#What did you say to my hundred grand grand daughter!??!

[sheep-turtles-and-pizza]

WHAT IF!! The ancestors of the Hamato clan didn't accept April...?

[glow-worms-are-believers]

Tim Drake: Ugly Duckling (dp x dc)

So this is the last day of pride month, and so also the last day of me trying to write as many LGBTQ+ canon dc characters. It’s been fun (and I got to read a whole bunch of comics which was actually much more fun than the first time I’d tried to read those!!)

Now even though this is the end of June, feel free to send an ask if you want me to write a blurb with any character. I make no promises, but I will very much try! (It might take a while especially if I’m in a Tumblr hibernation phase.)

Anyways, for the last day of pride month I wanted to do Tim Drake coz he’s dc’s main “it” gay girl. I’ve been working on this Dead Tired fic for ages, based on the post about Tim getting turned into a swan and meeting Danny, who as a prince has to give him a kiss to change him back (I can’t find the prompt but it was hilarious so this was my take on it).

Here’s the beginning of the fic:

Red Robin was on patrol duty, while Batman and Robin were following a lead on possible joker safehouses. All in all, It was a pretty quiet night with only two muggings, both low-energy as both perpetrator ran away as soon as a bat-shaped shadow moved. 

So Red Robin had spent most of the night chatting with Babs. He was grappling around town, as they started on the new date app they’d both found out Jason was using.

“I told him he can’t put only photos of his motorcycle but- wait I’m getting a call,” Oracle interrupted herself. Tim waited before the earpiece came to life again.

“Sorry to cut this short Red Robin, got a full-attention request from Canary. If you need anything, beep me, and Keep your coms open.”

“Bye, Oracle,” he said, and like that, Red Robin was alone once again.

 He stopped on Grand Avenue Station and just let himself take in Gotham. The city was beautiful at night, and Tim was itching for a camera. He seen hundreds of pictures of the city’s skyline but they always managed to be unique. The night sky may always be covered by dark clouds above, but Gotham had its own stars in the lights shinning on top of the skyscrapers. So lost in his thoughts, Tim was, he almost missed the soft noise that sounded behind him. The voice that sounded behind him was harder to miss.

“Wither away so late, Little Red Bird?”

Red Robin turned to see a tall woman standing half in the shadows

“Sorry, can I help you?” Answered the vigilante despite the bad feeling creeping up to him.

“I’d like to know where I can find your guardian,” the woman said, still in the shadows.

“You mean Batman?” He chanced.

The woman nodded and Tim resisted the urge to sigh.If this was another one of Bruce’s ill-advised fling, Tim was going to hack every electronic device the man had to play sex-eds on loops for at least a week.

“He’s busy at the moment.” Then feeling like he shouldn’t assume what the woman wanted Bruce for, he continued. “But if you need any help, I’ll do my best.”

The woman stepped forward, and Tim could see her better. Her face was bare, but her distinctive outfit seemed to indicate she was some kind of vigilante-slash-criminal. The outfit did, in fact, ring a bell in the back of his mind, but it was dim. Tim didn’t tense up, but he did angle his body in a way to accommodate for a better escape through grappling. She continued walking until she was within arm’s reach of Tim, towering over him. She extended a hand to lightly caress his cheek, and Tim went still at the touch.

“Such a kind Little Bird you are,” she said gently. “You know, you remind me of my daughter.” She sighed. “Oh, what pretty children you both are.”

“Thank you,” said Tim as he sidestepped out of the way. “I’m sure she’s a lovely person.”

“Oh she was,” the woman said and through his growing wariness, Tim spared a thought for the girl. “She had dark hair and the fairest skin, just like you. The most beautiful girl in the land some would even say.”

That niggling feeling came back as a feeling of familiarity poked at him once again. “You must’ve been very proud.”

The woman let out an airy laugh before saying playfully/contemplating. “mustn’t I?”

A shiver ran down his back. Alright, there was something wrong with this woman, and Tim wasn’t waiting around to find out what. Not without any information or backup.

“Well, if there’s nothing I can do for you, I really have to get going,” Tim said as he took out his grapple gun. In a second, the gun was ripped from his hand , and he was slammed to the side of the staircase leading up to the roof. He let out a gasp at the impact and his features tensed in pain. The woman hadn’t even touched him.

“Not so fast, Little Bird. We don’t want you going back to the Batman just yet.  I’m not ready to make him my Knight yet.”

“Your knight?” Tim managed to get out. He tried to move his arms, but some unseen force was pinning him in place. Shit, that meant he couldn’t reach the comm to send out a distress signal. Hopefully Babs would check in soon.

The woman smiled as she approached him once again. “What better for a Queen, than a Dark Knight?”

And just like that it clicked. “You’re the Queen of Fables.” 

“Well look at this, you’ve got the brains and the beauty,” she teased, her voice as smooth as honey.

“What do you want with Batman?” Tim asked though he could guess from previous encounters she had had with the Justice League that the villainess wanted to turn Bruce into a fairytale character of some sort. She’d done the trick on Clark, and twice on Diana, so it was probably Batman’s turn now. So, yes, Tim could guess, But the longer he kept her talking the more time he had to figure out a way out of this.

“I told you, he’ll be a Knight of the Queen,” She extended a hand and tilted Tim’s face up. “Do you know what that would make you Little Bird?” 

Most villains assumed the batclan worked like a crime family. So the family of a knight? “Nobility,” Tim guessed, unsure where this was going.

“Exactly.” She smiled, and then she moved. Tim braced for the hit.

Instead of a punch though, he only felt a tingling sensation. Cautiously, he opened his eyes, only for them to grow bigger as he took in his uniform. Or the lack thereof.

He was in something-century clothing, in some sort of frilly shirt and pants, all in white. This was worse than a punch. Then, as the thought hit him, Tim’s hands flew to his face only to come in contact with the silky fabric of a masquerade mask. He sighed in relief, and as he calmed down, he realized he was now free of the force pinning him down.

“The color is for my daughter,” the Queen said. Then, she let her head fall to the side before tracing a line across his forehead and Tim could feel something like a circlet setting down on it. “There you go. Now, it’s perfect. You could practically be siblings.” 

“No thanks.,” Tim answered.

The Queen tsked him. “That’s no way to behave Little Bird, has nobody taught you to say thank you when you receive a gift.”

“I don’t want anything from you,” Tim disagreed mildly as he took stock of his weapons. Everything was gone, including the earpiece, which meant Babs had to have been alerted and someone was en route.

The Queen frowned. “I was going to be merciful, for you guardian’s sake, but I no longer feel generous.” She raised her hand and Tim tried to roll away, but the magic beam swerved and hit him in a blinding flash of light.

When he managed to open his eyes once again, the world seemed quite a bit bigger than it had been moments before. 

“What did you do to me?” He said. Or tried to say.

Instead a strange squawk echoed and Tim took a step back in surprise. However, he lost his balance and started to fall and as he tried to catch himself with his hand, two large white wings unfolded. He dropped down, which wasn’t as far as he would’ve estimated and laid stiff. He moved his left arm, and a white wing followed suit. 

Oh, no. Oh no no no.

A grating laugh interrupted his freak out. “There you are my pretty Little Bird, all better. White really is your colour, don’t you th-“

With a loud hiss, Tim propelled himself towards the woman. Making use of his newfound beak, he pecked and bit everything he could, as he flapped his wings.

“Blasted creature- Get off! Stop it, you despicable, puny-“ 

Finally she managed to grab Tim and throw him away from her. He landed with a squawk, but managed to get himself back to his feet quickly. “You little/awful brat,” she snarled. “You’ll pay for this!”

But as the Queen threw out her hand, something rippled in the air between them and the magic beam seem to explode midway into a green vortex. Tim’s clumsy attempt at waddling away had him head straight towards it, and it was in vain that he tried to redirect the course. She and Tim made eye contact as the swan-boy tipped right into the swirling green vortex, both of their eyes wide-open in surprise.

Danny was exhausted. He was currently on week one of the full month of Royal Duties he’d promised Clockwork. Being Prince of the Infinite Realm was not all that it was cracked up to be, and that was saying a lot since he had already been expecting it to be awful. 

When Clockwork had made the request, Danny had proceeded to freak out about his new status, and then tried to abdicate. It was only the master of time reminding him of all the terrible possible candidate for the throne per rites of combat (such as Vlad) that stopped him from washing his hands of this mess. And now Danny was forced to spend one whole month of his summer vacation in the Ghost Zone to fulfill his duty as a Prince. 

He thought it would be some paperwork, maybe a battle or two, nothing too bad, but nooo. Because, of course nothing was easy, Danny had to show up at Events, and be Diplomatic. It was meeting, after meeting, after weird parties that were a mix between Medieval Banquets and Debutante balls. 

And worse of all were the marriage proposals. Danny could sorta understand, marrying into royalty was a definite plus for a lot of more powerful ghosts but when they called him a half-breed behind his back, only to smile in his face with a marriage contract in one hand and flowers in the other, that was where he drew the line. 

Plus there was also the fact that he was, like sixteen.

Suffice to say, Danny was exhausted and hiding out in Pariah Dark’s old castle as a last resort. It wasn’t his favorite place all in all, but the gardens were absolutely beautiful, which was where he was walking. He was currently headed to the hedge maze, since it was the best way to get rid of any tails he may or may not have. 

The maze was nasty if it didn’t like you, and it didn’t like anybody but Danny, and even then, it still tried to take a bite every once in a while. Despite the snaking vines and roots trying to capture anything that moved, the flowers that wailed softly when disturbed or the sharp thorns of the hedge plants themselves, it was still a beautiful place. Uniquely, the closer you got to the centre, the more colorful (and dangerous) everything got, which was why he liked it best. 

He reached the centre much quicker than the first time he tried, thanks to the maze actually helping him, and something pale caught his eye right in the middle of the open area, right next to the bench Danny loved to use. As he got closer, he realized it was a swan laying on the floor, seemingly unconscious.

“Oh no,” Danny said as he approached. “What happened to you?”

As if awakened by the sound of his voice, the swan started to shift, its wings twitching and it rose its head groggily. As soon as it clocked in Danny, it let out a surprised squawk, followed by a long hiss as it struggled to move away.

“Hey, hey, none of that, Duckie, you’re ok.” Danny raised his hands placatingly. “I don’t want to harm you, ok? I just want to make sure you’re ok.”

The hiss subsided by a bit, but that may have only be due to the swan managing to get further away.

“Sh, sh, it’s ok,” Danny repeated as he slowly inched forward. The swan stopped hissing but still observed him warily. “I don’t want to hurt you Duckie, but I do think we’d better get you out of this maze.”

Danny took another step, and this time the swan stayed still. “How about bringing you back to my rooms just for now.” The swan hissed louder at the statement. “Don’t worry Duckie, I’m not keeping you prisoner it’s just this maze has been known to eat people. And you’re too pretty to be eaten,” Danny flashed a smile at the swan which had it stare back with a gaze saying really?

“So what do you say, wanna crash at my place?” Danny asked. The swan didn’t move forward but he didn’t move away either.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t trust a guy who talks to birds either,” Danny allowed. “And the place where I’m staying is a little gloomy, so I don’t blame you, but I can’t leave you here. The maze is honestly really dangerous, especially for a nice bird is like you. “

The swan seemed to hesitate before it hesitantly made its way to Danny. Ghost animals were usually smart but the swan seemed to understand English, which made communicating that much easier. Danny smiled and opened his arms. “I can carry you.” The swan just looked at him, with what Danny would’ve thought was a deadpan stare. “It would go much faster.”

If the swan was human it probably would’ve sighed, but instead, its wings just fell a little before it waddled towards Danny and looked up as if to say ‘get on with it’.

Danny smiled and gathered the animal in his arms. “Buckle up,” he said before flying off towards the maze exit, which was accompanied by a low hiss. Making sure there was nobody there to ambush him, Danny made it back to the castle in record time.

“Here we are Duckie.” Danny set the swan back down and it plopped down on the ground and just steadied themselves for a while.

Tim was a swan. He had wings and no fingers, and his feet were webbed.

He was handling it though. By which Tim meant he was shelving the impending panic attack for later when he wasn’t stuck in a swan body. 

Ok, so he’d been turned by the Queen of Fables, so there had to be an answer in a fairytale,a way to make him normal again. He knew the ugly duckling story. That had a swan in it, right? He didnt know any other swan stories, except maybe as a dish during the wedding banquet of whichever princess. He vaguely remembered a Barbie movie that had passed on the TV when he was younger but the only thing that came to mind were a scary-looking Troll thing, and ballet.  So with lack of better alternatives he was going to go with the ugly duckling. The ugly duckling’s happy ending was reuniting with family, so maybe all he needed was to make his way back to Gotham.

“Are you ok?” 

And that was another thing. The guy. The one Tim had at first wanted to get away from. He seemed nice and all, but he also had neon green eyes, and fangs. Unfortunately, while they suited the boy very well, they also marked him as an unknown. 

On the other hand, if the glowing portal wasn’t enough of an indication, the green tinge of everything around was clear indicator that Tim wasn’t in Kansas anymore. The guy seemed to want to help him, and having an ally wherever he was could only help.

Tim nodded as best as he could with his long weird neck, and he had to take a few steps to regain balance.

“That’s good,” the boy smiled with his white pointy canine. “How did you end up in the middle of that maze?”

Tim just looks back tiredly. He didn’t know how to even try and explain when he couldn’t say a word and had no opposable thumbs.

“Yeah, sorry.” The boy winced. “Maybe stick to yes or no questions.”

There was a sharp knock at the door that had the boy turning away.

“Prince Phantom!” A voice rung through the door.

Prince? 

The newly-dubbed Prince Phantom got up to open the door, “yes, what can I do for you?”

“Your meeting with Queen Dora is approaching. Do you still prefer to forgo an escort guards?” a purple lady was saying.

“I’ll be fine without, Maj but thank you very much,” Phantom answered with a polite smile.

“I’ll pass it along, my Prince.” She bowed and closed the doors behind her.

Phantom walked back to lay on the bed with a sigh. “I really hate that they call me that.” He turned towards Tim to continue. “I bet swans don’t have royalty. You guys had the right idea.”

[janeyseymour]

Love Thy Neighbor- pt 9

Summary: Ellie finds out about the two of you.

WC: ~2.2k

Ellie still doesn’t know about your relationship with Melissa. It’s not like much has changed since entering this relationship with the redheaded woman that lives across the hall. She still comes over almost every night, the two of you cook dinner, cuddle with Ellie on the couch before putting her to bed, and then you stay up and have another glass of wine together. Occasionally, she spends the night, but she sneaks out early enough that Ellie doesn’t see, and you’ve avoided your daughter’s meltdowns since that first night that she caught the two of you asleep in bed without her.

But it’s getting to a point where you think maybe you should tell her. Especially when Melissa casually brings up the fact that her lease is ending soon. 

“Yeah,” she says quietly as she thumbs through her mail. “And my rent is going up… asshole landlord hasn’t upped my rent in six years, and here we are.”

You frown at that. “What have you been paying?”

“Less than you,” she snorts.

“By how much?”

“You pay what?”

“Upwards of two grand,” you sigh. “Why do you think I still DoorDash occasionally?”

“Hun,” she sighs.

“I have to make it all work… and Jared is so behind on child support right now,” you roll your eyes. “I’m about to lawyer up again.”

“You know I have a guy,” she tells you. “And I ain’t paying that. I’m paying like eleven hundred a month.”

“What the fuck?” your eyes nearly bulge out of your head.

“An’ he’s still only raising my rent to sixteen hundred,” she says. “But that’s way cheaper than the shit that you’re paying… he’s practically robbing you. Should just move in with me, and we can split it.”

“What?” you raise a brow.

She shrugs. “We practically live together anyway. It’d make sense.”

You hum thoughtfully before turning in her arms. She isn’t wrong, in all actuality. But making it official and moving in with her would mean… you shrug and settle against her to finish the movie that you’re in the middle of watching while you grade papers and she goes through her mail.

“I’m not sayin’ you have to make any big choices or anything, and I know your lease don’ end for another four months, but give it some thought.”

That’s the end of that conversation, and you curl into her once you’re done grading. Her arm is draped lazily around you, settling on your thigh.

Melissa ends up renewing her lease, grumbling about the increase in her rent- although you remind her that she can’t really complain when she’s still paying half a grand less than you. The next two months fly by, and then you really do have to start considering Melissa’s offer of moving in with her and splitting the rent.

You’re laying together in bed one night when you broach the subject hesitantly.

“My lease is ending in two months,” you say softly.

She turns to look at you. “Yeah.”

“And my rent is going up too,” you sigh. “I really don’t know if I can afford to stay in this complex.”

“Just move in with me,” she says without hesitation. “I already told you that.”

You smile softly. “I didn’t know if you meant it or not though.”

“Course I did,” the redhead chuckles. “I meant it two months ago, and I mean it now. We practically live together as it is; don’ make sense that we’re both shelling out a shit ton of money to just end up in bed together at night.”

“I mean, Ellie still doesn’t know.”

Melissa sighs at that. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about that too. I think it’s time we tell her, although I do think that a part of her knows.”

“I do too, but… any time I bring up her father… you’ve seen how she reacts.”

“I do, and I’m usually the one she clings to after the initial meltdown,” Melissa tells you. “I think… that while it might be weird for her mother to have a new significant other, it’ll help soften the blow that it’s me.”

“Yeah,” you hum quietly. “I think you might be right. We’ll just have to introduce it to her slowly, and then… if she’s okay with it, we can bring up all moving in together.”

The next day, the two of you take Ellie out to the park after school. She’s all grins as she hands Melissa her backpack and races off towards the slide in the middle of the playground.

The two of you settle on one of the benches to keep your eyes on your little girl, and Melissa wraps an arm around you. Usually, the two of you wouldn’t do this anywhere but on your couch, her couch, or in your bed, but if you’re going to go public about your relationship, this might be an easy way to ease Ellie into it.

The redhead keeps her arm around you as the two of you chat about your days, and you settle a hand on her thigh. It’s warm, it’s comforting, it’s what you’re used to in the confines of your homes. And when your daughter yells over to get your attention as if the two of you haven’t been watching her run up the steps and slide down the slide for the last five minutes, she giggles when she sees how close the two of you are.

“Miss Mel! Take a video!” Ellie shouts from the top.

With her free arm, she fishes her phone out of her jacket pocket and points it towards the little one. 

“Okay, Ellie girl,” Melissa smiles. “Go ahead!”

As soon as your daughter’s beaming little face comes down to the bottom, she’s sprinting over to the two of you. Without any questions, she settles herself in both of your laps and grins.

“Can I see?”

She hands Ellie her phone and allows your daughter to watch with a grin. Your daughter giggles leaning up to kiss Melissa’s cheek. The redhead responds with a kiss to Ellie’s temple, and then one to yours.

Ellie looks over at you with the most curious face. “Why did Miss Mel just kiss your head like Daddy used to?”

You blush furiously, and you swallow around the lump in your throat. “Because… well, baby…” You don’t quite know how to say this.

“Because I love your momma,” Melissa cuts in gently.

“Well, duh,” Ellie giggles. “She loves you too.”

It’s clear that what Melissa was trying to get at goes right over Ellie’s head, and she looks to you.

“Miss Mel kissed my head because… Miss Mel and I are kind of in a relationship like the one Daddy and I were in,” you phrase awkwardly, not quite knowing how to explain this to the little girl sitting in your lap.

Ellie’s eyes go wide. “Wait, really? Girls can like like girls?”

“Yeah, sweetness,” you tell her gently. “And Miss Mel and I like each other in a romantic way.”

Ellie sits thoughtfully for a few seconds before shrugging. “That’s cool. I like like Anna, so…” then she breaks out into a grin. “Can we get ice cream?”

You roll your eyes playfully. “Why don’t you go run around a little more, and then I’ll consider it.”

