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| This page features work which may be sensitive and/or mature, including: sensual themes and allusions to extreme vices. Please proceed with caution. |
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We dress like princesses to go out and kill kings. |
—Ashe Vernon | |
Gwendolyne Eve Vere [she/her], stylized as Gwen E. on official documents (legal name: Gwendolyne Eve Griffiths), is a 2017-introduced and all-around character.
She is the only daughter of Guinevere, former Queen of Camelot from British Arthurian Legend. She is a second year (or, Legacy Year) student at the time of the Rebel Movement and rooms with Tyvainea Thief.
Raised far away from Arthur’s kingdom and yet destined to help rule, Gwen identifies as Royal, feigning support for all groups though there is only one she is truly devoted to.
Known around campus as a humble, helpful, and hardworking young lady, Gwen is exalted as the queen of the Arthurian students (though as it stands she is currently a commoner). However, it’s also a title she’ll fight to keep using any means necessary, even if it means shutting people out and cutting others down.
Character[]
Personality[]
In spite of being brought up a considerable distance away from the chivalrous and romantic ideals of Camelot, Gwen appears to have miraculously developed many of those revered traits on her own, and comes across as courageous, fair, and on occasion downright perfect. It seems as though her regal destiny holds little significance in the ways in which she treats others - regardless of class, role, or background - and above all she strives to be diligent but affectionate. Though she can often keep to herself, she remains on hand to help any group or individual, and has successfully gained the utmost trust of those around her. She is even considered popular around school, simply on behalf of her good deeds. However, she is also seen as fairly mild, and aside from the admiration of her classmates, no one thinks much of the next Guinevere.
Big mistake.
It’s a lie. All of it. Having meticulously developed this extremely complex and approachable facade over a long period of time, the majority of those Gwen comes across will never truly get to know who she really is. And they’re the lucky ones. Those clever enough to have deciphered Gwen will tell you (provided they’re still around) that she’s cunning, manipulative, and above all, ruthless. Goal-oriented and confident to many extremes, to say her actions are in response to insecurities of any kind is a gross misconception. Her motivations for lying are purely founded upon the idea that being trusted and well-liked will make people easier to manipulate. So, if she needs to say, rid herself of certain obstacles, knowing they are unsuspecting will make her efforts that much easier to carry out. This mindset has brought her quite a ways in life.
Due to her cunning, Gwen is extremely, almost frighteningly intelligent. She does make an attempt to get good grades in all her classes, but this is more out of trying to be a perfect future queen and to keep up false appearances as opposed to, well, actually believing she has anything to learn. Some classes do prove themselves to be exceptions when she’s actually engaged, however, and in those cases, she’ll likely breeze through the subjects without effort. Not only traditionally smart; she is also extremely clever and quick on her feet. With her wit, she could probably escape out of almost any bind, internal or external. She’s also rather competitive and feels an innate desire to outdo anyone with a similar status or destiny, and due to her high self-esteem, she’s never prepared to lose. Whenever she in fact does, she always takes it personally, which doesn't bode well for whoever beat her.
Obsessive is one vague way to describe Gwen’s various contingencies and acts of revenge, although her methods are incredibly diverse, varying greatly and mostly dependent on whatever action they are in response to. Whenever someone has the nerve to threaten her, she will quite subtly but effectively cut them down so they will fail, and probably so discreetly they don't even know about it. If that does not pan out, or if anyone else catches on and gets involved, Gwen tends to remain calm and simply extends the boundaries of what she’s willing to do accordingly. And should an alternate situation arises, she will not hold back on feminine advantages, using her princess-like charms to gain what she desires. Still, these are all last resorts, and it’s a very rare outcome for one of her more simple plans to not work. In any case, she’d cite blackmail as a personal favorite method, and if it weren’t for her reputation, she’d actively and publicly encourage it.
Morality is a difficult thing to discern regarding Gwen. While she has done plenty of terrible things, and will likely continue to do so, she's not necessarily cruel or masochistic by any means. Perhaps the best way to define it is: if it benefits her self-interest, she shall do it. If it doesn't, then why even bother? At least that's what she tells herself to maintain self-control. More selfish than anything, she's hardly the type of person to want to cause chaos for the sake of it. In fact, as a future queen, chaos is something she actively attempts to avoid and therefore often tries to keep the peace, playing the role of mediator. Due to many years of close-calls, she has gotten quite adept at damage control. This isn’t to say Gwen is not interested in causing trouble, however, and should doing so ever further her goals, one can expect her to be the mastermind behind the ensuing chaos.
