#fae dream blossom

[genderdryad]

fae/dream/blossom tylwythian flowergender fairy femme lesbian flag!

pls credit me if you use- thnx!

[trappolia]

KISS ME ONCE AGAIN ── silver x gn!reader, 1.6k

silver has always taken his time with you.

he has never been able to tell you why. lilia says that it is just the way he is, ever since he was a boy. he plays by the rules. he goes by a routine that is, as much as possible, not too affected by his strange sleeping habits.

it is why he goes through the meticulous steps of courting you, offering you flowers and gifting you with thoughtful trinkets and even writing letters for your family while your worlds remain separate. it is why it had to be you to take the first step and kiss him one night during a star-gazing date because gods damn it all, you’re sick of waiting.

( silver laughed and laughed that night as you apologised for your callous actions; because you were so cute, because he was so in love, because it all felt like a dream come true when he allowed himself to ignore tradition to cup your cheeks and pull you into another kiss. )

silver discovers very early on that even when he takes his time, it's all still overwhelming. like a dream come true, he used to tell lilia in bouts of deliriousness when he's still caught between dream and reality and his mind is too muddled with sleep to care about embarrassing himself in front of the fae who had raised him.

like a dream come true.

but what is his dream, exactly?

a cottage deep in the forest of briar valley, with ivy growing up the walls and over the red-tiled roof. soft, packed dirt with growing flowers of all kinds, spring blossoms of pink, yellow, blue, red, protected by a low wall. there are no horrors with dripping ink and dragging claws, no glowing emerald eyes or scaled wings. just grass and flowers and sky and nothing.

no. not nothing. because there's you.

"i just cleaned, so remember to take off your boots by the door!" silver hears you call out from inside the cottage. his chest quakes as he lets out a ragged breath, his bag dropping as he rids himself of the extra weight.

the floor below his dirty boots is clean slate compared to the cluttered kitchen to his left and the living area to his right. silver sees the same threadbare couch by the stone fireplace, cluttered with throw pillows and blankets and an unfinished knitting project. the couch is old. used. loved. there are some closed doors beyond the stairs, but silver doesn't have to check to know what lies behind them. his old childhood bedroom where lilia used to tuck him in. a bathroom that has been flooded one or more than a few times when he got too carried away with playtime. the small study where he used to have his lessons on reading and writing.

there's something about the sight of his childhood home that sets silver off, as if he’s caught in crosswinds, but he fumbles his way inside anyway, toeing his shoes off out of ingrained politeness. his footfalls feel heavy and light all at once against the wooden floors as he walks — almost as if by habit — to the kitchen where he had heard your voice come from.

"there you are," you beam at him, putting a kettle of water on top of the same stove that silver had watched his father cook his meals so many times. your brows furrow when you notice the strange expression on his face; the emotions whirling in his aurora irises like a hurricane and the trembling of his bottom lip.

you frown, wiping your hands on a cloth rag. "silver? what's wrong?"

silver lets out a ragged breath, his hand shaking as it comes up to cradle your own as you cup his face in your palm. what is wrong? this is all he's ever wanted, isn't it? a life with you in the woods he had grown up in, free of worries and dangers and hurt and anger. he's built a home with no fear, no yelling, no uncertainties. just like the life lilia always wanted to give him.

it's a dream come true.

"you're a dream," silver whispers when he realises, his hands coming up to cradle your face in turn. he's shaking, he knows that even with his mind whirling, but he just can't help it— he has to touch you, make sure this isn't— this isn't a nightmare—

no. no, no, no. malleus wouldn't do that. this is his dream. this is what his heart has always yearned for.

"my dream."

"well, aren't you sappy today?" you muse, lips quirking up in that soft smile that silver oh so adores to kiss. "what's the occasion?"

"i—" silver opens his mouth, but no words come out. what can he say? what can he do, knowing that this is all he's ever wanted, but this is a dream. this is a dream and you're not real but gods, does silver want you to be.

a beat passes, and your smile turns sad.

"you know, don't you?"

silver feels his heart ache. he wants to tell you no. no, please keep this veil over my eyes. pretend i don’t know this isn’t real. please. please.

you reach out, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear with such tenderness that silver feels like crying. “you’ve always been so smart, silver.”

“i’m sorry,” he allows himself to say, because this is the least he owes you— this perfect imitation of you that his mind, malleus’s magic, has managed to conjure, because in the short time you’ve known him, you’ve managed to ingrain yourself into every fibre of his being so that even under this spell, all silver can dream about is you, you, you.

silver doesn't want to wake up. he doesn't, he really doesn't. there's something in him that pulls at his heartstrings, tugging at every vein and nerve as if begging him to stay, please stay. there must be a reason why you're always falling asleep, why this had to happen. just stay. this is a dream come true, why would you want to wake up?

“you’re still there,” silver says in a voice so small, it feels like he’s a little boy again, crying and clinging onto lilia like the fever that sticks to his skin and reminds him of his mortality.

“you’re still there, and i’m here.”

his childhood home is small, but within the cottage and with your hands cradling his face, the thick walls feels unnaturally closer, like something is breathing on the back of his neck. he’s reminded of you, somewhere in night raven college, trapped within your own dream. do you think of him, he wonders? has he become your new dream, just as you have become his?

will he ever see you again?

silver can't bear the thought of you somehow waking up from your dream — a matter of when rather than if, because silver knows that you've always had a knack for getting out of impossible situations like this — and realising that he had left you alone to stay in this eternal sleep, with this dream– this illusion of what could have been.

“i have to go,” silver whispers, and his heart breaks because this might be a dream, but it’s still you. how can he tell you he’s going to leave? he can’t do that. he can’t break your heart like that, he can’t—

"i'm sorry. i'm sorry— i'm so, so sorry.”

he expects you to stop him. what do the stories say about dreams where you’re supposed to be kept unaware, blissfully oblivious to the fact that this utopia is not your reality? silver expects this dream version of you to pull some sort of trick to lure him back into your trap—

but instead you just smile softly, reaching out to stroke his face, "how lucky i am to have someone like you love me."

silver hears something crack, resonating in his soul. is it the chains of malleus’s magic breaking its hold on him, or the last pieces of his heart shattering at last? he doesn’t know.

maybe it’s both.

but whatever it is, silver knows he doesn’t have much time. his hands cup your cheeks, pulling you close to him with the desperation of a dying man.

he feels you gasp against his mouth, lips parting and allowing his tongue to slip inside. he maps the cavern of your mouth as if immortalising it in his mind, like he’ll never see you again after this— because that is very well a possibility, no matter how he tries to ignore it.

silver kisses you like it’s his last day in this godforsaken world, because it might as well be, and great seven, he should have done this every time he kissed you. he should have kissed you first. he should have kissed you every moment he could instead of taking his time because now he can hear the sand running in the hourglass, and he’s blind to how much time he has left, and he just wants to see you in the flesh again, please, please, please—

the two of you part an eternity later, but it still feels much too soon. there’s so much love in him, and too little time, and silver feels like drowning.

"wait for me," silver pleads. he'll make this dream come true, he swears. he’ll give you all the love he has in this wretched body of his, and then some. he’ll never sleep again even, if only to make this dream come true.

"i will," you whisper breathlessly—

—and with a bittersweet smile and a final, fleeting kiss to his lips, you let him go.

© trappolia 2024

[marvelmusing]

[18+ mildly suggestive content below]

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���Somnum tentationis,” he says smoothly as he gestures to the flowers you’re holding up to your nose.

Whenever you visit the forest, you always retrieve a bunch of these particular flowers, almost addicted to their sweet, heady scent. On more than one occasion, you’ve fallen asleep with a bunch draped over your face. The dreams you have whilst amongst the flowers always feature the charming fae lord who is currently sitting in front of you.

“What does that mean?” you ask. Most flowers in the fae kingdom have a story behind them. During your visits into the forest, the Darkling has acted as your guide, telling you stories about the fae kingdom and all its wonder.

“Sleep of temptation. They were created to entice mortals.” At the sight of your frown, he smiles and explains, “The scent is intended to make a human both aroused and drowsy, leaving them vulnerable to a member of the fae court.”

Heat burns over your cheeks, feeling rather caught out.

“Oh.”

He leans forward, breathing in the scent of the flowers, his dark eyes fluttering closed momentarily before his gaze settles on your face.

“Do you feel aroused or drowsy?” he asks.

The question makes your body burn, prickling with a dizzying mixture of embarrassment and arousal.

“You don’t?”

He shakes his head.

“Fae are immune to the effects, I’m afraid.”

He plucks out a single flower, twirling it between his fingers delicately as he seems to admire the pale petals in the sunlight. His movements are slow as he leans closer, tucking the stem of the flower behind your ear so that the blossom sits in your hair. He smiles softly and your stomach flips.

“We use them in wedding bouquets.”

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[jangmi-latte]

I don't usually simp for Lilia because the game has made me look at him as our friendly neighborhood grandpa, but like.... imagine meeting General!Lilia while he's on duty- and maybe he helps us with something or we help him out- and from there on a romance slowly blossoms? Just... active duty Lilia who's yet to become Lili-pa and the whole 'waiting for my friend who I want to be my lover to visit me during his break from duty'

FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD GRANDPA

good riddance mid-war/military romance?!?!? sign me up!!?!?? my brain has been going from camp-healer reader or to villager reader or subordinate reader or even agent reader (captain america and peggy carter type of romance)??? the possibilities are endless but since you emphasized helping we're going with villager who's also a healer reader.

/this can be descriptive and damn has it gotten long.

you can think of this being either fae or human reader but when you mentioned help, seeing an injured lilia who had to limp away from the camp after checking if his men are okay. so, he's in the middle of the woods hissing and sitting against a tree while lifting his clothing to see that big unhealing slash across his abdomen. the blood has already clotted but it's still dangerously huge and dirty and he's trying his best to heal it with his magic but it's concerning how he still feels the pain. plus, he needs to rest both his mana and body.

he will definitely try heating up one of his daggers to press on his wound but before he could even press the searing metal on his skin, that's when a hand stops him and pull the dagger away. it was a surprise, most especially for someone like him to be conscious of every single element around him.

you definitely look like a land of briar resident with your clothing. however, you look absolutely distressed and you're sweating so much it looked like you haven't bathed in days. he'd ask what are you doing but you keep your mouth shut and kneel down beside him. only then did he notice the belt strapped around your hips filled to the brim with antidotes and potions.

he's astonished, to say the least. he was in a daze while you're speaking and he was brought to his senses when he felt the burning sensation of liquid hitting his skin. it's literally smoking that he had to bite down on his gloved wrist to keep himself from screaming. his back arching off the tree while he's gripping your wrist. it hurt but hey, his wound his tingling and healing.

that's when he felt oddly...captivated by you. and as the old fae tradition goes, to he who was serviced must return the favor. he's just staring at you while taking deep breaths and you're looking around as if you're being watched. he assured you that you're safe with him and asked what do you want as gratitude for healing him but you just shook your head. stating that YOU are thanking him for defending the land.

all goes to say, he'd go to the said forest every now and then after you both departed, half-expecting to run into you. there were occasions he would see you crouched by a bush and plucking berries and herbs. he'd strike conversation, often surprising you with his silence and stealth. but eventually, you're warming up to him. he'd give you herbs you've mentioned needing that's only located across the other side of the land.

your presence was calming; during a war, peace was a far-fetched dream for a soldier, a general. when he's stressed, lacks sleep, and just exhausted he'd seek refuge in that very forest. he'd snap at you when you greet him but somehow, you're not affected. scary, yes. but you've known lilia from the constant meetings that you've brought some bottled mist that you claim can calm him down and give him a leveled-head again.

when he suddenly snaps his eyes open, that's when he realised he has fallen asleep without even noticing that he's definitely nonplussed. only then does he notice that he's laying on your lap while you're reading a book. he's bombarding you with questions but needless to say, he's really thankful.

baul would even notice lilia departing from the camp during breaks instead of eating with them that he's tempted to follow the general.

what can he do though? the general can find refuge somewhere else. more like...someone else.

to say he's catching feelings was questionable. other than malleficia, levan, baul, or mallenoa, he has never felt entirely close to someone outside of the royal guards or royalty. instinct driven need to protect you is there — that's what he feels towards the townsfolk anyways, that's what he tells himself.

just what have you done to the general...

might become a fic though 🫶🏻

[blues824]

Once Upon A Dream

Gender-neutral reader, a tad self-indulgent. References a train, but could reference a dress, tailcoats, a cape of some fabulous sort, etc. 

Use of the word officiant, but I meant it in a way where he marries the two of you, and I did not use any religious traditions; just headcanon fae traditions. Also uses the word bridesmaids, but I did not describe reader as a ‘bride’.

Pricking of fingers on a spinning wheel, blood.

