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#there's nothing real about it even though it's a royal wedding
deuteragonist1 · 1 year
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This has been gnawing at my brain since I first heard it
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because
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And the way Arthur says it is so honest, so serious, so earnest. He's exhausted but he makes sure to look at Merlin's right in the eye. Like this comes from the bottom of his soul and he absolutely, desperately needs Merlin to understand (and considering he most likely knew he was going to die at this point, well). Look at Merlin's face. There's such solemnity and vulnerability in this scene. It hurts to watch.
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sttm99 · 8 days
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Only Ever You and Me
Prince!Bakugo x reader.
Part 2 of Till Death Do Us Part
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After the wedding ceremony, you and Bakugo retired to your chambers for the night. He sat at the edge of the bed, faced away from you, his elbows on his knees as he tried coming to terms with everything.
He'd just gotten married. He'd just been wed... to you. He turned back to look at you, watching you as you sit by the large vanity by the windows, pulling at all the pins that held your hair up.
You seemed so calm with this, so at ease despite the fact that you'd just gotten married to a man you'd met no more than 3 times before. Despite the fact that you'd practically claimed ownership over him just moments ago, despite him confessing to you that he loved someone else.
Your possessiveness had thrust him into an unfamiliar playing field. He'd expected someone timid, meek, a woman whom he could intimidate into keeping shut whilst he snuck around with the maid.
But you? Frankly, you intimidated him instead.
He'd realised what he found off about how perfect and regal you seemed. Sure, there was the fact that you may have slight obsessive tendencies laying claim to him like that. But before then, he'd realised that you just intimidated him.
You were the perfect royal, the perfect ruler his people deserved. From all he'd seen about you; you could reassure people, play court so effectively, and you had an energy that made people want to serve you.
He watched, breath hitching as you stood and began untying the sashes that held your dress up, walking towards the divider at the other side of the room, where your wardrobe was.
Even the way you walked was perfect.
You were so... perfect.
The perfect queen for his people.
He frowned as he stood from the bed. He pulled off his coat, threw it into the hamper at the edge of his bed, and then pulled his undershirt over his head and did the same.
"I've been thinking..." he turned his head to face you as you stepped out from behind the divider, now dressed in a flimsy, pale nightgown stopping just below your knees.
"About what?" Bakugo asked harshly with furrowed brows as he sat back on the bed.
"That servant girl you were looking at." You say as you go over to the bed, sitting atop it, a few spaces away from him. "How long has it been going on?"
He frowns deeply at that, glaring at you. "Of what use is that information?"
You shrug, leaning over to him. "These women, you know.... what if she's keeping your child or something-"
"Excuse me?" He spits out, growing angry at your words. Not only had you called her 'this woman', but also insinuating that he'd father a child out of wedlock.
He had some honour, at least. He wouldn't do that to her, to his love. He wouldn't have her keep a child who couldn't even call him his father.
But you just scoff and roll your eyes. "Oh, please. I'm being cautious. I don't need some bastards contesting the crown with our sons when the time comes."
He glares, a brow raised. "Our sons? Contesting the crown? You're thinking too far ahead."
"Far ahead? There's no far ahead with us, Katsuki. We're husband and wife, we should think of our chil-"
"In paper only." He cuts you off. "We're wed on paper only. The history books? Paper. The marriage contracts? Paper! My heart will always be with someone else! With her! You? You're just a position. Even if not you, there would have been another princess for me to marry!"
His words have you glaring, and you're standing, facing him from the other side of the bed. "We've been promised to each other since birth. There is no other princess to marry, Katsuki. It has always been me for you, and you for me. I was always going to be the one you end up with."
There's a glint in your eye as you speak, a sternness and finality in your voice that has him faltering in imagining a reality where he wasn't married to you, as though there really was no one else for him.
"This- this thing you have with that woman is nothing. It's not real. But us? We have the opportunity to create something real, okay? We're married now. We have all our lives to learn to love each other!"
"You're delusional!"
"I'm real!" You yell out. "What's delusional is you going ahead to cultivate a romance with a girl you knew you'd never be with. You've always known you had to marry me, and yet you went ahead to start something with someone you could never have!"
You pause then, taking small breaths as you look at him. "I've always known I'd end up with you. So I didn't bother giving my heart to anyone else." You glare. "You think I'm delusional. But here you are, tricking yourself into believing you could ever be with anyone other than me. If that's not delusion, then tell me what is."
.
.
.
There's silence for several long moments. Bakugo's frozen, hands clenched by his side, chest heaving and lips parted.
You're right.
You're obviously right.
He's always known he would end up with you. He'd always known he'd have no one else but you. Yet he went ahead and started something he knew would have no end. There was no future for him and the other woman.
Because that's all she'd ever be.
The other woman.
The only one he could be with was standing right in front of him.
"I-" He tries to speak, tries to find the words to convey how he's feeling.
"You should send her away," you say as you climb into the bed, settling under the covers. "You'll only break your own heart, allowing her to continue to stay here."
You try to drift off to sleep, try to block out the sounds of Bakugo shuffling into the bed. Until he's pressed up against you from behind, his arms wrapping around your waist.
"What- what are you doing?" You whisper, still facing away from him.
But he just sighs into your neck and pulls you closer to him. "You're right," he murmurs into your skin. "It was only ever going to be me and you... there's nothing else it could have been."
You hum, letting yourself relax in his hold. He's warm, and he's big, his large frame practically folding over you.
"I'll send her away," he says softly, pressing his lips to your neck.
"Good," you murmur, letting your hand rest over his on your stomach. "It'll only be you and me."
And he nods, "Only you and me, my wife."
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ystrike1 · 4 months
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Betrayal of Dignity - By KIMPA (8.5/10)
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Sometimes, bad men make great Kings. This particular Duke is absolutely a yandere, but he's also after the throne. He's also one of the few obsessive male characters I can actually imagine in power. He knows how to plan ahead. He's horrible. She's a good and forthright woman. The drama is killer.
Two sisters.
The pretty pink one and the disabled one.
What do you think their relationship is like?
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You're wrong.
Chloe is disabled, yes, but she is a capable older sister. Her father, servants, and her sister all treat her with respect. Even when those who discriminate do not.
Alice is a romantic girl, with no brains in her skull. She's supposed to save her family from debt by wedding a wealthy Count....but she cheats on him. Her lover impregnates her, and they run away together...happily? Yes, Alice was never cut out for life as a noble wife. Her husband treats her well. They're passionately in love. Chloe loves her too much to force her to do anything. Their father feels the same.
The spoiled, beautiful daughter leaves the picture.
What about the debt?
There's only one child left. Chloe. She is respected in the walls of her mansion, but nowhere else.
No sane man would marry a woman with a crippled leg.
(This setting is painfully realistic. A couple hundred years ago disabled people had little to no rights. Chloe is a rare exception as a noble daughter who is loved and protected by her father.)
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Chloe has no idea, but she does have an admirer.
His name is Duke Daimien Thisse. He fell in love with her three years ago, but she has no clue. He bullied her. He called her naive. Arrogant. He ripped her cane from her hands to show her how weak she was. She naturally assumed he's just another man who dislikes disabled people.
She met the Duke when he was at war. His men camped in her forest, behind her home. She nursed some of his fghters back to health.
Naive Chloe was unaware. As she treated the men they ridiculed her, and they tossed more inappropriate comments on top. They did not deserve her help, but she gave it.
Duke Thisse stole her cane because he was frustrated. He hated watching her care for the boorish men in his army, who whispered behind her back. So, he insulted her to her face to test her true character.
Chloe was too perfect. He suspected she was acting, as an excuse to get close to him and seduce him. He does know about her monetary situation after all.
She rejects him and proves that kindness isn't a weakness. She didn’t know the men were insulting her, but it doesn’t matter to her. They were protecting her country. Her land. She felt obligated to help, as an upstanding noble lady.
Duke Thisse is smitten.
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He does get worse though. This guy is every single red flag. His fascination with Chloe stays a secret. A real one. Nobody knows he loves her. Chloe thinks he's marrying her to weaken his position on purpose, because he wants the Crown Prince to look stronger. She thinks she's a tool and she's half right. Marrying Chloe does give the Duke camouflage. He looks like a loyal dog...but he's been planning this marriage and a rebellion for three years.
Chloe won't be his Duchess.
She will be his Queen.
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Daimien is also the most jealous and vindictive man on earth. He does bully and plot against his own wife when she pays attention to other men. He's un-fucking-unbearable. He threatens to kill her and her family more than once. She thinks it's because of his honor or something but no. He just does that when she mentions another man too many times.
He even throws a hissy fit when she tries to visit her own father.
This handsome servant, Gillies, figures out how twisted the Duke is. He's purely in love with his kind lady, and the persistent hero actually succeeds in exposing the rot.
Chloe finds out how deep the corruption goes far too late.
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Duke Thisse doesn't tell Chloe anything. This mistress??? Fake. She's a royal spy and he feels nothing for her, but he uses this fake lover to torment Chloe. To test her and embarrass her. To see her pure true self once more. Chloe maintains her dignity, even when she must invite said mistress to a tea party.
Duke Thisse uses the death of this fake mistress to trick Chloe into loving him. He frames Chloe. He makes it look like she murdered the other woman out of jealousy, and then he saves her from life in jail.
That "selfless deed" earns her love.
Chloe earnestly lavishes love on the monster that has been tormenting her for years.
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Even the Crown Prince is a pawn.
Duke Thisse needs him to to die at the right time, in the right place.
The mad prince realizes that Daimien married Chloe for love, and he gets more suspicious.
His feelings mess with the plan.
The rebellion will come regardless.
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Romance begins to blossom when the Duke actually says I love you. It's not cheesy. It makes perfect sense. Chloe doesn't want money or promises. She wants to know if he saved her from a murder charge out of love.
(If only she knew)
He says yes.
It would have been so romantic if we, the readers, didn't know what was going on in his head.
By the way they don't consumate their marriage until they confirm their love. The Duke gets some points with that. He only wanted to lay with her if she felt the same way. He avoided all intimacy until that day. Now she does reciprocate....but he's been planting those feelings for almost four years.
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Their love blossoms into something beautiful.
Chloe is pregnant and they all live happily...
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The Crown Prince is a mentally deranged maniac. The people are turning against him.
The Duke wants more than love.
He wants to protect the nation he fought for in war.
He wants power. He wants to be King, and he has chosen a Queen.
Side note he only wants Chloe to have one baby, because he's familiar with the dangers of childbirth. I'll give him points for that one...again. He sucks but he's not the worst husband to have.
They don't live happily ever after.
Duke Thisse has more goals to strive for beyond happiness, and that's awesome. He's not a nice man, but he's obsessive and he's not bland. He's not boring on screen. That's for sure.
Chloe is an extremely cool woman, without superpowers. There is no secret ingredient. She's just a hard worker. One of her legs doesn't freaking work, and she's still more imposing than most.
Lots of people hate this one.
I think they need to read the fine print. Maybe one or two more times. On the surface this is a tale of abuse and manipulation...but remember there's no magic. Chloe never wanted to marry for love. She has no lover waiting for her.
Being the wife of a Duke isn't supposed to be easy. It's extra hard if he's ambitious.
That's conveyed very well.
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fantasyescapes17 · 9 months
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Closed Doors (Part 2)
Soonyoung had made peace with his station in life. A younger son of a little-known family, he was not set to inherit a fortune and had nothing to recommend him but his bright personality. Nobody expected Soonyoung to make the match of the season. But when you- a woman with ties to the royal family and riches beyond his imagination, a Duchess in your own right- seeks Soonyoung's hand in marriage, his life begins to spiral entirely out of his control.
Genre: Hoshi x female!reader. Regency!AU. Your title is the Duchess of Graham but your first name is not mentioned.
Warnings: Wedding night so mentions of sex but nothing explicit is described, it fades to black. Not even remotely historically accurate. Much like Bridgerton, this is all about the aesthetic.
Word Count: 7.5k+
Part 1 Part 3
Series Masterlist [This is not the first installment in this series- it is strongly recommended to visit the Masterlist and read the installments in order as they are all interlinked and the timeline can be confusing.]
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"I've known the Duchess for most of my life," Viscount Hong explained as the carriage rattled along the cobblestone streets. "Our late fathers were close friends. My sister and I spent a few summers at the Graham's duchy in our childhood; although my sister was probably too young to remember much of that."
Soonyoung tried to focus on the Viscount's words, but it was difficult to hear them over the sound of his own pounding heartbeat. The two gentlemen were on their way to your manor now. Soonyoung had asked to speak with you himself, though as the manor looked closer, he was beginning to regret his decision. 
What was he going to say to you? What did one even say to a Duchess who had proposed marriage after a single conversation? Thank you? 
Soonyoung cleared his throat and tried to focus on the conversation. He needed to understand as much as he could from the Viscount before he faced you. 
"Did you never think of marrying her yourself?" Soonyoung asked. 
Viscount Hong looked surprised. "Oh- erm… not with any real seriousness. I will admit our late fathers may have preferred it. The Duchess is a good person, but I am not sure we were ever compatible in that way."
"So you were not compatible with her," Soonyoung replied in mild disbelief as he looked at the handsome, rich and otherwise impeccable Viscount in front of him, "but somehow you think I am compatible with the Duchess? Me? The second son of the Kwon family who doesn't have a single useful talent or penny to his name, me?"
The Viscount Hong sighed. 
"Soonyoung, think about this rationally. The Duchess is a young woman who has no surviving family and has been burdened with a title, fortune, and dukedom that nobody in the ton thinks she should have. She did not even have a chance to properly mourn her father; the moment he died, there were petitions submitted to the Queen by noblemen protesting her title and seeking to take her lands from her. She is fighting a battle against some of the most powerful men in the country, all alone. What do you think she wants in a husband?"
Soonyoung stared at the Viscount blankly. 
"I haven't the slightest idea," he admitted. 
The Viscount pressed his fingers to his temples. "She wants someone she can trust, Soonyoung. She came to me for help. I will not lie to you. I did introduce her to other eligible gentlemen. For some reason, she turned them all down. The Duchess only expressed an interest in you."
Soonyoung felt nauseous. "But we only talked about cakes."
"What?"
"At the ball. During our dance. I was nervous and she asked me why her ball exceeded the usual London ones, so I told her she had a better selection of cakes. That is all we talked about during the dance, Viscount Hong. Cakes," Soonyoung admitted worriedly. "I just can't understand why she would…"
The Viscount smiled. 
"You had better ask her yourself, then. We have arrived."
—----------------------------------------------
The Duchess' manor was as intimidating and magnificent as Soonyoung remembered it. He still felt unworthy to walk these grand halls. He followed Viscount Hong anxiously as a servant led the two gentlemen towards one of the many drawing rooms that Soonyoung had never set foot in before. 
"Viscount Hong and Mr. Kwon are here, Your Grace," the servant announced their arrival. 
You were seated near the window, but rose gracefully to greet the gentlemen. Soonyoung was struck once again by your beauty. In the absence of the sparkling lights of the ball and the heavy jewellery, even in the simple pale morning sunlight, you were still the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. 
"Thank you for coming," you said to them both in your soft, lilting voice. Your smile- the beautiful one that Soonyoung noticed still did not quite reach your sad eyes- made him almost forget to greet you with the proper decorum. 
"Your Grace," he choked out quickly, bowing his head. 
The Viscount glanced between the two of you with an amused smile. "Well, far be it from me to intrude upon your conversation any longer than necessary. I have brought a book that I am quite keen to read. I will employ myself accordingly. I only ask that if your conversation takes too long, I might be served some tea."
"I have sent for some tea already," you promised the Viscount, who retreated to the far corner of the room. He made a show of seating himself as far away as possible, facing in the opposite direction from you both and burying his head in his book. 
You turned to Soonyoung. 
"Mr. Kwon; please, have a seat."
Soonyoung walked with shaky legs towards the small table near the window. There were two ornate chairs on either side-  he sat across from you and took a deep breath. His hands felt clammy. 
"Thank you for coming," you repeated to him softly. Your hands were folded politely on your lap. "I must apologise for not approaching you directly on this matter, Mr. Kwon. Considering how brief our acquaintance has been, I thought that if you were not inclined to matrimony or wished to reject my proposition,  you may  have been more comfortable expressing your response to Viscount Hong. I am very glad you asked to meet me.”
Soonyoung stared up at you with wide eyes. 
“That is… very considerate of you, Your Grace,” he said politely. The mere thought of hearing your proposal directly from you instead of from Viscount Hong made his palms sweat. Soonyong was certain that his current position was far preferable. 
You smiled at him gently. “You must be… surprised.” 
“I will not pretend that I anticipated any of this.” 
“Allow me to explain,” you began carefully. “I am sure the Viscount has given you an indication of my situation. I lost my father- the late Duke, a few months ago and have inherited his title. I have no surviving family and the reception from the ton and other titled noblemen to inheritance of the lands and title has not been… entirely positive,” you explained. Soonyoung watched you, captivated. You spoke calmly, and a faint strain in your voice towards the end of your sentence was the only indication of any loss of composure. 
Soonyoung cleared his throat. “I-I am sorry to hear that.” 
“Thank you,” you replied simply. “While I am relieved that my family’s legacy is not lost, I must admit that the role of a Duchess is not one which was designed to be played by a lady alone, particularly not an unmarried one. In addition to the friction from the other noblemen, my position makes it difficult for me to do justice to my duchy. It is also important that I secure the future lineage of my family so that my father’s efforts are not in vain. I am explaining these things to you, Mr. Kwon, so that you are better able to understand my reasons for needing to marry soon.” 
Soonyoung nodded. “Yes-yes, of course, Your Grace, I understand.” 
A servant entered the room with some tea and biscuits. You paused and waited for her to pour you each a cup, and directed the servant to send one over to Viscount Hong in the corner of the room. Then you turned back to Soonyoung and watched him put two sugars in his cup. 
“I see you have a sweet tooth,” you remarked with a small smile. 
Soonyoung’s ears turned pink and he froze halfway through stirring his tea. “I-I, erm. Yes, yes, I am partial to a little more sugar than most,” he admitted self-consciously. “I apologise. I should perhaps try not to consume so much of it…” 
Your expression was gentle as you looked up at him. “I do not think a habit of excessively sweetening one’s tea is the worst vice a gentleman can have, Mr. Kwon. Viscount Hong speaks very highly of you.” 
Soonyoung’s ears reddened further and he coughed. “I-I did not realise you spoke to Viscount Hong about me, Your Grace.” 
Your eyes dropped down to your tea and Soonyoung saw a flash of that familiar sadness in them for a moment before you spoke. “I have been finding it… difficult to trust people of late. Some of my father’s closest allies signed a petition to have my title revoked. Others have made underhanded attempts to orchestrate a match with their sons and usurp my duchy. Viscount Hong is the only nobleman I can still trust. That is why I sought his aid to find a suitable husband. I considered his judgement to be more impartial and reliable than anyone else I knew.” 
Soonyoung nodded in understanding. It was becoming increasingly clear to him now- this was a very delicate situation that extended beyond frivolous gossip and societal opinions. This was about politics and land and power. The Viscount had been doing you a favour by being vague  at the ball a few nights ago. It would not be appropriate for the entire ton to know that the Duchess of Graham had turned down most of the offers made to her by noblemen and was seeking a husband elsewhere. 
Soonyoung bit your lip. “I am sorry that you are in this position, Your Grace,” he said carefully. “But I must commend you for placing your faith in Viscount Hong. I doubt I could name anyone with more integrity or honesty than the Viscount.” 
You bit back a smile. “I am glad you think so. Because the Viscount led me to you.” 
Soonyoung cleared his throat. “Yes. Yes, he led me to you. I…” 
You set your tea down and took a deep breath before lifting your eyes to meet Soonyoung. He was stunned into silence by the power of their gaze. There was a deep, deep sadness in your eyes but he also saw strength and gentleness. 
“I apologise for putting you in this situation,” you told him honestly. There was a hint of regret in your soft words. “This is hardly the most romantic way in which to propose marriage and I am sure it cannot be flattering to you to be put in this position. I assure you, Mr. Kwon, I will not blame you if you cannot find it in yourself to enter into this… marriage of convenience.” 
There was a long silence. 
It only occurred to Soonyoung much later that there were other things he should have carefully considered about the match- the possibility of gaining a fortune, a title, and lands, of going from a penniless second son to a Duke in one move. There were so many reasons to accept your proposal. None of the other gentlemen of the ton (least of all Mr, Kim and Mr. Lee) would believe Soonyoung when he said that none of those things had been on his mind at that moment. 
Instead, he had only one thought on his mind. 
You needed help. And while Soonyoung could not pretend that he fully understood you (there was still so much hidden behind that beautiful smile and deep eyes of yours), there was one thing that he was fairly confident about. 
He wanted to be the one to help you. 
“It would be an honour, Your Grace,” Soonyoung said slowly and carefully, “to be your husband.” 
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Soonyoung felt like he was in a dream as he exited your manor that afternoon with Viscount Hong. His mind and body seemed to be  floating in the clouds, and it was difficult to concentrate on what the Viscount was saying to him. 
“... cannot tell anybody about the engagement, yet, you understand, not until the Queen has granted her approval for the marriage. Perhaps in two days the announcement can be made in the papers. I assume the Duchess will handle making an appointment with the Queen, but-” 
Soonyoung was suddenly and violently jerked out of his reverie. 
“Sorry- did you just say the Queen?” he demanded. 
Viscount Hong gestured for the carriage driver to begin and then turned back to his companion. “Yes, the Queen. The Duchess is one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting. She is part of her court. Naturally you will both need to approach the Queen for her blessing before you can announce the engagement publicly. You risk offending Her Majesty if you do not approach her before a public announcement.” 
Soonyoung swallowed. He suddenly felt faint. “Yes, but surely the Duchess will handle that…” 
“The Queen will naturally want to see you in order to grant you her blessing to the couple.” 
“O-oh.” 
Viscount Hong bit his lip as he looked at the startled young man sitting across from him in the carriage. He took a deep breath and sighed. “Soonyoung.” 
“Yes?” 
