#'of course peasants should be grateful to a prince'

[heartless-tate]

High lady. | High Lord Eris X F reader

Summary: You used to love Eris- and now that’s all in the past. Or you at least that’s what you think. Until you receive an invitation to a dance from the high lord- Eris.

A/N: Hellooo my fireflies! I’ve been thirsting for Eris these past few weeks so why not write for him? I can’t believe I ever didn’t like this man 😫. Also for my male readers out there, if you’d like me to rewrite this or any of my other fics with a male reader, just ask! 💕

3k words

warnings: cussing, allusions to sex, use of y/n, slight angst, she/her pronouns

There were no words to describe your shock at seeing the royal invite to the ball. You weren’t high fae. You were a simple, low class librarian. Your name was written in beautiful, classy cursive. A handwriting you recognized immediately. This was handwritten by Eris. Eris Vanserra. Memories flooded your mind.

Running through the gardens, dogs barking behind you playfully. You didn’t have time to react before a body landed on you. Eris. He tackled you to the dirt, his hand was cradling your head to prevent it banging against the floor as he straddled your back. His hounds crowded the two of you, stomping and making noises with excitement.

“Got you little fox!” Eris announced, hugging you from behind.

“Not fair! You said you’d give me a head start.” You pouted. Eris’s laughter filled the air, creating a warm atmosphere. His arms wrapped around your middle and he pulled you into a hug. His embrace was warm and comforting in the cool autumn air.

Cauldron. That was so long ago. Eris was older by you than a long shot, but at that time, you were young. Nineteen years old. Young and innocent. He was also slightly more innocent then, playing with you and entertaining your young soul. Your face flushed a slight shade of pink, and you shook your head. You remember your crush on him. How could you not have one though? Everyone warned you. And you didn’t listen. He was everything a girl at that age would’ve wanted. Beautiful, handsome, smart, experienced, and a prince.

It was only when you discovered Eris was to be betrothed to some high fae daughter in his father’s court, did your little world come crashing down with reality. You were a peasant compared to him. And he likely saw you as nothing but entertainment. So you distanced yourself. You stopped accepting his invites to dinner with his family, you didn’t go out with him anymore. Of course, you couldn’t bear to completely cut him off. So you still would accept his occasional invite to walk with him in the forests with his hounds. He always told you they missed you. Now days, the walks were somewhat awkward. They happened every few months.

The last one was 6 months ago. You always thought you were doing better, you worked at a library, and cared for precious books. You lived in a relatively small apartment, but it was okay. You were grateful, you had a roof on your head and food on your plate. Things had changed since your last walk with him.

Beron was dead. On Eris’s wedding night, before the marriage had been officiated he had dueled Beron to a battle of death. Hundreds at the wedding had witnessed as Eris brutally slayed his father, and placed the crown on his head. Declaring himself as high lord. He released himself of the marriage, and granted his fiancé permission to marry her true lover. When the news escaped to the streets and you heard, you couldn’t help but be nervous. You realized, Eris would be to busy with his court to come on walks with you anymore. And that made you realize that your feelings weren’t gone. You had never gotten over him.

Tonight was a royal ball. You remembered Eris had always begged his father to let you attend the dances and balls, but Beron always refused. Saying trash like you should never be seen with royalty. Eris, stayed by your side though. He’d sneak from the dances and find you, and would dance in the silent night with you. And you had no idea why Eris was inviting you to this ball. Was it pity? Did he want you to experience something nice once in your life? What would you even wear? You certainly didn’t have royal attire.

You ripped open the letter with your nails, admiring the wax seal of a little fox on it. You opened it to a small card inside. Eris’s handwriting.

Little fox,

I’d be honored for you to attend the royal autumn ball tonight with me. A carriage will wait for you at your apartment at noon. Don’t neglect my dogs of your attention any longer.

Love, Eris.

You giggled. You felt like a school girl. You could feel the heat on your face. You admired his familiar handwriting. It was neat and lovely in every sense. A dried viola fell into your lap when you opened the card further. Memories of him teaching you cursive in the gardens made you smile. You stood, grasping the flower, and pulled out the small box you kept of every letter he had ever sent you. Whenever Beron would try to restrict him from seeing you, it didn’t stop him from convincing his maids or servants to get his letters to you. You hadn’t received a letter since his last request to walk with you. The box was filled with the dried flowers he’d always sent with them.

How could you go? What would you wear? You approached your closet. And then you remembered something.

“Eris- I can’t wear this. This is too- too, royal.” You squeaked, admiring the beautiful dress he had just gifted you.

“Wear it. It matches the suit my father made me wear. Let’s dance, little fox.” He purred, pushing hair out of your face. Once the dress was on, he pulled you close to him in the empty streets on the Autumn Court and guided you in a slow dance, uncaring of the lack of music. Or the fact he was missing a royal ball.

You didn’t waste time in finding the box tucked away safely under your bed, and pulling it out. You opened the box, staring at the gorgeous forgotten dress. You had only worn it the last night he had danced with you.

This would work. Looks like all the dances you learned from books would pay off tonight.

Music from the orchestra blasted loudly. You entered the throne room, slightly late. But nobody cared. You were fashionably late- you had to find a mask. It was a masquerade after all. And Eris’s letter was a little bit close to time so, nobody could blame you. People danced in sync all over the room, dresses of different colors swaying. It was so fascinating. You couldn’t help but be mesmerized. Sure, most of these people were stuck up cunts, but they were beautiful, and they knew it too. You walked down the the grand stair case, eyes greedily taking in everything.

And then they caught on him. He sat on the throne, auburn hair messy as if he had ran his hands through it more then once tonight. The crown on his head was slightly crooked, giving him an uncaring look as high fae of all kinds greeted him. His mask was the color of burning fire, gold lace trimming it. He seemed bored, uninterested in this whole party. And he looked every bit of the High Lord you knew he would be.

You didn’t have the guts to greet him. You couldn’t. He had invited you out of perhaps pity. There were clear boundaries you were sure of. And you knew approaching the high lord as a peasant would break every single one of those boundaries. You could already see high fae turning their noses up at you as you walked by.

You approached the giant banquet table, observing the various foods. They were all favorites of yours. Maybe you just had a fancy food taste. You grabbed a glass of fae wine off of a servant’s tray, happy to indulge yourself in high quality wine that you didn’t have to pay for. You decided to eat after you danced.

You turned to face the dance floor. You watched the first waltz come to an ends, couples departing to find new partners. You swirled your wine in your glass, smelled it and then took a taste. It was glorious. Aged, and woodsy. You figured the bottle was easily in the three hundreds. Who cared? You didn’t have to pay for it. You snickered to yourself.

“Dance with me?” A coy voice purred beside you.

You turned, seeing a gentle around your age. High fae. And he was still asking to dance. Odd. His mask was black with silver lace. He wore a simple black tux. His hair was a dark brown, slicked with gel. He had a warm smile. He was handsome. You took his outstretched hand.

“Why not?” You replied, setting your wine glass down on a servant’s tray. The male smirked with arrogance, and swooped you to the dance floor. Music begun, and he started the dance.

“I’m Silas.” He murmured, twirling you. You nodded, having no problem in keeping up with the complex strides of this particular dance.

“Y/n” You responded. His eyes glinted.

“Beautiful name for a beautiful girl like you.” Silas said. He started to move faster, as if seeing how well you could keep up. And you did. Having no trouble at all.

You smiled warmly. This man was nice. You could see yourself with him. But it felt like something was missing. Like a hole in your heart.

“Thank you, Silas.” You purred back, starting to lead the dance. You guided it into a more complex rhythm, going along with the music, but ultimately making it more difficult. You giggled when he tripped over his own foot but caught himself. He glared at you.

“You dance awfully good for a commoner.” He huffed out, twirling you again.

“Having trouble keeping up?” You taunted playfully, not caring of his snarky remark. He was embarrassed. You could tell by how his eyes were roaming the people that had take to watch the both of you dance, interested in seeing how long you could rule the dance floor, he was embarrassed. Your eyes roamed the people. You could feel a familiar sense of someone watching. Your eyes found Eris. He was no longer listening to the fae beside him. His amber eyes bored into you. When you caught eye contact, he smirked. His legs spread as he leaned further into his throne. His eyebrow was cocked, his long talons tapping against the throne.

Cauldron. You had forgot how breathtakingly gorgeous he was. And sexy. You felt your face flush.

A snarl distracted you from him. Silas’s hands clutched your hips.

“Do not mock me.” He growled quietly in your ear. The music’s rhythm went faster, and the dance along with it. The curious fae quickly started dancing again, embarrassed at how they were so mesmerized by a commoner.

You went to take another step, but Silas went crashing to the floor. You watched in shock as he slid on the floor, his eyes wide with fury and embarrassment. His face heated with embarrassment. He looked up at you mouth open as if he was about to blame you, but his eyes caught on something behind you. Or rather, someone.

You turned slowly to see the high lord standing in his full glory behind you. His sharp cunning eyes squinted and mouth pulled into a smirk. He observed the male on the floor before looking at the people around you both. Then his eyes landed on you. You were awestruck by him for a minute- before you realized he was royalty. You started to bow but an invisible force stopped you. Your eyes narrowed in confusion before Eris bowed in front of you.

The High Lord just bowed in front of you. You. A peasant. Before you could say anything he lifted his hand to you.

“Grant me the pleasure of a dance?” He said, loud and clear. Gods you missed his voice. Yours ears picked up multiple gasps of shock. You heard a start of a growl before seeing Eris’s eyes glare into Silas behind you. You heard Silas scrambling away, knowing his place. Eris’s eyes turned back to you. He stayed in a bowed down position, hand waiting for yours. You swallows your shock. So be it. This very much may be the last dance you and him share, and you would take it.

Eris smiled softly when he felt the familiar embrace of your hand on his. His hand wrapped around yours, completely swallowing it. You hadn’t even realized the music had stopped until now. He motioned with his free hand for it to begin again. Fae around you scampered to start dancing, but all of their eyes were on you. On him. And his eyes were on you. And that’s all that mattered.

His free hand moved to your hip, grasping it gently with respect. He slowly moved to start the dance, holding you close. You didn’t know what to say or do other than to follow his lead. You didn’t even realize your mouth was gaping open.

“Little fox, you look like a fish gasping for air.” Eris teased in your ear, and you quickly shut your mouth.

“Sorry-“

“Don’t apologize. You never have to apologize to me.” He replied, smoothly. Gods. It was as if you were 19 again and you were dancing in the empty village with him. His long nails drew circles on your hip as you slowly started ti advance in the pace of the music. He kept up with ease, and you the same.

“Your hounds miss you.” Eris murmured, leaning his head down enough to kiss your forehead. It took every ounce of self control to not accidentally trip in shock.

“My hounds? They’re not mine. They’re yours!“ You started.

“Yes, they are, little fox. You helped me save and raise Sadie’s pups. If it wasn’t for you most of them would’ve died during birth. They are every bit of yours as they are mine.” He responded, pulling you closer. You knew better then to continue this fight with him. He was stubborn. And you knew if you tried to refuse again you’d probably have a pack of hounds at your apartment door tomorrow- out of spite.

“Whatever.” You grumbled defeatedly, shaking your head. He chuckled. His laugh was deeper now. You could smell the envy of other women around you. You wondered if they knew there wasn’t anything to be jealous of.

“So..how’s being High Lord?” You asked, unsure of what to talk about now. Eris frowned with a playful pout.

“Lonely. I’m sure the hounds would agree too. But don’t worry about that. That’ll change very, very soon.”

You weren’t quite sure what Eris was getting on to now. He always spoke in riddles. You sighed. Before you could re-question him, he started talking again.

“How has my little fox been?” Eris divulged.

You blushed. He had always had a knack for that dumb nickname. You were glad people couldn’t hear your conversation. The current dance came to an end and Eris wasted no time in pulling you into another. He knew you would have no problems keeping up.

“I’ve been good.” You responded. You looked up at him. He had gotten taller. And bigger. Maybe it was the high lord magic that transferred to him after Beron died or something. You weren’t sure. But he towered over you, creating a comical size difference. He gave you a toothy playful smile. He was always so carefree around you. You loved it. You loved him.

“You look lovely in that dress.”

“You bought it.” You quipped back at him.

“I have such good taste don't I?” He countered.

You couldn’t help but giggled looking away. The music slowed and you knew this was coming to an end. And gods you didn’t want it to end. His eyes softened as if he too was thinking the same. He grasped you tighter, pulling you closer, your bodies left no space between each others. He leaned down and inhaled your scent.

“Gods. I missed you. I missed your scent. The way you laugh. Talking with you- I missed it all.” Eris started. He held you tighter when you tried to pull away, confused.

“Don’t move away. Let me enjoy this Y/n.” He whispered, head going to the crook of your neck as he slowed the dance, moving with rhythm to the orchestra’s music. You realized how desperate and clingy his hood on you seemed now. As if he had missed you as much as you missed him.

Fuck boundaries. You couldn’t care if you were a peasant compared to him right now. You let your inner thoughts win as you tightly clutched at him. You didn’t wanna let go of him. You let your head lean against his chest, relaxing into the calm and slow dance. You knew fae were gawking at you both. And neither of you cared. Eris seemed shocked at your return of his embrace. The music slowed to a stop, and so did you both in the middle of the floor. Eris gently pulled away, staring at you with such adoring eyes. A sharp contrast to who he was in front of these people. His eyes found their way to your lips. He looked back up at you, a pleading look on his face. You understood what he wanted.

His hand clutched at the back of your head as your lips met. His were soft. It was the most gentle and loving kiss. You couldn’t give a flying fuck about the jealous and envious fae. Not just women. Both males and females snickering in jealousy. Eris pulled away, eyes soft. He took in the sight of you.

He didn’t waste time in pulling you in for a second kiss. This one wasn’t gentle. It was hot. Aggressive. He kissed you as if there was a fire in his bones and you were the only thing that could sooth it. His teeth gently nipped and sucked on your bottom lip. You returned it. His hand clutched at the back of your head, talons tangled in your hair. His other one clutched at your hip and roamed to your lower back. Your hands clutched at the front of his dress shirt. When you pulled away gasping for air, Eris had the biggest smile on his face. His eyes roamed your face again. You lips were swollen and pink from him. You were panting and looking at him as if he was everything. And he returned the same look. He tucked a strand of loose hair behind your ear before cupping your jaw.

“Don’t make me miss you anymore. Stay with me. I’ll give you everything you could dream of. You can be my high lady. Anything- anything you want.” He begged, eyes pleading. You knew he wasn’t lying.

“Eris..”

Eris swear his heart stopped with the way you said his name. He’s positive he would die right here on this floor at your knees if you rejected him. You were all he ever wanted.

“You’re everything I could dream of.” You whispered to him. Eris took in a gasp of air, not realizing he had been holding it. Relief flooding his body. And then pure love. He grabbed your hand before you could say anything and guided you up the stairs the the throne. He turned, facing the crowd with you. His hand placed on your lower back.

The whole crowd of fae stared in confusion and shock. No idea of what was about to happen.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Eris barked. “Show some respect to your high lady.”

His voice boomed across the room, gasps eliciting from the crowd. And then, they all bowed. You stood in front of the throne, watching as they all bowed to their knees. The scent of fear and confusion flooded from the fae.

Eris smirked before turning around back to you. He knew that despite your anxieties, you were made for this. Just your presence demanded attention from others. He knew you were his. His eyes shined with pure male pride as he removed the autumn court crown from his head, and gently placed it on yours. You watched as he bowed down on his knee, paying respect to you. His queen. You relaxed. Hundreds of high fae all bowed down to you. Your man bowed down to you. You tipped your head up with a smirk.

Eris grasped your hand and kissed your ring finger with a possessive glare at it. As if promising himself it would soon have a ring around it. He stood, and walked you to the throne. He held your hand as you sat down on it, crossing your legs. He stood beside you, eyes peering to the fae. He looked to you. Gods you were gorgeous. He couldn’t help the possessiveness in him that filled to the brim at seeing you where you finally belonged. He had waited so long to be able to do this.

“The masquerade is over. Get out.” He growled to the people, his eyes never leaving you. He didn’t bother turning around to ensure the people left. He could hear them rushing to get out.

He was gonna fuck you on your rightful throne.

[hellaversity]

Blitzø : *yells at Moxxie all the time, insults him for shits and giggles and stalks him and his wife on a daily basis*

Fandom : 😂🤣

Blitzø : *calls out Stolas for treating him like a sex object and degrading him all the time because that's what Stolas had technically been doing for most of season 1 even if he wasn't trying to come off as demeaning, doesn't believe Stolas actually loves him because has no reason to think their relationship is genuine, and only yells at him once when he mistakes Stolas' offer of an Asmodean Crystal as a sign that he never wants to see him again right before trying to apologize when Stolas teleports him out of his house*

Fandom : "OMFG BLITZØ, STOLAS IS JUST TRYING TO CONFESS TO YOU, YOU ASSHOLE, YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT A HOT PRINCE WOULD EVEN NOTICE YOUR UGLY PEASANT ASS, YOU'RE LITERALLY THE WORST, I HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111!" 😠😡🤬

Sometimes I feel like people aren't angry at Blitzø for being an asshole so much as they're angry at the fact that he's mean to the fandom's favorite rich pretty boy. (And not even without reason, either.) Blitzø has said and done worse things to Moxxie than he ever has to Stolas throughout the series, (albeit usually in a joking manner, but still) but of course Moxxie is a short goofy looking dude so it's ok when it happens to him. But if Blitzø doubts Stolas' generosity and honesty he's suddenly an irredeemable piece of garbage who doesn't deserve love. 🤔

[belacedia-a]

A TYL!Haru gift to Belphegor

(Hello! You’ve requested a gift from Haru and I’m here to deliver. Thank you for indulging me in my MoodTM. Feel free to do as you like with this drabble thing. Ie you can treat it as a standalone, post it as is, keep it in the inbox, etc )

-

The woman’s eyes couldn’t help but roam the chaotic halls as she was being led to where a specific Prince resided. Somehow, the base looked a lot like what she imagined it would look like. She wasn’t sure if that meant it was a good or a bad thing.

Anyways, what was she doing at Varia HQ? To deliver a gift. No no, that isn’t some codeword for something crazy. She truly was here to deliver a gift. She travelled all the way here from Japan just to deliver a gift. She had the ability to, so she was going to deliver it in person rather than tasking it to someone else. That’s why she’s here. How she managed such a feat?

She had done something called the, “Hey, I want to deliver a gift to someone in the Varia, can I do that? You’ll deliver it for me? Absolutely not, that ruins the heartfelt notion of the gesture! Do you have no sense for the romance of gift-giving? Who doesn’t want to see the expression of the recipient when they open the gift? That’s like opening a present your child gives you without them being around! Uncouth. No delicacy. Certainly you understand what I mean? You’ll let me deliver it myself, right?”- plan.

