#i want more tog being a family | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

misguidedasgardian · 10 months

Text

The dragon's Mistress (11)

11. King and Queen

MASTERLIST

Summary: You had known more about humiliation in the past months that you’d hope you’d known in a lifetime

Warnings: cursing, mentions of war, mentions of death, humiliation, use of the word bastard and traitor, incest, smut, breeding kink, from now on it will be adultery and sort of cheating, might miss some warnings

+18, MINORS DNI

Wordcount: 2.3k

Notes: shorter chapter, and a sad one too... anyways I wanted tog et this one out of my way hehe, now the dynamic is going to be different from before

Aemond’s heavy breath in your face soothed you in some way, as he kept ramming into you, drawing moans and whimpers from your mouth. He kissed you sloppily, and your nails scratched his back angrily, but that seemed to spur him on. He kissed your jaw and neck.

He kept pounding into you, making you whimper

“My King”, you whisper mindlessly, and he smiled wickedly at you

“I’m going to breed you”, he said, but it sounded more like threat, “I’m going to give you my children, and you will be the mother of the future King”, he growled, and in the haze of pleasure you believed him, and even wanted it, desire it

He cummed inside you, like he always did, and then he threw himself over you, crushing you under his weight. But the weight calmed you, made you feel sickly protected

Until you remembered what day it was. He seemed to read your mind, and he lean back to gaze at your face.

“We need to get ready”, he whispered, caressing your cheek with devotion

“Please don’t make me go”, you whispered, Aemond sighed, like he was tired of you, he lifted himself off of you and off the bed, and you seated on the bed, covering your naked body with the sheets as you saw Aemond put on his clothes he left in the floor of your room

“It is a royal wedding”, he said simply, and your eyes filled with tears again, “the wedding of the century according to many”

“Please”, you begged again, he looked at you, and only nodded. Unknown to you his mother had begged him to keep you out of all this, the mistress of the King being in his wedding ceremony was not going to look good, not for the family of the bride and not for the entire court. So, wanting to avoid drama and that nauseous look on his mother's face, he didn’t fight you.

“if you rather be locked up in here, fine”, he said bitterly

You were more relieved, but then, nausea hit you like a wild horse, make you scramble out of bed, finding the nearest pot, and throwing up in it, Aemond was on you in a second, taking your hair out of your face and caressing your back

“Are you alright? Are you ill?”, you only wiped your mouth with the back of your hand

“I’m fine my king, you don’t have to worry about me”, you whined

“You are the only one I worry about”, he whispered, leading you to sit on the bed, “I will go and fetch a maester”, he said gently

“You should go and get ready for the wedding”, you murmured

“I will do what I have to”, he said stubbornly, and left you

He didn’t show up again, but the maester did, he checked on you, gave you a simple tea for your weak stomach, claiming you felt nervous and that it gave you a sickness. So the tea was going to settle your stomach and then he left you alone.

Alone to hear the party that was going on in the castle and around it

You avoided Aemond like he was the winter fever when he started to talk about how boring where the preparations of his coming nuptials

Because he did tried to talk to you about it

How sick was that?

That Floris turned into some kind of monster that demanded these flowers, and this prayer, and this song, and this feast or this color… Had driven Aemond insane. You just listened to him and nodded, or hummed, not really caring, trying to think about anything but what he was saying

Each time he spoke of the wedding you wanted to throw up.

You could hear the celebration from your chambers, the music, the people gathering and cheering, it was driving you mad

But at the same time…

Everyone was distracted…

Nobody was going to bother you today, not Aemond, not anyone…

This could be an opportunity you were never going to have again…

You put on a comfortable dress, one you used for riding because you could put pants under it, and that is exactly what you did, you grabbed everything of value you had in a small purse, and then a cape. But as soon as you opened the door, there was a King’s GUard outside of it

“Your grace”, he greeted, bowing slightly

“Ser Steffon”, Ser Steffon Mangold had been recruited for the King’s guard of Aegon II after half of the guard would have fled to back your mother’s claim. He was exceptionally good with not one but two swords, and his job was to care for Aemond, and now, apparently, you.

“May I ask where are you going?”, he asked, you seemed to hear a tone of mockery in his voice, you only looked up to meet him

“The Dragonpit”, you said

“I’m afraid I can’t allow you to”, he whispered, “King Regent’s orders”

“Please”, he truly seemed sorry for you, but he still shook his head

“I'm sworn to the King, and I need to follow his command”, he said severely, and you only nodded, entering your rooms again.

But you couldn’t give up, you remembered what Jacaerys told you, about the secret passageways installed deep within the castle walls

But where to find them?

You placed your hands in the wall, and pushed, then and there, everywhere, but nothing, there was nothing or rather, it was and now it was sealed shut, Aemond wasn’t an idiot and Aegon was famous for sneaking out of the Red Keep, using the same passageways, they said Queen Helaena’s children were murdered using said tunnels

Probably Aemond had them sealed

So you opened the door ever so slightly, but to no use, the Kingsguard acknowledged you immediately

“Yes, your grace?”, he asked, clearly Aemond had restored your title of princess

“Please, I’m hungry, can you fetch a maid?”, you asked him, and he looked back at you, mockingly

“Do you take me for a fool?”, he asked then

“I will tell the king you refused…”, he sighed, loudly

“Very well, is this is how you want to play it”, he walked away from the door, and you, obviously, ran to the other side as soon as he turned the corner

It was silly, so silly it might actually work

YOu only wanted to be at peace…

Was that too much to ask?

The only way to achieve that was to go away from the Keep, let them have it, your mother never wanted the crown anyways, you wouldn’t be disappointing her in any case, shape or form, but Dragonstone wasn’t far enough.

You had heard that Saera Targaryen, one of King’s Jaehaerys numerous daughters had run away to Pentos or one of the free cities, and had turned into a wealthy woman and lived freely, perhaps you could do the same.

The free cities it was then

a quick stop in Dragonstone to take some golden dragons from under the mian room’s floorboards, and then…

Freedom

You ran hastily, the Red Keep was completely empty, everyone, including the staff must have been celebrating the Royal wedding

Your stomach twisted but you convinced yourself that the furthest you ran, the happies you were going to be.

You didn’t need to sit the throne, or for your children to do it, you were going to honor your mother by living, you were your mother’s legacy, she was going to live through you and the children you were going to have.

Perhaps you could search for Saera, join her, you didn’t know her, but you shared the blood of the dragon and that must count for something, right?

With all those things running through your head, you managed to reach the entrance of the castle that went through the courtyard, you didn’t know who you were going to go past the guards and that huge guarded door, but perhaps only an intimidated look was going to be enough

And when you looked down the courtyard… IT WAS EMPTY!

You ran towards the exit, sprinted down the stairs… you were so close you could feel it.

But as soon as you touched the huge wooden doors, you felt someone pull you off of them

“NO!”, you screamed, and wiggled out of grip, but it was Iron tight

Steffon Mangold, the king’s guard

“PLEASE!”, you cried, “let me go!”

“I can’t do that”, he seemed truly sorry as he started to pull you gently back towards the castle, “I can’t”

“Please”, you begged quietly, “I bet you are loyal towards the Baratheons?”, you offered, “If I leave, you will never see me again, Floris will be the Queen, she won’t be humiliated!”, you said, “please, I don’t want to be his mistress, you can say I knocked you out with a stick or something, and ran away, you don’t have to face any guilt, please, you will never see me again!”, you were back inside the hallways

But he stopped, and made sure to look into your eyes

“I’m not loyal to that cunt”, he growled, and that surprised you

“Who are you loyal to?”, you asked. He blinked, and his anger passed to be something else

“Someone else”, he muttered, “I know you don’t want this, but there is something bigger at play here”

“What?”, you asked, but he turned and keep dragging you towards your rooms

“I can’t tell you”, he say stubbornly, and kept walking, and you were now resigned, he didn’t give you anything to go on, to hold onto any hope, he just dragged you back to your chambers, not before encountering the royal party, Aemond and Floris leading them, holding hands

It was only a second, in which Aemond looked upon you being dragged by your King’s guard, before you disappeared down the hallway

Your stomach twisted painfully, you were hungry you haven't eaten all day, but also, in disgust

“Please”, you begged one more time before you reached your rooms

“I can’t”, he said, “but trust me, everything is going to be alright”, you only shook your head

“Please”, you begged, but he closed the door gently, but still… on your face.

When you turned, you saw the table was set for you. You guessed they took a serving from the wedding banquet

You ate in an embarrassing pace, you were starving, luckily you were alone, but as soon as you took a pork chop, the strong smell caught you off guard, sickening you, and you threw it away like it burned, now you wanted to throw up like in the morning

So you washed it up with wine, and then you decided to take some fresh air, so you took a book and decided to sit on the balcony to read.

But your mind kept wandering…

Was there really something big at play here? you shook your head, you couldn’t do that to yourself, you couldn’t hold onto hope, what if there was nothing there? you were going to get your heart broken all over again… no… you had to ran away, it was the only way

You dozed off in the balcony, the sun was setting and you felt suddenly so tired, and you didn't understand why, so you walked back to the bed, disposed of your dress and just cuddled with yourself in your undergarments

You didn’t know how late it was, but you were woken up by the door opening, you almost jumped off the bed, scared, but from the light of the torches in the hallway, you clearly saw Aemond walking in, and you whimpered, you did not wanted to see him today

“My King?”, you called, you didn't get to see his face, you only felt his heavy body land on the bed by your side and hugged you tightly against him

“Why are you here?”, you asked to the darkness of the room

“I couldn’t stand her”, he muttered, and you only whimpered

“Please my king, you shouldn’t be here”, you cried, “you should be with your wife”

“She isn’t you”, bitter tears fell down your eyes

“Please”, you begged, you wanted him to leave, you did not want all the court hating you, even though it was probably too late for that

“Call me Aemond”, you felt it on his breath, he was drunk

“No”, you refused, turning in your bed, and you pushed him off of you, “you need to be with your wife, please, leave”, you begged. but no matter the strength you put on your arms, he wouldn’t budge, he just sighed

“I did it”, he whispered, he was out of it, drunk, you had never seen him like this, “I consummate the marriage”, that hurt, that truly hurt, he had been inside of her, and now he was laying next to you, you felt disgusted, “but she isn’t you”

“You married her, Aemond, it was your choice, now you have to endure it”, you said angrily, chances where he was not going to remember anything tomorrow, “get out!”, you cried, bitter tear fell down your face, “get the fuck out!”

He sat on the edge of the bed in a messy movement, showing you his back, he leaned forward, you couldn’t see him because it was dark and all, but it seemed like he used his mouth to stifle a whimper, but you were probably just dreaming

“Get out”, you whined, and he just stood up from the bed, and left the room without another word

Tomorrow you were probably going to pay for that, but tonight, you were going to enjoy the fact that he was not going to be over you every night, he had a wife now…

But still you felt sickened to your stomach.

#misguidedmistress #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen x alys rivers #aemond x oc #aemond the kinslayer #aemond targaryen #targaryen!oc #targaryen!reader #hbo house of the dragon #house of the dragon #house targaryen

342 notes · View notes

xylianasblog · 4 months

Note

Hi! Could you do a Ao’nung x Sully reader where Ao’nung is kind of a jerk to everyone (as he is) but with the reader it’s a more needy kind of attitude? But like still kind of bratty? (If that makes sense?) and Ao’nung and reader get caught by the others doing something cute (like napping together). I don’t know, just like something really fluffy. Thank you

A Different Side of him.

Pairings: Aonung x Sully Reader.

Warnings: Slight bullying, kinda fluffy.

Summary: Aonung is a big jerk, a bratty boy who just wants love from his favorite person.

A/n: This is my first request, the first actual one, and that made me super excited! Soooo, with that being said I really hope I did this justice for you, I’m sorry it’s short Anonie babes! Sorry, it took me so long babes. Enjoy!

꒦꒷❀꒷꒦༻❀✿❀༺꒦꒷❀꒷꒦༻❀✿❀༺ ꒦꒷❀꒷꒦

It seemed like Aonung's favorite pass time was bullying others, and he wasn't bullying someone he was downright being an asshole just for the fun of it. Especially when it came to your family, at least until you came around. His attitude towards you was something completely different than how he normally was.

It was like gone was the asshole you witness bully your siblings for being different and in place was this whiny bratty male who only desired to have you close at all times. With you, Aonung tended to be very sweet and caring. He was attentive and touchy, very bratty when you denied him things like hugs and kisses, overall, he seemed like he'd be the absolute perfect mate.

One day while walking along the beach with your sister Kiri and your best friend Tsireya you spotted him on the beach picking with your twin brother. You watched as he poked fun at your brother for his human features, the same human features that you, yourself have possessed. He never acted this way with you though, always finding your brother and sister to be easy pickings.

Once you were close enough you could hear bits of what Aonung was saying. "Look at that funny hand Sully." and "Those look like hairy bugs over your eyes." You couldn't help but roll your eyes, his jokes were never funny, but it was his thing. You stayed back a little to make sure nothing worse happened, and once you felt it was safe you walked away.

You were tired and needed a much-needed break, so you snuck off to your favorite place, letting the sounds of nature fill your ears. You weren't too far from the village but far enough away that you wouldn't be so easily bothered. You let yourself relax in the sand, the sounds of the wildlife around you putting you to sleep.

Aonung had grown tired of the bullying and picking and was in desperate need of your touch and attention, he searched all over the village for you before he decided to check your favorite spot. Once there he had found you sound asleep on the warm sand, the sigh tog you looked so peaceful, but he wanted your attention. A loud whine fell from his lips, the sound pulling you from your slumber.

"Shh nung, come lay with me." You cooed.

"No i require kisses and cuddles, I do not wish to sleep yawne. I want your attention." His whining continued, his attitude pulling a laugh from you as you opened your arms for him. With much reluctance he finally made himself at home in your arms, his face buried into your neck after stealing kisses from your soft lips. He was satisfied with the closeness and warmth your body provided him.

The steady rising and falling of your breathing paid with the sound of your heartbeat lulled him to sleep, and you soon followed after him.

a few hours had passed, and you were vaguely aware of the sound of people speaking around you, just barely making out the voices of Loak, Tsireya, and Neteyam as they all spoke.

"Let's use this as blackmail," Loak said before continuing, the sound of displeasure heavy as he spoke. "I knew there was a reason he never picked on them." His quiet grumbles nearly made you giggle.

"They look so cute let them sleep!" Came Reyas soft voice.

You were now wide awake as you continued to lay there cuddled up with Aonung on your chest, you knew by the change in his breathing he was awake now as well. "We should wake them before our parents go looking for them, it's nearly eclipse.'' Declared Neteyam until Kiri spoke.

"They are already awake brother."

With a sheepish smile, you sat up slightly with Aonung, your eyes looking over at him before the others standing before you. "We can explain."

