#Prince Stefan

[dilatorywriting]

Heroes vs. Villains : Diasomnia [Part 3]

Gender Neutral Reader x Diasomnia vs. Prince Stefan Word Count: 3.0k

Summary: Woe to the Ramshackle Prefect, being caught up in the drama between the Disney Villains and their respective heroes. Diasomnia Version

ie. Apparently even Crowned Princes aren’t safe from being chastised by their Grandmothers. And all the while, Prince Stefan treats you to a surprisingly heartfelt monologue.

[PART 1] [PART 2] [PART 3]

Lilia herded you back into the castle with a look on his face that was not dissimilar to an aging mother who needed either a really strong bottle of wine or an even stronger exorcist.

Not long after the start of the thundering downpour, there had been a strange toll of bells. They were heavy, old. And the sour look on Malleus’s face had only shriveled up all the tighter upon hearing it. People had hurriedly begun to disperse at the sound, muttering (excitably? Nervously? You couldn’t tell) as they went. And that was when Lilia had bodily hauled you back inside, with the aforementioned aggrieved expression.

“…Is everything alright?” you asked, because you felt like it needed asking. Even if the answer was obvious.

Lilia smiled and it looked more like a civil baring of teeth. “Of course it is. Malleus is just in for a bit of a pep talk, I think.”

“From you?” you frowned, confused.

“Oh, dear me, no,” Lilia laughed. “From his grandmother.”

“His grandmother,” you repeated, and Lilia nodded. “Like, the current Queen of Briar Valley Grandmother.” Another nod.

Uh-oh.

“He’s not… in a lot of trouble or anything, is he?” you pressed, concerned.

Lilia sighed again, long suffering. “One could only hope. But, alas, she dotes on him terribly.” A pause then, as he tapped a pointed, black, nail against his chin. “And I suppose in comparison to some of his tantrums growing up, a tsunami is rather tame. He froze the entire castle one evening when his grandmother was too busy to attend dinner. Has he told you that before?”

“He what?” you gawked.

The grin playing at Lilia’s lips had softened into something begrudgingly fond. “Mmm. He was certainly an unruly toddler.”

And with that little tidbit of marginally terrifying new knowledge to tuck away, Lilia left you to your soggy devices. You managed to wring an entire bucket’s worth of water out of your jacket before deciding it was a lost cause and dumping it in the bathtub. It landed against the tile with a sad, wet, plap. You’d already gone through all the towels in your little ensuite in an attempt to mop up the mucky trail you’d left throughout the room, but you were still wet and cold.

You headed back into your bedroom, determined to just dive under the fluffy duvet and camp out until you’d stopped shivering. But then, there by the doorway was another pile of fresh towels. You picked at the top one curiously and it was warm—perfectly toasty and nearly steaming beneath your chilled fingers. The wet outlines left by your hands melted back into pleasantly dry softness nearly the very moment you’d even touched the fabric. You whipped the towel around, absolutely gob smacked yet again by the simple wonders of magic.

With your new supernatural squeegee at your side, you were dry and cozy within minutes. You weren’t sure who exactly had deposited these wonderful gifts at your door, but you thought back to Lilia and his dripping, wet-cat, misery and decided that he would probably appreciate one. And Silver. Sebek too, probably. And even then, the pile was massive. You could likely just go about handing them out to every drenched person you could find and there would still be more left. And also maybe it was kind of an excuse so that you’d have a chance to properly explore a super cool castle without Sebek breathing irritably down your neck.

So you hauled the neatly constructed tower of fluff into your arms and began your newest adventure.

Your trio of friends turned out to be very hard to find (and Malleus wasn’t even being counted in that to begin with, because if he was being sequestered off with his grandmother, that was just a lost cause). You did, however, very quicky stumble upon another familiar, damp, face huddled away in an otherwise empty corner.

“Hello,” Prince Stefan greeted cheerily, despite the fact that he looked like he’d been drowned.

“…hello,” you returned, trying not to stare too pointedly at the ever-growing puddle beneath his boots. “I didn’t realize you were staying in the castle too.”

“I’m technically a ‘special guest,’” he said, flapping his hand about lacklusterly. “Royalty, and all. So I was offered a suite here when I arrived.”

You frowned, perplexed. “Then why are you sitting in the hallway?”

“I was dripping all over the carpet,” he explained, a bit less cheerfully now. “And the bed. And, well, everything.”

“You could just change,” you sighed and moved to hand him one of the enchanted towels from your stack.

But the moment the fabric swayed into his little, personal, bubble, it darkened under an invisible spray of water and was immediately soaked through and cold. You could feel the icy slush running down your fingers to drip along the stone floor. Your eyebrows shot up your forehead and Stefan shrugged.

