#and queen of peace playing on repeat in my head

[alkibiadessuperfan]

y‘all, this christmas is literally just me trying to act friendly despite having anger issues towards my entire family

[avtrbee]

in the beginning (part 2)

✢summary: in a final attempt to salvage the rift between your families, you suggest a marriage pact between you and and alicent’s second son (part 2 of in the beginning)

✢pairing: aemond targaryen/reader, 3.7k words

✢warnings: typical targaryen incest, possessive aemond, i think i write aemond in a darker way than what tumblr sees him as, add more lmao

✢a/n: hello everyone! i'm glad by the attention in the beginning got :)) thank you so much for your comments and notes and please do not hesitate to tell me how you feel about my work! your responses motivate me so much, thank you once again <33 there is no taglist for this fic, unfortunately. + gif isnt mine!

The next few days were a blur. True to your mother’s words, your trip back to Dragonstone had been postponed, though you were fairly sure you were to stay in Kings Landing indefinitely as Aemond’s wife. Once the news of your engagement has reached the ears of the realm, you have been subjected to endless congratulations from lords and ladies and their best wishes. Your brothers, on the other hand…well, you didn’t stick around for that.

“You can’t evade them forever, sweet girl,” your mother tells you. She has little Aegon beside her who runs towards you as soon as he spots you.

“Do they hate me?” You ask quietly. You sit on a bench outside of a balcony, wringing your hands. You despise the way you sounded so timid- so weak. At least Aegon is content and happy playing with your skirts, oblivious to any conflict within the family.

You hear Rhaenyra’s steps as she walks to you with a hand on her belly. “Hate you?” She repeats with a small laugh. “You have held Jace’s heart since the day he held you. Luke looks up to you more than anyone.” Her slender finger raises your head by lifting your chin and stare you down with her gaze. “You cannot avoid your brothers forever.”

You weren’t avoiding them…you just preferred to delay their inevitable reactions. Unfortunately, your mother was right. It was Jace who finally cornered you in the gardens, waiting for Aemond to finish his morning sparring. 

“I’ve missed you.” Jace’s words cut through the tension first. Guilt floods your mind. Out of all your brothers, Jace was the one closest to you. You remember Laenor complaining as he was tasked to chase two toddlers around the keep, with one going the opposite way of the other. 

“It’s only been a fortnight, Jace. I’ve…I’ve been busy with the preparations,” you lie and Jace looks at you with a knowing glare. You avoid his gaze instantly. “Where is Luke? He normally shadows you like a lost pup.”

Jace shrugs. “I’m sorry that it had come to this,” he whispers, walking towards you. A closer look on your brother tells you that he had run away from sword training early as there was a thin layer of sweat that covers him. “I shouldn’t have let him get under my skin during the dinner, I should’t have-”

“I know,” you reply softly. Jace takes a seat beside you and you lean on him instantly. Jace had been your first knight, your first protector out of anyone. “I shouldn't have hit Aegon, too.”

“I don’t like it,” Jace announces and it does not surprise you. Bad blood between the Princess and the Queen’s children are well known.  “I don’t want you to marry him.”

“I don’t like it either,” you admit. Not yet, your mind whispers.  “Brother-“

“You asked for this, did you not?” Jace asks, looking at you. “Mother told us- Daemon too. You asked for this marriage. He did too, back in the day.”

You twist your head to look up at your brother. You have not heard this before. “What do you mean?”

You feel Jace’s shoulders shake as he laughs. “This is not the first time mother had tried to broker peace with the Queen. I was to marry Helaena and you to Aegon,” your brother tells you and you nod. You had known about the failed efforts and the betrothals that she had offered. “Aegon had boasted your betrothal to Aemond that day and I had never seen him so angry-” Jace laughs heartily. “-Aemond was still a little thing back then, and half as talented with a sword but he still challenged Aegon to a duel.”

“For my hand?” You ask amused and Jace nods in reply. “He liked me that much?”

“And now he will have you.” Jace finishes, “all because you have begged mother for it.”

His stare bores down on you and you feel a sudden rush of anger surge in you.You lift your head out of Jace’s shoulder and stand. “You should be on your knees, thanking me,” you seethe. You briefly wonder if you resemble your mother the most angry. “I am cleaning up the messes you have made.”

“I am only scared for you, mandia,” Jace confesses, taking your hand in his. His tone quells most of your anger, and makes you feel as if nine again with Jace gently scolding you for a broken vase. “We were only children, after all.”

“He was also a child,” you frown. 

“Do not act like you were not complicit in teasing him,” Jace warns, “He does not carry bad blood towards you because of some childhood infatuation.”

“I did not tease him by flaunting a pig to be his dragon!” You reason. You were once a child, eager to accept any sort of attention from your brothers and uncles and wary of any action that would lose their favor. You were torn once you were old enough to realize that they had chosen Aemond to be their victim when he had always paid such gentle care for you. 

You regret it now, turning a blind eye to Aemond when he was clearly suffering, and guilt bubbles in your chest when you remember Aemond welcoming you into his chambers to play despite looking the other way when he was pushed and thrown to the ground.

You recall his glum mood when you entered his chambers in the afternoon holding two wooden dragons on each hand. 

From his seat, Aemond shyly peaked at your approaching figure. You could not have hid the gasp that escaped your mouth when you saw his face. Aemond’s right eye was beaten and swollen blue while his other side had streaks of blood running down his cheeks from his forehead. 

“Aemond!” You rush to him, dropping the wooden dragons on the floor. 

In a panic, you reached for a nearby rag on his dresser and began your attempt to wipe the blood off of his face. At your touch, Aemond flinches before you realize you have had to be gentle in treating his face. Gentle like he was to you.

“What happened?” You asked, dabbing on the already dried blood that ran across his cheeks. You moved away to dip the cloth in a glass of water in hopes to wipe the blood off his face.

“I was fighting,” Aemond answers, leaning in as you came back with a damp rag. 

“Fighting who?” You try your best to be even more gentle once you got the the wound on his forehead.

“Aegon.” He turns his head to look at you when he answers. “I challenged him to a duel to protect someone.”

Your face morphs into shock. “Aegon?” You demand. “He is twice your size! They must be pretty important for them to make you fight Aegon.”

Aemond does not offer you a reply, but you do not mind. His silence means the less his head will move and thus, the more you could clean his face. 

“You must see a maester,” you say in defeat. You had gotten a closer look at his now cleaned wound, and though it would not need stitches, it needs a special salve that Maester Mellos keeps in his rooms. 

“Aemond?” You call for his attention when you realize he was not listening. Instead, his gaze is focused on the door of his chambers. You follow his sight and realize he was staring on the floor where you had dropped your wooden dragons.

“Do you think I’d ever get a dragon?” He asks.

You were careful enough to hide your pitying stare when he looked at you. You had found that Aemond loathes pity, especially when talking about dragons. You had tried to express your sorrow for him once, but he only responded in anger. “Maegor didn’t have a dragon until he was twenty-and-six,” you offer instead. “He got Balerion after it.”

“I don’t want to be like Maegor the Cruel!” Aemond protested, his eyes misting up in tears. “Aegon tells tales of dragonriding, it’s all he talks about. It’s freeing, he says, and everyone looks like ants when you look below. I’d never get to experience it. Even Helaena has a dragon.”

You gasp audibly, as an idea pops in your head. You grasp his hand, tugging him out of the room. “We can ride Vermithor!” You tell him. “He was King Jaehaerys’ dragon, the biggest after Vhagar so he can definitely saddle two. Maybe even more!”

Aemond snatches his hands back. “I don’t want to ride Vermithor! He’s yours! He’s not my dragon.” Aemond’s face looks at you contorts in betrayal and hurt. 

You realize he thinks you’re mocking him. “No, no-” you reach out to grasp his hands again in a desperate attempt to satiate his temper. “I- I only meant you can ride with me! So you could feel what it’s like! Besides…” you trail off, uncertain. 

Aemond looks at you curiously and squeezes your hand. You relent immediately. “Would you like to know a secret?” Aemond nods and you pull him closer. “Mother says I’m not to marry Aegon anymore,” you whisper, darting your eyes around the hallway for anyone who might listen. “She says the King and your lady mother had chosen to betrothe him to Helaena instead.”

You look around the hallway again, missing Aemond’s small smile that he could not resist even with a split lip. “Maybe…” you continue. “Maybe she’ll tell the queen to betroth me to you next, that way you don’t need your own dragon because husband and wives share things. All that is his is hers, and hers his.”

“Truly?” Aemond asks.

You nod. “Vermithor can be ours,” you insist. “Whenever you want a ride, you can always find me and we’ll ride together, then you won’t need your own dragon anymore." You tug his hand down the hall with full intentions of running to the Dragon Pit. This time, Aemond did not resist. “Let’s ride our dragon.”

Aemond had screamed so loud as he rode Vermithor behind you, as the dragon flew as soon as he sat down on the saddle. His hands squeezed your waist tighter as he shouted louder while you held on to the reins tightly. 

Eventually Vermithor’s ascent comes to a stop, developing into a smooth sail along the clouds. “Open your eyes, Aemond!” You command.

“How did you know I was closing them?” Aemond quips, hugging your waist tighter despite the easier flight. You had no doubt in your mind that his eyes remained squeezed shut.

“Open them!” 

For a minute, Aemond is silent. You had half a thought to threaten him to his fall if continues to close his eyes, but before you could word out your threat he whispered softly, “Beautiful.”

Then you imagine he took in the sight of Kings Landing and Blackwater Bay on top of the clouds, admiring the tall structure of the Red Keep and millions of houses surrounding it. From here, he could catch the view of the Kingswood as it peeks at the horizon. 

You couldn't agree more. “Indeed.”

He was looking at you.

The rare sight of your mother, Queen Alicent and King Viserys together greets you as you land. Alicent runs to Aemond as soon as Vermithor is escorted back into the pit, and kneels in worry as she hugs her son. 

“I thought-” Alicent mutters, smoothing Aemond’s hair over and over. “I had thought the worst.”

“Don’t worry, mother.” Aemond says, with the widest smile on his face. “I rode a dragon!”

Your mother was the sole opposite of Alicent for she did not reek of worry, she radiated in anger. Nevertheless, she rushes to you. “What were you thinking?” Rhaenyra demands. She tugs your ear. “If Aemond had fell-”

“But he didn’t, sweet girl,” you felt the firm hand of your grandfather. Viserys looks down at you with a proud smile.

Behind you, your mother rolls her eyes. “Father, don’t save the damn girl. She’s spoiled enough as it is.”

“Ah, it’s her grandmother’s spirit, I tell you.” Viserys replies, his eyes twinkling at you in pride. 

“Lady Alyssa?” You ask, already familiar with your grandfather’s tendency to compare you to his mother. “You and Uncle Daemon’s mother?”

“Yes, brave girl.” Viserys agrees with a nostalgic smile. “Have I ever told you my first ride on a dragon? I was no smaller than a babe when my mother, the Lady Alyssa…”

“If there is any penance we could do, sister, we would do it.” Jace’s voice tugs you out of your memory. 

“I am the penance, Jace.” You say, frustrated. “I am the punishment. Our marriage will close the rift that we have opened.” It is not fair- none of it is. You try not to dwell on your situation too much lest you’d be tempted to thrash and throw an unladylike tantrum. If only you, Jace, and Luke were kinder to Aemond, if only Aemond didn’t lose his eye, if only your lady mother and lord father had other children-

“Have you seen his left eye, sister?” asked Jace. His tone is unrelenting and stubborn, too hurt from the reminder that a marriage needed to be born over childhood games. “I hear he has a sapphire in place of it. Some say he exchanges the gem to each day.”

“Jace, please,” You plead quietly, mindful that even in private gardens Kings Landing has ears. You cannot let them see anymore cracks of your house. “I am not asking you to be friendly, I’m only asking for civility for my sake, if not, for the realm.”

Jace holds your stare almost challengingly, before a voice rings out from the other edge of the garden. 

“Betrothed,” greeted Aemond. 

Your head whips to the direction of his voice.  He stalks over the two of you like a tiger, each step a calculated move of restraint. He has grown so much now that Aegon could steal no victories in challenged duels, and you were sure he would fare well against Jacerys despite being a few years younger. 

Aemond’s eye glinted in the sunlight as you see it roam your figure before slowly looking at Jace beside you. “Brother,” Aemond greets maliciously with a smirk upon his lips. 

Jace gives a tight lipped smile that almost looks painful. He regards Aemond with a curt nod. “Not yet.”

Your head turns back to face your brother with a glare and he meets your gaze in equal rebellion. You echo your previous plea to him in your head desperately as if he could hear your thoughts. Before long, Jacerys relents and breathes out a sigh. 

He extends an arm to your head, bringing your forehead close and presses a soft kiss on your temple. 

“I was just leaving, brother,” Jacerys says as he steps away from you. It was not the best response he could have given, but you did ask for civility and not sudden camaraderie. You give him a grateful smile as he turns and walks away.

“Hmm,” was all Aemond had to say as he saw the silent batte between the two eldest children of his sister. Wordlessly, he offered you his arm which you graciously accepted and he led you to the opposite side of Jacerys’ path, walking you deeper in the gardens of the Red Keep.

For the past two weeks, it had become a habit for you to wait for Aemond to finish his morning lessons with Ser Criston Cole and you would roam the Red Keep’s halls with your arms in his. Sometimes he surprises you with courting gifts. Once, he had given you a necklace embedded with huge sapphire stones and little rubies surrounding it.

“For your Velaryon and Targaryen blood,” Aemond explained, as you turned and raised your hair. His fingers were gentle as he hung the necklace around your neck.

“Why bother with these courting gifts?” You asked. “I am to marry you anyway.”

“A reminder to the others,” he simply replies.

You try your best not to snort. You had almost smirked in amusement once Aemond had presented you with the necklace. You pretended not to notice that the shades of the sapphires were far deeper than the color of your father’s house, but instead perfectly matches the shade of his left eye. You would not be surprised if the sapphires were cut from the same stone to what was in his face. 

Despite your initial reaction to the betrothal, you had found yourself charmed at the gesture- not that you would openly admit it. 

“Jacerys is fond of you,” Aemond says after a few moments. He had said nothing as you strolled through the gardens until now. “He is incredibly protective.”

You resist the urge to roll your eyes at Aemond’s hypocrisy, with the weight of your sapphire necklace sitting heavily on your neck a screaming reminder to anyone that you were spoken for. “He is my brother,” you reply instead, clutching Aemond’s arm. “My first knight before any of the others.”

Aemond gave another hmm, offering no reply until minutes later when he asked- “Does he fuck you?”

You halt immediately, eyes widening at the accusation. You blink at Aemond once trying to understand if you had heard him wrong. Aemond’s gaze looked at you expectantly. 

“What.” It came more of a statement than a question. 

“Does he fuck you?” Aemond calmly repeats, tugging your arm to continue your walk. If you weren’t too bewildered, you would have noticed the slight tremble in his hand.

“He’s my brother!” You protest, disgusted. Your face contorts in what you would imagine your expression would be if you had bitten into a lemon. 

Beside you Aemond scoffs. “As if that has ever stopped our family before.”

You tilt your head in consideration. Well- he’s not wrong. “He doesn’t. He wouldn’t dare,” you answer. “He is a gentleman to a fault. The only women he can talk to freely are me and our mother.”

Aemond’s eyes squint in thought. “Has he ever bedded a woman?”

“Why are we discussing Jacerys’…bedroom activities?” You snap. You do not want that image in your head, especially since his rooms in Dragonstone are directly beside yours. “Please remind me.”

Before you knew it, you had arrived at the courtyard where Aemond had been before he came to you at the gardens. Aemond slows down to a stop. 

“Tell me, my lady,” Aemond whispers as his nose trails your jaw. He has caged you in his presence behind a pillar in the courtyard. “Have you ever touched a man?”

You hitch a breath as you feel his hand clump your dress’s fabric, slowly pinching it up, up, up. You feel the summer breeze on your now exposed leg. Your eyes frantically roam the courtyard, wary of any person that was unfortunate enough to pass by, all the while Aemond’s face remains close to you.

You can feel every breath he takes and he lets out as he leans further in you like Aemond was taking a good sniff. 

“It’s alright,” he coos, his free arm patting your hair. “I admit I have lain with a woman before.” Your eyes snap to look at him, almost insulted. How dare he tell you this like you aren't his betrothed? You get the sudden urge to rip the necklace off you and throw them on the ground only to see his expression.

But it seems like your anger fuels him more.  “Aegon dragged me to a brothel,” Aemond explains, trying to placate you. “If I had known you were to be my wife I’d turn any woman away. So- tell me, my lady, have you?”

Aemond looks at you with a smiling look but you are still wary. 

“I have,” you admit quietly and Aemond’s face drops. 

“With who?” He shakes as he asks you this, his fist shaking as he holds your dress.

You see the Targaryen madness poets speak about your family in his violet eye that glints of violence no matter what you will say. The madness had killed the builders of the Red Keep, 

“A stableboy. In Dragonstone.” Your voice is a whisper as your own eyes look up to him nervously.

“A stableboy?” Aemond repeats, his eye glinting once more before your hand clamps on his wrist in a panic. Aemond’s hand has suddenly wrapped around your throat, squeezing threateningly. There was no dangerous pressure- not yet- but his hands shake like he wants to snap your head off. 

“Aemond-” you try to plead but he is far gone. 

“You sullied yourself for me,” he whispers incredulously, “for a stableboy?” 

“You have fucked a whore,” you seethe as you feel his hands tighten. 

Immediately, his hand is gone from your neck. His palm cups the back of your head and pushes it to his chest where he lays his chin on it. “It’s alright,” he whispers, all traces of malice gone from his voice. You feel the vibrations of his voice on your head. “With a mother with three bastards and a brother with hundreds more, we didn’t know any better did we?”

You try to rip yourself off him, insulted at his remark at your mother but his hand remains firmly behind your head. Aemond cages you with his palm and his leathers. 

“Shhh,” he whispers. You feel his fingers leave your dress as his palm makes contact with your thigh. You feel your eyes flutter as his hand roams your leg, his fingers gently caressing up, up, up-

“My prince, my princess.”

The way Aemond turned around to face the approaching servant was comically elegant, if his hand were’t so near your cunt just moments before. You try to calm your heart that was beating so loud that you were certain the servant would have heard it.

“There are dressmakers ready for you in your chambers.” To your dismay, the servant’s gaze turned worrisome at the sight of you. “My princess, are- are you alright? Shall I fetch the maester? You’re face is burning.”

“Oh,” You chuckle awkwardly, a hand coming up to your face. “I didn’t realize-”

“The princess is cold. No need for any maesters,” Aemond answers swiftly, before turning to you. “Come, my lady,” he coos mockingly with the devilish smile like he could hear the rapid beat of your heart. “The dressmakers are waiting.”

Absolute cunt.

[mysticheathenn]

Where Does Your Life Require Focus?

Hi, Hexlings!

This pick-a-card reading is all about where in your life you need to put more focus on This could be school, work, friendship, family, etc.

This is a general reading, remember to take what resonates and leave what does not. This reading does not supplement your need to seek professional help. Tarot should be used as entertainment and not a sure answer to your problems but as a guide, a sense of hope, and amusement.

Take your time when choosing your pile. Ask yourself the question and choose the picture that you can’t stop looking at. Listen to your intuition.

Pile l:

Tarot: 5 of Cups (reversed), Queen of Cups (reversed), The Wheel (reversed), 7 of Swords, Page of Pentacles, Queen of Swords (reversed). Clarigyer for 5 of Cups (reversed): 10 of Wands & King of Wands

"Every time I leave something keeps pullin' me back, me back. Telling me I need you in my life." - Chingy. This feels like a toxic love connection pile l that either you are currently in or you recently left. This may be with someone you have an on-and-off relationship with or this could be a repeating cycle of constantly meeting the same type of people to date with the ending always ending the same way. Either way with all of your Queen cards in reverse....I need you to stand up. The part of your life that requires your main attention right now is standing up for yourself and seeing your worth. Stop letting people play in your face, love bomb you, and make you feel less than the royal person you are. I feel a lot of you have been putting in most of the work in this relationship and you're tired of falling for the sweet nothings that they whisper in your ears to get you to calm down when you express how tired you are of their shit. Smooth Operator by Sade played in my head. You're tired of the sneakiness, the lies, the love bombs, and the gaslighting for a few of you, you're just tired of the same old story but something in you can't seem to let go because you don't value yourself let alone your time. You always don't feel as if you can do better than what you are or have been currently dealing with (this message is only for a few of you.) Just like Smokey the Bear's slogan says "Remember only you can put out wildfires." Well your slogan for this reading is "Remember only you can stop these cycles" and it starts with loving yourself, standing on business, and not going back to the people who keep hurting you all because you are afraid of being alone, the dick/pussy bomb/, or lack of belief in who you are to catch someone better.

Extra Messages: Oracle: You deserve love. Remember always that you deserve a love where you feel at peace, happy, and fulfilled. A love where you can relax your fight or flight system.

Pile ll:

Tarot: 8 of Swords, The Fool (Both Upright), The Moon,,, 7 of Cups, The Lovers, The Hierophant (All Reversed).

You deserve to follow your heart and passion pile ll. You are the only one holding yourself hostage to the things you want in your life. I believe most of you have been receiving signs and synchronicities to take the leap in the direction that has been calling you for sometime but for some strange reason you are hesitant to jump. It's as if you are stuck in the mindset that what you are currently doing is something you have to keep doing and you keep feeding yourself lies, fears, doubts, and imposter syndromes to keep yourself stuck in one place when you are meant to answer the call. Whatever that call is for you, this could be work, moving to a new city, state, or country, applying for something like a loan, or starting a new business..etc whatever it is, it is time. I'm getting the image of Lion King when the monkey goes to Mufasa and tells him it is time and he holds up Simba for all to see on Pride Rock. It is time for you to show the world your gifts, talent, your presence. Whatever this is your guides want you to have faith and step out not fearing that bad things will happen. I'm getting the question "What would you do if you weren't afraid?" Whatever is the first thing that comes to mind is that thing you are meant to do. Stop limiting your options to what is in front of you. The world is your oyster and you are meant to experience life through the eyes of fulfillment and abundance.

Extra Messages: Oracle: Prosperity, Clarity, Protection, and Compassion You are protected to take the leap in what you want to do with your life. Trust spirit that they won't let you fall and have compassion and faith in yourself that you will succeed.

Pile lll:

Tarot: The Hanged Man, 6 of Pentacles, Strength, 7 of Wands, Page of Wands (reversed), 6 of Swords (reversed), Queen of Wands (reversed)

Some of you may have been drawn to Pile ll. Pile ll was all about following the call of their heart and soul. You pile, pile lll is all about persisting and not giving up on the call. 6 of Pentacles is all about victory some of you are letting your doubts seep into your mind causing you to spiral out of control a bit because while you know things will happen you aren't seeing any proof or movement in your life or plans so it's causing you to even doubt your creativity, gifts, talents, and even yourself a bit. Stay strong and hang in there. Right now you are just in the limbo of your desires but they're on the way, just have faith. Cancel the noise that keeps trying to pull you under. Ignore those who keep questioning your every move because they secretly want you to fail and you are not going to let them because you are strong. The hard part was starting what you have done, now hang in there and keep going down this road. There are no rainbows without a little rain and stormy weather. You've got this boo. Don't walk away from what you are currently doing everything will pay off. In the meantime do some affirmations, work on other projects to help keep your mind busy, hang out with friends, and plan for this victory to happen because it's coming you just need to have patience, keep the faith, and don't give up.

Extra Messages: Oracle Messages: None. Just keep the faith, persist, tell people who keep questioning what you are doing to mind their business, and be happy for yourself and bring more happiness to your life.

