#but His kingdom doesn't??? VERY SEXY

[floralovebot]

Have you ever thought of an AU where Helia is a prince/royalty?

I have! While I'll admit it's not one of my go-to au/backstories for him since I love military nobody Helia, I have come up with some of my own aus for prince!Helia! My favorite flavor of prince Helia is he got kidnapped/otherwise taken away and doesn't know he's royalty until they all meet the rulers and do a double take ajdhgladg OR what is basically the apocalypse backstory but with him being royalty instead ajdhgljad so his entire planet gets fucked by the witches and his parents die and whatnot so while he's Technically a prince, his kingdom doesn't even exist anymore so it doesn't matter (LOVE aus that explore more Permanent effects of the war i think domino should've stayed frozen too !!)

But I do like prince!Helia! I think he can be really fun, especially when you compare him to Sky and then compare sky/riven dynamics versus helia/riven dynamics!! I really like the idea of Helia not being heir to the throne but that does bring even more interesting dynamics and challenges into play with him!

[violetrainbow412-blog]

From hate to love… or something like that

Aegon II Targaryen x fem!reader

word count: 15.7k (sorrrryyyy)

warnings: arranged marriage, hate-to-love, mentions of rape, mentions of incest, mentions of suicidal thoughts, drinking alcohol, mommy issues, daddy issues, mentions of sex without love, unprotected sex, oral sex (f receiving), porn with plot (but something cheap, tbh) and I probably forgot something but I think that makes it clear that this shit is not for minors, so MINORS DNI :)

A/N: I started this since the second season premiere started so if you find any canon-like scenes I completely promise it wasn't intentional. I also want to make it clear that you are responsible for what you read and if you don't like something please just let it go, that would be very kind of you!

And this doesn't make me team green at all, I'm a defender of the rightful queen to the death… it's just that her brother is too sexy to ignore 🫦

Enjoy!

taglist (who I thought might be interested): @barcelonaloverf1life @ilovequeen978

FIRST ACT: HATE

Finding a wife for Prince Aegon II was probably one of the most difficult tasks Alicent Hightower had to face.

The engagement with his sister Helaena had been broken after a more tempting offer for the princess, which would get them a permanent alliance with the Lannister house that they couldn’t refuse. Viserys himself had agreed to accept and the queen consort had no choice but to give her little daughter in marriage to a blonde lord. The problem was that her son was left without a fiancée.

Aemond didn't worry her, after all he was growing up quite quickly and she knew that he was more inclined to become a warrior than to fulfill his marital responsibilities. But Aegon, however, was a lost cause.

It was no secret that Alicent had always felt disappointed in her eldest son. He was careless, lazy, and a hopeless alcoholic, qualities that couldn’t be celebrated at all. Now that her beloved father had returned, the queen didn’t hesitate to consult him on the matter, hoping that the man had a solution for the problem that afflicted her, and together they analyzed what was the best option to unite the king's first-born son. Especially after, years ago, Rhaenyra and Daemon got married and moved to Dragonstone indefinitely.

“It must be someone we completely trust, someone who cannot dare to hurt us because they know that their blood is linked to ours.”

The Arryns were loyal to the future queen Rhaenyra and some of the houses south of Vale were too. The Westerlands was the richest section of the Seven Kingdoms and was already secured, so it seemed prudent to the king's hand to go for the next widest section: The Reach. The most formidable options within this area were the Hightower and the Tyrell. Obviously taking the first option would be a waste since the members of that house would support Aegon without complaint due to their kinship, so the decision was made with the direct heir of Highgarden.

King Viserys agreed to the idea without putting up many obstacles, since poppy milk clouded his judgment most of the time and also the affairs of his first son had never interested him much.

The union was sealed as soon as the deal was offered to Lyonel Tyrell, who was extremely happy to be able to assure his family a future with said marriage. It was thus that he gave you, his only daughter, to Prince Aegon II Targaryen.

And the second the boy saw you, he absolutely hated you.

He had come to the idea (very unpleasant, by the way) of marrying his younger sister and now that his mother was forcing him to marry a complete stranger, he couldn't be angrier. In a short time he would turn twenty and it seemed pathetic to him that at that point he would have to offer shows like those before the kingdom. Because the wedding wasn’t simple, of course, but thousands and thousands of guests were present at the banquet that Alicent forced the king to prepare, claiming by saying that he had done the same for Princess Rhaenyra's wedding.

“It is a pleasure to finally see each other, your grace. They have told me a lot about you”

You had said those precise words the first time you had met, when his mother organized a walk so that you could 'get to know each other better', although supervised by her own eyes that were behind you, making sure that her son didn’t commit any indecency. But no matter how sweetly you smiled and spoke them, Aegon could sense that you were lying.

There was hatred in your eyes and a clear resentment towards the life from which you were torn, as if it weren’t an honor to have the opportunity to marry the prince of the seven kingdoms. Your hypocritical words represented an insult to the boy and that is why he decided from the first moment that he would hate you deeply.

With your mere existence you would have deprived him of his freedom, his entertainment, his youth. He would be tied to you for future occasions, he would have to take you to all the events, secure your food, your clothes. share the same roof and pretend to be nice to you in the eyes of others. And, besides, he could have thought of a lot of candidates better than you, physically speaking. Your beauty was quite ordinary for his taste, as if he were looking at any painting; cheap and repetitive.

“I regret to admit that I am not so fortunate, Lady Tyrell. But I am happy for the union of our houses” he lied, in the same way that you had done.

And it was obvious that this didn’t go unnoticed by you, that you had the same critical eye as your recent fiancé but that you sought to maintain composure in the presence of your future mother-in-law.

On the wedding day Aegon had a good time only because he was able to drown himself in monumental quantities of liquor and because he was able to eat as much as he wanted of the exquisite banquet. He didn't even pay a bit of attention to how you looked in the wedding dress that the royal seamstresses had been in charge of making in record time, because when the time came he flattered you superficially and then ignored the matter. The ceremony kiss was the first you shared, and it was so fleeting and awkward that the prince felt disappointed. On the wedding night he was so drunk that he didn't even look at you.

You knew that the unfortunate day would come when you would have to carnally please the young man and the simple thought of being defiled in this way caused you terror and nausea in equal parts.

It was a stranger whom you had married, of whom the only thing you knew was his noble title and name.

In the days following your marriage, unfortunately or fortunately, Aegon didn’t even speak to you. You didn't have to share a room, so it was easier for him to completely ignore you while he went about his ways.

You had to admit that the only good thing about having taken this trip was the beautiful landscapes that King's Landing offered you. Your room had a direct view of Blackwater Bay and you spent several days looking out the window at the beautiful sea. Sometimes you could watch Prince Aemond ride his dragon, and honestly, the size of the beast scared you a little. You hadn't had the chance to observe Aegon in Sunfyre yet but if he was as impressive as Vhagar, then he would be quite a sight.

A week passed, then another and another where you were nothing more than a guest in the palace. You didn't talk to anyone, you ate dinner alone, you barely saw the outside of the castle. Sometimes you went to the Sept, pretending to pray, but really just killing the endless boring hours of the day. You were somewhat lucky if you found Helaena, the most sensible and calm within the royal family, because you had pleasant conversations with her. When you met the queen it was a little more difficult, because she asked you endless questions in which you had to fake the answers. How could you be fulfilling your parenting responsibilities if the capricious prince wouldn't deign to lay a finger on you?

After a month, Alicent seemed to take matters into her own hands and forced her eldest son to take you to sleep in the same room as him. However, Aegon seemed to want to blame you for something you hadn't chosen. He never spoke to you and every time you went to bed, he would stand with his back to you as far away as possible. And as if that weren’t enough, he had explicitly ordered his guards not to allow you to leave the room unless it was in his company. It was his way of punishing you, of getting even for the complaints of his mother and grandfather regarding his lack of interest in marriage.

“My mother wants us to attend a dinner tonight” you were so unaccustomed to hearing his voice addressing you that it took you a second to process what he was telling you “I will talk to the maids to bring you a suitable dress.”

You didn't know what to say. You didn't want to go to that dinner, nor did you want to be with him, or wear one of those tight, annoying dresses. Aegon, noticing your silence, deigned to look at you and in your eyes he could see the aversion you felt for him. It was something difficult to mask and he had seen it on so many faces that it was nothing new.

“As you wish, prince.”

A bitter laugh came from your husband's throat.

“Don't be a hypocrite, for God's sake. I know you hate me as much as I hate you. Save appearances for guests, not in the chambers."

You wouldn’t have had the courage to admit out loud what his majesty had said, but you didn’t dare to contradict him either. You had to play the role of a self-sacrificing and suitable wife for the man if you wanted to keep your honor, but above all your head.

You tried, with all your might, to see some quality in Aegon that you liked so that you could treat him in a better way, which always resulted in something useless. Perhaps if he had been nicer to you, you could have known how to forgive his faults, but even that wasn’t granted to you.

The dinner was mostly family-oriented, with the guest of honor being from House Baratheon whose purpose was to discuss some political matters with the king and queen. Due to his health, Viserys didn’t usually leave his room more than necessary, however, that night the occasion warranted it.

“Lady Tyrell, how is your stay in King's Landing?”

The king had a reputation for being gentle with his guests and was the first person to ask you a personal question, so the smile you showed him was genuine.

“Very pleasant, your grace. The servants treat me as well as possible and I must admit that the views from my room are beautiful. Your dragon is impressive, Prince Aemond, by the way.”

The boy, who wasn't all that expressive, just looked at you for a moment and tilted his head down slightly.

“I'm glad you like it, princess.”

"And my son? How is our Aegon treating you?”

That question was more complicated to answer, since it required expressing a lie. Everyone present focused their attention on you, except your husband who had been staring into nothingness for a long time.

“Very well, my king. He’s a good husband and I am happy to have been able to unite our houses.”

The aforementioned snorted, incredulous at what you were saying at the table, and took a long drink from his glass of wine.

“And I hope very soon you can give us strong and beautiful heirs.”

Although that was intended as a compliment, you felt the weight of that responsibility pressing down on you again.

“I wish the same. It will be an honor to serve the crown and bear the progeny of a house as formidable as yours."

The queen was pleased with your answer and for a moment felt sorry for you. She knew her son well, so deep down she knew that it wasn’t a gift from the gods to be married to him. The rest of the table looked at you curiously, wondering if you were serious, trying to be ironic, or just trying to play the good girl role.

Aegon, as expected, became intoxicated during dinner and when Queen Alicent announced that she was going to retire to sleep you thought it prudent to do the same. Your husband, however, had other wishes.

“Stay here,” he asked, his voice serious.

When he was drunk he looked you up and down, probably evaluating how worth it would be to decide to strip you naked and fuck you once and for all. Your body in the dress you were wearing looked better with a few drinks on him.

“I think it would be best to retire, my husband. This way you can stay with the men to chat and… drink”

“But I want you to stay here to keep me company,” he insisted, holding your wrist tightly “Or don't you want to please your prince?”

It wasn’t a loving request, but one for control. He wanted to have you there only to demonstrate his power over you, without paying attention to you or talking; only as an ornament.

“Aegon, enough,” Alicent interrupted, observing the scene that had begun to unfold. “Daughter, let's go to sleep. “I will accompany you”

“Fine, do whatever you want,” he spat contemptuously, abruptly releasing the wrist that was holding you. There was hatred in his eyes, but also pride.

The queen said goodbye to everyone present and then offered you her hand to take you away from there. You spent most of the way in silence, walking through the long, wide corridors of the fortress followed only by the faithful footsteps of Ser Criston Cole.

“You must be patient with him” he began to say “He is a particular man and sometimes… difficult, but I know that with your docile character you will be able to deal with his temperament.”

What did she know about your character? She didn't know you at all.

“So it shall be, Queen Alicent.”

“I understand what you are going through, dear. We both come from the same lands to endure the difficult task of accompanying a monarch. But it is our duty to carry it out with all the honor and temper worthy of our homes. Of course, I can trust that as a woman you will be able to help him fulfill another of the most important marital commitments, such as having children, to maintain the lineage and blood. For a virgin like you, Aegon may be rough, but... patience and resilience are among the best virtues. A woman in royalty must endure these things to give the best to the people.”

You had never wanted to be a princess. And just when you thought the queen was showing you compassion, you realized that she was only looking out for her interests and those of her family.

"Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind"

She smiled and immediately left a kiss on your forehead, which could have been taken as a maternal kiss but which you didn't like at all. The longer you can postpone suffering, the better. If Aegon didn't even want to look at you, it was perfect.

That night, as soon as you touched the mattress and the silk sheets that decorated it, you began to cry until you fell asleep.

SECOND ACT: CONTROL

Time passed again and although the punishment of not leaving your room was not revoked, you found multiple activities with which to entertain yourself in the prince's absence. You filled your mornings and afternoons with reading, writing, knitting and embroidering. The nights were even more boring because most of the time your husband wasn't there either.

Rumors that you hadn’t yet consummated the marriage had spread through the halls of the palace and soon the smallfolk would murmur too. After all, the people couldn’t entertain themselves with anything more than the gossip and the plays that were going on in the poor neighborhoods, making fun of royal affairs.

You no longer even had the energy to deny those accusations and Aegon had given you the perfect opportunity by throwing you out of his room and refusing to leave the four walls of yours: if you didn't leave there, there was no way anyone would question you. And since you didn't have family inside the Keep, you didn't have any visitors either.

One night, however, your husband surprised you by entering your room. It had been days since you two had seen each other and his staggering around the room warned you that he was drunk again. You often wondered how he resisted drinking so much and the long-term effects it would have on his health, but right now your mind could only focus on the fear of what he might want in that state.

“Good night, dear,” he drawled, sounding as sarcastic as possible.

You were in your nightgown and you were carrying in your hand an old book that you had been reading and that you threw on the nightstand as soon as you saw him approaching you. You didn't have time to say or do anything else when he had already approached you in giant steps to grab you by the back of your neck and start kissing you. He was abrupt, careless, with his mouth smelling of wine and tasting even worse. You wanted to cry from helplessness.

“It's what everyone wants, isn't it?” he murmured, separating himself from you, but still holding you by the hair at the back of your neck. “A marriage arranged in a couple of days to form alliances. And that's it, my life was ruined thanks to my father wanting your stupid castle to expand his domain."

The truth is that couldn't be further from the truth. Viserys’s ambition had never been that, as he had been so little involved in the process that he simply didn’t care who his children were or were not married to. Except for Rhaenyra, of course.

Aegon continued:

"I didn’t want this. I didn't want to marry you, or anyone..."

“And you think I do?” you confronted him.

You were tired of the insult, the humiliation and him ignoring you as if you were worthless; even if that was what a husband did. And the most likely thing was that your words would be forgotten due to alcohol or that they would put an end to the wait for your suffering to begin and Aegon decided to take you once and for all.

“You have nothing to lose, prince,” you continued. “You get drunk as much as you want, you run away from your responsibilities and walk everywhere when I have to stay locked up here all day just because you want me to. I have to endure the suspicious looks of everyone because I still don't have an heir in the womb while you go and fuck your whores."

“I'm the prince and I fuck whoever I want, did you hear me?” he hissed. The grip on your hair had already begun to become painful and a few tears slipped down your cheeks “And I stop fucking whoever I want too. I'm not going to please anyone by getting you pregnant. There they will see if they come and force me to put my cock in you”

“Do you doubt that, your grace?” you exclaimed bitterly “Doubts that will force us to conceive?”

