UN: britto08
LN: Kaarmann-Gagliardi
DH:
Prince Taddeo Silvestro Leonardo,
Prince Taddeo of Venice (23)
DW:
Princess Magdalena Teresa Alexandra Edith,
Princess Magdalena (22)
-DD:
Katarina Adelheid Lucia Elizabeth (3)
-DD:
Juliana Hedwig Renata Gratia (1)
-DS:
Edmund Alexander Taddeo Johann (nb)
Rank:
Princess and
Prince (sister and brother-and-law to the king)
Magdalena was shocked when she discovered she was pregnant again less than a year after
Juliana's birth. Shocked, but of course pleased and excited. She and
Taddeo never said they wanted a son, and
Magdalena truly didn't care, but
Taddeo was beginning to get pressure from his father to produce an heir.
Taddeo was sure the son would come sometime--he and
Magdalena hadn't even been married five years--but he secretly hoped this baby was a boy in order to get his father off his back.
The avalanche happened just past the halfway point in
Magdalena's pregnancy, and she at once organized her friends and ladies to aid the victims. Completely ignoring
Walter's relief plan, she and her friends joined her sister-in-law
Maria Elisabeth in making clothes, and
Magdalena saw to the procurement of medical supplies and even sent her own doctor to the site. She and
Taddeo both saw that food was sent, him even getting grain from his own home to send. During the middle of all their work,
Magdalena went into labor. They were at first frightened, as they had not estimate dher due for several more weeks, but both
Magdalena and the baby came through perfectly. They were forced to admit they had probably been wrong about the baby being early, as he weighed seven pounds! It was a beautiful boy, healthy and strong, and they christened him
Edmund.
Juliana was fascinated by him and
Katarina entranced.
Taddeo and
Magdalena hope they will be close with him.
Magdalena visited court not long after
Edmund's birth, and there
Hedwig confided in her. She was afraid that
Walter was having an affair with her sister
Eleonore, who had been staying with them.
Magdalena tried to assure her that it was nonsense, but being just delivered of a daughter herself she was very emotional.
Magdalena wanted to be certain her brother would never hurt his wife like that, but she knew that
Walter and
Eleonore had been in love for years and had a sick feeling it was true.
Eleonore had gone, so
Magdalena confronted
Walter.
King or not, it would snow in
July before she was afraid of her own brother!
Walter freely admitted the affair, and seemed to have no remorse for it. "All kings take mistresses, sister," he said. "It's expected. As much as you tout love matches I thought you would be glad it was with
Eleonore and not someone else."
Magdalena was heartbroken that her brother could hurt
Hedwig, who had only ever been a good and devoted wife, so badly as to carry on with her sister. But
Walter was too busy celebrating his daughter and the least destructive avalanche in Bialan history to care about her opinion.
Magdalena went to visit
Eleonore herself, and the result left her entirely torn.
Eleonore led such a miserable life, and she was hopelessly devoted to
Walter. And she was pregnant with
Walter's child.
Magdalena had sympathy with
Eleonore (and
Walter, though she was angry with him) and couldn't bring herself to turn away the unborn infant who was after all her flesh and blood, but she loved
Hedwig like a sister and couldn't bear to see her betrayed by those she loved and depended on. She told
Eleonore that if such an affair ever happened again, she would tell
Hedwig, then, more kindly, offered to take the child under her own protection when it was born. But
Eleonore was fortunate there in that her husband truly believed the child was his, so she didn't need anyone to take care of it.
Magdalena left saddened and in a moral quandry, but once she returned to court she gave up
Katarina's title in protest of her brother's disregard for
Hedwig and, in her eyes, their children. "My
Katarina doesn't need a duchy. Give it to your poor bastard child. God knows it will need something since it can't have a true father."
Walter was astounded that "mäuslein" would spurn him so, and he has not invited them back to court since.
Magdalena is saddened by the distance of the brother she was so close to, but she cannot help be upset by his dishonesty.
***Edited for
Magdalena's point of view. Just a little tweaking :)
This message was edited 1/20/2011, 7:43 PM