Antoinette de Bourbon

Antoinette, Duchesse de Bourbon (Born Anne Louise Isabelle Juliette Emmanuelle Marie Henriette Sophie Antoinette de Bourbon; 9th February, 1695 - Present) is a French noblewoman and courtier at the court of Grandocean, as well as the head of the Maison de Bourbon and a symbolic leader over the European Bourbon cadets. Born into the union of the two most prestigious lines of Bourbon, Antoinette is regarded as one of the foremost figures in court politics, and a force few dare to reckon with. Due to her historical monarchal blood, she is widely regarded as the influence over many French courtiers and a key figure in their affairs.

Antoinette is widely written of by many of her contemporaries as a "foolish yet promising thing" and a "maturing flower." She often takes part in activities frowned upon for someone of her influence, and is easily manipulated by those she considers part of her circle. She also possessed a more curious and kind side, often treating other courtiers with great kindness. Her kindness often benefited her, earning her the love and affection of the new Empress, three months Antoinette's junior.

She is presently under the regency of the Duc de Blois, the incumbent Secretary of State for War and one of the most influential members of the Conseil as well as the eldest cousin from her Orleans blood.

Background
(JUST TOYING WITH THIS, IT IS WHAT WE DISCUSSED EARLIER. I WILL DISCUSS THE FULL THING WITH CHARLES WHEN I AM HOME, PROBABLY WILL CHANGE IT)

The Maison de Bourbon is widely regarded as the most influential house in French politics, behind the Maison d'Artois, and is often a key figure in influencing the staunchly French members of court to support the Artois agenda in exchange for having their lifestyles supported by the Crown. Prior to the Artois Conspiracy, the Maison de Bourbon held the crown of Grandocean and were largely influential in the entirety of Europe. However, following a conspiracy to override the bloodline by the Duc d'Artois, later first Artois Emperor of Grandocean, the Bourbons were largely driven from Versailles alongside many other Bourbon supporting houses.

The Artois Conspiracy was a coup d'etat lead by the Swiss Duc d'Artois, in which the Maison d'Artois would gain the support of the Germanic lands and Bretagne, as well as the peoples of Switzerland and Luxembourg, to topple the French-led crown. The Duc d'Artois, supported by an Army of fifty thousand men and many hundreds of militias, would march on the Bourbon summer residence of Saint-Cloud and force the young Empress, whom he out aged by a decade, to accept his proposal for marriage. Following their marriage, the Bourbon regent would be disposed of by assassins, and the remaining members of the Bourbon cadets in France would flee to Spain alongside many powerful supporters. The Bourbonaires, as they were called, would continually lead attacks on trade routes to the New World and to the southern states, leading to a period of conflict between Spain and Grandocean. Portugal and most of Spain would soon secede from the empire, forming its own independent kingdom led by the Bourbon d'Espana branch, continuing the feud with Grandocean. Whilst the two feuded, the new Empress was soon persuaded by the Artois Duc to adopt his house as her own and disavow the Maison de Bourbon, therefore allowing the Maison d'Artois to become the sole rulers of France.

During the final days of the Artois Conspiracy, following the disinheritance of the Maisons de Bourbon et Bourbon d'Orleans after the marriage of the heir of the principle bloodline and Empress of Grandocean, Sophie de Bourbon, to the Duc d"Artois, the Bourbonaires would begin their return to France, in an attempt to guarantee the safety of their house. The new Duc de Bourbon, previously Monseigneur le Dauphin, would lead negotiations with the new reigning house in order to secure his family's legacy in exchange for the support of the crown. After a mere four months of revolt, the two houses would come to the following agreement:

Whilst the Maison d'Artois shall now be considered the sole heirs to the throne of Grandocean, the Bourbons shall be allowed to reside at the court of Versailles for as long as their bloodline may persist. Their status shall be considered that of a princely house, and they shall be allowed the privileges and pensions of such. Additionally, the Maison de Bourbon shall cooperate with the Artois agenda for an indefinite period, where the later heads of each house may renegotiate this treaty as seen fit. The Bourbons shall hereby relinquish their priority claims to the throne to the Maison d'Artois, whilst the Artois shall protect the Maison de Bourbon both financially and generally. The Maison de Bourbon shall not be allowed to lead any type of sedition, revolt or any related activities under any circumstance, or shall face exile to Monaco or Spain. The Maison de Bourbon will retain their honours/titles previously established (except the titles of the imperial family), and shall be able to award the Order of Bourbon with consent of the Crown. The Maison de Bourbon also relinquishes all its properties and land within the Empire of Grandocean, with the only exceptions being the Maison de Bourbon de Grimaldi, who shall retain control over their lands, as well as whatever the Crown grants following this treaty, to the Maison d'Artois. The Maison de Bourbon will be allowed succession to the throne should all lines of the Maison d'Artois abdicate or go extinct, and under those circumstances only.

