#king dorian hallivard

[emeriethevalkyriegirl]

Chaol's Adventures in Babysitting

Summary: Chaol has to deal with young Caleena and Dorian.

A/N: I'm gonna make this absolutely clear. Whatever happened during the first 2 books of Throne of Glass never happened. No love triangle between are 3 favorite protagonists. Chaol is 25 and Caleena is 1 year older than Dorian (6 and 7). Everything else will be explained in the story. Enjoy!

Chaol was pissed.

No, pissed was an understatement. He was furious. Of all the things for Caleena and Dorian to do, they decide to do THIS!?

Lemme take you back to 2 hours ago. Chaol, the general of the Royal Guard, had intrusted his best lieutenant, Kale, to watched the crown prince and his friend. Normally, it was his, or the Head Maid's job to watch the children, but the Head Maid was on mandatory bed rest after twisting her ankle on a step stool and Chaol's schedule was packed with nothing but daily routines. So, as a last minute change, he put Kale in charge of the children.

He still remembered the look on Caleena and Dorian's faces. They were not pleased.

Especially not Caleena. When the King and Queen found her on the streets just a year ago, she was small and frail, shaking like a leave. When the Queen asked her her name, she began to cry. The Queen quickly scooped the little frighten girl in her arms and from that moment on, she was part of the Hallivard family.

She didn't like the adjustment at first, but once she met Dorian, she was a wild child. She and Dorian got into all kinds of trouble. Tearing up all the pages in their history books from their homeschool classes. Slouching in their chairs at the dinner table. Stealing candy from the candy store, causing them to stay up all night and jump on the bed constantly.

It wasn't until their last mishap, (running around the castle naked because neither of them wanted to take a bath), that the King and Queen needed a disciplinary matter for the two of them. So, they sent in their most trusted General.

Chaol Westfall.

He served the crown for over 10 years, having started at 15 years old. He knew the ins and outs of being a guard. He knew how to fight. He knew how to carry a body. He knew how to take down 3 armed burglars while blindfolded. He was pretty sure that watching two kids wasn't gonna be much of a problem.

Oh, how wrong he was. Watching Dorian was a piece of cake. He was kind, helpful, and loyal to his people. It was Caleena he was worried about. The poor man almost broke his arm from nearly being jumped on by that girl. Literally. The King and Queen had informed him that Caleena had a rough life and was still coping over the fact that she never had to go back there. Even though, they knew that she was only acting this way because of her life style, they knew that she had to learn how to live in this new life. Whether be the easy or the hard way.

Chaol never like using physical discipline on kids, but if his mother had never done it to him, he'd still be half drunk at the bar at 7 in the morning. So, that's what he did. When Caleena refused to have her bath, Chaol merely took her back to her chambers and gave her his belt. He knew he was strong and that his belt was even stronger, so he made extra sure to only slash her on her bum and that she would have any special cream so that it could heal.

Caleena was completely surprised that day. She didn't cry, much to Chaol's surprise, but she did let a whimper slip. The blond girl fell silent with the General was finished, though she was ready for another round. She wasn't afraid to be beaten, but something about Chaol's was different. More...gentle.

Still, she didn't wanna have another round with him that night, so she apologized to the maid that was tasked to bathe her and took her bath. She didn't speak to Chaol the day after, too afraid to do the slightest thing wrong. It wasn't until he explained to her that, it was necessary, while also adding that if it was too much, he would only result to less physical punishments instead.

From that point on, both Caleena and Dorian behaved. Still, they have a few more rounds with the belt, but it wasn't as often as before. Caleena was still the wild child of the Hallivards and Dorian was still very kind and sweet, but Chaol still loved them anyway, even if they drove him, the staff, and the King and Queen crazy.

However, in this case, a belt would be beneficial for those little brats.

It's his own fault really. He should've known that those two were gonna break Kale. They broke him a few times (not that he'll ever admit that).

Before he'd left to go to his tasks, he strictly told both the kids and Kale that they were not to leave their room. Normally, they were free to roam around the castle, but today, an attack had issued in their hometown and the whole city has been on edge. The King and Queen didn't wanna risk the safety of Dorian and Caleena, so Chaol had to watch them today. Or at least that's what he would be doing if the other guards hadn't need his assistance.

Kale nodded and gave his a salute before he looked at the kids, their displeased expressions still reading the room. He didn't have time for this. With one last glance at the 6 and 7 year old, Chaol turned his heal and left.

Throughout the day, Chaol was called to many other places in the city to tend to people and their families. The day went by in a flash, but once the moon was high in the sky, the real hell broke loose.

All it took was one glance. One glance at his lieutenant that he found in the dark alley, looking around like he was searching for something very important. Chaol had a very distinct feeling that he already knew what this was about. By the time the General caught up with him, Kale was shaking with fear, barely able to explain to him that he only lost Dorian and Caleena for a second. Chaol facepalmed, saving his anger for when he found them.

He didn't have to look far though, when he saw two tiny hooded figures just a block away from them. He couldn't see their faces, but he heard the girl's giggles.

