How does THAT work?

[Tariel]

If you guys could give me a hand here, that would be wonderful. My kingdom is currently ruled my a young queen (probably about 19 or so). The thing is, I recently learned that she has an older brother who would be the rightful heir to the throne and is more than qualified for the job. He doesn't necessarily begrudge his sister the throne (he's not out to murder her or anything) but I can't reasonably say that he gave up the position or anything. Actually, I can think of no other reason not to give him the throne other than the fact that the story requires his sister to be queen. This is, naturally, not a good enough reason. If any of you can come up with some sort of idea of how this could work....I would very much appreciate it.

 

[Lessien]

Well, you could always rewrite it so he's younger or the same age...

Or, if you'd rather keep it, there's a few reasons. Maybe he didn't want to be king, or sold his birthright or something. Or the current queen could have been the former king/queen's favorite and so inherited the throne. Or maybe your society is actually matriarchal and the royal title passes on to the eldest daughter instead of the eldest child.

 

[Tariel]

Well, you could always rewrite it so he's younger or the same age...

Or, if you'd rather keep it, there's a few reasons. Maybe he didn't want to be king, or sold his birthright or something. Or the current queen could have been the former king/queen's favorite and so inherited the throne. Or maybe your society is actually matriarchal and the royal title passes on to the eldest daughter instead of the eldest child.

He has to be older...I'm not sure why, but it's important.

Hmm....I'll think about it....but none seem to quite fit, y'know? Thanks though.

 

[CelticRose]

She is queen as a decoy to keep him safe.

She is queen while he finishes his studies/training/army duty whatever.

They are co~rulers & when he returns from whatever he's doing will rule jointly with her.

She wants the throne more than he does?

It's all a lie anyway.

 

[NeoScribe]

Maybe he's doing something more important and gave the royal responsibilities to his sister so he could persue whatever it was he needed to do.

Or he was in a coma or something when dad died.

He was lost until recently? In another dimension?

 

[dramaking]

He would hate having to watch for hooded figures in black trying to assassinate him and have protesters at his house at ungodly hours so he lets her have the job.

He could always do a good job as an advisor or Lord Chancellor (I have a character who is the older brother of an emperor and he is more fitted for ruling, but he doesn't do it because he knows that PR would suffer and his nation already is shaky)

 

[Windlord]

If you guys could give me a hand here, that would be wonderful. My kingdom is currently ruled my a young queen (probably about 19 or so). The thing is, I recently learned that she has an older brother who would be the rightful heir to the throne and is more than qualified for the job. He doesn't necessarily begrudge his sister the throne (he's not out to murder her or anything) but I can't reasonably say that he gave up the position or anything. Actually, I can think of no other reason not to give him the throne other than the fact that the story requires his sister to be queen. This is, naturally, not a good enough reason. If any of you can come up with some sort of idea of how this could work....I would very much appreciate it.

He is mentally unfit to hold the throne, or has been horribly disfigured.

His decision to enter a religious, magic, or secret order has resulted in him releasing all ties to the outside world, including his claims to the throne.

The Ruler is chosen, not by birthright, but by vote, a religious leader, ext.

He was a political prisoner to an enemy kingdom when his sister became queen.

peace,

Windlord.

 

[Tariel]

She is queen as a decoy to keep him safe.

She is queen while he finishes his studies/training/army duty whatever.

They are co~rulers & when he returns from whatever he's doing will rule jointly with her.

She wants the throne more than he does?

It's all a lie anyway.

hmmm....she's definately the real deal, and is there to stay.

Maybe he's doing something more important and gave the royal responsibilities to his sister so he could persue whatever it was he needed to do.

maybe to some degree, but doesn't quite fit

[quote} Or he was in a coma or something when dad died.

He was lost until recently? In another dimension?[/quote]
He was lost until recently...but was around when his sister was appointed queen.

He would hate having to watch for hooded figures in black trying to assassinate him and have protesters at his house at ungodly hours so he lets her have the job.

nope....he still gets plenty of that.

