litnerdwrites

[litnerdwrites]

Not sure if this is a hot take or not, but there should've been a larger time skip between ACOTAR and ACOMAF.

It would've given Feyre more time to mature, to learn the Spring Court, and Prythian. During that time, the overt ways in which Spring is framed as not being meant for Feyre (the traditions, rules, lack of support, Ianthe, and relationship issues) could begin to deepen and fester. Become something more understated, that appears to be a functioning relationship on the outside, but through Feyre's POV, we'd see what a fragile foundation it's standing on.

I don't hate Tamlin, and honestly, I think what Feyre did was worse anyway, because she dragged innocent people into it, who didn't do anything to hurt anyone. But I think it would've been interesting to see their relationship become more mutually toxic, and show that they're bad for one another. After all, their relationship seemed very rushed. If you remember, Tamlin needed to make a human fall in love with him to break a curse. It wouldn't matter if he loves her, just that she loved him.

Given how desperate he probably got, it would make sense that Tamlin would do anything to make Feyre fall in love with him. In which case, being stricter about things like tradition and governing would be a reasonable change to see in him. It would also be more compelling to see these parts of him clash with Feyre's free spirit. I think it would be easier to see a clear contrast between the way Feyre lived in Spring, and the way she lives in Velaris.

That's why her fears in ACOMAF, about moving on too fast, and how it would look, then her getting over it the second she realised she and Rhys were mates, would feel less forced than having Feyre need to worry about Spring because she's spent time growing to love it, and becoming responsible for its people.

The plot where he allied with Hybern to save her could still be there, but maybe add in details and context, like hearing rumours about Feyre stealing from Summer, or running through the Middle to give him a sense of urgency, as well as providing more reasons to believe Feyre is being controlled. It would also give Ianthe more information to manipulate to begin convincing Tamlin that every fear and paranoia she planted in his mind were true.

I also think it could play into how naive Feyre is compared to these fae, reminding her of her human instincs when she thinks they're gone. Feyre's destruction of the Spring Court could've been done in a way where she didn't intend to allow civilians to get hurt, but either through naiveté, the machinations of others, and just plain carelessness, people did get hurt, and she helped it happen. Give her some consequences, let her learn just how smart and cunning and otherworldly those ancient fae are, after we spent ACOMTAR and ACOMAF slowly separating ourselves from the human lands, their beliefs while growing accustomed to Prythian and the fae. I want to There could be more subtle reminders of this humanity through Feyre's sisters too, that she may initially turn her nose up at. I want to see juxtapositions between humans and fae throughout the books, leading to a moment of realizatdion and fear, that has her feeling human again, but in the most vulnerable way.

I think that seeing Feyre slowly become the Feyre from ACOTAR, to something more similar to Feyre from about ACOWAR onwards would've been a lot less jarring if she had more time to transition. Feyre feared what she might become if things in Spring didn't change, if she was stuck there for too long, she might turn into something as spiteful and vicious as Amarantha, and I think that should've been played into more. It would've been much more interesting to see. Feyre having to struggle between her morals and what she needed to do, not just regarding her relationship with Tamlin, but adjusting to life in Night.

Perhaps have Feyre push to request the book of breathings in a more diplomatic, and honest way, but only steal it when that fails. Let her snap and snarl at members of the IC, or random citizens, for remaining untouched under Amarantha's reign, and let her have some crueler impulses from time to time, to show how she's changed, rather than justifying the cruelty she committed.

I think much more time should've passed between Feyre returning to Spring from UTM, and Feyre leaving for Night. One that allows for comparisons, contrast, context, and and a far more emotionally complex and layered story that feels like more of a natural progression, than what we got. One that ends with her embracing the roll of villain. One where more comparisons can be made between her and Amarantha. One where the NC aren't just hypocrites and assholes, but intriguing, morally complex characters, that are able to learn some kindness and humanity from Feyre. They can learn to ditch the mask, and be more honest about the good intentions behind their actions, and willingness to repent for it.

[litnerdwrites]

After a quick google search, I found a reddit thread that talks about it though. There are two consensuses that are reached on them.

The first is referencing a deep dive someone did, but I couldn't find the source. The deep dive concluded that 1 gold mark is equal to 20USD, by calculating the price of something Feyre buys and working backwards. So 500 Gold Marks

The second one is someone taking the weight of a single gold mark, historically (250g) and multiplied that by 500, which was 12,500g. Gold marks would've been made of 24K gold, so they used the price of gold per gram (which is 97.23 AUD), so 500 gold marks would be $1,203,825,045.53 AUD. In this calculation, one gold mark would be 24307.5 AUD.

However, four are three factors worth considering here.

The first, as OP of the second calculation mentions, Nesta was gambling too. She would've won some and lost some on that.

The second, is that, realistically, how much is that in comparison to the IC? I mean, seedy, slightly run down taverns are gonna be cheeper than restaurants and high end clubs like Rita's. By comparison, who's spending more? If the IC go to Rita's even just once a week, they're more likely to spend far more than 500 gold marks in a single night.

The third is that Nesta was malnourished when arriving at the HOW. By that point, she wouldn't have been able to eat any of what she bought because her body wouldn't be able to handle it. So, if not her, who was eating it? I find it concerning that no one in the IC realised or asked her about that, but also not surprising. They've never considered the 'why' behind Nesta's actions, just judge based on Feyre's happiness, and their convenience.

And finally, what is the worth of a dollar within ACOTAR? The amounts both seem astronomical, but depending on the Night Court' economy, it might not be considered so insane within the NC.

If we take one gold mark as being 20 USD, that would be 31.30AUD and 15.03 GBP.

If we take one gold mark as being 24307.5 AUD, that would be 15536.62 USD, and 11677.20 GBP.

In both cases, how much can one gold mark buy within ACOTAR, and more specifically, the Night Court, compared to the real world? Would a household of two people be able to live off of one or two gold marks a month? In 2025? Velaris is the most wealthy city within the Night Court, and, from what we know about it, we can assume that the cost of living there is higher than in other places, so how much would a gold mark be worth in Illyria, or the Hewn City? Would you be able to live off of a single gold mark in either of those places?

I don't think it's as simple as converting it to real world currency and basing your judgment on that alone. Factors like the cost of living, standard of life, economic state, etc. should all be compared to one another to come up with a more accurate comparison. Would a gold mark be considered minimum wage, or the equivalent of a century's worth of saving? How would that compare to places like THC, or Illyria?

I want to tag in my lovely mutuals, @hrizantemy and @kataraavatara . to ask for their thoughts. Both of them have such wonderfully nuanced takes on this series, so I'd love to hear their two cents on this.

Do we have a frame of reference for how much 1 gold mark is? That is - is Nesta spending 500 of them in one night the equivalent of spending $500 in one go, or more?

Anyway, I ask because I'm pretty sure that due to material cost and labor alone, each one of Feyre's single-use tissue dresses dripping in diamonds costs way more than that. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[litnerdwrites]

Yes! Exactly. I love everything you said there.

To add, one of the many ways this fandom, and even SJM herself, discredits the Archeron sisters, and their character potential is by dumbing them down, so to speak.

Feyre is the good one, who we're meant to root for, and should rarely, if ever criticise or question, and if she does do something wrong, it's because she's young.

Elain is the soft, gentle, innocent lamb, who sometimes snaps, mostly at Nesta, but that's fine because she's had enough of her.

Nesta is the mean, horrible bitch. She's an abuser and should be punished by everyone for everything she's ever done, even if others benefited from/asked her to do it.

By assigning these simplistic motives and qualities, they take away from the characters. And again, I think SJM is guilty of this as well.

For Feyre, when she's called out for not considering the political ramifications of her actions, such as destroying the Spring Court, or stealing from Tarquin, either Tarquin and Tamlin (more so Tamlin) are put down, arguing that the Rhys&Co. Know better, and that they were better equipped to handle the situation, and just overall demeaning them and their authority as sovereigns of their own court in order to justify the crimes the Night Court commit.

This argument turns Feyre from a cunning, apathetic, borderline heartless, calculating, young woman dealing with a lot of trauma, who's now found herself in the middle of several very complicated political situations (between Tamlin and Rhys, Hybern and Prythian, and humanity and the Fae) with unprecedented magic, who should be considered a threat to and by her enemies, to an infuriating idiot. A liability who shouldn't be trusted because she's too naive to utilise critical thinking skills and is more likely to derail everything you plan because she didn't look before she leaped. A child at the adult table, trying to understand their conversations, but not having the knowledge, experience or context to do so, if you will.

For Nesta, any good deed she does is overlooked, no matter how painful or difficult it is. No matter how hurt she gets, or what she endures, it's always downplayed and taken for granted. Nesta is relegated to being this abusive, cruel, heartless monster, who shouldn't expect or deserve care for her pain, acknowledgment of her attempts to atone, and praise for her good deeds, whether they work out or not (exhibit a, see aftermath of almost being raped and eaten by a kelpie).

This undermines any actual healing or redemption Nesta may actually go through, as well as any relationship she forms with her sisters. None of it matters because it all feels superficial and forced. Any trauma responses, or moments of weakness and pain that make her a relatable character, or add context and nuance to her thoughts and actions, goes away.

For Elain, she's trapped in the box of being the demure, hyper feminine, doe eyed, child. The way she's talked about and overlooked, when she isn't needed to manipulate Nesta insults her intelligence and autonomy as a fully grown woman. As a result, Elain is left as merely a pawn, and any praise she and Feyre receive for their good relationship or her place in their court is null and void, because she isn't an equal to her sister.

She isn't someone who found happiness with the IC, she didn't have a choice but to try and be happy with them, because even if she did want to go somewhere else, she wouldn't be taken seriously or allowed to do so. The moments of her arguing with Nesta, that people use to praise her and put down Nesta, it's not her venting some arguably valid frustrations, but being unable to word it/ struggling to both acknowledge her own failures and communicate her genuine feelings with her sister as her parroting the words others told her too to manipulate Nesta instead. She isn't a family member, she's a pawn, and a prisoner, but is too naive to realise it. She can never have a genuine conversation with Nesta, because she's being forced to help indoctrinate her.