Pile lV:

Tarot: 7 of Cups, Ace of Pentacles, 3 of Cups, 9 of Wands, 2 of Pentacles, 6 of Swords (reversed)

This pile has two messages but the main message is there are quite a few of you who are daydreaming a lot about financial abundance, celebrating wins, new friendships, etc but you aren't willing to put in the work to achieve these things because you either have been hurt in the past and not wanting to deal with people or it's easier t daydream than to actually go after what you are wanting. Then there are the select few of you who need to balance your work life. You are all work and no play and you are facing burnout. For some of you, your burnout is causing you to rethink everything that you want and have done so far in your life when in reality you just need a break. Go to the spa if you can afford it, or do a DIY spa treatment at home where you run yourself a bath, buy chocolate-covered strawberries, or watch your favorite shows, and maybe even take yourself out on the town. Either way, you need to show yourself some grace and slow down. You will get to the financial abundance and celebration in due time but you won't be able to enjoy it as much because you are constantly wearing yourself down. Nothing bad will happen if you decide to take a day off. Now for those who ar daydreaming about success without doing anything, you may just like pile ll, be called to view pile l. Pile l is all about answering the call of their heart but you...I don't feel you have anything specific per se you want to go after that will bring you financial abundance. All you know is you want it and you're not acting on coming up with ways of trying to achieve it because you believe it's hard. You're belief system and lack of direction are holding you back pile lV for those who resonate with daydreaming.

Extra Messages: Oracle Messages: None The world will not explode if you decide to take a day off. Don't run yourself into the ground. For others, find your passion, try something for fun and see where it leads, or even try the thing you have had on your mind for some time and see where it leads. Roald Dahl — 'You'll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that.'

Thank you for liking and reblogging my readings. I always appreciate you guys on here and on Patreon.

Stay safe and be blessed

[artsyanapink]

GANONDORF X ZONAI READER ❤️

WOAH! I'm done with this one now. A big smutty fanfiction. Again, Ganon is evil, bad, a villain etc. so buckle up people.

This is a Rauru and Sonia daughter reader. I imagined the oc I drew but there are no descriptions beside long hair one time toward the end so you can put yourself, whatever simp you are. 😊

Minors do not interact please.

Warnings: spoilers if you haven't watched the tears memories in the game, size difference, monster fucking (He is basically one when he transforms), chocking, pain, death (not the reader), little mentions of blood, manhandling, dubious consent, non-con, gloom pleasure (not telling what I mean)

Words: 3755

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

The breeze was gentle outside as you sat in the garden with your father and mother, King Rauru and Queen Sonia. Two guards were standing straight, eyes looking cautiously the outskirts for any menace despite peace reigning for as long as you could remember. There were the zonai soldiers your parents built as well. You didn't think anything would happen. There was an accident two weeks ago but you hope nothing similar would ensue.

"I'm happy to hear you are getting better with your power." Your mother expressed her joy gently. "It takes me back to when I was your age. It was a surprise."

"Three people with a tear of time. Now that is interesting." Your father scratched his chin in deep thought. You perked up at this statement. He was talking about Zelda.

"I'll have to find her after tea. I wonder what she wanted to talk about with me."

Sonia put a hand on his. "Don't fret over this, dear." She grabbed her cup, sipping silently. The curved of her lips was not invisible to you and your father. "Just enjoy the present for now, you need it before they come for the matters we talked about."

"Who?" You looked at them curiously. You had no clue. "Don't we already have treaties between the people of the regions?"

"Not all, Y/N." That was enough to understand your father's words. He seemed uncertain as well, so why doing this?

"But—" Your eyes gazed at your still full cup of tea. It was a bad approach in your opinion. "Did you asked them?" He shook his head, making your brows furrowed even more.

"He responded to our demands and I accepted. I'll see to it for an agreement this evening."

"I don't think this is a good idea, father." Your voice was but a murmur. "Didn't they send mordugas two weeks ago to attack? If we hadn't being there—" You stopped yourself from finishing your sentence, closing your eyes a moment. The thought of death scared you and there is a high chance that it would've been a sucess for the Gerudos.

"You are thinking too much my dear." Your mother spoke sweetly with tender eyes. "Why don't we take one step at a time? Let enjoy this morning together for now."

"Sonia's right." Your father continued. "We are well protected and if something doesn't feel right, we'll make more preparations, alright Y/N?"

You nodded weakly. Your troat was dry and no tea could quench your thirst.

°•°•°•°

You now sat in the throne room, next to your mother. Your father was in the center and Zelda next to him on his right, standing. Since the moment the Gerudos arrived, you couldn't bring yourself to look at him. This man was a dark mystery but he was making you uncomfortable. Like a prey despite your mother's power coursing through your veins. You were still thinking your father was playing with fire.

"On behalf of the gerudo, for taking so long to accept your repeated invitations, it is our desire to be accepted into the protective embrace of your kingdom. To serve it faithfully." He kneel after the women who accompagnied him, one hand resting on his knee.

"A welcome appeal, Ganondorf. I will accept your vow of featly to the kingdom of Hyrule."

Your eyes widened toward your parent. Was he serious? "Father—" You whispered, bewildered but he exchanged a look that was enough to silence you and sat farter in your throne with a still rigid back.

"I understand that a single male is born to the Gerudo every one hundred years. Receiving such an appeal from you, a hero to his people and a king by birth," Rauru closed his eyes with a faint smile. "Well, it is truly reassuring."

"It is my honour." Ganondorf spoke slowly. With his head hidden in the darkness, you couldn't see his expression. "When your Zonai ancestors first descended upon these lands long, long ago, they must have seemed to be gods. And now you rule as king and have taken a Hyrulean woman as you wife." Your father sound cautious at Ganondorf words, frowning. "As well as birth a daughter of both race." Your eyes met his amber, almost red ones, petrified under the gaze while a phantom grin dressed his lips. You felt a gentle hand touched yours and looked to your mother. Her eyes were forward but the warm of her touch put your mind at ease a little. "Your Majesty has certainly risen above your admirable lineage. Most impressive."

"It is unfortunate that the noble Zonai no longer grace this world with their presence." The sunset passed through the windows of the castle and the light colored the Gerudo in flaming red. You supressed a gasp at the view as his gaze turned a sharp moment to you before turning to the king. "All except you and your sister, that is."

Rauru joins turned paler as he grasped the cold arms of his seat. He had a calm exterior nonetheless. "Even if something were to happen to me, both my kingdom and the peace it brings will endure for generations to come." An ominous silence followed before your father voice was heard again. "Your actions today are appreciated, Ganondorf. I look forward to your futur endeavors. You may leave."

"You Majesty." The man bowed before getting up in one swift motion, taking his sword with him. You saw the eyes of the devil one last time then he was gone, Gerudo women following behind him.

You heartbeat was fast against your chest as your eyes were fixed on the double doors at the end of the room. You didn't hear what Zelda had said, losing yourself in your own mind for a minute. Your father's words were short. "I am well aware of his evil nature. For that reason, and others, I want him close. It will be easier to keep an eye on him."

"I still think this is not a good decision, father." Rauru's eyes turned to you with slight surprise. "Something bad is going to happen. I sense it and it's unbearable." You clenched the tear that was neatly placed where your heart was. "I doubt Ganondorf is duped enough to stay tranquilly without attacking. He did it once, who said he won't do it a second time?"

Sonia, your mother, was stroking your back slowly, drawing circles to calm you while he got up and advanced toward you. "Y/N, I am touched you worry so much about us and the people here but this is nothing to worry about.  Everything will be alright." He smiled, almost hugging your form. You closed your eyes.

"If anything happens, we will be prepared." Your mother finished, looking at him, then at Zelda. You followed her gaze, watching the girl sending you her own uncertained smile.

°•°•°•°

A week went by and Zelda talked to you about her own concerns regarding the Gerudo king. His name was familiar to her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. You both agreed that something was wrong at least. It made you feel less paranoiac that you weren't thinking alone.

Outside of your worries, you practiced more of your power with your mother and were getting better at it. You were able to stop time on bigger objects and for a longer period of time. She was proud of you, and your father was as well. 

A month passed before Zelda had send you a letter to meet her one night with chances to talk deeper in the matters that you were both preoccupied with. When you reached the exterior halls however, that's when you felt that this meeting wasn't normal. She had being quiet for the whole walk, even with the both of you alone. You looked at the scenery from the ruins before you gazed behind your shoulder and turned to her. "We are alone now. What did you want to talk about with me, Zelda?" A distorted smile showed on her lips, taking you aback. "Zelda?"

"It's was so easy. You are such a naive girl." You were too much in shock to be embarrassed at her statement. Her head leaned on the side, almost too much to be comfortable. A sharp object slide from her hand suddenly and you exclaimed in fright when it flew toward you. What you discerned was a knife stopped milimeters from your face.

You hadn't use your power—

"Oh my, I am surprise to hear you say such a thing." Sonia appeared around the corner.

"Mother!"

Her eyes weren't cold but the warmth was gone, slowly advancing toward Zelda, not taking her gaze off the girl. "I was wondering if I was seeing two at the same time, being in one place and another far away in such a short moment is pretty strange, don't you think? You did play your game pretty well." Your mother's power was still on then grabbed the weapon and tossed it on the ground gracefully. "But if you're not her, that means you are a puppet of Ganondorf."

You watched with wide eyes, stunned. "A puppet?" Did that mean that the conversations you had weren't with her? Were any?

The body decomposed as the marionette laughed mischievously. Red and purple formed on it until there wasn't anyone there anymore but a weird sent in the air.

You watched wary for anything abnormal and when you saw nothing, you let your guard down. You sighed, turning around to Sonia, wide eyes at the person standing behind her. You hadn't time to call for her as your mother was stabbed in the back, gasping in pain and surprise. The killer snatched the tear on your parent's necklace and she crumbled to the floor, blood on her white dress. Tears welled up in the corner of your eyes.

"Mother!" You rushed to her, holding her body for dear life. "Please don't be dead. I'm begging you. Don't die, please!" Your powers weren't strong enough to turn back time and you hated yourself for it. But you despised even more the man in front of your kneeling form.

Grin wide, his chest vibrated as he roared maniacally. Ganondorf clutched the tear in a vice grip as it pulsed with power. "Finally it is mine." The tear materialized on his forehead with gold and the ground started shaking under your form. You held your mother tighter as dark mist surrounded the man, the scream of victory the only hint he was still there. You hid your view from it, your head in the crook of your parent's neck as you waited to wake up from this horrible nightmare. It wasn't real. It could've not been.

You were abruptly gripped by your dress, feet dangling off the stone ground, your hands instinctively reaching to get out of his hold.

"You can struggle all you want, princess." A dark voice grunted, sounding amused. "Nobody is here to save you now, not even your developing power of time."

Eyes wide, they were met with a changed man. His title of Demon King was fitting more now than ever with his monstrous appearance. His scleras became black, contrasting with the same eyes colour as before. The hair grew longer but the places where two horns had emerged. His robes were created of the same stuff that came out when he stole the tear, a similar substance that Zelda, whoever it was the real one or not, talked to you about from her own era.

He was demonic.

"Your foolish king took for granted the godlike power you had all in your hands, not using it to its full potential." His eyes slitted and your heartbeat quickened. While you felt overpowered by his stare alone, his grip on you was making things more difficult. You tried to kick him in vain, getting but a disorted chuckle in response. "Your mother is merely the first victim of his arrogance and she won't be the last, believe me."

The sounds of the doors resonated and tears cascaded down your cheeks at the new voice. "Y/N!" Your father was here and by the lighter sounds of feet, Zelda was as well. "Let her go, Ganondorf." He growled, barring his teeth in anger as his third eye opened.

"You tried to control me, Rauru." The changed Gerudo spat, but smirked nonetheless. He was in a better position than all of you. His grip was now on your throat, body turned toward them and they heard a gasp for air while you looked desperately at your father and friend. "You will die knowing that you fail!" He exclaimed darkly, then gazed at you struggling. "As for her, I have other plans in mind."

"You bastard!" You chocked without thinking, grasping for anything while extending your hand toward your parent. You were losing consciousness.

"What foul language for a Zonai princess." He grinned wickedly and looked to the king. "That will need punishment, don't you think, Rauru?"

Pain started to course through your body and you whimpered loudly, regretting your decision. It felt like it was burning, but weak now, it was easier to not do anything instead of fighting against the hold Ganondorf had on your neck.

Zelda was mouth opened. "I recognize it now, it's the gloom!"

Rauru looked horrified and helpless while the Gerudo was smug, an evil smirk reaching his ears. "What are you going to do now, king?" He emphasized on the last term. Darkness was creeping around your body until it reached your chest. It stopped growing but it was more painful than earlier.

"Please, stop! It hurts!" Your cries made your father's heart clenched, seeing you trashed around feebly. He should have listened to you. Maybe then you wouldn't be in the grasp of this awful individu. Maybe then, Sonia would've not died.

Ganondorf threw his newfound magic toward them with his free hand, Rauru immediately protecting himself, Zelda and your mother but you saw it wasn't enough. The shield was not stronger than the attack and dread filled your guts when you heard your friend teleported the three of them away, a guilty look in her eyes.

Your lips quivered, wanting to curl in a ball as the situation kicked in. You were alone now with this monster. The man huffed in annoyance, dropping you without a care, resulting in scratches on your hands and knees. You winced and choked on air, your respiration slowly going back to normal after the gloom disappeared. Watching him in a mix of fear and hatred, he send you a curled smirk in response. "This world as it is now is doomed and you will be the first to see it crumbled."

"You won't get away with this." You spat, tears slowly drying.

"Oh, but I will." Ganondorf seized your wrist, turning you around so you were back to his chest and Hyrule in your peripheral vision, a blood red moon high in the sky. Monsters of all size were attacking, destroying everything and killing everyone while people screams filled the air, making you cry again. You averted your eyes but he wasn't having it. He gripped your chin with his whole hand, his breath on your ear, making you watched. "I am the king now. After all these years of been belittled by your people, seen as nothing but lowly thieves—I am in control." 

You gritted your teeth. "You're just a monster."

His wicked laugh rang in your ears, making you shuddered with closed eyes while your ears and cheeks redened, feeling his face next to yours. "You're hurting me now, princess." He mocked, claws stroking your face with slow movements. They descended in the line of your breasts, then to your stomach, resting in the middle and you tried to trash away like you were just touched by fire. Fortunately the gloom was nowhere on your body but his hand had replaced the burning feeling. You looked at him in terror behind your shoulder when your body was bend on the rock debris. "Now, let's see how powerful this new body is."

"Ganondorf—" Your dress was pulled over your waist, dark clawed hands running over your bottom. "Stop this!" His grin only widened at your small voice.

"Pleading for mercy, princess?" He dryly humped against you, grunting like an animal as your cheeks flushed in embarrassement. His chest was touching you, chuckles making it vibrated against your back. "So pathetic. How I would enjoy this blast Rauru seeing your crumbled form because of me. I will savor breaking you until you are nothing but a slave." He groaned silently with half lidded glowing eyes, bit your ear and then pushed you farther down. Gloom invaded from the cracks of the ruins, flowing up your legs and arms until it stayed, clutching your members for restraining any movement. You whimpered against the substance. It was like stone was holding you captive now despite feeling liquid.

Ganondorf undress his robes, his length standing tall. "No, please—"

"Don't try to hide it for me, princess. Your body is responding very well to my power." He smacked one of your cheeks, the skin getting pink at the action and a pained moan leaving your lips. He stroke his member with slow motions before alligning himself to your entrance.

"Don't—Ganondorf. I'm begging you!" You felt helpless and vulnerable against his strong mass. He slid all the way in, creating another sound from you.

"Zonai are truly differents, but Zonai and Hylian?" Ganondorf straightened his back, looking down at your petite form with evil intent. You tried to push him out but it only brought pain. "I'm going to mold your body for me only. My own pet." The man cackled, sensing you clenched around him. You were suddenly feeling warmer as he continued to drilled down into your hole. "Would you like that? I do relished the idea of the Zonai princess reduced to be a lowly servant." The gloom dissipated from one leg as Ganondorf grabbed it, dangling from each rough thrusts he was inflicting. Your moans got louder, the urge to hide your eyes from him as the position was switched. That is, if it wasn't for the dark substance. Glowing ambers stared at your quivering form in amusement, watching your expression slowly turning lustful. "Finally." He pumped harder, your leg on his naked shoulder, gasping every now and then. Sensing struggle from your arms, the gloom disappeared from there as well. The man was slightly surprised when you put them behind him, or you tried, with how massive he was.

"Father—Help me." You cried for help, your brain still conscient as you hold the man. You felt disgusting for falling for such act from a monster such as Ganondorf. However, your body, although new to this, was accepting the pleasure with excitement. A tear fell down and he swipped it out before crashing his mouth on yours, canines grazing your lips and biting, drawing blood. Both hands were on each side of your head as the devil continued to fuck your entrance, juices flowing down the inside of your hips. His tongue entered after, devoring you until air became a need.

Ganondorf let go, gazing at your flushed and sweaty form. He turned your face to him. "Such a disgraceful expression you have on you, princess." He smiled evilly while leaving and entering swiftly until the Gerudo was all the way again. "Fits more a slut than royalty."

"Ngh—!"

"What do you say to your king, princess?"

You let out a whine, your head thrown back from the force. "N—No."

That wouldn't do. Ganondorf became rougher, a dark and serious expression on his face as he took your two legs to put on his shoulders and his own body mass crushing your smaller one. His shaft was pulsating inside and he groaned in his actions, loving how you clenched him like that so tightly. Gloom cascaded down your breast, applying a burning touch to your sensitive parts and the Gerudo smile returned at your voice. Your lips parted, tongue almost out while your whole body shook at each powerful trust.

"What a view" he gripped your troat again, lighter than earlier, and pressed you to the wall, face on the rock and his member pumping inside without mercy. He watched the sight of your buttcheeks rolling in pleasure, slapping them again. Your body moved like a doll, whinning at being stretched by his size while juice dressed his lenght. Ganondorf looked at it, chest rising in evil laughter. "Are you already at your limit, my dear?"

Your mouth let out silenced noises and he arched an eyebrow. "What was that?" He thrusted rougher all the way after been out. You spasmed. "Speak to your master." Ganondorf growled.

It was difficult to open your eyes while the power of his thrusts were inhuman. Your back arched uncomfortably, feeling close to his chest as your head now rest on his shoulder blade. The man huffed in annoyance, taking your waist instead as you continue to bounce on his shaft. "No matter. You are nothing now but a slave—my servant and you will bowed before me." A smug smirk dressed on his lips. "We are already close to that, aren't we, slut?"

"Ganondorf—Ngh—Yes!"

He had break you. Smiling triumphaly, the Gerudo ran a hand through your long hair, claws thugging in a vice grip. "Yes, let me hear you. Scream who you belong to!"

"I belong to you!" You moaned but he entered slower and harder into your entrance.

His breath tickled your ear while you stared lost at a red Hyrule. The man brought you closer to him in a standing position, his member going deeper. His free hand roamed your body hungrily, the other's fingers inside your mouth while the gloom was helping, pulsing on your chest and neck. Ganondorf grunted suddenly. "Now take it all."

You screamed when his essense flew inside, your stomach getting a little bigger at the amount. "So—much!" Your eyes rolled back before you fell limp. If it wasn't for him holding you, you would have met the ground. More gushed at your feet.

"What a waste." Ganondorf snarled at the liquid, fingers pressing at your entrance to block the rest. "But I use more than once what belongs to me. Say goodbye to your dear father, princess, because I am not done with you."

"Far from it actually." 

[itsgameofthronesimagines]

Could you write about Harwin strong being married to Rhaenyra's sister and they are in Drifmark and is their son who attacked Aemond to protect his little brother so when they are asking about what happens they stand up for him and at the end is the reader who stops Alicent from attacking her son?

(Gif not mine but oh, be still my beating heart)

Title: Strong Bonds

Fandom: House of the Dragon

Pairing: Harwin Strong x Female!Targaryen Reader

Word Count: 7,610

Warnings: Grief, incest, blood, violence, childbirth, etc.

A/N: FINALLY A HARWIN STRONG REQUEST! For context, Y/n will be a year younger than Rhaenyra, and speaking of which, Rhaenyra will still be married to Laenor and their sons are all legitimate with mixed skin, silver hair, and purple eyes.

(I do not consent to my works being reposted/copied)

"Are you sure it's safe for you to be traveling at this extent?"

Y/n peered up from absentmindedly playing with her sleeping son's dark hair, her own silver locks falling over her eyes as she does so. The carriage rocks as it slowly made its way down a dirt road outside, swaying the Targaryen princess and her family in a calming moment of their chaotic lives. The son whose head rested in her lap, Osmund, stirred when the carriage hit a bump in the road but otherwise kept on dreaming. Y/n returned to petting his hair to keep him that way.

Her husband, Harwin Strong, closely watches her from across the carriage, their youngest son, Baelor, also slept but preferred his father's strong arms over his mother's small lap. No one could blame the five-year-old child since Princess Y/n's lap had shrunk over the months due to her ever-growing stomach, now barely giving ten-year-old Osmund room to sleep in peace.

She raises a sharp eyebrow at her husband, "Would you rather have me fly Qyraxes to Driftmark?"

"Gods, woman, no of course not," Harwin shakes his head, but couldn't help the small grin he bore, "You act like I want to be a widower. What I meant to say was that we didn't have to leave if it would be safer for you."

"This is my cousin's funeral, my love," Y/n spoke sadly, staring out the window while thinking of Laena, "Everyone is going to be there and we, alongside the rest of my father's family, are expected to be there. Besides... I have not seen or heard from Rhaenyra since she left for Dragonstone. I need to see her again."

"Your sister could easily fly back to King's Landing to see you."

A scowl forms on the princess' beautiful face, "Not when there are leeches always lurking about in the Red Keep."

She doesn't speak plainly, but the message was clear. Y/n always prided herself in acting similar to her uncle, Daemon, over her father, Viserys. Much like Daemon, Y/n always saw Otto Hightower as a leech, sucking the blood from the King's back. His daughter is no different. Queen Alicent is a thorn in Y/n's side. Like repeating history, the two women exchange poisoned words with each other, much like how Otto and Daemon once did. It brought Y/n comfort to learn that Lord Otto was dismissed and sent back to Oldtown, with her good father, Lord Lyonel, taking his place as the new Hand of the King, but the Queen still remained. Y/n may not have been friends with Alicent like Rhaenyra once was, but their personalities clashed and therefore formed a rivalry that matched the feud between Alicent and Rhaenyra.

Alicent's most recent jab was one spoken under her breath, but for the entire Small Council to hear. She had made a comment that only true Targaryens have silver hair, and although she never spoke plainly, everyone knew she was singling out Y/n and Harwin's black-haired children. Lord Lyonel Strong looked appalled and disgusted in defense of his son, and Viserys wanted to come to his youngest daughter's defense, but Y/n had always been able to hold her own. Her sharp tongue shuts the accusation down quickly when she pointed out that Alicent's sons and daughter must not be true Targaryens then since they're half Hightower and were just lucky enough to bear silver hair.

Y/n didn't like King's Landing any more than Rhaenyra because of obvious reasons, but unlike Rhaenyra, the younger sister didn't really have a choice in leaving when both she and her husband were part of her father's court. As much as Y/n would love to raise her children alongside her sister in Dragonstone, Rhaenyra had been named the princess of said keep and therefore she had every right to live there. Y/n, being the younger daughter of Viserys and Aemma, had no such claim and unfortunately had no rights apart from those she earned when marrying her now husband.

Not to say she was complaining, however, since she loved Harwin with a burning passion and was happy to bear his sons and heirs of Harrenhal. Y/n had never been happier, and made peace with the fact that she would never have claims to anything like Rhaenyra did as long as she wasn't Viserys' heir. Y/n was content in just being a Targaryen princess, a dragon rider, a wife, and most proudly a mother. Nothing more.

Harwin relents after a fashion of heavy, grieving silence, adjusting his younger boy's head to rest more comfortably on his chest, "Did the maesters say you'll be safe to travel?"

"... No," she flashed a shy grin as if she had been caught stealing sweets, "But when has that ever stopped me?"

Harwin huffs out a small, exhausted laugh, a fond tone in his voice, "Have you noticed how much I've aged since I married the trickster that you are?"

