#and they SUCCEED; they ascend and take the throne not for power or control or even glory but because of the people they care for!!!!!!

[autumnoficarus]

i can't stop listening to the 'purpose is glorious' track from this season's ost and thinking about how lovely the title and its meaning are. it's just such an amazing underlying theme in this show, and - while i do have criticisms about some of the choices made for the series finale - i really do feel the writers wholeheartedly delivered in sending that message home. for me personally, loki's ending is so gratifying and a large part of that is solely from viewing their arc's conclusion with the perspective of this theme in mind. to have spent years watching this character i hold very dear to my heart struggle to find belonging, to feel as though they matter and there is reason in their existence, finally get a chance to show - and recognize - their worth was so, so rewarding. and honestly, i think the message behind the phrasing of 'purpose is glorious' is all the more meaningful because of how loki's arc finished. yes, the outcome was bittersweet; yes, we're left knowing loki didn't get the happiness they undeniably earned after everything they'd gone through. it smarts something fierce to know their journey up until they deviated from their timeline and became a variant, as well as seen their eventual intended fate. the ache is only worsened after witnessing everything that happens within the TVA and the entirety of loki's character growth leading up to a redefining moment where they willingly choose to undergo a nightmarish amount of time in the endeavor to do the right thing. of course we want them to emerge victorious when they've struggled for so long, but that's not the point. loki's final moments are them forfeiting their right to a happy ending to preserve the stories of others because all stories matter and should inherently reserve the free will to be written; as sylvie says, loki makes their choice so their loved ones and life across the multiverse still have a chance to belong somewhere and embrace their place in the world. the take away is that even burden can be glorious. even with all the hardships of life - all the inevitable heartache, disappointment, and grief we encounter just by being alive - we have meaning in our existence. there is meaning in the trials we face, and the suffering we endure in order to overcome them. our pain gives us purpose; it gives us the ability to love, to grow from and for each other, and choose to sacrifice our happiness for the benefit of another. loki's purpose was forged in the bonds of those they met in their time at the TVA and the sense of value they gained from their companionship. their sacrifice perfectly conveys how the human capacity to love is one of cosmic greatness, which can ultimately surpass our instinctual desire to preserve one's self. we can move immovable mountains and challenge insurmountable adversity in behalf of the ones we love and their welfare. if that isn't an act deserving of glory, I don't know what is.

tldr; loki's purpose is the friends they made along the way = as the saying goes, 'tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all'. or: our own lives have purpose because of the connections we share with others, even when we are met with great loss.

[athanasius-symposium-of-writings]

I love your Astarion work! I was curious if you could write a semi lengthy (if possible) angst/jealous Astarion x Tav/Reader??? Also hurt reader/Tav is always great too. I crave comfort lol

I hope you like it!

Rated: M

Warnings: spoilers for dark ending, transformation, vampiric

The manor is oppressive, heavy as if a ball and chain are leashed to your neck forcing you to bow, this place screams for submission. The want to give in, to let go, be controlled, dominated. It sickens you as Astarion guides you around the home of all his trauma. Naturally, you want to comfort him, hold his hand, and squeeze it to reassure him. However, this is not the time or place. The deeper you both travel into the bowels of Cazador’s palace, the heavier this weight is on your back, choking you as if you misbehaved.

Then came the cells. The sins of the past stabbed and twisted between Astarion’s ribs nicking his heart.

He is distant… You try to tell him this isn’t his fault, that Cazador is to blame. He was used just like they are.

The rules of being a vampire do not help as it is revealed what happened to Cazador’s master is part of the cycle to learn, adapt, and succeed. The rule of two where one will kill the other and repeat the cycle with another. The throne of blood you pray Astarion wants nothing to do with as he sees what is the cost of power.

The Black Mass is unholy and you silently pray to Lathander for his radiance to shine and burn that bastard Szarr to ashes.

Wishful thinking as the moment you enter the ritual chambers things go south, fast.

With now all seven of his spawn, he is strong-- Stronger and though using the spells and holy water do weaken him (barely), he is stronger than most foes.

"Perhaps after my ascension, I shall take your spawn friend as my own." The taunt is spoken during the battle as you struggle to keep up and your hirelings are spread out fighting the summoned bats, werewolves, and ghouls. The words are intended to be salt upon the wound as Astarion is helpless to fight against his master and this ritual. The screams do not help, the blood in the air does not help, and…

You… Are afraid.

This is too close to what happened to you, at the temple of Kanchelsis. Your master was pleased to watch as you writhed in agony as you turned into the beast you are. A vampire who shares the bestial madness of a werewolf.

Being tossed into a column like nothing as the vampire lord takes special interest in attacking you. Your body is in pain, bruises with internal bleeding, and the mental fear is keeping you on the ground struggling to get up. The laugh echoes, your vision blurring, and when you blink you… See your master standing above you with the bat-shaped head of the staff making you tilt your head up.

“Stay right there.”

He… He is going to win… He is going to ascend…

He is going to kill Astarion!

You must push on! Every muscle in your body protesting as you get up, your blood spilling as your form shifts to that beast, bigger, deformed, and grotesque. The whispers of the dark father in the back of your mind as you roared like a beast unleashed from its cage. Jaheira had been teaching you druidic magic as it seemed you had a talent for it. Seems that comes from the beast within, it hungers and Cazador looks like the perfect toy to chew on.

There is a cost, you know it, this power is tapping into the essence of vampirism. The beast, the hunger that comes with the gift and blessing of Kanchelsis; that cost you care not about, not now. No longer will you allow yourself to be chained down by the memories of the years of torture and abuse!

Astarion needs you, you need him, and you need each other.

Damn the cost! Damn this place, damn everything!

The beast roars with rage! An animal instinct as it recognizes Astarion as the mate, a mate in danger.

The slaughter is fighting to this bat-shaped form you are in, Cazador can’t keep up even in his mist form. When you try to rip his head off or attempt to fly and grab him; he knows how to flee.

“Scurry and scatter like rats!” Your voice is not your own, it is the beast that relishes in the hunt this lordling provides.

There are points when you blackout, in and out of a waking dream, then when the bloodlust no longer consumes your body and mind. Your body is back to normal but the wounds are worse, you need blood soon in order to properly heal.

“Wake up!”

Astarion. The sigh of relief hurts though it is being healed, well attempted to, away by the hireling cleric. Your eyes watch the scene of long-awaited and overdue revenge take place.

“I need your help.” His voice does not hide the desperation, the need.

This was your warning, you should have told him to stop or… You can’t raise a claw against him. There is too much between you to end it with steel or claw. So your eyes and mind are his to see through.

It is through those he seals his fate and the fate of seven thousand souls.

[albertfinch]

DEFEATING THE GIANT IN FRONT OF US

As many are facing giants today, we need to learn from David -- a man who knew how to handle giants.

As God gives us the spirit of David, He wants us to be personally offended at anything or anyone that keeps us from fulfilling His CALLING on our lives.

Saul and the army of Israel were all controlled by fear and their hearts melted.  But David said, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." (1 Samuel 17:32)

Saul had even tried to talk David out of the showdown with Goliath (see verse 33).  Even so, the devil has tried to get you to quit or talk you out of fighting a certain giant in your life -- ignore them!  You do not have the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 timothy 1:7). 

When the spirit of BOLDNESS comes upon you, you will not let any giant deter you; rather you will focus on the power of God's name (vs. 45).  God will give you courage to face every giant.

HOW DO WE DEFEAT THE GIANT IN FRONT OF US

Look around, you will see some stones (weapons) within your reach:  God's Word, Truth (Jesus' name) and faith (Ephesians 6:13-17).  You have all the weapons you need; simply pick them up.

DON'T LET DISTRACTORS HINDER YOUR CALLING

David's brother Eliab got angry with David and criticized him (1 Samuel 17:28).  David ignored his brother's criticism because David had a pure motive.  What was David's reaction?  He said. "Is there not a cause?" (Verse 29).

Eliab couldn't see David's true motive, and don't expect everyone to see yours.  His brothers did not believe he would actually ascend to the throne.  Some do not believe you will succeed.  Like David's brothers, they are wrong.

GOD GIVES US ANOINTING TO FIGHT THE GOLIATHS IN OUR LIFE

We prophesy victory over our giants.  David said, "This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee..."  (1 Samuel 17:46)

David prophesied to that giant in front of him.

The devil tries to intimidate Beilevers, but we need to intimidate the enemy.  Jesus dealt severly with the devil and gave him no space.  We must do the same.  We deal harshly with the devil and stand our ground.

Paul instructs Believers to "therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to STAND your ground, and after you have done everything -- to STAND." - (Ephesians 6:13).

The word stand is mentioned TWICE. We need to dig in firmly and stand our ground!

THE SPIRIT OF GOD RESTING ON US MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Rely on the Spirit of God..  The same Holy Spirit that rested on Jesus is the same Holy Spirit given to us.  Jesus said, "As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you," (John 20:21).  God is looking for people who will receive His Spirit to the fullest.

Make sure your heart is given over to the Father completely:" ... I have found David son of Jesse, a man after My own heart;  he will do everything I want him to do" (Acts 13:22).

David was an "abider" (John 15:4-7); so must you be.  He actively sought after God (Psalm 27); so must we.

"And David took out his sword and cut off Goliath's head..." - 1 Samuel 17:51

"Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking.  Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect." - Romans 12:2 NCV

Sometimes the events of life seem to distance us from the awareness of His presence and we feel cast into a wilderness.  In the wilderness, we tend to tune into the bitter past of life rather than the sweetness.  However, it is in the wilderness that God speaks most clearly and opens the portals of heavenly revelation.

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of His CALLING...." - Ephesians 1: 17,18

We can position our hearts to become an open portal to Heaven -- where God infuses us with His presence and revelation abounds -- flowing to us and through us.

Like Moses' encounter with the burning bush, new direction often becomes clearer in the wilderness and DESTINY unfolds through the oddest signs along the trail.

As we move into the sweetness of His presence, we exit the wilderness of circumstance.

REACHING THE CENTRAL PLACE OF OUR INWARD WALK

By not speaking, desiring, nor reasoning, we reach the central place of the inward walk -- that place where God speaks to our inward man.  It is there that God communicates Himself to our spirit.

"For God alone my soul waits in silence." - Psalm 62:1

We recall that Jacob wrestled with the Lord all night, until daybreak. THEN it was when the Lord blessed him. We persevere against any and all difficulties which confront us in our seeking the Lord's presence in our spirit. We are steadfast until the Lord gives our spirit His blessing.

Job 26:14 - "And these are but the out fringe of His works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him!  Who then can understand the thunder of His power?"

A revelation of the thunder of His power catapults us out of our wildernesses, shatters the realms of darkness and releases the awe of God through signs and wonders -- through us as we walk in His authority.

As our heart becomes an open portal of His love -- the awe of His power thunders around us and we find ourselves walking IN THE FULLNESS of Him, not just alongside of Him; but carrying this authority to release the realm of Heaven on earth.

AFFIRMATION:

My heart is a portal for His love.

PRAYER:  

Father, I abandon myself to You.  You love in me Your only begotten Son.  You see Him in me.  You embrace Him in me, because He has willed to identify Himself completely with me by that love which brought Him to death, for me, on the Cross.  Amen

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[teecupangel]

An AU with King Altair, his consort Desmond, Ezio the royal guard, and Ratonhnhaké:ton the Hunt Master. In the grand hall, Altair rules over all. And behind closed doors, it's Desmond that controls the three men. (And the rumors are rampant about the royal consort sleeping with both the royal guard and huntsman behind his husbands back, when in reality, Altair is there for nearly all 'encounters'.) Basically it's a harem AU lol.

Not gonna lie, I saw “... there for nearly all ‘encounters’.” and my mind went for “Cuckling? We going for cuckling?” and I’m like “yeah, okay, I can get behind that” XD

Okay, let’s set this up…

(warning, there is hint of mpreg on this one)

Altaïr and Desmond married for political reasons due to certain complications concerning how Altaïr had succeeded to the throne.

William Miles is the head of the Grand Duchy of Miles withDesmond Miles being the oldest of his children and the only child he bore with his first wife. House Miles is one of the most prominent noble families in the kingdom, gaining more power and influence during the reign of Grand Duke William Miles as the head of House Miles. His first wife being able to trace back her ancestral line to the first rulers of their kingdom has also helped in adding more legitimacy to the possibility of the Grand Duchy being ‘worthy’ of taking the throne… in case there is a need to do such a thing.

And such a thing almost came to pass thanks to how King Altaïr had taken the throne. The previous king, King Rashid, had started to push forward concerning plans and laws that all seem to lead to one conclusion: “declaration of war to neighboring countries”.

Because of this, majority of the noble families tried to dissuade the king, many of them worried for the people while others did it because they knew the risk it possesses in their current standing in the nobility hierarchy. Rashid pushed forward with the plans, together with the support of the other noble families (either willing to go to war for greed or honor), and planned to strip those who opposed him of their noble ranks.

Including William Miles.

Now, this is where the story gets muddy.

Some would say it was Crown Prince Altaïr, grandson of King Rashid and his only remaining family, who went to William Miles, propelled by a desire to stop the war before it begins. Others would say that it was William Miles who approached the crown prince, promising him the throne if he was to side with his faction.

Those who believe the latter would also say that the main reason why the Crown Prince had sided against his own blood is that they did not actually share the same bleed.

Crown Prince Altaïr was officially the son of the late Umar, a knight from a minor house with a mysterious unknown origin, and Rashid’s daughter, the late princess. But the rumor was that the late princess had been barren and Altaïr was Umar’s son from another woman to ensure a successor.

It’s a rumor that had been gaining steam since the crown prince had shown how ‘perfect’ he is to succeed his grandfather.

Some would say ‘too perfect’… as if he was compensating for his ‘dirty blood’.

Regardless of the reason, the crown prince became the face of the noble faction against war and they were able to remove Rashid from the throne with minimal bloodshed.

The then Crown Prince Altaïr married Desmond Miles a month later.

And two weeks later, he ascended the throne as the new king.

Unorganized Notes:

A lot of people believe that Altaïr and Desmond married for political reasons. House Miles married into the royal family which means that House Miles’ influence had grown even further while Altaïr would quell any whispers of his questionable blood (which might not even be true) by marrying Desmond who has been recorded and confirmed to have royal blood thru his ancestral line.

Because of this, a lot of people liked to ‘joke’ that Desmond has all the right to have lovers on the side and, even if any children he bore are not Altaïr’s, they are still a legitimate successor since Desmond is the one with the royal blood.

House Miles would never speak of this to outsiders but Desmond had already been passed over as the next head of House Miles when he was a child because the grand duke considered him lacking in many areas and focused his attention on Desmond’s younger half-sister who showed promise, a girl William had with his second wife. (Whether this is Lucy or Layla is up to you). Desmond had been raised with the knowledge that he is nothing more than a bargaining chip to further House Miles’ influence.

Desmond’s mother isn’t dead. She and William divorced when Desmond was around 5 years old and she’s living in her family estates in the capital. Desmond would visit her every summer and that is when he and Altaïr had first met.

