[hider=Beatrice of Königreich der Welten]   [center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/191021/7a6e78efe3bad83c57913784f03f9c18.png[/img][/center] [hr][hr] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/474x/ad/72/92/ad72929346824cc21554358eba944335.jpg[/img][/center] [center][color=919191]❝ [i]I was taught to desire nothing, to swallow other people's misery, to eat my own bitterness.[/i] ❞ --[b]Amy Tan[/b][/color][/center] [hr][hr] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/191021/5c18e31d433f9412a4a75101dc2bd70d.png[/img] [indent][color=919191][b]☽ 𝓝𝓪𝓶𝓮:[/b] [/color] [INDENT]Beatrice Mei König[/INDENT] [color=919191][b]☽ 𝓣𝓲𝓽𝓵𝓮:[/b] [/color] [INDENT]Princess of Königreich der Welten[/INDENT] [color=919191][b]☽ 𝓐𝓰𝓮:[/b] [/color] [INDENT]23[/INDENT] [color=919191][b]☽ 𝓖𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻:[/b] [/color] [INDENT]Female[/INDENT] [color=919191][b]☽ 𝓢𝓮𝔁𝓾𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂:[/b] [/color] [INDENT]Bisexual[/INDENT][/indent] [hr][hr]    [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/191021/b1a0454b80ae26ba7cf9d90c3b6e8c39.png[/img] [indent][color=919191][b]☽ 𝓐𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮:[/b] [/color] [INDENT]Although Beatrice was born and raised in Königreich der Welten, most people will say that she looks more like she should be 100% Liangii. She has her mother's face, somewhere in between 'heart-shaped' and 'oval', and she has inherited her mother's ink-black hair, as smooth and sleek and silky as that of any Liangii woman's. If there was any hint of Königreich der Welten in Beatrice's hair, it had long since been swallowed up by the glossy darkness. Beatrice likes to wear her hair long and loose and free, though she is certainly not adverse to putting it up into a fancy hairdo when the occasion is appropriate. And she has always loved experimenting with braids. Beatrice's complexion is rather pale, taking after both her mother and her father, and her eyes are a dark gray-blue, framed with long-ish lashes. Beatrice is not extraordinarily tall, standing at 5 feet and 6 inches, but she [i]does[/i] happen to favor all sorts of high heels, giving her a few more inches of height. Unlike her mother, Beatrice tends to go rather light on the makeup, making it a bit heavier for formal events - she's definitely not been one to cake on the cosmetics, though. In terms of her clothes, Beatrice favors elegant, streamlined looks. She likes the simplicity, and she has never been one for [i]frills[/i]. However, that is not to say that she does not enjoy a gown with intricate beadwork or lace or embroidery every once in a while.[/INDENT] [color=919191][b]☽ 𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼 + 𝓓𝓲𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼:[/b] [/color] [INDENT]𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼 - history books, simple yet elegant dresses and gowns, high heels, hot tea, the color red (preferably a deep, dark red), the color white, the color black, pearls, crimson lipstick, eyeliner, makeup in general, silks and satins, lychee anything (the fruit, lychee tea, etc), compromises and elegant solutions, indie-pop music, music that's calm and peaceful, some classical music, ancient Liangii poetry and literature, rainy days (they're just so [i]peaceful[/i]), curling up by the fire with a good book and a cup of hot tea, nature, seeing modern-day Liang (it reminds her of how far her country has come since the days when her mother was a child), her immediate family (comprised of her mother, her father, her brothers, and her sister) 𝓓𝓲𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼 - food that's way too salty, food that's much too sweet, reckless people and recklessness in general, guns (too loud and messy and [i]violent[/i]. And rude), people with no manners, people who are constantly rude to others for no good reason, annoying and trashy rap music (it all just sounds like noise to her), spicy food, messiness and sloppiness, disorganized people, people who don't think anything through before they act, cheese and most other dairy products (she's a bit lactose intolerant), people with no manners, people who have annoyingly quick tempers, apathetic and/or intolerant people, seagulls (they're annoying. And they poop [i]everywhere[/i]), bright, gaudy colors, clothing with excessive frills and decoration, being treated as somehow "lesser" because she's a girl, being forced to trust people, being thrust into the limelight when she does not want to be[/INDENT] [/indent] [hr][hr] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/191021/42e0b90d6ee2d711682fecce25c4a384.png[/img] [indent][color=919191][b]☽ 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂:[/b] [/color] [INDENT]Everybody says that Beatrice takes after her mother. And indeed, in many ways she does; she has her mother’s steel, and a bit of her mother’s cold cunning, hidden behind her mild-tempered demeanor and small, polite smiles. Beatrice is constantly analyzing [i]everything[/i]. She is constantly picking apart your every word and monitoring your every glance, your every blink, your every flinch. Observant and perceptive, Beatrice is more than happy