King Leofric Eafason
"If he comes within reach of me again, he will be devoured by cats before morning."
Leofric is the son of Eafa Eafason and grandson to the legendary Eafa who shattered the Kingdom of Wuffa. He inherited the throne of Gewisse only two years ago, and has been planning on how to make his mark ever since. He has a particular grudge against Aldric the Bold of Creoda, who he feels has stolen his place as the most notable member of their generation. He has declared that he will expand the domain of Gewisse to encompass all the territory once held by Wuffa, but provided little information about how this feat will be accomplished. There are some rumors that he has made overtures of an alliance with Conomor the Cursed of Dumnonia, with the hope of splitting Creoda's attention in a two-fronted war. There are also rumors of attempts to draw in those who have consumed the Eofordræht to serve in the armies of Gewisse, although no Eofor legions have yet to manifest from this.
The other major focus of Leofric's plans is Queen Isla of Cait. He had met the young queen during a diplomatic visit to Aran shortly after her coronation, and privately declared to his companions that he would marry her, or no other, and proceeded to expound upon his plans for her once they were wed. While there was no incident during this visit, many noted that the Queen became cold to the young prince during the latter part of the visit, and the Gewissian ambassdor arranged for Leofric to return home to Gewisse more quickly than had been originally planned. Now, eight years later, Leofric has made multiple attempts to gain Isla's favor, all of which have been firmly rebuffed.
Leofric is a man desparate for recognition as a great person, who has not yet done anything to warrant it. He has made big plans, but not yet acted on any of them, and has lacked the discretion to keep them private until he is ready to act. His generals have been watching him for signs of impending maturity, but there are some who think that his uncle and heir Wecta would be a better ruler - he is older than Leofric, a proven general, and much more reserved than his nephew. Wecta himself seems completely loyal to the crown, but if something were to happen to Leofric, he would do his duty and rule.
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This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
I can see why some people think his uncle would be better for the job. It sounds like he's going to let his need to prove himself mess him up.
That’s what I was shooting for; I wanted his situation to be a little unstable and something he might topple by his own actions.