#she who has been the queen of england on earth will today become a queen in heaven

[laurapetrie]

Her only visible sign of emotion was to glance over her shoulder several times. Was this an understandable moment of fear, perhaps that the headsman would strike before she was ready? Or was it more poignant? She had previously told Kingston that though she had been treated harshly at the time of her arrest, "I think the king does it to prove me." Did she hope against hope for a last-minute reprieve? Was she looking over her shoulder for a messenger? Henry had the power to spare her - if he chose to. But if Anne dreamed that her former lover would save her, she barely knew him. Anne was an extraordinarily modern woman, a supremely talented, captivating spirit comfortable in her own skin and confident in her own destiny. A voice determined to be heard in the cacophony of sound in Henry's court, she read her own books, framed her own opinions and was ready to defend them against all comers. She was the first queen of England to champion a reforming agenda certainly where religion was concerned. Her major character flaw was succumbing to the dizzying effects of power and hubris. De Carle was not far wrong when he depicted her as basically good and virtuous, until ambition turned her head. The Anne who had the examples of Louise of Savoy and Marguerite of Angouleme before her could never settle for the self-abnegation expected from a subservient, obedient wife. She had too much zest, too much audacity, too many unfulfilled ambitions of her own for that. - Hunting the Falcon: Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and the Marriage That Shook Europe

[kate-bridgerton]

“She who has been the Queen of England on earth will today become a Queen in Heaven.” – Archbishop Thomas Cranmer about Anne Boleyn on May 19, 1536

[dyingroses]

"She who has been the Queen of England on earth will today become a Queen in heaven." - Thomas Cranmer 

[kingofpopmj]

Then, There Was You

Prelude

July 13th, 1988

Diana, Princess of Wales, walked down the main hallway of Buckingham Palace. The click of her heels muffled by the velvet rug covering the tiled floor.

Tonight was Queen Elizabeth’s Sixtieth Birthday Celebration, so it was a very important event to say the least. The Royal Families’ extended list of acquaintances had travelled from all over to be here. As much as she loves the Queen, there was always a sense of unease that followed her throughout these events. It had nothing to do with her mother-in-law or the rest of the family at all. It was her. She struggled to feel as though she belonged, yet somehow she was constantly reminded of the void she filled. The people of England had grown quite fond of her and even though she didn’t understand it, she vowed to herself to never take it for granted. Most of all, to never let them down.

When she rounded the corner she was met with her husband, who looked very frustrated. He grumbled lowly, not having noticed her presence yet.

*Diana’s POV*

“Dear, it’s really no use. She’s hiding.” I chuckled softly, crossing my arms. “You know how much she loathes these types of events. All the people. All the pressure.”

“I know, but she has to make an appearance. I don’t enjoy it anymore than she does.” Charles responded, opening and shutting doors as he searched for his sister. “Where on earth could she be? How does she do this? Just vanish into thin air.”

“She doesn’t want to see Benjamin. Your mother practically names their nonexistent children when they’re in the same room. Y/N doesn’t like it, it makes her uncomfortable. She doesn’t care for him, not in that way.”

“That’s neither here nor there. She needs grow up at some point. If our parents want her to marry him, then that’s what she must do. It’s how this works. I’ve done it. Now, it’s her turn.”

“You’re so romantic.” I swallowed the lump in my throat as I directed the light hearted joke towards him. I knew our marriage wasn’t a fairytale, but I still didn’t appreciate having it thrown in my face.

If it wasn’t for Y/N, I would’ve fought against the marriage much harder, but I love my sister-in-law to pieces. She was one of, if not the best part of my new life in the Royal Family. We connected early on and we had naturally found comfort in one another. We were close, which meant I knew all of her hiding spots, but I’d never tell Charles or anyone else for that matter. I understood her, more than they cared to. I was determined to protect Y/N, the way I wished someone had done for me.

“I don’t have time for this. She’s ridiculous. I have to get back out there. At least one of us has to be an adult today, so it looks like it’s up to me. Do you mind searching on your own?”

“Sure. I’ll take care of it.” I smiled and Charles nodded, giving me a quick peck on the forehead.

I watched as he made his way back to the party, once he was out of sight I stealthily made my way into the room at the end of the hall. It had a balcony that Y/N tended to gravitate to when she needed an escape. Once I’d entered I quickly closed the door behind me, moving towards the door leading outside. I slowly twisted the knob and pushed the door open.

“Oh! Spence, you scared me.” Y/N breathed out, stepping out from the table she had crawled under.

“Great spot. I barely saw you there.”

“I panicked.”

“You need practice.” I fake scolded her, collapsing into a chair.

“Yeah, yeah. Who sent you?”

“The worst of them all.” My eyes widened as if I was telling a horror story.

“My dad?” She gasped dramatically.

“Your brother.”

“Boo!”

“You’ve got that right. So, how much longer are we hiding out for?”

“I need a few more minutes.”

“I’ll give you two, then I’m dragging you out of here.”

“Trader.” Y/N huffed, hopping up to sit on the stone column of the railing.

“What? You want to leave me out there all alone?”

“Of course not.”

“Benjamin has been talking up your parents since he arrived.”

“I’m going to become physically ill if I have to be anywhere near him tonight.”

“I’ll do my best to run interference.”

“Bless your heart!” Y/N announced, throwing her hands in the air. “Have I ever told you how breathtaking you look under the moonlight?”

“No need to soften me up. You know I’ll do anything for you.”

“I know. Thank you, my favorite sister.” She skipped over and hugged me. I loved hearing her say that. I knew she meant it and even though I was technically her only sister, it still meant the world to me.

“You’re mine too. Ready to conquer all?”

“I suppose.”

“We’ll walk extra slow.”

“You’re my favorite person ever.”

“I better be.” I laughed, leading the way out.

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

“Okay, you ready?” I questioned nervously as we stood in front of the large doors leading up to the ballroom. “The night will fly by I promise. Plus, we get cake for our struggles.”

“Thanks Spence. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Y/N squeezed my hand with a smile.

The gentlemen greeting guests moved to open the doors for us. A deep bow to show their respect as we moved to enter the room. It was something I had yet to become accustomed to although I always acknowledge kindness and offered it in return. It was natural to me, so I was told.

Y/N was oddly quiet as we moved towards the head table. I wrote it off as nervousness or just plain annoyance at having to be apart of this whole extravaganza. That’s when it happened. Y/N’s feet ceased movement and she took a deep breath. Her hand gripped my arm tightly as she pushed her shoulders back and held her chin higher.

“Wow.” The word fell out of Y/N’s mouth as she stood as still as a statue.

“What was that?” I asked, unsure I’d heard her correctly. “Are you alright?”

Y/N was in a daze. She was staring off into the distance, completely unaware that I had asked her a question and that her grip was cutting off the circulation to my fingers.

“Princess Royal.” I tried, hoping her official title would break the trance or me nudging her arm, but to no avail. Y/N was unreachable.

I followed her gaze, seeing what had brought on the distraction, or should she say whom. I was stunned, so discreetly I looked back and forth between them and found that they had each other’s attention. Well, well, well, they were so lost in their own world that they’ve forgotten about the madness surrounding them. I couldn’t believe my eyes. A bashful smile spread upon his face, leading to a pink blush to appear on her cheeks.

“This is going to be fun.” Thankfully, for everyone involved, I was more of a direct person. There was no way I was going to watch them gawk at each other all night. I’m all about a love story, especially when I get to play match maker. I hooked my arm around Y/N’s waist, pulling her over to the man in the black fedora.

“Hello.” I smiled. “I’m Diana, this is Y/N. It’s so kind of you to be here for tonight’s festivities. We do hope you’re enjoying yourself.”

“H— Hi, hello.” He listened to her, but his eyes never left Y/N’s. “It’s an honor to meet you— both of you. Thank you for having me.” He looked nervous, but he persevered, removing his hat and bowing his head. “Princess—”

“Please, call me Y/N.” I watched on, smirking as I witnessed my sister-in-law remember how to speak. I felt so proud.

“Y/N.” He smiled, this time his bright teeth becoming visible. The way he said her name was unlike anything I’d heard before. He said it with such tenderness.

“And, I shall call you?” Y/N was visibly becoming more confident under his gaze.

“Michael, you can call me Michael.”

“Michael.” She held her hand out to shake his, their grasp on each other’s hand lingered. I felt as though I was imposing on an intimate moment, but I didn’t move a muscle, too interested to see where this would lead— with giving them a strong nudge in the right direction of course.

“Y/N and I were just discussing how excited we are for your upcoming shows.” I spoke, earning a confused look from Y/N. “We will be attending the opening night at Wembley.”

“I’ve heard. I’m flattered that you’d want to watch me perform. I’ll have to do my best to impress tomorrow night.” He laughed softly. “Do you have a favorite song?” He asked, looking at both of us.

“I like I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, it’s really an amazing song. Your voice, it’s beautiful.” Y/N said just above a murmur.

“Thank you. That’s actually one of my favorites too. It holds a lot of meaning and passion behind it. I look forward to singing it for you. I’ll be sure to make it extra special.”

“I can’t wait.”

Y/N and Michael were looking at each other with a fire in their eyes that made even my heart skip a beat. I loved seeing this side of my sister-in-law, she was all giggly and flustered. It was too adorable.

“I like Dirty Diana.” I interrupted them, staring at each other as if they were communicating much more through their silence. Their heads both snapped in my direction. Michael had a shocked expression on his face.

“Dirty Diana?” He questioned below a whisper, leaning towards me to ensure no one else would hear his question.

“Yes. I love it.”

“I actually took that one off the setlist.”

“Why?”

“Well, out of respect for you of course. I didn’t think it’d be appropriate to perform that song since it had your name. Obviously, it’s not about you, but I just— I wanted to be respectful.”

“Oh no, it’s my absolute favorite.”

“Okay, I’ll— I can add it back. If you’re okay with it.”

“Of course.”

“That’s—” Michael started, but he was rudely interrupted.

“Ah, I see you found my lovely sister. What’s going on here?” Charles questioned, looking at each of us, completely unaware of the moment he’d just cut in on.

“Oh, nothing.” I smiled, reaching out for his hand. “Charles, this is Michael. Michael, this my husband, Y/N’s brother, Charles.”

“It’s very nice to meet you.” Michael says, shaking his hand firmly.

“The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for fitting us in to your very busy schedule. I know you have upcoming shows and other obligations. Diana insisted I accompany her—”

“Oh, dear, I just invited Y/N to come with me. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner. I do hope you won’t mind.”

“That’s a fantastic idea. My two favorite ladies’ deserve a night out. I know you’ll take great care of them.” Charles nodded towards Michael with a laugh, no doubt relieved he had been free of the commitment. He wasn’t necessarily a fan, but he had grown to enjoy the music, for me of course.

“I’ll keep a close eye on them.” Michael replied, stealing a glance at Y/N who was standing beside him. She smiled at him and when he sent a flirty wink in her direction, she all but crumbled right before our eyes. She looked so happy in his company.

Oh, I love him already.

“Charles, I was just about to come find you. Your father needed us for a toast I believe. Michael, Princess Royal, please excuse us. Oh, and I hope to see you two join us on the dance floor later.” I pulled my husband away, leaving them alone to get to know each other better.

The smile on my face growing wider by the second as we went on our way because I could feel something coming.

And, I couldn’t wait.

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

*Benjamin’s POV*

“Lady Diana, Sir Charles, it’s great to see you.”

“Hello, how are you Benji?” Charles smiled.

“Hi, Benjamin.” Diana spared me a tight lipped grin, further confirming my suspicions that she wasn’t very fond of me.

“Good, how are you?”

“Fine. It’s quite the turn out. Beautiful, don’t you think? It looks like my mum is enjoying herself.”

“Yes, everything looks great. Charles, have you seen—”

“She’s around here somewhere.” He chuckled, taking a sip of his drink.

“Ah, thank you.”

“Last I saw her, she was over there with Michael.” He replied, pointing over to the grand entrance. “Charming guy, right honey?”

“Michael?” Who the hell is that?

“Yes.” They answered at the same time.

“Who’s that?” I questioned.

“Michael Jackson.” Diana smiled, nodding her head excitedly. “He’s so sweet. I can’t believe he actually came. Your mother was thrilled.” She added, looking at Charles for approval.

“That, she was.” He confirmed. “She’s going hang that picture up above the mantle.”

“Right.”

“Oh, relax. Benji, no competition. He’s a friend of the family. Diana here is simply star struck.”

“He’s incredibly talented.” She gushed. “I don’t understand how he does it all. I can’t wait for tomorrow—”

“I suppose.”

“Jealousy is a lovely color on you.” Diana joked.

“I’m not jealous. He’s a musician.” I spat.

“He’s more than—” Diana started until she was cut off by Charles’ glare. “He’s very kind.” She spoke, looking away from us.

“Well, I’ll go find her. I’m sure she’s itching to be rid of him.”

“She seemed to be enjoying herself very much. Leave her be.” Diana spoke, but I went off to interrupt them anyway.

I knew better.

I knew her.

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

*Michael’s POV*

“Would you like to come sit with me?” I asked, burying my hands deep in my pockets so she wouldn’t see me crossing my fingers for luck.

“I’d love to.” I gestured over to my table, unsure if it be inappropriate to guide her by pressing my hand against the curve of her back, so I fought the urge. Yeah, that definitely wouldn’t have been appropriate. Stop looking too. She has a face Michael.

“So—” I began as I pulled out the chair for her.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” I sat down, frantically trying to find what to say next. “Do you go out? I mean— well of course you go out— you don’t stay here all the time— probably go on dates too— look at you— I’m sure that happens a lot— dates— which is cool.” I ran my hands up and down my thighs, what the hell is the matter with me? “Do you have a favorite place in England? That’s what I meant to ask.” Better, now don’t go back to sounding like an idiot.

“Well, I quite enjoy Dreamland. It’s an amusement park we have here. It’s incredible. We don’t get around to it much anymore with all the adult responsibilities getting in the way. Last time, we ended up spending the entire day meeting the people, but it was nice.” She laughed, shrugging in the most lovely manner I’ve ever witnessed. “What about you? What’s your favorite place back in the states?”

“I’d have to say home. I’m the most comfortable there. If I go out it can become quite difficult.”

“Ah, to be loved by the masses. It must be tough to navigate a private life.”

“Yes. I make it work the best I can though. I was lucky enough to find a beautiful piece of land to build on. Everything I need is right there, only a few steps away.”

“That sounds incredible. A lot like this place.”

“I’d assume. Well, other than the tall stone walls, I’m not sure what else there would be that our fortresses have in common.”

“Do you have a library?” She asked quickly.

“Yes.” I nodded, holding up two fingers. “Do you have a pool?”

“Yes.” She smirked, holding up one finger which caused us both to laugh. “Do you have a garden?”

“Yes.” I thought for a moment before continuing. “Do you have a go kart track?”

“What? No. I wish! Wait, do you?”

“Mhm.”

“You’re lying.”

“I wouldn’t dare lie to a princess. I also have a few other attractions.” I said in a teasing tone.

“Attractions? I’m going to need the details. If you don’t mind, of course.”

