DeliciousMaiden
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2002
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Gertrude
Age: Just approaching or in her 40s
Height: 5'6"
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Honey Blonde
Prologue
Gertrude being of Norwegian royal descent was offered to Hamlet by way of a political marriage. At a time when the lands of Norway were threatened with integration into Denmark, marriage between the heirs to both lands seemed to offer a way of uniting the two countries without the need for war or blood-letting. Gertrude had been raised with a keen sense of duty. She had always known that her marriage would be arranged and that marriage was the only way that stability in their threatened country could be negotiated and so, the highly educated and politically acute princess proved to be a realist and accepted the husband that fate had sent her: a man who was more than a decade her senior. For a girl of 19, his age of 33 seemed ancient at the time, but she never considered refusing him.
Yet, against all the odds, the arrangement had excelled their expectations. Gertrude had only met her fiancé three times before their wedding and each of those was chaperoned! He was in haste to marry so once terms were agreed events the wedding was quickly arranged and with it the consummation of their contract, her wedding night, her first time with a man. Before her feet seemed to touch the ground, Gertrude was removed to his Kingdom in Elsinor, learning about her new Kingdom, her new Country and her new husband. In fact so thorough was her learning that within the month she fell pregnant and bore him the son and heir he so craved. Both kingdoms Denmark and Norway equally celebrated the fruit of their union and indeed so attentive and loving a husband did Hamlet prove to be that Gertrude could not avoid falling in love with her husband and falling into a contented life at court.
As the years passed, their son, named Hamlet after his father grew and developed beneath the benevolent eye of his doting parents. He had every advantage and education that money and position could provide him with. The marriage was contented and loving. As an elder spouse her husband was caring and protective of his family and his people. He was a thoughtful ruler more prone to negotiation than to taking arms without exploring diplomatic solutions first. In his young wife he found an interested and intelligent partner and therefore not only listened to and esteemed her opinions, but shared both the trials and tribulations of Kingship and the celebrations each in equal measure.
Which is why she was so shocked when he suddenly informed her that his brother, Claudius, who Gertrude had seen but briefly in the background at their wedding was not only coming to visit, but would most likely be staying with them, for some time …
News
Gertrude read the missive one final time before folding it carefully and putting it into the ornate chest before her. She had lost count of how many times she had dissected every precious word and though she was overjoyed at the communication from her son, it was with a heavy heart that she had to accept that Prince Hamlet would not be returning home for the midsummer celebrations. Her sorrow had been tempered by the fact that her son was obviously enjoying his new found freedom. Reflection upon his studies did form a reassuring proportion of his information to her, but he had actually dared relate something of the society he enjoyed (- a fact that his status as Crown Prince and Heir to the throne seemed to facilitate Gertrude had noticed.) Sighing Gertrude lifted her eyes to the glass before her. She had been of similar years when she had first married her husband. She had thought she knew so much about the world, though book learning was no substitute for experience. She blushed as she recalled those first 'experiences' with her husband, her features softening into a smile when considered how fortunate she was in having such a kind and considerate spouse. Not that he had been un-eager to wed and bed her. His urgency for and heir had necessitated quite an educational month of so; until of course their success became evident and he had been so solicitous of her that his ‘demands’ became less and less frequent. Her only regret was that they had but one child between them. Her husband was overjoyed at her presenting him with a son and seemed contented with that one heir. As an only child she had always longed for a large family and had carefully broached the subject with her husband, but due to the circumstances of their marriage it was to remain a blessing that was denied her.
Gertrude was content though. She could ask for no more attentive a husband, or for that more adoring subjects. Life was always full of diversion and activity. Her husband was generous not only to her, but to those of the court and the wider populace. But above all else, she adored her son and he her. She took an interest in all he did; his studies, his hobbies, his friends, nothing was inconsequential to her. And it had been a greater sacrifice than anyone could imagine for her to give her blessing to young Hamlet leaving court to pursue his studies and see something of the Kingdom. It was an opportunity that she had never had, and indeed as a woman she had never expected anything beyond a political marriage, but for her son, she wanted more; no matter what the cost to her own happiness.
