autumnleaffay - Tumblr blog

autumnleaffay · 10 days ago

Text

The stupid king and his chair

Norge face said it all as he looked at the white monstrosity in front of him. Danmark approached him from behind.

"What is this?" he asked.

Danmark made a sheepish face: "It's the new throne that Frederik wanted."

Norge looked back at the throne and back to Danmark.

"Seriously? Narwals?"

Danmark snickers. "He wants them to be called Unicornhorns."

Norge face bacame blank, then a small smile creeps onto his lips. His face morphing into a stage inbetween laughter and despreatly wanting to keep a straight face.

Danmarks sees his chance, it has been so long since Norge was able to properly laugh.

"Island? Were are you hiding? I have a question for you!" He asked into the room.

Norge looked at him confused now.

But it was true, Island was never far away from Norge. If something happens, when Island can't stay with Norge, he will be sent into the woods, to the forest creatures.

"Island?" Danamark asked again, because the small child hasn't appeared yet.

Norge sighed. "I told him to stay hidden incase someone enters the room.."

"Not a problem! Up for a little act?" Danmark said with a grin.

Norge raised his eyebrow but gestured for Danmark to go ahead.

Danmark raised his arms wide, smiling wide and shouted:

"Norge! This is our new Symbol! This is the absolut monarchy of Danmark-Norge! We have the Freden i København! Trøndelag is mine again!"

Norge face changed from bemusement over Danmarks antics to annoyance. With a scoff he answered lowly: "You mean Trøndelag is MINE again."

"I know, play along!" the whisperd answer came.

"Ah ja! My lord! Thank you for regaining his comune back into your possession! The Norwegains will stand by your side, forever thankful, just as I am thankful to you."

Perfect, Danmark thought. Norge was always so perfect in acting, even when Danmark wished that he wouldn't have to act that way...

With powerful strides Danmark went to the door of the room, swang the door open and starteld the guard, who were eavesdropping on the two nations, after thier nations loud proclamation of the won war.

"I wish to not be disturbed, while celebration this symbol and my achievements. GO!" The guard rushed away from thier post. No punishment by thier lieutenants could compare the horrors of facing a nation.

Danmark in the mean time looked the door securely and made sure that all the servant passages were empty and looked aswell. When he was done and looked back to Norge with a smile.

During his checks for security the small child nation of Island had came out of his hidding place. Island stood next to his brother, his arms holing onto one leg tightly.

Island became even clingier to Norge as he had recoverd his scars of the plague.

Danmark walked over to the white throne. Truning araound to Norge and Island he kneeled down and opend his arms for a hug.

Island looked at his brother, waiting for an answer. The soft smile and nod was all the little nation needed to rush over to his second favourite person and into the wide open arms.

Danmark lifted him up, swinging him in circels and into the air, bringing out the light and cheerling laughter of the child.

Norge watched with a contend smile.

Finally Danmark let Island down, positioning the tiny nation to sit on his knee as he was sitting down before the throne.

"Soooooo... Island, what are you thinking about this... magical unicorn throne?" Dnamark asked the child in his lap while looking at Norge.

Island took the question very serious as his brows frowned. Deep into his thinking, Norge walked up to the two sitting down with them.

With a determined nod the small nation looked at his brother and Danmark.

"Those are not unicorn horns. Those are narwal tusk. The king must be dumb to not know the difference."

Finaly Danmark got what he waited for:

Norge lost the controll of his facial features first. His face morphing into an actual smile. The dam being broken, his breathing also became uneven as giggles erupted from the Norwegians chest.

Not yet full laughter thought.

Before Danmark could even think about a killing oneliner, Island's childish innocents came in clutch again.

"See! Even broðir laughts about the kings idiocy!"

That was all it took for Norge to fall back laughing.

Danmark happily joined in with the laughter. Being happy for Norge's joy.

Eventually Island joined aswell. The little nation was confused what was funny about a dumb king, but after all Norge and Danmark are older than him. They know more about kings and politics. Maybe one day he will understand aswell.

>>>>>2021<<<<<<

The pandemic has closed down the world. Including the Rosenborg Castle Museum.

But this was the place Danmark had dragged him and Norge, while they were visiting over the week.

Walking through the halls, Island remembered exactly where his old hinding places used to be. He had them in everyone of Danmark's and Norge's castles. He even knew a few in Sveriges castles, courtesy of Finland.

"What are we doing here?" asked Norge. As they entered the room with the two thrones.

Danmarks smile became wide as he pulled out two paper crowns behing a display case.

"We are crowning the narwal king!" he said as one crown got placed on Islands head. "And the witty Anti-Unicorn-Ruler of Trøndelag!" The second crown was placed onto Norge head.

Island looked uninpressed.

"And you?"

Danmark smile got bigger:

"I finaly have two good kings!"

After about 360 years the white thrown became the witness of the same three nations laughing infront of it again.

360 years. Years of seperation, wars, pain, reunions, independency and finaly unity and family.

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

Historical sources:

The main part of this story, the dansih coronation throne. No longer in use since 1840, was made out of narwal trusk but the king claimed it to be unicorn horn.

Also mentioned: The treaty of Copenhagen 1660 (there where several Copenhagen treaties over the years:

#aph denmark #aph iceland #aph norway #aph nordics #hetalia #hetalia headcanons #hetalia nordics #hws iceland #hws denmark #hws norway

5 notes · View notes

autumnleaffay · 14 days ago

Note

It's Christmas soon! Do you have favorite Christmas songs?

Have a good day 🎅🎄⭐

Oh! Juletid!!!

Yes, I do. I have different languages of songs that I like.

