#i love her very dearly she's like a firstborn child to me

[famousblueraincoatmp3]

fallout 3 is great because if you pass a speech check you can just tell the antagonists to kill themselves and they'll do it without hesitating

[sleeplessdreamer123]

Fanfic Idea! (ABO Lucemond, where Lucerys had a son before Aemond)

Lucerys stared at the new child blankly, his heart devoid of love or joy when the screaming babe was placed in his arms. He had only held her for a few moments, before giving her up to one of the nursemaids, using the excuse that she was tired and needed rest. Well, it wasn't really an excuse, the labor was rough, his eyes were drooping, but it still felt like he was using an excuse. He didn't want to see this new addition to the family.

It had been years, ever since he was forced to bear the crown as queen, to keep balance with the greens. He hated this, but it was better than forcing his poor Aegon to marry the daughter of their mother's killer. He still remembered the screams of Aegon, the first time he made such a noise ever since they were forced to witness their mother's death.

"NO! I won't do it! No! No! No! Don't let them make me do it, Luke, don't let them make me!"

So he had to do it, he had to make the sacrifice. It was a good think his husband has already long died in the war, otherwise he would have no way of helping Aegon now.

When he woke, the room was clean, the babe was placed on a small bassinet next to his bed, sleeping soundly. He could only look at her for a few seconds before looking away. He couldn't, he couldn't look at the child without the guilt of knowing he had no love for her.

After his husband's death, his family's demise, after the war, after being forced to marry Aemond, he thought he had long lost his ability to love the way he used to. He was so sure he wouldn't feel love again. But then it happened. The familiar burst of energy and warmth from his chest, and it had only happened when-

"Muña?"

Lucerys turned his head, and the feeling came back. He gestured him to enter, and he ran to his side, quickly getting on the bed. He was in his nightclothes, Lucerys noticed absentmindedly. He gestured him to his side, and when he did, Lucerys held him tight, inhaling the soft scent of his hair, relaxing him well.

His son, his sweet boy Corlys II. It was a hard pregnancy, the supposed joyous occasion ruined by the war, ruined by the very news of the death of his husband mere moments apart.

He was heavily pregnant when he was forced to marry Aemond, yet Aemond still accepted the alternative solution, to the disgruntlement of his side of the war. When he gave birth to the sweet being in his arms, he felt so much joy his heart felt it would burst. He named him Corlys II, in honor of the man who continued to support his claim even after he was declared omega, who stood by him in everything, who chose a good husband for him who loved him dearly, and who stands beside him now, his unofficial Master of Whispers.

He felt something after so long that he could barely look at anyone else for so many moons, only having eyes of Corlys II, only thinking of his sweet boy. He was addicted to the feeling. The feeling of love he never thought he would have again.

So after a year or so, when Aemond wished to consummate the marriage after waiting for so long, he agreed, thinking that maybe more children could heal the empty hole in his heart.

But it didn't. When he held his twins, he didn't feel the familiar swell of emotions, he didn't feel the joy and the heaviness of love. Instead he felt nothing. So much of nothing and he scared him. It scared him how much he felt nothing for his own flesh and blood, it scared him so much he couldn't bare to look at them for the first few weeks. It was the same with the third child, a girl. He had hoped he would feel something, anything, but it was just the same emptiness of the heart and it burned him so.

And now, a fourth child with Aemond, and nothing. Only Corlys made him feel love. And he's sure his other children were catching onto it. He felt guilt, so much guilt for not being able to love them the way he loved his firstborn, but he doesn't know why, nor does he know how to learn to love them, because he never needed to learn before. Love came naturally to him, it was an emotion he could have easily given years ago. Now, though, now it seems he only have enough for one person.

He tried his best not to make it obvious, included all his children in everything, did everything with them, but tried to force himself to love them, but he couldn't. He just couldn't do it, and he had felt like he was going mad with guilt. How could he not love them, innocent ones that they are? Has he changed that much? Did the war ruin even this?

He felt himself crying, and he knows he needed to stop, Corlys was looking at him worriedly, looking like he was about to cry too, but he can't help it. He couldn't stop the sobs, the tears and the guilt he had for years finally forced him to explode. He hugged Corlys tighter, and he felt Corlys cry too, and that just made him cry even more. Then the new babe he didn't even name yet must have woken up and sensed the sad atmosphere, because she began crying too.

Lucerys wasn't surprised Aemond entered the room mere minutes later, sure that the guards must have told him he was crying senselessly with the children. Aemond sent for Corlys' nursemaid and sent him back to his room despite his protests, the newly born babe was also taken away. Now it was just Lucerys and Aemond.

And Aemond, heartless man that he was, wrapped his arms around Lucerys' shoulders as he allowed Lucerys to cry his heart out. This was the first time he has ever cried out outside of his labors, the first time he had allowed himself to mourn and cry. The endless guilt was the straw that broke his back, and in that night, all the guards outside could hear was the cries of their queen, and the soft, coaxing words of their king.

----------

I made Lucerys' husband as ambiguous as I could. I'll let you chose whoever he was.

So, any thoughts? Any declarations?

Update:

Part 2:

[that-one-pretty-bitch]

Alive!Diana x daughter!Reader

Athy and Claude went somewhere together leaving Diana and Reader alone

[i just know Claude would kinda neglect his other child and spent more time with Athy even with Diana alive🙂]

Soooo Mommy Diana took this as an opportunity to spend some time with her first born alone before she becomes an adult :(

[Athy is 15 and reader 17]

Just Mother and daughter bonding time :)))

Like doing each other’s make up & hair, drinking tea together, going shopping, talking about family and more! ^^

[More details: Reader is a lot like Claude that’s why it irritates seeing her because it’s like seeing a feminin version of himself he still loves her though , would be nice if you could do a the empress x wmmap for this just Heinley as Diana’s brother them talking about Navier a bit :) ]

✨-Anon

𝒴𝑒𝓅𝓅 𝑜𝒻𝒸 <𝟥 𝒮𝑜𝓇𝓇𝓎 𝓂𝓎 𝓁𝒶𝓏𝓎 @$$ 𝒹𝒾𝒹𝓃'𝓉 𝓅𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓁𝒾𝑒𝓇, 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒴𝒶𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝑒! 𝒟𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝒜𝑔𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝒶𝓃𝒻𝒾𝒸, 𝓂𝓎 𝑔𝑜𝒶𝓁 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝒾𝓉 𝟤𝓀 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝒹𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝓈𝓊𝒸𝒸𝑒𝑒𝒹𝑒𝒹. 𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒶 𝑔𝑜𝒶𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝟣𝒦 + 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝒹𝓈, 𝓈𝑜 𝓁𝑒𝓉𝓈 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝒾𝓉! :)

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ If Diana were alive, then Claude would be much softer [canon ]. He would smile a lot and genuinely care for both his daughters but a business trip came up and since Athy wanted to go with her favorite parent, Claude and her left ( it's a 1yr business trip ). Meanwhile Y/n stayed back with her favorite parent and Diana tried having lots of fun with her daughter before she became empress and became busy. ♥

[ FYI I don’t hate Athy but reader is slightly jealous that Athy has an easy life while she has to overwork herself daily ]

“Are you sure you can’t come sister?” Athy asked, her eyes were teary she wanted her sister to come with her

“Athanasia, I have to study, one day I will become an empress. I need to learn and work hard before that happens,” Y/n tried reasoning with her sister

“Y/n you are very dedicated, I made the right choice making you crown princess,” Claude smiled at his older daughter.

He was fond of both his daughters but especially Y/n, she would always work hard and never be afraid of anything. Her confidence and bravery was astounding, everyone in the empire respected the elder princess, meanwhile princess Athanasia had it much easier, she would often enjoy herself with her friends and get a lot of free time

“Y/n, I feel that you're a bit too much like me when I was younger. You should relax a bit too, perhaps spend some time with your mother,” Claude spoke, he knew Y/n would not be able to argue with him about this because she truly did love spending time with her mother

“Ah, that sounds nice. I’ll try and make some time,” Y/n smiled gently.

Claude really didn’t deserve such an angel for his daughter

“Father and sister, i’ll be waiting for weekly letters from the both of you,” Y/n mumbled as she gave her sister a last hug before they boarded the carriage.

Diana was really looking forward to spending time with you alone, despite the fact that you looked exactly like her. You had the personality of your father before he met the love of his life. Slightly cold but beautiful, she always made time for her loved ones, especially her mother. She was only soft for her family, everyone else received cold glares from her, Y/n was gorgeous but not the nicest person 😅

“Y/n dear, before you get to work, how about some tea with me and your uncle? Hmm?” Diana asked, hoping that you would accept

“Oh mother, I could never refuse such a sweet request from you,” Y/n walked towards her mother and wrapped her arms around her pulling her in a tight embrace

“I’m going to miss Claude and Athanasia but I have to admit, I would like to spend some time with my firstborn,” Diana mumbled sheepishly

“Hm~ I also enjoy your presence dearly, mother,” Y/n giggled

“Now~ let's not keep your uncle waiting, he just got engaged~ I have a feeling we are going to talk about his new wife!!” Diana squealed

“No way!! How did uncle manage to get a wife? He is so immature!” Y/n teased

“Hush now, don’t be so rude. I have heard his wife is a very brilliant woman!” Diana playfully slapped Y/n’s head

“Ok~ok~ I hope he brought chocolate!” Y/n exclaimed as both ladies walked towards the garden

There, Heinry was seated, he wore a lavish blazer and matching designer pants, his style showed major improvement ever since he started dating this new woman.

“There's my beautiful sister and her divine daughter!” Heinry exclaimed, pulling the chairs back so that both women could sit.

“Haha~ Uncle your style seems to have improved~ Is your fiancee giving you lessons?” Y/n teased

“Hmm.. Navier does not let me go outside unless i’m dressed well,” Heinry replied pouting

“Give that lady a medal for putting up with you,” Y/n laughed as Heinry made a face

“My niece is so rudeeeee,” Heinry mumbled

“She is just very busy lately, crown princess work,” Diana sighed

“I wish she could just turn into a baby again!” Diana blew on her tea cup

“They grow so fast! I remember when Y/n was tiny and I used to take her for walks and she used to ask me to help her reach the flowers,” Heinry laughed lightly, remembering the sweet memories

“Ok ok! Enough about us, tell us more about your fiance!!” Diana exclaimed excitedly

“Hmm… she is very intelligent-” Heinry started

“Opposites do attract,” Y/n giggled

“Hey! Did you just call me stupid!?” Heinry fumed in the most adorable way ever

“Maybe~~~” Y/n teased

“My~my~ Empress Navier is truly a beauty, brother, I'm glad you're happy.” Diana smiled pinching Y/n’s cheeks for making fun of her brother

That evening Heinry left happily, they all discussed his crush ( soon to be wife ) like a couple of gossiping schoolgirls. 

“Mother, is there anything else you would like to do? Today I have nothing to get done,” Y/n relaxed onto the couch, it was one of those rare days where she didn’t have work to do.

“Of course darling! A merchant came by earlier and sold us some foriegn nail paints!” Diana smiled as she opened the small bottle and applied a thin coat on her daughter's nail.

“Mom, you know I like to paint right?” Y/n asked, Diana had often seen beautiful paintings of sceneries from the Obelian empire in her room. She often complimented Y/n on her art skills but lately she had no time to do that

“Yes dear, you paint wonderfully!” Diana exclaimed, painting a second layer of the coral colored nail paint on her daughter’s nails

“What would you think if I told you I made a portrait of you?” Y/n asked absentmindedly

“You did?” Diana inquired

“Hmm..  Yes, I did a bit daily and finished just a week ago. It was supposed to be your birthday gift,” Y/n looked at her nails as diana added glitter and jewels

“AAAA! I can’t wait to see it! My baby i’m sure you did so well,” Diana squealed

“Done~ what do you think Y/n baby?” Diana asked, putting the brush back in the bottle.

“Mother, how are you so good at this?” Y/n asked, admiring how well done her nails looked

“Hm~ I practice on your father and I don’t let him take it off~ hehe~ He can be afraid of me honey,” Diana smiled evilly

“Whaaaaaa father allows you?? Is that why his nails are always painted???” Y/n asked, her mind was blown, her intimidating father was afraid of his sweet and kind wife? This truly did seem like blackmail material. Y/n wondered what the empire would think of a cold ruler who was afraid of his sweetheart wife, it was laughable really.

“Mother, I want to do your nails now,” Y/n picked out a sea green shade, it matched the dress Diana was wearing today

“Honey, I saw Duke Alpheus’s son kiss your hand that other day, what a gentleman. Do you happen to like him? He would make a wonderful prince consort,” Diana asked as her daughter painted her nails with a metallic top coat.

Y/n’s face flushed red, she and Ijekeil were only good companions! It was nothing romantic, even though she knew he liked her and she liked him. Ijekeil tried every now and then to show Y/n that he loved her but Y/n realized that Ijekiel was someone she was going soft for, just like she was for her mother and it scared her. If Ijekeil wasn’t the one, her heart would be broken.

“Yes I like him, I just don’t want him to break my heart,” Y/n mumbled

“Y/n if there is something you want in life, you need to go for it, you can't be afraid. Besides, Ijekeil seems like he is madly in love with you and isn’t the kind of guy to break your heart. You're a girl that every boy in the empire desires so why should you not be able to get the boy you have your heart set on? Hmm?” Diana lectured

“Ah, I suppose your right mother!” Y/n smiled brightly, she felt so much more confident after this speech

Diana truly brought out the best in Y/n, always. Y/n could only hope that Diana would be there for the rest of her life, she loved her mother more than anything in the world.

[lumiereandcogsworth]

Tell me something about any or all of the kiddos you'd LOVE to go off about!!!

Thank you for this!!!! Honestly something that I super want to go off about is their names. I’m just REALLY proud of their names like it’s such a simple thing but?? It gets me so excited and that’s what this post is about am I right ladies!!! Anyway, without further ado: Names.

So to explain the names of these three beautiful kiddos, I first have to explain the full names I’ve given to their parents — my dear Adam and Belle.

Adam Jean-Louis Antoine Adrien de Beaumont

It’s a mouthful I KNOW! These names are all just members of his family. I believe I made Antoine his grandfather, and Jean is a great-grandfather I think. Adrien is an uncle. Louis is his horrible, awful father. I think Adam would have been named after him directly if not for the fact that I have a whole backstory headcanon about how Adam’s mother was NOT King Louis’ first wife. How his first wife, Queen Agnès, gave him a daughter that would later die as a child, and a son that was stillborn (followed by Agnès dying from childbirth). So when the new, young Queen Renée FINALLY gave him a living son, a proper heir to the throne, he let her name him. Hence his simpler, Christian name: Adam.

And “de Beaumont” is an homage to one of the 18th century Beauty and the Beast authors, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont - from 1756. I’ve also seen Adam’s last name be Beaumont in Modern AU fic before, and I’ve fully adopted it as his family name. It’s just so fitting!! So in this canon world, his family line is the house of Beaumont - instead of Bourbon or Napoleon, as history actually dictates around this time.

Belle Annalise de Beaumont (née LaRue)

Much less of a mouthful! So my story on her name is that when her darling parents - Maurice James LaRue and Maria Catherine LaRue (née Bouchet) - were expecting her, they were both quite certain it was a girl. I don’t know how, but they just KNEW. And pretty early on, they settled on the name Annalise. They just both thought it was so lovely, so sweet. They simply adored the name. But on that calm evening on the second of May, when the crying little baby girl was placed in Maria’s arms, all she could say was Belle! Belle! For she had never seen anything more beautiful. Even when her dear husband came in, all tearful and smiling, all she could call their little angel was Belle. Eventually, Maurice suggested that that should be her name, and Annalise became her middle name.

Also the family name LaRue simply means “of the street or of the road” - I wanted Maurice to have a rather plain family name, and it’s symbolic of the fact that Maurice was a street artist, and lived on the street for a good portion of his life.

Now, onto the kiddos!!

Renée Geneviève Annalise de Beaumont

Their dear firstborn, the beloved first princess and heir to the throne! So! Renée’s first name comes from Adam’s mother. I think that, even though Adam spent a good portion of his life not really wanting children, or expecting himself to care, there was some part of him that knew if he ever did have a daughter, he’d name her after his dearly departed mother. And Belle was more than happy to agree upon this name! She thought it was quite beautiful too, and she of course knows how much Adam’s mother meant to him.

Geneviève was the name of Adam’s aunt and godmother - Louis’ younger sister. I headcanon that while she wasn’t around very much (she married a prince of another country when Adam was a child) she was always very kind to her little nephew and godson, and her sister-in-law, when she did visit. Despite King Louis’ anger, Geneviève was sensible and kind. One of Queen Renée’s only ports in the storm of her life, really. Aunt Geneviève unfortunately also died in Adam’s youth, I think around when he was 16, as his past is of course riddled with death. But all that to say, he remembers her fondly, and so gave her name to his daughter.

And Annalise is, of course, after Belle. Adam really wanted to make one of her names “Belle,” but his wife was less enthused with the idea. She loves her name well enough but she wanted her daughter to be her own person, aside from her king and queen parents, whom she would already be compared to for the rest of her life. So they compromised with Annalise. (And, by all accounts, Adam LOVES Belle’s middle name. I think he affectionately calls her Belle Annalise sometimes.)

Juliette Adrienne Maria de Beaumont

Their second daughter! Dear angel!! One can see pretty clearly where Juliette’s name came from. But I like to headcanon that Belle loved that name even before she read Romeo & Juliet. I think it’s even sweeter to think that it was just a name she heard one day as a child and got attached to. We all had names like that! Whether they were for future children or pets or characters or imaginary friends, sometimes you just find names you like. And Juliette was that for Belle. So when she actually DID read Romeo & Juliet, it made her SO happy to see a beloved name as one of the main characters!! And she ended up falling in love with the play, of course, which made it all so perfect.

(Adam wasn’t entirely keen on the name at first, but between the facts that he got to choose their first daughter’s name, and that Belle has ALLEGEDLY loved the name since childhood, he grew fond of it. And he loves it more and more every day, associating it with his darling girl more than anything else <3)

Adrienne is the feminine version of one of Adam’s middle names - Adrien. Adam never actually knew the Adrien he was named after, as he was his father’s younger brother that died in their youth. But Belle likes the name on its own and wanted to include her husband in their child’s name, and Adam agreed it sounded quite nice with Juliette.

Maria is Belle’s mother!!! Not only did they both LOVE the way Juliette Adrienne Maria sounded, but they both knew they had to honor Belle’s mother somehow. Belle didn’t need her daughter to be named after her, as Renée is, but she certainly wanted her to be a part of her daughter’s name. When they told Maurice, he of course was touched, and so very happy to see his darling wife living on through his sweet little granddaughter.

Maurice Jean Adam de Beaumont

Their son!!! The darling prince!!!! Maurice is, quite obviously, named after his grandfather. And don’t worry, he absolutely cried when he learned this little guy was named after him. I could scream about this forever but oh my gosh!! Look, you can name your OC’s whatever you want. I’ve seen some GREAT names of Adam/Belle sons in other fics. But for me personally, you just cannot ever convince me that Adam and Belle WOULDN’T name their firstborn son Maurice. It is rather obvious how much that man means to Belle; he raised her all on his own!! He’s such an incredible father and he taught her EVERYTHING!!! He gave her as much as he could in the circumstances of their unexpected small town life. He’s just everything to her. To literally quote Belle: Everything she is is because of him.

BUT TO ADAM??? GUYS!!! Adam lost his mother when he was nine and a half years old. That’s just my headcanon age of course but he was a KID. We KNOW that. He was an only child left with an abusive father.