The six year old leaps off of your laps before running over to the swings and starting to pump her legs. You watch her in wonder.

“I’d say that was easier than we thought it would be,” Melissa hums as she taps away at her phone.

“Yeah,” you hum. Then you purse your lips just slightly. “I think my daughter just came out to me at the age of six.”

“I think she did too,” Melissa chuckles as she continues to look at her phone. “At least she doesn’t have to worry about fear of rejection from her mother when she’s older.”

You chuckle softly before laying your head down on her shoulder. You glance down to see what your girlfriend is doing, and it turns out she’s adding the video of Ellie going down the slide to an album on her phone.

“What’s this?” you ask softly.

“Just an album where I keep pictures and videos of you and El,” Melissa tells you as if it’s nothing.

When you look at the album name, it’s labeled with a singular red heart.

“Oh?” you raise a brow and place your hand over your heart. It may be the fact that you’ve had a child, or the fact that you’re currently hormonal as hell, but your eyes well with tears.

“I look at it when I’m having a rough day with my kids,” she tells you. “It always makes my day a little brighter.”

“Can I see the pictures?”

Melissa hands you the phone, and you look through it. The contents make your heart so light. There are so many pictures of you just strumming your guitar or ukulele, a few videos of you singing as the sunlight hits your face nearly perfectly. And there are even more pictures and videos of your daughter- running around, singing her own little songs, hugging her, smiling brightly.

“I didn’t know you had half of these,” you whisper.

“I like to take pictures and videos when you guys don’t really know,” she shrugs. “Natural and beautiful.”

“You’re ridiculous,” you reply, but you do send a few pictures to yourself from her phone.

After Ellie runs around for a bit longer, you do give into your girl’s puppy dog eyes for ice cream. and you notice from your peripheral vision Melissa’s camera snapping pictures of both you and your daughter enjoying your ice cream.

And then the three of you head home, she makes you dinner, and you enjoy every bite of it. When you curl up on the couch, Ellie is immediately in your lap, and Melissa’s arm is around you, squeezing your hip gently.

You hand your remote to the little girl, but she just looks at you and your girlfriend. “I have questions.”

“About?”

You two.”

“Shoot,” Melissa says shortly.

“Do you and Momma kiss?” She nods. “Do you and Momma love each other?” Melissa nods again. “Are you gonna be like my second Momma?”

At that, you bite your lip, but the redhead takes this one. “Your momma and I love each other and everything, but we’re taking it slow and seeing where it takes us.”

Ellie nods thoughtfully. “Are we going to live together?”

“What makes you ask that?” you ask softly.

The six year old shrugs. “Don’t couples live together?”

“Sometimes,” Melissa tells her. “Maybe in time.”

“We all practically live together anyway,” your daughter says as she reaches for the remote that you set aside. She turns on her program and lounges against the two of you. “Let’s make one thing clear though, Momma: Miss Mel is still mine.”

“Hear that?” your girlfriend jostles you gently. “It’s me and El for life.”

“I suppose I have to make peace with the fact that my daughter is closer to my girlfriend than I am,” you sigh dramatically as you kiss both of their heads.

A bit later, you both take the little girl to bed and tuck her in. She practically begs for a story from your neighbor before she finally settles in for the night.

“Stay tonight?” you ask Melissa once you exit your daughter’s room. She pulls you in gently and pecks your lips.

“I’d love nothing more,” she sighs softly before leading you into the bedroom.

Once the two of you get situated, you exhale slowly. “So… I’m thinking maybe we should move in together?”

“Yeah?” She cranes her neck to look at you. “You moving to my place, or am I moving in here?”

“Well, since you already renewed your lease, and it would be way cheaper with your landlord situation… your place? It should be an easy move too- just across the hall.”

“I would be more than happy to have the two of you join me,” Melissa smiles. “You know I use my second bedroom for storage mostly anyway- for shit I don’t need anymore but hold onto… it’ll force me to get rid of some of it.”

“Really?” you ask.

“For the two of you? It’s no question,” she promises you as she kisses your temple again.

You snuggle up against her and drift off to sleep.

You wake up in her arms, thankful it’s a weekend for the two of you to sleep in while Ellie entertains herself playing dress up and having a tea party with her stuffed animals in her room.

The sunlight streams in through your curtains, and you spend a decent amount of time in a sleepy haze with your girlfriend. Only when you roll over to get out of bed do you look at your phone.

And there it is- the one thing that could throw everything you know in this new life for a loop: a text from your ex-husband.

I’m in Philly this weekend. We should talk.

[katz-chow]

inspired by the post you made of having a child by your hip and then him walking in and going to kiss his "pretty girls"

So, here this, Simon Riley, bad mood, and tired, just came from base to his home, his wife and daughter in the kitchen, unaware. He was going to be grumpy all night long when he heard the babbles from his baby daughter, his wife trying to teach her how to say 'mum' after the kid said 'dada' first.

Bare with me, make it extra fluffy, I'm taking it so fluffy it roots your teeth from how cute it is. The dream he never knew would happen, was now in front of him.

anyway, you'll probs get a smut req from me after this one

a/n: i did not see this until it was like an hour before i wrote and posted this. my bad, man.

warnings: fem!reader, baby, stressed out simon, fluff, domestic, maternity leave, what a family man

Simon was not a stranger to stress and aching muscles, it came almost like sleep to an already dying body. He saw himself as that whenever it got quiet and lonely. Thankfully, nowadays he finds himself in the comfort and joy of people that enjoy his company to any extent. So this stress came in a familiar yet unexpected, especially when it came in a form of 12 hours of office work and not dirt, grime, and blood. Also unusual is how this tsunami toppled him down, so close to the place he called home, in a neighborhood where only old people find themselves retiring to and grand kids running along the street.

He pulled up to the light of his home, which seemed unchanged to when he left the same house earlier that day, completely with the total darkness that consumed the sky. Keys in one hand and a lunch box in the other, he unlocked the front door and was met with the warm glow of lamp lights. The smell of dinner drifted in the air, inviting him into bliss and heat, compared to the cold and damp night outside.

One lock clicked, the other one followed, and then the tumbling of his steel-toed boots against the hardwood. A quiet draft moved around the living and dining room, a remnant of a busy, eventful day still present along the floor. Wooden peg dolls lay slain from a fight hours ago, Lego bricks scattered around from an explosion that seemed to have been devastating for the population and infrastructure of the city, how cute.

His ear perked up at the sound of soft cooing followed by the shrill of your baby voice for your girl. Behind the door to the nursery propped you up against the wall, slumped down onto the floor. The little cow onesie sat on your lap, leaning against your thighs as you held her hands, bouncing her up and down.

"Can you say 'mama?'" You whispered sing-songy, slowing down the last part, making it easier for the baby to understand. The little one giggled at you and forced you to wave your hand with its tight grip on one of your fingers.

Simon couldn't help but shake his head and roll his eyes, your diabolical plan of getting her to say 'mama' instead of 'dada' has started-which was especially unfair because you got parental leave before he did. "I heard that."

You look up at him from your spot of the fluffy rug, sticking out your tongue at him. 'How mature,' he thought as he sank down next to you. He raked a hand through his hair, resting his head against the wall as you rested yours onto his shoulder. Your cowpoke stuck her tongue out at him as he peaked open of his eyes to glare at her. "Already putting my own kid against me, how considerate of you, Lovie."

You giggled at him and thus, your baby girl also giggled, following in her mama's steps. The three of you settled down, Simon taking her from your lap and into his own, holding her close as she snuggled up into his uniform. You held onto his bicep, leaning into him. Soft lips meet your forehead as normal, just like the hundreds of times before this moment. "You got home late."

"I know, I'm sorry..." he sighed, eyes heavy and heart full,domestic life looked good on him. What looked even better was his beautiful girls in his grasp, shielding them away from the horrors of war that he fought all those years ago. This was it.

"I'm glad you're home though... we already had dinner and she insisted that we stay up to wait for you." You laughed. You missed him and the days that he wasn't so caught up, working overtime. You know why though, so paternity leave wouldn't be so out of reach.

He let out a soft laugh smiling and making funny faces at your little calf. "Yeah, I saw the destruction and war crimes the two of you caused out there."

"Womp, womp." You shrugged and let in a deep breath, content with the little family the two of you had created in a span of a few years. This is what life is supposed to be like; simple, warm, and your kids mocking you at the ripe age of 10 months.

Simon Riley, a man built on anger, pain, and built walls, is no longer just that. He's no longer just a soldier, a pawn that's willing to do anything for the greater good, sacrificing sleep, time, and himself. No, Simon Riley can no longer do that, he needs to come home at the end of day, see his girls terrorize the squirrels outside, see his girls nuzzled up watching tv, see his girls make fun of him, and most importantly, see his girls sleeping soundly in his arms.

[vettelsvee]

CLIFFORD AND EMILY | Sebastian Vettel

f1 masterlist | ao3 | ask me anything or let's talk!

ferrari sebastian vettel x race engineer wife!reader

word count: 3195

summary: y/n tells seb that it would be a great present for his birthday to adopt a puppy, and they find the perfect one

warnings: fluff, fluff and more fluff. dad ferrari!seb as i can't get rid of him. based on 2018 season and narrated on seb's pov

a/n: once again, this is part of history series (coming soon as is being heavily edited) and translated by cele! changed my layout to my comfort people so are you like it? also, as always, i'll be waiting for your feedback, as well as comments and chats on that anon button please! and also, don't forget reblogs are truly appreciated guys! tysm <3

© VETTELSVEE (2024). please, do not steal, copy or translate my works. thanks for reading!

Normally, I didn't have trouble getting up in the mornings, especially during Grand Prix weekends, but today it had been incredibly hard to leave Y/N and Emily sleeping.

Maybe the problem was that today was my birthday, and, in part, we couldn't spend it like a normal family. I didn't mind working on such a special day, but it did bother me when I thought it was my first birthday with Emily.

Very reluctantly, I decided to start my day, trying not to let my bad mood consume me. As soon as I set foot on the floor, I adjusted the sheets to cover my girlfriend, taking the utmost care not to wake her. Nights with our daughter were exasperating, and I didn't know how Y/N managed to be at one hundred percent during team meetings, press conferences, free practice sessions, qualifying and the race, and especially the briefings and all the data analysis her job entailed.

I trained with Eddie for just an hour and a half. According to him, my birthday present was a less strict training session; even so, we ran a lap around the block where the hotel was located, and then we went straight to the gym.

At half-past seven in the morning, to my good fortune, he told me I could go back to my room to get ready for that Friday.

I entered as quickly as I could, being very careful because it was still quite early, and I assumed my girls would be resting. Deep down, I knew that wasn't going to be the case, so I wasn't surprised to see Y/N, still in her pyjamas, walking back and forth while breastfeeding Emily and trying to eat a piece of toast.

“God!” She quickly swallowed the bite and pretended she hadn't been eating. I couldn't help but laugh at how cute the scene seemed to me. “I'm so sorry, Seb. I had ordered breakfast to be brought up and ready for when you came, but I was so hungry and wasn't sure when Eddie would let you go today…”

I shook my head and approached her. I left a short kiss on her lips and then placed another on my daughter's forehead.

“Happy birthday, sunshine,” she said, wrapping her free arm around me. “How many birthdays have we spent together now? Eight?”

“Seven,” I corrected her, remembering we didn’t get to spend the 2008 one together. “And I hope there will be more because I'm not going to let you get rid of me anytime soon.”

“Do you really think I'm going to get rid of you so soon? In case you don't remember, we not only work together: we also share a house, a cat, a daughter, and we're going to have a dog…”

After that last part, Y/N let out a small scream and covered her mouth with her hand.

If I was the one who could keep secrets perfectly, Y/N Y/L/N was the complete opposite.

“What do you mean by a dog, Y/N?”

“Oh, well, I don't know… I must have mixed up some conversation I had with Aristella about Cherry,” her nerves were quite noticeable. “I got confused, and…”

“Y/N, I know you perfectly, and I know when you're lying to me. What did you mean by we’re going to have a dog?”

Given my insistence and, why not say it, the poker face I probably had, my girlfriend sighed. She placed Emily in the crib next to our bed and, while asking me to sit down and start having breakfast, took her mobile phone and immersed herself in it.

“Well, you see…” she began, sitting in front of me and taking a strawberry in her hands. “Since you adopted Vanilla as a surprise for me, I've been thinking that I would like to do the same for you, but between the chaotic 2013 we had and Emily's birth, I found it a bit impossible. It's also true that it's something I would like to discuss before doing it because it's a matter that depends not only on me but also on you,” she clarified.

“And that means…?”

“Forget it, Seb. It doesn't matter. I haven't told you anything, okay? Forget it.”

It bothered me to see her so indecisive, though it didn’t stop me from finding her idea quite endearing deep down. I knew she was nervous; the constant fiddling with the napkin and her flushed cheeks were proof of that.

“Do you want to adopt a dog?” I asked her, loud and clear.

“It’s not that I want to adopt a dog. Well, I do, but…” she sighed, stopped eating breakfast, and looked at me directly. “The thing is, I know you’d like to have a dog, and you’ve had that idea in your head for quite some time, so I thought that, only if you want, we could adopt one,” she finally explained.

“Do you want to wait until we get back home? If you want, we can talk to Michael and have him recommend…”

“No, no, not at all! I’ve already talked to Lewis about it, and he’s informed me,” she hastened to clarify. “Since I wanted to do all this, if possible, today, I asked him where he adopted Roscoe and Coco. I thought today was the perfect day for the adoption because it’s your birthday,” she repeated.

I nodded as I got up and headed towards Emily’s crib, who had started crying once more.

“I mean, all this is only if you want, of course,” Y/N spoke again. Before I could respond, she interrupted me once more. “But if you want, we can do it when we get back home. I don’t mind, except I wouldn’t have another birthday present to give you…”

Still holding the baby in my arms, I approached her and silenced her with a long, slow kiss, one I took my time with but received no complaints about, quite the opposite.

Y/N always went out of her way with gifts, even during times when her finances weren't the best. I much preferred her giving me something symbolic over an expensive whim.

So, the fact that she wanted to adopt a dog today, as my birthday present, made this thing I had wanted for so long even more special. Plus, thinking that Emily would grow up with the new member of the family made it a thousand times better.

“If my girl says it’s happening today, then we should follow her lead,” I finished saying. “What time do you think we’ll be done with everything we have to do today?”

[...]

“I hope there aren’t too many people, because if Britta finds out we’re doing all this without telling her…”

“Y/N, relax. If there’s any problem or anything, I’ll handle the press. Besides, it’s not like they don’t know me: remember I adopted Roscoe and Coco there, so they know me quite well.”

Lewis had decided to come with us to, according to him, ensure his friends received proper treatment. Deep down, I knew it was because he didn’t want to see Aristella, Britta’s niece and Y/N's best friend, hanging around Rosberg even while they were in the middle of their divorce process.

Hamilton’s concern for the girl wasn’t just something a friend would have, and I knew he was fully aware of that.

“Do you have something in mind, Seb?”

Lewis’s voice snapped me out of my trance.

“Sorry, what?”

“If you’ve thought of a name for the dog,” the dark-haired man spoke again. “I hope it’s something different from the usual. You know, the world has too many Tobys and all those common dog name variants.”

“If we’re talking about giving common names to pets, Seb is your guy,” Y/N spoke now, almost shouting. “When he adopted Vanilla just to get me to move in with him, he told me Garfield was a better name. Garfield, like the cartoon cat! If that’s not common…”

“What do you want to call an orange cat, Y/N? Vanilla? I remind you that you wanted to name her Cheeto…”

“Because she looked like a Cheeto and I thought it was a male!” she retorted. “Later, when I realised she was female and not so orange, I named her Vanilla.”

“Vanilla, I like it. It’s an… interesting name,” Lewis intervened. “Can I ask why you named her like that?”

“Y/N's favourite ice cream flavour is vanilla. That, and if you add the fact that cats are her favourite animal…” I answered in her place.

I saw Y/N's lips curve slightly in the rear-view mirror.

Then, she turned around and put a hand on my leg, stroking it.

“I hope you find the perfect name for the new family member, love. Even if it’s the same as every other dog in the world,” she said ironically.

After those words, I realised we had arrived at the shelter Lewis Hamilton seemed to admire so much.

The Brit, as he guided us towards what appeared to be the entrance, commented that we should be careful with Emily, not because the furry ones were aggressive, but because they got very excited when they had visitors, especially if they were children.

A dark-skinned woman with completely dark hair was at the door, as if she had been waiting for us for a while. Lewis gave her a hug and immediately introduced us.

“These are Sebastian Vettel, his girlfriend Y/N, and their daughter, Emily.”

She gave us a smile, and I saw she intended to shake our hands until she saw our little one. She approached to dote on her as soon as Y/N gave her permission with a glance. Emily’s laughter began to fill the room, and she started to move cheerfully in Y/N's arms.

“I’m so sorry for my lack of manners, but when I see such a beautiful baby like this little one…” the woman began to say, still playing with the child. Then, she cleared her throat and looked at both of us. “Nice to meet you, couple,” she finally shook our hands. “I’m Jade, and well, I’ve been a volunteer at this shelter since time immemorial, back in the prehistoric times.”

“Don’t say that, Jade! You look wonderful,” Lewis told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t be so flattering, young man,” she chided him. “I appreciate all kinds of compliments for my age, but that’s not why we’re here. Well, tell me: if I’m not mistaken, and as your friend here has told me, you want to expand your family, right?”

Now she was looking intently at both of us. I nodded in response; at the same time, and by inertia, my right arm wrapped around my girlfriend’s waist, which made Emily start reaching out her little arms to come to me.

“Today is Seb’s birthday, and he’s been wanting to adopt a dog for quite some time,” my girlfriend explained.

“Oh, the adoption is a birthday gift!” Jade exclaimed, beginning to clap and approaching me quickly to give me a hug that I gladly accepted. “Happy birthday, dear! How old are you now?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Oh, dear. If I could be that age again…”

I smiled at her response as Y/N handed me Emily, who had started babbling to come to me.

“A daddy’s girl, I see, huh?” Jade chimed in. Y/N was about to answer, but before she could even do so, the woman was already speaking again. “Well, since it’s your birthday, I think I have the perfect gift for you.”

Without saying anything more, the woman gestured for us to follow her, and we did. We passed through several areas with dogs of different ages roaming freely, who approached us to sniff and perhaps convince us to adopt them.

Lewis mentioned that some of them were related to Coco. I laughed at the supposed joke, which stopped being a joke when Jade confirmed it. Y/N lagged behind a few times because she stopped to play with the dogs that approached her, which were quite a few. Emily and I, however, kept a brisk pace, possibly eager to find out what the woman was talking about and why she was being so mysterious.

Finally, we arrived at a kind of room with less light than I expected and, to my surprise, full of what seemed to be soft little beds. On top of them, not only was there a dog lying down that seemed quite tired, but there were also several puppies nursing from her.

Jade indicated before we entered that we should remain silent.

“One of our dogs gave birth last night,” she told us. “I don’t want to give all her puppies up for adoption since I’d like at least one to stay with her, but considering that the puppies and you share a birthday, I’d be delighted if you adopted one of them.”

I opened my eyes wide and couldn’t say anything. Next to me, Y/N seemed to have reacted the same way I did.

Saying we were surprised would be an understatement.

“But… are you serious?” my girlfriend commented, still in surprise.

“Of course, dears!” the woman responded cheerfully. “The only issue, so to speak, though it’s not really a problem, is that it’ll take about a month and a half before you can take him home. You know, the separation process from the mother is crucial.”

“No problem, really. We’ll wait as long as it takes,” I finally spoke. “Besides, I think we have a break around that time, right?”

“Yes, about a month,” Lewis replied.

