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insomniac-dot-ink · 3 years

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A History of Dragon Hunters

Dragon hunters were forced to adapt over the ages. Swords and shields were foregone for crossbows and radio trackers. Clanking armor and helmets gave way to fireproof vests and steel-toed boots built like fortresses. The world changed.

Dragons responded by becoming less ostentatious, stealthier, there is more than one way to move underground and what is a shapeshifter without their tricks? Dragons the size of large fireflies, but infinitely more clever, took residence in dense swamps. Enormous, ancient dragons hid themselves as sleeping mountains, and, of course, there were the dragon which did not appear as a dragon at all. Those that adapted to take human forms in order to extend their long lives and evade the very ones that hunted them.

It was the priests who first brought up ethics. They would preach upon the stones of scorched earth and ask in booming voices: Do dragons have souls? Can they be converted? Can they be known? The creatures were clever after all, no denying it, and when they stole princesses they made finely worded requests and eloquent speeches. Could they not be saved?

But the hunters were still born. The social structures shifted into messiness as the classes blurred, no longer were hunters only Kings and noblemen’s sons-- highly trained and bathed in the armor of wealth. Any farm boy with a sword soon rose to the challenge as lore spread and there grew an abundance of steel. But they died.

Dear Jack and Freddie and Henrique, burnt corpses smelling of charred flesh. Cursed from the start as they were sold shoddy weapons and 2-week training by pop-up salesmen with snake oil in their veins. It was a market after all: a few gold coins and you could win glory, class ascension, and a wife of renowned beauty from the clutches of the beast.

And they died. They did not return to their grieving mothers and a clamor rang out to change such madness.

Out of this was born regulation: the guild of dragon hunters. All could join, but few would pass the regiment and join the ranks of professionals. Peasants would bear sons and name them things like Prince and Slayer and Fire-Banisher if they were feeling especially bold. The hope was they would become hunters, dragging them all out of poverty through sword and grit alone.

Time marched on. The dry academics in smoky cafes began their musing on the ethics of dragon hunting: What did it mean to hoard? Was it really so bad? The truest trouble with dragons was their penchant for young women and hunger for anything that sparkled. However, being fat and happy, wasn’t that the goal of everyone? Could they not be bargained with? Understood?

Hunters were still trained. They adapted, the guild expanded, and dragons crept deeper into the earth and deeper into the nooks and crannies of society.

Hidden, strange, sometimes human. More people joined the conversation: politicians claiming to be humane, others claiming only warfare was the answer. Feminists who said that they should train ladies in the way of swords and water magic, knowledge all their own to solve the problem. Many legions of thinkers tried to decipher dragons coded words, and really talk to them.

On and on, but the dragons remained silent. What was a dragon? What was a hunter? It is hard to stop something once it’s been rolled into motion.

I was born under the name Drown. A name handed down to me from my grandfather, the Drowner of Dragons. The end of all light. I own a crossbow. I own a radio. I am the only known hunter to conquer three dragons before the age of thirty.

I have talked with them inside old mining shafts as acidic smoke billowed out of their nostrils, lying on piles of finely crafted furniture. A hoard from all the master craftsmen of the old world. I have discussed the politics of the four seasons with a dragon in an underground cave. Their long slick blue body protected piles of old and worn books from the library of Alexandria. I have been within the worst of smoking, ashen mountains as well as the brightly lit halls of sky scrapers. I entered the largest art museum in the country only to realize the director was blinking sideways.

I have done what I was born to do, and yet, no matter how many dragons I speak with I find no answer: Why do you make hoards? Why do you keep such things to yourself? Brilliant lizards without any sense of love between neighbors. And why do you steal our people?

Did dragons have souls?

My boots crunch as I enter an abandoned building in the silicon district. Neon street lights spill in through busted windows and bathe the floor in oranges and blues. Sirens blare in the distance and the thumping beat from some underground show a block away.

Broken glass and debris litter the concrete and the place smells thickly of dust and crumbling plaster. I check my phone for the signal and follow it toward the basement door. The opening is dark and gaping, a silent mouth with no breathe.

Perhaps I should have stopped the second I realized it was open.

I was a reigning slayer though, featured on magazine covers just that year with an angle of young men from bygone eras of glory. Back before anyone considered if dragons had souls. They made me stand on a box to seem taller and photoshopped my jaw to be square.

The steps creak as I descend into the depths of the collapsing building. My pulse is steady. The whirr of machines becomes louder and louder with each step and it seems to answer my question on why this city sector was using a city’s worth of electricity all by itself.

The hum of computers and sound of the groaning building mix. The blue light is shocking when I shoulder my way into the room at the bottom of the stairs. It’s a cavernous basement filled with enormous black panels and computers the size of grown men. The computers are aligned neatly in rows and appear almost endless, strings of wires and lights and fans churning between them. I stand in awe of the dragon’s hoard.

I clear my throat. “I am Drown. I have been sent as liaison from The Dragon Hunter Association. Release your goods for the sake of the general public,” I lower my voice as I call out. “That is the mandate of both human and magical creature’s law.” It was never that the dragons made the hoard. It was always that they made it out of things others needed.

The answer was immediate. Dragons are set in their ways just as much as we are. “Mm,” a deep hum plucks at my core. “Here he is, I see.” The voice echoes from through the wires, deep and masculine. “The youngest and brightest of the butchering crew. Come back from slaying my brethren.”

I give a half-smile. “I thought dragons didn’t care for those of their own kind.” I say wearily. “The last water dragon I encountered cursed your very name, my lord.”

“I’m sure.” It was wry. “But they were all young, were they not? Your past conquests. All of them. And I have a fondness for youth.” The voice simpers. It draws closer through the gloom and I remove the serrated knife from my belt. It’s too close quarters for a projectile.

I survey the dim halls and listen for steps, but find only the whirring. “We may still come to an understanding.”

“An understanding where you take my head?” He chuckles. “Perhaps.”

Sweat slicks the palms of my hand and I reach for the flashbulb in my back pocket. This is not like my previous ventures.

“Beheading is no longer our preferred practice,” I grit out. “I’m here to negotiate.”

“I’m sure you are.” It was a purr and I whirl around to face the beast, but find only empty, darkened space. A rumble works its way through my belly and clench my teeth.

“There are things we can offer . . .” I back up toward the far wall.

“Don’t you have something you want to ask me?” The voice croons. “I can hear it pounding from within you. You are a noisy one.”

I knew he was an old dragon, ancient even, those were the only ones that developed the ability to sense other’s desire. I pause for a moment, knife in hand, and swallow thickly.

“A great dragon lord does not need to stay in the shadows.” I try to regain control of the situation.

“Perhaps I can make you noisier.”

“You could give it up.” I force myself to breathe evenly. “You could hand over your computers and whatever else. We aren’t so barbaric as before. Why don’t you simply turn over what you have?”

Do dragons have souls?

“Aw,” a soft, almost intimate breath heats the cusp of my ear. “You humans, so obtuse, you do not understand the nature of beautiful things, of anything with value,” I can feel a body looming behind me and a single claw drags down my spine. “Of love.”

I turn to face a man. Just a man. And he smiles at me, charming. A head taller, but still flesh and blood and dressed in silks. Perhaps he had never been a dragon at all, but I know better. “Say, little hunter.” His eyes darken. “You are quite beautiful as well.”

My breath hitches and the pulse in my belly spikes. I attempt to end the conversation. I jab with the knife. I dodge. I slash and lunge.

The serrated knife never finds flesh. The taser never lands. The mini-explosive is expertly tossed aside. A world of tech and weapons and cunning falls short even after all these centuries of our training. I am pushed bodily up against the wall and told only simple things.

“It’s wasted.” A hiss. “It’s wasted on the rest of them.”

And it dawns on me, somewhere between the kiss and when I am begging to be stripped and mounted, that the dragons never only took the things we expected. It was never just maidens and gold and precious stones, those were only the things we cared to go looking for.

I wondered if they would care to look for me or deem me “missing in action” as so many before. Eaten by the beast. Marked as lost. The dragon oblige, he holds me down and pushes into me-- and I wonder if I would want to be found after this.

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stevesbestgirl · 3 years

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Vanaheim Storms - Part 1

Loki x f!Reader - 3314 words

Masterlist

Sunmary: The Storming Princess of Vanaheim makes a visit to Asgard. Her intentions are on securing aid for her home, but no one in her political career has prepared her for the God of Mischief. Two people who think they're smarter than everyone else refuse to see what's in front of them.

Warnings: None

A/N: So, I wasn’t going to post this until I finished it, but I’m hoping to get close to done over the long weekend and I haven’t posted anything in a little bit. I’m really loving how this is coming out and I just can’t wait anymore to share some of it!

“The court of Asgard welcomes Brynjar, royal emissary and escort to Y/N, princess of Vanaheim!” A deafening cheer went up at Y/N’s entrance. Head raised and Brynjar at her elbow, she approached Odin’s throne. She suppressed a grimace at the noise; her father hadn’t warned her that Asgardians were so loud.

At the head of the room, the pair dropped into a crouch, bowing their heads to the king, Y/N speaking cordially, “On behalf of my father and all of Vanaheim, I thank you for your hospitality, King Odin. It is an honor to be in your court.”

“Rise, child, the honor is mine. Consider Asgard your home for as long as you wish to stay as our guest.” He added with a slight smile, “We are all eager to accommodate for the Storming Princess of Vanaheim.”

Y/N didn’t react to the teasing nickname used by her people. When she was a child, it would have had her blushing and stammering, but she was long used to it by now. Bowing her head, she offered a coy smile of her own, “You need not worry for you walls, Odin. They appear quite sturdy.”

He laughed and the room followed suit in the typical court fashion, “My dear, we were warned against heavy rains, but not your sharp wit. We may find ourselves unprepared for you yet.”

Tipping her head to him, she replied evenly, “It is lucky then that Asgard has nothing to fear from me. By storms or otherwise.”

He clapped his hands together, “Speaking of storms, I must introduce you. My wife Frigga, of course.” He kissed his wife’s hand. “And my sons, Thor and Loki.”

The two men on either side of the thrones approached. From Odin’s right came a well-muscled man in lavish armor and a red cape catching the soft, golden waves that pooled at his shoulders. From Frigga’s left came the more slender of the two, with dark hair slicked back to highlight sharp blue eyes.

The blonde, who Odin had designated as Thor, took her arm in the standard Asgardian greeting. Instead of releasing, he slid his battle-worn palm down to her wrist, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand, smiling, “An honor to meet you, Y/N.”

She smiled politely, “The honor is mine.”

The other, Loki, took Thor’s place as he retreated. He gripped her forearm, a faint smile playing on his lips, “Princess.” He tipped his head, “I would kiss your hand, but I fear my brother may have made a mess.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow, “You’re hardly the first man I’ve met who believes a woman sullied by another’s touch.”

Loki quirked an eyebrow, smile widening, but Odin’s voice boomed, “I’m certain you must be famished from your journey; let us adjourn to the dining hall!”

Loki dropped her arm as Odin rose from his throne, the rest of the court waiting for him to lead the way. Frigga grasped Y/N’s arm, “Come, my dear, we don’t want you getting lost in the crowd. Asgardians can get rather rowdy at the mention of dinner.”

Y/N laughed, “I believe that to be one of the few things we share across cultures.” She gestured over her shoulder to her guard, “Brynjar is a perfect gentleman, but I’ve seen him threaten a duel over the last helping of a meal on more than one occasion.”

“He will acclimate quickly then, I’m sure,” Frigga replied with a smile. “As for yourself, if you find yourself in need of a friendly ear, my chambers are always open to you. I recall my first time alone in an unfamiliar place, limited by the expectations that accompany political decorum.”

“My father often sends me in his stead for visits like these. Though it is far from my first, I suspect I may find myself needing that ear during my stay here.”

Frigga led Y/N to the head table, where she found herself seated two places down from Odin. She would have preferred to sit by Frigga, not only because of her offer of companionship, but in her experience, mealtimes were more tolerable when passed with another woman. Even if she sat beside Loki, she suspected he wouldn’t serve as much of a barrier in conversation with his mother.

Thor, on the other hand, seemed eager to have her attention. Odin was engaged with his wife, and Brynjar was occupied by the food, so he had her all to himself. Regaling tales of his many battlefield triumphs, she showed polite interest, asking the odd question where she could get a word in. She had ample experience feigning interest in war stories, although perhaps she’d been too successful.

“You seem quite knowledgeable about battle strategies,” he noted. “Have you ever been on the battlefield yourself?”

She smiled politely, “I’ve proven useless in combat. But I’ve heard many stories.”

Odin finally chimed in, “You’re hardly the first to try impressing the princess with stories of your triumphs, I’m certain.” He gave her a fatherly smile, “Although, I wouldn’t say ‘useless,’ after the way your father boasts of your strategic prowess. According to him, you are quite the general.”

She smiled bashfully, her cool demeanor finally cracking slightly, “Father loves to exaggerate.” This was a lie; he rarely spoke about her at all and it was rarely anything positive. But she would be lying if she claimed the praise wasn’t satisfying.

“That is something we have in common then. I would love to boast to you about my son’s achievements, but it seems as though Thor may have told them all.” At that, Thor sipped his ale, cheeks almost pink.

She opened her mouth, ready to point out that Odin had two sons, but his voice was already echoing throughout the hall, “Now that we’ve all had our fill, we can begin the true celebration.”

At the wave of his hand, music began to play, loud and energetic and a cheer went up around the room. Tables were pushed to the edges of the hall and the center of the room quickly swelled in a growing crowd of laughing people.

Thor finished his glass of ale, dropping the flagon haphazardly onto the table as he stood, offering her a hand, “Would you do me the honor of a dance, Y/N?”

She suppressed a sigh. Dancing was always the worst part of these events; after a couple of drinks, men tended to get too comfortable. Their hands always start to drift, grip just a little bit too tight. And it was her job as a representative to Vanaheim to tolerate it, to smile politely and let her personal comfort be the sacrifice for a positive relationship between two groups of people.

“Of course.”

Following him out onto the floor, he led her in the steps to a lively Asgardian folk dance. It was actually fun; jumping around the floor in time with the music, clapping her hands and laughing. She had to hand it to Asgardians, they certainly knew how to throw a party.

She’d only drank half a glass of the Asgardian ale, but it was strong stuff. She stopped dancing and the room kept spinning, so she opted to take a seat for a moment, slowly weaving through the crowd and trying not to step on anyone’s toes.

She was grateful as the music slowed, allowing her easier passage through the throng of people, but just as the head table came into view, someone caught her arm, “Y/N, it is time for that dance I was promised.”

Smiling politely at Thor, she replied, “I was under the impression we had just danced. Quite a bit, actually.”

“Yes, but not a proper dance,” he grinned, tugging her back out onto the floor.

Clasping her hand in his, his other arm wrapped around her waist, palm resting on her back where it should be. She thought this might not be so bad, although she wished she felt a little steadier on her feet. She draped her fingers over his shoulder, allowing him to steer them around the dance floor.

“I’ll admit, you are more fun than you appeared at first glance, Y/N.” He seemed to think he was paying her a compliment.

“I’m a girl of many faces,” she smiled indulgently.

His hand on her back grew a little tighter, the gap between them narrowing, “And what lovely faces they are.”

“Thank you.”

“I must confess, I can’t help but think about what a pair we would make. The God of Thunder and the Storming Princess.”

She hummed as she searched for a polite refusal, “I surmise you aren’t the first to consider that pairing.”

He laughed, “Likely not. Still, it has a certain ring to it.” His hand drifted lower on her back still and she almost breathed a sigh of relief as the song ended, transitioning smoothly back to the upbeat music.

She stepped away, dropping his hand, “Thank you for the dancing, Thor. I believe I need a moment’s rest.” Then she disappeared into the crowd before he could protest, ducking out a door at the edge of the room.

It was poor decorum to leave a feast that was thrown for her arrival, but she needed a bit of fresh air. Brynjar would have to represent Vanaheim for a few minutes- at least until he noticed her absence and tore the place apart searching for her, but she would be back before then.

Her footsteps echoed on the flagstones as she made her way down the hall, toward the set of doors at the very end. She could clear her head and be back inside before anyone noticed she was gone. She sighed with relief as she slipped out the doors and onto the balcony that overlooked the beautiful scenery.

Breathing deeply, she felt steadier, although the ale hadn’t quite finished with her yet. The stars glimmered brightly overhead; though they weren’t quite as bright as the ones she could see in Vanaheim, they seemed closer somehow, more within reach.

“The view is lovely, is it not?” Y/N whirled around at the voice behind her, heart thumping. Loki raised his hands in a peaceful gesture, “I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, Princess.”

She smiled wryly, “I suppose I wasn’t quite as subtle in my escape as I thought I was.”

“I’m afraid you have to be exceedingly deft to avoid my notice,” he smiled. He stepped up, leaning against the railing beside her, “I only wanted to apologize. I didn’t mean to offend you in our introduction. I was merely trying to be humorous.”

Her lips curved up in a smile, “No apology necessary. I was doing the same.” She laughed faintly, “And he did get my hand a little wet.”

“So, I was correct,” he seemed to smile despite himself, though it was short lived, “He seems rather taken with you.”

She scoffed, “I imagine he would be rather taken with any fair young woman who will listen to him talk about himself uninterrupted as I did.”

“You did seem rather interested in his stories,” he noted.

“Then I did my job well.”

“You must be quite dedicated to your role to sit through Thor’s retelling of his battle with Skagg the Storm Giant.”

She laughed, “Unfortunately, it wasn’t the worst battle story I’ve heard. At least he left out the women who eagerly greeted him upon his return.”

Loki scoffed, “Do suitors usually tell you about their sexual exploits in an attempt to woo you?”

She smiled wryly, “Some of them. Why, are you looking for tips?”

He rested his elbow on the railing, chin in his palm, a smirk spreading over his face, “If I was, what would you tell me?”

Y/N chuckled, “Honestly, asking a woman a single question about herself would put you miles ahead of the others.” She added teasingly, “Although, assuming she is soiled after another man’s greeting may even the score back to neutral.”

“So, if I ask you two questions-?” he smiled, leaving the question unfinished.

“I may just swoon,” she giggled. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Is that what you and your brother are? Suitors?”

“Thor? Certainly. But myself-”

“You don’t seem interested in the usual two-step,” she noted.

“I am disinterested in the usual anything,” he dismissed. “So much so that my father has given up on finding me a match, it seems.”

“You don’t strike me as the type of man who needs his father to find him a companion,” she smiled.

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you,” he crooked an eyebrow.

“That I don’t seem like that kind of man?” She glanced at him, a smirk on her lips.

“While that is true,” he smiled, “I meant you don’t seem the type to blindly follow your father’s guidance.”

“My father would have to provide me guidance in order for me to follow it,” she chuckled darkly. “He’s never explicitly stated that I should be looking for a husband on these trips, but funnily enough, every place I’ve visited has had an eligible bachelor who has seemingly heard more about me than I have about him.”

“Sounds like a recipe for disaster.”

“Perhaps if I was less diplomatic.” She smiled proudly, “I’ve never left a visit on bad terms.”

“Don’t you get tired of being well-mannered? Of the deception?”

“Seems as though you’re in the same boat as me; do you?”

“I do believe I asked you first,” he laughed.

She hummed, “I suppose I don’t. Is that strange?” She laughed softly, “It’s like a game. The pleasantries can get rather tiring, but I enjoy keeping my true thoughts shrouded in a bit of mystery. Although, I have been waiting for a challenge for a while; things have gotten rather predictable.” At that, she sent him a sly smile.

He was quiet, mulling over her answer, so she glanced at him, “We should probably get back. Brynjar will notice I am missing soon and I assume your absence won’t go unnoticed.”

He chuckled, “You assume much.”

“Well, I’ll be returning in any case. If you’d like to continue this conversation over a dance, I’d be happy to do so, since I’m afraid you still owe me an answer.” With that, she slipped inside the doors and walked the hallway back to the party with a smile on her face.

But Loki didn’t return to the party, at least, not that she noticed. She brought Brynjar onto the floor to dance with her, but the dark-haired prince never emerged. She was disappointed; she’d enjoyed talking to him.

As it grew late, the party showed no signs of slowing down, so she picked her way out of the crowd, returning to Odin’s table. It appeared that Frigga had already departed.

Bowing her head to Odin, she spoke, “My apologies, Odin. I hate to leave early, but I’m afraid I find myself worn out. Please excuse us to retire for the evening.”

He chuckled, “These people will celebrate through the night if you allow them to, you’ve nothing to apologize for, my dear.” He waved a hand over his head, “I will have Thor escort you to your chambers.”

“Thank you, All-Father.”

“No need for all of that. Odin is just fine,” he laughed, beaming as Thor approached.

“You required my presence, Father?”

“Yes, my boy, please show our guests to their chambers.”

Thor clapped Y/N on the shoulder, “Come now, don’t tell me you’re leaving already!”

She was saved a reply by Odin, “Thor, don’t admonish our guests. They traveled to get here and require rest.”

“Of course, Father.” Thor bowed his head and led the way out of the dining hall. “Did you enjoy the feast, Y/N?”

“It was lovely,” she nodded.

“If you have interest, I could give you a tour tomorrow.”

“That would be perfect, I would love to see the rest of the palace,” she smiled gratefully.

“I know you are likely weary, but if you feel able, I can show you some of the city as well. Asgard is vast, but it is well worth the effort of exploring.” While Thor’s manners could use a bit of work, he radiated love for his home. She didn’t feel like she needed to be worried about him.

She chuckled as they halted in front of a polished wooden door, “I would love to see Asgard, but I make no promises for tomorrow. For now, I need to rest.” She smiled, “Thank you for escorting us to our chambers.”

He cocked his head, “I believe you may misunderstand, Princess. These are your quarters. Brynjar will be staying across the hall. A princess deserves privacy, does she not?” Y/N was inclined to agree with him, but her father would be furious at the idea.

Brynjar spoke up, “The king-”

“Isn’t here right now, Brynjar. If this is Asgardian custom, then we will follow it.” She fought to keep her tone even; if she sounded too excited, it would make him more inclined to argue. “I promise, if anything is amiss, you will hear me from across the hall.”

Brynjar huffed unhappily, but by making it a political issue, she’d put him out of his jurisdiction. “I will cede to you, Princess, but I insist that I verify your room’s safety before I leave you each night.”

“That is much appreciated, Brynjar,” she suppressed a chuckle.

“If it eases your mind, I myself am only down this hallway,” Thor added cheerfully.

That gave her slight pause; in Vanaheim, men were in a different wing altogether. Brynjar was an exception, considering that he’d been her guard since before she could walk. Brynjar seemed to be thinking the same thing, his hand freezing on the door’s handle.

“Thank you, Thor,” she said quickly. “But Brynjar is more than capable of guarding me, even from across the hall.”

He tilted his head, “Then I bid you farewell for the evening.” Capturing her hand, he met her gaze as he brushed his lips over her knuckles, “Good night, Y/N.”

She’d had suitors before, but none quite so forward, or so fast. A faint blush warmed her cheeks at his eyes on hers, “Good night.” He smiled, releasing her hand as he headed back toward the party.

Brynjar finally opened the door, refusing to leave her unguarded until Thor was out of sight. She could hear him inside, muttering under his breath as he searched the room. When he re-emerged, he crossed his arms, “Are you certain you feel secure with that fool just down the hall?”

“Thor has been nothing but kind to me. And you should not be so bold in your criticism, we are guests here. I will be perfectly safe with you across the hall, Brynjar.”

He knew he was fighting a losing battle, so he grunted, “If you need me, you need only shout.” He waited until she was inside before entering his own quarters.

Closing the door behind her, she resisted the urge to squeal with excitement. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a room to herself. After years of travel with Brynjar in the next room, a hallway of distance felt like a mile.

It didn’t hurt that the room was quite nice either. The furnishings were lavish, tastefully chosen, and spotlessly clean. Her things had already been brought up, so she changed out of her dress, combing her hair out in the vanity to get ready for bed.

Spotting the double glass doors, she slipped out onto the balcony. Something about the Asgardian sky kept drawing her out. Brynjar would be furious; he would say she was like a wolf pup waiting for an arrow. But the warm night air felt like freedom dancing on her skin as she leaned against the railing with a faint smile.

#loki x reader #loki laufeyson x reader #loki #mine

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dakarimainink · 3 years

Text

The Fox and The Viper - Part 1

WARNING: 18+, blood, wounds, fighting, slight angst

Pairing: Oberyn Martell x OFC

Wordcount: 2.9K

Note: Not betad, all mistakes are my own.

Every year a tournament to crown the second champion of Alryne is held, but this year, the tournament is interrupted by the prince of Dorne.

Part 2 | Part 3

Masterlist

Cheers and howling reached the outer corners of the small city as the annual competition was held. A competition for glory and to be crowned the second champion of Alryne.

The arena, seating approximately 700 people, were filled to the brim. At the front, was the royal family; Vallie, seated comfortably in their chairs and shielded from the sun. The King: Orwen Vallie was watching the swords clash and shields break as the competition closed to an end.

The fighting had been going on for two hours, not only entertaining the royal family, but the people inhabiting the city as well. To watch other fight would make anyone’s blood rush and hearts beat rapidly.

The princess and daughter of King Orwen was not as entertained as everyone else. She was resting her head in the palm of her hand, at the brink of falling asleep. She didn’t care much to watch other people get hurt for just a title. It did give one some benefits in regards of housing and money, but the people of Alryne was not poor. She knew the people thrived and the difference in rich and poor was little. The only thing sticking out of the city, was their castle, but the people of Alryne didn’t mind. In fact, they liked the building, as it was the symbol of protection and safety and it had – a long time ago – housed its people before the city was fully built.

“Father, may I leave?” She asked, not trying to hide her obvious boredom.

