18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 36

[cahn]

Starting a couple of comments earlier than usual to mention there are a couple of new salon fics! These probably both need canon knowledge.

felis ficlets on siblings!

Siblings (541 words) by felisnocturna
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: 18th Century CE RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Friedrich II von Preußen | Frederick the Great, Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf, August Wilhelm von Preußen | Augustus William of Prussia (1722-1758), Wilhelmine von Preußen | Wilhelmine of Prussia (1709-1758)
Summary:

Three Fills for the 2022 Three Sentence Ficathon.

Chapter One: Protective Action / Babysitting at Rheinsberg (Frederick/Fredersdorf, William+Henry+Ferdinand)
Chapter Two: Here Be Lions (Wilhelmine)

Unsent Letters fic by me:

Letters for a Dead King (1981 words) by raspberryhunter
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 18th Century CE RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Friedrich II von Preußen | Frederick the Great & Friedrich Heinrich Ludwig von Preußen (1726-1802)
Characters: Friedrich Heinrich Ludwig von Preußen | Henry of Prussia (1726-1802)
Additional Tags: Epistolary, Love/Hate, Talking To Dead People, Canonical Character Death, Dysfunctional Family
Summary:

Just because one's king and brother is dead doesn't mean one has to stop writing to him.

Comments

Re: Saxon Diplomacy: It's Personal

[cahn]

whaaaaaaat! I guess that would definitely lead to a long-term grudge!

How would Fritz have found out? Or would he have known all along?

Re: Saxon Diplomacy: It's Personal

[mildred_of_midgard]

My guess? Well, as long as we're speculating based on psychology: FW told him. One way abusers control their victims is by isolating them, telling them that everyone will side with the abuser and that the victim won't be believed or helped. We know FW did this when Fritz was in Küstrin, he gave orders that Fritz was to be told that no one in Berlin had asked about him or cared about him, his mother was angry at him, etc.

I think it was in FW's best interests as well as in character for him to tell Fritz exactly who had sided with FW in this.

If not, well, Fritz did review the relevant archival material in 1740, and possibly destroyed some materials before closing up the archives again. There might have been evidence of Brühl's involvement there that hasn't survived.

Ugh.

Re: Saxon Diplomacy: It's Personal

[cahn]

ahhhhh OF COURSE he did. I mean, I realize we have no evidence but that would be exactly the kind of thing FW would do, wouldn't it. BAH. :(

Re: Saxon Diplomacy: It's Personal

[mildred_of_midgard]

Every time you think you know how bad FW was... ;)

We may have no evidence, but the fact that we know it was in character tells you something!

Also, it occurs to me that if Luh is right, not only did Fritz have to endure a public humiliation at Zeithain, but he had to endure someone getting publicly awarded by his abuser with the highest order of chivalry precisely for his role in condemning Fritz to more such abuse. That might have rankled inside as much as the actual escape plan betrayal.

UGH.