Rising, impatiently, Gertrude took herself to task. It was of no use to become maudlin. As it was she had to break the news to his father that despite the requests sent for their son to return, he had chosen to remain out of court for the sankthans celebrations which she knew would prove as a major disappointment. In the most recent years young Hamlet had managed to avoid the long day of devotion, though the ever dutiful wife, Gertrude had continued to accompany her devout husband throughout the Jonsok ritual of prayer and pilgrimage. She had always done so and most likely always would, but the non-stop services and vigils seemed to feel increasingly gruelling year by year. Though secretly sacrilegious, the main thought that kept her going throughout those endless hours was the knowledge that though her husband would retire early, choosing to spend the evening within the cloisters in silent meditation, he had always allowed her to take part in the more secular evening celebrations which she had always loved!
Gertrude had always thrilled at the atmosphere of those night time bonfires and the raucous celebration. After such suppression and control, it seemed that humanity burst forth creating a heady atmosphere which she had always found exciting. Even as a little boy she had let young Hamlet watch the lighting of those massive fires and later in life had taken him to revel with the courtiers and run and dance until dawn. As a young girl she had only been permitted to watch the first lighting of the fires from a distance, but had always longed to take part in the pursuit of those more heathen traditions. She heard whispered tales of mock marriages being enacted, of flowers and herbs and spells and spirits. Indeed for several years Gertrude had secretly put flowers beneath her pillow on that night of sankthans hoping that legend would prove true and that she would be visited by the spirit of her future husband in a dream. Even realisation that this was all superstition and mere tales of fiction did not deter Gertrude from her enjoyment in such frivolity and in her adult years she took part in every aspect of the festivities and remained with the celebrants until after first light began to dawn and mere embers glowed.
Only as the smoke curled upwards, so Gertrude would collapse into her bed. Such was her exhaustion at the dual activities of devotion and decadence that she rarely left her chamber for the entirety of the following day … an indulgence her husband permitted her, for even if the evenings revelries were not to his taste, he appreciated that Gertrude ensured that she always attended. Never for a moment did he realise just how much enjoyment she derived from such escapism ...
Age: Just approaching or in her 40s
Height: 5'6"
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Honey Blonde
Prologue
Gertrude being of Norwegian royal descent was offered to Hamlet by way of a political marriage. At a time when the lands of Norway were threatened with integration into Denmark, marriage between the heirs to both lands seemed to offer a way of uniting the two countries without the need for war or blood-letting. Gertrude had been raised with a keen sense of duty. She had always known that her marriage would be arranged and that marriage was the only way that stability in their threatened country could be negotiated and so, the highly educated and politically acute princess proved to be a realist and accepted the husband that fate had sent her: a man who was more than a decade her senior. For a girl of 19, his age of 33 seemed ancient at the time, but she never considered refusing him.
Yet, against all the odds, the arrangement had excelled their expectations. Gertrude had only met her fiancé three times before their wedding and each of those was chaperoned! He was in haste to marry so once terms were agreed events the wedding was quickly arranged and with it the consummation of their contract, her wedding night, her first time with a man. Before her feet seemed to touch the ground, Gertrude was removed to his Kingdom in Elsinor, learning about her new Kingdom, her new Country and her new husband. In fact so thorough was her learning that within the month she fell pregnant and bore him the son and heir he so craved. Both kingdoms Denmark and Norway equally celebrated the fruit of their union and indeed so attentive and loving a husband did Hamlet prove to be that Gertrude could not avoid falling in love with her husband and falling into a contented life at court.
As the years passed, their son, named Hamlet after his father grew and developed beneath the benevolent eye of his doting parents. He had every advantage and education that money and position could provide him with. The marriage was contented and loving. As an elder spouse her husband was caring and protective of his family and his people. He was a thoughtful ruler more prone to negotiation than to taking arms without exploring diplomatic solutions first. In his young wife he found an interested and intelligent partner and therefore not only listened to and esteemed her opinions, but shared both the trials and tribulations of Kingship and the celebrations each in equal measure.