“We’ve already got our vacation destination, sunshine,” Y/N said to me, apparently much more excited than I was.

“Now, I need you to tell me something important: which one of them do you want to be your little girl’s new brother?”

Still holding Emily, Y/N and I carefully approached the puppies.

To our eyes, they all looked exactly the same. We couldn’t see their eyes, but I was almost convinced they would be similar to the colour of their fur, a light brown skin similar to beach sand. They were huddled together and didn’t seem to be doing anything other than trying to nurse for as long as possible.

“Do you know what breed or mix they are?” Y/N asked the lady with that characteristic curiosity of hers.

“If I remember correctly, their mother is a golden retriever and their father, a big labrador.”

My girlfriend thanked her, turning towards her and leaving Emily by herself for a moment. At that point, seemingly unaware that her mother wasn't watching her every move, the little one began to crawl towards the puppies. Instinctively, I quickly scooped her up in my arms to prevent her from doing so. However, she didn't seem to give up: she started kicking until, just like that, I brought her a little closer to the furry animals.

While Y/N and Lewis chatted with Jade, I remained seated on the floor next to my daughter, who seemed to have settled on a particular puppy. I tried shifting her gaze from side to side, attempting to get her to notice the rest of them, but it seemed the one farthest from its mother had caught her attention the most.

“I think Emily has chosen who’s going to be her adopted sibling, hasn’t she?” I remarked.

As soon as I said that, the three of them turned towards me, crouching down to my level. Emily was still engrossed with that little one and seemed to continue being so until we left.

“Have you chosen for Daddy, Emi?” Y/N asked, almost lying on the floor to join the game that Emily was playing with the one who seemed to be our new child. “Do you want this to be your new little brother? Or sister, of course.”

“He's a boy, actually,” Jade intervened. “And, if I’m honest and don't recall incorrectly, he’s the oldest of the whole litter.”

“Do you want to adopt this little one then, sunshine? Honestly, if you’re not convinced we can wait a bit…” Y/N whispered as if wanting it to be a secret between us.

“Clifford,” I suddenly blurted out.

They looked at me as if they had seen a ghost. Of course, I would act the same if someone dropped a name out of nowhere in a situation like this.

“I want to name him Clifford,” I clarified. “Remember the series about that big red dog you told me you watched with your sisters when they were little?” I asked my girlfriend, who nodded. “Well, if I remember correctly, you told me that the main character of the series, who was also the owner of the dog, was named Emily.”

“What’s that got to do with it, love?” she asked, curious. Did she really not know why I had suggested that name?

“Well, it just so happens that your daughter is named Emily and she seems to have chosen for us.”

Y/N’s eyes lit up and widened exaggeratedly. I swear I saw them get a little misty when she finally seemed to understand what I meant. Immediately, she stood up, took the baby in her arms, and began to talk to her while they played as if they were the only ones in the room.

“I guess I already have a birthday present, right?” I asked the redhead, standing beside her and giving her a kiss on the forehead and another to our daughter.

“Emily and Clifford…” she murmured. “I like it. I love it, actually.”

“Well, I hope that when we have the next baby, I can nail it in the same way.”

Jade, after the last sentence that I had just said, was left dumbfounded. Lewis, for his part, tried to turn a deaf ear and, instead, told me that they would be waiting for us at the entrance to do all the necessary paperwork, not without whispering to me in the least blatant way possible that he hoped that this would be my other birthday present.

Obviously, he deserved a well-deserved punch from Y/N.

“Are you already thinking about the next baby, love? Emily hasn’t even turned one yet!”

“I always think about the second baby, to be honest,” I replied. I was convinced, and I knew as well as she did that we had barely laid the foundations of our family. “A puppy brother for Emily is fine, but a human one would be a thousand times better. Don’t you think so?”

Y/N rolled her eyes and turned away, heading towards the shelter entrance. I quickly caught up with her, and her laughter filled my ears.

“If you're already thinking about our second baby, then we'll have to listen to Lewis and start practising tonight before dinner with my parents,” she suggested.

Her mischievous look infected me, and I couldn’t help but return it.

“As the birthday boy, I vote for squeezing in a free practice session before dinner with my parents tonight. How does that sound?”

“Whatever you wish, birthday boy,” she replied. “But I hope you come up with a good enough excuse for them not to suspect anything when we arrive late, and also when you ask if they can keep Emily overnight.”

[sansacherie]

THE GREEN COUNCIL

An alternative version of the script for The Green Council

(One month after the departure of Rhaenyra’s departure from court.

From above, we see Viserys in his bed.  It is a miracle that he is still here, but it is a wretched existence.  There are no traces of the jovial king that we were introduced to. 

 We sense death.)

VISERYS

Please.

Alicent comes into view.   We see the shadows under her eyes as she lifts the cup gently to Viserys’ lips.  When he finishes, she puts it aside.

VISERYS

I’m sorry.

Pity and confusion war on Alicent’s face, as she ceases her stroking of Viserys’ hand.

ALICENT

For what, my king?

VISERYS

You wanted to know… if I still believe.

VISERYS

Don’t you remember?

(Viserys’ voice is desperate.  Every word is a struggle.

Understanding shadows Alicent’s face, as she remembers a long-forgotten memory.)

ALICENT

It was a long time ago.

VISERYS

I know. You were a girl.

ALICENT

I wouldn’t say that husband.  I was carrying our daughter, then.  Helaena.

VISERYS

But-

ALICENT

Rhaenyra and Daemon returned to Dragonstone a moon ago.

VISERYS

Forgive me.

ALICENT

Shhh.

(We see that Alicent’s thoughts are not with her husband.)

 (We cut to Alicent in her bedchambers later, after being awoken by Talya.)

ALICENT

Are you sure?

(She looks shocked.)

TALYA

With his own eyes, Your Grace.

ALICENT

(Alicent sniffs as she hurries out of bed.)

ALICENT

Stay here. Tell, tell no one.

Help me dress.

(The camera focuses on Talya’s face, who smirks as Alicent turns away.)

(The Hand’s apartments)

OTTO

Who knows?

(He is staring into the fireplace.)

ALICENT

Just Talya.  Some of the servants.

I was with him, last night.

It’s a mercy.

(Otto locks eyes with Alicent.)

OTTO

Did he say anything?

(There is a silence.  Alicent looks torn.

Then she shakes her head.)

ALICENT

Nothing of importance.

(Small Council)

TYLAND

What is it that could not have waited an hour?

Was Dorne invaded?

(He looks pleased at his own joke.)

OTTO

The King is dead.

(Otto’s voice cuts like a knife.

Tyland’s smile drops.)

OTTO

May the gods give him rest.

But now we must prepare.

GRAND MAESTER ORWYLE

Indeed.  The Silent Sisters must be sent for, and if I dispatch one of my swiftest ravens now, it should reach the Princess of Dragonstone before midday-

OTTO

All needs must wait until the matter of succession is settled.

BEESBURY

The matter of succession IS settled.

(His eyes blaze.)

TYLAND

Is it?

(He smirks)

ALICENT

The Iron Throne by rights must pass to His Grace’s eldest trueborn son.

BEESBURY

Am I to understand that you are plotting to replace the King’s chosen heir with an imposter?

(He looks around in disgust)

WLDYE

His firstborn son is hardly an imposter.

ALICENT

He did not choose his daughter. He spurned his brother. He said as much to me years ago. Or does that little detail inconvienance your outrage?

TYLAND

And do we not remember the scandal when they wed? Even His Grace was most wroth with their audacity.

BEESBURY

Hundreds of lords and landed knights swore fealty to the Princess.

WLDYE

That was some twenty years ago.  Many of them are now dead. Would their kin do the same now, while Viserys had three living sons?

BEESBURY

If they are honorable men! This is usurpation.

(He slams a fist on the table.)

SER CRISTON

Words have meaning, my lord.  Prince Aegon cannot usurp his own birthright anymore than you or I can pluck a star out of the heavens.

(Otto speaks soothingly)

OTTO

We ARE honorable men, Lord Lyman.  That is why King Aegon will give Princess Rhaenyra a path to peace, with generous terms.

TYLAND

Of course, generosity always has its limits.

BEESBURY

No. No.

GRAND MAESTER ORWYLE

Lord Lyman, please…

(Beesbury rises to stand)

BEESBURY

The King was well last night, by all accounts.

WLDYE

(scoffs)

Well.

TYLAND

Which of us are you accusing of regicide?

BEESBURY

Whenever it was one of you, or all of you, I care not.

I will have no part in your schemes.

ALICENT

You call it a scheme to defend my children? My sons challenge Rhaenyra, simply by living and breathing.  Even Helaena and her little ones will never be safe.

I do not believe Rhaenyra to have the cruelty of Daemon, but I do not believe that she will temper his cruelty with mercy if it comes to it.

(Her voice is dangerous.)

BEESBURY

It would break Viserys’ heart to see you think so little of his daughter.

(He turns to leave-)

SER CRISTON

Sit down!

(There is a struggle. A crack.  Blood.

Alicent gasps.)

TYLAND

Seven hells.

(GRAND MAESTER ORWYLE checks Lyman’s pulse.)

GRAND MAESTER ORWYLE

Let us have Lord Beesbury removed.

OTTO

No. The door remains shut until we finish our business.

We must determine our allies now, should Princess Rhaenyra refuse our terms.

She is currently in confinement on Dragonstone, so we have an advantage.

WYLDE

Perhaps she will die in childbirth.

ALICENT

(Alicent, still shaken from Beesbury’s death, looks appalled at such a blithe comment.)

OTTO

My lord.  That is still the King’s daughter you speak of.

(Wlyde looks suitably chastened)

OTTO

Time is of the essence.  Ser Criston, gather your men and assume the custody of any Blacks that remain at court.  Do them no harm unless they resist.  Those who swear fealty to King Aegon will live.

GRAND MAESTER ORWYLE

And those who do not?

LARYS

Are traitors and shall die a traitor’s death.

(Alicent’s apartments.  Helaena is there, sewing.  She smiles at her children, Princess Jaehaera and Princess Jaehaerys who play happily on the floor.

Alicent rushes in.)

ALICENT

Where is Aegon?

HELAENA

N-not here.  Nor in my bed.  Feel free to search beneath the blankets.

(Helaena looks annoyed.)

(Alicent sits down beside Helaena, who moves away.  Alicent, used to Helaena’s sensitivities, takes no notice.)

ALICENT

Your father….

(Helaena is odd, but she is not stupid.)

HELAENA

When?

ALICENT

Not long.

HELAENA

I don’t know why I’m surprised.  He was sick.

ALICENT

Oh, my dearest love.

(To Alicent’s shock, Helaena squeezes her mother’s hand, then drops it.  She avoids Alicent’s eyes, and turns to look at her twins, who continue to play on obliviously.)

(Aemond walks in)

AEMOND

So. Is Aegon king, or is the cunt queen now?

OTTO

Where’s the Prince?

SER ERRYK

Forgive me, Lord Hand. I do not know.

(He looks flustered.)

OTTO

But you’re sworn to protect him.

SER ERRYK

He exploits his authority to order me away, and then he evades me, my Lord.

I believe he may have left the Keep secretly, gone into the city.

I-I think he has a mistress.

OTTO

Find him.  Take only your twin and remove your white cloaks.

SER CRISTON

Prince Aegon’s not to be found within the castle walls, Your Grace.

Your father has sent Ser Erryk into the city to find him.

ALICENT

Ser Erryk is just one man. Ser Criston, you must go as well.

Everything you feel for me… as your Queen.

(They are so close, they could kiss.)

SER CRISTON

I will not fail you.

AEMOND

I’ll come with you.

ALICENT

That would not be my desire, Aemond.

If anything has befallen-

AEMOND

Cole needs me Mother.

Ser Erryk isn’t the only one familiar with Aegon’s doings.

(Aemond’s voice is almost gentle.)

AEMOND

Aegon brought me to the Street of Silk on my fourteenth-name day.

It was his duty, he said, to ensure I was as learned as he was.

SER CRISTON

I don’t follow.

AEMOND

“Time to get it wet.”

(Cole grimaces.)

SER CRISTON

Every woman is an image of the Mother, to be spoken of with reverence.

(He knocks on a door.  It is opened by an attractive woman in her mid forties.)

SER CRISTON

Sometime last night, we… lost our drinking companion.

Knowing that he has been, in the past, a patron of your fine establishment, we thought to inquire here as to his whereabouts.

LYLA

Describe him.

SER CRISTON

That is a delicate matter.

You see, the man we seek is the young Prince Aegon.

I may trust, I hope, in the discretion of your trade.

LYLA

The Prince is not here.

I wish you luck, good Ser.

Perhaps when you find him, he can return here with your friend.

How you’ve grown.

(Aemond looks uncomfortable.)

OTTO

You once swore your banners to Rhaenyra.

Now pledge them to the rightful King.

LORD MERRYWEATHER

I must confer with my house on this matter.

OTTO

You’ll not leave this room without declaring your intention.

LORD MERRYWEATHER

I am no oathbreaker.  I will not bend the knee.

OTTO

Anyone else?

LADY FELL

House Fell… keeps its sworn oath to the Princess.

OTTO

Very well.

(They are dragged out.  The rest kneel.)

ALL

Long live the King.

SER CRISTON

Your brother could be anywhere.

AEMOND

He could be in the hands of mercenaries, on a ship to Yi Ti.

He could be dead.

SER CRISTON

Let us hope not, for your mother’s sake.

SER ARRYK

How old are they?

(He looks ill.)

SER ERRYK

About ten years, I’d think.

They have them grow their nails and file their teeth.

Makes them more formidable.

SER ARRYK

Has Prince Aegon ever visited here?

SER ERRYK

A few.  He found it amusing.

SER ARRYK

Do you now see what he is?

AEMOND

 Here I am, trawling the city, ever the good soldier in search of a wastrel who’s never taken half an interest in his birthright.

‘Tis I the younger brother who studies history and philosophy, it is I who trains with the sword, who rides the largest dragon in the world.

It is I who should be…

SER CRISTON

 I know what it is to toil for what is freely given to others.

SER ARRYK

Aegon is unfit to rule.

SER ERRYK

You forget yourself. It is not your place to say such things.

SER ARRYK

Have you no mind of your own, brother?

(Hilly, approaches them. She is nineteen to twenty years of age.)

HILLY

I can take you to Prince Aegon… for a price.

(She smiles confidently.)

SER ERRYK

Deliver him, and we’ll consider your price.

(We are in a manse.  Aegon lies asleep in bed, having just enjoyed a good fuck.  His paramour, Mya, lies asleep besides him, her breasts exposed.

Ser Erryk shakes him awake and averts his eyes from Mya’s figure.)

SER ERRYK

Get up.

KNIGHT

 Halt! Hold the gate!

(horse neighs)

CASSWELL

Unhand me!

LARYS

He was fleeing from the gate.

CASSWELL

 Do you know who I am?

LARYS

A friend to the Princess, I’d wager.

CASSWELL

What say you?

The Lord Confessor presumes.

CASWELL

I have no love for the Princess.

LARYS

And where were you going then with such urgency?

Let the King’s Justice take him.

CASSWELL

 Let go of me!

No! This is not right!

(Rhaenys’ apartments)

RHAENYS

I will do you the considerable courtesy of assuming there is a good reason for the outrage of my treatment this morning.

ALICENT

My sincerest regrets for the lack of ceremony.

RHAENYS

The King.

And you are usurping the throne.

(Rhaenys scoffs.)

ALICENT

Viserys’ firstborn son is no usurper.

ALICENT

Believe it or no, it is of no consequence.

Aegon will be king.

I came here to ask for your support.

RHAENYS

Well, I must credit you for your boldness.

ALICENT

House Velaryon has long allied itself with the Princess Rhaenyra and what has it gained you?

Your daughter dead… alone in Pentos.

Your son cuckolded.

Rhaenyra’s heirs are none of yours.

It is your husband who grasps so heedlessly for the throne.

And even he has abandoned you: gone these six long years to fight a desperate battle, returning grievously, if not mortally, wounded, leaving the Lady of Driftmark to chart her course alone.

(Rhaenys grits teeth.)

RHAENYS

The word of my house is not fickle.

(Alicent smiles sadly.)

ALICENT

No.

Princess Rhaenys, I was fond of my husband, but I will speak the truth we both know.

You were robbed at that council.

RHAENYS

I little thought to hear those words from you.

ALICENT

Viserys was the child of a second son, but you… The Iron Throne was yours by blood and by temperament.

Viserys would’ve lived his days a country lord, content to hunt and study his histories, but… here we are.

So while we may not rule, but we may guide the men who do.

Gently… away from violence and sure destruction and instead toward peace.

RHAENYS

Is it in the name of peace that you’ve imprisoned me?

And what of my dragon?

ALICENT

If we are overmatched, Rhaenyra will be tempted to strike, and war will ensue.

Without your dragon, she may be persuaded to negotiate.

RHAENYS

A true queen counts the cost to her people.

ALICENT

If it’s Driftmark you want, you shall have it for you and your granddaughters to pass on as you see fit.

RHAENYS

You are wiser than I believed you to be, Alicent Hightower.

(pause)

And yet you toil still in service to men.

Your father, your husband, your son.

You desire not to be free, but to make a window in the wall of your prison.

Have you never imagined yourself… on the Iron Throne?

(Alicent looks incredulous.

Heavy silence.

Then-)

ALICENT

I do not need to imagine myself on the Iron Throne, Princess, when I can stand beside it.

ALICENT

I’ll leave you with your thoughts. May the Crone guide you to wisdom.

OTTO

We have relied on one another these many years.

And now it is the good of the family that we both desire.

If I had known that Viserys would…

The Princess would not have lived long after Aegon was born.

OTTO

That said, I would have been too reluctant, daughter.

ALICENT

Reluctance to murder is not a weakness!

ALICENT

We will send terms.  True terms, such that she may accept without shame.

My husband would have desired this mercy be shown to his daughter.

OTTO

Your husband?

Or you,  his daughter’s childhood companion?

ALICENT

I have been a mother longer than I was her childhood companion.

My son will be anointed tomorrow at dawn.

The whole of King’s Landing must witness his ascent.

He will assume authority. There will be no more dithering.

My son will take the crown of his namesake, the Conqueror, and carry Blackfyre, his sword.

Let the people remember the ancient strength of House Targaryen.

OTTO

You look so much like your mother in certain lights.

ALICENT

I don’t remember the sound of her voice anymore.

LARYS

Your Grace.

(Alicent looks exhausted.)

The hour is late, Lord Larys.

LARYS

I’ve found out something that you should know.

Have you asked yourself, I wonder… how it is… that your father found Aegon first?

There is a web of spies at work in the Red Keep.

Along its threads travels news of all our doings.

Your father knows this, but has left it in place.

More than once, it has proved advantageous to those willing to… feed the weaver.

(Alicent looks perturbed by this revelation.)

ALICENT

And this weaver watches me?

LARYS

Um…

One of the little spiders is your lady-in-waiting.

ALICENT

Talya? But she-she has been faithful-

(Larys shakes his head.)

LARYS

Only to herself.

(Alicent chokes back rage.)

ALICENT

I will have her head.

LARYS

Of course.  But there are more like her.  Even  I do not know their number.

There is one way to destroy his advantage.

It must be taken out at the head.

When the Queen dies, the bees fly without purpose.

Begging your pardon for the turn of phrase, Your Grace.

ALICENT

I assume this task falls within your expertise.

LARYS

If you wish it, it will be done.

(Royal carriage.  We hear the bell tolling, shouts of people outside.

Aegon is dressed in kingly raiment, looking severely disgruntled.)

AEGON

My father never wanted this.

He had 20 years to name me heir and he never did.

Steadfastly, he upheld Rhaenyra’s claim.

And I have no taste for duty.

ALICENT

No. You do not.

But your father was weak.

(Aegon snorts in agreement.)

