#pagetreader

[honorhearted]

"I want you to help me kill my husband." (From Alicent in Ben's Red!Coat AU)

@pagetreader

"That's a dangerous thing to say," Benjamin cautioned. Despite his warning, he remained calmly leaning against a wingback chair -- V.iserys', as irony would later make him note -- with a glass of madeira hanging loosely between his fingers. "Just why do you think I would be interested in such an endeavor? Your husband has given me and my men quite a bit in this fight."

In truth, he wasn't fond of the older l.oyalist. V.iserys was kind enough, but Benjamin found his stories rather dull and uninspired -- an old man who was desperately trying to grasp onto the remaining strains of his youth -- and if he weren't so focused on his own personal revenge, he might have pitied the poor fool.

Absently skimming his tongue across his lower lip, Benjamin hummed before taking a sip of madeira, slow and calculated while he watched A.licent over the rim of his glass. She was far more than what met the eye: beautiful, unassuming, intelligent, and the type who spoke only when merited, she was assuredly someone he never wished to cross. Still, he wasn't about to just derail his good fortune for a pretty face.

"What's in it for me?" Benjamin demanded. "By all accounts, your husband is a good man. And last time I checked, m.urder beyond the battlefield was a c.riminal offense. I'm not looking to get hanged."

[savingthrcw]

@pagetreader - Posy for Sophie!

It was meant to be a happy time, and in many ways it was: preparing everything for Sophie's wedding among the so kind, so happy, Bridgerton women, knowing it was a loving union and that even afterwards she'd be safe in Mrs. Bridgerton's hands, it was truly a wonderful occasion. And she felt overwhelmed. Something about the easy way the Bridgerton's sisters picked at each other without an inch of maliciousness, the way Mrs. Bridgerton was so clearly proud of them and already so welcoming to Sophie, to her, was simply too much in its impossibility. Posy couldn't even comprehend how a family like that could exist.

She excused herself to go sit on the stairs, away from sight but still close enough to hear the laughter. The last few years had been hell, her mother had been positively bloodthirsty after losing her favorite target, and Posy didn't know what to do with herself without being ordered around. When Sophie came to check on her, she had nearly curled up into a ball. "Mrs. Bridgerton... is such a loving mother, isn't she."

[socialseasons]

“   I take that duty with the utmost seriousness. ” (Anthony @ Francesca)

BRIDGERTON SEASON ONE (EPISODES 5-8)

There was nothing in the world that Francesca believed more than Anthony's words at that moment, her smile soft as she considered the sacrifices that her eldest brother had made for their family, the duty that he gave himself every single day. It was commendable, no doubt, and yet she found herself feeling rather guilty for it -- As though she had asked it of him.

"I know," she murmured, unable to quite meet his gaze. "As do I."

[aworldofyou]

"You come here to stable your horse? We can do that, but if you're buying you are gonna have to talk to the boss inside."

starter call for Wanahton / Clara Cassidy, @pagetreader

[curseconsumed]

❝ I’m just a humble bounty hunter, ma’am. ❞

(Nikolai @ Clara)

@pagetreader

Clara frowned, eyeing him with visible distaste. "Then that makes you what, exactly? A c.owboy? Some uncouth, vapid little h.ighwayman?"

Jedediah Boyd could be cruel in his punishments, but he wasn't stupid. A match of this magnitude -- or in Nikolai's case, low depths -- must've posed some sort of benefit to the older man, given how Charlotte had been spared of this in favor of herself. But then, no one ever said no to dearest Lottie.

Folding her arms, Clara crossed from one end of the room to the other, stewing in frustration. "I don't intend to have your children," she finally said. "My grandmother nearly died pushing out Father's fat head, so I imagine your squalling brats would be much the same. Or at least, I'm judging by the large sense of self-importance you must surely possess."