"I've never tricked you into anything," Y/n tilts her head and smiles fondly back at him, "If anything, you're the one who's been tricking me. Only you could persuade me from causing a little chaos."

"Then I should have tried making my case back at King's Landing before we even packed for Driftmark."

"I'm pregnant, my love, not dying," Y/n decides to change the subject upon looking out the window and seeing Driftmark's rooftops in the distance, "I hope Daemon makes an appearance. He tends to act more of a stranger than usual when grieving."

~~~~~~~~~

Daemon is not there to greet his family when they arrive, but Rhaenyra is, along with her husband, Laenor, and their children, Jacaerys and Lucerys.

The royal family and their court all spill out of their line of carriages, King Viserys being the first to greet his oldest daughter with a hug and a kiss before greeting Laenor with his condolences. Alicent and her children dutifully say their grievances, but remain stiff during the whole exchange. Harwin emerges from his carriage, helping his sons out and then his heavily pregnant wife. Y/n's feet barely touched the ground before Rhaenyra embraced her.

"You look stunning," the older sister comments while holding Y/n's face in her hands, "Have the maesters determined the gender of the child?"

"They think it's a girl," Y/n beamed, glancing over at her husband, "And I think he is far more excited than I."

"Marvelous. You must tell me what names you have planned out over tea," Rhaenyra links her arm with Y/n as they began to walk.

"How is Joffrey?"

"Restless, I'm afraid. I left him at home with the wet nurse so that I may gain some sleep out of all of this. You know, if you're truly having a daughter, perhaps we might get to wed our children after all."

"Wouldn't that be lovely? We would get to spend our elder years together, watching our children and grandchildren rule all of the strong houses of the Seven Kingdoms. And let's not forget the dragons they would all ride."

The beautiful vision fades when the Lord and Lady of Driftmark finally come out to greet their guests. Rhaena and Baela are with them and are momentarily distracted from their grief in exchange for fawning over Y/n's rounded belly. Y/n gladly answered their questions if it meant they could briefly forget about their mother's passing. She also secretly enjoyed the girls' company, excited with the idea of possibly having her own girl soon. Jace and Luke trail behind them, but try to act as though they were not interested. Y/n included her nephews in the conversation, wanting them to bond with Laena's daughters. They were family after all, and family shouldn't feel like strangers to one another.

The funeral itself is brought down to the cliffsides where Laena's coffin is to be thrown into the sea. Vaemond Velaryon said a wonderful eulogy about his family's house and finally, the heavy coffin was thrown from the cliffs' edge, sinking to the very bottom of the deep. No one ever said a word until they walked back up to the keep in order to help themselves to wine and food. Plenty of people took this time to give their condolences to the family of the dead, and Corlys and Rhaenys bravely took in their guests despite mourning for the loss of their child. Laenor mysteriously vanishes, but no one says a word, not even when Corlys angrily sent Ser Qarl Correy to fetch him. Everyone was tight-lipped, the tension filling the air with the threat to break. Who were meant to be family members barely knew what to do with each other.

Speaking of, Y/n finally spotted Daemon lingering on the outskirts of the growing crowd and briefly left the children with Harwin and Rhaenyra so that she may give her condolences, "Uncle. My sincerest apologies for you and your daughters."

Daemon accepts the kiss on his cheek but keeps his hands folded in front of him, leaning against the stone balcony overlooking the sea. His eyes travel over his niece's face before traveling down to her swollen belly, smiling slightly as he spoke in Valyrian, "Not as sorry as I am for you to make such a harrowing journey in your predicament. My own wife was dying from childbirth before she took matters into her own hands. One could only wonder if the difficult labor was the consequence of our family traveling so often."

"You can't blame yourself for what's happened," Y/n rests a hand on her uncle's shoulder, reverting to her mother tongue, "Women die of childbirth every day, our mothers were no exception. Laena was strong and determined to die a dragonrider's death, which she succeeded."

Daemon briefly looks down and then looks off to the side. Y/n follows his gaze and spots her father across the yard, eyeing the two of them before turning away and speaking with Corlys Velaryon. Lyonel Strong is standing beside the King, with young Baelor weaving between his two grandfathers, unbothered. Y/n looks back at her uncle and whispers in his ear in the common tongue, "Speak with him. He misses you."

She pulls away and gives Daemon his space, carefully hobbling over to her usual social circles. Harwin has a chair waiting for her as their friends and family are gathered around it. Harwin holds Y/n's hand to steady her as she sits, gratefully taking a drink from a servant girl. Osmund approached his mother once she was settled and she immediately grabs his hand with an encouraging smile.

"Why don't you go and see to your cousins, hm?" Y/n gently squeezed her son's smaller hand, her thumb tracing shapes in his skin, "They've lost their mother. They could use a kind word."

Osmund looked as though he was ready to pout and whine until he glanced up at his father. One stern look from Harwin and the little lord sighs and nods obediently, leaning over and kissing his mother's cheek before walking away to find Rhaena and Baela.

Rhaenyra watches her nephew walk off, a cup of wine in her hands, "Is he ill-tempered?"

"Not usually. It's been a long journey to Driftmark and he was sad he couldn't fly here. It's also the first time he's ever experienced loss. I don't think he knows how to properly react yet," Y/n absently rubs her stomach, playfully smiling up at her husband, "He does get his might from his father though."

"As one could expect from the son of Ser Breakbones," Rhaenyra chimes in with amusement as she now watches her sister's movements, "So for names, have you decided on any?"

"A few," Harwin answered from his stance behind his wife's chair, "If the maesters were mistaken and it is a boy, we want to name him Viserys," Rhaenyra smiles as he continued, "If it's a girl... we're still deciding on just one."

"We've been going back and forth," Y/n sighs, exhausted by the memory alone, "Alysanne, Alyssa, Nymeria, Visenya and... and Aemma."

Rhaenyra pauses mid-sip, slowly pulling the goblet away from her lips when she found she couldn't swallow, eyes blinking rapidly as she wordlessly gripped Y/n's shoulder. Neither sister said a word, but they understood each other all the same. Rhaenyra pardons herself, deciding she needed fresh air away from the crowds. Once she caught sight of Daemon leaving the gathering, she makes up her mind and sends her sons to bed before she, too, disappeared from the public eye.

Y/n watched her sister leave with her uncle and chose to ignore it, smiling and acknowledging the King when he slowly made his way to her after bidding the Queen goodnight.

"My child," Viserys took his daughter's hand and kissed it, "I'm retiring for the night. Do try and get some rest before the return journey."

"Yes, Father. If it is my king's wish."

Viserys smiles and nods to Harwin before exiting. Eventually, Princess Rhaenys walks up to the couple after consoling her granddaughters, and Harwin offers her a seat beside Y/n. Rhaenys accepts and leans close to her distant cousin while overlooking the crowd.

"I had hoped for your baby to be born by the time this gathering happened," the elder woman admits, "I had hoped new life would've outshined the loss of an older one."

"Laena was still young," Y/n held onto Rhaenys' arm, "And strong-willed. I would rather have people remember her life today instead of celebrating the birth of my child. Laena deserves that. I'm so... I'm so sorry, Princess Rhaenys."

Rhaenys only nods, unable to allow herself tears in a public setting, keeping her eyes fixed on Y/n's hand on her arm for a focus point, "No parent should outlive their child."

"And yet, we all wish for our mothers to be with us for the rest of our lives," Y/n looks off, heart-clenching, "I wish my mother got to grow old. I wish she got to meet her grandchildren and die fat and happy... But I wouldn't wish that for myself if it meant your granddaughters got to have their mother back. I wouldn't wish for Rhaena and Baela to go through the same loss I went through when I was their age. I wouldn't wish that for my sons or my nephews."

Rhaenys stands, feeling the emotions threatening to spill from her eyes and she couldn't bear to cause a scene. She squeezes Y/n's shoulder, nodding in thanks when the words couldn't come out, and then she left. A few hours pass and then both Harwin and Y/n round up their boys and bring them to their beds. Once their children are asleep, the parents turn in for the night as well, hearts heavy and exhausted.

Harwin had been quiet during most of the interactions at the gathering, but his thoughts were loud in his actions. While helping his wife undress, he couldn't help but kiss her bare shoulder and let his hands linger around her stomach, storms brewing in his eyes, "Years ago, I couldn't understand why your father was so... broken after the loss of your mother and brother. But now... as your husband and father to our boys... I can't even fathom what I would do if that were you in your mother's place."

Y/n quietly hushes Harwin as she turned to face him, letting her fingers graze over his beard, "It happens to women all the time, my love. It cannot be helped. You can't fight your way out of that. My mother used to say that a woman's battlefield is the birthing bed, and unfortunately, it's not a battle you can fight for me."

Harwin nods despite the look of defeat in his eyes. He had always been a man of action, able to protect those he loves with his might. However, Ser Breakbones always felt helpless whenever his wife goes through pregnancy. He felt useless and the only thing he could do was continue to be a husband and father, but not a soldier. Up until now, his family didn't need him to be a soldier.

The two of them go to bed, held in each others' arms as the moon moves slowly overhead and commanding the unforgivable waves to crash against the rocky cliffs outside the keep. It was soothing to listen to as sleep overtook the tired pair, more soothing than the sounds of King's Landing at night. It was easy to drift into dreams when a beautiful place such as Driftmark was so peaceful and quiet.

That is until a frantic knock is heard pounding on their bedroom door hours later, rudely awakening Harwin and Y/n from their slumber. Harwin crawls out of bed and walks to the door, "Who is it?"

"Harrold Westerling, Ser Harwin."

Y/n sits up in bed, alarmed as both she and Harwin exchange a worried expression. Harwin helps her stand up and throw a dark red robe over her nightgown before they beckon the Commander of the Kingsguard inside. The old man throws the heavy door open, straightening his posture and bowing in Y/n's presence as she addressed him.

"Ser Harrold, what seems to be the matter?"

"Forgive me for the late hour, Princess," Harrold appeared out of breath and possibly even horrified, further worrying the Strongs, "But there has been an accident and your sons are waiting for you in the Great Hall."

Neither of them questions it, both parents racing out of the room with Ser Harrold closely following them. They weave through the hallways of the dark keep, barely seeing a soul awake until they burst into the doors leading into the Great Hall.

Most of the souls that were once sleeping under the roof of the keep were all gathered in this one room, the lights of torches and the blazing fireplaces dancing over everyone's grave faces. Y/n first spots silver hair and finds Rhaenyra and Daemon, standing together off to the side and holding onto Osmund and Baelor. Both Y/n and Harwin run to their sons and gather the boys in their arms, worry filling their voices as they question why both of them had blood on their little faces.

"Ozzy, what happened? Are you alright?"

"Are you hurt? Let me see it, son."

"Why is your nose bleeding?"

"Tell us what happened, Bae."

Poor little Baelor was crying too hard to get a word out, clinging onto his mother's skirts like a lifeline even as his father was kneeling beside him and examining the bloodied and bruised knuckles on his tiny left hand. Osmund looked angry and defiant, a cut cracked over the bridge of his nose and bleeding along with his flaring nostrils as his mother's hands trail over his injured face. Finally looking around at the rest of the crowd, Y/n noticed Viserys and Alicent on the other side of the room, the Queen kneeling beside the maester as he tended to Young Aemond, the prince sitting beside the fireplace with half of his face stitched up. Rhaena and Baela were also present and bleeding from their faces, hugging either side of their Grandmother Rhaenys' waist and Corlys stands protectively in front of them. A few faces were missing from this picture, such as Laenor and his sons, but Rhaenyra doesn't acknowledge this as she stands close to her sister and answers her questions.

"The children were fighting each other. A knife was drawn--"

"Your son took my son's eye!" Alicent proclaimed hysterically, unshed tears in her manic eyes as she stood up and stepped toward the center of the room.

Y/n's eyes widen and looked down at her oldest child, "Ozzy?"

"Aemond stole and claimed Vhagar," Osmund explained, "He said horrible things about Aunt Laena when we all confronted him."

"She attacked me!" Aemond snarled as he pointed at Baela, thus starting a chain of children arguing over each other.

"He attacked Baela!"

"You insulted our mother!"

"He broke Ozzy's nose!"

"He stole my dragon!"

"He could've killed me!"

"It should be my son telling the tale!" Alicent roared.

"He was only defending himself!"

"He could've killed Baelor!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Silence!" Viserys demanded, slamming his cane down against the cobblestone floor, "I am your king and I will have the truth of what happened! Who drew the blade?!"

"It was mine," Osmund admits, hanging his head when all eyes turned to him, "I drew it when I thought Aemond was going to kill Bae."

"He wouldn't stop hitting me," Baelor whimpered into his mother's swollen belly, thus shattering Y/n's heart and angering Harwin's as he stood, placing himself between the royal family and his own with a stern glare.

"Let me see the knife."

Ser Harrold brought the weapon forward as evidence but wasn't stupid enough to just hand it over to Harwin. Ser Breakbones noticed the knife and nodded, looking back at Princess Y/n, "It's the one I gave him."

"But Osmund didn't cut Aemond!" Baela yelled to her cousin's defense, "It was--"

Her voice dies once she noticed something in Osmund's eyes and Rhaena elbowed her. Y/n caught this exchange and gently pinched her older boy's chin, forcing him to look up at her.

"Osmund Strong. Did you or did you not attack Prince Aemond with a knife?"

Osmund's throat bobbed nervously, eyes trying to focus on anything other than his mother's gaze. Y/n found this bizarre, considering that he had been honest with her until now. Then, realization began to dawn on the princess as she slowly looked down onto a different child, not Osmund. All eyes follow her gaze until they all land on Little Baelor. Y/n's other hand ran through her baby boy's hair.

"Bae... was it you?"

Baelor continued to sob, shaking from head to toe, "Aemond grabbed a rock! He was gonna hurt Ozzy!"

"I lost the knife," Osmund finally admitted, trying to keep everyone's attention away from his little brother, "And I got pushed to the ground, but it wasn't Baelor's fault! He took the knife to protect me!"

Alicent scowled in disgust, "And so you cut Aemond's face--"

"Your son was hitting my baby boy!" Y/n screamed back, beyond all of the Queen's slander.

"Seven Hells, Your Grace, he's only five years old!" Harwin came to his family's defense.

"And yet he's capable of spilling my son's blood!"

"Is this what you condone, my Queen?" Y/n's voice drops, a clear tone of challenge, "To have your son, a prince, attack little girls when they defend their mother's name?"

"Your sons attacked mine!"

"To defend their cousins," Y/n reminds her and the rest of those in the room, "Surely you wouldn't raise your son to believe he could do whatever he wanted just because he's royalty. Surely, the good Queen herself wouldn't teach her children to mistreat women or smash a little boy's head in with a rock."

Alicent is momentarily struck by the mockery, quickly recovering with a small scoff, her top lip twitching, "Are you questioning how I parent my children, Princess?"

"I am not questioning your parenting, Your Grace. I'm denying its existence."

Daemon grins proudly at his niece as the room is filled with gasps of dismay, clearly being the only one amused by Y/n's retort. Alicent's face crumbled as though someone had just smacked her in the face. With the tension straining, Harwin stood closer to his wife and children, his arm hovering over Y/n's back as Viserys clicked his cane upon the floor.

"Enough, Y/n. Trading insults won't change what happened. Aemond, tell me the truth, boy," the King slowly limps over to the bloodied prince, "Did you hit Lady Baela?"

Aemond looked as though he had been caught red-handed, pale, and stubborn. Slowly, he grits out his answer, "Yes. After she hit me."

"Liar!"

"Silence!" Viserys roared before glaring back down at his son, "Aemond, did you grab a rock?"

"To defend myself!"

"I was already on the ground, you idiot!" Osmund snapped, spitting out blood and saliva.

"Osmund!" Y/n reprimands her son, tightly holding his shoulder as Harwin reverts his gaze onto the boy.

"Hold your tongue, son."

"But no one was attacking him by then! We were all on the ground!"

"It's true!"

"Silence!" Viserys slammed his cane again.

"This was clearly just an act of self-defense, Your Grace," Y/n bravely continued her defense of her children, against her father's order.

"All of this... over an insult," Alicent huffs out a breath of disbelief with her eyes rimmed with tears, "My son has lost an eye."

Viserys, distressed, tired, and angry, nearly threw his arms around like a child having a tantrum, "This interminable infighting must cease! All of you! We are family! Now make your apologies and show goodwill to one another. Your father, your grandsire, your king demands it!"

The whole room froze, shocked with disbelief. Alicent appeared appalled as her husband slowly limped past her towards the door. Y/n witnessed something snap within the Hightower woman as she spoke, "That is insufficient."

Viserys slowly turns around to face her as the Queen continued, "Aemond has been damaged, permanently, my King. 'Good will' cannot make him whole."

"I know, Alicent, but I cannot restore his eye."

"No, because it's been taken."

"What would you have me do?"

"There is a debt to be paid," the sentence alone sent a chill down Y/n's back, eyes dancing between her father and stepmother. Viserys stared at his wife in disbelief as the Queen strongly proclaimed, "I shall have one of her son's eyes in return."

Murmurs and gasps of horror filled the room; Harwin and Y/n's grip on their sons tighten protectively. Viserys tried to calm Alicent, wanting to defuse the situation, "My dear wife--"

"He is your son, Viserys," Alicent cried, the tears finally spilling, "Your blood."

"Do not allow your temper to guide your judgment."

Silence fell again and Viserys thought it was over. He turns to leave just as his wife spoke again, her tear-stained face straightening up as her eyes turn to another man in the room, "If the King will not seek justice, the Queen will. Ser Criston... bring me the eye of Baelor Strong."

Criston Cole's eyes scan the room as Baelor begins to step back away from the crowd and from his parents, distraught and terrified as he spoke in his small, innocent voice, "Mother!"

"Alicent..." Viserys warned.

"He can choose which eye to keep. A privilege he did not grant my son!" Alicent snapped back while glaring down at the offending family.

"You will do no such thing." Y/n sternly stated, willing her voice not to shake in fear, but to be as powerful as the Queen's own demand.

"Stay your hand!" Viserys snaps to Ser Criston, to which Alicent pushes back.

"No, you are sworn to me!"

Ser Criston feels the eyes of Ser Harrold on him and finds his words, avoiding Alicent's gaze, "As your protector, my Queen."

Alicent reared back in betrayal, barely flinching as Viserys stepped up to her in challenge, "Alicent. This matter... is finished. Do you understand?"

She scans his face, unable to form a reply as he spins around and tries to meet the gaze of everyone else in the room, "And let it be known! No more fighting shall be done within the blood of my own family."

Y/n relaxed, her voice dropping its firm hold as she gently addressed the King, "Thank you, Father."

Both she and Harwin turn back to their sons, the father beckoning the boys to follow him as he tried leading his family away. The boys go to follow Harwin, still shaking in fear, while Y/n takes her time to follow, her hand gingerly caressing her stomach.

Viserys takes one more look at Alicent before turning back towards the door. He doesn't feel alarmed at the sound of her feet quickly following him, but it's not until he felt the empty space of his Valyrian dagger at his belt did his heart suddenly sink to his stomach.

Ser Harrold is the first to react, stepping towards the King, "Your Grace-!"

"Alicent!" Viserys spins back around, watching his wife's auburn hair disappear into the crowd with his dagger in hand.

Harrold sprints forward, shouting commands to his guards without turning back, "Stay with the King!"

"Hold your approach!" Criston Cole demands against his commander's wishes.

Others began to scream and shout a warning to others, pulling away and giving Alicent a wide berth with her newly acquired weapon. Y/n felt the hairs on the back of her neck before she heard the shouts of the Kingsguard along with her father's voice shouting Alicent's name. Spinning around, Y/n is met with a vengeful queen, Alicent screaming as she brought the raised dagger down on the princess.

Harwin spun around as the chaos began to rise, eyes widening as he immediately takes a large step forward, "Y/n, LOOK OUT!"

Y/n's arm rises and she's able to catch the arm Alicent held the blade in, trying to push the other woman away but they had both taken hold of each other's arms, pushing and pulling against each other, grunting under the weight of the force.

Harwin jolts forward in order to interfere, heart racing in fear and rage. Lord Lyonel steps in front of his son, however, forcing Harwin back just as the blade came down and Y/n had caught it, "No, son! Do not incriminate yourself!"

"Y/n!" Harwin yelled, struggling against his father. He was definitely strong enough to push Lyonel away, easily, hadn't two Kingsguard stepped forward and held onto Ser Breakbones.

It was pure chaos. Kingsguard held swords out to those who dared try to come to Y/n's aid, conflicted with their duties but wanting to protect their Queen if it meant letting her pursue the princess. Ser Harrold was easily just as conflicted, not knowing who he should order his men to protect as he tried pushing through the crowd. He makes it to the two women, but with his mind not yet made up, he instead circles them and pushes lords, ladies, and other soldiers back if they tried to step forward.

Harrold sees someone rushing forward and holds his arm out to them, "Do not, Ser Criston!"

"Alicent!" Viserys roared, but couldn't move much as he stumbled with his cane.

Baelor screams in terror as everyone who formed a circle around his mother and Alicent pushed him back as they grant the women space. Harrold tried yelling over the chaos as others also screamed in fear and protest, all trying to outscream the other.

"Do not, Ser Criston!"

Criston Cole, fierce and determined, tries getting into the circle, perhaps wanting to perform his duty and protect his queen. He pushes people away to get to Alicent and Y/n, but Daemon suddenly steps forward and is able to stop the knight in his tracks, keeping him in place as the two men glared at one another until two other Kingsguard took Criston by the arms.

"Alicent!"

"No!" Harwin shouts, desperately struggling against his bonds and giving the Kingsguard a workout in restraining him.

Rhaenys keeps her granddaughters behind her while she made a grab for Osmund and Baelor, pulling the boys to her body while Corlys shields them all behind him. Rhaenyra is left open and tries to make it to her sister, but Ser Harrold grabs her gently and keeps her back while simultaneously trying to get a hold of his men, "Stay your hand, Cole!"

Rhaenyra struggles against Ser Harrold's hold on her, shouting over at the Queen, "You've gone too far, Alicent!"

"I?" Alicent questions in distress, still fighting for control against Y/n while speaking between the two sisters, distraught and unhinged, "What have I done but what was expected of me? Forever upholding the kingdom, the family, the law! While you and your sister flout all to do as you please!"

"Alicent, let her go!" Viserys demanded from outside the circle.

"Where is duty? Where is sacrifice?" Alicent's tears continued to fall down her face as her eyes search Y/n's while she screamed, "It's trampled under your pretty foot again!"

"Release the blade, Alicent," Rhaenyra demanded.

Alicent desperately tried to breathe, panting under Y/n's strength and her own despair, "And now you take my son's eye, and to even that, you feel entitled."

"Exhausting, wasn't it?" Y/n grunts, a jolt of pain running through her as she desperately tried to keep the point of the blade from her own eye, the flames of the fireplace dancing over the steel and her eyes, "Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness."

Her voice lowers, glare dead set on Alicent's face, "But now they see you as you are."

Alicent pushes all her body weight and any strength she had left into pulling her arm out of Y/n's hold, grunting in rage as she freed the blade and made a swipe at the princess. Shock settles the room, Alicent stepping away to observe her handiwork, only for her eyes to immediately widen once she finally settled on what she had done.

Y/n had taken several steps away, the pain not entirely making itself aware until she heard gasps from all around. Corlys had caught her by the shoulders to steady the princess, noticing the way she was unconsciously clutching her arm. Both of them look down at the offending arm, noticing the blood soaking through Y/n's dress sleeve and spilling through her fingers. The blood droplets splatter onto the floor as Viserys stands beside Alicent, watching in horror as his little girl bleeds because of a wound his own wife inflicted. In her shock, Alicent's grip on the dagger loosens and the blade clatters to the floor, paying no mind to it as all she could do was stare at the cut in Y/n's arm.

Harwin had paused in terror before finally realizing that Y/n was still standing and breathing, the blade now out of danger. Shock draining from him, he pushes the Kingsguard off of him, the two soldiers too stunned to react and let go of him. Harwin pushes past his father and rushes to his wife, gathering her up in his arms and holding onto her wrist so that Corlys could properly inspect the wound from the other side of her. Y/n doesn't speak or react to her husband's hold on her, too stunned to do anything but stand and stare, leaning into Harwin for support. Both Osmund and Baelor break away from Rhaenys and run to their parents, holding onto their mother for dear life. With Criston Cole backing off, Daemon slowly walks forward until he is at Harwin's side, his hand on one of Osmund's shoulders. Rhaenyra pushes Ser Harrold away from her and also joins the Strong family along with Daemon and Corlys, the princess stepping in front of her sister and inspecting Y/n's face and then her wound. Watching as the blood continued to flow, Rhaenyra's posture slowly straightened, the rage of a dragon and a protective older sister taking hold. Unable to calm her anger, Rhaenyra breathes harshly through her nose and spun back around, glaring daggers at Alicent.