꒦꒷❀꒷꒦༻❀✿❀༺꒦꒷❀꒷꒦༻❀✿❀༺ ꒦꒷❀꒷꒦

Taglist: @pandoraslxna @neteyamsoare @hiddensnow1 @criticallybella @neteyamsyawntu @tiredmamaissy @headsincloud9 @etherialblackrose @strongheartneteyam @blue-slxt @justcaptainnoodles @neteyamyawne @erenjaegerwifee @oakbuggy @hotdsworld @itchaboi-itchyboy @luvv4j4ybe11

#⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ xyliana’s babes ♡ ✧˖*°࿐#⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ xylianas asks ♡ ✧˖*°࿐#talking with my babes ✧˖*°࿐#aonung x reader #aonung x sully!reader #aonung imagine #aonung fluff

128 notes · View notes

lucienarcheron · 7 months

Text

SJM Live Event 9.26.2023

This was so fun! I loved the questions and rapport between Christian Lauren and Sarah. Below is a recap of what was discussed :)

She looks great!

They met years ago when SJM was still writing TOG (on book two)

COURTOFMASS helped narrow down the questions so AYY fandom

CL likes to see when people try to summarize the SJM’s books so they asked SJM to summarize CC

SJM’s palms were sweating (LOL) and she summarized it as “a mix of urban fantasy, fantasy, fantasy but modern world - kick ass snarky heroine who goes on a journey of self-discovery and healing with hot ass dudes and hot sex”

“Doesn’t look any family members in the eye” because of her smut (lol)

SJM doesn’t look at any theories. “I say no in the most loving way”

She doesn’t have social media on her phone so she’s not lurking around on the internet. She just wants to stay in her creative bubble. Every now and then a friend will send her something “lol look at this crazy theory”

Creating CC / what was that like?

It was a year-long process and ongoing as she was writing it. She’s back living in NYC and growing up in the city inspired a lot of this book. The idea came to her on a plane while on tour (possibly HOF) and she heard a piece of music, and saw Danika’s voice reaching out to Bryce. It’s when she burst into tears and Bryce came to life (she’s told us this before). She kind of worked in reverse as it unraveled in her mind. It’s something she thought about for years and it was her “fun” / side project. Over the course of a bunch of years, until TOG was starting to wrap up, she kept coming back to it.

This was the story she wanted to tell because she loved Bryce and Hunt so much by that point. It was over the course of years daydreaming about this story and peeling away the images of the story. She had a lot of fun writing this book.

How does she keep track of the worlds she creates?

Publisher has an official bible which they constantly reference and she has an awesome editor that remembers all the important stuff and small moments/lines. She has a terrible memory in real life but SJM keeps all her stories occupied in her brain. Also keeps a bunch of notebooks.

We don’t know much about Hunt’s origin so are we going to find out about his parentage and background in the next book?

We will learn more about Hunt in the next book. As for his well-being, “I make no promises. I’m not saying anything about anything.” LOL. “I will say that when I was working on HOSAB my editor and I were thinking about what was the most horrible thing that could happen.” Originally she considered him getting his wings chopped off again but her editor was like “what can be worse” and it’s the slave tattoo again. A new level of trauma for him to unload in the next book. “He has a lot of room to grow and shit to deal with it. Poor Hunt, he’s in for a journey coming up.”

Will we find out more about the Autumn King? Does he connect to the Autumn Court?

Yes, we will learn more (about him not necessarily yes to the Autumn Court connection). “He’s not a father in any way.” In the process of writing and editing, he’s become one of her favorite to write because he’s so horrible and terrible. He’s capable of doing the right thing but doesn’t. He’s just a fucked up, horrible person. It’s a lot of fun to put opposing characters in a room to see what happens (bryce vs autumn king). It’s so satisfying for her to see a woman get one up on a douchey asshole.

Ruhn question - Some headcanon in the SJM fandom (that I didn’t quite catch but it made them all laugh) Something about Ruhn and vibrators? Sarah nearly fell down the stairs laughing about this. Now that she’s thinking about sweet Ruhn and where he is, she feels bad. (SARAH NO).

Talked about her writing process - Sometimes she will write a whole draft and realize it’s not what she wants. When she was working on HOFAS, she was going through some shit (didn’t want to elaborate) and she wrote the whole thing but then she didn’t like it. She was “meh” about it. She knew she hadn’t found the right story and it wasn’t good enough. She is very intense about her writing and wants to put her very best writing out there.

There’s a little bit of an extra gap between the books because she had her baby but also she went through the first/second round of edits with other things going on that she wasn’t in the right space. She felt like she needed to throw out the whole thing and start over. She wrote a brand new draft in 4-5 weeks and then she found the story. A couple of scenes stayed from the first draft but almost of it is new. She never wants to put out any work she doesn’t believe in. “You can’t fix a blank page.” so it’s all part of the writing process for her.

For example, the book she’s working on now - spent the whole day writing a scene but she doesn’t like it and it’s part of the process.

What it was like waiting for readers to get to the ending of HOSAB / Another author asked about when she decided to crash her worlds together the author can’t fathom that Sarah didn’t plan this out from the beginning so when Aelin went through the worlds and Rhys sees her - “Are you some crazy genius where all these little breadcrumbs come into your brain or was it intentional?”

Not a genius in any way. Talks about her son and how he says “I’m Sarah J Mask” - her kids keep her humble (lmao). Her son is obsessed with Taylor Swift so it doesn’t matter what she does, she’ll never be Taylor Swift so she’ll never be cool (lol). She loves Taylor and has so much respect for her and now she knows all her songs because they only listened to her in the car. She has the little golden book of TS for her son (LOL). In the eyes of her son, TS is the only creative genius and she is all for it.

When it comes to the ending of this book, she knew for a while and knew these worlds overlapped before she started working on KOA. She knew Aelin was going to crash through these worlds and had already started daydreaming on CC. When she wrote that scene of Aelin, she wanted her to go through the ACOTAR world and see Feysand then had her go through the CC world. When she was really working on CC officially, while daydreaming about it, she got into this idea of the worlds and how they’re all technically connected. She remembered having this “what the fuck” moment of HOSAB’s ending. “I don’t know what’s happening to my body” and everything clicked in. While working on CC1, she was able to plant some seeds.

When she finally wrote the end of HOSAB with Rhys, she cried. Things had just completely gone to shit in CC and “my wonderful Rhys” comes in. One of her favorite parts that she’s ever written.

Will we see ACOTAR characters coming in/having POVs? - “I’m not saying anything about anything.” We will see some of the ACOTAR world. It basically picks up close to where we left off.

Is Dankia really dead - “Um, yeah.” LOL “She is dead and as much as I wish was miraculously living, she’s dead.”

Is Connor really dead - “Yes?” LOL

Does Emil really have no powers? - Passed on answering this. “I like it.”

With magic being weaker in the modern world, do mates mean the same thing in the fantasy (ACOTAR/TOG) as they do in the modern world? - Pass because (they started speaking over each other here but I assume it will be because we will understand more of this in HOFAS).

Is Hunt really Bryce’s mate - “Am I going to destroy some kind of theory?” She answered, “YES, HE IS HER MATE.” She talked about how she’s changed the LI in her other series (the FMC’s first LI not being her last one) but with CC she kept the same LI from the beginning to the end - “If they both make it to the end.” (she’s so mean for this LOL)

When the first ACOTAR book came out, it was hard for her to keep Feysand a secret because people would tell her how much they loved Tamlin and she had to just smile awkwardly about it (lolol).

How much of Bryce’s power has she accessed? - We’ll see in the next book!

They talked a little about parenting and their kids aging and personal stories for a bit.

CL mentioned SJM previously saying that people won’t need to read ACOTAR to read CC and vice versa. Is that statement still true? - “You should read ACOTAR and if you haven’t read ACOTAR and get to HOSAB, it’ll make you want to read it.” She had them put an AD in the back of HOSAB for people to read ACOTAR. She then said, “I do not stand by that statement. I renounce this statement. Read ACOTAR first.” (👀)

Discussed the cover of HOFAS and whether the cover has a dragon head - “I am not saying anything. There are always easter eggs.” She added, “We made sure there were many easter eggs.” It’s probably her favorite cover. It came together so beautifully.

Did she write HOSAB in order? - She’s always super pumped to write her endings. She has to write in a linear/chronical fashion and she dangles the ending as motivation. She was powering through the rest of the book so she could get to writing the endings of HOSAB. It was the same with ACOSF with Nesta in the Blood Rite and saving Feyre.

What were some of the most fun/favorite/hardest scenes- In HOEAB, when Hunt discovers Bryce’s unicorn collection. Sarah has collections of My Little Pony and has been in bidding wars for them. She loves them LOL. Another scene will always be Bryce and Danika doing the drop. She still cries thinking about it. “Call me sentimental, cheesy, or whatever - I believe in our darkest moments we aren’t alone.” That scene means a lot to her.

In HOSAB - she loved the opening of the book where they’re basically at a frat party “Wonder where the inspo for that came from” LOL / She loves the little moments of them living their lives and getting to be themesleevs in between disasters. She loved it when Ruhn was super stoned lmao. She also loved the scene with The Hind and Ithan in the bar as well as the end of HOSAB with the Hind revealing herself to her Ruhn; she cried a lot while writing those scenes.

She gets so emotionally involved with her books/characters. Most of the book is what she loves. She needs to be obsessed with her book because she has to read it over so many times and stay in love with it as she rereads it.

She remembers seeing tear stains on copies of her manuscripts. She loves all her characters so much and they make it worth it across all the series. They feel real to her. She’s getting to see them in all aspects of their lives.

Three Bigger Questions -

One of the reasons they clicked as friends is because they have the same fangirl heart - CL loves her passion for things. How does it feel to have this fandom follow her the way she follows her favorites? Sarah mentions how she was a fangirl of CL first.

It feels weird to even say fandom for her books. It’s beyond anything she’s ever hoped for herself. There’s no ego here but she grew up as a fangirl for so many things so it blows her mind that people connect with these characters and worlds and that they mean something to them. She also has a profound sense of gratitude that she gets to do what she loves because of the people who read her books. She’s deeply appreciative of the joy and enthusiasm we bring to the books. It’s a very humbling and moving thing to inspire someone.

Every time she sees someone reading her book, she walks up to them and talks about it apparently! One girl on the street walked by her and Josh and they saw a tattoo of the mountain with three stars and they wanted to ask her about it. Sarah sent Josh to ask her about her tattoo. “He wasn’t cool about it, he just blurted it out.” She then introduced herself but the girl didn’t seem to believe her HAHA. “No makeup and in regular street clothes. I think she thought I was a lunatic on the street. I don’t think she left the encounter believing it was me.” “I’m going to be quiet and not scare people anymore.”

She saw a guy on the subway reading ACOMAF “Is he reading some sexy ass stuff on the subway?” but he was reading it because his gf was reading it.

It blows her mind seeing people read her books in real life just like seeing her book on shelves never gets old.

Now that CC3 is done, what are you working on now?

Currently working on/drafting the next ACOTAR novel! That’s all she will say. She has become so focused and excited writing this book. She described it as the feeling when you’re first obsessed with someone and all they’re thinking about. For the next god knows how many months or “a million years” LOL

#sjm #sarah j maas #crescent city #hosaf #hosab #hosab spoilers #acotar #sjm live

186 notes · View notes

separatist-apologist · 4 months

Text

A Lost Princess Of Sunlight

Summary: Lady Elain has spent her life in the idyllic countryside wanting for nothing, so when her adopted sister Vassa begs her to accompany her to court, how can Elain say no? The roguish prince is in need of a wife and Elain, certain she'd make a terrible princess, has no interest in such theatrics.

But something about the palace brings back memories lost to the sea ten years before. Memories Elain had been certain she'd never get back…memories that speak of a colder place, and sisters long forgotten. Amid the tumultuous politics and the looming war, Elain finds herself embroiled in a mystery to find out who she really is.

And where she really comes from.

Note: HAPPY HOLIDAYS @writtenonreceipts! I hope you like this- I tried so hard to give it TOG vibes AND to incorporate nessian and feysand because you said you love them (and I in turn love you).

@acotargiftexchange

Major thanks to @velidewrites and @wilde-knight for the moodboard + beta-ing this fic when I was laying face down in a puddle of my own tears.

Read On AO3 | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Elain was strangely embarrassed as she dressed the next morning, choosing her gown carefully. More maids than she’d ever seen in her life flitted in and out, presenting her with jewelry, pinning her hair, and insisting they dress her themselves. Vassa had popped in, lips stained cherry red, to ensure Elain this was not Lucien’s doing but merely the expectation of all ladies, but Elain didn’t believe her friend.

For one, the laughter in her eyes seemed to suggest an amount of fussing was the result of the smitten prince. Elain needed to be firm, to tell him she was not interested in being his wife, a princess, or even dallying while he found someone more suitable. It was just, the thought of having to look the handsome Lucien in the eye and tell him she wasn’t interested made Elain’s guts twist in knots.

By the time she was fully dressed in a pretty dress of rosy pink, she’d managed to convince herself that the prince would tire of her once he realized how uncultured and unworldly she was. Someone would let it slip that she wasn’t of noble birth at all, that she was merely a fraud in satin and silk, and he’d turn his attention elsewhere.

And one day, when Elain had grandchildren, she could tell them how the King had once courted her for a time. It was a little flattering given Elain had taken the time to survey the other ladies surrounding her and so many of them were earth shatteringly beautiful and Lucien seemed entranced only by her. It was as if he could see no one else, even when they were standing right in front of him.

Today was her appointment with the king. All the important families met with him upon arrival but Elain and Vassa didn’t rank high enough for that, and so they’d go today with everyone else who had been invited because it would have been rude to exclude them. Vassa was a vision in green, her bouncy curls pulled apart in individual spirals like a pretty halo around an even prettier face.

“Ready?” Vassa whispered, her excitement palpable. Elain could not see why—Vassa was about to become a scandal and if she had to guess, the King wouldn’t appreciate it. They hadn’t spoken about it since Vassa had proposed the whole scheme, though they’d also only just arrived, too. There was simply no time for Jurian to propose. If he even wanted to. Elain had seen how Vassa spoke to him and though her friend swore he liked it…did he really? She supposed she’d find out.

Another day, another time. The Lord was waiting for them, surveying the pair with steely blue eyes. Not finding them wanting, he merely gestured for them to follow behind. Elain fell into step with Vassa, nervous about meeting the King. In the back of her mind, something pulled like a stitch unraveling. Not a memory—not quite. But the sensation she had made this exact walk before when she was certain she hadn’t.

The feeling was like a wave, building and building with every step. No, she told herself, looking at strangely familiar paintings on walls she had never seen. No, she had never been here. And yet…there was the portrait of the dog. There was the lion shaped curtain tieback, the sentry half hidden behind a bust of some long dead queen. The doors, the gold leaf—Elain knew it before she saw it and couldn’t explain how or why.

Only that she did and she shouldn’t. Even the smells felt familiar to her, so visceral that Elain felt like she was merely trailing a ghost—a childs memory, tripping over skirts too big while trying to keep up with the adult in front of her. She could see the hazy outline, the double doors that opened and the man she’d been staring at through portraits her entire life.

Reality crashed against memory, blending the two together. Dream Elain and real Elain merged, watching through four sets of eyes with suspicion and confusion. She curtseyed, certain she had done this all before.

“You made it,” Helion began, leaning forward in his sun shaped throne to look at Koschington. “I hope the journey treated you well.”

Koschington waved his hand. “It’s the heat that offends me.”

Helion chuckled and his beautiful wife grinned, the tension in the room diffused. Why, Elain wondered, had it been there to begin with? Had she imagined it? Perhaps the heat was getting to her, too, because Elain felt dizzy and lightheaded. So lost in her own thoughts, Elain didn’t realize the Queen had asked her a question until Vassa elbowed her roughly in the ribs.

