Erica Drayton Writes

Category: A History Series

  • The Caretakers – A History

    Wonder Colosseum Management

    Some stories are best left to one’s own interpretations. This is one of those stories. I wish I could present you with facts, documents, proof! But alas, in this instance, I must rely on my intuition and hearsay.

    Angela Pomroy was not a promiscuous woman by any means. In fact, if not for her dalliance with the king at the time, she would’ve been forgotten over time. A mere footnote in the history of the Pomroy women. But nearly two centuries ago she made a decision to follow her heart and the rest is contracted in history forever.

    Let me pause here for a moment because this is one of the few documents I was unable to find. I was given unfettered access to all of the royal documents. After spending more hours than I care to admit, I realize the reason no one cared what I saw and read is because most, if not all, of it is barely understandable, let alone important or history worthy. 

    It turns out that prior to the building of the Colosseum, Wondermere was as important as horse dung. If you’ll pardon my expression. I say this with much reverence to what I know to be true and what I, and it seems no one, can actually prove. And yet it’s a part of the royal history that has never been contested. I had to ask myself why that is? I don’t know the answer so I posit the question to you, dear reader, instead.

    Let us go back to Angela Pomroy and the rumored affair she had with King Cyprus. It was around the time when the colosseum was a mere thought in the minds of the Conroy family. They were not doing well among the people. There was mounting distrust and hatred. Instead of listening to the grievances of the people, they did as most rulers in position of power are prone to do, they gave the people cake instead. Or in this case, magic. Magicianary was on the rise and the royals, specifically Queen Livinia was not going to let this opportunity to regain the trust (and money) of the people go to waste. I have much more to say about Queen Livinia who is, in my opinion, the most interesting of the Conroy family tree to look at, and yet she barely receives credit for finishing the colosseum in the first place. But I digress.

    Her eldest son, hardly read to be king when the time came, was far too busy shacking up with any and every woman. He didn’t care if they were the barmaid or his second cousin. Let’s face it, he was a horny mess. I am convinced that Queen Livinia lived as long as she did because she worried who she might be leaving in charge. I’m sure she would’ve rather her daughter or youngest son be king but the decision was not up to her. 

    And while I’d love nothing more than to make King Cyprus a mere footnote in this story I do have to give him some credit. If not for his affair with Angela Pomroy there would be no need for this story I am sharing with you here today. It is understood that of all the many women he took to his bed, it was Angela who he truly loved. And he proved his love for her by making sure she and her family would always be taken care of.

    A document was drawn up and witnessed by two others. This document stipulated that as long as there was a Pomroy woman in the lineage, they would be left in charge of managing the colosseum! Can you imagine what kind of lover she must’ve been to have been given such an honor?

    Those who have a negative word against the Pomroy’s, namely the present royals, believe a very different story. Angela managed to acquire some secrets about the Conroy family and she used it as leverage against King Cyprus, a man she never loved, in order to secure a lifelong future for her family.

    What story is true? I wish I could say. But I do question where the supposed contract is? Who witnessed it being signed by King Cyprus and Angela Pomroy. I also question why it’s never simply been ignored. Throughout history I’ve seen, and found documentation to support, the royal family evicting, displacing and simply seizing property without cause or reason. And yet, they allow the Pomroy’s to manage the colosseum alongside them without too much fuss.

    I did manage to find in the records one instance where King Malfus III tried, and failed, to take back control of the colosseum. From what I’ve been able to ascertain from a few people who are still alive from that time, it was never followed through. 

    If I had to make one bold assumption; the Pomroy’s have the document that was signed. It would make sense, wouldn’t it. Why leave such a valuable document in the hands of the very people who want to be rid of you? But if Angela had it, would she have entrusted the information of where it is to those who would manage the colosseum when she was gone or did she hide it where no one would ever find it.

    Either way, the Pomroy women have been in charge of the upkeep, managing and, caretaking of the colosseum. And it seems more and more evident that whoever manages the colosseum has the most power. It’s only a matter of time before this arrangement ceases to work for either side. 

    Before I end this, and at the risk of losing my job which is hanging on by a very thin thread at this point, I wouldn’t consider myself a very good journalist if I didn’t mention the one rumor I’ve heard but could get no one to speak it on the record. That affair I mentioned between King Cyprus and Angela produced a child. No one knows if it was a boy or a girl. If it was a boy, there was the belief that he should’ve been the next king by birthright. I’m inclined to believe there was a child and that it was a girl. King Cyprus, feeling guilty for having a child he could never directly care for, made this arrangement in a panic. 