Malleus Draconia

It was a joyful day within Briar Valley. Everyone was rushing to put the finishing touches on their homes and stores, decorating with the most beautiful flowers anyone has ever seen. The whole town was bustling with excitement and magic. Farmers from the outskirts of the land were coming in on their wagons filled with even more flowers so no one would worry about running out.

You looked outside of your window in your silk pajamas to see all of the preparations being made for your big day. You took a huge whiff of fresh air, and you could smell the freshness of the floral arrangements. Someone then knocked on the door, and you smiled as you gently opened the door to reveal a maid and a manservant holding your attire. Just seeing the outfit brought joy to your heart and a smile to your face.

For years, you had been imagining this day: your wedding day. 

The maid helped you bathe and moisturize and spray perfume on, before helping you into the wedding attire. It had a bit of a train in the back, so she had to call over the manservant to help hold the train in place. Your hair was arranged with a crown of blossoming flowers, and you were given a bouquet. Looking at yourself in the mirror, you let out a gasp at how different but similar you looked.

The servants who were helping you get ready were all very friendly and excited, despite you being human and they being fae folk. Actually, a lot of the citizens within the town and all of the land of Briar Valley thought you were beautiful and kind, just like your friends back at NRC did… just like your fiancé did as well. 

Oh yes, everyone was making a big deal of the wedding that day because you were marrying Malleus Draconia, the Crowned Prince of Briar Valley. Queen Maleficia herself approved of this match, as she had never seen her grandson so in love and so happy with someone by his side, and said that after your wedding ceremony, she would relinquish the crown to the prince so that he would be King and you would be his Spouse and Co-Ruler.

Unfortunately, your bridesmaids would be some of the ladies you had made friends with here in Briar Valley. All of your family were still back in your world, a place you still couldn’t get to yet. It didn’t sadden you too much, though, because you could start a whole new life here in Twisted Wonderland.

You had already been through the training and lessons on how to be both a person of the court and a ruler. However, you did not see your fiancé for much of that time. Instead, you became quite close to both the current Queen and Lilia. You went through a lot of harsh history lessons, mostly consisting of the disagreements between humans and faes.

Your marriage would be one of genuine love between human and fae kind, not one of convenience or alliance.

The sentence was heavier on your head than the floral crown you were wearing, probably because of the truth it held. You loved Malleus with all your heart, which is why you dealt with walking with books on your head, with sword fighting, with saying hello to multiple different nobles within the kingdom, with not seeing him as you were in training…

You had no magic, and you were fully capable of doing all of this to prove your love and dedication not just to your husband-to-be, but the kingdom you were going to rule. It was enough for the people and the Queen to be proud, because you cast aside your differences and tried to learn.

Eventually, the maid that made her appearance this morning led you by the hand out to the castle’s entrance while the manservant followed behind, holding up the train of your outfit. The other servants were all at the sides of the corridors and halls as you made your way, congratulating you and wishing you good fortune. You would see them later, at the actual celebration once the ceremony had commenced.

One thing that was part of fae culture, specifically with weddings, was that the newlyweds had to prick their finger upon a spinning wheel so as to bind their beings together as one whole. You saw a wagon being loaded up with such a wheel. It was going to be the front of the procession, as you made your way to the meadow where the wedding was taking place.

The maid helped you onto the unicorn (yes, a unicorn), as it would have been a bit of a walk in the shoes you had on. You let out a gasp at how beautiful it was, and you ran your hand through its soft mane before you were joined by Sebek and Silver (dressed in the groomsmen attire) at your sides. They were on horseback, and they were there to make sure you made it to the altar safely. After all, Malleus and Maleficia would have their heads if you were kidnapped or harmed at all.

You looked and saw that Sir Zigvolt was close to tears, and you, with a smile, asked if he required a handkerchief. This just made a hint of a smile appear on his and Sir Silver’s face as he wiped away his tears. No matter how much pressure you were put under, you always managed to put your friends first as well as maintain a sense of humor. 

Lilia rode up next to them and told them to straighten their posture. He was in his more mature form, taking you a bit by surprise. In all of the years you have known Lilia, you would never have described him as serious. But here he was, in his general’s formal attire, hair long and tied up in a ponytail, commanding a small battalion to trail behind you.

This was a bit much, wasn’t it?

Well, it was too late to ask, since now your handmaidens and manservants had taken their place right behind you and in front of the battalion. Then, the procession started. The castle gate rose to let you and your parade through, and all of the citizens of the town were making their way to the same meadow you were going to right now. All of the decorations upon the houses and stores were so beautiful up close, rather than when you saw them on a balcony.

Looking forward, you saw that you were coming upon the gates of the actual city where the castle resided. You forgot how big the entirety of Briar Valley was. It hit you extra hard when you realized that this meant that the lords and ladies would be there as well. Royalty, nobility, the gentry, and even the common folk. The entire land would be there and attending the festivities that would come after you and Malleus pricked your fingers.

On the side of the road, there was a little child who pulled at his mother’s skirt and pointed at you in amazement. You gave a small wave and he squealed in excitement, making you smile. But, you continued onward through the main street. It wasn’t too long before you reached the edge of the forest.

Inside the forest, there would be a green meadow where everything should be set up, aside from the spinning wheel. You’ve been there when you and Malleus were planning the wedding, and it was one of the few times you were actually able to see your fiancé. He looked very happy to hold you in his arms again… even if it was just for about five minutes.

Yeah, they were very strict on you both not seeing each other too much, as it could cause a distraction for either of you. You slept on entirely different ends of the castle just so the two of you wouldn’t be up to anything suspicious. However, you were able to dine with each other in the dining hall, as there were servants who were monitoring the both of you. It was very annoying, but once you and him were joined in matrimony, you would see each other much more.

The trees were beautiful, and covered with moss. The sun shone through the leaves in little patches of sunlight on the ground. Whenever you passed through the rays, it made you feel its warmth upon your skin. Seeing all of the green made you feel more and more excited about what was to come in a few short moments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Malleus had to admit that he had never been more nervous than how he was now. He was standing, awaiting his fiancé at the altar. Everyone was making their way to their seats, excited for the reception after the ceremony. None of them could see how sweaty the prince’s hands had gotten in the short amount of time he had been there.

Perhaps you had second thoughts? It was understandable, considering this would be a huge responsibility placed on your shoulder as a magicless human, something you were kind of used to but also very tired of. But you expressed such excitement when he proposed to you, so that wouldn’t be very reasonable.

What if you were kidnapped or hurt on the way here? Oh, if something happened, someone would die. Whoever would have been audacious enough to rob him of his wedding day to his beloved would pay the hefty price. Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see his grandmother looking up at the sky to see a dark cloud that was forming. Malleus shook his head to snap out of it, when he heard the ‘all rise’.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You took a deep breath and stepped forward into the meadow from off of the path. The sun was shining bright, and you were fighting for your life to try and see where you were stepping. There were gasps as you got to the row furthest from the altar, which is when everyone stood up. The spinning wheel went first down the aisle and was placed on the left side of your groom. The wheel was followed by the groomsmen and bridesmaids. 

Speaking of, your heart fluttered upon seeing Malleus waiting for you. You could feel yourself tearing up as the realization hit you once again: you were getting married. Suddenly, all of the eyes on you didn’t matter. All that mattered was Malleus, since you both would be bound together as one for all of eternity.

Then, you started walking down the aisle. More gasps sounded, and you laughed while tearing up even more. Your fiancé also started tearing up a bit, smiling. Queen Maleficia thought the scene was absolutely adorable, reminding her of her wedding to her husband oh-so-many years ago. She wished you both the same amount of happiness in your marriage that she had with her true love.

Once you made it to your spot at the altar, your very-soon-to-be-husband whispered to you that you looked like you were getting married, trying to distract you from the tears that were swelling up in his eyes. You giggled as you said that yeah, I’m getting married to you. His smile said a million more things than words ever could portray, and the officiant started performing the ceremony.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of Crowned Prince Malleus Draconia to Y/N L/N, for the betterment not only of themselves but also for the Kingdom of Briar Valley. Now, without further ado, Your Royal Highness, if you wouldn’t mind taking off your gloves and pricking your finger upon the spinning wheel.”

You watched as the dragon fae removed his black gloves and leaned over to prick his finger. A spot of blood remained on both the wheel and his finger, and he brought his digit to his mouth to lick off the blood. He saw you watching him and gave you a wink. 

“Y/N L/N, if you would please prick your finger now.”

Your hand was shaky as you reached it to the wheel. Memories of a certain film you watched in your childhood flashed in your mind, and you smiled as you recalled what happened to Princess Aurora when she pricked her finger. However, the two of you were living two completely different fairy tale lives. You see, your knight in shining armor was the dragon.

It brought a bit of a sting to your finger, but nothing absolutely painful. You also brought your finger to your mouth, before denying Malleus any look at you (with love, of course) as you turned back to the officiant. 

To anyone else in the audience, you both were taking this relatively well for a couple who was about to be married. However, both your hearts were pounding against your chests. This was the most excited either of you have been, even more so than when Malleus first asked to court you and then proposed to you years later. 

“This spinning wheel is magic, and it turns typical wool into gold. This is a metaphor for the memories you both will make from this point onward. Any injustices suffered before you pricked your fingers shall be washed away and never repeated as you go forward in your marriage and make golden memories. May your happiness and love be eternal.”

At this point, Sebek and Silver lifted up the spinning wheel and walked back down the aisle to load it on the wagon before going back to their spots behind Malleus. At this point, there were a few stray tears running down your face and your husband gently wiped them away. You then turned back to the officiant so that everything could be wrapped up.

“Now, you may kiss your spouse. Congratulations.”

Malleus wasted absolutely no time in dipping you down and kissing you with such burning passion, it left you breathless after. The fae folk and your former peers from NRC all cheered in absolute excitement before he pulled you back up and helped you stay balanced. Then, he offered you his arm for you to wrap your own around before he gently led you back down the aisle.

You were followed by a procession of people; Queen Maleficia was first behind the two of you, then the bridesmaids, and then the groomsmen. Everyone headed to the reception area, excited to dance, party, and eat. You were excited to have a dance with your new husband, and to see him dance with his grandmother. You would be dancing with Professor Crewel, since he was a close father figure to you.

However, once you reached the area, Malleus pulled you to the side to kiss you again. The excitement and pure adoration in his eyes made your heart melt, and you couldn’t help but kiss him back in return. 

“My dear, I have waited many years for this. I’ve foreseen this once upon a dream, but I had no idea that it would come into fruition.”

“As have I, my love. Now, I believe everyone is waiting for us at the banquet table,” you giggled before you both made your way to your spots at the dining table.

[twstjam]

having fic idea brainrot but too eepy to write so

General Vanrouge x Reader where Lilia gets captured by humans and held prisoner. You're an apprentice for the royal human mage. You disagree with the conflict with the fae so despite being very capable, you don't do anything when other fae attack the castle and General Vanrouge escapes.... but not without grabbing you and taking you with him back to the Land of Briar, which.... is actually kind of a dream come true for a mage because you get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view fae magic up-close. You easily forget that you're being held prisoner for the purpose of being interrogated for information and a bit of a romance unexpectedly blossoms between you and General Vanrouge.

[boopshoops]

TWST OC INTRODUCTION - TCOAV

Ezra Goldspire - Who Knows Best

Name: Ezra Goldspire

Nicknames: Ezzie, Killifish

Gender: Male

Pronouns: He/him

Sexuality: Homosexual

Birthday: May 7 (Taurus)

Age: 362 (In canon and AU)

Height: 5'11 or 179cm

Voice Claim(s): Caleb Hyles

Twisted from: Mother Gothel/Esther Gothel of Tangled

Unique Magic: "What Once was Mine" Through the use of magical herbs and alchemy, Ezra is able to capture the likeness of himself and other individuals. He can share and change other's physical features with these concoctions, ranging anywhere from shoe size to facial structure to vocal coords. These changes last as long as he desires as well as under his own set conditions at the cost of requiring outside materials to complete. Typically the magic is contained in what appears to be a type of spice or powder, and the change leaves a mark/tattoo on the individual which the magic is cast to indicate what exactly was changed.

Grade: Primarily teaches Sophomores and Juniors

Class: Teaches art and music, along with being the homeroom teacher of class 3-D.

Hobbies: Alchemy, botany, herbology, singing, painting, playing the harp, improv.

Likes: Broadway, theater, pasta alla gricia, small spaces, spring, jewelry, floral arrangements, experimental learning, any music.

Dislikes: Crickets, wrinkles, scars, wasted talent, mumbling/whispering, tracking time.

Fears: Aging, other Changeling Fae, not being recognized by those he cares for, forgetting people.

Summary: As the most easygoing teacher on the entirety of campus, many of the students and fellow staff members view him as a scatter-brained daydreamer. However, his dreams filled with immense passion, as he desires for nothing more than to watch his student's talent blossom... and keep the bloom contained and protected in a glass case.

