Alexander of Cattala

Prince Alexander of House Celestine was the son of King David I and the younger brother of King Francis I. He served as Crown Prince for 27 years during the reign of his brother, and was commander of the Crown Army for three decades until his death in 1195. Despite leading successful campaigns against rebels in Cattala for the duration of his life it is his 40-year rivalry with the King that dominates his legacy and he is now most remembered for the feud within what is known as the "Incestuous Court".

His death at the age of 67 in his adopted home of Calora ended any hopes of gaining the crown for himself. Just two years later, his son would succeed King Francis in a peaceful transition after an agreement was reached between the feuding brothers just weeks before Alexander's death.

Early Life
The second son of King David and his cousin, Lady Marie Celestine, was born in 1128 in Beaurein House, which was the private residence of the Queen whilst she was in the capital. He was raised in the house by his mother, governesses and nurses away from court intrigue and outside influences. He is believed to have had a good relationship with his older brother as a child.

At the age of 16, he began training with his uncle to join and command the Crown Army, the largest military force in Cattala. This training took him away from his family for long periods of time and he spent many years developing his skills as a leader and a soldier before taking control of the army after the retirement of his father's leading commanders.

Wedding Feud
In 1149, when he was 21, aristocrat Lady Louisa Esron arrived at court. Alexander was said to have been besotted with her, but the Crown Prince was unmarried and many within his father's inner circle were becoming anxious that the 51-year-old King did not have a strong succession yet. The King refused to lean on his son to marry for political reasons, claiming it would be a hypocrisy. So leading royals from both House Celestine and House Aroe leant upon Francis in order to secure the succession without controversy this time. Francis proposed to Lady Esron in the summer of 1150 and she accepted after her father was offered a dukedom. Alexander was furious, and left the court for eight months after the wedding was announced.

Marriages
Alexander married a childhood confident of David in an effort to anger his brother. Lady Luisa Parti was a beauty from Monte Calida, but her family was not considered wealthy or powerful within the region to marry the heir. She gave him one son, Augustus, in 1155, before she fell pregnant again in 1158. This time, she had a miscarriage and died several hours later.

By now, it was becoming clear that Francis was unlikely to bear children. So Alexander's mentor, Lord Aroe, advised him to marry again, and selected Lady Cecily Bunrai to fulfil this role. She gave birth to four sons and two daughters by Alexander, which humiliated the infertile Francis. Alexander's large family ensured the Celestine dynasty would continue and also improved his own chance of claiming the throne if his brother died without a clear heir.

Incestuous Court
The "Incestuous Court" is a term adopted from the letters of a Sallean prince, who reported on the secrecy of the Franciscan court. The Celestine's and Aroe's held complete control despite the uncertain succession and outsiders had very little say, influence or knowledge of what was actually happening.

Yet within this court, explosive rows and disagreements between King Francis and his brother, now Crown Prince Alexander, were commonplace and the two feuded continuously. Alexander was bitter about his brother stealing his love and continued to mourn his first wife even once he had married his second, Lady Cecilia Duforth, and birthed a son, Augustus.

The rows between the two frequently came close to all-out conflict, with the King holding sway over the Celestinian family and Alexander supported by much of House Aroe and lords in Fieranti and eastern Amosseri. It is reported in documents from the time that there were at least two instances where the two met with armies before agreeing truces.

The internal power struggle was further complicated by rebel members of House Celestine, claiming that incestuous succession was ungodly and therefore that Francis's claim was null and void. It is thought that the uneasy peace between David and Alexander only survived for 40 years because they had to unite against other claimants and rivals.

Death and Legacy
Alexander died in Calora in 1195, five years before his brother. He was buried in the city in a funeral that was notable for the overwhelming presence of western aristocracy, particularly House Aroe, and the lack of Celestinian representation. King Francis attended the funeral with his wife and retainers, but very few other Celestinians are believed to have attended.

In the years after his death, Francis and Alexander's son, Augustus, reconciled their differences and ensured a peaceful transition from uncle to nephew. Alexander and Francis had signed a pact in the weeks before the Crown Prince's death to make Augustus the heir. After decades of rivalry, the two brothers came together to preserve the dynasty and break the shadow of incest that had loomed over the family for almost 80 years.