ALICENT

He refused to see the truth.

ALICENT

Do not play the fool, Aegon.   Rhaenyra will never sit the throne safely while you and your brothers live.

If you love them, you will take the throne.

(The camera focuses on Aegon’s face, who has tears in his eyes now.   Alicent crushes her annoyance at them.)

AEGON

Do you love me?

(Alicent looks taken aback at his question.  Then she smiles.)

ALICENT

I love the very bones of you, you imbecile.

OTTO

People of Kingslanding… today is the saddest of days.

Our beloved King is dead.

But it is also the most joyous of days….for he leaves a son.

COMMANDER

Guards! Out of the way!

Move!

COMMANDER

Halt!

Turn!

OTTO

It is your great good fortune and privilege to be here to witness this: a new day for our city… a new day for our realm.

A new king… to lead us.

SEPTON EUSTACE

May the Warrior give him courage.

May the Smith lend strength to his sword and shield.

May the Father defend him in his need.

May the Crone lift her shining lamp and light his way to wisdom.

SER CRISTON

The Crown of the Conqueror passed down through the generations.

(He places the crown on Aegon’s head.

Beside him, Alicent places a crown upon Helaena’s head.)

ALICENT

My queen.

SER CRISTON

Let the Seven bear witness:

Aegon Targaryen is the true heir to the Iron Throne.

PEOPLE

Aegon the king!  Hail Aegon!

(Above the cheers, we hear a dragon’s roar.

It is not Sunfyre, Dreamfyre, or Vaghar.

It is Meleys.)

(We cut to Rhaenys flying away on Meleys, music swelling.)

A/N

I wanted to write a version of a script where the Greens aren't perfect heroes but they're not used as props for Rhaenyra's existence

On the other hand we have Aemond calling Rhaenyra a cunt, Otto admitting that he likely would have killed Rhaenyra if he could predict that Viserys wouldn't change the succession, Aegon still taking his brother to a brothel so he can be "learned" and finding child fighting pits amusing.

Alicent Hightower has the energy of episode 6 and episode 7. As @agentrouka-blog said once in a reply to an ask, a desire for peace coming from a place of genuine enmity is more meaningful.

Aegon II is not a rapist (so no Dyana) but he's not a stellar person either, considering that he has visited the child fighting pits a couple times.

Alicent is not S'A.

Major changes were Alicent not misinterpreting Viserys words, the Green Council where they go more in depth about the Greens motivations for taking the throne, Alicent not tolerating Rhaenys bs' speech, no Mysaria (although her presence is felt), Alicent deciding to behead Talya for her betrayal (this was a deleted scene), no Aegon chase scene. Alicent explaining to Aegon why he needs to be king

"I love the bones of you, you imbecile." Is a mixture of the show line + Olivia Cooke commentary on her character's thoughts during that scene.

No Rhaenys dragon nonsense, however it is made clear to the audience that she has escaped.

[howlingday]

When Yang's ancestor is visiting and spills the soup that Yang has a crush on one of his friends though Yang manages to cover her mouth before she spills the soup completely.

an dragonslayer si fic.

"And who is this?"

The elderly gentleman sat on the floor, his legs crossed, as he puffed on a long pipe. Blowing smoke, he tapped the metal bowl at the end into another on the floor, and burning embers fell into the cool ashes that lay below. His open robe was gold, and decorated with red and orange flames. Along his arms were bright yellow scales. His golden beard was less so as white streaks of hair decorated it's edges.

Weiss stepped closer to the subject of her questioning, but was held back by a firm hand on her shoulder. Taking her place was another blonde, Yang Xiao Long, who held an unusually calm face for finding a stranger in their dorm.

"Hey," Yang called, "who are you?"

"Mm," the man grunted, his tired, blue eyes scanning over Yang, "wo jiao Guang."

In an instant, Yang changed her language from Remnant Common to Elevated Mistrali. Weiss never learned the language herself, as there weren't many who spoke what was once known as the Divided Languages, though she was fluent in her mother tongue, High Atlesian.

"What's he saying?" Blake asked Ruby.

"Uh, something about a hole and a lot of colors." Ruby answered. "Dad and Yang talked a lot more like this than I did. I only caught a few things here and there."

"Seems like he and Yang are getting along well enough." Weiss nodded to the two.

And indeed they were. The two were already smiling and laughing with each other. He reached out to Yang's abdomen with the back of his hand, which she slapped away with a wagging finger. She came back to the team with a grin.

"That was an interesting conversation."

"Who is that old guy?" Ruby asked.

"That old guy is your great-great-grandpa, Rubes." Yang tossed her chin back. "Guang Xiao Long."

"Great-great-grandpa?!"

"Wait, but that would make him-" Blake counted on her fingers.

"Yeah, really old." Yang nodded. "Not bad for a geezer in his 150s, right?" The elder barked. "Fine! Hundred forties! Drama queen..."

"Wait, he's a over a hundred years old?!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Who's over a hundred years old?" The team turned to see Team JNPR approaching, led by Nora. "Is it that shiny guy over there?"

"Nora, don't point." Ren chided.

"Who is he?"

"He's our great-great-great-grandpa!"

"That's one great too many, Ruby." Yang said. "But yeah, he said that he showed up through some kind of wormhole."

"Did they know what wormholes were?" Jaune asked.

"Eh, I gleaned it from what he said."

"Hello, Mr. Old Guy!" Nora waved, which was responded with another wave. He said something to her, which made Yang snap her head. "Thanks! They're real!"

"Um... What's real?" Pyrrha asked.

"Her thighs." Ren answered. "He said she had a rider's gait."

"Oh, uh, is that good?"

"He seems to think so." Nora smiled. "Nothin' wrong with lovin' thick thighs!"

"No, but there's a LOT wrong with hitting on my friends, you old pervert!" Yang barked. Then said something in his language. He just laughed and replied. "Tch. Creep."

"Are we just going to gloss over that Ren knows Elevated Mistrali?" Ruby asked.

"Or that NORA of all people knows it?!" Weiss added.

"I'm more concerned that he's flirting with her." Blake added.

"Well, if he tries anything, I'm sure Yang can take him down." Jaune complimented. "Who better to take him down than his own grand daughter?"

"Sheesh, no need to put me on such a high pedastal." Yang blushed as she turned away. This caught the old man's attention as he called out to her. Yang responded by turning and shouting herself, then covered her mouth. The old man barked a loud laugh. "SHUT UP!"

"What did he say?" Jaune asked.

"He said-" Ren covered Nora's mouth before she could answer.

"Something very inappropriate." He answered for her.

"Oh." Jaune curled his brow. "Gross. I don't want to know."

Yang mouthed a silent thank you to Ren, who nodded in reply.

[innerpalaces]

THE PRINCESS WEI YANG - 185 PART 1

CHAPTER 185: Crown Prince Yongwen

Madam Guo suppressed the anger in her heart and said: "Princess Lin'an, you should give an explanation to our Guo family!"

Everyone's expressions slowly changed. They did not expect that Madam Guo would actually say such a sentence. This meant that the Guo family was infuriated by this incident. They would never allow anyone to insult the Guo Family's beloved daughter, even if it meant confronting the eldest imperial princess.

Princess Lin'an looked at Madam Guo in surprise and said, "What do you mean? Miss Guo hasn't been harmed."

Madam Guo sneered and said: "Hasn't been harmed? If it hadn't been for His Highness Prince Xu's help just now, how could she still be standing here?!"

Everyone looked at each other. Yes, if Yuan Lie hadn't come to the rescue, Guo Jia would have been swallowed by the python now. How could she stand there safely?

Princess Lin'an's expression was ugly. In her opinion, letting the python devour Li Wei Yang was the right thing to do, but when the victim came to question her, it would be outrageous. If it was anyone else who was rude, she would have ordered someone to drag them out, but the Guo Family was different. Empress Pei had repeatedly warned her not to make an enemy out of the Guo and Chen families, especially the Guo family. This family is different from the others in that they are extremely protective of their own. If you hurt their children, they will fight you tooth and nail. Thinking of this, her face turned stiff as she said, "It's just a misunderstanding..."

Guo Cheng said with a cold expression: "Misunderstanding? How can there be such a coincidence that this python chased only my sister and no one else?"

Princess Lin'an still wanted to argue, but suddenly she heard someone laughing: "It's so lively here, what happened?"

Everyone looked over when they heard the voice, and they were all stunned. The person who came was a young prince, with a white jade crown in his hair, and a black gold brocade robe with dots of white gulls on it. The collar and waist had complicated white patterns, all embroidered by hand, as skillfully as heavenly craftsmanship. With a graceful and leisurely smile on a face as handsome as if it was carved from jade, he walked in slowly. There were clearly hundreds of people in the garden, but they were all quiet and were looking at him intently. They felt that his casual words and deeds were indescribably elegant and noble and were extremely pleasing to the eye. He had inherited the Emperor's youthful style, and was worthy of being called the national treasure — Crown Prince Yongwen.

Prince Yongwen looked at the dead python in the garden. His narrow eyes were filled with cold light, but the corners of his lips were slightly raised, turning into a faint smile on his handsome face: "Imperial sister, it's so lively, why didn't you invite me?"

The smile on Lin'an's face bloomed in an instant: "Your highness, you are a rare guest, how can I disturb you for a banquet like this?"

Empress Pei did not care about how much Princess Lin'an's ate or played. She could do whatever she wanted, but she would never allow her to bring any bad influence to Prince Yongwen. Princess Lin'an knew very well that her mother's love for her was only meager, but the crown prince was everything to her. Her mother would never allow her to do anything that would affect the prince's reputation in the slightest, so no matter how lively and luxurious her place was, she never dared to invite the crown prince. But today, he came uninvited. Thinking of Yuan Yu's sudden drowning, Princess Lin'an glanced at the prince with enlightenment.

Prince Yongwen said calmly: "What's going on?"

There was a hint of hesitation on Princess Lin'an's face. Originally, she was going to use the python's madness to get rid of Li Wei Yang, but she didn't expect Grand Prince Xu to save her life, and she would get into trouble for no reason... Thinking of this, she said: "This... I specially invited everyone to watch a snake dance. Everything was fine, but for some reason the python suddenly went crazy and strangled the snake dancer alive, and even pounced on Miss Guo."

Guo Cheng smiled coldly and said: "Your Highness, the teeth of this snake have not been pulled out, and they have been smeared with poisonous powder. It is clear that it is deliberately targeting my sister. Since you are here, you should uphold justice. In your opinion, what should be done?"

Someone had already set up a brocade seat for His Imperial Highness. Prince Yongwen sat down calmly and glanced at Guo Cheng. Then, his eyes fell on the young woman next to Madam Guo. No matter how restrained the Guo usually family is, they all have angry looks on their faces at the moment, but she is the only one standing aside calmly, her eyes as bright as stars, her back straight, as if she is not at all shocked or angry. How could this be? Before he entered the mansion, he had already heard everything that happened, and he thought he would see a crying Miss Guo, but unexpectedly, the other party was too calm, which prevented him from speaking the words of comfort he originally wanted to say.

"Your Highness?"

The officials of the Crown Prince's Mansion beside him saw him staring at a woman in a daze, and couldn't help but whisper in his ear.

He suddenly came back to his senses. Knowing that he had lost his composure, he couldn't help but frown, and raised his eyes to look at her again, only to meet her cold gaze.

Although the expression on her face was normal, at that moment, he clearly saw the coldness in it - he thought it felt familiar. Who had he seen such an expression on before? He calmly moved his eyes away, glancing at everyone before looking back.

She is not very old, no more than seventeen or eighteen. Her appearance is beautiful and dignified, not stunningly gorgeous. But after being frightened by the python, she looks so calm, which shows that her courage is extraordinary. This is a big difference from the women he has seen before. 

But he was sure that he had never seen her before, so why did she feel familiar?

When he raised his eyes again, he found that she was still looking at him.

Her eyes were cold, like those of a hunter sizing up his prey.

What was the matter with her?

Prince Yongwen felt strangely uneasy in his heart. When he looked at her again, she had already lowered her head slightly and looked down at her skirt. Her expression was focused and he didn't know what she was thinking.

This woman... is really interesting.

Prince Yongwen loved beauties, so he admired Izumo who grew in the mud and yet remained unsullied, and he also spent some effort to get her. However, when necessary, he could also kill beauties, throw away thousands of gold, and seize powe. So whether it's Izumo or Yuan Yu, if they threaten him, they will naturally disappear from this world. However, he realized that something was amiss. How would Yuan Yu know that he and Izumo had arranged to meet at that painting boat? Someone must have notified him. So, who is this person? If Yuan Yu had known about the relationship between him and Izumo, he would not have dared to fight, and what happened later would not have happened. Therefore, this drama was just a game.

He once thought that the person who organized the plot was Princess Yongning. After all, Yuan Yu was young and relied on his appearance and power to dominate women. He thought that he could control all the women in the world, but Yongwen understood very well that there are too many powerful women in the world. For example, his mother, Empress Pei, was a very scary woman. Therefore, Yongwen first thought that Princess Yongning set up this strategy because of jealousy and wanted to take Yuan Yu's life. But soon, he changed his mind. Yongning didn't have such courage and strategy, so it must be that someone was instigating her from behind. Who could this person be?

He had been puzzled until that day when news came out about the Guo family's banquet. It turns out that Guo Jia, the daughter of the Guo family, was once the Princess Anping in Dali. An idea immediately flashed through his mind. If Guo Jia was really born in Dali, then her getting close to Princess Yongning would explain everything. But, is Guo Jia the one planning everything behind the scenes?

Prince Yongwen narrowed his eyes, lifted his chin slightly, raised the corners of his mouth, and said with a smile: "Miss Guo, were you frightened?"

Li Wei Yang said with a cold expression: "Thank you for your concern, Your Imperial Highness. If His Highness Prince Xu had not extended a helping hand in time, I would have been buried in the belly of the python. Naturally, I was greatly frightened."

At this time, wouldn't a person normally say that it doesn't matter, and then try to make the big deal out to be a trivial matter? Prince Yongwen frowned, then his expression faded, and he said with a smile: "This incident is really an accident. How about this, today we'll cooked this python to let young miss vent her anger. Lin'an, you were too reckless today. Why did you invite a snake dancer to a good banquet, frightening Miss Guo for no reason. Why don't you apologize?"

Yuan Lie glanced at Prince Yongwen and said, "Your Highness, just an apology may not be enough to calm the shock."

Prince Yongwen's eyes quickly glanced at his face, his brows furrowed slightly. He thought to himself that Prince Xu had always been indifferent, so why did he suddenly come to stir things up? He first saved Guo Jia, and now he was still speaking for her. Looking at the anger hidden in the corners of the other person's eyes, he understood it in an instant, but said: "This python is just a beast, what's the use of arguing with it?"

Yuan Lie smiled coldly, and the brilliance in his eyes was compelling: "Prince, why do you need to involve the beast? Miss Guo is a guest invited by Princess Lin'an, and the python performance is also at the princess's house. The poisonous powder on the python's teeth is not something the beast got by itself. If I do not ask the princess for an explanation, who should I demand it from?"

"I don't know who poisoned the python. Maybe it was born with it." Princess Lin'an raised her eyebrows, "What's the matter?"

This was simply acting like a scoundrel, relying on the power of the Imperial family to bully others! An angry look appeared on Madam Guo's face, and just when she was about to speak, Yuan Lie suddenly smiled and said, "Okay, since the princess said so, I will carry this python into the palace for his majesty to see."

Princess Lin'an's expression changed, and the expression on Prince Yongwen's face was also strange.

Yuan Lie walked up to Prince Yongwen with a smile on his face, but his eyes were extremely cold: "This python was originally a plaything in the princess's house. Not only did it kill the owner, but it was also born with poisonous powder. How could this be? Isn't it a wonder in the world? Besides, His Majesty has been looking for a python's guts to drink wine with, so he will surely be very happy to see this python."

Prince Yongwen looked at Yuan Lie carefully, and his smile turned cold for the first time. He had been paying attention to this person since Yuan Lie inherited the position of Grand Prince Xu, but Yuan Lie was very mysterious and low-key. He never attended any banquets and refused to stay in Dadu for more than a few days, so he didn't have much interaction with him. But he never thought that Yuan Lie would stand up for Guo Jia, and he would show his sharpness for the first time.

Their gazes met, and a contest took place between the two, but Prince Yongwen rarely avoided other's eyes. Of course, he is not afraid of Yuan Lie, but if he goes to the Emperor at this time, the Guo family is already heavy enough, but add in the Chen family over there, in addition to the  rising Grand Prince Xu, nothing good can be gained. Although his father usually doesn't like to bother with such things, once he gets angry, he can be very terrifying. Even his mother will not intercede for Princess Lin'an if the Emperor's anger was aroused. Prince Yongwen glanced at Princess Lin'an with a cold look on his face. Although this sister loved to cause trouble, she could still be of help to him so he had to protect her.

Thinking of this, he smiled slightly and said, "Then according to Grand Prince Xu's wishes, what should we do?"

Yuan Lie only had a faint smile on his face and said: "That depends on what kind of compensation Madam Guo needs."

After all, Guo Jia was fine. It would not be appropriate to ask Princess Lin'an to pay for her life, but the compensation required could not be too low. Everyone looked at Madam Guo. Her usually gentle face was now full of frost, and she said word by word: "The prince is very straightforward, but our Guo family always insists on retribution. Although the princess insists that this matter has nothing to do with her, I still have to collect this interest, otherwise wouldn't my daughter's shock be in vain?"

"Of course." Prince Yongwen still smiled, and his tone was even more cheerful, "I wonder what conditions Madam Guo wants to put forward."

Madam Guo glanced at Li Wei Yang and said in a very strong tone: "Your Highness, please give an order to execute the person who proposed the snake dance performance."

Everyone was stunned. They didn't expect what she said would be this. They didn't know what to do. Jiang Nan's expression suddenly changed.

Li Wei Yang had a faint look of sadness on her face, hiding the smile in her eyes and saying nothing. Now she is not in Dali. She is the daughter of the Guo family. Naturally, she must take into account the reputation of the Guo family and maintain the demeanor of a well-bred lady at all times. She cannot act aggressively like before or it will make others say that Madam Guo had no upbringing. What's more, as a victim, the more silent you are, the safer you are. If she wants  justice, with Yuan Lie and Madam Guo here, how could she be afraid of being unable to obtain it?

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[thebrickinbrick]

An Attempt to Console the Widow Hucheloup, Part 1

BAHOREL, in ecstasies over the barricade, shouted: "Here's the street in its low-necked dress! How well it looks!"

Courfeyrac, as he demolished the wine-shop to some extent, sought to console the widowed proprietress.

"Mother Hucheloup, weren't you complaining the other day because you had had a notice served on you for infringing the law, because Gibelotte shook a counterpane out of your window?"

"Yes, my good Monsieur Courfeyrac. Ah! good Heavens, are you going to put that table of mine in your horror, too? And it was for the counterpane, and also for a pot of flowers which fell from the attic window into the street, that the government collected a fine of a hundred francs. If that isn't an abomination, what is!"

"Well, Mother Hucheloup, we are avenging you."

Mother Hucheloup did not appear to understand very clearly the benefit which she was to derive from these reprisals made on her account. She was satisfied after the manner of that Arab woman, who, having received a box on the ear from her husband, went to complain to her father, and cried for vengeance, saying: "Father, you owe my husband affront for affront. The father asked: "On which cheek did you receive the blow?" "On the left cheek." The father slapped her right cheek and said: "Now you are satisfied. Go tell your husband that he boxed my daughter's ears, and that I have accordingly boxed his wife's.”

The rain had ceased. Recruits had arrived. Workmen had brought under their blouses a barrel of powder, a basket containing bottles of vitriol, two or three carnival torches, and a basket filled with fire-pots, "left over from the King's festival." This festival was very recent, having taken place on the 1st of May. It was said that these munitions came from a grocer in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine named Pépin.