    Then again, why not believe the love story? Either way you look at it, the Pomroy women are a force to be reckoned with. Though I do wonder what the present Pomroy will do since she is getting on in years and last time I checked, she only had a son. If she does not have a daughter then it is very possible she will lose more than her job but her entire family legacy as well.

  • The Maranigan Men – A History

    Original Magic Shop of Wondermere

    The accounts in this piece were given under the strictest confidence that I never reveal my sources. What you are about to read is likely rumor and not true at all. You’ll know what I mean when you read on. I am simply the historian and bear no ill will towards the Maranigan family in any way. For the sake of those named this document will remain unseen until such time as my death or the death of the current owner of the Maranigan shop.

    Let it be known that the shop is steeped in history that cannot be touched or challenged by anyone, not even by those of royal blood. Lest we forget what happened when the Cropley’s tried, and failed, to tarnish the name of Maranigan. But that’s a story for another day.

    To understand what it means to be born into the Maranigan family we must go back nearly two hundred years. I am sure the name of King Malfus is still fresh in your memory. He’s king who lost his son to magicianary.

    At the time that prince Andrew was busy trying to learn how to do magic, a boy by the name of Jan Maranigan was just coming into his own. His parent’s worked in the castle. His mother was a cook and father a member of the king’s guardsmen. The king required round the clock watch by his men. This meant their wives and any children they had lived within the castle grounds. King Malfus took a liking to Jan immediately. He became the son King Malfus wished he had. A hard worker and smart especially for a child.

    When King Malfus died, he left everything to his son and heir to the throne, except for a rather insignificant, at the time, piece of land that was left to Jan Maranigan to build whatever he wanted on it. I’m Sure King Malfus assumed Jan would build a home that generations upon generations could call their own. And in a way, he did just that. But with a rather ingenious addition on the main floor, living quarters for his family above.

    I discovered a journal from King Malfus II who tried to contest this piece of land with the court that his father put in place to protect his son from himself. Here is just one of many letters that were sent, and ignored, by the members of the court:

    This land was given to Maranigan so long as certain provisions were followed; I have evidence to the contrary. I urge the court to confirm nothing illegal is happening and if there is, the land that once belonged to the crown should be returned forthwith.

    This letter and every other that has been sent since the time of King Malfus II were all ignored. The court, as you will later learn, are appointed by the crown, but as I uncovered in my research that doesn’t always go favorably for the king. The court of record during King Malfus II’s reign chose to abide by his father’s wishes and I suppose the Maranigans have them to thank.

    To keep the peace and show King Malfus II that they were aligned with the crown, Jan built Maranigan’s Wonder and his home right above it. Its purpose? To sell the best quality clothing and props that any magician from beginner to elite could buy. In return for getting support from the crown, Jan agreed to share fifteen percent of the profits. 

    Yes, there is a contract on record for this arrangement. But King Malfus II was not about to simply let this piece of land go. It served as a constant reminder that his father loved Jan as if he were his own son and even I don’t have to try too hard to reach that conclusion. Therefore, a stipulation was put in place if he was to agree to this partnership: Maranigan’s Wonder must always be owned and managed by a male Maranigan. Should there be no male heir to pass the shop to the land would automatically revert to the crown and anything built upon it would belong to the crown to do whatever they want with it. If I were a betting lady, I would say King Malfus II wanted to destroy it.

    This is significant to the Maranigan line as the Wonder shop has been in business for over one hundred years now. For the records, here is a family tree that documents the full lineage of Maranigan and its owners.

    Of note is the present-day owner, listed on the deed of record as “Jan” Maranigan. I was able to speak with Jan privately and on the record. Here is Jan’s story as well as some information I gathered on my own.

    Jan was born Josephine Maranigan. What happens next is something I could not make up even if I tried.

    Josephine’s great-grandparents, Lysander and Imogen, had one daughter. Now, at this time the crown could’ve stepped in and contested the deal that was made between Jan and King Malfus II. However, in 1649 Bullmar was in the middle of a war that almost led to the end of the Conroy reign. The last thing on their mind was a small piece of property.

    Now, Jan’s aunt (Jane) and uncle (Clark) are, as far as I know, missing. I am unable to find anything about what happened to them or where they are. Jan admits she had a cousin, their son, but would say little more about where Lucas and his parents are.

    Word on the street is that Jane had a falling out with her brother over the care of their father, Ashley Maranigan, after he suffered an injury that left him crippled from the waist down and bedridden.

    I’ve exhausted all of my contacts trying to find Jane and her husband, but nothing. Should that change I’ll definitely be sure to document where they’ve been all this time. In the meantime, should they come out of hiding there is a chance Lucas Maranigan has an inheritance he can claim on the Maranigan Wonder shop just based on when he was born. 