Reassuring that Kale wasn't going to loose his job, Chaol made his way over to the kids and took off their hoods. Neither Dorian nor Caleena looked guilty for sneaking out of the castle, their smiles lighting up the night of the city. It almost made Chaol want to spare them from his rath.

Almost.

Their smiles dropped, noticing that their favorite guard was fuming, his glare practically crushing any hope of them making it back home without sore bum. "You two have 5 seconds to explain to me why I shouldn't whip you this very moment." Chaol growled, Dorian and Caleena literally shaking under their cloaks. "Um...we..uh-"

"W-We j-just-"

"I'm running out of patience, here." Chaol said, as a matter of fact. When neither of them chose to explain, Chaol began to unbuckle his belt. The kids backed a step, knowing what was coming next. "W-Wait, please!"

"Should've thought about that before-"

"General!" Chaol stopped short, hearing a familiar voice. Lance, his corporal. "Sorry to disrupt you...schedule, but we've captured a suspect of the attack." Shit.

With a groan, Chaol tightened his belt and turned his attention to Lance. "I'll be there shortly." Once the corporal left, his eyes fell on the kids again. He knew they deserved this, but he also knew that it was late and he was in desperate need of a drink. He'll worry about them later.

Chaol called out to Kale, ordering him to send the kids back to the room. He knew they'll obey this time. Cause they also knew what will happen if they didn't.

-------------------

Once the General had finished everything on his list, he was free for the night. Around this time, the kids should be in bed, but he'd been around Dorian and Caleena enough to know that that wasn't the case.

When the King and Queen spoke of their son and their adopted daughter, the General told them about the events that happened during the afternoon, not mentioning their little adventure at all. He didn't know why he didn't say anything. Guess his stupid heart had a soft spot for them.

Now out of his uniform, Chaol made his way to the door, finding Kale standing outside the room. The lieutenant recognized his General right away. "Any trouble?"

"Nah. They were as quiet as mice." Good. Chaol dismissed Kale, ending his shift an hour early as he watched the man make his way downstairs, probably heading toward the bar where the other off duty guards were.

Chaol knocked on the door. "Caleena, Dorian?" he asked with a surprisingly amount of calmness. He heard a few shuffle sounds from the room and some muffled voices, telling him that the kids were still wide awake.

Opening the door, Chaol stroud in, finding Dorian and Caleena both 'asleep'. Chaol was not fooled. Closing the door behind him, the General made his way to the bed and folded his arms. He wasn't angry anymore. No, his anger was wasted on the suspect his guards found earlier. Now, he was just disappointed. "I know you're awake." he said. No movement. Not even a stir.

He knew what to do. "Alright. I'll let your parents know that you snuck out today."

"NO!" Dorian was up in an instant, Caleena opening her eyes in shock. Both kids were now even more frighten than they were before. Chaol bit back a smirk. "I didn't think so." The kids blushed, embarrassed that they fell for his trap.

Chaol sighed, not wanting to leave the kids on a bad note tonight. "I'm not mad." The kids, caught off guard by Chaol's comment, gave the tired General their full attention. "You're not?"

"Well, not anymore." Chaol continued. "But I am very disappointed in you both." The kids looked away, their guilt finally showing on their faces. "When I tell you to do something, you do it. No matter what. Understand?" Chaol didn't yell no shout, but his voice was filled with authority. Something he only used on his guards.

When the kids nodded, he sighed and shook his head. "You scared me tonight you know that?" he randomly pointed out, taking a seat on the bed. Caleena chuckled, the General raising his brow at the blond. "Sorry." she replied. "But, you're not scared of anything."

"Yeah. You're like, the King of Guards. Nothing scares you." Dorian added. Now, it was Chaol's turn to chuckle. He loved how naive these two were. He always resented them for it, having lost that side of him when his parents died. "Yeah well, I was today."

Chaol felt Dorian crawl over to him, resting his head on his lap. The General's heart warmed at the touch. "Something could've happened to any of you. I thought I-" Chaol stopped short, not wanting to finish that thought.

The kids looked at him, wondering why he stopped mid-sentence. When Chaol refused to speak, Caleena made her way to his other side, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry, Chaol. Don't cry." Chaol was about to ask her why she thought he was crying until a drop of water fell on his jeans.

Damn

He must've brought up some bad memories.

Wiping his eyes, Chaol gave the 7 year old a sweet smile and ruffled her hair. "Hey, you're not going sappy on me now, are ya LeeLee?" Chaol teased as Caleena pouted at the nickname. Dorian giggled, knowing that the nickname annoyed her. Caleena stuck her tongue out, making Dorian do the same. "Hey, knock it off you two." Chaol said, dancing his fingers all over the kids' bellies.

