#but he did it to protect Lucrezia.

[stromuprisahat]

Vanozza: So, tell me, Cesare, what exactly are we celebrating? Your sister's betrothal or the death of your brother? Cesare: I'm not sure, but I know which one makes me happier...

[earlgodwin]

"This, dear sister, is a gift for you like no other" "For me?"

[laryna6]

Girl Genius AU where after Bill and Barry's mom Teodora poisons her husband for saying he's going to kill her sons for being too heroic, instead of the castle killing her the jagers manage to get her out of town quickly and long enough for the castle to calm down.

Yeah, she did kill a Heterodyne, but it was to save two other Heterodynes and Saturnus was clearly in the madness place for saying he wanted to kill members of the family. Also meh, this isn't the first time an unwilling bride/harem member poisoned a Heterodyne and Saturnus not seeing it coming and taking precautions is more evidence he wasn't thinking clearly and had to be stopped before he actually did kill the boys. Also there's no guarantee that if he started over with another wife that her children would make it safely through breakthrough. Two heirs in the hand is worth one in the bush!

The boys are relieved, startled and grateful that the jagers saved their mom, and they're of course we did, she is a member of the family if by marriage. They're still a little reluctant to take jagers with them on their heroics because jagers scare people, but there's a sneaky jager, so Axel Higgs makes it into the Heterodyne plays as the perpetually unflappable minion.

Barry brings Agatha to Teodora (who has a proven track record of keeping Heterodynes from growing up evil and survived the attack on the castle by not living in it since even though it's not trying to kill her anymore they're not friends), and talks to the jagers about how they've been working for Klaus and listens to them when they say Klaus is very anti the wasps enough to actually talk to Klaus. In addition to dealing with rogue sparks, the jagers get put to work clearing out the dangerous, uninhabitable areas of their hazards and are overjoyed by that as well as having Barry back and a new Heterodyne.

Since Barry is there to see how much the locket is messing up Agatha he creates an improved version that doesn't handicap her. The castle is deeply ashamed by the failure to protect Klaus Barry and loses the argument when Barry wants to send Agatha to school on Castle Wulfenbach, with Teodora moving there alongside her and of course a large jager bodyguard because Lucrezia's co-conspirators want Agatha. Teodora is put to work on a formula that will poison slaver wasps inside their hosts.

Agatha grows up to lead jager and clank armies to wipe out rogue spark creations and save towns.

[lucreziaces]

thinking about how cesare's feelings for lucrezia got colored romantic because of rodrigo's ambition and him pinning the two oldest boys against each other and never showing cesare affection, thinking his eldest son was stronger than juan and that juan needed his gentleness and affection more. but the thing is, cesare did need his father's love and because he never showed it to him, cesare found that kind of affection elsewhere. in lucrezia-- her adoring gaze, her soft fingers playing with his chin or the strings of his clothes, in the way she melted into his touch. and of course he began to feel unnatural things for his sister (she felt safe in only his arms, sought out his advice on love and marriage because she trusted only him) and of course he didn't fight it, maybe he even encouraged it when he shouldn't have, but it wasn't with malicious intent. he didn't know what it was he was feeling, what she was feeling until it was too late. by then the damage was done, and as he himself said, "impossible loves.....I am very much afraid they can become an addiction". it wasn't like he wanted to feel these things for her. but how could he not when she was the first to understand he was miserable in his role in the church ("don't be sad, brother. maybe papa will become pope and you can be who you want to be"-- in their very first scene together!!), the only one who didn't run from his dark side-- she embraced it, even, and weaponized it when it suited her (and he was happy to let her, even using her desire to see their brother dead as an excuse to kill juan for his own ambition), creating this idea that he could trust only her to love him. I think, to him, it seemed pure enough not to question it even when there was undeniable sexual tension brewing between them because, above all, he just wanted to protect and serve her because their father wouldn't (and just because that is how he shows his love/how she receives it), and shower her in sweetness, with gentle touches because that's what she deserves (and because that is the other way she receives love & he shows it. speaking of love languages? i've geniunely never seen a ship have such perfectly complimentary love languages the way these two do!?! like oh my god?!! she wants someone to serve, protect, idolize her & show her gentleness? he does exactly that. he needs someone to love and adore him unconditionally & shower him in affection? she fits that 100% AJSKGLHGSLD but I digress lol) anyway....all this to say: do I really think cesare groomed lucrezia? no. or, at least, I think that's oversimplifying it. it was out of either of their control, and a direct result of their father putting his ambition above his love of his children. it's really fascinating how those daddy issues pulled ceslu closer together where it shoved a wedge between them and juan. (i'm sure @lucreziahelaena would be the more appropriate choice to write up an essay on the juan aspect of it all, though hahaa)

have I mentioned they're my roman empire? (because they are lol) <3333

[zalrb]

Haha, you mean another? Because I have quite a few.  

This is probably just going to be a repeat of a bunch of things I've said in previous breakdowns but now said in this specific context.

On one level, I think they respect each other because they're both Borgias, and they understand what that means and they love each other because of that and in spite of that simultaneously.

