terrorize the kingdoms they had defeated, to squeeze them dry. disillusioned, the last of his loyalty worn down by the ugly sides shown to him, alix turned the sword once used to defend the imperial family against them.

nine lives

 

[Uxie]

fia bellegarde

but the moon can be nothing without the sun

sofia anais bellegarde

twenty-four

september 18

female

pansexual

heiress of the bellegarde county

rose of nobility

the scorned empress

virtues

honest

elegant

resilient

intelligent

kind

courageous

loyal

...

vices

naive

paranoid

distant

inflexible

humourless

shy

vindictive

...

backstory

sofia anais bellegarde; the rose of nobility, the only child of the bellegarde house, swords of the empire.

she lost her mother when she'd barely begun to speak to a plague that swept through the county, left in the care of a father who's heart had frozen over after the death of his beloved wife. the countess had been the warmest of the family, and when she'd left this world, she'd taken the hearth with her. the two interacted sparsely throughout sofia's childhood and adolescence, but she'd always been graceful, admirable, but above all, tolerant. she was not pleased with the circumstances she'd been given, but she'd resolved to it, as she always did. accustomed to not receiving her father's love, and knowing better than to crave it. sofia did not dwell in fantasies, for she was no fool. fia was a name that died with her mother.

she blossomed into a beautiful young lady, praised as the flower of high society far before she'd even considered marriage, and at the age of twenty-four, bested all of the other potential candidates to become the moon of the empire. she was objectively the best choice, the epitome of grace with beauty unlike any other, and the count bellegarde was known as the most righteous man. surely, his daughter was too.

but sofia had not been chosen based on her merits— the emperor already had a mistress whom he was rumoured to frolic with nightly, so her beauty would be for nought— she'd been elected for the blind sense of duty she'd inherited from her father; her naivety, an innocence belief due to her inexperience with the world. sheltered from a young age from the true cruelty of the world, like a flower that would've wilted at the touch of rainwater, despite all of her knowledge in literature or politics. easily manipulated by the hands pushing the chess pieces from the shadows, and the catalyst for the downfall of the bellegarde county.

sofia anais bellegarde was crowned empress and confined to a palace life of neglect and despair. she would hold the title for a miserable two years, before dying alongside the rest of her bloodline, known only through whispers as the scorned empress.

nine lives

 

[Uxie]

emma villenauve

the villainous mistress

emilia villenauve

(formerly serres)

twenty-two

the emperor's mistress

the shameful queen candidate

virtues

adaptable

charming

ambitious

bold

quick-witted

vices

self-serving

disloyal

impatient

materialistic

arrogant

description

for a line of barons with such a long history, the serres did not have much of a tale to tell, with their power long since diminished and their wealth quickly following. emilia serres, therefore, grew up with a heavy weight on her shoulders and the constant reminder that she must marry well. that she was the key to a bright future for their family and that, should she fail, it would be all her fault that her parents die starved and dishonored. clearly, the baron & baroness were not such great guardians, and perhaps that was why they had so terribly misread their own daughter.

at nineteen years old, there was one and only one vision that emma shared with her parents: a great marriage. a marriage to someone rich, someone powerful, someone who would sweep her off her feet and take her away. a spectacular escape, to where she would never have to lay eyes on her burdensome family again. and it was at that time that a distant cousin sent the invitation: weeks spent in the capital, where celebrations were being held to honor the victorious return of the winged lions and the prince alexander, and she could indulge in lavish dresses and sparkling balls. for a girl with big dreams from the countryside, there was nothing better. so she went, leaving her dull life behind with the secret determination to never return.

emma might have been young, but she was smart, she was beautiful and she knew it well. she flitted from one party to another, one suitor to the next, as much a part of high society as any other. there was only one problem; emma was getting impatient. she hadn't found the grand romance she wanted. no heartbeats skipped, no butterflies, no breathless moments. no time going still. until she wandered, one day, to where she shouldn't have. to a quiet balcony, with a view of the sprawling rose gardens, a million stars in the night sky and a man with the coldest eyes she'd ever seen.

what followed was, in the eyes of commoners, a fairytale. in the eyes of the nobility, depending on who you asked, it was something far less magical. a prince fallen in love with a nobody, a nameless girl taken in by a dukedom, a sudden and unstoppable romance. she was there with him when he was a just bastard son, there when he revolted against his own family, there when he was crowned the new and rightful ruler of the empire. and she grew with him, from a worthless baron's daughter to the emperor's lover.

