● abilities: ❈ Magic ❈ I did mention in the beginning of Elizabeth's history section that the line of Melusina is blessed with many 'gifts'. Name, this is another term for magic. Which actually was not seen as evil back then! Apparently it was ok unless used for ill purposes. Who knew? People were much more superstitious back then. However, the kind of magic bestowed upon Elizabeth and her ancestors can and has been used for exactly that.
The fact is though, she is mostly ignorant of it. Or its limits. Her mother did not even assume any of her children had the magic until it became obvious that Elizabeth was having visions. As such, she will not be using any of the following abilities often, if at all.
► Weather Elizabeth can, with the help of her mother, call forth rain or fog. This isn't something she would be able to do alone. I believe this is because Melusina is a goddess of water, but that is never implicitly stated.
► The Sight Or foresight. Elizabeth against her will, sometimes has visions of things that will happen in the future. She had one of her uncle Anthony Woodville's death, and then of Richard III later on. These come and go at will, and she has no control of them (or herself when she is experiencing them.) She appears to undergo what looks like a sort of seizure, freezing and staring off vacantly into space. It wears off after a while.
► Melusina's Song When one of her line dies, Elizabeth can hear a mournful song. It is Melusina's way of letting her descendants know that they have lost one of their own.
► Curses A bit different from that which was taught to her mother by Jacquetta; she can writes names upon a piece of parchment, or a prayer to Melusina to curse whoever has wronged her. If she burns the parchment and set it upon water, she can in theory curse anyone she likes.
Unlike her mother who was taught divination by her own mother, Elizabeth has not been taught to harness her magic by her mother to such a degree. Which seeing as she would eventually be sent off to another country someday, would have seemed the prudent thing to avoid. She is ignorant of many of her abilities, and thus cannot use them for good or ill.
● strengths: Charismatic • Elizabeth is likened to a "second coming" of her father, King Edward IV in that they both shared a magnetic personality and boatloads of charm. In the book and series both, she has the same easy manner in dealing with people. That being: she's friendly to a degree most are not, and is willing to give of herself to benefit others.
Compassion • When the serving boy was about to go into the Tower (and face certain death), she is the only one to comfort him beforehand. Her thoughts are constantly for her sisters' wellbeing, and later in Series 2, the people. The latter case would see her break into Henry Tudor's coffers to send out gold to the citizens of London to provide food, medicine and burials during an epidemic while the King was away on Progress.
Fortitude • She has an incredible inner strength and resilience, able to lose everything and still smile and laugh. (She lost her name, her birthright, too many relatives to count, and her free will when she was married off to someone she viewed as a usurper later on.) No matter how bad her life becomes, she adapts, rebounds and finds ways to be happy despite her current lot.
● weaknesses: Naive • With King Richard, who led her by the nose and said he would marry her and make her his Queen if she slept with him. (He would not have.) For the promise of stability, she let him court her under his wife's nose and the entire court while not at all aware that he was playing her. And she trusts her mother to handle things early on, when she is truly only seeking power for the Rivers as she always has, and has no real care for her daughters.
Reserved • But it's hard for her to trust or grow attached to people in the first place. She was not permitted friends her own age at court neyond her own siblings and cousins, so being social in that intimate a way is a bit beyond her at the moment. But this point is twofold because she also hides what she truly feels behind a 'mask' of neutral civility, smiling so nobody can know how she truly feels. Exposing weakness is anathema for her, so she avoids it.
Temperamental • Lastly, she bears the infamous Plantagenet rage. More evident in The White Princess, she still has a few impressive rows in The White Queen, accusing her mother of caring only for the crown, raised voice and all. And then with Margaret Beaufort, in which case she declares that the woman will never sit in her presence again after falsely calling her a whore. Her anger is typically on a longer tether than her father's had been, but certain topics when pursued negatively or aggressively can provoke a like response awfully swiftly from her.
● skills (optional): Cooking, sewing, dancing, singing, ability to play the lute and viola at minimum, embroidery, and academic knowledge. She is well-versed in linguistics (Greek, Latin, French and likely Spanish at least), arithmetic and history. ● housing (optional): Private apartment.
● network username: melusina
● network sample: ( Keenly aware that appearances matter especially so upon making a first impression, she is dressed elegantly, and her hair is mostly left in loose waves, some cloth-of-gold ribbon threaded throughout. She keeps the look on her face pleasant, but cool.
There is no benefit for the time being in playing the fool, as she had at home. The warmth of her smile does not extend to her eyes, not yet. Instead they hold a light of curiosity, and a great amount of seriousness. Her awareness of the situation at hand is dim but for this: she is not dreaming. She has lost all, and stands to gain everything if she but works for it. Just as her father had won the throne of England: with smiles, charm and good business sense.
Her address, then, is an earnest one. )
Good day to you, one and all. I know not how many of you there are, or from whence you come. Yet if I may, I would humbly beg a favour, if you would be so gracious as to indulge me: your acquaintance.
Indeed, I would meet as many of you as might be possible. And, if you would be even more indulgent, information pertaining to the state of affairs in this land and abroad. I find myself possessed of a desire to know the full scope of things here ere I chart my course and navigate myself through whatever trials I may face here.
( Now, finally, the warmth enters her eyes. She has no choice; it would not do for all the land to bear witness to her grief. )
I am Elizabeth Plantagenet of England. It is my hope that I will be able to repay any kindness shown me sooner rather than later. I look forward to meeting and speaking with many of you!
Elizabeth of York • The White Queen / The White Princess • Reserved
● name: Pax
● age: 21+
● contact:
● other characters: n/a
character information
● name: Elizabeth of York
● canon: The White Queen / The White Princess
● canon point: After the battle of Bosworth.