“What?” she hissed only to realize the same eyes set in Lucien’s face were gazing at her with amusement.

“I asked how you are enjoying the capital. It’s your first time, is it not?”

No, a voice in her mind screamed. But she couldn’t prove that other than a lingering feeling they’d done this all before. Embarrassed and frustrated, Elain nodded her head. “It’s lovely. Everyone has been so welcoming.”

The King’s eyes bore a keen gleam, a politician’s smile stretched over his face. “Wonderful. If you have need of anything, please let us know.”

What an absurd offer. It was empty and they all knew it, though Elain nodded again, grateful when the conversation shifted back to the Lord, and then to Vassa and her prospects for marriage. The Queen offered a shortlist of eligible men which Koschington agreed to take gratefully while Vassa beamed, the model lady. No one offered the same for her which strangely relieved her. She’d expected it to hurt her feelings but it didn’t.

Vassa pulled her aside the moment they were free of both Koschingtons watchful gaze and the royals, who were likely receiving some new family. “If you want my list—”

“I think I’ve been here before,” Elain began, unconcerned about marriage. “I have this memory of this specific hall.”

“Are you sure? Father said…” Vassa chewed her bottom lip, pert nose scrunched as she looked at Elain. “He never did say what village, exactly, you came from.”

“I just want to know if I’m succumbing to madness,” Elain pressed, unsure if it was even possible to know. Vassa’s eyes lit up.

“I know who we could ask. She knows everything about Rhodes.”

“Would she help us, though?” Elain asked as Vassa grabbed her hand and began tugging her down a hallway.

“Arina? Definitely. As long as she doesn’t suspect your request to be treasonous, I suppose. But it’s not—it’s just background information. And maybe we could find some of your family if we can figure out where you came from.”

Elain had to swallow the hope rising through her. It wasn’t that she was ungrateful for what had been done for her—she could have been left to rot, to figure things out on her own. Lord Koschington had taken her in and treated her well. It wasn’t a real family the way she sometimes dreamed about. People who knew her, who loved her simply for being.

Vassa came close and Elain was about to lose her to a man.

It didn’t take long to learn who Arina was. Beautiful and blonde, with sunkissed, soft brown skin and eyes so green they looked like a mossy forest floor, Arina was a scholar in Helion’s court. The woman oversaw secrets of the kingdom, documenting them in some official capacity and maintaining records of things.

“Tell me everything,” Arina offered, hands folded against a neat, wooden desk with a pretty, near breathless lilt.

So Elain did. What she remembered, anyway, which was more than she typically let on about. She remembered ocean water more than anything else—she was certain at some point, she had been by the water or in it. Elains next true memory was the estate in the countryside, Vassa sitting beside her bed with a bowl of warm water and a washcloth pressed to Elain’s head.

Don’t try to move. You’ve been through a great ordeal.

“When did you say this was?” Arina pressed, biting her bottom lip.

“Ten years ago?” Elain asked, voice rather small.

Arina glanced down at her hands. “I could…review the records, I suppose. See if there were any villages invaded by Ellesmere that are mostly lost to memory. The war was all but over a decade ago…save, of course, for the invasion of their capital city.”

Elain exhaled a sigh. “You’ll look, though?”

Smiling, Arina nodded her head. “What could it hurt?”

“Thank you,” Elain breathed, relief flooding through her. This was the best lead she’d had ever. Surely there was something—a little note left stuck in another piece of paper, a letter sent off by some high ranking official that was half lost to memory. She had faith they’d get at least a name, which was enough. Even if no one was alive, there would be records of birth, graves, and places people lived. She’d have a surname that belonged to her, and even if Elain could never be whatever person she might have been had the war not touched her home, she’d at least be able to close that door behind her.

With the path behind her suddenly in view, Elain felt a little more optimistic about the future. About the prince and her promise to dine with him that day and their turn around the garden. Elain thought she might confide all this in Lucien, certain he would find it offputting. Elain was likely no one special—the kind of woman he wouldn’t look at twice if he’d ever met her out in the world. Better for him to know that now rather than later so there was no disappointment.

That was for the best, Elain thought.

So why did she feel so disappointed?

Striding through the misty world that comprised her home, Feyre didn’t dare look at anyone—and they didn’t dare to look at her either. Eyes cast downward out of respect, as if they wouldn’t report her movements to her father, anyway. Not that he cared. He cared for so little ever since their mother and Elain had died and Feyre’s movements were at the very bottom of the list of things he still managed to care for.

Nesta was taking more control of things as they got older, battling for control with the Nolans. How long, Feyre wondered, before the patriarch realized she was serious about marrying a foreign prince? Feyre heard them talk—they never paid attention to her, though sometimes Feyre hid in the rafters eavesdropping, too—and for the moment, it was all regarded as a young woman’s amusement. Eris and Rhysand were young, were powerful, were the kind of men a young woman ought to want.

But inevitably she’d settle for a northern born man, and they all believed that man would be Graysen. The eldest son of the wealthiest, most influential family in their kingdom, Graysen was just a given among the nobility when they thought of their figure king.

He and Nesta loathed each other. Marriages were made on less, and hatred was still a passionate emotion. Nesta refused to let Feyre teach her to use a knife—too bad. Feyre thought it would be amusing for the new King to die in his sleep.

She was merely an afterthought—the spare daughter not worth looking at at all. Too strange, too unusual, too…damaged. Tainted by what had transpired between herself and Tamlin. She had slept with him—Feyre wasn’t ashamed of that fact, though every other man at court was. Tamlin, too, given how he’d just…slunk off to the countryside. Though, perhaps his shame came from the fact that he’d used his fists to vent his anger and no one could ignore the bruises like they could the cruel words.

She was a princess and apparently there was some standard. The horrible truth of the matter was that Feyre would have married him anyway had he asked. She would have lied anyway and married him and some part of her hated him for just walking away. He hadn’t fought for her at all. He’d just stood there, eyes burning with some emotion Feyre didn’t recognize while Nesta tore into him and by the end, he’d packed up and left and Feyre was left holding all the pieces.

No one could tell her anything anymore. Nesta knew it, their father knew it, and the rest of the court knew it, too. Feyre was wild, half animal with her bow and her trousers and her refusal to do something nice with her hair. What was wrong with a braid, anyway? Why was her only purpose to be pretty decoration? Feyre didn’t want men to look at her.

Which brought her to her current predicament. The loathsome liar King of Velaris. Rhysand hadn’t spoken to her since the night he’d invaded her tower though Feyre wasn’t dumb enough to let him catch her alone twice in the same place.

The problem was Rhysand, she suspected. He took her avoidance as some sort of game rather than a hint to leave her alone which, in turn, required Feyre to be more creative in escaping him. Go bother Nesta, she wanted to scream though that was horrible.

Feyre wouldn’t wish Rhysand’s presence on her sister, either.

There were places even Rhysand couldn’t weasel his way into, nor his torture master couldn’t find—if thats even what he was. Feyre had been lounging in the rafters of her fathers study, sketching the scene with charcoal only to look up and find a surprised pair of hazel eyes looking back at her.

Snoop.

She should have told her father but some small part of her wanted to see what would happen if she didn’t. Feyre would tell Nesta, though. Nesta was the true power behind the throne besides and Feyre thought it might be funny to watch her sister kill one of the kings inner circle.

Maybe then Rhysand would take the hint.

Glancing from beneath her hood just to be sure no one was watching or had followed, Feyre pulled a brassy key from her pocket and slid it into a rusty door. No one came here anymore—it had once been the domain of her older sister Elain. Just like the ruined graveyard of Elain’s plants in the garden, this secret passage had been her sister's favorite place. Not because it was secluded—Elain had loved people and parties—but because of the way the gems glittered like stars in the candlelight. Far below their palace, fortified to keep from caving in, lay tunnels that housed natural hot springs born of the turbulent world churning just beneath their feet. It was just for their family, left abandoned by their mother and sister's death. Nesta never came.

Feyre did when she wanted somewhere quiet to sketch or think. She’d come after Tamlin, hoping the warm water would ease the sting of her face and the ache of her heart. Now, though, it was just an escape.

Or so she thought. Because there he was, bathed in candlelight and without a shirt. Feyre froze on the bottom of the last, stone carved step staring at the violet eyed man looking right back at her. Rhysand’s surprise was evident, made worse by his obvious delight.

Ferye turned on her heel, slipping on the moisture from the steam as waster sloshed behind her.

“Wait,” Rhysand’s deep, dark voice echoed through the space. “Stay.”

Feyre slammed her knee against the sharp edge, ripping a hole in her trousers and cutting open the skin for her effort. Hissing she tried to drown the sound of Rhys hauling himself out of the water and padding toward her. Ignoring him as he crouched beside her wearing nothing but a soaking pair of shorts was far more difficult.

He was big. Muscular, with swaths of dark skin that gleamed gold, while purple and blue hues danced against the black of his hair. She wished he’d back up because he was far too close. At least he reeked of sulfur from the water—Feyre didn't think she could stand learning he was handsome and he smelled good.

“You’re hurt,” he said, the utter moron.

“Clearly,” she bit back, inching away from him. Her sole slipped on more slick stone, tipping her back. And Rhys, with cat-like reflexes, caught her easily. Cradling her against his body. Feyre found herself eye-level with whirling patterns of black inked runes tattooed against his pectorals. She should have shoved him away.

“What do they mean?” she asked instead. That was the blood loss talking because who cared what they meant?

Looking down at her with a lock of dark hair flopping against his too-bright eyes, Rhys used the hand not holding her to trace a pattern over his skin. “I could teach you the language, if you like…but this translates roughly into luck in battle…or may my enemies be the only ones who meet a sword. This one here is the story of my first kill—”

“What about these?” she asked, twisting to look at the mountains and stars inked against his knees.

“My family line,” he murmured, inching backward. “And a promise I’ll never bow before anyone or anything but my crown.”

“Sounds about right,” Feyre snapped, her good sense coming back to her. If she’d been paying more attention, she’d have noticed what he was up to before he dumped her into the opaque water before she had a chance to even scream. Oh, she was going to kill him. Rest in peace to Nesta’s dreams of revenge against King Helion because she’d never marry Rhysand.

They’d bury him instead.

Kicking off the bottom, Feyre emerged with a rage filled scream. “Prick!”

His sultry laugh made her want to drown him. Lounging in water up to his neck, Rhys grinned at her. “You look like you might kill me, Feyre darling.”

“I am going to kill you,” she swore, splashing over toward him. She had a dagger in her now sopping wet boot, easily removed so she could thrust it into his belly.

Rhysand caught her wrist easily, fingers gripping just hard enough to hold her still beneath the water without actually hurting her. “Your father says you’re unmarriageable. Why?”

Horror filled Feyre. Had he told Rhysand that? Rhysand must have seen it on her face, too, because he gently pushed her back, releasing his hold on her body.

“I’m not marriageable—for the record,” she hissed, not wanting to give Rhysand the wrong idea. “And I don’t need to explain anything to you.”

She turned her back on him, which was difficult given she couldn’t stand. Feyre intended to lick her metaphorical and physical wounds, climb out of the hotspring, and hide away until Rhysand left.

“Because you slept with another man?” Rhysand guessed, the absolute bastard. Feyre turned again so fast her braid slapped her in the face.

“That’s my only value, right? My virginity? I got to decide who took it, depriving you of the pleasure of defiling me—”

“Did he hurt you?” Rhysand asked, all his amusement gone. In its place, Feyre found a kind of cold that only existed in the dead of night when even the stars were too afraid to illuminate the horror hiding below. She wasn’t afraid of him—that was ridiculous—but it did give her pause.

“How could that possibly matter?”

“It matters to me,” Rhysand insisted.

Stupid, she thought, but without the usual malice she felt where he was concerned. “Well, stop it. Don’t concern yourself with me at all.”

“And if I wanted to? Concern myself with you, that is?” Rhysand pressed as Feyre pulled herself from the pool of water.

“I’d call you a fool,” she replied, not bothering to look back at him at all.

Rhysand’s laughter followed her out of the cave. “I’ve been called worse, Feyre darling.”

Never in Lucien’s life had he not known what to say to a woman. Now, though, strolling through his mothers garden in the blistering afternoon heat, he found himself dumbstruck. Elain had carried most of the conversation through lunch, politely asking after his hobbies, his interests, and his life in the Sun Palace.

She was just so pretty. Lucien hadn’t felt so immediately taken with a woman since…well…Jesminda. That was enough to somber him just a little, which left Lady Elain to stare down at her feet as Lucien also said nothing at all. His guilt left him paralyzed for something to say. Could he truly just…move on? Surely that meant he’d never truly loved Jesminda, and Lucien knew he had.

Was he to mourn Jesminda forever? Did she even mourn him? Somehow he suspected her new husband kept her too busy to concern herself with the likes of him. She’d told Lucien he wasn’t going to see her again…and Lucien believed her. Jes wasn’t a liar, nor was she the type to wallow in misery.

No, that was his realm entirely.

Beside him, Elain’s hand brushed his own, jolting him back to reality. “I ah…I have something I should confess,” Elain began, clearly nervous. “I want to be completely upfront with my intentions.”

“Oh?” Lucien asked, his heart immediately racing.

“I am not a lady,” she began, the most absurd collection of words he’d ever heard in his life. Elain would have been a lady had she grown up on a farm or if she lived in the sewers far below. There was a certain quality to her, an air of refinement he didn’t think she could shake. Lucien glanced at her, waiting for her to elaborate.

“I believe my family to be quite ordinary and it was only through my adoption that I was elevated.”

“I see.”

“I think this might change things for you, which is understandable. There are so many well-bred ladies—”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” Lucien asked, only half joking. “You’ll have to try harder than that.”

Color rose in her cheeks, made prettier in the golden sun overhead. “No, of course I—that’s not—”

“I’m teasing,” Lucien murmured, delighted to see her a little out of sorts. She was so lovely even as she searched for the right words—and even when those words had the potential to stop his beating heart. I’m no lady—was she spurning him, then? Lucien couldn’t stand it. “And of course you’re a lady.”

Wiping her forehead with a handkerchief she’d pulled from seemingly midair, Elain murmured, “I hardly feel like one.”

“It’s not usually so hot,” Lucien admitted, though he couldn’t pretend he didn’t like the sight of sweat streaking down her temple or the way her hair was curling tightly against the back of her neck. It drew forth several fantasies in which he might hope to see a similar sight, should he get lucky.

And Lucien suspected he’d need all the luck he could get.

He wasn’t going to touch the lady comment—as far as Lucien was concerned, Elain was more than suitable. There was absolutely no reason to reopen that door and allow her to actually reject him. Better to charm her, he thought. What was with all the women who didn’t want to be a princess? He’d grown up hearing tales of women who longed for nothing more, but now he seemed to find every woman in the world who would rather run screaming from jewels and a crown…and him.

“Are you enjoying Rhodes besides the heat?” he dared to ask. Elain shot him a shy glance, cheeks burning pink again. Lucien was certain that wasn’t just sunshine, either.

Smothering a smile, Elain admitted, “I am. More than I expected to, actually.”

Because of me, I pray?