“Have you fully thought about this? Really thought about it? Being a Duke is not easy and there is an incredible amount of responsibility involved. The Duchess is entangled in the middle of a political tussle and I am sorry to say that she is on the weaker side. She needs someone who can be strong and support her through this ordeal. I know you are capable of doing so, I would not have recommended you otherwise. But I need you to step up to the task. The Duchess needs you to step up to the task.” 
Soonyoung looked up at the Viscount sharply. There was a newfound determination in his eyes. 
“I will do whatever is necessary,” he said firmly. 
The Viscount relaxed. “Good. I will let you know once an appointment has been made to meet the Queen.” 
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Lee Seokmin was quite drunk. 
“I cannot go to the navy alone!” he cried, his glass of whisky sloshing all over the expensive carpet. Fortunately for Seokmin, Mingyu was far too entertained by the scene before him to be concerned by the damage Seokmin was doing to his drawing room rug. “We were supposed to go together! We were going to capture pirates together, Soonyoung!” 
Mr. Lee Jihoon raised an eyebrow at his younger brother. “It is quite unlikely that you would both have been stationed on the same ship.” 
Seokmin paused. “We could have met at the naval base.” 
“Yes, because the royal naval base is simply full of pirates ripe for your picking.” 
Soonyoung was currently on his fourth glass of whisky and Kim Mingyu’s drawing room was beginning to appear hazy to his intoxicated gaze. The gentleman’s club was the preferred haunt for the group of bachelors gathered, but it was too public for the present celebration. Since the announcement would not be made in the papers for a few days, it was important to keep the news of Soonyoung’s engagement under wraps. They had gathered in Mingyu’s drawing room instead. 
Jihoon, the most sober gentleman in the room by far, leaned closer to Soonyoung. 
“Seokmin is merely inebriated,” Jihoon told him gently, misreading the worried expression on his friend’s face. “I hope you do not blame yourself for destroying his dreams of capturing pirates- my sister and I would never have consented to him joining the Navy in any case.” 
Soonyoung blinked. “Oh.” 
“Congratulations on your engagement, Soonyoung.” 
“Thank you.” 
Someone passed Soonyoung a cigar and he lifted it to his lips, taking a deep drag before leaning his head back against the armchair. He did not smoke often- he did not even drink often but the consequences and ramifications of the decision he had made earlier today were rapidly descending upon him. In order to distract himself from the sinking thought that he had perhaps made a rash decision that would impact the rest of his life and your life, he allowed Jihoon to refill his glass. 
“I would like to raise a toast,” Mingyu announced loudly, rising to his feet and lifting his glass. “To Kwon Soonyoung, the man who refused to chase the dowry so the dowry came chasing him!” 
Everyone chuckled. Soonyoung clumsily tossed back the whisky. He was beginning to feel nauseous. 
“For heaven's sake, that painting is an eyesore,” Jihoon complained loudly as he gestured to one of the obnoxiously large paintings of a tastefully nude woman that Mingyu had displayed above the fireplace. “Is there nowhere else to hang that? What do you do when there are ladies present?” 
Mingyu chuckled. “Do not fret, Mr. Lee, I will be shifting that painting to my art gallery once it is opened. As for the ladies, I entertain them in the breakfast parlour. It has paintings of kittens.” 
Jihoon was still unimpressed. “I pity the women you court.” 
“May I remind you that you are the one who cannot seem to stop staring at the painting?”
“You little-”
“I need some fresh air,” Soonyoung announced. He was barely audible over the sound of Mingyu and Jihoon debating the inappropriateness of nude paintings in a drawing room. Setting his glass down and finding his unsteady legs, Soonyoung walked towards one of the large balconies and stepped out into the night air. The cool summer breeze swept through his hair. He leaned against the railing for a few minutes- eyes closed, and thinking about the whirlwind of events that had led to him being engaged to a Duchess in a few days. 
“Soonyoung?” 
Seokmin had followed him onto the balcony. The younger Lee rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he joined Soonyoung near the balcony railing. 
“Seokmin.” 
“Jihoon thought I might be upsetting you by going on about the Navy. You know that I don’t actually resent you for backing out? I was merely joking. You’re about to be married, I couldn’t be happier for you,” Seokmin said honestly. He had a smile on his face. “You’re about to become a Duke.” 
Soonyoung swallowed. “A Duke. Yes.”
“Why do you look worried?” 
“Because I am worried,” Soonyoung confessed. His knuckles were white as he clasped the railing of the balcony and the words spilled out of his mouth rapidly. “The Viscount is right. I don’t have the faintest idea what the responsibilities of a Duke are. Having a title like that and a duchy is no joke, it is about politics; something I have no knowledge of. It is not merely my own life on the line. Everything I say and do will impact the Duchess. She is… she is not merely asking to marry me, she is trusting me with her property and family legacy and reputation. I-I don’t know if I am capable of this.” 
Seokmin stared at his friend for a long moment. 
“Soonyoung. You underestimate yourself.” 
Soonyoung bit his lip, hard. “Do I?” 
“Do you know what any other young man in your position would do?” Seokmin asked knowingly. “He would celebrate that some woman had handed him a fortune and a title on a golden platter. The fact that you are seriously considering the responsibilities involved with the dukedom proves that the Duchess was not wrong to choose you.” 
“I don’t know why she chose me,” Soonyoung admitted with a sigh.  
“Did you not ask her?” 
“I should have asked, perhaps- it just… I did not get the opportunity and she called it a marriage of convenience, so clearly the answer cannot have been anything very flattering,” Soonyoung mumbled. He took a deep breath and looked up at the moonlight sky. “I wish I could celebrate with you, but all I can think of is how I am suddenly deeply terrified of disappointing the young lady that has misplaced her trust in me.” 
“Soonyoung,” Seokmin said firmly. He placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You are overthinking this.” 
“Do you really think so?” 
“You were prepared to go out into the open sea and fight pirates and enemy ships. I never once saw you show fear at the thought of joining the Navy. Why do you suddenly think you will not be able to handle the simple task of being a good husband?” 
Soonyoung sighed. “I trained to be a sailor. I attended the Royal Naval Academy for years. Nobody has ever prepared me to be a Duke, Seokmin.” 
“Then start preparing now. It is not too late.” 
Soonyoung took a deep breath. Yes, Seokmin was right, He did not need to blindly blunder into this situation. He could prepare. He would prepare and would  prove to you that you had not made a mistake by choosing him.
Kwon Soonyoung would learn to become a Duke. 
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soonyoung fidgeted in his brand new coat as he waited for your carriage to arrive. The coat was not uncomfortable in the least. On the contrary, it was perfectly tailored to fit Soonyoung, as opposed to the hastily mended hand-me-downs from his brother that he often wore. The Viscountess Hong was an angel; upon hearing of Soonyoung's engagement, she had promptly sent for a tailor to customise a new suit for Soonyoung to wear to his meeting with the Queen. 
His meeting with the Queen. 
A phrase that Soonyoung had never imagined he would say with any seriousness, and yet here he was. Standing near the entrance of the royal palace and waiting for the Duchess of Graham to meet him for a private audience with the Queen.
Your carriage approached and Soonyoung took a deep breath as he hurried forward. The footman was mildly surprised when Soonyoung stepped up to the carriage door himself and offered you a hand to help you descend. 
You gave him one of your soft smiles and accepted his hand. 
“Thank you, Mr. Kwon,” you told him. Your deep eyes glanced at him in an almost approving manner. “Is that a new suit? You look very handsome.” 
Soonyoung could not prevent his ears from turning red at the compliment and he struggled with what to say in return. You looked radiant in a beautiful green dress that emphasised your glowing skin, and he opened his mouth to return the compliment… but nothing seemed sufficient to encapsulate how beautiful he thought you were. He waited too long; the moment passed. 
“The Queen was pleased to grant us an audience even at such short notice,” you informed Soonyoung in a hushed tone as you both entered the royal palace and followed a pair of servants to the audience chambers. Soonyoung tried to focus on your words and not on the gentle pressure of your hand resting near the crook of his elbow. “I am sure she will be perfectly pleased to grant us her permission to marry, but I must warn you- Her Majesty is under the impression that this is a love match.” 
Soonyoung cleared his throat nervously. “A love match?” 
You blinked  up at him apologetically. “I have already rejected offers from the sons of a few other Dukes that attempted to have my title revoked. The politics here are complicated; I found the easiest way to justify marrying someone outside of the commonly expected options, was to tell the Queen I was in love.” 
“I see,” Soonyoung swallowed. “In love-yes, yes, I suppose we may say that.” 
You seemed worried. “I apologise if this is sudden-” 
“Not at all, Your Grace,” Soonyoung told you firmly. He took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. This was his first test and he was not about to let himself be thrown by a small change in circumstances. He could handle this. He would not disappoint you. “It is not an issue at all. I will be sure to confirm the Queen’s understanding that this is a love match.” 
You seemed relieved. “Thank you, Mr. Kwon.” 
You both arrived at the audience chambers and waited in the hallway for a few moments until the Queen was ready to see you. Soonyoung’s heart was beating at an unnatural rate and he resisted the urge to fidget with his sleeves and cough. Your gloved hand resting lightly near his elbow somehow worked to keep him grounded. He focused on your gentle touch and kept his composure as the doors to the audience chamber opened and a guard came out. 
“Her Highness has granted you an audience. Please enter.” 
The Queen was seated at the head of the room. Soonyoung did not dare lift his head to look her in the eye. He did not even dare to look properly around the audience chamber for fear that the grandness and magnificence of the royal palace would cause him to lose composure. He simply allowed your gentle hand to guide him where he needed to go and followed you into a deep bow before the Queen. 
“Ah, the Duchess of Graham,” the Queen greeted you loftily. “I must say that I was pleasantly surprised when you requested an audience, The word among the ton is that you have rejected so many eligible suitors that I had quite despaired of your ever marrying. I am relieved to see that is not the case.” 
You responded quickly- your voice was soft and deferential. “Your Majesty. You have bestowed my family with the most precious gift of all by allowing my lineage to continue to hold the dukedom. We are forever indebted to you for your kindness and naturally, the decision of who should be the next Duke of Graham was not one that I could take lightly.” 
This seemed to please the Queen. 
“And you have finally made your choice? Mr. Kwon, I hear?” 
Soonyoung bowed his head. "Yes, your Majesty."
The Queen observed him slowly and critically. "You are a handsome young man; I can certainly see why the Duchess prefers you. But the question remains- can you be a Duke?"
Soonyoung swallowed. "I will do my best, your Majesty."
The Queen huffed. "I suppose that is all one can ask for, really- my dear Duchess, have you quite set your heart on this man?"
You bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Then far be it from me to stand in the way of your love. You have my blessing. You may marry- and Mr. Kwon may be granted the title of a Duke," the Queen said dismissively.
"Thank you, Your Majesty-"
"Yes, yes. Be on your way and prepare for your wedding. And my dear Duchess- now that you shall have a husband to handle the matters of your estate, I expect you to attend to the royal court far more often. You will need to join me and the other court ladies for tea at least once a fortnight."
"Of course, Your Majesty."
Your grasp on Soonyoung's arm relaxed noticeably and Soonyoung was relieved when you began to leave the room and he could follow you. The moment you both left the audience chambers, he released the breath he had been holding and looked up at you with a sheepish smile. 
"That was… not as difficult as I expected," he admitted with a grin. 
You smiled back at him softly. "Did you think it was going to be difficult? I did tell you that Her Majesty would be pleased to grant her permission."
Soonyoung flushed. "Yes, but- I mean… I have never met the Queen, so…"
"Of course. I can understand. I thought, perhaps we should discuss, before we part… when we might have the wedding?" you began. There was a sudden shyness in your gaze that Soonyoung was surprised to note. 
He blinked. "Whenever you see fit, Your Grace."
"Our engagement will be announced in the papers tomorrow," you told him as you both walked back to your carriage. "Since we have the Queen's permission to marry, I do not believe a lengthy betrothal is necessary. Unless you had any objection- perhaps next Monday?"
Soonyoung froze in his path. "For the wedding?"
You noticed his hesitancy. "Was there any reason you wished to wait longer?"
Soonyoung opened his mouth to speak. It was all happening so quickly. He almost wanted more time to prepare, to comprehend the life he was getting into. But he saw the anxiety in your eyes. You wanted to be married soon and he could understand- the pressures you were facing were not light. 
It was not the time for Soonyoung to be selfish. 
"No. No, next Monday is perfect, Your Grace," Soonyoung said quickly. Your carriage was waiting outside the palace and your footman rushed to open the door for you. 
"Then I will have the arrangements made," you told him gently. 
"E-excellent."
Soonyoung held out his hand to help you into the carriage but he was interrupted by your butler, who suddenly approached with an armful of books. "Mr. Kwon!" the butler greeted him politely. "I had these brought over from the Graham library, as per your request. Was this what you were looking for?"
You paused and frowned at the books. "What are these?"
Soonyoung's ears turned pink. He had expected the butler to give them to him privately- not in front of you. He took the books and smiled at you awkwardly. 
"I-I realised that I knew very little about the Graham duchy so I asked your butler if he could find some books that would teach me about your family lineage and the history of your lands," Soonyoung admitted shyly. He noticed the shock in your deep eyes which slowly melted into something much, much softer and affectionate as your eyes dropped to the heavy genealogy book at the top of the pile. 
"Mr. Kwon…" you said softly. "You really don't need to do that."
Soonyoung cleared his throat. "I would like to."
You stared at him for a long moment. Soonyoung felt almost exposed under your lingering gaze. He could not read what was behind your piercing eyes and he was about to apologise for overstepping when you finally spoke again, a small but noticeable crack in your voice. 
“Thank you,” you said quietly. “We will see each other soon, Mr. Kwon.” 
“Of course. Goodbye, Your Grace.” 
—---------------------------------------------------------
The week before the wedding went by in a flash. The announcement of the Duchess of Graham's engagement in the papers had predictably thrown the entire ton into an uproar. Kwon Soonyoung went from being an obscure, little-known gentleman to the name on everyone's lips in the span of a single morning. 
He was overwhelmed with invitations; to tea at the Baron's house, to dine with the Carter family and many more. It seemed that every single noble family suddenly wished to make Soonyoung's acquaintance and pretend that they had been very familiar with him all along. Soonyoung honestly thought that he may have gone mad if it had not been for Seokmin and Mingyu by his side. 
"This happened to my family as soon as my sister's engagement to the Viscount was published in the papers," Seokmin said as he rifled through the invitations. "The entire month was spent having dinner with different families."
Soonyoung's head was buried in a weighty tome about the genealogy of the Graham dukedom and he looked up with a sigh. "I barely have time with wedding preparations to attend half of these invitations. Not to mention the reading I hoped to do. What should I do?"
Mingyu, sitting in the corner of the room with a pipe in his mouth, chuckled. "Ignore them."
Soonyoung frowned. "What if some of them are from important families of the ton, they may take offence-"
Mingyu laughed as he took the stack of invitations from Seokmin's hands and smoothly tore them in half. "Important families? Oh my poor dear Soonyoung. I am not sure you understand what is happening to you. You are about to be a Duke. You are now the important family that everyone fears offending. You don’t need to worry about them!"
Soonyoung blinked. "Was it necessary to tear them?"
"I would tear that book in your hands as well, if I thought I could manage it. What are you doing, Mr. Kwon? These are your last few days as a bachelor- are you really going to spend them reading? Something you never even did in your short time at Oxford?"
Soonyoung bit his lip. "This book is rather dry."
"That's the spirit-"
"Do you have any books on agriculture I might borrow? The duchy consists largely of agricultural land and I was hoping to understand more about how the agrarian community pays its taxes."
Mingyu looked aghast. 
"None of that. Stop that immediately and come have a drink."
While it was difficult to get the notorious rake to discuss anything seriously, Soonyoung did manage to extract some advice from Mingyu on managing an estate once he was sufficiently drunk, and Seokmin was a welcome presence that served to keep Soonyoung's spirits high. 
The day of the wedding finally arrived. It was a smaller celebration than customary for a Duke's wedding and there were many members of the ton that openly lamented not receiving an invitation. Despite the short guest list, Soonyoung was still anxious as he stood up at the altar and stared at the sea of people watching from the pews. 
"I still don't understand how you seduced the Duchess," Soonyoung's elder brother grumbled from behind him as he adjusted his cuffs. It had taken no small effort to keep the elder Kwon sober and presentable for the wedding; Soonyoung would forever owe Jihoon a debt of gratitude for undertaking that unpleasant responsibility and executing it without complaint. 
But he did not have the opportunity to respond to his brother. You suddenly appeared at the end of the aisle and Soonyoung felt as though the entire room had fallen away and you were the only person standing before him. 
You looked exquisite, in a simple white dress and with a gentle smile on your face. Soonyoung watched, almost in a trance, as you walked gracefully down the aisle in a slow, practised gait. You looked divine and Soonyoung was suddenly reminded of how in over his head he felt, how he was marrying a woman so far, far above his station that this had to be some sort of a dream or joke, it could not possibly be real that you were about to become his wife. 
You reached the altar and looked up at him quietly through your eyelashes with a small smile. 
Soonyoung's heart pounded as you both turned to face the minister. The man read out some pre-written drivel about holy matrimony and Soonyoung tried to concentrate but all he could focus on was the sound of your soft breathing beside him and his own pounding heartbeat. He barely remembered saying his own vows.
"Mr. Kwon," you said softly. "The ring."
Your voice snapped Soonyoung out of his reverie. Somebody was presenting him with a ring and he swallowed nervously before reaching for it. It was a delicate little thing; Soonyoung fumbled with the ring for a moment, but to his relief it did not fall from his grasp. He reached for your hand- your soft, gentle hand- and placed the ring on your finger. 
It was done. 
You were married. 
The rest of the morning felt like a blur. Soonyoung received congratulations from dozens of people he had never met in his entire life. He found himself thrown from conversation to conversation like a child's ball until finally your hand on his elbow tightened and you whispered softly in his ear. 
"Our carriage is waiting outside," you said. "We can leave."
"Yes, let's."
It was a number of goodbyes before Soonyoung could finally reach the carriage and help you inside. Soonyoung climbed in as well and once the door was closed behind him, he took a deep breath and looked across the carriage at you. 
"I think that went rather well, Your Grace," he said to you lightly. 
You smiled back at him. "I thought having fewer guests would make the ceremony quicker but I am afraid we were still detained much longer than expected. Would you object if we went directly to the estate for the night? It is not very far- a few hours' ride."
Soonyoung nodded. "Of course."
—----------------------------------------------------------
You fell asleep during the carriage ride to the Graham estate. Soonyoung was torn between watching the magnificent views of the countryside and the sight of your head drowsily leaning against the carriage wall as you tried to fight sleep. Soonyoung couldn't help but smile at the sight of your eyelashes repeatedly fluttering closed and then fluttering back open in protest. 
It appeared even the Duchess of Graham got sleepy during carriage rides. 
It was late evening when you both arrived at the Graham estate and although Soonyoung was now much more prepared than before, he was still struck with awe at the sheer size and grandeur of the estate. There were vast gardens at the entrance and the manor itself loomed over the carriage. He could hear the sound of a creek nearby. 
"Welcome to the Graham manor, Your Grace," you told him. 
Soonyoung descended the carriage slowly, taking it all in. Was this to be his home? Was he really going to live here? Did all this really belong to him now? 
"I am afraid we don't have enough time for a tour of the estate this evening," you told him as the servants hurried to open the front doors for you. "I sent word ahead to have supper ready. Perhaps tomorrow, I can show you around the manor and the gardens?"
Soonyoung swallowed and nodded silently. 
"Shall we dine?"
"Y-yes."
The dining room was magnificent and there was a lavish spread for supper. Soonyoung decided that he was too far gone to exhibit any shame; he had not eaten all day due to the anxiety from the wedding, and was in no position to refuse the delicacies served at the table. Even the knowledge that you were watching him eat quietly with a small smile on your face did not deter him from filling his cheeks with food. 
"Mr. Jones, will you show the Duke upstairs?" you asked once supper had been cleared away. Soonyoung was surprised when one of the butlers quickly ushered him upstairs through various lengthy hallways and foyers to an enormous bedchamber before he could ask any further questions. 
A warm bath had been prepared for him in an adjoining bathroom and Soonyoung was surprised to see that all his belongings had already been brought and neatly unpacked in the bedchamber. He undressed and relaxed in the bath for a few moments before the fog from the excellent supper cleared from his mind and he remembered. 
This was his wedding night. 
You would have to consummate the marriage. 
Soonyoung jerked upright and the water sloshed out of the side of his bath. He finished the bath quickly and dressed in a fresh night-suit that had been placed on the bed for him. Then he paced the room and regretted not asking someone about this sooner. 
How did this work? Would you come to him? Did he go to you- but no, the manor was enormous and he did not have the slightest idea where you had gone after dinner. He could not wander the hallways searching for your. Should he ask a servant? The sheer mortification from the thought of doing so made Soonyoung shiver. 
Would you even want to consummate the marriage? You had said in your own words that this was a marriage of convenience and not a love match. But even marriages of convenience were consummated! You had mentioned carrying on the lineage and to have children it would be necessary to consummate, so surely it would be done? 
But perhaps you did not intend to do it tonight. You had fallen asleep in the carriage and you were probably tired from the journey. Perhaps the assumption was that you would consummate at a later time? 
There was a soft knock on the door to the bedchamber. 
"Come in!" Soonyoung called. 
You peeked your head around the door and Soonyoung jumped to his feet. "Your Grace!"he greeted you. 
"May I come in?"
"O-of course!"
You entered the bedchamber slowly; you were wearing a soft satin nightgown that revealed your silhouette and Soonyoung felt his blood rush to all the wrong places. Your cheeks were flushed and you were biting your soft lips nervously. 
Soonyoung took a deep breath. 
Well. It appeared that this would be happening tonight after all. 
"I thought- we never got a chance to taste our own wedding cake, so I had them bring a few slices back for us," you explained softly. Soonyoung  noticed that there was a covered tray in your hands. He rushed forward to take it from you, and placed it on the bedside table. 
"Our wedding cake?" Soonyoung repeated anxiously. 
You nodded and lifted the cover off the tray. There were two small slices of a pink strawberry cake covered in white frosting on the tray, as well as a bottle of wine and a pair of wine glasses. Soonyoung stared at the tray and then looked back at you. 