Very rarely did Chaol act like this. When his parents had died, he felt nothing. Just went completely numb for years. By the time he was 15, he was issued into the Royal Guard. Years of discipline straighten him out, but his heart was still as cold as ice. When he met the kids, he didn't know it yet, but his heart was melting little by little each day he had to watch them. And during one of those days when they played, they practically begged him to join them (after threatening to run away of course). The General agreed, making the mischievous children promise to keep their mouths shut. Now, every chance he got, the General would play with the kids, forming an ever lasting bond with the two of them.

Their joyous laughter filled his heart with warmth and light. He smirked, watching them try and fail desperately to swat his giant hands away. "Stop it!" Caleena laughed, as Chaol leaned back, his entire body (save for his legs) now on the large bed. The royal children's laughter continued, crawling their way back to him. "Chaol, get up!"

"Too tired. You have to carry me." Chaol joke, laying limp on the mattress. "But you're too fat!" Dorian teased, as the General quickly grabbed both children and rolled onto his stomach, trapping the giggling gremlins under him. "I'll show you fat." That was the only warning the children received before Chaol resumed his tickle attack.

Chaol was right in the middle of giving Caleena a raspberry when he heard someone clearing their throat from the door. Chaol stopped immediately, recognizing the voice, the children still having their last fit of giggles.

A woman lean against the door frame wearing a maid uniform with the royal crest. Yrene Towers. She looked at Chaol with a smug expression, her arms crossed over her chest. "Am I interrupting something?" she chimed, as she watched her boyfriend hopped off the bed so fast, she almost mistaken him for a rabbit. By the time he turned to face her, he was already blushing. "N-No, not at all."

"You sure? You looked like you were in the middle of a tickle fight." Yrene replied, walking further into the room. Chaol didn't know what embarrassed him more. The fact that someone caught him playing with the kids, or the fact that the person who caught him was none other then his girlfriend.

Chaol opened his mouth to speak, but Dorian beat him to it. "He was gonna torture us. And make us do homework."

"And eat veggies!" Caleena added. Chaol turned to grab for the little gremlins, but they moved out of the way of his reach. Yrene gave out a dramatic gasp, placing her hand over her heart. "Oh no, not the veggies. General Chaol, have thou no soul?" Laughter filled the room once more, as Yrene wrapped her arms around Chaol's neck. With a smirk, he wrapped his arms around her waist as she spoke. "I didn't see you in the main hall."

"I was occupied~"

"I can see that~" Yrene replied, her lips just grasping Chaol's before the General felt something soft collide at the back of his head. The General and the maid heard a chorus of giggles before they noticed Dorian and Caleena looking off to the side while trying (and failing) to hide a pillow behind their backs.

"Could you excuse me for a moment?" Chaol didn't wait for a response before he hoisted the kids in the air, catching them when gravity took over. "If you two don't go to bed," Chaol tried to sound serious, but his smile did not falter.

Placing the kids back on the bed, Chaol watched as they tucked themselves in. "Go to sleep. You have homeschool tomorrow."

"Awww." the kids whined as Chaol heard Yrene laugh. Giving the kids one last goodbye, Chaol and Yrene wished them sweet dreams and exited the room, the new guard already at his post for the night. "You know you love them." Yrene smirked, kissing her boyfriend's cheek. She was right. He did.

#Chaol Westfall #Yrene Towers #kid Caleena Sadorthien #kid Dorian Havilliard #Chaol would be the best dad #tickles #fluff #angst #chaol x yrene #Throne of Glass

[anotherenglishmajorxo]

Y’ALL. 

YRENE TOWERS WESTFALL DID THAT. WHILE PREGANT. HOLY SHIT. 

AND HIS FATHER NAMED DORIAN AFTER HIM. 

ALSO RIP GAVRIEL. 

I’M STILL SHOOK.

#book thoughts #kingdom of ash #yrene towers westfall #yrene westfall #dorian hallivard #king dorian hallivard #gavriel #RIP gavriel

[tenshiotaku]

Disgusting - One Shot

Crochan Queen Manon Hallivard was sprawled over her desk, going over paperwork. Being Matron of an Ironteeth family wouldn't have involved this much damn paperwork, but being an actual queen was something different.

Dorian helped where he could, but the King of Adarlan had his own kingdom to micro manage. Even if the lumbering brute could handle most of it, Dorian wouldn't leave his Second to do his dirty work.

Manon lifted her head after that thought crossed her mind.

Chaol was a good man. Lumbering brute might have been a harsh descriptor, but if anything, Second was a compliment.

Bron was her closest thing to a Second currently, and it wasn't the same. She was no Asterin Blackbeak.

The crown on her head was heavy, it seemed. But the nights she could steal away with Dorian seemed to make it worthwhile.

"How's it looking?" The voice he greeted her with was full of honey despite the bland content of his words.

"Crops are growing, money is accumulating, the usual. But they need the queen's approval on every little thing," Manon dryly said in response.

"Ah, there's the thrilling excitement of ruling we've all longed for, deep down," Dorian chuckled despite Manon having no inclination towards this being a humerous topic. She felt his callused hands glide around her shoulders and his head sidle up to hers. "Well, when my Queen is free to join me, I'll show her how sorely she was missed."