To quote Mrs. Potts: “When the Master lost his mother, and his cruel father took that sweet, innocent lad, and twisted him out to be just like him, we did nothing.”

Adam was left defenseless with his horrible father and I fully believe he was abused by him. My point is: Maurice was like the light at the end of a tunnel to Adam. I mean Belle is too, in a million ways, but to Adam as an individual, as a man, Maurice is so important to him. Maurice shows him a father’s kindness, a father’s forgiveness, a father’s LOVE. He teaches him that you don’t have to be brutish and aggressive in order to be considered a man. You can be gentle and kind and respectful toward others. Maurice taught Adam what it truly meant to be a good man, and to be a good father. Maurice just sits in such high esteem in Adam’s heart, and I don’t doubt for a second that he was his first name choice when their son was born.

Also, I headcanon that they call him Reece/Reecy quite regularly. Partly to differentiate from his grandfather, but also because when he was born and his sister Juliette, who was five years old at the time, was told that his name was Maurice, she responded, “I like Reece!” sort of unknowingly cutting his name in half and giving him a life-long nickname all in one affectionate sentence. He still gets called Maurice, especially by Adam, but to his family and friends, he’s mostly Reece.

Jean comes off as a filler name, just because it’s so simple and common, but it has some meaning to it, as well. It’s Adam’s first middle name too, so there’s a parallel to that. The actual Jean from Adam’s life was his great-grandfather, who, while on the throne, did go by Louis. But his family called him Jean, and though Adam also didn’t know him personally, records and archived documents told him that he was actually a rather good king, respected by his subjects and peers. So Adam was happy to pass along his first middle name to his son. And it turned out that that was one of Maurice’s grandfather’s names too, So Belle and Adam actually both had great-grandfathers named Jean. AND it was the middle name of one of Maurice’s younger brothers, Félix Jean. A tried and true family name to be sure.

Finally, Adam! While our Adam was quite certain that their son should be named after his grandfather, I think Belle definitely fought for him to be named Adam, if only for a few weeks during the pregnancy (they didn’t know they would have a son of course, this argument came up during every pregnancy.) Adam, like Belle, didn’t love the idea of giving their child his own name. In addition to Belle’s point of letting him be his own person, Adam was never really too fond of his name. He learns to live with it, and hearing Belle say it with such affection over the years certainly made it more bearable, but it still wasn’t enough for Adam to be willing to pass it on to his son - at least in a first name capacity. He wants his son to have his own legacy, not just be another Adam, attached to every sorry detail of his predecessor.

Despite all that, and all its validity, Belle loves her husband. And she loves her son. So she pleads one final time, after baby Reecy is days old, still with an incomplete full name, if Adam can be included. Adam contemplates it for a while. Not too long, but enough time to accept his growth as a person, as a man, as a husband and father. To accept that his name means more good than bad now, and to accept that he will be a good father to his son, just as he has been to his daughters. His son won’t have to prove himself in any way to his father, he will simply be who he is, and he will be loved for it. So after all this, Adam decides that his name can belong to his son, too. And so it was.

[tinybibmpreg]

prompt fill 7/80 - #11 - Have you seen the rest of their family? ft. Prince Richard Silvers, Klaude & Ezekiel Goldsborough (plus their father), and Elizabeth Valentine

oh boy this one is long. Richard and Klaude (and ezekiel and elizabeth) are characters i made years ago and wrote a bunch of stories for, but i never finished any of them. i do wanna rewrite those because i like them still lol. but have this new fresh thing with them instead, featuring both of the Goldsborough boys knocked up by their respective partners lmao

Silvers: Reunion 

“Have you seen the rest of their family?” Richard asked, leaning in close to Elizabeth as they were escorted into the Goldsborough manor. “Klaude mentions his older brother and father sometimes in his letters, but I have no clue what they look like or what they're like.”

The younger woman shook her head, looking terribly nervous as they entered the huge house. She glanced around and fidgeted with a ring on her middle finger. “Ezekiel showed me a picture of his mom once back at the academy… but she passed away when he was a child, so I don't think that helps. Ezekiel mostly talks about Klaude when he mentions family.”

“Damn. That totally sucks. I should have done research. I don't even know anyone's names.” He hadn't been nervous about coming to stay with Klaude at his family’s estate at first. But now upon realizing he was going to seem foolish and uncaring, his usual confidence was dwindling away. He didn't want Klaude to think he wasn't interested in the rest of his family, to give him any reason to suspect he hadn't wanted to show up.

When getting married, one was supposed to be at least familiar with one’s partner’s family.

He'd just been so desperate to see his fiancé again that he'd bypassed everything else.

“Well, their dad’s name is Raoul, and their older brother is Manson,” Elizabeth said. “Ezekiel calls his two sisters by nicknames, but they live with their spouses so they shouldn't be here.”

“They have sisters?”

“Yes. It goes Manson, Klaude, Hattie, Lin, and Ezekiel.”

Richard chuckled a bit. “Zeke’s the family baby, huh?”

“Their sisters have kids, so those are the family babies…”

Why did Klaude have to be so tight-lipped about everything? He hadn't mentioned being an uncle, or that he even had sisters.

They were escorted through an entrance hall to a large study. Richard perked up as they walked in, but their escorts left them with just Klaude and Ezekiel’s father. There was no sign of the brothers. Richard struggled to keep from deflating. Elizabeth’s fidgeting increased.

“Ah, Prince Silvers, Miss Valentine. Welcome to my home. Was your trip pleasant?”

Richard took over the conversation before Elizabeth could have a chance, giving her time to calm her nerves. “It's wonderful to be here. Our trip from the Silvers Kingdom went smoothly, if not a bit slowly for my tastes.”

“I'm sure the two of you were eager to be here.” Though Lord Goldsborough sounded pleasant enough and had a small smile on his face, the look in his eyes was anything but friendly and welcoming. Richard couldn't blame him, considering the circumstances of why they were there. He applauded the man for being so composed. If the situation were reversed, his own father would have been livid. “Your sister, Princess Ronella, is not with you?” the man asked.

“She is back at the Silvers Palace, studying. Miss Valentine is now capable of providing the magic I need, so my sister doesn't have to trouble herself following at my heels wherever I may go.”

“I'm sure it's no trouble, helping her brother.”

“We adore each other, but circumstances kept her from her proper education. I'm glad she's able to return to her schooling at home and to spend time with her mother, as young girls should.”

“Indeed. And things have settled, in your kingdom?”

“Very. It is peaceful at last, and the people flourish. Miss Valentine was a wonderful help to my father and king and I.” Elizabeth jumped a bit, stuttering that she had just tried her best. Richard gave her a side-eye glance and patted her arm. “Without her magic, I may not have been able to come and pay my respects to you, Lord Goldsborough, and I would not be able to see Klaude again.”

“Thank goodness for Miss Valentine then. Klaude and Ezekiel are eager to see the both of you later.”

“A-are they doing well?” Elizabeth asked.

Lord Goldsborough gave them both a strained smile. Richard vowed to himself that he would find some way to apologize to the man, on behalf of himself and Elizabeth, but mostly himself. He was sure Lord Goldsborough would be more forgiving of Elizabeth, a sweet girl who hadn't intended to defile his youngest son. Richard knew that on the other hand, he'd caused a full-blown scandal, and the blame for it laid mostly on him. Now Lord Goldsborough had to rush to arrange a wedding between his second eldest son and the crown prince of a large empire, whereas Elizabeth and Ezekiel had a bit of time and far less prominence.

“They're both doing well. Klaude will be especially glad for your arrival, Prince Silvers. He has yet to give birth, though the doctors say he is due any day now.”

“I'm relieved I could make it in time before the birth,” Richard told him. “Is Klaude here? Ah, and Ezekiel as well?” he asked.

Lord Goldsborough took a seat on a fine chair, crossing one leg over the other. “You’ve both had a long journey. Why don’t you sit and have some refreshments? Klaude is resting, but I’m sure he’ll be up later in time for dinner.”

They’d been sitting on a train for hours and had eaten right before arriving so they wouldn’t have anything in the way of seeing Klaude and Ezekiel right when they arrived, so Richard absolutely did not want to sit again. However, he had to be polite. It wouldn’t do for a prince of his standing to turn down his host, especially not after his sister had drilled it into him that he had to actually behave like a royal while around nobles.

So he gestured for Elizabeth to sit at the end of a loveseat and took a seat on the cushion next to her even though he felt like Lord Goldsborough was purposefully keeping them from seeing his sons. “Thank you, Lord Goldsborough. We’d love some refreshments after our trip.”

“I’ll go ask a maid to bring some tea. Then we can discuss a few important matters.”

“Of course. Whatever you’d like.”

Lord Goldsborough stood and left to speak to one of the servants they’d passed on their way to the room. As soon as he’d left the room, Elizabeth turned to Richard and said, “I wonder why we can’t see Ezekiel… he said Klaude was resting, but he hardly mentioned Zeke…”

Richard slumped back and scoffed. “He’s not letting us see them yet because he hates us, Elizabeth.”

“Wh- what?!” she cried. He shushed her and glanced back at the doorway. Though frazzled, she quieted down and asked, “Why do you think that? Does he really hate us?”

“Of course he does,” Richard replied. He shrugged and looked around the room. Nothing caught his eye. All the decorations and furniture were standard for a nobleman’s manor, all expensive but impersonal items to show off wealth to any guests. Elizabeth looked even more anxious, so Richard explained, “Elizabeth, two of his sons are carrying our children, children conceived out of wedlock. His youngest is pregnant with a commoner girl’s child, and his second eldest is about to give birth to a foreign crown prince’s illegitimate firstborn. It’s a huge scandal for the family, especially with us being gone for six months. We can’t even marry early and try to conceal what happened. Klaude is due any day and Ezekiel is what? Almost eight months along?”

“Y-yes, almost eight… I can see what you mean, now… I never thought about it like that. I hope Zeke’s been alright. He was so worried when he found out about the baby, and then I had to leave and it took so long for us to come back. I hope he hasn’t been stressed out about a scandal.”

Richard waved her concerns off. “Eh, Ezekiel’s probably not too affected by that. Klaude and I are the ones with the major scandal.” Which Klaude had complained plenty about in his letters, even saying that he’d once nearly punched one of his relatives for making a comment about the baby being illegitimate. Richard had thought that meant his older brother and Klaude was just wording it strangely, but now he wondered if it was a brother-in-law that had asked Klaude how he felt about carrying a future bastard king.

If he could figure out which relative had said it, maybe he could humiliate them with a spell of some sort and make Klaude laugh. It was hard to get Klaude to fully laugh, and he loved whenever he managed it. Surely a good bit of revenge would work.

He hoped that Klaude’s father wouldn’t keep them apart for too long. Though he understood why Lord Goldsborough wanted them away from his sons, he missed Klaude and was impatient to see him again. It’d been a bit miserable back at home without Klaude to talk to every day. He missed spending time with the man and devoting his time to getting his cold exterior to crack. Those moments when he got to see Klaude’s softer, affectionate side… Moments he knew he was seeing a part of Klaude no one else got to see. He’d really missed them dearly.

Richard was also quite eager to see how Klaude looked, heavy with his child, ready to deliver any day. Klaude’s belly had been noticeably rounded out when he’d last seen him, a small swell that Richard could hardly take his hands off of. Having seen a few other full-term people before, it wasn’t difficult to imagine a full belly and swollen breasts on Klaude. And it was just as easy to imagine him still fitting into his typical formal and well-tailored clothes, even being nine months pregnant.

He sighed, wishing he could lean against his arm or bounce his leg. It was killing him to be patient.

Still, the image of Klaude and the good memories of spending time with him would have to remain just in his fantasy for now, until dinner. It would be rude of Lord Goldsborough not to have all of his family within the estate present at dinner when they had a guest of such high standing. At least Richard could count on that, that the nobleman wouldn’t dare to break the rules of high society in front of the heir of a kingdom much larger and far richer and more prosperous than his own country.

Glancing at Elizabeth, who was now solely focused on fidgeting with the spinning rings Richard had ordered to be made for her, he wondered if she was thinking of the same thing. Ezekiel was a bit too sweet-looking and gangly for his own tastes, but he imagined that being pregnant had filled the scrawny young man out and given him a healthier flush to his usual pallor. Certainly, it would suit him.

Richard told himself it was to help snap Elizabeth out of her anxious state, but he just really wanted to tease her to take his mind off of not being able to see Klaude yet as he asked, “So, how do you think Ezekiel looks?”

“Hm?” Elizabeth’s head shot up. Richard reached over and tried to fix her hair so it wasn’t so messy. He and his sister had tried to get her to stop looking so ruffled, but no matter what they did Elizabeth always looked like she’d been caught in the wind or had fallen. “What do you mean? He should look like he usually does… just, um, pr-pregnant.”

“Exactly. Klaude’s told me in his letters that he’s blaming me for how much sweets he’s been craving. Do you think Ezekiel’s indulging?”

She latched onto the wrong thing. “But you hate sweets…?”

“Beth. I have been utterly consumed with thinking about how I’m going to be putting my hands on every inch of Klaude’s heavy belly, and on everything else that’s changed with the pregnancy. You haven’t been thinking the same of Ezekiel?”

“Pr-Prince!” She covered her mouth with her hands, flustered.

“He’s always been a skinny little thing, and you’re a big girl. I bet he’s huge. I bet his breasts are nice and large as well, to feed the big baby you stuck in him.”

“I don’t get how you can say stuff like that with a straight face, Prince!” she squeaked. “Why do you always tease me like that?”

“You’re so easy, that’s why. Come on, haven’t you been thinking about it?”

“Of course I have! But I wouldn’t say it out loud!” Richard put a finger over his lips to shush her and she glared at him. “Prince…!”

Before he could keep teasing her, he heard footsteps. Richard looked behind them at the doorway and Lord Goldsborough returned, followed by a maid holding a tray with tea. Richard straightened up, putting on a charming smile.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long. I had to attend to something,” Lord Goldsborough said as he took his seat again.

“Not at all.” Richard took a cup of tea and waved away the maid when she offered milk and honey. He waited for Elizabeth and Lord Goldsborough to take their own cups before taking a sip. Then, he asked, “What was it that you wished to discuss?”

Lord Goldsborough set down his cup and put his hands on his lap. “I was hoping to take this time to discuss matters relating to your engagement with my son, about the wedding, Prince Silvers.”

Elizabeth took a sip of her tea to keep from reacting. Richard had no doubt she was remembering his many rants the past few months about how he didn’t care what they did for the wedding, that Klaude could handle that since it was going to be a wedding with Klaude’s country’s traditions. Richard would simply follow along, as anything would make him happy as long as Klaude was satisfied with it.

He wished he could say that to Lord Goldsborough, but didn’t think the man would enjoy hearing that Richard wouldn’t care if Klaude just wanted to sign a paper and go on with married life or if he wanted to consummate the marriage in front of everyone.

Definitely, he didn’t think Klaude’s father would want to hear that.

So he didn’t mention anything like that. “I’d love to discuss it. But shouldn’t wedding arrangements be made with Klaude…?”

“The family typically arranges things, and I have discussed things with my son in length the past few months. But since you’re a member of royalty, we would like to include you in arrangements, so as to avoid offending you or your kingdom.”

Richard did not mention that if Lord Goldsborough tried to discuss a wedding with his father or even anyone else in the royal court, that he would get laughed at and told the whole ordeal was ridiculous. He did not want to mention the words ‘concubine’ or ‘royal consort’ to Klaude’s father to explain that in his kingdom, Klaude would most certainly not be referred to as his husband no matter what their marital status was.

“Klaude has briefly mentioned to me how a typical wedding would proceed for your family. It all sounds quite agreeable.”

“Yes, he’s said you agreed with the procedures. But the details, rather, is what we would like your input on.”

“I’m sure whatever you have planned will be perfect! I don’t want to cause any difficulties when I know there is a limited amount of time to prepare things…”

Lord Goldsborough exhaled slowly. “It would be no trouble to fulfill your desires for the wedding… The staff is quite capable. And there is plenty of time to prepare.”

“But isn’t Klaude going to give birth any day now?” Elizabeth asked, and Richard wanted to take her aside and shake her for not listening to his sister’s social etiquette lessons. Somehow, Ronella would find out she’d spoken out of place, and he would be the one to get scolded for not looking out for Elizabeth.

Her question further strained the nobleman’s smile. It looked painful, how forced it was.

Richard wished he knew how to endear himself to Lord Goldsborough to make things easier on him. However, Elizabeth’s question made that impossible, driving it in that Richard was the reason he would be needing to prepare a wedding as quickly as possible.

At the awkward silence that followed, Elizabeth continued, saying, “If a wedding is difficult, then why not just have a small ceremony with an official? It’ll be quick and effective…”

“That’s preposterous. A small ceremony and impersonal signing before an official would be unthinkable for the Goldsborough family. And it would be offensive when Klaude is marrying a man of such high standing.”

“I guess it would be different than what a noble family is used to… but it wouldn’t be offensive. The royals in the Silvers kingdom don’t get married like people do here in Merlynd.”

“Yes, I’m sure their wedding customs are very different.”

Richard silently prayed to his patron goddess that Elizabeth wouldn’t mention that the kings of the Silvers kingdom didn’t have marriages, just accepted consorts that would bear children that would later be legitimized by the royal court.

His prayer went unanswered. She immediately replied, “The heirs and kings don’t get married at all, though.”

“What?”

Richard tried to salvage things, “While it’s true that we don’t get married in the sense that the people of Merlynd do, we do…” He had no idea what word to use in place of taking consorts or lovers. His pause made things worse.

Elizabeth seemed to realize that she shouldn’t have brought it up, leaning in towards Richard and asking in a whisper, “Is it not good to bring up royal consorts, or…?”

“Consorts,” Lord Goldsborough repeated, aghast. “You don’t take a husband or wife?”

“Klaude will be my husband according to Merlynic law, and I will personally consider him as such,” Richard assured.

That didn’t assure his future father-in-law. “And your kingdom will consider my son and his child as…?”

He avoided answering. “Merlynic law doesn’t apply in the Silvers Kingdom. But the concept of illegitimacy is very different and has nothing to do with marriage, in my kingdom. The term ‘bastard’ has no meaning. It will not matter to the royal court or to my father whether my child is presented for acceptance the moment after naming them or even years later.”

It was clear that Lord Goldsborough wanted to ask more about that, but he refrained, instead returning to his original topic. “Regardless… what would be your preferences for the foods that will be served at the wedding?”

Richard internally groaned. He hated details. At home, the kitchen would come up with things, and a list would be submitted to his father for approval. Sometimes Richard would suggest a meal if he wanted something, but his ideas were only ever one among the many ideas put forth by the staff.

How could Klaude’s father want to micromanage everything? Still, he had no choice but to go along with the tedious conversation.

He hoped that Klaude really was busy resting and was getting plenty of good sleep. At least then it wouldn’t be so bad, wasting his time discussing wedding details he was sure wouldn’t even come to fruition because of how quickly the wedding was to be thrown together now that he’d arrived.

-

“What do you mean Richard has been here for an hour already talking to my father?” Klaude snapped at a servant. “I told my father I wanted to be alerted as soon as he knew when Richard was going to arrive or did arrive.”

“F-forgive me, Master Klaude,” the servant stammered, wilting under his harsh glare. “Lord Goldsborough asked that no one tell you nor Ezekiel until after he finished speaking with Prince Silvers and his companion.”

“His companion? Is Elizabeth Valentine not here?”