[wiedzmacienia]

@pagetreader (cabbage man)

the witch turns to block the man, she thinks one of the tavern man's friends, before his arms encase her back. thrusts her leg out and knocks him to the ground. not using magic. no, she doesn't need to waste magic on him, or the tavern man which comes toward her to help his friend. confirmation of her previous thought. she's been keenly aware of being followed into the woods, perhaps even expected it at some point considering the attitudes of those which had bore witness to her action a week before. most men did not react well to being challenged upon a good day and reacted worse when a woman dared to do so. it's forced her to delay her plans for this night, to send word of delay toward those she had intended to meet. she's distracted for a moment by the man coming toward her, an opening given the man gaining his footing as he offers a lucky blow to her leg, knocking her to the ground for a moment as she blinks at the way the wind is knocked out of her.

the best laid plans could find themselves torn asunder. she understands such with a keen foreknowledge. she remembers rozlogi. remembers flames as they licked stone. remembers men's bodies as they lay upon in the bailey. she remembers the face of a man in devastation, and the face of one in relief as blood dripped from his sword and crimson reflected from her hair and dried upon her body. she remembers who was taken and what had ensued when she'd faced the wretched witch in her mountain hovel. disruption to plans was not the be unexpected. always be prepared. seek your vantage points. scout the land. embody your senses, acquaint them to the energy around you, attune them when developing a convergence point so that you might know within moment's notice when something is disrupted. always a teacher zalan had been. lessons upon lessons, broken to be rebuilt. where had these lessons gone that night when the castle had been taken? when she had bore witness to a fall, body struck with silver cast down from the tower and all sense of reason had left her mind? a plan taken flight in the wind, cast into the storm and that whom they had been bid to protect lost-- temporary as it had been.

vigilance, in a world turned upside down, was paramount. vigilance after the tavern was sheer common sense. her plans had been stalled by a week's passage. tensions risen and katarzyna had half a mind to abandon the endeavor completely though she'd followed through upon this night after all. she did not wish to cause problems for the family who had taken her in, providing knowledge and shelter in a world where suspicions appeared toward everything new and unknown. it's the heart of the family, their honor, their spirit in remembrance which keeps them loyal in trying times when to bring her into their home could spell disaster. 'dear child, we can not live with them, for if one of us is discovered we all may be.' her mother had spoken such words for her so long prior, haunting, and yet a contradiction to many years of peaceful life. a peaceful life which had been obliterated by pain and anguish. perhaps she had been right in the end and it casts a shudder through the golden haired witch upon the memory. the family catherine lis stayed with held no true allegiance to the british, them but a consequence of changing territories. but for her to remain when such attentions were wrought upon her? it was perhaps unwise yet she needed the final piece of the puzzle. needed to meet with those she had intended upon this night.

the witch rolls over when one of them attempts to grab her leg, kicks up and sends both men off balance with blows to their throats. they weren't fighters, not really and she might be small but filled with plenty of frustrated anger. they'd delayed her plans and what? thought they could teach her some kind of lesson? the girl with the strange accent with no true ties to speak of. she doesn't dwell on the kind of lesson. she doesn't seek to murder them outright. but oh, how wrong they were. wrong upon so many fronts that it was laughable.

the moon is high in the sky, filtering through the trees casting shadows across the ground. she's nearly tempted, to let the shadows within her which itch to come out engulf the men but a crunch of leaves in the distance catches her ocean hues. had she been mistaken when she'd opened her senses to the world. had there been three within these men's party and not two? foot meets one of the man's heads, not enough to truly maim him but enough to knock him unconscious. the other man rolls over, attempting to gain his footing. she's not actually concerned with him and for the brief moment it takes him to rise she allows her gaze to dart through the woods and fall upon-- cabbage man? head tilts to the side, mind searching for answers to this strange turn of events. she decides quickly, though she does not know the man well they have spoken and he had not been unkind, that he was not in union with these men. had he followed her though? to what end? or had he followed them? or just happened upon chaos on this night?

"i would think you would have learned when i broke your nose, or-- from your sleepy friend there that it is unwise to--" kasia is speaking to the man who attempts to make another move against her, undeterred by the cabbage man's presence and she wonders if the man simply planned to harm him too. she's heard things, rumors that some thought the other man a coward for actions months prior. for leaving his enlistment. and while perhaps she held her own views about vows to causes, she could not fault him for seeking to aid sickly family. that was not without honor either. to aid the defenseless or the sickly. she is no stranger to being condemned for such an action be it not the same. her words are cut off by the man who throws his weight into trying to move against her. she sees his footing, his error and simply pushes out at him sending him stumbling into a tree. "you picked a fine night to go for a nightly stroll cabbage man."