“Hm.. a Ferris Wheel, a Merry Go Round, some carnival games. Nothing too fancy.”

“Nothing too fancy? It sounds like you live at the home of the mouse!”

“Home of the mouse?” I chuckled although I was very confused.

“Yes! The mouse. You know? All the rides and the big castle—”

“Mickey Mouse? Do you mean Disneyland?” I smiled at her description, it was cute.

“Yes! You’re like Mickey Mouse.”

“I love that comparison, but my home is called Neverland.”

“Neverland. That’s a beautiful name! I think I like it better than Disneyland.”

“You’re more than welcome to visit. I’d love to have you— have you over to visit.” It was bold to say the least, but I couldn’t resist.

“Oh, I’d be careful if I were you. If it’s as magical of a place as you describe, I may never leave.”

“I wouldn’t mind.”

“Well, in that case, I’ll have my belongings sent over right away.” She giggled as I fought the need to reach out and caress her cheek.

“I wouldn’t mind.” I repeated, her face softening as she reached over to place her hand on top of mine.

“Did you attend with a plus one or—” She asked, gosh her voice was so beautiful.

“I’m alone— not alone I mean you’re here— I— I don’t have a plus one. Today or ever. Just me.” I rambled.

“That’s perfect. Thank you for sharing. I’m alone too. Not alone, alone. I mean you’re here.” She giggled as she threw my words back at me. Oh, she’s teasing me. I could get use to this.

“So..” Shit. Her hand hasn’t moved, her skin is so smooth. Shit. Don’t freeze up now. Keep the conversation going or she’ll leave. “That’s a really pretty tiara.” I pointed to the top of her head. Wow. Great ice breaker Michael. “You’re pretty— breathtaking really.” Eh, not great but a step in the right direction.

“Thank you. You’re as kind as you are handsome.” She smiled, looking at me as she gave my hand a tender squeeze. I took this moment to allow my gaze to linger. Her dress was a light pink color. She had loose sleeves that reached her elbows. The skirt flowed off her body, falling just short of dragging on the floor. I was admiring her so intently that I didn’t realize her staring at me.

“I’m sorry.” I quickly fixed my gaze at the ground. “You— I’ve never seen anyone— I just needed a proper moment to truly appreciate what’s in front of me.”

“You really have a way with words.” She smiled, leaning towards me to place a gentle kiss on my cheek. “You’re quite the gentleman.”

“What can I say? You’ve got an effect on me.” I laughed off how my cheek was still tingling from her touch.

“When did you arrive in England?” She clasped her hands around mine, waiting for my answer and looking at me like I was the only person in the room.

“My flight got in last night.”

“Oh, you haven’t even been able to explore. You have to see the—”

“Princess Royal, I’ve been looking for you.” A man approached us, interrupting our conversation.

“Benjamin. Hello, this is Michael. He’s been keeping me company.” She smiled at me kindly.

“Well, I can take over from here.” He said sternly, his gaze landing on our entangled hands.

“No need, Michael is great company.” She said, her hands still in mine. She wasn’t letting go. And, I definitely wasn’t letting go.

“Thank you. As are you.” As are you? Why the fuck did I just say that? Thankfully, she seemed to like it. She started laughing, leaning against my arm to keep from falling out of her chair. Shit. Am I irresistible in England?

“Okay, well I’ll go get us some drinks and join you. The both of you, I guess.” He sent a disapproving look my way before walking off. I didn’t think about it much, how could I? I could barely think straight with her sat beside me. As long as she enjoyed my company, I wasn’t going anywhere.

“Are you up for some impromptu sightseeing?” She turned to me with a hopeful smile on her face. “I think we’ve spent enough time amongst the masses.” She joked.

“I’m assuming you’ll be my private tour guide?” I asked, smiling back at her. “If so, then absolutely, yes.” Nice, that was smooth.

“You’re in for a treat! I’m the best tour guide.”

“Lead the way your highness.” She giggled as she gripped my arm, jumping up from our seats at the same time and fast walking towards the nearest exit.

“This way!” She pointed to the left, holding my hand from only a few steps in front of me. I’d give anything for this moment to never end.

Her dress swayed side to side as we made our exit, I held onto my hat, ensuring it wouldn’t leave my head. My shoulders shook as I chuckled at my predicament. Y/N looked over her shoulder at me with a grin on her face that reached all the way up to her eyes.

She’s stunning.

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

“Scared of heights?” She asked. “It’s only four stories up.” She added, a little more nonchalant than I cared for.

“Not particularly.” Kind of, well yes, very, but I’m not going to tell her that, especially when she’s already crawling out the window onto the roof. Great.

“Come on.”

“Is this safe?” I inquired, curiously inspecting the window sill. “I mean, is this okay?”

“Uh yeah, I believe so. I come up here all the time.” She was out of sight, but I could still hear her clearly. Here goes nothing. “Well, are you coming?” She laughed.

“Yes.” Oh, beautiful woman, I hope you’re worth me scaling a building.

As I crawled onto the roof I spotted her sitting at the edge of the building. Perfect. Just where I was hoping she’d be. I dusted off my knees before making my way over to her. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. A nice, well-built, flat surface to walk on. Carefully, I took a seat next to her, dangling my legs over the edge, away from safety just like her. Respectfully, this woman might be a little crazy.

“Finally, I’m glad you decided to join me.” She teased me.

“Excuse my tardiness, I made a few wrong turns.”

“You were worth the wait.” She said between fits of laughter.

“It’s not everyday a beautiful princess invites me to throw caution to the wind and climb a very tall building. I needed to make some calls and get my affairs in order.”

“Oh, stop.” She laughed harder, her hand resting on my shoulder. “You could’ve said no.”

“Say no? To you? Never.”

“Never?”

“Never. I think I’d do anything to spend more time with you.” I muttered honestly, she heard me, her lips parted slightly as her expression turned to worry.

“You’re scared of heights aren’t you?”

“What gave me away?” I gasped, avoiding looking down at all costs.

“Michael, you’re gripping the roof for dear life.”

“It’s okay, you’re helping me face my fears.”

“Oh, here let me help you. We can sit somewhere else. Away from the edge.” She helped me scoot backwards, making sure I was okay. “I can’t believe you lied! You just told me you wouldn’t dare lie to me when we were inside. I feel awful, are you alright?” She bursted out laughing, slapping my shoulder softly once we were far enough away from the edge.

“I didn’t want the night to end and I didn’t want you to think I was a coward.”

“Our night together would’ve continued, but I would’ve taken you to the balcony instead. And, I don’t think that one bit. It was really sweet— and extremely brave.”

“Brave huh?”

“Very.”

“I’m afraid to find out what else you could get me to do.”

“Hmm.. maybe we’ll try skydiving next?”

“If you really want to— I think I could muster up enough courage to do so. You’ll probably have to hold my hand the entire time though.”

“I wouldn’t mind.” She said shyly, fiddling with the bracelet hanging from her wrist.

“I was told I was in store for a bit of sightseeing, tourist like adventures, yet I don’t see a souvenir cart. Your highness, Miss most gorgeous tour guide, do you care to share the details of this tour?”

“Miss most gorgeous?” She tilted her head, a hint of a smirk pulling at her lips.

“Yes. That is your name isn’t it? It’s very fitting.”

“You’re quite the smooth talker.” She laughed, shaking her head at me. “You’re funny. I like that.”

“Good.” My response short and to the point, but it felt right.

“That over there is Big Ben.”

“There?” I asked, purposely pointing the opposite direction. I was a man with a plan.

“No.” She giggled, grasping at my wrist, directing it the other way under her sweet touch. “It’s right there.”

“Oh, now I see it.” Her hand lingered against my skin, so I took the opportunity to slide my hand into hers. I avoided her gaze, but from the corner of my eye I could see her smile. “That’s beautiful.” I said, relaxing as my hand settled around hers.

“England is most beautiful at night. The street lights look like stars. The city isn’t too loud either.” She went on as if us being this close was normal, like she’d let me do it again.

“I agree. It’s peaceful up here.”

“Tell me something about yourself.” She spoke, poking my hand with her thumb.

“I love hot sauce on my popcorn.”

“Hot sauce? I’ve never tried that.”

“You’re missing out.”

“I guess you’ll have to show me sometime.”

“I’d be honored. Another reason for you to visit Neverland, I have a movie theater and a popcorn machine.”

“Two invitations in one night. Eager are we?”

“Maybe just a little.” I winked at her, making that beautiful sound of joy fall from her lips. “So, what’s something I should know about you?”

“I like M&M’s in my popcorn.”

“Oh, the lady has good taste.”

“What’s your favorite thing about touring?”

“I don’t like it all that much.”

“Really? But, you’re a musician. That’s a big part of the job I’d assume.”

“It is, but I don’t like it all that much. I love meeting people that enjoy what I do. I appreciate them very much. It just takes a toll. The constant traveling is exhausting at times.”

“That makes sense.”

“I can tell you my favorite thing about England. If you’d like to know.” I offered with a smile.

“Yes. What is it?” She seemed so excited to hear my answer and I wanted nothing more than to see her reaction.

“You.”

“I— You don’t mean that.” She blushed, adverting her attention elsewhere.

“My nerves were everywhere, receiving an invitation to an event like this. I almost didn’t come. I had my doubts. People aren’t always the kindest to me, but I was wrong.”

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too. It’s like there were so many reasons to hide in a corner, so many reasons to rush through small talk with strangers...” I drifted off, realizing how vulnerable I was being, but surprisingly, I didn’t feel afraid.

“Go on.”

“All those reasons to be afraid and hide simply vanished. Suddenly, they felt so silly, you know? Then…” The sparkle in her eyes was evident with the darkness surrounding us. It grew brighter with each word that fell from my lips.

“Then, what?” Her voice soft, her tone reassuring, like she knew what I was going to say, like she understood.

“Then, there was you.”

[leiatudor94-blog]

19 may 1536

19 May 2023

My new video about Queen Anne ❤️. I Hope you can like it

“She who has been the Queen of England on earth will today become a Queen in Heaven.” – Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, after hearing that Anne Boleyn had been executed.

[intriguingpeoplebyangelafloyd]

Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors

THE BEHEADING OF ANNE BOLEYN

On 19 May 1536, Anne was beheaded on Tower Green.

On the morning of Friday, 19 May Anne was taken to a scaffold erected in the White Tower. She was accompanied by two female attendants, Anne made her final walk from the Queen's House to the scaffold and climbed the scaffold, and made a short speech.

She addressed the people from the scaffold overcome by weakness, but which gathered strength as she went on. The spectators could not refrain from tears. Anne did not confess guilt, and indeed subtly implied her innocence, in her appeal to those who might "meddle of my cause".

Anne lifted off her headdress, tucking her hair under a coif. After a brief farewell to her weeping ladies and a request for prayers, she knelt down and one of her ladies tied a blindfold over her eyes. She knelt upright, in the French style of beheadings. Her final prayer consisted of her repeating continually, "Jesu receive my soul; O Lord God have pity on my soul."

The execution consisted of a single stroke. Cranmer, who was at Lambeth Palace, was reported to have broken down in tears after telling Alexander Ales: "She who has been the Queen of England on earth will today become a Queen in heaven." When the charges were first brought against Anne, Cranmer had expressed his astonishment to Henry and his belief that "she should not be culpable".

#anneboleyn #thetudors #nataliedormer #thetudors

[altarsburning]

@flyingupward​ — you get ghost anne. :D

catherine parr’s bedroom is quiet, and dark — the fire crackling is the only sound that fills the room. anne watches her sleep, wondering if this is the life she could have had, if those close to the king had not laid such accusations against her. gently, with cold, ephemeral fingers, she stroked the queen’s cheek.

[thetudorslovers]

"As Anne waited for the executioner to strike, she started praying, "O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul. To Jesus Christ I commend my soul; Lord Jesu receive my soul. "As Anne prayed, the executioner called out to his assistant to pass him his sword. As Anne moved her head to follow what the assistant was doing, the executioner came up unnoticed behind her and beheaded her with one stroke of his sword. It was over.

As the shocked crowd dispersed, Anne's ladies, who were described as "bereft of their souls, such was their weakness", wrapped her head and body in white cloth and took them to the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula for burial. No casket had been provided, so a yeoman warder fetched an old elm chest which had once contained bow staves from the Tower armoury. Anne Boleyn, Queen of England and mother of Elizabeth I, was then buried as a traitor in an unmarked grave. The Tower cannons fired to tell London that its Queen was dead.

Scottish theologian Alexander Alesius had woken up in the early hours of 19th May from a nightmare about the Queen's severed neck in which he "could count the nerves, the veins, and the arteries". He went to visit his friend Archbishop Cranmer in his garden at Lambeth. Alesius was unaware of Anne's imminent execution, having remained at home since the day of Anne's imprisonment, but as he told the Archbishop of his dream, Cranmer "raised his eyes to heaven and said, 'She who has been the Queen of England upon earth will today become a Queen in heaven.' So great was his grief that he could say nothing more, and then he burst into tears." The Archbishop who owed his rise to the patronage of the Queen and her family was a broken man, and perhaps he felt some guilt for his part in recent events. It is hard to imagine how he would have felt on hearing the cannons ring out over London, announcing the Queen's death. Queen Anne Boleyn was gone, gone to a better place."

Source: "The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown", Claire Ridgway, MadeGlobal Publishing, UK, April 2012.

[cesareeborgia]

“She who has been the Queen of England on earth will today become a Queen in heaven.” - Thomas Cranmer

ANNE BOLEYN, QUEEN OF ENGLAND (C.1501/07 - 1536)

[mindofharry]

Be My Baby

In which Prince harry and Princess Y/N are set to marry and are more than happy about it. They celebrate in more ways than one.

AHHHH!!! ITS HERE!!! FINALLY! Prince harry is my guilty pleasure. pls treat him with the respect he deserves. these two are officially my favourite people ever.

fluff & FILTHY SMUT!!!!!! feedback is welcome as always! <3

“Princess Y/N is arriving soon, Harry” Anne, the queen of england said putting down her tea. Harry is the prince, next in line for the throne - Marriage is very important to the throne and for the throne. Anne has been very strict about that, preparing Harry for marriage. Princess Y/N of wales, is who Harry is meeting with today. Hopefully, to settle a deal. Harry has never cared for marriage or for a partner. He’s a lone wolf as his family would describe. But if he wants to be king, he needs to marry. And Y/N is looking like the only option at the moment.

Harry nodded putting the paper down and looking up at his mother. He pursed his lips leaning back in his seat.

“Is something the matter, dear?”

Harry shook his head “No, mother. Just tired” he lied, reassuring his mother. Anne didn’t press any further just got one of the servants to pour her more tea. She could read harry very well, she knew her son better than he knew himself. Y/N is perfect for him. Even if they do not marry, she will be a life long friend. But anne is sure they will marry within the year.

And Queen Anne is never wrong.

Y/N was late.

Harry was beginning to become bored, don’t get him wrong he loves his sister and mother. But he can only take so much. All he wanted to do was to be curled up with a book in the abandoned side of the castle - no one except for the young prince had been there. It was locked up for years before harry found the key, it was like a whole new world in there. It was dirty, messy, filthy - just how harry liked it. He decorated a room in there, and it’s like his safe place from all of this. All of these stupidly important responsibilities. His safe haven.