They've both had romantic interests who do not understand them and/or are frightened of them and/or resent them and their "Borgia-ness"

and I think they respect that they can be themselves completely and utterly with each other

because as they've seen, not everyone can handle a Borgia -- Cesare drove Ursula to the convent

and Lucrezia drove Alfonso to drink

both Paolo and Ursula end up dying because they fell for a Borgia whether directly (Paolo) or indirectly (Ursula).

But they have the will and the grit and the passion to accept and love and withstand each other and are not put off by what they do or how they act or how they think, they embrace it. Ursula couldn’t handle that Cesare killed her husband for her

Lucrezia accepts the knife with Giovanni’s blood on it

On a less abstract level but very much related to this, I think we see that Lucrezia respects Cesare's strength and his ferocity

From another post of mine:

[..] in the first scene they have together when Cesare is ready to kind of let Alfonso have it about whether or not he trusts Frederigo with the “future of his family” i.e. Lucrezia, before Alfonso reveals Lucrezia was the one who helped get Frederigo to where he is, she looks turned on

which is why when 3x04 happens, she's yelling this

all the things that she counts on, that she loves and that she respects.

And as much as his ambition can feel suffocating at times -- a Borgia trait

she respects it because it's also in her

and Cesare's respect, I think evolves throughout the series, which I've sort of spoken about in the first analysis I ever did of Cesare and Lucrezia where when we first meet them, I think he respects her innocence

he doesn't want anyone else to tarnish it, he wants to protect it because he respects its existence.

After season 1, after Giovanni, we see how that sort of begins to shift to respecting her will, respecting her decisiveness as we see in 2x01 when she saves Rodrigo, she took action, she saved their father

and by the end of season 3, when she poisons Alfonso and he realizes she can make these decisions, she can make these calls, he respects her ruthless kindness, he respects that she has the mark of Borgia same as him

all the while respecting her as this breath of fresh air and this light for him.

[dyouknowwhatimean]

i keep thinking of the incest accusations against women like marguerite de valois and lucrezia borgia and you know i guess there really isn't a way of knowing if they really did have relations with family members as i guess all rumours start somewhere but it does seem to be that the most extended historical theory is that they were fake allegations against them from their political enemies which is of course incredibly misogynistic. it's also incredibly misogynistic even if it were true of course to be like oh these women are malicious and cunning because they committed incest and then you listen to the accusations and it's like, in lucrezia's case her father forced her and cesare to participate in his orgies (?) and in margot's case she lost her virginity to her older brother (?) like both of those are so clearly abuse.

then it's also interesting the way the screen adaptations have taken this. in the case of the borgias tv show you've got the fantasy of lucrezia being able to escape her husband's abuse through having an affair with her brother cesare. in la reine margot at first it's also presented like that like she's able to escape the patriarchal institution of marriage by continuing her affairs with her brothers and not having sex with her husband, but then it's quickly unveiled that her brothers have no intention of protecting her and of course played a part in sending her to be married off. la reine margot is an interesting movie because the husband ends up being really nice and respectful to her and tries to get her away from her brothers and her mom, which. he doesn't succeed of course, she's in too deep but, y'know. it's a very gothic movie, for a period piece imo.

i don't have a conclusion it feels like i'm saying something so obvious like ohh incest has its roots in misogyny oh wow water is wet. but i can't stop thinking about it

[sunlitsorrows]

Worldbuilding Wordvomit

I call it a fantasy but it really only has the one “magical” element in it and that’s just that you can make a binding oath. A Blood Oath vs a Wine Oath? Was it a gift? Was it a trick? Does it only work in marriages?

Either way, it was something meant to be Good, but twisted and corrupted over the generations by selfishness and greed…

originally (“originally”)/in ye olden time when two people married it was a basic promise “to live and die with you”; widows didn’t survive more than a day after their mate’s passing (was it a gift? Was it a trick?)

(side note; this perhaps the origin of the Second/bestman/maidofhonor in the wedding; the godparents of any children the couple produced, to take care of them if something happened to their parents, because if one dies the other would also die—this later was also changed a bit for political reasons, to ensure an heir could he produced, if one or the other party proved incapable—but as it is part of the wedding ceremony it is just as binding as the vows between the couple)

but with time and shifts in culture (religious upheaval/wars etc) people started prioritizing their children over their partner and the oath became more of a formality, a sentiment to be Spoken but not actually Sworn. No longer a Blood Oath but simply a Wine Oath (This is why Lucrezia doesn’t die when Ilariys is killed)

Around this era someone figured out how to twist the oath to another purpose; called a Consort Oath (the story/propaganda being the first person to do it was a Good King’s royal Consort, who gave up her life to save him—you can guess what really happened) in which instead of both parties swearing “to live and die with” each other, one swears “to life and die for “ the other—

producing three main effects:

1.) the swearing party, the Consort, can be commanded to any task or errand and won’t have any choice but to obey (unsure about this element, but unsure how else to get Vanya to leave Ilariya except by a command he can’t refuse) (also the Incident that gets Vanya arrested—it wasn’t his choice to act? It was the Oath kicking in to protect Lucrezia?)