Following this treaty, the Bourbons were allowed to return to Versailles alongside their French allies, although quickly found they were not welcomed to the heralding they once received. Many of their loyal followers had begun to support the Artois crown, with only few, yet still powerful, supporters left. Despite this, the Bourbons would continue on in their new place, quickly gaining political powers, although nothing compared to their previous influence, which the Artois would use to their advantage. The Bourbons were considered the key to gaining support in movements, so the Artois crown would often be sure to keep the influential members on a tight leash where they could continue to enforce the treaty. The Maison de Bourbon would soon assimilate into the new court, with many often intermarrying with lower houses they would not consider marriage into before. The previous Dauphin would lead his own branch of Bourbon, the principle line, which would often serve in posts such as Foreign Secretary and high household post, whilst the previous Grand Monsieur would continue to lead the branch of Orleans, which would soon distinguish itself militarily as a sponsor of forces and legion of strategic minds.

(JUST TOYING WITH THIS, IT IS WHAT WE DISCUSSED EARLIER. I WILL DISCUSS THE FULL THING WITH CHARLES WHEN I AM HOME, PROBABLY WILL CHANGE IT)

Birth
In the early morning hours of the fifth of February, the s.j. Duchesse d'Orleans, better known as the Duchesse de Bourbon, gave birth to her last child, a young and weak girl, before dying of blood loss. Being the last carrier of the principle Orleans line, her title would pass to her eldest son, the previous Duc de Vendome. The young child would be coined Sophie Antoinette in remembrance of her grandmother, and declared the "Mademoiselle d'Orleans".

Early Life
Antoinette's early life was one marked by both tragedy and confusion. Within the next few months, her younger sister would fall victim to the blade of an assassin, as well as many members of Bourbon. At the age of 3, she would be sent to study at Fontevraud under the close watch of the Orleans abbesse, taking a particular liking in the field of history. Tragedy would strike one more however, when her remaining brothers fell to a group of Flemish assassins during a hunt at Saint-Cloud. The young Mademoiselle, now the Duchesse d'Orleans, would be recalled to the court of Versailles and placed under the governorship of her overbearing Orleans uncle, the Marquis de Graville. During this time, she was subject to daily abuses of many sorts, including physical, verbal and occasionally sexual assaults by the cruel man. Despite this, Antoinette would go on and ignore her set backs, excelling greatly in her studies. On her eighth birthday, her father took into notice her lack of companionship and would seek assistance from the Crown, where a young prince du sang, the Duc de Lorraine, would be placed as her companion. The two would soon attend studies together and spend nearly every waking hour in eachothers' company, the two as close as a married couple.

At the age of eleven however, tragedy would strike the young Antoinette for a final time: her father would have fallen victim to the poison of a Flemish assassin and not recovered, perishing shortly after the 11th birthday of the Empress. For a time, the young Duchesse would go through a period of melancholy, all the while facing more and more abuse by the Marquis. Her melancholy would soon end however, when Lorraine had begun to comfort her further. They would continue their close relationship until the autumn of her eleventh year, when the elder Lorraine (then fourteen) bedded the young maiden, the two entering a romantic relationship the court would continually gossip about.

Regency
Beginning shortly after her eleventh birthday, she would be placed as the ward of the Marquis de Graville with the Duc de Blois as an assistant, who would act as her regent until 1709. The regency was marked by a great period of corruption within the Maison de Bourbon, with the Marquis often being susceptible to bribery to advance his and his associates' interests. The young Duchesse, despite the abuse and rape she would undergo at the hands of the Marquis de Graville and Duc de Blois, would develop a keen sense of rank and distinguish herself from others.

Majority
[1711]

Marriage
[1711]