They’re not exactly childhood friends, they’re not even friends at all. At most, they were acquaintances who would sometimes be at the same tea party or gala or something and their eyes would just… find one another. Altaïr never knew him as a member of House Miles and Desmond isn’t stupid enough to not know he wasn’t the prince. Desmond developed a crush on him in that “he’s so far out of my league” kind of way while Altaïr… well… Altaïr wasn’t sure what he feels for Desmond was until his aide/royal guard Malik informed him that it was called ‘attraction’ while calling him an idiot.

Altaïr actually only learned that Desmond is William Miles’ son when he visited House Miles’ ancestral home to talk to the grand duke about Rashid. Before this, they barely talked.

Altaïr was the one who requested Desmond’s hand. William believed that Altaïr had done such a thing to ensure the legitimacy of his rule. Nope. Altaïr had been pining for Desmond for yeeeaarrrssss while Desmond had been pining for him at the same time and both of them are idiots who didn’t do anything because they believe their stations are too far for a relationship to be approved (Altaïr believing Desmond is a son of a minor lord and Desmond believing a ‘failure’ like him would never be given the time of day) and, now that Altaïr knew that William Miles needed his cooperation, he had an excuse to marry Desmond. (Because fuck courting, Altaïr is in it for the long haul)

Desmond went into the marriage believing it was a political one, only to be surprised when Altaïr treated him with kindness and, really, Altaïr was pretty clear when he straight out told Desmond that he had been carrying a torch for him for years… even if it took Desmond a few weeks (and a lot of gifts and awkward Altaïr trying to be charming) for him to believe it.

Their sex life did quite start off being quite vanilla and it’s only when they started experimenting that they realize how much they enjoyed a change of their dynamic where Desmond is the one in control.

Desmond taking in Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton would come quite a bit later when they’re both comfortable with their feelings for one another and it started off as something ‘fun’ they wanted to try out. Primarily, Altaïr wanted Desmond to have sex with someone while he watches and fuck Desmond after.

They both decided on Ezio because they believed he could be trusted and he’s hot af.

Ezio is actually the second son of a noble family that got burned by Rashid during the few last years of his reign. Ezio had been preparing to kill him in a suicide mission when he learned that Altaïr had taken the throne. He became a guard to check if Altaïr is worthy to be king and kill him if he’s not.

He did not, however, expected to like Altaïr as king and have a crush on Desmond that he wouldn’t do anything about… until he got invited in the royal couple’s bed and well…

He became a frequent visitor.

He and Altaïr grew close because of it and he likes to joke about Altaïr’s ‘kinks’ when they’re alone.

Being in love with Desmond came soon after that and he became Desmond’s lover with Altaïr’s approval (there was a bit of angst on Ezio’s part for being in love with a married man who is in love with his husband but that got thrown out of the window when Altaïr told him that they both knew his love for Desmond and that Altaïr wishes to nourish it).

Ratonhnhaké:ton was more of happenstance. To be more specific, Ratonhnhaké:ton saw Desmond during the yearly Royal Hunt and was attracted to him. Altaïr saw his potential and just… suggested him to Desmond during one of the Royal Hunts. After the celebrations, Ratonhnhaké:ton took the mantle of Hunt Master in the capital and never left.

Ratonhnhaké:ton is the illegitimate child of Count Kenway and there are rumors that he joined the royal court as the Hunt Master as a big ‘fuck you’ to the count who is part of the noble faction that is against (not openly) Altaïr’s rule. There are conflicting rumors of his ‘rumored’ relationship with the Prince Consort as either another way to insult House Kenway or is actually a ploy of Count Kenway to destabilize King Altaïr’s rule from the inside.

Nope. Ratonhnhaké:ton has cut all ties with the count even before he started sharing Desmond’s bed and he doesn’t give a shit about House Kenway after his last ‘confrontation’ with the count.

Desmond sometimes top… as a treat XD

“You would do anything for love, after all” is a phrase Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton have heard from Altaïr before and they’re not sure if it’s meant to be an explanation to why Altaïr is fine with Desmond having lovers or if Altaïr supporting their relationships was a way to ensure Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton would prioritize Desmond’s safety above all else in the worst case scenario. Altaïr never bothered to answer that one.

[innerpalaces]

THE PRINCESS WEI YANG - 163 PART 2

CHAPTER 163: Death In The Night

When Li Wei Yang heard this, she suddenly laughed: "Consort Lian, do you want to imitate Empress Dowager Zhang?"

Empress Dowager Zhang was the concubine of Emperor Qing, the third emperor of the previous dynasty. After the death of Emperor Qing, Empress Dowager Zhang's three-year-old son He Di came to the throne. Because he was too young, the affairs of the government were entirely in the hands of Empress Dowager Zhang.

In the history books Li Wei Yang had read, Empress Dowager Zhang was described as a narrow-minded, selfish and mean woman who was bent on usurping the throne. In order to monopolize power, she didn't hesitate to slaughter dozens of noble families and thousands of people who were suspected of rebellion. However, in Li Wei Yang's view, Empress Dowager Zhang was smart, decisive, cautious, and adept at political maneuvering. She always used a heavy hand and heavy punishment to control the ministers, forcing them to demonstrate deep loyalty to her in order to avoid being persecuted.

It is precisely because this woman is so powerful that when He Di grew up, he was tossed between his paternal and maternal relatives and he suffered endlessly because of their fighting. After he took the throne, he wanted to changes things, dismissing many people who were favored by Empress Dowager Zhang and tried to re-appoint and promote some people who were dissatisfied with the Empress Dowager to become his confidants. At first, Empress Dowager Zhang felt unhappy with what Emperor He did, but after all, Emperor He was her biological son, so she didn't act immediately. However, after Emperor He killed one of the Empress Dowager's brothers, Empress Dowager Zhang finally decided to punish this disobedient son. She invited Emperor He to a banquet and when he arrived at the palace of the Empress Dowager, he was ambushed and captured, and was forcibly placed under house arrest. After that, Empress Dowager Zhang ruled on behalf of the emperor for twenty years, and for a time she had complete power over the imperial court and the opposition.

Consort Lian heard the words "Empress Dowager Zhang", and a glimmer of light flashed in her eyes, as if her thoughts had been seen through, and there was a hint of embaressment on her face: "You--" She paused for a moment, thinking that lying in front of Li Weiyang was useless, so she whispered, "That's right. And if you support me, I can also help you, no?"

Li Wei Yang said leisurely: "It is not impossible to assist the little prince to ascend the throne, but there is only one way."

Consort Lian seemed to have suddenly lost her goal since her revenge was completed, but when she looked the little prince later, she suddenly had an idea. If her son could take the throne, wouldn't she also be able to control the power of Dali? When the time comes, she can re-establish tombstones for her royal father, mother, and relatives, restore her family's name, and return to her true identity as Murong Xin. This is simply the best thing!

Furthermore, she is now at the height of her power, The Emperor is in decline, the Crown Prince has been deposed, and the two brothers Tuoba Zhen and Tuoba Yu are fighting to the death. Although the situation is chaotic, as long as she seized the opportunity, there is hope. Of course, she understood her own limits. Trying to snatch the throne from the two adult princes was tantamount to snatching food from a tiger's mouth. The only way is to wait until they fight to the death and find a way to profit from it... But the premise is that she must get Li Wei Yang's support. Hearing Li Weiyang's words, she was filled with joy, and said: "What is it? If it succeeds, I can promise you everything you want!"

She was so impatient that she seemed completely different from the cautious Consort Lian in the past. Li Wei Yang smiled and looked at her, her voice soft and without any emotion: "If you die."

Those three words caught her off guard made Consort Lian calm down as quickly as if a basin of cold water being had poured on her. Her heart was shocked. She opened her mouth but was unable to utter a single word. After a long time, she forced out a sound and calmly said, "If you don't want to help me, forget it. Why would you say such a thing!"

The smile on Li Wei Yang's face gradually faded, she stared at her and said: "Concubian Lian, you and I are friends, so I'll tell you the truth. If you show any intention of wanting the little prince to ascend the throne in front of His Majesty, or if you let others spy on your thoughts, you will only end up dead."

All of the blood left Consort Lian's beautiful face as she realized that Li Wei Yang was neither laughing at her wishful thinking nor joking, but was seriously warning her.

Li Wei Yang's faint smile spread across her lips, and her words were very clear: "I know you must be thinking in your heart that with the favor you have from His Majesty, there must be a way to persuade him, right? Or, you hope that both Tuoba Zhen and Tuoba Yu will be harmed, and your son can profit from it - but if one day His Majesty really wants the young prince to ascend the throne, the first thing he will do is to kill the mother and keep the son. "

Consort Lian's expression changed and she said, "What did you say?"

"If the young prince succeeds to the throne at a young age, then the power will inevitably fall into the hands of you, his mother. You are too young, and also female, so you will definitely need the help of your relatives. I know that you are the orphan of the Murong family, but aside from the main branch the Murong family also has side branchs. When you arrived in Dali from your hometown alone, you would not have been able to survive without the help of these people. If your son ascends the throne, you will definitely find ways to rely on them in order to protect yourself and him. In this way, one day there will be a huge number of imperial relatives, which will definitely have a great impact on the Tuoba family. Even if none of your relatives are left, how can the Emperor be sure that you, being so young and beautiful, will not rely on powerful officials and allow them to seize too much control? His Majesty would be too concerned about these things to let you live! As soon as you die, this potential hidden danger will disappear." Li Wei Yang said unhurriedly.

Consort Lian couldn't help but shudder strangely: "That is impossible. The little prince is so young. If there are no relatives around him, how can he survive in the palace?!"

Li Wei Yang never moved her gaze from the other party, her eyes very bright: "There are many high-ranking concubines in the palace who have no children——"

Consort Lian expression turned very ugly. Three of the four Consort positions were currently vacant. (t/n: Although the emperor would have many concubines and consorts, the harem had a very firm heirarchy. In most dynasties, beneath the Empress there would be the 4 Primary Consorts: Noble Consort, Pure Consort, Virtuous Consort, and Able Consort. In the absense of an Empress or if the Empress was ill, these consorts would take charge of the harem. Tuoba Zhen's adopted mother was the Able Consort and Tuoba Yu's mother was the Virtuous Consort before they died, which is why they had so much power.) The Emperor successively mentioned two concubines for promotion who were older and had been in the palace for a long time, one was Concubine Jing and the other was Concubine Kang, but they both had the same specific characteristics: they were very senior in the palace, but they were not favored and had no heirs. She said slowly: "Since he killed the biological mother, how can he give the child to an adoptive mother but not be afraid of these adopted relatives?"

Li Wei Yang smiled faintly: "If someone else raises this child, they are still outsiders with no blood ties. Even if this adoptive mother becomes the Empress Dowager, she can only enjoy a moment of power. What about ten years later? What about twenty years later?" From time to time, the good feeling between adopted mother and son sometimes fades. In the final analysis, Consort Lian does not understand that the so-called 'killing the mother and keeping the son' is not to guard against the mother herself, but the son. What is calculated is not family affection, but the human heart!

Consort Lian's face turned green and white, and Li Wei Yang smiled slightly. Without saying anything more, she knew that Consort Lian was actually a very smart woman, and she should understand what she meant. Instead of pursuing a castle in the air, it is better to grasp the situation in front of you and win a stable period of wealth for yourself and the little prince. The reason why Consort Lian had such an illusion was entirely because of the Emperor's love for her, but she had never really understood the Emperor at all. When he was happy, he treated her as a rare plaything and took care of her in every possible way; when there was a conflict, he would have no choice but to sacrifice her! Failure to see this clearly is just asking for death.

Consort Lian pondered for a long time, and finally understood. She sighed softly, her eyes flickered towards Li Wei Yang, a trace of dimness flashed in her eyes, and she whispered softly: "Thank you very much for reminding me, otherwise I would really get into trouble because of my complacency." She paused, "However, we must still eliminate the Third Prince by the root."

Li Wei Yang said lightly: "Of course I understand this."

Consort Lian sighed deeper, but she didn't know if it was for herself or something else.

When they returned to Cheng Fu Palace, everyone was surprised to see Lian Fei and Li Weiyang come back. Although they didn't know what had happened, they could not help but be more confused as they watched Consort Rou and the Ninth Princess leave one by one. After Li Wei Yang came back, she nodded slightly to Mrs. Sun. Mrs. Sun understood and returned her greeting.

Consort Lian walked to the front of the crowd, taking her own place, and knelt down again, continuing to mourn and cry. She looked like pear blossoms in the clear rain, so beautiful that people couldn't bear to look away. But at the same time, her expression made it seem as if nothing had happened. Li Weiyang smiled faintly. From the looks of it, it seemed that Consort Lian had already understood things.

After another half an hour, Tuoba Zhen and Princess Anguo came back as if nothing had happened. The Emperor gave them permission to return to the palace after attending the funeral, which meant that once they returned, they would face the fate of being imprisoned, and naturally they would not be too happy. However, Tuoba Zhen's face was calm, and he didn't look frustrated at all. Li Wei Yang could not help but admire him.

In this world, those who can truly supress their emotions and anger are either born with paralyzed muscles or have deep scheming minds. Most people can't help but behave strangely when faced with a huge blow, just like Princess Anguo's eyes full of hatred, but Tuoba Zhen didn't even look in this direction, as if he didn't care about it at all!

It's not that Li Wei Yang is unhappy about winning, it's just that when she wins, she only feels happy when she sees the other party crying or showing pain. It's a pity that these two expressions can't be found on Tuoba Zhen's face! This person is so elusive!

In the next three days, everything ended smoothly. When Old Madam Li left the palace, she felt dizzy and needed the support of Li Wei Yang and Jiang Yuelan to get into the carriage. It was really painful to be unable to eat meat for three days and have only vegetarian food, while also having to look extremely sad. Not to mention elderly and frail people like Old Madam Li, even Li Wei Yang's face was slightly pale.

Back at Li Mansion, it was already a dark night. There was some chirping of birds coming from the corridor outside the house, and Li Wei Yang felt a little dazed. In the silence, she could only smell a faint, heart-cleansing fragrance. Listen carefully, in addition to the chirping of birds, there seems to be the sound of night wind outside the window. A gentle cough suddenly sounded, which was a signal that there was a message.

Li Wei Yang smiled slightly. Knowing that the time had come, she opened the curtain and got out of bed, casually put on a coat, walked outside, and as expected saw Zhao Yue.

Zhao Yue whispered: "Miss, everything has been arranged."

Li Wei Yang nodded and put on all her clothes. When she turned around, she saw Zhao Yue looking like she was hesitating to speak.

Li Wei Yang didn't ask her, but patiently lit the candle and sat at the table, as if waiting for something. After a long while, Zhao Yue coughed lightly and said, "Miss, before you came back, the Third Young Master came in person twice to ask us to send someone to tell him when you came back."

Li Wei Yang was startled, but her tone was a little careless: "When we came back, the gatehouse was alerted, so he'll know about it. There is no need to send someone to tell him."

"The third young master seems to be very worried -" Zhao Yue said tentatively.