“See my problem?”

“Wow,” you whistled, low. This wasn’t just your average, everyday pettiness. This was advanced pettiness. At least he wasn’t frozen to the floor or something, you mused unhelpfully.

“It’s at least a little bit my fault,” he grinned, wry, and reached out to tweak one of the curling, dark, bits of thorns that you hadn’t quite managed to detangle from your hair. A drop of water fell from his finger to plunk against the tip of your nose. “Have you ever heard the story of the Sleeping Princess?” he asked and you blinked owlishly, thrown by the sudden shift in topic.

“Not since I’ve been here,” you told him honestly. Most of the fairytales from your youth back in Generic-Non-Magical-Origin-World had a, uh, slightly different tone than the one’s you’d been treated to here. And you weren’t sure just how far the hero worship of characters you’d only ever known as villains extended beyond the hallowed halls of Night Raven. “But I know the gist of it.”

“There’s all different versions out there at this point,” Stefan hummed. “And I don’t think anyone really knows how much of it is real or how much has just changed over time. But the point being…” he huffed, brow pinching a bit. “One part that stays the same no matter who’s telling it is that, at the end, the Prince and the Dragon always fight each other without fail. Sometimes the Prince wins, and a lot of times the Dragon just swallows him whole. But either way, they always fight.”

He let out a great, big, gust of a sigh and his head fell back to rest against the wall with a soft thump.

“A lot of people say that my family is descended from that Prince—from a long line of dragon slayers, and heroes. And even more people look at the Thorn Fairy, and then at the Draconia line and all their horns, and scales, and whatever… I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s not that hard to put two-and-two together, and that two-and-two adds up to ‘oh wow, our families are just destined to hate each other, aren’t they?’” he bemoaned.

“I mean,” you frowned, “it’s not like you’re actually here to try and duke it out with Malleus or anything, right? You guys don’t have to fight each other,” you said, firm. “This is real life, not a story. You can make your own choices about how you’d like to treat each other.”

“I know that,” he grumbled, dejected. “It’s just—I know that it’s taken a really long time for our Houses to be on even semi-decent terms with one another, and…” He groaned and dug the heels of his palms into his eyes. “And now I might have gone and wrecked all of that. And I’m probably going to wind up getting eaten by a dragon. And even if I live through all of that, my mother’s still going to kill me, because I wasn’t even supposed to be here to begin with! Great. What a day.”

You patted his shoulder sympathetically.

“If it helps,” you reassured, “I don’t think Tsunotarou would actually eat you.”

“Maybe,” he mused, expression scrunching in thought. “I’d probably taste terrible. It wouldn’t be worth picking me out of his teeth…” He paused, that contemplative look still tugging at his face. And then his hazel eyes shot open wide and he swiveled on you with his jaw nearly hanging off his face. “Tsunotarou?!”

“Uh,” you said, like a perfectly well-spoken and intelligent human being.

The stern line of Stefan’s mouth wobbled and then he burst out into raucous laughter. His shaking shoulders splattered droplets of rainwater all over the wall, the floor, you. After taking a long moment to nearly giggle himself into an early grave, he rose back his full height and wiped at his eyes.

“Man,” he chuckled into his palm, “I really know how to pick ‘em, huh?”

“Huh?” you echoed back, confused, and he reached out to jovially pat you on the back.

“Ignore me! But, anyways. Why don’t I escort you back to your Horned Prince now, hmm?” he offered, something bright and amused dancing in his eyes. “I bet no one’s showed you where to find the Royal Chambers, or any of the rooms they use for private audiences and stuff like that. If those bells earlier were anything to go by, that’s where he’ll be.”

.

.

Malleus was slipping out from behind a set of heavy, black, double doors just as you approached. The puckered pout on his face had relaxed into an expression that wasn’t quite solemn, but certainly quiet—thoughtful. At the very least, there wasn’t a literal storm cloud brewing over his head anymore, so you assumed he hadn’t been chewed out too terribly.

He looked up as you made your way down the hall, and the fae’s neon glare locked onto Stefan with all the subtly of a fighter jet. But he didn’t snarl or curse the two of you out of existence, so that was a good sign at least. There was only the faintest stirring of a rumble somewhere distant, and it settled back into silence quickly enough.

“Briar Prince,” Stefan called, before Malleus could speak up. The brunette ducked forward into a gentle bow, hand raised politely to his chest. “It’s good to see you’re feeling yourself again. I thought I’d do you the kindness of returning your friend to you—I know that castle halls can be tricky to navigate without a bit of assistance.”

