A Gaslamp Fantasy novel set in a Fantasy Counterpart Culture, similar to Victorian Britain. Centred around a princess and her family’s fall from grace, and details her increasingly desperate actions to keep her family safe and together. Well, if Tigerlily19 ever gets around to writing it...
Still a work in progress.
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Character Tropes
Emilla Moon
An eighteen-year-old princess of a wealthy royal family. When her aunt is disgraced and their family is disregarded, Emilla resorts to lying, deception, and trickery just to keep her family together. The story is focused on their family relationships and her increasingly desperate actions to save her family and protect her sister.- Beneath the Mask: In public, Emilla is a range of personalities, depending on who she is interacting with: a foolish noblewoman, a flirtatious low-class merchant, and a kind and humble princess. In actuality, Emilla is cold and reserved, but fiercely protective, who struggles to empathise with others.
- Beware The Polite Ones
- Big Sister Instinct: Extremely protective of her little sister Tia. She is the main reason Emilla sought desperate measures — all to keep Tia safe.
- Determinator: Will do whatever it takes to help her family.
- Fallen Princess: A high class and wealthy princess, whose fall happens over the course of the book.
- Heroic Seductress: She’s sexy and knows it. Uses sensuality as a technique to subtly manipulate people.
- Impoverished Patrician: The plot is driven by Emilla’s desire to keep her family (and money) together and her sister safe after her family is publicly disgraced.
- Lack of Empathy: A mild example. Emilla does have empathy, but can find it hard to connect with others.
- Passive-Aggressive Kombat: How she deals with rude aristocrats.
- Politeness Judo: Utilises this trope very often, especially when dealing with politics.
- Politically-Active Princess: One of Emilla's major strengths is the ability to follow and manipulate politics. Besides attending various balls at the beginning of the book to strengthen aristocratic relations, she also often acts in the role of her father.
- Proud Beauty: She's well aware of her attractiveness.
- Sheltered Aristocrat: A subtler example than Tia. When communicating with lower classes in the beginning of the story, Emilla stumbles a little with the conventions of the people, but learns through interactions.
- The Stoic: Cold and reserved, except when she’s not.
- Silk Hiding Steel: Emilla is a cold and proper highborn lady, but that doesn’t stop her engaging in increasingly ruthless and cunning actions to keep her family together.
Tianne Moon
Emilla’s ten-year-old sister. Sweet and kind, the need to keep her safe drives Emilla’s main decisions and the plot.- Affectionate Nickname: Is called “Tia” by Emilla and Thero.
- Beware the Nice Ones: A mild example. Tia is polite and genuinely kind, but understands far more than she lets on.
- Break the Cutie: Throughout the story, Tia becomes more and more aware of the harsh realities of the real world.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Tia has golden blonde hair and a sweet and graceful disposition.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Tia easily trusts people, something that is used against her.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: More of an Obfuscating Naïvety. In the beginning, Tia is genuinely naïve and trusting, and witnessing the darker sides of human nature throughout the story slowly tears that down. Under the guise of still appearing inexperienced, she decides to assemble as much information as she can about her family’s situation and what she can do to help. Emilla acknowledges this, wondering if Tia was always “that observant”.
- Sheltered Aristocrat: Starts off this way.
- Spoiled Sweet: Born into a royal family with (originally) lots of money, and has had everything she’s ever wanted, but has a kind-hearted nature and loves her family.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: Tia has very idealistic ideas about the world and humans. This is soon shattered by her family’s financial and political struggles and discovering the darker nature of humans.
Thero Moon
Queen Hallin's seventeen-year-old son. Emilla’s cousin, best friend, and fiancé. Smart, easily excitable, and forgetful, Thero also plays a big part in keeping Emilla’s morality and the decisions she makes.- Absent-Minded Professor: While not an academic (yet), Thero is forgetful and often loses his train of thought.
- Adorkable: Enthusiastic, easily excited, has a tendency to ramble when nervous, and is an aspiring astronomer.
- Bad Liar: Tends to stutter when trying to lie.
- Brainy Brunette: He has dark brown hair and is highly intelligent.
- The Corruptible: Thero becomes easily corrupted by his own fears and desperation.
- Ditzy Genius: He forgets things easily, is naïve, and doesn’t have the best social skills.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Does so later, as a sign of how much he has changed.
- Genki Guy: Is generally enthusiastic and excited, especially on the subjects of space and science.
- Nice Guy: Genuinely nice and honest — a contrast to his cousin Emilla.
Other Characters
- Friendly Rivalry: Kyla Cress, a low class merchant, with Emilla.
- Death by Childbirth: Emilla’s mother dies this way when she gave birth to Tia. Dying as a result of giving birth was very common in the Victorian Times, as they didn’t have the greatest healthcare.
- Parents as People: Emilla and Tia’s father, Ven, loves his daughters deeply, and tries hard to be there for them, but has been distant ever since his wife died. It is hinted that he may have something similar to depression.
- Maiden Aunt: Subverted. Hallin was married, but it culminated in her husband leaving her.
- Working-Class Hero: Kyla Cress.
Story Tropes
Setting Tropes