His brother looked upset, standing and bringing his hands to his chest. “Elizabeth didn’t come with Prince Silvers?”

“Please don’t be upset, Master Ezekiel. I’m sorry, Master Klaude… I don’t know who his companion is.”

“Is it Princess Ronella?” There was no one else Richard would come alone with.

“N-no! It’s not a princess. It’s a woman with strange eyes.”

Ezekiel sighed in relief while Klaude was briefly confused. “It is Elizabeth, then. Thank goodness,” his brother said with a smile.

Klaude ignored Ezekiel and demanded of the servant, “Why did my father order such a thing?”

“Lord Goldsborough didn’t say. But he looked quite unhappy, Master Klaude.”

He scoffed. “Of course Father is unhappy. I’m also unhappy about the current state of things.” Ezekiel rolled his eyes and Klaude grit his teeth, turning his sharp glare towards his brother. There was no way he would ever admit that he was anxious to see Richard and upset that their father was trying to keep them apart. I’m certainly not upset! Klaude thought. It was the principle of things. It was rude of his father to deny his future son-in-law and daughter-in-law the chance to see their fiancés after their long travel just to be with them. He turned back to the servant. “But that’s no reason to keep Richard and Elizabeth Valentine away from us. Where are they?” he asked.

Gulping, the servant told them where their father and their guests were. Klaude grabbed Ezekiel’s arm and dragged him along.

-

Richard was considering faking illness to get out of discussing wedding decorations with Lord Goldsborough. It wouldn’t be hard to fake a cough and act like he was trying to hide being in pain. He was sure Elizabeth would freak out and convince the nobleman, and he could ask for privacy while Elizabeth gave him some excess magic, then explain to the woman that he was just pretending. It would probably work, provided that Klaude had told his father about his illness. He was sure that at least Ezekiel would have mentioned it. After all, the only reason why Elizabeth hadn’t stayed with her boyfriend through his pregnancy so far was that she was in the Silvers kingdom helping him and his father recover from the major spell they had cast. Or in Richard’s case, was still casting.

As Lord Goldsborough droned on and on about what traditional Merlynd weddings had, Richard wondered if Ezekiel was upset with him for keeping Elizabeth in the Silvers Kingdom for so long. Even though she had greatly helped Richard’s father and saved Richard’s life, he thought the young mage might still resent him a bit.

Ezekiel could hate him, for all Richard cared. He was glad to no longer be dying, and relished being able to get through the night without choking on blood from a decaying throat and that he was able to eat with far less pain.

“Another thing, Prince Silvers,” Lord Goldsborough started, and Richard got ready to start coughing.

Neither of them could continue though, as a raised and angry voice barked, “Father! I told you I wanted to be there to greet Prince Silvers and Elizabeth Valentine!”

Richard snapped his head around to see Klaude pulling his brother by the arm towards the doorway. A servant was walking alongside them, worried. But Richard’s focus went straight to Klaude.

“What are you doing here, sons? I told the servants I wanted to speak privately to our guests-”

“Thank you for this blessing, my Goddess,” Richard clasped his hands together and prayed quietly. He could hardly believe his eyes.

While he’d expected Klaude to have a heavy belly and a somewhat swollen chest, he’d been using the average expectant person as a basis for his mental picture of what he imagined Klaude to look like. With Klaude being so tall and broad, he’d also imagined that while his almost due belly would be large, it wouldn’t be as prominent as it would be on a smaller, slimmer person.

Klaude, in a sweater that clung to his figure and fought to keep him covered, was huge. He waddled towards the doorway slowly, a hand hooked under his massive belly that was in no way only carrying one child. He was expecting at least hefty twins. And not only was he clearly carrying twins, but it was obvious Klaude had been indulging in more than the occasional craving for sweets that he’d complained about. He’d filled out wonderfully, all curves where he’d once been simply muscular. His overstretched clothing left nothing to the imagination.

“How could you forbid the servants from letting us even know that our fiancés had arrived? It’s not very discreet of you-”

Ezekiel waved to Elizabeth, a shy smile on his face. Elizabeth waved back.

Richard swallowed hard, drinking in how gorgeous Klaude looked. His blond hair was thick and shiny, longer than Klaude usually kept it, allowing it to look fluffier than it used to. His hips, already what Richard had teased were perfectly child-bearing size, had widened, and his ass and thighs had grown with them. He didn’t let himself think too long about what his fiancé would look like stripped naked, flushed and full and no doubt covered in stretchmarks- Richard didn’t think he could take it. It was a fight not to open his mouth and say something stupid.

“My great Goddess…” Richard murmured, seeing how Klaude’s broad pecs that had started softening six months ago had grown into a proper pair of breasts. Klaude had hated when he tried to get his mouth on them before he’d really started producing milk. Richard had a feeling the next few days were either going to be absolutely thrilling or incredibly annoying to Klaude once he got his hands on him in a private room.

He spared a look at Ezekiel. As he’d imagined, the young man sported a normal eight months pregnant belly, which stuck out obviously on his thin frame. He’d filled out somewhat, now looking healthy instead of underweight, and there was more color to his face. Elizabeth was sure to be happy, at least.

Richard looked back at Klaude. As he argued with his father, his sweater rode up a bit. He was wearing something underneath, but it still made Richard feel like he was going to burst. He grabbed Elizabeth’s arm before he could explode and make Klaude hate him. “Elizabeth,” he hissed, “-Though I was teasing you before, I really just wanted to spend time with Klaude, not immediately get my hands on him, by the Divine, Klaude is so enormous and sexy. Don’t let me say something vulgar to him.”

“Uh… um, well, don’t say that to him? Goodness, he is very big, though. It might upset him.”

“Elizabeth. I’m going to die when I get my hands on him. I’m going to die if we don’t find a private room soon so I can make up for not being around to see him transform into the divine being he is now.”

She tried half-heartedly to pull away, then sighed. “I wish you wouldn’t say those kinds of things to me. The past six months have been… something else.”

“You’re the only person I can talk to about this.”

“But you sound uncouth,” she whispered back. To herself, she lamented, “I can’t believe I got used to you talking like this when it’s not teasing. I should be embarrassed.”

Teasing! Maybe that would make her understand how he was feeling. “Come on. You know you’re going to fuck Ezekiel as soon as you’re alone.”

She blushed. “We’re saving it for marriage!”

“I don’t understand you Merlynics at all. Klaude and I will be consumed with passion until you or Ezekiel drag us out for the wedding, and then we’ll be back at it until he goes into labor. In true Silvers fashion, I won’t miss a moment of these last few days. Do you think I saw my father at all before his second consort had Ronella?”

“Prince Richard, I don’t want to hear that,” she cried quietly. “Please calm down.”

Klaude had finally gotten to the doorway, but his father was using his whole body to block him, holding onto the doorway with both hands. Seeing his fiancé even closer was maddening. After six months without him, and now this-

Richard squeezed Elizabeth’s arm tight, desperate. “Seeing Klaude so hugely pregnant is without a doubt the most arousing thing I have ever witnessed. I am utterly consumed by him right now. If I don’t get my hands on him soon I am going to be sick. I am being deprived of divinity. Elizabeth-”

“I’m sure Klaude has missed you too, but really, Prince Richard. He’s right there and he’s looking at you, please contain yourself.”

“I might just have to shove you all out of the room and take him right here. I don’t think I can wait.”

“Richard!” Klaude cried. “You are completely disgusting! I can’t believe what I’m hearing!”

Richard’s heart dropped. He turned to look at Klaude, who had paused in trying to get past his father to stand stiff and red-faced. His father looked horrified, standing aside, and Ezekiel was covering his face with his hands.

“Klaude, my love, I-”

His fiancé took a few steps forward. “Shut up! What in the world is wrong with you, saying such- such depraved things in front of my family and Elizabeth?!”

“H-how much did you hear?” It wasn’t so horrible, surely, for Lord Goldsborough and Ezekiel to hear the last bit he’d said about having sex with Klaude in the study.

“You want me to repeat it?!” Klaude snarled, fists clenched at his side. “You’re sick!”

“The, uh, seeing my brother so… hugely pregnant and it being, er, arousing. That,” Ezekiel answered.

Klaude turned to stare at his brother, humiliation on his face. He huffed and hissed, “I can’t believe I actually wanted to see you!” Then, he stormed off as quickly as his pronounced waddling gait allowed, shoving past his father and brother.

“W-wait, Klaude! I’m sorry! You just look so perfect like this!”

“I hate you!” Klaude shouted back, voice cracking, not even turning to look.

Richard tried to get up. “Klaude! Please wait!” Elizabeth grabbed him and pulled him back down before he could take off after Klaude.

“Prince Richard! Don’t make things worse,” she begged. “Take a minute to settle down.”

“Argh!” Richard yelled, slumping against the back of the couch. “I can’t believe I said all that out loud!”

Lord Goldsborough cleared his throat. “Well,” he said awkwardly, “-I’m just going to make the rest of the arrangements on my own. Ezekiel, son, I’ll be in my personal study if you or your brother need me. Prince Silvers, if you require anything, my servants are at your disposal.” With that, the nobleman took off, sighing heavily as he left the room.

Ezekiel watched him go, then turned to Elizabeth with a big smile on his face. “Beth!”

Elizabeth, finally free from Richard’s grasp, got up and hurried up to him. “Zeke! I missed you so much!” She pulled him into a hug, careful not to squeeze his belly. “Are you alright? Have you been handling things okay?”

“I’m doing well. I’ve missed you too, Beth.” His eyes grew wet. “I’m so happy to have you with me again. I loved all your letters, but it wasn’t the same as having you here… I know your work in the Silvers kingdom was very important, but I still wished you were by my side every day.”

“Oh, Zeke… I’m here now! I’m never going to leave you or the baby for so long again. I mean, unless Prince Richard starts dying or something… He’s our friend, I would help him. It wouldn’t take six months again though, now that I know what to do to help him, um…”

“O-oh, yes, of course! Um, it’s nice to see you as well, Prince Silvers,” Ezekiel said to Richard.

The prince sighed. “Just ignore me and keep going with your cute reunion, Ezekiel. Don’t worry.”

“You look upset…”

“I’ll be fine soon once I figure out how to apologize to Klaude. Pretend I’m not here.” Richard waved them off, even though he felt incredibly jealous that Elizabeth got to have such a loving reunion with her fiancé. “Did Elizabeth write to you about how she’d cry sometimes because she worried about you so much?” he prompted.

“Beth…!” Ezekiel looked up at her, eyes filling with tears. He reached up to wipe them. “S-sorry, I’ve been so emotional… Oh, but you really worried so much?”

“Y-yeah, of course!”

Richard buried his face against the couch, pulling a cushion over himself.

-

After plenty of tears, sweet stories, and lots of hugging and chaste kisses that indeed made Richard rather jealous, Ezekiel and Elizabeth turned their attention to the prince again. Ezekiel peered over the edge of the couch. Richard looked up at him from where he was laying down holding onto a pillow. Seeing Ezekiel looking at him, he thought to himself that he was very lucky to have gotten with Klaude instead of his younger brother. Ezekiel’s cherubic features and timid attitude did nothing for him.

Truly, he and Elizabeth were a perfect match. Of course, he and Klaude were also a perfect match, even if Klaude hated him sometimes.

“Hello, Ezekiel.”

“Have you thought of how to apologize to my brother yet?”

In response, Richard pulled the cushion onto his face. He heard Ezekiel whisper something to Elizabeth.

Then, Ezekiel said, “You know, Klaude has really missed you. He tried to hide it, but he’s told me how much he was looking forward to you coming back, and how worried he was about you and your illness, especially when it got worse. It really scared him.”

Richard pulled the cushion down and sat up. He gave Ezekiel a confused look. “I never told Klaude about my illness getting worse. He knew about me coughing up a little blood before my father and king called me home, but I always said I was doing well in my letters to him. I didn’t want him to worry.”

Elizabeth frowned, tapping her fingers together. “I, uh… mentioned it in my letters to Ezekiel, since I kept him updated on how things were going so we could guess when I’d be coming home.”

Ezekiel rubbed the back of his neck. “And I showed Klaude those letters.”

“Why would you do that?” Richard asked.

“I thought he deserved to know, in case…”

In case he’d taken a turn for the worse. In case he’d died. “Oh.” Richard felt guilty, now that he thought about it. What if he’d ended up like his father, in a coma? His father had woken up after a few weeks and only now thanks to Elizabeth no longer required months of bed rest, but Richard knew in his case if he had ever tried to stop casting his spell or had been forced to, that he would have never woken up. Of course, it was highly unlikely he would have been lucky enough to end up in a coma. If his illness had progressed to the point that he couldn’t cast his spell, he would have most certainly just died. Probably on the spot.

If that had happened, and Ezekiel hadn’t been telling Klaude- if he’d believed that things were always going well like Richard had been assuring in all of his letters, then him dying would have come from nowhere. It would have caused a problem, then, if Ezekiel had known but hadn’t warned his brother.

With Ezekiel telling his brother about all of Elizabeth’s updates, but with his own letters assuring that nothing was wrong, Richard wondered if Klaude had thought things were even worse than they were. If he had someone telling him Klaude was ill, but Klaude saying he wasn’t, he would suspect that Klaude was far more ill than he was being told. And with Klaude knowing that Elizabeth was a bit oblivious at times and not very good at picking up on secrets, and knowing that his brother hated to upset him, it was safe to bet that Klaude had assumed whatever Ezekiel said was at least half as bad as what was really wrong.

“By the Divine…” Richard mumbled. If Klaude had spent the past six months worrying about his health while also dealing with a twin pregnancy by himself, it was no wonder he’d reacted badly to Richard being a fool in front of him. Though it certainly wasn’t his intention, knowing how Klaude took things, his fiancé had most likely thought that he didn’t care about his feelings.

He really needed to work on letting Klaude know he really did love him, and not just physically. It was hard, though, with how excited he got being around him. He made a fool of himself and spoke like he was flirting or started saying outright vulgar things. Even in other matters, his sister and father had scolded him for sounding too sarcastic or playful or being rude.

Well, he couldn’t help that his default was being very happy all the time. Maybe he could annoy Klaude into believing him by repeating that he loved him for more than his body so many times that it would infuriate him.

“Please don’t try to talk things out with my brother by driving him crazy until he screams at you and has no choice but to give up and believe you,” Ezekiel pleaded.

“How did you-”

“Prince Richard, we know you. We’re friends. You’ve done it before. I know it works, but it stresses Klaude out. And Father and Klaude will be very upset if you stress him out too much. Klaude actually wants to have a semi-normal wedding before he gives birth.”

“So try to come up with something else, okay? Klaude is probably stressed out now…” Elizabeth added. “Do you want us to come along as support?”

“If you come along I’ll default to teasing you and Klaude will think I’m not being serious.”

“He knows you’re never serious,” Ezekiel assured. “He gets over it.”

Richard stood up and pouted. “But I want him to know I really am being serious this time!”

Elizabeth came and patted his back. “Give it a good try!”

“I will!” He headed for the door but stopped two steps out of it. He turned to Ezekiel. “Uh, where do you think Klaude is?”

“I’ll take you to his room.”

-

Ezekiel brought Richard to his brother’s bedroom door and then left with Elizabeth to his own room. Richard knocked on the door and then pushed it open. Klaude never welcomed him into a room, even if he wasn’t upset with him.

“Klaude?” he asked, stepping into the room.

There was a sniffle, and then Klaude answered, “Richard?” The man was sitting on a small sofa placed underneath a window that had its thick curtains drawn. He had a handkerchief in one hand that he was holding up to his tear-stained face. His other hand was on his heavy belly, rubbing circles against it. “What are you doing here?”

Richard forced down his shock at seeing Klaude crying. “I came to apologize for how I acted earlier.”

Klaude scoffed and looked away from him. “Of course.”

“I got too excited. I, uh, didn’t expect to see you… expecting more than one child?”

“I’m carrying twins,” Klaude confirmed. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”

“It was very surprising.” Richard hadn’t expected that from Klaude. The blond wasn’t fond of surprises. He set that aside for later. “I’m sorry I embarrassed and upset you. I was thrilled to see you. I’m very happy to see you again. I missed you a lot.”

“...I missed you as well.” Klaude dabbed at his eyes.

Richard went and sat next to him. With his thumb, he brushed under Klaude’s eyes. Taking Klaude’s other hand, he continued, “And I’m sorry I lied to you in my letters. I should have told you when I was ill.”

Klaude crumpled, fresh tears welling up in his eyes.

Bringing up Klaude’s hand, Richard pressed his lips to it. “I didn’t want to worry you. I didn’t know Elizabeth was telling Ezekiel everything. That he was telling you. I should have been telling you myself, so you knew exactly what was happening.”

“I- I thought you would die. Elizabeth said you might have to stop your magic, but that- And you were gone for so long. When I heard things were settled in the Silvers kingdom, but neither of you mentioned coming back…” Klaude sobbed a bit. “I thought you might not…”

“There was a point where it got so bad my father considered having me break the spell when I couldn’t breathe properly or eat at all, but Elizabeth figured out how to help, and I got better. I’m better than I’ve ever been since my illness first started.” Richard wrapped an arm around Klaude and pulled him close. Klaude rested his head against his chest. “It’s not completely healed, it won’t be unless I can somehow break the spell and sleep again. But Elizabeth healed the damage it caused, and due to reforms I could release a portion of people to lessen the spell, and with Elizabeth’s excess magic, the spell causes far less damage. There’s no more blood, and I can eat without much pain.”

Klaude made a small noise and nodded against him. Richard squeezed his hand.

“I really did miss you. It was lonely, not having you to talk to. Not being able to chip at your shell until you snap at me or I manage to make you laugh. Not being there with you for our children.” He rubbed Klaude’s belly. “I regret that I couldn't be with you for most of the pregnancy.”

“You're here. I was so scared that you wouldn’t come back to me. That's all I’ve wanted.” Klaude’s hand came to rest on top of Richard’s own. Richard kissed the top of his head, closing his eyes and relishing the weight and warmth of Klaude in his arms. It wasn't often that he got to hold him, not with Klaude’s height and usual aversion to affection. And he was enjoying it.

Klaude sighed, relaxing against him. His breathing evened out and slowed. Richard rubbed lazy circles against the side of his belly. He hoped he'd be able to touch him without any layers of clothing in the way, but he didn't want to ruin their moment.

Before he'd left, Klaude rarely wanted to cuddle with him. Now that Richard had him dozing off in his arms, he never wanted him to leave. It was wonderful. He hoped that Klaude would want more affection from then on. Maybe being pregnant and worrying about losing him would make Klaude a bit clingy.

Richard made a mental note to pray for it, and to pray that their children would enjoy extra affection as well. Though he adored Klaude and loved the challenge of breaking through his serious exterior, he wasn't sure if he had the energy to wear at two more Klaudes. While he certainly had the determination to, it might not be matched by what he was physically capable of.

The children were bound to take after him in some way, surely.

Resting his cheek against Klaude’s head, Richard exhaled and thought to himself that he was very thankful to be back with his fiancé after so long. He wasn't sure how he had managed.

He wished he could fall asleep with Klaude, but settling back and keeping his eyes closed was close enough.

Just as he relaxed, Klaude shifted and sat up. Richard opened his eyes to see that Klaude was scrubbing at his face.

“Ugh… I feel like such a mess after I cry,” Klaude grumbled. “I can only imagine how splotchy and awful I look.”

