#mary's fight for the throne

[queenmarytudor]

Mary I's Fight For The Throne

13th March 1553 - Mary writes to her cousin, Charles V

Sire: The opportunity of a safe and reliable messenger having presented itself, I have dared, however unworthy, to write this short letter to your Majesty. I beseech you, as you have shown yourself in the past and even unto this day to be my help and refuge, nay, my second spiritual father, so to continue in your great goodness and virtue towards me, that through you I may obtain that which for nearly two years past has been denied me. I hope your Majesty may remember the numerous requests proffered by your ambassador to the King, my brother's, Council to grant me permission to observe the ancient religion, according to the promise made after the death of the late King, my father, whom God shrive! Nevertheless, no good results have come of them, and therefore I now make so bold as to ask your Majesty once more, with all humility, that you may be pleased to give fresh orders to your ambassador to repeat his requests to the same effect; or at least, when a season shall appear more propitious in your Majesty's eyes, may he by all possible means try to obtain that the hearing of mass in secret may be permitted and granted to me. I remit myself entirely to your Majesty's prudence and discretion; and I shall be all the more obliged as too many obligations bind me already to you. I will pray God, while I have life, to grant the fulfilment of your Majesty's high, noble and virtuous desires, with health and prosperity. Beaulieu, 13 March, 1553. 1

It can be assumed this letter is in response to her servant Francis Englefield being arrested once more. On the 21st February, the Privy Council, including John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland and Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, note in their meeting "a letter of appearance [summons] to Mr Inglefelde". 2

Englefield's actions are not mentioned throughout the following summer, with contemporary chronicler Robert Wingfield recording that in late July "two excellent knights of no small worth came to the queen on their release from custody, for they had not only been '[imprisoned] but had suffered many other indignities because of their unswerving loyalty to their queen: Anthony Browne [...] and Francis Englefield." 3

Meanwhile...

On the 18th March, Andrew Dudley returns to London having been an ambassador at the Holy Roman Emperor's court in Brussels. 4

Englishmen fit out 3 sea vessels to go on a voyage of discovery. 5

Sources:

1. Spanish State Papers, 13th March 1553

2. Acts of the Privy Council, 21st February 1553

3. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield

4. Spanish State Papers, 21st February 1553

5. Spanish State Papers, 7th March 1553

[lilaccatholic]

I am once again thinking about the reluctant ruler whose arc justly and correctly includes assuming the throne and taking responsibility for the people set before them

[oyesteryells]

marie when i get you marie, when i get you marie. marie when i get you marie.

[dayneston]

House of the Dragon: Rhaenyra Targaryen and The Politics of Having Illegitimate Heirs

I don’t think people understand why Alicent was so bothered by Rhaenyra having illegitimate children as much as she was. Yes, part of it was coming from a place of frustration at Rhaenyra for scoffing at tradition and not honouring her marriage vows, but Alicent’s primary focus was on the politics - and how it put her own children in mortal danger.

Painting: The Execution of Lady Jane Grey

You see, if Rhaenyra had legitimate children with Ser Laenor, then the Greens would have no reason whatsoever to try and replace Rhaenyra as heir to the throne with Aegon. They, in truth, would’ve been usurpers. But as we know, Rhaenyra having bastards not only weakened her own claim to the throne but by it, she has given her enemies a legitimate reason to support Aegon instead of her. Just think about it - nearly every lord in the realm has a bastard of his own. If Rhaenyra puts her own bastards on the throne, it sets a precedent - that bastards can have a claim to a title just as much as legitimate children can. This of course presents a HUGE crisis to the lords who probably have multiple bastards running around, now all potential heirs to his house. Some lords might even have older bastard brothers, brothers who would potentially be better rulers than them if they were trueborn. Brothers who would follow Rhaenyra’s suit and place themselves in positions of great power and usurp their trueborn sibling’s claims. No doubt, this would lead to violence, in-fighting, bloodshed and the potential extinction of houses and bloodlines that go back thousands of years.

So naturally, any lord who would be fearful of this playing out would naturally ally themselves with the trueborn children of House Targaryen - Alicent’s children. Whether the Greens want it or not, Aegon, Helaena, Aemond and Daeron would become unwilling figureheads for rebellions against Rhaenyra. These rebels would rally themselves around Alicent’s children, demand them to be crowned instead of Rhaenyra, and of course, Rhaenyra would have absolutely no choice but to execute her half-siblings, to save herself and her children. Whether Alicent’s children want it or not, they are living, breathing, constant challenges to Rhaenyra’s throne.

It’s the exact predicament Mary I of England faced - a Catholic queen who had just deposed her Protestant cousin, the Lady Jane Grey, Mary had no choice but to order 16 year old Jane’s execution in 1554. Despite having Jane imprisoned, rebels kept on popping up around England, all marching on London to dethrone Mary in Jane’s name, even though Jane herself was oblivious to what was happening because she was behind bars and had already relinquished her crown and declared for Mary. Mary was hoping to restore Catholicism to England and was planning to marry a foreign prince so she could provide England with a Catholic heir - but she knew so long as Jane lived, Mary, her future children and England would never know peace. So she reluctantly signed Jane’s death warrant, causing the death of one of England’s most tragic figures.

This would be the fate of Alicent’s children if Rhaenyra ever ascended the throne. No matter how good willed Queen Rhaenyra would be to her siblings, it wouldn’t last. The minute the first lord lit the beacon of rebellion and openly called Rhaenyra’s sons illegitimate usurpers of Alicent’s trueborn children with no right to the throne, Alicent’s children would’ve been executed. There’s absolutely no way Rhaenyra would ever chose Aegon, Helaena, Aemond and Daeron’s lives over her own living children - what mother would?

[phoenixcatch7]

Identity reveal shazamily fic idea:

They're fighting some big bad in a huge cave or throne room or in an air pocket miles underwater (the Rock?) and the league and shazamily are all there, every two stuck in separate areas (magic barriers? Cave ins? Enemies simply not letting them close?).

The roof is starting to collapse. Billy catches it, but with his powers divided, he's struggling. With a time limit before he falls, the battle intensifies.

Mary and her jl partner fells her opponent first, and looks across the room just in time to see him stagger under the crushing weight. She cannot reach him (in time?). They meet each others eyes. The wisdom of Solomon, or perhaps Mary batson, has an idea.

In a crash of thunder, she detransforms, in front of their enemies, and the entire justice league.

With power returned, captain marvel stands a bit straighter. The roof grows heavier. Cracks scatter across the high ceiling.

As Mary is carried to safety, the family understands what they must do.

In conjunction with the league member they were trapped with, they work to defeat their opponents, and one by one transform, each time revealing people too small, too young. The crash of thunder marks each victory. Rubble starts to fall and shake the earth as the league members pull their partners to safety, gathering together by the entrance, bandaging their wounds. All eyes are on Marvel, trapped under a great pillar of stone. (They have been working with him for years now, but each of his family has been revealed to be children. Is he, too?) Each time he raises the ceiling a little higher, and each time it grows heavier as the battles and the ticking clock destabilise the thousands of tons above.

At last, the final group win, and exhausted league members piggy back the last child hero over the rubble.

All are evacuated, but Marvel cannot move. Rapid power transfer and hours of stress have taken their toll, and he needs to transform back as well.

Finally, finally, green lantern and superman reach him, and with their help he is freed, collapsing to the side in relief. No one says a word.

With one final lightning strike, the last member of the team is revealed.

He's twelve years old.

And the league needs to take them all to safety.

[dragon-kazansky]

When the raven calls

Morpheus x Female Reader

You, his raven, die protecting Jessamy while rescuing the Dream Lord. When Morpheus returns to his realm, he mourns your loss, only to find a stranger waiting for him in his throne room. The stranger claims to be you, now in human form. He doesn't understand, but his raven will always watch over him.

{Masterlist}

{Previous Chapter} - {Next Chapter}

Chapter Seven - Sound of wings

☆☆☆

Morpheus had been rather down these last few days. He kept mostly to himself. You had spent most of your time in raven form, too embarrassed to appear to him in human form. Even though you had got the hang of changing now.

You looked up at him as he adjusted his coat slightly. "Going somewhere?"

He looked almost startled by you when he realised you were beside him. He looked down at you. "I'm going to the waking world. I'm meeting my sister..."

You cock your head to the side. "Want me to come with you?"

He goes silent for a moment and then answers. "You don't mind?"

"Not at all."

He looks relieved, almost.

You stay on his shoulder as he transports you to the waking world. You take flight over his head as he leads you both to a public park. Morpheus sits down, and you land on the bench next to him.

In his hands is some bread. He statt pulling at it and spreading it on the ground.

"What are you doing?" You ask.

"Trying to blend in."

You look around. There is a lot happening in the park. Some people are playing a gane with a ball. Some people are walking dogs, kr sitting on benches chatting. Some people are playing with children in the distance.

However, as you look back at Morpheus, you can't help feeling he still stands out. No one seems to bat an eye at him.

You look up at him. He looks sad again. "Is something wrong?" You tey and coax him.

"Don't worry about it."

You sigh and hop a little closer to him. "Look, we're friends, right? You've done a lot for me. I want to help you too. You can talk to me about stuff."

He glances at you. "I know. I think... I'll wait until she gets here."

You know he means his sister. You look at the bread in his hands. He seems to notice you watching him. He takes some crumbs between his fingers and then throws them at you.

"Hey!" You look up at him.

