Chapter Text
Kingsmen: Ranking, Address and Style
From the “liber de concubinis et eorum ordo” (a book in account of concubines and their ranking), 3rd edition, ca 1445
Kingsmen of the Lay Order
His Honorable Grace Duke of Portland, First Rank
- Colors: Red
- Heraldic Crest: golden Ouroboros in standing position in the figure eight, head on top, upper circle with Eye crest, lower circle with Ingwaz rune
- Additional privileges:
- Commander-In-Chief of the External Grey Army and the Internal Army in castra stativa
- Chief Executive of Palace Grey
His Worshipful Mannerism Marquess of Melbourne, Second Rank
- Colors: Blue
- Heraldic Crest: white blindfolded Eagle sitting on a bow, Eye on the chest, right talon holding a sword, left talon holding an axe, open wings hailing five arrows each
- Additional privileges:
- Special Grade
- Regent
- Retains all prior ranks and status in the Interior and Exterior
- Chief Executive (in the absence of Portland)
His Right Honorable Lordship Earl of Argyle, Third Rank
- Colors: Yellow
- Heraldic Crest: orange Butterfly with the Eye in each of its four wings
His Right Honorable Lordship Earl of Havenshire, Third Rank
- Colors: Yellow
- Heraldic Crest: four red Sparrows, each with a single Eye on its forehead
His Right Honorable Lordship Earl of Derbyshire, Third Rank
- Colors: Yellow
- Heraldic Crest: two pink Dragonflies turning sideways, Eye on each pair of wings
His Victorious Lordship Viscount of Montagu, Fourth Rank
- Colors: Green
- Heraldic Crest: a Cyclops holding a club with an Eye on its forehead
His Victorious Lordship Viscount of Armitage, Fourth Rank
- Colors: Green
- Heraldic Crest: blindfolded Centaur posing with bow and arrow, with a saddle displaying the Eye
- Additional Privileges:
- Special Grade
- The King’s Companion in the Exterior
- May hold any Exterior position that the King confers to him
His Victorious Lordship Viscount of Lawrence, Fourth Rank
- Colors: Green
- Heraldic Crest: Minotaur facing right holding a spear, showing a single Eye
His Lordship Baron of Langley, Fifth Rank
- Colors: Black
- Heraldic Crest: decapitated Bull’s Head, right Eye open, left eye closed, blood on neck
His Lordship Baron of Mortimer, Fifth Rank
- Colors: Black
- Heraldic Crest: blindfolded Skull, Eye on forehead, any sigil of any preferred clan/house on its open mouth
- Additional Privileges:
- Special Grade
- May hold any Exterior or Interior position that the King confers to him
His Lordship Baron of Amity, Fifth Rank
- Colors: Black
- Heraldic Crest: Unicorn skull facing left, Eye on its socket
Lord Sixth Rank
- Colors: Gray
- Heraldic Crest: four Eyes in a diamond pattern (no individual Crest per person)
- No individual title, generally addressed “His Lordship (name/surname/patronymic), Lord Sixth Rank”
Sir Seventh Rank
- Colors: Black on Right, White on Left
- Heraldic Crest: four white Eyes on black side, four black Eyes on white side (no individual Crest per person)
- No individual title, generally addressed “His Honor (name/surname/patronymic), Sir Seventh Rank”
Kingsmen of the Holy Order
His Excellency Archbishop of St. Paul, First Rank
- Colors: White with red tassel
- Heraldic Crest: one single Eye with a Teardrop
His Grace Bishop St. John, Second Rank
- Colors: White with blue tassel
- Heraldic Crest: three Waves, Eye with Teardrop above it
His Right Reverence Abbot St. Augustine, Third Rank
- Colors: White with yellow tassel
- Heraldic Crest: Lotus Leaves above three Waves, Eye with Teardrop above it
His Right Reverence Abbot St. Anthony, Third Rank
- Colors: White with green tassel
- Heraldic Crest: Lotus Leaves with Stem above three Waves, Eye with Teardrop above it
His Right Reverence Abbot St. Andrew, Third Rank
- Colors: White with black tassel
- Heraldic Crest: Pink Lotus Flower, Lotus Leaves with Stem under it above three Waves, Eye with Teardrop above it
His Reverence, Fourth Rank
- Colors: White with gray tassel
- Heraldic Crest: Ibis facing right pecking at Pink Lotus Flower, Lotus Leaves with Stem under it above three Waves, Eye with Teardrop above it (no individual Crest per person)
- No individual title, generally addressed “Reverend (name/surname/patronymic”)
Lord Deacon, Fifth Rank
- Colors: White with black and white tassel
- Heraldic Crest: King Cobra emerging from the left, Ibis facing right pecking at Pink Lotus Flower, Lotus Leaves with Stem under it above three Waves, Eye with Teardrop above it (no individual Crest per person)
- No individual title, generally addressed “Lord Deacon (name/surname/patronymic”)
Palace Grey Complex
History:
Originally built on its foundations by Gnaeus Julius Agricola (ca 78-84 CE), Roman Governor of Britannia, to house his concubine Prince Unnefer of House Ptolemy. After the Romans left the island province, the building was taken over by the native Welsh, Britons and Celts, expanded and remodeled by the Saxon kings, sacked multiple times during the Viking invasions, and subsequently became a refuge for bandits.