“So that's what you want? Do you want me to do it?”

“I want to go home. That is what I want. But my father used me as a bargaining chip and that's why I can't do anything."

“I'm sorry it was like that. If I had chosen my wife, I would surely have chosen someone prettier and more educated than you, but I can't do much either."

Once again, the man pushed you until your lips joined his and the same discomfort settled in you. He didn't kiss you with love, but with fury and violence to the point that you had to push him away when he bit you so hard that a trickle of blood began to come out of your lower lip. Aegon was also stained by it and with an acidic smile he ran the tip of his tongue all over his mouth to remove any traces.

Looking at you he didn't look happy, but he didn't look angry either. He just seemed fed up.

Everyone knew, or suspected, that the prince was very capable of taking sexual advantage of any woman. He had done it before with maids and prostitutes and had slept peacefully throughout that time. However, there was something about you that encouraged him not to. He didn't even think it was something about you specifically but about the situation, because he wanted to do the opposite of what he was ordered: if everyone ordered him to take you to have an heir, it automatically became an unpleasant act and at the same time that he refused.

He was hurt, not because of you but because of years and years of abuse and neglect. He didn't really know you at all, he only knew what you represented.

You were just the unlucky one who had married him.

"I hate you. I hate that you are my wife and you are not worthy of me even touching you” he snapped with disdain. You were still fighting to keep the tears inside your eyes and his vision had also blurred slightly “I wish I had never met you.”

“The feeling is mutual, your grace,” you expressed, your voice breaking. If it was an offense to the crown, you wouldn't even care anymore and if he killed you right there you wouldn't regret it too much either.

Aegon looked at you one last time before staggering back out the door without another word, closing it behind him with a loud gesture and leaving you alone in the room. The reality that you had escaped, once again, from being raped by the man fell on you like a bucket of cold water and your knees weakened until you fell to the floor.

You were hurt, tired, and defeated by the stress of the situation and the fear that had washed over you the entire time. Luckily he was gone, otherwise you didn't know if you would have endured what he had to do to you. It was better to have him busy in a brothel than to have to endure him in your bed.

You wished you could talk to someone and cry on a loved one’s shoulder, only to realize a second later that that was impossible. Aegon was your new family, now you belonged to the Targaryens and you would have to do as they wished.

Anger completely overwhelmed you to the point where you stood up from your seat and began throwing pieces of glassware all over the room, in a violent outburst at what had just happened and the way you felt. None of the guards outside your door dared to come in to check on you and soon enough you fell back to the ground, exhausted from the effort.

As you cried, perhaps for the umpteenth time since you had been married, you thought about how you would never be able to love Prince Aegon. Not even if you tried.

THIRD ACT: PAIN

After months, the inevitable arrived. The truth was that the first time you felt sorrow and anger, but the following times it became more tolerable. Not because it was better, but because you began to get used to it. Aegon didn't change his attitude towards you one bit. You indeed spent more time together, although that didn’t mean that you got along better or that you had begun to have more sympathy for each other.

The only advantage was that you had started to be friends with some people in the palace. Your sister-in-law, to begin with, as well as some of the maids who were in charge of looking after you, as they turned out to be your only company during those days. Those distractions were more than enough for you, considering the situation you were in, and they kept you sane as time went by.

Almost like a punishment from heaven, it seemed that you weren’t pregnant yet, since your biological processes seemed to continue working to the letter. That meant that, unfortunately, you would have to keep trying; when Aegon was lost enough to forget who you were and you had to stand still as a statue to let him loom over you.

You often liked to imagine what your life would have been like if you had stayed in Highgarden. Nobody knew it yet, but there you had found your first love and although it never went beyond a few kisses, you treasured the memory with particular affection. You had always wanted to marry a sweet man who loved and respected you, who would give you your place as a wife and adore you day and night; someone with whom you could feel protected, cared for, but above all happy. You thought, naively, that that boy you had met and who was nothing more than a commoner could have given you that life, but all those possibilities were nothing more than fantasies in which you tried to lock yourself in to feel less miserable with your unpleasant reality.

One night Helaena had invited you to a modest dinner in her company that you couldn't refuse, since none of your husbands were present and some time with friends could clear your mind. You didn't even know where the prince was, although it was expected that he was spending some time in the town with his friends.

“Sometimes I feel sad about our situation,” said the blonde. You were in the privacy of her chambers, not even with the maids present, so confessions like that were allowed “But I am happy that you are my friend, something that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.”

“I'm glad to talk to you too,” you smiled sincerely. “You're the best thing I've found around here.”

“My brothers aren't that bad, they're just… well, we've had a hard life. And that's why they behave like that."

“I think there is no justification for being a…” idiot, you wanted to say, but you had to remember that you were in the presence of the princess, “a person who is rude to others. But I guess that happens with royalty, right? They do what they want without consequences”

"I guess so. Kings, princes, the heirs, lords, dukes…”

“Okay, I get it,” you laughed bitterly “It's probably a masculine quality.”

You never thought your sister-in-law would have that kind of humor and to be honest, most of the time she was a comic relief for the situations you two were going through. Sometimes her prophecies scared you, especially the way she phrased them, but you wanted to think that her premonitions would never affect you directly.

When you finally got tired of chatting and the food was finished, you decided to return to your room, so you could have a peaceful night's rest. It was raining outside and thunder echoed in the distance, making the atmosphere slightly gloomy, but at the same time cooling every corner of King's landing.

The novelty of your position was no longer important enough to require you to be escorted by guards twenty-four hours a day, so you were able to slowly walk through all the corridors that led to your sanctuary. It was modest but cute, although not on the level of Aegon’s.

A man was guarding the door and you bowed your head to him to let you pass, which he did without any opposition. Once inside you got rid of your shoes and unbuttoned your corset, not caring that the room was almost in darkness; only the moonlight illuminated from the window. You took a few steps forward and squealed when you discovered that there was another person in the room, sitting at the small table with a drink in his hand. You would have started screaming for help if you hadn't noticed that said intruder had silver hair falling like a curtain over his face.

"Your grace?" you asked cautiously.

It isn’t usual for Aegon to drink in your room, as he preferred other places with more interesting company, and when you didn’t receive an answer you approached slowly. You thought that at best he had simply fallen asleep and at worst he would be dead.

At first his long, wavy hair covered your view of his face, but when he noticed your presence he raised his head and then you could see him. His features became clearer as lightning illuminated him from the outside and for a second you were horrified.

His cheek was red and a trickle of blood was dripping from his nose, however, what surprised you the most was seeing his eyes completely swollen.

“For the seven, I… I'll go call a maester”

“Don't even think about it,” he exclaimed hoarsely, seeing that you were already rushing towards the door.

Your husband didn't sound like his usual angry tone, but rather he seemed... hurt.

You thought for a second about what the appropriate reaction to the situation was. You couldn't leave the room because, in addition to the guards murmuring, it would be impolite to leave him in that state; also, where would you go? If you ignored him, he would probably take it as an insult and he had already made it clear that he didn't want to see someone who could take care of those injuries.

You hated him, it was true, but you weren't an insensitive monster either.

"Who did this to you?"

Aegon was surprised by how soft, even kind, your question sounded and the intoxication gave him some courage to answer.

“My mother and my grandfather. Mostly my mother, my grandfather rather dedicated his efforts to reminding me how useless I am”

You didn't know what to say. You never believed that the queen would be capable of hitting one of her sons like that. You didn't believe it from any mother, actually.

With some trepidation you took one of the chairs and placed it in front of him, expecting him to immediately push you away or ask you to get out of his sight. However, the prince didn't seem to have enough energy to do any of those things.

He had a lost look on his face and tears began to run down his face.

“Nothing… nothing I do pleases her. Neither to her, nor to my grandfather. All the time they are pressuring me, demanding me, yelling at me. Apparently Otto still hopes that my father will name me king, but I've never wanted that. They blame me for drinking all the time and how do they expect them not to? My father cares so little about me and my mother hates me. All his life he has hated me. She does it, my brothers… and so do you. My own wife hates me. Everyone… everyone who knows me does it”

You were silent for a moment.

There were mixed feelings inside you, because you couldn't forget the mistreatment that the man had given you during those months, nor the way he used you for his pleasure. He was right when he said you hated him. However, there was a compassionate part of you, deep down, that felt sorry for the man's state.

“And sometimes I just want to be dead. I just wish all the shit would go away and drowning in alcohol and dying would take away Alicent's problem and allow her to focus her attention on something better”

His gaze lifted and he looked at you with crystallized eyes.

“Maybe you should poison me one day. So your suffering would also end”

“Your highness, I cannot do that”

“But would you like it? Do you hate me enough to wish me dead?”

“Of course not,” you said quickly.

"Liar. You lie like everyone else. You want me dead”

You knew that saying something negative at that moment, in the state he was in, could result in him making some incoherence that you would be blamed for the next morning. So it was best to act cautiously.

“I don't think anyone wants that”

“My mother does. My father, Rhaenyra does it, and so does her stupid new husband…”

“Your grace…” you interrupted him harshly. Listening to him sink into his self-indulgence was too much to bear “You better go to sleep, don't you think? Now you're not thinking clearly, you'll feel better in the morning."

But Aegon seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, oblivious to anything you had to say to him.

“I guess I just wish someone wouldn't completely detest my existence, you know?”

Aegon had done terrible things to you, of course, but seeing him at that moment made you wonder if all of this was the product of poor parenting and psychological abuse that had been perpetuated for twenty long years. You couldn't say your father loved you, not after what he had done, but at least he hadn't constantly hurt you as the man in front of you had. You knew better than anyone that hate had to be healed with empathy and for a brief moment you felt soft for him.

Once Aegon was a small child, without sins, without accumulated hatred, without evil... and apparently that frightened child hadn’t been completely buried, because it was him who cried inconsolably and saw death as a viable alternative to end that suffering. However, there is no redemption without guilt, right? You don't get to heaven without first repenting.

You stayed silent for a long time, listening to him sob, and when you gathered the courage you spoke:

“Prince, can I be honest with you?”

You had spoken in a low and benevolent voice, while you slid from your chair until you were kneeling in front of him. The boy didn't even want to take advantage of that position for a sexual act, he was simply too tired and drained to think. You placed your hands on his knees and seeing that he nodded, you continued:

“You say you wish someone wouldn't hate you, but have you ever made an effort to do so? Or have you even wondered why people feel that way about you?”

“It's something natural for them”

“I didn't feel it,” you said, honestly. You hated the idea of getting married out of obligation, but if he had been different from the beginning maybe your feelings for him would be too “And you made me feel it. With your contempt, your humiliations, your punishments…”

“If everyone thinks you're a monster, what's the point of contradicting them?”

“And then you prefer to agree with them?”

You were probably taking too many liberties with the prince, but you would never have a chance to talk to him like that again. He was vulnerable and therefore less defensive than normal.

“Every person is responsible for their actions,” you continued. “You can't change how the queen or king feels about you, but you can choose to offer something better to others. If it’s your desire that people not hate you, that won’t happen overnight just because you tell it to. It takes time, effort and above all it requires kindness. If you live regretting the concept that people have of you, without doing anything to change it, then you will live a lifetime of dissatisfaction. If you seriously want someone to feel happy about your existence then pursue that goal, don’t expect it to be granted to you as a divine work.”

A deeper cry began to well up from the man and you almost thought he would lean down for your hug. Still, he didn't.

“I don't know how to be someone else. I have always been this”

“Not always, that's for sure. Water that stagnates rots and becomes a swamp. The one that runs, on the other hand, becomes a river and flows into the ocean.”

You raised the handkerchief you always carried and, in an act of kindness that was also intended to be an offering of peace, you gently wiped the tears and dried blood from his face. Aegon squirmed as he had never experienced that kind of care.

“You just have to ask yourself: what do you choose to be?”

For an endless moment he watched you. His judgment was clouded by drunkenness, but he wondered if he wasn't hallucinating and you were simply the voice of his conscience telling him something he had never wanted to accept.

It was easier to blame others for his mistakes, to justify himself by saying that everything about him was his mother's fault and that if he behaved the way he did it was only a defense mechanism. Aegon had never thought about how his treatment of women was a direct consequence of Alicent's upbringing: if his own mother had hurt him, why wouldn't other women do the same to him? And since he was convinced that they were all going to do it, he preferred to turn them into objects that he could use for his benefit.

He was so drunk and so exhausted from all the crying he had shed that he simply pushed your hand away from his face and stood up from the chair, without saying a word. You, now standing, saw him begin to undress and the first thing you thought was that he would seek to heal his sorrows by having sex with you. However, he only got rid of the essentials and then lay on his stomach on the bed. Without any choice, you took off your clothes for the day, put on a nightgown and also lay down on the mattress to sleep.

You were sure that the next day Aegon wouldn’t remember anything and you weighed the possibility of the whole story repeating itself, in an endless and painful loop for the two of you. And if you were right, it would be a shame if you had to live like this for the rest of your days.

FOURTH ACT: REDEMPTION

“Do you know where Meryna is?” you asked one of the maids who had come in to change your bedding.

“No, your grace”

“I'm starting to get hungry and she still hasn't brought my breakfast,” you exclaimed sadly.

You had woken up a while ago and had gotten dressed to go for a walk after eating, to see if this would cheer you up a little. It had been a few days since Aegon had opened up in the privacy of your room and after that you had barely seen him, much less spoken to him. You believed that everything was due to a matter of pride or even shame for what you had witnessed and you simply didn’t give it importance, because you knew that eventually he would approach you again. You just had to wait for him to want to do it.

Almost as if by summons, the black-haired girl appeared through the door, looking agitated and embarrassed by the delay. Furthermore, she came empty-handed.

"Princess…"

“Didn't you bring breakfast?” you asked, still sounding cordial but slightly surprised.

“I'm very sorry, it's just that Prince Aegon asked me to bring the food to the royal dining room. He is waiting for you there, he told me to come and get you.”

He hadn’t mentioned requiring your presence for any breakfast and, according to you, there were no guests in the palace to accompany. The two women noticed your dismay and Meryna stood waiting for a response.

“Did he tell you why?”

“No, your grace”

"Good. Then tell him I'll be there in a moment."

You only took a few minutes to change your dress, one more suitable for being in the presence of the prince and in case there was a guest you didn't know about. There were no guards at your door so you were able to walk to the dining room by yourself and were surprised to see that only your husband was at the table. He had an expression that you interpreted as a mix of impatience and nerves.

“Oh, you finally arrived. Sit down. You, bring the princess something to drink,” he ordered a maid. He used to call you that in the presence of guests, but it was rare for him to have that courtesy when alone.

“Are we waiting for someone?”

"No. I just thought you might want to have breakfast together.”

You were already sitting next to him, and for a second you watched him with a frown. Had he hit his head somewhere or why was he acting so strange?

“Do you prefer juice or wine, your highness?

"Juice"

“And bring her some strawberries,” Aegon exclaimed.

There was something about the situation that scared you, because you imagined that he wouldn't be treating you so kindly without wanting something in return. But you were already his wife and he did whatever he wanted with you, what more could he want from you?

You looked him up and down, as if searching for some sign, but he looked completely normal. He was wearing one of those full black robes he was used to, with a golden chain with emeralds decorating the hem of his neck and a belt accentuating his figure. The dark circles in his eyes were pronounced, as always, but the look was not that of someone angry; you would even say that he looked somewhat passive, even sleepy.