Now, don't get him wrong! He has the best intentions, of course. There are many, many scary people and places out there in this Twisted Wonderland. People who would take advantage of such bright minds. He is simply preventing that from happening. The man has been around for a long time and has been through his own share of ordeals, so he would most definitely know.

He has a big heart. While he goes about an odd, constrictive way of showing it, he does truly care. He has a hard time letting things go, and he simply wants the best for those he cares for. Ezra would spoil every single one of his students rotten if he were able. Even as a rather new professor at NRC, he wishes to guide every single one of them on the right path.

Outfit Inspiration

Author's Notes: ARGHHH MY BOY... Ezra is a very new character I made only a few months ago. He was created specifically for TCOAV, but alas I have grown attached. Given we already have quite a few gaslight gatekeep girlboss type characters over here, I decided to focus more on twisting different aspects of Mother Gothel. I particularly focused on her parental tendencies as well as her means of "caring" for Rapunzel. Whereas whether Gothel truly cares for Rapunzel or not is still up in the air, and they truly had a toxic relationship nonetheless, I wanted to make Ezra a more misguided but good individual.

[blackswan446]

Can i request for yan! fae jk who lured the mc towards the fae realm and decided to have kids with her but yeah no smut but just the mc (reader) trying to escape from time to time until she birthed twins

sealed fate.

→ pairing: yan!fae!jjk x reader

→ wc: 2895

→ cws: mc gets knocked out, kidnapping, implied non-con/forced pregnancy

→ notes: ahh another ask! i hope you like it and thank u for requesting :)

m.list

the rain poured down, hitting your hooded head almost painfully. the trees did little to protect you, barely stopping the rain from soaking through the thin fabric of your jacket. it was cold and dark, and no doubt dangerous, but even this was better than staying inside your house for a second longer. anything was better.

the cool raindrops soothed your hot and tear-stained face, and the wind provided some relief from the sweat that had managed to build up on your neck and forehead. though it was odd, you felt a strange sense of comfort when you entered the woods, even during a storm such as this one. this storm was no match for the hurricane that tore through your home, leaving shattered plates and a broken family in its path.

ever since you were a little girl, you felt an odd connection with the woods. you found solace in the trees, with their twisted roots and vibrant leaves, you felt most at home when you were amongst the serenity of the forest. whenever reality became too much for you to handle, you would go and just sit in the woods, and inhale the sweet, woody air of it. you envisioned yourself living here, in a cute little hut, where you drank plant teas and grew flowers and ate delicious soups by a roaring fire.

if you were being honest, the only reason you hadn't ran away to live out your dreams was because of your little sister. she was a tiny thing, only three years old, and you knew that if you left your house, then she would have the weight of your parents constantly fighting on her little shoulders. she would have to face the constant screaming, the blaming, the pain, all by herself. she didn't deserve that, and at her young age, it was likely that she wouldn't live long enough to be able to adapt. she couldn't protect herself from the harm that came to you, and one day, it was bound to be the end of her if you weren't there to protect her.

sure, you could take her with you, but it wasn't that easy. securing a job, a place to live, and staying in school would be impossible with a child to take care of. besides, the world was a dangerous and unforgiving place, and a young girl and her even younger sister would get eaten up by debt and injustice before they could even get their foot in the door. so you were stuck, and as soon as your father stormed out of the house, you knew he wasn't bound to return for days, so you took off for your safe space, just for the evening.

through your vision, obstructed and blurry from tears and rainwater, something caught your eye. it was a flower, a tall, purple flower. it was unlike anything you had ever seen before, and you would probably would have never seen it if the moonlight didn't hit the petals so perfectly. spikey, purple leaves sat in a bunch on the ground. these leaves surrounded the long stem, which had more pointy flowers blooming from it. aside from its unique appearance, there was something different about this flower. perhaps it was because of the alluring colors and remarkable shape, but something about it had you spellbound.

your body acted before your mind, and you felt your legs moving across the muddy ground towards the bewitching blossom, before you could think it through. of course it was beautiful, but there was another side of this. beauty was only skin deep. the flower could be poisonous, even just to the touch. another animal could have its watching eye on it, captivated by its moonlit glow, and might not take kindly to someone approaching it. but nothing was stopping you, nothing was going to stand in the way of it.

as you drew closer to it, you could see the raindrops roll off the velvety petals of the flowers, almost taking the violaceous fluorescence with it into the dirt. kneeling down to get a better look at the enigmatic flora that illuminated the black forest. just as you reached out to take the stem between your fingers, you heard the sound of mushy footsteps behind you. before you could do anything, a powerful force met the back of your head, and the violet radiance in front of you blurred before disappearing completely.

stirring from your state of unconsciousness, you immediately noticed how warm you were. the last thing you remember is being out in the frigid, pouring rain, and stumbling upon an mysterious yet enchanting flower, before everything went dark. as the remnants of oblivion started to wear off, the reality of your situation set in. panic struck in your chest as you sat up hurriedly, kicking off the knit green blanket that laid over your lap.

looking around, the place you were in enticed you almost as much as the flower from earlier had. it looked to be someone's home, and oddly enough, it resembled the same home that you had fantasized about spending your days in, and you couldn't help but feel weirdly comfortable in the unfamiliar place. it was tiny, but you didn't feel physically trapped inside. you were laid down on a small couch, adorned with wooden trim and a floral fabric, with two matching chairs on either side. on the other side of the room, opposite you, was a stone fireplace, which had a fire aflame inside, eating away at logs of wood. various little knick-knacks and clutter collected on the walls, the shelves, and the tiny coffee table, like books, and pictures, and even more plants.

looking at the light that flowed through the thin, white curtains, you could tell it was early morning, when the dew drops gathered on the blades of grass and the birds began to sing their songs. as you went to stand up from the couch, you heard some various shuffling and clinking noises come from another room, and you sank back down into the soft cushions. almost as if you were hiding from whoever or whatever had brought you here. you felt your heartbeat pick up as the sound of footsteps on creaky wood drew closer to you.

"is that you, my flower?"

whipping your head around, you scanned the once-empty room to find the source of the sweet voice. you found it, or rather, you found him. he was tall, much taller than you, and strong, too. his hair was sleek and black, and suited him well. the clothes he wore looked, well..worn. but not in a bad, falling apart way. in fact, they looked like they were high quality and comfortable. a brown leather vest, a soft, white shirt, and loose pants that matched the brown of the leather, hung from his rugged form nicely. he was handsome, his facial features were well proportioned and elegant. he smiled softly at you, and walked over, setting down the two mugs in his hand before sitting next to you.

"here," he said, reaching out an open hand and revealing a strange, vibrantly pink berry, "for your head. i know it hurts." you looked at him, confused, but took the berry from him anyways, fiddling around with it in your hand. "who are you?" you asked, the question coming out quiet and curious. he laughed shortly, shaking his head.

"you're asking me that in my own house?! you're a funny one, angel, i knew i'd like you." he chuckled. you furrowed your eyebrows at him, the questions in your mind growing stronger and louder as you got further away from an answer. "no, i'm serious! who are you, why am i here, what's going on here?!" you demanded, heart pumping frantically as he looked at you, amused.

"first off, my name is jungkook. i would ask your name, but i already know it, and you'll be changing it soon anyways, so i won't bother. besides, i think i'll stick to calling you angel, if that's alright. second-"

"wait, wait." you interjected. "why would i have to change my name? why am i here?!" you repeated, scoffing at the ridiculous words leaving his mouth. "i was getting to that, but then you interrupted me. and if that attitude keeps up, then you are in. for. it. got that, my angel?" he asked, facial expression not matching the sweetness in his voice. you nodded slowly, biting back from asking again what was going on here.

"good girl. now. the reason you're here," he paused, shifting himself to face you, your legs criss-crossed and back against the couch arm, "is because we're getting married, and we're going to start a family. it's that simple. and the reason you-"

"-what?! why the hell would we do that?! i mean-"

without saying a word, jungkook placed his hand on your knee, tightening his grip until you stopped talking. "you didn't already forget what i said, did you, flower?" he asked innocently, looking you in your eyes and smiling again, as if he was asking a simple question. "and the reason you would have to change your name is because it's a human name. human names are much too different than the names we use here. don't worry about it, though, i have plenty of name books if you need help." he finished, taking his hand away from your knee as you sat there, dumbfounded. first, you were trapped in this shed of a house. then you found out this stranger was all of a sudden, just going to marry you and have kids with you. and now, that stranger was suggesting that he wasn't even a human?!

you took a deep breath and blinked slowly. "what do you mean 'a human name'? are you..not..a human?" you asked slowly, nervous to trigger another one of his scoldings. he shook his head. "that's what they all say when they find out. i got lucky, though, it's not all of us that look this good." he answered cockily. "so, what are you then?" you inquired, speaking slowly once again. he sighed thoughtfully, looking around the room as if he would find the answer written on the lines in the green wallpaper.

"to put it shortly, i'm a fae. humans call us fairies, or pixies, and they compare us to tinkerbell. but i have a book that would explain it much better than i ever could. besides, there are more important things we need to do right now." he hinted, raising his eyebrows cheekily. a sick feeling arose in your stomach as you shook your head frantically.

"please, no. i'm too young to have children. i can't stay here. i need to go home, i need to be there." you beseeched, voice going low and desperate. jungkook shook his head. "you don't, though, is the thing. listen to me, [name]. i didn't just grab you randomly from the forest last night. i've been seeing you for years now, i've studied you, i know everything about you. i know why you come here, i know why you're so eager to get out, and i know that you don't really want to leave. don't lie to me, angel. if it weren't for that little, helpless sister of yours back home, you wouldn't be trying so hard to change what was obviously meant to be." he snarked, his voice firm and confident.

"if you know me so well, then you should understand why i can't stay here. she's just a child, for god's sake. she'll get killed if she stays in that house with them." you argued. he shrugged his shoulders unsympathetically, eyes cold and uncaring as you pleaded with him. an idea sparked in your head, a far-fetched one, but it could be the ticket to your escape and your sister's safety.

"what if she lives here with us? she's only three. we can raise her, and that way, she's safe, we're together, and i don't have to have children. that'll work, right? please." you suggested, practically begging as you clasped your hands together in front of you. he gave another thoughtful look, lighting a small fire of hope inside of you, only for it to be set out by the arsonist who started it. "it's a good idea, it really is, angel. you're smart, i like that. but it's a bit late for that. your parents have already been taken care of, and your sister was sent off to safety. nice try, though." he explained, speaking as if he were talking about the weather, so casually and normally.

tears dripped from your eyes, down your cheeks as your breath stuck in your throat. "what are you talking about? where is she?" you asked, barely able to get the words out as you choked on the grim thoughts that dripped their poison all over your mind. "don't worry, flower. like i said, she's safe. she's alive. i promise, she is not going to be stuck with your parents, all by herself. i love you too much to hurt you in that way. your parents, on the other hand..." he trailed off slowly. you knew immediately what had happened, and he knew you figured it out, so instead of continuing the story, he caressed your cheek with his thumb, wiping away the tears that dampened them.

"see how everything's falling into place? don't you see that, flower? this is your destiny. this is where you were always going to end up." he asked, looking lovingly into your eyes as he stroked your cheek. "why can't you just accept your fate?"

the various noises of spring filled your ears as you inhaled the clean, fresh air next to the open window. little birds chirping to one another, the rushing water of a nearby stream, and the occasional footsteps of an animal crunching the leaves and grass. the sky was a stunning blue, with perfect white clouds dotting it in all the right places.

you glanced over to the small cot, bedecked with frilly pink lace and a long, white piece of fabric wrapping around the bassinet and cascading down to the floors. the two infants inside were sound asleep, swaddled in pink knit blankets with various little toys sitting around them.

your heart swelled when you looked at them; similar to how it swelled when you looked at the land across the tiny stream, but for all the opposite reasons. when you looked at your children, your heart was warmed and overwhelmed with affection, with pure adoration. but when you looked across the stream, you felt trapped, and disappointed, almost as if the current washed over you and brought a storm of sadness and heartache with it.

of course you had tried to escape, twice, to be exact. the first time, you just made a run for it in the middle of the night. you didn't bother to plan ahead, or be cautious, so it wasn't really a shocker when you tripped on a rock and twisted your ankle. your cries woke jungkook, who came storming out of the house and picked you up by the torso, swinging you over his shoulder as you cried and pleaded with him. luckily for you, all you got was a slap on the wrist and a heavy warning.

the second time didn't turn out as well for you. and like salt in the wound, what made the fallout even worse for you is that you had a plan. you were careful, thorough, and even set up a distraction for jungkook, so you could slip away in the midst of chaos. if only the fire had burned a little brighter. a little hotter. even if it were just a little more powerful, you could be back with your sister where you belonged. but no, the measly flames were too weak to do any real damage to anything. so one pot of water and a missing person in the house led to jungkook catching up with you, just as you were about to cross the stream to freedom.

that time, he didn't play so nice. he threw you down roughly, spat venomous words at you, and did what he thought was necessary to put you in your place and cement you there, with him, forever. despite your prayers, and pleas, and everything in between, your fate was sealed as soon as he kissed you goodnight when he was done.

one baby would've been different. maybe with one baby, you still had a fighting chance to get out. not only was your fate sealed by the touch of his lips to yours, but you knew it, too. and everything fell into place as soon as you laid your eyes on the two babies in front of you. twins. jungkook was overjoyed, of course. and in a way, you were too. they were your children, after all, and all parents loved their children.

well, almost all parents.

sometimes you wondered about your fate. was this really it? even if you had no reason to go running into the woods, even if you had peace at home, is this still where you would end up?

was your one safe space playing against you this whole time?

