#one thinks he’s the ruler of the world and should get off his high horse

[movedto-clifflix]

hola mutuals my time away from tumblr (i reduced the app screen time from like . 2h to 15-30mins a day) has been wonderful and i don’t feel burnt out abt my ships anymore and just because i feel like it i will say that selfship tumblr feels like some kingdom but with 3 rulers (big blogs . possible / most likely that there’s more than three tho) who are somehow loved by everyone and i really wonder how that works because mostly and with only one exception those are such big assholes how can one even like them .

[because-of-a-friend]

Royalty!Hoshi AU

MASTERLIST

Thanks for the request @toffeechuu !!! I really hope you like it, it’s a little outside of my usual writing comfort zone so I hope I pulled through with this one lol

Obviously it was a no

You knew that the answer was an absolute no

You knew you were meant to be the sole ruler of your kingdom

And that if you ever married, it would have to be an arranged one that proposed tactical advantages for your kingdom

There was no way you could be with just anyone

But... Soonyoung...

His parents had worked in your household his entire life so you had known him for almost all of your own

You could distinctly remember meeting him for the first time

You had both been so young

You walked into the stables to greet your favorite of the palace horses

And promptly ran into Soonyoung who was there helping his father 

“Hey watch where you’re going!” he exclaimed, worried that you had been hit with the pitchfork he was using to shovel old hay out of the stables

“You can’t talk to me like that!” you scrunched your nose at him, extending your hand expectantly, waiting for him to help you up

“I can talk to anyone any way I want” he grumbled, but did grab your hand to pull you to your feet

“Don’t you know who I am?” 

You could easily cringe at how snobby your younger self had been

“Should I?” Soonyoung responded casually

That’s when his father walked in

“Soonyoung, you should treat their majesty with respect!” he pulled Soonyoung into an upright position before having him bow to you

“Your majesty, this is my son, Soonyoung, please forgive his behavior”

You nodded as a sign that it was ok, seeing how red Soonyoung had turned and not wanting to cause anymore trouble

You and Soonyoung interacted often, seeing as you spent plenty of time at the stables

It was nicer out there, away from the hustle and bustle of the palace

And you got to wear play clothes when you went out, which was hardly ever allowed otherwise

And you loved the horses

So you and Soonyoung saw each other often

When you were young children, your time together mostly consisted of running around the palace grounds and playing games you had never really gotten the chance to before

As you got slightly older, Soonyoung taught you how to brush down and take care of the horse that had been dedicated as yours when you were to start riding

And then Soonyoung became an official stable boy at the palace

You tried not to think too often about how he had shot up suddenly one year, his height overtaking your own quickly as the two of you first reached your teen years

But there were times when you’d both be in the stables together, and he’d reach over you to grab reins for a horse, or a brush to groom one

And you couldn’t help but blush every time he leaned over you, towering from above

When you finally started learning to ride, Soonyoung was right next to you the whole time

He’d lead the horse for your first few times riding

And he’s guide you through directing the horse when you started out on your own

Then he’d ride alongside you as you started to get better and riding more independently

Then it became almost a daily tradition for the two of you to go out together

And then spend hours afterwards caring for the horses and walking around the grounds until you were both expected somewhere else

And as you got even older, more adult responsibilities were expected of both of you

And you knew better than to talk about your issues with your subjects

But Soonyoung was your friend

And you really trusted him

So one night you sit together under the moonlight and tell each other everything 

This becomes a tradition too

You sneaking out of your window when everyone else in the palace is asleep and running to meet Soonyoung for late night heart to hearts

You both spill your deepest secrets to each other and every thought and complaint and wish and dream

You know Soonyoung better than anyone in the world and he knows you better than anyone else

For the longest time you chalk it up to him being your best friend

But one day you run out to find him in the stables 

It’s early so the sun is just rising

Soonyoung is coming to the stables from the outskirts of the palace grounds

The sun is illuminating him from behind with pinks and oranges

He’s wearing a loose, flowy shirt with high-waisted pants

His suspenders have slipped off one of his shoulders

And he just looks so... stoic as he’s making his way through the tall grass towards you

(My obsession with Pride & Prejudice is showing)

There’s a look on him you don’t see often

And you feel this weird feeling in the deepest part of your chest

Like a bubble slowly building inside of it

And it makes you want to burst

If that image of him wasn’t enough

When he approaches you, he greets you with a soft “Hello, your majesty”

And something about the tone of his voice

It feels like the bubble has reached all the way up to your throat

“Hello Soonyoung,” you say gently, “you seem... serious today”

“Just have lots to think about,” he gives you a very small smile

And then suddenly he goes off and you don’t see him for the rest of the day

It’s the first time since you’ve met that you haven’t spent hours of your day with Soonyoung

And you’re just kind of miserable for the whole day

And that night you’re so anxious to sneak out and see Soonyoung

He’s already there at your usual meeting spot

He greets you sheepishly, scratching the back of his head and apologizing quickly for not joining you on your ride that day

“That’s quite alright, Soonyoung, I’m only hoping you’ll tell me why” you say cautiously, hoping you’re not pushing something you shouldn’t

Soonyoung chuckles before extending his arm

You link yours in his, letting him lead you down a path around the palace

At first he skirts around what he’s thinking about, talking about how his day went and then asking you how yours was

“Honestly it was sort of lonely”

He looks guilty for a moment

There’s silence for a bit

“Oh please tell me what you’re thinking of Soonyoung,” you tug on his arm

He clears his throat, looking at you for a moment before avoiding eye contact

“I was offered an apprenticeship in town,” he finally admits

“Oh Soonyoung that’s wonderful! I mean, that’s a great opportunity!” you exclaim, feeling so proud of him

“It is, isn’t it?” his voice sounds sour

“Do you have doubts about it, Soonyoung?” 

“I suppose I do, your majesty...”

“Can’t you just call me by my name, Soonyoung, just once?”

“I would if I wanted to be beheaded,” he laughs lightly

“Oh please, like we’d ever participate in such barbaric practices... and like I’d ever tell on you!”

“I know you wouldn’t” he smiles, tugging you slightly closer

“But really Soonyoung, going to live in town and getting all that experience. It would open up so many more opportunities for you and your life. What’s there to stop you from going?”

He smiles at you again

But this time

His smile breaks your heart

There’s so much sadness behind it

“I’m not sure,” is all he says. “Now besides getting ignored by your best friend, what else did you do today?” he jokes as he continues walking

Soonyoung has awhile to give his answer about accepting the apprenticeship

You can see it in his face the whole time he’s considering it

His brow is always frowning with worry

You wonder what it’s like inside his head, to be that worried 

You don’t have to wonder for long

Your parents call you in for a meeting one day

And drop the bomb that you have been betrothed

You try your best to hide your displeasure out of respect and understanding the situation you’re in

“I thought I was to be the sole ruler of this kingdom” you say in a measured tone

“Yes,” your father sighs, “but... times are changing, things are more... complicated”

You practically flee from the meeting once you realize there was no way to argue against it

You shut yourself in your room for the rest of the day

You only come out when it’s time to sneak out and meet Soonyoung

You fly across the grounds to find him

Soonyoung is smiling when he sees you approaching but then his face falls when he notices that you’re crying

“Your majesty? What’s wrong?”

“Soonyoung they- they promised my hand in marriage to a prince, I- I’m to get married,” you panted out before your crying overtook your voice

Soonyoung gladly overstepped his boundaries, pulling you into a hug to comfort you

But over your shoulder, his own face is contorting into pain

He too knows the reality and gravity of the situation 

And that there’s not much he can do

“I-” he starts before doubting what to say to you

“What do I do, Soonyoung? I can’t do this” you say when he doesn’t speak up

“You... don’t want to be married?” he pries

“I don’t want to be married to him,” you whisper

Soonyoung stutters for a moment before deciding what he has to do

He can’t let you risk your throne and kingdom for him

“I’m taking the apprenticeship”

You pull away from him immediately

“What?” is all you can say

“I’m- I’m leaving” he tries to say it confidently 

“Oh,” you feel pathetic for a moment, “I’m happy for you Soonyoung. I just-”

“Just what?”

“I just thought that maybe you weren’t going because...”

Soonyoung pulls a rather ugly expression onto his face and you immediately wince

“You are royalty. If I refused your friendship, it would have been disrespectful”

“Please don’t do this Soonyoung,” you beg

“That was the only reason I was your friend, because I had to be,” he finishes, stepping away from you fully

But you don’t miss the way his voice cracks or the tears beginning to fill his eyes

“Soonyoung wait, can we just talk-”

“I’m leaving tomorrow. Goodbye, your majesty”

Soonyoung turns and walks into the darkness

Your whole world feels like it’s ending

Every day you spend without Soonyoung and getting closer to your wedding day, is another day you feel your happiness dwindling

You try to spend time in the stables but it doesn’t feel the same

And you constantly run into Soonyoung’s father

Who happily tells you how much Soonyoung enjoys being an apprentice 

And you’re getting tired of feigning support and joy for Soonyoung when you miss him as much as you do

So you begin to avoid the stables altogether 

Soonyoung is doing well at his internship 

But every day feels just as joyless for him as it does for you

He hates having to live without you

One day he’s strolling to the local market

His path is interrupted by a parade of carriages

There he is, Soonyoung thinks, the groom to be

Your wedding is coming and soon you’ll be married

The town is suddenly filled with people from the other kingdom, getting ready for the wedding

Soonyoung runs into two of these people at the market

He finds them odd immediately

They’re dressed in all dark clothing and whispering to each other as they side-eye everyone walking near them

Soonyoung moves closer under the guise of inspecting the fruit on the far left side of the stand he’s at

“Yes but do you have the poison, it must be delivered by tonight” Soonyoung’s ears perk up with the words

“Of course I have it, can’t lose what our prince needs to gain complete control over this kingdom”

Soonyoung’s heart stops

Poison

They’re going to poison you

Soonyoung runs to the palace

The whole way from the town

He reaches the palace by nightfall

And barges straight into your family’s first meeting with the prince and his family

You’re staring at him wide-eyed 

He’s dripping with sweat, panting so hard he can barely talk

But he can point out the two men from earlier at the market

“Poison,” he pants, “they have poison. They mean to poison your majesty”

A gasp flows through the room before there’s silence

The palace guards take over the two men before searching them and finding the poison

Needless to say, the wedding does not go on

For days everyone is worried for the state of the kingdom

Apparently the king and queen had no idea their son meant to poison you

So there were days of negotiation of peace for your two kingdoms

It was agreed eventually that if the prince faced consequences dealt by his own kingdom, then your own would not declare war

When announcements of the agreement were made, the whole kingdom sighed in relief

Soonyoung hears the news while still working at his apprenticeship

After he had saved you, the castle kind of went into complete shut down

So he just sort of went back to town to continue his work and wait it out like everyone else

Then he gets an official invite to the palace 

It’s a dinner to thank him for saving your life

When he arrives he doesn’t even make it to the front door before you appear, running across the yard to greet him

You take him by surprise when you hug him, in broad daylight, in front of everyone

But he quickly returns it

“You know, my parents are very impressed by the man that saved my life... and took care of me my whole life”

You step back and grab his hands to lead him inside

But he tugs you back and stops you from walking further

“Um, your majesty, I need to tell you something,” he says softly

“Soonyoung, honestly, you saved my life, I think you can use my first name”

“What I need to say, your majesty, is that, I didn’t mean what I said that night. I truly care for you and every day without you was misery” 

You grin up at him, “I knew you didn’t mean it, I know you better than that. But that other stuff was a nice new touch”

He smiles down at you and allows you to lead him inside

The dinner is grand and your parents fill the time with praise for Soonyoung

Afterwards, they excuse Soonyoung but ask you to stay behind

He waits outside at your usual hang out spot

You sneak out to see him

You both beat around the bush with small talk for awhile as you start your usual walk around the palace grounds

“My parents have decided that if I get married, it should stay within the kingdom” you finally say

“Well, there are plenty of nobles to chose from,” he hums

“Actually my parents have decided that if we’re keeping it within the kingdom, rank does not matter as much. But that part doesn’t matter anyway, I believe they may have already found me a match”

“Oh... who is this match?”

“Well, he grew up close to the family. He knows the ins and outs of the palace. And he’s currently an apprentice and shows a lot of promise, at least in my parents opinion”

Soonyoung stops walking

You stop a few feet ahead of him, staring up at the moon

“And the best part is... I love him”

Soonyoung doesn’t think he’s ever felt happier

“And I would like to marry him, being that he loves me too”

Soonyoung rushes at you

He kisses you hungrily and practically pulls you up off the ground

“Of course I love you, [Y/N], I’ve loved you forever”

You grin, “I like the way my name sounds coming out of your mouth”

“Well, [Y/N], you should know that I’ll happily marry you, and be with you always”

[babydaddyleorio]

Hello! May I request #10 fluff with Akashi Seijuro x black fem!reader? Pronouns are she/her, tysm!!

No problem!

Akashi’s crimson eyes surveyed the Corps in front of him, squinting slightly at the stiff soldiers lined up in a flawless formation along the wall.

“Move.” He harshly commanded with overwhelming authority dripping from his voice and the men parted instantly, raising their hands in a salute as their leader passed by them. Akashi frowned once he finally made It outside the building, agitated that he had to take precious time out of his day just to go and scold the incompentent warriors that were supposed to be capable enough to defend the Kingdom. Their performance was barely adequate and nothing to brag about, so Akashi had decided to put them through extensive training to remind them of the role that they had to fulfill.

Akashi rode his favorite white horse back to the castle, his burgundy cape flowing elegantly behind him. Luckily, the palace was only a short trek, so he arrived back to the royal grounds fairly soon. He galloped through the gates and the guards bowed as soon as they saw him.

Akashi had his head raised high, demonstrating the immense power he held to the others around him. He had acquired a reputation of being the Ruthless Emperor since he was always able to predict his enemies moves when in combat, resulting in him winning every single battle he’s ever been in. And because the people of his kingdom either eluded or loathed him due to his threatening title, Akashi tended to keep to himself. It’s not like he was evil like people wrote him to be, in a way you could say that Akashi was just misunderstood. He believed in order and saw losing as the ultimate sign of weakness, so he did everything in his power to make sure his kingdom always succeeded. Although in the end, all of his hard work ended up isolating him from the people he cared most about.

Akashi pulled the restraints of his horse to stop him and jumped down to the ground, brushing his clothes off with his gloved hands before walking forward. He noticed the way his servants cowered as he passed them and Akashi glared ahead, the nuisance feeling of rejection gnawing at him further. He was on his way to his office where he usually locked himself up when he felt bothersome to others, but all of a sudden he heard the soft sounds of humming echo beside him.

Akashi stopped in his tracks and slowly turned his head to where the sound came from, and his gaze fell onto a girl who stood in the grass with her back turned towards him. In any normal circumstance, Akashi would’ve kept walking and acted as If this woman’s presence was merely insignificant for him, but something told him to stay and observe her. Akashi then realized he had been standing in his spot for too long and smacked his lips, concluding that It was time for him to take his leave. But just as he was moving to go, the girl turned her body around and upon seeing her face, Akashi felt his legs become immobile as he drifted into a trance.

The girl wore a long, yellow dress that flowed all around her while her beautiful thick hair puffed above her shoulders. Akashi swallowed thickly as he took in how her brown skin was shining under the sun, and the glow it radiated almost made him grow weak in the knees. Akashi suddenly felt his heart start to race and he quickly moved his hand to grab his chest, his eyes widening in shock at the sensation ringing throughout his body.

What was this odd feeling?

Akashi’s mind fell into disarray and his line of thinking became cloudy whenever he glanced at you. Who was this goddess standing in front of him right now, and why had he never seen her before? He was sure that he kept strict scrutiny on who stepped foot on the castle’s grounds, and he knew that he would never forget a face like hers, so who in the world was she?

“Excuse me?”

Akashi’s eyes zeroed in on the girl’s plump lips, her words being muffled as he still found himself to be in utter mesmerization.

“Excuse me?” The girl suddenly waved her hand in front of his face while raising her tone, causing Akashi to blink slightly, his surroundings now becoming clear again.

“Are you alright, sir?” The woman asked with concern laced into her words and Akashi could feel himself melting at how lovely her voice sounded to his ears. He quickly raised a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat, resuming the usual indifferent expression that he always wore.

“Yes, I am quite alright.” He responded and the girl in front of him sighed in relief.

“That’s good to know, I was worried you had fallen ill with the way you were looking at me.” She mused and Akashi blushed at her words.

“On a different note,” Akashi said, trying to change the subject quickly. “I have never seen you around here before.”

Akashi could see the way the girl’s face brightened as she adjusted the flowers in her hand.

“Actually, today’s my first day working at the palace. I was appointed as the head gardener and I was in the middle of sorting flowers before I saw you.”

Ah, so that’s why he didn’t recognize her.

“I see.” Akashi nodded his head and watched as the girl went to sit down on a bench, beckoning for Akashi to follow her. He debated whether he should tell her that this wasn’t necessary and that she should get back to work, but he decided against his better judgement to accompany her anyway.

“It’s always been my dream to work here, you know?” She said suddenly while mindlessly looking into the sky. Akashi raised an eyebrow, wondering why anyone would want to work here willingly.

“Is that so?” He questioned and she nodded her head with a smile.

“They have the best herbs here, and the botanical garden is amazing. You see, I grew up in nature and you could say that It’s all that I know.” She continued to longingly look above, increasing the curiosity Akashi had with her.

“You know what they say about the Emperor, right?” The girl pondered, her voice changing slightly as the words fell from her mouth. Akashi side eyed her briefly at her sudden question before directing his attention back on the well manicured hedge in front of him.

“No, please enlighten me.”

The girl tapped her chin as she thought of all the rumors she had heard. “They say that he's an uptight dictator who has a stick shoved so far up his ass that he doesn’t care for his people.”

Akashi gritted his teeth at her false assumption and clenched his hands at his side, moving his head downward. He was about to protest and rise from his seat, but the girl continued.

“I don’t believe any of that though.” She stated, causing Akashi to go still and the thoughts he had of storming off were paused.

“I think that the Emperor actually cares for his people, but being a ruler can sometimes make people seem more ruthless than they actually are. I’ve never seen him, but I know that he can’t be all that bad, especially with how he helped my parent’s back home and granted me this job.”

Akashi stared at the girl beside him in amazement once he took in her words. No one had ever insulted him to his face before, nor genuinely complimented him either. She was the first person who wasn’t swayed by the Ruthless Emperor label he had been given against his will, and hearing someone think that surprisingly filled Akashi with contentedness.

Akashi felt his heart thump wildly against his chest again and he turned his head to look at the girl, not realizing that at that moment he had fallen in love with her.

“What is your name?” Akashi asked out loud, and the girl glanced at him with a grin shaping her lips.

“My name is y/n.” She responded and Akashi made a mental note of your name, thinking to himself how beautiful It sounded.

“Y/n huh?” Akashi repeated into the air with a smile, his red hair blowing in the wind to reveal his usual cold eyes now glazed with happiness.

“Thank you.”

[darkdevasofdestruction]

S/O Overworks Herself ~ Mitsuhide, Nobunaga, Masamune

Exam session is draining me to hell, I need a break, and 12-16h of studying per day and no sleep ( thx insomnia ) ain’t fun...

-----

MITSUHIDE AKECHI

I mean, this guy is a functional mess too

Masamune mentioned on multiple occasions that Mitsuhide forgets to take care of his basic needs so he has to bring him food and lowkey force him to stop working and eat and drink

But that all changes as soon as he sees you’re doing the exact same thing as he is

Not that he would ever admit it, per se

But he cares and loves you more than he ever loved and will ever love anything and anyone in this world

Especially himself

So you, neglecting yourself???

Unforgivable

Will literally pick you up from your work desk and bring you outside, to a nice tea house that serves delicious warm food as well and will order all your favourite food

Doesn’t matter if you can’t eat everything in one go, he’s more than happy to take everything home

At least he knows he has good things to feed you 

Also, if you think you can get away with working past the sleepy-sleepy time...You are wrong

He will make sure to hide all candles and will get you with him in the futon so you won’t be able to escape his cuddles

Will definitely tease you for being such a diligent and hardworking little bunny, especially if you protest to him stopping you from your work

Albeit, you know he’s right, but you still need to make sure everything is done perfectly, without even a speck of taint

In a very sweet and comforting voice - Something he doesn’t use too often - He will tell you that he’s concerned about your health and only wants what’s best for you

Really, he wants you to live a long life by his side, and what he’s most afraid of is for you to die before him, since he knows he’ll grieve for the rest of his days and it will mess him up big time

And while yes, habits are difficult to break, you’ll at least be more considerate of your work ethics and routines

But you’ll also keep tabs on his overworking 

Despite him literally taking care of a whole country

Mitsu is more important to you than anything else in this world

-----

NOBUNAGA ODA

There’s NOTHING and I mean absolutely NOTHING that will stand between you and your health

Nobunaga is a stubborn ruler and he is a man who always does as he pleases, as long as he knows it’s beneficial for everyone

And, without a doubt, you being in top form is beneficial to you, his most beloved Princess

He half-wishes you’d just stay around and play with make up and play cards, play an instrument for him or dance for or with him

But he knows very well that doing just that is boring as all hell, and would go insane if he had to be put in that position

And he wouldn’t want his beloved firecracker to lose her spark

So he gives you the easier tasks that he does so you’d feel good about being there for him and helping him out with any little thing you can

Nobunaga feels his heart swell with pride whenever he sees you working so passionately just to help him out, and he will show you off and boast about how amazing his Princess is to literally everyone, on every single occasion

But the line is drawn when he sees you working more than him, staying all night to read books to get more informed about said topics, your skin paling, getting subtle dark circles around your eyes, and overall being more quiet because you’re exhausted physically and mentally, but also because you’re so focused on your work

No, no, no, my baby won’t be subjected to such slavery!