2.) If the sworn-to party is dying, whether due to injury or illness, the Consort will die instead, and they will recover

3.) As long as the sworn-to party is safe, the Consort is virtually indestructible. They age, sort of, but they don’t weaken with age, or get sick, and can heal from most any wound—they can’t regrow a limb removed, though you can reattach it if it is recovered—only burning them to ash will destroy them.

(Can you see the utility? An army undying, a Queen who—even if you could reach her, which you can’t, because of the unkillable army—you would have to kill her a thousand times before you succeeded—)

(And thus did the Stars take pity and come down as Dragons, to burn the Undying Armies and end the War of Ages and found the Council of All Ankind…)

…

But all that is ancient history—in a peaceful and far more enlightened age, Consorts are only made/given for Crowned Royalty (limit one Or Else Dragons be Upon You) but it’s a very Honorable and Respected court position, a protector and advisor to the Crown, and Consorts who are successful in protecting their Royal are sometimes passed down to a grandchild… meaning if you’re very good at your job you could be functionally immortal! (often promised and almost never granted, yet hope is a stubborn and useful weed)

Against this backdrop, the good and charitable Prince Ilariys, knowing his father is secretly plotting to have him assassinated—for his popularity with the people has already resulted in two coup attempts—seeks to save his Consort (please note that while the Royal/Consort relationship is usually romantic, in Ilariys and Vanya’s case it was not—don’t @ me for queerbaiting this is a load bearing plot point tieing directly to themes of asexuality and friendship being as much love as romantic love), by incorporating him into his wedding as his Second (why did it work if it was a Wine Swearing instead of a Blood Swearing? Because there was already a Blood Oath in place?), and then, at the critical hour, commanding him to live and protect his wife and children.

—she is yours—my wife is your wife and my children are your children—

No—Lala it doesn’t work like that—let me stay—let me fight—don’t do this—

—you swore to live and die for me and I am hereby commanding you to live for them—

But it does work. And now Vanya has to figure out how to live through his failure and grieving of the only friend he’s ever had, while Lucrezia deals with the loss of her husband and incredibly unethical binding of a servant she didn’t want but cannot free.

[divinitics]

— announcing her grace, 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐚 of house targaryen. the unfortunate daughter.

BASICS

birth name: daenaera targaryen nickname: daena title: princess of westeros monikers: starmaiden (in fear), little rhaena (scornfully) age: twenty and nine gender & pronouns: cis woman & she + her orientation: heterosexual status: unwed & betrothed to lord willas rowan of goldengrove spoken language(s): common, high valyrian accent: clear and soft, deceptively sweet and natural. a very typically posh westerosi accent. basically what ever the rp / bbc pronunciation version of westeros is.

APPEARANCE

faceclaim: elle fanning ethnicity: valyrian height: 175 cm build: willowy, lithe hair: old valyrian blonde - silver eyes: bright lilac distinguishing features: rounded, cherubic features that greatly mismatched its sharp movements, as well as high, perpetually pink cheeks scent: fresh, sharp citrus and eucalyptus. light, and not heady in deep florals. her hair specifically smells of lavender.

MIND / PERSONALITY

spoken language(s): common, high valyrian intelligence: thoroughly bright, through sheer will alone. she took to her political & historical studies with almost frantic spite. moral alignment: lawful evil mbti: entj — the commander temperament: choleric heavenly virtue: diligence deadly sin: pride, greed, envy godly parents: nike & phoebe character inspirations: rhaenys targaryen ( fire & blood / hotd tv series ), lucrezia borgia ( history ), livia drusilla ( domina ), empress catherine ( the great ), antigone ( antigone ).

DRIVES

religion: faith of the seven — although her lack of belief is clearly visible as a clear gossamer veil alliance: the targaryens personal goals: to keep the targaryen rule strong and powerful, to safeguard the stability and rule of their family family vs power: to her, both are intrinsically linked. she is currently incapable of separating them.

FAMILY

mother: queen rhaena targaryen — it's complicated / antagonistic father: king consort leyton hightower — strained, he believes her ambition is dangerous brother: rhaeys, prince of dragonstone — mostly positive, she believes in him above all else as the continuation of their family's rule. although she did not appreciate his besmirching of their family's name, it is impossible for her to truly hate him. good sister: catraena, princess of dragonstone — simply put, she dislikes the mess she brought to the family, it had put them into a position of reproach. however, they are now family, and daenaera will not allow anything to touch her family. brother: aerys, prince of summerhall — tba brother: daeron, prince-commander of the faith militants — tba brother: prince calyx targaryen — the closest to her, the most similar to her, they share in schemes and whispering in shadows. she feels oddly protective of him, even if he is a man grown. he will always be her little brother. sister: princess viserra targaryen — she dotes on her more than she'd care to admit. everything that the elder dragon experienced was something she wanted not to touch little viserra. her sister is a true targaryen, and would have never done anything wrong <3

DRAGON

name: celaellis nickname: the swift silver age: young adult colour: silver-grey scales with white accents physical traits: medium-sized, slender, sharp-winged with talons personality: reckless like daenaera, extremely excited to go out and fly — she's been cooped up for over 30 years after all !

