femgenficathon

Title: As brittle as the glory is the face
Author: lareinenoire
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Characters: Blair Waldorf, Vanessa Abrams, Jenny Humphrey, Serena van der Woodsen
Rating: PG
Warnings: Footnotes, excessive quotation, and dodgy interpretations of Shakespeare, monarchical theory, and identity politics.
Prompt: 3) Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way. -- Jane Austen (1775-1817), English novelist.
Summary: "I am Richard II, know ye not that?" Where better for a dethroned queen to gain some perspective than from a dethroned king?
Author's Notes: I had more trouble than I would have anticipated in coming up with a response to this prompt, and the fic may well reflect that, so my apologies in advance. Michael Boyd's production of Richard II for the Royal Shakespeare Company sadly never made it to the United States, but the fic presupposes a short run in New York. Takes place during 2x25 The Goodbye Gossip Girl; spoilers up to that point. Title comes from Richard II, IV.i.288. Many thanks to my beta-readers angevin2 and rosamund.

( Spotted: Blair Waldorf taking in some Shakespeare. Where better for a dethroned queen to gain some perspective than from a dethroned king? )