[yourlocaltreesimp]

Once upon a dream

The 1st place raffle prize for @violetregrets1837

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The blackness that swallowed your limbs gave way to a soft light. Your body was suspended in time, floating atop its waters.Your eyes opened and that soft light opened to a world. You were floating atop water, it lapped at your limbs as you floated. The current guided you to the nearest edge, and you sat upon the lip of the pool. It looked much similar to a blossoming flower, lush pink petals folding out from the bubbling water in the centre. Little balls of light danced in the air, each a different colour. You could hear them laughing among themselves, little wings fluttering about. The whole scene was nothing short of enchanting, soft piano and violin accompanying your amazement. The water began to bubble, and before you could fully skitter back, there was a woman. Her hair was long and fell in loose curls, her face was decorated with ornate makeup and gems, her clothes here finer than any human tailor could make. But perhaps most captivating of all -aside from the fact she was giant and just emerged from the water- were the wings that sprouted out from in front of her pointed ears.

“I see you are awake little one” Her voice was soft and warm, your nerves were put to rest “Your soul was embroidered with quite a bit of dark magic, but worry not, I fixed it” You stood slowly, unsure of what to do. She held out a large hand, asking for you to step on. You do so carefully, and she smiles kindly. “You are far from home little one” You sit down on the palm of her hand, and she brings you to eye level “I will allow you refuge if you can offer us anything” Your nerves set back in, all you could really do was sing, and your parents had already spent enough time explaining why it would never get you anywhere.

“I’m sorry ma’am, i’m afraid all I can do is sing” She laughs, it’s light and airy, her eyes lighting.

“That is just perfect my dear. Us faeries love music” She set you back down gently as a small light grew from your chest and enveloped your form. “Worry not, little one, I'm simply ensuring your safety while you stay with us. I’m sure you’ve heard the stories of our enchantments”

And so bagan your new reality, sworn protection by the fae in return for your singing. The little fairies took some time to trust you, but soon you always had one on your shoulder or another asleep in your hair. You were safe here, free to roam the heart of the forest. You learned what to forage, what plants made good food and what flowers made for good tea. It was on one such trip foraging that you heard footsteps. He waded through the tall grasses and wove through the trees. You watched from the branches as he made his way through the forest, directly towards its heart. You’ll admit that something about him struck you, his careful steps avoiding the ruin of the forest, the hopeful gleam in his eyes as he wandered, you were captivated. But no person comes out this far, no people seek the help of great fairies anymore, not unless it’s to steal and bottle the young fairies. Your path back to the Great fairy and her fountain was quite simple now you had it memorised, but it would’ve been challenging for anyone who was unfamiliar. As soon as you stood on the lip of the fountain she appeared, examining your worried expression.

“What troubles you, my dear” She cupped both of her hands and let you crawl in.

“There’s a boy in the forest- he’s coming here” Your voice shook, and for the first time you’d been awake in this unfamiliar land, you felt scared. She smiled that knowing grin and pressed you to her cheek.

“He has no ill intent little one, there is no need for your worry.” She sets you back down and leans on the edge of the fountain with her forearms, most of her submerged in the water. “Now, how about a song? Those always calm you down, do they not?” Her suggestion was gentle, redirecting your worry towards something else. You hummed, trying to warm up your voice as you thought of a song. One sprang to mind, looking around at the magic that surrounded you.

“I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream” You made sure to feel the slow sway and swell of the music as you remembered it. “I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam” The fairy in front of you smiled and closed her eyes as she enjoyed your singing more than you parents ever did. “And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem. But if I know you, I know what you'll do” The smaller fairies gathered to listen, some settling on your shoulders. “You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream” You finished there and the great fairy opened her eyes. She smiled, her eyes searching your face before glancing behind you.

“My, that was certainly a wonderful performance. Wouldn’t you agree?” Her eyes looked expectantly at the boy behind you, the same from before. He stared at you as if he were enchanted by your voice, large eyes staring at you in awe. When he noticed you staring back, his eyes widened.

“Beautiful” He managed to stammer out.

“Thank you” You smiled, knowing that the great fairy was right, he was harmless.

Hyrule was nothing short of bewitched. Your voice held no magic and yet it wrapped around his mind for the days to follow. Your face, lit with the soft glow of the fairies resting on your shoulders was finer than that of any statue or painting. He thought he was lying when his sisters back home told him that he would find someone who would complete him, filling in the cracks of his soul. And yet standing there, hearing you sing, seeing your smile, that’s the most complete he’s ever been in his whole life. The magic in his blood yearned for your voice, for your touch, for you. The great fairy before him raised him much like a son, and judging by the knowing smile on her face, she knew.

[cuti3pi5]

Once upon a dream

Pairings- Hyunjin x FM reader 

 Summary- Prince Hyunjin the eldest son of the royal family was destined to rule the kingdom. Prince Hyunjin had undergone rigorous training to soon take over the throne. His skills with a blade were unmatched. He was more than fit to rule his father's kingdom. Yet he was assigned a final task to prove his worthiness for the throne. His father had given him the task of entering the dangerous enchanted forest. He must slay the powerful wicked fairy and retrieve her wings only then will he earn his throne and be crowned king. But what happens once Hyunjin meets this fairy and realizes she might not be as evil as the rumors are.

 Genre- Fluff

 Word count- 2.0k

AN-Hello!! Sorry, I took so long on the post, was very busy and also wanted to make sure the writing was good enough. Its definitely not perfect but I've been wanting to give writing a try so feel free to point out any mistakes or opinions to help me improve!!

------------------------------ ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ---------------------------

 Y/N sat under a blossom tree seeking shade from the sun. Its falling petals scattered the ground 

she hums softly as she flips through an old book. She inhales the rich scent of the pages. Its aroma reminded her of the forest and a crunchy pile of leaves around her. Her soft fingers gently glide across the pages taking in each word she reads. Her luminescent wings fluttered behind her as she read. , her wings shimmering like precious jewels in the sunlight.

 She soon became intrigued by the book and the story in it losing all attention to the forest around her. Her head was in the clouds as she flipped through each page becoming more immersed in her romance story. Nothing could seem to break her concentration not even the soft birds chirping or the sound of crickets. But she soon was returned to reality as she heard heavy footsteps coming closer behind her. 

“Do not move”, the voice demanded.  Startled she drops her book. She turned around to find a man holding a gleaming sword. “Who are you?” Y/N askes the armord man infront of her. She examines the man before her. He has mesmerizing dark brown eyes. A small mole beneath one of them only added more to his beauty. His soft pink plump lips almost even seemed inviting. Long silky black hair that falls like a cascade, its tips grazing his shoulders, half of it being held up in a small ponytail by a delicate white ribbon. Frot pieces of his hair frame his face making his appearance seem softer. This unknown man possessed a breathtaking ethereal beauty that captivated the beholder's senses and transported them to a realm of otherworldly grace. 

“Who are you’, She asked one more as she examined the man who stood before her. “I am Prince Hyunjin. What may be your name?” Hyunjin asked. “You're a prince?” the fairy gushed with excitement not even answering his question. She fluttered her delicate wings as she flew towards the boy. Her translucent wings seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. “I’ve never met a real-life prince before!”. The prince was taken aback by the fairy's words. He was used to having his family, people, and knights praise him like he was a god but not a fae. 

Her features seemed so soft and innocent. Her cheeks and lips were red as rose and her wings looked delicate as if it were a flower petle. He imagined that they’d feel like silk if he were to run his hands across them. Was this really the evil monster he was met to kill? The sweet that stared at him with such joy and fascination truly evil? She’s probably trying to trick him, make him bring his guard down, Hyunjin thought.

He was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts. He stared up at the girl who flew above him, her wings making a soft buzzing noise as they fluttered. She gently cupped his cheeks and looked at him with a puzzled expression. Before Hyunjin could say anything about the girl’s hand placement she spoke up. “Are you sure you're a prince?” she said confused. She flew back to the tree retrieving the book she had been reading. Quickly she flipped through the pages until she found the one she was looking for. Y/n held the book next to the prince. Her lips pursed as she looked at Hyunjin and then at that book.

“What is it?” Hyunjin asked annoyed by the fairy’s antics. “You don’t look like the prince in my book,” Y/N said. In the old tattered book was a drawing of a prince. He wore a baby blue suit with a golden crown adorned with colorful jewels. 

“Where is your blue suit and your crown? I thought all princes wore crowns?” She asked him. Hyunjin took the book from her and began to browse through it before his eyes landed on the picture of the handsome prince depicted in the book.  “I have been traveling through this damned forest all day so please forgive me if I don’t compare to that perfect prince in your book!”. His temper was starting to get the best of him. He felt as if the fairy was trying to mess with him… but she was right. He was not like the prince in her book. This prince looked clean and pristine compared to Hyunjin who was in armor that had become dirtied from walking through the enchanted forest all day. 

An idea then popped into Hyunjin’s head. The fairy seemed to be playing innocent so hell play along pretending to trust her and catch her once she was vulnerable. She really did seem sweet and kind but Hyunjin was determined to return to his kingdom with her wings and prove to his father that he was worthy of becoming king. He quickly washed away his doubt and began his plan.

Quickly changing his annoyed expression he put on the nicest face he could trying to appear sweet and inviting to Y/N. “I'm sorry for my outburst” Hyunjin apologized. “ I have lost my way in this enchanted forest. I fear the dangers of the night.” He lied hoping that the fairy would believe him.

As Y/N thought about the prince's issue, she hesitated before speaking.. "It is far too dangerous to travel through the enchanted forest at night," she cautioned. "Rest here, and when the day breaks, you may continue your journey."

  She couldn't help but be enthralled by the prince only ever hearing about them from the books she would often read.

It was then that Hyunjin made up his mind to go ahead with his plan. In the midst of her sleep, he would take her wings.

--------------- ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧-------------

As nightfall drew closer Y/N led the prince to her hidden sanctuary deep within the heart of the enchanted forest. Her sanctuary was a place of serene beauty, filled with lush vegetation, vibrant flowers, and crystal-clear streams. The trees in this part of the forest are ancient and towering, casting a dappled canopy of shade that creates an otherworldly atmosphere. 

Hyunjin had set up a small fireplace close to her bed of delicate flowers in which she slept on every night. “You’ll be safe here,” Y/N said. The fairy’s kindness seemed genuine, and Hyunjin's conscience weighed heavily upon him as the night descended. But he didn't want to disappoint his father or his kingdom. He tried to push his doubts but struggled. 

It was now late at night and Hyunjin had discarded his armor for comfort They sat by a crackling fire. With every passing moment, he felt more and more drawn to the beautiful creature. She was so gentle and graceful. He admired the way she cared for the nature around her. Her eyes lit up whenever Hyunjin asked about the forest or the books she read. He told himself that this was all part of his plan and that he was just trying to gain her trust but deep down he knew he was lying to himself. Truth was he was so fascinated by her and wanted to know everything about her. They sat by a crackling fire, and Seraphina shared tales of her solitary existence and the harmony she had maintained in the forest.

With a glint of starlight in her eyes, Y/N approached Hyunjin, her wings glistening in the soft glow of the forest. "I have read about princes who danced with grace and courage,," she admitted, her voice carrying the wonder of a thousand stories. "Would you honor me with a dance, Prince Hyunjin?"

Hyunjin, taken aback by the fairy queen's request, could not resist the sincerity and innocence in her eyes. "I would be delighted," he replied, extending his hand to her.

As they began to dance, the forest seemed to hold its breath, enchanted by the rare spectacle unfolding in its midst. She moved with a grace that surpassed the wildest imaginations found in the books she had read. Hyunjin, in turn, was captivated not only by her ethereal beauty but by the genuine joy and awe in her expression.

The moon cast a silver radiance upon them as they twirled and spun in the glade. Fireflies joined the dance, creating a luminous spectacle that painted the forest with a magical glow. The soft rustle of leaves accompanied the rhythm of their dance, creating a symphony.