Malleus hummed low in his throat, the skin around his eyes drawn tight with obvious suspicion. A thick, wet, trickle of rain dripped from Stefan’s fringe to plop loudly against the floor. He straightened, that familiar, bright, smile dancing across his mouth.

“And I apologize if I caused you any offense,” Stefan continued, genuine warmth suffusing the sentiment. “I can assure you, it wasn’t done with any malicious intent.”

“…Your apologies are appreciated but not entirely warranted,” Malleus responded stiffly after a moment. There was a bit of a grumpy slouch to him, like a child being forced to apologize in front of the class for pushing another kid around at recess. “I have been dutifully informed that if I expect others to meet my own expectations of a situation, then I must be more forthright about those intentions to begin with. And moreover, my reaction may have been a bit… severe.”

A driblet of wet slush fell from Stefan’s coat with an impossibly heavy splat.

“Water under the bridge,” he laughed merrily. The Prince watched, expectantly, like he was waiting for the moment that the pun would sink in. But Malleus merely blinked back at him, reptilian and slow. His smile drooped a bit before he shook himself back into joviality. “Anyways, I should go and try to dry off again. Before I ruin any more of your upholstery.”

“Do indeed,” Malleus droned. Something small and smoky sparked across his fingers almost faster than you could see, before vanishing just as quickly.

The dragon fae’s stiff-lipped glower followed Prince Stefan until he had rounded the corner and disappeared from sight—the brunette looking perhaps just a bit less drowned than he had before.

“Well,” you hummed after a minute or two of awkward silence, rocking back and forth on your heels. “If that’s all sorted, it’s still technically the Festival, isn’t it? What should we do? I’m yours for the evening.”

Malleus rested his knuckles against his chin, and looked to be deep in thought—like you’d asked him to explain the meaning of life and not just if he wanted to wander around with you looking at vendor stalls. He stood and pondered for so long that you started to grow antsy, hands twisting at your sides. You were just about to interrupt his meandering thoughts to tell him not to worry about it when his eyes slipped back open and drifted down the smooth, black, leather covering his palm. You weren’t sure what he was seeing there exactly that was so riveting, but there was a bit of a stain there—brushing up along the otherwise pristine glove and stretching just to the edges of his wrist. His brow pinched and he frowned.

“Come,” he said finally, with no other indications as to what the fuck could possibly be swirling around in his head, and offered you his arm.

You took it dutifully and followed him through the cavernous halls of his castle. It was quiet, peaceful, and you tried not to openly gape like an uncultured plebian at the endless stretches of ancient artworks, and weapons, and architecture.

“Do you recall the birthday cards I mentioned that my Grandmother has delivered to me each year?” Malleus asked as you came to a stop by a small enclave, at the end of which stood a thin, glass-framed, doorway—like something you might see in a greenhouse.

You nodded. “You said she sends you seeds with them. Roses?”

He hummed, a tiny smile quirking his lips. “Precisely.”

The fae Prince pushed open the opalescent door and your jaw nearly fell to the floor.

You’d witnessed your fair share of magical marvels at this point, but the Rose Garden beyond that threshold was a wonder that took your breath away. You could call it overgrown, but that would be an understatement—not to mention imply a level of neglect that was entirely erroneous. Each bush was flawlessly groomed and tended to, sprouting higher and wider than you were tall. The entire garden was full to bursting. An endless sea of flowers crowded the grounds, the stone walls. They crawled up dozens of intricate, black, arches and curled along the edges of neatly swept paths. It made Heartslabyul’s grandiose maze look like a mowed lawn.

“Commonfolk are always so bizarrely intrigued by the notion of creating ties to their rulers. Holidays, parties, festivals…” Malleus mused as he led you through the blooms. “My Grandmother thought it would be fitting—if there was an aspect of myself that ought to be celebrated by the masses, it may as well be my roses.” His lips curved into a pointed smirk. “I’ve been told it’s one of my more palatable interests.”

“This is amazing,” you finally managed to blubber out—terrified to touch and accidentally maim any of the crimson petals, but also desperate to reach out and try. They looked so invitingly delicate.

“I’m glad you like it,” Malleus smiled. “I do miss it terribly when we’re at school. I’ve been eager to show it to you.” He paused at the heart of the garden and glanced around with a stern sort of determination. “Each year I choose the loveliest of them to preserve—a bit of a tradition with the Festival.” His lips ticked down at the corners. “Unfortunately, the rose I selected earlier seems to… not have been long for this world.”

“Oh,” you mumbled, thinking back to the singed curtains and sea of ash climbing the foyer wall. And then—“Wait. Are you telling me that those preparations—the eight hours you were gone—you were just picking a flower?”