While you were thinking about all that, you remembered the last conversation you had had with him. You feared that madness had finally exploded in your husband and the food you were about to eat was poisoned, as he had suggested at the time. Perhaps out of courtesy he was waiting for you to take the first bite and, trying to control the trembling in your hands, you took a portion of the cold cuts on your plate to put it in your mouth. Luckily the food didn't taste different and after seeing that the man ate it with the utmost calmness, you assumed that it didn't contain any poison either.

There was freshly baked bread, jam, some cheeses, the aforementioned cold cuts, a variety of fruits, scrambled eggs with fresh herbs and chives, as well as some stuffed buns for dessert. It was a mini banquet and as you ate it you couldn't help but wonder why this show of kindness was due.

Aegon didn't seem to have any intention of talking and you didn't try to force him, not wanting to either. The atmosphere was one of peace and tranquility, one you had not experienced since your wedding day until now, and it was a very different but strangely pleasant feeling.

It was just a couple sharing breakfast time, but for two people who come from such a broken home it felt like a totally new experience.

You continued in silence until most of the things served were finished, leaving only what wasn’t to your palate's liking or that your body was simply no longer able to ingest.

“Do you need anything else, your majesty?”

“Clear this table, we won't eat anymore,” he said to the maid, nonchalantly pointing to the leftovers you had left. Then he looked at you “Satisfied?”

"I am. Everything was delicious”

“I want us to do the same tomorrow. I will send a maid for you, so get ready soon,” he said decisively.

Then he got up from his chair, stretched a little, and left the room without saying anything else to you.

You didn't see your husband the rest of the day, but the next morning he kept his promise without fail. Although the breakfast menu was different the routine was the same and again it made you wonder what the reason for it was.

The next day he also requested your presence for breakfast and you concluded that he intended to make it a habit. For the rest of the morning you were supposed to dedicate yourself to your activities, but after a week of following that routine Aegon informed you that he had other plans for you.

“I want you to come with me for a walk.”

"To the exterior?"

"Yeah. I have training with Ser Criston but I don't wish to attend, so you will be my excuse. I'll tell him that the princess wanted to go for a walk and that I couldn't let her go alone."

He was telling you that lie almost like a childish prank and you would swear he was about to smile.

“Huh, okay. If you want it, we will”

You were still confused by his actions, because in all the time you had been there it was the first time he treated you decently. You didn't know if he was still drinking in large quantities, but at least when he went to sleep he no longer reeked of liquor in the same way. And all that week he hadn't forced you to have sex with him.

What had motivated the prince to change his way of behaving towards you?

"Do you want to go to the beach? I will order a couple of horses to be saddled for us” he exclaimed when you had already left the dining room.

You couldn't refuse to go to the bay, because in your entire life you had never seen the ocean and your curiosity was greater than any other feeling. Besides, you loved horses, and being with them might even make you feel better.

Aegon did as he told you and soon enough you were in the stable. He had ordered a beautiful white mare for you, with a silver mane the color of your husband's hair and a formidable build.

You approached to pet the animal, carefully, and tensed completely when you felt another body behind yours. Until that moment you hadn't realized how warm your husband was.

“She's pretty, right?”

His voice sounded at your ear level, as he had also reached out to touch Frostfire’s hair.

"She is"

“I guess you know how to ride,” he muttered under his breath and you let out an offended sigh.

“Of course I do. Highgarden is the heart of the chivalry of the seven kingdoms”

After saying that you turned your head just a little and met his gaze, indigo eyes with hints of lilac looking at you carefully. You could feel his breath against yours and at that closeness your cheeks had already turned red involuntarily.

He separated from you and then went to choose his horse, a black thoroughbred with beautiful braids, to get on it and ask the guards to open the door for you. You almost managed to sneak away, but Ser Criston stopped the two of you just before you could do so, claiming that he had a scheduled practice with the prince.

“I'm taking my wife to Blackwater, she hasn't had a chance to visit since her arrival.”

“But your grace, your father…”

“We will continue with training later, Ser Criston,” he said firmly.

“Will you go to Blackwater without an escort?”

“I will”

"That's impossible"

“Don't worry, I don't want to be accompanied. Just rest for now.”

“But you are the prince.”

"Exactly. I am the prince and I want my orders to be respected."

The boy was a smug son of a bitch when he put his mind to it, just like now. The man had no choice but to obey the words and then the two of you were able to leave. You could get there on foot, but Aegon had felt like riding and had wanted an alternative to quickly escape if something went wrong.

You walked along a path that still belonged to the Red Keep grounds, so there was no great danger of being attacked along the way, and you soon reached the bay. It was even more beautiful up close and as soon as you got off the mare you forgot any courtesy towards your husband, as you rushed towards the shore to watch the waves crash. Your pumps and dress were soaked when the water reached your calves, but it didn't bother you too much because you were happy for the reason.

“Have you never been to the ocean?”

“I'm afraid not, your grace. There was never any business that required me to be on the coast of The Reach and I have always lived surrounded by hills and forests. I had seen some rivers, but…”

Before you could continue your story you staggered because of a wave and to avoid falling you tried to hold on to whatever was within reach, which turned out to be the man next to you. He supported you from the elbows with his strong arms.

“Oh, I'm so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he laughed. For the first time in your presence, he had laughed “But we should get away from the shore. I wouldn't want to take you back to the castle all soaked”

You heeded the boy's advice and, still leaning on him, walked towards the sand. The sky was slightly cloudy, so the weather was perfect for walking around without any discomfort.

“I've never visited Highgarden, is it as impressive as rumored?” he asked, as he began to walk in the opposite direction of the Red Keep.

Although you never believed that the prince would be interested in such things, you began to talk to him about your hometown with particular emotion. You told him about his surroundings, about the castle and you also told in greater detail the gardens that once belonged to you and were full of golden roses, as was the emblem of your house.

You were surprised by how attentive the boy was to everything you had to say to him and for the first time since your arrival, you didn't feel like a stranger in your own skin. Talking about your home was like remembering a part of yourself, as if you were showing him your insides through stories of the beautiful hills where you had ridden so many times.

“Everything sounds wonderful,” he concluded. The sea breeze had already ruffled both of your hair and he took advantage of this to brush a strand out of your face “Someday I should go visit it”

“Yes, maybe you would like that” you exclaimed smiling. You had come too far and it was time to walk back, towards where you had left Frostfire and Moonshadow tied up “Your grace, may I ask you a question?”

"Yeah"

You opened your mouth to ask him why he was doing all that and why he had suddenly started showing so much interest in you. You wanted to know the reason for his unexpected kindness and his abstinence from activities that weren’t very pleasant for you. But before you could speak, you took a moment to observe him. His skin looked paler in the light outside and his silver hair waved in the wind, however, what caught your attention the most was the serene expression on his face.

Although you couldn't say that you knew Aegon, the time you had lived together had shown you that his personality was extremely challenging. If you pointed out that he was being nicer to you and questioned him about it, he would most likely revert to his old behavior towards you simply on a whim. So no, you couldn't ask him about anything or you'd ruin the minuscule part of a good relationship you had managed to build.

“I was thinking... Do you think we can one day bring golden roses to the royal gardens? Green and gold are part of your emblem too and that would beautify the place. I could take care of them, if you want.”

“That's a good idea,” he exclaimed happily. You had already turned around to return and you calculated that it must be after noon “I will order them to be brought in as soon as possible, in the hope that the hot weather at King's landing will not ruin them”

“I hope not,” you said, although a little less enthusiastic than before.

You had been lost in thought after the appearance of that question that you did not verbalize and suddenly Aegon feared that he had made some mistake. You walked a few meters in silence, until this state was unbearable for his majesty and he stopped you by holding your shoulders. You were about to ask what had happened when he pulled you against his lips, stealing your breath. It was still a rough kiss, but this time less desperate than before. His hands went down to your waist and held you to his body until there wasn’t even a centimeter of distance left, with your belly touching the heat of his stomach.

“Still no signs that you are pregnant?”

You thought that, perhaps, your answer was in that question and that the only thing the man wanted was to convince you to hurry up the matter of producing an heir.

“I'm sorry to say no. It's very unfortunate."

“We'll have to keep trying,” he said, shrugging his shoulders as if he wanted to downplay the matter “Mother insists on it.”

“Has your mother always been like this to you?”

"What are you talking about?"

“It's just… she seems to have everything under control all the time.”

You couldn't be further from the truth and rather than describing it that way Aegon would have said that she was controlling. She wanted to have things under control, but she couldn't and as an example was the eldest prince himself, whom she had never been able to persuade to behave the way he did.

“Well, she is the queen. I guess that's how she must be” he exclaimed without much encouragement. He was still holding you by the waist and was surprised by how intimate that position was. “But we better get back, they must be wondering where we are”

“Maybe they even think I ran away, taking advantage of the fact that you weren't there to watch me,” you joked.

"Would you do it?"

"Do what?"

“Run away”

You looked at the man, incredulous, because it was stupid to think that if you were planning to run away you would just tell him like that. That was the characteristic of it, that it was surprising and hidden.

“Why would I do, your grace?”

“Maybe because I'm a bad husband,” he said quietly. You weren't understanding the game Aegon was playing and it was driving you crazy.

“I wouldn't dare do it. I have nowhere to go and I know I couldn't even get through the doors without your majesty noticing,” you replied.

The prince didn’t want pragmatic reasons like that, but rather his question was more aimed at whether it was your will to abandon him.

Against all odds a couple of raindrops began to fall and very soon a storm had already brewed over your head. It was useless to run, but you did it anyway and Aegon held your hand to prevent either of you from falling due to a trip. Somewhere along the way you lost one of your pumps and at this you began to laugh and he, infected by your joy, did the same. It amused you greatly to think of the face the queen would make when she saw you enter the castle, with her eldest son soaked from head to toe and your clothing incomplete. But you also laughed from the joy of feeling so alive in that moment. You felt like a girl playing in the rain and despite the coldness of the falling water, you felt a certain warmth traveling from the tips of your fingers to your chest.

Although he was sure that you were an excellent rider, your husband insisted on taking you on his own horse to avoid any accidents and you agreed without complaint. His body sheltered you all the way to the Red Keep and once there, under the roof, he helped you down from the chair with extreme care. You didn't think he was that strong until you felt him grab your waist and place you on the floor effortlessly.

“Ask the maids to prepare a bath for you, or you will catch a cold,” he said, putting on your back a cloak he had found hanging on one of the walls.

There was the hint of a smile on his face and seeing him behave like this towards you made you feel weird. You almost felt like he was trying to be affectionate with you, even though he wasn't quite succeeding.

“You should do the same,” you exclaimed softly.

Motivated by the kind moment you had shared, you reached out to brush away the wet hair that had stuck to his face and he shivered at your touch. It was the first time you touched him that way, out of conviction and with care.

“Your majesty, Lord Hand is looking for you. He says he needs to talk to you urgently."

“My grandfather,” he sighed at you, as if wanting to apologize for the words the guard behind you had just said.

He gave the man Moonshadow's reins and then explained that someone had to go get the horse you had left in the bay, so you assumed your presence there was no longer necessary. You were about to leave when he stopped you, grabbing your arm somewhat roughly and looking at you with a feeling that you couldn't decipher.

“I'll go to your room tonight,” he informed.

You felt a little disappointed by the reality of having to share a bed with him, after so long without having done so, but you were grateful that he was at least warning you.

You nodded your goodbyes and he did the same, forming an unspoken agreement. You thought maybe that was why he had been polite to you, so he could get back under your bed sheets. But there was no point in doing it, he wasn't courting you to win your hand, but you were already his wife and he had made it very clear that he could do with you whatever he wanted.

Still a little confused, you were escorted to your bedroom, where you hoped that a tub with hot water and essences would be enough to appease all those doubts that were growing in you.

FIFTH ACT: LOVE

At some point Aegon would get tired of all this, you were sure. But while that moment arrived, you were thoroughly enjoying all kinds of attention you received from your husband. He kept his promise to bring golden roses for the gardens and although the queen wasn’t very happy, in the end they adorned some of the busiest sections of the place. You took that as an act of good faith, so you thought that maybe the thought of repaying him for some of the decency he was showing you wouldn't kill you.

There wasn’t a single breakfast that you skipped, except when the prince was required for political matters or had to travel. You were too proud to admit that you had begun to genuinely enjoy his company, as you still had some distrust due to how temperamental the man was. It wasn't all sunshine and flowers, as the young man still had some outbursts that made you fear him and reminded you that this was who you were really talking to.

His drinking habits hadn’t changed much, since although he was able to handle it during the first week after that period, it was inevitable that he would go back to his old ways and drink an entire jug of wine in a couple of minutes. With sex it was the same, because he continued to fuck you without signs of care and regularly when he was lost in drink. It amused you to think that perhaps that was the reason why you still didn't carry a child in your womb; that he was too drunk when you tried to be of any use.

However, as your relationship strengthened you could notice slight (you almost swore they were imaginary) changes when having sex. He was no longer as rough towards your body as before and tried to thrust into you a little slower, as if he wanted to lengthen the moment and not just unload into you and sleep like a baby after that. Maybe it was just that the drink made him lethargic, but he had even started seeking your lips in the middle of the act or kissing everything within reach of the skin on your neck. You didn't intend to spend much time analyzing his behavior because for you it already represented a victory that he had stopped hurting you after every time you had sex and, honestly, you didn't want to inquire about it. Once again you thought it was more prudent not to question the prince and simply let him continue behaving that way.

Until one night, things looked different for you.

When you heard your husband open the door, quite late at night, and saw him approach your bed, you knew that the same dynamic of nighttime visits would take place. Aegon, already hard as a rock, would kiss you a few times, undress, order you to undress, and then position on top of you to satisfy himself. Needless to say, under the confidence that being in the dark gave you and your husband's lack of interest, you looked away or concentrated on something else while your martyrdom was carried out. He would finish, lie naked next to you, and then sleep soundly with no memory the next morning of what had happened.

Aegon called your name, just to check that you were awake or otherwise wake you up, and you were surprised to hear that his voice sounded quite normal. He wasn't slurring his words like usual.

"Your grace?" you called back, propping yourself up on your elbows so you could look at him.

He did what was expected and as soon as he was far enough away, he started kissing you. You must have known something was wrong from that first moment, when he grabbed your cheek with his wide hand and offered you the most passionate kiss you had ever had. It is reiterated that Aegon was always somewhat careless in intimacy, but this first contact hadn’t felt as impatient as others, but rather was something more careful and planned.

Only one other man had kissed you like that in your life and although the feeling brewing in your chest must have been pleasant, the truth was that it wasn't. You had endured too much abuse from the white-haired man so your body didn't know how to react otherwise. That's why when he continued kissing you for longer than usual and then laid you down meekly, you couldn't do anything but tense uncomfortably.

You were only in your nightgown so there wasn't much difficulty in sliding the straps to the side, almost exposing your tits. Suddenly Aegon lowered his kisses to your neck, where his stubble scratched your skin. Knowing that he would be busy in that area, you turned your head away to focus your gaze on a tapestry on the wall. However, you got a surprise when you felt the prince move away from you and then a bigger one when he took your face between his fingers, placing his index finger and thumb on each of your cheeks to force you to look at him. At first you thought there was anger in his eyes, but after looking at them for a second more you concluded that the feeling was more like that of someone insulted. And why? you asked yourself. What had you done that had offended the prince?