With out paticular order:

Stille Nacht https://youtu.be/9p97sxREC00?si=xY5beusNC_8Rq4TU

Natten går tunga fjät https://youtu.be/mhpNnj8BOO0?si=tUfF0k289lHpINEz

(Not really a traditional Christmas song but for me) Hijo de la Luna https://youtu.be/OwGG5fX7bxY?si=lJmjTQ9YDpv5_m57

Fairytale of New York https://youtu.be/j9jbdgZidu8?si=DP_2R98xQRHGgeT-

Gods rest ye merry pagan folk https://youtu.be/TOzLwuRjnwg?si=cX-JcvDijOXcKYEw

I wish you all happy holidays, no matter if you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule (winter solstice), Saint Lucia day, and all the other ones! (Ps, there are about 17 or more celebrations in winter for different religious beliefs)

0 notes

autumnleaffay · 15 days ago

Text

Mare made Death

(TW, death at the end)

Sverige wasn't even thinking about the nightmares when they started.

As a nation, he had already had experience so much. Nightmares were sometimes unavailable.

One thing that striked him as weird was that all 5 of them had the nightmares. At first, no one revealed to the others their nightly fright. Well, with the exception of Island, but he was still young. His body barely the physical age of 5. But Norge would always stay with him.

Norge. The ever so devoted big brother. Sverige was envious of Island sometimes, envious for Norge's attention. But alas, he was just a brother by oath from the old times.

The Union has taken it's toll on all of their relationships. Sverige fears that the void that is being ripped between them is growing by the days until they will all inevitably break apart.

On this particular early winter morning, by odd chance, all five found themselves in the great room. The fire roared in the fireplace, started by a still shaken Finland. Danmark looked like he was about to puke. Island still had tear stains on his face.

And Norge? Norge still looked half dead. The toll of the Black Death leaving its scars even after years pasted by. That once strong viking, the fiercest raider is now reliant on a walking stick.

With a trembling voice, Finland mumbled out: "Do you guys also woke up from nightmares?"

"I don't get nightmares!" Danmark intercepted immediately, just as Island started to wimmer again. Norge gave both Finland and Danmark a sharp glare while handing Island another cup with warm milk, honey, and lavender.

He had to hold the cup with both hands, another sign of his weakness. But Sverige thoughts were halted as Norge continued to talk:

"We have a Mare in the castle."

Danmark let out a laugh, Island looked at his brother confused and Finland was deep in his thoughts.

Sverige, of course, knew what Norge meant. He grew up together with Danmark and Norge. All three shared the folk tales. Though, Norge and him were always closer...

Anyways, he was also the last to leave his heathen past and become christian. Uppsala had been the last stronghold.

Finally, someone, Finland, spoke up: "A Mare is a creature of the folk tales. Riding on people in the night, giving them nightmares, or worse -"

"We have to find it and get rid of it before it can do any harm!" Norge nearly shouted, scaring Island. The little boy was shaking as his brother started to berate and lecture on the danger of said Mare with an increasing volume.

Danmark intercepted. He always needed to have the final word nowadays.

"Stop! Norge, you are delusional! Firstly, you are scaring Island. Secondly, it's the middle of winter, Jul is nearly upon us. Of cause the darkness takes its toll on us!"

He looked at Island and spoke with a softer voice: "Finish your milk lille dreng. Then we will make sure there are no scary creatures in your room, so you can sleep while I watch."

Norge was about to protest, as Danmark continued: "You Norge need to rest, you are clearly stressed and overwhelmed with your sickness and taking care of Island. I'll take care of him. Sverige!"

Now Danmark got his attention.

"Sverige, take care that Norge rest up."

Than Danmark pointed at Finland:

"And you! Make sure that the fire is properly taken care of."

"Why should I?" Finland's eyes had a rebellious glint. "You didn't ask me properly or said my name!"

Danmark's hand became a fist, but one look at Island's big and scared eyes saved Finland from his rebellious acts this time.

"Sauli, or so! Handle the fire."

With that, Danmark went and picked up Island, who by now had finished this milk and was yawning again. The moment Danmark had the little nation in his arms Island rested his head on Danmark's shoulder. Together they left the great room.

Finland scoffed as they left: "That was NOT a please. But at least he tried to say my actual name, unlike you, Ruotsi!"

With that Finland, well, Suomi turned to the fire, ignoring the two others left in the room.

Norge had become quiet during Danmarks berate. He seemed so small and weak. Sverige just wanted to protect him.

"Norge-"

"Just bring me to my room. Please Sverige. Don't make this hard."

Silently, he nodded and slowly put his arms under Norge. The man was now so skinny that he was basically a paper weight in Sverige's arms.

As they reached Norges chamber, a fire was already lit, and the bed warmers had been doing thier works aswell.

Sverige carefully placed Norge in the bed. His hands lingered on his old oath brother just a second to long, but Norge did not say a word about it. He just looked Sverige deep into his eyes.

"When will I ever be seen as your equal again. And not a trophy for you or Danmark?"

Sverige wanted to protest, wanted to say that Norge is not a trophy. But... he was right. The passing of time has made 3 oath brothers into adolescence and eventually into young adults with feelings and desires.

Two of them have grown with power, and one got struck by the plague.

Two have developed feelings, and one became the object, the trophy of desire.

Sverige wanted to do the right thing, apologise, anything but what he did in the end.

The bigger part of him, the one that was fighting with Danmark more and more on a daily basis, the one lusting for land and power, the growing empire took control as he kissed Norge cheek.

As if stuck by lightning, Sverige stood up, backed up to the door. His own cheeks flaming red.

With a quick and hastly: "Sorry, rest well." Sverige was out of the door.

Norge's hand moved up to his cheek, a rose tint coming to his face.

"If he wasn't so blunt... at least a good memory before I have to go through the pain of dying and coming back."

Norge was right. The Mare was present, and they left a single doll in the great room. An Oman of death.

That following new year, nearly every human servant of the castle and all the nations came down with a bloody caught.

