Justine III - TrinianGames/Sapphory GitHub Wiki

Queen Justine III, also known as Justine the Mad was the Monarch of Sapphory from SY 315 to SY 344. She Succeeded her mother Justine II and was succeeded by her eldest daughter Marianne. There are few surviving photographs from the period, but paintings depict her as a tall and slim brunette with blue eyes, though these are almost certainly intended to flatter and her true appearance is subject to debate.

According to legend, Justine was consumed by jealousy of her more attractive sister Persephone. One night, Justine is said to have murdered her sister immediately after kissing her on the lips. The entire event was witnessed by a palace slave girl whom the Queen then married and elevated to the Nobility in order to cover up the crime, as even the Monarch is subject to laws against murder and treason, which are capital crimes in Sapphory and carry the death penalty, even for Nobles.

Certain details of the Legend are widely accepted to be true as sufficient evidence exists to support them. It is a matter of record that Justine married a palace slave girl and that Persephone disappeared at around the same time. Although no body was ever recovered, most scholars agree that her sister had her murdered, or even did the deed herself. Other details, such as the alleged kiss, remain contested. There is no evidence of a pre-existing relationship between the Queen and the slave before their abrupt Marriage, and while alternate theories have been advanced, many alluding to the act being an impulsive move and evidence of the Queen's deteriorating mental state, the legend nonetheless remains widely believed.

Most historians and criminologists doubt that Justine and the slave could have been the only ones who knew, and it is likely that the Queen had help from her Erinyes, who would then presumably also have needed to be bribed in some way, as although they are chosen for their loyalty, there are limits.

Had Justine been caught and tried, the event would have had the potential to plunge Sapphory into a constitutional crisis. Without formal separation of powers, the influence the Monarch has over the courts is significant and it is unclear what mechanism could have been used to nullify this short of removing her from power entirely. The chances are that a Monarch who murdered a commoner would never see the inside of a courtroom, but as the victim was herself a member of the Nobility, Persephone's family would likely have demanded justice.

Legacy

The possibility of this happening in the future was later lessened by the passing of the Disabling Act, which allowed the Royal Court to temporarily remove certain rights and privileges from a Monarch accused of a capital crime. The impetus behind the passing of the act was a documentary on the life of Justine seventy years later exploring the alleged crime and its potential consequences. The makers of the documentary were prosecuted and exiled for sedition, but the Nobility nonetheless took action, both by passing the act and also extending their veto power over the entertainment industry.

In the game

In the second period event Play, the girls must dress up and act out a short play depicting these events. Missy plays Queen Justine, Jessica plays Persephone and Abbie plays the slave. The player can choose whether to have the girls make the play serious or comedic and whether to have Missy and Jessica kiss for real or fake it. Miss Paris will award the girls a grade based on these choices. The event has been in the game since the initial release, though the images have since been remastered, and serves as early character development for Jessica, who is very enthusiastic about kissing Missy. This does not go unnoticed by the protagonist.