    Which leaves me to discuss the story behind the current owner of the Maranigan Wonder shop, Jan. Birth name of Josephine Maranigan, named after her mother. When Josephine was born, her parent’s had decided to tell anyone who asked that they had a boy. There were questions about the future of Wonder shop when Jane and Clark disappeared into the night. Then William and Josephine gave birth, and everyone just assumed it was a boy. They simply never corrected that assumption and Josephine at a young age understood what the shop meant to her family as well as her father. She was willing to be called Jan from birth. She wore the male clothing easily and her small size helped her hide easily.

    In her teenage years she met Alice Howard, and they became best friends. So close, in fact, that Alice became the only person outside of her parent’s who knew her true self. When the time came for Jan to take over the shop, she asked Alice to live with her in order to keep up the pretense she had lived out her entire life. By this time Alice was a widow with a young son. She agreed to the arrangement, and they’ve lived happily together ever since.

    For a time, the Maranigan family could rest assured no one was going to try and take their shop from them. That is, until King Cyprus II. It was evident that he would not be as lenient as his father. He wants the land back and were he to find out the deception currently taking place at Wonder, Jan would be evicted, and the land taken.

    As this is something that will not be seen until after my death, I feel I must speak frankly. It infuriates me to know what this family has had to endure to keep land that should not be allowed to be questioned so harshly. I credit the court for coming to the defense of King Malfus’ wishes and ensuring they were carried out. However, seeing how women, me included, are so easily underestimated and disregarded in practice, I look forward to using what little influence I have to highlight as many of them as I can. 

    As it turns out, women really do rule Wondermere in more ways than one. 

    Look for my next piece to cover a look at the Pomroy lineage, a family where women are held in the highest regard and given, quite literally, the keys to the colosseum.

  • Wondermere – A History

    Research from the Wondermere Historian

    My name is less important as my profession. I am the Wondermere Historian. My previous job involved storytelling to some capacity and I was asked by the current ruling family to document their past. I agreed, but only as long as I could take my research in any direction I choose. After some haggling over what exactly that meant, we reached an amicable arrangement.

    The year when I am writing this to you is 1735. Much has happened in the last one hundred to two hundred years. How exactly they expect me to capture it all is beyond me but I thought I’d start with a brief history of how exactly Wondermere came to exist in the first place any why it’s a place everyone, including myself, love to call home.

    Size: 248 square miles

    Population: ~15,000

    County: Bullmar

    Capital: Wondermere, Est. 1554

    Access: Bullmar Railway passes through Bullmar County

    Tourist Attraction: Magicianary at the colosseum and other smaller establishments

    Ruling Family: King Cyprus II

    A BRIEF HISTORY OF WONDERMERE

    Note: This is not, by any means, the full story. More will be revealed over time.

    The year was 1535 and King Malfus I (born Seamus Conroy) was planning a birthday party for his only son, Andrew, turning twelve years old. A party that took the better part of an entire year to plan. In that time there is very little mention made in the historical archives of Tilly, Andrew’s sister, five years old at the time. At least, none that I could find in my research. Not even of Andrew’s mother, Queen Gertrude, who was pregnant for the fifth time and likely on bedrest due to her first two childbirths: stillborn.

    As it turns out, the king, too busy making sure everything was perfect for his son, couldn’t be bothered with the women in his life. After all, Andrew was his only son (at the time) and heir to the throne. But then, along came a traveling stranger to Bullmar who changed everything. I could find no mention of his name, but I digress.

    The stranger brought with him magic tricks that captured the attention of the children of Bullmar. His popularity became so widespread that the king felt compelled to invite him as the main entertainment for his son who was jealous that all the children were enjoying magic, and he was left out. This invitation turned out to haunt the king and his lineage for generations to come.

    From the moment Andrew witnessed his first magic trick he wanted to know more. He ordered the traveling magician to only perform magic for him. It didn’t take very long for him to want to learn how to perform the magic himself. The stranger relented. News of this reached the king who hoped that by forcing the stranger to teach his son magic, it would repair their fractured relationship.

    Unfortunately, prince Andrew was not as apt a pupil and grew frustrated that he could not manage to perform even the simplest of magic. Fearing that his head would be lopped off if the prince continued to be upset the stranger decided his last resort would be to teach him card magic. It required quick fingers, a delicate touch, and most of all, hours of practice per day. He hoped this might give him the ample time he needed to escape with his life.

    Prince Andrew picked up a few of the simpler tricks. In fact, I found brief mention of his even performing private shows for staff and his family. There were faint scribblings of his sister, Tilly, showing great promise as well! I wonder if that means the stranger not only taught prince Andrew but princess Tilly as well.