His mouth twisted into a pout. “There are a lot to choose from. Often the process takes days, but I was trying to hurry for your sake. I know that I don’t have as much time to spend with you as I would often like, and I would prefer to waste as little of it as I can.”

You opened your mouth to respond (with what, who even knew) and closed it again. Something warm and bubbly worked its way through your stomach and along your cheeks.

“…okay,” you squeaked after a moment, and then cleared your throat. Your ears were burning. “So you just—you need to pick another one then, right?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “And I was hoping you might assist me.”

“You said you preserve the roses you choose,” you said after a quiet moment, fighting the urge to fidget with your fingers. “Like, forever? Forever, forever?”

“As long as forever can be, I suppose,” Malleus hummed, looking entirely unbothered by the weighty concept of eternity.

“Oh,” you murmured, reaching out to trail a careful finger along one of the immaculately groomed bushes. “…I mean, that’s a bit of a tall order for a human then, isn’t it? Trying to find something good enough to keep for all time.”

Malleus turned on you then with one of those rare smiles that was small and crooked—the one that never looked quite right on his face but still managed to somehow soften the sharp, reptilian, angles of his expression into something warm. He reached out towards the rose sitting beside your curious fingers and plucked it at the stem. He leaned forward slowly, gingerly, and tucked it behind your ear with a fondness the belied dozens of things left unsaid, and dozens more that you were too flustered to even begin to consider. That little smile widened until the points of his canines were just peeking out over his lip and he hummed, content.

“I’m sure you’ll manage.”

.

.

.

TAG LIST [CLOSED]

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[veralevina15]

Каким отцом мог бы быть Радовид?

I have left english translation under the russian text

(rus) Согласн�� моему хедканону, на момент третьего ведьмака Адда беременна. Вне зависимости от концовки, на свет появляется реданский наследник Стефан, разница лишь в том, сможет ли Радовид увидеть своего долгожданного сына, или нет… Если Адда остаётся одна, то она будет воспитывать мальчика таким же сильным королем, подобно отцу. А что насчет хорошей концовки, в которой Радовид жив? Каким он будет отцом? Сам Радовид, как известно, гораздо больше времени проводил с Филиппой и Дийкстрой, нежели с родителями (что, увы, не редкость в королевских семьях, впрочем, Радовид всё равно очень сильно любил Визимира и Гедвигу), и именно первые двое во многом повлияли на короля, как личность. Оба были довольно требовательны (но Дийкстра в этом смысле гораздо более чуткий по отношению к ребёнку), поэтому Радовид, я думаю, будет строгим отцом. Но он точно не хотел бы сыну такого жестокого наставника, как Филиппа, и старался бы уделять ему больше времени, чем когда-то Визимир маленькому Раде.

(eng) Q: What kind of father could Radovid be?

According to my headcanon, Adda is pregnant at the time of The witcher 3. Regardless of the ending, the Redanian heir Stefan is born, the only difference is whether Radovid will be able to see his long-awaited son or not...If Adda is left alone, then she will raise the boy as a strong king, like his father. And what about the good ending, in which Radovid is alive? What kind of father will he be?

Radovid spent more time with Philippa and Dijkstra than with his own parents (which alas is not uncommon in royal families but, he undoubtedly loved Hedwig and Vizimir very much), and these two largely influenced the king as a person. Both were quite demanding (but Dijkstra in this sense is much more sensitive towards the child), so Radovid, I think, will be a strict father. But he certainly would not want for his son such a cruel mentor as Philippa, and would try to devote more time to him than Vizimir to little Radovid.

[wonderwomanart]

Wonder Woman by Stefan Tosheff

[princess-ibri]

Darkside Disney Princesses: Sleeping Beauty

Click for better quality

(Edited, changed the picture as I didn’t think it was as high quality as the others were, old picture under the cut)

Sleeping Beauty I decided to take a twist on the whole Maleficent movie relationship thing.

So for this AU, Briar Rose, instead of running up to her room in despair after hearing she's a princess and has to leave her whole life behind, instead runs out into the woods. And before the fairies can find her--they're still keeping their magic small to keep their location secret, not knowing its already been compromised--she runs into Maleficent.

Of course, she has no idea who the wicked fairy is. No one has ever told her about her. All she knows is that a beautiful and powerful being of the forest is before her, but Rose has never known real wickedness, and perhaps she's feeling somewhat rebellious towards her aunts, so she begins talking to the strange woman when Maleficent --who likes to play with her food-- feigna concern asks Rose to tell her what's made her so upset.

So Rose tells her about how she just found out her whole life is a lie, and how she'll never see the first boy she ever met again, and how she doesn't want to go and be princess with a king and queen she doesnt know, parents who gave her up for some reason intead of bothering to raise her themselves.