Dorian planted a quick kiss on top of her head, before making to leave the study and return to her bedchamber, but Manon felt her cheeks flush and spun to confront him.

"Dorian! That's disgusting! I'd have so many dead bugs in my hair!" Manon yelled, not voicing the thought in the back of her mind, "I want you to use that mouth later."

Dorian raised an eyebrow as he saw the clearly flustered queen in front of him. He knew there were words she wasn't saying, Manon had more than teeth and nails that were iron, afterall.

"Do it again," she murmured quietly.

Sharp contrast to her booming disapproval a moment ago. Dorian listened to his queen, and kissed her atop the head once more.

The warm feeling in her stomach spread to her lips, not that anyone would admit to seeing the Queen smile.

The Queen was iron afterall.

#manon blackbeak #manon x dorian #manon crochan #throne of glass #kingdom of ash #sarah j maas

[anotherenglishmajorxo]

Dorian: oh hey, Maeve, wanna make a deal? Wanna be Queen of Arldarlan so you can have a kingdom?

Maeve: yes, of course

Me in the background:

#booklr #book thoughts #kingdom of ash #prince dorian hallivard #king dorian hallivard #queen maeve #nope #DO NOT WIKE

[tenshiotaku]

Middle Asty

Asterin would never admit that wyverns scared her. The day Bronwyn took her to carve her own broom was a silent relief, and Manon beamed pride as found the ironwood necessary for a proper Ironteeth broom. She didn't keep pace with Abraxos, but she had a little more maneuverability on the air.

Occasionally, Petrah Blueblood would come by the Crochan Queendom, and Asterin noted the simmering tension between the Blueblood delegation and the rest of the subjects.

It was her 19th birthday when the Bluebloods came by again. The Princess of both Adarlan and the Crochans, Asterin was forced to sit through a ceremony at the Wastes and she knew there would be another one in Adarlan. She wanted her father here. And Iggy.

A smile crossed her face as she thought of Iggy, how much he hated that nickname but he never stopped her from using it. Witches were always female, so their seats of power were to be outside male gazes. While her father had snuck into the palace on some occasions, ceremonies were not the occasions for male interference.

Petrah and a deranged looking woman with yellow pants and metal teeth on display had also come, and given the way everyone edged around them, Asterin had assumed she was the head of some other family the Crochans didn't like.

"You look just like your mother," Petrah offered as a compliment and Asterin grinned.

The other witch nodded and exited the room, earning a chuckle from Manon.

"The Yellowlegs Matron hasn't forgotten what happened to Irska," Petrah whispered to Manon and her daughter, the former earning a chuckle.

"She should be thankful we didn't exterminate them," Manon responded harshly. "They would have delighted in our slaughter."

"I thought motherhood would have eased your assertiveness on such matters, Manon."

"No." Manon turned to face the Blueblood Matron. "It only showed me what I need to protect."

Asterin was still sitting, regarding her mother and the other's words. She knew her mother was in the War, that was what brought her parents together and the other kings, queens and consorts along the way. But she had never met anyone that spoke of the War, their experiences in the War or any of it.

"Matron," Asterin chimed. "Who was she?"

Manon swung her gaze back to Asterin as she had almost forgotten Asterin was present.

"Well, witchling, in the Ironteeth there were three clans. One for each of the faces of the Goddess. The Bluebloods, of which I am Matron; the Yellowlegs, which Prytha is the Matron of; the Blackbeaks, which you and your mother descended from." Manon was deathly silent, she hadn't told Asterin of the Blackbeaks since...

"So we're not Crochan?" Asterin raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Your grandfather was a Crochan and your grandmother a Blackbeak. So yes, you are."

Manon had previously thought highly of Petrah, but she wasn't fond of talking about their Ironteeth lineage. Petrah was just sweetly informing a curious mind, but Manon suddenly found a reason to be elsewhere.

"Is Mum okay?" Asterin inquired but Petrah shook her head.

"I don't know, witchling. There are some demons in our pasts, and your mother has more to face than most."

Asterin looked to where the starry crown was still illuminating the room. Her mother was still so... stiff. Asterin couldn't remember a time when she wasn't, when her father wasn't around anyway.

Worried about her mother as she was, she knew nothing good could come from talking here and now, so the evening passed, and Manon excused herself quietly, not stopping to acknowledge any of her guests before retiring to her chambers.

~

Asterin saw out the dinner before deciding to track down her mother. Petrah hadn't been more forthcoming with information, she may have told Asterin too much, the young princess didn't know.

So she braced herself for yelling as she knocked at her mother's door.

"Who is it?"

"Asterin, Mother."

"Come in, witchling."

Asterin pushed the door open finding her mother sitting at the edge of a bed she'd been curled up in moments earlier. Golden eyes red and the tracks of tears down her face the only traces of any emotional trauma she'd been going through.

Manon Hallivard-Crochan was firm and as Asterin put her arms around her mother, the firmness began to quake.

"There's things about my past, Asterin. Things that happened to me. Things... long forgotten, or so I'd thought. Hoped, even."