"Oh," he said. "Cake. I see."
"The wine was a gift from Viscountess Hong," you continued to explain. Your voice was growing quieter, and Soonyoung noticed that you looked rather flushed. "She thought it might.. help. I must admit that I already had a glass earlier. But perhaps we could share another one?"
That explained why you looked flushed and the way your deep eyes boldly darted up to his and then turned away shyly. Soonyoung took a deep breath to calm himself and sat on the bed.
"Wine and cake," Soonyoung said with a smile. "Two of my favourite things."
"I thought you would regret missing the wedding cake. It's strawberry- made from fresh berries from the strawberry fields on the estate and the cook says she improved the recipe since the ball," you said. You were speaking more quickly than you normally did and Soonyoung noticed the slight tremble in your hand as you poured out two glasses of wine.
"Have you already tasted the cake as well?"
You shook your head. 
Soonyoung was not sure where his sudden burst of confidence came from. He certainly never imagined that he would ever have the strength to make a move on any woman, much less a Duchess. But you were nervous. He could see it in your anxious eyes, in the soft lips that you kept biting, and the way your hands trembled slightly as you grasped your wine glass. 
He took a small piece of cake on the spoon and held it out to you. 
"Taste it first."
You stared at him for a long moment before leaning forward and taking the bite that he offered. You swallowed it and nodded. 
"I think it's rather well made," you said softly. 
Soonyoung chuckled- he had no doubt that it was well-made, it even smelled delicious. He took a huge bite out of the cake and delighted in the sweet strawberry taste that exploded in his mouth. 
"That," he said firmly, "is the most delicious strawberry cake I have ever tasted."
You giggled. "Soonyoung, the cream is all over your face. Here…"
You leaned closer to him and used a napkin to wipe away the cream that had stuck to the corner of his lips. Soonyoung was suddenly flooded with your scent; the familiar fragrance of lilacs and an intoxicating scent that was you, so uniquely you. His dark eyes darted up and met your heavy, lidded gaze. 
You kissed him first. 
It was not a surprise- Soonyoung had been leaning forward but your lips found him much sooner than he expected, and he had to grasp the edge of the bed to steady himself. You were clumsy in your movements- perhaps it was the wine- and Soonyoung soon found himself wrapping his arms around you to steady you both in a deep, passionate kiss. Soonyoung's fingers grasped fistfuls of your satin nightgown and pulled you closer to him. 
You gasped when his lips met your neck. Soonyoung was gentle but his touch was firm and your warm bodies melted together as you both explored each other with your hands and lips. Your hands grasped fistfuls of Soonyoung's dark hair, and you let out a squeal when Soonyoung grasped your waist tightly and turned so that you were lying underneath him on the bed. 
He looked down at you for a moment. Your hair splayed out on the pillow and your lidded eyes looked up at him nervously. He could see the excitement and the anticipation, but also a hint of fear in your eyes. 
"Soonyoung…" you whispered his name hesitantly. "I… I've never…."
Soonyoung decided that he would never give you a reason to look at him with fear again. He leaned down and pressed a soft, gentle kiss to your lips and waited until he felt you relax against his lips. 
"Tell me if it hurts," he whispered gently, "and we can stop."
You looked up at him and nodded. 
"A-allright."
—-------------------------------------------------------
430 notes · View notes
queers-gambit · 1 year
Text
It Feels Like (the Very) First Time
[ part two ]
[ series masterlist ]
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prompt: your husband's nameday nears and you're determined to make him feel comfortable enough to show you all of him.
pairing: Aemond Targaryen x Velaryon!wife!reader
fandom: House of the Dragon
word count: 7.3k+
note: i don't know about y'all but i can fix him.
warnings: cursing, smut, 100% author's imagination and simple filler. got a bit tired of myself and only edited once - Father, forgive me.
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You didn't broach the subject of Aemond's eyepatch again for several more months. Your curiosity ran deeper than that of Blackwater Bay, and though you'd caught glimpses during the early mornings when he rose before you, or late evenings when he settled beside you in the dark, you hadn't seen the injury in full.
In fact, you did your best to avoid getting any look at the injury you could since it made your husband vastly uncomfortable. It was a big step for you both to finally lay together after he was left shaken from his first (and only) sexual experience, so you didn't want to push him beyond what he allowed already. Plus, you wanted him to show you, to feel comfortable and confident enough to confide in you.
However, you nearly ran to him and ripped the bloody leather eyepatch off his face when you heard the first rumblings of court after your union. Given you were married now, it wasn't paramount that you attended these events, but as a member of the royal family, you were obligated to. Yet, Aemond was always stiff upon these events, and you often would wonder to fetch him a new drink - like a good wife.
It was where you heard the Ladies of the court snickering quietly with their backs turned to you - unaware that you lurked.
"And you saw them, didn't you?"
"Who?"
"The Prince and Princess, of course! Who else?"
"You'll have to be a bit more specific, Tabitha."
This Tabitha character sighed, "I was at Prince Aemond's wedding. She looked ready to cry and he looked like he was going to take his own dagger to his neck."
"Might be doin' the lass a favor," another woman sneered. "I feel bad for her, she has to see what's under that patch everyday. If he was half decent, he would keep it covered at all times."
"It's not all that bad," another woman defended lightly. "Once he started using that sapphire, it's actually kinda pretty."
"It's disturbing," Tabitha snapped. "Honestly, we're lucky he even wears that bloody gem and patch - nobody wants to see what's underneath. It's horrifying. It's disgusting, the wound."
"You've seen it?"
"Once," Tabitha nodded, "when he was young and the flesh only just healing. It's a real shame, you know? Prince Aemond would be terribly handsome if not for that nasty injury ruining his face. Though, I do agree with Mildrith, and feel bad that the Princess has to see it everyday. Could you imagine?"
You let the pitcher of wine you were holding to pour into Aemond's cup set with a distinct thump to the table, making the five or six gossiping women turn with gasps. "And what an honor it is, to be Prince Aemond's wife. Tread carefully, Ladies," you advised, "I don't take kindly towards insults against my husband."
"Yes, but Princess, be reasonable," Tabitha tried, nervously glancing at the others, "we were merely sharing our opinions on the Prince's state - "
"The Prince's state isn't of your concern nor is your opinion warranted," you snapped. "I'd mind my manners and hold my tongue if I was you, Lady Tabitha Tarly." She gulped when she realized you knew her name. "Don't let me overhear this kind of slanderous insult again. You thought my husband had a temper?" You smirked slightly, "You've seen nothing yet." But your smirked of amusement dropped, "Now, mind your tongues before I have them removed."
When you returned to the royal banquet table, where you and Aemond had sat the entirety of the night, he noticed your tense posture as you set his goblet to the table before him. His brow crinkled with worry and lifted a hand to your back, guiding you to your seat, "All right there, sweet girl?"
"Mhm," you hummed, sending one last glare to the women across the hall. "Just fine, love."
"What happened?" He asked, making you sigh and let him pull you into his side, his arm slithering around your waist. "C'mon, pretty girl, tell your husband what happened."
You frowned and spared a glance up the table as you organized your thoughts. Finding the table's occupants either out of their seats or distracted, you turned your head a bit and bowed to keep the words between you and your husband. "Why did you not tell me?"
"Tell you what, my sweet?" He took advantage of your position and proximity, letting his lips pucker to press into your neck slowly.
"What they have said to you? About you?" You worried, letting both hands clasp his one; feeling his mouth still. "You only told me the bare minimum, yet, just now, I overhear what I can only assume is a toned down version to what you've heard before. Women of the court sneering about your injury, your appearance. Why didn't you tell me?"
He sighed, nodding as he lifted his head before pecking your forehead, "Don't worry over that."
"I'm not worried over it, I'm terribly annoyed," you argued quietly, leaning back in your chair - but still snug under his arm. "Bordering on angry, actually."
"Do not waste energy and emotion on this, sweet girl, it's over, 's done," he assured, both surveying the courtroom together. Couples who judge others together, stay together. "Hear me? You and I don't have to worry about that shit anymore."
"Yet you still endure it without me," you sighed, "and they still feel the need to ridicule you for something far beyond your control."
"Sweetheart - "
"No," you huffed gently. "It's ridiculously unfair what you've endured and I'd like to take my irritation out on those women who mean you harm."
"Why do we care for the opinions of sheep?" He smirked gently. "We are dragons, my love, and we do not worry about the likes of them."
"No, but when it's forced in my ears..." You frowned, letting your forehead meet his temple as your one hand rose to his opposite cheek to pet it. "I am sorry for what you've had to go through, my love. Say the word and I'll feed them to Kasta."
Aemond chuckled dryly, "Not necessary, my love. Maybe now you can understand why I am not good at this," he chuckled a bit. "Never been a ladies man, myself."
You sighed, "I love you exactly the way you are, Aemond, and I like that you're relatively untainted by other women."
"Only relatively?"
"Hey, I'm not the one who fucked a whore," you teased, looking up at him as he chuckled.
"Fair point," he relented, nodding after.
"I've never been a wife," you reminded. "But we get to figure this out together, right?"
"Of course," he whispered, pecking your temple. "Do not listen to those women, pet, it's not worth our time."
Yet, those words lingered in your mind. You knew his injury was striking but you only ever saw it in full the night he sustained it; with a few, scattered, fleeting, half-lidded glimpses the past few months. You worried he was too far gone to trust you with the sight of him now, and knew it was up to you to reassure him enough to reveal himself to you.
So, after stuffing down the want to just tear his patch off and take him in front of the whole court, where you could scream and moan your admiration and praise for them all to hear, you planned.
And when his nameday drew closer, you let your mind wonder with slight mischief over ways to celebrate the occasion. No doubt, your husband wasn't anticipating anything, but you simply couldn't let that be. You visited his mother first, and the Queen Alicent assured you that she would book the private dining balcony for dinner that evening and she would get him a gift from both herself and the King, then you were off to Helaena.
The Princess was overly ecstatic by your idea and agreed to get Aemond something. She giggled that she'd also get something "from the Twins" to really up the ante and promised to see you at dinner. After visiting Otto with the same idea, he agreed easily, and then, you were off to Aegon's chambers.
And he was less than impressed by your idea. Finally, you huffed, "If I got something, would you please just sign your name on it?"
He considered the idea and nodded, "Fine."
"And you'll come to dinner tonight."
"All right, yes, fine, whatever - "
"And you'll behave," you glared with a pointed finger. "I won't let you upset him on his day, you hear me, Aegon? Clean up for this dinner, please, and just fucking behave yourself."
"You're not my mother, watch your tone."
"Stop acting like a child and perhaps you would not always be treated as one," you snapped, turning for his door and slamming it after your retreating form before he could even respond.
It was well known that you and Aegon did not get along, but mostly because you didn't put up with his bullshit - constantly calling him out on his worst behavior. However, you refused to let that get to you right now.
After stopping off at your rooms to drag a hooded cloak and your boots on, you met Amira at the front foyer with Ser Arryk set as your personal guard. He had an easy enough job following behind you two because you knew exactly where to go and what to get Aemond for his birthday, navigating the city swiftly; saving time on pandering and meandering.
Amira picked Aemond up a new hairbrush after noting his had seen better days. She was a big fan of personal pampering, so, she chose the most beautiful, intricately carved silver brush and you were happy to pay for it. Mira protested, but you promised her it was more affordable for you to pay then she - and she had to silently agree.
Then, you stopped at a book store to pluck an armful for selection. There was more you wanted to get him, but was forced to narrow it down after being reminded there was still two more stops and only one guard to help carry things. You settled and paid for only five.
Then, second to last, but definitely not least, you stopped at a well-kept building that housed one of the Royal Jewelers. Madam Parne was well known in the city after immigrating from Pentos with a rucksack brimming with exotic gems and metals. You never knew if they were stolen or not, but in this moment, you did not care. Madam Parne was expecting your visit and had cleared the shop out of any common customers.
You breathed a sigh of relief as the door was locked to prevent anyone from entering; books set down to a bench and Arryk watching the entire exchange with a hand on his sword's hilt.
Madam Parne was a pleasant enough woman who was happy to show you the ideas she had curated for the Prince's nameday present. You were particular in what you wanted, nixing and refusing several gifts before something golden caught your eye.
"And these?" You asked softly, pulling the velveteen case closer.
"They're pendents, Princess," Parne explained. "Each depict the Gods." She pointed to each necklace set on a gold chain, explaining, "The Father, who represents divine justice and judges the souls of the dead. The Mother, who represents mercy, peace, fertility, and childbirth. The Maiden shows us purity, innocence, love, and beauty. The Crone represents wisdom and foresight. The Warrior shows us our strength, and courage in both life and battle. The Smith, representing creation and craftsmanship. And then," her manicured finger pet over the pendent, "The Stranger, who represents death and the unknown... And of course, you see the Seven Point Star," she showed you the final necklace, "to represent all the Seven."
"Does the Prince even wear chains?" Amira wondered quietly from beside you, looking at the selection.
"He doesn't have one," you sighed, elbow to the showing table to keep your chin propped up. "What do you think?"
"I think he'd like anything you got him," Amira shrugged some, but her eyes cast over your shoulders. "Woah," she gasped lightly, perking up. You did the same and turned to view a glass case latched to the wall, showing off the perfectly rounded array of gems.
"Ah," Parne nodded, "the Precious Gems, good eye."
"They're cut interestingly," you noted.
"All rounded," she agreed with a knowing smirk.
"And large," you cocked your head slightly. "Mira, you would know better than I..."
Amira caught onto your words, lowering her tone to mutter, "He's a sapphire, Princess, but it's smaller... Bit dull and jagged from the years."
"Hmm," you considered, nodding. Then, to Parne, you asked, "Might I see the sapphire, please, Madam Parne?"
"Of course, Princess."
By the end of the long visit, you left with two carefully wrapped parcels. You let Ser Arryk carry the jeweler's packages for protection, leaving Amira and you to carry the weight of the books and silver hairbrush. However, you had one more stop.
The local livestock breeder smiled when he saw you three approach, and laughed happily when you knew immediately what horse you wanted. When you made your request, the breeder offered you a small look, "Are you sure, Princess? He's a bit wild, that one."
Your shoulders shrugged, "No worries. He's perfect for us."
"Very well," he agreed, "then, how's about only seven Gold Dragons?"
"What about the agreed-upon ten?"
"Thought I could convince yah to take a different stallion. Only seven 'cause that boy's out his Gods-given mind."
"He'll do fine," you assured. You paid the man, and gave the instruction, "Have him brought the the Royal Stables, please. Within the Keep." You signed the two parchments that showed ownership, leaving one with the man, "Use this if they do not let you pass."
You scribbled in the margin, 'For Prince Aemond's nameday!' and hoped it was enough for the guards.
"Thank you, Lady," the breeder thanked, bowing. "We'll move 'im tonight."
"Good, thank you," you smiled, nodding to the others, and finally left the inner city.
When you were back in the Keep, you had to sneak around the corners of the halls near your room; cautious to run into Aemond.
"Come on," you waved the two into your room after checking it was empty. Arryk and Mira both darted quickly into the room and deposited the presents on the bed to let you sort through before bidding you a good day.
You were left alone to hand-wrap the presents, barely finishing in time for the mechanics of the secret passage door in your room to whirl to life. You squeaked and turned, keeping the presents behind you, and smiling when your husband's head popped in.
"Anyone here?" He checked.
"Nope. Just us," you promised, watching him sigh in relief and step out from the secret passage. "What's wrong? Why're you creeping around?"
"Helaena and Mother want tea, or something," he sighed as the door shut. He eyed you for a moment. "And you, pet? What're you up to?"
"Nothing..."
"That's suspicious," he noted with a smirk, yanking his weapons belt free.
"None more than you sneaking back into our room," you pointed out, rocking on your toes to approach him with a dramatic pout. "Is spending time with your mother and sister all that bad? Truly?"
"Well, no," he sighed, letting you assist him in undressing for the day. You reached for his buckles.
"Then why avoid them?"
"Just tired, pet," he sighed, and dare you say it, sadly.
"Hmm," you considered, "that's all? Nothing to do with, oh, I don't know, tomorrow?"
He groaned lightly and pulled his arms from the leather jerkin. "Do not remind me, 's why they want tea."
"You know, some people might actually like spending time with their family for their nameday," you teased as he focused on pouring a goblet of wine. "What if I went with you?"
"Hmm?"
"To tea," you smiled softly.
"'S all right, pet," he nodded.
"Well... I might have a confession."
"Oh?"
You winced lightly, "We have dinner arrangements for tonight."
"For what?"
You smiled, "For you, love."
He sighed, "Sweetheart, it's nice to try, but it's not necessary."
"Well, I've already - "
"I don't celebrate my nameday, pet. Hence me taking the back passages to avoid everyone, hmm?"
"Well, yes, I noted that, but it's your first nameday as a married couple," you pouted up at him. "Please? I have a bunch of surprises I think you'll really like."
"Oh?"
You nodded with vigor, a grin creeping over your lips. "Tell you what, if it's really not something you like, we won't continue. But let me at least try, please."
Aemond sighed and let a hand raise to caress your cheek, "Why's this so important, sweet girl?"
"It's your nameday, so, you can't fight me when I spoil you. And you went all out for mine."
"Oh, I can't fight you, can I?" He smirked, making you go rigid.
"Don't. You. Dare," You warned, but it was too late. Aemond chuckled as he lunged, hands clamping tight over your ribs and wiggling to make you almost drop to the floor with shrill laughter. "AEMOND! OKAY! OKAY!" You begged. "TRUCE! TRUCE! PLEASE!"
He chuckled still but relented, making you stumble a bit into his chest from the aftershocks of being tickled. Your husband grinned and let his arms wrap around you tightly, sighing, "All right, pretty girl, I'll play along. What's going on tonight?"
"Dinner with your family," you nodded. "And tomorrow, it's just us."
"Yeah?" He smirked.
"Mhm, thought you'd like that," you teased gently.
"Sounds good by me, love," he nodded, pecking your forehead. But his eyes drifted towards the bed, "Is that what you were hiding?"
You shrugged a little, "Maybe... Now, change for dinner, please."
He glanced out the window to note the position of the sun, wondering, "Now?"
"Mhm," you smiled, part of another surprise. "C'mon."
Aemond was a good sport and let you leave his gifts on the table. They were all wrapped, so, you didn't worry about him finding out what they were, and picked up a few books to give to Aegon to give to Aemond. You were annoyed by his lack of want to celebrate his brother, but knew, not all siblings were as sweet or supportive or loving as your own.
When there was a knock at the door, you peaked out to spy Amira, who whispered, "It's all in place, Princess. King's on his way there now."
"Thank you," you winked, handing her the books through the door, and shutting it after.
"Who was that, love?" Aemond asked, tucking his tunic into his trousers before settling a new jerkin over it.
"Amira, she was just checking on us. I told her we were going to dinner," you smiled lightly, eyeing him up and down. "But now that I'm getting a full look, I don't know if we'll make it on time."
"Behave yourself," he teased lightly, chuckling after.
He smiled when your arms wrapped around his middle from behind. You pushed onto your toes to nuzzle at his neck, "You look very handsome."
"Thank you, sweet girl," he whispered, hand over your own on his chest.
"C'mon," you grinned, letting him go. "I have gifts for you but that's kinda between us... So, you'll get them later."
He chuckled, shaking his head, "You should not have bothered."
Your eyes rolled, "You spoil me often enough, you can let me return the favor. Please."
He nodded and let his arm come around your shoulders as you both finally stepped from your bedroom. "Doesn't mean I'm not gonna complain about it," he teased as your hand rose to hold onto the hand dangling off your shoulder. He eyed you with a smirk, "I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?"
"Only about every other minute when we were getting ready," you smirked up at him. "But thank you, sweetheart," your hand squeezed his, glancing at the black gown you wore.
Naturally, you matched Aemond in color scheme and dressed in something he had bought you weeks ago. You've yet to have a chance to wear it, so, tonight was perfect. When you lead Aemond to a private balcony, he offered a confused look.
"Trust me," you whispered, knocking gently and the next moment, the door was opening widely. "Oh, wow," you chuckled, leading Aemond in. "Oh, this looks great!"
"Gods," he whispered, looking around in shock. "You did this?"
"Well, technically your mother did," you chuckled, pausing to let him get a look at the balcony that was dripping in florals. "Like it?"
"'S beautiful, love," he smirked, "but why the flowers?"
You shrugged, "They're pretty and set a nice scene." A servant approached you, making you chirp, "Ah, thank you." They handed over a bouquet of flowers, a sample of what was decorating the balcony now. You turned to Aemond, "And I'm willing to bet nobody's ever given you flowers before."
"I give you flowers, pretty girl," he gently refused. "Keep 'em."
"You're telling me you don't like it when we've flowers in the room?" You asked quietly, aware of his family watching you linger in the double-doorway. "Why else get them so often 'for me'?"
He paused, and then rolled his eyes begrudgingly, "Perhaps I do."
"I knew it," you grinned, "but for the sake of your reputation, I'll hold onto these."
"Thank you," he chuckled, still glancing around and noting his family waiting on you two. "What's this?"
"I told you," you smiled softly at him, "family dinner."
He smiled softly before letting his usual mask of indifference take over. You chuckled and laced your hands together, leading him up the stone steps to the platform the table rested on.
You were greeted happily by his family, all of whom all but instantly wished Aemond a happy nameday. Judging by his reaction of silence and stony contemplation with only grateful nods of thanks, you figured it's been quite some time since anyone had even acknowledged his nameday. You had a word with the kitchen staff and organized the menu, and Aemond had to chuckle lightly when the main course was served.
"You did this, huh?" He smirked into the rim of his goblet of wine.
"Duh," you whispered with a wink. "You've no idea how fucking expensive this pork is."
"What makes it special?" He wondered.
"Oh, absolutely no idea, but apparently, it's really good," you smiled softly at him.
As dinner faded with laughter and easy-going conversation, everyone began presenting their gifts. Aemond cleared his throat and shifted with discomfort, not liking being the center of attention, and you made a mental note to not pursue a family dinner next year.