King Orwen turned to look at her, his bushy brows furrowing deep. “Why would you want to leave, dear?” He asked, but he knew the answer already.

She sighed, lightly shaking her head. “I believe there are better things for a princess to do than to watch men injure each other for little profit.”

King Orwen was fully aware of her views of these tournaments and competitions, although it didn’t quite resonate with her hobbies.

Princess Alessia was a woman known for her thirst of knowledge, she was also the sole heir to the throne, which meant she had to be the protector of the city when her father would pass away.

The royal family of Alryne was known for their swordsmanship and their knowledge of war. Not once had the city lost a fight against their enemies and every war, the ruler of the city would join in the fight. It had been so for a long time and it would continue to be for the future. This meant Alessia had to learn to use a sword and so she had done.

“Little profit?” He scoffed. “There is an honour amongst men to be crowned the second champion. There is glory to be allowed to protect the royal family. There is strength and power to those standing last.”

“But father, I have seen this year after year and no one seems to be able to defeat our current champion. It is a waste of my time and I would like to return to my room for further studies.”

He contemplated it for a moment, wondering if letting her leave was the better option. He knew she made a fair point; studying was probably more beneficial than sitting here watching men grunt, sweat and bleed. Some believed it was ruthless to let her even watch it, but there were so much the people didn’t know. Besides, he didn’t want to hide the true world away from her. This was how life went, spilling of blood was necessary to move on in this world.

Her stubbornness and intellect reminded him of her mother and his late wife. The thought tore at his heart, but happiness fluttered in his chest.

“Fine, you may le-” He was interrupted as he watched his daughter’s eyes slide away from him and onto the arena. The sound of metal clashing together had faded and a hushed silence washed over the place as he turned to look at an unknown man enter the small arena.

He was dressed in light brown armour, a mix of mostly leather with a flexible chest and shoulder armour made of metal, chainmail on his arms and everything was coated in brown to match the leather. In his hand, rested a long staff with a wavy double edged blade on one end and a small spike at the other.

He strode confidently across the arena, but was stopped halfway by some of the contestants, three guards and the current second champion.

The man held King Orwen’s gaze as a warm breeze blew through the arena. Princess Alessia leaned forward in her chair, fascinated by this mysterious man. He didn’t bear any sign or mark to show where his allegiance lied, which made him even more interesting. But what truly peeked her interest, was the two golden snakes wrapped around and adorned on the wavy blade of his staff.

“Present yourself, stranger.” The second champion demanded, a threat lingering at the back of his throat.

Silence.

“Who are you?” The champion barked, taking a step closer while holding his sword high.

It felt like time stood still and the only sound was the sound of their heartbeats and shallow breaths.

“Stranger, you have interrupted a most important competition.” King Orwen started. “For this, you will be punished according to my will. Therefore, you will be sent to the dungeon to stay for a week without food. To this, what do you say?” His voice boomed through the rows of watching citizens.

All eyes rested on the stranger who still hadn’t moved from his spot where he was stopped. He hadn’t taken his eyes off King Orwen since he entered the arena.

“Guards, take him away.” King Orwen ordered and the guards approached the man.

“I am Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne and a member of House Martell. Brother to Doran Martell and Elia Martell.” His authoritative voice made everyone stop in their tracks.

A prince? Alessia gasped, sitting at the edge of her seat. Of Dorne? She had heard of the city, but never been there. It was his brother, Doran, who ruled the place after their father passed. And of course, the tragic death of Elia Martell during the devastating assault on the city of King’s Landing.

“I have heard rumours of the champion of Alryne and I am here to request a duel against him.” The prince continued, still not moving from his spot.

The second champion turned to look at the King, who seemed speechless at his request. He turned back to Oberyn. “You have no authority to come in here, to interrupt a big tournament, to make such demands from our king.” The champion’s voice rose with each word. “I should slay you where you stand.” He snarled.

“Enough.”

Everyone turned their heads to Alessia who had risen from her chair and now stood leaning forward on the railing of the balcony.

“Prince Oberyn Martell, please let me correct this first meeting. It is an honour to have you visit our city.” She smiled kindly, carefully dipping her head in respect. “If we would have known, we would have reserved you a seat.” She scanned his form while turning her smile more into a leer. “But considering your choice of clothing, perhaps a spot to enter this competition would have suited you better.”

Silence.

She noted a slight smirk play on his lips as she spoke. She glanced over her shoulder at her father, who seemed stumped by her sudden presence, before turning back to the arena to address the prince further. “We would love to honour your request, but to face our current champion, you would have to win the very competition you have rudely interrupted.” A hint of venom dripped from her last words. The smirk disappeared from his face and she noticed the guards fix their grip on their weapons due to the change in her demeanour.

She found it surprising her father hadn’t interrupted her yet or taken over her little display of power. A slight thrill played inside of her as she looked down upon the man. It was satisfying to put in place a cocky prince.

“Since I find this competition boring and you are obviously ready for a fight, let’s make this more interesting.” Now, everyone was listening and all eyes were on her. Even the guards surrounding the prince was staring at her. “Face off three guards at the same time. First to draw blood wins. This means you will have to draw blood from all three guards in order to win and not be harmed yourself. If you win, you will have to face off our second champion for first blood as well. Win and we will grant you your request to face off against our current champion.”

Gasps and whispers filled the rows of the watching audience and tension filled the arena as they waited for the prince’s response.

She kept her eyes on him, watching him contemplate it for a moment.

“I accept.” He finally replied and the murmurs grew among the people.

“Wonderful.” Alessia smiled and gestured for everyone to back off. She turned to the two guards standing to her side. Two of the greater guards they had. “Would you do me the honour?” She asked, not wanting to push them to it.

“It would be an honour, princess.” One of them answered and bowed to her.

“We will fight to win, princess Alessia.” The second replied and bowed as well.

She couldn’t help but feel her stomach flutter. “Bring one of the guards in the arena with you.”

They both gave her one nod and marched down the steps and into the arena, walking up to one of the guards.

Alessia turned to look at the prince, who had taken a few steps back and readying himself for a fight. She couldn’t help the excitement dance within her and she barely noticed her father stand up next to her.

“Don’t you think it was a bit too much with three guards at the same time?” He asked as they both watched the guards ready themselves and face against the prince.

“Not at all.” She replied, her eyes resting on Oberyn. “I actually expect him to win.”

The second champion signalled for the fight to begin and the guards immediately charged for the prince. Being calm and collected, he blocked all their attacks and made sure to keep them all in front of him, not allowing them to surround him.

The people watched in anticipation, expecting the young prince to lose quickly, but the cheering of crowds slowly grew with each block from Oberyn. The realisation of the young man winning heightened the tension and excitement as the sound of metal clashing grew faster.

Alessia leaned forward, watching the snake adorned spear dance between the fighting men. How it gracefully swung to block and turn to hit. The metal shimmering in the sun, blinding some of the watching people. She saw the pure focus in the prince’s eyes as he fought to win.

She was so deeply enthralled she didn’t notice Oberyn had already defeated two of the three guards. It was only when the crowd ruptured into full celebration, she saw streaks of blood coated on his blade and Oberyn had just swiped at the last guard.

Glancing at the three defeated men, she found nothing but shame and disappointment as they took off their helmets and knelt in front of her. Their feelings were not mirrored as she looked down upon them. She was proud of their efforts to fight against the prince,

“Well done, prince Oberyn.” She praised the young prince, who bowed to her compliment. “Most would find it foolish to test you further, but there is a reason this man is the second champion.” She gestured to her champion. “Raoul, has been the ruling champion for years now. If you defeat him, you will be granted a duel against our main champion. Are you ready to face him?”

The prince simply nodded to her question, not breaking the gaze he had locked with her. He seemed confident and strong-willed to see this through.

The three defeated guards stood up and made their way out of the arena. Alessia knew they needed to be praised for their valiant efforts, and so she would go to them later. She would have to come up with a repayment for the fight. But that would come later. Right now, she was more focused on watching the prince fight her second champion. She knew it would be a challenge, as Raoul had stayed on top for several years, undefeated by all. His armour would be hard to get through as well, as he relayed on strength and the weight of not only his body, but his sword and shield as well.

Raoul slid on his helmet, knowing the only way to penetrate and get a streak of blood from him, was the small cracks between his armour, which he needed for mobility. He knew one good swing would surely give him a swipe of blood from the cocky prince.

Both, standing ready in a stance, the fight begun as Raoul approached Oberyn with sword and shield held high.

The first clash of their weapons sent a shiver down Alessia’s spine. She leaned forward as she listened to the men grunt and weapons crash. The crowd was mostly silent, nervous and excited to see who would win. Even Alessia wasn’t sure who would come out as the victor.

“I will break you, prince.” Raoul barked as he knocked his shield against Oberyn, making him fall back. As he swung his sword to hit him, the young prince rolled to the side, flipped up to his feet and kicked Raoul. It wasn’t enough to make him fall, but at least make him lose his balance.

Raoul turned to the prince once more and they stood staring, both gasping for air. “Second champion? Must mean you are defeated after all.” Oberyn pointed out, a smirk painting his lips as a drop of sweat ran down his forehead. “How does it feel to be the second best?” He leered. “And soon to be third.”

Raoul charged towards the prince, eyes filled with fire and blood rushing through his veins. His shield collided with Oberyn’s spear, which then blocked his sword swing. Raoul swung his sword once again and Oberyn thrusted his spear forward and blood was drawn.

The two men stood still as the wind blew through the arena once again. Raoul turned to look at the young prince standing tall behind him. His eyes rose to the blade of his spear, watching his own fresh blood trickle down the snake heads. Dropping his sword and shield, he suddenly realised his arm was wet and he pulled off his helmet. Looking down, he saw a small pool of blood next to him, only growing bigger by the stream of blood running down his arm and dripping off his fingertips.

He pulled at the leather strap of his arm and yanked the armour off. The metal clashed as it landed in the sand and the leather around his arm was soaked. It was then he noticed the small tear in the leather on the underside of his upper arm and accepted his defeat.

Alessia looked at Raoul, the shame and disappointment painting his face tore at her heart. The silence in the arena was suffocating as all eyes were on her.

She turned to her father for words. He stepped up next to her and looked down upon the two men.

“Well fought to the both of you and congratulations prince Oberyn. A promise is a promise, and we will let you face our first champion. However, this will have to take place tomorrow.” King Orwen explained. “We will be happy to welcome you to our home to rest up.”

“That is most gracious of you, king Orwen, but I think I will find a more suiting accommodation for me.” He bowed his head, looked up, glanced at the princess before walking away.

As soon as the prince had turned his back, Alessia stepped down from the podium and briskly walked over to Raoul.

“Alessia-” Orwen called after her, almost in protest of her walking down.

She ignored her father’s call.

Raoul hadn’t moved since he had ripped the armour off his arm. The pool of blood next to him had grown and when he noticed the princess approach him, his eyes widened in horror. “Princess, no.” He took a step back.

Alessia didn’t heed his warning and walked up to him. She grabbed his arm and inspected the tear in the leather. Her hands turned red and the blood felt warm. The tear wasn’t big, but enough to cause concern.

“We need to get this fixed.” She mumbled, not realising Raoul was staring at her in shock. “I’ll get you the finest healer in the city.” She looked up at him and noticed him gulp.

“I’m sorry, princess.” He murmured, sweat trickling from his forehead. “I failed you.” Guilt and shame painted his face.

She shook her head with a gentle smile. “You have not failed me, Raoul. Quite the opposite.” She waved over two guards. “Now get this fixed and we can talk later.”

(Wanna be added to my tag list for Pedro Pascal and his characters? Let me know and I will happily add you)

@cynic-spirit, @lililolli, @notabotiswear, @sara-alonso, @blankmooon, @xoxo-callie, @mamacitapascal, @thewaythisis, @greeneyedblondie44, @stevie75, @mswarriorbabe80, @evyiione

#Oberyn Martell #Oberyn Martell x ofc #game of thrones #the red viper of Dorne #Pedro Pascal #fanfic #fanfiction #writing #ao3 #18+

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bluwwo · 3 years

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I dreamed that Yor has stopped a missile (which I discovered it was actually a torpedo, thx Lacrow) some days ago so... I made this

The image is merely illustrative

The actual thing is down bellow~

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The ship floats softly and calmly on the blue sheet as those men and women moved hurriedly, slyly and were maliciously running towards a thorny hole, they were walking towards their own death.

The woman, owner of such trap, used her mastery to eliminate one by one in her thorny trap. And one of them was a man hiding in the vessel's hold and who had access to bugs spread throughout the ship.

The place looked like a small command room, but the woman didn't mind because as the director had already told her, many parts on that ship were once parts used in Ostanian warships.

Next to what was once a "coworker" of hers was a small desk with assorted buttons, a control panel. Everything seemed to be fine until a green and yellow light caught the woman's attention.

Her scarlet eyes gleamed, reflecting that light as she curiously approached the dashboard. She realized that this was just a radar, with its waves trying to find some other vessel or threat. At first, Yor thought it wasn't even working until a loud and repeated "beep" caught her attention.

As she looked at the radar, her eyes widened in horror. A small blinking dot slowly approached the ship that was represented by a large triangle in the center of the radar. The radar was big, so whatever was approaching was really far.

Yor didn't have to be a Marine Lieutenant to know that it was…

"A torpedo…" Her voice barely left her throat.

Her body trembled, and the color drained from her face. A powerful weapon like that targeting innocent people, children and families?

Her muscles tensed and she quickly fled away from that place. And with her heart beating unsteadily and fearful of the impending catastrophe, she chased the Director across the ship with agony coiled in her throat.

"Director!" Her voice was a loud whisper, fraught with anxiety. "Please tell me you have a secret entrance and exit to the sea."

"Thorn Princess, why all this commotion?"

"Director, you told me this ship has parts from old warships, right?"

The man narrowed his eyes and just nodded.

"It seems that this is not the only one... According to radar, a torpedo is heading for this vessel." Yor exhaled, trying to maintain a serious facade.

The director's normally stoic, expressionless face contorted in surprise and confusion. The man gulped.

"Are you sure about this, Forger?"

"Mister Director, why would I lie about this?"

The man sighed, and the tension in the room was so thick that people around them could feel the sweat running down their spines.

"Luckily for you, there is an emergency exit in the depths of the ship that gives access to the sea, but you'll need great lungs." The exasperated man said, looking seriously at the Princess.

The woman just nodded and followed the director, Olka, who had heard everything along with her fake husband, followed the assassin.

The director had some keys that gave access to certain areas of the ship, and using that, he made his way to a deep room, and they stopped in front of a heavy door.

"And what do you intend to do with the projectile, Forger?"

"I'll deflect it up." She pointed to the sky.

"But there's still the risk of it falling somewhere else." retorted the director with mild irritation.

“And that's when you two…” She points to the director's two partners “… get into it.”

"How?" asked one of them, scared.

“My husband seems to have a lot of knowledge in military equipment, he always slips a thing or two correcting the action movies…” Yor reveals with a slight smile. "And according to him, this type of projectile can be distracted by fireworks, creating new targets and preventing it from hitting the actual target." She said, taking a box of fireworks and handing it to the man.

"I need to launch these fireworks, but when?" He replied, still pale.

"You'll know when, just look at the sky, if you see a trail of smoke, release the fireworks." Reaffirmed Yor with an inspiring smile.

“Forger, there's a pier a few miles from here, when it's done, go there and wait for the ship, one of the guys will be on deck, and I'll stay here with Olka, he'll see you and send the signal and then I'll open the way for you to board." The man explained, and the woman nodded. "And, Yor, what if it doesn't work?"

"I need to try... My family is on this ship." In a voice full of sorrow, she said. "And in case I don't make it, I'll be just another dead flower in the garden." She smiled. "If I don't come back, just say I fell overboard and drowned."

The woman opened the heavy door, meeting with a staircase.

"When you get to the end of the stairs just hit the wall twice and I'll open the passage."

The woman nodded before starting to going downstairs, the quick sound of her heels impacting the metal was in harmony with the racing hearts of the five people in that room, but the rose’s heart lost its beat and beat slower and slower, the cold sweat made her shiver and she seemed no longer able to breathe.

Upon reaching the end of the stairs, Yor gulped and with clenched fists placed her hands on her chest, asking any deity who could hear her, for a miracle, a miracle to help her save the many lives that were on that ship. And in a sudden movement, she punches the wall, making a loud noise and closing her eyes, she punches it again.

The wall in front of her reveals a door, opening a passage to the sea, her red eyes met the calm blue waves, but in her mind, that blue world was churning in waves that engulfed her, an almost thalassophobic feeling swallowed her, but closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she ran and leapt toward the ocean.

She tried vaguely to open her eyes and to her surprise the salt didn't bother her so much, surfacing quickly to catch her breath, she spotted Olka, being held by her husband and the director McHannon at the door of the sea passage, the expression on her face was worry, fear, the simple discomfort of “seeing her little brother give himself up on such a dangerous journey”, at least that's what Yor felt.

The black-haired woman just waved to the woman she was supposed to protect and dove again. Her trained legs moved quickly and skillfully, giving her a quick swim. The woman rarely surfaced to catch her breath, but when she dove once more, her keen sense felt something heavy approaching at high speed. Yor’s chest writhed in fear, fear of failing and hurting her family and others on the vessel.

She couldn't fail at that, so she surfaced again. Yor touched her chest and took a deep breath, her lips trembled and even though she was already wet, she felt her eyes watering, she couldn't deny she was terrified. She just couldn't fail.

The woman held as much air as she could and dove once more, and her other side slowly revealed itself, the fury of an assassin, a mother and a wife. Her scarlet eyes blazed with bloodthirsty anger as she clasped her arms in front of her face and using all her strength, she pushed herself, swimming as fast as she could, and that sense of impending danger increased each second.

Finally, the time seemed to have come, as Yor felt the hot, pointed tip of the projectile in her hands, the impact of the weapon was spot on, pushing the woman for a few miles, but Yor regained her strength and began to push the torpedo trying to change its direction.

However, as strong and resistant as she was, she was still a human. Her lungs were threatening to reach their limits, her chest ached and her head throbbed, her body was shaky and wobbly… She couldn't take it anymore.

Mama! Mama!

Mama! Let's play!

I love my strong and cool mama!

"Anya." Her conscience whispered, in a desperate attempt to wake her up and remember why she was there.

She needed to stop it; she needed to do it; she needed to deflect it.

She needed to survive.

She needed to see Anya again; needed to hear her voice again, needed to see her smile. She had to see her grow up; had to see her mature; had to see her become a beautiful, grown woman.

She had to be there to see this.

The red eyes snapped open and with a muffled cry across the sea, she gripped the projectile by the base and launched it with all her strength out of the sea, after the adrenaline had passed, her body remembered she couldn't breathe, so she quickly swam to the surface, where she could see the torpedo exploding in the sky, really far from the boat, along with the lights and "booms" of the fireworks.

The woman smiled as the bright lights of the explosion decorated the sky. Blowing up the torpedo wasn't quite the plan, but at least everyone was safe. Yor took a deep breath and kept smiling, if she wasn't keeping a secret, she was sure Anya would love to hear what she just did, the smile faded little by little when she noticed the smoke vestige on the horizon, she had noticed that there was also a trail of bubbles behind the projectile, if she followed that track, she might find the person behind the attack.

Again, her scarlet eyes were filled with fury as she slowly went down the water, the woman swam fast and rose a few times to catch her breath, and then she found a submarine.

While trying to approach the submarine, Yor was quickly captured by a net. The woman struggled but when she realized she was being pulled into the submarine, she faked a faint.

"Yea! It's her! Thorn Princess in person! I really thought she was going to be tougher, but it was easy to get rid of her.” A male voice spoke animatedly.

Yor woke up and watched closely the male figure who spoke exultantly on the phone. She lay a few more minutes to listen to him. The woman had to hold back her laugh as she heard the man say that "I would even try something with her… a date or such, since 'the royalty' is a gorgeous woman."

That man didn't have a third of her husband's charm… her fake husband.

Sly and furtive as a black serpent, the woman rose, her dark-colored dress giving the impression that a black mamba was on board the submarine.

The man had already finished talking to whoever it was on the phone. He was holding a file, probably his next "customer".

"In a little while, you'll be next, your little manwhore." The man chuckled to himself, looking at the file, not noticing the beast that came behind him.

Suddenly, his head was being held in one hand while a sharp needle was slowly piercing his back. Sweat ran down his spine as his mind had simply made him sure that he was just a helpless rabbit against a towering, dominant panther.

"Please, I really want to believe that you are so much more than a child with your expensive little toys." The whisper reached his ears, carrying a defiant tone.

And the coldness in the woman's words made the man shiver. He swallowed hard and didn't even try to turn around, just shivered and remained motionless, waiting for his end.

The bloody eyes continued to watch their hostage intently, waiting for some kind of reaction. But that man was simply too scared to react in any way.

"You… you really are… the… royalty." He stuttered, and Yor could feel him struggling not to choke on his impending tears.

"So I was wrong, you really are only your toys."

The man began to hyperventilate as the color drained from his body, his cheeks tinged red from the humiliation he was feeling… coming from the person he most admired.

But he needed courage, to at least make the Thorn Princess take back what she said, so, aiming at the red button on the control panel, the man tries to stretch his arm to reach it, but the powerful princess holds him back.

The man spins, making the woman fall on top of the control panel and coincidentally, triggering the big button she wanted to avoid.

The man ran through the submarine, while the red lights flashed a warning of the destruction of the vessel. He searched all compartments for his diving suit, while being chased by the princess.

The annoying sound of the alarm made the woman even more distressed, she had no idea what that button did but, whatever it was, it wasn't good. Then, she finally finds her "coworker" and jumps on him, pinning him to the ground.

"What does that button do?" she asked.

"It activates the submarine's self-destruct. If you hadn't offended me I wouldn't have activated it."

Yor's face contorted in anger as she gripped the man tighter.

"If I hadn't offended you? If you hadn't launched a torpedo, threatening the lives of many innocent people, it wouldn't have even started!" She growled.

"Too late princess." The man replied maniacally, smiling.

The woman didn't even have time to think, all she could hear was a sharp noise as the temperature inside the vessel rose. She turned around and the orangish and yellowish lights lit her red eyes. Suddenly, a loud bang was heard as it simply tore the submarine into pieces.

Yor had to hurriedly hold her breath as she woke from the sudden explosion. Looking up at the surface, she spotted the man who owned the vessel, floating in the sea. She didn't know if he was unconscious or dead, but he would give some good information anyway, so she swam to the surface, and was soon surprised by the pier the director had determined as a rendezvous point.

She swam to the building while dragging the man with her, the woman climbed onto the pier and lay down on the cool wood to catch her breath, however, looking to the side, she noticed a paper near where she had placed the man.

The woman walked over and unfolded the paper, recognizing it as the file the man was reading earlier.

The back of the file read: Twilight, Western Spy. Height: 6'1. Known aliases: Robert, Lionel, and … Forger.

The woman looked closely at the file, and her blood froze when she read "Forger". The first name was smudged by the water as well as much of the file, but the other words were more readable. This "Forger" couldn't be her husband, could he? There must be many people with that last name. Her husband is a good and respectable man. He wouldn't be a spy, a liar and… a manipulator…

Yor swallowed and reread the file once more just to be sure: Twilight, Western Spy. Height: 6’1. Known aliases: Robert, Lionel, and … Forger.

She took a deep breath and turned the file, finding a photograph of the "Twilight", her eyes widened as her hands trembled, the traitorous spy was a blond man, it was the only thing she could see of the blurry and almost unrecognizable photograph, however, unfortunately, Yor was good at deciphering facial features, and using her skill, she realized that the man had blue eyes, and was probably good looking… Just like her husband.

Yor shut her eyes and just refolded the file and tucked it inside her dress, she shouldn't make rash decisions, she trusted Loid... But, that could be a sign that he might not be who he says he is. The woman then took a deep breath and when she turned around, she was greeted by the open passageway to the ship, waiting for her.

She then caught the unconscious man on the pier and brought him with her as the woman boarded the ship again. Her scarlet gaze was lost and wavering, as well as the red sun hidden by clouds in the twilight.

#spy x family #yor forger #anya forger #loid forger #loid x yor #mild angst #agent twilight #thorn princess

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autumnleaves1991-blog · 3 years

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The Next One’s on You 4/5

This one is going to hurt. I’m sorry. Here is chapter four: Champagne. Thank you so much for your support. I love every reblog, comment, and like. Pairing: Maxwell Lord x F! Reader

Warning: 18 + for language, mentions of pregnancy, toxic relatives Taglist: @josepedropascal @mrschiltoncat @mrsparknuts @ghostwiththemostbitch @zannemes @oldstuffnewstuff @yespolkadotkitty @heythere-mel @justanotherblonde23 @artsymaddie @anetteaneta @maxlordsgf

My Masterlist

Chapter Four: Champagne

From the outside the coffee shop looks closed for the evening, the neon's are off, the chairs are up, and all is quiet. Except for the light bleeding from under the door that leads to the back room. There you sit, on the cold freshly mopped tile in the most expensive dress you could ever imagine. Heels kicked off, knees pulled up to your chest, and head down. You slowly raise your head and see your face reflected off the walk in across the room. A diamond headband in your hair, curls falling out of the once elegant up-do, and mascara running down your cheeks. This was supposed to be the happiest day of your life, but it’s quickly become the worst.

Becoming a figure in the public eye was never part of your ideal life plan. But, falling in love with Maxwell Lord IV and becoming his future wife, did not leave you with much of a choice. When he made the announcement at the next public event the press went crazy. Tearing apart every inch of your life with tweezers, paying old friends, roommates, people you had gone to school with for even a smidge of gossip. They were ruthless and hounded you all hours of the day from the moment you stepped outside your home and then all the way to work. At the coffee shop business was booming and every day you felt like the new animal at the zoo. Everyone coming to stick their ugly faces against the glass and ooh and ahh at the barista who had managed to ensnare Maxwell Lord.