"Mum... There's nothing you can't tell me," Asterin looked her mother in the eyes and she noticed something change.

Manon looked at her in a different way. That moment every parent wanted and dreaded simultaneously had clicked. Her little Asterin wasn't little anymore, and she could talk to her, maybe.

"Asterin, have I told you where you got your name?" Manon smiled as tears formed again in the corners of her eyes.

"You had a friend, you were close. That's all I've ever been told."

Manon closed her eyes momentarily and nodded.

"Asterin Blackbeak was my Second. I had twelve witches in my coven, we were the Thirteen." Manon sat back on the bed, Asterin joining her. "I was the Heir to the Blackbeaks, my grandmother claimed to have pulled my from my mother's still warm corpse. That turned out to be a lie I believed for a hundred and seventeen years."

"What happened?"

Pain darkened the queen's face as she remembered a witch long gone, the witch she'd been and what made her.

"Asterin knew something was... wrong. My grandmother... had tortured her previously, without anyone's knowledge. Branded her. The Dark King was trying to wield the Ironteeth like a weapon to destroy what we now hold dear. Asterin had her little rebellions, but eventually my grandmother ordered her execution. I demanded the rite to be that executioner, the Yellowlegs would have... made things unpleasant."

The princess put a hand on her mother's leg, seeing the darkness in her eyes.

"I don't know to this day if I could have done it, but I thought I could. Until she asked to face the sky. She loved flying. Her wyvern was mates with Abraxos, and I realized in that moment what we were being turned into. So I turned my blade on my Matron. My own blood. The others saved Asterin, I was locked in personal combat with my grandmother and she nearly killed me. Abraxos saved me. Inadvertently, in an attempt to get me to safety, we ended up finding your father. That's not a story I'll ever tell you, witchling, but my Thirteen came to my rescue when they were able. I'm not the only one who owed her life to Asterin."

The young Crochan knew there was more to the story, as fresh beads rolled down the witch's face.

"With your father also in our care for the time being, we sought out the Crochans, and they were willing to aid us after we proved their allies. Your father and I... he went to claim a prize from the Dark King and the Thirteen took the Crochan host to save Terrasen. I owed the Fire Queen that."

"Aelin Galathynius?" Asterin had met the Fae queen of Terrasen once. Her father talked about her often, but her mother seemed less fond of the Fire Queen.

"Yes, the very same. The Dark Horde pressed on Orynth, the Crochans made a difference but... the Dark ones had these mirror towers, that amplified the power of an Ironteeth Yielding a thousand fold."

"Yielding?"

"It's a self sacrificial technique, you give over your life and yield to the darkness within, and it uses that darkness to destroy you and everything around you. Through those towers... the Dark Horde wiped many battlefields clean. There was one of these towers on this battlefield too."

Asterin had heard of this battle, much of Erilea had, but she'd forgotten her mother was actually there for the bulk of it.

"There had been three, but two were taken out with underhanded pirate tactics. The last one remained because something had gone wrong. We had clashed with Ironteeth legions all morning up until that point. I'd nearly perished myself, Abraxos was critically wounded, I couldn't fathom a plan. But Asterin..." the tears flowed in a stream down her face. Manon still felt that kiss at her brow, that blow to her stomach and the word that haunted her, her closest friend's last plea. Live, Manon.

"Mum..."

"She ensured I wouldn't follow, then she and my Thirteen sacrificed themselves to take down that tower. My grandmother was on that tower, the one that branded her, and Asterin lead them in Yielding. They sacrificed themselves and saved everyone. Asterin Blackbeak was... My closest friend."

A weight seemed to lift from Manon as she looked to her daughter that was named for her friend.

"Asterin, she was... Her sacrifice... Even Dorian still misses her. The way you take to the sky, Asterin, you love it the way she did."

The young witch's eyes were burning, as her mother pulled her in for a hug. Manon needed the hug as much as Asterin. She needed the support, but somehow, she knew she'd be okay.

#throne of glass #crown of midnight #heir of fire #queen of shadows #empire of storms #kingdom of ash #a court of wings and ruin #a court of mist and fury #a court of thorns and roses #asterin blackbeak #Manon Crochan #dorian havilliard #asty #Sarah maas #fanfic #witches

[tenshiotaku]

Confrontations one-shot

I saw a post the other night musing on this exact topic, so I figured I should write it out.

Dorian was in his council room, Chaol standing behind him, as the rest of Rifthold's council sat around the table. A grin crossed his face, things were moving smoothly with Rifthold's reconstruction, he was nearly an uncle and he had a feeling nothing could dampen this day.

"Your Majesty!" A guard in a black uniform emblazoned with a wyvern on his chest entered the room and stared down everyone present with a sneer. The guard calling after him stumbled through the door behind him, the stark contrast in their uniforms all the more apparent.

"Couldn't stop him," the man offered in explanation and Chaol was between the blackguard and the rest of the council a heartbeat later.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Oath Breaker, I wish to inform his Highness that her Majesty has returned, not that you of all people deserve an explanation," the blackguard remarked.