but the truth is never so simple, and it was only known to three people in the entire kingdom. that he had left the ball with her only because she was there, she was harmless and she was a passable cover story or that she mentioned this the day he danced with her, because she knew he would feel obliged. that the first time she had spent a night in his arms was long after his coronation, that she had worn a gorgeous ruby necklace then and that, if she hadn't, then she would not have been in his arms at all.

that, when his real empress had walked into the marriage hall that day, his eyes were not as cold as she knew them to be and she had seethed, fumed, burned with jealousy. that emilia serres had become, in that moment, the villain of the story.

at least, that was how it went the first time.

count bellegarde

father to the empress

gabriel rion bellegarde

fifty-one

leader of the silver wolves

sword of the empire

virtues

steadfast

loyal

principled

intelligent

fair

vices

detached

stubborn

self-blaming

blunt

prideful

description

a man known for his righteousness, gabriel rion bellegarde is as much one of the most respected members of nobility as he is a thorn in their side. the bellegarde family has served the imperial family as their sword since the founding years of the empire, with the first count bellegarde a sworn knight with a close bond to the first emperor. while several other noble families have roots that extend even beyond the first emperor's reign, the bellegardes were elevated from commoner status by their service to the crown and has since been held in high regard, even higher than some ducal/margrave families, due to their direct link to the crown. though much less expressed today, it is a point nobles find most disgraceful, especially due to the bellegardes' widely known incorruptibility that makes them all the more uncooperative and obstructive.

the family has maintained a humane view towards commoners even after many years in light of their predecessors, with the silver wolves simultaneously being the most elite knight squadron and the only one to accept commoners. the silver wolves are rumoured to have more loyalty towards the bellegardes than the crown, due to the count being held in high regard in both skill and personality. the count himself continues to carry out orders on the basis of duty than any actual sense of respect towards the emperors, both the previous and the current one.

within the walls of his house, count bellegarde is known to be rather unaffectionate, even apathetic at times, towards his daughter. gabriel was known to smile brightest around his wife and became much more frigid after her passing. despite his cold demeanour, the truth is he cares greatly for his daughter but believes himself incapable of being a good father to his daughter. he looked out for her in his own way, a subtlety that went unnoticed by sofia who grew up believing her father did not love her in the least until his attempts to rescue her from the palace prior to his execution.

though notoriously neutral in disagreements between the imperial and aristocratic faction, count bellegarde broke his silence on such matters when he openly opposed the crowning of the current emperor, alexander due to the nature of his succession to the throne. this move earned him the ire of his majesty and became a reason he would later attribute his execution to. in the original timeline, count bellegarde was executed weeks prior to his daughter on the count of treason against the crown.

duke villenauve

the snake of the aristocracy

cesar antares villenauve

sixty-three

chief advisor of the court

leader of the aristocratic faction

virtues

knowledgeable

composed

cautious

resilient

charismatic

vices

domineering

avaricious

scheming

ruthless

apathetic

description

the villenauves have held power for longer than even the albatiers, with their roots deep in western soil since long before the empire came into existence. cesar villenauve is himself a steady and towering force, a name that instills as much a sense of fear as it does respect, among commoners and nobles alike, grudging or otherwise. having survived the reigns of three emperors and served as the advisor of each one, it would not be far from accurate to say that he is more accustomed to the art of ruling than any man in the empire, despite never having worn the crown. a master manipulator, the duke villenauve steers the empire's politics from the shadows, earning himself the title of the leader of the aristocratic faction, as well as that of snake amidst the opposing side.

despite being so well-known, however, his personal life and beliefs are shrouded in mystery. cesar has lived mostly alone in the expansive villenauve mansion for decades since the passing of his wife and daughter in a freak accident. servants of the house barely interact with the duke, whose only close human relationship seems to be with his nephew, on whom he bestowed the title of heir. a secretive man, weighed down by years of paranoia, he keeps much of his plans and theories to himself, letting only the most necessary things known to his accomplices. and one of those theories include emperor philippe, the father of the current ruler, the man later overthrown by his own son, and a malicious attempt to break down a rival power — an attempt made by destroying his family.

