Long Live the Queen: Attempt 3 (Blind)

  • June 13, 2015
  • James Skemp
  • gaming

Week 0

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: We're almost home. Your room is just the way you left it.
Elodie, Crown Princess: ...
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: I know it's hard to leave your school and all your friends, but I've arranged the best possible tutors for every subject.
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: You'll have to work hard this year to prepare yourself before your fifteenth birthday, but I know you can do it.
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: You'll learn quickly and you'll make a wonderful queen. It's what your mother would have wanted.
Elodie, Crown Princess: This is not what Mother would have wanted!
Elodie, Crown Princess: She wouldn't have wanted to die and leave me.
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: No. She wouldn't. But sometimes bad things happen. We have to pick up and carry on.
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: All of Nova depends on us. On you.
Elodie, Crown Princess: sigh
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: I will be here to guide you until your coronation, but the decisions you make are ultimately up to you.
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Come. Your maids are waiting.
Welcome to Long Live The Queen! If this is your first time playing, you should read this brief introduction to how the game works.
Menu: [Tell me more] [I've played this before]
Player chose: I've played this before


Week 1

(Studied Composure in the morning.)
(Studied Reflexes in the afternoon.)
Elodie, Crown Princess: What's all that noise outside? Who's here?
Elodie, Crown Princess: Oh! It's my cousins! And my aunt and uncle.
Lucille, Countess of Nix: Darling. We were so terribly sorry to hear about your mother Fidelia.
Elodie, Crown Princess: Thank you.
Laurent, Duke of Merva: You look well, niece.
Charlotte, Lady Merva: Hi, 'Lodie!
Elodie, Crown Princess: Hi, Lottie. I haven't seen you in ages! Will you be staying long?
Charlotte, Lady Merva: Yup! Mummy said we'd be here all month.
Elodie, Crown Princess: Maybe we'll have some time to talk later.
You spend the weekend holed up alone in your room with your favorite toys. It's childish, but you feel a bit better.


Week 2

(Studied Composure in the morning.)
(Studied Reflexes in the afternoon.)
Elodie, Crown Princess: What's that commotion outside? Father? What's going on?
Julianna, Duchess of Ursul: I have come to pay my respects in honor of your mother.
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: You have no respect or honor. It's because of you and your powers that my wife is dead!
Elodie, Crown Princess: What?!?
Julianna, Duchess of Ursul: I am a Lumen, as was she, and like every Lumen I am willing to give my life if necessary to protect our domain.
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Your line has been traitors for two hundred years. I won't have you corrupting my daughter.
Julianna, Duchess of Ursul: That is for the Crown Princess to decide.
Julianna, Duchess of Ursul: Elodie, your mother trusted me, and I have much to teach you.
Menu: [Send her away] [Arrest her] [Let her stay]
Player chose: Arrest her
Elodie, Crown Princess: You are a traitor to the crown and I ought to have you executed.
Elodie, Crown Princess: GUARDS! Arrest her!
Elodie, Crown Princess: Throw her into the castle dungeons and let her rot!
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Well. I suppose she won't be a problem anymore.
You spend the weekend holed up alone in your room with your favorite toys. It's childish, but you feel a bit better.

Week 3

(Studied Novan History in the morning.)
(Studied Reflexes in the afternoon.)
You may now play Sports on the weekends.
Charlotte, Lady Merva: He loves me, he loves me not...
Elodie, Crown Princess: Lottie, do you have a boyfriend?
Charlotte, Lady Merva: Not really. I just like to play with the flowers.
Elodie, Crown Princess: Me too.
You gather your skirts and prepare to sit down, when all of a sudden, a hissing noise alerts you to a hidden danger - a snake!
Elodie, Crown Princess: Charlotte, don't move!
With your quick reflexes, you grab a forked stick and manage to flip the snake away from you and your cousin.
Charlotte, Lady Merva: EEEEEK!
Elodie, Crown Princess: Get away, you horrible thing!
You stomp loudly on the ground, and the snake slithers off into the distance.
Lucille, Countess of Nix: What is going on out here?
Charlotte, Lady Merva: Mummy, there was a snake!
Lucille, Countess of Nix: What was a snake doing in the royal gardens? This is completely unacceptable. You could have been killed!
Charlotte, Lady Merva: Elodie scared it off.
Lucille, Countess of Nix: That's not good enough. I can't have my daughter remaining in such a dangerous place! We are returning home to Merva at once.
Charlotte, Lady Merva: Awww....
You venture into the depths of the castle dungeons.
The Duchess of Ursul is there, in her cell, sitting perfectly straight on the bench against the wall and looking your direction as if she'd been expecting you.
Julianna, Duchess of Ursul: Caution is wise for one in your position. Hasty judgments can lead to trouble.
Julianna, Duchess of Ursul: Are you ready to listen now?
Menu: [Hear her out] [Taunt her]
Player chose: Taunt her
Elodie, Crown Princess: Having fun in here? Are the rats being good company? Because you're never leaving.
You flick your fingernail against the metal bars to remind her of her place.
Elodie, Crown Princess: Eek!
For a moment, the ground seemed to tremble. Was that an earthquake?
You're not sure, but you think you'd rather not be in the dungeons right now.