He didn’t dare ask. Instead, Lucien intentionally reached out his fingers, brushing them along the bare skin of her hand. Elain could have jerked away if she wanted, could have stepped further along the path to keep space and yet she did neither, though her eyes remained locked ahead of them.

Well. She could have provided no better proof she was, in fact, a lady. It was such a courtly decision—both wanting the contact while knowing better than to show it. Who did she think she was fooling?

“Have you been in the city?” he dared to ask. Gods, but Lucien wanted to show her all his favorite places. And more to the point, he wanted to show the people who lived within his walls their potential new princess. He wanted them to see her beauty, wanted them to hear her pretty voice and see how sweet she was—and he wanted them to love her.

“No,” she admitted, looking up at him through thick lashes and holy gods, Lucien was obsessed with her. How did she do that? Did she know? He suspected she didn’t.

“Would you like to?” he asked, his voice breathless even to his own ears. “I could arrange a chaperone.”

He’d beg Arina to trail after them and look the other way if he managed to corner her in some dark alley where he’d kiss her until she was just as senseless as he felt.

Elain’s brown eyes were brighter than he’d seen them. “You don’t have to go to so much effort on my account—”

“It’s no effort at all. Truly, you’d be doing me a favor. I would love an escape from the palace and the heat.”

“Is it cooler in the city?” she teased, her arm brushing his own. Lucien swallowed a shudder.

“No,” he admitted. If anything it was hotter, though he had no intention of telling her so. “But it feels less oppressive the further from the palace you get.”

“A prince who doesn’t like being a prince?” Elain questioned, more teasing in her gaze than curiosity.

“It’s not that I don’t like it,” he replied, brushing his hand against a few swaying blooms he didn’t know the names of. “I do…probably more than I should. I dislike aspects of it—like how often I am being watched and the way I feel…”

Elain waited as Lucien debated telling her the truth. It was her soft, lilting voice that spoke, “Feel like what?”

“Like a piece of meat. An object of fascination—a curiosity, I suppose. I don’t feel real.”

“They treat you better out of the palace?” she questioned.

“Yes,” he replied with a grin. “It’s hard to take a man seriously when you’ve seen his bare bottom running through the streets as a boy. There is a familiarity among us, despite the power differential. I am their son, in a way, and no one minds telling me I’ve had too much to drink and I am acting like a fool.”

Elain laughed. “How often are you acting foolish in public?”

“Too often, I’m afraid. I will try not to embarrass you but…no promises.”

This was how he did it, then. Elain was relaxed, her expression more at ease. He could show her he, too, was just another man hardly worth the worship—though perhaps worth the rest of her life.

“So long as you don’t expect me to coddle your feelings either.”

Lucien’s body was impossibly tight, his excitement palpable. Looking down at the woman he was determined to marry, he offered her another easy smile. “Give me your worst, Elain.”

She smiled back.

“It’s a deal, Lucien.”

Arina forgot about the Alfeldian prince until that evening when she found herself standing in the grand hall staring down two equally loathsome choices. On one end stood her father, hands clasped behind his back and eyes clear for the first time in who knew how long. Years? That, of course, hardly erased his capacity for cruelty and if he was level minded, he’d be angry that she was working rather than sitting among the ladies looking for a husband.

He was usually too lost in his cups to notice what she was doing.

On the other end stood the arrogant Eris Vanserra, arms crossed over the blue and gold jacket he wore despite the impossible heat. Did he even sweat? She couldn’t see which was for the best—if she knew he was human, her dislike might soften into indifference when it came to him. Arina wasn’t stupid. She knew Eris would be back and when he returned, he’d be better prepared. It was doubtful that her death would mean anything to him. And he was royal, so he could make him some absurd lie that rang half true and get away with it.

Lucien might be her friend, but Eris was his mothers son and she would be collateral.

So Arina did the only thing that seemed reasonable in the moment: she left. She had a package from Kallias, a king on the neighboring continent Nembia who was good enough friends with Helion that Arina could request something and have it sent over for a tidy sum of gold.

She wanted to see the wintry palace Kallias was rumored to live in. Wanted to see the black sand shores of Thesan to the north and the seaside palace of Tarquin. She only ever saw paintings and heard the rumors of their own problems, their warring, their petty squabbling. By all accounts, their peace was far stronger than the tenuous truce of her own home. It felt like a powder keg with too many players on the board all at once.

She didn’t want to think about it.

Arina stepped into the warm night air, exhaling the held breath in her lungs. She had relative freedom even if it made her a pariah among her peers. No respectable man was interested in a woman so obviously smarter than him no matter how progressive Helion’s court had become. Among the nobility, they still preferred a demure woman over one who might slam her knee into his groin should he displease her.

A smile spread across Arina’s face. She had done that, hadn’t she? To a future king, no less. Lucien would have a laugh, at least, when she recounted the whole thing to him. In Arina’s defense, she hadn’t realize she was touching Eris Vanserra until it was too late, and by then, well. It wasn’t like she could walk the whole thing back. He’d have eviscerated her—he could have killed her.

Besides, it was a little fun to see him so outraged. To have the upper hand against a powerful man just once, even if she was certainly going to be in trouble with Helion the moment Eris ratted her out.

Those were tomorrow's problems, at any rate. Today, all Arina needed was to collect her package from the toll house and hide away until everyone was too lost to wine and parties to remember she existed. She’d track down Jurian and ask about Lucien’s shortlist and, if the ladies were agreeable, try and talk Lucien up while showing them some of the hidden gems of the city.

And if they were awful, she’d sit Lucien down and demand to know what was wrong with him while Jurian menaced just behind, sword in hand.

The city buzzed with excitement, overflowing with people still outdoors even as the sun vanished behind the sea. She half wished she was among them, dipping into a tavern for a drink to meet someone genuinely delighted to see her. Most of her days were sent in solitude with nothing but books for company. Arina had the unique position of knowing too much about Rhodes, having read and translated things even Helion only knew existed because she had told him they did.

The king himself would have final say over any marriage Arina ever tried to enter into rather than her father, who could merely guide the process given he controlled whatever was left of her dowry. Given the way he spent, she imagined it was paltry. Arina saved as best she could, but again.

That impressed only herself and validated her secret fear that while she desperately wanted someone to love her, she suspected no one ever would. At least she’d never find herself destitute. Not that Lucien would ever turn her out—he’d let her haunt the palace like a ghost if she wished.

Arina made it just in time, slipping through the wooden door with a smile on her face. With a quick exchange of pleasantries, she found herself clutching the brown paper wrapped book just as the doors locked shut behind her.

She could slip down to the kitchens, grab something to eat, and spend the evening in bed reading. Arina unwrapped the book as she walked, tossing the paper into a nearby waste receptacle before flipping the gold leaf edged paper open. The book itself was a century on philosophy written by a long-dead philosopher native to Thesan’s realm. Penned in careful ink by hand and illustrated in flowing, vibrant color, the book was a dream. Arina’s heart thudded in her throat, dulling her other senses as she carefully turned random pages just to preview what she’d purchased.

Maybe that was why she didn’t hear the muffled footsteps behind her until they were far closer than she preferred, and she was more isolated than she would have liked. The path from the outskirts of the city to the palace held nothing but an endless expanse of darkness and trees, too far from the tavern for her to turn back and not close enough to the nearest sentry to arrive if she started screaming now.

It’s nothing, she told herself, though her pace quickened as she slid the book beneath her arm. Just your imagination. Too many novels about killers.

But she swore the footsteps behind her quickened, too. Faster than her own steps, the presence behind her very real. She could practically feel their breath, their skin, the touch of their fingers brushing against her bare shoulder.

She hadn’t brought a weapon with her. After the run-in with Eris Vanserra, she’d tossed the dagger onto her desk and spent the next two hours alternately reminding herself to breath and pacing in front of a window while laughing hysterically.

She could do this, she told herself. She was a few minutes from the edge of the drive when that hand gripped her shoulder roughly, turning her around. A knife was pressed against her ribs, the sting of it easily puncturing the silk of her dress. It was wild, but Arina scrambled not to get away from the man shrouded in darkness, but to keep her book from slamming to the ground.

“You’re going to stay real quiet, aren’t you?” a rough voice whispered, coming close enough there was an inch of space between their combined bodies. “And you’re going to empty out those pockets for me.”

“Here,” she whispered, pulling the little purse of coins from her wrist and thrusting it against his chest. “This is all I have.”

“What’s that?” he asked, nodding toward the book. Arina shook her head. She wasn’t going to give it to him.

“You can’t have it.”

The blade slid easily through her skin, not so deep he punctured anything and not so hard she was in true pain, but enough to scare her. Enough to draw blood. Enough to scare a whimper from her throat as he grabbed her arm, holding her so tight she knew she’d have a bruise.

“I can have whatever I want,” he whispered, parts of his face coming into view. He was no one she recognized—a stranger who had seen her engrossed in her book and decided to hurt her. “I don’t think anyone will miss—”

Arina was yanked backward so roughly she would have fallen had she not been tucked into the arm of a familiar body. Eris Vanserra was recognizable even in the dark, a beacon of light amid the starless night. He didn’t speak, didn’t need the last word this time. Or perhaps he’d decided his blade was conversation enough given he plunged it through the would-be attackers chest without hesitation.

Blood splattered against her face, causing her to turn her cheek into his chest. She’d never killed a person. Never even seen a dead body. This was awful, she decided, unable to block out that wet, gasping breath of air, the rattling choke before the body thudded to the ground.

Arina held her breath until there was nothing but the sound of crickets and her own erratic heartbeat. Only then did Eris relax his own body, carefully releasing her from his grip while grumbling softly beneath his breath so he could wipe the blade of his bloodied weapon on the stained shirt of her attacker.

“You were going to die—or worse—for a book?” he snarled, rounding on her so quickly Arina stumbled backward.

“I…” She’d just assumed he didn’t realize it was her. But looking up in those blazing, amber eyes, she saw the familiar anger from that morning.

“Are you stupid?” he demanded.

She was going to cry. Bottom lip trembling, Arina wrapped her arms around herself and whispered, “Yes.”

He hadn’t been prepared for that, but Arina found herself speechless for maybe the first time in her life. She wanted to get as far away from Eris Vanserra as she possibly could. In fact, right then, Arina never wanted to see him again. He was utterly terrifying, still holding that sword in one hand, his face a mask of unhidden disdain. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him why he hadn’t just let her die. Surely that was the best revenge for her humiliation of him earlier that day?

Eris opened his mouth to say something only to snap it closed a moment later.

End this, she told herself. With shaking legs, Arina walked toward him even though all she wanted was to turn heel and run as far and fast as she could. Surging up on her tiptoes, fingertips grazing his jaw, she pressed a feather soft kiss to his clean shaven cheek.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

There.

No one could ever say she wasn’t grateful.

Eris didn’t turn his head, looking down at her from the corners of his eyes, nostrils flaring like a wild animal. He didn’t speak, a small mercy. Every word that left those lips was as sharp as any blade.

He didn’t stop her from leaving and when Arina turned to look over her shoulder, he was still standing over that corpse.

Watching her.

#elucien #all these men and not one braincell to be found between them

45 notes · View notes

profound-imagination · 1 year

Text

Broken Promises - Fenrys Moonbeam

A/N: I thought I'd try something different and write for the TOG characters! There's not enough fics on here about them and Fenrys is my favourite lil wolf boy ❤️ This could definitely have a part 2 if people want it! I hope you like it!❤️

W/C: 2.8K

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The last place you thought you'd be was chasing ghosts with three fae males and another human girl, but here you were. All for that insufferable wolf. The one you couldn't shake from the moment you'd met him in Skull's Bay. Not to mention the young Queen of Terrasen who Rowan Whitethorn would hunt to the ends of the earth for, the four of you in tow.

It had been the most exhausting two months of your life, how Elide coped you didn't know, Gavriel's kindness in using his magic to brace her ankle was only a small part of it you were sure. How Rowan endured the empty mating bond was again a mystery. The other mystery that haunted you was why you so desperately needed to go with them, why you needed the wolf to be safe. He'd made his choices, he'd sworn himself to Maeve, he'd done this to himself and he'd broken his promises to you and he'd broken you in the process, but still you went.

Sea air caressed your face as you sat on deck watching the sun disappear in the horizon. You sensed him seconds before he sat next to you and drawled, "Mind if I join you?" You met his onyx eyes, "It appears you already have, Lord Fenrys." He snorted at that. "Just Fenrys, I'm no Lord." You smiled at him slightly and looked back out to the water, "How did you come to be such a close companion of the King?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at Dorian.

"Our mothers are friends, we are close in age so growing up, Dorian would be running around causing chaos, Chaol running behind him trying to fix whatever Dorian broke and I'd be behind both of them, just wanting to be involved." Fenrys chuckled, "I can picture that, the three of you being nightmares." You smiled as a memory hit, "Once, when we were 7, a boy from a visiting noble family pushed me over in the courtyard and poured his juice all over me because I wanted to play with them. He told me I was to be a Lady not a Knight and therefore I couldn't play Knights with them, when I refused he pushed me as hard as he could then poured his juice all over my new dress, I still have the scar on my knee. Dorian punched him so hard his nose broke and demanded he apologise and replace my dress. We were both screaming so loud our mothers thought we were being attacked, when they found us Chaol and Dorian were holding me and telling me I could be anything I wanted to be, if I wanted to be a knight, Chaol would train me himself and Dorian would name me the Kings Knight." Fenrys laughed then, a proper laugh, loud enough that Dorian, Aelin and Rowan all peered over at the two of you from the conversation they'd been having. "And are you? The King's Knight?" He asked, you smiled again and shook your head, "No, that job was always Chaol's, I took a more subtle job, as a lady of the court, I always had information and I was always listening." He raised an eyebrow, "So she's a spy." You grinned, "Something like that."

A friendship had formed between the two of you after that, it wasn't exactly a secret that Gavriel and Fenrys were trusted very little by everyone on the ship but you, the two warriors had given you no reason not to trust them so you made them be your friends instead, Gavriel was full of kindness and sorrow, sorrow for the son that couldn't yet look at him let alone speak to him, instead he'd ask you questions about him so you told him what you knew of Aedion Ashryver, the Wolf of the North. Fenrys was full of mischief and witty comments, often using that strange place jumping power of his to scare the life out of you, but you couldn't deny you had started to grow a soft spot for both of them.

"Have you been to war?" You asked them one evening, watching the Wyvern who had landed on deck not long ago in wonder. "Many times." Gavriel confirmed. "Do we stand a chance at this one?" His eyes met yours. "Are you worried that you don't?" He asked gently. "I'm worried that I won't live long enough to find out. I've had some training, but it was mainly self defense, I don't know how to wield a sword or a bow." His eyebrows bunched but it was Fenrys who spoke, "You'll see the new world, Y/N, I'll train you the best I can, so will Gavriel and I won't leave your side when the time comes, nothing will happen to you." You met his eyes, staring at him as if you could see into his soul, "You promise?" Your voice sounding weaker than you intended it to. "I swear it." Deciding not to pull on that thread of a promise you asked, "Do you think he'll let me pet him?" Gavriel snorted a laugh but Fenrys had gone pale, "Do not touch the Wyvern, Y/N!" You grinned at him, "I'm not going to but I am going to ride a Wyvern before this war is over."

