#cs regency au

[snowbellewells]

CS Fic Rec Monday: "Blackberry Summers" by @undercaffinatednightmare

Oh my goodness, if you love Regency romances, or have enjoyed watching Bridgerton, or just love a nice historical AU, this fic is for you! I love what @undercaffinatednightmare has done with our Emma and Killian in this long ago setting. I like how they've fussed and flirted already and I can't wait to see how it will all play out in the end. Right now it is a WIP with 3 current chapters, but don't let that stop you - check it out!! :)

"Blackberry Summers" by: @undercaffinatednightmare

[myfearless-love]

Too Well Tangled (Chapter 12/21 - "From Brawls to Blueballs")

Chapters: 12/21 — "From Brawls to Blueballs"

Rating: Mature

Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Relationship: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan

Characters: Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan, Arthur (Once Upon a Time), Knave of Hearts | Will Scarlet, Robin Hood (Once Upon a Time), Mad Hatter | Jefferson

Additional Tags: Captain Swan - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Regency, Enemies to Lovers, Angst and Fluff and Smut, BAMF Emma Swan, Angst and Romance, Banter

Summary: Determined and tough-minded Emma Nolan is on a singular mission: to rescue her dim-witted brother from the clutches of Killian Jones, the infamously rakish Marquess of Hookstone. Little did she anticipate her own burgeoning desire for the audacious, unscrupulous scoundrel she intended to despise. Killian Jones, the enigmatic Marquess of Hookstone, has more than earned his sinister sobriquet, the "Prince of Darkness." His past, a stormy mosaic of rejection and rebellion, has forged a man both feared and revered. Yet, the indomitable Miss Nolan proves an unexpectedly formidable opponent for his infamous charm. But when Killian's reciprocated passion lands them in a scandalously compromising, and very public, predicament, Emma is left with no recourse but to demand satisfaction...

Previous chapters: ch. 1 II ch. 2 II ch. 3 II ch. 4 II ch. 5 II ch. 6 II ch. 7 II ch. 8 II ch. 9 II ch. 10 II ch. 11

READ HERE: AO3

Preview:

HUGE thank you to my amazing beta @xarandomdreamx for always catching my mistakes and leaving me smiling with her comments!!❤️

Tagging some folks who might be interested:

@anmylica @elfiola @zaharadessert @gingerchangeling @undercaffinatednightmare

@jrob64 @teamhook @kmomof4 @jonesfandomfanatic @mie779

@winterbaby89 @tiganasummertree @stahlop @rylieblu @ultraluckycatnd

@eddisfargo @booksteaandtoomuchtv @laianely @hollyethecurious @resident-of-storybrooke

@beckettj @whimsicallyenchantedrose @captainswan-kellie @veryverynotgoodwrites @lfh1226-linda

@snowbellewells @caught-in-the-filter @shady-swan-jones @bluewildcatfanatic

(Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the list)

[princess-and-the-swan]

CS Fic Recs: Bridgerton-Inspired AU

While I anxiously await the arrival of the second half of Bridgerton S3, I'm absolutely DEVOURING these 3 Bridgerton-inspired CS fics I've found:

A Scoundrel... Or a Gentleman? by @kmomof4

Killian Jones has been in love with Emma Nolan since the day he met her - the day before she married his brother Earl Liam Jones. That was six years ago, and Liam has been gone now for four years. Emma and Killian have both arrived in London for the season - her to seek a husband so she can hopefully bear children, him to finally take up his duties as the earl, including finding a wife. Will they succeed in their respective desires? Complete. Inspired by Francesca Bridgerton's story, this is the fic that sent me into my Bridgerton-fic frenzy. While there is a little bit of Liamma in the beginning, this is very much a Captain Swan fic and it's so much fun to follow along with the evolving relationship dynamic between the two.

A Mistress to No One by @kmomof4

Bastard Emma Swan enjoys one night of pure magic and romance in the midst of a life of drudgery and abuse- attending a masquerade ball and meeting aristocrat Killian Jones. Two years later, the same man she met on the best night of her life reappears, saving her from a dire fate in the process. Now, she must keep herself from falling in love with a man she can never have. But when that proves impossible, is there any hope for a happy ending between two people from such vastly different worlds? Complete. I will admit, that I have never read Benedict Bridgerton's story, so I had no idea what to expect. This story reminds me of Cinderella but if Cinderella and her prince had an actual connection beyond a single dance.

The Duke and His Swan by @hollyethecurious

Dearest Reader, the ton is abuzz with speculation that the new Duke of Ironhook will be remaining in town for the duration of the Season. Second born of the illustrious Jones family, Killian Jones has quite the legacy to live up to now he has inherited the dukedom from his late elder brother. Also entering Society for her first season is Miss Emma Swan, ward to the Viscount Nolan’s family. Gifted with a respectable dowry, Miss Swan’s financial worth and uncommon good looks will surely make up for her rumored prickly disposition in the eye of more than one fortune seeking suitor. Stay tuned, Dear Reader, for this author has it on good authority His Grace and Miss Swan shall cause quite a sensation, perhaps even resulting in… scandal! Complete. If you haven't already read this fic, I HIGHLY recommend it. Loosely inspired by Daphne Bridgerton's story, this is very much a friends to lovers trope that so many of us adore. After I read this fic, I binged several of this author's other works as well because her writing is absolutely addictive :)))

These fics are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires and I really hope more Bridgerton-inspired fics will begin to pop up--especially a Colin Bridgerton-esque fic to commemorate the Polin season! If you've found any others that you enjoyed, please please please let me know! Happy reading!!

[ohmightydevviepuu]

the part of a swan / chapter five

It should be clear that Emma did not, by any means, regret her ruination.  She did not miss the person she had been before that night; the eager, naive girl, brought up always to behave a certain way, to speak softly, to do as she was bidden, to be what she was told.

Emma no longer believed in allowing people to tell her who she could be.

But Killian Jones is not concerned with who she was–he’s interested in who she is. And he might be the only one smart enough to uncover the truth.

chapter one | chapter two | chapter three | chapter four [cover art by @snowbellewells ]

--

There weren’t many places where a known scandal could drink and socialize unnoticed but Emma Swan took solace in the fact that she had created one.  The ladies’ side of The Swan hosted some of London’s best parties and specialized in women’s pleasure of all varieties.  It was a place for drinking, dancing, laughing—away from the notice of Society, not only immune to its censure but uninterested in its very existence.  A haven for privacy, a place to solve problems.

The ladies’ side of The Swan was not a place for being Seen, it was a place for living.

Tonight, however, n the heart of what should have been her sanctum, the most private rooms in the most private part of her club, surrounded by the people who had watched her find her wings and then given her space to fly, Emma was taking solace in rather more murderous musings.

“I’ve read the Scandal Sheet, of course, but I’m given to understand the more interesting story was left off the pages and on the floor of this casino.”  Regina Hood, Lady Locksley, smirked as she leaned forward to collect her cards from the table.  “Along with Amelia’s red dress.”