The way some in this fandom chose to regard and utilise their characters feels very detrimental to them, and a bit like a waste of character potential. As OP pointed out, many indications and examples of a complicated relationship, or character traits that don't fit the aforementioned narratives assigned to each sister, are largely overlooked or outright ignored. There was so much potential that feels like it was thrown out of the window.

All three sisters have so much potential, and I especially love the lovely @hrizantemy 's interpretations of them in her fics, A Place of Silver Silence and What Happened to You. I love the way she makes use of these characters, and dives into different aspects of their characters in each one. I'd also recommend Burn the Path, Thalassa_05, A Court of Exiles by Notquiteright, The Unfordged Hearts series, by limeandorange (on AO3) and The Fire Before the Storm by Sarafey on AO3 for some fun takes on the sisters. These are fics I love because of the way they try to dissect and portray the Archeron sisters as well as the IC.

I believe my mutuals @kataraavatara and @litnerdwrites made a post talking about Elain, and I want to add on.

I don’t like Elain. And I say that with an understanding that she reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger—the way she makes herself small, slips into softness, plays the role of the quiet, gentle one. But that’s not why I dislike her. I think she’s survived by making herself a victim, and that survival strategy gets dressed up as innocence far too often in this fandom.

People always say “Nesta is overprotective,” or “Nesta won’t let Elain make her own choices.” But Elain is a grown woman. She has been for a while. And I’d like to call back this scene in A Court of Silver Flames:

“Like calls to like,” Amren countered. “You were Made by the Cauldron. You may track other objects Made by it as well, as Briallyn can. And because you are Made by it, you are immune to the influence and power of the Trove. You might use them, yes, but they cannot be used upon you.”

A glance to Elain. “Either of you.”

Nesta swallowed. “I can’t.” But to let Elain involve herself, jeopardize her safety—

Amren said, “You tracked the Cauldron—”

“It nearly killed me. It trapped me like a bird in a cage.”

Elain said, “Then I will find it. I might require some time to �� reacquaint myself with my powers, but I could start today.”

“Absolutely not,” Nesta spat, fingers curling at her sides. “Absolutely not.”

“Why?” Elain demanded. “Shall I tend to my little garden forever?”

When Nesta flinched, Elain said, “You can’t have it both ways. You cannot resent my decision to lead a small, quiet life while also refusing to let me do anything greater.”

“Then go off on adventures,” Nesta said. “Go drink and fuck strangers. But stay away from the Cauldron.”

Feyre said, “It is Elain’s choice, Nesta.”

Nesta whirled on her, ignoring the warning flicker of primal wrath in Rhys’s stare. “Keep out of this,” she hissed at her youngest sister. “I have no doubt you put these thoughts in her head, probably encouraging her to throw herself into harm’s way—”

Elain cut in sharply, “I am not a child to be fought over.”

Nesta’s pulse pounded throughout her body. “Do you not remember the war? What we encountered? Do you not remember the Cauldron kidnapping you, bringing you into the heart of Hybern’s camp?”

“I do,” Elain said coldly. “And I remember Feyre rescuing me.”

Roaring erupted in Nesta’s head. For a heartbeat, it appeared that Elain might say something to soften the words. But Nesta cut her off, seething at the pity about to be thrown her way.

“Look who decided to grow claws after all,” she crooned. “Maybe you’ll become interesting at last, Elain.”

Nesta saw the blow land, like a physical impact, in Elain’s face, her posture. No one spoke, though shadows gathered in the corners of the room, like snakes preparing to strike. Elain’s eyes brightened with pain.

Something imploded in Nesta’s chest at that expression. She opened her mouth, as if it could somehow be undone. But Elain said, “I went into the Cauldron, too, you know. And it captured me. And yet somehow all you think of is what my trauma did to you.”

Do I think Nesta is being overprotective in this scene? Absolutely. But she’s not telling Elain she has to stay pliable, docile, or under her wing. In fact, she’s telling her do whatever you want—have a life, make choices, be wild if you want—but don’t put yourself danger.

That line—“you only think of what my trauma did to you”—hits hard in the moment, but it’s not entirely fair. I don’t think Nesta is sitting around thinking about how Elain’s trauma affected her. No—Nesta is thinking about what she did that might have caused Elain’s trauma in the first place. Like when she agreed to scry for the Cauldron during the war, which directly led to Elain being kidnapped by Hybern. That guilt haunts her. It’s not selfishness—it’s responsibility, it’s shame, it’s regret. And that’s a huge difference from what Elain is accusing her of.

Is it healthy? No, absolutely not. But think about it like this—throughout her entire life, Nesta has consistently been shielding Elain from things. From their cruel, abusive grandmother. From the brutal reality of the cabin and the poverty they endured. From the harshness of the world, from faeries, from war. Nesta’s role has always been protector, even when she didn’t know how to do it in a way that was kind or constructive.

So when she tries to stop Elain from engaging with the Cauldron or the Trove, it’s not about control—it’s about falling back into that same instinct: protect Elain at all costs. It’s not healthy, no. But it’s deeply human, and it’s rooted in a lifetime of seeing herself as the only barrier between Elain and the ugliness of the world.

And Elain isn’t innocent in this dynamic—because she let Nesta take on that role. Time and time again, she allowed Nesta to be the shield, the angry one, the wall between her and the worst of the world. She leaned into that softness because she knew someone else would do the hard, ugly protecting for her.

That doesn’t make Elain evil, but it does mean she benefited.

In A Court of Frost and Starlight, we get this moment:

“Nesta is still a part of this family.”

“Is she?” Elain sawed deep into the next loaf. “She certainly doesn’t act like it.”

Elain doesn’t say that with concern. She doesn’t ask why Nesta’s withdrawn or what pain she might be in. She doesn’t express fear for her sister. She frames Nesta’s pain as rejection of them, and then immediately distances herself in return. That’s not support. That’s emotional retaliation.

And then in A Court of Silver Flames, we get this:

“She’s not getting any better. She’s not even trying.”

She wrapped her arms around herself and stared toward the distant sea.

Again, Elain doesn’t ask how she can help. She doesn’t express sorrow, or frustration rooted in love. She just makes a judgment. She assumes Nesta isn’t trying, when in reality Nesta is drowning. That’s not care—it’s condemnation, veiled in softness.

In both of these moments, Elain puts her own pain first. It’s “I feel hurt because she’s distant” rather than “she’s hurting, and that distance might be a symptom.” It’s “she’s not trying” instead of “she might not know how to try right now.”

And this is why Elain’s line in ACOSF—“you only think of what my trauma did to you”—rings hollow. Because Elain consistently thinks of what Nesta’s trauma is doing to her, and not what Nesta is actually going through.

So instead of “you only think of what my trauma did to you,” a more accurate statement would be:

“You carry guilt for the ways you think you failed me.”

Because that’s what it is. Nesta isn’t consumed by what Elain’s trauma did to her—she’s consumed by what she did, or didn’t do, that might’ve caused it. It’s guilt, not selfishness. And that distinction changes everything about how you read that scene.

And Feyre’s little line—“It is Elain’s choice, Nesta”—honestly doesn’t mean anything in the grand scheme of that scene. Because at the end of the day, Nesta still ends up doing it. Nesta is the one who gets pushed into tracking the Trove, not Elain. So Feyre’s attempt at standing up for Elain’s autonomy is performative at best.

If Feyre truly believed in respecting choices and protecting the people involved, she could’ve said something like, “You might not like this, Nesta, but Elain is going to do it—because you’re still recovering. You’re in a vulnerable place, and we’re not going to put you in danger.”

But that doesn’t happen. Because despite Feyre’s talk about choice, it’s Nesta who’s still expected to sacrifice, to endure, to suffer—even while in what is essentially rehab and battling untreated PTSD from war, death, and trauma.

And this line right here—“Elain doesn’t go near him,” Feyre said. “And you won’t let me near him?”—only cements my point.

Yes, on the surface it’s about who’s going to dance with Eris, but it reveals something deeper: Feyre will not put Elain in danger. She refuses to let Elain step into even a politically uncomfortable situation, let alone one involving risk.

That moment with Eris shows exactly what Feyre is willing to shield Elain from. It makes her earlier line—“It is Elain’s choice”—feel hollow. Because Feyre is quick to step in and say, not her.

Whether she agreed or not, Nesta was always going to be the one to look for the Trove.

[litnerdwrites]

At the bear minimum, Nesta isn’t a hypocrite about it. Besides, not even FEYRE put her personal feelings aside to look out for you. Or Nesta. She just left you with Reese’s Cup and bailed. And when she got back, her first thought was cuddling up to him, not checking on her incredibly traumatised sisters. Meanwhile Nesta put her own trauma and response to it ON HOLD for you. And even back in ACOWAR, I feel like she was ungrateful and dismissive towards Nesta and what she did for Elain.

And again, second hand trauma is a thing. It’s likely what Elain went through was traumatising to Nesta too.

elain going “you only thought about how my trauma affected YOU >:(” to nesta and feyre takes me the fuck out because A) girl you did not give a flying fuck about nesta’s AT ALL, B) your trauma did in fact affect nesta because she was your 24/7 caretaker and C) circling back to point A you were pretty snippity about how Nesta’s trauma affected YOU when she didn’t want to come over to family dinner and bake bread or whatever. like what are we even talking about here.

[litnerdwrites]

I get what you're saying, but I think that a title could save Nesta, just not as she is right now.

As you said, her issue is mental. She thinks she deserves the treatment she gets, and that she doesn't deserve kindness or a life of her own. On top of that, her life is essentially micromanaged by the IC, who have their expectations for her, and she doesn't think she could or should exist outside of those expectations. Because of that, Nesta isn't really in a position to decide if she wants to go on a hero's journey, reluctantly or otherwise. If she were to embark on that journey, in her current state, it wouldn't truly be of her of volition. It would be because the IC made her do it, and anything she gains, be it artefacts or power, would be managed by the IC and not Nesta.