You'd known deep in your soul that it was an oath he couldn't keep, the blood oath he'd sworn would pull him away from you sooner or later. He'd tried his best though, to train you, to keep you safe.

The Stone Marshes was a despicable place, one that should've never been entered, yet here you were, panting on your back and gritting your teeth as Aedion prepared gods knew what for everyone to eat on your first night in them. "Again." Fenrys commanded as you pulled yourself from the ground, "If you can disarm me, you can disarm anyone." You gritted your teeth and stood your ground, preparing to strike again when Rowan called him away to start his watch, you'd take him his meal later you decided.

Dorian sidled up beside you, he'd been unusually quiet these past few days. "So…the wolf?" He questioned with a smirk and you felt your cheeks heat, "So…the witch?" You questioned back. His smirk turned feline. "Fair enough." You laughed at him. "There's nothing between us, he's training me, we're going to war, Dorian and Chaol isn't here to teach me." His face fell. "Why did you stay? In the castle with me?" He asked quietly, so you were doing this now then, the conversation that had yet to happen about why you'd stayed while he was enslaved by the collar. "Because Chaol couldn't." Dorian's eyes turned stormy, "Y/N-" You cut him off, "I didn't want you to be alone, Dorian. I didn't know if you were still in there, but if you were, I didn't want you to be alone." He smiled gently and took your hand, his movements tracked, you noticed, by the white haired witch across the fire and the White Wolf on the rocks above.

"I don't deserve the loyalty you and Chaol give me." You squeezed his hand and smiled at him gently, "We don't give it to you blindly, Dorian, we give it to you because we believe in you and the world you'll help create. I give it to you for the little boy who got in heaps of trouble for breaking a bullies nose for me when we were seven, I give it to you for rejecting any and all proposed marriage matches for me, for always making sure I have a choice, in every aspect of my life." He sighed, pulling you into his side, his movements still being tracked, "I feel like I haven't given you one in this. You're being dragged into a war, I should've found you somewhere safe." Pressing closer into his side you said, "I had a choice, I could've gone with Chaol and Nesryn, but they have eachother and you'd have been alone, I chose to stay with you." He kissed the top of your head then, and Manon tensed ever so slightly across the fire and the White Wolf above loped away.

You were sure you did not want to know what Aedion had served you for dinner, you'd agreed with Aelin when she asked to never be told what she was eating. Balancing a bowl of whatever Aedion had cooked up in one hand and a skin of water in the other you trugged up the slope to find Fenrys. Your right foot caught in a root and your left began to slide backwards when you felt a weight behind you, pushing you back upright. You turned and smiled at the wolf. "I bought you dinner, I don't know what it is, I thought best not to ask, but I don't know if you hunt and eat as a wolf but I didn't want you to be hungry if you didn't and I just assumed that you did," You were well aware you were rambling and you cringed at yourself. With a flash the wolf was a man again and he took the bowl from your hands. "Thank you, Y/N." You could feel the heat rising in your cheeks as he studied you, "Show me your footwork and the moves we went through yesterday while I eat?" He asked as he handed you the dagger from its sheath at his hip. So you did.

Halfway through the steps he asked, "So you and Dorian?" You stopped, "What about me and Dorian?" His eyes hardened, "You seemed very close earlier?" Was he jealous? "He asked me why I stayed in the castle after Chaol fled." He nodded once, "Why did you?" He asked, so you told him, "I don't think he remembers, I told him the scars on my face were from the castle shattering, but it was that thing inside him, trying to break him, he shouldn't have to live with that when it wasn't him that did it, not really" Fenrys clenched his jaw, "There's nothing like that between Dorian and I, not now." His eyebrows rose, "Not now?" Your cheeks heated again, "Well, there never really was, just this this one time when we were 16, we decided to have our first time together after too much wine, we thought it was a good idea to get it over and done with, to take the pressure away from it being with someone we were interested in romantically." He nodded again, "I don't regret it." You weren't sure why you felt the need to add that on but you did. "It was awful." You confessed and finally Fenrys laughed, "That's often the way with first times." You smiled at him, "I don't see him like that, nor does he see me like that." He took a breath and made another oath, "No one will touch you again." The conversation was left there, "Show me the steps once more then go and get some rest." That night and every other night spent in the Marshes, you woke to a White Wolf curled around you, one of its Onyx eyes open, always watching. It was never spoken about. Nor was it spoken about how Fenrys had thrown himself off of the rocks he was shooting arrows at the Ilken from when Aelin's power exploded and threw himself over you like a shield.

It hurt to think about what happened on the beach, you'd spotted Lorcan jump in a long boat heading to shore where he'd left Elide, Gavriel and Fenrys long gone, the blood oath calling them to their master you were sure. Elide had become your friend and you were teaching her how to read and write, so you jumped and swam. You couldn't imagine how much it hurt Rowan, to have arrived too late, you knew he'd have let himself be killed to get Aelin to safety. It gutted you to see the warriors powerless and it made you sick to your stomach as you watched Aelin be whipped over and over again, refusing to count.

Fenrys knew he was helpless from the moment he and Gavriel appeared right where Maeve had summoned them, he'd fought it for as long as he could, they both had. Before they'd used his power to jump from the boat he'd looked at her one last time, to find her already watching him, both betrayal and understanding shone in her eyes and he couldn't take it, so, like a coward, he'd grabbed Gavriel and they were gone.

The young Queen, his young Queen wasn't going to last, each whip sounded like the earth was shattering, Gavriel was still trying to right himself from the blood oath being ripped from him, Lorcan was doing the same, Elide was hissing at him like an angry cat, to fight it, to help Aelin, to do something, she pleaded with the witch as well. He wouldn't be so lucky, he knew that. Maeve wouldn't take the oath from him knowing how much he openly despised it. He didn't think he could despise it more until her scent hit him, she was coming and he couldn't stop her, she breezed past him, throwing herself at Maeve, his dagger in hand, the same one he'd handed her this morning, with another promise that he would be close by, the dark queen simply laughed at her and flicked her wrist as darkness slammed into Y/N and sent her flying backwards, he wasn't quick enough to stop the warning growl that left his throat and Maeve's smile turned snakelike.

"Fenrys," She crooned, "Keep your new pet controlled and on the ground." He gritted his teeth, he would not do it, he would not obey. He would not- "Would you rather I ask Cairn to give her the same treatment as my dear niece?" He was moving instantly, he pulled her up as gently as he could. "Please." She begged him quietly, "Don't do this, help her." Silver lined her eyes and Fenrys couldn't look at her. "Such a pretty face." Maeve purred as she dragged the tip of her dagger from Y/N's forehead to her jaw, not hard enough to draw blood but hard enough to be a warning to Fenrys. Instead Maeve struck her with her other hand. He swore he could hear Y/N's teeth rattle as her lip split, she struggled against him, absolute betrayal was all he saw in her face now. "Down, in the sand." Maeve commanded and so he pushed her down so she was lying face down in the sand, she had to hate him, he had to make sure she wouldn't follow, "You promised." She whimpered. Maeve laughed again, Aelin contained in her coffin, she commanded him to leave, his eyes met Gavriel's. Don't let her move, he willed his friend as he stood. Gavriel was there, pulling her up and into his chest as she shouted down the beach after him. "You swore!" Each word like a hot poker to his heart. "You swore you'd be here, that you wouldn't leave!" So Fenrys did the worst thing he could think of, he stopped next to Maeve who was watching him carefully, "I lied, pathetic human. You really thought I'd stay, for you?" He raised an eyebrow at her and saw his words hit their mark, saw her shrink into Gavriel's chest, then, to seal it, to truly break any trust or hope she had in him or for him, he turned to the dark queen and kissed her. "I missed you Majesty."

Fenrys woke with a jolt, Aelin watching him from the stone slab, a dream, it was a dream. She blinked at him. I am here, I am with you. It was either dreams of her, or his brother, which is why he tried his best not to sleep until his body gave out from the exhustion.

You and Gavriel had never spoken of those minutes on the beach where you'd clung to him like he was a teather to the earth, he healed your lip silently as you cried, as Elide pushed away from Lorcan and crawled towards Manon. Aedion pulled you away from his father with a growl, "What happened?" He demanded and through your tears all you could do was shake your head, he asked again and again until Dorian had pushed him away, folding you into his chest. Rowan holding a knife to Lorcan, he was saved by Elide who retold the story.

So a plan was made, Rowan would go with Gavriel, Lorcan and Elide to find her. Dorian was reluctant to let you go with them but he knew you'd go regardless so he agreed and went with the witches. Aedion and Lysandra disguised as Aelin would head back up North.

You were walking arm in arm with Elide when it happened, Gavriel and Lorcan in front of you stopped dead, Rowan taking up the rear was frozen on the hill. "What's happening?" Elide asked Gavriel as he and Lorcan rushed towards Rowan. The two of you caught the tail end of the conversation. "It came from the North, from Doranelle." Rowan looked lighter than he had in weeks, "She's alive." He breathed.

#fenrys x reader #fenrys moonbeam #throne of glass #crown of midnight #heir of fire #assassin's blade #queen of shadows #tower of dawn #kingdom of ash #dorian havilliard

170 notes · View notes

the-crow-binary · 9 months

Text

Alright, it's time.

As someone who is pro-"adaptations should differ in some ways from the original material" because that's basically the definition of "adaptation", NFCV is a good example of the limit it has to have. Or, at least, the limits I have.

When one wants to adapt a story from one media to another, sacrifices are bound to be made. Changes are meant to happen. You cannot put, in your adaptation, every single detail the original material had. It would be too long, you need to choose the most important parts of the original media in order to make it shine properly. Wich means some characters will have to be erased, some plots too, all in order for the adaptation to offer a fluent and enjoyable experience for everyone. Even those who already know the original material. Of course, those people will sometimes feel sad about a part or a character they really liked but didn't see in the adaptation... but that doesn't make the adaptation bad.

In my opinion, what makes an adaptation good, is when it respects the core of the original work. It can be many things (and it's multifactorial). The message it wants to pass on, it's universe, it's characters, it's lore... it varies from work to work (you can have work focusing on a main character's story, in this case making an adaptation without this character doesn't make sense. It can be a work telling the stories of a world, in this case, with no main protagonist, an adaptation can change the characters...). You can add many changes to a work you are adapting to a new media (or new audience), but it stops being a faithful or "good" adaptation the moment you erase the core of the original work.

And that's why Netflixvania is not a good adaptation.

Ignoring the questionable writing, the "CHURCH BAD" theme, the overdose of curses and gross dialogues (and so many other nasty writing stuff)... Netflixvania misses the point of the franchise it's adapting entirely. And the few easter eggs here and there are not enough to make up for it.

You can make Alucard bisexual. You can make the Belmont clan a noble family in Trevor's era. You can make Isaac black. Those are details that does not affect the core of the franchise. It might make a few grind their teeth, but that's all. No, the problems go way deeper than that.

Castlevania's core is it's themes. It's lore. Castlevania is the story of a seemingly endless cycle of revenge, tragedy and wars. Of generational trauma, with the Belmonts fated to hunt the night and kill Dracula centuries after centuries with no escape. It's this theme of having to fight evil all the time because it will never truly go away, with or without the Belmont clan. Dracula is not just a vampire king ruling over vampires, he's the Demon King. He's the Dark Lord. He's Chaos personified, with Death as his servant and confidant. He rules over so much more than just vampires (and there is more than two humans who swore their lives to him). And he brought this fate upon himself.

The Belmonts are not just a clan. They are humanity's symbol of hopes, dreams and strenghth. They are total opposites to and complete Dracula. The Belmont-Dracula duality is essential to the Castlevania franchise. They are the pillars of Castlevania.

What themes does NFCV has? Church bad. Humans bad. Christianity dumb. A bit of father-son tragedy.

The only common theme is this father-son tragedy, but it is barely touched (we don't even have the time to fully appreciate Dracula and Alucard's relationship before and after they first fought.) and it became one of the main themes of the cartoon. And it would've been fine... if the adaptation didn't threw out the window what made Castlevania Castlevania in the same breath.

Trevor doesn't have any duality with Dracula here. We barely mention the fact Leon went to Transylvania to hunt Dracula down. We don't feel any deep connection, when in the games, Leon was literally Dracula's friend. They worked together, fought together, they were unstoppable together, and when Mathias turned, he offered Leon eternity by his side. He cared deeply. And Leon decided... no. His own morals, his dead betrothed's wishes, they came first. And so came these lines from Leon:

"You have become a cursed being and I will never forgive you. This whip and my kinsmen will destroy you someday. From this day on, the Belmont Clan will hunt the night."

And this is why Trevor had to be the one to kill Dracula. Alucard still could've had his tragic moment, seeing his father dying by the hands of his friend is really messed up, and it would've make a potential SoTN adaptation where he would have to kill Dracula by himself this time more powerful (we'll get to Nocturne in due time.). But it isn't what happened. Trevor barely participated in the fight. It was a Dracula VS Alucard starring Trevor and Sypha.

Trevor isn't Dracula's friend, but this promise, this curse Leon put on his own family so long ago, it created a kind of bond beetween Dracula and Belmonts that would last for centuries. I talked about them, about how deep it goes, here and here. Dracula created the Belmonts as they are now. The Belmonts created Dracula as he is now, too.

NFCV doesn't care about that. NFCV turned Dracula into a vampire lord not even capabe of keeping his own generals in line. NFCV belittled the Belmont clan's importance (one brief scene where the court (mostly Carmilla) is like "oh, what, a Belmont? one of those vampire hunters? alive? wtf" is not enough). NFCV belittled Trevor himself (a few nice-looking fight scenes is not enough). It belittled the Vampire Killer (the most powerful Castlevania weapon, created with alchemy and infused with the soul of Leon's betrothed. there is so much tragic story potential around this weapon alone). It belittled EVERYTHING it took from the games. And I haven't even touch Isaac and Hector (they deserve their own post), who have been done so, so dirty.

NFCV ignored so many things that gave Castlevania his identity that it just became it's own thing, wich butcher the franchise's name. So many NFCV fans don't know the games even exist, or mix it up with the cartoon when they have little to nothing in common (Lords of Shadow had more in common than NFCV. And it was not insulting to the OG universe). And let's not get started on people praising the show for being "better" and how some character got "improved" when in reality, it's written by people who don't get said characters or games and stop at the surface. Just like they stop at NFCV's surface. That's why they think it's good. (loving a show doesn't mean said show is good, sorry)

I used to think "it's okay if the adaptation is not faithful, as long as it's good/enjoyable". And you know what? This kind of mentality is what lead to NFCV. I no longer stand by it. (maybe I should thank NFCV for making me see my limits)

And that's not because I'm a purist. As I said earlier, I'm all for adaptations making changes. But I am also all for respecting the source material as well ("respecting" just doesn't mean "doing everything exactly the way it was originally" to me, unlike... way too much people). And NFCV is not.

And as a show itself, ignoring the "adaptation" part? It's not that great either. If you get critical and think deeper about things, you'll start to see everything that is wrong. It's easier to ignore the problems and enjoy the parts you do like when you don't know the games. It's almost impossible to do when you do know and love the games. When you need to turn off your brain to truly enjoy a show, it's not the proof of a great writing.

