#when angry eunuchs attack

[wangsejabin]

Chapter 87

The Prince had also changed a lot in the past few years.

Firstly, he had become more calm and introspective than before, giving people a sense of imperceptibility, probably due to the increasing amount of power in his hands.

As men in the Great Zhou start to grow beards after 30, the Crown Prince has also grown out his beard, leaving only a few short whiskers on his chin, which, because of his careful trimming, does not look old, but rather makes him even more handsome and gives him an additional layer of sophistication.

As for Pan'er, she was probably born with a thin foundation, not much has changed in the past two years, her body is still slim, but less of that sickly thin feeling, more of a delicate and graceful.

   "Then what do you think about this? You don't know, just now side concubine Tang personally came to me, I apologized in person and did not mention how humiliating it was. If we don't take care of this, when he gets older, who knows what else he could get into."

Compared to Pan'er, his mother, the prince naturally saw his son in a different light.

" He's not as bad as you say. You may think he's small, but he has his own opinions. If he hadn't been robbed of his whip this time, he wouldn't have hit anyone."

   Well, all three children plus their father thought they had done nothing wrong, but she, the mother, thought they had, so what was the point of going on about it?

   Pan'er huffed and went to sit down in his chair, the Prince following suit.

   "Anyway, you are his father, you clean up the mess when he gets into trouble, so if you say it's right, then it's right. Today I see that side consort Tang looks like she has no intention of giving up, if she is trifled with, will she cause trouble for her majesty?" Originally exasperated, the words ended up becoming worry instead.

   In fact, Pan'er wanted to say one more thing, would it cause trouble for the Crown Prince.

Although she was a woman and raising young children in the back of the house, she knew something about the situation in the past two years. As the Crown Prince cultivated more and more cronies in the court, he inevitably became more and more antagonistic to Prince Qi and Prince Chu.

The two of them looked at the crown prince with eyes that could eat him up, and they never missed an opportunity to attack him, not to mention whether they might make a big deal out of it.

   She thought that Gao Guifei would definitely not let go of this opportunity to speak in front of Emperor Cheng'an, Empress Fu would definitely be squeezed to the point where she would be angry again, and perhaps Emperor Cheng'an would even call the Crown Prince over for a reprimand, after all, it was rare that he could find an opportunity to be able to reprimand the Crown Prince, his son.

"'Tis nothing." The prince pinched her cheek with a little laughter, worried by her worries.

   "It's really nothing?"

   "Really no."

   Well, don't look at Pan'er worried, but if the prince really said that, she wouldn't think so, knowing that he wasn't the one who had nothing to say.

   "Not worried anymore? It's getting late, let's go back for dinner."

   The two of them headed out, during which Pan'er instructed the people in Zong Yue's courtyard to go and tell the three children to go back to the East First Courtyard for their evening meal. When she and the prince returned to the courtyard, after a while, the three children came back.

   In the outer room, the servants were setting up the meal and the first thing the three children did when they returned was to wash their faces and clean their hands.

The palace maids and eunuchs were coming and going, and Zong Lin was back to his old ways of throwing water on his elder brother and sister.

Zong Lin came to complain to Pan Er, who didn't mind him at all.

   After the fuss, it was time for dinner.

Now that the Prince's rule of not saying anything has been destroyed, it is too early to tell three children, who are all combined only in their teens, that they should not say anything. Pan'er in particular was the first offender, and naturally the Prince could not lecture the children without talking about her, so this 'vice' was retained.

   "You have to eat the vegetables, and if you pick them out again and don't eat them, Mother will have them chop them up and make porridge for you."

Zong Lin was frightened.

He was used to eating meat but not vegetables, so Pan'er made them boil him congee in order to deal with him. The vegetables were so chopped up that he couldn't even pick them out, and they were so smooth and rotten in his mouth that, in the words of Zong Lin, they were disgusting.

He could not even pick them out, they were too slippery and slimy in his mouth, and in the words of Zong Lin, they were disgusting. Zong Lin ate the vegetables as if he was eating poison, and remembering that he had just made a mess, Wan Yin reminded him and gave him another chopstick of mushroom and vegetable core.

   "Mother is letting you eat the vegetables for your own good, eat more."

There were smiles in the eyes of several people at the table, but only Zong Lin had a bitter face, like he was being tortured.

When he had finished eating, the prince asked Zong Yue about his homework, and Zong Yue recounted what his teacher had taught him in the upper study today.

   Don't look at the imperial sons and grandsons to go to the upper study room at the age of five, in fact, they all start early, if they go to the upper study room without some foundation, it will only lead to jokes, so Zong Yue started to start at the age of three. There was a special gentleman to teach them, and usually the Prince would also teach them some.

   The girls were much more relaxed than the boys, and the Prince only asked his daughter a few questions about her schoolwork, after which it was time for father and daughter to pamper each other.

Pan'er thought that Wan Yin's ability to be pampered was a reflection of her own, seeing as she was not like a girl, but when she was acting pampered, the prince just ate it up, looking like an old father was pleased with her.

The three children left, and the prince looked at her with a smile, as if he understood in his heart.

   In the past few years, as the children grew older, the house in the East Palace had been remodelled.

   The prince had several courtyards built on the east side of the back of Yu Qing Palace, specifically for Zong Duo and Zong Yue to live in, so that the boys could move to the front before they went to study in the upper study room, so that they would not grow up in the hands of women.

In addition, several small courtyards were set up on the west side of Jide-tang, for the county princesses to live in, also to be divided into separate courtyards after the age of five.

In fact, at Zong Lin's age, it was not yet time for him to live in separate courtyards, but since Zong Yue and Wan Yin moved into the courtyard, he was no longer happy to live in the east courtyard, and had to go to live in his elder brother's and elder sister's courtyard most of the time in January. Although Zong Yue and Wan Yin disliked him for being a nuisance, they generally took care of this little brother and would take him with them.

On the way back to the courtyard, Wan Yin was still telling her little brother not to get into trouble in the future, as she would not be able to save him next time.

It was probably because he hadn't had enough fun during that time that Wan Yin saw that it was still early, so she didn't go back to her own courtyard, but followed the two brothers, Zong Yue and Zong Lin, to the front.

   Before they reached the courtyard gate, they saw two people standing at the entrance, it was Zong Duo with his personal eunuch Jin Zhong.

   Zong Duo, who was not yet six years old this year, already had the bearing of the prince's eldest son. He was wearing a green robe and had a long body. It was probably because of the good genes of the Crown Prince that several of the male heirs of the Eastern Palace were quite tall and far ahead of their peers, so Zong Duo already had some grace and elegance, giving people the impression of seeing the Crown Prince when he was a young boy, weaker, skinnier feel.

The moment Zong Yue saw Zong Duo, he also suddenly became more mature and introverted, and called out to his big brother.

Both Wan Yin and Zong Lin also called out to big brother.

   "Nothing is wrong, is it? I heard at my mother's place after I returned about side consort Tang's search, Su Liangdi has always treated Zong Lin sternly, so you weren't reprimanded, were you, Zong Lin?"

Zong Lin looked at him, said no, and lowered his head.

"[He was] still reprimanded, and is in a bad mood at the moment." The brother had to cover up for his brother's rudeness, and Zong Yue said to Zong Duo a little helplessly.

"Zong Lin is still young, it is normal for him to get into trouble, besides, it is also the Zong Zhi who caused trouble in the first place, don't be upset, Zong Lin, I will ask someone to bring you the whip that Father gave me last time, you have always liked it ......"

Zong Yue was a bit embarrassed, "Big brother, there is no need, my mother has already seized his whip, if I get him another one, he might get into some trouble again."

   Zong Duo didn't insist, "If that's the case, then forget it."

   The brothers exchanged a few more pleasantries and the three of them saw Zong Duo back to his courtyard.

They went into the courtyard in silence, and only after they had entered the house did Wan Yin said to Zong Lin, "I let you be undisciplined, so others are here to see the joke."

Zong Yue said, "Why are you talking to him about this, he is still young and doesn't understand."

   "He is not young, he knows a lot. Just now big brother said he wanted to give him the whip given to him by father, why didn't he ask for it? He would have happily agreed to it."

Zong Lin said stubbornly, "I don't want his whip, my father gave it to me!"

   There is a story about this whip.

   The imperial family of the Great Zhou not only focused on the education of their sons and grandsons, but also on their kung fu and archery skills. Generally, after the age of five, the boys would be enrolled in the upper study hall, where they would study in the morning and then spend an hour or two in the afternoon in the schoolyard for the martial arts master to polish their muscles and practice riding and archery.

   Therefore, in addition to a set of ink, paper and ink stone, a horse whip was also given to the children after they turned five, to encourage them to work harder.

   When Zong Duo entered the upper study, the Crown Prince had two whips tanned from the finest rhinoceros skin and cow tendons.

   The black body of the whips was wrapped in gold wire and the handles were of ink and jade. When Zong Lin saw Zong Duo's whip, he liked it very much, and when the other one fell into Zong Yue's hands, he couldn't hold on to it any longer, and pestered the Prince for a long time before he had another one made.

But the one made was two sizes smaller, suitable for Zong Lin to play with at his age. So Zong Lin always treasured his whip, otherwise he would not have beaten up Zong Zhi today.

   "Since you don't want his things, you should know to be less troublesome outside, so as not to disgrace Mother."

   "I know." Zong Lin said wiltingly.

   "Come on, you should also cut the talk and teach him slowly." Zong Yue advised.

   Wan Yin said, "I would like to say less, but if you don't, Mother won't care, so he won't grow up to be a little fool."

   "You're the one who's a little fool!" Zong Lin made a face and ran off to the inner room, and the eunuchs who were waiting were busy following.

   Zong Yue said helplessly, "Mother has always been big-hearted, but she didn't teach us at first, and now we have become like this. The environment in the palace is like this, when he is a bit older, he will understand it himself without being taught."

   "Fine, whatever you say makes sense, he spends a lot of time with you anyway, you'd better teach him more, I'm going back, I'm sweating this afternoon, go back and take a bath."

With these words, Wanyin left in a huff.

   Zong Yue then went into the inner room, intending to teach his brother by example.

   When she returned, she had the palace maids prepare water for her to take a bath, and had just come out of the bath and was having her hair rubbed when the second county princess, Wanshu, arrived.

   "Fifth sister, are you going to rest so early?" Wanshu was dressed in a thin shirt embroidered with a pine river in white damask and a pink pleated skirt, the girl, already almost ten years old, already had the appearance of a young girl's serene form, her eyebrows resembling those of the Crown Princess, and it was clear that she would be a beauty in the future.

   Wan Yin got off the bed and asked Wan Shu to come and sit on the bed before she returned to the bed to let the young palace maid wipe her hair.

"I have sweated a lot this afternoon, so I must bathe first before my clothes stick to my body and make me uncomfortable."

Wanshu gave a somewhat envious glance at the whip that had been casually placed on the table by Wanyin and said, "Fifth sister has gone to practice riding again?"

   "I'm not big enough yet, so I can only ride the horse and let the little eunuchs pull me around twice, just for the fun of it."

   "That's good."

   Seeing Wanshu's envious face, Wan Yin said unconcernedly, "If second sister wants to learn to ride a horse, tell Father, and we'll practice together then."

   Wanshu's face flashed with interest, but she shook her head, "I can't do it, I'm not as strong as Fifth Sister."

Since Wanshu had already said that she couldn't, Wan Yin was not going to persuade her any further, for I don't know how many times she had said this anyway, so she was tired of saying it, but for the sake of appearances, she still had to say it.

"Is Zong Lin all right? I heard that Su Liang Di was very angry and didn't punish Zong Lin, did she?"

"No, my mother was just angry for a moment, and besides, Zong Lin was so young and didn't know any better, and Father also said that Zong Lin wasn't to blame for this."

   "Father knows? That's good, I was afraid that Su Liangdi had punished Zong Lin," Wan Shu smiled and stood up, "In that case, I'm relieved, Fifth Sister, you get busy, I'll go and talk to Eldest Sister."

   "Second sister, I won't see you off then."

   When Wanshu had left, Hanxia said a little wistfully, "County Mistress, didn't you explain to the servant girls not to mention His Highness the Crown Prince's presence in the East First Courtyard in front of the Second County Mistress."

"Didn't she want to know if my mother would punish Zong Lin and wanted to know what Father's reaction was when he found out, so I let her know." Wan Yin's tone was very impatient.

   In fact, she knew she shouldn't mention Father, but first Zong Duo and then Wanshu, on the surface it was the older brother and second sister who cared for the younger sibling below them, but it always left a feeling that they couldn't tell. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened, so maybe they thought differently from different positions, and Wanshu always felt they had ulterior motives.

   She had been told that what happened between the adults should not be related to the children below, but she thought so and others did not. Besides, her mother is also a proper concubine who has been honoured by their father and listed on the jade record, so it's too uncomfortable to be so guarded just because she is favoured.

After thinking about it for a while, Wan Yin felt a headache, so she stopped thinking about it.

   When her hair was almost dry, she thought of her father asking her about her handwriting, and asked the palace maids to prepare paper and ink, saying that she wanted to practice her handwriting.

Don't look at her words, but in fact she still didn't want to disappoint her father.

[fruit-salad-ship]

I figured I might continue the Gladiatrix/Roman AU if you don't mind

of the few accounts of Gladiatrixii we do have, there is a very notable account, that may have been Peach's, shall we say, specialty.

From Juvenal's Satires, 1-21 to 1-22

"When a tender eunuch takes him a wife; when Mevia

Fights a Tuscan boar, with bare breasts, gripping the spear"

there could have been a good chance that, while yes, as a Gladiatrix, Peach did fight her fair share of people in the arena, she may have been, specialized, to fighting animals.

also, it gives an excuse to draw scared and muscled topless Peach, which I am more than certain Plum and Grey wouldn't mind

I hope this gave you ideas, because it certainly did for me...

I thought this one over not too long ago, and while for sure you’re right! Of course you are you’re a Roman buff, and she would have fought a lot of animals, I think she’d also be very sad about it. When she looks at them, before fights, hearing the crowds outside, she’d sit by the cages and see herself in them. Afraid, angry, skittish. Everything she throws aside in the arena, they’ve got to do too. She’d put many down, but none were fair, none felt ok. This is after all, peach, who would see their nature and know this is not their choice to fight, just like it’s not hers to either.

Both victims of circumstance, might even feed a couple out of pity if she has the chance. Plum and grey would have seen her fight a bear or a lion at some point, coming out victorious, and unlike the humans, she is only able to kill her foe, or they’d risk attacking and killing her. There’s no other choice, and if anyone were able to hear her, or see past the gear, they’d hear her apologise, and see the grief on her face.

I will however be drawing some of that sweet sweet tiddy out bloodied in battle Roman babe doing badassery.

[mycatwantstoeatpins]

Blood of Youth recap - episode 24

Xiao Se says it was a coincidence but also like it was arranged in advance.

As they wait for the ceremony, Lord Chi makes fun of Lord Bai for being blind. The marquis attends with the State Preceptor. The emperor comes out then collapses with a heart attack.

The emperor is mostly in a coma for three days and wakes three times to issue three edicts: Marquis Lanyue and Grand Preceptor Dong Zhu are in charge; officials below second rank may not enter or leave Tianqi and those above second rank may not leave their residences; and the third is a secret decree delivered to Ye Xiaoying by Jinyan, the Director of Seal.

General Ye says the secret decree should have been issued secretly, then finds out it’s blank. His soldier confirms Xiao Se is back in Xueyue and Ye Ruoyi is with him.

A doctor tells the marquis and Dong Zhu the emperor may not wake for months.

Sikong Changfeng asks if Ji Ruofeng has returned to Baixiao Sect. The disciple says there’s a new head and asks why Baili Dongjun and Mo Yi haven’t returned from Penglai island.

Xiao Se remembers his father being angry because he wanted to travel in the jianghu. Qianluo comes to him and asks if he’s going back to Tianqi and whether she can go with him.

Xiao Lingchen, the younger Lord Langya, joins them and laughs at Xiao Se for not answering. Qianluo leaves and Xiao Se asks where Xiao Lingchen’s been. He says they were stopped by White Tiger but he was allowed to go after his father surrendered and he’s been in hiding. He says Xiao Se should return to Tianqi but it isn’t time for him yet.

Marquis Lanyue visits Hua Jin to command her to treat the emperor.

Xiao Se tells Sikong Changfeng he doesn’t know the answer to Qianluo’s question. Sikong Changfeng says he hates the emperor but he’s tried to be a good ruler and a good father.

Zang Ming reports to Lord Bai that Tang Lian faced punishment but Tang Lianyue defeated Tang Huang, Tang Xuan and Tang Qisha, there was an internal fight and Tang Lianyue is now the leader. He won’t ally with Lord Bai.

Tang Lian asks Tian Lianyue whether Tang clan will ally with Lord Bai or Xueyue. Tang Lianyue says he won’t get involved. Tang Lian says he’s decided to follow his heart and has been studying the book of liquor. Tang Lianyue tells him how Lord Langya entered the Insouciant Phase after drinking Seven Starry Nights.

Hua Jin says she can cure the emperor but it will take a month.

Marquis Lanyue asks the guard captain how an assassin got into the palace.

Wuxin disguises himself as an official/eunuch and gets caught by the chief eunuch, who injures him. He wonders when Xiao Se will come back.

Yin Luoxia tells Sikong Changfeng Xiao Se has left. Sikong Changfeng starts mapping out Xiao Se’s enemies:

General Chen Luoying receives message from Lord Chi.

Wushuang sends Lu Yuzhai on a mission.

Dark River will come from the southwest.

Xikong Changfeng tells Yin Luoxia to issue the emergency Qiancheng token.

Qianluo comes in the Vermilion Bird’s robes to say goodbye.

Sikong Changfeng says he’s going to take on Luo Qingyang.

Tang Lian sees the Qiancheng token and leaves.

Lei Wujie sees it with Li Hanyi and she tells him to leave Sword Heart Tomb to protect Xiao Se.

Li Wei (Ye Battalion commander) hears General Ye can’t leave his residence. Ye Ruoyi passes on General Ye’s order to protect Xiao Se.

The State Preceptor tells Marquis Lanyue Xiao Se has left Xueyue. The marquis calls Li Changqing and says he needs eight hundred tiger soldiers to accompany him out of the city.

The marquis makes a speech to rally the soldiers to protect Lord Yong’an.