How unfortunate that murder would be not only unladylike but so terribly messy.  Bad form, indeed.  “It was not on the floor,” Emma grumbled.

read more on AO3

@cshistfic @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @spartanguard @optomisticgirl @wistfulcynic @shireness-says @tiganasummertree

[seongwars]

𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝑒

Ina | ♑️ | I'm a corporate aged girly with a 9-5 job and try to update when I can

𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝓁𝑜𝑔

This blog is a safe space for everyone where I genuinely enjoy putting out content to share with my followers. That goes without saying that if you are sexist, homophobic, racist or engaging in negative behaviors you will be blocked.

𝑜𝓃𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔

✧ ardently | {san | regency au; slow updates}

✧ away with the wind | {seonghwa | dragon rider au}

✧ forget me not | { yunho | modern magic au}

𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓽𝓮𝓭

✧ taste of heaven | CS {smut}

© seongwars, all rights reserved. please do not modify, copy, use, translate, or repost my works in any platforms.

[lucky-clover-gazette]

prince's gambit highlights & annotations

chapter 16

indented text is from the book. some quotes have commentary, some do not. some comments are serious, and some are definitely not. most of them will only make sense to people who have read the series. and, like, there are spoilers. so please read the books first if you're interested!

also: part of the reason i'm doing such a close reading is to study cs pacat's style, especially in terms of how she does romance and erotica. there are "craft notes" that might seem weird, like i'm being redundant or restating something rather than analyzing, but those are more things that i want to remember/take away from the writing!

i'm going to tag these longer posts with "sam reads capri" in case anyone wants to read them all at once.

this is a google doc i wrote with overall content warnings for the captive prince series. it's not perfect, but i do think it's important to include.

The Vaskian women, whose allegiance was tentative, retreated with the carts—except two, who stayed to fight on the understanding that they would receive the horses of any men they killed.

HORSE GIRLS UNITED

‘The Regency,’ said Laurent, addressing the troop, ‘thought to take us outnumbered. It expected us to roll over without a fight.’ Damen said: ‘We will not let them cow us, subdue us or force us down. Ride hard. Don’t stop to fight the front line. We are going to smash them open. We are here to fight for our Prince!’

THEY’RE SPEECHING TOGETHER <3

He recognised, in himself, that he was angry, and that it had less to do with Aimeric’s betrayal than with the Regent, the malicious rumours that the Regent employed—warping the truth, warping men, while the Regent himself remained pristine and untouched as he set his men to fight against their own Prince.

big breakthrough with the nice vs. good theme!

‘It would not have been my strategy.’ ‘I know. You overcomplicate things.’

‘Then we’ll have a swift victory. I meant what I said. If we sleep tonight inside the walls of Ravenel, in the morning, I will take off the collar from around your neck. This is the battle you came here to fight.’

spoiler alert: not only will you be sleeping tonight inside the walls of ravenel, you will be sleeping together tonight inside the walls of ravenel

He felt Touars’s blade drive into the ground, slicing through the straps of his helm, and—where it should have hit his neck—scraping with a metallic sound down the side of his gold collar.

He turned, the truth on his face. Stripped bare, he could not hide himself in that moment. Laurent, he thought, and lifted his gaze to meet the eyes of the man who had witnessed the last words of Lord Touars. It wasn’t Laurent. It was Jord. He was staring at Damen in horror, his sword lax in his hand. ‘No,’ said Damen. ‘It’s not—’ The final moments of the battle faded around Damen, as he came to full comprehension of what Jord was seeing. Of what Jord, for the second time that day, was seeing. ‘Does he know?’ said Jord.

probably the worst possible person to hear this, ngl. since he’s nursing a betrayal and heartbreak.

okay so the first time i read this, i didn’t think laurent knew. so this was SO fucking stressful. like i felt so bad for laurent. and i still do, i feel bad for both of them! but there is a relief to knowing that laurent knows. but damen still has to deal with the anxiety of this between now and the reveal, which i think is important for his development. and laurent is still in denial, even if he knows who damen is. that’s how he allows himself to be vulnerable at all, which is ultimately what he needs.

Laurent reined in beside him, still astride the same horse, dried blood in a stripe along its shoulder. ‘Well, Captain,’ he said. ‘Now we merely have to take an impregnable fortress.’ His eyes were bright.

modern au gamer laurent…

All men would receive care.

laurent is trying to do war in the most honorable way possible

‘Are you here to kill me?’ said Jord. ‘No,’ said Damen. There was a silence. They stood two paces apart. Jord had a knife drawn, and held it low, a white-knuckled fist around the hilt.

jord’s definitely thinking about aimeric and orlant

‘You hated us so much, all this time? It wasn’t enough to invade, to take our land? You had to play this—sick game as well?’

jord i get where you’re coming from, and this was heart-wrenching on my first read, but i assure you that laurent’s game is sicker and he’s been playing it on purpose

‘Tell him?’ said Jord. ‘Tell him the man he trusts has lied, and lied again, has deceived him into the worst humiliation?’

babygirl you’re projecting a little bit

‘You killed his brother, then got him under you in bed.’ Put like that, it was monstrous. It’s not that way between us, he ought to have said, and didn’t, couldn’t. He felt hot, then cold. He thought of Laurent’s delicate, needling talk that froze into icy rebuff if Damen pushed at it, but if he didn’t—if he matched himself to its subtle pulses and undercurrents—continued, sweetly deepening, until he could only wonder if he knew, if they both knew, what they were doing.

craft note: this is just beautifully written. i love the way pacat describes their mutual attraction and the way they interact with each other

He’ll mourn your loss, and never know.

bet you wish you could have had that with aimeric, jord, instead of what you got

craft note: honestly, wow. this is a really clever way to keep the “does laurent know” mystery compelling. jord and aimeric as a parallel to laurent and damen distracts the reader from the idea of laurent knowing, and it misleads the reader into seeing the dynamics as parallel. like, jord, damen, and most likely the reader all think at this point that damen = aimeric in this situation; the traitor, who knows more than his partner. and it’s dramatic and emotional and limited to damen’s pov, so it’s easy for a first time reader to buy into it.

but in reality, the one with more knowledge here is laurent, who both knows who damen is and knows that damen doesn’t know that he knows who he is. the jord/aimeric thing and the upcoming nicaisening are both really smart things to insert at this point in the plot, so most first-time readers get to experience the shock of the reveal without being intentionally misdirected in a way that feels cheap.

it’s not satisfying to be outright told one thing is true (laurent doesn’t know) and then have a “twist” that it’s actually untrue. but because pacat takes the care to plant the suggestion of laurent’s ignorance through a parallel to another character, the reader is the one filling in the blanks. so then when the truth is plainly revealed, the reader gets to rethink everything, see what they missed, and not feel annoyed or misinformed.

‘You’re gone by the time the sun hits the middle of the sky, or I tell him,’ said Jord. ‘And what he did to you in the palace will seem like a lover’s kiss compared with what will happen to you then.’

jord you look so silly now that i know the twist. you underestimate laurent’s cognitive dissonance and the power of love that isn’t simply predicated on sex. maybe if you and aimeric had grown to respect each other as people first, like damen and laurent, things could have gone differently. just sayingggggg

‘You fill me with horror,’ said Jord. His hands were tight on his knife. Both his hands, now.

oh shut up. damen’s fine.