May actually lowkey make Mitsunari work more so he would make sure to spend more time with you outside of the castle, on picnic dates, to the theater, maybe a hot spring escapade or just walking around through the flowery fields nearby

He obviously has the best chefs to cook for him, so whether you want it or not, you will have to eat at fixed hours and sleep at fixed hours, the same as him, so you won’t feel that you’re not equal to him, or that he’s a hypocrite.

Will compliment and thank you for everything you’re doing, but will also kiss your forehead and almost beg you to take better care of yourself because he wants you to see him achieve the unification of Japan and he needs you by his side

Because your bright smile can help him fight anything in his path

So, from then on, he’d have you do things that don’t require too much dwelling, or that you can go around shopping, get yourself a nice thing too, or visiting some of the other warlords that you made friends with - Anything to get you out in the fresh air and warm sun

And he’d claim that he wants you to play card games with him, or that he wants to see your make up skills...

Or maybe even that he just wants to lay his head in your lap while you stroke his hair and hum a pretty pretty melody of love to him

Because he can’t stand how tragic and heartbreaking most of the songs are

And he loves you too much to ever allow anything to make his daring Princess sad

------

MASAMUNE DATE

Awwww, his lovely little kitten wants to spend more time with him so she decided to help him out with work~?

That’s the most lovely thing you could do!

Albeit, he may or may not just keep you on his lap, his chin resting on your head, one arm around you while with the other he writes whatever document he has to do

Then again, he’d also like to just stay there and watch you write what he tells you to write, just to admire your calligraphy

Oh, did I mention that he also had you write his name oh-so-beautifully on a scroll that he hung in his room?

But this kind of work isn’t exactly what he does too often, his expertise being in the physical field, training troops and all that

And after the many incidents that put you in danger so many times before when you were taken as a lucky charm on the battlefield...

He would make sure you are very well trained - By HIS standards - And he has high standards

But he’s never tough on you, since you’re his woman and he has such a soft spot for his little kitten

You can see, however, that he’s still worried, so in between the work you do from home, you go to the forest nearby to train and train and train until you can’t anymore

It doesn’t take Masamune long to realise what is going on, especially when he sees how overly exhausted you are, and how you basically fall flask in his arms like you have no energy in you

Which you don’t 

So, instead of letting you train by yourself with no idea about what training ethics are, or how you should be training, he would come to the place where you’re training and bring you the heavenly food and tea he prepared for you and will properly instruct you on what to do and how much

Because overworking your mind and body actually works in your disadvantage

So he convinces you to live a healthier life style by taking everything in moderation, while also having a ton of fun

All while being together, because he wants to his kitten to laugh and be happy

If he ever sees that you’re even the littlest bit tired, he will pick you up bridal style, or put you on his back, get you home and it’s time for snacks and cuddles!

Also, more often than not, he will come up with intricate ‘training’ methods, including playing in the river, going horse-riding through the forest, crafting things, practicing archery, climbing trees and so many more

Because, in the end, no matter how scared he is of somehow losing you to the war, you’re still his beloved and would never be able to treat you like a soldier

You’re his cute little kitten and he will protect you no matter what

So keep on having your claws stuck in his clothes, and he will never let go either

[bombyxluna]

Omega Mammon X GN!Human MC 

This is more of an intro to the series, which is why is a lil bit longer and more explanatory.

We’re here to break sub gender norms! 

I don’t know how many parts this will have but I want it to be angsty.

No NSFW yet :P

CW: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Talks of heats/ruts/sub genders

The Devildom is, for a lack of a more fitting word, strange. Though, you suppose, being surrounded by demons should be. 

There’s too much you don’t understand still. Three months have passed since you arrived - or were kidnapped? the jury is still out on this one - and it feels like an eternity of time and too little all the same. 

Demons, as it turns out, have very different customs and rituals from humans. So do angels. You are in the least thankful for the classes, but every other student in them seems well versed in the basics, while you float about unsure of what’s happening. Hell, even Luke knows more than you, and he hates demons. Not to mention he’s a child. Double low blow. 

The classes would be going a little bit better if you only had time to actually study for them. Though you do suspect that Diavolo doesn’t actually give a shit about grades and this entire school is a mockery to appease his peaceful plans, you're still stuck in what’s basically hell and having to go to what’s basically hell’s undergrad school. Great. 

The least you can do is prod around for some demon knowledge. You know, just in case. Because things are getting weirder by the day, and sometimes it feels like it’s all an ongoing inside joke you’re not really a part of.

Also, because of them. 

Living with demons wasn’t exactly unexpected, but living with the Seven Rulers of Hell - well, six of them, was. 

Despite initial impressions, you’re quickly figuring out there’s more to each of them than the public eye could see. Something lurking below their perfectly crafted personas, that is reserved only for the ones in close proximity to them. Only for family.

You’re not family, but you’re definitely in close proximity. 

It’s easy to tell how much they hide behind masks. Lucifer, as far as everyone else knows, it’s the always serious and stern big brother that will never crack a joke or play around. The entire foundation of that statement could be torn down with one single picture you had, of him playing with Cerberus. 

Leviathan, despite actively trying to kill you over a book series since - no, you’re not over it - is more than the shut-off otaku who is otherwise known as the Admiral of the Devildom’s marine. He is also clumsy and shy, and he goes on tangents about what he likes, and he is friendly. 

Satan, known as the hot-headed brother who has a tendency to overwork himself into humor changes and explosive arguments, is a reserved person, a cat lover, an erotica reader, and an absolute dork. 

Beelzebub, though he whines about food a lot, is far more than just the hungry brother who also happens to be a jock. He’s a carebear, a very attentive listener, has great movie recommendations, and an amazing cook. 

Asmodeus, who may look lust-driven and shallow to the onlooker, but is caring, a hopeless romantic, a good friend and brother, and even a little insecure. 

And then there’s Mammon.

At first, you didn’t know what to think of him. He acted high and mighty, too strung up in his high horse to look at a human such as yourself. When Lucifer put him in what was basically the task to babysit you, it’s safe to say you were annoyed. 

But then, you started to pick up on things. Small things. Unnoticeable to those who aren’t looking, but that become increasingly clearer once you realize them. 

He’s clingy. With his brothers, with you, even with his credit card. Though he never lets himself linger, when he hugs you, it’s tight and crushing, like he needs to be as close to you as possible. When your arms brush together as you walk about, he blushes. 

His brothers tease him. A lot. To the point, it’s painful to even to you sometimes. He laughs through it all, but you can see the drooping at the corners of his mouth, and how the giggles don’t reach his eyes.

And he’s scared. At least, that’s what it seems like to you. He puts up a front of being this big, angry, scary, and powerful demon such as his brothers, and though you certainly don’t doubt the powerful part, the angry and scary seem faulty. 

It’s intriguing. One day he’ll be all over you and the next he’ll act like he barely knows you, avoiding your eyes and only answering in curt answers. Sometimes his PDA is off the charts - he’ll throw arms around you, stick close, pull you closer when you’re walking together - and others he acts as the smallest of touches burns him like it pains him to be so much as near you. 

And there is that smell. It lingers on him but not on his brothers, like a perfume stronger than anything else. It doesn’t make any sense, though, because you’re pretty sure it’s not perfume. You’ve seen him spray himself before leaving in the mornings and it’s not the same smell. It’s something else, a light waft that emanates from him in waves, but no one else seems to pick up on. 

He’s a puzzle that refuses to fall in place, and all you want to do is figure him out. 

Solomon sits down in front of you with a loud gruff, dropping a small pile of stacked books on top of the wooden table in the library. The librarian shushes him when the sound echoes through the empty halls. Asmodeus hot on his trail, carrying nothing but a bag. He sits down as well, eyes all but sparkling.

“MC!” He sings. The librarian shushes him. 

“Hi, Asmo,” you make space on the table, putting your bag on the chair next to you.

“Ready to cram years of demon biology in one afternoon?” Solomon asks. He smiles wickedly as if he thinks it’s actually possible to do so, and you feel a little bit like a prey caged in by a much, much more astute predator.

You asked for help with the subjects, and maybe you’re already regretting it a little. “Sure,” you answer, trying to sound determined. 

He smiles. “What are you seeing in your class?” 

Solomon picked different classes for the year, and while you were fine with not doing whatever the hell goes on in advanced alchemy, it’s a little bit of a bummer to not share even one class with the only other human around. 

“I’m not… really sure,” you slouch on the seat, ready to give up. Why can’t the world be like the movies and you can spend an entire year just looking out the windows and being pretty? “Subgroups? Or sub genders?” 

“Oh,” he says softly, flipping through one of the heavier looking books. 

Next to him, Asmodeus is pulling out a notebook filled with post-its and notes made in glitter pens. You suspect he didn’t come to lecture you, and that suspicion is confirmed when the notebook is discarded as soon as it showed up, apparently being pulled out only because his bag was on the smaller side and his pink switch-like video game was at the bottom of it. He sighs dramatically, lowering the music coming from it, and laying his chin on Solomon’s shoulder.

Yeah, definitely not here for you. 

Solomon slides the open book towards you, marked on a page titled Subgenders then starts flipping through the next. 

Asmodeus watches as you read over the basic introduction. 

“It’s not hard,” he says, voice bubbly even though the words game over can be read on his screen, “It’s a little tricky to separate, but you get the hand really quickly.”

-

It’s not actually all that hard to figure things out. Solomon, despite the borderline chaotic ways he chooses to explain things, is a fairly good teacher. You manage to grasp the three sub genders and the differences between them in no more than a couple hours - a record if you’re being honest. 

And Solomon had been right. It’s not hard to separate them. Alphas are, generally speaking, the “dominant” gender. They’re easier to anger and natural born fighters. They experience ruts, can mate, and have knots. Most of the royal court are alphas.

Omegas are the “lower” gender - though according to Solomon, the idea that one is lower to the other is being more and more fought againts and discussed in the realms - they’re conflict solvers and are seem as sweeter and more fragile. They experince heats and self lubricate. Most of the common demons are omegas.

Betas are a middle ground. They don’t have scents as strong as alphas or omegas, and aren’t easily affected by ruts or heats. They can still mate, however, and are often seem as level-headed and good right hands for alpha leaders. They’re rare. Barbatos is one of them.

And then there’s the Apex, the “alpha of alphas” as Asmodeus described them. An alpha so powerful he stands above all others, in the top of the “food chain.” That’s the category that fits Diavolo.

“So… what are you then, Asmo?” You ask, folding your arms above the book Solomon had highlighted to you.

Asmodeus perks up, bright as ever. “I’m an alpha, of course! Can’t you tell?” He gestures to himself, manicured nails gleaming under the bad lighting. 

“What about you?” You turn to Solomon. He hadn’t mentioned anything about humans having sub genders, but you kinda wish that was possible, although you couldn’t tell why.

Asmodeus pulls Solomon closer by the arm and beams. “He’s my omega!”

Solomon shrugs him off with a low chuckle. “Don’t make me slap you.”

“Kinky,” Asmodeus points a finger to him, smiling wide. He pulls Solomon again, by the shoulders, and lowers his turtleneck, revealing a bite. “I didn’t lie, though.” 

Solomon pushes him off with a scowl, covering the mark with his hand. “Yeah, yeah.” He waves Asmodeus off, adjusting the clothing.

You chuckle at them but say nothing. It’s clear Solomon doesn’t want you to.

Asmodeus pays his scowl no mind, resting his head on Solomon’s neck. Solomon sighs. “I’m not anything. Humans don’t have sub genders. We didn’t evolve to them, so we end up in somewhat of a grayscale. The closest thing to us would be betas.”

“Then we… claiming and that stuff… we can’t do it?” Your eyes trail to Solomon’s neck, but the bite is covered. 

“Not really,” he sighs, “this was an exception.”

“And why’s that?” Asmodeus hums, leaning over Solomon. Their faces are almost touching. 

Solomon sighs again, an amused smile playing on his lips. “Because I’m a demon’s whore.”

Asmodeus smiles, so much that little dimples show up at the corners of his lips, and he claps. “I love you so much.” 

You roll your eyes, making a vomiting sound when they kiss. Lowering your gaze, you read over the title of one of the chapters. 

“Hey,” you look up again, catching their attention, “what about your brothers? Mammon has a different scent, is he an omega?”

Asmodeus splutters, looking exaggeratedly shocked. He chuckles, strained. “Of course not!” He waves hands in front of himself, almost hitting Solomon in the face, “We’re all alphas.”

“Oh,” you say. It doesn’t make sense. None of the others have a scent like Mammon’s. It’s a little sweet, but seems clouded, slightly sour in the corners. 

“I don’t get it,” Asmodeus muses, tapping a finger to his chin, “humans don’t really feel our scent, how can he be different?”

His gaze is closed off on you, analyzing a little too much. It makes you feel like an ant under a magnifying glass, “I uh… he just does.” 

Solomon stares at you but doesn’t comment on it, even if it looks like he wants to. 

Asmodeus hums in thought, gaze still sharp on your every movement. Then, he smiles, almost artificial in its wake, “Well, whatever!” He slaps a hand to the table. At this point, the librarian gave up on shushing you.

Solomon is still staring at you. You move a little. Being watched like this makes you feel kind of squeamish.

Asmodeus is staring at Solomon, and then at you, resting his head on a palm. He hums again, stretching his arms over his head, and then he’s up, pulling Solomon with him. “We should get going!I wonder who’s on dinner duty.”

You blink. Dinner was still far away. Your study session just got cut short, and while you have no idea why, it feels like it’s your fault.

As you close the book and gather your things alongside them, the word seems to call you again. “Being an omega sounds painful, though,” you close the book, “heats and all.” 

Solomon scoffs. He closes his notebook, sliding his bag over a shoulder. “That makes it more fun.”

Asmodeus tsks, waving Solomon off, “Don’t listen to him he doesn’t have a soul.” 

Solomon neither confirms nor denies this statement, instead only giving you an amused chuckle and a tilt of the head. 

The feeling that you did something wrong, crossed a barrier you weren’t supposed to, clings to you. But still, it makes no sense. 

There’s something different about Mammon. You have to figure out why. 

-

The first thing you notice is that you’re missing a pillow. You’re back from a week filled with classes, ready to drop in bed and sleep the entire weekend when you realize something seems off. You look everywhere, but the pillow is nowhere to be found. 

Then, a couple of days later, the thin blanket you keep for movie nights and long study sessions is gone. 

It progresses like that. The throw you use to warm your feet. Your favorite stuffed animal. A fluffy winter jacket. 

When you ask, fed up with this little prank, none of the brothers seem to know where your things went. 

Your pact with Mammon is still somewhat fresh, but you find yourself going to him, if not for a solution, maybe to complain. 

The door is open when you arrive, pushing it inside without ceremony. 

“Mammon, you’re not going to believe-” 

The words die on your throat. There, spread on top of his bed, twisted and fluffed together into a carefully crafted bundle - no, your mind provides, a nest. This is a nest - are all your missing items, and, sitting on top of them with a flushed face and big eyes, is Mammon. 

Oh. 

Turns out you were right. 

“MC, I, I…” Mammon fumbles upwards, all but stumbling in the mess of blankets and pillows he has apparently snatched not only from you but from his brothers as well. There are even some pillows you don’t recognize, cow patterns all over them. 

“Mammon…” it’s all you can say. You have never dealt with this before, but the answer to your question was clear as day, right in front of you. 

Omegas nest when stressed or needy. Came Solomon’s voice, a memory from the lecture just a week before. 

“You’re an omega.” You say, in a surprised whisper, cogs turning on your mind and finally fitting with each other. 

Mammon’s face falls and his breath hitches. “How do you know about that?”

“In class… we went over the basic biology of demons and…”

He gulps audibly, eyes darting to the floor. “Then you know.”

You can almost feel the question marks forming around your head. “Know what?”

“How disgusting this is,” he gestures to the nest. His face is still reddened, voice bordering on wet, “I took your things without telling and I… I used them, my scent is all over them and now… I’m sorry, MC.”

“Mammon…” you reach towards him, but he steps back.

“You probably want them back, right?” He chuckles dryly with no real humor. “It’s okay, I get it. People don’t like when omegas get all needy, I know that.” He scratches at the back of his neck, a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes tugging at his lips. “You can take them, I’ll just…” he points to the door, “yeah.”

And then he’s gone, leaving behind the same smell you came to associate with him, only much sour in its wake. Your pact mark burns, glowing a faint yellow tone. You stand next to his bed, confused and feeling like you managed to fuck up even more.

Masterlist

[cilliansgirl]

his lioness pt. 1 ✹ peter pevensie x reader

Pairing: Aslan x female!reader (platonic), Peter Pevensie x female!reader

Characters: Aslan, Lucy Pevensive, Susan Pevensie, Edmund Pevensie, Peter Pevensie, Caspian, & characters of my own. 

Warnings: mention of weapons and war, sexual tension, like one cuss word

Era: Caspian (just believe that they stayed after)

Summary: Princess Y/N of Archenland assumed the throne overnight, as her parents and older brother were mysteriously killed in a shipwreck off the Eastern Sea. She knows that the death of her parents and brother was not a coincidence, yet the traumatic event begins her prophecy. The prophecy of Aslan’s lioness, the noblest warrior of Narnia. To obey the prophecy, she leaves Archenland to her two younger brothers, who are barely old enough to rule the kingdom logically. All tension with the High King aside, she will become High Queen Y/N, Aslan’s Lioness. Six years after leaving Archenland and becoming High King Peter’s wife, there are threats stirring in foreign lands. There is a war approaching all of Narnia, and Aslan has trained her from birth for this moment. There is a war coming, and she is going to be the one to stop it, with help of course.

Status: Unedited, Posted on Sat. December 26, 2020 (10:25 pm)

She walked out of the hidden castle towards her mother’s extraordinary flower garden. That’s where she always went to get fresh air. Her white and gold dress ruffled gently in the cold wind as she pulled her red dress robe closer to her body. The cold air nipped at her nose, causing her to look flushed. Rarely did it snow in her part of Narnia, but when it did, she relished in the feeling of the chilled air. She approached the stone bench and tucked her dress in before sitting herself appropriately on the bench. 

“You shouldn’t be out here, you know?” She ridiculed.

“You’re out here,” the little voice squeaked out.

“I’m getting some fresh air, I couldn’t sleep,” she responded.

The head of a young blonde boy, roughly 10 years old, poked around the tree. He reluctantly walked towards her in his bundled up form. 

“Perhaps I could keep you company?” he asked her pleadingly.

“I think it would be better if you headed up to bed, Finn.” 

He nodded and stood up, kissing his sister on the cheek before heading off for the night. After a few more moments, a chill ran down her spine as a white wolf peaked its head out of the edge of the forest. The wolf and she sat in comfortable silence as if they could read one’s mind. She knew what it meant. She knew that it was a sign; a sign that tomorrow was going to be a greater day and she had to fulfill her prophecy. 

After the wolf had broken eye contact and sulked back into the forest, she brushed off her dress with her cold, delicate hands, heading back into the castle. 

She woke up early morning before the sunrise and packed all of her valuable belongings in a drawstring leather bag. She dressed in her training clothing: blue trousers, a white blouse, and a waist belt with a black riding coat over it all. With the leather bag thrown over her shoulder, she quietly made her way to the armory, careful not to wake anyone in the echoing walls of the castle. Opening her designated cupboard in the corner of the armory, she quickly fastened the hilt of her sword to her belt. She was courteous with making sure her daggers were also fit snugly in her boots. Looking back up, her eyes caught sight of the bow and arrows once belonging to her mother. Giving in, she hastily grabbed the bow and arrows, throwing the quiver over her shoulders, as a firm grip remained on the bow. She gently closed the cupboard, making her way to the adjacent stables.

Without starling any of the other horses, her petite but bold figure made her way over to her horse. They looked relevantly similar if one pondered on the topic. A fine horse he was, a strong one. She was the same: strong and determined to always do the right thing. She named him Borin, from where she had found him astray. She discovered him in the forest when she was a little girl; he was attempting his best to hide behind a pine tree. Hints the name, ‘bor’ the Slovenian word for “pine tree.” 

“Borin,” she whispered, delicately stroking his mane, “it is time to go.”

As if the stallion had known his duty, he leaned his head into her touch before she saddled on. Immediately, they rode out of the stables and into the courtyard of the kingdom. The kingdom was quiet but the sun was starting to rise, meaning she had little time. Before she reached the entrance gate to the kingdom, she pulled Borin’s reins causing him to halt. She turned her head to look at the castle she called home. She sighed, knowing that she’s leaving her two younger brothers to become the kings without a queen. With one last goodbye, she whispered, “Farewell, Archenland.” Whipping the reigns, Borin set off towards the Dancing Lawn, where he would be waiting for her. After resting at about midday, she and Borin had gotten past the Bulgy Bears, which meant that the Dancing Lawn should be only one or two more terms. 

Finally, she had arrived. There was a small pond that was on the far edge of the field, so she allowed Borin to trot over there before she had dismantled. After she had dismantled, she unhooked a satchel from the stallion’s saddle, opening it and spilling out the contents, which happened to be food for Borin. 

“Eat up while we wait for him,” she said, petting his crest before she made her own way to sit next to the large horse. Not long after waiting a large shadow cast over her sitting form. Eventually, the heavy steps ceased as the large figure relaxed next to her.

“Hello, Princess Y/N, or should I say, High Queen,” the gruff but soothing voice spoke.

“I cannot be considered a High Queen if I was never crowned,” Y/N responded back.

“And for that, my dear, I apologize, but there are much bigger things to worry about.”

Y/N huffed, “Like my prophecy?”

The golden lion’s head turned towards her, immediately noticing the confliction upon her features blankly staring at her surroundings.

“You’re not happy,” he stated, a matter of factly.

“No, I’m not happy Aslan! My parents, the King and Queen of Archenland, and my brother are dead from a shipwreck, kickstarting my stupid prophecy. I had to leave my two younger brothers alone with the kingdom staff last night and I will probably not see them for however many years! Who knows? Then, I have to marry Peter, for Aslan’s sake!” 

He chuckled, “I would appreciate you not using my name in vain while I am in your presence. I thought you were happy about marrying Peter?”