They weren’t interested in who you were as a person or even how you had fallen in love. Because stuff like that, it doesn’t sell papers. Luckily, your fiancé had been navigating the press for years and knew how to keep them off your tail in your private life. Shielding you from them in the comfort of your own home and helping him plan the ‘wedding of the century.’ Maxwell hired a wedding planner that he thought would get along with you and thankfully Juliet was perfect. She was organized, professional, and knew exactly what you wanted.

Yes, it wasn’t the small intimate wedding you had always hoped for but at least it wasn’t gaudy. Invitations had been sent out, food ordered, floral arrangements chosen, cake sampled, everything was going according to plan. Even going dress shopping with your mother, and grandmother had been perfect. Finding an eggshell colored dress with no train and small puffs on the sleeves. The salesgirl had placed a diamond headband in your hair holding the veil in place and giggled telling you it was sent over by Mr. Lord as a wedding present. The headband was white gold and had leaves encrusted with diamonds that shimmered in the light.

The big day was fast approaching, and thankfully Mrs. Lord the former was nowhere in sight. Although it didn’t leave you with a good feeling in your stomach, she had been too quiet.

On your wedding day you woke up bright and early, Juliet bringing you breakfast in bed and going over the schedule for the day. You sipped a cup of coffee and smiled just letting her talk. When she was finished a team of stylists came in and got you ready. Manicure, pedicure, massage, makeup, and an elegant up-do, you glowed from the attention. When the dress was lifted over your head and cinched into place your breath caught in the mirror at your reflection. Fingers tracing over the fabric soft under your fingers and fitting just perfectly. They slid the diamond headband in place, and you wiped quickly at the tears streaming down your cheeks.

“Oh honey,” you turn and laugh as your father cries watching you, “you’re so beautiful.” You hold out your arms and hug him and he squeezes you tight. Juliet ushers the two of you down and to the limo to take you to the cathedral. The only church big enough for all the guests you had been forced to invite. When you step from the limo you feel like Princess Diana on the television and give a small wave to the growing crowds. Fingers digging into your fathers’ arm as he confidently leads you forward. Inside are your roommates and friends Michael and Robin acting as your bridesmaid/man. They are ushered down the aisle to the wedding march and your dad takes a deep breath leading you.

Your steps are slow and sure as you pass the elegant floral arrangements of white roses. The petals lining the aisle as you smile at some of the familiar faces. When you look up your breath is sucked out and you beam at your husband to be. Wearing a tuxedo and a hint of a familiar pocket square sticking out. He’s perfect, and smiling so brightly he rivals the sun, as he watches you glide toward him.

You reach out to grab his hand and feel it tighten around your own. His eyes glassy with unshed tears as he smiles at you. Not the fake one from the television but the one he reserves just for you, warm and so full of love. You beam right back at him and mouth I love you before turning to the officiant. You choose not to write your own vows instead following along with the usual lines. Saving your vows for when you’re alone later. When he comes to ask for objections your smile dims as the sound of heels clacking on the floor directs your attention to the aisle.

Mrs. Lord in a white chanel suit is stalking towards you with a sneer. Maxwell moves to stand in front of you when the doors at the back of the church open and in walks….Tom? Your sleazy date from the first night with Maxwell is strutting confidently up the aisle wearing a tuxedo and smiling broadly, coming to stand beside Maxwell’s mother.

“Hi baby,” he coos at you and you shudder.

“What is the meaning of this?” Maxwell hisses clearly angry.

“I have come to bring an end to this sorry excuse for a wedding. My son,” she turns to the crowd like the detective in the novels you read does before unraveling the great mystery, “has been tricked by this little harlot! She has been part of a plot to steal my son’s money and company from the beginning!” She turns to gesture at Tom. “Thomas here told me of her scheme. One year ago, she hired him to pretend to be her date and take advantage of her. She knew my son would be at the restaurant and wanted him to come to her aid.”

“That’s absolute bullsh-“ you're cut off as Michael steps forward.

“It’s true! She asked if I knew anyone she could use as a date to trap some rich guy, I never knew she meant Maxwell Lord,” he points at you and your heart beats loudly in your ears watching one of your oldest friends lie to your face.

“I was there that night, the night she needed to be ‘rescued’ she was all over my son and straddling him on the couch, sure didn’t look like someone who just needed comfort to me!” she shrieks, and several people scoff in outrage although at who it isn’t clear.

She continues on and on making more outlandish claims and each time you go to defend yourself another of your friends, coworkers, or even acquaintances would step forward and collaborate with her. Until you are in tears and Maxwell is withdrawing further and further away from you. The room goes silent as she makes the biggest claim of all, “AND I know she is pregnant! The little bitch is trying to claim my son is the father of her bastard child!”

Maxwell frozen turns to stare at you and your mouth drops open a hand coming to quickly cover it as the tears stream down your cheeks. From the back of the room another voice speaks out, “I can confirm it! She had the appointment two weeks ago, and I performed the ultrasound myself.” The technician from your doctor’s office steps forward holding out a black and white photograph.

Maxwell stares at it and then turns back to you, “Is it true?” he whispers voice cracking.

“Maxwell-“ you reach for him and he takes a step back.

“Is it mine?” he shouts, and you tremble, lip wobbling as you bite down hard enough to taste the tang of blood in your mouth.

“How can you even ask me that? Of course, it’s yours,” your voice quivers and he scoffs.

“Because it seems like everyone you know, is accusing you of sleeping around with fucking Tom!” he shouts, and you take a step back hand protectively covering your stomach.

He glares at you and you take a step back, “Were you going to tell me?” he begs, “That the baby isn’t mine?!”

Your voice cracks, “It is yours! I haven’t been with anyone else Maxwell, you know this!” you shout sobs swelling in your chest. All the guests watching the drama unfold.

“Another lie!” his mother shouts, stalking over to Maxwell and whispering in his ear like the snake that tempted Eve. “She only wants to take your money, everything that you have worked so hard to build. All of your success will be hers. She doesn’t love you.”

Your heart splinters as he nods and drops his head, she turns to you grinning. “I think it’s time for you to leave, you are not welcome here anymore.”

“Maxwell,” you cry reaching for him but he is far away from you now. You hold your head up high and glare at the people who stepped forward. “How fucking dare you,” you say low and threatengly, “some of them taking a step back at the venom in your voice. You walk down the steps slowly and hold up a hand as your family tries to rush you, walking towards a smirking Tom you rear your fist back. It makes a satisfying crunch as you break his nose.

Shaking your hand as it stings and he curses at you from the ground, “Fucking bitch!”

“Go to hell you lying son of a bitch! If you ever get near me or my child, I will have you arrested,” you storm out of the church blood boiling stomach sour. As you slam open the doors to the waiting area, a waiter for the cocktail hour passes and you crash into him. Coating you in champagne as he quickly apologizes begging for forgiveness. You're too upset to even notice and when you open the doors of the church the press go nuts. Cameras flashing, you race toward the limo. Jeeves the driver, holding the door open as you dive inside, slamming it closed behind you. He quickly climbs into the driver's seat, and the tires squeal as he drives away.

“Mrs. Lord, what happened?” You sob into your hands and try to catch your breath.

“I didn’t become Mrs. Lord,” you mumble and he stays silent just driving until you’ve calmed down enough to give him directions. The night is dark and you make your way across town. You have nowhere to go. You live with Maxwell and your former friends and roommate betrayed you. “Jeeves?” he looks into the rearview in sympathy, “take me to work please,” your voice is soft and he nods turning the limo toward the coffee shop. He pulls up out front and you quickly wave him off as you get out of the car and stumble towards the door. Giselle is locking up for the evening and freezes upon seeing you. Quickly rushing to the door and letting you inside. You collapse in her arms and she lets you spill everything, running her hand up and down your back.

The wedding, Maxwell’s mother, Tom, Michael, the baby...all of it comes pouring out. When you're spent and your eyes have no more tears you haul yourself off the floor and push into the backroom. Giselle follows and you ask for the keys, “I’ll lock the door when I leave just...please let me stay.” She nods and hugs you tightly again before grabbing her purse and sliding out the side door. You lock in behind you and lean against the door sliding to the floor.

From the outside the coffee shop looks closed for the evening, the neons are off, the chairs are up, and all is quiet. Except for the light bleeding from under the door that leads to the back room. There you sit, on the cold freshly mopped tile in the most expensive dress you could ever imagine. Heels kicked off, knees pulled up to your chest, and head down. You slowly raise your head and see your face reflected off the walk in across the room. A diamond headband in your hair, curls falling out of the once elegant up-do, and mascara running down your cheeks. This was supposed to be the happiest day of your life, but it quickly became the worst.

You place your hands protectively over your stomach, rubbing gently. Oh fuck...what have we gotten ourselves into now…

The rasp of knuckles sounds at the back door.

#maxwell lord #Maxwell Lord x reader #ww84 #Wonder Woman 1984 #Pedro Pascal #autumn writes

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icerosecrystal · 3 years

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Blood-Stained Rose - Chapter 1: The Morning After

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It was his first day in court. He had to establish his rule over England as a right of lineage rather than conquest. He had a pleasant evening. Although his wife was tolerable and undoubtedly beautiful, she wasn’t trustworthy yet. He could say from experiences of being betrayed, that no one should ever trust anyone right away, no matter how beautiful they may seem. Especially with Talia being his mother, he knew that people could disguise themselves as sweet, charismatic women. In reality, they are sick, twisting, cruel women. While he was sure that Marinette wasn’t like that, he couldn’t get comfortable.

He had just jotted down the start of his reign as of the 21st of August, 1485. Although the battle was the 22nd, he was implying that all who had fought against him had committed treason. Their actions could have them potentially executed. All of his brothers were there. His father was beside him, guiding him to the throne that was rightfully his. After years of exile and planning, he was where he belonged as the King of England.

Oddly Marinette wasn’t there yet. She was probably about to enter. He had woken up before her. Right at that moment, Marinette walked in. She was wearing a beautiful gown with her head held high. Once she caught sight of him, she lowered her head, and curtsied, “Your Highness.”

“Princess, I’m so very glad that you were able to join us this morning”, his voice boomed through the now quiet room.

“The pleasure is all mine, sire”, she spoke respectfully. Damian came up to her, took her hand, and lead her towards the thrones. He sat down in the throne meant for the king, while she gracefully took a seat in the throne next to him. He looked towards his family as well as Marinette’s family along with the few guards and maids that were currently present. His brothers, now broken out of their shock, were whispering urgently to each other, most likely gossiping about his relationship with Marinette. That reminded him of the girl sitting beside him. He looked over at her and realized that she was in her own world. She was for some reason looking at one particular maid. It made him curious, why was she looking at that maid?

(45 minutes before Marinette arrived)

Marinette woke with a start and looked around the room, trying to figure out where she was. That’s when the memory of the last few days came to her: the wedding, the games of chess, the glances, them going to bed together. She looked over to her side, and to her relief, Damian was not present. She didn’t have anything against him. He was nice sure blunt at times, but he seemed to be a nice person so far. At least, that’s what she had figured out. For all, she knew he was putting on a mask. Which was why she was relieved that he wasn’t present so that she could take a second to get used to everything.

Once she had calmed down, she got out of bed and got ready. Today, she was wearing a pastel pink gown lined with white lace, along with the same color shoes and crown. She had put her hair up into a messy bun with a rose the same pastel pink color in it.

She left the chambers and saw her maid Alya. She was talking with a noble Lila if she remembered correctly. She said her good morning, but Alya’s reaction startled her. They were practically best friends, her being her maid and all, but she completely ignored Marinette. It made her feel uneasy. As she walked down the hallway to the throne room, she felt two pairs of eyes on her. She glanced back and had to do a double-take once she saw the evil glint in both of the girls’ eyes. Feeling even more uneasy than before, she rushes down the hall as fast as a princess or rather a queen is supposed to go. Once she reaches the doors of the throne room, she took a moment to get herself together. She held her head high and walked in.

(Present)

As they were now both seated, they waited for the arrival of the lords and ladies. The court needed to get associated with the new rulers of England. Marinette was not very excited about their arrival. Among them would stand Lord Adrien, who seemed to have an obsession with her, as well as the Lady Lila that she had just spoken too.

Adrien was once a childhood playmate. She enjoyed his visits but they lessened just before she and the remainder of her family were staying in the church. Her uncle couldn’t do anything to them if they were residing there. But once she had left, Adrien had been obsessed with getting her back. He was convinced that they belonged together. Once he had heard of the marriage between her and Damian he was outraged. He demanded that one of the other Princesses be married to him. But Damian would only accept her as his wife and no one else. This angered Adrien even more, causing him to try and attack Damian. The keyword being try. He had just taken a step forward with clear aggression on his face and two guards had him restrained within a blink of an eye. Since then he had not been allowed to be near the royal couple.

Lila, on the other hand, was a different case. While Marinette wasn’t as familiar with her due to her being a minor Lady, she had seen what she did to the kingdom. Lila preyed off of chaos. She also thought highly of herself and was an excellent manipulator. Lila wasn’t afraid to do anything and everything for her to get attention. She also tended to make many promises, but hardly ever fulfilled them. Rumors had been going around that there was someone who was convincing castle staffs to go against their Lord, Lady, Prince, or Princess. While no one had a clue who it could be, Marinette had many times suspected Lila. That was the main reason why she was so put out when she saw Lila and Alya conversing. It was following the same pattern of all the other castle staff who had turned against the crown. They were seen talking to Lila over some time something would happen to the royals, and Lila would be their offering comfort. Lila and the castle staff would get something out of it every single time. The biggest problem was the Marinette had the role that so many people in England wanted, being the queen for King Damian.

Marinette was taken out of her thoughts by the fanfare announcing the arrival of the royal court. Marinette looked over at Damian and realized that he had been watching her the whole time. He gave a look of concern that surprised her, “Are you alright, Marinette.”

“I am your highness, do not worry about me.”

“Why were you looking at that maid?”

She was startled by the question and looked over at him, “You were looking at her the whole time you were zoned out.”

Oh, she had been. But could she be faulted? The thought that Lila and Alya might be planning something along with seeing Adrien was very overwhelming. She looked over at Damian and replied, “She’s my maid. She had been acting strange recently, and I saw her talking with Lady Lila today.”

“The harlot?”

She raised an eyebrow at his response, “You know of her?”

“Tt, unfortunately. She isn’t very tolerable.”

“How so?”

“She’s very clingy and is a manipulator at first glance.”

She glanced up at him, “Have you heard the rumors?”

“About the person who is turning the royal staff against the royals?”

“Yes.”

He thought about it before answering, “Yes, I have. I have also long suspected that Lila was that person. She came up to me once, and what she did to get attention was horrifying. She was a skilled manipulator like my mother. So I always stay clear of her. Why are you asking?”

She sighed deeply before answering, "I as well suspected Lila to be the rumored person. I also realized that there is a clear pattern that she follows and a connection with the people she manipulates. So when I saw her talking to my maid, who was my best friend but recently ignoring me, I felt nervous. What made it worse was that as I turned my back, they both had an evil glint in their eyes. What if Alya is planning on betraying me?”

He nodded in understanding before taking her hands into his own and looking deeply into her eyes. They stared until they heard a cough from the side. They looked up and saw that the court had arrived. They let go of each other’s hands and looked at the court. The court all bowed and curtsied. As they rose and walked to their designated seats, Marinette saw two pairs of eyes staring straight at her. The lustful eyes of Lord Adrien Agreste and the deceitful stare of Lady Lila Rossi. Oh no! Marinette thought this is going to be a very long meeting.

#mlb x dc #mlbxdc #daminette #damienette #miraculous ladybug #batman #marinette x damian #damian x marinette #marinette dupain cheng #damian wayne #batfamily #alternate universe #no miraculous au #arranged marriage au #royals au #maribat #BSR #Blood-Stained Rose

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babybluebex · 3 years

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all for you ch.1 [loki odinson x reader]

➽ pairing: loki odinson x fem!reader(y/n) ➽ word count: 1.8k ➽ summary: loki and you strike a deal with odin to save them both, and you have a few words with your new brother. ➽ warnings: arranged/forced marriage, general angst ➽ a/n: tbh thor is basically my brother irl so yall are kinda meeting my brother here lol

All thoughts of propriety had left me as I stormed into the throne room. Odin was Loki’s father, yes, and therefore my closest friend’s father, but he was still king and Allfather. He was my god and my enemy and, perhaps, my savior. “Odin,” I greeted him quickly. “Do you know what Loki has done?”

“Y/N, my dear girl,” Odin began. He was obviously flustered by my anger, an emotion that I had never shown to him before. “What’s the matter?”

“Your son--” I began. Loki entered the room, the doors banging with the force of him, and he interrupted me.

“Father, I have explanations--”

“For what?” I cried, turning to him. “You tricked me! What explanation could you possibly have?”

“Peace, both of you,” Odin said, rising from his throne. “Loki, I was under the impression that you were going to propose. You tricked her? In what way?”

“I’ll tell you,” I said. “He’ll never tell you the truth. God of tricks, god of lies… Loki found out that I was marrying a different man, and he disguised himself as my fiance! He took my Theoric’s place in the ceremony!” I turned to Loki to see practically no emotion in his eyes. It angered me, how calm he was. I hated him. I had gone from love and adoration to hate and fury in a matter of moments.

Before I knew it, my hand had lashed out, and I had slapped Loki across his cheek. “You say you love me, and you trick me!” I cried. “What sort of love is born of deceit?”

The guards at the helm of the throne room stepped forward at my attack on the prince, and Odin was between us in a flash. “Loki,” Odin began. The Allfather was imposing in his gold outfit and braided grey hair, but I could tell that Loki’s ego was overshadowing his father’s. “Did you do this?”

Loki took a deep breath. “I did,” he admitted. “And I regret absolutely nothing. I told you, you wretch, I told you that you would regret this--”

“You are insane if you think that I’m at fault for this!” I exclaimed. “Loki, I-I trusted you! You were my brother--”

“And now I’m your husband,” Loki spat. “Congratulations.”

“Allfather, I beg of you,” I said. “Please, tell me there’s a way to reverse this. There has to be, please.”

Odin looked at me, his jaw tightening as he thought. “I’m sure there is, dear Y/N,” he said. “If there isn’t, I’ll make a way. The royal council meets in a weeks’ time. I’ll propose an annulment then; and a punishment.”

“Father, a punishment is far too much,” Loki began. “Being married to her is enough--”

“Loki, do you not understand what you’ve done?” Odin growled, stepping to be chest-to-chest with his son. “You are married now. By the laws of Asgard, you are now officially in line for the throne. Not only did you trick Y/N, but you have done something that there might not be a way to reverse. The people will not care too kindly for a king who tricked his queen. You have made an enemy of your wife, your brother, your people, and me. I should banish you.”

“Why won’t you?” Loki asked.

Odin sighed. “If I banish you, then I must banish Y/N as well,” he said, and my breath caught in my throat. “She’s done nothing wrong and does not deserve such a punishment. We don’t want Asgard to fall into revolt at your actions, however, so we must keep the reality of this secret.”

“You surely are joking,” I interjected. “What of Theoric? My real fiance?”

“You don’t need to worry about him,” Loki told me plainly.

The warmth of anger filled my chest again. “Why?” I asked. “What have you done with him?” Loki shrugged, and the urge to slap him again bubbled up. “Answer me, you fuck!”

“I did what I had to,” Loki told me. “I killed him.”

A sob broke my chest. I didn’t quite love Theoric or care for him too deeply, but the thought that Loki had murdered him made my stomach broil. “I…” I began as my tears rolled down my cheeks. “I never want to see you again.”

“That’s too bad, my darling,” Loki said, and he stepped toward me. I took a step back and tripped on my dress, and Loki reached out to steady me. “We’re married now. You have no choice but to see me, and to love me. Or to pretend to, at least.”

I tried to steady my breathing and tear myself out of Loki’s grip, but a thousand years of comfort at his hand made me give in and press my head under his chin. “I hate you,” I sobbed, taking fistfuls of his clothes.

“I know.”

Keeping the secret from the people of Asgard was one thing. Keeping it from the family was something else. We had no worries of my mother or the priestess revealing our secret, so Odin made me and Loki swear to not tell Frigga, Thor, or Jane. I was in such deep disbelief of the entire situation that I agreed without so much as a second thought. The less people who knew, the easier it was to keep it contained.

The palace library was often a place of comfort for me as I grew up, and I found myself sitting in my normal place at the window. The sky was pink and orange, the gold city glittering in the sunset, and I tried to imagine what I would be doing had Loki not tricked me. I would be making a home with Theoric, no doubt. I would not be a princess or prospective queen, and I definitely would not be as conflicted as I was. I was angry, so much more than I ever thought was possible, but there was a small part of me that was relieved that I was married to Loki. Marrying the prince had privileges that even I couldn’t deny. I would always have a place to live and a family behind me. That was more than a lot could ask for.

“Ah, sister!” Came Thor’s booming voice, and I swore that I could have heard his thunder in the ceiling. “I figured that you would be here.”

As much as Loki was my brother, Thor was as well. He had called me sister for as long as I could remember, and the normalcy comforted me. “Am I that predictable?” I asked with a chuckle.

“You have always been one to study,” Thor said. He sat down next to me on the cushioned bench, knowing that I would allow it, and he tilted his head curiously. “But you are without a book. Is something wrong?”

I swallowed thickly and shook my head. “No,” I said. “In fact, everything is quite right. You see… Loki and I were married earlier today.”

Thor laughed. “I figured it was but a matter of time,” he said. “Congratulations. And where would your husband be, eh?”

I tried not to let the title faze me. That was my life now. At least, until Odin was able to annul the marriage. And who was to say that the royal council would even agree to that? “With the Allfather,” I answered. “I asked for a moment alone.”

“Is something the matter?” Thor asked.

“No,” I said quickly. “I only wished to look at the sunset one last time.”

“One last time before…?” Thor asked.

“My new life,” I said. “When I wake up in the morning, I’ll be renewed. A princess, someone that has worth.”

“You’ve always had worth, sister,” Thor told me. “To me, and to Loki, and to Father and Mother.”

“More worth, I meant,” I amended quickly. “Did you… When you and Jane were married, did you feel any different than before?”

Thor frowned and shook his head. “Are you having regrets?”

I drew my knees to my chest. “Not regrets, exactly,” I began. “Anxiety, I think. Just… On the brink of a new life. I think it’s only normal for me to be a bit scared.”

“Of course,” Thor nodded. “If it helps at all, I think you’ll be fantastic as a princess. And, perhaps, one day, as queen. Loki would not have married you if he didn’t believe in your abilities.”

“Did he ever tell you that he loved me?” I asked. “I never knew until he proposed. Am I just blind?”

“He told me once,” Thor said. “A long time ago. But I thought it was a fleeting thing. But now… I’m so very happy for you and my brother. And, please remember that Jane and I are here if you need support of any kind.”

“Thank you, Thor,” I said softly. I chewed on my tongue, and I finally reached out and wound my arms around him. Thor was a great hugger, and he wasted no time in embracing me tightly. I rested my cheek on his shoulder and clenched my jaw, trying not to cry. I wanted to tell him. I wanted him to know what Loki had done to me and what I was being forced into. But, alas, I had made a promise to my husband’s father.

“Brother!” Loki said from the doors to the library, and Thor detached himself from me.

“Congratulations!” Thor exclaimed, standing up, and he strided across the room to hug Loki. “I’m excited for the both of you!”

“Thank you,” Loki said. He resisted Thor’s hug, but that was normal. “Your support means the world.” Thor unwound himself from around his younger brother, and Loki came to me. I stood up, and Loki put his arms around my waist. Whether it was fake adoration or not, I couldn’t tell, but Loki looked at me with love in his eyes. A thought occurred to me; Loki loved me, but was that why he married me? Or was it purely to spite me for keeping the truth of my engagement from him? I wasn’t sure which option I preferred more.

“Truly, brother,” I said to Thor. “We were concerned that the family wouldn’t approve.”

“Why wouldn’t they?” Thor scoffed. “You two are a match made in the halls of Valhalla.”

“As close as Lo and I are,” I started. “I am still a commoner. It’s unusual for royalty to marry common people.”

“You were a commoner, my love,” Loki said softly, and he pushed a bit of my hair behind my ear. “That is all behind you now. I am here for you, for the rest of time.”

I clenched my teeth together, but smiled to keep up appearances. “And I could ask for nothing else,” I said, and I pressed closer to Loki. After a moment, I rose to kiss his cheek, and I spotted the pink flush that infiltrated his face. I had nearly forgotten his confession, and I had to remind myself that there was a hint of real adoration there. But his ultimate motives for tricking me were still unknown. “Only for your love, my darling prince.”

#loki odinson #loki laufeyson #loki #loki odinson x reader #loki odinson x y/n #loki laufeyson x reader #loki laufeyson x y/n #loki x reader #loki odinson fanfiction #loki laufeyson fanfiction #tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddleston x y/n #tom hiddleston fanfiction #loki odinson angst #loki laufeyson angst #tom hiddleston angst #marvel fanfiction #angst

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snidgetwidgeon · 3 years

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Insurrection Recollections Series: Art Festival

Every year Hyrule Castle hosts an art festival where artisans from across the land can come together and share their culture with the added element of friendly competition. Having been far too long since Urbosa attended, she decides to surprise young Zelda with a visit. While there, she happens upon, and is very intrigued by the Castle Guard's most talented recruit.