Its most infamous owner was the Anglo-Danish-Norman pirate lord Siegfried Grey of Portland (1021-1088) for whom the palace complex was named after. On the height of his notoriety, Grey was known for forcibly breeding with captive Welsh soldiers for the purpose of expanding his own army. During the Year of the Three Kings, he first battled with Harald Hardrada and had to retreat. When the former was killed, Grey challenged the next King Harold Godwinson and was again made to retreat. When the latter died during the Battle of Hastings, Grey attempted to battle the Normans, thinking they had been weakened by Godwinson’s forces. Instead, he was personally captured by William the Conqueror.
On 1066, Siegfried Grey was imprisoned in his former lair and became a victim of his own methods, becoming Kingsman to King William himself. Despite his background, Grey was said to be very beloved and well-favored. Portland’s Tower was built in his honor. “Duke of Portland” became the highest rank of the Lay Kingsmen of Palace Grey which remains extant to the present day.
It was temporarily closed on 1215 at the start of the First Baron’s War. On 1217, it was reopened by the Prince of Wales Llywelyn the Great, who built Melbourne’s Tower to commemorate the Treaty of Lambeth. Officially, it was closed during the Wars of the Roses, though it remained in use throughout the period.
After the Battle of Bosworth, it was officially repurposed as an arms repository for Henry VII, the truth of which was to hide the deposed Richard III who had been installed therein.
On 1532, it was officially reopened and inaugurated for its original purpose by then King of England Henry VIII.
Architecture and Interior Design:
Palace Grey is a mixture of different structures derived from various styles of architecture and constructed progressively during different time periods. The external walls were built in five layers on top of each other. Its original Roman foundation was twelve feet tall. Over the centuries, it was gradually built up into its full height of forty-seven feet.
The King’s Pavilion
The King’s Pavilion was built by William II, also called William Rufus, to separate his own quarters from Portland’s Tower.
It was later expanded by Edward II who added several pavilions within the vicinity to house magicians and entertainers for the pleasure of his concubine Piers Gaveston, the Fourth Marquess Melbourne. When Gaveston was assassinated on 1307, Edward II then built the underground passages to better protect his next concubine.
Unbeknownst to Edward II, his next Marquess Guidobaldo da Montefeltro had created his own passages and thereby successfully absconded. To avoid his new concubine escaping, the King had his next Marquess John de Beauchamp promoted as Duke of Portland, thereby causing Edward II to add more underground passages connecting Melbourne and the King’s Pavilion to Portland.
Portland
Portland’s Tower and the Entrance Gate were of Norman origin and featured the Ouroboros, the emblem of the First Duke of Portland Siegfried Grey.
It was later partially renovated to re-echo the Old Saxon style, featuring double-triangular windows and bas reliefs of the legendary Saxon pioneers Hengist and Horsa. Its columns also featured Latinized inscriptions about the Arthurian mythos as well as other semi-legendary figures such as Lady Godiva and Beowulf.
Of all the residences of Palace Grey, Portland’s Tower has the heaviest surveillance. The Duke of Portland only has one point of entry and exit – the tower’s main door. However, the Duke’s five bedrooms, study, and bathing area are directly connected to Melbourne’s Tower via a secret underground passage built by Warwick the Kingmaker during his four-time tenure as Marquess. This path can only be opened by the Marquess of Melbourne, although he may share it with the Duke of Portland if he chooses.