He has a smug little smile on his face. You watch him try and do it again, but this time, you fight back and try to nip his fingers with your beak. He flinches his hand back and then throws more bread crumbs at you before sulking again and feeding the other birds in front of him.

You scoff softly and move to stand on the back of the bench.

"Stupid pigeons. They're not as fun as me, you know."

Dream doesn't respond. You wonder what's on his mind. You wish he would talk to you.

A ball comes flying from the game being played, and Morpheus catches it one hand. You look up at him in awe. It makes sense he would be able to catch it like it did, but it still impressed you. Morpheus impressed you.

The young man playing the game came over and apologised. He looks at you and then back at Morpheus. He obviously finds it strange that this grown man is sitting on a bench with a bird, but you talking would definitely make it weirder.

He takes the ball and returns to the game.

You look up in time to see his sister walking over. She smiles at you before taking a seat on the bench. A moment of silence passes between the siblings before she speaks.

"What you doing?"

"I'm feeding the pigeons," he replies.

Death looks at you before looking back at her brother. She can tell something is wrong.

"You do that too much, you know what you get?"

Morpheus shakes his head gently.

"Fat pigeons." She smiles. "That's from Mary Poppins. Did you ever see it?"

"No."

A little girl runs past through the birds and startles them. You watch her go. Death smiles as she watches her go, too.

Morpheus is very silent. Death looks at her brother and asks, "what's the matter?"

"What do you mean?"

"She means she knows something is wrong. Look at you." You flap your wings and land on his head. His hair is soft under your little feet. You look down at him. "You're brooding."

He looks up at you and sighs. It felt strange having you on his head like this. You've never done that before. Perhaps you're getting a little bold these days.

Like when you hugged him.

Death chuckles softly. "Your dear raven is right. I know you, Dream."

"I don't know what's wrong, but... You're right. Something is the matter."

Death sits back and shows him she's listening. You remove yourself from atop his head and occupy the little space between them.

"When they captured me, I just had one thought. Vengeance. It wasn't as satisfying as I'd expected. Meanwhile, my kingdom had fallen apart. My tools long since stolen and scattered. And so I embarked upon a journey to find them. Which I did. I'm now more powerful than I have been in eons. And yet..."

He goes silent. Death understands. She leans forward again. "Here you are, feeding the pigeons."

"You see, until then, I'd had a true quest. A purpose beyond my function, and then suddenly, it was over, and... I felt disappointed. Let down. Empty."

You look up at Morpheus as he speaks from the heart. You feel sad he couldn't confide in you about any of this, but at least he has his sister to talk to. You resist the urge to nuzzle his arm with your head to comfort him.

"Does that make sense?" He asks, looking at his sister. "I was so sure that once I got everything back, I'd feel good. But in some ways, I feel worse than when I started. I feel like... Nothing. There. You asked."

You hop up onto his knee and look up at him. He glances down at you. Death smiles at you. She always knew you two shared a close bond. She can see there's something new in his eyes when he looks at you.

"You could have called me, you know." Death tells him.

"I didn't want to worry you." He says back.

"Oh, I don't believe it. Let me tell you something, Dream." She takes the bread from his hand. You hop off his knee and look up at Death. "And I'm only going to say this once, so you better pay attention. You are utterly the stupidest, most self-centered, pathetic excuse for an anthropomorphic personification on this or any other plane. Feeling sorry for yourself because your little game is over and you haven't got the balls to go out and find a new one. You're as bad as Desire. No, worse."

Death throws the bread back at him, and he catches it. You laugh. Dream looks at you as if you had betrayed him. You stop laughing and look at him sheepishly.

"Has he been like this the entire time?" Death asks.

"Mostly. I mean, he did help me a lot, but even that finished..." You say. "He's been helping me with my transformations."

"Transformations?" Death asks.

"Yeah. I have a human form now." You tell her.

"You do? Interesting." She smiles. "How is life treating you then?"

"Uh, fine. I've... I've been through a lot, but I suppose everyone in the Dreaming has."

Death continues to smile at you and then looks at her brother. She sighs. "Did it never occur to you that I would be worried about you?" She asks.

"I didn't think you-"

"Exactly. You didn't think."

The ball comes flying again, and this time, Death catches it. Morpheus lowers his gaze to pigeons in front of him. While Franklin, the young man playing ball, talks to Death, you look at Morpheus.

"You're as good as your... friend there."

"He's not my friend. He's my brother. And he's an idiot."

You resist laughing while the mortal is present. Morpheus knows you want to react to that.

"I'm just feeding the birds." Morpheus says.

"Look, I can't stay here all day. I've got work to do. You can come with me if you want, or you can stay here and sulk." Death tells him.

"I'll come with you, I suppose." He replies.

"Well, don't do me any favours." She smiles at him. As Morpheus rises she chuckles.

You prepare to fly off back to the Dreaming when Morpheus turns around and looks at you. "Aren't you coming too?" He asks.

You look up at him and then at Death.

"Uh... won't it be strange if I'm flying behind you all the time?"

"You could come with me as a human. You mastered that ability." He says.

"Yeah, but... I... Don't you prefer it when I'm a raven?" You ruffle your feathers.

"I like you in any form." He says to you softly.

"Oh. Uh..."

Death smiles softly. "You're welcome to come too. I'd quite like to see the new you."

You feel embarrassed. There's a look in Dream's eyes that tells you he really wants you to come with him.

You sigh and fly behind the tree nearby. As you come back around, you're human again. You're wearing the clothes Dream gave you. You look up shyly at the siblings.

Death looks really excited at seeing you like this.

Dream looks... happy. His eyes seem to light up.

You follow them awkwardly. As Death says, she'll see Franklin soon.

Morpheus glances at you behind them, wondering if his request for you to join them made you uncomfortable. You look nervous. Shy, even.

Death takes you both on a walk. It's a sunny day, and there's lots of things going on here and there. She stops at a stall and looks at the apple.

"Three please."

"None for me, thank you," Morpheus says.

"You could have it later," Death suggests. He just looks at her. "Just two then."

The vendor chooses 2 apples for her and hands them over. She smiles and turns, holding one out for you.

You look at it.

"Go on, you'll like it." She smiles at you.

You glance up at Morpheus, who watches you silently. You reach out and take the apple. Death smiles and loops her arm with her brother as they continue walking. She bites into the apple.

You stare at yours. You haven't really done anything human. It didn't dawn on you to try. You bring the apple to your lips and take a bite. It's juicy and crunchy. You chew it slowly, tasting it.

You don't miss the way the siblings glance at you before carrying on.

You chew the apple slowly. You like it.

"You are good with them," Morpheus says to his sister.

"Apples?"

"Humans." He clarifies.

Death holds up the apple to him. "Bite?"

"No, thank you."

You take another bite from your own apple, savouring the taste. You may not have experienced a lot of human foods, but you think apples might be your favourite.

"Have you seen any of the others since you've been back?" Death asks Dream. He confirms he hasn't. Death mentions the last dinner they had together.

You continue to enjoy the apple as you look around and follow them. All these people around you were going places, doing things. You were experiencing life in the waking world for the first time properly. Sure, you've been here as a raven, but you never really took the time to just enjoy it. To watch them.

Maybe this human side of you would help you learn more about them.

You hear Death tell Dream he was missed, along with their missing brother who left some time ago. When he keeps quiet, she teases him by pretending he's asking her questions and then she answers them.

You smile. It must be nice having a sibling.

Morpheus finds it amusing and looks at her, asking, "How are you, my sister? How have you been keeping?"

"I'm worried about my brother." She replies. "And I'm enjoying this apple." She turns around and looks at you. "You enjoying yours?" She asks.

"Oh, yes." You nod. She can see you've eaten more than half of it. She smiles.

"Don't hide back there. Come join us. He has two arms, you know." She chuckles.

You feel yourself become shy again. You're not sure what's got into you. Normally, you don't become so embarrassed. You decide to join them on Dream's other side, but you don't dare touch him.

Morpheus notices this.

As you walk a little further along, you hear violin music coming from an open window above you. The three of you stop to listen.

"I know this piece." Morpheus says softly. "I haven't heard it in 200 years."

"Come on." Death urges him softly to follow her. You fall behind them again, heading inside with the siblings.

You dispose of the last of your apple.

The violin music plays as you enter the apartment. When you reach the room, it's being played from, it stops as the man coughs. Death approaches the man.

"Don't stop, please." She says gently.

You stand behind Dream as you watch her talk to him. The conversation is gentle and warm. You've never seen her at work before. She's so delicate and comforting with them.

She lets the man say a prayer before he takes her hand.

Morpheus looks at you as she goes into the other room with him. You can hear her wings.

"Are you alright?" He asks.

You look up at him. "Yes."

Death returns. You smile at her. She smiles at you. She reaches for your arm this time, and you walk with her back outside.

"Does my brother treat you well?" She asks as you walk along a bridge.

"Yes. He's a very good ruler, and I do my best to serve him as he expects." You say to her.

"But is that all?"

"What do you mean?" You look at her. You're aware of Dream following you both from behind. Surely he can hear you both talk.

"Did you ever question your death?"

You look at her. She smiles.

"Of course I did... I... Alex Burgess shot me. I died. Then I woke up in the Dreaming... as a human..."

Death's smile remains on her face. "That was me."

"Huh?"

Dream raises his head up when he hears that. He was listening.

"You have served my brother since the very beginning. You've seen all he has seen. You have been by his side all this time."

"Yes..."