[sabraeal]

I hope you will take this as a fun opportunity and not an annoyance but I was wondering if you had any book recs? I generally read fantasy and have been trying to break into Adult Lit over YA (while still liking YA and hoping to find adult novels with the same engaging settings and brisk pacing but with more advanced prose). Really liked Spinning Silver and Uprooted by Naomi Novik this year, and my favorites of your fics are Seven Suitors (obligatory), pacific rim au, and the snow queen one. I’ve never really read romance before but I’m willing to give it a try, especially if there’s other genre elements at play as well. Do you have any directions you could point me? I appreciate it!

Oh, I always love giving book recs, and thank you so much for giving me some preferences because it's so much easier to direct people when I know what they already like!

My current favorite YA author right now is Frances Hardinge, who writes truly magnificent prose and absolutely amazing worlds. If you like All That Remains, you will probably love the emotional devastation that is The Lie Tree, and a few of my other favorites are Gullstruck Island and Cuckoo Song. If you are a fan of Terry Pratchett, you also can't go wrong with her Fly By Night duology. Genevieve Valentine is another YA author I highly recommend; Mechanique is probably my favorite, but the Persona series is also top notch, and The Girls at the Kingfisher Club has a vibe that cannot be beat.

I haven't yet read Spinning Silver but Uprooted is also a fav of mine; I have a deep love of fairy tale retellings, or stories written to be like fairy tales. On that thread I definitely recommend the Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden (I have a few quibbles with the story, but the writing is solid and the first book had me captivated for a good 3/4ths of it), The Orphan's Tales by Catherynne M Valente, plus A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C Bunce (her Thief Errant series also lives RENT FREE in my head at all times).

Seven Suitors was fleshed out with Regency mores in mind, inspired by by historical mystery novels I read in that time period, plus some fantasy with more rigid social structure. The Crown & Court duet by Sherwood Smith is something I would consider formative for my writing in that quarter. For something actually regency set, though definitely not the same genre, I would recommend the Sebastian St Cyr series by CS Harris, which are mysteries set in Georgian London, featuring a brooding hero who starts off with an equally brooding, star-crossed actress as a lover...only to have the rug pulled out beneath him by the daughter of his father's long-standing political rival.

My scifi chops are rather thin-- I love the genre but I find lots of the deeper cuts here get too info-dumpy for me on the hard science level-- but I can definitely recommend The Expanse series by James SA Corey (as well as pretty much anything Daniel Abraham writes in the fantasy genre)

As for All That Remains, there are several extremely painful fantasy series I could recommend, because I love having my heart torn out, stamped on, and then taped back in. Guy Gavriel Kay is a great writer for that-- I suggest starting at Lions of Al-Rassan and then working your way forward through that setting by publishing date. The aforementioned Daniel Abraham also is amazing at this; The Seasons Quartet is a decades-spanning series that will truly make your tear out your hair at the end of each book. NK Jemisin is also amazing, The Broken Earth trilogy is where I would start out for intense heart-stomping.

[phoenixwrites]

Favorite fic: Song of the Siren 😭

Oh my gosh! One of the ancient tomes!

I really love writing that one. Regency AU smut for Rumbelle and a proper pirate AU for Swanfire, which feels like a beautiful fuck you to CS.

I love that it’s your favorite!

[motherkatereloyshipper]

favortive reylo regency au fanfics?

Brilliant question @aparnasworld , I do love a regency AU

This is Reylo, hot and interesting, I love an A.B.O. that explores the science a bit.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37413466

This one of from the CS fandom and it has some of the best snappy dialogue it's written by @zaharadessert who writes some of the best banter in any fandom.

Is another CS story and one I have gone back to time and time again, @ineffablecolors writes a tale that is sweet and haunting and beautiful and stays in your head

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12991242

Pure regency festive fluff.

Pygmalion AU, very well written and very funny.

Honestly I could go on and on, asking me for recs is a nightmare because I love them all!

Great question x

[hollyethecurious]

CS AU: The Duke and His Swan (5/5)

Summary: Dearest Reader, the ton is abuzz with speculation that the new Duke of Ironhook will be remaining in town for the duration of the Season. Second born of the illustrious Jones family, Killian Jones has quite the legacy to live up to now he has inherited the dukedom from his late elder brother. Also entering Society for her first season is Miss Emma Swan, ward to the Viscount Nolan’s family. Gifted with a respectable dowry, Miss Swan’s financial worth and uncommon good looks will surely make up for her rumored prickly disposition in the eye of more than one fortune seeking suitor. Stay tuned, Dear Reader, for this author has it on good authority His Grace and Miss Swan shall cause quite a sensation, perhaps even resulting in… scandal!

A/N: Sorry I didn’t post a sneak peek this week! I know I promised I would, but when it came down to it everything seemed too spoilery.  I hope posting early will make up for it, though! With all the Memorial Day events we have planned tomorrow, I wanted to make sure the final installment got posted sooner rather than later.

Thank you all for coming on this journey with me. I SO appreciate all the reblogs, comments, likes, kudos, and reviews. Thanks so much!!

Much love to @artistic-writer for the gorgeous pic set she created to accompany this fic, and a thousand rainbow hearts and unicorn stickers to @kmomof4 and @ilovemesomekillianjones for being my cheerleader and beta, respectively. Love you ladies to bits!!

Rated M for language and smut / Available on ao3 and ff.net / buy me a coffee / add to tag list / Part One / Part Two / Part Three / Part Four

Part Five

What a whirlwind of a week, Dear Readers. One filled with tantalizing tales that I, Lady Priscilla Candlewyck, promise to convey to you even as they continue to unfold within the ton.

First, it seems Mr. Neal Cassidy has found himself no longer in possession of a membership at Aesop’s. While speculation runs rampant, I can tell you his honor has been called into question. It seems he owes vast sums to a number of debtors, a problem he likely sought to solve by marrying an heiress, which would explain his relentless pursuit of a certain Duke’s Swan. While such circumstance is not unheard of within the ton, it appears that is only the beginning of Mr. Cassidy’s misfortunes. This Author has heard it rumored the man recently engaged in an act of such cowardice and despicable character, he is no longer welcome in any respectable home or business and is, at this very moment, embarking on an extended journey abroad where we can only hope he will have the good sense to remain in exile.

But let us not dwell on these unpleasant topics, Dear Reader, for there is reason to rejoice! Like many of you, I confess a most undignified sound of pure elation escaped me when I read the Pronouncement of Engagement between Miss Emma Swan and The Duke of Ironhook in yesterday’s evening paper. I must tell you, though, Faithful Reader, that is not the most exciting and intriguing bit of news regarding the Duke and his Swan. For by the time you read this, the two will have found themselves, not simply intended for one another, but pronounced husband and wife! At this very moment, they are likely on their way to the Duke’s country estate to begin their honeymoon, and I am sure you will join me in wishing them every happiness and satisfaction in their wedded bliss.