Viserys was first, presenting his son with a new blade. It wasn't Valyrian Steel, but it was still a handsome weapon, and your husband was shocked to receive such a gift. When his wide eyes turned to you, you whispered, "That was not my doing, love." When his brows slowly perked, you assured, "That was all your father."
You smiled softly as Alicent presented her son with an entire collection of Encyclopedias of the Known World. He blinked a few times before thanking her and you chuckled, waving a servant forward to take the ten, thick, heavy books with the freshly forged sword to your room.
You'd have to clear an entire shelf on the bookshelf from today alone.
Otto was next and smirked when he nudged a certificate closer. "What's this?" Aemond wondered, picking up the parchment to show you, too.
"I've already paid," Otto nodded, "all you need to do is show up and present that. Your Lady wife might've mentioned your need for new boots and tunics."
You shrugged when Aemond offered you a playfully reprimanding look. "Yours are falling apart," you mused into a sip of wine.
"They're fine," he chuckled, nodding at Otto. "Thank you, Grandfather."
"Of course," he smiled fully.
Aegon gave Aemond the books before slumping in his chair and pouring his (surprisingly) first goblet of wine. You didn't comment as Aemond seemed more pleasantly shocked than anything by the gift, and he chuckled lightly as he pet the spines of the books.
After handing them over to the servant, he leaned closer to mutter in your ear, "Now, I know that one was you, love."
"Shh," you hushed gently.
Before the night was over, the cooks brought out a cake you had spent the previous day (trying to) help bake. Aemond shook his head with a laugh when Alicent asked how the excursion went, and the chef even chuckled.
"It went fine," you assured, sending a pointed look to the kitchen staff. "I didn't burn anything down, now did I?"
"Not this time, Princess, though you did burn the first few attempts," Chef Uller teased lightly. "But it was an honor, you're welcome in the kitchens any time, Princess."
You smiled in thanks, leaving Helaena to present her own gift. She had caught wind of your plans and got him new dragon-hide gloves, knowing his own were wearing out terribly thin. Prince Aemond had a terrible habit of using things until falling part - and then still using them. Sometimes, he needed reminded to replace certain things.
From her children, the Twins, she let Prince Jaehaerys toddle closer with his gift clutched tightly. You cooed and both pushed your chairs back, letting the gurgling toddler waddle closer, all but falling into your arms when he reached you.
Aemond smiled softly as he watched you pull the child into your lap, easily cradling him. "What's that, love?" You cooed gently, tickling his sides - making him laugh shrilly. "Hey? Got something for your uncle, is it?"
The Prince was happy to wave the present in his hands, seemingly offering it to Aemond, and making your husband slowly reach for the gift. "Thank you, lad," he whispered when the kid let go, clapping happily and babbling to you as if in conversation.
"Oh, really? You picked it out?" You teased softly, the babe babbling again. "Oh, good choice, love, yes, yes," you approved with a nod, smirking at Aemond. "He says his sister approved."
"Oh, yeah?" Aemond chuckled, opening the small case. "Look at this, pretty girl," he smirked at you, showing the dragon broach with red ruby eyes.
"That's handsome," you smiled, gently leaning into his shoulder as you both looked at Prince Jaehaerys when he babbled again. "Hmm, yes, you're right," you nodded, "it would look really nice on a pale colored tunic. Maybe even white."
"I don't own any," Aemond chuckled.
"We'll fix that," you smirked with a quick wink, tapping the certificate Otto presented him - making him snicker quietly.
Unknown to you, Viserys, Alicent, and Otto all shared fond looks while watching you and your husband interact with the child on your lap. It was different, seeing Aemond so soft-spoken and at-ease; almost being a foreign sight that made most do a double take.
He was smiling - not smirking.
His eyes all but remained on you, softening his expression.
Aemond looked relaxed for the first time in years, and Alicent's heart burst in her chest when her eyes skated over you - who was leaning into Aemond's side with Jaehaerys sitting on your lap still, child's hands grabbing at your hair playfully. She never thought she'd see the day, but given both your hands were occupied by the wriggling, giggling child, Alicent was pleasantly surprised to watch Aemond fork a bit of cake into your mouth with a small chuckle.
She almost passed out and fell from her chair when she watched Aemond swiftly swoop in to kiss a bit of icing off your lip. Your grin was blinding, making your husband flush slightly from embarrassment. It was a nice breath of fresh air, to witness her son so happy and carefree - if only for a few, fleeting moments.
The dinner lasted only an hour later before Viserys was being escorted to bed - and Aegon wasted no time in surging from his seat to charge out of the dining quarters right after.
You sighed gently and finished off your wine, letting Alicent take her grandson from your lap as Helaena had hold of her daughter. The servants had brought all Aemond's new gifts to your room, leaving you to bid Otto a goodnight, lace hands, and move for your shared chamber.
Before you made it to the door, you ran into Amira, who cheered, "Lord! Lady!"
"Mira," you smiled at the cheerful older woman.
"Here," she presented a thin box to Aemond with excitement. "Your Lady wife helped me pick it out, but I know you needed this. I hope it's acceptable."
Aemond had to let go of any hold on you to accept the gift, looking almost nervous. But when he saw your encouraging smile, he lifted the lid and breathed in slight relief. "Wow, Amira," he complimented, fingering the brush delicately, "this is too much."
"No, nonsense," she assured, "you needed a new one and we were happy to help! Is it to your liking, my Prince?"
"Of course," he nodded. "Thank you," he smirked at her with a head nod. "This was very thoughtful."
"Oh, you're so welcome," she hummed, looking really pleased with herself. It made you smile fondly. "Thank you for keeping this one out of trouble," she teased, pointing at you; smile dropping.
"Hey," you snipped, "he does no such thing."
Aemond chuckled, offering his hand to Mira. When hers laid in his, he pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand, thanking her again, but then apologizing as you two needed to take leave. She understood and after another wish for a happy nameday, hustled down the hall to continue her own chores as you and Aemond finally approached your room.
When you got in, you both breathed small sighs of relief.
"Well?" You asked gently, leaning on the wooden door as your eyes followed your husband. He first paused to deposit the new hairbrush on the table.
"Hmm?" Aemond then sat to the edge of the bed, leaning down to unlace his boots; sparing you a confused glance.
"How was tonight?"
He chuckled when you approached, swatting his hands away to pull the leather shoes from his feet. "Yeah, it was nice, pet..."
"Yeah?" You beamed.
"Yeah," he chuckled again. After depositing the boots to the side, Aemond reached for your hands so you stood between his opened legs with your fingers lacing together. "It was a nice change of pace... Though, I don't know if we should make it regular."
You hummed, "Fair point, I'll keep that in mind, love. Tomorrow will be better, I promise."
"You sound very confident in that," he teased.
"I am," you winked, leaning in to peck his lips. "I think you'll like what I have planned."
"I might," he nodded. "If it's with you, I think I'll enjoy myself."
"Good," you chirped. "Now, c'mon, I'm tired. Unlace me, please."
He nodded and let you turn in his arms to undo the back laces of your dress. Calloused fingertips occasionally drug over your skin, creating a legion of goose flesh. When done, he helped pull the laces free; making your arms press to your chest to keep the garment on your body. Your entire back was bare for him to stare at as you selected a short singlet for the night, dropping the material of your gown to shimmy into your silk slip.
When you turned, you weren't surprised to find your husband leaning back on a hand, watching you intently. His free hand rested almost completely over his crotch, just slightly to the side, and drawing your eyes exactly where he wanted.
"Aemond," you reprimanded softly.
"Carry on, love," he smirked, letting his free hand now fully palm himself. He gave a squeeze, making his voice deepen, "Let me watch you."
"Show's over, pretty boy," you laughed lightly, pulling your jewelry from your ears, neck, fingers, and wrists. "Are you going to get ready for bed?"
Yet, his smirk didn't falter and his hand gave another squeeze to his swelling cock hidden beneath the tight trousers he wore. "I'm enjoying my view," he teased, "and I thought I'd let my beautiful wife help me with that."
"With undressing?"
"You'd rather I ask someone else?"
Your mouth hung open as he snickered, "You're not funny!"
"Then why am I laughing, love?"
"Well, I am not," you let your back turn to him, feigning irritation as your own lips pulled in a smirk; forgetting about the mirror you faced, which gave view to your husband. Your fingers organized your gems in a soft velvet box on your vanity, preparing your nightly routine just as you felt arms slither around your waist - like you wanted.
"You think I do not notice you teasing me, my love?" He mused in your ear, tightening his arms as your own moved to lay over his.
"Perhaps," you smirked. "Are you going to be useful and help me fix my hair?"
"Are you going to do the same?"
"Of course," you chuckled, giving his arms a squeeze that he reciprocated instantly; crowding your hips into the edge of the vanity that made your throat constrict with a gulp.
"Then let me mess it up first," he whispered, and before you could respond, you were whining when his lips parted to let his teeth scrape over the meat of your neck.
He was instantly drawn to that sweetest spot on your neck, knees buckling gently to make the table wobble as one hand aided in keeping you upright and the other rose to hold the back of your husband's neck. He breathed heavily against you, sloppily kissing over flesh and taking your earlobe between his teeth; grinding his hips forward to press his defined cock into the swell of your arse.
You were trapped between him and the vanity, holding onto him as if it would give you strength. Aemond let his hands move from holding your hips in a bruising grip to then surge upward and grope both your breasts at the same time. Your eyes fluttered and lips parted in a strangled gasp at the sensation of his hands, lips, and hips working in tandem, the vanity gently rocking with your movements.
Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, your husband was a big fan of dry humping, and though you weren't sure about it before, you knew now that you'd never tire of the feeling.
You breathlessly cursed the Gods - it just all felt so good; so overwhelming; so overpowering. Your shrill tone even praised your husband's name like a prayer, making him rut into you faster, harder.
"C'mere," he growled, turning you to face him swiftly and reaching behind you to easily sweep his arm and clear the tabletop of your belongings.
"Aemond," you groaned, watching your items clatter to the floor and frowning at him with a small glare. A bottle of perfume might've even cracked but there was no time to check.
"I'll clean it up later," he assured, pressing his lips to yours for a breath-stealing, mind-numbing kiss. His hands held the center of your ribcage, thumbs rubbing into the meat of your breasts and making your breath stagger slightly; humming with pleasure. He pulled away only to lean in for your neck again, making your head tilt to the side as all argument died on your tongue. He relished in the sounds of your sharp intakes of breath. "Hold onto me," Aemond whispered, and the moment your hands seized his upper arms, he was gripping your hips and heaving you back onto the vanity's tabletop with a thigh between both of yours for extra support.
"Aemond - fuck," You moaned against his lips after guiding his face back to yours. Holding him against you with legs spread to accommodate his body, his hands traveled to your thighs to push your singlet up to settle around your hips. "You don't," you paused when his lips pushed back onto yours, moaning faintly before pulling back again, "you don't want to move for the bed, love?"
"Not yet," he purred with a smirk, easily slipping his fingers under the thin strap of your singlet to pull off your shoulder. "Love," he chuckled when your arms didn't move, preventing him from revealing your bare chest. You only cocked your head in challenge, and your husband was eager to meet it.
"Aemond!" You scolded with a gasp when he easily tore the strap off, doing the same to the other so the material was fully pooled around your waist and hips.
His eye rolled, leaning in to peck your lips, "I'll buy you five more, pet."
"That was expensive silk, imported from Braavos," you pouted lightly, hands held to the side of you to help keep balance as one of his hands rose to grab your tit once more; giving an appreciative squeeze to the supple flesh.
"Like I said," he nodded, letting his mouth descend onto yours while his fingers tweaked your nipple, only pulling back to whisper, "I'll buy you five new ones."
You hummed as his tongue swept into your mouth, reaching for his trousers and yanking them open. You felt his mouth pull from yours to kiss down your neck, sweep over your collarbones, lick across your chest, and then settle at your breast; tilting his body at an odd angle to take your nipple in his mouth and let you work at the same time.
However, when one of your hands rose to gently pet over the strap of his eyepatch, he tensed up and reared back slightly. "Not tonight," he whispered as he took hold of your hands but did not else move, making you nod in understanding.
It was a long shot, but you had to test the waters.
"Okay," you relented gently, slowly caressing his cheeks in surrender to guide him back to your lips. "I'm sorry," you whispered.
Eyepatch stays on during sex, noted.
"Don't apologize," he hummed, shaking his head as if to rid his thoughts. "Soon, pet," he promised, licking into your mouth as you both moaned. Your hands brought his back to your breasts, aiding them in squeezing and massaging; letting go with a gasp when he moved to tweak your nipples between thumb and pointer fingers.
Your moans encouraged him further, but the feeling of your groin moving against his spurred him onward. You had to pause your own ministrations when his hips started to move; pinning yourself to his mercy to let him thrust dryly into you, fingers still working, and tongue swirling around yours.
His rutting became frantic, tugging you to the edge of the vanity so he could grind into your bare, glistening cunt; eagerly pushing the material of his pants down so they rested around his thighs. Just enough to free his leaking cock and for you to take him in hand.
You both moaned at the feeling of him in your palm, his teeth clenching when your fingers wrapped in a secure grip. You gave a few tugs with a roll of your wrist, but Aemond's plea stopped you, "Don't tease me, pretty girl. C'mon."
"You don't want my mouth?"
He chuckled breathlessly and needed to hold the top of the mirror over you to keep his balance while you stroked him until the tip of his cock was a leaking, angry red. "Always want that, pet, but I need to be inside you - now."
Your one foot moved to the top of the table to hold your position, the other wrapping around Aemond's leg to encourage him forward. "Then don't waste any time, husband," you breathed in response, and in the next moment, Aemond surged forward with both lips and hips.
His mouth devoured your wanton moan when he took no time to line himself up and sheath himself fully in the sopping wetness of your cunt. His one hand held your hip and raised leg, alternating between squeezes and caresses; the other laying over yours, keeping his strength upright as his hips humped ferociously into you.
Your mouth could only form helpless moans as the folded position of your body made it feel as if Aemond was thrusting through you before he adjusted his tempo and let his hips push upwards. Your head fell back to the mirror of your vanity and the entire table rocked with Aemond's frantic motions, briefly worrying you'd break the furniture before your climax.
Yet, Aemond was wound tighter than you realized and his hand abandoned yours in favor of thumbing around your pearl.
With another whine, your eyes screwed shut as your husband took you as he saw fit; only a few strokes in before your tightening belt of pleasure released. Your own hips humped into Aemond's as you clung to him; both his arms around you as your mind focused only on prolonging your orgasm.
"Fuck, Princess, that's it, hold onto me, yeah, good girl," Aemond growled, holding your hips to his as your back was pushed to the table until you were hanging off - hanging on only by your legs wrapped around his hips. It was a terrible position for you, but your husband was focused on his orgasm; and the aftermath of your own made the pleasure prolong as your core flexed to keep your balance. "My good girl, fuck, that's it. Always willing to listen and do as she's told, mmh, makes this cunt so fuckin' tight, ah, fuck, fuck, fuck," Aemond hissed breathlessly, balls slapping to the wetness of your cunt as he finally met his end with a shout.
With one final thrust that sent the table back into the wall, one of your hands slapped backwards to hold the mirror from falling over you as the other clung to Aemond's shoulders. He panted into your neck as his balls contracted to empty his load, painting your insides sticky white while trying to catch his breath.
"Love," you warned, glancing up, "mirror's gonna fall. Help me, please."
"Shit," he looked up, quickly rightening his damp body to balance you with his softening cock still inside and reach for the mirror. "Let go, I got it, love, go ahead," He trusted you to not move as he readjusted the glass so it was no longer in jeopardy of falling. "You all right?" He checked, both hands moving back to the flesh of your waist as you both still caught your breath.
"Mhm," you panted, letting him help you back into a sitting position.
You breathed heavily as he slowly retracted his hips to free himself, pausing only to use his fingers and stuff any escaping cum back inside - your breathing staggering again. "Hold it there, pretty girl," he whispered with a taunting smirk. You sighed through the pleasure with fluttering lashes as he worked, feeling his fingertips stroking that spongey-good spot of your inner walls and only offered him a glare. "What?" He smirked, entire arm flexing to accommodate his ministrations. "Can't handle it?"
"You're playing a dangerous game, my Prince," you warned, knowing he was working you back up to a new height.
"Maybe it's my intention to fuck you all night," he teased, smirking at you as if he won.
"Maybe that was my plan for tomorrow."
"Why not both?" He perked a brow, yanking you to your wobbly feet to trap your lips back to his. His arms were used to support most of your weight, both hands gripping the meat of your arse; moving backwards towards the bed and leaving the scattered remains of your vanity behind.
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[ part two ]
[ series masterlist ]
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celticcrossanon · 3 months
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Hi CC, I hope you are faring well in the heat these days. It must be challenging.
I have questions about MM' pregnancies. If the children weren't birthed by MM, is it possible that she will champion the rights of women who have fertility issues - saying IVF, surrogacy, and even donated sperm/eggs (which I don't believe they used), is the norm. I read years back that Sophie was considering IVF for her second pregnancy.
Another possibility is that Archie was conceived before the wedding. Again she may argue that having children with a partner who isn't a spouse is common these days.
I'm also curious why they got engaged when they did. Was there a rush that was real or pretend? (Eg pregnancy that was faked or really did not go to term.) There has been speculation.
Even though both children look like their parents, something seems off. There's smoke and somewhere there is a fire that has legal ramifications for the BRF. Ultimately she presented as pregnant both times. So if she wasn't, the duplicity would be next level!
Thanks
Hi Nonny,
It was and is challenging, but we have some cooler weather for Xmas, which is nice (it heats up again after the 26th, I think).
Meghan may try to do something with fertility issues to get herself out of the hole she is in, but that will do nothing for the main issue. If the children were not born of her body then they have no place in the Line of Succession, as they were not pushed into the world by the legal spouse of Prince Harry. It is harsh but the law is clear - if the legal wife of a royal does not carry you and push you out into the world (or have a caesarean), then you are not born 'of their body' and therefore you have no place in the line of succession. Making a fuss about fertility issues some 4? 5? years after the event will not make your deception any less of a deception, and it will not do away with the legal consequences of your actions.
The wedding was on 19 May 2018, Archie was supposedly born 6 May 2019. That is about a year between the wedding and the birth. If Meghan was pregnant when she married Harry, Archie would have been born at the most 8-9 months after the wedding, so say Feb 2019. There is no reason why the couple could not have announced a 'honeymoon baby' and then announce the actual birth if that was the case. In February Meghan was still going everywhere clutching her huge bump, so no early birth for her.
I have read on the reason for the rushed wedding. From memory, there were indications in the cards that Meghan faked a pregnancy to get the knot tied quickly. I can read on that again. The other theory that I incline towards is that they were already married in some sort of ceremony somewhere, although in that case I am not sure why they were given the highly inappropriate big white wedding.
I believe that Meghan wasn't pregnant both times. Her physical changes did not match the natural changes of pregnancy, and we actually had some obstetricians and their relatives writing in at the time saying the pregnancy was a badly done fake (I know, take all tea with a truckful of salt etc). What convinced me was the unnatural changes in her baby bump, like the ones below. No one inflates/deflates like that over an hour, or even a day. I also believe she has no morals or conscience that would prevent her from faking a pregnancy and then pretending to give borth. Other people may think differently, of course.
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twstjam · 9 months
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Twisted Wonderland Enchanted-inspired au WITH A TWIST! (badum tss)
okay so you know the gist: Beautiful orphan lost prince is raised in a cottage in the woods by his adoptive fae father. One day, this is all thrown out of order when the small family is suddenly attacked. The prince is rescued by a brave knight and the two fall in love and are wed.
....or that's how it's "supposed" to be, anyways. The thing is, even though this person had saved him and his beloved father, Silver doesn't WANT to get married. He doesn't WANT to be "rescued" from "the evil clutches of the fae" and returned to his "real" family. He wants to repay this knight, sure, but is there no way other than marriage?
"No," everyone else says, confused, similarly to how he feels when he asks the question. "It's just how the story goes."
"This is what's best for you," his real parents reply with kind smiles and features not unlike his own but eyes that in no way reflect any kind of understanding.
"Like hell I'm letting anyone marry off my son to an absolute stranger to achieve a "happily ever after" that is based on some ridiculous conditions!" his father hisses, crimson eyes filled with contempt yet Silver feels more loved than he does with anyone else.
They both turn to the dark prince for assistance. He also isn't the slightest bit thrilled at this arrangement the humans have made against Silver and Lilia's wishes. And to not even invite him, Sebek, and Lilia to the wedding! What nerve!
Malleus decides that in order to combat the rules of "Happily Ever After", the only way is for it to not exist at all. So, he enacts his "genius" plan: by throwing Silver into the world without Happily Ever Afters on his wedding day.
Silver knows his liege means well, but he's completely lost in this strange new world... until he runs into someone he'd met before once upon a dream (Yuu) and they kindly take him in without expecting payment. Still though, Silver insists on repaying them and helps them clean and fix up their home with the assistance of this world's animal friends.
Now, I could very easily make this Silyuu and I have nothing against Silyuu, but I am a Malleyuu shipper first and foremost and I came up with the PERFECT idea for how it could work in this:
So you've all most likely already noticed the roles the characters take in this: Silver is the distressed royal who was rescued, the knight is his savior and supposed true love, and Malleus is the evil dragon who gets in the way of their happiness. Obviously, the story isn't as simple as that and is a little... twisted (BA DUM TSS—)
So, it would only be fitting, wouldn't it, for the "evil" dragon to fall in love and get a happily ever after, since it's not something that follows the rules of the fairytale and this story is all about going against the fairytale?
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mariaofdoranelle · 8 days
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The Courtship Deception - Part 9: Refresh
Fic masterlist
Written for @throneofglassmicrofics
You should know I have a rough draft of this chapter written since last year!! I had the fic idea for last Rowaelin Month, but I had very little time to write it then 🫣
Warnings: none?
Words: 791
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“I’d like to introduce you an acquaintance of mine, suitor for Aelin’s suitor.” Fenrys said from the other side of the door, inside Rhoe’s office.
