#ROYAL WEDDING INCOMING????

[ughgoaway]

HUH???? IF THIS IS A JOKE I WILL SOB

[thought--bubble]

Things We Cannot Change

Dark Aemond X (Strong Niece Reader)

Warnings Below

Word Count: 1,938

Aemond (Canon Era) Masterlist

Full Masterlist

Banners & Dividers by @arcielee

Based on THIS request

Warnings:: Reader's hair is brown. That's the only descriptor due to the request received, Breeding kink, Targcest, Virginity Loss. Mental abuse, mentions of character deaths.

On your knees.

A place you thought you would never be, but alas here you are. On your knees looking up at the cold, cruel face of your uncle.

Once a boy you played with, read with, considered a friend. Now, he holds the life of your youngest brother in his hands. The only member of your family you have left.

"I ask you, Aemond-" He interrupts you with a cruel chuckle.

"King Aemond, my dear"

You cringe at the title. The war that ravaged both of your families put him on that throne. The thought of all you had lost made you sick.

"I ask you, your grace, to please spare my brother and I. There are so few of valyrian blood left." You keep your head bowed, your knees aching against the cold stone beneath them.

The both of you go quiet, you could still smell your mothers burning flesh, hear her screams as she was scorched and eaten alive in front of your very eyes. All for nothing, you thought. Your entire family is dead for Aemond to be the one to ascend the throne.

Your mother had been executed immediately, no court, no trial, just a woman and a dragon. Aegon II had demanded that you be executed as well, but luckily for you, he did not survive the trip back to the capital. Thus, your younger brother and you had been delivered to Aemond as traitors.

Followers of the false queen is what Aegon II had called you. Worthy of a public execution.

"On that front, we can agree bastard" He places his fingers delicately under your chin and tilts your face up towards him.

"I fear that dragon riders may become a thing that history boasts about if we are not careful in our decisions." He rubs his thumb gently across your bottom lip.

"So you and I shall marry, to preserve the bloodline," you audibly gasp at the absurd statement. You were now a mere strong bastard not fit to be queen.

"B-but your grace, I have been stripped of all royal titles. Surely I am not worthy to marry the King"

"You are not." he says curtly."But, preserving our dragon blood is of higher importance than that of courtly titles." He removes his hand from your chin and steps back, clasping his hands behind his back.

"The choice is yours, dear niece. Marry me or face the blade. If not to breed you, I have no further use of you."

You gulp audibly as your eyes begin to well. "I shall serve my duty to the realm your grace."

The betrothal was announced to the realm with mixed reactions. Some houses understand the reasoning others are very upset that a bastard would be queen and not one of their highborn daughters.

All concerns fell upon deaf ears because Aemond knew what he wanted, and he wanted you. As king, he would have exactly what he wanted.

Your life changed very little after the announcement of the betrothal. You were given chambers instead of being in the dungeons, but you were not trusted.

You were escorted everywhere you went, and the incoming title of Queen did little to garner you any respect.

Everyone knew what you were. A vessel to breed valyrian blooded babies and nothing more.

What was worse was the embarrassment.

Aemond made sure to embarrass you at any opportunity. He would have you serve him at meal times instead of servants. Pull his bath for him. Even perform his ridiculous hair care routine. All of it meant to demean you.

You had hoped that after the wedding, he would stop this disgusting showcase and allow you at least a modicum of comfort, but even in that thought, you were mistaken.

After the two of you had been escorted to your marriage chambers and left alone, Aemond ordered you to pour his wine and stand in the corner. Once again, as if you were a servant and the treatment had finally become too much for you to bare.

"I'll take the sword," you say after moments of silence have fallen between you.

"Pardon?" Aemond lifts an eyebrow and looks up at you.

"I will take the sword, i do not wish to live this way for years and years." You stand with conviction. "I ask only that you spare Aegon so that he might have children in the future."

Aemond chuckles and sips his wine. "The offer has expired, dear wife. You are mine now, to toy with as I please."

"I was kind to you!" The words almost echo throughout the room. The connotation is clear.

"You were." He simply nods and continues to look into your eyes, no clear expression on his face.

"Then why do you treat me like this? Like a-" You search your mind for the words but come up empty.

"Like a traitor? Because you are a traitor. You knew the laws of the world in which you live. You did not at any time attempt to talk my dear sister out of war, did you?" He stands up from his chair and stalks towards you.

"My sister Helaena took her own life, my nephews murdered in the cruelest of fashions." His breath is heavy as he glares at you with his one eye. "You were complicit in their deaths. How should i treat you?"

"As if I lost nothing? You killed Luke. You weren't complicit in it. You did it with your own hand!" You can feel your rage bubbling up in your chest and try to suppress it to no avail.

"You killed Rhaenys and Daemon. There is far more dragon blood on your hands than mine. " You regret the words as soon as you say them, expecting his wrath to be swift and harsh.

He clicks his tongue and looks away from you. "That may be true, but there will not be anymore dragon blood spilled by me. Least of all yours."

He walks toward you but stops when he sees you backing away from him and sighs. "There are things we can not change. The war. The losses we suffered." He continues to advance on you but moves much more slowly.

"Although I believe I can change this, your fear of me."

"I am not afraid." You attempt to sound convincing, yet the shake to your voice gives you away.

"Let me try," He says gently as he gets close enough to cup your face. "This needn't be a marriage filled with fear and hate. We are all that is left of the house of the dragon. Let us rebuild, together"

Your heart cramps in your chest at his words and soft demeanor. This is the Aemond you remember. The boy who was always gentle with you, kind. Not the monster who murdered your brother and countless others in a ruthless pursuit for the throne.

"I have known fear. I do not wish to spend the remainder of my days being the cause of yours." He presses his forehead to yours and kisses the tip of your nose.

"Will you stop? The public shaming?" A tear trickles down your cheek at the thought of continuing to live in this manner. The abuses mounting, the shame unbearable.

"Yes. twill not happen again." He takes your face in his hands and lifts until your eyes meet. "This i swear."

He gently kisses your cheek where the tears have started to fall.

"We have all shed enough tears for a thousand lifetimes." He wipes a tear from your other cheek with his thumbs. "No more."

He pulls you close to his chest, gently swaying from side to side. "Shhh." He tries to comfort you as he strokes your hair.

He very softly brings his lips to yours and whispers. "Let me be more than the monster, I implore you."

You press your lips to him in desperation. Do you love him? No.

Will you ever truly trust or forgive him? Most likely not, but you want to feel something. Anything other than the dull ache that you have carried in your chest since the day Luke died.

If Aemond was aware of your true feelings, he did not let on. He reciprocated your neediness with hungry kisses of his own before lifting you and carrying you over to the bed chamber.

"I always wanted you to be my wife," He admits between kisses. "Always"

You choose not to respond, instead pulling at his clothes. He drops you down onto the bed and rucks up your skirts. Pulling your small clothes down quickly.

"Close your eyes," He whispers huskily, kissing up your inner thigh. You comply with his demands, closing your eyes and turning your mind off. Surrendering entirely to the physical sensations you are experiencing.

He brings his hand to your heat, pushing you open before bringing his tongue down upon you. The feeling is overwhelming at first, and you can't help but cry out.

He tightly grips your thigh as he nudges his nose against your clit, running his tongue along your tight entrance. Never before have you felt something like this and as if your body is controlled by an invisible force your hips buck up towards his face.

He chuckles and grips your hips, holding you in place. "Patience my love, patience" He circles your clit with his tongue, the gentle flicking driving you to near madness.

"Oh gods," you bite your bottom lip as an unfamiliar pressure builds up in your lower stomach. "Aemond!" You clench at the bedsheets beneath you, the breath tight in your lungs as a searing fire moves throughout your entire being.

"Gods!" You arch your back as the feeling hits a peak before dropping back on the bed, your breath coming out in short huffs.

Aemond chuckles as he removes his breeches his hard cock slapping against his stomach. "Im going to fill you with my babes and everything will be better."

He moves on top of you prodding your entrance with the tip of his cock. "Hold onto me, this may hurt for just a moment" He warns, gentleness in his voice.

You head his warning, wrapping your hands around his back, as he begins to push into you, the stretch painful, not excruciatingly so but shocking nonetheless.

"eeeek," you can't help the slight screech that escapes your throat.

"Shhhh, it is alright." He comforts while he continues pushing into you until his hips meet yours.

"Are you alright?" He asks, his breathing labored.

You are ok. The pain, the fullness. It is something, and after so long of feeling nothing, the something, even if it is pain, is relieving.

He thrusts his hips against you, steadily increasing his pace. "You will be with child soon. We will be happy then, " He huffs.

You close your eyes and hold his head to you as he buries his face in your neck gently kissing at the sensitive skin there, and for the first time since the war began you feel calm.

His grip on you tightens as he buries himself to the hilt in you again. "We will be happy. we will" he grunts into your ear as the pressure once again builds up in your lower stomach.

As the two of you reach your peaks together, trembling and smiling you allow yourself to believe.

Even if just for a moment. That he is right. He is telling the truth.

That even after so much death and loss, the house of the dragon can stand tall and be happy once again.

To be added to taglists click HERE

[waitmyturtles]

(Source)

The Lower House (House of Representatives) will be hearing Thailand’s marriage equality bill at 9:30 am Bangkok time (10:30 pm Eastern for those of us in the States). The bill, if passed, would still have to be approved in Thailand’s Senate.

(Source and source)

Below the fold is Bloomberg.com's report on the happenings (source):

Bill to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage in Thailand Heads to Parliament

Bill is supported by most major parties, needs king approval

Thailand would be first in region to codify marriage equality

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat, March 26, 2024 at 2:00 PM PDT

A bill to legalize same-sex marriage could face a vote in Thailand’s parliament as early as Wednesday. If it passes, the country will be the first in Southeast Asia to establish marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples.

The House of Representatives will take up the legislation, technically an amendment to the Civil and Commercial Code, for second and third readings when it meets at 9 a.m. Lawmakers may vote later in the day.

The bill would legalize marriage for same-sex partners aged 18 and above, along with rights to inheritance, tax allowances and child adoption, among others. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s administration has made it a signature issue, and advocates say it would also burnish Thailand’s reputation as an LGBTQ-friendly tourist destination.

Taiwan and Nepal are the only places in Asia that currently recognize same-sex marriage, and recent efforts elsewhere in the region have had mixed results. Hong Kong has yet to comply with a 2023 court order to establish laws recognizing same-sex partnerships, and India’s Supreme Court refused to legalize same-sex marriage, saying it’s an issue for parliament to consider.

The Thai bill would change the composition of a marriage from “a man and a woman” to “two individuals,” and change the official legal status from “husband and wife” to “married couple.”

Thai laws have protected LGBTQ people from most kinds of discrimination since 2015, but attempts to formalize marriage rights have stalled. In 2021, the Constitutional Court upheld the law recognizing marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman. Last year, a bill to recognize same-sex civil partnerships failed to clear parliament ahead of elections.

Rights advocates have higher hopes for the bill pending now, noting that it has broad support from most of the major parties. If it passes, it will need to be approved by the Senate and endorsed by the King. Then it would be published in the Royal Gazette and take effect 120 days later.

Srettha’s government has also promised to work on a bill to recognize gender identity, and the health ministry has also proposed legalizing commercial surrogacy to allow LGBTQ couples to adopt children. Thailand is seeking to host the WorldPride events in Bangkok in 2028.

Legalizing same-sex marriage could have positive effects on tourism, which contributes about 12% to the nation’s $500 billion economy. In 2019, before the pandemic froze international tourism, LGBTQ travel and tourism to Thailand generated about $6.5 billion, or 1.2% of gross domestic product, according to industry consultant LGBT Capital.

Formal recognition could boost the reputation of a place already considered one of Asia’s best for LGBTQ visitors, said Wittaya Luangsasipong, managing director of Siam Pride, an LGBTQ-friendly travel agency in Bangkok.

“It will become a selling point for Thailand and raise our strength in the global stage,” Wittaya said. “It will create a relaxed and safe atmosphere for tourism and help attract more and more LGBTQ visitors. We could also see more weddings by LGBTQ couples, which could generate income across industries and local communities.”

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

I discovered my best friend is following ARO on Instagram. When I confronted her over this horrific betrayal, she said, “I think I like her now!” My devastation knows no bounds.

I was discussing this with my boss, a fellow royal watcher, and we decided I need to make a PowerPoint presentation, complete with citations (we are lawyers, after all), “shining a light” on MM’s numerous atrocities and proven lies over the years. I thought you would be invaluable in such a venture. Any suggestions to include would be very much appreciated!

Old ask from March 18th

Ok, so I didn't mean to sit on this one for (checks calendar) 6 MONTHS. ohhh, that's worse than I thought. Sorry, anon. Your ask got completely buried.

Anyway. I actually have been keeping a list of Meghan's lies and falsities. I don't remember when I compiled it (I feel like it might've been a 2022 thing) and I forgot I had it for a very long time. We'll probably need to crowd-source some updates to this list.

So buckle up, y'all.

Grew up an only child

Never had relationships with Sam or Tom

Grew up poor eating Sizzler buffets for splurge dinners

Didn't know who Diana was

Didn't know that Diana did Panorama interview

Lied about having a SAG card to be cast in Suits

That she was being written off Suits because she was marrying Harry

Doesn't have any family except Doria

Paid for college herself with student loans

International relations and theatre degrees from Northwestern

Merch tour of Aussie with Jess

Didn't want to serve Archie on a silver platter

Couldn't do a photo call at the hospital after Archie's birth

Wasn't in contact with Oprah

Wasn't working with UK Vogue

Lilac blazers

Couldn't wear the same color as anyone else

Could only wear neutral clothes

Wasn't dressing her child like a Victorian ghost doll

Going to get her UK citizenship

Gave up her Hollywood team

Spectacle wedding for the public

Eloped three days before with the Archbishop of Canterbury

Loves her engagement ring

Received permission from Queen to name her Lilibet

Loves Africa

Loves charity work and philanthropy

Red carpet for wedding

No tabloids in the US

All Americans have a 5am work ethic

Paparazzi chases

Plagiarism

Korean spas as a kid

Collaboration with Scobie on FF

People letter

Archewell donations and income

Family she never had

Gave up everything

IVF twins

Pregnancy announcement not at Eugenie's wedding

Loves kids

Dog too old to fly

Dog hit by car

Couldn't decorate with royal collection

Kate made Meghan cry

Warm friendly relationship with Queen

Best boss ever

She made her own banana bread

Suicidal thoughts night of Cirque du Soleil

Advised by Obamas

Children refused titles because of racism

She refuses children's titles

Pen pals with Hillary Clinton

Witnessed the LA riots

Independent grassroots journalism

Hit the ground running

5'5

worked at the embassy when she only attended a study program

Didn't know she had to curtsy to the Queen

Didn't know how to curtsy

BRF took her passport, car keys

Not allowed to go out unless just for work

Climate change/private jets

Evicted from Frogmore

Royal Family refused to help Meghan with her mental health

That Meghan was silenced

Privacy in LA

Archie was denied 24/7 protection because he wasn't a prince

Family gossip about Archie's skin color

Palace forced Meghan to take her name off Archie's birth certificate

Egg in wedding food

Not allowed to have scents in church

Meghan said the palace was locking up the birth certificate

Angela refused hair trials

Bond girl

Fire in Archie's nursery

Linked, not ranked

Archie too young to fly (summer after his birth)

Lied about her age (to work in Hollywood, narrative since corrected since marrying in)

Belly padding

Bot farms on social media

Miscarriage

Zoom calls with Cambridges during lockdown

Zoom calls with the Queen during lockdown

Flowers on Philip's casket at funeral were from Sussexes

Sussexes were invited to the Beckham wedding

Royal christening for Lili

Lili baptized

Invited to the diplomatic reception before The Queen's funeral

BFF/dog-walking buddies with Jennifer Aniston

Photoshops the children's appearances

Jimmy Fallon interview in Dec 2022

Time 100th Anniversary coverage

Bodyguard 2

she’d have 40 photographers taking pictures when she did Archie’s school run.