They were meant to be meeting, talking about their futures together. If his mother thought this was what was best for the country, then harry would push through. He hadn’t see Y/N in years, meeting when they were both much younger. No pressure, just the two kids playing in the fields. Y/N was beautiful, so care free. Harry wished he was like Y/N - the only think she seemed to care about were the moon, the sun and the stars. They never saw each other again after that, they have both obviously seen each other in papers and at events. But never talked. Y/N didn’t know why, neither did harry. They weren’t on the same chapter in life. But now, they’re both willing to do what is best for their country.

And maybe it wouldn’t be too bad marrying a soon to be king.

A servant comes into the dining room bowing at the styles family. Harry waits for him to speak - except a tall girl, bumps into him making the servant fall foward. Y/N (the tall girl) giggled, before clearing her throat and bowing at the styles family. Harry smirked and leaned back. Anne was standing a smile on her face as she saw her soon beaming for the first time in months.

“Your highness” Y/N said bowing, nearly falling down again. But she grinned covering it up. Her dress was long and tight - her mother made her wear it. She would much rather be in a nice flowy dress in the woods right now. Maybe reading about the sun. But her mother needed her to do this, so Y/N would.

Y/N’s father died a couple of months back, it was sudden and no one saw it coming. So her mother needed her to marry as Y/N is the oldest of four girls. They needed a man of the house and once Y/N married, harry would be that man. Y/N didn’t like that one bit. She could be the man of the house if she wanted to. She didn’t understand why they needed a man to pay for things, to do stuff for them. Women are just as capable. But there was no fighting with Y/N’s mother. And Y/N knew she was having a rough time without her husband and Y/N’s dad.

“Princess Y/N, it’s good to have you here” Anne said, as a servant helped her back into the seat. Y/N had the same treatment but she looked rather uncomfortable. She was seated infront of harry, which was glad of. It’s a nice view, she’ll admit. He had grown into his baby face, she thought. And that hair. Fuck, that hair.

“Thank you for inviting me, your highness” Y/N said smiling softly. “Your castle is amazing” She said and Anne nodded pointing around at the paintings. “I actually just got these new paintings in from a new artist in rome. Just beautiful, right harry?” Anne said, giving harry the look. His mother is giving him that look a lot recently, Anne just wants what is best for him and harry just doesn’t seem to care at all. It’s like he’s away from reality. In another universe half of the time. Anne was hoping Y/N would be able to bring him back down to earth, but from her entrance in here - Harry and Y/N are a lot more similar than she thought.

“Yeah, they’re beautiful” Harry said staring at the girl infront of him. Y/N blushed under his stare. She had never felt anything like this before for a man. Her stomach was in knots and her cheeks were getting hotter by the second.

The dinner was nice. It was quiet with Y/N trying to keep up the small talk - Anne was impressed with that. Everyone she had invited to the palace would only talk when spoken to, but Y/N had a certain way about her. She had manners of course, the kindest soul, but she talked. She could talk all day if she was allowed. She just never ran out of things to say. But the food was really good, so Y/N was quieter than usual. Harry had one question: did they feed her in the city? The way she was eating was like she had been starved for years.

“This is amazing” Y/N said putting her fork down. Anne grinned at the girl nodding to herself. She had found a keeper.

“Harry, why do you show Y/N around? She’s going to be staying here for the next couple of weeks” Anne announced and Y/N nearly choked on her water, she tapped her chest.

“I am?-“

“she is?”

Harry and Y/N both spoke at the same time, Anne tutted and ordered the servant to fill up her wine.

“Your mother and I have arranged it. Everything you have is here already, you’ll have your own quarters too. Your horse is being transported down here as we speak” Anne said making new room for arguing. “Y/N your mother said she would be happy for us to host you here if the dinner went accordingly. And i think it went more than accordingly” Anne continued sipping her wine.

Harry and Y/N looked to each other their eyes both wide with amusement and shock. Only their parents would do this.

“Now, run along. Gemma and I have some talking to do” Anne ordered, the servants came and helped the princess and prince up following them out of the dinning room. Y/N was rather uncomfortable with the servants being everywhere, she had a lot more freedom at home.

“Hey, you wanna do something fun?” She asked and harry raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“Hey! Intruder” Y/N yelled and the servants looked around quickly, harry was startled when Y/N laughed loudly taking his hand in hers and running down the hallway towards the abandoned part of the castle. Harry grinned and laughed loudly as they ran together.

This girl, he thought.

The door was locked. Harry brought a key out of his pocket and Y/N laughed loudly making harry shush her as he unlocked the door. Quickly they made themselves into the abandoned quarters and giggled to themselves when they heard the servants feet making their way to this side of the castle - but immediately they turned away, knowing that they weren’t allowed on this side of the palace.

Harry was distracted with locking the door, but Y/N was amazed. She looked around at this place and couldn’t help the sigh that escaped her. This place is really fucking amazing, she thought. It’s obviously abandoned, that man she could tell - but it was still so beautiful. Paintings, upon paintings and books at every end. There was high ceilings and stained glass windows giving a nice hew to the room. Y/N brought her hands to her hips and spinned around her dress moving as she did.

“This place is fucking amazing!”

Harry laughed and finally got the door locked popping the key back in his pocket. He moved beside the beautiful girl and didn’t say anything. But Y/N knew.

“You come here often?” She asked and Harry nodded.

“Found it a couple years ago. Think it was my fathers” He said and Y/N sighed looking around.

“It’s beautiful” you’re beautiful, he wanted to say but he bit his lip instead walking in the direction of his safe haven. Y/N quickly caught up placing a hand on his, harry flinched at the touch. This definitely wasn’t allowed. If anyone saw they’d have to marry immediately. But nobody was here, he reminded himself. And with that he squeezed Y/N’s hand a little tighter.

Harry opened the door the room he had been coming to for years now. It had a few chairs, a huge window with curtains on each side, a fire place in the middle and blankets and pillows surrounding the room. Y/N smiled to herself as she saw harry become more himself. It was like this room allowed him to be himself.

“You come in here often?”

Harry nodded making himself comfortable on one of the pillows, Y/N soon followed sitting very close to the prince. Harry had no complaints at all.

“I come here most days. When i need to take a breath, escape my mother and the stupid royal family” Harry said and Y/N giggled leaning in to harry, their lips close.

“I can think of many ways we can escape reality. Why don’t we try one of them?”

Harry let out a sigh and placed his hand on Y/N shoulder, it fell down her arm to her waist. Harry had been with people before, he had kissed and pleasured many, many people. But never did he feel like this. He felt as if she was a goddess, and she would brake it the touch of his finger. She looked almost fragile, like a painting.

“Kiss me, Harry” She ordered and harry wasted no time, placing his lips on hers.

Her lips are soft and gentle, just as harry had expected. He moved his hands up her hips to her shoulders again, Y/N moaned letting harry's tongue into her mouth. Harry groaned and pulled away smirking at that flushed look on her face. He loved it.

Y/N bit her lip standing up, unzipping her dress. She turned around, the only thing she had was a small night dress and corset. Harry cursed under his breath standing up behind her. Everything felt so intimate. They both felt a lot of things, Y/N never wanted this to stop. Harry hugged her from behind, kissing the back of her neck. After a few seconds, Y/N turned around in his hold, holding his gaze. She began to take off her corset and night dress, now bare. She felt confident in Harry's glare, he made her feel good. He sucked in a breath looking down at her perky breasts, her nipples hard from the temperature of the room. He made a mental note to put the fire on after this, Harry knew you two would be in here for as long as you possibly could. He knew his mother would be beyond pissed that they had gone off alone together.

Harry placed a hand on Y/N’s breast, teasing her nipple with his index finger. His rings were cold on her skin making her whimper. Harry smirked at the sound, lowering his head and taking her nipple in his mouth his tongue swirling the nub of it. Y/N’s hands found harrys hair and she tugged on it hard.

“Fuck” She cursed and harry let go with a pop, again he smirked at the sight of the princess. So undone and flustered. Harry absolutely loved it. Holding her gaze, he began to undress unbuttoning his shirt and pants. Heat rushed to his penis, as Y/N watched him undress.

“Want to have you in my mouth” Y/N said, getting on her knees. She knew she would have bruises by the end of this - but she knew it would be worth.

“Don’t make me cum” Harry ordered, Y/N just smirked and pulled his underwear down almost drooling at the sight of his red, cock full of pre-cum. What a sight, she thought. And it’s fucking huge. Bigger than she thought that’s for sure.

She hummed, pumping harry’s rock hard cock. His head flew back, a moan filling the room. Harry wished her hair was pinned back, he needed some to grip. He took both of his hands and gripped the side of her head. Y/N spit on his cock, keeping eye contact with harry.

“Shit”

Y/N licked the tip, running her tongue over the slit, tasting the saltiness of his pre cum. Harry’s eyes rolled to the back of his head.

“You taste so good” She moaned, finally taking his full cock into her mouth. Her hands began pumping the base of the shaft, as she sucked him off. Harry moaned, but tapped the side of her head.

“Need to be in you, no more foreplay” He said and Y/N pouted whipping her lips.

“But i like having you in my mouth” Y/N argued, harry smirked pecking her lips, tasting himself on them. He hummed in agreement. “Next time, let me fuck you” He said kissing her neck, Y/N sighed and placed her lips on his before crawling over to the fireplace - there was a white sheet layed out. Y/N lay down and harry kissed down her stomach, teasingly kissing her thighs. “You’re definitely wet enough for me, aren’t you princess?” Harry said slapping her pussy, Y/N moaned and nodded.

Slowly, harry thrusted into Y/N making them both whimper. “Fuck, you feel so good” Harry said, kissing your lips. Y/N just moaned, gripping his back and putting her legs around his waist. Harry began to move faster, his hands either side of Y/N.

“Faster” Y/N said and harry complied, pounding into her. The moans coming out of the both them were enough to make them both cum within seconds. And that’s basically what happened. They both climaxed, harry falling down into Y/N’s chest. Y/N only felt pleasure and ecstasy.

Shit, her mother picked a good one.

***

“Fuck” Y/N panted into harry’s mouth as he took against the wall. They were left alone for ten minutes, and this happened. They were looking at the new paintings and architecture Anne had got, browsing around the hall. Harry had convinced the servant that his mother was calling and of course the poor servant couldn’t dismiss it, so they had a good ten minutes while the servant searched for the queen.

Harry pounded into her the paintings on the wall knocking loudly, Y/N laughed loudly making harry put a hand over her mouth.

“Don’t want to attract any attention, do we princess?”

They continued their hot and very messy quicky and then made their way to the gardens. Y/N and harry soon found that the gardens would be another safe haven. Beautiful flowers and when the sun is shining a beautiful place to sit and relax.

They couldn’t wait to marry - seen as harry wants Y/N in his bed, all the time. They fuck like bunnies, it’s amazing how they haven’t been caught as of yet. When they get their own palace, harry will christen to the whole place. They’ll fuck in every corner. Every room. Every library and garden.

Y/N looked at harry smiling as he lay on the grass. No one was around as the servant hadn’t arrived back. Y/N quickly looked around before pulling harry into what she could only assume was a place to keep all the fruit and veg away from foxes. It was closed off and you could lock it from the inside.

“Jesus christ Y/N” Harry mumbled kissing your neck as you leaned back on a bench.

“Another round?” You asked with innocent eyes.

“Another round” Harry confirmed lifting up the bottom of her dress and pushing her down so she was flat on the bench. He kissed up her legs, biting down on her thigh.

He pulled up her night gown and saw her bare pussy, wet and glistening just waiting for him. He could cum at the sight. He moaned kissing her thigh, teasing her.

Y/N tugged at harry’s hair, giving him a warning. “Stop, teasing” She pouted and harry smirked finally making his way towards your pussy.

Y/N closed her eyes when she felt harrys breath against her core. “so wet, princess” Harry said, the vibrations going right through her body making her jerk up a little. Harry loved the affect he had on her, the littlest thing would make her jolt with pleasure.

Harry spread her legs a little more, his tongue licking up her slit. Y/N’s tugged on harry’s hair, moaning loudly. Harry watched her unfold becoming so flushed, but Y/N looked so very beautiful in this light.

He pressed his lips to your clit, flicking his tongue up and down. Your hips moved with his tongue movements, harrys hands made their way to your hips trying to get them to stay in place. You wrapped your legs around his shoulders and began to shake and moan.

“Fuck me” You murmured coming down from your high.

“Oh, i will princess”

The days went on and more fucking occurred. Again they fucked like absolute bunnies. They were sure everyone knew by now, but the servants were way too afraid to say anything. Anne would have everyone’s head if she found out what they were doing.

“I can’t wait to marry you” Harry said laying down beside her in their safe haven. Y/N smirked rolling over on her side. He was so beautiful. His eyes, his freckles, that one dimple that came out when he laughed. She was so lucky to call him hers.

“You just want to have me in your bed everyday” She said and harry pretended to think about. “Hmmm, yeah” He said, making Y/N laugh loudly before pecking his lips.

“Can’t believe you’re mine” Harry said pushing her into his chest. Y/N grinned pecking his neck and looking up at him.

“Forever”

[cornacopicimagines]

A Rose Blooms │t.h

pairing: prince!tom holland x princess!reader

words: 8.4k (WHOOPS)

warnings: arranged marriage, SMUT (we been knew), slight praise kink and 10000% breeding kink, therefore unprotected sex, swearing, slight cockwarming & good lord there is so much

summary: Perhaps God does have a sick sense of humour. To allow such misguided souls to one another. Souls that shouldn't be allowed to feel the sense of happiness he can provide, that should accept their dire situations. The Prince of Wales and his new bride can attest to the quite well. 

a/n: what do y'all mean a historical prince au!tom holland with major smut and breeding kink is not a thing. i know the sluts want it, even if they never ask for it. i must provide it.

masterlist

━━★✼☆｡

y/n of Burgundy was a splendid piece of artwork. A sweet and humble French Princess with a huge dowry and a bright future. It was as if DaVinci had casted the girl from Venus's shadow and gifted the baby to displeased parents. Parents who so wished for a boy, that the arrival of a healthy girl is so overlooked that the girl is better off dead. The sadness is heard across not only France but the entirety of Europe. Poor y/n of Burgundy! The Unlucky Princess of Burgundy! It's all she hears; she is deemed a tragedy before her life is even written. Perhaps that is her greatest misdeed in this life, that because she is born the wrong sex to what is expected she is casted to the side as a woman destined for slight and anguish for her entire life. Even if this is the case, y/n wished to think of herself as unwritten for the moment being. A woman waiting for a calling no matter how big or small. A woman who's only current wish to sit atop this windowsill, letting the cool September French breeze kiss her flushed cheeks. Alas, even this is stripped from her.

"Get off the window, y/n!" her mother's shrill voice shrieks as The Duchess yanks y/n to the floor. It's harsh and frantic, as if an arrow is to fly through and hit her. Her tightly coiled chest hit's the wooden floor hard. It knocks the only wind y/n really has left, a wasteful shame.