"You dare attack my sister!"

The room felt cold, despite the fire blazing hot beside the opposing families. Alicent couldn't bear to look Rhaenyra in the eye, so the princess moves her gaze onto her father, "Your Grace, I beg of you to open your eyes. Your wife just attacked one of your daughters born of our mother and of true Valyrian blood. She meant to bring harm to the princess and her unborn child."

Viserys eyes move to watch Y/n and her family tend to her, sadness and longing evident on his face as Rhaenyra bravely continued, "I am your heir, Your Grace," Viserys looks back to his eldest child, "But should anything happen to me, Y/n would take my place. Therefore, this attack on my sister is a treasonous act against the crown and your bloodline! If you are the honorable king that holds those who commit treason accountable... then no exception can be made for anyone of any station if you value your family and inspiring your loyal subjects."

Y/n slowly begins to come back to her senses, feeling the warm blood run down her arm and another warm liquid run down her legs. She pales as she tried focusing on the sound of Viserys' voice, trying not to panic, "It was a foolish action, Rhaenyra. But even you, as a mother, understand what it's like to protect your children. Alicent was only trying to avenge hers."

"By what? Killing my sister?" Rhaenyra's voice broke, eyes slowly starting to mist, "Carving out the child she carries?" Viserys flinched at that, "What happened to Prince Aemond's eye was a tragic accident. But this... this was intentional. Queen Alicent intended on spilling blood."

Rhaenyra hears a small cry of a kitten behind her, but upon spinning back around, she only saw Y/n clutching her stomach and slowly bending over, soft cries escaping her lips, and the men surrounding her bent down to the princess in confusion. Rhaenyra's eyes widen when she noticed a clear puddle beneath Y/n's skirts slowly pooling against the cobblestone to mix with the blood. Rhaenyra rushes towards her sister, forgetting Viserys and Alicent.

"Y/n?" Harwin's stomach dropped as the wheels began to turn in his head, eyes widening in realization.

"Mother? What's wrong?" Osmund asked innocently, holding onto his little brother.

"She's started her labors," Rhaenyra explains while letting her sister grip her arms tightly, "I wouldn't be surprised if the harrowing events of tonight spurred this on."

Daemon stood back from the group aiding Y/n, keeping a hand on his sword and an eye on anyone who may take this opportunity to pursue his family in a time of vulnerability. He stands guard while Rhaenyra and Harwin frantically help Y/n stand straight again, holding onto both of her arms. They wordlessly follow Corlys as he leads them out of the room and down the hall, back to Y/n and Harwin's chambers. Rhaenys thought it best to take Rhaena and Baela to Jacaerys and Lucerys' quarters where they were no doubt still sleeping through all of this. The older princess beckons the Strong boys to follow so that she might keep an eye on all of the children, unconsciously -or perhaps not- leaving the royal children out. When neither of Y/n and Harwin's sons moves, Daemon takes them both by the shoulder and directs them to follow Rhaenys, the Rogue Prince becoming a protective shadow for the children as Rhaenys whisks them away.

Corlys opens the doors to Harwin and Y/n's chamber and the Targaryen princess is brought inside, the Sea Snake calling for the maester along with the midwives who had traveled with the royal company. Rhaenyra and Harwin help Y/n get comfortable as another wave of pain takes over, the hair near her face beginning to stick to her skin as she tried taking deep breaths, exhaling shakily.

"I will stay with her, Ser Harwin," Rhaenyra vowed while dabbing a cool cloth over her sister's forehead, "You may go."

"I'm staying here," Harwin states confidently.

Y/n quickly grabs his hand through a contraction, squeezing hard as she pushes out words, "No no no, you need to go stay with the boys. We can't trust anyone with our sons for as long as we stay here."

"Y/n--"

"Alicent just threatened to pluck out Baelor's eye and attacked me," Harwin tried not to look, but clearly there was still blood seeping out of the cut on Y/n's arm. Y/n appeared to ignore this, trying to catch her breath, "I don't want my sons left alone for even a second until we leave. Harwin, please, go protect the boys. There's nothing you can do for me now."

Dutifully, he nods, standing over his wife and lingering a kiss on the top of her head before slowly backing away and leaving the room, practically forcing himself not to turn back as he goes hunting down his children.

A maester arrives and first looks into fixing the cut on Y/n's arm while the midwives attend to prepping for the baby, hurrying around the room in search of fresh clean towels and Milk of the Poppy. As promised, Rhaenyra stayed by her sister's side during the whole process, letting Y/n squeeze her hand as hard as she liked, whispering soft words of encouragement, and dabbing her face with a cool cloth.

For obvious reasons, Y/n didn't get any sleep that night, but neither could anyone else in the keep. Everyone was restless, even those unaware of Y/n's labors. After the events of the night, everyone was high-strung and uneasy, and some were downright afraid. Alicent returned to her chambers, never wanting to see a soul until morning. Viserys went to bed, but lay awake at night, guilt and remorse running through his veins. The royal children retired to their respective rooms, but they all stayed awake and Aemond even sat at the window, watching Vhagar in the distance with a smirk.

Daemon, Harwin, and Rhaenys continued to stay and entertain the children, tending to their bleeding faces and trying to make them forget their worries. Jace and Luke, none the wiser for what had happened, gladly entertained the idea of everyone staying up and having fun in their rooms, putting a smile on everyone's faces as they ran around and played. Daemon even found himself teaching all the children small bits of High Valyrian, boys and girls alike sitting down all around him with Baelor and a book in his lap. Baela sat next to her father, her head on his shoulder, trying to rest her eyes after everything that had happened to her today, the only one too exhausted to repeat her father's Valyrian phrases unlike the rest of the children.

Rhaenys sat and quietly listened to these lessons with a cup of wine in hand, while Harwin stood at the door, sometimes pacing, sometimes entertaining the children with stories. But not once, the entire night, did he leave his post at the door, his hand always on his hilt.

The moon had not yet disappeared but the sky was starting to brighten into beautiful colors over the ocean when the door opens and Harwin held onto his sword a little tighter. Everyone looks up with bated breath as Rhaenyra walks in, standing tall and regal as if she had not been awake all night.

"Mother!" Luke gasped excitedly while standing up and running to the princess.

She practically beams as he tightly hugged her waist, her eyes darting up to Harwin with delight, "Y/n's delivered a girl, and they're both going to be fine."

The whole room relaxes with relief, the last of the tension finally leaving the air and leaving them all understandably exhausted. Harwin's whole stiff posture relaxes as one of his hands rises to rub his face. Rhaenyra silently laughs, joy still evident on her expression, "The maester asks for only you to go and see her. Your sons can visit their mother once she's rested."

Harwin nods and swiftly leaves the room, while Rhaenyra turns to the rest of the family, "The royal family leaves Driftmark today, but with your permission, Princess Rhaenys, I think it would be wise if the rest of us stayed a little longer for Y/n and everyone else to get some much-needed rest."

Rhaenys agrees just as Laenor pops into the room, disheveled and groggy. He looks at everyone's expression with a puzzled look, finally turning to Rhaenyra, "What have I missed?"

Harwin makes it back to his chambers in record speed, trying not to appear hasty but also anxious to see his wife and their new daughter. Entering the room, a few of the midwives were cleaning up and leaving, the maester long since gone. Y/n was asleep in their bed, flushed with her silver-blonde hair curling around her head due to sweat, but a small bundle was nestled beside her, and it was squirming. Harwin stepped closer to the bed, making note of Y/n's arm now wrapped in bandages before inspecting the bundle of blankets, his smile softening by what he found.

The infant was small, her little cleaned face the only thing peeking out of the blankets aside from her tiny fingers slowly curling around the fabric as she slept. Like her brothers, she sported small fuzzy tufts of dark hair and even darker eyelashes. The baby girl's lips were slightly open, letting out soft hums as she dreamed. Harwin's heart had never fallen in love faster than it did at this very moment, his finger lightly caressing her cheek and amazed by the softness of her skin.

"My love."

Harwin's eyes drift over to his once slumbering wife, noticing her eyes have opened and she was tiredly smiling up at him. Overcome by relief and happiness, Harwin laughs under his breath before leaning over and kissing Y/n on the lips, taking her breath away. Eventually, he pulled away, his thumb running over her cheekbone.

"Amazing as always, my dear," he whispers, unable to resist kissing her forehead, "How are you?"

Y/n slowly blinks, humming, "Exhausted."

"You can rest. I say you've more than earned it."

Her eyes peek open again, "The boys?"

"Safe and sound. They are in good hands. Rhaenyra will bring them to you once you've healed," his hand grazes over her bandaged arm, "What did the maester say about this?"

"It was Valyrian steel. So the cut was clean. A scar will remain, I'm afraid."

"I will take a new scar over your death any day," Harwin kissed his wife's forehead again before carefully lifting the small bundle into his arms, attempting not to wake the baby. His smile widens once he's positioned her properly and naturally begins to rock, "Well, she's finally here. Have you thought about the names we picked?"

"I did... but none of them seem right now that I've met her."

"Well, do you have another one in mind?"

Y/n thought long and hard, fingers drumming against the feather pillow. She thought about tonight's events, how it had all started with Vhagar being stolen and Laena's memory insulted. To have those two things happen along with the attack in the Great Hall, it felt as though people had tainted the memory of a young and fierce woman who was taken from this world too soon.

"Laena," Y/n strongly announced, "I like to believe she was here with us this past night. I like to believe she protected us and she deserves to be honored now that I've delivered my daughter in her family's home."

Harwin stared down at their daughter, playing with the name on his lips as he watched her sleep, "Laena Strong. I like it."

~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Osmund was named after King Aegon I Targaryen’s Hand, Osmund Strong, who was assigned the Hand of the King after Orys Baratheon’s death. Baelor was named to reference Baelor the Blessed/Beloved, but it’s obviously not him since the original Baelor won’t be born until after the Dance of Dragons. Laena is obviously named after Vhagar’s true rider, aside from Visenya. I would have named Y/n’s daughter after Visenya, but spoiler alert, Daemon and Rhaenyra eventually have a daughter already named that. She’s probably the baby in Rhaenyra’s belly in Episode 8.

[scribble-dribble-writes]

Ambition

<<<Prev (Burning nights) (The snake) Next>>>

---

Pairing: Buggy x female mermaid reader

Word count: 2300

Warnings: none

Note: Got four or five chapter left for the Sea Circus captain to come to an end!

---

You felt the soft texture of his hair as he rested his head on your chest, daybreak causing for faint light to seep into the room. You petted the top of his head as you played with his shimmering blue strands before you finally let your fingers rest by his ear to fiddle with his earring. While you brought your other hand out to see the ring. It sparkled with a greenish blue hue just like his eyes and you thought of all the days he had been carrying it, almost the entire duration of your relationship. His love for you was certain, even when you spent your time worrying if you would belong anywhere.

Now you did, as his fingers twitched against your skin with his arm draped across you, finally asleep after having never resting well. His hot breath running down to your abdomen, your thumb now slipping down to his jaw as you rubbed his stubble. How lucky, you thought, that what was once grueling yearning had now become secure company.

But peace never stayed with the restless, it was gone with the breeze as a soft knock resounded on your door. Your fingers froze above his cheek. Here in the confines of this wall, he was yours but if that door opened like Pandora’s box, it would cause an uproar. A scandal. The queen to be in the arms of a lover the people were not quite ready to accept. You laid still, Buggy nuzzling closer to you while you hoped whoever it was that was at the door had left, but a second knock resounded more impatiently than the first and the assasin from last night rushed into your mind.

Panic began to make you feel stuck where you were as you looked at the open doors, this now new uncontrollable burn that took over hands anytime you felt protective.

Assassin’s don’t use doors, you repeated to yourself as you shook Buggy for him to wake up. But instead he murmured incoherently asking for a few more minutes and that Kings don’t need to be up so early.

It made you smile but the knocks now grew more quicker as you heard shouts from the balcony below, the guards had found the body.

“Buggy, you need to get up and hide.”, you whispered urgently.

“No.”, he contested as he pulled you closer, his sturdy arms weighing you down as his lazy kisses under your jaw made it harded not to laugh and fight his clinginess. You held onto his forearms trying to create an opening for you to escape but it was pointless.

As you struggled, the doors burst open and in entered Helge, closely followed by a woman dressed in armour. Buggy didn’t care to wake up, he contined to rest as though he ran the place.

“How many times do I need to knock?”, Helge sounded annoyed.

“Till the doors open, you don’t just barge in.”, the woman yanked him back by his elbow till their noses were almost touching, both starring daggers at each other.

Helge inhaled sharply, before he moved away like a child who had been told off. He walked towards the bed when he froze in his tracks. His eyes taking in the scene of you caught in Buggy’s arms, the only saving grace being the blanket that wrapped you and the pirate captain together.

You placed your hand on Buggy’s exposed back, there was no point rewriting this story now.

“Oh umm.”, Helge swallowed as he turned away.

“This is why. This is why we give people their privacy in their own bedrooms.”, the lady spread out her arms as a means to convey her point to Helge.

“Gosh I really can’t stand your nagging presence today, Elenor.”, he mumbled.

“I’m nagging? You had to change your shirt thrice before you stepped out of your asylum and it's all still green by the way.”, she put forth her point.

“Green is the prestigious colour of my house.”, he argued.

“No it makes you look like you’re from the swamp, algae.”, she smirked and he gasped.

“Algae? How dare –

You fell back into your pillows, all this noise had woken up Buggy as he squinted his eyes against the light. Nothing unnerved Helge, not like this woman was able to. She rested her hands on her hips as she threw her head back in fits of laughter at Helge’s bickering, her reaction only making his reaction worser as his pale cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

“Children, children, please stop arguing.”, Buggy intervened.

“I brought this on myself.”, Helge turned to you as he pointed at Buggy and the woman next to him.

“Your Highness, Captain, forgive me for the disturbance.”, Elenor bowed to you to which you set her at ease as your gaze travelled to the man who looked like he was taking comfort in everything green.

You pulled the edge of the blanket to cover your mouth in the hope that it would hide your smile and when you saw Eleanor, her eyes glimmered with laughter too.

“Nope. You can’t join them and laugh at me.”, he waved his hand but it only made it worse.

As Buggy giggled, Eleanor joined in and you couldn’t help yourself.

“The green tie with a green shirt and a green pant, does actually make you look funny.”, you stated.

“Alright, I admit. I’ve been stressed and when I’m stressed I don’t think straight and it results in bad fashion choices.”, he paced on the side of your bed before he threw himself to his knees to meet you eye to eye.

“You’ve got to help me, Céane. My life’s in danger.”, his gray eyes caught yours and you settled. You had not once witnessed him in such distress.

“What is it?”, you asked and Buggy propped his chin on the edge of your shoulder listening in.

“The Barracudons are after me.”, Helge said and you pursed your lips.

“I received a note this morning.”, he reached out to his coat pocket to retrieve a small white card and held it out to you.

You took it, the ivory card with the Barracudon crest embossed in the top. But when you saw the single sentence scribbled onto the paper. You inhaled deeply.

“Your life will be the only accepted payment for the lose of one of our sons.”, you read and it unsettled you. All the more because Helge looked excruciatingly helpless and innocent in all this.

“It’s written in blood.”, Buggy added as he took the card from you to inspect it.

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”, Eleanor asked but her gaze was only set on Helge.

“You were quite busy teasing and chiding me.”, he shrugged his shoulders.

“Besides would you have cared?”, he turned towards her, his voice sounding broken.

That was why he was distressed, the fear that no one would notice his absence if something were to go wrong.

But before you could reassure him, his guard stepped in. Her eyes losing the mischief and in it’s place was an anxious hidden desperation.

“I do care about you, Helge. I’m sworn to – she reached her hand to catch his but he folded his arms as he pinned her down with the anger that flashed across his face.

“protect me, you are sworn in by my mother to keep me in check.”, he gritted his teeth but it only broke her further before she resumed her composure.

“You’re right.”, she clasped her hands together and turned away towards the open window. The laughter and fun no longer present, now the silence was piercing. Helge looked at her as though he had made a mistake but instead he moved away to take a seat in the armchair to the corner.

“They remind me of us.”, Buggy whispered in your ear before he kissed your cheek.

“That's because you’re a hopeless romantic.”, you sighed as he tilted your chin to face him.

“Only for you.”, he said next, his lips inching towards yours.

When another knock was placed on the door, everyone in the room stilled.

"With every passing second this place frustrates me further.", Buggy sighed as he let you go.

“An urgent invitation, ma’am.”, one of your staff exclaimed from behind the door.

You began to move when Helge stood up, gesturing you to rest as he headed towards the door.

“Aww isn’t he sweet, making sure you don’t move away from me.”, Buggy spoke sweetly in a teasing manner as you shushed him.

It was difficult as is getting him to behave before, now it was impossible.

But Helge seemed to be arguing by the door instead of receiving the letter.

“She’s asleep. I will take it on her behalf.”, Helge stood his ground by the door blocking the view as your handmaid tried to look past him.

But she pushed past him and before she could get any closer, you shoved Buggy under the blanket as he exclaimed. You pulled the sheet up to your neck as you rested a cautionary hand over Buggy making sure he stayed still for a few seconds. You felt the curve of his nose bump into your waist, and the edge of his smile against your skin.

This was not going to be good.

Your handmaid rushed to you, a silver plate in her hand as it held a single invitation with a wax seal.

“I was instructed to give this to you as soon as possible. We weren’t sure if you knew about it, your Highness but it has already been circulated to the townsfolk and other houses.”, she said frantically.

You reached up to take the envelope as Buggy began to squirm next to you. His hands slipped down your thigh in an attempt to cause you to stumble. You instead caught his wandering hand as you kept up the pretense.

“Thank you.”, you told her before she could catch sight of the movement beneath the blanket but she bowed instead and turned to leave.

The doors were about to close and you were about to let Buggy out from beneath the covers when,

“Oh I had a hunch you might be here.”, Theodora’s voice boomed as your gaze drifted to Helge. He sat still like he had seen a ghost, as he visibly shut down the moment she entered.

“Where else would the young lovers be if not bask in the early hours of the last few days of being separated.”, she beamed and Helge sat up straight.

“Last few days?”, he questioned cautiously.

“Yes, haven’t you seen the invite yet? I was beyond thrilled, just when I began to worry if you had the courage to ask her.”, she moved towards her son while he held her in a scrutinizing gaze. She was up to something.

“The only sadness is I wished you would have told me first. No matter, the queen to be was kind enough to send me a letter to inform me.”, Theodora continued on while Helge looked at her in confusion, so did you. You had never written to her.

Taking in her son’s expression, she sighed.

“The engagement.”, she cocked her eyebrow.

The guard tensed, her eyes focused on Helge while you broke the seal to the envelope in your hand in an urgency. Pulling out the card that held the Nerroceane crest embossed in it was an exquisite invitation for your coronation and the celebration of your engagement to Helge.

Nothing made sense. Theodora gasped when she caught sight of the ring on your finger.

“How exquisite. I had offered Helge my engagement ring but the one he has chosen is, quite adequate.”, she sniffed as she patted her son’s cheek as though she was so proud of his work. Eleanor fell silent as she resumed her position next to Helge, while he looked awful. His eyes finding yours as the gears in both your heads churned. The Barracudon assassins were after you and him for this reason. You were soon to be the ruling couple from what the invitation said.

Theodora inhaled when she caught your eyes.

“I thought it would be best if the travelling circus found another island to inhabit after your coronation. Once you are queen, you will not have much need for entertainment.”, she held your gaze.

You felt Buggy shift next to you.

“And who are you to make such decisions on my behalf?”, you questioned.

Theodora flashed a calculated smile as she rested her hand on Helge’s shoulder.

“Well in a few days we’ll be family.”, she commented, it made you feel nauseous and trapped.

You grew silent and felt Buggy’s slow breathing as you wrapped your fingers around his.

“The clown is a distraction, the kingdom would need your undivided attention. And since I am the mother of the king, I will try my best to lessen your load by being on the council.”, she laughed and it all sounded fake.

There was only one ambitious person in the room and it was clear who it was.

“Well, thank you for your lovely intrusion. Now if you will give me the privacy to get ready for the day, I shall meet you all to discuss the arrangements.”, you spoke and felt Helge’s cold stare on you. He wanted to know what you were planning but you couldn’t risk anything now.

Theodora tipped her head in acknowledgement as she waited for her son. Helge got up and straightened his sleeve, his eyes catching yours before he relaxed once Eleanor stood by his side. With that, they left the room and once secure. Buggy pushed away the blankets as he inhaled a deep breathe.

“That bloody witch.”, he exclaimed as he pushed back his hair, his sea glass eyes now shattered in panic, she had managed to get under his skin.

You pulled away the sheets as you picked up his coat that was pushed under the side of your bed.

Theodora had never played with pirates before and now as you slung his coat over yourself and secured the belt around your waist, you wanted to make a lasting impression on her mind.

“What do you say to one final performance? You raid the kingdom, I secure the throne and then we settle with the loot?”, you asked as you turned to him.

He looked dazed, the rage simmering down as he took in the sight of you in his coat.

He stretched as he got out of the bed, pulling on his pants as he made his way to you, gathering his hair up in a low bun.

“You know I’m always at your disposal, your majesty.”, he smirked reaching for your hand that sported his ring to kiss your fingers.

Ambition always had one enemy, it could never prevail against a noble cause. Even though you and him were partners in crime, the story you were fighting for was noble enough.

---

Tags:

@lotr-got @juhdoche @wooyoungsrightsock @mysingularitybts

[levi-my-beloved]

Chapter Two: The Ackerbond Hurts

Pairing: Canon!Levi x F!Reader

Warnings: Self hatred, panic attacks, brief mention of suicide,

A/N: i. love. writing. this. series. and you all seem to love it too!!!! please the love chapter one received was incredible, and i honestly cannot thank everyone enough for the response <3

as always please thank @peace-for-levi for the fantastic job she does beta reading, and turning my word vomit into something coherent, and thank @levmada for the original concept <3

CRASH COURSE POKER VOCAB: Texas (Krolva) Hold'Em: type of game, To Fold: to not longer play the round, Flop: Three initial cards drawn, River: The fifth card in the flop, Royal Flush: having an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, Three of a kind: having three of the same card, Call: to match the raised bet, Check: to continue the round with no raised bets.

taglist: @levmada @awesomeness1679 @purplecandygerl @iam-thevillain-of-thisstory @pluvio-pluto @midnightbarnes97 @aresclouds @imkumichan @xxpadfootxx @cmjh3 @justa19 @notgoodforlife @leviackermanmyhero245 @kaea-peverall @jakillski @macaronnv @natalie-skz @oldtownwonderland @snailsposts

You didn’t speak of what happened that day. You couldn’t. You had far too many questions, and you knew Levi would give far too few answers. How did he know, was your first one? How did he know you needed help? No, not even that. How did he preempt knowing you would need help? When you’d spotted him barrelling towards you, there was no way he would have made it in time unless he’d set off before you’d even been caught. You’d seen where he went, he was too far away to make it at such short notice. So how did he know?

The second was whatever the hell happened after. He’d held you, and wouldn’t let go. He’d held you as you regained your shaky breath, and willed your limbs to stop trembling. He’d held you as you fought down the primal urge to scream, to release all your pent up terror and adrenaline, as you tried so hard not to vomit all over his shirt. Held you as you could do nothing but bury your face in his chest and just breathe, gulping down oxygen like it was going out of fashion. He hadn’t said anything, he just did what he promised, and held you. Tight.

And then he let go, as if nothing had happened. As if your heart wasn’t in your throat, and not from your near death experience. He’d let go and gently rolled you off him, wincing at a pain you couldn’t see. One he’d saved you from. And one you wish you were feeling instead. It was all you could do to nod when he’d asked if you were alright. It was all you could do to stare at the ground, trying to remember the exact order of events that just took place. They were already a blurr. 