She sniffled, “Sorry. I am. Aslan, I am thrilled to marry Peter because he is the man I love; it just sounds impossible. How am I, a princess from a foreign land, your lioness? How am I supposed to be the noblest Narnian warrior and wife of the High King if I haven’t even become ruler of Archenland?”

“Nothing is impossible, dear one. In this world or in another.”

“So what’s the next step in all of this?”

“I would like you to come with me to Cair Paravel. That way we can start the arrangements for the wedding. ” 

She nodded, but with hesitation, “What happens when Archenland finds out that I went to Cair Paravel to marry Peter?”

“You will be fine. There will not be a war. Archenland diplomats will see it as a permanent alliance. I promise.”

She signed heavily, bringing herself to lay on Aslan’s back. 

 “Will you be there with me?”

“I will be there to guide you and visit you all in good time. As for now, I am very busy teaching the others how to run a kingdom,” he spoke calmly.

Y/N smiled at the thought, “How’s Lucy?”

Aslan responded, “She is doing very well; growing into a very fine queen, indeed. She reminds me of a young you.”

Y/N pondered, “In what way?” 

Aslan chuckled, “Well, she is very adventurous. Lucy has the urge to explore everything, much as you did. Her aspect of curiosity, moral stability, and social relations makes her one of the most courageous women in Cair Paravel. If she were any braver, she would be a lioness.”

Both she and Aslan laughed whole-heartedly. After all had settled down, she had fallen asleep on Aslan and Borin was asleep as well. 

“Rest well, little lion. There is a war coming and you’re going to stop it,” he whispered as his own head rested snugly against hers, making her instinctively move close to Aslan, seeking warmth. 

As the sun rose and the kingdom of Cair Paravel busied, Peter was patiently waiting for Y/N’s arrival.

“Peter,” Susan pestered, placing her book down on the library table.

 The room fell silent, the bustling of the rest of the castle could be faintly heard outside of the grand wooden doors. Before Susan could speak, there was a rapid set of heavy footsteps approaching the door before it swung open, revealing an out-of-breath Caspian. “She’s here,” he breathed out before Peter could rush past him, Susan following close behind. 

Y/N rode into the kingdom, her head held high. Orieus was on her right and an unnamed Minotaur on her left, guiding her into the castle’s courtyard, so that she could be greeted properly by the king and so Borin could be taken care of properly. Once reaching the middle of the courtyard, Caspian greeted her with an outstretched hand, to which she accepted with a smile. He helped her dismantle Borin as one of the stable boys insisted on leading Borin to his own stable. Another knight, clearly one of high authority asked if he could take the weaponry out of the way, to which she responded that they are very special to her and should be handled with the utmost care.

 After everyone somewhat settled down she turned back to Caspian and practically jumped in his arms, engulfing him in a hug. He accepted, wrapping his own arms around her waist but being courteous because he knew Peter was carefully watching the scene play out.

 “Oh Aslan, I missed you all so much,” Y/N sighed.“Come,” Capsian spoke as they pulled away, “The others are waiting for you inside.”

Y/N was guided inside the castle, Caspian leading her to the Great Hall, where everyone was waiting. Once the extraordinary engraved doors opened, Y/N was bombarded suddenly with a big hug from a small girl. “Hello, Lucy,” she smiled, tightening the hug.

After Lucy unwrapped her arms from around Y/N’s neck, Y/N was finally able to observe her surroundings. Edmund and Susan stood behind Lucy, small smiles on their faces. Peter was farther back in the room, but nonetheless beaming at Y/N. There were a few royal guards and few maidens scattered throughout the room. After Lucy had moved out the way, Y/N tightly hugged Susan and Edmund, greeting and making small talk with each one. 

Once Susan was finished talking about the books Y/N has suggested to her, Y/N made her way over to Peter. Susan ushered Lucy, Edmund, and Caspian out of the Great Hall as well as the guards and maidens. 

“Hello, my King,” Y/N curtsied.

Peter rolled his eyes, “Please, it is just us. No need for formalities.”

Once Y/N stood back up, Peter pulled a large ring out of his pocket, “I suppose this is for you.” 

“Aren’t you going to make it seem like you want to marry me?” Y/N jokingly back. 

Peter chuckled, looking down at the ring for a moment before meeting her ethereal features, “I mean, I had tried to formally propose but then you screamed at me because I was doing it before the fight with Miraz.”

She stepped forward, taking his hands in hers, slipping the ring on the ring finger of her left hand, “Yes, well. Your mind should have been completely focused on not dying in the fight, not me becoming your wife.”

Before Peter could say anything, Edmund had cracked open the double doors of the Hall, “I really do hate to intrude but the entirety of the kingdom is waiting for you both to make the formal declaration.” 

“Yes, I had almost forgotten,” Peter smiled, gently wrapping his left arm around Y/N’s waist as they both proceeded to walk out of the Great Hall towards the balcony that displayed over all the kingdom. 

As Peter and Y/N made their appearance, the crowd erupted in excitement. Y/N took this time to observe her surroundings. Peter and she stood dead center, Susan and Lucy standing off to the right behind the pair, yet Caspian and Edmund standing to the left. She took the time to watch the faces of those in the crowd, for she was always yearned to be intimate with the commoners of her kingdom. There were middle-aged commoners, kids, too; scattered in the crowds were skippers, royal guards, and creatures of the Great Forest. It brought joy to Y/N’s heart to see that all of them gathered just for the announcement of Peter and her’s wedding.

The kingdom’s trumpets sounded, signaling the crowd to cease their cheering. After the crowd had settled, the colonel of the royal guards stepped forward. 

He spoke loudly, “May I present, High King Peter the Magnificent and his wife, High Queen Y/N the Lioness.”

As soon as the declaration finished, the cheering roared louder than it did before. The cheering brought smiles to everyone’s faces. Peter tightened his hold on Y/N’s waist, causing her attention to focus on him. As soon as she looked up at him, he captured her lips in a delicate but passionate kiss, causing the crowd to ignite in happiness. Y/N gladly excepted, kissing him back before pulling away. Peter and she both waved to the crowd before heading back inside the castle. 

Once back inside, there was a maiden waiting for the King and Queen. Peter’s hand left Y/N’s waist as he allowed his hand to linger on the woman’s waist. He smiled, gesturing towards the maiden.

“My Queen,” he started, “this is your maiden, Emma. She will help you with anything that you will need. I have to go to some meetings, but I will be back by the time you are preparing for bed. Emma said she would be happy to show you the in’s and out’s of the castle while I am away.” 

Y/N nodded at Peter, smiling at the maiden as she returned the gesture. Before leaving the corridor, Peter leaned down to give a quick farewell peck on Y/N’s lips. 

“I’ll see you later, yeah?” he questioned as Y/N nodded in response.

The blonde-haired boy turned to Emma, “Thank you again for showing her around while I am gone.”

She curtsied, “Of course, your highness, I wish you the best of luck on your political duties.”

And with that, he was gone out the door, leaving Emma with Y/N. As the night went along, Emma and Y/N became quite the pair. As a matter of fact, they were the best of friends. 

Later that night, after Emma had helped Y/N prepare to bathe, Y/N had sent Emma back to her quarters for the night. When Peter had come through the large engraved door, Y/N was in her night slip, brushing her hair in her mirror. 

“Hello, darling,” he gently stated.

“Hey, Pete.”

He strode over to give her a kiss on the crown of her head, his hands rubbing gently atop her shoulders. 

“How did the meeting go?”

Peter breathed in deeply, “Oh, you know, Edmund is a lot more persuasive than I could have wondered.”

“Please Peter, I figured that out a long time ago,” Y/N scolded.

Peter shrugged, “I guess I never thought about it. Now, if you don’t mind, I am going to freshen up before bed.”

“Mhmm, sounds good,” Y/N replied.

The two were in their shared bed. Y/N sinking into Peter’s strong embrace. Y/N had cracked open the balcony doors so that the cool air could circulate throughout the room. She hadn’t been able to close her eyes without drowning her mind with doubtful thoughts. She rolled over so that she was now facing Peter. She looked up and saw him peacefully sleeping, but she wouldn’t go to sleep without his lulling. 

“Peter,” she whispered, placing one of her hands on the upper chest. 

“Hmm?” he responded tiredly.

“I’m scared of this.”

He peeked through one of his eyes to look down at her mesmerizing features, “You are one of the strongest women I know. You are willing to do anything for the good of others. And I know how hard it was to be pulled from Archenland, but I am completely faithful that you are going to fit in perfectly in the Narnian kingdom and treat the kingdom and the people in it as your own. As far as I know, we are doing every step together. Every step of the way, no matter how long it takes.”

Y/N sighed, wrapping her arms around Peter’s torso, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Princess,” Peter groggily spoke, kissing her forehead sloppily. 

After a few more moments, Peter easily resumed sleep as Y/N fell asleep with the comfort of Peter’s words flowing through her mind.

[heyyyharry]

Chapter 16: Night Before the Battle

(from ‘The Winter and The Crown’)

…in which Harry accompanies Y/N to meet the other queen.

Word count: 3.6k

AU: queen!y/n, commander!harry

Description: Y/N and Harry set off on a new adventure to find ‘the cure’ for an ancient curse, meanwhile, the enemies are plotting to take her kingdom.

Wattpad link (Reyna as Y/N aka Peach)

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Y/N and Harry arrived at the southern border at dawn and found a single tent with two horses outside. Calanthe and whoever had accompanied her must have camped here overnight. Y/N assumed it was one of The Monks; however, she’d never met any of them, except for the one who had been sent to kill her at the market last year.

Y/N dismounted Thunder, unsheathed the dagger at her side and tucked it into her riding boot. They would be asked to submit their weapons before Calanthe received them, and even though Y/N doubted Calanthe could hurt a single fly, it was still better to be careful.

Mary had come to see Y/N the other night, and if the witch had been honest, Harry’s and Lance’s speculations had been true. It wasn’t at all shocking to Y/N that The Monks were only using Calanthe as a chess piece in their game. Calanthe didn’t seem like the mastermind behind this elaborated plan, starting with the attacks at the borders and Harry’s capture. Calanthe was desperate and angry, but she wasn’t vicious enough to want to take over the world.

Hearing Y/N’s and Harry’s arrival, a tall dark man with a thick beard emerged from the tent, dressed in a large black cloak – the signature look of The Monks. He swept his fierce eyes over Y/N with his thick eyebrow arched. Her heart thudded violently as she held her breath in fear of him acknowledging the weapon hidden inside her boot. Thank Gods, he didn’t.

His dry lips spread in an attempt of a smile, which didn’t look at all genuine and less intimidating. He put a hand on his chest and took a bow before Y/N. “Queen Y/N, my queen was expecting you.” His gaze flicked to Harry’s sword. “You must submit all weapons. And your servant is not allowed to enter.”

“That’s my commander,” Y/N said.

The man gave Harry a scornful smirk as he told Y/N, “If you say so, Your Majesty.” Y/N glanced at Harry to see her lover have his fingers wrapped around his sword-hilt. It must take everything for him not to say something when being disrespected by the enemy.

“If Harry is not allowed to enter, he must keep his sword,” Y/N said.

The man held her stare thoughtfully before another eerie smile transformed his long face, sending chills right down her spine. He didn’t ask Harry to hand in the weapon anymore as he told Y/N to come with him.

The inside of the tent was dimly lit by firelight. Calanthe sat in her chair in her riding clothes, her hair tied up in a braid at the back of her neck. The shadow on the wall looked as though it wanted to engulf her. She looked small and young and helpless. Without Y/N’s uncle’s crown on Calanthe’s head, no one would be able to tell that Calanthe was a queen and not a young maiden being held captive by the evil man in the black cloak.

The inside of the tent was dimly lit by firelight. Calanthe sat in her chair in her long golden velvet dress with her hair tied up in a braid at the back of her neck. The shadow on the wall looked as though it wanted to engulf her. She appeared small and young and helpless. Without Y/N’s uncle’s crown on Calanthe’s head, no one would be able to tell that Calanthe was a queen and not a young maiden being held captive by the evil man in the black cloak.

“I thought I told you to come alone,” Calanthe spoke once the man had left.

Y/N took some time to study the Queen of Theros. A lot had changed about Calanthe since the last time Y/N had seen her in person. She looked sick with her bony physique, lifeless eyes and pallid skin. What had they done to her? What had she done to herself?

“Harry’s my commander,” Y/N said, keeping a straight face. “It’s not safe for a queen to travel that far on her own. And didn’t you bring someone as well?”

“Vossler’s my new consultant.” Calanthe rose from her chair, eyeing Y/N with contempt. “Since you killed the old one.”

“I’m not here to be accused of murder. I wasn’t in the castle that night.”

Calanthe tilted her head and pouted with feigned innocence. “Who should I complain to then? Your husband?” Her face turned cold. “Let me remind you why you’re here, Y/N. I asked for the witch. Where is she?”

Y/N’s expression remained unchanged. “I told you I came with just Harry.”

Calanthe’s eyebrows knitted. It wasn’t until now that Y/N realised how quiet it was. There was no sound but the crackling of the fire and the sighing of the wind. She wondered if Harry was still waiting for her outside. He wouldn’t leave her by choice. She could take down Calanthe, and hopefully, Harry could handle Vossler, unless this was a trap and they’d just walked straight into it. Y/N doubted it, though. The reckless little girl who’d been forced to put on her dead husband’s crown would probably have Y/N and Harry murdered tonight. However, Calanthe wasn’t playing this game. The Monks were.

“The witch belongs to me,” Calanthe said, pulling Y/N out of her thoughts. “You return her to me, and I will spare your life in the war.”

“I don’t ask for mercy in a war I’m not losing.”

“Even if it means you’d get to keep the North?”

“Get to keep the North?” Y/N scoffed. “The North belongs to me. I’m the rightful ruler and heir to the crown. My family is the oldest family that’s ever lived–”

“Said the only family member survived,” Calanthe cut her off. It was a jab in the heart, still, Y/N didn’t let it show. “The first High King angered the Gods,” Calanthe went on with a smug grin. “His bloodline would end with your death.”

“Is that a threat?” asked Y/N.

“I never threaten.” Calanthe’s brows were drawn together. “I guarantee that you won’t live to see your people bend their knees to me.”

Y/N chuckled. “Should it be easier if you kill me now, though?”

“And become the villain in the story? No, darling,” Calanthe asked with fake surprise. “I must win on the battlefield, my dear. But if you give me the witch, I’ll let you live to be a sad loser. You can keep the North, marry your handsome king and live happily ever after in your winter castle. But if you keep the witch, I’ll have to declare war against the South based on the fact that your brother murdered my husband, and you murdered George Wallace.”

“There’s no proof for either of your accusations.”

“Trust me.” A corner of Calanthe’s red lips lifted. “It’s so easy to convince the other kingdoms that you’re just as mad as your brother.”

Y/N swallowed hard, balling her fists. She wasn’t going to let herself be provoked by Calanthe’s harmless words. This woman wasn’t the real enemy.

“If you declare war with the North,” Y/N said, “you declare war with Attwell, too.”

Calanthe rolled her eyes and smirked. “With Rouxvania’s support, I would surely win.”

Y/N’s stomach dropped. “The East is on your side?”

“While you were too busy looking for the cure for your lover, I was busy nurturing my allies.” Calanthe turned her back to Y/N, facing the fire. Y/N caught a glimpse of two long scars on Calanthe’s right palm. It seemed like she had been learning to wield a sword. Y/N guessed The Monks was going to send Calanthe onto the battlefield where they’d make sure she would not return. They wanted all kings and queens to fight to the death so they’d take over one hundred kingdoms.

“They’re just using you,” Y/N broke the silence. Calanthe glanced over her shoulder, her eyes troubled. “They’ll kill you like they did to my brother and the first High King,” Y/N went on, keeping her voice as quiet as possible. “Egon and Lokesh also believed they were ‘the chosen one’. You’re their next victim, Calanthe.”

Calanthe whirled around as she snapped, “And why should I trust you?”

“Because I don’t want the South for my own,” Y/N calmly said. “And I’m not standing here as your enemy. I’m here as a woman who doesn’t want to see another woman suffer from abuse from men.”

Calanthe’s eyes squinted with doubt. “You’re only saying this because you fear you’re going to end up like every single one in your family. Dead.”

Y/N clenched her fists, now highly aware of the existence of the dagger in her boot. Still, she kept her composure. “I know you hate me because of what my father did to your family and kingdom. I am sorry. If I could go back in time and stop him, I would. But I can’t. I’m trying to help you now by telling you the truth–”

“You don’t know what the truth is,” Calanthe cut her off. “You think you’re so special huh? Just because you found the lake and survived the North Forest, it doesn’t make you special, Y/N. You’re just as twisted as the men in your family. Lokesh sold his baby’s soul for victory, didn’t he? And we both know you didn’t just ask a witch to bring your friend back to life for free. You killed you ba–”

Y/N didn’t wait for Calanthe to finish. She shoved Calanthe into her chair, drew the dagger out of her boot so fast that Calanthe could barely gasp when the shiny blade was held at her throat.

“Your Majesty, is everything all right?” asked Vossler as his shadow towered over the entrance of the tent.

Y/N applied a little bit more pressure to her dagger as she leaned in and whispered into Calanthe’s ear, “I’d cut your throat before he could set foot into this tent.”

She could see that Calanthe was trying her best to look calm while her big blue eyes were showing the opposite. “Everything is fine,” she told Vossler.

Y/N looked back over her shoulder and saw that Vlosser hesitated before he left. He probably suspected something was off but had no choice but to obey the command.

“I know you can’t kill me,” Calanthe said through gritted teeth.

Y/N turned back to her. “I can. I just chose not to because I’m not stupid.” Her fingers relaxed around the hilt of her dagger. “But as you can see, it’s very easy for me to kill you. And we’re not even on the battlefield, Calanthe.”

When Y/N pulled away, Calanthe let out a loud sigh as she immediately reached for her throat as if to make sure her head was still attached. Y/N thrust the dagger back into her boot, smiling.

Calanthe gave her a dismissive wave, too embarrassed to even make eye contact. “You may leave.”

Knowing there was nothing she could do to change this foolish woman’s mind, Y/N kept her thoughts to herself and walked out without a single glance back.

Outside, Harry was waiting with the horses while Vossler was sharpening his blade by the tent. Y/N could feel Vossler’s dark eyes following her as she exited the tent and padded straight toward Harry. His eyes stayed fixed on Vossler as he asked her, “So?”

She shook her head and mounted her horse. “Let’s go.”

Harry’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but he knew this wasn’t the right time to have this conversation. Giving Vossler one more glare, he got onto Lightning’s back. Together, they rode away.

When they came across a river, Y/N suddenly stopped, got off her horse and walked straight to the riverbank. She stood there in silence, just gazing out at the water.

Harry came up from behind her. “Peach, what happened back there?” He sounded worried. It made her feel bad.

She sucked in a breath and put her arms around herself. “I had a dagger at her throat, and she still wouldn’t surrender.”

There was a pause. “Peach, you can’t do that. She’s still a queen.”

Y/N whirled around to face a concerned Harry. “She’s an idiot. Now people are going to die. I can’t stop this war from happening.”

He sighed and placed his hands on her shoulders. “It’s not your fault. You can’t control everything.”

“Everything is my fault.” Her head drooped as her voice cracked. “This all started with me running away. I killed my father and my brother, and my uncle was murdered because of me.”

“You did what you thought was right at the time. You couldn’t have known.” He squeezed her shoulders gently. “You’re not responsible for their deaths. If I were to die defending you, it wouldn’t be your fault, either.”

Her heart stopped. She looked up into his green eyes. “Don’t say that. Don’t you ever say that. You won’t die.”

A knot lodged in her throat as his eyebrows sloped. “When someone dies, they die, Peach. You cannot stop it. But no matter how or when it happens, it will not be your fault. And you will not waste one moment on guilt.”

Tears blurred his features. Y/N couldn’t even think of something happening to Harry again. Losing him once was already too much. Other than Lance, Harry was the only person in her life who knew what kept me up at night. He knew her more than her own family had. It would be like losing her mother all over again, but she’d known long before her mother’s death that it was going to happen. Her mother had been sick. If Harry died under the hand of the enemy, it would happen suddenly. How could she ever recover?

“Tell me you understand that.” His voice shook her back to reality.

She didn’t want to understand, but she nodded nonetheless because that was what he needed to see. She slipped her arms around his neck, and he hugged her tightly. She never wanted him to let go.

“Your father and brother weren’t good kings.” His voice thickened. “But you are a great queen. You’re the chosen one, Peach. You’ll lead your army to victory. I believe in you..” Stepping back, he squeezed her shoulder once more and offered a smile to fool her into thinking everything was going to be okay. At least it worked. “Come.” He kissed her forehead. “It’ll be a long trip back to the castle.”

.

.

.

It was official. There was going to be a war.

Two days after Y/N and Harry had come home, the news had travelled to all high and low courts that The High Queen of Theros had declared war against Isolde to avenge the deaths of her husband and her consultant. Y/N had faith in her well-trained army as well as Lance’s for they had all expected this outcome. Her father had been well-prepared for this. Nevertheless, this wasn’t at all what Y/N wanted.

The night before the battle, it snowed thickly outside. The castle was too quiet. It was as if the universe was holding its breath for the bloodbath tomorrow.

Y/N rose from the soaking tub. Jo helped her slip on a thick robe, and she padded on her bare feet across the fire-warmed stone to the lone mirror. Using her palm to wipe away a bit of steam, she tilted my cheek and observed the faintly red and bruised skin along her chest and the corner of her mouth. She’d got them from the fall off the cliff; they were barely noticeable now. Sometimes she missed that feeling of free-falling to her possible death. If it hadn’t been for the people she’d leave behind, she would have chosen the easy way out.

Was it easy, though?

Death.

It sounded easy if the choice was given to you. However, her death would only prove Calanthe right. That she was destined to receive the same fate as the men in her bloodline. And she didn’t want to be associated with their crimes and weaknesses. If she were to die, she’d die brave and honoured, holding her sword.

