#But he’s happy with his home and kingdom. His wife and his son. He does not fuckin care what Helen did. That’s a You Problem

[specialagentartemis]

I like the version of Odysseus’s story where he was not actually interested in marrying Helen. He showed up to Woo Helen and try to win her hand in marriage less because he actually wanted to and more because as the unmarried crown prince of Ithaca it would be an insult to Helen, Helen’s father the king of Sparta, and Helen’s future husband to publicly not care. But he knew he wouldn’t be chosen and was not trying. Vying for Helen’s hand was a diplomatic duty he was tolerating for politics.

Of course when he got to Sparta he met Helen’s cousin Penelope, fell head over heels for her, and when Helen chose Menelaus he went ohhhh nooo I’m so sad, what a loss, truly, I am being so honest about my disappointment right now, anyway now that I’m officially single hey Penelope :)

Which I think adds an underexplored element to attempt to get out of participating in the Trojan War. The thousand ships were launched not out of personal feelings of righteousness by all those Greek kings, but rather, because before Helen announced her choice of a husband, her father made all the suitors swear a sacred oath that whoever she chose, every man would accept that choice and defend her husband and restore her honor if anyone tried to kill her husband and abduct Helen for themselves. It was intended to stop Helen’s choice from immediately becoming a bloodbath, because there was a real threat that whoever she chose would immediately be killed by another jealous suitor who was rejected. But of course, Helen was not abducted by an unsuccessful suitor right then and there—she was abducted by Paris like nine years later. And Menelaus called on that oath that all the suitors made.

So you can imagine Odysseus, who never particularly wanted to marry Helen and was not trying that hard to win her hand and had no intention of abducting her to be his wife and was happy marrying Penelope and going back to Ithaca, getting called up by Menelaus, saying you swore the Suitors’ Oath! You need to go to war for me!

Odysseus who never even wanted to be a suitor in the first place, who never particularly wanted to marry Helen and did not care who she chose as her husband… I can imagine him staring at Menelaus’s messenger, going, what does this have to do with me? I never wanted to be part of all this in the first place!

#I don’t think Odysseus is morally opposed to war at all #I think his resistance & resentment was fully I Don’t Want To Leave My Home And Family To Go Fight and also this is Not My Problem #Keeps getting dragged into shit over Helen. He is Grouchy #He is also a hypocrite because getting dragged to Sparta to Woo Helen is how he met Penelope lol #But he’s happy with his home and kingdom. His wife and his son. He does not fuckin care what Helen did. That’s a You Problem #tagamemnon #the Iliad

[menelaiad]

... the Odysseus that returns from Troy remains ambiguous, at once necessary and dangerous to his people.

#the ambiguous ending of the odyssey ...... is all i care about #odysseus comes home from a war. and his home. his kingdom. HE is still not safe #'odysseus gets a happy ending even after all the shit he did' #DOES HE? DOES HE REALLY?! #reminds me of that One YA author (we shall not name) #who said in an interview that 'its not fair that the women all got killed and he got a nice life' #we dont?? know that??? #odysseus' position is so fragile when he gets home #ithakans literally try and kill him like??? #its so . . . ... you have the wife. you have the son. can you defend it?

[btsfests]

Daddy's Home Fest

There's no better time than when daddy is home.

DILF BTS is coming to a Tumblr near you Spring 2024!

♡ Title: Before, Now and After

♡ Pairing: Alpha Gang Boss!Yoongi x Omega Maid!Seokjin

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: gang au, dead dove, parent au, a/b/o | angst, fluff, smut

♡ Summary: As the leader of the infamous Bangtan, Yoongi is untouchable and lives life as he pleases. He thinks he has it all until the tall and broad shoulder omegan maid, Kim Seokjin walks into his office and makes Yoongi second guess what he wants in life.

by @sweetestofchaos

♡ Title: Daddy, Daughter, and Dewey Decimals

♡ Pairing: Single Dad!Namjoon x (f)reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: Parent AU, Fluff, Smut, Mutual Pining

♡ Summary: I adored the daddy and daughter duo that came to visit me every week at the library. Sunhee was cute and vivacious and her dad was every single woman's dream. A simple request, one late night, and a slip of the tongue revealing it wasn't just one-sided attraction.

by @remedyx

♡ Title: Dirty Laundry

♡ Pairing: Seokjin x f. reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: Slice of life, established married couple, PWP

♡ Summary: When you come across your daughter and Seokjin having a princess-themed tea party, you can't help but fall in love with your husband a little more. It helps that you find him absolutely ravishing in the little pink dress he wears too.

by @sailoryooons

♡ Title: Love Blooms

♡ Pairing: Jin x Hoseok

♡ Rating: MA

♡ Genre: Divorced, single father AU | angst, fluff, smut

♡ Summary: Summary: Divorced and lost, Jin grapples with self-discovery and single fatherhood. Then, sunshine arrives in the form of Hoseok, helping him explore his desires and build a found family. Their love faces challenges - ex-wife drama, societal disapproval - but together they prove love and acceptance can bloom even in unexpected gardens

by @downbad4yoongi

Daddy Hoseok and Daddy Seokjin came home April 26. Read here!

♡ Title: Lose You to Love Me

♡ Pairing: Yoongi x f! Reader

♡ Rating: 🔞

♡ Genre: Smut, Fluff, Angst

♡ Summary: Yoongi thought he had everything. The woman of his dreams whom he gave everything for. The sweetest Princess who became his whole world the minute she was born and a career he can say he's happy in but what happens when it all comes crumbling down when one small secret blows his marriage open?

by @jmvore

♡ Title: Off Limits

♡ Pairing: Female Reader x Seokjin

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: smut, porn with very little plot

♡ Summary: You are visiting your family over spring break and discover that the family you used to babysit for are separated. Does this mean Mister Kim is no longer off limits?

by @theharrowing

♡ Title: podcast

♡ Pairing: single father!Namjoon x f! reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: single father AU | fluff, angst, smut, slow burn

♡ Summary: You and Namjoon keep bumping into each other at multiple instances, as if destined to. In a world where past loves and current responsibilities intertwine, Namjoon navigates the complexities of single fatherhood, cherishing the moments with his daughter, Nari, while reflecting on lost love through his popular podcast, "A Loveless Lover." A chance encounter at a daycare center brings him face to face with you, sparking a connection rooted in compassion and shared moments of vulnerability. As their worlds collide, the possibility of new beginnings looms, challenging Namjoon and you to confront the past and consider the future with newfound hope.

by @hobipaint

♡ Title: sakura 🌸

♡ Pairing: king!yoongi x (f) reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: mature, fluff, angst, pining

♡ Summary: yoongi could never figure out how could a sakura tree bloom right on his son’s seventh birthday. logically, atleast, for his kingdom’s soil wasn't blessed enough for beautiful flora; however, when his inspection rounds reveal a trip totally unexpected, and in a crescendo of buried memories, his love for the tree gets as bright as the petals of the blossom.

by @liveyun

♡ Title: Shatter With Me

♡ Pairing: Model!Jungkook x Surrogate!f.Reader

♡ Rating: MA 18+

♡ Genre: Best Friend's Husband, Surrogacy AU | heavy angst, smut, mild fluff

♡ Summary: Your best friend, Jiyoon, and her husband, Jungkook, have faced years of hardship trying to start a family. In a last-ditch effort to have their dream life, they seek solace in surrogacy. Wanting to see your best friend smile, you offer to become the bright beacon at the end of the tunnel, giving them what they have always wanted. But what happens when you begin to shine your light on their darkness? Things aren’t always as they seem—happiness can be a façade, shattering under the lightest pressure.

by @colormepurplex2

Daddy Jungkook came home April 24. Read here!

♡ Title: Since Day One

♡ Pairing: teacher!jimin x teacher! f. reader

♡ rating: 18+

♡ Genre: enemies to lovers, coworker au, single father au

♡ Summary: Being a Pre-K teacher is no easy feat, but Jimin is always up for the challenge. However, on his first day on the job, he makes an enemy in the parking lot before he even sets foot inside the building. Looks like this school year won’t be all sunshine and rainbows after all.

by @jjungkookislife

Daddy Jimin came home April 6. Read here!

♡ Title: baby fangs

♡ Pairing: Jimin x Jungkook

♡ Rating: Explicit/18+

♡ Genre: Urban fantasy, vampires, strangers to lovers, angst, smut

♡ Summary: As a human, Jungkook thought life was meaningless. It isn’t until he dies that he finds something worth living for: the family he never had.

by @gimmethatagustd

#bts fanfic #bts fic #namjoon fic #seokjin fic #hoseok fic #jimin fic #taehyung fic #jungkook fic #bts collab #bts smut #bts fanfiction #bts fests #bts #daddys home fest #dilf bts

[sqvishii]

Ok Everyone talking about Silver cheat the reader or the reader cheat Silver. But I want to up the ante of pain and angst:

Imagine a reader (for this scenario fem Reader) being Silver's wife. That they both live in the kingdom of thorns having a happy and comfortable life. Although the reader could not return to his world, she was at least able to build a life in TWST with his current husband

So Silver, being one of the main guards of Mallues and the son of General Lilia. In some way or another he is someone who has a certain degree of power in the kingdom due to his position and lineage. So it certainly wouldn't be unusual for someone ill-intentioned to want to get something from Silver (either by stealing or getting forbidden information from the Draconia family or even Lilia) The point is that said person had Silver in his sights as he was technically "the least powerful" (Mallues being the king, Sebek being half-fae and Lilia being a former war general). Whether for any reason they manage to discover the traitor (Silver's work)

But said person manages to escape and is now searching for the Kingdom. The ill-intentioned person, wanting to take revenge on Silver, decides to take away what he loves most. So upon hearing rumors that Silver has a wife who some claim has no magic. The traitor finds the house and murders the reader.

Silver along with other guards are patrolling and looking for the traitor. But he has the feeling that something bad is happening so he tries to call the reader and try to inform her about the situation. But no one answers...even though he has dialed almost 25 times, his wife does not answer his calls. Panic-stricken Silver runs towards his home. Only to find his house damaged and his wife dead on the floor.... Silver gives a cry of pain that echoed throughout the forest. Silver who didn't rest until the damn thing was found

When the traitor is captured by orders of the king and his right hand is executed to death. The now widower who discovered that when his wife was murdered she was newly pregnant ...Now she is buried in the back of Silver's childhood home. Now the happy little home is only inhabited by a lonely knight who never remarried or had a family. Sometimes the home is visited by three faes who take care of their lonely human. 💔

Silver, who at the end of his days never took off his wedding ring and was buried next to his deceased wife's grave. Centuries later the small abandoned house but curiously the graves are still cared for and always have small flowers around them.

STOP THIS ANGST

will the both of you still meet in the next life?

silver wished, his last days were nearing as he stood above your grave, a fresh batch of your favorite flowers in his hands.

silver vanrouge and you. such a beautiful relationship bloomed between the both of you in which silver just couldn't help but fill his journal whenever he spent his days with you.

you made him so happy. so in love like a lovesick puppy who awaited your every order.

he remembered when the shyly held your hand during the first month the both of you were dating in night raven, lilia always chuckled at the two of you and always teased him about it.

now, you're gone.

and heavens did it hurt.

it hurt. extremely; the worst part? you were pregnant with his children.

he knew you were going to surprise him with the news once he got back home, that lopsided grin on your face as you excitedly jump into his arms, he was always there to catch you.

how badly he wished he went home when that gut feeling hit him.

instead of the sight of you with that giddy smile, your radiance and basically just you in general,

he saw you, laying on the ground as the bloody pool underneath you had spread around.

writting the last page of his journal with his signature, he buried it near your grave, how badly he wanted you to read it, how badly he wanted to see that smile on your face and the blush that burned on your cheeks once you saw the years he took to finish that journal for you.

but the least he could do at the end of his life was to have himself buried near you.

years have passed and the house was already withered. despite that, the poeple who walked by could only be left confused at the sight of the flowers growing in between the two graves.

a new era set in stone, silver had heard of a book about a man who spent his life writing his journal dedicated entirely to a single woman, he heard the story was pretty heartbreaking, really.

the plot was basically the man, being in college and finding the one he loved, a woman who was magicless, years passed and he becomes one of the main guards of a fae kingdom, though a traitor was among them.

that said traitor killed the woman without the man knowing, and the plot continues. though, silver had read only a quarter of the book.. he felt like he already knew what happened, as if he was the said man in the book, ironic.

having to be dragged along with his father and brothers to a museum, he could only find himself staring at a portrait, a man whos features looked exactly like his.

'silver vanrouge.'

..huh. weird. same name, too. apparantly, this was the man in the said book he read a few days ago.

.. he could only wonder who was the woman he fell in love with.

searching around the museum without lilia knowing, he eventually found the portrait that was actually just next to the mans. whoops, he didn't notice.

there was a lot of people looking, in awe of the beauty of the painting. he was too, the woman was breathtaking, no wonder the man had fallen in love with her.

going to the front, he saw a girl who looked exactly like her.

"..-ver? silver?"

".. [name]?"

lilia and malleus could only fist bump in the background, finally reuniting the long lost lovers once more.

#!! squish writes #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #silver twisted wonderland #silver twst #silver x reader twisted wonderland #silver vanrouge #silver x reader #silver vanrouge twst #silver vanrouge twisted wonderland #silver vanrouge x reader

[janaknandini-singh999]

Being a king was a lovely business.