The weight of Rowan’s suit on his shoulders felt heavy in a way he hadn’t felt in years. He decided not to wear a tie, but it didn’t help the gnawing feeling of claws crawling up his neck, constricting it constantly as Rowan couldn’t forget that he was about to claim a family he swore to never relate to again.
“He has to be either a prince or a billionaire,” Rhoe’s reply was firm.
“I guess you’re in luck, sir, because he’s both.”
Lies, lies, lies.
Some hushed conversation Rowan couldn’t understand from where he was, then, “For Mala’s sake, Fenrys, you left a prince waiting outside?!”
“Should I bring him—“
“Obviously! Bring Aelin too.”
Immediately after, the door opened to Fenrys’ shit-eating grin. “Your Highness,” he teased.
He nodded, his chest heavy in a way he hadn’t felt in years, and his friend’s smirk faltered when he saw Rowan’s expression.
He’s doing this for Aelin, is what he had been telling himself since overhearing that phone call between her and Rhoe. However, since then, the butterflies she’s been growing in him have been replaced by a nauseating feeling.
To be fair, this decision was 75% because of Aelin and 25% because he’s a jealous bastard. Still, even if she decides to go her own way after the wedding, he’ll let her. Rowan’s fascinated by her soul, and he can’t imagine letting her fire be dimmed by a loveless marriage and a controlling royal family. He’d marry her as her way out, and whatever happens to him after is up for her to decide.
Though the idea of calling her his gets more appealing each day.
“Prince Rowan,” Rhoe called, making a small curtsy that almost made him puke his breakfast.
A strained smile. “There’s no need for formalities.”
“Very well then.” He gestured for them to sit. “I’m surprised to see you here, Rowan. Your last public appearance was at…”
Fucking Mala, he must be a real royal aficionado if he knew about Rowan’s life. He was one of the least known Whitethorn cousins.
“My parents’ funeral, yes. I’ve been traveling a lot, but the family thinks it’s time for me to settle down.”
Not a complete lie. He had an entire history of mostly unanswered calls from Sellene and Enda.
“That’s perfect, then.” Rhoe smiled at him, leaning closer from the other side of his desk. “I’m sure you’re making the right choice. Look, before we go through this, you should know that Aelin has some… issues. With her temper, sometimes. She can be a bit of a rebel without a cause, but she’s mostly pleasant to be around. Good on the eyes, fun company, plays the piano beautifully, instructed in courtly manners and diplomacy. Our family has a history of infertility issues, but it’s nothing Doranelle’s very famous healers can’t fix.
He blinked and nodded, not knowing what to say.
Rhoe opened a binder. “Now, you should know I have some requirements for giving her hand away in marriage…”
Rowan’s quivering stomach got worse each word the man spoke. Because there was absolutely no way he could afford those requirements, yes, but mostly for how Rhoe dealt with this. The way this man talked about his own daughter, an unadvised person could think he was trying to sell Rowan a herd of cattle.
When Rhoe was halfway through his requirements, loud shouting stopped them short.
It was Aelin, screaming something about human rights he couldn’t quite discern from this far.
Her father winced. “Let me fix this,” he said before leaving his office in a hurry, leaving the door open.
Like Rowan predicted, Rhoe did not fix it. Instead, father and daughter talked in circles.
“You don’t need to marry me off to find a good investor, Father, we can—“
“Come. Meet. Your fiancé.” Rhoe’s voice was hard and reprimanding.
“I’ve already met someone! He’s broke, but he’s honest and reliable and—“
“Mine won. He’s a prince and a billionaire.”
“No, he didn’t! I can’t control my heart!”
“Well, I can. You have a week to forget about whoever this dickhead is and start liking your fiancé.”
“No!” She shouted, “I would rather die—“
When Fenrys pulled her inside the office, Aelin’s words died on her throat. She blinked. Opened her mouth, then closed. She turned to her father and shrugged. “But if you insist, I can marry him next week.”
“There you go, Mr. Galathynius,” Fenrys teased, “She’s tamed already.”
“Yeah, that was fast,” Rhoe said, eyes narrowed at her.
Aelin sighed. “What choice do I have other than obey you, father?”
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beom1e · 1 year
Text
dragon slayer
as newlyweds, you allowed your relationship to overshadow your responsibilities when it came to the kingdom. and when you’re tasked with restoring peace, once again, the realisation of how hard it would be to rule hit the both of you square in the face.
pairing choi yeonjun x fem! reader
genre fluff to angst, royal au, king! yeonjun, queen! reader, established relationship (arranged marriage)
warning alcohol, cursing, details of kissing, use of weapons (bow and arrow, sword), talk of death, blood, injury, fire, burns, a dragon is slain, slight gore, state of shock, nightmares, depiction of an emotional break down
prev | masterlist | next
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‘what do we do now?’ your voice came out as a whisper, your eyes never looking away from yeonjun’s except for the milliseconds it took you to blink each time. you never wanted to look away, you were just completely in love with him.
only half an hour ago, you were saying a temporary goodbye to your family and friends before climbing into the wedding carriage. now you were laid opposite each other on the biggest bed you’d ever seen in your life, still dressed in your wedding attire. yeonjun reached to brush some hair out of your eyes and mirrored your lovestruck smile.
‘now, we honeymoon,’ he pecked your lips. ‘together.’
the past few months had been a lot. you had a lifetime of loving each other to catch up on, on top of cooperating with your parents to ensure that the wedding would run smoothly. it was yeonjun’s idea to have you both crowned as king and queen before the wedding, something you were thankful for so that you would have a peaceful break after being forced down the aisle. it didn’t matter that you loved yeonjun, you still weren’t ready to be married off just yet.
it was constant fittings and parties, meeting distant relatives of both yours and yeonjun’s, and trying to fit your relationship in too. another difficulty you faced was having to lie to your friends about your relationship. somehow you’d flipped from hating each other and pretending to be in love, to loving each other and pretending to be enemies. for some reason, you just felt like it was harder to admit that you had actually fallen for him to your friends than it was to admit to the rest of the kingdom. your best friend however, was always up to date.
the actual wedding was stressful enough. you were the most nervous you’d ever been in your life, and you thought nothing would beat the day that you were crowned queen. at least then you’d had yeonjun to hold your hand, now he was the one making you feel all jittery and nauseous. you’d almost backed out. if it hadn’t been for your best friend reminding you that you actually loved this man, you would have taken off and permanently moved into that house in the woods. of course he’d find you, but then you’d just convince him to run away with you as well.
you were thankful that you sucked it up and went ahead with the wedding in the end, though. after the whole ‘i do,’ segment was over, it was time for the real fun. you got to dance with yeonjun as a married couple for the first time in your lives. everybody had a good time, even your parents. it was difficult for them to enjoy anything, knowing that your vows had finally sealed the deal. they weren’t exactly friendly, just civil.
there was an endless supply of wine, although you were sensible with it. just a little to take the edge off, is what you’d promised yourself. it worked out for the best, as you could now enjoy a tranquil night with yeonjun.
after arriving at the castle, you’d noticed the lack of staff. a note on your dresser explained that they purposely gave you a handful so that you could enjoy your time together in the castle in peace. but exploring would have to wait.
yeonjun had his head propped up using his arm now, and he was talking to you about something you’d stopped paying attention to. when he noticed, he leaned down and kissed you shortly. you smiled, scooting your body closer to his.
he liked to believe that he knew you very well, at least now. you were obvious about your emotions around him, it was evident in your expressions and your mannerisms. he could tell when all you were thinking about was him kissing you, and you weren’t even aware of it. he could see when you were anxious, or needed his help but had too much pride to ask for it. maybe he’d always been this on top of it. he knew how to get to you, every time — which words would piss you off the most, how to get you to squirm in desperation to punch him in a public place — and every time, it worked.
as much as that proved your closeness, he didn’t care for that time of your lives anymore. all that mattered was the now.
the moment his lips reconnected with yours, you pushed back to increase the pressure. he placed his free hand on your waist and tightened his grip to pull you in closer. you pulled away, looking up into his eyes. yeonjun felt himself all but melting, he could just see the pure happiness in your eyes. it felt amazing knowing he could make you feel that way, even though it wasn’t something he’d been planning from the start. being your source of happiness felt like his purpose, and he was starting to realise it had always been something he was missing from his life.
you angled your leg so that your knee sunk down into the mattress beside his hip, and used your strength to pull yourself up and onto yeonjun’s lap. he tried to sit up but you pushed him back down and leaned down to reconnect your lips. he couldn’t believe it, you — his wife — in the wedding dress of your dreams just perched so casually on his thighs as if it was an everyday activity. well, he wasn’t complaining.
the kiss felt like it lasted for hours. it was addictive; no matter how many times your lips touched, no matter how many times you felt his tongue brush against your own, and no matter how many times either of you let out a sound of pure delight.
yeonjun whined when you pulled away, so you gave him one last kiss before deciding it was over. his hand was placed on your cheek, which you conveniently used to rest your head on. he was smiling so softly while his thumb rubbed back and forth over the skin of your cheek.
something came over you, and you couldn’t help giggling. it made you feel slightly embarrassed, in all honestly. you were showing your purest, most vulnerable version of yourself around him. only months ago, it sounded impossible. but as if to save your embarrassment, yeonjun smiled wider than before and pulled you flush against his chest. he rolled around with you while tightly squeezing you, all while you couldn’t stop the giddy laughter.
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you couldn’t recall falling asleep the night before. it probably happened during a lot of light conversation, but all you knew is that you woke up still wearing the uncomfortable outfits from the day before. you ended up running a bath and using the petals from your own bridal bouquet to sprinkle over the top. the castle was practically silent, and still.
yeonjun washed your hair so carefully and gently, and you paid him back by massaging the soap into his skin. you spent all morning chatting on the opposite sides of the large bathtub, and occasionally sharing short kisses.
and then, as unprofessional as you could be, the two of you went down for breakfast at noon and were seated in your sleepwear. there was a too-long table separating the two of you, as the plates and cutlery had only been set up at the two table ends. the room was echoey and empty, so you sat in silence and pushed the food around your plate without much going through your head. yeonjun was leaned back in his chair, watching you who was now practically hunched over the plate out of pure boredom.
the cringe-worthy sound of wooden chair legs scraping across the stone floor forced you to snap your head up. yeonjun grabbed his plate and balanced his cutlery, along with his chalice, between his fingers before he headed towards you. he placed everything down onto the space beside you and sent you a smile, then taking a seat.
‘it’s quite daunting, isn’t it?’ he spoke, and you nodded. ‘the last time i sat so far away from you, was the morning before i fell in love with you.’
‘you make it sound like it was only yesterday,’ you smiled, placing your hand over his own. ‘and now look at us.’
the rest of the day was spent exploring the new grounds. construction for the castle began mere months after the two of you were born, and was completed just in time for yeonjun’s proposal. it was beautiful. in the back, vast gardens complimented by delicate furniture and plots of land reserved for growing your own produce. in the front, a long, cobblestone pathway leading from the castle doors to the very centre of the nearest market square. trees were in the midst of growing, flowers were just beginning to bloom and there was even a cute little wishing well not too far from the path.
the decor for the interior was bright but cosy. there were too many rooms to count, for both yours and yeonjun’s family to reside in. you even passed by a nursery already set up, which had you swallowing hard with realisation that an heir would be required. your relationship had yet to get that far.
you ended the day by sneaking into the kitchens. you sat up on the servants’ table taking small bites from a roll of bread, swinging your legs, as yeonjun snacked on a punnet of grapes just inches away from you. it was all smiles and a peaceful quietness, finally that feeling of freedom to be yourselves.
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neither of you were sure when the time alone would come to an end, but it never really crossed your minds. your parents were taking care of everything, and all you had to worry about was loving each other as much as possible.
the kitchen staff gave you full access to the room, even when they were around. the girls would sit and watch as you and yeonjun attempted to cook and bake all sorts of things. nothing ever went to plan, but you appreciated the quality time and kisses between steps in the recipe books.
strolls through the garden were your favourite. you got to talk the most then, just walking hand-in-hand under the sun. and yeonjun was the most serious then, he’d have you as close as physically possible whilst picking apart his thoughts with you there to make sense of them. you’d express your worries and your excitements, and find patches of grass to lay in together. you’d share sweet kisses and snuggle close for warmth, and watch the sunset as a perfect end to the day.
but that wasn’t all. yeonjun had took it upon himself to teach you the basics of archery, only for you to show off your skills from years of secret practicing. you let him guide you purely for the closeness and romance of it all, but he didn’t seem to blink an eye when your arrow shot firmly through the middle. you also started discussing plans for your schools, with you always drawing up plans for how you wanted the castles to look. yeonjun took a more serious approach, planning out classroom capacity and wages for the teachers. it was his idea to hopefully promote the university and draw in a lot of tourism, to better the kingdom’s trading system.
after spending the day outside, the two of you got to unwinding at home. it was hot — being mid-summer — so yeonjun was walking around with no shirt and just pants, while you had on only your chemise and some thigh-high stockings. the castle staff were always scarce, so you didn’t care to dress appropriately in the comfort of your own home.
‘would you hand me my book?’ you turned to yeonjun as the two of you walked into the sitting room that also doubled as the smaller library. he nodded, heading for the table in the centre of the room while you found a comfortable position on the royal-blue cushioned sofa. ‘i have three chapters left.’
yeonjun reached for the book, clearly loved by you as it was now slightly curved and had a tea stain on the back. atop it, though, was an untitled journal clad in a reddish-brown leather. he grabbed both, handing you the book before flicking open to a page in the centre of the journal.
‘what do we have here, princess?’ he smirked, already seeing that the pages were filled with his name. it was very obviously your delicate handwriting, yet more rushed and messy as if you had been writing furiously. the nickname seemed to stick. it had evolved from an attempt to piss you of into a way of him showing his love and adoration for you.
the action of looking up, your eyes widening, the book in your hands being tossed aside, throwing yourself off the comfortable sofa and diving towards yeonjun merged into a blur of one swift motion. you reached out for the journal, but he only held it higher. his love for teasing you clearly had not been lost in the past few months that you had been together.
‘give that back to me,’ you folded your arms over your chest. ‘the words i wrote in there are private.’
‘don’t you think i deserve to know what you’ve been writing about me all these years?’ he raised a brow, holding the open book out in front of his face. ‘i accepted a proposal today. of course, it wasn’t sincere, because the whole thing had been set up by my own parents when i was merely a thought in the wind. though, there’s a small part of me that wishes—’
you snatched the book back, the expression on your face dropping as you slammed it closed and made a beeline for the door. yeonjun was quick to catch up with you, wrapping his arms around your shoulders in order to pull you back.
‘why did you have to read it? you groaned, feeling him tighten his hold in fear you were going to get upset with him.
‘i already know how you felt about me then,’ he reminded. ‘i’m not going to laugh or shame you.’
‘you’ve never seen the primary evidence before,’ you turned around to face him. ‘and i’d like to keep it that way.’
‘then i’m sorry, y/n,’ he placed two fingers under your chin to lift up your head, and placed a soft kiss to your lips. ‘for invading your privacy.’ another kiss, and then a few more on the way back to the large sofas.
the journal had been dropped somewhere along the way that you couldn’t remember. yeonjun had cupped your face to hold you closer as he kissed you, and suddenly you’d forgotten that you were even mad at him and why. he pulled you down onto the sofa with him, a giggle escaping your lips as you landed clumsily on top of him. the giddiness was cut short when you relaxed into the kisses and felt your heart rate increase.
‘thank you,’ you heard from behind the closed doors, before they were pulled open by two servants.
it was a mixture of you leaping off of yeonjun and him shoving you that caused you to stumble across the library. the previous kings and queens, otherwise known as your parents and now in-laws were coming into the room. as yeonjun stood up beside you, the four of them looked you both up and down with wide eyes. them all showing up at once could only mean one thing… you were about to hear some very bad news.
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your mother had been furious. she rushed you upstairs and lectured you about not having a servant dress you appropriately, but didn’t bat an eye at yeonjun. you assumed she just didn’t feel comfortable enough around him yet, because she was notorious for reminding you of your status and the importance of the tiny details such as your clothing.
yeonjun had came up shortly after, and the two of you fell into a fit of laughter. many ‘this our home’s, ‘we’re married adults’s and ‘we’re the owners of this kingdom’s were shared between you before you were separated again. once properly dressed, you were seated at the large dining table with your parents, and the worst was to come yet.
it was time for you to venture outside together… alone… again. your parents clearly didn’t get the memo about the angry, anti-unification villagers hidden around your kingdom. and to make matters worse, they were sending you into a literal deathtrap where the bouncer was a dragon.
dragon tamers weren’t as common as they had been, because the number of dragons was quickly declining. still, somebody had to do the job. and apparently it was your job to pay the nearby dragon tamer by hand, which hadn’t been done for so long that he was now threatening to let a dragon loose in the kingdom if didn’t receive payment.
‘i hate this,’ you groaned. the bow on your back was heavy, and it would make the twenty minute walk a lot harder. ‘we definitely did not sign up to pay dragon tamers by hand. what is this obligation? this is completely insane!’
‘not that i don’t agree with you, princess,’ yeonjun reached for your hand, pulling you closer to his side. ‘but do you not think it’s nice to get out of the castle and be actually alone?’
‘it would be a lot nicer if they were sending us across the ocean to an island at the equator,’ you rolled your eyes. ‘i can’t fathom why they would send royals into one of the most dangerous locations in the whole kingdom.’
‘you know i’ll protect you,’ he pulled you into a side hug and pressed a kiss to your temple. ‘just tell me when you’re afraid.’
although the walk was short, the weight of your provided weapons was holding the both of you back. yeonjun was sick of you repeating the same phrase about how heavy a bow was, and you were sick of his need to constantly readjust the placement of his sword. the air was getting tense, waiting for either of you to snap because that’s just what you were used to doing. your patience level around him had significantly increased, but it wasn’t easy to enjoy a painful walk towards a chore-like mission.
‘that’s it over there,’ you pointed out, eyeing up the rocks you would have to climb in order to get there. ‘do they really expect a queen to do such things?’
‘they have to bring us down to a mortal level some way,’ he looked happy, too happy for your liking. ‘our people wouldn’t trust rulers who wouldn’t get their hands dirty.’
‘i never claimed to immortal,’ you folded your arms across your chest. ‘therefore, i should be able to turn back right now.’
‘come on, princess,’ yeonjun held his hand out for you to help boost you up the rocks. you rolled your eyes and began climbing at your own pace, leaving him to raise his brows in an offended but also impressed manner.
as soon as you were level with the entrance to the cave, you felt the fear sink in. yeonjun made it to your side, turning to face you when he noticed your uneasy expression. he reached for your hand and gave it a squeeze, before the two of you advanced towards the cave.
the inside of the cave came into view, and you noticed that yeonjun had placed his finger over his lips, urging you to stay quiet. at first you were confused, but the softest gasp left your lips upon noticing the sleeping dragon. it was chained with a metal collar around its neck, and as it breathed out, the space seemed to warm up significantly. it was almost unbearably hot, and you were already feeling the sweat forming.
‘i’m afraid,’ you whispered. ‘this is the first time i’ve ever seen a dragon in close proximity.’
‘you’re okay,’ he tightened his hold on you. the same could be said about himself, but he didn’t want to make you worse by showing it. ‘i won’t let anything happen to you.’
you snuck by the dragon, only stopping once when it moved its head to rest it in a new position. deeper into the cave, you stumbled upon the man you were there to see. he was wearing little clothing, which you understood as you felt sweat trickle down your forehead and towards your lip.
‘who’re you?’ his voice was loud and big, making you jump.
‘we’re here to pay you,’ yeonjun spoke. ‘we’re the new rulers.’
‘what? and they sent you two into a cave with a live, untrained dragon?’ he looked amused, but there was something wicked about the expression on his face.
‘that dragon isn’t trained?’ you spoke sternly. ‘are you aware that’s a crime?’
‘you expect me to do a job you’re not paying me for?’ he raised a brow. ‘leave the money, and i’ll start taming it.’
‘is that all you have to say for yourself?’ the anger you felt was only making the cave feel hotter. ‘you put everyone in danger by bringing an untamed dragon this close to the kingdom.’
‘according to your husband’s laws, princess,’ he smirked. ‘this is the perfect distance away from the walls.’
‘our laws,’ yeonjun defended. ‘she’s my queen, not a princess.’
‘give him the money,’ you turned to yeonjun. ‘it’s unbearably hot in here, and we have to let someone know about this.’
yeonjun reached for the bag in his pocket and pulled it out, offering it towards the man. he snatched it and immediately opened it to check that everything was there. once he looked up at the two of you, you grabbed yeonjun’s hand and began dragging him towards the exit.
of course, it wasn’t going to be that easy. you’d completely forgotten about the dragon, and the fact that the man had previously threatened to let it loose. it was staring right at you both, and it’s chain had been cut by some sort of weapon.
all you could do was back up and try to come up with some sort of escape plan. behind you, the dragon tamer had exited through the back and placed a heavy rock over the gap.
‘this is where we die,’ yeonjun was holding your hand tighter than he ever had. ‘we won’t make it out of here alive.’
‘i’m not allowing you to give up,’ you shook your head. ‘neither of us have siblings, and we definitely don’t have an heir.’
‘then what do you suppose we do?’ he looked into your eyes, and yours didn’t reflect back the same amount of fear that his did. you were angry and determined to get home.
the dragon breathed out heavily through its nose, once again increasing the temperature inside of the cave. yeonjun could sense it, letting go of your hand to shove you in the direction of a large rock. you’d just made it in time for the dragon to open its jaw and breathe literal fire in the spot you had previously been standing.
whilst your body slammed painfully against the rock — your knees scraping the ground and beginning to bleed, as you tried to grip onto the smooth surface — yeonjun had only just managed to step out of the way. he clutched his bicep and stumbled a little, and you were suddenly reminded of when he was shot in the same place with an arrow.
you ripped the sling containing your bow off your back and dropped it to the ground. your fumbled to grab an arrow and position it before standing up and shooting it straight through one of its wings. it screeched and backed up, and you took the opportunity to run towards yeonjun.
‘are you hurt?’ you placed your hands on his cheeks to ground him and looked into his eyes.
instead of answering, he wrapped his arm around your waist and tugged you forward. you fell down on top of him with a thud, as another, larger stream of fire barely missed you.