"He relies on you. He cares for you. There is no bond with the one you both have together. So, how can I ever take that away from him?" She asks.

"I don't understand..."

"I love my brother. I do. I want him to be happy." You wonder if she realises he can hear all this. "Taking you away broke him, so I had to give you back."

You stare at her as you both come to a stop. She begins to remove her boots. You glance behind you and find Morpheus looking at you. You turn away.

Death doesn't say any more on the matter. She leads the way down to a grassy bank. You find yourself walking beside Dream again.

A young man has drowned in the canal. You watch Death do her job.

"Did you know?" You ask, not looking at Morpheus.

"No."

You watch the wife of the man run to her husband's body and cry. People gather around. You drop your gaze.

"But I am glad," Dream says.

You lift your eyes to look at him. The sound of wings flapping in the background.

Death watches you both from where she stands. The way her brother looks at you can't possibly be mistaken for anything else. She smiles softly. You two still have so much to learn about each other.

You end up following the siblings again while they talk. Dream tells Death it was her Burgess was after. She knew.

He then asks her how she's does it.

Death confides in him about how she feels about her role. "I have a job to do. And I do it. When the first living thing existed, I was there. When the last living thing dies, I'll put the chairs on the table, turn out the lights and... lock the universe behind me when I leave."

You listen to her talk. A part of you wonders what it would be like if she were your master. How would you contribute to her role. What would it be like to be there when people die.

"I'm not there for all of them. There are exceptions." She says. "Mad Hettie. And then there's your ongoing project."

You look up when she says that.

"How's he faring up after all this time?"

"Who? Hob Gadling?"

You smile. It's been a while since you saw Hob. You smile at all the times you would have to sit outside on the windowsill listening to Hob and Dream talk.

"I was forced to miss our last appointment." Dream tells her.

"Well, I'm sure he'd love to see you." Death looks at him. "Maybe take her with you. She could meet him properly."

Dream knows Death is talking about you.

"They're never too keen to see me, though."

"Does it not bother you?" Dream asks.

"I actually used to think I had the hardest job in all our family."

"Oh, did you?" Dreams looks amused.

"They fear the Sunless Lands, yet they enter your realm every night without fear."

"And yet I am far more terrible than you." He says.

You chuckle softly. He hears your laughter and smiles softly. He did that. He made you laugh.

They talk some more. A they do, you begin to wonder more about the world and the people. You've seen their dreams. Their hopes and fears.

You wouldn't mind spending more time among them, watching and learning.

You hear Death confess that she had thought about giving up. Dream looks bewildered by her statement.

You follow her into a house and find yourself freezing at the door. Morpheus sees the crib and then looks at you. Death gives you an apologetic look as she picks up the baby.

Morpheus comes to stand in front of you. You find yourself startled as he reaches for your hand. You look up at him.

The sound of wings fills the back of your mind.

Life was unfair sometimes.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

You nod silently.

His hand doesn't leave yours. Not even when you both leave the house with Death. You've fallen quieter than him. He keeps an eye on you as you walk. Your hand in his.

He remains beside you as you continue to follow Death. Dream learns a lot from his sister. He learns a lot about humanity. He learns a lot about you.

The way people react to his sister's gift. The way she smiles and gives them her hand.

Life and death.

He sees the way you watch her. The way you watch the people. Every single one is different. Different backgrounds, different releions, different stories.

He wonders if you like being human, or do you still prefer your feathers and your wings.

Eventually, you slowly start to make your way back to the park. You're wrapped your arm around Dream's, having not let go of him the entire time.

Death walks beside him, talking to him still.

"I used to think I had to do this all by myself."

"But you do."

"No. At the end, I'm there with them. I'm holding their hand and they're holding mine. I'm not alone when I'm doing my job. And neither are you. Think about it. The only reason we even exist, you and I, and Desire and Despair, the whole family. We're here to serve them."

Dream listens to her.

"It isn't about quests or finding purpose outside our function. Our purpose is pur function. We're here for them. Since I figured that out, I realised I need them as much as they need me."

Morpheus seems pleased by her words.

"I've seen so many cool things and people and worlds. I've learned so much. Lots of people don't have a job they love doing, do they? So, I think I'm really very lucky."

You smile. She liked her job. You like yours. You glance up at Morpheus, who looks like he's thinking. You like being his raven, his companion.

"Listen, I've got to head back soon."

Morpheus takes her hand with his free one and looks at his sister. "You've taught me something I have forgotten. I thank you, my sister."

Death smiles at Dream.

"Aw. That's what family's about, little brother."

Death turns her gaze to you, who still slings to her brother's arm. "Look after him, won't you?"

You smile. "Yeah. I will."

She then turns back to Dream. "And you look after her. You lost her once. Don't let her get harmed again."

"I have no intention of it," Dream says. He looks at you softly.

There's a screech of a car, and then Franklin comes over when he sees Death and starts talking to her. Dream smiles and starts guiding you away.

Death calls out to him. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

He nods and continues leading you away.

"Where are we going?" You ask softly.

"I'm late for an appointment, and I want you to come with me." He says.

You smile as you walk with him.

☆☆☆

@missdreamofendless - @kpopgirlbtssvt - @sitkafay - @snowsatsu - @ladyofdreaming - @thoughtsfromlayla - @modest-irish-goddess - @mystic-mara -

[dgrailwar]

The TOP 3 results of this poll will move on to the final round of Summoning Polls!

AVENGER:

Warriors who burn with the fires of vengeance, they fight through danger and scorch indecision. While their style of battle is dangerous, their lack of inhibition makes them truly terrifying.

[absynthe--minded]

Hello! Can I respectfully request the promised lecture and Powerpoint about Fingon/Maedhros? I'll be honest here... I just do not see it, and I truly do want to understand. There are other relationships in the Legendarium that I really do think Tolkien deliberately and unequivocally coded as queer, and I've used all those same examples you list to back up my arguments. And I do see the parallels with Luthien and Beren (just as Sam/Frodo has parallels with that). But otherwise, I don't see a lot of queer coding. Which is not to say that I think it's a bad ship, just that I don't really see much in the text to support it or see much indication that it's what Tolkien intended. I would love to be convinced, though! I swear I'm not trying to bash Russingon or provoke anything. It seems like you have put a lot of thought and research into this, and I'm honestly curious, because this is a ship that has always puzzled me a bit.

First, thank you for asking! It’s always a pleasure to talk about my boys and my OTP to end all OTPs

I want to start what’s probably going to be a long series of self-reblogs by saying something that’s going to be important in the long haul: there is a difference between “I personally interpret this in a way that enhances the story, and it’s canonically compliant” and “I think and will seriously argue that Russingon is supported canonically by things that explicitly exist to point toward it being more than friendship”. The line can get kind of fuzzy, but it does exist, and the foundation of any good queer analysis is recognizing that.

So before I get into Sarah Waters, Mary Renault, and what the British legal system has to do with any of this, I’m going to make three lists.

Stuff That Probably Doesn’t Mean Anything, But That Is Fun To Examine From A Shipping Perspective:

Maedhros wears a copper circlet, Fingon wears gold in his braids

Maedhros abdicated the throne in favor of Fingon entering the line of succession

Maedhros stepped into a position of military authority after Fingon took the throne, working closely with him specifically to attack Angband after the Bragollach

Fingon is stated by Tolkien himself to have never married nor had biological children, and Maedhros never married nor had biological children either

Stuff That Is Ambiguous In Intent, But Is More Significant Than The Above:

Fingon clearly still cared enough about Maedhros that despite probably not knowing whether or not he burned the ships, he set out to rescue him alone in a display of loyalty to the rival royal line that put his priorities firmly in the “this nér whom I love” camp. It’s worth noting that Maedhros’s family are the reason that his sister-in-law is dead, the reason many of his own people froze to death, and the reason his brother is dead. Maedhros’s rescue, and forgiving him, is more important to Fingon than any of that. Why?

Morgoth’s battle plan for the Nirnaeth Arnoediad (as relayed in the Grey Annals in The War of the Jewels) involved forcing Maedhros and Fingon apart and trying to take both of them down simultaneously. Fingon was of course ultimately killed by Balrogs, and Maedhros avoided being killed by allies-turned-spies, but the goal was to keep them apart and incapacitate them both. Why?

Maedhros’s mental stability, willingness to exist in a society, passion for fighting Morgoth, and desire to curtail his brothers’ worst impulses all evaporate after Fingon’s death and Fingon’s death specifically. Why?

Maedhros and Fingon maintain a relationship with each other that is significantly more important to their actions than similar relationships between Finwëan cousins. Aredhel is never recorded as prioritizing Celegorm to the same extent, and Finrod only goes on a hunting trip with Maedhros and Maglor after things between their families are patched up. Why are they different from others in this way?

Stuff That Actually Matters In Analysis:

Fingon and Maedhros, Beren and Lúthien, and Frodo and Sam all share very nearly the same story at a crucial point. All three feature a situation where a rescuing party feared the one they loved was dead, discovered they were actually held prisoner by Sauron, went alone into peril, and used a song to find who they searched for successfully. Both Maedhros and Beren lost a hand in the course of their journey. Frodo lost a finger, and Sam cut the hand from the orc whipping him. All three pairs were rescued by at least one of the great eagles. Sam and Frodo have on-page declarations of love. Beren and Lúthien are the self-inserts of the author and his wife. This connection is not accidental; the author explicitly compares Frodo and Sam to Beren and Lúthien on the Quest for the Silmaril in the text of The Two Towers. If Maedhros and Fingon are being linked thematically with the central romantic relationship of the Legendarium, there is a reason why.

