#ate: cyfrin

[albywritesfiction]

After The End

Premise 

Your former fiancé and heir apparent of the Aurelian Kingdom, Prince Ædan, has married the love of his life, the fair Saintess Helene. As the nation celebrates their union, you are left alone to pick up the pieces of your broken heart... until you receive two letters. One is an invitation to the office of Prince Ædric, the crown prince's younger brother and rival for the throne. The other is a letter filled with concern from your childhood friend and secretary-in-training, Cyfrin, who is currently assisting your father at your family’s ducal estate in the countryside. Each letter contains a proposition that will change the course of your fate forever.

Which one will you choose?

Features 

Play as the male lead’s abandoned betrothed of a historical fantasy romance that has reached ‘The End.’ You will be able to customize your character’s identity and appearance with a variety of options. 

Choose between two routes for your next course of action. Will you accept the offer of an alliance with the crown prince's younger (and more capable) brother and become the monarch you were always meant to be? Or will you take a step back from the noise and hubbub of high society in the capital and return to your family's estate in the countryside, where your best friend promises to arrange such a great vacation for you that you’ll forget about your ex in no time? 

Characters

The Second Prince: Ædric Aurelius

Ædric is known throughout the kingdom as the Dark Prince, not just because of his ebony black hair, but also because of his unsociable disposition. While it is true that his deep violet eyes and usual scowl can be intimidating, he has been nothing but kind to you in all the years that you have known him. Sometimes you would catch him looking at you with a small smile on his face, but he would always deny it ever happened.

(Ædric's introduction post)

The Future Secretary: Cyfrin Galanthus

You have known Cyfrin your entire life, and your father has known him for even longer, given that he discovered your best friend on the doorstep of your home when he was just a baby. Even though he is the older one between you two, he often trails behind you like a duckling following its mother when his break times align with yours. He has often been compared to a dog: always eager to spend time with you, fiercely protective and loyal, sullen and moody whenever you are apart.

(Cyfrin's introduction post)

The Crown Prince: Ædan Aurelius

Handsome and charismatic, Ædan is the definition of a fairytale prince… just not your fairytale prince. With his golden blond hair and crystal blue eyes, he easily captured the hearts of the people upon his social debut. When he unleashes his soft smile upon a crowd, there is a very high chance that more than half of those present will swoon. You, too, were once enchanted by that smile, back when you thought your love would last until the end of time.

(Ædan's introduction post)

The Fair Saintess: Helene

If your world was the setting of a typical romance novel, there would be no doubt who the protagonist would be. People say that her beauty is a blessing from the gods, and that her silver hair and golden eyes were meant to set her apart as the Favored One. Helene may have almost the entire kingdom wrapped around her little finger, but you know that her true colors are lurking just beneath the kind and naive front she puts up.

(Helene's introduction post)

Status

Chapter 1, Part 1: releasing on January 5, 2024 9:00 PM EST

Chapter 1, Part 2: in progress, estimated release in April/May 2024

Chapter 1, Part 3: in progress

(MC's introduction post)

(Frequently Asked Questions)

Game Link

[albywritesfiction]

mc being pined over by everyone is wild LMAO maybe i might ditch everyone for mc instead

Hello Anon!

🤣 I'm glad that people like MC and don't find them to be, like, way too unrealistic 😅

And, I mean, Ædric and Cyfrin have known MC since they were kids. Cyfrin has literally known MC for all 24 years of his life. Ædric has known MC for 15 years. People have taken less time to realize that the person they want to spend the rest of their life with is right in front of them.

Also I can just imagine this "A Challenger Approaches" notification popping up above Ædric's and Cyfrin's heads as Anon walks up and they'd be like,

"This person better not be another Ædan or I'm going to do something I won't regret."

"I'm glad that we're always in agreement over things like this."

😂

[albywritesfiction]

How would the the main cast feel about an MC that was heartbroken right after the big breakup... But once they realized how much they were much fitted to (the other RO) they ended up just super happy and grateful and genuinely happy for Helene and Aedan? Especially with Aedric lmao just totally marry the little brother and be grateful for being dumped instead of bitter or jealous

Hello Anon!