If she were to gain the HL title, at this point, as you said, the best case scenario, she'd rule the land as Rhys' puppet through Cassian. Another option would be making Cassian the face of Dusk, and announced High Lord instead. That's all if Rhys doesn't just claim the land for the Night Court outright, and rule as he sees fit (especially if his High King fantasy comes true, he'd run it all anyway, for better or worse. Mostly worse.)

However, if Nesta were to develop as a character, work on her mental health and decide she may want to leave, the High Lady title would help her do that. It would give her a reason to leave the IC's supervision, and Cassian (assuming he hasn't undergone any development or introspection of his own) is so obsessed with Rhys, he may not want to go with her, unless he ordered her to. Even if he did go with her, leaving even just Velaris would be great for Nesta. It would give her the chance to reevaluate herself and her life, without interference.

Cassian, Feyre and probably Elain are the only three who want to genuinely help Nesta, but it's the others who take advantage of that desire, in order to manipulate Nesta. Cassian and her sisters think going along with Rhys and Amren's plans for her is the best way to help her, refusing to see those plans for what they are. Whereas Mor know exactly what they are, but she cares more about Nesta changing to make Feyre happy, and using her powers for their own gain (and maybe even punishing Nesta) than Nesta genuinely getting better. So even with Cassian probably being a spy for Rhys, being away from the Night Court, and seeing Nesta grow and heal on her own, truly heal, may be jus as good for him? At the very least, it could lead him to realise what his court's true intentions for Nesta are, and could lead him to developing some more critical thinking skills and growing as a person. It's not guaranteed, by any means. After all, you could hand a person every tool and secret they need to grow, and be better, but there's no guarantee they'd take it, which, in and of itself, would be an interesting character arc, and internal struggle to watch someone go through.

As for Nesta, I get what you mean about needing to scare the IC off with her powers, but would that be enough? If she were to threaten them, or their city with her powers, it wouldn't be something they let slide. At best, they place a bounty on her, and allow her to be hunted until she gives in. At worst, they just lock her in the prison. Even with her powers, if they start making deals with more monsters, label her as a threat, or otherwise put a target on her back, she'd have to stay in hiding, and there's no guarantee she'd be able to hide forever. That's not even considering people who'd want her to work for/remain in their country/court. Nesta would need some degree of political protection from, not just the IC, but the world. Because if Nesta is locked in the prison, or forced to another kingdom to be used as their weapon instead, then how does that put her in a better position than where she is now? She'd just be broken down again, only called upon to be used the way the carver was, or even in the same way the weaver was.

In which case, a title of her own would protect her that. Especially if she's smart enough to bide her time, and build dusk's strength.

In the mortal lands, Nesta calculated the number of ships needed for evacuation of humans before the war. Medieval queens rarely has duties that involve true governance. Aside from birthing heirs, they run the royal household. The manage finances, plan events, etc. While a certain degree of political knowledge was required, it was mostly for conducting themselves with other nobles, not running a country. But these skills are ones Nesta has.

She outsmarted Eris in silver flames.

She calculated the number of ships and costs of evacuating her people.

And of all three Archeron sisters, she has the most potential. Nesta's proactive and practical in a way her sisters aren't. She's the most likely to go out of her way to learn.

So, would a title help her?

Yes.

But should that title be High Queen/ Lady of any Dusk?

Not necessarily.

If she were to take and keep that title, she'd need to build Dusk from the ground up. She'd have to build a thriving country, with it's own military defence. Her powers alone aren't enough to protect her. Not for long anyway. And with the IC constantly interfering, it won't be easy. It would take centuries, and that would be time Nesta would spend with a pointless title that doesn't protect her when she's at her most vulnerable.

This is why I prefer fics and theories where Nesta becomes the lady of another court instead.

the IC are positioned as a band of heroes who love to solve the problem on their own (as seen in MAF) but went out of their way, lowered themselves for the sake of Prythian, and played along with the other courts.

Exactly.

Within an established court, with it's own foreign affairs policies, culture, reputation, military, and alliances, they would have no choice but to step back. They wouldn't be able to imprison, or hunt, or lock up Nesta because she'd have a court backing her, with established connections that they could use to protect her.

With that said, Nesta settling in another Court would bring up questions about the immigration laws of Prythian. If we assume Nesta and Elain were given legal paperwork when they came to Night, they'd probably need it to leave. But they could also request sanctuary, or refugee status, and depending on the laws, or the High Lord they approach, they may be able to do so without documents.

However, if they don't have documents, they could have them made in the court they wish to settle in, requesting permanent citizenship in the process. With her powers, Nesta would be protected in pretty much any court she settled in, assuming she maintained regular citizenship.

Would any of these courts be much different than the NC, in that the ways they might try to use her and her powers? Maybe. Maybe not. I think it would depend on which HL she approached. Which leads me back the title.

Once again, a title would protect her. Regardless of if she becomes the Lady of a Court, or a regular noble/ aid. Nesta has the skills to be the Lady of a Court, and the heart to want to help it become better. A title would give her the chance to cultivate her own political faction, and create her own connections.

Political power is something Nesta needs to protect herself. But that doesn't mean that she needs to be the ruler or leader of Dusk, or any other court. I don't think Nesta is a leader, but I do think she the heart. The one who inspires others, and nurtures those who stand at her side. She brought the Valkyries together. She inspired the priestesses. She moved the High Lords, convincing them to work together. I think Nesta's an interesting play on the trope (heart of the team), because she isn't what you'd typically expect, but she has the same affect on others.

I think a really interesting twist for her story to make is somebody else becoming the ruler of Dusk, if it absolutely must return at all. Perhaps one of the Pristesses, like Clotho, or Merrill (there was tragically little done with these characters) or maybe someone from the Hewn City. They'd have a reason to need the power of Dusk; to free their people. To see the sun. Emerie, or any other Illyrian, could become the ruler of Dusk too, for the same reasons. To create a better life for Illyrians, where they aren't little more than fodder. Or maybe it should be someone with no to Prythain after all. Meanwhile, Nesta and her Valkyries playing various roles in the court, as aids, researchers, generals, strategists, librarians, ministers, etc.

So yes. I do think a title could help Nesta. If she finds the courage to leave, to heal somewhere else, a title may be the only thing standing between her and being dragged back forcefully, with or without her powers. I don't think she fits into the reluctant hero role though. She's the heart. She's the one that inspires the hero to embark on the journey (like she did with her Valkyries) and goes along with them to help. She's the one will stand up for and protect those she loves, making sure that they have the space and ability to achieve their goals.

The reluctant hero trope is truly exhausting. Not in fiction but in the fandoms. Granted this trope has been used as a badge of honour and virtue in characters all the time, readers are forgetting that not every character needs to end with a position of power to take charge of their life. Especially when nothing, I mean NOTHING, in the character suggests they want it at any level or deserve it.

Yes, the point of the trope is for the hero to not want power, but do they even need to get to the top of the food chain? Does getting a title mean anything at least in the narrative? Katniss Everdeen is an icon in this trope. She was the face of a rebellion in her world. She didn’t want it but she needed to be and in the end, it did have an impact in her world. Bilbo Baggins definitely did not want to leave his comfortable life to start on an adventure but his journey changed his world. And ykw, they both end with no titles and are still a hero.

I am sick of seeing the High Lady of Dusk propaganda in this fandom. Nesta has no interest in politics though she is trained from a young age. She has shown no interest in the fae world either. So what, since she doesn’t want to be a queen, she deserves to be one?

Why does she need to be a queen anyway? Give me one good reason how it will affect her growth or the narrative if she gets a title? She will get to flaunt to Feyre and Rhysand? You realise SJM is writing the books and Nesta will never leave the sister she ‘owes’ her life to? A title isn’t going to fix the trainwreck that her life is, instead it will be used to manipulate her more. Now she not only owes Feyre but also everyone else because it is her responsibility, which is exactly what they did during the war.

Also, if Nesta shouldn't be with someone like Eris because it's what her dead mother would have wanted, then she wanted this for Nesta too? Wouldn't this be traumatic and triggering for her?

Besides, Nesta already falls under this trope as is. She doesn’t need a fucking title to become any more of a hero than she already is. Don’t wish to turn a character into something they are not and that will stunt their growth (unless that's what you're going for) just because you can’t think of any other possibilities. This whole propaganda proves that writers like SJM have completely brainwashed the readers into believing that empowerment only comes from a fancy title whether it means a thing or not.

[litnerdwrites]

Girl, your taste in anime is immaculate. I'd like to add a few, if you don't mind.

If you want a good laugh and maybe a bit of chaos:

The Disastrous life of Saiki K - A psychic teen wants to live an easy life, but his powers, mixed with the eccentric people in his life keep inadvertently causing varying degrees of chaos. (Might also fall into the weir brilliance category).

Sleepy princess in the demon castle - The Demon king kidnaps the princess of a magical kingdom and locks her in the dungeon. All she wants is to take a nap, and will do whatever it takes to make that happen, even if it means resorting to committing what might arguably be considered warcrimes to do it.

Kiss Him not Me - Otaku girl who loves BL suddenly becomes the object of her several classmates affections when she loses weight overnight (I normally hate the 'she's pretty now that she's lost weight' trope, but in this case, they do learn later on that they care for her because of more than her appearances), but instead of wanting to date them, she wants to ship them instead. But, although many of them started as rivals for fmc's affections, over time, they all come to value each other as friends.

Himouto umaru chan - Part time smart/popular girl, manages her time spent driving her brother mad, mentioning her high school princess status, and hiding any part of her alter ego of gamer girl/ slacker from the world.

Noragami - Human girl makes a deal with a stray god to fix her body so her soul stops slipping

Suspense/Mystery/ Maybe something scary and bit of spookiness:

The Apothecary diaries - Apothecary was kidnapped and sold into the rear palace, where the emperor's concubines reside. After using her skills to save the baby princess's life, she divides her time serving a high ranking concubine, and solving various mysteries and conspiracies within the court.