But Levi had already risen to his feet, dusting himself off as the rest of your squad trickled in. First Gunther, with a flurry of apologies and a helping hand to get you off the ground. Then an extremely concerned Eld, who instantly wrapped his arm around your shoulder the moment he saw you weren’t hurt, offering nothing but worried glances and soothing words. Petra and Oluo trailed behind, not knowing what the fuck had just happened. Neither did you, if you were being honest, so you left the explaining up to Gunther as Eld escorted you to somewhere quiet.

“I’m just glad you’re alive.” He kept saying, and you mulled his words over in your head. 

Was Levi glad you were alive? He seemed anything but when he just walked away. He seemed borderline irritated with you, inconvenienced by your successful attempt to save Gunther’s life. You’d landed in the best possible outcome so, why the hell was he annoyed with you?

“Would you say I’m a nuisance?” Your question came out of the blue, so out of the blue that Eld asked you to repeat yourself, before scoffing in your face.

“Are you kidding? A nuisance? You? Do you realise how far this squad has come because of you? How far I’ve come because of you? We’re all able to work so well together because. Of. You. And you’re questioning whether or not you’re a nuisance?” Well, when he put it like that, you couldn’t help but scoff along with him. He hadn’t left your side since he came over after Levi had left you. And you weren’t about to explain that you were only feeling this way because of him. You had far too many unanswered questions to plunge into that tangled mess right now.

“I guess.” You sighed, leaning into the blonde’s embrace. Sometimes the lines between you two did fade into romanticism, not that you ever minded. Neither did he, if the way he simply held you tighter was anything to judge upon. 

“You almost died. It’s normal to feel this kind of self doubt. Especially after having to be saved by the Captain of all people,”

“Oh, cheers. Really working to make me feel better there.” You quipped sarcastically, drawing a relieved chuckle from your comrade. Knowing you were now okay, Eld removed his arm from your shoulder. Cute, platonically romantic moment over with then, you guessed. 

“But you did save Gunther’s life. You know what he’s like. Expect some weird doll wielding a pitchfork and missing several teeth at your doorstep as a thank you.” It hurt to laugh, you swiftly discovered. Like someone was squeezing your ribs a bit too hard. But you laughed all the same. It was why you liked to stick around him. Eld always had a special way of making you laugh. In the same weird way Levi did when you were alone with him. Less so in a social setting. 

You hadn’t realised how far you’d wandered before Petra came cantering up the hill on her horse, looking between you two with her all-too-familiar look of innocence. Much like what she did in the courtyard earlier that morning; you narrowed your eyes in challenge, daring her to ask. She mimicked your tight smile.

“Eld, you’re needed back at the camp. Hange says she’s finally found her two ‘babies’, which is a terrifying thought,” – she dismounted from her ride, handing the reins over to him– “take Squeak, I’ll walk back.” Eld nodded, swiftly turning back to give you a tight hug.

��I’m glad you’re alive.” He said again, making you consider once more whether certain other members of your squad were just as glad. You huffed a long, heavy sigh as he mounted Petra’s horse, turned heel, and took off at a canter, leaving you alone with the Red-Head Inquisition. 

“Luckily for you, you almost just died. So I’ll refrain from battering you with teasing until a later date. You’re welcome.” Okay, laughing really hurt. You grit your teeth against the throbs of pain, grasping the side of your ribs. How the hell you’d ended up so injured, you had no idea. But Petra wasn’t about to let your discomfort go. “Okay, lift up your jumper, let’s see the damage before I decide whether to shove you on the medical wagon or not.” 

You loved Petra. So damn much. 

Bunching the thick fabric in your hands, you raised it as far as you could under your harness, wincing as it pushed painfully against the tender area. Though Petra looked puzzled, even asking you to remove your tan jacket so she could see a little better. 

“There’s… there’s nothing here. No bruises, no discolouring, not even a scratch… are you sure you’re in pain? It could just be psychological, I’ve heard of phantom pains when you think something should be hurting but–”

“Pet, trust me, I’m in pain. Maybe it’s just not showing yet? Could just be in the developing stages.” Though you sounded unconvinced. Surely, with this degree of pain, something should be showing. But you ran your fingers over where it hurt most, and couldn’t feel a single bump. You exchanged a confused glance with the girl, who looked at you sceptically.

“Well, we should probably have the medics check you out anyway, but I’m telling you, there’s nothing there.”

“In your professional medical opinion?” You asked dryly, yanking your hoodie back down so she couldn’t prod or poke you any further.

“Exactly. In my professional medical opinion, I diagnose you with being dramatic.” 

You snorted, gently hitting her with your forearm. Before that too throbbed in complaint and you couldn’t control yet another grimace. Though you loved Petra, you cursed her for being so observant. 

“Alright, roll up your sleeve. Walls, you’re like a reluctant toddler.” 

Though you really were reluctant about this one. You’d taken a quick glance at the yellowish bruising on your forearm, and it was obviously not from any titan, and was much harder to explain. “It’s fine Pet, let’s just head back, we’re already too far from camp and if we run into titans out here, we’re fucked.” You huffed, already beginning the long walk back down the hill to where you could see a makeshift strategy tent had been erected, as well as several smaller medical tents. But, once again, Petra wasn’t having any of it, and you swore you would have similar bruising on your other arm from how hard she snatched at it to stop you.

“Absolutely not. Sleeve. Up. Now.” 

You sighed, contemplating making a run for it. Though in your current phantom condition, you didn’t think you’d make it very far before tripping and rolling down the second half. So you conceded, holding out your arm for her to roughly tug up your sleeve. “Fuck! Ow Petra, that fucking hurt, some medical professional you are.” Though the micro-second Petra didn’t respond to your jab, dread pooled in your gut. Her face dropped, suddenly far too serious for your liking. 

“Where did you get these?” You’d never heard her so curt, so clipped. Every syllable spat as if they were venomous. But you shut your mouth, refusing to respond until she pushed further, spitting your name. “Where did you get these? Or rather, who did you get these from?”

“Drop it, Pet.” Your voice didn’t nearly have the conviction in it you wanted.

“I’m serious. How long have you had these?” 

You jerked your head up, horrified at what she was implying. “I got them today, I promise. When working with the Captain, he just grabbed me too hard, that’s all. A bit like you’re doing right now, so could you chill the fuck out?” You tried to lighten the tension with a halfhearted smile as she let go of your other arm. You used it to swiftly pull down your sleeve, gripping it in your palm. You hated it when Petra worried about you. You hated it when anyone worried about you, in fact. It was unnecessary and irritating. 

Though totally fine when you did it.

Petra sighed, coming to terms with the fact she was fighting a losing battle. She knew how fiercely protective you were over Levi’s reputation, but she also knew you were honest when it mattered. There wasn’t anything more to this than what you were telling her. And she was going to trust you on that. 

“Alright. As long as you promise you’ll get some salve on it the moment we get back to HeadQuarters. And get your weird rib thing looked at when we get back to the tent. Ooo, actually, get some salve at the tent if they have some, maybe the bruising will go down by this evening.”

You nodded as you both finally started returning to the makeshift camp. You would see if the medics had any kind of soothing balm for your arm, if only to prevent seeing Levi’s face if he were to catch sight of the bruising.

Levi stood with his arms folded in the strategy tent, face like thunder, gritting his teeth against the occasional throb of his badly bruised ribs and weird arm pain. He knew the guilt he would feel for hurting you would consume him, but he wasn’t quite expecting physical pain to accompany the mental one. He was all for paying penance, but this was a bit much if he was being honest. The emotional agony of knowing you’d been marked because of him simply wasn’t enough – apparently – despite his mind additionally torturing him with mental images of what would have happened had he not made it in time. He could hear your screaming ringing in his ears, could feel your fruitless struggle against an iron grip, the desperation in his own soul as he watched himself fail, over and over again. Your voice cut off with a sickening crack. Levi suppressed a flinch. 

Why? Why the fuck was he seeing these things? Why was he hearing them? He was barely present in the room, only vaguely aware of Hange muttering to themselves, followed by her sombre looking assistant. Why did his head insist on ripping his heart out repeatedly, only to stitch it back together with the memory of holding you? With the recognition that you were in fact, still alive. He hadn’t lost you. He hadn’t failed. Was this some kind of prevention? Some kind of sick twisted way for his body to tell him not to let you get into that kind of situation again? Some fucked up instinct that was hell bent on keeping you safe? 

He briefly thought back to Kenny, for some reason. The bastard didn’t tell him much about who he was, but he seemed to know enough about his last name. All Levi knew was that he had some kind of connection to Ackermans before him. That was all the sleezy fuck told him. Although how he even knew that, Levi didn’t know. Probably something to do with his mother. 

He didn’t want to think about it anymore. At least the headache had stopped.

Hange cleared their throat, still pouring over maps spread across a wooden table, small pins stabbed into the parchment detailing what looked like a differing path back to the Wall. Moblit stayed silent, clearly reading the tension in the room. The unspoken barrage of temporary hatred between the Captain and the Scientist. But Hange looked resigned. “We’ll go via the river, that way we only have our left to look out for. The rapids are strong enough to knock over a five metre, and we’ll be alerted to anything bigger than that sooner rather than later.” 

Levi held no sympathy for them. You almost died today. That wasn’t something he was going to forgive anytime soon. But if Hange didn’t return with at least one titan in their grasp, he would kill them himself.

“We’re retreating already? After everything we sacrificed today? After the lives you sacrificed on this stupid fucking ordeal? No, we’ll capture one on the way back.” His tone left no room for debate, and Moblit seemed to take this as a signal to leave before things inevitably got messy. 

Hange sighed, pushing their goggles up onto their forehead. “Levi, it’s not worth it. People–”

They couldn’t finish before Levi grabbed them by the lapels of their jacket, and tugged them dangerously close. “Shut the fuck up, shitty glasses. It’s gone past the point where you get to decide what to do with the lives of my comrades. If you didn’t get so caught up in your fucking head, you would have seen the bullshit you pulled today. Though I have no problem beating the shit out of you, maybe it’ll knock some sense into you. 

“Do you have any idea who we almost lost today? The entirety of Miche’s Squad was almost wiped out because you couldn’t get your head out your ass for two fucking seconds to see the bigger picture. The lives of my squad were endangered because of you and your hellbent desire on capturing one of these fucks. So we’re gonna do what we came here to do, then we’re going the fuck home. Got it?”  Hange’s eyes were almost comically wide, listening to Levi’s tirade of utter fury. There was a part of him that wanted to mention your sacrifice, a part of him that wanted to explain every excruciating detail of what he saw, just to watch their expression morph into unconsolable guilt.

But even he wasn’t that cruel. That was his burden to bear, and his alone. 

Hange took a breath, and exhaled all the tension that had creeped into their shoulders. A more serene, relaxed look smoothing their creased brow and wide eyes. They looked refreshed.

“Yeah, got it. Thanks Levi. I needed that.” 

It seemed Levi wasn’t the only one who felt the need to pay penance for what he did today. A feeling he understood so completely, he let go of their jacket. Though he felt no desire for further conversation with them.

“Tch, just sort your shit out and get us home before anyone else dies.” He spat, before turning on his heel and storming out from the tent, instantly breathing in the fresher air of the outside. A reprieve of almost two whole seconds before his heart sank again. You were emerging from the medical tent with Petra in tow, and a bandage wrapped around your arm. Speaking of which, his own weird ache had finally calmed down. He subtly prodded the area on his forearm, finding no pain retaliating. Curious, he touched the supposed bruise on his ribs.

Oh okay, that was most definitely still there. Though his head snapped back to you as he heard your quiet “ow”. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you? There was nothing there! The medic literally just checked you over and found no trace of injury. Are you faking it to get Eld’s attention or something?” 

Your look of sheer indignation to Petra had him silently chuckling, content to briefly watch your exchange.

“Okay let’s slow down for a second. Firstly, I wouldn’t need to fake a fucking injury to get Eld’s attention. Secondly, I don’t particularly want Eld’s attention for crying out loud, that’s just something you and Nanaba have made up to keep yourselves entertained when you get bored of lamenting about your own love lives. And thirdly, I’m not. Fucking. Faking it. It seriously hurts, and I have no idea why.” You looked desperate for some kind of explanation, and he couldn’t blame you. He too wanted an explanation for the unexplainable pain in his arm. Though he sort of knew what that was. The powers of crushing guilt never ceased to morbidly amaze him. 

“Whatever you say. Where is the squad anyway? Thought they’d be here to welcome you back.” 

You threw her a confused glance. “I thought you said Hange had found her– oh I fucking hate you.”

“What?”

“That was a lie wasn’t it?” You sighed when she responded with a slightly sheepish look– “Petra! Fuck’s sake! Why am I not allowed to have other friends?” You asked, though Levi could see there was nothing but gentle teasing in your tone, the same faux petulance he saw from you last night. It warmed him, despite everything.

“Because I’m greedy and I want you all to myself.” Petra responded, lightly tapping the tip of your nose with her index finger in the most condescending manner Levi had ever seen you put up with. Visions of you borderline dislocating the shoulders of men who had done that to you previously flashed in his head. The weirdest sense of pride flared in his chest at the thought. 

“At least buy me dinner first.” You muttered, though your fond smile refused to dampen. Levi hadn’t noticed he’d been staring until you glanced his way, and he saw you double take before instantly stiffening. Petra, clearly noting your sudden shift, followed your eye-line, and nodded with the understanding that this was about to be an awkward exchange. 

“Captain.” Both you and Petra saluted, though your wince wasn’t didn’t go unnoticed. Neither did his. 

“At ease. Petra, you did well today, I’ll be pairing you with Oluo more often from now on.” The red-head nodded, bringing her fist down from her chest. You looked as if you would rather be anywhere else but in this current conversation, and Levi couldn’t help the slight pang of hurt at the idea. He understood that today hadn’t been very easy, but what he didn’t understand was how that affected your relationship. Were you really that eager to sacrifice yourself, to the point where you were mad at him for saving you? No, you weren’t illogical, nor suicidal. At least not to his knowledge. 

“Thank you, Sir. He listens surprisingly well when on the field.” Petra smiled brightly, but you detected the slightest hint of a hidden smirk on her face. Retching in front of your superior officer probably wouldn’t be very appropriate, so you kept your repulsion silent. What Oluo and Petra did when behind closed doors was a secret you very much didn’t want to be privy to. 

“We have about half an hour before we’re packing up and heading back, so rest up. Four Eyes wants to capture one by the river, where it’s less dangerous and we only have the left side to worry about.” 

You exchanged a quick look with Petra at his words. You knew it was her dismissal, since he hadn’t even looked at you, but you silently begged her not to heed it. Silently pleaded with her to wait until he had dismissed you both. 

But she returned your begging with an apologetic glance, before saluting again. “Yes Sir, I’ll inform the rest of the squad.” Was all she said, before she left you. Alone. With a man you swore couldn’t be bothered with your existence right now. You clenched your jaw, standing in deafening silence. 

Levi didn’t even know where to start. Should he ask if you were okay? You obviously were, no serious injuries to count for. Should he take you somewhere quieter to talk to you? That sounded too suspicious, and way too noticeable. Maybe he should ask about your ribs. Yeah, he’d heard your conversation with Petra, you were still in pain from something that didn’t seem to be there. Maybe it was internal, maybe something had fractured or broken and it just wasn’t showing yet. Oh shit, what if something had ruptured? Fuck, you shouldn’t even be standing if that had happened, what the hell were you doing idly chatting to Petra with internal bleeding? Fucking shit you should be–

“Captain?” 

Levi had never really considered himself to be an overthinker until this moment, where he was broken out of his trance by that little concerned pinch of your brow. He’d always managed to keep a clear head, never letting his thoughts run away like that. So why now was he freaking the fuck out over something that was highly unlikely. You didn’t even look injured. You were fine. He was fine. You were both fine. 

“Captain…?” you pressed.

“Mm?” Levi finally found it in him to respond, though no words seemed to present themself. All he could manage was a hum of acknowledgement. Still, it seemed to blend the worry from your brows, just hearing him respond easing your tension slightly. 

“Have you been checked over?” You asked, quickly scanning his body for any sign of discomfort. Though you knew it was fruitless. You knew he’d learned to hide any kind of physical discomfort extremely well, choosing instead to ignore any kind of pain in favour of getting a job done. It would be admirable if it didn’t piss you off so much. How fucking hard was it to take a quick break to get yourself checked over for crying out loud? 

“What?”

“Have you been checked over? By the medics?” 

“Oh. No.”

You bristled, breathing out an irritated sigh. You don’t know why you even got your hopes up. Of course he hadn’t. And he wouldn’t if you didn’t drag him into the tent yourself. And you would have done, had this happened yesterday. But now… now you weren’t so sure. You weren’t sure how he would react to such a causal display of closeness between you two. Not when he kept blowing hot and cold like this. It left your head spinning and your stomach twisting. 

“I would suggest doing that… Sir.” You almost forgot your formalities, despite your situation. Mainly because you didn’t know what the fuck he was thinking right now, and reading these tones was impossible. Levi blinked at you blankly, and you couldn’t help but wonder whether this was what it was like talking to a brick wall. Was this how water felt when it ran off a duck’s back? You almost pitied the rain. 

You bit your tongue to stop yourself from snapping at him, and instead backed up into the medical tent, turning slightly to part the two canvas flaps. It felt like you were trying to entice a scared kitten from under a bed, trying to encourage him out by showing him that it was okay. Being checked by a fucking medic was okay. He was allowed to look after himself once in a while.

It wasn’t that Levi was reluctant. More that he didn’t know how the fuck to handle this situation. He was at an utter loss. This was exactly the same situation as last night, where you just switched at the drop of a hat.  He didn’t know what to make of it, and it had stunned him into paralysis. Where he simply couldn’t move or speak, because he was stuck just deciphering you. 

“Captain.” You were getting sick of this now. If he really hated you that much, he shouldn’t have saved you. Did he realise that after he’d held you for minutes upon long minutes? Was that what he was contemplating? Whether or not to feed you to the next titan he came across. Fine. You would live with that. You would bury everything that had happened, bury any sense of familiarity you felt when around him, but first he had to see the fucking medic.

Levi wordlessly stepped forward into the tent, skin buzzing as he passed you, like an excited moth before a smouldering lamp. Did you know you had that effect on him?

“Captain Levi! What can I do for you, sir?” The poor overworked medic was still packing away her things from when you’d arrived earlier. Salves, bandages, a small splint, though you thought the last one was a bit excessive. Though when her eyes landed on you, you felt a little sheepish. You’d insisted earlier there was something wrong with your ribs, since they still fucking hurt, but she’d gotten a little annoyed with you when she kept finding nothing. “If you’re back to ask me to look at your ribs again, I’m just going to send you away.” She added flatly, her hands placed firmly on her hips as she regarded you with nothing but discontent.

“Ah, no. Not mine this time. His.” You gestured to Levi who seemed to have found the fucking cheek to look bored right now. Arms folded, regarding the medic like she was the last person he wanted to be seeing right now. She seemed utterly unphased.

“Right, more phantom rib injuries or is this one real this time?” You stopped briefly to wonder where she stored all that audacity, but luckily for you, it seemed Levi didn’t have the patience for her attitude either.

“Considering it’s me, we’re talking about, I’ll leave that deduction up to you.” You stole a quick glance at him. So now he speaks up. Once again, you bit your tongue. You wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d successfully pissed you off. If that was even satisfying to him. 

But his scathing comment seemed to have pushed back her attitude, and she instantly started to unpack the equipment she’d just put away, asking him politely to remove his jacket and to unbutton his shirt. You took this as your cue to leave, glad he was too preoccupied with something else to blankly stare at you anymore. But you barely managed to turn around, before;

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” 

The colour drained from your face. “I just, I thought you would want some privacy, Sir.” Why was it all of a sudden so difficult to hold your voice steady? Even clenching your jaw, you could feel your throat wavering as you sucked in a breath. 

“Tch, don’t you play strip poker with everyone else?” Vaguely you registered the surprised squeak of the medic.

“I– well, yes Sir, but you don’t tend to join us, so I didn’t know if it was uncomfortable for you or not.” Your reasoning had his heart bursting. Why were you always so considerate towards him? It was irritating… kind of.

“Did it occur to you that I might not be joining in because of the several mountains of paperwork in my office?”

You couldn’t help it this time. “Did it occur to you that both Hange and Miche manage to take a fucking break once in a while and spend time with their respective squads. Hange being a goddamn Section Commander?” You bit back, glaring razors at his paused form. You took a second to collect yourself, and instantly felt bad about the bite. You knew how hard he worked, it plagued you both everyday. And you knew he worked so he could make sure he had enough time to train with his squad. To make sure none of you fucking died out here. Well, most of you. “Sorry. That was unnecessary of me, Sir. I apologise.”

“Stop being so fucking formal. It’s grating when it comes from you,” 

You tried not to take offence, though it was difficult when he’d done nothing but treat you with indifference since he left you on the field. You couldn’t deflect this anymore. After a while, the little jabs start to pierce through your thick skin. You were normally good at returning them with jabs or quips of your own, but you’d almost just died and now the one person you thought you were closest to now couldn’t care less about your existence. You were tired, and now you were just hurt.

“Right. Yeah, sorry.” 

Even the medic looked up at that. You hadn’t meant to sound so downcast, but you were rapidly losing control over your expression. With your eyes on the ground, you didn’t see the way Levi’s eyes widened slightly, didn’t see the way his mouth parted in subtle consternation. He went to say something, but whatever words he had died on his tongue as he watched you wince. Not from something said, but rather something felt. It was the same moment the medic sat him down on the camp bed and put slight pressure on the blossoming purple bruise down his side. He glanced at her, only for his gaze to linger. She looked puzzled. Extremely puzzled.

“This is… okay well, first of all your ribs are cracked. I would advise not to engage in any further combat today. And secondly, well, this is exactly what you were describing” – she turned to look at you, completely baffled – “right down to the shaping. As in, where you were pointing on your side, that’s exactly what’s happened here. It’s… uncanny.”

You had literally nothing to say. What the hell could you say? All you’d done is point to where you’d felt pain. How the fuck that correlated with Levi’s own injury, you couldn’t explain. But it scared you, for some reason. It scared you.

The room fell into an eerie silence as the medic continued her work, applying the same salve to his ribs as she did to your arm, and bandaging up his torso. It was only after she’d left, clearly sensing the tension in the tent, did you finally voice what had been on your mind for over an hour now.

“You didn’t have to save me, you know.” 

Levi froze at your matter-of-fact words, hands halfway through buttoning up his shirt paused as he looked back at you. Deciphering his emotions right now would have taken days of careful study, so he reacted with the most instinctual one. Indifferent irritation. It seemed to have worked so far.

“The hell are you talking about?”

“You could have just let me go. It just- I don’t know, I don’t think it was worth the burden. Or your ribs. If this happens again, or something similar, if it’s going to cause you this much discomfort just… let it go. I’m not saying I’m not grateful! I am, I am grateful, but you don’t seem to–” you caught yourself before you said anything out of line. Not realising the line was crossed the second you suggested he just let you die. And now he was pissed. No scratch that, Levi was furious. This was the first time he’d ever felt this kind of anger towards you, and he fucking hated it. How could you casually say shit like that? What kind of fucked up joke was this? How the fuck could you so easily jest about losing your own life? He turned round, facing you now and preparing to fire off on you, before he caught sight of your face.

You weren’t joking. You were being serious. Dead serious. 