Aw, if MC felt genuinely happy for Helene and Ædan’s relationship (as in they forgive Helene and Ædan and wish them happiness), I think everyone would be like, “You’re too nice for this world, MC,” but in an affectionate yet exasperated tone.

When Helene and Ædan see how much happier MC is with either RO, Ædric would give their disgruntled faces a smug smile as he gives MC a kiss on the cheek, while Cyfrin would give them a menacing smile as he gently holds MC closer to his chest.

(I can't help but imagine both of these happening for the v-poly that's still incubating in my imagination, like if the three of them were together when they run into Helene and Ædan 🥲)

[albywritesfiction]

Classic ask: how would the ROs react if MC is sick?

Hello Anon!

Aww classic ask indeed! For this scenario, I’ve made the assumption that MC has come down with a fever.

No matter how many staff members there are in the royal palace, Ædric will be the one doing everything to take care of MC: checking their temperature, changing the towel on their forehead, gently patting their face and arms with a damp towel to cool them down, making them food and helping them eat their meals, all of that. Once their fever breaks, MC will wake up to either find Ædric working at the little temporary office space he’s made for himself in the corner of their bedroom or asleep in a chair at their bedside with an open book about to fall out of his hands.

If the other staff members of the ducal household insisted that they could take care of MC in Cyfrin’s place so he could focus on work, their kind efforts would be in vain because he’d be way too distracted to get anything done (always fidgeting, repeating the same task over and over, not listening to instructions) until they realize what’s going on with Cyfrin and let him take care of MC. Cyfrin then becomes the most efficient guy anyone’s ever seen as he makes MC’s meals, measures out their medicine, basically doing all the preparations he needs to do. But when it’s time to help MC eat and take their medicine or to cool them down with a damp towel, Cyfrin hopes that MC doesn’t notice how much his hands are trembling from how flustered he is. Once their fever breaks, MC will likely wake up to find Cyfrin asleep with his legs crossed on the floor, his head nestled in his arms on MC’s bed, and his hand inches away from their own.

[albywritesfiction]

Hello Anons!

When you spoil your own plot without even realizing: 😨

I mean, I guess I never really considered it a spoiler 😅

So yes, Cyfrin has indeed been pining for MC this whole time. In fact, Cyfrin has loved MC for so long that he doesn't even remember when it started or what his life was like before he loved them.

[albywritesfiction]

ATE Main Characters Color Palettes

Hello everyone!

Finally got around to making the color schemes for the main 4! I've been wanting to do this for a while now since this is as close as I can get to sharing how I envision the characters in my mind as I don't possess any (visual) artistic talent 😅 made these on this site: link

As you may notice, the palettes are divided into 3 sections: the ones on the left are for the hair, the middle are for the eyes, and the right are for their complexion 😄

Prince Ædric Aurelius

Color codes: 110F0F, 191617, 211D1E | 7040A0, 663399, 5A2D86 | D8AB77, D09E62, C8914D

Cyfrin Galanthus

Color codes: 3D2706, 4B2F02, 563C11 | 3F763F, 206020, 004A00 | AE773E, 9D642C, 955A23

Crown Prince Ædan Aurelius

Color codes: EEC02E, F6D361, FDE694 | 87CEFA, 76B5F4, 649CEE | EBC986, E2BA7F, D8AB77

Saintess Helene

Color codes: D1D1D1, E8E8E8, F4F4F4 | FCDD4C, F7D32B, F2C80A | FFDED4, F4C6BA, E8ADA0

Hope you guys enjoy this extra and have a good day/night!

[albywritesfiction]

Main Characters Intro: Cyfrin Galanthus

His name means “mystery”

24 years old 

Bisexual

Messy brown hair, vibrant green eyes, slimmer and taller than Ædric

His physique is similar to Thomas Brodie-Sangster

He’s sweet and soft with MC (more on the submissive side), and puts on a polite mask with people outside of the ducal household. He immediately has his guard up when someone unfamiliar is nearby, especially when MC is in the area, and will give them a veiled threat if he feels that they hold ill will towards MC and their family. He will be menacing with a smile.