Sivul’s Scimitar that I doodled as a prompt from Linktober 2020

Urbosa gingerly ran her fingers over the exquisite gems and sculpted hilt of the curved blade crafted by her master artisan. “This is your finest work, Sivul,” she commented in awe as she looked at her reflection in its polished, mirrored surface.

Sivul grinned and rolled her eyes good naturedly. “You always say that, Chief.” She stretched her neck both ways and rolled her shoulders, finally free of the project. She had fixated on it with such a single minded passion that she had no life outside the workshop, just as she did with every project really.

Urbosa drew her own blade from its horizontal sheath at her hip and compared the two. They were both thick, inlaid with designs reminiscent of Gerudo script and perfectly balanced. “I’d say you have even surpassed your master. The Scimitar of the Seven now has a counterpart, and almost pales in comparison.”

Sivul respectfully went down on one knee, recognizing when she ought to be gracious. “You honor me with such praise. I am glad to have lived up to my master’s craftsmanship.” She heard both blades sliding back into their sheaths and rose. After placing the scabbard back in its pedestal, she started to tidy her workspace a little.

Urbosa leaned against the smooth stone wall, continuing the conversation in a more casual way. “I’m also impressed that you always manage to finish well before your deadlines.”

“Yes, well... that’s just due to possession by my muse- to the detriment of every other aspect of my life,” Sivul admitted self-deprecatingly.

“Hmm, haven’t I told you to get an assistant? An apprentice, perhaps?”

“You have.”

Urbosa’s teal painted lips turned up in a wry smile when Sivul offered nothing beyond that. Cheeky vai. “Well then, you’ll have space for me to accompany you to the festival. I’d like to be there when you win popular choice.”

Sivul’s eyes were suddenly saucers. “Chief! I would- that would be- are you sure? I don’t want to keep you from your work.”

“My dear friend started the festival when she became Queen as a way to bring the people and cultures of Hyrule together through the sharing and appreciation of their art. I’ve missed one too many of them in the past couple of years and I will not do it again. It wasn’t a coincidence that I commissioned this work from you,” she winked. “Let’s give those yuppie Zora a run for their rupees.”

Their arrival to Hyrule Castle was heralded and the standard procession of pageantry was observed as they entered the King’s Court. Urbosa led proudly up the long red carpet, passing between numerous large pillars bedecked with banners bearing the colors and crest of the Royal Family. She was followed closely by Sivul, four attendants that carried an ornate chest perched on two poles, and finally, a group of five warriors armed with a display of Gerudo’s finest spears, scimitars and decadent round shields. The Gerudo always brought a colorful palette that was a feast for the eyes.

As she bowed, Urbosa wondered where her Little Bird could be but was sure it wouldn’t be very long before they were together. This was somewhat of a surprise visit, so she couldn’t fault the girl for not being present to receive her- she had a very busy schedule. Too busy, in her opinion.

“Gerudo Chief Urbosa,” the King’s voice boomed through the Hall. “Welcome.” Rhoam held a smile for his friend but she did not miss the tired shadow under his eyes. It was the very same one she saw in the mirror when she felt particularly run down with her own responsibilities.

“Is this a gift you have brought, perchance?” He asked, gesturing to the chest.

“You’ll wish it was once you’ve seen it.” She felt satisfied when her comment elicited genuine mirth from his features.

“Is that so? I wouldn’t dare contradict you.”

“Gerudo Town’s finest artisan, Sivul,” she took a step back and gestured to her companion, “has brought her craft for everyone to see. We intend to leave with all due accolades.”

He smiled again and very diplomatically stated, “May the best artist win. Please enjoy your stay during the festival.”

With the formalities out of the way, he closed the distance down the few steps between them and shook her hand, transitioning into his standard volume. “I’d invite you and yours to rest from your journey but I was hoping you could entertain me in my chambers for a few minutes?”

“Of course.” She turned to the others, “Don’t wait up, and remember to have fun. This is a visit for pleasure.” Her entourage all nodded respectfully and turned to leave except for two warrior attendants. She looked between them both, “That means you too. Let’s not insult poor Rhoam’s security. I’ll be fine in the castle,” she smirked. They bowed and acquiesced.

The two rulers made their way out of the Great Hall via the East wing. This led down a short hallway to a council chamber that had a very long, dark wooden oval table in the middle. The King offered some small talk as they crossed the room along the wall lined with windows, “It’s quite a surprise that you have made it this year. Zelda will be delighted.”

Urbosa smiled, slightly distracted, and nodded. She had been in these chambers many times negotiating and going over various policies and was glad to finally have a visit that was not duty-bound; though by Rhoam’s demeanor, it seemed she wouldn’t be able to escape it completely. She wondered what news was forthcoming that could not be delivered by official communications.

They entered his private chambers and he closed the door behind them. It was simply furnished with a desk and only a few chairs. There was a bookshelf against the wall and one window that looked out into a courtyard. This room was mainly used for private deliberation during larger meetings or simply as a retreat for when the King felt he needed a breather from all the political squabbling. He took a chair in front of the desk and gestured to the other, “Please, have a seat.”

She was intrigued by this meeting already; he was seated across from her casually as an equal rather than having positioned himself in a place of authority behind the desk. She crossed her legs languidly and pushed her vibrant and thick red hair off her shoulder, waiting politely for him to speak.

“My Adviser Impa has not long returned from an audience with the Deku Tree where she was able to confirm our discovery of the final Divine Beast’s location. Preparations are underway to begin another excavation mission to the Eldin region.”

“Hm, that makes sense. A beast for each race,” she laced her fingers together in thought, elbows resting on either side of her chair. “Then that could mean the soul of the hero will reside in a Hylian.”

“Still as sharp as ever. I sometimes wish you could stay at my table permanently,” he chuckled. As quickly as the humor came, it also went, and King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule revealed his vulnerability to her, as one in a very small circle he would even dare show since the passing of his wife. “I can only hope that it is not to be in our time. Perhaps we are merely a step in the grander destiny of those that come after us, and we must ready the machines for them. Perhaps the sealing power is meant to awaken within another Princess...” He scoffed at himself after a moment’s deep thought, “I sound like a cowardly fool.”

Urbosa uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, taking the hand that had been resting on the arm of his chair. Looking into his tired eyes, she said, “A good ruler always wishes they could reign over a time of peace. But some make the mistake of not being ready for war. You’re taking all the necessary steps. All we can do is try to prepare the best we can against an enemy we know little about.”

He squeezed her hand slightly and replied, a bit comforted, “You have always been a good friend to me as you were to my wife. Thank you.” He pulled away and stood. “I’ve no doubt that I’ll be in need of your ally ship more than ever in the coming-”

The doors to his chambers were suddenly thrust open and Zelda stood there in her white prayer robes, hair frazzled, panting. “Urbosa!” Her sandals flapped on the tiles and were then muffled on carpet as she ran into the room and wrapped her arms around the waist of the much taller Gerudo woman. Rhoam and Urbosa shared a bemused look as she returned the embrace.

Zelda looked up and asked accusingly, “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“And miss this glorious display of surprise?” She laughed in husky, low tones. “How else am I supposed to entertain myself after a long journey?” She smoothed Zelda’s hair as she smiled with a maternal sentiment. “Would you like to see our entry for the festival?”

“You’re entering?! Of course! Is it down in the courtyards already? I’ll have to go change first.”

“I think it’s still in our chambers until installation tomorrow, but yes, let’s get you into something more casual.” As Zelda flitted out the door, Urbosa bowed politely, “King Rhoam.”

Rhoam returned the bow with a respectful nod, “Chief Urbosa.”

Urbosa practically had to chase Zelda to catch up with her in the Grand Hall but once she strode alongside, Zelda had to try and keep pace with her long gait. They chatted about nonsensical things while in the public eye: Zelda’s studies, devotions and hobbies; Urbosa’s new sand seal, her latest public works, and her continuous bragging that the Gerudo would win the competition this year. Once they were in private, however, Urbosa intended to ask the real questions. When they arrived in Zelda’s room, she smiled politely and waited until the attendant who was dusting made her way out.

“My apologies Princess, I thought you would still be out for quite some time. I’ll come back later and give you two some privacy.” The middle aged woman adjusted her glasses, stuck the duster under her arm and scooped up her skirts in a quick curtsy before attempting to make a hasty exit.

“It’s ok Fria. Actually- before you go, do you know where my light blue spring dress is? I’d like to wear it for the festival. I haven’t worn it recently but I wonder if it’s still accidentally with the wash?”

“I’ll go check for you now, Princess. Is there anything else I can help with while I’m out?”

Zelda pondered the question as she removed her devotional jewelry, placing the pieces in their custom, blue-velvet lined cases, “Hmm. Yes! Could you please lay out my sirwal for supper this evening? I’d like to dress in honor of our wonderful guest, Gerudo Chief Urbosa.” Zelda gestured happily to Urbosa as if Fria didn’t already know she was there; she was just so excited to have her visit.

Urbosa nodded kindly when she was mentioned.

“Of course,” Fria answered. She gave another polite curtsy to them both and gently shut the big wooden door behind her.

Zelda started talking about how dinner was going to be so lovely later, and about the smaller events that would be tied to the annual art festival. As she moved about the room to change out of her prayer robe behind a dividing screen, Urbosa made her way to the large four poster bed with the elegant red drapes and sat down. She stroked the blankets, the decorative one on top was chosen by her dear friend for her baby girl when she visited Gerudo Town twelve long years ago. “How are you really Little Bird?”

Her gentle, yet stern question caused Zelda to fall silent behind her changing screen. “I’m...” She thought of her days, always full to the brim with the same repetitive classes, courtly obligations and fruitless prayers. She came out from behind the screen in her day dress, a less formal version than the elegant long-sleeved blue one she wore to court. Her eyes bore the weight of too much responsibility. “I’m tired.” She walked over to the bed and sat next to Urbosa who wrapped her arm around her shoulder. “I’m tired of having to change into numerous different attire. It’s not fair. Father has much fewer task-related outfits.”

“Hm... I know clothes aren’t the only thing on your mind.”

“Praying is still useless. I don’t understand why I have to keep doing it.”

She let out such a deep sigh that Urbosa baled her up in her lap for comfort. “I’m so sorry Zelda. I wish your mother or I had had the foresight to consider that she might not have been able to teach you.” She stroked Zelda’s hair as she felt her small body starting to shake slightly from finally letting her emotions out.

“I can learn anything else from books, why not this?” A short sob escaped her quivering lip.

“I don’t know vehvi, I wish I knew how to help. You know you can come see me anytime you need to get away from it all.”

Zelda smiled bitterly, “If I could, I would stay with you all the time.”

“Well, we’ll see what we can do about getting you a much needed break during dinner. The way to get what you want is to make a good case to your father in public. That way he can’t refuse or he looks like crappy father of the year.” She wiggled her eyebrows and succeeded in eliciting some giggles out of her girl.

“Feeling a bit better already, I see,” she squeezed Zelda’s arm affectionately. “Now, shall we go and meet the others?”

Zelda nodded and hugged Urbosa tight before sliding out of her lap. “Thank you for the cuddles. They remind me of mom,” she said with a sad smile.

Urbosa stood as well, blinking back the sting in her eyes. She leaned down and gave Zelda a kiss on the forehead. “You remind me of your mom too.”

They made their way to the wing that housed the ambassadorial chambers. These were rather overtly opulent and tried a bit too hard to impress visitors in Zelda’s opinion. On the other hand, some guests had stated what a treat it was to stay in such a lavish room so it couldn’t be all that pretentious. When they entered, they found Urbosa’s entourage in varying states of relaxation and inebriation. A few of them greeted her informally, ‘Hey Chief,’ and ‘welcome back Chief.’

Zelda was intrigued by their lackadaisical manner. Urbosa saw the quizzical look on her little companion’s face. “This is a holiday, Zelda. I don’t expect anyone to be putting on airs. Being proper in court is tiresome enough.”

“I’ll say! I put on so many airs during our arrival, I nearly floated away.” The relatable sentiment came from a jovial, dark-skinned woman with dusty pink hair cut short enough that it was spiking messily all over her head, no doubt to be well out of the way while she was metalworking. She had the largest muscles Zelda had ever seen on a woman and she caught herself staring a bit in awe.

Urbosa chuckled at the joke and introduced them. “Zelda, this is Sivul, Gerudo’s finest artisan. Sivul, Princess Zelda.”

“By the sands, you look just like your mother. Such a dainty little vai.” Sivul crouched down in front of Zelda which brought her eye level, and took one of her small hands into her own in greeting.

“You knew my mother?” Zelda asked incredulously.

“Yes, Princess. She was a lovely artist. I even helped her learn how to make jewelry.” Sivul stood again and inquired with a friendly smile. “Tell me, do you have any favorite crafts?”

Zelda’s cheeks went a tad pink with embarrassment. She wished she could be more impressive. “N-no. I just study a lot, really.”

“Oh, but cultivating the mind is one of the most important crafting we can do. I have to put just as much time into myself as I do my work in order for it to be harmonious.”

One of the other women almost spat out her drink, “Oh, that’s sealshit, Siv.” She immediately became sheepish under Urbosa’s stern look, directing her to watch her mouth in front of the present company. She continued with her comment, albeit more politely, “You barely stop to eat or sleep when you get nose-deep in a project.”

“Excuse you, I do my preparation beforehand. That’s all just part of the process.” She placed her fists squarely on her wide hips and gave her detractor a withering gaze, which included a wink at the end to prove she was not actually offended. She then turned her attention back to Zelda. “Would you like to see what I brought before the unveiling tomorrow?”

Zelda lit up and nodded emphatically. “I would, yes!” She followed Sivul over to a chest that sat upon poles on the ground, ready to be easily lifted later. When Sivul waited a beat to open the lid, Zelda glanced over at her expectantly, excitement written all over her face.

Sivul laughed with an alto timbre rivaling Urbosa’s and said, “Sorry Princess, I do love building the suspense.” She unclasped the latches and opened the curved lid to reveal the most ornate and detailed sword and scabbard Zelda had ever seen. They both sat in a frame, the blade on the higher level and the scabbard below.

“Urbosa, this looks like your scimitar!”

“Yes. Sivul’s teacher crafted my blade. She has surpassed her master, something each instructor always hopes for in their students. Well, good instructors anyway.”

“I’ll definitely count my vote for you, Sivul!” Zelda exclaimed.

Sivul grinned and closed the chest. “Hey now,” she began in mock sternness, “I’ll not be having you playing favorites. You vote for it if you truly feel it is the best after seeing what everyone has to offer. They all worked very hard too.”

Zelda smiled and nodded earnestly. She then looked to Urbosa, “May I stay here with you until dinner time?”