In/Spectere - A young girl names Kotoko Inwanaga agrees to become a goddess of wisdom for the spirits and other paranormal creatures of Japan. She now spends time mediating for them, solving disputes and maintaining the balance between the human and spiritual world.

Toiler Bound Hanako-Kun - A young girl named Nene Yashiro asks for help from an apparition, Hanako the ghost, to get the guy she's crushing on to notice her. When things go wrong, she finds herself working as Hanako's assistant.

School Live - Four girls live at school, unable to leave.

Bungo Stray Dogs - In a world where certain humans have supernatural abilities, an orphan boy names Atsushi joins an organisation called the armed detective agency for a sense of belonging and to escape those pursuing him.

Durarara - Mikado moves to the city for high school, after being convinced by a childhood friend. On the very first day, he sees the headless black rider, and the superhuman Shizuo Heiwajima, and takes it as a sign that he'll get all the excitement that he wanted. But he, along with both ordinary citizens and the most eccentric residents, are mixed up in the commotion of supernatural events that begin occurring throughout the city. Once again, probably could fall into weird brilliance category. Warning, it does get kind of dark at times.

The Ancient Magus Bride - Orphan Chise has the ability to see supernatural creatures, making her very special. In lieu of taking her own life, she's sold to a mage who ends up making her his apprentice instead, where she learns about the magical world, and finds friends and family in her new community.

Dr. Stone - In a world where humanity becomes stone, teen scientist, Senku, wakes up about 4000 years in the future, in the new stone age, with the goal to bring humanity and science back to the world.

Romance (some soft, others that bring out the feels):

Bloom into you - High school girls struggle with their developing relationship, while exploring and trying to figure out their own identity and sexuality.

True Beauty - High school girl learns make up to keep from being bullied, which works, until a popular new transfer student ends up accidentally seeing her without it. While trying to keep her secret, she starts to wonder if true beauty is really so skin deep.

The betrayal knows my name - Orphan named Yuki gets dragged into supernatural events, and meets a demon named Luka who's bound to serve and protect him, and learns that he's secretly part of a clan of magical warriors who're bound to protect him, and by proxy, the world.

Love Stage - The world expects Izumi to go into show biz, like the rest of his family, however, he has his heart set on becoming a manga artist. A wedding magazine he was in as a child wants to do an anniversary edition, using the original models from the shoot he was in as a child. This leads Izumi to reuine with Ryouma, who's seems to have been in love with him since the original shoot, not knowing that he was also a boy. Comedy, chaos and gay awakenings ensue.

The Saint's magic power is omnipotent - Two girls, Sei and Aira, are brought to another world by a magic spell, for the purpose of becoming their saint. Its unclear which one is the saint, but the prince, being an absolute tool, preferred Aira to sei (cause she looked nicer, I guess) and ignored Sei completely. Sei takes the situation better than most people would and builds a life for herself, as part of the institution that studies potions and medicinal herbs. A cute, golden haired knight commander seems awfully taken by her too.

These are some of my favourites, nixing the ones you already mentioned yourself.

Any anime recommendations you give me? I need a whole list of new shows too watch Good ones too

Ohhh okay I’ve just been getting back into the anime fandom lately, but yes—absolutely, I’ve got some recs for you!

For Pain, Emotion, and Top-Tier Storytelling:

• Attack on Titan – dark, political, emotional, brutal.

• Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – near-perfect story, heart-wrenching, philosophical.

• Mob Psycho 100 – incredible character writing, heart, humor, and insane animation.

• Banana Fish – prepare to cry. Seriously. A gut punch, but so worth it.

• Made in Abyss – deceptively beautiful world with deep horror and emotion.

If You Want Beautiful Animation and Aesthetic Feels:

• Violet Evergarden – every episode is a poem; bring tissues.

• Your Name / Weathering With You – both are movies, visually stunning and emotional.

• Demon Slayer – flashy, heartfelt, and the animation is unreal.

For Fun, Humor, also Angst:

• Jujutsu Kaisen – cursed energy, dark themes, hot characters, everything.

• My Hero Academia – the drama, the friendships, the angst—it’s addicting.

• Spy x Family – hilarious, wholesome, lowkey angsty, and Anya is a star.

Romance and Softness (or absolute mess):

• Horimiya – cute high school love with a twist.

• Fruits Basket (2019) – family trauma, soulmates, curses—it delivers.

• Toradora! – chaotic, emotional, and classic.

• Yuri!!! on Ice – love, ice skating, and soft boys with trauma.

Just Straight-Up Weird Brilliance:

• Paranoia Agent – psychological and bizarre, perfect for late-night brain rot.

• Erased – mystery, childhood, time travel—so well done.

• Death Parade – life, death, judgment, and existential crisis in neon lights.

[litnerdwrites]

I think Nesta would practically be a wraith by the time she's pushed to this point. No opinions, not speaking unless spoken to, refusing to fight the nc on anything, taking their insults, always with her head bowed, and pretty much a hollow shell at this point. I can picture Cassian becoming worse over the years, maybe to the point of hurting her without realising it. Going too hard on her in training or too rough in sex, and even his normal touches just becoming too rough, and ultimately leaving her black and blue all over. She tried to tell him but he doesn't give a shit, and assume it's all from training. Idk if Feyre or Elain notice, or if they think it's from training, but I think Rhys would be pleased by it regardless.

Maybe one night, after he was too rough with her during sex, she's laying there, in pain, while he's sleeping, realising that Azriel is out, and nobody expects to see Cassian until a family dinner the following evening, and as soon as the thought comes to her, she snaps and stabs him. Probably multiple times, while crying and screaming.

I don't think she'd be in any state to flee, so if she did, it would be with Gwyn. The house would get her, and she'd either walk into the murder, or the aftermath, and living in a library with trauma and abuse survivors, would immediately realise what happened. Not that she an Emerie didn't already know, given the amount of bruises Nesta got and the whole 'it was in training' 'it was an accident' excuse, plus Nesta's over all demeanour in recent years, so, needless to say, our favorite priestess was prepared. She, and maybe even some of the other Valkyries, help Nesta flee. They might send a letter to Emerie, would meet up with them later. Maybe some that were in the library chose to leave as well, because their eyes have slowly been opened by recent events and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Those that stay would ban Rhys and co from the library, and if they did leave, they'd take their tomes and research with them. Either way, I think they'd consider Nesta a martyr.

Maybe Feyre, initially, would believe that Nesta didn't do it, and that she was taken. Maybe Elain would think that too, even if the others refuse to believe it for one reason or another. I think Azriel might even be skeptical at first. At least unless there was evidence of it. But even if they did learn the truth, would they really understand? Cassian is Azriel's brother, so I doubt he'd be able to forgive her, at least entirely. Would Feyre and Elain see what Cassian was doing to her, if given the chance to see what a ghost she was. Even if they saw Gwyn's memories, or the priestesses standing by her, would they take her side?

Not that she needs forgiveness, mind you, but just as in, would he demand she be punished, or would he see what she did as justifiable? Because if it was someone else, someone they deem worthy, like a woman from Velaris or something, they'd absolutely stand by what she did as being right. But it's not. It's Cassian who was killed. It's Nesta who killed him.

The house, ngl I'm not a huge fan of, cause I think it still choses Rhysand over Nesta, but in this case, maybe it would refuse the IC entry, or even put Cassian's corpse outside so they don't have to come in.

Over all, I don't think Nesta would be able to flee without help, and even then, the circumstances had to really be in her favour for her to be able to pull it off. Unfortunately, those circumstances involve other people being ready to act where the IC wasn't, because Nesta herself would definitely, as you said, be a ghost after. I'm not sure if she'd ever be herself again.

If Nesta were to, one day, after years of being stuck with that incel, kill Cassian in a fit of hopelessness and desperation, I honestly wouldn't be shocked. In fact, I say good riddance. The only two downsides is, a) out girl would have to deal with more trauma than she already has, and b) the IC, and even her sisters would probably take the opportunity to lock her up or throw her in the prison if she doesn't escape the NC.

Honestly? If that ever happened—if Nesta snapped after years of being emotionally exhausted, manipulated, boxed in, and pushed beyond her breaking point, and she killed Cassian in a moment of pure hopelessness and desperation—I would not be shocked either. It wouldn’t be written as empowering, but it would make complete narrative sense considering how much pressure she’s constantly under, how little autonomy she’s truly given even after her “redemption,” and how no one really listens to what she wants unless it’s convenient to them.

And you’re right—the tragedy wouldn’t be the act itself, it would be everything that came after:

• The IC would absolutely turn on her—especially Rhysand, who already made it clear in ACOFS that he tolerates her existence at best. He’s not above using power to enforce his judgment, and with his temper and ego, he’d likely demand that Nesta be imprisoned or punished for disrupting his “perfect Night Court image.”

• Feyre… would be conflicted. She loves Nesta, but she also prioritizes peace, and if Rhys pushed the idea that Nesta was dangerous, Feyre might feel forced to choose between her sister and the Court. And we’ve seen how Feyre, when cornered, leans toward control and image protection, especially now as High Lady.

• Elain would probably retreat, emotionally and physically. She doesn’t like conflict, and this would be massive. And depending on whether the IC weaponized her against Nesta emotionally (which I 100% think they would), she might be kept deliberately distant.

• Mor and Amren? Likely against her. Mor, because of her loyalty to Rhys, and Amren, because she’s already shown she’s not that invested in Nesta’s well-being post-transformation.

• Azriel might hesitate. He’s one of the few who’s actually seen through the surface with Nesta, but again, his loyalty runs deep with the IC.

So what would happen?

If Nesta didn’t immediately flee, she would be treated as a public threat, not a grieving, broken person pushed past her limit. I can honestly see Rhys using it as an excuse to strip her of rights, possibly even send her to the Prison under the guise of “protecting Prythian.” Nesta would become a cautionary tale.

But if she ran—and I think she would—she’d go full ghost mode. She’s smart, resourceful, and when cornered, dangerous. She would vanish into the human lands, or somewhere beyond the courts, where no one would look. She’d build something on her own, finally free of everyone else’s expectations, but carrying that immense weight of guilt and grief. And I think that’s where true healing might actually begin—for her, and only her.