Blinking, she caught Jo’s dreadful eyes looking back at her in the mirror. “I’m scared, Y/N,” Jo muttered as she twisted the towel she was holding.

Y/N turned around. “Don’t be scared. We’ll be fine.” She didn’t know that for sure, but she’d say anything to put her friend at ease. It didn’t work, though.

“If they took the castle, what would happen to me?” Jo asked, her forehead creased. “I’d surely die. I cannot protect myself.”

“I won’t let them take the castle.” Y/N mustered an encouraging smile as she took Jo’s hand. “And you can protect yourself, Jo. I’ve shown you how to use a dagger—”

“Being shown the basics of how to use a blade and using it on another living person are two different things.” Jo pulled her hand back. “I would’ve stood there and screamed.”

“You would’ve defended yourself,” Y/N said, this, she genuinely believed. “I’ve seen how vicious you get when Harry ate your last piece of pie.”

The skin around Jo’s eyes crinkled as she giggled. “I would duel him to the death for that delicious cake.”

A short laugh burst from Y/N. “Just imagine all the attackers as Harry trying to steal your last piece of pie and you’ll be good.”

They laughed about it together and pretended that it was just a joke. In reality, Y/N knew Jo had a good reason to be scared, as was she. She’d failed to save Jo once. How could she be sure she could succeed this time? There was no witch to help her. She’d have to do this on her own.

.

.

.

Sweat dampened Harry’s skin as he dipped down and kicked out. Caught off guard, Lance staggered to the side and froze before he could start striking back. His gaze dropped to where Harry held the dagger to his throat. The corners of his lips lowered.

Harry smirked. “I win.”

“It’s not about winning.” Lance scoffed, rolling his eyes. “It’s about surviving.”

“Isn’t that winning, though?” Harry lowered the dagger and stepped back.

Lance shot him a glare and sheathed the dagger at his hip. “The battle tomorrow isn’t a game.”

“I know that.” Harry put away his blade. “But I still won.”

“Boys, can you stop being boys for a moment?”

They both whipped around to find Y/N standing on the steps in her white fur coat, staring out at the yard.

“She’s talking to you,” Harry and Lance said to each other at the same time

Y/N marched up to them. Her face scrunched up like an angry teacher as she regarded them both. “You two are aware that we’re heading to battle at dawn, right?”

Lance’s eyes widened as he aggressively pointed his hand at Harry. “I’ve been trying to tell him!”

Y/N crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at Harry, who put on a grin. “I’ll be in serious fighting mode at dawn.”

She rolled her eyes. Her lips arched faintly. Harry knew that she knew he was just trying to keep everyone calm and in good spirits. Deep down, he was a bundle of nerves. He hadn’t been sleeping since they’d returned from the border. Whenever he closed his eyes, he’d see death. He wasn’t afraid of dying. But if he died, he couldn’t protect her. There would still be Lance, but he couldn’t count on anyone else but him and herself to keep her safe at this point.

The three of them headed back inside. Y/N stopped Lance when he was about to retreat to his chambers. “Come to the throne room and drink with me,” she said. “Both of you.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to get drunk before a battle,” Lance said.

Harry and Y/N exchanged the same kind of look. To Lance, Harry said, “We’re not drinking to get drunk. Besides, this might be the only chance we get to drink together.”

Lance flicked his gaze between Harry and Y/N before throwing his head back and exhaling sharply. “You two are unbelievable.”

Y/N laughed as she slipped her arm around Lance’s and tugged him along. Strangely, Harry felt fine with it. Maybe knowing this could be the last night of his life had made him more sensible. He would think about what she’d said on the night she’d asked him to marry her. About how she loved Lance even though it wasn’t the same way she loved Harry. He would look out for Kenny, too, even though Kenny and Stefan were married and had a baby together. While Lance’s feelings were not reciprocated, Harry knew he’d still jump in front of an arrow for Y/N.

“Here’s to us staying alive,” Y/N said, raising her cup. “Long live the Queen.”

Lance chuckled as he lifted his. “Long live the King.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Long live Harry.” And chugged the wine from his cup.

Y/N sat on her throat while Harry and Lance sat on the step on either side of her. She stared thoughtfully into her cup as she took a deep breath. “I want you to promise me one thing.”

“No.”

“You don’t even know what I’m proposing, Lance.”

“Well, I have a feeling that I won’t like it,” Lance said and poured himself some more wine. Harry gestured for Y/N to continue anyway.

“If you see me having trouble on the battlefield,” she said, “just know I can get myself out of it. I want you to mind your own business, watch your own back unless I scream for help. Do not try to help me and get yourself killed.”

Lance shook his head. “Y/N, you know I can’t promise you that.”

“You must.”

“You’re not giving me orders. We’re equals.”

Y/N let out a soft breath. “I’m not giving you orders, Lance. I’m asking you.”

Harry could see Lance softened at once. The King averted his eyes and stared down at his cup. “I promise,” he replied weakly.

It was enough for Y/N. She turned to Harry. Forcefully, he nodded and gave her his word.

[darkpoisonouslove]

Sleeping Beauty Missed Opportunities

I watched Disney’s Sleeping Beauty about ten days ago and I actually loved it a lot. The aesthetic is lovely and the music is absolutely ethereal, there was some awesome comedy and Maleficent remains such a cool villain even if she is not particularly competent at it, Phillip is probably the best Disney prince ever and I got all nostalgic so it was a great experience. I couldn’t help but notice a couple of things that had so much potential had they been explored and now I am going to write them out because they will simply not leave me alone.

- The fact that Flora’s gift to Aurora was beauty annoyed me a lot. So you’re telling me that her beauty is not only not natural, but it was also pretty much a gift wasted since it literally never played any role in anything. Aurora grew up in isolation so she could have looked as Godzilla for all anyone cared and it wouldn’t have made a difference. And to top it all, her beauty also does not play a role in Phillip falling in love with her because he falls in love with the beauty of her voice at first. It would have been much better if she was naturally pretty (as opposed to supernaturally so aka magically induced) and Flora had given her another gift. I suppose that since she is named Flora, she has something to do with flowers which is why her gift to Aurora was beauty. After all, flowers are there to look pretty and not much else. But I think it would have been a better idea if her gift to Aurora had been that of a nurturing touch that makes it so that Aurora nearly gives life to plants by just touching them. Animals are trickier but she can still heal and nurse them back to health with a little more effort. That would have been in contrast with Maleficent’s whole “kingdom” (aka the Forbidden Mountain) decaying and being in ruins and would have gone better with Fauna’s gift of the soul.

- In the scene where Maleficent appears to the Christening, it is Merryweather that tells her she was not wanted. Granted, the king and queen did not object to that but it was obvious they had already pissed off Maleficent so they probably didn’t want to get on the wrong side of the fairies whose benevolence they still had. When you think about it, though, it was Merryweather who escalated the situation into a disaster that could not be saved so my thought was that it would have been interesting to have learned a little bit more about the fairy ways and the conflict between the Three Good Fairies and Maleficent. Obviously, Maleficent has high social status since even the queen called her “Your Excellence” so the decision to not invite her to the Christening was weird and ill-advised. With a little more background info on the fairy business we could have witnessed the dilemma of the royal family that is caught in the middle of a feud they have nothing to do with aka having to choose which side to invite and risking to draw the wrath of the other upon themselves. It could have been interesting to see what would have happened if they had invited Maleficent instead of the Good Fairies in fear of what she could do if they didn’t only to have the Good Fairies paying them back for the disrespect but that would have changed the plot too much so it is probably best to explore as an AU.

- The consequences of King Stefan’s decision to burn all spinning wheels were never ever shown and that was such a great waste. The fact that the target audience is kids makes it a little bit more understandable, of course, but this could have made for a great political subplot. The decision was impulsive and was made more from the heart of the father rather than the head of the king in his desperation to protect the child he and his wife have wanted for so long. However, that will surely have economical and even political impact on the kingdom. Instead of celebrating the birth of the royal heir, they had to pay the price for protecting her. It is the fourteenth century so without spinning wheels in the whole kingdom, they could no longer turn wool into threads. Any industry including fabric would have suffered from that choice and that would have led to poverty. Now that would have been a perfect way to explore the alliance between Aurora and Phillip’s kingdoms. Maybe they signed a contract for Phillip’s kingdom to trade finished products for the resources that they need to make them coming from Aurora’s kingdom. It would have been a good way to include the aspect of royalty, politics and economics more since they already introduced it through the arranged marriage. And it would be interesting to see Aurora’s reaction once she was back at the palace to how much her subjects and the whole kingdom (even Phillip’s kingdom) had sacrificed for her well-being. Any decisions she could have made on the matter as the future ruler could have shown her introduction into her role of princess and future queen as well as her compassion and good heart.

- The king and queen’s pain over their lost daughter was never explored. They waited for years for the happiness to have a baby and when their only dream finally comes true, they are forced to give up the baby if they want to keep her alive. They can not see her for the first sixteen years of her life and by the time she comes back to the palace she is all grown up. She is not their baby daughter but a beautiful stranger that they don’t know anything about. Whatever happiness and relief there was over her being well and alive was surely overshadowed by the fact that Maleficent still succeeded in tearing their family apart. Their daughter is not dead but they lost her and she never had them. It is a horrible tragedy that the movie never even bothered to address for a second past that scene of them sending Aurora away with the Three Good Fairies. Considering all the negative repercussions the king’s decision to burn all spinning wheels must have had on the kingdom, it was a shame that they never truly showed the emotional consequences of the choice to give Aurora to the fairies to raise for the royal family. It could have added much emotional depth to the story and characters.

- In relation to that, there was a big missed opportunity with Philip also. Since his mother wasn’t there neither at the Christening, nor at the celebration of Aurora’s sixteenth birthday, a sound assumption would be that she was dead. The loss of her that Phillip and his father were going through and the loss Aurora’s parents were experiencing after they gave her away could have become a great bonding point for the two families. It has been shown that Phillip’s dad is a great friend of King Stefan so it would be safe to assume that the two met quite a lot. Phillip could have easily been brought along on those visits and since they lost their own daughter, Aurora’s parents would have probably become very fond of the boy and loved him as their own. He was to be their son-in-law one day and through him they could give their daughter all their love, by caring for him and helping raise him in any way they could. And Phillip could have come to think of them as family as well and respect them like his own parents which would have made it harder for him to stand up to the arranged marriage because he also loved them and didn’t want to hurt their feelings after all the love they’d given him. And later on, once Aurora was back home, he could have helped her get to know her parents. It would have been bittersweet that he knew them better than she did but it would have shown both his support of Aurora and the trust that binds the two families in one as well as helped both Aurora and her parents get over the pain and trauma they’ve experienced.

- This is more of a detail that would have just made things a little cooler if it’d been included but what if the gift of soul Fauna gave Aurora was the reason she was seeing Phillip in her dreams? It connected her to the living beings like the forest animals and it could have very well been the one thing helping her connect with the one she is destined to be with. It could have been a cool side thing. And maybe it also affected Phillip in some way and that was why he could communicate so effortlessly with his horse. Or they could have made it so that Phillip had also been blessed by fairies as a child and that was why he was communicating the same way with his horse that Aurora was with the forest animals and it helped them establish their dream bond.

- And one last possibility that I thought of would have been if Aurora had been raised according to fairy understanding and perception of the world. The Three Good Fairies themselves said that they knew nothing about raising a human child and Aurora neither knew they were fairies, nor had contact with any other humans in order to figure out that something wasn’t quite right with the way they were raising her and the things they were teaching her. So she grew up experienced in fairy traditions and the fairy way of looking on the world. Once she goes to the palace, she finally learns that what she’s been taught is not the human way of doing things so on top of having to patch up her family and learn the royal ways, she also has to learn the human ways. And since she’s been raised with fairy outlook on the world, she cannot believe her parents’ decision to not invite Maleficent to her Christening. It is not that she blames them but to her it seems incredibly stupid and disrespectful and she understands why Maleficent went for retribution. Since Aurora is so well versed in the fairy ways, she becomes something of an ambassador for the kingdom in its dealings with fairies (and possibly other magical creatures) to avoid repetition of history and offend another powerful being. The kingdom becomes prosperous thanks to its extraordinary princess who has managed to earn the benevolence and blessings of various fairies. There are those who do not like her since they think a human should have never been allowed the privilege to know their traditions so well but, in general, she is in the favor of most powerful beings that protect her kingdom and make it a force to be reckoned with.

Those are the things that I would have loved to have seen included or even hinted at in some way in the movie since there is a lot to cover in all the cracks of the story. Any of these would have made for great additions to the original plot imo and would have given more depth and life to the story.

[seddm]

One Sentence Recaps - S3

Season 1

Season 2

Return to Mewni - Star gets outsmarted by some rodents and bonds with her mom when Glossaryck’s plumbing doesn’t work.

Moon the Undaunted - a grieving Moon envies her late mom when she has to deal with her court, bribes a criminal with food and creates her future daughter's nemesis

Book Be Gone - Ludo commits arson when Toffee fights Glossaryck over custody.

Marco and the King - while grasping for ways to mislead his feelings Marco accidentally starts Mewni's shortest war.

Puddle Defender - Moon and Buff Frog discuss stereotypes over turn based competition; a toddler questions Star's growth arc.

King Ludo - Ludo becomes the second worst king Mewni ever had; Marco enlists a group of liberal majors with unresolved sexual tensions to enter the Royal Bedrooms.

Toffee - when Marco's plan to save Star doesn't actually change the plot, it's up to Glossaryck to let his student drown so that Ludo can find some closure in murder.

Scent of a Hoodie - Pony Head has to prevent a homicide when Marco's cowardice pushes Star to develop a new fetish.

Rest in Pudding - Moon's mourning tricks and Janna's expertise help Star retrieve a defective Glossaryck.

Club Snubbed - Star has to find a way to distract herself from Marco for a couple of seasons when she puts her mind to changing Mewni.

Stranger Danger - Star questions her Kingdom's judicial system when a strange woman tickles Glossaryck.

Demoncism - Star and Tom relapse into their old mistakes with renewed appreciation when a magic lobotomy turns out to be a therapy session.

Sophomore Slump - Marco acts like an ass when he's in denial about the direction he should take in life, until Jackie helps by breaking up with him.

Lint Catcher - Star is hurt when Marco's return makes her feel like a fall-back choice, so she marries him.

Trial by Squire - capitalism and hazing mislead Star and Marco into thinking they won't have several hanging emotional threads to unravel.

Princess Turdina - Marco lets popularity and merchandise get to his head at the cost of the truth until Heinous rips his clothes off in front of a crowd

Starfari - Star comes to a new understanding of her world's social dynamics when a racist loony almost kills a village.

Sweet Dreams - when Star begins kidnapping food service workers in her sleep, it’s up to Eclipsa to tell her not to worry, and to Marco to do all the worrying.

Lava Lake Beach - Marco regrets his obliviousness when a squatting hippie and the most ill-timed beach in the world help him accept his true feelings for Star.

Death Peck - language barriers almost get Star and friends murdered when Marco shows his prejudice against birds.

Ponymonium - Star reconsiders her opinions on her family when Pony Head’s invite to lunch turns into a day of high treason and troughs.

Night Life - Marco struggles to balance his desire to help and need for escapism from his feelings until Star gets almost harpooned in the face.  

Deep Dive - Star masters her newfound powers while facing the consequences of Glossaryck’s last lesson; Marco has to learn magic when the phone line goes down.

Monster Bash - Star reconsiders her approach to royalhood when an ageless supersoldier, a betrayed successor and the cops crash her party; Marco’s nemesis finds new enemies.

Stump Day - the magic of not-Christmas makes everyone insufferable until a piece of wood almost kills them all.

Holiday Spellcial - Stump Day almost gets ruined when the morally grey spell of a morally grey Queen applies morality in an unflinchingly straight way.

The Bogbeast of Boggabah - Star receives a lesson about rushing into things with uncanny timing, from an uncanny source.

Total Eclipsa the Moon - Eclipsa guilt trips Moon into lobotomizing Sean and finding the truth about her daughter.

Butterfly Trap - Star has an identity crisis when three generations of Butterflies use a slumber party accessory to uncover a centuries old conspiracy.

Ludo, Where Art Thou - Dennis starts processing his family issues when he gets challenged to a basketball match by his brother’s onsetting schizophrenia.

Is Another Mystery - Tom’s speech saves a disastrous date at the last moment, teaching Star that words are useless and actions are needed to change Mewni.

Marco Jr. - Marco’s escapism threatens his family life until a body horror experience teaches him a lesson about finding time for what’s important; Star humiliates the Diazes in a scantron test.

Skooled! - Meteora maims a teen, commits double murder, to learn about her past.

Booth Buddies - a voyeur traps Star and Marco and tells them to show how they really feel, so they kiss; Tom has a cheat day on his own.

Bam Ui Pati! - Pony Head runs from reality and is deaf to Star’s personal experience until capitalism saves the day.

Tough Love - Meteora does some landscaping while being followed; Moon and Eclipsa have a disagreement about educative methods and they explode.

Divide - when a heated foreplay session convinces Star of Marco's skills, it's up to him to lead a team of secondary characters to die against Meteora. Meanwhile Star trips hard with her mom.

Conquer - a glowy horse throws off Star's vibe, who becomes painfully aware of her need for Marco's support when he loses too much weight; Mewni almost gets a new ruler until she gets murdered by her mother.

[imissjoongsmullet]

My Prince (1)

Pairing: Minghao x reader

Genre: fluff/(angst)

Summary: Life is not exactly easy being the royal gardeners’ daughter but at least it’s simple. When you’re suddenly called upon to serve as the prince’s personal servant, things get a little more than complicated, especially considering the secret history you and the prince share.

Part 2

Part 3

Warnings: general angstiness, a bit of a slow burn, very romantic, very soft, the fact that this will most likely become a long series cause I have no chill

Word Count: 3k

Author’s Note: this is a present for my sweet sweet baby @silverstonemanor you deserve the world, I hope you like it! She gave me the idea for this story a while ago. I would have posted stuff earlier but my extra self couldn’t stop and ran way too far with this whole idea. This was supposed to be a drabble and well, now it’ll probably become the longest thing I’ve ever written that isn’t a novel so yeah ^^” oopsie~

►

The sun was just peeking over the distant treetops when you entered the wide castle grounds with your parents, tool bag slung over your back. You didn’t mind waking up this early; you enjoyed watching the various shades of orange and pink roll over the sky like waves, until nothing was left but clear blue. Besides, in a few hours, the air would turn far too hot and humid for you to focus.

The royal gardens were massive. They’d seemed infinite as a child and even now, despite your position as gardener, you found yourself lost in them from time to time. You followed your parents to the place you’d left off the evening before: a long, narrow stretch of grass, flanked by vibrant tiger lilies on both sides. At the far end was a small, ornate pagoda, around which a thin body of water lay. It was a lily pond of your father’s own making.

“Start at the front,” your mother’s stern voice called from behind, “we need it perfect by noon.”

You did as you were told, getting on your knees in the damp grass, facing the flowers. They needed pruning, as well as weeding. There would be some sort of royal meeting held right here today and; naturally, the place should be spotless. You dug your fingers into the moist soil and pulled at the weeds haphazardly, eyes drifting to the sky more often than necessary. It was tedious work, being part of the royal gardeners but you’d never had much of a choice in the matter. Your parents had done it and the same was expected of you. It’s not like you minded it all that much; you just wondered sometimes whether there was something more exciting you could be doing with your life than fussing over the tiniest details of a garden so vast, the emperor would probably never even see half of it.

The distant neighing of a horse called your attention. Unthinking, you got up and jumped onto the raised platform of the pagoda, so you could see over the bushes of the garden. From the castle’s main entrance came about a dozen men on horses. They trod down the path that lead into an enormous forest. At the front of the procession was the emperor of Namin himself, his most trusted servant by his side. Your eyes went immediately to the horse behind them though; for that’s where the prince sat. The gold detailing on his robe glinted in the warm morning light as he silently followed his father.

“Hey!” your mother barked at you, “these weeds won’t disappear by themselves you know.”

You pulled your eyes away from the procession and hopped off the pagoda with a dull thump and a sigh. You wished you could join the people on their horses. You didn’t even care where they were headed; you just wanted to get out. You imagined adventures you’d have with the prince sometimes; it was a bit of a guilty pleasure and if anyone ever found out, you’d probably be banished from the grounds.

But the prince and you had been close once. You’d been only children but even then it had been scandalous. Servants weren’t allowed to interact with royals but, as the daughter of the palace gardeners you’d spent a fair amount of time on grounds, learning your parents’ craft. That’s how you’d first met him.

He’d been reading by himself under an orange tree when you’d found him, a young boy of seven. He’d seemed weary of you at first but in a matter of hours, the two of you would’ve seemed like best friends to strangers. You still remembered the way he’d smiled at you that first day when you said goodbye; as if he himself was shocked by how much fun he’d just had.

From then on, you’d been secret playmates. He’d find you in the rose garden, watching your parents treat the plants and steal you away for hours, playing hide and seek in the endless maze of greenery, until the sun went down and when you’d return, your parents were worried about where you’d been.

He hadn’t seemed much like a prince back then. You’d just known him as Minghao, your best friend. He’d been loud and wild and full of life, chasing you between trees and under bushes, not afraid to get completely covered in dirt. One time, you’d been teasing each other until finally, he’d pushed you into one of your father’s most prided fountains. You’d yanked him down with you, ruining the apparently-brand-new robes he was supposed to wear to a formal dinner with the ruler of a neighboring land called Yientan that evening. You hadn’t seen him in the following days and you’d felt extremely guilty but a week or so later, he’d jumped out from behind a tree and pulled you into another afternoon of carefree playing.