Gwen has a bad habit of viewing other people as tools, pawns, or anything less than human in order to achieve her goals. In fact, she seems to be disinterested in people and the value of human life as a whole. Obviously there are exceptions to this, and she doesn’t live to make others suffer (exceptions being in regards to her enemies/rivals), she just does what’s good for her and her alone. But when she does care for someone, though, she really, truly cares for them, and absolutely no one may even consider harming them to get to her. This a possible reason as to why she doesn’t get terribly acquainted with anybody she might begin to care for. So one could say there is a protective quality to Gwen, but it’s mostly for her own self-preservation, and it rarely extends to other people. But then again, she is all about those exceptions.
Change is not something Gwen is good with. She's so used to manipulating others and having her way so often that when things don't work out for her, she's often clueless about what to do next, and it’s in these moments that her cunning fails her. She'll for sure spend every minute trying to figure out how to fix things, and if that doesn't work out, she’ll be resigned for a moment and absolutely furious. She hides this anger, surely, but fears her temper is what will eventually out all her secrets, and she has so many it'd essentially ruin her. It hasn't happened yet, thank Grimm, but even the possibility of it is one of the few things Gwen genuinely fears.
Gwen herself isn’t exactly sure why she’s so obsessed with the Kingdom of Camelot, but it’s the one goal of being queen that has shaped her entire personality, life, and even relationships. She has never bought into the idea that one can earn a position of power through complete innocence, which is exactly why she lies, cheats, steals, or just does what she does. Perhaps if someone was able to convince her otherwise, she might be a completely different and better person.
Interests and Hobbies[]
Royal Student Council[]
During the Royal Student Council election period, Gwen ran for - and achieved - the office of Treasurer. Through this position, she has control over the funds of her class, and can actively allow or disallow the use of it as she deems fit. Interestingly, however, she actually wasn't the top choice for the position, but the winner of the popular vote was impeached shortly after embezzlements were discovered under his purview, though he's vehemently claimed his own innocence since.
Blackmail[]
yes blackmail is a full on hobby for gwen
Appearance[]
Gwendolyne is a Caucasian girl with English roots. She has light olive skin, deep blue eyes, and wavy honey blonde hair. She is rather petite in her build, being merely 4'10", with her height aiding her innocent, non-threatening image. Mistaking her for a gnome or a Munchkin is widespread among those who first meet her.
Despite not being proper royalty quite yet, Gwen certainly dresses the part. She prefers bold, European royal colors of red, blue, gold, and white, and stylizes herself after Celtic royalty. Her motifs are fleurs-de lis, lions, snakes, and crowns.
Powers and Abilities[]
Magic Touch - ???[]
Other[]
- Supernatural Beauty:
- Enchanted Allure:
Dorm Room[]
Fairytale - Arthurian Legend[]
How It Goes[]
- Main Article: Guinevere
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The Bluffing Bride™ |
—Gwen’s tagline | |
How Gwen Comes Into It[]
After her rescue from the destined “execution”, the last Guinevere attempted to live in a convent by the outskirts of Camelot, the very same where she had been raised and her predecessors served as nuns. Unfortunately, labelled a sexual deviant and “seductress” even outside her story - and therefore deemed not adequately “virtuous” enough - she was sent to find an alternate path for herself.
Resigned to this new fate, she traveled the British Isles, though she vowed never to return to Arthur’s kingdom. During her travels, Guinevere explored the sights of many lands, with the conscious objective of avoiding all locales associated with Arthurian legend. While staying in various villages using multiple false names, she continued to satisfy her natural desires, becoming the lover of several strangers.
However, after one particular night of this spontaneous behavior, which would be her last, she realized she was expectant of an heir to the legacy. She urged herself to travel as far away as she could manage, ending up somewhere along the Welsh coastline, outside the domains of any kingdoms. There, she met a farmer, with whom she found romance with. After telling him the truth of her past and her legacy, they settled down, and Guinevere’s heir, a bastard daughter, was born.
They called her Gwendolyne Eve.
Gwen’s earliest years were spent exclusively on that farm, far away from any village or city. Despite the seclusion, she was a very typical little girl, full of life and imagination. Though her family’s living off the grid meant their means were modest and, at times, even meager, she never lacked in seeing the beauty in little things. Because of this good nature of hers, she was perpetually curious and playful.