Many died. Including one nation. The one already weak by the plague.

~~~~~~~~

Hiiiiii!!! A teeny tiny bit SuNor anyone? Btw, I do multi ship. History is complex, and the relationship between nations are ever changing! So I love to be open on that part. (Yes, DenNor and SuFin have a special place in my heart, but that doesn't mean I don't indulge in the others aswell!)

This story is not based on a specific historical moment but rather a folklore creature of the Mare. Link:

Other things mentioned:

Kalmarunionen (again lol)

Norway losing between 60-65% of its population during the Black plague

Uppsala as a heathen stronghold

"Lille dreng" - Danish for little boy

Suomi and Ruotsi - Finland and Sweden in Finnish

Bloody cough? Tuberculosis!

#aph sweden #aph denmark #aph iceland #aph norway #aph nordics #hetalia #hetalia headcanons #hws sweden #hetalia nordics #hws denmark #aph finland #hws norway #sunor

3 notes · View notes

autumnleaffay · 16 days ago

Note

oh boi. I love what you are doing ❤️

Thank you anon!

I am happy that my creative outlet is a joy to others 😊

0 notes

autumnleaffay · 16 days ago

Text

He was kneeling on the hard, cold stone floor of Kronborg castle. The statue of stone in front of him is unmoving.

He had spent the night getting as many people as possible to the ships, getting them to safety. But will he be able to safe anyone in the end?

In the earlier centuries, he was a force to be recon with, a powerful Ally or a fierce enemy.

When did it all go downhill? Was it with the beginning of Kalmarunionen? Or was it Christian II?

Regna firmat pietas - "Piety strengthens the realms." That was Norge and his motto, but was he ever morally correct? He made his Norge suffer and turned a blind eye. Just as he turned a blind eye on Sverige a few hundred years before, ignored the cries of that bloody day in Stockholm.

Was it Napoleon? Was it Britain, purposefully dragging them into the war? Was it him bargaining Norge of to Sverige?

In the end, he doesn't know the answer. All he knows is that he is now nothing more than a pebble in the thundering way of the Blitz.

He looked at the statue again.

"I am supposed to be you, or rather you are supposed to be me. I should awake from my slumber to protect this land, and it's people in the moment of greatest peril..."

He sighed. Again.

Than he screamed, shouted until his voice broke, just as his heart has broken many times before.

Just like his heart broke, having all his brothers kneeling to him at the start of Kalmarunionen.

Just like his heart broke, seeing the Stockholm Bloodbath.

Just like his heart broke, having to tax and abuse Norge until he was shattered.

Just like his heart broke, being dragged into another war.

Just like his heart broke, selling Norge to Sverige for Pomerania.

Just like his heart broke now, being consumed in the Blitz.

Then he became quiet.

Small steps, a child was at the entrance to the cellar.

"Mormor says you are Holger. You are protecting us. As long as you live, Danmark will live?" The boy asked shyly.

He looked up. Into the young eyes. They haven't even seen a decade pass by. He has seen so many to even count.

"The greatest peril has yet to come, but when it comes, you have to rise."

The boy smiles, his eyes becoming older, wiser. Eyes that have seen just as much as his own eyes have.

Norge--

"Da ist er! Schnappt ihn euch! Damit haben wir Land und Personifikation!"[1]

As men with black uniforms and red armbands dragged him out of the celler, he looked back at the statue.

The statue that was now vacant, no sobbing man in front of it, and no boy with eyes as old as time.

He ripped his armes out of the grips of the uniformed men.

"Hey!"

"Ich werde diesen Raum selbst verlassen und nicht abgeführt werden." His German was rusted, but.... [2]

But he will leave this room alone, no hand on him, not forced by the enemy.

Danmark will stride alone and unbroken.

~~~~~~~~~~

Myths and historical events mentioned:

The legend of Holger Dansker https://en.kronborg.dk/holger-danske

Kalmarunionen https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalmar_Union

Stockholm bloodbath https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_Bloodbath

Norway's treatment under danish rule https://nordics.info/show/artikel/norway-in-1800-a-half-danish-nation

Napoleonic war https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars

British attack on the Denmark-Norway navy https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Copenhagen_(1807)

Treaty of Kiel https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Kiel

The German Blitz Krieg and Denmarks loss https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Weser%C3%BCbung

Translation of german:

Da ist er! Schnappt ihn euch! Damit haben wir Land und Personifikation! - There he is! Get him! Now we have both land and personfication. [1]

Ich werde diesen Raum selbst verlassen und nicht abgeführt werden. - I will leave this room myself and not be taken away. [2]

#aph denmark #aph nordics #hetalia #hetalia headcanons #hetalia nordics #hws denmark #aph norway #hws sweden #aph sweden #aph fanfiction #hetalia denmark #historical hetalia

3 notes · View notes

autumnleaffay · 21 days ago

Text

Øresund and Denmarks law

To all unfamiliar:

The March Across the Belts (Swedish: Tåget över Bält) was a military campaign waged by the Swedish Empire across the ice between the Danish islands. It lasted between 30 January and 15 February 1658,[a] ending with a decisive victory for Swedish King Charles X Gustav during his first Danish war. (Source: Wikipedia)

This lovely event created the danish "law" that if any Swede crosses the Øresund if it's frozen, the Danes are allowed to hit them with a stick.

The last time it was cold enough for the Øresund to properly freeze was in 1996 (a major Blizzard hit Europe and it was a winter like no other).

Imagine Sweden decided to walk over to Copenhagen to actually make sure that Denmark is doing fine, though he'd never admit that.

Because both Norway, Finland, and Iceland are used to extreme winters. But Denmark always had milder winters than the others.

He has a packing full of food, hot chocolate, Glögg and ..... a walking stick.

Because said Danish law is about a walking stick! It's not a random one.

He shows up at Denmark house, which no longer has electricity but still has its old fireplaces, and hands Denmark the stick with the words:

"A Swede has crossed the Öresund, do your duty."

Denmark just hugs him.

At the end of the day, after all the wars and fights, they are brothers.