If she had had time to process her grief, and the promise of not being separated from her new found love, Rose might have been able to get over these resentments, spoken in the heat of the moment, more quickly.

But Maleficent decides that fanning the flames of he Princess's broken heart and trust, playing on her anger towards Stefan and the three fairies, could be so much more entertaining than just killing the girl outright.

So she takes Rose by the arm, and back with her to her palace, where she promises her the truth about all her questions, and the answers to how to solve all her problems...

Time passes, and the princess never arrives on her 16th birthday.

The king and queen are distraught. Relations breakdown between the human kingdom and the fairy court, as the fairies failed in their duties to guard the human girl, and they are called back into the Veil of the Fairies, leaving the mortals to fend for themselves.

Then relations break down between the human kingdoms when Prince Phillip goes missing as well, vanished into the forest, never to be seen again.

And then others begin to vanish. A farmer here, a wandering knight there. A whole group of children one moonless night. As more disappear, many more begin to flee entirely. Fields are left untilled, houses abandoned, borders undefended.

Tales soon cross the land as the refugees take flight from Stefan and Hubert's kingdoms. Tales of a dark presence that haunts the shadows of the woods, stealing away those who are foolish enough to wander beneath the trees. A fiend who takes the shape of a beautiful forest sprite, with a voice like a nightnagle. She causes all who hear it to fall under her spell, wandering into the shadows like they're walking in a dream, one from which they will never wake...

[ifreakingloveroyals]

25 April 2014 | Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge during an ANZAC Day commemorative service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are on a three-week tour of Australia and New Zealand, the first official trip overseas with their son, Prince George of Cambridge. (c) Stefan Postles/Getty Images

[dottea-time]

Blesses you with The Sun Prince

[supercap2319]

Elena: “So... Kai cast a spell on Damon and Stefan?”

Y/N: “Yeah, a fairytale spell. Now they think they’re characters of fiction and myths.”

Elena: “Is that why Damon keeps calling himself Eric and me Ariel?”

Y/N: “Yup. And Stefan thinks he’s Hercules and that I’m Megara.”

[dilatorywriting]

Was doodling a bit while watching Christmas movies - so have a Prince Stefan! Feat my Prefect and a totally not murderous Malleus scribble

[Heroes vs. Villains : Diasomnia vs. Prince Stefan]

[veralevina15]

Radovid, Adda and their little heir Stefan 🦅

In my headcanons in The Whitcher 3, Adda is pregnant. Before that, spouses could not conceive a child for about a year, but Adda and Radovid did not lose hope. The king severely punished those who dared to offend his wife and those who said that she would not be able to give birth to a healthy heir… only monster.

While Radovid was in Oxenfurt, Adda visited him on the ship. And after a while, when Adda returned to Tretogor, she found out that she is pregnant. The joyful queen sent a letter to her husband. How happy Radovid was at that moment! And so, the king returns home with a victory, and he is met by a pregnant queen. A few months later, their long-awaited son Stefan, the Eaglet of Tretogor, is born.

—————————

Радовид, Адда и их маленький наследник Стефан 🦅

В моих хедканонах в третьей части игры Адда беременна. До этого супруги около года всё никак не могли зачать ребенка, но Адда с Радовидом не теряли надежды. Король сурово наказывал тех, кто смел обижать его жену и тех, кто говорил, что она не сможет родить здорового наследника…лишь чудовище.

Пока Радовид был в Оксенфурте, Адда навестила его на корабле. А через некоторое время, когда она вернулась в Третогор, Адда узнала, что беременна. Счастливая королева направила письмо мужу. Как же Радовид был счастлив в тот миг! И вот, король с победой возвращается домой, его встречает беременная королева. Через несколько месяцев у них рождается долгожданный сын Стефан, Третогорский Орлёнок!

[descendantscharacterremake]

Modern universe: Audrey and her family. I made one version with my redesign of Audrey and one with an Audrey that looks a bit more like the actress who plays her cause my first post of her sparked some controversy.

Hope you guys like it.

[elizabeth-halime]

[wonderwomanart]

Wonder Woman by Stefan Tosheff

[princess-ibri]

SLEEPING BEAUTY PARENTS BACKSTORY

I've said a lot of this before here but i'll go over it again for the sake of the post

Stefan grew up a ward of the Fairy King and Queen, a young mortal infant they found abandoned in the woods and took under their literal wings

His caregivers during this time were the Three Good Fairies, favored handmaidens of Queen Titania

He had a happy and mostly carefree childhood, not venturing beyond the Veil of the Fairies until he reached young adulthood, when he began wandering the edges of the forests that touched on the kingdom of Perceforet

And it was during one of these excursions that he met the beautiful young princess Leah, who'd snuck away from the castle to enjoy the beauty of the woods in spring

Though Leah was initially startled by the strange young man who appeared from the forest, she soon lost her fear as she saw how kind and courteous he was, and the two began to meet frequently at the woods edge, their friendship growing into love.