But it was also a lonely business.

How can that be? If you are surrounded by all people chanting your name from the top of their lungs like a war cry?

But what if you never wanted a war?

Any of that separation, agony and a cycle encompassing all of that just going on?

"Dharma" Ram told himself, closing his eyes

When Kaikeyi exiled him, he had looked at the dawn raising his hand to the sun, as if to reach out to the new life awaiting him now.

When Dashratha wept rivers, Ram had never seen his father this vulnerable. He wanted to console him, to cry with him, but he was bound to go away for his sake.

When Kaushalya, despite being the mother and the pain she'd face by her son's separation, she had blessed Ram to go, to do what he was meant to do.

When Shurpanakha's nose was cut off by his brother, Ram had closed his eyes tighter and sighed, knowing a war was inevitable now.

Before that, however, during the exile he was quite happy. Braiding his wife's hair by the river, pausing to look at her with loving eyes as he smiled.

"What is it?" Sita asked him, smiling back "Don't worry, swami. We will be back at our home before you know it. This exile is just by default."

"My love, for me any place with you is a honeymoon. Who cares about any exile?" He paused again to tug a stray hair behind Sita's ear "Just let me cherish this moment. Who knows when it will come to pass again?"

Sita cupped Ram's face which made him tear up a little bit "Nothing can separate us. Even if the world does, you shall be the only king and God to rule my heart forever."

"A king's duty is to serve. So, let me serve you, not rule." He whispered and kissed her hands

"As a king?" Sita raised her eyebrows in amusement, grabbing an opportunity to tease her ever solemn husband.

Ram shook his head, laughing "As your righteous and rightful darling lil husband, of course" and tickled her as the sounds of their laughter blended in with the gurgling of water and singing of the birds.

"What must it feel like to be the king, dada?" Bharat had asked him with dreamy eyes once when they were kids. Only if they knew.

"Everything ever." Ram would answer in the future

"Everything one would think they'd want.

In the end only to be a martyr,

Deemed by all as a God."

"Dada, please don't leave us alone!" Bharat cried and cried, finally taking his big brother's sandals to be placed on the throne.

The heart that breaks to keep everyone else's from breaking. Did the people love the king because of who he really was or just because of the sacrifices he made for them?

But there was one who loved him for who he really was.

Hanuman

He was moved by his devotion so that the warrior monkey soon became his family

He looked up now at the fireworks that burst in the sky

Fire

He had a strange relation with it

Fire, that ran in Lakshan's veins like rage. The fire of poison that almost took him away. Ram's world would've been long gone into darkness if he had lost his brother. But Hanuman rescued him, because of which Ram would forever be indebted to him.

Fire, that danced on Hanuman's tail. With which he set ablaze the whole kingdom of gold to ashes. The arrogance of a vast emperor defeated by the piety of "Jai Shri Ram"

Fire, that devoured Raavan's body with the flaming arrow launched by Ram. A festival that would be celebrated for eons to come.

And finally, fire that Sita had to enter for the agnipariksha. Ram knew nothing could touch her wife but for a brief second, he recalled Sati's trial and the grief Mahadev went through. He gripped his heart as a tear lingered by his eye, burning as intensely as the agni Sita was so calmly going into. But she emerged unscathed and Ram finally breathed relief.

What does it feel like to finally come home?

Ram looked around

Diyas lit up houses as far as the eyes could see

An inviting, slow flame of love, not violent fire

Rangoli adorning every doorstep in welcome

He could finally see his family, his brothers as they used to be when they were young, his parents desperate to see their son back, his people longing to touch his feet, Hanuman hugging him fiercely in between sobs and lastly, his wife's eyes numb with the happiness of reunion.

"Swami" she breathed as tears rolled down her cheeks

If he had cried earlier, they would've seen him as a weak king. Hanuman would've set the world ablaze if he saw his Ram upset. So would Lakshman. And Sita would even set herself on fire, all over again, a million times in a million births if that would ensure his happiness

But now Ram let go, all the tears he was holding back since what felt like forever

So? How does it feel?

"Prem" Ram told himself, closing his teary eyes and smiling, swaying his head silently to the tune which was on everyone's lips

Ram aayenge toh angnaa sajaungi

Deep jalaake diwali main manaungi

Meri jhopdi ke bhaag

Aaj khul jaayenge

Ram aayenge

#desiblr #desi #desi aesthetic #desi tag #desi culture #desi dark academia #desi girl #desi stuff #desi academia #just desi things #ram #ram mandir #ayodhya #siyaram #hanuman #hindu aesthetic #hindutemple #hindu gods #hindu mythology #hindu #hinduism #hindublr #indian aesthetic #indian culture #vishnu #jai shree ram

[stxrrynxghts]

Some months back, if anyone had told Abhimanyu that he would be getting married soon, he wouldn't believe them.

Him and marriage? Pfft.

Abhimanyu scoffs in the face of marriage.

Samba would love to add how Abhi is married to his sword. Abhimanyu strongly disagrees. He just likes sword fighting, okay? That does not mean that he keeps his sword strapped to himself at all times, and beneath his pillow when he is sleeping. That was simply not true.

The marriage won't take place right away, of course. The arrangements for a marriage took time. Besides, his bride was the daughter of the King of a very rich kingdom. Of course the wedding would be grand.

Matsya is a beautiful kingdom, albeit different from Dvaraka. Dvaraka is Abhi's favorite place, his home. The scent of the sea is ingrained in his skin, and if someone asked him where he would like to spend his last days, then he would select Dvaraka. It was home, and no other place in the world could hold a candle to it in his eyes.

Matsya is slightly dryer in comparison to Dvaraka. The buildings are lavish and well constructed, cities are made in the form of forts. Here, in Matsya, they worship Vishnu, the preserver. Dvaraka has always worshipped Mahadeva more, but Abhimanyu cannot see the difference, honestly. He loved the set of royal temples in Virata Nagara, the capital. His bride would come to these temples each day without fail.

His bride-

Her name is Uttara, Abhi reminds himself. He has to address her by her name, not by some formal title.

If he were to be honest, then she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. Uttara has long, wavy, dark hair. How does Abhi know? He saw her once, with her hair open, strands framing her face, curls cascading down the expanse of her back.

Uttara is someone who knows his father better than he does. And Abhimanyu's father adores her as well. Abhi can see why he does so.

She is a kind girl, and is always happy. Abhimanyu is rarely sulky, but he feels that in her presence he can be more optimistic. Krishna Mama says that they are a good pair. It made him feel very happy.

Abhimanyu doesn't want to freak out Uttara, or else he would have tried to be a bit more close to her than he is at the moment. It has been over a month since they got to know each other, and the wedding is still a long way ahead of them.

Many people have anxiously asked his opinions about his upcoming wedding. Abhimanyu finds himself to be very lucky, that he gets to spend his life with such a lovely person.

Sometimes he wonders whether he is good enough.

Whether he is a good son , and whether he will be a good husband.

Soon enough, reality crashes upon him on the bloody soil of Kurukshetra, as his life comes to an end.

The last thing he sees is the two of them on the beach of Dvaraka.

Him, and his wife who is more beautiful than the stars.

#mahabharata #mahabharat #abhimanyu #uttara #hindu mythology #MAN I AM SORRY #FORGIVE ME #why am I writing angst on Abhimanyu lately #i promise this is the last #i wanted this one to be happy TT

[laurasimonsdaughter]

Folktales you can read as queer without squinting

Happy Pride everyone! Here is a selection of folk and fairy tales that I enjoy for both their plots and their queer vibes. I speak of vibes only, because I cannot say I have insight in the historical intention of these tales, but I do vouch for me presenting them to you unaltered, as I found them.

I will give the titles with links to the full texts here and summaries under the read more:

Gold-tree and Silver-tree Scottish fairy tale, collected by Joseph Jacobs, published in 1892. [Cw: abusive parent, murder.]

The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces Cape Verdian folktale, collected by Elsie Clews Parsons in 1916-1917. [Cw: attempted poisoning]

The Unicorn Spanish fairy tale, collected by Aurelio Espinosa in 1947. [Cw: murder, attempt at being outed, awkward use of pronouns.]

The Tale of Tamamizu Japanese literary folktale, written by an unknown author between the Muromachi period (1336–1573) and the beginning of the Edo period (1603–1867). [Cw: tragic ending.]

The Tale of the Marquise-Marquis of Banneville French literary fairy tale, published in 1697, authorship contested (suggested: François-Timoléon de Choisy, Marie-Jeanne L'Héritier, Charles Perrault). [Cw: gender dysphoria, age difference.]

Bisclavret French literary legend, written by Marie de France in the 12th century. [Cw: wolf-violence]

Gold-tree and Silver-tree

The beautiful princess Gold-tree is married off to a loving prince to protect her from her murderous mother Silver-tree. When her mother finds out where her daughter is she goes to visit her while the prince is out. To protect her, Gold-tree is locked in her room, but she is persuaded to stick her pink through the key hole so her mother can kiss it. Instead, the jealous queen stabs her with poison, killing Gold-tree. The prince is inconsolable and lays Gold-tree to rest in a locked room. In time he marries a second wife, who is of course curious to know what is in the room. She manages to get in and is so overcome with Gold-trees beauty that she immediately tries to wake her. She discovers a poisoned splinter, takes it out of her finger, and Gold-tree wakes up. When the prince returns home he is overjoyed and when the second wife offers to leave, he insists that she stays. The three of them live happily together until the evil queen finds out Gold-tree was revived. Once again she visits, but this time the second wife protects Gold-tree and tricks the queen into drinking her own poison. The queen dies and the three live a happy long life together, pleased and peaceful.

The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces

A king offers his daughter’s hand in marriage plus half of his kingdom to whoever can find out why his daughter wears out seven pairs of shoes every night. A woman’s only son sets out to discover the secret, despite the threat of being executed if he fails. On his way he meets the Virgin Mary and God in disguise, who give him a coat of invisibility and a special whip. These gifts help him follow the princess as she sneaks out of the castle, passing by three bushes who greet her as she takes a flower from each. So does the boy. They arrive at a great hall where the princess dances with a company of strange old men, until all her shoes are worn. The boy collects the worn pairs of shoes, makes sure to get back to the castle before her and pretends to be asleep. The following morning he reveals the princess’ secret and gives the flowers and shoes as proof. The king asks him if he wants to marry the princess, but the boy declines, instead returning home to his mother with half a kingdom’s worth of fortune, and builds her a new house.

The Unicorn

A young woman’s sweetheart is killed by another man who is in love with her and after avenging his death, she flees her home. In this new life she lives as a man and choses the name Carlos. He goes into service for a wealthy family and the daughter of the house falls in love with him. They marry and while Carlos is sad to explain the situation to his wife, she loves him all the same and they live happily together. The lack of any children makes her father suspicious, however, and he starts putting Carlos to the test to see if he will act like a man or a woman, but he’s never able to discover anything. Eventually he takes Carlos hunting, suspecting that he will not want to bathe with the other men. Before the bathing, however, Carlos meets a unicorn who gives him a blessing and changes his body so he can go bathe without fear. The father is proven wrong and Carlos gets to return to his worried wife, to tell her what happened.

The Tale of Tamamizu

A kitsune falls in love at first sight with a nobleman’s daughter and wanders what he could possibly do to be near her. After considering taking on the appearance of a dashing young man to woo her, he decides he doesn’t want to put her in danger by marrying a fox, and turns into a girl instead. She goes to a devout couple who have only sons and introduces herself as an orphan. They immediately take her in and name her Tamamizu. Once she is settled, she confesses she would like to be a lady’s companion and her foster family get her employment with the young lady she is so in love with. Tamamizu is a great favourite, but so afraid of dogs that the young lady orders that dogs are no longer allowed near her. Three years pass when a contest is held to find the most beautiful autumn leaf. Tamamizu goes back to her fox siblings, who are overjoyed to see her and they help her find the leaf to give to her mistress. It is so magnificent even the Emperor hears of it and invites the lady to court. Tamamizu is to go with her, but she cannot bear it. Before they reach the court and she has to see her beloved become the Emperor’s wife, she disappears, leaving behind a letter for her mistress to explain everything. Everyone misses Tamamizu and the young lady sorrows for her painful heart.

The Tale of the Marquise-Marquis of Banneville

The Marquise of Banneville becomes a widow while she is pregnant and while she first wishes really hard for a son, she changes her mind and begs heaven to send her a daughter who will not have do die in war like her husband. The child is born and regardless of physicality, is raised as a girl. She grows up a beautiful, charming socialite and is a favourite of high society. The little marquise Marianne meets the handsome Marquis de Bercour and they begin a flirtatious, deeply romantic friendship that leaves her mother anxious to prevent them ever thinking of marrying. Eventually she even tells her daughter about the complication of her birth, but after some intense unhappiness the affection of the marquis and his declaration that he wants only to be her best friend, she puts it out of her mind. When her mother dies, however, the two lovers are so much together that they have to marry to escape the gossip. On the wedding night Marianne finds her husband inconsolable and he confesses that he was born a woman. She immediately tells him her own situation and they declare their love all over, decide to keep living exactly as they do now and have a child just as beautiful as they are.

Bisclavret

A kind and handsome nobleman, beloved by his king, is asked by his new wife why he disappears for three days every week. He confesses that this is when he “turns bisclavret” and must go out hunting in the shape of a wolf. His terrified wife convinces a knight who was already in love with her to steal her husband’s clothes so he cannot turn back. After her husband’s mysterious disappearance she quickly marries the knight. The distraught king comes across a wolf while hunting, however, that treats him so affectionately that he takes the animal home with him. The wolf never leaves his side and is incredibly docile, but when he attacks first the knight and then the knight’s wife, the king’s advisor starts to get suspicious. They are arrested and confess everything. The nobleman’s clothes are found and the king brings the clothes and the wolf to his royal bedchamber and leaves them. When he returns the nobleman is human again, fast asleep in the king’s bed. The overjoyed king wakes him with kisses, restores him to his title, and showers him with gifts. 

Honorable mention for this mythic tale from the Bhuiya in India in which two women conceive a child together.

#laura retells #or close enough #queer representation #folklore #fairy tales #queer folklore #queer folktales

[sotwk]

As I plot out my headcanons and detailed story/history timeline for Thranduil, I realize more and more just how much this poor king lost and suffered as a result of Sauron choosing the Woodland Realm as the headquarters for his comeback.

In SotWK-verse, here is the tally of Thranduil's losses:

His wife. The single love of his life. His soulmate, his primary source of light and comfort, his very heart. She should have been his companion for life, and now he must wait for who knows how long to see her again in Valinor.

His sons. They were good kids; he adored them and they worshipped him. He started with 5, and by the end of the Third Age, he is left with 1. He loses them one by one, each as a result of fighting the Enemy. You hear all those stories of parents driven mad by the loss of one child; multiply that four times. He even loses Legolas emotionally because of their grief. Honestly, how Thranduil managed not to fade from heartbreak makes him the strongest elf in Arda. His is a Silm/First Age-level tragedy.

His home. He once had a beautiful palace that he had built for his wife and their family, where all his children were born and over a thousand memories were made. He was forced to abandon it and move elsewhere like a refugee due to the Dol Guldur infestation.

His realm. At its height, his kingdom once spanned the entirety of Greenwood the Great. Check the maps--that forest is MASSIVE. It was home to the largest elven population in Middle-earth, and his people were happy and prosperous. As the darkness spread from Dol Guldur, his lands shrank as they retreated not only to a small corner in the north-east, but they were driven into underground halls, away from the stars and open spaces they loved. Elves died and ceased to reproduce as they once did, so their numbers shrank too. (Still did not stop the badass Elvenking from fielding an army at BotFA.)

His pride and legacy. In the first part of the Third Age, the Woodland Realm had a thousand years of peace and prosperity under Thranduil's rule, but they were pretty quiet and humble about it. His family was generous and extended goodwill and aid to outsiders who sought or needed it. But when the Woodlands darkened under the Necromancer's influence, outsiders were quick to rename the kingdom, "Mirkwood", or "The Forest of Great Fear", and call his people "more dangerous and less wise". That's what people chose to remember and talk about, not the years of Thranduil's Golden Age. Furthermore, help did not come from other kingdoms in Mirkwood's long struggle, but certain people got angry at Thranduil for not sheltering them when they were attacked and driven from their home. (How does it feel, Thorin? (I still love you, though.))

I mean... it really looks like he lost EVERYTHING because of Sauron, doesn't it? Because he refused to abandon his people, and chose to stay and fight with everything he had.

So maybe he's a bit of a cantankerous, ruthless, closed-up bastard in the events of The Hobbit. Can you blame him? A lesser being would probably be a homicidal, ultra-paranoid maniac after suffering so much. He deserves to behead every orc he comes across, no questions asked. I'm all for mercy, but even I give his rage a pass on this one.

How awkward that I try to keep my blog a source of positive vibes, yet I am writing about the life and family of an utterly tragic character! (I need to make sure I maintain an appropriate fluff-to-angst ratio!!!) But I think the reason I feel compelled to point all of this out repeatedly is to remind y'all: King Thranduil Oropherion is amazingly strong of will, mind, and heart to continue ruling and protecting his people, fighting against Sauron even after he's been beaten down repeatedly for centuries. He always gets back up--stubborn, brave, and unbowed.

For more SotWK/Thranduil headcanons: My Masterlist

#thranduil oropherion #king thranduil #the elvenking #sotwk headcanon #thranduil headcanon #the hobbit #lotr headcanon #the hobbit headcanons #legolas #lotr elves

[contrasting-realities]

Caleb/Outlander Character intro

You were born with the soul of the caressing. Your nature is one of kindness and compassion to others.

Your earliest years were spent in the kingdom of Rondon with your parents and younger brother, it was a happy life but not one that would last.

Increasing taxes and land foreclosures became commonplace in your country and your family’s farm wasn’t safe from this. Overnight, all the money had dried up and you were left with nothing.

With the last few dimes left in the bank, your father bought a seafare to move to the newly claimed Vinland, however no one knew the truth of this cursed voyage.

What was initially a month-long voyage doubled, with the vessel hopelessly lost at sea both passengers and crew began to succumb to starvation.

One of these unfortunate victims was your mother, who fought until her last breath.

Your father was drowned in guilt from this and took his own life, not only from the grief but so that you and your brother would have ‘something to eat’.

With the sailors praying for the deceased, they decide to respect his last wishes. Both of you are saddened beyond belief, you see the pain in your brother’s eyes but also feel the pain of hunger, you decide to…

Let your brother eat what was left for you (Bloodlust)

You eventually lost your mind to hunger, only recovering once landfall was finally made.

Split the carcass in half and take your fill (Devour)

Eventually, the boat does reach Vinland, and it was worse than you imagined.

Beyond the shores lied a land polluted by energy from the old gods, corrupting anyone who stepped near and taking those who got lost.

The small settlement you lived in was in constant terror of being wiped out by monsters, many went mad from the fear alone. The dark priests were the only ones who could keep their minds pure, ironically.

Either way, your parents died and you were left with Philip, your younger brother, who eventually fell victim to the wilds.

He was found, but lived with corruption from the maddening light since, slowly turning into a ferocious beast and seeing things that weren’t there.

After this you decide to begin training with weapons in addition to your work routine to defend your family, you enter an armory and decide to purchase…

Bow & Arrows (short bow, 5 arrows)

Axe and shield (Axe, wooden buckler)

Years passed and you carried on.

You eventually married one of the dark priests, a woman named Evelyn, and had a child with her but once again life was cruel to you.

Philip, now an adult, kidnapped your son after he was born, not wanting him to grow up in the same place that nearly drove him insane.

Your marriage never recovered after that, you couldn’t blame your brother for wanting to protect your child and you even began to reconsider the situation.

Evelyn wasn’t nearly as forgiving however and searched all over Rondon for him, but never found anything.

Afterwards, you went on an expedition with many other men to explore the interior of the continent.

The place wanted to twist your mind but you prevailed anyway.

Before leaving this realm, your men find a few bizarre artifacts and you consider trying your luck.

Take souvenirs from the interior (Soul Stone, failed conflip: Panophobia)

Unfortunately the relic you found tainted you with Panophobia, a fear of everything.

Don’t touch anything and flee back home (Enables Dash later)

It took many days and nights to return back home but by the time you returned, it was too late.

A mercenary band had raided your village, taking an artifact hoarded by dark priests and killing many.

Sadly, your wife wasn’t spared from this tragedy, none of those like her were.

Those who survived described their leader, a man named Belos who wore a golden dear mask, you recognized him as the leader of the Knights Of The Golden Eagle.

You immediately packed and snuck onto a boat to follow him, if not to settle your anger then to at least calm your grief.

Upon reaching Rondon, you learn that he’d been captured and sent to languish inside a horrible dungeon, but that wasn’t going to stop you.

On your last night before leaving the city, you…

Stock up on equipment (x3 iron arrows, bear trap)

Stock up on food (One Dried meat, a moldy bread, x3 carrots)

Stock up on healing items (x4 blue herbs, a white vial, x2 cloth fragment)

Rush straight after him (Dash if certain choices were made above)

#the owl house #the owl house au #fear and hunger #emperor belos #philip wittebane #caleb wittebane #toh x funger au

[gritsandbrits]

Wish II JAS: Trivia about Omari

Prince Omari lives in the kingdom of Wahatan. It is located miles away from the sea. Wahatan means "oasis" in arabic, and true to its name, the capital city settles within a large oasis.

Wahatan is also home to various institutions that teaches a variety of subjects like art, science and mathematics. Wahatan is also known for its calligraphy and pottery.

The royal family resides in a beautiful castle at the heart of the capital. Inspiration: Great Mosque of Djenné.

Royal Family: It is believed that the royal family is descended from the legendary figure Sundiata. In real life, Sundiata was the first king of the Malian Empire. In this context his reign is fictionalized for the sake of plot.

King Jabbari is the current ruler of Wahatan. He inherited the throne at the age of 16. He is a stern yet friendly monarch, however he is often too busy with work to look after his son. When Omari was eight, Jabbari's beloved queen Suli died of illness. Jabbari is pressured by his court to find a new wife, but Jabbari is not sure if he wants to move on.

Princess Khadija is Jabbari's sister. She is a sneaky woman who uses magic and alchemy to achieve her goals. Khadija is jealous over being lower in line for the throne, and plots to overthrow her own brother. Shockingly, she is happily married to one of the royal advisors, Sharun. Besides bossing people around, she enjoys the finer things it life. Her name may mean "trustworthy" in Arabic, but honest she is not!

Sharun is Khadija's husband and Jabbari's advisor. Like his wife he is also sneaky and plans on taking control of the throne. He does not have magic powers but makes up for it with his silver tongue. The only thing Sharun loves more than power is his wife. In fact he was the one who suggested stealing the stars, just to make her happy. His name is derived from the Arabic word for evil, "sharir."

Omari is Jabbari's only son. As the crown prince he is taught multiple disciplines, but astronomy has become his favorite. His dream is to create a new way to study the stars. Omari doesn't trust magic. He blames it for not helping his mother recover from her fatal illness.A quiet loner, Omari only has one other companion: his pet lamb. Omari is nervous to go to Rosas as it is the first time he travelled outside his kingdom. His name means "flourishing" in Swahili.

Layla: Layla is the royal lamb. She follows Omari around everywhere. She was named after her luscious black fur. When Layla gained the ability to speak she talks in a quiet, anxious voice. Her name means "night" in arabic.

Bahlwan: The main jester whose job is to entertain the royal court. He loves to play pranks his main targets mostly being Khadija and Sharun. His name means "clown" in Arabic.

Attire

Most people in the kingdom wear durable linen fabric that keeps them cool and protected from the sun and winds. The richer citizens and the royal family wear jewellery made of precious stones and metal. A lot of times you see jewellery made of wood, plants and seashells.

A popular style of dress are made of "mud cloth." Mud cloth are created using fermented mud and plant dyes, creating gorgeous colors and patterns. Other types of attire include kaftans, tunics, and imported fashions from other nations.

The royal family wear warm colors. King Jabbari and his son tend to wear orange and yellow. Khadija and her husband favor red and gold.

Music; Because it's not a Disney movie without awesome music

The music of Wish 2 is inspired by Arabic and subsaharan styles. I also took bits from gamer music (think Steven Universe & vaporwave), gospel. Really I wanted to have a variety of music primarily inspired and created by black people.

My search takes me to songs created by Mali artists: links to playlist

Another thing with the music i want there to be a blend of modern and traditional. Sweeping orchestral with whimsical gamer energy. Yeah.

Story: King Jabbari and his court visit Rosas a year or two after the events of the first movie. Jabbari's son, Prince Omari, meets Asha and at first they don't get along due to opposite interests and personalities.

However, Omari discovers his aunt and uncle is plotting to overthrow his father by stealing at the stars in the galaxy. He begs Asha for help. Together the two travel to different dimensions/planets aboard a magical flying contraption to try to stop the wicked couple from bringing about eternal darkness.

#wish 2: journey across stars #oc: omari #wish 2023 #dissed knee #Youtube

[lathalea]

Thorin Oakenshield - Entangled / The Best Day of My Life

I swear, this is my last fic for the Armitage Summer Splash event. Today I’d like to treat you to a little fic that may or may not become a longer story one day. If you’re interested in reading about what happened next - let me know!

WEEK 2 - PROMPT 13

Trope: Comfort Quote: “It was the best day of my life.” Image: link

Relationships: Thorin Oakenshield x Dwarf OFC (The Hobbit) Rating: G (subject to change) Warnings: ANGST A/N: This short one-shot turned into a longer fic. Here is the next chapter of this story.

You can find this fic on AO3.

Khuzdul: Azsâlul'abad - Lonely Mountain (the dwarven kingdom of Erebor) Tumunzahar - Nogrod (my headcanon for this story is that the dwarven city of old had been rebuilt)

Entangled Chapter 1

I have only one secret. I am in love with Thorin Oakenshield. But he is not aware of it. Even though I pass him every day in the long walkways of Azsâlul'abad, the reclaimed Kingdom Under the Mountain, he does not see what lingers in my eyes.

I had irrevocably fallen for the King Under the Mountain when I saw him for the first time at a great feast in my home city of Tumunzahar. Back then, he was simply Thorin, son of Thrain, an exile with a worthless title of a prince, living with his people in one of the harshest regions of the Blue Mountains, barely making ends meet. Among my people, the Broadbeams, no one believed that the Longbeards would ever reclaim their homeland, not while the dragon still reigned under their Mountain.

One would think that it was love at first sight, but it had not been prince Thorin’s handsome face that made my heart flip. I had met too many dapper noblemen to know that looks could be deceiving. In any case, allowing my feelings to bloom only because a Dwarf in his prime happened to be good-looking was pointless. None of them ever noticed me anyway; not with my average looks, to put it mildly, or the fact that I happened to wear glasses. Whenever an official function was about to begin, my mother would say:

“Mista, dear, remember to take this dreadful contraption off your nose before you enter the feast hall. None of the Dwarves here wants a know-all for a wife!”  In her opinion, young ladies should spend time on more useful activities than devouring books one after another.

“But Mother, I can barely see a thing without my spectacles!” I would usually reply, even though I knew that there was no point in arguing. It was enough that my mother barely tolerated my constant reading even though she kept on lamenting my choice of activities.

“Adla will be there to help you,” she usually offered, but we both were very well aware that my sister had other things on her mind than accompanying me everywhere. She was—and still is—the pretty one. As soon as the music would start, she was off to break yet another heart or fall in love with yet another dashing warrior.

To be honest, I did not mind. Adla lived for social gatherings. It was better that I did not appear beside her, scaring off her admirers and potential suitors. Since my chances in the marriage market were not the highest, at least she should be able to find herself a good husband and make our parents happy by giving them grandchildren. 

With a conspiratorial wink, Adla would disappear into the most fashionable crowd of the season, while I would usually find myself a secluded corner, preferably behind a large statue of someone very important. Those were the best hideouts — their stern visages intimidated most of the guests who gave every single of those statues a wide berth, preferring to admire them from afar. And that usually left me undisturbed. As soon as I was alone, I would put on my glasses and read to my heart’s content. My sister would appear nearby when it was time to leave and we would return to our mother with innocent smiles on our faces. Both Adla and I were perfectly happy with that arrangement.

That memorable feast when I first met Thorin was no different. One day, my family received an invitation. A celebration was to be held in honour of the newly arrived Longbeard guests — the members of the royal family of Azsâlul'abad in exile. The rulers of the Lonely Mountain, or, as the Elves call it, “Erebor”. My sister’s excitement was as great as my unwillingness to frequent this event, but one look at my mother’s face told me that I wouldn’t be able to talk my way out of it.

Shortly after arriving at the great hall, I sneaked into my hideout in an attempt to finish a chapter of an exciting book. Just as I began reading, the voices of two Dwarves engaged in a conversation reached my ears. It was easy to recognize their owners — they belonged to the highly desirable group my mother called “eligible bachelors” — unmarried and rich enough to make them interesting as potential husband candidates. Not for me, obviously, even if my mother did not seem to acknowledge this truth. She was truly determined to find me a husband while I was truly determined to finish that book. And then another. And another.

“What about that pretty Adla girl?” One of those eligible bachelors said.

“That one kisses like fire. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that Firebeard blood ran in her veins! But that’s all you’re going to get from her. Kisses. She’s one of those boring proper girls.” The other one gave out a groan. “According to my sister, Adla wants to marry well so she’s saving herself for her future husband, whoever that poor fellow might be.”

“Any chance of her having a less proper sister or a cousin?”

“There is a sister, yes, but you wouldn’t like to poke her even with a stick,” his friend chuckled. “Ugly, dull, and blind as a bat. My sister calls her ‘four-eyes’.”

“Ah, I remember that one. Are you sure that’s Adla’s sister?”

“Positive. Adla tried to make me dance with her one day,” he huffed. “Would you believe it? Do I look like a charity?”

“You look like a horny bastard!” His friend laughed loudly. “Maybe if you had danced with her ugly sister, Adla would have let you into her bed?”

“Not a chance. Not even for Adla. I don’t want to be seen with someone who looks as if her mother lay with a petty Dwarf,” the first one cackled and his companion joined him eagerly. My vision blurred. The echo of their voices died down as they walked away from my hideout.

Ugly, dull… I closed my eyes to stop the tears rolling down my cheeks. 

…and blind as a bat. I took off my glasses to brush away the wetness from my cheeks. Four-eyes. The last thing I wanted was for my mother to question me about the reason behind my red eyes. I had to get a grip on myself for now. I would cry my heart out into my pillow at night.

She looks as if her mother lay with a petty Dwarf. Those words stung, but my mother’s pity would have been even worse. I knew I was not a beauty, but hearing it confirmed from male lips and then seeing it reflected in my own mother’s eyes would have been unbearable.

“Forgive me the intrusion, my lady,” a low, rumbling voice suddenly reached my ears. “Are you in need of assistance?”

A simple but clean linen handkerchief appeared in front of me. I took it without thinking and only then looked up straight into its owner’s kind, cornflower blue eyes.

“Thank you,” my voice was barely audible, but at least my sniffling had stopped. “I… I’m better now.”

“Was the book so moving?” the unknown Dwarf tilted his head towards the leather-bound shape that lay on the pedestal of the statue. Along with this movement, his dark, almost black hair flowed down his right shoulder like the dark, silky waters of a mountain lake. 

Suddenly, I became aware of his close proximity. With the exception of my brothers, I had rarely, if ever, been so close to a man, and this Dwarf had a strong presence, not only because of his height and strapping physique. Although he looked significantly older than me, perhaps around ninety or so, by Dwarven standards, he was considered young, so it was certainly not the gravitas that came with advanced age. And yet, there was something about him, a solemn quality that sparked awe in me and made my heart beat faster. It felt as if I were given the privilege of looking at a marble statue of an ancient ruler that had suddenly come to life.

At the same time, I could not help but notice a warrior braid in his hair and the lack of a marriage braid. A bachelor, then. My mother would have been proud that I actually made use of her teachings for once. She wanted her daughters to assess their prospective “targets” as soon as they could and not waste time on the Dwarves that had already been taken. The problem was, if that Dwarf in front of me knew that one of the first things I did was to check his marital status (even if it happened by accident), he would probably run away as fast as he could.

“The book? No, not at all.” I shook my head nervously, trying to fill the prolonged silence with my blabbing. It was better than sharing the true reason behind my tears. “It is actually quite an amusing story about a Hobbit—a cobbler’s apprentice—who found a clever way to kill a dragon.” “A Hobbit dragon slayer? Truly?” One of his thick eyebrows arched. “Do tell. How did they manage to get rid of that beast?”

I did not have to be asked twice to answer this question, the events of the story still fresh in my mind. Besides, it was not often that someone was willing to discuss books with me – or at least listen to my musings about them. 

“Actually, it was pretty straightforward. Everyone knows that dragons eat sheep, right?” I spoke, gesticulating excitedly. “A vile dragon had been terrorising the South Farthing for months and the local Hobbits were helpless. Finally, the young cobbler, his name was Rufus, had enough. He took a sheepskin, four sticks, and a lot of twine – and then made a fake sheep. He stuck the sticks into the ground so that they resembled its legs, covered them with the sheepskin and filled it with sulphur, stones, iron nails, and other nasty things. Then he sewed it together, shaping it like a lamb. When the dragon came, it thought that this was a real sheep – and devoured it at once. Soon after, the monster felt very thirsty. Its insides felt like fire and so it drank from the nearest river to quench the burning thirst. The dragon kept on drinking for hours until its belly became round like a ball – and exploded with a ‘bang!’”

I could not stop myself from giggling at the absurdity of the story. The Dwarf in front of me first blinked and then chuckled. The sound of his voice rang pleasantly in my ears and I wished I could amuse him more just to hear his laughter again.

“Hobbits and their gift of confabulation. If only slaying a dragon was that easy…” without my glasses, I could not see it clearly, but I thought I noticed a shadow passing over his handsome face, disappearing as fast as it emerged.

Only then did I take a better look at the Dwarf’s unusually short beard — a sign of mourning. And I took in the colours of his garments — royal dark blue with the sigil of the House of Durin. And there were his temple braids, too. At that moment, I understood why I had never seen this Dwarf at any of the feasts before. My throat tightened in terror.

“I am so sorry.” I covered my mouth with my hand. “Forgive my thoughtless prattling, Your Highness! I did not mean any disrespect with this story…”

“Please, my lady, there is nothing to forgive. It was I who asked you about the book, was it not?” His voice made me think of dark buckwheat honey, sweet and thick.

“But the dragon…” I muttered, completely mortified, trying to gather my wits. “I did not mean to ridicule the fate that befell your people.”

“My grandfather happened to be a wise Dwarf and he used to say that sometimes ridicule is the only way forward. I find that a smile is worth its weight in gold, especially in hard times. Would you not agree?”

“I guess so,” I swallowed, avoiding his intense gaze and ignoring the burning sensation in my cheeks. “Either way, it was rude of me. I’ll better relieve you of my presence, excuse me, Your Highness.”

As I reached out to grab my book and leave, his hand landed flat on its cover. “The Faery-tales of the Shire”, the title said, gilded letters peeking from between his fingers, but at that moment, I could not focus on anything other than the shape of his hand. It was wide and masculine, with strong fingers adorned with a couple of massive rings. One of them looked as if it had been made of mithril. The Dwarf’s sun-tanned skin contrasted with the paleness of my own hand that seemed to be at most half the size of his. A peculiar thought rattled in my brain. How would it feel if he took my hand in his?

“This will not do. My family arrived here to make friends, not to scare off maidens. Let us begin again, My Lady, and forget what has transpired between us so far. What do you say?” His stare clearly told me that he would not take ‘no’ for an answer.

“As you wish, Your Highness,” I nodded faintly.

“Very well. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Thorin, son of Thràin. And with whom do I have the pleasure of speaking, my lady?” He made a customary bow. My cheeks burned even more than before at this display of courtly behaviour. I had seen Adla treated in such fashion numerous times by her admirers, but before today, I had never been on the receiving side of it. 

“Mista, daughter of Milva, at your service, Lord Thorin.” I managed to curtsy and when I looked up at him, Thorin, son of Thràin, stood closer than before.

“I am honoured to make your acquaintance, Lady Mista, daughter of Milva,” he admitted with an alluring smile that hid in the darkness of his beard.

I stopped myself from sighing like a witless goose. Maybe I was barely ten years over half battle-age, but that did not mean I would swoon only because a stunningly handsome Dwarf smiled at me once.

“The honour is all mine,” I managed to mumble instead.

“The feeling is mutual, I assure you. It is not every day one hears amusing stories. To show my gratitude, I would like to offer you my company during the next dance,” he reached out his hand towards me in an inviting gesture, palm up.

“Excuse me?” I stared at it with my eyes open wide. My ears must be deceiving me. There was no other explanation.

“Lady Mista,” he spoke again, my name rolled off his tongue with ease, making my heart make a silly flip. “May I have the pleasure of a dance with you?”

I lifted my gaze to his face, its features softened by a warm smile, the second smile he directed specifically at me, and then my fingertips rested on his palm. His skin felt slightly coarse in that particular, pleasant way, so different from mine. He must have noticed me trembling, for he covered my hand with his to steady it, the corner of his lips curling up in a reassuring way.

“I… thank you for this generous offer, my lord,” my eyes shifted to the glasses that rested next to the book. “But I’m afraid I’m not a desirable dance partner. I can’t see much without my spectacles.”

“How about you wear them for the dance, then?” He offered as if it was the most usual thing in the world.

“But… It is simply not done, not at a great feast like today! Besides, I would not look presentable enough to be your dance partner!”

“It is simple,” he shook his head. “I wish you to enjoy this dance and if your spectacles make it easier, then this is what we are going to do. Do not fret, my lady, if there are any remarks from other guests, I will be more than happy to handle them. How does that sound?” I blinked ferociously, trying to chase away the tears forming in my eyes and a flood of emotions that threatened my heart to burst. Without a word, I put on my glasses. The world around me suddenly became sharper, and that included the face of the Dwarf who seemed not to care for my looks nor for the contraption resting on my nose, the constant source of my embarrassment. Whatever Thorin’s ulterior motives were, some attention-starved part of me forbade me from thinking about them. I should do as the main characters of “The Faery-tales of the Shire” did and enjoy the sudden change of fate while it lasted.

“Thank you, My Lady,” Prince Thorin offered, placing a light kiss over my knuckles that almost made me gasp in surprise. “Are we ready now?”

I nodded, but my cheeks must have turned to beetroot red by that moment. I did not know how one reacted to such gallant manifestations of reverence, but my future dance partner did not give me much time to ponder this matter and led me toward the very middle of the dancing hall. I tried not to notice the glances and curious whispers of the other guests. Lowering my head, I tried to focus on Thorin’s touch, his hand holding mine and its inviting warmth.

I, Mista, the ugly bookworm, the ‘four-eyed bat’, was about to dance with none other than the heir of the line of Durin, Prince Thorin Oakenshield. This had to be a dream, but I hoped I would not wake up before its end.

Soon after the music started, I glided in Thorin’s strong arms through the hall, feeling his firm hold every step of the way. To this day, I do not know whether he realised the depth of my nervousness, but his closeness and lighthearted comments created a shield between me and the other guests who must have been staring at us in disbelief. Throughout the dance, Thorin treated me in a most courteous way, as if I were a princess, his equal, and not a daughter of a merchant, barely of courting age. He was the first one and the only one who danced with me during that feast; over a hundred years have passed and yet I still remember the reassuring way he held me in his arms as the music reverberated against the walls of the great hall. They said he was a warrior and yet his demeanour told me there was much more to him than just battles. The way his cornflower blue eyes rested on my face with interest while I spoke, the way he led a conversation with me while we danced, the way he made me feel special like no one had before — all those things made my silly, inexperienced heart beat faster and faster, even though I knew it was hopeless to dream. Thorin was not only a prince but also belonged to an exiled clan, and judging by the simplicity of his attire, he would not be able to afford a decent dowry. Apart from all that, what use would he have of me as his wife, of all the maidens gathered here?

When the dance ended, far too soon, Thorin escorted me to my mother, pressed his lips to my knuckles as the courtesy dictated, and left the feast, disappearing from my life and taking my heart with him.

And even though I did not see him again until one hundred years later, it was the best day of my life.

I have only one secret. I am in love with Thorin Oakenshield. But he is not aware of it. Even though I pass him every day in the long walkways of Azsâlul'abad, the reclaimed Kingdom Under the Mountain, he does not see what lingers in my eyes. And he never will.  His heart belongs to another.

Would you like to know what happened next? Here is the next chapter of this story. And here is the whole masterlist for the series.

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[mydarllinglover]

Alone || Whispered Rumours

Previous

"Henry!" Evie cheered, running towards the wagon, as the tall blond boy jumped down, embracing her in a hug.

Carol was sat atop of it, the reigns in her hands as she watched them all, her eyes scanning all their faces, before falling on little Archies, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Need a ride?" Carol asked them.

"Aunt Carol!" Daisy cheered, running to the wagon, the woman helping her up, then Bambi.

"Dog! Come on!" Daryl shouted, clapping his hands.

Dog ran towards them, the two homemade arrows in his jaws, that Daryl then took from him.

They headed back to the cabin, Evie and Henry walked ahead with their arms linked, catching each other up on the bits they had forgot to share over the radio, whilst Daisy and Bambi sniggered together behind them.

"I think I believe that I haven't had the chance to meet this lil lady yet." Carol walked in the back with Daryl and Natalia.

"About that..." Natalia started, handing over the baby. "He's not a lil lady." She put it gently.

Carol's eyes snapped to the couple, then back to the baby.

"A boy?" Carol asked.

"5th time lucky." She shrugged, though it wasn't luck, because she loved her girls, but it was nice to have a change.

"Meet Archie Carl Dixon, Nat came up with the name." Daryl told her.

"Oh, I love it." She smiled widely.

"Carl made me promise that if I ever had a boy, I had to name it after him, here we are, my lil CJ." She kissed her sons cheek. "The nerve of him to come out and look nothing like me, though." She glared with a smile.

"Was about to say, this is no Moore hair." Carol laughed, running her hands over the small patch of blond.

"Yeah, hair went darker with age." Daryl shrugged, the tips of his ears going a little red.

"Yeah, you were a little sandy when we first met, actually." Carol laughed.

"See, I never knew that, because He" She jabbed her thumb at him. "Doesn't seem to tell me things like this."

"Henry!" Carol called ahead, as they got nearer. "Watch out, okay!"

"Yeah" He looked over his shoulder, giving her a thumbs up.

"Don't worry Carol, your precious prince is fine." Evie teased, earning an nudge from the teen boy.

"You're a prince!?" Daisy howled, finding the idea of this absolutely ridiculous, her older sister used to talk about queens and kings, princesses and kingdoms a lot when they were younger, but they didn't really know about it except from her stories.

"Mommy, I wanna be a prince!" Bambi told her.

"You can, sweetie." Natalia told her. "Or, you can be even better, a princess!"

The twins gasped at this as Natalia caught up to them, to chat as they got situated back at home.

"She's come a long way." Carol commented, handing the baby to his father, as they watched the woman interact with all the kids.

"She has." Daryl agreed. "Kids make her happy."

"And you?" She peeked at him, as he held his son, walking towards the river so he could wash the girls arrows.

"I'm happy when she's happy." He answered vaguely. "That's all I need."

"She like living out here?"

Daryl focused on his job, knowing what she was getting at, and yet, he still answered truthfully.

"Nah, she misses 'er friends an' the other kids, the walls, but she won't go, don' know why."

"Because you won't, Nat knows you wanna be out here, so she'll go where you go, because she loves you."

"I know she does." He sighed, running a few drops of water over Archies head, cooling him down in the heat.

"How about we go take a walk?" She suggested. "Catch up."

Daryl stood up.

"Needa go check the traps anyway." He grunted, walking past her and towards his wife. "Girls, take yer arrows an' put 'em away." He told the twins, who accepted them with thanks, before running into the cabin. "Nat, me an' Carol goin' go for a walk, you gonna be alright?"

He was hoping she'd say no.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, go, have fun." She pecked his lips quickly, taking Archie and ignoring his growls of refusal, as he marched back the way they came, Carol following, Dog running ahead. "Look after my dog!"

"Following me, ain't he. My Dog."

"Uh huh." She falsely agreed. "Daddy's so silly, how he thinks he's in charge, isn't he?" She cooed  to Archie, who babbled nonsense, in response.

She looked ahead, to see Henry and Evie laughing about something, she wondered if she ever took her advise, last year.

Daryl had come back with a hare and a snake around his neck, by the looks on both his and Carols faces, whatever they went out to discuss, did not end okay, Natalia could also tell by the way he was aggressively skinning the poor animals.

"Alright, I'm going to go feed this guy, then put him to bed, uh, how about we cut this awkward tension by the time I get back, huh?" Natalia stood up from around the campfire.

"You got 30 minutes." Daryl told her, rubbing his son's head in goodnight.

"That's okay, baby, just like it was all those years ago, I'm still not eating snake." She patted his arm, standing up from the fire. "Man, I miss Jerry's snack inventions."

"He's still alive y'know... you could always go there." Carol told her. "He'd be willing to have a test subject again."

"Oh, y'know what... I just remembered." She snapped her fingers, walking away before finishing her sentence.

When she had come back outside, it was nightfall, and everyone was sat around the fire, silently eating.

"Archie is asleep, all hold your applause." Natalia bowed as her twins greeted her.

Daryl handed her a bowl of the rabbit stew, without looking up, as she sat beside him.

"How'd you get the scar, anyway?" Henry asked, looking at Daryl.

"Hen, shut up!" Evie hissed, jabbing the boy.

Daryl stared at him for a little bit, before picking up Dog's food bowl.

"Where's that dog? His food's getting cold." Daryl managed to go off course. "Dog!"

"Dog!" Daisy yelled, copying her father.

"Hey, don't talk with your mouth full." Natalia told her.

"But Daddy did it." She argued.

"You either." She looked at her husband.

"Imma go find 'im." He got up, whistling for the pet as he walked away with the bowl.

"Mom, Henry's going to the Hilltop, to learn how to be a blacksmith." Evie told her.

"Oh, that's nice, should be fun." She smiled at him.

"Yep, and Carol wants us to go with him." She continued.

"Evie, leave it alone." Henry told her.

Carol didn't say anything, she was hoping for Natalia to hear about it.

"And Dad said no."

"Why do you want us to go?" Natalia asked.

Carol shrugged.

"Think it'd be good for everyone."

"Mommy, what's the Hilltop?" Daisy asked.

"Uhm, it's a place that me, Daddy and Evie used to live, like, do you remember where we lived before here?"

They shook their heads, of course they wouldn't.

"It's a place, with this big house, and lots of cool paintings, and animals, and gardens, its real cool, and lots of our friends live there."

"I wanna go to the Hilltop." Bambi said. "Please, Mommy, can we go to the Hilltop"

"Lemme go help Daddy find Dog, okay? Carol do you mind-?"

"Yeah, of course." Carol mentally thanked Evie.

Natalia got up from the log, following the direction that Daryl had gone in.

She eventually found him, messing around with one of his traps, something he did when he didn't want to communicate that he was pissed off.

"Hey." Natalia greeted him, earning a look over the shoulder and a grunt in response, charming as ever. "Hey, Doggy, hi." She greeted the pet, that jumped at her, excitedly.

"Why ain't you eating?" He managed words this time.

"Uh, just 'cause I found out something pretty interesting." She watched as his hands froze for just a second. "Evie told me about the real reason why they're here."

"So?" He shrugged.

"The twins, they wanna go find out what Hilltop is, Bam just begged to go."

"Hm."

"Daryl... I've been patient with you, I really have, but... we've been out here for three years, the girls don't even remember Alexandria, today is the first time that Archie is meeting people, how much longer are we gonna be stuck here?"

"Thought you liked it out here, yer the one who wanted to stay so bad, always going off at me about getting away from everybody, away from him."

"He's not at The Hilltop." She kept her voice calm and even, compared to Daryl, who's temper was only getting worse. "Look, I am happy, I'm happy with you, I am with our kids, and our life, it's been nice, but y'know what hasn't been nice, the clusters of walkers that have been getting closer and closer every week, and bigger might I add, it's getting dangerous out here again, Daryl, and you want our kids out here, in this?"

"The girls can handle themselves, you saw 'em today."

"Can Archie, who is four months old, by the way."

"It'll only be for a little while, just until Henry's done learning, and we can return him back to his parents. I want our kids to be able to see a place as great as the Hilltop, so we can tell them what we fought so hard for, so they can meet cows, and goats, and even kids their own age, and see what it's like to live behind walls and houses, and a proper community, not tree's and traps and fields. And I want them to meet Rosita, and Tara, and Eugene and Jesus, and Enid, God, I miss them, too, I want to see my friends, and make sure they're still alive after so many years."

"That's really what you want?" He asked, looking away from his trap.

"Yes, Goddamn it, yes, I do."

"Fine." He sighed in defeat. "But you're packing up their shit, I ain't doing it."

"Don't worry, I'll handle it." She jumped in excitement, running over and hugging him from behind. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you."

"Alright, alright, I get it." He stopped himself from toppling over as she attacked him with affection.

"You're the best, baby, wait till everyone goes to bed, I'll show you how good you are to me." She winked, walking away and back to the camp.

"You're back." Carol smiled, when she reached them.

"Girls, go pack your essentials, we'll be heading off early tomorrow so make sure you get a goodnights sleep, Hen, why don't you go help Evie." She offered.

"It worked?! Evie jumped up happily.

"How?" Henry asked, bewildered, as the twins ran off excitedly into the cabin, cheering about going to The Hilltop.

"I'm not willing to admit my trade secrets." She shrugged, as Evie tugged him away.

"Thank you, truly." Carol said.

"Hey, if it were any of mine, I'd want the same, besides, I have a funny feeling that my daughter would've gone with your son, regardless."

"I'm glad they have each other."

"Yeah, compared to when they first met, Evie hated him." Natalia laughed. "Ruined playtime because he was so serious, apparently."

The next morning, the sun was up, and everyone was busy packing away their things, ready for the journey.

"Alright, everyone be ready to go in ten" Daryl called to the kids.

"Daddy, can I ride with you?" Bambi asked, raising eyebrows, surprised that sweet Bambi was asking to go on the bike, and not curious Daisy.

"Absolutely not." Natalia turned her down, going through the girls and Archies bags, making sure they had everything they needed.

"Why not?" Daryl shrugged.

"You said we only have ten minutes, right?" She challenged.

"She'll be alright, I'll let her ride in the front."

"I see one millimetre of wheel come off the ground, she's coming straight off, you hear me?"

"Loud an' clear." He saluted.

"Seriously, your parents are so weird, but so... perfect for each other." Henry muttered to Evie.

"Yeah, I know." She rolled her eyes.

Dog was the first to enter Hilltop, sprinting ahead as he barked happily, then Daryl and Bambi, and finally the wagon.

"It's not fair" Daisy grumped. "Why'd she get to go, and not me?"

"Because she asked first, honey, but you get to be with Mommy, that's good enough, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." She folded her arms, leaning on the vehicle as she rested her chin.

"So, Enid's still here, right?" Henry asked.

"Far as I know, why?"  Carol answered.

"Wonder if she'll recognise me." He smirked. "It's been a while, and I'm taller. Like bigger, y'know?"

Evie was staring at him, unimpressed.

"And more of a dork." She scoffed.

"You're adorable." Carol teased, as everyone climbed out of the wagon, Daryl fist bumped Tara before helping Daisy and Natalia.

"No I'm not." Henry protested. "Unless Enid likes adorable."

"Why do you care what she thinks, she's not friends with you." Evie told him, hopping out.

"Woah, one, two, three. Baby." Tara pointed at the kids, doing a quick head count, before pointing at the baby in Natalia's arms. "Where'd this guy comes from?"

"Come on, Tara, I think you're a bit too old for that kind of talk." Natalia teased, hugging her friend. "Kids, meet Aunt Tara."

"Hey!" She waved at them, fist bumping their fists, even getting one off the infant. "Who have we got here?"

"Y'know Evie." Daryl pointed at the teenager.

"Shut up, this is Evie?"

The girl blushed, feeling quite shy.

"Hey, Tara." She waved.

"Sorry, didn't recognise you under all that beauty and young womanlike energy, you're also taller than I was expecting."

"Tell me about it, she shot up in the past few years. Alright, girls, introduce yourselves." Natalia patted the twins heads.

"Hi, I'm Daisy."

"I'm Bambi." Bambi was holding Daryl's hand, slightly hiding behind him, so the girl could ride motorcycle, but not meet strangers.

"Hey dudes." She got another round of fist bumps. "And who's this guy?"

"This, is Archie." Daryl spoke up. "Four months old."

"Hey, Archie." Tara smiled at him. "Wait, have I got just the thing for these two." Tara turned to the twins, pulling something out of her pocket and handing one of each to them, two green kazoos.

"Thank you, Aunt Tara." They said in unison.

"Tara, you shouldn't have, really, you should not have." Natalia smiled, but it was totally fake.

"Regretting leaving the woods already?" Daryl muttered to her.

"Hey, you see a kazoo, you give it to a kid, don't worry, they can join the band I'm putting together."

"This is a pleasant surprise." Jesus walked towards them.

"Oh, man, We just went through introductions." Natalia groaned, passing Archie to Daryl.

"Not to worry, I overheard, I'm Jesus." He introduced himself to the girls, the name didn't have much affect on them, as this is the only Jesus they've ever heard of.

"When my Mommy and Daddy's angry, I hear them shout for you a lot." Bambi told him.

"Oh, uh, think it's a different guy." He laughed. "What brings you all the way out here, anyway?"

"Henry." Carol answered. "He's taken a stubborn interest in blacksmithing."

"Oh, we might be able to help with that." Jesus nodded.

"Thought I heard a bike."

Natalia turned, seeing Aaron walking towards Daryl embracing him and the baby, who he had no idea was there, until then.

"Good to see you, man." Daryl greeted, but was pushed away by Natalia, as she wrapped her arms around her friend, hugging him tightly.

"Hi." She spoke.

"Hey, missed you guys." He patted her back, when she pulled away. "Don't tell me, Daisy," He pointed at the girl dressed in green. "Bambi." Then the girl in blue.

"Yes." They squealed excitedly.

"And who's this?" He smiled at the baby, waving.

"Archie." Daryl answered, again, letting Aaron take him.

"Oh, wow." He raised his brows, cradling the baby. "Who knew you of all people would be the ones to end up with a small army of kids" He laughed, happy for his friends.

"What'd you doing here?" Daryl asked. "Somethin' up?"

"Yeah, Michonne still got everyone on lockdown?" Natalia asked.

"We found Rosita outside the walls yesterday." Aaron answered, quietly.

"What? Where is she? Is she okay?" Natalia demanded.

"She's pretty banged up. She's in the infirmary. And, uh, Eugene's missing. We're headed out to go find him. Could use a good tracker." He looked between the pair.

"Yeah. Of course." Daryl agreed, glancing at Natalia.

"I'll go too."

"Are you sure?" Aaron asked. "We could really use your help."

"No, you stay here, kids need ya."

"The kids, will be fine, Evie and Henry can watch them, right?" Natalia looked to Carol.

"That's a great idea." Carol agreed, joining them so she could grab Archie, after receiving lots of hugs and kisses from his parents.

"But I wanna go with them." Henry protested.

"No." She shook her head.

"Mom, but-"

"No, come on, let's go get settled, girls, come on."

"Girls, be good, and listen to your sister, okay? I expect you in bed and asleep when we get back."

"We will." Bambi answered for the both of them.

"Mom, we got this, don't worry." Evie took both girls hands, nodding at her parents as they walked to their temporary home.

"Chill, dude, I'll keep my eye on them." Tara promised.

"Wow." Aaron smiled at Natalia.

"What?" She looked at him.

"Your like completely different from that woman who threated to stab me to death whilst offering me food."

"First time I met you, you had a gun pointed at my face, whilst half your bra was out your shirt." Jesus commented, joining them. "Now look, bed by the time mom and dad get home."

"Alright, I have not threatened to kill every person I've met." She defended herself.

"You did to me." Daryl raised his hand. "An' every person you've met, except for Michonne, I think."

"She is not the only one. Hey, aren't we going out to look for Eugene" She reminded, getting them to move into action, ready to leave, instead of poking at her murderous tendencies.

Jesus and Aaron had rode on horse back whilst Daryl and Natalia took the bike, until they reached a large land of grass, a herd wasn't too far as they passed.

The four watched, crouched behind a fallen tree.

"There's about 130, 140 of 'em." Daryl shared, doing a headcount to the best of his ability.

"You ever see them do this before?" Jesus asked, watching as the walkers moved in a circle.

"No. Never." Aaron answered.

"Rosita's backtrail goes right through 'em."

"Alright, then, let's get those horses, circle back, then we'll head off." Natalia declared, turning in the direction of the large animals.

"What about them?" Aaron nodded at the herd.

"What about 'em?" Daryl asked.

"They're just milling around."

"That's not normal." Jesus agreed.

"Yeah, well, their existence isn't normal." Natalia shrugged. "Let's go before they catch us, then we'll have a real problem on our hands."

"She's right. We should go, there's a storm coming." Daryl told them, as the wind picked up. "Dog!"

"So, uhm, you still in Alexandria?" Natalia asked Aaron, as they walked back.

"Yep. Gracie loves it there, she's seven now, can you believe that?" Aaron smiled widely.

"Good, good, that's great, I can't wait for her to meet the twins." She nodded. "Uhm, how's- how's everyone, Michonne... the others."

"He's still alive, Nat." He sighed.

"No, no, yeah I gathered that, you know, apparently our friendship wasn't strong enough for the life of a worthless, no good, piece of fucking hell spawn, rotten shit dumpster fire, but, uh, y'know." She shrugged. "How's she doing though?"

"She misses you, a lot, and she misses the kids, Michonne's sorry, Nat, she is, but you know how things are, it wasn't an easy decision, and she's managing, you know, RJ is the same age as the girls, and there's not much kids his age, they'd have a lot of fun together, as well."

"And Judith?"

"She's good, real good, y'know, she saved a group, a few days ago."

"Really?" Natalia raised her brows.

"Yeah, their names are, uh, Connie, Kelly, Magna, Yumiko and Luke."

"Oh, wow, all by herself?"

"She takes' after her Aunt Nat, running towards danger." He smiled.

"God, that's... that's really great to hear, she gets it from her brother, I'm gonna go tell Daryl, he'll love it." She grinned, before hugging him again. "It's been so good to see you again, and everyone."

"Then visit more often, the gates are always open for you."

"I'm working on it." She chuckled, before jogging ahead to catch up with Daryl, Jesus had slowed down, to walk with Aaron.

"You're chatty." He commented, when she joined his side, Dog was walking beside him.

"Aaron was just catching me up on the kids, Judith, she rescued a group of people the other day, five people."

"A huh?"

"Yeah! She brought them back, all by herself, that's amazing, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's uh, real good, hol- up." He looked around, seeming to hear something.

"What is it?"

"The herd..." He walked back towards Aaron and Jesus. "Its coming for us. The wind is carrying the sound." He grabbed an alarm clock, winding it up and throwing it far across the ground. "C'mon. Let's put some ground between us and them."

"Dog, come on." Natalia called, jogging away from the herd.

They had got to a safe distance, watching the herd as it walked ahead.

"You put that herd around 140, right?" Jesus asked, looking at it with binoculars.

"Yeah."

"Looks like more than double, now." Jesus looked at Daryl, as Natalia took the binoculars, having a look for herself.

"Could be a different herd." Aaron suggested, but his tone seemed stressed. "Or it merged with another one."

"Ain't gonna be there very long." Daryl assured, as the alarm clock went off in the distance. "Don't matter how big it is, long as it's going the other way."

"I don't like this." Natalia sighed. "We need to find Eugene, and get back, quick as possible."

The storm had got heavier as they continued on, all the way into the night, surrounded by a thick fog.

They had reached a barn, Dog waited patiently outside of it.

"Go, on boy. Go find him." Daryl told Dog.

He sniffed around the place, finding a spot on some hay as he began to whine for their attention.

"Move." Daryl told him, which he did. "Good Dog."

Daryl pointed his flashlight at the hay as Jesus used his sword to move it out of the way.

"Eugene. Are you in there?" Aaron asked.

A few seconds passed before they got an answer.

"Affirmative." His distinctive voice came.

Natalia dropped to a crouch, pushing the hay completely away to find where he was hiding.

The others helped.

They lifted the wooden slab, finding Eugene hiding in a little cubby, cowering as he held his knife up.

"Hey, you're alright, okay, we're gonna get you back to Hilltop." Natalia assured, gently, moving out of the way so the men could help lift him up, instead.

He held his knee as he dropped down beside them.

"Eugene. Eugene, you alright?" Aaron asked.

"I took a bad step and dislocated my knee." He shared. "There was a herd on our six, and Rosita was forced to stash me here."

"Well, if it's dislocated. We can just pop it back in." Daryl told him.

"No." He refused.

"But it'll feel better-"

"No, we have to get out of here." He cut Natalia off. "The herd that followed us here is on its way back."

"What?" Natalia looked at him, bewildered at his sentence.

"I saw their tracks, they're gone." Daryl told him.

"No, it's not. It's already been through here twice. It's looking for me. We have to get away before it comes back." He looked around at the small group. "This wasn't a normal herd."

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked.

"When- when they passed us by, we could hear them, they were... They were whispering to each other."

"You mean they were... talking?" Aaron asked.

"I know how it sounds. But Rosita heard it, too. She'll corroborate." He panted.

"Yeah."

"You should get him back." Daryl told him.

"Yeah."

Dog started barking out the barn window, spotting something.

"Dog!" Natalia hissed, feeling completely unnerved by Eugene's confession.

The herd had reached them.

"We- we gotta go, now!" Natalia snapped, grabbing her knife.

"There's no way that's the same herd." Daryl spoke.

"They got us cut off." Aaron looked around for an escape route.

"No, no, no, no, no, no" Eugene chanted quietly, as he got up.

"So we'll backtrack, we'll go around them." Daryl suggested.

"Old Route 28 isn't far. It's the straightest shot back to the horses." Jesus confirmed.

"Lead the way." Daryl told him, as he and Aaron helped Eugene.

They ran through the woods, Jesus and Natalia clearing the path for the three, as the herd chased behind them.

"You're gonna get me-" Eugene groaned in pain.

"Come on."

"It doesn't make any sense. They shouldn't have doubled back." Jesus sighed, helping Eugene sit on a car. "And they definitely shouldn't have followed us all the way to the barn."

"I do have a theory to posit." Eugene started. "The walkers are evolving."

"How's that even possible?" Natalia asked.

"That's bullshit." Daryl dropped the idea

"They're dead, they're not evolving." Jesus whispered.

"Being dead hasn't exactly stopped them from perambulating ad infinitum, though, has it?" Eugene mocked. "They're not dead in any sense that makes sense. It takes an impact to the cranium to stop them, which means the brains alive, degraded as it may be. And if it's alive, it can change. Maybe even start to remember things, too, like how to talk." He threw his hand up in the air in frustration.

"What?" Daryl turned to look at them.

"It's not any crazier than the dead being alive in the first place. If they can learn to talk, maybe they can learn strategy and how to hunt."

"Okay, but why are we discussing this, right now, we should be more concerned about a herd following us and getting Eugene back."

"They're right on our asses." Aaron came running out of the tree's and towards them. "We've gotta get to the horses fast."

"You have to leave me behind. I'm slowing you down and tiring you out." Eugene said.

"No, we're not doing that." Natalia snapped. "We don't do that shit."

"Every time we stop, the dead get closer."

"No! We came out here to find you we're not going home without you." Jesus agreed with Natalia.

"You don't have a choice."

"Yes we do, stop being a baby and get up, let's go. It's not your call who we leave behind." Natalia finalised.

"The numbers actually work for us, we can split up. You three get him back to the horses. I'll wait for the herd to get here, then I'll draw them in the other direction. Then I'll ditch them and meet you back at the Hilltop."

"No, no." Daryl disagreed.

"We're stronger together. "Aaron said.

"That doesn't help us. Our only way out of this is to avoid a fight."

"He's right, but I don't like the idea of you going alone, they can take Eugene, we'll go together." Natalia offered.

"No. You have kids and a baby." Jesus beat Daryl to the punch.

"And I'm not planning on dying today, and I'm not letting you go alone on a suicide mission, so are we gonna keep bitching about this or are we gonna go."

"No, if anyone stays, it's gonna be me." Daryl decided. "Go. Hell, I'll probably beat you back."

Jesus and Aaron jogged to help Eugene, whilst Natalia continued in the direction she was planning on going in.

"Nat, go with the others." Daryl told her.

"No, this was mine first, so we're doing it together." She pressed.

"Why are you so frustrating." He groaned.

"Dog! Come on." Natalia refused to give him an answer, as the dog followed them.

"Come here, boy." He caved.

They had managed to find a place, was cute, like a tiny living room.

They sat on top, waiting for the herd to reach them.

Once they caught sight, Daryl lit a set of fire crackers, throwing them not too far from the pair.

Dog's barking would also help the noise factor of steering them over.

"Dog, keep 'em coming." Daryl told him.

"Daryl, look." Natalia pointed at a small group, that was acting odd, the way they were slowly trying to steer the herd back.

"Shh, shh, shh." Daryl ceased Dogs barking as they watched.

"We gotta go, we gotta get back to them." Natalia got up slowly, moving off the structure, Daryl following as they sprinted towards their friends, ending up at a graveyard, walkers were all around, they could hear Aarons cries as a whole bunch of people crowded in, fighting the undead.

Natalia sliced one down, hearing a very human cry of pain.

"What the hell is going on?" She cried out.

When there were no more, the group collected their weapons, whilst Aaron went to Jesus, who had been stabbed to death by one of the "walkers"

"Hey, come here." Daryl called, pointing his flashlight at a body.

"These walkers-- what are they?" Michonne who had turned up, asked.

Daryl had found something on one of them, using his knife to cut around one of the heads.

He yanked at it, pulling the head right off, except it wasn't a head.

It was what looked like a walker mask.

"What the fuck." Natalia spoke for everybody.

Daryl turned the walker over, revealing a very human looking face.

"Circle around." A voice whispered.

Next

#daryl dixon #daryl dixon smut #the walking dead daryl #twd daryl #carl grimes #carol peletier #daryl fanfiction #glenn rhee #michonne #rick grimes #twd daryl x y/n #daryldixonalonetwd #daryl imagines #daryl dixion imagine #darylxnatalia

[azlrse]

Hello! I was just wondering if you could do a scenario with Dark Choco, the reader and Ruby Choco cookie. Lets say it's the future and everything is solved and the curse has been lifted and Dark Choco is welcomed back. Well what if we see Dark Cacao reacts that not only does his son have wife but they have a child and he is a grandfather.

The Dark Prince and His Family (Dark Choco Cookie x GN Cookie!Reader ft. Dark Cacao Cookie)

CW: ep 14 spoilers, overall contains fluff!!

A/N: I'll only refer reader cookie here as Dark Choco's spouse since I strictly write for GN readers but thanks for the request!

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

"Where are we going? Why do we wear those thick clothes? And why do we bring so much stuff on Papa's bag, Mama/Daddy?" Your daughter, Ruby Choco Cookie, asked as she holds both of her petite hands between yours and your husband's hand. Ruby Choco Cookie had asked so many questions since the three of you are moving back to his homeland. The environment of the Dark Cacao Kingdom may not be very safe for your little girl but she loved the snow itself.

In fact, she dreamed on seeing and playing on the white blanket of snow together with her friends. Upon finding out the reason why she needs to move back to her father's homeland, she became ecstatic and excited at the same time. For she heard lots and lots of stories about the great Dark Cacao Kingdom, a place where the strongest warriors are trained to protect not only the wall but also their very own kingdom, the very same place where her grandfather established this stronghold kingdom.

Yes that's right. The great king, Dark Cacao Cookie was her own grandpapa.

You look at her eyes and gave the small cookie a heartfelt smile, ignoring the cold breeze of air surrounding your little family. "We're going to visit your father's homeland, Ruby and you're about to meet your grandpapa for the first time." As you heard your daughter's voice, filled with happiness and excitement, you look to your left and saw the nonchalant expression of your husband. Dark Choco felt a bit nervous, even before he made the decision to move back to the Dark Cacao Kingdom together with his small family and to establish the once broken relationship between him and his father.

Your husband turned his head towards you and you gave him a small smile as you grasp his cheek. He leaned towards your touch, warmth was all he felt upon sensing your warm and soft hands. "I can sense that you're feeling not good, my dearest. Are you sure you wanted to move back here? After everything what happened?" Dark Choco only gave you a soft and small smile as he gave you a nod, a sign that he made the right decision to return his position as the long lost prince.

Which makes you and his daughter the new members of the royal family and one day, might inherit the throne once his father retires his position as king.

The moment the three of you arrived at the top of high mountains which overlooks the whole kingdom itself. The sight itself had brought so many memories for Dark Choco Cookie. The same place where he grew up to be a fine and just warrior and as his father began to descend from the throne, he too shall bare the name of king. The same king who abandoned the cursed sword that drove him to the depths of darkness and regain his senses for the actions he took under the influence of Dark Enchantress Cookie.

Dark Choco took a grasp of your hand and held it tightly, showing that despite his stoic expression, you know on how nervous he was upon returning home to his homeland. "Don't worry, sweetie. You aren't alone in this situation for you have me and Ruby here. We'll face this hard situation together." As the prince heard those words, he gave one of those rarest smiles that only he shows to his own spouse. The same, sweet smile he gave you during your wedding and during the birth of his own daughter.

At first, you thought that most of his former people would whisper harsh words towards the formerly dark prince. How he abandoned his own people and attempted to assassinate his own father but to his surprise, most of his father's people and warriors welcomed him home, how most of the cookies sang praises on how the prince changed his destiny; from a prince who was consumed by the curse and wrath of the strawberry jam sword to becoming the prince they all knew and loved.

The warmest welcome he recieved is from Caramel Arrow Cookie herself and was surprised when Dark Choco Cookie introduced you and Ruby Choco Cookie as his spouse and daughter. She never knew that the same cookie who taught her to wield the bow had a family of his own. However, the welcoming was cut short when the king makes his presence in front of the throne room. This makes everyone bow down, including you and your husband.

As Dark Cacao saw his own son returning to his kingdom, his eyes widen for a bit when he saw you and a small cookie hiding in his long cape. "Leave, I want to speak to my son alone." Everyone in the room eventually leaves, including you and your daughter when all of the sudden, Dark Cacao Cookie called for your attention. "That includes my son's own family. Please, stay behind."

You began to feel your hands sweating, gripping your own husband's hand as a way to tell him that you're quite nervous yet scared to meet your father in law. "It's great to see you again, father." He spoke, giving the king a hug as tears began to slide off his eyes. Same goes for the king, he gave his son a huge hug and a pat on his back, showing on how much he misses his own son. The last time the both of them saw each other is when he and his former teammates invaded the Black Citadel to finish what he started years ago. "It's great to see you back, my son. And who's this lovely cookie on your side?"

"G-good evening, your majesty. Thank you for inviting us here at the kingdom where my husband was born and raised." You slightly bowed in respect, only for the king to lay an arm on your shoulder. "There's no need for such endearments, Reader Cookie. I must thank you for bringing happiness to my son's love. Let alone all the love he lacks in his childhood, which I apologize for due to my negligence."

You were about to speak your thanks when all of the sudden, Ruby Choco sprang out from her father's cloak and towards Dark Cacao's leg, hugging it while giggling softly. "Hello king grandpapa! You really do look like my papa!" The first glance of Dark Cacao Cookie to the small toddler clinging to his leg reminds him the time when his own son was just like her; small, adorable and rambunctious. The way she smiled towards him makes his heart swell up and began to feel a small smile on his face. "I- I have a granddaughter of my own?" The both of you only nodded in affirmation as he carries the little girl into his arms. He couldn't believe it! Not only his son has a spouse of his own but also a daughter? His own granddaughter? He felt so much happiness right now and it looks like Hollyberry Cookie isn't the only cookie who had grandchildren of her own.

The small cookie he held on his arms began to play his crown. "And what's your name, my granddaughter?" She looks at him, same red eyes stared into his own purples colored ones. His own granddaughter was the splitting image of Dark Choco Cookie. "My name is Ruby Choco Cookie! And my mama/daddy said that my name is the most unique in all of Earthbread!"

She giggled, wrapping both of her hands around his face in an attempt to give her grandfather a hug, which he accepted. "I'm so glad to see you all. Welcome home, my son."

Home, he finally returned home. Together with his own spouse and daughter.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Do not republish, edit, or repost to other websites.

Reblogs and likes are appreciated! 💕

#cookie run x reader #cookie run kingdom #crk x reader #cookie run #cookie run imagines #crk dark choco cookie #crk dark cacao cookie #dark choco cookie x reader #dark choco x reader #cookie run fanfic #cookie run oneshots

[msweebyness]

CLASS OF HEROES AU: Family Members

Here it is folks! My post about the families of the hero kids! Let me know what you think! As always, credit to @imsparky2002 and @artzychic27! More shorts and Headcanons to come soon, along with an exciting project!

✝=Deceased

🎨= OC by @artzychic27

Marinette:

Sabine-Fa Zhou: Marinette’s mother, a renowned warrior who was wounded in battle, walking with a cane. She is wise and compassionate, always trying to help her daughter.

Tom-Fa Li: Marinette’s father, who loves his daughter as much as his wife, though he worries for her quite a bit more.

Gina-Grandmother Fa: Marinette’s grandmother, who lives with the family. She is never afraid to speak her mind, no matter what anyone thinks. She gifted Tikki to Marinette.

Adrien:

Gabriel- Mother Gothel: Adrien’s “father”, who kept him confined in the tower all his life. He stole Adrien as an infant and used the magic of his hair to stay young. He emotionally abused the boy and made him believe “Father Knows Best” No matter what.

Nathalie & Emilie-Rulers of Corona: Adrien’s true mothers. Emilie fell gravely ill and Nathalie sought out the magical golden flower to heal her. Because of this, Adrien was born with his magical hair. Every year, they release lanterns into the sky on their son’s birthday, hoping it will help him find his way home.

Alya:

Marlena-Eudora: Alya’s mother, a hardworking cook. She supports Alya’s dreams and aspirations, but wants nothing more than for her daughters to be happy.

Otis-James(✝): Alya’s late father, a devoted caretaker of animals. He encouraged Alya to follow her passions and work hard for her goals.

Nora: Alya’s older sister, who works long hours at a shipyard to help support the family. She’s protective, maybe a little too much at times.

Ella/Etta: Alya’s twin younger sisters, much less mischievous in this universe. They help around the house, but still cause some trouble.

Nathaniel:

Aya(🎨)-Queen Leah: Nathaniel’s mother, the queen of the Kurtz kingdom. When her son was cursed, she had every spinning wheel in the kingdom burned. Unlike Queen Leah, she keeps her son with her, the castle under heavy guard with protection spells from the good fairies.

Marc:

Kiran(🎨)-Anna: Marc’s younger brother, who he accidentally wounded with his ice powers. He misses his older brother terribly and doesn’t understand why they aren’t as close as they used to be.

Penny & Alyssa(🎨)(✝)-Rulers of Arendelle: Marc and Kiran’s mothers. They never blamed Marc for the accident, but sadly they were killed in a shipwreck mere months later. Their deaths were mourned by their sons and the entire kingdom.

Max:

Claudie-Aunt Cass: Max’s mother, who drives the town bus but dreams of being an astronaut. She does her best to look after her son, encouraging him in his pursuits.

Terrance(AU Original)(✝️)-Tadashi: Max’s older cousin, who he saw as a brother. He was a brilliant programmer, and he died in a fire at Max’s old school. Designed Markov.

Kim:

(These are my HC names for them)

Mr. Le(Lanh)-Amphitryon & Mr. Ature(Etienne)-Alcmene: Farmers in the countryside, they found the infant Kim after he had just been turned mortal and raised him as their own. They eventually decided to send him to Francois, after he discovered his true heritage and the people of the town grew especially hostile towards him.

Bob Roth- Hades: Kim’s uncle, the lord of the Underworld. He wants to take over Olympus and was the one responsible for turning his nephew into a mortal. He’ll do whatever it takes to win, even targeting those Kim cares for the most.

Zeus & Hera (Disney Characters)- Kim’s biological parents (Imagine them looking more like him), the king and queen of Olympus. His father encourages him to aspire to be true hero, in order to regain his godhood. They are unaware of Bob’s plot to overthrow them.

Alix:

Alim(✝)-Cassim: Alix’s father, the ‘king of thieves’. Unlike Cassim, he cared deeply for his children and always kept them safe. He was killed when one of his men betrayed him. Alix was only four at the time.

Jalil(✝): Alix’s older brother who was killed alongside her father. She named her pet monkey after him.

Mylene:

Fred(✝): Mylene’s beloved and kind father, the king of Haprele kingdom. He adored his daughter with all his heart, just as the people of the kingdom did them both. He was poisoned by his second wife.

Sarah(Producer Lady)- Evil Queen: King Fred’s second wife, intensely jealous of Mylene for her kindness, beauty and how she’s loved by the kingdom. After poisoning Fred, she drove Mylene out of the kingdom. She plans to kill the girl before graduation.

Sabrina:

Roger- Gepetto: Sabrina’s father, a woodcarver, who raised her as his daughter when she was brought to life. He teaches her to be honest and trustworthy, but can sometimes be forgetful. He sued the puppet show she was part of for child abuse, but the case was lost due to Sabrina technically not being a human child.

Rose:

Ali-Maurice: Rose’s older brother, a quirky inventor and a caretaker of the village children. Some people think he’s crazy, but Rose loves him dearly.

Juleka:

(Anarka and Jagged are divorced but still governed the land together. Penny is Juleka and Luka’s stepmother.)

Anarka-Mrs. Potts: Juleka’s mother, the lady of the castle. She was turned into a teapot, but is just as fiery as she was as a human. She cares for her daughter greatly, comforting and advising her.

Jagged-Lumiere: The lord of the castle and Juleka’s father. Turned into a candelabra, his favorite thing to do is still entertaining guests. He tries his best to keep his daughter’s spirits up.

Penny-Cogsworth: Jagged’s wife, turned into a antique clock. She keeps the palace in order, and does her best to maintain some semblance of normalcy for her stepchildren.

Luka: Juleka’s brother, transformed by the curse into a grand piano. He can no longer speak, but comforts and sometimes teases his sister with his music.

Ondine:

(I HC Ondine as being Scotch-Hispanic)

Arturo(Dad)- King Triton: Very strict and stern, he forbids his daughters from going to the surface, even going so far as to destroy his youngest daughter’s collection of objects from the land, driving her to go to the sea witch.

(AU ORIGINALS)⏬**

Olivia- The eldest of the seven, acts motherly towards all her sisters. Can also be a bit bossy.

Ophelia- The second eldest, and most studious. Quiet and withdrawn, she prefers to stay in her room and read.

Octavia- The third oldest and the “gifted” child. Can play six different instruments.

Olga- Ondine’s favorite sister, kind and helpful. Always willing to listen and give advice.

Oona- The third youngest, an absolute hopeless romantic. She’s often lost in dreamland.

Olympia- The second youngest, she can be a bit hostile and teases Ondine very often. Very competitive.

Kagami:

Tomoe-Fergus/Eleanor: Kagami’s mother, the warrior queen of the Tsurugi kingdom. She was blinded in a battle with the demon bear, Yamikuma. She is incredibly strict and controlling with her daughter.

Daisuke, Daijiro, Daiki (AU ORIGINALS)-Hamish, Hubert and Harris: Kagami’s three younger brothers, the princes of the kingdom. They are extremely mischievous, driving their mother and the castle staff crazy.

Zoe:

Chloé-Anastasia: Zoe’s half-sister, who she’s forced to essentially serve as a maid. However, Chloe may not be completely cruel at heart. A blowout with her sister and a chance exchange with her mother get her to realize she may need to change her ways.

Audrey-Lady Tremaine: Chloé and Zoe’s cruel mother, a selfish aristocrat who hates it when things don’t go her way. She had Zoe with another man, and had her treated as a servant all her life. Chloe completely emulates her.

Andre: Zoe’s stepfather, who is kinder to her than her sister and mother, though he’s hesitant to stand up for her. He cows down to whatever his wife and daughter want.

Mireille:

Ari(🎨)-Mufasa(✝): Mireille’s mother, and the queen of the Pride Lands. She was wise and strong, and Mireille adored and idolized her. Five years ago, she was tricked by her brother which ended in her dying in a wildebeest stampede. Mireille worries about disappointing her.

Scar(Disney Character): Mireille’s wicked uncle, who was responsible for her mother’s death. He currently rules the Pride Lands, leaving them in a state of despair and desolation. He believes his niece to be dead.

Reshma:

Dayalan & Aabha(🎨)- Julieta & Augustin: Reshma’s caring parents. Her mother has the ability to heal with her cooking, while her father has no gift due to marrying into the family. They love all three of their daughters and support them no matter what.

Lasya (AU ORIGINAL)- Luisa: Reshma’s younger sister, blessed with incredible strength. She is quiet and gentle, much shyer than Luisa. She takes on a massive amount of work and Reshma worries a lot about her.

Mithra (AU ORIGINAL)- Mirabel: Reshma’s youngest sister, the only one in the family not to receive a gift. Spirited and energetic, she tends to snap at people who criticize her for that. She and Reshma, unlike Isa and Mira, have always had a good, loving relationship.

Amrita(🎨)- Abuela: The matriarch of the family, she lost her husband to a band of raiders years before, causing her to become cold and harsh. She demands perfection and service from the family, unaware she is alienating them with her actions.

Austin T:

Karan & Saanvi Tomassian(🎨)- Sultan & Sultana of Agrabah: Austin’s parents and the rulers of Agrabah. After their son was kidnapped at two years old, they kept him on the palace grounds out of his fear for his safety. And maybe some…outside influence…

**Fun addition: In my Miraculous Canon HC’s, Ondine has twin eight-year old brothers, Rico and Duncan. You thought the Cesaire twins were bad…well, I’m guessing Ella and Etta have never purposely gotten *Nino* electrocuted. (Ondine is oblivious to their true nature. They love their sister, thankfully.) Her mom’s name is Elsie.)

#miraculous ladybug #disney au #ml au #class of heroes #mlb ocs #akuma class #science kids #families

[bwoahtastic]

what about a kings version of stepmom nico. toto is a powerful king with his adorable tiger cub princess seb, who he raises by himself. when seb gets a bit older, toto begins considering potential marriage matches for him and starts going to other kingdoms to find a suitable husband for seb. along the way he meets nico and begins getting on very well with him, to the point that he cannot imagine spending any time away from nico, so he proposes, and nico accepts, though he is nervous about toto's son liking him.

seb is very annoyed that toto doesn't let him come on the trip because he wants to pick his own husband dammit! but he does still trust toto to choose someone that he will like. but then toto comes home, and seb hears that he's brought someone with him, which worries him because he didn't think that he would have to get married quite so soon. and then when it turns out that toto has not brought home a husband for seb, but rather a princess for himself, seb has no idea how to react.

Oh plss!!

Toto raising seb alone after his queen died in childbirth and he is very close to his cub🥺 Seb is a little demon at times and a little spoiled because Toto can't say no to him kwkd

Seb getting older and when he is 15/16 Toto decides that since he is going to some other kingdoms for other business, he might as well see if there are any potential suitors. Not for now, he will only allow seb to marry at 18 minimum, but he wants to have a look around to start weeding put those unworthy of his cub!

Toto meeting Princess Nico snd he falls so quickly for the feisty clever thing! Sure nico is gorgeous too, but Toto is just so amused by his sharp humor and how smart the Omega clearly is and for the first time, he falls in love. Sure he loved his firdt wife but it was an arranged marriage, and he loved her as his friend, as a companion. With Nico, it's different.

He asks Nico to marry him and Nico agrees, equally enamoured with Toto although he is nervous about leaving his country, his family, and about meeting Seb.

Seb being so confused when Toto comes back with a bride, because he had no idea his dad wanted to remarry and it stresses him out a bit. He is used to it being just him and his dad and he doesn't want to share.

Seb being so bitchy at first to the new queen and pulling away from toto a lot more too because je doesn't know how to react to all this. But nico stays patient and kind even when seb growls at him because he gets it, Nico is so close with his father too and an only child as well.

Eventually tho, the feisty kitty softens and starts to like having Nico around and Nico can teach him more about court manners and how to nest, and Seb csn see how happy toto is with nico too🥺🥺

#asks #oh deer kings

[yume-tsuki]

Four Knights of the Apocalypse ~special Bedivere~the Dragon of Camelot part3 I finally finished my comic synopsis for my oc Bedivere . Born as son of the demon King Zeldris and Queen Gelda his future lay far away in the Kingdom of Chaos... (very much long post) the other parts can be found when you follow the # #bedivere egota #eight guards of the abyss

12

The years past and piece came back to Britannia, as well as Camelot did. The city went back to the place it had belonged to. King Arthur was cured and ruled his kingdom well.  >>It seems like it’s finally over Prince- I can’t look a woman straight into her eyes’ ?<< >>Who is talking so disrespectful?<<  Bedivere stood at his gate watching the passing people when he suddenly turned around to the voice of a woman. >>Should I turn of my cloth so you remember better?<< Finally it came back to his mind. >>The flashydemonlady!<< she laughed >>I prefer Io.<< >>Fine, and what do you want from me?<<He wondered himself why he was still so distant. >>well I don’t know for sure, but as I remember I thought about talking to you ones more, my little prince.<< >>Don’t call me that, I’m no prince here. I’m the Dragon of Camelot, no evil will enter the gates when I am around!<< >> Oh I see. Then a fine dragon you are! A fine one! You know we eat dragons for breakfast?<< >>You do what?<< she came closer again. >>And stop coming closer!<< >>Oh why? I want to eat you? If you a dragon, then you have to be eaten!<< >>Stop joking around! I know you are just talking silly things to confuse me!<< The older guards were already giggling behind  his back. >>You never told us you got a girlfriend Bedivere?<< >>How dare you!<< >>Go on! Sit on a tree with her!<< >>Oh, shut up!<< he yelled at them embarrassed >>That’s all your fault!<< she giggled as well while Bedivere took her hand going to the forest were no one could see or hear them. >>Why are you like that? Are all demons like that? Totally airheads?<< >> Aww , you Meany! Maybe I should call for help?<< >>Why? You are the one embarrassing me.<< >>Because you are holding my hand so tight that I think you will break it, or worse you took me to a cabinet right into the woods and do evil things to me.<< she looked at him with big puppy eyes. >>What kind of things? I never!<<Suddenly he knew what she talked about and let go of her. >>Never! What the hell… I’m not such a man! …The hell is wrong with you? Every time I see you, I act so not like I usually do? What is that, your magic power or something? Stop that! I …I just can’t think straight anymore!<< >>May you like me?<< >>What?...I…should like you? A demon? Stop making me laugh.<< Suddenly she looked sad turning away sobbing. >>So you don’t like me? I thought you would because I maybe like you.<< First he wasn’t sure what to do, now that she was crying, but then. >>You do what? Like me?...like you mean like a man and a woman like each other?<< >>Yes maybe… but I’m not sure as well, we should probably talk about it a bit more often.<< Now Bedivere was even more confused, >>maybe yes…I’m fine with talking some more.<< Not long after their first meeting, they stayed together at his house in Camelot. His parents were happy that his boy had found a fine girl he wanted to get married to. But there was still one last thing left to do!

13 >> Are you so afraid meeting with your parents in demon realm?<< >>I’m not sure. It feels so unreal…<< >>I now you can do it. You have to tell them about our wedding who comes around in 5 months!<< >>Yes, you are right.<< he smiled. >>King Zeldris, your son is waiting for you outside.<< >>Percival? What does he want?<< >>No not prince Percival, I mean your other son.<< He stood up and took the hallway quick followed by his wife till they entered the big door. They hold him close, talking about the past and how much they loved and missed him. >>I’m so happy you are back home<< Zeldris said after a while. >>I will not stay, my place is in Camelot; But I would love to see you at our wedding, and first I want you to meet my other family<< >>We would love to meet them too, my heart<< Gelda took his chin stroking him gently >>you can’t believe how happy we are to see you again.<< She  replied while kissing his forehead. Quick they decided to go with them to the human world, to meet Bediveres family too. It was already evening when Zeldris stood there next to his son>> Father, I’m sorry what I said the first time we met. I was young and I couldn’t imagine a family next to the one I already knew. But now, when I see them happy talking about the future. I wished I could have met you years ago,<< >>I’m happy to hear that. You will be surprised when I tell you about your brother and his wife, they not living that far from here.<< He told him about the other boy, Percival; and how they met. For the first time Bedivere had a memory of someone’s voice. >>I met him ones before I guess…I mean not as one of  the four knights, I mean far before that, but I can barely remember a thing.<< His father looked up to the sky. >>How often have I thought about both of you living with us like a family, we never really had.<< >>But now you have.<< his son answered. The day after they went to Percival, and soon he and Bedivere become like brothers. Only  a year after, it was autumn already, Percival went to his brother to bring him gifts, >>Congrats to a son,<<he said while arriving in Camelot. >>Thanks, how is Anne?<< >>It’s still a month, but she is ….well fine.<< >>Tell me the truth, she is fine right?<< Percival shook his head. >>Nasiens and the midwife saying she is a bit weak and maybe just afraid of the coming birth, but it is quite normal specially with the first child. I just hope everything will be fine.<< >>How horrible, what do you say if we come visiting both of you, so you can calm down. Also Anne, Io can help her getting relaxed << >>I don’t know<< >>Come on!  I can’t sleep a night when I know my brother and his love aren’t feeling well.<< >>fine.<< Percy said >>Thanks.<< They were already on their way back home when a mounted messenger appeared telling about Anne feeling bad.  But everything was fine in the end, she had gave birth to a girl this day.

14[enjoy watching them ]

15 Time passed one last time. It was in the middle of the night when Bedivere and Io’s five year old son woke up sneaked to his parents and woke them >>Papa, a thief is in the house! A thief! You have to look, quick!<< >>Calm down Bel you had a nightmare.<< But his son wasn’t getting calm, so his father stood up walking around the house till he went back to the bedroom. >>No one there, you can go back…<< >>A thief! Help!<< A neighbor cried out. Bedivere jumped out of the window confronting the man. >>I am Sir Bedivere, the dDagon of Camelot and no one will ever pass me without permission!<< ~How does Belinos knew there was thief on the neighbours house? Has he heared  or see something?~ >>Please, I did it for my siblings. I  just took food nothing more<< >>That’s what I hear from everbody. But I will find out the truth.<<

16 The day passed and in the end the guy had said the truth, Bedivere decided to took  him in as one of his man,  but with the condition, if he will do something wrong again, he will be brought to the dungeon. >>Before we get to our Routine training, you will help the towns folk. Listen to their stories, start by the man and woman you were stealing from. And first of all apologize to them.<< >> I will do Sir Bedivere.<< >>Fine, but breakfast comes first.<< He took him in and promising him food from his garden. After breafast they went outside, >>Papa wait, the man on the roof!<< Bedivere looked from his boy to the man, but the thief was quicker, catching the man who was falling. >>How does you know that?<< Soon they knew about his power. A power that could let him see a danger in a radius of  50 meters while it happened. >>A fine power do you have here, I bet one day you will make a fine Knight as your old man. If you want to be on, of course!<< _____________ Fin hope you guys liked it, the cover is based on the original cover, it was fun to work with it :) the dragon down there is Bediveres familiar

#mokushiroku no yonkishi #bedivere 8gota #eight guards of the abyss #seven deadly sins #nanatsu no taizai #four knights of the apocalypse #zeldris #gelda nnt #percival 4kota #anne 4kota