[yhwhsdaughter]

Eunuch! Bum x Queen! Reader + King! Sangwoo

word count: 4.1k

tw: sangwoo, noncon, abuse of power, misogyny, murder, cheating, degradation, choking, cursing, minors dni

Ongoing…

[Chapter 2] , [Chapter 3]

Upon sliding the doors open, you were welcomed to blood spraying on your face. Droplets kissed your cheeks and if it was a calmer atmosphere, it would give the illusion of a blush. Reality, however, was much horrifying. Shocked by this, you stopped to assess the scene. Everyone was afraid to move a muscle as the king swung his sword, killing the chief state councilor with a stroke. As his body fell, more blood puddled at your feet, staining your slippers. Once the initial horror faded, you sprang forward, hugging Sangwoo’s midriff. “Your Majesty! Please stop this!” It was a brave or perhaps foolish action, interfering with your ruler. Words falling on deaf ears, he pushed you from him. The closest guard caught your form. Despite his absolute authority, killing nobles without reason, especially high ranking officers, was frowned on.

This is madness.

Your king was beauteous and cruel. A month into his ascension to the throne and he was already crumbling the ideals in which this nation was founded. Stray hairs hung around his chiseled face, tiny beads of sweat mixed with blood giving him a sadistic gleam as he grinned. Looking your way for a moment, he lazily waved at guards, “Take the Queen to her room.” Without a choice, the two of them gently nudged you from the scene. “Your Highness, please follow us.” Though their faces remained unmoving, their tone revealed their true feelings on the matter. Palm pressed against your mouth, you threw one last glance at the massacre before you. Blinking any lingering emotions, you walked away.

—

Pants filled the room as Sangwoo thrusted into you relentlessly. He was angry; even though he’d appointed new council members, he wasn’t sure he could trust them. In his mind, everyone was after his crown. You were angry as well, but for an entirely different reason.

You laid bare before your king, the fine robes that adorned your body pushed aside revealed your soft breasts; legs spread showed the path to your royal cunt. It disgusted you, thinking how many women had been in this bed, in your same position. Though the silk sheets were pristine, it could never truly wash away the sin. He grunted, “Stop overthinking. Just focus on—” he was close “—taking my seed, it’s all that matters.” Uncaring about your pleasure, Sangwoo bent you into an uncomfortable position, one that allowed his member to penetrate your walls at a deeper angle.

You allowed it.

The two of you, mostly you, were under incredible pressure to conceive. Not just a child, but a male heir. The fact that you hadn’t produced a son for the king was worrying to your mother. She wrote, often. It’s all she could talk about in her letters nowadays; there was fear in her that you would suffer as she did. Four miscarriages, three stillbirths, and then you. Highly superstitious, your mother believed that her misfortune was the price for the murder of the heirs by concubines in a fit of jealousy.

“Put a baby in me Sangwoo.”

You nearly begged, if only to end this. Making love wasn’t an option, nor your life a fairytale. No. King Sangwoo only fucked, and in the most inconvenient places too. You’ll never forget the embarrassment endured when you had tea with several noblewomen; your gracious king thought it would be appropriate to do it in a room adjacent to theirs. He bent you over a desk, throwing everything else off it, before sheathing himself inside of you. Emerging twenty minutes later, you couldn’t even look the ladies in the eyes. No one said anything, lest they lose their heads, but they knew.

Spurred by your words, Sangwoo thrusted faster and harder. “Fuuuck.” He stayed attached to you, like a dog, making sure your womb swallowed every last bit of his essence before pulling out. “Get pregnant.” Is all he said to you as he dressed again and exited the chambers. Out of breath and without a care, you laid there on the bed.

—

A life of servitude awaited YoonBum the second he was born. His poverty stricken parents sold him to be a household slave. Doomed to this fate, Bum tried his best to follow through and avoid punishments. Unfortunately, his master was a sadist and everyday, he received a beating.

After running errands, Bum stood in line to receive the bags of rice his master had ordered. It was the last thing on his list before readying to go home and continue working. Being close by, he couldn’t help but overhear several gentlemen talking, “Where is that damned village?!”

The village in question, it seems, was Bum’s hometown. Because it was a tiny place full of peasants and criminals, cartographers didn’t bother putting it on a map. Only those that came from there knew the area. Sangwoo caught him staring. Quickly glancing away, Bum only saw the man motioning to his companions from the corner of his eye. In a matter of seconds, he was facing the man. He was dressed in purple robes and a gat, symbolizing his status. “Do you know where this village is?”

Daring not to look him in the eye, Bum was slow to nod. He’d been out long enough; his master was probably marching towards the market to drag him home. “Show me.” As guessed, a heavy man came barreling in their direction. He was red in the face. “Bum!” Master Yoon screamed obscenities. Coming to a stop, he sneered at the men.

“We need your servant.”

Though the statement seemed like a request, Sangwoo’s tone made it clear that it was an order. The balding man huffed, ready to curse him out and refuse when Sangwoo showed his name tag. It was made of a cool stone, Oh Sangwoo engraved with the royal crest. The fact that was once red turned pale in realization. Meek before his ruler, Mister Yoon had no choice but to relent. “We’ll be taking him then.”

Bum felt his humanity slip away as he was given to another man so easily. With his head bowed down, he followed this strange new path forged by the man in purple robes.

—

The Heavens decided to smile on YoonBum when he saved the king’s life.

It was an accident, really. The guards felt no threat to the approaching figure in the form of a frail, old lady who was an assassin in disguise. YoonBum saw the knife before they did, jumping in front of Sangwoo.

Adrenaline in his system, Bum didn’t realize he was stabbed till he felt warmth seeping through his rags. Looking down, red spread around the area. It hurt. Badly. Bum’s legs felt like noodles; the little energy he had left his body as he collapsed onto the dirt. Even breathing was painful. His intervention set things in motion. One of the bodyguards chased down the assassin, two stood by Sangwoo and another leant down to help him. He must’ve asked something important but Bum couldn’t hear him clearly. It’s like he was submerged underwater. The last thing he saw before his vision turned black, was Sangwoo staring at him with interest.

He woke up in the nicest room he’s ever been.

The king didn’t visit him personally but he was sent a letter. Red overtook his face as he was forced to admit he didn’t know how to read. The servant relayed the contents, stating that when he was recovered, he would serve the king closely. From someone of his birth, it was the best he could get. YoonBum suddenly felt immensely grateful; he would no longer sleep in a shed with the pigs but a real mat! The pain on his side reminded him of the price he’d paid for this position, but he was used to being hurt. At least now it served to help him.

As the moment of glee passed, Bum realized he didn’t quite know the etiquette of serving the king. Joy left his body as he wondered how he would figure it out.

Like him, Sangwoo was plagued by this constant state of unhappiness. After the attempt on his life, he would think his subjects would be glad to see him breathing but instead he got murmurs of concern. What if he’d died? Who would’ve taken the throne since there was no heir? It would’ve thrown the palace into chaos.

Their silent pleas did not go unheard. “Maybe I should have them killed. Them and their entire families—” he paused when he saw you in the gardens, smiling at one of your ladies. His heart twisted. Sangwoo couldn’t explain it, but he always got the urge to inflict pain on you. He could say it stemmed from a place of resentment. How hard was it to get pregnant? If you gave him a son, he wouldn’t be pestered by these old fucks. Not to mention, your face contorting in distress was intoxicating—not even the concubines could compete with that.

Beneath his robes, his cock twitched with excitement. Oh, how he was going to enjoy this. Approaching your unsuspecting figure, he threw a dazzling smile to your courtesans. Sangwoo knew how to use his assets advantageously. Despite the suffering he caused, people were rendered speechless by his charm and good-looks.

He was like a snake, slithering towards his prey, waiting to attack. You did not hear him coming till you saw your ladies-in-waiting bowing. Greeting him appropriately, you expressed your relief. “Your Highness, I am glad to see you unharmed.”

It’d been a while since you last saw him; when he arrived, the rumour about the assassin spread like wildfire. “My Queen, you are truly a vision. These flowers have nothing on your beauty. You are proof that absence makes the heart grow fonder.” His honeyed words felt like prodding the bees’ nest. If you weren’t careful, you would be stung.

The only times he was this affectionate was when he wanted something. He played the same lovestruck role with your father to convince him of marrying you. Sending your ladies off, Sangwoo dropped his smile. His expression was replaced with desperation. Pulling on your wrist, the two of you traversed to your quarters since they were closer. “Ah!” Thrown harshly onto the bed, you hardly had time to compose yourself before he was mounting you. “Let’s put your cursed womb to good use.” A gasp escaped your lips as he entered you without warning. Your hands formed to fists, grabbing onto the sheets for dear life. It hurts, it hurts!

“Your Majesty! Please— aaah! Be more gentle..!”

Without seeing his face, you could already picture his cruel smirk. “You were born a disappointment. The least you could do is serve your purpose as my wife and bear me an heir.” His words angered you. Managing to twist away, you tried to escape his iron grip. This only resulted in you being pushed onto your back. Sangwoo pried your legs open and realigned himself.

Slap!

Sangwoo’s eyes widened with disbelief. The stinging in his cheek somehow made his pulse beat faster. Hands wrapping around your throat, he squeezed. “You should treat your king with more reverence. It would be a shame if the nation lost its queen. Especially one who can be easily replaced.” Having been the youngest war general, Sangwoo had strength to spare. Your hands seemed small as they banged on his form, silently begging to release you.

Having your life in his hands gave him the edge he needed to cum. With a low moan, Sangwoo emptied himself inside you. In turn, you couldn’t even focus on anything else other than breathing, choking as you gasped for air that you’d previously been deprived of. Knowing that he was capable of committing the worst, death seemed better than staying by his side.

“Perhaps I am not the problem, Your Majesty.”

Your voice was raspy but it rang clear across his majesty’s mind. Your words struck deep, like a knife embedded in his brain. It created a wound that would eventually fester. “Shut up.”

As if to disprove your point, he visited every concubine, not leaving until none of them were left untouched. He needed a son, one way or another, and if you wouldn’t give it to him, he would seek it elsewhere.

—

YoonBum was mostly healed; if anything, it appeared he’d been forgotten after a week of rest. The medic was currently tending to his wound, “It's healing nicely. A few more days and you should be out of here.”

The two of them turned at the sound of the door sliding open, immediately bowing at Her Highness’ entrance.

“Your Majesty, how can I be of use?” It was a bit surprising to see you there; your medical checkup wasn’t till another month. He wondered if you were feeling ill. Fabric wrapped around your neck; the weather was tepid, even inside the palace. That’s when he noticed the purple marks that peeked from under the material. Aware of his pointed stare, you moved the scarf upwards to conceal it. “I need you to acquire these medicinal herbs for me.” Taking the list, he read it carefully. How odd. Before he could ask what they were for, you added, “Your discretion would be appreciated.”

“Of course.”

Bum sat there silently, head facing the floor when you acknowledged him. “Are you the man that saved my husband?” Snapping upwards, he sputtered before letting out a quick “Yes!” Finally having a chance to gaze at your face, Bum felt himself turning red. Dressed in the finest silks from head to toe, standing with an air of regalness, was you. Unlike the king, there was warmth in you. Being in the presence of such a being felt unreal.

At first glance, the young man seemed no different than the other servants. However, his pink cheeks reminded you of innocence that one so rarely saw in the palace, which was filled with betrayal and resentment. His disposition was kind of endearing. You hoped he would remain like this, untainted by the world. “Then I must thank you.”

At your words, Bum’s figure lowered, forehead touching the wood. “Y-your Highness is too kind!” This position caused him a stab of discomfort, applying pressure to his wound yet he refused to straighten up. Noticing, you motioned at him, “Don’t force yourself.”

With that brief interaction, you were gone.

Entering your chambers, you signaled for the maid. Unwrapping the silk bandages, you stared at the mirror. Your husband’s marks served as a reminder of who held the power in this union. The young woman kneeled before you, taking a round brush and rolling it in powder. Although her ministrations were gentle, you couldn’t help but hiss when it applied pressure to your tender skin. “Forgive this servant, Your Majesty!”

“Don’t mind it. Continue.”

—

The king was anxious.

It was one thing for you to not get pregnant, but he’d been keeping busy and there was still no news of concubines with child. Reminded and bothered by your words, he summoned the royal physician. Sangwoo believed he wasn’t the problem, he just needed confirmation. What did you know? He wanted an expert to say that he was fulfilling his duties as king and it was everybody else that lacked.

“I’m sorry to say this, Your Highness.. but you’re infertile.”

With great effort, Sangwoo stopped himself from strangulating the doctor. It was impossible. A frown etched itself in Sangwoo’s face, his handsome features twisting into something scary. “You’re wrong.” It didn’t make sense; as a healthy male in his prime, Sangwoo shouldn’t have a problem fathering as many children as he could. There were several causes that may have caused his infertility, especially since he was a war general but the fact remained that he could not produce children.

Only an heir of royal blood could be king.

He forced the poor man to do every test available to ensure this. The result was the same. Again. And again. “You must not be doing your job right.” As the guards dragged the pleading man, a piece of paper fell from the medics’ robes during the struggle. Picking it up, Sangwoo recognized your handwriting.

“What’s this?”

There was temporary relief in the man’s face as Sangwoo stopped in front of him. “That.. the Queen requested a few me-medicinal herbs.” It didn’t sit right with Sangwoo. Why on earth would you need this shit? The physician seemed hesitant to answer his question. A rough push finally ushered him to say, “Alone these herbs are fine, but mixed..”

As requested, the herbs were delivered to you by the doctor’s assistant. The timing was perfect too. “Why didn’t your master deliver these himself?” Nervous, the boy stuttered a few excuses before asking for permission to leave. That should’ve raised flags in your head but you wanted the plan to work. You needed it to work.

The king had finally taken time out of his busy schedule to visit you, and not just to copulate. He was kind enough to accept your invitation to have a picnic at the pavilion. It was surrounded by a grand lake and vividly green trees; a true landscape.

Sangwoo arrived with a familiar man at his side. You realized you never asked for his name, though that was easily fixed when Sangwoo made a vague motion towards him. “That’s Bum.” He was dressed in green and Sangwoo in red. In comparison to their bright colors, you wore a soft pastel pink, denoting your sophisticated features.

Sitting down, you signaled the servant to begin pouring the soup. Sangwoo raised a brow, curious, “You’re not going to eat?” Listening to your response, a smile appeared on his face. “I wanted to make a special meal for Your Highness, from the bottom of my heart.” It was unnerving, the way he looked at you. Still, you never lost composure, waiting patiently for him. That is, until he asked Bum to lean down and try it. Obedient, the male did so without question. Eyes widening, you managed to stop Bum from tasting. Your hand held onto his wrist tightly—the spoon hovering centimeters from his lips. A few droplets spilled onto the wooden table. Sangwoo tilted his head to the side, innocent expression in tow. “Something wrong?”

Everything is wrong!

Sangwoo knew. You didn’t know how, but of this, you were sure. Fear is what he wanted and you weren’t going to give it to him. “This meat in this broth was especially prepared for His Royal Highness. It shouldn’t go to waste on someone else.” The tip of Bum’s ears burned from embarrassment. He was under the impression you were a benevolent queen; instead, he was reminded of his lowly status. Of course he couldn’t eat the expensive meat, a peasant like him wouldn’t know how to appreciate the flavor. The hurt on his face was evident but he turned to the king, awaiting further instructions. Sangwoo wasn’t fazed, “Don’t be silly.”

Taking the spoon, Sangwoo offered it to you.

You stared at it, unmoving. Sangwoo poked your lips, “Who else but the Queen would be worthy to try such delicacy?” He was baiting you, daring you to deny or confess. Neither was an option. Grabbing the spoon from him, you slowly opened your mouth and dropped the contents inside. Sangwoo’s eyes narrowed slightly but he said nothing. “Swallow.” Damn him to hell. Before you could do such a thing, a guard interrupted. Apparently there were news concerning Yang Seungbae, a traitor to the crown; he was spotted near a town on the outskirts of the forest.

Sangwoo hated him. More than anyone. That bastard was working hard to rally forces that would conspire against him. While things were peaceful at court, Sangwoo had felt a shift ever since the assassination attempt. His eye twitched in annoyance, though you weren’t entirely positive if it was because of Seungbae or the fact that he’d been interrupted. Sitting completely still, you watched as Sangwoo whispered to Bum before leaving. As soon as he was gone, you grabbed a handkerchief and spit out the soup. This action worries a few servants but you waved them off. “It’s cold.” They couldn’t understand as you ordered them to throw it, seeing as it was perfectly edible. Such a waste, disposing of such good meat.

Bum followed you like a lost puppy. The first night Sangwoo bedded him, YoonBum experienced true love. It wasn’t gentle; the king’s touch harbored no hatred but passion. Bum had never felt like that. It made him feel special; the ruler of the country placed his lips and strong hands on his skinny body. He had a queen, concubines, and still, he went to him. Elated couldn’t begin to describe how Bum felt. His feelings for his king were all-consuming. Since then, he’d made a promise to follow every order Sangwoo asked of him. Bum didn’t have anything against you, truly, but his loyalty laid with his king.

On their way back, they encountered Imperial Concubine Min Jieun. The crowd following her greeted you respectfully, and while she did so too, there was a triumphant smirk on her face. Nodding in acknowledgment, you continued walking, enjoying nature. The sun warmed your skin, making you forget about any worries, if only for a moment. Once the group was out of earshot, you glanced at your companion. “What was that about?” It was no secret how spoiled Min Jieun was; she was a woman of noble birth, groomed to perfection. That’s the facade she chose to wear instead of the power hungry bitch she was. Envy burned in every particle of her body. She wanted you out of the picture—she wanted to be queen and mother of Sangwoo’s children. Still, your position commanded respect. Your lady leaned in, whispering, “There’s rumors that she’s with child.”

“Oh.”

Bum watched your composed reaction with intrigue. He could understand if you held a grudge towards her. He did. You would always be first to the king, so he had to accept that. Bum knew it was the way things ran. However, he couldn’t say the same for the other concubines. They had the chance to bear Sangwoo’s child. Bum only wished he could do so too. Alas, this resentment made him feel guilty because the concubines were amicable women—well, except Min Jieun. He didn’t realize that they were shackled to this restrictive lifestyle; that they had no choice but to make the best of the situation.

“Is there something you want to say?”

Almost jumping at the sudden sound of your voice, Bum gazed around to see who you were talking to. Finding your clear eyes on him, he realized you’d seen through him. “Uh.. n-no, Your Majesty..”

