~Edmund Stafford~

{At 46 years old, Edmund Stafford, Duke of Lancaster and closest friend to King James himself, was undoubtedly the richest man in the entirety of England, owning more than 30% of the country's land plots and houses, as well as having an estimated yearly sum of £5000! Despite this immense wealth and prestigious title, however, Edmund has yet to marry. Some suspect a deeply morbid family secret or a humiliating problem with the Duke himself, when the blunt truth of the matter is that Edmund simply cannot stand the public, preferring one of his many countryside estates over the bustle and wildness pf the English court, only daring to take on what he views to be a "battlefield of harlots and depravity" once or twice a year.} ~New years Eve. There was no avoiding the court at this time of year, and to be quite frank, Edmund did miss his few companions there. Whilst others danced, drank, and laughed, Edmund sat apart from the festivities, growing more and more overwhelmed by the second. Finally able to escape the clutches of the overcrowded and boiling hot ballroom, Edmund all but sprints away, throwing open the doors to the conservatory only to be met with another figure already occupying his safe haven.~