As they danced, Seraphina's heart beat faster than the wings on her back.The connection between them went beyond the steps of the dance; it was a meeting of two souls drawn together by destiny. 

But their magical night had come to an end. As they danced for what felt like hours Y/N had danced till her feet gave out. She fell onto her flower bed fast asleep. Hyunjin knew that his time had run out and it was time to carry on his  task.

But when he found her there ,her wings folded gently against her back as she laid in the delicate bed of roses, he felt as if his heart was about to burst. Hyunjin rose silently. His heart pounded with guilt and uncertainty as he drew his sword with trembling hands. The moonlight danced on the blade, casting an ominous gleam.

But as Hyunijn stood poised to take her wings, a voice within him, a glimmer of his true self, whispered that this was wrong. He had come to know the real Seraphina, the guardian of the forest, and he could not bring himself to harm her.

He looked at her as she slept. She seemed so beautiful and delicate in her sleep. She had made Hyunjin feel a foreign emotion. On he was able to make out. He had enjoyed her touch an preccces and was hypnotized by her beauty. He had a yearning to touch her, hold her in his arms and protect her. 

No other woman had ever made the prince feel such an emotion. Not even the woman who would fall to his feet or the princess he’d meet at parties. No one had given him this feeling.

With a heavy heart he drew back his sword, dropping onto the ground making a loud thud as it hit forest ground. He couldn't bring himself to harm an innocent being, even if it meant fulfilling his royal duty.

Overwhelmed with guilt and remorse, Hyunjin returned to the fire, his face etched with the internal struggle he had just faced. He watched Y/N as she slept peacefully, knowing he could never betray her trust. His heart had been changed by her kindness, and he couldn't carry out his father's wicked plan all though this delicious would have heavy consequences.

With the dawn's light breaking through the trees, he decided to reveal the truth to Y/N. He would confess his initial intention and hope that she could find it within her heart to forgive him for the deception. Gabriel longed to forge a genuine connection with the fairy queen, for he had come to see her as a beacon of grace and kindness in the midst of the enchanted forest.

She looked at him with eyes as deep and mysterious as the forest itself, a mixture of curiosity and sadness. She remained silent and Hyunjin felt his heart sink. He knew he had to make amends. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, determined to earn her trust.  He bowed his head and began to speak, his voice trembling with emotion. The fairy queen's face softened and she nodded, seemingly accepting his apology. She stepped forward and embraced him, her wings gently fluttering.

He knew it was too soon to reveal his feelings for her but he still wished to see her. Over days and nights, Hyunjin and Y/N continued to converse. They explored the forest together, discovering its wonders and mysteries. Soon the prince's cold heart was replaced by a deep love and admiration for Y/n.

——————————————————————————

@starlostlaiba

[adarkrainbow]

Spooky season fairytales (3)

We saw how the myth of the witch was reinvented with "Hansel and Gretel". Our look at "Snow White" led us to vampires. To complete our triad of Halloween monsters, we just need a werewolf - and you know exactly which fairytale will come next in my "Spooky season" series.

It is no surprise that "Little Red Riding Hood" gave plenty of material to horror-movie makers and creators of dark fantasy. It is after all one of the darkest fairytales of France (because yes, fairytale historians have traced back the story's roots to France, before it was passed on by French immigrants eastward to Germanic countries). And when it comes to movies about Little Red Riding Hood, there is ONE movie that must be talked about...

"The Company of Wolves".

Who among fairytale fans hasn't heard of this brilliant, wonderful, poetic movie? It is one of those movies that truly manage to create a dark and haunting fairytale that FEELS fairytale-like. The plot is simple. It is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, in a "soft fairytale world" (things seem pretty normal, but there and there you have weird details, such as fur scarfs coming to life or eggs hatching jewels), and with a werewolf as the "big bad wolf". Or rather, the plot SEEMS simple - because this whole movie is framed as the dream of a modern-day girl, allowing for the story to unfold using dream logic and a heavy use of symbolism (perfect for a fairytale adaptation). Because this movie also explores the underlying motifs present in the original tale of sexuality, and the sexual maturation or blossoming of a young girl - this is due to the movie's original inspiration being the dark and feminists short stories of Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber". And because in the bigger Little Red Riding Hood tale, the movie intertwines folkloric European legends of werewolves, in all their disturbing glory.

This movie is truly great, and I cannot recommend it enough. It manages to be everything at once: a poetic dream, a magical fairytale, a disturbing horror piece, a sad tragedy... And it allies with greatness the creepy werewolf folklore of Europe with the fae charm of fairytales. Plus this 80s American fantasy movies goodness. And Angela friggin' Lansbury plays the grandmother! What else do you want? Even outside of a simple "Little Red Riding Hood" adaptation, this movie is one of the great "dark fairytale fantasies" of cinema.

This movie also calls for another piece, that is frequently put side by side with it (for... thematic reasons more than shared quality). I am talking of 2011's "Red Riding Hood".

I am placing this movie here not because I want to praise it, but just because... Well it exists, and I must make a mention of it.

This movie is not... not good. It's not bad, not good. It is definitively not the best Red Riding Hood movie, and if you want to see a werewolf Little Red Riding Hood movie, go watch "The Company of Wolves", it is the best and will never be overshadowed. But this piece... It is conventional and expected. It takes all the plot directions expected with a "dark fantasy mature take" on Little Red Riding Hood - nothing surprising or inventive. It is a "village plagued by werewolf" story, mixed with a "wolf hunt" making it a dark fantasy "whoddunit" which is not even trying its best to engage the viewer in the mystery, making everybody a superficial candidate... And it is also a very conventional "girl stuck between two boys" romance-teenage-triangle.

It has everything that is needed to explore Little Red Riding Hood, and everything that was well-done in "The Company of Wolves"... But it is all treated in a very flat and superficial way, making it a sort of "empty" piece. Little Red Riding Hood, the original tale, is meant to be a tale about desire and female sexuality and seduction, and so making the main character a young girl stuck in an impossible romance outside of the "straight path" of marriage is an interesting take... But it goes nowhere. Here and there you have this little sparks of interesting ideas or clever concepts - the pig-and-sheep masquerade at the celebrations, the silver fingernails of the werewolf hunter, the werewolf speaking telepathically to the character of Red Riding Hood (Valerie)... But they're just little crumbs in a big bland soup.

And there's also the problem of this movie taking itself too seriously and not having any self-awareness - making it so, personally, I couldn't take it seriously in the beginning. If you watch it,you'll see what I mean - by taking itself too seriously during specific moments, or playing too straight some passages, the movie makes itself ridiculous. Overall, not a great movie AT ALL, and to watch only if you enjoy your bland, neutral, average "dark romance in the middle of werewolf hunts" piece. But it exists, so it must appear somewhere.

After this stale piece, let's move on to...

Freeway, the 1996 movie

You'll frequently see it pop up in the lists of "dark fairytale movies" and "horror Little Red Riding Hood" adaptations - though to call this a "fairytale movie" is not a good description. As the tagline of the movie says, "Her life's no fairytale".

"Freeway" is an attempt at completely deconstructing the "Little Red Riding Hood" story by removing all form of magic or wonder from it, only leaving a disturbing, bleak, though still excentric and extravagant story. It is a dark comedy constantly oscillating between a violent and crude slapstick comedy, and a realistic horror movie. Featuring stars such as Reese Witherspoon and Kiefer Sutherland (and with music by Danny Elfman, no less!), this little cult movie is still the story of a girl wearing a red piece of clothing going to see her grandmother's house and encountering on the way a predator... Except the little girl in red is here a semi-illiterate teenage delinquant with anger issues in a red leather jacket... She is on the run from child services after her prostitute of a mother and her junkie of a stepfather got arrested... The "huntsman" is a pair of inefficient, though well-meaning, cops... And the wolf is a sociopathic, necrophiliac, serial killer.

This makes it all sound as if the movie was a dreary full horror piece - but it is actually not. The main character is a very excentric, fiery, fierce, though not that bright, girl who constantly fights backs with sass everything and everyone, there is a dark and morbid humor all throughout the movie balancing very sad and uncomfortable moments, many of the characters are disturbingly realistic caricatures or stereotypes pushed to cartoonish levels, and overall it all feels more like a very violent and grand-guignolesque crime piece/road trip.

I want to mention another movie while talking about "Freeway" - the 2000s movie known as "Hard Candy". You will often find this movie on lists of Red Riding Hood adaptations - DO NOT GET FOOLED! "Hard Candy" is not a Little Red Riding Hood adaptation. It is a very bleak, very hard to watch, very creepy horror movie about mental and physical torture, and exploring the various aspects of human perversion, in a confined setting with a limited cast of characters - and yes, it does invoke a "Red Riding Hood" imagery... but just in the opening and advertising, and the movie has nothing to do with the fairytale. You can watch it if you want, but be ready, because it is one of those movies that mess up your stomach and your soul, and it is not for the faint of heart, as it is a VERY very bleak piece.

"Freeway" is also bleak, but in a more campy way (yes, you can have "campy bleak") typical of dark comedies. And "Freeway", unlike "Hard Candy", is an ACTUAL Little Red Riding Hood adaptation. Not only does it base its story and characters on the fairytale, making sure to have the key-moments of the original plot, and the character archetypes explored (the big bad wolf becoming a serial killer predator) or deconstructed (Little Red Riding Hood is still a dumb girl hunted by the wolf, but she fights back and is ready to kick ass and is used to the most vile sides of humanity), but it also fully embraces one part of the Little Red Riding Hood heritage. The cartoon adaptations of the first half of the 20th century - those little short cartoons that heavily explored the fairytale in a caricatural way, especially sexual (like the very famous Tex Avery short). Not only are there direct references to those cartoons in the movie, it also fully embraces the entire ambiance. The "slapstick" and "cartoonish" feels of this movie come right from there. Yes, they removed all the magic and wonders to have a sordid realistic tale, yes this is a borderline true crime story about a serial killer, and an ineffective police system, and what it is like growing up in poverty, drugs and prostitution... But it embraces the feel of the classic Looney Tunes/Tex Avery cartoon world, with extravagant caricatural characters, and an abundance of senseless unexpected violence that doesn't even feel real sometimes. And by making all that, the movie reinstills a form of "magic" in the tale - but this "cartoon" magic which is able to make disturbing moments about a human-looking monster trying to kill you look ridiculous and almost laughable as if it was some sort of clown performance.

Overall this movie is a really bizarre little piece that reflects a very specific type of cartoonishly-comedic-but-still-bleak-and-morbid small movies that tend to frequently pop up in the USA. You know the ones, these pieces that are about disturbed subjects or tragic characters, but are still made in such bizarre and unexpected ways they almost verge on surreal comedy - like Lynch's Wild at Heart (which itself was a "fairytale" take somehow, since it is technically speaking a Wizard of Oz movie) or the Harmony Korine movies.

And to close off this post, a special mention to a classic movie of the Halloween season...

Trick 'r Treat, THE Halloween horror movie by Michael Dougherty (the man who later was behind THE new classic Christmas horror movie, "Krampus")

Trick 'r Treat was Dougherty's attempt at creating an iconic "mascot" for Halloween, in the person of Sam, the little creepy-costumed child/demon enforcing the rules of the old Celtic holiday... This dark, fun, morbid, perfectly Halloween-y movie, developed out of previous animated short-films, is actually an anthology piece collecting a handful of various stories... And the reason this movie appears on this list is because of the segment "Surprise Party", which is heavily referencing "Little Red Riding Hood". An unsecure young woman is invited by her outgoing friends at an Halloween party in the woods, and she picks up a Little Red Riding Hood costume, but as she is making her way throughout the city in a full Halloween parade, she realizes a strange man is following her... There is a twist, so I won't reveal much (beyond the fact it all implies vampires and werewolves stories), but the important thing is how the twist is delivered, and how the segment ends. A scene wich has marked the cinematic lore of the creature it depicts, and which has also influenced a LOT of people on the Internet during the end of the 2000s (for example, boosting up the "Sweet Dreams" cover of Marilyn Manson)

[llondonfog]

Wrings my hands together. Do you remember when I sent an ask about if Malleus was Sebek's soulmate, but not the reverse. Well what if Lilia is Silver's soulmate and not the reverse. And both Sebek and Silver are content knowing they'll never have a reciprocated soulmate. What if I died in this askbox

I REMEMBER AND WHAT IF I DIED ALONGSIDE YOU, WHAT IF WE DIED HAND IN HAND WEEPING OVER THESE ANGST-RIDDLED FOOLS.

GOD!!! oh this is GETTING TO ME!! the tragedy, the resigned acceptance of their lot in life so long as it lent itself to the happiness of their soulmates!! the crushing weight of realization upon silver's shoulders as he sees that dragon mark blossom into life with wings proudly unfurling and mouth in a triumphant roar upon lilia's wrist in the midst of his dream, while his own bat seems to flutter weakly against his skin and and wilt!! the realization that the person you love more than anything in the world holds another more esteemed in their eyes!!