to let others have the limelight…depending on the situation. And even if Beatrice takes after her mother, there is no denying that she has much of her father in her, too. Charming, charismatic, and amicable, Beatrice has an uncanny skill with remembering names and faces. In fact, she has a pretty decent memory in general; she's been known to randomly recall stray tidbits of information that she heard years ago. Beatrice is not particularly confrontational, and she would much rather settle disputes in a polite, civilized manner (preferably over a cup of green tea) than start a a fight, of any sort (especially not one of the physical sort. Fisticuffs are so unbearably [i]uncouth[/i]). Beatrice carries herself with a quiet dignity and an inexplicable refinement; she's approachable, but not [i]too[/i] approachable. Calm, collected, and level-headed, Beatrice rarely ever loses neither her composure nor her temper. Perhaps the one thing that she has taken from both her mother and her father is her willingness to do whatever it takes. Her parents make for a pretty picture - her father in his crisp uniforms, her mother in her elegant gowns - but Beatrice knows, deep down, that to some degree, both of them are as ruthless as they come. Her mother, especially; Beatrice knows that her father does not see the brutality, nor the resentment, within his consort. Beatrice knows that her mother is manipulative and deceitful, behind all her gowns and high heels and lipstick - the perfect politician. And anyone who has met the queen of Königreich der Welten knows that her youngest daughter takes after her, in almost every way. Finally, Beatrice is a good listener and is very quick to pick up emotional cues from another person. She is extremely meticulous and thorough and detail-oriented. Loyal and dutiful, Beatrice is knows that she has her place and her role in the grand scheme of things, and as much as she chafes against the roles that have been assigned to her, she knows that it is all for a purpose. The question is, of course, what exactly is she loyal [i]to[/i]? She has always thought that it was to her kingdom, to Königreich der Welten, but in more recent years, she has started doubting this loyalty. She has realized, through the years, that she is not loyal to Königreich der Welten, but to her siblings, and to her [i]mother[/i]. And that, Beatrice knows, changes everything.[/INDENT] [color=919191][b]☽ 𝓑𝓲𝓸𝓰𝓻𝓪𝓹𝓱𝔂:[/b] [/color] [INDENT]The fourth and youngest child of King Niklas and Queen Mai König, Beatrice grew up to become the darling of her kingdom. It wasn't enough for her; of course it wasn't enough. She is too much like her mother for it to ever be [i]enough[/i]. Queen Mai saw this, and though she tried to teach Beatrice all the subtleties that she herself relies on - which Beatrice took to as well as Mai did - Beatrice doesn't want to have to hide, the way that her mother does. And so, in secret, her mother and her mother's uncle (Emperor Ming Mei of Liang) have arranged for Beatrice to marry a man named Zheng Hu (Hu Zheng, if we go by Liangii naming customs), Ming's (secretly) appointed heir. They are to rule jointly over Liang, as emperor and empress. The plan is not without risk; Beatrice's father, the king of Königreich der Welten, intends to annex Liang into his kingdom, once Emperor Ming dies - because as far as anyone knows, Ming has no heir. Queen Mai refuses to see her husband take over her homeland in this way, hence the plan for Beatrice to rule with Zheng. Recently, King Niklas has betrothed Beatrice to Crown Prince Raiden Zhao of Xi'n. Beatrice recognizes this for what it is - a ploy to make sure that Königreich der Welten has allies nearby, once Niklas begins the process of formally annexing Liang. Beatrice knows that the engagement will fall through, but she'll go along with it, for now. She'll be empress of Liang, as soon as the time is right. And Beatrice is nothing if not patient. [hider=Detailed Bio]Princess Beatrice König is the darling of her kingdom, the jewel of Königreich der Welten. Born to a beloved king and his Liangii queen, the people of Königreich der Welten love all the royal children, just on principle. Their firstborn, Eugene "Gene" König, is said to be a younger version of King Niklas - he is the dutiful soldier-prince that his father once was, with a bit of a mischievous streak that he still has not outgrown. And Olivia, the second oldest, is said to be reserved, but kind, also with a strong sense of duty. Ming, named after the emperor of Liang (and their mother's uncle), but referred to as "Alex", is the charming trickster, friendly and amicable. And Beatrice? She had already wormed her way into the peoples' hearts as a baby, being the youngest of the royal family, and when she grew up into a woman who bore a remarkable resemblance to her mother - her poised, elegant mother, with her soft smiles and gorgeous gowns and air of polite refinement - she cemented her place as the jewel of the kingdom. Like her mother, she is charming in a demure way; like her mother, she is perfectly put-together, no matter what the occasion, oozing refined elegance and a quiet sort of dignity. And, just like her mother, if you peel back all the layers of smiles and