"You will address as Lord Westfall as the title befitting him," Dorian declared as he slowly took to his feet. Fittingly, he wore a red cloak, and he took from it some of her will and presence. "He is Hand of the King, and you are a traitor to be seen in that filth."

The blackguard turned a steely gaze to Dorian, mouth opening as if to speak but finding airflow suddenly... restricted.

"You will now leave this chamber. If you or any other are seen in that uniform of Perrington, you will be executed forthright." Dorian walked slowly, around the full length of the chamber. Finally he came to Chaol's side, staring at the intruder he currently held the throat of.

"I trust you know when to leave your King's sight," Dorian motioned with his hand in a shooing gesture as he released the blackguard, watching the man storm away in a huff.

"The Queen Mother returns," a councilman murmured and Dorian chuckled.

"This isn't the sort of drama that makes a good court," Dorian responded, a wry grin half forming on his face. A face for the court, while he worried. The two faces of a king.

~

Dorian was in the throne room the next morning, knowing the grand entrance his mother would try to make. He'd upstaged her favourite son, even if he'd taken care to ensure Hollin was safe.

Sure enough, the same blackguard forced the throne room doors open. The Queen Mother's entourage of blackguards entered before Dorian saw his mother enter. An indigo gown covered her thin frame and she definitely looked gaunt.

"You were given warning yesterday that showing yourselves in the uniforms of our greatest enemies would cost you your lives," Chaol declared. All the guards in red and leather angled their halberds. Chaol took no pleasure in ordering men's deaths, but he would as the Hand of the King.

"They weren't the ones that usurped two Kings of Adarlan," Georgina announced in retort.

"I am the King of Adarlan!" Dorian declared, voice echoing through the hall.

"Your father-"

"Tried to murder me! He sold us out to the Valg King trying to exterminate the population! Lady Westfall and I were the ones to free us from Erawan, from Perrington once and for all. Mother, you tried to singlehandedly bankrupt my kingdom, and you return to MY court, with guards wearing my enemy's colours!"

Dorian stepped down from the dias his throne sat on, stopping before stepping out in front of Chaol.

"Your men will be seized and put in chains," Dorian ordered and Chaol nodded to his men, lowering their halberds and advancing on the blackguard.

"We don't have to be enemies, Dorian. I can still offer some guidance to help you."

"What help is that?" Dorian retorted.

"You're still unwed. I can help you navigate the political minefield of marriages," Georgina offered as Chaol's guards continued advancing on her own blackguard.

Chaol had been an impenetrable resolve and discipline to stay stoic in any meeting concerning Dorian, but a sniggering chuckle broke through his stoic facade.

"What is so funny, Oath Breaker?" Georgina leveled her spite at Chaol, but this was when Dorian stepped between them, face contorted into righteous fury.

"You will address Lord Westfall as the title befitting him!"

"Dorian, I'm your mother, don't raise your voice to me," she said aghast. The sound of leather clad footfalls echoed the hall beyond, and the corner of the King's mouth tugged upward.

"As for your offer," Dorian remarked, allowing the next part to happen.

"He already has someone warming his Royal Bed to suit that offer," Manon Crochan stated as she walked around the gathered blackguard and the men advancing slowly on them.

She wore her crown of stars, her bloodred cloak and black flying leathers, the steep contrast to her white hair. The Crochan Queen and King of Adarlan joined hands in front of the dias and glared back at Georgina as one.

"Georgina Hallivard, this is Manon Crochan. The Queen of the Crochan and my betrothed," Dorian announced to his mother and the court members present.

He was quietly glad Manon had appeared the exact moment she had, it reinforced him.

His mother was shocked into silence, which was good. She gave no order to her blackguard as they were imprisoned and was mostly still until Hollin emerged to see her.

"It seems you've done well for yourself," she huffed as her younger son led her away.

"Indeed," Chaol chuckled but a golden eye pierced him once more into silence.

#throne of glass #crown of midnight #heir of fire #queen of shadows #empire of storms #tower of dawn #kingdom of ash #sarah j maas #Dorian Hallivard #Manon Crochan #manon blackbeak #Chaol westfall #Aelin Galathynius #Rowan Whitethorn #rhysand #feyre acheron #nesta #Cassian #azriel #fae #illyrian #Ironteeth #wyvern #gobbldegook #fanfic

[tenshiotaku]

Little Asty -

Trouble. The girl was determined from the time she was born that she was going to cause problems.

The problem with being half-Hallivard and half witch was that at the age of five, she was cute enough to get away with more than other children.

Her hair was dark with white highlights, and the heterochromia gave her one eye that was gold and the other a sapphire blue. Manon had needed to teach her personally about her iron nails and teeth, how to maintain them and how to be careful with them.

Dorian made the mistake of sitting in on one of these lessons, scaring himself to realize how much control his queen exerted at all times, over each part of her body.

Little Asterin Hallivard-Crochan had a tendency to sneak around her retainers in Rifthold, occasionally would decide to slice up portraits and tapestries, and was a frightful ball of energy in all her lessons.