They smashed the only street lantern in the Rue de la Chanvrerie, the lantern corresponding to one in the Rue Saint-Denis, and all the lanterns in the surrounding streets, de Mondétour, du Cygne, des Prêcheurs, and de la Grande and de la Petite-Truanderie.

Enjolras, Combeferre, and Courfeyrac directed everything. Two barricades were now in process of construction at once, both of them resting on the Corinthe house and forming a right angle; the larger shut off the Rue de la Chanvrerie, the other closed the Rue Mondétour, on the side of the Rue de Cygne. This last barricade, which was very narrow, was constructed only of casks and paving-stones. There were about fifty workers on it; thirty were armed with guns; for, on their way, they had effected a wholesale loan from an armorer's shop.

Nothing could be more bizarre and at the same time more motley than this troop. One had a round-jacket, a cavalry sabre, and two holster-pistols, another was in his shirt-sleeves, with a round hat, and a powder-horn siung at his side, a third wore a plastron of nine sheets of gray paper and was armed with a saddler's awl. There was one who was shouting: "Let us exterminate them to the last man and die at the point of our bayonet." This man had no bayonet. Another spread out over his coat the cross-belt and cartridge-box of a National Guardsman, the cover of the cartridge-box being ornamented with this inscription in red worsted: Public Order. There were a great many guns bearing the numbers of the legions, few hats, no cravats, many bare arms, some pikes. Add to this, all ages, all sorts of faces, small, pale young men, and bronzed longshoremen. All were in haste; and as they helped each other, they discussed the possible chances. That they would receive succor about three o'clock in the morning, that they were sure of one regiment, that Paris would rise. Terrible sayings with which was mingled a sort of cordial jovialty. One would have pronounced them brothers, but they did not know each other's names. Great perils have this fine characteristic, that they bring to light the fraternity of strangers.

A fire had been lighted in the kitchen, and there they were engaged in moulding into bullets, pewter mugs, spoons, forks, and all the brass table-ware of the establishment. In the midst of it all, they drank. Caps and buckshot were mixed pell-mell on the tables with glasses of wine.

In the billiard-hall, Mame Hucheloup, Matelote, and Gibelotte, variously modified by terror, which had stupefied one, rendered another breathless, and roused the third, were tearing up old dish-cloths and making lint; three insurgents were assisting them, three bushy-haired, jolly blades with beards and moustaches, who plucked away at the linen with the fingers of seamstresses and who made them tremble.

The man of lofty stature whom Courfeyrac, Combeferre, and Enjolras had observed at the moment when he joined the mob at the corner of the Rue des Billettes, was at work on the smaller barricade and was making himself useful there.

Gavroche was working on the larger one. As for the young man who had been waiting for Courfeyrac at his lodgings, and who had inquired for M. Marius, he had disappeared at about the time when the omnibus had been overturned.

[silvantransthranduiltrash]

Do ya have any more headcannons about the whole Thingol and Melian you sometimes write about over here? I really like the concept of Thingol being Melian's thrall basically

Yes yes yes! It’s pretty much canon in my mind

So Thingol isn’t being mind controlled by Melian 24/7, it’s mostly during important events /decisions.

When it’s just an average day, Melian loosens her control over him (bc she’s a sadist) so that she can say she doesn’t control him all the time. Unfortunatly for him, when he isn’t being mind controlled, Melian is verbally and occasionally physically abusing him, so it’s a toss up on which he prefers: mind control, where he doesn’t have to think to much and isn’t constantly being hurt, or no mind controll, but he is constantly being hurt and gaslit.

By the time the noldo came to the eastern shores, Thingol has pretty much given up, which is why his personality switches between mind control and no mind control aren’t noticeable.

Furthermore, Melian likes to make herself out as the good guy, so she has Thingol act and decide things that actually she wants, but she herself will play as the disapproving, compassionate wife. This means that most elves, espescially the noldo who haven’t been around to witness the breaking down of thingol’s will, believe that Melian is the one to talk to in order to get Thingol to work with them, and it gives the impression that, if anything, Thingol is the abusive one in the relationship, essentially trapping Thingol, and preventing him from escaping due to social pressure.

Luthien knows exactly what’s going on, but other elves either 1. Don’t believe her (like her Noldorin cousins) or are not in a position to help her and Thingol completely. They might be able to keep melian down momentarily, but they can’t put a permanent stop to it unless they are willing to risk the eradication of all the sindar.

As mentioned in previous posts, this really leads to a “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” mentality in the sindar, and even all the way to the third age the concept is pushed that Melian was merciful and Thingol was not.

Luthien, whenever she needs to get away from Melian’s abuse (with her it’s more verbal/gaslighting and watching her father get hurt), runs to Oropher, the head of house Edireth, bc he’s one of the only elves who has enough power to stop Melian in her tracks unless she’s willing to risk it all. She has a permanent room in his household, where she keeps all her diaries listing the abuse Melian has put her and Thingol through, bc she knows that if she keeps those diaries where Melian can access them, they’ll end up destroyed. This is her way of documenting proof of melian’s abuse bc she knows no one will believe her if she accusses he mother without proof.

Luthien is also pen palls with Lasgen, her cousin, god mother (Thingol was able to gain controll for enough time to make Lasgen Luthien’s god mother, bc he didn’t trust melian for one bit) and Oropher’s grand daughter, who lives (at this time) in the Arctic Empire (an Avari nation), and Lasgen has hundreds of letters where Luthien is venting about exactly what is happening in her home.

Also as mentioned in previous posts, Luthien didn’t only choose to marry, live and die with Beren bc she loved him, she also did it to escape her mother’s grasp.

However, Luthien’s departure from his life ultimately broke Thingol, and she’ll forever regret that.

Now, the ainur aren’t really good in this au, especially the valar, so when Thingol comes out of the halls, Melian gets control of him once again and the valar do nothing about it, and no one really helps him, bc everyone has been so gaslit into believing that Thingol is the bad guy and melian is the good guy, that no one even knows smth is going on.

Except Olwe, Ingwe, and Finwe that is.

And as much as they want to tear him away from Melian, they have to play the long game and little by little break Elwe away from that bitch.

It isn’t untill into the 5th age that they, with the help of other Avari and cuivienen elves (bc they are some of the only ones not blinded by the ainur’s powers), manage to fully destroy the marraige and chase Melian away from Elwe. Of course, this causes further chaos amongst the elves as a whole bc if Melian could succesfully make most of the elven population believe that she is the good guy, even though she’s just as bad as Sauron, what else are the ainur doing? Especially considering they didn’t intervene now that they were in valinor.

[starsfic]

Spicynoodles prompt: MKs awful bio parents find out about try selling him to PIF and DBK once they find out about him being the monkie kid.

His son’s birthday was tomorrow.

And still, he did not have a present that was enough to make up for 500 years.

“He doesn’t blame you, love.”

“I’m well aware of that,” DBK groused, flipping through one of several catalogues. Nothing caught his eye. Yes, there was stuff here that his son would like, but none of it was enough. He could get five hundred things but he had a feeling his son wouldn’t appreciate it. “It does not mean I do not feel guilty.”

One day, his son had been a baby, starting to toddle around and babble. The next his son had been a full grown man. He should’ve been there to watch him grow.

“Focus on the future.”

He tossed the catalogue over his shoulder with a groan. “You know, you are really not helping.”

Iron Fan lazily waved him off. She was flipping through plans, making note of last minute changes to the grand gala that would be held in their halls tomorrow. Not only was it Red Son’s birthday, but it would be a grand way to show that the Demon Bull King was back.

And, for once, it didn’t involve a certain thief-

The door slammed open and General Ironclad marched in. His wife looked up, brows furrowed. “What is it?”

The general kneeled before clicking something that only his wife understood. Iron Fan stood up, brows raised. “Guests?” The general continued on. “A gift, wha-” Another few clicks and suddenly her face went blank. “The Monkie Kid?”

DBK froze.

The general finished his message with a few more clicks. With that, he marched out. The moment the doors swung shut, DBK loomed over his wife. Panic was gripping his heart. Not this week, any week besides this week. It was Red Son’s birthday! “What about the Monkie Kid?” Iron Fan smoothed her hair back. 

“We have visitors. Someone who wishes to sell the Monkie Kid to us.”

-_-

DBK had met the ruler of the Women’s Country a few times. His brother lived there, so of course he had met her. He had never met her descendant though.

Both of them were strikingly beautiful. The woman wore a purple pantsuit, holding a tablet and looking like she had better things to do. The man was dressed in a more traditional blue Tang suit. And, between them, was the Little Thief.

He looked like he had seen better days.

He was tied up in blue ropes that DBK had a feeling were diamond-laced. Bruises and cuts littered his body. Interestingly, though, his face looked untouched, save for his bandana being pulled down to serve as a gag. He looked both furious and scared, eyes darting between the two humans.

“May I ask,” His wife gestured to the boy. “Why?”

The man bowed. “Your Majesties,” he cooed. “Believe me when I said I did not know that my daughter-” Daughter? “Was the Monkie Kid. It was a nasty realization for us.”

Iron Fan nodded. “Yes. But that does not explain why you’ve brought him before us today.”

The man opened his mouth before his wife spoke up. “We wish to sell her to you.” Her tone was brisk. “I believe it would be best for your clan to have her out of your hair.” Yes, but it would-

Wait.

Iron Fan opened her mouth, probably to refuse-

“We’ll take him.” DBK spoke up. Iron Fan shut her mouth and turned an icy glare onto him that he ignored. He snapped his fingers and a Bull Clone rushed up, holding the family’s checkbook. “What is your amount?”

It was large. Too large for matchmaking.

DBK still wrote it down.

The man grinned as the check was handed over. “Thank you,” he cooed. “You are truly as honorable as they say.” The woman said not a word, simply bowing before she marched out, her husband trailing behind.

DBK waited. Iron Fan opened her mouth. The Little Thief made a noise. He gestured the clone back. “When they’re out on the main road, have the guard get the check back.” It wasn’t just to get his money back, but the five minute conversation made him decide that he didn’t like those two. The clone bowed and marched out with the doors slamming shut behind him.

Iron Fan finally burst. “Why did you do that?!” she hissed. “Now we have to deal with him!” She gestured to the Monkie Kid, who stared at them with wide, hopeful eyes.

DBK nodded as he stood and marched over. “Yes, but our son likes him.” He scooped him up. The Little Thief made an alarmed noise. “Now, where’s your stylist? And some red ribbon?”

This was the perfect gift he was such a good father!

-_-

Red Son stared at the giant present his father had just set down in front of him.

So far, his birthday had been going well. He wasn’t the biggest fan of the huge gala his parents had thrown. But it was nice to see some former allies, even if his...friends weren’t around. Although, as he stared at the box and realized that there was breathing holes in it, he sure wished they were here now.

“Open it!” his father said. Oh no. He had the “I am very proud of myself” tone. He glanced at his mother who simply gave him a strained grin. Clenching his face into a grin back, Red Song tugged on the ribbon and watched as the box fell apart.

There was a muffled yelp and Red felt his grin disappear as a figure, dressed in a beautiful red hanfu and tied up in a big red bow, looked up.

“Noodle Boy?!”

[brunchable]

The Hollow Vows Ch. 6: Prince of Illusion || Royalty!S.S. x F!reader

Words: 9.2K Genre: Period Drama, Love Triangle, Royalty AU. Warnings: Time jump, Birth Scene A/N: I have been taking inspiration from House of the dragons because it's my favorite show. Just a reminder that this story doesn't have a set plot, I'm going with the flow with this one, but I hope you enjoy it.

All along the route the common folk in Autumn Shores appeared by the hundreds and thousands to hail their newly wedded crown prince and his bride.

The celebrations would include a great tourney, seven days of feasts and frolics, and even a mock sea battle to be fought in the waters of Obsidian Bay. No wedding half so magnificent had been celebrated in Cardonia in living memory, The Grand ballroom os the estate hosted the greatest of the lords and the most distinguished of the visitors from across the sea; lesser lords, together with their knights and men-at-arms, celebrated in the yards and smaller halls of the estate, whilst the smallfolk of Eltham made merry in a hundred inns, wine sinks, pot shops. Although, the last three days would be done without Stephen to attend the assignment his father has assigned to him.

On the first night of the celebration, your Xareanite visitors were quick to note your timidity which was out of your character for you, "The princess did not seem to want to be here. She scarcely seemed to eat." Lady Makris whispered with the Ladies whose husbands' are in your father's court.

"She hasn't spoken to anyone at all, not even her own husband. This marriage won't la—"

"Please don't finish your sentence." Lady Valeria Stoessel interrupted Lady Bronte, "We are lucky enough to be invited in this wedding though King Dorian initially wanted to marry them in secret."

Lady Bronte cleared her throat and straightened her posture, a snob is what she is and doesn't like being told off, especially not by someone younger.

"And considering the fact that you're on your fifth husband Lady Bronte, my guess is someone has said the same thing about you on your wedding day, no?" Lady Valeria casually slices the piece of steak before putting a cube into her mouth.

The middle aged Lady's cheek twitches as she tries to suppress her annoyance at the daughter of King Lucien's right hand and Prince’s James' betrothed. She’d prided herself on having the best of everything and shamelessly flaunted it in everyone’s face. Lady Valeria glanced at you, she hasn’t gotten to have the honour to meet you as of yet but she does know plenty about you.

You didn’t even dare to lift your gaze, you were too deep into your thought about how he could get someone else to write his vows, were you that insignificant? He wants you to put your walls down and yet here he is, giving you every reason to build a wall around you again.

The night was long and there were no signs of the celebration stopping at any moment, so you stood up and excused yourself quietly to your in-laws and your own parents, except Stephen who was too busy entertaining his own friend group who approached the table. Tom followed shortly behind you as you left. Though you could feel his presence he didn't say a word until you ended up by the gazebo covered by wisteria by the pond.

A crunch of gravel made you jump slightly, but you relaxed immediately when you heard Tom’s voice, “I knew you’d end up here.”

A soft chuckle came from you, “Was anyone offended after I left so abruptly?” You asked in your unusual timid voice.

“No, of course not,” Tom answered, “The King has excused you on your behalf, considering that you’re with child.”

You tried to smile as you wrapped a hand around your elbow and pulled it close to your body. You were grateful Tom had come for you, you wanted to speak with him first before confronting Stephen.

“I have a question to ask you Sir Thomas and I expect you to answer me truthfully,” You turn around with a smile that looks too big for your face and somehow, it makes you look even sweeter than ever.

“Of course.” He answered.

You opened your mouth to speak. Sniffed. Felt tears welling in your eyes. And closed your mouth again. Seeming to sense your distress, Tom took a step closer towards you and placed a comforting hand on the curve of your shoulder.

“Time, effort, passion and loyalty. Those were the answers I gave to you. Did you write those vows for Stephen?” You met his gentle eyes and searched. You don’t know what you were looking for because Tom is hiding his expressions very well.

“No, I did not.” Tom lied while looking right in your eyes with no signs of any twitching on his facial muscles. A knot inside his stomach growing worse when he thought he saw a hint of disappointment in your eyes but he chose to ignore it. As much as he disliked the Prince or how much he thinks he wasn’t the best match for you, you are now married—if he told you the truth that would cause a deeper rift in your relationship with Stephen, it may become an even bigger problem. One you couldn’t deal with at the moment—but he also knew that there would be consequences for lying to you.

“I see.” You replied plainly and nodded. A white lie. What are the odds that Stephen would say those words in the exact same order?

He blinked as his chest rose and fell against his black and gold tunic. It took you a moment to realise why that seemed so strange. Tom’s breath seemed irregular. He stared at you like he had found what he was looking for. And yet, his shoulders pulled back as if unsure whether being in your presence was what he really wanted.

You eyed him carefully, hoping your gaze would make him squirm. Sadly, your gaze seemed to have no such effect on him. Even worse, he took a step toward you with his shoulders rolling forward.

“Let’s get you to your chambers, Princess. You’ve had a long day.” Tom glanced over his shoulder at the lively estate.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

"I’m going to the borders to hunt for those shadows. If I catch one, maybe we can learn more about them—people are losing faith in the King since the amount of attacks have doubled.” Stephen repeated firmly, he wasn’t asking for your permission.

"The answer is no, as your wife I forbid you to go, and it will always be no. Hunting for them without any knowledge is like going into a lion’s den blindfolded."

Stephen crossed his arms and leaned against the bedpost. "If you really think that, then you lack imagination."

You bristled, "I do not lack imagination. I merely possess determination." to keep my children not fatherless.

"So do I." Stephen's eyes flickered with something malevolent.

"This is your last chance to change your mind."

"Or what?" He asked, "You'll really start to hate me?"

"Perhaps I look forward to hating you." You replied keeping a hard expression on him. The both of you are back to square one—back to how it was when you met each other—getting into each other’s nerves.

“You’ll have your Lieutenant to keep you entertained anyway. What difference does it make if I will be gone for—I don’t know how long—when you prefer to spend time with goldilocks?” Stephen made sure to emphasise his name-calling, knowing the fact that Tom along with Andrew stood guard at the door.

“Tell me, do you spend time with him because you actually enjoy it?” Stephen asked, “Or is it because you’re trying to eliminate your feelings for me?”

You scoffed, a smile of disbelief on your lips, “Maybe I do it because I know it will annoy you.” You answered archly with a lower tone, mindful that Tom might hear.

Stephen flashed a smile that was far more wicked than welcoming, “Glad to know you’re thinking about me when you spend time with your Lieutenant.”

Heat flushed your cheeks, “I’m not thinking nice things.”

“Even better.” Stephen’s eyes sparked, gem-sharp blue with threads of silver and far too pretty to belong to such an annoying creature like him. It’s taking a lot in you not to pull his hair out of frustration.

You still needed to discuss his vows with him but considering the fact that he’s got liquor running in his veins, he wasn’t going to take you seriously.

“I am not your enemy, (Y/N). I know you’re still angry with me—”

“And I have every right to be.” You cut him off, causing Stephen to elicit a slow and dramatic sigh, “Your vows. . . did you really compose that?”

Andrew who was on the left side of the large doors slowly turned his head towards Tom who only glanced and shook his head. He tightened his grip on his grip on the hilt of his sword—if Stephen has the decency to tell you the truth unlike him, then he needed to start pulling reasoning in his head.

“What do you mean? Of course I did.” Stephen shrugged and casually shoved his hands in his pocket as if writing those vows were as simple as tossing a coin to a beggar. You stare at him intently to study him, either he’s too drunk or he’s just not taking this seriously, “You don’t believe me.”

“No, I don’t.” You smiled bitterly and you slipped out from beneath the sheets to leave the chambers—you can’t ignore the twist in your gut. You wrapped a thick robe securely around you before turning to leave. As you held onto the door, a hand gripped your wrist.

“Stephen—” You turn back to Stephen, irritation surging through you but the moment your eyes land on him—irritation is replaced by dread. Moments ago, his eyes had been this brilliant blue, but now they glowed red, like burning rubies and curses.

You whirled to grab the door handle—or at least tried to but it was difficult to move with Stephen’s hand iron tight around your wrist, “Stephen stop it! If this is a magic trick then it’s not funny!”

You tried to pull free, but Stephen’s fingers dug in with more force. You tugged harder.

Stephen squeezed tighter, painfully tight, making you yelp as you yanked against him. His eyes still glowed that awful red, but he didn’t appear awake—he seemed possessed, or perhaps fighting desperately to wake up.

Your chest tightened with panic, “Stephen let go! You’re hurting me!”

“He can’t hear you.” Stephen tilted his head while a wide sinister grin curved from both corners of his lips. His voice disembodied like multiple people speaking at once. A large shadow capable of absorbing all light whirled from the dark corner of the room. Stephen’s crimson glowing eyes lowered towards your belly and unsheathed his dagger with his free hand.

