#ate-if extras: ædan route thoughts

[albywritesfiction]

I also wanna share my opinion about an Aedan/Helene Route

I am part of the small group that thinks that not everyone needs to be an RO and am pretty content with the ROs I get.

Now infidelity in this circumstance can be a bit grey, for me anyway. Like I get that they were betrothed and it wasn't really a choice but regardless, as far as I understand, there was no agreement and therefore being with Helene was unfaithful.

It's not to say once a cheater always, but we know that Aedan has written MC off as a romantic partner. He isn't interested, and to go back after his relationship with Helene falls apart. Icky, MC deserves better. -Alexa play Cardigan by Taylor Swift-

It may be for someone, but it isn't for me. Sometimes, people you care for are lessons to learn. Learn. Cause if MC wasn't the one the first time, what makes you think you eventually won't be the one again.

And Helene, for all I know, isn't romantically interested in anyone beyond her own self interest, that's a lot to unpack on her end and feels like a future with some resentment.

Also are current ROs seem to be sweet beans and deserve all the love in the world. I am so excited to meet them and a poly route would be perfect.

I am so excited for this IF, can't want for the Demo release

Aww 🤭

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on an Ædan/Helene route and I hope you enjoyed reading what I've released so far! 😄

[albywritesfiction]

for the Ædan route, what's that saying? how you get them is how you lose them? i'd want to see a revenge route in where you humiliate helene, take Ædan, and dump him at the altar and leave him for his brother 😊

🫢

oooof

well, we'll see how the potential Ædan route will go after all the current plans! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on an Ædan route, Anon!

[albywritesfiction]

Ædan Route Thoughts

Honestly, I'm torn on the idea of an Ædan route.

I think he's possibly the most interesting character, for being so obviously flawed and caught up in the snowballing consequences of his own actions (see: the audience practically chomping at the bit to analyse him haha). Like, this wouldn't have happened if teen!Ædan hadn't decided to lie to tween!MC about liking them and keeping up the lie for a decade. But you can see how the dummy got to that point considering his complex around arranged marriages. Also - pathetic pretty boy, y'know?

But I like that Ædan isn't in love with MC. MC could be the most attractive, most talented, perfect fiance ever and Ædan is not obligated to fall in love with MC. Maybe that goes against OI power-fantasy rules, but a drop of realism might make things sweeter? I mean, it seems like when/if Ædan discovers Helene's true nature he might start pining after what could have been with MC anyways, but I want him to stay uninterested in MC for as long as possible.

I'm aro, and sometimes I'm uncomfy with how some anons talk about Ædan. Like, a vibe of "how dare Ædan not be in love with MC. He deserves suffering and heartbreak!" I mention this because I don't think I'd be as sympathetic to Ædan if I weren't aro, and couldn't relate HEAVY to trying to manage other people's feeling for you to keep the peace. Ædan is a shit-bag cuz he's a liar that lead MC on and has chosen to massively destabilise the kingdom for selfish personal reasons, not cuz he won't fall in love with MC! Idk, I feel really defensive about Ædan right to not fall in love (again, Ædan is so compelling for so many different reasons haha)

TL:DR: an Ædan route would fascinate me, i'd eat it up. But I like no-Ædan route cuz sometimes love is unrequited and that's okay

Hello Anon!

I’d just like to start by saying that I really liked your ask, because it has insights that I haven’t received before 😊 Like this part:

But I like that Ædan isn't in love with MC. MC could be the most attractive, most talented, perfect fiance ever and Ædan is not obligated to fall in love with MC. Maybe that goes against OI power-fantasy rules, but a drop of realism might make things sweeter?

I'm aro, and sometimes I'm uncomfy with how some anons talk about Ædan. Like, a vibe of "how dare Ædan not be in love with MC. He deserves suffering and heartbreak!"

Ohh, I’m so sorry if any of my responses to such asks have also made you (and anyone else who feels similarly) uncomfy, I’ll be more mindful of my responses in the future so as to avoid repeating my mistakes 🥺

Ædan is a shit-bag cuz he's a liar that lead MC on and has chosen to massively destabilise the kingdom for selfish personal reasons, not cuz he won't fall in love with MC!

Oh yeah, I 100% agree with this, Anon! It’s why I (to the best of my recollection) didn’t condemn Ædan for his feelings and say that he was a douchebag for not loving MC (because he has the right to love/not love whoever he ends up loving/not loving, as do we all), but he is kind of a douchebag because of how he handled everything, but he’s also kind of an understandable douchebag. Even the whole revenge thing is just in response to what MC views as years of betrayal because Ædan still actively lead them on, even though he knows how much MC loved him and how hard MC worked to become the most perfect consort for him, instead of revealing everything earlier on when he first realized his feelings for Helene.