You were eight years old when you finally got caught. To make matters worse, it had been the empress herself who’d found you, hidden behind a banquet table at one of the royal summer festivals, laughing a bit too loud. You’d never forget the look in her eyes — hard as stone at her own son — as well as Minghao’s — positively terrified. She’d had the guards escort him back to his chambers assuring him there’d be punishment later. She would have banished you right then and there in front of everyone if it hadn’t been for your parents’ begging. They promised to have you start training twelve hours a day with them, to force all your focus on gardening so you wouldn’t have the energy to think about anything else.

You supposed you should be grateful. You would never have survived on your own outside the grounds should you have been banished.

After that, you barely ever saw Minghao and even when he was out in the gardens, you kept your distance. There were times when your eyes crossed and you’d share a look and a smile that reminded you of the way things once were. But even that didn’t last. Soon enough, Minghao grew up and you stopped seeing him as Minghao, the name replaced with ‘prince’, as others called him. It seemed to fit him more. By his fourteenth birthday, there wasn’t much left of the loud, wild, full-of-life boy you’d known. His back was straighter, his shoulders squared and his kind smile vanished. On the rare occasion your eyes did meet, his were cold like his mother’s and you just had to learn to live with that.

Because you knew your place now.

Yet, as you worked your way around the stretch of tiger lilies, your mind kept flitting to the prince. You couldn’t help it. You knew it was silly but, somehow, you still hoped you could return to how things were before.

You were a sweaty mess once the sun arrived high in the sky. Your hands hurt and your stomach was growling but your mother had told you not to take a break before the flowerbeds were in perfect condition. After that you’d still have to clean the pond, all before the clock struck three, when the meeting would take place. You were getting impatient and grouchy and when someone called your name you replied with a bit more attitude than you were allowed to.

“What now?” you groaned, turning around to see, not your parents, but a tall, thin woman in pristine, white and gold clothing. You nearly fell over into the flowers.

The woman didn’t seem fazed. “Come with me,” she ordered in a monotone voice.

You looked around for your parents and found them just as perplexed as you were. Hesitantly, you stood and followed the stranger through the garden. You knew by her clothes she must work at the castle but, as you had no idea of what went on on the inside, you couldn’t tell exactly who she was or what she wanted from you. You worried suddenly they’d somehow found out about your secret prince fantasies, which was a completely irrational thought but horrifying nonetheless.

You were taken through the main entrance, with its massive wooden doors and colorful flags — a gold dragon against a vivid blue backdrop. You'd been fantasizing about what lay behind them since before you could remember. More blue and gold flags? Statues of the royal family? Elaborate paintings or murals?

It was more than you could have dreamed of. The room was entirely bare, drawing the focus on the only the two things that mattered. The floor was a wood, so shiny you could see your face reflected in them, the gentle creak in them like a birdsong. The walls were painted a sky blue, decorated with gold, spindly tree branches. Their shine reflected onto the wood, lighting up the place beautifully.

You had no time to admire any of it. The tall woman’s stride was hasty and you could barely keep up. Tailing her through a small sliding door, you came upon a narrow hallway. You passed others in servant’s clothing: light colored, clean, silk robes. They billowed behind them gracefully as they shuffled past. It made you realize how much you stood out in your mud-stained tunic and trousers.

You ventured deeper into the castle, taking turns through sliding door after sliding door and you started wondering whether you’d ever find your way back outside, when suddenly, the stern woman turned around to face you. You were in a small room with a low table as its center piece. The woman motioned for you to sit and so you did, feeling your heartbeat quicken. What kind of punishment was in store for you here?

The woman took the seat opposite you at the little table, expression unwavering. “I’ve called you here because your services are required in the castle,” she said, sounding put off by the idea.

You could only stare at her in confusion. Why on earth would you be needed at the castle? Your parents did the odd job inside every now and again, mostly flower pieces for special events, but you’d never even been allowed in. Was this some kind of joke?

“Our royal prince’s personal servant has fallen ill,” she went on as if she couldn’t care less, “we need a temporary replacement.”

It took you a few moments to put two and two together.

“You mean me?” you let out a little louder than you’d meant to.

The woman raised her brows. “Believe me I would have chosen otherwise but as it is, you’re the only adequate servant on castle grounds available at the moment.”

Adequate, you thought perplexedly. That wasn’t really a term you’d ever use to describe yourself, let alone a term some crabby older woman would use to describe you.

“The position of any royal member’s personal servant has a set of very specific requirements. Age, gender, birth time,… I don’t expect you to know about it,” she sighed, quite literally looking down on you. “Skills can be taught,” she went on, rising and beckoning you to follow, “but unfortunately the alignment of the planets are beyond our control.”

She opened up a panel behind her, revealing a deep closet space filled to the brim with colorful fabrics. She pulled out a soft lilac robe, not unlike the ones you’d seen the other castle servants wear, and held it up to you, looking you up and down.

“This will do,” she said with a concerning lack of enthusiasm. She pulled out a bunch more similar robes and made a neat pile. “Come,” she ordered and left with the clothes.

All you could do was follow and try to process the ridiculous things you’d just been told. Perhaps you were just dreaming, you thought. Yeah, that had to be it.

You arrived in another bare room, this one large and rectangular. There were a couple of other servant girls, folding robes on the floor. They all rose upon seeing the older woman and bowed in silence. Then they noticed you and their eyes narrowed. You felt their stares stab at your already racing heart.

“Before we can begin your training you need to wash, child,” the woman said, laying down your new clothes, “I’ll be back in half an hour. Be ready," and with that, she left you standing there, completely in shock.

After awkwardly looking around the room for far too long to be socially acceptable, you plucked up the courage to ask for help. The young girls exchanged looks before reluctantly bringing you to the baths.

If you hadn't been so anxious it would've been the best bath you'd ever had but for all the luxurious oils and soaps to scrub yourself clean with, your brain was too preoccupied with everything that had just happened.

“I don’t understand,” you muttered when you were met with the older woman again, “I’m just a gardener.” You were shuffling after her in the narrow hallways, trying to wrap your head around things.

“Don’t be dramatic,” she answered simply, “it’s not befitting a royal servant. Besides, this is merely a temporary position. You’ll be back out with your tools in no time.”

Her name, you’d learned, was Tou Ma, or at least that what you were to call her. She was head keeper to the royal family, in charge of all female servants in the castle. Her face was long, with eyes like slits and cheekbones sharp as glass. You couldn’t tell how old she was from the heavy layers of powder she wore but supposed she must be older than your mother.

She spent the rest of the day attempting to cram an overload of information into your head. She taught you to bow ‘the proper way’, whatever that meant; apparently you’d been doing it wrong your entire life. She explained all the intricacies of etiquette, washing, folding, serving, dusting, pruning and a bunch of other things you’d probably forget by the next day. It was all so overwhelming that when it was finally over, the sun was setting and you were about ready to pass out.

“Now,” Tou Ma said, somehow still as fierce as she was at the beginning of the day, “the emperor and his son returned from their hunting trip approximately one hour ago. I suggest you don’t keep him waiting much longer.”

The words took the earth right out from under your feet.

“I have to see him?” you stammered, “now?”

Tou Ma looked unimpressed. “I’ve told you how he likes his tea,” she said, “don’t mess it up.”

You were one and all nerves as you approached the prince’s chambers. You nearly got lost on the way, the hundreds of hallways all blurring together after such a long day, but the entrance to his chamber was not easily missed. It was a heavy, wooden sliding door, it’s surface craved out, depicting a scene from a past war. It was imposing to say the least, with soldiers on horseback and a massive dragon in the sky, spewing fire. It did not manage to still your racing heart.

Taking a deep breath, you slid open the door.

There he was, the prince, sat in a blood red, upholstered chair at his desk, writing. He looked regal, you admitted, in his clean, silk robes and perfect hair; too beautiful to touch. He looked up at the sound of the door. His brown eyes fell on you and his lips parted in silence.

“Um,” you started awkwardly, which was already not the ‘proper’ way of serving tea, “I’ve brought you some tea.”

That’s when you noticed his brows furrow ever so slightly. Having forgotten everything Tou Ma had taught you just before, you walked over to the nearest surface — a narrow table against a wall — and set down the tray you’d been holding. You felt his eyes on you the entire time as you tried to remember how to prepare the beverage properly but when you were finally done after what seemed like forever, you found him hunched over his writing again.

“Okay,” you said softly, “it’s ready.”

He set down his pen and turned to you with a look that was impossible to read. The silence between you seemed to last forever and you felt your face go red hot. You noticed for the first time how tired he looked. He was seventeen, one year older than you, but the darkness under his eyes would suggest otherwise.

Part of you wanted to go nearer to him. You took a hesitant step forward but at once, you saw his eyes turn colder than you’d never seen them.

“You can leave,” he said suddenly, casting his eyes back down to his writing.

“Yes,” you stuttered, taking the emptied tray and hugging it to yourself, “of course.”

You stumbled backwards until you met the door, made an awkward bow and left the prince with a sinking feeling in your gut. You’d watched him change over the years from a distance, sure; but having him dismiss you so coolly when there was no one even around to see? Well, it hurt. Maybe part of you had hoped he’d act differently when it was just the two of you. Maybe you’d hoped he’d tell you all these years of iciness had been pretend for his parents. But clearly not.

In one day, your entire life had turned upside down and at its end, you were positive things hadn’t changed for the better.

Part 2

[rosierocks30]

Hidden: Ch. 21

Chapter 21: The Infinity Witch 

(Mikasa)

Mikasa was kneeling on a comfortable cushion while some of the ladies were doing makeup and her hair for the wedding ceremony. Earlier, she and Reiner had gone to see Lady Kiyomi talk about wanting to be married as soon as they could. 

(Flashback)

The sun barely peek out from the horizon. The sky was colorful with purple, orange, and yellow as the stars slowly vanished. On the deck of the ship Lady Kiyomi was sipping her tea enjoying her early breakfast along with Mikasa and Reiner. Both couples arrived an hour ago to have a traditional Hizuran breakfast with the ambassador. The ambassador was happy to have them joining her for a nice morning meal. 

“I’m so pleased that both of you stopped by to have breakfast with me.” Lady Kiyomi smiled at Mikasa and Reiner. 

“Thank you for having us here to join you even though we came by unannounced.” Mikasa bowed her head in respect. 

“No, my dearest. It’s alright for you to come anytime especially now you’re our sovereignty. I should be thanking you for wanting to join me for breakfast with me, my Empress.” Lady Kiyomi said while bowing back to Mikasa. 

Mikasa was still not used to taking the role as a ruler yet. It would take time for this role to sink into her mind. If she can use her new position to have a quiet ceremony to be wed to Reiner, then both Reiner and her can be at peace to fight to end this end as a married couple. They don’t know how long this war will last. It’s best to do the things that you want to do now before the war gets too heavy and difficult to do anything. 

“Ambassador Kiyomi, we have a favor to ask you if it’s possible to make it happen as soon as it can.” Mikasa said. 

“Oh my, this must be serious. Of course, whatever it is; as empress your wishes will be granted without questions.” Lady Kiyomi said as she was curious about this favor both of them wanted to ask. 

“As we’re in war and with Commander Reiner’s curse, he only has 11 months left until it’s affected; we want a wedding ceremony. We’re in love and I wanted to be Reiner’s wife when he passed away. Could it be possible to have a wedding to be ready tonight or tomorrow?” Mikasa was a bit nervous asking her kin about this. She doesn’t know enough about the culture if it is appropriate to have a sudden wedding ceremony especially if she is now Empress. 

The Hizuru’s ambassador was silent at first, this gave her a mixed feeling. She doesn’t have against her young empress taking a non Hizuran man as her consort, but doing this in a rush? The people and the government might take this as an insult. The elder woman could understand why Mikasa and Reiner wanted to be wed as soon as they could. Their situation was a bit complex especially Reiner is the holder of the Armor Titan with only less than a year to live. Besides, they are at war. If Mikasa dies; once again the nation will be left without an heir to take the throne. To save her nation from that fate again; Lady Kiyomi will need to use her cunningness to persuade the councils to allow both Mikasa and Reiner to be wed by tonight or tomorrow. If they had an heir, it would be born not out of wedlock. 

“Hmm, I will make sure the government approves your request and hopefully by noon or night I’ll let you know what they say.” The ambassador gave her a serious expression. 

Of course Mikasa and Reiner understand there’s a chance the government might not accept it, but if they don’t accept it; she will personally write a letter to them saying that they are fools for not accepting it. The nation will be in jeopardy as she will not marry or have heirs unless Reiner is her husband, consort, and the father of her children. She can be stubborn when she needs to be. After all, for years being with Eren by his side; she had grown some stubbornness in her. 

“Thank you so much. We are grateful for your help.” Reiner humbling bow at the ambassador. 

“It’s no problem, Commander. It warms my heart to see you’re the reason why Mikasa is smiling often.” Lady Kiyomi chuckled heartily. 

Reiner couldn’t help it to be blushed a bit from Lady Kiyomi’s comment. Sometimes he asks himself what Mikasa sees in him. 

(End Flashback)

“Your majesty, what do you think? I think you look like a beautiful bride.” One of the servants complimented her while she handed Mikasa a mirror for her to observe her new look.  

Mikasa had to snap her thoughts and glanced at the mirror. Even though their makeup ceremony is traditional and had different meanings based on the colors, she felt her skin gasping for air. If she didn’t know about the meaning behind the make up style, she would have thought herself looking like a clown, a pretty one. In fact, any makeup style looks ridiculous in her opinion. She preferred no makeup at all. 

“It looks nice. Thank you for your help, ladies.” Mikasa turned her head to glance at the girls who beamed with joy to have the opportunity to get an empress ready for her wedding. 

“No your majesty, we thank you for giving us this opportunity to prepare you for your wedding.” One of them said as they all bow respectfully. 

Mikasa nodded and slowly got up as the traditional wedding outfit was heavy and she didn’t want to lose her balance. Her helpers quickly helped her up and made sure there were no wrinkles or misplaced areas of the outfit. The newly Empress mumbled, thanking them as they all walked away from the room to go to the other location where the ceremony will be held. 

Reiner was waiting patiently at the altar where a high priest was blessing and mumbling chant prayers. Lady Kiyomi was by his side quietly waiting for the bride as well. He doesn’t know how Lady Kiyomi pulled it off in having the council members agreeing to Reiner’s and Mikasa’s request, but by noon she gave them good news. It's the least they can do properly because Mikasa deserved to have the best in his opinion. Finally the doors open to reveal his girlfriend in a traditional Hizuran bridal gown. Reiner couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She is the epitome of beauty as Mikasa walked towards him.

Mikasa looked around to see how dim the room was. Only candles were lit to make the room as visible as possible to see. Under the veil she’s wearing, barely could see Lady Kiyomi, the priest, couple officials, and most important her love, Reiner. All eyes were on her as she made her way walking to her groom. 

By that time, she had reached the altar. Reiner goes towards her to hold her hand and lead her to where the priest stands. He helped Mikasa to kneel on her knees since her wedding dress was heavy with layers of robes wrapped around her body. The Paradisian assassin glanced at her husband who was kneeling beside her. She gave a small to ease him. Reiner was feeling anxious but happy also. When he noticed Mikasa gave him a sweet smile, his anxiousness had been lifted. The priest began to chant in Hizuru native language while cleansing both bride and groom with sage smoke. When he was finished both couples bowed where their forehead touched the floor. Mikasa barely understood what the priest said. She could understand the part where he was asking the gods to bless her and Reiner with good fortune, prosperity, good health and fertility. Of course that part made her blush. Yes, she may use to having amazing sex with Reiner, but it does made her shy after and before.  

Once again the priest chants to wear off negativity, bad spirits and energies then the couple bows again as this has become  repetitive until they finally stop. The priest bowed in front of them and spoke in Eldian with a heavy Hizuran accent. 

“May your reign be blessed and live long, my empress and your highness.” The priest said. He had concluded the ceremony which made Mikasa happy because this outfit was heavy and hot. She needed to get out of these layers of robes. She saw Reiner's hand to help her get up from the floor. 

She smiled as her now husband gently pulled her to him. “How are you feeling, my wife?” He whispered softly. 

“I feel the most happy, my husband.” She whispered back. Now the newlyweds felt this will be a new beginning for them. They know there will be obstacles both have to face together like ending the war and retaking the island to give back to the Paradisian. Later, both and the rest of this half side of the world will work on peace.  

(Levi)

The horse ride to meet the rest of the soldiers and assassins was long and irritating. Levi was caught up with Rick and Reggie telling him what had happened to the Scouts which the MPS and Garrisons were working together with the Survey Corps along with the assassins. He hoped Historia could wait a bit longer until they marched in and retake their island. This island was his, Historia’s, most of the soldiers' home. Also, this land will be safe for his son to come back home and be raided by him and his queen.

The silent ride was too long for anyone's liking. Levi noticed they passed through the gates of Wall Sina, Rose, and Maria. They are now in the open area where many years ago, this land was roamed with Titans. So many tragic memories reminded the captain of the expedition days when Commander Erwin was leading them. Of course, this had saddened the raven haired Ackerman. He was a devoted soldier to lead humanity into freedom from titans. 

“How long is the camp?” Levi said. 

“We’re almost there, Captain.” Reggie said. 

Levi focuses closely to see faded smoke in the sky view. Tch, making a campfire was not a smart move as it can give out the location from their enemies. He also understands why they did that. It was cold as hell so it’s instinctive to make fire to keep the soldiers and assassins warm from the cold. The trio made their way into the dense trees. Once they reached there, Jean spotted them. He ran towards the trio to greet Captain Levi and the two men. 

“Captain Levi! Welcome back.” Jean gave a salute gesture to his higher ranking officer. 

Levi gave a nod but didn’t say much as he got off his horse. “Are the rest of the squad made it out here safely?” The dark haired man finally spoke. 

“Yes sir, everyone is here in this new location. Sasha is still in New York guarding the young prince. We got a letter from her recently. I will give it to you once you’re settled.” Jean said. 

“Very well.” Levi said then paused to glance back at Jean. “Where’s grandfather and Hange?” 

“Oh both Mentor and Commander are in the tent with most of the top assassins and soldiers in a meeting. Both other Commanders are with them as well.” The light brown soldier said to his captain. 

“Alright, I’ll go join them.” Levi goes to a big tent. In front of the tent, there were two soldiers guarding. When Levi stood in front of the two guards, both guards were startled by his presence and stepped aside for him to enter.  

Levi entered the big tent to see most of everyone he knew. His grandfather, William Miles sat on the head seat on the left while Hange was sitting on the right of the head seat. Both Commanders Brzenska and Dok were sitting opposite each other. The rest of them were filled by soldiers and assassins.

The tent became quiet when everyone stared at the silver-eyed man. If it wasn’t the years he dedicated himself as Erwin’s captain during the expeditions to win against the titans, Levi would get awkward from being stared too long for his taste. He may still despise getting attention but he’s used to it. 

“Levi, you’re safe. You reckless, boy!” The male Ackerman felt arms being wrapped around him as he was being pulled to a big hug. At that moment, Bill held his oldest grandson. The elder man was worried ever since Levi ran off to go save Historia. 

Levi embraced his grandfather’s warm hug. “I know..I know..” He mumbled. 

“Welcome back, Levi.” Hange gave a smirk at her captain which Captain Levi in return smirked at the commander. 

“I see for once Jaeger was keeping his word.” Commander Brzenska said. 

Levi took a quick glance at Rico then made a tch sound. Ackerman goes to the head on the table where his grandfather was sitting before. 

“Listen everyone. From the weeks I have spent being their lab rat, the only reason these motherfuckers are here is because they’re looking for a stone.. no six stones.” Levi said as everyone began to mutter what he said.  

“What do you mean six stones? What’s so special about these stones?” Dok was curious about what Levi said. 

“Each stone is part of the cosmos of the universe. When they’re used together chaos and crazy shit will happen and no one will be safe.” The raven haired man glanced at Nile. 

“Levi, how do you know about the infinity stones?” Miles interrupted. 

“Huh so those colorful stones have a name? I had a bleeding effect while I was resting at the dungeon cell. All I remembered, seeing images of the stones and what they're capable of doing. SO many used it to literally wipe out people, land, and unknown worlds.” Levi resumed. He was terrified of the power it could cost. He wanted to do whatever it takes to find them to hide them away from any beings no matter their good or bad intentions. 

“I see…” Bill was concerned about his grandson’s bleeding effect episode. If it’s not under control it leads Levi into madness until he takes his life away. It had happened to some using the Amius far too much in which it caused the Bleeding Effect. 

“Ok so all we need to find these stones but the world is a big place so how are we going to have time to find them before the templars find them and use it on us to rule the world?” Rico had a point. Time is a luxury now. They still have to take back their homes. At least Marley proves it’s possible to have victory.

“Actually, an old friend of mine can help us to find them.” The Assassin Mentor said. 

Everyone looked at the Mentor. “That’s good news. Who is it?” Hange said while glancing at her boyfriend. 

“Nick Fury.” William said. Everyone including Levi were curious but clueless from not knowing this Nick Fury guy. But if this will help to find these stones then Levi will accept any help and resource before it’s too late. 

(Natasha)

Natasha looked around to see the view in light purple with neon blue. She sees a big tree on top of the pinkish hill. Did she wake up in a fairytale world? The young woman looked down to see her elegant but revealing gown from the ball charity last night on her still. Maybe this is a dream...right? The woman from the future mentally said to herself while walking on the grass. The pink grass felt so real. It was wet and cool. Her feet were bare which it’s why she knows it’s wet and cool. 

As she went a bit further, Natasha saw a stone table instead of the tree. Huh? That’s strange. She could have swore the tree was there. She shook her head to keep walking until she had reached the top. Gently, Natasha placed her hands on the table stone to rest a bit. Sometimes pregnancy makes easy tasks like walking difficult. 

She widened her eyes to see six beautiful glowing stones. The more she glanced at them Natasha heard voices. 

“With great power comes great responsibility…”

“I am inevitable.”

“And I’m Ironman…”

This began to startle her until another distinctive voice whispered in her ears.

“This is part of you..”