“Say it.”

“How.. how does Your Majesty handle it?”

Though the question itself was vague, you got the gist. “Queens are expected to rise above such earthly emotions.” You had a solemn expression and the grip around your fan tightened, “Jealousy is futile.”

Nodding, Bum felt like he’d swallowed vinegar. This revelation left him in deep thought. Perhaps that was the difference between royals and peasants; possessiveness was quick to overtake him while you had to live with the knowledge that your husband would seek the company of others.

Hm, maybe he was right not to envy you.

—

“The Queen has fallen ill.”

It was so sudden; you were so healthy one day and the next, chills racked your body, fever uncontrollable. The court tried to be positive on the matter but it wasn’t looking good. Sangwoo was advised to refrain from visiting you—if he got sick too, it would affect the entire nation. “I will see my wife as I see fit.”

“Open the door and step aside.”

He was like an angel of death, entering with eerie calmness. Even through the soft curtains he could see your weakened form. You looked thinner, unable to eat. The physicians tried to get you to consume anything but it was just regurgitated in minutes.

The bed dipped under his weight as he sat next to you.

“Did you eat something bad?” He caressed your face, pushing hairs away that stuck due to the sweat. Fingers tightening on the blankets, you managed to open your mouth. “Congratulations.” Lips pale and cracked, you smiled sardonically. Sangwoo wasn’t expecting that reaction. “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve heard news that Concubine Jieun is pregnant.”

A dark look crossed his face. “Is that so?” He stood, “Perhaps I should pay her a visit.” Though his tone was mocking, there was something bothering Sangwoo. Fortunately for the king, you were too woozy to think straight. Leaning down, Sangwoo placed a hand behind your neck, lifting you just a bit, enough to kiss your lips.

“Don’t die.”

[istumpysk]

Operation Stumpy Re-Read

AGOT: Tyrion IX (Chapter 69)

The last one!

His father had set a grueling pace, and it had taken its toll. Men wounded in the battle kept up as best they could or were abandoned to fend for themselves. Every morning they left a few more by the roadside, men who went to sleep never to wake. Every afternoon a few more collapsed along the way. And every evening a few more deserted, stealing off into the dusk. Tyrion had been half-tempted to go with them.    

"When soldiers lack discipline, the fault lies with their lord commander," his father said. - Tyrion VIII, AGOT

+.+

Better than you, you chinless craven, Tyrion thought. Jaime might have lost Riverrun, but it angered him to hear his brother slandered by the likes of Swyft, a shameless lickspittle whose greatest accomplishment was marrying his equally chinless daughter to Ser Kevan, and thereby attaching himself to the Lannisters.

Tyrion, a very proud Lannister.

+.+

"You said they came at night," Ser Kevan prompted.                 

The man gave a weary nod. "The Blackfish led the van, cutting down our sentries and clearing away the palisades for the main assault. By the time our men knew what was happening, riders were pouring over the ditch banks and galloping through the camp with swords and torches in hand. I was sleeping in the west camp, between the rivers.

A night attack actually properly executed. I’m starting to think George wants us to notice the difference.

+.+

He was a fool, Tyrion thought, swirling his cup and staring down into the winy depths. Crossing a river at night on a crude raft, wearing armor, with an enemy waiting on the other side—if that was gallantry, he would take cowardice every time.

My spidey senses are tingling, but I’ve got nothing.

+.+

He retreated in good order when he saw that the other camps were lost, with two thousand spears and as many bowmen, but the Tyroshi sellsword who led his freeriders struck his banners and went over to the foe."

"Curse the man." His uncle Kevan sounded more angry than surprised. "I warned Jaime not to trust that one. A man who fights for coin is loyal only to his purse."

A sellsword defected to the Starks.

Again, I’ve got nothing, but I’m taking mental note.

+.+

"I had heard that Queen Cersei has the Hand's daughters," Lefford said hopefully. "If we give the lad his sisters back …"                 

Ser Addam snorted disdainfully. "He would have to be an utter ass to trade Jaime Lannister's life for two girls."

Not a great look when Robb concurs with these people.

+.+

"Joff's only a boy," Tyrion pointed out. "At his age, I committed a few follies of my own."    

He’s going to say this exact same thing about Daenerys, isn’t he?

+.+

My grandson still sits the Iron Throne, but the eunuch has heard whispers from the south. Renly Baratheon wed Margaery Tyrell at Highgarden this fortnight past, and now he has claimed the crown. The bride's father and brothers have bent the knee and sworn him their swords."    

How nice, Margaery is starting her new collection of fraudulent Baratheon kings.

+.+

"Robb Stark will have Edmure Tully and the lords of the Trident with him now. Their combined power may exceed our own. And with Roose Bolton behind us … Tywin, if we remain here, I fear we might be caught between three armies."    

with Roose Bolton behind us

with Roose Bolton behind us

with Roose Bolton behind us

Damn you, George.

+.+

"Unleash Ser Gregor and send him before us with his reavers. Send forth Vargo Hoat and his freeriders as well, and Ser Amory Lorch. Each is to have three hundred horse. Tell them I want to see the riverlands afire from the Gods Eye to the Red Fork."    

Fuck off. Get shot on a toilet already.

+.+

"Telling Shagga and Timett how to pillage is like telling a rooster how to crow," Tyrion commented, "but I should prefer to keep them with me." Uncouth and unruly they might be, yet the wildlings were his, and he trusted them more than any of his father's men. He was not about to hand them over.

Everything about Tyrion screams Jon Snow’s future rival, not ally or friend.

+.+

Whose notion was it to make this Janos Slynt a lord? The man's father was a butcher, and they grant him Harrenhal. Harrenhal, that was the seat of kings! Not that he will ever set foot inside it, if I have a say.

Tywin sent Janos Slynt to the Wall, not Tyrion.

(Harrenhal, the seat of kings!)

+.+

Lord Tywin was oft quiet in council, preferring to listen before he spoke, a habit Tyrion himself tried to emulate.

x

"Peace?" Tyrion swirled his wine thoughtfully, took a deep draft, and hurled his empty cup to the floor, where it shattered into a thousand pieces.

x

"I see you have taken a few lessons from me."                

"More than you know, Father," Tyrion answered quietly.

Tyrion Lannister is his father’s son.

+.+

"One last thing," he said at the door. "You will not take the whore to court."

x

When he felt her nipple stiffen, Tyrion kissed her. "I have a mind to take you to King's Landing, sweetling," he whispered.

Tyrion orchestrating his own demise is my favourite.

Final thoughts:

9 down, 30 to go. :(

God, am I still in the thirties?

-> return to menu <-

[notemily]

The Witcher episode 4:

People are calling Geralt the White Wolf and I'm wondering if anyone has written a Bucky Barnes Witcher AU yet

Jaskier thinks Geralt has a lovely bottom, is what I'm getting from this scene. Jaskier also thinks they are bestest friends, which Geralt denies.

"I need no one. And I want no one needing me." "And yet... Here we are." Yeah, I see why people ship this.

Jaskier wants him to come to a party. I don't know when in the timeline this is, because Mousesack is at the party, so this is before the fall of the place? (I'm so bad with names.) Maybe we will find out why Geralt is the princess's destiny and vice versa?

Geralt saves Jaskier from a tricksy situation by implying he's a eunuch.

Queen Calanthe is still alive at this point, and I don't think Ciri has been born yet. Every time they talk about "the Lioness" I just wonder why there's no Tortall series yet.

Meanwhile Ciri is hanging out with some dryads, who have saved Dara. Yay! I'm glad elf boy is not dead.

Jaskier is BEGGING Geralt not to embarrass him at this party lol, and Geralt wants to explain manticores to these fools but restrains himself.

Cici has to face some uncomfortable truths about her grandmother's genocide of elves.

I do like, though, about the grandmother - she does look much more comfortable in armor.

They humiliate and insult the guy from Nilfgaard. Dramatic irony is a bitch.

Yennefer has been cleaning up political messes for three decades now, which I'm assuming brings her contemporary with the "present" of the story. She is looking after a queen with a baby.

They are attacked by a dude with face tattoos and his weird insect like beast. Yennefer portals them to a desert, but the man and monster follow. They portal again and again, Yennefer trying to figure out how they're being tracked. Yennefer's charge is angry, calling her a useless witch. Dude, Yennefer keeps saving your life! Yennefer says fuck this, and leaves the queen behind to get murdered.

Back in the past, the warrior queen is not impressed with Jaskier's songs. She asks Geralt why there are so few Witchers left. He says it's no longer possible to create more of them. ???

A late suitor, a knight, comes to claim the princess's hand in marriage. He refuses to reveal his face, because he's been cursed to be a porcupine boy or something. The queen wants Geralt to kill the spiky knight, but he refuses, helping the guy instead. There's something called the Law of Surprise in play, and I have no idea what that means, but I like it.

"Please, I can give him a boy." Yennefer's queen offers her daughter in sacrifice, but gets killed. Yennefer shows up to save the baby, but the assassin throws a knife and the baby dies.

The Law of Surprise is apparently an ancient law. If you pay someone in Surprise, the payment is whatever you have but don't know you have?

"Is there not a man among you who does not cower before destiny?"

Geralt says destiny is bullshit, but a promise must be honored, for a commoner or a queen.

The queen whispers "here is your destiny" to the porcupine guy, and is about to stab him when the princess screams, throwing everyone around them back and the room into chaos. The princess chants a spell that levitates the pair into the air. Geralt takes one of his little bottles of strength potion or whatever. The princess looks at him and suddenly the spell breaks, and they collapse to the floor.

"Do you believe in destiny now?"

The princess has her grandmother's gift.

The queen gains a husband and a son in law in the same night. Nice. I get the idea that the husband is so the dude who was going to marry the princess doesn't get mad and attack them, because now she has the husband's forces too, but she seems pretty happy with the husband later, so I guess it worked out?

Ciri decides to forget who she was, but it does not work when she drinks from the dryad's waters.

The curse breaks when the princess marries the spiky boi, but he demands that Geralt take something from him in payment for his life. Geralt offers to be paid in the law of surprise, which is of course when we find out that the princess is pregnant.

Mousesack insists that Geralt should claim the child, or else "unleash true calamity" upon them all. He says he'll take that chance. I doubt it's Geralt's fault that the kingdom fell, what, fifteen years later? That's a pretty delayed calamity.

Anyway, we cut to nowish, when they find Calanthe's body, a dude eats a square of her skin, and somehow they use this to divine that Ciri is in the forest. They say they can't take it with an army, and seem disappointed.

Ciri drinks from a tree and wakes in a desert that looks like the Black Panther afterlife, where a tree talks to her. "What are you, child?" Well, she's the destined offspring of a princess with magic and a porcupine-cursed knight, so. Also, I have no idea what time is anymore.

episode 1 - episode 2 - episode 3 - episode 4 - episode 5 - episode 6 - episode 7

[siumerghe]

I’m continuing with my The Longest Day in Chang'an history spam (previous posts: 1, 2)

This time I’d like to talk about Crown Prince Li Yu (historical Li Heng, Emperor Suzong) and his relationship with Right Chancellor Lin Jiulang (historical Li Linfu).

While watching The Longest Day in Chang'an I thought the enmity between the Crown Prince and the Right Chancellor in this show was greatly exaggerated for the sake of drama. 

In fact it wasn’t. At all.

The third son of Emperor Xuanzong, Li Heng was raised by childless Empress Wang. By 744 when the events of The Longest Day in Chang'an take place, Empress Wang had already been demoted (due to machinations of Xuanzong’s favorite consort, Wu-huifei) and dead (unclear if by suicide or by natural causes - she died very soon after the demotion). Li Heng’s biological mother, Consort Yang, also died (btw, when she was pregnant with Li Heng, Xuanzong wanted to abort the child, but was dissuaded). For Li Heng that meant that had no support in the Imperial harem.

Xuanzong wanted to make his much-beloved Consort Wu the new empress. Alas - Consort Wu belonged to the same clan as the only female emperor, Wu Zetian, whose reign ended not long ago. All the ministers were vehemently against the idea of Empress Wu v2.0, and Xuanzong eventually had to back down.

Consort Wu failed to become empress - it didn’t mean she didn’t have other ambitions. She formed an alliance with Li Linfu (Lin Jiulang in the dorama): she persuaded Xuanzong to appoint Li Linfu as the right chancellor (prime minister), and in turn, Li Linfu promised to make her son, Li Mao, the crown prince.

There is a well-known Chinese idiom 口蜜腹剑 “in the mouth -  honey, in the belly - sword” which means a double-faced and treacherous person, basically an equivalent of “Juda’s kiss”. Initially this phrase was used to describe Li Linfu’s personality by one of his contemporaries. 

Consort Wu and Li Linfu started by framing three Xuanzong’s sons including the current Crown Prince Li Ying. Consort Wu sent them a message saying that bandits attacked the palace and asking for help. When the princes hurriedly came - in armor and with weapons - they were accused of treason and emperor assassination attempt. The three princes were demoted to commoners and ordered to commit suicide (their wives were executed as well.) Xuanzong killed three of his sons in one day - not sure if it’s a record but still.

It seemed that Li Mao was one step from becoming the new crown prince. However, soon after that Consort Wu fell ill: she was haunted by the souls of the executed princes (or, more likely, by her guilty conscience). Consort Wu made sacrifices to the princes’ souls - it didn’t help, and eventually she died. Xuanzong posthumously honored her as Empress under the name Zhenshun 貞順 ("virtuous and obedient”).

After Consort Wu’s death Xuanzong was inconsolable. At least for some time. Until his trusted eunuch Gao Lishi (Guo Lishi in the dorama) arranged an “accident“: Xuanzong saw his daughter-in-law Yang Yuhuan, who at that moment was leaving the bathing pool. Xuanzong immediately fell in love with her. (Yang Yuhuan - future Yang-guifei, one of the Four Legendary Beauties of China; in The Longest Day in Chang'an she is called Taizhen - by her Daoist name.)

When appointing the new crown prince, Xuanzong hesitated for a long time - almost for a year: he couldn’t decide between Li Heng and Li Mao. Li Mao was a son of his beloved woman, and had many supporters among high-ranking officials and members of the imperial family. 

However, it’s precisely because Li Mao had such strong support that Xuanzong was wary of making him the crown prince. Xuanzong himself came to power after two bloody coups and by dethroning his father-emperor, so suffering his father’s fate was probably his worst nightmare. He even built a “Ten Princes’ Residence” for his sons in a far away corner of Chang’an, where all princes lived together under a constant surveillance, in a sort of a luxurious prison. Their contacts with state officials were forbidden under a death penalty in order to prevent princes from getting their own power base at court.

Finally (as they say, by Gao Lishi’s advice), Xuanzong chose the older of the two candidates - Li Heng. (Btw, Yang Yuhuan was Li Mao’s wife. Was it one of the reasons why Xuanzong finally appointed Li Heng, not Li Mao, the crown prince? If so, then bravo, Gao Lishi!)

By his natural qualities, Li Heng seemed perfect for the crown prince position: The Old History of Tang describes him as benevolent, smart and studious, with a very good memory. He was tall and graceful, and was said to resemble the Tang dynasty co-founder, Emperor Taizong.

However, being a crown prince during the Early Tang was a dangerous occupation with survival rate less than 50%: out of 13 crown princes only 5 lived to become the emperor, and most of them came to power through coups and violent struggle. Li Heng was the 14th.

On Xuanzong’s orders, Li Heng several times changed his name: Li Sisheng, Li Jun, Li Yu (this is his name in the dorama), Li Shao, and, finally, Li Heng.

There is an unpleasant story related to this: after Li Heng (Li Yu at that time) was promoted to crown prince his name was changed to Li Shao 绍. However, during the Liu-Song dynasty a crown prince named Liu Shao 绍 killed his father-emperor and seized the throne. Oops. Xuanzong was reminded about this story and changed his son’s name again - to Li Heng. And didn’t change anymore. But apparently, it made suspicious Xuanzong prejudiced against Li Heng.

After Consort Wu’s death Li Linfu continued to plot against Li Heng: he had already antagonized himself with the prince - if Li Heng came to power he would inevitably take revenge on Li Linfu. So Li Linfu tried very hard to prevent it. (Was it Li Linfu‘s idea to suggest such an unfortunate name for Li Heng, I wonder?)

In 746 Li Heng had to divorce his wife, Lady Wei, after Li Linfu accused her brother Wei Jian and general Huangfu Weiming of the attempt to form an alliance with the Crown Prince in order to depose the Emperor and to put Li Heng on the throne. Huangfu Weiming, Wei Jian with his brothers, as well as other people were executed or ordered to commit suicide, and many officials lost their positions. Left Chancellor Li Shizhi killed himself out of fear. Lady Wei was demoted to a commoner and forced to become a nun. 

Even after Wei Jian's death, Li Linfu was still angry at the Wei family and continued to pursue people accused of being Wei Jian's associates and torture them, until Li Linfu's later death in 752.

Then in the same 746 year the father of Li Heng’s favorite concubine was falsely accused of witchcraft. Li Linfu supported this accusation. As a result, the concubine’s father and some other people who were close to Li Heng were beaten by canes to death. The concubine was demoted to a commoner and expelled.

In 747 Li Linfu launched another campaign against Li Heng. He engaged Yang Guozhong (Yang-gufei’s cousin and the future Right Chancellor) to falsely accuse people with connections to Li Heng, hoping to find a way to implicate Li Heng in improprieties. Yang Guozong was therefore able to use this opportunity to destroy several hundreds of households.

Then highly successive general Wang Zhongsi (whose daughter Wang Yunxiu gets kidnapped in the dorama) was accused of interfering with the campaign of another general, which was a punishable offense. Wang Zhongsi was a close friend of Li Heng, raised together with him in the palace. So Li Linfu broadened the accusation: he insisted that Wang Zhongsi intended to start a coup to overthrow Xuanzong and replace him with Li Heng. Thanks to other generals’ support, Wang Zhonsi was spared from death so Li Heng also wasn’t punished. Wang Zhonsi was demoted and died next year.

Over the years Li Linfu made other attempts to undermine Li Heng, but Li Heng managed to survive and not to lose his title thanks to his perseverance and cautiousness. However, the prolonged stress undermined Li Heng’s health: he suffered from depression, and his hair turned white prematurely. (Eventually he’ll die being only 52 y.o. from a heart stroke, having outlived his father for only 2 weeks.) 

