| Welcome to For King and Court. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Despair Knows No Bounds; Wills | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 25 2011, 12:02 PM (315 Views) | |
| Edward Spencer | Jul 25 2011, 12:02 PM Post #1 |
|
Earl of Berkshire/Baron Denbigh
|
Denbigh Castle, April 1505 Edward Spencer sat--or rather, sprawled--in a chair before the fire in the fireplace, a cup of wine next to him. In fact, a couple of empty pitchers and a third nearly-empty one sat on the nearby table, as he had no desire to be attended by anyone at the moment. And the only reason he had pitchers as opposed to the entire barrel, was because there was no way to drink it directly out of the barrel. Which he would have done, if he could have. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair wild from running his hands through it so often. His clothing, consisting of a rich green doublet (and matching hose), over a white linen shirt, was quite rumpled and stained, as though he'd lived in his clothing for a week or more. Which he had, to be quite honest. He rather looked like a madman. And to be honest, he really didn't care. He cared for nothing at this point in time, if one wanted to know the truth. Rose was gone. His beloved, his beautiful wife, was dead of the birthing fever two weeks since. He had a tiny, beautiful daughter now, but he no longer had a wife. Such bittersweet tragedy! Edward felt as though his heart had been ripped from his chest and stomped upon. He'd shaken his fist and cursed to God as soon as he knew of her death, and then after her burial he had shut himself in his study, coming out--or rather, staggering out--for meals and to demand more wine. He'd practically lived in his study for the better part of a week, almost constantly in a drunken stupor. At best he'd been surly, at worst he'd been a beast, consumed by rage and grief. He felt as though a piece of him had died along with his beloved wife. Head bobbling, eyes squinting horribly, he reached a wobbly hand for his cup, missing a time or two before he finally grasped it. He clumsily brought it his mouth, dribbling wine down the front of his doublet, and drank greedily, emptying the cup before slapping it down on the table. He then leaned his head back and closed his eyes, trying to will the room to stop spinning. His sense were quite dulled right now. He jerked his head, though, upon the sound of his door opening. God's blood, had he not left instructions to leave him be? Had he not barred the door to prevent anyone from entering? Apparently not. "Leave me," he growled drunkenly, gripping the arms of his chair. He had no idea who had just entered, nor did he care. Well ... unless it was a servant, come to switch out pitchers of wine. "Unless you are bringing more wine, in which case merely leave it on the table." He let out a rather rude-sounding belch, and stared into the fire once more. |
|
[align=center]Bio :: Plot Edward is now Jure Uxoris ("By right of his wife") Earl of Berkshire, or Lord Berkshire [/align] | |
![]() |
|
| William Spencer | Jul 25 2011, 07:32 PM Post #2 |
![]()
Lord Winchester (courtesy)
|
William Spencer was barely ten and six, but he had seen and dealt with many things in his young life. The youth was well on the way to manhood, held back only by how meanly his grandfather treated him, clearly making him feel like he should feel and act less than he was. However, he was not prepared to play father to his uncle's children who were clamouring at him and misbehaving since their mother's death. He was beginning to feel that it was absurd he should be the man of the estate whilst his uncle, the baron, locked himself up in his study whilst getting drunk. It was he who was to answer the questions of the stewards? Him? Dorchester? So that then when everyone sobered up, if he had done anything wrong, then he could really be beaten? After two weeks, the youth steeled himself to end this dirty business. Afterall, Dorchester himself was to leave for the continent shortly. Could he leave with his uncle thus incapacitated? Acting ridiculously? This was not the behaviour of a man and father! William was not pleased that they seemed to think the French were weak and here his uncle was leaving his children grieving and confused. Not to mention afraid that something would now happen to their father? God's Blood. This was not the work for a youth his age! Knowing knocks would not be met with a favourable response, he just walked right in, prepared to deal with whatever he saw. "No, my Lord, I will NOT leave, and I will NOT bring you more wine!" he said, flustered, and with more force behind his voice than he had probably dared use before. "You must come out of here, 'tis madness! Is it my duty to play father to grieving children whilst you drink yourself to death to leave them with double grief?" He nearly pouted fury as he watched the drunken man's movements. This had to stop. "This is madness, my Lord, complete madness!" |
![]() |
|
| Edward Spencer | Jul 26 2011, 05:52 PM Post #3 |
|
Earl of Berkshire/Baron Denbigh
|