Eventually though their trysts were discovered, and Stefan was taken before Leah's father, King Florestan, who demanded to know just who Stefan was who dared to court his daughter

Stefan confidently declared himself the foster son of Oberon, and though this caused the king pause, for he didn't want to risk offending the Fairy Court, he still felt Stefan wasn't a desirable suitor for Leah's hand, as he could be any commoner's son by birth

And so King Florestan declared that if Stefan wished to prove himself worthy of Leah's hand he must accept to undertake a quest--a traditional challenge that he was within his rights to give without risking offense from Stefan’s guardians--and if he succeeded then he would win Leah's hand and the throne as well, as Florestan had no sons (he wasn't the most progressive king but it was the 14th century)

Stefan agreed, and Florestan tasked him with a quest he was sure would be impossible

Somewhere within the land of Percefort there lives a devilish imp with golden hair, known for his dark bargains and darker powers. Stefan must find the imp's lair, break into it, and steal three golden hairs from the imp's head. All without being cursed and or killed by the imp of course--and he must do so before the next full moon

Stefan has heard of this being from hushed whispers in the Fairy Court. He knows how dangerous the task will be but determines to accept it anyway.

It was at this time that Stefan would meet someone who would become his lifelong friend, the King Hubert of Ulstead, and his wife Queen Isolde. Hubert had been visiting the neighboring court of Florestan and was impressed with what he saw of Stefan, and determined to help him on his quest

The two traveled together through the darkest parts of the forest, fighting savage beasts and overcoming challenges that fell in their way, searching for the lair of the golden haired imp

At last they discovered it, a strange warped place, like a canker in the darkest heart of the forest

During all this time Stefan has managed to overcome with his wits/Hubert's help, as he was told by his foster father before heading off that he would need to fulfill this quest on his own without the magical aid of hia caregivers to prove his worthiness--but now he comes to an impasse

The imp's lair is protected with deeply potent magic, and thats still only the outside. If he's even able to get in Stefan has no real idea what challenges the imp may provide

With time running out, Stefan finally resolves to try his luck with a loophole. He knows he's not meant to ask for magical aid from the Court. But he knows one person who had never truly been part of it. One person who's magics could be a match for the Imp's protections--his foster cousin Melisandre

He summoned her and explained his need, and she agreed to aid him in his quest, under the conditions that he would make her his royal sorceress once he gained the kingship after marrying Leah

(Unbeknownst to Stefan, or indeed anyone in the Fairy Court, Melisandre had long since fallen to evil and looked to become a dark influence upon the human kingdoms with this appointment)

Due to being half-demon herself, as well as very powerful, Melisandre was able to work her way through the wards of the Imp, and using her wits and wiles managed to charm him upon his discovering her. Soon enough, she had him in a state of stupor and was able to this way gain the three golden hairs without his knowledge, sneaking back to Stefan before the Imp awoke

Stefan traveled back to Perceforet and just in time presented the three hairs to Florestan, who was shocked but bound to his word, and betrothed Leah and Stefan to be wed the following fortnight 

However all was not yet well. Melisandre had long carried a grudge against her aunt the Fairy Queen Titania, and decided at last to take her vengance through harming her husband King Oberon

Taking the three hairs of the Imp, which she asked Stefan to grant her and he agreed thanks to her help, she crafted a ring which would drain the life from Oberon slowly, and had it presented through a third party to her uncle

 Stefan however, recognized the make of the ring, and linked it with his foster father's illness, but before he could raise an alarm Melisandre reminded him that she had aided him in his quest, going against the Fairy King's express wishes. If he kept his silence then none would know of his deception and Leah would remain his.

Stefan realized the truth of these words, but ultimately decided he could not stand by as his foster father faded away and the fairy court plunge into chaos

He revealed his intrigue with Melisandre and her actions taken against the crown

Titania tried to take Melisandre into custody once her betrayal was revealed , but her magic prevented her capture, and she turned upon the Fairy Queen intending to destroy her

Stefan however in his moment of integrity  proved worthy of wielding the Sword of Truth, Oberon's sword which could only be wielded by a worthy hand and turned it against Melisandre, stopping her attack and casting her from the Court

Melisandre fled, her access to the Fairy Court revoked and a new name of derision given to her, Maleficent

Oberon's life had been saved, but he was still gravely ill, and was forced to draw deeper into Faerie to recover, Titania going with him, but granting Stefan their thanks and forgiveness before they did, promising that he and his family would always remain friends of the Fairy Court

Stefan then told the truth to Florestan and Leah, but Leah refused to break the engagement, arguing that Stefan had now proved himself twice over and asserting her intention to have none but him as her husband

And so the two were wed, (though they had some trouble from the vengeful Imp keeping them from having a child for many years and the vengeance of Maleficent when they finally did) and lived happily ever after 

(Credit to Arthur Rackham for the top picture)

[lazytowncontent]

Desktop wallpaper I made of Stefán Karl as prince Herbert from Spamalot, a lot of the assets I used were taken from Pinterest but I'll try to source the originals that I can find...