There was faint fire in Li Wei Yang's eyes, but her face was extremely calm, as if she had no reaction to this sentence: "I just went to the palace, there is nothing to worry about." Li Wei Yang slowly swirled her teacup, causing the water in it to spill out slightly.

Zhao Yue quickly went up and poured her a fresh cup of tea again. Then she said: "Miss, will they definitely come?"

Li Wei Yang just smiled, and there was a small flame in her dark eyes, which soon dissipated without a trace: "They will come." She deliberately angered Princess Anguo. If those people don't come today, either Princess Anguo has changed her temper, or she suddenly changed her ways. But - how could such a narrow-minded and selfish woman change so easily?

Zhao Yue blurted out: "What if our plan fails?"

Li Wei Yang seemed to have not heard anything, and just said lightly: "There are no such thing as if, it must succeed, and there is only this one chance."

"If the Third Young Master helps, the plan will go more smoothly." Zhao Yue said, raising her eyes and looking at Li Wei Yang: "Miss, why are you hiding from the Third Young Master?"

The topic returned to its original point. Li Wei Yang's hand could not help but squeeze the teacup tightly, but there was only a slight smile on his face, but the smile seemed to be infected with cold air: "What do you want to say? Didn't your true master want me to stay as far away from Minde as possible? Didn't he give you an order to get rid of me too if necessary? "

Zhao Yue's heart jumped suddenly, she lowered her face and said softly: "I don't know what the young lady is talking about..."

"No need to act in front of me! He will definitely seperate Minde and me, because he is his most beloved son, the only child born to the one woman he has ever loved. How can he see him living outside like this?" Li Wei Yang said lightly, as if talking to herself, but there was a bitter taste in her mouth. How could Zhao Yue understand the reluctance and sadness in her heart?! How could she bear to let Minde stay with her and trap him in this life?! She tried every possible means to avoid him, just to make him give up. It was best to go back to Yuexi immediately! The situation here will not get better, it will only get worse. What good will it do if Minde is involved in this muddy water?!

Zhao Yue only had a calm face, but her heart was already turbulent. Her vision slowly became a little blurry under the dim light. Then, she slowly said: "I know that the young lady is cold on the outside and warm on the inside. In the past, this slave girl always stayed with the young lady to complete my task, but when King Yan almost killed this slave girl and the lady took revenge for this slave girl, this slave girl made up my mind that I would never leave the young lady's side again in this life. Today, this slave girl is definitely not saying this for the sake of the third young master, but for the sake of the young lady."

The wind outside the window became louder and louder. Li Wei Yang held her breath for a moment. She looked at Zhao Yue in front of her. The other person's expression was so serious. Although Li Wei Yang never really regarded her as one of her own, Zhao Yue always stood by her side silently, and carried out every order she gave unswervingly. After being silent for a long time, Li Wei Yang looked slightly relaxed and smiled faintly: "Thank you very much, Zhao Yue." But what to do? I have already made up my mind.

Zhao Yue was thoughtful, and while they were talking, she suddenly pulled out the soft sword from her waist. At that moment, she abruptly sensed a danger. The danger was getting closer and closer, giving her a trembling feeling all over. She had also had this feeling when she first met the scarred man next to Anguo. The pressure was getting stronger and stronger. She smiled coldly, and suddenly her whole body was filled with murderous aura: "Miss, they are coming!"

The whole yard was extremely quiet, and the owner seemed to be asleep. The leader Jing Zhe observed for a while, then made a gentle gesture, and all four of them jumped into the yard. Their steps are very light, so light that no one will notice them. Before following Princess Anguo, Jing Zhe had planned hundreds of assassinations. The most thrilling one was when he led seventeen secret guards to ambush the rebel general Tang Di, killing more than 500 people in one night. Tang Di took the remaining men and horses fled in panic. They pursued Tang Di forcefully and backed him into the trap that had been set. As a result, more than 3,000 people were wiped out. From then on, he was carefully selected by Empress Pei and placed next to Princess Anguo.

The imperial army was guarding the Third Prince's house, but Jing Zhe and the other four people had been secretly protecting them outside the residence. After receiving the message, the first thing they did was to execute the order. Princess Anguo arrived in Dali, and for the first time she solemnly gave him an order to kill Li Wei Yang, the Princess Anping. This request is too bold. Although the princess has always been willful, she has never been so angry and even ignored the possible consequences of Li Wei Yang's death. This shows that Anguo has been driven crazy.

Although the Li family is heavily guarded, for Jing Zhe killing Li Wei Yang is as easy as stretching out his hand! Sure enough, he came in from the back door of Li Mansion, killed more than twenty guards, and entered the inner house practically unimpeded... Jing Zhe sneered, and with a flick of his long sword, the door creaked open and he walked in. He saw a person in the hall sitting with their back to him, seemingly reading a book with their head lowered. They were wearing clothes embroidered with peonies in gold and silver threads, rich and beautiful. Looking at the back, this person was undoubtedly the owner of the room. This task is really too simple! Jing Zhe cut off the woman's head with a swipe of his sword. However, there was no scream or blood. The figure fell to the ground with a plop. Her clothes and wig fell to the ground, revealing a beautifully dressed scarecrow. The golden straw emitted a strange black smoke under the candlelight. Jing Zhe took half a step back in surprise, quickly covered his nose, and said sternly: "There is an ambush, quickly run!"

Jing Zhe and the other four had just run into the courtyard when they heard a "ding" sound, followed by a scream. It turned out to be a steel arrow, which had nailed one of them to the door! Jing Zhe said angrily: "Quickly retreat!" At this moment, the second and third arrows were shot from nowhere. Each arrow was shining with a faint blue light. It was obvious that it was poisonous. Jing Zhe and the rest were very skilled. If it was a sword or spear, they would be able to easily fight against one hundred enemies. However, they couldn't see any enemies. They could only hear countless cold arrows shooting directly towards them.

Jing Zhe had only assassinated others in his life, and had never been treated like a turtle caught in an urn. He was furious at that moment. He danced with his long sword like a tiger, trying to find an exit as soon as possible to break out. However, the arrows were as dense as locusts and were extremely powerful. It actually shot the green bricks under his feet to pieces. With a "pop", an arrow shot into his shoulder, causing blood to splash everywhere. Jing Zhe grunted, leaving the other three people behind, and took the lead to rush to the wall amidst the dense rain of arrows! The long arrow followed and penetrated the tiles. There were whistling sounds, stirring up countless debris. Another arrow hit his back. His body trembled, and his movement was suddenly blocked. He had already reached the top of the wall. He had a chance to break out, but in an instant, he fell heavily from the high wall to the ground.

It was unimaginable for an expert of his generation to be able to overturned like this——

In the darkness, a cold voice rang out like a flower blooming in the night: "I want to live."

－－－－－－Digression－－－－－

Editor: People say that your heroine is omnipotent and that she is too smart to be human.

Xiao Qin: She was not a human in the first place, just an evil ghost crawling out of the cold palace. 

[whentheynameyoujoy]

Yup, Sure Was a Finale

I had an epiphany. The reason why I never re-watched the final two parts of Sozin’s Comet even though I’ve popped in episodes at random many times over the years isn’t that I can’t bear the sadness of seeing one of the best, most engaging narratives out there come to an end.

It’s simply that the finale isn’t all that good.

Some honorable mentions of what was enjoyable.

(+) This

Just this.

(+) The Church of Zutara has another convert

“Are you sure they don’t get together?” Hubster, 2020

(+) The tragedy of Azula

And the fact that it’s acknowledged as such. I hope Zuko will do his best to get her help and have a relationship with her…

(+) Sokka being a big bro

And the whole airship sequence in general. It’s wonderfully paced and plotted, with moments of humor, real stakes, Toph being both badass and a scared crying kid, Sokka strategizing and protecting, Suki saving the day, and non-benders being instrumental in thwarting the bad guy firebender’s plans. Would be shame if Bryke never portrayed them this capable ever again…

And now for the main course.

(-) Blink and its over

The wrap-up feels too quick (hashtag Needs More ROtK-style False Endings). A part of this is due to how fast the story goes from the thick of the action to hastily tying up a bunch of loose ends, but the larger issue is how Book 3’s uneven pacing comes home to roost. After spending half a season on filler episodes that at best subtly flesh out established characters while dancing around a huge lionturtle-shaped hole, and at worst contradict the theme of “no one is born bad” with “you’re a hot mess because your great-grandfathers didn’t get along too well”, the frantic “go go go” rush of the second half screeches to a halt with “they won and everyone was happy because now the right people have power and it will be all good from now on yup nothing more to deal with baiiiii”.

Yes, I know, it’s a kids’ show. But goddamn, this particular kids’ show has proven so many times it can do better than the expected tropiness. Showing the characters in their roles as builders of a new world was the least that could have been done.

Oh well!

(-) Ursa

We’ll never know. There will never be a story that delves into this. Yup. Shall forever remain but an intriguing mystery. Is good, though. Mystery is better than a story where Ursa shares her son’s penchant for forgetfulness. Imagine how embarrassing that would be. Speaking of which…

(-) What does Mai see in this jerkbender?

Look, I like to harp a lot on the mess of inconsistent writing that’s Mai but let’s unpack this scene from her perspective, shall we?

Zuko forgot about her! It totally slipped his mind that the one person who prioritized the safety of his dumb ass was rotting in the worst prison in the Fire Nation—because of him! And she was rotting there long enough after the final Agni Kai for the news of Zuko’s upcoming coronation to spread and her uncle to feel sufficiently secure to release her. But then the coronation scene is attended by every single member of Gaang & Friends that was imprisoned?

So what this tells me is that either a) the invasion force had the ability to break themselves out the whole time and for some reason decided not to exercise it until after the war was over, b) Zuko forgot about them as well and no one thought to remind him there were prisons full of POWs until Mai arrived, or, and that’s even better, c) Zuko took care to free every single resistance fighter while making sure Mai would be the one to stay behind bars.

Never thought I’d say this but Mai? Honey? You deserve so much better.

(-) “What does Katara want?”

Asked no one in the writers’ room ever, apparently.

This is not so much anti Cataang as anti romance stories that pay attention to the needs, opinions, and wants of only one partner in general. Over the previous 60 episodes, Katara actively expressed romantic interest in Aang exactly, wait for it,

Once.

And it got retconned out of relevance by the following two interactions where the possibility of a romantic relationship came up, making the Headband dance pretty easy to reclassify as just one of those examples where Aang “teaches” Katara to have fun (as if one of the main obstacles to her having fun wasn’t him constantly fooling around and offloading his duties). And because the writers not only didn’t succeed in portraying Katara’s internal state of mind, but also failed to root her reluctance to pursue a relationship in outside circumstances that could change, her sudden state of unconfused once Aang steps into the spotlight has a single canonical explanation that as much as approaches coherency.

The fact is, though, that trying to interpret canon Cataang from a Watsonian perspective is an exercise in foolishness. Because there is no Watsonian justification for the ship and never has been. Bryke simply conceived of Katara as nothing but a tropey prize for Aang, never saw her as anything beyond that, and were perfectly happy to go on and immortalize her as a passive broodmare for the rest of her life.

And I fully intend to die mad about it.

(-) Iroh dips

OK, it’s been long apparent that the show doesn’t intend to do anything about Iroh’s complicity in AzulOzai’s regime in any meaningful way, and that his sole motivation for doing anything whatsoever is Zuko whom he views as a replacement son which is supposed to be good for some reason. But the finale has him abandon even that, and instead turns him full-on YOLO, idgaf anymore. It really throws Iroh’s supposed love for Zuko into doubt when his last act in the entire show is to take a half-educated 16-year old with no political savvy or an heir to secure a dynastic continuity and plomp him on the throne of a war-mongering imperialist regime where the entirety of the militarist and ruling class is guaranteed to fight him tooth and nail for power.

(I sure hope Mai’s ready to start popping out babies by tea-time otherwise the whole country is fukd in about a week)

Christ, how hard would it be to have Iroh keep the throne warm for a few years while Zuko is getting ready to succeed him? Not only would it make the whole FN reformation bit quite likelier to occur, it would require Iroh’s hedonistic ass to actually sacrifice something for once. And not having Zuko ascend to power, instead spending some time bettering and educating himself first, would be a wonderful message that no matter what you endured and overcame, you never stop growing. A kids’ show, remember?

(-) The conquering of Ba Sing Se

Gee, I feel so blessed to have my attention diverted from battlefields which actually matter to an old dude vanity project I would have been perfectly happy to assume resolved itself off-screen.

The White Lotus in general just bugs me. I was fine with the individual characters and their overall passivity when they were portrayed as lone dissenters living under circumstances where it wasn’t really possible for any single person to mount a meaningful resistance. But as members of a far-reaching shadowy organization that’s left the real fight to a bunch of kids for 59 episodes straight and didn’t turn up until a perfect opportunity presented itself to take control of the largest city in the world and bask in the spotlight?

Yeah, no.

Similarly to the lionturtle-ex-machina, the White Lotus represents a huge missed opportunity for a season-long storytelling. Here’s just a brief list of what they could have been doing throughout Book 3:

orchestrating a Fire Nation uprising;

gathering those directly persecuted by AzulOzai’s regime to help Zuko keep his hold on power once he’s crowned;

establishing themselves as a viable alternative to Ozai;

sabotaging Fire Nation’s war efforts from the inside;

countering Fire Nation propaganda (Asha Greyjoy’s pinecones, anyone?);

running a supply network to alleviate the suffering of Earth Kingdom citizens.

Instead, they sit on their asses until the time comes to claim personal glory.

You know what, good on Bryke for making me conclude that in comparison, the Freedom Fighters were perfectly unproblematic, actually.

(-) Fire Lord Dead-by-Dawn

Yes, a kids’ show, I know! But ffs, this is the same kids’ show that came up with Long Feng and portrayed courtly intrigue, kingly puppets, secret police, spy networks, and information wars. Was it really too much of me to expect something other than “enlightened despot solves everything”? Especially if said enlightened despot has persisting anger issues, no personal support system, no base of followers, and no political experience whatsoever?

If Zuko’s actually serious about regaining the Fire Nation’s honor (i.e. by dismantling the country’s military machine, decolonizing the Earth Kingdom, paying reparations to everyone and their lemur, and funding any and all cultural restoration projects Aang and the SWT come up with), then there is no way, no way in the universe that he doesn’t face a civil war, deposing, and execution within a month.

One reason why his future as a Fire Lord seems rather bleak is that little’s been shown about the actual subjects of AzulOzai’s regime. While we get a vague reassurance that “no Toph, they’re not born bad” (le shockings), they largely remain a voiceless uniform mass of brainwashed clapping seals. What is their view on the Fire Nation’s crimes? Do they associate their condition with their country’s war-mongering? How will they react when Zuko starts dismantling the country piece by piece to rebuild it, bringing it to economic ruin? What will they do when noble Ozai loyalists come out of the woodwork and begin rounding them up under the banner of “Make the Fire Nation Great Again?”

I have no idea, and Zuko doesn’t either because he’s unironically more qualified to rule the Earth Kingdom than his own people.