“Oh, it’s not bad,” Richard assured him. Sure, he was a bit splotchy and his eyes were puffy. But that was a given with how pale Klaude was, and Richard didn’t think it looked awful at all. The sight of him so heavily pregnant and having so obviously cried tugged at Richard’s protective instincts and made him feel guilty all over for having scared the other man so much. He wanted to wrap his arms tight around Klaude and smother him, keep him safe and happy all to himself, but let that stay a fantasy.

Instead of making Klaude upset by doing something foolish, Richard pulled out a fresh handkerchief of his own and wiped the last traces of tears from his face. Once Klaude was satisfied that he wasn’t so ‘messy,’ he leaned back against the back of the sofa and spread his legs to make room for his belly. Comfortable, he gave his belly a rub and then pulled up his sweater and the shirt he was wearing underneath it to expose his entire abdomen.

Richard bit his tongue before he could ruin anything by running his mouth again.

Klaude’s belly was flushed pink around the belly button with its tightness and covered with angry stretch marks all over. It was astonishing how Klaude’s abdomen had expanded and his skin stretched to hold their children and his new weight.

Watching Klaude rub his own belly, Richard was frozen. He didn’t want to disturb the blond, make him tug his sweater back down. As he stared, he noticed that Klaude avoided touching his popped belly button. It was probably sensitive, the prince reasoned, with how Klaude’s body seemed to be struggling to contain itself.

Glancing at Richard, Klaude seemed to notice him again and blushed, his hands stilling. “It- it feels nicer, like this.” Richard just nodded, swallowing. Klaude’s face reddened even more, but he lifted his hands and offered, “Do you want to feel-”

His hands were on Klaude before he even finished asking. His belly was warm and firm, and Richard applied just a bit of pressure to see how it felt.

“Mm- j-just be gentle, alright?”

“Will I feel them move?” Richard asked.

“They haven’t been terribly active recently… there’s not much room.”

As if to prove him wrong, Richard felt a shift under his hand and then a kick. “Oh! Hello there, little one.” He leaned forward and rested his head on Klaude’s belly. When he almost immediately felt a hand carding through his hair, he grinned like a fool. To the babies, he said, “I hope Klaude’s been telling you two good things about me. Actually, I hope he’s at least mentioned me. Even if it was just about how worried he was-”

“I was not worried,” Klaude insisted, embarrassed.

There was another shift and kick.

“Even they can tell when you’re lying, Klaude!”

“You’ve got them both riled… “

“They’re just excited to hear me.” He turned his head so he could look up at Klaude. “I’ll try not to excite them too much. Wouldn’t do to get them so excited to meet me that they come out before the wedding.”

“Exactly.” Klaude gave him a glare but then yawned.

Richard sat up. “Tired, love?”

“Always. Your children have been a menace to my sleep schedule. I’ve never taken so many naps in my life.”

Richard pulled Klaude against his chest. “How about a nap with me before dinner, then?”

“Hm, I suppose that would be nice. I’d rather not sleep on this couch, though.”

“To the bed, then.” He helped Klaude up and wrapped an arm around his waist to support him. When Klaude went to pull his sweater down, Richard caught his hand and went, “Ah-ah! I’m not done saying hello to the children just yet. We’re going to keep talking while you get some rest.”

Klaude scoffed. “I’m sure that’s your intention. But… well, just make sure it’s comfortable, my prince, or I won’t be happy when I’m exhausted.”

“I accept your challenge, my lord.”

[b0n-chann]

Ad’ika // Chapter 2

Protector

Warnings: none

Summary: Din, after learning that he’s going to be a father, attempts to adjust to his new role.

Din Djarin has always been a protector, but ever since he’s learned about your pregnancy, he’s been down right overbearing.

Din is like an extension of yourself, a shadow that hovers, always looming over you. And while you love him dearly, it’s absolutely suffocating. In fact, it’s about the sixth time that morning he’s almost run into you as you walk through the market for supplies. The nearly empty market, because Din woke you up at dawn and just about demanded you go early to avoid the crowd.

You look behind your shoulder, trying to be patient. You are unsure, however, if it’s the pregnancy or the metal man wearing you thin.

“Can you stop that?” You snap. Din places his hands up in front of him, a weak attempt at an apology. You give him a huff and continue down your way, looking for the garment vendor you normally frequent here.

“Ah, hello, Miss!” A pleasant voice calls out to you and you smile. Ellie has always been kind to you, putting away things that she thinks you may like. “And your Mandalorian is here too, I see.” She offers you both a sweet smile.

“Hi, Ellie,” you greet in return, your mood lifting as you wander over to her stall. “How have you been?”

“Oh same as always, honey,” she replies. The older woman glances over you briefly before looking at Din standing closely behind you, his hand at the small of your back. “I have something I think you’d like!” Ellie exclaims as she turns to look for the scarf she saved for you from a previous shipment. She yelps in surprise when she turns back around, a blaster in her face.

“Mando!” You yell, placing your hand on his arm in an attempt to temper him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“How do you know we can trust her?” His voice hard and cold, a voice you haven’t heard since you first met him.

“You’re being ridiculous, Ellie is a friend!” Your grip tightens on Din’s arm. A warning for him to back down. Din lowers his aim but does not holster his blaster.

Ellie looks between the two of you and let’s out a light laugh. “My, my. Your Mandalorian is as protective as ever.” She shakes her head as she brings the brilliant burgundy scarf to the counter, as if she wasn’t just at the receiving end of a Mandalorian’s weapon. The woman is unwavering.

“I’m sorry about that,” you sigh. You admire the fabric in front of you, rich in color and silky to touch. “Oh this is beautiful.” The old woman did always have an eye for quality.

“It’s quite alright,” she says. “I remember when I was carrying my firstborn, too. My husband never left me alone.” She gives the both of you a knowing look.

“How did you know?” You ask in surprise.

“Call it a woman’s intuition, but you’re positively glowing, my dear!” She replies before she lets out a chuckle. “That, and Mando hasn’t let you leave his sight. Even more so than usual.”

Heat rises to your cheeks at her observation. “We are expecting,” you whisper to her, not exactly sure why you dropped your voice but you felt like it was too soon for other people to know.

“You’re going to be a wonderful mother,” Ellie remarks with a smile. “You already are! Where is your little one?” Right on cue, the child pops up from the bag you’ve been carrying him in.

“Hi, baby!” Ellie waves at the child as he babbles and waves his small hand back to her. “Such a sweet thing, and looking bigger than last time!”

“He is growing,” you tell the older lady. “Eating more and more every day too.” You bounce the child up a little higher for Ellie to take a look. She reaches over the counter to place her hand on his head but before she can get to close an armored body puts himself between you.

“That’s enough,” he says as he crowds you and the baby further behind him. Ellie shakes her head and laughs before you can chastise him.

“Oh don’t worry, I understand. Just make sure these get to them okay?” She folds up the scarf she had showed you earlier and placed a stuffed toy on top. “A present for the good news. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to celebrate anything.”

“Ellie...” you start, trying to pull out credits to pay her. She raises her hand to stop you.

“Please, dear, it’s fine. Save it for your growing family.” She hands the items over to Din before giving him a pointed look. “Now I expect you to treat her like the princess she is, okay? One bad word about you and I’ll have to teach you a lesson.” She shakes a pointed finger at him.

“Uh...yeah. Of course, okay.” Din manages to rattle out and you can’t tell if he’s nervous or embarrassed.

“We’ll see you soon and thank you for everything!” You call out to the woman as you tug Din’s hand to pull him away.

You place your arm in his as you walk down the market, looking for any last minute wares you may need before returning to the ship.

“You are in so much trouble when we get back,” you tell him through gritted teeth, sending a saccharine smile here and there to other vendors you have befriended over the past months. Din says nothing back in reply, but you can hear something that sounds an awful like a nervous gulp behind his helmet.

You make it back to the Crest late in the morning and Din seems to drag his feet more and more the closer the ship comes into view. He practically crawls up the ramp as you wait for him in the entrance bay.

“Well?” You ask him with a raised eyebrow, knowing you don’t have to explain your question. Din rubs the back of his neck nervously.

“Well, you see...” he starts, not entirely sure what to say. He’s overprotective by nature and he can’t help himself. Not when it comes to protecting you and the kid. And now that he knows your pregnant with his child it has become even worse. He’d keep you locked up in this ship if he could but he knows you’d probably try to light him on fire if he did.

You sigh, knowing you won’t get a response. Din hasn’t let you out of his sight since you told him the news. Just the other day, you accidentally cut your finger preparing a meal for the child and Din nearly had a meltdown. He forced you to lay down for the rest of the day and anything sharp and possibly dangerous to you was stowed away. You had indulged him then because he was such a mess of nerves. But you know now though that Din will probably send himself to an early grave if he keeps this up.

“Hey,” you say as you take a seat on a turned over crate putting the child next to you. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” Your voice now soft, the anger from earlier having disappeared.

Din takes a deep breath, willing himself to share his fears. “I’m...scared,” he says honestly after some time. The look on your face must tell him something because he is quick to add to his words. “Not of being a father, Mesh’la. You have given me something I never thought I could have and I am forever in your debt for it. I’m scared of losing you. Of losing all three of you. I...my parents...” Din starts, trying to form a coherent thought but the lump in his throat only grows bigger; making it more and more difficult to grasp at words.

Realization dawns on your face and you get out of your seat to wrap your arms around him. His parents. While you know he considers his Mandalorian tribe as a family, the way he lost his parents was traumatic, to say the least. You understand now his need to protect.

“Shh,” you soothe and you feel him slump against you as you press him to you. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“You have so many other things to worry about, I didn’t want to add to the list,” he admits. He places his head lightly on top of yours as he heaves a great sigh. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”

“Din, we’re going to be fine. I’m pregnant, not injured or invalid. I’m still just as capable as before,” you argue.

“You deserve to be waited on hand and foot; not living on a ship, jumping from planet to planet. Not having to worry about when our next pay day is or if our lives are in danger. I feel like I’m failing you and our children.”

“Din Djarin, you absolutely are not. You have to trust me when I tell you I’m happy. So happy. I know we’re not exactly leading conventional lives right now but who cares? I’ve got you, the kid, and with another one on the way...isn’t that enough?” Tears prick your eyes and you try to blink them away. Damn hormones.

Din wipes them away quickly. “It’s more than enough, beautiful,” he murmurs softly. Carefully he places a hand on your stomach; still not showing to the world, but you both know. Not to be forgotten, the child walks up to the both of you and attempts to crawl up Din’s leg, a new tactic he’s learned to get your attention. Din laughs as he picks up the child and tucks him in his arm.

“Want to feel ad’ika, too, kid?” Din allows the child to lean forward and he places a small green hand atop his father’s. He coos happily before blinking up at you both in wonder and time seems to stop for a moment.

“What the...” you start. “Did you feel that too?” You ask Din in amazement. He can only nod back to you in response. You look down at the child, his small hand still on Din’s. “Did you do that, little thing?” You ask him and he babbles and smiles in response.

For a moment, when the child connected himself with the both of you, a sense of calm and happiness filled the entire ship. It was so fleeting it was almost missed, but it was definitely there. You place your hand over theirs and smile.

“He’s happy and knows he’s very loved already,” you tell him and Din visibly relaxes as he fully takes in the moment.

“He?” Din questions.

“He.” You affirm. “You already let the kid get away with everything, I can’t even imagine how bad you’ll be with a daughter.” You crack a smile, imagining a small girl with Din wrapped around her tiny finger.

“I do not,” he scoffs but you can tell he’s smiling under his helmet. He pulls you closer again, wrapping his arms around you and the child, still in awe at how lucky he is.

If he had been told when he first became a bounty hunter that this was his future he would have never believed it. He still doesn’t sometimes, when nightmares of the past wake him in such a cold sweat that he almost forgets where he is. It’s on those nights he reaches out for you, to make sure you’re real. But those nights have been coming farther and fewer in between. Another thing to add to the long list of reasons to thank you for.

Your sweet laugh brings him back to the present, and a sense of calm washes over him again.

“Don’t worry, you big softie, your secret is safe with me.”

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[jaskier-cult]

Different not Normal

Different Not Normal [OR; Blue Moon Eyes]

AO3 link here!  (Might write a second part! Leave a reply if you’d like to see that). 

Madeleine Caillebotte of Armeria and Alfred Gabriel Pankratz of Lettenhove were married in August under an arch braided with buttercups.

Both noble families were in attendance to witness the arranged marriage that would solidify the union between Armeria and Lettenhove, which were now trading partners and past long-time feuding neighbours. Her Lady Madeleine wore a baby blue dress that hung with a golden lining. His Lord Alfred bore his father’s ceremonial sword at his hip, adorned with jewels of far off lands.

Young and terribly in love, the nobles kissed under the arch.

Three months later, they fell pregnant.

It was a joyous occasion when Madeleine Caillebotte of Armeria, now countess of Lettenhove and newlywed wife of Alfred Gabriel Pankratz, discovered her pregnancy.

They were complimented by their noble peers and people alike when it took little effort on Madeleine’s part to fall pregnant. They were praised by their healers and midwives when the pregnancy was smooth and easy. Madeleine practically glowed. The pregnancy milestones hit like clockwork. And when the nine-month mark hit, she went into labour.

That’s when complications arose. 

The countess fell faint with painful contractions. Labour lasted a consecutive twenty-six hours. The midwife and healers were late. The babe was delivered without help.

Her babe is stillborn.

It would have been a girl.

But there is was no use in what would have been, or naming the stillborn, because there was no fruit for their labour. The babe is buried in the back of their garden with an unmarked gravestone, for mourning.

A few months pass before the two nobles try again, still and love and wanting for a child.

Again, they fall pregnant easily. Celebrations are twice as boisterous as before, putting stock in the second chance the gods had given the Lettenhove noble family. Their would-have-been firstborn is forgotten in the wake of a new expected babe.

When the nine-month mark hit, complications arose.

The delivery is difficult. Labour lasts for sixteen hours and counting, shorter than the last pregnancy, but more painful. Madeleine almost loses too much blood, the babe is breeched, and the countess passes out during labour, unable to keep up pushing.

Her babe is stillborn.

It would have been another girl.

Tears are shed for another would-have-been babe, but there was no use for naming, because there was no fruit for their labour. The babe is buried in the back garden alongside the last with another unmarked gravestone, for mourning.

The nobles try again, hopeful.

This time they do not have celebrations. They do not accept favours from neighbouring noble families, they do not throw a party, they do not announce it to their lands. Instead, this time, they visit as many healers and mages as possible, and pray to the gods every day and night in hope for a healthy born babe. Their prayers must be heard, because the pregnancy is once again easy. Madeleine practically glows. It’s even easier than the first two times.

But then the nine-month mark hits, and complications arise.

The babe is stillborn.

Another girl.

Another unmarked grace.

Again, they try. And again, they fall pregnant. And again, the babe is born at nine months to the second and is stillborn. All are girls and all are buried in unmarked graves.

The gravestones line up on the Lettenhove estate.

Six stillborn babes and nothing, and the Pankratz family is desperate.

Tension runs high. Arguments and fights break out amongst the once lovers, so happy with their arranged marriage, now angry and bitter. Fingers are pointed every which way for who is at fault for the problems with fertility and birth. Madeleine breaks down sobbing in another man’s arms for comfort, a secret between the countess and the young minstrel presiding in their manor. Alfred leaves for hours and drinks away the sorrows in the bottom of a bottle when he laments over the loss of children and an heir. At the end of the day, both always go back to one another, but the relationship is tenuous and wearing thin. Courting offers from close noble families lay at the viscount’s desk every morning.

Then the viscountess begins to panic.

If Madeleine can’t produce an heir for their estate, she knows she will be killed or divorced, with nothing to her name. She was the fifth-born daughter of her family, only used for political gain, and has no place back at her home estate. She must bear a child, and there’s only one thing she can do.

It’s early spring, and in the middle of the night, Madeleine sneaks out and runs to the forest.

The viscountess knows she should not be in the forest, especially not alone. Predators prowl at night, and not of the natural kind.

But in the middle of a field of wildflowers, she prays.

“I need a babe,” she cries. “I’m tired. I want no longer. I need a babe.”

Someone must hear her, because she gets an answer.

A creature unlike anything she had ever seen before steps into the moonlight.

Black henbane and bloodroot flowers curl under their toes and their eyes gleam silver. They look human in a way one would if they saw a human once-upon-a-time and had attempted to replicate the image from a dream. They’re tall and willowy, and their skin is flushed pale under the moon. Their ears curl and their teeth are sharp. Something dances with their fingers.

They’re very much human, but Different. They’re Different in a way a Normal would know, even if they didn’t know they knew.

But despite this, the countess isn’t scared.

Madeleine is entranced.

“Who are you?” She demands.

Lettenhove was not known for its Differentness. They were more Normal than most parts of the Continent, and that was something the Pankratz family took pride in. They had a scarcity of monsters and magic. Or, they were supposed to.

“I can help,” the creature says, and their voice is deep and smooth. “I can grant you what you yearn.”

“But why would you help?” She says.

“I can do it, for a price.”

Now, the countess isn’t stupid. So, she becomes wary. She had long heard about the give and take of chaos as a child, through the ballads and tales wandering bards would spin.

“It’s simple,” the creatures assured her. “I will give you a child – I will give you back what you have lost – but I ask this only in favour for the first. I only ask for what you do not have, but for which you don’t know you want.”

Madeleine laughs. How can you take what someone does not have?

The creature is a fool.

“My name is Breuganaifìrinn,” the creature says. “And you shall but kiss me for destiny.”

She’s dragging him into a heated kiss before he can finish.

<><><><> 

Julian Alfred Pankratz is born Different.

He is born to the viscount of Lettenhove under a full moon that is blue. A blessing, some said. An omen, others said. Whatever they said, they were hushed into the shadows and secrets, for the viscount would not have his son spoken poorly of among peasants.

It’s winter, and he is born under the first snow on the thirteenth. A late winter.

And his mother, Madeleine, sweat shining on her brow, takes the little babe in her arms after hours of hard labour. Pride swelled in her chest. The pregnancy had been unbearable, and they thought they had lost the babe many times. But now in her arms is her sweet little Julian. He has a thick tuff of soft brown hair, almost golden in the dim lantern light.

And Julian is red and icky, but he is perfect. He is too quiet and too still, but he is perfect. He is small and thin, but he is perfect.

But then he opens his eyes, and Madeleine’s breath catches.

His eyes are blue.

His eyes are the moon.

Her little Julian is no longer perfect.

<><><><> 

Julian Alfred Pankratz is soon handed to his father, when the healers and midwives deem the babe strong enough. As consequence, his father is the second person to see his blue eyes.

The midwife ushers the viscount into the room once the babe is taken from his mother and hastily washed in a basin of water and wrapped. The viscount kneels by his wife’s bedside, eyes wide, as he takes in his firstborn son. Little Julian, who was too still and scared the healers, quietly gazed up at his father with his blue eyes.

He opened his mouth for the first time.

And he wailed.

And he never stopped making noise after that.

And instantly, Alfred Gabriel Pankratz was smitten.

<><><><> 

Julian hates the colour blue.

His eyes were blue, and his mother hated his eyes, so he hated the colour blue.

When they made eye contact, when she looked down at her firstborn son, every time his mother’s expression would tighten. Her lips would become pursed, her eyes would darken, and she would look at Julian as if he had done something wrong. As if he was disappointing her.

But Julian tried so hard to be perfect.

He sat still at the dinner table, he didn’t fuss when he was dressed, he listened when told what to do, and he never complained or wailed after the first spanking his mother gave him.

But still, it wasn’t enough for his mother.