And yes, Xuanzong did plan to retire with his beloved Yang-guifei and pass all state matters to Li Linfu - this is not the dorama’s invention! One can imagine how that would end for Li Heng.

After Li Linfu died in 752, nothing changed for Li Heng: the next Right Chancellor, Yang Guozhong was a close associate of Li Linfu, and he continued the same politics in regards to the crown prince.

Did the Crown Prince in The Longest Day in Chang'an seem to you like a nervous and intimidated person? He had all the reasons to be: remember, 5:13 survival rate, and his three brothers already killed by their father. For years Li Heng had to walk on thin ice in fear that Xuanzong would listen to slander and order him to commit suicide. And all people who were close to Li Heng risked their lives - only because of their closeness with the prince.

[arielsojourner]

Still wanting to marry this fic Part 5

Just like Geralt I have no fucking idea what I am doing and where I am going and what I’m going to write/say when I finally get Geralt and Jaskier meeting face to face. This just came out of nowhere. I wasn’t even planning this scene and even if I was it wasn’t going to be like this but this is what I ended up writing. What the fuck? All I can say is that this is the power of @nemainofthewater ‘s incredible writing. I’m COMPELLED to write a story I never planned to write at all! 

So this is part 5 of a future where dragon!Jaskier attends a music festival and causes a riot. You can read @nemainofthewater‘s Shining Universe/dragon!Jaskier fic  here https://archiveofourown.org/works/22562836?view_full_work=true  and you can find prior parts and other unconnected plot bunnies where Jaskier is a dragon on my Tumblr under the tag #dragon!jaskier.

*

It had taken hours. The sun had set. The moon was just starting to rise. Borch had fucked off to the inside of his cave without so much as a word! But Geralt had made it to the top. He dragged himself over the edge and collapsed face down at the cave entrance. He decided he wasn’t going to move for a while.

Some indeterminable amount of time later something nudged him, hard, in the side. He groaned and batted it away, whatever it was.

It didn’t go away. It rammed into his side again and again.

“Get off!” he groaned.

Whatever it was scuttled away. He hoped it stayed away.

It didn’t. It came back at ramming speed straight at his head complete with what felt like HORNS!

“OW! Fuuuuu–” He cut himself off and raised his head and came nose to nose with a fierce set of blue eyes.

He knew those eyes.

“Jaskier?” he whispered.  Geralt wondered if he was dreaming. Ciri had said that Jaskier had flown away with a dragon not that he’d BECOME a dragon! But Geralt knew those eyes. He could smell Jasier’s familiar floral moisturizers and bath salt scents and the faintest familiar hint of brimstone all over the golden creature. Somehow, and he didn’t know how, Jaskier had been turned into a DRAGON.

Gods, only Jaskier. This could only have happened to the bard!

The tiny dragon who was once his friend seemed to scowl and then took a deep breath and open his mouth, a red glow visible. Geralt swallowed a curse and rolled out of the way from the ball of fire that came shooting at him.

“Jaskier!” he yelled, barely dodging further dragon fire that seemed intent on causing his death by immolation. “What the – How did– Why are you a –” Dragon Jaskier didn’t answer. Dragon Jaskier didn’t stop. He may have been as small as a cat but he didn’t stop. Fire streamed out of his mouth as he went after the the Witcher.  “Stop! Stop with the fire! Jaskier! It’s me!”

Jaskier went for his ankles and knees. Geralt found that his boots were no match for those savage talons and had a horrible thought.

What if Jaskier couldn’t understand human speech?

What if Jaskier didn’t remember him?

What if he was now more beast than man?

What if was still Jaskier and he was angry at Geralt?

Geralt didn’t know which possibility was worse!  He managed to get to his feet but the attacking dragon was trying to push him back over the ledge!

Ciri had said Jaskier wanted him to be happy! This didn’t seem very happy!

“Jaskier, would you just--! Stop!”

Jaskier hissed at him.

Geralt was beginning to lose his temper. “Look, I came up here to say I’m sorry, all right? I’m sorry!”

Jaskier ceased tearing at his boots and began climbing up his pant legs.  He suddenly remembered that time he’d told the court at Cintra that Jasier was a eunuch. Risking burns, he tried to grab the dragon, scruffing him as best he could. The dragon growled, twisting and trying to bite his hand. He gave him a hard shake and raised him to eye level.

“Enough! I’m here to apologize, to get Ciri off my back, and if this is the way you–”

There was a sudden, much deeper growl from the depths of the cave. A light appeared in the maw of a much, much larger dragon.

Borch.

He’d forgotten about Borch.

He’d forgotten Borch had taken a dragon’s egg to rear and raise as his own.

He’d forgotten that Ciri had said Jaskier had a baby sister with him at the festival.

He looked at the dragon he had gripped tight in his hand and realized that despite the blue eyes and all too familiar scent that he was a she and she was not Jaskier.

What was he thinking? Jaskier wasn’t a dragon!

Biting his tongue, he slowly, carefully lowered his arm and released the baby dragon onto the ground. She scuttled over to Borch, climbing his forearm to curl up on his neck, her bright eyes glinting with reflected dragonfire as she smugly glared at the Witcher.

The growls didn’t stop but the glow of dragonfire abated once the baby dragon was with Borch. “So this is how you behave! This is how you would talk to Julian! And here we have the real reason you came. Not for him. Not really.”

Gritting his teeth in sheer frustration at how he’d fucked up, Geralt raised his hands in surrender. “I-I didn’t realize . . . I thought– It was not my intent to harm your child. I did come to apologize to Jaskier. It’s just– she was breathing fire and going to bite–”

“Enough. I’ve heard enough. Apology or no, this one-time, one-sided friendship  has caused more harm than good. It is over. It is done with. Be gone, Geralt of Rivia. Do not return.”

Damn it, this was like Yennifer all over again! No matter what he did, he kept making a complete mess out of things! A part of him wanted to pack it in, go back down the cliff and tell Ciri he hadn’t found the dragon’s lair.

But she’d know he was lying. And Yennifer, who’d deigned to keep an eye on Ciri while he looked for Borch, would know he was lying. And even if by some miracle he’d managed to fool them both, he would know he was lying. 

And Jaskier would never know he was sorry and that he missed him.

Well, this time he wasn’t going to let his temper ruin things beyond all hope of repair. He was going to fix this.

He lowered his head, hands still raised and said “No.”

“What?”

“No.”

“I said go! Leave!”

“No.”

Borch rushed towards him. Geralt held his breath and held his ground. The dragon stopped inches from him, his muzzle lowered so he could glare at the Witcher.

“I will throw you from this ledge if I must.”

“If you must,” Geralt echoed and then raised his head to stare into the dragon’s eyes, willing Borch to see the determination burning in them. “But I will survive the fall and I will climb the cliff again.”

“To get the Princess of Cintra off your back?” Borch said scornfully.

“To talk to Jaskier. To . . . apologize to Jaskier. I am . . . ashamed of what I said on the mountain. It was . . . unjust and cruel. He was . . . I-I hurt him just because I was hurting.”

Borch huffed. Geralt took it as a sign to continue and tried to find the words to explain.

“I have a note from Ciri. I said I would deliver it to Jaskier since she couldn’t come with me. She wanted to apologize as well.” His hands went to reach under his armor for the parchment folded carefully and tucked safely away. “She insisted.” He paused and then added. “I didn’t mean to harm your child. My apologies for invading your home. Just . . . let me talk to Jaskier and deliver the note and I’ll leave.”

Borch simply stared at him.

Geralt searched for something, anything else to say. He struggled for some other words but only one came to mind and he hoped it would be enough.

“Please.”

[sdvbrsb]

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[mcheang]

ELOD episode 20 review

This is still a painful episode to watch.

Xiao Jiu and Qingti are quickly apprehended.

Xiao Jiu returns to meet the emperor. He is heartbroken and angry she chose to humiliate him now. He sends her to prison but is unable to not respond when she vomits blood and faints. The empress rebukes him.

Nie Chuyin still says this is a good time to attack with Qingti in jail.

The eunuchs advise the emperor to execute the traitors. He doesn’t follow their advice but instead seeks Qingti. Qingti admits he fell in love with Xiao Jiu but she only wanted to escape palace life and return to the wilderness.

The empress dowager is enraged Xuanren wants to spare the lives of the traitors. She agrees to spare Qingti for the sake of his family. But Xiao Jiu will die. Xuanren chooses to kneel until she relents. The empress is pained by such a sight but refuses to give in.

Cheng Yu visits Xiao Jiu to comfort her and transfer energy, as well as give her a protective bracelet.

The enemy breaks in. Xiao Jiu senses the intrusion.

Xuanren swallows his pride and releases Qingti to lead the defense. Then Xiao Jiu asks to see him to request he release Qingti. Ouch. But this is a good chance for the emperor to sneak Xiao Jiu away before she is executed. Xiao Jiu senses this is a diversion.

Xuanren, Xiao Jiu and his men arrive to catch Prince Ying in the act of siding with the enemy to steal the Lingbi Stone. Prince Ying finally vents his jealousy of being overlooked by his parents despite his feats and Xuanren’s unlucky birth. Xuanren retorts he wasn’t the one who betrayed the country.

What I like

Xuanren still loving Xiao Jiu. She humiliated him and broke his heart. But he still rushes to her side when unwell, actually kneels for her, and even spares time to evacuate her when his mind should be on the invasion.

Cheng Yu’s care and affection for Xiao Jiu.

Xuanren’s last line. Yeah, don’t let your birth circumstances define you!

What I dislike

It’s sad seeing all this heartbreak. And while I admire Xuanren’s love for Xiao Jiu, it ain’t a good idea to kneel for a traitor, especially not when your mother doesn’t want you to.

[reidandweep]

Greyjoy by Blood. Stark by Heart.

Theon Greyjoy x Reader (female)

A/N- Well, I had a feeling this was going to happen to him. But a small part of me wished that they would have let him survive until the end. Theon Greyjoy, you are an amazing character. Alfie Allen, you are truly under appreciated for the amazing portrayal and work on this show. Thank you Theon. You are redeemed.

Word Count- 2267 words.

Warnings- death, angst, murder, spoilers (bit late now), and more sing song/poetry at the end.

PART 1

One.

The undead had broken through the Dothraki and Unsullied defence.

Two.

They had climbed the walls. Killing many loved ones along the way.

Three.

The White walkers had gotten passed the castle and headed towards the Godswood. Heading towards Bran.

Four.

Theon was at the Godswood. Having sworn to protect Bran. To protect him from the Night King, the White Walkers, the Undead. From any form of harm.

Five.

Y/N was there too. Promising to protect her brother. It was destined for her to be there.

They were unaware of who they had lost. Of who they were to lose.

Y/N stood to the side of Theon, a sword sheathed onto her side, and her spear secured onto her back. Theon and his men armed with bows and arrows. They had to make do with what they had.

“Waste no arrows. Shoot wisely and calculated.” Theon instructed his soldiers.

She looked to her side, etching Theon’s appearance into her memory. She wanted to remember how he looked and on the day that may be there last.

She thought about the night before. How she had finally been reunited with her family. How, even though the inevitable doom was before them, she was able to smile and laugh. Reminiscing about the good memories they had growing up. Archery training with the boys, sewing with Sansa, secret sword training with Arya. Personal moment with Theon. She thought about them all.

Theon could feel he stare. Training his gaze into hers, he tried to show a smile. But he couldn’t. He could feel it deep within his soul that both of them would not make it back to the castle.

“Theon?”

He took a deep breath.

“Yeah?”

“Do you remember what you told me a few weeks before everything went wrong, all those years ago?”

Theon smiled. He could remember it so clearly.

“I found you, sulking on the window sill. You were upset because the Lannister’s were visiting, and you had just become ready to bear children.”

The woman laughed at his words. She had been so embarrassed at the time.

“You told me how you could not bear the thought of being married off. That if you could you would marry me so that you could stay in Winterfell.”

“And do you remember what you said back?”

Stepping closer towards her, his expression became softer. “I said I would marry you that afternoon if you wanted to. That I would marry you and you could stills stay in Winterfell. So I could still see you everyday.”

Y/N placed her hands onto his chest.

“I lied to you.”

Theon placed his hands on her waist. Confusion settled over his features.

Tears collected in Y/N’s eyes.

‘I wouldn’t have married you to stay in Winterfell. I would have married you because I loved you.”

Tears sprung into his own. He could not believe what she was saying.

‘And even after everything now, I still do.”

Y/N’s tears fell freely down her face.

“I forgive you Theon.”

He may not have been the man he was when they first met, but he had proven himself to be a new Theon; with some of the same loveable qualities as the old. A Theon that had been forgiven by her siblings. Who was no longer thirsty for acceptance, or power. But determined to help his family. His real family. To redeem himself. Whatever it took.

“I forgave you long ago. I forgave you when you were taken by that Bolton bastard. I forgave you when you saved Sansa. I forgave you when you went back for Yara. When you went back to Jon. And I forgave you when we both came home.”

Theon’s throat caught his cries; trying to not let the tears fall.

Y/N placed her hand onto his face, bringing their heads together. She breathed deeply, guiding Theon to calm his own breaths.

Leaning away, Y/N still held onto his face.

“I love you too.” He replied.

She smiled, although it was sad.

“Listen to me Theon.”

He stared deeply into her eyes, his hands squeezing her waist.

“You have proven yourself to be a better man than you thought you were. Whilst you may not forgive yourself for what you did, others do. Yara, Arya, Jon, Rickon, Bran, Father, Sansa, Robb, and Me. We all forgive you. Your family forgive you. You have a future to build with your family. I cannot let you lose what you have worked so hard to repair.”

Tears rolled freely down Theon’s face.

When she had met Theon, he was a scared young boy who felt betrayed by his father and out of place amongst the Starks. As he grew older alongside herself and her siblings, she saw his fear turn to anger and arrogance. Projecting the anger through his actions. From what started as using women to release his anger,  it turned to going against his family.

“I forgive you for the times you would pull my hair to get me angry. I forgive you for the times you would wind me up and belittle me because I always beat you in archery training.”

A smile graced his face. Theon sniffled.

“You are Greyjoy by blood and Stark by heart, Theon. Do not forget that.”

Theon crashed their lips together. Fearing that this may be their last embrace. Screeches were heard across the threshold. Getting closer and closer.

Their pair broke from each other. Theon gripped Y/N’s hips, before letting go.

The pair took their stance, ready to fight the undead. Ready to protect Bran. Ready to protect Winterfell.

“Arm you weapons!” Theon commanded.

Y/N unsheathed the sword from her side.

“Light them on fire!”

The screeches were nearer, their shadows getting closer.

Closer. Closer. Until-

“Attack!”

The undead came barrelling through the trees, throwing their bodies at the soldiers around them.

Arrows flew into the body of the undead, slowly knocking them down.

Y/N could not just stand there as Theon and the soldiers rained down their arrows.

Raising her sword, Y/N yelled out a cry. Running towards the oncoming herd.

Theon had heard of how dangerous Kytestone was with a sword. Knowing that Y/N was Kytestone, still did not prepare him for what he witnessed.

With expert precision, Y/N sliced through the bodies. Swinging her sword as though it was as light as a feather. Keeping them back for as long as possible, she saw their soldiers fall also.  Gaining momentum, she slid on her knees between the crowd of the whites and towards Theon. Her sword decapitating the legs and lower bodies of those in her way.

Pushing herself to her feet, she caught sight of Theon. He had no arrows.

“Theon! Catch!”

Pulling the spear from her back, she threw the base to Theon; catching it just in time to pierce through an undead running towards him.

One by one, the Ironborn helping them fell down. All until only Theon and Y/N was left to defend Bran. They continued to fight the whites, the two defeating many of the hundreds surrounding them. All of a sudden, appearing out of nowhere, a white collided into Y/N, throwing her body to the ground. Her head hit the floor, disorientating her vision and actions.

“Get off me, you cunt!” she cried.

The Eunuch turned quickly towards Y/N, stabbing the white on top of her; flinging it away from the trio.

As he crouched down towards her the whites stopped moving. Stilling in their steps.

Ripping the fabric of the trouser of a dead soldier nearby, Theon held it to Y/N’s head.

Taking a look around, they saw that the white’s movements had ceased. Catching the gaze of the looming figures appearing through the crowd.

Quickly turning back to Y/N, Theon placed her hand where the cloth was situated on her head. Picking her up, he placed her next to Bran.

“Do not move. I mean it, Y/N. You are already hurt, and I cannot fight knowing that you could collapse into a white at any moment.”

Cries left the woman’s mouth.

“Theon you can’t do this alone.”

He leaned forward, placing a small kiss on Y/N’s tear streaked mouth.

“But I will.”

Standing up, he picked up the spear, turning to face the Night King and his White Walkers.

“Theon.”

Theon faced Bran. Fear coursing through his body. He watched as the younger Stark stared blankly towards the Greyjoy. Waiting for his words. Bran knew. He knew that this was the end.

“You’re a good man.”

And so, did Theon.

Once again, tears spilled from Theon’s eyes. Not because he knew he was going to die. But more so for the tears falling from Y/N’s eyes and the cries from her mouth.

Grabbing her brother’s chair, Y/N pulled herself to stand. Still disorientated from the knock on her head, but also because of the pain in her chest.

“Theon, don’t do this. Please.”

Theon looked between Y/N and the ground. His tears continuing to fall. Lifting his face, once more, he looked into the eyes of Y/N Stark.

“I love you Y/N Stark. And if we were to meet in another life, I promise to make you a Greyjoy.

He ignored her continued pleads, twisting to face the Night King once more.

Theon lifted his spear. Gripping the weapon securely between his hands, Theon ran towards the Night King, a piercing scream leaving his throat as he moved.

As though in slow motion, as Theon reached the Night King, the frozen monsters grasped the spear from Theon. Splitting it in half, he plunged the broken spear into the Greyjoy’s stomach, watching as he sunk to his knees.

Y/N watched in horror as Theon fell to the ground. His body twitched, before becoming still.

“NO!”

She watched as the Night King stepped over Theon. Y/N wanted to go to him. But she would not leave Bran.

“Bran. You did not show me this! Why did you show me everything but this?”

She screamed as she glanced at her brother.

“Because this is what is meant to be.”

She looked back at the Night King as he walked closer towards them.

Pushing herself to stand upright. Y/N gripped onto her sword.

Taking a deep breath, a tear rolled down her frozen cheek.

A murderous scream left her throat as she ran towards the Night King.

Ready to die. To die for Bran. For Winterfell. For Theon. Ready to die just like Theon was.