The Grey Annals tells us that Fingon rescued Maedhros “and their love was renewed”. That’s a direct quote from the text, not an exaggeration. This is more canonical proof of love than we get for some married couples (notably Fëanor and Nerdanel, who are never stated to love one another in the text).

Laws and Customs Among the Eldar explicitly states that half-first-cousins are allowed to marry without it being considered incestuous, so long as their parents aren’t close. That seems like an extremely odd standard, until you remember that there is an unusually close pair of half-first-cousins whose parents don’t get along.

(Obligatory note: the published Silmarillion does state that Idril and Maeglin are too close to marry. The published Silmarillion’s treatment of Maeglin is also almost certainly invented by Christopher Tolkien - Maeglin in the drafts written by JRRT himself is wildly different than how he appears when Chris writes him. Tolkien himself avoided making any such statements about cousin marriage and Turgon opposed Maeglin marrying Idril because he didn’t think it was a love marriage.)

The Grey Annals also discusses one of the histories of the green elfstone that Aragorn receives from Galadriel as a wedding gift - in this draft, it was made by Fëanor, and Maedhros gave it to Fingon. When Aragorn receives it, it’s been set in a brooch in the form of an eagle. Here we have another thing that passed between Maedhros and Fingon that is explicitly linked to romantic relationships between two characters echoing Beren and Lúthien. This is once again not accidental.

Fingon’s harp is almost certainly a reference to the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, which also heavily inspired Lúthien pleading for Beren in Mandos. Yet again, we have deliberate intent by the author to position this relationship in a light that reflects romance above all else. You could even go further and point out that there are parallels between Thingol’s hostility toward Beren and Fëanor’s distrust and hatred of the Nolofinwëans. Túrin and Beleg, who get to kiss on the page, are also echoes of Russingon - early bliss marred by a kinslaying, a hopeless quest alone armed with a bow, an injury that results from freeing the captive party.

The fact of the matter is that none of this is accidental. Tolkien was deliberate in his worldbuilding, his parallels, his setups and his plot choices. There is a reason that Fingon and Maedhros are linked to so much romance, a reason that they are positioned on equal footing with other more clearly queercoded ships, a reason that it’s their relationship that shapes the First Age. When you accept that none of it happened accidentally, that allows you to broaden your scope, and look at Tolkien’s inspirations, his life, his friendships, cultural influences, and why he might have been so cagey about his M/M ships when they aren’t just important but vital to the text. (After all, Sam and Frodo’s happy ending comes after Sam’s time in heteronormativity, and Túrin and Beleg fall apart in a similar fashion.)

It’s just - it’s not crazy or insane or Shipper Goggles to say “these relationships matter, and the stories actually don’t make sense without them”. That’s all.

(Next time, if you like, we’re going to talk about historical fiction, and there will be lesbians.)

[newtonsheffield]

we need to see bodyguard au Kate and Anthony on their ski trip for spicy Sunday!! Plsss! 😂

Okay, this one’s a little less sad than the last one. I feel like I owe it to them

This was what she’d imagined. Well, almost? Or nearly? Truth be told she hadn’t had any idea what it would be like to actually be able to hold someone’s hand in public. She hadn’t even thought about it, in fact she’d been nearly affronted by it when James had stood in front of her, his hands on his hips.

“You’re never going to ask them are you?!”

Kate had blinked at him, her boyfriend of years “Ask who what?”

“You’re never going to ask your parents to acknowledge me are you? Or take me to events or anything?!”

“James, please can we just not have this conversation?”

“Are we ever going to have it?”

“I don’t know.” Kate had crossed her arms and tried not to let her voice wobble, “Do you actually want me? Or do you want what it will get you?”

He’d stared at her for a long moment before he let out a frustrated growl, “This was so not fucking worth it. You need to grow the fuck up, Kate. Stop caring what Appa thinks of you.”

“Oh fuck you!” Everyone around them had turned to stare and he’d pushed back through the crowd as tears had started to cloud her vision.

“Princess.” Anthony had said gently, his hand on her arm. “Would you like to go home?”

She hadn’t been able to do anything but nod. Anthony had surprised her when he’d shrugged off his jacket and held it out to her.

“In case you want a little privacy.” He smiled a little sadly as he crouched in front of her, his muscles flexed giants the white of his shirt and the holster of his gun. “Want me to run after him and fight him?”

Kate tried to chuckle and she ducked her head under the cover of his jacket. “No, thank you, Anthony. You’re sweet.”

“That’s my job, your highness.”

She’d let more tears fall as she sat in the back of the car and she’d said what she’d been thinking for far longer than she’d like to admit. “No one’s ever going to love me just for me are they?”

But Anthony had. Anthony did. despite the fact that she was the reason he had nearly died, Anthony did. And she’d stood in front of her father and mother with Anthony’s sweatshirt on. She’d inclined her head in a small bow.

“Appa, have the dramatics of yesterday gotten to you? The throne room seems a little formal. I’m surprised you’ve not got your crown on.”

“I told you.” Mary sighed from her place on a chair set apart from her father, “Are you alright, Darling?”

“I’m fine, Mumma.”

“Kate, this isn’t something to laugh about.” Her father said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “How long has this been going on?”

Kate had tried not to look away from him, “A few months.”

“How many months is a few, Katie?” He’d only looked tired.

“Six.” She’d muttered, her eyes sliding to the floor, “It’s been six months.”

“Six months?!” Her father spluttered, “Jesus Christ Katie!”

“Well it just sort of happened Appa!”

“Oh to just happened? For six months it just kept happening?!”

“This doesn’t sound like the calm, rational conversation we discussed.” Mary sighed, kissing her daughter’s cheek, “He’s handsome, sweetheart. And so brave, I really should send him some-”

“Mary, please!”

“Well, we agreed we’d be supportive, Tharman! One of us needs to be! This is our child!”

“I’m trying very hard! Katie, why wouldn’t you just tell me?”

She’d felt those same, inadequate tears then and it had tasted bitter even when she’d said it. “I have lived my entire life for this country and I’ll live the rest of it for it as well. Just like you have and your parents did and their parents.”

“Katie.” He sighed, “I’m sorry. I know how difficult this is-”

“I don’t want you to be sorry, Appa! I’m happy to do it. I just… I finally had something for myself. All I wanted was this one… I just…I knew if I told you about him that it would be over and I just wanted to keep him. I love him and he loves me. Not this person just… me. And I wanted to keep him. Is that so wrong?”

Her father’s smile was a soft little thing, “Then your mother’s new little heartthrob has a decision to make.”

It seemed so surreal in the first few days of their relationship as they tried to fumble through Anthony’s first awkward meeting with her father, and his mother’s barbed remarks that had cut a little closer to who she was worried she was deep down. But it had grown into something beautiful between them, when it was allowed into the sunlight. It was nice to have someone’s support, to be able to support him the same way when he came home tired and frustrated from physio with his arm back in its sling.

“Shower?”

Anthony nodded slowly, “Yeah. It was… fucking hard today. Am I supposed to celebrate the fact that I can lift my arm a centimetre? and that might be all I ever get?”

“Anthony, that’s amazing.”

He let out a half smile, “I was lying, it was half a centimetre. I just wanted you to be impressed with me.”

Kate gasped, reaching under her shirt to tug off her underwear, “Mr Bridgerton, I’m very impressed, my knickers just flew off.”

He shook his head, bending at the knees and hoisting her over his good shoulder. “I had better do something about that then, Princess.”

She loved being Anthony’s partner. She loved their playful back and forth and the way he smiled when he saw his younger brothers and sisters. She loved everything about him, everything about the way they walked around with their fingers intertwined and he ducked his head so she could nudge his sunglasses into place so he wouldn’t have to let go of her hand. Even this morning he’d been so adorable, sweating nervously in the snow as he fidgeted with his helmet And it had been nice to not worry who saw them when they kissed in the snow and walked back to their cabin. It was nice now, sitting on the sofa in front of the fire, bundled up under a blanket, his arm around her waist, lips on her neck.

“This is nice.”

Anthony chuckled, “Baby, I’m not moving to Switzerland. Even though I’ve definitely mastered snowboarding now. I’ll probably be in the Winter Olympics soon. You might have trouble holding onto me when the… board…bunnies see me.”

Kate gawped at him, “What the fuck are board bunnies?”

“I imagine that’s what women who fawn over us extreme sports guys.”

Kate laughed, turning to face him properly, enjoying the way he leaned into the touch of her fingers throw his hair. “Oh you extreme sports guys, hey?”

“Yeah,” Anthony sighed, leaning back, “Me and Josie just ripping up the slopes.”

Kate nodded, moving to straddle him. “You and Josie? Josie who’s been skiing since she could walk? Josie whose mother is literally an Olympic Slalom Champion? You feel you’re on the same level?”

Anthony sighed, “Well, I’m the best in my class, I have to imagine we’re the same.”

“I love you.” Kate sighed, leaning in to kiss him gently. “You’re silly.”

“Very silly,” Anthony chased her lips with his, “Wanna be my board bunny, Princess? I’m willing to put you on the roster early

Kate rolled her eyes, “Go on then.”

He leaned forward to claim her lips again, his hand warm on her thigh as his tongue swept over hers slowly. It was so different from how it had been the first few times between them, where his zip had been pulled down and his hand had cushioned her head against the back of the door as their hips slammed together desperately.