Sussexes declined invitation to Westminster wedding

She made the strawberry jam herself

50 jars of jam

"The Bench" was a bestseller

Visiting/staying with Oprah (Oprah was across the country at her father's bedside)

All the times she said she'd be a secret presenter at Hollywood award shows

Uvalde

Can't tailor her clothes to fit because they're from small brands/labels.

[fantasyescapes17]

Closed Doors (Part 3, Final)

Soonyoung had made peace with his station in life. A younger son of a little-known family, he was not set to inherit a fortune and had nothing to recommend him but his bright personality. Nobody expected Soonyoung to make the match of the season. But when you- a woman with ties to the royal family and riches beyond his imagination, a Duchess in your own right- seeks Soonyoung's hand in marriage, his life begins to spiral entirely out of his control.

Genre: Hoshi x female!reader. Regency!AU. Your title is the Duchess of Graham but your first name is not mentioned.

Warnings: Not even remotely historically accurate. Much like Bridgerton, this is all about the aesthetic.

Word Count: 8.1k+

Part 1 Part 2

Series Masterlist [This is not the first installment in this series- it is strongly recommended to visit the Masterlist and read the installments in order as they are all interlinked and the timeline can be confusing.]

You awoke with the morning sun shining brightly in your eyes. 

One of the maids had opened the curtains and cracked the window. There was a gentle breeze and you could hear birds chirping; the sounds and fresh smells of the countryside estate were much more pleasing than the smoke and noise of London. 

You relaxed instinctively, knowing that you were home. It was warm under the covers and you sleepily sat up in bed and blinked at the maid. 

“What time is it?” you asked her. 

“It’s a quarter to eight, Your Grace. I thought perhaps you might want to sleep in, but since the Duke was already awake…” she trailed off with a giggle. 

The drowsiness cleared and you suddenly remembered where you were. Not in your usual bedchambers, but in the bedchambers of your newly wedded husband, now the Duke of Graham. Your face grew hot as you remembered the events of the previous night. Soonyoung had surprised you many times since your first meeting, but the events of the previous night had perhaps been the most pleasurable surprise of all. 

“Do you require anything, Your Grace?” the maid asked you, concerned. “If you are in any pain…” 

You wrapped the bedsheets around you tightly and tried not to show your embarrassment. 

“No- I… just help me dress, please. Where is the Duke?” 

“In the master study downstairs, Your Grace. He has been there all morning.” 

“All morning?” 

“Yes, Your Grace. He was awake long before most of the servants had arisen.” 

You were confused but kept your questions to yourself. You allowed the maid to help you dress and then went downstairs to the master study. This had been your late father’s favourite haunt, and although it was not as large as the grand library upstairs, it was still a luxurious room where your father had conducted most of his business meetings and matters of the estate. 

The study door was slightly ajar. You could hear familiar male voices: Soonyoung, Mr. Johnson the estate manager, and one of his assistant bookkeepers.

“There are separate ledgers for the household and for the estate?” Soonyoung was saying in a slightly confused voice. “If I wanted to see a consolidated view of the overall finances-” 

Mr. Johnson spoke up. “We reconcile everything on a quarterly basis, Your Grace. Those records are kept here. I would recommend viewing them separately, however, as the household ledgers only track expenses and outgoings and we report them here as a percentage of the gross income.” 

Soonyoung sighed. There was a hint of frustration in his voice. “But that gross income is before you’ve provided for taxes?” 

“Which taxes, Your Grace? The ones payable to the duchy or the ones payable to the Crown?” the bookkeeper asked patiently. 

“Those are separate taxes?” 

You knocked gently on the study door and pushed it open. Soonyoung was sitting behind the large mahogany desk, while various ledgers and volumes were open on the table before him. He was startled when he looked up and saw you. His ears promptly turned red and he jumped to his feet. 

“Your Grace!” 

The bookkeeper and Mr. Johnson also rose to greet you. 

“Good morning, gentlemen,” you greeted them with a small smile. “Isn’t it rather early to be going through these tedious ledgers?” 

Soonyoung rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “My apologies, Your Grace. I-I asked for Mr. Johnson to come. I wanted his help to better understand the matters of the estate.” 

It was certainly unusual behaviour, but as with everything Soonyoung did, you could see his innocence and good intentions shining through. His eyes were bloodshot. If the maid was to be believed, Soonyoung had been here grappling with the ledgers since half past five in the morning. The new Duke of Graham evidently did not shy away from hard work. You felt a sudden rush of affection for this man, your husband, and his dedication to his new role. 

“Perhaps we might adjourn for breakfast?” you suggested lightly. 

Soonyoung nodded and hastily closed the ledgers before coming over to you. “Yes, yes, of course.” 

“Shall we eat in the gardens?” you asked Soonyoung, who gave you a sudden handsome smile that made your heart skip a beat. You bit your lip and turned to the other gentlemen. “Thank you for coming on the Duke’s request, Mr. Johnson. I will ask the staff to arrange breakfast for you and your assistant in the parlour.” 

Mr. Johnson nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Your Grace.” 

Soonyoung offered you his arm and you took it before leaning closer to him. It was a strange and thrilling feeling to be so near him. While there was little reason to feel shy after the events of last night, you still enjoyed the subtle contact of your hand resting on his elbow. It was an innocent gesture, but now that Soonyoung was your husband, it felt far more meaningful. 

The sight of his soft smile left a strange but pleasant feeling in your stomach. 

The servants had set out your breakfast in the garden and Soonyoung blinked, squinting in the bright morning sunlight as you both stepped outdoors. The gardens were large and beautifully maintained with flower beds, water fountains,  and artfully shaped hedges.

“This estate is even more beautiful by day,” Soonyoung  said honestly. 

You bit your lip. “Something you might have discovered sooner if you had not shut yourself in the study on your very first morning here,” you replied. 

Soonyoung looked apologetic until he noticed the soft smile on your face. You did not appear angry, so he relaxed. 

"I apologise if I worried you, Your Grace."

“I was only surprised. Was going through the estate ledgers so much more exciting than having breakfast with your wife?” 

Soonyoung flushed. "No, I only…"

You smiled at him gently. "Yes?"

"As a second son I never took an interest in matters of the estate or business in my own family. Now I find myself the Duke of a duchy with a history and genealogy that goes back hundreds of years…" Soonyoung paused and bit his lip as he looked down at his teacup with a heavy sigh. "I only hope I can be what the title requires me to be."

You felt a sudden burst of affection for the man and you reached across the table to place your hand on top of his. 

"Soonyoung."

"Yes?"

"I want you to know that you are not alone. I am genuinely grateful for the effort you are putting in," you told him honestly. 

Soonyoung smiled in relief. "Thank you, Your Grace."

"Shall we eat?"

It was a pleasant breakfast in the fresh morning air. Soonyoung seemed in awe of everything; from the breakfast spread to the perfectly maintained flower beds. Soonyoung polished off his meal enthusiastically while telling you about the childhood he spent in the countryside. 

"I'm sure our estate wasn't even a quarter of this size," he admitted. "I don't remember much about it. I was sent off to boarding school and then the Royal Naval Academy fairly young, and I spent my summer breaks in London."

You blinked at him. "But the Viscount said he first met you in Oxford?"

He coughed, looking rather embarrassed. "Yes- I attended Oxford for about a year. It was fun; I made friends but I was bottom of the class and it was quite evident by the end of the first year that I was not about to become a barrister or a doctor. I thought I had best cut my losses, and transfer to the Royal Naval Academy."

"Were you drawn to the navy by a sense of adventure?" you asked with a smile. 

Soonyoung chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "A boyish sense of adventure? I suppose so. I was certainly more motivated by the thought of defeating enemy warships than being called to the bar. I wanted to do something exciting, so I will not pretend that I was pleased to learn sailors are more likely to die from scurvy or drowning than at the edge of an enemy combatant's sword."

"Is there much sword-fighting in the Navy?"

He grinned at you sheepishly. "There was plenty in my fantasies."

You could not help but smile back at him. "It seems I must apologise, then, for depriving the Crown of a potentially heroic naval captain to defend our stormy seas."

"Considering the number of times I had to retake the lesson on using a sextant to navigate at sea, I am sure the Crown is quite grateful to you for keeping me on solid land, Your Grace," Soonyoung replied humbly. 

"Oh- I have always wanted to learn how to use a sextant," you said brightly. "It's a funny little contraption, is it not?"

Soonyoung chuckled as he sipped his tea. "Fiddly little things and awful to use. I was horrified when I went to the academy and learned that ships did not just sail blindly into the vast unknown, and marine navigation involved an overwhelming amount of mathematics and nautical charting," he admitted. 

"You expected more sword fighting?"

"I expected less calculating."

"Well," you said with a smile as you sipped your tea, "I am sorry that you are forced to do some calculating here. I noticed that you were going through the ledgers this morning. What prompted you to rise at daybreak on your first day and undertake that particularly painful task?"

Soonyoung blushed. "You will laugh if I tell you."

"Only if you say something funny."

“I- I woke at dawn and I could not sleep,” he admitted. His ears were slightly red. “I went out for a drink of water, but I wandered down the wrong hallway and found myself in what I now understand to be the ancestral gallery? It was a long hallway filled with portraits of your ancestors who all stared down at me disapprovingly from the walls. It struck me that I was responsible for continuing their legacy, and I did not relish the idea of having to face them if I hadn’t done everything in my power to uphold the glory of their duchy. I became quite anxious, so once I had escaped the gallery, I asked to meet the estate manager immediately.” 

The corner of your lips twitched noticeably. 

Soonyoung pouted at you. “You promised that you would not laugh, Your Grace!” 

“I promised no such thing,” you replied, but you could not help but let out a giggle at the thought of the poor Duke wandering around the manor at dawn. “But I will not laugh at you. I will only make one observation.” 

“That is?” 

“Many of these ancestors you saw in the portrait gallery were drunkards, gamblers, and adulterers. I assure you that there is nothing particularly grand or glorious about most of them. They were simply rich men. I do not think you shall find it incredibly difficult to outshine them, Your Grace,” you told him. “Honestly- the only prerequisite to be added to that gallery is to stay alive long enough to produce an heir that will put up your portrait once you are gone.” 

Soonyoung almost choked on his tea. “Yes- an heir, of course.” 

You bit your lip and avoided his gaze. “There is… no particular urgency on that front.” 

“Right.” 

“Shall we take a tour of the manor, then, to prevent Your Grace from losing your way and encountering more anxiety-inducing portraits?” 

Soonyoung smiled. “Yes, let’s.” 

Over the course of your first day as Soonyoung's wife, you were surprised by how pleasurable you found his company. Soonyoung was not suave or charming in the style of men like Viscount Hong, nor did he possess the bold confidence or pride that were often considered desirable among the male sex. 

No. Soonyoung was different. He was kind, he was honest, and he was humble. You had never met a man quite like him. You had never met a man that you wanted, more than anything in the world, to love and trust with all your heart. 

It was a long day but time spent with Soonyoung went by in a flash. You showed him around the manor, the gardens and the creek and told him about your family and childhood and the estate. Soonyoung listened to you intently. He hung onto your every word and although you had always been a quiet and reserved person, you found yourself speaking more than you usually did, opening up to him, and even laughing. 

Your maid, Rosie, noticed the lingering smile on your face as she helped you dress for bed later that night. 

"If I may say something, Your Grace…" Rosie began shyly as she combed through your hair. 

You blinked up at her in the mirror. "Yes?"

"We were all quite worried, Your Grace, when we heard that you had married in London so suddenly- and to a man with no fortune,  even Mr Johnson thought perhaps Your Grace was being taken advantage of…"

You looked up at her defensively. "I may be a woman but I am not an idiot, Rosie."

Rosie flushed. "Of course not, Your Grace! I see that now… I think we all understand why you married the Duke."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Well… pardon me, Your Grace, but you haven't been yourself since the late Duke passed. You've become so quiet and withdrawn and we were rather worried. But since yesterday… well, old Mrs. Minnie in the gardens was saying that she couldn't remember the last time she saw you smiling so brightly."

You pursued your lips in embarrassment. Was it so obvious, even to the servants? You had always been careful not to reveal your true feelings too much, to mask your emotions behind a practised smile. But if even the servants could see that Soonyoung had such an effect on you…

The thought was strangely both comforting and scary. 

There was a knock on your door. One of the servants opened the door and poked her head in. She seemed to be stifling a smile. 

"Your Grace? The Duke is here for you. We found him wandering the upstairs hallways."

"Of course, please let him in. Are you done, Rosie?"

Rosie released your hair with a smile. "Of course, Your Grace. Good night."

The servants left while hiding their giggles, and Soonyoung entered your room with flushed cheeks. He was holding a bottle of wine- the same bottle, you realised, that you had brought to his room the previous night and left unfinished. He glanced awkwardly at the door that the servants exited from. 

"That is the second time one of the servants caught me lost in the manor," he said, embarrassed. "I think they are all laughing at me. I had forgotten where your bedchambers were."

You smiled at him. "Shall I draw you a map?"

"I would probably lose the map as well," Soonyoung joked. He stepped closer to you and revealed the bottle in his hand. "Can I tempt you with a glass of wine before bed? We never finished this one last night."