AESTHETICS

a beautiful face, so much like her mother; the curse of a golden tongue and a swift gaze that could see through all — hated for sins she had no part performing, feared for the valyrian looks that had once brought down great houses and mighty fortresses; the curse of being a woman, a daughter, the fear of the second coming of a crimson rain that remain on the forefront of the memories of most; why couldn’t she be a son? why couldn’t she more resemble her father? mistakes upon mistakes made before her birth but placed at her feet; but dragonsblood remained roaringly strong — a fearsome reminder in sharp lilac eyes — she will not whimper and fade for the sins of a mother.

BIOGRAPHY

the realm seemed to have stood still when queen rhaena birthed her first daughter. it was too soon after the devastation, far too soon after all the death for a little targaryen girl. the septons grumbled and sighed as little daenaera grew up beautiful, a spitting image of her mother's visage; the very image of a targaryen princess with her long silvery hair and daring lilac gaze. it was unfortunate, perhaps, that although the dragon egg in her crib never hatched — one single trip to the dragonpit had the little thirteen year old princess irrevocably bonded with grey-scaled young dragon that was hatched in the crib of another dragon princess, the cousin she would never know: princess visenya of dragonstone. the true heir of the true heir, queen rhaena's eldest brother's eldest child — daenaera tried not to look quite so smug. she called the beautiful thing celaellis, and took to the skies under the tutelage of her uncle: lord lucerys targaryen of castamere, for the queen had scarcely ridden her own steed, much less desired to allow her children to do so. but daenaera took to the skies with fearless recklessness, even as the queen thundered and seethed at her impudence, there was very little that could stop the dragon princess from doing as she will. so very like her many ancestors. queen rhaena had attempted to force piety on her daughter from a young age — shutting her away with the maesters and septas until she felt like screaming. little daenaera felt frustration growing within her like an old friend, and channelled it all to words — asking her maesters probing questions that they could not answer, and demanding explanation for things deemed far too crass for a princess to know. they gave up, eventually, and daenaera had sat in on her brothers' lessons for as long as she was able. of course, her brother aemond had not approved — he was far too much their mother's son to encourage her so-called 'rebellion'. daenaera grew up wilful and headstrong, far too cunning for her own good — quite possibly the absolute opposite of what queen rhaena wanted for a daughter. she knows power, yearns for it, and thoroughly despised her mother for ruining the targaryen influence by holding on to useless caution. her fingers continue to reach further and further out for something more and more, dragonsblood coursed through her veins; she knows the targaryen name will be saved and remain stronger still with her at the helm.

CONNECTIONS HIGHLIGHTS

lady regent arianne regent nee royce ( @tideburn ) : her closest confidant, the older sister she never had. they share the same intellectual pursuits, and understood each other in a way daenaera thought she would never be understood. however, the shadow of arianne's late husband loomed large in their midst, they do not dare voice their true opinions lest their sisterhood would not be able to stand the heavy burden. lord willas rowan of goldengrove ( @romanceur ) : her betrothed, chosen by her mother and was treated as a 'reward' for the former hand's loyalty and friendship with the queen. she never thought much of him before, mainly since willas was mainly stationed in goldengrove, however, she found herself being impressed by his resilience and his gall. only time could tell if this tenuous alliance would stand the burdens of ambition. lord sinan martell of sunspear ( @hamartialed ) : ????, it started as a mission of diplomacy ( moreso her own mission in trying to find the true temperature of rivalry between the dornish siblings ), that ended in something nebulous. they fell into bed one night pretending that it was for the sake of unearthing information, and it continued longer than either of them would like. an impossible situation.

[lucreziasredwyne]

who: @conallblackbar when and where: semi-flashback thread to the funeral of lord garland hightower within oldtown, the reach nobles remain aware that alicent hightower, the murderess, remains at large.

the solemnity seemed to linger over halls and arches that once were perceived to be the most beautiful of buildings to the lady of the arbor; for even the stained glass that caused colour to beam through the aisle made no change to the moment of grey. there came the sound of the chants and the hymns, which in this moment, provided her the opposite of the comfort she so often was accustomed to within such a space.

instead, she felt the gaze of each of the seven firmly upon her, as though even the mourning black robes she had adorned did nothing to protect her from their gaze. and why would they?

because she had ultimately failed, in her role; all knew how when the beacon of the hightower flickered green, the sails of the redwynes were soon to be spotted over the horizon. what use was the physical help and support, support in regard to coin, and power, and patronage – when none of it followed him to the true place that mattered. her gaze did not move from the two shrouds upon the table, and the sight of the septons and septas did nothing to break her gaze from the sight of it. garland hightower had gone to the grave how he had lived: besotted by coin, arrogant and resistant to the guidance of the gods.

there was no space for hope, or interpretation in her eyes; for within her, she knew where her kin would be destined. she had failed in her attempt to wind him back on the righteous path, to consider not only the political implications of his disastrous marriage but the moral consequences too. now he would be entombed beside his only son; whose death had not been the lesson it was intended to be.