Raising her sword, she aimed to strike. But her body was too slow. Too disorientated to control her movements. As she lifted her sword, the Night King hurled her towards the floor. Her sword thrown, falling to lay beside Theon.

The Night King stepped closer towards her.

Y/N had accepted her fate. Waiting for the inevitable blow.

Suddenly, a distant scream was heard.

She watched in horror and amazement as her sister, Arya, appeared out of nowhere to strike the King. But he turned. Just in time to grab her throat in his hand.

She could not bear to see her sister and Theon die. But Y/N should have known to never under estimate a Stark. Especially her little sister Arya. For as the knife fell out of her left hand, Arya caught it with her right. Stabbing the Night King in the heart. They watched as one by one, the white walkers and the undead disintegrated into ice and snow.

Silence.

With baited breath, Y/N waited to know there was no longer any threat.

Scrounging to her feet, she stumbled towards Theon.

Falling to the floor, Y/N pulled his body unto her lap. Cradling him back and forth as tears flowed from her eyes.

“You can’t die Theon. You can’t. You just can’t leave! I came back. I forgave you. I love you. Please wake up Theon. WAKE UP THEON!”

No response.

Wiping away her tears, Y/N sniffled. Leaning down, she placed a kiss onto his lips. They were already so cold.

“I love you and forgive you Theon Greyjoy. Greyjoy by blood, Stark by heart, remember.”

Arya and Bran watched on as their sister’s heart broke before them.

And for the first time in years, Bran shed a tear.

Not as the Three Eyed Raven. But as Bran; mourning his sister’s loss. Mourning the loss of his sister. For she may be here physically, emotionally, she would never be the same.

Though the air around her was already cold, Y/N had felt the warmth in her heart dissipate. For so long she had fought over her feelings for the man. Once she had seen him, she knew she had forgiven him. But she just had to know that he had truly changed. And he had. The old Theon would have never sacrificed himself just how he had done now.

No hesitance. No second thought.

For Theon would do anything for the Starks. He would have done anything to keep Y/N alive.

And when he had looked at Bran, and when Bran said those words, he knew.

He was doing the right thing.

For the one’s we have loved, And the one’s we have lost. For the one’s whom are feeling alone. To Lyanna and Jorah Mormont, And Eddison of the Nightswatch. To Qhono, Beric and those deaths not shown. The Night King is now gone, And so is Theon. But what’s of the battle for the Iron Throne? As Cersei sneaks upon, Those who will fight to live on. To tell the story of the Game of Thrones.

Here’s to the lives lost in the Game of Thrones.

[groggycascade]

Ballbusters Anonymous, Pt. II

Continued from Pt. I, for which all credit to squishednuts. Pt. II is mine.

Tiffany chuckled softly. She looked Zoe up and down.

“Sure,” she said. “But this is maybe not the place.” She directed a meaningful look towards the group secretary. “I see you watching me, Clara,” she called across the room.

“Just don’t want you corrupting the youth, Tiff,” the secretary replied, falsely cheerful.

Tiffany rolled her eyes. Zoe looked nervously at the floor. She could feel Tiffany’s eyes on her again. The older woman’s confidence was making her feel very small and inexperienced.

“What are you doing right now?” Tiffany asked her at last.

                                                              ___

They walked towards Tiffany’s home. As they made their way through the streets, Tiffany told Zoe the story of her encounter with the would-be muggers, lowering her voice whenever somebody passed them in the dark, silent street.

“I’d already castrated one of those assholes, so he was out of commission,” Tiffany told her. “Now, for most women like us,” (here Zoe felt herself blush. She was both afraid and thrilled to be included in the sorority of ballbusting women). “For most women like us,” Tiffany continued, “that would have been enough. When I felt his balls like jelly in my hands…” Her laughter echoed loudly in the street. “I don’t mind telling you, no other man ever gave me an orgasm that good!”

Zoe bit her lip, her insides fluttering.

“But I was feeling, well…” For the first time in their short acquaintance, Zoe thought that Tiffany sounded uncertain. They stopped walking. “How old are you, anyway?” Tiffany asked her.

“Twenty-two.”

Her new friend laughed. “Honey,” she said, placing a hand on Zoe’s shoulder. “You have a lot to look forward to. I guess you’ve never been both incredibly angry and incredibly turned-on at the same time, right?”

Zoe didn’t answer. They continued their walk.

“Well, when it happens, it’s like you aren’t really in control of your own body. All you know is what your body wants, what it needs. And right then in that alley I knew my body needed me to ruin these men, destroy them for all time. Take away their most precious possessions.”

Zoe could tell Tiffany was enjoying spinning out her story, prolonging the moment when the two muggers would suffer the ultimate humiliation at her hands.

“I walked towards the second guy. He was still blind from when I’d maced him, but he must have heard my boots clicking on the floor, because he started trying to crawl backwards. His pants were still around his ankles, so the best he could manage was this pathetic kind of shuffle. If he’d known what was about to happen, he’d have been a lot less concerned about his eyes and a lot more concerned about his other two orbs.” She laughed again. “I should say at this point that I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Protective cups are mandatory at my dojo, ever since… actually we don’t have to get into that. I’d been attending classes for years, they allowed me to release my ballbusting urges without worrying that I’d end up neutering some poor kid who never even got to use his dick and balls with a real girl. It wasn’t much but it was… better than nothing. Barely,” she said with bitterness.

Zoe snapped her attention back to her companion. Tiffany had unwittingly touched on one of her most private fantasies: to castrate a virgin, some weak shy boy who would never, thanks to her, in his whole life feel the pleasure of being with a woman…

“The point,” Tiffany said, “is that I’ve been taught to kick quite expertly. Now, when you kick a man in the groin – assuming your intention is to put him on the ground – your best bet is to kick with the instep. It’s a large, hard area of the foot, so not only will you not injure yourself, but you have an excellent chance of striking both testicles. The average schoolgirl is more than capable of overcoming an attacker in this way.”

Zoe sensed that this was a lecture Tiffany had delivered on many occasions.

“But for real, permanent damage, the experienced ballbuster uses the point of her shoe.” As they walked Tiffany demonstrated with some snap kicks. Left leg, right leg, left leg. “The force of the kick, rather than dissipating across the instep, is concentrated entirely in the small surface area of the shoe’s tip,” Tiffany said. “Caught between the pubic bone and a hard-toed shoe, a testicle has absolutely no chance. It bursts like a grape. Even a babe-in-the-woods ballkicker like you could scramble a guy’s eggs for good in this way.” She smiled at Zoe, who felt a surge of affection for this woman. Still, she was hoping Tiffany would get to the good part already.

“So, I lined up my target. His cock and balls were jiggling between his legs as he tried to get away from me. I started to jog forward.” She laughed again, but quietly to herself this time. “I remember, through everything, being kind of disappointed his hands were rubbing his eyes. I wanted my face to be the last thing he saw in his life as a man.”

Even though awed by Tiffany’s cruelty, Zoe didn’t feel any revulsion. In fact, she was imagining herself in the other woman’s shoes, preparing to inflict the most painful, humiliating punishment imaginable…

“I kicked forward with the point of my shoe. I kicked as hard as I’ve ever kicked in my life, but that power came at the expense of accuracy. I felt his left ball briefly resist my shoe, then burst. Crunch.”

Zoe whimpered softly. Beneath her skirt, her panties were almost soaked through.

“I knew right away I’d only half-succeeded. His one testicle was complete pulp, totally irreparable. But I’d missed the other. By now the guy was screaming his lungs out, as you’d imagine. What was worse, the third guy had rolled over and started crawling up the alley on his hands and knees. I don’t know if he knew what I’d done to his friend, but he probably had a pretty good idea. I had to act quickly. I knelt down and pulled the guy’s hands away from his balls. Or ball, I should say. His right ball was clearly intact, but where the left one had been was just mush. I closed my fist around his remaining ball. He was still screaming in pain, so I covered his mouth with my free hand. He barely resisted; I think he was already passing out at this point. I bent down so that my mouth was close to his ear, and I said, ‘My name is Tiffany Tine, and while you’re in the hospital I’ll be fucking myself senseless to the memory of taking away your worthless balls. I hope you remember my name every time you can’t get your dick up, asshole.’”

“Yeah!” said Zoe. She realized she’d been holding her breath for almost thirty seconds, captivated by Tiffany Tine’s story.

“Then I started squeezing. His last testicle barely lasted five seconds. It must have been the adrenaline – when I was younger, I once squeezed my brother’s balls until he passed out, but I never did him any permanent damage. That was the first time I ever burst a testicle with nothing but my hand. Usually they need softening up with some kicks first. The feeling of power it gave me was… literally indescribable. You have to understand that all this took place in less than a minute. In that time, I’d turned two men into eunuchs. They were useless now thanks to me. Freaks, losers, nobodies.”

“And the last guy?” Zoe asked. Her voice came out husky and hoarse. All thoughts of that evening’s meeting, of her efforts to curb her ballbusting fetish, had been long since abolished. Tiffany chuckled.

“He’d gotten to his feet by this time,” she said. “He was still rubbing his eyes, he hadn’t even pulled his jeans up. Obviously he decided that the only way he was getting out of there with his balls intact was by begging me for mercy. ‘Please, just let me go,’” said Tiffany, impersonating the mugger’s pathetic pleading. “‘I can leave, I’ll just go home, you’ll never see me again…’ Blah, blah blah.”

They had reached Tiffany’s house. Under the porchlight, Tiffany jiggled her purse, searching for the doorkey. Turning to Zoe she laughed at the expression of need on her face.

“I guess you really want that ending, huh?” she asked, grinning. Zoe nodded, speechlessly. Tiffany turned the key in the lock and entered the house. She turned back to Zoe.

“Come on in, then,” she said.

With the door closed behind them, Tiffany said, “I’ll tell you the rest of the story. But,” she held up a finger. “I want something in return.”

Zoe followed her into the lounge. The house was clean and tastefully decorated. Silently, Zoe noted the lack of male influence in the décor. Clearly Tiffany was single, or more likely divorced. Her hostess settled into a deep leather couch, patting the seat next to her. Obediently, Zoe sat down.

“So, what is it you want?” she asked, after a moment of silence. She was feeling strangely disoriented, as though half of her was still in Tiffany’s story.

At that moment, the women heard footsteps descending the stairs. A few seconds later a guy a few years younger than Zoe, no more than a kid really, came slouching through the door. A baggy t-shirt enveloped his skinny frame, above a pair of grey sweatpants. His hair was unkempt, and he regarded Tiffany and Zoe with eyes that were heavy-lidded.

“Hello, Jadon,” Tiffany said warmly. “My son,” she told Zoe. Zoe tried not to look surprised. It had never occurred to her that the serial castratrix with whom she had left the Ballbusters Anonymous meeting might have any kind of maternal instincts.

“Jay,” said Tiffany’s son, sullenly shaking Zoe’s hand. He sniffed. “You a friend of my mom’s from Kung Fu, or whatever?”

“It’s Tae Kwon Do, honey,” Tiffany replied, indulgently, before Zoe could answer. “And yes, Zoe’s a new member of our dojo. We think she has great potential.”

Jadon rolled his eyes. Zoe wondered how this scant, sulking youth could belong to the poised, attractive, self-confident woman who sat next to her on the couch.

“Jadon doesn’t believe martial arts are effective in a… what was it, dear? ‘A street-fighting scenario?’” Tiffany said, by way of explanation.

Zoe saw Jadon’s face colour.

“I was just telling Zoe a story that would probably change your mind, Jay honey,” continued Tiffany. She flashed a smirk at Zoe.

“People in the real world don’t care about Kung Fu rules, mom,” Jay muttered. “You don’t get points,” he went on contemptuously. “It’s eat or get eaten out there.”

“And I tell my son,” Tiffany replied, “that it’s exactly that kind of male arrogance that makes our training so effective. Maybe,” she said, “before I finish telling you that story, you could give Jadon a demonstration?”

Zoe looked quickly at Tiffany. Was she saying what Zoe thought she was saying?

“Mom,” Jadon whined. “She’s a girl.”

“Then you’ve got nothing to worry about,” Tiffany said decisively. “Up, up, up,” she said, shooing Zoe to her feet.

The room was large and spacious. Zoe stood in its centre, looking pleadingly at Tiffany. She couldn’t believe she had interpreted the other woman’s intentions correctly. That was when Tiffany banished all doubt.

“Why don’t you show my son that technique I was showing you on the walk home?” she said, all innocence. Zoe’s eyes widened. Jadon dragged his feet across the carpet to where she was standing. For all his apparent reluctance, Zoe could tell the prospect of putting his hands on a woman’s body excited him. This kid had definitely never been laid, Zoe decided. Probably never even seen real boobs, or had his hand between a girl’s legs.

“I’ll try not to hurt you,” he told her, winking lazily.

“Alright then, Jadon,” Tiffany called across the room. Zoe could hear amusement in her voice, and perhaps even a trace of… anticipation? “Show us how they fight on the streets,” Jadon’s mother said.

Jadon started bouncing on his heels, jogging his arms like a video game character. Zoe was inclined to laugh at how absurd he looked, this skinny kid feinting and shuffling as though he were some kind of MMA fighter.

Suddenly, Jadon lunged forward. The carpet was thick, and broke most of Zoe’s fall. Jadon had his arms wrapped around her legs. As she struggled to free herself, Jadon started climbing up her body, reeling her towards himself. Tiffany shouted encouragement from the sidelines.

“Come on, Zoe! Remember what I told you!”

Jadon’s arms were up around Zoe’s waist now. Suddenly, she felt his hand slip between her thighs and roughly caress her pussy. She looked up to see him leering at her, an insulting smile plastered across his face. In a burst of anger she began kicking her legs and succeeded in shaking Jadon off. Quickly, they both leapt to their feet.

Zoe was breathing more heavily now – not from exertion, but from anger. With disgust she noticed Jadon’s sweatpants tenting. The little fucker had a semi on after feeling her up on the carpet!

Jadon began moving towards her again.

“Do it, Zoe!” Tiffany called from the couch.

Zoe fixed her narrowing eyes on Jadon’s crotch. In her mind, she was back in Tiffany’s story – Jadon was no longer Tiffany’s teenage son, he was the mugger who deserved everything that was coming to him.

As though in slow motion, she kicked forward with her right foot. Even afterwards, she wouldn’t be sure if she had used the tip of her shoe deliberately, the way Tiffany had told her to if she wanted to cause permanent damage. Everything else, though, was clear – the way Jadon’s momentum carried him unstoppably into her kick; the feeling of his balls compressing as she crushed them against his pelvis; she slow way his expression crumpled in a rictus of agony.

Jadon hit the floor, gasping and dry-heaving.

“Oh!” cried Tiffany, jumping to her feet.

Zoe stepped backwards, her hands over her mouth. She’d kicked dozens of guys in the balls before. She had become used to their reactions – the paralysis, the moans of pain – but Jadon looked worse than any guy Zoe had ever busted before. She didn’t know if he was even more of a wimp than she’d thought, or if she had actually just destroyed his testicles in front of his own mother.

Tiffany knelt down next to her son. “Jadon, honey,” she said, her voice full of distress. Jadon’s eyes were screwed shut in pain, so that only Zoe saw that the expression on his mother’s face was not one of concern. Zoe would almost have said she looked as though she found her son’s agony amusing. Surely not, she thought. Tiffany might have been a self-professed ballbusting bitch, but there was no way her love of ballbusting trumped motherly concern. Right?

Tiffany tried to pull Jadon’s hands away from his crotch, but he clutched determinedly on to his wounded balls.

“Darling, I need to check if your testicles are ruptured,” his mother told him. “You might have to go to the hospital.”

Jadon gave no reply except a loud sob – of pain or fear, Zoe couldn’t tell. She wondered if she ought to flee. If she had injured Jadon, would Tiffany call the police? Would anyone believe that this had been a joke that got out of hand?

“Zoe, hold his arms please.” Tiffany’s businesslike voice snapped Zoe out of her thoughts. She bent down and, with difficulty, succeeded in releasing Jadon’s grasp on his balls. With her son’s arms restrained, Tiffany wrestled the waistband of his sweatpants down around his knees.

Instinctively, Zoe stifled a giggle at the sight of Jadon’s small dick. The image was made more ridiculous by his testicles, which were already so swollen they seemed like they might burst out of his scrotum.

Gently, Tiffany palpated each of her son’s balls in turn, drawing howls of pain. Eventually she withdrew her hands and wiped them on her pantlegs.

“Nothing seems to be broken,” she announced. She patted her son on the head. “But I doubt you’ll be chasing the girls for at least a few weeks, hon.” Turning to Zoe, she said, “Help me get him up.”

With each of their heads under one of Jadon’s arms, they succeeded in lifting him to his feet. Letting Zoe take his full weight, Tiffany pulled her son’s pants back up. “I think Zoe’s seen enough of your little bits and pieces for one evening,” she commented.

Zoe waited in the lounge as Tiffany half-carried her son up the stairs. Her head was almost spinning. She was relieved that she hadn’t caused any lasting damage to Jadon’s balls, even if she was still furious with him for groping her. She was angry with Tiffany for putting her in that situation, even if she had relished the opportunity to punt her little prick of a son right in his fragile nuts. And, as her heartbeat settled, she began to experience the familiar feeling of excitement that accompanied dropping a guy with a solid kick to the balls.

Eventually she heard Tiffany descending the staircase.

“You little minx,” Tiffany said, entering. “I can’t believe you tried to rupture my son’s testicles.”

Zoe jumped up from the couch where she had been gathering her thoughts.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” she stammered.

Tiffany laughed, waving her back down onto the couch. “I said ‘tried to,’ didn’t I?” she said. “It’s a good thing you’re not wearing boots. If you had been, or if – heaven forfend – that had been one of my kicks, it’s safe to say my son would have a sack full of mush right now instead of two unimpressive but healthy testicles.”

She took a seat next to Zoe. “You did wonderfully,” she said, stroking Zoe’s hair.

“Why did you make me do that?” Zoe asked quietly. Tiffany was quiet for a moment before replying.

“Last time I tried to quit ballbusting cold turkey, I ended up neutering three guys in an alley,” she said. “Do you know how long it’s been since I kicked a pair of balls?”

Zoe shook her head.

“Three months, a week, and two days,” Tiffany said at once. “I was starting to feel as though if I didn’t get some action soon, even vicariously, I was going to fall off the wagon hard. Then, who knows how many guys would end up getting involuntary sex changes. Didn’t I say at the meeting that I almost relapsed today?”