You nodded. "Of course."

It was a strange sort of intimacy; comfortable and yet still exciting, to crawl under the covers with Soonyoung as he poured you a glass of wine. He lit a cigar with your permission. You ordinarily disliked the smell of tobacco, but oddly, you did not mind anything much when you were with Soonyoung. 

Sipping the wine, you patiently answered his questions about the estate and the dukedom. You had been handling most of the important matters yourself for many months now; particularly since your father's illness had him bedridden. 

"It must have been very difficult," Soonyoung said gently, "taking care of the estate while you were worried about your father's health."

You looked down at his fingers entwined with yours and sighed. His touch was warm and comforting. 

"It was not easy," you confessed. "I lost my mother very young and my father was all I had. I was never a very social person. Without a mother or a sister to chaperone me I… I never even spent much time in society or at balls."

Soonyoung was quiet, but you could tell that he was listening. 

"I had always felt alone, but it wasn't until my father passed that I realised how alone I really was," you continued. "He had wanted me to marry before he died but his health became worse suddenly…"

 Soonyoung squeezed your hand. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered. 

You bit your lip. You had never spoken to anyone about this before and it felt almost cathartic to confess it all to Soonyoung. 

"The day after my father died, all the vultures descended."

"Vultures?" Soonyoung asked, confused. 

"One of my father's oldest friends- a nobleman more than twice my age- proposed marriage to me before my father had even been properly buried. When I refused him, he was furious. Another came to the funeral and told me that as a lady I couldn't possibly manage the duchy and that if I signed it over to him, he would take care of it for me and give me an allowance."

Soonyoung stared at you in disbelief. 

"Monsters," he mumbled. 

Your lower lip trembled. "There were more offers… some cruder than others. I began to realise that as long as I remained unmarried, I would continue to have a painted target on my forehead. But I had nobody to trust. That was when I finally reached out to Viscount Hong."

Soonyoung blinked. "But he is happily married."

You nodded. "That made it easier to trust him. I knew the Viscount from my youth, of course, but plenty of people that I knew from my youth had since revealed themselves to be untrustworthy. Viscount Hong was the only person who did not want anything from me and genuinely treated me as a friend. That is why I could confide in him. I sought his help to find a husband."

Soonyoung finished his glass of wine and then turned to look at you- his gaze was a little unfocused and you realised that he had drunk too much of the wine. The bottle lay empty on the bedside table. 

"Wouldn't you rather have married him instead?"

Your eyes widened. "Soonyoung!"

His lower lip stuck out, almost in a pout as he leaned his head against one of the pillows lazily. His tone was contemplative. "It's hardly outrageous. Viscount Hong is rich, handsome, very charming…"

"And as you pointed out yourself, quite happily married," you protested. 

"But you must have considered it?"

You blinked down at your husband. He did not seem angry; his eyelids seemed heavy but he forced them open to look up at you. It was genuine curiosity in his eyes and you felt obligated to answer him with honesty. 

You sighed. "I will admit that I considered Viscount Hong quite handsome when we were younger- although I dare you to find a young lady in the ton, married or single, who did not feel the same way about him at some point. He is quite attractive but no, I do not think I ever seriously considered marrying him."

"Why not?"

"I am not sure we would have suited each other."

"But you thought I suited you?"

You looked down at Soonyoung. His cheek was pressed against the pillow and his face was flushed. It had been a long day; he was clearly struggling to stay awake and his voice was beginning to sound slurred. 

"I did," you replied quietly. 

"Why-why did you marry me?" he mumbled. 

You took a deep breath. Frankly, you were surprised that Soonyoung had not asked you this question much, much sooner. It had quite clearly been on his mind. Stranger yet was that you dreaded being asked this question- it forced you to confront feelings that you were not sure you were ready to face. 

"I-"

There was a soft snore from the pillow. You looked down in surprise- Soonyoung had fallen asleep. His mouth was still slightly open and his face flushed. You giggled and leaned down to kiss his soft cheek. 

"Good night, Your Grace."

—----------------------------------------------

The first few weeks of your 'honeymoon period', as many called it, with Soonyoung were perhaps some of the happiest days you had ever spent. The Graham manor (a place that had never been a source of much happiness for you, and had become a source of misery since your father's death) was suddenly lit up by Soonyoung's mere presence. 

He resolved to learn about the estate. You discovered that, despite his seeming lack of confidence, Kwon Soonyoung could do anything if he set his mind to it. There was a steely determination that seemed to overtake him when it came to matters of the estate and dukedom. 

Even Mr. Johnson, the stiff and difficult-to-please estate manager, admitted to you that he was impressed with the way Soonyoung had taken charge of the dukedom. 

"His Grace insisted upon meeting the peasants himself," Mr. Johnson told you in confidence. "I assumed it was a vanity trip; some of the noblemen like to lord their wealth before the commoners. But His Grace actually walked through the fields instead of taking his carriage and spoke to each of the peasants individually to understand their troubles."

You blinked in surprise. "Did my father ever do that?"

Mr. Johnson chuckled. "No. The late Duke would make the peasants travel up to the manor if they had complaints and to submit their taxes. It took them all day- and meant that they couldn't tend to the fields."

"This way is better, then."

"Personally, I think some distance between the common folk and nobility should be maintained," Mr. Johnson said stiffly. "Yet I cannot find it in me to fault His Grace's methods. The other day, he resolved a land dispute that some of the peasants have been having for years… I wish I had been there to see it, but I was not at the site. It seems he convinced them to come to a mutual settlement."

You blinked. "How?"

"I wish I knew. He mediated it himself- they have come to accept His Grace's authority even in such a short time."

You were surprised as well. As the Duchess, you were hardly disliked but it had been ingrained in you from a young age to keep your distance from the peasants and be and be wary of everyone and everything. 

You were respected- but Soonyoung was beloved. He had such an amiable nature that in a matter of months, almost everyone in the duchy had fallen in love with him. 

You were no  exception. 

From the peasants, to the villagers, to the servants at the manor… everyone agreed that the new Duke of Graham was nothing short of a bright ray of sunshine. 

Soonyoung's dedication to his new role as Duke did not mean that he was any less dedicated to his role as a husband. He spent his evenings solely with you. You shared long walks in the gardens and often indulged in some wine before bed. Separate bed-chambers were not uncommon among married couples of the nobility, but you and Soonyoung had never felt the need for them. 

"We shall have to return to London soon," you told him one morning over breakfast as you both perused the post. "Her Majesty has specifically asked me to join her court now that I am married, and you will need to take your place in court among the other Dukes as well…"

Soonyoung blinked at you in surprise. "Has the Queen really written to you personally?"

You bit your lip. "She has always taken a personal interest in me. My mother was quite close to the Queen; she would not have issued the decree which allowed me to keep the title otherwise. I cannot risk offending Her Majesty."

Soonyoung nodded. "Then we shall return as Her Majesty commands."

You suddenly felt anxious. "Maybe it was foolish of me, but I did not invite many Dukes and Earls to our wedding. At least not the vultures. They are certainly upset at my decision not to marry any of them, and I am worried they may be unpleasant upon our return-"

Soonyoung reached across the table and placed his hand on yours gently. 

"It will be fine. We will handle it together."

You smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you, Soonyoung."

"When do we leave?"

"In two days."

—----------------------------------------------------

You were miserable as the carriage approached your London manor and you felt the familiar thickness of the city air. 

The court, the ton, and the intricate politics and pettiness of elite society had never been to your taste. You were by no means bad at it. Putting on a fake smile and pandering to society was a skill you had mastered early on in life, but it gave you almost no pleasure. 

You would have stayed at the estate with Soonyoung forever, if only it was possible. 

"Your Grace!" the butler greeted you politely as you stepped into the familiar luxurious manor and the servants rushed to carry your belongings inside. You turned- but the butler was addressing your husband. "There are a number of letters here for you."

Soonyoung took them and frowned as he rifled. 

"Letters already?" you wondered. 

"I wrote ahead to some of my friends that I was returning to London," Soonyoung admitted shyly. "Mr. Kim wishes to know when I will come by the gentleman's club for a game of cards. Viscount and Viscountess Hong have invited us to a dinner party on Saturday. And this is from… who is the Duke of Kent?"

You winced. "A disgusting old fellow."

"He invites me to join him on a hunting trip tomorrow with some other gentlemen," Soonyoung replied. He looked at you sheepishly. "I… am not particularly good at hunting."

You waved a hand dismissively. "Neither is the Duke of Kent."

"I suppose I should accept his invitation then. Perhaps Mr. Yoon will give me some tips about using a shotgun beforehand…" Soonyoung muttered thoughtfully, as he walked away to find an ink and pen to answer the invitations. 

You felt a strange anxiety in the pit of your stomach. 

"Soonyoung…"

He paused. "Yes, dear?"

"I know I have said this before, but some of these Dukes can be very unpleasant and manipulative, and I…" you trailed off, not sure how to explain yourself. 

You were worried for him. You were worried at the thought of your kind, caring husband alone with those manipulative noblemen who had decades of experience in the art of politics and under-handedness. Soonyoung's expression softened as he came back to you and leaned down to place a soft kiss on your forehead. 

"Do not worry, Your Grace," he said gently. 

"I will not be able to join you hunting, I am required to meet with the Queen tomorrow," you reminded him. 

"As you must."

Soonyoung seemed more confident. Perhaps his success at managing the duchy and popularity with the peasants had left him feeling more comfortable about his position as a Duke. Yet, you could not help but feel that your husband was about to be thrown in the lion's den unprepared. 

You had supper together before going to bed. As was common, the enormous London manor had separate bedrooms for the Duke and Duchess but Soonyoung always found his way to your bedroom after dark. On your first night in London, he arrived much later than usual, after you had already settled under the covers. 

"I got lost," Soonyoung mumbled to you in apology as he blew out your candle and slid under the covers beside you. His arm wrapped around your waist as you giggled. 

"Lost, again?"

He huffed, pressing his cheek to your shoulder. "This is my first night at the London manor. It took me over a month to find my way around the manor at the estate. Now I must acquaint myself with a completely new building full of winding corridors."

You giggled. "I'll have the butler draw you a map in the morning. Good night, Your Grace."

"Good night."

—-----------------------------------------------------------

Soonyoung left for his hunting trip at dawn and you had to leave soon afterwards for your engagement with the Queen. Her Majesty received you warmly in her tea parlour with some of the other ladies-in-waiting, and her sharp eyes scanned you as soon as you had taken your seat. 

"You look different, Duchess," the Queen told you bluntly. 

You bowed politely. "Do I, Your Majesty?"

"Yes. Marriage suits you. I can't be the first person to have told you this. I have seen excellent young ladies destroyed by entering into the wrong marriage, and it pleases me to see that this does not seem to be the case with you. Tell me; are you happy?"

You bit your lip and nodded. "I am, Your Majesty."

"We could have found you a Prince, you know."

You smiled at her graciously. "I am very grateful, Your Majesty. But I have a responsibility to my dukedom and my title- I could not abandon my family heritage to become a Princess."

The Queen nodded and sipped her tea. One of the other court ladies- the Countess Harrison- took the opportunity to speak. 

"Our dear Duchess is, as always, thinking about responsibilities that are not hers to bear," the Countess Harrison said with a titter. "Perhaps it is time you left your dukedom to the men and learned something from the other ladies about womanly responsibilities."

You sighed. You had long learned to pick your battles carefully with the court ladies. 

"And what are these womanly responsibilities, Countess?" you wondered. 

The Countess giggled. "Why, of course; bearing sons to continue the noble bloodline! Surely your family will not petition Her Majesty again to allow you to pass the title onto someone else, simply because you did not bear enough sons?"

"Enough sons?" you asked. You were not taking her conversation seriously at all- frankly, you were more interested in the lemon cakes being served than anything the Countess had to say. 

"But of course! You must have enough sons. Children sometimes die prematurely, it is an unfortunate reality."

You stirred some sugar into your tea. "So fear of your children dying is the reason your husband has sired so many bastards? If little Jonathan should die of fever, then at least your maid's bastard son can take over the Earldom. The continuation of the noble Harrison bloodline may depend upon it," you remarked coolly. 

The Countess flushed a furious shade of red. Some of the other court ladies giggled. They were no friends of yours, but they also did not have much loyalty to each other. 

The Queen looked at you with a friendly twinkle in her eye. 

"Now, now, Duchess. We are all delighted to see you happily married, but you must not be so mean to our Countess here," the Queen said lightly. Her tone was playful. 

"My apologies, Your Majesty," you said half-heartedly.

The Queen rose. "I wish to step outside onto the balcony. Accompany me, Duchess."

It was a statement and one that silenced the other court ladies immediately. The Queen had never been shy about the fact that you were her favourite court lady. Your mother had been her close personal friend, and despite their best efforts, none of the other court ladies had been able to wriggle their way into the Queen's good books quite like your family. 

You offered your arm to the Queen, who led you outside to the balcony and called for her snuffbox. Then she turned to you with a raised eyebrow. 

"Do you remember what I told you when you arrived in London a few months ago- after your father's death?" the Queen asked. 

You bit your lip. "Of course, Your Majesty. You told me that as a Duchess, nothing could come before my duty to the title and my dukedom, and that I would have to make my decisions carefully."

The Queen nodded. "Do you think it was sound advice?"

"I do, Your Majesty."

"Have you followed it?" 

You hesitated and the Queen's sharp eyes did not miss the look on your face. She glanced back at the parlour where the court ladies were still having tea and then raised an eyebrow at you. 

"I-I have tried, Your Majesty," you replied. 

"Then you should have no problem telling me why you chose to put your entire family's legacy in the hands of a poor second son without a penny to his name."

You swallowed. 

"Well?" the Queen asked. "Can you?"

"... I cannot."

—-------------------------------------------------------

You were drained of energy by the time you returned to the manor. The butler informed you that your husband had still not returned from his hunting trip, and that he had sent word for you to have supper without him.

You ate and went to bed but somehow, you could not sleep alone. You had become too used to Soonyoung's warm body against yours. He always tucked you in close to him with an arm around you and his soft and steady breathing was what helped you sleep. Without him, the room was too silent. 

You waited for Soonyoung to return, but the clock struck midnight and he was still not back. You wrapped a robe around yourself and went downstairs. 

The butler ran to you."Do you require anything, Your Grace-"

"Had the Duke still not returned from the hunting trip?" you demanded. 

The butler looked confused. 

"His Grace returned a few hours ago. He was tired and went straight to his bedchambers."