"I am sorry mama," y/n responds quietly, her hands desperately pat to find a piece of wood that will not cut up into her as she attempts to regain her balance. Though her room is filled with four maids not a single one offers their own hand to help her. She knows it is because of her mother's cowl. If they dare so move in a direction towards her, The Duchess will become a Fury of Hell himself.

"The breeze is so sweet at this time of afternoon." Finally, y/n does place her feet back on the floor with a small clack of her heels. She takes a moment to take in the state of her gown. While she has countless others, something about the pure white of the satin being destroyed by the inevitable dust that has collected is disheartening even to her. The pattern of bright red roses now looks more of a dull blood grey than a true flower.

"The breeze is something so frivolous my dear," The Duchess is suddenly content with her surroundings. "Busy yourself with something more intelligent, it makes for a much better bride." 

"Thank you for the wise advice mother," y/n snaps, her fingers gripping the ruined material of her gown. "I'll be sure to not engage myself in something that gives me the slightest bit of freedom in the lifeless castle," it was no louder than a whisper. Her braided hair still muffling the sounds.

As if her words seemed to not even reach her, The Duchess mumbles in agreement before taking her leave. The door shutting loudly behind her, the air was finally safe to breathe. The maids immediately begin to swarm her. Like flies to honey; they grapple her, prod at her and pinch her. It was too much. It was as if a million ants had swarmed her body, nipping at any piece of flesh they could just because it was what they were meant to do. An instinctive need to draw more blood than necessary, it was overwhelming. They inspected her perfectly capable hands, wondering if their incompetence has cost them their heads because y/n of Brittany split her blood and The Duchess refused to let them help. She was suffocating.

She didn't mean for it to slip, it just did. Her voice raised, "Get out." It was softer at first. "Get out," they still didn't move, still abusing her. "I said get out!" Everything stopped for a moment, the air her mother had ensued had now come back. The maids all took a single step away from her. y/n felt the tears threaten her, warning by dancing across her lower lashes. "Do none of you listen, get out for Christ’s sake!" That's all it took, in a matter of seconds y/n was finally alone. She could hear the faint song of the trees whispering to her, it was calm, but she couldn't appreciate it. She dropped to her knees and began to softly weep into her palms. The groans muffled by the skin of her hands and the tears halted from falling by her fingers. In this moment and forever ahead of her, she was desolate.

But like all things, even this bleak minute of sorrow was cut to an end by the deafening sound of her father's boots storming down the hallways towards her room.

━━★✼☆｡

Tom spectated as the pole shattered into a thousand pieces. The splinters hitting ever edge of the arena. He watched as the knight fell limp and as his horse rode on through the chaos. The young prince roared out of his seat, his knees hitting the harsh wood of the royal box. His name echoed on the young knight's medallion above his breast. He had picked the winning side and rightfully so, Sir Harrison had never been defeated. For a moment, Tom turned around to face his beaming mother. A woman who loved the games, Tom always relied on his mother to accompany him to these festivities but his father. The Prince would always ask graciously but was refused every time. Constantly belittled for the consul of old men with a working cock between them, it was a joke. The King had many failed efforts to rile the English people to cause, Tom had offered a large gathering to help inspire the people. The King told his son this would cause nothing but useless panic and many painful deaths. Scoffing, Tom waltzed back to his seat. It was uncomfortable, it felt as if ants hand made their nets below the seat's support. He wished to ride alongside them.

"You cannot and you will not," The Queen smiled at him, waving to squires as they led the horses away. Tom's head swivelled around to meet his mother's. "I refuse it my son."

"I had said nothing mother," Tom replied quietly, he too doing his duty to the lower noble men who had come out today. Each one sweatier than the last. "Perhaps you are hearing things, 10 childbirths can change a woman's mind," Tom stifled a laugh, too which he received a slap on the arm for.

"Don't play smart with me son," The Queen spoke coolly, her countless rings clanged as she rose from her seat. Tom followed suit, allowing a hand for his now middle-aged mother for gracious help down the impossibly large stairs. "I almost lost your father to one of these silly little cock shows, I will not go through it with you my boy."

Tom raised an eyebrow, watching his mother's golden trim become bleaker by the stain of the grass. "I had half a mind to believe you enjoyed these silly little cock shows," Tom played. The Queen peered up at his through hooded lids. It was dangerous waters even for him, a man who has seen the blood of war. He allowed his mother and her ladies to return to Windsor, watching as if to wait for the shark to disappear.

"Your Royal Highness, if I may have a word," a soft voice called out from below the podium. Tom paced to the edge and stared down. Constance, he thought to himself as he smiled wickedly. She was a short and mildly plump woman, with wild unruly hair that had to be constantly shoved out of her face. He remembers her name because of how sweet his name sounded dripping from her tongue. Countless nights spent in the throes of passion, wearing moonlight as cloth. Tom knew he had dishonoured her just by bedding her, but he couldn't help himself. She was the first woman who really took an interest in him. Still, he had to come to her aid on multiple occasions. While he likes the way, she grips at his biceps, he however, doesn't like when her father comes storming into court demanding his daughter's honour back because Tom had prayed on her. Perhaps, it was the odd lack of ladies that would flock to his side or maybe it was simply because he wanted a little bit of fun before the inevitable. 

"You may, my Lady," Tom smiled widely making his way to her side. He could tell the mud was ruining the polished leather of his boots, he completely forgot about his favourite riding boots he had put on in hopes that he may indulge himself in the sports. Still, he pushed the though deep down at met her eyes. He not an unusually tall man but the way he almost dwarfed her was delectable. As he watched her squirm, he wondered as to why she would speak with him where anyone could see. There was no danger for him, but the world's eyes were on her.

She played with the small ring on her pinkie finger, riding it up and down the skin. "Why did you not tell me," she whispered, refusing to look up at him. Tears began to well.

"What on earth do you mean?" He queered, genuinely curious as to what had got her all worked up. His hands went to stroke her cheek gently, but she abruptly pulled away from him. This time her eyes did meet his, the salty liquid glossed over her eyes.

"It is bad enough that I am called the Prince's Whore but now they are cursing my name because I have ruined the royal couple!" she cried out, her deep green dress swallowing the mud below. "That a stupid maid slut has stolen you away from the beautiful French Princess!"

Tom saw nothing but red. Not because of Constance but because of what she said to him. He had begged his parents to let him choose his own wife. If he was to rule England after his father's passing, he wished to at least have a woman whom he truly loved by his side. He said nothing to her as he stormed away. The small drizzle of rain hitting his skin as he picked up his speed. He knew that his father was in a council meeting alongside his mother. Perfect opportunity to unleash his rage. He faintly heard her calling after him, that was muffled by the buzzing in his ears.

He had been told who he was meant to be and what he was meant to be from the moment he was born. Hardly ever seeing his mother or younger brothers because he was eldest, never knowing true companionship because he would be constantly cooped up listening to his advisors and tutors as they taught him the art of war and foreign policies. This was his one chance to spend his life with a woman who understood him and would grow a loving family much in contrast to what he had.

His hands pushed the heavy wooden doors, they hit the walls with a large smack. The entire council stood for the Prince, with the exception of his mother and sickly father. He walked past them with ease and took his seat at the opposite end of table. His eyes focused solely on his father as he absently noted the appearance of his son.

"Wonderful of you to finally join us," The Duke of Essex smiled weakly, in any attempt to deflect the tension elsewhere.

"When were you going to tell me?" Tom spoke, his voice barely above a whisper and laced with venom. His elbows digging into the cool wood of granite of the table. He watched his father finally face him; the man was a wreck. His greying hair stuck to his hair with copious amounts of sweat, his brown eyes had sunk deadly back into the sockets and his skin was pale and filled with wrinkles. "When were you going to tell me father?"

"You were spending too much time with that scullery maid," The King respond calmly, still flipping through royal documents. Tom was on the verge of an explosion. If the Prince was known for something, it was his anger. Much like Mount Vesuvius, he didn't get angry often, he hated how it affect those around him. The times he is pushed to the breaking point however, he was destroy everything in his path. "We had to put an end to it."

"We?" Tom pushed.

"Your mother made the arrangements; she is being brought here as we speak." Once more, the King had no interest with the devastated look on the Prince's face. Too caught up in an attempt to stile a cough.

"You promised me my own choice of bride," Tom seethed. He faced his mother, if the King wouldn't listen perhaps the Queen would.

His mother sighed; the silk of her sleeves draped over the arms of the chair. "That was before you had instinctively made the choice, we hoped that perhaps you would have fallen for the daughter of a Duke or at worst an Earl. You were going to marry that girl, after everything her family has done against the court. We couldn't allow it."

Tom jaw clicked. "Who is she?" He was done arguing, done protesting.

"You'll marry the granddaughter of the French King; y/n of Burgundy," his father spoke up before his mother could sugar coat it. "The family sent a portrait of the girl as the first payment of her dowry; it has already been placed in your room. Hopefully, you can find the slightest bit of attraction for your new bride before the wedding."

"Will I get to meet her beforehand?" He at least hoped to see the girl with his own eyes before calling her his wife. Finally, the King met his eyes. He dropped the quill on the desk as locked his eyes, leaning towards him.

"Did you really think you'd get that luxury?"

━━★✼☆｡

The sea breeze prickled at y/n skin as she sat atop the deck. She could tell they were getting closer. The wind went from a soft tone to a howling scream, something her great aunt had told her all about. English weather could go from a perfect sunny day to god's worst mood. In all honesty, she preferred it to French. It was wild and unpredictable, something she so desperately needed.

She remembered how she got into this predicament as she lay down a 9 ace on the table. Waiting for the ship to land.

"You'll leave tomorrow, it will take you a good couple of days to get there." Her father exclaimed, picking a raspberry from the plate and eating the sweet fruit. y/n stood in silence, still reeling her tears back into her eyes. She refused to weep in front of the Duke. She moved around the large room, in order to hear his words. "You'll make a fine queen," he smiled, placing his hands atop her cheeks. y/n smiled warmly before raising a concern.

"How do you know this will be different than the last?" she asked quietly, staring down at her shoes. Her father sighs before picked his coat up from the chair.

y/n placed her bets, her hand is exquisite. Three queen and a pair of Kings. If she doesn't win, it's as if God is going against her. The men that sit beside her raise their brows in confusion. She's not backing down.

"Because, you know their language and their culture from Great Aunt Mary. You were her favourite after all," her father tells her, the memory of the old lady teaching her English brings a curve to her lips. That was not the answer she was looking for, however. Her father knows it as well, he knows the answer she wants but he cannot give it to her. "Trust me pumpkin," the endearment is wonderful. Unlike her mother, y/n's father has always been kind to her. She doesn't know if it because she is his eldest daughter or because her brother is a lousy boy and she is the only child with a head still attached to her shoulder blades.

She releases her tension; she knows whatever comes out of this she must go along with it. She must accept whatever situation is handed to her and accept her duty as a future queen and mother to the English Throne.

y/n squeals, her hand's won. The rest of the chips are placed in her corner, she is asking if they want to go another round but instead, they all huff and walk away from her. y/n feels her heart sink into her stomach. Perhaps the English wind has turned their moods sour. Soon enough her worries are washed away as the boat docks into Brighton and y/n hears the cheers for her. She can't exactly make out what they are saying. Sadly, she doesn't get a chance to even greet her new subjects as her new English ladies are gently pushing her towards the carriage. The only thing she can do is wave and smile at them, hoping to instil a fraction of hope for the new royal couple. As she steps into the carriage, a huge white dress follows her. The abundance of ladies and herself are stuck in the cramped space for a little over an hour before they start agreeing to change her dress into the one being coddled.

"Why? This is dress is perfect as it is," y/n laughed gently, her fingers playing with the pearls that lace the neckline.

"Forgive me, my lady, but His Majesty; The King has requested that you wear a white gown." One of the younger girls pipes up. Sighing, y/n nods her head to agree and goes to stop the carriage.

While they don't completely undress her, she knows that the smock under her dress is shear and leave nothing to the imagination. Quickly they strip her of the current dress, even unlacing the corset before adding another one. As they place the soft silk of her veil over her head, she can hear the ringing bells at Westminster. It hasn't completely dawned on her what she is exactly going through. Marrying a man she has never met. Marrying a man for all she knows could be a tyrant. She's heard quite a few English Monarchs fall under that said category. Her heart started to jump now; she could fell the beat thump against her vocal box.

The people began to line the city. Countless bodies waved at her as she strolled through the city of London. The abbey somehow seemed ten times bigger in person. White rose petals fell through the air as the coachman opened the door for her. The walkway was paved with red velvet. Her heels felt as though she was ruining the beautiful material as she walked.

Tom can physically hear her pounding heartbeat from where he stands. He can't exactly make out her face, but he can see the white gown strutting towards him. It's the same patterns as the dress his mother wore more than 20 years ago. He's seen it in countless paintings, his mother scowling as she attempts to salvage any positive thing out of such tremendous pain. Harrison lays a hand on his shoulder; the contact makes him jump.

"I heard she looks like a siren," he joked, dusting a small particle of fluff off Tom's shoulder. "Perhaps she'll sound like one too," the comment was enough to grant the knight a hard whack on his arm from the Prince. He truly did wonder if she would as beautiful as the painting which depicted her. A small red rose for his house in her fingertips as she grinned softly. It was as if she was staring into his soul.

Tom reached out to allow her aid in getting up the stairs. She graciously accepted muttering a small thank you as her other hand lifted the countless layers of fabric to mend her steps. Her touch was soft, something he wasn't used to. The gentle touch of a noble woman, even if it was only upon his fingers. The entirety of Westminster Abbey went silent as the faced each other.

y/n could barely hear anything over her rampant anxiety. Though she was eased slightly as she blindly grasped at his fingers, she was afraid she gripped a little too tightly. Finally, she stood in front of him. The gown dipping down the stairs to end in her ladies' hands. She wondered what she looked like to him. Wondering if it was a glorious sight to witness a new bride waltzing towards him. Or if it was one of dread, to be in holy matrimony with someone you've just met for the first time. She's still trying to decide between the two.

The ceremony was beautiful. A simply yet elegant affair, as two young royals wed. She knows that she is marrying the Prince of Wales, a worthy husband for any noble woman. Yet she can't help the dread that builds as the Archbishop drones on. The hymns falling deaf ears. She tries to pay attention, but she can’t, all she can hear is the drumming of her heartbeat. It pounds against her ribs, creating echoes in her head. Before she knows it, his hands reach for hers. There was no strength in his grip unlike beforehand, it was soft and gentle. As if she was a beautiful yet delicate doll, that she would completely shatter if he pressed just that bit too hard. Their fingertips locked; her skin fell into the ridges of his knuckles.

“I proclaim thee, y/n of Burgundy to be my lawfully wedded wife from now until the end of my days,” he hesitated. She could hear it in his voice. “She shall sit beside me as I rule the kingdom.” The ring passes down her skin, the metal biting at her finger.

She repeats him. “I proclaim thee, Thomas – Prince of Wales to be my lawfully wedded husband from now until the end of my days. I shall sit beside him as he rules this beautiful country.” She smiles at the end, though she never intends to. y/n thanks her ladies that they cover her grinning face behind the thick white lace of her veil.