“You are now the Infinity witch. Only you are able to harness them. Unlock them. It’s your destiny.” Natasha shaking her head in fear. No. She doesn’t want to use them. She had promised her grandmother she would never use the stones even if she was born with them hosted in her body. 

“NOO! YOU WILL NOT MAKE ME!” She screamed. 

It’s who you are...girl. Embrace…

These other voices are coming back and it’s driving her insane. Suddenly another voice was calling for her.

Natasha...Natasha...Natasha…

Finally she blinked her eyes as it opened to see familiar emerald green eyes staring at her with worry. 

“Hey doll face. Are you ok? What’s wrong?” Eren caressed her cheek as tears streamed down from her eyes. 

“It’s nothing, baby. Just a silly little nightmare.” She gave him a small smile which Eren frowned as he didn't seem convinced.

“Natasha, it doesn’t sound anything from the way you were screaming. I won’t be surprised if the neighbor would yell by the window at us. Come on, you can tell me, baby.” Eren was trying to persuade his fiancée. 

Natasha doesn’t know what to tell him besides that she’s wielding all six infinity stones . In fact, she was the first ever known to be immune to the power of these stones without having consequences like Thanos and her late grandpa; Tony Stark. Only certain people like her grandma, Pepper and Director Maria Hill. It was best no one knows about her true abilities. No one knows how she had the stones inside her body beside her mother. If Natasha could talk to the dead, she would talk to her mother to have these questions be answered. Her titan was able to adapt because Natasha was born to have these stones inside her. 

“I’m scared...that I will lose you too.” She whispered. Even though her statement was true, she needed to distract him to change a different topic. Eren already has things on his plate. She doesn’t want to overwhelm him with her having powers to cause chaos and destruction. 

“Babe, I promise nothing will stop me being there with you, especially the birth of our kid.” Eren was already hovering over her. His green eyes were staring into her silver ones.

“What about if I did end up back in my time and gave birth there? Will you be alive to be in our lives?” She said in wanting to feel reassurance. 

Eren’s smile was full of warmth and comfort. “I’ll make sure to keep on fighting to live just to be with you and our baby in the future. You two are what kept me from finding a different path to freedom for our people.” His lips lightly brushed against hers. 

Natasha smiled while feeling Eren’s kisses on her neck. “If I do end up going back, I will find you. I promise.” She whispered to him. 

After the ball, both Natasha and Eren had been working on their fragile relationship to the point they bought a home outside of the palace. It’s in Mitras which it’s perfect for them. They are near the palace but they have their privacy. 

It’s been a month since the ball had happened. Today it’s their first appointment to the doctor since the discovery only one of the twins survived of th miscarriage. She had asked to have today the day off which it’s one of the perks working closely to the queen. Speaking of doctor’s appointments, what time is it now?

“Eren, what time is it?” She said while her boyfriend was too occupied kissing her neck and shoulders. 

“It’s almost 8 am.” He mutters while being attentive on your body as his lips over lower to the valley of your breasts. 

“Mmm E-eren...we have an appointment in an hour. I don’t think we have enough time-” She was cut off with his tongue licking on her nipple. A moan was let out from her lips. Her hands grips on his hair.

“Don’t worry doll face, we’ll make it on time.” His tone became husky. Natasha glanced up to see his green eyes were clouded by lust. 

Eren latched on to one of her nipples to suckle while traveling his fingers below where he could hear her wet folds waiting to be attended. He slowly strokes her throbbing clit as her panting escalates more. Before he could insert his fingers into her hole, Natasha grabbed his hand to stop him. Eren stopped sucking her nipples to look at her. In a sudden move, she wrapped her legs around his pelvic waist to flip their positions. Now she’s on top of him. The heiress felt his cock poking her. 

“Time is luxurious, my love.” She smirked then removed her nightgown to reveal her changing body as her baby bump had grown a bit more than the last doctor’s visit. Eren chuckled while his hands gripped on her hips to gently lift her up enough to have her insert herself on his hard cock. While feeling his length entering deep inside her, she grips her hands on the top of the bed board. Slowly, she took the lead by rocking her hips on his cock. 

Eren let his hands wander around her body admiring the way her hips rolled on him. Morning sex were one of the best to start the day. Natasha starts to increase at a fast pace. Both parties were already panting as their bodies became hot and sweating. It won’t matter since the pleasure and adrenaline made it feel euphoric. 

Even though they could last longer like they usually do, this time they needed to wrap it up. The brunette heiress felt she was at the peak of the climax. It wasn’t that long when Eren released himself inside her. She took in the last pleasure before her orgasm came. After their high from pleasure came down, Natasha looked at the clock to see more than half an hour had passed. Her eyes widen from the time and pull off the covers from her. 

“Oh shit! Eren, we’re going to be late.” She got off the bed and ran to the bathroom to clean herself quickly. 

On the other side of the bed, Eren groaned in annoyance from realizing his girlfriend won’t let it go on them about being late. If only their day off was just laying in bed for the rest of the morning, but nope; the doctor’s appointment is in the morning. Why didn’t Natasha schedule for later in the afternoon? It doesn’t matter now since he saw her coming out of the bathroom looking fresh from showering. 

“Come on, my love. We only got twenty-five minutes.” She sighed at him from still laying on the bed. 

“Fine, fine. I’m up.” He finally got off the bed and headed to the bathroom to get ready. While Eren enters the bathroom, Natasha goes to get clean clothes for Eren to wear. She lay them on the bed. Finally, she put on her outfit. The maternity clothes in Paradise Isle only have long skirts or dresses. They really need to add comfy trousers. By the time she was ready, Eren walked out. 

“Babe, just wear the clothes I laid on the bed.” Natasha pointed to Eren where the clothes are. Eren nodded and thanked her. Once Eren was ready, both couples head out to see the doctor. 

Barely they made it to the clinic by three minutes from the actual appointment. The pregnant woman from the future stopped to take a long breath. Eren was behind her. 

“Eve! I told you not to run. I don’t want you to have more reasons to be in the hospital.” Eren looked at her with concern.

“I’m fine, Eren. Besides, think of this as a cardio workout.” She chuckled to brush it off.  

“Stubborn woman.” He muttered. 

Natasha rolled her eyes with annoyance then walked to sign in and wait for her name to be called. The green eyed titan shifter followed her until they sat on a chair to wait. It’s a good thing there weren’t many people today. Soon her name was being called and both of them got up to follow the nurse to a room to meet the doctor.  

After checking her vitals, the nurse left to get the doctor. Now, Eve and Eren are alone in the small room. The room was old and made out of bricks and wood. She forgot most of the buildings on this island are old since a century from the last king brought the rest of the Eldians from the Great Titan War. The silver eyed woman glanced at her lover to see his expression looked conflicted. What is he thinking right now?

“Eren? Are you alright? What’s bugging you?” Her tone was soft and compassionate while placing her hand on top of his. 

Eren came out of his deep thinking. “Huh? Oh yeah, I guess.” 

“You guess? Tell me, my love. I’m here for you if you are worried about something.” Her fingers intertwined his fingers to give him comfort. 

Eren leaned his back to the chair as he sighed. “I was wondering what would happen if my mom and dad were still alive. How excited they will be knowing they will be grandparents?” 

“Yeah, I have always thought about that too. Probably my mom would shriek in excitement and my dad would try to choke you to death.” Natasha chuckled from imagining the scene of her parents’ reaction if they were alive.  

Eren also chuckled from that thought. “ Oh shit, I think I’m more scared of Levi being the one who will try to kill me.” He heard a snore from her. 

“Oh god, I found out about my grandparents’ reaction. They would make you shit your pants.” Natasha doesn’t know how she will tell them if she gets back to her time period. 

“Levi I can understand, but Historia? She’s too sweet and nice to hurt a fly.” Eren said. Of course, Natasha laughed at his statement. 

“Oh babe, you will be in for a rude awakening. My grandmother is not the same person as she is here.” She glanced at him. 

“How bad is it?” Eren looked at her confused. 

“In the future, she’s firm and assertive. If anyone tries with her, they will face consequences. Both grandpa and grandma are different but similar. It makes sense because they both compliment each other.” She continues.

“Historia? The good girl Historia? Huh, I mean she did told her father to fuck off and humanity while kicking his ass.” Eren wondered what event that led her to wash away her good girl attitude. 

“I’m surprised that you weren’t aware of her many sides. Weren’t you guys comrades or you had a thing for her?” The last statement made Eren scoff irritatedly. 

“I never liked her like that. Why are you bringing it up when I had alright explained it long ago?” His tone was stern. She had pushed his buttons to bring up this topic. 

“Eren, I didn’t mean that-” She was trying to justify her statement. 

“Natasha, I know you enough when you haven’t let go of something. What’s next? Still paranoid about Belia and I?” He whispered harshly.

She was about to say something but decided to close her lips. Seeing Eren angry was not something she was in the mood for to deal with. 

“Exactly what I thought.” He said that it pissed her off too. Before she was about to give a piece of her mind, the doctor walked in with a cheery mood.  

“Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger. Are we excited to see how your baby is doing so far?” The doctor closed the door and sat on his stool. 

“Morning Dr. Dobber and it’s actually Ms. Potts. We’re not married.” Her comment made Eren glared at her. Tensions start to build up between them. 

“My apologies, Ms. Potts.” The doctor chuckled awkwardly. 

“Tch. You didn’t need to apologize, doctor. Either way she will be Mrs. Jaeger soon.” Eren said. 

If it wasn’t for this appointment, she would have walked out of the clinic and given him the silent treatment. Right now, she wants to be away from him. Her temper was simmering in her. 

“I see. Natasha, from the looks of your vitals; it seems everything is in order. Do you still have enough prenatal vitamins?” The doctor had changed the subject as it was getting too tense or his liking. 

“Yes, I still have some left.” Natasha answered the doctor’s question. 

“Very good. Let’s have you lay on the bed to check on your growing child.” The doctor got up to drag his stool to a machine to do an ultrasound.

Natasha didn’t bother to acknowledge Eren as he tried to help her out. She quickly got up to go lay on the bed and rolled up her blouse to expose her baby bump while the doctor poured the cool jelly on a hard small object. He placed it on her belly as an image on the screen started to show. 

Eren saw the image of a forming fetus. It’s still tiny. He was amazed how it’s possible to see the baby growing in the belly. This moment was so surreal. He forgot their heated argument, but the moment got ruined when her hand pulled away from him when he tried to give a loving gesture. He leaned back on the chair as his arms crossed over his chest with a sour mood on his face.

After the doctor checked the growing baby, he cleared them to go. Once Natasha finished adjusting her blouse properly, she headed out leaving Eren behind. Ugh, the nerve of him! She just needed to be alone for a bit. Due to her mind being clouded by anger, she wasn’t able to pay attention where she was going. She bumped into three men. 

“Oh sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” She said with embarrassment. 

“Well well look what we have here guys? A pretty doll face standing before us.” The leader said with a mischievous tone. 

Well shit. She was not in the mood to deal with them. “Listen, I’m not in the mood to have a chat.” 

She was stopped by one of them and grabbed her arm to pull her back to them. All three trapped her.  Natasha observed her surroundings to notice she was in the dark alley. 

“That’s too bad because we want to chat with you.” The leader had his hand caressing from her cheek down to the valley of her breasts. The dark haired woman was disgusted. 

“Don’t fucking touch me.” Her tone was dark. The men laughed as they thought it was hilarious. 

“Oh boss, we have a feisty one.” One of them commented. 

“My men and I love feisty women. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, doll face.” The leader gave her an ultimatum. Eve’s eye has twitched from being called doll face. The fact only Eren was allowed to call her and not anyone. Seriously, that name really pissed her off.   

“Fuck off!” She growled in anger and slapped the leader’s cheek hard. The leader fell on the ground which surprised him and his men. This woman was strong. 

“Listen you bitch. You’re just asking for it.” One of them shouted at her. They charged at her and she gave one of them a roundhouse kick. One of the men fell on the ground from the impact. The unharmed man ran towards her to try to knock her down. Instead, a punch in his nose was met. His nose was bleeding from the force of her punch. 

The suck part was her stamina was not great from her pregnancy. Her energy was mostly low and she had taken small naps between her breaks or days off. She should have seen this coming when the leader recovered and wrapped his arms around her before she did any more damage. 

“Now you can’t do anything to us. So give up.” The leader said. Of course, Natasha was struggling under his grasp. 

Fuck now she’s in huge trouble. This is what she gets for letting her anger clouded her sense of direction. 

“I am warning you. Let go of me.” She warned him. The two men that were on the ground had recovered and followed their leader to the deeper alley. The female Ackerman was getting exhausted as she was being dragged. She was now pinned to the dirty ground as their hands wandered around on her body groping and touching. Her silver eyes glared at them with hatred. 

“Let go of me. Get. The. Fuck. Away. From. ME!” She screamed. It’s like the atmosphere had changed. All three men felt a force knocked them away frm her. They were surprised. When they tried to get up, their bodies were being lifted which reality hit them as fear took over. 

“W-what are you?!” He stuttered when he saw her eyes glowing with different colors. Natasha used her glowing hands to use her abilities to pinned them on the wall. 

“I fucking warned you, didn’t I?” Her tone was cold. Slowly, she made crushing hand gestures to make them suffocate in a slow death. First her argument with Eren and now these assholes think they can just try to assault her and get away from it? No. Now they must pay. 

All three begged her for mercy. She scoffed at them while resuming causing them pain. Just feeling the power of the infinity stones makes her alive and in control from others. The adrenaline in her blood kicked in to watch how they beg for their lives to be spared.

“Natasha! What are you doing?!” A familiar voice caught her attention. It was Eren. 

“They deserved the pain of the women they caused pain….what my mother had dealt. Men like them deserve to die in agony!” She yelled at Eren. 

Eren was a bit scared at what she’s doing to these men with her powers. This shocked him from more secrets his lover had kept from him. He was a bit hurt for her not to trust him of her powers. His feelings needed to be set aside to calm her down. She looked like on the verge of a mental breakdown. 

“Natasha, baby. I understand these men deserved to be punished but not like this. Your hands will be strained by their blood. Please, let them go and we’ll get the military police involved to charge them.” Eren was trying to convince her to stop torturing them. 

“Ha, that’s rich coming from you. Didn’t you plan on wiping most of the global population for the sake of Eldians to have a peaceful life? Besides, my hands had been stained as a child. How do you think the men that raped and murdered my mother and baby brother were slaughtered? By my hands...and I don’t feel any remorse.” She told Eren while letting out a laugh. 

It’s true. What gave him the right to judge her when he was about to commit a genocide. All she wanted was to give justice to the people like her mother, baby brother and the victims from people like these disgusting men in front of her. In a way, both Eren and Natasha are like-minded people. They think the same but in different situations. 

Slowly, Eren gets closer to her. “You’re right. What right do I have telling you what to do? Natasha, that’s the thing. We both have so much in common watching our mothers die before our eyes. I am so fucking sorry you had to go thorugh that. I know the pain and anger you are feeling, but please for our child’s sake; let them go. This isn’t you. You’re the compassionate one.” 

She understood what her boyfriend was trying to say but her mood hasn’t calmed down. She dropped them as they fell to the ground. All three were unconscious. The superhuman turned to glare at him. “What do you know about me? You can’t dictate what’s not me or what is?!” 

“Babe, you’re right. I didn’t mean it that way. Your feelings are validated but hurting others won’t change the situation. Please, let’s get home and have a warm tea while you lay to rest on the bed.” The titan shifter noticed his words slowly calming her down. She was hovering midair until her feet landed on the ground. The grey clouds started to disappear. Her hands stopped glowing. Her eyes changed back to silver. 

“I’m fine...I’m not tired.” She said stubbornly. Her body yearned to rest from using so much energy that her powers had drained her. 

“Uh huh. You don’t have to be alright. Let’s go home and we’ll talk about it.” Eren said as he gently reached out to hug her. 

“Hold on, I need to do something.” He didn’t want to let her go. Natasha looked at him. “Please at least trust me on this.” She said to him. 

He let her go as she walked towards the unconscious men and used her two fingers to place on their side of the heads to erase their memories of encountering her. With the soul stone power she was able to wipe their memories of meeting her and seeing her power in action. 

“What are you-” Eren saw what she did. 

“Relax. I’m just erasing their memories of meeting me.” She said then went towards him. Once she reached Eren, her body collapsed on her. With the last energy, she erased the men’s memories. Luckily, Eren caught her in time and carried her in bridal style. 

He looked down at her as she fell unconscious. “You really are full of surprises.” He whispered. The green eyed titan shifter walked out of the dark alley to get to their home.

What they didn’t see was a shadow figure hiding from their view to watch everything that just happened. The figure walked while using a communication device. 

“Sir, we know where the stones are. It’s our lucky day for the templars.” the mysterious figure said. “Guess who has them. It’s Eren Jaeger’s girl; I think Eveline Potts. Yeah, the queen’s personal handmaiden.” The templar man reported to his superior.  

(Nathaniel) 

Finally it has been mostly a month since he had left for Europe on a business trip. Nathan exited out the vehicle and right in front of him the two people he was happy to see. Both Historia and Gilbert had greeted the king. 

“Husband, welcome home. I hope the trip went smoothly.” His queen spoke with eloquence and grace that he forgot she still despised him. At least her pretending to play her part had gotten better. 

“My beautiful queen and wife. It’s good to see you again. I heard the ball was successful! I am pleased with the work you put into it.” Nathan said with a joyous expression. 

“My king, I can’t take all the credit. Lord Gilbert was the one who contributed the most.” Historia humbly spoke. Gilbert looked a bit surprised from the praise he was received. 

“Your Majesty, I couldn’t have done it without you to make the ball successful.” Gilly said quietly. 

“I’m glad everything worked out while I was gone. Thank you both.” Nathaniel smiled. 

The false king had big plans as he received a message from one of his spies that the mythical infinity stones were found. Once his men capture the handmaiden, he will try to gain its powers and eliminate obstacles like Levi, the assassins and the Grandmaster. Nathaniel will conquer the world and no one will stop his ambition. 

A/N: Wow, I know I took too long to update this chapter. All I can say is, life just happens so I can’t promise you guys I’ll update like I usually do; but it will be at a slow pace. I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter. Let me know what you guys think?! Don’t forget to comment and kudos please. See ya in the next chapter!

[alinaastarkov]

I hate how stansas are all like "Sansa will become a genius at the game of thrones, but she'll keep her moral compass so she'll be the perfect queen". First, they should stop pushing that stupid idea that being good at the game is the same as being a good ruler, it just isn't. Second, Sansa's compassion is not nearly as significant as to say it will definitely stop her from playing dirty, she is not the mother theresa fandom thinks she is. And third...

[Cont.d] ...ALL the characters are getting darker next book, I'm an Arya fan and I'm mentalizing to face that she'll do dark stuff next book, Why tf would Sansa be above the rest? For god's sake she's gleefully following a plan for her personal benefit that relies on her own cousin dying without feeling too sad about it. Among other things. Sansa is not that special, she'll get her hands really dirty just like the rest and being naive isn't going to be an excuse.

Yeah it is kind of infuriating. Aside from the game, which I’ll get to in a minute, we are told constantly that being a leader requires a certain hardness, a willingness to do morally questionable things, that it leads to a colder or darker personality given the difficult decisions, and makes the leaders lament their lost naivety and wish they still had little responsibility.

Look at Jon:  

You would weep as well if you had a son and lost him, Sam almost said. He could not blame Gilly for her grief. Instead, he blamed Jon Snow and wondered when Jon's heart had turned to stone. Once he asked Maester Aemon that very question, when Gilly was down at the canal fetching water for them. "When you raised him up to be the lord commander," the old man answered.

- Samwell III, A Feast for Crows

Jon felt as stiff as a man of sixty years. Dark dreams, he thought, and guilt. His thoughts kept returning to Arya. There is no way I can help her. I put all kin aside when I said my words. If one of my men told me his sister was in peril, I would tell him that was no concern of his. Once a man had said the words his blood was black. Black as a bastard's heart. He'd had Mikken make a sword for Arya once, a bravo's blade, made small to fit her hand. Needle. He wondered if she still had it. Stick them with the pointy end, he'd told her, but if she tried to stick the Bastard, it could mean her life.

- Jon VI, A Dance with Dragons

It’s stated, plain as day, that Jon becoming Lord Commander marked the end of his days being, for want of a better word, kind and emotional, as he started having to make tough decisions that would not please everyone and would absolutely break some, but were necessary to keep his people safe and ensure victory. In the second quote, we see this sense of duty and coldness over emotion also applies inwardly, as he curses the fact that he can’t help Arya when he desperately wants to. Choosing to help Arya is ultimately what cause his death too, and coming back from that will only make him even darker.

Let’s look at Dany too:

She dreaded what must come next, yet she knew she had put it off too long already. Yunkai and Astapor, threats of war, marriage proposals, the march west looming over all . . . I need my knights. I need their swords, and I need their counsel. Yet the thought of seeing Jorah Mormont again made her feel as if she'd swallowed a spoonful of flies; angry, agitated, sick. She could almost feel them buzzing round her belly. I am the blood of the dragon. I must be strong. I must have fire in my eyes when I face them, not tears.

- Daenerys VI, A Storm of Swords

"No . . . no." He shook his head. "I never meant . . . forgive me. You have to forgive me."

"Have to?" It was too late. He should have begun by begging forgiveness. She could not pardon him as she'd intended. She had dragged the wineseller behind her horse until there was nothing left of him. Didn't the man who brought him deserve the same? This is Jorah, my fierce bear, the right arm that never failed me. I would be dead without him, but . . . "I can't forgive you," she said. "I can't."

"You forgave the old man . . ." [...]

“Remove this liar from my sight,” she commanded. I must not weep. I must not. If I weep I will forgive him. Strong Belwas seized Ser Jorah by the arm and dragged him out. When Dany glanced back, the knight was walking as if drunk, stumbling and slow. She looked away until she heard the doors open and close. Then she sank back onto the ebony bench. He's gone, then. My father and my mother, my brothers, Ser Willem Darry, Drogo who was my sun-and-stars, his son who died inside me, and now Ser Jorah . . .