but why did her aunt need to be there too? mistaken for the redwyne that had waved the white flag and betrayed the hightowers….it was her. it had been lucrezia’s first act as ruling lady of the arbor, what felt like a lifetime ago.

the chants and hymns came to a close, and the trailing of people out of the sept began; none would have expected lucrezia redwyne to be the first to be so, and yet, she felt as though she could not inhale as deep a breath as she needed until she stood beneath the rays of the sun.

her veil was lifted from her face as she stood beside a column along the cloisters  of the sept, and when hazel hues seemed to all but dart upward in the sudden feeling of someone looking upon her, she found the sight of the second son of bandallon directly across the courtyard. Lowering her hand slowly from the column, she took a moment to compose herself – the last thing she needed was omer’s family witnessing her spiral. All knew of the tensions between the florents, blackbars and the hightowers in the end. “lord blackbar…connel.” she corrected herself, unsure of why her instinct was to address him formally at first.

stepping from the shade of the cloisters and into the light, she began to cross the ornate courtyard, again, rewrapping herself. stitching the threads back together. “thank you for coming.” she addressed the obvious in the room earnestly, her voice as soft yet firm as it always was – he had every reason not to. and yet, lucrezia’s fears of a small population of mourners became reality. “i am very much grateful for you all being here.” you didn’t have to, was what she left off.

[lostinfic]

Chapter 3 on Ao3

Excerpt:

Orsini tends to Cesare and Micheletto’s wounds: scrapes on their hands and faces, bruises on their ribs and knees. The scent of smoke and singed hair clings to them, and the taste of ashes still fills their mouths.

Cesare is supposed to rest and recuperate, but he’s fuming, body tense and flushed with anger. His jaw aches from clenching his teeth. How the hell did Lucrezia end up with their enemy? The Aragonas were supposed to protect her. Where is her pathetic excuse for a husband?

He plants his pocket knife in a rotten floorboard, digs into the wood until it splinters.

[useyourtelescope]

yuletide 2023 recap!

This yuletide exchange was fun, though as usual I am still making my way through the collection (here's hoping this year I actually finish reading all the open tabs in Jan/Feb at least).

For my gift, I received a gorgeous fic for The Borgias - some Cesare/Lucrezia hurt/comfort post-season 3 with lots of my fave tropes, you can read that on ao3 here:

One Touch of Your Hand

I wrote five fics - 2 for Only Murders In the Building (Gen) & 1 each for Nancy Drew (Nancy/Ace), The Borgias (Cesare/Lucrezia) and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans (Frankie/Bobby). I did end up with 3 unfinished treats sitting in my drafts, 1 of which I wrote about 3k for, but it was probably wishful thinking that I might have completed them in time too. The published 5 are the most individual fics I’ve managed for Yuletide, or any exchange for that matter (though it’s about 1k short of the total words I’ve done for an exchange thanks to the long fics I wrote for Yuletide 2019). 

Summaries of the fics themselves and thoughts on writing them below the cut:

A Whole New Direction - OMITB, Charles & Mabel & Oliver, Banter Post S2, ~800 words [ao3 link]

"I know yesterday we said we’d kind of shot ourselves in the foot podcast-wise by limiting ourselves to the building only, never mind whose idea that was—“ “It was your idea,” Mabel and Oliver replied in unison. “But never mind! I thought of a way we could continue the podcast without betraying the original premise.”

I enjoy writing their banter so this was a fun quick one; the main section came easily, it was just trying to decide where I wanted to end it that took the most time.

Co-Location - OMITB, Gen (Charles & Mabel + some Oliver), Canon Divergence in S3, ~1k words [ao3 link]

Charles offers a solution to Mabel's apartment-hunting woes.

This is a bit more sentimental than the general vibe I go for with writing the show (though not as angsty and internal as the Will POV post-Oliver’s heart attack fic I wrote for the last exchange I did), but the idea lent that way and I had to follow. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to end this one either, but when my beta mentioned that perhaps next season in the show Charles might not be able to stay at his apartment after the latest murder and would have to go to Oliver’s, the image of all three of them having to sleepover together made me laugh so I had to work that in.

Got A Lot To Learn - Nancy Drew (TV 2019), Nancy/Ace, Post-Canon Fluff, ~1.7k words [ao3 link | tumblr post]

Nancy and Ace approach a minor relationship milestone soon after breaking the curse.

This was my assignment! My recipient wanted something in canon which gave me an excuse to return to the the idea of Nancy learning ASL for Ace/his dad, which I thought was really sweet when they mentioned it on the show but the timing of that reveal meant it was angsty and I wanted it in a cute scene. Still getting the hang of writing the characters/universe but hopefully I'll be able to play more with them later this year (maybe even with the unfinished ND treat I started, though Nancy/Ace was more background in that one).

Power Over Me - The Borgias (Showtime TV), Cesare/Lucrezia, Explicit, Modern AU - Alpha/Omga, ~15k words [ao3 link | tumblr post]

Cesare has always been protective of his sister. When she unexpectedly has her first heat he worries that he might need to protect her from himself.