#aph sweden #aph denmark #aph nordics #hetalia #hetalia headcanons #hetalia nordics #hws sweden #hws denmark

7 notes · View notes

autumnleaffay · 22 days ago

Text

Moomin Quest 5

442 notes · View notes

autumnleaffay · 22 days ago

Text

Dagen H and H-dagurinn

To all confused people: Those are the names for Sweden (Dagen H) and Icelands (H-dagurinn) official days for switching from driving on the left to driving on the right.

Sweden's Dagen H happened on the 3 Sep 1967. And there were officials from Iceland present to learn for their own day on the 26 May 1968.

Sweden invites Iceland so he can learn right side driving before something happens to him in his own country. Too far away for the other nordics to get to him on time.

But as it turns out: Iceland didn't even know how to drive! So Sweden slowly teaches him everything, as well as how to fix the engine and change tires. (Full on dad mode)

Ice appreciates this very much, and when the change happens, he has no problem. But Ice doesn't own a car at that point.... (didn't need one before)

He was just as surprised as all the other nordics are when Sweden turns up with the newest Volvo 240 on the 30th anniversary of his independence in 1974.

From that point onwards, Ice and Swe are connected by their driving and cars. Every 10 years, Swe will gift Ice the newest Volvo with all, and I mean, all the newest safety equipment.

#aph iceland #aph sweden #hws sweden #hws iceland #hetalia headcanons #hetalia #hetalia nordics

7 notes · View notes

autumnleaffay · 23 days ago

Text

I just saw a post that stated Denmark to have about 11% of its population to be left-handed. Which is the highest within the nordics.

I want to elaborate on that, but Hetalia!

Denmark is left-handed. Before Christianity, he wrote the old runes with his left. Wielding a two-handed axe kind of hid his left-handedness. (But from burials, we can technically conclude that the vikings had no problem with left-handed people)

When he became a christian nation, the Bishop would sit him down, hours and hours upon end, forcing him to write with the right hand. (The left was the hand of the devil and heathens)

This created very illegible handwriting, for which Danmark would get hit even more.

To this day, Demark can only write well when he does so slowly. Any fast notes are a skibbled mess. Norway had to learn to read it. Sweden can read it easily because he used to help Denmark out with learning. Finland ignores any handwritten paper. Iceland somehow is able to read it, with out any practice.

It had only been since the late 20th century that the right-handed bias was stopped. So Denmark had only between 60-40 years since he was socially allowed to write with his left again. But he doesn't.

At this point, he got used to the right hand. The left hand is his personal rebellion and memory of the good old viking times.

Til this day, he will write the runes with his left because Christianity may have taken his strong hand, but they could have never take his warriors heart.

#aph denmark #aph sweden #hws sweden #hws denmark #hws norway #aph norway #aph nordics #hetalia #hetalia nordics #hetalia denmark #hetalia headcanons

24 notes · View notes

autumnleaffay · 24 days ago

Text

pulled an all-nighter and then promptly passed out, i drew this sometime and have no recollection but i think i get what i was going for

62K notes · View notes

autumnleaffay · 5 months ago

Text

his legs are longer than my life

301 notes · View notes

autumnleaffay · 6 months ago

Text

REVERIE OF THE NORTH: We Were Tasked With Slaying the Demon Prince!

[Character Breakdown/Lore]

ROTN: We Were Tasked With Slaying the Demon Prince takes place in a medieval/fairytale/fantasy setting. Magic is ever present, beasts and creatures roam the forests, and while peace is happily maintained in the northern kingdoms, a new threat looms over the horizon. Word has spread of ferocious, terrifying armies of dark beings attacking kingdoms and leaving civilians fleeing their homes. The only kingdoms with enough time and resources to assemble a plan are the ones high up, the ones who haven’t been affected… yet. The Kingdoms of Frost, Shadows, Mystery, Isolation, and Life must band together and find the root of the issue. Good thing the princes from each kingdom are childhood best friends!

Character Descriptions!

-> Tino! Prince from the Kingdom of Frost! But, he has the most sunny and cheery disposition. His warm nature is so strong, that’s why he rules the coldest area, as only he could melt the ice away (all according to Berwald!) He is very anxious, cautious when things go awry, maybe a bit fearful at times. He’s gentle, soft, on the shyer side (not as shy as Emil, no one is as shy as Emil) and generally a very positive energy! He can also be quite the fierce warrior! Never judge a book!

-> Berwald! Prince from the Kingdom of Shadows! While they all live in the north and experience the darkness in some capacity, Berwald’s kingdom is the furthest north, bottom half connected to Tino’s. Berwald is silent, brooding, sturdy, strong. His face is unreadable to most. He is endearingly awkward, and somehow, his comedic timing is perfect, despite not trying or understanding when he says something funny… most times.

-> Berwald has had a crush on Tino since they’ve been kids. His love has never faltered, if anything, as he matured, it only got stronger. Tino very much reciprocates his feelings, but it’s one of those things where they don’t say anything in case they were just misreading each other (they never are and the other three are just waiting for them to do something about it before they take it into their chaotic hands)

-> Berwald asked Lukas to help him with transformation magic in order to transform himself into a weapon Tino could use. Berwald came upon a down Tino one night two months before the current story takes place. When asked what was wrong, Tino voiced that he didn’t feel strong enough to keep up with everyone. He was short, soft, his hands barely held callouses! He felt as if he was holding everyone back. Berwald grumbled lowly. He couldn’t stand that the strongest person he knew felt inferior just because of things like looks and perceptions. He wondered if he could do something to show Tino how he saw him, have Tino see himself through his eyes. Taking this extremely seriously, he began working on his transformation magic to become something useful for his dear Tino. He chose a sword, a weapon Tino is highly proficient with, to show him and the people around them how skillful and capable Tino truly is. He also made a vow of loyalty, meaning no one can use Berwald as a sword except for Tino. And this way, Berwald would always be by his side, looking out for him. Only recently did the magic stick and when the story starts, Tino does not know of Berwald’s new ability yet!

