𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍.
Timeline/Summary.
content warnings: murder and death mentions, implied human trafficking.
Wriothesley has always thought of the past not as a lesson, but a reminder that the only constant in his life is change. He completely ignores where he was born, who were his real parents, and whether he was abandoned as a babe or as a toddler. The only certainity he has to this day is that fate chose Fontaine as his rightful birthplace. He was taken in by a loving couple into an orphan house. Being too young, his early memories of it are a blur. He only remembers that he adored all and each of the children there, seeing them as siblings. They all had to face many hardships day after day, and warms meal were never granted without effort, but he still thought of himself as fortunate to have a roof over his head. Wriothesley was a child who would never question anything, following blindly every rule in the book... up until the moment realised the reality hiding behind the altruist couple's facade. When children grew old enough, they were taken far away, always under the guise that they were being adopted by other families. But the lack of response from Wriothesley's siblings and various other futile attempts to find them, the boy became suspicious. Little by little, as time went on and Wriothesley grew older, the illusion of their ‘perfect family’ crumbled. The boy didn’t need more proof than the truth he found, and in an attempt to survive and protect his siblings from a terrible fate, Wriothesley murdered his adoptive parents. After healing from various wounds that almost took his life, Wriothesley went under trial and pleaded guilty to his cause. With a half-healed throat, he described in detail everything he did. After all, the 'charitative couple' had died by his hand. Even if the boy had a reason to commit such a crime, he willingly accepted his sentence. His siblings would be safe, and as long as they lived a happier life it didn't matter what happened to Wriothesley. Although he wasn’t truly prepared for the new life that awaited him in the depths, but he’d live with the consequences of his actions. Upon his arrival at the underwater citadel, he stitched to his shirt the Cryo vision that appeared within the envelope of his sentence. For years, he hid the jewel and only resorted to his wits to endure life within Meropide. But life in the Fortress was as lawless as it was dangerous back then. Survival of the fittest was the cruel truth among convicts, and for a boy as young as Wriothesley, the chances of him making it alive were pretty dim. His only chance was to make a name through the underground arena ring, where fighters would compete for money and prestige. Soon Wriothesley learned how to fight, the money he earned from his matches invested into his fighting equipment. He learned how to bribe and how to gain allies out of his opponents. Eventually, the boy had enough money and loyalty to his name. His sense of justice and honorable fighting little by little became the new inspiration for rebellion against the despotism within the Fortress. Once his sentence was over, Wriothesley couldn’t leave. The ruling Administrator of the Fortress back then fled from his responsibilities before facing Wriothesley's challenge in the ring. And so, without anybody raising objection, Wriothesley simply took over the position. Life in Meropide improved after for all convicts after that. His title of Duke was given by the Palais Mermonia after his ‘excellent management’ of the Fortress, becoming one of the biggest contributors to the betterment of the nation. It’s a bit of a local joke within the citadel that the Duke ‘bought’ his title since his merit involved the money generated by the Fortress. May this joke never reach the Iudex ears… When receiving his title, Wriothesley finally allowed himself to use his Vision. It is but another tool while dealing with hard-headed convicts, but such events happen rarely. Still, Wriothesley is not a man to sit and get comfortable, adding his Vision to the many resources that would help him in case of a disaster. The construction of the Ark within the Fortress came as a safety backup for the citizens in Fontaine. Wriothesley had long learned of the secrets within the Fortress before his ascension to an administrative position. It wasn’t hard to gather the manpower and materials with the cooperation of the Fontaine Research Institute. And even if the Arc saw the light of day only once, it certainly became an unexpected sensation for various months after the flood. It wasn't a surprise that he refused any further interviews about the matter. After the prophecy became no more, Wriothesley enjoyed a patch of tranquillity within the Fortress. Which is to say, he returned to deal with all its troubles and responsibilities...