But oh... That is only the first Netflixvania. :) This far, you can actually call it faithful to the games, compared to the soon to air Nocturne. :) (it actually hurts me to say)

You cannot look at the trailer and pretend it's even trying to be Castlevania. It's an original work who stole Castlevania's name and characters. With the first serie, you could've use the first, maybe the second season to pretend it was trying but "oh, the games don't have enough story to adapt" (shitty excuse btw). But here? Oh, no. No no no. It is NOT trying anything.

It happens during the french revolution, it seems it's gonna tackle racism and slavery (I do NOT trust the show to portray the french revolution correctly. nor racism. nor anything). Richter's tragedy is apparently going to revolve around the death of his mother, so you can say bye bye to the whole generational trauma and the weight of centuries of his family hunting Dracula (since it's not where NFCV went to begin with) and protecting the world now being on his shoulder and how it affects his psyche and- I mean DAMN. That is such a DOWNGRADE. But it's only the trailer. We'll have to wait for the whole season to air to see how bad it truly is. But I do not trust them to make Richter, one of the most beloved Castlevania characters, shine the way he deserves. I do not trust them to make Castlevania shine at all. Nothing this far can make a games' fan think of said games (probably because it's not for the games' fans.)

But we know it won't be about Richter anyway. Just like NFCV, it will be about everyone but the Belmont of the show. I mean it's logic, since it's the way NFCV went. At least that's coherent.

And everyone knows the sole reason why they went from ""CV3"" to ""RoB/SotN"" directly is because of Alucard, the true main character of NFCV. The trailer just dropped and you already have people asking where Alucard is.

There is so much details I could rant about. But this isn't about details (nor ranting, really). This isn't about every little thing that only makes the cartoon even more of an insult to the games (even if those details, piling up, ARE important). This is about the bigger picture. This is about Castlevania's heart getting crippled and shat on in favor of a pseudo-mature show getting off to his pseudo-deepness.

Games and shows are different medias and thus, are bound to have different ways to tell their stories. One is not lesser than the other. The Castlevania games have a story. It has a lore. It has themes. It's character have personnalities. But it's not a cartoon. It cannot show it by literally making the characters talking about how deep they are. They can't make cutscenes just to tell "I have a tragic backstory". It has to be shown in more subtle ways. It uses the decors. It uses the way the characters stand, or walk, or attack. It exploits the few cutscenes and dialogues to tell the most important informations. And yes, sometimes, it has to use the manual to give infos about the lore or characters. That is not a lesser way to do so. It's a way to adapt to the games' limits in order to tell their story. (also, CoD literally have two mangas to it's name. make your choice on wich version you like most)

There is so, so much potential in Castlevania. And if you get into the games, if you play them, if you just read the wiki or look at the posts of people talking about the lore, the characters, the games and analyzing them, you'll know... NFCV is a waste of an adaptation.

#castlevania #netflixvania #maybe people say castlevania has no story because lots of it is told in hints #and you have to actually think and make deductions instead of turning your brain off and eating solely what the games gave you #sigh. big. big sigh.

81 notes · View notes

heycasper22 · 3 days

Text

Long Acotar theory (Elain)

Spoilers all SJM books.

Elain is possessed.

The more I re-read I truly see Elaine being possessed by Koschei, but I do not however, think that is where he intends to stay.

I think Koschei wants to inhabit Azriel.

We hear a little in CC about Hunt's body being 'equipped' to deal with his lightning, or as we later find out Apollion's Helfire.

Bryce feels like overcooked meat in HOSAB at one point after being hit with Hunt's power, her body cannot handle it the way Hunt's can.

Is Azriel 'equipped' to hold Koschei?

Is this the only way Koschei may escape his Lake prison? To have a body able to hold him long-term?

I feel like a lot of things would make sense if Azriel were another child of Apollion, perhaps even biologically unlike Hunt. There has been a mention in the other 2 series of there being a specific day in which the veil between worlds is thinnest.

Samhuinn in TOG

Death's Day in CC

Could Starfall be something similar?

If so, would it be possible for Apollion to have physically been with Azriels mother, in order to conceive him? He did touch Bryce on Death's day in CC, but that was in a dream.

It would however make sense of the different ways in which Cassian and Azriel were treated when they were young. They are both bastards, Azriel apparently being a local Lords bastard.

Cassian however was thrown into a camp like garbage when he could walk. Azriel on the other hand was contained.

Azriel's mother was a servant of this local Lord, was he perhaps the only male in the area that people would have believed could have had access to her, to make her with child? Perhaps, but let's imagine he knew that wasn't the case..

With the Illyrians being described as 'backward' and their superstitious culture, that we see when Nesta is being questioned about her cycle and burying weapons, would it be fair to think that these two bastard boys where treated so differently because this local Lord and his wife thought not to imprison Azriel out of cruelty (which of course it is) but to 'protect' everyone else?

Rhys notes his half brothers had not been forthcoming about Azriel's time with them when they'd met.

We do learn in Cresent City that Dragonfire is one of the only things that can harm a Prince of Hel.

Azriel being burned when he was a boy was again just portrayed as a evil mindless cruelty, but again if we look through the lens of his 'family' seeing him as sort of Demon, could they have actually thought of fire as way to kill him?

Bryce actually thinks of Azriel as a Demon when they first meet, because she was trying to get to Hel, true, but a possible nod to parentage as I believe Apollion is the only Prince we've seen so far with leathery wings.

If Apollion where to reproduce in the more physical sense might it be necessary for him to be with someone who might safely bare a child with wings, a horrid thought definitely, but with the way that the creation of Hunt is revealed in HOFAS, I don't think it likely that Azriels mother would have been forced or 'ill used' is the phrase Aidas uses, infact Apollion looks at Aidas with compassion he speaks of Theia, perhaps Apollion knows more of being in love than we've yet to see.

So, let's say Hunt got Apollion's Helfire and a body equipped to deal with it, perhaps Azriel got Apollion's Shadows/Darkness and a body equipped to deal with that.

Koschei is never described to us as having a true physical form, Cassian says they 'can make out nothing of him beyond the shadows of his form.'

Perhaps if the Weaver was tricked into diminishing her power, Koschei was outsmarted out of a body that could truly hold him?

It does remind me a lot of Harry Potter, with Voldemort probably being based off the myth of Koschei the deathless, Koschei removes his soul from himself and places it somewhere else and therefor he cannot be killed, in HP these were the horcruxes and Voldemort had 7 of them.

He also inhabitanted the bodies of snakes, until he happened upon a wizard, Quirrel, whom posseses but is still ill equipped to hold him, he required a true body.

Could this be what is happening to Elain?

Elain and Nesta had been put into the cauldron and Made High Fae, when Feyre returns from the spring court in Acowar, she goes to see her sisters, there's mentions of the connecting suite they have, and all the windows in there, Elain is stood by the window.

And the words: empty, hollow, void, vacancy and shell are used all in quite a small passage.

Of course they could easily be used to describe how Feyre perceives Elain coping, or not coping with her trauma.

But could they also be hints at what is happening at the window?

All 3 of SJMs series mention some sort of 'wind talking' usually the wind whispers things to people. Could this be literal? Vassa mentions Koschei planting words in courts through 'whispers on the wind'

Could the wind have been whispering to Elain by the window? Filling her with Koscheis sinister presence?

Maybe it has something to do with unknown bargain made by the Archeron Father for Vassa's temporary freedom. Possibly something that his bloodline could inherit after his death, unbeknownst to him. Rhys notes the spell on Vassa seems woven into her very blood. Perhaps the Acheron Father bargained to be a host of some sort, or something as open-ended just helping Koschei to get off his Lake. Magical bargains have to be quite specific, he may not have known this.

Of the three sisters though, Feyre is a daemati with a solid mental shield.

Nesta, was resistant to magic and Tamlin's glamour when she was human, so I'd say he'd have no chance with her.

But Elain... Feyre says, "she had no mental shields, no barriers."

Easier to inflitrate, possibly posses.

Then take a look at Elain's power 'a seer' Azriel says.

I don't believe she is, Elain begins to talk in these 'half riddles' as Nesta calls them weeks after coming out of the cauldron. It's actually specified that it started after Elain was found to have left her room, the morning after Nesta had left her alone for the longest time after being Made. She was found in front of the window in the HoW private library.

So far, most of Elain's visions have been Koschei related, Vassa the Firebird, his onyx box, and ones of Briallyn who was working with Koschei. Even Hyberns twin Ravens made mention of speaking to Briallyn.

They all tie back to Koschei.

Could the heartbeat Elain is hearing 'through the stone' while she sleeps, not actually be a heart at all, but something just as vital? A soul perhaps? In a stone box?

Again to go back to Harry Potter. Harry was a horcrux, a portion of Voldemorts soul was inside him and he could see for a time, when his mind was vulnerable into Voldemorts mind. It was unintentional at first, but later used against Harry by planting things in his mind. Ginny is also possessed by a horcrux and does things she doesn't remember doing.

This could be similar, I in no way believe that Elain is evil, perhaps being manipulated while she is vulnerable, from her trauma or while she's sleeping like HP, until Koschei is really able to sink his claws into her. We know SJM says that Elain has 'different kind of strength'

Feyre says this too in ACOWAR, "a different sort of strength, a better strength"

Elain has fight in her. Not a blade weilding warrior strength but maybe a strength to keep fighting something internally, something trying to control her, the strength to not give up.

There's an interview in ACOFAS in which SJM says:

"Elain's now going to have dreams about ripping ivy out and the ivy creeping through the windows to strangle her at night, because let me tell you that ivy does not want to go"

With this theory I find the wording of the ivy creeping in through the window rather interesting.

It's also quite like how Feyre describes her old bedroom in the Spring Court in ACOWAR. She says the bedroom has become a tomb.

What if Elain's own mind has become like a tomb for her, and it is there that she is 'ripping at the ivy' trying to get free? Using her considerable 'different' kind of strength to keep going, keep fighting.

Seer's powers can be useful to authors as a plot device, but they can also become a bit of a problem and authors find a way to temper their power. Sometimes using this 'talking in riddles' to make it interesting for readers, without actually revealing too much. Trelawny does this in HP, she also doesn't even realise she's making actual prophecies. Or take Alice in Twilight, it's a great power, but there comes a point in a story where it becomes a problem having a character that can see any outcome. So voilà she can't 'see' the werewolves!

I think with Elain, it's possible she just isn't a seer.

And Luicien, not Azriel, was the one who right about her, she needs sunshine. Sunshine to drive out the darkness.

Or perhaps Sunfire?

I like to think Luicien will have Sunfire powers. We've had literally every other kind of fire there is. Normal fire, Shadow fire, Dragonfire, Helfire, Moonfire, Starfire...and as Bryce said, the sun is a star.

Briallyn does make that weird comment to Nesta in ACOSF about Eris:

"His fire wouldn’t have withstood Koschei’s lake, I don’t think."

To me that really says there's someone out with with fire that can withstand it. And That someone is surely Lucien, perhaps mixing his Autumn Court power with his Day Court power.

He could have the type of power to stand up to Koschei, or simply just spending time with Elain would lead him to figure out something is wrong.

Which would make Elain's reluctance to entertain him one bit, explainable. (Of course not the only explanation possible)

SJM did after all write a scene with Aelin possessed in EoS, and the only thing able to stop her was her Mate.

Lucien's willingness to endanger himself by venturing out to help the person Elain is seeing in her 'visions' so that they were not happening to her in vain, whilst giving her space seems far more Mate like to me, than just pointing out an apparent power that she has then doing nothing about it.

I do hope Luicen has help from the Valkyries too.

Emyrs, resident story-keeper of TOG apparently told tales of "shield maidens and enchanted animals and cunning sorcerers"

Sounds very much like the Valkyries, and Koschei..

And we know Nesta would without a doubt come to Elain's aid if needed.

Koschei also enables people with power of winnowing, he winnows Cassian and Briallyn in ACOSF, without leaving his lake.

Have we been seeing Elain use this power? She may be powerful enough to winnow in her own right but she was untrained the time she stepped out of a shadow to kill the King of Hybern. She's mentioned to have become quite stealthy in the time since. People don't hear her approach, things like that.

Could Koschei have also used HIS power to find the Suriel?

I find it very interesting that when Elain does this for Feyre in ACOWAR, the following conversation between Feyre and the Suriel makes mention of the Suriel not expecting to see Elain's doe eyes peering at him from across the world, and immediately following, there's talk of the Bone Carver, and how the Suriel CANNOT see him? Because he is not of this world. It would follow suit then that the Suriel also could not see Koschei, even if it was his power used through Elain to find him?

Perhaps Koschei needs a body that is not entirely of this world, and Azriel has been described as other, different.

If Koschei has possessed Elain, he could be using her to get vital information on the IC, and Nesta for Briallyn, as well as using her to pursue Azriel.

She might be perhaps forced to see him, once a month when she's supposedly visiting her father's grave alone? Cassian also notes he doesn't quite believe her having to be up early to tend to an elderly faeries garden, but this was after they'd had a monthly court dinner and much wine was consumed... What was discussed? Did someone spill something important?

Something that also nagged at me but could be me reading too much into it is, the line where Briallyn tells Nesta her spies (plural) have told her who Nesta's friends are, 'The half-breed and the broken Illyrian'

True, Bellius does refer to Gwyn and Emerie similarly later on in the text. But at this point in the story, Gwyn hasn't left the HoW Library in 2 years. No one is going to be able to spy on that house from the outside without someone finding out. I doubt Emerie would have chatted with Bellius about her friendship with Nesta and Gwyn, or Gwyn's race. So perhaps a spy in the library that knows Gwyn and knows she's become friendly with Nesta?

Elain however was present, when Cassian was telling the rest of the IC about about Nesta becoming a Valkyrie, it would make sense to mention Gwyn and Emerie, maybe a few details about them? Possible stretch but still stood out to me, bolstered a little by Briallyn "There are others in your court as delusional as you are. They’ll get it for me one way or another, with the right incentive." Could this mean Elain? She would be the only one capable of summoning the trove to her I think?

There's also the wood carving of a rose Nesta places on the mantle, half hidden in shadow next to a female holding the moon, perhaps the mother.

Hinting at Elain spying on Nesta? Nesta does have a connection with the mother and we can make a connection between her fire and the moon fire wielded by Aelin in EoS, while possessed by Deanna.

I think a heartbreaking theme of Elain's storyline could be quite like the line where she says to Lucien:

"No one ever does. No one ever looked - not really." "He did. He saw me. He will not now."

She's refering to Grayson here but I think it will become true of everyone and it will be so sad, until Lucien sees what's happening, he doesn't know her at all yet, but they are mates and perhaps if he had the opportunity to really investigate what was on the other side of that mating bond without Elain jumping up, he could see what was potentially lurking in her.

People see what they want or expect to see with Elain, Rhys even states 'Elain is Elain.'

On my rereads I found it interesting how when reading ToD, specifically about Duva my mind compared her a lot to Elain.

Duva is lovely, gentle, kind, feminine, unthreatening, both loved the most by their fathers. But always watching.

She also had a brand new arranged marriage with a man who did not know her well enough to realise something was amiss.

Perhaps the real 'lightsinger' isn't a lightsinger at all, but is still a 'lovely, ethereal being who will lure you, appearing as friendly faces when you are lost. Only when you’re in their arms will you see their true faces, and they aren’t fair at all.'

