Yay! I was waiting for this all day!
Ten years have passed since you married Prince Cisco of Portugal. Just a year after your first child is born the Princes parents, King Victor and Queen Arabella both met their end by being poisoned. Prince Cisco asserts that it was the angry cook who had recently been fired who added cyanide to their caldo verde (a common Portuguese soup), but you are not so sure. For all you know, your husband himself could have wiped them out so as to take his rightful title sooner.
Either way, because your husband is their eldest son he automatically ascends the throne as King of Portugal, which makes you Queen Consort. You feel stronger and more powerful with each passing day under your new title even though under the law you are still powerless. Eventually you decide to take charge of the only thing you do have control over, your only child’s life. You decide that Nicholas deserves a childhood similar to yours, one filled with life, laughter and plenty of siblings. Over the next 10 years you have five more pregnancies.
First after Nicholas comes a sickly girl who is bestowed the name HRH the Princess Carolina Esme Lavinia Isolde. Lavinia, her second middle name is after your mother. Carolina is a beauty, with the lips of your sister Helena, who used them to almost steal away your betrothed, wavy flaxen hair, olive skin, and blue eyes like her brother. She is an adventurer at heart and is quick to stick up for her older brother, but unfortunately, because she is so often ill, she is rarely allowed outdoors. She longs to be able to run freely through the flower fields. Instead, she must read about these adventures in her books, which she does often.
The next child is another sickly girl who looks very much like her sister Carolina, with exactly the same coloring. The only real difference in their appearance is the pin straight hair that contrasts with her sister’s waves. HRH the Princess Victoria Calliope Evangeline Fleur, despite her illness at birth, soon outgrows it and is allowed to wander the gardens that Carolina only dreams of, making her sister very jealous. Victoria, though, is very understanding of her older sister, who she adores and admires. Victoria is quite fond of animals, particularly rabbits, and helps breed them in the yard. She always brings her favorites inside for her sister Carolina to play with.
Finally, you give birth to a healthy child, a little girl. Your husband is overjoyed that he does not have to worry about losing this one, but he still wished that you would have had another boy so as to make sure someone could carry on the throne. This baby, HRH the Princess Livia Juliet Serafina Vida, is completely adored by everyone, her older siblings especially. Vida, her last middle name, is the Portuguese word for life, and she certainly has it. Her rosy cheeks light up her pale complexion. Her green eyes sparkle as she smiles while straight auburn hair frames her face. Because she is so spoiled, Princess Livia has a bit of a temper, but her father completely adores her, always picking her up whenever she screams. You wished he wouldn’t do it - he’s spoiling her more - but you say nothing for at least once he is very pleased with something you produced.
The next time you give birth, you have triplets, another healthy girl, a sickly boy, and finally a healthy boy. You are surprised that all three triplets survived and are quite astonished that two of the three are very healthy. Your husband is ecstatic that at last his family will surely continue it’s reign over Portugal. The triplets are named HRH the Princess Tatiana Isadora Briony Amoret, HRH the Prince Henry Sebastian Milo Barnaby, and HRH the Prince Percival Archer Silas Cato. Livia is very resentful of her new sister Tatiana, who almost seems to take her place in her father’s eyes. Tatiana is almost the spitting image of you, the woman who, although mistreated by her husband, is still the lady he was bewitched by. Like Livia, she has beautiful green eyes, but she also has the gleaming black hair that her father adores. Tatiana is bit a of a flirt. She knows she is beautiful. When guests come over to the palace, she loves to sit on their laps and talk to them for hours. She can entrance anyone she meets. Her brother Henry is quite the opposite. He is an awkward looking child, terribly thin, with a large head covered in light brown hair. His brown eyes are nothing special. He is pushed into the shadows by the two who grew in the womb with him. He is often found sitting indoors, mumbling to himself in a language only he understands. He is clearly quite intelligent, and you love him, but his father cannot stand his appearance and never cradles him in his arms. He finds his place with the servants, one of whom teaches him how to sew, an strange skill for a boy but one he is indeed quite good at. Finally, their is Percival, almost always called Percy, the golden child of the empire. He has an impeccable jaw, olive skin and hazel eyes like his father, and dark brown hair. Whenever his father travels on official business, it is Percy whom he takes. He loves to show him off to others, who marvel at his appearance. Although Percy has two brothers ahead of him in line for the throne, his father is insistent that they will die before they get their chance and so takes it upon himself to instruct Percy in the royal ways. However, Percy is more of a free spirit. He longs to play like his siblings instead of always being forced to participate in official engagements. You wish he would have the privileges of the other children, but your husband insists he cannot, and you do not have the power to stop his command.
The second to last time you give birth, you have yet another healthy girl, who is given the name HRH the Princess Adelaide Portia Juno Honora. Addie is a lovely child, with light skin, dark brown eyes, and blonde hair. She is quiet and never fusses. Because she is so silent, she often falls into the background, but she is a true beauty both inside and out who you are sure will be a great leader someday. If only she had been born earlier, and as a boy!
Your very last child, is a little boy who is unfortunately stillborn. You don’t understand why, that after all of the continuously surviving children, even the triplets, this single child could not pull through. He still deserves a title, so you name him HRH the Prince Samuel Dorian Valentino Jude. He looks perfectly angelic with soft blonde hair and white skin. His eyes remain unopen. You wish you could have peaked into them, if only once.
~ Your “Happy” Family ~
HRH the King Cisco Alessio Navarro Cruz
HRH the Queen Cecily Eleanor Amabel
HRH the Prince Nicholas Basil Cisco Atticus
HRH the Princess Carolina Esme Lavinia Isolde
HRH the Princess Victoria Calliope Evangeline Fleur
HRH the Princess Livia Juliet Serafina Vida
HRH the Princess Tatiana Isadora Briony Amoret
HRH the Prince Henry Sebastian Milo Barnaby
HRH the Prince Percival Archer Silas Cato
HRH the Princess Adelaide Portia Juno Honora
HRH the Prince Samuel Dorian Valentino Jude (stillborn)
