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So here are the next 6 inktobers. This inktober I decided to follow the main prompt list but also to illustrate each one with a medieval or late antique woman. So for the second week we have:

Inktober Day 7 - Exhausted
Isabella of Jerusalem. Isabella was the heiress to the crown of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but the barons of the kingdom believed she needs a husband to rule. She had one, Humphrey of Toron, (to whom she was wed at 11!! Luckily he seemed not to be interested in women and the pair of them did not have any children) but he was considered as completely ineffectual and too weak to be king. The barons wanted her to marry Conrad of Monteferrat, the hero of Tyre, instead. Problem was Isabella claimed she loved Humphrey and did not wish to separate from him. Finally however, partly convinced by her mother and partly due to her own ambitions, she divorced Humphrey and married Conrad. However Conrad was assassinated a couple of months after their marriage. So two days later Isabella was again betrothed, this time to a certain Henry. Who also died. And Isabella married again, this time Amalric, brother of the infamous Gui of Lusingian ( the one from the Kingdom of Heaven movie btw. They presented that story all wrong though. Don't even get me started...). I think she must have been pretty exhausted by those constant marriages and re-marriages in a time when her kingdom was at the brink of annihilation and she had to do what she could to save it.
Inktober Day 8 - Star
Theodora. For ‘Star’ I decided to draw Theodora, wife of Emperor Justinian and Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire. She fits this prompt perfectly because she was an actress and circus star in her early life; then married the Emperor Justinian and became Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire. It was thanks to her that Justinian even remained in Constantinople during the Nika riots. Who knows, if not for Theodora's attitude, perhaps he would have lost the throne. Incredibly able, she improved women’s legal situation in the Empire and was highly active in the political life of the Empire. Clearly she was a star at anything she did! 💚 She was so amazing that I don't really know what to write about here, just go and read about her, it's worth it!!!!
Inktober Day 9 - Precious
Honoria. For this prompt I chose Honoria, sister of Roman Emperor Valentinian III (and daughter of Galla Placidia, the lady I drew for day 5). In order to escape an unwanted marriage, Honoria offered her hand in marriage to Attila the Hun. (She sent him her ring together with the proposal). Attila agreed and requested half of the Roman Empire as dowry. Panicked and furious, Valentinian exiled Honoria and wrote to Attila, denying the legitimacy of the marriage proposal. Attila however used Honoria’s proposal as an excuse to attack the Roman Empire. So Honoria’s hand in marriage was highly precious!

Inktober Day 10 - Flowing
Dihya/Kahina. I finally get to draw a warrior lady! For the 'flowing' prompt I chose Dihya, a Berber warrior-queen from the seventh century. She was a ruler of independent Berber tribes in North Africa. During the Muslim invasion of Ifriqua led by Hassan ibn al-Nu’man she defeated him during the ‘battle of the camels’. Some years later however she was defeated by Musa bin Nusayr and died in battle. Sources are not unanimous on her religious affiliation she might have been Pagan, Christian or Jewish. Many legend sprang up around Dihya, she was said to be able to predict the future. Supposedly she was of great height and to have long, flowing hair. Which is why I chose her for this prompt.

Inktober Day 11 - Cruel
Fredegund. There were many interesting figures to choose from for the 'cruel' prompt. Finally I picked Fredegund, a Frankish queen from the 5th century. Medieval chroniclers tended to portray any woman with power as devious and ruthless. However if even one third of what is written about Fredegund is true, then she was indeed a woman to be feared. She allegedly had, or tried to have, a number of Frankish kings, a Visgothic princess, monks, priests, a saint, her step-sons, executed. She also executed the people who carried out assassinations for her. Supposedly if they carried out the assassinations successfully they were given a quick death. If they failed, a long and painful one...Originally a slave, she rose to power as the lover then wife (after she had his previous wife strangled) of King Chilperic I. She was embroiled in a brutal rivalry with Brunhilde the wife of Chilperic's brother. Both the husbands got killed somewhere along the way, but the ladies enthusiastically carried on with the feud. Fredegund dominated Frankish politics for many years, killing pretty much anyone who stood in her way. Her son carried on this...policy after her death.

Inktober Day 12 - Whale
Aud the Deep-Minded. For this prompt I chose Aud the Deep-Minded, a Norse woman who, after the death of her husband and son, she set off to settle on Iceland. She captained a knarr (type of Viking ship) of 20 men first to Orkney and then to Iceland where she settled and lived to old age. She was known for her good advice and was often consulted on issues concerning the community. She also freed the slaves she brought with her from Ireland and Scotland, making them ‘Freedmen’ a mid status between slaves and fully free people.