because of this and many more reasons, cesar was one of the most supportive of the enthronement of alexander, who stained the palace halls with the royal family's blood in his stead. he was happy, at first, to have a young, militaristic emperor, easily handled and made into a puppet. he thought that he would have more authority than ever, because alexander would have so little support from the imperial faction for his treason that he could only rely on the aristocrats. it would have been a perfect situation for cesar and his faction, except for the fact that the new emperor was far more stubborn than they had anticipated. he did not care for the nobles, he did not flinch at uproars or protests, and he was intent on installing his own men into power, slowly but surely. his followers were taken aback, but cesar was calm. he decided, not long after the coronation, that if alexander would not be compliant, then he would make him so.

his most recent and shocking action was to take in emilia serres, the infamous mistress of the emperor, under his wings. whispers on the streets go that she looked just like his daughter at the time of her untimely death, but cesar's true intentions are far less sentimental and, for most of the original timeline, unknown.

adiel selika

the incarnation of god

adiel kaïs selika

unknown

the seventh high priest

voice of the heavens

virtues

honourable

eloquent

patient

observant

skilled

vices

preferential

enigmatic

nosy

insensitive

prideful

description

it is said the religion of caehiel first stretched its influence through the empire's land when a man with hair as white as snow appeared at the westernmost boundary of the empire, in his hands an offer the first emperor could not refuse.

i ask you only to believe in the word of caehiel, and he will make this land flourish for as long as the blood of the empire lives.

the emperor, shrewd and clever as he was, bargained. i must see firsthand whether your lord is truly capable of keeping the promises you have so boldly made. and the man in white laughed and gave yet one more offer. five days, and you will see for yourself if he is capable. the land in the west shall be your trial.

the land in question is now known as averinas, then a barren piece of earth that had been long abandoned by the imperial predecessors. said to have been cursed years ago by an unknown being as punishment for a king's hubris, it was a wasteland where the rivers had run dry and whatever wilderness was dangerous and untameable. a place where life ceased to thrive.

it was nothing short of a miracle when five days later, the man in white emerged with the emperor, their heels pressed into fresh grass and their coats damp from spring rain. the deal was struck and temples constructed, the scene of the miracle named "averinas" and deemed the holy centre of the empire. the main in white, adonai, became the first high priest of the temple of caehiel, now widely rumoured to be the incarnation of caehiel himself. the temple's influence has remained strong even in present day, with it being the one religion practiced within the western empire.

adiel, the seventh high priest, is the current "voice of caehiel" and holds the most divinity of all the current high priests. his skills are juxtaposed by his youthful appearance, though adiel has held his position for nearly eight decades now. born to commoners, adiel's prophecy was the final one given by his predecessor, and he was taken away from birth to learn faith within the walls of the main temple in averinas. elusive and mysterious, adiel is rarely seen by outsiders due to him having not travelled outside of averinas since he first stepped within, though he will be making a rare appearance at the festival this year, for reasons unknown.

sir flynt

the right hand man

miche flynt

twenty-eight

captain of the winged lions

new sword of the empire

virtues

trustworthy

honest

committed

tough

quick-witted

vices

suspicious

tactiturn

frigid

critical

over-protective

description

...

ruvyn morxi

of the treacherous tower

ruvyn atticus morxi

twenty-nine

head of the myceneaen mage tower

the sorcerer king

virtues

creative

open-minded

peaceful

intelligent

charismatic

vices

unforgiving

ambitious

deceptive

mysterious

unpredictable

description

...

lady laurent

the right-hand woman

isabelle zuria laurent

twenty-six

daughter of marquis laurent

the empress' lady-in-waiting

virtues

enthusiastic

charitable

loyal

observant

sincere

vices

quick-tempered

unreserved

judgmental

critical

stubborn

description

isabelle laurent is the second child of marquis laurent, a countryside noble who specialised in agriculture. disjoint from society from a young age and not quite favoured when she did enter due to her brash and feisty nature, izzy has lived life by her own rules. discontent with simply being married off, she jumped at the chance to be appointed as a lady-in-waiting to the queen candidates, choosing sofia as the better of two evils despite having never met her.

the two got off on what seemed to be the wrong foot, the quick-tempered izzy clashing with the seemingly cold and apathetic sofia, though it was through their continued interactions that they formed a lasting friendship and loyalty so unshakeable izzy stared death in the face when her lady was accused of treason and black magic 3 years later. of the three lady-in-waitings that joined her when she was still in candidacy and followed her to queenship, isabelle was the only one who remained when the accusations were lauded against both the empress and her family and the only one who spoke fervently in her defence even as evidence began to appear.

lady laurent did eventually get engaged while she was serving sofia, though her marriage only occurred after her lady had passed away. sent away from the palace after the empress' execution, her fate henceforth was unknown.