So when Dorian awoke on a morning while Manon was in the Wastes to be told, "we can't find her," he was not surprised.

The King of Adarlan knew where she was. The same place she always was.

~

Asterin sat at the aerie where Abraxos usually was, tracing an iron nail on the floor.

"Asty, are you okay?" Dorian asked from behind her. Asterin sighed, pouting as she retracted her nails. "Asty, she's coming back."

"But why can't I go?" Asterin turned and her little face was full of an anger Dorian knew all too well.

"You will, Asty. You're just a little young, and wyverns are dangerous."

"Everyone always tells me that," she huffed, turning away from her father and folding her arms.

Dorian's footsteps crunched in the straw around the aerie as he walked over to his daughter.

"It's not because you can't handle yourself Asty. You know Mum's wyvern, Abraxos?" Asterin nodded and Dorian continued, "he's a small wyvern. They get a lot bigger. One nearly ate Mum once."

Asterin looked at her father and furrowed her eyebrows.

"I'll let Mum tell you that story." He knew better than to recount the story of Manon and Abraxos's initial meeting without Manon present. He wasn't the story teller she was.

"Will I get a wyvern too?"

"You might. You might also get a broom."

"A broom?" Asterin looked back to Dorian with raised eyebrows.

"You are a Crochan Princess, Asty. They fly on brooms," Dorian responded. He smiled down to Asterin, and the girl shook her head in disbelief.

"Do you fly on a broom, Dad?"

"No," Dorian answered. "I don't need to fly."

Asterin gave him that look again, and he stifled a laugh. She didn't need to know about his magic. Not yet.

"Why did you tear up the tapestry in the corridor near the throneroom?"

"I don't like the pictures of the dark things."

The tapestry recounting the victory in Orynth, one side depicting Aelin and the cadre with Maeve, the other depicting Yrene and Dorian defeating the darkness of Erawan.

"Those dark things are gone, Asty."

"Iggy doesn't like them either."

Dorian chucked again, "I'll be sure to let Lord Westfall know his son hates the dark things too."

"I like Lord Westfall."

"Me too, Asty."

"Iggy wanted to come to dinner tonight."

Dorian looked back to his daughter, corners of his lips pulling higher.

"He might make good company with Mum still away," the King mused. Chaol's son was a close presence in Asterin's life since they were both barely able to walk. "I'll go tell Lord Westfall, but you need to stay good in your lessons today. Understood?"

"Yes Dad," Asterin groaned and they left the aerie together.

~

Later that night, Ignatius Westfall presented himself before the King of Adarlan. Seven years old and he was already big. He had his father's posture but thankfully his mother's grace. His skin as a lighter shade than his mother's and his hair a dark but short cut.

"Your Majesty," Ignatius greeted the King and bowed. Dorian smiled and let him in, Chaol not too far behind.

The nights Manon was away were the ones Chaol's presence felt the most needed for, and for his brother, he would be there.

He hoped Ignatius would be willing to do the same for Asterin should the need ever arrive.

#tog #unrelated stuff to tog #throne of glass #crown of midnight #heir of fire #queen of shadows #Empire of Storms #tower of dawn #kingdom of ash #acotar #manon x dorian #manorian #dabs on haters #Chaol x yrene #fanfic #rowan x aelin #I'm tying all my fanfics together now

[tenshiotaku]

Return to Rifthold - Oneshot

Hollin hadn't been happy to see Dorian return with Chaol in tow. Each step down the mostly rebuilt Great Hall, Chaol's hand resting on his sword, Dorian not feeling the need to take the handle of Damaris in his. Hollin rose from his spot on the Dias, the remaining guards not infected and destroyed by the Valg all pointed their spears at the encroaching Hallivard, keeping their charge behind them.

All ensconced in black armour, spear in one hand and shield in the other.

"Stand down!" Choal snarled. "You're threatening your king."

"I'm not over there," Hollin chipped from the throne on the Dias.

"Dorian Hallivard is your king. He has secured your future. The Valg menace is defeated, or did you not notice that a large portion of your guards, courtiers and citizens spontaneously fell to the ground and balked at their sudden freedom?" Chaol asked the room present. Dorian had never seen him like this. He was always firm and strong, but there was something new to him.

Hollin did seem concerned, but Dorian chose this moment to chime in, "How is our mother?"

"She's fine. Father's death shook her, your treason almost drove her to suicide." fire burned in Hollin's eyes, as though Dorian had said the wrong thing or tugged the right thread.

"I'm guessing Perrington proclaimed my treason?" Dorian inquired. He knew Erawan had declared him a traitor to the Crown, but hadn't thought of his mother and the pain this would cause her.

Hollin angrily stood from his throne, and stormed down from the Dias, drawing a chuckle from his older brother.

"Sit down!" Dorian ordered in a voice he had never thought he'd use in this chamber.

Hollin's inner fire was almost immediately suppressed, the would-be king falling to the authority in Dorian's voice.