The tension built between them slowly now, both of them revelling in it. The way his tongue moved over hers and his hand slipped over her body, tugging at her clothes. She loved the way their bodies fitted together and his skin was warm when it slipped against hers, the warm muscles of his chest under her fingers.

His hair was so soft against her fingertips when his lips fell to her neck and her hips started rocking against his.

“God, get on the fucking rug.”

Kate chuckled, kissing him once before she slid off his lap and shimmying out of her underwear before she lay on the rug. His body covered hers almost instantly his lips firm and hot against hers and his hand nudged her knees further apart as his lips trailed down her body, his tongue tracing patterns against his skin and she could hardly breathe for the look in his eyes. They were burning into hers as he looked up at her from between her legs, his voice rough.

“You’re so fucking beautiful, Princess.”

“Oh fuck.”

It choked from her throat at the first touch of his tongue and her hips bucked up towards him and she felt his lips curve in a grin against her. “Greedy tonight.”

The fire was so warm beside them and the fabric of the rug was soft against her back as her fingers slipped into his hair and anchored him against her. The way his tongue moved against her was almost sinful and she could feel herself moving closer and closer to the edge with every second that past between them until she was dangling over the edge, so close she could taste it.

“Not yet.”

Kate let out a moan at the loss of contact as Anthony sat up, grinning at her. He looked so handsome in the firelight with his hair mussed from her fingers and his eyes dark. The scars on his shoulder and chest made him look even more so, a reminder of the fact she’d nearly lost him, what he’d been willing to do for her.

“I hate you.”

Anthony leaned over her, letting his lips brush hers agin, forcing her to taste herself. “No you don’t Princess. You fucking love that I’m not like those stupid little lordlings that tried to impress you all the time don’t you?”

She felt herself nod against him, their tongues intertwined and her hips rocked against hers, desperate for friction.

“Turn around.”

She could hardly do it. Her knees already felt weak as his hand guided her to roll over, her back pressed against his chest. He didn’t make her wait. Anthonys’s hips snapped forward and Kate felt her eyes roll back at the feel of him. The feel of them.

Anthony let out a moan behind her and his hand gripped her shoulder, his thumb pressed against the back of her neck, guiding the sharp movements of their bodies. It was almost too hot with the fire burning so close to them and the burn in her muscles and the desperate way she was slowly being set on fire, just for him. She could feel her entire body tightening already as he rocked against her, his muscular thighs pressed against the backs of hers, and she could feel his fingers tightening against her skin the gasps and moans she was drawing from his body reverberating through her own, mingling with the broken sounds of his name that she could manage.

“Come for me, Kate.”

That was all it took. The rough sound of her name torn from his chest sent her falling over the edge with a sharp shout of his name, falling forward onto her forearms. Anthony’s hips bucked roughly against hers, the movements growing more erratic. once, twice, a third time and he fell apart with a stuttered moan, the moment stretching on and on until he fell forward against her, pressing her into the rug.

“I’ll move in a second.” Anthony murmured against her, his voice sleepy and satisfied as he pulled her closer, his lips kissing her as he gasped against her cheek.

“It feels nice.”

Anthony reached up and grabbed the blanket from the sofa, “Let’s sleep here. Think we can take this rug home?”

“Who’s liking being rich people now?”

“I like it a little bit.”

“You know,” Edwina hummed as she sat across from Kate at breakfast the next morning, watching Anthony walk off towards his lesson. “I think you’re supposed to catch up on sleep on holiday.”

Kate rolled her eyes, chuckling as Anthony watched Josie explain something as they headed towards the ski lift. “I’ve decided to take the route where we just fuck on a rug that’s going to be following us home.”

Edwina gaped a little disgustedly, “What the fuck did you do to the rug?”

Kate smirked “Oh you know, you’re a fellow board bunny. Gotta do what you gotta do.”

Edwina leaned forward, “Am I supposed to know what the fuck that means? Is it gross? Is it not? Do I want to do it?”

[tercessketchfield]

MEN THINK ABOUT ROMAN EMPIRE. WOMEN THINK ABOUT HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

JUDITH OF BAVARIA (797-843) — Daughter of Count Welf I of Bavaria, Judith was a Carolingian Empress as the second wife of Louis I the Pious. Mother of Gisela and Charles the Bald, she foght for both her own influence at court and for the succession of her son over the claims of his elder half-brothers, the sons of Louis I from his first marriage. Charles became the Emperor in 875, after the death of Louis II, his nephew and a son of his half-brother Lothair / fancast: Annabel Scholey

MARIA OF AUSTRIA (1528-1603) — Daughter of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and Isabella of Portugal. She served as Regent of Spain both jointly with her husband, Maximilian (before their accession to the imperial throne), and in person, for her father, and brother, Philip II. Her children include two Holy Roman Emperors, Rudolf II and Matthias, over whom she held great influence, and queens consorts of Spain, and France / fancast: Olivia Cooke

EMPRESS MAUD (1102-1167) — Daughter of Henry I of England and Matilda of Scotland. Her first marriage to the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V, gave her the title under which she came down into history, and was a source of great pride to Maud. Rightful heiress of Henry I, she confronted her cousin, King Stephen, in the civil war, known as the Anarchy, fighting ferociously for her rights. She failed in this for herself but won for her son Henry, who became king and established the Plantagenet dynasty in England / cast: Alison Pill in The Pillars of the Earth (2010)

MARIA THERESA (1717-1780) — She succeded her father Charles VI as the ruler of Habsburg monarchy in 1740, and devoutedly defended it against its enemies in the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Year's War. Wife of the Holy Roman Emperor, Francis I, she was a forceful personality and a competent ruler herself, reigning first in her own right, and later, jointly with her son Empreror Joseph II. Her children include two Holy Romam Emperors (Joseph II and Leopold II), queens consorts of Naples ans Sicily, and France / cast: Marie-Luise Stockinger in Maria Theresia (2017)

[natequarter]

you wonder why the scots were so unstable, then you look at their monarchy and realise they had seven child monarchs in a row. oh your king's a twelve-year-old? that sucks. what, he's been assassinated? huh! good thing his heir-- HE'S SIX? good thing he isn't going to die a ridiculous death like getting blown up by a cannon any time soon! BUT NOT FOR LONG! what, he was actually blown up by a cannon? wow. anyway, we're leaving the throne in the capable hands of a nine-year-old. that won't go wrong! OR SO WE THOUGHT! well, at least it wasn't a cannon that took him out this time, just a little bit of rebellion and war. and we're leaving the throne in the capable hands of a competent and popular ruler.

BUT NOT FOR LONG! this idiot gets absolutely wrecked at the hands of the english. and by wrecked, i mean killed. great news for henry viii, terrible news for little one-year-old jamie (his nephew, i should point out), a.k.a. your highness, and fifth in a long line of idiots called james. (you'd think they'd learn to pick another name.) things work out eventually, right up until henry viii's lot come back onto the scene and get into a bunch of fights with the scots. unbelievably, things are about to get so much worse. in a real smart move, james dies at the grand old age of thirty. (i feel the need to point out that none of these jameses lived past the age of forty-two. and that's being generous.)

enter mary. she's catholic! she's not called james! she's the queen of scotland! and guess how old she is? six days! yes, you heard that right - six days. (and you thought six years was bad.) she's eventually whisked away to live in france and later marry the dauphin, handily solving the problem of the english trying to kidnap her and marry her off to edward vi. (she's five at this point. edward is ten. françois, the dauphin, is three. don't think too hard about any of that.)

they grow up. edward dies at fifteen. mary i, best known for her fondness for barbecues, dies five years later. françois, sensing a trend, dies two years after that at sixteen. mary returns to scotland, and all is well.

OR SO WE THOUGHT! whilst england was busy being torn apart by religious matters, scotland was busy being torn apart by religious matters. (you'll never guess what's happening in france.) mary, of course, is a devout catholic. some of the scots, who have spent twelve years without a monarch, let alone a catholic girl raised in france, are... not. rebellions! political instability! back to the status quo, basically. john knox is not happy, but when is he ever? elizabeth i kindly tries to help things by sending her bestie robert dudley (yes, that robert) to marry mary. this, unsurprisingly, does not go down well. fortunately, mary solves all these problems by creating a new one: she marries her half-cousin, henry lord darnley! yuck! i mean, yay! more rebellion (led by mary's half-brother)! henry turns on mary because he wants more power! he allies with the protestant lords, and they stab mary's private secretary to death in front of her whilst she's pregnant! the usual.