“I guess, when you put it like that,” Zoe said after a thoughtful pause. Tiffany nodded encouragement.

“You really helped me tonight, Zoe,” she said. “Thanks to you, I think all my male colleagues’ balls are safe. For a week at least.”

Zoe grinned in spite of herself. “I can’t believe I almost ruined your chances of having grandkids,” she said.

Tiffany tossed her head and laughed. “What the hell, I still have a daughter,” she said. “In fact, you ought to meet her. It’s about time she started learning how to put her older brother in his place.”

“Maybe some other time,” Zoe said. “I think your family’s had enough of me for one night. But, umm…”

Tiffany looked at her enquiringly.

“Before I go…” Zoe said. “Would you mind, um…”

At last Tiffany understood. With a broad smile she settled deeper into the couch, and finished the story of the castrated muggers.

                                                            ___

“Please, just let me go. I can leave, I’ll just go home. You’ll never see me again.”

The mugger’s pleadings almost stirred a hint of sympathy in Tiffany’s heart. He did look pathetic – pants around his ankles, his exposed dick and balls flopping around as he begged for mercy.

Frantically, the mugger tried to wipe the burning mace from his eyes. “I don’t even know these guys,” he whimpered. “I’ve never done this before, it wasn’t my idea…”

As she walked towards him, Tiffany realized the mugger was probably being truthful. Up close, it was clear he was hardly any older than her own son.

“His too bad,” she thought to herself. After he’d learned the hard way not to fuck with strange women in dark alleyways, there was no chance of him ever trying to pull something like this again.

“Please, lady, swear to God…” The mugger was still blubbing.

“Shut up,” Tiffany snapped. She was standing a foot away from him now. “Lie down on the ground.”

“Please…”

Tiffany slapped him across the face. “Do what I tell you, and maybe I’ll let you get out of here with your life,” she told him.

The kid shuddered. To Tiffany’s amazement he lay down on the ground. The sound of his friends’ agonized screams and sudden silence must have convinced him that she really could kill him. Tiffany kicked his legs as wide as they would go, still hobbled as he was by the jeans around his ankles.

“Wha… what are you going to do to me?” the kid stammered.

Tiffany raised her foot above the young man’s crotch. The light from the moon glinted dully on the thick rubber of her bootheel.

“Since you asked,” she said, “I’m going to stomp on your testicles until there’s nothing left down there but goo. It’s going to hurt worse than anything you’ve ever felt in your life, and afterwards you’ll never function as a man again. No woman will ever look at you without laughing.” She paused. “That clear enough?”

The kid sobbed fearfully.

“Look at me,” Tiffany ordered.

Blinking furiously, the kid opened his red-raw eyes. Tiffany waited for him to fully comprehend the spectacle of her shoe, poised high above his unprotected balls.

Then she stomped down.

The kid screamed shrilly as his testicles compressed under Tiffany’s boot. To no avail he tried to remove her foot from his crotch. As she lifted her leg a second time, he covered his balls with his hands. With a grunt of impatience Tiffany bent down and ripped his hands away. Holding his arms at his side, she lay on top of him and began driving her knee over and over again into his crotch. Her large breasts muffled his screams.

Whump.

Whump.

Whump.

Before long the sound coming from between the kid’s legs was less of a thud and more of a wet crunch. His screams had subsided to a delirious sobbing. With one final knee – crunch – Tiffany stood up and looked down at her work. The kid was somehow still conscious, barely. With her toe, Tiffany sloshed around the contents of his scrotum. It felt like a half-empty water balloon.

As the reality of what she had done set in, Tiffany’s hand slipped almost of its own accord under the waistband of her pants. Her breathing became heavier.

“Oh… oh, my God… oh, fuck,” she gasped, sinking to her knees, convulsing with pleasure. She didn’t know how long she stayed there. When she regained her senses, the kid was still moaning softly. Unsteadily, Tiffany got to her feet.

“Wow,” she said to herself.

Looking both ways first, she emerged from the alley. The street was quiet and empty. She quickly began walking in the direction of home. Someone, somewhere must have heard the commotion in the alley, and Tiffany wanted to be nowhere near when the police arrived to find three men brutally castrated. This though wasn’t the only reason for her haste.

As she thought back to what she had done to those men, replaying every moment in her head, she could feel herself getting wet again.

                                                         ___

Zoe felt like a ball of static energy. A strand of hair had come loose over her forehead, which was glazed with sweat. Tiffany patted her on the knee.

“It’s okay, hon,” she told her. “You don’t have to be shy around me.”

For a further second, Zoe was completely still on the couch. Then she thrust her hand down the front of her skirt, rubbing herself desperately. While she masturbated, she murmured softly to herself.

“… his balls were turned to mush… I bet he never fucked in his life… I bet his dick was the size of a cocktail wiener… oh my God… he can never… never… oh, yes, yes, yes…”

Afterwards, she sat hunched over in embarrassment. She had never lost control like that before. Tiffany’s story had been the hottest thing she’d ever heard.

She felt Tiffany’s hand brush against her hair again.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” the older woman said. “I know. I know what it’s like.”

Eventually Zoe looked up.

“You said… back at the meeting, you said that night was your rock bottom.”

Tiffany sighed.

“I never thought any of those guys would tell anyone what I’d done to them. I mean, who would actually go to the police and tell them they lost their testicles to the woman they were trying to mug?”

Zoe nodded.

“Well, it turned out one of those guys would. The one I’d told my name to, as it happened. There was a trial. He’d already been sentenced for the attempted mugging. I guess he figured he had nothing else to lose. Once he got in the witness box, he described every detail of how I ruined his life. There were a few female giggles from the gallery, I remember.”

Tiffany looked melancholy, however.

“The judge – a woman, by the way, thank God – instructed the jury to find me not guilty on the felony assault, but there was no beating the misdemeanour. I did thirty days in jail. My boyfriend left me, and I almost lost my business. Still,” she said, more brightly, “I’m moving on. Getting better.”

Somehow Zoe doubted that was the case. Still, who was she to talk? She had started the evening sincerely wanting to gain control of her ballbusting urges, and had ended it by almost castrating a horny teen then frigging herself stupid at the thought of finishing the job.

She got up from the couch.

“I should go,” she said.

Tiffany walked her to the door. As Zoe stepped out into the night, Tiffany spoke behind her.

“We’ve got to help each other out, hon,” she said. “We’re all in the same boat here.”

Zoe turned back and looked at her wordlessly.

“I guess I’ll see you,” Tiffany said. “At next week’s meeting?”

“Definitely,” said Zoe, at last.

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

How can you like daenerys

Quite a lot of reasons, actually. For the sake of my time, I’ll limit my answer to ten of them.

1. She tolerates disrespect in her own court.

“We are all dead, then. You gave us death, not freedom.” Ghael leapt to his feet and spat into her face. 

Strong Belwas seized him by the shoulder and slammed him down onto the marble so hard that Dany heard Ghae’s teeth crack. The Shavepate would have done worse, but she stopped him.

“Enough,” she said, dabbing at her cheek with the end of her tokar. “No one has ever died from spittle. Take him away.”

How many leaders and rulers in ASOIAF would have tolerated being spat on in their own court? Not many, I’m sure. 

2. She’s witty.

“Little girl, another woman once tried to geld me with her teeth. She has no teeth now, but my sword is as long and thick as ever. Shall I take it out and show you?”

“No need. After my eunuchs cut it off, I can examine it at my leisure.”

3. She’s a creative and resourceful ruler, despite having never received any sort of training, unlike the majority of other leaders.

“Not a hole. A ditch, to bring water from the river to the fields. We mean to plant beans. The beanfields must have water.”

Ser Barristan remained. “Our stores are ample for the moment,” he reminded her, “and Your Grace has planted beans and grapes and wheat. Your Dothraki have harried the slavers from the hills and struck the shackles from their slaves. They are planting too, and will be bringing their crops to Meereen to market. And you will have the friendship of Lhazar.”

4. One of, if not the most, compassionate ruler in ASOIAF who is determined to take care of her people, despite what her advisors might say.

“Ser Jorah, you say we have no food left. If I march west, how can I feed my freedmen?”

“You can’t. I am sorry, Khaleesi. They must feed themselves or starve. Many and more will die along the march, yes. That will be hard, but there is no way to save them. We need to put this scorched earth well behind us.”

Dany had left a trail of corpses behind her when she crossed the red waste. It was a sight she never meant to see again. “No,” she said. “I will not march my people off to die.” My children. 

It was time, though. A girl might spend her life at play, but she was a woman grown, a queen, a wife, a mother to thousands. Her children had need of her.

Daenerys considers the people under her rule her children. That says enough about her compassion for others.

5. She’s pragmatic and a great military strategist, again despite having no formal training in these matters.

“Ser Jorah Mormont scowled. “You told the sellswords-”

“-that I wanted their answers on the morrow. I made no promises about tonight. The Stormcrows will be arguing about my offer. The Second Sons will be drunk on the wine I gave Mero. And the Yunkai’i believe they have three days. We will take them under cover of this darkness.”

“They will have scouts watching for us.”

“And in the dark, they will see hundreds of campfires burning,” said Dany. “If they see anything at all.”

“Khaleesi,” said Jhogo, “I will deal with these scouts. They are no riders, only slavers on horses.”

“Just so,” she agreed. “I think we should attack from three sides. Grey Worm, your Unsullied shall strike at them from right and left, while my kos lead my horse in wedge for a thrust through their center. Slave soldiers will never stand before mounted Dothraki.” She smiled. “To be sure, I am only a young girl and know little of war. What do you think, my lords?”

The following is describing Daenerys’ conquest of Meereen. Meereen’s walls have no weak points, the Harpies heads can squirt hot oil, and all the trees were burned by the slavers to prevent Daenerys from being able to build weapons. Daenerys doesn’t want to order the Unsullied to assault the wall directly because it would lead to pointless loss of their lives (courtesy of the boiling oil from the Harpies heads). So instead:

“Aegon the Conqueror had won Westeros with three dragons, but she had taken Meereen with sewer rats and a wooden cock, in less than a day. Poor Groleo. He still grieved for his ship, she knew. If a war galley could ram another ship, why not a gate? That had been her thought when she commanded the captains to drive their ships ashore. Their masts had become her battering rams, and swarms of freedmen had torn their hulls apart to build mantlets, turtles, catapults, and ladders. The sellswords had given each ram a bawdy name, and it had been the mainmast of Meraxes-formerly Joso’s Prank-that had broken the eastern gate."

6. She's willing to and makes an effort to learn, and learn she does.

Dany reined in her mare and looked across the fields, to where the Yunkish host lay athwart her path. Whitebeard had been teaching her how best to count the numbers of a foe. “Five thousand,” she said after a moment.

“A queen must listen to all,” she reminded him. “The highorn, and the low, the strong and the weak, the noble and the venal. One voice may speak you false, but in many there is always truth to be found.” She had read that in a book.

7. She’s brave. Anyone who has the balls to face a dragon with only a whip is far more courageous than a considerable number of characters. And before anyone says,“the dragons wouldn’t hurt her no matter how angry they get, she’s their mother,” yes they would. Drogon tried to kill her.

His head turned. Smoke rose between his teeth. His blood was smoking too, where it dripped upon the ground. He beat his wings again, sending up a choing storm of scarlet sand. Dany stumbled into the hot red cloud, coughing. He snapped.

“No” was all that she had time to say. No, not me, don’t you know me? The black teeth closed inches from her face. He meant to tear my head off. The sand was in her eyes. She stumbled over the pitmaster’s corpse and fell on her backside.

8. Her idea of what it means to rule is extremely idealistic, even after all the exploitation she’s suffered. By intentions alone Daenerys is already a far better candidate as ruler than most other leaders in the books.

“I was alone for a long time, Jorah. All alone but for my brother. I was such a small scared thing. Viserys should have protected me, but instead he hurt me and scared me worse. He shouldn’t have done that. He wasn’t just my brother, he was my king. Why do the gods make kings and queens, if not to protect the ones who can’t protect themselves?”

“Some kings make themselves, Robert did.”

“He was no true king,” Dany said scornfully. “He did no justice. Justice... that’s what kings are for.”

She would rather have drifted in the fragrant pool all day, eating iced fruit off silver trays and dreaming of a house with a red door, but a queen belongs to her people, not to herself.

She believes it’s her duty as a queen to protect her people and bring justice. In Dany’s eyes, a queen must put her people first, herself second. You’d think someone who suffered under the hand of her cruel and abusive older brother, who she also considers her king, and then exploited and sold like an animal by him to a barbarian tribe, would make a thirteen-year-old girl quite jaded about rulers. But Daenerys still wholeheartedly believes that rulers should be selfless, protect their people, and bring justice, though the people who had power over her in the past did none of those things for her.

9. She’s intensely self-critical.

That morning she summoned her captains and commanders to the garden, rather than descending to the audience chamber. “Aegon the Conqueror brought fire and blood to Westeros, but afterward he gave them peace, prosperity, and justice. But all I have brought to Slaver’s Bay is death and ruin. I have been more khal than queen, smashing and plundering, then moving on.”

“You have brought freedom as well,” Missandei pointed out.

“Freedom to starve?” asked Dany sharply. “Freedom to die? Am I a dragon, or a harpy?” Am I mad? Do I have the taint?

“A dragon,” Ser Barristan said with certainty. “Meereen is not Westeros, Your Grace.”

“But how can I rule seven kingdoms if I cannot rule a single city?” He had no answer to that. Dany turned away from them, to gaze out over the city once again. “My children need time to heal and learn. My dragons need time to grow and test their wings. And I need the same. I will not let this city go the way of Astapor. I will not let the harpy of Yunkai chain up those I’ve freed all over again.” She turned back to look at their faces. I will not march.”

What sort of mother lets her children rot in darkness?

If I look back, I am doomed. Dany told herself... but how could she not look back? I should have seen it coming. Was I so blind, or did I close my eyes willfully, so I would not have to see the price of power?

Mother of dragons, Daenerys thought. Mother of monsters. What have I unleashed upon the world? A queen I am, but my throne is made of burned bones, and it rests on quicksand. Without dragons, how could she hope to hold Meereen, much less win back Westeros? I am the blood of the dragon, she thought. If they are monsters, so am I.

There is blood on my hands too, and on my heart, We are not so different, Daario and I. We are both monsters.

Bless me, Dany thought bitterly. Your city is gone to ash and bone, your people are dying all around you. I have no shelter for you, no medicine, no hope. Only stale bread and wormy meat, hard cheese, a little milk. Bless me, bless me.

Now we must keep in mind that Daenerys’ chapters are told from her POV. They are not objective by any means. The fact that she’s so self-critical in these quotes (and more) does not mean she can never be a good ruler. It’s a human thing to magnify your failures and judge yourself much more harshly than the others around you, and this is well-communicated on Dany’s POV. 

Daenerys was trying to change a system that has been in place and served as the economic foundation of Slaver’s Bay for countless years. It’s an extremely radical - even revolutionary - change. There’s not a single character that would have been able to work that situation out smoothly and without bloodshed. Yet Daenerys never takes this into consideration, she simply blames herself.

The fact that she’s so self-deprecating reveals a lot about Daenerys. For one thing, she clearly doesn’t attempt to mentally shift the blame off of herself when things go awry. This means that she’s self-aware and willing to take responsibility for her actions. Being self-critical is also something I can very much relate to, so I empathize with Daenerys here.

10. She freed slaves.

I can already hear the storm of antis crowing that she did an awful job, which is ridiculous and I dare them to do any better. When such a revolutionary change is brought about, there is simply no way it’s going to go smoothly. Like I said before, there isn’t one character in ASOIAF who would have flawlessly handled the situation Dany was in.

The “white savior” argument is also something I find odd, because slavery in ASOIAF is not race-based. Among the slaves Daenerys liberated, there were Lyseni, who are blonde-haired and blue-eyed.

I love the fact that Daenerys, despite being a queen, empathizes with the lowborn. She’s experienced the same things they have - mistreatment, fear, exploitation, to name a few - in a time that she had no say about what happened to her, like them. When she does gain power, she does her best to use it primarily to help others. 

“I will not let the harpy of Yunkai chain up those I’ve freed all over again.” She turned back to look at their faces. “I will not march.”

“Enough.” Dany slapped the table. “No one will be left to die. You are all my people.” Her dreams of home and love had blinded her. “I will not abandon Meereen to the fate of Astapor. It grieves me to say so, but Westeros must wait.”

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

25th June >> Mass Readings (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

Thursday, Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

2 Kings 24:8-17

The first deportation into captivity in Babylon

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan, from Jerusalem. He did what is displeasing to the Lord, just as his father had done.

At that time the troops of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched on Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon himself came to attack the city while his troops were besieging it. Then Jehoiachin king of Judah surrendered to the king of Babylon, he, his mother, his officers, his nobles and his eunuchs, and the king of Babylon took them prisoner. This was in the eighth year of King Nebuchadnezzar.

The latter carried off all the treasures of the Temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace, and broke up all the golden furnishings that Solomon king of Israel had made for the sanctuary of the Lord, as the Lord had foretold. He carried off all Jerusalem into exile, all the nobles and all the notables, ten thousand of these were exiled, with all the blacksmiths and metalworkers; only the poorest people in the country were left behind. He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon, as also the king’s mother, his eunuchs and the nobility of the country; he made them all leave Jerusalem for exile in Babylon. All the men of distinction, seven thousand of them, the blacksmiths and metalworkers, one thousand of them, all of them men capable of bearing arms, were led into exile in Babylon by the king of Babylon.

The king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in succession to him, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 78(79):1-5,8-9

R/ Rescue us, O Lord, for the glory of your name.

O God, the nations have invaded your land,

they have profaned your holy temple.

They have made Jerusalem a heap of ruins.

They have handed over the bodies of your servants

as food to feed the birds of heaven

and the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.

R/ Rescue us, O Lord, for the glory of your name.

They have poured out blood like water in Jerusalem;

no one is left to bury the dead.

We have become the taunt of our neighbours,

the mockery and scorn of those who surround us.

How long, O Lord? Will you be angry for ever;

how long will your anger burn like fire?

R/ Rescue us, O Lord, for the glory of your name.

Do not hold the guilt of our fathers against us.

Let your compassion hasten to meet us;

we are left in the depths of distress.

R/ Rescue us, O Lord, for the glory of your name.

O God our saviour, come to our help.