He could always do a good job as an advisor or Lord Chancellor (I have a character who is the older brother of an emperor and he is more fitted for ruling, but he doesn't do it because he knows that PR would suffer and his nation already is shaky)

hmmmm....maybe

 

[Tariel]

He is mentally unfit to hold the throne, or has been horribly disfigured.

His decision to enter a religious, magic, or secret order has resulted in him releasing all ties to the outside world, including his claims to the throne.

The Ruler is chosen, not by birthright, but by vote, a religious leader, ext.

He was a political prisoner to an enemy kingdom when his sister became queen.

peace,

Windlord.

It was their other sister who was prisoner when all this took place. He's perfectly sane...

oh....btw, thank you all very much for your suggestions. I know it kinda looks like I'm shooting them all down, but I am thinking about them and you've starting some things turning.

 

[Shabby]

Perhaps he has made promises to other nations, or groups that require him to withhold from taking political office.

 

[sunstruckdream]

oi...don't you hate when you work yourself into these little situations? i've definitely pulled out some hair over similar problems of my own.

 

[CelticRose]

Happy to help the little cogs go round & round. Let us know what turns up.

 

[oncewaslost]

perhaps actual history could help here i know of a potential czar that abdicated because he fell in love and wanted to marry a woman (princess) of questionable parentage. it was believed the woman was illegitimate (they didn't know who the father was).

other reasons for abdicating have already been mentioned.

 

[BoxBunny]

A. He could be promised to a princess who is sole heir of another kingdom and is to assume the throne there.

B. Succession could be determined by whichever canidate has majority support of the major noble houses. The Nobles thinking to use her as a young puppet queen join together to bring her to the throne.

Good luck!

 

[CelticRose]

He could have some physical flaw that determines he can't rule legally under the country's legal system.

 

[avatarblade2000]

(1) He was passed over by his parents/father/mother to be king for ridiculous or circumstantial reasons; the conflict arises, however, when he does not find it within himself to ask his sister for the throne, afraid of causing accidental strife between them, as well as dishonoring the memory of his parent(s), however unkind they were to him in life. This may stem from the idea that he may be feeling guilty about their reasons which, over the years, he has come to believe were at least partially true.

(2) Her brother is not the popular choice of the people, if only for circumstantial reasons, and it would impractical for him to just take the throne. Perhaps he is trying to find a way to legitimize his image or his potency as a ruler before he actually takes the throne; perhaps his sister is helping him to do it while she keeps the throne safe for him.

(3) Maybe there is a spiritual matter connected to his not taking the throne. Maybe he feels threatened ethically or spiritually to become king. Perhaps he has to compromise something he holds dear - something incorporeal, connected to his beliefs or his soul - in order to take the throne. But his sister may be doing the same thing for his sake, suffering the shame in his stead, causing him even more guilt, forcing her to suffer while he is virtually unharmed by it.

I like to have cerebral/emotional reasons for these things. But you may be aiming for something else entirely.

 

[Tariel]

I guess it would just be logical for his sister to become queen. She's the only one of the three siblings who was raised by their parents (father for most of it) and had been seen as the only heir for awhile.

 

[IfIonlyhadabrain]

Perhaps the older brother had been threatened with death if he took the throne. Or, perhaps he had been threatened with the death of those he loved if he took the throne. Or perhaps he has a dark secret that he wants kept hidden, and it was discovered and he was threatened that if he took the throne they would reveal it.

Why threaten him? Perhaps there is some political reason that they have for not wanting him on the throne, or perhaps there is a political reason they have for wanting his sister on the throne.

 

[Twelve]

Perhaps you could bring another character into the story. A character of great power and influence. One that despises the older brother, and convinces everyone, somehow, that the older brother shouldn't take the throne. This would keep the brother from the throne if the queen were convinced.

 

[firzenr]

AH.. How bout this:

The father was about to die. He gave the heir to his son. He passed down this sacred object to prove that he was the heir. His son ran away in grief, and everyone thought that he was dead. So they made his sister the ruler of the kingdom.
And then the son returns and people see that he is the rightful heir.

Eat that.