"No, my Lord, I will NOT leave, and I will NOT bring you more wine!" Even in his rather fogged state, Edward winced slightly. That didn't sound like one of the servants; no, that rather sounded like his nephew. Wait ... wasn't Wills supposed to leave for France? What in God's name was he still doing here? Head swimming, he peered, squinty-eyed, about the chair. "Oh. 'Tis you." He waved a hand listlessly at the youth. "Then go get me someone who will bring me more wine." He shifted again, so that he could stare into the fire once more, thinking that Wills would leave. Except that he didn't. No, the youth now went on about madness and grieving children and something else--for the life of him, Edward couldn't remember what, nor did he particularly care--and he certainly wasn't about to leave. Edward responded by staring into the fire for a long, drawn-out moment. "So don't play father to my boys," he muttered, rather grouchy. Edward wasn't exactly in the best of moods, although to be honest, he hadn't exactly been in the best of moods for nearly two weeks. "Let their tutors and nurses take care of them. S'what th-the-well, they're supposed to be doing that." He sniffed loudly and blinked a few times. "Madness? You say this is madness?" Edward peered around the chair again, his eyes still half-lidded. He had to squint to bring his nephew into focus, for his eyes were surely playing tricks on his. "Indeed, this is madness, for I can see two of you!" The last he knew, Wills didn't have a twin, so it couldn't possibly be right that there would be two nephews standing there. "I don't care," he muttered incoherently. "My life is over." At least, that was what he believed in his drunken state. "Go on, leave me be. I refuse to leave this chair." No, what he wanted was more wine, but Wills had already stated that he wasn't going to fetch more wine. So Edward was more than content to pass out in his chair, rather than drag himself to his bedchamber which held too many now-painful memories. |
|
[align=center]Bio :: Plot Edward is now Jure Uxoris ("By right of his wife") Earl of Berkshire, or Lord Berkshire [/align] | |
![]() |
|
| William Spencer | Jul 29 2011, 08:43 PM Post #4 |
![]()
Lord Winchester (courtesy)
|
William stood himself up to his full height in his most lordly posture and crossed his arms. He held up his chin and said in his most authoritative, serious voice, "You are not getting anymore wine, my Lord. From anybody in this household!" The man was going to drink himself to death and regurgitate into his own mouth and strangle! William could see both their lives flashing in front of his head. "Somebody has to, Uncle," he said, his voice nearly taking on a wailing quality to it. "And 'tis not the same. They think you are going to die. God's Blood! Act like a man!" Even if the only way he got through to the man was to goad him into better behaviour, he would do it. He could see two of him? William found none of this amusing or as non-chalant as his Uncle Edward. "Your life is over?!? You sound like a woman!" William waved an arm at him. "And you will not order me around in your state. If something happens to you or you lose consciousness, who do you think will be lord here until Henry is of age, your Steward?" William threw up his arms. "If you think he will contest me in denying you everything, you are wrong, my Lord, because if something happens to you, I would then be his master. Until you are of your senses, it will be my say! No servants and no wine or ales or mead or any of the like!" He would flush his uncle out like a dog flushing a rabbit or fox from a hole. |
![]() |
|
| Edward Spencer | Jul 30 2011, 08:34 PM Post #5 |
|
Earl of Berkshire/Baron Denbigh
|
Now, had Edward truly been in his right mind, Wills probably wouldn't have spoken to him in that manner. Then again, if Edward had been in his right mind, as opposed to having drunk himself into a stupor as he'd been doing for the past two weeks ... well, they wouldn't be having this conversation, now would they? But, as it was, the Baron Denbigh--or rather, the very drunken Baron Denbigh--was not in his right mind. No, he was right where he wanted to be, which was right in this chair, pleasantly numbed from the pain that tore at his heart. His wife was gone, and he wanted to lose the sense of pain and grief he'd felt from such. He gripped the sides of the chair, and pulled himself up to a more sitting position (as opposed to practically lying down in the chair). Which was to say, he was now only halfway lying down in the chair. His head bobbled a bit as he squinted and glared at Wills. "So send for my brother," he retorted. There, problem solved. At least, it was solved in his mind. Then again, a man in his state was hardly capable of a coherent thought, let alone a logical one. Oh, would the boy simply hush and go away, already? "Oh, and you feel yourself wise enough to dispense advice to me?" Edward was rather petulant, not to mention cross. "So let my Steward run the castle until Henry is of an age, then, if you are so worried about that. God's blood, or let my brother run the damn castle! 'Tis not as though Henry is that small, he nears manhood in but a few years," he grumped. Which was ... sort of true. Henry was ten, so it would certainly be a few more years than Edward was implying, before the boy could actually take over Denbigh. "Oh, just leave me be!" Edward snapped. Right now, all he wanted to do was to pass out into merciful oblivion. |
|
[align=center]Bio :: Plot Edward is now Jure Uxoris ("By right of his wife") Earl of Berkshire, or Lord Berkshire [/align] | |
![]() |
|
| William Spencer | Aug 4 2011, 10:37 AM Post #6 |
![]()
Lord Winchester (courtesy)
|