Urbosa tackled her with another hug. “Are you kidding!? I’m not going to let you out of my sight for the rest of the day. We have too much to catch up on!”

~~~

The next morning, Urbosa had to rally her troops after they had caroused much too late into the night. She was even missing a couple, no doubt hunting for available voes... They washed with the basins of hot water delivered to their rooms and donned their sirwals, though the warriors remained in their supportive breast plates and boofy pants. After eating a quick breakfast from the fruits, nuts, breads and cheeses that came complimentary to their stay, they departed to see to the unveiling of Sivul’s scimitar.

Walking briskly, they turned heads as they passed through the halls. Even if Hylians had seen the Gerudo many times, it was hard not to marvel at their impressive physique. Their exceptional height, wide hips and toned midriffs were iconic, and admired by many, as well as the bright red hair most Gerudo shared.

In her haste, Urbosa almost led everyone astray, right past the registry room for the festival. “I could have sworn this used to be at the end of the hall...” she trailed off.

One of the exhibition organizers ran over and lead them to a small queue. “My apologies, Gerudo Chief Urbosa. You’re quite correct, we used to check everyone in down that way before but we’ve actually outgrown the space. Isn’t that wonderful? Participation has increased steadily the past few years.”

“The Queen would be so proud.”

She received a genuine smile and nod in response and was shown to the registry where she pulled Sivul out from lurking behind to do her own paperwork. Once that was all done they were taken to an available space in the courtyards that was undercover, as had been requested on their form. Quite a few sculptures they passed were on display out in the elements, while just as many it seemed, had protection. An empty pedestal awaited the sleek and simple frame that would hold the blade and scabbard. Sivul took it from the chest and held it toward Urbosa asking reverently, “Do you wish to unveil the blade, my Chief?”

Urbosa was amused and crossed her arms coyly. “This is your show Sivul, you do the honors.”

Shhhhiiinnng

Sivul drew quickly and smoothly and smirked with pleasure at the faint ring echoing afterward. It had turned heads and a small crowd gathered to watch her place the two pieces in their frame.

Urbosa heartily clapped her on the shoulder, “Well, you have fun playing Q & A with your fans. I’m going to join the Princess.”

Sivul gave her a reproachful look for being left alone to deal with the crowds but she would not begrudge her leader the free time she most definitely needed, and deserved. She then turned to one of her interested parties, a couple with an infant, who had asked how long it took.

“How long? Time is relative. How long did it take you to make that baby? This blade is my baby. Nine months?! Are you sure it’s finished? Our babies take twelve. Yes, really. I was just kidding, it took me three months- if you don’t count the gathering of materials. No, I meant the blade. Our babies still take twelve months. No, really! ...... and on and on.

Urbosa found Zelda in the castle shrine at her morning devotions. She was standing waist deep in a pool before the serenely smiling Hylia, hands clasped together, bedecked with the heirloom jewelry. Her long hair floated on the surface of the water behind her. Urbosa looked on in sadness between the statue of the Goddess and the small Hylian she supposedly inhabited. The poor girl was so devoid of comfort, never acknowledged by the one she entreated endlessly. The serene smile appeared more and more as a mocking smirk the longer she looked upon it.

Without a second thought, Urbosa silently descended the steps into the pool. As she drew near, the water rippled and made a soft swishing noise, alerting Zelda to her presence. She started to turn but Urbosa spoke softly as she sank to her knees behind the child Goddess, “Don’t let me interrupt, my vehvi.” She wrapped her arms around Zelda and held her to her chest, covering her small hands with her own and resting her cheek on the golden hair. There they stayed for an age, sending silent prayers to the Goddess together. And Zelda was comforted.

Eventually, Zelda needed to attend her classes, so with the promise that they would be together again the moment she was finished, Urbosa went for a walk to dry off and collect her thoughts. Short of taking the Princess away, something she selfishly wished she could do, she had to believe that what little she could do would be enough.

She swung by her chambers to collect some attendants. They would be cross with her if she kept parading around by herself, no matter that she was fully capable. Culture, tradition and appearances were also important. They strolled through the courtyards, viewing a section of impressive wooden sculptures from the Rito before reaching the stables. After passing by the horses, which had a similar but distinct aroma all their own from sand seals, her ears perked to the faint clangs and thumps of fighting followed by a whistle. The training grounds were nearby. She grinned to herself wondering if she would be welcome to observe.

Rounding a stone tower, they crossed an archery range to get to the main field. The area was walled on three sides and the upper levels contained viewing alcoves which would also be used for announcements. She could imagine troops being neatly lined up below, attentive to their commanders, ready to serve Hyrule. She casually joined the small throng of instructors, some of whom did a double take as she appeared next to them.

The eldest, most likely mid to late sixties, recovered first. “G-Gerudo Chief Urbosa, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?” He bowed politely. “Forgive me, I’m Captain Auru. At your service.”

“I like watching a good tussle so I thought I’d have a sticky-beak with my free time. I hope I’m not intruding?” She stood casually, hip jutting out above her split skirt, making her muscled torso even more of a prominent feature.

Captain Auru stroked his goatee with mild interest at her statement. “Not at all. We’re just finishing the melee portion before moving on to duels.”

“I see. Please continue.”

He nodded and whistled for the final bout to begin. A dozen or so armored fighters wearing a white tabard with the royal crest entered the roped arena, which served to contain the battle. They carried a combination of their weapons of choice. Some preferred the classic pairing of broadsword and shield while others chose to fight with a two handed claymore or spear. Urbosa watched with interest as a smaller fighter quickly caught her eye. They carried a blade only and were so swift on their feet, they seemed to glide through the fight like water, dodging opponents so they ended up engaged with another, or parrying before back flipping out of reach.

Melees had one goal: to be the last fighter standing. How you got to that point is anyone’s choice, and a few fighters decided they wanted to work together against the slinky one.

While she was here, she had another agenda she could bring up. She deviously addressed Auru, “So Captain, do the soldiers get any time to enjoy the festival or is it all work and no play around here?”

He looked to be between distraction from the proceedings and not wanting to be rude so he leaned in slightly and spoke while still keeping an eye on the battle. “I’m not sure we’re too fussed actually. That’s more of a court and populace thing, give them a chance to come up to the castle every now and then, you know?”

“Hmm,” she replied with loose interest. She looked at the arena again just in time to see the group of four succeed in taking down their smaller competitor, though not without losing three of their number. The survivor proceeded to engage the next available opponent where they were summarily disposed of; all of their strength had relied on teamwork apparently. Not a complete negative, but one should most certainly be able to stand on their own if they were to be a competent warrior.

A loose smattering of applause rippled through the training grounds for the victor and Captain Auru blew the whistle to announce the line up for duels. The list keeper shouted for a five minute break for hydration and toilet and everyone peeled off to wherever they needed to be whether it was the privies, benches or water station.

Captain Auru excused himself momentarily to confer with the instructors and he returned with a gleam in his eye. “Chief Urbosa, my colleagues are quite excited about your presence here today. It’s not often we might get the opportunity to let the students spar against different fighting styles. I wonder, would one of your warriors be willing to step into the ring with us?”

Urbosa grinned with a glint in her eye. This was the perfect opportunity to bargain for what she wanted. If she could rustle up some votes from the soldiers, there was a good chance they’d appreciate the art of a finely crafted blade over some abstract shapes in the courtyards.

“I could be persuaded to enter the ring for a bit of fun myself, Captain.”

He and the fellow instructors responded with varying degrees of shock and excited approval.

“But I have two conditions.”

Captain Auru stroked his goatee again. “Name your price, Chief Urbosa.”

“I pick my opponent.”

“Easily done.”

“And you must give me your word that all of you will attend the festival and vote.”

He turned to look at the other instructors and was met with answers of shrugs and unopposed compliance.

“Right,” she grinned and put her hand on the pommel of the scimitar at her hip, “are there any hard rules I should know about?”

“Please don’t kill our students,” Auru jested. “Ah, the usual. Nothing below the belt. If a limb is ‘struck,’” he emphasized a simulation of it, “then that limb may not be used for the remainder of the battle.” He continued with a few more things before she put up her hand to interrupt.

“Captain, I appreciate you have a way of doing things but did you not want to see the way a Gerudo fights? Or would you have me merely demonstrate your own style to you?”

“Eh, you got me there Chief Urbosa. Right you are.” There was an awkward pause before he continued after clearing his throat. “Well then, not killing our students will work just fine. Please,” he gestured to the field, “choose your opponent.”

“I want the short one.”

“Oh, he’s just a boy still, perhaps-”

“And the most skilled of the group.”

“Uh, yes. He is quite the prodigy. Very well.”

She took to the arena and Auru sent one of the others to collect her choice. His day had gone from monotonous to suspenseful excitement and he couldn’t wait to see how this would pan out. He knew Link was starved for a challenge and he knew his class mates would love nothing more than to see him brought down. The outcome of this should suit both parties quite well no matter how it ended.

The competitors entered the arena and stood a few paces away from one another. The whole area had gone deathly quiet. Usually there was low chatter among the peanut gallery but the two opponents on the duel field today had everyone riveted.

Link saw she wore no armor and took off his helmet, chucking it out of the arena, then went down on one knee. The gesture not only humbled him, but also made him appear even smaller. Her inquisitiveness about him only rose.

“Gerudo Chief Urbosa, you honor me with your presence here today. I hope to learn much from you.”

She drew her blade, “Ha! Let’s have some fun, kid.”

Not a moment after he’d risen, Link was taken aback by her quick movements. The crowd gasped as she attacked without ceremony, lining up her scimitar to connect with his head.

Link quickly rolled out of the way and shot up to his feet, grinning. He’d been waiting for this for so long. He was itching to really fight.

She pivoted in place, following where he’d dodged, kicking up dust as she slashed down. He parried with a surprising strength for his size but she quickly recovered and jabbed.

He escaped with a back flip. She’d seen this move from him a few times already during his earlier bouts and anticipated what she could do next when he returned with a flurry of slashes.This boy was quick, but a bit predictable.

That might have been due to a lack of challenging opponents. He was sussing her out, seeing what she could match. He was focused and calculating; something she did not usually see in Gerudo warriors until they were older.

Finally, she sidestepped his onslaught and rammed her knee into his chest. Link fell back in the dirt but rather than be laid bare to a potential stabbing, he used the momentum of his fall to continue in a backward somersault. He stood and regained his balance.

She gave him a short breather, knowing she’d probably winded him a little. The break was long enough for him to decide that he needed to relieve her of the shield on her back.

She nodded at him as she slowly circled a small distance away. “Crafty, aren’t you.”

Link was struck by an idea. He could try it with her, the move he’d recently discovered while training with his dad. Everyone else he had sparred with never challenged him enough to warrant using it. Would he be able to focus enough?

“Again!” she barked as she ran toward him.

All he had to do was dodge and get behind her... just dodge, and slip past. He took a deep breath through his nose and as it left him her pace slowed before she reached him. He hopped to the side, but rather than take the opening to make a shot, he dashed around and jump kicked the shield up and off her back. He slipped it on and stood there with a smirk as she whipped around with wide eyes.

“How could you possibly-” her face morphed from surprise into a challenging grin, “much craftier than I thought.” She twirled her blade twice in excitement as she tried to work out what he’d done.

Even with just that small bit of practice, he felt he could put everything into his next move. He had always been exceptional at parrying blows, even more so with a shield. However, she now spoke again instead of attacking as had been the pattern of the battle so far.

“Why don’t you come at me for a change?” She stood at the ready, a bend in her knee, curved blade held in a relaxed grip, ready to react to his move.

He had to rethink his approach now. His technique had been defensive, but he now knew where he could improve. This was the perfect time to try his attack a different way, see if he could succeed on the offense.

“Hah!” he kicked the gravel out behind him as he lunged forward, watching her weapon arm closely. As he closed in, Link lost focus and they exchanged blows once more. To avoid another knee to the chest, he flipped out of reach before trying again.

She almost lost sight of him as he came for her a second time. How is he doing that!? She blocked his strike just in time and noticed his disappointment.

He was testing a new technique on her. A wry smile spread from the corner of her mouth and she felt momentarily flattered. She wasn’t going to let him have all the fun though. It was time to show him he still had a long way to go, if only to keep him on his toes rather than bored with their current gawking audience.

The side lines were full of wide eyes and gaping mouths as she pinned the tip of his blade into the sand with a swirling down-thrust of her scimitar. Before he could recover she grabbed the shield he’d stolen with her other hand to keep him close and used it as a conductor for her own final move.

His hair stood on end and he was ejected several feet away when she ran her electricity through his body. It wasn’t nearly enough to cause serious injury but it had certainly ended the fight. She was met with a wave of gasps but shrugged them off as she approached him. “Relax, he’s just a little toasty.”

She reached a hand down and he grasped her wrist firmly, letting her easily pull him to his feet. “You alright, kid?”

He hung on for a tick as he gained his balance in the midst of a sway before looking at her dead serious and asking, “Can you teach me that?”

She burst into a husky laugh. “I’m afraid that attack is a one of a kind specialty.” She leaned in closer to say privately, “But you keep it up with those moves you were pulling, you’ll no doubt be going places.”

#breath of the wild #fanfiction #urbosa #young zelda #young link #pre calamity #Art Festival #Insurrection Recollections Series #snidgetwidgeon scribbles

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heynikkiyousofine · 3 years

Link

I managed to get two chapters edited tonight, so here is Chapter 4. Things are heating for Kagome and she begins to discover who she really is. Meanwhile, the Northern Kingdom is making plans.

I want to thank y’all again for your love and support!

@keichanz @neutronstarchild

Inuyasha sighed as he set his feet to the carpeted floor. The dreams were becoming more and more intense, as if the blue eyed woman was in danger, wherever she was at. It made for an uneasy night, filled with tossing and turning. His inner demon clawing at him to protect her. The problem was he didn’t know where she was at and he couldn’t just go run off and look, especially now that Naraku was increasing his violence at their borders.

Rubbing his face in frustration, he strolled into his bathing chambers and grabbed the wash rag, as he felt a large aura approach from the west. Sesshomaru must be arriving soon, the asshole always liked to make an entrance. Knowing his father would want all of them together for breakfast, he hurried to get changed into something more appropriate. Grabbing a red button down tunic, he was just leaving his bedroom, when he bumped into Miroku in the hall.

“Monk.” Inuyasha nodded his direction.

“Good morning, friend. You’re up earlier than usual.” Miroku greeted him cheerfully.

“Couldn’t sleep well, besides the asshole is arriving soon. You know how Father is about family time.”

Laughing, Miroku only nodded as they strolled down the hall towards the dining area. Sango, Izayoi and Ayame were already seated at the table, talking amongst each other, as Toga and Koga stood near the opposite doorway. Giving everyone a short hello, Inuyasha sat in his usual spot, to the left of his mother and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

“Dear, did you not sleep well?” Izayoi asked, a concerned look crossing her features.

“Nah, weird dreams, tossed and turned a lot.”

“If you don’t feel up to it today, maybe you should stay home and relax today. I’m sure with your brother arriving soon, we will discussing upcoming events in the meeting room anyways.”

Nodding again, he turned towards his plate. Peaches were always his favorite, the sweetness of the spring along with the beginning season. Grabbing one from the clay bowl in front of him, he heard foot steps approaching from the hallway.

“Sesshomaru! You made it!” Toga boomed, causing Inuyasha to wince, his ears flattening just a little bit, his head still pounding.

“Yes, Father. Your letter was urgent, Kagura and Rin, come say hello.” Sesshomaru gestured to the group behind him, Rin squealing in her bright orange dress, as she ran to give her grandfather a hug. Laughing at the sweet sight, a very pregnant Kagura waddled into the dining area as gracefully as a seven month pregnant woman could. “Are those peaches?” She mused, giving Inuyasha a mischievous wink.

Chucking at her antics, he tossed his favorite sister-in-law a ripe peach before taking a bite of his own. Nodding a hello at his brother, Inuyasha watched as Sesshomaru carefully helped his wife into the seat before taking his own. A smiling Rin, being carried by Toga on his shoulders, came to sit at the front of the table.

“Father, she must be able to sit at a table normally, she is too big for your shoulders now.” Sesshomaru said, disapprovingly.

Grabbing the child, Toga sighed and rolled his eyes at his oldest. He always has had a stick up his ass. Setting the giggling girl next to Inuaysha, who gave her his half eaten peach and winked at her, just as her own mother did to him. Watching the scene unfold before her, Izayoi smiled at her family, before announcing everyone to dig in.

Breakfast was the normal affair, only one slap this time from Sango to an embarrassed Miroku. Kagura and Ayame chatted about babies, while Inuaysha, Koga and Sesshomaru glared at each other most the time. Sighing to himself, Toga beckoned the house nanny to take Rin to the gardens to play. As the child said her goodbyes to everyone, Toga decided it was time to get to business. In the meeting room, a long wooden table sat, surrounded by chairs. It was when everyone took their seats, they began.

“Naraku is spanning an attack soon.” Toga stated, concern in voice. “He was seen in our borders just two days ago. It is time to force our hand.”

“Are you sure?” A too quiet Kagura asked, absentmindedly rubbing her belly. Sesshomaru covered her hand with his own, before turning towards the King, “If you are certain, we need to protect the borders. There are innocent people, many refugees from the fall of the Eastern Kingdom.”

Surprised by his care towards his subjects, Inuyasha stood to walk over to map hanging along the wall. Hung between bookshelves that wrapped the room, he took a red pin and marked the wildflower meadow, his heart giving a painful thump as he knew it was the same area as he saw the unknown woman. “It was here, that I smelt his men, graveyard and death. The forest burned around the area Miroku, Sango and I were camped at.”

“It was maybe half a mile from the eastern border.” Sango agreed, coming next to stand to Inuyasha, pointing at the border line on the map. “That is a long way from the castle that Naraku resides in at the moment, so they must either be looking for something or taking hostages. We know of the horse hanyou in that area, with the village, but didn’t have time to look closer or check on him.”

Nodding his head, “We know that when he killed the king and queen, he was absorbing their powers. I sent a scout out along with the page boy to scout the area of the fire. He came back with news of a fox family burned to death.”

Gasps filled the silent room, Koga standing angrily, fists clenching, “So, now he’s after demons too? What is it he is looking for exactly?”

“I don’t think it’s a something, it’s a someone.” Izayoi added quietly.

Eyes turned abruptly toward, waiting for an explanation. Toga sighed, before gesturing everyone to sit again. If his wife’s suspicions were correct, and she was hardly ever wrong, it was her, he was going come after. “Everyone remembers what happened that night, over twenty years ago, correct?” Seeing their nods, meeting Inuaysha’s gaze, “We have reason to believe he is after the lost princess. It was rumored that she would grow the be extremely powerful, she also was to be the one to bring peace again across the kingdoms, uniting us in more ways than one. No one ever found any clue that she survived or died that night and I believe Naraku is searching for her. He is trying to claim as much power as he can until he does find her, so he can destroy her as well.”

Murmuring to themselves, Miroku stood, “If she is still alive, she wouldn’t be much younger than Prince Inuaysha and I now. How has she been able to keep herself hidden all this time? Fairy powers are set to grow as the person gets older, their wings growing in time with powers. She must have some type of concealment charm, making it that much harder to find her.”

“I agree Miroku,” Toga stated, “That is why I haven’t been able to locate her. To be honest, the last time we saw her, she was a babe, I don’t know what she would look like with or without a concealment. The only way to find her would be other mythical creatures to identify her. Most have been hiding in the forest for safety. They don’t really talk to anyone, or venture out to the villages.”

“She would still have blue eyes.” A quiet rumble came from across the room, where Inuaysha had remained seated. Raising his eyes quickly, he caught his father’s smirk and blushed a little.

“Either way, whether Naraku is after her or not, we still need some kind of plan for when he does cross our borders again.” Koga spoke, still angry about the fox family. His wolves could be next.

“I agree. What did you have in mind Father?” Sesshomaru asked, looking to his father.

“Here’s the plan….” Toga smirked widely, everyone coming closer to see what he had in mind.

Izayoi sighed, knowing her husband’s wild antics were only the just beginning.

Kagome and Shippo were just beginning their walk through the forest that day, having felt better this morning about traveling so much in such a short time. As they walked, she kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, occasionally seeing other creatures flitter about. A while ago, she saw two unicorn, white and pure, with long, beautiful manes, grazing about near a stream. She watched as small butterflies flittered through the air near a few patches of wildflowers, reminding her of home.

At one point, she could’ve swore she saw a pointed green hat, hiding in a bush along the worn pathway. Smiling to herself, she tuned in to listen to whatever story Shippo was wilding telling her, walking a few spaces ahead. Unknown to her, a man with a chilling smile, followed closely behind.

“And theeeennnn, this old man, who looked like a ghost, but also a monkey, rose outta a pickle barrel, thanking the group for saving him! He was the monkey god! His followers, the three monkey sprites, were so embarrassed about leaving the sacred rock in the forest, while they scoured for nuts and….” Shippo waved his hands about, when a snap of branches caused them to stop abruptly.

Grabbing Shippo and putting him on her right shoulder, Kagome turned around just in time to see a small tan pouch fly through the air, heading straight at them. As soon as it landed, a foot or so in front of her, smoke began to bellow out about, making Kagome’s eye water instantly. “Shippo, run!” She screamed loudly.

Scurrying up a tree as fast as his little paws could, Shippo watched as Kagome fell to her knees, eyes shut tight, as her head hit the grassy path below. Unsure of what to do, Shippo backed into the tree branches, hiding from sight. Looking to his right, he saw the two unicorn they had seen previously, watching from afar. A small flittering creature stood on the female’s head. Looking back down to Kagome, he watched as a short, fat man with a covering across his face, lift her lifeless body over his shoulders and began to take back here they direction they came from. Jumping from the branch, Shippo took off towards the direction of the stream, tears beginning to fall down his face.

Kagome wasn’t sure what was going on. She couldn’t move her body. She was aware of everything around her, but couldn’t speak or try to run away from this man. I refuse to be taken she thought angrily, her temper rising.

“You cannot escape Mukotsu’s potion.” The man spoke gleefully. “I will make you my bride this very evening.” A small abandoned hut came into her sight and he carried her inside, bolting the door behind him.

So his name is Mukotsu, similar to Bankotsu. I wonder if he is with Naraku’s men. Wait, did he say bride?! No way, that’s disgusting! Kagome began to seethe, slowly moving her fingers trying to get some type of motion. The man, Mukotsu, set her on her stomach and laid a white, almost yellowed, veil upon her head. He turned and dug through his bag, not catching Kagome struggle to move her hands.

“You are very beautiful, your eyes are a color I have never seen before. Bankotsu didn’t tell me you were this pretty, and a virgin, no doubt. I think I will keep you to myself for a few days before taking you to Naraku.” Mukotsu began to laugh, grabbing a candle to light. “But first, we shall perform the wedding ceremony, then I will take you. Do not worry,” He said, grabbing her chin, noticing the fear in her eyes, “I will be gentle. I am not my brother. You will be happy with me.”

What is up with these men and their long monologues and trying to own me? Kagome thought dryly, squeezing her fists, getting the feeling back in her hands. As Mukotsu busied himself with whatever it was he was doing, Kagome shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Kaede’s words came across her mind, “Close your eyes. Breath in and out. I want you to look into your heart and feel the tug on your soul, one that reaches down within you. That is your power.” As she began to tug on the pull, she could feel her skin growing hotter, like an internal flame expanding around her.

Opening her eyes, she saw the man move back with wide eyes and a glowing, pink vibrant barrier surrounding her. Smiling to herself, she laid there, making her barrier as strong as she could, watching the now silent man, as hoof steps came barreling toward the hut. The man, now terrified, cowered in the corner as Shippo burst though the door, riding atop a female unicorn, with what looked like a tiny woman with wings flying next to him.

No one said a word as another unicorn, slightly bigger than the female, trotted up behind the three and lowered his horn towards Mukotsu. “How can this be? You aren’t supposed to be able to break through my poison barrier?” Before he could finish answering his own question, the large golden horn stuck through Mukotsu’s gut, drawing the life from his body. Kagome watched with wide eyes, but wasn’t frightened. These animals were good souls and had just saved her. The male withdrew his horn, picked up the now dead man by his collar and drug the lifeless body outside. Where, she couldn’t say, but she never saw the man again.

“‘Gome! Are you okay?” Shippo asked, jumping off his unicorn’s back, walking slowly toward Kagome’s barrier.

“Child, you can let your it down, it is okay. We will not harm you.” A soft, gentle voice came from above her. The little winged woman was flying right near her head, outside the barrier. Closing her eyes again, Kagome wasn’t sure exactly how to let the barrier down, hell, she wasn’t sure exactly how she did it in the first place. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the barrier inside of her, exhaling loudly, as Shippo rushed to hug her. As more feeling in her neck returned, she turned her head into Shippo’s body and smiled.

“Young one, she’s been poisoned,” the tiny woman told Shippo, “We need to get some water. Althea here has healing powers in her tears. Argus will take you the stream, hurry back.” The flying woman instructed and he crawled atop the male unicorn and hung on tight, one hand carrying a bottle.

Althea, she guessed, lowered her body near Kagome, and began to sniffle around her ears, making Kagome giggle to herself. The woman set herself down on the floor in sight of Kagome’s vision and began to speak, “You are her, the lost one. We watched you as you began your journey this morning, following you along the way to make sure you were safe. Do not worry my child, whenever your friend returns, we will help you drink the healing tears to rid your body the rest of the poison. You can already begin to move, can’t you?”

Nodding, the little woman laughed, clapping her hands together, “You have marvelous healing powers inside of you, so his poison wouldn’t have lasted long anyways, but you were still strong enough for a barrier. You are more powerful than you realize.”

“Shippo….doesn’t…..know.” Kagome managed to ground out, her voice hoarse.

“Shhh child, we figured. We only allowed him to see us, once we realized you were in danger. You were very brave to send him away when you did. He only knows of us, but we will see to it he promises to keep our secret. You can see that he has a good soul.”

Kagome nodded, swallowing as best she could, as Shippo and Argus? she thought, came back into the hut. Shippo rushed over with the bottle and the little woman instructed him to hold the bottle near Althea’s eye. Three tears fell into the bottle, and Shippo helped lift it to Kagome’s lips to help her drink. Within seconds, Kagome smiled, She felt so much better already and could stretch! Slowly sitting up, she looked at Althea and nodded her thanks. In return, Althea, laid her head in Kagome’s lap. “What’s your name?” Kagome asked the little woman.

“Calliope. You must be Kagome Aureila.” Her voice becoming more excited.

Laughing softly, “I think you’re the first person to say my middle name so excitedly.”

“It is a beautiful name, your Mother Kaede knew of your beauty. It means golden one, which I feel is befitting for you.”

Blushing a little bit, Kagome played with Althea’s mane, as Shippo sat quietly beside her. Argus stood at the doorway, facing out, as if watching the area around him. “Are you a fairy?” Shippo asked, almost silently, his eyes betraying his awe.

“Yes, young one.” Calliope laughed, almost like bells. “We allowed you to see us to help your friend here. She is special.”

“She is! She’s my friend. My name is Shippo!” He told her excitedly.

Laughing together, Kagome turned towards Calliope. “We must be going soon, we need to get to the castle, but I am so incredibly thankful you saved me. That man, he was one of Naraku’s men. I didn’t know he was following me.” She admitted sheepishly.

“Kagome, just like the gnomes told us, we are here to protect you and help you. If you should ever need, call on us. You need some rest, today has been an eventful day for all of us. It is near sundown already. We will stay with you until you set out again tomorrow.”

Smiling at her, Kagome grabbed her knapsack, knowing Shippo probably grabbed it earlier, and began to get ready for the nightfall. Sometime later, as they lay on the worn out futon, Kagome held Shippo tight against her, gazing into the eyes of Althea, before shutting them completely, falling into a deep sleep.

“It is her.” Calliope whispered, stroking Argus’ ear at the doorway. “I just hope she knows what awaits her. We must help her in every way we can dear Argus. Tomorrow, I will tell my mother of her, how she hides and where she will go. Let us hope King Toga can protect her too, though I think after today, Kagome is beginning to recognize her own. She will be a great leader.”

Leaning his head toward her tiny hands, Argus snuffled in agreement. He remembered the fallen king and queen, how they were always so gentle with his kind. He would protect this new one at all costs.

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fandom-collective-writers · 4 years

Text

A Warm Rain (Shingen Takeda x Reader)

Fandom: Ikemen Sengoku

Pairing: Shingen Takeda x Reader

Prompt: Rain

Warning: Self-indulgent angst

Intended Audience: Female Audience

Word Count: 2,214

Requested by: anonymous

Written by: @lordsister

Disclaimer: I do not own Ikemen Sengoku or any of its characters. All of that goodness is the property of Cybird. I do, however, own the plot of this fanfic. Please do not repost or reblog this on any other website.

A thundering boom shook the walls, nearly drowning out the sound of your cries from beyond the sliding doors he’d been forced to wait outside of. Exhaling a slow breath, Shingen closed his eyes against the tears blurring his vision, a steady stream of silent prayers escaping slightly parted lips as he curled in on himself. Yukimura stood nearby, tapping his foot without a word. The older man could tell he wanted to speak and was grateful that he didn’t. In all his years of fighting, he had never been so terrified before, and all he wanted to do was shut down if he couldn’t do anything to bring an end to your suffering.

He just felt so useless.

Had it been days or hours? Shingen couldn’t tell when each pained scream wrenched at his heart and made him tremble. He had already left bloody crescents in his calloused palms from how hard he’d been clenching his fists, yet he knew the agony he was feeling was nothing compared to what you were going through.

The rain had started last night, the beginning of what promised to be a serious summer storm making its way across Kai, and had continued through the night, gaining intensity. Just that morning - or was it yesterday morning? - Shingen had been sitting with you, watching it drench the garden and the rest of the castle from your shared room. He’d held you safe and sound, sitting between his legs with his arms wrapped around you and your hands covering his as they rested on your pregnant belly.

You had mentioned you’d been feeling pangs when you woke up that morning, but had dismissed them as false contractions. They had occurred a few times in the past few weeks as your due date loomed closer, but you were still a good month away from giving birth. You didn’t seem overly concerned so Shingen decided to trust you on it, but he was still a little concerned, so he insisted you let him pamper you, massaging your sore body from time to time.

Since you had found out you were pregnant, the love and affection he liked to shower you with had increased exponentially. Every spare moment he had was spent with you, to the point that Yukimura liked to grumble that he was attached to you at the hip. You could barely walk a few steps without Shingen at your heels, asking where you were going, if you wanted anything, if you were feeling okay. It annoyed you sometimes when you were trying to sew in peace, but you couldn’t deny him when he was practically buzzing with joy.

“My goddess is pregnant with my child.” Every time he pressed his ear to your growing belly, listening to the sounds of his child moving within, a gentle smile would spread across his handsome face, and he would look up at you with so much love it made your heart swell for the man you’d fallen in love with, for the life you’d created together. “I won’t jinx it by wondering if I deserve to be this happy.”

Neither of you could wait to meet the child that had been born of your love, a little Takeda prince or princess to love and fawn over and fill Tsutsujigasaki Castle with the sound of little pounding feet. Shingen may have been more excited than you actually. He’d been waiting for a family for so long and now he only had to wait a month longer until his angel added another blessing to the list.

That morning he was holding you as he usually did when your back was aching or your feet hurt, letting you lean into his chest as his hands rubbed gentle circles into your belly and he pressed kisses into your hair. Every time the baby kicked, he would smile and tap back, chuckling into your neck. “Restless today, huh?”

“Mmm,” you hummed in agreement, leaning your head back against his shoulder and exposing your neck to him for kissing. “It feels like they’re trying to fight their way out. Definitely a warlord’s kid.”

Laughing, he caressed your stomach soothingly, murmuring, “Calm down for Mama, huh? There’ll be plenty of fighting later when Kenshin decides you're old enough to hold a sword.”

You grimaced and he laughed some more. Of course, you knew he was kidding. There was no way Shingen wasn’t going to let the battle-obsessed war god anywhere near his child for a long time. The thought of Kenshin’s bloodlust rubbing off on his precious baby…

Suddenly, you gasped and he flew into serious mode, his grip on you tightening protectively. “What? What’s wrong?”

“Shingen, I - my water broke!” Narrowed gaze snapping to your stomach, he felt you jerk in his arms, a pained yelp escaping your lips. “The baby’s coming!”

He didn’t waste a second, even though he was panicking inside. Wasn’t it too early? There was still a good month left before the birth was supposed to take place. Had something suddenly gone wrong? ‘God, please no.’

Lifting you in his arms, he took you back inside and settled you onto the futon, pressing a quick kiss to your head before unwinding your fingers from his and running into the hallway. His booming voice filled the hall, rising above the pounding rain and thunder, and soon enough your shared room was filled with other people, Yukimura trying to pull him out even as Shingen remained rooted at your side, brushing sweaty strands of hair away from your forehead and letting you strangle his hand.

“Shingen-!” you gasped, eyes wide. You knew it was too early and you were scared, scared for your life and the life of your child.

It took every bit of his rapidly fraying composure not to give you the same terrified look in return, pressing his lips hard against your temple instead. It was a wonder he was able to keep his voice steady as he said, “You’re amazing, my love. You can do this. You're stronger than anyone I know. It’s going to be okay. You and the baby are going to be okay.”

“Lord Shingen, we can’t stay in here!” Yukimura insisted, tugging harder. The maids and midwife echoed him, but he barely heard, feeling his heart throb painfully as another contraction wracked your pained form.

“I love you,” he managed before finally letting himself be pulled away, his eyes never leaving you until the sliding door slammed into place before him. It echoed the sound of his heart snapping into pieces, and a sudden flash of lightning made him jump.

Thus began what felt like the longest wait of his life, the only news to go off of the sound of your cries. He ached to be in there with you, holding your hand and supporting you through the pain, but he didn’t want to get in the way, especially if something really was wrong.

Yukimura attempted to talk to him a couple of times as Shingen paced back and forth, but stopped when his lord crumpled to the floor, his strength leaving him as he trembled and prayed to whatever gods were listening.

He’d been sitting there for hours now, his pain numbing to a blinding ache as the seconds, minutes, hours crept by, each cry chipping away at him in a way he hadn’t known was possible. It was fear and pain and despair sharpened to knife-point and steadily being used to stab away at his hope. The storm made it worse, lightning and thunder adding an ominous sense to his terror and bringing out his worst fantasies. Something was wrong. It must be. It was taking too long, and there was no way he was just going to sit here and let you suffer alone.

He stood with a snarl and Yukimura startled, reaching for him as he moved to tear open the screen doors.

“Lord Shingen, no!” The other man wrapped his arms around his lord’s waist who rounded on him with a glare.

“Something’s wrong, Yuki. Don’t you dare stop me.”

“I’m worried too!” he tried to insist, grip tight around his lord’s wrist. “(Y/n)’s my friend! She’s like a sister to me!”

“And she’s my wife!” he growled, the rumble of thunder answering as he turned to the door again. “Giving birth to our child! I can’t sit here anymore!”

“I understand, but please wait a little longer!”

“For her to-?!” he cut off abruptly. He couldn’t say the word, he couldn’t even think it. You couldn’t! Not you! Instead, he ripped his hand out of Yukimura’s grip and reached for the door again.

A cry interrupted him before he could open it, however, making him freeze. It wasn’t a cry from you, tiny and new instead of the pained groans he’d been listening to for hours. His fingers closed on the door before he fully realized it, yanking it back with a resounding slam.

Shingen was so scared of what he might find, he practically collapsed in relief when his gaze landed on you. You were a mess, covered in blood and sweat, but you were alive, blessedly, wonderfully alive.

He was at your side in a split second, scooping your exhausted body into his arms and cradling you against him. For the first time in hours, he felt safe, holding you safe and sound where you belonged.

“Sorry. Did I scare you?” you panted, a breathless chuckle wracking your limp form.

He tried to laugh back, but a choked sob came out instead. The tears he’d been trying to hold back for hours suddenly rushed forth, streaming down his face as he pressed it into your hair, shoulders shaking. Shingen was so grateful that you were still alive, he couldn’t think of anything to say. All he could do was hold you.

“Would you like to meet your daughter?” you murmured softly, reaching up to stroke his hair.

His watery eyes shot open, his mouth opening and closing before he regained his voice. “A daughter? We have a daughter?”

You were so tired and weak, but there was a beautiful sparkle in your eyes, a smile on your lips as your gaze shifted away from him and to an approaching nursemaid. He looked as well, and more emotion and anticipation rose in his throat as his eyes fell on the squirming bundle in the other woman’s arms. He couldn’t tear his gaze away as your outstretched arms embraced the bundle, laying it against your chest as he finally beheld his child’s face.

She had been crying before, but she quieted now, nestled against the familiar warmth of her mother. Shingen could see that she had inherited his coloring, maroon fuzz covering her head and large grey eyes blinking up at him, but he recognized your nose and jawline. He took a shuddering breath and reached out, smiling through his happy tears as a tiny hand wrapped around his finger.

“You couldn't wait another month, huh?” he chuckled, to which she just blinked at him, cooing as she wiggled. “Is she healthy?”

“Yep,” you replied, stroking your thumb across her head. Looking up at him, you asked, “Do you want to hold her?”

He blinked owlishly at you and nodded, his heart jumping in his chest. Fussing at being handed away from you, she quieted as soon as Shingen had her steady. She looked so tiny in his large hands, little limbs kicking in her swadlings, and he could feel her heartbeat, fluttering like a bird. His tears dripped down his face onto her as his heart swelled in his chest, love for his family drowning the last of his fear.

Holding the new Takeda princess in one arm and his goddess of a wife in the other, he pressed his lips to your hair. “Thank you.”

Leaning up, you kissed his cheek in answer before settling back against him, closing your eyes as 20 hours of labor finally got to you. You felt yourself being laid back onto the futon, and heard the maids ushering your husband and child out again to clean you up before settling to sleep, a smile on your face.

At the same time, Shingen was still gazing down at the baby in wonder, watching her take in the world around her with pride. There was so much more inside him now, the final pieces falling into place. She’d broken his heart coming into the world, but put it back together just as easily. How amazing was that?

Sitting down, he smiled as the tiny life in his arms yawned and closed her eyes, tucked safely against his chest. Looking up, he noticed the rain had started to let up, bits of blue sky peeking through the grey. As he watched, a rainbow flared to life, making his smile grow even wider as he reached out to catch the last few raindrops in his hand.

This day could have gone so much worse. The rain could have been so cold, drenching him as he mourned the loss of what heaven had so graciously given him, but it felt warm instead, life-giving. The future he dreamed of remained perfectly intact, his heart blissfully full.

#ikemen #ikemen series #ikemen sengoku #ikesen #ikemen sengoku shingen #ikesen shingen #angst #fluff #cybird #otome #ikemen x reader #ikemen sengoku x reader #otome x reader #a warm rain (shingen takeda x reader)#lordsister

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sparklinpixiedust · 4 years

Text

Why Izumi Uses the Backdoor.

Okay first of all I want to clear a few things up. This is my first Zuko fanfic so I apologise if things seem OOC.

Secondly, I haven't written anything in years , so the writing may be off. It'll take a while before I get my groove back so I'm sorry if seems rushed or weird. Also I can't type even if my life depended on it, so expect spelling mistakes. Not a lot , I have proof read it but still.

Okay now, on with the story.