You blinked and nodded before dismissing the butler. Perhaps Soonyoung was too tired to risk getting lost in the manor in search of your room, and had gone to sleep in his own bedchambers. You went back upstairs and hurried to the bedchamber that you knew to be your husband’s. 

You knocked on the door. "Soonyoung?"

There was no response. You turned the handle. 

It was locked. 

An unsettling feeling came across you. You could not think of why Soonyoung would lock the door to his bedchamber. You often had to remind him even to just close the door- he had a careless habit of leaving doors completely ajar. 

There were footsteps on the stairs. Some of the servants were awake, and you decided to return to your own bedchambers instead of causing a scene.

—----------------------------------------------------

You awoke to find Soonyoung had already left the manor. The butler informed you that the Duke had gone to visit his friends Mr. Kim Mingyu and Mr. Lee Seokmin, and would be back in time to accompany you to the dinner party at Viscount Hong's. 

You tried not to read too much into it. Soonyoung had lived in London for a long time, and his friends were undoubtedly eager to meet him upon his return. 

You wondered if you would have had an easier time making friends if it had not been for your title. 

You kept yourself occupied for most of the day with your correspondence and answering invitations that flooded in from members of the ton who had learned you were back in London. The social season was drawing to a close and there were plenty of balls and events crammed into the next week. You could not possibly attend them all, nor did you wish to. 

Soonyoung finally returned in the evening. The carriage waited outside to take you both to the Viscount's home, and you smiled in relief at the sight of your husband. 

"Soonyoung!" you greeted him warmly. "I did not see you last night. How did the hunting trip go?"

Soonyoung grimaced as he helped you into the carriage. "I couldn't shoot anything," he told you honestly. "But neither did the Duke of Kent so at least I was not the worst hunter there. The Viscount shot a rather plump pheasant."

"Viscount Hong was there?"

"Yes, thankfully," Soonyoung muttered. You eyed your husband anxiously as the carriage took off. He was quiet, but it was not entirely unusual for Soonyoung to sometimes be more quiet and withdrawn. He often did it when he was focusing, or thinking deeply about something. 

"Did you enjoy your morning with Mr. Kim and Mr. Lee?" you asked lightly. 

Soonyoung nodded. "Oh-yes."

"What did you do?"

"We only played cards and talked about how they've been during the last few months. I didn't bet much money on the cards," he added quickly. 

You blinked, confused. "I am not worried about you gambling, Soonyoung."

He flushed. "Yes- of course."

The carriage arrived at the Viscount's grand manor and you both descended. Soonyoung offered you his arm and you took it. 

The Viscount and Viscountess were waiting to greet you at the entrance. Viscount Hong smiled, while his wife embraced you and congratulated you and Soonyoung warmly on your marriage. They guided you to the drawing room where about ten or eleven other guests were already gathered. You saw the Earl Harrison, the Duke of Kent and some of the other unpleasant old noblemen along with their wives. 

"Perhaps we should have looked more closely at the guest list before accepting this particular invitation," you mumbled to your husband. Soonyoung did not smile or agree with you. His expression was grim and he seemed uncomfortable. .

"Ah; the new Duke and Duchess of Graham!" the Earl Harrison greeted you loudly. You forced a smile. He was a disgusting man with a reputation for sleeping with his servants, and you had no respect for him. 

"Earl Harrison," you replied politely. 

"We had the pleasure of hunting with your husband just yesterday. Rather unfortunate that you did not enquire whether he could handle a shotgun before you married him!"

You felt Soonyoung stiffen beside you and gave the Earl a sharp look. 

"I did not consider proficiency with a shotgun to be one of my primary requirements in a husband, sir," you replied coolly. 

The Earl raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? Well, it leaves one to wonder…"

"Wonder what, exactly?" you demanded. 

"Why you married him, of course."

You felt a burst of irritation. You were normally much better at controlling your anger and keeping calm, but the Earl's snide remarks about Soonyoung wound you up more than they should have. Your jaw clenched but before you could respond, the Viscount and Viscountess inserted themselves into the conversation. 

"Earl Harrison!" the Viscountess said with a kind smile. "You must allow the Viscount to show you his new hunting rifles in the gallery. Perhaps you would be interested as well, Your Grace?"

You were furious but the Viscountess was the master of smoothing things over. She quickly ushered the gentlemen into the gallery to look at the rifles, and then took your arm and pulled you aside.

"Are you all right?" the Viscountess asked you gently. 

You nodded. "Thank you."

She sighed. "I am afraid Earl Harrison forcefully wrested an invitation to tonight's dinner from Joshua yesterday. I did not want to invite him at all, especially after I heard what he was  saying about you and the Duke during the hunting trip."

You stiffened. "What has he been saying about myself and the Duke?"

The Viscountess looked upset. "Nothing of any substance, only some nasty remarks about why you might have married the Duke. It's all baseless, really, everyone knows that-"

"Has he been saying these things in front of the Duke?"

The Viscountess bit her lip. "I do not know."

"I want to know what he is saying."

She sighed. "I am really not sure that you do…"

The Viscountess was a lovely woman, and the last thing you wanted was to create a scene in her home. But you were angry; you needed to know what this foolish Earl was running his mouth about. You had tolerated his insults long enough, and you would not allow him to insult your husband as well. 

You went into the gallery where a number of gentlemen were gathered looking at the Viscount's new hunting rifles. Earl Harrison was standing a short distance away and talking to the Duke of Kent. He made no attempt to even lower his voice. 

"-women have too much power these days, I tell you. Outrageous that the Duchess should have been given a title at all. That calculating wench knew that if she married one of us, she would be put in her rightful place immediately. So what does she do? Marries a poor man without connections or a fortune so that she can control him like a puppet!"

The Duke of Kent laughed. "Naturally, naturally. She wanted a young man she could keep under her thumb. The poor Duke does not realise she is emasculating him entirely. Pathetic excuse for a man."

You saw red. 

How dare they? How dare these disgusting men stand there and say these vile things about you and your husband in public? Had they said similar things within earshot of Soonyoung?The thought made your blood boil 

"Would you like to repeat that so that I can be sure what you are saying?" you demanded loudly. 

The room fell silent. All conversation ceased. 

Soonyoung and the Viscount Hong were standing a few feet away, and you saw your husband watching you with wide eyes. 

"W-what?" Earl Harrison sputtered. 

"I asked if you would like to repeat yourself," you said coldly. "Surely I must have misheard you. Surely you could not have been standing here and openly insulting the Duke and Duchess of Graham, who outrank you in every possible way. That would be a very foolish thing to do, don't you agree?"

The Duke of Kent smiled abominably. "My dear Duchess, you must not go into hysterics-"

"Then perhaps your and the Earl should avoid giving me reason to go into hysterics, Your Grace. Or have you forgotten who is the Queen's close confidante? Who receives letters and invitations to tea from Her Majesty personally? Allow me to refresh your memory, Earl Harrison. It is certainly not you or your stupid wife."

The Earl paled. "I have never had a woman dare to speak to me this way-'

"You do not want to make an enemy of me, Earl Harrison. I will not waste my time with backhanded gossip and failed petitions to the Crown. One word from me can persuade Her Majesty to strip you of your entire title and estate in a heartbeat. I will undo your generations-long lineage in an instant. Do not test me."

The Duke of Kent frowned. "That is quite enough!"

"I agree," you replied sharply. "I have had quite enough. My husband is a hundred times the man you will ever be, and the next time you worry about anyone being emasculated, you would do well to remember that a woman is in charge of the Crown and your life."

Soonyoung was staring at you with wide eyes,  as you walked over to him and took his arm. 

"We are leaving," you said firmly. The rest of the room watched in stunned silence. "I apologise for the intrusion, Viscount and Viscountess Hong. Thank you for your hospitality."

You took your husband's arm and walked out. 

—----------------------------------------------

Soonyoung said nothing in the carriage ride home. 

You could not speak either; the adrenaline was still pumping in your veins. You had never addressed anyone in that manner, much less an Earl and a Duke. They had said worse things about you in the past, you were sure, and it had not made you angry. But the idea of them saying these things about Soonyoung made your blood boil. 

"Perhaps we should go to bed early," Soonyoung mumbled as he left straight for his bedchambers. You had never seen him look so tired and withdrawn. 

You followed him upstairs to his bedchamber and called out to him just as he was about to slip inside and close the door behind him. 

"Soonyoung, wait."

"I'm tired-"

"Please don't close the door."

There was a long pause and he finally opened the door again, allowing you inside. You took a deep breath and entered, sitting on the edge of his bed as you thought about what to say to him. Soonyoung stood patiently near the door and watched you for a long moment before finally speaking. 

"It's all right," he said quietly. "You don't need to worry, Your Grace."

You blinked at him. "What?"

"I knew this was a marriage of convenience. You were always honest with me. I would be a fool if I resented you for it just because some Earl said it aloud. I knew perfectly well what this marriage was when I agreed to it."

Your heart dropped. 

"Soonyoung, no-"

"I know you were in a difficult position, and you needed to marry someone who would not dare to exercise power over you or the dukedom. It is a rational decision to make."

Your throat felt tight. 

"Don't call it that-"

"I am saying it is perfectly understandable and rational-"

"But it's not!" you cried. You rose and stood in front of him, grabbing his cold hands. For some reason you suddenly, desperately needed Soonyoung to understand what you were telling him. "Rational?  Choosing you was not a rational decision, Soonyoung. Far from it; it was possibly the least rational thing I have ever done in my life."

Soonyoung's hands were limp in yours but his dark eyes flashed. 

"What do you mean?" he asked. 

You took a deep breath and looked up at your husband. You had not expected to open up to him, or to reveal your vulnerabilities to him tonight, but it was now or never. 

"It was an impulse, pure impulse. I was so tired of always doing the right thing, the expected thing. If I was being rational then I would have married a Baron or a Lord. Heaven knows there are plenty of them to be had."

Soonyoung was quiet. "Why didn't you?'

"The night we met- at the ball when we danced- I know it was only a few moments but  you made me smile. I felt happy with you. For the first time in my life, I felt something that wasn’t just duty or obligation or responsibility. I felt like this nightmare of a life might be bearable if I could share it with someone like you," you confessed quietly. 

Soonyoung's expression had softened and his dark eyes looked down at you with a sudden gentleness and vulnerability. 

"But we hardly knew each other-"

"Which is why it wasn't a rational or calculated decision. The decision to marry you wasn't made for the good of the dukedom or the title. I made it for the most selfish of reasons- my own happiness. It was worse than irrational. It was a rebellion against everything my father expected from me."

Soonyoung's lower lip trembled. "You must have regretted it, then."

"I thought I might," you admitted shakily. "For the first few weeks after I proposed to you, I was terrified that I was making a mistake. But Soonyoung… you never gave me a single chance to regret it. At every turn, you only showed me, over and over again, that I made the right choice."

"Do you mean that?"

You lifted your hand to cup his cheek. 

"I love you," you told him firmly and honestly. 

Soonyoung kissed you. It was a soft, gentle, loving kiss and you wrapped your arms around his neck as he pulled you into his warm embrace. You gasped against his lips and he slowly pulled back and pressed his forehead against yours. 

"I love you too," he whispered. 

Your heart swelled with happiness. "Do you mean it?" you asked him softly. "Just moments ago, you were calling this a marriage of convenience-"

Soonyoung's lips curved into a smile as he cupped your cheeks. 

"Because I thought you felt that way. How could I not love you? You are a divine angel that came into my life. Some days I wake up and look at you beside me and think that I must be in some kind of dream, because I don't know what I did to deserve your love and trust."

Your lower lip trembled. "That's not true-"

"It is. I love you."

You wrapped your arms around his neck tightly and buried your face into his shoulders. Soonyoung embraced you and you breathed in your husband's warm, familiar scent.

"Then don't ever close that door again."”

"I won't," he promised. "I won't."

—------------------------------------------------------

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Meghans deep shame of being lower class by u/EleFacCafele

Meghan’s deep shame of being lower class One of Meghan’s issues that is rarely discussed is her deep shame of being born in a lower class and her desperate attempt to erase any record of her being of a lower class. Her father, Thomas was a financially successful working-class man but he remained all his life a glorified blue collar. Dorito was socially underclass, with her lack of education, lack of work ethic, absence of any moral value, income generation by criminal activities (drug dealings, scams, using sex to get men, etc) and parasitic way of life by using and then discarding people.When the financially stable Thomas put Meghan in an good middle-class Catholic school, Meghan became of the social differences between her, daughter of a single blue collar and the middle-class, normal family girls. She attached herself to Ninaki Priddy, very middle-class. She felt deeply ashamed of the low social status of her parents and family and, to compensate, she became obsessed to become a Queen, a Princess, someone really at the top of the social hierarchy. All her obsession with Diana is the desire to become an upper class, billionaire, aristocratic princes because she was deeply ashamed of her very low status at birth.Having learned from her mother all the ways of the underclass (don’t give milk for free), she decided to apply her methods of acquiring status and wealth by any means (legit or not), while in parallel erasing her lower class status and inventing an upper-middle class upbringing. Getting a degree was the first step. Erasing her biracial origin and pretending she was a highly cultured Caucasian on CVs came next. Then the Tig blog where she made believe she was a high maintenance, upper middle-class actress with sophisticated luxury tastes. As some actress do, she allegedly used high end prostitution to survive (yachting, Soho house hostess, etc.) while hunting for a rich man. Started to behave as a mean Diva, ruthless, demanding, impossible to satisfy person, as that was her was vision about rich powerful people. She covered all with her curated image of a refined higher-class woman, chasing well-off men (Trevor, Cory then Hapless) in her desperate drive to climb socially and erase her past and background. She then discarded everyone who was of no use, or had stories about her past.When she finally arrived, marrying a blood prince from the most prestigious Royal Family, she desperately tried to hid her low-class mixed race background and shady past. She manipulated her father to stop giving her away, uninvited her entire family (bar her underclass mama to play the Rcard) at the wedding, invited famous people she never knew personally. etc. Later she enlisted her husband and others in "slaying dragons", aka erasing all information that does not fit the image she wants to project aka of an upper class woman (Duchess) with impeccable past, doing philanthropy and being successful financially and socially.Then she run away, as she could not adapt to the World she wanted so desperately to belong. The façade started to crumble, real upper class people saw her imposture, and the Royal Family gave her the boot when her malignant Diva behaviours became unbearable. Her descent from royalty into the world of wannabe celebrity was really fast, just of few years.Her entire pathologically narcissistic behaviour originates from the deep shame of being a lower-class mixed-race woman. Just an explanation, not an excuse. post link: https://ift.tt/hH29ayv author: EleFacCafele submitted: December 26, 2023 at 10:07AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

[vaxxymachina]

Warm Beginnings

In a long forgotten village in the warm sandy desert of eastern Marquet, back in 742PD, a young desert gnome and her forest gnome husband found themselves giving birth to a small and sickly son.