William gaped at his uncle and then stalked forward a bit more, because he was sorely tempted to shake the man until his sense came back to him. "Your brother has his own duties!" William bellowed, growing more and more agitated. This was not how William was raised to think a man should react to adversity. This was the one instance thus far where he had looked poorly at his uncle. This was not the behavior of a proper man. This was deplorable. If Sir John was here, William bet he would beat his brother senseless. He had seen the two row before, and he had a decent sense of both of his uncles after three intimate years. "You have obligations. It is sinful to lay here in your own slop in such degenerate sloth!" God's Blood! This was all just ridiculous. "Right now, in comparison to you, yes. I think I am man enough to dispense advice. I watched my father die brutally, and I did not cry and rage for weeks, and I was in pain. I had to come here and leave all my family in France to be beaten by a man who would torture me so that he might get his revenge on me before he dies and I inherit. I was not allowed to grieve! I will not leave you be! I have lost all respect for you," he spat. Growling in irritation, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Die here then. I am having the boys and baby packed up with their tutors, and I am bring them to Wormleighton with Sir John's children so that they do not have to watch this." |
![]() |
|
| Edward Spencer | Aug 5 2011, 09:02 PM Post #7 |
|
Earl of Berkshire/Baron Denbigh
|
Scowling, Edward let out a harrumph and slid lower in his chair. He really didn't want to hear all this from Wills (although if one wanted to be truthful, he needed to hear this). What he really wanted right now was for his nephew to stop bellowing and go away. Unfortunately, what he wanted and what he got were two separate things. Instead of going away, Wills merely bellowed at him further. Squinting heavily, Edward picked up the cup and peered into the bottom of it, frowning heavily. He also wanted more wine. Or perhaps he simply wanted to pass out, oblivious to everything. He set the cup back down on the table before he swiveled his head to squint at Wills. He heard mutterings--at least, that was how his drink-slopped mind chose to register them--but he didn't really heed the words. Which was truly a shame, for had he been in his right mind, Edward would have been truly appalled with himself. As it was, though, all the talk of sin and lying in slop, rather went in one ear and out the other. In fact, most of all Wills' ranting (as Edward was wont to think of it at the moment) went in one ear and out the other, until he heard one word. Children. Edward suddenly sat up--or rather, he lurched--and glared through slitted eyes at Wills. He was going to take the children? He couldn't do that! ... could he? "Very well, I will get out of the damned chair," he groused, gripping the sides of the chair and pushing himself out of it. "If that stops you from taking my children." |
|
[align=center]Bio :: Plot Edward is now Jure Uxoris ("By right of his wife") Earl of Berkshire, or Lord Berkshire [/align] | |
![]() |
|
| William Spencer | Aug 18 2011, 05:35 PM Post #8 |
![]()
Lord Winchester (courtesy)
|
William was ready to rail, and he was quite on a roll. He was not stopping until he had satisfaction. "I am not satisfied! What does it matter if I take your children if you are determined not to be a father!" he bellowed. "You must sober up, my Lord, and be a man, or I swear, by God, I will take them to grandfather. Or place them with Sir John's at Wormleighton!" William was incapable of abandoning responsibility. It just was not in his character to do so. Even at sixteen and seeming to act more composed than a full grown man, there was no way he was going to leave for France to allow his cousins to watch their father drink himself to death. "You stink," he accused, as the man tried to stand. "I will have them prepare a bath, and you will rid yourself of all this filth or let them do it for you." He was now keen on his demands since he had found a weapon which worked to mobilize his uncle. "This is not an example for your sons!" He growled and turned on his heel to go to the door. "Draw a bath," he called out, "And make sure my Lord Denbigh gets soaked in it one way or another!" |
![]() |
|
| Edward Spencer | Aug 27 2011, 06:43 PM Post #9 |
|
Earl of Berkshire/Baron Denbigh
|
Edward tossed a squinty-eyed glare at his nephew. "You will not," he growled emphatically, "Take my children from me to place them with your grandfather." Even in his current state, he still had enough leave of his senses to know that having his children place with their grandfather would not be a good thing at all. And he wasn't entirely certain that he really wanted them placed with his brother, either. He finally hoisted himself out of the chair, gripping the arms for stability as he staggered, swaying back and forth slightly. He clung to the chair as though it were a walking stick, using it to brace himself whilst he worked his way about to the back of the chair. And his nephew was blathering the entire time. Edward responded with a rather (limp) dismissive wave. "I'm standing," he groused, whilst Wills bellowed for a bath. "And I'm on my way." He harrumphed, started to pitch forward and only managed to right himself at the last moment. "And for the love of God, stop that bellowing!" He began to stagger toward the door. Surprisingly, it didn't take much to get him into the bath that was prepared for him ... and he actually slept in his bedchamber that night; the next morning, he woke up sober for the first time in two weeks, although he did feel rather queasy. And rather ashamed of how he'd been for the previous two weeks. [CLOSED] |
|
[align=center]Bio :: Plot Edward is now Jure Uxoris ("By right of his wife") Earl of Berkshire, or Lord Berkshire [/align] | |
![]() |
|
| Isabel Leigh | Sep 8 2011, 03:13 PM Post #10 |
![]()
Virtue alone is invincible.
|
This thread has been archived either due to forwarding of board timeline or because of a month of inactivity. If you would like to continue, please PM an Admin! |
|
[align=center]Mistress Leigh Isabel is in 8 threads and can has more! App | Plot[/align] | |
![]() |
|
| « Previous Topic · In the Past Graveyard · Next Topic » |









6:26 AM Jul 11