After Duke Argentius found little 1-year-old Cyfrin on their doorstep one freezing winter evening, the duke and duchess (who was pregnant with MC at the time) decided to take him in as their ward. 

He grew up as MC’s best friend and playmate, but he’s aware of his background because the duke and duchess didn’t really keep it a secret from him. 

They told him about the mysterious circumstances of his unexpected but wholeheartedly welcomed arrival in their lives when he asked about his biological parents.

They also let him choose a name for himself when they told him everything, as they had previously called him Gally which was derived from the scientific name for the common snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis. He eventually decided on Cyfrin for his first name and used Galanthus for his last name, but had told MC’s parents that he wouldn’t mind if they kept calling him Gally (he’d grown rather attached to it)

(Did you guys notice the Easter eggs from a certain post-apocalyptic trilogy 😂)

[albywritesfiction]

ATE Frequently Asked Questions

Hello everyone!

Finally got the Frequently Asked Questions (as of now) all sorted out! This will be updated when necessary 😊

Current Version Post Date: Dec. 20, 2023

Can I romance Helene?

As of my current plans for ATE, I'll say no. If I ever do get around to making a Helene route, it would be after I've finished everything I had initially wanted to do with ATE (like making a v-poly route).

Note: A Helene route would most likely be set in an alternate universe because Helene's motivations in main ATE are not compatible with her eventually forming a romantic relationship with MC.

Can I romance Ædan?

Same as with the Helene route, minus the note because it's more plausible to have an Ædan route in the main ATE universe.

Can I still romance Cyfrin if I choose the Capital MC route or Ædric if I choose the Countryside MC route?

Unfortunately, no. As I said in a previous ask (link), Ædric is needed at the capital while Cyfrin is needed at the duchy so they won't have time to travel back and forth between the two locations throughout the story. MC will also be unable to travel back and forth because they will be too busy to do so.

Are the ROs gender selectable?

No, both Ædric and Cyfrin are set as male.

What are the main character customization options?

Gender (nonbinary, female, or male)

Titles (Laird/Lady/Lord, Princeps/Princess/Prince, and Sovereign/Queen/King)

Pronouns (with option to input custom pronouns)

Hair color (white included)

Hair texture

Hair length

Hairstyle

Eye color (gold included*)

Eye shape

Complexion

Height

*It will be possible to choose traits to have physical similarities with Helene; however, Helene will always look brighter than and outshine MC's appearance

How is Ædan and Ædric's relationship with each other?

The basic gist: link

How Ædan and Ædric were like when they were smol: link

How is Ædan's relationship with the rest of his stepfamily?

How Ædan feels about his half-siblings: link

How the younger half-siblings (Ræ, Mælianna, and Særina) feel about Ædan: link

The root of Ædan's indifference to his half-siblings: link

Ædan's feelings towards the happy Royal Family: link

If Ædric is better than Ædan, why didn't the king grant Ædric the title of Crown Prince from the start?

Answered here: link

Any lore about the magic in the world of ATE?

Right here: link & link

Helene's healing magic: link & link

[albywritesfiction]

Hello! I'm Alby (they/them), certified bookworm and aspiring writer, and welcome to my own little nook in the vastness of the internet! In this blog, majority of my posts will be about my writings, while reblogs will mostly either be about projects by authors I follow or writing advice that I find very helpful.

I hope you enjoy your time here!

Navigation

Concerto of Life series (Complete)

CoL series Introduction Post

Concerto of Life, 1st Mvt.

Concerto of Life, 2nd Mvt.

Concerto of Life, 3rd Mvt.

After The End (Work in Progress)

ATE Introduction Post (#after the end, #ate-if)

MC Intro (#ate: mc)

Prince Ædric Aurelius Intro (#ate: ædric)

Cyfrin Galanthus Intro (#ate: cyfrin)

Crown Prince Ædan Aurelius Intro (#ate: ædan)

Saintess Helene Intro (#ate: helene)

Supporting Characters (#ate-if character intros)

Frequently Asked Questions

Updates (#ate-if updates)

Asks (#ate-if asks)

Extras (#ate-if extras)

Fanart (#ate-if fanart)

Playlist (#ate-if playlist)

Game Link

Collaborations!