~/~

A warm, orange glow filled the cab of the Duke’s carriage as it gently rocked and swayed the two inhabitants sitting in quiet resolve within. Other than when they’d exchanged their vows earlier that morning, Emma and the Duke had not said much to one another. Pleasantries mostly. Expected and necessary comments of polite and proper discourse as they entertained the few guests invited to the ceremony and modest reception. Overly civil and formal exchanges when they’d stopped for dinner on the road. Emma thought she might go mad from the silence, but was at a loss of how to break it without causing greater damage to their already fractured existence.

Silhouettes of towering trunks flickered past the carriage window, alerting Emma to the change of scenery. Killian had told her his lands lay just beyond a forest where the occasional vagrant or bandit would attempt to waylay coaches at night, thus their need to leave out from the city by midday so they could reach the estate by nightfall. She supposed he did not relish having to spend their wedding night at a roadside inn, and was quite frankly glad of that.

Nerves fluttered through her chest and down into her stomach at the prospect of what awaited her once they reached the estate. Churnings of both apprehension and anticipation had made it difficult for her to consume much of anything that day, and with the sun’s descent towards the horizon and the pace of the carriage seemingly increasing in speed, her heart soon matched their swiftness with its strumming beats racing beneath her breast.

Perhaps sensing the mounting tension permeating the cab from her attempts to quell her thoughts regarding their wedding night, Killian shifted in his seat and finally broke the silence hanging heavily between them.

“Not much farther now.” His own gaze was fixed on the blur of trees sweeping past. “I sent word yesterday to the housekeeper, Mrs. Tremaine, that a formal welcome and introduction of the staff can wait until tomorrow. I imagined you’d be tired upon our arrival and would wish to be shown to your room so you might turn in for the night.”

Emma’s head snapped toward his, her brow creased in confusion as she questioned, “My room?”

Killian’s Adam’s apple bobbed and his eyes remained focused on the landscape which had begun to change back into golden fields as they left the shadows of the forest. “Aye. It is customary for the Duchess to have her own chambers, and I would not presume to expect duties from you until--”

“But I am perfectly prepared to meet those expectations,” Emma assured him. His eyes fell shut and a heavy exhale shuddered from his chest, prompting her to reach forward and place her hand over his, balled up into a fist atop his thigh. “Killian,” she said softly. “I know you do not love me, that this is a marriage born of duty and not something you truly wanted, but I am determined to make the best of our situation. I know what is expected of me, what is required of us, in order to secure the future of the Ironhook name. You need an heir, and there is only one way for us to produce one. I may not have been your first choice as Duchess, just as being a wife and mother was not something I had ever anticipated wanting, but we both must find a way to compromise the expectations we had for our lives and make the best of the one we find ourselves forever joined in.”

Squeezing his hand tighter, she looked at him pleadingly, needing him to meet her halfway in this commitment and the forgiveness she desperately sought from him while wishing to impart her own absolution for the part he played in their current predicament. The desire to confess the fullness of her heart to him remained firmly planted on her tongue. She was certain he felt trapped enough as it was, and did not wish to add to the burden of his responsibility to her by making him feel as though he must reciprocate the love she held for him. Perhaps, if she were truly fortunate, he would come to love her with time.

“You think I…” Killian’s words, even as they trailed off, pulled her attention back to him. She flinched back when he raised his other fist and pounded on the wall behind him, the one that separated the cab from the driver. The carriage slowed to a stop, and before Emma could pose an inquiry as to why, Killian stepped out and demanded the reins from the coachman.

Emma jostled when the wheels began to turn once more, her hands gripping the bottom of the window as she peered out to see where Killian was taking them. They had not traveled far when a lane appeared on their right, its destination leading to a grand manor house Emma could barely make out in the waning light of the day. After coming to a stop once more, Killian alighted from the driver’s seat and opened the carriage door, assisting her from the cab with an expression full of trepidation.

“Where… Where are we?” Emma asked, taking in the vast house and sweeping lawns. “What is this place?”

“This,” Killian said, leading her away from the carriage and to a better vantage point where she could appreciate the manor and all its amenities better, “is my wedding gift to you.”

“What?”

“I was planning to show it to you tomorrow, but after all you said in the carriage, I knew it could not wait until then.”

“I do not understand,” Emma replied, casting her perplexed expression upon him. “My wedding gift? Why would I have need of--”

“The east wing would be an ideal place to keep the orphaned children. It has multiple levels of rooms so you could have a floor for boys and one for girls.” He stretched out his arm and gestured towards the other side of the manor, suggesting, “I thought the west wing might serve as a place where you could house women who find themselves in similar circumstances as your mother had. Provide them with a safe place where they can bring their baby into the world with dignity, giving them options on what they think might be the best chance for them and their child. Whether it’s leaving them in your care here at the orphanage, or perhaps making a fresh start with a proper reference from a Duchess, no less.”

Words caught in Emma’s throat, impeding her ability to draw in a full breath. When she did not respond to his vision for what he’d had in mind with his wedding gift, he stepped before her, taking her hands in his own, and ran his thumbs soothingly along the backs of her knuckles.

“I told your brother to put your dowry in trust, so you might use it as you see fit,” he told her in a hushed and gentle tone. “And as you’ll see, the manor is only a short distance from our estate, making it convenient for you to be as hands on with the orphanage as you wish to be.”

“I don’t… how did you… is this manor not part of your--”

“It used to be August’s,” he confided. “It belonged to his mother’s side of the family, but he lost it gambling many years ago.”

“To you?”

“No,” he replied with a soft smile. “To a man who passed on some time ago, and through whose solicitor I acquired it the day before yesterday.”

“The day before…” Emma’s breath caught at the earnest look in Killian’s eyes, the way he waited for the full measure of understanding to settle over her as she parsed. “Before the Camelot Ball? Before we… before the gardens and our… before Mr. Cassidy witnessed us and you… before--”

Her words cut off when Killian leaned in and rested his forehead against her. “Aye,” he breathed. “Before all of that.”

“Why?”

His tongue darted out and wet his lips, his eyelids fluttering closed as his chest labored from a fortifying breath. “Because, love. This is your heart’s desire.” Opening once more, Emma felt herself getting lost in his forget-me-not depths as he continued to profess things she never found herself brave enough to dream he’d say to her. “I promise that’s all I want you to have. I did not want you to compromise anything of your wants and desires to be my wife, and had hoped, once I had a chance to convey that to you, it would have been enough to convince you to say yes.”

“Say yes?” Emma parroted breathlessly. “You mean… you already had intentions of proposing?”

“Of course I did, Swan,” he murmured, his breath ghosting over her lips as darkness enveloped them. “I love you.”

His hands released hers in favor of holding her face within their gentle grasp. His eyes bounced between hers as he unburdened himself of all the things she imagined he’d been holding back from declaring, afraid of the weight such proclamations might add to her perceived disappointment in being forced to marry, just as she had refrained from expressing similar sentiments to him.

“I love you, and there is nothing I will not do to ensure your happiness in the hopes that one day you might return my love.”

Emma opened her mouth, but her response stuck in the back of her throat, overcome by the emotion welling up from within.

“I will not deny my desire for children, but the legacy of an heir can wait until such a time you are ready. Indeed, I am willing to wait in regards to all aspects of our marital bed until you are comfortable with the notion, despite how much I want you.”