Come for the sake of the glory of your name.

O Lord our God, forgive us our sins;

rescue us for the sake of your name.

R/ Rescue us, O Lord, for the glory of your name.

Gospel Acclamation

Hebrews 4:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The word of God is something alive and active:

it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.

Alleluia!

Or:

John 14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 7:21-29

The wise man built his house on a rock

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?” Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!

‘Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’

Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and his teaching made a deep impression on the people because he taught them with authority, and not like their own scribes.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[aboveallarescuer]

How Dany assesses the counsel she receives and makes her own choices - Dealing with the conflicts inside Meereen

This will be a series of posts meant to show that Dany is open to receiving advice and criticism, but that she doesn’t act solely based on what other people tell her to do. On the opposite, GRRM makes great effort to write a Dany who most often merges different viewpoints and/or finds her own solutions to the problems she’s facing. I won’t include every single decision she ever made (e.g. her decisions at court are often made without counsel and her execution of the ritual to hatch the dragon eggs was already exhaustively and deftly analyzed by other people), but there will be plenty of instances in this series that will prove my point nonetheless. The metas will always have four items: in which chapters the events mentioned take place; what advice she receives and from whom; what were her actions; the verdict (whether she followed other people’s advice, ignored/rejected them or did both at the same time).

Chapter (s): 

ADWD Daenerys I, II, IV, V, VI, IX

The advice Dany receives:

Barristan warns Dany that the Unsullied aren't well-suited to ask people about what happened to Stalwart Shield nor inquire about the Sons's activities (ADWD Dany I). In the reopening of Daznak's Pit, Barristan recommends that Dany uses the Unsullied to protect her rather than the Brazen Beasts due to his distrust in them, his uncertainty about their skills and his fear that the Sons are still around (ADWD Dany IX).

The Shavepate recommends the killing of a man from each family for Stalwart Shield's death and the killing of two if another death occurs (ADWD Dany I). He also suggests torturing the daughters of the wineseller while he watches (ADWD Dany II). Later, he urges Dany to kill the child hostages to prevent the murders from continuing (ADWD Dany IV). At last, he proposes torturing Hizdahr (because he believes he's involved with the Harpy's Sons) and seizing people from the ruling families so that Dany can get her ships back (ADWD Dany V).

Reznak is against any sort of punishment to the nobles for the Sons's murders (ADWD Dany I, II).

Daario is in favor of Dany gathering all the masters in the Temple of the Graces under the false pretense of marrying Hizdahr and killing them all (ADWD Dany IV).

Dany's actions:

We open up ADWD with Dany in her lion pelt sitting on her ebon bench. She is still asleep and couldn't even properly dress because the matter was too urgent for her to spare any time: one of her soldiers was killed.

“Your Grace,” said Ser Barristan Selmy, the lord commander of her Queensguard, “there is no need for you to see this.”

“He died for me.” (ADWD Daenerys I)

Like I said before, Dany's conception of queenship is one of self-sacrifice and accountability. Another ruler might have taken care of the matter at another time or even left it entirely to one of their advisors, but Dany wants to show gratitude (like she did with Doreah) and to take responsibility and not look away (like she did with the 163 children who were crucified).

The corpse is shown and Dany, because of the knowledge she acquired from her childhood in the Free Cities (she lived in six of the nine), is able to guess the man's origins:

The dead man’s face was smooth and hairless, though his cheeks had been slashed open ear to ear. He had been a tall man, blue-eyed and fair of face. Some child of Lys or Old Volantis, snatched off a ship by corsairs and sold into bondage in red Astapor. (ADWD Daenerys I)

Barristan begins to explain that the Sons were behind the attack, which they took responsibility by drawing a harpy on the bricks. Dany already knows how they operate, so she accurately intuits which material was used to draw it:

“… drawn in blood.” Daenerys knew the way of it by now. The Sons of the Harpy did their butchery by night, and over each kill they left their mark. (ADWD Daenerys I)

She then asks Grey Worm why the soldier was alone, since she had taken measures to prevent any of them from being killed:

“Grey Worm, why was this man alone? Had he no partner?” By her command, when the Unsullied walked the streets of Meereen by night they always walked in pairs. (ADWD Daenerys I)

Grey Worm, seemingly embarassed, admits that he went to "a house of pleasure", which Dany correctly guesses to be a brothel. Dany is empathetic and quite aware of the freedmen's difficult situation, so she makes no moral judgment about the fact that so many were opened lately:

A brothel. Half of her freedmen were from Yunkai, where the Wise Masters had been famed for training bedslaves. The way of the seven sighs. Brothels had sprouted up like mushrooms all over Meereen. It is all they know. They need to survive. Food was more costly every day, whilst the price of flesh grew cheaper. In the poorer districts between the stepped pyramids of Meereen’s slaver nobility, there were brothels catering to every conceivable erotic taste, she knew. (ADWD Daenerys I)

Even so, she doesn't understand why would an eunuch go to a brothel. Grey Worm responds that Stalwart Shield wanted "the women of the brothels to lie with him and hold him", an answer that profoundly affects Dany:

The blood of the dragon does not weep. “Stalwart Shield,” she said, dry-eyed. “That was his name?”

“If it please Your Grace.”

“It is a fine name.” (ADWD Daenerys I)

As I said before, Dany often uses the phrase "the blood of the dragon" to retain her composure and act as a proper monarch, and this moment is no exception: she reminds herself to not cry, makes sure she remains "dry-eyed" and praises his name. Because she's now emotionally affected by what happened, she can't help but wish for vengeance (which is normal, for it is linked with the desire for justice in her case) for his death:

Dany said a silent prayer that somewhere one of the Harpy’s Sons was dying even now, clutching at his belly and writhing in pain. (ADWD Daenerys I)

~

“Find these cowards for me. Find them, so that I might teach the Harpy’s Sons what it means to wake the dragon.” (ADWD Daenerys I)

Dany notes that he was the first of her soldiers that the Sons dared to kill. Barristan warns her that others will die, which is a cause of great distress for a queen who "belongs to her people, not to herself" and who recently made it clear that she wants to bring "peace, prosperity and justice" to the city:

I am still at war, Dany realized, only now I am fighting shadows. She had hoped for a respite from the killing, for some time to build and heal. (ADWD Daenerys I)

Then, she vows that Stalwart Shield will be remembered:

Shrugging off the lion pelt, she knelt beside the corpse and closed the dead man’s eyes, ignoring Jhiqui’s gasp. “Stalwart Shield shall not be forgotten. Have him washed and dressed for battle and bury him with cap and shield and spears.”

“It shall be as Your Grace commands,” said Grey Worm.

“Send men to the Temple of the Graces and ask if any man has come to the Blue Graces with a sword wound. And spread the word that we will pay good gold for the short sword of Stalwart Shield. Inquire of the butchers and the herdsmen, and learn who has been gelding goats of late.” Perhaps some goatherd would confess. “Henceforth, no man of mine walks alone after dark.” (ADWD Daenerys I)

Here, we see that Dany: a) orders for Stalwart Shield to be properly buried and honored, b) offers more gold to anyone who might give information about who was behind his murder and c) forbids all of her soldiers to walk at night so that they might not become casualties as well. Later, d) she names a company of freedmen after him and e) thinks about him when she considers giving away her personal happiness and sexual autonomy because "she owed it to her dead". She is, indeed, making sure that he's not forgotten.

Barristan counsels Dany not to use the Unsullied for the jobs she gave them because "they were made for the battlefield" rather than to "unravel secrets or ask questions". Dany considers both his feedback and her available options and concludes that the Unsullied are still the best choice for now, which displays her critical thinking skills:

“Would knights serve me any better?” Selmy was training knights for her, teaching the sons of slaves to fight with lance and longsword in the Westerosi fashion … but what good would lances do against cowards who killed from the shadows? (ADWD Daenerys I)

~

“Then who, if not Unsullied? Dothraki would be even worse.” Dothraki fought from horseback. Mounted men were of more use in open fields and hills than in the narrow streets and alleys of the city. (ADWD Daenerys I)

~

“When the Stormcrows return from Lhazar, perhaps I can use them in the streets,” she told Ser Barristan, “but until then I have only the Unsullied.” (ADWD Daenerys I)

Later, she meets with two of her advisors, Reznak (who is pro-nobility) and the Shavepate (who is anti-slavery). In keeping with her previous actions to remember Stalwart Shield, Dany demands that they call him by his name.

“We were told about the eunuch.”

“His name was Stalwart Shield.” (ADWD Daenerys I)

Then, we get this bit of exposition from the Shavepate, who reminds Dany of her large number of enemies:

“...Zhak, Hazkar, Ghazeen, Merreq, Loraq, all the old slaving families. Pahl. Pahl, most of all. A house of women now. Bitter old women with a taste for blood. Women do not forget. Women do not forgive.” (ADWD Daenerys I)

Which leads Dany, who is already angry for what happened to Stalwart Shield, to think about when she returns to Westeros and teaches the Usurper's dogs that she does not forgive. I've talked about this before here and here, but, while Dany is not right in reducing them to a single group, she is right that Robert should be held accountable for the deaths of innocent children, about which he did nothing to bring justice. 

There is more to what the Shavepate said, though: his overfocus on women, more particularly on "bitter old women", is another indication from the narrative (albeit not entirely conclusive) that Galazza Galare working against Dany. In fact, she might be the Harpy herself coordinating the Sons's attacks, if this passage from ASOS is any indication:

She had a woman’s face, with gilded hair, ivory eyes, and pointed ivory teeth. Water gushed yellow from her heavy breasts. But in place of arms she had the wings of a bat or a dragon, her legs were the legs of an eagle, and behind she wore a scorpion’s curled and venomous tail.

The harpy of Ghis, Dany thought. (ASOS Daenerys II)

~

Behind them, huge against the sky, could be seen the top of the Great Pyramid, a monstrous thing eight hundred feet tall with a towering bronze harpy at its top.

“The harpy is a craven thing,” Daario Naharis said when he saw it. “She has a woman’s heart and a chicken’s legs. Small wonder her sons hide behind their walls.” (ASOS Daenerys V)

Back to the advisors. They have different suggestions for Dany concerning what to do to prevent more deaths like Stalwart Shield's. The Shavepate favors killing a man from each noble family for Stalwart Shield's death now. If another death occurs, she should kill two from each noble family. Meanwhile, Reznak asks for restraint by saying that the murderers will be found and proven to be "baseborn filth". Dany ends up following Reznak's advice, not because she views the freedmen negatively, of course, but because of this:

“How can I punish them when I do not know who they are?” Dany demanded of him.

Dany doesn't want to punish people indiscriminately, and she will reverberate the same feelings later with three different people here, here and here. These moments show how using violent methods isn't Dany's comfort zone nor the first option that comes up in her mind (the torture of the wineseller and his daughters was certainly not her idea, for instance, even if she remains responsible for it). Instead, she wants to specifically target Stalwart Shield's killer, and she's not afraid of using her gold to do so, even if it brings no profit to her:

“How much gold have we offered for information concerning the Sons of the Harpy?” Dany asked.

“One hundred honors, if it please Your Radiance.”

“One thousand honors would please us more. Make it so.” (ADWD Daenerys I)

While we're at it, it's interesting to consider Dany's feelings on these men. This is how she describes the Shavepate:

Ghiscari hair was dense and wiry; it had long been the fashion for the men of the Slaver Cities to tease it into horns and spikes and wings. By shaving, Skahaz had put old Meereen behind him to accept the new, and his kin had done the same after his example. Others followed, though whether from fear, fashion, or ambition, Dany could not say; shavepates, they were called. Skahaz was the Shavepate … and the vilest of traitors to the Sons of the Harpy and their ilk. (ADWD Daenerys I)

First, Dany's shrewdness comes through in her guesses regarding why Skahaz's kin would shave like him - "fear, fashion or ambition". This is a great variety of reasons from her. And it's noteworthy that, for all the claims that she is too idealistic and naive (and she still is, to an extent, of course), she never considers that people might be following his example because of their devotion to his cause. Here, like in other moments, Dany proves that she has a healthy dose of skepticism about other people's intentions. When it comes to the Shavepate, she thinks he has a "brutal, angry face" and "prays it was an honest one as well".

That being said, I would say that her assessment of him is ambivalent, even more so when you compare it to how she judges Reznak:

The seneschal wore a tokar of maroon silk with a golden fringe. A small, damp man, he smelled as if he had bathed in perfume and spoke a bastard form of High Valyrian, much corrupted and flavored with a thick Ghiscari growl.

~

The seneschal was as bald as Skahaz, though in his case the gods were responsible. “Should any hair be so insolent as to appear, my barber stands with razor ready,” he had assured her when she raised him up. There were times when Dany wondered if that razor might not be better saved for Reznak’s throat. He was a useful man, but she liked him little and trusted him less. The Undying of Qarth had told her she would be thrice betrayed.

I know Dany is made to be suspicious of Reznak because she suspects (reasonably) that he is the "perfumed seneschal", but one could speculate that there is more to it. Reznak is wearing a tokar, described earlier by Dany as as "a master's garment, a sign of wealth and power". It is a major symbol of the social inequality that favors the masters over the freedmen, which Dany is quite conscious and critical of. Because she is an abolitionist figure who wants equality for everyone, it's only natural that she feels uncomfortable using it (and ends up rejecting it, as she does the peace). When it comes to Reznak, I wonder if seeing him willingly use it might make Dany unconsciously predisposed to view him in a harsher light. Accordingly, she also thinks that his High Valyrian is a "bastard form" for being "corrupted" with his "Ghiscari growl".

It must be said, however, that, in trying to associate Dany's discomfort with the Meereenese culture with her hatred of slavery and giving little page time and development to the freedmen (who could've been three-dimensional and diverse like the Free Folk), the one group she is advocating for, GRRM can make Dany look "intolerant" to readers who aren't that interested in her, and this particular instance with Reznak could be interpreted as such. Then there's also the fact that Dany views Reznak negatively partly because he has conventionally feminine traits, something that she has in common with Ned (and his views on Varys) and that I discuss here.

Anyway, to sum up my thoughts on the Shavepate and Reznak, I wanted to show how she views the latter more negatively than the former, even though she follows the latter's advice. That's because Dany doesn't rely on a single viewpoint, but only on her own.

In ADWD Daenerys II, Dany is informed that nine freedmen were killed in one night, which frightens her. Because she cares about giving the freedmen justice, her (righteous) outrage at seeing them suffer is that much deeper. After finding out that the murderers weren't conclusively identified, but that suspects were found, Dany initially asks for them to be interrogated, though she is skeptical of their innocence:

They all plead ignorance and beg for mercy. “Give them to the Shavepate. Skahaz, keep each apart from the others and put them to the question.”

“It will be done, Your Worship. Would you have me question them sweetly, or sharply?”

“Sweetly, to begin. Hear what tales they tell and what names they give you. It may be they had no part in this.” (ADWD Daenerys II)

But then, she finds out that Rylona Rhee was tortured and killed, which brings us to this controversial moment:

Mercy, thought Dany. They will have the dragon’s mercy. “Skahaz, I have changed my mind. Question the man sharply.”

“I could. Or I could question the daughters sharply whilst the father looks on. That will wring some names from him.”

“Do as you think best, but bring me names.” Her fury was a fire in her belly. (ADWD Daenerys II)

I've already written my thoughts on this scene, so I'll just say this: however morally questionable Dany's actions were here (and they were morally questionable), they can't be decontextualized (the Shavepate had seeded the idea, as I said before), they can't be divorced from the reality of this world and they can't be reduced to vengeance when that's linked to justice and when monarchies tend to be (and even encourage the ruler to be) inherently arbitrary.

Then, Dany makes plenty of decisions on her own to guarantee the safety of her Unsullied:

“I will have no more Unsullied slaughtered. Grey Worm, pull your men back to their barracks. Henceforth let them guard my walls and gates and person. From this day, it shall be for Meereenese to keep the peace in Meereen. Skahaz, make me a new watch, made up in equal parts of shavepates and freedmen.”

“As you command. How many men?”

“As many as you require.” (ADWD Daenerys II)

Which then leads Reznak to question how she'll pay them. She decides that the nobles will suffer consequences this time:

“From the pyramids. Call it a blood tax. I will have a hundred pieces of gold from every pyramid for each freedman that the Harpy’s Sons have slain.” (ADWD Daenerys II)

She also makes it clear that she won't let any of the nobles flee from Meereen with resources this time:

Daenerys was sick unto death of Zhak and Merreq; she was sick of all the Meereenese, great and small alike. “Let them go, but see that they take no more than the clothes upon their backs. Make certain that all their gold remains here with us. Their stores of food as well.” (ADWD Daenerys II)

Because Dany left the Yunkish's financial resources intact, they ended up "return[ing] to slaving as soon as she moved on" and "rais[ed] levies, hir[ed] sellswords, and [made] alliances against her". Now it seems that Dany is learning her lesson and not letting the enemy retain power if she is able to neutralize it. One could argue that this is just to pay the soldiers' wages rather than a decision made based on her previous mistake, but again, it is still a sign that she is learning from what happened before, which is commendable.

Reznak tries to persuade Dany to be more lenient by pointing out the nobles' concern for their children. His comment has the opposite effect on Dany. She thinks she is also afraid for her own and then makes another decision on her own:

“We must keep them safe as well. I will have two children from each of them. From the other pyramids as well. A boy and a girl.”

“Hostages,” said Skahaz, happily.

“Pages and cupbearers. If the Great Masters make objection, explain to them that in Westeros it is a great honor for a child to be chosen to serve at court.” (ADWD Daenerys II) 

Dany's handling of the situation here is, once again, very interesting. Like in Stalwart Shield's case, you could say that she only followed the counsel of a single advisor - she chose Reznak's side before and now she chose Skahaz's. However, analyzing these situations that way would greatly oversimplify Dany's decisionmaking. As we see in this case, she makes all the major decisions on her own: she asks for the wineseller and his daughters to be questioned; she asks for the Shavepate to create a new watch; she creates a blood tax to compensate for the deaths of the freedmen and pay the soldiers she'll employ; she makes the decision to take hostages in case the murders continue.