makeup and polite words, Beatrice is cunning and calculating and a bit, well, cold. Not as cold as her mother, Beatrice would like to think, but cold enough. Beatrice is not the jealous sort. She is, however, more than just a little bit ambitious. From an early age, she was always vying for her father's attention, because she didn't [i]want[/i] to be married off to some stuffy old noble for political purposes. She didn't [i]want[/i] to be nothing more than a pawn for her parents to use. Beatrice managed to keep all of this to herself, until one day she simply exploded at her older sister, asking her how it was [i]fair[/i] that Gene and Alex got to go sit in with the military commanders when Alex was total shit at talking strategy. Her mother, Queen Mai, overheard. Beatrice had frozen, afraid that she was about to be punished, but her mother had simply smiled at her - not one of those smiles that she put on in public, those smiles of polite, mild interest, nor the loving (but somehow [i]off[/i]) smiles she gave her husband - but a small, sad smile, tinged with a bit of...wistfulness? Beatrice couldn't say. Her mother told her that she must learn to be patient. That there [i]were[/i] ways to influence the course of events, from behind the scenes. She taught her how to lie, how to be the princess that the people wanted to see. And slowly, Beatrice came to realize that her mother held not a single ounce of love for her father. Slowly, she began to realize that her mother probably [i]hated[/i] her father. And Beatrice didn't want to be like her mother. She didn't want to manipulate and play puppetmaster from behind the scenes - she wanted to be in the foreground, making the decisions without having to [i]hide[/i]. The hiding and the deception is what Beatrice hates the most, perhaps because it scares her so much. It scares her how cold her mother's eyes will get, when they are alone, or how tight her expression will go, or how soft and quietly deadly her voice will get. Beatrice sees murder in her mother's gaze, sometimes, and fucking hell, it [i]scares[/i] her. She wonders - do Gene and Alex and Olivia see this side of their mother? The same woman who would sing them Liangii lullabies when they couldn't sleep, or who would feed the ducks in the pond behind the palace, or who would laugh and tell them jokes at dinner. The same woman who kisses her husband good-night and sleeps beside him, in the same bed. Beatrice wonders, sometimes, how her mother has lived through all these years, how she has kept Niklas from seeing how much she despises him. Beatrice decided, early on, that she would rather die than marry someone she hated as much as Mai hated Niklas. Beatrice didn't know [i]why[/i] her mother hated Niklas so much, but she knows that she isn't as strong as her mother; her Liangii mother who was told to eat her own bitterness, and who has tried to pass that on to Beatrice, but goddammit, Beatrice doesn't [i]want[/i] to. Why should she have to suffer like this, eating her own bitterness, simply for being a girl? Why should she have to marry someone she doesn't like, be the consort with no real power besides her own skill at deceit and manipulation? It wasn't fair. Fucking hell, it wasn't [i]fair[/i]. Beatrice never said anything, of course. But her mother saw right through her. Her mother [i]always[/i] saw right through her. She was sixteen when things started to look up. She overheard Mai arguing with Olivia, her older sister. Mai had been working, behind the scenes, to get Olivia instated as the empress of Liang, through some sort of political marriage. Beatrice had never been jealous, because she was well-aware that Olivia would have been nothing more than a figurehead, had the plan gone through. Olivia said that she didn't want to be empress. Mai, as Beatrice had come to expect, did not argue, and Beatrice remembers the bitter taste that filled her mouth when she realized what her mother was doing. Her mother was pretending to agree while she retreated inwards, while she made plans to fix things behind closed doors, because that was what she was supposed to do, as a consort. She wasn’t supposed to put up a fuss. She wasn’t supposed to make a scene. Mai had backup plans upon backup plans, schemes upon schemes. Beatrice knew for a fact that she was running through them all in that moment, trying to find the best way to manipulate the situation in her favor. Olivia - blunt, straightforward Olivia, who was as frustrated with their mother as Beatrice was - had demanded an explanation. Mai had given one. "Beatrice wants to be an empress, you know," said Olivia. A pause. "You know that." Another pause, slightly longer this time. "Why won't you give it to her?" “Because Beatrice would not be happy,” Mai had answered, finally. “She is...your sister is too much like me. She would not be happy being second to a man. But, just like me, she would be determined to work around it.” Her voice was laced with a sad sort of bitterness. “You, my dear, are much more straightforward than that. You are not so interested in...