A long name, for a plan, but it was quite fitting, she’d say. Anyways, long story short, she’d stubbornly badgered Tsuna and Gokudera until they gave into her whims and arranged for her to be at Varia HQ so she could then find Prince Belphegor and give him a small gift.

Unless there was no other way around it, Haru preferred to deliver gifts herself rather than giving the task to someone else. It wasn’t as fun finding out the reactions of the recipients by a phone call or a letter.

Sure, her gift may not be much compared to what gifts a Prince could get or be entitled to, but she was a firm believer in giving gifts with a lot of thought put into them. If there was one thing that she was good at, it was crafting.

What was the reason behind her gift, you ask? Hm… yeah, she did have a reason. A pretty good reason, actually.

She felt like it.

Plain and simple, no? You don’t always need a reason to give a gift to someone. As long as the will is there, that’s all you need. In reality, it’s because she found a little crown while perusing a crafting store one day and an idea came to mind.

Absolutely nothing can stop Haru when her creativity starts roaring. She instantly bought the small crown along with fabric and other materials. She made a little mink plush with a crown atop its head. Did she make a plush version of his box animal, or did she just make a Prince Minkegor? That’s a secret she won’t tell anyone.

Though, considering she had the mink plush wearing a Varia uniform, maybe the answer was too obvious? Well, should he feel offended, she’ll use the tried and true: “Hahi! Are you saying that your mink is not a part of the Varia? Look at how cute it looks wearing a uniform. How could you reject such cuteness? Illegal-desu.”

She was led to a door which opened to reveal the Prince they all had the fortune (debatable to some) of knowing. Behind him was a… well… never mind. Haru was going to erase that from her memory. She’d never seen such a… hectic room before. A nudge at her side reminded her of where she was.

That chaotic room was almost hypnotic in a way. She had the urge to barge in there to clean it, but she felt that she’d start… and never come back out alive. She’d get buried alive. A brief shiver ran down her spine, but she quickly shook her head free of silly thoughts. If she were to get crushed under an avalanche of stuff, surely someone would save her! Yeah!

There’s no way she’d die! Probably.

“Bel~ It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I came to visit because I have something for you.”

She reached into her bag and pulled out a decorated box. One that looked like a box animal could come out of. Yes, the mink doesn’t come out from a box, but she can’t perform miracles. This was the best that she could do. “Look, I decorated the gift box to look like a storm box, pretty good, isn’t it?”

She’s quite clever, she won’t deny this fact. She held out the box for him to accept. Once he opened it, he’d find a mink plush wearing a Varia uniform and a crown atop its head placed inside the box.

“Get it? Inside of a storm box is a mink! It may be a humble gift, but I did my best to make it myself.”

It did come to mind that gifting someone from the Varia a plush of all things might be a bad idea, but Haru thought that he might find the gift amusing at the very least.

“Haru did try to think of a gift that would be useful, but if the Prince were to need anything, couldn’t he simply get it? As such, I opted for a gift that is special. The only one in the world. If you don’t like the Varia uniform, you can take it off, same with the crown.”

While she isn’t the strongest fighter or the most useful operative, she had confidence in her crafting skills. Plush making? Easy. Making clothes and costumes? Also easy.

“I found the crown while I was out shopping one day and thought of you. I was grateful towards you for being kind to me before, so here’s a gift.”

It would’ve been easy as breathing for him to tell her to go back home, but he allowed her to come along for a mission in the past and it always stuck with her.

“So—Thank you, Bel. I hope you like the gift, though humble it may be.”

That’s all she came here to do, to deliver a gift. She promised she wouldn’t stick around for too long so she had to go. The one who lead her here was waiting off to the side to escort her back.

“Maybe I’ll see you again, bye bye~ See you again-desu!”

[yourheartonfire]

A continuation of this poor rebel x royal pair from here, though I do think this snippet stands on it's own. Thanks to @gingerly-writing for the original prompt!

After the stuff the enemy medics had forced down the protagonist's throat, there was no clear line between sleeping and waking. But eventually the ache in their muscles and bruises cut through the fog of the sleeping draught. The protagonist swam sluggishly to the awareness that they were slumped on the cold ground, feet bound together and hands tied tightly to the tent pole. No mystery whose tent it was.

"Back with us at last?" The antagonist's voice seemed to float in the heady, hazy atmosphere. "You were out a long time."

"'S'it smokey in here?" the protagonist groaned. "Or izzat the drugs and the, mm, concussion?"

There was a dry hmph. The protagonist's vision was clearing slowly, and they could just see a lean streak of black standing over them, dark against the gleaming reds and golds of the imperial tent. The antagonist. Their old childhood friend and their new crown prince - thanks to the protagonist's removal of the prior occupant from that position. And from the earth. 

The protagonist carefully rolled their neck, loosening the muscles and grounding themselves. The tent was not spinning. Their heart was not pounding. Their friend was not their friend. Not anymore. "Is the part where I'm oh-so-grateful you've placed me in your personal custody?" the protagonist drawled. "For my own protection, I'm sure - "

There was a flash of dark and the crack of a palm across the protagonist's face. Again. They swallowed and breathed through the new pain.

"You're getting good at that, your highness," they said, and spit out red flecked saliva on the carpet. "But may I suggest, for next time, a backhand? With a couple big rings, you can really do some damage-"

The antagonist made a strangled scream. "Stop telling me what to do!" they yelled. "Gods! I used to wonder what would make you shut up. Now I know: literally nothing short of death."

They flopped into a chair, and glared at the protagonist. The protagonist could see their face more or less clearly now, making the expression they always did when they wanted to look cold and foreboding and definitely not scared shitless. Despite the wardrobe, it was a shock how little the antagonist had changed when everything was so different. 

"What am I supposed to do with you, [protagonist]?" said the spare-turned-heir miserably.

The protagonist shrugged. Their throat burned with thirst, their shoulders screamed with ache. They pushed it away. Never show weakness. The antagonist had taught them that. "Take me to your father to stand trial for treason, revolt, etcetera. How is the old man these days?"

The antagonist propped their chin on their fist, twisted their mouth. "Not great," they drawled back with vicious understatement. "Better than my lady mother, though. She hasn't left her bed since you had my brother assassinated."

The protagonist flinched. It was a bad habit, a weakness. Of course the antagonist recognized it and twisted the knife. "She took you in," they said, sliding out of their chair to loom over the protagonist. "You were starving in the gutter and she took you into our household, gave you a royal education, treated you like her own child-"

"Her child? Your mother took me in to be your pet," the protagonist spat. "Your own personal peasant for you and your brother to practice ruling on. I guess she thought you were too big for a puppy."

"I- what?!" the antagonist sputtered. For a moment they were genuinely struck dumb. "No! You say what you want about the rest of us, but my mother-"

"She saw which way the wind was blowing with your brother," the protagonist said, rolling their shoulders and subtly testing their bonds. "Maybe she thought putting a face on the faceless masses could turn him around."

"Too bad she picked you then," the antagonist snapped.

The protagonist smiled sourly and the antagonist bit their lip and flushed, realizing they'd conceded the point.

"The irony hasn't escaped me," the protagonist said, hitching themselves up a little higher. "If all of this, all the blood and death as you put, if all I accomplished was removing your brother from the line of succession, I'll have done the empire and your family a greater service than your mother ever dreamed-"

"She thinks I put you up to it," the antagonist blurted out. The protagonist's mouth opened, and then shut again. The antagonist dropped down into their camp chair, somehow making despair look regal and elegant. "The rebellion, the overthrow of the Southern lords, the disruption of the sea trade, my..." They swallowed, reached for another bottle of wine on an overladen table. "The former crown prince's death. Then you just... walk straight into an ambush a day from my camp. She hasn't said, but her letters are... She thinks I..." They made a face, yanked the cork loose. "Father thinks the same, but he actually has more respect for me now," the antagonist added bitterly. "He wasn't so blind to my brother's faults as he pretended to be."

The protagonist let out a low whistle across their split lip. "Well. Now you definitely can't give me a merciful death."

The antagonist put the bottle of wine back down with a shaking hand. "Did you?" they whispered, so quiet the protagonist had to lean forward.

"Did I what?" they asked.

The antagonist started down at their hand pressed flat on the folding table. "Did you do this for me?" they said under their breath.

The protagonist rocked back, hard enough to thunk their head against the pole. They barely felt it, overwhelmed as the antagonist handed themselves over, heart and soul. "Oh, my," the protagonist breathed out. "Oh, your highness. Is that why I'm in your tent? You want me to pat you on the head before you hand me off to be tortured to death and tell you not to worry, that you're one of the good ones?"

"Stop it. Stop talking," the antagonist hissed, face going an angry, ugly red. "I should have known you weren't capable of any loyalty at all."

"Do you remember when your brother beat that housemaid to death?" the protagonist asked, settling themselves more comfortably. 

"That was an accident," the antagonist said automatically.

The protagonist shrugged. "Fine then. You remember when your brother accidentally hit a housemaid hard enough that she smashed her skull open on the nursery fireplace? For what, for being nice to us? For slipping us sweeties after he had me whipped again?"

"Stop it, I'm sorry I asked!" the antagonist yelled.

"And I sobbed and sobbed and you comforted me, you remember what you said?"

It was the antagonist's turn to flinch. "Damn you, I was a child. I didn't know better!"

But the protagonist wasn't going to stop. They couldn't now. "You held me in your arms and you said, 'Don't cry. She was only a housemaid. We have more.' Over and over. I still hear that in my sleep."

"So that's it?" The antagonist wrapped their arms around themselves, turned away. "I was a scared, fucked-up nine-year-old who said a bad thing so now none of the rest of it matters? I'm going to die with everyone else?"

"Die?" The protagonist cocked their head and sneered. Their heart was not pounding in their chest, the room was not spinning, their friend was not their friend. "I'm your prisoner. You're taking me to the capitol, to your father for trial."

"Bullshit." The antagonist turned pleading eyes down on the protagonist, bound and bloody. "What are you planning? Why do you want me to bring you to my father? What are you going to do to us?"

The protagonist breathed in and out, reached within themselves for the stone walls the antagonist had taught them to build, oh so many years ago. 

"I'm doing what I was taught," they said evenly. "By your mother, your brother, by your father, by you. To serve my empire, even unto death. Difference is, I draw a distinction between the empire and the fucked-up, inbred family that for some reason thinks they were sent by the gods to rule everyone else."

In the silence that followed, the protagonist could hear the distant shouts of the commanders, the jingle of horse bridles and the sounds of hammers and waxed linens flapping to the ground. They were breaking camp. Thirteen days to the capitol. 

"All right then," the antagonist said softly, face bloodless against the stark black of their jacket. They put down their untouched wine cup and turned away, never meeting the protagonist's eyes. "Let's play this out. Can't wait to see your endgame."

They walked out and the protagonist sagged limp against the tentpole. Thirteen days. They could stay alive that long. They just weren't sure they could stay unbreakable when they felt so very, very close to breaking.

[kiribaku-queen]

The Blood King and his Queen [12]

Pairing: Bakugou x reader

Romance, Angst, Drama

Word count: 1.9K

Summary:  From being a mere servant girl to marrying the scariest prince in existence, your world changed right before your eyes. Exchanging places with the princess, you knew, wasn’t going to be easy. But could you have found love on the way? Or was it never meant to be?

A/N: Short chapter today, and I know it’s not much but I hope you still enjoy it! I promise next week’s chapter will be so much better and I’m still working on those requests! Just give me some time to recover 😊 happy reading!

[previous]                                                                                               [next]

Bakugou sat grudgingly on his throne, looking out into the sea of dancing people. Lounged back in his seat, legs spread, head resting on his fist, and a permanent annoyed expression. He wanted to be anywhere but here, but he was stuck here. No thanks to the princess.

He couldn’t see you go.

He couldn’t see your pained expression as you were forcefully kicked out of the palace.

He didn’t want to hear your cries, how sorry you were or how your voice cracked with excuses.

He stayed looked away, fists balled at his side. When the door closed, leaving him alone, only the sounds of his heavy breathing could be heard. His chest heaved up and down, feelings of confusion and betrayal were strong, and his hands were itching to hit something. Soon everything he was wearing was getting too tight. With a quick rip of his shirt, he removed the restricted clothing, leaving his chest completely bare. He could finally breathe but he was still itching with uneasiness.

Not paying attention to where anything was, he punched walls, ripped down everything and anything on his walls, destroyed his bed, anything he could get his hands on he threw or ripped up. He let out his anger and frustrations with a forceful, belching scream. So much so that he felt his throat clench up and his heart went heavy. Fuck this. Fuck you. Fuck this party. Fuck everything.

Bakugou wasn’t even going to go to this party. It was to be called off. But did this princess have tricks up her sleeve. His father had already met the princess before Bakugou could say anything.

“The marriage must go on!” his father insisted when Bakugou tried to call off the party and the engagement.

“But Father,” Bakugou tried to impose but was quickly shut down and Bakugou had to seal his lips.

“Silence!” The King’s voice echoed in the empty halls, silencing everything around him, including Bakugou. “What are we waiting for? Let the party begin.”

And so here he was, the only one not enjoying his time. He watched as everyone around him was dancing the night away. Couples waltzing their way through the dance floor put Bakugou in a sour mood. That could have been you and him.

Bakugou shook his head from any thoughts of you. Why would you pop up in his mind out of all people? You were a traitor. A liar. A no good peasant who was using him and for what? Tch, he didn’t need you. In fact, he didn’t need anybody.

“Hello, my prince,” the princess said sweetly yet sarcastically to Bakugou, batting her eyelashes like she was so innocent. Bakugou didn’t even spare her a glance.

“What do you want?” he spat. And the princess did not like that.

“Watch yourself, your highness. We are in public. Don’t want to cause a scene,” she warned. Bakugou could only scoff at her.

“Oh, princess. Don’t you know who I am?” he asked and leaned into her, close enough where his breath was on her ear. “You better back off before I slice your head right off those pretty shoulders of yours. How’s that for a scene for ya?” The princess slowly backed away, clearing her throat as she softly touched her neck.

“I don’t want this marriage anymore than you do,” the princess said.

“Then call it off,” Bakugou rubbed his forehead. He had a headache now.

“You know that is impossible,” the princess argued.

“Nothing is impossible.”

“It’s for the good of both kingdoms. At least pretend that I’m her,” she said. But Bakugou was quick to get in front of her, blocking her view of everything and he was the only one she could see.

“Don’t you ever speak of her again,” Bakugou warned, making the princess shrink in fear. He hadn’t gotten a good look at the princess until now. She looked a lot like you. For a minute, he thought she was you. His emotions faltered for a minute and his heart did a leap, but it wasn’t until he really looked was where he noticed the difference.

He let out one huff and backed off, slouching in his chair again. The princess frowned and continued to sit next to him the entire night, frowning that you had made the prince feel like this.

You had returned back to the palace, with the help of a few guards who escorted you back the entire way. In handcuffs, might you add. With the courtesy of the princess, she had allowed you to return back to being a servant, but got demoted to lower servant. You would no longer be serving the princess directly. Instead, you would be getting all the hard labor jobs. And if need be, then an extra hand for the princess.

You didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. Relieved, because you were still alive. The princess could have had you killed. But here you were, still working at the palace, doing the same job, able to live another day. She was being lenient towards you and you should be grateful.

But on the other hand, you were disappointed. Disappointed that you were back to living this life again.

As soon as you got back to the palace, you were placed to work. And of course, the girls wanted to know everything that happened.

“What was the Blood Prince like?”

“Did he try to kill you?”

“Why were you there so long?”

“Where was the princess?”

“Are the rumors true?”

There were so many questions yet you didn’t know what to say. You were not in the mood nor in the position to say anything about the vicious blood prince.

“Girls, I just came home. Must you know this very moment?” you tried to steer the conversation away.

“You’ve been gone so long, we just have to know!” one of the girls persisted. You knew you weren’t getting out of this any time soon. Just say something and maybe they’ll leave you alone.

“The Prince… is nothing like the rumors,” you simply say and put on your familiar servant outfit that felt foreign on your skin.

“What was the Prince like then?”

“Was he kind?”

“Or more vicious and blood-thirsty than we thought?”

Your eyes welled with tears when thinking back to your memories together and what could have been. A sad smile appeared on your lips but was quickly turned upside down. What could have been? What will never happen. You were no longer living in a dream. You were back to the reality that you are a servant. Here to serve the princess. Not marry a Prince. Become Queen? You couldn’t have pulled that off anyway.

Strangely, it felt good to be back to a place that was so familiar to you. You were back to roaming the familiar halls, talking to the same girls you grew up with, doing the same chores that was ingrained in your mind. But now you longed for something different. Something better than here. You now longed for a life that wasn’t here. After experiencing a world outside the palace, you realized how big the world was. You realized how much you were missing out on by being trapped inside the palace walls. But that reality didn’t seem plausible either at this point.

It wasn’t long until you were able to laugh, joke, and gossip around with the girls, getting accustomed back to your old life. You were helping the royal doctor grind up some medicinal herbs when you heard news of the princess coming back home. It was urgent that every servant was to greet her when she got home. So you dropped everything you were doing to join your place with the rest of the girls, bowing your heads down, waiting for the princess to arrive.

With one wide swing of the double doors, in came the princess. She walked slow and deliberate, taking her time to take each step. It was quiet. Only the sounds of her heels clicking on the ground could be heard. Her footsteps were coming closer to you and for some reason, it was making you nervous.

Step. Step. Step.

Until you heard her footsteps come to a halt and she was standing right in front of you. You gulped but tried your best to keep a poker face. The princess turned to you and lifted your chin up with a fan she held in her hand. She wouldn’t dare touch you with her bare hands. You had closed your eyes before your eyes reached the princess. You couldn’t look royalty in the face, especially not after what happened.

The princess took a good look at your face and let out an annoyed click of her tongue before harshly letting go and continued on her way. You could only bow back down and step back into place, blending in with the rest of the girls.

You had thought that you had gotten your old life back when returning to the palace, but you were treated more cruelly than before. You were demoted to a general servant, doing more labor than most servants. You weren’t supposed to be serving right under the princess. But she was calling your name any chance she got.

“Where is (y/n)?!”

“I want (y/n) to do this!”

“Fetch (y/n) for me!”

“Why is (y/n) not here!”

The princess demanded for you at least 20 times throughout the day, making you stop in the middle of your work to tend to her. The princess never really needed you. She just wanted you to run around, making you more tired than you should be. But because you couldn’t do your work properly due to her highness constantly calling for you, you were being punished.