“TOM! ANDREW!” You screamed as you couldn’t tolerate the pain Stephen was inflicting on your wrist, “Stephen snapped out of it!!”

Tom and Andrew barged through the door as soon as they heard your screams—and seeing Stephen in that state rattled their bones. Tom pulled out a dagger made out of Eivengardian steel, slashing Stephen’s hand. Blood spattered on your robes as Stpehen dropped your wrist.

A ball of light shot out of Andrew’s hands like a bullet, hitting it straight on its head, incinerating the shadow that lurked at the corner of the bedroom, at the same time the red disappeared from Stephen’s eyes. Like being underwater for quite some time, Stephen took a deep gasp then wincing when the pain of his wound registered.

You cradled your wrist—Stephen had left a bracelet of blue and purple bruises. Stephen’s eyes were storm-dark when he saw what he had done, ignoring the fact that he was bleeding. Swearing, Andrew tore a handkerchief from his pocket and hastily wrapped it around Stephen’s cut.

“I-I’m sorry. I-I don’t know what came over me.” Stephen turned pale—that seemed to sober him up. Tom rushed towards the balcony and panned his eyes around for clues on how a Daeva could travel this far. Tom grabbed a torch and lit up as many lanterns and candle light in your chambers.

“What are you doing?” Stephen asked the frantic Tom who was lighting the last candle in the room.

“What does it look like? I’m lighting up your room, making sure there isn’t a patch of darkness.” Tom answered as he walked back out the balcony to return the torch.

“You. . . You used magic.” Stephen turned to Andrew who was now having a look at your bruises.

You gave Andrew a sidelong look, and he seemed to be giving some serious consideration as to whether or not to deny it. Then you cast a peek in the direction of Tom, who was clenching his jaw in anticipation of Andrew's response. You and Tom exchanged looks, and in response, Tom shook his head.

“If that's what it looks like.” Andrew replied and did not try to explain himself any further.

“W-what was that?” You asked out of panic.

“I believe you just encountered a Daeva.” Tom answered, trying to mask the fear he was feeling.

“A Daeva? You mean the shadow creature? The ones that are terrorizing the borders?” Stephen tried to clarify while he held his temple due to an oncoming headache and the Lieutenant nodded.

“Yes and you just got possessed by it, your highness. I don’t know how it got here, but that makes you more vulnerable to them, now that you’ve been possessed once.”

Stephen narrowed his eyes by the amount of knowledge Tom seems to have, “And how do you know all that?”

Tom sighed, casting a quick glance to your direction since you knew part of the truth about him, “It’s a long story.”

Your eyes narrowed slightly.

“Is that so? Then why haven’t you said anything? This is critical information.” Stephen hissed.

“With all due respect, it is very hard to gauge the right timing to notify anyone with this information considering that I’ve been ordered to stay with the Princess at all times.” Tom retorted.

“You’re going to come with me to the border in three days' time.”

“No you’re not.” You sternly forbid Stephen.

“Your orders are not higher than the orders of the King, (Y/N).” Stephen argued.

"I know—but did you hear me stutter?" You retort.

“She’s right, your highness. You can’t.” Tom sided with you and Stephen shot a glare towards the man.

“Weren’t you listening at all? You’re vulnerable to the Daeva now. Embarking on ‘hunting’ them is a suicide mission.” Andrew sided with you as well and the way his annoyance radiated in his tone surprised Stephen.

“Did you just speak to me casually?” Stephen blinked.

“Yeah, I did,” Andrew shrugged, seeing those creatures once more got him on edge, “And yeah I used magic—want to see?” Andrew flicked his arm towards the opened balcony and shot a beam of light in the horizon, “I'm not the only one who can use magic, Prince Stephen. I know you do, you reek of magic. Are you going to tell the King?”

Your mouth hung agape as Andrew revealed that he too could yield magic. Tom sighed heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“(Y/N), get behind me right now.” Stephen rushed towards you and blocked you from the two Eivengardian men.

Stephen conjured eldritch shields with both of his hands, “Now is a good time to tell me who you really are.”

Andrew smiled when Stephen finally made use of his eldritch magic, "There it is."

“We are not here to cause any conflict, Prince Stephen.” Tom slowly raised his palms in an attempt to calm Stephen down.

“We just saved you from a Daeva attack, do you really think we’re the enemy?” Andrew cocked his head back.

“May I suggest that you shut your mouth brother, you are not helping!” Tom hissed at Andrew for not being able to think before acting.

“Ohhhh, brother huh?” Stephen tilted his head to the side.

“Yes, he is my brother,” Tom takes one step forward and Stephen hardens his stance, causing Tom to remain where he is, “We mean you no harm whatsoever, Prince Stephen, that is the truth. I will tell you everything you want to know but I need to have assurance that you will keep this a secret.”

“What’s in it for me?” Stephen furrowed his brows.

“Innocent lives across this realm may depend on it.”

Judging by how desperate the look Tom was projecting towards Stephen, you were compelled to listen—you already knew some of the truth hence why you were more keen to listen. You placed your hand over Stephen’s shoulder, “We’ll listen.”

“What?” Stephen looked at you over his shoulder.

“We. Will. Listen.” You repeated and nodded at Tom.

Stephen sighed and shook off the magic he created. So many things were happening at once that he forgot he even had a wound on his hand. Stephen sat on the end of the bed and urged Tom to proceed.

“At birth I was named Thomas Hiddleston. At my untimely coronation, my father named me after him, Loki Atreus, second of his name, Shield of his people, King of Eivengard . . . Temporarily,” Tom paused, remembering his father, not knowing whether he was still alive or not.

“Long may he reign.” Andrew whispered beneath his breath and bowed his head.

“My brother, Andrew, is Prince of Wyomwall, Zealous Protector of Eivengard. Less than two years ago Baron proposed an alliance since we are the only two Kingdoms left that used magic within our realms—I believe his motive was to raise an army of magic users but little did he know that only highborns were taught magic. The common folk were left in the dark that they are being protected by magic. They were kept in the dark because we knew that they would oppose or be scared considering that magic has been gone for a long time.

However when Baron found out that we weren't able to help with what ultimately was a conquest, he turned against us, unleashing chaos on the innocent people.

We tried to fight him but we were outnumbered, we were able to escape our lands with the people we could gather. My father sacrificed himself to be left behind and is now under Baron’s mind control. Whether he is still alive or not, I don’t know.”

Stephen listened intently, his eyes flickering as if trying to picture the horrors that Baron was capable of unleashing. Marshall Wong and the Marshalls before him had already foreseen the future, hence why they began training sorcery in secret even though it might cost them their lives.

"So Baron has gone mad for power?" Stephen clenched jaw, "He never really liked people who don't possess magic—All the more reason for me to go investigate what we're up against." Stephen looked with a hardened stare.

"Sir Andrew? Sir Tom—Loki? or should I say your highnesses?" Your eyes flickered between the brothers.

"Please address us as you did before."

"I would like a moment alone with my husband please." You looked away from Tom.

"Yes, Princess." Tom and Andrew bowed their heads and went back out the door. You waited until you heard it shut before addressing Stephen.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

The brothers could hear the muffled arguments inside your chambers. So much for the first day of being married. For the third time you forbade Stephen to pursue such dangerous investigations in the border. Stubborn head vs stubborn head. No one was going to win this fight.

"—and get your arm fixed for the love of Gaea." Tom hears your defeated voice through the door and Stephen says nothing. Tom heard his footsteps and assumed his position to the side to appear as if he was not eavesdropping.

Stephen walks out reluctantly and notices Tom and Andrew in his usual post. He walks away without a word until Tom calls out to him.

"Prince Stephen. A word?"

Stephen turns around with an intensity in his eyes that could possibly penetrate his armour, "Very well, follow me to the infirmary. I need to get this cut stitched."

"Right. I apologise for wounding you."

"And I expect you to do your duty again, to protect my wife." Stephen emphasised the word, wife. He untied the knot made by Andrew to see the wound which was about six centimetres long, still bleeding after being irritated by escorting you back to your chambers.

Both men jogged down the busy staircase while guards and maids scramble around, “I assume you want to continue where we left off?” Stephen asked as he arrived at the landing and made a beeline towards the infirmary where a couple of physicians in training were present.

“Yes.”

Stephen nods, “Who among you wants to stitch my wound?”

Tom shuts the door behind him while the younger physicians bow their heads in the presence of Stephen. The young boys exchange looks as if waiting for each other to volunteer themselves.

“I-I do, Your Highness.” A little boy with sun-kissed skin raised his hands.

Stephen’s eyebrows quivered, “They train physicians this young?”

“Only the brightest who pass the exams, Your Highness.” Tom informed Stephen.

“I see. The rest of you leave, apart from the boy.”

The others scurry away to the exit and Stephen makes his way towards the chair that the boy was preparing for him, “What’s your name boy?” Stephen asked as he sat down.

“Casstiel, Your Highness.” With a gentle voice, he answered.

“How old are you?”

“Seven, Your Highness.”

“Me and Sir Hiddleston will discuss a very private matter—rather important, in fact. Can you keep a secret, Casstiel?” Stephen asked, eyeing the boy intently while the boy prepared some pre-brewed antiseptics, strings and needles.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Good, because if you can’t. . . I will have Sir Hiddleston cut your tongue out.”

Casstiel looks at Tom horrified and Tom shakes his head assuring the boy that he won’t do such a thing, “I don’t think it’s a good idea to scare the poor boy right before he’s about to stitch you up, Your Highness.”

Stephen chuckles, “It’s going to hurt either way—Add to that, he’s already braver compared to his peers.”

“Would you like me to brew boswellia, Your Highness?” Casstiel asked.

“No need, just get on with it.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Casstiel nodded and began with the procedure.

“Speak, King Loki. Enlighten me about why I should trust you after infiltrating my Kingdom.” Stephen sat back, trying to relax and not overthink about the pain that was to come next.

“I’m here to ensure those demons don’t slip any further from the borders. I’m here to protect my family, my people, and your people. If it was my intention to usurp your father after successfully infiltrating his Kingdom, I would’ve done that long ago but I didn’t. It’s because I need you to be our allies.”

Stephen hissed as the young physician pierced through skin to skin.

“You’ve heard and seen what they are capable of doing—You need our knowledge about these demons just as much as we need your refuge.”

“Use magic is forbidden in Eltham—”

“And yet you conjure your ancient magic? Why?”

“Because I am not my Father—He has gone complacent and thinks of mystical things as nothing but fairytales of the past. Whatever the ancient one has seen in the prophecies, I’m preparing for it.”

“Well let me tell you that this is it, Prince Stephen. The age of the cruellest tyranny is upon us and though thousands of years before they defeated Chthon, gods do not fall forever. His influence pervades again, corrupting the beholder of his magic—to damn humanity to a new age of devastation.” Tom seethes with desperateness, his eyeline welling up with liquid but doesn’t fall, “Do not make me say I told you so. . . because by then it will be too late.”

Stephen holds Tom’s eyes and swallows hard. He would be lying to himself if the sincerity in the man’s voice didn’t scare him. Those eyes he looks into have seen the worst or probably more. To think that his children will be born in an age where a war is on the way. . . He needs to prepare.

Stephen glances at the boy's work and grimaces as Casstiel tightens the stitches and pierces his skin, "So what do you propose?"

"Allow me to hunt these demons down in your stead. It is much safer that way."

"My father specifically appointed me to do that task. He still doesn't believe that reports and people are getting anxious—and he won't believe a word unless I've seen one myself."

"But you have?"

Stephen laughs, "Are you expecting me to tell him I got possessed? He'll think I was drunk. . . And weak."

"You cannot go. You'll be risking your life and at what cost?" Tom sighs heavily before his face lights up at an idea, "I know a way but I would need to use my magic."

Stephen sighs, considering the other man's idea while lifting his arm slightly as the boy bandages his arm tightly, "Well done. Who's your father, boy?"

"Sir Isaac, Your Highness."

Tom’s eyes widened now that he could see how the boy resembles Sir Isaac a lot.

"Sir Isaac has a child?" Stephen stated the obvious.

"Children. . . Your Highness." The young boy corrected.

"You seem to look quite shocked, Sir Hiddleston."

"That's because I am."

"Well then, Casstiel. I'll be looking forward to seeing you around." Stephen smiled at the boy and tossed him a gold coin, "A token for my gratitude and buying your silence."

"Y-your highness, I can't possibly accept—"

"Accept it. It's in your hands now." Stephen stood up and turned towards Tom, "Come." Stephen used his sling ring to open a portal to the West wing all the way back to the palace where they practised magic.

Tom looked back at Casstiel and smiled fondly at him while placing a finger over his lip as he entered the portal, the magic swirling into a close. Tom's eyes wandered his environment, because in contrast to the lavish designs of the Palace, the west wing looked more like a dungeon. Cold and eerie. He could hear the whistles of the wind all the way up there.

“How does your father not know about this place?”

“There’s a lot of things he doesn’t know about, like secret passages with the walls of this palace. . .”

“Huh.”

"Well? Tell me about your plan then?"

"I'd much rather show you. . ." Tom smiled proudly. Stephen raised his brows and watched a green glow travelled from Tom's head to toe as he transformed himself into Stephen.

"Impressive and what of you? Don't you think it's suspicious that you would disappear from your duties all of a sudden?"

"You can take my place." Tom suggested.

"Our magic has limits. Unlike you, I don’t even know what I am capable of. . .yet." then he paused and looked at the other man suspiciously, "How do I know this isn't some elaborate scheme to steal the crown by using my image?"

"You will be using mine, a King."

"A King without a kingdom? Swapping identities sounds like a good start to begin your scheme."

Tom expressed his heavy frustrations through a sigh, “I understand the paranoia and your lack of trust but I swear on my mother’s grave that my sole purpose is to defeat Baron and put him back to his rightful place.”

Stephen called forth a quill and paper, using his magic to write Tom an oath that is to be signed with the latter’s blood, “I don’t know much about your Kingdom, apart from what you have stated—sign with your blood and I’ll agree to give you my identity and yours to be mine. . . for as long as necessary.”

“So has to come down to a blood oath for you to trust me? Fine. You needed my blood anyway.” Tom materialised one of his daggers out of thin air and sliced his palm to draw blood. He snatched the paper that floated mid-air and stained it.

“You’re not going to read my conditions?”

“Just tell me after.”

As soon as the blood and paper made contact, the paper split in half as it burnt in the space between the men, the embers that danced in the air lurched towards both of them, and left Eltham’s sigil on their inner forearm, the symbol of the eye of agamotto.

“What are your conditions?” Tom winced as he felt the mark burn into his skin.

“You are not to sleep in the same chambers with (Y/N) as me, no one can know about this—not even your brother, not even (Y/N). . . It’s safer that way. And lastly, don’t do things I wouldn’t do.” Stephen explained his simple conditions to the man who wore his identity.

“You’re aware that our blood pact will have side effects right? Effects that we won’t know further down the line.”

“I know—now are you going to give me your identity or not?”

Tom took a long pause, “You need my blood and something of mine—Ah!” He unclasps a bracelet on his left wrist and holds it in his wounded hand while whispering incantations on it in his language before handing it over to Stephen, “Wear it.”

"Very well," Stephen took the object and just like Tom, he transformed into his borrowed identity from head to toe. He ran towards a mirror to look at his appearance and sure enough, he had the Eivengardnian's appearance.

Three days later.

On the day Stephen was to leave. He and Tom met privately early in the morning to swap identities. The night before, you and Stephen had another argument and he had to act as if he was the one actually leaving. Since then, you haven't spoken with him.

With their spells in effect, Stephen watched as Tom mounted his horse, "She does not wish to speak with me. Make sure to look after the Princess, Sir Hiddleston."

Stephen nodded, "Yes, Prince Stephen."

Tom nods back before pulling the reins and leaving the estate of Autumn shores along with Captain Isaac and the Royal Knights. Stephen turns around to find Marshall Wong right behind him, “Sir Wong.”

“Sir Hiddleston.” Wong slightly squinted his eyes and nodded at him before watching the men disappear from the distance.

Stephen swallowed hard. Does he know? Can he smell the magic?

Stephen steps aside, lowering his head and makes his way back to your chambers. He looks back discreetly to see if Wong was eyeing him and to his relief the man wasn’t. He proceeded to climb up the stairs, all the way to the third floor where he would relieve the knight who was in his place temporarily.

“Sir.” The younger knight bowed his head before taking his leave. Stephen stood in his post for not even a minute and he already feels the pain of boredom. Twenty minutes later he found himself day-dreaming. Particularly the time when he locked you in a room as payback for pushing him in horse manure.

Flashback

You were regretting giving up your warm shawl as the cold finally managed to seep into your bones, making it painful to walk or breathe for that matter. Oh, why hadn’t I stayed home?

Because you were stubborn and foolish, you decided as a violent shiver tore through your body, making you grind your teeth against the cold assault.

“What the hell are you doing out in this cold?” Stephen snapped, startling you just as something rather warm was wrapped around your shoulders.

You looked down to find you wrapped in a thick wool coat. Before you could argue, which you desperately wanted to do on principle alone, Stephen was standing in front of you, giving you no choice but to stop walking as he finished pulling the coat around you and fastened the buttons.

“I’m perfectly fine,” you lied even as you gripped the inside of the coat to pull it more tightly around yourself.

“Then why are your lips blue?” he asked softly as he gazed down at you.

“They’re not blue,” you argued, feeling yourself tremble from something other than the cold as he reached up and gently pushed a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Why didn’t you wait for my cousin?” he asked as he gently rubbed the back of his knuckles along your cheek.

Because I didn’t want to ride with Ben to the village, but you weren't about to admit that to him.

Instead you thanked him for the use of his jacket and moved to step around him, but he wasn’t having that.

He- “Put me down!” you gasped as he picked you up and threw you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, turned around and started walking back the way you'd come.

“Just as soon as we reach the palace so that Lazarescu can spank some sense into you,” he said, wrapping a rather large arm around your legs when you tried to kick your way to freedom.

“Put me down this instant, Stephen!” you snapped, punching his bottom to emphasise your demand.

“I really shouldn’t be surprised,” he mused to himself, clearly uncaring that you were currently trying to fight your way to freedom.

“Your highness?” Asha said, sounding unsure.

“Help get me down!” you pleaded as you shifted so that you could send Asha an imploring look that was promptly ignored as she took in Stephen’s size and determination.

Noticeably swallowing, Asha shook her head, faltered back a step and focused all of her attention on the ground ahead of her.

“Traitor,” you muttered, although you couldn’t really blame the woman.

“To be honest,” Stephen went on, “I thought by now that Peter would have you figured out and locked up.”

“I hate you!” you snapped, punching his bottom. If your attack hurt, it didn’t show.

“Hopefully, your husband will have more sense and will keep you locked up. Maybe in a convent where the sisters could beat some sense into you.”

“Stephen Strange, you put me down this instant!” you demanded, glad that the garden was practically empty, there was no one to witness your humiliation.

“Sure thing,” he said, quickening his pace, but he didn’t put you down. Instead, he forced you to grab onto the back of the thin lawn shirt that he wore to stop yourself from bouncing all over the place. A few minutes later, you were forced to tighten your hold on his shirt as he jogged up the stone steps to the palace. When you saw the freshly polished foyer floor, you sighed with relief, but it was short lived.

“You said that you’d put me down as soon as we reached the palace,” you reminded him as you tried to wiggle out of his grip.

“I was planning on it until a thought occurred to me,” he said, sounding amused and instantly putting you on guard.

You were almost too afraid to ask, “What are you talking about?”

“Since Lazarescu is probably still preoccupied, you’ll have to wait until later for that spanking that you desperately need,” he said, walking down what appeared to be the back hallway.