BUT NOT FOR LONG! mary and henry escape, they have a lovely little son called james (they still hadn't learn their lesson about scottish jameses), and they all live happily ever after until henry's house is blown up and he's found smothered outside in broad daylight. suspects include: everyone in scotland. but mostly lord bothwell, who proceeds to kidnap mary and marry her. now, you may struggle to believe this, but things go downhill from here. mary is eventually forced to abdicate, and flees to england. bothwell is imprisoned in denmark, and later goes insane. as for james, now the one-year-old james vi (anyone sensing a pattern here?), well, he's probably too busy learning to speak to care. because, you know, he's one. some people never learn.

from this point onwards, mary's kept under house arrest by elizabeth i. in a display of gratitude towards elizabeth, mary promptly spends the rest of her life plotting against her. or being involved in plots. in the meantime, james's regent, also called james stewart (mary's aforementioned half-brother; the name is cursed), earns the dubious honour of being the first head of government to be assassinated with a firearm. eventually, after mary, that virtuous angel, actively tries to kill elizabeth, elizabeth gets fed up and drops a sword on mary's neck. james, who last saw his mother at the age of zero years old, must have been devastated.

you all know what happened next: elizabeth died at the grand old age of sixty-nine, and james inherited the throne. thus followed decades of religious instability, parliamentary infighting, and stubborn monarchs who refused to listen to reason, which were surely new to the elizabethans. james, who was what is commonly known these days as a "hot mess" or "bisexual disaster" - don't quote me on that - was nearly blown up in a plot masterminded by a guy called tosser. sorry, i mean a tosser called guy. he also pissed everyone off by being a bit too buddy-buddy with several men, possibly lovers. (probably lovers.) that was not the end of the curse of james stewart (see: james ii of england), but it did at least put an end to mary queen of scots. oh, and england and scotland were united. that too. cue much chaos with a man you've probably heard of, named oliver cromwell... the rest is history. i mean, all of this is history, but you know what i mean.

and that's the story of why having seven child monarchs in a row is a really fucking bad idea!

[queenmarytudor]

Mary I's Fight For The Throne

10th February 1553 - Mary and King Edward meet

On the 10th February 1553 Mary rides from her townhouse of Saint John's in Clerkenwell down Fleet Street to see her brother King Edward VI in Westminster. She had arrived in London on the 6th, but that night Edward was "attacked by a fever caused by a chill he had caught". 1 Her visit was therefore delayed three days to allow him time to recover.

She is accompanied to court by "a great number of lords and knights", the "duchess of Suffolk and Northumberland [...] and many more ladies and gentlewomen." 2 She is met at the outer gate by John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland, Henry Grey, the Duke of Suffolk, and many more earls, knights and gentlemen, who do "duty and obeisance to her as if she had been Queen of England." 3

After dismounting, she is led up into the chamber of presence, and into the King's bedchamber, where the King "met her and saluted her." 4 Edward "received her very kindly and graciously, and entertained her with small talk, making no mention of matters of religion." 5

After talking, she leaves "accompanied by several gentlemen and ladies, and notably by the Duchesses of Suffolk and Northumberland." 6

While in London, she meets the Imperial ambassador, Jehan Scheyfve, who informs her of a rumour about the Privy Council betrothing her to Alfonso d'Este, eldest son of the Duke of Ferrara. Mary shows "great astonishment and declared it seemed very strange to her that anyone should have concerned himself with her, especially on such a business, because she had so little inclination to marriage." 7

Sources:

1. Spanish State Papers, 17th February 1553

2. Diary of Henry Machyn, February 1553

3. Spanish State Papers, 17th February 1553

4. Diary of Henry Machyn, February 1553

5. Spanish State Papers, 17th February 1553

6. Spanish State Papers, 17th February 1553

7. Spanish State Papers, 17th February 1553

[topguncortez]

Court of Thieves || Chapter 1

previous part | masterlist | next part

synopsis: The King's health is declining rapidly. The Queen sends for her son, The Prince of Brinefell and his betrothed, the Lady Mitchell

word count: 2.5k

warnings: mentions of war, death, cursing, mentions of virginity, mentions of sex, mentions of religion, mentions of adultery, historical inaccuracies, arranged marriage.

The room was silent, except for the quiet cackling from the fireplace. The heavy curtains had been drawn, making the room nearly completely dark. The nurses and lords stood around the bed as the physician looked over King George Seresin. His wife, Queen Elizabeth stood in the corner, holding a rosary close to her heart and mumbling out Hail Marys. It was evident on everyone's faces that the King was near the end of his life. Consumption had found him, and despite the best efforts from his own physician, he was going to die. The physician stepped away from the King’s bed, bowing his head before gathering the nurses and leaving the Queen alone with her husband. She quickly moved to his bedside, sitting down on it and grabbing his hand.

“Where is my son?” King George rasped out, but not before coughing into his handkerchief, “I need to see him.” 

“He is out in Westland,” Queen Elizabeth said, “I sent Lord Fitch to go fetch him.” 

“He needs,” Another coughing spell hit the king as he struggled to make out the words, “He needs to-” 

“I know, my King,” The Queen said, as she ran a hand down her husband’s face. She took the cloth from his hand and wiped the spittle from his lips, “The prince will follow through on his arrangement. There will be an heir to the Seresin throne. I am sure of it.” 

The King nodded, “There must be.” He found enough strength to pull himself up, holding on to both of his wife’s hands, “He. . . He is my only hope for what I have created to live on.” 

The Queen nodded and helped the King settle back in bed. She tucked him back in and placed a kiss on his forehead, mumbling yet another prayer, before standing up and giving him a curtsey. She looked up at the man standing in the doorway, noticing the way his sad blue eyes looked at the King. 

“Lord Floyd,” The Queen acknowledged him. Bob bowed to the Queen, allowing her to pass by before walking behind her. 

“Has there been an official announcement?” He asked and the Queen shook her head, “And the Prince?” 

“Fighting on the front in Argerus,” The Queen said and began walking back to her quarters, “We have sent Mister Brook to go fetch him and bring him back at once”. The various maids and servants walking the halls all bowed to her as she walked by. Queen Elizabeth was loved by the people who worked in the castle, it was clear to see. She had been popular when she was being courted by the now King, and it only grew when she became part of the monarchy. 

The Lord Robert Floyd was one of the King’s closest confidants. The King had known his father, Sir Arthur and had introduced him to his wife Lady Genevive. Bob had lost both of them during the harsh winter several years ago, consumption taking them both. The King had taken Bob in, giving him a role in his court, and treated him like a son. In fact, the Prince sometimes thought that the King preferred Lord Floyd over himself. 

“He does not know of his fate,” The Queen said as she walked into her quarters, “The King had yet to tell him before falling ill.” 

“The Prince does not know he is to be betrothed to the Lady Y/N of North Island?” Bob asked, and the Queen nodded. 

“The King. . . he wanted to wait until he could secure the rebels in Argerus before telling the Prince of his future marriage. But that clearly isn’t the case anymore,” The Queen chuckled, “The arrangement happened years ago when the Prince was first born. When Sir Mitchell came to us asking for military strength, we gave it to him in the promise that his daughter, the Lady Y/N, would marry our son.” 

Bob nodded, “So the Prince marries Lady Mitchell, and then. . .” 

“Again,” The Queen sighed, “We never thought that the Prince would be facing the throne this soon, but the King thought ahead. The way for the Prince to take the crown, a child must be born.”  

Bob’s jaw dropped slightly as he looked at the Queen. He went to take a step forward to make a claim for the Prince that this deal was rightfully absurd. The Prince? Settle down and have a child before taking over what was his to have? But before Lord Floyd could make an argument, he was pushed out of the room by the Queen’s ladies in waiting. He quickly turned on his heels, making his way down the halls towards his own quarters. He sat down at his desk, and pulled out his ink and pen addressing the letter to King Mitchell, telling him of the King’s fate. 

— — — 

His smile was bright as he sat in his decorative chair and watched as several jestors and actors entertained him. They were acting out the death of  King Metcalf’s right hand priest, whom they had taken care of this afternoon. Jake took a sip of wine from his glass before setting it on the bountiful table in front of him. It was truly a feast fit for a king, a table full of imported foods, cheeses, quail, wines, anything that the Crown Prince wanted, he had been given, even in the middle of battle. 

Jake’s favorite thing about these parties were the women that attended. He had his eye on a few of the ladies of the Queen’s court that had joined him out in Argerus. One in particular, Lady Jane, had most of his attention when he was not directing soldiers into battle. She was beautiful, her blonde hair like a halo that shined around her. She was smart, but quiet as a good lady in waiting should be. His exploits with her were kept in the dark, seeing as though if the Queen found out she wasn’t a virgin, she would be kicked from court. 

Jake wiped his mouth with his napkin, sitting up in his chair and turning towards his best friend, “Tell me, your grace,” Javy turned and gave him a smirk, “Would Lady Jane make a good Queen?” 

Javy bursted out laughing at his friend’s words, “You? Settle down and make an honest man of yourself? The world would turn cold first.” 

Jake chuckled and nodded his head. It was true, he loved the bachelor life too much to give it up. He saw the way of life his father led, and it wasn’t something that he looked forward to taking over. It was more than just being the head of the royal army, which Jake could handle. There was politics, a thing that went way over his head. There were relationships that Jake wished his father would end, but decided to keep for the better of the crown. There were more responsibilities that would fall on Jake’s shoulders that he wasn’t prepared to bear. 

“But if you had to pick one of the ladies, it would make sense to pick the Lady Jane,” Javy nodded, “She comes from nobility. Her father is the Earl of Westland.” 

“She’s quiet,” Jake added. 

“I wouldn’t say quiet. . . swear it sounds like two cats in heat from your chambers,” Javy elbowed his friend, Jake just smirked. 

He picked up his chalice and settled back in his chair, watching as various lords and ladies danced and entertained him. Jake loved parties like these. He swore the moment he was crowned King, he would throw the grandest party in all of Brinefell. He hated to admit that he had been planning his coronation since he came of age. If he was going to have to give up his freedoms and settle down, he might as well go out with a bang. 

“Your grace?” Jake looked over his shoulder, seeing one of his noblemen standing next to him. 

“Mister Brook,” Jake nodded. He held up his now empty chalice for a cupbearer to fill, “What have you?” 

“A message from the castle,” Mister Brook answered. 