You couldn’t count how many times her hand made contact to your cheek, the sharp pain was becoming regular to you now, because her laundry wasn’t done properly or you were being too slow. Your cheek was a constant red color with slight swelling. The other girls watched as you were getting smacked around and punished more than them.

The girls had to look away when one day. The princess snapped, making you lay out your hands as she used a stick to whip your hands. You wanted to cry out in pain but the more you resisted, the harder she hit you and the more slaps you were going to have to endure.

Granted, the royal doctor would treat you behind the royals back because you were so close to them, basically like a daughter more than an apprentice. But you would have to go back to work the next day to hide suspicion. And the punishments didn’t stop there.

Hot tea was spilt on you too many times to count, daily smacks in the face, more running around, being spat on, more beatings, marks and bruises all over your body. You couldn’t catch a break. And all you could do was apologize. Over and over again, you apologized. In the moment, you may not have done anything wrong, but she was the princess. Everything and anything you did to upset her, you were at fault. So you kept your head bowed to the floor, taking any punishments she gave you. Because you deserved it. She’s holding a grudge against you because you didn’t follow her commands to break off the engagement. She has every right to do whatever she wants to you. You were in the wrong. You deserved all the punishments. Because you were a servant, and that’s all you were ever going to be.

A/N: I’d love to know your thoughts and if you want to be added to the tag list! All are welcome!

Tagged: @superblyspeedydragon @melasnchz-things @animexholic @bkgwrites @sam-i-am-1025 @apexqueenie @katsukibabe @germfart3 @tspice283 @angie-1306 @bakugous-trauma @bakugousmrs @random-fandom-girl-24 @monetfatalia @triviajeongin @readingslumpfanfic @softredrobin @daddy-daichis @stardream14 @bevaevar @cathwritestragediesnotsins @luvtaromilktea @aaannaabbanana@i-ameri-cant @shyonigirichan @aomi04 @anime-for-live @maggiecc @cloudsgathering @backoftheletter @moshi-moshi-angie015 @sabrinakishi @thegirlfrom-rio

[ash-and-graphite]

The Crown and the Queer (chapter 1)

Next Masterlist

Summary: Roman’s life takes a turn for the worse when he’s convicted of magic and sentenced to death. But when Prince Logan saves his life, a lot of feelings are stirred. Roman is grateful for the save, but he knows his life will never be the same again.

Word count: 1705

Pairings: Logince, Thomico.

Characters: Roman, Logan, Thomas, Virgil, Patton, Remus, Janus.

Triggers: Talk of death/execution, food, dungeon, not being allowed food/starving, overeating, anxiety (I think that’s all!)

Roman sat down nervously, the events of the past few days played in his head. There was no way this was actually happening.

Roman, a peasant boy who was supposed to be sentenced to death, was now eating with the royal family. This had to be a dream.

“So, Roman was it?” The king, yeah the actual king of their entire kingdom.

“Yes your majesty” Roman said formally, bowing his head a little.

“I do greatly apologize for the misunderstanding, and that you have been treated so harshly these past few days. If there is anything I can do to repay you, please just ask,” The king smiled kindly.

Roman looked up in surprise. “O-oh, my lord, that is greatly appreciated but- I don’t need anything,”

“Nonsense, you spent almost a week in the dungeon for nothing, you can ask for whatever you want- as long as it’s reasonable of course” he chuckled.

Roman didn’t know how to respond, what he wanted most right now was to leave. The longer he spent here, the more danger he was in. He glanced over at Logan, the crowned prince, not sure what to say. Before he could speak, the king continued talking.

“What about a job offer? You can be the prince's man-servant. You have proven yourself quite useful,” The king smiled cheerily.

Both Roman and Logan double taked.

“What??” They asked in unison.

“Sire, with all do respect, I don’t believe Roman has had any training with being a servant” Logan said stiffly. “And that’s even if he wants the job”

“Then you can show him the ropes, and of course he wants the job! Who wouldn’t?” The king said, his happy tone not breaking. “You want this job Roman, right?”

“Y-yes” Roman said automatically, not wanting to disagree with the king. He realized what he said and tried to backtrack “I m-“

“See? He wants the job! Come on son, just give him a try.” The king pat Logan on the shoulder.

Logan sighed softly and nodded “Yes father,” he dipped his head “I should show Roman around, before it gets too late,”

The king nodded and stood “I do hope to see more of you Roman”

Roman stood and bowed “You too, your majesty.”

The king left and two guards tailed him.

Roman followed Logan into the hallway, he looked to the ground. He couldn’t believe what he got himself into! This was not good at all.

“Do not be so tense” Logan glanced over at him, it almost sounded like an order.

“M-my apologies your majesty,” Roman bowed his head. He forced himself to relax.

Logan looked over at him again, gaze softening slightly “Uh- it’s alright. I just wanted to inform you that you can relax around me. I promise I’m not as threatening as my father.”

“Th-thank you, your majesty” He bowed his head again.

-

Logan brought him to a small bedroom. It was simple, but it was also the most elegant room Roman had ever stepped foot in.

“Wow…” Roman whispered.

“I know it’s probably not much. But I’m sure you’ll soon have things to decorate with.” Logan said with a small nod.

Logan led Roman down a nearby hallway and stopped outside of a door. “Down here is my bedroom, tomorrow you’ll meet me here at 6:30 and I’ll give you basic training.”

“6:30?!” Roman couldn’t help but ask.

Logan looked at him “Is that a problem?”

“It’s just- it’s a bit early isn’t it? Sire.”

“Well I have things to do Roman, I can’t sit around teaching a peasant to be a servant all day now can I?” Despite Logan’s harsh words, he remained neutral as ever. Roman didn’t know if that made it worse or better.

“No sire, my apologies” Roman flinched back a little.

Logan sighed softly and continued walking, “You need not apologize, I’d just rather get this whole thing over with.”

Roman followed closely “May I ask what you mean sire?”

“You’re far from my first servant, Roman. None of them last more than a week, then I have to train a new one and repeat the cycle. I know you’re going to end up quitting, or I’m going to end up firing you. I doubt you will make it past 3 days.” Logan scowled at the ground.

“W-well I’ll certainly do my best, sire”

Logan gently put a hand up to quiet Roman. “You don’t have to say ‘sire’ at the end of every sentence, it’s repetitive. Only talk like that if we’re around my father, or the noblemen,”

“Oh- uh, yes si- I mean sir.”

The prince just sighed and continued walking. They got to a room with large swinging doors. Logan went inside and showed Roman around.

It was a kitchen, a massive kitchen. Roman was sure it was bigger than some of the houses in his village.

“This is the kitchen, it’s usually a lot busier, but right now all that’s left to be done is the cleanup from dinner. So the main chefs have gone home and left the cleaning for the servants.” Logan led him back out.

Logan showed him a few more rooms, then bid Roman goodnight.

Roman went to his room and collapsed into bed, it was the most comfortable thing he ever laid on.

He didn’t bother changing out of his day clothes as he curled up under the blankets. He couldn’t stop thinking about the events of today.

Roman took a deep breath, not sure what to do. The castle was indeed dangerous, but probably less so than if he went back to his hometown or to another kingdom.

He slowly closed his eyes, letting his mind drift away.

-

Roman sat up at the sound of someone knocking loudly on his door. He groaned and buried his face in the pillows, hoping the person would go away.

After a few more seconds of knocking he opened his eyes and looked around. He was instantly met with confusion as he tried to remember the events that took place before going to bed.

“Roman I know you hear me in there! Open the door!” It was Logan. He sounded irritated.

Roman looked outside, it was definitely past 6:30. He must’ve been super late for his meet up with the prince. He jumped out of bed and tried to make himself look like he hadn’t just woken up.

Once Roman opened the door he immediately bowed, muttering countless apologies and promising that he wouldn’t be late again. He was almost shaking with fear. The last thing he wanted was for the prince to be upset.

Logan looked slightly taken aback, he gently put a hand on Romans shoulder. “I-it’s ok Roman. It only just struck 8… uh- are you alright?”

Roman looked up, “I didn’t mean to sleep in, truly, I give you my deepest apologies sire, I’m very sorry,”

Logan didn’t know how to handle emotions like this. “It’s.. it’s quite alright…. Did you even sleep last night? You look exhausted..”

Roman looked at him nervously “I-I will admit that my mind was a bit- er.. busy while I was trying to sleep, but I slept better than I have in a while, sire”

Logan shifted on his feet a little like he didn’t know what to say. “Uh.. look. Roman, why don’t you take today to just relax. It isn’t good for either of us if you’re sleep deprived or exhausted. I will begin your training tomorrow”

Roman blinked, surprised. But he didn’t want Logan to think less of him “S-Sire, truly I am ok-“ he was cut off.

“Have you been eating alright? You look thin..”

“I- uhm.. last night at dinner was the first time I had eaten in a week, sire” he flinched back at the way Logan almost looked angry.

“They didn’t feed you in the dungeon?”

“N-no sire, b-but I’m sure they had good reason-“ he stepped back panickedly.

Logan gently rested a hand on Roman's shoulder. It was oddly soft and reassuring coming from Prince Passionless “Relax Roman, I’m not upset with you. I’m only upset with my dungeon guard for not properly taking care of you.”

Roman wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I’m sure they had their reasons. I was accused of magic and was to be executed anyways… feeding me would’ve been a waste of food..”

Logan didn’t know how to respond. He kind of awkwardly pat Roman on the shoulder. “Well then I’ll see to it that you’re properly fed. You can take this day as your free time to do as you please …I’ll make sure a guard stays with you”

He hesitated “A guard? I don’t think that’s necess-“

“I know some people in the kingdom won’t be quick to forgive you, this is just as a precaution. I will send my most trusted knight”

A knight was much worse than some measly guard. He hardly got a word out before Logan turned and left.

“Ohhh boy Roman… what have you gotten yourself into?” He asked himself softly. He laid back down in bed, wishing he could wake up to this being a dream. To everything being a dream, the arrest, the dungeon, the job offer. He wished he could just wake up and be home.

It wasn’t long before there was another knock on the door. Roman groaned slightly and got up and answered. A cart was brought into his room, on it was a variety of food.

“This was sent here by order of the prince” The servant said kindly “If there is anything wrong, you may send it back and the chef will fix it”

Roman blinked, very surprised. “Oh- I-uh- th-thank you” he looked down at the food, there was so much of it.

He took a bowl of porridge and a bit of bacon and sat down on his bed. Maybe he could ask for a table and some chairs, but as of now he didn’t have any.

He ate more food than he ever had before, almost to the point where he felt a little sick. He laid down, the emptiness of his stomach was finally filled. He gently closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

Reblogs appreciated!!

[devilberries]

~Tears of Themis~

Marius royalty au

Part ii coming out soon with Marius x femMC

Pressure.

Marius Von Hagen knew pressure very well. In fact, he was acquainted with pressure since he was born. Pressure had been holding his hand since he learned how to walk, and it’s always stuck by his side.

Pressure weighed on his back when he became prince. Pressure weighed on his back when he sat with the neighboring royal children. Pressure weighed on his back when his brother ran away. Pressure weighed on his back when he became the crown prince. Pressure weighed on his back when his parents both grew old and ill.

Pressure weighed on his back when he became king.

And here he sat on the throne. It felt uncomfortable, like he didn’t belong there. The elbow rests of the golden chair were cold, unwelcoming. The seat itself was big. He felt like a small child, sitting there.

It reminded him that he was only king in name. At least, that was what people kept saying. He almost believed them. He really should. After all, how could he rule a kingdom he was never meant to rule?

Was this why his brother left? Were the responsibilities too much? Was this why he ran away, leaving all the heavy burdens behind for his pitiful younger brother?

Marius slumped in his seat defeatedly. It wasn’t like he could ask his parents for help when they were both ill in their beds.

But now that there was a change in power, advisors, military commanders, and neighboring kingdoms were watching for a chance to swoop in and eat up Marius. They were waiting for him to slip and fall, using it to their advantage. They would try and try to manipulate Marius, the ignorant younger prince who only knew how to draw.

He heard the whispers in the long halls. He knew of the names they conjured up for him. He could feel the contempt through their fake smiles.

“Your Royal Majesty,” one of the advisors coughed. Marius snapped out of his daze and looked at him. The advisor furrowed his eyebrow and stated, “As the king of this nation, it would be wise not to mindlessly daydream in the middle of a meeting.”

Marius could hear another counselor scoff under his breath, “King? He’s no king. Just a foolish child wearing a crown.”

He raised eyes at the two men calmly.

“Tell me, old man, who is my father?”

The counselor stared back at him with caution as he answered, “His Royal Majesty King Austin von Hagen.”

Marius smirked when he heard his voice quiver. “Alright, and what is my brother’s title?”

Whispers rush between the men along the long table. It was an unspoken rule not to speak of the original crown prince. They could feel the tension suffocate them.

“H-His Royal Highness… Prince G-Giann von Hagen.”

“Good!” Marius smiled, praising the old man, who sat there, sweating buckets of water. “Now,” he stared straight into his eyes, “what is my title?”

“Y-Your Royal Majesty… King Marius von Hagen II.”

“Ah, ah, ah,” Marius waved his finger at the counselor. “That’s not what you said a few seconds ago. Tell me, oh, wise counselor.” He walked behind the old man, towering above him. He placed his hands on his shoulders and asked, “What did you call me?”

The silence was loud. Everyone could only look down, ignoring the counselor. Marius could feel the man shake beneath his touch.

He knew this wasn’t the life he was meant for. He knew that he was better off painting somewhere far away from the throne. Marius knew he was an incompetent king.

But a king nonetheless.

When the man said nothing, Marius whispered, just loud enough for everyone to hear, “That’s treason, you know? What should we do with you, hmm? We could,” he traced his finger on the shaking counselor’s neck, “slit your throat. Hang you. Maybe both. Or wait,” he snaked his arm around the man’s shoulder and harshly grabbed the man’s cheeks with one hand.

“We could cut that tongue of yours out.”

As if that triggered something in him, the man began to sputter out words, begging for mercy. He’d be on his knees if he could, but he didn’t dare shove Marius away. The young king cringed when he felt the man’s snot and tears drip down on his hand. Hastily, he pulled away and called for the guards.

As they forced the counselor away, he screamed and cried, but they all fell on deaf ears. Marius turned to the others who sat there with pale faces.

“I think it’d be best to end the meeting here today. Good day, everyone.” He turned to leave, and everyone let out a sigh of relief, until he turned around. They all flinched and attempted to compose themselves. “Ah, by the way,” he eyed each one of them carefully. “I wasn’t joking when I said that was treason. If I hear a single one of you utter a word about my father, brother, or me, I will cut your tongues out, and let it be known that your families won’t be spared.”

He swiftly exited the room and headed to his parents room.

Pressure trailed behind him, so he walked faster. It was a hopeless attempt, as it caught up to him in no time. He paused his movement and clutched his chest, taking in heavy breaths. The shame and embarrassment clouds his vision, while fear blocked his hearing. He was simply alone, facing his fellow friend pressure once more.

He could tell it was mocking him. He could hear its laughs as it pointed at him, calling his crown unbefitting of him, a faux king. He could feel the judgement of its eyes as it stared at him, his glimmering jewels and badges and oversized cape.

Even with all the riches and gold covering him, he felt so naked.

When he felt its hand on its shoulder, he turned and yelled at it, hoping the nightmare would end.

“Get away from me!”

There he was, Vyn, his Royal Tutor, hand in the air as it was shoved away by Marius, and wearing a surprised expression on his face.

He quickly erased whatever trace of shock he had on his face and inquired the boy, “Should we skip todays lessons, Your Royal Majesty?”

Marius blinked back at him, not comprehending what he had just said.

What just happened? Did he shove Vyn?

Vyn saw his visible panic and gently placed his hand on his shoulder. The poor boy looked at him with fear.

“Your Royal Majesty-“

“Don’t call me that,” he whispered with closed eyes. “That’s not me. I’m not…”

“Oh, but you are,” Vyn said. “Let’s talk somewhere more private, shall we?”

No words came out of Marius, so the Tutor pulled the depressed king along with him into a private guest bedroom. He softly pushed Marius to sit on the bed, while he himself sat on the chair, watching the boy.

“How do you feel?”

Marius stared at the ground emptily. “Can I answer you honestly, Vyn?”

“Of course. You can tell me anything… Marius,” he added that at the end carefully. The boy let out a relieved sigh once he heard Vyn drop the honorifics.

“You really don’t have to call me all those things in public either, Vyn.”

He smiled, “That would be rude and almost treasonous. Didn’t I teach you that?”

“Argh,” Marius bent over, covering his face. “Don’t even mention the word treason near me again.”

“Why? What’s wrong with that?”

Marius looked up, and Vyn chuckled at his distressed expression. “I may have gotten mad at someone for talking shit about me, so I sent him to the chambers and threatened to cut his tongue off…”

Vyn raised an eyebrow, “Was it someone from the Council?”

“Yeah, it was,” Marius sighed.

“Well, it was very irrational to say, at the least, but at least you took the initiative to use your power. That’s the first step of being a ruler.”

“But I don’t want to be a ruler, Vyn. You know that. This,” he got up and spread his arms out, pointing to himself, “none of this stuff feels right. Being King doesn’t feel right. I don’t feel right. Everything is just so…” He trailed off, rubbing his eyes hard to stop the tears.

Vyn sat there patiently. He watched as the boy just a bit younger than him fall apart. He knew it would happen one day. No, in fact, he hoped it would happen. Perhaps this was Marius’s way to free himself from this mess of a kingdom he was born it.

The Tutor was smart. He was intelligent enough to be a military strategist, maybe even be King, but he was unlucky. He was born with commoner blood, yet maybe he was grateful to have been a mere peasant, a mere servant to serve a spoiled prince because he realized being born with royal blood didn’t mean you were lucky; you were just crushed even more by the endless expectations of thousands of people who entrust their lives to you.

He knew what Marius was going to

Everything was just so suffocating.

———————————

It took a while for Marius to stop crying. Vyn chuckled to himself thinking about it. How old was he? Twenty-one, right? Twenty-one and still weeping like he was five.

“Marius.” The boy who was sitting down on the bed, hugging a soft white pillow, looked up with puffy eyes. They decided it was best to stay until his eyes were a bit better in case word spreads that the King is a big baby. “If the pressure makes you too anxious, how about visiting the Themis Temple?”

“Temple? But I’m not religious,” Marius sniffed.

“I know that, but it might calm you a bit. Visiting the temple may bring peace and tranquil for your mind. Plus, I heard the priests and priestesses there are very kind and welcoming to all, despite social and economical differences.”

The boy raised his eyebrow when he heard the words “welcoming to all, despite social and economical differences.”

Was there really such a place that would overlook such things?

“Plus, I hear that they have this intriguing… we’ll call it ‘tradition.’”