there's a jarring kind of amusement to the woman's tone as she looks upon the cabbage man. then a sigh when the other man moves again. enough of this, honestly. how foolish could some men be? she wonders though then considers he had likely given in to the drink. that had colored a many man's dark intentions over the years. he attempts to charge forward again however everything shifts from there in rapid succession. the man is plucked into the air by some unseen force mid-movement, her expression changing quickly into surprise. had her delay caused those she had intended to meet to seek her out? no-- no, there was too much darkness in the air suddenly, ebbing, projecting from whatever force was being used and it strikes her with a worried sort of horror that whatever was out here may have been watching too, may have already come from those waiting for her not far from their current spot. she can not dwell upon this however. or the fact that that all things considered she should not worry about the human's fate when so much rode upon this night. he was inconsequential to her cause. perhaps to some of the townsfolk too.

yet-- when blurred creature moves toward him next, there is no hesitation when the witch unleashes her shadows from her and sends them around the wrath, shielding the cabbage man. she also does not give him time to present horror at her own action. her hurried footfalls bring her to him within seconds, all this having transpired within less than a minute, gripping at his arm as she instructs him to come with her. there's a little creak not far from there. running water and while she may not know exactly what this ghostly creature is, she holds enough knowledge that it may have issue with crossing such a thing. in the least, if she is correct, it may grant time to figure out what forces were truly at play.

[witcheyedcrow]

@pagetreader liked the kiss-y starter call

It was the first time someone was taking care of her out of free will, not because of money, not because of fear, and Ada was thoroughly enjoying that feeling of warmth, trying to get every last drop of it before she'd be inevitably asked to leave. It would be soon, surely. And that evening she had stayed out while it rained to enjoy that little new experience as well, her little smile impossible to wipe out even as Abraham convinced her to go back inside and tried to help her dry up so she wouldn't get pneumonia. And when he did, when he came close enough to help - he always helped - and she thought again that he'd soon tell her to go, Ada took another opportunity to do something different, glancing at his lips to gauge his reaction before leaning in to close the distance with a soft kiss.

[sharp-teeth-and-archived]

( Ensign Baker ; continued )

        ❝ The Magistrate is with the Major, miss, ❞ Oliver supplied with as much detail as he could provide, which was slim. ❝ What business you have with the Magistrate should be dealt with at a later date. ❞

        Her answer intrigued him and he raised an eyebrow, pondering if he misinterpreted her words or if that was exactly what he was hearing. He stood tall and looked down at her, keeping his voice firm. ❝ Madam, I can assure you we are having a civil conversation here. Major Hewlett ordered me to not allow entry to any civilians. ❞

@pagetreader

[smiletimeisrunningout]

@pagetreader "i've never done anything like that before." (Baker) for intimate pillow talk meme!

She wished she was as confident as she had been a little earlier while more in her element, but now that it was over Emma was actually hesitating. There was something about him that made her want to take care of him as if he was fragile - how ironic, considering - and that was enough to make her unsure. Her lips trailed along his jaw, and she placed a little kiss on his neck, below his ear. "Are you alright? I mean... are you... still happy that you have done it? With me?"

[laviexenrose]

Her attention had been stolen for a moment -- a blink of an eye -- but it was enough time for little Henri to disappear amidst the bustling crowd of the market that early misty morning. Stopped in her tracks, Isabelle turned her head in every direction, calling out for him, but to no avail. With so much activity and movement, trying to spot him was like looking for a needle in a haystack, and he was quite small for a boy his age. 

She was sure she knew where he could be found and hurried towards the fruit stands. When Isabelle saw he wasn’t there, the initial panic she fought to hold at bay washed over her. Drawing in a deep breath, she told herself to remain calm. He could not have wandered far, but then where on Earth was he? 

Weaving through the crowd, she mumbled polite apologies to those she nearly ran into and hurriedly helped another woman gather the vegetables back into the basket she’d knocked right out of her hands. To those she knew and encountered, Isabelle asked if they’d seen Henri. With every ‘no, I haven’t seen the boy’, her heart sank further and further, desperation growing as a tightness formed in her chest. 

Finally, she broke down into tears, terrified and unsure of where else to search or what to do. * . ⊹ @pagetreader

[west1rosi]

@pagetreader asked: “The king has yet to arrive to his own party.” (Arthur @ Ashara) AT A ROYAL BALL SENTENCE STARTERS .

