by Zuko_42

Court intrigue, huh? It's certainly an intriguing topic. It has the potential to add glorious amounts of conflict, mystery, drama, cliffhangers, dead people, and the occasional laugh... Intrigue can take place anywhere. It is, at its heart, a struggle for power—either to gain more, or to maintain it, or to take it away from others. You can have office intrigue, family intrigue... and our main focus of interest, court intrigue.

But what is court intrigue?

I'm glad you asked.

In a nutshell, court intrigue revolves around political power, found in living the court life. By court, I am not referring to legal courts, or even tennis courts. Here, I'm talking about the people who are gathered around a monarch, usually in their place of dwelling (like a palace or a castle). So, if you're a courtier, you're included among the monarch's household. And if you're a courtier, you'll be involved in intrigue—whether you like it or not.

Court intrigue is nothing new. Since many societies had monarchy as a form of government, they almost always had a group of less powerful people gathered around them who acted as members of their court. These less powerful people are usually of noble blood, and can even be related to the monarch... though this is not always the case. There are a few who start off from the very bottom of the social ladder.

The court, then, is a field for less powerful people to become more powerful. Usually, courtiers do so by currying favor with their monarch. It is a fact universally acknowledged that people always want more than they have—so, sometimes, they seek less savory ways of acquiring even more power. And what do they do? They lie, they steal, they sabotage, all in order to eliminate competition and clear their own path to glory. As my teacher is fond of saying, 'Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'

But what if they want the ultimate prize: the right to rule as the monarch? Then, things get even more interesting. You have people who are pretending to be loyal to their ruler, but in reality they're planning their fall from power—and sometimes, even their death.

So court intrigue—literally—is a game of thrones. If you win, you get what you want: more money, a new title, maybe even that shiny crown and throne. If you lose... you could become poorer, get stripped of your titles, and maybe even get thrown into prison. Oh, and you could die.

As you can see, the stakes are high.

What a life.

Whether it be in the Mongolian Empire, or in England, or in Westeros, court intrigue is very much universal. It's been depicted in other genres of fiction for a long while, before becoming a very important element in modern speculative fiction, such as Fantasy.

You can easily find court intrigue in historical fiction—because, like I said, many societies were historically monarchies, so court life is portrayed a great deal in historical fiction. Think of books by Margaret George, like Elizabeth I or Mary Queen of Scots. You can also see it in films or TV series, such as The Tudors, Crown, or Victoria. These are great sources of inspiration to see how court intrigue worked in those time periods.

Now, why is court intrigue a popular sub-genre of Fantasy?

You can thank Tolkien for that. He started writing Fantasy based on the medieval times, building a world of epic proportions. He had knights, noblemen, and kings found in historical depictions of court life—with a dash of the fantastical, of course, like a couple of dragons, elves, dwarves, and magic. From there onwards, court intrigue in Fantasy grew quite popular, especially medieval-type court intrigue, since Tolkien and his successors popularized it.

One of the best examples of court intrigue in Fantasy is, arguably, Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. The title itself gives it away. While dragons, direwolves, and the White Walkers provide a fantastical backdrop to the story, the entire series revolves around the bid for the Iron Throne, and how characters can acquire it. If you have not read the books or watched the TV series (and if you have the stomach for it), I would recommend you checking out Game of Thrones to see court intrigue in Fantasy at its finest.

Some more examples of court intrigue in Fantasy include Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas; The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (specifically anything to do with the Game of Houses); Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith; The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce; The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley; The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison; and my personal favourites, the Farseer Trilogy and The Tawny Man trilogy by Robin Hobb (in fact, I started writing about court intrigue after reading her work).

There's something compelling about the sheer potential of this genre. One can explore the very worst of human nature: greed, ambition, you name it. Want to write a murder mystery? Or maybe explore family issues? Power struggle? Drama? Humor? Court intrigue is a brilliant way of incorporating all of those things. Mix it up with a bit of magic, and there we have it: my favorite genre of all time.

So... are you intrigued?

Example of Court Intrigue Fantasy on Wattpad:
The Right to Rule by Zuko_42

Synopsis:

The Land of Arrah has been divided for centuries—and no one remembers why. Between ineffectual clashes on land and at sea, the war has been at a stalemate for over four hundred years.

This threatens to change when the Emperor of Seoyeon unearths two vital secrets: the long-forgotten truth behind the war, and a weapon that could decide its outcome.

But the discovery doesn't ensure victory. Captain Tormac, a man from the upper echelons of the Seoyeon Empire, has his own agendas to fulfill—and not all of them are in the Empire's best interests.

Meanwhile, the royal court of the Omarion Kingdom is reeling under a series of inexplicable deaths. Drawn into a web of danger and deceit, Crown Prince Philip must watch his step, or risk getting himself—and the people he cares for—killed.

No risk is too great, no death too dear, in the bid for victory and the ultimate right to rule.

Excerpt:

'However.' Lord Roland's eyes narrowed. 'The issue of the Imperial Summons remains. There is nothing we can do to change what had happened—but we can still steer you out of trouble, and into the Emperor's favor once more if we play it right. Without his approval, you would be next to useless to the Knights, not to mention a fugitive.'

Useless. The word tasted bitter in Tormac's mouth.

'Has my treason to the Empire become common knowledge?' Tormac asked, voicing one of his more pressing concerns. Lord Roland, of all people, would have heard something of it.

'You're a lucky man, de Roy,' Lord Roland mused. 'The court knows nothing. General Victor must have told only the Emperor. However, the Imperial Summons is the main topic of conversation. Everyone is wondering why Lord-Captain Tormac de Roy has suddenly been called back home mere weeks after being sent to lead an invasion—successfully, too. What could he have done to get such an official call?'

Tormac tried to ignore the mockery, but it still stung. 'Has there been any speculation?'

Lord Roland laughed. 'Too much,' he said. 'No one has forgotten the spectacular return of the last of the de Roys—the one whom everyone had given up for lost at sea for nearly three decades. Not to mention,' Lord Roland continued, amusement coloring his tone, 'that remarkable scandal three years ago, at court—'

'I'd rather you didn't bring that up,' Tormac said through gritted teeth, torn between anger, shame, and caution. That had been an embarrassing situation, to say the least. He'd left court to join the Imperial Navy on account of it.

Inspirations:

Characters

Source

Source

Source

Music

https://youtu.be/8h5y1Po4nsY