“What do you mean by that?” Marius questioned.

“Well, you see, they believe that all the Head Priestesses that are born inherit Themis’s blood. I hear the Head Priestess as of now has a daughter who is coming of age to become the next Head Priestess, so they’re having this event, almost like a ritual to perform on the girl.”

Marius furrowed his eyebrows. “Ritual?”

Vyn nodded, “Yes, a ritual. I’ve only heard rumors, since the last one was forty years ago, but, apparently, the girl gets hot water poured all over her. It’s suppose to symbolize inheriting the burdens of the last Head Priestess and to make her feel the injustice of this world weigh down on her.”

Marius frowned. That sounded more like torture. He felt pity for the girl. She seemed similar to Marius, born with responsibility and pressure, with a role she never asked for.

“How about you go with me right now? We can use our study time to see whether or not you’ll like it. Plus, I believe it’s an opportunity of a lifetime.”

“But won’t people recognize me?” He inquired.

“The question you should be asking is not that, but if you ‘want’ people to recognize you.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t want people to know,” he grumbled.

“Then we shall dress as normal aristocrats. Come now, I have plenty of clothes that will suit you. You’ll have to make due with a commoner’s clothes, Your-“

“Don’t even think about addressing me like that,” he sneers. “And I don’t mind about wearing commoner stuff. I don’t care for this social hierarchy at all.”

Vyn whistles, “How cute, coming from a person of privilege.”

“You know that’s not what I mean!”

“Right, right, of course. I’ll just have to trust your word then. Now, shall we get dressed?”

The two exit the guest bedroom and head to Vyn’s, which was a couple doors down the hall. They walked side by side. Though the servants and maids whispered among themselves, Marius was occupied with his thoughts.

He couldn’t get his mind off of the girl. Perhaps it was infatuation, or genuine curiosity. He created an illusion in his mind.

In his fantasies, he would speak with the girl. He would ask if she felt proud to be part of this bloodline of Goddess’s, or if she felt as if such a position did not suit someone like her. In his mind, she would hesitantly tell him her true thoughts, that she didn’t want to burn under the wrath of the burning water. He would say he felt the same, that he had always been crushed by the constant expectations of the people. He would hold her hand and promise that he would save her, that the two of them could run away together, and she would agree. And together they would-

“The advisors weren’t wrong about you and your constant daydreaming,” Vyn chuckled as he flicked his forehead. Marius flinched, groaning out loud as he slapped his hand above his eyes. The Tutor turned the knob and held the door open. “Hurry now; we wouldn’t want to miss the performance, would we?”

Marius huffed and stepped in, shoving the Tutor along his way. Inside, Artem sat at Vyn’s desk, reading a few documents. His shirt was slightly unbuttoned, and his face wore a tired expression with the visible frown and disheveled hair.

It would be best not to piss off the Royal Justice.

“Artem,” Vyn called out. The grumpy man turned away from his papers and nodded at Vyn. When he noticed Marius, he heaved himself up to properly greet his king, but Marius quickly stopped him.

“Hey, sit down. I don’t need to hear any more honorifics than I should, and I would really hate hearing them from you.”

Artem sighed as he sat back down, pinching his nose bridge. “Sorry, I’m just completely exhausted right now. Work has been so swamped lately.”

Marius softened his eyes. “Is there anyway I can help you?”

The Royal Justice shook his head, “No. If you assisted me, word would spread that I am incompetent. There’s already enough rumors spreading around the castle.”

He had already known how brutally honest Artem was. Still, he could never get used to it. It ticked him off how Artem brushed him off like that; it felt insulting.

Before Marius could say any retort, Vyn placed a hand on his shoulder. “Artem, how about we all take a break?”

[thebadgerclan]

The Dragon and The Fox: Chapter Two

Chapter Summary: The Dragon Queen’s wedding…

@autumnbabylon

A/N: I’m sorry if the formatting is weird on this chapter, my internet went down while I was writing this, so I’m posting from my phone

Nikolai’s breath caught in his throat as the oak doors to the ballroom opened. There she was: his Dragon Queen, his love, his girl, in all her stunning beauty. Her gown shimmered with every step she took, dragon scales rippling in the fabric. Her veil looked like a fine mist, no, like metal floating on air. Sapphires sparkled in Zoya’s hair, which was braided intricately. Nikolai had to resist the urge to run up the aisle to her and embrace her. Genya was beaming with pride, a tear rolling from her eye.

The bouquet Zoya carried was a hodgepodge of different flowers, but Nikolai knew the significance behind them: blue irises for Alina, orange blossoms for Liliyana, heartleaf for Marie, yew for Sergei, red sentinels for Fedor, dahlias for Nina. There were more, many that Nikolai didn’t know for whom they were, but he knew they came from Zoya’s garden. She glided up the aisle to him, smiling, her blue eyes shining. Finally, she was beside him, handing her flowers to Genya, who pressed a kiss to her cheek

“Zoya,” Nikolai whispered, already feeling tears forming. “Saints, you look beautiful. My Zoya, look at you.” Zoya smiled wider, taking her prince’s hands. “Thank you. You clean up rather nicely as well.” Nikolai laughed, wanting to say a million more things: wax poetry of his bride’s beauty, tell her how deeply and unconditionally he loved her, sink to his knees before her and pledge his undying loyalty to the Dragon Queen. But there would be time for that later, and Zoya’s Apparat raised his hands, beginning the ceremony.

“We gather today to bring together two souls,” he said, gesturing to Nikolai and Zoya in turn. “Her Royal Highness, Queen Zoya Nazyalensky, and Nikolai Lanstov. If there are any who object to this union, speak now.” Nikolai waited with baited breath, fearing someone would shout out, but the room remained silent. “Please exchange your vows to one another.” Zoya straightened up. “Nikolai,” she said, voice clear and confident, but also sweet and full of love. “We are soldiers. I will march with you in times of war. I will rest with you in times of peace. I will forever be the weapon in your hand, the fighter at your side, the friend who awaits your return.

“I have seen your face in the making at the heart of the world, sobachka, and there is no one more beloved, brave, and unbreakable.” She squeezed Nikolai’s hand, blinking back tears. He was not a Grisha, but their vows were most fitting for a soldier, a man who had fought alongside his men while still wearing the crown. “Zoya, my love, we are soldiers. I will march with you in times of war. I will rest with you in times of peace. I will forever be the weapon in your hand, the fighter at your side, the friend who awaits your return. I have seen your face in the making at the heart of the world, and there is no one more beloved, brave, and unbreakable.”

Tolya came to his side, and Genya came to Zoya’s, both with a thorn wood crown in their hands. Zoya stooped so Genya could place the crown on her head, but Tolya was tall enough to place Nikolai’s on his head without him bending. The Apparat held his hands out, one over the queen’s head, the other over Nikolai’s. “In the presence of Saints and men, these two have declared their love and trust for one another. May the Saints grant them nothing but joy, love, and prosperity in their lives together. I now pronounce you man and wife.”

Nikolai hardly heard the assembled guests cheering, all of his attention was on Zoya, on his wife. He stepped forward, closing the gap between them, pulling her into his arms. Nikolai dipped her as he kissed her deeply, her thorn wood crown falling to the floor. Zoya clung to her husband as if her life depended on it, returning the kiss with equal amounts of passion and love. When he righted her, Nikolai kept Zoya in his arms, resting his forehead against hers. “I love you,” he said, voice soft. “I love you so much, Zoya. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“I love you too, sobachka,” she replied, grinning wider than Nikolai had ever seen. “So much.” After a moment, Nikolai released Zoya and offered her his arm. “I believe there are people who wish to congratulate their queen,” he said, and Zoya took his arm. “And their prince consort?” “I suppose.” They walked from the altar, waving and smiling to their guests. A refreshment table had been set up in the back of the ballroom for the guests while the reception was being readied, and several people were already there.

The first ones to offer their congratulations were the Fjerdan prince and his wife. The new princess had nearly flown into Zoya’s arms before remembering herself, dropping into a deep curtsey. “Your Majesty,” she said, voice demure, but face mischievous. “Oh come off it, Nina,” Zoya said, holding her arms out to her friend. Nina embraced Zoya, arms like a vice around her midsection. “Congratulations,” she said, taking Zoya’s hands. “You look stunning.” “She truly does,” said Nikolai, putting an arm around his wife’s shoulder. Zoya blushed, leaning into Nikolai’s side.

The Fjerdan prince came to his wife’s side, kissing her temple. “Your Majesty,” he said in greeting. “My congratulations. May Djel watch over you.” Zoya smirked, taking his offered hand. “Thank you, Your Highness. Are you taking care of our Nina?” His demeanor changed, becoming more relaxed. “I’d do nothing else,” he said, and Nina smiled. “We’ll have to do lunch once I’m queen. Is that something queens do?” Zoya laughed. “If I say they do, then yes.”

The queen spoke to the Fjerdans for a few moments more before moving on, greeting ambassadors and nobility of several nations. “Mister Brekker,” she said as she approached the Crows. “A pleasure.” She nodded to Jesper and Wylan as well, who smiled back at her. “We’re grateful for the invitation. And should the Ravkan crown ever require our services, we would be more than happy to assist.” Zoya smiled. “Thank you. I shall certainly keep that in mind.” Their conversation was short, and when Zoya caught a flash of white in the corner, she led her husband to the apparent peasants.

“Miss Starkov,” she said, catching the girl’s attention. “We’re so happy you both could be here today.” Alina smiled, embracing Zoya, then Nikolai. “It’s Mrs. Oretsev, and we’re happy to be here.” “Ahh, of course.” The banter came easy between the two women, their bond strengthened by their shared experiences. “So what should we call you now? Mrs. Lanstov?” Zoya smirked. “Your Majesty, My Queen, Queen Zoya, Most Exalted One will do just fine.” Alina laughed, leaning on Mal’s shoulder. “Of course, Most Exalted One.” She gave a dramatic bow, and Zoya laughed, as did Nikolai and Mal.

“How’s Sainthood?” Alina rolled her eyes, though she was still smiling. “Have you ever been strolling through town and saw your finger bones for sale?” Zoya shuddered at the thought. “I can’t say I have.” “It’s creepy, let’s just say that.” They chatted for a few minutes, and for a while, Zoya forgot that she was Queen of Ravka, that she had a country to run. For a while, she was just Zoya, and the girl before her was the Sun Summoner.

“You know you’re welcome here any time,” Nikolai said, and Zoya nodded. “If you ever want to come stay or need to get away from the kids, our doors are always open.” Mal nodded his thanks, and Alina smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “Truly, thank you.” “Of course. It’s the least we could do after you, you know, saved the world.” Alina smiled, and Nikolai pressed a kiss to Zoya’s cheek. “Ready to head into the reception?” he asked, and Zoya nodded. “A party that’s all about me? Of course I am.” “Hey,” Nikolai said, feigning offense. “It’s my party too!” Zoya pulled her husband down into a kiss, cupping his cheeks in both hands. “It is, darling, it is.”F

[ibijau]

Suyao’s happy evil life in Japan, because I think they deserve that / also on AO3

warning for jgy having some very condescending views about Japan and its culture

The damn house wasn’t even haunted, Jin Guangyao thought as he performed the ritual. It had been abandoned for a few years, certainly, and it had a certain creepiness still clinging to its walls as a result, but that was nothing that a good deep cleaning and more recent furniture couldn’t solve. 

Not that Jin Guangyao would say as much. If the tradition in Japan dictated that abandoned houses had to be cleansed before they could be used, he’d do just that. Business was business, and it wasn’t impossible that a pre-emptive ritual ensured no future ghosts would appear there. And even if one did, he’d come up with something, blame it on the family, on some fault in the landscape. It wouldn’t even be a lie. This house’s fengshui was a complete disaster… but he wasn’t being paid for that, and he didn’t particularly like this lord. The man had made disparaging comments against Su Minshan more than once, and Jin Guangyao had made note of that.

He wasn’t about to do Awata no Seimei any favours. In fact, Su Minshan and him had already agreed that they’d make the man pay more for the exorcism, even though they didn’t particularly need the extra money, not the way they’d done their first year. But then, in that first year, they wouldn’t have dared to aggravate someone as high ranking as Awata no Seimei, supposing they could even have gotten such a patron in the first place.

It had been hard, that first year, but neither of them were the sort to give up just because things weren’t easy. Besides, they’d had to survive, if only to spite the enemies they’d left behind.

Inflamed at the memory of that shameful flight, Jin Guangyao stomped a little harder than strictly necessary, which appeared to catch the attention of his spectators. Good. Let Awata no Seimei think he was working hard to purify that house he’d bought, it would justify the higher price.

It was mid-morning when Jin Guangyao decided he’d put on enough of a show and could announce that the house was now safe for ordinary humans. As soon as he stopped the ritual, Su Minshan rushed to his side, offering some cool tea, one of the local types that Jin Guangyao had become so fond of. As he drank, Jin Guangyao realised he was parched. It was still early enough in the day, but the heat was rising fast. It would soon be unbearably hot and damp, making Jin Guangyao regret that he’d wasted so long on this empty ritual.

“Master Kin Kouyou, what a splendid ceremony,” Awata no Seimei said in a too deferential tone that Jin Guangyao despised for reminding him of his own. “You have my thanks for your help, I could not have asked anyone else. Truly, there is no one else who would do as well as master Kin Kouyou.”

Jin Guangyao shot him a cold look. Before he could try guessing what Awata no Seimei might want from him next, Su Minshan came to stand between them, arms crossed on his chest, towering over the nobleman.

“Zongzhu just conducted this ritual for your house,” Su Minshan barked. “Please understand how draining this is, the house had been left untouched for many years, and there were traces of a fox spirit in there.”

Well, there were fox droppings in one of the bedrooms, Jin Guangyao thought, biting his cheeks not to grin. He couldn’t laugh in public, not when he was supposed to be exhausted from his great fight against evil, but the look of horror on that noble lord’s face at the mention of a fox demon was priceless.

“Of course I am grateful to master Kin Kouyou,” Awata no Seimei said. “I will make no further requests today. Then, regarding the master’s dues...”

“Don’t bother Zongzhu with that either,” Su Minshan snapped. “Come see me tomorrow, and I will deal with the payment. Zongzhu isn’t to be disturbed with such trivial matters. Zongzhu needs to retire now, unless you have any real reason to keep him here.”

Awata no Seimei didn’t. Between Jin Guangyao’s growing reputation now that the emperor himself had hired him and Su Minshan’s attitude, those nobles knew to keep conversations short. It had worried Jin Guangyao, at first, the way Su Minshan couldn’t bother being polite to these people, but in the end this played to their advantage. People expected foreigners to be a little odd, and the locals seemed to enjoy knowing that however talented those two Chinese cultivators were in magic arts, at least they had better manners.

Having finished their business with this old house, Jin Guangyao and Su Minshan headed back home. Awata no Seimei, quite generously, offered them the use of a pair of kago, which struck Jin Guangyao as rather suspicious. The man definitely had to have another service to ask of them, and probably one they wouldn’t enjoy performing. An onmyouji he’d become friendly with had warned him that some of those important people could become overdependent on divination and rituals, and Awata no Seimei seemed just like the sort who would ask the heavens what he should have for breakfast.

It sounded very annoying, Jin Guangyao thought as he stepped onto the travelling chair, but until Awata no Seimei actually started making requests, he wasn’t above taking advantage of the man’s generosity. The less he had to walk in this heavy, wet heat, the better. And he could tell that Su Minshan was getting uncomfortable, scratching his chest often. Summers were hard on him here, especially with his condition.

Eager to distract the other man from his discomfort, Jin Guangyao started chatting with him while their kago were carried along the streets of Heijou-Kyou, asking what else they had on their schedule for that day.

“Music lessons for the disciples this afternoon,” Su Minshan said, hands clenched over his knees in a futile effort to resist the itchiness. “Aside from that, nothing much.”

Jin Guangyao hummed, letting his gaze rest on the scenery. He’d been told that the city had been modelled after Chang’an, and many people had asked him if it looked as good as the original. Having never visited the capital at home, he always had to invent some polite lie about Heijou-Kyou having its own grandeur, but privately he wasn’t impressed. The original was always better than a copy, except in one specific case… and that case was sitting on a kago next to his own, suffering because of this country's climate.

“Minshan, take the rest of the day off,” Jin Guangyao said after a little while. “I’ll deal with the music lesson, you should have a fresh bath and rest. You’re really feeling bad today, aren’t you?”

Su Minshan looked away in shame, but nodded shortly. If it had been possible, Jin Guangyao would have reached out for him and taken his hand to comfort him.

“I’m fine,” Su Minshan said. “There’s no need to trouble yourself, I can take care of the disciples.”

“And I’d rather you take care of yourself,” Jin Guangyao countered. “I like teaching them, anyway. They’re good children.”

About half the disciples they’d recruited for their new sect were sons of minor nobility, because that paid, and because it never hurt to have connections. But a few were youth of genuine potential, who had in them the making of true cultivators, if they applied themselves.

The noble boys only came to study some of the days, and were sent back to their parents after lessons. The true disciples lived in their house, so they could be taught proper cultivation without inducing jealousy in those spoiled little princes who would never even come close to forming a golden core. Two of those boys Jin Guangyao had straight up bought from their family, something he couldn’t decide how to feel about. But they’d have been wasted as peasants, and they were grateful to their masters, and…

And Jin Guangyao wondered sometimes if this was what it had felt like for Nie Mingjue, picking the lowest person he could see and bringing him higher than others. Knowing you could change someone’s life was a potent drug, and it made Jin Guangyao want to fight to maintain their current position, so he could keep doing it. He’d been on the receiving end of pity for so long, he quite enjoyed being the one who could bestow it upon others at last.

“Do take the afternoon off,” Jin Guangyao insisted. “And I’ll send Haruto to buy some refreshing treats. He’ll be so happy to be of service to you, don’t refuse him that pleasure.”

“But…”

“Don’t refuse me the pleasure of spoiling you, either,” Jin Guangyao said, and with that Su Minshan could only nod meekly, defeated. 

They reached home soon after. A light lunch was served to them, after which Jin Guangyao ordered that a bath be prepared for Su Minshan. Haruto and Minato, the two peasant boys, acquitted themselves of that task before going to prepare for their afternoon class. Jin Guangyao too went to prepare, but only after making sure that Su Minshan had everything he needed, and that the room they shared wasn’t too unbearably hot. Mostly, he enjoyed having someone to fuss over, something Su Minshan always resisted a little out of some fear he’d be relying too much on Jin Guangyao and become a burden.