~~~~~~~

He stood there, shivering in front of the giant Palace gates , flowers in one hand and a certain princess in the other.

When he first asked out Izumi , he hadn't thought about how she was the Princess of the fire nation. She had just been this cute dorky girl whom he had a crush on.

Taking her home after their date tonight though felt like he was suddenly drenched with a bucket of cold water.

She was the princess of the firenation.

What was he thinking?! One wrong move and he could actually be killed.

"I had fun tonight" Izumi said in a quiet voice. She was nervous too but for a different reason. This was her first date and it had been perfect in the eyes of the spectacled 14 year old.

The boy relaxed a bit. "Well um I guess ill see you around" he said, glad he had made her happy. He handed over the flowers and she smiled.

Fire Roses, her favorite.

She opened her mouth to thank him when suddenly the palace gates opened, revealing nothing but darkness. A small flicker could be made in what could be assumed was the end of room.

"Come in both of you" a deep raspy voice echoed.

The boy was horrified and Izumi just smacked her head.

She knew she celebrated her date way too early.

They walked towards the flicker which only got larger to reveal a dark cloaked figure. Large flames danced behind with the shadow of a large dragon.

The boy gulped.

"Um Da-"

"Silence!" The voice boomed off the walls.

" you boy , do you know what time it is?"

"Oh... um...8..no...9.. 9:36?" The date stuttered.

"Exaclty! You were supposed to bring the princess home by 9:30 !"

"Dad stop it!" Izumi whined. She had never wanted to bury herself more than she did right now.

Zuko paid no attention to his daughter, she simply didn't understand the way teenage boys were. But he knew, having been one himself. They needed to be treated with strictness.

"Actions have consequences" he snapped his fingers, signalling the dragon behind him to grow in size.

Druk slithered his way to the teenage couple till he was only a few inches from them.

The boy cowered behind the girl ,who just stood there looking the beast in the eyes, clearly unimpressed.

"Now Druk, eat him!"

What?

"What?!" Izumi cried. Her father had lost it.

"Yes, that's the price you pay for da-"

"What the flameo is going on?"

Light flooded in and all the inhabitants of the room squinted their eyes shut.

Mai walked in, her eyes flickering between her husband and her red faced daughter.

"And why does the he look like he's about to faint?" She pointed to the the paled boy behind the princess.

"Mai, we're kinda in the middle of something" Zuko huffed in a raspy tone, clearly annoyed at his wife for interrupting his moment.

She raised an eyebrow at him, " what's up with the voice? Are you sick? Have you been spending time in the turtleduck pond after 6 again? How many times have I to-"

Izumi watched her parents bicker. Well it was mostly her mother talking and her father trying to speak up but you know , whatever.

" oh mom" she said aloud, making her mother turn to face her. She knew it would only get her father in more trouble.

"Dad told Druk to eat my date"

Mais eyes widened and she snapped neck back to a sheepishly smiling zuko.

" what is wrong with you?! You know Druk is a vegetarian!"

And also having people eaten is wrong? Izumi mentally added.

"And you!" She pointed a finger at Druk, "what are you doing past your bedtime? Don't you have to fly Zuko to Ba Sing Se early in the morning." The beast growled apologetically.

"But Maiii.."

" No zuko, I've had it, I-..."

Izumi stood watching with a gaunt smirk on her face, oblivious to the boy sneaking away slowly behind her and running away.

It took her while to realize she could no longer feel a presence behind her and sighed.

He was gone and something told her he wasn't coming back anytime soon.