Among the Haunted by Aurelia Lim

Status: Complete

The Lightning Thief by Axel

Status: In Progress

Discord Server Link

[albywritesfiction]

Huh, Cyfrin's post makes me wonder... What's his take on the whole mess with the bethrothal that was suddenly cancelled by the prince? Especially with how hurt the MC was.

And also, what about the MC getting close to the OTHER prince after that, if the player goes for that?

PS: if it's too spoilery it's fine! It's hard to judge without even having started the story!

Hello again Konoï and Noir!

Cyfrin was absolutely enraged when he heard about what Ædan did, but his first instinct was (and has always been) to check on MC and be there for them if they need him. If MC needed or wanted a shoulder to cry on, he can delay his plans to, uh, commit one of the highest forms of treason for as long as MC wanted.

As for how he feels about MC getting close to Ædric, well, there will be a point early on where he has a short conversation with Ædric without MC present. I don’t think I’ll include it as a proper scene from Ædric’s point of view as it reveals how he feels about MC very early on, but Cyfrin will indicate that Ædric has his tentative approval.

“But the moment he does something foolish, please promise me you’ll tell me so I can smack some sense into him.”

“Cyfrin! Ædric’s a prince!”

“I don’t care,” he says with a pout.

Once you’ve walked out of earshot, he whispers under his breath:

“He may be a prince of this kingdom, but you’re the only royal I’ll ever care about.”

[albywritesfiction]

hi alby! loved the update and once again, the story has been beautifully written. you have NO idea the squeal i let out when i first saw aedric in his office!! (+ the change in writing in the letters?? such a neat touch to add to the game)

looking forward to the next update, do remember to get some rest between writing and not burn yourself out though!! im excited to see where the story takes us next :-)

Hello again Li! Thank you so much for the kind words and the concern! I've actually been on a break from writing since I had several exams last week 😅 Will hopefully get back into the swing of things soon! 😄

(And thank you for commenting on the letters! Coding that and the pop up to read it in regular print was a wild ride 😂 so I'm really glad you liked it!)

[albywritesfiction]

Not really an ask but I'll probably go for Cyfrin first because I have never read a romance fantasy manhwa or manga where the FL ends up with the childhood friend instead of the cold and serious Royal

Ouuu now that you mention it, I don't think I've read a manhwa like that either! If anyone has manhwa recs that fit this dynamic, feel free to send them in an ask!

Hope you'll enjoy the romance with the cinnamon roll Cyfrin! 😄

[albywritesfiction]

ROs heights? (cm, to be precise).

Hello Anon!

Before I start, I'd like to apologize for how long it took for me to answer this ask 😓 I'm not good at estimating heights, so I had to ask the people I know irl how tall they were, but then I kept forgetting to ask until last month 😓

Now, to answer your ask! The RO's heights are as follows:

Ædric: 6 ft (182.88 cm)

Cyfrin: 6 ft 3 in (190.5 cm)

(Gonna add in some of the other characters as well)

Ædan: 5 ft 11 in (180.34 cm)

Helene: 5 ft 4 in (162.56 cm)

Bertrand: 6 ft 2 in (187.96 cm)

I'll add these to their respective intro posts as well!

(Which reminds me that I still need to make intro posts for a bunch of other supporting characters 😅)

Thanks for the ask, Anon!

[albywritesfiction]

Will we have the option of just being fully platonic with the ROs?

Hello Anon!

Yes, I have been planning to have platonic routes as well for the ROs 😊

As some of you may have noticed, I haven’t been calling the two main branches as Ædric’s route and Cyfrin’s route. Instead, I’ve been referring to them as MC’s choice to Stay at the Capital or Return to the Duchy; this is intentional.

The main focus that I envisioned for ATE is what your MC will do after Ædan and Helene’s storybook has reached The End, how they will come back after the future that they had been working towards for almost their entire life has been ripped out of their grasp. Ædric and Cyfrin, though they may harbor feelings of admiration and adoration for MC, first and foremost serve as MC’s companions who are mainly there to support them; MC doesn’t have to go beyond being friends with either of them to reach their Happily Ever After.