You know what would have been better? Fire Lord Iroh, White Lotus pulling the strings to maintain the regime, and Crown Prince/People’s Champion Zuko travelling the Fire Nation with Aang and an army of tutors to promote the new boss, only to realize that absolute monarchy is kinda crap for the people he’s one day supposed to rule and gaining their support by ceding some power to them.

I’d laser holes into my TV due to how much I’d enjoy watching that.

(-) All hail Avatar Rock

Literally and metaphorically. Aang doesn’t sacrifice anything, gets everything, and the clever solution of going about getting said everything is handed to him on a silver platter, requiring no active participation on his part whatsoever.

He doesn’t work to unblock his chakras, spiritually or physically.

He only speaks to his past lives to get a pat on the back and a bow-tied solution he could mindlessly follow.

Energy-bending doesn’t require any sacrifice from him, leaves no lasting marks, and only serves for the narrative to praise him as the rare individual that’s unbendable and thus so very very special.

The most infuriating thing is, however, that Aang is clearly shown as being able to beat Ozai without either the Avatar state, or energy-bending.

And he chooses not to. From this moment on, Aang no longer fights to save the world. He fights to preserve his beliefs, going directly against the instructions of his past lives and effectively reneging on his duties as the Avatar.

Again.

It’s not like you can’t portray Aang’s faithfulness to his spiritual beliefs as the key to beating Ozai and saving the world. But that’s not what the show did. There is no link between Aang sparing Ozai and securing a better future, quite to the contrary—Ozai’s survival ends up being a massive problem for the continuation of Zuko’s rule, and consequently a threat to the world at large. His survival benefits Aang and no one else.

Aang’s spiritual purity and his status as a savior of the world are allowed to coexist only due to a deliberate stroke of a writer’s pen.

And I hate it.

Welp, nothing to do about it now except to bury myself up to my tits in fix-it fics I guess.

[aboveallarescuer]

When people draw parallels between characters from the Dance and characters from the main story, I often see comparisons between Dany/Rhaenyra, Young Griff/Aegon II and Cersei/Rhaenyra. However, I don’t recall ever seeing comparisons between two of the most iconic Queen Mothers of ASOIAF, Cersei Lannister and Alicent Hightower. They share very interesting parallels:

Both Cersei and Alicent are associated with the color green - Cersei because of her emerald green eyes and her fascination with wildfire and Alicent because of her famous green gown, which inspired the name of Aegon’s political faction (the “greens”).

Both Cersei and Alicent belong to two of the richest and most powerful noble families of Westeros (House Lannister and House Hightower).

Both Cersei and Alicent are daughters of a lord who served as Hand to three kings (Tywin was Hand to Aerys II, Joffrey and Tommen; Otto was Hand to Jaehaerys I, Viserys I and Aegon II).

Both Cersei and Alicent used their positions to promote their relatives and get them into good positions (e.g., Jaime was named Warden of the East, Lancel and Tyrek became Robert's squires and Ned noted that "the Lannister appetite for offices and honors seemed to know no bounds"; Alicent's father Otto is named King's Hand and her brother Gwayne becomes second-in-command of the City Watch of King's Landing).

Both Cersei and Alicent were wives to people-pleasing kings (Robert and Viserys I) whose fathers died unexpectedly, who grew up without expecting to ascend the throne (in Viserys's case, not as soon as it happened, because Baelon's death was very sudden) and whose fiancée/first wife died in childbirth (Lyanna and Aemma).

Both Cersei and Alicent have firstborn children (Joffrey and Aegon II) whose claims to the Iron Throne aren’t universally accepted; Joffrey because of the doubts regarding his parentage and Aegon because of his older sister Rhaenyra.

Both Cersei and Alicent were rivals and enemies of two younger queens (Margaery and Rhaenyra). All four of them vied for the king’s attention (Tommen and Viserys I). In the future, Cersei will most likely clash against a Targaryen queen regnant, just like Alicent did in the past (Daenerys and Rhaenyra).

Both Cersei and Alicent played a part in their husbands’ deaths (Cersei had Lancel give Robert fortified wine to cause an accident with the boar; Alicent allegedly poisoned Viserys’s hippocras).

After their husbands’ deaths, both Cersei and Alicent took quick measures to guarantee that their sons would succeed the previous kings (Cersei seizes power, arrests Ned Stark and leads the small council; Alicent keeps Viserys’s death a secret, assembles a small council and holds a coronation for her children). Two lords who opposed their sons' ascensions were killed despite the queens having not ordered their deaths (Ned Stark and Lyman Beesbury).

Both Cersei’s and Alicent’s sons enjoy the support of Houses Lannister, Baratheon and Hightower (after Renly dies) during their wars.

Both Cersei’s and Alicent’s sons (Joffrey and Aegon) become frustrated and clash with their grandfathers (Tywin and Otto) because they favor war and immediate action over planning and writing letters to make alliances.

Both Cersei’s and Alicent’s sons (Joffrey and Aegon) die poisoned.

Both Cersei and Alicent had a lot of political influence during the reigns of their sons, which is often acknowledged in-universe.

Both Cersei and Alicent are ruthless, to the point of having no qualms about killing children (Cersei kills Robert's bastards and Alicent advises her grand-daughter Jaehaera to kill 11-year-old Aegon III).

Both Cersei and Alicent will (most likely) outlive all of their children.

Of course, these parallels aren’t 1-to-1; they never are. Cersei is not (f)Aegon’s mother nor the wife of a Targaryen king, which is primarily why most people miss out on all these parallels. Cersei is incompetent while Alicent was not. Cersei will probably die during the war for the Iron Throne, while Alicent outlived the events of the Dance. And, ironically, House Hightower is a vassal of House Tyrell, which, as we know, is the family of Cersei’s rival Margaery (whose mother is also a Hightower).

That being said, these parallels are still very significant. It’s often assumed that the second Dance of the Dragons will refer to Dany versus Young Griff or Dany versus Euron (after he presumably takes control of one of Dany's dragons) or a conflict involving two literal dragons. However, considering how often GRRM mentioned Daenerys and Cersei together to emphasize that they were deliberately written by him as foils, I think it’s interesting to consider the possibility that the second Dance may actually (or also) refer to, once again, two queens; Rhaenyra with the Blacks and Alicent (who had such a big influence on the war that she outshone her son) with the Greens in the past and now Daenerys and Cersei (who might end up being a more important political player than (f)Aegon, but don't ask me how or why because I don't think we have enough information to speculate on the specific circumstances. Maybe Euron will take control of a dragon and Cersei will ally herself with him in the books too, for example... I don't think Cersei should be counted out just yet) in the present. It's a more interesting outcome for me because a) Cersei is more important and more interesting as a character than (f)Aegon and b) it would be a culmination of all these parallels and antiparallels that the author wrote for her and Dany throughout all of these books, especially during AFFC/ADWD.

[hafanforever]

Tyrant Terror

So I know it’s no surprise to my closest friends and fellow Disney fans on Tumblr that I have a strong, deep affinity for villains, including those by Disney. And over the last several months, the more I wrote about King Runeard in my Frozen II analyses, the more I realized what made him a tyrant, albeit a secret one, and that led me to think about other villains in the Disney animated canon who were tyrants.

The thing is, while most historical tyrants were people of royalty, you don’t necessarily have to be a monarch in order to be a tyrant. The definition of a tyrant isn’t limited to being a KING or QUEEN who is openly cruel, hostile, harsh, uncaring, oppressive, persecuting, and unjust towards the people they rule. I mean, that is one way to express tyranny, and probably the most famous way it is and has been done. But what it really means for a person to be called a tyrant is being in a position of power, authority, and/or control over other people and MISUSING, to the point of ABUSING, that position, and often for that tyrant's own selfish desires rather than in the best interest of the people being ruled by the tyrant.

So from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Frozen II, there are a handful of tyrannical antagonists who are indeed monarchs, such as the Queen of Hearts, Prince John, and Scar, but also plenty others who are not. There are tyrants who are corrupt government officials, such as Governor Ratcliffe, Frollo, and Bellwether, and even those who wield magic, such as Maleficent, Ursula, and Jafar. And like the villainous monarchs, the non-monarch villains prove themselves as tyrants all because they abuse their positions of power, magic or non-magic power, and authority that they have over other characters. In fact, there are even a couple of heroic characters who start off more as protagonist villains because they display tyrannical behavior before they become better people. On the contrary, the main antagonist enemies of these tyrant heroes serve as darker reflections of what the latter characters could have become had they not learned the error of their ways.

Below is my list of all the villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios that I perceive as tyrants, from monarchs to government officials to sorcerers, and what scenes in their respective movies depict them displaying tyrannical behavior. I even listed villains that would have become tyrants had they succeeded in their longterm goals.

Monarchs

The Evil Queen: Though we never see her actively governing her kingdom on screen, the abuse that the evil queen displays in her authority over Snow White by dressing her stepdaughter in rags and forcing her to work as a maid in an attempt to make her (Snow White) unattractive makes her a tyrant for sure. Furthermore, the way she mocks the skeletal remains of a prisoner in her dungeon suggests the queen is indeed a cruel, tyrannical ruler.

Queen of Hearts: If we want to consider the epitome of a true tyrant that is a monarch from Disney, it can be safely assumed that that role belongs to the Queen of Hearts. While every resident of Wonderland is insane in some way, the Queen is the most dangerous one of all by being the ruler of the land. An egotist extraordinaire, she loves to get her way, insisting that “All ways are MY ways!” and enjoys hearing the words “Yes, Your Majesty”. The Queen outwardly abuses her authority and power over her subjects by becoming furious over even the smallest of matters, during which she loses her literally explosive temper and flies into violent rages. She is also extremely irrational and unjust in making decisions, primarily by utilizing executions as her only and immediate solution to any problem, especially whenever she feels someone has wronged her, while also refusing to let the individuals she wants beheaded explain their sides of the stories. Enraged upon seeing her white roses painted red, when she misses a shot in croquet, and when she becomes the target of a prank caused by the Cheshire Cat, the Queen sentences those she deems responsible to death by beheading. All of this proves just how much she persecutes and oppresses the residents of Wonderland, instilling only fear and intimidation into their hearts. (A pun that is VERY much intended by me, the Queen of Puns! 😆😆😆)

Prince John: While possessing a short temper that isn’t nearly as explosive and violent as that of the Queen of Hearts, Prince John is displayed to be extremely incompetent as the ruler of England during the time that King Richard is off fighting in the Crusades. Stingy and greedy, the prince continually finds ways to rob and swindle his people in pursuit of wealth for himself. John shows absolutely no care that the harsh laws he decrees to gain more money drive the citizens of Nottingham into poverty and starvation, and he even cruelly mocks them on their poor states by saying, “Rob the poor to feed the rich!”. After the villagers start making fun of him with the song “The Phony King of England”, John punishes them by further increasing the tax payments. Soon everyone in Nottingham is stripped of their money and they are put in prison due to their inability to pay their taxes.

Horned King: Even though the Queen of Hearts projects herself as the ideal example of a royal tyrant, she is far less evil and scary than the Horned King. A skeletal creature with green, rotting flesh, the Horned King is completely frightening in appearance and in personality. Malicious, cruel, malevolent, sinister, power-hungry, megalomaniacal, ruthless, and merciless, he is the epitome of a tyrant who is nothing but purely and completely evil. His goal is to find the infamous Black Cauldron and use its powers to unleash an army of immortal warriors called the Cauldron Born in order to become immortal and conquer the world.

Scar: Denied a legitimate chance to succeed Mufasa as the King of the Pride Lands once Simba is born, Scar schemes to have both of them killed to become king. After murdering Mufasa and believing that Simba has been killed as well, Scar ascends to the throne. However, because he allows the hyenas unrestricted hunting rights in the Pride Lands, their overeating leads to a shortage of food, and a drought leads to other animal herds moving away. Ultimately, these events turn the kingdom into a barren wasteland under Scar’s reign, leaving it completely devoid of green vegetation, water, and food sources. Incredibly lazy and incompetent as a ruler, and caring about nothing except the power and authority that being king gives him, Scar refuses to accept that his allowance of the hyenas overeating is what leads to the destruction of the Pride Lands. He instead blames it on Sarabi and the other lionesses since the hyenas complained to him that they refuse to go hunt. When she suggests they leave Pride Rock to survive, Scar obstinately rejects the idea, not at all caring that he has essentially sentenced them to death. He argues that his place as king puts him in the right for whatever he decides to do: “I am the king! I can do whatever I want!”

King Runeard: In his life, Runeard openly presented himself as a peaceful, generous leader to the people of Arendelle AND the Northuldra. But Elsa discovers from his snowy manifestation in Ahtohallan that he did not trust the Northuldra just because they followed magic. Despite his kingdom having seen him as a benevolent ruler, the face the figure of Runeard makes as he sneers "of a king!" implies that only really cared about himself as well the power and authority he had in being a king. Therefore, he secretly misused and abused it whenever the opportunity came along. This is displayed perfectly when Runeard had the dam constructed in the Enchanted Forest, presenting it as a gift to the Northuldra. He claimed that it would strengthen their land, but admitted only to the second-in-command that the dam’s effects would be just the opposite. This was all part of Runeard’s subtle plan to destroy the Northuldra, as he feared they would try to usurp him and take over Arendelle using their magical ties.

Government Officials/Authority Figures

Lady Tremaine: Like the evil queen before her, Lady Tremaine has control and authority over Cinderella once the latter’s father dies, and misuses it by turning Cinderella into her servant. Day after day for ten years, Lady Tremaine orders and bosses Cinderella around, forces her to do every single bit of housework and menial task for her and the former’s daughters, and subjects the poor girl to an endless cycle of abuse and torment. When Cinderella is accused by Anastasia of putting Gus under the latter’s teacup, her stepmother refuses to let her explain the truth and unfairly punishes her with extra chores. Later, Lady Tremaine falsely promises Cinderella she may attend the ball if she finds a suitable dress and finishes her chores, but gives her chore after chore to do to keep her from working on her dress. After Cinderella appears wearing the dress her mouse and bird friends fixed up for her, Lady Tremaine subtly and cruelly manipulates Drizella and Anastasia into destroying it so that she can appear to be fair in her side of the bargain (”If you can find something suitable to wear”) while simultaneously keeping Cinderella from going to the ball in the first place. The following morning, when she realizes Cinderella was the mysterious girl who danced with the prince at the ball, Lady Tremaine follows her stepdaughter up to her room and locks her in to prevent her from trying on the glass slipper when the Duke arrives with it.

Sheriff of Nottingham: Despite not being the main antagonist of Robin Hood, the Sheriff of Nottingham is as much of a tyrant over the town as Prince John is to it and the entirety of England. This is because he is abusive, ruthless, and completely unsympathetic towards the people’s poverty and continually demands that they pay their taxes, regardless of what other problems they may have that hinders them from doing so. It is because of the Sheriff’s harsh decree of taxes, and then by that of Prince John once the latter takes up residence in Nottingham, that the town’s citizens are driven into poverty. The cruel, immoral way the Sheriff collects taxes includes forcing out the coins Otto had hidden in his leg cast, not caring that his act was causing the blacksmith pain from his broken leg, confiscating the one farthing Skippy had been given for his birthday and insincerely wishing him a happy birthday, and taking the single farthing that was in the Friar Tuck’s church's poor box and laughing as he did it.