    This “play time” as king Malfus came to call it grew tiresome. The prince had reached adulthood, and the king wasn’t getting any younger. In fact, records indicate he was likely dying of some incurable disease I can’t pronounce!

    The time had come for the prince to assume the throne as he was well into his twenties. First, he needed to take a wife, be crowned king and produce his own heir, all before his father’s death. These were duties that prince Andrew refused to acknowledge or show any interest in.

    I should also state that I uncovered the death records of Matilda “Tilly” Conroy. She died in the year 1542, at the young age of twelve. Also, Queen Gertrude (nee Gertrude Lyford), died in the year 1563, just three years before her husband. Prince Andrew would’ve been forty-three when he was crowned king, but all signs indicate he was far from ready.

    He did have a younger brother, prince Seamus Conroy II, but he left the kingdom as he expected it would succumb to ruin due to what he viewed to be his brother’s obvious lack of leadership. I have an entire historical account I can share on Seamus, but for another time.

    I can also state (with very little authority) that I find no record on what ever became of the stranger. It is believed that when Andrew was still a prince he was imprisoned until his death. No one was allowed to see or speak to him except prince Andrew. This was to ensure magic would be something only the royal family had complete control over. Once crowned king and his parent’s deceased, King Malfus II (nee prince Andrew Conroy) immediately set out to have a colosseum built. 

    He wanted a place where he could perform his magic for everyone. Of course, he still wasn’t very good. But if you wanted to eat, drink, and not be executed, you clapped and applauded whenever you received an invitation to the palace. No one refused a direct invitation from the king.

    The Colosseum of Wonder was completed on King Malfus II fiftieth birthday, in the year 1573, in what quickly became the capital of Bullmar; Wondermere.

    I can’t find any accounts that state exactly how many people it can hold, though, if you ask Mrs. Pomroy, present-day caretaker of the colosseum, it can comfortably seat over forty thousand.

    It didn’t take long for the Conroy’s to lose what little rule and respect they once had in Wondermere. But, fortunate for King Malfus II, the Colosseum of Wonder was an absolute success. Especially, once he decided to step back from the stage and take a more managerial approach. He realized that magic could not be contained or controlled. Once people from far and wide heard about the colosseum, visitors were paying him to perform on the stage. Wondermere became the most visited place in the world.

    Nearly two hundred years later and Wondermere is still the largest and most visited place in all of Bullmar. None of it possible without the control that King Malfus II put in place.

    There is one thing I feel must be mentioned for the record and although the royal family would never allow it under normal circumstances, for the purpose of my job, I must now tell the truth behind the First Deck.

    Remember when I mentioned the simple tricks that King Malfus II learned and performed on stage? Well, it wasn’t exactly the best performances on record. In fact, it was on the opening night of the Colosseum of Wonder. It wasn’t a packed crowd as news hadn’t reached quite as far and many were not about to travel for days by land and sea to watch a performance given just by the king and no one else.

    Therefore, it was attended by everyone who lived in Wondermere. Suffice it to say, the magic wasn’t exactly well received. In fact, it was right at the time when King Malfus II was about to regale the crowd with a card trick that required several members from the audience to join him on stage. He was, by all anonymous accounts, nervous and sweating and his hands were shaking slightly at having strangers so close to him. The cards flew out of his hands and into the air. The audience thought it was a part of the act and applauded but the ones on stage knew that it wasn’t. They scrambled to pick up the cards for him, he tried to stop them as they were his deck, and no one was allowed to touch them. Someone bumped into him, and he fell, breaking a bone in his wrist which left him unable to use his left hand ever again.

    There are no names of the people who were on stage with him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were executed immediately. That’s how it was back then when King Malfus II ruled Wondermere. He decreed that cards were never to be used for playing and especially not in a magic act. He searched endlessly for the deck that he used that night. It was supposedly the same deck that was given to him (stolen, some believe) by the traveling stranger. To this day it has never been found though rumor exists that it’s still in circulation, kept safe by a secret group of underground magicians. Whether that’s true or not, to be caught in possession of that deck or any other leads to immediate death by hanging.

    The colosseum was closed for several weeks afterward the incident, until a traveling act asked him for a meeting and persuaded him to open the doors to others who would pay him a lot of money for the privilege. He would, of course, have complete say in who could perform on the stage.

    This deal caused a ripple effect throughout Wondermere. Buildings were converted to small theaters where acts could practice, and the king would get information from those performances to determine who should be invited to the colosseum. To get an invitation from the royal family is the highest honor any magician could hope to receive.

    Today, invitations come from King Cyprus II based on council he receives from the many theaters around Wondermere.