This got a bit away from me lol! It's not a trope I expected to write but the recipient's prompt really clicked as Cesare/Lucrezia do have that intensity that lends itself to this type of AU. It was still supposed to be a 5-6k thing initially but then I got the idea of putting Cesare through it on his special shopping trip for Lucrezia lol and started to consider more about the character arcs and showing more of Lucrezia's side of things and it snowballed into a much longer piece. That meant I had to leave aside the other Ces/Lu fic I started writing as a treat for this Yuletide, but even though I think that'll be shorter the storyline is more complicated so this was probably the better one to pick to finish for a deadline and a fun experiment for me.

The Very Thought Of You - Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, Frankie/Bobby, Mature, Love Letters & Reunions, ~6k words [ao3 link | tumblr post]

A few months into their marriage, Frankie has to return to Marchbolt without Bobby. Finding the telephone insufficient for maintaining their usual level of intimacy, she starts to write to him.

There was a note in the recipient's letter about how they show each other their affection and they prompted letters for another ship which gave me the idea of Frankie and Bobby writing to one another. I was originally going to mostly focus on their time apart and just see a little bit of them reuniting at the end but once they were together I wanted to spend more time with them in the same place and thought it made sense to follow through on some of those spicier letters with giving them a bit of alone time too so it became 6k rather than 3 lol, but most of it flowed quite easily. It was just the letters and some of the historical aspects I spent time rewriting, especially Bobby's letter since that's the emotional point of the fic.

All in all, I really liked all 5 I managed to complete, but probably going to take a little exchange break for a bit and write whatever is flowing easiest rather than trying to write for a deadline.

[frodothefair]

My lady Marigold

Fragrance, who is this Marigold lass you keep mentioning?

Ok, fine, here it is. This is my version of Marigold Gamgee, of course. Relatively little is known about her in canon except her birth year and whom she marries, but I had a Sam roleplay partner who brought her into our interactions once in a while, and I was enchanted and eventually took the outlines and made them my own. Marigold's development has been somewhat (?) influenced by my long and enduring obsession with anime.

-- Sam Gamgee's canonical sister, 3 years younger.

-- youngest child of six

-- friends with Rosie Cotton

-- Sam is her protective older brother

-- had childhood crush on Mr. Frodo. But Mr. Frodo Senpai will never, ever notice her.

-- birthday (my invention): Nov 5. Hence, Scorpio. This is salient because the hobbits get freed from the Lockholes on Nov 4.

-- conventionally pretty for a hobbit; shorter than most hobbit lasses -- did not get enough to eat with five older siblings

-- has a lot of the same verbal tics as Sam, including "if you follow me," and "if you get my meaning"

-- anime girl personality: biggest calling card is that she's hard working, sweet, obliging, self-effacing, caring and is generally a cinnamon roll.

-- trains as a midwife. Almost finishes, but then Something Happens and she quits.

-- has social anxiety. Can't speak up in groups very well until Mrs. Bracegirdle, the midwife, takes her in hand. Then develops a genki, more extraverted "professional" persona

-- has sensory sensitivity, and just wants some peace and quiet, and something of her own, but those things are hard to come by in a large household. Hates that siblings are always in her business, shake her secrets out of her and then laugh at her. (Sam is not quite so bad with this).

-- has dyslexia. Sam taught her her letters. But he didn't know how to teach a person with dyslexia, so she still struggles.

-- not as emotionally intelligent as she could be. Sometimes this comes out as random flashes of anger, violence, and crying. Beat Sam with a wet towel once, and may or may not have taken a chunk out of his leg with her teeth when they were children.

-- picked Lobelia off the ground in the lane, helped her hobble home and dressed her ankle. Got called a clumsy fool for her trouble.

-- There was an, ahem, Situation, with Lotho and his ruffians that got her imprisoned in the Lockholes, but she came hobbling out on her own power and actually supporting another hobbit. And no, Mr. Frodo absolutely did NOT rescue her from the Lockholes, did NOT lift her up into his saddle, and did NOT deliver her home to the crying and grateful Gamgees, no matter how many actual real-life eyewitnesses claim to have been there to see it.

-- Looks kind of like this: (Holliday Grainger as Lucrezia Borgia in The Borgias)

[earlgodwin]

actually my roman empire is juan borgia's greatest fear being that his family would dislike and abandon him then they ironically ended up doing exactly what he had dreaded the most and it's his family not just hating him but also metaphorically dancing on his grave without even a hint of sentimentality

[omerflorent]

The Ruling Lord of Brightwater and Lord Commander of the Reach Kingsguard as written by Maester Ronan

note; this is the canon reputation of omer florent throughout the realm. he might argue with his cousin on things but omer refuses to get involved with profiles about himself because of integrity. 

Childhood 0-7; Spending the first 7 years of his life in Brightwater the folk across the villages loved seeing their little lord arriving to this manor to hear their complaints. This set the tone for how the people would see Omer. Allun Florent didn’t go to the manors once he was old enough and after his father died the people of Brightwater went many a year without seeing a Lord until the young raven haired boy began showing up to the manors at the of 4. Far too young to be of any true use to those who came to share their grievances but the folk knew a true Fox had been born. 