She made a mental note to herself later that night. Always use the back door when coming home from dates.

~~~~~~

Weeelll ? Whatya think? Comment and let me know your thoughts.

Let me know if you wanna see Zuko ruin some more of Izumis dates :)

#maiko #izumi #maiko week 2020 #zuko #mai #story #funny #druk #avatar the last airbender #zuko story #writer

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paper-chain-queen · 4 years

Text

Once Upon A Dream *1*

Bakugou X FReader

Sleeping Beauty X Bakugou

Sidenote: I made the reader a brown girl but imagine her however ;p I just liked imagining it that way.

Rating: Teen.... because Bakugou I guess

Words: 8,000+

Summary: Super unorginal, fairy tale re-told again with little twists here and there. Please enjoy :)

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Two small children jumped on their plush beds as they threw pillows at each other, their giggles vibrating around the room. The door opened, but the playing did not stop.

"I thought I told you two rascals that it was bedtime." The man laughed as he entered the room and tried to get the two kids to calm down.

"Uncle! Tell us a story!" The little girl begged as she leapt off the bed and pulled on the man's sleeve, her large eyes made him give in quickly, and he let out a sigh as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Fine, I know one. But you have to be still, no more jumping on the bed." He reasoned, and the two kids nodded and quickly got into their beds and under the blanket's covers, getting comfortable and looking to him.

"Tell us, please!" They said in unison, and the man pulled up a chair between the two.

The man didn't need a book, he knew this tale by heart.

"Once upon a time, there lived a King and his fair Queen. Many years had they longed for a child, and finally, their wish was granted. A daughter was born, and they called her Aruna. They named her after the dawn, for she filled their lives with sunshine."

"Was she beautiful?" The young boy asked as he cuddled one of his many stuffed animals.

"The most beautiful."

"Was she strong?" The little girl asked with fire in her eyes.

"I hear she had a pretty good right hook... now shush if you want to hear the rest." He teased the kids, and they both zipped their lips and waited for their favourite uncle to continue the story.

"Then a great holiday was proclaimed throughout the kingdom so that all of high or low estate might pay homage to the infant princess. And our story begins on that most joyful day."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Joy and music filled the capital, people from all corners came to the kingdom, the streets filled with the many colourful banners of different households and the men and women in taverns gave cheers to the little princess.

Thus, on this great and joyous day, did all the kingdom celebrate the long-awaited royal birth. And the good King Nadir and his Queen Sabina made welcome their lifelong friend.

"Their Royal highness's, King Enji, Queen Rei and Prince Shouto!" The royal announcer's voice bounced off the grand halls as a large, towering man with bright red hair and matching locks walked into the hall. He was followed by his reserved wife with hair as white as snow who carried their young toddler with bi-coloured hair and curious heterochromatic eyes.

Fondly had these monarchs dreamed one day their kingdoms to unite.

The two men shared a friendly handshake, and Enji clapped his friend on the back, hitting him harder than he intended, but the good King Nadir just laughed it off and asked if they had a pleasant journey.

"Any news from those barbarians?"

"Now, Now Enji, they are not as bad as they seem, they're a fascinating people and very intelligent. They would be good allies to have. Their dragon warriors are second to none." The King tried to explain but long time friend who sneered at the very idea of working with the foreign people.

" All I know is that their leader is terrifying and completely unladylike, and apparently they have a little prince of their own," Enji warned his friend, and the good King just chuckled and told him not to worry so much.

"I sent them an invitation, but we haven't seen any of the dragon tribe." He said, even looking around the room to see if they had somehow missed their announcement.

"Good, hopefully, it will stay that way." King Enji scoffed, and the new father just shook his head, not letting his untrusting friend ruin this happy day.

Queen Rei placed her son on the floor and gestured for him to bow to the King and Queen, who smiled at him kindly as he did a clumsy bow. The white-haired Queen curtsied to the majesties of the land, and they smiled and welcomed her, glad they had both been able to make the long journey with their son.

Thus, today would they announce that Shouto, Enji's youngest son and heir, to The King's child would be betrothed.

Queen Rei held her young two-year-olds hand as they approached the small basket where the little princess lay. The Queen Rei lifted him on to her hip so he could look into the crib, and Queen Sabina joined them.

And so to her, his gift he brought. And looked unknowing on his future bride.

The little princess reached out and seemed to be waving at the strangers, causing the women to coo over how adorable she was while Shouto tilted his head, slightly confused by the tiny princess.

Light shined down on the grand hall, and three figures started to take form as they floated down.

"Their most honoured and exalted excellencies', the three good fairies!" The announcer's voice boomed through the hall.

" Mistress Momo!" The black-haired fairy in a dress with red and pinks smiled and waved politely at the crowd.

"Mistress Ochako!" The blue fairy skipped across the hall once she landed and gave a bright smile, her natural pink cheeks giving her a youthful look.

" Mister Izuku!" The freckled fairy in all green garb landed on the polished marble and looked a little nervous as he fiddled with his wand, muttering about what kind of gift he could give, there were so many options, and Izuku could only give one, and he hoped it would be enough.

The blue fairy held his hand to try and snap him out it, but he only blushed and looked like he passed out for a moment before Momo told them both to 'please behave.'

The three used their little wings and glided over to the crib to get their first look at the little princess. They all cooed and gushed as they admired the innocent babe.

"The little darling." Momo gushed and wished the little princess could remain small forever.

"She's so tiny! Look at her little fingers." Ochako reached in, and the baby held on of the fairy's fingers, giggling as she did so.

"She'll be an adult before we know it. Human lives seem to move so quickly." Izuku pointed out.

The three fairies then went to pay their respects to the good King and Queen.

"Your majesties." They all said together as they gave a respectful bow, and the King and Queen asked them to rise for they were friends.

"Each of us may bless the child with a single gift, no more and no less," Momo told them and then approached the crib to give her gift, bringing out her wand and taking a breath.

"Little Princess, my gift shall be the gift of beauty. "

The red fairy waved her wand up above the crib, and glittery fogs of pinks floated around the two, and a chorus seemed to come to life.

One gift, beauty rare

Raven locks that flow and shine

Skin blessed and loved by the sun

Lips that shame the red, red rose

She'll walk with springtime where ever she goes

Momo finished her spell and smiled kindly at the girl as she backed away, and her friend and fellow fairy stepped up.

"Tiny princess, my gift shall be the gift of song," Ochako said with glee as she gazed down at the newborn whose large eyes were trained on the movement of her wand. A haze of light blue smoke with specks of glittery stars appeared above the crib, and a chorus sang out again.

One gift, the gift of song

Melody her whole life long

The nightingale's her troubadour

Bringing his sweet serenade to her door

The spell ended, and the sparkles fell into the crib and dissipated into thin air, but that didn't stop the small baby from trying to grab the magic in her hands.

Ochako giggled at the sight and then dragged Izuku over so he could give his gift. The nervous green fairy took a deep breath and finally decided what his gift to the child would be.

"Sweet Princess, my gift shall be-"

The last fairy was interrupted, and a foul wind blew through the door and lighting struck in the middle of the courtyard, a green flamed formed, and the crowd all gasped in fright.

Out of the menacing green flames, a person was revealed, menacing gold eyes looked over the crowd, and a mask was on his face in the shape of a terrifying beak, a long sceptre in his hand. He wore a black suit with a long jacket that had dark purple fur trim and gloves. He would have been considered handsome, but his gold yes were drenched in disgust, and malicious intent oozed from his very presence.

"Overhaul!" The King shouted as he stepped in front of his Queen and daughter, as if to hide them from the menace's gaze.

"What does he want here?" Ochako asked Momo as she glared at the intruder, and the red fairy shushed her.

"Well, quite a glittering assemblage, King Nadir. Royalty, nobility, the gentry, and.. Oh.. hoe quaint. Even the rabble." Overhaul commented as he eyed the small fairies who looked no older than teenagers. Ochako leapt forward as if to fight, but Momo and Izuku held her back.

"I really felt quite distressed at not receiving an invitation." He sighed as dusted off the dirt that didn't appear to exist off his coat and coughed slightly.

"You weren't wanted." Ochako sneered, wishing her two friends would let her give Overhaul a piece of her mind.

"Not want-... Well then, what an awkward situation. I had hoped it was merely due to some oversight. Well, in that event, I'd best be on my way." Overhaul decided, seemingly done with the whole ordeal.

The King had a terrifying glare on his face and was about to say something, but his queen laid her hand on his forearm t try and calm him down. Hoping to salvage the situation.

"We hope that you're not offended, Your Excellency?" The beautiful queen asked, using her diplomatic tone.

"Why, no Your Majesty." The way Overhaul said 'Majesty' felt dirty as if he was taunting her.

"And to show I bear no ill will, I too shall bestow a gift on the child." He declared as he stepped forward, his black sceptre clicking on the ground with each step.

Overhaul looked over at the cradle where the little princess laid, and the three fairies were quick to stand in front of it. He smirked at the action though no one could see it beneath his mask.

"Listen well, all of you!" He proclaimed as he lifted his arms and then slammed his sceptre to the marble floor, the sound echoing around the room.

"The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty, beloved by all who know her. But, before the sun sets on her 18th birthday, she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning well and die!" He cursed the innocent child.

Overhauls magic gave a vision of a grown but still young princess Aruna, lying dead on a marble slate, a coffin.

The Queen let out a cry and rushed to hold her child, keeping the little princess close to her chest as if her arms could protect the little princess from Overhaul's curse.

Overhaul only cackled at the sight, knowing that there was nothing anyone could do save the child from his 'gift.'

"Seize that creature!!!!" The King ordered his guards, and every guard in the hall leapt into action armed with spears and swords.

"Stand back, you germ-infested fools!" He yelled as he raised his arms and was bathed in the green flames. Thunder rumbled, and the guards looked on in terror. Too frightened to move.

Overhaul laughed at their faces and disappeared into the flames, his laugh still echoing through the halls of the court, leaving a chill down everyone's back.

The celebration was over. There was no more laughter or cheers, just whispers of worry and fright.

The distraught queen cradled her child close to her heart and looked up to her King, hoping he would have an answer to save their child.

"Don't despair, Your Majesties. Izuku still has his gift to give." The Momo pointed out, giving the parents some hope.

"Then, he can undo this fearful curse?" The King asked as he looked to the green male fairy who was staring at his wand with determination. But nothing came to mind, and his shoulders sagged with slight defeat.

"No, sire." He admitted, fidgeting with his fingers, his entire being drenched with nervousness.

"Overhaul's powers are far too great," Momo explained though she wished they could do more for the innocent princess.

"But, he can help." Ochako encouraged, fully confident in Izuku's ability.

But...." Izuku tried to look to his friends for help, uncertain that he would be enough.

"Just do your best, Izuku." Momo looked at him in earnest, and Izuku gulped, really feeling all the pressure.

Everyone watched as Izuku stood there, fidgeting and muttering, trying to think of something he could do. The longer they waited, and the more he muttered, the more the King and Queen felt uncertain.

Izuku thought hard as he racked his brain and realized that there was a magic in the world that could stop Overhaul's cruel curse.

It was this or nothing.

"Sweet princess, if through this wicked man's trick a spindle should your finger prick, a ray of hope there still may be in this, the gift I give to thee." Voiced Izuku as he waved his wand at the princess, who seemed oblivious to all that was around her. She looked at Izuku and locked her large eyes onto his green ones, and she had a giant smile on her face.

"Not in death, but just in sleep. The fateful prophecy you'll keep. And from this slumber, you shall wake, when true love's kiss the spell shall break." He spoke softly as he smiled at the little princess, hopeful that this would save her and prove that there was something more potent than Overhaul's cruel magic.

For true love conquers all.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The party was over, everyone had returned to their homes but the three fairies who stayed in the courtroom. All in the castle could hear the Queen's painful sobs as she feared for her daughter's life, and the King was ordering his men to stay on guard in case Overhaul decided to return.

Ochako flew about the room in her own distress. Flying in circles as she tried to think of what else they could possibly do.

The blue fairy let out an angry huff, and Momo only shook her head and made a teapot and cups appear out thin air.

"Now, come have a nice cup of tea, dear. I'm sure it'll work out somehow." Momo tried to comfort, even though she wasn't sure she believed it at that moment.

True loves kiss did seem farfetched, but if that was their best bet, then what else could they do.

"The guards won't stop Overhaul." Izuku pointed out as he took a cup of tea and thanked Momo.

"Oh, I'd like to turn Overhaul into a fat, old chicken." Ochako huffed as she grabbed a cup of tea and created a few cookies, eating them angrily as she sipped on her tea.

"Now, dear, that isn't a very nice thing to say." Momo scolded her fairy friend.

"Besides, we can't. You know our magic doesn't work that way." Izuku pointed out, though he did admire Ochako's strong spirit.

"It can only do good, dear, to bring joy and happiness," Momo explained, delicately stirring her tea before taking a sip.

"Well, that would make me happy." Ochako huffed as she hovered a bit off the ground, her wings fluttering furiously.

"But, there must be some way......" Izuku began to mutter again, and the other two fairies could only watch, hoping he would come up with a plan soon.

"There is!" The green fairy jumped up and hovered off the ground, and the other two listened intently to what he had to say.

After firing ideas back and forth, they finally agreed to a plan. The three good fairies came together with their plan to the King and Queen They would raise the little princess deep in the woods and only return when it was deemed safe after 18th birthday.

So, the King and his Queen watched with heavy hearts as their most precious possession, their only child, disappeared into the night.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Many sad and lonely years passed by For King Nadir and his people. But as the time for the princess's 18th birthday drew near, the entire kingdom began to rejoice. For everyone knew that as long as Overhaul's domain the Forbidden Mountain, thundered with his wrath and frustration, his evil prophecy had not yet been fulfilled.

A crumbling castle sat at the top of the dark and foreboding mountain, thunder rumbled, and lightning crackled, an ominous green fog flooded the area. Inside the throne room, Overhaul paced around, yelling at his minions in frustration.

"It's incredible!" He boomed, his voice filling every corner.

"Eighteen years and not a trace of her! She couldn't have vanished into thin air!" Overhaul explained, mystified over the missing princess.

"Are you sure you searched everywhere?" He asked his minions, who all nodded with fervour.

"Yes, uh, yes, everywhere. We all did." The 'captain' of his minions explained.

"Yes, yes!" All of the minions began babbling.

"And what about the town? The forest? The mountains?!" Overhaul asked, making sure they didn't idiotically miss a spot.

"Yep, we searched mountains, forests...and house and, uh... Let me see. And all the cradles." The minion boasted, proud of how high and low he and his comrades searched.

"Cradle?" Overhaul raised his brow, his gold eyes widening.

"Yep, yep. Every cradle." He laughed as he mimed a cradle, moving back and forth with his hands.

"Cradle!" Overhaul yelled in disbelief.

"Did you hear that, my pet? All these years, they've been looking for a baby." He began laughing hysterically, holding his stomach and all the minions started to laugh with him. It wasn't often that their leader laughed, but they assumed it was a good thing.

"FOOLS!!" Overhaul yelled, lifting his hands in the air.

"IDIOTS!!! IMBECILES!" Overhaul created lighting from his staff and shot it at the large crowd of minions, and they all screamed and as they tried to avoid their leader's wrath.

Overhaul let out a massive sigh in disappointment as the throne room emptied, and he went to his large stone throne.

"They're hopeless. A disgrace to the forces of evil." He told the black crow, the only one he could truly trust.

"My pet. You are my last hope." Overhaul realized as he had the crow hop onto his gloved hand and made his way to the window.

"Circle far and wide. Search for a maid of 18, with hair of raven, and lips red as the rose. Go and do not fail me." He told the crow as he sent the intelligent bird on his mission, watching as the black wings disappeared from overhaul's sight.

And so for 18 long years, the whereabouts of the princess remained a mystery. While deep in the forest, in a woodcutter's cottage, the good fairies carried out their well-laid plan. Living like mortals, they had reared the child as their own and called her (Y/N).

A beautiful young woman opened the shutters to her bedroom window as she sang, using a cloth to wipe away any dirt or grim from the sill. She had the beauty of her mother and more, the fairies gifts had done their work as she walked with elegance and grace and had a voice that would make even the birds in the forest envious.

On this, her 18th birthday, the good fairies had planned a party. And something extra special for a surprise.

The three fairies who were posing as regular humans gathered around a table, looking through dress designs.

"Well, how about this one?" Izuku asked, he didn't really know anything about clothes, he thought they all would look nice on the hidden princess.

"This is the one I picked." Momo pointed to a design in the book, a three-piece set with a long, full skirt, a cropped blouse and a matching veil.

"Oh, she'll look beautiful in that." Ochako gushed as she leaned in to get a better look.

"Maybe make some changes here and -" Momo continued, and Izuku could only watch as the two girls conversed about the dress for (y/n).

"Don't forget to put lots of pretty beading and sparkle!" Ochako practically bounced with excitement. They had loved and raised the beautiful (y/n) and given her all that three fairies without magic could do, but she was growing more and more curious about the outside world, and it was time for her to be reunited with her parents and taught who she really was.

"Yes, and a few extra layers for a dramatic effect." Momo decided, very proud of her designs. She had never made anything like this, but she had read a how-to book and was confident in her skills.

"We'll make it blue! A nice, pretty blue will look perfect!" Ochako cheered as she pumped her fists but was quickly shot down by Momo.

"Oh, no, pink."

"But.."

"Of course, we need lots of fabric." Momo had already made her decision and was planning everything out while Ochako sat there pouting.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

(y/n) came down the stairs with a broom in hand and caught a bit of her caretakers' conversation.

"Yes, but how are we gonna get her out of the house?"

"I'll think of something." And they all giggled like children with a secret.

The beautiful (y/n) smiled at the scene and shook her head, a soft smile on her face.

While she had never known her real parents, she felt like she had three perfectly good ones in Ochako, Momo, and Izuku, who cared and loved her with everything they had. Even though sometimes it would feel a bit lonely from time to time, not that she would ever say anything as to not hurt their feelings.

Besides, she had her friends in the forest; she could always talk to when she needed someone. But today... today was her 18th birthday, and she was hoping to ask for something special. A chance to see the world.

The three continued to whisper around something on the table, and the girl decided to make her presence known.

"Well, and what are you three up to?" (y/n) asked as she slightly raised a brow.

They all gasped and crowded the table to hide the dress design.

"Up to?" They all said in perfect unison and (y/n) couldn't help but giggle.

"Well, well, we... uh... " Izuku began to stammer as they tried to come up with an excuse and (y/n) tilted her head as she watched with a knowing smile.

"We want you to pick some berries!" Ochako decided as she looked around for a basket.

"But I picked berries yesterday." (y/n) pointed out, she even gestured to the full basket of berries sitting on the kitchen counter.

"We.. we need you to fetch some water!" Izuku jumped in as he looked for the metal water jar.

"But, we have water right here." (y/n) explained, they lived right by the river and had a working mill and everything, they must really want her out of the house.

"We need it from much further up the river! The freshest cleanest spot you can find, you know the spot where we used to picnic!"Izuku shoved a large jar into her hands, and the others led her to the door.

Momo placed a long dark purple scarf on top of (y/n)'s head and wrapped it around her shoulders, it matched her simple purple skirt that barely brushed against her ankles and cropped blouse.

It would be a far walk, but the fairies needed (y/n) to be busy with something. They rushed her out the door and (y/n) let them, she liked walking through the forest anyway and enjoyed feeling the fresh grass beneath her bare feet as she sang with the birds.

"Now, don't hurry back, dear!" Momo called from the door as she waved.

"And don't speak to strangers." Izuku reminder her.

(y/n) had never seen a stranger in the woods and doubted she would today.

They all gave her their hurried goodbyes and (y/n) turned and waved back at them.

As (y/n) left their sight, the fairies got to work right away on a cake and dress that was made for a princess. Hoping they could get by one more day without their powers.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

As (y/n) walked through the forest carrying the water jug, she began to vocalize, a sweet tune echoing through the woods, alerting her animal friends that she was there.

A few nearby birds heard the tune and repeated it back to her, chirping as they flew done to the forest floor.

(Y/n) sang again and a small blue bird appeared before her, chirping the same song, the bird landed on the low branch of a tree and (y/n) approached, singing again and another bird flew down and landed on a nearby branch.

Both chirped the tune that (y/n) was singing. She laid out her hand, and the birds used her fingers as a perch, she brought them close to her face, and the songbirds gave her cheeks a soft peck, making the young beauty smile and giggle. She waved them off her hand and sang again as she continued to walk along the forest path that she knew by heart.

As she sang, the birds went through the forest, alerting the other animals that (y/n) had arrived. A squirrel heard the song and started scampering around the tree, waking the other animals and forcing an owl out of its hole and pushing him off the branch.

The owl spread it's wings and floated down towards the ground, hooting along to the song as (y/n) caught him in the water basin. She sang to him, and the old owl cuddled into her face as he tried to sing along. She smiled at her little entourage and let the owl sit in the water basin as she walked along, crossing a fallen log to get to another side of the ravine.

While she walked, her song caught another's ears.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ash-blonde hair whipped through the wind as the boy and his dragon flew up high above the forest. The red dragon was circling the forest. His superior ears had caught something, and without his rider's okay had lowered down from the clouds, now flying just up above the trees.

"OI! What's the big idea!" Bakugou yelled at the red dragon, but the giant beast ignored him, trying to hear again for the sweet song.

"I outta-" Bakugou was ready to curse and scream but the most beautiful sound stopped him and he tried to listen more.

The giant red dragon knew what had stopped the young prince, and a smirk crossed his face, showing off his sharp teeth.

"You hear that, shitty dragon?" Bakugou asked as he looked around, trying to hear the sweet sound again.

Eijirou turned his head to look back at his rider, who was looking down into the forest. The dragon wasn't the one enjoying the tune. The sweet sound came again, and Eijirou watched as Bakugou became entranced.

"... It's beautiful...What is it?" Bakugou thought out loud, his volatile walls coming down.

He heard it again, but it sounded like it was getting farther away, and the dragon wasn't about to let that happen.

"Woah, what the hell are you doing!?" Bakugou yelled at his dragon, but Eijirou was trying to find the sound, if the barbarian prince liked the music then it must be something special, and he needed to be a good dragon and help his friend and rider.

But the forest was thick, and Eijirou was a large dragon, the landing would be a problem. His eyes scanned the woods, looking for an opportunity while his rider practically screamed in his ear to slow down.

Finally, there appeared to be an opportunity, and without giving his rider warning, the red dragon dived down towards the clearing and didn't even realize that Bakugou had lost his grip and let go of the saddle.

Eijirou landed proudly into the large grass clearing but heard a loud splash in the river next to him. He looked over, and the ferocious prince Bakugou looked like a drowned cat as he made his way out of the water. The dragon couldn't help but laugh, and the angry prince took off his soaking wet boot and threw it at him.

"Damn, Shitty Dragon! What the hell was that for??!!" Bakugou yelled, his red eyes glaring holes into the dragon who gave him an apologetic look. The prince told the dragon off as he took off his wet clothes and laid them on a few branches to dry.

"Just great.." He muttered.

Not only had he lost the mysterious siren, but he was soaked.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Meanwhile, back at the cabin, things were in chaos.

Momo, who had never sewn a dress in her life, was convinced that reading from a book would be enough as she started cutting into the pink fabric. Ochako was being used as a model and was still pouting that the material was pink and not blue.

Poor Izuku was trying to bake a multi-levelled cake and was still trying to figure out what the book meant when it said ' fold eggs in the batter.'

"Gently?" He read the text out loud and looked uncertainly at the eggs and then just decided to follow the book and placed the whole eggs in the bowl and fold them in, hearing them crack.

"No, that can't be right..." He muttered as he scratched his head.

It was a mystery how these three were able to raise a child from infancy.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

(y/n) came to her favourite spot on the riverside. Instead of immediately collecting water and going back, she decided to enjoy the beautiful day, sitting on the grassy riverside and humming as a small deer laid its head on her lap.

She watched as two bunnies hopped along beside each other, nuzzling now and then.

She loved her family, she really did. But... it was a bit lonely. (y/n) had never met anyone outside of her own house, and her only friends were the animals of the forest. She loved them and was grateful for them but...

(y/n) turned her head and caught two birds, flying together till they landed on a branch and cuddled and (y/n) felt her heart longing.

I wonder

I wonder why each little bird has a someone

To sing to sweet things to

A gay little love melody

The deer that was resting with her raised its head at the song and gave her a perplexed look. She scratched under the deer's chin before getting up a dusting herself off. The beautiful young woman approached the tree that contained the love birds and leaned back against the tree, gazing up at the sky.

I wonder

If my heart keeps singing

Will my song go winging

To someone who'll find me

And bring back a love song to me

Her imagination took wing as she thought of what could be out there for her or who might find her in the forest. A dreamy sigh leaving her lips as she continued to stare up at the passing clouds.

"Oh, well...." She sighed as she closed her eyes and rolled over. All the animals looked at each other, wondering what was wrong.

"Why do they still treat me like a baby?" (y/n) asked, and the owl flew over and let out a hoot that sounded like "Who?".

"Aunt Momo and Ochako and Uncle Izuku." She shrugged as she got up and walked closer to the water's edge, placing her toes in the water.

"They never want me to meet anyone...." she looked into the water reflection, and she didn't see a child. She was nearly an adult, and she had never had the chance to go out into the world or meet anyone.

All the animals chirped and made little sounds, trying to console her, and she looked around at them and decided to tell them a secret.

" But you wanna know something?" She asked the forest creatures around them, and they all nodded vigorously, which caused her to let out a little giggle.

"I fooled them! But you must promise to never tell....." She asked the animals, and she booped the owl on his beak. The animals all swore to keep her secret.

"The truth is... I have met someone." And at this reveal, even more animals came in, wanting to hear the juicy details.

"Who?" The owl hooted, his large eyes looking into her's for answers. (Y/n) gave a knowing smile and got up, walking away from the river bank and the animals who then chased her. The owl constantly hooting 'who?' 'who?'.

"Oh? a prince." She revealed, a large smile on her red lips. The birds chirped in her face, asking for details.

"Well.... he's tall." (y/n) explained and hovered her hand a good foot above her own height.

"And handsome.. and strong..." She listed and then got a dreamy look in her face.

"And romantic.." She let out a massive sigh, her heart just racing.

"Oh.... we walked together...talked together... and just before we say goodbye.." She twirled as she spoke of their date together, and the animals all followed close behind, hungry for more details.

"He takes me in his arms...." She wrapped her own arms around her to emphasize her prince's actions. But it wasn't the same as the large, strong arms her prince had, no it didn't compare to that feeling of being held.

"And then... I wake up." She sadly put as she dropped her arms and looked to the grass, and all the birds started twittering until all sighing in disappointment with her.

"Yes, it's only in my dreams.. pathetic, isn't it...." She voiced, but then she saw the sad look on the animals' faces and decided to at least give them a little. She sat down by the water's edge and put her hand in the water, creating ripples.

"but they say... if you dream a thing more than once, then it's bound to come true..." She let out a dreamy sigh, hope still alive in her heart.

The squirrel that was sitting on a tall tree let out a sigh as well, hoping that his friend got the prince she was dreaming of. As he looked off into the distant woods, he noticed something rather odd.

A large piece of red fabric hanging on a branch. The little squirrel got excited and called up some of their forest friends, including some birds and the owl, pointing to what he had seen. The owl then stretched out his wings and told them the idea he had.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

" You know.... there was something off about that voice... it wasn't that pretty. Must be the wind playing tricks or something.... yeah, that's what it is." Bakugou reasoned as he rested on a rock, waiting for his boots and cloak to dry.

The crimson-scaled dragon let out a snort, he knew what he heard, and it wasn't the wind. That had been a girl singing, and now his rider wouldn't admit to the pretty sound that had him completely entranced earlier.

They both heard a strange noise and looked over only to see that Bakugou's clothes had come to life and were flying and hopping away.

Bakugou scrambled to get up and after them, cursing after the animals. Eijirou was just going to enjoy his nap and wait for the prince's return.

..-.-.-.--.-.-.-.

Once back by the river bank that (y/n) was lounging on, the squirrel wrapped the deep red cloak around the owl's neck and the strange crown of bones and jewels they had got, placing it awkwardly on the owls head.

The owl puffed out his chest in pride over this wonderful idea, hoping to make (y/n) happy.

The squirrel organized the bunnies in the boots, making sure they lined up with the owl in his fur-lined red cape. The squirrel then motioned for the owl to drop down and drop down he did, right in the boots and then fell over. A few birds helped out and carried part of the cloak as if it were arms.

It was a full proof disguise, and the owl puffed out his chest, and the team started marching forward, one bunny hop at a time.

(Y/N) was sitting on the riverbank with a bunny in her lap, petting it fondly as she hummed a familiar tune.

In an instant, all the animals scatted from her, and she heard the owl's call. She looked behind her, and there were a few of her dear animal friends, wearing mysterious clothes and walking as if they were a proud prince. Her heart soared at how thoughtful her friends were but couldn't hold back a giggle at the funny sight.

"Why? It's my dream prince." (y/n) giggled as the crown on the owl head slightly slipped, but it didn't seem to bother him all that much.

"Your highness." She curtsied to her 'prince' and the animals in disguise did the same.

She twirled closer to the red-caped 'prince' and stopped right in front of him, the bird's holding the cape used the material to wrap around her.

" I'm not really supposed to talk to strangers... but we've met before." She flirted as she started to swing her hips and sing a song that had been in her heart for many moons.

I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream

I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam

She twirled on the grass, and her long skirt flowed out as she danced, she grabbed onto the red cape and made her 'prince' dance with her. It wasn't how she imagined her first real dance with a prince, but this was still a fun time.

And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem

But if I know you, I know what you'll do

(Y/n) was so caught up in her fantasy that she didn't notice the ruby-red eyes peeking around a bush, entranced by her movement and her song. The beauty was as carefree as a songbird with her enchanting voice.

Bakugou's jaw dropped when he finally found the culprit behind this whole fiasco, no longer angry about his stolen clothes as he watched her gracefully glide across the grass without a care in the world. Streams on sunlight dancing on her glowing skin and bouncing off her luxurious dark locks as she spun across the meadow.

You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream

(y/n) sang to the owl in his cape and made the arms wrap around her as she danced, and Bakugou knew where he belonged. He had let that owl take his spot long enough. He knew the words, all he had to do was find an opening.

The beautiful girl was twirling and having a grand time, enjoying the gorgeous day and her handsome date.

But if I know you, I know what you'll do

You'll love me at once

Bakugou snatched the owl by HIS cape and trapped him on a nearby branch while the girl had her back turned and gently as he could to slide into place, taking her hands in his, and she seemed to be too lost in dreamland to notice, and he couldn't stop himself from smirking at her trusting nature. The dragon prince decided to join in song, unable to stop the words that so easily flew from his lips.

The way you did once upon a dream

(y/n) was shocked when a deep baritone voice sang with her, and in her shock, she swiftly turned around and threw a punch right at the stranger's face, just like Uncle Izuku and Aunt Ochako had taught her.

"Shit!!! Goddammit!!" Yelled the stranger as he held his face and backed away.

"Oh, my goodness! I'm so sorry!! " (y/n) apologized as she tried to move forward and try to see the damage, but he turned away, and all you saw was his back.

His bare... naked...back.... he wasn't wearing a shirt and poor (y/n) felt her face go entirely flush and her heart raced.

"Shit... that's what I get, I guess... not a bad right hook." He muttered, and then he finally turned around. He thought the girl was pretty before, but damn he knew he was in love now. Pretty and can throw a punch? That's his girl.

"Look... I didn't mean to frighten you." He pouted as he crossed his arms and stared and (y/n) felt her heart beating a million times a minute. He wasn't the prince she had dreamed of... no, he was something she could never dream of, he was better. His spiky ash-blonde hair, his muscular physique, but most beautiful of all was his red eyes that would but a ruby to shame.

"You.. it wasn't that... it's just that you're a ...a..." (y/n) uttered as she tried to keep her distance, handsome or not, he was still a strange shirtless man in the woods.

"A stranger??" the man finished for her as he grabbed her wrist to keep her from getting too far.

(y/n) nodded at his answer, and he only smirked, his slightly sharp teeth making (y/n)'s skin grew hot. This had to be a dream. Nobody looked like that. Even with the red mark from where she had punched, he still looked handsome.

"Well, aren't you a forgetful, don't you remember sunshine? We've met before." He insisted and (Y/n) blushed over the nickname he had given her.

"We--We have?"

" Well come on... you said so yourself.. Once upon a dream." He teased as he smirked at her and (y/n) pouted and ripped her hand away from him, not appreciating that he was making fun of her.

"Dammit- I didn't... shit." Bakugou rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He was a prince, and he had no problem getting girls, they flocked to him, but he never gave them the time of day. They were nobodies.

Now he had someone he actually wanted, and he had already messed it up. His mother was right... he was a bonehead.

He watched as she walked further and further away from him. She picked up a jar off the ground and hopped on a few stones to get to the other side of the river.

But.... she looked back at him, and that meant it wasn't hopeless. For she had sunshine in her eyes.

He walked to the water's edge and watched as she filled the water jug, looking to him now and then but staying silent.

Bakugou waited for something, anything. And then it happened as he leant down to the water's edge and looked at the reflection of the beautiful girl's face. There was a slight smirk on her face, and their eyes met. Bakugou felt a smile cross his face and then there was a splash of water, and he was completely soaked. Again.

He shook his wet and looked over to see the girl laughing, a bright smile on her face. Bakugou should have been angry, but...he wanted to spend the rest of his days with that smile.

Bakugou kicked the river and sent some water flying her way, causing her to scream in laughter and then she got up and ran, laughing as she raced, her water jug left behind. The dragon prince took chase, enjoying this game.

He sprinted through the river and climbed up on the other side, quickly catching up with the girl who was 'hiding' behind a tree. (Y/N) was looking around, and Bakugou could see a smile on her face, her cheeks flushed from running.

Slowly making his way around the tree, careful not to make any sound until the right moment.

"Gotcha!" He yelled as he grabbed (y/n) around the waist, and she laughed as Bakugou swung her around and soon, he was leading her in dance across the meadow. Singing her sweet song as it had forever been stamped on his heart.

I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream

I know you, that gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam

And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem

But if I know you, I know what you'll do

You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream

Once they finally stopped dancing, Bakugou took her hand in his and walked along the forest path until they came to an empty spot with a perfect view of a beautiful castle in the far distance.

"Tell me your name," Bakugou asked as he traced patterns on the back of her hand with his thumb, her hands were so soft while his were rough and he would make sure they stayed that way, his queen would have no need to overwork her precious skin. It was only his to mark.

" (y/n)..." She said so gently, never wanting this moment to end, praying it wasn't only a dream.

" (y/n)... " He tested it on his lips and hearing it from his gruff voice made (y/n)'s stomach flutter.

"And yours?" She asked as she gazed up at him, curled comfortably into his side.

"Katsuki." He revealed and (y/n) tried it out, and Bakugou knew the many ways he wished to hear it from her soft lips.

" I like it..."

"It's okay."

"It's beautiful." (y/n) complimented, and Bakugou felt his face flush, embarrassed at how she had so much power over him.

(Y/n) gazed over the horizon as she saw the sun's position in the sky, she felt a jolt of panic.

" I have to go!!" She jumped up and started scrambling back through the forest, not believing how much time had passed, it had gone by so quickly.

'Wait! What the hell?! Where are you going!?" He yelled as he chased after her, jumping over logs and rocks.

"I'm supposed to be home, they're planning a surprise." (Y/n) said in a rush as she found her water jug and quickly filled it up in the fresh waters of the river.

"A surprise? Who? What's going on?" Bakugou asked, his head spinning over how quickly everything was happening.

"Oh... my family. It's my birthday." (y/n) explained as she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and Bakugou felt his heart do a flip, he needed to find a gift for her... he also needed to tell his mother that he found her. (y/n) was the girl he was going to marry.

"When can I see you again?"

"Never."

"Never?!?!!"

"Ahh! I mean... how about tonight?"

"Tonight?! Where?" He asked, still a little out of sorts. The mysterious beauty now had a name, but she was still full of secrets. (y/n) ran back up and stared up into his eyes, as if taking in every feature, treasuring every detail. She gently reached up and placed a soft kiss on his cheek before running off again into the forest.

"The little cabin in the woods! Come after dark!" (y/n) told him and long after she had disappeared around the bend,

Bakugou remained. He reached up and touched the spot on his cheek, it felt warm.

"YES!! " He whooped as he clenched his fist, happy that no one was round to see him like this. He would kick his own ass if he was able to see himself right now, but none of that mattered. The dragon prince raced through the forest to retrieve all his belongings and then returned to Eijirou, who was peacefully napping in a forest clearing.

"C'mon shitty scales, we've gotta fly home and back. I've got an engagement gift to find." He told the dragon as he hopped onto the saddle, and soon they were off into the sky, and Bakugou's cheeks were starting to hurt from the dopey love-struck grin on his face.

It didn't matter if Bakugou was royalty or that (y/n) was a peasant girl, all that mattered that he had found the embodiment of sunshine. The dragon prince wasn't going to let anything get in his way.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

#bnha x reader #disney au #sleeping beauty #bakugou x reader #dragon prince bakugou #bakugou katsuki #bakugou katsuki x reader #fanfiction #fairytale au #bakugou is super ooc #sorry not sorry #i tried #bnha fantasy au

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tsubaki3192 · 4 years

Text

Snippets from the WIP’s I’m Currently Working on:

Bc I’m guilty as fuck for not posting anything for a while and I think I should Update ya’ll on what I’m doing xD Below Cut is a snippet from my Long-as-fuck BNHA fic on Quotev

Luck, Chapter 4: Not that you were implying anything, but it was simply the way Hideyoshi spoke about that Nobunaga that made you think they were more than just lord and vassal… A small grin adorned your lips in amusement but was dropped almost immediately afterwards, when you sensed Hideyoshi’s footsteps behind you.

Oh boy….

“What have I told you about walking down this corridor?! This leads you to the tenshu, where Nobunaga-sama resides.”

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Soulmate HC’s 1: Ikesen

MC/AU’s Background:

So your soulmate mark appears at birth. The symbol is different for everyone, and the first person/people to see the soulmate mark are always your parents. It’s a law that has been passed for the sake of privacy, given that people liked to expose other’s symbols online.

Yours is a number. You’ve heard of those. They’re dates, and supposedly they’re written in the colour of your soulmate’s eyes.

Usually, this would be fairly normal, except yours is a year, dates some time in the past.

So you’ve kept it a secret for your entire life, confused at the numbers tattooed on your collarbone, making up some kind of lie whenever you’d be asked what your soulmate symbol was.

----------------------------

[Fic Yet to be Titled]

i. Announcement

It was one fine afternoon that the castle town of Paris was in an uproar.

Hundreds of heavy footsteps flurried past, up and down the cobblestone streets and towards their homes; throttling towards stores and stalls filled with accessories, clothing and other detailed pieces in the hope of capturing the attention of their beautiful princess. The yellowing flyers tossed from vibrantly-coloured hot-air balloons and various high-strung balconies fluttered through the air and littered the ground in the thousands, capturing the attention of the wandering citizen’s below.

Above, the numerous loudspeakers boomed and crackled alongside the shouts of excitement.

“This is a message to the citizens of Paris. Please convene at the castle gates in two hours!”

----------------------------

Lovestruck, Hideyoshi x Reader/MC [Long Ver.]

It’s one morning during a full council that Hideyoshi finally realises that strange emotion buried deep within him. It comes after his lord declares to vassals that he has finally selected a wife: You. A trained- practised- gasp and blush erupts on your face. Your smile- a grin, perhaps- shines brightly past your surprised fingertips.

The pink rose on your cheeks was definitely real though, even if it remained to be seen if it was out of embarrassment or nerves. And the caramel-blond warlord could only watch on as you fall silent obviously overjoyed at the announcement.

And that life-creating organ in his chest constricts terribly.

When his raven-haired lord questioned if it was fine to marry you, Hideyoshi knows it’s just to humour him: After all, he was initially most suspicious of your behaviour when you first arrived. But the question was, and is, reasonable: There was no way his lord could ever know of the turmoil and predicament he was in.

For a few momentary seconds, he manages to brace himself to say “None, milord.”

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A Wish (a WIP Idk where I’m going with xD)

What, you wonder, would bring about a single wish?

You stroll quietly past the tens of stores in the open street mall, glancing through the windows every once so often. Sometimes your eyes brush past your reflection on the glassy screens and past the display shelves and to the wares beyond. And you wonder, what you would do with a single wish.

Your thoughts wander to that life you’ve dreamed about every night.

Fire. Steel against steel. And oh-so-familiar shouts of pain and anger.

But you can’t identify the voices. It’s not one, you know, but many. Screaming, yelling, shouting your name in a frantic scramble. Words of reassurance follow that, but all you can remember is that darkened video-like image flashing in your eyes. And then black.

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A R T I C U L A T E. BNHA x Reader, Chapter 58

Okay, okay.

Claiming that Tsukuyomi had leaped from the edge and ‘into the darkness of the night’ was a little… Incorrect (and admittedly quite melodramatic) to say the very least.

Rather, a very irritated (Y/N) had approached the male with a surprisingly obvious expression of discontentment before swinging her foot upwards and slamming her heel into his jaw. And rather than falling from the ledge, the god had clutched the location of the injury with a rather childish whine, remaining motionless even from the impact of the kick and the lack of clinging onto the windowsill.

“Ow….”

Lowering her leg, the female blinked and stomped- for the lack of a better term- towards the god, bending over until they were practically nose-to-nose. Breathing against the mask upon his face, she whispered to him; the sound of her voice barely reaching his ears.

“For the lack of anything reasonable, why is everyone I know childish idiots? Deal with those flowers yourself.”

And with her finger charged with light, she flicked him against his forehead- usually hard enough to leave a hole in a concrete slab- and sent him flying onto the bed of flowers below. Tsukuyomi landed with a decently soft grunt, given the distance and her sensitive hearing. And she snickered. Not even gods could withstand that much pressure and speed of fall, could they?

Yeah. Some ‘disappearing into the darkness’ that was.

#Ikemen Sengoku #My Writing #WIPs #Some of these are written for friends #Namely the Untitled Fic #and the Long ver of Lovestruck #Which also reminds me I havent updated Articulate in like 5 months #smh #why do i do this to mysel #f #BNHA #Ikemen vampire

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fericita-s · 4 years

Text

There’ll Be Dancing

Another story for the When all is Lost series that @the-spastic-fantastic and I have been torturing each other with. Major thanks to her for helping me get this story to where it is!

This is set before In Vino Veritas, during Agnarr’s 18th birthday celebration. The link to When All is Lost above goes to AO3, where all of the stories are in in order.

***

In the spring of 1843, the arrival of a new ship in the Arendelle harbor did not signify a new shipment of goods. Instead, it heralded the arrival of a new princess or lady or ridiculously wealthy daughter of a foreign merchant on her way to meet the king. Henrik tried to be present in the castle for as many of these visits as possible, dressed in his most fashionable attire with his hair slicked back. “You can’t marry them all, Agnarr, maybe one will see me and decide she can do better anyway!”

Agnarr was glad someone was having fun with this procession of women. His councilors, especially Captain Calder, impressed upon him the need to woo the kingdoms and merchants, if not the women. “It’s a sign of respect to host their eligible women and entertain the notion of marriage alliance and preferred trading status. This is delicate work, renegotiating trade agreements and tariffs,” Captain Calder had told him privately. “You be attentive to them and I will be attentive to the details of our kingdom’s interests.” Agnarr didn’t bother asking if his interests mattered. He knew it was his duty to maintain strong trade partners and forge new defense pacts with kingdoms known for military prowess. Arendelle had recovered well from its dark days following the Northern Expedition, but it remained a small kingdom with its security based on economic growth. Safe only so long as its ships carried goods all over Europe, supplying the continent’s booming population with ice and other essential exports.

Agnarr wasn’t particularly excited about the prospect of marrying someone in order to keep Arendelle strong. But, a marriage could quell worries that a neighboring country would become a hostile country. The Southern Isles were growing more powerful, Weselton always had an eye on expanding its influence, and any number of rich foreigners could bring new business and industry to Arendelle if marriage to the king was the incentive. Lady Wollen had carefully explained to him, while warning not to let it go to his head, that he was considered quite the eligible, young bachelor. In her role as Minister of State, she had been fielding numerous diplomatic match-making inquiries for the past four years. He understood. He was the king.

But every time he took Duchess Alexsandra from Weselton on a riding tour of the coast, or Lady Tunde on a bird watching trip within the castle grounds, or Princess Erzsebet on a walk to visit the new chocolate shop in the village, what filled his mind was visions of Iduna with her bare feet in the grass, picking up a worm and studying it. Iduna climbing a tree to better see the setting sun. Iduna directing where the gardens should be planted and which berries should be collected and which herbs were best for medicinal teas. Iduna, who had also been without a family too young, and who also knew what it was to be lonely and alone.

What he really wanted was to know if Iduna would be his wife. The council might not suggest it outright, but they wouldn’t prevent him from marrying someone of his own choice. A few times he had tried to talk to her about it. Before Princess Erzsebet’s ship arrived, he had asked Iduna to go with him to the chocolate shop to be sure it was suitable for his foreign guest. He had even tried to broach the subject of courtship and marriage, but it had not gone well. He went over the conversation in his mind again, trying to figure out how he could have been more clear about his feelings for her. He was able to communicate well in council meetings and when addressing his people as their King. So why was he always so inept around Iduna when it came to this part of his heart?

He thought he had started off rather chivalrously and very kingly, pulling out a chair for her and buying her several squares of different chocolate to taste. “Thank you for coming here with me. I know how hard it is for you to take time off from the apothecary.”

Iduna had smiled, one of her genuine, happy smiles and answered, “Oh, it’s not as busy as running a kingdom, but it’s nice to take a break! And this chocolate is delicious. I’ve been wanting to try this new shop for some time. It’s really lovely.”

Agnarr had been relieved their time together still felt as easy as it had when they were younger. He too smiled as he spoke. “Oh good, I wanted to be sure Princess Erzebet will be impressed. Captain Calder keeps telling me how important it is for us to maintain a good relationship with The Southern Isles, and if I accidentally poison her when she arrives in a few days, I think he might find a way to fire me.”

Agnarr had expected her to laugh at that, and was surprised when she stopped eating her piece of chocolate, put the remainder on her plate, and wiped her mouth. He continued talking to cover the sudden silence, offering her a piece of his chocolate. Perhaps he shouldn’t have mentioned poison while they were eating. “He’s really been concerned about a good alliance through marriage. I know the kingdom needs heirs and it’s expected of me, but it feels so strange to be sized up like a prize horse. I think, though, if I told him I preferred to decide on my own and wanted to pay formal court to one person, he would drop these scheduled visits. Do you think – “

But Iduna had cut him off, suddenly remembering that Mr. Visser needed her to restock the supplies that day. He had wanted to say that when he thought of what was best for him and what was best for Arendelle, it was her. That if she would have him, he would refuse any more visits from any more eligible ladies, and tell his council to make trade deals and alliances without the promise of marriage muddling it up.

Iduna, while open about so much - what she thought about steam locomotives or crop rotation or the latest novel from Denmark - did not say or even hint what she might be feeling about him. Ever. In his own clumsy way he had tried to ask over the years, but it came out wrong, or not at all, or she quickly changed the conversation. One day, before she had even taken the position at Visser’s Apothecary and was just starting to consider leaving the orphanage they had been having a particularly rousing debate on the benefits of expanding aquaculture versus funding deep sea fishing ventures. He followed her to the courtyard and asked her what her plans were for the future. “Do you think you will stay in Arendelle? I mean, I would like you to stay, and I think it would benefit the kingdom.” He had tried to take her hand, but she backed away, saying “Of course I’ll stay, no need to grab me to keep me here! I don’t think I could bear to leave my garden,” and he was left opening and closing his hand, as if he was just flexing his hand muscles while out for a walk on the grounds.

Now, as his eighteenth birthday was drawing close, the castle was to host a ball in celebration. All of the ladies who had visited previously would be making return trips, with several new ones attending to be presented for the first time. Agnarr had also secured places on the guest list for the graduates of the Royal Academy, Arendelle’s pride and hope for the future. Today Iduna was meeting him in the gardens – her gardens – to help him select the bouquets for the visiting dignitaries and ladies.

He met her at the castle gate and thanked her for coming. She seemed a bit more formal than usual. Perhaps whatever was bothering her the day they spent at the chocolate shop had not been resolved. As they walked the rows, he tried to start one of their easy and lively conversations by saying “Lady Wollen says the ladies should know that I picked the flowers, it makes it more meaningful. “

Instead of making a joke, or telling him the history and husbandry of the roses in the castle garden, Iduna sighed and straightened, putting a hand over her eyes to shield from the sun. He realized how inconsiderate he was being at once.

“Forgive me, you’ve been standing all day and the apothecary, you must be tired. Let’s go sit on the porch and I’ll have Gerda bring us something to drink.”

Iduna nodded, though he noticed it was unenthusiastic. Very well, perhaps something sweet like lemonade would be the remedy. Gerda was quick to see to their needs and soon they were drinking comfortably in the shade.

“I’m glad you plan to come to my birthday ball. Lady Wollen went over the guest list with me this morning.”

Iduna smiled, though it was a guarded one. One that he had seen her use with particularly trying customers, but never with him. “Yes, your majesty, I’m happy to come and celebrate your birthday. Though I’m sure with so many visitors, you won’t have much time for the academy crowd.”

“Of course I will! You’re the only ones who will make it bearable. Besides, even though it’s my birthday, I’ll be giving out gifts that night and I have a special one for you.”

Some of her genuine smile returned. “Oh? And will it be a gold hammer? Or a golden bicycle wheel? What wonderful golden gift did you think of this time?”

He was relieved to have her tease him, to be playful rather than pained in her expression. “I gave you one bad gift, one time!” He laughed and blushed. “Will you ever let me forget that mortar and pestle?’

“That depends. Do you plan on giving me anything worse?” her smile was full now, she was enjoying this.

“Actually, it is gold, at least partly.” She laughed again, and it was like being fourteen again when he could tell her anything. “Iduna, I know what I really want for my birthday. And I know what I’d like to give you. I hope you’ll like it.” She could see that he wasn’t teasing anymore, and had trouble meeting his eyes as he continued. He noticed a flush on her cheeks, and wondered if the sun had been too strong for her while they were in the sunlight of the garden.

“I know it must seem strange that all of these ladies keep coming to the castle, and that I have to spend so much time with them. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t even know how to talk to women at all! And what I really want is for your help always, in – “

But before he could continue, Iduna spilled her glass of lemonade, jumped up with apologies, and excused herself to go home. “I’ll see you at the ball. I promise I won’t miss it.”

***

The day of the ball was tortuous, having to try on the different coats and trousers and hats, and each time pinning on the military medals that he hadn’t earned. Captain Calder insisted on that. “It shows that, though young, you are a serious man and should be treated as such. You’ve seen battle.” Agnarr resisted pointing out that he hadn’t seen battle. He had been unconscious. And fourteen. And would have been useless even if he hadn’t been hit on the head immediately during the massacre. But he knew Captain Calder meant well, and he knew this night was more for Arendelle’s alliances to celebrate the strength of their bond than a celebration of his eighteenth birthday. It was fine. It was part of being king.

As he stood at the receiving line, trying to remember the names of each visiting lady and each citizen, he kept looking for Iduna. He had arranged with Maddie and Greet that he would pay for all three of their gowns, as long as they didn’t let Iduna know the money came from him. They were to tell her that their seamstress friend was able to procure fabric and patterns for a fraction of the normal price. Iduna remained mostly indifferent to fashion, and was satisfied to follow her friends’ lead on what to wear. Agnarr had heard reports from Maddie that the dresses were beautiful, and that Iduna looked exquisite in her midnight blue gown.

She did. It took his breath away as he caught sight of her entering the ballroom, in a way both familiar and surprising. She had always seemed to make the air around him feel different. Tonight he ached to look at her. Her hair was swept off of her shoulders, and her bare neck was a revelation. How had he known her for four years and never known her neck to be so beautiful, so smooth, so inviting?

As she came through the line, and took her hand in his, their gloves touched briefly, and then were apart. He remembered how often they had held hands on their explorations of the woods, years ago when she still lived at Eir’s, and how he had mourned the loss of her touch when it stopped. How nice it would be to take her hand whenever he wished, to go through an event like this with her beside him. They could make a game of counting ugly hats, or wager on which duke’s shoes had the highest heel. He had to hold her hand again, and soon. He had dozens of gifts to give out, dozens of women he was assigned to dance with, and dozens of dignitaries left to greet. But if he didn’t hold her hand again, he didn’t think he could do anything else.

He bowed to her. “Will you dance with me?”

Iduna curtsied. “Your majesty, they aren’t playing music yet.”

“They will if we start dancing. It’s my party after all.” He took her hand again, and felt his whole body relax as he did. After a day and evening of adhering to protocol, he felt like he was himself again. Not just figurehead King Agnarr, but Agnarr who liked to explore and learn with his best friend. He understood who he was more deeply when Iduna was with him.

He led her to the dance floor, and when he indicated, the orchestra began to play a waltz. She arranged her skirt and then put her free hand on his shoulder. He liked the sensation of her light touch on his shoulder; it was like she was keeping him steady, keeping him on the ground. He knew from the dance lessons overseen by Lady Wollen that his hand should go on her waist, but it felt strange to hold her there. It was a closer, more intimate touch than they had ever had, and he inhaled sharply as his hand settled there. She too seemed startled, though not unwelcoming, of it, and smiled at him in a way he couldn’t identify. He thought he knew all of her smiles, but this one was new. As they began the easy steps of the waltz, other couples joined them on the dance floor to do the same.

He liked how his mouth was close to her ear, how he could see the individual strands of her hair making up her braided coronet. He had never been this close to her, and as they danced, he felt the weight of unsaid things and unspoken hopes. He gripped her more tightly, and then relaxed his hold, worried she would notice his behavior and find it odd. Lady Wollen had not spent years training him in the etiquette of formal state affairs for him to act like a confused child with his most cherished friend. Usually, Iduna would be the one he told about feeling inadequate to the kingly duty weighing on him, but in this instance, when she was what he was feeling unsure about, he did not know what to do. So instead of speaking, he savored their closeness, the feel of her hand in his, her smile as she caught his eye. As the song drew to a close, he cleared his throat and spoke. “After this, I’ll have to dance with the others. But I wanted to give you your gift. You might want to wear it.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I did come wearing something already. Something that I suspect you had something to do with.”

“And if I did?” He didn’t want to admit to anything, not until he knew how she felt about. Would she be grateful? Resentful? He knew how much she hated depending on others for her needs. Back when she started working at Mr. Visser’s, she had begun paying Eir a weekly stipend to pay back the time she had spent in her care.

“If you did, I would say thank you, your majesty. You are a kind and thoughtful king, as I am sure these ladies vying for your attention will soon find out.”

Encouraged by her acceptance of the dress, he led her away from the dance floor and into a small alcove with a balcony, already regretting the loss of his hand at her waist and hers on his shoulder. His hand felt hot through his glove, and he felt like he was fourteen again, worried that she would feel his sweat and drop his hand. He dropped her hand for a moment to reach into his pocket, and hand her the necklace he had ordered made for her. It was an imprint of a fossil they had found out on a skerry, about half an inch long and in the perfect shape of a very small shell, set in gold with a delicate chain. “Is this to your liking?”

He expected a joke about it being gold, or a comment that it wasn’t a good way to preserve a fossil. Instead, she swallowed a few times, blinked twice, and said “It’s lovely. Will you put it on me?”

Iduna turned her back to him so he could fasten the necklace around her neck. It was dizzying standing behind her, with her hair so close to his face, her neck to close to his mouth. He felt like they were still dancing but to music to which he did not know the steps. He clasped the chain, taking several attempts as his gloved hands felt clumsy and uncertain. She touched the medallion and turned. “It’s beautiful. I love it. Thank you.”

It was all the words he wanted to say, but he found he couldn’t. He stared at her, longing to take her hand, and unsure if she would want him to. She met his eyes, and he wasn’t sure what to read into them. “Iduna, I – “

Lady Wollen interrupted. “Oh Iduna, don’t you look lovely! Agnarr, I’m sure you remember you must dance with our guests. I believe Lady Tunde was first on your dance card?” Lady Tunde was with Lady Wollen, and rather unhappily took notice of Iduna’s necklace. He thought he saw her scowling at the crocus pin she wore, the same gift he had given every lady visiting from foreign shores.

“Yes, of course,” Agnarr bowed to Iduna, gave her a smile of apology, and followed Lady Wollen to his assigned partner. He followed his dance card the rest of the night, but did not see Iduna again. Had she left early? Taken a walk in the garden with Maddie and Greet? Did she truly like the necklace?

***

The next morning, a gift appeared outside his bedroom room. A jar of lutefisk, a lumpy package wrapped in paper, and a note in Iduna’s handwriting. “So you will always remember ‘The Incident’ and so you will always remember me.” He unwrapped the paper and found a heavy stone, a fossil sunken in on one side, with the spiraling shape of an ancient sea creature. It was one they had found together, and never figured out exactly what it was called. A thing that had been alive, and left proof all these years later that it had lived and left its mark. He ran his fingers over it, liking the feel of it, but wishing for her hand again.

#when all is lost #king agnarr #iduna #agduna #mama and papa arendelle #royal ball

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vannahfanfics · 4 years

Text

Whatever May Come

Category: General Fluff

Fandom: Yona of the Dawn

Characters: Yona, Soo-Won, Zeno, Jae-Ha, Shin-Ah, Kija

Requested By: Yiren (Ao3)

Yona breathed a small sigh of relief and sank back into her throne seated beside Soo-Won’s as the harrowing Dragon Festival finally came to its conclusion. She knew that her dragons were only being paraded around for a political agenda, and she knew they were all strong and capable, but even they had their limits; though the fighting had concluded with only minor injuries, she still knew they were spent (and hurt) and that left her with lingering anxiety. She turned her head to her left to see that Soo-Won had already vacated his seat to go mingle, most likely to congratulate the two Generals on their victories. Yona pursed her lips slightly, remembering how the crowd had been so gleefully cheering about their supposed engagement. Yona had no idea what Soo-Won was planning… and that disquieted her, greatly.

Yona rose from her seat to be escorted by the Sky Tribe soldiers down from the arena bleachers to the preparation tents. She was about to indicate that they should just take her back to her room until she heard Geun-Tae’s loud, booming voice mixed with Soo-Won’s light, carefree yet somehow authoritarian tone. The Earth Tribe official was seemingly congratulating Soo-Won on their engagement as well. She sniffed haughtily; did everyone just assume that they were now an item simply because they were seated next to one another? This debacle was sure to throw kinks on Yona’s cause to riddle out the complicated political environment of her home country and get to the bottom of the deadly night between Soo-Won and her deceased father… Abandoning the soldiers, whom she ignored as they scrambled about squeaking that Yona should not enter a tent unannounced, she marched right over to where the voices where emanating from.

“Oh. Hello, Princess Yona,” Geun-Tae blinked in confusion as she literally stormed onto the scene- with all the grace and poise of a regal princess, of course. She dipped her head politely then straightened up to eye him like a hawk, until her red eyes were captured by the small-statured woman hovering next to him with a swaddled baby in her arms. Yona instantly brightened, because like many other people her age, she was not immune to the delicate charm of a baby. Her dawn-colored eyes sparkled with wonder as they beheld the little child, and the mother and father both took notice with matching amused smirks. “Would you like to come closer?” Geun-Tae offered. Yona nodded eagerly and scampered over to lean over the baby, gasping in pure delight.

It was the cutest thing she had ever seen. Its cheeks were rosy-pink like the freshest of carnations, with plump little lips and doll-like eyes that peered up at her with similar enrapture. Its tiny hands grasped at the cozy blanket wrapped snugly around it, little wee fingers no bigger than mere garden worms, and atop its head was a fluffy tuft of hair. Yona giggled and wave at the baby, earning a delighted smile and endearing coo from the baby. She looked up at Geun-Tae with a positively radiant smile.

“What a beautiful baby!”

“Thank you,” his wife responded jovially. She happened to look over at Soo-Won, who was watching her with soft eyes and an ever softer smile, and Yona immediately flushed red.

“What have you come here for, Yona?” the king asked languidly after a second. Stiffening because she really had no other reason for charging in besides asserting her dominance, she searched her mind frantically for a viable excuse.

“I-I want to see my dragons,” she arrived at finally. It wasn’t even a lie, either; she had not been permitted to visit them since their arrival in Hiryuu Castle, and she desperately wanted to survey Jae-Ha’s and Kija’s wounds for their severity. Being locked away in her bedroom with no contact with them was as close to torture as she could ever get, even worse than her imprisonment with Lilli. To her great relief, Soo-Won dipped his head in a courteous nod.

“Very well.”