You really thought he didn’t care about you. But you didn’t seem upset, just resigned. How the hell had he managed to fuck up this badly? To the point where you were genuinely serious about how disposable you thought you were. It dampened his rage like a wet rag on a campfire. Every instinct tore at him to hold you like he did earlier. To reassure you again and again that this wasn’t the case. You meant more to him than you would ever know. A pressing weight squeezed his chest, tightening around his heart and slowly constricting. 

He didn’t understand why you were saying this. Why you’d lost that spark he’d seen earlier today, and he had been seeing for the years he’d known you. But you’d lost it. And fuck if that didn’t hurt. He wanted to make it better. Make it go away. Whatever pain you were feeling, he didn’t care, he just wanted to make it okay again. 

“Don’t be fucking stupid.” I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I lost you today. “You think you can just throw your life away because you assume it would be the most convenient option?” I care about you too much to let you do that, to let you ever do that. “Say something that stupid again and you’re not coming on the next expedition.” I can’t bear to hear you talk about yourself like that, you matter so much more than you realise.  

But he could see you were drowning. See you’d been snagged by whatever you believed, and it was pulling you under. Dragging you down to a place he couldn’t reach you. You weren’t looking at him, he didn’t even think you were listening to him. Eyes hollow as you stared at the ground a few feet in front of you. 

He knew you were reliving the moment you’d been caught. He knew you were watching different events unfold, a what-could-have-been scenario. He knew because he’d seen it too. But the idea of you becoming comfortable with that outcome terrified the shit out of him, and the longer you lost yourself to that trance, the more likely your death would become less harrowing to you. And the more petrifying it became for him. 

Calling your name didn't work. He just tried twice. Your eyes were widening the more you sank, white noise invading your ears as you found yourself no longer in the medical tent, but back out on the field. Had you blacked out? How the fuck did you manage to be back out in the field? And how long had you been fighting a titan? The movements were startlingly familiar, you’d performed these exact manoeuvres today with Gunther. An exact echo of your earlier fight. Even to the point where–

You couldn’t feel the collision with your comrade. Couldn’t hear him shout your name. Couldn’t feel the suffocating grasp around your body as you were snatched from the sky. But it was fine, you’d realised this was just a memory now. You’d blacked out in the tent, and you were dreaming. It’s fine, he wouldn’t let you die. He was coming. You didn’t die here. 

Any moment now, you’d be falling again. 

Any second. Any… any……

You started to panic, breath quickening, heart thundering. This was it. You did die here after all. Levi wasn’t coming, this wasn’t a dream. He’d weighed up the situation and found you worth less than the consequences. And it was that thought, that paradoxical knife of contented agony that put you at ease. This was the choice he would regret least: letting you go. Gunther was safe, and the price was low. So you embraced the pool of dread in the pit of your stomach, and savoured the sound of your own bones cracking under the force of–

“Hey, hey, you still with me?” Levi had taken your arm and squeezed gently, not enough for the pain of your bruise to throb, but enough to bring you back to him. And though you blinked at him, your breathing didn’t slow. Your trembling didn’t cease. 

Your heart was beating so hard you could feel it in your gut. Could feel the relentless pounding at the base of your chest. Everything was too bright here. Everything was too loud. You couldn’t focus, unable to decipher reality from fiction. You stared wide eyed ahead of you, lost amongst shades of blue and grey. 

That was when Levi started to really worry. When you couldn’t focus on his voice. When your eyes would refuse to see him. You were clawing up to the surface, only to find a glass ceiling. You were trapped. Trapped in this minimal space between what came to be and what could have been. The sound of your own shattering bones wove with a baritone voice you knew you needed to follow. But it kept disappearing, and you were tugged back into your nightmare. 

He could feel it. How hard you were fighting. He could feel every attempt you made to break free of whatever held you. Levi didn’t question it because it felt so instinctual. Every desperate lunge for his mind felt natural, though it was something he would mull over much, much later. He kept his voice and hands steady until he felt you finally latch on with a good enough grip.

“You’re okay. You’re safe now, you’re with me. You’re alright, I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here, okay? I’m right here, you can come back now, it’s safe I promise. You’re okay, you’re alive. You’re alive.” He didn’t question how he knew what to say. Didn’t question how he knew you were following him back to reality. Didn’t question whatever had drowned you so deep he had to jump in after you. But he swore that was never happening again. Under no circumstances was he ever letting you doubt him, or yourself, again. Not if these were the consequences. 

You felt like you were being peeled from an oil-spill, your mind finally releasing you with a satisfying pop. The white noise in your ears faded away, and your eyes focused on Levi’s. Slowly your heart came down from its racing beat, though kept fluttering in a way you knew wasn’t as desperately terrifying. “What the fuck was that…?” you whispered, too stunned to make any attempts to move away when Levi hesitantly, gently guided your chin so he could search your face for any kind of injury. He knew he wouldn’t find anything, but he just had to make sure. “Did you see that too…?”

Levi stopped, once again having no idea how to deal with this situation. An all consuming panic attack brought on by the crushing weight of existential dread, sure. Easy. A simple question such as this? Levi was back to square one. 

But you took his silence as confirmation. He had seen something, at least. And it honestly made you feel a little better. Though you still had to ask; “Would you have done it? If you could go back and do it again, would you have done it?”

He understood the question instantly. He’d been asking himself the same ever since he caught you. Since he’d seen his own nightmare sequence back in the strategy tent. Not his first, not by a long way. Would he have let you die? If he could have seen the consequences, would he have let you go? If the circumstances had been any different, and his own life had been on the line to save yours, would he have been able to watch you die? Each answer came without a shadow of a doubt.

“No. I would choose you. Every single time.” 

Fuck did he want to kiss you.   

Hange finally got what they wanted. A five metre and a fifteen metre. Although luring them back proved difficult. The five metre was easily subdued, but needed regular dismembering to make sure it wouldn’t go for any soldiers. The fifteen metre was a little trickier. Though the spring triggered nets worked well, they weren’t strong enough to hold the strength of that kind of titan. Soldiers took shifts to become bait for this thing, riding ahead whilst trying to keep the balance of interest. You were stifling your nerves since you were up next, knowing the second you saw the green smoke, you’d once again be the subject of delicious interest for a titan. But a minute before you were due to replace Petra, Levi separated from the group, only to return with ‘word from Hange’.

“You’re injured and so, excused. Oluo, you’re up.” Though it grated on your nerves a little, you knew now why. Deciphering Levi’s “confession” in the medical tent had taken the entire journey back so far. There was no deception in his eyes. Nothing but earnest honesty. He didn’t regret what he did. And he really would have done it again, given the chance. You understood now, so you didn’t argue. 

Closer to the wall, the titan’s arms and legs were severed, and a net was secured over its hulking body. You didn’t envy the poor horses that had to cart this thing through Trost district. But it was only once you were finally back at HeadQuarters could you relax. You sat in the communal lounge with your squad, nursing a small glass of whiskey despite the early afternoon hours. Though, when one is a Scout, one doesn’t tend to adhere to a drinking schedule. 

Eld had taken a seat next to you, shuffling a deck of cards in his hand. It was one of his habits, you realised. When something was playing on his mind, he needed to have something to fiddle with. Whether that be a deck of cards, the lapel of his jacket, the clasp of his cloak or the triggers on his gear. 

You gently took the deck from his hands, placing down on the short table between the two leather couches. He refused to look at you, and you knew then he was thinking about what happened today. Glancing up at Gunther, and it was obvious he, too, was reliving it.

“Guys, I’m fine. I’m alive, and we’re all safe. We don’t need to dwell on it. Please.” None of them responded to you for a moment, opting instead to sit in silence, until Eld took his hand from yours.

“You’re too trigger-happy with your life. I– None of us would cope very well if you’d died out there today, and I’ll bet you anything Captain Levi thinks the same. We just–”

“Stop being fucking stupid and sacrificing yourself to save us.” You looked up to Petra, who had a scowl on her face. Gunther and Oluo exchanged glances, and you knew they were thinking the same. Your face fell. How were you supposed to do that? You would do anything for these four people, and your protective tendencies don’t just extend to the people in this room. Hange, Nanaba, Nifa, Miche, Moblit… all of them. Even Erwin, when he poked his toupé out his office. And, of course, Levi. You would both fight and die for him happily. You didn’t want to stop doing that. Why would you?

“It’s kinda selfish, ya know?” 

Your heart cracked as you turned your head back to the blonde beside you. You never thought he was capable of saying something so harsh… “Eld?”

“It is. None of us want to wind up dead, but that pales in comparison to having someone sacrifice themselves for us. We know you’ve always done it, considered your life worth less than the rest of ours but, please. Stop.” You clenched your fists as he looked at you with utter melancholic desperation. You glanced to see your squad-mates all looking at you with the same expression. Pausing in thought, you considered their point of view. If someone were to do that for you, if any of them were to do that for you…

If Levi was to do that for you…

You’d never forgive him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think, I just–”

“We know. Don’t worry, we know.” Eld took your hand back, before abandoning that all together and encasing your shoulders in his arms. Your comrades took that as their cue, and one by one came and joined the embrace, Petra tugging on a strand of your hair before completing the small group hug. Until the stench of egg permeated the air, and you all quickly separated, coughing and retching. You bolted for the window.

“Fuck’s sake Gunther, we couldn’t have a nice moment for five fucking minutes?” Petra reprimanded, covering her nose and mouth with her jacket. 

You burst open the window, gulping down as much fresh evening air as you could before you turned back to the room. Petra with her jacket hiding half her face, Oluo waving his cravat around like he could somehow clear the air around him. Gunther sitting back comfortably on the couch, feet kicked up on the small coffee table, grinning from ear to ear. And Eld, who seemed to be looking at you with a soft smile. 

“You alright?” He mouthed, cautious of the others in the room who may be watching. You smiled, thinking for a moment, before nodding. 

“Yeah, now I am.” It seemed good enough for him, dipping his head in confirmation just as the door swung open. Everyone stopped what they were doing, frozen to the spot. Oluo’s whirling cravat fell limp in his hand, softly hitting the side of his head from where he was swinging it above him. You all met eyes with the group on the other side of the door, who all looked a little dishevelled. Hange, eyes bright and glasses askew. Moblit, who looked as worried as ever. Nanaba and Nifa, with matching expressions of bafflement. And Miche, who was scrunching his nose, clearly able to smell what had just happened. 

“Do we even want to know?” Nanaba asked, arms folded across her chest.

“Gunther shit himself.” Eld responded casually, earning himself a bark of laughter from you, and an indignant snort from the culprit himself.

“Oh. Well, it wouldn't be the first time. Everyone in a circle on the floor. Eld, snatch that deck of cards for us would you?” Hange produced two bottles of whiskey from behind their back, Miche, Moblit and Nifa carrying a few glasses each. 

Eld snatched up your glasses, the deck and the remaining bottle of whiskey from the table, before settling down next to you on the floor, handing over your glass and the deck. “You’re better at shuffling and dealing than I am.” 

You shrugged, flitting the cards about in your hands so they wouldn’t be in order. You all knew exactly what to expect within the next couple of hours. Strip poker always played out the same way. Miche was the first one shirtless, Nanaba would spend the rest of the game ogling at him. Petra and Oluo would fall into some kind of domestic argument over whether the girls could use their bras as separate items of clothing, she always won. Moblit would refuse to look up from the ground, too embarrassed by the lack of clothes, Nifa would be the same. Hange tended to boast loud and proud about how good they were, and then instantly lose all items of clothing on their body, and Gunther would be the only one to insist on wearing everything he won. Including bras, which usually resulted in hilarity. 

Miche had just, predictably, lost his shirt to Petra, when the door swung open again. The entire room stopped to look up, and you twisted around. 

Your face lit up. 

Levi stood in the doorway, carefully surveying the circle on the floor, before making a mental decision nobody was privy to.

But to your collective surprise, he walked in, and sat down opposite you. You couldn’t help but smile, warmed by the idea that he’d done this for you. He was taking a break, finally, and spending time with the group. And the group looked utterly bewildered. All except you.

“So? How do you play?” 

Your smile broke into a stupid grin. “You’ve never played poker?”

“Yes, but most of the time, clothes stayed on,”

“Most of the time?”

Levi threw you a wry look, but you could see that little smirk of his. “Just explain the damn rules.”

You snickered, unaware of the stunned looks the circle was giving you. “It’s just like Krolva Hold’em. The blind makes a bet without looking at their cards, but with clothing rather than chips or money. So, usually it’s a sock or a shoe at first. Everyone then looks at their cards and decides whether they want to be in or out, depending on the flop. After a few rounds, whoever comes out on top gets the clothes and can put them on if they want. First one naked loses.” Levi glanced at everyone in the circle individually. Miche, it seemed, was terrible at this game. “So, you in or out, Captain?” There was a hopeful challenge in your gaze, and even if Levi could say no to you, he wouldn’t have. Not when you were basically daring him to.

“Fine. Deal me in.” 

Oh your smile was worth all the clothes he was about to lose. Worth the shit-eating grin from Hange, the suspicious squint from Miche. Worth the look of horrified realisation from Petra and Nanaba as you redealt everyone two cards, now with eleven players. And he was glad you were too preoccupied with dealing to see him mouth a spiteful “fuck off” to Hange and Nifa’s shared knowing look. 

Placing the rest of the deck back in the middle, you drew out three cards and placed them face up. “Alright, who’s the blind this round?”

“Oh shit, me. Uh, one shoe I guess.” Moblit raised his glass, only possessing his left shoe. His right was now awkwardly hanging off Petra’s leg, who was also wearing Miche’s shirt and Hange’s jacket. 

Everyone looked at their cards, and a silence blanketed the group. If anyone walked in, the circle would have easily been mistaken for a seance. Each player carefully calculated whether the hand was worth losing pants over. Especially Miche. Your eyes raised expectantly to Levi, who’d just remembered he was extremely competitive at this game when he used to play back in The Underground. Reading people’s nervous ticks was easy, but he had a feeling you might be able to hide yours quite well. 

“Two shoes.” He raised. Moblit groaned in anguish, knowing he would be giving up a sock if he were to continue. Miche, Nanaba and Petra all called, staying on two shoes. A bit boring, if anyone were to ask you. You glanced down at the ace and queen in your hand, your confidence bursting. You’d already won, you knew you had. The flop had turned in your favour: a king, another ace, and a jack. You already had a pair, now you were waiting for a ten. 

“Two shoes and a shirt.” You smirked, holding Levi’s scrutinising gaze. He could search all he wanted, he wasn’t going to find anything. You had never lost this game for a reason.

“Yeah no fuck that, I’m out.” Eld placed his hand face down on the floor, followed by Gunther and Nifa. Hange, of course, stuck with your bid, and another card was drawn. 

Your heart dropped at the sight of a second jack, and though it lessened the likelihood of anyone else going for the Royal Flush, that still left too much probability of other winning hands for your liking. One you would rather squash than go up against.

Levi’s mind raced as Moblit, too, folded. The jack in his hand laughed at him, a grinning visage to his own uncertainty. Three of a kind was pretty ideal if he was being honest, but you held yourself with such stony confidence that it was knocking his. Your innocent smile did nothing to help order his thoughts. Either he’d already lost, or you were bluffing. He’d recently seen how easily you could lie, and how you made it look ridiculously convincing. So he took a chance.

“Two shoes, a shirt and a cravat.” 

You gaped, folding your arms with a laugh of disbelief. “That’s such bullshit! Nobody else even wears a cravat except Oluo!”

“Guess you shoulda worn more clothes then.”

“You seem confident in yourself.”

“I’m always confident in myself.”

“Then this will be a good lesson for you to learn.” You smirked, bending your leg to rest your forearm on your knee, swirling your whiskey in your hand. Once again the group had fallen into silent awe at another feisty exchange between you, Hange’s shit-eating grin only eating more shit as they watched. 

“Well, I don’t have a shirt, nor any shoes so I’m gonna fold…” Miche placed his hand down on the floor, Nanaba and Petra following suit. 

Your eyes narrowed, half tempted to bet pants as well, but you decided to be nice. This was his first game with the group after all. 

“Raise you a jacket.” You grinned.

Nifa and Hange too folded, but you had a sneaking suspicion it was because they wanted to watch you and Levi go up against each other. Since now you were the only two still in play.

You placed your cards face up on the ground, earning whistles and hisses from the circle. Two pairs, one away from Royal Flush. No wonder you were confident.

 A confidence that was immediately crushed by the three of a kind in Levi’s hand. You blanched, inwardly cursing yourself for being so cocky. 

“You can still fold.” Levi smirked condescendingly, making sure there was absolutely no way you were about to fold. Scoffing tightly, you leaned forward to turn the fifth and final card. 

Having both checked your heart was in your throat. This was it, if the next card you turned over wasn’t a ten, you’d lost, and you would never hear the end of it. The tension in the room was so thick it was like breathing soup. Buzzing anticipation almost made your hair static as your fingers rested on the top of the next card.

You held your breath and pulled it off, flipping it and placing your fate in the river.

Levi swore viciously.

You released your held breath as a striking red ten of hearts announced your victory. A Royal Flush versus a three of a kind. You knew this round would be talked about for weeks after tonight. All the tension in your body drained away, and you finally had the mind to savour your victory, Levi now wallowing in a crushing defeat.

“What was it? Two shoes, a shirt, your cravat and a jacket?” You teased lightly, cackling like an animal as Levi flipped you off. But you could see there was no venom in his gaze. In fact there was no indication he was irritated at all. Rather, all you could see was relaxed enjoyment. He was enjoying himself.

Holy fuck, Levi was enjoying himself, even as he threw his jacket across the circle at you, followed by his two boots. You raised your eyebrows expectantly as he unbuttoned his shirt, loosening his cravat from around his neck. He tried to ignore your shameless staring as more of his body was revealed, and holy fuck he was so much hotter than you’d ever imagined.

Not that you’d imagined it. No, that would be extremely unprofessional.  

Levi went to tug the shirt from his shoulders, cravat hanging loose around his neck, when you suddenly stopped him. “Look, since it’s your first game with us, I’ll be merciful toward you,” he would have thanked you there and then, had your gaze not sparkled with dangerous mischief. “You can keep the cravat on.”

As evening faded to night, the rounds played out like you would have imagined. Levi managed to win back some of his clothes, though you kept his jacket throughout the rest of the game, having abandoned your own beside you. It smelt too nice to let go. But he managed to reclaim his shirt and boots, and acquired Hange’s glasses, Oluo’s cravat, Moblit’s shirt and pants, and your hoodie, which he instantly pulled on. He would never admit to himself how disappointed he was to see you wearing a thin vest underneath. 

You, on the other hand, were borderline drowning in fabric. You now wore the shirts of Gunther, Nanaba and Eld, you’d laid Nifa’s jacket over your head because you couldn’t fit it over the other three layers and Levi’s jacket, though you were wearing two odd socks and were shoeless, those having been stolen from you by Hange who wore them on their hands, and Eld, who’d stretched your socks over his boots. 

“Miche, stop betting, you absolute madman. You don’t have any clothes on!” You laughed as he strategically placed his one remaining sock over his junk, which left nothing to the imagination, to Nanaba’s horny delight. You shook your head in disbelief as she kept adjusting how she was sitting. Disgusting girl. 

Only three people were still in: Miche, Levi and Gunther. Predictably, Levi won again.

“I don’t want that…” He scrunched his nose in disgust as Miche gestured down to his crotch for Levi to take his last remaining sock from his dick. Something that was not-so-politely declined. 

“If you’re not gonna take it, I’m technically still in the game.” Hange snorted a laugh at Miche’s reasoning, nodding their head in agreement, their boot-clad arms waving around wildly. You were glad you took away their already chipped glass before they smashed it completely..

“No, Miche, you’re not. Which concludes tonight’s game. Congrats Petra!” the group swivelled to where Petra had meticulously balanced the contents of everyone’s closets on her body. Several socks, jackets, shirts, hairpins, and pants fitting neatly over her, her face still visible from a shroud of fabric. She looked like some far away deity, adorned with offerings. 

Usually, at the end of these nights, everyone just went back to their rooms and exchanged clothes in the morning, when hangovers were strong and vomit was pungent. But Nifa and Petra seemed nice enough to throw Miche’s clothes back at him, and Levi handed Moblit’s shirts and pants back. You gave clothes back to those who asked for them, but when you were left cleaning the glasses of the sticky whiskey, you were still wearing one of Miche’s giant socks, and Nanaba’s shirt.

Oh. And Levi’s jacket… which you couldn’t bring yourself to offer it back. You swore it was more comfortable than your own. 

You’d been too preoccupied with your thoughts of the night’s events to realise you were washing the glass Hange had chipped. Until the sharp edge sliced cleanly through the palm of your hand. You jerked back, hissing inaudibly at the small wound. A small line of crimson had beaded across the fat of your palm, which you did nothing but glance at before you shook the pain off. It would fade in a minute. 

You kept shaking your hand, until it was caught mid-air. A strong hold encasing your wrist had you whipping your head to the left. You hadn’t even noticed anyone else had stayed behind, let alone had been watching you.

But he hadn’t. Levi hadn’t been watching you. Sure, he noticed you went to clean up all the discarded glasses, and he’d gone to get a mop for the spilt amber on the wooden floor. But the truth was, he’d been cleaning it up when the slightest jolt of pain struck his hand. His palm, to be exact.

“Let me look.” 

You hadn’t realised you’d closed your fist to hide it, though the scrunch of skin bit into the fresh wound. You couldn’t even refuse, compelled by something in his gaze to open your hand and let him look at where you’d managed to hurt yourself. You winced slightly as he softly grazed his thumb across the slice, before adjusting the faucet and checking the temperature of the water. When he guided your hand beneath the water flow, it was no longer hot, but rather lukewarm. Soothing, even. You couldn’t tear your eyes from the concentration on his face as he cleaned your cut, looking around before settling on a paper towel to stifle the bleeding with. It wasn’t a bandage, but it would do. 

But even after he’d finished, his warm hold on your wrist didn’t loosen.

“Thank you.” You murmured, looking down to realise he was still wearing your jumper, just with the sleeves rolled up. He’d had the option to exchange it back for his shirt during the game. 

He hadn’t. 

Levi regarded you for a moment, no longer holding your arm up by the kitchen basin, but rather now down by your side. He didn’t know what compelled him to do so, but one moment his other hand was idle, the next he was gently playing with a strand of your hair. 

“Who knew you were such a little demon?” 

Your soft smile broadened into something a little more bashful. You’d always been good at games like poker, where strategy and probability were key. The breath of your laugh tickled his skin, and it was then did Levi notice how close you’d become.

“What can I say? Just the luck of the draw.” You replied, mimicking the tonal shift of the night. Your heart stuttered in your chest, and you hoped he couldn’t feel your palm start to sweat from where he was holding your wrist. 

Levi’s impulse returned. His screaming instinct to kiss you thrashed in his mind. He wanted to hold you, and not just your hand, you. He wanted to feel your heartbeat again, like he had this morning. Fuck he wanted to taste you, wanted to breathe the same air as you, think the same thoughts as you. 

“What did you see? Today In the tent. You asked if I had seen something too. What did you see?” He managed to keep himself steady, thumb drawing smooth caresses on the inside of your wrist, silently gauging your reaction. If you started to hurt in any way, he would change the subject. But something was happening. Something was happening between you two, and he wanted to try and work it out. He assumed normal couples didn’t feel each other’s fucking wounds for crying out loud.

Not that you were a couple. Not even dating. 

You paused for a second, contemplating your answer. You wanted to sweeten the blow, maybe even tell a little white lie and say you just relived the moment he saved you. But lying to Levi had become almost impossible lately, so in typical soldier fashion, you kept it blunt.