-> Lukas! Prince from the Kingdom of Mystery! Lukas is an extremely talented sorcerer. His magic comes from his bloodline, the royals of his kingdom/his family members all have magic in some capacity. He was appointed as a fellow leader at 20 because of his powerful magic. This made him the youngest of the rulers from where he comes from! His specialty is nature and healing magic.

-> Lukas’ brother is Emil. Emil also has magic, very powerful magic just like his brother. But his magic is dark, forbidden, hence why he was given his own “kingdom.” A neighboring island, land that is part of the Kingdom of Mystery. Lukas visits his brother often despite being advised not to.

-> Emil! Prince from the Kingdom of Isolation. Emil’s kingdom is small but mighty! He is quiet, avoidant, mostly locked in his castle to make sure he never reveals his magic to others. Spending most days indoors has led Emil to become incredibly creative. Not even the other princes know of his magic, despite their strong bonds. Only his brother Lukas knows. He is blunt, cold, but deep down, he is warm, fiery, and passionate. He is the youngest! (17, turning 18 soon) He gets embarrassed very easily!

-> Matthias! Prince from the Kingdom of Life! Just like his people, Matthias is outgoing, boisterous, and incredibly resilient! He is full of jokes, sometimes at others’ expenses, but he generally means well! He can be pretty demanding or bossy, even arrogant, but sometimes his outlandish ideas turn out to be the best course of action in the end! Much like Tino, he is optimistic and smiley, but his warm disposition is much more vigorous, while Tino’s is calming and comforting.

-> Matthias became a leader of the Kingdom of Life after executing the prior royal family for their unjust actions and plans (with the other kingdoms’ armies by his side as backup.) The Kingdom of Life was once a tyrannical government, now it is under better management with Matthias as its head.

-> Matthias actually formed the plan for takeover with Lukas. Matthias was once a guard for the former royal family, but had grown up close to the other princes since they were the only ones who saw him for who he really was. One night, when he felt all hope was lost, Matthias ran into the forest aimlessly. Coincidentally, he ran into Lukas, who he spilled his troubles to. And Lukas decided then and there, Matthias’ situation called for some healing magic first and foremost. He used magic to rid Matthias of his physical burdens, transforming him into who he truly was, how the rest of the princes saw him, how he wanted to see himself. With that taken care of, the Mystery Prince assured Matthias they’d form a plan to stage a coup.

Character Height Chart!

Character Age Chart!

Bonus! Pajamas!

114 notes · View notes

autumnleaffay · 6 months ago

Text

REVERIE OF THE NORTH: We Were Tasked With Slaying the Demon Prince!

[Chapter One (Fanfic preview!)]

Hi everyone! So! This has been sitting in my document files for a very long time (going on like two months) so I’m posting it here first to kinda gauge if people like it! Kinda like a test run! I haven’t started working on the second chapter yet, but I do have guidelines for what happens in each chapter to aid me! Once I write a couple chapters, I’ll be posting this on AO3! As always, my fanfics are very silly and lighthearted, maybe a little out of character, so if that’s not your vibe, I completely get it! :D

Glittering sunlight poured into the garden, showering each flower and leaf with warmth they would otherwise not receive in the wild. This garden was a sanctuary for plant life in the coldest kingdom, and while this kingdom was indeed the coldest, it was by no means unforgiving. Other plants could survive just fine in their natural habitats, but these flowers were special. They weren’t native to the kingdom of Frost. Imported from the kingdom of Shadows, Tino requested these special blossoms to take care of and shower with his affections. He poured his heart and soul into taking care of these plants, priding himself on how long he’d been able to keep them alive. He had done such a spectacular job, that they started growing in more places on their own! This only furthered his determination. He wanted a garden full of them.

The prince knelt in the grass, the only grass not frozen over and covered in snow at this time. In his castle, Tino had a large courtyard-garden at the center. Protected by glass high above, it served as a sort of greenhouse. The young man was pruning his precious garden, devoted to making it the best habitat it could be. His hands had been lightly covered in dirt from his work, his pale-colored pants dyed with grass stains at his knees and shins. He gathered the overgrown roots and dead leaves in a homely wickered basket next to himself. He'd use them for compost later.

“Beautiful.”

Tino jumped as he heard a familiar low voice. Head spinning in the direction of the comment, he found exactly who he expected.

“Berwald! How long have you been standing there?” He chuckled softly, body relaxing after the initial shock. The stoic prince standing in the garden’s entrance looked on with fondness, usual scowl blissful at the moment. “You like the flowers? I’m so surprised they’ve multiplied this much! They must like me!” Tino joked, dimples ever present as he smiled. Berwald nodded, stepping further into the little sanctuary. He offered a gloved hand to the shorter male who went to eagerly take it before stopping himself. As if reading his mind, Berwald kept his hand out still.

“Gloves’r meant to get dirty.”

“Yer in m’brain!” Tino mimicked the shadow prince’s accent, earning an exhale from his nose. Yes! Alright! He got him to laugh! With the reassurance, Tino grabbed onto Berwald’s hand and let himself get hoisted up. He was short, but he wasn’t frail, and the fact that even then Berwald could lift him up like no problem, it made Tino feel safe somehow, secure. One would never guess the shadow prince’s strength from his lanky build, but he could seriously pack a punch! Tino had witnessed his strength first hand plenty of times. Once he was up, the smaller prince rubbed the dirt off of his hands and onto his pants; they were already stained anyways. He offered his companion a sweet smile before it slowly faltered into an anxious expression.

“Oh dear! What time is it? Did I lose track of time? I’m not even properly dressed ye-”

“I came early.” Berwald stated plainly, picking a twig out of the frost prince’s hair. Tino’s nerves melted away, and it showed on his round face. An exaggerated sigh escaped his lips.

“Don’t scare me like that, Ber!” He nagged playfully.