The entirety of Westminster Abbey is silent, no one dares even breathe as Prince Thomas coils his fingers around the tipping of the lace. He lifts it over his now wife’s face. He taken aback slightly. The painter wasn’t paid enough, clearly. She was even more beautiful standing in front of him. The same clear complexion now glistening in the soft sunlight of England. He doesn’t pry of course; it would be rude of him. Just to stare at his bride, as if they were the only people in the hall. Good lord, does he wish it was.

His hands reach her cheeks. Tender once more, he brings her forward. She shifts on her feet as they meet. A quaint and soft kiss, unlike anything either of them has felt ever. He can’t remember the last time, it was this – well, gentle. Thomas doubts he has ever kissed a woman of such luxury in his entire life up to this point. y/n is the first to pull away, her fingers resting lightly on his raised wrists. Their eyes meet for a moment, a short moment.

Westminster Abbey erupts into celebration. Red rose petals fall from the ceiling and music begins to flood the area.

As she stared around, y/n began to think to herself. I do not know what will come out of this, but I already can see that joy my presence brings to these people. I shall not let them down.

Prince Thomas of England, Heir to The English Throne and y/n of Burgundy, Granddaughter of The French King had been wed. They were now locked in holy matrimony, a feeling unlike any other. Both horrendous and hospitable.

━━★✼☆｡

The Hall is a grand party. Laughing and singing is heard from every corner, mugs of beer and wine are flung across tables and scraps of food are being thrown to the dogs. y/n has never seen such a scene unfold. Too contained by the prudish French court. The most scandalous thing she has seen is a risqué dance meant to be for a married lover.

That is what she always despised about the French Nobility. Their secrets. Whispers and Rumours spread faster than fire. If you had committed some heinous act, the entirety of France will hear about it by the end of the week. Perhaps that is another reason why she felt so trapped in Burgundy. y/n could never do a single task on her own before her ladies’ loose tongue would find their way back to her mother. A delicate little flower, such a waste of potential.

Tom noticed her prodding, her fork twirling the few peas left on her plate. He hadn’t said a word to her all night and yet he looks at her if she’s unwillingly to speak. Does she know any basic English? Perhaps not.

“How are you liking the food,” Tom asked her, leaning into her. She smiled up at him, he spoke to her in French. It made her heart swell for a second. y/n turns to face him, smiling warmly. Tom wishes he could keep that smile forever.

“It’s is very well Your Grace,” y/n replies to him. Her flawless English rolling off her tongue with a petite French accent. It’s like heaven to his ears and he’s taken aback. “My Great Aunt was an English Countess, I loved her very much. I was fluent in English before I was 8.” She explained, almost as if she had read his mind.

“You need not call me Your Grace,” he teased, it was somewhat natural for him.

“Then what shall I call you?” y/n queered.

“I am your husband now, whatever pleases you pleases me,” Tom replied, turning back to his empty plate in an effort to hide the rising red flush on his face. y/n knew she should leave it at that, so she turned her attention elsewhere.

“Are royal weddings usually this,” she paused, “loud?”

Tom laughed quietly, he too turned to face the ruckus crowd. Men laying in the laps of maids, dogs feasting over food that had been flung across the floor. Loud chants to the beat of the music filled the hall. He would have been completely embarrassed by the state of his people in front of his new bride, if he hadn’t seen the amused look on her face. “Not usually, I have only been to one other wedding and that was extremely sombre.”

“How so?” she asked, sipping from the freshly poured wine.

“I went to my uncle’s wedding a few months ago. He had also married a noble woman like yourself, but the poor thing was only 11. My uncle was 35 and counting.” He wishes it was different but like all things in this world, he is powerless to the wills of those who think they are higher than others.

He peered at her; y/n was already looking at him. An eyebrow and a lip raised in disgust. It was quaint.

“I wish I could be more repulsed by that,” Tom wondered if she was joking or if she was serious. He couldn’t tell just by the use of her tone. He did however note her wit. Something he so longed for. They talked for hours, sitting by one another and discussing anything that arrived at the conversation. Tom can’t decide whether it’s her honey-like voice or her banter but it’s making him feel things no one should for someone they are being forced to wed.

Just while they are comparing the contrasting jousting techniques, the joyful music suddenly stops. It’s a quick snap and the entire hall is now dead quiet. The Earl of Salisbury mounts himself on one of the tables. His cheeks red with drunkenness.

The Earl points directly at y/n and Tom as they sit in confusion. “The final tradition, an honour for any noble man. The Great Bedding!”

y/n turns to Tom, clinging slightly to his sleeve. He takes immediate notice. “Thomas, what is The Great Bedding?” There was great concern in her voice as she watched all of the men rush towards them. He didn’t get to answer as the women abruptly hauled him out of his seat and down the hall, away from her.

y/n didn’t fear too well either. At least a dozen grimy hands placed themselves all over her body, pulling harshly as they brought her into the air. Dancing her down the halls. She constantly whacked their hands, to no avail of course. They only dropped her once they got to a dimly lit room.

It was already buzzing with people. Hustling around a single bed, covered by finely woven silk. The men dropped her gently, placing her feet against the ground. y/n tried to turn around to give them a piece of her mind but was stopped as her corset began to become loose around her waist. Incredibly uncomfortable, y/n looked up to distract herself in any regard and found Tom at the other side. The maid’s hands undoing every buckle of his coat, tiny fingers unthreading the lavish ropes across his body. y/n blushed at the sight.

Tom was trying his hardest not to look at her, not to stare as countless men of the court undressing her. He could hear the bulky wedding dress hit the floor of the room, he could feel her eyes on him, and he could see the variety of unknown nobles swarming them in any hopes to achieve the right to gossip tomorrow morning. It was despicable.

He climbed in first, the cotton of the blankets itching his skin as he settled. The only comfort he found was in the softness in his unkempt hair. Not restricted by the gel he was forced to wear.

y/n slowly followed his lead, it was dead silent. No one dared breathed as the new Princess of Wales found her spot next to The Prince. All the while, the exact same priest Archbishop chanted away, and priests flung holy water at the bed. Some of the liquid found itself on her skin. Finally, the crowd bowed to the couple and began to take their leave.

Tom watched in peace; he would be alone. He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh, perhaps he would be able to get some well needed sleep. That seemed achievable until he felt a cold grasp around his wrist. His eyes shot open to find his father’s glare directly at him. “Don’t let the spring pass, I hope to see a grandson in the next few months,” The King spat.

It had been hours since the quarry of guests had left the room but the the monarch’s words etched themselves into his mind. Echoing nonstop, getting wilder as Tom felt y/n settle herself next to him. The mere presence of her alongside the duty he had to fulfil was too much for him. Tom shot up and quickly gathered his things, hauling his boots and clothes. He couldn’t be near her for another moment, too afraid of what he might do if she was subject to this sort of cruel punishment. Tom quickly decided he was sleep next door, just far away to have the thoughts no longer plague his mind but not too far that he would impose the wrong meaning on her. He reached for the door when she chimed in.

“Where are you going?”

He halted instantly. He wished that they could have gotten along like most royal couples should. A cold and initially distant meeting, then hopefully something would blossom over the years. Instead they had gotten along quite well, too well in fact. He was used to going slowly, taking his time in bedding a girl. A constant glaze over the court every few days, then promiscuous banter and in the span of months he would have her melt in his hand with a simple word. Now, he was feeling flustered and out of control and all of it was happening over a single night. Tom pressed his forehead against the wood, taking a deep breath. He turned to look at her, just like a painting coming to life. Her hair was down, unlike anything he had ever seen. Not grimed with sweat and dirt nor was it pinned underneath a headdress or away from her face. This time, the soft curls framed it. The nightgown clung to her shoulders; the fabric dangerously close to falling off. It made his life that much more difficult.

“I am sorry. You are a beautiful woman, but I just cannot fulfil the expectations that are placed upon me tonight. I will be sleeping in the room next door if you need me,” Tom blurted out. He waited for a response before he could speed out. She sat there, like a perfectly sculpted statue. It was torture.

y/n sighed, “nothing has to happen tonight.”

“But they will ask, they will pry like they always will,” he countered.

“Who says we have to tell the truth?” y/n giggled. God, it was a symphony to him. Tom watched her leave the bed, waltzing around to meet with him at the door. He wanted the tell her to stay exactly where she is, not to move even an inch closer but with ever step she took, his breath hitched higher in his throat. “I would prefer to spend the first night of my marriage with my husband, whether something happens or not.”

He swallowed thickly, “you are incredibly calm.” He now met her, his full attention on y/n as she chuckled in delight.

“I am filled to the brim with anxiety, just not that same fear that you are feeling,” she told him as she sat down the small longue in the middle of the room. She took the wine from the table and poured each of them a glass. Tom was hesitant at first, still wishing to flee the room and into the safety of his own solitary. Still, he found himself pacing towards her. Taking soft and flinching steps until he sat beside her.

“Then what is the fear?” He took the other glass, quickly chugging the alcohol. y/n said nothing but just stared at him in confusion. “The fear you feel, why?”

It was now her turn to become flustered. He looked genuinely curious as to why she was feeling doubtful, but she was unsure if he truly wanted to know the answer. Her father made her promise never to speak of it to anyone, a shameful secret that would ruin her future if it was released. But Tom was now her husband. They were bonded by law, a thought she really didn’t wish to dwell on. Surely, whatever she told him wouldn’t cause them any stress? Still, it would be rude of her not to tell him the reason after he had just clearly demonstrated his own fears in the commitment. “You must promise not to become angry.”

Tom nodded his head gently, even more intrigued then he was before.

y/n quietly exhaled, avoiding looking at Tom. “I was married once before, he passed from the sickness 3 months into our matrimony. Perhaps it was God way of guiding me to a better future, but it ruined almost everything. His death caused create strain for my family as they attempt to rebuild myself as if I was not capable of it myself. I am terrified that I am cursed, that I shall find myself falling in love with you only to be weeping over your coffin months later.” She had poured her soul out, shared such a personal section of her life. She was ashamed to see his face. Too afraid that pure anger and disgust would paint his face.

“Who was he? The man whom you had married?” Tom asked her again. His voice calling out as she stared directly at the purple velvet beneath her dress.

“The Prince of Spain,” y/n squeaked.

“That inbred!” Tom joked, suddenly becoming relaxed by the mere mention of the Spanish Royal Family. “I am surprised you got three months and not three days, that kid was on death doors for his entire life,” Tom was now in a fit of laughter. It wasn’t directed to her but more that they allowed such a beautiful woman to be the wife of such a dull man. y/n peered up, thoroughly embarrassed as she gave him a light whack. Tom finally came down from his laughing fit, staring directly at her. “You are cursed Princess; you are just coddled. Forced into a life clearly not meant for someone like yourself.”

The mere mention of the cradling of her life got y/n riled up, “that’s another thing! The Spanish constantly treated me as if I was some porcelain doll ready to shatter if they dared even look at me! I felt like a child trapped in a woman’s body and he touched me like that as well. God, I was finally ready to truly live my life and then he just was too soft, I wanted something much mor-” Oh. Oh God. She had run her mouth too far, dug her own grave with her rambling. Her hands clamped against her mouth as a heat rushed to her face. She could see the French ships arriving for her next month, giving her passage because she was not in pristine condition. Hopefully Tom didn’t pick up on what she was inferring.

“You aren’t a virgin?” his voice was quiet, almost dark. She felt her entire world shatter. Tom scooted towards her slowly, it was completely unnoticed. She was too deep in panic to recognise the growing flirt rising in the Prince of Wales. y/n shook her head feverously. “That little tick took you?” When he put it like that, it made her stomach tingle. She had never heard such a sentence used in that tone. She was drowning in thoughts.

“I didn’t know what I was doing, that’s why I was so unsatisfied,” she tried to explain, her hands now bunched up the fabric against her knees. “He was just so soft, too soft and I wished he would have-”

“Would have what?” he toyed. Tom doesn’t quite know why he was acting like this. So intent on prying her little secrets out of her. Usually, he would have just simply got straight to the point but now, seeing her become red with frustration was a view causing him great pleasure. Any abstinence he hoped to place upon himself earlier in the night had been thrown out the window. He finally felt back in control, something he longed for. Something she was serving to him on a silver platter.

“I..” she began but the words got caught in her throat. Her tongue stopped completely, almost refusing to finish the damning sentence. She wanted him to be rougher with her, she wanted him to treat her like a woman and not a girl. “What happen to you wishing to keep your hands to yourself?” She attempted to change the topic, trying to flee but to no avail as he quickly caught her wrist in his palms. Their skins igniting on sight.

“Don’t try to change the subject Princess,” he purred, standing up to meet with her at the side of the bed. Her title now held a completely different meaning, it wasn’t being used to describe her. It was being used to utterly destroy her; a nickname only meant to be whispered in the dim light of a dozen candles. “I can see right through you,” Tom’s calloused fingers met the loose fabric on her shoulders, dancing over her collarbone. It was soft but held meaning. “I can see that you wished he touched you differently. Touched you like a real woman, rougher and passionate.”

His words were damned. She should feel ashamed that she was feeling light-headed just by the grazing touch of his fingers above her perked breasts. “Yes,” it was the only thing she could get out. The only single three lettered word that allowed itself out of her mouth. Tom pressed his lips to her neck, underneath her jaw.

“Perhaps, he too was inexperienced.” He spoke through small pecks. “Allow me to show you something different, something better,” it was barely above a whisper, but y/n heard every word. Her fingers tangled themselves in his hair as he peered at her.

“I would enjoy that very much,” y/n responded just as quiet, all the gentle touches he currently had placed upon her turned darker. He pulled her into his embrace quickly before tripping her feet from under her and ending atop her on the messily made bed. His hand instantly found the inside of her thigh, his finger bruising her skin. It was delightfully, the slight pain sending shivers down her spine.

Their lips met, gentle at first. Her hands moulding themselves against his jaw, moaning into his mouth as he pushed her deeper into the mattress. She wished she could stay like this forever, wrapping in Tom’s embrace as they mended together. Alas, he pulled away from her. Lips separating with a small pop and a soft whine from y/n underneath him. Tom took a distinct look at her; she was sprawled out and whimpering for something more. Did she give this look to him as well? Did she use the melody that was her voice to beg him to do anything? Tom didn’t particularly wish to replay the thought in his head but yet, he couldn’t help himself.

Her nightgown quickly found itself discarded; her nipples perked in the cold. His lips immediately latched on, massaging the soft tissue. He never knew something could feel this smooth, without any flaws or imperfections. Even though he knew he could spend an entire night between the valley of her tits, he too longed for something more.

In a matter of moments, he found himself staring directly at her sex. A glorious sight to behold, glistening with her arousal in the pale moonlight. She was practically dripping onto the sheets below her. He placed a soft kiss to her pelvis, she jumped at the contact. “If you feel uncomfortable, you need to tell me,” he told her all the while his fingers toyed at her hot hole. Dipping even so slightly into her heat. She was already in euphoria just from the slightest bit of pleasure. y/n nodded her head before locking eyes with him.