[i]politics[/i]. You would be happy simply serving the people. It would be enough for you.” Her mother was right. Of course she was right. And after that, when the plans with whoever Olivia was supposed to marry fell through, Beatrice came to her mother with a proposition. [i]She[/i] would be empress of Liang, and since the Liangii court would not accept her as the standalone heir, she would marry an heir that Mai and her uncle picked out. Her mother had wavered. Her mother, Beatrice was coming to realize, did not like to take risks (or, perhaps, she just could not fathom a world where it [i]worked[/i], a world where the emperor and empress ruled with equal power). But she had agreed, and the plan had been set into motion. This time, however, it was done secretly. Her father had plans to annex Liang; her father would not want the current emperor picking an heir. He would rather appoint one of his trusted officials as the ruler, once Liang was fully annexed, marry Beatrice off to them, and send them on their merry way. And Mai was not going to hear it. And so, after [FILL THIS IN AFTER CLOCK RESPONDS] years of "vacations" back to Liang and whispered phone conversations in an obscure mountain dialect, Mai and the emperor found a certain Zheng Hu to take the throne, after Emperor Ming eventually died. Beatrice has not met him very many times, thanks to the secrecy of it all, but she knows that her mother would not have picked someone who would force her to be the agreeable consort that Mai has molded herself into. She knows that her mother would not have picked someone who would be cruel to her. The only wrench in everything, of course, is her father. Mai has forbidden her from telling Alex and Gene about the plan, and though she hates keeping secrets from her brothers, she understands why her mother would do this. Alex and Gene are her brothers, and they have spent more time with Niklas than they have Mai. Beatrice knows that their secrecy is not guaranteed. And, of course, there's the fact that King Niklas has recently betrothed her to Prince Raiden of Xi'n. Beatrice recognizes it for what it is - a ploy to make sure that Königreich der Welten has allies nearby, once Niklas begins the process of formally annexing Liang. And now Beatrice can see how much her mother loathes him, more than ever; and though Beatrice's heart will never belong to Liang the way that her mother's does, all she wants to do is to make the murder in her mother's eyes go away. One day, she'll be an empress, and her mother won't hate her father so much. What could go wrong?[/hider] [/INDENT] [/indent] [hr][hr]    [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/191021/2b609373872d795bebc3d0609b529f91.png[/img] [indent][color=919191][b]☽ 𝓑𝓮𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓣𝓸:[/b] [/color] [INDENT]Crown Prince Raiden Zhao of Xi'n, as arranged for by her father. Though Beatrice expects [i]that[/i] engagement to fall apart pretty quickly, considering what she and her mother are planning.[/INDENT] [color=919191][b]☽ 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓮 𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰:[/b] [/color] [INDENT][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siLW4UVw4hA]"Empire" - Wengie ft. Minnie[/url] [sub][i]One day they will build empires for me From the dirt to the sky for the world to see Bow down as they build empires for me One day they will build empires for me See the crown, see the crown, her majesty Bow down as they build empires for me Never die, live fast, it's my empire Put my face on the cash, it's my empire Put the bricks to the bricks, watch 'em get higher Lay back, let 'em, let 'em build my empire[/i][/sub][/INDENT] [color=919191][b]☽ 𝓕𝓒 + 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓻 𝓒𝓸𝓭𝓮:[/b] [/color] [INDENT]Face claim = Geri Steenkamp, color code = 919191[/indent] [color=919191][b]☽ 𝓞𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻:[/b] [/color] [INDENT]Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/ayzrules/and-on-that-day-i-learned-to-shout-wrc/the-empress-beatrice/ Beatrice graduated from one of Königreich der Welten's top universities, double majoring in Foreign Affairs and Political Science. She speaks English, German, Mandarin, and knows a bit of Spanish and French, as well as a bit of the dialect her mother speaks. [hider=Aesthetics] "Not a saint, but do I have to be?" [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/23a554689ee33fc26c725fa56203fed4/tumblr_p8ha27Tx101ttcpv6o1_1280.jpg[/img] [/hider] Her middle name, Mei, is not to be confused with her mother's maiden name - although the romanizations are the same, Beatrice's middle name is a different character, and thus has a different meaning. Her middle name means "plum blossom", for the significance/symbolism it has in Liangii culture: [indent][i]The plum blossom is seen as a symbol of winter and a harbinger of spring. The blossoms are so beloved because they are viewed as blooming most vibrantly amidst the winter snow, exuding an ethereal elegance, while their fragrance is noticed to still subtly pervade the air at even the coldest times of the year. Therefore, the plum blossom came to symbolize perseverance and hope, as well as beauty, purity, and the transitoriness of life. In Confucianism, the plum blossom stands for the principles and values of virtue.[/i] [/indent][/indent][/indent]   [/hider]