Melbourne
Melbourne’s Tower was originally built in the French Gothic style, featuring fleur-de-lis carvings on its outer and inner walls. A separate ladies’ quarter is located outside the tower proper.
The ladies’ residence was designed on 1222 by the First Marquess of Melbourne Ailin of Lennox to preserve his privacy. During the years 1296 to 1308, four of the Tower’s eight floors were remodeled by the Fifth Marquess Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, thereby creating compartments and hidden passages throughout the random areas of the palace complex which were later used and extended by his successors.
On 1416, Alain of Valois, Ninth Marquess Melbourne, organized all the keys for the compartments and pathways, complete with symbols and numbering for easy use. To allay any suspicion from his Sovereign, he fashioned the keys into jewels and added them to the official attire of the Marquess of Melbourne. Several copies of these keys were created in secret and deposited at various hiding places throughout the palace complex.
On 1472, the tower was connected to Portland’s via an underground passage as commissioned by the four-time Marquess Richard Neville, also known as Warwick the Kingmaker.
All of these secret structures, maps and jewel-keys were a heavily guarded secret of the Marquesses of Melbourne, passing the information from one Marquess to the next via secret writings, some of which were initially written in code or invisible ink.
Finally on 1545, all of this information were codified into a single book written by Thomas Cromwell, Fourteenth Marquess Melbourne, in collaboration with Thomas More, Twenty-fifth Duke of Portland.
Purple Pavilion
Built on 1540 by Henry VIII, the Purple Pavilion's coloring was a deliberate combination of Portland's red and Melbourne's blue, in commemoration of the first time in history when Portland and Melbourne existed side by side. The building has three floors, no underground facilities, but instead has direct pathways connecting Portland and Melbourne.
Lay Residences, Third to Seventh Ranks
Other residences of the Lay Order were mainly Brythonic, with its interiors heavily covered with Gaelic-style carvings. Some of its columns feature runic inscriptions similar to those from the Danelaw area. A chapel dedicated to the Norse God Odin is still present and well preserved in the central garden of the House of Knights. Meanwhile, the Apothecary Building near the House of the Right Honorables has dedications to Alaunos, the Gaulish God of Healing. Identical bas reliefs could be found in the House of Lords, with Alaunos merged with the Greco-Roman God Mercury as ‘Mercury Alaunos’.
Holy Order Residences
The residences of the Holy Order were of Roman origin with Egyptian influence. Its main emblem is the Eye of Horus, which was worshipped by Agricola’s concubine Unnefer, a prince of House Ptolemy. The crest was heavily used during the Roman occupation along with the seraph (king cobra). During Britain’s gradual conversion to Christianity, the eyes were re-oriented to represent the Judaic God Yahweh/God the Father.
The Abbey of St. Augustine is the oldest building in the entire palace complex, being the residence of Prince Unnefer during his tenure as Governor Agricola’s concubine. It has an underground path leading to the Thames River, but since the late 700s to the early 1000s, it was blocked with stone, soil and other objects to prevent the entry of Viking invaders. The original structure was rediscovered on 1240 by Sir Humphrey Middleton, Third Marquess Melbourne, but due to him being promoted to Portland, he was unable to reopen the pathway. Because his plans were written in code, the next Marquesses had a hard time deciphering it. On 1403, Sir Middleton’s plans were fully decoded by Ieuan ab Owain Glyndwr, Eighth Marquess Melbourne, and it was he who reopened the hidden pathway which led to his successful abscondment.
Fountains and baths were of Roman style and are connected to an underground aquifer supplying clean, mineral water to each individual residence. Some of the baths were connected to natural hot and cold springs, thereby supplying water with medicinal properties.
Grey's Park
The extensive grounds is a valley surrounded by several forested hills with small rivers, a waterfall, and a flower garden. This area is technically a part of the earldom of Argylle, Havenshire and Derbyshire before it was separated into three independent earldoms. The Park has four levels, in which the one residence is a Roman villa called the Portrait Hall where the Kingsmen's portraits, statues and bust of their likenesses are stored and preserved for posterity. This villa was the residence of Godwin of Wessex, First Earl of Argylle, Havenshire and Derbyshire during his long tenure as a concubine to six Kings (Edmund Ironside, Sweyn Forkbeard, Canute the Great, Harald Harefoot, Harthacanute, and Edward the Confessor). At the eastern side of the Park, the Kingsmen's cemetery is located in which the sarcophagus of the Kingsmen are located except for Godwin himself and his son Harold who were interred side by side in the flower garden courtesy of King Edward and William the Conqueror.