“Sorry.”

To the untrained eye, Berwald’s expression seemed very standard for him, flat. But Tino could tell he was smirking, the tall blond was just as playful! Berwald’s fingers stay in Tino’s pale locks, adjusting and brushing them to the side admiringly. As his bony digits lingered, Tino’s face began to feel warm.

“Yer cute when yer frazzled.” The shadow prince mumbled, matter of fact. Tino’s face was starting to flush. Growing up as being friends with Berwald should have made him used to these comments. But every time the prince said them, Tino felt his heart jump into overdrive. And recently, it was becoming unbearable. Noticing the shorter man’s cheeks reddening, Berwald took this as a sign to give him space. He pulled his hand away, not wanting to make his most cherished ally uncomfortable. Breaking the silence that had started to linger, Tino spoke up.

“Di-Did you have breakfast, Ber?” He chirped, picking up the basket of dead plant parts.

“Nm.” Berwald followed Tino like a lovesick puppy as he began guiding them out of the garden.

“Are you hungry?”

“Mmm…”

“You can eat with me if you’d like!”

“Mm.”

To outsiders, Berwald’s mumbles and grunts were indecipherable. To Tino, they were efficient and well crafted responses that wasted no time, perfectly understandable.

———————————————————————————————————————

After begrudgingly handing the basket of dead leaves and roots off to a maid, Tino and Berwald made their way into the kitchen. Countless times Tino had been told to stay out of the kitchen and let himself be waited on, but the frost prince would never listen. Letting his help do everything for him made him feel useless, spoiled, and ever since he was a child, he went out of his way to make chores easier on them. Even when this castle was bestowed upon him after his parents’ passing, he still kept up with helping the staff, much to their worry.

Eventually, breakfast was served! Tino and Berwald sat in the grand dining hall, Berwald at the head of the table after the frost prince insisted he sit there, and Tino on the side. The two were a precious display, awkward and annoyingly oblivious to each other’s intentions, but precious. The pale blond man ripped some bread in half, handing a piece to Berwald. Without missing a beat, the lanky prince added butter to the piece that was handed to him, placed it back on Tino’s plate, and waited for Tino to hand him the second half. And Tino did! They worked in perfect unison, each of their movements like some sort of strange waltz.

“You know, when I hand you bread, you can make it for yourself first.” Tino teased gently, holding back snickers. “You don’t have to put me first all the time, silly.”

“I do it because I want to.” Berwald hummed simply, taking a bite of his half. Tino’s heart felt fuzzy, warm. No, he didn’t like being waited on by staff or maids, but when Berwald did it, he didn’t mind at all. Maybe because he knew they were equals. Maybe because, like he said, Berwald only does it because he wants to do it. Because Berwald cares about him, genuinely. Realizing he had been staring wide-eyed at the shadow prince with a goofy smile for a good moment made him jump and, very obviously, turn himself away. Berwald stayed silent, corners of his mouth turned upwards ever so slightly.

The two enjoyed their breakfast gleefully. Tino, as usual, did most of the talking. He spoke about his morning so far, what he was doing the night before, a strange dream he had, everything. He could be quite talkative, and Berwald loved it. Every time he got to hear Tino’s sweet, soft voice, he thanked the heavens above for such a blessing. The two laughed and enjoyed their time together before parting with the dining hall to continue on with their day.

“I should probably go get dressed…” Tino pouted childishly, running a hand through his hair. He grabbed Berwald’s arm gently, giving it a small squeeze. “Can you wait here in case the others show up before I'm back?” Berwald nodded once, earning himself another smile from his ally. “Thank you, Ber.” Without trying to overthink it, Tino let himself be selfish for a moment, hugging the tower of a man before swiftly running up the stairs. Berwald watched as Tino disappeared into the long hallway at the top of the staircase before shaking his hand excitedly and starting to pace.

This was a common occurrence. Berwald often got too happy for his body to handle, and thus, his hands would flutter. It was something he was often told to hide, something deemed ‘improper.’ But Tino knew of it, of course Tino knew of it, as did the other princes. They never once shamed him or belittled such actions, but lighthearted teasing was fair game. You could never tell from his face what he was thinking, but as soon as Berwald’s hand started to move, it was a tell-tale sign he was elated.

“Hey! What’s got you so riled up?” A shrill voice pierced through Berwald’s ears, causing him to stop in his tracks.

“I hope we didn’t miss anything important.” A smooth voice joined in, smugness audible.

Three young men walked up to Berwald, each with their own flair. Matthias, prince from the kingdom of Life, led the other two; Lukas, from the kingdom of Mystery, and his brother Emil, from the kingdom of Isolation. The tall prince’s expression became cold and stoic, returning to its natural state.

“We made a point to arrive on time, and look who’s always at Tino’s place before us! We should’ve anticipated this!” Matthias let out a hearty laugh, swinging his arm up and around the shadow prince’s neck. Lukas sighed, arms crossed elegantly.

“Leave him be, Matthias.” His cool tone was like running water, enigmatic. “But… I am curious about what exactly we were interrupting.” He smirked slightly.

“Hugged Tino.” Berwald responded in a flat mumble. Lukas’ eyebrows raised. Matthias’ grin grew wider.

“Oh yeah! That’s right! All your excitement goes to your hands instead of your-”

“Stop speaking.” Lukas glared, stepping up and slapping a hand over the life prince’s mouth, pulling him from hanging off of Berwald.

Emil watched the three interact from a distance, posture chary. He rubbed his arm, keeping himself from engaging, expression agitated. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to join in, it was just that he rather save his breath until he could be useful. He found this squawking to be unproductive at best, and down right insufferable at worst. Still, he couldn’t deny that some part of him liked it… Matthias’ loud jeers, his brother’s perfectly crafted quips, Berwald and Tino’s doting nature whenever it came to cheering the teen on, it was all comforting in some strange way. But Emil would be damned if he let them know that. It was more for their sake, keeping them at a distance like this.