‘your bow,’ he instructed. ‘it has to be killed.’
‘that’s illegal,’ you felt your eyes well up with tears.
‘i’d rather face the punishment,’ he breathed out. ‘than have to spend the rest of my life without you, y/n.’
‘i love you,’ a tear trailed down your cheek.
there wasn’t enough time for that. you pushed yourself up and threw yourself towards the rock you had just been hiding behind, as more fire followed your trail. yeonjun was quick to grab his sword, throwing down everything else on his person to lighten the load. you grabbed your bow and aimed it towards the dragon, all while yeonjun was sticking to the walls in order to sneak up on it.
it looked angry, its eyes narrowed as it stared you down. you felt the fear sinking in deeper and deeper, but you held your ground with pointing the arrow between its eyes.
but when it whipped its head around to face yeonjun, you panicked and released the arrow. it shot right into the side of the dragon, causing it to spit out more fire and swing its tail around. you ducked, but yeonjun had been thrown back against a wall. the sound of him groaning was what alerted you, and you dropped everything to run towards him.
‘y/n!’ he yelped, worried that you were putting your life in danger for the sake of his. you dropped down to his side, your eyes now only showcasing fear. ‘you need to do it.’
you pushed back the guilt. it was your lives over the dragon’s, and if you were to die right now, it would only terrorise the rest of the kingdom. his sword had slid to the other side of the cave, so you ran as fast as you could and lifted it, your arms shaking slightly due to its weight. the dragon came quickly towards you, opening it’s jaw once again before you pierced it’s heart with the sword’s blade. when you pulled the sword back out, blood dripped all over your dress and shoes.
the dragon dropped first, the ground shaking a bit as it collided with the floor. then you dropped the sword, the metal clanging against the rock and then scraping as it slid away from you. you’d fallen into a state of shock.
yeonjun grabbed your hand and dragged you out of cave, but you didn’t feel like walking. he ordered you to get on his back, so you did. as much pain as he was in, and as long as the walk was, he still refused to put you down. when you arrived back at the kingdom, you received the same reaction as last time.
you were bloodied and bruised, and covered in dirt and soot and dust. yeonjun lowered you to the ground and you stumbled, still having that blank stare on your face.
there were certainly voices around you, but you couldn’t make out a single word. a familiar face came running towards you and grabbed you by the shoulders, shaking you out of it. it was your best friend, who you hadn’t seen since the day of your wedding. and now you were reunited, and you looked the worst you had ever looked in your life.
‘what happened to her?’ your best friend turned to yeonjun, looking angry now. ‘why can’t she speak?’
‘she went into shock,’ he wrapped his arm around you to shield you from the nosy villagers. ‘we need to get home.’
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your home wasn’t the same after then. it was much more quiet and serious. yeonjun would ask you to take a walk with him, and you’d kindly reject. you sat at the two opposite ends of the table when eating, and the kitchen staff hadn’t see the two of you in there in weeks.
usually, yeonjun was in his office. he had hundreds of papers to sign to go forward with increasing wages for everyone, and was trying to set plans for the schools.
you spent your time reading. occasionally you would zone out and recall the sounds of the dragon dying, at your hand. but worse was the fear of what could have happened had you not stepped up to kill it. yeonjun might not have been here anymore — hell, you might not have been here anymore.
the nightmares had started recently.
you felt your eyes shoot open and you sat up in bed, catching your breath. yeonjun was used to it. when you looked to your right, he was already staring up at you. you sunk back into the sheets and he opened his arms out to you. naturally, you shuffled into his embrace and took in his warmth. your heart rate slowed, and you felt yourself fall back to sleep.
the day ahead of you was a big one. nobody had seen either of you in public since you returned, and it was finally time for the both of you to show your faces again. yeonjun had prepared everything for you, as he knew you were in a fragile state.
you were so grateful for him. he was there whenever you needed him, he would let you cry until his shirt was soaked through. you didn’t even have to ask it of him, he just wanted to do it for you as his own choice.
‘good morning,’ he spoke, and you lifted your head to see him. your eyes quickly squeezed shut upon seeing how bright it was. ‘i’m going to request breakfast. anything in particular?’
‘nothing i can think of,’ you sat up, stretching your arms above your head. ‘i’ll join you after i’m dressed.’
when you walked into the dining room, yeonjun was reading something that he’d set down on the table. you grabbed your plate and moved yourself over to sit beside him. he looked up and smiled, before you both began eating happily.
you had no idea how badly the rest of the day would turn out. before leaving, yeonjun explained his plan for the public speech and updated you on how everything would go. when you arrived, the townsfolk were whispering amongst themselves as if sharing the hottest gossip of the kingdom.
yeonjun spoke first. he announced the wage increase and some other, smaller projects to look forward to. and as planned, he left the schools to you.
‘i’m certain the vast majority of you have been wondering what the vacant castles will be used for going forward,’ you spoke, a smile on your face as you glanced over at yeonjun. ‘i decided on schools for standard and further education, and it was the king’s idea to invite international students to study here. construction will begin shortly, and if any of you have any questions, now is the time ask them.’
a hand shot straight up into the air. you accepted their question with a nod, but gave a nervous glance to yeonjun.
‘is it true that the dragon was slain?’ a woman asked. ‘if it is, then you’re breaking your own laws that we have to follow.’
‘we recognise that dragon slaughter is highly illegal due to their rarity in the modern day,’ you took a deep breath. ‘however, it’s just as illegal to own a dragon that is untamed and unfit to safely be around people. the dragon tamer — who is now being held by our guards — left his untamed dragon completely free in that cave. if i hadn’t—’
‘dragon slayer!’ a man’s voice called.
everybody caught on fast. before you knew it, hundreds of people began to yell the phrase back at you.
yeonjun jumped in immediately. he ushered you down from the stands and called for the carriage to be brought around as soon as possible. you held back your feelings for the short ride home, but he suspected you were about to fall apart.
you pushed your way out of the carriage and down to the ground, holding up the skirt of your dress so that you could run. tears fell fast, and you sobbed breathlessly whilst you tried to hardest to get out of a public place. yeonjun followed shortly behind you, and you stopped in the middle of the entrance way.
again, he could predict your behaviour. he wrapped his arms around you before you could drop to the ground, catching you in his arms. then he lowered you, taking a seat himself to hold your head against his chest. your fingers gripped the material of his dress shirt as you sobbed and cried. it took everything in you not to scream, because you had no other way of expressing your feelings.
you’d failed at bringing peace to the kingdom.
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mermaidsirennikita · 2 months
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I've recently read a book where the point was to have an heir and the hero is becoming more and more obssesed with the heroine and won't admitted bc IM DOING THIS FOR THE SAKE OF HAVING AND HEIR AND NOTHING MORE lol, do yoi have more books like that to recommend?
I appreciated the reviews you do ☺️ more than usual people get waaaay to serious about a book and it gets tiring to read their thoughts after a while
Hi! Thank you lol, I think people need to read romance novels for fun and it's a little irritating for me when they get like... guilty? About liking what they like. I think romance novels can definitely be emotionally deep and compelling, but the main point is fun.
Soooo I think some breeding kink or breeding kink adjacent vibes will give you these vibes!
Historical:
The Duchess in His Bed by Lorraine Heath--In this one, the heroine is the one that propositions the hero to put a baby in her because she needs a baby in order to secure her safety right after her husband dies. She spends a good chunk of the book showing him the kind of life his baby will have because he was a bastard and is worried about the kid having a good home, etc. But once they do get to babymaking, it's like feeeelings.
Waking Up with the Duke by Lorraine Heath--This is the ideal book for this setup, except a) they're making an heir on behalf of her husband, who's impotent after a carriage accident and pressures the hero to get his wife pregnant b) the hero isn't TOTALLY detached, even though he puts on a good front, because he has carried a torch for the heroine. However, the babymaking process is when he REALLY starts falling and it's delicious and one of my favorite books of all time. AINSLEY!!!!
Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas--These two are married, and had feelings, but he left her the day after the wedding and they've been separated for like a decade. She wants a divorce so she can marry her lover, and he's like "fine"--if you give me an heir first. So it's really like... a reawakening via babymaking. I shall always remember the first sex scene when he like, bends her over a desk to KEEP IT PROFESH.
Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt--This is the one where they got married because she was pregnant with another guy's baby and and the guy died before they could marry. Then she lost the baby and they separated without consummating the marriage. A few years later, she returns to town like "I want a baby, put it in me" and they start having sex... During which he gets FEELINGS.
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare--The hero is a super scarred duke whose fiancee leaves him right before the wedding, and the heroine is the seamstress who made the wedding dress and shows up on his doorstep wearing it all "PAY UP". He realizes he has a ready-made bride, and he just needs an heir, so... they've got a deal. Obvi, he begins falling for her as they start working on the baby.
The Duke I Tempted by Scarlet Peckham--This is another "duke marries local woman for an heir" book, with the twist that his secret is... He's sexually submissive and likes to be dominated and whipped during sex.
Contemporary(ish):
Lush Money by Angelina M. Lopez--This is the crazy one wherein the heroine is like, a billionaire, the hero is the prince of a tiny nation with a genius IQ. She wants a smart royal baby, so she offers to bail out his nation financially if he marries her and gets her pregnant. He actually hates her, but he's a man of his word, so he starts workin' on it. Workin' REAL hard.
Mafia Virgin by Mila Finelli--In this one, a mob boss and a mafia princess (who wants to be a doctor lmao) are forced to marry, and then the boss is blackmailed.... he has to get her pregnant within six months, or Something Bad Will Happen. However, it turns out that they both have a breeding kink, so they get SUPER into it and feelings start to develop. This is the one where he makes her kiss his balls and thank them for all the cum they're about to give her (she's about it).
Fantasy:
The Winter King by C.L. Wilson--The hero conquers the heroine's kingdom, and part of the treaty is her being forced to marry him and give him an heir within a year. VERY hot.
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What is so wrong with the Rise of Red?
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mmmmmmmmm alot, its a clear cash grab, which hey its disney, it keep saying its a continuation from the main 3 movies yet its CLEARLY a soft reboot, it looks so cheap even though i know these fucks have some sort of budget to make it look good enough(the jewlrey, the designs in general, everthing looks plastic and fake unlike the main movies where the fakest thing was Ben's crown, i mean they made harry a REAL metal hook!!!! with little designs on it and everything!!), it just feels like it lacks the passion and effort the main 3 movie had, which even if d3 was a shit show-it FELT like lots of passion was put into it from all the actors and the set design and even just the little details of outfits and other stuff, rise of red jsut feels...cheap and theres some stuff that one of my actor friends(ifykyk) said about the casting stuff and other things that also soured the whole thing becuase they were awful and just-werent doing anything right.
it just feels like such an unessecary addition and i really wish they would just say ';'hey! this is a soft reboot!' and honestly THAT would make me complain less but they're trying to make it seem like its a direct continuation somehow even though Uma/china is the only returning cast and the plot feels lazy the costumes are lazy and the fact that they made it seem like dara renee was goign to be chloe at the annoucment thing last/two ish years ago and on the first insta post of it and then suddenly she wasnt chloe anymore and i feel like thats fucking weird as fuck becuase they instead casted a lighter skinned and skinner girl to play chloe and dara was recast/cast as Ursula's sister and im like....thats WEIRD
idk just from teh start d4 wasnt something the franchise needed, it ended with d3/the royal wedding, d3 was okay enough to be closure for the series and feels like an okay enough ending for the francise but they just keep milking it and milking it to the point where its just not fun anymore-rise of red doesnt look fun, we got no behind the scenes, not even from teh actors-unlike d3 where we got a WHOLE production for behind the scenes and just that alone makes me like d3 becuase it looked so fun to make! everyone had so much fun making it! and yet for rise of red-or pocketwatch as it was known-we didnt even know they finished/started filming until we got a random post saying it was a wrap??? like-no bts? no songs? no fun moments with the cast? no teasers?? nothing?????
idk i just-am not excited for this movie and i dont think im gonna watch it, maybe watch a few scenes on youtube and def listens to the songs and look at all the outfit designs, but im not interested in watching this shit show for...whenever it comes out, it just very much feels like not even the production was fun and if the production insnt fun, the movies not gonna be fun.
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lowkeyclueless5137 · 5 months
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Yesterday I was talking to a friend of mine about an au for conductor Riddle and choir Azul when suddenly our conversations shifted to Rapunzel Riddle.
It got me thinking!
A Rapunzel Riddle AU. Where it takes place in Tangled, and Riddle play the role of Rapunzel while his mother is Gothel. So, instead of getting kidnapped (well, he still is, just not by a stranger), Riddle was taken away by his mother on the day he was born because he has a healing power.
So in my mind the backstory went like this:
The Queendom of Roses is a kingdom ruled by a fair and strong royal family. This kingdom is well known for their roses. There was also a legend passed down the line of a beautiful rose that can heal all of your sickness if you sing to it. It was said, that the rose is white in colour, and nothing can taint its beauty. Even the annual Unbirthday Party, where you must recolour any white roses to red, no one can change its pure white colour. For everytime they do so the rose will just sheds the paint right away. It was also said that when it was sang to, the rose will glow a silver light.
Now, this rose is considered to be just a myth. Even in the world full of magic, nothing in this world can grant instant health. However, this rose do exit, but a greedy witch had hide it away from anyone.
This witch was once a famous doctor back then. But she was not brilliant. She was what you consider to be a quack doctor. Though brilian at magic, she doesn't have any healing knowledge. Often put curses on anyone that bring fort her inability to actually heal. One day she found that rose by accident. She then used it to heal people, but with a really heavy price. Not only that, she also use its power to heal herself, stopped her aging when she noticed she was growing old and not pretty anymore.
Centuries went by and she has gone many different identities to not be noticed by anyway. One day, she meet a truly brilliant young doctor. He was not just an ordinary doctor. He was also the personal doctor of the royal family. Interested by his brilliant mind, this old witch tried to get close to him. Enchanted by her beauty, the young doctor ask for her hand in marriage some years down the line of their meeting.
This wedding resulted in her being pregnant. However, in the middle of her pregnancy, she fallen sick. See, despite her young looks, her body is not really young. Not to mention she never fallen pregnant before. She can't really handle the pregnancy. Worried for his wife's health and their unborn baby, the young doctor went to his Queen, begging for any kind of help. The Queen, beloved even if she can be too strict sometimes, give the doctor a helping hand. She told him about the rumoured rose. That it can cure any sickness. While the mases believe it was just a myth, the royal family do know its real existence. However, it was stolen from the royal garden many centuries ago. But you see, the royal family have a great connection to the roses in their Queendom, they alway know the condition of every roses in their Queendom. They know the legendary rose is in there somewhere, safe and sound, and the doctor can use it to help his wife.
The doctor, not really believe it, still agree in his desperation. He went to a journey along with the guards sent to help him by the Queen. Days went by with nothing until he stumbled across a lone garden just in the outskirts of the Queendom.
There, under the moonlight, stand tall a the white rose of the myth. How do they know? For its petals glow and shine aurora like light around it under the moonlight.
The doctor with he help of guards then take it back to the Queendom. When they present the rose to the Queen, she told the doctor to make the rose into tea and drink it to his wife. Shocked, the doctor ask why. For she said that it can cure any sickness with just you sing to it. Not to mention it was the only rose of its existence in the whole world.
The Queen just smile and told him that she believes the baby need it more than the mother, and the rose will one day come back to them.
The doctor, still in disbelief, still follow the Queen suggestion and make it a tea to his wife.
The witch drank the tea and months later give birth to a beautiful white haired baby. The baby is a boy. Born with white hair that glow under the moonlight and eyes bluer than the sky. Upon seeing it the witch instantly know that the rose is gone and now residing in her son.
That night she take away her child and run away to another kingdom across the sea. Leaving her "husband" crying and panicking upon seeing his beloved wife and child gone during the night.
The Queen, upon hearing the news from the sobbing doctor in front of her, just frown while soothing the doctor that she has considered to be her only family. She know, the baby will be back one day. She has seen it in her dreams. Of a young man in red that will one day rule the Queendom. But she can't tell it to the grieving father. So she settled on telling him that his son will one day come back. But they need to light up his journey, so he can find the way back to his arms.
That night, the whole Queendom light up lanterns and sent it to the sky. And they do it, every year on August 24.
Far, far away, in the middle of the jungle, stood a lone cottage with a tall tower behind it. A beautiful sound can be heard from inside. There, you can see a mother and her child sitting in front of the fireplace. The child's long hair glow beautifully under the moonlight.
Anyway! After that really long background, I will tell you the idea of it!
Trey and Che'nya are Riddle's friends. They used to be human children that accidentally stumbled upon Riddle's cottage and ask him to play everytime his mother went away. One day they got found out so Riddle's mother cursed them into animals. Trey as a green hedgehog, while Che'nya as a purple kitten (he never grow into a fully grown cat). Scared, Riddle beg for her to turn them back. He will do anything, but please turn them back.
The witch refuse. But she told him that she will turn them back if he promised to never left her and continue study really hard to one day become a doctor. Riddle agree, just so he can save his friends.
Floyd is Flynn Rider. He got into the tower after accidentally got separated from Azul and Jade when they're on a journey to the Queendom. When he accidentally stumbled into a cave that lead him to a beautiful place where Riddle's tower stood.
Anyway, the journey began when Floyd go in there and tell Riddle about his friends. Riddle, who nearly give up from find anyways to help his cursed friends, beg Floyd to lead him to his friend Azul. If he can't help him, at least Riddle can find other ways to lift his friends' curse outside. In return, after he manage to turn his friends back, he will do anything for Floyd.
So the journey began. And how the story unfold? Well, I don't know fully yet and I feels bad because it is already a really long ask 😅😭
Me: it's 7 am... I should get ready for school
*long ask appears*
Me: school can wait :3
(I'm joking, I'm still going to school bc it's important and Yada Yada) :'3
I put everything under the cut, because I was the 'genius' brain who decided to make it EVEN LONGER... :D
PS: I luv long asks, so more than anything, it made me very happy today!
I actually do have a rapunzel Au, but Idia is the moon drop. Even so, it falls so well with this one, that for the time being, I could use it to temporarily patch up Floyd's backstory and why he stumbled about the cottage and tower. That would imply that Riddle's the sun drop, but alas, this is again, up to debate until a proper story is made for Floyd's background to fall in place with Riddle's.
Since you did say that he stumbles upon the place, I could place it only after Idia goes to the snuggly duckling and Floyd has to leave as he was clearly helping the 2 to escape. Jade got a free pass due to his 'drunk' act and as such he had to stay there until it was safe for him to leave as well. Azul most likely was just experiencing several heart attacks at the moment, so leave him be. :'3
So because he was chased by guards through a forest, Floyd didn't knew when he passed the border, but he knew that those guys relentlessly chased down Azul and Malleus for stealing the crown, so he as an accomplice, was just as visated.
So because borders of kingdoms are basically where 2 outskirts back by back, Floyd basically just goes straight in the rose Queendom border, without having no idea about it. He wanted to hide from his pursuers, without knowing they didn't even pass the border as they knew that was the Queendom of roses. And in there, punishments were much worse for those who break rules. So they didn't doubt that Floyd would cause even a minor inconvenience which would spiral in his iminent decapitation.
So because of this, seeing an abandoned cottage right after he saw a multitude of 'missing child' signs for Trey and Che'nya sure didn't ring any alarm bells. Yeah, sure... -3-;
Cue meeting Riddle. And since I gave to Idia the honor of using a pan to knock out the intruders to his tower, Riddle shall get something more chaotic.
He bonks Floyd with a fucking chair, that's it... Just drop the chair on him... :'3
So of course, Riddle sees this as an opportunity. This guy looked like a merchant, like someone who travels a lot. And with some hope for at least Trey and Che'nya's cause, Riddle hid Floyd and waited for his mother to leave again for an expedition, so that he could wake up the unconscious body and ask for proper help.
Of course, at first, like any normal, sane being, Floyd just wants to leave. But again, the guy is pretty and he asks of him to get Che'nya and Trey out of here safely, to find someone who could turn them back into humans and get them to their homes, where they would be alright.
Floyd takes it as it follows: these 3 are hostages, 2 of which were turned into helpless animals that might as well just be yoinked by a hawk or something. And the 3rd hostage begs for at least the other 2 to escape.
Cue Floyd seeing a business opportunity. He tells Riddle that there is someone he works with and that he could break the curse. But, for that, there would be a price to pay. Riddle of course, desperate, couldn't just leave the opportunity to pass on and offers anything for the 2's freedom. He didn't have money of himself, everything in this tower was his mother's and as such, poor him didn't know what he could offer.
That's when he also remembered of his healing power. So he tells Floyd that he could cure any illness or wound. For the freedom of the 2, Riddle could cure someone's sickness or near fatal wounds.
And Floyd remembers that Azul wears glasses, after he gave away his sight for the twins as a result of a freak accident on the sea. If what this boy with inhumanly long hair says is true, then he could retrieve Azul's sight and restore the twins's eye wounds.
And as such, he decided that the payment had to be solving Azul and the twins's sight problem. Riddle was skeptical, but accepted to help. He expected for Floyd to just bring the 2 here so he wouldn't need to leave the house.
God he was so wrong.
Of course, first on the list was not dragging around this chunk of hair. So Floyd takes it upon himself to firstly braid it and try to pin it as short as possible, so they wouldn't drag around for god knows how long. Riddle admitted that he never had his hair being braided or made into different styles up until now. But following in tow after Floyd, with Trey and Che'nya as well, it felt better to moot have to drag all of that hair after him.
But since Floyd still was not aware he crossed the border, he got confused on his way, following the previous kingdom's map, only to end up in heavens knew where, in a little village next to the kingdom capital. Cue a lot of shenanigans and them realising that 'oh shit, we are in the wrong kingdom/Queendom'. So with this, Floyd haggles his money, thinking that maybe those would be enough to go to the capital and have a merchant negociate to take them to the kingdom they needed to find Azul and Jade in.