He didn’t waste another second, quickly licking a fat stripe through her folds. The taste was pure heaven, he didn’t give her a moment to register the feeling before diving right back into her juices. Sucking and pulling at her, wasting the night away feeling her thighs clamp around his head every time he flicked her clit coupled with a singular finger prancing in and out of her.

y/n wasn’t quite sure how loud she could truly be. She knew that even though they were in the far south-east of the castle, there could be a dozen scullery maids listening right outside the door. Or if someone was trying to achieve some sleep right beside them. At this very moment though, with Tom’s head in between her thighs devouring every inch of her throbbing cunt, she couldn’t give a single fuck. y/n allowed the string of curses and praised to tumble from her lips as she clasped onto the bed sheets for dear life.

“Such a dirty mouth,” Tom remarked, releasing her for a few seconds, “for such a pretty and delicious pussy.” He chuckled darkly. y/n wanted to bite back at him, but she was cut short but the addition of another of his digits sliding into her tight entrance. y/n clasped down hard on her hand. A foreign feeling began to drive itself into her stomach. While unusual, it was not at all exotic to her. It was thrilling, feeling her walls contract around his fingers as y/n began to instinctively rock her hips against his digits.

“God,” he purred, “that’s it, make yourself cum on my fingers Princess. Let me see that gorgeous face while you do it.” Tom had now retracted his mouth from her, completely mesmerised by the way her eyes screwed shut as she reached her peak. A cacophony of beautiful and dazzling sounds stumbling out of her mouth as he felt her climax all over his hand. Such a tantalising sight for any man.

y/n was too deep in her own return that she didn’t notice the retraction of his presences from the middle of her legs. So, when he felt his hands roughly pull her to the edge of the bed, she almost choked. The exhilarating feeling of his strained cock rubbing against her drenched folds made her forget her place. Made her speak before her mind could catch up. “I want you to fulfil the expectation.” She told him, her eyes never wavering from him.

Tom halted all his movements. It was painful but he needed absolute clarity before he did anything without her reassurance. “You need to elaborate Princess,” he told her darkly. He knew exactly what she was asking of him, he knew exactly what she desired.

“I want you to come inside of me,” she spoke as if she was a different person. y/n doesn’t quite know whether it’s the shift of mood or her own personal feelings but either way, she wanted to feel their juices mix and then leak out of her. Wanted him to fill her right up to the brim until the possibility was certain.

“You want me to fuck my seed right into you?” his words were dirtier than she expected but so was he as he slid in and into her. His naval hitting hers with a loud smack. He refused to move until he had played with her just that tad bit more. y/n’s head thrashed into the sheets behind her. She was so full, never has she felt this complete in her entire life. He wasn’t even moving but she could feel every inch of him deep inside of her.

“God yes,” she whimpered. “I need it so bad,” she was going to drive Tom insane. Just by a simple sentence, he was going to lose his mind and cum right now without even doing anything. 

“Want to carry my child, our own Prince or Princess,” he pulled back out of her and slammed right back in, knocking the wind out of her y/n. It was so profoundly dirty, just discussing it. It thrilled her to the very core, child-bearing was meant for women not girls. Perhaps that is why she is so drawn to the talk, the talk of something so primally feminine set her entire body on fire. She couldn’t speak a coherent sentence instead she just let out a continuous plea.

He began slow, hips rocking to find that perfect beat. He revelled in the only sounds in the room, the sound of his cock hitting the divine spot inside of her over and over again and her delirious moaning. It was a symphony he was lucky enough to hear. He wanted to hear more, listen to the pure sounds of him railing into her. So, he picked up the pace. His thrust became not only deep and harsh but fast.

God, if he could immortalise this feeling he would. The feeling of her walls constricting around him as he pounds right into her, the feeling of her legs wrapping around his constantly thrusting hips and the feeling of her sweating skin underneath his fingers as he grips for support. It’s like the Lord himself made her tight little cunt just for him.

“You’re so big,” y/n praised mindlessly. He’s never had someone say that to him without it sounding forced. It’s so raw that he can’t help but go even harder into with each praise that falls off her lips. “Fill me up, I want to feel you all inside of me.” It’s a dangerous game, she’s tapped on something so feral inside of him it hurts.

y/n wants to prop herself up and explore his body while he pounds into her, but she simply can’t. Her limbs give out with every thrust. Her entire body spasms each time he hits the perfect spot inside of her. She a moaning mess, trying to maintain any sense of normality but failing miserably. It’s a constant state of pleasure, she’s afraid that she’s lost track of time. That is until the faint, but all the desirable fit finds itself lit in the pit of her stomach.

“I’m almost there,” she whispers, it’s the only thing she can get out. His thrusts, that once had gained a steady and harsh rhythm are now falling. He’s losing focus with each grip he receives. With her words though, he gives her the final stretch. No longer does he has some form of structure but instead he’s just railing her like a wild animal.

It’s an explosion and neither knows why but it’s addictive. y/n climaxes around him, her toes curling as her final orgasm hits her long and violent. Shaking underneath, him as she unknowingly milks his own finish out of him. Tom’s fucking his cum right into her, he doesn’t stop for a second. Too focused on the goal ahead of him. Placing it where it counts. It’s a feeling he wants to never forget, better yet it’s a sight he wants permanently etched into his memories. As he pulls out of her, their climaxes tumble out of her. Dripping down her leg.

“Hold your legs up Princess,” he teases as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “I heard it works wonders.”

The rose blooms only for those who care properly for her.

━━★✼☆｡

a/n: please don’t flop, omg this is so long and no one asked for this shit. please don’t flop chile 🤡

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

World War Z was published in 2006, but takes place in 2009 at the earliest.  Late in the book, astronaut Terry Knox states that the International Space Station took over 10 years to complete; it started construction in November 1998, and Chief of Staff Karl Rove Grover Carlson says that the Republican party barely eked back into power after a disastrous 2-termer who started a “brush fire war” in the Middle East (George W. Bush).  He mentions an election year, but he doesn’t specify if it was the new president’s first or second term, so it’s either set right after 2008 or 2012.  This was written before the Nintendo Wii was announced, but one chapter mentions that people brought their GameCubes with them as they fled their homes in search of safety in the frozen Canadian wilderness.  This same chapter also mentions that they didn’t know how to pick survival gear; a park ranger finds a SpongeBob SquarePants sleeping bag frozen in the mud because its owner didn’t know the difference between a child’s indoor sleeping bag for slumber parties and a real insulated survival bag for camping.

The new president is never named, he’s just told be be pro-big business and anti-regulation, pushing a placebo zombie vaccine through the FDA to jumpstart the economy.  When shit hits the fan, he is “sedated” and his vice president takes power; we’re never told what happened to the president, whether he was bitten or had a stroke, just that he was “sedated.”  His Vice President is directly implied to be Colin Powell; he’s former military with family in Jamaica and black.  He appoints Howard Dean to be his vice president to form a bipartisan coalition; he is never referred to by name, but it is clearly supposed to be Howard Dean.  He was a rising star in the Democratic party from Vermont whose wife is a doctor and whose career imploded after he had a passionate outburst.  In 2004, Howard Dean gave a speech where he started passinately screaming about how he was gonna start sweeping state primaries and ride a wave into the White House, punctuating his point by going “HHEEUEAHHGH!!”  This was political suicide in 2004, and he was laughed out of the race.  In the book, he is referred to only as “the Whacko” because of this.  It is implied that he was Powell’s second choice for VP, his first being Barack Obama; the Whacko says that the Democrats wanted somebody else, somebody of the same skin color as the president, but that the country wasn’t ready for that.  In 2004, Obama was a candidate for senate in Illinois, so popular and so well spoken that he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention before he even won his seat; then and there, pundits already had him pegged as the first black president, they could see the writing on the walls.  The Whacko becomes president when Powell dies of stress, but he is consistently referred to only as the wartime Vice President, out of respect for his boss.

Also, the Attorney General is implied to be Rudy Giuliani; all that is said about him was that he was the mayor of New York and once tried to give himself emergency powers to stay in office after his term.  Giuliani did exactly that after 9/11.

Other real life figures mentioned in the book

Fidel Castro; a ton of Cuban Americans flee the continent and return to the island during the zombie war, and he jumpstarts the economy by putting them to work as cheap laborers and slowly integrating them back into Cuban society.  He rehabilitates his image by stepping down as dictator and democratizing the country, voting himself out of office before the “nortecubanos” could hang him for decades of war crimes.

Nelson Mendela, referred to by his birth name Rolihlahla, the father of modern South Africa, he personally invites Paul Redekker, a former apartheid era political analyst, to solve the zombie problem; in the 80s, Redekker created a plan for the white minority government in case the black majority ever rose up against them.  In real life, Mandela lowered the temperature when he was elected president, saying that revenge against the apartheid government would do more harm than good.  In the story, Mandela uses this as justification to reuse the apartheid era plan to handle the zombie outbreak instead.  Redekker is so overcome by his compassion and forgiveness that he has a mental episode and dissociates, believing himself to be a black South African.

Kim Jong-il, the dictator of North Korea, he withdraws all troops from the DMZ and shuts the entire country down.  After months of radio silence, it is revealed that the entire country’s population has vanished; all satellite imagery shows a desolate wasteland, no zombies, but no humans either. He presumably moved everyone into subterranean bunker systems where he not only control their lives as on the surface, but now their access to food, water, and air.  He presumably became the god emperor he always wanted to be; either that, or the entire tunnel complex has been overrun, turning every man woman and child in North Korea into zombies.  The South Korean government refuses to send a expedition into the North to figure out what happened, lest they open up one of the tunnels and unleash millions of zombies onto the surface.

Martin Scorsese, mentioned in passing only as “Marty,” a friend of world famous film director Roy Elliot, who himself is a thinly veiled pastiche of Steven Spielberg.  Interestingly enough, the audio book features Martin Scorsese doing the voice of the conartist who created the placebo vaccine

One chapter has a ton of vapid celebrities hole together in a fortified mansion on Long Island, and takes great care to show each of them getting torn apart not by zombies but by regular people who storm the facility because they were stupid enough to broadcast their location on reality television.  A redneck with a “Get’er Done” hat (Larry the Cable Guy) and some bald guy with diamond earrings (Howie Mandel) blow themselves up with a grenade.  Rival political commentators, an annoying guy who talks about feminization of western society and a leathery blonde (Bill Maher and Ann Coulter) have end-of-the-world viking sex as the facility burns to the ground.  A dumb starlet (Paris Hilton) is killed by one of her handlers and her little rat dog escapes on foot.  A radio shock jock (Howard Stern) actually survives the war and restarts his show.

Michael Stipe of REM joins the army to fight the zombies

Another war veteran mentions how his brother used to have a bunch of Mel Brooks’ old comedy skits on vinyl record, and how he and his squad acted out the “Boy meets Girl” puppet skit with some human skulls.  Mel Brooks is author and narrator Max Brooks’ father.

Queen Elizabeth II, refuses to evacuate England when the island is overrun by zombies.  She intends to remain in Buckingham Palace “for the duration,” mirroring the fact that her parents refused to evacuate to Canada during World War II.

Vladimir Putin declares himself Tsar of the Holy Russian Empire, an ultra-orthodox religious state that has armed priests execute political dissidents under the guise of mercy killing people who have been bitten by zombies.

Yang Liwei, the first “taikonaut” (Chinese astronaut) has a space station named after him

While the main conflict is about government responses to the zombie pandemic, we see glimpses of a greater war torn planet.

A major plot line involves a Chinese Civil War which sees the entire communist politburo nuked out of existence by a rebel sub commander, as well as an attempted “scorched space policy” where the government planned to blow up their space station with scuttling charges to cause a cascade of space debris to encircle the Earth and prevent any other countries from launching missions in the future (this is known as Kessler Syndrome in real life, and was featured as the inciting incident of the 2013 movie Gravity).  The People’s Republic becomes the United Federation.

Iran and Pakistan destroy each other in nuclear war; everyone thought it would be India and Pakistan, but they had very close diplomatic infrastructure in place to prevent such a catastrophe; Pakistan helped Iran build a nuclear arsenal, but as millions of refugees fled from India through Pakistan to the east, Iran had to blow up some Pakistani bridges to stem the flow of zombies, which led to a border war and eventually total nuclear retaliation.

Floridians flee to Cuba, Wisconsinites flee to Canada, the federal government flees to Hawaii.  Everything east of the Rockies is abandoned and ruled by warlords until the government sorts itself out and mounts an expedition to clear the continent of zombies by literally marching an unbroken line of soldiers stretching from Canada to Mexico across the wasteland to the Atlantic.

Israel withdraws from Gaza and the West Bank to become super isolationist, building a wall around the entire country to stop the zombies getting in (they were the first country to respond to the pandemic, and the most successful), but the religious right rebels against the secular left in a civil war that sees Jerusalem ceded to a unified Palestine.

It is an amazing, multifaceted story with so much going on that nobody recognizes.  It was written as a response to the end of the Cold War and the start of the War on Terror.  It’s about a geopolitical shift, a change in the status quo, a disaster from which the world never recovers; America before 9/11 was a very different place than American after 9/11.  Iraq and Afghanistan changed everything, and we’re still feeling their effects to this day; the story uses the zombie apocalypse as the next big international disaster the world must adapt to.  World War Z is World War III with zombies, and I think it would do a lot better if it were published today, now that we’ve had several decades to respond to the fall of the Soviet Union and the endless wars in the Middle East and a global pandemic.

[celticcrossanon]

BRF Reading - 28th of May, 2021

This is speculation only

Cards drawn 28th of May, 2021

Question: Does Scotland want independence?

Background: I know very little to nothing about this situation. I am not British and I don't follow their politics. If something I have said is actually horrible in the current climate, please forgive me.

I drew on this before the Scottish Tour and basically got that Scotland didn't know, the people had different ideas from each other (e.g. one would want it, one would be against it, one would want to be independent but have the Queen as their head of state etc), it was a difficult decision, and it was being pushed by a fire sign person or persons for money. I drew again today and now the focus has switched to the royals.

Interpretation: They don't know. There is not one energy that says yes or no.

Card One: The Seven of Cups. This is a card about making a decision from a multitude of choices. The suit is Cups, so the decision will be emotional (Cups is the suit of emotions) rather than logical (which would be the Swords suit).

The card shows the goddess Aphrodite pointing to a cup. At her feet, on a rocky outcrop, kneels Psyche, who is begging the goddess to help her find her husband, the god Eros. The cup Aphrodite is pointing to is the task(s) that Psyche has to perform before the goddess will help reunite her with her husband.

I am interpreting this as England being the figure on its knees, saying 'don't go', and Scotland pointing to the work (tasks) England has to do if it wants to keep Scotland as part of the United Kingdom. However, it could just as well be Scotland pleading with England to be set free (made independent), and England saying 'this is what you have to do if you want to become independent'.

Either way, the rocky outcrop refers to the past relationship between Scotland and England, with both Scotland and England finding the relationship on the rocky/barren side, i.e. they feel that they could have had better treatment from the other country. However, there are seven cups in the image, so there are lots of possibilities for the future relationship between England and Scotland. Leaving the union of Great Britain and becoming completely independent is just one of those choices.