“So where is Tino anyways?” Matthias finally asked once his mouth was released from its lavender scented prison. He placed his hands on his hips, eyes surveying the foyer. Everything about him took up space.

“Cha-”

“Hey guys!” A syrupy-sweet voice rained down from the top of the grand staircase. Tino had returned in his proper clothes, his fashion a bit more unique compared to the other princes of the north. His outfit consisted of a vest and blouse, covered by a beautiful, sky-blue tailcoat that had a caplet on the right shoulder, and of course, matching trousers. A small scabbard was strapped to his left thigh, holding a petite, intricate blade. As Tino would say, ‘you can never be too prepared!’ Everything was topped off with a white hat situated perfectly lopsided on his blond head. The four at the bottom of the staircase starred up, each with their own expression of warmth. But Berwald… Berwald was completely captivated.

Tino rushed down the steps, eager smile ever present. He hopped down the last step, heeled boots clicking up to the group excitedly. They added some height to his short stature.

“I’m so sorry if I kept you all waiting for long!” He chirped, voice wavering slightly from a sudden spike in nerves. The short man rubbed the back of his head, fidgeting.

“We just got here, don’t worry.” Lukas offered his friend’s bubbling anxiety some relief. And it was apparent it worked as Tino’s tension visibly dissipated.

“Oh thank goodness… I got a bit carried away this morning with gardening. I would’ve completely lost track of time if Ber didn’t come get me! Right, Ber?” The pale-blond looked up to the shadow prince, who was still staring hard at him. Everyone turned to look at him, expecting him to respond.

There was silence.

Berwald hadn’t registered that he was being spoken to yet, nor was he aware that the others were waiting for him to answer back, completely enraptured by the beauty of the frost prince. Matthias almost started to laugh, but Lukas seemed to read his mind and stomped on his foot to distract him. Matthias stumbled back, cursing under his breath, taking the lanky prince out of his daze. He blinked a few times, looking around from face to face. The conversation caught up to him in his head and he quickly forced out something to show the group he was listening.

”Mm.” He nodded once, much to the delight of Tino. Inside, Berwald felt as if he was burning alive from embarrassment. Lucky for him though, Matthias decided to take the stage again. He wondered if he did it on purpose, to give Berwald a chance to breathe, but it wasn’t like Matthias to be able to read the room. Perhaps his timing was just a pleasant coincidence.

“So! Why’d you gather all of us at your place, Tinny?” The boisterous tank of a man grinned with all his teeth, wordlessly declaring his joy in being with his friends. Tino’s expression faltered a bit, gloved hands reaching up to fiddle with his brooch. The four looked at him silently until they remembered. “Oh… Yeah… That’s right…”

”Let’s get into the Great Hall to discuss properly.” Tino’s voice was gentle, soft, whispered. He turned himself slightly, nodding his head to get the four to follow him.

———————————————————————————————————————

Terrorizing the kingdoms below them, countless armies of demonic creatures were sweeping the land. Those in the north were partially protected by their harsh conditions, their jagged mountains that resembled fractured icicles acted as teeth, chewing any human army to shreds and swallowing them down into the great, frozen abyss. The five princes were bonded by their borders, as they were the only kingdoms in this section of the world. To get to the nearest kingdom south, they’d have to travel by ship. If the armies advancing were composed of fellow mortals, there wouldn’t be much to worry about. But, these swarms consisted of otherworldly beings. There was no telling exactly how much time they had left before their villages were invaded. They had to act fast.

Tino sighed as Matthias exclaimed a few profanities. Berwald sat leaned forward, on the edge of his seat in deep contemplation. Lukas stayed poised, hand on his chin as his eyes shifted over to his brother, who had been keeping his head down for the past few minutes.

“Oh, lillebror, what are you thinking?” Emil glanced up slightly, though no words were verbally exchanged. He met his brother’s gaze before shifting his head back down anxiously.

The team of princes had been debating the topic of their next course of action for some time now, and they were at a dead end. Tino, Berwald, and Lukas wanted to take a diplomatic approach, figure out who, or more likely, what was controlling these forces and reason with it. Matthias, on the other hand, wanted to take the more vibrant approach of wiping out the armies and their leader completely, and though Emil didn’t speak up, he gave Matthias a rather eager nod of agreement. But that didn’t matter. Because for either plan to work, they needed to know where these demons were being summoned from. And since the princes hadn’t encountered the armies for themselves yet, they had no leads… Or so they assumed.

The room fell silent. Tino slumped forward as his hands rested on the table over a comprehensive map of their lands. Matthias and Berwald shared a look of acknowledgement, recognizing that they both wished they had something to say to save the day, and that they both wished they could say it before the other could. But both of them were just as stumped, leaving their rivalry at rest for now.

“Your dejected faces are making me feel hopeless.” Lukas’ smooth voice washed over them, a hint of amusement behind his cool tone. The short blond looked up, flashing his friend a small, weary smile.

“Well you would feel dejected too if you didn’t know anything about the enemy!” Matthias threw out, voice childish. There was a pause. “Unless…”

The room fell silent once again, this time with anticipation as each head turned expectantly towards the sorcerer. The bluebell eyed man smirked at them omnipotently.

“Well…?” Berwald’s rich voice interrupted the growing suspense.

“Hm? Oh. You were expecting me to say something?” Lukas asked nonchalantly, moving some of his longer locks out of his eyes. “I don’t know anything.” He stated simply, causing the room to sigh in anguish. “…Emil does though.”

And just like that, all eyes were gleaming Emil’s way. The youngest prince’s gaze widened as shock coursed through his veins. His expression turned sour as he went to tell off his brother, but no words would come out. His mouth was just opening and closing shakily. He felt apprehension bubbling in his core. Well, he might as well say something at least.