He was enough for his father.

His father would praise his blue eyes. The estate staff would praise his blue eyes. A far cousin once said that she was jealous of his blue eyes, because all she had was brown.

But that was all Julian wished for, was brown eyes. He wished so dearly to have the brown eyes of his parents – to have the warm fondness lingering in his father’s eyes, or to have the vibrant woodsy brown of his mother’s eyes.

But Julian had blue, so he hated the colour blue.

<><><><> 

There was a common saying – “a face only a mother could love” – that seemed to apply to Julian. It applied because it was ironic. It was ironic because everyone but his mother seemed to love him.

<><><><> 

Julian is gifted a younger brother when he is yet old enough to talk. When he has not yet learned of his wanting for love, for Normal.

His mother and father try for another child too soon and fall pregnant almost too easily. The pregnancy is smooth, almost too easy. The midwives hold their breath as the viscountess goes into labour, expecting the same ill curse of stillborn babes to continue haunting the Pankratz family, but they’re pleasantly surprised. A healthy babe is born, a boy, that is named Hanson Alfred Pankratz. The spare to the Lettenhove estate.

Madeleine has done her duty to the viscount; an heir and a spare.

Hanson is born in early autumn, in September, on the thirteenth.

Hanson has blonde hair and beautiful brown eyes.

He wails as soon as he takes his first breath.

He’s pink and squirms and shakes his first.

And he’s perfect.

<><><><> 

More siblings follow, one after the other, all pregnancies easy and glowing. One babe each year, nine months to the second. The years are filled with bountiful harvest and good economy. The noble family thrives. After Hanson there’s Edmond, with dark brown hair and rich brown eyes. Following the first three sons, the Pankratz family is blessed with a healthy girl, whom they name Isemay Caillebotte Pankratz.

Isemay is the spitting image of her mother, Madeleine. Soft brown hair and woodsy brown eyes, and she has a cute little button nose, too. The first daughter is soon gifted a younger brother, another boy, called Oscar, who could be her twin they look so alike.

Two more babes follow, making a total of seven children.

A lucky number.

A blessed number.

Pricilla Caillebotte is born next, another healthy girl, who sports the same blonde as her older brother Edmond, and the natural brown of her father’s eyes.

Carellus is born within the same year, Priscilla in January, her younger brother in late autumn. He looks like his older sister’s twin, with slightly lighter blonde hair and sprite brown eyes.

All Pankratz children have brown eyes.

Except for Julian, the firstborn.

Julian is the only one with blue eyes.

<><><><> 

Julian grows up yearning for his mother’s love. All he wants is to feel her touch him without flinching, to see her look at him without contempt.

He wants to hear her tell him she loves him.

His mother tells him a lot of things, but she never tells him she loves him.

She tells Julian that he must be a proper noble boy. She tells Julian his infatuation with music and flowers and nature are bad and wrong and Different. She tells him to hide his Different nature. She tells Julian that he can be fixed, if he would just let her help him get rid of the Differentness.

She tells Julian he was born Different. He didn’t have a choice in the matter, but she could fix him. His mother doesn’t tell him anything else, but she doesn’t have to.

He knows he is Different.

It doesn’t have to be drilled into him everyday.

He is Different in a way that he blends in well enough, is almost impossible to spot out of the masses, but with which the Normal know something is off. Humans know he is not One of Them, even if they don’t know they know.

His blue eyes make sure of that, an inhuman feature on an otherwise human boy.

<><><><> 

Before any of his siblings were born, Julian is but a mere six months old when his teeth finally start to grow in. His father, Alfred, is simply delighted to play with his rascal son. He loves to indulge in Julian’s incessant need to chew on everything to alleviate the pain of his growing-in teeth. He’s hitting all his milestones perfectly, and the viscount could not be more pleased with his firstborn son.

His mother watches with unease.

When his teeth fully grow-in, they’re sharper than Normal.

But not sharp enough to be Different.

So, Madeleine leaves it be.

Until years later, when he’s six with six siblings, and he starts losing his baby teeth.

Fangs grow in.

Horrified, his mother takes to filing them down in secret.

It’s a messy procedure to do alone, but Madeleine Pankratz is not a foolish woman. She knows how the gossip would spread amongst her servants and ladies in waiting. She knows how the secret of Julian’s Differentness would escape their estate. She does not know how the viscount would respond to knowing his perfect firstborn son is not so perfect after all.

So, she grips her crying child in an iron hold, and she takes a file to his teeth.

This follows Julian all throughout his childhood, and he wishes he could stop his canines from growing in sharp every month. He wishes his eyes weren’t blue. He wishes he was Normal not Different.

Poor little Julian cries and screams and thrashes as his mother forces him into a dark room to file them down every month.

“Hurts, ma!” He cries every time.

He cries even when he is eight and is old enough to know that his Differentness is not okay. Is old enough to know he must do this to make his mother love him, no matter how much it hurts.

His mother holds him tighter.

Julian’s head vibrates with unease and pain as the file scrapes along his canines.

They’re filed down too low and there is blood, and it’s Julian’s fault, he’s told. He didn’t cooperate, he was too difficult. The metallic tang feels familiar in his mouth in a way that his newly shortened teeth do not. His mother holds him closer, not tighter.

“I love you, Julian,” she says. “I only do this because I love you.”

It’s the first time she tells him she loves him.

As far as he can remember, at least.

But for some reason, Julian feels his chest constrict painfully.

The admission did not feel as good as he wished it to be.

<><><><> 

Julian is eight, and his fangs are filed down, when he runs crying to the gardens of their estate. He runs and runs until he collapses underneath the biggest tree they have, where the estate gardeners do not bother with upkeep, where he can sit in shade and cover. And Julian tries so hard to be quiet. He doesn’t want his mother to find him; he does not want to hear that she does this because she loves him. It hurts too much to hear.

And as the firstborn son of the viscount of Lettenhove cries beneath the old oak tree, buttercups grow under his feet and dandelions blow in the wind.

His mother, who followed him, turns pale.

And she is terribly reminded of the black henbane and bloodroot caging the graves in the back.

<><><><> 

Julian hated his blue eyes.

They were too blue, too bright. They caught too much attention. That was all anyone ever saw when they looked at Julian, were his blue eyes, his Differentness.

And all he wanted was to be noticed for being Normal.

To try and distract from his blue eyes, Julian used clothes as another, more overpowering form, of attention-grabbing. He took to wearing brightly coloured garbs. He would wear everything from blood red to deathly purple. He would wear ridiculously gaudy clothes to drown out the bright blue. It didn’t work. He wore drab clothes, cloths and fabrics to make him look pale and gaunt, but still his blue eyes shone. He would style his hair just so, so that it hung over his face and shaded his eyes. He would do anything he could to stop others from noticing his blue eyes.

It never worked.

The more over-the-top the clothes, the more colour he drowned himself in, the more attention his eyes seemed to draw.

They would glow.

They would shine.

His blue eyes would do anything to draw attention to themselves, and Julian hated blue so fervently.

His mother’s lingering looks of discomfort and hate stayed, and Julian hated blue with his very being.

Blue ruined his life.

<><><><> 

Julian’s siblings were a grab-bag of friends. He loved them all very dearly. As the eldest, he felt responsible for them, felt a protective urge for his younger brothers and sisters.

All were close in one way or another, especially the three eldest brothers – Julian, Hanson, and Edmond – but none of them truly understood Julian’s struggles. His brothers and sisters grew tired of his lamenting over his blue eyes and teased him about being vain, about trying to draw more attention to his blue eyes, when that was the last thing he wanted.

They all had brown eyes and would scoff when he expressed jealously.

They didn’t understand his hate of blue because they all had the love of their mother.

Sometimes he didn’t think she was his mother.

<><><><> 

Of all the colours, though, Julian found solace in one.

Yellow.

Yellow was the colour of the gold his mother cherished so deeply. The colour that would drape across her collar and wrists and ankles in a beautiful fashion.

Yellow was the colour of the bright dandelions and buttercups that would grow, only for him.

Yellow was the colour of the sun and happiness and everything good.

Yellow had never done anything wrong.

And Julian loved yellow with all the love he didn’t waste on blue, because in his mind they were opposites; blue and yellow, one made of destruction and one made of light.

<><><><> 

The first time Julian dressed in yellow, he wanted to cry.

The colour he loved so much could still not drown away his blue eyes.

In fact, the bright buttercup yellow of his doublet made his eyes stand out even more. He tried gold and amber and dandelion, but his eyes were bluer than blue. And his mother still hated his eyes.

His eyes were blue, and his mother hated his eyes, so Julian hated the colour blue.

<><><><> 

One day, his younger sister suggested he try wearing blue.

Priscilla, the second youngest Pankratz, was rounding out to be a problem child. Where the other girls were learning how to be proper noble ladies, she was following her big brother Julian around their estate like a lost puppy.

Everything he did, she wanted to do, too.

Priscilla wanted to learn how to sew flower crowns like her brother Julian. Priscilla wanted to learn how to wield a rapier like her brother Julian. And when Julian’s interest in music was discovered, Priscilla wanted to follow him with a lute of her own.

Separated by five years, they were still thick as thieves. In line with his first two brothers, Hanson and Edmond, Priscilla was Julian’s favourite sibling. She was wild like he was, but held all the Normal that Julian was lacking, and he felt better when he played with her. Like somehow, he could blend in with the Normal just a little bit longer, because she didn’t care that he was Different.

And though Julian loved his little sister, the mere thought of touching a blue doublet made him physically shake with hate and anger and disgust.

Still, he indulged her, if only because she looked so hopeful.

“This will go perfect with your bright eyes,” Priscilla says.

Priscilla will use any number of words to describe Julian’s eyes. She will use descriptors like bright eyes and big eyes and beautiful eyes.

But she never just says blue.

He steps out from behind the divider and does a twirl to amuse his sister. He’s wearing a cerulean blue doublet with matching trousers, accented by red and yellow. He feels awful. But his sister’s breath catches, and her brown eyes go wide. Her expression is pale in shocked awe.

“You’re beautiful,” she says, breathless, like she’s seeing him for the first time.

He turns to face his mirror.

His blue eyes blend in with the doublet, making them shine twice as bright, and the yellow and red are stark in contrast. He looks unusually pale in the get-up, his freckles more prominent, his hair darker than the blonde it had started to grow into.

He doesn’t see what Priscilla sees. All he can see are his eyes, too blue.

Julian rips the doublet off in anger, upset with everything and nothing, and his sister never asks him to wear blue again. She never mentions the word again.

Priscilla may not know the reason behind it all, because Julian sees the love she holds for their mother and would never forgive himself if he ruined that, but she learns to avoid blue. Because Julian’s eyes were blue, and his mother hated his eyes, so he hated the colour blue.

<><><><> 

One day Julian woke up and realized he didn’t want to be himself anymore.

It was a startling realization. It hurt too, like a sudden wound, and for over an hour he laid in his bed and stared up at the ceiling with impossibly blue eyes, heart hollow and aching. He didn’t want to be himself, but he didn’t want to be anyone else. More specifically, he realized, he didn’t want to be what his mother so desperately tried to force him to be.

He was Different not Normal.

He was born like that, his mother said. It was wrong, she said. He needed to be right, she said.

But she never told him what was right, only what she wanted him to be. And for years, his entire life, he tried to meet her expectations. He tried so hard for her love.

How fucked up is that? He thought, for the first time.

<><><><> 

That was the day Jaskier was born.

[gone4neow]

The New King ♔ dks

Chapter Thirteen

- kyungsoo x reader, royalty AU, prince!kyungsoo

- warnings : swearing, mature content, arranged marriage, good looking men

- word count : 3,033

chapter twelve or chapter fourteen or masterlist

♔ ♔ ♔ ♔ ♔

After having a discussion with Kyungsoo, the princess felt highly encouraged to return back to her home kingdom - with Chanyeol by her side. It was hard to depart from the princes, but she eventually got them to accept that they were not going along. This was something that she and her brother needed to do on their own. She briefed her brother about her mother along the way there. Her mother was spiteful, cunning, entitled, and downright evil. Chanyeol learned that the princess had never spent much time with her mother, even as a young infant, and that they had an ill relationship. He was sad to learn this. The princess may have gotten more time with their father, but at least Chanyeol had a loving mother to fill that void. The princess must've been lonely as a child while their father was busy being a king.

His eyes brightened at the familiar sight of the village. It was the place he had grown up in. He had made his first friends here, had his first kiss here, and even gotten his first job here. He missed it dearly. Months ago he had moved to the northern kingdom for better career opportunities. After his mother's death, he found it hard to afford food.

He grew nervous as they approached the castle. He had dreamed of living in the castle as a young boy, even before he was aware of the king being his father, and now he was finally getting the chance to step inside. The princess must have noticed his nervousness because he felt her slip her small hand into his large one. She gave his hand an assuring squeeze just as the carriage came to a stop. The princess was the first to slip out of wooden structure, followed by her clumsy brother. He laughed sheepishly when he almost tripped out of the carriage. The princess laughed lightly at his actions before she instructed him to follow her.

He was in awe of his sister as he watched her march through the halls of the castle with her head held high and her shoulders rolled back challenging. Her mood had went from excited to something darker as they had gotten closer to the castle. Now that they were inside, he was almost too intimidated by the woman to even speak to her. She led him up a set of stairs before they came to a large set of double doors. The princess made sure he was ready for their next step before she pushed through the doors. Chanyeol could feel eyes on them from every inch of the room. He tried to appear as confident and bold as his sister did, but he failed to do so. He came off as shy, too shy to be the king.

"Daughter, why am I not surprised to see you with yet another man?" The queen spoke as soon as she seen her daughter strutting towards where she sat on the throne. The woman's voice was eerie, matching perfectly with her dark expression. If Chanyeol had ever seen a witch in person, it was this woman. She was beautiful, but radiated darkness. He wondered how someone like his sister had been created by someone like this.

"Mother! I hope you're not too comfortable in my father's chair!" The princess replied with faux enthusiasm as she looked up at her mother with a bright smile. The tension in the room seemed to amplify at the princess's words. Her mother sat up straighter in the throne, looking down at the princess with anger on her face.

"You dare challenge me today? On what terms?" She snapped.

"I have a little story for you - one that I'm sure you were expecting to hear one day. Once upon a time ago, a time before you were married to my father, my father was in love with one of the village women. He loved her so much that he would sneak out of the castle to see her every night. It turns out, they had a child together. Does this sound familiar?" The princess spoke with confidence. Her voice was stern, almost taunting, as she looked up at her mother with a fierce stare. She watched as her mother open and closed her mouth, desperately trying to find the right words to say. There was nothing for her to say.

"I have proof!" The princess announced to the room's guests. They all watched as she pulled out several pieces of parchment from the satchel resting against Chanyeol's hip. He gave her an assuring smile and held out his hand. She placed the documents in his hand and drew in a deep breath as he took a step forward.

"I am Park Chanyeol, son of King Munso and your future king. I request the commanding officer views these letter from my father that specifically state that I am his firstborn son and only son," her brother demanded in a voice as stern as hers had been. Her eyebrows raised slightly, impressed by how natural it seemed for him. There was no doubt about it, Chanyeol was going to be a good king.

A man emerged from the corner of the room. There was complete silence, apart from the sound of his metal armor, as he walked towards the strange man. Once he reach Chanyeol's side, he took the documents in his hand and his eyes skimmed over them with keen interest. Everyone watched as his eyes grew two sizes bigger. He glanced up at Chanyeol with amazement on his face.

"You're the new king," he breathed out quietly. He turned to look at everyone and held the documents up high in the air.

"This is King Munso's handwriting! Park Chanyeol is the new king!" He exclaimed loudly. The queen stood up with rage on her face. She marched down the steps that led to the thrown and made her way towards the princess and her brother. Her eyes were locked on the princess.

"You will regret doing this," her mother told her in a low voice once she stood in front of her. The princess sighed at her words. A part of her had hoped their relationship would improve after the passing of her father, but deep down she knew her mother would never change.

"Mother, I prepared you a place to stay in the village. You have one hour to gather your belongs. I suggest you work quickly," Grace told her mother. Chanyeol watched the pair cautiously. He expected the older woman to lash out at any moment. He watched as his sister's eyes narrowed. For the first time in her entire life, she watched as her mother's eyes filled with tears.

"That's how this ends? You get to live in a castle for the rest of your life while I'm stuck in some shack?" Her mother asked.

"Yes, and for the first time in your life you will understand that your choices in life have consequences," The princess answered. Her head was held high but Chanyeol could see that the conversation was slowly breaking the princess down. He ordered one of the guards to guide the former queen out of the room before he let his long arms wrap around his sister's shoulders comfortingly. She let her own wrap around him in return and drew in a deep breath. They did it - they had removed her mother from the castle.

After her mother officially left the castle entirely, the princess found herself guiding her brother around. His eyes were wide with amazement. They lingered on everything he saw, especially the paintings hung on the walls. His father had gifted him several pieces of art when he was a young child, so he knew that these had belonged to his father. He imagined his father walking through the halls, adoring his collection every day with those honey eyes of his, accompanied by a smaller version of his sister. This had been their home - now it was his home, too. The very thought had his eyes glistening with fresh tears. When the princess noticed, she let her hand find his.

"Welcome home," she told him softly.

"So Prince Kyungsoo is actually the eldest child, therefore he's the one who's supposed to become king, but he's only becoming king because Sehun doesn't want to be king?" Chanyeol thought aloud as he waved his spoon around wildly. The princess and him were sitting at a table on the balcony located outside her room. Their dinner had been brought up to them earlier. While they ate, the princess explained the northern kingdom's situation.

"Yes, but you see - I don't think Kyungsoo really wants to be king himself. Their father has created quite a mess for them to clean up in the village and if they don't fix it I'm worried there will be a rebellion," The princess replied before she took a bite of her food. Chanyeol hummed as he took in the new information.

"He must be a very good brother to take on all that responsibility just so his brother won't have to," her brother commented. The princess simply nodded. She looked out at the evening sky as she felt her stomach twist. She hadn't even been gone an entire day, but she already yearned to see her love again.

"Maybe it's not a matter of not wanting to be king. Maybe Sehun is scared to become king because of the duties he will have," Chanyeol suggested when his sister didn't reply. He didn't miss the distant look in her eyes as she turned her head to face him.

"Were you?" She asked softly. Chanyeol gave a small shrug before he nodded slowly.

"Of course I was. I still am, perhaps I always will be, but this is where father wanted me," he answered. The princess smiled softly.

"It's certainly where you belong," she told him. Chanyeol stared at her without speaking for a moment. He took in the features of her face, the light patch of freckles across her nose, and the warmth of her eyes. He never wanted to forget what she looked like. He knew she would return to the northern kingdom without him tomorrow, and that made him feel terrible. He had just gotten her.

"I love you sister," he spoke to her quietly.

"I love you, too, brother," she replied.

The inevitable came the next morning. Chanyeol gave his sister a giant hug before she was sent back to the northern kingdom. An agreement was made to keep the fact that he was the new king quiet - as quiet as they could, anyways. There was not a doubt in the princess's mind that more than half of the village had already learned about their new king.

She watched the scenery roll by as she sat in the carriage. Her mind was clouded with thoughts of her brother, her father, and, as she grew closer to the castle, Prince Kyungsoo.

Her heart almost leaned out of her chest when her carriage pulled up to the castle. She had barely gotten out of the wooden structure before she saw the princes step out of the castle to greet her. A wide smile formed on her face. She momentarily forgot about her luggage as her feet carried her across the courtyard and to the princes. Sehun rolled his eyes as he watched the woman jump into Prince Kyungsoo's arms before his. They made him sick. He had to resist rolling his eyes again when he heard the sound of his brother whispering sweet nothings against the princess's ear.