Week 4

(Studied Composure in the morning.)
(Studied Novan History in the afternoon.)
Elodie, Crown Princess: The castle seems quieter with Charlotte and Emry and Zahra and their parents gone.
Elodie, Crown Princess: It's certainly not empty, though. It seems like we get more servants every day.
You sneak out of the castle to have a little fun. You enjoy your freedom, but your father won't like it if he finds out.

Week 5

(Studied Court Manners in the morning.)
(Studied Herbs in the afternoon.)
One of the maids approaches for your attention.
Alice: My lady, couriers have arrived from the Duke of Sedna.
Elodie, Crown Princess: We have a Duke of Sedna?
Alice: ... No, my Lady. The duchy of Sedna is in Talasse.
Alice: They have brought you a letter, and a gift.
Elodie, Crown Princess: 'Condolences on the death of', 'deeply regret', 'best wishes'...
Elodie, Crown Princess: Oh! What a beautiful necklace!
Elodie, Crown Princess: It might not be appropriate for me to wear a man's gift in public, though. People would think it meant something.
Menu: [Wear it] [Don't wear it]
Player chose: Don't wear it
Elodie, Crown Princess: It's important to maintain the proper image.
You take to the court for a few games of tennis. Feel the thrill of competition!

Week 6

(Studied Court Manners in the morning.)
(Studied Battlefield Medicine in the afternoon.)
Elodie, Crown Princess: (That woman, the priestess, keeps staring at me.)
Elodie, Crown Princess: What do you want?
Selene, Priestess of the Second Circle: Your destiny will find you, even if you run from it. You were born to wield the power of a Lumen.
Elodie, Crown Princess: What do you know about that?
Selene, Priestess of the Second Circle: The power was your mother's, and the kings and queens before her. It is your right and your responsibility to defend your domain.
Selene, Priestess of the Second Circle: I have seen signs of the future. Danger is coming. Without that power, this land is defenseless.
Elodie, Crown Princess: Well... What am I supposed to do about it?
Selene, Priestess of the Second Circle: The Duchess of Ursul will teach you, if you set her free.
Elodie, Crown Princess: But -
Selene, Priestess of the Second Circle: She never harmed your mother. They were friends. It is only because she bears the power of a Lumen so openly that your father rejects her.
Menu: [I will free her] [I won't free her]
Player chose: I won't free her
Elodie, Crown Princess: This is all a trick to get the traitor released. I won't listen to you!
You take to the court for a few games of tennis. Feel the thrill of competition!

Week 7

(Studied Court Manners in the morning.)
(Studied Foreign Affairs in the afternoon.)
As you are walking up the stairs, a maid comes running down holding a towering pile of linen.
You swiftly step aside and let her pass.
You return to your rooms, but you have barely settled when someone knocks on the door.
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: A visiting noble wishes to speak with you.
Elodie, Crown Princess: sigh Who is it?
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: The Duke Consort of Mead.
Elodie, Crown Princess: (If I remember right, he's the brother of the Duchess of Ursul.)
You follow your father downstairs to greet your guest.
Ignatius, Duke Consort of Mead: Your Highness. Thank you for meeting with me in this difficult time.
Ignatius, Duke Consort of Mead: I come to you on behalf of the people of Ursul, who have been left without a protector.
Ignatius, Duke Consort of Mead: Commoners require governance and leadership, or they fall into chaos.
Elodie, Crown Princess: You want me to free your sister the Duchess?
Ignatius, Duke Consort of Mead: I wish for Ursul to have a leader. If my sister has displeased you, then I stand willing to serve.
Ignatius, Duke Consort of Mead: If you prefer Julianna in that position, then yes, free her. It is, of course, your decision.
Menu: [Free Duchess Julianna] [Give her title to Ignatius]
Player chose: Give her title to Ignatius
Elodie, Crown Princess: Fine, then. You can be Duke of Ursul.
Ignatius, Duke of Ursul: On behalf of our people, I thank you for your wisdom.
Elodie, Crown Princess: (Now I can leave Julianna locked up forever and no one will care!)
You sneak out of the castle to have a little fun. You enjoy your freedom, but your father won't like it if he finds out.

Week 8

(Studied Novan History in the morning.)
(Studied World History in the afternoon.)
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: There is a man here to see you. He wishes Crown funding for a project of his.
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Remember, the treasury is not unlimited. If you choose to invest, you will have less money to work with later.
Man: Your Royal Highness, I have a plan to print books using metal letters which can be moved and reused.
Man: I need to borrow 875 lassi to assemble the metal and a factory to mold and cast the type.
Man: With this system, we will be able to create new books in a fraction of the time it takes now, and make copies to send all over the world.
Elodie, Crown Princess: (I don't know much about factories or trade. Would that really be worthwhile?)
Elodie, Crown Princess: We are not interested.
You sneak out of the castle to have a little fun. You enjoy your freedom, but your father won't like it if he finds out.