With the help of neighbours and their local temple to The Dawnfather, they nursed their son back to health and did all they could to care for him.

Scanlan Shorthalt was loved by all who met him, his large smile infectious from a young age.

However, it wasn't all smiles and joy at home - for Vicou, Scanlan's dad and a struggling bard, was starting to feel suffocated and had turned to drink in order to hang on.

Meanwhile Juniper, Scanlan's mother and a beloved teacher at the local primary school, found herself being the primary income of the small family.

Scanlan didn't know why his father was so distant towards him or his mother, even trying to learn how to play the flute to impress Vicou and gain his attention, but to no avail.

By his eighth birthday, Scanlan had come to learn that he and his father would never be close.

The relationship between his parents had all but evaporated, his father missing most nights and his mother gone all day as she went on two work two jobs to support her growing child.

He still had happy moments, mostly with his friends or on his mother's rare days off, but things changed when one day his father left and never came back - leaving no letter and taking every last penny.

Scanlan remembers watching his mother sob, clutching a framed painting of her and Vicou on their wedding day.

Things got difficult, Juniper taking on a third job and leaving Scanlan in the hands of his neighbours every day.

Scanlan felt terrible for his poor mother, she was always on her feet doing something and it was draining the life out her.

So, at age 12, Scanlan started teaching himself how to play the flute again and after months of practicing away, he started busking on the street after school to earn money.

His neighbours took pity and tipped him whenever they saw him, Scanlan getting better over time and earning more than he could ever imagine.

When Juniper learned he was busking to save up money and help her, it broke her heart but made her so very proud.

She didn't say anything at first, but started putting by a little bit of coin every month to start saving up for proper music lessons to help her son out.

Then, by her next birthday, she finds herself surprised when Scanlan comes to her with a jar full of silvers and coppers he has earned while busking.

Overall, it's not a lot of money in general but for a young boy busking on the street its very impressive - so impressive, that Juniper takes him to buy a new instrument all of his own.

Scanlan trades his father's flute for a lyre and, to his mother's awe and surprise, he takes to it like a moth would to a flame.

The little bard finds a new joy in playing the lyre and resumes busking, finding it drawing in even bigger crowds and even more tips, his mother letting him save up for his lessons doing this so she can focus on the bills and groceries.

By the time he's 15, Scanlan is so good with a lyre that the local tavern hires him as their main entertainer for a good fee and free dinner every night.

His mother is so proud of him, all of his neighbours too, and it just encourages him more.

Then one day, near Scanlan's 18th birthday, a scout for the best music school in Tal'dorei stops by the tavern for the night and hears Scanlan play.

So moved by the young bard, he offers him a placement in The Royal Bard's College in Emon City and Scanlan runs home to tell his mum about it.

Using his savings to secure transport, Scanlan would leave home to go to this college with the scout's recommendation letter - his proud mother tearfully waving him goodbye.

He'd study there for 5 years, working hard to pass his exams and gain his professional bard certification while learning about how it is that bards can manipulate the arcanic threads of the world, before finally graduating at age 23.

Excited to show his mother his certificate, Scanlan would immediately book transport home and returned to his village to surprise everyone.

A party was thrown when he arrived, his mother boasting about her son with glee.

But the night would end in tragedy... For by sundown, a small tribe of goblins known to hunt the roads would arrive.

A night of joy and celebration would be stained with horror and bloodshed, black smoke filling the sky as those goblins raided the village purely for some entertainment...

Scanlan had run hand in hand with his mother, lyre in hand, but soon they'd be cornered by several raiders in an alleyway with nowhere for them to hide.

Scanlan would never be able to recall what happened then and there, all he knows is that one minute he is crying as he stood in between his mother and those goblins before blacking out and waking up in a tent not far from the burning village.

Clerics had hovered over him, a gentle pain lingering in his gut as smoke clung to his lungs.

He had died in the village, a sliver of white dancing through dark auburn hair, and these clerics had brought him back.

Though he was one of the few they had managed to save, he couldn't see Juniper anywhere.

He demanded to see her, but the clerics had to gently break the news to him that they only found him lying in that alley.

Scanlan never saw his mother again, most of the village killed by those goblins and their home burned away for good.

Scanlan would be numbly led into a wagon with the few other survivors, watching as the fire raged on into the night.

They were taken to Shandal for medical treatment and refuge, but Scanlan couldn't dare to stay with those clerics who had brought him back without his mother - so he left, slipping away before dawn on the back of a hay cart heading to the capital city when nobody was looking, and he disappeared.

He would blend into the noise of Ank'Harel with little to note happening, the bard mindlessly busking for food and drink as he slept on the street for a time he couldn't possibly track.

He doesn't remember how old he was when Dr. Dranzel found him rotting away on a street corner playing the lyre with bloodied fingers and visible ribs, but his liglfe would change for the better on that day.

The half-orc had brought the broken gnome to the inn he was staying at and introduced Scanlan to his minstrel band, Dr. Dranzel's Spectacular Travelling Troupe, and bought the gnome room and board.

Scanlan had been confused and uneasy at first, but then Dranzel earnestly praised his ability with the lyre and asked if he would joun their troupe.

There was a promise of fame, fortune, food and drink...

Scanlan couldn't care for fame or fortune, but he was starving and drink numbed his pain...

So he took Dranzel up on his offer and, in a week, found himself travelling with the group by boat to Issylra.

There, he would learn their second job - pickpocketing.

For the next 23 years, Scanlan would put on weight and work at his skill with many different instruments, including his voice, as the troupe travelled around the world to bring music into more lives and to spread their troupe's name.

He didn't have the nimbleness of his comrades to swipe the coinpurses of their audiences, but he could charm all who watched them into not noticing the halfling violinist reaching into their pocket as they went past them towards the bar.

Yet, Scanlan never truly felt like he belonged with the troupe.

He enjoyed the traveling and the booze and the music...

He loved the attention and the sex and the flirting...

But the stealing rubbed him wrong, and he hated how his troupe belittled everyone who fell for their tricks and charms.

Then he met a woman, a fellow gnome so pretty and sweet.

They were in Westruun, a rural village in The Dividing Plains of Tal'dorei, and Scanlan had slipped outside for some air.

She had been walking home when two nasty men cornered her to harass her for sex.

Scanlan, a flash of goblins and fire in his mind, didn't even realise he was moving until he was lifting his lyre over his head and whacking one of the men right in the back as he yelled.

The men spooked and ran, the woman breaking down crying as Scanlan stumbled aside.

He had never done anything like that before, startled by his actions, but upon seeing this poor gnome crying he would force himself to calm down and focus on consoling the woman.

Her name was Sybil Harpfoot, the young gnome a florist who had been visiting her sister Mayble before heading home.

Scanlan would take her home and ask if she wanted him to tell the guards what happened, but instead Sybil just asked him to stay with her for the night and how could he say no?

He slept on her couch that night and was treated to a warm breakfast of pancakes covered in syrup and coffee.

She thanked him for saving her, and he told her he was just glad that she wasn't hurt that night.

When he rejoined his troupe that day and they said they'd be leaving for Whitestone, Scanlan decided to stay behind in Westrunn - he liked Sybil and wanted to make sure she would be okay after what happened.

There were arguments, and it felt like Scanlan would have no choice, but Dranzel would give in and accept Scanlan's formal request to leave the troupe.

He'd watch them pack up into their wagons and drive away with no regret at his decision.

For the next few months, he would work gigs at the tavern for room and board, all while he befriended the lovely Sybil.

They grew close, maybe too close, and before he knew it he was taking her to his room one night after a gig and more than a few drinks - when he awoke the next morning, he'd find himself panicked and feeling guilty, so he packed his things and fled without a word of goodbye or apology to Sybil.

He caught the first cart out of town and left Westrunn behind, letting himself be taken to wherever the cart was going.

Little did he know, Sybil would end up pregnant from their night of drunken passion.

From that day forward, Scanlan would move from place to place as he busked and played gigs to pay for room and food, never staying anywhere longer than a week and never ever returning back to Westrunn.

Drinking, getting high, having one night stands and playing gigs everywhere he went, he became a bit more jaded and a little more self centred.

Until one day, he runs into a goliath, a mage and two holy folk in a spot of bother with a mayor of some livestock town in The Mornset Countryside.

Seeing an opportunity for some excitement and coin, he decides to offer his help as a bard to the 4 - little did he know just how much his life would change after that day.

/////

[ Masterpost ]

[ask-missparker]

Don’t Give Up On Me / OUAT AU Series

Pairing: Snow!Amelia x Charming!Nikolai, Nicholas and Amara

Extra characters/mentioned: The Dark Prince!Alexander, Rumple!Cole, Captain Hook!Jeremy, Charming!Michelle, Mal!Liane, Prince!Ethan and etc

Click here for Part 2

Note: This fic leds into two other tales hehe

———

—————

In the lower left corner of dungeons within castle held a dimly shaped cell surrounded by rock, dust and debris. On the walls held starching marks made with a small dagger counting the hours spent inside each and how many more days until release. On the ground of that very cell held Snow White in her dusty white dress, slightly knotted hair and shoes that used to be as white as snow now a cover in a light brown.

Her body was laying peacefully or so it seemed, deeply unconscious from eating the very apple set up for her that very night.

Hovering over her body from the other end of the cell held a man dressed in black, smirking as he said, “No wonder why they say your one of the fairest of the land..makes sense my brother likes you. Your disobedient little pest like him, yet again he could never get a woman long enough to stay for him. The real question let’s see if he can get here in time before that poison reaches the rest of your body and never wake up.”

Alexander got a fierce tip from his soldiers and other royals that his brother has been wondering around the woods like a hopeless dog running away like a coward trying to protect himself from him. In response, he made sure to keep an eye on that particular spot of his brother’s heart. He knew death was too easy of an excuse for him, but then he wondered, what’s worse than death? Suffering that feeling of loss and the pain that comes with it!

And then little Snow White walked into his heart. His smirk only grew, if Nicholas truly wanted and loved this woman he will have to prove it himself. He may hate his brothers guts, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to see him put up a fight and see if there is still something there.

If he’s really willing to go the distance for something as stupid as love..

~~~~

As Charming prepared for battle that morning come, his mind raced with millions thoughts of a millisecond ranging from blaming himself for losing her to the fire that boil at that mere thought of her suffering by King Midas men.

His sword in hand burned at how tight his grip was held, placing it into it’s rightful spot by his side. He sniffled glaring remembering the arguments held with Michelle and Hook at how he should go in with back up. He didn’t want to put any more people in danger than he already had, he couldn’t live with himself if Cole or Queen Caroline lost their loved ones because of him.

However he did proclaim if he needed an additional crew member, they would know. His turned around and swiftly left his small home within the woods, riding his horse racing towards the castle sneaking past the guards and stabbing a few knights to do so. A part of him felt like it was too easy this time, his chest tighten racing towards the cells to find Snow.

He only found pieces of fabric from her wedding dress within the cell as he gasp, feeling his heart sadness then release allowing him to breath. He sighed releasing she wasn’t here but her dresses fabric felt thicken than the material he grabbed earlier, a laced coat dust particles that belonged to the a certain type of magic.

His brother’s magic.

He groaned, realizing he had something to do with this. He looked over his shoulder to see incoming guards, swiftly masking a turn escaping Midas castle and returning to the woods gripping onto the frabic of the dress halting for his horse, Maximus, to stop and rest. He climbed down for the horse and kneeled wiping his finger across the fabric of the dress as the black particles rises onto his fingers and into the air.

Charming wasn’t one to use his own magic anymore as he used to, crafting a shadow sword as a replacement as the blade can cut, disappear and reappear to his wish.

But for the circumstances of this mission, he must, with a twist of his wrist a cloud of black appeared from the magic remains of his brother revealing an image to him being a glimpse of his women on the ground of the very dungeon he was trapped in all those years ago as his brother smirked over her.

But the thing was, he knew his brother would not keep her there for long and move Snow somewhere else out of his reach and into the forest. He was smart enough to figure out that his sword to led him to harm his brother as a reward for his crimes, knowing he will find Snow but his brother would want something in return.

“Hello!”

He didn’t flinch once, knowing that voice just as well, turning around he grimaced pinching the bridge of his nose to face Cole. Last he saw of him was on Jeremy’s ship, as Hook gave him the wonderful blue crested ring as promise for their love. Cole stood on a log with a leg crossed over the other with a grinned dress in black as always, but this time with a dark brown coat and the one of many rings on his finger waving.

“What is it that you want?” He asked, titled his head with a old look, couldn’t help but return the grin and rolled his eyes, “I’m kinda busy here.”

Cole grinned and nodded, deciding whether or not to hop off the log as he said, “Oh I know. Busy, busy, busy man! And you don’t have much time to waste.”

“And I am guessing you’re here to help me.”

“Well, you are friends with my favorite Captain and you did help him get my gorgeous new jew, so I believe it’s only fair.”

“What’s your price?”

“Sneak into your brother’s vault and get me a lovely old item that he stole from me.”

“What item?”

“A crested item, a crystal ball that I want to shape into a saber for my collection. The saber allows me to look beyond realms and within this land using blood magic to track it.”

“Who are you tracking?’
“My brother, he left Wonderland not to long along in search of a witchy dragon to slay and he has been blocked out his net for me to find him. God knows my brother isn’t the brightest in the land and as promised, I need to make sure he’s not dead.”

Nicholas nodded knowing Cole isn’t one for plenty of details depending on the person and knows he has beef with his brother beyond his knowledge so he won’t ever question why or what happened between them. But he did question one thing.

“Why are you helping me? Aside from the Hook part.” Charming asked, lifting his sword into place.

Cole just grinned, “Because! You and I both want the same thing, for good things to happen. True love and blah blah blah to win.”

“Hmm.”

“And your princess has grown on me.”

“Snow is..?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Do you want my help or not?”

“I do.”

Within a matter of moments, Charming was given a old tiny hyper crystal that would glow a sharp red when he’s within range of the ball. Cole gave him a light start, pausing the clock then restarting it once Charming reached his old castle.

A shiver went up his spine at returning to the very place he lost his partner and his family turned upside down, there were vines growing up and around the collapsible groups, the carousel he used to play in was damaged to stone and as he entered across the back of the palace where he once used to sneak out of to explore the woods on the backs of horses, the colors that used to bleed with one another..we were sucked out of any brightest light left. The walls used to be a golden brown, turned seemed to be a dull brownish grey, the flowers that belonged to his mother went from daisies to fallen roses.