Description
So here are the next 6 inktobers. This inktober I decided to follow the main prompt list but also to illustrate each one with a medieval or late antique woman. So for the second week we have:

Inktober Day 7 - Exhausted
Isabella of Jerusalem. Isabella was the heiress to the crown of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but the barons of the kingdom believed she needs a husband to rule. She had one, Humphrey of Toron, (to whom she was wed at 11!! Luckily he seemed not to be interested in women and the pair of them did not have any children) but he was considered as completely ineffectual and too weak to be king. The barons wanted her to marry Conrad of Monteferrat, the hero of Tyre, instead. Problem was Isabella claimed she loved Humphrey and did not wish to separate from him. Finally however, partly convinced by her mother and partly due to her own ambitions, she divorced Humphrey and married Conrad. However Conrad was assassinated a couple of months after their marriage. So two days later Isabella was again betrothed, this time to a certain Henry. Who also died. And Isabella married again, this time Amalric, brother of the infamous Gui of Lusingian ( the one from the Kingdom of Heaven movie btw. They presented that story all wrong though. Don't even get me started...). I think she must have been pretty exhausted by those constant marriages and re-marriages in a time when her kingdom was at the brink of annihilation and she had to do what she could to save it.
Inktober Day 8 - Star
Theodora. For ‘Star’ I decided to draw Theodora, wife of Emperor Justinian and Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire. She fits this prompt perfectly because she was an actress and circus star in her early life; then married the Emperor Justinian and became Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire. It was thanks to her that Justinian even remained in Constantinople during the Nika riots. Who knows, if not for Theodora's attitude, perhaps he would have lost the throne. Incredibly able, she improved women’s legal situation in the Empire and was highly active in the political life of the Empire. Clearly she was a star at anything she did! 💚 She was so amazing that I don't really know what to write about here, just go and read about her, it's worth it!!!!
Inktober Day 9 - Precious
Honoria. For this prompt I chose Honoria, sister of Roman Emperor Valentinian III (and daughter of Galla Placidia, the lady I drew for day 5). In order to escape an unwanted marriage, Honoria offered her hand in marriage to Attila the Hun. (She sent him her ring together with the proposal). Attila agreed and requested half of the Roman Empire as dowry. Panicked and furious, Valentinian exiled Honoria and wrote to Attila, denying the legitimacy of the marriage proposal. Attila however used Honoria’s proposal as an excuse to attack the Roman Empire. So Honoria’s hand in marriage was highly precious!

Inktober Day 10 - Flowing
Dihya/Kahina. I finally get to draw a warrior lady! For the 'flowing' prompt I chose Dihya, a Berber warrior-queen from the seventh century. She was a ruler of independent Berber tribes in North Africa. During the Muslim invasion of Ifriqua led by Hassan ibn al-Nu’man she defeated him during the ‘battle of the camels’. Some years later however she was defeated by Musa bin Nusayr and died in battle. Sources are not unanimous on her religious affiliation she might have been Pagan, Christian or Jewish. Many legend sprang up around Dihya, she was said to be able to predict the future. Supposedly she was of great height and to have long, flowing hair. Which is why I chose her for this prompt.

Inktober Day 11 - Cruel
Fredegund. There were many interesting figures to choose from for the 'cruel' prompt. Finally I picked Fredegund, a Frankish queen from the 5th century. Medieval chroniclers tended to portray any woman with power as devious and ruthless. However if even one third of what is written about Fredegund is true, then she was indeed a woman to be feared. She allegedly had, or tried to have, a number of Frankish kings, a Visgothic princess, monks, priests, a saint, her step-sons, executed. She also executed the people who carried out assassinations for her. Supposedly if they carried out the assassinations successfully they were given a quick death. If they failed, a long and painful one...Originally a slave, she rose to power as the lover then wife (after she had his previous wife strangled) of King Chilperic I. She was embroiled in a brutal rivalry with Brunhilde the wife of Chilperic's brother. Both the husbands got killed somewhere along the way, but the ladies enthusiastically carried on with the feud. Fredegund dominated Frankish politics for many years, killing pretty much anyone who stood in her way. Her son carried on this...policy after her death.

Inktober Day 12 - Whale
Aud the Deep-Minded. For this prompt I chose Aud the Deep-Minded, a Norse woman who, after the death of her husband and son, she set off to settle on Iceland. She captained a knarr (type of Viking ship) of 20 men first to Orkney and then to Iceland where she settled and lived to old age. She was known for her good advice and was often consulted on issues concerning the community. She also freed the slaves she brought with her from Ireland and Scotland, making them ‘Freedmen’ a mid status between slaves and fully free people.