So now they go to the capital, absolutely ready to just get on the first cart and leave. Except that while looking for a merchant that was leaving for the kingdom, they stumble upon an old traveler who just sold some exotic spices to the royal bakers: the Clovers. Those were Trey's parents. Che'nya's were the royal jesters.(apparently, historically speaking, court jesters were considered advisors of the rulers and also treated really well)
So Riddle is bringing this up, saying to Floyd that they have to hurry and find this Azul guy, because we are speaking about people who have close ties with the queen. It is bound to be a lasting scandal.
So after some long negociation, finally, the old man takes the 2 in. Floyd had to give all of his money, as the cart was very small and the man had to give up for a few trades in order to make space for these 2.
But of course, they get spotted by Mrs Rosehearts, who is absolutely livid at seeing Riddle outside, with an unknown guy. Cue very epic chase through the street.
In this chase, Floyd does get hurt by trying to protect the old man and Riddle and as such, when they finally get her off their trails, Riddle insists to heal Floyd's wound. And of course, it works instantly.
But also Che'nya was touching the hair while Riddle was using his healing powers and as such, his curse is broken. Realising that all this time, Riddle could've simply broken the curse himself, he uses it on Trey as well and it works wonderfully.
His mother most likely knew about this, but in order for Riddle to not undo her curse, she hid it from him, mostly to make him desperate enough to obey her every word.
So Floyd does say that's a bummer, because he lost now the deal. Riddle tho, thanks him, because if it wasn't for him, he would've never found out that all this time, he could've simply undo the curse himself. But now he was on the run and clearly they couldn't return Trey and Che'nya so easily to the palace.
Floyd reassures that they will find a way back. And they grow closer and cuddle.
But because suddenly their number of people doubled, the merchant had no more space and as such, they had to leave him. Still he didn't return the money back and left, much to Floyd's annoyance. Their next objective: return Trey and Che'nya to the palace.
Cue a LOT of forest shenanigans until they finally stumble back into the capital.
Except that because she spotted them, Mrs Rosehearts used that to pretend to be a fresh escape from a 'kidnapper', who just happened to look exactly like Floyd. And as such, now the whole country was ready and armed to put down Floyd. He was now a wanted man.
Oh god, it was a chaos. Running from the guards and everything. Floyd realises that no way in hell will they ever get close to the palace without getting so much attention.
And as such, he turns himself in, so that the guards could bring in the 3 in front of the queen. He will get decapitated for it, but this was his mission.
And before parting ways, Floyd does tell to the teary eyed Riddle that he was fun. That he enjoyed so much him and the adventure they had, that he wouldn't mind to die for him. Riddle, of course, didn't want for the taller to die. He of course, started to care about him, but he didn't really realise how much, until they found themselves here, Floyd being dragged to the dungeons while Riddle was taken to the throne room.
Trey and Che'nya also felt really guilty about it. So the first second that they are taken back to their families, they beg to free Floyd before it's too late. That Floyd was actually the one who helped them escape and be back here.
And Riddle gets taken to the throne room, to meet the queen. Of course, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and a great honor for anyone, but Riddle was there, walking like he was on eggshells, all messy and crying uncontrollably. Many assumed that he cried of happiness, but no, Riddle himself got down on his knees, in front of the queen, begging through sobs to free Floyd, to not kill him, that he loved the guy too much to even fathom him gone.
And this, of course, came as a shock to everyone. The queen of course, initially wanted to tell him that his mother was waiting for him, but with this desperate begging, something was up that wasn't yet told.
You said that the queen considered the doctor to be her only family and as such, I will add a bit into it, that the queen was a widow, unable to have a child of her own, and the doctor was more like a brother figure for her, so in the night of the faithful dissappearance, him crying to her and panicking about it, that his only child, her 'nephew' and 'sister in law' dissappearing, was similar to the present, when Riddle was in there, begging for Floyd to be released. So it hit a bit close to home.
And she indulges for her to take Riddle to the dungeons, to see Floyd and settle this matter.
Except that upon an order from. Mrs Rosehearts, already Floyd was ready to be publicly executed, so he was put in front of people, tied up, with the executioner having the axe ready to just slam it and make the decapitation. They couldn't prepare so fast the gullitone(?) so the free hand way it was.
Of course, Floyd long accepted his iminent death, so to see Riddle crying, reaching out to him from the crowd, Floyd could only just respond and try to soothe down the other's panic, that it will be alright, that he will always be there. He already served his last meal, brought by Mrs Rosehearts. It was clearly poisoned, but either he will die by a swift decapitation or the poison will do it's job, Floyd either way knew he was done for and nothing could ever be done about it. This, of course was kept in between him and Mrs Rosehearts. He will be decapitated and no one would ever question if he was poisoned beforehand or not.
Except that Riddle couldn't take it and manages to rush in and try to make Floyd duck, as the executioner was holding him by the hair, in order to properly cut his head off.
I all of that fast movement, the blade instead hit Riddle's hair, cutting it in one go as both Riddle and Floyd fell sideways. Of course, this was Floyd's shock, since still he was under the poison's influence. Either way he was going to die then and there. Riddle only prolonged the time with a few minutes, all at the cost of his healing abilities.
So Riddle does realise of the poison, mainly because of the symptoms Floyd showed. In a panic, he tried to heal him, but already his hair was a bright red, all powerless and he could only cry as the other was giving his life then and there, weakly trying to hug Riddle as a somewhat goodbye.
Except that Riddle's tears manage to do the job of healing, giving Floyd a 2nd chance at life.
Of course, since Trey and Che'nya told the truth, it did reach everyone's ears of what actually happened, but no one ever got to punish Mrs Rosehearts, as she was made dust due to the fact that she inhumanly prolonged her lifespan to the point she was meant to be just in a casket at this point.
Now just imagine Floyd, a man who avoided death by a hair tip, to look at Riddle and the first thing he ever says to be: 'you look like a goldfish'.
But it's excusable only this time, because it was a near death experience. :'3
So as an aftermath, it would be a lot of things, mainly Riddle trying to get used to his now shortish hair. It still was long by normal standards and also cut unevenly due to the axe's trajectory, but still Riddle wanted to keep it that way because he found it comforting for Floyd to braid it to him.
But of course, Floyd did have to go. He didn't stay long in there. And Riddle asked him why did he have to leave him. To leave the chance of a life as royalty.
On the day of departing, Floyd himself told Riddle of his upbringing. He was a pirate, apart of a crew of merpeople that were shunned. Their captain, Azul, roped in the prince of a Fae empire to steal a crown from the neighbor kingdom. He and Jade were just supposed to find a merchants who would pay a nice price for it at the bar when this wierd guy came in with Azul and Malleus and then he ended up on the run. He couldn't stay here, he couldn't leave his family, even if he loved Riddle to bits.
But he promises that he will come back. And that he wants to see Riddle happy next time he comes back. As such, Riddle gives him a parting gift: a rose enchanted to never wilt. In exchange, Floyd gives to the redhead a pin he used to hold his hair with. Just so each other would have something that reminds him of the other while they are not together anymore.
And with that, Floyd leaves to find Azul and Jade, while Riddle is on to grow into the role of the now sole heir to the throne (upon being named as such by the queen herself).
I mean... It's not a hypothetical full happy ending, but things to beat around with my og rapunzel Au, while also adding that flavor of something that sets it apart. It also leaves room if you actually want to use some other lore. Few little things have to be changed, but overall it doesn't affect the main idea I had for the story itself. A lot of wiggle room if I say so myself :3
God, it's 13:24 when I post this... :'3
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goodqueenaly · 2 years
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I think you’ve said before that A Feast of Crows and A Dance with Dragons were partly about the competing legacies of Tywin and Ned could you elaborate?
Oh yes. (More under the cut)
The opening of AFFC is not subtle about the story's judgment on Tywin's legacy - it stinks. This is the reason Tywin's corpse rots so awfully, even though nothing in universe would explain that level of decay; the author is practically hitting readers over the head with the symbolism here. Tywin's modus operandi was terror, total destruction, and an absolute lack of moral scruple in the achievement of his aims. This was true of Tywin even before we see him in the main story, from his response to the Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion to his horrifying sack of King's Landing and the murders of Rhaegar's wife and children. Too, from the very beginning of the war in the main novels - when Tywin unleashed his favorite hellhound Gregor Clegane at the Mummer's Ford, Sherrer, and Wendish Town and empowered his lieutenants to commit any and all war crimes to bring the Riverlands to its knees - Tywin sought to win through the overwhelming application of terror and violence. Fittingly, his ultimate response, the Red Wedding, openly rejected one of the oldest and most sacred Westerosi traditions so as to ensure the complete elimination of his most prominent enemy. This is Tywin's legacy - crushing his enemies so unmercifully, so ruthlessly in order to instill a permanent fear of anyone doing so again.
So how's that legacy going post mortem, Tywin? Let's see how Doran Martell feels about it:
"You mistake patience for forbearance. I have worked at the downfall of Tywin Lannister since the day they told me of Elia and her children. It was my hope to strip him of all that he held most dear before I killed him, but it would seem his dwarf son has robbed me of that pleasure. I take some small solace in knowing that he died a cruel death at the hands of the monster that he himself begot.["]
Whoops. It would be a real shame if Doran ever had an alternate royal candidate (or two) to support over the Lannisters, wouldn't it? Well, how do the people of the Riverlands feel in a post-Red Wedding world?
“Would that it were only them,” said Lady Mariya. “Some of the river lords are hand in glove with Lord Beric’s men as well.”
“The smallfolk too,” sniffed her daughter. “Ser Harwyn says they hide them and feed them, and when he asks where they’ve gone, they lie. They lie to their own lords!”
“It might have been outlaws,” Ser Daven said, when Jaime told the tale, “or not. There are still bands of northmen about. And these Lords of the Trident may have bent their knees, but methinks their hearts are still … [sic] wolfish.”
...
Jaime noted the banners of Lychester and Vance, of Roote and Goodbrook, the acorns of House Smallford [sic] and Lord Piper's dancing maiden, but the banners he did not see gave him pause. The silver eagle of Mallister was nowhere in evidence; nor the red horse of Bracken, the willow of the Rygers, the twining snakes of Paege. Though all had renewed their fealty to the Iron Throne, none had come to join the siege. The Brackens were fighting the Blackwoods, Jaime knew, which accounted for their absence, but as for the rest ... [sic]
Our new friends are no friends at all. Their loyalty goes no deeper than their skins.
Whoops. It would be a real shame if an extrajudicial group in the area ever started seeking revenge for the Red Wedding by attacking and killing the people Tywin empowered, wouldn't it? Oh, and all those people assaulted and harried by Tywin's terror agents during the war?
A one-legged man stepped forward, leaning on a wooden crutch. "Your Grace, these are the bones of holy men and women, murdered for their faith. Septons, septas, brothers brown and dun and green, sisters white and blue and grey. Some were hanged, some disemboweled. Septs have been despoiled, maidens and mothers raped by godless men and demon worshipers. Even silent sisters have been molested. The Mother Above cries out in her anguish. We have brought their bones here from all over the realm, to bear witness to the agony of the Holy Faith."
...
"Some of my sparrows speak of bands of lions who despoiled them ... [sic] and of the Hound, who was your own sworn man. At Saltpans he slew an aged septon and despoiled a girl of twelve, an innocent child promised to the Faith. He wore his armor as he raped her and her tender flesh was torn and crushed by his iron mail. When he was done he gave her to his men, who cut off her nose and nipples."
Whoops. It would be a real shame if they ended up in a position to upset or even overthrow Tywin's royal dynasty, wouldn't it? Well, at least Tywin's ally in the North, Roose Bolton, has his back when it comes to upholding his legacy, right?
"Truth be told," she said, "Lord Bolton aspires to more than mere lordship. Why not King of the North? Tywin Lannister is dead, the Kingslayer is maimed, the Imp is fled. The Lannisters are a spent force, and you were kind enough to rid him of the Starks. Old Walder Frey will not object to his fat little Walda becoming a queen. White Harbor might prove troublesome should Lord Wyman survive this coming battle … [sic] but I am quite sure that he will not. No more than Stannis. Roose will remove both of them, as he removed the Young Wolf.["]
Whoops - looks like Roose learned Tywin's own favorite lesson of double dealing. And wait, it gets worse - even Roose's own allies in the North, people who hold grudges against the Starks and/or benefit from the Boltons being in power, resent what Tywin saw as his ultimate triumph over Robb Stark:
“Night work is not knight’s work,” Lady Dustin said. “And Lord Wyman is not the only man who lost kin at your Red Wedding, Frey. Do you imagine Whoresbane loves you any better? If you did not hold the Greatjon, he would pull out your entrails and make you eat them, as Lady Hornwood ate her fingers. Flints, Cerwyns, Tallharts, Slates … [sic] they all had men with the Young Wolf.”
“House Ryswell too,” said Roger Ryswell.
“Even Dustins out of Barrowton.” Lady Dustin parted her lips in a thin, feral smile. “The north remembers, Frey.”
Tywin's rotten corpse is barely cold, and his legacy is already falling apart. Everywhere you look, people don't just resent his terror tactics - they are actively undermining his work, looking to destabilize or even outright overthrow the nominally Baratheon but de facto Lannister royal dynasty Tywin so badly wanted to create. It's not going to be long before we see, to borrow Nymeria Sand's phrase, "the utter ruin of Tywin Lannister and all his works", as poor young Tommen's government collapses and the brotherhood without banners gets whatever vengeance it is looking for against the Frey regime in the Riverlands.
Meanwhile, what is happening in the North? Barbrey Dustin, who strongly hates both Ned and Catelyn (and, relatedly, supports the Bolton regime partly out of that hatred), sums up the situation nicely:
"Dressing her [i.e. Jeyne Poole, purporting to be Arya Stark] in grey and white serves no good if the girl is left to sob. The Freys may not care, but the northmen … [sic] they fear the Dreadfort, but they love the Starks."
...
["]Old Whoresbane is only here because the Freys hold the Greatjon captive. And do you imagine the Hornwood men have forgotten the Bastard's last marriage, and how his lady wife was left to starve, chewing her own fingers? What do you think passes through their heads when they hear the new bride weeping? Valiant Ned's precious little girl."
And these aren't empty words, either. The sentiment is echoed in White Harbor:
"I know about the promise," insisted the girl. "Maester Theomore, tell them! A thousand years before the Conquest, a promise was made, and oaths were sworn in the Wolf's Den before the old gods and the new. When we were sore beset and friendless, hounded from our homes and in peril of our lives, the wolves took us in and nourished us and protected us against our enemies. The city is built upon the land they gave us. In return we swore that we should always be their men. Stark men!"
...
Lord Wyman smiled. "Did you see how brave she was? Even when I threatened to have her tongue out, she reminded me of the debt White Harbor owes to the Starks of Winterfell, a debt that can never be repaid.["]
On Bear Island:
Stannis read from the letter. "Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North, whose name is STARK.["]
With Alys Karstark of Karhold:
[“]I begged my father to leave one of my brothers as castellan, but none of them wished to miss the glory and ransoms to be won in the south. Now Torr and Edd are dead. Harry was a prisoner at Maidenpool when last we heard, but that was almost a year ago. He may be dead as well. I did not know where else to turn but to the last son of Eddard Stark.”
...
Alys knelt before him, clutching the black cloak. “You are my only hope, Lord Snow. In your father’s name, I beg you. Protect me.”
Among the northern mountain clans:
Even prisoners have ears, and she had heard all the talk at Deepwood Motte, when King Stannis and his captains were debating this march. Ser Justin had opposed it from the start, along with many of the knights and lords who had come with Stannis from the south. But the wolves insisted; Roose Bolton could not be suffered to hold Winterfell, and the Ned's girl must be rescued from the clutches of his bastard. So said Morgan Liddle, Brandon Norrey, Big Bucket Wull, the Flints, even the She-Bear.
...
Finally, after a nightmarish day when the column advanced a bare mile and lost a dozen horses and four men, Lord Peasebury turned against the northmen. "This march was madness. More dying every day, and for what? Some girl?"
"Ned's girl," said Morgan Liddle ...
"Ned's girl," echoed Big Bucket Wull.
...
"Winter is almost upon us, boy. And winter is death. I would sooner my men die fighting for the Ned's little girl than alone and hungry in the snow, weeping tears that freeze upon their cheeks. No one sings songs of men who die like that. As for me, I am old. This will be my last winter. Let me bathe in Bolton blood before I die. I want to feel it spatter across my face when my axe bites deep into a Bolton skull. I want to lick it off my lips and die with the taste of it on my tongue."
To all of these people, the Starks in general, and Ned Stark and his line in particular, represent a long, respected tradition of justice, protection, and fair rulership - in sum, a dynasty they love and want to uphold. Lyanna Mormont boldly defies a king who could bring an army to Bear Island if he chose; Wyman cheerfully furthers his Stark restoration conspiracy right under the Frey-Bolton noses (and gets his chin partially slit for his efforts); Alys Karstark races through the wilderness alone to get to Ned's last (so she knows) surviving son; the northern clansmen march through unrelenting, indeed punishing snowstorms toward battle against the Bolton-Frey forces - these people are willing to risk their lives and the futures of their own dynasties to restore the Starks to power, because the Stark name means something to them. All of them have faith in the Starks, a faith that can't be bought with all the gold in Casterly Rock; far from killing Stark support among Ned's former vassals, his death has only galvanized them to rally around his children. Even as Tywin's precious royal heir Tommen is teetering on the edge of his own downfall in the capital, multiple factions are working toward the restoration of the Starks to Winterfell, in almost every case because they believe in Ned and the Starks as their beloved rulers (Littlefinger's notwithstanding, and even he is partially relying on a similar chivalric sentiment from the Vale's knights; too, I tend to think Sansa will use the love of Ned's vassals for him and Jon Arryn's vassals for him to overthrow Littlefinger himself).
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Let me incoherently share my favourite Huma headcanon:
Rise timeline doesn't exist, btw, because I don't like it ✨
So, Ben is the King of Auradon at sixteen, right? That means it is also the age of majority in Auradon and on the Isle, not that anyone on the Isle really cares, but anyway. Adult stuff legal. You know, drinking, marriage...
Essentials for a king basically.
Coincidentally, when Core 4 leave for Auradon, the majority of them are sixteen: as are Sea Three.
And when the Core 4 publically declares Good, dooming the other Isle children, in they eyes of the Isle kids at least, well, it is perfectly legal for the pirates get drunk. (They'd get drunk even if it was illegal, but hey. Not the point.)
They get blackout drunk.
You know, hysterical laughter, shouting obscenities towards Auradon and Core Four, picking fights just because. The port is the epicenter of the Isle-wide ruckus, as it has clear wiev of Auradon.
Now, somewhere during that time... Harry Hook and Uma decide that they should get married. Like, right now.
They have not ever told eachother that they care of the other (not out loud), let even admit that there might be something like love between them: Villains can't love, please!
But, you know, it sounded like a good idea at that time.
And since their crew and Harry's sisters and basically all Isle kids have been shipping them since forever, they go along with it.
Gil officiates, of course: he gets the papers and gets Harriet to double check them. (Harriet then forwards the papers to Dr. F. And Yen Sid, making it as official as can be.)
Harry and Uma sign, their signatures clear for the amount of alcohol in their blood.
The hateful and resentful atmosphere turns into a careless celebration, all betrails forgotten for the night.
And when the Harry and Uma wake up next morning, well, they carry on as if nothing changed.
They don't remember a thing.
No one bothers talking to them about the wedding: Everyone assumes they know and just refuse to acknowledge it.
Harriet got just as much of a window as the two of them, and CJ is waiting for the chaotic fall out when they find out.
That doesn't happen for very long, though.
It's years after that when a wedding is mentioned on the Lost Revenge again. It's after the Royal Wedding, too.
„We should get married,“ mentions Uma offhandedly.
Harry, of course, is fully onboard with the idea. They start planning, only to be interrupted by confused Gil:
„Guys?“ he says, „You do know that you are already married, right?“
„WHAT?!“
„Well, yeah. I've got the papers in my cabin, do you want to see them?“
„YES.“
Gil fetches the certificate and the couple inspects them: They look real enough, and those are undoubtedly their signatures. And the date?
„We have been married this whole time?“ wonders Harry.
„Why didn't you tell us?!“ demands Uma, much less amused than Harry.
„Um, we,“ Gil struggles with the answer a bit, „We kidna assumed you knew.“
„What the fuck.“
(That was Uma.)
„Well, I still want a wedding,“ she says moments later, „Since I don't remember the first one.“
She glares at Harry as if it was his fault, and he just cackles: „Second wedding it is, love. Gotta up the purple dragon and the boy king, anyway.“
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zolusbian · 1 year
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The Captive Cartel Prince Part 1: My Betrothed
for @lachowedding2023​ i present to you: a rough kingdom au where they kinda have modern stuff like air conditioning and the internet (but it’s called the medianet because it’s an Alternate Universe and it sounds like medieval, get it) where nacho has to marry lalo for political reasons and mike is driving the bus. it’s short and silly and supposed to be funny, so i hope you guys like it! if you do, i might continue the series :)
It was Nacho’s first time in a carriage, and he wished it wasn’t as exciting as it was. He was draped in gold and jewels and satin cloth and he wished he didn’t look as he did. Unfortunately, he looked damn good, and the carriage was luxurious, a smooth ride over cobblestone streets and the air conditioning on high.
Though there were no lack of attractive, young, noble, marriageable women in the Kingdom of Albuquerque, Nacho—the lowly son of a common tradesman dad and a common dead mother—had been chosen due to Prince Lalo’s tastes. Men. Prince Lalo liked men. And Nacho was a man, yes, but also a man who liked men—and a man who could hold his own. The time he had been caught kissing another one of his dad’s apprentices in the shop, and the fact that he’d given the other guy who caught them not one but two black eyes, all those years ago, had now put him in his present situation.
 “He might be dangerous,” is what he had been told about Prince Lalo by Royal Advisor Mike, who met with him without Nacho ever once seeing the king. They were in an office, Nacho leaning against the desk Royal Advisor Mike stood behind. Serious men never sat, Nacho had noticed. “This is a gesture of good faith, but we cannot make alliances on good faith alone.”
Nacho had said nothing, just touched the bridge of his nose and looked away.
 “This is a favor,” Royal Advisor Mike had then reminded him. “It’s this or the hangman. Attempted murder is not taken lightly.”