Like, I’ve personally never wanted to seek revenge on the people I’ve had an unrequited crush on just because they didn’t like me back 😅 (maybe because they’ve all been way too out of my league in my eyes so I’ve always been like, they’re so amazing why would they ever like me 😅)

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!

[albywritesfiction]

Ædan route thoughts 💕

I think I saw another ask mentioning the fact that their marriage was arranged and how it could have affected Ædan's entire attitude towards MC and I can totally see that. I pictured Ædan always treating it like something he knew he had to do since he was a child, just another obligation, and thus never really seeing MC as something more. But then Helene comes and charms him and it's new and exciting and something he gets to choose. It also ties in nicely with the impulsiveness of the announcement - he wants this one thing for himself and he wants it now. But then, after MC is out of his life, he starts missing that one constant he had in his life. The one thing he pushed away. I think it would probably only work on his brother's route though, since MC would need to still be in the capital. Seeing MC get close to his brother, smiling the way MC used to smile only for him, makes him realize that maybe there was something more between them all along, something beyond their mere duty. They could meet randomly on a hallway and decide to spend some time together, for old time's sake. Explain how he felt trapped in a marriage where there might be no love - even if he's the one that never gave it a chance. Could tie with his mother and the way the king remarried his one true love and how Ædan wouldn't wish his mother's fate on no one, neither him nor the MC - trapped in a loveless marriage, waiting to be replaced. Helene showing up and seemingly being a better match for him only solidified his obsessive idea that this arranged marriage was wrong somehow, that one of them was going to end up broken hearted, never imagining that he would manage to break both their hearts. They could agree to be just friends and move from there. Silly little meet ups where they'd get to know each other outside the looming forced marriage. Maybe even get to know his brother better now that MC is hanging out with him. But also some rivalry for MC's attention :)) Ædric get's 100% broken hearted in this route :))

I think it would ultimately be unrelated to Helene. Just Ædan realizing how much he actually cared for MC once they are outside the obligation of marrying, becoming friends first. The secret with Helene could be more just the tipping point maybe. Feel free to ignore, I'm just an Ædan simp💕.

Hi Theo!

I found it really funny when I saw your ask right after Konoï and Noir’s and that they said that their ideas were Helene-dependent while you state in this ask that the idea you came up with would be unrelated to Helene, like what were the chances of having two very different asks that somehow reverse-mirror each other 😆

Could tie with his mother and the way the king remarried his one true love and how Ædan wouldn't wish his mother's fate on no one, neither him nor the MC - trapped in a loveless marriage, waiting to be replaced. Helene showing up and seemingly being a better match for him only solidified his obsessive idea that this arranged marriage was wrong somehow, that one of them was going to end up broken hearted

Ding ding ding! You have uncovered the core reasoning behind Ædan’s decision to break off the engagement! 🍪

never imagining that he would manage to break both their hearts.

This line though 🥺

All in all, my takeaway from this ask is: I need to put a lock on my documents because some of y’all are getting way too close to what I had in mind for ATE 🤣

[albywritesfiction]

Going off that last ask, I want to preface this by saying I'm not against an Ædan route nor trying to be a killjoy, but I really wouldn't like it to be (romantic) soulmates, I just feel like a plot like that would really demerit the Ædric/Cyfrin romances

Hello Anon!

(In reference to this ask: link)

That's alright, it's completely fine for you to have your own preferences and thoughts about stuff like a potential Ædan route, as long as you convey it in a respectful manner (which you do in your ask 😊) (this goes for everyone else as well)

And I do understand your reasoning behind your preference to not have a romantic soulmates concept for an Ædan route; I think I've read similar sentiments being expressed when the ROs end up with a different character if they are not romanced by the MC

All I can say right now about any potential Ædan route is that at this point in time, nothing is set in stone. However, if I ever do choose to include content that you or anyone else would prefer not to read in the story (like having a soulmates concept for the Ædan route), then I will understand if you choose to discontinue reading ATE and I will wish you the best 😊

[albywritesfiction]

ATE Poll: Ædan Results

Damnnn a lot of you guys really want an Ædan route, huh? From the absolutely's to the maybe's, that's about 66.1% of everyone who voted 😳

Thank you for participating in the poll and sharing some of your thoughts for what you guys think an Ædan route would look like 😄

[albywritesfiction]

--Ædan route thoughts--

Well, I already told you I would love him to be an option, and that I love "betrayal + forgiveness" tropes, in romance and outside of it.