After William's victory on 1066, the nameless residence and the grounds were renamed Grey's Park after Siegfried Grey, First Duke of Portland, who was himself an illegitimate son of Godwin by his favorite Norman-Danish mistress Siegfrieda de Greye. Siegfried who had been very bitter about his own imprisonment, spent much of his time in Grey's Park and the Hall, mostly to vent his frustrations by hunting and visiting the tombs of his father and half-brother, regretting his lack of support for his half-brother. Historians speculate that if Siegfried (and their brother Tostig Godwinson) did not rebel against Harold, the two of them would have effectively defeated William's forces.
It is widely documented that William's interest in Siegfried Grey was primarily because the latter's father, Godwin of Wessex, had been promised to be given to him as a consort in the event of King Edward's death. However, Godwin died before the King, so Harold Godwinson was pre-contracted to marry him as his father's replacement. But upon the King's death, Harold Godwinson had himself elected as King by the Witan and subsequently raised an army against William to defend his bodily integrity. This culminated in Harold's death during the Battle of Hastings and the mass suicide of several English soldiers who preferred to die alongside their English King rather than be raped by their Norman conquerors. Harold Godwinson was buried with honors as a King's consort and William insisted on not removing the engagement ring on Harold's corpse. He later had a new ring created for his new consort.
After Harold Godwinson's death, William hunted for the former's brothers, sons, and blood relations. Harold's relations had pre-emptively fled to mainland Europe at that time. Siegfried Grey only remained in England because of his ambitions to kill William and take the English throne for himself. However, William sacked Portland instead, captured Siegfried, and installed him as his concubine in replacement to his father and half-brother. Siegfried remained Pagan like his mother which William tolerated.
Layout:
1 – Front Gate
- Grey’s Gate: two towers flanking an ouroboros sculpture in the Norman style
- “rosa mortis”/ “death rose”
- located 12 steps from the gate
- a flat stone shaped like a rose sculpted during Roman Britain
- when a new Kingsman enters Palace Grey, he ritualistically steps into the death rose in order to symbolize his “death” to the outside world
- after this ritual, he becomes sine persona legalis (of no legal personality), meaning he has no civil rights and is no longer regarded as a person but as a de facto slave for the pleasure of the King
- upon losing his legal personality, a Kingsman forfeits all of his assets to the next of kin usually the heir apparent or as provided in his will
- after this ritual, the stone is immediately covered in wooden paneling, covered in another layer of heavy wool rugs, then covered by a third layer of carpet so that no one can accidentally step on the bare stone
2 – Front yard
- Guard’s Quarters (front)
- “Fountain of Life”:
- 48 steps from rosa mortis
- a stone fountain connected to a natural spring with a round basin, inscribed with Latin words “spes aeterna” (hope springs eternal) located at the center of the yard
- When a Kingsman obtains honorable dismissal from the king (manumissio), he is sprinkled with water from the spring: this symbolically gives him back all his civil liberties as a person and is no longer considered a resident of Palace Grey unless he steps back again into the rosa mortis.
- After honorable dismissal, a Kingsman will automatically be classified as Lord or Knight and given an annual pension by the Crown. However, he will not regain his previous estates, or the clothing and jewels given by the king during his tenure in Palace Grey.
- Kingsmen who weren’t dismissed by their king will depend on the will of the next monarch. Those who die inside Palace Grey will be buried at the Kingsmen’s Cemetery at Mount Sepulchre.