In the next chapter, we get more information on the Shavepate's new watch, the Brazen Beasts. Dany says that the Sons fear them, which may or may not be true since she's putting up a front to be resist Xaro's thinly disguised attempts to undermine her power, confidence, achievements and skills. Even so, it seems to have been a successful decision:

“...They fear my Brazen Beasts.” Skahaz mo Kandaq had given her the new watch she had asked for, made up in equal numbers of freedmen and shavepate Meereenese. They walked the streets both day and night, in dark hoods and brazen masks. The Sons of the Harpy had promised grisly death to any traitor who dared serve the dragon queen, and to their kith and kin as well, so the Shavepate’s men went about as jackals, owls, and other beasts, keeping their true faces hidden. (ADWD Daenerys III)

I'll talk about this more on another post, but, in the context of the military forces that Dany created, it's convenient to mention that she also organized the freedmen to better defend the city without anyone's advice:

“My freedman—” Dany started.

“Bedslaves, barbers, and brickmakers win no battles.”

He was wrong in that, she hoped. The freedmen had been a rabble once, but she had organized the men of fighting age into companies and commanded Grey Worm to make them into soldiers. (ADWD Daenerys III)

Even then, however, the killings still continue in ADWD Daenerys IV, which affects Dany a lot:

“...More freedmen died last night, or so I have been told.”

“Three.” Saying it left a bitter taste in her mouth. “The cowards broke in on some weavers, freedwomen who had done no harm to anyone. All they did was make beautiful things. I have a tapestry they gave me hanging over my bed. The Sons of the Harpy broke their loom and raped them before slitting their throats.” (ADWD Daenerys IV)

(This passage may also be hinting at something else...)

However, she doesn't have it in her to murder innocent people, much less innocent children.

Hazzea was enough. What good is peace if it must be purchased with the blood of little children? “These murders are not their doing,” Dany told the Green Grace, feebly. “I am no butcher queen.” (ADWD Daenerys IV)

Besides Dany's moral principles, her outlook should also be contextualized by her life experiences - as a child whom her enemies tried to kill and as a mother whose child was also targeted, Dany's reluctance is very understandable. However, by taking hostages and not harming them when the Sons still continued to act, Dany implicitly stated that she won't react as ruthlessly as one might expect from the Mother of Dragons, which, unfortunately, puts all of the freedmen in jeopardy.

I've talked about this before, and I'll be brief here because I intend to make another post about Dany's attempts to merge with the Meereenese, but, for the sake of context: I believe that the Green Grace is manipulating Dany in ADWD Daenerys IV. She tactfully mentions the Shavepate as someone who would be okay with killing children while then contrasting him to Hizdahr, the "perfect" husband for Dany to take if she wants to give the city peace (unjust as it is). As for Hizdahr, this exchange is relevant here, for it shows both Dany inquiring him about the Sons and, I would argue, his manipulation:

“Why should the Sons of the Harpy lay down their knives for you? Are you one of them?”

“No.”

“Would you tell me if you were?”

He laughed. “No.”

“The Shavepate has ways of finding the truth.”

“I do not doubt that Skahaz would soon have me confessing. A day with him, and I will be one of the Harpy’s Sons. Two days, and I will be the Harpy. Three, and it will turn out I slew your father too, back in the Sunset Kingdoms when I was yet a boy. Then he will impale me on a stake and you can watch me die … but afterward the killings will go on.” Hizdahr leaned closer. “Or you can marry me and let me try to stop them.”

“Why would you want to help me? For the crown?”

“A crown would suit me well, I will not deny that. It is more than that, however. Is it so strange that I would want to protect my own people, as you protect your freedmen? Meereen cannot endure another war, Your Radiance.”

That was a good answer, and an honest one. (ADWD Daenerys IV)

I don't think Dany was wrong when she described Hizdahr as "cunning" two chapters ago. Not only there is a lot of textual evidence that suggests that he is working with the Sons (here and here), but the arguments he makes here seem fabricated and designed specifically with the intent to appeal to Dany's desire to protect her people ("Meereen cannot endure another war") and avoid more collateral damage ("let me try to stop them"), all the while painting the Shavepate very negatively ("Skahaz would soon have me confessing").

With no good options here, Dany promises to marry Hizdahr on one condition:

“Peace is my desire. You say that you can help me end the nightly slaughter in my streets. I say do it. Put an end to this shadow war, my lord. That is your quest. Give me ninety days and ninety nights without a murder, and I will know that you are worthy of a throne.[”] (ADWD Daenerys IV)

After her decision, this is how Dany thinks that her two counsellors will react:

The Shavepate will not be happy with me, but Reznak mo Reznak will dance for joy. Dany did not know which of those concerned her more. She needed Skahaz and the Brazen Beasts, and she had come to mistrust all of Reznak’s counsel. Beware the perfumed seneschal. Has Reznak made common cause with Hizdahr and the Green Grace and set some trap to snare me? (ADWD Daenerys IV)

Even here, where one might think that Dany is being fooled by the nobles, the writer makes an effort to show that that's not the case. Dany is not entirely trustful of them and considers if the three are setting some trap for her. Like I've emphasized so many times above in this post, the author works hard to showcase how Dany's political goals and views are not the same as those of any of her advisors, nor does she ever rely entirely on any of them.

Since the marriage is Dany's solution to ending the recent terrorist attacks in the city, I also need to point out what Barristan suggests to Dany here:

“[I]t is important to me that you should understand. My people are bleeding. Dying. A queen belongs not to herself, but to the realm. Marriage or carnage, those are my choices. A wedding or a war.”

“Your Grace, may I speak frankly?”

“Always.”

“There is a third choice.”

“Westeros?”

He nodded. (ADWD Daenerys IV)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: if/when Dany decides to leave for Westeros, it won't be an "immoral and awful" decision (as Feldman says here). Fighting for her claim to the Iron Throne will simply be acting like any feudal lord would. In fact, framing Dany's eventual change of attitude as negative is very, very unfair, not only because she was already doing and sacrificing far more than she had to (as the book passage above shows), but also because she was never going to have a perfect and unambiguous victory in Slaver's Bay, no matter how much time she stays or how much effort she puts.

Anyway, back to discussing Dany's decisionmaking. In the same chapter, she explains to Daario (who had just returned from his mission to Lhazar) how the chaos in her city came to be, so he urges her to pretend she will marry Hizdahr only so she can gather all of the Great Masters in the Temple of the Graces and kill them all. These are her reactions:

“We have no proof this is their work. Would you have me slaughter my own subjects?” (ADWD Daenerys IV)

~

“Do you take me for the Butcher King?”

“Better the butcher than the meat. All kings are butchers. Are queens so different?”

“This queen is.” (ADWD Daenerys IV)

As we see once more, Dany is not willing to use indiscriminate violence against the Meereenese, even if she hates them. Daario tells her that a queen who won't be a butcher is a queen who is only a "brood mare" (as Cersei puts it), which Dany doesn't take well. She asks, angry, if she forgot who she is, and he makes the same question to her. Then, she finally orders him to leave.

I have more thoughts on Daario's advice, but I'll get to them later.

In ADWD Daenerys V, twenty-six days have passed without a single murder. The Shavepate is clearly irritated; he makes, in my opinion, a very convincing case when he says that Hizdahr's visits to several pyramids indicate that all of these families were aligned with the Sons and that he is conspiring with them. Dany is not so sure:

Skahaz was convinced that somewhere in Meereen the Sons of the Harpy had a highborn overlord, a secret general commanding an army of shadows. Dany did not share his belief. The Brazen Beasts had taken dozens of the Harpy’s Sons, and those who had survived their capture had yielded names when questioned sharply … too many names, it seemed to her. It would have been pleasant to think that all the deaths were the work of a single enemy who might be caught and killed, but Dany suspected that the truth was otherwise. My enemies are legion. “Hizdahr zo Loraq is a persuasive man with many friends. And he is wealthy. Perhaps he has bought this peace for us with gold, or convinced the other highborn that our marriage is in their best interests.” (ADWD Daenerys V)

While it could be argued that Hizdahr's words ("I do not doubt that Skahaz would soon have me confessing") have partly shaped Dany's views on the matter, I don't think her reasoning should be reduced to his influence. It makes perfect sense for the attacks not to be coordinated by a single person and that they are happening concurrently and being financed and ordered by different people at the same time. It also makes perfect sense for Hizdahr not to be directly involved with the killings (though I think he is), but rather that he has plenty of friends and managed to convince them to end the Sons' activities with bribery.

Perhaps more importantly, as @rainhadaenerys questioned in a conversation we had: even if the Green Grace (the one character most often identified as the Harpy) was found as their leader and arrested, would it have stopped the Sons' killings? It seems much more likely that they would have continued (either with the Sons or with another faction), because there are too many nobles interested in bringing her down. As Dany realizes, "[her] enemies are legion". That's a pretty solid conclusion. Maybe she would only be able to stop them if she followed Daario's advice (hence why she thinks about it one chapter later), which she is not willing to do.

Whatever happens, my point is that Dany's guess is logical and may even come to pass, so it's not a sign of stupidity at all that she couldn't imagine that the priestess Galazza Galare is the Harpy.

The Shavepate asks for Dany authorize his torture of Hizdahr, which she forbids:

“No,” she said. “I do not trust these confessions. You’ve brought me too many of them, all of them worthless.”

“Your Radiance—”

“No, I said.” (ADWD Daenerys V)

While I don't think that this is a situation that can be merely described as "Dany learned that torture is wrong" because there are several other factors at play, it's also true that she is the only ruler we've seen onpage ordering them to be stopped. Like I said when she proposed to take the gold and food from the nobles who would leave Meereen, it seems that Dany is learning from her mistakes.

Then, the Shavepate suggests sending the Brazen Beasts to the pyramids of all the ruling families of Meereen and seizing them so that Dany can win back the ships that she lost. Instead of trying to make his advice more appealing to Dany, he continues to press on the need for violence, which she has already made clear she'll avoid and reiterates it again:

“If I send the Brazen Beasts into the pyramids, it will mean open war inside the city. I have to trust in Hizdahr. I have to hope for peace.” Dany held the parchment above a candle and watched the names go up in flame, while Skahaz glowered at her. (ADWD Daenerys V)

It's quite noticeable that the Shavepate is out of his depth when the other person won't agree with his methods.

However, despite Dany's insistence to maintain a more moderate course of action, we see that she is aware that this choice makes her vulnerable:

Afterward, Ser Barristan told her that her brother Rhaegar would have been proud of her. Dany remembered the words Ser Jorah had spoken at Astapor: Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, Rhaegar fought honorably. And Rhaegar died. (ADWD Daenerys V)

Let's contextualize the advice. When was it received and how did Dany deal with it? Was that good advice from Jorah? I would argue that it was not, since he was trying to normalize the training of the Unsullied and the existence of slavery in general as necessary evils if Dany is to win the game of thrones. However, his advice was useful in another sense: sometimes you can't play by the rules if you intend to succeed. And so, like with Viserys and Drogo, she found a solution that was informed by Jorah's influence while also being her own: by refusing to view the slaves as objects to be traded, Dany considered the deal illegitimate and sparked an abolitionist campaign that would influence an entire continent. In other words, Dany did not play by the rules (like he advised), but not by compromising her moral principles (like he intended), but because of her moral principles.

So, why are we being reminded of that advice now? Before I write my own interpretation, I also want to point out that Daario's advice from ADWD Daenerys IV stays in her mind long enough for her to remember it two chapters later (which very likely means that the author is trying to say something with it):

Get the heads of all the noble houses out of their pyramids on some pretext, Daario had said. The dragon’s words are fire and blood. Dany pushed the thought aside. It was not worthy of her. (ADWD Daenerys VI)

Dany has these thoughts when she is forced to make more compromises for the sake of her marriage. I want to make a separate post centered on her attempts to merge with the Meereenese nobles, so I won't dwell on the particular context of this passage here. What I want is to call attention to the fact that Daario's advice serves a similar purpose to that of Jorah's. Like Jorah, Daario also thinks Dany should compromise her moral values for the sake of her goal (in this case, crush the resistance inside her city). So, what are we to make of these moments? (Keep in mind that this is all speculation)

Someone who defends the peace agreement would call them "temptations", but, as I've argued here, I believe that war is the only righteous option in this particular case. Daenerys's eventual mindset shift, which is seeded in the two passages above, do not indicate that she's turning her back on the freedmen, but rather that she is turning back into the Daenerys of ASOS who made this statement:

“Freedom!” she sang out. “Dracarys! Dracarys!”

“Dracarys!” they shouted back, the sweetest word she’d ever heard. “Dracarys! Dracarys!” And all around them slavers ran and sobbed and begged and died, and the dusty air was filled with spears and fire. (ASOS Daenerys III)

Just as Dany's use of draconic force was once associated with freedom, I believe they will be framed as righteous once again in TWOW. The author's choice to have Dany remember Jorah's advice in ASOS Daenerys II makes me hopeful. Like I said above, Dany was given a suggestion and filtered it to make it her own decision. In ADWD Daenerys IV, Daario also asks her not to conform to accepted moral standards, and she remembers his words later on. Instead of that signaling her "downfall" or "moral degradation" or anything that doesn't make sense with her characterization, I think it's much more likely, considering her characterization and her pattern of actions, that she finds a different way that integrates both dragonfire and her morality. This is not to say that everything will go smoothly - I've expressed my doubts and apprehensions before concerning how far GRRM will take the negative consequences of Dany's crusade (and they will emerge, just like they did later in Astapor, because Dany's storyline never has easy and uncomplicated solutions), but, still, I think what both @rainhadaenerys and @yendany suggest in their posts here and here is much more likely, so I'll sum up some of their points here: a) believing that dragons plant no trees is not the ultimate conclusion of Dany's character development, b) understanding when, why, how and to which extent violence is necessary and justified is key and c) a dragon is not a slave because it ultimately won't abide to an unjust and false peace and, by embracing her identity, Dany will be better able to protect her children.

There isn't much more to say about how Dany handled the conflicts inside the city because the Sons only resume their attacks after Dany is gone and Hizdahr is arrested by Barristan and the Shavepate. She does receive advice from Barristan that is related to what I've been discussing in ADWD Daenerys IX, however. In this chapter, he says that he'd rather have Dany be protected by the Unsullied rather than the Brazen Beasts. Half of them are untried freedmen, he argues, and the other half is left undescribed, but Dany intuitively understands what he means:

And the other half are Meereenese of doubtful loyalty, he left unsaid. Selmy mistrusted all the Meereenese, even shavepates.

Even with the suspicions about their allegiance, Dany still goes through with her decision to use the Brazen Beasts as her guards:

“And untried they shall remain unless we try them.” (ADWD Daenerys IX)

~

“How should Meereen ever come to trust the Brazen Beasts if I do not? There are good brave men beneath those masks. I put my life into their hands.” (ADWD Daenerys IX)

Dany said in the previous chapter that she "was forgetting how to trust", but we see here that that's not really true. During the feast, she was particularly unhappy and miserable about the concessions she was making and how vulnerable to the Yunkish she was becoming, so it was understandable that she would have thoughts charged with frustration. However, now that Dany seems a bit more content and less angry here, once again, her attitude goes back to being one of open-mindedness as it usually is. This makes for compelling and believable (rather than simplistic or contradictory) characterization.

I also like how this decision emphasizes Dany's awareness that a leader should be an example for her subjects (a recurring attitude that goes back to ACOK). Like I've said plenty of times already, she always holds herself accountable - if Queen Daenerys shows that they are trustworthy, eventually, the citizens of Meereen will also feel safe under the protection of this new city watch.

Finally, to appease Barristan, Dany reminds him that she has him and Belwas by her side, which she believes should be enough. Now we've come full circle: if, in ADWD Daenerys I, Dany considered Barristan's feedback and her available options and chose the one she thought was the least worst for a job (the Unsullied), here in ADWD Daenerys IX she is shown doing the same thing (the Brazen Beasts). She's willing to trust in her freedmen both at the beginning and the end.

How Dany assesses the advice she receives

Barristan Selmy

Barristan warns Dany that the Unsullied aren't well-suited to ask people about what happened to Stalwart Shield nor inquire about the Sons's activities (ADWD Dany I).

Dany considers her available options and concludes that the Unsullied are still the best choice for now.

In the reopening of Daznak's Pit, Barristan recommends that Dany uses the Unsullied to protect her rather than the Brazen Beasts due to his distrust in them, his uncertainty about their skills and his fear that the Sons are still around (ADWD Dany IX).

Dany still decides to use the Brazen Beasts as her guards because she thinks she should trust them before everyone else does.

Daario Naharis

Daario is in favor of Dany gathering all the masters in the Temple of the Graces under the false pretense of marrying Hizdahr and killing them all (ADWD Dany IV).

Dany is horrified by Daario's suggestion and, after he challenges her, sends him away.

 Reznak mo Reznak

Reznak is against any sort of punishment to the nobles for the Sons's murders (ADWD Dany I, II).

In the first chapter, Dany follows his advice, but not because she is pro-nobility, but rather because she doesn't want to punish people indiscriminately.

In the second chapter, Dany doesn't follow his advice.

The Shavepate

The Shavepate recommends the killing of a man from each family for Stalwart Shield's death and the killing of two if another death occurs (ADWD Dany I).

Dany decides not to follow his advice because she is avoiding to punish people indiscriminately. 

He also suggests torturing the daughters of the wineseller while he watches (ADWD Dany II).

Dany follows his advice.

Later, he urges Dany to kill the child hostages to prevent the murders from continuing (ADWD Dany IV).

Dany doesn't follow his advice because she doesn't want more innocent children like Hazzea dying.

At last, he proposes torturing Hizdahr (because he believes he's involved with the Harpy's Sons) and seizing people from the ruling families so that Dany can get her ships back (ADWD Dany V).

Dany doesn't follow his advice because his previous tortures didn't bring any trustworthy results.

Verdict

Dany takes responsibility for Stalwart Shield's death by a) waking up at night, b) ordering that he's properly buried and honored, c) offering more gold to anyone who might give clues about the murderers and d) forbiding her soldiers to walk at night. All of these decisions are made on her own.

Dany increases the offer of gold for information concerning the Harpy's Sons from one hundred to one thousand honors. This decision is made on her own.

Dany allows the torture of the wineseller's daughters by the Shavepate after his manipulation.

Dany a) orders Grey Worm to release the Unsullied from their duties at night, b) creates the Brazen Beasts (and a blood tax to pay them), c) forbids the nobles from leaving the city with their gold and stores of food and d) takes two hostages from each pyramid. All of these decisions are made on her own.

Dany organizes the freedmen into three companies (Mother's Men, Stalwart Shields, Free Brothers). This decision is made on her own.

Dany promises to marry Hizdahr if he's able to give her ninety days with no murders in the city. This decision is made on her own.