Ratigan: A notorious crime lord, Ratigan is the leader of a gang of thugs comprised primarily of mice, but also including a bat named Fidget, who is his second-in-command. Although they willingly help their boss with his crimes, they also participate out of fear for their own lives. Ratigan is an abusive tyrant to his minions and threatens to feed them to his cat Felicia if they ever do something that angers him, even if it occurs unintentionally. This is shown after one of his drunken thugs calls him a rat during "The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind”, and Ratigan threatens his other minions with the same fate if they do not keep singing. Ratigan’s latest scheme is to take over London by murdering the Mouse Queen during her Diamond Jubilee celebration and secretly replacing her with a lifelike robot. He and his thugs (who are disguised as royal guards) infiltrate Buckingham Palace and kidnap the Queen, who is taken to be fed to Felicia by Fidget. As the Diamond Jubilee takes place, the Robot Queen names Ratigan as her new "Royal Consort", and Ratigan, dressed in an ornate robe, immediately presents himself in front of the gathered citizens of Mousedom, terrifying them. He then proceeds to read over his long list of tyrannical laws, one of which is a heavy tax policy for people he deems "parasites", including the elderly, infirm, and children.

Governor Ratcliffe: A completely unscrupulous and greedy man, Ratcliffe leads John Smith and other sailors on an expedition to Virginia to find gold, but he secretly plans to keep all discovered riches for himself. Upon their arrival to America, he forces all of the settlers to dig around their encampment, but refuses to do any manual labor himself out of his own sheer laziness. When no gold turns up in the searches, Ratcliffe becomes greedily convinced that it is because the Native Americans are hoarding it. He refuses to believe John's claim that there is no gold around the land, claiming that the Powhatans’ land is his land for the taking and that he makes the laws. After John is captured by the Powhatans, as they believed he murdered Kocoum, Ratcliffe takes it as the opportunity to take the non-existent gold from them, but claiming to his men that it is a rescue mission.

Judge Claude Frollo: Perhaps the darkest and most malevolent of all Disney Villains in animation (aside from the Horned King), Frollo uses his position as the Minister of Justice in the city of Paris to enrich himself and persecute anyone and everyone he considers inferior. He especially holds a deep-seated hatred for the gypsies and plots to eradicate them from the city. Despite his dark deeds, Frollo refuses to find any fault within himself and he truly believes he is a good person who is only trying to rid the world of sin and malice. Any time he commits a crime or is about to do one, he makes excuses to justify them, saying he is doing it in the eyes of God and that his victims are the ones who are really at fault. After chasing and murdering Quasimodo’s mother since he believed that the bundle she was carrying was stolen goods, Frollo attempts to murder Quasimodo since he believes the latter’s deformity makes him an unholy demon. Years later, after trapping Esmeralda in Notre Dame and upon discovering that she has escaped, he launches a ruthless manhunt around the city to find her, burning down the houses of anyone suspected of sheltering gypsies (including an innocent miller and his family, who survive thanks to Phoebus’s intervention) and interrogating gypsies who are captured. During the climax, Frollo makes the excuse that Esmeralda has proven herself to be a witch and will be executed by burned at the stake as her sentence.

Hades: The reluctant ruler of the Underworld and Lord of the Dead, Hades abuses his authoritative role by subjecting his lackeys Pain and Panic to harsh mistreatment whenever they fail a task assigned to them and any other time they do or say something that angers their boss. The two imps only put up with Hades’s abuse not so much out of loyalty to him, but out of deep fear for him. When he discovers that the two did not succeed in killing Hercules as a baby, Hades furiously grabs both Pain and Panic by their necks and chokes them as he demands they explain themselves. Later, after Hercules becomes a famous hero in Thebes, Pain and Panic adorn themselves with some of the hero’s merchandise, much to their boss’s complete ire.

Shan Yu: The ruthless yet respected leader of the Hun army, Shan Yu is an extremely dark, merciless, and dangerous individual determined to take control of China. His thought-to-be impossible feat of getting through the Great Wall to invade China soon makes him notorious and feared throughout the entire country. In his journey to the Imperial City, Shan Yu and his army destroy one village, then slaughter the entire Imperial Army and residents in another village at the Tung Shao Pass in the mountains. He and five of his elite soldiers are the only ones who survive a snow avalanche caused by Mulan. When the group arrives at the Imperial City and take control of the palace, Shan Yu orders the Emperor to bow to him, and decides to kill him when the latter adamantly refuses to do so.

Turbo: Initially believed to be the ruler of the game Sugar Rush, King Candy is secretly Turbo, a racer from the old game TurboTime who was believed to have died after his game was permanently unplugged. Having stolen the throne from Vanellope Von Schweetz, the true ruler, Turbo turns her into a glitch and makes himself the ruler of her kingdom. While he is viewed as eccentric and flamboyant, yet jovial and benevolent, to his subjects, Turbo is extremely obsessive and possessive of his new royal status. He continuously lusts for power and authority and goes to great lengths to secretly abuse his position, not just by allowing the other racers to ruthlessly torment Vanellope, but especially by keeping Vanellope from racing so that she cannot regain the role he had stolen from her.

Bellwether: The epitome of the famous phrase “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”, Dawn Bellwether pretends to be sweet, meek, and friendly to successfully hide her true prejudiced, ruthless, embittered nature. Initially the overworked assistant mayor of Zootopia to its mayor Leodore Lionheart, Bellwether secretly hates him and all predators, viewing them as nothing more than savage, dangerous monsters. In her scheme to overthrow him, take control of the city, and drive all predators out of Zootopia, Bellwether becomes the leader of a secret organization of sheep terrorists who create a serum from night howlers to turn predators feral. This would give the illusion that they were biologically reverting back to their "primitive savage ways" and eventually be regarded as too dangerous for society, allowing only prey animals to take up the entire population. However, in her goal to become the mayor of Zootopia, rather than subjecting Lionheart to becoming savage, Bellwether instead develops her plot to ensure that he is removed from office and his positive reputation amongst the citizens is ruined, allowing her to rise to power in his place.

Magic Users

Maleficent: Known as The Mistress of All Evil, Maleficent is a ruthless tyrant who rules her own subjects at her home, the Forbidden Mountain. Using her dark magic, she continuously abuses her power and authority over her minions, particularly whenever they display incompetence and stupidity. This is shown when Maleficent flies into a rage and attacks them with her magic upon realizing that, over the last 16 years in their search for Aurora, they were only looking for a baby, not realizing in their idiocy that Aurora would be growing up.

Ursula: Known for her dark reputation as a sea witch, Ursula was banished from Atlantica by Triton. She explains in “Poor Unfortunate Souls” that she uses her magic to help merfolk attain their deepest desires and only imprisons them if they can’t keep their side of the bargain. However, after she takes Ariel’s voice away and turns the latter into a human to try and win Eric’s heart, Ursula reveals she has no intention of letting Ariel follow through with kissing Eric to remain human. She proves herself to be a tyrant because all she really does is backstab the merpeople with whom she makes deals in order to ensure that only HER desires are met! When she bargains with Triton so he will surrender himself to her in exchange for Ariel’s freedom, Ursula steals his crown and trident, then grows to giant size, declaring herself the ruler of the entire ocean.

Jafar: Unbeknownst to the Sultan of Agrabah, his Royal Vizier Jafar plots to take control of the kingdom, and he needs the Genie of the lamp from the Cave of Wonders to pull off this feat. Once the lamp is in his possession, Jafar succeeds with his first to become sultan. But after Jasmine and her father refuse to bow to him, he wishes to become the most powerful sorcerer in the world to have an even greater amount of power. During his brief reign, Jafar proves himself to be a tyrant by turning Agrabah into a dystopian wasteland, dressing the Sultan as a living marionette and allowing him to be abused by Iago, and making Jasmine his own slave girl.

Tyrants-Turned-Heroes

The Beast: From the time he is cursed and until he finally starts to soften, the spoiled behavior the prince had before his curse remains. He is aggressive, rude, impatient, and frequently and easily loses his temper when something annoys or irritates him. Primarily due to his short temper, the Beast acts like a tyrant towards his servants because he is mean and cruel to them as he gives them orders, which makes them deeply afraid of him. Only on some occasions do they openly rebel against him or talk back to him, such as Mrs. Potts ordering the Beast to act more like a gentleman around Belle, and both her and Lumiere deciding to feed Belle despite being told that she was not allowed to eat unless she ate with the Beast.

Kuzco: In the beginning, Kuzco is very arrogant, lazy, selfish, and self-absorbed, viewing himself as superior to all simply for being the emperor. He rules his empire completely without the best interest of his people and always seeks to have his way, never showing any concern over the chances things could turn out badly for other people involved. This is shown when he sets his sights on building his summer home of Kuzcotopia on the top of the hill where Pacha, Pacha’s family, and other villagers reside. Since the plan will only benefit himself, Kuzco shows absolutely no care or concern that destroying Pacha’s village to build Kuzcotopia will render the residents homeless.

Would-Be Tyrants

Gaston: From what I described about him in “Bride and Prejudice” with his growing obsession with Belle and his low, inferior views of women, there is no doubt in my mind that, had Gaston succeeded in marrying Belle and starting a family with her, he would have run his household like a tyrant. He would be very controlling to the point of being physically abusive to his wife in order to get her to obey every single one of his commands and orders. Like many of the tyrants I listed above, Gaston would undoubtedly use fear and intimidation to keep his wife in her proper place of being beneath him, and he would instill these same feelings on to his own children.

Yzma: Her ire drawn after Kuzco remorselessly fires her, a furious Yzma decides to kill him so that she can take over the empire. While Kuzco is initially selfish, callous, and uncaring towards his staff and people living in his empire, he learns to change his ways by the end of the film. Had Yzma succeeded in her goal, she would have been far more of a selfish, ruthless tyrant than Kuzco was at first. This is evident during her introduction scene, which is one of many times she governs the empire whenever Kuzco is not present. As a peasant complains to her that he and his family are suffering from limited food sources, Yzma spitefully says his problem is of no concern to her, and that the man should have realized this ahead of time.

Hans: While taking over as temporary ruler of Arendelle in both Elsa and Anna’s absence, Hans wins the hearts of the people by acting as a kind, caring, benevolent ruler during the harsh conditions brought on by Elsa’s magical winter. Though he reveals his true, dark nature to Anna and his plot to take control of Arendelle, the fact that he earned the trust and respect of the Arendellians suggest that Hans could truly have been a very worthy ruler. However, now that we have Frozen II and it revealed that Runeard was actually a malevolent tyrant behind the same kind of benevolent facade that Hans used, there is no doubt in my mind that had he succeeded in stealing Arendelle’s throne, Hans also would have become a ruthless, power-hungry, selfish tyrant in secret.

[kemetic-dreams]

Idubor, the giant warrior prince of Benin who could uproot palm trees with his bare hands

Idubor came into this world at a time Great Benin was an important state that flourished in southern Nigeria. Also known as Arhuanran (sometimes spelled Aruanran), Idubor would have been the Oba (king) of Benin in the 1500s had his birthright not been taken away from him and given to his younger brother, Esigie, who was born on the same day he was.

According to history, Idubor’s mother gave birth to him a few hours before Esigie was born. However, because Idubor did not immediately cry at birth, Esigie, who did, was reported first to the king, Oba Ozolua, and his proclamation rights were performed. Idubor and Esigie had an older brother, Ogidigbo, who was the first son and thus next in line to the throne. But Ogidigbo broke his leg in a competition with his two brothers, and becoming cripple meant he had lost his right from taking over from his father.

As tradition demanded, Esigie, who was now the second child (after taking his brother, Idubor’s birthright) moved up to the first place, becoming the next in line to succeed his father to the throne. Locals accused Esigie’s mother, Idia, of being behind his brother Ogidigbo’s woes, claiming that she used mystical powers to improve her son’s chances of becoming the next Oba; this was not uncommon for royal wives to do at the time.

These and many other factors angered Idubor, and he would go to war with his brother on several occasions.

Their father, before his death, carved out dukedoms for both of them to avoid confusion — Idubor was made the Duke of Udo, a town not too far from Benin. But Idubor was not satisfied and continued to battle his brother, even making plans to assassinate him.

Idubor had then become a great warrior and conqueror and had grown up to be a giant. “Legend has it that he uprooted palm trees with his bare hands, sweeping the ground with the fronds. He turned out to be a great warrior who had the overwhelming advantage of size and stamina,” an account by Edo Historical Traditional Cultural Heritage says.

Another historical account states that Idubor “was bigger and stronger, and could easily have trounced the weaker Esigie, whom Oba Ozolua had sent to attend the Portuguese mission school after his baptism.”

Idubor could have therefore succeeded with his plans to kill his brother, Esigie had the latter’s mother, who was his spiritual protector, not intervened. Idia took on Idubor using mystical powers and his plans failed.

When Esigie later ascended the throne after the death of their father, many thought the power struggle between the two brothers would end. However, Idubor refused to concede defeat, and instead, he went back to Udo. There, with his army and his “newly acquired magical prowess” against Esigie, he began attacking the capital. An oral account states that Idubor even placed spells on the coronation beads of Esigie, driving him mad for days until he was cured.

The bitter war between Idubor and Esigie meanwhile continued in what became one of the bloodiest wars in Benin history. Idubor and his town Udo were eventually defeated in the battle and Idubor drowned himself in a lake – Lake Odighi N’Udo.

History says Esigie’s victory was during the planting season when many members of Idubor’s army, who were farmers, had gone to their farms.

Esigie would go on to reign over the ancient Benin Kingdom while maintaining a strong connection to Portugal throughout his reign. Becoming the first leader in the West-African Sub-Region to establish diplomatic relations with a European country, Esigie encouraged extensive trade with the Europeans though ensuring that his kingdom was independent of their control.

But the powerful Esigie has his mother to thank for his successful reign over Benin. His mother, Idia, became a strong influence on him as he “undertook nothing of importance without having sought her counsel.”

Esigie introduced a special post in the administration for his mother called the Iyoba, the Queen Mother, and commissioned a “highly improved metal art” that has since received wide acclaim. The famous Queen Mother Idia busts are some of the most well-known art pieces.

Idia’s image is also expressively captured in the famous Ivory mask, which served as the logo of the 2nd World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC), held in 1977 in Lagos, Nigeria.

“The exquisite craftsmanship of the mask bears testimony to the quality of life and superlative level of civilization of the Benin people prior to their colonization,” an article by Trip Down Memory Lane said.

Years later, the British would invade the Benin kingdom and take away various works of art commissioned by Esigie, including Ivory and bronze works before burning down the ancient capital, Benin City. Today, most of these works of art are held in prominent museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum.

The Oba of the Benin Kingdom has, nevertheless, stood the test of time even though Nigeria’s history is made up of several unique elements.