(he is but human, how foolish it was to have expected anything more. the son of his father's enemy, a babe in a cradle that lilia had debated on killing, the unanswered, haunting question of if he was capable of being loved by the fae— sebek's hand gentle upon his shoulder burns more than it should.)

and even after it is all over, silver never voices the truth. he does not love his father any less or treat him any differently, lilia and malleus unsuspecting while sebek watches him closely with the ghost of a concerned frown tucked into his cheek. that bleeding heart of his continues to ache with every beat, and the faded mark upon his wrist is hidden with a magical concealment. perhaps this was the real curse all along, a fate cruel enough to atone for the misery his family has caused; a human, destined to love the one who could not give them what they needed most in return.

[nightcourtseer]

Elain Week Day 2: Love Languages

A Benediction in Flowers

Pairing: Elriel

A vase full of flowers sat on his bedside table, next to the vial of headache powder and unused earbuds. Artfully arranged with blue hydrangeas, pink tulips, lavender and greens, they filled the whole room with fragrance.

If he closed his eyes, he could almost taste the green tea on his lips, wings warm from the afternoon sun, as he had sat with Elain in the garden to keep her company. At first, it had been a chore. A favor, even, to Rhys and his High Lady.

It soon became the very best part of his day.

His cheeks flushed when he realized she would have seen her gifts to him sat so close to where he sought sleep each night. A careful shrine of his wants and desires, of her, constructed like some fae would create altars to the Mother in their homes.

But it would not be an untrue assumption. For he did pray to it each night, that by some miracle they would make their way to each other. And in his dreams, he went down on his knees to worship her.

He moved closer, closing his eyes as he allowed himself an indulgent, stuttering breath. A low, unintentional moan loosed from deep in his chest as he scented traces of her among even the most potent blooms.

Honey and jasmine and life.

Rhysand was wrong to assume that only Azriel did not deserve a life with her. No, she did not deserve a life to be rotted away by him.

He knew his prayers would go unanswered, and yet, he also knew that he would never quit his faith, never deny a day of prayer to his very religion. And he knew that those flowers would be kept alive as long as he could manage, until he could press them between the pages of his favorite book, which would only become that much more special to have touched a thing that had once been carefully selected by her.

As if in a trance, he lifted a disfigured hand to stroke the velvet petal of a blossom. Careful to not allow the tremors of his bones to lay ruin to the delicate thing. Regret ignited high in his chest as he remembered the feeling of her soft skin beneath those same fingers, on the very best and absolute worst night of his life.

The beginning and end of a life of possibility.

As he moved away, the arrangement shifted ever so slightly, and a space opened between the stems to reveal a bit of parchment tucked between the tightly bound stalks.

He did not dare breathe as he unfolded it. Its creamy stock decorated with a thin, scrawling script.

“Your past does not mean you do not deserve beautiful things.”

She had written it, written it to him. And he knew why, as he had one day divulged that he felt out of place in the garden with her, dressed in blood-stained armor and leathers. Unseen blood coating every inch of his skin, soaking him to the bone.

He was drowning in it.

And he had been pulled away, before she had had an opportunity to reply. For which he had been glad, that he would not see the pity, or even worse, fear, fill her eyes.

Logically, he knew that this was her response to that conversation. But just maybe… he thought to himself as he lay down on the bed, clutching the small piece of paper to his heart. Just maybe, it meant more than that.

Maybe…

Tag List: @elainweekofficial

[marvelmusing]

Aleksander dealing with Fae Queen!Reader...

Oh yes yes yesssssss

This idea has not left my head since you dropped it into my ask box, and it has slowly grown out of my control

I started it as headcanons, then a little drabble, and now we have a fic with a moodboard, so I hope you’re pleased with yourself

The Tale of the Queen and the General

The Darkling x Fem!Fae!Reader

»»---------------------►

“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Queen, who ruled over the Fae kingdom.” Aleksander smiles fondly over at you as he smooths his hand over your daughter hair. Her dark eyes widen, and she looks over at you with her lips parted in recognition as she realises what story her father is telling her.

Your foot knocks against Aleksander’s affectionately as you settle into the comfort of your daughter’s bed, her tiny body nestled between you both as he continues his tale.

“She was clever and brave and strong, but her advisors wanted her to marry to strengthen their country.” Eliza’s brow furrows as she interrupts,

“But, but you told me you should only marry someone that you really love.” Aleksander nods sagely at her words, a small smile curling at his lips.

“That’s very true solnyshko.” His eyes flicker to you, his expression softening even further as he drinks in the sight of you looking so content. “So, she agreed that she would only marry the man who could bring her a rose.”

Her small face crinkles once again as she frowns,

“But we have roses in Mama’s garden.” Your face glows with the smile that adorns your lips, and Aleksander’s heart flutters at the sight.

“We never had roses, not until the handsome General swept the Queen off her feet.” You tell her. Eliza turns her head back and forth a few times, looking between both of her parents.

“Papa found them!” You nod, your smile widening.

“Yes he did my little blossom.”

You still remember the first time Aleksander had visited your court.

“You’re a long way from Ravka, General Kirigan.” You remark from your seat on the throne. He reaches the foot of your dais, before dropping into a respectful bow.

“My King seeks to forge an alliance with your kingdom, Your Highness.”

“And the King did not wish to see me himself?” Despite the centuries that have passed, you are still wary of humans. Being cast out from your village as a child is not easy to forget.

“I believe he thought I might make a more suitable bridge between our countries.”

There’s something hidden in the General’s words, a dislike of the situation, or perhaps of the man issuing these orders. You knew of what happened to Ravkan Grisha - a life of servitude to the King in exchange for more safety than the Grisha of past could have dreamed of. You can still remember the days when Grisha and Fae hunting parties raided towns and villages.

“And how will you attempt to create this bridge?”

“I have heard you are searching for a suitor, and would like to offer myself as a contender.”

Your heart flutters briefly. All of Ravka knew of the Black General, the fearsome Darkling that led the Second Army. Now that you had finally met him, you had to admit he was handsome. His dark eyes were almost Faelike, and his face had a sharpness that demanded attention.

He had followed the rules of your court, keeping a respectful distance from you, something that members of your own council often forgot. You’re almost upset that you set such an impossible task for a man for win your hand.

“Do you know of the terms set for my prospective suitor to adhere to?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” You raise a brow at him.

“And yet you come to me empty handed?”

“Perhaps I wanted to ask Her Highness if she had a particular colour in mind for her rose?”

The corner of your mouth twitches, your lips nearing a smile and your gaze softens as you look down at the floor. You’re quiet for a long moment before you say,

“Yellow.” You meet his eyes briefly, finding him studying your expression intently. “But not a bright yellow. Like the pale, creamy yellow of the morning sun.” There’s a flicker of vulnerability in your tone, and you clear your throat quickly before standing and approaching the General. “If you succeed, I will accept Ravka as my ally, and you as my consort.”

He nods slowly.

“I will return before the next full moon.”

“Don’t get my hopes up General.”

You smile fondly as you join in on the storytelling, Eliza staring up at you.

“It’s too cold in Fjerda for roses, and too dry in Shu Han. They were almost impossible to find.”

Your daughter listens intently, her gaze mirroring her father’s as you continue.

“Men continued to visit the Queen, trying to win her hand. Some brought all manner of flowers in an attempt to impress her. Some enchanted sticks or rocks, to look like a rose. But the Queen saw through their tricks, because no one knows trickery better than the Fae.”

“Then the General returned.”

As the days before the full moon passed by, you became more and more distracted. Thoughts of the General filling your mind. Every time you considered him never returning, your heart ached. You felt foolish, waiting for a man you had only met once. But you couldn’t deny that the Black General had made an impression on you.

You’re sitting through a council meeting, where yet again your advisors are vying for you to marry. Some of them are even bold enough to make some suggestions. Then a messenger arrives.

“General Kirigan has requested an audience with Your Highness.”

You dismiss your advisors immediately.

The hallway is quiet as you make your way towards the expansive balcony which overlooks the courtyard of your palace. It’s there that the General waits for you.

His hands are folded behind his back, and he’s almost hidden in the shadow of a nearby tree as you approach him.

“I believe I told you not to get my hopes up General.” You’re a little disappointed that he’s empty handed, but you’re surprised by how happy you are to see him again.

He pulls his gaze from the horizon, his dark eyes twinkling as they meet yours. He nods in greeting, before his lips curl into a smile.

“And I believe I assured you I would deliver, Your Highness.”

Then he pulls his hands from behind his back, revealing a rose in full bloom. You stop breathing for a moment, utterly starstruck. Your fingers trace over the petals delicately. He even got the colour right.

“When I was a little girl,” you begin quietly, and the General watches your face carefully. “My mother had roses in her garden, the same colour as this one.” A faint smile touches your lips, but it soon fades. “She was just a quiet village girl, seduced by the evil Fae King - my father. She told the villagers my father was a merchant, always away travelling. Which they believed at first.” Your gaze hardens as you stare down at the gravel beneath your feet. “But they soon found out what I was. A changling child, with too much darkness in me for my age.”

You lift your eyes to meet his, and you know he sees it. The wrongness. You’re at home in your kingdom, surrounded by the Fae, but your time of living quietly amongst humans is long passed.

“The villagers gave my mother an ultimatum. Abandon me in the forest, for either the wolves or the Fae to take me, and they would let her stay. She refused.”

The General remains still, considering every word you say with great care.

“My last memory of her, is her telling me to run. I did. And I didn’t look back. One of my father’s advisors, Lenard, found me and took me to the Fae Court. It wasn’t long after that I make The Change.”

“The Change?”

“I told you I was changeling child. Meaning I could make The Change. I gave up my humanity to join the Fae Court, and it made me into this.”

You gesture to yourself, encouraging him to take in your inhuman features - the pointed ears, sharp nails that curl like claws, and the pitch black eyes devoid of irises. He doesn’t stare, his gaze doesn’t linger on any of these features. You would almost say he was simply admiring you.

Then he says,

“I have something else for you.” You regard him with surprise in your eyes. You have prided yourself on being romantically unapproachable, no man has ever dared to attempt courting you. You find yourself feeling almost shy under the attention of the General.

He unbuttons the front of his kefta, slipping a hand under the fabric to reach into a pocket hidden in the garment. From there he pulls out a black, silk handkerchief, and you frown as he offers you the piece of material.

Taking it in hand, you realise there’s something concealed between the folds. You unwrap the object carefully, your frown deepening when you see what is hidden amongst the silk. It appears to be a stick, with a clump of mud clinging to one end of it. You look back up at the General with puzzlement in your eyes. He only smiles softly at you.

“For you to create your own rose garden.”

Then your heart stops. It’s a rose stem, with an entact root. Meaning that you can plant it. Meaning that you can grow your own roses.

“The General brought the Queen a stem which grew into the most beautiful rose garden the kingdom had ever seen.”

“And they lived happily ever after?” Eliza asks, her eyes becoming heavy as her bedtime approaches. Aleksander chuckles softly, encouraging her to rest her head on her pillow.

“Yes they did solnyshko.” You hum in agreement, tucking the blanket over her small body.

“They had the most beautiful wedding, the General was made the King of the Fae, and they ruled alongside one another.”

Eliza’s eyes flutter closed, and you lean forward to press a kiss to her forehead.

“And it wasn’t long before the princess was born.”

“S’that me?” She asks, her voice filled with sleep as her dark eyes blink up at you. You smile at her.

“Yes little blossom, that’s you.”

She smiles, closing her eyes as she mumbles,

“Love you Mama, love you Papa.”

Aleksander leans forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead, and tenderly smoothing her hair from her face. Then he responds in a whisper,

“We love you too, very much.”

She smiles softly, hearing his words even as she drifts into her dreams. Her fingers curl around his wrist as she begins to fall asleep, just as she used to cling to his finger when she was a baby.

The two of you share an affectionate look, and Aleksander carefully removes her fingers. He stands and checks the curtains are closed, and you pick up the candle from her bedside cabinet. Once you reach the doorway, you stand and wait for your husband. His hand settles at your waist as he stands beside you, and the two of you take one last look at your daughter.

You blow out the candle, discarding it on a table in the hallway as Aleksander closes Eliza’s bedroom door.

There’s a twinkle in your eyes that Aleksander recognises, and a smirk curls at his lips as he steps closer. He curls an arm around your waist, pulling your body flush against his, and kisses you deeply. A thrill runs through you, as his lips move against yours, and the two of you are breathless when he pulls away. Pressing your foreheads together, you can’t help but breathe out his name in a soft sigh. He responds by whispering your own name back, and you smile widely.