"Hey! It's my turn!" He demanded after a few seconds. The princess immediately found her way into his arms and a satisfied smile formed on his face. Jokingly, he began to whisper in her ear just as his brother had, but his words were only complaints about her and the prince - not sweet nothings. She couldn't help but laugh at his childish antics and pulled away to push at his chest playfully. He glanced over at his brother and was met with a harsh glare. The smile on his face seemed to vanish instantly.

"No Chanyeol... things went well?" Sehun asked her, looking away from his brother.

"It's official; Chanyeol is the new king," she announced in a low voice. There was pride on her face as she spoke. It was clear to the brothers that despite the siblings only being together for a few days, they already had a bond that most dreamed of having. Kyungsoo smiled sweetly at her, expression his happiness for the royal siblings in a gentle voice.

"I, um, wanted to talk to you guys about something," The princess told them suddenly.

"What is it?" Sehun asked immediately. The princess glanced over her shoulder at the man waiting for her to come back and get her luggage before she turned back around and glanced between the brothers.

"Let me get my luggage and then we will go somewhere private," she said. Just as she went to turn around, Kyungsoo gently wrapped his hand around her wrist and stopped her. She met his eyes with surprise swimming in her own.

"Let me go get your stuff," he told her softly.

"Come with me while I get my stuff," she replied. She had already turned and began walking away before he could protest. Sehun watched as his brother followed like a lost puppy behind the woman until he was walking side by side with her. They sent loving expressions in each other's direction, probably not even realizing they were, and Sehun felt his heart twist in knots. He decided in that moment he would face his fears and confess to the baker's son the next time he seen him.

About ten minutes later, the three were sitting in a circle on Prince Kyungsoo's bed. The princess was being secretive. She had made sure to double check the lock on the balcony door and hadn't spoke in more than a whisper since they stepped through the door. Sehun snickered at her actions, but Kyungsoo was concerned.

"I think Sehun should be king," she eventually told them. Sehun's eyes widened and a series of scoffs and nervous laughter left him. He shook his head at her, glancing at his brother with disbelief in his eyes. Kyungsoo's expression was blank as he stared at the princess. What had caused this opinion to occur?

"Sehun, this is what you've been preparing for all your life. If you aren't king then where do you see yourself? It'll get boring just roaming the castle halls," The princess spoke again when neither brother made an effort to speak.

"I - I don't know," Sehun answered her with a sigh. He looked over at his brother, yet again, and asked him what he was going to do if he wasn't king.

"I'll marry the princess anyways and then we can build a cottage together. I've always wanted to be a farmer. Would you farm with me?" Kyungsoo answer, directing his question to the princess. She looked at him with a small, sweet smile on her face. Of course, Sehun thought, only my brother could plan out two different futures for himself.

"Of course," Grace answered. Sehun could tell by her tone that she was completely smitten by the idea alone. Sitting out in the sun all day while wallowing around in dirt? How romantic. He wasn't able to resist rolling his eyes this time. Then another thought ran through his mind. Uncle Sehun. He could see it now: a little cottage full of all his nieces and nephews, waiting for his visits with so much excitement their little bodies almost couldn't take it. He knew they would live the best life - they would have the best uncle, after all.

"Sehun!" The princess called him name out and brought him back to reality. He blinked a few times, coming out of a sudden daze.

"You really think I'll be a good king?" Sehun questioned, his voice quieter than it had already been. The princess and Kyungsoo had barely heard him.

"One of the best - and if you need help with anything, you'll have us to back you up," The princess assured him. A smug smile formed on his face and he glanced between the two with a suggestive look in his eyes.

"You're right; I'll be the best king. You know what I'd be even better at though?" The pair raised their eyebrows curiously at his question, having completely no idea where he was going or why he had that look in his eyes.

"Being an uncle," he revealed with a toothy grin. The princess laughed nervous, glancing over at Kyungsoo, who was opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. What were they supposed to say to this? Neither one of them had even considered children until this moment. Kyungsoo sat and thought about it, and the more he did was the more he liked the idea. The princess was flush with embarrassment and her fingers were picking at the material of her dress.

"I hope you'll be patient with us then," she told Sehun with a small smile. He sighed but nodded, despite knowing he was going to be anything but patient. Kyungsoo finally released a laugh that he had been holding in the depths of his chest. His hand reach out and took the princess's. He gave it a light squeeze as he laughed - ignoring the scowl his brother sent him.

"I think we should make one right away," he announced between his laughter. The princess gaped at him, wondering briefly if the brothers had been drinking while she was away. Sehun was thrilled by his brother's words and the smile on his face grew, which seemed impossible seconds ago.

"Why?" The princess asked curiously.

"I had this thought about ours kids and how I could teach them to beat my brother up... the opportunity seems too good to pass up. We need at least 10," Kyungsoo explained, as his laughter came to a gradual halt. The smile on Sehun's face vanished.

a/n : hi!! this story is coming to an end soon, sadly, but i am already working on my next story and i’m very excited about it. it’s a chanyeol story (currently) but i hope you all will enjoy it. any criticisms about my writing is welcome! i really want to grow as a writer and this story has been a great trial run for me. I’ve learned a lot. thanks for reading, as always! don’t be afraid to talk to me!!

[likemesomesalads]

I know I keep reblogging ask games from you from my GW2 blog and I always feel guilty about not asking you one of them. I just don't know anything about your characters, but I want to. Might I indulge you to tell me about the lovelies?

This will be a Long one since I have many of them and not all of them is fully flushed out, but here I go!

First up my main: Thoernen:

He is a thief, literally, his occupation in his first 8 years was a thief. He ran away from his Wyld Hunt in fear of death and for years he tried to avoid any contact with undead or other dragon minions (not always successfully but always letting others solve the problems). Alas, in the end, he got baited into joining the Vigil and from there as a vigil soldier he worked against Zhaitan, eventually (following the personal story) forming the Pact with Trahearne and becoming the Commander.  After defeating Zhaitan he got a bit more confident in his work so continued to be the Pact Commander, forming a brotherly bond with Trahearne. Which made it really hard for him once he had to kill him in HoT. In the jungle, he also lost sight in his left eye and got several scars which made him look as miserable as he felt. Also in Maguuma, he saved an ex-mordrem, Dau who later ends up being his dear heart.  Personality wise as a sapling he is cheerful and keeps up the sight of that even after he runs away from the Grove and becomes Soundless, though as he fulfills his Wyld Hunt he gets more serious and broken even, especially after All or Nothing. He can’t take Aurene’s Death and steps off as Commander. he also loses his left arm because it was hit by a blast of Kralky’s and started to turn him branded, which he cuts off himself, not having anyone around. After he retired he and Dau moves back to the Grove to try and live peacefully.Aevelyhn:A helpful, tiny sylvari roaming Tyria and helping where she can. She doesn’t have a specific Wyld Hunt, rather she follows what she was in her Dream, which was helping others. She is often found in Divinity’s Reach, with her friend, Jaquline Du Ciel. She enjoys shopping for pretty dresses, dancing and practicing her elemental magic in her free time.Ainlon:A necromancer who awoken from the Dream with the face of Trahearne in his mind. He took it as a sign that he had to help him so after a few months of training himself, while Trahearne was in Orr and he waited for his return, Ain joined the Firstborn. It was a rocky learning curve to get used to living in Orr but he and Trahearne had a really good mentor-student, then a sort of brotherly relationship. He has a boyfriend, Quinlan back int he Grove who he always love to return to.Quinlan:Ainlon’s boyfriend and a gardener in the Grove. Mildly jealous of Trahearne being able to spend so much time with Ainlon, but knows Ain loves him and he trusts him.Sheara Swiftpaw:The leader of a Warband and member of the ash legion. Very skillful ranger has a pet stalker called Jul and loves hunting trips. She is very tomboyish and not very friendly, however, she does indeed have friends. A norn, called Rhaevee and an asura, Eaxxy.Eaxxy:Crewe leader in the college of dynamics. She loves to come up with new ideas which she usually forgets about as soon as she has the next, so her lab is full of half-finished projects and ideas. however, if she indeed finishes something than it’s the best it can be. She is rather sarcastic and loud. Has an unlikely friendship with Sheara and Rhaevee. Rhaevee:A journeywoman, who loves to travel and collect strange animals as pets. Has a big family with seven younger brothers. She is the only girl in the family which made her the protective big sister. She loves her family very much. They own a pub up in Shiverpeeks and make their own beer as well. Besides collecting animals she also loves to collect recipes from all across Tyria (and later Elona) and shares them with her mother who then tries to make them in the pub and home as well. She follows the Spirit of Raven yet her companion is a white wolf, called Morrigan. She saved Morrigen when he was a pup and his pack was slain by Sons of Svanir. She was led to the pup by a white raven. She is loud and strong, a true norn woman.Jaquline Du Ciel:A second born child in a noble family. She aspires to be a Shining blade member, currently a recruit, to be able to spend more time with her all-time crush so that she can live up to her idol, Countess Anise. Her best friend is Aevelyhn whom she loves to invite to tea and chat about the happenings in Tyria. She is a big lesbian and she does not hide this fact.Aeris Moonsong:Priory researcher and hobby gardener. She lives in Queensdale, near Divinity’s Reach and loves researching ancient artifacts. She also loves gardening but deadly scared of spiders.Cayde:Nightmare Courtier, Duke of Peonies or more commonly known as Dog of Faolain. He and his pod twin, Soléine were lured in a trap pretty much right after their awakening, by Inquest asuras. They both were curious and naive and paid the price for it. They were separated and experimented on. From the painful, torturous experiments Cayde turned to Nightmare and Faolain was there to welcome him. He has quite murderous tendencies and anger issues, resulting in him murdering many other courtiers and captives, for which Faolain had to assign a special ‘sapling sitter’ beside Cayde who can keep him in control. He is obsessively trying to turn her sister to Nightmare and kidnaps her from her loving home. Despite all of his flaws he has a boyfriend, @ascalonianpicnic‘s Aselif who he loves dearly and for whom he would do anything.Soléine:Cayde’s pod twin. She suffered the experimentations as well but was strong enough not to turn to nightmare, barely. She was saved by a group of soldiers, including Canach, who was the only one who could convince her to leave with them and the only one she actually sees as her savior. After she is rescued, she clings to him closely and they grow to love one another. She saves a half-dead fern hound in the human city and decides to take it home and heal him. and since then Isonos is by her side and she finds a passion for healing animals, learns more and becomes a vet.  At the time when Canach is in Maguuma Cayde kidnaps her ( or more like commissions @mystery-salad‘s Aezlin to do it for him) and tortures her, trying to turn her. That nightmare ends when the Court falls apart and she can escape, having again zero trusts in people and clinging to Canach just as she did in the beginning. She is shy and soft and loves animals and Canach.Lusus Naturae: They are Cayde’s 'sapling sitter’. Their pod was taken from the tree by the Inquest working with the fresh Nightmare Court in 1307. The name of the project and the one they ended up having was: Lusus Naturae (aka. Freak of Nature).  Their pod was just freshly sprouted so it had a lot of growing to do. Since they were severed from the Tree at such a young state they have no connection at all to the Dream, to the Pale tree or to other sylvari. It also caused them to take much longer to bloom. It took 16 years for them to be ready and when they were born, due to the lack of connection to the Dream, had the mentality of a newborn. The Inquest rectified the problem with connecting their brain to a computer and uploading the needed data which had them very confused for a while. (The implant which they used to do that is still embedded in the back of his neck.) After they were deemed to be a somewhat successful experiment, not counting that it took them way too long to awaken, and another series of tests, in which they tested their capabilities and discovered their fast regenerating abilities (tested for limb loss, high blood loss and many more which caused their Nociceptors to  shut down, thus they are unable to feel pain.), the Court took them over and they worked for them ever since. First, they worked under a Duke who was a Mesmer and learned from them (eventually broadening their abilities and learning Chronomancy by themselves), but a few years later they were assigned to keep another Duke, Cayde in control for his murderous tendencies. They work with him ever since.Tristrham:A revenant who is not at all proud of his abilities. He got his revenant powers by letting his guildmates die in the Mists when they accidentally found a way there. He actually had to kill one of them himself to be able to escape. (He killed more but didn’t want to think about it and we don’t talk about it. They basically were killing each other due to illusions.) Since he is out of there and once he got used to the voices in his head he went on about in the world, working as a mercenary, ending up in the Heart of Maguuma, where he was fighting to not give in to the voice of Mordremoth. He pulled it off for quite a while and giving in practically just before he died, so he has a short mordrem past, of which he doesn’t remember nor he wants to. After the jungle, he took a little break, trying to relax and heal but eventually ended up joining the Pact and is there ever since.Xeneviev:A spy in the Grove for the Nightmare Court. He joined the court because he has a HUGE crush on (again) @mystery-salad‘s Aezlin and he didn’t have much of a love for his supposed to be purpose either. In the Dream, he saw himself in nothing more than endless fields and mud and he really wasn’t about that. He hated it to the core so it wasn’t hard for him to throw that away for something more intriguing. He loves fashion, Aezlin, doing his job right, Aezlin, designing outfits, Aezlin, looking good and, you guessed it, Aezlin.Dau:His full name is Daulion but he doesn’t like that, so just Dau. He was in an abusive relationship with a courtier, named Alvanil and it took him years to be able to run away. But as soon as he did Mordremoth awakened and he was too weak to not give in, so he became a mordrem. He doesn’t have a lot of memories from that time but he still fears that he’ll turn mordrem again even after the dragon’s defeat. Thoernen saved him in the jungle after he successfully killed the jungle dragon and he fell for him at first sight. He joined the Pact and started to follow around the Commander, lending him a lot of emotional support in the desert, during PoF and they slowly formed mutual feelings and got together. Alvanil:Dau’s cruel, abusive Courtier ex-boyfriend. He loves to make others suffer, especially if they are weaker than him. Not many characteristics, only that he is an asshole. Gotta work on him more.Saberlily:Naive little sapling turned to Nightmare by Gavin, who is her mentor now. She kept her cheeriness even in Nightmare as she thinks there is nothing wrong with how the Court thinks. They want to free the sylvari and anyway, other sylvari do bad things too for no apparent reason. She loves sharp and shiny things. Has a very weird obsession with sharp weapons.Asteracéa:A soundless sylvari courtesan, living in Divinity’s Reach. He had to use his body as payment once he was stuck up in the mountains with no money or anything. (Not like he really had to have to but that was the first thought he had and it worked.) He ended up there by hiding from the Nightmare Court in a caravan. Ever since then he hasn’t returned to Caledon Forest and is a greedy, but highly requested courtesan. He loves to be fancy and even figured out a way to change the color of his body without much hassle. Has a roommate I am yet to name but he loves to hang out with him in his free time. He also obviously very much likes his job and the activities coming with it.Philix:A sweet, furry teenager, raised by two lesbian salads in Lion’s Arch. Works on the docks and as a part-time tour guide. Loves to get in trouble out of work and flirts a lot around. A true teenager.This two is not yet up in my character list, because I am lazy but:Endellion:You can call him En, Endy or Lion. Anything goes with him. He is a hairdresser/foliage dresser?  He loves his job a lot and doesn’t just excel at sylvari foliages he is great with hair or fur too. Residential in the Grove or  Mabon Market from time to time. A cheerful sunshine salad.Dhealaichte:He is Trahearne but not really. He is his reincarnation. Looks and sounds alike has his memories as well, but not his abilities. He bloomed a few years after the defeat of Mordremoth with the name Trahearne but he decided to change when he had enough of being compared to his previous life. He has no memory of his Dream this time though so he doesn’t have a Wyld Hunt.  Once Dheal was full of everyone wanting him to be someone he isn’t he left to discover Tyra for himself and then stayed in Lion’s Arch for a while, working and eventually learning to be a doctor. As the elonian refugees’ numbers grew he decided to go to Elona and help there, so as of now he is in Amnoon doing his best to help people.

[ellienightengale]

The bitterness of Immortality

(In which Eleanor makes a mighty offering to a Loa)

Eleanor had pondered over this trifle thing called age ever since she had met Um’tika. It saddened her he would be gone in the blink of an eye and for months she had looked for ways to stop that or at least slow it down enough so she could enjoy the days spent with him.And then it came to her in some stroke of brilliance; Eleanor would cut her own life in half and give it to Um’tika. Both would live their days out by thousands of years, having all the fun in the world! “But how?” Eleanor had mumbled to herself as she sat hunched over a desk; endless parchments astray. The elf had considered the pools of Youth in Pandaria but after witnessing what it does, she scratched that idea out. There was little to nothing on how she could extend his life without paying some type of boon, and she knew Bwonsamdi was out of the question.

That Loa she did respect but had little trust in him and his deals. Not that she’d admit it to his face! She had yet to get a definitive answer on how this rather complicated endeavor was to be pulled off. The seat of the Pantheon she considered, then realized they were not in Argus anymore; having already won that battle they retreated elsewhere. That left not nearly enough powerful titans to grant Eleanor her boon.

A sigh would come from her as her quill scratched out another shot down plan on the parchment. A headache was forming just from the sheer volume of thinking Eleanor had done over the past few months alone and it was starting to take its toll on the elf. Rajah had been slumbering and was starting to wake up from his light dozing when he heard “Ahah!” come from the desk. In red, was a name circled upon the parchment and Eleanor smiling in victory.

Um'Bwati

Eleanor could recall the bits and pieces of that Loa from her wonderful talks with Um’tika. He was life and death, two halves of the same coin. Without even hesitating; Eleanor began scrambling around her home to pack the supplies she would need for that journey. Food, water, offerings, a tent were the most Eleanor would bring since she could easily find an inn and sleep for the night.  It would be a day or two before she would set her sights upon the altar belonging to the Loa umtika’s family. Settling down, Eleanor took the moment to observer her surroundings.

The jungle was an assault on all senses. The virescent hues were the foreground, the background and as high up as you could see. The heat and humidity pressed in on the skin making sweat pointless. The air tasted both sweet and fresh, like flowers blooming on your tongue. It was little wonder that Um’tika loved his home so much and fought for it with heart and soul.

A platter of food was slowing being prepared along with silvermoon port. The heavenly and delectable scent of the food was then placed on the altar as a means of an offering to the loa. She then began to pray. “ Loa of my beloved’s family, I ask you to come forth and hear my prayer; I am in need of your assistance with a mighty gift I wish to bestow upon my beloved” Eleanor prayed.as she made her offerings and called out her prayer she would feel as if a presence was watching her, before too long, it would grow very dark around her and she would hear the sound soft barefoot steps around her followed the tapping of what sound like something  wooden covered in metal. As she waited, what would greet her was  what looked to be an old Zandalari, he held in his right hand  a cane in the shape of a devilsaur in traditional Zandalari design, "Well now, I was wonderin' when you would be contactin' girl'eh. what can Ol' Um'Bwati be doin' for y'ah," though his voice had a heavy roughness, he spoke with the energy and vigor of a younger looking troll.