While Nigeria is a constitutional democracy that elects its leaders, the hundreds of ethnic communities scattered across the country still acknowledge their own traditional rulers and among the most recognized traditional leaders in Nigeria is the Oba of Benin.

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[yamayuandadu]

Rider of Clouds (again)

After going through more sources on Ugaritic mythology and the “storm god versus the sea” motif as a whole in Anatolia, Levant, Egypt and Mesopotamia, I decided to post about the characters meant for my loose Baal Cycle retelling again.

Baal (middle) – the eponymous Rider of Clouds, a young weather deity born to Dagon and Shalash, largely retired agricultural gods who settled in Ugarit shortly before Baal's birth. While the mythical  Baal Hadad is male, my version is a woman – the idea started as a joke about conflating Baal from the Baal cycle with Baalat Gebal, a female figure associated with another levantine bronze age city (BG's actual identity is an object of much scholarly debate) being more valid than conflating him with much later Baal Hammon from Carthage, which happens a lot online, but I got attached to it (a certain artifact which is variously interpreted as representing either a short-haired noblewoman or a prince was a factor too) so now here we are.  She nonetheless uses a male title inherited from her father, much like a few historical female rulers did. In my version “Hadad” is only a nickname, and her real name is actually Hebat, who is a goddess mentioned in one inscription as Dagan's daughter. As the levantine/syrian Hebat lacks a defined character in real mythology (another Hebat was regarded as the Hittite storm god's wife but was replaced in this role by the sun goddess of Arinna and that's about it) it should be fine to conflate her with Dagan's best attested divine child, I think. Baal is impulsive and follows a moral code which, depending on the point of view, might be either naive or heroic, which means she's not exactly the optimal person to get involved in n-dimensional divine politics, but that's not enough to stop her from trying. The story documents her rise to the position of the head god of Ugarit's pantheon. Astarte (right) – a goddess of uncertain origin and no particularly well defined attributes, who attaches herself to Baal initially in hopes of advancing own career, though the two eventually develop a more genuine relationship. She patterns herself after the much more famous Mesopotamian Inanna, seeing her as an ideal to strive for – especially when it comes to trickery. While Baal has the name recognition and disposition fitting for a major deity, Astarte is the part of the duo actually capable of navigating politics, and takes the title of Face of Baal, negotiating support for Baal's bid with other gods. The image of Baal she projects differs slightly from reality, though not enough for most onlookers to notice. Ignore the crescent moon diadem, it'll be replaced as soon as I'll draw her again. Anat (left) – the younger daughter of Ugarit's head god, El. Her philosophy differs greatly from her parents' and as a result she isn't really seriously considered for succession. Her hobbies include bladed weapons, gambling and heroic epics; in the past she attempted writing her own self insert one. She's deeply invested in Baal's ascendance, and is probably the god Astarte wants to recruit for their cause the most.

El and Asherah – the ruling couple of Ugarit, currently pondering retirement, which stirs many contenders to the throne into action. El is a lifelong opportunist changing views and allegiances as he sees fit, though he pretty consistently favors Yam as his main underling. His wife (image tbd) generally holds similar views, though has some qualms about Yam's rise to power.

Kothar-wa-Khasis – a craftsman god who, by own admission, only works part time in Ugarit and travels the world for the rest of it. He's kind and dependable and his wares are both affordable and of great quality, but his real motives are hard to ascertain. His real identity is likewise a subject of much speculation among other gods – while his preferred manner of clothing hints at an egyptian origin, nothing is known for sure. He's also a talented musician. Shapash – El's firstborn daughter, serving as “the torch of the gods”, guaranteeing Ugarit gets its fair share of sunlight. Her political allegiance is unknown.

Yam – a sea monster more than a god, presiding over the nearby section of the sea and all that dwells in it, including the sea slugs important for the human inhabitants of the area. He's also the son of the influential Anatolian god Kumarbi, banished to the underworld by the current head god Teshub. As a result of his influence, he gained El's support and received many titles, which de facto makes him the most likely to succeed El as the king of local pantheon.  He's capricious and inconsiderate, but maintains a larger than life public image meant to make him palatable to potential backers. The circumstances of his arrival in Ugarit are shrouded in mystery, and may or may not be relate for his unusually strong hatred of Baal. Ashtar (image tbd) – an opportunist who sides with Yam, hoping to receive a share in the gains he's making thanks to El's blessings. He's pretty content with playing the role of a toady though his aspirations might be different, as evidenced by his gaudy fashion preferences. Yam’s messenger (image tbd) – an attempt at developing an obscure figure from the original myth, Yam's nameless and seemingly rather rude and infuriating messenger, into a full blown character. His real identity is a mystery. He interned under a variety of famous mythical villains in order to gain a greater understanding of their ways, and currently serves as Yam's messenger, adviser, doorkeeper and punching bag. Mot – profoundly unpleasant and unsociable being tasked with maintaining Ugarit's very own underworld. While his equivalents in neighboring cultures generally view themselves as impartial judges or a necessary evil, Mot gets his kicks from posing as a personification of death itself, and is notoriously corrupt.

Marduk – the tutelary deity of Babylon, reigning as the king of gods of most of Mesopotamia and its neighbors. While technically Ugarit isn't directly under his control, he still is the god whose confirmation is necessary to rise to the position of the head of a local pantheon. He doesn't have a unified mythical narrative about himself yet at this point in time, despite his position, which is a source of insecurity for him. During travels, he's assisted by his personal aide and biographer, Nabu, and his pet. Seth – in real life, ancient Egyptians equated many gods of their neighbors with Seth; therefore in Rider of Clouds Seth serves as an ambassador of the Egyptian pantheon. While ultimately Marduk's judgment matters the most, Seth gets the right to veto his decisions when it comes to validating claims to local thrones. On good terms with Kothar-wa-Khasis, which is a subject of much gossip among other gods. Teshub – the head of the Hittite and Hurrian pantheon, technically capable of projecting the most power in Ugarit's politics; however, as the gods of Ugarit share closer affinity with Mesopotamia than Hatti, he competes with Marduk for political influence. As he and Baal are a very similar type of god, he's the most outspoken supporter of Baal's ascension to the throne out of all 3 foreign dignitaries. Ignore the ?, it’s just Baal. Gupan and Ugar – two minor gods who might be some of the only allies Baal recruited herself rather than with Astarte's help. They play a minor role in the story as her messengers and heralds. They're also a couple. Kubaba – a pretender to the throne of the head deity of the pantheon of Carchemish, a city-state close to Ugarit. Involved with the Hittite Sun Goddess of the Underworld in some capacity. This is, however, not their story. If you follow my oc posts you can probably guess which one is about them.

[ottomanladies]

Hi! I was wondering if we can blame Sultan Suleiman over the execution of Mustafa? After all he was his son and he could at least listen to him or even investigate more on this issue and do you think that excecution was the only punishment?

I mean, history is not a blame game. History is understanding why something happened and withhold a judgement. Judging and therefore blaming is not part of the historian's work.

After this historiography introduction, let's get to your question.

I have, many times, referred to Zahit Atçıl's essay "Why Did Süleyman the Magnificent Execute His Son Şehzade Mustafa in 1553?" but since nobody reads it I guess I'll have to summarise it myself.

What happened in the months before October 1553

as we all know, Mustafa was favoured by the Janissaries, to the point that Venetian ambassador Navagero said:

One cannot describe how much he is loved and desired by all in the empire to succeed. The janissaries want him, and they let this be known manifestly. There is no Turk or slave of the Gran-Signor who does not have the same opinion or desire...

That the Janissaries "let this be known manifestly" was surely alarming to Süleyman: I have repeated this a lot of times but he was eighteen years old when his father took the throne with the help of the Janissaries, effectively deposing Bayezid II. I also have said this a lot of times but Selim I deposed his own father because of his "weak behaviour" against the Safavids. Selim thought the sultan should have gone to war against the Safavids, Bayezid - now in his sixties - preferred diplomacy to war. The Janissaries agreed with the prince and therefore supported him against Bayezid and his favourite son Ahmed.

As I have already said, Süleyman was already eighteen and played an important role in his father's capture of the throne:

Selim proceeded to use Suleyman and Hafsa’s presence in Caffa as a springboard to the throne. He took refuge there in 1510 as he made his way toward the capital and the confrontation that culminated in his unseating of his father. Selim then enlisted the help of the Crimean khan Mengli Giray to transport Hafsa and Suleyman to Istanbul, where he could better protect them. Selim then left Suleyman to guard the capital as his deputy when he set off to fight his brothers. Suleyman was nineteen when he got his first taste of what it meant to hold an empire together. Only when his throne was secured did Selim in 1513 permit his son to take up a new provincial assignment in Anatolia, the theater of the brothers’ brief but vicious civil war. — Peirce, Empress of the East: How a European Slave Girl Became Queen of the Ottoman Empire

So he definitely remembered the whole thing.

In the 1550s, he was sixty too - like Bayezid had been - and that's when rumours about Mustafa's candidacy to the throne started to become stronger. Moreover, the Janissaries especially wanted Süleyman to go on a campaign against the Safavids— it's the same exact scenario of Bayezid II's deposition.

Moreover, Mustafa had contacted Venice asking for support to get the throne. 

A dispatch Trevisano sent to the Venetian Council of Ten written on 15 October 1553 indicates that Mustafa had sent a messenger, Nebi Bey, to the bailo asking for his help gaining the throne; this man had also traveled to Venice to negotiate with the senate. The bailo had received word on 6 October that Nebi Bey had arrived in Venice on the first of the month and was scheduled for an audience with the Venetian Collegio the following day. According to the rumors circulating in Venice, the mission of Mustafa’s man was to broker a deal with Venetian authorities, who were willing to support Mustafa with Venetian intelligence and technical services if he would return to them the former Venetian strongholds in Morea (the Peloponnese).

We don't know how the Senate replied because Mustafa was executed in the meantime. As Atçıl says in his essay:

This abortive episode in princely diplomacy, however, demonstrates that just as Hürrem (probably in collaboration with Rüstem) did for her sons, Mustafa likewise was acting to bolster his claim to the throne; moreover, he was more successful than his half-brothers in gaining valuable support. Forming coalitions and seeking allies were perfectly legitimate moves for a candidate to the throne, and supporting a particular claimant constituted a way for various social groups (e.g., janissaries, viziers, scholars, middle-class citizens) to participate in imperial politics.

In September 1552, Süleyman sent ahead Rüstem with an army with the probable intention of joining him in spring. "Rüstem was likely meant to oversee only the mustering and organization of the soldiers coming from Rumeli". The sultan had stayed in Istanbul because he was not in good health; for this reason, Rüstem did not go very far from Istanbul: "fearing that Şehzade Mustafa would attempt to ascend the throne with the janissaries’ assistance if the sultan’s health deteriorated"

And this is when things start to heat up: in winter 1553, while Rüstem was in Anatolia with the army

"the janissaries who were with him said that they wanted to go to pay respects to Mustafa, their future sultan. The pasha immediately understood the situation, and suspecting some threat to himself, issued a command that no one would leave him but that all the troops would accompany him in the direction of Iconio. The janissaries, however, did not want to be prevented from doing what they had decided [only] because of this command, so they all set out along the path toward Amasya. The pasha continued toward Iconio with the agha of the janissaries and with those others who had remained."

[Iconio is Konya in Italian]

Now, this is is like the worst that could happen because soldiers could not swear allegiance to a prince. They were the sultan's soldiers and their allegiance was to the sultan himself. This is why Rüstem forbade them from going to Amasya, though he also did that because he was afraid that something would happen to him should Mustafa muster an army.

The Janissaries in Amasya, Mustafa made a very big mistake:

The janissaries who arrived in Amasya and went to kiss Mustafa’s hand were welcomed and fêted by him; they received abundant food and one ducat each.

Atçıl goes on saying:

"If he had rejected this obeisance right away as a display due only the sultan himself, he could never have been portrayed as a rebel to his father; rejection of the soldiers’ advances would have communicated that the legitimate sultan was alive in Istanbul and that he, as his son, by no means disregarded the authority of the sultan. Mustafa probably did not intend to undermine Süleyman’s power and prestige, but he almost certainly did not foresee that embracing the people’s love would result in his demise."

Unfortunately, Mustafa did not refuse the Janissaries' obeisance. Furthermore, when the "rebelling" Janissaries returned to Rüstem's camp, the Grand Vizier had received a letter from Istanbul which said that the Sultan's health had deteriorated.

Mustafa, too, received this news, immediately understood the situation, and prepared himself to ride [to Istanbul] in case [news of ] the sultan’s death should follow. It was said that he had a hundred thousand men ready who would mount horses to follow him at the sound of a trumpet. [...] [With Mustafa] no more than five thousand men were found at that time, but all of them were well chosen and counted as three men [in prowess]. It is also true that the army would not have followed either Rüstem Pasha or the agha of the janissaries, no matter what they offered as present or promise to keep the troops together, because Mustafa was so loved by all the imperial soldiers, and everyone impatiently awaited the moment he would become emperor.

So what happened is that the Grand Vizier effectively lost control of the army. This is serious because not only was he the Grand Vizier of the Empire but he had been appointed as Süleyman's deputy so basically the army at that moment was ready to disobey the sultan's orders and to follow instead a prince.

At this point, Rüstem sent messengers to Istanbul, telling the sultan what was happening. This is when Süleyman famously denied that Mustafa would ever betray him:

God forbid that my Mustafa Khan should dare such insolence, and for the love of the sultanate during my lifetime should extend his foot from the quilt! It must be the idea of some troublemakers. They slander him in order to obtain the rule for the prince they support. See that you never let similar rumors appear and never again repeat such a thing.

Nevertheless, Süleyman recalled the army back to Istanbul and promised that he would lead the campaign himself later. So, Rüstem returned to Istanbul and on 28 August 1553, the army left again; this time it was the sultan commanding it. Before leaving, Rüstem left his brother Sinan as deputy governor of Istanbul but he didn't stop there: he appointed him Grand Admiral (even though Sinan was not a seaman at all) with the specific task to block the straits if Mustafa were to arrive before Hürrem's sons (Selim was at his provincial post, Bayezid was in Edirne tasked with guarding Rumeli and Cihangir was with Süleyman, as we all know)

When Süleyman arrived near Amasya, he sent messengers to call Mustafa to Ereğli. Mustafa's advisers (and Mahidevran too) told him not to go but in the end, the prince decided to obey. He arrived on October 5th but was scheduled to meet Süleyman only on the 6th, when he was strangled in his tent.

All of this to say that the matter was more complicated than "Hürrem planned Mustafa's execution by poisoning Süleyman's ear through Rüstem". I have said that the historian should not judge but if you asked me personally, I cannot blame Süleyman for doing what he did. The circumstantial evidence was pretty damning: Mustafa did contact another country (and Ayas Pasha) but most importantly, he accepted the Janissaries' allegiance. As I have said before, I don't think he wanted to rebel and take the throne as Selim I had done but he probably didn't think about how his father would see his actions either.

I don’t want to sound rude but I hope this is the last time I have to talk about Mustafa’s execution because I’m a little tired of talking always about the same thing. 