So, as playful children often do, she explored her surroundings vigorously. The rugged coast beside their little Welsh farm was sprawling, and even when she would come home after a full day of outdoor fun, she’d still have some energy left in her. This, of course, meant she was a little devil inside the house too. Thus, one fateful day, while her parents were out busy, she found herself inside the dusty attic of that old Welsh farmhouse, which her mother - a troubled and quiet woman - forbade her from ever entering.
Defying this command in search of more playthings, she happened upon a chest labeled “GEN’S SCHOOL SUPPLIES”. For a child like Gwen, no stone went unturned. Cleverly bypassing the lock on the antiquate thing, she managed to open it up and was excited by what she saw: treasures and heirlooms galore, many adorned with the symbol of a lion.
While these certainly looked like they’d suffice for playtime, the largest objects in the chest were definitely the multitude of books piled at the bottom. Curious, she delicately pulled them out and took a look one by one. Most of the tomes were fairly easy to write off: simply a bunch of old hextbooks which, by now, were probably outdated anyway. But disregarding those, there were some that truly stood out. These ones didn’t seem to be strictly educational.
But they would end up educating Gwen.
She wiped some of the dust off one of them. The cover read “Ever After High: 198-” (dust obscured the rest of it). It was a yearbook. How strange. What was Ever After High? What did it have to do with her mother of all people? Lifting open the cover, she noticed there were a small handful of signatures. Not a lot, but definitely a few. Elizabeth. Anita. Louis. Nneka. These names meant nothing to young Gwen. They were complete strangers. She wondered just who these people were, flipping the pages to find out more.
The strangeness didn’t stop with the names. A large section of the book displayed rows and rows of young people, all incredibly distinct, many of them beautiful. Some even looked like the princesses from the fairytales her father would read to her on occasion. Several were listed under the name “Charming”. Others didn’t even seem to be human.
Passing that section of the book, she stopped upon a big two-page spread filled with haphazard snapshots of various friend groups in a lunchroom setting. In one of them, she spotted her mother sitting amongst a diverse group of kids her age. The caption read: “The Royal Club”.
Moving on, she discovered another page that was quite peculiar, which captured her keen interest. It was another group, but not the Royals. This assemblage was far larger, and they seemed to be sitting at a round table in a different room. She recognized her young mother once more. Beside her was a label. “Genevieve Vere - the next Queen Guinevere.”
Forget the names scribbled onto the blank pages of the book - who was Guinevere? What was she queen of? And more importantly, why was her mother, of all people, taking her place? Gwen kept searching for an answer. Eventually, at the very bottom of the chest, she stumbled upon another book that seemed to be in an entirely different league than those hextbooks or yearbooks.
This one was titled Le Morte d’Arthur.
It was a hefty object, made up of many long chapters and big words. Any other child likely would’ve submitted to the challenge and left it at that. But Gwen was not any other child. She was determined to know what it all meant. What was being kept from her.
Relocking the chest, she took the book with her to her room. From then on, every night, once her family had laid to rest, she read and read and read that long book about a man called King Arthur, who lived in a kingdom called Camelot. And she was enthralled. Raptured. Before her was tale after tale of victory, fantasy, and majesty. And the most beautiful and most important woman in the story was, to Gwen, the one in which these epic events truly transpired around. Her name was Guinevere.
Forget Arthur and his knights. This daughter of a Roman king? She could make powerful men swoon and kingdoms crumble. Unfortunately, for all her favorite chapters, Gwen could not forgive the ending of the story. It hardly seemed fair, after all. Guinevere didn’t do anything wrong! But in any case, having read the story, the old magic from her everyday life was gone. Knowing there was more grandeur to be had elsewhere, the fragile myth of humility her mother had laid out before her crumbled.
It became so painful for her that, one day, when she couldn’t bear it any longer, she tried to run away from home to “find Camelot”. Of course, she didn’t get very far, as she was a small child and her parents quickly caught up to her. Upon her return, Genevieve was panicked and furious. What possessed her daughter to attempt such a thing? However, Gwen remained cold and obstitant. She demanded answers from her mother. Where’s Camelot? Why did she go to a school called Ever After High? And what does it all have to do with Guinevere?