"The queen has a good heart," Daario purred through his deep purple whiskers, "but that one is more dangerous than all the Oznaks and Meros rolled up in one." His strong hands caressed the hilts of his matched blades, those wanton golden women. "You need not even say the word, my radiance. Only give the tiniest nod, and your Daario shall fetch you back his ugly head."

- Daenerys VI, A Storm of Swords

One would be dead before the sun went down. No queen has clean hands, Dany told herself. She thought of Doreah, of Quaro, of Eroeh … of a little girl she had never met, whose name had been Hazzea. Better a few should die in the pit than thousands at the gates. This is the price of peace, I pay it willingly. If I look back, I am lost.

- Daenerys VIII, A Dance with Dragons

Dany has not been as affected by Jon, she is still a young girl with a lot of hope and sympathy, but it’s clear throughout that she takes being queen to heart and she knows that means showing strength at times rather than tears. Much like with Gilly, Dany has to make the hard decision with Jorah, even if she wanted to pardon him. He was not contrite so she could not forgive him without seeming weak or foolish. And we see this internal struggle again with the fighting pits, a practice she abhors, but knows she must endure it for her people. Being a leader, she makes tough decisions and has to desensitise herself as much as possible, and Winds promises that she will be darker too.

Hell, we even see this happen with Robb.

Only Robb and baby Rickon were still here, and Robb was changed. He was Robb the Lord now, or trying to be. He wore a real sword and never smiled. His days were spent drilling the guard and practicing his swordplay, making the yard ring with the sound of steel as Bran watched forlornly from his window. At night he closeted himself with Maester Luwin, talking or going over account books. Sometimes he would ride out with Hallis Mollen and be gone for days at a time, visiting distant holdfasts. Whenever he was away more than a day, Rickon would cry and ask Bran if Robb was ever coming back. Even when he was home at Winterfell, Robb the Lord seemed to have more time for Hallis Mollen and Theon Greyjoy than he ever did for his brothers.

- Bran IV, A Game of Thrones

This rings extremely close to Jon not sitting and eating with his friends as he used to. So, even ignoring the game of thrones cause none of these are playing it, being a leader creates a sterner, harder person than when they weren’t leaders, and this isn’t even everyone we see this in. Same happens with Bran for a time, Tyrion, Arya, etc. so there’s no way that if Sansa ever became queen she can stay the perfect little ray of sunshine who makes no bad or questionable decisions they all think she is (not that this was ever really the case).

We are constantly told the game of thrones is a bad thing.

"Oh, but it was, my lord," Cersei insisted. "When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."

- Eddard XII, A Game of Thrones

"Rhaenys was a child too. Prince Rhaegar's daughter. A precious little thing, younger than your girls. She had a small black kitten she called Balerion, did you know? I always wondered what happened to him. Rhaenys liked to pretend he was the true Balerion, the Black Dread of old, but I imagine the Lannisters taught her the difference between a kitten and a dragon quick enough, the day they broke down her door." Varys gave a long weary sigh, the sigh of a man who carried all the sadness of the world in a sack upon his shoulders. "The High Septon once told me that as we sin, so do we suffer. If that's true, Lord Eddard, tell me … why is it always the innocents who suffer most, when you high lords play your game of thrones? Ponder it, if you would, while you wait upon the queen. And spare a thought for this as well: The next visitor who calls on you could bring you bread and cheese and the milk of the poppy for your pain … or he could bring you Sansa's head.

- Eddard XV, A Game of Thrones

"As to that Wall," the man went on, "it's not a place that I'd be going. The Old Bear took the Watch into the haunted woods, and all that come back was his ravens, with hardly a message between them. Dark wings, dark words, me mother used to say, but when the birds fly silent, seems to me that's even darker." He poked at the fire with his stick. "It was different when there was a Stark in Winterfell. But the old wolf's dead and young one's gone south to play the game of thrones, and all that's left us is the ghosts."

"The wolves will come again," said Jojen solemnly.

- Bran II, A Storm of Swords

Marillion's face seemed to float before her, the bandage pale across his eyes. Behind him she could see Ser Dontos, the crossbow bolts still in him. "No," Sansa said. "Please."

"I am tempted to say this is no game we play, daughter, but of course it is. The game of thrones."

I never asked to play. The game was too dangerous. One slip and I am dead. 

- Sansa I, A Feast for Crows

He did not like the taste of this. It smelled of deceit, of whispers and lies and plots hatched in the dark, all the things he'd hoped to leave behind with the Spider and Lord Littlefinger and their ilk. Barristan Selmy was not a bookish man, but he had often glanced through the pages of the White Book, where the deeds of his predecessors had been recorded. Some had been heroes, some weaklings, knaves, or cravens. Most were only men—quicker and stronger than most, more skilled with sword and shield, but still prey to pride, ambition, lust, love, anger, jealousy, greed for gold, hunger for power, and all the other failings that afflicted lesser mortals. The best of them overcame their flaws, did their duty, and died with their swords in their hands. The worst …

The worst were those who played the game of thrones.

- The Queensguard, A Dance with Dragons

Even Sansa herself is used to tell us this game is a bad thing, that the smallfolk suffer for it, and those who play it are destined to fall. And we are also shown that those who play are poor leaders because they allow the smallfolk to suffer as they play. The characters who do play the game - Cersei, Tywin, Tyrion (sort of), Varys, Littlefinger - are all either morally questionable or straight up villains. Why do all these people so desperately want that for their fave?

This question of Sansa’s actual compassion has often been asked and I think it’s clear that her compassion has a limit. It does not extend to people below her social class, and it gets exasperated very quickly. Look at Jeyne Poole and more importantly Sweetrobin. She wants to keep this kid away from her, so locks him out of her room even though she knows he goes to her for comfort as his mother just died and he suffers from seizures. So, no, she’s not the most compassionate anyway, and she already has begun to play dirty. If she ever becomes a leader, as illustrated above, this will only get worse. 

We have all accepted that our faves are going down darker paths. Tyrion is already there, Dany is bound to and honestly we can’t blame her, and most of us are actually excited to see Jon and Arya’s darker paths. Sansa is closer to it than Arya is already, and I’m excited to see how grey she is going to become. This complexity is what makes good characters, and the expectation that Sansa, whatever scenario she’s in, will suddenly become perfectly innocent and pure when she never was before, and we can clearly see no-one is getting lighter, is completely ridiculous. The rabid stansas may never change their minds, but Winds will prove this to them at least, if we ever get it.

[wegoingsofthours]

Banished ♡ Hwang Hyunjin (Part 1)

Warnings: Mentions of violence in later chapters.

Member: Hwang Hyunjin

Genre: Royalty AU, Fluff, Angst

Summary: In which an ancient feud causes the split of two kingdoms, each side being left to their own accord.

Word Count: 2.5k+

one || two

The land across from the forbidden river had always been a mystery to you. Not that it was the real name for the river, you just happened to believe the title you provided it with had been apt considering its purpose. 

The two kingdoms had been separated for as long as you could remember, both closer than ever, but distant in it’s hateful relationship. The ancient feud had baseless to you and the younger generation of villagers, however, due to the loyalty members of the kingdom had felt, the feud had still occurred, with the main purpose of it long forgotten. From what you had heard, it had originated from one kingdom having stolen property from the other, yet you hadn’t been sure whether to believe the biased narrations dictated by your father. Since that day, both kingdoms had been separated by a symbolic barrier, it’s visual location being the forest in between the two places, a river positioned in the middle as if to show that crossing over the fores could not be accidental.

The treaty declared by the two nations had been each kingdom were to remain to their individual sides. The sanction for crossing the barrier being punishable by death, considered as an act of treason. 

You couldn't help but wonder how drastically situations would change for both kingdoms, hadn't your ancestors start off this futile argument. You believed the kingdoms would come a long way if they had united, but you had known it to be only merely a desire as it could not be justified in the eyes of the rulers.

The ruler of your kingdom had been a righteous man, who had been just with the laws held in place as well as the punishments carried out. You had been fortunate to be within the village of such a king. The other king however had been a cruel man, longing for nothing but power and wealth. Or so you heard. But you classed this as likely considering the amount of people that had tried to escape from his kingdom. Not a single one of them had been victorious in doing so as the forest had been guarded by the palace men. Although the forest could be used for both parties, it had been unconventional for anyone to visit it, as it generally signified retreat.

“Sir, do you ever wonder what the other kingdom is like?” you asked the merchant who had provided you with your daily necessities, while gazing across in the direction of the forest.

“From what I’ve heard, I don’t think you should be considering going there. You are aware of the punishment for it aren’t you”

“I’m aware of it. I’m just curious” you replied, guaranteeing you would not be reckless enough to go past the boundaries.

“Curiosity can cause you a lot of trouble Miss. Especially at a place like this. And just think, you’re at an advantage to be on this side of the kingdom. The other side of the kingdom despise us”

“Your Highness. Are you willing to take on this responsibility?” one of the guards had asked, seeking assurance.

“It’s for the good of the people, I think I’m positive of it”

The prince had taken the responsibility of guarding the forest, considering that there had been a shortage of guards present to carry out this duty. Although the job role could be replaced by one of the other noblemen of the kingdom, the sense of adventure had been seen as a privilege to Hyunjin, hence why he had accepted the offer. With the vigilant eye of the king, confining his ability to visit other places, the world out of the castle walls had been a mystery to Hyunjin, excluding a few expeditions. As the prince had turned into a legal age to take on an occupational position, he had seen the offer as a perfect opportunity to do so. 

The prince had settled on the back of the raven horse, which had been chosen specifically to intimidate any trespassers. But due to Hyunjin having previously built a connection with the horse, he had seen it rather obedient as he had tamed it to follow his commands. 

“Guards, if you would do me a favour, do not reveal my identity to the people. I would rather keep my position a secret. Address me without any formalities when we step out of these boundaries”

“Of course Your Highness. But would it not be better to bring in  trained horse. I fear this one will not be capable enough to stand still for two long”

“I know she’ll be able to listen to my commands. Don’t worry too much”

The people had not known anything of Hyunjin, despite the fact that he had been the king’ son. His face had not been known by anyone as to ensure that he would not be threatened for the merciless acts carried out by his father. Although his father had known of the way in which the public had spoken about his brutal nature, he had not implemented this in his daily life, believing a King should be feared to maintain sovereignty within the village. The king had failed in brainwashing his son with his way of thinking, brushing it off with the excuse that he would realise it when he comes into power. But Hyunjin had covertly made a vow against this.

The castle gate had become unlatched, while all the guards had put on their masks. It was time to begin.

You had began your ordinary trek through the forest. You hadn’t intended on doing anything against the law of the land, you had just believed the forest had mainly been barren, making the walk easier for you considering the vast amount of people within the village. Not only had this been the reason behind your unusual pathway, you had also found the dark ambience of the forest to alleviate you of any stress you had felt throughout the day. 

You skipped down the familiar trail, contemplating on the various thoughts running wildly through your mind. Although each thought had been purposeless, you pondered over them as a way of keeping yourself occupied.

You noticed the guards standing on the side of the forest, each appearing menacing with their dark aura and attire, but you had known not to fear them as it had merely been an act to ward off people. You had known behind the masks, they had been generic people. You watched as each guard separated to their allocated positions, each horse composed in it’s movements. That had been until one of the horses had come galloping towards you at a rapid pace.

Your first instinct had been to run away, but with the delay of your flight response, you stood frozen to the spot, trepidation taking over every limb in your body, causing a numbing sensation. You had braced for the impact when the horse had only been a few feet in front of you, but had been left with nothing of the sort as the horse had come to a halt.

“Woah. Slow down” the person seated on the swift animal had said in a calming technique. The voice had been soft which had contradicted the dark presence the guards were meant to have, symbolising the man underneath had been of a soft nature. He had chanted a mantra of words to sedate the dismay the horse had felt. Upon concluding his words, he stepped down from the animal, focus directed at you out of worry.

“My apologies Miss. Did she hurt you?” the figure asked. Even though a mask was worn on his face, you could tell he had a concerned look on his face underneath. The mask had been embellished with small jewels, only covering the eyes of the guards. This guard in particular had received the mask with the jewels as the other members had a rather plain variety of them. He ran his fingers through his inky, windswept hair to tame it back to it's original state. He stood towering over you, from both the heeled boots he had worn and the fact that he had been taller in general.

“No, not at all” you reassured. You could see a soft look in his eyes, showing you that he had been genuine in his approach. You were hesitant in your words, considering you had never met with anyone from the other kingdom, unknowing of a way to approach them, or whether any form of communication was tolerated.

“Are we even meant to be communicating with each other by law” you wondered. None of the guards had been in close range to you during your strolls through the forest until today. But you had assumed that communicating with the opposite kingdom had been off limits.

“According to the law, presumably not. But I could not let anyone get hurt by my actions” he replied.

“You’re different from what they say” you disclosed, the man taken aback by your words.

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean” 

“Don’t you detest my kind of people?” you questioned.

“I’m sure you’re referencing the law. I don’t believe in having ill feeling towards anyone due to some sort of distant feud. And based on this conversation, I don’t believe I have any right to feel that in any way considering you haven’t done any sort of act to allow me to have hatred towards you” he replied. You found truth in his words, as it had been the belief that you stood by.

"Sir. Have you found an intruder?" one of the guards had asked.

"No need to worry. She's not an intruder" the guard replied tentatively "I really should be going, it's just my first day and I've already caused this" he said, lips casting a smile to shield his worry.

"Don't think of it that way. I wish you luck on your duty. I figure you'll make an admirable guard" you replied with certainty

"I appreciate that. My apologies again. I'll be off then, it's been a pleasure meeting you Miss. Do you have a name I should call you by?" he asked.

You replied to his request as he mentally noted what your name had been.

"You may call me Hyunjin. I'll make sure this type of encounter doesn't happen again. But do you always stroll around this forest" he asked as even though he had been secluded most of his life, he had been aware of how rare it had been to step foot in the forest, let alone walk through it.

"For as long as I can remember, I come here almost everyday" you responded, noting the hint of astonishment in his look.

"Then I believe I shall see you again one day. But take caution when visiting this forest, you wouldn't want to be mistaken for trespassing"

"I'll make sure of that. Farewell Hyunjin" you stated. To him, the way in which you pronounced his name was of ease to him. Throughout the course of his life, not even his own father had called him by his name, and with the demise of his mother, his father grew distant enough to cut off most communications, besides a few small conversations regarding the village. Along with this, everyone had believed formalities was a crucial part of royalty, therefore adhered to these customs religiously. You, in contrary, had been clueless regarding the societal position he had held, meaning you had disregarded this custom unknowingly, making you the first person to use his generic name.

"Farewell" he replied, covering up the elation he had felt from just the mere mention of his name.

"How did it go Your Highness?" one of the palace servants asked. With the relationship Hyunjin had with them, he had considered the servant a companion and deemed him more highly in this way than he considered him to be working for the castle. Compared to the other servants within the castle, this one in particular had been close in age to Hyunjin, therefore becoming the closer to him in their relationship.

"Very well. I stumbled across a particular incident but it's no matter of concern" Hyunjin responded, as not to go into detail of the situation, mainly due to the fact it could easily be misunderstood to be an act of misconduct, which he believed wasn’t severe enough to need tending to.

“If you insist. Had there been any retreats?” 

“Not at all. I suppose that everyone fears the punishment set up so there hadn’t been a single retreat. Is there really any need for guarding the forest”

“To your father it is said to be one of the most significant tasks within the kingdom. Do you believe otherwise?”

“I just think there’s no need for too many guards to be in one area. It should be enough to be guarded by one member” 

“I fear you may be right. The issue lies in the hands of your father, since he has the most control”

That had been one of the boundaries in Hyunjin’s life. The King. It had been true that the public held extreme views regarding the King, a majority of them which had been negative, however, the views had resembled Hyunjin’s also. Throughout his life he had been told constantly he could ‘do such a thing once he became king’.  And with the contrast in views between him and his father, disputes had been a natural occurrence which the King had always won due to his reigning power. 

Trivial days went by for the both of you. The prince had still remained on guard for the forest, as you continued your regular visits to the market for essentials. After that one day, you hadn't met up with Hyunjin again, as you both had been expected to be at different points of the forest, with your kingdom differences.

"Your Highness, is there an issue?" One of the guards asked in an almost inaudible voice, as not to let anyone in surrounding areas aware of his position.

The guards seemed to notice the way in which Hyunjin would be distracted with your presence. They had memorised the times in which you would step foot in the forest, wandering through the same path each day. Each day the prince would cast his gaze in your direction, longing for the chance to talk to you as you were unaware of his position, meaning he'd be treated as a generic person. You'd been the only person outside the castle that had approached him, meaning you to be his only connection to the outside world. Although he had been through the village numerous times, he'd never had the courage to communicate with anybody, afraid he'd lose his identity.

"There's no issue" Hyunjin lied, clearly unfazed by the words of the guards.

"It's the girl isn't it"

"How did you know?" he chuckled in response as he was not inconspicuous in his actions during the encounters.

"You've been looking out for her everyday"

"Well. I guess it's no use. My father will never let me talk to a villager, let alone someone from the other kingdom. After all. Curiosity killed the cat. I'd rather the both of us remain alive"

Masterlist

[afni-fics]

Elder Scrolls DC - A Reluctant Dragonborn: Chapter 30: Campfire Conversations - Dragonborn and Thalmor

Elder Scrolls DC - A Reluctant Dragonborn: Chapter 30: Campfire Conversations - Dragonborn and Thalmor (38503 words) by C_R_Scott Chapters: 30/? Fandom: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Red Robin (Comics), DCU (Comics), Batman (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Tim Drake, Lucien Flavius Additional Tags: Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Skyrim/DCU crossover, Reluctant Dovahkiin | Dragonborn, Not Beta Read, Alternate Universe - Skyrim Fusion, Modded Skyrim, Skyrim Spoilers, Tim Drake is Dragonborn | Dovahkiin, Tim Drake-centric, Trope: It sucks to be the chosen one, Trope: Trapped in another world, Trope: Kidnapped by the Call

Previous Chapter | Masterlist | Next Chapter

Summary:

Lucien and Tim set up camp for the night after their first day away from Whiterun. Their campfire conversation leans into discussion about the Dragonborn and the Thalmor.

After taking care of the bandits at the two towers, the rest of the ride to the crossroads went fairly smoothly. Lucien taught Tim a couple more useful novice spells, including a lesser ward for protection against enemy magic spells and a wild healing spell that would heal both himself another nearby person. Unfortunately he didn't have enough Magicka to learn how to use the healing hands spell yet, but with enough practice and time Tim knew he would.

By the time the afternoon had grown quite late, their carriage had reached the crossroads and it was time to disembark. 

"Thanks again for the help with the bandits and getting my money back from them," Bjorlam said from the carriage as Tim and Lucien disembarked. "I really wish I could take you directly to Ivarstead. Next time we cross paths, if you need a lift, I'll take you wherever you want free of charge." Then, with a wave, the horse and carriage were heading up the northbound path.

"So," Lucien started as he glanced at the signpost in front of them and zeroed in on the one pointing the direction of Ivarstead. "Shall we put in an hour or two of walking before setting up camp for the night?"

Tim studied the sky. Now that they had replaced wide open fields for more heavily wooded mountainous terrain it was harder to gauge the time and to see how close the sun was to the horizon. "I don't think so," he mused aloud. "I think it's actually pretty late in the afternoon, and we should use what's left of the daylight to find a safe spot to set up camp before it gets dark."

The pair of them ultimately set up camp just a little ways off the main road closer to the river's edge. By the time the sun had set, their tent was set up, a stew made of dried meats and vegetables was simmering in a pot by the fire, and both Tim and Lucien were reading and discussing a book that the Court Wizard Farengar had gifted to Tim before they left Whiterun.

The black leather-bound tome was called "The Book of the Dragonborn" and had been written sometime in the Third Era. It had a fair bit of information about the term "Dragonborn" and it's history both with the Emperors of Cyrodiil as well as with the Nords of Skyrim.

"So once upon a time all the Emperors of your homeland used to be Dragonborn?" Tim asked curiously as he gave the pot one final stir.

"That was always thought to be one of the hard requirements to be a true legitimate emperor of Cyrodiil," Lucien replied as he watched Tim place some of stew into a bowl. "St. Alessia's descendants were the first Dragonborn Dynasty. Once her line died off, then a new Dragonborn named Reman Cyrodiil rose up, became Emperor, and started his own Reman Dynasty. After that, during the Third Era, it was Tiber Septim, known as Talos Stormcrown by the Nords, who was identified as Dragonborn and started the Septim Dynasty, before that line too died off during the Oblivion Crisis. There hasn't been a Dragonborn identified since then... well... not until possibly you." He took the bowl Tim offered with a grin. "Who knows, I could be here dining under the stars with the next future Emperor of Cyrodiil?"

Tim had just grasped his own bowl, but froze the moment those words left Lucien's mouth. He stared at the scholar wide-eyed before shaking his head slightly. "Don't even joke about something like that," he said uneasily. "I can't be... No... Just no." After taking a seat next to Lucien, Tim glanced at open book that had been resting on a flat stone between them and flipped a few pages over until he was past the portions about Cyrodilic Emperors. The very thought of something like that happening made Tim's skin crawl.

Thankfully, Lucien didn't press the subject and instead started eating. As he ate, he read over the page Tim had flipped to and raised his eyebrows curiously. "Hm. That's interesting."

"What is?"

"There appears to be mention of some sort of prophecy regarding someone referred to as the 'Last Dragonborn'." Lucien pointed with his spoon at the passage that caught his eyes. 

Tim placed his own bowl down and picked up the book to angle it better to read in the firelight. He read the passage out loud.

"When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world

"When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped

"When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red Tower trembles

"When the Dragonborn ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls

"When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding

"The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn."

Tim looked up to Lucien. "Does any of that make any sense to you?"