“Since we can’t have you running around and catching your death, I’m afraid that I have no choice but to lock you up for your own good,” he said in a long, suffering sigh that didn’t exactly match his tone.

“Don’t. You. Dare,” you bit out, trying not to panic and failing miserably.

“I wish that I had a choice, Princess. Truly I do, but I’m afraid that you’ve left me with no choice,” he said, chuckling as your ears registered the sounds of the click of a lock and a door opening.

“I’m not kidding, Stephen!”

“Now, you just sit here for a while and I’m sure that someone will eventually let you out,” he said as he quickly placed you on your unsteady legs. Before you could push past him or demand your release, he leaned down and pressed a kiss against your stunned lips. It took you a few seconds before you realised that he’d shut the door, leaving you standing there looking foolish.

The click of the lock brought you to your senses. You grabbed the doorknob and tried to turn it, but it was good and locked. A moment later, you realised that he’d locked you in the old music room. It was located in the back of the Palace and hadn’t been used in years since the music room was transferred to the second floor. It was also far enough away from the rest of the Palace that no one would be able to hear your cries for help, you realised with a growl.

“You bastard!” you yelled, uncaring that the declaration was unlady-like as you kicked the door, “You’ll pay for this!”

End of Flashback

"What is it that amuses you? Mister Tom?" You nudge your personal guard who you found laughing all by himself.

Stephen jumped slightly and came to his senses, "N-Nothing Princess. A funny memory just crossed my mind."

A small smile grew on your face, one that he doesn’t see often when you’re around him, "Well that must be very special if it is able to entertain you."

"It is." Stephen answered, "Can I help you?"

You look at him weirdly, unsure whether he was fooling around with you, "It's time for our daily walks?"

"Right! Of course. Walks." Stephen nods and takes the lead down the hallway.

You softly cleared your throat, "This way, Sir Hiddleston."

Stephen hisses quietly and turns on his heels, "Right! That way! How could I forget?" He laughed sheepishly, internally swearing at himself. First day of pretending as someone else and he is already failing successfully.

Gaea bring back that man alive or so help me.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

Four and a half months later.

Eivengard was beautiful, once. It was called the realm of the Earthly Pantheons: a place of power, radiance, and magic. Visitors say that the very stones glowed with an inner light, and that the city contained wondrous arcane marvels. At night the cities shone like a great silvery fire, visible even from a great distance. Yet, as magnificent as Eivengard was, its inhabitants were more so. Their hair either a brilliant white or ebony black, their skin so flawless almost like glass, the Eivengardnians seemed to shine like the city itself. Legends claim that they were immortal, or at least nearly so. Their bodies healed quickly, and they were blessed with great strength, insight, and speed. They could perform magic with a bare wave of the hand: used men visited Eivengard from all across Cardonia to receive Eivengardian healings, food, or wisdom. They were divinities. And anyone could become one. The Nirmāna, it was called. The Transformation. It struck randomly-usually at night, during the mysterious hours when life slowed to rest.

Nirmāna could take a beggar, craftsman, nobleman, or warrior. When it came, the fortunate person's life ended and began anew; he would discard his old, mundane existence, and move to Eivengard; where he could live in bliss.

Stephen woke up in cold sweats as he had yet another vision of the history of Eivengard. He roughly lifted his sleeve as he noticed his mark glowing faintly. Was this the effect of their pact? Their memories being exchanged in their dreams?

Stephen wonders if Tom dreams of his memories. To keep their identity swap a secret, Stephen tells you about his dreams everytime you ask about Eivengard. He doesn’t understand why you’re so fascinated by the Kingdom—or maybe he was just feeling jealous that you are more of an open book towards Tom.

Sometimes when Stephen looks into the mirror and sees the image of the man, he’s tempted to punch his own face.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

The next morning was cold and frosty which contributed to your back ache; you wished for the heat of summer to return. Stephen accompanied you still glamoured as Sir Hiddleston through your daily walks in the gardens. You staggered when you walked and it didn’t seem worthwhile to attend the high tea with the Lords' wives. Stephen held you firmly as you leaned towards him as the backache increased, working itself into a slow rhythm. You elicit a long and low groan as you hold the roundest part of your pregnant belly.

"Princess, if you're not feeling well, we should get you back to your chambers where you can rest." Stephen wrapped his arms around your frame, his other hand holding onto yours.

"Yes, that's probably a smart idea." You grimaced and hissed at the sharp stabbing pressure. It dawned on you very slowly that the baby was not waiting until the second month of winter, "I think I've gone into labour for real this time, Sir Hiddleston. This pain is different—argh!" Your knees almost gave in but Stephen remained your pillar.

"You there!" Stephen yelled with urgency towards the servants, "One of you call for the royal physician, and you! Send a message to the Lords' wives that my wi—the Princess will not make it."

Stephen held you up without difficulty, "Can you walk?" He asks, dipping his head slightly to look at you.

"Yes. . .the pain comes and goes." You let out a delicate breath as you felt the cramping subside.

Stephen escorted you as quickly as he could back to your chambers, he carried you up the stairs when the pain became intense for you to walk, even though you told him you could do it. He barged into your chambers and both of you were the firsts ones there.

Stephen bent down and gently set your foot back on the ground, soon after the grand physician and their midwives entered the room as well as Asha who was now with child after marrying Ben a few months after yours.

"Sir Hiddleston, we're going to need you to step out. Do not let anyone in until the babe has been born." The grand physician instructed and Stephen nodded as he got pushed out. Casting a worried glance towards you while your ladies-in-wait and the midwives prepare you for birth, he flashes you a smile of reassurance before Asha shuts the door on him.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

A young page boy ran out of the grandness of the Eltham palace towards the jousting arena where a tourney was undertaking in celebration of the news that the 'Prince' caught a Daeva and will be returning soon. He had been assigned to the borders where it has been rumoured to be the hot spot of the attacks—sadly, it turned out to be a fact. In the many months Tom has been gone, he’d learnt plenty from those who survived.

Royal Knights block off the page boy with their sword before he could even step foot into the steps that led up the royal podium, “Whoa there. Where do you think you’re going lad?”

“Sir, I have a message from the grand physician.”

The Royal Knights exchange glances and one of them bends down so that the page boy can whisper the message, “Her Royal Highness, Princess (Y/N) has gone into labour.”

The royal knight climbs up the stairs of the podium where the Eltham Royals and Lords are seated, cheering at the heat of the moment while one of the knights falls off their horse. He carefully made his way down towards the Queen who sat on the right side of the King. The Knight bowed before his King and Queen and bent down to pass on the message to both of them.

“What? Now?” The Queen's eyes widened and almost rose to her seat.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Queen Meera looked over at her husband, “I have to go. The Princess is about to give birth to our grandchild.”

“Very well, go.” King Dorian nodded as the Queen was itching to get up. As she hurried down the podium, the King pounded them on the wood to catch the spectators’ attention before announcing the news to everyone.

Queen Meera rushed, barely even waiting for the palace guards as she entered the palace. As they walked past all guards straightened up and bowed their heads before proceeding to their own business. Queen Meera reached the location of your chambers where she could hear the sounds of your cries and screams. Stephen stood firmly directly in front of the door and noticed his mother headed his way.

“Provide a chair for the Queen!” Stephen commanded one of the servants who was around. Stephen didn’t know what to feel but he sure is relieved that he’s present at the birth of his children even though he was someone else. He stood by the door in a daze, he was so tempted to remove his glamour and enter through those doors.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

By afternoon the backache was an encircling python and you could do nothing but pant and whimper, the steady rattle of rain dampening your moaning call for succour. You were assisted to wriggled out of your heavy dress and put on her oldest nightgown. The pain increased to waves of cramping agony that left you gasping for breath, and on and on, the day fading into night, the rain torn away by wind, the dark choking hours eternal.

With each contraction came a pain that dominated your entire being. In those moments, for those seconds that stretched into infinity, there was nothing else. You could hear nothing but your own heartbeat. When the pain passed it was only for a minute or so and you breathed with closed eyes, unwilling to re-engage with life outside of your own body. The room might as well have been empty for all the awareness she had, and when they did talk, touch, gain your attention she found it so hard to reply you had to find yourself from the deepest recess of your own mind and drag yourself forward, to use your voice, open your eyes. The midwife was telling you that it was time, time to push.

With a guttural grunt you did so and was told to keep going. You threw your head back to catch your breath, Asha, wiping the sweat that made your skin glisten. The midwives advised you to push once more and you let out a scream which was repaid by the cries of a child.

"Congratulations Princess, you're have a son." The midwife smiled and immediately laid the baby on your chest.

You choked out a joyful laugh as your son calmed down from hearing the beat of your heart in your chest when suddenly you felt the dreaded pain coming on again.

"I will let the Queen know." The Grand physician smiled proudly but you stopped him.

"W-Wait!" You screamed.

"It's probably the afterbirth, Your Highness." The midwife who was by your side assured you.

"NO! It's not!" You snapped at her growling as you pushed again but this time, one was enough. Without any further effort the baby slid into the hands of the midwife. The midwife smiled even wider as yet another child was born.

"Oh my lord, Princess, Congratulations you have a daughter."

You breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "Please, give her to me."

After, when your children were born, it was as if only sunshine existed in the world, as if all the earth was ushered into harmony. You looked into their new eyes, a new consciousness, perfect and reaching out for your love. In that instant you knew she would do anything to protect your children, that your love was as vast as the universe yet solid as rock. You were a mother and would always be.

The Grand physician finally stepped out of your chambers with a neutral look on his face while Stephen and his mother whipped their bodies to face the physician in anticipation.

"Well?" Queen Meera impatiently asked, "How is the Princess?"

"It is with great privilege to announce to you that her royal highness has given birth to two healthy infants, a boy and a girl, your majesty." The grand physician announced.

Meera covered her mouth in shock and joy, “May we see them?”

"Of course, your Majesty. Allow me to check whether the princess is decent." He bowed his head and entered your chambers again.

The midwives tucked you in under a fresh blanket while you hold both infants in your arms, admiring their little features.

"Princess, Queen Meera wishes to see you and the children." The grand physician informed you and you nodded weakly with both infants still in your arms.

Meera saunters in while the midwives continue to attend to you. Stephen peaked through the door that was left ajar in amazement. A tingle surged throughout his whole body. It was a rush of excitement he had never felt before in his life. When his eyes hit their angelic little body, they froze and he couldn't think or acknowledge anything else around him.

The world seemed to stop, hold its place in time, just for that perfect moment. While they slept in your arms, he stared at his precious little angels. His hands quivered, wanting to reach down to touch their little fingers and feel the softness of their skin. He wanted to run the tips of his fingers very gently across his offsprings' smooth faces.

"Do we have a name for the children, Your highness?" The Grand Physician asked.

"Yes, Stefan Lucien and Sersei Denyse Strange." You say hoarsely.

"Prince Stefan and Princess Sersei the greatest gift mother gaea can bestow and she chose you to take the sacred responsibility of love and nurture."

"Well done, Darling." Meera whispers as she wipes stray strands of hair away from your face, “Stephen will be delighted to hear this wonderful news.”

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

After hours of guarding outside your chambers, Stephen was finally invited inside by one of the wet nurses, “Sir Hiddleston, the Princess has asked for your presence.”

Stephen nodded and quietly entered the room, “Come in. Sir Hiddleston, I want to introduce you to my children.”

“You should be resting now, Princess. You’ve had a long night.” Stephen replied, bowing his head, suppressing the want to run to your side and hold his children.

“Please leave us.” You asked the wet nurses and they went out of the room, “Come, take a seat.”

“As you wish.” Stephen took careful steps, not wanting to wake the sleeping infants in your arms, “Congratulations to you and Prince Stephen. They are beautiful.” Stephen takes a seat.

“Thank you. I just wish he was here, if not for me then for them.” You flash a smile but it was backed with melancholy since Stephen chose duty.

“I’m sure the Prince would want to be here for you too.” Stephen replied, staring at the angelic little faces.

You notice the longing expression on the man’s face towards the newborns, “Would you like to hold one of them?”

“They sleep peacefully in your arms, I wouldn’t want to disturb them.”

You look down at Stefan and Sersei, “Indeed. They look so much like their father, I don’t even know what they inherited from me.”

“Your heart and your wit, hopefully.” Stephen chuckles, as did you. If he was in his original form right now, you probably wouldn’t be having this conversation with him. You’ve built a wall so strong around yourself that you refuse to let Stephen in again.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

In the hour of the wolf, your deep sleep has been interrupted by the cool gust of wind that somehow penetrated the closed doors and windows of your chamber.

“Look at them, so beautiful and innocent, only to grow up to be weapons for war. . .”

At the end of your bed where your children’s individual cots are, a dark figure stood before them. You swiftly grabbed hold of your dagger that you kept in your nightstand and pointed it at the figure, “Step away from my children.”

“You cannot defeat me, Princess.” the man said, his voice that you’re unable to identify. “So join me.” Baron stepped out of the shadows. You should tell he wasn’t really there since he flickered like a candlelight.

“Or what?” Your heart pounded hard against your chest. “Or die? That’s not incredibly cliché or anything.”

The man tilted its head to the side. “Actually, I wasn’t going to say that to you. I need you to help free the one and truthful god. You have Yelenite blood—The rest who don’t can die, though.” He referred to your loved ones. Before you could dwell on the disgust of being related to the man, you saw ‘Tom’, entering your room quietly as he heard your voice.

“Don’t!” you shouted.

‘Tom’ halted, his head swinging sharply toward you.

“Do not get close to him,” you reminded him as your heart raced.

He backed off, his stance wary. You turned your attention back to the evil King of Yelenet. Whatever the thing was standing in front of you, you did share the same roots that went back by a millennium.

“I’m not going to help you free your God.” You seethed and kept pointing your dagger at him while keeping a close eye on your children. “That’s never going to happen.”

Baron smiled as it watched you with dark, inky eyes, “Get as close as you want.” It ignored your statement, taunting the man.

“And you should try shutting the Hell up.” Fury dripped from Stephen’s words. “How about that?”

Baron didn’t even spare a glance in Stephen’s direction, seeing through his glamour, “I like you. I really do, prince. Too bad you’re going to end up dead.”

Your fingers curled in, nails biting into your palms as anger flushed through your system, hot and bitter. Your emotions were all over the place.

“You’re very brave, making threats inside this Kingdom.”

“How about I’m just intelligent?” it queried gamely, “And how about I know more than all of you about how this will end?”

“You talk a lot,” Stephen growled, stepping forward. “And I mean a lot. Why is it that the bad men always have to give disgustingly long and boring monologues? Let’s just get to the killing part, all right?”

Baron’s mouth formed a lopsided grin. “So eager to die the final death, aren’t you?”

“So eager to be done with you running your mouth, more like,” Stephen retorted, moving so that he stood directly beside you.

“What do you want?” You ask it.

“Nothing. . . yet, to say the least.” Baron tilted his head as he stared at Stefan and Sersei, stroking their cheeks while they slept.

“Take your filthy hands of my children!” You shouted and stomped towards Baron but Stephen blocked you, “Sir Hiddleston! Move out of my way!”

Baron chuckled, “You’re surrounded by liars, Princess. If you want nothing but the truth, you are free to join me.”

Like a bubble, he disappeared out of thin air, you rushed towards Stefan and Sersei to make sure they’re alright, “There has to be some sort of magic that can shield the Kingdom from intrusion like this!” You took the crying Sersei into your arms and rocked the child gently, “I must report this to the King, at once.”

Stephen firmly gripped your left arm, “He will not believe you. . . Not unless you have evidence.” Stephen replied quickly.

“How do you know that?”

“I just do.”

TAGS: @elicheel @sherlux @stanny-uwu@soiopathicdetectivekid@gaitwae@shit-post-things @seasonofthenerd @patbrdac @evelynrosestuff @singhfae @severuined @lovecleastrange @samisubi @mochuchi @faithinhome@ohchoices @junkertown-princess @sigyncevans @dragonqueen89 @the-royal-petals @hiddlechive @peachypie97 @bobateadaydreams @lykaonimagines @strangeobsessed @calsjack @strangeions @crowleyspett @goldencherriess @jyessaminereads @fandom-lover-4 @tis-vereon @rbymoon @siredlust @allie131313 @jjssttnnxcoleyyy @fantasyfan4life @thegardenerofeden @glitterylokislut @naughtyry @withalittlehoney @mayotsukia @strangesweetheart @omgstarks @azenpal @cemak @huntress-artemiss @iobsessoverfictionalmen @keistange @lady-harvey @winsteria @downtownshabby

Bonus: I used an AI to make an image of the future children in this story and then photoshopped it. Here are Sir Isaacs sons: Cassian, Casstiel and Casspian.

[madandi]

From The Times

article about the new song: "Thank you mother"

At 16 Amy Nuttall became the youngest understudy for the lead role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, then a year later she joined the ITV soap Emmerdale and stayed for five years. The Lancashire-born actress has since appeared in Hotel Babylon, Downton Abbey, Death in Paradise and, most recently, Mr Bates vs the Post Office. On stage she has been in My Fair Lady, Boeing-Boeing, Cabaret and Spamalot. Now 41, Nuttall is married to the actor Andrew Buchan. They live with their nine-year-old daughter and five-year-old son in Buckinghamshire.

How much is in your wallet?

No one carries cash now — everything is cashless. I did get caught short last year when my daughter lost a tooth unexpectedly. I had no money for the tooth fairy. Luckily my neighbour came to the rescue but now I always make sure I have pound coins in my wallet. Apart from that, all I have is my driver’s licence, Tesco Clubcard, Boots card, Caffè Nero stamp card and my debit card.

What credit cards do you use?

I don’t own any. When I joined Emmerdale I came home to visit my parents and for some reason I’d got myself a credit card and I was telling my dad about it and he made me get it out, got a pair of scissors and said, “Right, I want you to cut it up in front of me. Take my advice. Do not go down that road.” And it’s just stuck with me. I’ve never had one since. I think my dad knew that it would basically give me the opportunity to spend money I didn’t have, so I think it was very wise advice.

Are you a saver or a spender?

I’d love to say I’m a saver. I think I started out really well but I have become a bit of a spender. It’s mainly on my children. When I started out, aged 16, touring in The Phantom of the Opera, my first pay cheque was £500 a week, which was an absolute fortune for someone that age. I remember we were rehearsing in London before we went on tour, and I needed some new trainers, so I went to Schuh in Covent Garden. And I’ve never forgotten that feeling of buying my own trainers with my own money — and still having money in my account. After that I barely spent a penny, other than on accommodation and food. I don’t know where that girl went, as I really enjoy spending now. Back then I was very cautious. I just wish I’d had the foresight to put that money into property.

How much did you earn last year?

I’m an actress, self-employed, so it varies substantially from year to year. Sometimes I get surprise emails from my agent about royalties, saying, “Downton Abbey has been sold to this country,” or whatever, and they’re always nice little happy surprises. But generally speaking, in the last financial year — what can I tell you? — below a hundred grand, but I’m married so it all goes into one pot. So it’s not as scary because I can lean on that. People may have thought that being in Downtown Abbey meant I could put my rates up, but it’s really not the case. I always seem to land jobs where they tell you there isn’t any money in the pot. And then you find out who the lead is and you think, ah, all the money is going to that person. So it’s really not as lucrative as people perceive.

I sing too. I recently released a song called Thank You Mother, to raise money for the Brain Tumour Charity. That won’t see any personal return, but that’s fine as I want all the money to go to the charity. Overall I’m used to not knowing how things will be financially. It’s that excitement of not knowing what’s around the corner — maybe that big job with lots of money is going to turn up. That hasn’t happened yet, but you never know.

Have you ever been really hard up?

