Not the Rightful Queen: Fantasy
She stood in front of the masses, the throne looming behind her, the heavy crown barely supported, it seemed, by her reed-thin neck. Her always pale skin looked even paler than normal, but the powder would hide the hectic nervous patches that she hated but which always glowed high on her cheeks when she was nervous. "Behold--" the officiant said, stepping forward, "the new Queen." A man stepped forward out of the crowd of courtiers. She recognized her cousin by birth, her closest relative after the wasting sickness took mother, father, and three siblings in one horrible fortnight. "She is not," he said. "Her father knew he had been cuckolded, but chose not to announce it because she was lowest in line--"
Inspiration: Ok, so this had the awesomest inspiration. One of the tricks I use for story ideas is to pick a word or phrase out of a dictionary. Today's was Champion of England: a hereditary official at coronations, representing the king or queen being crowned, whose job is to challenge to mortal combat anybody disputing the right of that person to rule. Cool, isn't it?
Story Potential: High, based on my mind spinning ahead to possible storylines.
Notes: I guess historical-type books that are not based on actual history are fantasy, eh? Not alternate-history per say, because that requires some serious historical knowledge. I dunno. I like this. I'm thinking the Champion throws the fight. Maybe she even really isn't the rightful queen, but is the best one. Shades of gray. The Grey Queen? That's a catchy phrase itself.
Inspiration: Ok, so this had the awesomest inspiration. One of the tricks I use for story ideas is to pick a word or phrase out of a dictionary. Today's was Champion of England: a hereditary official at coronations, representing the king or queen being crowned, whose job is to challenge to mortal combat anybody disputing the right of that person to rule. Cool, isn't it?
Story Potential: High, based on my mind spinning ahead to possible storylines.
Notes: I guess historical-type books that are not based on actual history are fantasy, eh? Not alternate-history per say, because that requires some serious historical knowledge. I dunno. I like this. I'm thinking the Champion throws the fight. Maybe she even really isn't the rightful queen, but is the best one. Shades of gray. The Grey Queen? That's a catchy phrase itself.