Becoming a man in the Vale 7-17; For the next 10 years Omer would be raised in the Vale with his aunt and uncle, the ruling lord and lady of Heart’s Home. During his time his reputation as a swordsman began to develop. Training alongside his cousins and fighting against those mountain clansmen who came to raid. While taking part in tourneys and melees he began to develop a reputation of arrogance which stands out in the Vale where men are far more quiet in their arrogance. The loud and brash lord of Brightwater represented the kindness, temperament, and pride people came to expect from the folk of his lands. 

Returning to the Reach 17-23; Upon his return to the Reach at the age of 7 and 10, Omer immediately began to travel around the villages of Brightwater, staying in the Florent Manors where the village representative lives and for the first year and a half Omer stayed in every Brightwater Village and continued to make these visits returning to the Florent way. He travelled around the Reach taking up different causes from fighting against bandits, capturing criminals, and doing what knights do. Omer desired being more than being a tourney knight and could often be found among young knights, both hedge knights and landed knights alike. There are at least 15 men in Brightwater alone thank the young Fox for their Knighthood and 3 who thank him for their lands. 

The Reputation of a Knight 23-26: Across the Reach and the Riverlands (another place Omer spent a great deal of time.) Lord Omer Florent earned a reputation for being the perfect knight. A man of honor and holiness. His youthful reputation with women slowed as the young lord became the picture men referenced when speaking of knighthood in the Reach. Fine armor, seen in the the sept, a proud guard for maiden’s day, and some whispered if he were not heir he would have joined the dragons kingsguard. This is untrue as no one ever felt a pure hatred for the House of the Dragon than Omer Florent. 

The Dance; House Florent didn’t take part in the Dance. Omer spent much of his time protecting their lands and fighting any who came to bring them trouble. Little is known about Omer during this time because of how much time he spent away from all who once knew him, a puppet on the string of his treacherous father only to be saved by our rightful king Cedric Tyrell, the Eyes of Brightwater as the folk have taken to calling him. 

The Damage; After being abducted Omer’s reputation took sharp turn. While some did start to think less of the Lord Commander more felt a pity for the man who once could be described as the pride of his lands. They whispered how sad it was to see such a man fall so far from his drinking and his whoring and his late nights it seemed nothing would pull the lord from the darkest place in his life. If not for the friendships he forged with men like Harlon Tarly, his brotherhood with Cedric Tyrell, his sister Rhea Florent, and his dearest companion Lucrezia Redwyne, this maester believes we would have lost him. 

The Iron War; Lord Omer Florent found sobriety at the cost of losing half of his left arm and spent a month on bedrest in a stupor of poppy’s milk. When the fever broke it seemed the man all knew once before came back in a way. Proud, honorable, and strong. For the Gods tested his will and he has continued to show his worth. May the mother shelter him. May the father protect him. May the smith keep his sword strong and the warrior keep him might. May the maiden protect what is left of his innocence and may the crone share her wisdom. And may the stranger stay away for a while longer.

Note; Basically, Omer never had a reputation for whoring as he reached what most would consider manhood (basically by his second summer at the arbor the most people could say of him is he has a fondness for flirting). Omer has always had the reputation of a man with honor and integrity. No one has ever questioned whether or not Omer is a good man. And anyone who does is often considered to be speaking foul or from a place of jealousy. Yes, there are some fathers who didn’t want this young man around their daughters but it’s no different than any other father’s response to a good looking and charismatic knight. this is not to say omer is perfect because he is rude and abrasive, he is snobby and judgmental but we’re not going to pretend he’s been a drunken whore his whole life.  

[lovehotelreservation]

2 Become 1 - The 1 That I Die 4 [4/5]

Summary: It was only befitting that a hero made of legends deserved a fairytale ending.

But Thancred was no prince, nor did he feel fit to be by the Warrior of Light’s side.

And even then, from those precious days back at the Waking Sands all the way to the moon and stars above, he couldn’t stray away from her for too long.

Rating: R

Pairing: WoL!Lucrezia/Thancred

[Previous Chapter]

[Next Chapter]

CRAWLS IN TO HUMBLY OFFER THIS TOKEN OF SANKUREDDO AFFECTION ESP IN FACE OF STILL NEEDING TO COOK FOR ONE'S SELF AFTER THE LAST PATCH

THANK YOU 4 READING I AM 4EVER GRATEFUL 2 U ALL!!!

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The idea of a happy ending was for fools.

And given his tendencies to succumb to some form of idiocy, Thancred was resigned to hold out hope for one of his own.

But for the few decades under his name, he knew that to wish for something so fickle and idealistic was for naught.

Especially for a man of his rotten caliber.

Yet, for the years he had since spent on The First, to wallow continuously in this pool of self-pity and deprecation was only going to bring him more harm than good.

Especially with Lucrezia having arrived and reunited with him and everyone else at long last. There was fierce determination on her features, a burning resolve to do what was right.

That long needed talk had to wait again, for his priority for the longest was tracking down Minfilia and bringing her to safety.It was a hard lesson to learn, but if he was to be strong enough to protect the girl who Minfilia entrusted her legacy to, to be a worthy enough man of Lucrezia’s love, then he had to start somewhere.