The area she knelt down in grew darker and the gentle thudding of feet indicated her prayer has been heard and well received. Wood tapping against stone brought her head to slowly tilt up to meet the gaze of Um'bwati; he appeared much as Umtika described: two halves, life and death. before her appeared  a wizened troll that had seen much and could teach her much. " Honorable Um'bwati, I wish to seek your help in a mighty gift I want to bestow upon Umtika." She would ask him and then faintly blushed at her next little confession of love and devotion. " I want to spend my days with him, I love him dearly. But I cannot help but fear my immortality will prevent me from being with him; it saddens me to think I will outlive him with our future children. I, I want to give him immortality; half of my lifespan"Um'Bwati listened to her prayer, her desire, and would place his hand on his chin as if in thought, with his free hand he waked it clearing the darkness around them and it would seem she had transported to a small room made to simply relax and speak he would sit on one of the silken seats which sat close to the floor he motioned to the other right across from him for her to sit, "Come child sit and we will discuss this dire request you be wantin' t'ah give."

She could tell he was thinking on this one and Eleanor understood it.Her request was a strange one, if not dire; not many people were willing to give such a great gift so easily. In Eleanor's case, she just wanted more time to be with Umtika; a hundred years was a mere blink in the life of an elf. The clearing morphed into a small relaxing room suddenly with silken cushioned seats.

Eleanor approached and took the seating across from him and awaited his wisdom in how to go about this dire request of hers.he would think for only a moment longer as she would find herself comfortable, "Now girl'eh, you know d'at even transferin' life force be very hard even for a Loa, now you be offerin' somet'ing d'at, yes would make it easier, but d'ere could still be consequences," he spoke calmly to her not wanting her to be afraid, but of course to understand the dangers, "You spoke of living on wit'out him along wit y'ah future children, one downside to what y'ah askin for could be d'ah inability to bear children, deary," he would lean forward a little resting his cane against himself, "D'ere are minor t'ings, but i would be able to wave d'ose away, anot'er major one is your life entirely," he said that one in a more sadden tone, "And i don't want to take d'at chance girl'eh, however, i might have somet'in'.”

Eleanor listened to him speak of the consequences her actions could have upon her. She would be happy yes, but she would also be suffering with the inability to bear children if that happened. The other one major one would just make everyone miserable and sad. At the mention of having another trick up his sleeve, Eleanor leaned forward just a fraction with interest showing in those golden orbs " You have another way?" There was a faint spark of hope in her voice as she spoke.He would nod to her wisely, "There be much you still need to be learnin about us Loa, if we be needin' some one to stay alive, we can take d'at mortal spark and simply ignore it, allowing said Devout to live well beyond d'eir years, now, I could also somewhat  mix in, your little idea, but it will take me some time t'ah make sure it is flawless and it may not be ready till you two be ready t'ah bear y'ah first child."

Her head canted to the side at his words and she nodded along, clearly listening to him." I have not heard of a Loa able to make a devout immortal by those means; yet not many are immortal among the living, just long lived" Many called the elves immortal,yet they were the ones considered long lived; even they died. " I, I see, so years is what I am to understand?" Eleanor had done a mental tally of how long that would be before she was mated/married to umtika and able to conceive their firstborn child."it is how Rastakhan was able t'ah live for so long, girl'eh, I can make him long lived yes, at least until d'ah little plan you had hatchin' in y'ah head comes to its conclusion, and i can see y'ah doin' d'ah tallies in y'ah head," he chuckled  as he would reach over and lightly tap her nose, "Let y'ah feelin's guide d'ah time it takes, y'ah und'ahstand, not d'ah days," he would chuckle softly as he leaned back in his seat.

" What will happen once I bare him a child?" she asked, only to wrinkle her perky little nose when he tapped it. She furrowed her brows and simply let a small smile come forth at the mention of letting her feelings guide her down the path " Feelings are indeed what brought me to this dire point in my long lived life" Eleanor also leaned back in her chair just a bit since this conversation was going to take awhile."I know, I know, girl'eh, and what i be sayin is I got y'ah back in d'is, y'ah don't need t'ah worr'eh after all, before i became a spirit Loa i was a watcher of man'eh little ones, and i treat d'ah Wraithtusk and all who help or become apart of d'em just as I would one of d'ah family," he would give her almost a fatherly smile, "And tell y'ah dadd'eh t'ah not worr'eh so much, I be lookin' after his little girl, cross my heart."

Eleanor could only chuckle and agree with him " I shall endeavor not to worry so much Um'bwati" Laughter would come from Eleanor at the mention of her father and his worrisome ways. " A father is a father, no matter what. He;s doing what he can from the Emerald Dream. He only wishes to be here physically" No matter how old she got, he would be a father, a worrisome father. " I shall pass the message along to him when I enter the dream realm next."

"D'is i know, and he be a good fadd'ah," he would shake his head and raise his hand gesturing for her not to worry, "You continue being you girl'eh," he would chuckle heartily, "now was d'ere anyt'ing else y'ah wanted to discuss, while i be here d'at is." he offered incase there was maybe something she was still confused on or if she simply wanted a little advice.

" Yes, he still is." She took the gesture with good will and smiled while being able to mentally breath for once. The whole time she was conversing with him, Eleanor could feel a million things racing through her mind until they finally hit a wall and just stopped. " I can certainly do that Um'bwati" She motioned to herself with a quick sweep of her hands. " That was all, I had been thinking on this insane request for months, every since our courtship deepened. I do not know what else advice you can give; but I will gladly take any you can offer me"

"Oh i know , child, I be watchin' y'ah for some times while you lost sleep over d'is, even though y'ah nev'ah prayed t'ah me I still watch ov'ah d'ah Wraithtusk as a whole," he said getting up and propping himself on his cane and reaching  over and ever so gently giving her cheek a pinch much like a grandparent would their grandchild, "And d'at means you, y'ah be one of  my children, now more so cause you made an offerin' a ver'eh fine one at d'at."

" Yes, I've lost sleep over the sheer fear of losing Umtika. Not through wounds, but through time, I just wanted to see if I could find a way to prolong his life on my own; but I know now I should've asked for help in this matter" Eleanor felt her cheek being pinched, similar to a grandparent that is cheekily scolding their grandchild. " I have nothing more to give him but myself, body and soul; that includes my life"

"D'en until y'ah  need me again, little  Eleanor, i will return y'ah to  d'ah altar y'ah came t'ah, i hope i be see in' y'ah again, girl'eh," he would chuckle heartily as he and the area he made manifest would slowly fade, leaving her in the same area she was once before, but this time hopefully more at ease and enlightened.

" I thank you Um'bwati for your wisdom and council in this matter and I shall certainly call upon your aid should I ever need it" The area around them dissolved and she realized the two were back at the altar, as if they never left. She did indeed feel more at ease and light hearted. As if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. " I can expect all the family loa to come to the wedding?" She jokingly asked, yet probably knew they would make appearances. "Don't y'ah be worrin' we be there, wouldn't miss it for d'ah world, Girl'eh, same for Nak'tika, and Cammotz... oh and Baleloth, Hero's very first Companion d'at i help get ascended," he said chuckling, "We will all be d'er."

Nodding in acceptance and a bit of excitement, said elf boldy reached out to Um'bwati, wrapped her arms around his body and hugged him for a few moments before letting go and smiling brightly at him. " Thank you, for everything" She would say. feeling her hug him only beckoned for a gentle chuckle as he would do the same to her, giving her a gentle hug, "I be seein' y'ah, and nev'ah be shy to leave an offerin ever'eh now and d'en," he said chuckling as he would vanish slowly  in thin air his chuckling echoing into the distance.”I won’t!” Eleanor called to the fading Loa and she turned to walk back to the temporary lodgings, a spring in her step.

[mysamcedesmadness]

The Book of Matthew:

01. Matt's Manhood Mainspring 

In a few short weeks, summer vacation would be over and Matthew Rutherford Jr. would be going to junior high. He was excited about this. This was when his career path would start. This was when he would start shaping himself to be the best that he could be. His father had always told him that as a parent, it was always his goal to create sons better than himself and to make daughters who find men greater than himself. 11 was far too young to understand this thought process, but he’d heard it for as long, so he at least knew that it was a goal and he knew that goals took hard work.

His mother had been working on some seminars about neurological science, while his father was on a leave of absence from work to deal with some personal issues. Matt wasn’t privy to that type of information, but he knew that it had something to do with his father’s mental stability, because his mother had prescribed the man medication.

Matthew Sr. had stressful work. The entire family knew that much. The man had been a lawyer in his earlier years, joined the military and worked as a military lawyer for many years before branching out into intelligence, where he finally seemed to find his calling, and also found his wife, Margerie. But, by the time he found her, he had gone through some of the most troubling events of his career. He had access to information and stories that would haunt most people, and continued to build a normal life. He’d come from a well off family whose roots honestly began in military decorum, but the tree sprouted and seed was scattered. Most of them went into law, some into politics and some into the church business. Matthew was one of the few in many years, that actually decided that he might want to follow a military path… And it definitely had an effect on him.

Now, he was home, preparing a party for his eldest son - knowing good and well that party planning was not his area of talent. Fortunately, his 19 year old daughter had a better handle on all of the things that he would never think of. His wife would be returning home just in time enough to miss all of the planning, but to attend the gathering. The gathering was going to be 12 of the wealthiest and most influential families in the state, which Meaghan invited on clout of the Rutherford family name and sought out those with children, who may not find it strange to attend a large birthday gathering for a young boy.

Certain families, they knew to expect - The Cohens, The Robinsons, and The Haywards would all most definitely be there. Those four families had several generations of closeness between them and a few marriages, as well. Matthew Sr.’s grandfather and the grandfathers of those of his generation connected through the struggle of trying to hold on to their wealth without being destroyed by the white communities surrounding them that did not wish for Black citizens to have equal access to the same type of lifestyles. So, for a time, as they built and grew, they were each other’s main providers of various things.

Eventually, these four families ushered great changes in the black experience and even after they became an accepted part of general society - they passed down reminders. Never forget your people. They had you before the rest accepted you.

Matthew Sr. had always found the families to be a bit elitist. They made sure not to “marry down,” seeking out spouses who came from wealthy families or white or blended families - spouses that could maintain or elevate status and acceptance. A lot of them admittedly didn’t marry for love and he wasn’t about that type of life. It took him a while to get married, because he worried that his interest in Margerie was due to her family’s status in the medical field and in black history as scientific pioneers. His family loved her, despite the fact that she didn’t pass the paper bag test and he knew that it was because she was from even more money than he was from and she had stature.

But, he did fall in love with her and whenever he finally got around to asking her to marry him, she was practicing in her field, skilled enough to work wherever she wanted to and stationed in Philadelphia while he was still nearly constantly traveling for work.

Whenever she got pregnant with Meaghan, she actually picked up and settled their home in Ohio, near his family, to prove her seriousness to the commitment. She worked until she needed to take her maternity leave, then gave lectures, wrote books, and reviewed research for analysis after giving birth. Over the years, whenever she took her maternity leave, she did work that she could still do from home, and returned in whatever capacity that she could when her children were old enough for the family to comfortably transition to her working full time again.

Meaghan was 7 when Matt was born, and it was obvious enough to her that this boy was their father’s pride and joy. He had his junior and now wanted to be able to be around home more often. He went to work for the CIA, and even though he still travelled pretty regularly, he had more time to spend actually showing his face at home. Meaghan wished that she didn’t harbor any hard feelings about it, but she knew that she did. Even being close to Matt and watching over him when neither parent was around and they were left with nannying couples, she kept watch of him and all later siblings. Mark was born when Matt was 2. He was often sick, but had some of the best medical care in the world, coming from a mother who was a powerhouse in the medical field.

By the time Meaghan was 10, she was used to being a surrogate mother for two boys, and had a very nurturing spirit and kind heart, but not much direction for herself. I know, at 10 - that’s not really something that one necessarily needed to have… But, Matt somehow did. Hell, Matt had direction by the time he was 3. This party that she was planning for his 12th birthday was something that you would hold for a college graduate… Because Matt showed that much initiative and was this important to the family and their legacy.

At 19… She still didn’t even have a major. It frustrated her mother, though Margerie never gave her a hard time about it. She was more relieved that she hadn’t simply gotten pregnant and given up on college altogether. She went to community college and spent most of her free time helping to keep her siblings. She barely even had a social life, so doing this for Matt didn’t even interfere with anything that she had going on.

“Dad, I maxed out the card that I was using on Matty’s party. Requesting permission to move on to the birthday backup fund?” Meaghan said, at the doorway of Matthew’s office.

“How could you have possibly maxed out that card, Meaghan?” He asked, reaching for his wallet, with a partially amused grin. “This is getting more expensive than your Sweet 16.”

“Well… He won’t have a sweet 16, so this is kinda like his Manhood Mainspring.”

Matthew smirked and nodded his head, “I like that. I like that. Do we have time to put it on a sign?”

“Matty’s Manhood Mainspring? I can make it happen.”

“Just put Matt. He told me that ‘Matty’ sounds like a little kid.”

“He’s hardly tiptoed into puberty and already thinks he’s grown,” she chuckled and accepted the card from her father’s fingers. “Gonna have to change the cake, too then. The things we do for love…” She left the room and called behind her, “Don’t spend too much more time working, Dad. Mom tasked me with telling you to remember to relax, until she gets back from this trip.”

.

Meaghan also helped to raise her youngest sibling, who was born when she was 16. Miracle was named Miracle because Margerie had no idea that 16 years after her firstborn that she would actually give life to another child, and more importantly, another girl! It was slightly unfair, but Margerie and Meaghan never bonded the way that either of them wanted to. They loved each other dearly, but never had even one similarity besides loving this family. Margerie secretly hoped that she and Miracle would be able to connect more. So far, Meaghan was the one who really got that connection. The 3 year old toddler clung to her for the most part and Matty (or Matt) for the remainder.

The nannying couple wasn’t as hands on after Meaghan got old enough to help out and babysit alone, and now, Matt was old enough, too. Miracle was heavily babied. She was honestly a living princess. Margerie even sometimes took her with her on work trips! None of the other kids ever had that privilege. Now, Meaghan was taking her with her to finish up details for this party.

You may be wondering, why on Earth in this, The Book of Matthew (meaning Matt Rutherford Jr.),  are we even looking at or thinking about who Matthew Sr., Margerie, Meaghan, Mark, and baby Miracle are?

Because, it was his connection to and the disconnection from his family that made him into the Matt he is today. All those years ago, he thought that he was becoming the Matt that he would be someday… He had no idea. None of them did. For the time being, they were just living their life and loving it.

.

The Rutherford Family was all adorned in peridot and sardonyx jewelry, accessories, etc. Gladiolus and poppies garnished the setting. A table was set and elevated above all of the others, and a roundtable was set near it, where his closest friends were seated. The rest of the guests were seated in other areas of the outside party area. The venue they rented was spacious, and the twelve families invited were all present, some of them bringing extended members and other close friends of the family - all had RSVP’d. Matt didn’t even know half of these people, but he did know that their presence meant a lot for his reputation. Matt’s Manhood Mainspring sounded… honestly corny to him, but Meggie put so much work and energy into all of this, from making sure that the August birthstones, flowers and such were included in the aesthetic, making it look like a royal feast, or something… She liked Arthurian legend and wasn’t sure if she would ever have her own children (this inspired look was likely a vicarious display of living on her part. He had friends there, so he wasn’t bothered about that.

There was more formality to the ceremony than he liked and he made his family swear that next time it would just be an enjoyable party for he and his friends. But for today there were several rich families there some of their children weren't even around his age! He'd seen toddlers and little kids, but hardly any teenagers or tweens, except for ones he didn't even really know that well - the Pierce and Fabray girls, then the Smythe dude and Motta chick… It always perplexed him when parents dragged their kids to social gatherings that held no significance to them. He hoped that he wouldn’t be expected to go to all of their birthdays! He didn’t even KNOW them!

He fortunately had friends here. Mike Chang, Anthony Rashard, and to a lesser degree Andrea Cohen and Jesse St. James. Actually, Andrea and he sometimes had to be around each other because their dads were old friends, and Jesse St. James was someone that he was interested in building a friendship with, but hadn’t yet had the opportunity. In fact… The guy brought a small entourage with him to this party. Who TF were those kids? Was that Paul Kurofsky’s son? Who was that other boy with the elongated face? Didn’t his father WORK FOR Jesse’s father? Hank… Maybe? Ugh. Why did Meggie allow this?

At any rate, after lunch and cake, everyone mingled and Matt hung out with Mike, Jesse and company. Hank Saunders was that kid’s name and Jesse made it a point to let everyone know that his family bought Hank’s party outfit. It was degrading, but he hadn’t stood up for himself, sadly. Matt felt bad for the kid. Nobody was going to ever embarrass him that way. Mike even commented, “It’s not really nice to tell people that, Man. It’s… Kinda gauche.”

Jesse wondered, “You think that’s gauche? What about this?” He pulled his eyelids back and began to make, “Bing bong, ching chong” noises, to his possee’s entertainment. Matt’s lip dropped and Mike just sighed, shook his head and left the group. Jesse called out, “Wait, Chang! I was just kidding!” He made more fake “Asian sounds.”

Dave chimed in with, “We love you long time!” And everyone immediately turned on him, “Whoa… whoa… It was a joke, like Jesse’s…”

“Yours went too far,” Jesse told him.

On that note, Matt announced, “I’m gonna circulate some more. You guys take it easy.”

Mike returned to his parents’ side, holding back rage and frustration. Anthony left with Matt, announcing, “I hate Jesse St. James.”

Matt shrugged his shoulders, “He’s alright.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t make any jokes about your parents basically paying for me to be able to be here,” Anthony commented.

“Jesse doesn’t know about that. Anthony, my family doesn’t speak about stuff like this. It’s better to help people out without some type of expectation of reward or attention. That way, if you ever find yourself in need of help, you’ve got somebody who might be willing to give it. And, I know that if I were ever in need of help, I wouldn’t want somebody just broadcasting how much I owe them… Not to say that I feel like you owe us anything. We’re friends.” Matt gave Anthony a squeeze on the shoulder.

“Speaking of friends, you think Andrea would be interested in me? She’s majorly pretty,” Anthony said. The two looked over at Andrea Cohen, dolled up in the necessary color pallette, complete with accessories, like she was part of the family, or something, and surrounded by girls that she seemed to be making laugh.

“I don’t see you liking her all that much beyond that, though. I don’t really know her like that, but her parents are super religious. Her dad is always telling mine to come back to the church for help, and her mom and my mom always seem to be competing. I think our parents dated in school or something. It’s weird.”

“Okay, but she’s hot, funny, and nice,” Anthony pointed out. “I don’t care about her parents.”

“Oh, Anthony. Poor soul. Here’s the thing, she does. We do. You see all these people that are here? They aren’t here because it’s my birthday celebration. They’re here for politics, appearances, social standing, and so on. I don’t even know Andrea that well, even though we have been at gatherings like these our whole lives together. If she dates somebody here, it’ll be one of these families that has whole tables to themselves. That’s just the way that it is around here.”

“I mean… I get that you’re all rich and popular and stuff, but I just like her as a person. She wouldn’t like me as a person?”

“What I’m trying to tell you is that it doesn’t matter whether or not she likes you as a person. She couldn’t date somebody that she can’t bring home or bring to these gatherings, even. She couldn’t date someone that other parents would call her parents, concerned about it over. She just wouldn’t be able to, whether she wanted to or not. Our parents treat us like… basically like we’re smaller versions of themselves. Our behavior and choices reflect upon the whole bloodline.”

“I get that. I’m just trying to see if she would think that I’m legit!”

“Rashard, anybody with sense and taste would love you, Man.”