[litnerdwrites]

A Future Beyond War Starts With You 💙

My name is Naser, and war has taken everything from me—my mother, my sister, my home, and the life I once knew. In an instant, my world was shattered, leaving behind nothing but memories and the weight of loss.

But even in the darkest moments, I refuse to give up. Because amidst the pain, I still have something worth fighting for—my three younger brothers.

🔹 One dreams of becoming a doctor, to heal others so they don’t have to endure the pain we’ve faced. 🔹 Another aspires to be an engineer, hoping to one day rebuild what war has destroyed. 🔹 And the youngest? He doesn’t have big dreams yet—he just wants to be a kid again, to wake up in a home that feels safe, to play without fear.

But how do you rebuild a life when there’s nothing left to start with?

🏡 We Need a Home. We Need Education. We Need Hope. Right now, we are not just fighting for survival—we are fighting for the chance to live, to grow, to dream again. We are fighting for a future where my brothers can become the doctor, the engineer, the child who gets to have a childhood.

💙 This is where you come in. I’m not asking for much—just a chance. A chance to rebuild, to give my brothers a future beyond war.

Your support, whether through a donation or simply sharing our story, can make all the difference. Even the smallest act of kindness can create ripples of change.

🙏 Will you help us rebuild? Together, we can prove that war doesn’t get the final word—hope does. Thank you for standing with us. 💙✨

[litnerdwrites]

Hey there 🌍💙 I hope you're doing well. Today, I’m reaching out with a heartfelt request. My family is going through an incredibly difficult time, and I need your help to make our story heard. 🔄 A simple reblog of my pinned post can spread awareness. 💖 A small $5 donation could bring hope where it’s desperately needed. @nasergz Even the smallest act of kindness can create ripples of change. Your support means the world—thank you for standing with us! 🙏✨

Absolutely. Nobody is free until all of us are free. Reblog to spread awareness and if you're able, please donate.

[litnerdwrites]

Can I also add, getting into a relationship because you think you need it to be happy/feel pressured into it/ because sentient cookware told you to, has the same energy as having a child to fix a failing relationship, with the only difference being that for the former, you're not putting the burden of your relationship onto the shoulders of an innocent child, whom you only had to fix the relationship.

A relationships only enhance the state of mind and life you're already in. If you're struggling, stressed, unhappy or whatever else, adding the work required to maintain a healthy relationship (not that any of SJM's relationships are particularly healthy) may only make you happy for a short period of time, before it starts add more stress and anxiety onto your plate. That is likely to lead to resentment, and the relationship falling apart.

In Lucien's case, if he can't find sustainable happiness and fulfilment in his life without a relationship, then accepting the bond or otherwise jumping into a relationship won't fix the issue. It's more important to work through your struggles, and find a lasting form of happiness on your own terms, and then, if you still want a relationship, it just means there's happiness to share with his potential partner, rather than creating an environment where you just end up resenting each other.

This applies to Azriel too. Even if he finds his mate, or falls in love, with whoever, he won't be happy if he can't find happiness on his own first. In a less creepy way too. Also, they all need to work on themselves. A lot.

In a healthy relationship, all parties involved should, ideally, be secure and happy with themselves and their lives on their own, before deciding to share that life with another person.

gives me an ick when ppl say “mating bond is this character last hope for love” seen it mainly for lucien, others too like azriel, like no??

mating bonds are rare, but opportunities to fall in love and be happy aren’t rare

maybe the chance they haven’t fallen in love yet is before they aren’t ready too and since mating bond isn’t their choice, it doesn’t give ppl time to get it together and be ready, it forces them to peruse their mate -then it works or doesn’t

and if they are waiting for a bond well that’s not good thing bc mating bond doesn’t mean love and happiness, their mates are their own ppl with their own lives, and why should anyone not live their life, fall in love bc of a bond that is rare?

there is love beyond and after mating bonds, it’s not the last chance of love and mind u in canon mating bonds are said to an equals thing -not romantic- and to be to produce strong offspring, it’s not love, it’s not soulmates

[litnerdwrites]

Responding to the tags by @nestaians

Specifically #Cassian should be a cautionary tale, which I agree with. To add onto that, Cassian is one of many cautionary tales that tell the same story.

Real women have to live in fear because creepy men can't take 'no' for an answer. Real women live in fear that if they reject a guy, or don't go on a second date, or refuse to sleep with him, he'll come back and hurt them later. What Cassian does, even before the events of acosf, is dangerous. What Nesta has to endure is terrifying. And it's made worse when you realise that Cassian is well loved in Velaris, and even those who don't care for him can't do much given that his brother is the High Lord. Nesta's sister being the High Lady doesn't help because she, and the rest of her family, want Nesta to be with Cassian, even though they don't like Nesta very much, and have shown they value Cassian's happiness over Nesta's.

Cassian is charming enough that any rejection or boundary set by Nesta can be twisted into Nesta being cruel for the sake of being cruel because Cassian has the public favour and political power that Nesta doesn't. This isn't new either. Well liked or powerful people hiding behind power and public opinion to hurt someone without facing consequences is a tale as old as time. Even her own sisters take Cassian's side without even trying to hear Nesta out, which is probably also helped by their own narrow world view and Rhysand getting his claws into them.

Cassian's behaviour is dangerous. It's the horrifying reality of too many people and there are too many cases of it happening with nobody stepping in until it's too late and not enough people acknowledge this. He's a creep and he's dangerous and he should be locked up immediately, right along side his equally creepy brothers.

While I truly hate to break it to some people (not) even if Nesta did 'secretly have feelings for Cassian' or whatever, at any point since they met, it doesn't make Cassian's behaviour any less weird or creepy.

Cassian isn't a mind reader. Getting Rhys/Feyre to read her mind for him would make him even more of a dick. He has no way to know if Nesta secretly has feelings for him.

But most importantly, even if he did know, Nesta outwardly never expressed consent or verbalised that she had any feelings for him. In fact, every sign she gave was to leave her alone.

All of the above aside, following her home is still weird and creepy. No matter the circumstances, no matter what she feels, or what he thinks she feels, it's stalker behaviour.

It doesn't matter how hot or how big of a crush you, or Nesta, or any other person has on a guy, if that guy starts accosting you, following you home, stalking you when you go out, and showing up at your house uninvited, you'd be freaked out. Especially if you found out your sister kept trying to tell you to 'give him a chance' and that 'he's a great guy', and forcing you to family events he'd be at, then letting him follow you out the door when you keep saying no.

Cassian is a sick freak. He is an abuser and a stalker who leverages power over Nesta to break her into the woman he wants. He doesn't love her. he loves the idea of her. Nesta should've let him be incinerated by the Cauldron before it was too late for her.

[litnerdwrites]

Yes to all of this. 100% Yes!

And to add on, I think Feyre ended up getting exactly what she wanted.

She got upset about the whole 'no such thing as a high lady' thing, in a conversation she started by stating how the title of High Lady made her uncomfortable. Between this and the way she chants in her head, while opening gifts, praying that they aren't crowns, imply that the idea of having equal authority and political power upset her. However, what Feyre did want, was to paint, help rebuild after the devastation of Amarantha's reign, and not be stuck indoors all the time.

There were a couple problems with each of her desires though. Her trauma reaction prevented her from doing things she enjoyed, due to both survivors guilt and a associating red with blood. Going out was dangerous, due to her unstable powers, the instability of the court, and the risk of Hybern/others coming after her (remember that she's untrained in both magic, and fighting, still trying to become properly accustomed to her fae body and new lifestyle, and panics at the sight of anything resembling blood, which probably would include actual blood). All of these are valid concerns, but Feyre's desires a valid too. It was up to her and Tamlin to communicate, grow their relationship, and try to find solutions, alternatives, and otherwise attempt to move forward together, while supporting each other, setting healthy boundaries, and making their expectations clear. If it couldn't work out, or they weren't meshing, then they should've broken up amicably.

But this post isn't about their communication issues.

Stepping back, I think what Feyre wants is power without the responsibility or drawbacks.

She wants to have her say in politics, or matters regarding the court, when she feels like it, but refuses to acknowledge the political ramifications of marrying The High Lord of Spring, being the woman who broke Amarantha's Curse, and having the powers of all seven HLs after being resurrected by them. She wants to be Tamlin's equal in every way, but when it comes to the idea of equal political status, she expresses discomfort. She wants power equal to his, without the title. Yet, she refuses to acknowledge or even deal with or learn more about the political ramifications of her circumstances.

Feyre laments her circumstances, but doesn't make an effort to educate herself about them. She never tries to learn how to read or ask about the laws of the Spring Court. She's upset when people cite that there are rules and traditions she and they need to follow, but makes no effort to learn them in any capacity, so she might understand her situation, and take action accordingly. Instead, she shows open disdain for those rules and traditions, without properly trying to communicate her problem, leaving her looking like a toddler.

Now, Velaris is the opposite of this.

There's no danger because no one knows it exists.

There's no distance between her and the people because they've spent centuries living next door to their ruler and his inner court, and can see him regularly when he hosts those meet & greets where his people raise their issues to him.

They aren't bombarding her with their gratitude because, a) It was the spring Court that was cursed, and b) The only issues Velaris saw, from what we can tell, was no trade, meaning no spices. It's clear that the area warded was large enough to not only encompass the city, but enough farmland to feed the entire population for fifty years, otherwise having very little over all impact on their quality of life.

Velaris has been protected on the blood of Illyria and the Hewn City, facing little to no significant changes in their lifestyles as a result. Both during war, and under Amarantha.

The political climate of the Velaris is not only stable, but has no impact on other courts, nor does it draw the eye of foreign nations because, again, nobody knows it exists. Feyre can do what she wants, because there's little consequence in doing so, while in Velaris. If Feyre fucks up political matters, it isn't going to have many ramifications, because the citizens will just laugh it off and carry on with their day.