A ridiculous notion. Out of everyone Jin Guangyao had ever allowed close to him, Su Minshan was the only one whose company had never once felt like a weight on his shoulder. Right from the start they had been equals, their temperament matching, as well as their hunger from more than the world was willing to give them. Jin Guangyao's few loved ones had all held him back, Qin Su with her unfortunate parentage, Lan Xichen with his principles, Jin Ling with the threat he represented... but Su Minshan had always been the perfect person to stand at Jin Guangyao’s side, and now they could do so openly.

The afternoon lesson passed quickly. Due to the humid heat, the boys were a little less attentive than usual, but then again so was Jin Guangyao. He was only too happy to free the boys for the day. Jin Guangyao only took a moment to send Haruto, his favourite student, on a few errands, while he went to do some accounting. 

He’d been carefully managing their finances since they’d arrived in this country, and finally things were looking up. Jin Guangyao hoped that in a year or two they might buy a small house in the mountains, where he was told summers were fresher. Hopefully, he might get parts of the expense dumped onto some idiot prince or other, in exchange for teaching one of their dull witted sons. Back at home it wouldn’t have worked, because people understood money couldn’t buy cultivation, but here… here, any idiot with gold to waste thought they would learn magic.

It was fine to scam these people, Jin Guangyao told himself. Taking advantage of powerful men was nothing at all like those people who had sold his mother fake cultivation manuals. He wasn’t hurting anyone. Or at least, no one that particularly mattered.

When Haruto returned, Jin Guangyao took it as a sign he’d worked enough for the day. He thanks the boy for his effort, and gave him a few of the just purchased treats to share with the other disciples. The rest he took with him as he went to the room he shared with Su Minshan. As always he knocked on the wall to announce his presence, using a certain code between them so Su Minshan would know he didn’t need to cover himself.

When he came in, Su Minshan was sprawled inelegantly on a futon, and desperately fanning himself, his ruined chest glistening with sweat. He looked so miserable like this, though his face lit up when Jin Guangyao put down a box on their low table, and opened it to reveal some fresh shaved ice.

“I could kiss you,” Su Minshan said, all but crawling to the table.

“I hope you will,” Jin Guangyao retorted, picking some of the shaved ice with a spoon so he could feed it to the other man. “I also have some cold noodles, and some rice wine.”

“You are a god among men.”

Jin Guangyao laughed, and started chatting about their students, the ones in which they placed true hope, the ones who were there only for their parents’ fortune. Su Minshan was delighted to hear they might be able to buy a secondary house. With his thousand holes curse, heat and humidity were particularly hard on him, sweat and friction chafing his skin nearly to the point of bleeding sometimes. They really needed that house in the mountain, Jin Guangyao decided. He'd start looking very soon, and maybe drop a word to one of his richer patrons to ask for advice on such a purchase.

For now though, the two men enjoyed their shaved ice, then moved on to some delicious cold noodles. The local food was different from the one back home, but it was something they'd both taken to rather well, unlike that blasted climate. Then, after eating, they started drinking their wine, and the two men found themselves chatting about the place they would always call home, even if they should live in Japan for a thousand years.

“I wonder how A-Ling is doing,” Jin Guangyao mused, staring into his cup of wine. “Poor boy, he must have run the sect to the grounds by now, unless someone more competent got rid of him.”

“Maybe your enemy killed him,” Su Minshan retorted. “If they couldn’t get you, at least they’d get your next of kin.”

Jin Guangyao grimaced. “Probably. After all, they got Qin Su and that little idiot Mo Xuanyu, why not Jin Ling as well? Unless…”

“Unless?”

Jin Guangyao hummed thoughtfully. “I’m still wondering who it could have been,” he said. “I had my enemies of course, but there aren’t many who could have been bold enough to come after me like that. They all hated me of course,” he added with a joyless laugh. “But hate is not enough to go after a man who will slaughter your sect if you stand in his way. It takes a certain type of man to stand up to someone like me.”

“Could have been Lan Wangji,” Su Minshan predictably suggested. “Righteous prick, he didn’t particularly like Nie Mingjue, but he’d avenge him just to feel morally superior.”

“The fact that his lover was brought back certainly is suspicious,” Jin Guangyao conceded, sipping some wine. “And he never particularly liked me, either. To be fair, I don’t think he likes anyone, except that murderer. Still, I’m not sure he would have let Mo Xuanyu kill himself, he does have principles. No, I have another theory.”

“I’m listening.”

Jin Guangyao smiled, and poured more alcohol for both of them, letting the liquid flow as slowly as possible, allowing the suspense to rise a little before he dropped his bomb.

“Jiang Cheng,” he then said.

Su Minshan blinked a few times, frowned, then severely nodded, glaring at his cup of wine.

“It would make sense. Good way to make sure you don’t get rid of his idiotic nephew.”

“Our idiotic nephew,” Jin Guangyao corrected, who had put too much effort into becoming a Jin to disown his last direct relative, even if the boy really took more after his other uncle. “And everyone knows he’s obsessed with finding Wei Wuxian, right? I wouldn’t put it past him to just take things in his own hands and bring back the man who killed his sister, just for a chance to kill him himself, once he was sure no one stood in the way of A-Ling’s inheritance. Too bad he didn’t count on Lan Wangji. Ah, I almost wish I could go back and check on conferences now, it must be quite the show.”

The thought of Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng, who had always hated each other, forced to act half polite even though they both wanted to lock down Wei Wuxian and keep him to themselves… it might have been the wine, but Jin Guangyao couldn’t help chuckling a little. He was so glad that he didn’t have to deal with that sort of mess. For this alone, he was almost grateful to his mysterious enemy.

It was an odd feeling, actually, but Jin Guangyao had come to enjoy his life here, in this foreign land. It wasn’t as good as home, nothing compared to the near absolute power he’d held back then, but… but his eyes fell on Su Minshan, naked from the waist up, looking in a rare good mood, and he smiled. There was definitely something to be said for this simpler life they had here. There was so much less scheming to be done, fewer enemies to deal with, and Jin Guangyao was finally free from the looming menace of Nie Mingjue’s resentful head hidden in his secret room.

Life here really wasn’t so bad.

“You know who it could have been?” Su Minshan asked, grinning like a fool, his cheeks flushed from the heat and the wine. 

“Who?”

Su Minshan beamed, the way he usually did when sharing a nasty story about the darker secrets of Gusu Lan.

“Think about it. Someone who would have wanted to avenge Nie Mingjue. Someone who might have been able to wander around in other sects without attracting attention to collect information, because nobody cares what he does. Someone who Mo Xuanyu might have met before, who was there when Wei Wuxian came to Jinlin Tai to accuse you…”

Jin Guangyao, who had expected his lover to blame Lan Xichen, burst out laughing.

“I think you’ve had too much to drink, Minshan. Really? You’re accusing Nie Huaisang now?” Just saying it out loud, Jin Guangyao laughed louder. Nie Huaisang had never had a single idea of his own in his entire life, and didn’t even get along with his brother when he’d been alive. Su Minshan might as well have blamed a very stupid dog. “That poor boy, I bet he would have taken my defence to the end. I almost miss him, you know.”

“No you don’t,” Su Minshan retorted, which made Jin Guangyao laugh again.

“I do! Ah, Minshan, let’s get a cat and call it Huaisang.”

Su Minshan scoffed, and reached out for the wine, only to find they had already finished it. It was probably for the best, if they were so drunk that they could consider the possibility of Nie Huaisang being their secret enemy.

“It’d have to be a fat cat then,” Su Minshan grumbled, stretching in a way that called attention to his chest. It was funny, Jin Guangyao thought sometimes, how he should have been disgusted by the effects of the Thousand Holes curse, but wasn’t at all. “ And one too lazy to even run after mice, or do anything but sleep in the sun, or else the name won’t fit.”

“Minshan, you’re so mean,” Jin Guangyao fondly said, taking the other man’s hand and pulling on it, wanting to go to bed now and enjoy some more this very mean-spirited man he was lucky enough to share his new life with. “Please, never change.”

[the-sympathetic-villain]

Chaos Reigns

Prompt: The Light Sides react to Logan becoming a dark side.This one-shot is a continuation of my one-shot ‘Choking In The Dark’ inspired by the animatic, "Wires" by Anna Midnight. I would recommend reading that one before reading this one in order for the context to make sense. Prompt from iheartsolangelo

AO3 | First | Next | Masterpost

Word Count: 2955 Chapter Warnings: Food, All of the characters have some less than sympathetic moments, DarkSide!Logan, Horror Elements, Somewhat graphic description of rotting food/bugs, Spit/Wet Willy, Threats, Angst, Unwanted physical contact (non-sexual), Anger, Mentions of Death, Lashing out, Electric shock, Passing out, Swearing (Let me know if I missed anything!)

---

    Patton bustled about the kitchen, shifting between his various dishes as he prepared dinner for his family. Warm, humid air carried the scent of his fresh, baked bread down the hallways of the mindscape and Patton smiled knowing the lovely scent would start to draw out its residents as they sensed dinnertime approaching.

    “Virgil, could you please set the table?” Patton called out at the sound of a soft shuffling behind him. A soft groan behind him let him know that his shadowy friend had heard him.

    “Why’s it always me that gets stuck with the chores, padre?” Virgil drawled grumpily. “Can't you get princey to contribute every once in a while?”

    “Now, Virgil.” Patton started, pulling out his best dad voice. “You know we all have to do our part to contribute.”

    “Yeah, right.” Virgil groaned, pulling his headphones back over his ears as he moved towards the cupboards. “When was the last time you saw Roman wash a dish?”

    “Silence, foul demon.” Roman's voice echoed against the walls as he appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. “How dare you besmirch my royal name in my absence! Where is the honor in such a cowardly action?”

    “Cute, princey." Virgil rolled his eyes, pulling a stack of plates from the shelf. “How about you defend your honor by taking these while I grab the silverware?”

    “Oh, no.” Roman deflected his attempt to hand him the plates as he flitted over to Patton. “I can't do that.”

    “—and why not?” Virgil let out an exasperated sigh as he brushed past Roman and dropped the plates on the table with a loud clattered.

    “Why not?” Roman smiled, flipping his hands towards Virgil. “Well, because that’s peasants’ work, of course.

    “You’re insufferable.”

    “Now, boys.” Patton interrupted as he brought the steaming casserole to the table. “I need you to play nice at the dinner table.”

    “Patton, this isn't fair.” Virgil muttered, gesturing to Roman’s smug expression as he stared at him across the table. “He's just standing there watching me work.”

    “Patton asked you to set the table Virgil.” Janus' hiss made Virgil jump as the man came up behind him. “Surely the task is not too labor intensive for you to handle on your own.”

    “It's about the principle, Janus.” Virgil muttered, slamming open the drawer as he grabbed the silverware. “He could be helping, but he's not.”

     “And yet, by some miracle, you seemed to have finished all by yourself.” Janus drawled as Virgil set out the silverware on the table. “Outstanding.”

    “You’re the worst.”

    “I do make an effort,” Janus replied dryly, frowning as Roman snickered from across the table. “but don’t worry, Virgil. Your complaints have been noted and Roman will be doing the dishes after we eat.”

    “What?” Roman’s jaw dropped as Virgil’s face lit up. “Doing the dishes is twice the work of setting the table!”

     Janus rolled his eyes, dropping into his seat at the table. “Well then, I guess you should have helped Virgil when you had the chance. Shouldn't you have, Roman?”

    “I'm sorry, Janus.” Patton smiled empathetically as he came up behind Janus, leaning over to place the last steaming dish on the table. “I'm sure this wasn’t what you signed up for when you decided to move up here with us.”

    “Oh, please.” Janus smirked up at Patton as Roman and Virgil took their seats. “Neither of them has started throwing food yet, so this is already a step up from handling Remus.”

    “Good. I'm glad you’re fitting in okay, kiddo.” A smile twitched at the corner of Patton’s lips as he glanced around at his family. “Now, let's eat. I'm sure everyone is starving. Has anyone seen Logan?”

    “Geek's been quiet for a few days.” Roman muttered impatiently. “He's probably in his room making a schedule for when Thomas is allowed to breathe.”

    “Roman, be nice.” Patton chided him quietly. “Those kinds of words are hurtful.”

    “Come on, pops.” Roman pressed. “You know the Microsoft Nerd can barely function when he's not micromanaging the rest of us. Guy sucks pretty hard sometimes.”

    “I know Logan can be a little overbearing sometimes, but you still don’t get to call him names.”

    Roman sighed, muttering under his breath. “I didn’t hear a disagreement in that statement.”

    “Maybe I should go grab him—”

    “Do you have to, Pat?” Virgil asked, absently sipping at his water. “Can’t deny it's been nice to eat a few meals without a lecture.”

    “Both of you are done speaking until you can say something nice.” Janus snapped with a quick hand gesture, silencing them both simultaneously. “I don’t know what’s gotten into either of you but I've had enough of it.”

    Patton shifted nervously, feeling an uneasy chill run up his spine as he took a step towards Logan’s room. “I'll be right back. I'm going to go get him.”

    “Oh no, Patton.” The lights flickered and dimmed as an echo of Logan’s voice chilled the air, sending shivers down Patton’s spine. “I really think you should sit.”

    All eyes turned to the head of the table as the air seemed to be sucked from the room, leaving them breathless as they stared at Logan. His now jet-black hair was perfectly gelled back. Not a hair was out of place as his eyes glimmered with a danger fire as he straightened the tie on his charcoal-grey suit.

    Roman was the first to shake his shock, turning back to the rest of the table. “Will someone explain why the professor is trying to out-edgelord our own resident killjoy?”

    “Lay off, princ—”

    “Oh, Roman.” Logan’s threatening drawl filled the air with an ice-cold chill, stopping Virgil’s protest in its tracks. “You have such a pretty face. It's too bad you have to ruin the illusion with the words that come out of your mouth.”

    Roman stalled for a moment. “We have the same face—”

    Logan grimaced, sending a sudden shudder of fear straight to the hearts of the other sides. “Truly, what an awful, grating noise you make.”

    The other sides watched in horror as a unsettling grin spread across Logan’s face as he held up his hand and snapped. In an instant, Roman jumped out of his seat knocking his chair back as he batted at his arms. The creative side immediately looked to Logan for mercy as a bright, red crystal crept up his arms but his eyes were cold as he ignored Roman’s pleas for help. Within moments, he was completely frozen in place, completely encased by the crystal.

    “Would anyone else care to interrupt me?”

    Logan stare turned to each of his former friends’ faces. Silence quickly dampened the room as his empty stare crept up into an unsettling smile.

    “I thought not.” Logan continued in a hushed tone. “There are going to be some changes in the way Thomas operates and I don’t particularly care whether any of you like what I'm doing or not.”

     Silence hung in the air between them for a long moment before Janus leaned forward on his elbows, bringing his hands together in front of him as he stared down Logan from across the table. “What about Thomas? Surely, you don't believe our creator is going to support your little coup.”

    “I'm so glad you asked, Janus. I intend for keep Thomas distracted until it’s too late for him to change anything.” Logan’s white teeth glistened in the dim light as his dark eyes locked onto Janus. “Fortunately, I have a little help in that department.”

    A sudden gasp and a shriek for Virgil and Patton respectively surrounded Logan on both sides as the room dropped into darkness. The darkness only lasted a few short seconds but reprieve did not follow as a subtle green light started to radiate from the table. Logan let out a hollow chuckle at Patton and Virgil’s horrified expression as their beautiful dinner turned to rot. Maggots curled in the casserole and the plate of vegetables Patton had spent so much time on oozed a steaming green liquid that seemed to be creeping closer to its maker as Patton edged away.

    “Remus, enough.” Janus reached his hand up and snapped, expecting  the illusion to fade away. The look of shock on Janus’ face was met with a knowing smirk from Logan across the table as the feast of horrors remained.

    “Oooooh,” Remus cooed in Janus’ ear, coming out of the shadows. “Looks like the dirty light-sider doesn't have control of me anymore.”

    “Don't underestimate me.” Janus scoffed nonchalantly as Remus leaned over his shoulder. “Controlling you was always about more than just my powers.”

    “Oh yeah?” Remus purred into Janus' neck. “If that was true, could I do this?”

     Janus flinched as Remus popped his pointer finger in his mouth before shoving it in Janus' ear, still glistening with spit.  “Remus, you undignified ball of waste. I’ll kill—"

    “Don't touch him.” Logan’s calm voice distracted Janus' rage as he attempted to shove Remus away.

    Remus smirked as Janus hesitated, side-eyeing Logan as he gauged the situation. The moment's hesitation drew a giggle from Remus. “Well, what do you know? I might like it when Logey-Bear gets possessive.”

    “I'll give you a chance, Janus.” Logan stated plainly, rested his hands in his lap as he ignored Remus’ statements. “You still have the potential to be of use to me. Join us and you can spare yourself a lot of trouble.”

    “I don't think so.” Janus stated, glaring at Remus as he stood up out of his chair. “In fact, I think I'll go have a word with Thomas about your actions and see what he thinks of your attempt mutiny.”

    “That’s an unfortunate choice, but not unexpected one .” Logan smirked leaning back in his chair as he shared a knowing glance with Remus. “I'm sorry, Janus, but I forbid you from speaking to Thomas.”

    Janus turned his cool gaze back to Logan. “Don’t play with me, Logan. I'm the only one with the power to prevent sides from reaching Thomas.”

    “Not anymore. You should have taken my offer.” Logan sneered back at Janus as his eyes darkened and he raised a hand up in the air. “Look like this is a benched trial for you, Janus.”

    Logan snapped his fingers and the others jumped as Janus let out a yelp. The logical side’s face was void of emotion as the wires that had bound him for so long jumped at his command, dragging a swearing Janus into the hallway.

   “Patton, don't!”

   Virgil’s worried voice drew Logan’s attention to Patton as he jumped out of his chair. Logan let out a long breath as Patton glanced back at him nervously.

    “You’d do well to listen to Virgil, Patton.” Logan muttered darkly, lifting his eyes to Patton in a subtle warning. “Unless you want to share Janus' fate.”

    “Why are you doing this to your friends?” Patton started to shake as he turned back to Logan’s vacant stare. “Logan, you’re better than this.”

    “You’re not my friends.” Logan whispered, ignoring Patton taking a step back as if he'd struck him.

    “Logan—”

    “Keep my name out of your mouth.” Logan snapped, pushing his chair over as he rose to his feet. He stepped forward, looming over Patton as he backed into the wall. “I should never have given it to any of you."

    Patton flinched, making himself smaller as Logan slowly raised a hand to his face.

    “Don’t touch him—”

    Logan glanced over his shoulder lazily as Remus shoved Virgil back down into his seat.

    “Ah, ah—” Remus grinned, wrapping his hands around Virgil’s collar as the anxious side squirmed against him. “The adults are talking right now.”

    “Logan, please.”