● age: 19
● (canon) background: here
● (original) world: n/a
● abilities: ❈ Magic ❈
I did mention in the beginning of Elizabeth's history section that the line of Melusina is blessed with many 'gifts'. Name, this is another term for magic. Which actually was not seen as evil back then! Apparently it was ok unless used for ill purposes. Who knew? People were much more superstitious back then. However, the kind of magic bestowed upon Elizabeth and her ancestors can and has been used for exactly that.
The fact is though, she is mostly ignorant of it. Or its limits. Her mother did not even assume any of her children had the magic until it became obvious that Elizabeth was having visions. As such, she will not be using any of the following abilities often, if at all.
► Weather
Elizabeth can, with the help of her mother, call forth rain or fog. This isn't something she would be able to do alone. I believe this is because Melusina is a goddess of water, but that is never implicitly stated.
► The Sight
Or foresight. Elizabeth against her will, sometimes has visions of things that will happen in the future. She had one of her uncle Anthony Woodville's death, and then of Richard III later on. These come and go at will, and she has no control of them (or herself when she is experiencing them.) She appears to undergo what looks like a sort of seizure, freezing and staring off vacantly into space. It wears off after a while.
► Melusina's Song
When one of her line dies, Elizabeth can hear a mournful song. It is Melusina's way of letting her descendants know that they have lost one of their own.
► Curses
A bit different from that which was taught to her mother by Jacquetta; she can writes names upon a piece of parchment, or a prayer to Melusina to curse whoever has wronged her. If she burns the parchment and set it upon water, she can in theory curse anyone she likes.
Unlike her mother who was taught divination by her own mother, Elizabeth has not been taught to harness her magic by her mother to such a degree. Which seeing as she would eventually be sent off to another country someday, would have seemed the prudent thing to avoid. She is ignorant of many of her abilities, and thus cannot use them for good or ill.
● strengths:
Charismatic • Elizabeth is likened to a "second coming" of her father, King Edward IV in that they both shared a magnetic personality and boatloads of charm. In the book and series both, she has the same easy manner in dealing with people. That being: she's friendly to a degree most are not, and is willing to give of herself to benefit others.
Compassion • When the serving boy was about to go into the Tower (and face certain death), she is the only one to comfort him beforehand. Her thoughts are constantly for her sisters' wellbeing, and later in Series 2, the people. The latter case would see her break into Henry Tudor's coffers to send out gold to the citizens of London to provide food, medicine and burials during an epidemic while the King was away on Progress.
Fortitude • She has an incredible inner strength and resilience, able to lose everything and still smile and laugh. (She lost her name, her birthright, too many relatives to count, and her free will when she was married off to someone she viewed as a usurper later on.) No matter how bad her life becomes, she adapts, rebounds and finds ways to be happy despite her current lot.
● weaknesses:
Naive • With King Richard, who led her by the nose and said he would marry her and make her his Queen if she slept with him. (He would not have.) For the promise of stability, she let him court her under his wife's nose and the entire court while not at all aware that he was playing her. And she trusts her mother to handle things early on, when she is truly only seeking power for the Rivers as she always has, and has no real care for her daughters.
Reserved • But it's hard for her to trust or grow attached to people in the first place. She was not permitted friends her own age at court neyond her own siblings and cousins, so being social in that intimate a way is a bit beyond her at the moment. But this point is twofold because she also hides what she truly feels behind a 'mask' of neutral civility, smiling so nobody can know how she truly feels. Exposing weakness is anathema for her, so she avoids it.
Temperamental • Lastly, she bears the infamous Plantagenet rage. More evident in The White Princess, she still has a few impressive rows in The White Queen, accusing her mother of caring only for the crown, raised voice and all. And then with Margaret Beaufort, in which case she declares that the woman will never sit in her presence again after falsely calling her a whore. Her anger is typically on a longer tether than her father's had been, but certain topics when pursued negatively or aggressively can provoke a like response awfully swiftly from her.
● skills (optional): Cooking, sewing, dancing, singing, ability to play the lute and viola at minimum, embroidery, and academic knowledge. She is well-versed in linguistics (Greek, Latin, French and likely Spanish at least), arithmetic and history.
● housing (optional): Private apartment.
● network username: melusina
● network sample: ( Keenly aware that appearances matter especially so upon making a first impression, she is dressed elegantly, and her hair is mostly left in loose waves, some cloth-of-gold ribbon threaded throughout. She keeps the look on her face pleasant, but cool.
There is no benefit for the time being in playing the fool, as she had at home. The warmth of her smile does not extend to her eyes, not yet. Instead they hold a light of curiosity, and a great amount of seriousness. Her awareness of the situation at hand is dim but for this: she is not dreaming. She has lost all, and stands to gain everything if she but works for it. Just as her father had won the throne of England: with smiles, charm and good business sense.
Her address, then, is an earnest one. )
Good day to you, one and all. I know not how many of you there are, or from whence you come. Yet if I may, I would humbly beg a favour, if you would be so gracious as to indulge me: your acquaintance.
Indeed, I would meet as many of you as might be possible. And, if you would be even more indulgent, information pertaining to the state of affairs in this land and abroad. I find myself possessed of a desire to know the full scope of things here ere I chart my course and navigate myself through whatever trials I may face here.
( Now, finally, the warmth enters her eyes. She has no choice; it would not do for all the land to bear witness to her grief. )
I am Elizabeth Plantagenet of England. It is my hope that I will be able to repay any kindness shown me sooner rather than later. I look forward to meeting and speaking with many of you!
Until then, farewell. Deus vobiscum.
● prose/action sample: this entire post