His jaw tightened, the muscle above flickering in time with her pulse as his words, the veracity of which she could see swirling in his darkened gaze, sent her own longings thundering through her veins. Dusk had begun to cast its nightly spell, leaving the air around them charged with wistful promises of possibilities long yearned for. Possibilities Emma determined to take hold of, not wishing to let another moment go by where doubt or misconstrued intentions might rob them of the happiness they had already delayed with their foolish presumptions.

Surging upward onto her toes, Emma fused her lips to Killian’s. After a moment’s pause, getting over the shock of her unexpected action, he slipped a hand to the back of her neck and tentatively returned the kiss. It occurred to Emma she had said nothing since his declaration, and while clearly not opposed to what she had hoped to convey with her kiss, Killian had always been a man of words and, therefore, would need the assurance of hers before he would allow himself to read too much into her actions.

“Take me home, Killian,” she breathed against his lips. “Take me to our bed. Make me your wife.”

His fingers dug into the back of her neck, his grip tightening there and at her waist where his other hand had settled. “Are you sure, love?”

“As sure as I am of my love for you.”

He pulled back slightly, eyes searching hers as an expression of reserved hopefulness swept over his features. “What?”

Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, Emma raised herself up a bit higher on her toes so she could press her forehead to his. “I love you, Killian. I love you, and I… want you, too. So, please, Your Grace. Take me home.”

An audible gasp, tinted with laughter and surprise, rushed over her lips when Killian bent down and lifted her into his arms, marching a quick path back towards their carriage with a growling, As you wish… Your Grace, rumbling from his chest.

~/~

Emma’s lips tingled and her skin was flushed from the simmering heat coursing through her veins. Mindful to not put any extra sway in the carriage during the short ride to the estate, Killian had tried to keep their interactions somewhat chaste, but by the time they rolled up the long drive leading to the grand house, Emma had found herself on his lap making a right mess of his hair as he plundered every bit of exposed skin his lips could reach. The heat at her cheeks intensified when she took in Killian’s disheveled appearance as they entered the house and greeted the Housekeeper and Butler, imagining she likely looked in quite a state as well and hoping they wouldn’t judge her too critically.

“No need, Mrs. Tremaine,” Killian waved off the woman’s offer to help the Duchess get settled in. “I’ll see to my wife’s needs this evening.” Placing his hand to the small of her back, he steered Emma towards the grand staircase and murmured huskily in her ear, “Each and every need, even if it takes until dawn.”

A shudder of wonder ran down her spine and anticipation fluttered through her chest and low in her belly. How she managed to make it up all those stairs with her legs wobbling, she’d never know, but their tremble was nothing in comparison to the quiver taking hold of her entire body now that she was alone with Killian in his - their - bedroom.

“Are you still certain, love? I can show you to your room if you’d rather--”

“No!” Emma protested, perhaps a bit too vehemently. Her brazen insistence and his amused expression made her blush once more. “That is… I’m sure.”

“Good,” he murmured, stepping closer with a confident swagger. His eyes swept over her with a predatory hunger, making her feel like a hare caught in a wolf’s sights. “Turn around,” he commanded, softly but firmly.

It did not even occur to her to inquire the reason as she immediately obeyed, turning her back to him with the soft crackle of the fireplace attempting to combat the shiver that skittered over her arms in the wake of Killian’s fingertips. Without a single word spoken between them, he meticulously and reverently removed each of her garments. His deft fingers made short work of the closures at the back of her traveling gown and his determined tugs at her laces divested her of her corset in record time. All that was left was her underskirt, but he seemed in no rush to add it to the pool of fabric at her feet just yet, too intent on trailing his lips, teeth, and tongue over the slopes of her shoulders and down her spine, making the fine hairs of her body raise to attention as she fought to keep air in her lungs.

“Positively stunning you are, love,” Killian whispered into her skin, his hot breath rippling over her hip as he placed another kiss above the fastening of her underskirt. “Perfection.”

He popped the button out of its closure then followed the material as it slipped down her legs, the rough calluses on his hands contrasting with the soft texture of the linen as both brushed her skin with a feather light touch. Her flesh broke out in hot waves of prickled goosebumps when he stood behind her, his hands continuing to map the lines and curves of her body. When he turned her back around to face him, she thought she might combust from the desire burning in his eyes and the way his gaze traveled over her breasts.

“You’ve no idea how long I have wanted to see you like this, my darling,” he said, something strained and barely controlled tightening his tone. “I’m going to touch you now, and you let me know if there is anything that isn’t to your liking when I do.”

Emma’s breath caught at the sensation of his touch, running the backs of his fingers along her collarbones then over the swell of breasts. He palmed one breast, kneading it in his hand as his mouth followed the path his fingers had tread, his tongue circling the outer edges of her nipple before he slipped it between his teeth. Certain this time that her legs would fail her, Emma gripped Killian’s arms in an effort to support herself, but the action caused him to rear back, a pained hiss falling from his lips.

“Killian, what…” Her eyes widened with realization when she saw him place his hand over the upper part of his bicep. Gasping, she recalled, “Your wound! Oh, Your Grace, I am so sorry.”

“It’s nothing, Swan,” he assured her with a small vestige of a grimace marring his features. “As the doctor said, I was fortunate, and so long as we are mindful of it, my injury will not detract from the enjoyable activities I have planned for us this evening.”

The image of him hurt and bleeding in that field sprang to mind, and the accompanying emotions of terror, rage, and guilt threatened to consume her once again as they had yesterday morning when she had nearly put a bullet in Neal Cassidy for his treachery.

“Hey, no,” he soothed, cupping her face in his hands. “I will not allow him, or anything else, to cast a pall upon this night.” Resting his forehead against hers, he breathed, “Just you and me, love. Tonight, it is just you and me.”

“You and me,” she echoed back, letting the soft caress of his thumbs over the apples of her cheeks bring her back to the sensations of the moment. Like the pleasant heat of the fire playing against the coolness of the room, and the way her skin came alive at the reminder she had not a stitch of clothing on while Killian was still fully dressed.

Running her hands up his chest, she slipped them beneath the lapels of his coat and carefully guided it over his shoulders and down his arms. He watched her, his gaze intently focused on her face, searching for any trace of hesitancy or uncertainty as she undid the buttons of his waistcoat then moved to the ones at his shirt. When both garments landed on the floor next to his coat, he reached down and grasped the backs of her thighs, lifting her into his arms before she could set work upon his trousers.

Impatient sounds reverberated through Killian’s chest as he laid her atop their bed, his lips desperate in their need to pay homage to every inch of her skin. Emma’s back arched, her hands balling the bed coverings in her fists as he licked and nipped and kissed his way down her body. The tip of his nose trailed from her knee along the inside of her thigh, a silent command that she open herself up to him asserted on the hot breath drifting towards her apex ahead of his mouth.

“Relax, darling,” he imparted, spreading her legs wider as he settled between them. “Lie back and let me taste you.”