- Outer Gardens
- Guest Quarters (closed when not in use; guests are not allowed past the Great Hall regardless of pedigree)
- Servants’ Quarters (for maintenance of areas outside the Inner residences)
- Front Quarters of the Gentlemen in castra stativa
- Marching Grounds (Guards patrol in three overlapping shifts to ensure 24/7 constant surveillance)
3 – Exterior
- Throne Room/Great Hall
- Inner Gates
- comprised of three gates:
First Gate:
- wooden paneling acting as boundary with the Great Hall
- accommodation is provided for Kingsmen’s visiting family members; they are not allowed further inside, unless they apply to become servants in the palace
Second Gate:
- made of two layers of wrought iron bars, first layer is decorative shaped in ouroboros, second layer in straight round bars spaced evenly to which human heads cannot fit, so the Kingsmen can only hold out their arms but can’t really get out
King’s Gate:
- the original Inner Gate made of pure bronze, this path is solely for the use of the King, the Marquess, or any other concubine who had undergone the Ceremony with the Marquess
4 – Inner Residences
- Front:
- Drawing Room (right),
- King’s Pavilion (center),
- Pools (left)
- Middle: (places most frequented by the Kingsmen to kill time or practice their previous professions)
- Apothecary (far right)
- Library (center right)
- Inner Gardens with fountains
- Chapel (center)
- Arms Room (center left)
- Smithy (far left)
- Kingsmen’s Residences (the lower the rank, the farther they are from the king’s chamber)
Kingsmen of the Holy Order (Left)
- Rank 5: Chapel of the Holy Order
- Rank 4: Convent of the Holy Order
- Rank 3: Abbey of the Holy Order
- Rank 2: Bishop’s Residence
- Rank 1: Archbishop’s Residence
Kingsmen of the Lay Order (Right)
- Rank 7: House of Knights
- Rank 6: House of Lords
- Rank 5: House of the Baron Lordships
- Rank 4: House of the Lords Victorious
- Rank 3: House of the Right Honorables
- Rank 2: Melbourne’s Tower
- Rank 1: Portland’s Tower
- Perimeter
- Residences of the Ladies of the Left and Right (Third Ranks and Below)
- Residences of the Gentlemen in castra stativa (Third Ranks and Below)
5 – Kitchens, Sundries, Privy, and Baths
- Kitchen (each residence has their own, including for the Ladies and Gentlemen)
- Privy (each residence has their own, including for the Ladies and Gentlemen)
- Baths (each residence has their own, including for the Ladies and Gentlemen)
- Roman Baths
- spes augusta (common bath Lay Order)
- spes lumina (common bath Holy Order)
- spes advincula (Portland’s private bath)
- spes maria (Melbourne’s private bath)
- Iron Curtain
- a line of iron bars serving as another boundary to ensure the seclusion of the Kingsmen
6 – Back gardens
- Clothes lines
- Boundary Hedges
- Back Quarters of the Gentlemen in castra stativa
- Grey Guards Quarters
- Kennels
- Stables
- Gardens Proper
- Two hallways directly connect the Great Hall to the Back Gardens (Left Hallway and Right Hallway), built in order to avoid crossing the inner residences
7 – Grey’s Park
- Forested hills with small rivers and a waterfall. This park serves as an amusement area for the King and his guests. Kingsmen (other than the special grades) are not allowed to go outside in the presence of men other than the king and the guards, unless the king himself commands them to do so. Kingsmen may also use this park by themselves, dismissing everyone else beforehand.
- Level 1: Archery grounds
- Level 2: Hunting grounds
- Level 3: Woods grounds
- Level 4: Mount Sepulchre (burial grounds of Kingsmen who died inside Palace Grey); the Portrait Hall is also located here
- Burial casket: wooden painted white
- Each tomb is usually topped with a sarcophagus made of stone or ivory
- Burial clothing: white nightgown, white cassock above (if clergyman) or white robe and cape (if layman), white hat, white slippers
- Other items: flowers, jewels, or any favorite items during their lifetime
- Tombstone: indicates rank (last ranking held, if promoted), personal name, House (if noble) or surname/place of origin (if a commoner), birth date, date of death, epitaph
- Portrait Hall: all Kingsmen are painted and their portraits, busts, statues/statuettes, clothing and jewelry are stored inside the Hall upon their death or honorable dismissal
Musical inspiration (random songs that put me in the mood basically lol):
Thomas More: “Zhen Xi” by Su You Peng
Thomas Cromwell: “Dan Shen Qing Ge” by Li Zhi Xuan
Henry Tudor: “Wo Nan Guo” by 5566
His Majesty, the King: The Great King’s Dream Intro OST
His Honorable Grace, Duke Portland: Jewel In the Palace Intro OST
His Worshipful Mannerism, Marquess Melbourne: The Iron Empress Intro OST
Royal Sons and Daughters of the Interior: “Bouillon Flower” (Dong Yi OST)
Royal Sons and Daughters of the Exterior: “Journey of a Circle” (Yi San OST)