“My death. I relived what happened, only you didn’t come. I was watching myself die, and I seemed okay with it,” – you paused, quickly scanning his thinly veiled expression of horror – “I’m less okay with it now. Much less okay. Sort of had a reality check by the squad. Yourself included.” You watched as his features relaxed, no longer holding the tension you so hated. Shit, he was looking at you the same way he did last night, only this time you could distinguish the reflection of flickering candle light from the seemingly bioluminescent glow in his eyes, only exaggerated by the darker shades beneath them.

Levi sighed gently, his suspicion now confirmed. “I saw the same thing.” His confession had your eyes widen slightly, looking away to comprehend what he just said.

“Levi… how did you know I needed help? How did you get to me so quickly?” You asked quietly. A secret question only for you and him. 

“I saw it. I saw you. I think… I think it was before anything had even happened. When I got there, I’d already seen what was happening, and what was going to happen. And I saw it again, an hour later. Exactly what you just described. I saw what would have happened if I hadn’t made it.”

“What does this mean…?”

Levi stayed silent for what felt like years. Honestly, he didn’t know what it meant. He had absolutely no idea what the fuck was going on. He assumed it was most likely something to do with his blood, but he couldn’t truthfully tell you, because he didn’t know.

So you saved him the stress of answering by asking something else. “Will you sleep tonight?” 

He couldn’t bear the concern on your face. He couldn’t bear the worry you held for him. He wanted to tell you to stop, to stop worrying so much about him. But he could never find it in himself to ask something like that of you. “Yeah. I’ll try.”

You didn’t look convinced. “Try harder. Anything less than an hour and I’ll bribe Hange to leave their festering experiments on your desk.” 

Levi huffed in amusement, his lips pulling into a slight smile despite his best efforts. Which, in hindsight, weren’t very good anyway. His efforts never were when it came to hiding things from you.

“Sounds like insubordination to me.” 

You chuckled lightly, and the sound ignited every nerve in his body. “Mm? What you gonna do? Throw me in a cell?”

“It’s tempting.”

You mock gasped, earning yourself a swift flick to your forehead. Something you also overreacted to by dramatically rubbing the microscopic hurt, before you fell into a charged, yet comfortable silence. One you used to memorise the features of his face, how they shifted and bent with each expression, how they pinched and relaxed when he spoke. You found yourself mesmerised. 

Levi had to do something. Had to say something, anything, or else he was going to kiss you. And he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t fuck up a relationship he’d only just managed to salvage. If you were even open to it. He didn’t even know if anything you did was meant in a romantic sense, or just a close friend kind of thing. But he was drawn in by your gaze, by your head subtly tilting to the side, eyes flitting over your face, down to your lips. 

“That’s my jacket.” Relationship saved.

Moment ruined.

You drew back, broken from your transfixed state to look down at yourself, using the diversion to mentally bash your head into a brick wall. What the fuck were you thinking? Trying to kiss him? The fuck was wrong with you? You tried not to let the blatant rejection get to you too much. Maybe he just wasn’t ready for that yet, and the way he hadn’t pulled away still set your heart ablaze.

“That’s my hoodie.” You quipped back, raising a brow of challenge. Levi was quick to realise this was one of his favourite expressions of yours. 

He debated taking the jumper off and returning it to you in exchange for his jacket, but he had a spare one. 

No-one would know…

You were expecting him to ask for it back, especially when his hands moved to grasp the lapels. Though when he did nothing but straighten it slightly and tug it down on your shoulders, you had to bite your lip not to beam at him. 

“Keep it. It looks better on you.” Though it made no sense, since all jackets were identical, you understood. It was just an excuse to give it to you. Or an excuse to keep your hoodie. You were extremely content with both reasons.

As was Levi, who fell into bed later that night comforted by a blanket of your scent.

[aedyre]

to be honest, the biggest issue with eso’s writing, and one i really hope they finally address and get their heads out of their asses over, is how badly integrated the main character has become into the story ever since they switched to their chronological nightmare philosophy of “everything can happen at any time”.

compare how much more grounded the pc feels in the alliance stories and main story vs the xpacs, where it is becoming increasingly more egregious how you’re treated as just a random mercenary/adventurer/what have you because you might be doing stories out of (release) order... meanwhile you may have beaten molag bal in single combat, ruined the plans of the daedric triad and saved summerset and vvardenfell, stopped a dragon invasion as well as the gray host returned and beat back mehrunes dagon into oblivion twice. and that on top of everything you do in the alliance stories.

and then you get to high isle and... are once again Random Adventurer #1534, with lady arabelle saying you’re “on retainer” and pretending she hired you (???), like you aren’t an eye of the queen/the king’s arrow/emeric’s champion, and close friends with the alliance leaders, and very likely involving yourself with the situation for that reason.

this works if you are still Random Adventurer #1534 because in the utter confusion that is starting eso these days, you started with the peace talks instead of the alliance stories (despite anyone who does that being able to clearly tell that they played out of chronological order, no matter what zos says), but if you actually played the story in order? no amount of “hello my friend :)” or random side characters from side quests you may or may not have completely forgotten about will fix the vast sense of disconnect created by who you are supposed to be, and who you are treated as.

the alliance stories don’t do that. the alliance stories build up over each zone, creating an actual narrative, with your character at the center. the dc will even pull the main story into it with the repeated references to your soulless status. as a result, the alliance stories make for a much more cohesive and enjoyable story experience, despite the fact that i think the writing quality in some of the xpacs and dlc is vastly improved over the vanilla content. admittedly not high isle’s though, that one is a lost cause either way. at least ayrenn and emeric got fancy new looks???

[duckdoeswords]

Change of Pace Ch.2 - You Don't Know Me

Summary: When a scandal breaks out after her father is arrested for Electoral fraud and Tax evasion she takes this opportunity to disappear leaving Atlas for a small town in the south where her Grandfather had a small farm that had fallen into disrepair. She arrives hoping to find a better life for herself and her daughter.

Words: 4912

Main Relationship: Weiss Schnee/Ruby Rose

Rating: M

Notes: I'm currently working on posting links to fics I forgot about to tumblr. I'm also trying a new format for posting said links. If you want to set the mood for the fic please check out the playlist for it and you can check out my ko-fi if you want.

Fic:

Weiss was woken up by the sound of a phone ringing off the hook. She blindly reached toward the sound, grabbing the phone from the receiver and pressing it to her ear. “Hello?” She mumbled groggily, annoyance leaking into her words.

“Hey. I’m gonna need you to check out in the next half hour or you’ll be charged double.” The voice was familiar, but Weiss couldn’t quite place it in her exhausted state.

“What!? What time is it?” Weiss was annoyed. Not only did someone wake her up, but they had the audacity of telling her to scram.

“It is, uh, 8:30.” The voice on the end replied, causing Weiss to run a hand over her face.

“And who told you to call me?” The tired mother wanted to know who thought they had the right to disturb her sleep.

“Well, my boss just told me to call up into room 206 and tell them that they have to be out by 9.”

“And your bosses name is?”

“Blake Belladonna Ma’am.”

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose letting out a withering sigh. “Of course it is.” Moving to throw her legs over the side of the bed. “I’ll be down in ten minutes.” Weiss slammed the phone down on the receiver, angrily throwing back the comforter before pushing herself to her feet.

Moving around the bed, Weiss knelt beside her daughter gently shaking her awake, causing Ivory to mutter. “What?” She was obviously unaware of her current surroundings and situation.

“We have to go downstairs, peanut.” Weiss was less than thrilled about waking her daughter up already.

“S’eepy.” Ivory rubbed her eyes, wanting to continue her peaceful sleep.

Weiss brushed a strand of messy hair behind her ear, sighing as she had to play the firm mother. “I know so is mommy but I have to talk with the hotel staff.” Ivory looked sleepily up at her. “Once I’m done talking, we’ll get breakfast. Sound good?”

Ivory’s ears shot upright as she pushed herself upright excitedly. “Can I get pan’akes!?” For whatever reason, Ivory couldn’t quite pronounce ‘pancakes’.

The tired mother laughed, ruffling Ivory’s already messy hair. “Yeah. We can get you some pancakes.” Ivory jumped out of bed and made a running start for the door only to stop when Weiss cleared her throat. She turned, ears pressed against the top of her head to see Weiss holding her shoes. “Forgetting something?”

The small child threw her head back, letting out an overdramatic and drawn-out. “Nooooo!”

“Oh please, get over yourself, you little drama queen.” Weiss rolled her eyes watching as Ivory’s ears flicked to the side as Weiss undid the laces, gesturing for her to come forward which the child did rather reluctantly. Ivory sat down in front of Weiss, squirming as she slipped the shoes on her feet. “Over, under, pull it tight. Make a bow, pull it through to do it right.” Weiss sang as she tied the laces before repeating the rhyme as she tied her other shoe. “And done~” Weiss smiled down at Ivory, slapping her hands against her legs gently. “You’re ready to go downstairs.”

Ivory stood up, moving from foot to foot. Her face scrunched up in discomfort. “They’re pinchy.”

Continued on Ao3

[queenofsimpsblog]

nights like this - shuri x reader

A/N: i see so many angst and smut fics of shuri so we’re in need of some sweet innocent fluff

@locoforshuri i hope you know i love you heheh <3

i hope you guys like this, lemme know if you want more!!

for the best feels listen to this on repeat:

the moonlight pooled over wakanda like a soft blanket. the soft buzz of grasshoppers filled the city as people departed to the comfort of their homes, ready to get some rest and prepare for the next day. summer nights in wakanda were always the most serene. no fights. no wars. just peace.

shuri stood at the balcony of your shared room, gazing out at the city. silently marvelling at her home. proud of the inventions she made that benefitted it. sleep remained a stranger to her tonight.

you were on the bed, reading one of your favourite books. you turned to ask shuri to get you some water, but frowned at the absence of her. you noticed her frame standing at the balcony and put a bookmark in your book, setting it down on your nightstand before going outside to be with your love.

“shuri? what’s wrong?” she turned to you and smiled at your concern.

“nothing, sthandwa. i just can’t sleep.” you sighed and extended your hand. shuri understood what you wanted her to do and took it, allowing you to lead her back into your room.

you made shuri sit on the bed, her back against the bed frame as you copied her position. you intertwined your fingers together and gently grabbed her chin with your free hand, forcing her to look at you.

“what bothers you, my love?”

shuri sighed before spilling her hearts content. “i just miss them.”

you didn’t need shuri to say their names. you knew who she was talking about.

“i know you do. i miss them too. but they’re not truly gone, are they? they’re always here for you. always here to support you, and love you. and probably laugh at the stupid decisions you make.”

shuri let out a chuckle as tears started to collect in her eyes. “yeah, i mean, can you imagine n’jadaka and t’challa fighting after what happened when i saw my cousin in the ancestral plane?”

you laughed. “oh my god, yeah. t’challa definitely went off on him for telling you all of that. i can so picture them chasing each other in the ancestral plane. and then queen mother would be yelling at them in the background.”

both of you laughed at that image.

shuri sighed and kissed your intertwined hands. “thank you for being here with me, y/n. i love you so much.”

“i love you too, and you don’t have to thank me. i’m your girlfriend. i’m supposed to be here when you need me. now, let’s get some sleep, yeah?” you reached to switch off the lamp and moved to lie down, pulling the comforter over both of you.

“sthandwa? could you do me a favour?”

“of course, sweetheart.”

“could you sing for me?”

you smiled and pondered for a moment, thinking of a song to sing. then it hit you.

(y’all can play the song now)

i like my girls just like i like my honey, sweet, a little selfish….

you softly sang and gently patted shuri’s head, lulling her to sleep. she smiled with her eyes closed and muttered a soft ‘i love you’ before dozing off. you ran a hand through her curls and kissed her on the forehead, before holding her and falling asleep yourself.

ALSO GUYS REQUESTS ARE OPEN SO PLEASE SEND ME IDEAS I WOULD LOVE TO WRITE THEM!!

[madamebaggio]

Notes: Previously...

So… Yes, I do remember I have this WIP here…

I am so sorry for the delay. The muse on this work has kind of left me for a long while -which really sucks because I know exactly what I want to happen from here to the end, but…

Anyway.

Thank you so much for all the support and for all of you who had not given up on this. You’re the best.

I hope you enjoy this.

***

Chapter 14

Edmund rushed into the room. “What has happened?”

“Too many things to count.” Arya grumbled.

He looked around the room and noticed that his siblings were already there, besides Davos, Brienne, Sam, and Tormund. Jon had Sansa by his side and Arya was by the door.

“One thing at the time.” Jon asked. “Is everyone here now?”

“Yes, my lord.” Davos was the one to say it.

“Close the door.” Jon asked. “Whatever is discussed here now cannot be repeated outside.”

They all agreed and Edmund -the last to come in -closed the door.

Jon turned to Sansa. “We will start with your letter.”

She nodded. “I have been communicating with Tyrion Lannister. Susan has helped me with that.” She told Jon.

“What?” Arya demanded.

“He is the Hand of the Queen.” Sansa continued, like her sister hadn’t said anything. “And he wants a peaceful solution to all of this just as much as we do.”

Of course Jon had been aware of the letters. Sansa was loyal to him, and she’d never undermine him by scheming with Tyrion behind his back. When she suggested talking to the other man, Jon told her he trusted her, but to be careful and let him know how that went.

“Tyrion hasn’t managed to convince Queen Daenyris to helps us without Jon bending the knee.” She explained the others. “However, he did manage to convince her to send us some Dragonglass as a gesture of goodwill.”

Jon stood up immediately. “He did? They will send us Dragonglass?” He couldn’t believe it.

“Yes.” Sansa confirmed. “However, it’s not going to be a lot. As I said, it is a supposed ‘gesture of goodwill’, but she still won’t fly ther dragons down here and help unless you bend the knee.”

Jon sighed. “How much Dragonglass are we talking about?”

“A few carts.”

His sigh got heavier. “When will it be here?”

“Two weeks.”

“I don’t know if we have that time.” Jon suddenly felt exhausted.

“We won’t have much more.” Lucy cut in gently. “At least, not according to your brother.”

“Bran?” Jon said, even though there wasn’t anyone else.

Lucy nodded. “He wanted to talk to me earlier. He says we have a part to play and that Narnia must help on this fight.”

“With all due respect, little lady…” Tormund coughed. “How is that going to happen? Isn’t your Narnia in another world?”

Lucy gave her siblings a look. “It is time we explain this story in greater detail.”

Peter just nodded. “Go ahead.”

For the minutes Lucy delved deep into their history with Narnia. She told the Starks everything -this time without cutting any details. She told them about the great war in their world, about the train, the wardrobe.

About Narnia.

This time she told them about the talking animals, the dancing trees and Aslan.

Edmund lowered his head when the witch was mentioned, but Peter put a hand on his shoulder. The Pevensies didn’t interrupt once, not even to add anything to what Lucy was saying. They let her tell the story of how they became rulers of Narnia.

The Starks also didn’t say a word. Jon and Sansa just listened intently to the tale, while Arya semmed like she did want to ask questions, but was waiting for the right moment.

Tormund was actually the only one making any sound as he followed the story with the interest of a child. He even called the White Witch a cunt. Twice.

When Lucy was finally done, after she told them about their coronation, a silence fell on the room.

“Lady Lucy…” Jon sighed. “You must know how that sounds.”

Her sigh was more resigned than his. “I do, Your Grace.”

Jon ran his hand down his face, then turned to Sansa. “What do you think?”

Sansa let out a strangled snort. “Honestly? I don’t know. Sure, this looks beyond insane, but… There are dragons, Jon. There are living dead soldiers made of ice. What is a talking lion in the big scheme of things at this point?”

“When you put it like that…” Arya grumbled.

“We still have one problem, my lord.” Davos called from his place. “I do not mean to doubt you, Lady Lucy, but… How exactly are they getting here?”

“I want to know that too.” Sam piped up.

“And help would be great, but we have to feed people.” Sansa pointed out. “If another army comes here, I’m not sure what we are going to do.”

“But, my lady, if I may?” Brienne spoke up, she waited for permission to carry on. “One thing cannot be denied: since they arrived the winter had mellowed out considerably.”

“We can’t say it was because of us.” Peter was fast to say. “We don’t wish to take credit for that.”

“I know.” Jon agreed. “However, Lady Brienne is right. Winters here last… This is not normal and it only started once you came in. What if the same profecy that made you save a kingdom will be enough to save another?”

“I see your point, my king.” Peter pressed, more carefully than he’d ever spoken before. “But those are dangerous hopes.”

“Which is why none of this can leave this room.” Sansa said quickly. “We cannot tell people any of that.”

“Except…” Lucy cleared her throat. “Lord Bran told me that the army or Narnia will come. So the people from the North are about to be faced with animals that can speak. And centaurs. And fauns.”

“But how are they coming?” Jon demanded. “When?”

Lucy turned to Susan. “You need to call them.”

It took Susan only a second to understand what her sister was suggesting. “The horn?”

“Yes.” Lucy confirmed. “It will bring help, always. This is the help we need.”

“What about the horn?” Jon wanted to know.

“It is magical. It will bring help to whoever needs it.” Susan explained.

“Oh the Seven.” Arya groaned. “More magic?”

“Can’t you change faces?” Edmund asked the young Stark, and she just glared at him.

“Are you suggesting that if you blown that horn, we will have an army here?” Jon wanted to know.

“I am not.” Susan shook her head. “I am just saying that this is what the horn is supposed to do. Bring help.”

“Lord Bran said that she needs to do it.” Lucy cut in. “He said that she’d do it, and we’d have an army from Narnia.”

“I thought he couldn’t predict the future.” Arya turned to Sansa.

“He says it’s not predicting the future.” Sansa sighed. “He can see multiple possibilities. It doesn’t mean they’ll come to fruition.”

Arya scoffed. “How convenient.”

“My lord.” Peter took a step forward, looking at Jon. “At this point, what do we have to lose? If Susan blows the horn and nothing happens, we keep preparing the way we were before. You will receive your Dragonglass. Nobody needs to know about this.”

Jon’s head fell forward. “I can’t believe I’m even considering this.”

“Fuck’s sake, Snow.” Tormund called. “Dragons, army of the dead. What difference does a horn make?”

When someone put it like that… “Fine.” Jon sighed. “Blow the horn.”

They all turned to Susan with expectant expressions, like she was about to do a magic trick.

Ever since Jon had given them their things back, Susan had kept the horn by her side at all times. It was as if somewhere in the back of her mind she’d known this was coming.

She pulled the horn from her belt and took a deep breath in.

“Please…” She thought in her own head. “Please, we need you.”

Susan put the horn to her lips and blew it, the sound echoing through the keep.

***

Nothing happened.

The day ended and the night became quiet.

They didn’t want to feel disappointed, but Jon was tired of the hopelessness.

Lucy didn’t seem defeated by the lack of immediate answer, and her siblings quietly agreed with her.

Jon went to sleep, feeling more tired than ever.

He was awoken by frantic knocks on his door hours later.

“Your Grace! There’s an army! An army!”

Jon grabbed his sword and ran out of the bedroom, desperate. The army of the dead couldn’t be there, not yet!

As he reached the ramparts, he found Lucy, Bran and Meera there. It was such a shocking sight, he’d stopped short. “What…”

“Look!” Lucy pointed at the horizon, where the sun would come out only hours later.

He could see the lines of soldiers, the torches in their hands.

It wasn’t the army of the dead.

Was that a…

“Aslan.” Lucy murmured, emotion clogging her voice.

“The Narnians are here.” Bran declared.

***

Notes: I think it’s important to notice that it has always been my plan for the Narnians to come and save the day. I just wasn’t sure when they’d come.

And then it occurred to me that if they appeared dramatically the day before the battle it’d look cooler, but it also would be weird as hell for the people of the North. So they came early.

Let me know your feelings!

[xjoonchildx]

Dearest Miss Ana,

Now that Kanalia has ended ( and I repeat, what a wonderful ending!) I have a few questions. A sort of follow-up if you will.

A) Does the Queen confide in Boram about her relationship with Lord Jung and their baby? Does Yoongi know about his bestie’s extracurricular activities?

B) After the announcement of the Queen’s pregnancy how did King Namjoon and the unofficial Queen reacted?

C) Did our Queen ever write back to her sister? ( sorry I’m just very close to my sis and I want Queen to get along with hers 😭)

D) After the baby did anything changed in the relationship between their majesties?

Sorryyyy for the many questions but I am a woman that lives, breaths and gets motivated to exist by the ✨chisme✨ and I need the juicy details 😭😭

Also may I say this quickly, but from the moment that Yoongi went into the military and he had to break all contact I feel like I wasn’t able to keep up as much with the fandom.

I was expecting for there to be less of Yoongi but not in this degree and I feel like we were somehow thrown into the Anexo (a place where families send drug addicts to get clean but it’s brutal) .

I know it’s ridiculous to suffer so deeply the lack of someone that you don’t even personally know to this degree, but it hurt and I had to take a step back.

Reading the ending of Kanalia helped me reconnect with my love for BTS and Army, I may still be a bit away but you helped me remember the goods parts that I was missing.

Thank you Miss Ana ✨

sweet, sweet paloma 💕

honestly, what have i ever done to deserve you? if i am in any way connected to your rekindled love for BTS and ARMY, i'm forever humbled and grateful 💕 having you here to chat with and obsess about hoseok with has been a flipping blast.

so let's talk about your questions 😉

A) so ... the queen would not breathe a word about what's going on with another soul, not even boram. it's not so much that she doesn't trust boram (because i believe she's the kind of friend who would take a secret like that to the grave) but it's because sharing that kind of secret with boram would make the burden in some way hers, too.

that's a very heavy load to bear for even the queen and lord jung, so i can't imagine either would want to drag their innocent friends into it.

B) the king's reaction to the pregnancy announcement (even if he does have his suspicions) is generally positive. he certainly hasn't been able to produce an heir and he needs one! so he's going to slap that smile on and play the part.

privately, i'm sure he has some thoughts about it -- but he could be wrong, right? surely this is just in his head? 😉

C) yes, the queen absolutely writes back to her dear chaehee. she supports her sister in the marriage she's so happy for even if her mother thinks her new husband is below her station. and once the baby comes along, she invites chaehee and her husband to visit. at least now she actually has something beautiful of her own that she can share.

D) very little changes between the majesties after the arrival of the baby. they remain cordial and a bit distant, but at least now they both have a place they can go to in order to have connection and peace.

let's talk about missing yoongi because babe, i get it. i was watching his doc the other day and it really helped me understand why he needs this time away from the spotlight. he's an introvert who is far too talented to stay that way, but in the end he's got to retreat to his private space in order to stay sane.

i imagine that after this time in the military, he's going to come back with something brilliant like he always has -- and he's going to commit even harder to this dream of his. i know it's hard to wait, but man i can't wait to see it 💕

[theyenvymarleyyy]

Sunny inhaled deeply as he walked around the field with a tune he's used to humming on repeat. The cigni neri and him were planning their next steps when he had excused himself for a walk bow on his back and a sea of flowers meeting every corner of the greenery such as butter cups and Lilly of the valley. he wanted to laugh as he translated their meanings. and he sat down and took off his quiver. He thought of his brother and parents and how Levy would pat his head sometimes and give him a smile he missed his brother before going away and becoming a damn pawn for the queen did he forget about him at the palace? he was sure it was brainwashing! hed seen her smiles they looked so real… or how his mother and father just let him go with just a fucking smile! they hadn't smiled with such warmth sense as long as his memory goes only in pictures before his time and they still didn't look that happy they were blinded by the queen's actions he was sure of it! She was playing them like a fucking fiddle. The cigni neri was right he knew it! or was he just jealous? hed do what was right and make his own name. anything to get away from those pity-filled stares as they talked about the old news of someone he never knew Sunny regained his calm and decided to shoot a few things to get some practice in. Contrary to what most even know of Sunny he was a good shot even without his glasses only helping him to fulfill his dream Wasn't it to live alone and garden in peace….? When did it change Birds of all kinds were dead as he collected them and put them in something to carry them (never a corvid. Hed puke if he killed one) and as he was getting ready to leave he saw some lilacs they had gotten them a lot when he was little. and thought of her Nova was her name right? His sister and the eldest. the one he’ll never meet when he can remember  died to a monster or something and so he drifted to what she would've been like would she be brash and abrasive or kind and polite? Would it be both? Was she skilled with a bow as he was? did she get the warmth Mom and Dad always had in those photos? They seem so cold compared to those did she randomly pick up stuff and fixate on it? Did she enjoy cooking as he did? Maybe have a strange connection with certain birds. would she have loved or hated him? Did she enjoy getting her hands dirty or keeping them clean? How was Levy back then did he smile more? Would he have left if it was her begging him to stay? He snapped out of it when one of his messenger crows came with a letter for him to return to base. he wondered what her favorite flowers would've been.