If she uses her powers, before the other HLs learn about them, she doesn't have to worry about being spied on, anyone learning about them, because it doesn't matter in Velaris. If she wants to spend time painting at a studio in town, or volunteering, there's no risk of her life being in danger, because nobody knows this city exists. If anyone is looking for her, they will probably check either The Hewn City, Illyria, or any other small towns/villiages/cities that may exist because nobody suspects that there's a secret other city.

Meanwhile, none of those factors can be applied to the Spring Court, because while there, all eyes are on her and there would be ramifications to her actions.

It makes sense Feyre becomes High Lady in Velaris, because it means nothing. It requires nothing from her. There's little weight on her shoulders, and being uneducated isn't an issue because there's nobody around to critique her or how much/little she works. To the citizens, she's more like a neighbour, and we have no evidence that any of them leave Velaris at all, so we can assume they haven't personally seen the other two thirds of their court. With that in mind, what have they got to compare her or Rhys to, given the luxury they live in.

Of course she doesn't do High Lady duties. She doesn't have any, and if she did, they wouldn't matter. It's not like they look after anywhere other than Velaris anyway.

In regards to Nesta, I agree that she isn't able to rule either, but she has the most potential. It's important to understand that when we're told that Nesta was 'raised to marry a prince', it doesn't mean she's versed in politics. At least not more than is necessary for social gatherings. Aside from birthing heirs, and possibly hosting events, a Princess or Queen would be responsible for managing the household, meaning Nesta was likely raised to do just that. When they got their wealth back, it was likely her running and managing the household, especially while her father was away.

Ultimately, Nesta's education didn't give her the skills a politition would need, she has the most potential to learn, and even without that, I still think she'd do a better job than Feyre. At the very least, she can read, and has the initiative to go learn how to do it, if she doesn't know.

doesn’t surprise me feyre doesn’t do her high lady duties and she only brings it up for her own interests bc remember how much she brought up tamlin not making her a high lady?

tamlin would have made her his lady, same duties now she is doing now except her title has “high” word in it

“tamlin never saw me as his equal” bc your not! you don’t even know the basics of fae world!

tamlin not seeing feyre his equal for position of ruling does not mean he didn’t love or value her

it’s most likely tamlin thought they had all the time in the world now and he would teach her as they’d go

and is like what’s wrong with that?? some self reflection would go a long way feyre

she isn’t educated

she knows nothing about the faes or lands

has no training in politics

has no idea how to behave at court

she knows nothing

feyre had no reason to believe she is worthy of being tamlin’s or anyone’s equal in a position of leadership over a court

all she did was free tamlin, who then killed amarantha

if she believes it should be bc of love like honey, that’s not how it works. again it shows she has no knowledge of the land, of fae and the world of power

if it was human lands and politics then it’d make sense, they don’t follow magic bound laws

does that mean kallias sees viviane, who was in charge while he was UtM, as weak? no

if feyre wants to hate tamlin for not teaching her anything like girl at first u didn’t care about it and then u were traumatised and whisked away to nc, when was he suppose to teach u??

even if we ignore magic choosing the ruler rule….

she married a high lord and got her title, but she hasn’t earned it

it would be one thing if she worked after getting it through marriage but she hasn’t. all she did was destroy a court, attack lady autumn, look down on her citizens like her mate and opened a paint studio like?? that’s not ruling

“i’m the high lady of night court, i can do as i please” but u can’t honey, that’s not how it works

it’s a title she shows off but she doesn’t do the job it requires, and i don’t see how she is respected for it- for being a high lady

feyre hasn’t earned the title of being a high lady

she hadn’t even earned a position of power or a position in a court

for nesta, i don’t believe she’s ready nor has earned a title of a ruler either, but she is educated enough to be a part of a court

nesta was meant to married for power but it’s feyre who actually did

looking back, it’s crazy how much tamlin not naming her a high lady bothered her and she did no self reflection on it

[litnerdwrites]

There's no indication that anybody from Velaris is, or has the ability to become, a soldier for the night court. The only soldiers we see are darkbriners and Illyrians. Velaris has also been warded two times over to keep it hidden (even though nobody knew it existed anyway). There's also no indication that either Illyria or THC have access to the library in Velaris, or have any similar resourced (even though they are the only places that provide the NC soldiers, and, by the IC's own admission, rife with misogyny and abuse towards woman and children).

The ones who suffered under Amarantha's reign were Illyria and the Hewn City. Exclusively. The ones who fight to protect the Night Court are Illyria and The Hewn City. Exclusively. The ones who were orphaned and widowed by war (up until Velaris was attacked in ACOMAF for the FIRST TIME IN 5000 YEARS (which we can assume was when it was built)) was Illyria and The Hewn City. Exclusively.

Velaris has no slums. The Illyrians live in tents.

Velaris was by no means poor, its people mostly cared for, the buildings and streets well kept. My sister, it seemed, had managed to find the only thing relatively close to a slum. (ACOFAS Chapter 4)

And yet my sister managed to find the seediest, most miserable taverns in Velaris (ACOFAS Chapter 12)

Rhysand talked to the 'governors of the Palaces' and getting them to refuse service to the people from the Court of Nightmares.

“Starting with meeting with the governors of the Palaces and getting them to agree never to serve, shelter, or entertain Keir or anyone from the Court of Nightmares.” (ACOWAR Chapter 27)

“They have been sending out the word to every business owner in the city,” Rhys went on, “every restaurant and shop and venue. So Keir and his ilk may come here … But they will not find it a welcoming place. Or one where they can even procure lodgings.” (ACOWAR Chapter 27)

Velaris is built and protected on the blood of others. One of the only issues that they faced were a lack spices, and probably other imports, due to stopping trade for fifty years.

“It’s just … so lovely to have such spices available again—now that … that things are better.” (ACOMAF Chapter 29)

After it was all over, and Amarantha was dead, they could have reached out to other courts, offered aid and helped rebuild. Or, at minimum, they could've offered Illyria and The Hewn City, aid. They could've helped them recover. But they didn't.

Velaris protected by the blood and sacrifices of Illyria and the Hewn City. What exactly have the IC, or the people of Velaris done in exchange? Deny them service and lodging? Did nobody contest this? At all? Did nobody, in this entire city (a place that's supposed to be the only 'good' in the Nc) ever protest? Or even ask about the conditions in either Illyria or the HC?

I know that there was something similar happening in the winter court, with Viviane protecting a small city near the border, but in that case, Viviane had to stay there to keep whatever magic shielded it strong, whereas in Velaris, the city was already a secret, and shielded, so I'm still not following why he had to shield it again. Also, the city she protected took in any outsiders that made it there, and the wards on Velaris, actively encouraged people away from the city.

And in the aftermaths, there is no reason to think that Viviane, or the people of that city didn't extend their help in rebuilding The Winter Court to others who had not been as lucky. Whereas we know for a fact that neither the IC or the people/governors of Velaris didn't extend help. Instead, they agreed to help segregate the HC residents even more.

So the argument that 'Velaris is the only good place, because the The Court of Nightmares is made of monsters and Illyrians refuse to change' is bs. At this point, the only change either should make is letting the IC, and Velaris fend for themselves during the next war. There is no reason for them to lose their loved ones and spill their own blood for the people of a city that will refuse them service and lodging just because of where they're from, at the encouragement and behest of their shared monarch.

Remind me again, how and why that stupid bat should be high king? He can't even govern his own territory.

[litnerdwrites]

Fic related Announcement

I have made the decision to migrate all of my fics to a separate blog, and keep them there, just so it's easier to find them amongst the sea of other posts. The account is @thestoryarchives so if you are just interested in fics, then follow that one, because that is where they will be stored, and updates.

During this time, I will be re-blogging my fics from this blog to the other one, redoing the masterlist, etc. Any requests pending on this blog will be published here, then reblogged there, as well, but for any more fic requests, please go to @thestoryarchives and request it there.

[litnerdwrites]

I have dead ass seen people say that 'Feyre and Elain made the best of it. Nesta took it out on everyone else.'

....

THE CAULDRON IS AN ALLEGORY FOR SA, WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'MADE THE BEST OF IT?!'

Also, wasn't Nesta SA'd or had someone attempt to SA her like four other times? Thomas, Cassian in the bonus chapter, the Kelpie, and the duke she danced with as a child (because there was no chance in hell that thirty year old creep had savoury intentions for wanting to marry fourteen year old Nesta).

Finally, Feyre and crew were responsible for it happening. Maybe you can argue that Feyre didn't think Ianthe would do what she did, but that doesn't change that Feyre told her. Also, Feyre and Rhys both let the Attor get away, knowing where they lived. Feyre and Rhys failed to protect Nesta and Elain, as they promised to do when they first agreed to help them to begin with. Then she just left them in the house, and refused to listen to Nesta when she made her discomfort clear. About Cassian, Lucien, talking to the High Lords, etc. Nesta had every right to be pissed at them.

I genuinely don't understand how people can use Feyre's experience being turned into fae and how easily she accepted the change, to judge and dictate how Nesta and Elain should've reacted to theirs.

One experienced being brought back to life through the power of the High Lords, the other two experienced an allegory for SA... there's a glaring difference.

Yes, Feyre died at the hands of Amarantha, but she spent months in Prythian as a human which helped her adapt. It's absurd to compare her experience to her sisters being taken from their house and shoved into a cauldron to change them against their will, into creatures they were taught to hate and fear since they were born, and forced to leave behind the lives they were building for themselves.

[litnerdwrites]

Euphemia fic?

New Friend- Euphemia (Part 2)

I've had so much going on, I barely have time to write. It sucks. But, I want to try and answer as many asks as I can this week, and hopefully, they'll be a new chapter of clandestine affairs out next week, followed by the first chapter of my Nesta fic. Fingers crossed!

New Friend - Platonic!Gluttony x Niece!OC, Platonic!Wrath x DaughterOC, Platonic!Emilia x DaughterOC

WC:3712

TW: Nothing but fluff. Oh, and Wrath threatening his brother, and a baby Ice dragon. This has some very mild spoilers tos. Two characters that appear here are from the book, along with those characters interacting with Gluttony, but if you want to go into it 100% blind, then I advise you not to read.