“Why are you looking away?”

His question had a certain aggressive tone, but, at the same time, he sounded hurt. With that you confirmed that he wasn’t drunk or that, if he was, he had drunk just enough to make him feel slightly dizzy. You couldn't tell the way your eyes looked at him, but Aegon interpreted your expression as one of disdain.

Unbeknownst to you, he had his own whirlwind of feelings inside him, one that was driving him crazy and causing him to look you up and down while still holding you. He’d never been like this on another night, so you were at the mercy of knowing how good or bad that would turn out.

Suddenly he seemed upset, you would even say disgusted, and surprisingly stood up from his position. The cold air hit you where he had been before and you sat on the bed to watch him, completely confused by the way he was behaving.

"What's going on…?"

“You don't want this,” he spoke firmly. It was obvious that you didn't want to and you wondered how he had barely realized it. “Not like that… I… no. Not this way"

His babbling confused you even more and when you saw him walk away with exaggerated steps until he left through the door, you couldn't help but feel totally amazed.

What was the reason for what your husband had just done?

The feeling of being abandoned was more hopeless than having him fuck you would have been, and for a moment you even felt ashamed. Maybe he didn't like you anymore or he would just go and cure his frustration in the bed of a woman you didn't know.

He had watched you very strangely and the whole scene wasn't like him. You even pinched yourself just to check that it wasn't some strange dream, getting a moan of pain in response to your question. You thought that perhaps you were acting impulsively, but barely a minute later you put on a green robe over your nightgown and headed towards the door, still not knowing exactly what you were going to do.

“Where are you going, your grace?” the guard on duty asked, putting his voluptuous body in your way.

“Prince Aegon, do you know where he went?”

“In that direction, your majesty. But I'm afraid I must recommend that you return to your room, it is dangerous to walk around the palace at this time."

“But I wish to see my husband,” you said firmly.

The man let out a sigh and then slid to the side of the hallway, leaving you a clear path. Even so, when you started walking you felt his footsteps following you because he probably wanted to make sure that something didn't happen to you. You walked for a while, but you knew it was useless when all you found were locked doors that you couldn't knock on and that you couldn't open either. If Aegon was in any of those rooms, you wouldn't know it. Defeated, you returned to your room and, as expected, found it empty again.

The next morning there wasn’t a single word about that event, but it was present in your mind throughout the day. You had already lived with him enough to realize that something was bothering him, however, upon noticing that he was less talkative during your usual breakfast, you decided to give him time.

You were about to leave the table when he stopped you, asking you to take your seat again and looking at you seriously.

“I have to travel for a couple of weeks,” he informed you. You were surprised to hear that he almost sounded sad “The king is required on some business and since my father can no longer travel, I will have to do it.”

“I hope the entire journey is favorable and the visit profitable, your grace,” you exclaimed cordially. However, your husband didn’t seem pleased with it.

One of his hands slid to hold yours, with a strength that surprised you. There was urgency in his grip, like he needed to hold on to something.

“Is that all you have to say?”

A couple of wrinkles appeared on your brow, as you clearly weren't understanding what he expected of you. Accompanying him would be reckless and you didn't know if he wanted you to keep him there at King's landing.

During those last months something had changed in the man's face, because those eyes surrounded by purple marks no longer saw you with the same aversion as the first time. And it disheartened Aegon that his attempts to please you were yielding no apparent fruit. He was giving you time, effort, and being kind to you like you had said was necessary, but he still couldn't help but feel that you still considered him a stranger.

He had been patient because he thought that, as time went by, you would begin to seek him out or not shy away from his touch. Aegon cared a lot about the physical, so every time he sneaked into your room he did so with the hope that you would welcome him with open arms and give yourself to him willingly. Countless nights he waited in his own room for you to show up to keep him warm and love him throughout the night. But it never happened and a part of him couldn't blame you either.

However, he was already tired of it. He wanted to make it clear to you that he not only wanted to give, but also receive. But forcing you to do anything would ruin everything; you had to want it.

“Have I said something that offended you, prince?”

“I just thought you would say you were going to miss me”

A laugh echoed in your throat at those words and for a second Aegon felt hurt, like you were mocking you. He was going to let go of your hand and walk away, insulted, but you squeezed his hand harder as a sign that you didn't want him to do that.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you. I just didn't think that if I harbored feelings of that kind they would be of interest to your majesty."

“Do you miss me when you don't see me?” he asked now, allowing himself to be vulnerable in front of you “Or are you glad to have me away?”

You didn't know what those direct questions were about, because you didn't expect that a man like him would be plagued by uncertainty about knowing the answers.

“Not at all. I will always be willing to be with you whenever you want.”

“And you want to be with me?” he insisted.

“I think that what I want is not important”

“But I'm trying to make it so. I thought I was making it clear enough,”

He was angry, but not for the reasons you might think. It frustrated him that he was trying hard to improve and that your eyes continued to see him like that first time. Too many people were already observing him like that and he thought that, perhaps, since you were the most recent to do it, you could also be the first in whom he could manage to modify it.

You, however, were still too confused by his signs. Sometimes his attitude didn’t coincide with the intentions he had, since antipathy was often the only emotion with which he allowed himself to express and feel, accustomed to what he received during all his years of life.

All those months of effort were a direct product of the talk you had had with him, of that moment of weakness in which, instead of ignoring him like everyone else did, you had stayed with him. Aegon was aware that the treatment towards you was sometimes inhumane and he couldn’t explain how despite this you had wiped away his tears with such care, expressing nothing more than an act of integrity. Sometimes he even just imposed things on you to see if he could push you to the limit and he was surprised to see that you endured everything with honor and decency. You were good, something he could never be.

He didn't want to hear anything more and then let go of your hand, feeling rejected again.

"Majesty…"

"It's getting late. I have to go feed Sunfyre so he can endure the trip.”

“Will you travel by dragon?”

“How else would a Targaryen do it?” expressed obviously.

You were silent for a moment and then he stood up, ready to fulfill his obligations. In the afternoon he had already left, without emotional goodbyes or anything like that.

You had those weeks alone to reflect on everything that had been happening. You firmly believed that a cruel and evil person would always be that way, even if they hid it, because humans can’t change from one day to the next. Still, you had to allow Aegon the courtesy of admitting that he wasn't being a complete jerk lately.

You tried to think of any unpleasant moments with him during that week and although you found a couple, you realized that they had all been because of minor arguments or simply that one of the two of you had woken up in a bad mood. The hatred for the boy had been so ingrained in you that now it was difficult to decipher how much of it was due to things that were really happening and how much of it was a resentment carried from the past, at the beginning of that harmful relationship that existed between you.

He was no longer a mean man to you, he just sometimes had those logical slips for anyone who has never been taught to love. He didn't know how to care for you, how to talk to you, or even how to touch you properly. He had always existed alone and could still be seen reflected in his incessant desire for you to be the one to look for him, in his longing to know that you would miss him during his absence and in wanting you to look forward to his return. He wanted you to pay attention to him. He needed it.

One fine afternoon the vision of Sunfyre finally appeared in the bright blue of the sky, with you watching from the huge window of your room. He looked majestic, flying deftly and confidently with the rider above him grinning from ear to ear. Aegon had once confessed to you that he loved to fly on his dragon and he spoke about it with a devotion that completely touched you.

You thought about going to look for him, grateful that he had returned, but you were afraid that your presence would bother him or, in that case, that there would be murmurs about you. You didn't want to seem like a desperate wife so you thought it would be best to look for him at dinner time and in case he wanted to see you before, you stayed in your room all afternoon.

Once night fell, you put on one of your prettiest dresses and went to the royal dining room hoping to find him there, but it was in vain. Luckily one of the cooks had seen him and he told you that he was in his room, since he had ordered that something to eat and drink be brought there.

Determined, you made your way there and took a moment before entering. You hoped that the time away from King's landing had not hardened your lover's character, because it would be a shame to waste what you had built for some time and have to start over, or not do it at all, which would be even worse. Since there were no guards at the door, you were able to push the wood without any hindrance and then you saw it.

Aegon was sitting near the fireplace, his back to the entrance and leaning against a table that had a jug that you assumed was full (or not so full anymore) of wine. When he heard your footsteps he turned slightly and when he saw you, he kept a serene expression on his face.

“Hey,” he exclaimed quietly.

“The maids informed me that you were here” you explained and he nodded.

You noticed that he no longer wore his black doublet with the Targaryen emblem, he only kept the breeches of the same color and a mint-colored linen shirt that left part of his chest exposed. His white hair had some natural curls that fell delicately over her shoulders.

“Yeah. I don't feel like seeing my parents.”

“I understand” you assumed that if he hadn't wanted to see you he wouldn't have hesitated to tell you, so you approached him. Undecided whether you should greet him with a kiss or just stay to the side, you placed your hands on his shoulders and leaned a little to look at him “How was the trip?”

“It was good,” he responded with reluctance. “But my body feels completely crushed”

“Hm. It shows” you whispered, amused. The tension in his body was palpable and that's why you began to massage him, pressing hard just where he needed it. Aegon, feeling your skilled hands doing this, let out a satisfied grunt and leaned his head back with his eyes closed.

Doing that wasn’t something you had planned when you went there, it had only happened out of the heat of the moment and the reality that your husband's body was taking its toll on him for the hours he had spent riding his dragon.

With each passing second Aegon's burden felt lighter and lighter, wondering where you had learned those movements and how your hands were strong enough to exert the right pressure.

"Feel better?" you asked kindly and he nodded immediately, eyes still closed.

Suddenly one of your hands slid lower, towards his chest, to caress him. This time your fingers were light as feathers, sending an electrical current up and down the man's spine under your touch. No whore had ever touched him like that, with that force and at the same time so delicately.

But it was clear that you were not a whore. You were his wife.

“Come here,” he said firmly, reaching out to wrap his hand around your wrist and pulling you directly into his lap.

It was extremely painful to admit that he had missed you. He was physically frustrated because he hadn't dared to take any other woman in your absence. It had been a long time since he had frequented pleasure houses, since his appetite was awakened only by being with you.

What the hell had you done to him?

“The cook told me that you ordered some food, but I only see wine around here. Have you already eaten anything?”

“Mhmm,” he said absently. Your legs dangled to the side and one of his hands came up to your face, brushing your loose hair away from it. The other one surrounded you until it planted itself firmly on your belly. “Still no signs of anything?”

“Honestly, I don't know. The maesters can’t say with certainty… I am sorry”

“What if you are sterile?” the mere possibility of it made you nervous and you wondered what your fate would be if that was the case. Aegon didn't look so worried “What a disappointment for Alicent.”

You didn't know how to take that, because on the one hand it could be that your husband was amused by the irony of the matter and on the other hand it was that he would never have wanted to have children with you. For a moment you thought that the tranquility of the environment had been fragmented by this, but it turned out that the man couldn't care less. He was completely focused on your lips, almost as if hypnotized.

“I trust that is not the case, your grace. Just… it was a streak of bad luck.”

“I guess so,” he murmured nonchalantly. He was still watching your mouth when you spoke “But now I don’t care much about that.”

He carefully grabbed you by the back of your neck and brought you closer to shorten the distance, giving you an eager kiss that took your breath away. The hand that was on your waist pulled you closer to his body, leaving practically no separation between you and him. You could feel the desperation on his lips and in his touch, like he was eager to make you his. And at the same time, he was kissing you like he had never done before: it was sweet, yearning, passionate. You felt like he really wanted you.

He separated from you so you could breathe and, as best he could, he maneuvered to lift your body until he placed you on the table, where it was easier for him to place himself in the space between your legs. You instinctively placed your hands around his neck and wrapped one of your legs around his body.

“I longed for you. These weeks” you finally confessed. You heard him, and felt him, breathe more erratically at this because your words had fallen on him with the force of an axe.

From there, Aegon acted solely driven by the feeling of knowing that you had wanted to see him as much as he had wanted to see you.

His entire body leaned over you to kiss you, with the same urgency as at the beginning. While he did that he grabbed you by the lower back, pulling you until your body collided with his crotch which, if it wasn't already hard, wouldn't take long.

His kisses were clumsy due to urgency and after a while he moved away from your mouth to descend to your neck. Sometimes he left a kiss or two, at most, but this time he seemed to want to take his time. His tongue ran all over your skin, freshly washed, and he spread caresses without restraint. Every place the dragon's lips touched lit up with fire and his hips grinding against you weren't doing much for the blush on your cheeks. Inevitably you began to sigh from so many stimuli, right at the level of his ear, which only motivated him to continue.

As best he could he pulled the laces on the back of your dress and it didn't take long to get rid of the restraints. He slid one of your sleeves over your shoulder to begin kissing that section, the same way he had done with your neck. An indiscreet moan escaped you as your husband bit into your soft flesh and you could feel him smile against your skin.

“You're mine, right?” he sighed brokenly. You had tilted your head back to give him more space and he took the opportunity to lower the entire torso of your dress. “Only mine…”

With the same devotion he took care of your breasts and you couldn't do anything but continue alternating between sighs and some muffled moans. You could feel how he longed for you, eager to be able to kiss every inch of your skin even if it took him the entire night. Suddenly your body had become a temple, an object worthy of worship. The prince continued to distribute kisses that each time descended towards your belly, until with one hand he violently threw everything that was on the table and you ended up lying completely on it. Then he walked away.

You were about to ask what had happened when he took care of taking off your ballerina flats and throwing them somewhere far away in the room, only to stretch your leg up to the height of his torso to start kissing it. No one, not even him, had ever done that to you, so it was natural for you to be dismayed. His kisses moved quickly up your thigh and once he did that, he dropped to his knees in front of you. The skirt of your dress blocked your view and when you tried to get up something made you scream. Aegon had bitten into the tender flesh of your thighs, quite close to your crotch and with more force than he had hit your shoulder. You could only imagine his face when he carefully licked the mark he had surely left on you, once again making your chest exhale a moan.

What he did next and the sensation it caused, you could never have even imagined. That mouth, which most of the time was used for ironic puns and sloppy kisses, was now taking expert care of all of your pussy. Aegon was devouring you completely, touching just where it was necessary to make you squirm on the table. He wasn't careful at all; it was a touch hungry and extremely dirty.

You wanted to hold on as much as you could to keep yourself attached to reality, but it was difficult with your husband eating you like that. One of his arms wrapped around your leg and placed it over his shoulder, probably to give him better access. You had never moaned like that in his presence and it only made him harder and harder beneath the tight fabric of his breeches.

The pleasure was barely getting to your head when he stopped and a dissatisfied grunt escaped you shamelessly. Aegon laughed unabashedly at this, pleased at the control he had gained over you, and then went up again to kiss you hungrily. You couldn't do anything but welcome his salty lips and you moaned against him as he leaned against your body and you could feel his crotch, not knowing if it was your own wetness or his that was present.

He held you from behind and, without stopping kissing you, carried you until he placed you on the bed. You considered it somewhat unfair that your husband already had you trembling beneath him and still hadn't taken off a single piece of clothing, but your complaints were silenced when he hurriedly pulled his shirt over his head and took off his breeches in record time. In the same way, he pulled your dress towards your legs so that a second later it ended up on the floor, along with everything else.

He knelt down on the mattress and spread your legs roughly, lining himself up with your entrance. He began to rub the tip of his member up and down your already wet center and that did nothing but drive you crazy again.

When a delicate, pleading, «please» escaped your swollen lips, Aegon knew it was more stimulating to have you begging for him than to worry about only satisfying himself.