Now, I'd say most of my ideas about an Ædan route would be pretty Helene dependant actually?

If Helene is truly evil and would be actually harmful for the kingdom: in this case, I would imagine a story in which Ædan would by chance discover what she's planning, or at least the gist of it, and realize just how dangerous she is, but like... This would happen when he's too deep into it, when already married and when she's at peak popularity and so on, and not a lot of people would believe him if he told someone - not to mention he'd REALLY seem unreliable to people at that point since he randomly left his bethrothed only to get engaged with someone else... People would think he's now casting aside the new lover, probably for someone else again. In that case, maybe he'd turn to the only person who could trust him in a backward logic - the MC. The reasoning would be considering just how badly he betrayed them, it would seem idiotic to turn to them for help, but that would be a good move since in a way, the MC could take him seriously BECAUSE it's so unbelievable he'd go to them. And Helene wouldn't expect it too, probably.

If Helene is truly evil but not necessarily wanting to HARM the kingdom, just wanting it for herself: in this scenario, she'd want to marry Ædan to become part of the royal family, and then she could want to get rid of her husband to be the only one in that position. Maybe of the other siblings who could inherit too, in order to ensure she has the spot. It seems unbelievable she'd be able to kill them all and not be suspected, but well, she IS the saintess - and killing wouldn't necessarily be the only way. In that case, she could have attempted to kill Ædan when they were travelling and left him for dead, but the MC would have been there and found him then saved him. In both this scenario and the previous one, they'd basically have to prove to people Helene is the one who was scheming and doing whatever atrocities could be happening, and that would bring them back together.

If Helene is very power hungry and manipulative but not full on evil: I'm assuming in this case, her trying to seduce Ædric would come more into play. Basically, Ædan would learn of that and realize she's probably not truly in love with him. In such a configuration, I can imagine the royal family kicking Helene out and that would be it when it comes to her scheming (of course she may come back later in a different way, but wouldn't be a focus of the day to day part of the story). In this configuration, Ædan would suddenly be alone - she left the MC who truly loved him, and then discovered the one who he thought was his true love didn't actually care for him. This is a very karmic scenario in a way. In this case, I can imagine that awkward situation in which the MC is still in love with Ædan, and Ædan realzes more and more that he was actually happier with them and that he didn't realize it until it was too late, but he'd feel bad about trying to get their forgiveness and love again after what he did. So like, two clowns turning around each other but neither of them managing to talk to the other about their feelings.

If Helene is just scheming and totally not sincere, but still playing her role well: that would be a slow burn of sorts. Basically, the "thrill" and stress of the forbidden relationship, on "how to get with my actual love" and stuff like that was blinding Ædan before. But once married to Helene well... the rose tinted glasses would break, and he'd be more and more unhappy with each passing day, and missing what he had before more and more. That would allow him to progressively see who is his ACTUAL true love. But of course, it would take long for him to really see it, and it would be a problem since now being with the MC would be cheating - in the eyes of people. And with his ex of all people!

Regardless of which scenario it would be, I would really love a "soulmates" concept for this route. Basically, the MC and Ædan are true soulmates in the purest of senses, and the most "magical" one. But Helene did something to blind Ædan and basically tear him apart from his soulmate. Hence why the MC was SO crushed by it too. And so, the route could be the rediscovering of that bond, and how it should be stronger than anything else.

Of course, this is VERY rough because I don't know what Helene is doing and planning exactly, and I'm missing too many details. But that gives a general feeling of what I think.

There is also a theory of mine that Helene actively wants to harm either Ædan or the MC or both, for some personal reason, and that the fact she "stole" Ædan from the MC was because of that. It would also explain her trying with Ædric afterwards (that WAS an actual thing you said right, not only stuff people were saying in asks?). But if that is her motivation, it could still fit most of the scenarios I've mentionned above so yeah...

Hi again Konoï and Noir!

Oooooh I like how you had different and really intriguing ideas for each degree of “How sus is Helene?” 😂

Seriously though, with all the great ideas I’ve been receiving even before I opened the poll, I think I’d be pretty much ready to write an Ædan route after I finish my current plans for ATE

Regardless of which scenario it would be, I would really love a "soulmates" concept for this route. Basically, the MC and Ædan are true soulmates in the purest of senses, and the most "magical" one. But Helene did something to blind Ædan and basically tear him apart from his soulmate. Hence why the MC was SO crushed by it too. And so, the route could be the rediscovering of that bond, and how it should be stronger than anything else.