Bro you wanna have my Story as a gift BC OMG THIS IS SO GOOD????

Like

WHAT

This is so sick I expected good but WOW

[anonymousfiction211]

Give it time: 9

Click here for chapter 1 Click here for chapter 2 Click here for chapter 3 Click here for chapter 4 Click here for chapter 5 Click here for chapter 6 Click here for chapter 7 Click here for chapter 8

Manipulation You quickly pulled yourself from Loki's loosened grip and stood up. Your mind was racing, not only was this Loki's mother, and he was quite a mommy's-boy, but she was also a queen. Panic took over and the first thing you did when you stood up, was bow to her. When you were upright again, and saw Thor's amused face, you realized you weren't making a good impression. 

The first time you met Loki, didn't go well either. He acted completely offended, like you had done something wrong. When you asked what was bothering him, he told you of his royal status and that you should have bowed towards him. A little thrown off from this statement, and the fact that he was much more attractive than you could have imagined, you bowed. And you kept bowing towards him, wanting to get to know him better, you didn't want to do anything to drive him away. 

After 1,5 weeks you ran into Thor and figured you should bow for him as well. When Thor looked strangely at you, you repeated the conversation you had with Loki. When Thor, laughingly, explained to you that you didn't need to do something like that, you were pissed off. When you saw Loki, you had pushed him against the wall. He was shocked, but you could see the amusement on his face.  

‘Thor told me that I don't have to bow to you guys, and here I was trying to be friendly’ you hissed at him. ‘Why are you such an ass?!’ 

In one swift motion he had turned the tables. You were pinned down between the wall and his body. His lips were almost touching your earlobe, and you tried hard not to let out a soft whine.  

‘Because you look ravishing when you bow to me’ he whispered to you.

He was gone before you could register what he actually said to you. After that the two of you played these kinds of games for a very long time, until the night you were bold enough to wait in lingerie on his bed when he got back from a mission. The two of you stayed in his room the entire day after that, because he refused to let you leave.  

And now, you have made a complete fool out of yourself, towards his mother. Great, when you are unconscious you still have ways to get under my skin. You both hated and loved him for that. 

‘No need for such formalities, dear’ she smiled at you. A smile in which you recognized Loki's smile. ‘How is he doing?’ 

‘He ehm.. isn't conscious anymore’ you awkwardly replied.  

She sat down and moved Loki's head to get a better look. She spoke some sentences in a language you couldn't understand, and her hand that touched the bruise light up.  

‘Mother, why would you..?’ Thor started to say but he was cut off. 

‘This time it is different’ she said to him. 

You slowly sat down back on the bed again, carefully watching Loki. He stirred a little when his mother executed the spell, but he drifted off again. 

‘How bad is it?’ you asked concerned. 

'It's a little worse than I thought, but with the right care he would be back to normal in a few days’ she went through his hair and smiled at him.  

‘But you didn’t even..’ Thor started but was cut off again.  

'Thor, can you get a glass of water for your brother?’ she said. Thor nodded and went to get the water. Leaving you alone with their mother. She kept playing with her son's hair. 

‘This is the most peaceful I have seen him in quite a while. He was acting like he was a teenager again, with the drinking and the moods’ she said. You had no idea how to answer that. She must hate me you thought. 

‘I don't’ she looked at you. ‘When the two of you were together, it was the happiest I have seen him. He told me what happened but wouldn't listen to my advice to come talk with you. I had to send his brother in for that’ she chuckled.  

‘Are you in my head?’ you narrowed your eyes a little towards her. 

‘I was, only because I was worried about you, when I saw you’ she said. You could tell why Loki loved his mother that much. She was acting like you were her own daughter, and the two of you had just met.  

‘Your son does the same when he is worried about people’ you smiled.  

She smiled at you. Before she could speak Thor entered the room again. ‘Good’ she said. She accepted the glass of water and out of nowhere she produced a vile that she sat on Loki’s nightstand, next to the water. 

‘I only have one question for you, are you still willing to take care of him?’ she asked to you. 

‘Of course!’ you were almost offended that she asked but could understand why she asked.

‘Great, you have to stay with him during the night. Wake him up every hour, and I won't lie, he will be grumpy about it. When he is awake let him drink some water. Put the content of the vial in beforehand and don't tell him about it. He hates taking medicine, so it's better if he doesn’t know. For the next two days he should be on bedrest. Hmm, maybe make it three. You are the only person that may be with him those days. If there are too many people, he might exhaust himself and things could get worse’ she said. ‘Are you up for that?’ 

‘We can take turns if it would help you’ Thor offered. 

‘No, you know your brother loves you, but you just hit him in the head. He won't take your presence well at the moment. It has to be her. He trusts her and feels comfortable with her. IF things do get worse for some reason, just come get me’ she said to Thor.  

‘I have to get going’ she said. Thor extended a hand to his mother. His eyes fell on the vial, and he looked a little confused. 

‘Why would you..’ he started but was cut off again. 

'Thor hush, I know what I'm doing’ she said. She turned around to you. You got up, resisting the urge to bow again. ‘When he is better again, I hope you the two of you will come for tea’ she said. 

If he wants to get back together, that is.. you thought.  

‘Don't worry, I have a good feeling about you and I'm sure we will meet again’ she winked at you and followed Thor out of the room. You rolled your eyes, knowing she was in your mind again. The first thing you did was to empty the content of the vial in the water. Hid the vial away and you set a timer for an hour. 

Thor's point of view 

‘I don't get it. You said it was worse than you thought, but you didn't do anything!’ Thor said. 

‘Didn't you see me work?’ Frigga answered. 

‘You just read his mind and gave him a sleeping potion’ he argued. ‘What was the problem exactly? Is it serious?’ 

‘No, your brother is just exhausted and the hit to the head just knocked him down. And left a bruise that will heal in a few days. He is fine’ she smiled.  

‘Then why..’ he asked and was annoyed to be cut off again. 

‘Because, he is still dreaming of her. The sleeping potion in that dose will keep him a little dazed. He will think he needs to rest. Meaning for the next three days those two will have all the time to talk it out, acknowledge their feelings to each other again, and get back together. Without someone distracting them’ she smirked. 

‘I don't know if drugging Loki is something..’ he didn't know how to finish that sentence. 

His mother just kissed his cheek. ‘Like Loki wouldn't have done the same thing if it were you in his position’ she said. 

And even if he didn't agree with the method, he did know Loki would do the same to him or his mother, with the best intentions in mind

Taglist: @delightfulheartdream @pescadoavocado @theestorm @theaudacitytowrite @taurusbeing @callistoneith @mavelfan2335 @colorfulfreakstudentpizza @vbecker10 @prettylittlepluviophile @stjarnaloki @dayzmae​ @lokislittlemoon @ilovefanfictions

Story taglist: @wheredafandomat @sharris8 @slytherinintj13

A/N: Not going to lie, I totally forgot about this story for a while. I copied all my files to a sharepoint. And for some reason this one wasn’t copied.. sorry!! I wrote this and the next chapter today. The story is now to an end! Because you guys waited such a long time, I will post the next chapter in a minute!! 

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios University

“You!”

Jorah stormed into the kitchen the moment he heard his sister’s voice lecturing Valerian in the other room. Ulyssa was later than usual, which had almost given Jorah hope that she would skip her visit for today. Roman had already dropped off the usual group of kids for the afternoon, and it was almost peaceful in the Durant house for once. Cain was quietly starting his homework, while Jorah had lost Theo and Rose somewhere in the house playing hide and seek. Jorah had been assured by Roman that Theo knew better than to hide on the roof or anywhere else dangerous, and if he somehow managed to hurt himself, Roman wouldn’t hold Jorah responsible. Jorah certainly didn’t envy the rules Roman had to lay down for his son; if and when he had kids of his own, Jorah felt confident that he wouldn’t have any trouble keeping them off the roof.

Ulyssa popped her head into the kitchen curiously, then beamed when she saw her brother.

“Oh, good. You’re here! I brought you some-”

“Who do you think you are?” he demanded, startling her. “You told Wanda about my private business? This is why I didn’t want you to know! You always have to ruin everything for me! There’s never been one time in my life that you’ve let me make any boundaries of my own! Everything is about you, you, you. I don’t know how the queen manages to live with you since everything has to be done your way. You’re always right about every single thing!”

“You’re mad that I tried to help you?” Ulyssa asked incredulously. “I went out of my way to help you achieve the dream you’ve had since we were kids, and you’re mad at me? I had to call in a favour from Wanda to get you that potion, and she gave up some of her free time to brew it for you. You should be thanking me instead of throwing a little fit about your privacy.”

“Thanking you?” Jorah repeated, staring at his sister like she’d grown a second head. “I never asked for your help! I don’t want your help! I just want to spend a single god damn day in my own house without seeing you here in ordering people around! Stop telling me what to do!”

“So Valerian, how are things?” Maura asked politely, trying to ignore the commotion in the kitchen. It sounded like things were getting surprisingly intense for a fight Jorah was involved in, but Maura had repeatedly warned her wife that even the most mild mannered person had their limits. She’d supported Ulyssa’s plans to help coax her little brother into leadership in the past, but even she could see how Jorah wasn’t thrilled with the constant intervention. Ulyssa didn’t get a lot of personal freedom in the palace, and Maura had just chocked her obsession with “helping” her brother up to Ulyssa needing to feel in control of one area of her life. The day when Maura took the throne and could make whatever decisions she wanted was very far off, and Ulyssa needed some outlet in the meantime. Maybe starting their own family sooner than they’d planned would give her enough distraction to mend the relationship with her brother and stay out of his own decisions.

“Things have been interesting,” Valerian replied with a nervous chuckle. “Those two certainly keep things interesting anyway. Thank you for thinking about us with that potion Wanda made. Ulyssa overstepped, but I’m pretty sure she did it for the right reasons. She meant well, even if she went a bit far.”

“Don’t worry about flattering me,” Maura laughed. “I know what my wife is like. You should see what she and Roman get up to when their egos start inflating. I honestly don’t know how Arkhelios is still standing with those two and Lucy running around here.”

“Fair enough,” Valerian agreed, watching the kitchen doorway in case objects started flying around. He’d never seen his husband this upset at his sister before. Usually Jorah just endured the teasing and the unsolicited advice, but his encounter with Wanda the night before had him screaming obscenities in their room loud enough for Lauren to bang the connecting wall until he quieted down.

“Um, I’m not sure how to politely ask this, your Highness, but uh, do you think that maybe you could ask your grandmother to give Ulyssa some kind of charity work, or a project? Not that she’s not welcome here, I love having you guys over, but-”

“But she’s a bit of a petty tyrant?” Maura finished, smiling at her nervous brother in law. “She knows what she wants and how to get it, that’s what I love about her, but I understand. Trust me, I understand. I’ll see what I can find to keep her busy. Maybe giving her the task to find that Mark kid a project would help. That would solve my obligation and give her something to stay out of her brother’s hair.”

“Not that you’re grateful or anything, but I found several other potions that might help, and personally delivered them here,” Ulyssa snapped. “Just so you can have the family you’ve been wanting since we were kids. And since I delivered them myself, you don’t have to worry about anyone else learning your horrible secret that you’re so concerned about. God forbid people find out that you and Valerian aren’t as picture perfect as you claim to be.”

“Yeah, it’s so noble of you to keep interfering in my life,” Jorah snarled, unable to even look at the wide variety of potion bottles that littered the kitchen. “I’m so thankful that you once again have ordered me into doing exactly what you think I should be doing. What a saint you are for taking the time out of your supposedly busy life to come boss me around and tell me what strange garbage to put in my body. What would I ever do without you?”

“Poor Jorah, your life is so hard. You barely do anything around here and are content to just mope around instead of taking any action yourself. I’m such a bad sister for helping you, whatever was I thinking?” Ulyssa replied in a mocking tone.

“I can’t get anything done around here because you won’t let me!” Jorah shouted, flipping his sister off when she made a mocking face at him in reply. “I don’t need your help! I don’t want your help! Why don’t you just go fuck off to your castle and leave me and Dad and Grandma alone. No one wants you and your stupid schemes around here!”

Ulyssa looked shocked to learn that Jorah even knew how to make obscene gestures or swear. In her head, he was still that pudgy little boy making wishes on falling stars with Lucy. Even now that he was apparently seething with rage, Ulyssa still couldn’t take him seriously. Her baby brother was about as threatening as an angry cat meme. It was good that he’d found someone like Valerian to marry. Even if Jorah had ever managed to win over Roman’s affections, living with the half-demon would have been a disaster for her little brother. He wasn’t made to handle the same stress that she, Maura and Roman lived with daily. Even if he denied needing her help, Ulyssa knew that deep down, Jorah needed guidance and reassurance. It was her fault that he was in the position of family heir, and she would help him anyway she knew how until he could do the job on his own.

As the adult siblings devolved into name calling and childish punching, some of the unattended children took an interest in Ulyssa’s potions. Rose had been scared off by the potential threat of something magical, while Theo was thrilled to see so many familiar bottles from school in a place like Arkhelios. He could recognize at least two types of healing potions sitting on the counter and a love potion some of the older kids joked about making to help them on dates. It was all above Theo’s head since love and dates were gross things adults did, but he was still excited to see magical items up close without someone older shooing him away from them.

He had read pretty far in the work book the demon sovereign had given him, but he didn’t have access to any of the materials the more advanced spells called for to practice with. He was progressing well with bonding animals to each other, but he still caught his parents sharing worried looks whenever they discussed the magic Theo would have to perform for their wedding. If Uncle Jorah didn’t want Aunt Ulyssa’s potions, then Theo would be doing them a favour if he took one to experiment with. Maybe he could make it even better, and his aunt and uncle would thank him for making a useless potion useful. He might even get extra credit at school. All he needed was a drop of blood and some whispered latin, and Theo would be showered with praise for his generous help. No one would even know he’d altered it until the potion exceeded all expectations.His plan to astound his family was flawless.

Ulyssa and Jorah had taken their sibling spat outside, slapping and shoving and sometimes even pulling hair or biting each other like they were still six and not in their twenties. Their annoyed spouses sat like civilized adults in the living room, waiting for tempers to cool. Surely the two of them would have calmer heads after they worked out their aggression. Maura just hoped that that wretched town gossip wasn’t milling around with her camera.

“Cindra?”

Nathan entered the kitchen from the hall, looking for his ex-girlfriend. He’d snuck in through her bedroom window just like he had when they were teens, but had been surprised to see that it was empty. She’d been the one to call him over to visit. He just assumed that she wanted him to enter the house in the way he usually had back when they were dating.

“What are these?” he wondered to himself, eyeing Ulyssa’s stash of potions with curiosity. He didn’t have any clue what most of these did, but if someone had stashed this many potions in the Durants’ kitchen, there was probably a good reason.

Maybe Roman left these here. Who else would have a stash like this just lying around? I wonder if any of these were what he was taking to suppress his dark form. Would it work for me? Can I suppress.....

A sharp pain in his head dispelled any fantasies Nathan might have had. There were no words exchanged, but he could feel the darkness pooling in his mind, making its displeasure known.

Nathan grabbed the closest bottle and took a quick sip of it in defiance. It tasted like strawberries and cherries and raspberry jam. He could smell a faint scent that still lingered after he’d put the bottle down that reminded him of the roses he could remember his father bringing home after fighting with his mother.

The darkness wasn’t moved by the sweet aroma, and Nathan sighed irritably. It had been worth a try.

“Oh, Nathan you’re here. Did you do something different with your hair? You look good.”

Nathan turned to see his ex giving him an approving glance, something she hadn’t done for some time now.

“Cindra? You weren’t in your room,” he said, returning her lustful appraisal. “Sorry, was I supposed to meet you there? Did you have...ideas?”

She shook her head quickly, recovering from her momentary lapse in boundaries. Nathan was her friend. Her friend. Whatever they had together was in the past.

“Oh, I wanted to help you study for our final exam that’s coming up,” she replied carefully. “I noticed that you’ve missed most of the classes this semester, but you’re smart enough to catch up in time for the exam.”

“You’re the greatest,” Nathan said, feeling some warm feeling bubble up inside of him seeing her smile at him. He wasn’t even lying. Cindra was the best person he knew, which made her way too good for him. “I could spend an afternoon studying. Just remind me to show up for the exam when it’s scheduled.”

“Are you feeling any better now that you two have gotten your feelings out?“

Jorah hugged his husband tightly, wincing a little when he made contact with the bruise that was beginning to form on his shoulder. Ulyssa may have become a princess, but she was still his older sister and she fought just as dirty as when they were kids.

“Yeah, I think we’re good now. I think I may have gotten my point across. She seemed better when they left, right? I’m not imagining that?”

Valerian rolled his eyes.

“Yes, the two of you tired yourselves out just like Theo and Keiki usually do after a brawl. I’ve never seen a princess throw a punch like that.”

“She’s not a princess here, she’s just my sister,” Jorah pointed out warily. “And I can admit that she meant well, as long as she’s not back here tomorrow with another list of demands or magical home remedy.”

“I doubt that she will,” Valerian remarked. “I have a funny feeling that Maura might intervene a little more in the future. No one wants a future queen consort pulling her little brother’s hair in some kind of a brawl regularly.”

“Yeah, well, you know,” Jorah stammered, looking embarrassed by the look Valerian was giving him. “I’m sure it won’t happen again. We did talk some things out after. I promised her I’d give her magical nonsense a try and she promised to forward all of her suggestions to Dad until I take over for him officially.”

“Did she give you instructions for all this stuff?” Valerian asked, eyeing the pile of potions. “Do I have to take some or do we both have to take something together....?”

“This one is closest I guess,” Jorah said. He picked up the bottle of blue fluid and chugged it as fast as he could. “Not bad. It tastes like a berry smoothie kind of. Should I try another one?”

“Hm, maybe I could try this purple one? It looks chunky for some reason. Is that normal?”

“No, I can feel this one kicking in,” Jorah declared, suddenly full of energy. He gave his husband a seductive look. “We’ll try the others later, I’ve got a good feeling about this one. We’re going to the bedroom. Now.”

“Are you okay? I don’t see you on campus much anymore. You really should try going to class since your mom is paying for it.”

Nathan kicked at the dirt, winding his seat on the swing so he could spin around.

“I go sometimes,” he replied moodily. “It’s all so boring. None of it has any use in my life, and I never want to be the Helios heir. It’s supposed to be Abe’s stupid job and all the stupid courses are what Mom wanted him to take. She wants me to be an accountant or a lawyer or some stupid shit like that. It’s not for me.”

Cindra frowned.

“What do you want to be?” she asked quietly. “There are some days where I really worry about you. If you know what you want to do, then talk to your mom about it. If she can adopt Roman Bellamy, she can listen to your concerns about your future.”

“You don’t understand,” Nathan sighed. “No one does. It’s my thing to figure out, and I’ll do it by myself. I don’t need my mom’s help.”

“You can talk to me, Nathan,” Cindra said. “I know we’re not dating anymore, but I’m still your friend. You look like you’re not sleeping. Are you still having those nightmares? I’m right across the hall, you can come to my room if you can’t get back to sleep. Are you...Are you sharing your dorm with anyone else lately?”

Nathan looked away from the woman who offered him kindness. Cindra wasn’t like her older sister. She and Jorah were quiet, compassionate people who went out of their way to ease the suffering of others. Nathan couldn’t be sure why she was asking who he was sharing a bed with. She had made things clear that she wanted to be his friend, but she also still seemed attached to the idea of having him fall asleep next to her. Were women always this complicated? As much as he detested his brother’s relationship with Roman, those two at least always seemed to know what they wanted from each other.

Nathan wanted to take her up on her offer. He wanted to be normal and boring and devoted to whatever it was his mother wanted from him. He wanted to talk investments and science and whatever it was that Abe and their mother went on at length about. It would never happen though. Nathan wasn’t his brother and that was who Cindra needed. A boring, stable man who was capable of giving Cindra the happy household of children just like she’d had growing up. Someone who could lead the Helios family with his wife by his side.

Nathan could never give her that, no matter how desperately he wanted to want to.

“It’s not a good idea, Cindra. Trust me, it’s just not. I’ll only hurt you, and I can’t do that to you.” He smiled weakly at her, and Cindra sadly smiled back. “You’re my best friend.”

Cindra processed his words for a moment, then nodded her understanding of the situation.

“I’ll always care for you, Nathan. You’re my best friend too.”

[subwaysurf45]

The Music Game!

look at me being more active and gettin’ all personal...

Rules: Shuffle your “On Repeat” playlist from Spotify/Music service of your choice and post the first 10 tracks. 

Special shoutout to @desert-fern​ for tagging me, my ‘bi as fuck’ twin!

I, unfortuanetly, have the tech skills of an old grandma and can’t figure out how to link spotify all nicely in my post so you’ll have to do a little digging if you’re interested

Tom’s Diner - AnnenMakKantereit & Giant Rocks 

I remember vividly sitting in the back of my friend’s car as she drove me and few of my friends home while we were super drunk (she was the DD). The Aux was being passed around and I played this but didn’t realize until I sobered up the next day that I had apparently killed the mood!

Iron Man - Black Sabbath

what can I say, I love a good air gutair. Knowing all the words, the gutair solo, the drum solo is a party trick that has gotten a lot of attention. 

Just the Two of Us - Grover Washington, Jr & Bill Withers

I typically play this song if I’m driving with my mom because it is normally the two of us. I also find the middle of the song when it’s just intramental is really calming, I’ll forget I’m listening to it until his voice comes back at the end all smooth. 

Talk 2 Me - Montell Fish

this song got popular on tiktok but I also saw this guy live when he came to Toronto because I had gotten into his other music, I love the gutair and how it builds as well as the random cut offs. the entire song seems like it was recored in the bathroom which makes it that much better. 

Electric Feel - MGMT 

this song is the definition of working at a summer camp. it played all the time and I had it added to all my playlists, it was cool to work with kids and introduce them to your music and influence their taste, lots of kids loved this song. 

Good Old-Fassioned Lover Boy - Queen

I absolutely love Queen and the way this song moves up and down in my head, I feel like there are no bad Queen songs. It’s always a safe bet on aux as well as just hanging out, I absolutely love their music. 

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell 

this song is also very summer camp. I remember this playing on a bus trip to a tournament when I was in high school, there was a few of us that sang a long and manged to improvise the harmony and who sang what part, I miss those trips with my team and screaming the classics. 

Somebody’s Watching Me - Rockwell 

I fucking love this song, I listen to it all the time in the fall when it’s spooky season. I wonder who’s watching me now (who?) the IRS? is a banger of a lyric. 

Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons

this. fucking. song. i remember when I came back to this song when I was much older because this is the music tied to my childhood in a way, I was always listening to my dad’s music and this was definetly on his playlist. When I had came across it later there was a wave of calmness and memories of growing up, I hold this song close to my heart. 

Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

ughhhhh this song is so chef’s kiss. I love fleetwood mac and am honestly suprised it hasn’t shown up before on this list. I’ve spent evenings dancing around my kitchen with friends as we pretended to be hippy’s, there’s always something so peace and love about fleetwood mac that brings me back to center and calmness when I listen to it. 

Again, thank you for the tag and if anyone wants to tag along go ahead and share your music, I’m not going to tag anyone specific because I want everyone to express their love of music!