Card Two: The Two of Pentacles. This is card of having to balance things, of choosing where to invest your time, money, and effort. The card shows the craftsman Daedalus at the start of his career. He has to decide how much time to spend at work, which projects to invest in, which offers of work to take and which to turn down, etc. The energy that comes through strongly here is that of investment, and with the suit of pentacles it will be the investment of money and in practical matters.

Scotland is wondering how much to invest in this new idea, and if it would be better to keep to the old way of doing things. Practical matters are being considered. How much money will it take to be completely independent? What structures will have to be changed? Will it be worth the investment, or is better to stay part of Great Britain? They are seeking balance, and every person will have their own idea of what that balance looks like.

Card Three: The King of Cups. This is the card for the sign of Scorpio, and here it represents Prince Charles, a sun sign Scorpio. Prince Charles, as the next King, is part of the decision to be independent or not. People are considering him as a ruler and wondering if they want to live under his rule, or whether they would be better off with just a Prime Minister and no royal family.

Card Four: Judgement. This is the card of Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio, and so it has ties to Prince Charles. Judgement is a card of, well, judgement - of being assessed on your character and your past actions. It is a card of summing up, the end of the journey, to reap what you have sown - the good and the bad. Scotland has to think seriously about its past and current relationship with England and weigh it up, the good and the bad. Is it worth continuing to be ruled by England? It can also signify a death of some sort, a door closing for good, which would be the case if Scotland chose independence.

The card shows Hermes in his role as messenger to the underworld, and the energy of messages is coming through strongly. What message does this canvassing of independence send to England? To Scotland? Is it awakening old grudges, or reinforcing new ones? The cards on either side of this one are people - Prince Charles and Prince William. They are being assessed on their past behaviour and the messages it has sent to the Scottish people. Are these the people who Scotland wants as its future kings?

Card Five: The Chariot. This is the card for the sign of Cancer, and here it represents Prince William, a sun sign Cancer. It is a major arcana card, so Prince William is a big factor in this decision. I am thinking of an article I read that said Prince William had more Stuart blood than any British King for quite some time - since the Stuarts themselves, from memory. As the Stuart kings were originally from Scotland (James VI of Scotland, who was also James I of England, was the son of Mary Queen of Scots), this may be part f the decision making process - do they leave now or wait for the Stuart king before they decide? As per the Judgement card, Prince William's actions and how they are viewed by the Scottish people will be important here. He will be judged on his actions and they will have a major influence on the decision to be independent or not.

Underlying Energy One: The Empress. This is the card of a female ruler, and of Venus, the ruler of Taurus, so it refers to HM the Queen, a sun sign Taurus. This is a major arcana card, so the Queen is a major factor in this decision. The Empress card reflects the decision facing Scotland - to stay as part of Great Britain, the 'empire' ruled by HM the Queen, or to leave and be their own fully independent country. Do they keep HM the Queen as their ruler, or not?

Underlying Energy Two: The Queen of Cups. This is the card of a water sign person, particularly a Cancer, and here it refers to Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Scotland is looking at her as the next queen and weighing up how she will be as a queen of their country.

Underlying Energy Three: The Queen of Pentacles. This is the card of an earth sign person, particularly a Capricorn, and here it refers to Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. Scotland is looking at her as the next queen after Camilla and weighing up how she will be as a queen of their country. Catherine is especially important as she is the spouse of Prince William, and he is one of the major factors in Scotland's decision for independence (the others are HM the Queen and the message sent by the actions of the BRF, especially Charles and William).

Conclusion. Scotland is still making up their mind. The Queen is a big factor in the decision. Beyond her, they are looking at the two next future Queen Consorts - Camilla and Catherine - and how they will fill the role. They are also looking at Prince Charles and especially Prince William - he is another big factor in this decision. They are looking at the actions of the princes and weighing them up, deciding if they would be good for Scotland or not. Nothing has been decided as of yet. I think the final decision will depend on both the past and present actions of these members of the BRF as to whether Scotland goes down the path of independence or not.

Final Comment: Is this a tense issue? It was hard to draw the energy out of the cards. Everything feels very wound up and tightly packed and - annoyed, as if people don't want to think about this or are tired of the fighting involved and the reactions of others to the topic.

[goddessofdandelions]

Dark Academia Suggestions For Women

Books that are also movies: 

Anne of Green Gables 1-4 by LM Montgomery (BBC’s Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables: the Sequel)

Orphan Anne Shirley is adopted by bachelor Matthew Cuthbert and his spinster sister Marilla Cuthbert in edwardian Canada and must learn to reconcile her romantic and imaginative nature in this coming of age story

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Little Women (1994) or Little Women (2019))

A coming of age story following 4 sisters and their mother while their father is off at war. The main protagonist, Jo, is an especially romantic figure

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic)

Two sister witches must cover up the murder of one of their abusive ex boyfriend while an agent is investigating his disappearance

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Hugo)

Orphan Hugo befriends Isabelle who helps him unravel the mystery of his father’s automaton

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield (Ballet Shoes)

Three orphan girls are taken in by an eccentric explorer and his niece, but once he’s gone they must take up performing arts careers to fend for themselves

Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day by Winifred Watson (Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day)

Miss Pettigrew, a governess, is accidentally sent to the wrong address by her agency and befriends a night club singer 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice (2005) or BBC’s Pride and Prejudice Mini Series)

Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters attempt to find love in Regency England, but Elizabeth and her love interest Mr Darcy make things more difficult than they need to be

Emma by Jane Austen (Emma (1995) or Emma (2020))

Emma Woodhouse fancies herself a matchmaker in Regency England, but quickly finds she knows little about love. 

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (Sense and Sensibility (1995)

A coming of age story for the Dashwood sisters, who have lost their home but find love in Regency England 

Other novels by Jane Austen

All of her novels have been adapted to screen. While all of her novels are good, I highlight these three because of their emphasis on female friendship and romanticism

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre has a troubling childhood but grows up to become a governess and fall in love with her benefactor in Regency England

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (The Help)

A white female journalist records the stories of two black women who work in white households during 1960′s America

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (BBC’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell mini series)

A historical fantasy following the last two magicians on earth in Napoleon-era England

Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown (Legally Blonde)

Attempting to impress her ex boyfriend, Elle Woods applies to and gets accepted to Harvard Law School where she tries to prove herself as more than just an airhead blonde. 

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (A Little Princess)

Orphaned Sara finds herself adjusting from a life of wealth to a life of poverty and abuse working at a boarding school and comforts herself by imagining she is a princess. 

Matilda by Roald Dahl (Matilda)

Young Matilda is a prodigy in an abusive household, sent to a school with an abusive headmistress. But when she discovers that she has magical abilities, she uses it to seek justice for herself and her friends. 

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events)

In an indeterminate time period, three orphans get moved from guardian to guardian as they are pursued by the villainous Count Olaf who wants their family fortune. Along the way they find themselves wrapped up in a secret society that has split into factions and gone to war with each other. 

Movies: 

The Mona Lisa Smile

When Katherine Watson takes a job as an art professor in a conservative town in the 1950′s she tries to teach her female students to become more assertive

Whisper of the Heart 

Shizuku is a Japanese student at the end of her summer break who befriends an antique shop owner and his grandson after following a cat through the city. Inspired by the events she attempts to write a novel

Shakespeare in Love 

A fictional account of a noblewoman who poses as a man in order to perform in a Shakespeare play, only to fall in love with the playwright and inspire future plays

Miss Potter 

A hyperbolic account of Beatrix’s Potters life 

Becoming Jane 

A hyperbolic account of Jane Austen’s life

Ever After 

A retelling of Cinderella set in renaissance era France and without magical elements, replacing the fairy godmother with Leonardo Da Vinci instead. 

The Bookshop 

Widowed Florence Green follows her dreams and opens a bookshop in the 1950s but unexpectedly finds herself at odds with the queen bee of the town who wanted the property for her own project. 

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Coming of age story that follows 13 year old Kiki who, according to witch tradition, goes off to live on her own for a year to practice her magic. She sets up a delivery service but learns things will be harder than she anticipated.

Books: 

*Some of which have movies that I either haven’t seen or didn’t personally like

The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier 

A fictional account of the servant girl who inspired the real life painting by Vermeer

The Awakening by Kate Chopin 

A truly bleak tale set in New Orleans at the end of the 19th century following Edna as she begins to have an awakening about feminism which affects her daily life. This is regarding as one of the first novels to primarily focus on the concept of feminism. 

Agatha Christie Mysteries 

Agatha Christie was so good at what she did that her books are still used today in toxicology classes and she largely helped define the mystery genre

Nancy Drew Mysteries by Carolyn Keene

Though written for children, the Nancy Drew books follow the amateur detective and her female friends as they solve mysteries in mid-20th-century America and the character has become a cultural icon. 

Gathering Blue and Son from “The Giver Quartet” by Lois Lowry

Books 2 and 4 in the Giver Quartet. While books 1 and 3 are also good, books 2 and 4 are featured here because they have female protagonists. The books are part of a series, but only loosely connected and can be read as standalone books if desired. Gathering Blue follows Kira in a dystopian future as she makes a place for herself in her village through her ability to dye cloth, a skill which helps prevent her from being cast out for being disabled. Son, meanwhile, follows Claire who is looking for her son after he was taken from her. 

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Follows Kit who moves from the Caribbean to Puritan Connecticut where she befriends an elderly spinster woman who is accused of witchcraft 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 

A staple of dark academia, it tells the story of Victor Frankenstein who creates artificial life and is immediately horrified by his creation, who swiftly grows angry and vengeful towards his creator. 

The Secret History by Donna Tartt 

Another staple of dark academia, follows six students who study the classics. The narrator is an adult version of one of the students reflecting on the events that led to a murder. 

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquival 

Taking place in Mexico, Tita is being kept from her lover by her traditionalist mother. Tita expresses herself through her cooking which takes on magical properties. 

The Inkheart Series by Cornelia Funke (Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath)

Follows Maggie and her book-worm father after she discovers her father has the ability to bring to life any book that he reads aloud. They are quickly swept off into the narrative of a fantasy novel. 

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman 

Though part of a trilogy, the first novel is the most appropriate for dark academia, following a female protagonist (Lyra) in a historical fantasy setting as she unravels a mystery. 

Music: 

Florence Welch 

Lana Del Rey

Lorde 

Hozier 

Enya 

Alice Merton 

Regina Spektor 

Lenka 

[alexhogh7137]

The Battle Between Love and Fire-

Ivar the Boneless × Reader

Chapter Forty-Six

Chapter Forty-Seven: "..what on earth are you doing here...?"

Word Count 2.8k

Warnings: none

A week has passed since Asta was born. Your week was hectic, painful and long but your daughter made it all a bit easier. Your people celebrated her birth with a huge feast that you attended to, of course. You remember thinking to yourself, 'now I can have some ale.' Ivar made it known that Asta was his child and everyone basked in his magnificence because he is indeed a cripple. Hvitserk bit his tongue and played along as you did the same. Ivar has his ways and it is easier to obey him than to argue and cause heartache. All you want is for Asta to be happy, that is of utmost importance. Today, you have to write to Daario Naharis. Time has slipped your mind and it has come to your attention that you have yet to write to him. 

Ivar "Would you like me to take her while you write?" You look up at him, "I don't mind." He offers a smile, "I do not think that you will be able to write a proper letter with her wiggling in your arms-" you two start to giggle. 

"Thank you. I won't be long." You hand her to him and he puts her on his hip. 

Ivar "Take your time, my sweet. I want to spend some quality time with her." You nod, "I love you."

"And I love you." He bends down and kisses your lips before crunching his way out of the chamber doors. You sigh and stretch your arms in the air, trying to ease the soreness from holding her for so long. But you long her so much, that when she is not in your arms, you feel as if something is missing. Nonetheless, you appreciate the help from your beloved while Hvitserk is out hunting with Ubbe. 

You pick up your writing instrument and began to write: 

To the Commander of Wessex,

I have to apologize for not writing to you sooner, but I have some wonderful news. I am now a mother to a healthy daughter. I shall return to Wessex when she is old enough to travel with me so that my people can meet her, as well as you Naharis. I wish to hear of all the things concerning my people and their wellbeing. I hope all is well, including yourself. I am doing alright, given my circumstances during my daughter's birth but I am indeed alright. Looking forward to your letter,

Y/n Lothbrok 

You stamp the letter and rise from your seat, to give this to your news carrier. 

"Thank you."

He bows, "My queen." You watch him get on his horse and ride off into the distance. You look up at your dragon's, feasting on their animals and of course, fighting over the biggest carcass. You chuckled to yourself but you get startled from your name being called.

"My queen!" You turn to face the woman. 

"Yes? Is something wrong?" 

"No, thank the gods." You nod, "I just wanted to personally ask you if you are alright?"

"Oh yes, I am quite well." 

"Are you certain, my queen?" She asked, "because you look quite exhausted.."

"Mm, the beginning stages of motherhood is not easy, madame-"

"Of course-"

"I am tired, but I am very happy."

"That is good to hear. I know of the things you went through..I only wish the best for you my queen."

"I appreciate your kind words, ma'am. Thank you."

"My pleasure. Would you like to come in?" You look where she points as she points toward her home in the village. 

"Oh thank you, but I must find Ivar. He is caring for Asta while I take care of some matters." 

"Oh, I see. Thank you for talking with me Y/n." 

You place your hand on her shoulder, "Any time. If you need me, you know where to find me." She nods and you two part ways. 

…

When you reach the throne room, you see Ivar chatting up a storm: boasting about Asta. At first, you get annoyed but then you overhear Ivar telling his people how proud he is to call her his own. Then your heart turned into mush. You make your way up to him and he notices you right away. 

Ivar "My love, there you are." You sit down beside him on your throne. 

"My queen, she is simply beautiful."

"Thank you. She is very-"

Ivar "Perfect. She isn't just beautiful, she is perfect. A real blessing from the gods." You smile and reach over and caress her rosy cheeks while she is still in his arms. 

"I would have to agree. I am surprised that she is here." Ivar looks up at the man from looking down at Asta and makes direct eye contact. 

Ivar "What did you just say?" The man gulps. 

"I said that I was surprised that Asta is here..it is a real miracle."

Ivar "Are you referring to Y/n?"

"She...she went through a lot, my king. Many of us doubted that she wou-"

"I suggest you bite your tongue.." the man looks at you and takes a step back. 

Ivar "Sweetheart, can you hold Asta for a moment?" You do not answer, only quickly grabbing her from his arms before he loses control. Ivar gets off of his throne and walks towards the man who was suggesting that you were weak. 

Ivar "What is it? Huh..what were you all doubting?" The man did not respond out of fear. Ivar took out his dagger and grabbed the man by his throat, "What were you all doubting?"

"We did not think that she would be strong enough to deliver! Many women parish during child birth..we were expecting it." You knew that was a fact. But to hear your people think that you were too weak to survive, saddened you. 

Ivar points the blade towards the man's eye, "How dare you, huh?! How dare you question my wife?"

"We were wrong, she was strong-"

Ivar "That should never be questioned, she is your queen!" The man nods, "Look at her," the man looks at you, "that woman right there, is stronger than any woman that you could ever meet. Do not ever question her strength."