[albertfinch]

DEFEATING THE GIANT IN FRONT OF US

As many are facing giants today, we need to learn from David -- a man who knew how to handle giants.

As God gives us the spirit of David, He wants us to be personally offended at anything or anyone that keeps us from fulfilling His CALLING on our lives.

Saul and the army of Israel were all controlled by fear and their hearts melted.  But David said, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." (1 Samuel 17:32)

Saul had even tried to talk David out of the showdown with Goliath (see verse 33).  Even so, the devil has tried to get you to quit or talk you out of fighting a certain giant in your life -- ignore them!  You do not have the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 timothy 1:7). 

When the spirit of BOLDNESS comes upon you, you will not let any giant deter you; rather you will focus on the power of God's name (vs. 45).  God will give you courage to face every giant.

HOW DO WE DEFEAT THE GIANT IN FRONT OF US

Look around, you will see some stones (weapons) within your reach:  God's Word, Truth (Jesus' name) and faith (Ephesians 6:13-17).  You have all the weapons you need; simply pick them up.

DON'T LET DISTRACTORS HINDER YOUR CALLING

David's brother Eliab got angry with David and criticized him (1 Samuel 17:28).  David ignored his brother's criticism because David had a pure motive.  What was David's reaction?  He said. "Is there not a cause?" (Verse 29).

Eliab couldn't see David's true motive, and don't expect everyone to see yours.  His brothers did not believe he would actually ascend to the throne.  Some do not believe you will succeed.  Like David's brothers, they are wrong.

GOD GIVES US ANOINTING TO FIGHT THE GOLIATHS IN OUR LIFE

We prophesy victory over our giants.  David said, "This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee..."  (1 Samuel 17:46)

David prophesied to that giant in front of him.

The devil tries to intimidate Beilevers, but we need to intimidate the enemy.  Jesus dealt severly with the devil and gave him no space.  We must do the same.  We deal harshly with the devil and stand our ground.

Paul instructs Believers to "therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to STAND your ground, and after you have done everything -- to STAND." - (Ephesians 6:13).

The word stand is mentioned TWICE. We need to dig in firmly and stand our ground!

THE SPIRIT OF GOD RESTING ON US MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Rely on the Spirit of God..  The same Holy Spirit that rested on Jesus is the same Holy Spirit given to us.  Jesus said, "As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you," (John 20:21).  God is looking for people who will receive His Spirit to the fullest.

Make sure your heart is given over to the Father completely:" ... I have found David son of Jesse, a man after My own heart;  he will do everything I want him to do" (Acts 13:22).

David was an "abider" (John 15:4-7); so must you be.  He actively sought after God (Psalm 27); so must we.

"And David took out his sword and cut off Goliath's head..." - 1 Samuel 17:51

"Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking.  Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect." - Romans 12:2 NCV

Sometimes the events of life seem to distance us from the awareness of His presence and we feel cast into a wilderness.  In the wilderness, we tend to tune into the bitter past of life rather than the sweetness.  However, it is in the wilderness that God speaks most clearly and opens the portals of heavenly revelation.

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of His CALLING...." - Ephesians 1: 17,18

We can position our hearts to become an open portal to Heaven -- where God infuses us with His presence and revelation abounds -- flowing to us and through us.

Like Moses' encounter with the burning bush, new direction often becomes clearer in the wilderness and DESTINY unfolds through the oddest signs along the trail.

As we move into the sweetness of His presence, we exit the wilderness of circumstance.

REACHING THE CENTRAL PLACE OF OUR INWARD WALK

By not speaking, desiring, nor reasoning, we reach the central place of the inward walk -- that place where God speaks to our inward man.  It is there that God communicates Himself to our spirit.

"For God alone my soul waits in silence." - Psalm 62:1

We recall that Jacob wrestled with the Lord all night, until daybreak. THEN it was when the Lord blessed him. We persevere against any and all difficulties which confront us in our seeking the Lord's presence in our spirit. We are steadfast until the Lord gives our spirit His blessing.

Job 26:14 - "And these are but the out fringe of His works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him!  Who then can understand the thunder of His power?"

A revelation of the thunder of His power catapults us out of our wildernesses, shatters the realms of darkness and releases the awe of God through signs and wonders -- through us as we walk in His authority.

As our heart becomes an open portal of His love -- the awe of His power thunders around us and we find ourselves walking IN THE FULLNESS of Him, not just alongside of Him; but carrying this authority to release the realm of Heaven on earth.

AFFIRMATION:

My heart is a portal for His love.

PRAYER:  

Father, I abandon myself to You.  You love in me Your only begotten Son.  You see Him in me.  You embrace Him in me, because He has willed to identify Himself completely with me by that love which brought Him to death, for me, on the Cross.  Amen

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[hellzeldagirlsfanfic]

Cost of the Throne - Introduction

[Next]

The world was ruled by two empires, Fortuna and Mallet. They were bitter enemies, having many wars between them over aeons o their existence.

The two empires were the complete opposites of each other.

Fortuna was a peaceful country, where everyone was equal. Fortunan Empire was a series of islands all ranging in various sizes but the largest was Fortuna Island, where it’s capital, Castle Town was located. The warm climate and constant rainfall made it a perfect place to grow crops and raise livestock which could be traded. Some of the islands had precious metals that could be also be traded as well but it was mostly kept for the empire’s own used. Fortuna was also known for its beautiful fabrics, stunning architecture and sweet food. All together the Empire of Fortuna was happy.

That was thank to its king, a demon named Sparda. The Legendary Dark Knight as he was also known as was nothing like the demons you hear about in stories. Sparda was a kind, righteous, wise and fought for the weak. He had ruled over Fortuna for over three thousand years which seem to bring the empire everlasting prosperity. Along with his Queen, Eva and their two sons, Sparda lived happily with his Empire.

As for the Empire of Mallet, it was land where the rich and powerful ruled over it’s suffering people allowing them to die from hunger and illness. Mallet was the largest continent in the world. The continent was mostly made up of mountain ranges with volcanos doting the through the mountain ranges. There was a little flat for farming but an enough to support the empire but since the ruling class was corrupt, they tool all of the food for themselves leaving a little to the people. The weather was terrible. The empire suffered from drought for half the year then severe monsoon which caused flooding the other half of the year. The sky was always covered with thick clouds causing the empire to be permanently gloomy. Mallet’s main exports were a large number of precious metals and normal metals, along with black marble, stone, coal, deadly poison and mercenaries.

This was due to Mallet’s emperor was a demon known as Mundus, who was also the king of the demon world. He was cruel and malicious, who didn’t care for his mortal subjects. Mundus worked his people to death working in the mines and allowed his demonic nobility eat, tortured, kill and rape them. All that Demon Emperor care about was taking over the mortal realm, which had been stopped by Sparda with each attempt at expanding his empire.

And that’s how it had been for millennium, Sparda and Mundus fighting each other for control of the world.

That was until Harald Mallory Randall Rose-Griffiths ascend to the throne of Kingdom of Quebel.

Quebel was an ally of Fortuna since the kingdom came into existence.

The kingdom sat on the continent Drupmind, taking up the eastern side of the continent. Like Fortuna, Quebel had the perfect climate for agriculture but t got snow during its winter months, unlike its ally. Quebel was known for its magic. It affected every part of the kingdom, to day life to how the kingdom ran. The kingdom main trades were magical plants that grew wonderful in its solid, magic items and weapons and their speciality magic infuse beer, wine and spirits.

Quebel had always ben ruled by Rose-Griffiths Clan, mages that united the different mages clans and mortal tribes together to fight against the demon hoards that Mundus sent. The clan had been know for being loving and caring for the weak. But that change when the previous king married a princess of the continent of Lonist. Their son, Harald was very different from the rest of his family. He was cold, didn’t care for anyone but himself, believe in survival of the fittest and tortured what he could get away with.

When Harald took the throne after his father’s death, he began talking to Emperor of the Underworld about destroying Fortuna.

Which they succeed in doing.

Both Sparda and Eva were slaughtered and their sons disappeared during the war, belief to killed alongside their parents.

After the one-sided war, the other kingdoms and countries bowed to Mundus in hope they wouldn’t suffer a like Fortuna. 

The world was now Mundus’ and Harald got to share in the power and riches for helping the demon emperor.

Neither of them realises that the world wouldn’t their for long.

Quebelian king had forgotten his own family’s property.

‘From the ashes of betrayal, will come a time of peace after the demon and monster are destroyed. The queen of unpure blood shall over the kingdom and bring a era of hope, peace and prosperity.’                                                       

[neshatriumphs]

V. The Venom

“I can’t see through his eyes again!” Amelia complained. “You must’ve known that we would have this issue when I sent him on this quest,” she fussed at The Cat.

“Perhaps, if I knew what your intentions were, I might have known what information you needed,” Samantha said, smoothly.

“Withholding information could result in Simon’s death. Do you WANT that on your head?”

“Simon isn’t going to die,” Samantha said, but she did worry. A blood oath… That was a risk that Simon never should have taken and had he consulted with her, she would have been vehemently against it. She had confidence, though… Simon would either do what needed to be done to survive, or he would at the very least die for something he believed in. She didn’t like that option nearly as much. “What is it that you think we could do to help him?”

Amelia pulled a necklace from the liquid in her basin. “Find him and deliver this to him. Tell him never to take it off.”

“What does it do?” Samantha wondered.

“Do you want him to live, or not?” Amelia asked, shaking the necklace angrily in The Cat’s face. Samantha took it and slid it onto her own neck, then hopped onto the ledge and out of the window.

It would take her no time to find Simon. A familiar always knew where their spirit human was, but on those little cat feet, it would take her far too long to run. She twinkled a moment, with green smoke coming up around her, and was carried away by it, and replaced outside of a cottage. She approached and bumped into a barrier. “Hmmm…” She pulled the necklace off, buried it in the dirt and attempted again. This time, she walked straight through.

Samantha was not expecting to hear what she heard whenever she entered the cottage, undetected, but it was a welcome sound - Simon laughing. It wasn’t hard, but it was real. She could tell. She looked to see what he was laughing at… who was more like it. It was her. The Princess.

“Shut up!” She squealed. Samantha hid to take a look. The Princess had her feet in a soaking bowl, while Simon rested on a nearby cushioned seat with the widest smile on his face that Samantha could ever remember seeing.

“Your feet look like the consequences and repercussions,” Simon said.

“Of what?”

“NAME SOMETHING!” He said and laughed again.

“You know what… I am a dancer and I’m a free spirit. My feet look like this because they’ve worked hard my entire life!”

“You have MAGIC! There's no acceptable reason that your feet should be like that!” He was laughing harder now, until he noticed Samantha and he stopped.

She approached and sat on his lap. The Princess stared at her, she looked back at the woman. Simon collected Samantha and said, “I’m going to put her outside…” Grace nodded. She heard him outside ask, in his lowest whisper, “What are you doing here?”

“You left something important behind,” Samantha said and uncovered the necklace. Simon picked it up. He had never seen the thing before in his life. It must have been from Amelia. “Now, put it on and don’t take it off…” She wondered if he would be forbidden, when he tried to cross the threshold again. Soon enough, that was answered. Simon groaned in pain, with his skin burning and he took the necklace off. “Well… wear it whenever you’re outside of that barrier.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know, but I’ve been told that it is urgent.”

Grace stepped outside and asked, “What’s the problem, Simon and The Cat?” Samantha poofed away into a cloud of green smoke. Simon was surprised. She just left him? Just like that? Grace was waiting on an answer.

“She gave me a necklace, but I can’t bring it through. I don’t think it’s dangerous. Just… I guess it has too much conductor’s magic,” he answered honestly. Getting her to trust him was going to take telling the truth here and there.

“Lemme see it.” He held it up in the moonlight. She looked into it and saw herself. She began to pose into it and kiss at her reflection. Simon was annoyed. He snatched it back and put it in his pocket. “It’s for spying. It can’t pass the barrier, because that would violate my solitude spell. I was very shocked that your cat was able to come in, but then again, she IS made of natural magic. She left before I could pin down a strand, though.”

“What does that mean?” He asked, defensively.

“It’s like tracing her back to where her magic originated… like to find out who you stole her from.”

He was angry now, “She’s been with me my entire life!”

“Okay, so who your parents stole her from…”

Simon reached out and was knocked across the grounds. Grace sighed. At this point, there was no need to go help him up. He knew not to try to attack her. She went back into her cottage and waited for him to come back.

He hit the barrier and grunted, “Dammit!” Then tossed the necklace to the ground and stormed inside. "Don't talk about my parents!"

"You don't even know them, Simon. They could have been scandalous rascals!"

He was furious, but he’d already hurt himself reaching out for her too angrily, so he simply smirked and said, “Your feet are scandalous rascals.”

“STOP TALKING ABOUT MY FEET! They’ve got character!” She whined, folding her arms. Simon kneeled in front of her and held his hands out in front of him. Runes on his wrist glowed and he stuck his hands into the water. “Simon!” the water bubbled, but didn’t heat up and Grace removed her feet, reflexively and saw that they looked sloughed and smoothed. She hadn’t seen her feet be this soft and flawless since she was a girl. “What did you do?”

“I healed them,” he said.

“Where did you steal the magic to do that?” She asked.

“Just… say thanks. Your feet are now as beautiful as the rest of you.”

She blushed, but she was frustrated. “Please, don’t ever use that kind of magic on me without my consent again. I’m disappointing enough to my mother without adding magical tainting."

"What's disappointing about you? Aside from those gargoyles you called feet?" She kicked him and he caught her foot and cradled it. "Really. What's your mom's problem. I watched everybody fawn over you all day."

"I'm supposed to be a queen of the One someday. By now, I should have been married, made whole by my soul mate, with child, and ready to ascend to the throne someday, raising my child to do the same."

"You're too young to be married! You've barely lived yet."

"A princess's life is doing what her kingdom needs. But, my soul mate died, and the One never revealed another… and all of the suitors are not powerful enough to make into a king… but… I may have to settle. I only have a few more years. If I turn 21 and have no heir, my parents will have to look outside of our house for my successor. I'll be the first queen who didn't put a Monroe born on the throne."

"What's so special about the Monroes?"

"We're descended from the original witches. There were certain families, descended from them, with natural Magic. Many have faded away. Some have married non-magical and evolved into blended families. The Monroes have never yet done this. We're the oldest of the natural magic families and the… purest…"

"That only comes with high concentration of inbreeding."

" No. That's not true. We've had seers to help guide us in order to avoid that. They get someone with natural magic for us to breed with. Then, a priestess intertwines our destinies. We're raised to be the person who completes the other. Our marriage is preordained by magic and our consummation is the fulfilment… but, my soul mate got sick when I was young and we lost him." She pulled her foot back. "And, now you know most of my flaws."

"Those aren't flaws. We're magic, Grace. We should be able to write our own destinies! Your mother is disappointed because she's weak."

"You've felt her magic. You know that isn't true."

"Her magic is wasted on someone so easily controlled. You're an amazing witch. This place doesn't deserve your power."