    Logan turned his gaze back to Patton as his wide eyes lifted up to him.

    “You don’t have to do this.”

    Logan scoffed, tucking his hands in the pockets of his dark suit. “What exactly don’t I have to do?

    “Hurt people, Lo.” Patton whispered, glancing around at the trail of destruction left in the new dark side's wake. “This isn’t you.”

    “You’re wrong, Patton.” Logan muttered, taking a step forward as he crowded Patton into the wall. “This is necessary for my survival. Not that you would care about that.”

    Patton whimpered as Logan hooked his chin with his finger, guiding his face up.

    “I tried to be nice—to let everyone have their say, but I won't take your abuse any longer.” Logan let out a long breath as he leaned in, inches from Patton’s face. “I lost so much of myself to the rest of you that the subconscious tried to tear me apart.”

    “Oh, Lo—” Patton’s expression softened as his eyes glistened in the dim light.

    “I almost died, and not only were my so-called friends not there to save me, you were the ones who led me to the gallows.” Logan’s eyes glittered like fire and his face twisted into a snarl as a raspy laugh passed his lips at the sight of the sudden guilt on Patton’s face. “Congratulations. Your friend is dead and you were the one to kill him.”

    “Logan, I'm so sorr—”

    “Stop. Your apology is too little and too late, Patton.” Logan cut him off, baring his teeth at Patton as waves of anger radiated off of him. “Now, I've had enough of this conversation. So, if it’s all the same to you, I think we’re going to skip the rest of this dialogue.”

    The lights flickered as his statement finished and in the blink of an eye, Patton was gone.

    “Patton—No!” Virgil’s cry rang out behind him as Logan turned to watch him struggle in Remus arms. “What did you do to him?!”

    “I sent him into his worst nightmare.” Logan muttered. His voice held a bitterness as he nonchalantly brushed off his sleeves.

    “Which is what?” Virgil muttered, shuddering and squirming as Remus licked a long strip up his neck. “Get him off me—”

    “No.”

    “No? What the hell is wrong with you?” Virgil hissed as Remus pulled him to his feet, curling an arm around his waist to hold him in place. He hissed, spinning on Remus with bared teeth. “Why are you even helping him?”

    “Are you kidding?” Remus ran a hand through Virgil’s hair as he breathed into emo's ear. “Dr. Doom is the most interesting thing to happen around here in years. Of course, I wanted in on that action."

     Virgil let out a breathy whine, relenting to Remus' grip. “Just—Fine. Where’s Pat?”

    “Our dear, pun-loving father figure is in a place of my own creation, deep in the outer regions of the imagination. He's wandering the forests of guilt.” Logan whispered with a sense of finality. “Now, if he was capable of growing a spine and confronting his own feelings, I might be worried he would simply walk free, but I think we both know he'll be walking in circles trying to help the lost souls in the trees forever.”

    Virgil sucked in a breath, closing his eyes as Logan stepped toward him. “Where are you sending me?”

    “Oh, Virgie.” Remus purred. “What makes you think you get to leave?”

    “What?” Virgil blinked, looking up at Logan. “Y-you got rid of the others.”

    “They've served their purpose, Virgil.” Logan smiled, feigning innocence as he ran his fingers along Virgil’s jaw. “You still have so much to give.”

    “No.” Virgil muttered, staring at him incredulously. “I won't help you.”

    “Don’t misunderstand me. I'm not giving you a choice.” Logan whispered, gripping his chin as he forced Virgil’s chin up. “In fact, you’ll only become more useful the harder you choose to fight me, so go ahead and resist with all your might. You’re nothing if not persistent, Virgil.”

    “Why me?” Virgil’s shoulders slumped. “What could I possibly do for you?”

    “Without Roman's dreams or Patton’s misguided attempts at morality, Thomas will need another reason to stay motivated.” Logan whispered, gripping Virgil’s collar as electricity flickered on his hand. “So, I think we're going to get those neurons firing and stir up a little panic. What do you think?”

    Virgil’s eyes widened as the electricity crept up his body, pulling a groan from his lips as his body lit up in a blue light. His knees collapsed as the light flickered and faded, barely held up by Remus' arm wrapped around his torso.

   “You won’t get away with this.” Virgil moaned, feeling his vision start to fade. “We won't let you hurt Thomas.”

    Remus' giggle in his ear made his heart drop. “You better focus on surviving first, edgy boy.”

    Virgil shivered, feeling himself sinking in Remus' arms.

    “Don't worry, Virgil.” Logan’s ice-cold voice drew his attention up to the bitterness in Logan’s eyes. “At least I haven’t threatened to prohibit you from breathing yet.”

    “I didn’t mean it, L—"

    “Too little, too late.” Logan interrupted as Virgil’s eyes fluttered closed. Letting out a long sigh, he turned his eyes up to Remus with a devilish smile. “Are you ready, Remus?”

    “You better believe it, white and nerdy.” Remus grinned, flipping Virgil over his shoulder. “I'm ready to wreak a little havoc on Tommy boy's brain.”

    “Good.” Logan smiled as he straightened up, adjusting his glasses. “Then, we move on to phase two. Your particular set of skills will be essential for our plan to succeed."

    Remus grinned. “That's a lot of fancy words for you to say you’re excited to see me fuck things up, teach.”

    “Indeed.” Logan’s devilish grin widened as he glanced around the abandoned meal, letting out a chuckle as he turned to follow Remus as he carried Virgil out of the room.

---

General Taglist:

@somehow-i-got-an-account @justanotherhumanstuff @im-an-anxious-wreck

[if-vladtheimpaler-had-wifi]

Theoretically if one were to declare a bounty on the head of a wild hound that may or may not have escaped from my hound pit, would it be possible for a peasant to actually apprehend it? Granted I did train the hounds for peasant specific violence, but surely now that the cur is rouge he shall be tame enough to handle?

There is of course no cash reward, any peasant should be grateful to serve the Prince of Wallachia lest they be impaled in my favorite impaling meadowe :)

[the-most-slytherin-hufflepuff]

Open your eyes (Prologue)

This story started out as a Merlin AU with the SW character and then went completely off the rails. I hope you enjoy it. Credit for the charsacters goes to @lumosinlove. 

@waltzintherain @clearsuitcasecookienerd hope this lives up to your expectations <3. 

Masterlist

Remus stood in shock, staring at the center of the square as the crowd thinned around him. The king had just killed someone, and these people were acting like nothing happened. He shook his head, as if to dislodge the image of the axe falling down from his mind. He knew that the laws on sorcery were nothing short of ridiculous in the kingdom of Slytherin, but he hadn’t expected to find himself witnessing an execution less than an hour into arriving. 

He walked towards one of the guards nearest to him. “Hey”, he tried to sound like he hadn’t just witnessed one of his own get murdered, “do you know where I can find the physician's chambers?”

The guard pointed to the entrance to his left, “up those steps, it's the first door to your left.”

“Thank you.” 

Remus went up the steps, trying to forget the execution he had just witnessed. He stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath. He reminded himself that Minerva was his mother’s friend, she knew about everything, it would be fine. 

He pushed the door open, only to discover an empty room, well not empty, the room was filled with herbs and vials and medicine, but there was no one there. He walked in, hovering awkwardly in between a table and the patient cot. 

He heard footsteps approach from outside before someone opened the door. “Hey Minnie do you- oh hi”. 

Remus blinked slowly when he saw the newcomer. He was tall with broad shoulders, black hair and sharp grey eyes. It took Remus a second to remember he was supposed to answer. “Hi” 

“You’re not Minnie”, the stranger said, confused.

“Astute observation”, Remus retorted, tone dripping with sarcasm.  

The stranger blinked at him, mouth slightly open in what appeared to be shock. “You can’t talk to me like that”, he said after shaking off his confusion. 

“Oh, really”, Remus said, “and, do tell, why not”. 

“Because.” 

“Saying because and pointing at yourself isn’t an answer.” Remus sounded amused. 

“I could have you thrown in the dungeons for that”. The other man didn’t sound offended, more teasing than anything else. 

Remus cocked an eyebrow at him. Stood in front of him was who he now recognized as Slytherin’s prince and heir to the throne. He had heard of Sirius Black in passing. He maybe came up in conversation once or twice, but Remus had never met him. People said he was the spitting image of Orion, but seeing him now Remus couldn’t help but notice how unlike his father he looked. Orion looked cold and distant, even the few glimpses that Remus had gotten of the king were enough for him to notice how above it all Orion thought he was. 

“I would like to see you try” 

Sirius barked out a laugh, “You have to be the most moronic person I have ever met. Challenging the prince in such a fashion” 

Remus smirked. “Well to throw me in a dungeon you’d have to catch me first.” 

“You think I can’t catch what’s right in front of me?” 

Remus pretended to think about it. He knew the prince wouldn’t be able to catch him. He had years of practice from running away from Finn and Thomas. “Maybe if what was in front of you wasn’t me”, he made a pause to give the prince an exaggerated look. “Maybe then you could catch it.” Whatever Sirius was going to retort got interrupted when a man opened the door. He was all but screaming at Sirius and he hadn't even entered the room. 

“Sirius Orion Black, get your lazy arse back to training and stop bothering Minerva.” 

“You wound me Logan.” Sirius said, putting a hand over his heart dramatically and turning to face the newcomer. “You think I, Sirius Black, would dare skip training just to annoy Minnie.”

Remus wanted to laugh. This was nothing like what he had expected from Sirius Black, Prince of Slytherin. “I have known you for less than five minutes”, both men turned to look at him, “but even I can tell you’re skipping.” Sirius gasped. If Remus thought Thomas was dramatic, this guy was worse. 

Logan laughed at Sirius’s betrayed expression. “I like you”, he said, “what’s your name.” 

“I’m Remus, Remus Lupin,”, he shook Logan’s offered hand, “and you are.” 

“Logan Tremblay, a pleasure to meet you.”

“I’m sorry to interupt what is surely some form of traitorous meeting,”, Sirius didn’t sound at all sorry, “but we have to go.”

Remus sighed, letting go of Logan’s hand. “Oh, well, it was nice meeting you Logan.” 

“Likewise.” 

“Skipping training again, your highness?” A beaming smile took over Sirius’s face at the woman’s voice.

“Minnie!” 

Minerva stood in the entryway, not at all phased by the two knights that were standing in the room. Remus wondered if this happened often.

“Hello Remus”

“Wait”, Sirius said putting his hand up, “you two know each other”. 

Logan rolled his eyes, “yeah yeah, they know each other. Now let’s go”. He grabbed Sirius by the arm and dragged him out of the physician's quarters. Remus chuckled lightly, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. 

“It’s good to see you”. Minerva greeted warmly. “It’s been a few years.” 

“Last time we talked I was, what” he stopped to think about it, “5 or 6 years old?” 

Minerva nodded before adding, “your mother said you wanted to learn medicine.”

“Yes. Thought I should learn, since my heale-”. He stopped himself, he couldn’t talk about his magic so casually anymore. Minerva seemed to understand what he meant anyway. Remus would have to be careful, he was grateful that he learned to control his magic when he was younger. He couldn’t afford accidental magic here. 

“Well there isn’t much for you to do today.” Minerva’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. “You can go explore the citadel if you want.”

Remus smiled at her. “That would be nice.” He spent some time in the room Minerva had prepared for him before going out. He thought about Sirius, he seemed like a good guy, but he was still raised by a man that couldn’t even bare the mention of magic. Maybe he thought people who chose to learn it would turn evil, but he didn’t seem like the type to kill someone without reason. 

Remus wouldn’t think about it too much. Even if he ended up befriending the prince, there was no chance Remus would share his secret until he knew for certain he could trust him. After he unpacked all of his belongings and wrote a letter for his mother he headed out of his room, crashing with someone right outside his door. He managed to regain his balance easily, the other person wasn’t so lucky. He heard the sound of metal and someone hitting the floor,  muttering a curse. “Oh gods, I am so sorry” Remus offered his hand to help the person up. It was a girl, with dark curls and tan skin. 

“That’s ok, I had to fix those anyway.”

“Still”, Remus bent down to pick up the armour the girl had dropped, “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you”, she said, accepting the chainmail he was handing her and putting it in the basket she had been carrying. “I’m June”

“Remus”.  He handed her a damaged gauntlet. 

“Are you new here, I don’t think I've seen you before.” 

“Is it that obvious?” Remus asked sheepishly. 

“Very”,  she said, trying to smother her giggles behind her palm. “Want me to show you around?” 

Remus nodded, “yeah that’d be great. Thank you.” 

“Great. We just have to drop these off at my house first.” 

The two of them walked in silence for a bit, passing through the citadel before heading towards the lower town. Remus was looking around trying to memorize where everything was but quickly becoming lost. June stopped in front of a small hut besides the forges and went in, probably to drop the damaged armour off. 

Remus felt only slightly dumb for not expecing June to live besides the forge. She had said she needed to fix the armour and now that he looked at her properly she didn’t look like all the other women in the lower town. She was muscular, definitely stronger than your average peasant woman. Her hands had burn marks and her fingers had thin scars, probably from accidentally cutting herself on blades. 

“Ready”, June's voice cut through his thoughts.  

“Yeah.” They began walking back towards the palace. “So, where are you taking me?”  

“The training grounds.”

 Remus just stared at her. “What?” He noticed she had something in her hand. 

“Well, you wanted a tour of the citadel, and I have to give this”, she showed him the dagger she was holding, “to sir Pascal, thought we would kill two birds with one stone and start the tour there.” 

“Can I see it”, he said pointing towards the blade. She handed it to him and he took it out of its sheath. It was a very detailed knife, it had a gladiolus flower engraved into the silver blade, and it had a small blue opal snake encrusted into the hilt. 

“Did you make this?”

She grinned at his surprised tone. “Why are  you so surprised? Didn’t think a girl could make something like that.” Remus didn’t miss the edge on her teasing tone. 

“Of course not. I don’t doubt your blacksmith abilities. It’s just that-” Remus was looking for the right words. 

“Just what?” 

“This is one of the most beautiful designs I have ever seen.”

“I can make one for you if you want”

Remus hummed in acknowledgment, handing the sheathed dagger back to her. “I’ll think about it.” When they reached the grounds they saw Sirius and Logan sparring. Logan seemed to be struggling to hold himself up as Sirius pushed down on The shorter man’s sword with his own. June whistled towards the crowd of armored knights and everyone but the two fighting men turned to look at her. A man started to walk towards her with a warm smile on his face. Remus guessed that was sir Pascal. 

“Here you go.” June said, handing him the dagger. “I hope Katie likes it. 

“I’m sure she will. Just like she loved all the other things you’ve made for her.” 

The knight turned to look at Remus and offered his hand. “Pascal Dumais, pleasure to meet you.” 

“Remus Lupin”, he said, shaking Pascal’s hand. 

“Have we met before?” The knight looked him over, as if trying to find an answer to his own question in Remus’s face. “You seem familiar.” 

“I don’t think we’ve met.” Remus managed to keep the panic from his tone, if someone here made a connection between him and his father it would end badly. “My father is a lord from Gryffindor, perhaps that’s where you see a resemblance.” 

Pascal looked at him for a second longer, then spoke. “That’s certainly a possibility.” 

“Well, I hate to be the one to break this meeting but I have to show this guy around”, June said, pointing at Remus and then at Pascal, “and you sir have to make sure Logan doesn’t get his ass beat for not knowing when to hold his tongue.”

The knight threw his head back, barking out a laugh. “The only people that could ever manage to make that boy behave are Celeste and his mother.” 

“You say that like your wife isn’t the scariest woman in this kingdom”, June said before grabbing Remus by the elbow and dragging him off to wherever was next. “Goodbye, see you later”, she said over her shoulder to a waving Pascal.  

“Where are we going to next?” 

June hummed in acknowledgement before answering, “I thought, since you’re probably going to be helping Minerva with handing out medicine, we should start with all the different castle wings.” She guided Remus through a series of elaborate corridors and showed him some of the different servant entrances, he didn’t think he would have to use those too often but if he ever needed to escape they would be useful for him to go unnoticed. She showed him the guest quarters, took him down to the kitchen, and finished in the royal chambers. 

“The big doors at the end of the hall are the King’s chambers, and these are Prince Sirius’s chambers”, she said pointing to the doors they were passing, “I would suggest you stay as far away from here as possible.” Even though her tone was even there was a teasing glint in her eyes. 

“Wow June”, said a voice from down the hall, “and here I thought we were on good terms.”

She smirked. “After what you did last week Black?”. She raised an eyebrow, “I don’t think I’m capable of such forgiveness.”

Remus looked at Sirius with a questioning look, the other man was pouting. “What did you do?” Sirius answered “nothing” at the same time the June said “he ruined Katie’s surprise.” 

Sirius threw his arms up dramatically, “I already apologized for that June.”

June sighed heavily. “Give me some time to plan my revenge and then maybe I’ll forgive you.” Remus watched Sirius’s eyes widen comically, his mouth opening a closing like he couldn't find what to say to that. He suspected that threats of a night in the dungeons wouldn’t mean much to the blacksmith. Remus tried not to laugh at the entire interaction, it was almost like Sirius forgot he was the prince. It reminded Remus so much of Finn it made him feel a little homesick. 

June grabbed Remus by the wrist, not giving Sirius the chance to respond to her threat, and guided him towards an opening at the end of the corridor. He heard Sirius run to catch up with them, his steps echoing through the hallway. “Where are you taking him?”, Sirius asked once he caught up to them.  

She turned to look at him, “Regulus’s chambers. It’s the only place left apart from the library.” Sirius hummed. The three of them lapsed into a comfortable silence. They started going up a narrow winding staircase that took them to the top of one of the towers. “Ok, so, that over there”, June said whilst pointing at the double doors at the end of the small hallway, “are Regulus’s chambers. And that”, she pointed at a single door half hidden behind a tapestry with the Black Family crest, “is either a servants entrance or a way to escape if there’s an attack.” Remus nodded, if he was honest he had already half forgotten what way was what. 

“Well, I have somewhere else to be right now, but I look forward to seeing you around”, Sirius said, extending his hand for Remus to shake.

 Remus took his hand, giving it a firm shake. “Sure thing, I certainly can’t wait to see what revenge June is planning.” He let go of Sirius’s hand, ignoring the pout on his face in favor of turning to June. “Remind me to never get on your bad side.” 

June laughed, shaking her head lightly. “Will do”. The three of them went down the stairs, Sirius going to his chambers to get out of his armour and sweaty clothes from training. Remus and June continued their tour around the castle for a while longer before she brought him back to the physician’s chambers. “It was nice meeting you Remus”, she gave him a small smile. “See you around?”

Remus smiled at her, “Definitely Good night June.” 