Love letter picture source is unknown, but possibly from Etsy.

Bubble hearts background.

Box of hearts is from Wilton, a brand of cake decorating and bakeware products.

The rest are unknown as of now because they've been reposted so much :S

[randomnameless]

That is racist of Dheginsea. Othering the children who aren’t responsible for their parents choices and demonizing them so they have no place to go, and so those children end up with resentment to the Laguz for the way they’re othered and treat. Not to mention it wouldn’t stop Laguz from willingly being with a Beorc despite the consequences, which further leads to both sides hating the other. Of course the narrative of how both sides wrote history to say they alone are descended from the Zunanma rather than admit both are closely related sub species itself furthers the othering as well, as it means there’s no reason to view the other species as deserving to exist when they’re the Goddess chosen people.

I think Dheginsea at least meant well, but he never truly considered the idea that his actions to preserve his species at the cost of a new species(as that’s what the Branded are) caused the same problems he feared for an even smaller minority.

No pbs anon!

That's why I really really really hate the Tellius situation, it's a "divide by 0" equation where no matter what, some people will be screwed at the end.

And that's the issue!

Of course protecting a minority from being persecuted is an obvious step on a path to protect everyone - but it's the ultimate railroad dilemna where you have to choose who is going to be rolled over.

Sadly I've tried to find the chapter from which the Misaha quotes were ripped off on SF but it's not from the endgame?

It's those lines :

"Misaha: All of the apostles have borne this brand. It is our greatest secret. The senators must never know. Because of this brand, I thought that I had been born of some great sin. It plagued me always. Guilt tore at me every day as I hid my mark from my people, deceiving them constantly about my true nature. Lehran: Oh, child...how can I apologize to you? Misaha: And yet, now that I’ve met you, I understand. There is no shame in my heritage. None at all. I will not live in hiding. I will reveal to the world that I am one of the Branded. They must see there is no shame in who I am."

Misaha thinks she was born from a "great" sin because of her brand, most likely hearing the stories of Deghinsea about brandeds being "parentless" children and "sins against the goddess".

But why is Lehran apologising here?

Is he apologising because he participated in that lie, or more twisted- Lehran apologises because if Misaha has a brand and cannot pass as a beorc in Begnion, it's because of "him" for not being a beorc? Is Lehran actually apologising for being born a laguz?? For befriending Altina and getting their first kid?

Granted, when Lehran has his breakdown because of chaotic energies before making the decision to erase both Laguz and Beorcs, it goes like this :

Dheginsea: “You, who have lost your birthright?”

Misaha: “And yet, now that I’ve met you, I understand. There is no shame in my heritage. None at all.”

Ashera: “In deference to you, I will place my faith in your kind one last time.”

Altina: “You… are the gentlest soul of them all, my sweet Lehran…”

Lehran: “Why? Why did I lose my power? Why? Why was my tribe stolen? Why, why, why?”

More than 800 years later, Lehran is still "not over with" losing his powers. Lehran who is kind and gentle, but who wants to help - loses his birthright, he cannot fulfill his promise to Ashera anymore - thus cannot help - his descendant is proud to be, well, his descendant - but he cannot help/save her (as if he had the possibility anyways!) because he lost his powers - and Deghinsea who inadvertently (I think Deg had no malicious intent here) reminds him that he is powerless...

Imo, it encapsulates everything - there is nothing wrong about Laguz and Beorc accepting each other, but why the fuck Laguz lose their powers? ?

As for the lie in itself and crossbreeding...

What do you mean by "weren't taught properly"?

That's precisely the point of that lie, the truth, if taught to the world, would be unearable for both Laguz and, to a lesser extent, Beorcs. Like, telling the truth to Laguz? "Don't fuck Beorcs or you will end up losing your abilities forever" ? But for Beorcs it's just "you're free to fuck Laguz, you'll create another being with superpowers and cripple the laguz that way!"

(also, I think it is most likely taught around, there's the joke UST between Elincia and Tibarn, and Bastian cockblocks Tibarn because they remember this tale?)

