James Fitzjames

Commander James Fitzjames is a high ranking officer in the Crown Royal Navy. He is also the illegitimate half-brother of Ralph Gambier.

Early Life
James Fitzjames was born in the Haichen, Middle Kingdom during the reign of the Empire. James was born out of an affair between Sir James Gambier, a Crownman who had resided in the Middle Kingdom since the before the fall of the Crown, and Xiuying (known as Simone) a famously beautiful, Han pleasure slave of Sir James Gambier's business associate General Tsui. James was born during General Tsui's long absence and Xiuying feared that the affair would be discovered and she and her baby would be killed. Desperate, Xiuying begged Sir James to take the child who she had named after him, however, she was turned away under pressure from his wife, Jemima Gambier. Sir James then travelled out of Haichen for an extended business trip. Xiuying sold her jewelry she had collected over time to set up lodgings with her son but being recognisable in society she was forced from place to place. She continued to believe if she put pressure on the Gambiers they would eventually agree to take in her son. The money gradually began to ran out and Xiuying began to write more and more letters begging for help. Eventually Sir William Gambier, who had long been out of the city returned to the Gambier Siheyun and learned of her plight. Being fond of her he gave her money and continued to remind his brother of the situation although agreed that the scandal of an illegitemate, half-Han son could not come to light.

Eventually Xiuying ran out of money and turned to prostitution. James' claimed his earliest, and only memories of his mother, were of being kept in her wardrobe while she entertained her clients in the same room. Due to her status as an escaped slave Xiuying had to live anonymously in a lowly part of town, and the brothels she worked in were similarly low class establishments. She continued to move from brothel to brothel fearing recognition. She spent most of her money on food and clothing for her son who she adored and succumbed to ill health from sexually trasmitted diseases, and later an opium habit. Sensing her declining health and ability to care for her son she wrote a final letter to Sir James that came into Sir William's possession, it was a final plea to take her son since she believed she would soon die. Sir William managed to make arrangements with a missionary in a town outside Haichen. He came to collect James from Xiuying who simply passed his hand to Sir William's and turned away without looking back, and died a few hours after the separation.

James traveled with Sir William to the town of Anhui where he was given into the care of the Ingolstadt missionaries Mr and Mrs Franke, he was subsequently baptised and given the surname Fitzjames in a second reference to his father.

James was a boisterous child with a great amount of energy and enjoy the abundance of space he now had in compared to his earlier years. He attended missionary school with his Han neighbours run by the Frankes and became fluent in both Han, the common language, and Ingol. He found it difficult to focus on religious subjects and history but showed an aptitude for mathematics, science, and Geography. His wild energy was known by his neighbours and often got in trouble for creating mischief with the other boys. He still received occasional visits from Sir William who reminded him of his Gambier and Crown heritage, this meant very little young James who was born after the fall of the Crown and had little contact or knowledge of his many relatives. However, the Frankes were aware that James' rambunctious spirit would make formal education difficult and Sir William promised to get him a position in the Imperial Fleet by the age of 12.

Just before his first embarkation as midshipman James was brought to Haichen to collect his uniform and was also given the opportunity to meet some of his family including his father and his half brother Ralph, a very prominent officer in the Imperial Army. Sir James was very warm to his illegitimate son and gave him his own pocket watch to take aboard, something that James treasured for the rest of his life. He also put some money in an account for James that William could access and send him if he ever needed.

James was to join The Jia Yong, a ship captained by his cousin Robert Gambier. James went to stay with Robert and his wife and three young children for the few days prior to embarking. James steadily began to understand the legacy of the Gambier family and became very affectionate and proud of his relationship to them. He strove through his career trying to prove himself to them and gain their recognition and support.

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