This concept is so sweet and angsty 🥺

It would also explain her trying with Ædric afterwards (that WAS an actual thing you said right, not only stuff people were saying in asks?).

Well, uh, in the original post where I think people picked up on it (link), it was implied, but apparently the people who read my posts are professional plot detectives 😅 though to be fair, my cryptic responses to some asks may have also tipped them off somehow 😅

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on an Ædan route!

[albywritesfiction]

While Helene is a big no for me, I would love an Ædan romance.

Because betrayal-forgiveness is one of my favorite tropes in romance stories ever... no actually, not even restricted to romance.

If you have a character who did really wrong by the MC in a story (well, if the MC trusted them etc, I mean), you can bet on the fact this is the RO I'll pick if they're one, or at the very least that I'll go towards forgiveness if that's an option, even if the character is not romanceable. I just love that so much.

Hi again Konoï and Noir!

Awww that’s so sweet 🥹 that reminds me of Eliza and Alexander in Hamilton (I always tear up at It’s Quiet Uptown)

Personally, it’s, uh, much harder for me to forgive someone after a betrayal 😅 maybe that’s why I never thought that people would be interested in an Ædan route where you forgive him and give him another chance 😅

But it’s always so great to read all the asks I’ve gotten about what Helene or Ædan routes could look like because I get to see a lot of other perspectives that I didn’t think about 😄

[albywritesfiction]

Ooooh, i personally would love to see an Ædan route. 😙

Like Ædan realising just what he lost without Mc with him anymore. Sometimes you don't know what you truely have until you don't have it anymore, right? Being able to see who he needed all along was right there the whole time. Maybe too busy not wanting the arranged marriage, and then being blinded by his love for Helene to even see Mc. And Mc isn't going to lose those feelings for him that quickly or at all. Queue up all the sweetheart MCs who'll have to try to put aside and hide their feelings to be supportive of him and Helene. He may have hurt Mc badly, but it seems like he did it more out of stupidity and lack of communication. Like really, 'Couldn't you have said you were in love with someone else?' But I feel really bad for him, cause Helene doesn't seems like the person he thinks she is. And if he finds out, you can be sure Mc will be there for him!

And unless I'm reading things wrong because I don't know what exactly Helene is really like, but she doesn't strike me as someone entirely faithful, at least not if it will bring her an advantage. So either way I kind of feel like she's not quite who he thinks she is, but thats just me...

Thats also another reason I absolutely do not want a Helene route. To me, any route with her would seem a little toxic. Assuming she doesn't have the best intentions in the first place, which i think we can all safely say is true. She's also literally the one responsible for Ædan breaking our MCs heart. Did she even feel any guilt at that? Honestly, I don't really think so. And then to have her turn around and do the same thing to Ædan? It just seems ehhh to me. There is no way my Mc would want to do that to him.

And if Mc finds out what she's really like, they shouldn't even be giving her they time of day. I feel like she would need massive character growth for anything good to happen. But even then, the concept of her changing like that is a bit unappealling to me. Simply because the reasoning for this particular redemption, which seems like Mc would have to be a part of helping redeem her, to then fall in love is just unattractive to me.

Just thinking about it now, actually it would be interesting if we could simply help her become a better person, and, at that solidify her relationship with Ædan. That, I feel, would have a bigger impact than any romance route with her. It could also help our Mc find more closure and peace aswell. I would quite like to see being able to form a close platonic bond like that.

But all in all, thats just my view on this whole thing. And sorry if i made some wrong assumptions about the characters. It all comes down to what you want to do for your story. If you want to add these routes or not, go for it. Just don't feel obligated to. I mean, having these two sweethearts you've given us is more than enough. Really looking forward to this story though! 💕

Ooooh thank you for sharing your thoughts on the potential Ædan and Helene routes!

I feel like she would need massive character growth for anything good to happen.

Oh buddy, she doesn't just need massive charachter growth, she needs to be a whole AU version of herself 😂

If you want to add these routes or not, go for it. Just don't feel obligated to. I mean, having these two sweethearts you've given us is more than enough. Really looking forward to this story though! 💕

🥰

[albywritesfiction]

ngl, the idea of a helene route seems so funny to me like aedan did all this shit to marry helene or whatever & we just steal his bitch 💀

🤣

I'll be honest: I kept this in my inbox for the past few months because it makes me laugh every time I see it 😆