She smiled and flicked his ponytail with her fingertips. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up. You're not so bad, for one of them. Tomorrow… would you like to come to the fair with me?"

"Fair?"

"Yes. It's a gathering that the natural witches have to share our gifts with each other. You seem recovered, and you haven't left, so… one day of fun should be… nice."

"Go to the fair with you, as your guest?"

"Yes."

"Okay…"

"Thank you for my pretty new feet." She left through the curtain and he saw the glimmer of her vanishing. He couldn't help but to smile… until he felt a sharp pain in his armpit. He held himself and looked in the mirror.

The veins looked like vines pulsating with the venom of the blood oath. Holding himself, he went outside and picked up the necklace. Maybe this was helpful? He put it on his neck. Nothing seemed different.

But, on Amelia's end, she could see everything that the pendant pointed at, and she could sense through Simon's contact with it that he was in pain. He formed his fingers to try to conjure up something to allow the pendant into Grace's cottage. Amelia noted and assisted him from where she was. He got passed the barrier and looked at his infected wound in the mirror again. Amelia was standing behind him and startled him. "Amelia!"

"You're supposed to get close to her without letting her into your head. You're making yourself ill by not doing that. You'll die before you even have a chance to strike."

"She's trusting me. She asked me out on a date tomorrow. Is there a way to slow down this venom?"

"Yes. Succeed. Gain her trust, get close, kill her. Don't let her destroy what we've built."

"What if… I mean… she doesn't seem to be a threat. She's a powerful witch, but she doesn't even understand her own power. They've raised her to be a babymaker…"

"One way or another, Simon, if you don't destroy her, she will destroy you."

"I'll take her out as soon as I can. She has a very strong protective spell by her mother…"

"Kill the mother, end the protection."

"Acknowledged." Amelia faded from behind him in the mirror. He tried to address his throbbing armpit, but it was no use. The magic of the blood oath probably set out against him for helping Grace earlier. All he did was make her feet nice! He took a potion for the pain and got some rest. He had a date with a princess tomorrow and she'd have a date with death...

[snarkywrites]

Leo Season Horoscopes: Get that Money

After a tumultuous Cancer Season, we find our footing this Leo Season. We learned, we are still working on us and we have accepted the pain in order to grow. Growth was the general theme of Cancer Season, but it related to emotional growth and some self-love and care. That was the time to purge what was not serving you. We tend to forget that because it is a Water Sign, Cancer represents Cardinal energy. This was the opportunity to take off, to not be afraid of the challenges ahead and to start anew. However, now we enter Fixed Energy in Leo. This is one of the best seasons of the year because you have that needed ego boost. Leo and Taurus energy represent the “Treat yourself” mantra. Learn to love you, respect you and do not be afraid to do you! Take charge this season, be bold, be brave and be open to love.

Aries — Leo Season helps you reclaim your throne and with these pesky transits, you’ll most likely feel the ongoing battles in the home and work front. As Mars, Venus and Sun shift signs, you’ll feel rejuvenated and ready to take on challenges presented your way. This is your moment to step up to the task, especially those who have felt their energy dwindling. Leo Season wants you to fight but in a graceful way, not the Martian way. Either way, you should still watch your tongue, because it can come out harsh and forceful this time around as you feel unrestrained. Still, you should focus on practicing kindness and thinking before you speak. Appreciate this moment to allow yourself the freedom you need to take some self-care. A weekend getaway might do you wonders if you feel tensions flaring

Taurus – Your focus this month will want to reconnect to your roots, and you will shine brightly because of it. Taurus will be staying put this month, preserving their energy in order to work up their big plans for the upcoming months. With the New Moon in Leo back in July, you (hopefully) asked the right questions and received the answers you have waited for. Now you will put in the work and get your game face on as you pace back and forth in your domain where you are naturally the Emperor in charge. Mercury’s peskiness might present some challenges to you (and everyone else) in terms of forming a reliable plan. The structure will be changing constantly, which can lead to some frustrations, but you’ll get it together. Once you get things rolling, you might see the fruits of your labor later this year.

Gemini – It will be easier for you to express yourself during this season. You are already known for your quick wit and undeniable charm, but Leo Season magnifies it. People will listen to you more as you have more of the ego to back it up. Your social life remains as enviable as ever as you continue to meet more people and reconnect with others you may have lost touch with. With all of this fire energy booming, it seems like the perfect opportunity to get your creative ideas out there for other people to appreciate. Who knows, you might even attract the eye of someone connected enough to give your creative career a boost. The main lesson we all should follow this time of year is to trust and believe in ourselves. That’s what makes the Leo spirit wonderful.

Cancer – As a Cardinal Sign, you will be feeling like a weight as been lifted after powering through your birthday month. Sure, you may be used to this energy already, but it might have felt more restricting because of Saturn’s opposition to your sign. Everything fun and exciting might have felt minimized as you still recover from the pressures of this entire year. Fret not, Leo Season is here to make things brighter and much more exciting for you. Cancers have matured and grown a lot during these transits, and now it is the time for a quick break. Your projects will see the fruits of your labor as you witness more opportunities popping up on your horizon. While the world might feel like it is in flames, as least you will have a nice present in the form of more money or easier access to increase your finances. Enjoy, give yourself a much-needed break and remember not to tear yourself down. Patience is a virtue, practice it,

Leo – The Sun is in your sign and you will feel the energy bursting through you which will annoy people and make them envious. Your season has arrived and with Jupiter in the same element, you are feeling yourself. You have been working hard and will continue to work harder, however, this will not keep you feeling gloomy. As a fire sign, you know how to act like a celebrity, and none of Saturn’s transits will stop you from manifesting your happiness. Remember, that this is all about you, so if you know what you want, do not let anyone or anything stop you from getting it. This is your time to believe, to fight for what you deem is right and to love unabashedly.

Virgo – With Mercury Retrograde’s shadow phase still going on, your words might be lost on others, so make sure to be patient as you wait for your messages to be understood. In time, you’ll see that things will be easier for you as the signs prepare to shift to yours before the end of the month. Once again, you will find yourself in a more meditative spot as 2019 has been somewhat of a low key year for you. With Jupiter bringing more a joyous and harmonious position to your home, you might be more accepting towards this energy that has kept you grounded. Virgos are not afraid of hard work and if it means compromising a social life to build on what you are passionate about, it can only bring you happiness. Leo Season will shower you with the compliments you have earned and the respect from others.

Libra – You are not one to shy away from attention, especially when it puts you in a good position. With the Sun in the sign of Leo, you are more magnetic than the norm and have more confidence in yourself as everyone wants to suddenly be around you. There is a presence to Libra this season as the fire signs link up to give you that glam vibe and the mental prowess to boot. Popularity is within your grasp as you begin the shift towards the end of this year move more into your favor. Cardinal Signs have faced the challenges, but you always know how to bounce back stronger than ever. Your energy may not be as loud as your sister sign, but we see you and we know you’re there being regal in your own right.

Scorpio – A Scorpio always commands respect and because you are a water sign, people generally seem to forger this until you step up and reclaim your spot in the limelight. Leo Season brings you into focus and people will notice your successes, achievements and your failures. The New Moon in this sign has opened the gates to what you will experience in the next couple of months, but don’t fret or be in fear. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get your prize, to move higher in your career and to learn how to be more comfortable in the spotlight. Money is your game and you will get it as long as you tap into that Lion’s energy and work, strive and claim what you deserve. This is a powerful time for Scorpios so keep doing you.

Sagittarius – Sagittarius accepts the fiery energy whenever it is accessible because it makes them stronger. You thrive on challenges but when the going gets tough and you lose track, it can really push you towards a downward spiral. Those who are blessed to be this Ascendant sign are still recovering from the punching bags of Saturn in Sagittarius, so this bursting joyous energy in fellow fire will make you feel alive and reborn. Leo Season brings you back to your archer roots as you envision what you want, set your mark and shoot your shot. The adventurous spirit will come through as the Sun, Mars and Venus give you the much-needed fearless energy you have been craving for in the past.

Capricorn – it is a conflicting time to be a Capricorn as you struggle through the tasks that your ruling planet has brought forth so far. To add to your ongoing drama, Leo Season can be a blessing and a curse. You will be dealing with your financial setbacks and planning to focus on how to grow from it. These are all lessons needed to grow and expand, which is the energy you will experience next year. You understand what it means to restrict and control, but things have not been going in your favor. Learn from these lessons now as you gear up for fellow earth sign, Virgo soon enough. One of the redeeming things about this year is that you now know how to survive all forms of challenges, which can only help make the next few years exciting as you apply the lessons you have learned to succeed even more.

Aquarius – With your sister sign bringing everyone to their feet and showering them with positive vibes and energy, you obviously will feel this impact as well; probably even stronger than everyone else. Here you see the warmth and kind flow that surrounds your life as you become more appreciative of the blessings you may have received. There are looming challenges ahead as your sign prepares to experience the Saturn lessons but for now, you are happy enough to accept the love and joy that this season brings. The New Moon taught you the importance of bonds and how having people around you to help when you need them is a blessing. Cherish those who bring you happiness and joy because it will bring you prosperity and further your successes.

Pisces – Very much like your sister sign, this period of time has made you want to retreat and focus on you and your betterment. These transits have taught you to mature and appreciate more those in your life who have stuck with you. Leo Season will make you work harder and be stronger as you take on more challenges and responsibilities. You will receive praises for the work you have put in. On the flipside, if you have slacked hard, you may suffer the consequences. To those Pisces folks that have worked hard, congratulate yourself by taking a nice treat yourself day because you deserve it. However, you will continue to work hard in order to see any good outputs. Do not stop the hustle and remember to wear your crown, even at work because that’s the way you get to become a boss.

[wannacontribute]

Shock, unprecedented catastrophe

2020/11/12

Today, according to the latest data released, in the past 24 hours, the number of new confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia in the United States has exceeded 200,000, setting a terrible record high. This is an unprecedented disaster, and the cause of the disaster is entirely due to Tron. The inaction of the general government.

This data is too shocking and shocking. It is just a tragic shock. You must know that Dr. Fauci, a national treasure of the United States, once said that more than 100,000 newly diagnosed new coronary pneumonia cases in the United States every day will be just around the corner. In a few days, the number of new confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia in the United States has exceeded 200,000 every day. This winter is really extremely cold for the United States.

And just yesterday, the number of confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia in the United States exceeded 10 million, ranking first in the world. India, which might have surpassed the United States, has now been abandoned by the United States. If you don't do it, you won't. Whoever does not fear the new crown virus will subdue those who do not fear the new crown virus.

According to U.S. statistics, the number of newly diagnosed cases of new coronary pneumonia in various states in the United States has risen sharply in the past week, with an average increase of more than 10%, and according to the forecast of the U.S. medical institution, the peak of the increase has not yet arrived. The number of confirmed cases and deaths of new coronary pneumonia in the United States will be very alarming, exceeding most people's imagination.

At the same time, the United States is also in a terrible dilemma. The number of hospitalized cases of new coronary pneumonia in the United States has exceeded 60,000, and the daily growth rate has exceeded about 1,700. It is known as the most powerful country in the world and has begun to face it. Severe medical runs, and hospitals in some states face a serious shortage of qualified beds, which means that a large number of patients with new coronary pneumonia are likely to die due to medical runs.

According to the predictions of American medical institutions, in the next two months, due to the cold winter and medical runs, the number of new coronary pneumonia deaths in the United States may be increased by 110,000. This is a very terrifying number. Now the number of new coronary pneumonia deaths in the United States is about 250,000, plus 110,000, that is 360,000, and this data only counts the number of direct deaths due to new coronary pneumonia, and does not include the number of deaths due to complications caused by new coronary pneumonia. If this data is added, The number of deaths in the United States due to the new crown pneumonia this year has exceeded 500,000, which is much more than the number of deaths in a major war, and there is no sign of ending.

Now this rapid growth of confirmed cases and deaths of new coronary pneumonia is not over, because although the new coronavirus vaccine in the United States is developing quickly, it will take a long time to launch on a large scale, and this period will be the most difficult time. Yes, it can be described as the darkest hour before dawn.

Two days ago, Pfizer announced that the co-developed new coronavirus vaccine had a good effect in phase III clinical trials, with an effective rate of 90%. This gave the US financial market a heartbeat, and the US stock market soared. Almost everyone cheered for it. After all, the United States has been suffering from the new coronavirus for a long time. However, Biden, a Democrat who has won the US presidential election, publicly stated that the progress of the vaccine is indeed surprising, but it will take a long time before the mass vaccination. This poured cold water on the entire market, and the US stock market followed suit. Fall back from high.

The root cause of the catastrophe that caused the United States to fall into the new crown pneumonia epidemic is still Trump. The reason for the rapid outbreak during this period of time is that apart from the seasonal factor of the arrival of the cold winter in the United States, the most fundamental reason is the US general election. As a result, a large number of Trump supporters flocked to the streets to vote without wearing masks, resulting in each polling site becoming a super transmission point, and countless Americans were infected with the new crown virus.

Also, before the presidential election, Trump held campaign rallies across the country. The Trump team was particularly good at building momentum. A large number of Trump supporters poured into the campaign rallies. They responded to Trump’s call and refused to wear masks. , Refusing to maintain social distancing, which makes the spread of the new crown virus even more powerful. It can be said that every Trump campaign rally is an explosive spread of the new crown pneumonia epidemic in the United States.

In order to win the presidential election, Trump did not hesitate to sacrifice the health of the American people, deliberately belittle the new crown virus, deliberately ignore and downplay the new crown pneumonia epidemic, even a large number of Trump supporters still believe that the new crown pneumonia epidemic is a conspiracy and does not exist at all. Trump, his wife and children have all admitted to being infected with the new crown virus, but Trump's supporters are still denying the existence of the new crown virus.

In the past year, the Trump administration has actually implemented a universal immunization policy in the United States, but to achieve universal immunization, all people must be infected with the virus. This will be a humanitarian disaster, causing a large number of Americans to be infected with the new crown virus and die. , But Trump doesn’t care about this. All he wants is the US presidential election. Later, the Trump team publicly admitted that they would not take preventive measures against the new crown pneumonia epidemic. This also triggered criticism from the US government and the White House. The new crown pneumonia epidemic really does not die.

If it were not for the fact that some states in the United States had adopted stricter quarantine policies and advocated the wearing of masks because of the Democratic Party’s rule, the new crown pneumonia epidemic in the United States would have become more serious, and more people would die from the new crown pneumonia epidemic. Biden will ascend the throne of the US president in the future, and the US measures to prevent the new crown pneumonia epidemic will be greatly upgraded, but the premise is that Trump's sabotage cannot succeed. After all, Trump's tendency to dictatorship is becoming more and more obvious now, and he is unscrupulous. Illegally seized the post of President of the United States.

It can be said that now is the darkest time in the United States, because Trump is busy seizing power and will not invest any time or energy in the prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, and will not adopt any policies to deal with the new crown pneumonia epidemic, so the next step is The darkest moment in the United States is the unresolved presidential election on the one hand, and the new crown pneumonia epidemic that is burning like wildfire on the other.