Jake’s eyebrows furrowed as he fully turned his body. He stood quickly, seeing his father’s closest advisor standing beside Mister Brook. Jake nodded his head for them to follow him, moving towards a quieter place to talk. He led them across the yard, passing by small fires that were surrounded by soldiers and women to keep them comfortable. 

Jake pushed open the flap to his tent, leading the two men inside. 

“That will be all now, Mister Brook,” Mister Brook said to the man. He obeyed and bowed before the Prince and the advisor before making his way out and standing guard of the tent, “I come with urgent news from the Castle.” 

“Share,” Jake said, walking over to the table. He grabbed the pitcher of wine and poured them two glasses. 

“Thank you,” Mister Brooksaid, taking the glass, “The Queen requests for you to return at once.” 

Jake scoffed, “I do hope she is aware I am leading a battle.” 

“And Lord Machado is more than fit to overtake for you. It is your father, my Prince,” Jake looked up at the man, “He has fallen ill, and his days are numbered. You need to go back to the Castle and prepare to take the throne. . . and for your marriage.” 

“Marriage?” Jake asked, “But I have not courted any-” 

“To the Lady Mitchell. We leave in the morning. Gather your things.” 

Jake opened his mouth to argue, but Mister Brook left the tent quickly. Jake looked around the room, feeling anger rise in his belly. He was prepared to take the throne, prepared to take over for his father and rule Brinefell. But marriage. . . no one had told him about how to handle a marriage. 

— — — 

“Keep your breathing steady, your eyes trained to the target,” His voice was smooth as his hand splayed against your belly, “Then you pull back until the string is taut, hold your breath,” You looked up at him, his soft honey brown eyes glancing down at you, “And… let it sail.” 

You released the bow string, watching as the arrow sailed through the air and landed with a satisfied ‘thwack’ against the target. You lowered the bow and smiled, turning over your shoulder to see Bradley with the same smile on his face. 

“Getting better each week, ducky,” He said, taking the bow from your hands. 

“One day I will be better than you,” You teased. Bradley shot you a smirk as he grabbed another arrow from his quiver and set up his bow. You watched his back muscles flex as he pulled the bowstring back. 

“Not a chance,” He said, before letting the string go. You didn’t even need to look to know that Bradley had hit the bullseye deadcenter. He was a natural archerer, the talent having been passed down to him through his genes. His father, the late Lord Nicholas Bradshaw had been your father’s lead hunter. You loved listening to your father’s stories about his conquests in boar hunting with Lord Nicholas. 

“Will you ever teach me to shoot horseback?” You asked.

“No,” Bradley shook his head, “Not risking you trying to multitask on horseback. You are unsteady as it is on a horse, ducky.” You rolled your eyes. You had fallen off once when you were a child, and Bradley never let you live it down, “Maybe next time I’ll let you walk as you shoot targets.” 

“Maybe next time you should go down and drop your-” 

“Lady Y/N!” You rolled your eyes as you heard your nurse calling for you, “Your father needs to see you at once!” 

“Be right there, Mistress Rotchford!” You shouted back. Bradley set down his bow and went down to the targets to gather his spent arrows, “If it's another lord trying to court me I think I might stab my eyes out.” 

“Maybe then it’ll be easier for you to find a husband,” Bradley joked as he walked back to you. You playfully shoved his shoulder as you turned to walk back to the castle to clean up. You knew that your father was probably wandering the halls wondering where you had gone. It wasn’t uncommon for you to leave the castle grounds and wander off with Bradley. He was your best friend, and one of the only person you felt like you could bear your true soul too. Of course you had various ladies in waiting who followed your every move, but you didn’t trust them with a single secret. 

“Whatever will I do if you get called to go join the masses in Eastland,” You said, kicking rocks as you walked. 

“Not get in trouble with mistress Rotchford,” Bradley gently knocked you with his elbow, “Maybe I’ll come back and you’ll be a true and proper lady.” 

“A lady or a maiden?” You wiggled your eyebrows, causing Bradley to blush. You giggled as his ears turned red and he looked down at his feet. It was always a sight to see the six foot tall man turn red like a school boy caught stealing an extra piece of bread. You and Bradley talked openly about things that would have you sent straight to the confessional booth. You knew that Bradley was experienced, more than you certainly ever would be. He liked to tease you about it, make you all worked up with thoughts that you shouldn’t have. 

“A maiden,” Bradley answered your question, “Until you are courted and married off, a maiden you shall remain.” 

You rolled your eyes, “It’s rather boring.” 

Bradley wanted to argue, but you pushed open the door to the castle. He would rather keep his tongue than ask what you were thinking. He knew that going to your room at night was highly frowned upon, and even the slightest rumor that you laid in bed with Bradley would absolutely ruin any chance that either of you had at marrying well. 

He followed you dutifully through the castle, watching the sway of your brown dress as you acknowledged the maids and servants. You were always so nice to them, coming from the years of decorum and schooling you had. You learned from a young age that being nice to the maids meant that you always got the best wine and the warmest baths. 

“Ah! And here she is!” You smiled at your father, Pete, as you walked into the main banquet hall. The table in the middle was covered in food; a large roasted pig in the middle with fruits, cheeses and breads surrounding it. 

“Sir Fitch, I introduce you to my daughter, the Lady Y/N,” Pete introduced you to a tall man, dressed in what you knew was royal garb. You curtsied to him, and he bowed his head. 

“It is nice to finally meet you,” Sir Fitch said, “The King speaks your praises. I wish I was here in better circumstances, but I am afraid I am not. The Castle calls your daughter to court immediately, Sir Mitchell.” 

Your eyebrows furrowed as you looked at your father, “Whatever for could the King want me at court?” 

Pete sighed, “It’s not for the King. It’s for the Prince. . . your new husband.”

taglist: @cherrycola27 @Itsmytimetodream @yanna-banana @laneylovesglen @dempy @elijahmikaelsonbitch @desert-fern @callsignharper @prettiewittie @hangmanscoming @damrlova @captainmoonknight @jazminlahey20 @Bradshawseresinbabe @rebellionofthetoys @seitmai @xoxabs88xox @princess76179 @clancycucumber230 @soulmates8 @Ceciliamarie325 @starberryhorse

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[putnamcapital]

Some love for the YR writers, and their OCs

As a small gesture of thanks to the incredible creativity and generosity of fanfic writers, during this time of holiday excess and the AO3 YR tag being just lit!, I thought i’d pull together some favorites to share. Hopefully if you’ve haven’t read these fics yet, they might entice you. I know we all know and love the endless iterations of Wille and Simon, and Sara, August, and Felice, but did you know there are some truly incredible original characters in the YR fanfic library? Here are just a few of the characters that have stayed with me. Made an effort not to spoil in the descriptions! I’ve tried to spread the love across lots of writers and have tagged you if i know you're on Tumblr. And i mostly read AUs. If you’ve got other OCs you just love, please add to this!

So, in no particular order … Part 1 of ?.

Chetna from Tis the Damn Season by littelbluefish, (M, 15/15) - “in a near-constant state of dancing readiness” (i love her for that alone), also witty meddler, dispatches unwanted men with savage accuracy, pitch perfect level of snark, loves Simon to pieces.

MJ and Mario from And that’s how you make history baby by waybeforeyourtime (T, 16/?) - it’s difficult for me to choose between the two, but i think maybe the author would agree they are inseparable. MJ and Mario run Benders, a bar where Simon ends up performing. They literally jump off at the page at you. MJ, appearing as Mary Jane, gets one of the best entrances i’ve seen in a while. (“Mary Jane sat in front of the door of Benders in a crudely made replica of the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, except it was dildos that adorned it, not swords. She wore a pale pink strapless dress, white fishnet stockings, and black patent-leather Mary Jane platforms.”) His partner, Mario’s, first words to Simon: “"I don't have time for games. Violet, kill the light.”, but it was a match made in heaven. The dialogue between these two!!! Read this fic! Run! Don’t walk!

Melvin from Simon Eriksson: Just some guy from biology (G, 1/1) by fandom_commitment_Issues (@zee-has-commitment-issues) - good student, considerate partner and father. On this list because he does deadpan so well. He kept a straight face when W huffed “I’m getting married to an idiot”.

Alba from Taking me Back (M, 6/?) by wilmonlibrarian - for being one of those too smart for your own damn good teenagers who sees straight through her own father, Simon. (Alba isn’t buying it. “So, you’re saying nothing I experience in the next few years will matter to me in the future?”) and yeah karma really is playing a terrible joke on poor W & S in this.

Luis from All the Places we’ve been (M, 10/10) by This_time_its_just_me (@in-amor-veritas) - Simon’s roommate in New York, Simon who has his own life and successful career as a singer. Gives Simon essential advice on what to wear to meet his ex (yes, you know the ex). (“Oh please, none of your clothes fit you correctly, Simón”) He works at one of NYC’s biggest fashion magazines. Think Devil Wears Prada, friends. Just the absolute funniest and most loving wingman, takes absolutely none of Simon’s bullshit or his polyester. Has entirely the correct reaction when he finds W in his bathroom.

Lotta from Heart and Homeland (M, 33/ ) by @bluedalahorse and @heliza24 - An intrepid, loyal, and revolutionary woman with a heart of gold, who holds the key to a major plot twist in this masterful AU set in the early 1800s, where Wilhelm is at the center of a fight for Sweden’s future, and everyone writes each other a lot of beautiful letters. (“Lotta sighs and giggles like we are best friends and says we should tell one another romances or fairy tales and I want to tell her that princes are not the same in real life as they are in stories.”) Don't miss this fic!