Ladies of the Left and Right: Heart Sutra
Gentlemen of the Standing Camp: Om Mani Padme Hum
Grey Guardsmen: Sangay Menlha
The Kingsmen of Palace Grey: Goong Intro OST
Earl Argyle: “A Dancing Teddy” (Goong OST)
Viscount Armitage: “The Rumble of Scientific Triumph” (Made in Abyss OST)
Baron Mortimer: “Cruel Angel’s Thesis” (Neon Genesis Evangelion Opening Theme)
Baron Amity / Earl Derbyshire: “Goodnight Julia” (Cowboy Bebop OST)
The Legend of Siegfried Grey: “Snysk Jormungandr” by Nemuer
Guidobaldo da Montefeltro: “Masked Ball” by Jocelyn Pook
The Twin Towers of Portland and Melbourne: “Itsumo Nando Demo (Always With Me)” Spirited Away OST
Pilgrimage of Grace, the Sorrow of Duke Suffolk: The Longest Day in Chang’An OST
Earl Hertford and Baron Langley: Origin of White Snake OST
Before His Excellency’s Abscondment: “A Gray Belief” (Mawang OST)
Richard of York, Henry of Lancaster: “Hanezeve Caradinha” (Made in Abyss OST)
Princess Mary: “I will go you like first snow” by Ailee
Princess Elizabeth: “Yellow Spring Moon” by HITA
The Beginnings of Empire: “Sesangi Nal Ora Hane (The World Calls Me)” Book of the Three Han: Jumong OST
In the far and distant future: “Forever” by The Little Dippers
Rant:
I know I’m super late in this fandom, but honestly, why aren’t there any fanfics about Sir More and Mr. Cromwell? I mean, as a pairing lol. They look really good in the Tudor series, like two halves of a whole. Why not make them a whole in a literal physical sense? lol
In his Utopia, Thomas More had interesting ideas about a kingless, democratic, non-aristocratic, technology-based, religiously tolerant society. It sounds suspiciously like a democratic socialism run by elected pacifist technocrats with freedom of religion for its citizens. He laid out the pros and cons of such a culture, sometimes self-deprecatingly calls himself out for his own limitations, adding commentary that there is no perfect society and that there is a delicate balance between personal freedoms and social order. In his personal life, he was limited by the prevalent ideas of his time, still believed in a religion (Roman Catholicism), and was said to have taken part in the burning of heretics (which supposedly gave him chest pains and induced him to try to leave his post as Lord Chancellor many times). He was a well-rounded person, not entirely good, not entirely evil.
In his tenure in public service, Thomas Cromwell had tried pushing for a meritocratic system of government, public welfare for the poor and even reportedly suggested public-funded education for commons (which all backfired on him). He did his best to enrich England via free trade to make it a more independent player in European geopolitics. Needless to say, he’s a people’s man being a commoner himself. He sided with Luther because he wanted mobility for his entire social class, whereas Roman Catholicism did provide social mobility but limited only for the clergy. The guy wasn’t all good though, he was pragmatically brutal, served his own pockets, and never shied away from executing the most heinous of Henry VIII’s policies. So, like More, he’s not entirely good and not entirely evil.
It’s kind of ironic that these two Thomases are pitted against each other when the one truly holding them back is the society, attitudes, and culture of the times they lived in. I’d even venture to say that it was those same limits that made Henry into what he became, using and throwing his ministers like he did with his wives.
Facing Henry’s tyranny, these two Chancellors reacted differently. More didn’t want to dance to the tune so he lost his head. Cromwell danced but eventually he got exhausted and still lost his head. One can only feel sorry for them both.
In their similarities and contrasts, both are forward-thinking men and it’s only the Reformist vs Catholic divide that kept them apart. But if given the chance to really brainstorm their ideas, really let themselves out without the threats of Tudor society hanging over their heads, I think they would’ve made a really great team.
More is an intellectual genius but he can’t fully say what he means or even explore as much as he wanted because of the limits of his surroundings. Cromwell is a great administrator but as a mere subordinate, he has no choice but to bite his tongue and follow orders. When he tried to impose his idea, he got chopped.
There need be no competition between them when they’re both amazing human beings dealt a tragic hand by their fates, like birds in a cage trying to break free but dying in the process.
But yeah.
Goodness gracious! I went nuts on this. But anyways, it’s finally over and I’m glad I won’t be haunted by this story ever again. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it. Lots of love. (^.^)