"when  has  the  king  ever  arrived  to  one  of  these  parties,  brother?"  ashara  allows  herself  a  moment  to  tease  in  the  quiet  company  of  his  brother.  princess  elia  is  at  the  side,  waiting  for  her  own  husband  and  ashara  had  been  free  to  be  just  another  lady  of  the  court  for  the  day.  "the  party  would  end  ever  so  soon  if  he  was  here."  and  they  both  knew  it.

king  aerys  was  not  of sound  mind  and  they  all  knew  it  was  best  that  he  kept  to  himself.  purple  gaze  settles  on  the  room,  scanning  the  guest,  round  and  about,  before  they  fall  on  the  table  before  them:  robert  baratheon  in  all  of  his  glory  with  lady  lyanna  on  his  side,  and  eddard  stark  on  the  other.  "the  real  question,  brother,  is  are  kingsguard  allowed  to  dance  or  am  i  meant  to  keep  you  company  the  entire  night?" 

[honorhearted]

"You really need to lighten up and take some risks," Bekah chuckled, crouched beneath his desk as she lightly brushed her thumbs over his thighs. Such a statement was probably laughable coming from her, but now that the British had officially surrendered and Washington's army was expected to march through the Colonies in a victory procession abundant in pomp and circumstance, didn't they deserve to do a little celebrating of their own?

@pagetreader

"Lighten up?" Benjamin echoed, an incredulous grin tipping the corner of his mouth. "With all due respect, I think I've just endured seven years' worth of risks. I'm ready to turn over a new leaf...and preferably, one that won't get me needlessly humiliated in front of my superiors."

Pointedly, he lifted his quill and attempted to continue the letter he was writing to his father. At long last, Benjamin could announce their triumphant return home, and after all the pain, the death, the suffering, he could scarcely believe it.

Just as Benjamin dotted one of the "i's" on his page, Rebekah slid her palms along his thighs and he jerked, promptly splattering ink across the parchment.

"Dammit," he swore, though without any true bite. "Beks, I'm serious..." Blinking down at her beneath the desk, he huffed a soft laugh and prodded, "What are you even doing down there? Any cleaning can keep until morning."

[emcads]

BLOOD, BLOOD, GALLONS OF THE STUFF. ISAAC ABBOTT. @pagetreader said: " oh my god. oh my god, oh my god, what the fuck ? is that what i fucking think it is ? "

❝ are you not a SOLDIER, señor ? surely you have seen a BODY before. ❞

ESMERALDA KNEELED to wipe her dagger clean on the corpse's clothing, and once satisfied stowed it away in its sheath ( she'd clean it more thoroughly later ). with the back of her hand, she wiped the man's blood from her forehead to keep it from dripping into her eyes, though she could do nothing about that which had already found itself on her lips, the rich, metal taste already upon her tongue. the perils of the trade, I suppose. she was rather MUCH more concerned about the state of her gown, fine ( stolen ) silk embroidered halfway across the world now stained with all the unpleasantness of an UNEXPECTED duel.

her hand was still shaking. and her heart still thudding long after he had cornered her into that . but she did her best to ignore that. now was not the moment for FEAR. not with another damned man in uniform looking down on her. no doubt the king's wayward subjects had the same FONDNESS for the noose.

❝ it ought to be your job to clean your streets of its miscreants, not mine. ❞

[unyieldingvalxr]

Frienemies Working together.

@pagetreader (Peggy)

"You want revenge, same as I. What do you say we work together and take these soldiers for all they're worth?" Philomena suggests, having watched the same brutes talk down to the other blonde. "Clearly they believe we're unintelligent damsels."

[gleamingcrowns]

[ wounded ] sender patches up receiver's wounds (Katherine @ Jamie)

🐝  *  ―  𝑵𝑶𝑵-𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑩𝑨𝑳 𝑨𝑵𝑮𝑺𝑻 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑻𝑺. || for jamie from @pagetreader

Jamie sat very still as he was tended to. The slice on his arm had finally stopped bleeding. "Ah, that stings lass." He grumbled, and winced from her touch as she cleaned. "Can we take a minute to let it rest. Maybe give me a rest." Jamie gave a weak smile, reaching for his glass of whiskey before swigging it back in one motion. "Can we do this later? I need a moment."

[preytale]

it was the kind thing to do, was it not? an act of heroism after a near scandal caused by cressida cowper. (in which the aforementioned took it upon herself to publicly humiliate miss featherington with a snarky comment, forcing anthony's hand to step in.) now he promenades about the ball – one arm resting behind his back while the other is linked with penelope's as they strolled. 

❝ are you alright, miss featherington? ❞ they've not spoken much since the encounter, but she seems to be holding herself well – considering they've managed to put a great distance between themselves and cressida before any further incident could tae place. ❝ you certainly didn't deserve any of that. ❞

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ@pagetreader : starter.ᐟ