Maybe Elain is luring Azriel, because he is lost now, both his brothers have their mates and he is adrift.

And when she finally gets a hold of him, it won't be Elain's grasp he is in, but Koschei's.

Interestingly, when Duva was healed by Yrene in ToD the Valg that was possessing her left her body in the form of a black shadow or mist coming out of her mouth.

Perhaps we could have seen something similar had Rhys not interrupted Elain and Az's near kiss at solstice in his BC, we know his shadows skittered back as she sucked in a breath. Just a thought.

Elain's solstice gifts to Az are interesting too. Especially because they include a powder that SJM makes a point of reminding us he hasn't actually taken it.

In theory it could be anything. Something incapacitating perhaps? And again SJM having actually written about a Mate pulling another out of possession it gives the earplugs an interesting slant.

It's possible however that there might something that is aware however primal, that is aware of the presence in Elain.

The Mask.

Its makes sense to think that Nesta's relationship with her sisters completely healed, it probably isn't, which is why the silver flame in Nesta's eyes flared in HOFAS. But flaring immediately after Elain's name is mentioned whilst wearing a death mask...

Maybe the mask has an awareness of such things, a deathless sorcerer might be an affront to such an powerful item.

I think it's so much more likely that Elain will have Life powers. Nesta took Death it makes sense for Elain to be gifted Life, probably in the form of earth magic, I could see her using it to bring the bog of Oorid back to it's former glory, before it died when Fionn was Killed.

As far as ships go I'm firmly Gwynriel and Elucien.

And if Azriel was a son of Apollion I think it would fit quite nicely in the way SJM likes to mirror mates/endgame pairings.

Az and Gwyn would fit a very interesting

'Holy/Unholy' vibe, a part Prince of Hel and a Priestess.

And potentially Earth goddess and Sun god magic, for Elain and Lucien.

Very Solas and Cthona.

If this is a route that SJM takes the next book it also kind of undos the "four books of build up" that Elain and Az apparently have, as Elain would have been stripped of choice, and Azriel manipulated.

I want to state that I in no way WANT Elain to have been struggling with something nobody even notices this whole time, especially with the violation she's already been through, but I think a storyline like this could really speak to the gift we already know for a fact she does have:

"To look at the hardness of the world and choose, over and over, to love, to be kind. She had been always so full of light."

#acotar #acosf #elain archeron #pro elucien #azriel shadowsinger #lucien vanserra #pro gwynriel #acotar theory #anti elriel

20 notes · View notes

princessofmerchants · 2 months

Text

My prediction about the next four books SJM will publish

I wanted to get this down somewhere, in part to process my angst about the possibility of what may come last in this next cluster of book releases 😫 but also to record the plot and character threads I am seeing as important heading into the next stretch of books SJM will release.

This includes HOFAS, ACOTAR, and TOG spoilers so it's after the break.

DISCLAIMER: These are just my guesses based on various interviews SJM has given both before and after the HOFAS release — THE ONLY SERIES BOOK THAT'S CONFIRMED IN THIS LIST IS ACOTAR5 BEING NEXT, and with that one, the main characters and plot threads I'll mention have also not yet been confirmed (beyond an avalanche of textual evidence 👀)

So, here are my predictions, circa 1.5 weeks after HOFAS was released:

➡️NEXT: ACOTAR5 - Az/Gwyn + Nesta and the Valkyries (which should also include Mor, ideally in a shared storyline with Emerie), Illyria / Ramiel / the Prison (and maybe a return of the pegasuses to Prythian), Gwydion and Truth Teller (not to mention the other two Made blades Nesta forged in ACOSF - also will Narben make an appearance? 👀), and I also think the first part of the Autumn Court drama may be told in this book - the truth about what happened between Mor and Eris, Beron's ongoing treachery, and Beron may die in this book making Eris High Lord (though some of these items may also be in ACOTAR6 instead - I do think the Mor and Eris story needs to come out in ACOTAR5 though, for Az to make peace with his 500 years of pining for her)

➡️FOLLOWED BY: A Throne of Glass crossover book - Shifter Fae + humans, more history and context about when the ancient Erilea Fae world-jumped to Midgard and served the Asteri, a story that creates threads and connections (of some kind, no idea how, and not sure which ToG characters it would entail) to Lidia (deer shifter with fire magic a la Aelin), Tharion (and the Mer as a people - ToG stans, remind me, were there mer in the ToG series at all? I'm pretty sure Rigelus says they hailed from the same world as the wolves and other Midgard shifters - I've read ToG in full but not as closely as ACOTAR and CC), and Ithan (wolf shifter with ice magic a la Dorian)

➡️THEN I AM THINKING: CC4: House of Many Waters - This would be the continuation of the story threads SJM did not resolve or finish by the end of HOFAS: Lidia's "service" to the Ocean Queen (and more RuhnLidia story with Brann and Ace 😍), Tharion/Sathia with Flynn and their earth magic / Avallen and the pegasuses, Ithan as the new Prime of the Wolves (and something with Perry - why did the antidote fade for her so fast?), Firstlight Zero, widespread distribution of the antidote, Ariadne (where did she go??!), and maybe more portal hopping to Prythian for Bryce, Hunt, Ember, and Randall (OH and maybe Ruhn here too, to get him in the same room as Rhys 👀) to further develop the cross-world friendships we saw forming in HOFAS

➡️WHICH MEANS FOURTH IN SJM'S AIRPLANE TAXI LINE WOULD BE (SOBS): ACOTAR6 - Elain/Lucien, Band of Exiles, Firebird retelling, Koschei, the mortal queens, and the conclusion of the big magical conflict that began with the finding of the Dread Trove in ACOSF, not to mention the Archeron sisters finally acknowledging and healing all of their familial baggage that was born from their collective and generational hardships from their time as humans (so Elain also coming to terms with her Seer powers and being Fae / no longer human - also answering the question: What happened when Elain went into the Cauldron?), I also think some of the Autumn Court drama would play out in this story Helion/Lady Autumn and Lucien's heritage (Day Court heir?), as well as more information about Papa Archeron from the time period of ACOWAR when Lucien traveled with him (LOTS of processing complex and problematic parents in this one!)

Again, these are JUST MY IDEAS - the ToG book guess is based on SJM saying after ACOTAR5 she's excited about the world her next book will be in which she implied was not the CC or ACOTAR world, and which will be emotional for her because of "who may pop up" - if that doesn't scream a return to her to the ToG universe then I don't know what would.

Then the 3rd and 4th predictions follow from that 2nd one being ToG and what I think she may focus on in it to add layers to her crossover - which seems like something she would want to do after how much work she's put into it so far.

I think there's a stronger and deeper fanbase for ACOTAR6 than there will be for CC4, so I think that could impact a decision to write and release CC4 first (since us ACOTAR stans would wait decades for the conclusion of that story and still buy a bazillion copies of it).

WHICH MEANS (SOBS), if these books are released one every 1.5 years on average... It may be quite a few years until we get our Elucien book 😭 ACOMAF came out in 2016. It would be PAST 2026 when ACOTAR6 gets released, over 10 years, until we get to see what actually comes of Elain's and Lucien's mating bond, if the above winds up bring true.

I swear, Eluciens are going to get the trophy for longest wait to see these two in their endgame, bless our patient souls 🏆

(There is always a chance the last two in the list will be in reverse order, with ACOTAR6 followed by CC4, but even if that winds up being the case, it would still be three books from now for ACOTAR6.)

53 notes · View notes

abowlofhunny · 6 months

Text

A/N You'll need context from the ending of CC2 for the beginning of the fic, but if you don't plan on reading that series it will (mostly) make sense. But hardcore spoilers for CC2 😭😭

But lmk if you guys would like more Azriel x Cadre!Reader! I've loved this concept forever and am finally ready to start sharing it 🥰 You'll meet reader in the next part and get her pov 🥰

ACOTAR X TOG crossover

Pairing: Azriel X Cadre!Reader

Warnings: 18+ MDNI, eventual smut, angst, trauma, CPTSD, war (to be updated ❤️)

⚠️ GIGANTIC ACOSF, CC2, AND KINGDOM OF ASH SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT⚠️

The Blade of Doranelle

part 0.5

Rhysand was going to go mad.

He paces behind his desk with furrowed brows, trying to get any sense of something rational in his life. Since Bryce Quinlan fell into his court months ago his brain has been close to bursting. Feyre is no better. They've each had dozens of reports of tears in their world, in the very air itself, with shifting light marking every last one of them. Even when the female made her way back to her world, the rifts didn't close behind her. Both high lord and lady had gone together to the closest one, just outside of Velaris, and tried to close it themselves. When that proved impossible for the two most powerful high fae to have walked Prythian, tensions rose considerably.

Rhys takes a deep breath and turns to his mate who has been watching him quietly from her perch on the couch. She had Rhea, Madja's assistant, watching Nyx while his parents were occupied throughout their busy afternoons, and this was no exception.

"Thought for a thought?" She murmurs gently.

Rhysand stops pacing, and despite the exhaustion weighing on his soul he smiles. Despite his 500 years being alive, nothing could have prepared him for something this absurd.

"I'm thinking… that I want to throw something out of that window," Rhys grumbles. He turns to Feyre who can practically see the instincts in him roaring to protect and slaughter any who threatens what's his. But that now unsealed letter at the top of dozens of reports? It rattled him.

Azriel had brought it in, after his spies witnessed a village go into an uproar after a blonde fae male in silver armor stepped through a rift and politely requested a letter be delivered to their leader. But when Az had gotten there the male was long gone, stepping back through the rift.

As soon as Rhys finished reading the male's letter; he silently handed it to his mate and his eyes glazed over, immediately contacting everyone in his inner circle for an emergency meeting. Feyre's eyes had darted across the page before immediately turning back to Azriel, her face grave. "We need Amren here."

Although its contents itself were as pleasant as it could be, all things considered. Azriel's face had been dark since he brought in the damned thing, and now that the second in command was getting involved? As he winnowed away, Azriel was sure this was nothing but a bad omen.

He returned within a heartbeat with Amren. The small female was still intimidating despite her loss of power. Especially now seeing her delicate face contorted with rage as she's handed the offending paper by her high lady. Azriel's face was still dark as he moved to stand in front of the fireplace and a cunning eyed Amren now read the letter.

Feyre twists towards her mate once more and leans forward, "What is the political side of you thinking, Rhysand?"

Despite her young age, her eyes were sharp and clear. This was her court and her family potentially in danger, no matter how important these rifts may be, to be sent a letter from something on the other side was a security risk, no matter their intentions.

Rhys takes a deep breath in and considers. Just as he opens his mouth the door bursts open- "What the fuck do you mean a queen from across the rift requested an audience?"

"Hello cousin," Rhys grumbles before pinching his brows.

"There's no way in Hel that you're considering it," hisses Mor again, with Cassian and Nesta on her heels looking inclined to agree. She likely had winnowed them to the river house upon getting her own summons and brief explanation from Rhys mind to mind.

"As I was going to say," he rubs his face, "this meeting is risky."

"But so is leaving unattended rifts across our court." Amren says. She had been silent since she finished reading, the letter dangling haphazardly from her pinched fingers.

"We can handle the rifts across our court. We shouldn't be interacting with what is on the other side," says Azriel as he stalks forward towards Rhys, "It has to be a trap."

"What if it's genuine? Look at your orrery Rhys, you already thought other worlds existed. It was confirmed with Bryce. It wouldn't hurt to at least reply to the letter," Nesta says before she catches Azriel's eye, "You're a spymaster, shouldn't you be halfway through that rift to seek your own answers from whoever delivered the letter?" Azriel's eyes narrow in response.

"That is not a risk even I am willing to take. The rift itself could likely kill us-"

"It won't. I already have eyewitness reports of townsfolk stepping through a rift with rope tied around their waists and returning of their own accord," Feyre interrupts as she presses her fingers into her temples.

"Rhys and I entered their minds and they weren't altered at all, Madja looked at several as well and no bodily harm came to them either. And its been well over two months since the first rift opened, if something was going to happen to those people I think it would have already."

"Mother's tits Rhys. First the queens, Koschei, Bryce, rifts opening across all of Prythian and now finding something on the other side of one?" Cassian sighed before grumbling, "I need to make sure the Illyrians are ready to fly again."

Mor's skirt hissed against the wooden flooring as she swept forward to snatch the letter from Amren, who surprisingly allowed her with no more than a sideways glance. She refolds the paper to align the broken seal once more and traces the dark green wax.

"This seal is unfamiliar…" she muses before skimming the letter and promptly dropping it back onto the once organized desk of Rhysand's office. The paper now seemingly mocking the rest of the reports that were deemed unimportant.

"Do the initials A.A.G. ring any bells?"

50 notes · View notes

sassyhobbits · 2 months

Note

Every day I think about you. Sometimes I miss the days when we had such a big tog family here. I know that life happens and it is to be expected, but I just wanted to let you know how much you mean to me. Your fics got me through so much. They were always a light I looked forward to. They brought me so much happiness. (And still do.) I hope you know that. Truly, I have never known such beautiful, talented, and kind people as the creators during the height of our little fandom here.

Do you still get comments on your writing? Hits on your fics? I hope so. I hope your wonderful gifts to this fandom remain for people in the future and bring them the same joy your writing and art brings me.

Love, someone who is sincerely grateful for you. <3

this is such a kind ask it truly made my day!!! i miss writing a lot and i def know what you mean about the height of the fandom on here!!! since starting my post grad life i havent had as much time to write especially since my art has taken off a bit more and i do make money off of that so its been prioritized lately!

but yes, i do still occasionally get comments on my work and each one makes me smile!

im still here, even if me being here looks a hit different nowadays!

thank u again so much for your kind words🥺

21 notes · View notes

reggiejworkshop · 1 year

Text

"More VHS 'Screenshots' Wakkos Springfield Score"

"Come see the Warners and the Simpsons family as youve never seen them before! This Saturday on April 1! Only on Fox!" another proposed tagline.

These are more recovered, totally not fake, screenshots from a lost crossover special of Animaniacs and Simpsons made circa 1996. It was canceled mid production due to unknown production issues, and totally not by a bored artist who wanted to have another go at creating VHS screen captures. No, its not based on a crossover fanfic I still never got around to writing.

Okay, maybe it is. Again.

Since everyone seemed to like the last ones I did:

I figured Id do some more.

To recap from the last post, the story behind this would have been a AU crossover fic where Yakko and Wakko Warner are former street hustlers turned detectives who team up with Wiggum PI and Skinny Boy Skinner.

What followed would be a series of hijinks where Wakko proved his worth as a detective; Krusty the comedian on run after being framed for a serious crime, The Wanrer Brothers searching for their missing Warner sister, all of it tied with together with some involvement with the Springfield Mafia and a few other familar faces.

As you can see, the story would be goofy as far as plot goes but definitely darker and dramatic as far as tone goes. Lots of action, mystery, and definitely some slapstick violence.

These shots along with the corresponding quotes (from top to bottom)give more inight into the special that was never meant to be. Or, it will raise way more questions than answers.

Wiggum PI: "Alright, Let's just let's settle this nice and easy..."

Yakko: "Ten against four huh? I like those odds!"

Dot: "Whats he doing here? What did you do to him?! Tony, you promised!"