When the rough, heated texture of his tongue met the soft dampness of her sex Emma nearly dissolved within the mattress. Head thrown back and eyes clamped shut, she gave herself over to the depraved way Killian was devouring her and all the previously forbidden desires his actions were releasing within her. Sounds she never would have thought herself capable of echoed through the room as her body began to move wantonly in response to each flick and flutter of his wicked tongue, but those utterances and gyrations were nothing in comparison to how she reacted when he slipped a finger into her center, curling it along the inside of her walls before removing it and then thrusting it, and a second, back in again.

“Oh, God! Killian!” she panted, on the verge of begging him to stop, though she felt as though she might die if he did.

While her mind warred with her desires, her body knew full well what it wanted, continuing to chase the release as her hips desperately ground against his mouth. A series of vibrations tormented the sensitive bundle he was currently lavishing his attentions on, hums of appreciation and encouragement from his lips while his free hand skimmed up the heated flesh of her form until it found her breast and squeezed it tightly before rolling her nipple between his fingers.

White spots of dazzling stars exploded behind her eyelids, and a tidal wave of pure pleasure washed over her in waves of relief as an icy fire rippled over her skin in the wake of its ebbing. Her chest heaved, her panting a faint rhythm against the thundering of her blood in her ears. Small tremors coursed their way through her body as Killian finished his ministrations, leaving her one last kiss amid the soft curls above her sex.

She scarcely felt the mattress move when Killian climbed off of it, but his absence forced her eyes open in search of him. He hadn’t gone far, standing beside their bed with his lust filled and hooded gaze raking over her, a shimmer of her essence still clinging to his chin.

He hummed decadently when his tongue swept over his lips. “You have a beautiful taste, my love.”

A fresh swell of desire prickled her skin, flushing her a deeper shade of pink and reawakening the ache between her thighs. When his hands began to work the fastening of his trousers, her gaze remained fixed, her breath coming in labored pants of anticipation laced with apprehension over that which was about to be revealed. The sight of him, rigid and proud and much larger than she had expected made her throat go dry, making it nearly impossible to swallow her surge of panic.

“Don’t be afraid,” Killian murmured in a half plea, half directive tone.

“Isn’t it meant to… hurt, though?”

Crawling back onto the bed, he positioned himself atop her, his hips settling into the space between her still splayed thighs with his weight braced on his forearms, his hand caressing the side of her face. “I would never intentionally cause you pain, love,” he promised. “The initial sensation will feel foreign, like an intrusion, and perhaps be a tad uncomfortable until your body has become accustomed to mine, but once that has passed-” he rolled his hips, allowing his member to slip between her folds and make contact with the pleasure point that had once again begun to throb, pulling a moan from her as rapture ran up her spine. “-all you’ll feel is my love for you. Filling you.” Another tormenting thrust brushed against her, causing her back to leave the mattress. “Worshipping you.” His mouth latched onto her breast, pushed upward from the arch of her back and another wanton sound fell from her lips as he sucked hard on her painfully erect nipple before releasing it with an indecent pop to darkly impart, “Giving you everything you need until these trepidations you feel are a distant memory.”

“What trepidations?” Emma groaned, bucking her hips against his, no longer feeling anything but a fierce desire to be filled and worshiped and given everything he had to offer, just as he’d promised.

He chuckled and shifted his hips. “That’s my fierce lass.”

Reaching down, he lined himself up with her entrance, his eyes never wavering from hers as he pushed inside ever so slightly. At the first hint of her body’s reluctance he withdrew, repeating the languid actions of gliding his length through her slick sex and taunting her bud before attempting his advance once more. It did feel like an intrusion at first, but the mixture of delightful bombardments he was assaulting her with - from the press of his lips slanting against hers, to the touch of his hand now applying pressure to that wondrous place between her legs, to the feel of his cock stretching her in a way that burned with exquisite agony - had her relaxing her guard and welcoming him fully into herself after a few deliberately controlled thrusts.

“Bloody hell, Emma. I’ve never experienced anything as luxurious as the feel of you.” His forehead pressed against hers, damp from the exertion of keeping a tight command upon himself, the strain of which crept into his voice when he told her. “I have to move. Have to feel your walls sliding against my cock. Feel the way you cling to me each time I thrust into your depths. Making you mine as you claim me as yours.”

“Yes!” Emma exclaimed, her nails clawing at his back with each change of pace and rhythm his hips orchestrated.

The scratch of his chest hair against her nipples, the burn of his beard rubbing against her cheek, the grip of his hand on hers, fingers tightly woven together above her head as the snap of his hips jarred her body with fresh pleasures, and his words uttered all the devotion and depravity he wanted her to have from him had her instinctively hitching her legs higher against his waist. The slight change in position unlocked a new trove of unexpected pleasure, shockwaves of bliss bursting up her spine each time his length met the spot she knew would send her over the edge once more.

“There,” she exhaled, not sure her breath had been strong enough to carry the clarity of the word to his ears with his own pants and vocalized breaths ringing in her own. “Right there,” she repeated. Pulling her hands free of his, she grasped his backside and held tight, her nails digging into the firm flesh, causing his rhythm to stutter.

“Don’t stop,” she pleaded. “Please, Your Grace! Don’t stop!”

“I wouldn’t dream of it… Your Grace,” he growled teasingly, his hips pistoning with renewed vigor, making her body stiffen as the final elements of her release gathered at the base of her spine. “That’s it, love,” Killian praised, feeling her walls clamped down around him. “Take your pleasure.”

He was relentless, drawing out every ounce of pleasure from her as she felt that same current of pure satisfaction sweep her away within a riptide of euphoria.

“Gods above, Emma,” Killian cried out with a jerk of hips, his length pulsing in her depths, spilling his seed into her as she continued to convulse around him.

With a grunt of exhaustion, Killian collapsed beside her, his hand covering his face as his chest, like hers, fought to find breath.

“That was…” Emma began, not sure how to even begin putting the experience into words.

“A one time thing,” Killian muttered, his tone professing the self-reproach he was inexplicably feeling.

Emma’s heart clenched and her stomach fell away at the thought she had somehow disappointed him, but before the feeling of despair could take root, Killian seemed to realize how his words might have affected her.

Rolling over, he gathered her in his arms, face cupped in his large hand with nothing but love and apology swirling in his eyes. “I meant, my finishing inside you, Swan. I shouldn’t have done that. An heir can wait until after you’ve established your orphanage. I don’t want you becoming pregnant to be an obstacle towards your heart desire. I never meant to--”

Emma cut him off with the press of her mouth, unwilling to relent in her assault against his kiss swollen lips until he was thoroughly distracted from the train of thought he’d allowed himself to traverse.

“You are my heart’s desire, Your Grace.” She brushed the fringe of his hair off his forehead and swept her hand through his riotous strands until her fingers curled around the back of his neck. “You. Killian Jones. The Duke of Ironhook. My husband.” A wide grin broke across his face at her use of that particular moniker. “You are my heart’s desire. You and our future together, whatever that entails, is all I will ever desire. Do you understand me, Your Grace?”

“Aye, love,” he replied with a soft, contented smile. “I understand you perfectly.” Pulling her in tighter, he placed a kiss at her temple and tucked her against his chest. “Because you are, always have been, and always will be, my heart’s desire as well.”