"Maybe?" Lucien said hesitantly. "If we were at the museum I could probably figure out most of those references. However, the fourth line about the Dragonborn ruler losing their throne has to be about the end of the Septim line in the third era. And the bit about the White Tower falling... That's obvious enough to me because it's talking about the end of the Great War that happened in Cyrodiil about twenty-five years ago. The Imperial City was sacked by armies from the Aldmeri Dominion, which is led by an Elven Supremacist faction called the Thalmor. The White Tower must be referring to the White-Gold Tower, which served as the royal palace and was damaged during the war." At the mention of the Thalmor, Lucien grimaced. 

"What are the Thalmor?"

"They're a faction of elves, primarily Altmer from the Summerset Isles, who believe that the races of Mer have supremacy over the races of Men. The faction had been expanding their influence through invasion of other lands for years. The Great War is when they attempted to do the same with Cyrodiil and the Empire." 

Then Lucien sighed. "The Great War only ended with what is called the White-Gold Concordat. It was a 'peace treaty' that allowed the Empire to continue overall rule and ended the war, but essentially ceded a great deal of money, land, and influence over the government to the Thalmor and the Aldmeri Dominion."

Tim absorbed all this with a grim expression. "We had something like this happen in my own world's history," he admitted. "Two world wars that took place in the last century, instigated by racial supremacists." He shook his head. 

"Were they victorious or were they defeated?" Lucien asked curiously.

"Oh they were defeated, but the costs of the wars, especially the second one, were very, very high."

The pair were quiet for a long moment. Then Lucien broke the silence. "Timothy... I know you are a good young man and hate to see any injustice. But please promise me that you won't throw yourself into any conflicts with the Thalmor."

When Tim looked like he wanted to argue, Lucien raised his hand. "The Thalmor's forces are not like bandits. They're not like the soldiers of the Legion or the Stormcloaks either. Even their lowest ranked foot soldiers are made of elves who wield powerful spells as well as blades, and you have no defense against magic. If you fight them, in your current state, they will kill you or worse."

Tim opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it without uttering a word for a moment. Then he sighed with a resigned expression. "So what should i look out for? What do they look like so I know who to avoid?"

"Their rank and file soldiers wear a light armor made of a gold colored metal. Their more powerful higher ranked wizards wear black hooded robes with silver or gold trim."

Tim nodded. Then he looked at Lucien. "Y'know, while we're on the topic, who are the other races of men and 'mer' I should know about?"

Lucien smiled a little, obviously happier to leave the topic of the Thalmor behind them. "Well, let's start off with one I know you haven't met yet called the Khajiit. They are quite a fascinating people..."

NOTE: You can read the entire text from "The Book of the Dragonborn" here: https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/The_Book_of_the_Dragonborn

It is an actual in-game book that can be found at the start of the playthrough in Helgen.

Also, the tent and campfire were all provided by the lovely "Campfire - Complete Camping System" mod found here: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/667

#elder scrolls dc#fanfiction#tim drake#skyrim fanfiction#red robin#batfam#crossover#lucien flavius#wip#afewnovelideas

[appleb18]

Star vsThe Forces of Evil Season 4... One Year Later

One year ago, Star vs The Forces of Evil ended its fourth season and it was a disaster. It wasn’t always all that bad, in fact the show was pretty good on it’s first two seasons and bit of season 3 however it's just the final season that ruins it. It didn’t live to people expections and it felt rushed. Now let’s discuss how the show messed up shall we? 

Behind the Failure

Before I talk about the dreadful writing of season 4, I want to talk about behind the scenes of the show's downfall. According to Daron Nefcy Twitter, she tweeted that “Just finished the last episode of Star vs The Forces of Evil” a month before the finale. 

It’s fine if it was an episodic show like Phineas and Ferb, Batman Brave and the Bold and episodic shows but writing an ending for an ongoing story is something you should NEVER do. Writing the ending without a plan is a terrible decision to make, especially past plot points that were established and most of them were left answered. 

 You’ll probably be thinking that they were rushed and while I understand that all plot points can’t be answered like Gravity Falls but they wanted to make the romance their top priority over the story, which I’ll talk about later. Daron actually knew she had four seasons to work with and it makes it so frustrating to hear! 

So now let’s talk about how it all went wrong. 

Character 180

Previously, I used to like most of the cast, they used to be enjoyable characters but in season 4, oh dear they all turned into pricks.  

The onlys characters that didn’t get ruined in the fourth season were

Eclipsa and Globgor 

River Butterfly 

Tom Lucitor 

But everyone else, they all became such unbearable picks like The Magic High Commision. They used to act like decent people, trying to defend Mewni from Ludo/Toffee

And they actually have character, especially Rhombulus growth when he befriends Star. 

But they get character assassinated and become monster haters with no actual reason just like the Mewnimen and they never atone for what they’ve done to the Butterfly family. 

Moon betrayal came out of nowhere and it only lasted like seven minutes then she joins Star and Eclipsa because she didn’t realize Mina and her soldiers are going to commit genocide. Why didn’t she see that coming? They were racist to monsters, did she think they’ll actually spare them? 

Her reason behind is so stupid and that is because she doesn’t trust Eclipsa ruling Mewni but why all the sudden? While it’s true she let her get shot by Meteora but that’s an mother instinct to protect her child. Also she tried to kill her own daughter to protect Star and Mewni. So Moon shouldn’t see her irresponsbile. While she isn’t fit to be ruler, she is trustworthy. What’s worse is she admittedly teams up with them to defeat Mina.  

Then there’s Star and Marco, the two main characters of the show and they became terrible people. All of the development from the previous seasons get thrown out of the window. 

Marco never talked to his parents after he left and barely visits because “he’s too busy” and he didn’t even know he’s gonna get a baby sister. Clearly doesn’t care when Star’s mom goes missing, his ego in the Neverzone and neglecting Nacho’s for a very long time at least 1000 years. Marco breaks up with Kelly for no reason and he knows what’s she going through.

For Star, she acts more of a princess and has responsibilities, having a reason why she can’t go back to Earth but it doesn’t excuse her being a terrible person. She’s irresponsible that she leaves Rhombus and Eclipsa alone despite it’s very clear they want to kill each other, she’s a brat in “Junkin’ Janna”, she’s so rude to Tom when he comes a better person for her, she’s been eyecandy on Marco even though she has a boyfriend and she’s a complete dick in “Cleaved”. I hate the excuse for her acting like a prick because “she’s a teenager, and teenagers are dumb”. What a load of bull 

Losing Focus 

Season 4 has to be the most unforced in the entire show. They present plot points and they barely explore it. They’ll make a comment about it and the show just moves on from it. Mostly showing shipping episodes and filler 

The show introduced that mewmens were originated from Earth but never further explored that. 

Mewni hates monsters but never shows why and how. It just makes them complete dicks throughout season 

They never had a set goal or what’s trying to be. The only thing that made the plot moving was Moon disappearance but it gets resolved in two episodes. 

So the only thing left is Star trying to end racism for season 4. The problem with this is there’s no stakes, if she fails, monsters and mewmens won’t get along and that’s fine because their children on both sides won’t make the same mistake as they did, making it no need to push it.

It would’ve worked better if they showed the Mewni perspective when Eclipsa became ruler. Unfortunately, they display them as unguided children, expecting Moon to do everything for them and complain. Also they hate monsters because they do not like them.  Most of them go live with Moon, making them not accept change nor monsters. They don’t deserve any sympathy, they are just a bunch of idiots who are racist. 

And the thing that made the season so unfocused is the freaking shipping. 

Starco is Terrible 

Remember when it was good back the first two seasons but season 3 and mostly season 4 made it so hard to watch and instead of shipping being a subplot like most shows, they turn it into a main plot. I don’t understand why they have to prioritize shipping over the story. It’s inevitable that Starco will become cannon because that’s what people wanted but it cost to establish ships to be torn down in the most frustrating way.

Kelly and Marco break up with no reason why and it’s off screen.  

Star is a bad girlfriend to Tom, leaving Star crying

Then in a few hours, Star and Marco become a couple. Only a few hours and the resolution was so dang quick. It makes me wonder why they have to stay so long if she loves Marco more than him? 

Star and Marco would rather die together instead of being with their family despite their relationship just starting. It would’ve worked better if Tomstar broke up earlier and Starco become cannon so we can see their relationship more than just a few episodes. There’s really no need to drag it for so long! 

Mina Loveberry isn’t Threatening

Mina Loveberry, the main villain for season 4 and yet didn’t do anything. Unlike Toffee scheming behind the scenes for three seasons, Ludo raising an army of rats and gaining better control of the wand and Meteora powers growing, she didn’t play her role for the whole season. All she did is she rebuilt her battle armor and send poison fruits to Eclipsa, that’s it. The show never showed how dangerous she is 

While sure she can beat Star and Tom but she got oneshoted by Meteora who got defeated by Eclipsa. So she really isn’t that big of a problem to handle. 

In the finale, again she never did anything and she got knocked down by a Corrupted Unicorn, making her not so dangerous like other characters said she was

Seth should’ve been the main villain instead of that crazy lady but unfortunately, they never introduce him even though he’s still alive according to The Book of Spells.  

Cleaved 

So the series finale and I have to say, my god how the show has fallen. This finale is a disaster, it’s way worse than any other cartoon finale such as Adventure Time and Steven Universe Future. 

With no build up, Star has come to a conclusion that she needs to eradicate magic because it’s bad. There weren't any clear signs that magic is truly bad. Star never actually thought about everyone else that is made out of magic or used it for their daily life. The only thing she realized is she won’t be with Marco. Not able to her friends or the many lives she’ll ruin but she won’t see Marco and everyone agrees to destroy the magic. 

So Star and Marco go to the World of Magic to destroy it. As they enter and almost forget who they are, the pudding apparently helps them jog their memory and he’s carrying a lot of them. 

They realized Tom was still at the realm and he’s riding on the Corrupted Horse so Marco will handle it while Star uses the whispering spell to destroy it.

Star gets help destroying magic by Eclipsa, Moon and for some odd reason Meteora can do it too with her butterfly form even though she never went through mewberrity. Then the past queens help them out too

As they were destroying magic, Marco feeds Tom the pudding but gets impaled by the unicorn with dramatic music playing but that got completely scrapped when he goes back to Earth. 

After they successfully destroyed magic, Star and Marco have to go back their worlds but then she decided she wants to abandon everything and everyone so she can be with Marco and he does the same by staying in the realm. They both hug and something happens through the power of love that links between two worlds and again they were a couple for two episodes. 

She goes back to Mewni and sees that she doesn’t have cheek marks anymore. Moon, mewmens and Mina are reformed and no punishments were given.

With magic gone, her and her family just caused the multiverse that relies on magic, face chaos and they will collapse entirely. Although they prevented genocide of the monsters but ultimately cause genocide at a larger scale than Mina’s in the process like all of Star spells, people who are made out of magic and The Magic High Commsions are dead. 

Then two portals for each world exploded and both worlds collide. The writers made it out as if it’s a happy ending but it just causes panic between both worlds and racism towards monsters is now worse than ever but Starco can at least be together. 

Conclusion

I used to like Star vs The Forces of Evil and I thought it would’ve been great but like most shows that disappointed me such as Steven Universe, and Voltron, this show really frustrated me. If the show actually didn’t focus too much on the shipping or made it as a romantic show, it would've been great but they didn’t and the show suffers for that. It’s a dang shame that it has to that route. 

[samthemarvelfan]

I Won’t Say: Chapter Five

-Secrets, Secrets Everywhere-

Summary: Ellaria Stark is the daughter of a king. When she is unwittingly betrothed to the King of a neighboring city, she isn’t sure how to feel. More importantly, she isn’t sure how the King will feel if he finds out the truth about her.

Pairing: James Barnes x OFC, Ellaria Stark. (Stark!Reader.)

Warnings: Royal!AU, Fluff Angst, alcohol, blackmail.

A/N: Finally, some fluff between these two! ...don’t get used to it... >:) Taglist is open! Just send an ask!

It had been two days since James had left to deal with the attacks on his people.

Two days since you’d denounced your engagement to him.

Two days since your worst nightmares had come true.

Someone within this castle’s walls knew the truth about you. Whoever it was intended to do harm with the information, you just didn’t know how...or when.

You’d been sitting in the garden, perched on a marble bench, writing a letter to your parents.

My Dearest Mother and Father,

Oh, how I miss you. I long for the days when we were all together, us and my sweet Morgan. I pray my sister is doing better.

Things in Buchanan have changed. While it’s people seem to like me, it’s ruler seems undecided. At times, I dare say he detests me. But alas, while he may not care for this union, he truly cares for his people.

I fear that someone does not want me here. There are people in the castle who have warned me that they know my secret—our secret. I believe they will tell the King.

I will write again, when time allows. If you do not here from me, come for me at once.

All my love, 

Ellaria.

After closing the parchment, you sealed it with red wax, and used your necklace to emboss the Stark family crest.

The sound of guards rushing past the entry way stole your attention. Clinking metal echoing off the stone as they paraded past, clearly headed to the main doors.

The King. You thought.

You ran, following the guards to the front gates of the castle.

When the large doors opened, you saw Sam waiting by the stairs. The trotting of hooves drew your gaze to beyond the pillars to see James riding up on his horse.

When he was in front of the steps, he jumped off. It was clear these two days had been rough on him. No doubt sleepless and worry-filled, he looked so disheartened.

You however, were relieved. Why were you so relieved? You’d fought until the very moment he left.

Unaware of just how worried you’d been, your body seemed to do the thinking for you as you did the only thing you could think to do; run.

Gathering the bottom of your gown as to not fall, you ran at James full speed. He sees you at the last minute, and opens his arms.

“Your majesty...” you gasp as you hit his chest, locking your arms tightly around his strong frame.

Surely in shock at your touch, he doesn’t speak for a moment. He simply holds you, relishing the feeling of your body against his.

“Princess. Are you hurt?” He asks, whispering into your hair.

You let out a puff of air you must have been holding in, and shake your head. “No. No, not at all. Are you?”

You step back from him to get a better look. His face was scraped and his knuckles bloodied. He had bags so blue under his eyes, they nearly matched his clothes.

James watched your eyes fill with worry, and is quick to protest.

“I may look it, but no. No, I’m fine.” He hold your hands tenderly as he speaks.

You nod, and look down to the ground. “I’m sorry. Had I known what was to come that night, I would have tempered myself. Those poor people...their misfortunes matter much more than a clashing of hearts.”

He sighed, “Your heart does matter to me. I thought of how I treated you my entire journey. I was wrong.”

Perhaps this moment is a fresh start for the two of you. You didn’t know James the man, only the the King. If there was any glimmer of hope to be had, this moment was it.

James looks at you for a moment, before stroking your cheek delicately. “Perhaps—“

A shrill voice interrupted him. “Oh James, thank goodness, I—“

You turn to see Sharon standing on the palace steps.

“I didn’t realize you’d been greeted already.” She said dismissively.

“Indeed I was.” He said, looking at you proudly.

She faltered her confidence and smiled, “Princess.” She curtsied.

“Ms. Carter. I haven’t seen you since dinner the other night, where have you been hiding?” You ask.

“I-I simply wanted to stay out of your way, your highness.” She quipped.

You ignored her, and turned your attention back to James. “Let me have someone draw you a bath before dinner?” You question.

James nodded, no doubt grateful for your offer. “Yes. Thank you.”

“His Majesty will dine with you tonight in the garden.” Natasha said smiling.

You beam behind your book, and she sees it.

“Why are we grinning like a Cheshire Cat, hm?” She prods.

You roll your eyes at her dramatics. “I feel as though a wall has fallen between the King and I. I felt it today; the care and concern we both had for one another. For the first time, I felt like...like I was his and he was mine. Until his ‘guest’ barged in on our moment.”

Natasha scoffed, “Oh the golden haired priss. Sharon Carter...she drove me crazy when we were children.”

You sat up in your chair a bit more, interested to hear what Nat was saying. “You’ve known her that long, as well?”

She nodded, “She believed they were destined to rule Buchanan. Sharon’s father was a Lord of the Court, so naturally she was around quite a bit. She and Bucky started bedding each other the moment they got the chance...”

The thought of James and Sharon...together...well, it made your stomach churn.

“When James refused her hand, at his parents insistence mind you, she went ballistic. Saying how she would leave and never return if he didn’t marry her.”

“So what happened?” You asked a bit too eagerly.

Natasha smiled. “James said they’d had their fun, but it wasn’t love. True to her word, she left. Her father resigned his Lordship and they moved to Shieldian. No one has seen her since then. Not until she showed up, uninvited and unannounced.”

You sunk back into your chair. Why would Sharon be here now? The timing seemed all too convenient in your mind. Her old flame becomes King and must marry, and she decides to pay him a visit?

James may trust her, but that doesn’t mean you had too.

As you walked through the castle humming a tune to yourself, you felt butterflies forming in your stomach.

All of the eagerness to see James was manifesting into goosebumps on your skin and fire in your heart.

“Ah, Princess. Look at you, stunning as always.” Steve said, bowing to you as you approached him.

Your cheeks warmed at his words, “I hope his majesty thinks so too. Care to walk me to the gardens?”

“I’d be honored.”

You hooked your arm in his, and sauntered through down the hall.

The conversation was casual and easy as it always was with Steve. He felt like a true friend.

You approached the turn between the East wing and the hall to the gardens, when you noticed something strange.

The lock that was permanently affixed to the east wing was unlocked, and the door ajar.

“Steve, look...” you said alarmingly, pointing to the door. “No one should be in there, the King himself forbid—“

“Princess, Princess breathe...” he coaxed. “The maids still clean his parents quarters once a month. I don’t think they’ll ever stop, actually. It helps Bucky, keeps the memory alive I guess.”

Your heart calmed, “Oh.”

You approached the gardens. In between two beautiful patches of tulips, was a small table, set for two, with a golden candelabra atop it.

Stood next to it, was the King.

“This is where I leave you.” Steve said knowingly.

You nod, surrendering his arm. “Thank you.”

Stepping softly towards him, you let out a deep breath, praying to whoever was listening for this to go well.

“Your Majesty?” You called. James heard the nerves in your voice, he hated that he made you nervous.

James spun around, a smile quickly gracing his lips. You looked stunning. He thought by now he’d be used to your beauty, but goodness was he wrong.

“Princess.” He greeted, taking your hand, and kissing your knuckles. “Thank you for joining me.”

You nodded. Bucky saw the smallest smile on your lips, and that made his heart soar.

“Thank you for having me—wanting me too. I was so worried when I hadn’t heard from you, I assumed the worst.” You said, looking to your fiddling hands.

James doesn’t know why, but he reached out to you, caressing your cheek. “I will always come home. I promise.”

He felt you lean into his touch, relishing in the connection for a moment.

“What of the family? Who would want to hurt them?” You asked sincerely.

James should tell you, he shouldn’t start this union off with lies. But every fiber of his being is burning with desire to protect you. To shield you from any and all evil in this world.

“It’s been handled, no need to worry any longer.” He forces a smile, one hopefully you’ll believe.

James is quick to change the subject, “I’ve come to notice that tulips are your favorite, are they not? That’s why I chose this spot to dine.”

Your smile is shy, but you nod. “Indeed they are. Thank you for noticing.”

He nods, before moving to pull out the chair for you, “Please sit. The cooks have made a favorite of mine tonight, I hope you’ll enjoy it.”

The food was delicious. Shepherd’s Pie with mash, something you’re certain you’ll be requesting again.

“About the ball you mentioned...” you query, “When is it exactly?”

James wiped his mouth, “The week before the wedding. It’s a way to include those who won’t be invited to the ceremony, many citizens will offer tokens of service or gratitude. It’s also a way to prove our union.”

His voice tightens at the end of that sentence, almost like he’s afraid to broach the topic.

“Your highness...” you ease, placing your hand over his.

“I...I will marry you. I will.” You sound like you’re convincing yourself as much as you are him. “Your people—my future people, they need you. They so desperately need their King. Who am I to deny them of that?”

He smiles, briefly, but he does. “I know this can’t be easy for you either, and I haven’t brought much comfort to you, but I am grateful.”

Joy bubbles within you, “I do hope for us to grow closer.” You say, almost sounding too desperate.

“As do I, Princess. As do I.”

“Natasha...are you sure about this?” You ask, looking at yourself in the mirror.

She nods excitedly. “You look stunning, Ellaria. You look like a Queen.”

This gown was impeccable. Lavish and elegant in all manners, something you only wore when necessary.

This morning, she’d woken you up bright and early for the seamstresses to bring you your options for the ball, and Nat was very insistent on this one.

“Do you think it will Please the King?” You ask, a smirk dancing on your lips.

Natasha places her hands on your shoulders, spinning you around. “If it doesn’t, he’s a fool. No, worse than that, he’s a blind fool.”

The two of you laugh as she helps you out of the gown, and back into your simple house robes.

“James is changing. He seems more at ease with me,” you look down a moment, and fiddle with your hands. “I don’t know...it gives me hope, is all.”

Nat came behind you, and began brushing your hair gently. “You two will be wonderful for one another. I just know it.”

You let your eyes clothes for a moment, feeling relaxed as she played and brushed your locks.

It wasn’t hard to imagine, not anymore. Ellaria Barnes, Queen of Buchanan. This was a beautiful kingdom, with kind people. Things could be much, much worse.

You’d thought about the future. Children. All the things you’d have to do to have children. Making love to James and learning to love him. Suddenly things didn’t seem so bad.

“Ellaria? What’s that?” Natasha asked.

Your eyes flutter open, dissolving the fantasy you’d created. Her gaze was locked on the bed.

Near your pillows, you saw a piece of parchment sticking out from underneath. “I don’t know.” You say, as you get up to investigate.

Pulling it from beneath the cushion, you notice the seal. The Stark sigil from your necklace, only it’d been broken.

Unfolding it, you recognize it as the letter you’d written to your parents. Only when it was fully open did your blood run cold.

In the darkest ink and biggest lettering, across the middle of the page was one word;

Run.

Chapter Six: It’s Always Calm Before The Storm

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