Week 9

(Studied Herbs in the morning.)
(Studied Battlefield Medicine in the afternoon.)
Banion, Duke of Maree, Earl of Serenitatis: Your Highness, my sympathies for your loss. Even after all these years I sometimes forget that my own mother will never be coming back.
Elodie, Crown Princess: Thank you.
Banion, Duke of Maree, Earl of Serenitatis: However, I must call for your aid. The Ixionite occupation of the county of Imbrium has gone on for too long. Now is the time to push back.
Elodie, Crown Princess: (I know there's been some problems with Ixion, but I don't know the details. I guess they're occupying southern Maree.)
Elodie, Crown Princess: (I don't know anything about the military. I don't want to fight.)
Elodie, Crown Princess: There must be a peaceful way to settle this. I will send for diplomats from Ixion and try to come to some arrangement.
Banion, Duke of Maree, Earl of Serenitatis: Thank you, Your Highness.
Banion, Duke of Maree, Earl of Serenitatis: If I might say so, you are looking particularly lovely this day. I hope you will think fondly of me.
Elodie, Crown Princess: (Is he flirting with me? He's almost as old as my father!)
Sitting in on court sessions is not fun at all, but it pleases your father and it may be important for your future.

Week 10

(Studied Foreign Affairs in the morning.)
(Studied World History in the afternoon.)
You have unlocked a new outfit!
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: The representative from Ixion is here. Be careful - no one wants to give up prizes that they have won.
Banion, Duke of Maree, Earl of Serenitatis: You have the full support of my sister and myself, Your Highness.
Brin, Duchess of Hellas, Countess of Dysnomia: Hmph. Let's get this over with.
Elodie, Crown Princess: (Hellas and Maree are neighboring duchies. Together, the siblings Brin and Banion govern most of Southern Nova.)
Diplomat from Ixion: Your Royal Highness, thank you for granting me this audience. I am sure we can come to an amicable agreement.
Diplomat from Ixion: Let bygones be bygones, no? We will forget about your unprovoked attacks on us, and you will transfer the rights to this little province.
Elodie, Crown Princess: (It was the Duchess of Hellas who tried to take over part of Ixion's territory, without the support of my mother the Queen.)
Diplomat from Ixion: We can be good neighbors again, without any lives being lost.
Menu: [Surrender Province] [Offer him money if Ixion withdraws] [Offer to punish the Duchess of Hellas] [Bluff / Intimidate] [Execute him]
Player chose: Offer to punish the Duchess of Hellas
Elodie, Crown Princess: We appreciate that you feel wronged. One of our subjects attempted to instigate a rebellion in your territory.
Elodie, Crown Princess: However, she did not have our approval for these actions. If you withdraw your troops, we will punish her.
Brin, Duchess of Hellas, Countess of Dysnomia: Your Highness!
Elodie, Crown Princess: This is the fair solution. You have no right to invade us because of her actions.
Diplomat from Ixion: What manner of punishment were you considering?
Menu: [Make her a commoner] [Command her to marry an Ixionite] [Execute her]
Player chose: Make her a commoner
Elodie, Crown Princess: She will be stripped of her titles and forced to live as one of the common people.
Banion, Duke of Maree, Earl of Serenitatis: Your Highness, I must protest!
Elodie, Crown Princess: No one will be allowed to benefit from sneaky attempts at stealing land. Not Hellas and not Ixion. Nobody.
Diplomat from Ixion: Very well. We will accept this apology.
Brin: This is outrageous!
Elodie, Crown Princess: Out!
Sitting in on court sessions is not fun at all, but it pleases your father and it may be important for your future.
(Put on the history outfit.)

Week 11

(Studied Dance in the morning.)
(Studied Herbs in the afternoon.)
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: There are reports that a keythong has been sighted leaving the Old Forest.
Elodie, Crown Princess: What's a keythong?
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: A beast with the body of an enormous golden cat, a sharp beak, and spikes on its back.
Elodie, Crown Princess: Eek!
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Several disappearances in southern Caloris are already thought to be the work of this creature.
Elodie, Crown Princess: What do we do? Should we send hunters?
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: The traditional policy on stray beasts is to hope that they return to the forest and stay there.
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Hunters are no match for such creatures. You would only make it angry and waste more lives.
Elodie, Crown Princess: So... we just let it eat people?
Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Everyone dies in the end.
Elodie, Crown Princess: ...
You go down to the dungeons to taunt Julianna with her helplessness and lack of noble status.
However, when you approach her cell, you find her sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, paying absolutely no attention to you.
Menu: [Taunt her anyway] [Execute her] [Leave her alone.]
Player chose: Execute her
Elodie, Crown Princess: You think you can ignore me?
Elodie, Crown Princess: GUARDS!
Elodie, Crown Princess: Go in there and get your swords ready.
Elodie, Crown Princess: Cut her head off. Right now.
Julianna's eyes snap open, staring at you. But it doesn't matter, because there's nothing she can do. She's a helpless prisoner.
... Right?
What's that light heading towards you?
Elodie did not survive to reach her coronation. Nova would have to go on without her.

But it doesn't have to end this way. Make different choices, train different skills, and Elodie's star may rise again!