~~~~~~~~~~

What Yona was not anticipating was that the entirety of Soo-Won’s council would have to go with her. The king, as well as Geun-Tae, Joo-Doh, and Kye-Sook, all accompanied her to the quarters where her beloved companions were being housed for the duration of their alliance. Yona’s lips were pursed in a very obvious pout, because although her top priority was ensuring that her dragons were safe and being well-tended, she also desperately wanted to discuss things that most definitely needed to be deliberated well out of Soo-Won’s ear shot. Unfortunately, there was nothing for that. She announced her arrival and slid open the sliding door to be immediately greeted by Zeno’s giddy smile and open arms.

“Princess! Zeno missed you!” he trilled with sheer elation as he jumped at her to envelop her in a tight hug. Yona laughed lightly, already cheered by his bubbly personality, and lovingly rubbed the top of his blonde-haired head. Not a moment later, Ao came skittering across the floor to climb her dress and sit chittering on her shoulder, to which she responded by using her index finger to stroke his soft brown fur. To her amazement, however, he soon abandoned his perch to leap the distance between herself and Soo-Won, clawing up his robes to sit on his shoulder instead. The long-haired king looked in bewilderment at the tiny creature which had set up camp on his shoulder before blinking and tapping the top of its head repeatedly in an affectionate gesture. All four of the dragons and Yona were all staring it uncontained shock at Ao’s seeming indifference to, and daresay approval of, Soo-won. After reveling in the pets being showered down upon him, the chipmunk hopped down to run back over to Shin-Ah, who scooped him up and stroked his striped back.

Yona crossed the room to sit in the space between Jae-Ha and Kija, who were lying on their backs swathed in bandages and wearing identical embarrassed grins on their face.

“Are you two all right?” she asked them worriedly. Jae-Ha smirked and gave her a dismissive wave of his hand, while Kija nodded eagerly and asserted, “Of course!” It wasn’t very convincing as he cringed and grabbed at one of the areas that was covered with binding. Yona inhaled deeply, then exhaled even deeper; all these boys of hers, they were all so reckless and overdoing it all the time… A small smile crossed her lips as she stared down at them both with nothing short of pure love. She would never have it any other way, though. She turned her head as Soo-Won crossed the room to seat himself a fair distance away from her. Geun-Tae and the others settled themselves against the wall, arms crossed and watching their interactions with interest.

“Your performances today were very riveting to watch. I appreciate you two giving it your all out there. I trust your injuries aren’t giving you too much trouble?” Soo-Won smiled innocently. Jae-Ha and Kija exchanged side-eyed glances before the both of them sat up, the blankets falling around their bare waists. Jae-Ha was confidence incarnate, smirking as he ran a hand through his jade-green hair.

“Of course. This is nothing!” His beaming smile was laced with challenge. Kija, on the other hand, was blushing lightly as he looked off to the side and tried to seem unbothered.

“Indeed. Yoon is very talented at what he does. We’re in good hands,” he answered calmly. Yona heaved another small sigh; their dislike and mistrust of Soo-Won was certainly palpable. To the king’s credit, he maintained an entirely unperturbed aura, nodding eagerly as if he we very relieved at their pending swift recoveries. The two of them suddenly looked to the princess.

“With the princess here, we’re liable to recover even faster, right, Kija~” purred Jae-Ha suggestively with a wink at the bashful white dragon. Yona giggled; she had come to miss even his unabashed flirtatious jibes. Kija fidgeted and clawed at the sheets nervously, already sweating. He stammered some quiet mumble that made Jae-Ha laugh heartily in victoriously embarrassing him, and Yona smiled at the two of them. She could almost fool herself into thinking that things were the same… but as she eyed the three military officials out of the corners of her eyes, she was sadly aware that it was not. Yona was currently sitting behind Kija and Jae-Ha such that their broad, strong backs were to her. With a small, stifled sob, she suddenly lunged forward to wrap her arms around them and pull them both two her. She had her head down to hide the tears brimming in the corners of her eyes, but she could feel their surprised glances boring into the crown of her head.

“You two… Please don’t overdo it, okay?” she asked in a hushed whisper. She managed to force back the tears and looked up at them with a small, broken smile. “You know that I couldn’t stand… to be without any of you.” Kija instantly went as red as a basket of tomatoes and began gasping reassuring remarks like a fish flopping about on water, while Jae-Hae managed to maintain his collected composure, though the blush dusting his cheeks betrayed him. Zeno jumped at her from behind to wrap his arms around her middle and nuzzle her shoulder affectionately, and Shin-ah even came up to her to stroke her dawn-colored hair soothingly. The importance of her words was not lost on Soo-Won, who was staring at her with wide eyes, but Geun-Tae seemed to miss it.

“Ah! Look at how he’s blushing! Eh, do you have a crush on the princess, Whitey?” he guffawed good-naturedly as he crossed his arms and threw his head back in laughter. Joo-Doh and Kye-Sook seemed largely unamused in comparison.

“I-I do not!” Kija gasped, abhorred and giving the Earth Tribe General an affronted look. Jae-Hae smirked wryly and leaned forward to peer teasingly into his face.

“Oh? How unbecoming of you, Kija, I thought you were supposed to be the princely one, and yet here you are getting handsy with the princess…” When Yona had hugged him, he had reached around her back to settle his hand reassuringly in the middle of it, the perfect place to be proper, but with a hiss he hastily retracted his hand. Jae-Ha began laughing raucously until he suddenly sucked in a sharp breath and grasped at his chest, having tweaked his wounds.

“Serves you right!” Kija snorted in derision. The room burst into raucous laughter, but from the way they were all looking at her from the corners of their eyes with small smiles, she knew that her sentiment had gotten across. She just wanted them to be careful, because she had no idea of what was to come. She let the two go as they continued to squabble with one another, finally breathing easy. My strong, capable dragons… Whatever happens, we’ll get through it together. As she opened her eyes to look across the room, Soo-Won was still staring so intently at her. She had no idea what was running through his mind at the moment… Ever since that dreadful night, she really had no idea what he was thinking or plotting at any given time. Not even an inkling…

She cried out in alarm as she suddenly heaved a large sneeze. All the conversation in the room ceased as she abruptly began sneezing in rapid succession, hands held up at her body rocked back and forth with the force of the gales leaving her body. I- What? What’s wrong with me all of a sudden?! She thought wildly on about her fifth sneeze. Had a sudden draft brought dust in the room? She was too busy ailing in sneezes to notice that Soo-Won had gotten up and crossed the room; when she finally stopped and rubbed at her nose with her sleeve pitifully, her head was suddenly jerked upwards so Soo-Won could press his forehead to hers. She stared owlishly at him for a moment, and then her face turned the color of her hair.

“Eh?”

“Sneezing like that, surely you have a fever,” he mumbled. Jae-Hae and Kija were sitting on either side of her, both staring at him slack-jawed at the very intimate display. Soo-Won straightened up and shrugged out of his outer layer of robes, spinning them around to delicately drape them over Yona’s comparably small shoulders. Still reeling in shock so hard that her vision was spinning a little, she looked at the three soldiers to find them all wearing the various stages of grief on their expressions- Geun-Tae looked confused, Kye-Sook seemed like he was angry, and Joo-Doh was stony-faced but his body posture implied that he was already on the tail end of the spectrum of emotion. Yona flushed further. Soo-Won had checked her temperature that way since they were both very little, and it just saddened her greatly, because now, it was under such different circumstances… As she looked down at the wooden floor miserably, drawing the robes around her with one hand, his hand suddenly appeared in her field of view. “Princess, you may be falling ill, so you should probably return to your quarters so you can be tended to.” Yona wanted to argue that she felt just fine and she wanted to sit there with her dragons, but that just wouldn’t do, she knew. With a small sigh, she took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

“Do you have to go?” Zeno sulked with watery eyes as he scampered over and hugged her arm. She forced a sweet smile on her face and leaned forward to nuzzle his cheek, like he so often did her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back very soon. Take good care of the others, okay?” Zeno nodded eagerly and raised a hand to his forehead in a salute, making her chuckle. She really couldn’t be down for long with his sunshiney personality so bright and uplifting. Yona bore farewell to the others- and Ao- before Soo-Won accompanied her back out, followed by his entourage. Silence settled between them as they walked alongside each other, with his robes about her shoulders dragging behind her because they were simply too big.

“What are you planning, Soo-Won?” she asked him finally as they arrived at the door to her chambers. She rounded on him with an almost feral ferocity, face hardened like the mountainside. He looked down at her levelly, betraying nothing at all.

“’Planning’? Nothing at all. I’m just seeing… what will become of all this,” he answered cryptically before bowing his head lightly to her. “Goodnight, Yona,” he murmured softly. It was the two of them alone, as the others had split off as soon as they had entered the castle proper, and when he looked back up at her his eyes were glimmering with something she couldn’t name. She instinctually went to shrug out of the robes to return them to him, but he held up a hand in refusal. “Keep them.” He whirled on his heel and off he went, with Yona’s perplexed gaze trailing after him. She lingered there in the doorway for a moment, simply wondering…

What will become of all this? Of us? Herself, her dragons, Yoon, Hak, even her country as a whole. She didn’t have the answer to that, and that revelation made her shrink into herself, Soo-Won’s robes swallowing her deeper like they were drawing her into false security. For the first time since her father died, Yona felt truly alone and defenseless.

The smiling faces of her dragons, Hak, Yoon, and all her other friends she had made along the way flashed before her waking eyes, bringing the tiniest of smiles to her faces as reassurance flooded through her quivering body. No, Yona was never alone, and never defenseless.

Not when she had so many people behind her. Whatever was to come, Yona would face it all with an army at her back… And that was the most reassuring thought in the world. Smiling despite it all, she retreated into her room, dropping the robes at the doorway as the setting sun gleamed from the window. The sun set, but yet she still blazed as brightly at the dawning sun.

It was far from over.

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Tag List: @searchfortheonepiece

#yona of the dawn #yotd #akatsuki no yona #yona #soo-won #kija #shin-ah #jae-ha #zeno #fluff #cutesy #general fluff #fanfiction #fanfic #akatsuki no yona fanfiction #yona of the dawn fanfiction

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