He played with you for a while longer, smiling from ear to ear at the sight of his delicate, pretty wife vibrating from having him close, until he finally plunged into you. For the first time there was enough wetness in you that the stroke felt satisfying rather than painful and both of you let out a delicious moan.

He set the pace, slow at first, but after a while his movements became more desperate. He wanted to get to the core of you, he wanted to fill you completely so you knew that only he could make you feel that way. When his body began to ache he leaned towards you, resting each of his arms on the side of your head and looking directly at you. You had stopped looking away from him, now you were looking at him with your mouth open with pleasure, your eyes watery and your pupils dilated on your completely flushed cheeks.

“Aegon,” you sobbed pathetically, clouded by everything you were experiencing and proving that it wasn't long before you reached your orgasm.

You had never called him by his name. You always referred to him as «your grace», «prince» or «husband», at best. So hearing his name come out of your lips like that, under those circumstances, was too much for him to bear.

Knowing that he couldn't last much longer, one of his hands moved down to rest his thumb on your clit and once there he began to make erratic circles. You closed your eyes, completely seized by pleasure and a couple more thrusts were enough to make you lose the battle. Hearing your whimpers, combined with the way your walls squeezed him, was enough to make him cum too. With trembling legs you felt the warm liquid filling you and, for the first time, it was comforting.

When Aegon plopped down next to you, you immediately missed his body warmth. Both of you were breathing heavily, trying to catch the breath that the orgasm had taken from you. You could clearly feel your heartbeat bouncing off your bare chest and the stinging sensation coming from your crotch and running through your entire body was something you could get used to. Your hair had stuck to your face from the sweat and not to mention your lips, which you felt were burning from your husband's attention.

Aegon had already had many orgasms in his life so this time he decided to turn his gaze a little to see you enjoying yours. The mere idea that he was responsible for your condition made him completely shake.

“You look beautiful,” he blurted out suddenly. You thought he had heard wrong because of the rush, but from the way he was smiling at you, you highly doubted it. “Just like that”

“Like what?”

“Freshly fucked. Well fucked” he corrected himself.

A laugh bubbled up from within you and you blushed even more, if that was possible, perhaps from the nerves and elation of what had just happened. The man stood up a little from his seat and leaned down to kiss you, although this time he did it with a calm and affection that you never thought you would see in him. It was just that he couldn't deny it anymore; from that moment on he would become an open book for you, where you could see all his feelings, desires and fears.

“I don't know why you're doing this,” you suddenly murmured and Aegon pulled away enough to look at you “And I don't know why you've been acting like this these past few months. But I like it. I think it's a good time for you to know."

“You said I could choose who I am,” he said meekly. One of his hands grabbed your chin and stole another fleeting kiss from you. “I haven't forgotten, every word is present in my head. It's just... sometimes it's hard. And I thought I would have a better chance with you, even with the things I did to you when we got married”

You smiled at him and were happy to know that the change in his behavior was because of the talk you once had with him. If he continued like this, ignoring the demons inside him and trying to be better, then your marriage had a chance to become more than just a condemnation.

Driven by the pleasant feeling growing in your chest you reached out towards him to reward him with a kiss. The man's breath hitched when you pushed him to the side and reversed roles, now you being the one pampering him while he was lying down. There was a playful glint in your husband's eyes as you looked at him.

“Do you know this is the first time you kissed me?” he exhaled softly.

You couldn't believe that was possible and for a few seconds you tried to remember so you could contradict him. But every time you remembered you realized that it was always him who initiated the contact to which you only responded, so, effectively, it was the first kiss you gave him out of conviction.

Maybe it was an omen that something good was coming.

Still happy with how everything had turned out, you snuggled into his side, your head resting on his chest while he hugged you and threw a sheet over your bodies. You planted a hand on his bare skin and began drumming your fingers, alternating with small circles made with the greatest delicacy.

You were silent for a long time, you even thought that your husband had fallen asleep until you heard him speak again:

“It's also the first time I'm doing this.”

“Are you talking about sex, your grace?”

“No, I'm talking about cuddling,” he confessed softly, his hand caressing your back the same way you did with him, “And don't call me your majesty anymore. I am Aegon. Or my prince, at any rate. But my is important”

With the affection worthy of a wife, you raised your head to place a kiss on his cheek and assured him that from now on you would call him that in the privacy of your chambers.

Suddenly, after another moment of silence, Aegon pulled you close to him as if afraid you were going to suddenly evaporate. Intending to calm his fears, you climbed until you were on top of his body, hiding your head in his neck so that the distance became minimal.

There was silence for another couple of minutes.

“Do you think I can ever be forgiven?”

Apparently the atmosphere of the moment had managed to soften the boy's heart.

“We can all be absolved, Aegon.”

"And you?"

"Me what?"

“Do you think you can ever love me?” you were quiet for a second, thinking about your response. Then, he added “Or could you at least try? It would be a nice detail for me. No one has ever done it before.”

Not wanting to ruin the mood with a false word you decided to kiss his neck gently and that was enough of an answer for him. He would have to trust in your goodwill and that he could continue to restrain his impulses to keep this newly discovered gem that was his wife. With some luck you could even be that person he prayed for so much all his life, one with whom he could feel safe.

The slowing of the man's breathing revealed to you that he had already fallen asleep and you discovered that it seemed not so bad to find yourself in that position, sheltered by your lover's arms.

Under that scenario, the idea of eventually loving Prince Aegon Targaryen no longer sounded so far-fetched.

[gurggggleburgle]

Honestly mobei-jun must be so smug about how great a husband he has compared to Bingqiu. Like Binghe has to do all this paperwork and man the house and sure he likes it but like his husband is just spoiled and doesn't even do anything but look really cute and give him kisses.

NOW HIS HUSBAND does all his paperwork and runs his kingdom while spoiling Mobei-Jun rotten. Man hasn't done legislation in years. Yes he's a trophy husband but unlike those guys he's got the very important job of being scary and powerful so everyone listens to his adorable little rat man. That's so much more impressive than just giving love and affection. He gives his husband prestige and status. They're the power couple of the century. Look how deep the circles under his husband's eyes are. Isn't he sexy???? Here husband I stamped all your new laws with my important seal. I killed enemies in cold blood. I'm super impressive right? Way better than those two idiots. I even made more work for you by killing this advisor you hate.

Qinghua who got kicked out of bed when Mobei-Jun turned in his sleep last night and hasn't been able to bathe or take a break because he's filling the void left by the dead advisor: 🫠 my king

[merakiui]

About tweels in タコの花嫁 again... i thought it was SUPER juicy to see jades quiet distaste (compared to floyds loud hatred) for reader in the og. Like omggg they both hate me and they're sexy about it... AND I LOVE TO THINK ABT HOW THAT'D TRANSLATE IN A EEL X READER SCENARIO!!!! Oughhhh it's delicious!!! Jade hating you quietly for what your brothers done, now he's betrothed to some brat and he has to behave for the good of the kingdom so he can't hurt you or act out about it... AHHH he acts so friendly and polite but he's really thinking about disemboweling you!!!! Until he has that moment where he thinks about it, and he realizes, (it doesnt even come as a shock!) that he really doesn't mind a future with you anymore.

AAUGGHHHHG!!!! And Floyd still hating you, because while you got to sit in your pretty little castle pitying Jade and feeling bad for yourself because of your sudden engagement, Floyd was there with Jade every step of his recovery... and he HATES you and your family for what you put Jade through!!! For the scare of possibly losing his brother!!! But maybe that'd change.. you know, when he sees how happy you two end up... and how cute your fry together are :)

Or possibly before that!!! I mean, teen floyd going through puberty and his twins got a perfectly cute (but in floyds opinion, bratty) soon to be wife... I can absolutely see him developing a little crush during puberty and fantasizing about her into adulthood. Like a little boy pulling on a little girl's pigtails, except he actually has a valid reason to hate her.

and imagining reader slowky accepting it and reading mer/human love stories (like Ariel!) after the engagement like..... OTL OTL OTL investigating and researching mer marriages and mating culture by reading romances.......

I think I'm just a tweelmancer at heart. I loved the concept and the presentation of the tweels in タコの花嫁 and its made me think a lot about those crazy deranged fishes.

AAAAAA YES YES!!!!!! >w< omg this is so scrumptious!!!! Floyd being so open about his hatred for you compared to Jade's very quiet, very secret hatred is so fun. Floyd would have such a vicious opinion of you, but perhaps it changes or shifts slightly when he's going through puberty like you noted. Something like,,, it was always gross to see you and Jade holding hands or being cheesy and lovey-dovey with each other as you both try to get accustomed to being each other's betrothed. But now Floyd's actually a little jealous of Jade because Jade gets to have you all to himself,,, Floyd who only ever looked at you hatefully, so one day it sort of,,,,, hits him over the head. Since when were you so pretty? Since when was your smile so cute? T_T

aaaaaa orz and reader learning to accept it, soon strengthening the bond with Jade while Floyd's growing up with this strange amalgamation of hate-love for you. >:D maybe if Floyd's nice to you, Jade can consider sharing if he wants some fry of his own hehe.

🤝 you and me both, anon!!!! Tweelmancer so real and true. I adore those silly eels too much!!! ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡) they deserve to have a cute darling for themselves!!!!

[thelostgirl21]

English Translators: "Jaskier" translates as "Buttercup", but we can't just let a manly man use "Buttercup" as his nickname! That's way too feminine, and our readers would be horrified! Let's call him "Dandelion" instead. Yes, much better... Mucho macho...

Netflix & Joey Batey: Yeah, no. We'll just call him Buttercup by keeping the original Polish name, i.e. Jaskier.

So, this is our very own Prince Buttercup. He's a damoiseau in distress that's regularly in need of being rescued, enjoys chatting with animals, and might randomly break into song.

He feels very comfortable asking a strong, stoic, muscular man to accompany him to the Royal Ball for protection, and will attempt to convince him by rubbing chamomile onto his lovely bottom, giving him a bath, washing his stupid hair, and dressing him up in stylish, fine clothing.

He tends to see the good in everyone, and will spontaneously attempt to become friends with things that want to eat him (both figuratively and literally).

However he can occasionally become pretty condescending with commoners, and treat those that fail to appreciate his talent as beneath him; often with a complete disregard for his personal safety, as if it doesn't seem to occur to him right away that they'd actually dare lay their filthy hands on him.

He cries very pretty (so pretty), and will look at you with gorgeous doe eyes when he feels sad, hurt, scared, or needs a favor.

He's very distrustful and afraid of power-hungry sexy witches coming at him from many different angles, until they stop being all predatory and menacing, and begin rescuing and protecting him instead.

He gets along very well with other princes/princesses, and will resent not being invited to one of the most important social events of the Continent, but not getting to spend more time with them.

And he never experienced what romantic love truly was until he finally got to meet his very own Prince.

Obviously, Prince Radovid fell in love with our Buttercup at first sight, and was willing to give up his Kingdom for a chance to be by his side.

And as far as Prince Buttercup is concerned, he sees himself as a

because that's simply who he is, and that's also what masculinity looks like.

So, unless Jaskier, in the books, is a very insecure man that constantly worries about being mistaken for a woman, I can't help but find it hilarious that the translators of the books, in English, got so worried over "Buttercup" sounding feminine...

...when the character himself likely wouldn't have been bothered by the way it sounds in the least, and would totally have rocked that nickname while making it work perfectly for a guy!

Hell! As a non-native English speaker, other than the fact that I've seen the movie "The Princess Bride", and the princess in it was named "Buttercup", my brain does not at all perceive "Buttercup" as inherently feminine, nor "Dandelion" as inherently masculine.

Perhaps because, in French, each word has its own gender, and "bouton d'or" (i.e. "buttercup", but the literal translation would be "button made of gold") is masculine.

Un bouton d'or (a buttercup) is masculine.

Un pissenlit (a dandelion) is masculine.

Une rose (a rose) is feminine.

Une tulippe (a tulip) is feminine.

Etc.

"Princess Buttercup" is thus named "Princesse Bouton d'or" (it's actually the title of the movie) in French.

But "Bouton d'or" (Buttercup) is, by itself, a masculine word.

The funny thing is that, where I'm from, I think the dandelion is literally the single most hated flower I can think of.

When I was a kid, my parents - and pretty much all our neighbors - spent countless hours trying to remove every single dandelion they could find on their lawn and in their garden while making sure to fully eliminate the whole root, because they tended to replace all the grass, and some of the other flowers and plants from their garden.

Some of our neighbors had their lawns treated with very harsh chemicals (many of which are thankfully illegal today) in a desperate effort to get rid of them.

Dandelion always makes allergy season a complete and utter nightmare, makes it harder to breathe outside (those floating bits clouding the air always get stuck in your nose, throat or even eyes), it also clogs the air filter of your car...

And, when you cut them at the stem, your hands wind up all sticky and smelling awful.

Unless they want to make a point that they'll be extremely annoying, unwanted, sticky, smelly, trying to get into every single exposed orifice of your body as soon as you're exposed to them, and hard to get rid of, why would anyone ever wish to nickname themselves "dandelion"?

I mean, "pissenlit", the French name for "dandelion", comes from "pisse-en-lit" and literally means "peeing-in-bed".

Because if you eat dandelion leaves, they will make you pee and wet your bed (they have a strong diuretic effect).

Yes, we hate the dandelion so much, that we've decided to name that freaking flower "peeing-in-bed".

So, if you go from the original Polish name to the English translation of the name, and then translate the English name back to French...

You've essentially replaced:

Jaskier - > Buttercup - > Button made of gold (Bouton d'or).

By

Jaskier - > Dandelion - > Peeing-in-bed (Pissenlit).

It's hilarious!

All because some English translator got scared "Buttercup" would sound "too feminine".

The good news is that we kept Jaskier's name as "Jaskier" in the French translation of the books and the games. Although Bouton d'or would have worked just fine.

But yeah, come on! Jaskier would have made a beautiful Buttercup!

#the art of creating some gender issue where there's none.

When in doubt, just ask the character...

Would Jaskier have had what it took to call himself a "Buttercup"?

You bet your lovely bottom and bloated biceps he would have!

Still can't wrap my mind around him being a peeing-in-bed flower in English... Just... Nope! Does not compute.

[ihavedonenothingright]

I haven't really been a fan in a while, but hearing Zeltik say that for the film, Ganondorf should be "a deranged, monstrous warlord who wants power, and nothing else" genuinely enraged me. I need to know what the fuck would make someone think that is the best thing to do with him. I know it's what they will do—I have zero hope of nuance, or even a motivation for him—but just. God, even the Zelda manga understood what to do with him! Why do you hate depth? What is wrong with you?

I am going to be very straightforward here: making him do what he does just because he's "mad" not only makes for an uninteresting villain, it also falls neatly in to a myriad of disgusting orientalist tropes that you can't avoid responsibility for just by giving him green skin. He is the only male representative of the Gerudo we ever see, and while the games will sometimes allow them to be the "good guys" (so long as they're assimilating into Hylian culture, or working in its interest), what Nintendo created in Ganondorf and his backstory was the equivalent of one of those slave market or sexy harem paintings of the late 19th century. He's the evil-for-evil's-sake depraved and decadent man in possession of unlimited numbers of scantily clad women, and that is, beyond a doubt, an orientalist notion. But he doesn't fucking have to be.