“Attempted murder of high-ranking figures, you mean,” Nacho had responded, unable to bite his tongue. That was the other thing that had lead him here: an assassination attempt at a high-ranking Albuquerque figure who was trying to get the king to pass a law which would have lead to more money going to the Treasury and less to his dad’s pockets. The attempt, like the law, had failed. Nacho had thought they would have blamed the poisoning on the man’s kitchen staff, but it had lead back to him anyway, and now lead him here.
Royal Advisor Mike had scowled and crossed his arms. Even with his age, Nacho knew he was far more of an even fight than Nacho wanted to admit. “Watch it,” Royal Advisor Mike said, and the hard set of his eyes said even more.
Now, the morning of their wedding—or, more accurately, the morning afore their wedding night—and Nacho still had not seen Prince Lalo. He had seen pictures of the guy, of course, all over newspapers and the Medianet, but not in real life. He had watched videos of him speaking. He had a certain charm to him—a way that he smiled and moved his hands, maybe. He was handsome, with a trademark gray streak in his curly hair and a wide smile, straight teeth. It annoyed Nacho. An uglier man would be easier to deal with, insecure and manipulable, but handsome men who knew they were handsome tended to be insubordinate and stubborn. Nacho himself would know.
Nacho had also not seen the King of Albuquerque in person, either. Only Mike, who now sat across from him in the carriage. He was dressed in his finery, including a large, plumed hat, but nowhere near Nacho’s level of luxury.
 “You look like you’re going to a funeral,” Nacho commented. He was normally not one for small talk, but anything would be better than the tense silence and reflection on his circumstances. Nacho loved a good self-pitying navel-gazing, but maybe he should avoid that on the morning of his wedding day.
“I might be.”
Nacho shifted, his layers of gold jangling against his skin. “Is he really that bad?”
Mike shrugged. “If the rumors are to be believed.”
“Do you believe in rumors?”
“There’s always some truth behind them.” Mike looked to the side. The carriage window’s had been draped with thick velvet curtains—to keep a fair lady’s skin fair, surely, but Nacho was not a lady. That was sort of the point.
Nacho had seen the rumors in his research on Prince Lalo. Most of it was mindless talk about his sexuality that painted him as some sort of depraved beast with a taste for men’s blood, tears, and other unsavory bodily fluids, but there had been an undercurrent of murder and arson. Supposedly, he had had a minor kingdom burned entirely at a small offense. Unpalatable, but not unreasonable—for a man like him, and Nacho knew how men like him worked. Nacho had lived his whole life under men like him.
He would be living under men like him in a different way, now.
 ~ * ~
The actual ceremony was a political fanfare that had Nacho grinding his teeth and fighting sleep at the same time. He was not even sat near Prince Lalo, instead across the table from him, flanked by Royal Advisor Mike and some others. King Gus was still not in attendance; Mike was in his stead. To this, Prince Lalo had said, King Hector took offense, and therefore sent another Prince, Tuco, in his stead himself—and Tuco was loud, foul-mouthed, and quickly drunk on the night’s spirits before the long, long ceremony was over and the party had begun. If Nacho had not proven a failed assassin, Tuco might have been his next target—before Prince Lalo himself.
Nacho felt ridiculous, dressed as a bride, as a showpiece, an object of worth, literally wearing gold coins, among men in their normal fancy clothes. Lalo assumed a similarly ridiculous get-up, what Nacho assumed to be Salamanca Prince wedding attire, but he made the clashing patterned fabrics, long-toed jewel-toned alligator-skin boots and necklace of skulls seem natural.
Released from the ceremony, which was more men reading long, long papers that addressed minutely changing borders and other boring geopolitical dealings and had less to do with ever-lasting love—Nacho had not even spoken a single word—and Nacho and Prince Lalo were still not to meet. Instead, Nacho was ushered to a bride’s chamber, where attendants were already lighting candles and incense and pulling back a sheer curtain on a divisor in the room. There was a chair on either side of the divisor, which rather reminded Nacho of a bank teller.
 Mike accompanied him; Nacho guessed this was because he didn’t have any ladies-in-waiting with him. “Can’t I just meet the guy?” he asked Mike. “Really, is all this necessary?”
 “Salamancas love tradition.” The set of Mike’s mouth let Nacho know he was none too delighted with this, either. “This is the formal acquittance room.”
“We make our formal acquaintance after already being formally wed.”
One of the attendants, a skinny woman with blunt bangs, lighted at this, looking up from where she had been rolling down some sort of ceremonial cloth around Nacho’s chair. “We like to think your souls have already met on the astral plane,” she informed Nacho cheerfully, before blushing and looking back down towards her station
Without the woman able to see his face, Nacho grimaced. He supposed this was, indeed, and in a certain way, fate.
  ~ * ~
 “My betrothed,” began Prince Lalo, taking his seat. He was still in his ceremonial garb, and Nacho his. The blunt-banged woman had instructed Nacho the proper way to sit, which Nacho had promptly disregarded, and he doubted the casual knee slung over one another on Lalo was very formal, either. “Great to finally meet you. There’s not much about you on the Medianet.”
“I keep a low profile. Social media is for losers.” Nacho spoke without even considering it, then he added: “My, uh. Betrothed.”
Prince Lalo threw his head back and laughs in short, wolfish barks. “Drop that shit!” he announced, snapping his head forward again. He moved his hand around fancifully, as if casting a spell. Nacho wondered if the rumors about the Salamancas being witches was true, too. He wasn’t feeling very charmed. “Look, Medianet presence or no, I had my guy tail you for a few months. You’re boring.”
Nacho sat up a bit straighter. “I’m boring?” he repeated, too offended to fully absorb the whole strangeness of the situation.
“All you did was work, eat with your father…not even a secret lover to mourn losing to an arranged marriage.” Prince Lalo shook his head. “But they tell me you’re smart. Levelheaded. Think you can command armies, do you? Some of my advisors say so.”
“I’m sorry, you want me to command your armies?”
 “Eventually. Maybe.” Prince Lalo uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, clasping his hands in between his spread knees. The strong incense burning started to nauseate Nacho, or maybe it was the suddenly serious look on Prince Lalo’s face. “If I wanted a pretty hole, I could have my pick. Gus knew that.”
 Nacho had never heard King Gus referred to as Gus outside of the most derivative of street performers and political pundit talk show hosts, but Prince Lalo’s—Lalo, if Nacho was going to treat him the same way— lack of formality came as no surprise, in all the five minutes Nacho had had so far to get a grip of the man’s personality.
Nacho angled, letting his gold ornaments drape over his chest, his most attractive feature, if the other men and women he’d bedded before were to be believed.  “Do we have to fuck now, or can it wait until later?”
Lalo rewarded him with another one of his barking laughs. “Later,” he says. “We have to feast. I will not be eating much, though, for obvious reasons.”
 Nacho raised his eyebrows—he had not expected this turn of events—the great Prince Lalo, a bottom? He shifted once again in his seat, tempted by the idea, though he had nothing to say.
 “You’ll be expected to fulfill those duties, of course,” Prince Lalo continued, undettered by Nacho’s silence, as he relaxed once again. “Though I also have my concubines and whores and such. What’s more important is that you fulfill your role as a Consort. The beloved face of a nation.”
Nacho grimaced.
Lalo laughed again. “My tail also told me you’re not very talkative or eloquent. That’s fine; you’ll have writers write your speeches for you. Just smile that nice smile of yours and wave a little at the people, alright? They’re sheep. It doesn’t take much.”
“Why not pick somebody with more, ah. Stage presence?” Nacho could not help but ask.
Lalo narrowed his eyes at him, seriousness flashing once again. He was like a jester who could change the entire mood of a performance with a flip of a mask. “I could have. But that wouldn’t have been as fun.”
“You think I’m fun.”
“I know you’re fun. Show me that later, eh?” Lalo grinned, then looked at the sheer curtains pulled over their talking window. “The wait is fun, too, isn’t it? I love this tradition. Makes the heart grow fonder and the loins stir.”
Nacho balked at him.
 “Anyway, the ladies will be back in to get you ready for the feast.” Lalo stood. “We get to sit together!”
“Great Really looking forward to it.”
“You’re funny,” Lalo said, no sense of irony or sarcasm at all in his voice.
  ~ * ~
The ladies saw that Nacho was ready, which meant rearranging his clothes to be slightly more capable of walking, eating and generally existing in and spritzing him with perfume, and then he was led to a banquet hall. A long wooden table sat at the front, draped with red and black cloths and roses which did not match Prince Lalo’s turquoise and plum get-up nor Nacho’s glittering gold, and Nacho was finally sat on a throne aside Prince Lalo.
Neither King Gus nor King Hector attended the feast, either, and nor Royal Advisor Mike, who seemed to have left Nacho stranded in Salamanca territory without a word. It made Nacho’s marriage feel even more fake than it already was, outside of the law and without known approval of the Kings, even though they had both given their personal signatures to the documents that had been read aloud at the ceremony. He wondered what his name was now, if he had to assume the Salamanca name, or if it was added to the end of his own. Varga. A common name, but one he was proud to bear, given it was the name of his father’s business--the one he was supposed to inherit, the only son, but now never would. He had a feeling his father was disappointed in this, even if Nacho had made just about the biggest upward social move that could be made. Nacho tried to force these thoughts out of his mind and not let them spoil the feast, but they kept coming back to him, not even dulled by the night’s various events.
Several men made speeches, including Prince Lalo himself, who wept with sentiment as if he and Nacho had been childhood sweethearts. They toasted to the sacrament of marriage and the beauty of love. Poetry was sung. Drinking contests were had. Coke was snorted. Nacho developed a headache that the ample available spirits were helping and, thankfully, Tuco had fallen asleep snoring headfirst in his pile of food.
Throughout the ceremony, Prince Lalo’s knee rested against Nacho’s own. Prince Lalo dined lightly, as he said he would, but Nacho helped himself to traditional Salamanca kingdom fair. The food was stupidly good and stupidly luxurious, of course, far from the commoner’s stuff Nacho had been eating.
Once again, Nacho said nothing much besides a few answers to Lalo’s comments—he was a gossip, it seemed, and liked to lean to whisper something in Nacho’s ear while holding his own wine glass aloft and laughing. His mustache tickled Nacho’s ear and neck. It was not an unpleasant sensation.
There were no women around, Nacho noticed at one point, beside the attendant girls who scampered around like scared mice. He made a note to ask Lalo about this later—he had a feeling it was not so much Salamanca tradition as it was Lalo’s personal preference.
The feast ended in the wee hours of the night with Lalo standing up from the table abruptly. Despite all that Nacho had seen him drink and snort, he was not drunk, and instead rather steady on his feet. His constitution was sort of attractive, especially from this angle. He was so tall standing fully, and the low light of the lamps highlighted his strong nose, twinkling eyes. Nacho was actually starting to look forward to the winding down of the night, and what would come once they were truly alone. If they were to be truly alone--he had heard some nobles had attendants with them at all times, including lovemaking and anything else he’d rather do in private.
Lalo surveyed the room and the rowdy men, some of whom had followed Tuco in passing out, and announced, “Time to end the evening, gentleman. To the prosperity of the Salamancas, now and forever!”
“The Salamancas!” responded all but a silent pair of twins who spoke even less than Nacho did and were seated at Lalo’s other side. Lalo had told him they were his cousins, minor Princes, and to treat them with respect. Nacho gave them a nod of understanding after giving his own cheer, which he hoped was more heartened than he felt.
The servant girls came to get him after the feast again—three of them, the blunt-banged one from earlier, a blonde girl, and a girl with black pigtails. They lead him to the bridal chamber, a closet outside of the royal couple’s room, and tried to help him shed his clothes, but he swatted them away. “What are your names?” he asked them as he started to remove layer and layer of gold.
 “I’m Amber,” the one with the bangs said, “and this is Nikki,” the blonde, “and Jo,” the pigtails. “We’ve been assigned as your personal ladies.”
 “Great,” Nacho said sarcastically. “You guys know I’m not noble, right? I’m a commoner.”
The girls nodded. “The Salamanca Royal Family have asked that we treat you as if you were noble,” Amber explained.
“I don’t need that.” Nacho set aside all of his jewelry, now left in his silk robes. Nikki and Jo brought him another robe, sheer and lined with fur, and held it out in front of him, while Amber tried to undo the ties of his current outfit. He once again moved out of her way, took the robe from Nikki and Jo, and laid it on the back of a table. “Really, girls. I can do this myself.”
“You don’t have to,” Amber said.
Nacho touched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not some spoiled, noble-born brat,” he said again. “I can wipe my own ass.”
The girls, to his surprise, giggled a bit at that, though they immediately suppressed it, their eyes going wide. He smiled, trying to show them it was okay to laugh.  “Do I really have to wear this?” he said more softly, gesturing at the robe. “Did Prince Lalo request it?”
The girls looked at one another. “No,” Amber said, and it seemed she was the one who tended to speak for them. “It’s just what the brides normally wear.”
“I’m not a bride,” Nacho reminded them. He untied the silk bridal robe he was wearing to emphasize that point, leaving him in his usual black shorts. “I’ll go just as this. Thank you, girls.” Then, giving the only command he will ever give to them as long as they serve him: “Take the night off.”
The only thing left to do was enter the room and whatever else might be waiting for him in there.
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skippyv20 · 11 months
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Kara Kennedy Spectator
Spectator
DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACKMeghan Markle’s comeback: welcome to the MeghanaissanceThe Duchess of Sussex is trying to salvage her reputation
May 4, 2023 | 9:31 amMeghan Markle MeghanaissanceWritten By:
Kara Kennedy
Maybe it was always going this way. After being a briefcase girl, an actress, a D-list celebrity and blowing it as a real-life royal, perhaps the only natural next step for Meghan Markle was to become an influencer. Look at Fergie, once married to Prince Andrew. Now the Duchess of York makes her living writing romance novels, selling jam and giving “exclusive” interviews to any tabloid that’ll buy her lunch.
The truth is that there is no glamor in being an ex-something. Look at the washed-up ex-wives and girlfriends of sports stars, selling herbal tea on Instagram for a few bucks and being paid to show up at crappy provincial nightclubs filled with teenagers. (It’s harder to be fussy when you need to pay the bills.) This, though, was not the future that Meghan expected when she and Harry decided to exile themselves to Los Angeles. She was to trade in her royal life to become the next Amal Clooney, spending her days fighting for women’s rights as a glamorous philanthropist attending the most exclusive Hollywood events. But it turns out that telling fibs and constantly scheming leaves you pretty low down on the LA thought-leader-cum-It-Girl list. Who knew?
By now, the downfall of Meghan Markle is well-documented, so I’ll skip the gory details and pick the story up at what you might call her lowest ebb: earlier this year, when her popularity with the British public plummeted to its lowest yet. According to a March poll, Meghan’s popularity dropped thirty-one points since November, leaving her with an approval rating of -33. The couple made the big move across the Pond with the hopes of cracking America, but things aren’t much better on this side. Just 27 percent of Americans say they like Meghan now, compared to 44 percent who say they don’t. It seems that the pair’s plan to speak “their truth,” in the form of Netflix documentaries, numerous interviews, podcasts and a book deal — and be lavished with money, praise and sympathy for doing so — isn’t quite going to plan.
There are different theories about what could save them at this point, if a PR resurrection is even possible. The Sussexes putting on a united front and attending the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday would have been a good start. After months of speculation, the couple announced in a recent statement that Harry would attend alone and Meghan would stay in California with their children to celebrate Archie’s fourth birthday. In fairness to Meghan, it’s highly likely that she would have faced considerable criticism had she shown up, after three years of what some call — fairly — her mission to destroy the reputation of the British monarchy. But King Charles was there for Meghan on her special day, her wedding in 2018, when he eschewed tradition and walked her down the aisle after her father Thomas Markle didn’t attend. To return the favor would be polite, if nothing else.
Does Meghan’s low-key few months mean she is retreating from the limelight for good? What do you think?
In January, when Harry released his memoir, Spare, Meghan was noticeably absent from the promotional interviews. At the time, people were shocked that the usually inseparable pair didn’t show up together to his many appearances. At the time, sources claimed that there was friction between the couple that stemmed from the negative reaction to the book. Whatever happened, Meghan’s presence by Harry’s side would have made things even more awkward for the renegade prince. Imagine her next to Harry during his interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby, in which he reneged on his wife’s claim that royal family was racist, saying instead that she was the victim of “unconscious bias.” The couple have long claimed that the royal family did nothing to dispel certain “press-concocted narratives” about them — yet for nearly three years they gladly allowed Harry’s family to be branded as pompous racists.
But does Meghan’s coronation snub and low-key approach to her husband’s book mean she is retreating from the limelight for good? What do you think?
It looks like Markle’s time out will soon be over as she gears up for a big return to public life. Last week it was revealed that the duchess had signed up with powerhouse agency WME that “will focus on building Meghan’s global enterprise.” Her team at the agency will include power agent turned Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, Brad Slater, the rep and brand architect within the agency for Dwayne Johnson, and Serena Williams’s agent Jill Smoller. Welcome to the Meghanissance. As the bestselling royal author Robert Jobson told me, “It can only be a good thing that Meghan is looking to revamp her public image — but it’ll mean actually listening to what her PR team tell her for once.”
In recent weeks the duchess has made two public appearances back to back; one in a video message introducing photographer and friend Misan Harriman ahead of his Ted Talk speech. In it, the duchess debuted a new look; darker, slickly straightened hair and minimal make-up. Meghan’s makeover held symbolic importance — straying away from her usual overdone look, she instead offered a more grown-up appearance. The second sighting was at a LA Lakers game, Harry in tow. It was the first time they had been seen in public together in more than a month and it didn’t do much to dispel rumors of a rift. The duchess awkwardly declined a kiss from Harry as they were captured on the jumbotron at the Crypto.com Arena in front of 20,000 people, including Kim Kardashian and Adam Sandler.
But if Meghan’s transition to an ex-royal influencer is to be successful, social media will prove vital. There are whispers in California that the duchess will soon return to Instagram, which she left in 2020 after it was agreed that the couple could no longer keep their Sussex Royal monogram. These rumors were alluded to last year when Meghan told a reporter at the Cut: “Do you want to know a secret? I’m getting back on Instagram” — but so far there is no sign of her on the app.
Meghan’s return would be sure to cause tension. As a report in the latest issue of Vanity Fair puts it, when the royal family modernized “the social media push put the royals at the hands of those watchers and the types of parasocial competition-pitting it seems to seize on and promote. Like Team Jen versus Team Angelina, or Liverpool versus Man United, aggressive and profane fights broke out between groups of self described Meghan and Kate fans. By late 2018, Cambridge versus Sussex had gone from digital match bait to reality.”
So how do the rest of the royals feel about this potential comeback? Apprehensive to say the least. One source close to the family tells me that Meghan’s vision is “luminous and quite frankly scary.” After Meghan and Harry’s relative silence last year the palace could finally breathe a sigh of relief, but then, in quick succession, came the Netflix documentary, that Jeremy Clarkson column and Harry’s memoir Spare. The Clarkson column blew up after he referenced an infamous Game of Thrones scene and casted Meghan Markle as Cersei. He wrote: “At night, I’m unable to sleep as I lie there, grinding my teeth and dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her.” The ill-considered broadside against Meghan, for which he later apologized, hurt the royals the hardest, with soon-to-be Queen Camilla confiding in a friend that Clarkson was “so unhelpful, just as we were really getting on the front foot of all of this.”
While Markle may be able to scramble back into some Hollywood circles, it is unlikely to be quite as rarefied a crowd as she once hoped. Meanwhile, her relationship with the royal family is pretty near irreparable.
At this stage, there is little doubt about the palace’s feelings about her. As harmful as Meghan’s actions in the last year have been, a source close to the royals tells me that much of the damage was already done — and that the personal feelings of the late Queen loom large. According to my source, the Queen “saw through Meghan Markle” and remarked that she was “evil” during a drinks reception at a dinner the late monarch hosted at Balmoral in August last year.
‘It was out of character for the Queen to use such a word as “evil” to describe Meghan, but she saw straight through her’
“Everybody’s eyebrows hit the ceiling,” the source claimed. “It was out of character for the Queen to use such a word as “evil” to describe Meghan, but she saw straight through her. It was a startling sentence to hear from the most forgiving woman on earth.”
“At the drinks before the dinner, a small group were talking to the monarch and she explained that Harry meeting Meghan had become a complete catastrophe and described her as evil. By this point we all knew the Queen’s health was in decline and she had months left, she seemed regretful about how things had panned out.”
Throughout the last three years Meghan and Harry have consistently claimed that there was no bad blood between them and the monarch, but this has often been disputed. Biographer Tom Bower’s latest book Revenge: Meghan, Harry And The War Between The Windsors cites unnamed sources that claim the Queen once remarked of her husband’s funeral: “Thank goodness Meghan is not coming.” Royal watchers believe that Meghan and Harry’s reservations to implicitly blame Queen Elizabeth for any of the wrongdoings of the royal family was an intentional move in order to return to royal life if they ever needed to — but the more we hear of the Queen’s supposed feelings, the less likely that seems.
At this stage, Harry and Meghan continuing to cash in by bad-mouthing the Firm seems more likely than a reconciliation. Entertainment Tonight reported earlier this year that Harry had a lucrative four-book deal with Penguin Random House, the publisher behind his tell-all, that’s worth $35-$40 million. It is rumored that at least one of these books will be written by the duchess. Even if she doesn’t put pen to paper, Meghan is reportedly resurrecting her lifestyle blog “the Tig,” after the New York Post reported that there was a document filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office, that indicates a prospective relaunched version of the site. I hope the content will have improved from last time, where she jotted down posts about her meditation guru, who was called Light, or how much she loves the book Eat, Pray, Love.
After it was announced that Meghan wouldn’t attend the coronation, her PR team insisted she has “moved on” and is “going about her life in the present.” As we all know, a Hollywood lifestyle for two ex-royals is expensive — and whatever they choose to do, they’ll need to find a way to pay for it.
ByKara Kennedy
Kara Kennedy is a staff writer for The Spectator World. She comes from Wales and resides in London
Thank you🙂❤️
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