“Cool. Then, I’m gonna go for it!” He rushed over to where the girls were, before Matt could say, “No, don’t!” But, moments later, they all laughed, except for a clearly embarrassed Andrea, who simply took Anthony’s hand and waved to her friends with it. Matt waited for them to come over to him and she handed Anthony’s hand to him, “I believe this belongs to you,” she said and patted Anthony on the shoulder. “Word of advice, Brother? Maybe, choose a more lowkey setting. Girls don’t like to just be put on the spot like that. At least, I don’t.”

“You handled it with beauty and grace!” Anthony said, beaming at her.

“Give me a few years, and it’ll be mase. Excuse me,” she said and returned to her friends. It took Matt a moment to realize that he and Anthony were standing there holding hands, but he grabbed his back from him and they both adjusted their clothing.

“What did you do?” Matt asked.

“I just stepped to honey dip and I said, “Excuse me, Miss Cohen. I seem to be lost. But, luckily I found an angel to guide me to paradise…” Matt turned red with secondhand embarrassment.

“You’re lucky she didn’t punch you in the face! I’ve heard that she does that!”

“Yeah, that means she’s feeling me, right?” Anthony asked.

“No. That means that she didn’t want Hannibal and Corina on the front page for their daughter punching one of the Rutherford Foundation recipients in the face at an event!”

“Hey… If I’m stepping on your toes, let me know. I want to know NOW, if you want her like I do!” Anthony insisted.

“What? No. I’m just saying… You can’t have her, so… Just leave her alone.”

“She’s gonna have to tell me to leave her alone. All she said was that I was too bold. Mike!” He began waving Mike back over and Mike came to where they were, curiously. “Ok, Mike. What do you think about me and Andrea?” To Matt he explained, “He’s not as sadidy as you.”

“I’m not as rich, either. You can’t go after the only Cohen girl. I can’t go after the only Cohen girl, and my parents are doctors!” Mike told him.

“See?”

“Look, it’s like… If she was the one whose parents were doctors and my parents were hers, then yeah. She’s a girl. She has to date up.”

“Do any of you realize that we’re kids?” Anthony asked.

“What are these ‘kids’ you speak of?” Matt asked. “Look at that sign,” he pointed to the Matt’s Manhood Mainspring banner. “Look at these guests - Judge Fabray, CEO Robinson, Representative Schuester, Buddy Freakin’ Leibowitz! We’re here for our folks to show off that they’re building the future leaders of the world. Our childhoods are training sessions to become affluent, upstanding citizens who dominate how things are done.”

“That sounds stressful. I just want to go to the roller rink and buy a girl some ice cream.”

“The roller rink? What’s that?” Mike asked, jokingly.

Matt jokingly answered, “It’s sort of like where we skate at the country club, but smaller, and open to more people.” Anthony frowned, but Matt just put an arm around him. “Don’t worry, Rashard. Me and Mike will make sure you get hooked up with the best of the best outside of this ring. You’re lucky that you don’t have to normally think about all of this stuff whenever you just want ice cream and skating.”

“I tried to bring a girl for ice cream at the country club and Jesse St. James kept insisting that I was sponsoring a charity date,” Mike said, frustrated.

Anthony fumed, “I hate him! Why don’t you guys ever challenge him?”

“Well, it’s not that simple,” Matt said. “I mean… You see how difficult dating is. We know who not to send into a tantrum.”

“Matt could easily challenge Jesse and have very little backlash,” Mike said.

Anthony cheered, “Be the champion we deserve, Matt!”

Matt shook his head, “No, Man. He’s gonna introduce me to Representative Schuester. I might be able to get a recommendation from the Schuester family with the right rapport!”

“A recommendation for what?” Anthony wondered.

Mike and Matt both said obviously, “College.”

Anthony clenched his fists and looked at the sky. There wasn’t a need to try to remind them that they were just kids and that they were ONLY about to go into junior high. Obviously, whatever level that they were on in their “training session” of childhood had them already too far gone. “I’m gonna go get more of those big ass shrimp,” Anthony said and walked off.

Jesse was approaching, so Mike said, “And I’m going wherever he’s not.”

Jesse passed by Mike and reiterated, “You should learn how to take a joke, Chang!” To Matt he admitted, “Asians take themselves way too seriously.”

“Shouldn’t we all, though?” Matt asked.

“Ugh. Don’t you start, Rutherford. Come on, Preston and Will want to meet you. They’re trying to see what the big deal is supposed to be.” Matt shook hands for the first time with Representative Preston Schuester and his son, ADA Will Schuester when he turned 12.

You know how you never know just how much somebody is going to change your life when you first meet them? Matt didn’t have that problem, typically. Even at 12, he could always just sense when someone’s presence would make an impact. He didn’t waste his time on people if he didn’t feel that when he met them. And with the Schuesters, he wasn’t sure what the future held, but something told him that not only the Schuesters, but Jesse St. James were all going to be large components of change in his future.

[eddis-not-eeddis]

HAH, @captaingondor tagged me with my own tag, wonders never cease! Thanks for tagging me, Cap! You can’t have have my firstborn, but you can be one of his or her fairy-godmamas when and if he or she is born. (Provided, of course, you give a useful gift, like the ability to take a few hundred year snoozes so his mom can get in some writing time between feedings and diaper changes.) 

Rules: Thank the person who tagged you and offer them your first born child. (You know you’ve been dying to write down what this character looks like for ages, so it’s totally worth it.) Describe your character down to the golden flecks in their eyes and the scar behind their knee. Then tag all your writerly friends and prepare to raise a gaggle of their firstborns.

Basia is an older woman than you typically read about in YA, I never pegged down her age, but I imagine her in her forties right now. She’s tall, and lean, and her skin is darker than the average Edurian, partly because she has Southern blood, and partly because she works in all kinds of weather. 

She has a lot of little wrinkles around her eyes from squinting into the sun, and deep smile lines, though these are more from pursing her lips than from smiling. 

She has a few scars, but none that are especially new or prominent, she’s usually pretty good at hiding them. For instance, she would never in a million years wear a gown with a low back, or if her sister somehow convinced her to do so, she would be very careful to arrange her hair to hide the scar she got from a poorly aimed knife stroke.

She has two looks, one for town, one for business. When she’s in town she wears what she wants to wear, and when she’s on the job she wears what she has to for practicality’s sake. She dearly loves pretty things, and the comforts of life, but is forced, more often than not, to go with an item’s more practical counterpart, for efficiency and cost. 

Her hair is very long, past her knees, light brown and wavy. She wears it done in elaborate half-up half-down hairdos in town to show off, and wears elegant gowns. She looks best in green, but she refuses to acknowledge this, preferring to wear her favorite color: blue. 

She uses an ornamental walking stick when in town (more for intimidation purposes than anything, and she has is magicked to make very loud clicks as she walks). 

She’s technically titled, and therefor is a lady, and she feels the need to look the part, though the other nobles would hardly deign to notice her if she tried to enter their ranks.

When she’s on business, she wears her hair in a tight braid and much simpler clothing, and over everything a felted woolen robe (olive green) that keeps her clothes clean. She loves her robe because she can stuff things into the front and they don’t fall out. It’s like a hoodie with the pocket along the front. It’s comfortable and practical, and saves the clothes underneath from stains. 

I tag @without-injuring-eternity, for one of your OCs

I tag @flightsoffancyonpaperwings, for Annabel

I tag @hobbitsetal, for one of your OCs

I also tag any of my followers who want to do this tag to do it! (I don’t exactly know who all is a writer, and what your OCs are called.) Have at it!

[dfroza]

truly forgiven.

it takes humility to see the treasure of this.

it requires faith to “believe...”

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 7th chapter of the book of Luke:

Jesus shared all these sayings with the crowd that day on the plain. When He was finished, He went into the town of Capernaum. There, a Centurion had a slave he loved dearly. The slave was sick—about to die— so when the Centurion heard about Jesus, he contacted some Jewish elders. He sent them to ask Jesus to come and heal his dear slave. With great emotion and respect, the elders presented their request to Jesus.

Jewish Elders: This man is worthy of Your help. It’s true that he’s a Centurion, but he loves our nation. In fact, he paid for our synagogue to be built.

So Jesus accompanied them. When they approached the Centurion’s home, the Centurion sent out some friends to bring a message to Jesus.

Message of the Centurion: Lord, don’t go to the trouble of coming inside. I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. That’s why I sent others with my request. Just say the word, and that will be enough to heal my servant. I understand how authority works, being under authority myself and having soldiers under my authority. I command to one, “Go,” and he goes. I say to another, “Come,” and he comes. I say to my slave, “Do this,” and he obeys me.

Jesus was deeply impressed when He heard this. He turned to the crowd that followed Him.

Jesus: Listen, everyone. This outsider, this Roman, has more faith than I have found even among our own Jewish people.

The friends of the Centurion returned home, and they found the slave was completely healed.

It wasn’t long after this when Jesus entered a city called Nain. Again all of His disciples accompanied Him, along with a huge crowd. He was coming near the gate of the city as a corpse was being carried out. This man was the only child and support of his widowed mother, and she was accompanied by a large funeral crowd.

As soon as the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her.

Jesus: Don’t weep.

Then He came to the stretcher, and those carrying it stood still.

Jesus: Young man, listen! Get up!

The dead man immediately sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother, and everyone was both shocked and jubilant. They praised God.

Funeral Crowd: A tremendous prophet has arisen in our midst! God has visited His people!

News of Jesus spread across the whole province of Judea and beyond to the surrounding regions. When these reports reached John’s disciples, they brought news to John himself, who was known for his preaching and ritual cleansing. John sent two of his disciples to ask the Lord, “Are You the Promised One, or shall we keep looking for someone else?”

They came to Jesus and asked their question exactly as directed by John the Baptist.

Before He answered John’s messengers, Jesus cured many from various diseases, health conditions, and evil spirits. He even caused many blind people to regain their sight.

Jesus (to John’s disciples): Go and tell John what you’ve witnessed with your own eyes and ears: the blind are seeing again, the lame are walking again, the lepers are clean again, the deaf hear again, the dead live again, and good news is preached to the poor. Whoever is not offended by Me is blessed indeed.

When John’s messengers left, Jesus talked to the crowds about John.

Jesus: When you went out into the wilderness to see John, what were you expecting? A reed shaking in the wind? What were you looking for? A man in expensive clothing? Look, if you were looking for fancy clothes and luxurious living, you went to the wrong place—you should have gone to the kings’ courts, not to the wilderness! What were you seeking? A prophet? Ah yes, that’s what John is, and even more than a prophet. The prophet Malachi was talking about John when he wrote,

I will send My messenger before You,

to clear Your path in front of You.

Listen, there is no human being greater than this man, John the Baptist. Yet even the least significant person in the coming kingdom of God is greater than John.

The common people and tax collectors heard God’s own wisdom in Jesus’ assessment of John because they had been ritually cleansed through baptism by John. But the Pharisees and religious scholars hardened their hearts and turned their backs on God’s purposes for them because they had refused John’s baptism.

Jesus: The people of this generation—what are they like? To what can they be compared? I’ll tell you: they’re like spoiled kids sitting in the marketplace playing games, calling out,

We played the pipes for you,

but you didn’t dance to our tune!

We cried like mourners,

but you didn’t cry with us!

You can’t win with this generation. John the Baptist comes along, fasting and abstaining from wine, and you say, “This guy is demon-possessed!” The Son of Man comes along, feasting and drinking wine, and you say, “This guy is a glutton and a drunk, a friend of scoundrels and tax collectors!” Well, wisdom’s true children know wisdom when they hear it.

Once a Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to be a guest for a meal.

Picture this:

Just as Jesus enters the man’s home and takes His place at the table, a woman from the city—notorious as a woman of ill repute—follows Him in. She has heard that Jesus will be at the Pharisee’s home, so she comes in and approaches Him, carrying an alabaster flask of perfumed oil. Then she begins to cry, she kneels down so her tears fall on Jesus’ feet, and she starts wiping His feet with her own hair. Then she actually kisses His feet, and she pours the perfumed oil on them.

Simon (thinking): Now I know this guy is a fraud. If He were a real prophet, He would have known this woman is a sinner and He would never let her get near Him, much less touch Him . . . or kiss Him!

Jesus (knowing what the Pharisee is thinking): Simon, I want to tell you a story.

Simon: Tell me, Teacher.

Jesus: Two men owed a certain lender a lot of money. One owed 100 weeks’ wages, and the other owed 10 weeks’ wages. Both men defaulted on their loans, but the lender forgave them both. Here’s a question for you: which man will love the lender more?

Simon: Well, I guess it would be the one who was forgiven more.

Jesus: Good answer.

Now Jesus turns around so He’s facing the woman, although He’s still speaking to Simon.

Jesus: Do you see this woman here? It’s kind of funny. I entered your home, and you didn’t provide a basin of water so I could wash the road dust from My feet. You didn’t give Me a customary kiss of greeting and welcome. You didn’t offer Me the common courtesy of providing oil to brighten My face. But this woman has wet My feet with her own tears and washed them with her own hair. She hasn’t stopped kissing My feet since I came in. And she has applied perfumed oil to My feet. This woman has been forgiven much, and she is showing much love. But the person who has shown little love shows how little forgiveness he has received.

(to the woman) Your sins are forgiven.

Simon and Friends (muttering among themselves): Who does this guy think He is? He has the audacity to claim the authority to forgive sins?

Jesus (to the woman): Your faith has liberated you. Go in peace.

The Book of Luke, Chapter 7 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 15th chapter of the book of Job that turns back to Eliphaz:

Eliphaz reiterated his points.

Eliphaz: Does a wise man reply with windy knowledge

and fill up his belly with the hot east wind?

Does a wise man reason with impotent chatter,

with bankrupt words of no account?

Indeed, Job, you have ignored your responsibility to revere God

and depreciated your own thoughts toward God;

For your faults inform your speech,

and your language is tricky.

Your own mouth condemns you, not I;

your own lips volunteer as witnesses against you.

Were you the firstborn among men?

Were you introduced to the earth before the hills were conceived?

Were you allowed to listen in on the deliberations in God’s assembly?

Do you imagine all knowledge to be confined to you and you only?

What do you know that we don’t know?

Do you have an understanding that has somehow eluded us?

We have gray hairs and elders among us

weighed down with years,

heavier than your father.

Do you find God’s many comforts too meager

and His gentle speech to you too mild?

What has stripped you of your reason, carried away your heart?

Why do your eyes flash with anger—

So much so that you unleash your spirit

and spray out such speeches against God?

What is humankind, that people would be considered pure?

And among those born of women,

who could possibly be innocent?

Look, if God refuses to trust even His holy attendants,

if even the heavens above are impure in His eyes,

Then how much less regard must He show for humankind, who is base and corrupt,

or for Adam’s children who drink sin like water.

Eliphaz: I will tell it like it is, so listen.

I’ll recount what I have seen:

The very things that knowledgeable men have declared

and which they do not hide that they heard from their fathers

To whom the land was granted long ago

when no foreigners were among them.

The wicked man endures misery his whole life long;

and many years of sorrow are stored up for the ruthless.

His ears are assailed by the sounds of terror;

but when he is finally at peace, the destroyer seizes him.

Unsure that he will ever escape darkness,

he lives ever-conscious of the sword.

He wanders aimlessly in search of food.

“Where is it?” he asks.

He knows all the while that the great day of darkness is imminent.

He is addled by strain and anxiety, terrified;

he will be overwhelmed as if by a king about to descend upon his enemy in war.

For he raises his fist to God

and acts arrogantly like a hero against the Highest One.

He runs at Him, headlong, headstrong,

and leads his charge behind the thick protection of a massive shield.

Strong and healthy, he has nourished himself well and prospered

until his face and his thighs are pleasantly fat.

He lodges in evacuated towns in empty houses unfit for habitation,

in buildings condemned to rubble and ruin.

He will never be rich; his wealth will not last,

nor will he have possessions enough for any to put down roots.

He will not manage to escape from darkness,

as it scorches like tender branches that wilt in the flame;

He will blow away like the breath of his mouth.

Don’t let him fool himself;

if he trusts in the emptiness of his vanity,

emptiness will be his reward.

Before his time is up, it will all be finished

and the branches of his trees will never leaf out.

He will be like the vine that drops its immature grapes,

the olive tree that sheds its own blossoms.

O the gathering of the godless is unfruitful,

and fire consumes the tents of those who pervert justice by giving bribes.

Their intercourse yields only the conception of misconduct,

the birth of sinfulness,

and their wombs carry only lies to term.

The Book of Job, Chapter 15 (The Voice)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Thursday, April 22 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post by John Parsons that points to the sacred truth that there is no fear in Love:

Many of our deepest anxieties come from the fear of death, whether we are conscious of this or not... Death represents fear of the unknown, fear of being abandoned, fear of being rejected, fear of being separated from others, and so on. I am so glad Yeshua gives us eternal life, which for me is not so much about immortality of the soul as it is being loved and accepted by God... That is what "at-one-ment" means, after all (John 17:22-23). Because God loves and accepts us, we trust Him to be present for us, even in the darkest of hours, on the other side of the veil, where he there “prepares a place for us” (John 14:2). As Yeshua said, "I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the One who sent me has eternal life (חַיֵּי עוֹלָם) and will not be condemned, but has passed (i.e., μετά + βαίνω, lit., "crossed over" [עָבַר]) from death to life" (John 5:24). God's love “crosses over” from death to life and now forever sustains me.

Our Torah reading this week (Acharei Mot) provides details about Yom Kippur, or the "Day of Atonement," a special service that gave ritual expression of God's love by making purification for our sins. As I’ve explained before, the word for love (i.e., ahavah: אהבה) equals the number thirteen (1+5+2+5=13), but when shared it is multiplied: 13 x 2 = 26, which is the same value for the Sacred Name (יהוה), i.e., (10+5+6+5=26). Likewise the Hebrew word for "life" is chayim (חַיִּים), is written in the plural to emphasize that life cannot be lived alone but must be shared. Notice that within the word chayim are embedded two consecutive Yods (יי), representing unity in plurality (Yod-Yod is an abbreviation for YHVH, also indicating the “deep Akedah” of Father and Son). God gave up His life so that we can be in relationship with Him, that is, so that we can be "at-one" with His heart for us. Whatever else it may mean, then, the Hebrew word for “atonement” (i.e., kapparah, “covering,” “protection,” “purification,” “cleansing,” “forgiveness,” and so on) is about accepting God’s heart for you - being unified in his love - and if you miss that, you’ve missed the point of the Torah's teaching.. Thank God we are "sealed" in the book of life by the love of Yeshua! [Hebrew for Christians]

4.22.21 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

April 22, 2021

Accepted in the Beloved

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6)

This wonderful verse assures that all who have been saved by God’s grace have been “accepted” by the Lord. However, this is not just a marginal acceptability. The Greek word occurs only one other time in the New Testament, and there it appears in the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary. “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28). That is, we are not merely accepted, we are highly favored by God!

This is not because of our own personal merits, of course. It is because God sees us as in His Son; He loves us because He loves Him, and we are in Him.

Although Christ is called God’s “beloved Son” seven times in the New Testament (each time directly by the Father Himself), there is only one other time when He is spoken of simply as “the beloved.” This is in Matthew 12:18 (quoting Isaiah 42:1), “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him.”

The love of God the Father for His beloved Son is the root source of every other love in the universe, for it is the one love that is eternal. “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). This is what it means to be highly favored in the beloved! This was the prayer of Christ on His way to Gethsemane the night before He went to the cross.

We who are in Him are predestined to be with Him in glory, to behold His glory, and forever, as redeemed sinners saved by grace through faith, to be “to the praise of the glory of his grace” (today’s text). HMM