Frankly, up until Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo was getting better about him. I still think Akira Himekawa did him best, but Wind Waker Ganondorf is beloved because of his contradictions. He's undertaking actions we would consider evil for an ultimately fruitless cause, but he's not "deranged," he's consumed by the (literal) sunk cost fallacy, unwilling to give up on a dream he's already lost. Even in Ocarina of Time, he's the product of Hyrule's own making. The King of Hyrule is the one who launched a civil war, Hyrule is the nation with hidden torture chambers and guillotines. The Gerudo weren't even thieves before the war; Nabooru is anti-Hyrule, she disagrees with him on method.

Anyway, yeah. I keep forgetting what a cesspool the fandom is out in the wild. But for the love of God, I need people to start handling this man with some care.

[chirp-a-chirp]

Court of Darkness: Consorts + Safe Sex/Birth Control

Description: Given the heat of many of CoD’s epilogues, the fact that birth control isn’t discussed is pretty odd. So, some headcanons on how birth control is discussed by the princes with MC.

Rating: PG-13

...

GUY

Guy: …

Guy: TSK. Your parents did not ever have “the talk” with you? Or educate you?

MC: They did! On Earth! But Saligia might be a little different, you know!

MC: *Mutters to herself* Did your parents have the talk Guy about not being a jerk…

Guy very bluntly informs MC there are numerous spells that can prevent pregnancy. “You will be protected. Rest assured.”

TOA

Toa: This is very important topic MC. There are a variety of magical and non-magical methods we can choose from.

MC: We?

Toa: Of course. It is a decision that impacts us both. And you must be in a position to choose what is best.

Toa patiently discusses all options, giving brief explanations as needed with no judgment until MC vocalizes what she would prefer. Only after this discussion is had and is implemented does Toa make further romantic advances.

Consent and planning is sexy, and it shows with Toa.

RIO

MC: *Making out with Rio on his bed* R-Rio, sweetheart, do you have protection?

Rio: What do you mean Sunbeam? My shield?

MC: No…I-I mean…*Gestures towards Rio’s waist, blushing*

Rio: Oh. OH. Fenn talked to me ‘bout that! Don’t worry! *Happily describes several options available based on Fenn’s very timely conversation*

He and MC end up deciding on a non-magical option because Rio is still mastering magic and he wants assurance MC will be safe.

ROY

Ever since his first date with MC, Roy has diligently researched all options so he and MC could make the appropriate decision, at the appropriate time.

Unfortunately, that forethought has gone completely out the window and he and MC are half-naked in bed. He lifts his head suddenly with a frustrated groan. "My apologies Heartspell. I meant to discuss with you earlier about--".

"Roy." MC pulls him closer to her, cheeks red. "I forgot too. But I trust you. What do you recommend?"

After a moment, Roy places a hand on MC's lower stomach. A warm sensation flows through her body. Roy smiles, "protection for tonight, until we decide what is best later." He then whispers, humor in his voice. "After all, I do not wish to share you just yet."

LYNT

"MC, I wish to sleep with you." Lynt's hands trace MC's curves, conveying heat and desire. "We should decide on protection if you wish. Do you?"

MC nods and kisses Lynt, interlinking her fingers with his. Lynt conveys several magical options recommended to him. "Wait, you talked about this with your PARENTS?" MC asks, embarrassed.

Lynt tilts his head quizzically. "Yes. And Chino. They know I love you. Why shouldn't I ask them?"

"Ah, that explains Tino's expression tonight," MC murmurs.

They end up choosing a magical spell that will prevent pregnancy and STDs for a year. Lynt doesn't want to go through the hassle of deciding often.

FENN

Let's be real. Fenn has probably given half the Academy birth control advice. Solicited and non-solicited.

Luxure as a kingdom is very straight-forward and knowledgeable about birth control. Fenn especially is open about this topic. He keeps packs of condoms in his jacket and passes them like candy to couples, cracking jokes. "Everyone always asks for the magnum size!"

He is, however, very serious with MC when it's time to discuss birth control options. She is too important and too lovely. Fenn provides detailed information on failure rates, the differences between magical and non-magical methods. And delicately broaches methods that could impact pleasure in the moment.

Fenn is pleased when MC asks to use a magical method. "Good," purrs Fenn. "I wish to feel you completely Treasure."

LANCE

"Ah, your lovely lass is waiting for you!" Hawke jokes, a drink in his hand. MC is at the bar ordering a glass of water, away from the table where Lance sits. "Indeed. Perhaps you need this for later." Jasper winks and discretely slips a condom to Lance.

"That's enough from you lot," Lance growls. He is thankful MC cannot hear the conversation.

Later that night, MC and Lance are making out in his room. She feels the condom package in Lance's pocket and asks. "Oh, can we use this?" Lance grumbles. He does NOT want to use something Jasper provided. However, because MC requested it, he's about to say yes...

"Or, would you prefer this one?" MC fishes out another condom. "I got this one from a dispensary in the tavern's bathroom."

Lance has never been more grateful in his life 💀

[blues824]

Hmm, must think before it's over; I got it! Male!Levi Ackerman!Reader in the Remarried Empress world being Navier's personal guard having been trained for most of his life after being an orphan (avoiding too many spoilers for possible future readers who may not have gotten that far). Despite his small size, MC is the world's strongest for a reason. As kids, they had small crushes on each other but now as adults they're full-blown in love though they hide their feelings because neither wants the other's reputation to be ruined.

That doesn't mean they're not slightly more affection behind closed doors but they're still pretty careful. When Heinrey starts sniffing around, MC gets slightly nervous because Heinrey is of royal blood and can offer a far greater life for Her Majesty even with a scandal.

After being discreetly reassured, he relaxes but keeps a wary eye on the Prince just in case. He's coldly courteous to the Emperor but pretends as if Trashta doesn't exist (never in front of Sovieshit though). He's in good graces with Kosair (who knows of the mutual feelings between the guard and his sister) but greatly dislikes Duke Ergi Claude for the bad vibes.

If Navier catches feelings for Heinrey, MC will be devastated but willing to back off to be Her Majesty's unwaveringly loyal guard as he understands she may very well not want two lovers after what she had to go through with the Emperor (maybe the three of them can talk about what's best for them because healthy communication is lowkey sexy~)

(Do the Emperor and Mistress have any idea of something that may have been brewing between them before everything went to shit leading up to and after the divorce? An inkling? Or is it brushed aside as paranoia?)

Communication is very sexy.

Sovieshu

He genuinely did not like you, and it’s partially because of your closeness with Her Imperial Majesty. The other part of it was the fact that you were humanity’s strongest, and were a renowned soldier and knight, as well as a hero. You were worshiped and praised by the people, holding more popularity than him.

In addition to that, he knew of your little rendezvous with Navier each night, you giving her the affection that he himself starved her of. However, he will also keep the little affair under wraps, since he would be painted as the bad guy who got in the way of you two.

You were very cold towards him and Rashta, and he was always offended by anything you did. What was worse was that Navier acted the same way towards him and his mistress, and he didn’t know who to blame for this.

When Heinrey came around, he was distraught. Not only were you trying to steal his wife, but also this young prince from the Western Kingdom. Perhaps you were trying to gang up against him and win the support of the public. You used to be a commoner yourself, so it wouldn’t be hard for you.

Rashta

You were a heartthrob in the Empire, and when she first saw you she could see why. However, you only had eyes for Navier. You were cold, but respectful towards Rashta, and that made the young mistress very upset. She really needs to learn how to take ‘no’ for an answer.

She constantly tries to get Sovieshu to assign you as her personal guard rather than his wife’s, but to no avail. You were a knight who swore your undying loyalty to Her Imperial Majesty, Navier. You even said her name in the vow so that in the case she was divorced from Sovieshu, you would still be loyal to her and her alone.

When the Emperor wasn’t present, you just ignored her and she hated it. She often pulled out the fake tears to try and get you to notice her, but it’s all in vain. Rashta was constantly getting more and more upset that you didn’t love her in return.

The young mistress was constantly praying to whatever gods were listening that your relationship with the Empress would be destroyed one way or another. Be it by someone finding out about your feelings, or by Heinrey stealing Navier from you, she didn’t care.

Navier

You both had known each other since you were children, and you both were in love. It broke your hearts when the two of you heard that she had been betrothed to Sovieshu, but you made a promise to her to become her knight.

Then, the fateful day where she knighted you and assigned you as her personal guard. You had gone through each of the ranks and worked your way up to the top. You were a captain as well as a general of the army of the Eastern Empire. 

She loved you dearly, and you became her lover. When you were away on a mission, you wrote her letters detailing your love for her. Then when you came back, she would invite you to her chambers where you both embraced each other.

The moment that Heinrey came into the picture, Her Imperial Majesty could feel the tension. She did genuinely love you both, so she proposed the thought of a harem. You and the prince knew that you both wanted her to be happy, and you realized that neither of you were as bad as you originally thought, so it worked out.

Heinrey

He knows of you because stories of you have reached all around the world. You were a valiant soldier, known as Humanity’s Strongest. You also climbed through the ranks, going from commoner to general of the army of the Eastern Empire.

When he got the invitation to the New Year’s Party, he was very excited to meet the fabled hero. However, once he had gotten there, he realized that this would be more complicated than originally thought. You both were in love with the Empress, and it was clear as day.

The tension between you two grew, but either of you could tell that it was stressing out Navier to an unhealthy degree. You had invited him to your Captain’s Quarters to talk about it, and you served one of the best cups of tea he had ever tasted.

This is where you both came up with the idea of Navier divorcing Sovieshu, marrying Heinrey, and you joining them. Her Imperial Majesty was very delighted that the two of you would set aside your differences just for her, and things started getting better between the three of you.

Kosair

You two were best friends since childhood, and once you joined the army that still hadn’t changed. You would occasionally meet up for drinks or something, and this was where you told him how you felt for his younger sister.

I feel like he would be delighted by this fact because he knows that you would be able to treat his sister right. However, she was currently married to a stupid man we all know as Sovieshu. This is quite the conundrum that you both found yourself in. Not just that, but Heinrey came into the picture.

He knows that your reputation as Humanity’s Strongest would definitely aid you in your mission to woo Navier, but you had the Crowned Prince of the Western Kingdom to compete against. As much as he didn’t really like the idea, he asked if you ever thought about sharing her with Heinrey.

By the way, when he becomes a knight in the Western Kingdom, he goes under your command. You train him the hardest, claiming that you can’t show favoritism towards any soldier. However, he soon became your right hand man.

[seasonsofcapri]

Seasons of Capri 2023: Cycles & Circles - Masterlist!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the fest this year and made it such a success. Scroll down for the full masterlist, but here's a quick summary of what we did this year:

Fics submitted: 14

Fanart submitted: 3

Total number of words written: over 198,000, including four works in the 10,000-20,000 word range, and three that broke 30,000

We're so grateful to everyone who signed up and made all this incredible art. We couldn't do it without your love for these characters and this fandom! ❤️

And now, here are all of the wonderful creations for this year's fest:

Sexual Intercourse by antivillain

Fic | Damen/Laurent | 2.3k

Damen's healthy enough to engage in sexual intercourse. Laurent is (emotionally) healthy enough to tease Damen mercilessly for being so awkward and uncomfortable discussing the matter with Paschal. Paschal is not paid enough.

Tie Me Down, Set Me Free by @kiseopingu

Fic | 14.3k | Damen/Laurent

When Damen gets hired by his family's sworn rival to help track the man's younger brother, he doesn't expect the road to lead him to familiar places, and familiar faces. As for Laurent, his path to freedom is clear. It's only a matter of creating an opportunity to reach it.

As past and present slowly merge, both Damen and Laurent are forced to contend with their truths, whether they want to or not.

Jokeste’s Journey by @vmcgmidlifecrisis

Fic | Jokaste/OFC | 4.3k

Jokaste travels north, meets (original character) Drifa and gets some sexy fulfilment.

Beautiful, Beloved, Strong by bluehair

Fic | Erasmus/Kallias Erasmus/Torveld | 1.5k

My prompt for The Seasons of Capri Fest 2023 was: "Kallias schemes to save Erasmus with no hope of seeing him again--until one day, he does." Hope I did it justice! Because Kallias really would do anything for love.

Returning by flightinflame

Fic | Damen/Laurent | 2.4k

Damen knew the return to Arles would be hard for Laurent. He had not considered that it would be hard for himself.

The Stand-In Wedding Planner and the Obstinate Baker by penstrikesmidnight

Fic | Damen/Laurent | 2.8k

Auguste's wedding planner has decided to go on vacation a week before his wedding, leaving Laurent, the best man, to make sure everything is taken care of. If that's not enough, Laurent has to deal with an obstinate baker who seems intent on making his job as hard as possible.

There is absolutely no chemistry between them. At all.

Heat by @linecrosser

Art | Auguste/Laurent | Digital

While in the middle of a campaign in Delfeur with his older brother, the Crown Prince of Vere, Laurent goes into his first (late) heat at age 17 (totally triggered by the presence of Damen, the stupidly handsome Crown Prince of Akeilos). There are very few things more dangerous than having an Omega in heat while camping in enemy territory, and it's too late now for suppressants. Leaving Laurent to ride out the heat on his own would mean leaving it last for three days or more. Auguste has no option but to help Laurent through it by himself, so it will last no longer than a couple hours.

Red (like our spilled blood) by @pijulle

Fic | Kastor/Laurent Damen/Laurent Auguste/OFC | 39.6k

Akielos and Vere are at war, but maybe marrying the princess of Vere would help the two country finds a common ground - "The prince!" Auguste shouts. "Laurent is a prince!"

Star Crossed by @hephaest1on

Fic | Damen/Laurent | 35.2k

A story of Laurent Capulet and Damen Montague. A tale based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, of lovers who suffer because their families are feuding. A modern AU that leans on the themes and actions in Shakespeare's original play and plays on the issues young lovers face in a world where gossip is news.

if only to dream of you by @nv-md

Fic | Damen/Laurent | 2.4k

During negotiations with the Vaskians and Patrans, Laurent falls ill and Damen must leave him to lead their newly-forged kingdom.

After a week of quiet suffering, Damen returns to their bedchambers and attends his husband.

Ruin Your Salvation, Ruin Your Mind by pretend_i_dont_exist

Fic | Damen/Laurent | 10.2k

"I do not understand. I thought we had a truce, so I came here for peace." His voice had grown hard and dangerous. "Why?"

Silence for a moment. "You killed my brother. ------- Laurent has suffered a lot since his brother's death, but he survived to his wedding day, and he's looking forward to a quiet life with a man he appreciates. New life, new him, he decides to invite his brother' killer to the wedding to talk and make peace with himself (by murdering the guy).

In Another Life by @mosrael

Fic | Halvik/Jokaste | 43.8k

Jokaste is the pearl of Ios–beautiful, intelligent, revered–and the consort of the most powerful man in Akielos… Or so she thinks. When her chosen lover’s power is corrupted and usurped by a foreign faction, Jokaste must make the hardest decision of her life: remain in Akielos and meet a perilous fate–one she had a hand in crafting–or flee to seek her future elsewhere.

Or: when getting kidnapped, then kidnapped again turns out to be the best possible thing that could happen to a girl.

antidote by @banananamilks

Fic | Damen/Laurent | 2.7k

Auguste survives Marlas, but Damen still becomes our captive prince. Actually all three princes are kind of the captive prince. oops

Soldier, Poet, King by @bluebutter-art

Art | Damen/Laurent | Digital

Two years after the bells had rung, both Akielos and Vere celebrate the wedding of their two Kings, which coincidentally falls on Vere's Annual Autumn Festival.