I started off well with Phantom and then Emmerdale, but when I was 22 I left and moved to London. Soon after I bought my first property in Ladbroke Grove [west London] but stupidly bought one that I was unable to sublet. I’d really stretched myself to the limit to buy it and I was relying on being in work to pay my mortgage and bills. I was the lead in Cabaret in the West End at the time, but it was a massive drop in earnings after Emmerdale and I just couldn’t cover everything, so I had to put the flat on the market. I had to move out a week after I finished Cabaret and rent a room in a flat and put all my furniture into storage. It was devastating.

Do you own a property?

I’m the joint owner of our comfortable family home in Buckinghamshire. We owned a smaller house before.

Are you better off than your parents?

I’d say my dad is probably better off than me. He recently retired but he was a criminal barrister and a judge. I have no idea how much money he earned but he was always extremely cautious and never spent money on five-star hotels. My mum was a hairdresser when they met and then did interior design for a while. Things were comfortable and my dad paid for all three of us to have a private secondary education.

Do you invest in shares?

I don’t and it’s not something I’ve ever thought about. I don’t know enough about it.

What is better for retirement, property or pension?

A bit of both. It probably changes from year to year but I think it would be safer to have a bit of property, a bit of pension.

What has been your best investment?

My house, my health and my children — not in that order.

And the worst?

I’ve not really made any great investments but I can’t think of anything that has been significantly bad either.

The most extravagant thing you’ve bought?

I bought my mum a Louis Vuitton bag because she did everything for my wedding. I just turned up on the day, which was great. I wasn’t particularly interested in doing it — she did it all. So I bought her a beautiful cream Louis Vuitton handbag, which cost about £2,000, which is an insane amount of money.

What is your money weakness?

Food, probably. I’m quite lazy, especially with the grim weather we’ve had lately. I just want to get out of the house and go to a cosy café to eat stuff I could easily make at home. My other weakness is [the homeware store] Homesense — I’m an absolute sucker for kitchen paraphernalia. Whether it’s another teapot or candle I don’t need, I’m there.

What is your financial priority?

My children. We’re a way off secondary school yet, though, so we’ll see what happens.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

First, I wouldn’t broadcast it. I’d share it among family, and I’d love to have the luxury of giving away a chunk of money to the Brain Tumour Charity. If there was any left to spoil myself, I’d love to be mortgage-free. I’d love a big house in the country with an Aga and a dog, and a holiday home in Tuscany. That would be lovely.

Do you support any charities?

I’m a patron of the Brain Tumour Charity — my mother passed away from a glioblastoma brain tumour in October, and I’ll be donating all the proceeds from Thank You Mother to them. It’s a song we played a lot at home in my mother’s final weeks. It was a very emotional time and the words in the song are very poignant to my relationship with my mum. I knew straight away that I had to do something to raise awareness of this terrible disease.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learnt about money?

That you never have enough, that it goes pretty quickly and that it doesn’t bring you true happiness. And like my parents said to me, “If you look after the pennies, the pounds will follow.” All proceeds from Thank You Mother by Amy Nuttall go to the Brain Tumour Charity

[fantomette22]

What are your headcanons dynamics in Byrgen class? Who was the smartest? Who was the president in the class. Who skipped classes? Who hated each other? Who was teacher's pet? Who allowed to copy their homework. I'm running out of questions but please do free form and share everything

OH!!! 👀 a question About the Byrgenwerth squad ?! For real!!!! Oh thank you!! I sure wanna talk about them quite a lot!

When I first got into bloodborne the first stories I imagined were about Byrgenwerth and all this little gang! Or like my friend Crow would call them… Willem’s lil troop (of future mass murderers and mentally ill people). My first multi chap fic about bloodborne that I’m trying to write is focus on the Byrgenwerth era too! So it would probably be more develop here in the very long run (writing is hard  Maria is not even at Byrgenwerth yet lmao💀) but I will still try to answer and put what I can think off here! 

I did talk about a few characters individually too so it could give a few infos but let’s go class dynamics!

But first here’s the list of who I imagined was at Byrgenwerth at that time.

As students: Caryll, Maria, Ludwig, Rom, Micolash, Damian (above class from them) & Charles (Cainhurst oc, above class) oh and the future forgotten madman and his escort.

Laurence is their theology and physiology teacher but he had a few class a few years earlier alongside Gehrman XD 

Gehrman, Dores & Liam : groundskeeper, graveyard and mr gatekeeper (the guy with the password). Ok Dores is super scary but if she likes you it's really good👍

Patches is a janitor who will eventually become a scholar after our favs students graduated. (He shouldn't be here in the first place XD)

and of course there’s Willem the provost, the headmaster.

The other characters I won’t cited are either not around to not born yet. Or not relevant for now.

I think Byrgenwerth is kinda an university so even if they have many classes not just in an amphitheater with hundred of students they can have classes with 20-40 students but it’s never the same ones depending the subject teach and the options of everyone. Yet there’s a few class when they can all be together x) so I don’t think they would had a class president? Idk I didn’t thought about it they probably had a representative. I guess Ludwig could make a great representative of the students? Idk

Ok so for the homework I did this meme a while ago XD

For the rest let’s start with Gehrman and Laurence who had a few classes together. Not lying I see Laurence trying to stay serious in front of the teachers (because he kinda live with Willem since a few years) but being absolutely a clown class actually XD  don’t listen all the time, skipped class, party hard and all at the beginning! Still he helped Gehrman when he had difficulties and he helped Laurence back by providing emotional support when he didn’t feel well. 

But hey he graduated become a teacher and is doing a doctorate so hey believed in your dreams XD

Now for the others. Smartest, I would say Caryll I think. A gifted child who skip at least one year (before Byrgen). They have an ability to understand things that is quite remarquable and really surprising. I mean they translated the runes! People have no idea how that make sense to them. Lil guy of the group everyone loved him. If your mean to them everyone is gonna kick your ass.

Poor Rom on the contrary is no really smart 😢 still she work really hard and try helped by her friends! + she have tons of knowledge on insects. Not useful all the times but when smn have a bug in room they always call Rom to help them XD

Those two could be the teacher pets too (Micolash tries too XD). Like I said everyone loves Caryll and Rom is basically Willem’s daughter in my headcanon.

Maria is also quite smart in a lot of subject (thanks Cainhurst eduction and her grand curiosity). She didn’t really had friends at the beginning, for some reason people didn’t like her and she hate to stay with the rich kids from cainhurst & other noble family (except like 1 or 2) that changed thankfully.

For Ludwig I think he would be average in most of the class yet maybe really good in a precise field.

Mico probably think he’s smarter than everyone XD sometime.

Damian he’s kinda the most normal students ever who’s tired of everything else the other get in trouble with..

About Charles now, an oc I created (but fit in the lore it’s a secret shhh) he have ties with Cainhurst and know Maria, Annalise and all since little. He’s in an upper class (he’s older like Damian) kinda the cool popular guy who tried not to cause to much trouble but still a little. Do a lot of party with the « cool annoying kids » you know u_u still he’s better than them XD from Maria saying. Always been here if she needed help.

Omg Caryll Maria and Ludwig dynamic can be resumed like this :

Laurence : why when something happened it’s always you 3.

They got in trouble with eldritch entities while trying to train to go tomb prospecting it’s not their fault! XD

See those drawings too.

They were supposed to train with Dores & Gehrman to go tomb prospecting and… It end well I swear XD

About the. Future forgotten madman & escort this 2 are always together and get into troubles quite often.

Other dynamics :

Gehrman is like the big brother of the group. I don’t wanna hear other wise. That made him really anxious but at least he had a purpose and smt else to do with his life ❤️ babysit 7 crazy scholars is hard yes. But he’s crazier actually so idk what’s worse really.

Also he’s supposed to guard the campus at night but can’t bring himself to be to angry at students who don’t respect the rules XD he did lecture for 2-5mins future forgotten madman & escort because they came back from the forest and climb a wall or smt XD but hey Caryll is allowed to stare at the lake at like 2am because they can’t sleep no problem XD Gehrman do the same to so smt they talk a bit!

Caryll & Rom : they share a braincells. Either they don’t understand what the hell is going on or they’re enlightened with knowledge.

Rom & Caryll & Maria really get along well! The more calm little group too (Yes the 3 boys= Ludwig Mico & Damian are more messy and loud for exemple)

Maria & Ludwig : ok so this one is funny, I hc Ludwig is coming from a rich family. And I was inspired by a few fics where they had class together and Ludwig wonder if she can stand him or not but actually she sit next to him because well she do stand him XD 

I imagined not long ago how they become friend kinda! You see they had prospector training & a few class together but don’t really talk a lot. Then they got invited to the cool kids party in Yharnam; Problem : because of some « incidents » in the pthumerians labyrinth there’s a curfew at Byrgenwerth. So they need to came back not too late. «Yeah we’ll call a carriage for the ones who got back ! » they didn’t call a carriage.

So you got Maria and Ludwig who decided to return at Byrgenwerth in the middle of the night and having a lil walk in the forest. They don’t really have the choice and it’s better to not go alone so they do the route together. It’s a bit awkward at first but they begin to talk and all. They got along well. They arrived late of course. Ludwig thought Gehrman was going to freaking yell at them or smt (he didn’t know him well and the groundskeeper is intimidating at first) but no, he just told them to be more careful or they could get into trouble x) 

Yeah thankfully Maria was already friend with him XD kinda become friends the same way he became friends with Laurence but anyway… (he tried to plant flowers heh asks her opinion on it and she explain a few stuff in botany XD) also they just casually went hunting in the woods on day XD yes prospector training ahaha

To get back to Ludwig and Maria, on their 2nd year at Byrgenwerth she bring her horse and she allowed Ludwig to pass some time with him go and ride and all. Ludwig show her an old picture of the pony he had when he was a kid. On group project either they get to excited and fail XD but succeed the 2nd time generally.

Mico & Rom and Damian : almost inseparable. The 2 boys kinda assign themself at her best friends/bodyguard or smt XD

And you can be sure Mico & Maria would argue a lot if they had a chemical exercice to do together or smt.

And what about them all together as a group dynamic hm? Well either they're genius or a mess XD yep they end up in danger. Again. During prom night!!! Gasp :O

And in last, sometimes there’s free (class) conferences held by Willem or other teachers and they can all assist to it! Yes even Gehrman and Laurence. It’s quite fun x) Quite a mess but fun.

Hope you enjoy! I probably forgot a few things but I hope it will do for now. It’s hm more focus on and the students first & beginning of the 2nd years/5 at Byrgenwerth of the students too. Sorry for the lil delay too last days were a bit busy!

[otterlarouche]

The DGR write up is not one most would expect, in fact - it comes from a more personal level.

Nothing could have prepared me for the day's event. Sure I had my camera and film packed the night before. What I mean by being prepared is, just a few hours earlier I had learned that a friend, a fellow motorcycle enthusiast - a fellow rider had passed away. My ride to NYC from Philadelphia was a quiet one. I distinctly remember having just a few things on my mind. Paul (my friend who had passed) being one of them. His young daughter that he leaves behind. The fact that he had sole custody of her since the mother of his child wanted nothing to do with either of them. Paul was just 29 years of age and less than a week shy of turning 30. You all would have loved him. He was as genuine as they get.

Before the 500+ riders took off from Grand Central Station, I did my best to do what I do, that is capture moments of people's lives and the machines that they love. That ‘two wheel therapy’. Looking through the viewfinder, seeing so many smiling faces brought mixed feelings to the point of me having to stop for two reasons. One of joy, I had to take it all in. All these people would be riding in solidarity for a great cause. It defines the meaning of community. It's not just about the bikes or what they ride....but the people. I had this urge to thank each and every one of them. I sat down for a while listening to the city and the sounds of roaring motorcycles as they went off in the distance. For just a little while I was able to smile for a bit. The second reason was, I had to ask myself a hard question. What am I even doing here? That weighed heavily on me. I felt broken in some odd way. I had just lost a friend.

It’s now Saturday the 28th 2pm (2022). As I wrote this, chain smoking cigarettes, having paid my respects to Pauls family at his service earlier in the day. I thought about the people I've captured on film. Pouring over all the photos that I would be giving back to the DGR organization. Being reminded of the generous donors who support the DGR and what it stands for. I also thought of those who are battling prostate cancer and most of all those who are too proud to seek help, when they really need it. You know, that stigma we’re so afraid to even talk about, let alone mention. Mens mental health. I thought about Paul too.

In my lifetime, I’ve lost friends to cancer and suicide. As I looked around at the hundreds of people who came out for the DGR ride NYC, thinking about those who donated to the organization that couldn’t attend, at some point in their lifetime, by some degree of separation they have also suffered a loss too. What does one even say? I don’t even know.

What I do know is: DGR is, One day of solidarity. From its inception to current date the organization is recognized globally. I am grateful for having been invited to lend my eye and record the day.

-Otter LaRouche

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Sunday 2 December 1838

8 10

2 20

windy and occasionally small rainy morning breakfast at 9 ½ in about ¾ hour – then upstairs in the west tower musing and trying the bookshelves till near 12 – then ¼ hour with A- all in tears about Mrs. Briggs having been here   Oddy had told her that she or the daughter had said when here before that if Mr. Wright knew how she was behaved to he would fetch her away    A- would never have asked her to come a second but when I told her of her consent and even approval said if I could think of such a thing as asking she (A-) could not refuse    and then she cried again saying I had no confidence in her etc. etc.  poor thing how miserable she makes herself   she alluded to alterations at Cliff this morning at breakfast   her aunt had better live a little longer?   I cannot help fancying that if A- lives long   we shall part before our lives end meant to have written to Lady S- this morning but stood musing in the west tower – at 12 ½ began a letter to Lady S- ‘Shibden hall – Sunday 3 December 1838. I can hardly believe, dearest Lady Stuart, that is a week today since our leaving London – we felt crowded and uncomfortable in a strange carriage which, tho’ the largest for our purpose that and best Pearce had, was far from being as roomy and convenient as the grande diligence de madame which you yourself used to admire for its comfort, if not for its beauty during our nice tour in Belgium – we found the roads wet during Sunday, and did not get farther than Stevenage, where it began to freeze, and make us sensible that we were travelling in the wrong direction – on Monday the roads were quite dry and hard, and we rolled along at something more than eight miles an hour to Grantham to sleep, one of the most comfortable sleeping houses in England – It is worthwhile to stop late or early for a good homelike nights’ rest at this Inn which was quite full, tho’ there was very little posting on the road, and we ourselves had only met one private carriage – the influence of the railroad is already felt – what will it be by and by, when even such old-fashioned-going people as I begin to follow in the train? – Posting will be knocked up – and we shall do all by steam from carrying ourselves down to boiling our potatoes – But they must have coal to have steam – and that perhaps may benefit you and me! – Let us at least

SH:7/ML/E/22/0073

hope that some good may come out of every great change that we are at present undergoing – It was by darkened moonlight, and in a snow storm that we reached Leeds – we should have taken fright, and put up for the night, had we not been within fourteen miles of home, where we arrived in 3 hours about eleven (at night9 benumbed and thankful – From here written on the 1p. and ends of envelope alternate thaw and frost had made the roads like grass, one off-wheel at last fell, and we were far a minute or 2 in doubt whether the poor horse would strangle himself or throw us over the precipice – our people were glad to see us safe housed, tho’ we had brought neither man nor maid to lighten the extra trouble we should give – two joiners had been at work in the house during the seven months of our absence, but except that my little study was finished, the rest of the house seemed nearly as we left it – my unfortunate taste for oak-wainscot is terrible – I must give it up, and turn to plaster at last – It was high time to be at home again – Potheration awaked me on Wednesday morning – but now that I have fairly made up my mind to get rid of it, I shall not stop to disquiet myself in vain, but put all my strength to backing out as fast as I can – They say, the people at my new Inn (the Northgate hotel) are doing very well and that if I had it to let now, I should have plenty of tenants – I wish I could shove the whole thing a hundred miles nearer London – Among a large pile of letters waiting my return, was a very kind letter from Lady Harriet dated June 4 – I shall be a little more at liberty by and by, and will write to everybody – I have not said much about it, but the fact is, I have been sadly out of sorts of late; and now I am resolved to set my inner house in order, and be at ease – the most agreeable thing I have done since my return is writing this letter – Indeed my dearest Lady Stuart, I very often think of you, and of all the good you have done me and am always very truly and affectionately yours A. Lister’ sent off this letter 4 pp. of ½ sheet and 1p. and ends of envelope to ‘the Honourable Lady Stuart, Whitehall’ undercover to ‘the Earl of Ripon, Carlton terrace, London’ and at the same time (6 ½ by Sam Booth as usual) my letter 3pp. to ‘Mrs. Lawton, Lawton hall, Lawton Cheshire’ the 1st 1/2p. written and dated Thursday and the rest 3pp. dated Friday – should have sent it on Friday but for A-‘s disapproval of the style of it it seemed as if I cared too much however she copied it for me tonight and let it go – mentioned to M- our return ‘between 10 and 11 on Tuesday night – your letter of the 10th August (from York) lay midway a very large parcel of other letters waiting my return – I opened your pages with more pleasure than I closed them – man does not live by bread alone, nor friendship upon scribbling – I wrote to you from Lyons about a month ago, and conclude you have received this letter which being longish and descriptive of all we had been about, has, I hope, spared me the pain of attempting......... (Friday 30 November) to make any objections against your mode of reasoning and influence – If I suffered myself to dwell much upon your letter, it would give me more pain than you could possibly intend – I would gladly forget that you have written it – for it is mortifying to think that the sayings of those whose sayings you do not always value, should have had such weight – with you in this especial case – at all rates, I think of you, and Isabella, too, on returning thro’ Paris – I thought, as I told you in May, that you had written to me so sparingly before my leaving home, that I chose a book-knife to remind you of me when reading, and a pen to be ready for writing when you felt inclined – I will send you this little cadeau when I know where you are to be found – you may be at Harrogate – you may be I know not where – had you directed your letter to the care of Messrs. Hammersley, it would have been forwarded – you have known this Mary, for the last dozen years – But tell me whether you received my letter from Lyons’ – merely a few lines more – sorry for Isabellas’ accident – glad Mrs. Belcombe was so well – sorry for M-‘s sprained wrist....... ‘Adney sends her love – not much has been done during our absence that if you come soon, you will be little better off than before – but you will find no fault with your welcome – affectionately yours AL-‘ had been off to Lightcliffe church this afternoon (in the carriage with A-) about 1 ½ - A- 40 minutes in the school, and I waited in her room upstairs – Mr. Wilkinson’s curate did all the duty – a little fat black-haired man – preached (good sermon) 24 minutes from Acts ix. part of v. 11 – ‘Behold he prayeth’ – called and sat 20 minutes at Cliff hill – Mrs. AW. feeble as to voice and limb but newsy and well for aet. 85 according to her own account to Mrs. Ann Lee – home at 5 – I had written 4 pages of ½ sheet to Lady S- before going to church and now wrote the 1 p. and ends of envelope of my letter – (vide last p.) – dinner at 6 ½ - coffee bad ever since our return – too bad to drink last night – had been in the house (roasted) ever since before our leaving home – sat A- writing and I reading the newspaper till 10 – then went into the kitchen full of smoke, and pother about the fire being made up in spite of all I had said about it – made it be raked out – got up a bottle of orange wine which A- enjoyed – stood talking – then looking at the servants hall grate and stood talking there (an hour till 12) – then stood talking in A-‘s room till 12 40 at which hour F47 ½° - and very rainy night – soft damp partly small rainy day – Letter this evening from Messrs. Hammersley London enclosing the receipt for divided on the £400 invested in the 3 percents in my name in trust for the infant son of Mr. Graham – Oddy told A- this evening that ‘Miss Marian’ had been at Northgate hotel in the summer bringing with her Miss Inman – her feelings so strong on going to Northgate could not bear to come here – but her maid Jane came – yet O- seemed to think Marian would have come here had she had an invitation – A- set O- right on this point without however saying much