Genevieve couldn’t have been more devastated. She thought she had successfully severed their ties to that dreaded family legacy forever. She never could’ve predicted that it would be her very own daughter who would try to bring ruin. With no other option, she told the truth, the whole truth, about Camelot, Ever After High, and the retellings. However, she emphasized the tragedy of their legacy and the absolute necessity of ending it once and for all.
Hoping her daughter would realize the importance of her original mission, she was disappointed to gauge that her reaction was one of offended disbelief. Gwen could only wonder why they were living this life all this time. Their ancestors were princesses. Queens. In fact, go far back enough, and they were apparently descended from Celtic gods. Why didn’t her mother fight for what was hers? What was theirs? Why was she such a coward?
In the Fairytale World, legacies are supposed to bond parent and child, mother and daughter. But in the case of Genevieve and Gwen, it separated them beyond measure. However, Camelot was still far away, and Gwen had no way of reaching it herself. Hopefully with time, Genevieve thought, she’d get over it, and things could go back to the way they were.
But they never would. One day, the farm received its first visitors in years: sharply dressed individuals with an agenda. These were agents of the branch of the Fairytale Authorities who oversaw the Matter of Britain. They explained they had received a report detailing the location of the long-missing Guinevere.
Following protocol, they were here to arrange for succession of the Guinevere lineage, and per fairytale tradition, a next of kin was required for the role. Genevieve and her husband insisted this was impossible, but against their wishes, Gwen eagerly stepped up and said she would do it. And that’s when things started to make sense.
She had called the Fairytale Authorities.
Viewpoint on Destiny[]
Parallels[]
- Gwen was created and coexists alongside a trio of “Guineveres”, consisting of herself (the original Guinevere), her cousin (the False Guinevere) and her rival (the Connecticut Guinevere) - The earliest Arthurian tales had Arthur with three wives, known as the three Gwenhwyfars
- For this same reason, Gwen is polyamorous
- It is also for this reason that she does things, obsessive-compulsively, in sets of threes
- Gwen was raised Welsh - Guinevere’s precursors originate from Welsh triads
- Gwen is two-faced, with one virtuous persona and one villainous inner self - This is intended to be a marriage of Guinevere’s two most common portrayals: a vindictive seductress or an altruistic loyal wife
- Being half-changeling also references this
- Gwen wants to rule Camelot, regardless of the presence of her (or any) Arthur - Some versions have Guinevere left as regent while Arthur goes to battle
- Gwen is highly secretive and introverted, and prefers to lock herself down in order to get things done - Guinevere was not only secretive during her affair with Lancelot, but also locked herself in the Tower of London and once more in a convent later in life
- Gwen’s biological father is a changeling, a Celtic supernatural being - The original Gwenhwyfar was said to be the daughter of Ogyruan, a Celtic god
Relationships[]
Family[]
Mother - Genevieve Vere[]
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You can be a good person. You must. Not for them, but for yourself and this family. I know you can do it. |
Stepfather - Mr. Griffiths[]
Brother - Gwilym Griffiths[]
Cousin - Quinny Vak[]
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Gwen appreciates Quinny. That is, she appreciates what Quinny brings to the table. She’s the one with the uncanny family resemblance, the one Gwen can stand next to and espouse family values for her treasurer campaigns. She’s the nice blind girl Gwen can assist in front of everyone else in order to prove she’s willing to help out. She's the built-in "hey, I'm not anti-villain, my cousin is a villain legacy!" that’ll help win Gwen some villain-coded votes. But despite this usefulness, Gwen cannot say she truly respects nor likes her cousin. Perhaps it’s the fact that their mothers became estranged and lived parallel lives, so they never got to meet each other until high school. Perhaps it’s the fact that Quinny’s a villain who’s destined to threaten her throne. Perhaps it’s the fact that she’s essentially forced to look at her own reflection whenever she looks at her cousin. But for whatever reason, that genuine affection, that unconditional love Quinny seems to have for her… Gwen simply does not reciprocate. |
Friends[]
Bertha de Hautdesert[]
Acquaintances[]
Academic and Professional[]
Romance[]
Gwen is bisexual. She became aware of her sexuality while glimpsing paintings and illustrations from her mom’s old Arthurian book and found herself drawn to both knights and princesses.