Chasing Meridians; Or 26,00 Miles to Home by @not-a-coral-snake

Fic | Damen/Laurent | 17k

Laurent lives a life of quiet routine, until the day a few ill-chosen words, his uncle's malice, and his own inability to back down from a challenge see him wagering half his fortune on an impossible journey to the ends of the earth and back. Happily, or perhaps unhappily, his newly-hired valet is making the journey with him and has plenty of opinions about where they should go, what they should do, and de Vere himself.

An Around the World in Eighty Days au.

At the Drop of a Veil by @seekthemist

Fic | Damen /Laurent | 19.1k

The Battle of Marlas could have brought the relationship between Vere and Akielos to a breaking point, but it didn't. As the peace treaty is finally signed, King Aleron has a very clear idea of how to ensure the agreement is truly felt.

"Since the formal establishment of Vere and Akielos as independent reigns, there had been twelve peace treaties. The Peace of Marlas, signed by King Aleron and Theomedes-Exalted before the beginning of autumn, would be the thirteenth.

The thirteenth peace would not go down in the history of the Kingdom as an abject failure. Not if Laurent could help it."

By the Waterfall by @captaindamianos

Art | Damen/Laurent | Digital

Laurent is the god of winter, Damen is the god of summer. They only ever overlap in spring and fall. Is their love story doomed forever?

Don’t forget to kudos and comment to show our wonderful creators your love!

❤️ your mods!

[mysticstarlightduck]

Character Inverse Tag

Thanks for the tag, @willtheweaver (here)!

Rules: Write who you think your character’s opposite would be!

I've chosen a few characters from my WIPs Song of Thorns, Enchanted Illusions, Of Starlight and Beasts, and Supernova Initiative for this one because why not lmao. I tried to really lean into the "polar opposite of the regular character" aspect of this tag game!

(Song of Thorns)

Roselyn Lethia - Would be a selfish loner with no desire for adventure and a love for the status quo

Renn Atrius - His polar opposite self would be a human knight from the royal guard with an adoration of the nobility and a disdain for vampiric fey

Cyriel Staryn - Would be a bounty hunter who specializes in hunting thieves and who strives to upkeep the law

Orianna Whisperleaf - Would be a worldly girl from the capital who is terrified of nature and doesn't care about animals

Prince Alaric - I imagine his "mirror universe" self would be a stereotypical prince who loves masquerades, hunting trips, and mostly basks on his family's sway and power, instead of trying to stop them

Tarrant - His opposite self would be a powerful, sly, silver-tongued mob boss with an obsession with being perceived as sexy or attractive, and who has a tendency to be manipulative

(Enchanted Illusions)

Augustus Grimmure - His mirror self would be a mild-mannered pacifist who is terrified of death and all things morbid, and probably a sorcerer in the Order of Light.

Harriet Sharppe - Would be a brash extrovert with a tendency to get into fights extremely easily and a notable lack of patience

Evangeline Daemitya - Would be a stereotypical "rich girl" obsessed with being the latest trendsetter and always being perceived as popular by her peers.

Sam Delaways - Would be a rich businessman with a risk-taking streak who doesn't care about saving money and only cares about being the best

Cailean Telkerly - Would be someone who never runs from his problems and likes to face conflict head-on, while being aloof and not really charming

Clarence Van Sterling - His alternate self would be an all-powerful vampiric lord, of a very posh and arrogant sort, who considers humans as lowly peasants.

(Of Starlight and Beasts)

Corah Stormryder - Would be someone with no ambition, with a tendency to settle for "the way things are" and a strong sense of self-worth

Arammys Lochllain - Would be a clairvoyant mage with a strong grasp of the past and the future, who remembers his entire life and that of others and does not fear his magic.

Eidan Delythen - A popular folk hero with a pristine reputation who isn't afraid of his past and is proud of his family name

Masen Mavven - Would be a trustworthy young man who despises breaking rules and is a thoroughly law-abiding citizen

Kyran Mavven - Would be a sorcerer who despises sciences and alchemy, considering them inferior to magic, and who does not care about his reputation

Scarlet - His opposite self would be a dutiful knight who trusts people too much and who devotes himself to serving the kingdom, even through dangerous situations.

(Supernova Initiative)

Jack Tithus - His opposite self would be a Junction military officer who thoroughly believes in the system and is a hopeless optimist who always sees the best in everyone around him

Cassiopeia Tithus - Her opposite self would be a lazy student with little passion for experimentation and who is terrified of robots of any kind.

Aleks Keldora - A self-confident bounty hunter who is unapologetically himself at all times and is also a truly amazing fighter pilot

Ethean Mirannir - His complete opposite would be a reckless intergalactic thief with little regard for the needs of others and who doesn't really care about the upkeep of his family name

Vesper Foxx - A kind-hearted pacifist who truly believes in a "forgive and forget" philosophy and considers revenge a useless endeavor

Artemis Zreeth - A bubbly and preppy kid with a penchant for colorful clothes who adores going to parties and makes friends extremely easy

Pax Stellaryn - An arrogant fighter pilot who is overconfident in his abilities and oftentimes overestimates his own chances of winning a battle

Tagging: @cakeinthevoid, @i-can-even-burn-salad, @steh-lar-uh-nuhs, @pluttskutt, @anoelleart

@kaylinalexanderbooks, @smol-feralgremlin, @oh-no-another-idea, @littleladymab, @little-peril-stories

@the-ellia-west, @winterandwords, @cowboybrunch, @eccaiia, @sarahlizziewrites

@leave-her-a-tome, @writernopal, @anyablackwood, @unstablewifiaccess, @forthesanityofstorytellers

@lassiesandiego, @thepeculiarbird, @clairelsonao3, @memento-morri-writes, @starlit-hopes-and-dreams, @illarian-rambling and OPEN TAG

[golvio]

So I've got...some complicated feelings about this. Some of them more analytical, some of them more personal. I get pretty long-winded when I think out loud about this guy, so I'm putting my thoughts behind a cut.

On the one hand, I definitely noticed that TotK's Ganondorf was more preoccupied with his appearance, not necessarily in a stereotypical "vain villain who never shuts up about how beautiful they are" or a "gym bro who spends more time checking himself out in the mirror than actually working out" sense, but in a "he's very conscious about the image he projects and wants to maintain careful control of how other people see him at all times" way. I'm glad I've got confirmation that I wasn't just seeing things. Also, that TotK discusses how he uses attractiveness to manipulate people, as implied with how he portrayed "Princess Zelda," had some really interesting implications about his life as the Gerudo king and his personality and skills in reading people that Nintendo never followed up on, because god forbid we give this character any recognizable traits that could inspire curiosity about who he is as a person or discussions about gender roles in ways that aren't "He pretends to be a cute little white girl because he's an Evil Degenerate."

On the other hand...it kind of contributes to the way I've been weirded out by how the game itself treated him and how certain fans treat him. The game itself made a lot of effort to dehumanize and un-person this man as a character even while making his human form visually appealing. The fans themselves are celebrating this a validation of their seeing him as a sex symbol, calling him "a bi icon" because both men and women are attracted to him, etc.

Like...there's all this discussion about Ganon's appearance and how sexy people find him, but not much consideration of what *he* might want, or how he feels, or what he's attracted to. I know that's kind of a goofy question to ask about a fictional character who can't really have opinions on things beyond what the writers give him, but...it's just kind of...objectifying?

For example, I don't take any issue with headcanons that Ganon might be bisexual, or at least enjoys the attention he gets from people of any gender, since I've got my own headcanons about him being queer, but I do get weirded out by the assumption that just because both men and women find him attractive that means he *must* reciprocate their desires and be bisexual. It's the same thing that weirds me out about fan art pre-release that portrayed him as this airheaded himbo jock because fans wanted to ogle his sexy body without having to deal with his intelligence, his anger, his negative qualities, or his potential dangerousness.

There's this tendency to objectify him in both the game, whether as a "monster" to slay to prove the player/Link's mettle as a hero, or as a trophy to symbolize Rauru's dominon over the frontier territories of his kingdom. And then there's a tendency to objectify him in fandom, presenting him as a pinup devoid of his original personality, or trying to shape him into a "good Ganondorf" that the fans would actually like to be friends with by sanding off all his sharp edges so they can access his body, which they find beautiful, without having to deal with the parts that might complicate that or that they'd dislike.

Fandom as a whole seems to have a blind spot when it comes to the objectification of masculine characters, particularly because it's like, "Oh, BOYS can't be objectified! Only pretty (white) ladies can get objectified!" Nevermind that objectification is a phenomenon that's super commonly done to nonwhite men in tandem with the more overt and violent dehumanization that comes with racism, especially men with darker skin. And there doesn't seem to be much of an interest in exploring what that might mean for Ganondorf as a character, whether just as discussing double-consciousnesses and exploiting expectations to manipulate people, or to explore how being treated like a piece of meat or a pretty ornament who exists only for other people's pleasure can really warp a person.

I guess...this is something I've been thinking about since playing Slay the Princess, which asks a lot of questions about objectification, how people's complexity can be dismissed and ignored when they're shoved into the Love Interest archetype, and how being limited in this way in the eyes of others can seriously hurt and warp someone even if it's being done in the "nicest," most paternalistic and "benevolent" way possible. It presents the core relationship as being a fundamentally unequal power balance; no matter how fearsome and terrifying the imprisoned party becomes, she is always at your mercy, she lives and dies based on the choices you make, and the "nicer" routes are potentially just her saying what she knows you want to hear and auditioning for your sympathy because like it or not you're her warden. It also forces you to ask yourself what makes you come to love somebody, and to consider the possibility of loving somebody while also acknowledging their thorny, messy, contradictory, and dangerous parts. I wish I could see more works considering this for Ganon, as opposed to regurgitating tired old "Destroy This Mad Brute" tropes or turning him into a "safe," palatable, easy-to-digest love interest.

[ananonymousguy20]

A DOUBLE WARNING TO EVERYONE IN THE TROLLS DREAMWORKS FANDOM.

⚠️⚠️Do not interact with they. For your safety block and make others aware.⚠️⚠️

TW: Grooming, approval, justification and defense for abuse (incest and pedophilia).

1 Stay away from jade-green-butterfly also known as HealerCharm and Jussy (Justine Louise Heverm. She is from Colchester, United Kingdom). She’s on Tumblr, DeviantArt, Skype, Furaffinity and Discord. In the last few years she has been active and gaining recognition in the Trolls Fandom as if what she did to so many minors never happened so I want to spread awareness on what being a pedo really looks like and if anyone (especially minors) is friend with her they will know what kind of horrible person she is.

She was already exposed before with proofs, a lot of screenshots and testimonies of minors and Discord Mods that we can't invalidate or deny it really happened. She groomed minors on Discord: she sent them porn drawings to the chat, wanted to play a “sexy” RolePlay with minors and with a character that represents a little toddler girl. Her tastes are very clear. She is a very manipulative person and always plays the innocent victim card who made a simple mistake, but she knows what she is doing because she spread a victim blaming discurse, gaslighting and ignores all the screenshots and testimonies against her, she says they are not evidence and they are taken out of context, she is no fool.

These are not "slips" (as she wants to make them out to be), she does it on purpose, that is her true nature: an abuser.

I see, it happens tho, but why Kaitlin practically dissapeared after being accused of grooming 14* years old kids in discord chats? (*It was 13).

Jussy: “It was THEIR FAULT. They were in wrong for doing NSFW too”.💀 By the way, I think I was told that this person is or was a caregiver.

2 KaitlinEXE (Maria Romina Auxiliadora Fernandez). She is from Cadiz, Spain. Is her friend, best friend, like a sister to Jussy. She also groomed minors and therefore deleted her entire existence from the internet in 2021.

Let's be honest, an adult or even a teenager is not interested in spending their leisure time with minors, no matter how much of a “babysitter” she is. If you like spending time with children as an adult, you become a teacher or nanny, and so on. Seeking to spend time alone with minors, giving them gifts, "friendship", flattery, adults "feeling" like children or liking children's things (drawing, watching cartoons, RP, toys) are all -together- characteristics of grooming.

Although she is a TEACHER over 35 years old, yet she is looking to spend time alone with minors. It seemed normal and right for her to accept the invitation to join a Discord group with its own NSFW section where she was the only adult there and they were all minors, as she gained the trust of those minors by being nice, giving them drawings, and "befriending" them. Wanted to RolePlay being a couple, kissing, dating on Valentine's Day and then she was planning to get married. Since they had a NSFW section I think you know where this is all going: to the "honeymoon". Interacting NSFW without her putting any kind of limits on them, she even encouraged them when they drew her porn drawings.

She is a fan of porn material that mimics the sexual exploitation of minors (mangas porn loli/shota), shipping a Gohan kid with and adult Piccolo (who is like his father), drew her own manga porn with her OC Kaitlin Classic with an Elecman Classic (who is his brother and they are both children), and was a big fan of a kindergarten little girls porn comic “Irina’s World” (El Mundo de Irina, Irina Isekai) all this while she was studying to be a kindergarten teacher because being with children has always been her dream.

People, don't be fooled. Be more critical of people. Just because they're “nice” doesn't mean you should overlook the nastier things they do because then you give them a free pass to continue being this way. Jussy and KaitlinEXE are old enough to know what they’re doing is wrong. For they the internet is some fantasy world to do whatever it feels like and It's not right. The people here are PEOPLE and are not here just for your entertainment and twisted fun.

[gabessquishytum]

My own take on War prize Dream.

Dream wasn't even gifted to Hob by his own people. Dream was originally kidnapped from his home in his late teens and has been passed around from king to king as some sort of exotic treasure. Eventually he is gifted to Hob as part of a treaty. Luckily for Dream, Slavery is outlawed in Hob's kingdom, so Dream holds the title of consort until other arrangements can be made. But Hob thinks Dream is more trouble than he's worth because Dream doesn't speak any language the Kingdom knows, so Hob needs to keep him out of trouble and out of Harm. Even though Dream's free, he doesn't fully understand that, and so other's can easily take advantage of Dream, and because he can't communicate, he has no way to report the abuse. So Hob can't risk Dream leaving his sight for very long. They even share a bed just to make sure Dream is safe at all times. Eventually Dream finds out about the Library, and Hob has trouble getting Dream to leave. Lucienne explains she's happy to look after him while Hob does other things, and Hob leaves him there. When he gets back, he's actually learned a few greetings and yes and no. Lucienne explains that Dream is pretty clever and probably had a good education where ever he's from. With a little time, Hob and Dream learn enough of each others language to communicate, and Dream is finally able to explain where he's from. It's a far off land that Hob didn't even know existed, but part of the emancipation laws, the kingdom requires that all former slaves must be returned safely to their homelands if they so choose to go. Sense it's such a long way away, Hob can't risk a huge campaign, and plans to take Dream there with just the two of them. "And there was only one bed" Ensues and they fall in love on the way there. When they arrive, Hob soon finds out that Dream wasn't just a well to do kid, he was the second Prince of the entire kingdom. Hob is sort of in aw and is about to leave Dream there when Night asks where Hob was from and Hob explains where his Kingdom is. Night and Time talk about this in their native language, which despite his best efforts, Hob can't understand, and they explain that a trade road between their kingdom and Hob's could be beneficial to both of their kingdoms, so why not keep make Dream and Hob's union official and create a tie between the two kingdoms. Before Hob can say he doesn't want to take Dream away from his home again, Dream falls into Hob's arms and that's as good an engagement as any.