~~~~

As he went down the steps to the vaults, slaying away guards within the shadows muffling his shouts with a blade to their necks and others knocking out the knights who tried to capture him. However, two came his way dressed in black masks and leather from head to toe, just as he thought they were gonna murder him one twist their sword and the one follow behind him as the other knock a knight out cold.

He knew this place a little too well, so he knew she wasn’t in the dungeons or any an cell within the castle, she must’ve been moved by now. His brother wasn’t gonna make it that easy for him, just yet. It was all a test of some kind.

Charming lifting his sword ready to knock both of skrulls together when the two knights flipped the face guards to reveal his two friends. Jeremy and Michelle smirked having figured it was only fair to help out with the knights meanwhile Charming collected the item for Cole, Nicholas was about to remark them for being so foolish for coming here but he just winked instead thankful for his friends. He rushed off and into the vault, pulling out the tiny crystal waiting waving it around as he searched for the ball in question.

His footsteps creaked as his flinched around swiftly turning his sword instead the person behind him, the blade fell above his older brother’s cheekbone giving him a mere cut. Alexander hissed then scoffed as he rolled his eyes with his hands behind his back, a part of him was impressed at his quick moves but still pathetic as always as he moved away from the blade.

“Cute.” Alexander remarked in a monotone, using two fingers to pushed the sword downstairs, “Yet, never as good as good me. And I thought with the months—ah no, years away you’ll get better. Guess me not.”

“Pardon me for not perfecting my craft, I was too busy trying to get away from you.” Charming muttered with a glare.

“And yet, you come back rushing to the place where it all began?”

“You took something from me.”

Alexander scoffed and playfully gagged walking around, “And did I take from you this time? You’re pride? You’re little toy? Father’s favorite pendent? I wouldn’t have done if it were to listen to good little brat you were and not disrupt me every day.”

“I was young, I didn’t know any better. I grew to understand you never liked me because in your eyes I was always our parents favorite meanwhile you weren’t. If you nicer, it couldn’t been different!” Charming added, as his flickering to the tiny crystal in hand.

“It wasn’t! You were born and took away everything from me. And every time I tried to have you behave, you would act to embarrass me.”

“No wonder why you’re heart is so dark..now like I was saying, I want my things back.”

Nicholas has grown to understand that his older brother was just selfish, mean and cruel only caring about himself in hope to lighten the mere sight of his true feelings. He knew his brother was alone and always will be, as a child he tried to befriend him plenty of times, show him a picture of kindness but he always in response got the cold shoulder.

He stopped trying to save him at this point, the only person who can make that change was himself, not him. They had to make the decision to do that themselves and overturn that choice.

Alexander noticed he was in his vault searching for something wasn’t labeled his and used a shadow to pushed Charming to to his face as he snarled with a smirk. His younger brother will never learn, to disobey, you get hurt in the process. He knew he was here for his preisous little princess, thanks to King Shaw’s tip before his exile, but he was here for cruel stolen item. Not his item but someone else’s he assumed.

Charming and Alexander were in a position to fight within the vault, as darkness filled the room to the Dark Prince’s command.

Charming closed his eyes wilding his sword, it guided him opposing member turning around to feel Alexander behind him popping and out of the shadows summing a sword at his will to fight his brother. The two of them were at it, not like princes, but training knights ready for battle.

Alexander even used one hand to his blade of swords growing bigger with the commsuing darkness above them, mocking his younger brother and yelled, “Tell me when your tired of missing, brother.”

Charming glared and growling twirling his sword summing his shadows at combat, hoping off treasure chests within the vault yelling, “I only have to hit you once.”

The fight went on for a while, neck and neck, things flying across the room, remarks being thrown to one another and be siblings were even tossed across the floor. In the mist of the fight that led them into a hallway, Charming noticed the tiny crystal bringing a low glow as he smirked. It wasn’t in the vault but in another room. With his confidence returning, just as Alexander was about to tower over him and tossing him out a window, he disappeared within a shadow and used another one to kicked him into a separate place within the castle. The Dark Prince was thrown away into the depth of his castle the dungeons knocked out cold.

~~~~

Nicholas run down the hall into the room thinking he found to find said room, following the crystal as it grew in color only for his grin to drop. “Oh come on!” He muttered, due to the moment he enter the room he was found within the chambers was the crystal ball, yes, but what he didn’t expect who guarding it.

Once this is all resolved he is gonna need a strong drink…

“My brother doesn’t need a beast to guard his items, when he already is one himself..” Nicholas said to himself, readying his sword, “At least it’s not the trolls again.”

But to his surprise, just as he moved forward to silently attack the dragon, it didn’t appear as fearful but more like calm. Tired even. It whimper, opening their eyes to showcase purple orbs with pools of tears within. It let out a soft growl that grew as he carried himself over to the said beast. Their leg was chained up to a wall that made them look smaller.

The dragon snarls and whimpered some more, showcasing themselves to be larger than life but they—she wasn’t. His eyes widen, seeing she was missing her—Nicholas has slayed dragons before in one go but this was different, she didn’t want to fight him.

He wasn’t gonna fight another if they weren’t going to themselves, he was in the very castle his parents build him in. If his mother was here, she would be hurt to see him do such as thing. Nor did he think himself as a killer either. He never was a murder.

He rushed over using his blade to cut though the chain releasing the dragon as she transformed from dragon into human. Her horns were still there but they were surrounded by long blonde curls, her dragon like scales were now a dark purple long dress, she held a cape close to her body and her paws were a black almost a deep purple slippers.

“Are you alright, miss?” He asked, helping her stand with one hand and the other still grip his shadow sword.

She hesitated but took his hand as she nodded, “I-I think so..”

“What did my brother did to you?”

“It’s a long story..I’m sorry, did you say brother?”

“Heh, yeah, long story..I apologize for almost hurting you.”

“It’s alright..I’m okay, just uh why didn’t you?”

“I couldn’t. You were a prisoner here, not a helper of his. I’m Prince Nicholas..”

“Liane..t-thank you. You can uh, take your thing..”

Nicholas took the item on the table and stuffed it into his satchel, looking over his shoulder he noticed that he couldn’t escape the same way he came. He glanced over at the stain glass windows of the very room as chaotic yet delicate smirk appeared on his lips.

Liane asked, “Uh, what exactly are you g-?”

But she didn’t get a second to finished her sentence, as she grip tightly around his neck as he held onto her waist telling her to brace for impacted. All from Liane could be heard was a sequence of ‘Oh my god!’ repeated over and over again, as Nicholas launched them from the ground flooring through the glass window shatter around them as the two right into landed in the ocean waves surrounding the castle.

The two clawed onto the shore near the woods, Nicholas helped Liane up asking if she’s doing alright as she yelled if he was crazy or just plain dumb. The prince just shrugged and snorted a smile.

“W-we could have died!” Liane whisper yelled, sighing at how soaking wet her dress was.

“But we’re safe and sound from him!” Nicholas replied with smile still on his face.

“We jumped into the water we could hav..”

“We survived that’s what matters.”

“Huh? Wait, no your right. You didn’t plan that, did you?”

“Nope. Call it pure luck and last time I checked my brother won’t after us a while.”

Liane broke into a small smile and thanked him once again for helping her back there saying she can now return home safely, hoping he found her princess. Nicholas smiled telling her to keep hope alive and her prince might have to save her soon enough. The two paired aways afterward.

~~~~

He arrived still soaking wet to the place where Cole requested to met him. At docks near the huge pirate ships, and as always he found him curled up against a few barrels on the ground comfortably with his man. Nicholas couldn’t help but smile at the two, the way his friend returned from the castle before him with grinned at his dinner.

Jeremy was grinning and laughing trying to hush Cole who was playing with his short blonde hair telling a joke stealing a piece of chicken from his plate.

“Who made this?” Cole said chew the chicken with a snarky smirk.

“Mr. Smee did it.” He replied taking a bite of the bread being presented on the plate.

“Tell the chief he desires a raise!”

“Don’t push my crew, babe. They hear that and they would all want one.”

“Ah pishy caca, love.”

“No he’s right.” Said a voice.

Both men looked up to find Nicholas soaking wet holding up the promised crystal ball but no princess, yet. Jeremy snorted seeing his friend’s face as Cole bit back some laughter of his own, eating some more chicken for himself.

He stole a kiss from his man before standing up taking the crystal ball from Nicholas’s hand nodding with appreciation for the task being complete. Jeremy kept snorting explains that Michelle returned home safe and sound as Nicholas sent him a playful glare.

“I’m guessing your lady is miles away from the castle too? I didn’t see her in there.” Jeremy exclaimed after coming down from his effective snorting.

“Nope. He is hiding her somewhere else and I won’t rest until I find her.”

“Aw my boys in love!”

“Shut up. It’s a test to see how hard am I willing to work for this.”

“I say you worked hard enough. Babe, help him!”

Cole sassed him with a smirked, “I’m getting to it! But i need that.”

Nicholas heart pinged again as over his chest lay his gifted chain and asked, “My chain from Snow?”

“Mhmm that lovely little gift from her mother, that now belongs to you will guide you to her.”

“A location spell? Smart.”

“I know I’m genius.”

Jeremy slapped his arm playfully and chuckled watching Nicholas pass the chain over to him. He asked why his heart felt like it was bruised during the beginning of this mission, Cole was doing the locator spell on the chain as he explained how the heart feels like it’s lost when a loved ones is gone.

Cole knew that well after his father Erik and stepfather Charles broken up years ago when he was a child before getting back together, it felt like their bodies were sometimes in pain because they were apart for so long.

True Love, as he called it. A connection between two people whether they believed it or not, as opposite a pairing may seem, if they are somehow meant to be, fate has its ways to pulling them together.

Once Cole was done, he smiled saying depending on the next favor was, Nicholas might own him by collecting whatever another item was. He rolled his eyes and chuckled lightly telling Jeremy to keep his man under control as the pirate captain just winked in return.

Before Nicholas could go, Cole yelled, “Ah! Wait a minute stupid. You’re gonna find your girl dressed like you went swimming with the fishes?”

With a flick of his wrist Nicholas was dried up with his hair freshly swept back, a white collared shirt with a long elegant leather coat, dark brown pants and boots that fit him perfectly. For added measure, Cole added a nicely tailored hat that seemly fitting his more pirate side. It made him look rather dashing and distinguished from the other men in the crowd.

“Much better.” Cole added as he looked over at his shoulder to see the sun almost laying down to rest and huffed, “Go before your time runs out!”

He thanked both of them before swinging onto his horse riding Maximus across the docks into the woods allowing the chain with the small hoop to guide him through the forest. He could see the sun going down as he approached Max to hurry in which the horse speed riding like the wind.

“Woah boy! What did I feed you today?!” He muttered jokingly.

Max followed his direction going past the trees in vintage and entryway into the lower ends of the valley sliding into the ground path of the woods. His hat almost flew off completely a couple of times messing around his hair a bit. The chain kept glowing brighter and brighter than ever before as they moved through the forest reaching the edge of the plantation then began to slow down as they landed int the exact spot she was placed in.

Nicholas hoped off his horse, patting his head with a soft smile pacing himself over to find a bed in the middle of the woods surrounded by dwarfs. He heard stories around him being great hard working men, he looked over to see it was Snow asleep. Her skin looked paler, her were a blushing pink instead of their usual light red color and her body looked cold despite being dressed in long sleeves.

One of the Dwarfs, Grumpy gave him a once over and raised an eyebrow before noticing that he held a chain similar to the jewelry Snow was wearing.

He gave him a small smile and said, “You better do something or sister is gone forever. At least say goodbye.”

Nicholas smiled softly and walked across placing his hand over Snow’s very own as he leaned over to capture her lips against his. He muttered a small glimpse of hope that she’ll wake up as his heart started to settle into a nice flow. As he did, a small wave that would’ve felt like blast pushed through them and across the landscape of the woods. He pulled away to be met with the sound of gasping coming from the woman he loved dearly.

She opened her eyes as color started to return to her cheeks and looked over to see who woke her up, her lips slowly growing into a smile. Her voice was a little horse as she said, “Y-you found me..”

He smiled softly in return blinked as tears slowly appeared thanking the heavens it worked as he nodded placed a hand on his across her face. He replied, “Did you ever doubt I would?”

“The sleep gave me a pause..truly, I was afraid you wouldn’t come..”

“I came, it took me a while but I made it. I will always find you.”

She smiled chuckling, as he helped her stand up from the bed thanking the Dwarfs for watching over her. Grumpy just winked saying that him and his brother are here to help the good guys just say the word as the prince chuckled in return respecting them.

~~~~

Snow and Charming walked alongside each other letting Max relax from carrying the weight of things all day, especially after his thick run across the land. Nicholas finally took a breath getting his girl back and foremost by the end of day, wrapping an arm around her shoulder rested his head on top of hers. Snow hummed at his touch as she wrapped both around his middle playing with the layer hair at the back of neck that flipped up, instead of flipping downward.

“Hey no touchy!” He joked nuzzling his head against hers.

“You ruined your hair earlier.” She hummed in response giggling.

“Uh excuse you? I’ll have you know i was racing against time, m’lady! You try running across the woods and trying to look perfect while doing it. It ain’t easy, I’ll tell you that much!”

“Okay, okay you win! Whatever you say, princey. I do have two questions for you.”

“Which are?”

“How did you get here so fast?”

“I had help from Cole. I went on a few trials to get him an item but then he came through with a location spell.”

“Location spell?”

He nodded pulling out the chain that relaxed its glow having done its job eariler, as he explained it led him right to her. She giggled seeing how her mother’s jewelry saved them after all.

Nicholas joked as he moved away for a moment, “You know I’ll have to meet your mother after this to thank her.”

“Thank her? For that little thing?” She asked with a teasing tone.

“Yes ma’am. You’re mama will be having a son in law real soon.”

“She’ll have a field day, never wanting us to leave hearing—wait, did you say son in law?”

She didn’t have a moment to finish her sentence as he grinned widely enough removing the hoop off the chain. She was about to joke about something than decide to let him figure it out himself.

He tried to kneeled down properly but the pants Cole gave him were a little too tight, for his liking and he usually doesn’t mind tight fitted leather as he decided to stand instead.

The noise and incoming jokes he made resulted in Snow to laugh looking away snorting as he told her to be quiet he was trying to be romantic here.

“Shut up, you’re ruining my moment!” He remarked breaking into laughter himself biting his bottom lip.

“Your moment?” She exclaimed softly giggling trying to stop herself from falling into more laughter.

“You done?”

“Mhm hmm.”

“Good. As i was trying to say, Amara Snow, will you marry me?”

She made a face as if she’s thinking about her answer and playfully said, “Hmm i don’t know.”

His face playfully dropped giving her a look that said ‘seriously women?’ As he smirked and added, “May I also remind you that I jumped into a freezing cold ocean today? I think my butt cheeks were chattering on my way to the docks.”

“You jumped into the ocean?”

“Yes ma’am, but it was for a stupidly good reason.”

“In that case, yes.”

“A ‘yes’ as in you’ll marry me or ‘yes’ as in you will give me well deserved massage after risking ass today?”

“Yes to both!”

“Good answer.”

“Shut up.”

She rolled her eyes chuckling realizing she got work to do tonight after his glorious save as he ran the hoop nicely onto her finger then bringing a couple of kiss onto her face. She pressed a few of kisses wanting to hear all about his day and where they were heading next.

But before Snow can say another word, he lift her into his arms as she wrapped her arms sound his neck as Nicholas requested he take them to their home within the forest where he would tell her everything that happened. He leaned forward to press another small yet warm kiss onto her face as she closed the space between them with a smile asking for him to lead the way.