Which is why she was so shocked when he suddenly informed her that his brother, Claudius, who Gertrude had seen but briefly in the background at their wedding was not only coming to visit, but would most likely be staying with them, for some time …
News
Gertrude read the missive one final time before folding it carefully and putting it into the ornate chest before her. She had lost count of how many times she had dissected every precious word and though she was overjoyed at the communication from her son, it was with a heavy heart that she had to accept that Prince Hamlet would not be returning home for the midsummer celebrations. Her sorrow had been tempered by the fact that her son was obviously enjoying his new found freedom. Reflection upon his studies did form a reassuring proportion of his information to her, but he had actually dared relate something of the society he enjoyed (- a fact that his status as Crown Prince and Heir to the throne seemed to facilitate Gertrude had noticed.) Sighing Gertrude lifted her eyes to the glass before her. She had been of similar years when she had first married her husband. She had thought she knew so much about the world, though book learning was no substitute for experience. She blushed as she recalled those first 'experiences' with her husband, her features softening into a smile when considered how fortunate she was in having such a kind and considerate spouse. Not that he had been un-eager to wed and bed her. His urgency for and heir had necessitated quite an educational month of so; until of course their success became evident and he had been so solicitous of her that his ‘demands’ became less and less frequent. Her only regret was that they had but one child between them. Her husband was overjoyed at her presenting him with a son and seemed contented with that one heir. As an only child she had always longed for a large family and had carefully broached the subject with her husband, but due to the circumstances of their marriage it was to remain a blessing that was denied her.
Gertrude was content though. She could ask for no more attentive a husband, or for that more adoring subjects. Life was always full of diversion and activity. Her husband was generous not only to her, but to those of the court and the wider populace. But above all else, she adored her son and he her. She took an interest in all he did; his studies, his hobbies, his friends, nothing was inconsequential to her. And it had been a greater sacrifice than anyone could imagine for her to give her blessing to young Hamlet leaving court to pursue his studies and see something of the Kingdom. It was an opportunity that she had never had, and indeed as a woman she had never expected anything beyond a political marriage, but for her son, she wanted more; no matter what the cost to her own happiness.
Rising, impatiently, Gertrude took herself to task. It was of no use to become maudlin. As it was she had to break the news to his father that despite the requests sent for their son to return, he had chosen to remain out of court for the sankthans celebrations which she knew would prove as a major disappointment. In the most recent years young Hamlet had managed to avoid the long day of devotion, though the ever dutiful wife, Gertrude had continued to accompany her devout husband throughout the Jonsok ritual of prayer and pilgrimage. She had always done so and most likely always would, but the non-stop services and vigils seemed to feel increasingly gruelling year by year. Though secretly sacrilegious, the main thought that kept her going throughout those endless hours was the knowledge that though her husband would retire early, choosing to spend the evening within the cloisters in silent meditation, he had always allowed her to take part in the more secular evening celebrations which she had always loved!
Gertrude had always thrilled at the atmosphere of those night time bonfires and the raucous celebration. After such suppression and control, it seemed that humanity burst forth creating a heady atmosphere which she had always found exciting. Even as a little boy she had let young Hamlet watch the lighting of those massive fires and later in life had taken him to revel with the courtiers and run and dance until dawn. As a young girl she had only been permitted to watch the first lighting of the fires from a distance, but had always longed to take part in the pursuit of those more heathen traditions. She heard whispered tales of mock marriages being enacted, of flowers and herbs and spells and spirits. Indeed for several years Gertrude had secretly put flowers beneath her pillow on that night of sankthans hoping that legend would prove true and that she would be visited by the spirit of her future husband in a dream. Even realisation that this was all superstition and mere tales of fiction did not deter Gertrude from her enjoyment in such frivolity and in her adult years she took part in every aspect of the festivities and remained with the celebrants until after first light began to dawn and mere embers glowed.
Only as the smoke curled upwards, so Gertrude would collapse into her bed. Such was her exhaustion at the dual activities of devotion and decadence that she rarely left her chamber for the entirety of the following day … an indulgence her husband permitted her, for even if the evenings revelries were not to his taste, he appreciated that Gertrude ensured that she always attended. Never for a moment did he realise just how much enjoyment she derived from such escapism ...