"Ivar, just let him go-"

Ubbe "What is going on in here, aye?!" Hvitserk and Ubbe come into the building from a successful hunt.

"Just having a discussion, Ubbe."

"I shouldn't have said anything-"

Hvitserk "You said what?"

"I told the Ivar.. that Asta is a miracle child."

Hvitserk "She is-"

Ivar "He said that he amongst others have doubted Y/n's ability to have her." Hvitserk's jaw clenches immediately. 

Hvitserk "Is that so?" The man does not respond. "Well she proved you all wrong, did she not?" 

"Yes, yes of course! My queen, you have my full respect."

"If you'll excuse me." You walk out of the room and into your daughter's nursery. You place her down into her bassinet. She coos and reaches for you, so you lean down and kiss her entire face. 

"My sweet Asta, sleep now." You watch her close her beautiful eyes and fall into a light slumber. You sigh when it is silent in the room. Reflecting on your life, who you are and what you have become as a person, as a woman. In everyone else's eyes, you have achieved it all: you've won battles, you overthrown your father and took back your kingdom, you are married and now have a daughter. To you, you feel lucky and blessed but at the same time, you feel lost. If Ivar's people loved and respected you like they should, then you would feel wanted here in Kattegat. But today, that feeling is nonexistent. 

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

Wessex England a day later..

Daario has been working nonstop: making absolute sure that the people of Wessex are safe, fed and doing their duties. Helga has been working as well, and keeping Daario company. 

Daario "Helga.."

Helga "Yes?"

Daario "Have you heard any news from Y/n?" 

Helga sighs, "I'm afraid not." He hangs his head, "I am sure that she is fine, Naharis."

Daario "She didn't look good Helga. You saw her when she left."

Helga "She was in labor, Daario. It is very painful-"

Daario "I know that. But she fell-"

Helga "What? Why was I not informed of this-"

Daario "It slipped my mind. All I cared about was her, not informing her people." She nods, "But yes, she fell. Not too long before she went into active labor-"

Helga "Well that makes sense now. If something happens to the mother when she is that far along during her pregnancy, that can cause the child to come quicker. Much quicker."

Daario "I just hope that she is alright. She has gone through too much Helga, she can't be gone now. She can't be." Helga takes a rapid and deep breath, "She fought too long and too hard to lose her battle now. Especially right when her life got brighter with this miracle child." 

Helga "I don't think that she is gone. If she was, I would be able to tell."

Daario looks up at her glaring at the floor, "What? How?"

Helga "She is like a daughter to me Daario. If she was gone, I would just know." He sighs and looks back down to the floor. 

Daario "Helga, could you leave me for a moment? I would like to pray in peace please." He says standing up. 

Helga "Of course sir." She walks out of the door, closing it behind her. He wipes a stray tear that has fallen on to his cheek from the sense of fear of losing you. So he gets down on his knees, in front of a cross that he has hung up on his wall in his chambers and prays.

Daario "Please Lord, be with Y/n. I have not heard from her in days, and I cannot stop worrying, my Lord. Be with her and keep her strong. If her child is in this world, keep her safe and strong as well, my Lord. Be with them all, keep them safe and...alive. In Jesus's name I pray, amen." As he stood up, he got a knock on his door. 

Daario sighs, "Yes?"

"A letter, sir." He rushes over to the man and grabs the letter from his hands. He breathes out loudly when he sees your name on the envelope. 

Daario "Thank you, you may go." Once the man leaves, he looks up and whispers, "well that was fast."

After he read your letter, he wanted to travel to Kattegat to see you and the baby. He did not know how he would be able to do so, but he did not quite care about anything else but you and the child. So he left Helga in charge and set off to Kattegat.

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

It is now nightfall in Kattegat and things are happy as can be. Hvitserk has been spending quality time with Asta all day and Ivar has been spending quality time with you. Ubbe and Torvi have been spoiling Asta and she's only a few days old. It has been joyus to say the least. 

Ivar "How is she doing huh?" He asks his brother once he sits down next to him. 

Hvitserk "Y/n or Asta?"

Ivar "Asta, of course."

Hvitserk "She's perfect."

Ivar "Yes, she is." He looks at you holding her while talking to Torvi. "They both are true perfection."

Hvitserk "Yes they are. And yet we are the lucky one aye?" He says, nudging Ivar. 

Ivar chuckles but it soon fades when he hears the gates to his kingdom opening. 

Ivar "Did you just hear-"

Hvitserk "The gates? Yes, I did." 

Ivar "We are not expecting anyone.." You see the double doors opening and your grip on your daughter tightens. You did not expect to see the man come through the door that did. 

Daario "King Ivar-"

"Naharis?!" His eyes met yours and his expression turned to pure joy. He sees the beautiful daughter in your arm's. 

Daario "Y/n!"

"What on earth are you doing here?! My kingdom-"

Daario "Is in good hands."

"Who's hands?!"

Daario "Helga's."

"An old woman." You look at Ivar in complete disbelief. Ivar's eyebrows scrunch down to his eyes and his mouth is closed tightly. "So you are telling me, that you left my kingdom, which is filled with women..in an old woman's care?"

Daario "I had to see you."

"I told you when I left, that I would come to you. I left you in charge of my people for a reason. I did not want you to leave Wessex!"

Daario "I'm sorry, I-"

"Torvi, give her to Hvitserk please." She takes Asta from your arms and walks Asta to Hvitserk and you slap Daario in the mouth. Ivar immediately tenses every muscle in his body. 

"How dare you defy me!"

Daario "I did no such thing."

"You left my kingdom, when I told you not to! You are in charge because you are capable, Helga is in no way capable of keeping my people safe."

Daario "I just had to see you. I was worried about you." 

"I appreciate your concern Naharis, but I sent you a letter."

Daario "I wanted to meet her.." you realize that fighting with him is no use. You can't do anything about his actions now. All you can do is pray to the gods that nothing bad happens. 

"Fine, come with me." You walk towards Ivar and Hvitserk, who are sitting next to each other. "Her name is Asta."

Daario "Wow..she is beautiful."

"Thank you."

Daario "May I hold her?"

Ivar "I don't think so." 

Daario "Why not?"

Ivar "Because I said no, so the answer is no. You came here..into my kingdom, unannounced, at night, and thinking that you can hold my daughter?" Daario takes a step back, "I don't think that you are in the position to do so."

Daario "I shouldn't have come here."

Ivar "No, you shouldn't have. But nonetheless, you are here..hmm?" He nods, "And you came all this way to..what exactly?"

Daario "Check on Y/n, make sure that she was safe, and okay after having Asta."

Ivar "You came here to make sure that she was safe..in her own home? Did I hear that correctly, Hvitserk?"

Hvitserk "You did, my brother."

Ivar "mm."

Daario "She is my queen and I was worried about her. She did not look very well when she left, and she wrote in her letter that there were complications during Asta's..arrival and I came here to make sure that she was indeed alright."

"I understand your worry, but I wrote to you that I was okay. You did not have to come."

Daario "No one has to do anything Y/n. It's what feels right in their hearts is what they end up doin-"

Ubbe "You have got to be joking, aye?" He said coming inside from checking on the village. "What are you doing here?!"

Daario "I came to check on her."

Ubbe "Y/n or Asta?"

Daario "Both, I suppose."

Ubbe "Y/n wrote to you, no?" He said, taking a bite of food. 

Daario "Yes but I wanted to meet her daughter." 

Ivar "Why did you want to meet her so badly, huh?" He said, getting up from his seat and walking towards him. "It couldn't wait until she got back to Wessex?"

Daario "I acted too quickly. I should go."

"You can stay the night here, but must leave by morning. Wessex is unsafe while you are here. I cannot allow you to stay longer than the night."

Daario "I accept that. And I appreciate that. I am sorry for coming."

"I am not mad at you, I am upset about the fact that at any given moment, I can lose my kingdom and my people. I fought too long and too hard to lose it now."

Ivar "You won't, my sweet."

"Well, if I do, you will lose your life..are we clear?"

Daario "Yes, my queen."

"Good, my maiden will find you a room." He thanks you and walks off. You sit down on Ivar's lap and sighed, "Well, we were having a peaceful day."

Ivar "We still are-"

"No we are not."

Ivar "Think of it this way, if anything were to happen, we can use his body as a sacrifice to the gods huh?!" He says in a high pitched voice to add drama, making you laugh. 

"But I would lose it all, and my people."

Ivar "I think that you are forgetting that these are your people, my love. Everything I have is yours."

"I love you."

Ivar "I love you most."

@hvitserkmarcosource @youbloodymadgenius @ivarsgoddess @heavenly1927 @saldelys @krissydclayton93 @conaionaru

[just2bubbly]

What was she thinking?!

Masterlist

Rumors and Affairs

“Why was Torin looking at her as if he was questioning her sanity?!“

While conducting a meeting, Cinder says something that makes the matters worse for the royal couple. What did she say that brought immense amount of trouble to Kai and Cinder ? Will they solve the problem or Will that be the end for our favorite couple?  Read out to find out!!

Cinder’s Perspective-

“You are absolutely correct.” She said.

“Your Majesty?” Torin asked, looking as if he was questioning her sanity.

“Yes Torin?”

“Do you want to reconsider what you just said, Your Majesty?”

What the hell did she say that Torin wanted her to reconsider her choice of words?  She surely was not paying much attention to the meeting that was taking place around her. Indeed it was she who had called for this meeting.  She just zoned from the very beginning of the meeting until now. Plus she had learned this trick from Kai that said “I agree with you but give me some time to think about it.” or “Yeah sure”. Maybe the trick screwed things for Cinder today. Kai was not there and she was dreading whatever she had said already.

She was continuously zoning out on an hourly basis for the whole day today. She was also missing Kai. Kai-he had gone to England for his meeting with Queen Camilla and the other world leaders. Why couldn’t he just stay back and attend all those meetings through his port screen from Eastern Commonwealth? Dang! She missed Kai. Torin was eyeing her as if he could read her mind and tell that it was Kai on her mind, that’s when she realized that she had zoned out again in the middle of the meeting. The palace head staff was staring at her as if she had told them that Luna will be attacking Earth tomorrow. Well, she did not have the right to lead an invasion against Earth, not to mention her present state did not allow her to even ride on an airplane leading an invasion against Earth was somewhat next to impossible for her.

It was her mistake that she decided to call the head of each department working in the palace for a meeting to check on their work. Hell she was not even in a condition to keep track of her own work. Kai was so much better at this at least he did not zone out in important meetings like her. She wanted to see Kai and just stare into his brown eyes and run her hand through his black messy hair-

Cinder! Get yourself together; you are the Empress of the Eastern Commonwealth not just a crazy, hormonal pregnant woman.

Putting on her pleasant apologetic smile and resting her hand on her belly, she asked,” I am so sorry Torin but could you please repeat what was asked.”

“Well, your majesty, Mr.Hiroshi, the Head of the Telecommunication Department asked you a question related to Mr. Thorne…” He said.

It was not quite rare that Thorne was mentioned here and there in international politics. He had indeed been the integral part of the lunar revolution not only that but he previously was known as and this is what he calls himself as -the criminal mastermind. He had also helped her to maintain her calm while she was the Queen of Luna along with distributing antidotes of Letumosis on Earth. He was becoming quite a noble man thanks to her friend Cress. No one would have believed that innocent Cress would have Thorne under her control.

She really hoped that she did not agree to anyone of Thorne’s dumb ideas or requests. Last time he had asked Cinder to give him land to rule and she had thought that he meant it casually until Torin had approached Kai about a certain letter from Cadet Thorne about his request to acquire lands in the far east part of Eastern Commonwealth as a symbol of his loyalty to the Emperor. She had really not expected that.

“Well! What about him?”

“According to the management of press taking place under the palace security, some magazines and fan sites have published articles that your majesty, you and Mr. Thorne are having an affair without The Emperor knowing--”

She was sipping water from her glass while Torin was talking and stars above if not for all the manners and etiquette classes she had taken in order to be a pristine Queen of Luna and Empress of Commonwealth she would have definitely spit the water on somebody.

She was coughing to save herself from embarrassment and that’s not the worst part she had said ‘it’s absolutely correct’ to whatever Hiroshi had asked.

Once her coughing fit was over, Torin continued, “In addition to this they have posted a picture of you and Mr. Thorne from the Annual Peace Ball claiming that the royal heir to the throne is Mr. Thorne’s child and they seek to have an official statement regarding these rumors. The Commonwealth wants to know about the true parentage of the royal heir-”

“That would be enough Torin.”

Well now she knew why everyone was staring at her like she had grown a second head. She had just confirmed that the rumors regarding her and Thorne were true in front of the entire palace head staff. They were not true. She had definitely screwed up and Kai and Cress would definitely be distraught after hearing this news.

“Well the Palace shall surely prepare to give the official statement once Emperor Kaito returns. And for my previous statement I would like to apologize as I claimed the rumors to be true without hearing the question properly. I hope you know that my current state is continuously interfering with my work schedule and I get easily distracted. I would apologize for the same. I would also like to confirm that all the rumors of Mr. Thorne and me courting are false and we are nothing but good friends and the parentage of the royal heir should not be questioned. ” She said with as much authority as possible. She had to make them believe that she was telling the truth.

“Thank you for attending the meeting. You all may leave.” She wanted to ask Torin to wait back but she had already guessed that he might have questions of his own like checking her sanity. Experience has taught her how Torin behaves in situations like these. Everyone left after bowing. She could see a few eying each other suspiciously.

The newsfeed in her eye had already started looking for such articles.

“Are you fine Cinder-daren?” Torin dropped all sorts of formalities while talking to her and Kai if they were not in front of a crowd. He was practically like a father to both of them.

“Does Kai know about this?”

He nodded his head. Well now Kai will be more disappointed to know that his wife and mother of their unborn child just accidentally confirmed that she had been having an affair with a dear friend Thorne. Why do all the bad things happen to her in his absence?

Torin was not shouting at her to have paid attention which made it worse.

“What if someone tells about this incident to the press, Torin? They would definitely believe that I have an affair going on with Thorne and had been manipulating Kai all along and Torin, they went as far as to question the parentage of my-our child!?!” She was having a headache. Her throat had gone dry and her retina scanner showed names of so many bodily symptoms but it was all haste for her.

“Cinder, it's fine. This is the very reason Kai did not want you to know about these articles but the rumors are being wide spread so the issue had to be addressed. '' Torin was beside her side and patting her on her back which was equivalent to a hug in any normally affectionate person.

“But Torin-”

“Don’t worry Cinder I will personally look into the matter and make sure that no false rumors are spread outside the palace. I hope that you have some rest. You did not look good in the meeting and Kai would be worried sick to know that the empress had not been well cared about. ”

It’s more like Kai would be panicked to death after he came to know what she had done and kick her out.

After saying this Torin left the room. She obviously could not rest. How could sleep come to her after she had screwed up big time?

_x_

A/N: There is more, Fret not!!  I will post the next chapter soon!!

( I also have an another Kaider fic named ‘ Nightmares’, if you like Kaider fluff and angst you can check it out!!  🖤 )

Likes, Reblogs and Comments will be much appreciated! 🖤