First, he just had to recover and heal from his fight with Ranjit out in the burning sands of Amh Araeng.

He was aching all over, his breaths short from utter exhaustion.

But by the quick work of his dear companions, he was thankful to be standing.

Or sitting, in this case, as he remained upon the stairs of the abandoned workshop he had taken refuge at, the other Scions close-by.

However, the flash of blue and pink from the corner of his eye caught his attention, prompting him to look up, a sheepish grin forming on his features upon greeting.

“Ah, there you are. We were worried–”

Thancred’s words froze right in his throat, a slight choke escaping him as a petite body launched itself right at him.

Immediately, there were blue and pink hydrangeas in his face, arms wrapped around his body, a face pressed right against his chest, cries that rang in his ears, and–soon enough–tears on his chestplate.

“Lulu…” His voice trailed off, his silver eyes widening as his arms instinctively embraced her in a snug hold. “--what happened?” For a moment, his heart dropped at the possibility that the absolute worst outcome transpired at the final meeting with Minfilia.

There were hands, so warm and so small, suddenly cupping his cheeks, his face then made to gaze downwards ever slightly so, if just to bask in the darling weeping expression of one Lucrezia.

And it was this tender gesture that had him muse out loud in gentle astonishment.

“Are you…crying for me?”

For a moment, he saw that dearest innocent adventurer who captured his heart all those years ago.

“Of course I am! It’s all for you–Thancred, you idiot!” She wailed earnestly, caring little to be seen in this way before him and their close companions. “I’ve cried for you, I’ve cried over you so many times!”

The grin on his features turned tight as it readied to become like that of a straight line. “I’m sorry–”

“Enough apologizing!” She was cradling his face now, her thumbs delicately running over his skin, all while her expression showed nothing short of a desperate plea. “Always saying sorry for even existing–I can’t ever stand to hear that from you!”

He stared at her. “‘Ever?’”

His dearest Lulu, the Bride she would become, the Heartbreaker who commanded him, all were before him right now, kneeling and sobbing for a conversation that was long overdue.

And she wanted him.

A smile spread onto his features, his gaze softening as overwhelming joy bloomed and blossomed within him, the pain that ached throughout his body soon fogorgotten.

He took her into his arms as joyful tears of his own began to well within his eyes.

“Lulu…then how about you cry with me instead then, yeah?”

Lucrezia sniffled but nodded earnestly.

There was still so much left unsaid, so many burdens to lift, so many wounds to mend, so much heartbreak to heal and so much love to confess.

Once more, as Thancred and Lucrezia embraced with tears of rapturous relief streaming down their cheeks as their lips soon earnestly met, just being able to be in each other’s arms like this was enough.

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People come and people pass by. Like the seasons, life will always change. You are the one that I die for.

[zalrb]

Hi I finished watching the Borgias and I was so distraught I just started the whole thing over again and there’s no one to talk to about it. Please tell me you still like Borgia asks. I read through your Borgia tag and I think my perspective on cesare’s timeline is different on re-watch. I think that he realized he had intense feelings for lucrezia that he shouldn’t be having on her wedding day. The moment he rips off his cardinal robes struck me because it’s this moment of emotional despair that goes beyond his desire to be a soldier- it’s the culmination of his protectiveness and love for lucrezia. His desire not to see her married is kind of unmasked as something deeper. I think he knows and is consciously trying to transfer his feelings for her onto Ursula. He refers to them as Abelard and Eloise. He tells her that he fears he’ll be lost if he both loves and desires her, and then tells her he could love her (not that he does or did), meaning that somehow he still knows that love and desire mixed are painful to him. How would he know that if he’s never loved before? And then he tells lucrezia (with a longing gaze) that he’s utterly lost. And there’s that conversation with his mom about loving someone who is married and suffering because of it, it sounds like he’s double-talking. I think his knowledge of his feelings for lucrezia are the catalyst for his lost innocence rather than the other way around.

Anyway I love your analyses, I really just want someone to talk theories with.

Hey. I've said the same thing about Ursula and Cesare

and when I've spoken about Cesare's feelings pre-Giovanni, it's more about holding a boundary

but this part:

I think his knowledge of his feelings for lucrezia are the catalyst for his lost innocence rather than the other way around.

I don't necessarily agree with. When I spoke of Lucrezia's loss of innocence, it was in relation to Giovanni not to her feelings about Cesare, so I don't think 'the other way around' part works in relation to my posts, and I don't think Cesare's loss of innocence is tied to his feelings for Lucrezia at all. I think that happened before we even meet Cesare in season 1 and I think that has more to do with his relationship to Rodrigo than to Lucrezia.

I also maintain the belief that while there was certainly an undercurrent throughout their relationship from the get-go and that he is absolutely possessive of Lucrezia and wants her by his side always and we see that in season 1, we see this feeling of she's mine

which is definitely more than brotherly, which is definitely crossing lines, which is definitely romantic, I don't think it's necessarily sexual pre-Giovanni.