~~~~

The two made their way to the small house within their own hundred acres woods, finally after all the hassle back in each other’s arm once and for good. Nicholas released Max to go to stretch his legs and rest before dinner, as he followed Snow up the steps to find a note stuck on the door.

She plucked it gently off the door and opened it to read an invitation for Princess Michelle’s ball in 3 weeks, due time to prepare for the festival of riches, everyone in the land was to be invited.

Nicholas smirked, “Three nights, free drinks and food to die for.”

“I guess we’re going to a ball.” She replied returning the smirk.

The two chuckled and entered their home, locking the door behind them as they lit the fireplace to flop onto the couch in glee. Nicholas sat on the couch as dinner was being cooked on the stove as Snow sat behind him to rub whatever knots that landed in between his shoulders blades. To say he was satisfied was an understatement.

He hummed and softly grinned, “If this is the treatment I get, I should risk my ass more often.”

“Shut up, charming.” She replied jokingly holing back her giggled.

He looked over his shoulder for a split second and smirked saying, “Hush, you’ll ruin the moment.”

“I can’t with you sometimes.” She added rolled her eyes returning the same smirk.

The future spouses stayed cuddling in the comfort of the living room til dawn, for as long as they were together all was fine in the world.

~~~~

And that’s it! Tell me what did you think about it in the comments below. Any thoughts you had? Any ideas for future fics?

Click here to see what happened to Ethan and Liane tale

Click here to see Michelle’s 3 night festival and the lovely tale about that couple

Click here to see how Jeremy and Cole met

Tags: @missstrawbs2001 @purpleprincessonfyre @meiramel @gcthvile @rickb-chaos @gaminggirlsstuff @wizzzardofoz @thechoooooosenone @luna-d-marsh @rooster-84 @thecavalrywife @cherrysft and etc

[runningfrom2am]

on the one screen in my town; two

summary:

mason’s life with drew was absolutely perfect, she was happier than ever; until everything came crashing down all at once.

tags/warnings:

drew starkey x fem!popstar!oc, drug and alcohol use, death, grief, these tags are not exhaustive, idk i'll add to this as it goes on.

wc: 2k

an: okay so in this chapter some shit goes down so mind the tags please!!! anyway love y'all

Mason smiles at her fiancé who's standing just behind the camera and the interviewing team in front of her, originally scheduled to discuss her upcoming album which is meant to accompany the next and final season of Outer Banks. Unsurprisingly to an unimpressed Este at Drew's side, they're mostly asking about the show and the upcoming wedding, which happens to be scheduled three months away to the date.

"I thought they were meant to talk about her album." She mutters to her friend, who just nods slightly in response, looking a little disappointed as well with the next question.

"Rumour has it as well that you'll be reprising your role as Sofia for the final season, is that true?" The interviewer asks her, Mason staring at him intently the whole time. She's known for her kindness by everyone in the industry and of course her fans, in a similar way that Drew is.

"I can't really talk about that, unfortunately, but seeing as she didn't die at the end of the last season and Sofia and Rafe haven't had any kind of falling out, I can't see why she wouldn't be back for the last season. That being said, I'm only really permitted to discuss my upcoming album today, unfortunately." Mason answers gracefully, nodding and crossing her legs.

"Not even the wedding?" The interviewer laughs slightly, tilting his head at her.

Mason glances briefly at Drew, before returning her attention to the interviewer. "Well, that depends on what you want to know." She chuckles awkwardly.

"Everything! It's set to be the wedding of the decade- with all the planning you're doing, could you see that becoming an accurate statement?"

"Oh gosh, well, I doubt that. There's bound to be another royal wedding or something, maybe Taylor Swift or Kylie Jenner will get married in the next four years so I truly doubt it." She laughs, shaking her head.

"Oh come on, you don't have to be modest. There's a lot of people working on putting everything together."

Mason nods at this. "Yes! We have so much support and it has been a life saver for us, we appreciate every minute of time that people are taking out of their own day-to-day lives to help us put everything together. To make our dream come to life, I suppose." Her cheeks are flushed now as she speaks, trying to avoid looking in her fiancé's direction- forbid her turning even more red.

"How do you find the time for music when you're working so hard on wedding planning?"

"It's a passion of mine, of course. It's something that's a vessel for me to relax and reconnect with myself and how I'm feeling, which is really important to me as an artist but it also gives me an important outlet to-" As Mason is answering, Drew and Este share a satisfied smile, pleased that they're finally on topic.

Just then Mason's phone starts vibrating in Drew's pocket, and he pulls it out quickly to dismiss the incoming call from her father. He quickly calls back. Again, and again.

"Hey, so sorry, her dad is really trying to get a hold of her. Can she quickly take a call?" Drew whispers to a member of the crew standing nearby, showing them the phone. They nod quickly, getting the interviewers attention and calling for a cut just before Mason finishes talking about her creative process.

"Here, Love, your dad is calling you. I think you should take it." Drew says, quickly approaching her and passing her the phone. She nods, hitting answer and standing up to step out, holding her phone to her ear.

"Hey, dad. How's it going?" She asks as she steps out into the hall, genuine confusion crossing her tone. He knew she was doing this important press interview today, and usually her parents wouldn't reach out until they knew she was done.

"Mason, honey, I-" Her dad chokes out into the phone after a moment.

"Dad, hey, what's wrong?" She frowns, peeking through the slightly open door to make sure no one was listening before closing it.

"Your mom... I- I'm sorry, you need to come home. She-" He sighs shakily, a pit already forming in the singers stomach. "She's passed, honey."

There's a silence on the line, as Mason shakes her head, bringing a trembling hand up to her mouth. "No.. No that's not- I talked to her this morning." She says, instantly not believing it. Her dad wouldn't lie to her, though, especially not make some kind of sick joke like this.

"I-I know, I know. I just- can you please come home? Please?" He says shakily as Mason's knees give out beneath her and suddenly she's kneeling on the floor, her body wracked with sobs.

Neither of them say a word for what must be a minute, both of them just crying into the phone and wishing this news wasn't true.

"I'll be home tonight- okay?" Mason says, furiously wiping at her eyes. "I'll fly home as soon as I can." She's still shaking, and she can hardly speak above a whisper.

"Okay... yeah. Call me later and I'll see you tonight." Her dad agrees, managing to regain some composure.

Mason just hangs up the phone, leaning against the wall and letting herself process the news for a minute. Her mom has been her best friend and number one fan forever- she couldn't begin to imagine a life without her in it. A wedding without her there, or a moment going by without the comfort of knowing she can call or text her at anytime, even though they are rarely in the same city these days.

It takes a minute, but on shaky hands and with shaky legs, Mason gets herself up. Does she have to finish the interview? She has to go back into the studio and tell someone. Drew? Este? Or keep it professional and tell a crew member that they will have to reschedule? She can't even consider professionalism in this moment. She quickly wipes away the smudged makeup under her eyes and takes a deep breath before opening the door again, stepping back into the studio and squinting at the lights.

"I-" She starts to speak to anyone who will listen, but hardly any sound comes out. Her eyes land on Drew and Este chatting in the middle of the room who both looked over to her at the same time. The second they noticed her the tears start flowing again, and they hardly get to her before her weak knees are hitting the ground again, Drew quickly catching her and kneeling in front of her.

"Hey! Everyone out- give her some privacy." Este is calling out, standing in front of her friends with her arms out, trying to keep people from looking while she frantically looks down at the couple over her shoulder as everyone shuffled out in a panic.

"Love? What's happened?" Drew asks her, arms wrapped firmly around his fiancé as she now hysterically sobs into his chest.

Mason can't even get a word out, practically choking every time she opens her mouth while Este deals with trying to make sure everyone leaves. The remaining few have good intentions, just wanting to help, but the presence of strangers can only make the news of a loved ones death so much worse. "My- my mom..." She stutters out, returning quickly to sobs.

Drew and Este understand immediately, sharing a quick look of shock and upset before Drew hugs her impossibly tighter, rubbing her back. "Oh, oh god..." He says softly, unsure of what to say. His heart is breaking along with her, he loves Catherine. They had become quite close over the last few years, and the pit in his stomach is the only thing reminding him that this is true, not some cruel joke. Somehow in the mess of things ending up with his arms around both Mason and Este as they cling onto each other. "I'm so sorry." He doesn't know what to say. "I'm so sorry, Love, you're okay..."

Completely shocked, Drew let's them go after a minute or two, insisting he'll be right back, he's not going anywhere, as he gets up and pulls out his phone with shaky hands, calling Mason's manager.

"Hey- hi, It's Drew." He says as soon as she answers the phone, not giving her a chance to get a word in before he continues. "We need to get Mason home, like, asap, we need three flights to uh, LA, we have to get there tonight." He explains, wiping his eyes and looking over at where Mason and Este are still curled up on the floor. They've been friends since they were young, he knows this is a hard hit on Este as well.

"Drew, what's happened? I'll have to reschedule some-" She asks and he interrupts her again.

"Reschedule everything. Maybe cancel it, I don't care. Can you get us back to LA tonight? It has to be private. Everything." He insists.

"Yes, yeah. Of course, but tell me what's going on."

"I-" Drew let's out a shaky breath. "Something happened to Catherine, Miles just called." He says quietly, quickly wiping his eyes again before tears even got the chance to fall. He needs to be strong, he needs to be the one to keep it together to get the girls home.

"Oh.. oh dear. Okay. I'll handle everything. I'm so sorry." She says, shocked by this news as well. "Just get to JFK as soon as possible, I'll get a plane for you there."

"Thank you." Drew nods, quickly hanging up and returning to the girls side, crouching down in front of them.

Mason let's go of her friend and reaches out for him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and crying into his shoulder. They've been through highs and lows together, but nothing like this. Never something like this. "Mason, Love..." He's rubbing her back, trying gently to talk to her. "Let's get you home, yeah? Can we walk together?" He asks and she quickly pulls away from him, nodding and wiping her face- makeup be damned. She has to get it together, just enough to get home. Just enough to make it home without the whole world seeing.

She can't speak, she knows that, but as Este gets up, she holds onto her arm and onto Drew as they pull her up. "Here, take this-" He grabs a left behind cardigan off a nearby chair, wrapping it around her shoulders and adjusting it as best as he can. He gently places his hands on her cheeks, sighing as he looks her over. "My Love..." He whispers, trying to comfort her but not knowing what to say. She just shakes her head, wrapping her arms around him again and pulling him close.

"I just- I have to get my kit, then I'll meet you guys downstairs." Este sniffles, standing up straight and wiping off her leather pants, which are now an iconic look for her.

"You'll be okay?" Drew asks her, still holding tight onto his fiancé.

"Yep. Yep, I'm good." Este nods, wiping under her eyes and placing a hand on her best friends back, leaning in to speak to her. "I'm not going anywhere, I'll meet you in the car, okay?"

Mason just nods into Drew's shoulder, focussing on breathing, but it's so hard when the only thing she can think about is her mom, her dad back home, alone, and clinging onto Drew for dear life.

Collectively, they compose themselves enough to make it to their car outside, Drew giving a quick apology to the interviewing team on the way out, most of whom are staring at them with sympathy- others with an eye roll over the inconvenience.

Cameras are flashing at them, but Mason has her head down, hood almost fully covering her face as they step inside. It was out of character for both of them to not stop and talk to fans or answer questions, so Drew already knew rumours would be flying. That's a problem they would deal with later.

Este is quick to join them, settling for throwing her kit over the back seat and into the trunk as they drive away. Mason stares down at her lap, gripping tightly onto the side of Drew's shirt, rubbing the material between her fingers as he squeezes her tight with an arm over her shoulders.

taglist:@veescorneroftheworld, @totalswag, @madelynie, @cecesrings, @slut4drudy, @mutual-mendes, @winterrrnight, @sadfury, @h34rtsformilli, @maybankslover, (lmk if you want to be added!!)

[anonymoushouseplantfan]

1) Harry has previously said that he didn't watch suits and has no idea about Meghan. Now he says that W&k were fans of suits so he knew Meghan/Suits? Which one is the truth?

2) Harry says William forbade him to keep a beard coz he wasn't allowed to have one. It sounds so petty. Did William really do that?

3) Harry couldn't even afford a sofa?? Why did meg had to lay for it?

4) If Harry couldn't even afford such a small item then who was paying for the Cotswold farmhouse that they had rented all through their courtship?

5) Most importantly, what exactly do h&m want in this so called "reconciliation summit"? What are your views Plant? I would be ashamed to show my face in front of my family and friends after such disgrace. They came to jubilee saying they want to honor queen, fine, but they have beef with Charles and William so why come to coronation. In fact if I had so much resentment towards someone I would cut them out clean. No contact ever.

1. No one watched Suits. He’s lying about Will and Kate being fans. He learned of Suits when he googled Meghan. The guy basically watches cartoons, by his own admission.

2. I don’t buy the beard story. Harry flips his narratives about Will several times in the book. First, Will ditches after his wedding and doesn’t my care about him anymore, then Will is over controlling, micromanaging stuff like his beard and wedding location. Both of those can’t be true.

3. Not sure what the deal is with the sofa because they got millions to renovate Nott Cott. Moreover, he has a trust fund Di left him and Meg made money from Suits and marching. They should have been able to buy furniture. Probably they bought a cheap sofa to tie them over until they got the big house.

4. Soho House paid for the Cotswolds cottage. It was a new development where the Soho House owner was an investor and the the Harkles were basically comped their stay in exchange for promoting the development.

5. He wants an official royal connection he can use for merching and reality shows, basically the half-in and half-out he asked for during Megxit. He doesn’t care about his family and just wants to monetize the relationship. He wants this for three reasons. First, they make a lot more merch money with the royal connection, like 200 times as much. The difference is huge. Second, official status gets them onto White House/political events and international events that they can use for their merching and reality shows and Netflix will pay them more money for that. Third, his main product is royal drama and he realizes he’s just recycling old drama now. He needs the reconciliation to create new drama material to sell. Of course, that’s exactly why the family can’t reconcile. They would be trading a five year old fake “royal racist” accusation for new “royal racist” accusations every three months.