[albywritesfiction]

Where is MC currently living? Do they have a mansion (or something similar) in the capital or was (still is?) MC living in the Royal palace? Did MC recived Ædrik's and Cifyn's letters while Æden and Helen are happily insulting the Duke and MC doing their tour of the reign (🤣)?

Hello Anon!

Up until the events of Chapter 1, MC has been living in the mansion that the Argentius family owns in the capital since the day they had to move for their specialized education in preparation for their future as the consort.

As for when MC receives Ædric's and Cyfrin's letters, that will happen in Chapter 1! Specifically in Part 2, which I aim to release in April or May 2024 😊

[albywritesfiction]

Aro anon here! Dw, I've never felt that you as the author was pushing us to hate Ædan for not loving MC back. I think you've done fairly well, sort of, holding court(?) and showcasing asks without pushing any particular viewpoints.

Important addendum to my thoughts: I personally don't mind being uncomfy! like, not in this instance. Some fiction should be uncomfortable, especially attempting to delve into certain topics. It might be the only way to do it with honestly. It's worth it to read about the raw reactions Ædan gets. I don't want to police people's feelings on the matter - I think that's weird when we're talking fiction. Or worse, for any anons to be less honest going forward! But i do want to encourage self-examination, and give my own honest, first-reaction perspective to consider

I appreciate that you aren't planning to glorify sentiments like that, but i do hope you won't shy away from it altogether. Like, romance is messy, it can cause a lot of "ugly" feelings, and u should get to write the messiest version possible in a romance game 😂 where else to explore this? It'd be different if i was giving advice to a friend about a guy, but this is a story. Pls dw about making MC have "correct" feelings. Indulging in being vengeful, petty, or utterly enamoured with Ædan in the complete opposite direction from before could be really fun! MC being angry at Ædan specifically for not loving MC back is normal, and I think it'd make sense as an option in-game. But it'd be best, I think, to have varied reaction to this in-game. I think it'd be an interesting bit of characterization too, seeing who'd support MC unilaterally in this and who'd give more push-back against an MC who thinks like this.

e.g i think people already want the option to shove their happy relationship with Ædrick/Cyffrin in Ædan's face. There could definitely be a "if you'd picked me, you could've been this happy too 😒" bend to it 😂 so many possible reactions from everyone involved to be had:

Is Ædan actually jealous? What if not? I feel like he already knows his life would've been exponentially easier if he was in love with MC, but he had a decade and still couldn't force it. He knows what he'd feel like in a relationship with MC - utterly miserable. Maybe he'd just be happy that MC has found the happiness he feels with Helene in Ædrick/Cyffrin and say so. Would a Vengeance!MC be incensed about that?? What if Ædan was jealous and regreful! Would MC be pleased with that? Just openly gleeful? How do Ædrick/Cyffrin feel about being used for this so transparently? Or about an MC that's still so focused on Ædan, has such strong reactions to Ædan's opinions, even in a relationship with them?

Messy messy messy 🤗

Hi aro Anon! I was really glad to receive this from you as soon as I had posted my response to your ask, and I'm sorry it's taken me quite a while to respond to this one 😓

It's quite a relief to hear that I don't seem to be biased towards any one version of things. I've been kind of worried about deciding what things should I put a reasonable limit on so that ATE doesn't become too overwhelming to work on while balancing it with the interactivity and branching narratives that I want to delve into, so I'm glad to hear that it doesn't sound like ATE's turning into more of a kinetic rather than interactive novel just yet 😅

I'm glad to hear that you're open-minded about reading, even for works that may go beyond your comfort zone. I especially like how you, in your own words, "want to encourage self-examination, and give my own honest, first-reaction perspective to consider."

I also greatly appreciate all the insights and thoughts you've shared, especially about romance in fiction, the variation in responses to the entire mess Ædan created, and the potential spaghetti of emotions that the cast may experience 🤭

I've reread your ask more times that I can count since I received it all the way back in November 2023 in my attempt to write a sufficient response, and each time I did, I've felt grateful that you took the time to write such a detailed, insightful, and reassuring ask, so I'd like to thank you for sending in this ask, aro Anon, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!