“I…” He started slowly, bowing his head back down to avoid the other princes’ stares. “I-I don’t know much! So don’t expect some fully formed idea.” The silver haired boy forced out, finding courage after a moment to lift his head just a tad. His eyes shifted from Matthias, to Berwald, and then settled on Tino. To him, Tino was the easiest to look at, especially with that dopey face of encouragement he received every time he went to speak.

“After the first couple of attacks, I got in touch with a distant kingdom who had been affected. I reviewed some reports of the creatures these armies are made of and, well… I identified them. Or-Or rather, more importantly, I identified the approximate location of where they’re coming from.”

“Ah! Emil is our savior!” Tino sang out, clapping his hands together. He looked to the youngest with a sparkle in his eye that even Emil found himself melting under.

“I-It’s not the exact location! I’m not even sure if it’s accurate at all!” He barked back, face tinted red. Tino’s wide grin didn’t let up though.

“It’s a better lead than any of us have.” Berwald joined in, giving Emil praise in his own, monotonous way.

“How did you even crack down on that!? That’s amazing!” Matthias shouted fervently. Lukas raised an eyebrow as he wondered how his brother would answer. There was some stuttering before Emil weakly got it out.

“Math…matics…” Not even he seemed sure of that response. But, Matthias bought it! And it seemed Tino and Berwald knew better than to press the volcanic boy on something he didn’t seem too keen on answering.

“Do you know anything else about these creatures?” The pale-blond asked curiously, sitting back down in his seat at the head of the table. Emil shifted a bit.

“Well,” The snowy-headed boy looked to his older sibling, who gave an inconspicuous nod to continue. “They feed on fear, for one thing. And they have to be controlled. They don’t really have minds of their own. Usually the one in control is someone of high ranking in the underworld. So, think of it like… a fellow prince?” The rest of the team fell back, astonished.

“So we need to find… A Demon Prince?” Tino whispered, not meaning to ask out loud. Emil nodded once.

With this newfound knowledge, the five princes of the north began to form a game plan. A declaration would be sent out to all villages, urging civilians to stay indoors while the rulers themselves sought out the Demon Prince. Once they located him, they would enact their diplomatic method first. If it did not go well, they knew they could count on Matthias to begin their plan B: a take down. Swiftly, they began preparing for their long trek to an uninhabited island, Sæhæfn. It was considerably south of their territories, near another kingdom that had surely felt the wrath of those diabolical troops. They’d make their way to the shoreline before boarding one of Matthias’ ships to be whisked away to the small, yet now imposing, isle.

———————————————————————————————————————

Tino pulled a sword from its rack, looking at it with a conflicted stare. Berwald looked up from packing one of many bags, gaze soft as he recognized the frost prince’s cute yet undoubtedly troubled expression.

“What’s wrong, Tino?” He asked quietly, shuffling over to the short prince. Tino jumped up in response, Berwald’s intense voice pulling him from his worried thoughts.

“Oh… Um! I just…” The light-blond put his sword down, turning to look at his companion. He leaned on the wall, feigning exhaustion. “If we’re going to be facing off against a demon prince, I don’t really know what weapon to bring. They all seem so… dinky… for the occasion.” Berwald listened intently, walking over and leaning against the wall next to the frost prince.

“Y’don’t need any of ‘em.”

“Wh-What!?” Tino shouted from Berwald’s surprising declaration, flabbergasted. The tall blond looked down to the other prince, offering him a smirk only he could recognize.

“Hold out yer hand in front of you.” Looking up to Berwald with a confused, curious shine in his eyes, he stood up straighter and held his hand outstretched beyond him. The stoic shadow prince moved to stand in front of him, surveying his form. He nodded, as if whatever he was observing was obvious. Tino felt his face heating up, suddenly bashful. What was Berwald doing? He was being so mischievous today.

“I was right. Y’don’t need any of ‘em.” The lanky prince fixed his glasses a bit, setting them higher on his nose bridge. Tino burst into a chuckle, albeit shy.

“Ber! I can’t just bring nothing! What if something happens on the way?”

Berwald grabbed Tino’s outstretched hand, bringing soft, rounded knuckles up to graze his lips upon. Tino’s hazel eyes widened, and for a moment, he was sure his heart beat was audible to anyone around. His pale face was painted a striking red.

“I’ll be there.” Berwald answered the smaller prince’s question in a signature mumbled tone. Tino felt like he could burst. Without even realizing it, he began to smile, a soft, genuine smile. He stepped closer to Berwald, giving the towering prince’s hand a squeeze.

“Then I guess I really don’t have anything to worry about after all.” He snickered, eyes delicate.

Knock, knock, knock!

“Hey, are you guys ready to go?” Lukas peered into the armory, body tilted to the side. Tino had jumped back, turning his head to hide his colorful face. Following his lead, Berwald removed his hand from Tino’s and stood rigid like a statue. That was him acting ‘natural.’ Lukas watched them for only a second, smug smile tugging on the corners of his mouth.

“W-We’re ready! We’ll be out in a minute!” Tino waved the mystery prince along, who only nodded and mercifully left without a second word. There was silence. Tino looked back to Berwald cautiously to meet his eyes. The shadow prince offered him a look of reassurance that they were indeed alone again.

“I…Really should have something just in case…” Tino trailed off, anxiety still not completely settled. And, understanding this, Berwald walked over and grabbed the frost prince’s crossbow from the wall. Without a word, he placed it in Tino’s hands, earning himself another surprised and elated smile from his dearest ally.

The two met with the other three at the entrance of Tino’s castle. Each one of them had changed into more battle-ready, adventuring gear. It had been awhile since the five of them set out on some grandiose journey together.

“I feel like we’re kids again!” Tino giggled sweetly, looking back to the group as he led them out. Each of them showed their agreement in their own way.

The group stepped out into the glittering sunlight, determined. It was time for them to venture beyond the white mountains. If not for themselves, then for their people, for the sake of humanity itself.

18 notes · View notes