Notes: I will be using Prince Gluttony's various names interchangeably throughout the fic. So, just to be clear for those who don't care about spoilers, Gabe, Gabriellis, Gabriel, and Gluttony, are all the same person.

Masterlist Kingdom of the Wicked Masterlist

Euphemia squealed when she saw the large feathers that were presented to her. The feathers were as white as freshly fallen snow, some even compared them to angel wings. Now that the little princess thought about it, the feathers did look somewhat like her Uncle’s feathers, and he was a fallen angel. But then, so was her daddy, and all her other Uncles, and they didn’t all have white wings. Daddy’s used to be silver and gold, according to her Mama, but now they were black. And Uncle Envy’s were green! So, really, the pretty plants in the greenhouse could be the color of an angel's wings, if there were angels who had green wings like Uncle Envy.

Although she wanted to ponder the matter of wings a bit more, and perhaps start voicing her millions of questions, certain that her parents had answers for her, her attention was quickly drawn back to her gift. She felt like she knew, surely, who had sent it, and the thought of it made her giddy, with anticipation, squirming on her throne as she became anxious to touch and play with them. 

The King and Queen, however, clearly did not share their daughter’s excitement. 

Emilia merely blinked at the sight, brows furrowed in concern, but Wrath immediately narrowed his eyes on Gluttony, who met his brother’s stare with a grin. 

“Care to explain, brother,” Wrath’s knuckles went white as he gripped the arms of his throne, despite Emilia’s attempts to sooth him, “what are these for?”

He was seething, Gluttony could tell that much. He only wished to contain his rage, for the sake of his daughter. That’s not to say the princess of House Wrath feared her father’s temper, or hadn’t seen it before, in fact, the issue had little to do with his brother’s sin at all. It had more to do with how young Euphemia still was and while it was several years ago at this point, the trauma surrounding her birth, and its immediate aftermath still weighed heavy on their family. 

His sister in law most of all, and not just because she was the one going through months of pregnancy and then many long, agonising hours of labour, followed by everything else that had happened (though that was certainly part of it). The realm would forever be left to speculate what occurred the night she was born, but Gabriellis, and his brothers, all knew that if things had turned for the worst, that night, the realm itself might have fallen apart, shortly after, if not at the hands of Emilia herself.

His eyes slid to The Queen, softening as he noted her white knuckled grip on her husband’s hand, and how the other subtly twitched towards her daughter. Wrath’s grip softened beneath his wife’s touch, and he realised that, for a moment, the three of them had tumbled down the same train of thought. 

A fit of giggles from beside him is what snapped him from his thoughts. At some point, the princess had run down the dais, to her gift, and was happily chatting with Anir, who kneeled by her side, smiling gently, and seemingly telling her about the different ways she can use the feathers. Though, he doesn’t miss the pain that flashes through his eyes the moment Euphemia turned away. So he was remembering it too, then. 

“They’re a gift, brother. For Euphemia to use as she wishes.” he answers with a grin. 

“From whom?” Wrath reiterates. “They seem a bit large to be yours, and I find it difficult to believe that any of the Ice Dragons would send them to her for the sake of friendliness.” 

“Believe it or not, but that’s exactly what this is.” 

“Really? From Sil?!” Euphemia calls from beside him. 

Gluttony turned, noticing that his niece had come up to his side, and was practically jumping up and down beside him.

“Yes, little demon. He won’t admit this, but he spent a long time trying to find the perfect gift for you.” Gluttony smiles, reaching down to ruffle her silver hair as she squealed in delight.

Before Wrath could question him more, Emilia stood. Wrath and Gluttony turned to her, but she didn’t spear them a glance as she glided down the dais, towards her daughter. Anir had since returned to his post at the foot of the dais. 

The Princess squealed as Emilia brought her into her arms, but The Queen remained patient as she wrapped one arm around her thighs and the other gently patting her hair. The princess wrapped her own arms around Emilia’s neck, and her head against her shoulders. 

“Mama?” Euphemia whispered, though her voice echoed across the silent throne room. 

Emilia kissed the side of her daughter’s head, then resumed stroking her hair. 

“Yes, my little magpie?” Emilia cooed. 

“Are you okay?”  

“Yes, baby. Mama’s okay.” She kissed Euphie's cheek, then turned to Wrath, holding their daughter close. “I’m going to get her lunch. Come and find us when you’re done.” is all she told him, before walking out with Euphemia. 

_______

“- and then he let me sit on his tail tuft! It was so soft and feathery!” 

Emilia smiled softly, reaching over with a napkin to wipe the crumbs from the side of her mouth, as her daughter rambles about her ice dragon friend. The idea of her daughter coming across such a creature, while left unattended, didn’t sit well with her, but the maids who were supposed to watch her had already been severely reprimanded, and her baby was okay, thanks to Gabe, so she chose to find more… productive methods of expressing her fury instead. Typically with her husband, who had similar inclinations. 

“Ice dragons are very dangerous, my magpie. Weren’t you scared? Or cold at the very least?” She asked, as Euphemia took a bite of another cannoli. 

“Hm? Not any more than usual, when I go outside with a cloak.” Her daughter hummed around a mouth full of Cannoli, her eyes set on a stuffed Hellhound Anir had gotten her for her birthday some months back. 

“What did we say about talking with our mouth full, baby?” Emilia admonished with a chuckle. 

“Sorry!” Euphie chirped, her mouth still full with Cannoli. 

Emilia just laughed again, right as Wrath and Gluttony entered the kitchen.

“Daddy! Daddy! Look! Mama made Cannolis for snack time!” 

“You had Cannolis, and didn’t think to share some with daddy?” he asked with mock anger, scooping Euphemia into his arm and holding her on his hip. “This means war.” 

She squealed in delight, as Wrath pinched her cheeks. 

“Nuh uh! Those were my Cannoli! Yours are over there!” She pushed his hand back, pointing to a tray on the counter. 

“So they are. I suppose you got lucky today, princess.” Wrath smiled, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

Emilia laughed softly at their antics as she offered Gluttony some Cannoli as well. The prince accepts them with a nod, but doesn’t miss the flash of pain in her eyes when she turns back to her husband and daughter. Gently, he reaches around and rubs her back. The Queen’s eyes darted to him, but he didn’t meet her gaze. Instead, he smiled at his niece, as she made faces at her father, who held her over his head. 

“I know how much you trust Silvanus,” she murmured to him, “But I just- After everything- She’s my baby.” 

Gluttony glanced towards Emilia, but she’d turn back to watch Euphemia and Wrath. Her eyes never strayed from his. 

“Silvanus won’t hurt her. I’d stake my throne on it.” He repeated what he told his brother. 

Emilia sighed, and dropped her gaze to her interlocked hands, resting on the table. 

“I can’t lose her.” She whispered. 

“I know.” 

“Uncle! Uncle!” 

Gluttony turned just in time to see Wrath stand, and Euphemia ran from where he was, over to him, with her Hellhound toy clutched to her chest. He crouched on one knee, and opened his arms for her, which she gladly ran into. 

“Yes, my little demon?” 

Euphemia looked up

“Uncle Lust was telling Uncle Sloth about a party you threw last week. He said that you and Aunt danced all night.” She looked up from his chest, her mouth hidden behind the head of her toy as she did. 

Gluttony cocked his head to the side. 

“We were. Why?” 

“Why wasn’t I invited?” She huffed. “I love dancing too! I wanna dance with you as well! And with Uncle Lust, and Uncle Sloth, and Uncle Pride! I wanna dance with all of you, and drink fizzy juice. Daddy doesn’t even let me go to the parties he hosts, and he just hogs mama all night.” Gluttony frowns at her, surprised at where the conversation was going. “And wanna know the worst part?” 

“What’s the worst part, little demon?” 

“You invited my friend, but you didn’t invite me.” 

Gluttony went still. 

Silvanus had been at the party, or rather, the tail end of it. He and Adriana had gone with him to check up on some of the new hatchlings after the ball had ended. Usually, he went with his hunters, but Adraina had wanted to see them, and Silvanus had insisted on going as well. ‘To protect the lady’ is what he’d said, before letting her climb onto his back. 

“Your friend?” he asked evenly. Gluttony wanted to be sure it was Silvanus she was referring to, although he was almost certain it was. 

Euphemia nodded. 

“I know you got upset last time, but I just don’t get it. Sil was so nice, and he tried to keep me warm, and let me pet his tail feathers. He even sounded like he was scolding me when I told him I snuck out, just like daddy does.” She hugged her toy close. “I just don’t understand why you have to take my friend away. He was the first one I ever had.” 

“You have Val. She’s your friend. So are Anir, Fauna, and Alexi. Blade agreed to be your friend too, remember?” he reminded gently, as he wrapped an arm around her legs, and stood, holding her to his hips.

“It’s not the same.” 

Gluttony frowned, knowing she was right. Being ‘friends’ with her adult family members, and the people who worked for them (regardless of how close they are) was very different from growing up with your own peers. Although, he wasn’t sure that being friends with an ice dragon was any better. 

“I-” 

“Euphie,” Emilia called. Gluttony turned to his brother and sister in law, his niece still in his arms. A servant stood beside her. From what he recalled, this woman was Euphemia’s head maid, Ana. “Go with Ana and get ready. We’re going outside to meet someone. Oh, and be sure to dress warm.” 

Euphemia grinned, squirming in her uncle’s arms until he let her down, then ran off, with Ana jogging after her. 

“If anything happens to my daughter, Gabrielis, I will wipe him, and his kind off the face of the realm.” Wrath’s voice was low, and laced with a promise of bloodshed. 

Gluttony turned to his brother, not at all perturbed by the icy promise in his voice, and nodded. 

Emilia stepped forward, and placed a hand on her husband’s arm.

“You’re certain he won’t hurt her?” 

“If I thought there was any chance Silvanus was a threat in any way, I wouldn’t allow him anywhere near Adriana.”  

Emilia pressed her lips together, and searched his eyes. Eventually, she nodded at him, then left the kitchen, rose gold gown trailing after her. 