“Good night”

Hours later, when Remus was lying down in his bed staring up at the ceiling, he thought about how that morning had gone. The image of the axe falling, the old woman threatening the king, swearing she would avenge her son. The entire thing left him feeling uneasy, there was nothing he could do now, he knew that. 

He moved so he could see out the window, he tried to find some constellations in the night sky, giving his mind something to do other than worry about vengeful sorceresses. He mapped some of his favorite constellations, trying to imagine his brother doing the same back home, the thought calmed him a bit. The last thing he saw was Sirius’s soft glow, so much brighter than the other stars, before he drifted off into a dreamless sleep. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Three years later

Sirius had just called the end of practice when he saw someone hovering along the edges of the training grounds. A girl around his age was looking around with a frustrated expression on her face. He waved at Pascal and Logan, telling them he would see them at Sir Pascal’s house and walked over to the girl. 

“Hello”, her gaze focused on him, eyes flashing briefly. “Are you looking for someone?” 

She looked at him for a moment before answering. “Yes actually. Do you know where I can find Remus Lupin?” 

“No, sorry. I haven’t seen him all day.” Her face fell slightly, the irritated look returning to her expression. “I can help you look for him though. I’m Sirius” 

Something that looked like apprehension mixed with relief crossed her expression. “I’m Heather. And thank you, for the help.” He gave her a curt nod and they began walking away from the training grounds, heading to the castle.

“Why were you looking for him in the knights training area?” Sirius asked conversationally. 

“Oh, I thought maybe he’d be there. I need to give him a letter.” 

Sirius looked at her, confused. “Why would Remus be with the knights while they’re training?” It was her turn to look confused, it only lasted for a second, her face going back to a neutral expression. She didn’t say anything, shrugging lightly. 

They lapsed into awkward silence. Sirius took her to the physician's chambers first, hoping Remus would be there so that he could get out of the uncomfortable situation. They stopped in front of the door, Sirius said his goodbyes, telling her he had somewhere else to be. Heather smiled kindly at him, nodding. After he left she faced the door and pushed it open, sighing in relief when she saw Remus reading a book on the table. She walked towards him and sat down on the stool beside the table, dropping the stachel she had been carrying on the ground soundlessly. Remus jolted when she touched his arm, the feather-light touch raising goosebumps on his skin. She giggled at his startled expression. “Hello Remus.” 

“H-Heather?” Confusion and happiness flashed across his eyes in equal measure. He pulled her in for a hug, the angle a little awkward from their position. “What are you doing here?” 

“I’m just passing by”, she turned to look for something in her bag, “Finn asked me to bring this for you.” She handed Remus an envelope.

 He frowned at the golden seal. Finn never sealed his letters in gold, the color much too formal for a message between friends. He would usually use red wax, the color of Gryffindor’s banner. He opened the envelope, the golden wax crumbling and falling onto the table, and brought out a single page of writing. His eyes read over the words, the letter was unusually short and it had ink stains between words, almost like Finn had hesitated when writing them. His eyes widened mid-way through the first paragraph, a gasp escaping his lips. 

Heather watched him, making sure to mask her excitement with a carefully blank expression. When Remus finished reading he stared at the last sentence, his eyes reading it over and over again, a hundred different emotions flashing through his eyes before settling somewhere between surprise and indignation.  He turned around to look at her with a weird glint in his eye. 

“Since when is Finn getting married?”

[megsironthrone]

Meg's Game of Tales: Tale 12

*Familiar Characters are NOT mine! The original story of "Sleeping Beauty" was written by The Brothers Grimm.*

Warnings: Sleeping Beauty AU, kissing w/o explicit consent(consent is sexy people!), magic, angst. POV switches

Pairings: prince!Edmure Tully x princess!reader

When you were but an infant, an evil mage placed a curse on you. You were cursed to die at the age of sixteen by pricking your finger on a spinning wheel. It sent your father and mother into a panic. While destroying every spinning wheel in the kingdom, the king turned to three other magical creatures in hopes they could remove the curse. They couldn't. But they were able to change it. Unfortunately, that still meant you were in danger. So even though it killed them to do it, your parents sent you away into hiding. You were not to return until after your sixteenth birthday.

*sixteen years later*

Edmure rode away from the castle, desperate to get away. After traveling for days to get there, Edmure had been immediately stifled by the planning of his wedding. To a princess he'd met once! When she was a baby and he wasn't much older! Edmure hadn't understood when he was young why the princess had suddenly disappeared and now that he was older, it didn't matter. He didn't want to marry you. Sometimes he hated being the only prince in the family.

Edmure urged his horse to stop when he reached the woods. He didn't know what he would do out here, but he needed the breathing space. He dismounted and lead his horse over to the nearby stream. After splashing water on his face, Edmure heard a sound. It was soft at first but gradually grew louder. Singing. Someone was singing.

Although he wasn't curious by nature, Edmure found it odd for someone to randomly be singing in the woods. After giving his horse a pat on the neck, Edmure followed the sound of the voice. It didn't take him long to locate the source. A woman. She was walking so gracefully, it was almost like a dance. A soft song escaped from her lips and called to him like a siren.

Edmure shook his head at himself. He'd always been something of a romantic as a younger man. It seemed that hadn't stopped as he grew older. He watched for a moment longer before deciding he was being creepy and decided to leave the young woman to her devices. Unfortunately, as Edmure moved to return to his horse, he stepped on a fallen twig and snapped it, the sound echoing through the otherwise quiet woods.

"Who's there?!" Edmure cursed under his breath before revealing himself. "My apologies for startling you, Miss. I heard you singing." The woman let her shoulders lower. "I didn't realize I was singing so loudly. I should go and leave you to your plans." She turned to leave, but Edmure called out for her to stop. He wasn't sure why exactly. Maybe he just wanted to talk to someone outside the palace life.

YOUR POV

You faced the strange man and bit your lip. You knew you should return to your cottage with your aunts, but you NEVER got to talk to anyone outside of the three of them. Before you could talk yourself out of it, you nodded and set your basket down. You followed after and patted the grassy space next to you.

Your stranger sat with only minor hesitation. From there, the two of you spoke at length. You learned your stranger was a prince. It seemed you learned so much about him in such a small amount of time. As the sun began to set, you found yourself not wanting to part from his company. Still you knew you needed to return home before it got too dark. The woods was a treacherous place in the dark.

With a sigh, you got up and brushed off your skirts. Your prince rose as well with a frown on his face. "I'm afraid I must go." You moved to leave, but he gently took your hand. "Will I see you again?" You smiled and nodded lightly. "Tomorrow is my birthday. Perhaps you could come then? I live in the little cottage in the glen." He agreed happily. You bid him farewell and quickly returned home.

The smile never left your face as you enjoyed the evening with your aunts. It even stayed as you began making your way to your bed. And when the questioned you, you didn't want to say anything. You knew they'd be upset and you'd always been a terrible liar. They kept on until you finally admitted that you met someone. "He's coming here tomorrow to meet you all." Your aunts exchanged worried glances. "I-I think you'd better sit down. There's something you need to know."

EDMURE'S POV: The next day

There was a spring in Edmure's step as he headed out. He couldn't wait to see his mysterious woman again. As he was about to ride off, Edmure's uncle stepped out. "And just where do you think you're going? The princess is returning home this evening!" Edmure grimaced. He had honestly forgotten about the princess.

"Sorry, Uncle. I shall return later, but I have an engagement elsewhere." His uncle's eyes narrowed. "This wouldn't have anything to do with your disappearing act yesterday?" Edmure tried to keep his expression neutral. "Because you are getting married," his uncle continued, "You have no time for mucking about now." Edmure clenched his fist by his side.

"Uncle, for once in my life I have something to look forward to. I met a lovely young lady. One I could see myself being wed to and happy with. I don't know the princess and I may refuse to wed her once we finally do meet. I want this one thing." Edmure's uncle scoffed. "Then take the girl on as a mistress, but you will marry the princess." Edmure watched his uncle walk away without giving him the chance to retort.

Anger coursed through Edmure's veins at his uncle audacity. His new friend was too good to be a mistress. He wouldn't do her the dishonor of even suggesting such a thing. He hoped the walk to the cottage would help him calm down enough to enjoy her birthday with her. With that hope in mind, Edmure headed out to the woods once again.

When he reached the cottage, something seemed off. The inside was dark, not even a candle in the window or smoke billowing from the chimney. Edmure drew his sword as he entered the cottage. Not that it did any good. A trap had been set. He couldn't believe it. Had she done this?

"Well, well. This is a surprise. I set my trap for a peasant and instead, I catch a prince. We have much to discuss, Prince Edmure." Edmure recognized the mage from the stories he'd heard. This was the mage that had cursed the princess. Edmure didn't have a chance to ask before he was pulled from the cottage toward the dark, towering castle that loomed in the distance. The mage didn't speak again until Edmure was chained to the walls of a cell in the dungeon of the crumbling palace.

The mage stood across from him with a smug grin. "Why am I here? What does the girl from the cottage have to do with this?" Edmure growled out. The mage looked surprised for a moment before laughing. "You haven't figured it out? She is the princess! And my curse will come to fruition tonight!" Edmure shook his head.

"No it won't! Even if she is the princess, true love's kiss will wake her!" Another dark chuckle escaped the mage's lips. "Except her true love is right here. And here is where you will remain until you are too old to make the journey back to the castle. Oh, you'll try, of course, but you will be weak. Still, you oh valiant prince will not give up. I have seen it. After all, in the case of true love, 100 years is but a day. So, you will leave here and you will make the journey. And you. Will. Fail. The princess will sleep for an eternity!" The mage's cackle echoed through the dungeons as they left Edmure alone.

Edmure's thoughts bounced all over the place. If what the mage said was true, there was no hope. But he couldn't believe that. There had to be a way to save you. Edmure sat, ignoring the clanking of the chains, as he thought of ways he could get out. He had no idea what time it was or how long until sunset. Even if he did manage to escape, who's to say it wouldn't be too late? As every hour passed, Edmure's hope began to dwindle.

Just as Edmure's positivity was running out, a small flash of light caught his attention. As he looked up, two more flashes had him blinking rapidly. When he could see clearly again, Edmure nearly jumped out of his skin. Three obviously magic-wielders stood before him.

"Prince Edmure. We've come to rescue you. The princess is already sleeping. You're the only one who can help her." Edmure stared for a moment. "But, what if I'm not her true love? What if I am?! I don't want to force this on her…on Princess Y/N…I can't believe that the girl is actually the princess."

"We really don't have time for this, my prince. We have to move before the mage discovers we're here. If we can get out without being noticed, you would not have to take on the mage without reinforcements." Edmure stood as one of his saviors used magic to rid him of the chains keeping him in the cell. They all used their magic to summon a sword and shield. Edmure felt powerful(though he was grateful they hadn't summoned a bow. He wasn't really good with those) and he felt like he really could save his mystery girl. That he could save you.

Unfortunately, Edmure's exit wasn't exactly quiet and he ended up having to handle all the mage's little minions and then the mage themselves. It took everything in him and he was certain he nearly died several times. But eventually, Edmure was victorious. He was coated in sweat and dirt, but that was the last thing on his mind. He had to get to you.

The magic-wielders, who Edmure learned were the people that raised you, told Edmure where they'd placed you. Edmure stopped short when he saw you laid out on the bed. You looked so different than you had in the woods. Still, beautiful, but different. Edmure knew what he had to do next, but he wasn't sure he wanted to. He didn't exactly have your consent in this.

With a sigh, Edmure at least decided to clean his face first. He moved to the basin and washed quickly. Once he was cleaned up, he came back over to you. "I am so sorry for this. I hope you will be able to forgive me," he whispered. Leaning forward, Edmure pressed his lips to yours in a soft and quick kiss. Your eyes fluttered open and you gave him a smile.

"I forgive you," you said softly, "But if you ever kiss me without permission again, I will hurt you." Edmure let out a relieved chuckle. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Princess." You sat up and threw your arms around him. "Thank you for saving me."

[gretavanbitch]

Tangled up in blue- 5

Warnings- swearing, drugs (the usual)

After the first night, the adrenaline rush of the tour slowed to a constant drawl in Penny's mind. Her heart constantly at a slightly hazy pace compared to its resting pace. She blinked slowly, rubbing sleep out of her eyes as the dull light of the morning flooded into the stuffy bus. The only sounds to be heard was the steady breathing of the band and rain pattering softly against the windows. Her hair was spread across Josh’s bare chest and rose and fell with every breath he took. She got up as carefully and slowly as possible, being careful not to wake anyone. She flinched slightly when the bathroom door opened with a creak. Her eyes were slightly sunken and smudged and her lips were still swollen from the abundance of love that was present last night. She reached to her neck and lightly caressed the marks still present from Josh’s kisses, remembering the feeling of his lips on her neck. 

Brushing her teeth and hair, Penny exited the bathroom and made a large pot of coffee for the boys, the mornings were never easy for them and alcohol made them even worse. Knowing it would take some time for everyone to get up, she made herself comfortable on one of the couches on the back of the bus, separate from the bunk area. She sipped her coffee, reading a book Jake had recommended to her. Surprisingly, Jake had very good taste in books, better than Josh in fact. Josh was a very visual person, he could sit through a four hour movie, but never read a book for four hours. The pages breezed by her eyes, in what seemed like minutes she was halfway done with the book. It was a thrilling tale of two lovers, a classic trope of a peasant and a prince. She was a sucker for cliches. 

Through the curtain she soon heard the sounds of the boys stirring from their sleep, one by one waking up. She pushed the fabric of the curtain open softly, leaning against the frame. Jake was pouring three cups of coffee, rubbing his eyes harshly. Sam was in the bathroom, probably releasing the demons of last night from his stomach. Danny sat on the edge of his bunk, stretching his long arms and waking up. Josh on the other hand was now lying face down on the bed, soft snores coming from his frame. His hair was a curly mess and he only had on his boxers. She chuckled to herself, of course he was the last one to get up. 

“Mornin’ everyone,” she muttered softly, pattering over to Josh. Sluggish responses followed her. She sat on the edge of Josh’s bunk, running her hands softly down his back. She admired the way his lips parted slightly in his sleep, eyes fluttering in REM. She leaned over his frame, kissing his cheek softly, causing his eyes to blink open softly. He smiled out of his sleep, turning over onto his back and pulling Penny down onto his chest. 

“Good morning mama,” he rasped, burying his nose in the crook of her neck. 

“Good morning handsome, want some coffee?” He groaned a yes in response, still holding Penny tight. She felt the steady thump of his heart on her chest, not wanting to move in a million years. He felt so warm and alive, hands wrapped around her frame and legs wrapped around each other. She sighed, knowing there were actual things needed to be done with the day, and removing herself from Josh reluctantly. 

“What's the plan for today?” she asked Jake as she poured a cup of coffee for Josh. 

“We are stuck on the bus for the majority of the day, heading to Washington for the show in two days,” he responded from his seat across from her, looking up from his phone. “Emily and the other girls are going to meet us there too, so you won’t be stuck with all us boys anymore.” He noted, referring to the other girlfriends joining them on tour. She nodded happily, she got along well with all of them, and texted them pretty consistently. Although she was closest with Carly, Sam’s girlfriend, Emily and Dana were both her friends as well. 

Once Josh had coffee in his system, the bus slowly stirred to life. Sam was nursing his hangover, Jake was texting with Emily, and Danny was playing guitar softly in the corner. Their manager had come in as well, delivering bagels for everyone and announced that they would hit the road in 20 minutes. 

Penny dressed herself in something comfortable, knowing her limbs would become sore from sitting on the bus for hours. She was now clad in a long sleeved linen dress that had buttons down the front and a seam in the middle. Her hair was loose down her shoulders, and birkenstocks on her feet. The rest of the boys were in their usual attire, Josh in a grey hoodie and tan pants (of course). 

The bus was now officially on the road after a sluggish morning. The state of California soon passing by Penny’s eyes in a haze. She was sat on a couch at the back of the bus with Josh directly to her left and Danny to her right. Josh had one earbud in his ear, sharing the other with Penny, and a bagel in his hand. His head nodded along to the song as he chewed. Penny smiled, leaning her back into his frame and putting her legs on Danny. Neil Diamond filled her ears as she closed her eyes, inhaling Josh’s sent. He always smelled the same, like patchouli and cinnamon. It was almost hypnotizing. 

“We should go for a hike when we get there,” Sam announced, breaking the comfortable silence of the bus ride. 

“I want to go thrifting too,” Josh added with his eyes closed, head swaying to the music. Everyone silently agreed and went back to whatever they were doing. 

Northern California passed by with images of tall looming trees and thickening forests. Josh’s playlist ranged from The Fleet Foxes to Phoebe Bridgers, just because he knew Penny had a soft spot for her. When Scott Street came on shuffle, her eyes lit up and she craned her neck, looking up at him smiling. He laughed, kissing the top of her head. Penny had never felt so at home. The comforting smell of Sam’s incense wafted through the backroom of the bus, and Josh’s warmth made her head dizzy with love. She hummed as she softly toyed with his fingers mindlessly. 

After a few hours, the bus stopped in the middle of Oregon. Everyone was grateful for the opportunity to get snacks and stretch their legs. Penny stepped out into the midday breeze, breathing the fresh air in deeply. The group then entered the small gas station, Josh holding the door for her like the gentleman he is. 

“fuck I need another coffee,” she sighed, making her way to the coffee station and pouring herself a hot coffee. Josh bought himself a water and some granola bar. Sam, Jake, and Danny got themselves an assortment of junk food, dumping it in front of the cashier with a smile. Once everyone payed, they sat on a curb by the bus for a few minutes, not wanting to get back on the road quite yet. Penny was grateful that she grabbed her camera, because the cloudy light and light breeze was picturesque. She took her bottom lip between her teeth and scurried in front of the boys quickly, kneeling on the ground to get the shot. They all looked dramatically off into the distance while the shutter clicked. 

“alright now smile for me boys,” she laughed. They obliged, looking at the camera now and smiling brightly. 

“beautiful.” She sighed, returning to her spot next to Josh. 

“I don’t know how you do that,” Josh said, looking off into the distance as he spoke. 

“do what?” Penny answered, sipping her coffee. 

“Just see the world around you and turn it into something so beautiful.” Her heart jumped, it always did when Josh talked about her photography. 

“It’s easy when I’m around the most beautiful person in the world.” 

He laughed, meeting her eyes. She shook her head, still relishing in the compliments. 

“alright time to go boys...and girl,” their manager announced, sticking his head out the bus door. Penny huffed a laugh as she took Josh’s hand and once again entered the bus. 