I love the inherent sexyness of a language barrier. There's so much potential for miscommunication, attempts to form their own kind of sign language to communicate, communicating through the power of sexy eye contact alone... I love it.

And I love this rendition of the au!!! I love Dream accidentally/automatically becoming Hob’s spouse - again, so much opportunity for shenanigans there. Maybe they're sharing Hob’s bed but it's so massive they might as well be in different rooms... Maybe Hob starts holding Dream’s hand to make sure he doesn't run off and it just turns into an automatic habit between them...

Anyway, I love the idea that they end up going back to Hob’s kingdom (with a few translators/linguists from Dream’s homeland). All Hob’s advisors are like huh??? You brought him back??? And Hob just grins!!! "Of course I brought him back, he's my husband!"

And they gradually learn each others languages and can finally say the wedding vows from both of their cultures. And they live happily ever after, of course!

[bittrlys]

Hi, I have a question that I hoped you or your followers could answer. I stopped watching tdp after S3 but now S6 here and I've heard many say that it's the best season we had since S2. I'm watching S4 now so it's been some time since I touched anything tdp. Now here is my question, which might be silly I apologize, why do the Moonshadow elves need assassins? As much as I remember there isn't any conflicts between the elves and the assassins were sent after Harrow and Ezran after the dragon King's death. So either the elves do have conflicts and it was cut out? Or the elves kill humans a lot, like they kill any human that they consider a threat to Xadia(or for revenge). As far as I remember they trained assassins so it's a reall job for them and you can't be an assassin if you just kill 2 humans a be done. Do we have any evidence of elves having conflicts with each other or sending assassins after other humans?

This is something I've wanted to write on but never did, so your ask made me smile when I saw it!

A very short answer to your question: No explicit evidence, but we can draw assumptions that the assassins were used -- however, I believe the assassins exist for cultural reasons as well.

A much longer answer to your question: A lot of series love the idea of assassins because they're cool and sexy, but don't like so much actually making their characters stone cold killers, so they end up being assassins who don't assassinate. TDP falls more into the latter camp, but there are some things that give you pause.

In the very first episode we have this exchange between Harrow and Viren:

VIREN: Assassins. HARROW, more resigned than surprised: I see. VIREN: A scout on patrol discovered them just before dawn. HARROW: Well, don't look so grim. We've fought off plenty of assassins. Haven't we, Pip? VIREN: It's different this time. We believe they're Moonshadow elves. HARROW, visibly more perturbed: Moonshadow elves? Then how did the scout escape?

They go on to express concern that tonight is a full moon, which means the Moonshadow elves will be at "the height of their power."

This conversation raises immediate questions. If they are used to fending off assassins, but Moonshadow elves are different, who the hell has been sending assassins after them? The human kingdoms aren't in active conflict with each other. Non-Moonshadow elves? Dissidents in the kingdom, like Queen Aanya has? All this despite Viren (admittedly not the most truthful person) stating it was a peaceful time in Katolis? Who knows! However, we can say that Moonshadow elves have a clear reputation as they're aware of how they operate and treat them as highly lethal. Later, when Viren tells his children they have "unwanted visitors" from Xadia, they jump straight to "assassins" instead of "invading army and/or dragon" which would be a logical assumption with Xadia and the human kingdoms being established as on the brink of open war.

Is this just human bias? The Moonshadow assassins take their job very seriously. We see throughout the show they have a number of rituals with very real consequences to ensure their devotion to their death cult. "We take (life) but we do not take it lightly." Runaan doesn't hesitate to send his most untried member off to kill a human. (He is, however, unable to tell berry juice from blood so maybe he's just LARPing as an assassin too.) Honestly, Rayla's presence almost feels like going after humans is a beginner mission, even if the human in question is guarded by a castle full of people. Still, if they aren't going after humans all the time, who would they be targeting?

In the trivia section for Elves on the TDP fan wiki it states "For the most part, there is unity among the elves. However, not all of the elven races get along, and conflict is not unheard of." Sadly, the citation is to some kind of creator interview that has been taken down and I can't find, so we can't rely on that -- if anybody knows the video in question, I'd be curious to hear the exact phrasing. Turning to available canon and ancillary canon material, in the short story 'The Queen's Mercy' we get this exchange:

“You are not afraid of me—but what of the dragons?” asked Kim’dael. “You would dare invoke their wrath?” “The dragons know better than to invoke mine,” Aditi said.

This implies Sunfire elves see themselves as a powerful independent force who resent the implication that they should answer to dragons. We also know that there are certain elves in an insular community that keep drakes as pets and mistreat them, something that doesn't seem to line up with the way other elven societies treat magical animals. I can believe there is some tension between Xadian sub-groups, but for the most part they do seem united as allies, if only because they have the 'common threat' of humanity to often bring them together. Maybe when there are less humans about, they are less united.

The Kim'dael above is a member of the Order of the Blood Moon -- Moonshadow elves who went vampiric and were exterminated by dragons. I don't believe it's outright stated Moonshadow assassins helped with this anti-vampirism campaign, but I assume so. In the Rayla backstory comic she decides to become an assassin after a run-in with this Bloodmoon elf. She wants to be like Runaan and protect others, and this includes protecting them from other elves. It seems very likely that Moonshadow assassins operate against internal threats to Xadian society like this. However, you may presume from this very noble description of being an assassin that within Moonshadow culture, 'assassin' seems equivalent to 'warrior.'

Personally, I think the Moonshadow assassins are partly an active combat force, and partly a ritualistic bit of tradition. Essentially, they play an almost ceremonial, spiritual role in the society. Moonshadow culture and magic is very centred around illusions and the line between life and death, and the assassins are perfect distillations of all of these elements. Even if they were never killing anyone, I could see them still existing and being seen as highly valued members of the society. Symbolic assassins, you know?

That being said, I do think they kill people -- (Runaan definitely seems to have done so as it's said he truly understands the value of a life and the taking of one) -- and though I think they probably primarily operate as an internal security force, based on human reactions to the mere whiff of them it's very possible they have infiltrated human kingdoms before. After all, we know they have a sneaky way in and out of the human kingdoms via the Moonstone Path. When the world was divided their Nexus was left in human territory so they have non-assassinating non-spying reasons to be visiting the human kingdoms, but paired with everything else it is interesting that they want such easy access to the human kingdoms. I'm not saying they were doing a lot of assassinations there -- it seems the degree of interaction between these two halves of the continent have intensified only recently -- but it's all very suggestive.

Ultimately, I think they probably don't kill a lot in general, but it would be really funny if the show would just go there. Like have Runaan look the camera dead in the eye and say "I have taken sixty-two lives and I don't regret a single one." Hashtag let assassins be assassins!

Thank you very much for the question, this is a subject I've thought at length about so I'm happy to finally discuss it. ♥ I hope my answer was helpful despite the lack of explicit evidence in any one direction.

[melodymay-k1tty]

VINSMOKE NIJI BF HEADCANONS

What would dating Niji be like?

A/N: I'll try to not be act OOC in this headcanon, but it will be a little difficult I think, cuz as you know, Niji is a modified human, and is “incapable” of feeling empathy and sympathy.

⚡ Dengeki Blue! He likes to get your attention by showing how good he is at things. He would probably be throwing it in your face all the time how much better he is than you at everything. “You're too slow” he smiles and holds you, flying with you at high speed. “You're too weak” he takes the things you were holding, with just one finger. And so on.

⚡ Dengeki Blue! He'll be jealous of you with his brothers, especially Sanji. If his brothers approach you, there will certainly be war.

⚡Dengeki Blue! You make him feel a little more human since he feels strong emotions only when he's with you. That's why you are so important to him.

⚡ Dengeki Blue! If any woman picks on you, he won't think twice before being aggressive towards her (of course, for him, anyone who isn't royalty is inferior, male or female).

⚡Dengeki Blue! You are not royalty, and he may even see you as someone inferior to him. But that doesn't take away from the fact that he still wants you and has your back. Of course, he pretends to others that you're a princess of some kingdom (including, he ALMOST fooled his own brothers and his father in the beginning of your relationship).

⚡Dengeki Blue! He will probably tell you things like “be home by 8pm at the latest” in an authoritative yet sadistic way.

⚡Dengeki Blue! He likes hot surprises from you. If you're waiting for him using a sexy lingerie on the bed, and he comes out of the shower and sees you, he'll be very very very excited.

⚡Dengeki Blue! He fell in love with you because of your explosive and stressed way. You don't usually follow rules and obey orders, and that's what attracted he the most. A rebel woman.

A/N: Was it good? I really hope so! 💗💗💗💗💗

[therxtking]

Of ALL of the long term moots, how do you think each of them would be at Gordon's birthday rager?

Aw shit dog that's a LOT of muses and most of which I haven't really interacted with- some are newer but I can see going. uhh here we go:

@hxnger-unbcund Gluttony is actually here because he's a good friend and cares about Gordon. And he's also pumped as fuck for the food. And apparently he probably knows the most people here. But he's not allowed in the kitchen and he's arguing with Zoviary for being a party pooper. He does not great on the mechanical bull. Greed is here because what are all these demons congregating in these caves for? He's disappointed it's a birthday party for a rat but he'll stay because it's an awesome party and he doesn't see much of those. Envy is here for the same reasons as Greed.

@xaallo Xaallo is here because birthday rager and they're kinda almost maybe friends? Adraka told him to go be supportive. Initially he and Glutt hang out and laugh and catch up, and then spar a bit and break a table. So now he's sitting at the counter having a good chat and eating Gordon's Himalayan salt out of the shaker and asking where that baby went. Eventually he comes into the kitchen and helps cook. But he's far from comfortable with the two demons in there as well. Does either really good or really bad on the mechanical bull and keeps doing it until he beats everyone's scores. He never does. Kjoll is here because birthday rager and someone sexy who's stroked his ego in the past is here~ was GOING to be an exotic male dancer popping out of the cake but he didn't want to miss the rest of the party and is snooping around their house trying on their jewelry, scent marking their things and bed, and trying to antagonize Zoviary into chasing him to Gordon's bedroom and he's very mad at Okaal for being a 'party pooper'. Okaal doesn't know who's birthday this is or why he's here but he's assuming it's to keep Kjoll in line and tell him to behave himself and not fuck someone on their hosts bed. He's a good sport and tries the mechanical bull, and does alright!

@apexulansis Zoviary is here because Kjoll made him and he's not liking the loud riotous social function. But Gordon gave him a job to distract him and it's to keep Gluttony and Kjoll OUT of the kitchen so he's obviously doing his job right and pointing a gun at Glutt. Adraka is here because it sounded like fun and they felt bad for Gordon. And Xaallo needs to be a good friend. He tries the mechanical bull and actually does okay and has a great time at the party. Drags Xaa out to dance several times.

@skxrbrand Skarbrand doesn't know why the fuck he's here, probably followed Khazaan cause he thought he was trying to escape also what is he doing with all that stuff? He is judging everyone harshly and being aggressive, so Ira takes him outside to go fight somewhere. Kha'xanzyr thought he was boing left out of destroying the rat kingdom and is more than disappointed. He warns Gordon not to keep company with such dangerous creatures and expresses surprise the rat made it to twenty one. He leaves shortly. Khazaan has a whole brewing set up in the living room and is making concoctions to kill God. Petting Runic and telling the chefs they're using too much sugar, more blood, use more brains, they're filling and really good for you. Burn it more.

@velvetwarfare Betty is here for booze, dancing, Gordon's tiddies, and to party hard. Sitting at the counter tasting snacks, cuddling Glutt and teasing people, making fun of Gordon for being a baby. Between party and drinking games of course. And partially taking over the DJ booth. Does pretty well on the mechanical bull.

@heliinx Heliinx is here because everyone seems to be breaking into his home and surely he still adores her riiight? She's telling him to poison the food so he and her can eat everyone and loot them. She's punted out of the kitchen. Seeing Khazaan she hides a lot, but sneaks lots of food and trashes the home looking through and looting his things. Which Qhi'zhek stops.

@warhammer-fantasy-muses Qhi'zhek is here because he's a good friend, dammit. He's having a great time talking with him and Daz in the kitchen and helping make enough food for the uninvited guests. He's also keeping an eye on Kjoll, Zoviary, and especially Heliinx. Ikit is also here because he's a good supportive friend! He's loving the party, too. Not helpful in the kitchen but he loves helping Khazaan make the most lethal abominations known to alcoholism. Did not last one second on the mechanical bull.

@themosthatedbeingg Lucifer showed up dressed all nice for his new bestie with a nice gift. And very quickly ends up escalating the bullshittery of the small group of ragers in the living room. He hasn't been to a wild party in some time and he's having so much fun! He's just one of the guys! He uses his magic to help decorate. Did not last five seconds on the mechanical bull.

@onlywrath Satan arrived to be supportive of Gordon also he's not over him. He brought decorations, games, and a sick sound system to add to the DJ station. And a fucking mechanical bull of course. He's happy to meet Gordon's mother, too! He also has the highest score on the mechanical bull and no one can touch that score. No matter how hard Xaallo tries.

@vehxmence Daz is here because he was probably part of the instigation board for the surprise bash. He's in the kitchen with Gordon learning recipes and being a nuisance. Anything to see those ears shiver and that annoyed scowl on their face. And maybe he's taking an interest in their hobbbies and wants to be close to them for softer more genuine reasons... Him and Qhi hit it off as well and talk about how adorable Gordon is. He also loves that Gordon's choosing to stay in the kitchen with him rather than go party with the others. Azriel is here because he's met the rat once or twice and if Daz gets to go so does he. Az is play wrestling with Ira and chatting up the rest of the party. And eating everything he can get his hands on. And shaking Heliinx upside down to give up what she's trying to steal.

@kingbcwser (I've been following you awhile I guess?) Bowser heard surprise birthday rager and didn't care if he was invited. He's dancing and fist pumping to the music, playing music (He brought a band and DJ setup) playing drinking games, him and Betty hit it off smashingly. He bothers Gordon a bit because it's only polite to pay homage to the birthday boy also he's making all the delicious food. Did very badly on the mechanical bull but he's having a blast anyway. Threatens to take over Gordon's kingdom. Doesn't care if he breaks stuff. He's Khaz's new friend. Gordon dislikes him and doesn't know who invited them. Or who they are.

@serpentofslaanesh Lyss is here because many objects of their attention are here. They're chasing and hounding Heliinx and enjoying the party. And also snooping around in all of Gordon's things. Especially the shiny and pretty things. And trying to bother Gordon but they aren't allowed in the kitchen so they play games and get shitfaced with everyone else.

@oflostinfound Hax is here because they and Gordon bonded over nice pants, and they are not missing out on some big ass birthday bash. Does not do well at all on the mechanical bull.

@shiningsilverarmor Eos is here because it's her sweet little rat kings big birthday! She's not gonna let him go unappreciated! She has lots of fun dancing but scolds several other guests for being too rowdy and breaking his things.

@hannah-the-small Gritt and Clem are both here because the rat seemed cool, they heard rager, and supposedly no one else here will know them. And he's royalty. They can take some small things that'd sell for a pretty penny and lots of food. And get shitfaced. Neither of them try the mechanical bull and spend most of the party staying out from underfoot of others. Dancing on a table and drinking their lives away.