Yes, each side think they are the ones who descend from the Zunama - instead of learning the truth of how they "both" descend from the Zunama, but if both sides try to return to, idk, Zunama roots and the original "we were both one" myth, well, one side loses all of its powers, while the other get away scot-free.

So, are they that "closely related" as sub-species as they are supposed to be, in one species "dies" when it breeds with the other? We know they are, as they both descend from the same "ancestor/species", but the result of the two breeding says the inverse.

Of course the lie wouldn't stop Laguz and Beorcs who like each other a lot to live together and get kids, but the Branded's sheer existence, regardless of Deghinsea's words and edicts, is something of an anathema to Laguz, as we see with Vika and Miccy's base convo :

Micaiah: You always run away from me… Did I do something to offend you? Vika: No, I’m so sorry. I can’t explain why this happens. I get so jumpy around you. There’s just… something about you. Micaiah: Oh… Vika: Oh, but please don’t be sad! It’s not you. It’s me. I get… confused… sometimes. I really admire you, and then I get a bizarre feeling, and… Micaiah: It’s all right. Sorry to bother you. Vika: …No. Wait. Micaiah: Hm? Vika: I want to overcome this. I don’t like that I feel I must avoid you for some inexplicable reason.

Why Laguz, in general, feel Branded are people "they must avoid"?

Is it because to Laguz, even subconsciously, a branded's existence means one of them "died"? Or in a more metaphysical sense, because Brandeds herald the end of the Laguz race (because if more brandeds are born, it means more laguz "die" ?)

Misaha didn't only want to end injustices and racism against the Branded, she wanted to stop racism in Begnion against Laguz (thus by proxy, against Brandeds).

In conclusion, Deginshea's lie created discriminations against Brandeds, but I think it's more nuanced than a general "to protect one race he put another under the bus".

When Soren goes :

Hate… That I could understand. This was denial. They made me feel like I wasn’t supposed to exist at all. That my simply being alive was an affront to the world.

It's painful to read, because no one should ever think they shouldn't have been born, or their mere existence is "an affront to the world".

Tibarn puts it this way, talking about "an old song" :

It is said that the goddesses forbid laguz and beorc to procreate. If a couple breaks the taboo, the punishment is dealt to the laguz parent. She or he loses the power of the laguz and becomes something that does not belong to either species.

Deghinsea created the "taboo" and the decree, but he wasn't the one who created the "punishment".

Heck, the punishment is the reason why the "taboo" was created, to reduce the number of "punished" people, but also, and maybe, to find a reason why those "punishments" are given?

The sitation becomes unbearable : we have people who are shunned hated and at times even killed for "existing", and we have people who "die"/lose their abilities/are "punished" automatically when the first people mentionned start to exist (iirc Almedha lost her powers when she became pregnant).

For what it's worth, per Nasir, both Beorcs and Laguz came to accept the concept of Deginshea's decree :

Nasir: Even so, the taboo was broken several times over the next few decades. Usually no child was conceived, but when there was, it was swiftly covered up. The parents soon learned what it meant to bear a child who possessed both laguz and beorc blood. After they learned of the consequences, none of these parents ever rejected the edict forbidding it.

Of course comes the obvious question of did anyone even thought about asking a Branded their opinion on that decree ? Miccy is part of that conversation too, and reacts when "honor killings" of brandeds are mentionned.

But afaik, we don't have Miccy's pov about that edict - after this conversation - and the game sure as hell doesn't want her to talk to Lehran (all of his convos are reserved for Sanaki!) - whose fault is it that Lehran lost his powers, thus direct line to the goddess, thus will to live? Hers because she was born (or her ancestor's)? His, for loving Altina? Whose fault is it that Brandeds are shunned? Deghinsea, who made that decree, or Laguz in general who can sense what they are and see through them the extinction of their race, or an unfair "punishment" from whoever ?

As always, with complicated questions, Ike is nowhere to be seen, but even without Ike, what would be the best solution?

Of course, stop persecuting and denying the existence of Brandeds would be a good start.

And then?

When Laguz and Beorcs will argue againt about something stupid, reject coexistence because, to Beorcs, Laguz are beings that "stop existing" as soon as they shag? And to Laguz, who will feel cosmically "cheated" because they are the only ones who receive "punishment" from miscegenation, to the point of thinking maybe Beorcs are really the superior race?

It's why Lehran's tale is so sad, he wanted coexistence but was punished for it by his very own world - why did he lose his powers?

What kind of solution can be found in a world that pushes for equality between races, but also reveals when they coexist, only one race is "punished"?

That's why I mentioned the divide by 0 equation -

The Tellius equation has no solutions.