His goal is to obtain a made-up post like the Trade Ambassador deal Andrew had that will allow him to set up two/three trips a year he can use for merching and filming. He’ll film each trip for Netflix and he’ll make up some drama about how the family is mistreating him by not giving him royal jewels/private jet/whatever. He’ll also sue the tabloids for some perceived slight. That should bring in enough income to support their lifestyle. Oh, the made-up role should also come with security, and the family should protect him from the tabloids who will be constantly accusing him of corruption and misuse of government funds. Oh, and none of his income should be taxed in the UK. Easy peasy.

[rollinouttahere-writes]

Cara is the darling of the press and you can't change my mind especially when she wears her princess Di revenge dress to the wedding 😍

There are already a ton of reporters at the wedding because royal weddings are a massive spectacle that most people will pay to get a glimpse of.

... but the second they see Cara in a black dress, they are salivating. This isn't just a royal wedding. This is a royal wedding with tea. Fist fights are breaking out amongst reporters as they clamber up to Cara in hopes of getting the scoop first. They want ALL of the tea, and they want it now. But, Cara knows how to play the press. She gives coy looks and remarks that hint at what is going on without fully divulging it.

None of them are so much as looking at Pudding anymore (which is what Cara wanted). They're desperate to get Cara to talk, so all of them start sending drinks to her table en masse to try and get her more loose lipped.

The barrage of drinks pisses off Niji because he doesn't realize that the drinks are coming from desperate journalists. He just thinks that there are like 50+ people trying to hit on his fiancé. When one of the waiters brings over an entire bottle of champagne, Cara and Reiju have to physically stop him from breaking it over the innocent waiter's head. This whole scene was captured by photographers because everyone is staking out the Vinsmoke table and becomes its own news story. Something like "Vinsmoke Niji shows true colors over a few drinks? Princess Carnation's reasons for elopement become clear!"

Now after this whole arc goes down and Cara is a free woman traveling with the Straw Hats, she becomes a sensation and is causing papers to sell out across the globe. Princess Carnation is someone who has broken the shackles of an oppressive family, gone against all social norms and expectations, and pursued a romance because of true love rather than a sense of obligation. Readers are eating it up, and reporters are practically worshipping her for being their biggest source of income yet.

[tiaramania]

Possible Tiaras in Jordan

Saad Salman from The Royal Watcher is now reporting that one of the events for Crown Prince Hussein's wedding will have guests wearing tiaras but we don't know which one. I was not expecting this at all because the Jordanian royals rarely wear tiaras. I can't find any past Jordanian royal weddings with guests wearing tiaras and they have even stopped wearing them at incoming state banquets. Here's my post with info about the wedding and the guest list.

The first possibility is the dinner tonight hosted by King Abdullah in the courtyard of Raghadan Palace. Earlier this was said to be the sahra party which from my understanding is kind of like the male version of the henna party where the men get together to celebrate the groom so if it's that then there definitely won't be tiaras. Now the stuff I'm reading is treating it like a big banquet with everyone including foreign royals attending. The dinner starts at 6:00pm Jordanian time which is in about an hour and a half.

The other possibility is the banquet at Al Husseiniya Palace following the wedding. This means there would be an outfit change for the guests between the wedding and the reception. I think this is the more likely option just because the people who track planes have the Dutch and British royals in the air right now so even if they land before 6:00pm it's going to be a close call to get them dressed and to the dinner in time.

There will be livestreams of all of the events and I will post them as they happen. Here's is JordanTV's live broadcast which is already showing some pre-wedding coverage and is not geo-blocked.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

NY Post is reporting that Harry is looking to buy a home in the UK. Apparently his friends won't go visit him in the UK because they don't like Meghan and he misses his old life. Who didn't see that coming? Of course Meg won't be staying in that home. She has no desire to spend time in the UK. She won't like him being influenced by his old friends but at this point I don't think she cares anymore. My prediction is if he actually does buy a home in the UK the divorce announcement will shortly follow.

^^ DIVORCE INCOMING GUYS!

Putting these two anons together

I’m not sure we’re on divorce watch yet.

This feels more like a) a “poor me, feel sorry for me” reaction to the D-Day/Trooping military and Grosvenor wedding snubs and b) Harry entering the Frogmore Cottage v Royal Lodge war that Charles and Andrew have been fighting than it does divorce preliminaries.

And the reference to “Harry’s old life” (in the first anon) makes me think it’s more military/royal than hanging out with friends. Especially since these articles have been trickling out for 2-3 weeks (per the second anon).

2-3 weeks ago was when the RAVEC appeal was allowed (the court ruling was made May 23rd but not announced until June 6th, overlapping with royal coverage of the D-Day anniversary events) so I feel like the PR cycle is more tied to that than divorce.

They keep wasting their money on PR because they think it works. They don’t see their PR efforts as successful or failure, they see it only as “good or bad”. In their perspective, all PR is good because their goal is to keep their names in the spotlight center of attention. The only bad PR is when William or Kate steal the headlines from them.

[gerec]

I woke up with an idea that has utterly consumed my mind and I had to get some words out to see if it's going to go anywhere. Another alpha/omega historical au (I know I know) where Erik is the Crown Prince of Genosha and Charles his childhood playmate. What would happen if Erik's father the King decides to make Charles his new Consort???

-----

Azazel is waiting when he comes out from the wash tent, handing Erik his tunic and his scabbard with an easy smile. Nodding his thanks, he pulls the tunic over his head and scrubs his face and hair with the towel, relieved to get some of the dirt off his body after days of hard fighting. Their campaign in the west lands is coming to an end, at least according to General Frost, who has been leading the King’s Army against the rebels for the past six months. Erik had been dispatched by his father to join the fight, but strictly under the General’s command, and with instructions to learn the art of war from the respected and seasoned Genoshan leader.

It hasn’t been easy, as Frost treats him as she would any other soldier, and not as the Crown Prince who technically outranks her. But at eighteen, he’s barely been away from the castle and outside of Hammer Bay, with this deployment being the first real fighting he’s seen since he started training under Logan. He wishes his friend and mentor could see first-hand just how far he’s come, though of course the Captain of the King’s Guard must stay in the Capital to protect the King.

And if he’s being honest, what he really wants is to see Charles again and spend time with him, even if they can no longer run free all over the castle grounds. Though they’ve been close companions since they were young children, Charles’ freedom became severely curtailed when he turned fourteen, after his father’s death and his mother’s subsequent marriage to the traditional Earl Marko. In the two years since, their visits have been chaperoned at all times, as befitting their respective stations as alpha heir to Genosha’s throne and the omega scion of a noble house. And Erik’s complaints to his father largely fall on deaf ears, for by law Charles must obey his stepfather until he’s wed and bonded to his alpha mate.

He does not like how his warm and gregarious friend has become so reserved and distant of late, and vows to speak to his father again, for more time with Charles away from the eyes of Marko’s people. Erik is certain that Charles will confide in him given the chance again, and the close camaraderie they shared as boys will quickly return.

(And perhaps he’ll finally be brave enough to admit he’s in love with his best friend, and – assuming Charles feels the same way – will ask his father to arrange a formal betrothal.) 

“You’re smiling,” Azazel teases, as they make their way to Erik’s tent, where a hot meal served in relative privacy is the one luxury he’s permitted. His personal guard has likely already taken his meal, though Erik is more than happy to share his allotment of ale. “Did you get another letter?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Charles has written only once since his arrival at the camp, though Erik has never stopped hoping he would send more. “I was merely thinking I would get to see him soon, since the General seems confident of an imminent victory.”

“The General knows of what she speaks,” Azazel says, side-stepping a deep puddle, the ground still wet from the morning’s heavy rain. “Though it’s still best not to count the chicks before they hatch—”

“Your Royal Highness!”

Erik stops mid-stride, his way suddenly blocked by the incoming approach of a messenger dressed in the King’s livery. The boy is very young and looks utterly exhausted, as though he’d ridden the five-day journey non-stop from Hammer Bay. Falling before Erik on his knees, the boy proffers the letter clutched in his hand; a note from his father bearing the King’s Seal, though the lettering on the envelope is clearly written by another.

Frowning, Erik tears open the envelope and scans the message inside, curiosity morphing quickly to horror at its contents.

Azazel leans close and murmurs, “What’s wrong?”

Hands shaking, Erik can barely form the words to express his shock and utter dismay. 

“My father is planning a wedding,” he croaks. “He’s chosen Charles of House Xavier to be his new Royal Consort.” 

[duchessofostergotlands]

Hello, I was listening to your podcast episodes about the Danish royal finances and decided to do a bit of research. Do you happen to know why Prince Joachim was able to sell his Schakenborg castle and not pay tax? I understand that the castle was private property, so it was his right to sell it, but if it's treated as private property, it should have been taxed, no? I also came across an interview with the nephew of the previous owner of Schakenborg castle who was supposed to inherit it in the 70s but couldn't as the debt of the farm and castle was about 1.2 million dollars. Very interesting!!! Wonder why Margrethe still bought it and joachim, then also had to sell it because of the debt. Thank you in advance for your answers.

For anyone reading, this is the episode about the Danish royal family's financial reports (here). That was all it covered, things in the financial report, so you won't find Schakenborg mentioned :)

Also a bit of background for people who aren't aware. Schakenborg was bequeathed to the royals by the family who owned it. Poor Joachim was basically told as a little child that he would be a farmer and look after the land and that was that. I think it was kind of meant to be like a Duchy of Cornwall for the spare. It could provide him with an independent, respectable source of income. For various reasons - the estate seems to be more of a money pit than anticipated and Joachim's allowance was never going to be enough to fix it, he and Marie wanted to move to Copenhagen with their family etc - it didn't work out and the property was sold to a fund set up by a bunch of rich people who are close to the royals. This meant it was protected for the nation and Joachim and Marie can still access it without having the debt. Joachim also paid the Fund 13 million kroner which was the amount given to him by the nation as a wedding present (when he married Alexandra) to renovate the property.

I don't know enough about Danish tax law to know what an ordinary person would pay in this situation. In the UK if you sell your primary residence you don't pay tax on the profit it generates, for example. So this isn't really a question where you need royal knowledge. It's a question where you need knowledge of the general Danish taxation system, which I very much don't have! Rich people have ways of getting around taxes though - and royals even more so as they can literally call up the government and make their case for why they should be exempt. So it's possible no one would have paid taxes in that situation and Joachim didn't get special treatment. It's also possible a special arrangement was reached because of the circumstances. I genuinely don't know.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Moochers Par ExcellenceA Deep Dive into the Carparkles' Visit to Costa Rica in December 2023. by u/BuildtheHerd

Moochers Par Excellence…A Deep Dive into the Carparkles' Visit to Costa Rica in December 2023. Photos and video of H&M and their rarely-seen child Lilibet on a family holiday in Costa Rica started appearing in the media on December 21, 2023 …just in time to compete for media attention with the Princess of Wales, whose Royal Carols: Together at Christmas was scheduled to air on Christmas Eve.Given that the Carparkles are known to regularly take advantage of the generosity of others by wrangling free stays at mansions and transportation on private jets, I've been curious about who financed this family trip to Costa Rica. After some internet sleuthing, I've figured out where the Carparkles stayed and who provided them with free accommodations and possibly private jet transportation, too.The resort where they stayed is Zapotal Golf and Beach Club, located in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. The company's website provides the following description of the resort, "Spanning miles of untouched coastline and thousands of acres of pristine tropical forest, Zapotal is a true retreat with 240 residences on the edge of one of the world’s five National Geographic Blue Zones where residents are quantifiably happy, healthy and enjoy an increased lifespan. Enjoy adventures on sea and land or a leisurely round on the 18-hole Tom Fazio golf course. Delight in a tasty locally sourced organic meal. Indulge in a spa treatment or a heart pounding workout. Ground yourself in the lush rainforest for an escape from the day-to-day. At Zapotal, your days are yours- and only yours." "Zapotal is one of Discovery Land Company’s more than 35 exclusive, members-only international communities. Discovery properties are uniquely designed to capture the spirit of the land and local culture, providing members with endless opportunities to curate their most authentic lifestyle." (It sounds like Meg might have advised the resort's marketing team on their word choice, doesn't it!) Here's the link to the website where you'll find photos, videos, and additional descriptions of the resort: https://ift.tt/HoU1M9b might recognize the name of Zapotal Golf and Beach Club's parent company: "Discovery Land Company." It's Jack Brooksbank's employer (Jack Brooksbank is Princess Eugenie's husband). BTW, the Harkles visited another Discovery Land Company property in Portugal called CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club after attending the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf in September 2023. Here's an article from the Daily Mail about that visit (archived and unarchived): https://ift.tt/1sqNIQm Founder of "Discovery Land Company" is Michael Meldman, who also was partners with George Clooney and Rande Gerber in Casamigos, the tequila company that they sold for approximately $1billion. Sinners might remember that Casamigos tequila was served at the H&M's wedding after party and that Jack Brooksbanks was previously a Brand Ambassador for Casamigos.Perhaps Michael Meldman even flew the Carparkles down to Liberia Airport in Costa Rica on the corporate jet, a 2001 Dassault Falcon 2000 (tail number N250DL). On the tail of the jet is the Discovery Land Company logo and on the side is the Casamigos logo (see attached photo).***The Carparkles MUST have planned to be photographed at this resort.**\* Zapotal Beach Club is a very private property that caters to uber wealthy people, so you can imagine that security is tight. Tourism is the main source of income in Costa Rica (Source: Embassy of Costa Rica in Washington, D.C. website); therefore, keeping tourists safe is taken extremely seriously. I've stayed at a similar resort on nearby Papagayo Peninsula, which required passing through two security checkpoints to enter…I would expect that Zapotal Beach Club is similar. It is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that paparazzi just sneaked onto this property. This all fits the Carparkles' modus operandi.Discovery Land Company - Casamigos Corporate Jet​ post link: https://ift.tt/4pHB7lg author: BuildtheHerd submitted: March 04, 2024 at 07:06AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit