#he's already keeping King from reuniting with his parent

[targaryenrealnessdarling]

These Tender Hearts Beat as One

Aemond x widowed!female character

Summary: Aemond reunites with his childhood friend, a former ward of his mother || Word Count: 7k || Warnings: too much fucking backstory lol, p in v sex, breeding kink

Aemond could always tell when his mother was stressed. Out of all her silver-haired children, her second son had seemed the most adept at knowing before she even knew herself. All that remained was for him to discover the root of her worries, and calm her ever-heightening nerves if he could.

When Aemond was stressed, angered or oftentimes merely bored, nothing truly compared to the feeling of riding Vhagar, splitting through the air above King’s Landing to stretch her large, tattered wings. His beloved dragon appreciated the exercise in any case, restless from her days fought in wars, it was some consolation for him that flying was just as therapeutic for her as it was for him.

But when his dear mother was stressed, it was rooted in self-destruction, picking ceaselessly at her fingernails ‘til they were bloody and sore. And though he bit his tongue, not wishing to replicate the behaviour of his grandfather, sometimes it felt near impossible not to say anything, not to ask what was on her mind. So that whatever was swirling around her head with panic, could instead be shared out, and therefore less weight for her to carry.

Had Aegon done something perhaps?

Was there more trouble with Rhaenyra?

Or perhaps his father had said something to upset her, which seemed the most likely. Even in his sickly state, he was still capable of unknowing cruelty.

Even at five and ten, Aemond understood this.

His mother remained quiet, and it was not ‘til he sought out the company of his dear friend, that the truth became clear.

She had been his mother’s ward for little more than three years, and already Aemond had witnessed her enter the Keep as a clumsy, loud child and blossom into what many would consider a young woman already grown, though she was little older than Helaena. 

Her age in comparison to him had never once strained their friendship. In fact, at first, when Aemond was still freshly scarred emotionally by the trauma of losing his eye, he had remembered clapping his lone eye on her and scowling, thinking of her little more than a quarrelsome child. 

And, as Aegon had put it, ‘aggressively annoying’.

Which, at the time, was true enough. And yet it did not deter her from trying, Aemond would allow her the compliment of that.

She was much like him, a child created and born as a sort of secondary plan in case the first did not come to pass. A mere second daughter, and not only that, but bumped even further down the chain by her three older brothers, the eldest already wed with several children of his own. It was made abundantly clear by her own parents that she was merely another nuisance and therefore when placed into the care of the Targaryen royal family, the look of relief on their faces somewhat angered him, coupled by the manner in which they left with a goodbye that rivalled his own father’s attitude towards his children.

His empathy for her situation had drawn him to her, despite his stubbornness in wanting to pretend he did not crave friendship, especially from a girl. And her own stubbornness surprised him when he discovered she did not blindly seek the acceptance of any similar-aged child, she set her sights on Aemond alone and did not relent until eventually, he came to her instead.

He found a camaraderie with her that he had yet to find with his other siblings, feeling very much like friendship with her was more natural and spontaneous, where the ones with his family were calculated, planned and rooted in a cold necessity to keep up appearances. 

Not that she cared much for appearances. 

Her Septa berated her for what seemed like every other day for turning up to her needlepoint lessons with dirtied skirts and stray petals in her tangled hair, all from chasing one another through the bushes of the Keep to find some entertainment. Yet, even in the face of punishment, her smile never faltered, and insisted that it was all a bit of fun.

She somehow managed to inject her bright personality into his otherwise darkened life.

Because of her, there was beauty in everything. There was serenity in sitting in the Godswood and watching the petals settle in the breeze that ran past his neck and made him shiver. There was a startling allure when he introduced her to Vhagar for the first time and her hand ran across her darkened scales, seeing her expression lift in sheer wonder, experiencing her bewilderment as if it were the first time. And there was virtue in the innocence of their relationship, and how his heart began to swell with a childlike sense of belonging in her.

The unconditional power of her friendship he was sure was all he ever needed. In the way she always uttered, dragged away for her lessons in etiquette, but beaming at him.

‘My friendship is always yours,’ she would say, like a mantra.

‘Just as mine shall always be.’

He thought for a long while that he was the most hideous person in this world, not least since Aegon had dragged him to the brothels only a few years before. And yet when he shared a chaste kiss with her under the Weirwood tree. Clumsy and impractical and yet all magical all at once, he thought that when he was older, stronger, he would ask her to be his wife.

Aemond could feel the anxiety seeping off her as soon as he stepped into her chambers. Like she had a lot on her mind but not the courage to open her mouth and say it.

“What is it?”

His heart lurched into his chest when she lifted her head, swallowing her feelings and taking a deep, shaky breath.

“My sister has succumbed to a fever. She is dead.”

Aemond sighed, as if absorbing her grief. But when he took one step forward to comfort his friend, she shook her head, “there is more.”

Her tone of voice alone was enough to set every nerve on edge. Aemond stood as if stuck to the flagstone floor, and realised that the once clumsy, small girl he had once known was acting very much like a young woman now. Worlds apart, despite being stood before her.

“I am to honour the planned betrothal with Lord Lefford, under my father’s orders.”

It was the only moment Aemond remembered wanting to vomit with nausea, he had not felt such churning in his gut even on the day he lost his eye.

She sat, looking at him as if to gauge his reaction to the news, knowing perhaps in her own heart the feelings that were shared between them. And Aemond felt his churning nausea turn to anger, at how easily she had allowed her will to be broken by a command from her father, which in his opinion, she need not obey. She was, after all, a near half a decade younger than her sister, and the man in question older than her own father.

How could she have given up like this so easily.

“You will go through with this?”

He did not mean for his tone of voice to appear accusatory, but when he saw that wide-eyed helpless expression, he knew immediately it had.

“I can hardly argue with my father, Aemond.”

He felt his fists clench hard in his hand, fingernails creating crescent shaped indents in his flesh that reddened, his reply is stiff, “you simply act as if you have no choice in the matter.”

“Not all of us get one.”

“You cannot leave.”

“I must,” she insists, her voice breaking somewhat at the look of disappointment and betrayal on his face, “please do not make this more difficult than it already is, Aemond.”

“I am not the one making this difficult,” he replies flatly, his head throbbing with an incoming migraine, “If you are as much my friend as I am yours, you will not leave me.”

She could feel herself stepping towards him, drawn by some invisible force for comfort that he was not yet providing. She knew he could be capable of being cruel, but to be on the receiving end after all they had gone through was heart-breaking.

And though she was a year his senior, standing so small before him, she felt so much a child.

“Aemond, please-” she begged, reaching out for him and wincing when he pulled away, his brows drawn together in disgust.

“Marry him and I shall never speak to you again.”

Her hand dropped to her side as if limp, as if all life had drained from her body as well as the colour from her face. Her lip quivered, “you can't mean that.”

He looked in her eyes, the raw grief of watching her slip away filling him with an unmistakable bitterness, though for what? Her? Himself? Their friendship? He could not put it into words.

“I mean every word.”

That is the last memory he has of her, looking every bit as broken as he'd intended her to feel. In the days that followed, as her family arrived once more to steal her away, Aemond felt the gnawing grip of regret when he chose not to see her off at the courtyard, watching from his window as she scanned the space around for her good friend's presence and didn't find it.

It was then Aemond began to hate himself for every bit of cruelty enacted against her from him. Her carriage disappeared into the distance until it was nothing, leaving a pit of pain in his heart.

Not a day passed that Aemond did not at least think of her and wait for any correspondence to arrive, with his name etched into the paper in her curved, feminine handwriting.

But as he'd feared, she had taken his words to heart, and no letter ever arrived, and eventually, it felt no use counting the days and moons since he'd last seen her.

The guilt would eat away at him for years, the memory of her pained expression etched into his vision. Even as he grew into a man, it would never fully fade, though he was quick to tell himself that he shouldn’t care, that she was no longer the same girl he had loved so much, not since she chose her own fate.

In an attempt to fill the hole she'd left behind, he busied himself with the sword, intent with some level of obsession at becoming the most skilled swordsman in Westeros. 

Aemond would train for hours at a time, the dull ache deep within him pushed away by the strain of sparring drills and intense workouts with the sword. Though even in the midst of training, his thoughts would always be in the back of his mind, taunting him with the guilt that he felt, the shame of how he had treated her at the end.

By itself, it was not enough, but even burying his nose in books did not blur that heavy ache. But it did not mean he could not at least try.

Which is why he sighed in annoyance as he sat by the fireplace in his chambers, a large tome opened in his lap and two knocks rapped at the door.

“Enter.”

He did not tear his attention away as the maidservant entered with a short and quick curtsy, hands clasped, “Your grace, Queen Alicent has requested your presence.”

That alone was enough to draw his attention away from his reading. His mother did not request him for a small matter.

He had wondered if perhaps Aegon had managed to slip out of the Keep again, for yet another one of his excursions into Flea Bottom, and send him to retrieve his brother.

Perhaps his mother finally thought enough time had passed and he was much of a man to suggest a marriage proposal. For some reason, the thought made him ill.

“Thank you, Ser Criston,” he heard his mother say in a muffled tone once he was announced.

Aemond raised his gaze to his mother, relieved to see her calm, and dare he say, happy.

“Aemond,” she greeted softly, her smile gentle and her touch on his arms comforting, “do not look so forlorn.”

“You wished to see me.”

“I did,” Alicent beamed, clasping her hands at her front, “Come.”

He could not help but give a puzzled expression as he walked beside his mother through the winding halls of the Keep, wondering perhaps why her behaviour was so different than usual. A sort of anxiety fed through her, but not the self-destructive kind. 

“We are to receive some guests today. I would like you to greet them.”

Aemond quirked a brow, confused and somewhat annoyed in equal measure, “I am not accustomed to greeting-”

“They have travelled a long way, so remember to be courteous,” Alicent added, flashing one of her tight-lipped smiles, which only served to confuse Aemond further. His mother led him to the top of the staircase of the empty, echoing foyer and instructed quickly, “do be a gracious host, Aemond.”

He did not have a mere moment to question her, before he was watching the back of his mother disappear down the very same hallway they had just walked together. All he managed was a baffled shake of his head, as if by some miracle this was all some mad dream he had conjured. He questioned why on earth his mother would allow him to greet these esteemed guests alone, out of all her antisocial children.

But ever dutiful, he descended the stairs, hearing the low voice of Ser Westerling greeting whomever was arriving in a warm, formal tone, with their silhouettes casting blurred shadows onto the flagstone floor. Aemond’s feet were planted firmly on the step without even realising it.

This esteemed guest was no stranger to him.

Though the years had matured her gracefully, Aemond is sure he would recognise her anywhere, as she looked every bit the same as that day he regretted seeing her carriage leave King’s Landing. She stood tall, her cape fastened at her front with her house crest nestled in the middle, her dark skirts framing her womanly figure as her eyes trailed the details of the Keep that had changed since she had last been there.

Aemond stared wordlessly, the emotions so long buried resurfacing as if they had never left. His breath felt hot, his mind struggling to accept what his lone eye beheld before him. That she was here after so many years separated, in the very flesh, and yet he was unable to utter a single word.

She wandered about the space, commenting to the young woman beside her, who carried a child no older than three in her arms, how it had all looked so much larger in her youth. So he took this moment where she had not yet noticed him to look upon her with wonder, frozen entirely in place with the unexpectedness of her return. His mind raced with the thoughts of what this meeting could mean, for him, for her, and for their future; and he could not deny the strong tug of guilt in his chest for how he had treated her all those years ago, and how her renewed presence only made them more real.

Clearing his throat as he approached, the lady beside her noticed him first, “Prince Aemond,” she greeted with a curtsy, prompting her also to lay her eyes on him once more.

“Your grace,” she smiled warmly with a quick curtsy, with such a formality that made his heart ache.

He craned his head to bow lightly at her, “My Lady,” he replied with some stiffness, before gazing once more into her friendly, soft eyes and allowing his shoulders to relax, “I wondered perhaps if you would recognise me.”

Her laugh made his stomach flip, “I do not think I could ever forget you. Though I must confess, I wondered the same for myself.”

Her smile could not be described as anything less than perfect and a feeling that he harboured for her so long ago began to creep back in before he could stop it, “my Lady, I must apologise right away.”

But she shook her head, looking down at her hands, “it was a long time ago.”

He did not wish to upset her further by mentioning such an incident that had harmed his pride since, but knew that her memories of it were just as vivid as his own, “And I have not forgotten. You did what was expected for a lady in your position, and yet I was too selfish to understand that at the time. Please forgive me.”

He could not take the desperation out his tone, no matter how hard he tried. And still, she smiled sadly at his words.

“You must know that I did not wish to leave you.”

“I do,” he replied quickly, the memories of his guilt burning a hole in his throat, trying to hide the bitterness he felt towards himself, “I must confess - I have missed you greatly.”

Her hands clasped at her front, she blinked slowly and swallowed thickly, “I have missed you too.”

The silence stretched between them. Years of separation and longing had left them both yearning, but lacking the courage of knowing what to say. Aemond cleared his throat, his hands behind his back with anxiety, seeing that her ‘favoured’ husband was still not yet present.

“Are we to receive your husband as well?” he asked with some stiffness, or perhaps bitterness.

She cocked her head ever so slightly, eyebrows pulled together in confusion, until a small smile of realisation graced her features, “I regret to inform you I am recently widowed.”

In any other situation, Aemond would have been mortified at her reply. But with her smile came a rush of realisation himself, and hope swelled in his heart, and he shifted his weight from foot to foot, hoping to all the gods that she could not see the way his thought ran wild in his head, and made his breeches tighten, “Widowed-” 

“Indeed. I am sorry to disappoint you, my Prince. In truth, I have just come out of mourning,” she nodded, biting back another coy smile, showing in her mannerisms that it was no great loss to her.

“I am sorry for your loss, my Lady.”

She shook her head softly, “my husband left a suitable will, so that my child and I live comfortably and so there is no need for me to pursue future marriages should I not wish to.”

Her careful wording was not lost on him, and Aemond could not help the sense of glee at this new and recent change in her life, the bitter anger at having lost her to some decrepit old man years previous seemingly dissipating. And yet despite this, he attempted to keep it hidden, not wishing to seem disrespectful to her late husband.

“Might I present you my daughter,” she added, taking the child from the woman beside her into her own and resting the shy young girl on her hip. The child’s wide-eyed innocent expression unapologetically took all of Aemond in, as children often do, and he was reminded very much of his dear friend when she was small.

She was the image of her mother, save for the slightly lighter hair, with every feature of her etched into her daughter’s youthful face. And the reality of such similarities made him feel both joy and sorrow all at once.

“She is beautiful.” His voice was quiet, seeing the child in her arms was shy and reserved, unlike her mother, but thankful somewhat that her little one was not in the slightest alike to the man she had been forced to marry. Looking into the eyes of her child felt much like staring at the girl he once knew, and with that, a rush of affection.

Aemond thought, that in different circumstances, this child could have been theirs, a shared expression of their affections for one another. That all those years ago, had her father not coerced her into honouring her late sister’s betrothal, that she and Aemond would have their own children by now.

Before he could think too long, the small girl whined in her arms and she put her down immediately, the little patter of childish feet nearly had Aemond break into a grin, watching her run off with the nursemaid chasing behind.

“I am afraid she is a curious little thing. Like mother like daughter I suppose”, she smiled brightly.

Aemond nodded, the rush of memories bringing a wistful smile to his face, “Like mother like daughter,” was all he managed to reply, watching the mischievousness unfold. Yet, once the child and the nursemaid had left them alone, she chuckled softly, feeling his heartbeat slow in pace with hers.

“May I confess something to you, without fear of judgement?” Aemond asked, his heart thudding as she nodded in return, “You may think me foolish, but I must confess that my mind still lingers on the memories of our time together, and I have found no way to erase the feelings they carry with them - your return to King’s Landing has only reinforced them,” he confessed, looking into her warm gaze, “for now, when I look at you, I cannot help but feel just as I did then.”

He watched her swallow thickly, and take a deep, meaningful breath, like what she was going to say would be heavy, “and, what feelings are those, might I ask?”

His heart felt as it was beating so fast it was cracking his ribs, throat closing with anxiety. The feelings he had tried so hard to hide with a mask of bitterness now overflowing with terrifying intensity. Yet, to say such feelings out loud to her, someone he had trusted so much in his youth, made it feel all the more real. And as he stared into her eyes, he wanted nothing more than for her to share them, despite their years of absence from one another.

“That I love you - and have from the moment I met you.”

The words came out quickly, and as soon as he uttered them he felt his cheeks grow hot, knowing her response was either one way or the other and that he, a man so long disconnected from his own feelings, hiding them with his pride for so many years, was now opening up his vulnerability. 

He wanted her to love him. So desperately.

She sighed quietly in relief, “I have loved you as well. And I was saddened to have left you - and will forever be vehemently sorry for that.”

Though his relief was palpable, but he shook his head first, “You were right then, and always have been, that you had no choice or opinion in the matter. Therefore, I will accept no apologies.”

Her eyes glistened with emotion at his words, and when Aemond stepped forward and took her cheek in his palm, her breath hitched in such a way he was sure they would spill forth in tears. But the strong person she had always been, she held them back.

“I feared - you would not desire me,” she confessed quietly. 

Aemond smirked, “It may take more than a few years of separation to extinguish what was once there. I have loved you since that day beneath the Weirwood Tree, and I will love you until this life ends and the next one begins.”

She gave a watery smile at his sweet words, “though I have been wed once already with a child?”

He was silent for a moment as he considered her question, and not a bit of him even wondered whether it were possible, “my love is no fickle thing,” he smiled, “in time I hope I may become as close as a father to her as I may become a husband to you.”

He watched as her unshed tears formed a constellation on her eyelashes, but a relieved smile graced her delicate features. Aemond could not remember the last time he had been this close to her, able to detect the delicate scents brushed through her hair and the way her cheeks warmed at the close proximity between them, and undeniable tension.

The thought of kissing her, having her to himself, made something arousing tighten in his breeches, to his embarrassment.

He drew in a breath, leaning forward to capture her lips, but both drew back a pace suddenly.

“My Lady! Would you care to join us for supper this evening,” Alicent smiled brightly, as if knowing some great secret seeing them both stood straight and blushing. And she had to take a moment to think and stammer out her reply,

“Oh - yes, I would be delighted-”

“Wonderful! I shall see you to your chambers,” the Queen beamed, giving Aemond a sideways glance as the two women he most respected in life walked alongside one another.

He felt as if the entire evening was a true test of his will and determination. Aemond is certain Alicent meant no ill will by inviting the woman he unequivocally loved to supper with his family; but as he sat beside her, remembering how close he had been just a few hours before, it was almost as if everyone around him was aware and simply dangling the situation in front of his face.

And he cursed any god that existed that Aegon was not drowned in his cups that night, as he usually was. On this night, he was frustratingly lucid and hyper-aware.

Helaena, at first, was impartial to the sudden get-together, but as soon as she and Helaena saw one another, it was as if no time at all had passed. They were, of course, the same age when she had been his mother's ward, and as well as with Aemond, had formed a close friendship.

The princess was of course eager to catch up, and even invited her up to dance, to which she happily obliged as Aemond watched from his spot at the table. It was nice to see Helaena happy for a change.

A sorrowful thought had occurred to Aemond that both his friend and Helaena were pressured into marriages and motherhood far too young. And seeing them very much acting like young girls with one another, only exacerbated this feeling.

They talked quickly with excitement, planning to have their children meet up with one another and play in the gardens. And while they were engrossed in conversation, Aegon slid next to his brother, with a knowing smirk on his face.

“She is just as animated as I remember,” the young prince smirked, raising his eyebrows at Aemond over the rim of his cup.

“I will hear none of your depravity about her.”

Aegon threw him a faux-offended expression, “I had not even got there yet. Do you have such a low opinion of me?”

Aemond ignored him and sipped his own Dornish Red.

“You wish to marry her.”

“And you are perceptive.”

“Gods, I love it when you compliment me.”

“And insufferable.”

“What makes you think grandfather will allow you to marry her anyway? He's a dry old cunt, he will not care if you love her or not. He would have you wed to some plain-faced twat from who-knows-where.”

For one infuriatingly brief moment, Aemond had to concede that Aegon was probably right. And with one restless finger tapping against the table, he glanced over at his mother and grandfather suspiciously squished together on one end of the table, leaning towards each other and whispering in low voices, with Otto Hightower looking at his beloved friend from beneath his brow.

They were talking about her. Discussing her. And by the expression on his grandfather, analysing her.

Aemond felt his heart beat faster at the prospect that they were speaking so secretively about her without her knowledge. It seemed a stark contrast to the way the two women on the other side of the table were laughing and smiling brightly, something so rarely seen on Helaena’s face nowadays.

“She is no maiden, that is for certain. Though if you are lucky, perhaps only the first three inches of her have been tainted by Lefford’s withered old cock.”

Aemond wrinkled his nose at Aegon’s depraved quip, despite his somewhat polite request for him not too. Perhaps he’d expected too much courtesy from his elder brother. Or perhaps, more likely, with the exciting renewed presence of Lord Lefford’s widow, Aegon felt the need to perform, and exaggerate his usual unfortunate traits of his personality.

“‘Tis almost as worse as our dear sister being wed to me.”

“I am certain there is nothing worse than that,” Aemond replied quickly, behind the rim of his cup, failing to keep his gaze from forever drifting to the figure of her from across the candles and ornaments.

Aemond found himself captivated by the way she moved, the subtle grace in her gestures that spoke volumes of the woman she had become. Gone was the innocence of youth, replaced by a quiet strength and resilience that only seemed to enhance her beauty. He couldn't help but notice the way her laughter rang out like music, filling the room with warmth and light. It was a sound he had missed more than he cared to admit, a reminder of simpler times when they were just children with the world at their feet.

But now, as he watched her twirl across the dance floor with Helaena, there was something undeniably magnetic about her presence. It was as if she had blossomed into a flower, her petals unfurling to reveal a depth and complexity that left him breathless.

He attempted not to move too quickly once the festivities were over, afraid of showing her in his actions his desperation to be close to her as he offered his arm, “might I see you to your chambers, my Lady?”

She gave a shy smile that morphed into one of amusement, and Aemond is sure he felt something akin to that stomach-flipping sensation when he was flying out on Vhagar when her hand rested on the inside of his forearm, “Very well.”

Aemond chose to ignore the low snicker of his elder brother, showing him his back instead, with the woman he loved on his arm.

“You are aware I know this Keep better than I do my own home, and am perfectly capable of finding my chambers myself?” she said with a teasing lilt.

Aemond couldn't help but chuckle softly, the sound echoing in the empty corridor. "Forgive me, my Lady. It seems my chivalry gets the better of me in your presence."

Her laughter rang out, filling the silence with warmth. "Chivalry or a desire to prolong our conversation, Prince Aemond?"

He felt a surge of joy at the playful banter, grateful for the opportunity to spend even a few moments alone with her. "Perhaps a bit of both, my Lady. Though I must admit, the thought of your company is a temptation I find hard to resist."

She looked at her feet, as if to hide the rising warmth to her face, “I must confess, it is nice to once again be somewhere familiar, with the company I admire most. When my husband was alive it could often get rather lonely.”

Aemond fell quiet for a moment, swallowing thickly, trying to navigate his feelings in the midst of a difficult situation, “I hope that he was kind to you.”

She glanced up at him, her eyes revealing a depth of gratitude that stirred something within him. "He had his moments," she admitted with a small smile, "but kindness was not his strongest suit. Still, I suppose I cannot fault him entirely. He provided for me in his own way."

Aemond could sense the underlying weight in her words, the unspoken struggles she had endured beneath the facade of mere cordiality. He didn't need to ask to know that her late husband had been less than supportive.

"You deserve far more than just provision, my Lady," he said earnestly, his gaze unwavering as he spoke.

Aemond could almost feel his heart sink as he had realised they were stood before her chamber doors, her hand slipping from his arm, and yet a fire stoking fierce then at the thought of an invitation inside.

She clasped her hands delicately, her warm eyes meeting his with a gentle intensity. "I couldn't help but notice Queen Alicent and the Lord Hand engaged in such ceaseless conversation," she remarked, her voice soft and thoughtful. "I do not wish to presume—"

Aemond, catching the subtle implication in her words, swiftly interjected, "I cannot claim to know their exact sentiments." His gaze met hers, offering reassurance without a hint of desperation. "But I refuse to allow something as trivial as their approval to deter me. I've already endured the pain of losing you once."

There was a quiet determination in his voice, a resolve that mirrored the fire in her own eyes. In that moment, they shared an unspoken understanding, a mutual agreement to pursue their feelings despite the potential obstacles that lay ahead.

She nodded, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Your courage is admirable, Prince Aemond. But we must proceed cautiously. The court is a web of intricate politics, and our actions could have far-reaching consequences."

Her words were crafted in such a way that reminded him of her personality in their youth, understanding of the repercussions and yet boldly standing tall in the face of them. And with her small, mischievous smile, he knew all the same that whatever she uttered was only done so to extend her cordiality.

"I understand," he replied, his tone tinged with determination. "But I cannot ignore what my heart tells me."

"Nor can I," she admitted softly, her gaze meeting his with a mixture of vulnerability and resolve.

Silence settled between them for a moment, the weight of their unspoken desires hanging in the air. Then, with a subtle shift in her demeanour, she turned towards her chamber door. Without a word, she reached out and gently pushed it open, leaving it ajar. A silent invitation hung in the air, enticing Aemond to step inside.

Aemond's heart skipped a beat as he watched her gesture, his pulse quickening with anticipation. Without hesitation, he took a step forward, drawn irresistibly towards the open door and the promise of privacy within.

With a shared glance filled with unspoken understanding, Aemond turned towards her chamber doors, crossing the threshold into the privacy of her chambers, where their hearts could speak freely without the constraints of the outside world.

She spoke quietly, her face illuminated warmly by the soft flicker of candlelight. "I hope you do not think less of me for this," she murmured, her voice tinged with vulnerability. "You can imagine, for me there is no great ceremony in it."

Aemond's heart swelled with tenderness at her words, his gaze filled with an understanding that transcended mere words. "I could never think less of you," he replied softly, his voice brimming with sincerity.

Aemond slowly closed the distance between them, their expressions never wavering, his steps deliberate yet gentle. He reached out, his hand cupping her face tenderly, as he gazed into her eyes with an intensity that spoke of his deep affection. In that moment, the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them suspended in a timeless embrace. The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows across their intertwined figures, bearing witness to the union of two souls bound together by love and longing.

Her lips parted to whisper, “I do not wish for you to do all of this out of guilt-”

She caught herself when his thumb traced her cheek, waiting for him to answer, “I do not make this bid out of remorse. I wish to be with you, and I wish to make you mine.”

Aside from the crackling heat of the fire within the hearth, her breath was all that was audible between them, coming heavier from between her lips as his thumb feathered down her cheek and to her bottom lip, caressing the skin there. After that, he felt her eyelashes against his cheek flutter when he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers with a tenderness usually unbecoming of his personality.

Years of longing had each of them pressing closer to each other, lost in the sound of their soft kisses, and Aemond felt his clothing below his waist become tight with need once he caressed her tongue with his and pried her lips apart like the petal of a flower and tasting the sweet nectar within.

Her hands that had found his shoulders slid over the sleek leather to his front, tenderly and gingerly pulling the buckles apart to loosen his doublet. Her actions, instead of spurring embarrassment, renewed a deep-rooted vigour beneath, and Aemond’s new task was to pull at the laces of her dress behind her, and pull the fabric that had hidden her body from him.

He felt her shiver, pulling the heavy dress from her shoulder to pool at her waist, pushing them as fervently off her as he was able, “was he at least good to you,” Aemond asked in a whisper, his breath hot at her neck while she pulled at the laces of his breeches. 

“I do not wish to speak of him,” she answered with determination and confidence, but a breathless, wanton whisper herself, wanting nothing more than to consummate years of harboured affections masked by friendship, “I only want you.”

Her words had his heart stutter in his chest, pulling her now almost bare form atop him as he sat back onto the bed, with her hair loosened like this and her shoulders blossoming with gooseflesh, he found that he was incapable of keeping his hands at his sides and explored the shape of her feminine body beneath the shift she wore. 

Even the sheer motion of her brushing against his hardened member and her breasts filling his palms could have been enough for Aemond, but there was no returning at this point. She sighed against his lips as his fingers dipped beneath the hem of her shift to ruck the thin fabric up around her hips, squeezing the flesh of her thighs to pull her closer onto his lap.

Warmth bloomed at her cheeks, but it did not deter her as she reached between them and smiled at Aemond’s loud moan, stroking his rapidly hardening length in her palm, focussing her attention towards the velvety tip. 

She lifted herself in his lap, fingers threaded at the hair at his nape as if to anchor herself to him, and both sighed with the utmost relief of their union once he pressed himself into her, and she sank her warmth onto him, enveloping him with her body. Her lips parted at the stretch, somewhat prepared and yet the intrusion still stealing the air from her lungs.

Foreheads pressed together, Aemond's hands gripped her at her waist, pushing his hips up into her as hard as he could to sink deeper inside her, “I have dreamt of this - for so long - being with you like this -” 

A faint sheen glimmered on her collarbones as she slowly moved her hips on him, Aemond's legs parted somewhat, widening hers and opening her up more so he could rock up into her with her rhythm. The closeness of their position had the blunt head of his cock massage that sensitive patch within, her eyebrows knitted together in sweet pleasure.

“That's it -” he cooed quietly, almost watching the way she moved with admiration and curiosity, her tight, silky walls squeezing his length with every thrust of herself down. He felt her arousal coat the base of him, and the sound of their ever-quickening coupling filled the otherwise quiet chambers.

She held onto his shoulders, the amber glow of the fireplace picturing her expression in the most arousing way Aemond had ever imagined. Pulling her shift down her chest, he groaned lowly at the sight of her breasts and took one in his palm and mouthed at the other, taking her stiffened nipple between his lips in a way that made a shuddering moan slip past her lips.

“Gods - I would adore to watch you swell with my child - would you like that -”

All she could do was nod feebly, words unable to occupy her mouth where soft, sweet sounds of pleasure were pouring out. Aemond smirked, grazing his teeth over her bud.

“yes, you would like to serve your husband - give him children, wouldn't you - fuck-” his voice strained at the effort it took to hold himself back, his hands sliding down the column of her back to her plump backside, palms gripping tight and guiding her rhythm onto him, over and over.

She moaned loudly, the motion of being pulled back and forth and yet still impaling herself on him driving the fat head of his cock into the deepest and most forbidden parts of her.

“Aemond -”

“And once you have one - I'll fuck yet another one into you - keep you fat with child” his breathing grew ragged and shaky, “- take it - like a good little wife should-”

“Yes - yes-” she breathed quickly, the words slipping out without realising what they were for, her blind acceptance of being his wife, or the rising waves of pleasure coursing white, hot through her body.

He felt her squeezing him and hastened both of her rhythms, dragging her back into his lap and pushing up into her wet heat ceaselessly. Both the numbing ache of her peak and her bud rolling against his body in quick succession had her hands gripping around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck as her limbs flooded with warmth.

“That's it, ābrazyrys -”

“Gods, Aemond-” she squeaked, completely overcome and possessed by the heights of pleasure rolling through her, the endless rhythm of him fucking up into her only prolonging it.

Her tight walls squeezed him so deliciously that Aemond's heart leapt into his throat, completely surprised as he pulsed thickly and spilled within her, his lone eye tightly shut. His own fulfilment had his hips twitching, shallowly pushing his seed into her, and hoping that it took.

Even once he was completely spent and exhausted, softening inside her, neither moved, and he simply felt her tender fingertips at his shoulders in light soft circles, massaging him. And thought, that this is how it always should have been, had he fought for her.

Her breath fluttered against his skin, herself tired in exertion from their shared pleasure.

“I was a fool - for allowing you to slip from my grasp.”

She sat up, to look down at him, her face flushed, hair in messy waves, looking every bit as beautiful as the day he'd lost her.

But she smiled, her finger tracing the pattern impressed on the leather of his eye patch, “you may have been a fool,” she started.

Her finger hooked beneath it, and lifted it away, her expression unchanged as her thumb stroked the indent of the scar at his cheek. Aemond felt his heart soar in a way that almost felt terrifying.

“I never slipped from your grasp,” she uttered gently, “my heart was always yours.”

Aemond brushed her hair from her features, her words sending waves of ecstasy thrumming in his veins.

“Just as mine shall always be.”

General Taglist: @aemondsfavouritebastard @bellstwd @blairfox04 @buckybarnesb-tch @castellomargot @hb8301 @jamespotterismydaddy @mochi-rose @natty2017 @nenelysian @randomdragonfires @risefallrise @thelittleswanao3 @theoneeyedprince @thetrueblackheart @tsujifreya @urmomsgirlfriend1 @valeskafics @valleyof-goldenlilies @virtualsweetsqueen @watercolorskyy @emmaisafictionwhore @minholy223

#aemond #prince aemond x reader #aemond x y/n #aemond x fem!reader #aemond x you #aemond x reader #aemond x oc #aemond targaryen fanfiction #aemond targaryen imagine #prince aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen #prince aemond targaryen smut #aemond smut #prince aemond fic #aemond fanfic #aemond fanfiction #aemond fic #aemond fandom #hotd fanfic #aemond x female #ewan mitchell #ewan mitchell characters #aemond stannies #aemond targaryen smut #aemond targaryen fan fiction #aemond targaryen fanfic #aemond targaryen fic #prince aemond x you #prince aemond

[quitealotofsodapop]

More details on my "The Monkey King and the Infant" au;

Sun Wukong was given MK's egg by Nezha under the Jade Emperor's command. The Lotus Prince, equally disgusted by Heaven's order, promised to keep quiet on whatever the Monkey King chose to do with the egg.

The Jade Emperor, Lao Tzu, most of the Celestials and Demons that had past beef with Sun Wukong; All want this stone egg scrambled. Save strangely enough for Princess Iron Fan, who's already watching the baby stone monkey's career with great interest.

MK's egg being formed is "somehow" connected to Macaque being resurrected by LBD. Only LBD knows the true reason.

Sun Wukong and Macaque reunited during the process of deciding what to do with the egg. It wasnt pretty, but both agreed that it was an issue far greater than their estrangement.

The two wandered for sometime, just trying to find a way for the unhatched Stone Monkey to live in peace separated from the chaos of Heaven. Until they came across a noodle stand with an unusually familiar face.

Macaque initially protested leaving the egg with Pigsy. However, when the pig demon assumed the pair were down-on-their luck soon-to-be-parents needing a safe space to rear their unborn, he offered the apartment above the shop for free. Macaque was quick to reconsider his first impression.

The Monkeys, Pigsy, and Tang, are all co-parenting the little undercooked Monkey. It can be a little confusing when MK grows up and mentions having four separate parents but people are mostly polite about it. Uncle Sandy has been tagging in for babysitting duty ever since Pigsy caught a horde of Flower Fruit Monkeys filling in for their King on diaper duty.

Nezha pops in after a few months post-hatch, and pretty much cries in relief and shame that he suspected for even a moment that Sun Wukong would harm the little infant. Becomes MK's unofficial Fairy Godfather.

Macaque and the few Celestials who know of MK's existance call him "The Egg" long after he's hatched. It's easier to see him as something that can still be crushed. Macaque's title eventually turns into an adoring nickname. The Celestial's title becomes a threat.

Pigsy and Tang were legit unaware that the two Monkey Demons that showed up are the ones from the stories. After all, there's gotta be a bunch of them hanging around right? Right?

One day Pigsy walks in on MK's egg being warmed in a nest of heated blankets, and quickly puts two and two together. Him and Tang both agree that all these little details stay inside the noodle shop.

MK hatched surrounded by adoring eyes and a warm bowl of noodles. More suspicions are raised when he looks like a odd mix of the two adult stone monkeys. His offical name is "Qi Xiaotang", since he's the little piece of Heaven that the Jade Emperor cannot control.

Sun Wukong: "First one to get called Dad gets naming privileges!"

Baby MK imprinted a lot from Pigsy. Cue piglet squealing and grunts in addition to regular baby monkey noises. The sounds made during bath time got animal control called on the shop more than once.

Tang is still a big Journey to the West nerd. Him and Macaque sometimes grab cocktails and talk about relationship issues.

MK has built-in Gold Vision + Glamour filter. Its a little startling for demons who thought they had perfect glamours. MK himself looks just "human-enough" that he can pass as human easily.

Mei is still MK's bff. Although she's confused why he keeps saying she has scales. Red Son keeps running into them pre-Staff and is very annoyed.

At the time of the show's canon; Sun Wukong's Staff willingly gets removed by MK, tricked by PIF and Red Son. And the Demon Bull King aint happy to see a mini-Wukong when he wakes up.

MK: "My parents are gonna Kill me."

The waking of DBK, and MK inheriting Sun Wukong's powers, things get a little heated at home. Esp since LBD wants to "cash in" her favor to Macaque, old wounds get reopened, and the Jade Emperor is starting to realise that Sun Wukong didnt smash the stone egg and that Nezha has been covering for him.

This au is consuming me.

#lmk #lego monkie kid #the monkey king and the infant #the monkey king and the infant au #lmk s4 spoilers #lmk au #qi xiaotian #sun wukong #six eared macaque #liu er mihou #shadowpeach #lmk pigsy #lmk tang #freenoodleshipping #lmk nezha #the jade emperor #monkey mk

[beanghostprincess]

Trying not to project trans parents leaving in fear of rejection and wanting to protect their family from ridicule and shame but to be reunited with trans child who left the village for the same reason years later on to yasopp and Usopp

Imma just give it to you so you can think about it instead

What if I start crying? What then?

This is such a genius thought, honestly. Thinking about Banchina never telling Usopp about his dad being trans but always saying that if he ever wanted to be more or different than what people viewed him as, that it's perfectly fine (Using this with transmasc Usopp because it's my fav headcanon for him). He never got to tell his mom about him being a boy, but she knew. Looking back at his past now, it was obvious she already knew. After her death, he doesn't see himself capable of anything for a while. The whole village helps him out (people think he's a her. Perhaps just a tomboy, after all. Every time he says he's a boy people think it's just a prank or that he's lying) but he can't be himself completely. The only one who knows about this and believes him is Kaya. Beautiful, wonderful Kaya. She's the only one who supports him. She even gives him clothes because he can't just keep using his dad's old things, and she's the only one with enough money to buy them. Then, the strawhats appear in his life, and he doesn't tell them about... You know... Being a ""girl"" because apparently he passes enough for them to think he's a boy. That, and also that he introduced himself as a boy, and he isn't sure if Luffy is fucking stupid or extremely open-minded or maybe he doesn't care. Either way, he feels like himself with them and sees this as an opportunity to leave the village right away and finally transition without anybody knowing about his past self.

Yasopp sees his wanted poster, then. And he knows that used to be his little girl, and turns out that he was actually his boy. He couldn't be prouder, but there's so much guilt inside of him for not being there for Usopp when he needed it the most... Especially when it turns out he left for no reason at all besides fear. He feels like a coward. That's mainly why he feels so embarrassed to meet Usopp again.

But then they meet again. When Luffy manages to be the king of the pirates and all of them have their own names engraved in history. Yasopp meets his son. And God, he looks so handsome. They even look alike! And he's extremely embarrassed to say anything, and Usopp won't stop crying fearing he won't accept him, and they just end up hugging. Yasopp tells him he couldn't be prouder of his son becoming a better man than he'll ever be. He keeps apologizing over and over again, and Usopp tells him that he understands. That if somebody understands something about running away, it's him. But they're here now and they couldn't be happier.

Also, quick Sanuso mention because it's physically impossible for me not to do it: Usopp introduces his father to Sanji (trans girl, by the way) and,,, Well. She doesn't really like Yasopp for leaving Usopp. She's just like a fucking chihuahua when she meets Yasopp. If you leave her alone with Yasopp she'll probably end up biting his head off. But!!! But Yasopp is amazed because she's genuinely gorgeous and he's like "kiddo, are you sure this is your girlfriend? You're lying to me aren't you-" (he's half joking, don't worry) and it's- It's just so chaotic.

#THIS IS HONESTLY SO SAD AND SWEET #i managed to turn angst into fluff HA #i never do this it's usually the other way around #one piece #usopp #yasopp #banchina #black leg sanji #sanuso

[simpingland]

Into the Dragonpit. // Ser Harwin Strong x Targaryen!oc

Part 2 of The Queen's horse with no name. But you can read this first too.

Harwin and Ela reunite and go on a mission. Ser Breakbones may be tough but when dragons appear, his princess will be there to save him.

Plus: Harwin holds a baby in this... and I realised way too late that Elaena and Helaena are sisters...I tried to be original, soz.

The Tournament can be part 3????

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

Ser Harwin arrived at the Red Keep along with his father, he'd been called a few days back and the King welcomed the rest of the family too, an interesting week was ahead with the big chances of a new born in the castle and the possible feasts organaiced in honor of that. He smiled when he identified Laps, resting in the yard, eating. Her owner was nowhere near. Harwin had yet to tell Lord Lyonel about his feeling for the princess. It was a serious proposal and he didn't want it to be rejected nor accepted without a good thought or meditation. Of course, he had thought about it ever since the hunt. He even dreamed about it, but feelings have a weird way to work. As the time passed, the lord had problems to remember Elaena's face. He was eager to see her. But he understood his position, the low chances he had, so he would be happy enough if all he had permission for was to protect her.

As if the Seven heard his secret wishes, the doors were opened and not only appeared the King himself to welcome them. Elaena walked by his side. As pretty as he remembered her, she had a conformable dress on, nothing like the beautiful gowns she wore on the camp, and also different from her riding suit. She smiled at Ser Lyonel, buy when she looked at him, she smiled differently, wider, sweeter. Greetings done, the parents entered the castle but Harwin was left univited to the council.

"I hope you don't have plans for today, Ser Harwin" smirked Elaena.

"I haven't got the time to arrange anything, my princess" he followed the Princess, who started her mission at the moment.

"Good, cuz were are going to see the little loves of my life" she softly dragged him by his arm. "The dragons".

Harwin Breakbones hid the panic on his eyes as well as he could, but something in the smirk on Ela told him that she was kind of enjoying it. She had explained the main goal of this. No dragon riding would be done, but molesting dragons' sleeps may be even more dangerous.

"My egg was picked by my father, he had so much trouble...you see, the shells usually reflect the color of the dragon inside" she explained.

"But Nyrax is black" he pointed.

"Exactly" she smiled. "My father thought that there would be no egg for me, and every true Targaryen must sleep on the crib with one. The hatching is another story. But when his men told him to give up the searching, Dreamfyre appeared. She is now a dragon without a rider, buy she was once rode by princess Rhaena, the "Queen of the West". Father said that she woke and lighted up the pit, letting him see the egg she just laid. No many times are the dragons the ones willing to let you warm their eggs for them".

"She knew you to were destined to fly together" Harwin felt soft for the princess little story. "You, Targaryens...you are all out of this world, I swear"

"Dragon's are not so terrifying, one just need to reach with confidence".

"Well, I like to stay closer to the ground, my princess". He stopped when they reached the gates. Elaena asked the servants and keepers to open it, and Harwin took a torch already lighten.

"What are you doing?" She asked when she saw him take it.

"I'm going with you, my princess".

She didn't stopped him, she loved his company and how willing he was to face the dragons, maybe he did it to look mainly, maybe because he was bored as hell, or maybe, just maybe, he was worried about her. The last one was the one she wished for. Poor Harwin, everyone was aware of the fact that she was the one protecting him inside there. It was incredibly dark, the steps were carefully walked, Harwin moved the torch following Elaena's directions. It smelled like shit, no one could deny it, but the animals skulls and enormous dragons were much more impressive. They didn't had to travel long before finding a pair.

"There's two, look!"

A silver one and a blue one. Which one would hatch? No one could know. But Elaena remembered Alicent and she packed the silver. She was taking it in her hands when Syrax woke up. It was Rhaenyra's dragon, so that complicated things. Syrax looked at the thieves and expressed her anger through a roar that almost made the torch's fire light off. Harwin was ready to run, buy never without the princess.

"I think you should leave it where it was, princess"

"No, she will understand". Elaena putted her hand slowly in front of the dragon. "Kostilus, syrax, ivestragī īlva mandia share zȳhon crib rūsīr aōha drōmon. īlon jāhor daor gaomagon ziry mirre ōdrikagon (Please, Syrax,let our sister share her crib with your egg. We will not do it any harm)."

The dragon hesitated, she roared again and Harwin truly feared for their lifes. Elaena did too but she holded the egg in one hand and pushed Ser Harwin aside. Syrax spitted a ball of fire in the man's direction, if it wasn't for the princess, he would had been caught. She protected herself by crouching down. When Syrax stopped, the dragon went back to sleep, as if nothing happened. When they opened their eyes, Harwin saw Elaena looking at him. She put her hands one the sides of his face.

"Are you okay, Ser Harwin?" She was trully worried.

"I am, my princess. Lets get out of here, please" he stood up with her help. One of the stones on the floor made a cut on Harwin's leg. She noticed the little limp so she putted his big arm over her shoulders, hurrying to get out. Once in the daylight again, she sat him down on a big rock.

"I'm so sorry, my Lord. I shouldn't had drag you. Does it hurt?" Regretted the girl, kneeling before him.

"Do not worry about it, Princess Elaena...this is nothing. A few cleans and all done...I should have stopped you on the first place"

"Well, you wouldn't be able to stopped me neither way...can I see the wound?"

By the time Harwin put his boot out to show his hurted knee, a maester appeared with the proper aid. It was a small but deep cut and the cares where more painful than what Harwin expected. He groaned, Elaena stopped looking and put herself beside him, holding his face, trying his best to reassure him, he did in fact calmed down. The princess felt guilt building on her entire chest. When the maester was done, he stood up and smiled at her.

"I swear to the Seven, you don't know how terribly sorry I am..." ser Harwin moved his head, not wanting to hear more apologise.

"There's nothing to feel sorry about, my princess. I'll survive" assured the lord.

The walk back to the Red Keep was a much silent one, Elaena couldn't be as cheerful after the scare they just had, but Harwin did try to keep it fun. It was now his turn to tell his own stories. He remembered all the fail adventures he had as a child.

"I once stole the sword of a boy, i just had my 8th name day. And this boy...he was a Tully. He was so tall, older but not wiser... he kept on mocking Harrenhal. He said it was the ugliest place on Westeros. "Shited instead of builded by the gods" he said".

" Oh, I think I know how this men is...second heir of Riverrun?" Asked Ela, invested in the tale.

"Yes, that one...he only spoke fairly about his sword...it wasn't even pretty, but it was useful, able to blind a men only with a quick move...I stole it. And I was determinated to melt it. But I decided to enjoy it before doing it. I was planning on let him know I found it, let him see the sword but throw it in the fire right before he could take it"

"That's harsh for a little kid..."

"I know, and I knew it too back then. But my mother stopped me. She saw me playing with it. And she could easily tell that it wasnt mine".

"She convinced you not to melt it?"

"No, but yes...she tricked me. I confessed my idea, she had that power over me. She just stared and I spilled everything. And she then told me to go ahead" Harwin saw the princess smile, clearly not believing it. "She said that it was a good revenge, but a lesson could be learn. "People put such a soul in objects, they glorify them instead of it's builders. If you put such an efford on a single piece of metal, the boy would still think that what we have or we don't have makes ourselfs valuable. But its not really about swords and castles, son, is about the person who owns it. So, if you want to make that boy cry, melt the sword, he will get another one soon enough, but your cruelty will be remembered. If you give it back to him, maybe you'll have a chance to impress him, to make him respect you"

"And you gave it back?"

"Of course, I asked if he would let me use it for a bit, and his father forced the boy to let me. I was a much better swordsman than him, a much dedicated one. So he kept the rest of his stay quiet. Harrenhal might have been ugly, but offending the future lord couldn't be beneficial. I hope it doesn't makes me sound pretentious, my princess".

"Speaking the truth doesn't make you pretentious, Ser Harwin. Its well known you have a reputation...my father calls you "the strongest men in the Seven Kingdoms ", although I hope it doesn't go to your head too much" she joked.

"My mother made sure of that already, my princess".

Ser Harwin also lost her mother long ago, but she didn't feel close enough to him to ask him about her mother. She wasn't trying to make him suffer so she may as well stop to give him such a harsh time in a single morning. They separated ways when Rhaenyra asked to inform her of something. She kissed him on the cheek, apologising one more time and Harwin got stock right there, feeling the lips on his cheek until she no longer was on sight. He walked to his father's chamber. He found him there, Larys too.

"Father, I must speak with you"

"Why are you covered in ashes, Harwin?" Asked Larys.

He didn't even notice, of course he had ashes, he had spend the morning on the Dragonspit, he had been thrown against the floor, but he had forgotten.

"I went with Princess Elaena to search for an egg...for her new sister...Father, we have to talk..."

"Indeed, we need. Son, the King just offered me something, and I hope it doesn't upset you" Ser Lyonel then handed him something, his son took it, it was the Hand of King's pin. "We'll be moving to the Red Keep, at least Larys and I"

As the future heir of Harrenhal, Ser Harwin was conflicted. It wasn't only about leaving his dear Harrenhal, it was more about losing his father's presence in the castle. He loved his father, always the wisest men in the room, he felt disorientated when he wasn't there, and Harwin still felt insecure about ruling alone, but leaving Harrenhal for such a long time wasn't a good option neither. But his father interrupted his thoughts, he hurry him for the dinner they were about to have with the royal family. A special one in honor of the new Hand.

Elaena bathed before his father could see her. If it wasn't for Rhaenyra pointing it out, she might have never seen the mess she made of herself. They had a quick argument about Syrax' actitude when they prepared the egg. She wanted to surprise Alicent. She learned about the new Hand of the King also by her sister.

"So...Ser Harwin is staying?" asked, and also wished, Ela.

"Well, I think one of them is staying in King's Landing. I hope it's the one you long for..." teased Nyra.

"Oh, shut up, I was just asking" she was blushing as well. When she ended the bath she put on the best dress for the occasion. Something a bit more special than casual, but she wanted to keep it simple. Gods...she felt stupid the moment she asked that to her maidens... But to have Harwin around would certainly be great. She felt treated as an equal, never mocked, with a true friend around. And she found odd the sweetness of such a manly man. She remembered him every time she rode Laps, and she wished for a parter who wasn't a personal guard for once. Not even Rhaenyra wanted to ride with her, not on a horse. He was also the most attractive men she had encountered, but she won't say that because she just expended too much time with older and boring men. But with Harwin, talks were easy, fluids and interestings.

Music sounded on the dinning room, the King already seated, Rhaenyra on his side, Alicent on the other, and the family Strong entered the room. They were about to eat when they realiced that the oldest princess was missing. Viserys was growing impatient and Rhaenyra, who didn't want to ruing the surprise, didn't come up with an argument to defend her and she didn't wanted too, she was hungry and the chicken was getting cold. Finally, the doors opened and they rised from the table to see Elaena. She looked beautiful and Harwin felt his heart beating fast, she carried a grin so big it barely fitted on her face.

"My apologise, my Lords" she talked to Ser Lyonel, and eyed his two sons before talking to Viserys, "but father, I have a surprise for the Queen".

Poor Alicent just had her second baby, and she looked tired but she thought that welcoming the new Hand would be seen as a nice gesture by the daughter of the last Hand. But she was upset, she was angry at Rhaenyra, and she could not talk about it. The baby also tired her. So when the surprise was announced, she was more confused than excited. The servants brought a hot pot, they opened to show the egg. Viserys smiled at the loving gesture her oldest made for her youngest.

"Look, Alicent, an egg for our little girl" said the King.

"We picked it up grey, in honor of your house color, Alicent" spoke the princess. The Queen then smiled, a Targaryen that thought of her as the mother of one, a true part of the family.

"Thank you, princess. Thank you too Rhaenyra...it's a lovely gesture" said Alicent.

"I wasn't involved, I'm afraid" admited Rhaenyra. She realized late, when Elaena's face dropped.

"Who picked up the egg with you then, Elaena?" Visarys became serious. The room when silent.

"It was me, Your Grace" confessed Harwin, looking at the King. "It was no bother".

"It's not about being bothering anyone, dear boy" he was still looking at his daughter. "It's about putting lives at risk. Elaena, did you ask for Harwin to enter the Dragonpit?".

Harwin wanted to speak but his father stopped him with a look, the King didn't want to hear him.

"Well,no...but I did not stopped him..." and he got hurt, that was on the tip of her tongue, but that could only make things worst.

"The maester was called during the meeting. Was it both of you he was aiding?" This time he did look at Harwin.

"It was just a cut, my King" he spoke.

"And the called the maester himself...Eleana, who in the Seven Kingdoms told you to drag him there? I can trust you with the dragons but they are dangerous creatures. Ser Harwin could be hurted or killed just by giving a wrong step. Did you think of that?".

"I know, father, and I do regret. I did apologise to him immediately. Lord Lyonel, I ask for your pardon too" she was stressed.

"You have it, princess. My king, this will not happen again. My son can promise you that" anwered the man, eyeing his oldest son.

They sitted and eated when the King started to eat. Poor Ela sat across from Harwin and she was to embarrassed to look at him. Before his father could talk, the boy spoke firmly.

"Your grace, the princess Elaena has shown me what truly makes Targaryens the powerful house it is...it's not only about the dragons...it's about your unique bond to them. Your daughter had a courage unlike most men have. And, if the now princess is willing to face a legendary dragon to honor a baby sister...one can only wonder what the future queen is willing to do to protect her people.

They went silent again, all staring at Harwin, the princess dared to rise her eyes at him, with a red face and a shy smile. She felt emotional for his hope in her and not many praised her for her actual achievements. The usual praises were dedicated to her dresses, sewings and looks. Viserys was moved too, a genuine show of loyalty to the future queen, who already had enemies around.

"I'm glad someone finally sees what I saw the day I named her my heir...a men your kind are the best to keep close while on the throne. You were raised by a great men and one can tell" the King toasted for the Strong and the dinner gain the celebrating vibe it deserved. Every once in a while, the princess and lord exchanged looks and neither Rhaenyra or Alicent missed one.

"I was thanking, Ser Lyonel, that a tournament would be a great way of celebrating the new princess" proposed Viserys.

"Well, my king, I see no harm in it. It's been long since you celebrated one. And it's cheaper than a hunt, and equally fun" agreed the hand. "So, is the princess as beautiful as the other princesses, your grace?"

"You haven't seen her? Maybe she would enjoy some music...I'll have her brought here" proposed Alicent, wishing to see her new baby once again. Aegon would be sleeping by now, no need to wake him.

One of the queen's ladies brought her in her arms. She was very small and the three blondes melted when she entered. She was just like them and something about her transmited calm and sweetness. She went from arms to arms. The eating was done but they keep on chatting. When Elaena was holding her, she saw Harwin sitting on her side, looking at the two sisters.

"There's something about this one that makes me love her so much..."she confessed in a whisper. "When Aegon was born, everyone was holding a breath, as if my biggest thread just gained a body. And that body in question was just a wet and crying blonde bundle. But this one...this one is special". The princess pushed his sister into Harwin's arm. He took it carefully. "I haven't told you, but your mother must have been an incredible woman...so smart".

"She was, my princess. Unfortunate it was Larys the one who inherited that part". He joked.

"Don't say that, Harwin". Did she just called him by his name? No "ser" around it? She did, but it was late to back out now. "You are smart...but in the best way, not in a cunning one... you are the loveliest man I've ever met. And the most valiant too, even when it becomes more of a dangerous factor" she was blushing, no doubt about it.

"I think you were too impressed with my controll of horses, my princess" he said, making the princess laugh.

The King was quite drunk, and he interrupted the conversation when he asked Alicent for the baby's name way too laudly.

"I haven't decided yet, husband. I will let you choose" Alice was just not having it.

"What about Elaena?" He said.

"You already have a daughter named Elaena" pointed the Hand. The princess was so puzzle she just stared at his father. Her sister also had too many cups of wine, she didn't noticed until she started to talk.

"Maybeee...she can be name after her older sister who brought her that beautiful egg...but to make it stand apart could be an "H" after the man who risked his life for the cause...". Yeah, she was drunk and Alicent too tired.

"Helaena...I like it..." decided the King. Everyone cheered at the name except the mother, the princess and Harwin, who looked at the princess hidding a grin.

She looked at him. "I wish I could say that tomorrow she'll have a different name but I'm pretty sure that we are going to be stuck with the same name for the rest of out lifes"

"At least I do feel flattered, not going to lie"

"You know, Ser Harwin?" She stared at him. He looked adorable with the baby in his arms, even more attractive than before, sweeter and soft. "Everything would be easier if you stayed in King's Landing...".

He smiled at her. If his queen requested it, he will do it, not second thoughts. "Of course I will, Elaena".

#harwin strong #harwin strong x original female character #harwin x reader #harwin strong x oc #harwin strong x reader #ser harwin strong #game of thrones fanfiction #house of the dragon fanfiction #house of the dragon #ser harwin x reader #house of the dragon imagines #house of the dragon x oc #asoiaf #harwin breakbones #harwin strong imagine #rip harwin

[the-kittens-of-vol-tron]

Magic

Based off my head canon here! 

-----

Crying. 

So much crying. 

Keith thought he was going to pull his hair out of his scalp. He needed that crying to stop. He chewed on his inner cheek, he was losing his mind. 

“Okay...singing? Maybe they like singing.” Hunk scratched his head in thought. 

“Oh! Oh! I know just the song!” Lance started softly singing a song to the child he was holding. Did the kid start crying louder? 

“Lance just stop!!” Keith shouted some, covering his ears with his head. If he didn’t get some sort of relief from that sound he was going to cry. 

Everyone stared at him, the kid still crying in Lance’s arms. 

“What? You don’t like my singing?” Lance angrily questioned. 

Keith shook his head, “it wasn’t helping.” He scrunched his eyes closed, keeping his hands hovering over his ears. 

“Well do you have a better idea mullet? Everyone has given some idea of how to help and you’ve just been silently looking in pain.” Lance began to bounce the kid up and down slightly as he hugged them tighter. “Shhh, it’s okay. We’ll find your parents soon.” 

The others were talking but it all melted in Keith's mind. He felt like he was going insane. A thought popped into his head and he dropped his hands. “Put them down.” 

The team stared at him questionably. “What?” Lance said, holding the child away from him some. 

Keith groaned, “just put the kid down for a second. I have an idea.” 

It took Lance a couple of moments but he eventually placed the kid on the ground. Kneeling next to him. 

Keith lowered himself down, trying his best to offer a smile to the kid. The kid was still crying, rubbing their eyes. New tears quickly replaced the ones wiped away. 

Keith took a deep breath, “look at this.” He showed the child his empty hand and reached behind their ear. Revealing a GAC piece. 

The kid stared at him, the sobbing sound lessening some. Lance made a questioning noise beside the kid but Keith ignored it. He did the same trick on the other ear, pressing the two coins into the kid's hand. 

“Let me see your hand.” 

The kid stuck their empty hand out. Sniffling slightly. But no longer crying. 

Keith could already feel himself calming down some. “Make a fist.” 

The kid squeezed their hand shut. 

Keith snapped his finger's over their closed hand. “Okay, open it.” 

The kid did, their eyes widening at a green form ball in their hand. “Wh-what?” 

Keith smiled at them, “close your hand again.” 

The kid did and Keith snapped his fingers again. “Go ahead and look.” 

The kid smiled as they opened their hand and saw another ball. Keith kept the tricks going. Doing as many as he could with what he had access to. The kid stopped crying, taking favor of giggling instead. 

“Silas! There you are!” Two women rushed towards them, tears streaking their faces. Shiro jogged behind them, looking relieved. 

“Mama! Mommy! This guy knows magic!” The kid cried back. 

Keith stood up, watching the kid be reunited with their parents. Ignoring the stares Lance directed at him. 

---

He stepped out of his lion, he was tired. All he wanted to do was climb into his bed and lay in the dark. Lay in silence. 

He made it a couple of steps out of his hanger when he heard footsteps rushing behind him. He didn’t grab his weapon, they were familiar. “What do you want Lance?” 

The blue paladin skidded to a stop behind him. “HOW DID YOU DO THAT!” 

Keith sighed, turning around to face his team member. “Do what?” 

“THE-THE MAGIC!” 

Keith waved him off, “it was just something I learned while living in the desert. Nothing too impressive.” 

Lance stuttered some sounds, clearly not wanting the conversation to end there. “Show me!” 

Keith shook his head. 

Lance marched closer, “show me how you did that right now.” 

Keith shook his right arm some, his fingers catching the card that slid down. He held it up, it was the Ace of Spades. Lance stared at it with a mix of confusion and wonder. 

Keith twisted the card around his fingers, letting it charge to the King of Hearts. 

Lance’s jaw might have well been on the floor. He was still like a statue.  

Keith let the card slide back down his sleeve and made his way to his room. He was tired. 

-----

You can read Keith as autistic. That’s how I wrote him 

Hope you liked it!!! <3

#autistic keith #autistic author #magic keith #party magic #keith #keith vld #keith voltron #keith kogane #keith voltron legendary defender #lance #lance vld #lance voltron #lance voltron legendary defender #lance mcclain #based off my prompt

[horizon-verizon]

Why do you think neither Aegon II nor Viserys II called their mother a Queen? I think that maybe they didn't remember her well and didn't feel much love for her?

It’s not about losing the memory of one’s mother. Their youth made them vulnerable to others’ misogyny, greed and ambition while they both went through some traumatic experiences and sought to rule peacefully. 

Aegon III

Aegon III was 10 when he saw Rhaenyra be eaten alive by the dragon, Sunfyre that his uncle Aegon II rode. Aegon II made him watch. (Ironically, Rhaenyra herself was 10 or so when Alicent truly started to plot against her.) Aegon, already feeling guilty and ashamed for leaving Viserys II behind during the Battle in the Gullet, was forever shattered after he saw his mother die that way.

When Rhaenyra and Aegon II both died in 130 A.C., Aegon III succeeded them. But he was 10 (not in his age of majority, which is 16 in Westeros) and he had no personal support, no parent or close relative other than Baela and Rhaena Targaryen. Who while they did introduce and insert Daenaera Velayron as his second wife and didn’t let anyone stop them, they were still prevented from being as active in Aegon III’s rule as much as possible.

So his rule, for 5 years before he turned 16, was not truly his practically and situationally: “During the five years of his minority that followed, the realm was therefore ruled by Aegon's Hand of the King and a council of regents. Numerous political schemes, plots, and assassinations happened in those five years as the regents and Hands fought one another for political power.” (ASoIaF Wiki; “Aegon’s Regency”)

And when he does take back power on his 16th birthday/nameday:

“I mean to give the smallfolk peace and food and justice. If that will not suffice to win their love, let Mushroom make a progress. Or perhaps we might send a dancing bear. Someone once told me that the commons love nothing half so much as dancing bears. You may call a halt to this feast tonight as well. Send the lords home to their own keeps and give the food to the hungry. Full bellies and dancing bears shall be my policy.” Then Aegon turned to the three regents. “Lord Stackspear, Lord Grandison, Lord Merryweather, I thank you for your service. Consider yourselves free to go. I shall have no further need of regents.”

(Fire and Blood; “The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency”)

And his entire reign is described in The World of Ice and Fire:

It was a broken reign that followed, for Aegon himself was broken. He was melancholy to the end of his days, found pleasure in almost nothing, and locked himself in his chambers to brood for days on end. He likewise came to dislike being touched -- even by the hand of his beautiful queen. Even after she flowered [had her period], he was long in calling her to his bed...but ultimately their marriage was blessed with his two sons and three daughters. The eldest, Daeron, was named the Prince of Dragonstone and heir apparent.

Though he strove to give the realm peace and plenty in the wake of the Dance, Aegon III proved unwilling to court his own people, or his lords. His might have been a very different reign were it not for that one flaw in him -- his coldness to those he ruled (pg. 85)

Viserys II

As for Viserys, in the Battle in the Gullet a Tyroshi captain found him and he ended up living with the Lyseni Rogare family. He married the seven-years older Larra Rogare. 

He was 8 or so in the Battle in the Gullet and when he was taken.

It wasn’t until he was 13 and Alyn “Oakenfist” Velayron brought him back to Westeros that he was reunited with Aegon III. And he didn’t become king until he was 49 -- before then he served as Hand to his brother and his sons, basically cleaning up their messes and supporting them. And then he only ruled for 2 years. The court/Faith/men are used to the perceived stability of a male ruler. He had already gotten and grown into a court where the Dance was not only still fresh enough that female rulers were held off by a wary hand, but his main purpose and goal all these years was to help others maintain and accrue their power rather than make great changes that would require a dedication and a different sort of application that I do not think he could psyche himself for. Add almost all the loss, guilt, and grief from Aegon's experience (minus the trauma of actually witnessing their mother's gory end firsthand), and I think Viserys also really just wanted to keep his "home" together. (And what is unique about his experience and guilt is that while Aegon had to go through several threats on his body, he was able to stay relatively safe and happier with the Rogares.) Do all the basics, play "nice" unless absolutely necessary, ensure the throne gets passed on through the needed channels (aka a incestuous sibling marriage thru Naerys x Aegon IV). And we can't discount how his much older wife Larra eventually left him and their kids for her home of Lys due to homesickness, the desire to freely worship her own gods and use her own language, post war xenophobia, etc., impressing on him his, his brother's, and their family isolation and loneliness--that desire to defend oneself by sticking to what keeps them together PLUS what keeps Targs ruling (Doctrine of Exceptionalism allowing incest for Targs): the incest limits who can be a part of the Targs dynasty while limiting who those kids can hope to use for their own ambitions (so little repeat of green vs black debacle?)

Maybe Viserys saw it as the best way to make his parents' deaths continue to mean something--by ensuring that their line and dynasty continues, their deaths were not for nothing and that is how he can make things up to them AND Aegon, while performing his duties to his brother and house. No, his mother's name would not be restored as a rightful queen, but "at least" he gets to make sure her efforts do not get wasted and some day the dragons will be restored. It's possible he saw this as the only thing he could have done, given his guilt and the atmosphere.

Yes, he was a bit more willing to engage with people around him, but he also came to be less so after Larra Rogare, his wife, left him: “His brother, Prince Viserys [...] had the gift of charm, but he himself grew stern after his wife abandoned him and their children for her native Lys” (pg. 85). I imagine that after the disasters of Baelor I, Daeron I and Aegon III’s coldness, that Viserys II’ “sterness” wouldn’t be received that as attractive or excusable in some circles.

The official ASoIaF wiki says this about how Viserys came to power:

There were some amongst the smallfolk — and even some lords — who felt that the Iron Throne should have rightfully passed to Baelor's sister Daena, as she was Aegon III's eldest daughter. However, a decade of isolation in the Maidenvault had left Daena and her sisters without powerful allies, and memories of Rhaenyra Targaryen and the Dance of the Dragons had left many leery of the idea of a woman on the Iron Throne. Also, Daena the Defiant was seen by many as being wild, unmanageable, and wanton (as a year earlier she had given birth to her bastard son Daemon). The precedents of the Great Council of 101 AC and the Dance of the Dragons were therefore cited, the claims of Baelor's sisters were set aside, and the crown passed to Viserys.

In All

Aegon III and Viserys II came to be more concerned with peace and ruling uncontested after the event of the chaotic and bloody Dance. They -- Aegon more then Viserys -- were alone, miserable, and most concerned with surviving and keeping things together. Again, it’s obvious that Aegon III was Depressed and ashamed of himself while Viserys consistently tried to be supportive but also went through his mother’s loss, the loss of his wife, having been away from trustworthy person for years before coming back home, etc. The Daeron pretenders also stirred up some trouble for them.

Alicent/Otto/the Hightowers usurping Rhaenyra & her losing while fighting such a bloody war made the idea of a female ruler more threatening, evil, “problematic”, etc. in the minds and collective mind of Westerosi nobility. Even among peasants. If you keep track of how Westerosi noblewomen are treated both being and not being claimants to regular house rule after the Dance, you’d see that Rhaenyra’s loss inflated misogyny (link is for @brideoffires‘s post).

Adding to that, the people around them passed over female claimants, using the precedents of the Great Council of 101 A.C. As a child, what was Aegon III supposed to do while steeped in a deep depression with no real therapy available until his death? And by the time Viserys comes into power, it’s far too late.

They once tried to restore dragons despite Aegon’s fear of them (because his mother gotten eaten alive by one in front of his very eyes at the age of 10):

They even attempted to restore the Targaryen dragons, despite Aegon’s fears--for none could blame him after witnessing his mother being eaten alive. He dreaded the sight of dragons--and had even less desire to ride upon one--but he was convinced that they would cow those who sought to oppose them. At Viserys’ suggestion, he sent away for nine mages from Essos, attempting to use their arts to kindle a clutch of eggs. This proved a debacle and a failure (A World of Ice and Fire; pg 86)

#aegon iii #viserys ii #viserys ii's characterization #asoiaf asks to me #westerosi age of majority #larra rogare #baelor i #daeron i #baelor targaryen #daeron targaryen #aegon iii's characterization #the targaryens #the targaryen house #asoiaf sorcery #Fire and Blood #asoiaf #awoiaf

[lollytea]

Go on about the WOWP AU. PLEASE.

Willow and Gus are seemingly normal (though kinda quirky) kids who attend Luz's school. She either befriended them before she got enrolled in the wizard competition or shortly after.

During the early "episodes" where Luz and Hunter are still getting used to each other, Hunter has tunnel vision. He's in the human world to study magic and become the most talented powerless wizard out there, not to make nice with other humans. So, he has zero interest in mingling with Luz OR Luz's weird friends.

(This changes as time goes on obviously. Because COME ON. Justin and Zeke's alien language club is so Hunter and Gus coded.)

It's eventually revealed that neither Gus or Willow are human.

Gus is a wizard and the star student of Hexside (which gets a downgrade to be more similar to Wiztech in this au.) and is so far ahead in his studies that he's taken a "gap year." So, he's living out his dream of attending a real human school and experiencing the culture and he's having a BLAST. (Tbf Luz probably should have realized earlier that Gus wasn't human since he frequently loses his shit with excitement over EVERYTHING. She just assumed he was the world's most relentless optimist.)

Willow isn't a wizard, but a forest nymph. So she can't do all kinds of magic the way Gus can but she has a dangerous amount of power over nature. She can control it fine as long as she stays calm. So it's very important that Willow Park NOT get angry or she'll turn the whole school into a jungle and blow their cover to the human world. She's a bit of a ticking time bomb.

Since we're already fucking around with wizard shit and don't have to play by the rules, I want Amity to be Juliet. Vampire!Amity supremecy. She's got the vibes down. Very pale. Feral energy. She's actually half wizard on Alador's side so she attends Hexside.

When the Noceda siblings attended Hexside for a short time, Luz and Amity met and they immediately got off on the wrong foot, and Luz eventually got banned.

They reunite like a season later when Amity's parents relocate their business to the human world for some nefarious reason and she and Luz continue their rivals to friends to lovers arc. It's not revealed she's half vampire until later on but once the truth comes out, many twilight jokes are made.

Vee's role in this story as the only Noceda sibling who wants nothing to do with all this magic shit, and is constantly embarrassed by her family's antics. She wants to go to school and hang out with her friends and have the normal human teen experience. Unfortunately the universe just won't allow this. Vee loves her family too much and Luz, Hunter and King are constantly flinging themselves ass first into mortal peril and Vee frequently has to tag along to keep their asses alive. Hunter likes to believe he is the most mature and rational of the siblings and Vee just lets him believe because it makes him feel big and she loves him.

King is simply eight years old and has been unleashed on a brand new world and now he gets to cause all the chaos he wants. This ranges anywhere from pranks to scams to attempts at world domination. The suspension of disbelief also applies here. He just throws on a hoodie and everybody who sees him is like "yeah that's a regular human child. Carry on." It's very funny.

[odditycircus-2002]

Adeline Lewandowski AKA “Bean”

(I made this character not long after Kong: Skull Island)

Born in May 9,1935, little Adeline's life already started out with some difficulty, given the country she was born in was still trying to rebuild itself from the first War World. Still, her early life wasn't completely devoid of joy, having two loving parents; her mother an artist and her father, an accountant. She was a bubbly and inquisitive child, who could get into mischief even with the best intentions. Then everything started to fall apart when in 1939, Germany invaded Poland, leaving the family on the run for the next two years but unable to leave the country.

Luckily, a kind elderly deaf man hid them in his cellar, even taught them ASL so they can talk without any noise. However, the years of barely talking and the stress that came from having to stay hidden, caused Adeline to slowly lose her voice. This, on top of the risk of being caught by the SS-Standartenfuhrer, worried her parents who still tried to keep their daughter from completely loosing her spirit. However, despite their best efforts, they were eventually found by the Nazis after someone reported spotting Adeline peaking out the window only for the deaf man to deny anyone there, for his crimes, he was gunned down by the Nazis. Adeline and her mother were separated from the father, and put to work at a concentration camp, never knowing the father died within a year.

For the next 2 years, it was just Adeline and her mother, who only had each other. By this time, Adeline lost her voice completely as she was constantly discouraged by wardens from speaking at all. In 1944, Adeline witnessed her mother beaten to death by her camp's kappa. She had to be held back by the other prisoners as she silently screamed out for her only family left. Finally at her limit with nothing to loose, Adeline made a daring escape on to a delivery ship after first hiding among a pile of corpses. Again, she was spotted on the ship just when they coming across Skull Island and entered its storms. Out of desperation from being discovered and then killed, she managed to kill a Nazi with his own army knife. Adeline had no time to fully comprehend her actions, as the ship's haul was torn open from the merciless waves smashing it into large rocks. She was sure that, at the moment the ocean washed her out into the sea, she was finally going to reunited with her family. By some miracle, this wasn't the end of her story; instead, the waves carried her to Skull Island's shore. She arrived a year after Hank Marlow and Ikari Gunpei crashed here during a dogfight. Just like them, she encountered the island's King, Kong. However, when Kong founded this small defenseless human child, Adeline, even after all the horrors she has witnessed, showed no fear towards the giant ape. In that moment, Kong secretly swore to himself that he won't let this kindred spirit die.

#Oddball art #OC #monsterverse #monsterverse oc #kong #king kong #monsterverse kong #kong skull island #skull island #Bean

[lee-hakhyun]

sorry for the delay! i forgot this was in my drafts.

as you might have heard already, singshong will be changing their upload schedule from 4 days a week to 3. no sunday chapter, just mon-wed-fri now!

this chapter was a lot calmer than usual (compared to the recent chs at least), so i'll just go by the main points. feel free to ask if you'd like an elaboration on anything

so, the scenario has changed. if this has been in wos, lhh's skill would have activated. but it didn't.. so someone is deliberately changing the plot. readers wouldn't have changed it, as they can use the information to their advantage. so the culprits are most likely people who are disadvantaged due to orv... lhh has a guess, but it's not yet clear enough to say for sure

while they check the bodies on the floor for familiar faces, lhh grabs sys and avoids a sneak attack. assassins have been hiding in the lobby to kill any newcomers. sys recognizes them. they're the adults that made sys go into the dungeon to prove her worth. they offer to let lhh+sys join their group. they're with the 'seven kings of seoul' alliance(<- tentative name i'm too tired to recheck), which lhh had assumed was under the tyrant king's control, but the assassin says he's with the 'assassination king', instead.

lee hakhyun does not want to kill people if he doesn't have to. he tries to talk i through, but they still prepare to attack. shin yoosung grabs lhh again with that golden glow in her eyes, and along with a headache, sys looked like a completely different person (our sys took over 41sys again huh...). but before she can attack, there's a commotion from the door of the waiting room. the assassins are taken out by a 'gangster king' and the assassins call out that the 'inho group' is here.

inho group????

lee hakhyun realizes who it is. the 'gangster king' is bang cheolsoo, and the 'inho group' are the incarnations of geumho station :) they take care of the assasins while sys watches on.

another 'loss' is recorded on the final wall after this. does this mean that any deaths around lhh will count for his loss collection..?

lhh reunites with bang cheolsoo, dayoung and dayoung's mother

lee hakhyun doesn't think stories can keep world peace like his parents said. no matter how many interesting stories there are in the world, people will still hate. but at least someone will read the story and change.

the 'loss' that lhh has collected gives him a new attribute

#652 #side story lb #orv side story #orv spoilers #pleaase any lhh artists out there who are reading this come to tumblr. i want to see you #i am on twt too but way less active (@lee_hakhyun) #and there's no tagging culture over there... there's so much art i mightve missed because i can't go through a character tag

[quitealotofsodapop]

Would it just be perfect timing if MK had decided it was time to hatch during the trial for Macaque's soul? Like, Wukong be there spinning this sob story (that's actually mostly true for once) about how he jsut wanted to ensure his child could comenintot he world safely and it would be so very cruel to drag his Bama to Diyu before be even has a chance to see their precious little one! Then Wukong suddenly freezes, ever god and goddess of childbirth, motherhood, and children present suddenly tenses, and the court goes silent.

Wikong jsut whispers out: Oh... the baby.

And suddenly, they're all hurrying to get Wukong to the infirmary or his quarters (the original ones built for him when he first became the Great Sage and before he ruined the festival, nobkdy had bothered to remodel them), anywhere really so long as it's not in the middle of the FREAKING THRONE ROOM!! The good news, literally every maternity god and goddess is there to play wetnurse and tend to Wukong or help keep Macaque calmed (a job that mainly falls to Nez Ha because Macaque is very much freaking out). Bad news is that Wukogn was REALLY hoping his egg would have picked a better time and place because the Heavenly Court and being tended to by the Queen Mother herself (she's THE mother goddess of China, guys, she'llhe involved alongside Guanyin) and every other god remotely related to his child wasn't in his list things he wanted to do. One unexpected benefit of this was that after all was said and done, Sun Qi Xiaoation's arrival had actually helped to push the trial into Wukong's favor since not a lot of people are willing to separate a new mother from her mate right after giving birth, although Wukong will be forced to spend several weeks if not months in the Celestial Realm afterwards during his recovery.

referencing SWK in Heaven's Court.

Oh gosh just imagine. The Stone Egg has been comfortably baking for nearly 500 years, it's parent is awake and has been reunited with their mate, and they're being exposed to a lot of healthy divine magical energy.

So when Wukong steps into the Jade Palace, its like a countdown to when the Egg decides "Hey Imma hatch like right now."

More writting under read more cus talk of childbirth stuff;

Continue'd;

The trial for Macaque's soul and LBD's contract takes hours to resolve, and Wukong is getting more and more frustrated as it drags on, even with Fire Star's amazing lawyer-ing.

Doesn't help that Wukong's stomach has been feeling like a washing machine all day and he seems to have mega indigestion that won't go away. A bunch of gods also keep looking at him with weird concerned glances - Weirdos.

Then, after Wukong is forced to explain his condition/why he sought out immortality in the first place - a small trickle is heard in the quiet courtroom.

Wukong quickly looks down, super embarassed thinking he's lost control of his body - only for him and the witnesses to notice that the liquid is clear.

Complete and utter chaos breaks out in the Throne Room as the situation sinks in.

Someone is giving birth in the Throne Room of the Jade Emperor. And it's THE MONKEY KING!!!

Guanyin, in the defence's side: "BED. NOW." (*Wukong is lifted up by Pigsy and Sandy into a soft cloud-like bed and is brought to the nearest guest room. A bunch of maternity gods follow them, including the Queen Mother herself. Nezha escorts Macaque in seeing how the Shadow Monkey is handcuffed.*) Wukong: "H-hey! I thought the water breaking can still mean a few hours to go!" Guanyin: "Normally yes. But it seems you've been in active labor since the trial started. Your baby wants out now." Wukong: "You sure-OW!" *contractions get stronger* "Yep! It's trying to bust out all right!"

The room has to be closed off from lookyloos as it's already stuffed with at least ten people - most family or gods. Nezha and Sandy are helping Macaque breathe slowly as the shadow monkey/other parent of the baby (at least according to what was heard in the trial) is panicking like any other bama would.

Tang and Princess Iron Fan are at Wukong's side, holding his hand as any good family would, wondering how thrilled DBK would have been to be here. PIF is glad that the Ao-Long couple agreed to babysit little Redson on earth during the Trial, as she's certain that her fireball would have bitten and charged at anyone that came close to his favorite monkey. Pigsy is outside the guest room with all the royal court members, offering to make them some coffee and noodles as he makes some calls to earth - they agree but are a bit confused why Marshal Tianpeng is here and why his cooking is so good?

The Queen Mother is ultimately the one who catches the cracking egg-shaped thing as Wukong pushes it out into the world. Within seconds of touching the air, the shell of the egg practically explodes, leaving a tiny, screaming newborn in the Goddess's palm.

Wukong is sobbing with joy as he hears the healthy crying chirps coming from his baby. He sees them squirming as Guanyin washes remnants of the Stone Egg from their body. His little one is so strong and perfect already.

Macaque escapes his bindings via shadow portal (Nezha: "Hey!") to join his mate on the bed, no god moves to stop him. Mac doesn't last long before he's crying into Wukong's neck at the sight of *their* cub. The cub is quickly wrapped in the shadow monkey's (thankfully laundered) red scarf before being passed into Wukong's excited arms.

The baby isn't a direct copy of the Monkey King. Their face marking is a brownish half-heart that scatters into freckles at their chubby cheeks. Their fur is a silky brown-black almost the texture and shade of Macaque's(!!). They keep their eyes closed for the moment, far more interested in latching on to their birth parent's chest for their first meal.

And if Wukong doesn't feel like he's holding a little piece of heaven in his arms right now, he'd be lying to himself.

Wukong: "Xiaotian. You are my Xiaotian."

A series of quiet Awws ripples through the room and into the hallway beyond the closed doors. The Queen Mother even smiles.

SWK wins his case against Heaven and Diyu for his mate's soul. Even the gods can't bare to separate this new family. Preparations are made to apprehend the Lady Bone Demon for creating a geas that violated Diyu's laws.

PIF pays Fire Star generously for their lawyering.

#century stone egg au #stone egg talk #childbirth tw #pregnancy tw #sun wukong #liu er mihou #six eared macaque #shadowpeach #qi xiaotian #lmk aus #lego monkie kid #lmk

[levitatingbiscuits]

Nothing bugs me more than people romanticizing or girlbossifying the rape of persephone, while simultaneously demonizing demeter or portraying her as an overbearing or controlling parent. ZEUS WAS THE ABUSIVE PARENT BECAUSE HE SOLD HIS OWN DAUGHTER TO HIS BROTHER AGAINST HER WILL AND TRIED TO HIDE IT FROM HER MOTHER.

The myth was from a time where young girls were sold off all the time, often to older male family members. Mothers and daughters had no rights or say and often never saw each other ever again after the daughter was sold. The myth is empowering precisely because Demeter makes the entire world PAY for taking her daughter, and Hades and Zeus have to let them reunite to calm her wrath. Sure, Persephone was tricked into marriage and so cannot be completely free, but she gets six months away from her creepy uncle husband every year to spend with her mother, who she loves dearly. And when she's taken away again, Demeter makes sure the world knows it and suffers because of it. It's probably the single most feminist Greek myth.

So that's why it ticks me off when people insist on "reimagining" it to make it more "empowering to women" by having Persephone actually want it ("it" being her uncle kidnapping her to force her into marriage and starving her until she was hungry enough to trap herself for half the year by eating 6 pomegranate seeds. If she wanted it, she would've eaten as soon as she got there, enough to keep herself trapped in the underworld forever. Just saying.) Persephone is a child, a young girl. DEMETER is the empowered woman here.

If you want a dark romance inspired by the rape of Persephone because you like the aesthetics of the king of the underworld and the goddess of spring, then say that. You do you. But please don't act like it's a revolutionary feminist rewrite of a myth that was ALREADY more feminist than your romanticization of Uncle Undead lusting after his own young niece and buying him off her father. You can enjoy and appreciate problematic stories and/or abusive romance, just own it. But do NOT come for my girl Demeter when you do. If you refuse to condemn Hades, at least condemn Zeus. If you choose to hate on Demeter for objecting to her kid being abducted, but not the child seller or the incestuous kidnapper, you're definitely not as feminist as you claim to be.

#persephone #hades #rape of persephone #salt

[lunarsands]

Empires SMP S1 Fanfic: Phantom Solitude Ch 1

Characters: Mythical Sausage, Sir Carlos of Mythland, Scott Smajor, Jimmy Solidarity, GeminiTay, Bubbles the Dog, mentions of others

Relationships: Jimmy Solidarity/Scott Smajor, MythicalSausage/Scott Smajor 

Tags: Empires SMP S1 with allusions to Afterlife SMP, Canon Divergent, Consensual Possession, Romance, Scosage adjacent;  WARNINGS: Lost Time, Angst

Summary: The masquerade was not the end of the trouble with ancient relics. Sausage soon starts having cryptic nightmares and knows The Wither of Mythland must be the source.  He and Scott have to work together to find out what the troubled spirits of the past need resolved in order to rest. (Awkwardly, this involves some more kissing…)

Sequel to The Past Unmasked 

(Also available on Ao3!) 

[ A/N: Apparently I can’t just write a simple one-shot anymore, there keep ending up being sequel(s)! | Now mashing together Echoing Through To You and When The Skies Cry. Can’t say I’ve ever written fanfic of my fanfic before, but here we are. Fanfiception. | Big thank you to @cynthrey for inspiration and beta reading! ]

---

Chapter One

Sausage was unusually quiet on the ride back to Mythland, which concerned Sir Carlos but also made it a little easier to focus on driving, which was already slightly challenging when one was an average-sized chicken. Maybe Sausage had just tired himself out; the knight had heard plenty of rumors of the goings-on inside, as per usual at these events, but one in particular would have to be addressed once they were home.

Meanwhile, inside the carriage Sausage had the Nether star and Scott’s medallion held in one hand and was puzzling out what had happened to him. He reluctantly admitted to himself that he was susceptible to possession, but there had never been such power mentioned about the star before. The last time he had seen anyone wear it was when he accompanied his grandfather to his last royal function as king before he passed along Mythland’s crown, but he didn’t remember his grandfather really interacting with any of the elves who were present.

Both relics were silent now, just plain jewelry, and maybe reuniting them was all that needed to be done. He felt sad for them, whatever circumstances had led to them being separated, but it also brought the question of what had linked a legend of Mythland with the far away elven kingdom.

Head in hand, he stared out of the window and continued to wonder about it, barely registering the scenery even when they arrived back at the castle. It was Sir Carlos opening the carriage door that finally roused him from thought – since he hadn’t opened it himself.

“Ah, Sire, I thought you might be asleep. We’re home,” the knight clucked.

Sausage quickly pocketed the relics and stepped out of the carriage. “Thank you, Sir Carlos. Sleep does sound like it’s in order.” He set off up the steps, expecting to go alone but the knight followed and flapped his wings to catch up.

“Sire, I do need to tell you one thing. I overheard the Ocean Queen talking about declaring war on Mythland. What did you say to her?”

“Huh? Oh, I danced with Scott.”

“Sausage!” The knight used the tone reserved for scolding him when he was younger and had gotten into one misadventure or another.

“Oh, it’s nothing! It will be all right! She can’t be that mad. Jimmy and I can talk it over later. It was just a few dances!” He laughed nervously. “Um, yes. That was all that happened.”

“It sounded like she was taking it personally.”

“Look, maybe I forgot the mers have different customs when it comes to partnerships! I didn’t mean anything by it – not on purpose anyway.” This was definitely the truth.

Sir Carlos gave him a knowing look just by tilting his head and viewing him with one beady eye. “I’ll have the guards increase patrols by the docks just in case. And I’ll have the steward review diplomatic options for the situation. Good night, Sire.” He clucked in exasperation, turning to leave, and muttered about parents being right about heirs who were a handful to watch over.

Sausage offered another awkward laugh in his wake then took the relics from his pocket and held them close as he headed for the royal treasury. Once there he opened the glass case that had held the star on display and arranged them together on the red velvet cushion, taking several tries to get them leaning just right. The steel and the gold backing on the star didn’t look quite right side by side, and it was obvious two different hands had crafted them. He still wondered why something of elven make would be so simple, but he wasn’t sure he should ask. If he hadn’t been aware of the star’s powers, he might not have any business inquiring about the medallion, either.

What had been done, was done, and maybe it was best to just leave them be in here, securely locked away.

~*~

There were a few more gatherings of the empires in that time, and Sausage made a point to act normal around Scott – which generally meant avoiding him. Nothing came of the threat of war from Lizzie, fortunately, but there were a few times he caught her glaring at him from across the room. His steward had already sent missives to the Cod Empire apologizing for the faux pas, and while Jimmy didn’t seem particularly angry, he did keep his distance from Sausage. He figured that Lizzie had bent her brother’s ear to uphold taking offense.

So long as no one found out what else had happened that night, the little bit of animosity was bearable.

~*~

One lucrative adventure later found Sausage in the treasury looking for a place to display a new artifact that had been discovered. He had just about decided when he felt a compulsion to turn to the Nether star. He set down the new treasure and went over to the case, simply admiring the glow from the white jewel before lifting the glass and picking it up. He was struck by a painful sense of longing as soon as he touched it, and he cradled it between his hands for a moment before then picking up the medallion. There didn’t seem to be any connection even with them both in a living hand. As he tried to think of what might be happening, he felt his cheeks grow wet.

The Wither was…crying?

What had changed?

Before he could get too swept up in the emotions he put the relics back, replacing the glass cover and leaning on it while he wiped away the tears. Then he hurried out, hoping that distance would solve the problem. He spent the next few hours ignoring any random feelings of sadness, busying himself with work and now hoping the issue would cease overnight.

But it didn’t. He had a dream where he was trudging through a soulsand valley, shadows hounding his steps but he was unable to walk any faster to outpace them. There was a golden light in the distance that he could see through the Nether fog, but he didn’t seem to be getting any closer – but he couldn’t stop, either. He needed to get to it. As he desperately reached out toward it he saw shadows crawling under the skin of his hands, looking like the eyes and mouths within the soulsand.

Sausage woke with a gasp and immediately checked his hands. They appeared normal, but he knew very well how prophetic his dreams could be and wasn’t about to take this lightly. Staying away from Nether portals was now first on his list.

The dream repeated the next night, and the one after that. He made a few attempts to interact more during them, trying to find clues if this was a specific location in the Nether, if there was a fortress or bastion nearby – something, anything, if it would help him figure out if maybe he actually needed to go on a quest there. But it was the same torment night after night; trying to escape the shadows and reach that golden light.

During one repeat he saw a black mist pass across the gold light, and during the next night the mist wrapped around it, almost appearing to squeeze it, and then in the next go around the mist funneled into the center of the light. He thought he heard a distant cry of denial, and it was his own voice.

Sausage woke in a cold sweat. He couldn’t keep this up. Staying away from the star wasn’t doing a thing, and he knew the dreams would only continue. But he didn’t want to have to go to Scott, the only other person who knew what had happened. He would have to explain everything to someone else. Gem had helped him with his last bout of possession, but the possibility of banishing The Wither to a parallel dimension didn’t sit right; nor did he want to trouble Pearl with the tale, and have her offer to literally kick The Wither out of him.

His friends meant well, but their methods might not be the best for this one, and he wasn’t emotionally ready for any inevitable lectures about handling dubious artifacts. In the end he could only think of one option, and after the sun rose he called for Sir Carlos to meet him at the treasury.

Still pecking seeds from his feathered hand after missing breakfast so early, the knight dutifully met him there. Sausage waited until they were inside with the door closed to begin explaining. “I know you’ve noticed my, ah, sleep problem lately, and you remember how at the masquerade there was that threat from Queen Lizzie?”

“Haven’t forgotten, Sire. We still have an extra patrol.”

“Well, you see, about that night, the reason why I ended up dancing with Scott is, well… I’ve kind of gotten possessed again.”

Sir Carlos clucked in exasperation. “Not another demon!”

“Well, technically yes but this one was not evil, it’s more just kind of lovelorn?”

“Was..?”

“I think it’s like a trapped spirit – the spirit of The Wither of Mythland. Trapped in here.” Sausage went over to the case holding the pendant and medallion. “It’s been in here the whole time, and when I wore it to the masquerade it took me over. It has some connection to this artifact from Rivendell, and when Scott was wearing it, it triggered them both. The Wither is...in love with this apparent elven angel? So we ended up dancing for a while, and then, um, we went off and kissed.”

His face flushed in embarrassment at Sir Carlos’ judgmental head tilt so he hastily added, “N-No one saw us, or else we probably would be at war, but anyway Scott gave me the medallion thinking that if the two relics were together it would make the spirits happy, but, uh, that doesn’t seem to be enough anymore. I think I’m having The Wither’s nightmares.” He took the medallion by the chain, careful not to touch the star yet. “Would you, um, be willing to wear this and see if The Angel will talk through you so we can try to sort this out?” He leaned over and presented the medallion.

Sir Carlos clucked quietly, then took it from him. “Very well, Sire. Just don’t get too carried away if you get the urge to kiss me.” He put the chain over his head and tried to arrange it between his wings so it wouldn’t slip completely off of him, the medallion almost touching the floor anyway because it was never designed to be worn by someone of his stature.

Nothing happened. Sir Carlos tilted his head a few times, looking into the amber and studying the feather. “Well, that doesn’t belong to any of my brethren, anyway.”

Sausage picked up the Nether star and felt a surge of loneliness, but when he looked down at the medallion there was no sense of the possession taking hold. He waited, and Sir Carlos blinked up at him, but there was nothing more. Sausage closed his fingers over the star. “It…It has to be Scott. I don’t have a choice…”

He took the medallion back and placed both relics in his pocket. He sent Sir Carlos to ready a carriage, thinking it best to have a backup plan of somewhere private to hide in case things turned romantic again. He would also need some way to signal Scott about the matter, without outright showing the star or medallion, because that could potentially trigger possession on sight. He decided on taking his wither mask with him for that purpose, and tucked it away under his travel cloak.

During the entire ride to Rivendell Sausage debated the wisdom of this option, and wondered if he should have at least investigated the Nether first. He only had half of the puzzle, however, and if Scott could commune with The Angel, maybe that would at least pinpoint a location. Still, he almost called for Sir Carlos to turn back halfway there. Maybe he should have sent a message ahead of him, but what could he have written in it, and risk it being seen by other eyes?

No, instead he joined the line at the meeting hall where Scott was holding court and let any other supplicants go ahead of him so he would be the last one, hiding the worry on his face with the hood of his cloak as best he could.

Scott, meanwhile, was too busy with his discussions to take note of everyone who was waiting. It wasn’t until the herald announced, “Lord Sausage of Mythland!” that his head snapped up, already casting a questioning look at the man for just showing up at his court at random. But then, after bowing, Sausage quickly pulled aside his cloak to flash the wither mask, and made a concerned wince before hiding it away again.

Scott stood and stepped down from his throne, waving a signal to a nearby attendant. “I’ll take this one in the war room.” Two guards fell in to either side of Sausage, and Scott gestured for them to follow. Nervous and regretting the decision to come, Sausage kept his head down, glancing at the guards once or twice on the way down a hallway. Scott told them to wait outside, however, assuring them that he could handle things alone.

The war room was typical of its kind, housing a table, several chairs, two benches against the far wall, and a large map hanging between two suits of fine elven armor. Scott bid Sausage to enter first and closed the door behind them. “What’s this about, then?”

Sausage took the star and medallion out of his pocket and placed them on the table in answer.

Scott frowned. “Why did you bring those here?”

“Something has changed. Keeping them together doesn’t seem to be working anymore. I’ve…been having The Wither’s dreams.” Sausage winced again. “I tried to ignore it but it’s not helping. I think it might have something to do with the Nether but I’ve only got one point of view to go on. I…need help figuring it out. I had Sir Carlos wear the necklace to see if The Angel would talk through him but it didn’t work. I think it has to be you.”

Scott looked down at the medallion with reluctance. “I’m not sure I want a repeat of that night… Queen Lizzie already gave me enough of an earful over just the dancing part. And I…” He covered his mouth for a moment to show regret for the kissing – even if no one else knew about it.

Sausage glanced aside. “I know that didn’t really mean anything between us, it was just them. But I can’t keep dealing with this alone. I don’t know what the dreams are trying to tell me, and they aren’t going to stop. That is something I definitely have experience with. Please, I need your help.”

Scott regarded the medallion again, thinking back to the night of the masquerade and the sadness that hadn’t quite been all his own. “Fine. But wait here a moment.” He left the room, closing the door again, and Sausage did as told, rocking back and forth on his feet with anxiety, wondering what the elf had gone out for.

Scott returned with a scroll, an ink bottle, two quills, and a box propped under them.  The latter he placed next to the relics, and the others he put aside on a chair, out of the way. “Let everyone think we’re writing out a treaty,” he explained, then opened the box. Inside was the mask and circlet from his costume. “It’s just as well you brought yours. I think they were likely seeing each other because of these.” He lifted out the mask, careful of the feathers, then glanced at Sausage with a frown. “I probably can’t count on you to stay yourself, can I?”

“Probably not, no,” Sausage admitted.

“I’ll try to do the talking, then. Describe the dreams to me so I know what to ask.”

Sausage recounted as much detail as he could but he still thought it might be too vague, unable to precisely express the way the dreams had felt. He then turned away until Scott picked up the medallion, giving him time to put it and his mask on, before taking out his own mask and slipping it on, then cautiously reached for the Nether star and clipped it onto his doublet.

He turned back, looking first at the feathers on Scott’s mask, then dropping his gaze to the medallion. A glow appeared within the star. The worry lines faded from Sausage’s face and a soft smile replaced them. “Hello, Angel. May I have this dance?” He bowed then held out his hand.

Scott made a concerted effort to only look at Sausage’s mask as he accepted the hand, and as if remembering the exact music from that night they began a slow waltz. He received a tiny sense of happiness from the medallion but otherwise his mind felt clear. He decided it best to get straight to the questions before that changed. “Tell me about your dreams, Wither. Where are you?”

“I walk the plane of souls, Angel. Forever trying to appease the hunger that demands more be added to it. I don’t know why that is my duty…” Sausage frowned. “And it feels like a curse.”

“What is the golden light?”

“A goal I cannot reach. It feels like… redemption. But it’s always so far away, and I always have to give in to the hunger.”

An immense wave of sympathy flooded through Scott. He placed his hands on Sausage’s shoulders in an attempt to keep his eyes high, away from the star. Sausage moved both hands to Scott’s waist. A shining look of hope appeared in his eyes. “The light is you, and now I’ve found you again. I don’t have to stay in the shadows…”

The medallion abruptly grew warm, once again easily felt through his shirt. Despite his efforts, Scott’s gaze fell to the Nether star, and one hand slipped down to touch it, and then he was embracing Sausage…and then kissing him.

All he could glean from the rush that followed was that along with the sympathy was a strong mix of love and grief. The next thing he knew, he and Sausage were seated on one of the benches, the Mythlandian asleep in his arms with a peaceful look to his face under his half-mask, finally able to sleep without a nightmare.

A little concerned for how much time might have passed, Scott woke him. “Sausage, are you back with me?”

“Hmm? Scott… Oh. How did it go?” Sausage sat up, removing his mask to rub at one eye.

“The Wither mentioned ‘the plane of souls’. I don’t think it means the actual Nether, or at least not in a literal sense. That night, you mentioned it was a sort of ferryman of the dead. It doesn’t seem content with that role. Is there more to the mythos?”

“I can’t remember offhand, just that it’s one of the interpretations. I could look it up when I get home. Was there anything else?”

“The light it sees is apparently The Angel – but bringing that up triggered the medallion and I don’t know if anything was said after that. The Angel gives The Wither hope, but something is sad about it all. I think we should both do some research to try to find out why before this happens again.” He stood and took off his mask to put it back in the box, then removed the medallion and held it out. “Keep them together, though. Just in case.”

Sausage nodded and put both relics in his pocket before tucking his mask away. On impulse, he opened the bottle of ink and picked up one of the quills, dipping the tip in and then flicking some ink onto his hand. “To keep up appearances,” he explained. He then bowed. “If, ah, anything happens again, I’ll send a message ahead of time.”

“Excellent idea.” Scott saw him to the door. The guards still waited outside, looking unperturbed, and he had them escort Sausage out while the Mythlandian made a show of rubbing at the ink on his hand. Scott then went back to the table and used the second quill to start a draft of a treaty, his mind soon wandering toward how much research he could even do when he already knew information on Aeor’s Angel was limited.

~*~

Three more times they met over the coming months, under the guise of peace negotiations. Scott attempted to determine the timing of Sausage’s nightmares, whether tied to the phases of the moon or a celestial alignment, but there was no consistency that he could find, nor had he had any luck in either the library or the hidden cache of Rivendell lore. Sausage fared a little better, indeed finding stories of a wither who visited those on their death bed and who roamed a battle field when the fighting was coming to an end, reaping the souls of all who had fallen. He didn’t find anything mentioning a link to Aeor’s Angel, however.

Their meetings played out the same way each time. A greeting, a dance, a few mild comments to each other, then an eventual embrace and kissing until they were breathless. One would be holding the other when they came back to themselves, a growing sense of protectiveness becoming clear over time.

Sausage would bow respectfully and take his leave, flying back to Mythland with no more words between them until the next message was sent. Whatever The Wither wanted, this measure was enough to satisfy it. But Scott still wanted to know why.

At last he decided to be direct, and also take precautions to try to limit The Angel exerting influence over him. He couldn’t do anything to the medallion itself lest The Wither notice, but right before Sausage arrived for another meeting, he soaked his shirt in water then used his ice powers to coat his chest in frost, then put on his shirt and froze it, as well, intending to have some kind of barrier, but also hoping it didn’t trigger something else if The Wither noticed the cold aura. It would have to do for now, though.

Performance scroll, ink, and quills already laid out on the table, Scott led Sausage and the guards to the war room and the two went inside. Artifacts and masks were donned, the customary greeting was exchanged, and as they began to waltz Scott focused on keeping his thoughts in line. You’ll have your turn, Angel, but give me more time.

“Why are you haunting me, Wither?”

Sausage smiled, the enraptured look within his eyes still never his own. “I wanted to see you again, Angel.”

“Yes, but why now? Haven’t we had eternity, up to this point?”

“I sensed you were near. Even after I was sealed away, I knew our bond stayed true.”

Well, that was something new, at least. “Sealed away? So you know you inhabit a relic?”

“Yes.”

“So, again, why now, why this man? Surely someone else had worn the star before, or it wouldn’t have been made into a piece of jewelry.”

Sausage frowned. “You were never near. I couldn’t sense you.”

“I had been locked away and forgotten,” Scott offered, remembering how he had come across the medallion.

“They…probably did that for your safety.” Sausage lowered his gaze to the floor but continued to dance.

“Safety from what?”

The Wither didn’t answer. There was a pained look under Sausage’s mask. Scott’s heart fluttered as The Angel’s feelings of sympathy surged, but the frost layer held up against the medallion’s warmth. He lightly touched Sausage’s chin to raise his head to get him to meet his gaze. “You know more. Please tell me. I don’t remember.”

“It’s better that you don’t,” Sausage said quietly, a glint of tears now coming to his eyes.

“I need to know. It’s important. Please.”

Sausage halted, seeming to mentally withdraw for a moment before clasping Scott’s hand. “You were dying, Angel. I couldn’t do anything to stop it…” He abruptly let go of his hand. His voice broke as he softly added,” My touch brings only death. Y-You’re so cold, Angel… I’m sorry.”

Another flood of sympathy – backed by a sudden burst of fear – tore through Scott’s heart. The medallion melted away his armor of frost. He cupped Sausage’s face between his hands and offered a reassuring kiss, then Scott’s mind tumbled away as they embraced once more.

.

 The sound of the door slamming open sometime later drew him back, and his stomach twisted as he heard the voice of the Codfather angrily exclaim, “What is this?!”

Caught tangled in Sausage’s arms, Scott peered past Jimmy at the flustered chamberlain and guards who had been trying to stop him, and who now looked just as shocked – but had the good grace to lower their gazes and back away. Scott pushed away from Sausage and raised beseeching hands. “Jimmy, just let me explain—"

“Explain what? What’s there to explain?! You two lied to me! ‘Peace talks’ for months, I come to see how it’s going, and I find this?! You lied about the ball, too, didn’t you? You said the dance was just a courtesy! I say it doesn’t look like it now!”

“Jimmy, it’s not—”

“No! Don’t try to make excuses, or try to play it off! With-With him, of all people?!” Jimmy’s eyes teared up. “How could you do this to me? Have I really meant nothing to you, this whole time??”

Sausage was glancing back and forth between them, confused and uncertain. “Angel, who is..?”

“’Angel’?!” Jimmy echoed. Infuriated, he grabbed Scott’s mask and pulled it off, throwing it down before reaching for the medallion, the only other obvious piece of that night’s costume. “What are you two playing at?!” He shook the chain – for as far as it could reach, anyway – ready to rip it off of Scott if he had to. “You better tell me what really happened that night!”

The nether star suddenly flared, and Sausage jumped between them, shoving Jimmy then standing in front of Scott, arms out as if to shield him. “Don’t you DARE hurt him!!”

Even without the mask, The Wither was still seeing him as The Angel.

Jimmy scoffed as he recovered from the shove. “I’m not— I’d never hurt Scott. You on the other hand-!” He charged at Sausage from the side, knocking him away from the elf and then making a move to punch him.

Sausage raised his arms in front of his face to protect himself, but looked up over them to mouth the word Run! to Scott, his expression full of terror. Scott didn’t know what Sausage was perceiving Jimmy as; it might have been some other monster for all he knew.

“Jimmy!” Scott tried to yell, “Stop! You have to listen! He’s not himself right now! And neither was I! There’s—”

But the Codfather wasn’t listening, his first hit knocking Sausage’s mask off with another to follow, taking out his confusion and anger on the equally confused Mythlandian, who made no effort to fight back. Scott clenched his fists and called up his ice powers. The medallion seemed to burn in opposition, maybe thinking it was going to be thwarted again, but he released a freezing bolt anyway; he knew Jimmy would be immune to it because of his codish blood, but he hoped it would distract him long enough to try to calm things down.

However, Jimmy abruptly sidestepped and the bolt hit Sausage dead on.

Time itself seemed to slow. Scott’s eyes went wide. Sausage uttered a pained gasp, clutching at his chest. Jimmy drew back, throwing a shocked glance at Scott. A white streak appeared on the left side of Sausage’s hair, reminding Scott of the time he had accidentally frozen Gem. Clarity came to Sausage’s eyes, The Wither influence fading – and he looked afraid in his own right. He tore the Nether star from his doublet and fled the room. Scott watched it slide across the floor – and time snapped back to normal. He hastily grabbed up the star before anything else could happen.

Jimmy stood with a grim frown, watching Scott check the pendant for damage. “All right, then. Explain yourself.”

Making sure to keep a tight hold on the star in case Jimmy got it into his head to snatch it, Scott held it up with one hand and lifted his medallion with the other. He launched straight into the explanation, not pausing for Jimmy to get a word in. “He and I had both gotten possessed that night. I’ve got a little more control over myself than he does, but I’ve had to let go to try to find out why it’s happening. These two…entities are in love, and they’re using us to reconcile whatever befell them. I don’t have much history to go off of because some Rivendell lore seems to have been purposely removed. Sausage and I thought we had solved it when I gave him this at the masquerade to keep them together, but he began having nightmares, and we had to figure out what was going on. It only works on us. He did try other options — but it has to be me. Jimmy… I’m sorry. With the whole Xornoth possession in the past, I thought it better to deal with it between just Sausage and I. I…should have told you.”

“And you’re sure you’re not being possessed by a demon this time?” the Codfather asked warily.

“No. Mine is an angel. The Angel of Aeor, stricken from the records for some reason. I only know of it because my mother was a scholar and had access to even more lorebooks than are in the hidden library. But even those are gone, lost since her time. It hasn’t been enough to give me the full picture.”

“So how does kissing Sausage help with that?”

Scott grimaced at his harsh tone. “It’s just… part of the pattern. They want to dance, they want to talk, and then… they want to hold each other.”

“Well, you’ve got them both now.” Jimmy eyed the pendant. “Why don’t you let me try that on, then you can kiss who you’re promised to.”

“It’s not going to work. You’re not a Mythland heir.”

Jimmy fell quiet, still regarding the star. Then he said, “Why not just destroy them? No contact point, no way of causing possession, boom, done. The mystery can go unsolved.”

Scott closed his fist around the medallion. He felt it burning against his palm and an anger rose within him, but he kept his exterior calm – or at least he thought he did. “I think that could potentially cause a bigger problem. His is a wither, I don’t think you want that running around unchecked, especially if it is now angry at the person who suggested such a thing.” He couldn’t stop from glaring, and Jimmy took a step back.

“All-All right, mister Angel, sir, I’m sorry I mentioned it.” Jimmy swallowed nervously, now questioning how much of the real Scott he had been talking to.

But the elf then sighed and clipped the Nether star onto the chain with the medallion. He didn’t feel any sense of relief or joy or anything with the two relics resting against each other. Just a lingering resentment from The Angel that anyone would try to threaten either of them.

~*~

One panicked flight later Sausage was home and running to Mythland Castle, ducking his head and hoping none of the townsfolk caught sight of him. He almost made it to his chambers but Sir Carlos was in the very hallway he was passing through, and his beady eyes immediately went to the streak of white. “Did… ‘negotiations’ fail, Sire?”

Sausage stopped in his tracks and bowed his head. He couldn’t hide anything from the loyal knight. “Things went wrong. The Codfather caught us—”

“Oh, Sire, no.”

“Yes. I’m hazy on the whole scuffle because The Wither was in charge, but Scott was trying to stop Jimmy from lashing out at me and this happened instead. I don’t – I don’t blame Scott. But… But I’m very cold, and I just want to rest.”

“Where is the star?”

“I left it with Scott. Maybe it’s better that way.” He uttered a noise of discomfort and rubbed at his chest.

“I’ll have the cook make soup. And maybe fetch a healer. You… You don’t look well.”

“I’m cold,” Sausage repeated, and staggered past him to the door. “I – I should be all right. Just… need to warm up.”

“Sire.” Sir Carlos bowed and hurried away to the new tasks at hand.

Once inside his room, Sausage took out a heavy winter robe and wrapped it around himself, then risked a look into a mirror. The white streak stood out plain as day through his brown hair. He brushed at it, not entirely sure what to do other than hide it under his crown the next time he went out. For now, though, he retrieved some extra blankets from a storage chest and arranged them on the bed before crawling under them. He was uncertain of what to do about the new ache in his heart left by whatever it was The Wither had been afraid to tell The Angel.

[ Chapter Two ]

#empires smp #empires smp fanfic #empiresshipping #MythicalSausage #scott smajor #jimmy solidarity #geminitay #empires smp s1 #flower husbands #scosage #well scosage adjacent #witherangel #lunar yarns

[princesssarisa]

Sleeping Beauty Spring: "Let's Pretend: Sleeping Beauty" (late 1940s record album)

For children of the Great Depression and World War II era, a weekly source of fairy tales was the acclaimed radio show Let's Pretend, which aired on CBS from 1934 to 1954. Created, directed, and written by a woman named Nila Mack, and with a cast of "juvenile performers" mostly in their teens and early 20s, the show offered half-hour adaptations of fairy tales, myths, and other fantasy stories. Several record albums of stories were released as well, with the same cast, scripts, and music heard on the radio.

While no Sleeping Beauty episode of the original radio series has survived, the Sleeping Beauty record album does. The cast includes Marilyn Erskine as Princess Beautiful (yes, that's really her name in this version), Albert Aley as Prince Charming, Miriam Wolfe as the Witch, Arthur Anderson (a.k.a. the original voice of Lucky the Lucky Charms Leprechaun) as the King, Sybil Trent as the Queen, Gwen Davies as the Fairy Queen, and the show's host, "Uncle" Bill Adams, as the narrator. The script is by Nila Mack and the musical score is by the series' regular composer/conductor Maurice Brown.

The story is told in a concise, straightforward way, but with a surprising number of creative choices. The opening scene places far more emphasis than usual on the religious nature of the baby princess's christening, as it takes place in a cathedral instead of at the castle. The villainess who curses the baby isn't a fairy whom the King and Queen neglected to invite, but (as the cast list above indicates) a witch. Her anger at being snubbed seems less valid and more insane than the traditional fairy's, and her curse is especially sadistic too, as she declares that when Beautiful pierces her hand with a spindle, "blood will flow, her hand turn green" and "pain will twist her body crooked" before she dies. The traditional "last good fairy who hasn't yet given her gift" is also omitted. Here, the only significant good fairy is the Fairy Queen, and despite having already given the baby the gift of beauty, it's she who softens the Witch's curse from death to a hundred year sleep.

On Princess Beautiful's sixteenth birthday, her parents make the mistake of leaving her alone in the garden to pick roses. Then along comes the Witch, disguised as an old peddler woman with a spinning wheel for sale. In keeping with her sadistic words, after Beautiful pricks her hand, the curse takes effect so slowly that Beautiful runs away, bleeding and in pain, finds her parents, and tells them all that happened before collapsing. The King and Queen summon the Fairy Queen, but all she can do is instruct them to make their sleeping daughter look lovely on her couch (dressed in pink velvet robes, with a crown studded with diamond stars on her head), and then put the whole castle to sleep as well.

A hundred years later, Prince Charming and his squire Alan find the castle surrounded by dense trees, but when they approach, the trees part to form a pathway to the castle gates. The two explore the sleeping castle, and eventually, the prince finds Princess Beautiful's chamber, is smitten by her beauty, and kisses her. Upon waking, Beautiful instantly knows Prince Charming by name, explaining that the Fairy Queen told her in her sleep that he would come. The King and Queen wake and reunite with their daughter, the rest of the castle follows, and the wedding is joyfully announced.

Like most Let's Pretend installments, this Sleeping Beauty is full of simple charm. The young cast acts their roles well, the writing is poetic, and Maurice Brown's music provides the perfect compliment. One oddity, though, is that the actors always say "an hundred years" instead of "a hundred years. Did it used to be considered "proper grammar" for "H" to always be preceded with "an"?

I wholeheartedly recommend this album to old-time radio fans and fairy tale lovers alike.

@ariel-seagull-wings, @thealmightyemprex, @reds-revenge, @faintingheroine, @thatscarletflycatcher, @autistic-prince-cinderella, @the-blue-fairie, @paexgo-rosa, @themousefromfantasyland

#sleeping beauty #sleeping beauty spring #fairy tale #let's pretend #radio #1940s #record album

[aneiria-writes]

A Soft Light Rising

A Hades / Persephone AU, written for @kanejweek 2022 - prompt: Kings and Queens

Read on AO3 here, or keep on reading below...

xxx

There were rumours, around the Barrel, that Dirtyhands had tricked his Wraith into becoming his queen. Had offered her false, tempting lies, or promises to expand her fleet of ships, or reassurances she would keep her freedom, despite being chained to him.

Others claimed he’d lured her with a perfect, ripe pomegranate, plump with ruby seeds, and signed her life over to him while she was distracted by the taste, lips pink with juice and eyes closed in bliss.

Whatever the truth, the Wraith of Ketterdam spent half the year in the city, the deadly shadow by Dirtyhands’ side, and the king and queen of the Barrel stalked the streets they ruled, two pairs of dark, dangerous eyes keeping watch over each other. 

The other half of the year, the Wraith left Ketterdam and her king behind, sailing away on her ship, never once looking back. 

Of course, there had always been rumours floating around the Barrel, and not often were they entirely true. 

xxx

‘Meja! Oh, my Inej, it has been too long!’ 

Inej’s mother already had tears streaking down her cheeks as she ran towards her daughter, flinging her arms around Inej as she walked into the circle of caravans. From behind her, Inej’s father smiled fondly, waiting patiently for his wife to release their child.

‘Mama, please,’ Inej murmured, allowing herself to be stroked, held, wept upon. ‘It has only been half a year.’

It was the same every spring, when the ice thawed and she set off from Ketterdam and across the True Sea once again. 

Inej’s mother huffed indignantly. ‘And if it were not for that Brekker, clouding your good sense with his dark trickery, you would be back safe in your caravan all year long, with your parents, where you belong.’ 

‘Cara, my love.’ Inej’s father moved close then, gently pulling her mother back. His voice was gentle, but held just a hint of warning. ‘Kaz is who Inej has chosen. Ketterdam is where she has chosen. Be grateful she is able to spend even half a year with us, ov?’ He smiled at Inej as her mother tutted. ‘Welcome back, meja.’ 

Kaz had never joined Inej on her trips to Ravka. It had been made clear, back in Ketterdam when her parents arrived at the docks that first time, that although they were infinitely grateful for him reuniting them with their daughter, the Ghafas considered him a demon, a devil, and not someone worthy of their bright, happy, precious only daughter. 

Even after five years’ of marriage, Inej’s mother acted as if Kaz had tricked her into loving him, had stolen Inej away from the safety of her caravan’s embrace — as if he were no different to the slavers who first snatched her away, no different from Tante Heleen herself. 

Inej had cut her first visit home short, when her mother refused to stop making snide, hurtful comments about Kaz, and ever since her mother had managed to keep to the minimum of insults when Inej made her yearly visit. 

And as much as Inej loved her parents, her family, the life she’d long lost, she knew she loved her husband more. She missed him desperately, ached for his tender touch, his bitter-coffee eyes, the single-minded devotion he held for her.

She’d been thinking, more and more: six months was not enough for her, anymore.

xxx

The deal had been the deal. 

Kaz asked her to stay, but Inej knew she had to be free to sail the seas, to bring some form of justice to the dark, cruel world. To see her parents, and try to rebuild their relationship. The compromise had been half a year with Kaz, and half a year to herself. 

And no matter how much he missed her, the gentle touch of his wife, her brilliant eyes and kind smile and wicked tongue, Kaz knew he could never deny her anything. Besides, six months with his queen at his side in Ketterdam felt far more than he’d ever deserved.

Still, he missed her, in the months she sailed away from him. Missed her with a longing, an intensity, that no-one would believe was possible from the Bastard of the Barrel. 

In her absence, Kaz haunted the Barrel, kept the city under control, ran his Dregs’ with an iron fist. He visited the Van Eck mansion, had supper with Jesper and Wylan, ran his schemes and heists and plays as usual.

And he waited, with every beat of his darkened heart, for his love to return to him. 

In the week before she was due back into her berth at Fifth Harbour, Kaz started preparing for her return. He opened up their house on Zelverstraat, airing the rooms, laundering the musty sheets and towels until everything smelled as bright and flowery as Inej herself. He stocked the kitchen with the ingredients for her favourite pan bread and dhal, as well as hutspot, and of course, fruits of every kind. 

Inej loved all fruit indiscriminately, from the crispy apples and fat, sweet peaches that were Kerch’s speciality, to gold-fleshed mangoes, tiny purple blueberries, sharp, juicy oranges the size of her fist. And always, ripe, blush-coloured pomegranates, her favourite. From the first one she’d ever tasted, on the eve of their wedding, Inej had declared them the most delicious food, and Kaz had ensured that their house was laden with pomegranates each time she returned to him. 

Now, he waited on the docks of Fifth Harbour, ignoring the chill in the air, his hands clasped on the crows-head of his cane. He almost smiled when the Wraith appeared on the hazy horizon, perfectly on time, and stayed standing, silent, watchful, until the sprightly warship swept into berth twenty-two, and her captain leapt up onto the brow of the boat. Kaz barely had time to raise a hand in greeting before Captain Ghafa grabbed onto a sheet and swung down onto the dock and into his waiting arms with a golden laugh. 

‘My darling Inej,’ Kaz crooned, kissing her greedily, stroking her silken hair, breathing in the sunshine smell of her as he buried his face into her neck. ‘My queen, my love. I have missed you.’ 

I have missed you: such mundane words, for the depth of feeling they portrayed. He’d missed her, of course, but in a way so much more than just missing. He’d missed her, like the winter missed the flowers, like the summer missed the rains. 

He’d missed her, and now she was in his arms, his, again, for the next six months.

‘I missed you too, Kaz,’ she murmured, her breath as sweet as spring air against his cheek. She kissed him again, and for a moment he imagines blossoms flowering in his hair as her lips breathe life into him.

xxx

‘They say I stole you away,’ Kaz whispers into her hair, as she pushes his shirt from his shoulders. 

‘I ate the fruit willingly,’ Inej gasps, as his soft lips kiss the tender skin of her neck. 

‘They think I have chained you to me,’ Kaz murmurs, arms tensed, as she pushes him back onto their bed with a sharp smile.

‘It is I who have chained you, my love,’ she smiles in return, trailing a long, steady finger down the muscles of his stomach. 

‘They think you are my Queen of Hell.’

‘They don’t realise you’re my King of Flowers.’

Kaz groans as she sinks onto him, her back arched, her hair loose, her skin glowing in the light of the oil lamp. ‘I love you, Inej,’ he manages, before she wipes his mind clean with her voice, her body, her very being. 

Her eyes are bright with adoration and wicked with intent as she smiles down at him, straddled across his hips, holding him hostage to her heart. ‘And I love you, Kaz.’

xxx

A soft light rising above the level meadow, behind the bed. He takes her in his arms. He wants to say I love you, nothing can hurt you

but he thinks this is a lie, so he says in the end you're dead, nothing can hurt you which seems to him a more promising beginning, more true.

- A Myth of Devotion, by Louise Glück

#kanejweek #kanej week #kanejweek2022 #kanej #kaz x inej #oneshot #hades / persephone au #prompt: kings and queens #theme: royalty #rated m below the cut #six of crows #soc #fanfic #my writing #no plot only vibes #inspired by mythology #established relationship

[ecofinisher]

Chapter 2

At night, the family had set up everything ready for dinner, so that they could all sit down for dinner together. Kai and Gerda carried together the meals to the table, then Kai took a look around the table to ponder how to give the whole table a nicer look for the guests. Someone knocked on the door, earning Gerda’s attention, which walked towards the door. 

„They must be here already,“ Announced Gerda opening up the door to see Alfida along with Rollan waiting there.

„Hey welcome home,“ Gerda said watching Alfida step in and embrace her friend, afterward she stepped away to let Rollan enter as well and both Gerda and Rollan embraced each other tightly.

„Hola mi amor,“ Greeted Rollan earning a peck on his cheek from the woman, afterward she grabbed the man under his chin and planted her lips on his for a small kiss.

„Bienvenido, cariño“ The blonde spoke making Rollan smile at her attempt of greeting him in Spanish.

„Magnifico,“ Complimented Rollan earning a smile from the woman, which rubbed her nose on his and grabbed him by his arm to lead him into the dining room.

Kai and Alfida had in the meanwhile shared an embrace, then Kai looked at Gerda leading Rollan to greet her parents, which smiled at his presence and held out their hand at the man. Kai looked neutral at his girlfriend, which knew Kai wasn’t really happy to have Rollan around.

„Quite interesting, how you still feel different about him after these three years. He has shown to be a good fit for Gerda. They have been around together every often. The way things have been going between them, their relationship will last for good. You don’t need to worry about it. You saw it back with King Harald’s machines, he would do everything possible to keep her safe, even if it would cost his life,“ Explained Alfida making Kai nod.

„I know, but I can’t explain. I still worry about the future. What if something leads him to do bad things again?“

„You heard the Snow Queen. It was the Fire King, that took control of his mind and spoke into his head things to lead him into trouble,“ Alfida mentioned, then placed her hand on Kai’s cheek to caress it. „Don’t worry about it,“

Kai smiled at Alfida’s touch and observed all the others reunite together at the table, afterward Alfida rolled her eyes to ask the boyfriend to get to sit down on the table along with her.

„Alfida, Rollan, good to have you two here as well. As our guests you can be the first ones to take from what you want,“ Told Vegard to the guests, that sat on the round table. „We’ve got stuffed turkey, rice, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. Feel free to pick, what you want,“

„Thank you,“ Responded Alfida scooping a bit of rice onto her plate, while Kai observed across the table Gerda tell Rollan something, while he listened to her and glimpsed up at Una using a large knife and fork to cut down the turkey. Rollan got up and held out his hands offering the mother to cut the turkey in her place making the woman smile.

„You don’t have to do that. You’re our guest,“ Stated Una, then Vegard got up from his table and got between the two.

„My wife is right, sit down. I’ll take it,“ Commented Vegard making Rollan nod and get back, while Una smiled and got down as well to see her husband take the task.

„Rollan, Alfida, I haven’t seen you two for a while. How have things been at the sea?“ Questioned Una watching Alfida take a spoon filled with sprouts.

„Oh well, it’s not the same as it was months ago. We’ve been so unlucky at the sea. Our score seems lower by every time we get somewhere,“ The raven-haired woman explained. „If things keep going this way, we need to orientate ourselves and look for a plan B,“

„I always wanted to do something, where I would help and protect people,“ Mentioned Rollan. „That what Alfida did before at King Harald,“

„They’re always looking for guards. You two could give it a chance there,“ Suggested Vegard watching Rollan nod and Alfida shake her head.

„After what happened I don’t think Harald trusts me,“ Answered Alfida. „I got my mom’s crew to assault his kingdom in order to get into the castle,“

„But it was for a good cause. That could have been pardoned by him,“

„Yes, but some things got broken and…...I gotta handle that a little differently now,“ Kai’s girlfriend said.

„I could give it a try if we get unlucky at sea more often,“ Rollan commented. „Sooner or later it would be a good thing if I wasn’t out on the sea more often. I would like to be able to look at the future along with Gerda. There are things we just need to have time for it,“ The Spaniard mentioned putting potatoes on his plate, afterward he accepted the spoon from Alfida to take the rice.

„You’d do well if you would stay around here. At the sea, you would be gone for days and by stormy weathers, you wouldn’t be able to leave for treasure hunting anyway,“ Remembered Gerda watching Rollan nod.

„Si. I admit there are times the days over the sea are unbearable for me when I don’t see you so often,“ Confessed the Spaniard making Gerda smile enchanted at the man’s comment.

„How many slices do you wish?“ Asked Una watching her husband lay on Alfida’s plate two pieces of meat. Alfida used her fingers to ask for two, which she happened to receive. Vegard moved to Rollan’s plate and took two pieces as well. „What about you, Rollan?“

„Two are fine for now,“ Responded Rollan watching Vegard place them on Rollan’s plate.

„I believe two more would be just right, “Announced Vegard using the fork and the knife to cut the meat down.

„No, no, no. It’s alright. Those are enough for now,“ Assured Rollan watching Vegard put the third slice on the plate. „Okay, that’s now good,“ Rollan said making Vegard chuckle.

„Young man, turkey has plenty of protein. That’s good for the conservation of your muscles. You gotta take the fourth one,“ Said Vegard making Rollan chuckle embarrassed and look at Gerda, which grinned as well at her father’s deed.

Kai looked at Alfida slightly confused, then she shrugged her shoulders and grabbed his hand to held it closer to her.

„Leave your dad. He just wants your…..future brother-in-law to feel welcome in this family,“ Alfida joked making Kai frown.

„I know. He just doesn’t really need to go this far. Well, that’s just my opinion though,“ Spoke Kai making Alfida chuckle.

„Come on, don’t worry. You two will get along too in the future. You just need to spend more time together and you will see, you will get along just right,“ Promised Alfida making Kai nod and take a look at his sister, which eyed her boyfriend, that was amazed by Vegard’s dish built.

Gerda had lied to sleep about an hour ago together with Luta, which lied above her waist on the bed cover. Something chattered on the glass of the window, perking up the weasel, which recognized the direction of the noise and looked at the window to see nothing. Luta got down to run towards the window and jumped up to look for a possible reason from the noise she heard. She recognized afterward a hand knocking on the glass and placed her paws on the glass to glimpse at the person and recognize Rollan, who had had dinner before with the family. Luta smiled and got down on the floor to return to Gerda, then began to tickle the woman with her nose waking her up softly.

„Luta, what’s going on?“ Questioned Gerda listening to the weasel squeaking and pointing at the window to see a hand knock on the window making Gerda curious.

„Is that Rollan?“ Questioned Gerda, then jumped out of her bed to head to the window to open it to see him stand on the small roof above the backyard exit looking up at the girl. „What are you going here?“ Questioned Gerda looking down at her boyfriend, which reached his hand up at the woman, which moved hers down only managing to touch his finger tips. „Come with me, I’ve got something for you,“

„I’m wearing my nightgown,“ Mentioned Gerda watching Rollan shrug his shoulders.

„Where I’m taking you, no one won't see you like that. I promise,“ Rollan commented watching Gerda nod and climb above the windowsill to move slowly down at Rollan, which held out his arms to catch her and bring her down on the roof.

„Oh is that the one that has snowflakes on it?“ Questioned Rollan making Gerda nod and show her the imprinted gray snowflakes on her white gown. „You’re ready to go?“ Questioned Rollan making Gerda nod and give him her hand, then Rollan moved along with his girlfriend over the roof up on the top, so they could see the entire village.

„What are we doing here?“ Questioned Gerda, then Rollan pointed at a place, where both could see the largest building with a medium-height roof.

„See the roof there?“ Questioned Rollan making Gerda nod. „That’s the one from the museum. We’re going on top of it,“

„Alright,“ Answered Gerda, then shrieked as Rollan jumped with Gerda to the next roof, then tried to balance himself on the roof, afterward Gerda had an idea and walked up on the top of the roof while pulling Rollan behind. „Let’s do it like this,“ Suggested Gerda standing on the other side, while Rollan looked at the roof and realized, what Gerda had in mind. Both moved along the roof helping each other to stay balanced on the roof, heading to the end of the one house, then at the edge both looked at each other gaining each other’s trust to jump together at the next house. Upon landing on it, both continued their way and Rollan looked at Gerda with a smile, which returned it as well.

After a while the duo arrived at the roof of the museum and saw the oval-shaped half-walls and on the middle was a little overused picnic towel and a small wash bucket turned upside down with a candle in the middle of it and on both sides was a small soup plate filled with a baked dough, which had in the middle notably a blueberry filling.

„Oh my god. Did you do that all?“ Asked Gerda surprised making Rollan nod, seconds later he shook his head.

„Okay, the cake I went to Freya’s coffee shop and asked for help. I wanted it to be hot at the moment you arrive….except five minutes have passed and it’s getting cold……,“ Commented Rollan making Gerda chuckle.

„Thanks for the invite,“ Responded Gerda making Rollan smile and lead her to the right side for her to sat up on the wall with her legs crossed and picked her spoon while observing Rollan get to his spot. „You must have a special reason to bring me in the middle of the night all the way up here,“ Began Gerda moving her spoon to scoop up a bit of the melted blueberry from the top. Rollan widened his eyes at her question, then sat down facing his girlfriend, followed by picking his dessert as well.

„Oh you know….I was meant to do this already before your invite,“ Responded Rollan shoving his spoon deep into the dessert, afterward shoved it straight into his mouth. „I forgot to talk to you about it,“

„Okay,“ Responded Gerda. „By the way, this tastes good. If you see Freya or any of the bakers, give her my compliments,“

„I will,“ Promised Rollan. „I have used a few of the gold coins Alfida and the rest found at that one trip to pay them. Your mother is right about me looking for a better way to obtain money. Things have been gone bad at the sea and you see Alfida’s mom travels along with her crew outside of the Scandinavian area just to get, what they want. But they’re gone for weeks and maybe months,“

„You and Alfida won’t be doing that, right?“ Questioned Gerda. „Alfida didn’t seem interested in it as well,“

„At the moment, she’s got something else in mind. We would be gone only for a couple of days, nothing more. As far as I know, we will leave on the coming Monday,“ Explained Rollan making Gerda nod, and shove another scoop into her mouth. „Don’t worry, I will visit you before I leave,“

„That’s sweet,“ Confessed Gerda. „By the way, I haven’t asked this before, but have you ever thought of passing by Spain sometime to see your mom?“

„Si, I just haven’t thought about it, when to do it exactly,“ Responded Rollan passing his hand behind his neck. „I haven’t seen her in three years nor do I know if she has received any of my letters. I really would like to see her, let her know I’m good here, have made some good friends…...you…..“ Rollan finished making Gerda smile and take another scoop.

„Your mother…..how is she like?“ Questioned Gerda. „I know how you described her as a person, but I never got to know her looks,“

„Oh well, the last time I saw her, she was around my height. She had black hair, just like me, the hair was tied. She looked like a simple woman ay any other around our village,“ Explained Rollan making Gerda nod and take another bite of her dessert, then widened her eyes as she felt something hard get between her teeth.

„What’s that?“ Mumbled Gerda shoving her thumb and index finger against the lips to pick out from her mouth a small ring with a lapis lazuli attached to the ring. Gerda opened her mouth astonished by her discovery, afterward, Rollan got up from his place and grabbed the hand, where Gerda had the ring, bowing down with one knee.

„Gerda.... Meeting you was one of the best things, that happened to me when I came over here on an adventure. You’re the most extraordinary and kindest girl I have ever met in my life. Your heart has always found a way to see the good in everybody and forgive an idioto like me. I want to spend the rest of my days by your side as your husband and give you the love and life you deserve to have. I might not be the richest person when it comes to materialistic items. One thing I can assure you, as long as you wear this ring, I’ll be doing everything that is within my reach to give, you what you need,“

Gerda’s eyes got filled with tears of joy, making Rollan smile at seeing the impact his speech made, afterward the blonde embraced the Spaniard tightly making him smile relieved, and placed his arms around hers.

„Que dices?“ Questioned Rollan splitting along with Gerda off each other’s arms.

„Yes, I will!“ Answered Gerda overexcited, then held her hand out for Rollan to put the ring on her finger, afterward he pecked Gerda’s hand and looked up at her with an amused smile. Gerda, still euphorically about, what had happened threw herself at Rollan’s arms, causing him to fall down on his back, and began to spread kisses all over his face.

„Oy….amor…...cálmate,“ Commented Rollan watching Gerda stop and sat up, followed by himself. Gerda chuckled about Rollan’s sudden reaction and wrapped her arms around his left shoulder lying her chin above it.

„I wasn’t expecting the proposal to be early…..well I had thought, that you would wait for a little longer,“

„With the income, I have at the moment, it would make things harder for me to get you the most fitting ring. I picked this one because they would fit your eyes,“

„You’re right. They’re really close to my eye color. You have a good eye,“ Commented Gerda leaning her cheek beside his face, making him smile enamored with the blonde.

About an hour later, the duo stood on top of the house looking above the village together to see the half-moon in the sky.

„That was a good meal back there. Thank you for taking me out,“ Gerda said giving Rollan a kiss on his cheek. „Where will you spend the night? At the pension?“

„Like usual,“ Answered Rollan making Gerda nod, then she moved to the edge of the roof along with Rollan to look at the window, where she let it open to enter back again.

„See you tomorrow,“ Gerda said making Rollan smile and approach the woman for a kiss making Gerda smile, afterward she nudged Rollan causing him to lose his balance and she let herself fall as well, transforming into her dragon-themed self to catch the boy in midfall and flapped up in the air carrying a scared Rollan in her arms, which sighed afterward relieved about the catch.

„So, what do you say? Pretty quick,“ Questioned the blonde earning a nod from Rollan, which got placed down on the ground and watched Gerda float in front of him with help of her wings.

„Amazing,“ Commented Rollan holding his hands out for Gerda to grab them. „We will see each other again really soon,“

„Yes, we will,“ Answered Gerda earning a smile from Rollan and she flew up, while waving at the raven-haired man, then turned around to enter the room, landing on the ground of her bedroom.

Gerda transformed back into herself, followed by being jumped by Luta, which was happy to see her owner again making Gerda smile and embrace her weasel.

„Oh Luta, you can’t believe, what happened,“ Gerda started sensing Luta tickle her with the nose, then moved her head up upon hearing footsteps and looked at the door to see it open back to reveal Kai standing there bewildered at seeing his sister awake.

„Gerda, did you hear someone cry?“ Questioned Kai stepping into the room making Gerda nod.

„That must have been Rollan out there,“ Gerda commented. „He had taken me out to eat on top of the museum and I got proposed there,“

„Proposed?“ Questioned Kai confused, then Gerda held out her hand to the raven-haired, which gasped to see Gerda had a ring on her finger. „You two are getting married!?!?“ Asked Kai surprised while Gerda stood there with a big smile in her bedroom.

The Beauty and the Kid - Part 1 - Wattpad

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[shinobirain24]

Aqualad II (Year 2036)

Real name: Artur To'mas Atlan (Atlantean name), Arthur Curry Jr. (Surface name)

Alias: His royal highness (by citizens), Prince (title), your majesty (by citizens), Half-breed's son (by Siren)

Hair color: blonde

Eye color: Light blue

Family: Thomas Curry (Paternal grandfather), Atlanna (Paternal grandmother), King Ryus Nereus (maternal grandfather), Hila (maternal aunt), Orm Marius (Paternal half-uncle, deceased), Arthur Curry Sr./Orin (Father), Mera Nereus (Mother), Atlan (ancestor), Mareena Atlanna Atlan/Maria Curry (younger sister)

Species: Atlantean (1/4 human)

Occupation: Leader of the Titans, Member of the Atlantean Resistance, Crown Prince of Atlantis (exiled), Superhero, Protege of Aquaman II

Affiliation: Titans, Justice League, Atlantean Royal family

Abilities and skills:

-Atlantean physiology

-Superhuman strength

-Electrokinesis

-Hydrokinesis

-Underwater breathing

-Combat

Weapons: Water bearers.

Biography:

Born to the original Aquaman, known as Orin, and Annax High King (or rather High Queen) Mera of Poseidonis, Artur grew up loved and was always wondering when he would have an adventure of his own, inspired by stories of his father's journeys as Aquaman. By the time he turned 13, he started his training under his father's former protege, Kaldur'ram, the current Aquaman. As his parents worried that as the son of the royal family, Artur would be targeted in the future, and would need to learn how to defend himself.

During his training with Kaldur'ram, he befriended a female Atlantean, who is another one of Kaldur'ram's proteges, who would become Blue Marine in the future. They became close friends. Artur would eventually learn that the girl's name is Shi'Maia, a resident of Shayeris. Later, his sister, Mareena was born, and already Arthur doted on his little sister.

Two years later, as Darkseid began his invasion on Earth, Orin was forced to fight in the war. But not before saying his farewells to his family, despite his son's protest. But Artur's father replied that this was not his time to join the battle. But he must remain on the land and seas as the future protector of Earth. This was the last time Arthur saw his father before his disappearance. Till this day, both Artur and his mother ruled Atlantis.

At the age of 15, while serving as regent, Artur would enroll into the Atlantean military to join the ranks of combatants in order to get as strong as he could to protect the land and seas. As a result, the prince became well-respected for his bravery and effort, disregarding his own safety for the sake of his people, as it won the hearts of Atlantis as the future king. However, those efforts worried his mother and sister as they feared he was pushing himself too much.

Once Artur turned 18, his ascension as crown prince began. However, his mother, Mera was aware of the distraught her son was going through for the loss of his father and would try to assure him as best as she could.

The Ascension Ceremony was interrupted when his maternal aunt, Hila leads her rebelling Xebelian forces after she usurped the throne of Xebel as it's ruler. Mera gave her son the Crown of Arion to keep it away from her, and orders him to escape with Kaldur'ram and Mareena. It is unknown what happened to Mera when she faces her sister in a battle.

Currently, Artur lives in his grandfather's lighthouse as a safe refuge, where his father used to take him to in order for him to see his side of history,since he is now aware of his human lineage. And he takes the Aqualad mantle, while concealing his identity as the Atlantean Prince with a silver mask. Continuing his training with Aquaman II, alongside his friend, Blue Marine. After becoming Aqualad, Artur would then vow to reunite with his father should he find him.

Personality:

Born in the Atlantean Royal family, Artur was intelligent enough to sort out the conflicts of his teammates. But knew his identity must be kept in secrecy to hide from his father's enemies.

He's also known to be polite, respecting elders, including veteran heroes before him. His mother mentions that she knew from the beginning that he was born a fighter and a leader. But he would never see his comrades as numbers or soldiers.

But saw his teammates as his friends for the more he works with them. After becoming leader of the Titans, Aqualad struggles in leadership. The side of battles mentally scarred him as his father's disappearance was the sole reason of his grief.

Whenever a mission fails, or a teammates gets killed or injured, Artur was quick to blame himself for those events. However, with courage from his mentor, Artur would try to step up in the game as protector of Earth. As Aqualad, he knew would have to remain strong for his friends, not as a prince, but as a Titan.

During one of his meetings with Resistance of other worlds, Artur was shown to have political skills of gaining allies. And would take his duties as leader of the Titans seriously. Especially as the future high king of Atlantis.

Being an older brother to Princess Mareena, he would listen and consider her words and advise without any hesitation. And even acted as a fatherly figure to his sister since the absence of their father.

Deep down, he was aware of the ups and downs of becoming king and protector, as he was aware that his father did not have things easy when he was king at the time, due to being raised in a lighthouse. But Artur would always recognized his father as the bridge of land and sea. And would take his wisdom to heart. And Artur decides that once he becomes king, he would pass this wisdom to the next generations of the royal family.

He would also reject any women who wanted to become his consort, as he was only fond of his friend Sh'Maia, regardless if she was neither born of nobility not royalty. As he only seeks people who only saw him as a person, not a prince. And was happy that his teammates are like a second family as they only saw him as a leader and a Titan.

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