~/~

The ballroom was buzzing with a pleasant murmur of the Duke and Duchess’ friends and family, gathered to celebrate the end of The Season, the arrival of the Nolan heir, and the upcoming nuptials of those among their circle who had found their own match. Killian sipped his champagne from a quiet corner, amusing himself with the way his and Emma’s worlds were colliding right here in their home.

Lord Nolan balked and hovered nervously as his wife handed off their fussing son and heir to Jefferson, who had always had a way with children, able to calm them despite the chaotic nature many within the ton associated with him. Once The Viscount seemed convinced his son was indeed in good hands as Lady Nolan and Jefferson jointly cooed over the quieting infant, Nolan turned back to the conversation he’d been engaged in with Robin, though Killian could not fathom what commonality the two men had found to discuss.

A smile quirked Killian’s lip when he moved his attention to Will, stammering hopelessly as he tried to converse with Miss French, who had been shocked to receive their invitation, given the scandal that had erupted around her after he and Emma had wed and left town.

It seemed her father had lost everything in a series of bad investments and had hoped to marry her off to Gold before the truth was revealed. Fortunately for Miss French - at least, Killian believed her to be most fortunate anyway - the news of Maurice's dire straits broke within Candlewyck’s pages before a contract of betrothal could be drawn up. Unfortunately, it also meant Miss French’s prospects had plummeted, but given the way she seemed receptive to Will’s clearly smitten advances, perhaps things might turn out well for her after all.

A booming laugh pulled his focus towards Nemo, assembled in a group that included Lord Huntsman, Miss Lucas, and the Widow Lucas. No doubt Granny had made one of her off-color remarks, catching Nemo by surprise and thus eliciting such a guffaw it had pulled everyone’s attention to the furiously blushing young couple who were mere weeks away from their wedding and the start of their own happily ever after. The thought of happily ever afters had him instinctively scanning the room for his Swan, his breath catching like it always did at the sight of her bright smile and glittering emerald eyes.

Over the past several weeks, he and his Duchess had revelled in the joys and delights of their honeymoon, exploring every inch of the other’s body while christening a number of the estate’s rooms and various locations upon the grounds. He’d dismissed the staff from the dining room one morning before breakfast, electing to feast upon his wife, splayed out across the dining table, rather than the fare the kitchens had provided. They’d made love on the sprawling grounds of the estate numerous times, even got caught in the rain once and ended up fucking in one of the garden pavilions in which they’d taken shelter.

The memory of his wife’s wet, naked body bent over in front of him as he pounded into her like the deluge had against the stone structure had him stirring to attention. As did the memory of her on her knees beneath his desk in his office one afternoon, taking him into her mouth for the first time; a result of her curiosity and a challenge he’d issued, knowing she would never back down from it and just needed an excuse so she could do the thing she had not been bold enough yet to initiate with him.

Then there was the library, the grand staircase, and the random closet they’d ducked into when things had turned heated in a hallway and a maid was about to happen upon them, all locations they’d left well used, though not by their intended purposes.

Downing the remainder of his champagne, Killian cleared his throat and took a moment to collect himself. He needed to rejoin the party and interact with his guests or else he’d find himself dragging his wife away in search of some new corner of his estate to take her in.

With a slightly stiff gait, he made his way towards the object of his desire. Like a moth to a flame, he was playing with fire by going to Emma while his blood still ran hot in his veins, burning for her, but there was nowhere else he’d rather be than by her side. Thankfully, the conversation she was currently occupied in with August had more of an affect on his heart than his groin.

“Mr. Hopper believes we can begin hiring the rest of the staff now that renovations to the manor are well on their way. We hope to be able to care for children and wayward mothers by the first of the year.”

“It’s a remarkable thing you’re doing, Your Grace,” August praised.

Killian well recognized the look of admiration and awe within the man’s eyes, it was a common expression people wore when his Swan told them of her plan and how much she had accomplished towards her goal of opening an orphanage thus far. In fact, he was certain he’d worn it many times himself.

“My mother and father would be thrilled with what you are doing with the manor. Especially my mother. The place meant so much to her,” he said in a tone faintly tinted with remorse and contrition.

Emma gave August a warm and understanding smile, then started to ask him something, but was interrupted by Jefferson coming up behind August and wrapping his arms around his waist before setting his chin upon his shoulder.

“Are you ready to turn in, darling? We have to depart rather early tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry you both can’t stay longer,” Emma said, and it warmed Killian’s heart to know she absolutely meant it, despite the nature of their relationship which others would have severely condemned them for.

“Me too,” Jefferson lamented. “Priscilla always loved this part of the countryside and I haven’t been in this part of the realm in many years. Perhaps I could bring Grace with me next time? She’d love it here, too.”

“Priscilla?”

“My late wife,” Jefferson informed her. “Grace’s mother.”

“I see.” Emma nodded. “Of course you can bring Grace with you next time. You are all very welcome here any time.”

“Well…” Killian drawled, reaching up to scratch behind his ear as he gave the men a significant look beneath his pointedly raised brows. “Perhaps not any time.”

“Point taken,” August replied on a laugh, taking hold of Jefferson’s hand and bidding them goodnight.

“Oh! My Lord Booth,” Emma said before they could go too far. “I meant to ask you something about the manor.”

“I’m happy to answer any question you have, if I can.”

“On the official papers, the manor has a name. I haven’t found anyone who is familiar enough with the tongue of the land your mother was from in order to pronounce it, much less translate it. Do you know how to say it and it’s meaning?”

“Lucignolo?”

“Yes, that’s it!”

August’s eyes slid slyly towards Jefferson, the two of them sharing a conspiratorial look before the man confessed…

“It was actually my mother’s maiden name, and in Misthavenian, it means… Candlewyck.”

The Duke and his swan’s mouths dropped open and their gazes bounced, first to Jefferson - Priscilla… my late wife - and then to August - Lucignolo?... it means… Candlewyck, then uttered in perfect unison, “Bloody Hell,” as the two men held their fingers up to their lips and implored them to remain silent with a soft shushing sound before linking arms and strolling from the ballroom with self-satisfied smiles plastered to their faces.

The End

Tagging the Curious Crew: (add to tag list)

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[stahlop]

After watching Bridgerton I was in the mood for some good Captain Swan Regency Fic, so I’ve been binging. If you haven’t read any of these they are amazing!!!

The Wife by @ineffablecolors

No one knows all that Emma has been through and certainly no one knows all that Killian has been through and being husband and wife doesn’t make them any less unknown to each other. And really, how can you help someone heal when you don’t even know how hurt they are?

The Reformed Scoundrel by @hooklineandswan

Emma's dire situation calls for desperate measures, proposing marriage to a duke seems to be the only way to protect her son, and there is just one nobleman who might consider such an outrageous offer - Killian Jones, the Duke of Hillsborough, the most notorious rake the ton has ever seen.

Love, Kindness, and Other Useless Things by @joneskillian

Lord Killian Jones is haunted by the demons of his past which makes him nowhere near the man he once was, so he can't be the father he wants to be. And above all, he believes he is undeserving of love. Perhaps with Emma that is all about to change. But falling in love is never easy, that's just how it is.