Allemande Edelstep[]
George-Michael Bernard Pendragon[]
Enemies[]
Though outwardly egalitarian, Gwen, like much of the student body, holds sincere beliefs that villain-coded legacies such as Raven Queen are unworthy of respect and compassion. The only potential exception to this view of hers would be her cousin Quinny, but even then, she doesn’t really know how she feels about her. The hypocrisy of holding such views on villain-coded people while possessing the role of Guinevere - who has been depicted as a villain before in some retellings - has not dawned on Gwen.
Ruinous Charming[]
Kama Blons[]
Lacy Chartreuse[]
Tyvainea Thief[]
Groups[]
Pet[]
While others at the Animal Calling recieved their dogs, cats, and the occasional baby dragon, Gwen happened to summon a two-headed blue coral snake. This animal, unlike the other pets, seemed to originate from the direction of the Dark Forest, rather than the Enchanted Forest. Though most expected her to be frightened, it was love at first sight between the farmgirl and the serpent(s). Feeling proud of her new pet(s), she decided to call Head #1 Leodegrance and Head #2 Ogyruan. They reside in a tiny European castle within a glass cage in Gwen's half of the dorm.
Outfits[]
Trivia[]
- In real-world terms, Gwen would hail from Pembrokeshire, Wales
- Gwen has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- She is non-practicing
- She speaks with a heavy Welsh accent
- She can speak fluent Welsh as well
- In terms of retelling the story, Gwen will be 69th Queen Guinevere
- Past Guineveres include:
- 67th: Guillaume Vere
- 68th: Genevieve Vere
- Past Guineveres include:
Notes[]
Yael Grobglas, Gwen's portrayer of choice
- Gwen's nickname, along with her middle initial and surname, is an obvious pun on "Guinevere"
- Her middle name, Eve, is a reference to the biblical figure of the same name who is often associated with womanly sin
- It was also chosen because it lends itself to the "Guinevere" pun
- Her star sign is a reference to her two-faced character, as Gemini is thought to be double-natured
- Her faceclaim would be Israeli actress Yael Grobglas
- Gwen was voted the wiki's Character of the Month for August 2019
- This makes her the 49th overall CotM
- The home page blurb was as follows:
- Gwendolyne "Gwen" E. Vere is the queen of Camelot, queen of our hearts, and the queen sitting smugly on the throne of Character of the Month. With wits sharp as Excalibur, a mind quick as an unladen sparrow, and a facade as hidden as the Holy Grail, Gwen is far more than the benevolent persona she posses. Watch out, there is no snake in the grass-- she is found in the court of Camelot.
- Her theme song is Blank Space by Taylor Swift
- Here, have a Pinterest board!
Further Reading[]
- addressing the gwen problem
- which mean queen are you? a uquiz
- father's day headcanons - mean queens edition
- Airyverse timeline
- Pinterest board
Earth-2 appearances (arranged chronologically):
Appearances elsewhere in the multiverse:
- Fairestocracy (unknown Earth): Gwen is the Guinevak legacy from Arthurian Legend
- Storybook of Victors (Earth-7774): Gwen is the District 9 female tribute and victor of the 48th Annual Hunger Games
- The Venom of God
- Swords in the Grimm-Dark (unknown Earth): Gwen is the crooked Governor of Deskwald, working under Empress Ablative
- The Meeting
- Valor No More (Earth-6418): Gwen is the Empress of the One Realm Kingdom, and the voice that turned a hero into a villain
- The Vanishing (Earth-7773): Gwen is among the half of Ever After High’s student body to be spared from the mysterious vanishing of classmates into thin air within one tragic minute
Gallery[]
Acknowledgments[]
- Patch, for supporting Gwen and her creator in every which way, and for helping me tell a story of redemption
- Zena, for helping me establish Gwen as a powerful presence in the intrigues of Ever After High, and for helping me out with the other Guinevere
- All those in the Arthurian Arses, for providing me with a Camelot worthy of Gwen’s aspirations
- Credits to Spades for the idea of linking things such as story, author, and alignment!
- Additional credits to Spades for the format of “Further Reading”!
- Credits to Patch for the idea of using powerful quality icons for wiki infoboxes!
- Credits to Zena for the idea of bolding sections under “Personality”!
- Additional credits to Zena for the idea of listing role parallels and adding “Academic and Professional” under “Relationships”!
- Credits to Bug for the idea of naming Magic Touches!
- Credits to Jade for the idea of detailing outfits within a table!