"You think yourself the King of Adarlan, and think of me as a traitor? Then order your men to kill me. Otherwise, give me my crown and get out of my way," Dorian declared to his little brother.

Chaol inhaled and exhaled through the nose, calmly readying himself for combat.

Combat was something he ensured he'd be ready for should this go poorly, despite Yrene's protest.

"Give me my crown, Hollin."

Hollin had tears in his eyes as his bumbling hand took the Crown of Adarlan from his head. The guards parted and Chaol eased himself from the tension of anticipated combat.

Dorian strode to his younger brother, taking the metal headpiece from his outstretched hand, and wrapped an arm around his little brother.

"I'm sorry, Hollin. I didn't stop to think how Perrington would treat you. Or Mother."

For a moment, the two sat on the stone floor. But Dorian still rose to the Dias, sitting on the Throne that Erawan had stolen from him. The Crown heavy on his head and he simply took a moment, breathing deep and taking it all in.

Chaol stood to his right, taking in the different room, from his new position.

The courtiers remaining in the room were stunned, still.

"Let's begin. We have a country to rebuild."

~

They'd built a new Royal Tower in his absence, months had been dedicated to rebuilding the damage to Rifthold, but the citizens and courtiers that remained all bore the ghosts of the previous three years' damage. Dorian didn't know how to make that time up to them. The Valg had done irreparable damage, the kind that would last generations.

The King sat on the chair in this new chamber, trying to read a book Aelin had recommended from the library so long ago. She had still been Celeana then, the tournament still taking place.

The difference two and a half years made. It had taken too long to return from Terrasen, the chaos from Hollin ruling unchecked alone would be hard to fix.

The King set down the book, he was too frustrated to sit and read.

The empty room was almost enough to drive him insane alone, but the thoughts that still haunted him were particularly persistent tonight.

Moonlight streamed in through the curtains to what Dorian had assumed was a large window. He walked to it and realized it was a door, to a balcony overlooking the courtyard.

The King ventured outside, leaning against the stone railing and feeling the wind on his face, memories of the friends he'd lost at Orynth coming to mind as he looked down.

Guards still in black armour patrolling the castle grounds below him, a sentry bowing as he glanced up and noticed the Dorian at the railing.

He'd expected the wind at his face to be colder than it was at this altitude, but he was mostly glad he could relax in a robe.

Nothing in particular prompted him to, but Dorian felt the urge and looked up to see the broad face of a wyvern staring back at him. Not menacing, or terrifying, but a friendly wyvern, one he recognized. One that warmed his bones and took some of the weight of the day away.

"You know, I've meaning to get an aerie added to the castle. But only just having returned myself, that was a little difficult," he said to the pale figure who had dismounted her wyvern quietly enough he hadn't heard, but rather felt the presence of.

"Took your time to return, I kept startling a young boy when I'd check in looking for you."

He turned to face her, his sapphire eyes finding her golden ones and holding them, warmth filling his body, as well as relief.

"Horses aren't as efficient as Abraxos here," Dorian mused.

"That they aren't," Manon responded, the usual iron in her voice noticeably absent. They held the silence, as they took in the sight of one another. Dorian leant against the doorway, smiling at the Crochan Queen as she cocked her head to one side, the smile on her face not one she was aware of.

"Hello witchling."

#tog #throne of glass #dorian havilliard #manon blackbeak #manon crochan #manon x dorian #abraxos being a derp #fanfic #chaol westfall #I haven't been inspired like this for a long time #kingdom of ash #tower of dawn #empire of storms #queen of shadows #heir of fire #crown of midnight #crown of stars

[anotherenglishmajorxo]

Devil In Spring Updates:

The place where Pandora went to see about her game is also secretly making bombs. Also Gabriel is a Class-A Freak that I didn’t know about-just sat there while I ate dinner and went “Damn, son” 

Hate the mistress. Pandora was in the right to sass her when she’s trying to make her cry. 

Now time for: Throne of Glass Updates:

I still like Dorian Hallivard. My love/hate relationship with Chaol is going over to the ‘I can’t stand you’ part of our relationship. Lady Kaltane needs her prissy butt whipped. Still scared of the King. I’mma need Celeana to whup Lady Kaltane’s behind soon.

#book thoughts #devil in spring #lady pandora ravenel #gabriel lord st vincent #pandora x gabriel #throne of glass #dorian hallivard #chaol westfall #lady kaltane #celeana sandothrien

[tenshiotaku]

The power of names.

Dorian Hallivard literally pinned down the king of demons to interrogate him about his father's name.

I never thought that could be a conversation that broke me.

"You struck my father's name from history, what was it?"

"His name<i> is </i>your name."

"What?"

"The only time he ever thought of it again, was when he beheld you for the first time, as a babe in his arms."

The King of Adarlan was a monster that did horrific things, but holy fuck this was not okay. I'm not supposed to feel these things for mass murdering monsters.

#kingdom of ash #spoilers #throne of Glass #Queen of Shadows #tog #dorian havilliard