[snowbellewells]

CS Fic Rec Monday: “Fallen Angel” by: @ZaharaDessert

My second rec this week is only a couple weeks old, but it’s already in the collection of some of my favorite AU CS one shots. This fic has ALL of the feels (and no, I am not exaggerating!) There’s definitely some heartache and pain involved, but also so much romantic love, joy, and reconciliation.  It’s set in the Regency-era that I just love to read about anyway, and then we have a version of Emma and Killian who have clearly loved each other since they were children, who are then separated and go through much apart before things can be righted again. I could say SO MUCH MORE about this one, but the more I gush about it, the more I would inevitably give away, and I wouldn’t want to take away the discovery readers would get in reading it for themselves.  

(There is no way I could create any sort of art for @zaharadessert​  which could be anything close to as beautiful as the art she already created for the fic herself, so I’m just posted it here with the link, and telling you you HAVE to go read this story for yourself!!!)

“Fallen Angel” by: @zaharadessert​

[myfearless-love]

Too Well Tangled (Chapter 9/21 - "Hell Hath No Fury")

Chapters: 9/21 — "Hell Hath No Fury"

Rating: Mature

Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Relationship: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan

Characters: Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan, Arthur (Once Upon a Time), Knave of Hearts | Will Scarlet, Robin Hood (Once Upon a Time), Mad Hatter | Jefferson

Additional Tags: Captain Swan - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Regency, Enemies to Lovers, Angst and Fluff and Smut, BAMF Emma Swan, Angst and Romance, Banter

Summary: Determined and tough-minded Emma Nolan is on a singular mission: to rescue her dim-witted brother from the clutches of Killian Jones, the infamously rakish Marquess of Hookstone. Little did she anticipate her own burgeoning desire for the audacious, unscrupulous scoundrel she intended to despise. Killian Jones, the enigmatic Marquess of Hookstone, has more than earned his sinister sobriquet, the "Prince of Darkness." His past, a stormy mosaic of rejection and rebellion, has forged a man both feared and revered. Yet, the indomitable Miss Nolan proves an unexpectedly formidable opponent for his infamous charm. But when Killian's reciprocated passion lands them in a scandalously compromising, and very public, predicament, Emma is left with no recourse but to demand satisfaction...

Previous chapters: ch. 1 II ch. 2 II ch. 3 II ch. 4 II ch. 5 II ch. 6 II ch. 7 II ch. 8

READ HERE: AO3 or FF.net

Preview:

A round of applause to my amazing beta @xarandomdreamx for always catching my mistakes and leaving me smiling with her comments!!❤️

Tagging some folks who might be interested:

@anmylica @elfiola @zaharadessert @gingerchangeling @undercaffinatednightmare @jrob64 @teamhook @kmomof4 @jonesfandomfanatic @mie779 @winterbaby89 @tiganasummertree @stahlop @rylieblu @ultraluckycatnd @eddisfargo @booksteaandtoomuchtv @laianely @hollyethecurious @resident-of-storybrooke @beckettj @whimsicallyenchantedrose @captainswan-kellie @veryverynotgoodwrites @lfh1226-linda @snowbellewells @caught-in-the-filter @shady-swan-jones @bluewildcatfanatic

(Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the list)

[princess-and-the-swan]

MC Fic Rec: Blackberry Summers

By @undercaffinatednightmare | Rating: E

Emma Swan has been annoyed by the boy next door since she was 8. Now that she is anticipating life on the shelf, will she still find him annoying? Or is this season when she finds love? WIP as of 06/18/2024. ANOTHER BRIDGERTON FIC YESSSSS! KEEP 'EM COMING Y'ALL I LOVE TO SEE THEM!!! This one is a fun story based on Violet and Edmund Bridgerton's story. I never expected for this particular story to get Captain Swan'd (lol!) but I am definitely not complaining!!!

Read it on AO3

[ohmightydevviepuu]

the part of a swan / chapter twelve (THE END)

[art by @snowbellewells ]

It should be clear that Emma did not, by any means, regret her ruination.  She did not miss the person she had been before that night; the eager, naive girl, brought up always to behave a certain way, to speak softly, to do as she was bidden, to be what she was told.

Emma no longer believed in allowing people to tell her who she could be.

But Killian Jones is not concerned with who she was–he’s interested in who she is. And he might be the only one smart enough to uncover the truth.

chapter one | chapter two | chapter three | chapter four | chapter five | chapter six | chapter seven | chapter eight | chapter nine | chapter ten | chapter eleven

The deep brown ringlets of her hairpiece glinted with hints of auburn in the candlelight. Lip paint outlined a mouth designed to give pleasure. Kohl made her green eyes shine, glittering jewels on black velvet. Cheeks like tiny apples blushed on skin as pale as snow. Her hips swayed as she moved—wandered—moving as though she was merely taking her ease, gliding from cloud to cloud; Killian was sure that he was not alone in imagining the other things she could ease on to. A lap. A chair. A bed. A cock. There was no question but that she knew her way around a man’s body. A man could ride this woman—hard, fast, rough—and she would enthusiastically return the favor.

Head to toe in scarlet that draped over her hips and kissed the felt, Amelia stood on one of the card tables and indicted to one and all that it was past time to settle. As easily as she conjured up fantasies in the base organs of every man present with such inclinations, she conveyed that it was she and she alone in command of the room, claiming ownership with every step that made the fabric shimmer, her cleavage swell—not that any of them noticed. The show had begun, and they were merely her audience.

Her marks.

Understanding began to dawn on Killian.

This brilliant, beautiful woman.

All of these years, he’d been waiting for Gold to come at him. To report his fabricated crimes. To send him to prison. To string him up. To ruin his daughter. He’d spent all of these years putting together influence and money, a willing accomplice to all of Swan’s games in the hopes that it would somehow balance the scales.

And now it had. Because of her.

And he was done. The time for that was done.

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@cshistfic @spartanguard @kmomof4 @tiganasummertree @motherkatereloyshipper @snowbellewells @lfh1226-linda @shireness-says

[searchingwardrobes]

CS Fic Rec Monday

I don’t even know if this is still a thing, but it’s always good to share our love of fics, right? Plus, I have been promoting myself so much lately, I thought it was about time I gave some shout outs to my fellow writers. While I was in a writing slump, I was catching up on my reading of fics, some of which have been in my bookmarks for literally years. (Embarrassing, I know.) Therefore, some I will be sharing in the coming weeks are older fics. However, for one, I know there are constantly new people coming into the fandom (thank you streaming services!), and two this fandom is so huge there may be some fics people have missed. So without further ado, up first . . .

But Never Inconstant by @shireness-says​

Persuasion AU. Killian Jones and Emma Swan were wildly in love, until he broke their engagement, ostensibly to preserve her family ties. Eight years later, the former lovers meet again. Can they mend their relationship and right their misunderstandings, or is it too late?

Rated G / Complete MC / 12 chapters

Regency era! Pining! Slow burn! These are a few of my favorite things . . . (sorry, I just watched The Sound of Music the other night) But seriously, you should read this!