Names have power in the Fae kingdom.

Only two living people know your name. Lenard - the Fae that took you in after you escaped the village of your childhood. And Aleksander. Living for centuries means that Aleksander had to be careful with who to trust with his name. Meaning that you were the only one blessed with the gift of his true name.

“Aleksander, I have something for you.” He raises a brow in curiosity, and you offer him your hands with he takes instantly. With a smile, you guide his hands to rest against your stomach. “We’re having another baby.”

His smile nearly dazzles you, and he looks so young, his face full of boyish delight as he picks you up, twirling you in his arms. He presses a series of kisses over your face and you giggle at his antics. He cups your face tenderly, his eyes misty,

“My darling wife, you brilliant, beautiful thing.” He kisses you again.

“I did have some help.” You remark playfully, nudging his chest gently and he smiles again.

From the giddy expressions on your faces, no one would be able to tell there was more than a thousand years worth of life between you both. That you had fought countless wars, and merged countries to protect your people.

Aleksander kisses you again.

[florencemtrash]

The Wisp Between Worlds

CHAPTER FOUR: THE FOX AND THE HIGH LORD

Acotar fanfic/rewrite. Inner Circle x OC. Eventual Azriel x OC.

Summary: Have you ever wondered what you would do (and do differently) if you found yourself trapped in the fantasy world of your dreams? For Nora, this fantasy of hers is about to play out when she finds herself portaled away to the Moral Lands south of Prythian. But all is not as it seems. Feyre Archeron is missing and the deadline to break Amarantha’s curse draws near. Who will save Prythian now?

Warnings: None for this chapter 

Masterlist

*Let me know if you would like to join the taglist*

________________

Nora had to endure horseback riding for another hour, sweat dripping down her back and clinging to her clothes, before she finally felt them slow down. The mask slipped off her face like water, dropping to the grass and immediately springing up into a rosebush. 

Nora gasped at the minor display of magic.

The ground was swollen with the blossoms of spring - marigolds, peonies, hydrangeas, lilies, and roses drifting along in a floral sea. Marble fountains of horned and hoofed creatures carrying instruments were carefully laid out in the garden, carved with such a careful hand that when she dismounted and crawled onto the fountain ledge she could make out their eyelashes. 

Nora dared to touch the wrist of a forest nymph who spilled crystal clear water from her jar. She was smoother than freshly waxed glass.

Tamlin’s estate was sprawled out comfortably amidst the vibrant rolling hills, as fat and happy as the bumblebees that drowsily floated from flower to flower. Blood red roses and emerald green vines dripped down the manor’s alabaster walls and turret roofs, pooling beneath the balconies and windows so that anyone who let the wind in would be greeted with their intoxicating scent.

Tamlin made his way towards the manor without a word. 

Nora hurried after him with awkward strides as her knees and thighs re-acquainted themselves with standing on solid ground. She was in desperate need of a bath and rest.

The faint click of Tamlin’s claws on the checkered floors echoed throughout the empty hall. Nora could hardly breathe, worried that the mere sound of her existence would disrupt the wonderment flooding her mind. The black and white marble tiles were polished so thoroughly she caught her reflection looking back at her, dirty and disheveled, and foxgloves hung in bundles from the gilded buttresses, swaying in the breeze like church bells. 

A manor of this size must have had at least one hundred servants to keep it in order, but when Nora strained her ears she was only rewarded with the lonely, echoing silence.

Left at the portrait with the golden bear, right at the next junction with the 6-foot tall elk horn, past the green stained glass windows, then- 

She traced their steps until they reached a set of oakwood doors as tall as the ceiling and thicker than the length of her hand. 

The doors swung open of their own accord, exposing a grand dining room with velvet curtains and a solitary table cut from a tree trunk. 

A fae male sat at the table, russet brown and golden mechanical eyes staring out from behind a fox mask. His hair was as vibrant and warm as a winter fire, offset by his handsome emerald suit jacket and honey-colored skin. The only imperfection he possessed - if it could even be called that - was the scar that dragged through his ruined eye and landed at the corner of his lip like a lightning strike.

Must be Lucien. 

He shot up from the table, golden eye flashing, “Tam, where the hell have you been?”

Tamlin ignored him and made his way around the table. With a flash of light and a groan he collapsed into his rose-engraved chair. Where there had once walked a beast now sat a very beautiful, and very exhausted fae. 

Nora tilted her head to look at him, carefully observing the gold mask that remained frozen in place as he dragged a hand down his face. 

“Tamlin.” Lucien said. He hadn’t noticed the human girl waiting by the dining room threshold, but he was alerted to her presence when Tamlin raised a single finger towards her.

Lucien’s gold eye whirred, the artificial pupil constricting as he turned around and looked at Nora.

“She’s the one that killed Andras?” Surprise and disdain flooded his voice. She was so… human - a poor credit to her species and thin as a reed. He crossed the floor in three strides and glared down at her. She found only disbelief and mild hatred in his face.

He sniffed the air around her and frowned. “She reeks.”

Color flooded into her cheeks, blood turning hot, “It’s almost like I’ve been traveling the last day and a half. Without a meal, might I add.” 

She scowled at Tamlin as he slunk into his seat further and rubbed his temples. Her hunger had flared up with a vengeance on the last leg of their journey and she felt it twist and tug within her. Just because she was used to an empty stomach didn’t mean it felt any more pleasant.

“Go bathe. You can eat after.” Tamiln said with a lazy wave of his hand like she was some dog to be dismissed.

Nora’s scowl deepened. She was hungry now, although she had to admit a bath also sounded heavenly. 

Before she could shoot back a reply a fae slipped into the room from a hidden hallway, bowing deeply to Tamlin before deigning to give Nora a curt nod. This fae was even shorter than her and a female from the looks of her wide hips and soft features, although the gnarled mask of woven branches made it difficult to make out her face. 

She walked to another set of open double doors and clicked her heels together, waiting expectantly for Nora to follow. 

When Nora glanced at Tamlin, it seemed that he’d already forgotten she existed, eyes roaming over the silverware.

You’re a real charmer. Asshole.

Still she followed the female out of the dining room without a fight. She’d save her energy for another day.

“Best to kill her now and be done with it.” She heard Lucien hiss beneath his breath as the doors shut behind them.

The female was ruthless when it came to bathing. Before the bathroom door was even fully shut, she was pulling away at Nora’s clothes with rough, strong hands as callous as tree bark. 

“Wait! No!” Nora grabbed at Dinah’s coat when it was pulled from her shoulders.

“It’s stiff with dust and sweat, child.” The female clicked her tongue, catching sight of the makeshift bandage on Nora’s arm, “And a good deal of blood,” Her voice held the same texture as her hands. “Best to get rid of it.” 

“No.” Nora said. The fae cast a narrow eye at the girl, ancient and impatient, “Please,” She tried again, softening her tone, “It’s the only thing I have from home.”

The girl in front of her could only be eighteen, nineteen at most - young for a human and absolutely fetal for a fae. 

She sighed, “I’ll wash it and return it tonight.” She said from between tight lips. 

The girl deflated with relief, holding onto the ruined fabric for one final moment before she let it pass from her hands.

“...Thank you….” She murmured beneath her breath, grasping for a name.

“Alis.” 

“...Thank you, Alis.” 

The human had more manners that she would have anticipated.

Nora’s face turned bright red when Alis stripped her of her clothes, but the female only clicked her tongue again like one might reprimand a child. 

With the promise that Dinah’s coat would be cared for, Nora let herself sink into the bathtub up to her neck, groaning as the hot water soaked into her skin and eased her aching legs. 

Alis scrubbed away at her skin with honey-scented soap until it turned red and prickled upon touching the air, as though that would remove her human deficiency. But Nora welcomed the faint pain and the sharp nails that scratched without mercy at her scalp and tore away months of hard living. No matter how long she remained in the bath, no matter how clean she became, the water remained clear.

Alis had no shame in nakedness when she pulled the girl from the bath and began rubbing her down in lavender oils and brushed rosewater through her hair. The girl continued to look down at her feet sheepishly, covering parts of herself as Alis went about her business. She had one duty and one duty only - to make the girl appealing enough for the High Lord to court and seduce. Maybe then they’d all be freed from this mess. 

She finished by wrapping up Nora’s arm in fresh linens the same shade as her skin so the wound would be nearly imperceptible beneath the sheer sleeves of her dress.

Nora was delivered back to Tamlin and Lucien like a trussed up turkey - her neat braids complete with green ribbons to match Tamlin’s eyes. She’d been forced into a similarly toned sage-green gown that swished around on the ground behind her.

She twisted her hands together, suppressing the rising disgust in her stomach. These were not clothes she would have picked for herself. These were not clothes that had been made for her - they’d been made for a fae. 

The gossamer sleeves hung past her hands, clearly intended for a creature with longer, more slender limbs. The neckline of the dress similarly dropped too low, exposing much of her chest and leaving her vulnerable and cold.

She wanted Dinah’s coat back. She wanted to sink into the material and slink off into memories of home. Home with Dinah and Jaskiel. Home with her parents. Perhaps Alis’s bath had been a curse - her hard won outer layer seemed to have fizzled away with the lavender bubbles.

The two males froze in their seats, whatever conversation they’d been indulging in forgotten as they took in the sight of her. 

Lucien knocked his elbow into Tamlin’s side, subtly coughing into a closed fist. Tamlin took the hint and stood up, opening his arm towards the empty seat next to him and across from Lucien. 

Nora didn’t want to move. She wanted to disappear into her room and dive into the satin bed sheets that had been calling her name ever since Alis showed her her quarters. Perhaps it wasn’t too late to run. But her eyes narrowed in on the feast laid out before them.

The table was laden with enough food for a holiday party: whole roasted quails smothered in butter with garlic and thyme, fresh baked bread that steamed from the decorative slits cut into the crust, candied oranges piled on a platter next to a moist chocolate walnut cake. 

Nora’s stomach clenched painfully and her hunger won out. 

She awkwardly slid into her seat, dragging layers of tulle behind her. 

When Tamlin leaned across the table and began piling sausages, creamed spinach, bread, and more onto her plate, Nora had to suppress the urge to cringe away.

The bewilderment on her face seemed to please him as he settled back into his seat and began serving himself. Lucien was left to his own devices.

The first bite of honey-roasted walnuts and potatoes hit her tongue, exploding with a taste so bright and powerful she wondered if she had died and gone to heaven. She’d never tasted food so pure and delicious.

Tamlin stared curiously, watching as she slowly lost all sense of propriety and began stuffing her face, but if he was judging her table manners he didn’t show it. 

Lucien coughed, eyes flashing between the pair and Tamlin caught the message, dropping his wine glass onto the table with enough force to grab her attention. 

Her silverware froze above the piece of chicken on her plate, stopping their planned assault. 

Tamlin clenched his jaw, “Your hair…” 

She could see the place where his brain should be trying to formulate a compliment.

“Is clean. And you smell… nice.” He growled out with difficulty.

It wasn’t a lie. Alis had sprayed her down with enough perfume that a blind man would mistake her for a rosebush.

Nora stifled a laugh and Lucien rolled his eyes, bowing his head so that his forehead rested on graceful fingertips.

If Tamlin actually believed she would fall for his half-brained compliment he was proven wrong. Silence settled over them, thick and uncomfortable. 

She didn’t want to speak to them. She didn’t even know how’d she respond. They expected her to be afraid - hell, she was afraid - but she also felt some minor thread of confidence. For the time being she was safe, and she had to make use of that time as best she could to try and prepare for what was coming. Courting a romantic relationship with Tamlin was secondary. For now the best thing she could do was learn everything there was to learn about Prythian and the Human Lands - things that couldn’t be gained by asking too many questions or staying too long at the dinner table.

They must have a library somewhere.

“I would have expected more questions from you.” Lucien commented lazily, pulling Nora abruptly from her thoughts. The wine swished around in his cup, getting dangerously close to spilling over the sides as he narrowed his eyes at the girl, “You’re the first human in decades to step foot in Prythian, and you’re dining with one of the most powerful Hi-”

Tamlin growled in warning, shooting Lucien a glare strong enough to slice through the end of his sentence. 

Lucien cleared his throat, unfazed by the rude interruption, “You’re dining with two powerful High Fae. Surely your little human brain is curious.” 

Nora tapped her foot impatiently beneath the table, mouth twisting to the side in thought. Every parcel of her being was exploding with questions, curiosity threatening to pour out of her skin, but she didn’t want to interrogate them. She didn’t want to play her hand too early if she slipped up and said something she wasn’t supposed to know.

Her silence was mistaken for a resounding no. Lucien sighed as though disappointed but unsurprised, “How typical of humans to think so small.” 

She bristled, her pride wounded and smarting. 

“Excuse my friend,” Tamlin jumped at the opportunity to come to her aid. “He’s not in the best mood right now.” 