[waterghostype]

a bit of an unconventional post but here is rosel!!! struggling princess and novice of void she is my ninjago oc bc ive been infected with deadly oc brainrot disease…

oc ramblings under the cut lel

she is a princess with a tragic backstory . super original i know

in all seriousness she basically conjured up in my head while i was thinking “what could they ever do to recover harumi’s character from crystalized in dragons rising” and it all went downhill from here

she’s super energetic, lively, dramatic, basically a cringe theatre kid who doesnt shut up at all. she loves animals and nature and life and being elaborate and performing and all that jazz.

she’s basically harumi’s surrogate little sister. after being on her own for a bit and traveling all across realms she landed in this weird magical realm (one that i made up. lol) and was taken in by the royal family as a knight (basically) after she brought back rosel when she got lost in the forest. she’s having a terrible time in there BUT she’s staying because… there is a freakazoidal organization trying to take them down. super original once again.

harumi feels like shes sort of called to do something about it to somehow atone for her wrongdoings but she doesn’t want to do any more than she has to aka she doesn’t want to get close to rosel bc shes obviously very Not right in the brain and also because of her past

rosel originally had an older sister who was supposed to be the actual heir to the throne and she was totally chill with that! she liked to just have a second say in important stuff and do a lot of commercials like that was her whole thing and she enjoyed it. then her sister got assassinated so now she has to be the one to worry about everything and just be an heir all of a sudden. this is part of the reason why she got very easily attached to harumi and harumi knows this and understands what’s going on in rosel’s brain because a losing family then getting badly attached to someone bc you think they can fill that hole in your heart?? yeah not cool

doesnt help that harumi currently hates herself and thinks shes the worst person in the world (tbf she did do All that.) but the difference is when she was being unhealthily attached to garmadon he mistreated her BAD but here harumi actually tries protecting rosel and gets unfortunately attached as well which sucks! it’s like that grumpy old man adopts daughter trope except it’s a ~20 yo girl and a little sister

before she died rosel swore she hated her sister and they would fight allll the time. older sister (havent decided on a name) is really strict and pressured to do all her work as an heir and the oldest princess and i could go into more detail abt their relationship but just think oldest sibling vs youngest sibling shenanigans. theyd fight abt how rosel would never understand the pressure of being the heir in their political cilmate thing (yeah the made-up realm is going through it) but too bad so sad she got executed in front of literally the whole kingdom.

after a surprisingly short while rosel gets back on her feet after her sister’s death but shes just fakering oops. she has a bunch of bottled up issues but it’s ok! it’s ok!

also shes the elemental master of void. oops

this one is fucky wucky complicated but BASCIALLY my bs reason for her little mary sue op power is bc time twins were stuck in that weird time vortex all throughout everything And then the merge happened and the merge’s weird elemental energy whatever caused the time vortex and the twins’ elemental powers to get weird and because time is being messed up reality can be messed up and so this basically broken version of the time element gets transferred onto my girl rosel as if it was a regular degular elemental power which sucks bc it’s even harder to use and control and she doesnt even know how to fight so shes just struggling

she finds this out while on a journey with the ninja and harumi. like if it was a season itd be like episode 15+ she finds out. this is because she accidentally caused an important artifact to disappear out of nowhere, got sad about it bc she messed everything up, and then she accidentally makes a whole bunch of stuff (including living things) disappear too. yikessss

she doesnt want to hide it she tells the ninjarumi right away and theyre all like What the hell and shes freaking out but after some help she can at least keep herself from destroying literally everything.

until she messes up gets mega emotional loses control of her everything and starts voiding a bunch of stuff so she gets even more stressed which makes her void even more stuff and now shes basically destroying the kingdom shes been trying so hard to be able to rule. ooooopsies

after a whole thing with the power of siblingship and empathy harumi snaps her out of it and now shes absolutely baffled with what shes done and is a bit crazed abt the whole thing. bc of this she decides it’s best to train with the ninja (idk if she actually becomes one) so she can use her power better. btw harumi was able to snap her out of it and give her a hug without being voided because a) power of friendship and b) overlord resurrection she’s literally dead inside She basically is already voided in a way

so thats basically what goes on very sorry this is too long but i hope it all makes sense… i swear her story is better than the way i explained it (or maybe it’s not idk) i just have many MANY MANY thought abt her! i might ramble even more in the future so be cautioned. thx

heres zoomed in ver of the notes in case u need it

[kaaaaaaarf]

⭐ a very wolfstar christmas playlist ⭐

You'll laugh, you'll cry (I apologize for my actions, I really have nothing to say for myself), you'll be merry and bright.

1. Handjobs for the Holidays // Broken Social Scene

Let me take you on, we'll get high just a little Try to surface the calm, we don't come inside We've got eyes that leave us in places we don't see

2. The Stars Shine in the Sky Tonight // Eels

I can't live in a world that you have left behind Seen a lot, been through too much But this is where I draw the line It's not where you're coming from It's where you're going to And I just want to go with you [...] The stars shine in the sky tonight Like a path beyond the grave When you wish upon the star There's two of us you need to save

3. The Day After Tomorrow // Phoebe Bridgers

I close my eyes every night And I dream that I can hold you They fill us full of lies, everyone buys About what it means to be a soldier I still don't know how I'm supposed to feel About all the blood that's been spilled Will God, on His throne, get me back home On the day after tomorrow?

4. Two Queens In a King Sized Bed // girl in red

I don't have a lot to give But I would give you everything All my time is yours to spend Let me wrap you in with my skin With my skin Two queens in a king-sized bed Like angels in the snow My only wish is one more year And then I want them all Your freckled cheeks, our tangled feet The closer, the better it gets So let's stay right here Until forever disappears

5. The Blood We Bleed // Tom Odell

I walk back home, you're all alone The ivy's grown, it's Christmas Eve I brought some wine, it tastes like shite But it provides the spark we need Come on, let's fight, don't be polite You know the knife that cuts me deep You treat me tough, we call it love But it's your blood, I'm gonna bleed

6. Snow On The Beach // Taylor Swift (ft Lana Del Rey)

One night, a few moons ago I saw flecks of what could've been lights But it might just have been you Passing by unbeknownst to me Life is emotionally abusive And time can't stop me quite like you did And my flight was awful, thanks for asking I'm unglued, thanks to you And it's like snow at the beach Weird but fuckin' beautiful Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful You wanting me tonight feels impossible

7. Better Than Anyone // Mary Beth Maziarz

For weeks I've been crying too much Ditched my zoloft, still won't be touched By the world moving by, Christmas lights Can you believe it, already again, (I know you can, cause) You know me better than anyone Anyone, ever so far You show me things that I never see Thanks for completing me. . . the way that you do (the way that you do)

8. Christmas Lights // Coldplay

Those Christmas lights Light up the street Maybe they'll bring her back to me And then all my troubles will be gone Oh, Christmas lights keep shining on

9. Pick Up Where We Left Off // Upsahl

We've been through the highs and lows Through the fires and the smoke Only ones that don't let go (Oh, yeah) I could hold in the palm of my hand Yeah, we're dancing in the laugher, swingin' from the rafters Life is moving fast, wonder where it goes Drinking after midnight, I know all your white lies You know I'll still laugh at all your bad jokes Cause it feels like no time's been lost When we pick up where we left off (Ah-ah)

10. Thank God It's Christmas // Queen

Oh, my love, we've had our share of tears Oh, my friends, we've had our hopes and fears Oh, my friends, it's been a long hard year But now it's Christmas Yes, it's Christmas Thank God it's Christmas The moon and stars seem awful cold and bright Let's hope the snow will make this Christmas right

11. Invisible // Zara Larsson

How many nights do you lie awake In the darkest place? How many days do you shed the pain Of your darker days? All I know is If happy lives a mile away A couple steps is all it takes If kindness lives in everyone Then all it takes is standing up Can't touch it, see it But you can always feel it

12. Christmas Is Going To The Dogs // Eels

Well, Christmas is going to the dogs We'd rather have chew toys than Yule logs And things aren't looking very good, it's true So I'll just lay here and chew

13. We're The Lucky Ones // The Marías

I can't wait for Christmas We'll be happier than we have I can't wait for Christmas We'll laugh and we'll dance and we'll cry We've come this far With beating hearts We're the lucky ones, ah-ah

14. Brightest Star // Chris Isaak

I saw a star above the clouds It was the brightest one And I have just begun to understand you You give me reason to believe And though I've doubted you You always see me through I would owe to you Your love

15. Little Things // ABBA

Little things Like your naughty eyes You'd consider bringing me a breakfast tray But there's a price Little things Like that happy noise As a brand new day is dawning On this lovely Christmas morning

16. Song For a Winter's Night // Sarah McLachlan

The lamp is burnin' low upon my table top The snow is softly falling The air is still in the silence of my room I hear your voice softly calling If I could only have you near To breathe a sigh or two I would be happy just to hold the hands I love On this winter night with you

17. Fool's Gold // Lucy Dacus

He'll blame the alcohol And you'll blame the full moon She'll blame the fall of man But I blame the part of you That can't let up on the reigns You've got life in a chokehold You say that it's all the same All glittering fool's gold

18. Happy Xmas (War is Over) // John Lennon

A very Merry Christmas And a happy New Year Let's hope it's a good one Without any fear War is over, if you want it War is over now