Fat Tony: "You lied to us, Dot. I believe that nullifies any agreements we had.

Krusty: "Does this mean I'm finally not a suspect anymore?"

Wiggum PI: (shakes head)"Uh uh"

Keusty: (groans ) "So Nurse, This means you and I are back tog-"

Nurse: "Nope"

Krusty: (groans louder)

Wakko: "... hes smart, talks funny and even better, he hates clowns! But mostly of all, hes gonna help us! Meet my new special freind!"

Wakko's Special Freind : "Hello gentlemen"

Krusty: "Oh crap..."

Bart: "Why do you hate me, God?"

211 notes · View notes

tranakin-skywalker · 7 months

Note

Wait you're making a fic for your torgruta au?? Tell me more please

Yeah, I've been thinking about writing a fic about it for a while now. Most likely it's going to be a series of oneshots so I can hop around to different parts of the story I find interesting.

A lot of the ideas are coming from the hyena discord, so I can't claim them as my own. But they are just too good to pass up. Like togruta making infrasound with their montrals and constantly projecting their moods. So when Anakin first gets to the Temple he's constantly screaming for him mom at a pitch that only other togruta can hear.

I've decided that that's actually how he first meets Ahsoka. She hears him making his lost, scared, where's mom, where's family sounds and seeks him out to comfort him. Ahsoka would be about four here, and would have left Shili recently enough that she could still remember what those noises mean, even if Tatooine togruta sound different from Shili togruta. (to a Shili tog Anakin's distressed noises sound like he's being maimed, but that's just because of the generational trauma and general awfulness of being a togruta on Tatooine. What they would think of the vocalizations he makes when actually being maimed we will not think about)

So Anakin and Ahsoka end up growing up together right from the start, and the main reason Anakin is so insistent on being knighted early is so that Ahsoka can be his padawan. It's a private thought he has to himself at first, but as Ahsoka gets older and no masters are showing any interest in taking her on she starts to panic. Anakin tells her that he'll just have to get knighted before she ages out so that he can be her master. And then the Clone War starts and he realizes that keeping his promise means bringing her onto the battlefield with him where she could die and he's not sure if he'll be enough to keep her alive :)

Because Shmi is a togruta too she does not get bought by Cleigg Lars. I am just. not dealing with the implications of that. (Listen. I want to read Shmi's marriage to him as a good thing, but I have a very hard time doing that.)

Now, there's actually a comic (Legands, I think, not Disney canon) where Gardulla goes to Watto and tries to buy Anakin back after he wins the Boonta Eve Classic. So have some fun thoughts about what would have happened to Anakin if he hadn't gone with Qui-Gon.

In the fic, Gardulla goes to buy Anakin but of course he left with the Jedi, so Gardulla decides she'll take Shmi as payment for Watto's debts. After all, if Shmi already had one child who turned out to be a talented podracer, well, she might have more. Hence the younger sibling that comes about shortly after Anakin leaves.

When Anakin goes back to Tatooine because of the nightmares about his mom he finds out that Watto sold his mom back to Gardulla and has to go to her to buy his mom's freedom. Which would be traumatic, on multiple levels. Anakin finds out that a month before he arrived, Shmi tried to escape with the sister Anakin didn't know he had, and Gardulla had their chips detonated. Gardulla even gives him their triggered remotes as proof.

(Of course unbeknownst to Anakin, Shmi and the sister survived and are living with a village of other escaped togruta.)

A lot of canon still happens the same, including Anakin's fall, Order 66, Mustafar, etc. But when Bail Organa sees Ahsoka at Padme's funeral he tells her that he can take her to a mutual friend of theirs. Ahsoka thinks (hopes) it's Anakin at first, and is devastated when she realizes it's Obi-Wan (and then hates herself for feeling disappointment because she should be happy that Obi-Wan is still alive, but he's not Anakin, and this means that Anakin must be dead).

There's no Lars family and the Organas would have a harder time explaining a non-human daughter, so Ahsoka and Obi-Wan end up taking care of the twins. They eventually find their way to Tatooine because it's out of the Empire's notice and, well, because it's a connection to Anakin (Ahsoka's trying to hold onto anything she can that connects her to her brother and Obi-Wan is in his self-harming phase.)

And it's there that they eventually run into a little community of togruta and a woman who looks suspiciously like Anakin who has the last name Skywalker. But hey, Shmi gets to meet her grandkids at least. Even if it happens at the same time that she finds out that son she thought she'd sent away to a better life and hasn't seen in 13 years is dead. (Obi-Wan sees how much Anakin's death destroys Shmi and decides to never, ever tell her what he became. Vader will be his burden and it's a secret he will take to his grave. Anakin Vader is dead, and he'll save them from ever finding out how it really happened)

Of course, 15 years later Ahsoka goes to rescue some rebels from a walking death omen in black when she realizes the infrasound calls he's shrieking out of his mangled montrals is devastatingly familiar.

#togruta au #i've got so many fun ideas for this story

53 notes · View notes

dyns33 · 2 years

Text

Of Snakes and Kitten

Since I love them so much, I did a Oberyn x Reader x Ellaria story

It was perfectly normal for the nobles of Westeros to arrange marriages between their children to form alliances between their houses and kingdoms.

But with soulmates, there were a few exceptions.

Some were crazy romantics, considering that fate should not be gone against, and others were lucky enough to be linked to an influential member of another house.

As soon as the mark appeared on their skin, copies were made and sent around the world, hoping that another important family would respond, announcing that one of their own was the lucky one, and that a wedding could take place.

Y/N had nothing to do with politics. Daughter of a lesser noble in the Kingdom of Vale, she spent her days reading and walking in the woods. Balls could be fun, she liked to chat and dance with her friends, but she did not receive the attention of young men, who preferred the other girls in her house.

It didn't matter, as her mother often told her, because one day she would meet her soulmate, who would love her more than anything.

She wasn't quite sure how to react when a raven brought the name of the one meant for her.

Oberyn Nymeros Martell, Prince of Dorne.

The man, nicknamed the Red Viper, had a certain... reputation.

He had been discovered in the bed of a noble's lover when he was only sixteen, and had poisoned the old man during their fight. Since then he had had many other conquests, both male and female, in almost every kingdom, and he was often with his paramour, Ellaria Sand, who bore him eight daughters.

No doubt he had many more bastards, whether he was aware of it or not.

Y/N tried to stay positive during the boat trip that took her to Dorne. If they were soulmates, that meant something. It had to.

And when she arrived in this magnificent country, with this ocean, this sand, these colours, and this smiling prince who welcomed her with a soft kiss on her hand, Y/N wanted to believe it.

The wedding not having to be celebrated before several days, they took the opportunity to spend time together and get to know each other better.

Oberyn was the sweetest man she had ever met, polite, funny, kind, cultivated.

Oh, he clearly liked to flirt, but he remained respectful, not touching her without permission. He showed her around the palace, the library, the gardens, the private beach, the city, and Y/N tried desperately not to look like a child excited by each new discovery, in vain. This did not seem to displease the prince.

"You are so adorable, my sunshine. Like a kitten, you roam your new territory with curiosity and admiration, but looking upset to be seen in such a state. Have fun, little kitten. You don't have need to pretend here."

Being noble, and a woman, Y/N knew that wasn't true. With King Doran and the rest of the court, she was very careful.

It was the same with Ellaria Sand and her daughters. In the beginning anyway. Y/N was very intimidated by her soulmate's paramour, still wondering if she was going to poison her by serving her wine or kissing her. Ellaria was very friendly, and very tactile with her.

Almost as much as with Oberyn.

They touched almost every time they saw each other. Yet Ellaria didn't seem to be doing it to make Y/N jealous or show her that he was hers. Beautiful and fascinating, the Sand Snake was dancing around her.

"I'm glad that you are his soulmate. I was afraid to meet an idiot, or a whore. But you're so pretty, so sweet. Yes, Oberyn is right, a real kitten."

"... You didn't meet your soulmate ?" Y/N asked shyly, letting her caress her cheek.

"No. I'm not looking for them. I love Oberyn. I love the other lovers I meet on my way. I love being free. And again, I'm really, really happy that you're here, and that we've met."

The proposal was obvious. Ellaria wasn't just willing to share, she really enjoyed Y/N, and maybe that could have worked.

But Oberyn did not seem as enthusiastic as his paramour. Certainly they spent time together, but he kept a certain distance between himself and Y/N. Maybe he wasn't so glad that she was his soulmate. Maybe he just wasn't happy about having a soulmate and being forced to get married.

After all, he too was known to love his freedom.

The day before the wedding, Y/N surprised him with several lovers and she understood then that he would never change, not for her.

Above all, he would never love her, not as she loved him, not as she would have liked to be loved.

This hurt her deeply. She cried all night, mourning her ridiculous childhood dream, when she should have known that since no one had ever loved her before, it would never happen.

She did not eat during the banquet and hardly spoke during her marriage, except to answer the priest.

Although he didn't love her, her husband was not cruel, and Oberyn noticed something was wrong. She didn't answer him when he asked her if she felt okay once they were in her room, just taking off her clothes and going to lie down on the bed.

He stared at her for a long moment before leaving without touching her.

The following weeks were terrible. The two spouses avoided each other like plague, Y/N staying either in her bedroom or in the library, trying to hide her sadness and tame her depression.

Ellaria was trying to help. It didn't help. If the prince had to choose, Y/N was sure he would take his paramour. But she couldn't blame him, he had known her longer, she was the mother of his children, and she was beautiful.

She couldn't blame Ellaria either. In other circumstances, she would probably even have considered her a friend, always there for her, gentle, patient, clever.

With great tenderness, she stayed with Y/N, combing her hair, checking that she was eating properly and stroking her hand like a lover.

"Talk to me, my kitten." she purred as she sat down next to her. "Tell me why you are so upset."

"... That's stupid."

"I don't believe a word of it, because you're not stupid. I don't like to see you like that. Neither does Oberyn. He doesn't know what to do to cheer you up, he is afraid of having done something wrong and he hides himself at the other end of the palace."

"He didn't do anything wrong, it was I who expected too much from him."

"You're saying too much or not enough, kitten. What did you expect from this fool ?"

Tired, Y/N explained her dreams, her hopes, her lonely childhood, her doubts, her fears. She would have liked so much that her prince would make her forget all that, but it was not possible. He wasn't what she had imagined, and she couldn't blame him.

She just needed time to accept the situation.

"My father wrote to me." she continued without looking at Ellaria. "He asks me when I think I'll bear an heir. I don't want the prince to force himself to be with me if he doesn't want to, but..."

"My kitten. My kitten, that's the first stupid thing you've said since we met. Don't move."

Very quickly she returned with Oberyn, visibly sad to see her like this, and sorry to have hurt her. They didn't really have time to talk. The Red Viper and the Sand Snake wrapped themselves around Y/N to cover her with kisses and caresses.

No doubt that was how we talked in Dorne.

"You're shaking my kitten. Poor little darling, so touch starved."

"The people of the North are real idiots." the prince muttered as he kissed her, before turning to Ellaria to take her lips.

The pleasure was intense. Oberyn and Ellaria were truly gifted and caring lovers, and Y/N did not regret the experience.

But a thought gnawed at her as soon as they were done, and continued to plague her mind each time they found themselves in bed together.

Because they were always together, the three of them.

And yes, it was good. Very good. Yes, she loved them. But did that mean something, that her husband was never alone with her ? Did Ellaria have to be there for him to feel desire ? Was she used to make him forget Y/N so that he could fulfill his duty ?

It didn't really seem to be working, because after two months she still wasn't pregnant, and that was soon to be a problem. It couldn't come from Oberyn, he had already had children.

She requested an audience with King Doran to discuss this matter.

"I don't understand what I can do for you, dear sister."

"You are the King, and you know better than anyone what is good for your kingdom. If I can't have children, then maybe it would be better if I left and your brother married someone else."

"You are soulmates, that would be absurd. There is no one better for him. Either way, it will be his decision."

The prince was not pleased to learn what had been said during this exchange. He didn't understand why Y/N hadn't come to see him. Finding her alone in the gardens, he pinned her against a pillar, forcing her to look at him.

"I am the second born. My brother already has children. I already have children. So if you don't give me an heir, it doesn't matter to me. I would be happy if you got pregnant, but know that the children of Dorne are all made in love, not out of obligation."

For a brief moment, Y/N thought she saw something dangerous in his eyes, beastly, and she thought he was going to take her here, but Oberyn just kissed her forehead before leaving.

Yes, the children of Dorne were made in love.

And Oberyn didn't love her. That explained why she didn't get pregnant. That was what she said to Ellaria as they drank wine on the beach, watching the sunset.

"You two..." sighed the Sand Snake. "You really are soulmates. You are lovely idiots. My lovely idiots. Guess I'm going to have to step in again."

"But..."

"Hush, kitten. The maid will take you back to the palace, I have to talk to our prince who doesn't understand anything."

This time, when Oberyn ran into her room, he was alone, and he looked desperate, gently cupping her face in his hands with a pleading look.

"Tell me that you know I love you. Tell me."

"My prince, you don't have to..."

"Yes, I'm a prince and I don't have to do anything. Exactly. I love you. I love you, I love you, I'll tell you until you believe me. I loved you when you got off the boat. When you smiled at the children of the city. When you marvelled at my kingdom. When your eyes sparkled in the library. When your laughter broke out in the gardens. When you kissed my girls. When you accepted Ellaria. I love you, not because you are my soulmate or I have no choice. You are so precious, my kitten, my sunshine, so bright, so beautiful. I curse all the people who made you believe otherwise. You are the most lovely person I have ever met. I love you as much as I love Ellaria. The others don't matter, I don't need to them, now that I have you. Forgive me. I didn't want to force you, I didn't want to overwhelm you. Everything is new to you, and your customs are different. I wanted to give you time and space. But If you want me, I'll always be by your side. I am an excellent lover, but I can be silly. I... I wrote you poems."

"Kiss me."

The next day, Ellaria was delighted to find them entwined in the bed, and she was even happier the day Y/N began to vomit.

Y/N didn't understand why, it wasn't fun to be sick, unless the Sand Snake had finally decided to poison her. Oberyn too was surprised to see her so cheerful, but his paramour continued to smile, before looking at his soulmate's belly.

The prince then let out a cry of joy as he leapt from his chair to run towards Y/N and spin her around in the air, before kissing her and her stomach.

"Really ?!" he asked.

"Re... Really what ?"

"I think so." Ellaria purred. "I will look for a healer."

The pregnancy was quickly confirmed, and celebrated by both kingdoms as a promising sign for their political and economic alliance.

It didn't matter to Y/N, Oberyn and Ellaria. The two snakes focused on the well-being of their lover, doing everything so that she lacked nothing. As their paramour played with the girls, Y/N turned to her husband.

"Do you… Do you think it will be a girl again, or do you want a boy ?"

"I don't care. It will be our child, whom we will cherish."

We meaning the three of them, as always.

As a child, Y/N had hoped to be happy and loved by meeting her soulmate. Now she had two lovers, eight daughters and a baby who would be pampered by this huge family.

#oberyn martell #oberyn martell x ellaria sand #oberyn martell x reader #oberyn martell fanfiction #ellaria sand #ellaria sand x reader #oberyn martell x ellaria sand x reader

480 notes · View notes