“I suppose you know the reason why.” Lucien’s face soured. 

Andras. 

The name hung above their heads.

She had killed his friend. She knew this, but it was too early to apologize for it, as much as she wanted to. So she once again settled for the safe option of staying silent, letting the guilt pool in her stomach and steal away her appetite.

“What exactly am I doing here? What do you want from me?” Nora asked carefully. It was a safe question - an obvious question, “Shall I sweep the floors? Wash the laundry? Be a punching bag for your thinly veiled insults?” She aimed the last question at Lucien and he had the kindness to at least look ashamed of his comment. 

“You are not a prisoner here.” Tamlin said gruffly. Nora raised her eyebrow. “What I mean is, you are here to fulfill the Treaty’s exchange - a life for a life. Apart from that you have no duties. Walk the grounds, explore the manor, or leave my court entirely. I do not care.” 

You most certainly do care. I know you care. 

“But the moment you step foot outside Prythian the deal is off. There will be no protection for you or your family.” 

“Your court?”

Tamlin froze, teeth clamping down on his tongue until he tasted blood. Lucien simply wanted to crumple to the floor in exasperation. It hadn’t even been a full day and Tamlin had already let slip his identity. He saw her mind stir, eyes fidgeting around the room as she put the pieces together. If he wasn’t mistaken, he even saw laughter behind her eyes.

“That’s what you said, isn’t it? You’re not just some high fae, you’re a High Lord.” 

“Yes.” He gritted out. His knuckles had turned white.

She thought for a long while before hesitantly asking, “So I truly may do as I wish here? You won’t kill me?”

“Yes, and no.”

Tamlin sensed the hesitation in her body before her scent slowly shifted to hope and curiosity. She’d have the run of the manor and for the first time since coming to this world she’d have access to books and music and good food.

Images of Dinah and Jaskiel flashed through her mind: Jaskiel limping to his chair after a long day of scribbling out sums in exchange for pennies, Dinah coming home with raw hands after hours of lime washing a local lord’s floors. Older images that she had buried in her heart also rose to the surface: Mom and Dad setting up the table for three before realizing she wouldn’t be coming home, Mom and Dad taking the long drive around town so they wouldn’t have to pass by the boardwalk. 

This manor was but a beautiful prison, and Nora had so far been treated like a doll to be dressed up and seduced by an incompetent Tamlin. She was painfully aware of it… and yet… it was a better life than the one she’d left behind. At least here she would not starve. At least here she would no longer have to worry about when the money would run out. 

If she asked for books or jewelry or dresses or anything else her heart desired Tamlin would jump at the chance to make her fall in love with him. 

It made her feel guilty.

“And my family?” The weight of her words, the sincerity of them, tempered Lucien’s distaste for the girl who’d murdered his friend.

“I promised you before they’d be taken care of.” Tamlin said.

“But what does that mean?” Nora splayed her hands on the table, hating that her previous excitement over material things had outshone her longing for her home, “What does it mean that you’re taking care of them?” 

Lucien leaned back in his chair, watching her quietly. She wasn’t what he’d been expecting. He’d expected her to blaze through the manor like a hateful and seething flame. Instead she was more like a firefly in a jar - constantly buzzing and flickering with thoughts and emotions that she tried to trap within herself. He didn’t know how to make sense of her.

Tamlin sighed, hands gently folding in front of him. Something like sympathy peered out from behind the mask.

“Dinah and Jaskiel think your family - your real family - found you and sent for you to be brought back to the Continent. I crafted a final memory of them seeing you off on a carriage with your very wealthy aunt.” 

Nora stilled, tears beginning to gather in her eyes as Tamlin continued. 

“I’ll be sending money to them every month on behalf of your “real” family as thanks for protecting and caring for you. It will be more than enough for them to live comfortably without having to work.” 

“Did you… did you really?” She whispered softly.

“I swear on my life and my court.” Tamlin assured her.

She laughed without humor, brushing away the tears that had spilled onto her cheeks. Perhaps now the villagers would really believe that she was a foreign-born royal. 

“That’s a very good lie you came up with.” Nora muttered with disdain. The chair screeched along the floor when she stood up abruptly, and no one stopped her as she disappeared out the door.

“Well I think that went well.” Lucien said with a grimace. He downed the wine to its last bitter dregs.

Tamlin’s low growl followed Nora as she half-stumbled her way back to her room.

When she finished untangling herself from the wretched dress and sank beneath the covers, she finally allowed herself to cry. 

Tamlin had crafted such a perfect and necessary lie. Dinah and Jaskiel would be able to rest easy believing she was with her true family, but Nora would have to live with the truth. 

She was now utterly alone.

>>>

The chirping birds, obnoxious and hormonal, woke Nora up just in time to see the sun crest over the hills. The moment her heels hit the marble floor Alis snuck in, a pile of dresses stretched out in her hands.

“Good morning.” Alis said, her voice curt as she spread the dresses on the bed, “Which would you like to wear today?”

“I get to choose my dress?” Nora blinked the sleep out of her puffy eyes. 

“Yes, child. You get to choose your dress.” 

Nora said little as Alis fussed with her hair, tying it back in a simple braid before ushering her to the bathroom to deal with her tear-stained face. 

The dress Nora selected was simple - an ankle length riding gown paired with a deep blue vest and short boots. Alis tried not to display her displeasure as Nora dressed herself haphazardly. After a long, dreamless night she was ready to escape her room and find some secret corner of the manor to hide in - preferably in the library. 

Thoughts and plans for the day raced through her head as she followed Alis’s quick footsteps to the dining room, memorizing the path once more.

The frown was clear on her face when she saw Tamlin and Lucien crowding the breakfast table. Alis nudged her forward, unsticking her feet from the floor with a sharp jab to the center of her back. 

“How did you sleep?” Tamlin asked as she settled down and stabbed at a sausage. The faster she ate, the faster she could leave.

“Terribly.” 

“How unfortunate.” Lucien said, decked out in a riding uniform of his own. The deep green jacket was overlaid with gold-plated steel, as functional as it was beautiful. A pearl-handle knife the color of bleached bone was sheathed comfortably across his chest, a matching sword resting against the table as he ate.

Tamlin was similarly armed, but his weapons looked more decorative. After all, how much good were weapons when he could transform into a near unkillable beast at any moment. When the light hit his skin at certain angles, Nora could almost see the skin of the creature beneath, unyielding and impenetrable. 

He caught her staring at the glimmering badges pinned to his coat.

“Lucien and I have business to attend to today,” he said, answering her unspoken question, “You may do as you wish. If you require anything you may ask the servants.” 

Nora frowned at the word - servant, how archaic - and looked around the empty hall. They lurked about somewhere, moving through the estate unseen to her eyes. Were they watching her now? Were they waiting for a moment to report her odd behavior to Tamlin? 

That was the first thing she’d have to fix. There would be no way for her to sneak around undetected if she couldn’t even see who she should be hiding from. Thoughts of the Suriel flashed through her mind, her fingertips rubbing together as she flipped through the pages of a phantom book and imagined what information she might be able to sink her fingers into. 

“I assure you, you are safe here. My people won’t harm you in any way.” Nora snapped her head up, grateful that he’d mistaken her scheming for worry. 

“You promise?” a hint of surprise and hope slipped into her voice.

“I promise.” Tamlin said, nodding his head fervently. He ignored the dampness of his palms and pushed down the revulsion he felt at being reduced to this. He was one of the most powerful creatures in all of Prythian, perhaps in the entire world, and he needed to resort to courting a human to protect his people. The thought made him feel weak, lesser. He hadn’t wanted to send his men out to their deaths in the woods. With every friend he buried he could feel a bit of himself chipping away and landing beside their graces. 

He was desperate, and he would resort to this measure in his desperation.

“And I may go anywhere? Do anything?” 

Tamlin’s lips curled back in a feline grin, catching the light that sparked to life in her eyes. “Within reason.” 

Lucien snorted, “How much damage do you intend on doing, human?”

As much as possible.

“None.”

He snorted again, half-amused at her blatant lie.

“Where’s the library?” Nora stood up abruptly when she finished eating, not waiting to be dismissed from the breakfast table.

“The library?”

“Do you not have one?” She asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Tamlin’s anger flared up like a gasoline fire. Lucien shot him a warning glance, standing up lightly and tilting his head towards the left before his High Lord could say or do anything he might regret.

“We have the most beautiful library you will have ever seen. Tamlin can show you the way, can’t you Tamlin?” 

“I can find it myself.” Nora snapped. She didn’t want company, only to disappear for the day, “Just give me the directions.”

“It’s a very large manor. We wouldn’t want you getting lost.” Something told her Lucien wanted nothing more than for her to ride off into the woods and never come back.

“I’ll ask whoever is around if that happens.” She said quickly, itching to find her escape. 

Mercifully, Tamlin didn’t press her to accept his company. 

He’d barely finished giving her the directions before she was flying out the side door, skirts shifting in the spring breeze like a ghostly afterimage. 

There was work to be done and plans to be made.

________________

Taglist: @myheartfollower @impossibelle @chybay22 @lahoete

Author's note: I struggled writing this chapter so I apologize if it's slow, but I'm just going to post it anyway so I can continue on to chapters I have more fleshed out plans for. Who knows, maybe I'll actually write down an outline for this fic instead of holding it all in my brain 😅. I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

[windblume-wishes]

Why Lilia’s Dream Is About When He Found Silver

WARNING: Spoilers for Diasomnia Part 3 Ahead!! Turn back ye who have not completed thy chapter! Go on, shoo!

This theory has been debated on several times since Part 3 of Diasomnia has released- which of course was not long ago. The theory was first proposed when the ending of Part 3 came, we all arrive in the Briar Valley and all of a sudden we are surrounded by fae beings dressed ominously in armor resembling the many demonic figures that decorated Maleficent’s castle on the Forbidden Mountain. Suddenly a familiar sound of bats flying tells us that Lilia may make an appearance- low and behold he does but not as we know him, oh no, but as General Vanrouge- decorated in his war-time attire and a drastically different appearance than what we have all come to know and love.

With Silver’s dream bird flying about around Lilia it is clear we have found the host of the dream- Lilia. But what is the dream about? Well it may be about when he found Silver. It is no surprise that Lilia was a feared and respected war general of the Briar Valley who slaughtered many a human in his wartime days, that being said what if what truly changed him and his ways was the mere cry of a newborn baby who lay in his cradle crying for his mother who is not anywhere to be found. Lilia remembers his time caring for young Malleus and that instinct to hold and protect kicks in- the fatherly instinct to protect this innocent newborn baby who could die if left alone any longer.

Lilia is not ignorant, he knows that babies require attention and protection and seeing a defenseless baby boy crying for his mother who is not around sends his fatherly instincts into full force activation. While he spent many a year slaughtering this child’s own kind in war, a new feeling blossomed in his cold heart and gave way to a new beginning in his life- a new chapter where he raise this child amongst the fae and teach him that peace is indeed possible.

Lilia spent many years at war and now he can see that there is indeed a chance for him to finally love- love and raise a child that he can call his own. While it was not easy for him, he tried his best and Silver turned out well despite his rather secluded lifestyle in the forest living as he would in the days of old- almost in an old Amish way one might say. Silver was the light is Lilia’s darkness and from what we can tell from the stories so far, Lilia truly cherished his son deeply. He was there for Silver from the beginning and a bond was forged from the moment he first held Silver.

All the dreams so far have been an ideal life that everyone wants, a dream with a guaranteed happily ever after. So why would Silver not be included in Lilia’s dream? Was he not a major part of his life? Yes, Silver was, even if he was for 17 short years, those years held a significant impact and importance. That being said, what if all Lilia dreams of is a life where his magic is never ending and he may stay beside Silver until the very end? He knows that his time is running out but with Silver he can live happily ever after with a loving son who will do anything to make his father proud. With this dream being of that fateful day, Lilia can rewind the clock and start anew with more time so he can love and care for his son all over again. He will relive one of the greatest moments of his life, the day he became a father.

With Malleus being the overseer of these dreams it would give him a chance to relive a happy memory of when he first met newborn Silver. Malleus, despite this being a dream, would be able to relive that time and once again be happy- or even cause harm. What if because Silver turned his blade on Malleus in protest of what he was doing this would give Malleus the perfect opportunity to curse newborn Silver so that he may sleep for eternity through the ancient spinning wheel curse. Seeing as it’s pretty much confirmed that Silver is the Sleeping Beauty of the story and Malleus is Maleficent this would be a golden opportunity for Malleus to curse baby Silver once and for all.

While these are merely dreams, it is apparent that blot can be present even in the dream world, can a curse work the same way? If Malleus were to curse newborn Silver in Lilia’s dream would the real Silver be affected in some way? Who knows…

What are your thoughts, travelers~?

- Windblume