_________

Wrath and Emilia remained vigilant, as the four of them headed out to meet with Silvanus. Gluttony didn’t need the ability to sense emotions to feel his brother and sister-in-law’s anxiety, but he chose not to comment. Instead, he glanced down at Euphemia, holding his hand and chatting happily with Gluttony, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere, as she skipped at his side. 

“-Aunt Addie said it’s really just like horse riding. Is it really?” 

“Do you even know how to ride a horse, little demon?” 

Euphemia turned to her uncle, meeting his raised brow with a grin, shut-eyed grin. 

“No. But I can learn.” 

“You’ll need a horse first, dear.” he mused, “And I don’t think there’s a hell horse in the realms on which your feet would reach the stirrups.” 

“They can too! I can borrow Death! Or Tanzi!” 

“I think Uncle Gabe is right, princess. Perhaps when you’re older.” Wrath interrupts. 

“But I-”

“Why bother with horses, when dragons are clearly the superior creatures.” 

Gluttony rolled his eyes, but kept a grip on Euphemia’s hand, even as she tried to tug it loose. They had Celestia cast the spell to allow him to communicate while the princess was being wrapped up in a warm, pink cloak, lined with white fur and held together by a gold serpent brooch. 

“Yet you're both just as likely to drop her.” Gluttony reminded him. “And don’t forget to mind your manners, Sil.” 

“Sil!” Euphemia shrieked happily, as she finally pulled herself free from her uncle, and ran towards the dragon. “You came to visit!” 

“Of course, little Princess.” The dragon tilted his head to the side, watching the princess. “Is it not normal for one friend to visit another?” 

Euphemia opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a happy bleating that sounded across the yard. 

Everyone froze.

A smaller head poked out from behind Sil’s paw. The baby Ice dragon wasted no time in taking in his surroundings. He bleated happily, running back and forth between Sil’s giant paws, trying to decide where to explore first. 

“You brought Vex?” Gluttony hissed, still staring at the little creature that, unlike Sil, hadn’t gotten permission to be here.  

Vex, on the other hand, didn’t seem bothered by the tense atmosphere at all, and seemed content in its exploration of House Wrath. 

“Had I not, he’d be wreaking havoc in your palace, Prince. You named him Vexus for a reason.” Sil huffed. “Besides, he was intrigued by the concept of a ‘play date’.” 

Gluttony blinked at Sil, still processing his words. 

Play date. He brought Vex for a play date?

“This wasn’t part of the plan.” Wrath growled, eyes trained on Vex. 

“Unfortunately, Vexus derails plans as a hobby. I dare say his sense of adventure rivals my own.” 

“So I’ve heard. Adriana thinks he’s in the dragon version of terrible twos.” Emilia added, seeming tired at the very thought.

Wrath winced as he recalled how Euphemia was at that age, but his rage was forgotten for only a small moment, before he turned back to his brother.

“My daughter’s safety isn’t a joke. If he bites her-” 

An excited shriek pierced the air, followed by a thud, and the adults immediately whipped their heads to the source. Euphemia’s face lit up in a way Gluttony had never seen, as she sat in the snow, Vexus’s paws on either side of her, as he nuzzled against her. She giggled at the baby dragon, reaching up to pet the side of its head as she did. 

“You’re like my daddy’s puppies,” she smiled, Sil snorted.

Even Wrath had to snort at that one.

“I think Ice dragons are a bit more deadly than Hellhounds, lovely.” Emilia called, biting back her own chuckle. 

“Even your sister in law is wiser than you, prince.” Sil mused. 

It was only after becoming bored with the pets, that Vexus noticed Gluttony. The baby dragon’s eyes widened and it charged towards the prince. Gluttony staggered a bit when he caught him. Vex nudged his chest, and he rolled his eyes, before beginning to pet him.

“Oh, how sweet,” Emilia cooed, drawing the dragon’s attention. 

Vex cooed, and started nudging the air in her direction too. His sister-in-law giggled, and reached over to pet him, only for Wrath to grab her hand.

“Bite her, and I will mount your scaly head to my wall.” Wrath warned, then let go.

Emilia rolled her eyes and Gluttony scoffed. But the dragon paid him no mind, and cooed as Emilia began to pet it. Gently, Gluttony set Vex down, allowing him to keep nudging at Emilia’s gown, wanting more pets. He patted Wrath’s shoulder, but the demon of war remained vigilant, eyes glued to Sil, apparently having decided he was a bigger threat. 

“Is that your baby, Sil?” Euphemia asked, the older dragon that now sat with his scaly stomach pressed to the snow covered ground.

“Vexus is part of my pack, but he is not my spawn.” Silvanus explained, but gluttony can see something like sorrow flash through his iridescent eyes.

Euphemia caught it too. She raised her arms up, and made grabby hands towards him. Sil lowered his head, and allowed the princess to splay her arms across his muzzle.

“Oh, you are cold!” she squeaked. 

“Would you like me to warm the scales?” Silvanus asked, and Gluttony thought back to when the dragon asked Adriana the same question.

Euphemia shook her head. 

“Nuh uh. It’s perfect.” 

“Is it not too cold, though?” Sil asked, iridescent eyes, glued to the girl, still hugging him.

“All of Hell is cold. It’s just the climate of our home, and I still love it. If it wasn’t cold, would Ice dragons even exist? And if they did, would they be the same way they are now? Probably not. I think it’s all perfect, just as it is.”  

Silvanus let out a puff of icy air that sent a small flurry of snow towards the adults. Wrath scowled at him, keeping one hand on his dagger, the other around Emilia. 

“You are a wise child.” Sil hummed, “I’m sure you’ll grow to be a just princess.”

“That’s high praise coming from a dragon.” Euphemia giggled, then stepped back, but kept a hand on his muzzle. 

“Euphemia. What do we say when someone brings us a gift?” Emilia asked, now holding Vexus.

Silvanus’s iridescent eyes flicked between the Queen and princess.

“Oh, right.” She gasped, then took her hand back from the dragon, taking her skirt into her hand and dipping into a somewhat wobbly curtsy. “Thank you so much for your gift. I truly love it.” 

Silvanus raised his head, letting out a proud huff, accompanied by a puff of icy air. 

“I’m pleased that it’s to your liking. I took care to ensure the feathers shed were of the highest quality, fit for a princess.” 

Gluttony swore he heard Emilia giggle behind him, and even Wrath let out a huff of amusement. 

“Hey, Sil? When I’m all grown up, can I hunt with you like Uncle does?” 

Sil tilted his head.

“That is up to your family. However, should you wish to join the hunt one day, then I look forward to meeting you in battle. I’m certain you’ll be a worthy opponent.”

“Then I’ll be sure to live up to your expectations. Let’s make it a fun battle.” she grinned, happy to welcome the challenge. 

Gluttony grinned too. To those who had found Euphemia to be too timid, or sheltered, especially from her father’s rage, let her excitement for battle be proof that she was House Wrath, through and through.

___________

Emilia smiled from her spot on the blanket, and took another sip of her wine. She, Wrath and Gabriel had spent the last two and a half hours watching, as Sil lounged across the ground, allowing Euphemia and Vexus to use him as a climbing frame while they played. They hadn’t expected Silvanus’ visit to last this long. They thought their daughter would thank him, pet him, beg to go on a flight, only to be denied, and that would be that. Now, Emilia couldn’t help but want to coo over the scene.

Euphemia and Vexus were curled up in the crook of Sil’s tail, as it wrapped around the rest of his body. Gluttony had confirmed that Sil heated it enough for her to be comfortable, and Vex clearly didn’t mind, since he’d fallen asleep almost instantly. She sighed, passing her glass to Gabriel, and walked over to the dragons. 

“Thank you for looking after my daughter. And for today,” she whispered to the dragon.

“It’s been a pleasure, milady.” Sil nodded, then turned back to the freshly hunted Hell Deer that Wrath had someone bring out for him to eat. 

Though, Vex may have woken up a couple of times to steal a leg or two.

“The two of you are welcome to come back and see her, if you’d like.” 

“I should like that very much. As would Vexus. We have grown rather fond of the little demon.” 

Emilia nodded, walked over to Sil’s side. The dragon was happy to allow her up, to take Euphemia into her arms. Vexus shifted in his sleep, but settled quickly, after Emilia gave him a few gentle pets. Euphemia shifted in her mother’s arms, nuzzling her head into the crook of her neck as she gave Sil one last nod.

Wrath stood as she returned, and gently pet Euphemia’s head.

“Bed time?” He asked Emilia, who nodded.

“Thank you, Gabe. I was weary at first but this really made her day.” 

Gabriel nodded. 

“I only wish there was a more permanent fix.” Gluttony sighed, lifting the flue to his mouth. 

“There would be if you and the lady had one of your own.”

Gluttony choked on his wine, while Emilia and Wrath tried to hold back their laughter (just so they wouldn’t wake their daughter). Even Sil snorted at that.

“If you have no answer, I’ll ask the lady about it later.” Sil nodded.

“Don’t you dare!” Gluttony hissed.

“Perhaps you and Adriana should consider it, brother. I’m sure Euphemia would be excited.” Wrath added.

Gluttony groans, and Wrath grinned wider.

Emilia shook her head at the bickering, and instead turned to Euphemia. 

“I know you feel alone right now,” she whispered, “But Mama, and  daddy, and all your aunts and Uncles love you, so dearly, my little magpie.” Euphemia began to shift in her arms, so Emilia gently shushed her. “Just wait, my darling. Everything will work out. You’ll see.” 

[litnerdwrites]

I am Amina and I have four children and one of my daughters is sick and needs treatment and special care every two weeks and the price of medicine is very high its price is about (300 dollars) because of the war. I used to work as a graphic designer and now I live in Gaza and I live in this genocide that is happening now. I hope you will help me and donate and spread my campaign because you know what is happening here from famine and destruction and I hope from the bottom of my heart that you look at me with mercy and support me and I will be really grateful to you.

https://gofund.me/a422d3f0

Every little helps, even if all you can do is spread the word. The war isn't over, and there is still so much more to do. Nobody is free, until everybody is free.