The rest of the trip came in a dreary haze of naps and Josh’s playlist filling Penny’s ears. He never played a bad song. The bus had now parked outside the venue, Penny silently thanking the universe that they wouldn’t be sleeping in the bus for the next two nights. The boys had agreed to rent and house in the suburbs of Seattle so they could have some privacy and not be confined to a hotel. They also rented a jeep, stuffing their bags in it hastily so they could have some fun with the afternoon. Since the group got such an early start, they still had the remainder of the day to explore and shop. 

Sam entered the driver’s seat of Jeep, Jake shotgun, and the rest of them stuffed in the back. The drive was relatively short and rowdy. Jake playing Steven Stills on aux, while arguing with Sam over which album was better. Danny and Josh were talking about the set list for the tour, still tinkering on which songs to include and which to leave out. 

“Yeah, but I think we should do Stardust Chords after Black smoke it will be a good lead up,” Danny suggested calmly. 

“Ooh yeah, and we should do light my love after that,” Josh agreed. Penny sat silently, relishing in the banter surrounding her. They soon reached the house, it was a small bungalow on the edge of a hill. 

Josh opened the trunk and took out his and Penny’s bag, carrying them both up to the door and unlocking it with a key he found in the mailbox. The interior was just as lovely as the outside. A small living room and kitchen were on the left with a five person dining room table on the right and the stairs in the middle. Josh then jogged upstairs with the bags in hand, wanting first pick at rooms. He chose the one closest to the backyard with a view of the woods. 

“Mmm good choice babe,” Penny sighed flopping down onto the bed with a thud. He smiled, placing the bags down on the floor and laying down on his back beside her. 

She turned on her side to face him, he did the same. The room smelled of wood and clean linen. Her eyes drifted to Josh, he was smiling at her stupidly with his hands tucked under his chin. 

“what?” she laughed, poking his shoulder. 

“nothin’ I just love you baby,” he spoke softly, blinking his eyes. 

“I love you too Josh,” she said, loving the sound of saying it. 

Then he kissed her, softly capturing her lips with his own. She sighed into the kiss, running her hand down his jawline. Before the kiss could become too heated she pulled away with a stupid grin on her face. 

“lets go get something to eat then we can go shopping,” she said, pulling him up off the bed with two hands. 

“whatever you say mama.” 

The streets of Seattle were damp with the constant flow of soft showers. Josh’s hair was slightly less curly due to the climate, and it made him look even more 70′s, it was beautiful. The group got lunch at a nice sandwich spot on the wharf then split off into groups to do some shopping, planning to meet up at the house for a late hike. 

Josh and Penny were on the hunt for a thrift shop, hand in hand wandering the streets. After about thirty minutes with no luck, Penny spotted a bright neon sign a few feet ahead of them reading “vintage”. 

“fucking finally,” she said, tugging Josh’s hand hurredly into the store. Good thing they kept walking because this place was a gem. Josh’s eyes lit up as he scanned the rows of clothing and records. They then began searching through the rows, looking through every piece of clothing incase they found anything good. 

“Ooh babe you would look stunning in this,” Josh said excitedly as he held up a dress. It was a dusty red with a deep v-neck and ruffles down the chest and sleeves. 

“holy shit,” she smiled “I need it.” 

After about an hour, Penny had a substantial haul piled in her hand and Josh had found a few good pieces as well. He had a few necklaces that he loved and a vintage woodstock t-shirt. Now they were running late, of course and had to rush back to meet the boys. 

They were greeted with unamused expressions when they returned to the house, rushing up to the room to change quickly. Josh changed into a white t-shirt and black windbreaker, Penny wearing his grey hoodie and leggings. 

“let’s go mama,” he smiled, pecking her on the lips and leading her down stairs. 

“fucking finally,” Sam got up from the couch, Danny following suit. Jake then entered from the kitchen, trail map in hand. 

“Ok well we don’t have that much time before it gets dark so we should bring headlamps,” he suggested as his eyes scanned the map. Penny nodded, stuffing some water bottles into her bag as Josh wrestled Sam on the carpet. 

“Hey dickheads, the owner said there’s a trail through the backyard to a waterfall lets go,” Jake said loudly, shoving Sam and Josh as he spoke. The group made their way through the backyard, following the clear trail into the woods. The trees were some of the biggest that Penny had ever seen, they towered over them, making the light a faded blue. Jake led the group, confidently stepping over branches and rocks as he walked. Penny and Josh were at the back of the group, taking their time to admire the scenery, walking hand in hand. 

“It’s so pretty here,” Penny said, looking up into the treeline that was illuminated by the dusk light. 

“yeah it’s beautiful,” Josh said, only he wasn’t looking at the scenery, his gaze was fixed on the blonde next to him. A familiar smoky scent soon wafted into their noses from in front of them. 

“Sam, I know you aren’t lighting up right now,” Penny laughed. 

“what? I want to take in the nature,” he spoke through a hit, coughing slightly. 

“well share the wealth,” She reached out her hand as he passed the J behind his back. She took a few hits, before handing it off to Josh. She watched has he held it between his fingers, bringing it to his lips and inhaling deeply. The rest of the hike was peacefully silent, the light slowly fading into the sunset. They reached the waterfall after thirty minutes of walking, finding some rocks to rest on by the water. 

“Josh, stay still for a sec,” Penny asked, taking out her camera quickly. He nodded, not moving from his seat on the rock on the edge of the water. His head was turned towards the sky, knees facing the water. As always, he looked beautiful. The waterfall itself was also beautiful, the water cascaded off of a cliff into the pool below, misting the group slightly. 

“guys i’m hungry wanna head back?” Josh spoke up after a few minutes of silence. Everyone responded with ‘yeas’ gathering up their belongings slowly. The walk back was quiet, relishing in the earthy smell of the woods and fading light of the day. The backyard appeared quickly, and the grouped collectively plopped down on the couch. 

“lets order pizza, Sam and Danny go get alcohol,” Josh suggested as he lay his head on Penny’s lap. She toyed with his hair, nodding along to his suggestion. Sam and Danny agreed, grabbing the keys to the Jeep and heading out, Jake ordered the pizza. 

“alright mama, lets go make a big ass bonfire,” Josh said, reaching for her hand to lead her outside. 

“alright loverboy,” She laughed. 

~

Hey babes! this chapter felt so long, maybe because it took me so long to write lol. 

[avatarnao]

Egos Start Wars

Pairing: Mako/Prince Wu

A03

******

In retrospect, he really should have known to keep his mouth shut. He should have known saying something would lead to this situation. It had been a long, long day though, and he was exhausted.

Prince Wu had spent the entire day dragging him store to store in preparation for some party Mako couldn’t be bothered to know about. He’s convinced the prince just wanted to throw one for the heck of it but needed an excuse. They spent well over four hours at some spa that left him feeling more frazzled than relaxed, then ate at some restaurant that cost more than a year’s worth of rent. At this point, Mako really shouldn’t be surprised by Wu’s lifestyle, only Wu isn’t technically ruling any kingdom anymore, and eventually, his funds will run out. Unless the Earth Kingdom decides to keep him around as royalty in name only. Mako honestly isn’t sure how it all works.

If all of that wasn’t bad enough, Wu disappeared for well over a few hours once they left the restaurant. He spent the better part of the afternoon driving all over Republic City trying to find the wayward prince, only to return to Wu’s home and find him there. Wu, of course, promptly berated him for wasting time and gallivanting around the city. Mako never wanted to throw someone out the window more than in that moment.

Now Mako finds himself at a stuffy event, forced to wear whatever Wu decided looks good on him. The room is packed with people from all over the world, here to celebrate… something; Mako still isn’t sure what this party is even about. He sighs, watching the crowd out of boredom as the prince prattles on to some diplomat from the Fire Nation. Mako vaguely hears something about the nation’s history, but he’s too busy watching Bolin fill his plate with food to pick up on whatever’s being said.

“Ya know,” he hears Wu comment as the prince slings an arm around his shoulder. Wu pulls Mako close, though his attention remains on his conversation partners. “Egos start wars.”

He says it so matter of factly. His tone almost condescending as if his own ego doesn’t threaten his life on a near daily basis. And okay, it’s been a long day and Mako is tired . He doesn’t want to be at some stuffy event surrounded by a bunch of people, and trying to maintain some kind of polite demeanor. He quickly learned during his time with Asami and Korra that this just isn’t for him. This is so far removed from how he grew up and what he’s used to, and he’s so tired of biting his tongue every time Wu opens his mouth, that the words slip out before he can even stop himself.

“I’m surprised yours hasn’t yet.”

The conversation stops abruptly. Two sets of wide eyes immediately shift focus to him. A hand covers the surprised gasp of the woman standing before the prince. Mako knows he’s crossed a line. Bodyguards aren’t supposed to talk back to their charges after all. It was an honest slip and one he will firmly blame on being tired when Lin questions him about it later.

For now, though, Wu is pulling away from him with a small chuckle, shaking his head as if mockingly disappointed. He spares his guest a look, one that says, ‘peasants, am I right?’, and the two diplomats let out awkward laughs.

“Oh, Mako,” he says in that condescending tone that grates on Mako’s nerves. There’s a smile on the prince’s face but his eyes hold the promise of punishment. He waves his hand at his bodyguard flippantly, as he returns his attention to his guests. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand the nuances of such high-class conversation.”

Mako grits his teeth, hands clenching into fists at his side. He looks around the room again as Wu starts the conversation back up, suddenly wishing he was anywhere but there. Relief washes through him then, because maybe if Wu is mad enough, he’ll ask Lin to give him a new bodyguard. He’d finally be able to go back to what he originally set out to do instead of playing babysitter to an overgrown toddler.

The thought of being reassigned makes him uneasy though. Who else on the force would be able to put up with Wu’s antics as much as he has? If he’s being honest, he’s not even sure who else he would trust enough to watch after the prince and ensure his safety.

He… he doesn’t want to be fired from this job.

Wu is annoying, sure, but he’s also very kind and thoughtful… in his own strange way. He’s loud and obnoxious, but very skilled in talking to others and de-escalating situations; even when he’s the one escalating them to begin with. He likes to be pampered and expects only the finest things in life, something that definitely came with years of being raised in a palace. Wu is very flamboyant. Dramatic. Constantly over the top, but, Mako suddenly realizes, he’d lay his life down for the prince.

Mako suddenly realizes how endeared he’s become towards Prince Wu. His gaze slides over to his charge as he chats about an entirely different topic than before. Wu’s hands wave around him, an extension of whatever story he’s telling, and Mako finds it almost adorable.

His face flushes at the thought and he quietly excuses himself to get some food, and maybe a breath of fresh air. He’s pretty sure none of them even notice his departure.

Bolin’s sitting out on the balcony with Opal when Mako steps outside. Their conversation drops the moment the door opens and music floods out into the quiet space. He must be noticeably distressed because Opal very quickly excuses herself and disappears back inside.

“What’s up, Mako?” Bolin asks as he claims the seat Opal just vacated. He sets his plate of food on the bench between then and frowns at the ground. Bolin promptly begins picking at a piece of turtleduck.

“I think I messed up with Prince Wu and he’s going to have me fired,” Mako answers with a huff, brushing a hand through his hair. The action displaces carefully styled strands, but he can’t be bothered to care about that. Wu might, but that’s besides the point…

“I’m confused,” his brother responds. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Yes…” He frowns. “No.” Mako groans, sitting back against the balcony’s railing and slumping in his seat. “I don’t know.” Bolin, precious brother that he is, hums in thought, head nodding as he listens to Mako’s woes.

“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think he’s going to replace you.” Mako watches Bolin with a frown, waiting to see if his brother plans to elaborate on that thought or not. He huffs when his brother fails to elaborate on it.

“I literally insulted him in front of some diplomats, Bolin. Somehow I doubt he’s going to be okay with that.”

“Yeah but… if he wouldn’t he have made a huge scene or something if he was truly insulted?” Bolin points out. “I mean… look at how he reacted during his coronation. The guy isn’t exactly subtle.” Okay, yeah, Bolin has a point. Prince Wu didn’t exactly react like a king when his coronation didn’t go quite as planned. He’s grown a lot since then though… Besides, Mako doubts he’d make a scene in front of visiting nations.

He expressed as much to Bolin. Bolin promptly waves the notion off.

"You know," he begins. "Heard some people talking in there. Not only are you the longest bodyguard Prince Wu's ever had but he also pampers you." Mako blinks, giving Bolin a bewildered look.

"What are you talking about?" He asks. "Wu doesn't… pamper me!" The very idea is enough to make his face warm. Wu just drags him along to those things because he's his bodyguard. The prince doesn't have a choice!

"I don't know, Mako… just because you're protecting him doesn't mean he has to pay for your meals and take you on spa visits."

"Of course he has to take me! I'm his bodyguard ! I'm not just going to stand outside assuming he'll be okay!" Especially not after that bathroom fiasco. Mako still feels guilty over that… Bolin shrug, a know glint in his eyes and a small smile playing across his face.

"I think maybe he likes you," he says, grin growing wider as he leans close to his brother. "And I think, maybe, that you like him too."

Mako sputters and, yeah, his face is definitely on fire. He opens his mouth to reply when the balcony door opens again.

Music and laughter follows someone out the door, dying to a quiet lull as the door clicks shut. Mako takes one look in their direction and grimaces, recognizing the silhouette right away.

"Wu does not like me!" Mako hisses, hoping said prince is far enough that he can't hear.

" Right, " Bolin responds, leaning into Mako. "And he's totally not out here because he prefers your company over being the center of attention inside." Bolin shifts back into his seat and turns towards Mako's charge, voice light and jovial as he says, "Prince Wu! Heeey, how's it going?"

He's wearing that pout that seems to be perpetually stuck on his face, arms crossed as he steps over to the pair. One look at Mako, though, has the entire expression wiped clean as the boy throws himself into his bodyguard's lap. Bolin snickers at the clear display of affection.

"I was looking all over for you, you know," Wu says, tossing an arm over his face. "One minute you were there and then… poof, you were gone." Mako scoffs. He couldn't have been gone for that long. He honestly doubted Wu would even know he left.

"Oh… yeaaahh, sorry about that," Bolin says, looking sheepish. "Saw Mako getting some food and dragged him away for a little… ya know… brother bonding." Wu perks up at the mention of food, eyes honing in on the half empty plate between them. The plate quickly makes its way into the prince's possession.

"I was so worried something had happened," he says, thankfully finishing a bite before speaking. He turns to Mako with wide, wet eyes. "What if I had gotten prince-napped again?" Mako can’t help the exasperated eye roll.

“No one’s going to steal you away,” Mako says. Wu scoffs as if he doesn’t believe it. He mostly likely doesn’t. This is a conversation they have on a near daily basis any time Wu loses sight of Mako.

“Bolin,” Wu says, attention shifting to the earthbender. “Would you mind giving us some room to talk?” Bolin puts his hands up in a placating gesture, sliding off the bench and onto his feet. He gives Mako a thumbs up and a grin, silently encouraging his brother to say something. Mako can only frown as Bolin disappears back inside.

Wu shifts in his lap but makes no move to get off him. He clears his throat, gaze looking everywhere but at his companion.

“I’m sorry,” Mako says because the tension is grating on his nerves, and someone needs to say something. The prince’s eyes are on him in an instant. “I know I spoke out of turn and… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you like that.”

“Oh, Mako,” Wu says with a laugh, gently patting his shoulder. “I wasn’t insulted. In fact, I appreciate your honesty. It’s refreshing.”

“It is?”

“If anything,” Wu continues as if Mako hadn’t even spoken. “ I should be apologizing to you. ” He turns in Mako’s lap, hands straightening out his collar with a smile. “I should’ve realized sooner that these things make you uncomfortable, and I’m sorry for forcing you to come. In the future, I’ll ask Chief Beifong to give you the night off.”

“No!” Mako grabs his hands, eyes wide in alarm. Wu blinks at him in surprised confusion. Mako clears his throat, letting go and sitting back, eyes averted from the prince in his lap. His cheeks feel warm. “No… that… that won’t be necessary. I, uh… I don’t know if I’d be able to relax not knowing if you were doing okay or… not….”

Wu looks positively delighted by this bit of information. He looks down at his hand resting in his lap and sighs.

“That makes me feel so relieved,” Wu confesses. “I spend so much time at these events and, while I love them, it’s exhausting being around people who just say what you want to hear instead of what you need to. With you around, though, it’s not as exhausting. I’d even go as far as saying I enjoy having you here with me.”

Mako stares, and continues to stare at the prince. He doesn’t know what to say to any of that. Wu actually likes having him at these stuffy parties?

“Why?” he finds himself asking. Wu huffs and if it wasn’t so dark, Mako’d swear he’s blushing.

“Of all the bodyguards I’ve ever had,” the prince says. “You’ve been the most fun to have around. I know I can be overdramatic and obnoxious sometimes. But.. I feel like with you, I can unapologetically be myself. Even if you are just humoring me, you at least go along with all the shopping and spa visits.” He pauses to take a breath, shoulders rising and falling. When he speaks again there’s a slight tremor to his voice as he whispers, “I think maybe that’s why I’ve fallen for you.”

“I don’t think you’re obnoxious,” Mako pauses, shaking his head with a smile. “No… that’s not right…” Wu’s face crumbles, hope quickly fleeing his eyes. “I did think you were obnoxious at first, but now… now I think I just find it… endearing.” He takes Wu’s hand into his own, gently rubbing a finger against his impossible soft skin. “I actually like how over the top you can be about things, it’s… cute, in its own way.” That brings the smile back to his prince’s face, and it makes the one on Mako’s grow wider as their eyes meet.

“I think maybe that’s why I’ve fallen for you too.”

Wu’s lips are just as soft as the rest of him, Mako discovers. Kissing, Mako realizes, is also something he will grow to love about the Earth Kingdom’s prince.

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

[ironwoman359]

if you don't have anything for either of these yet: on the run/bounty on their head? roman's a prince, but there's some kind of uprising or assassination attempt and he and his most trusted guard have to gtfo. they're on the run, sleeping in shitty motels (with only one bed ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ) and roman has to learn to live w/o 24/7 service. you can pick who the guard is.

Safe With You

@badthingshappenbingo

Prompt: On the Run 

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Summary: Prince Roman gains a new appreciation for his personal knight when he is forced into hiding to escape an assassination attempt.

Content Warnings: Mentions of death/violence, some mild bickering, prinxiety (can be platonic or pre-romantic), platonic moxiety

Word Count: 1,645

Read on AO3 here

Bad Things Happen Masterlist

Requests are closed

---

Roman had never been so exhausted in his life. His feet were sore, his muscles ached, and there was nothing he wanted more than to collapse into his feather bed and sleep for a day. No wait, a massage from the royal masseuse to ease his muscle tension. No, a massage then sleep for a day. 

Yes, that would be the dream. 

Unfortunately, Roman’s life had been more akin to a nightmare these past few days. He was a prince, for crying out loud, heir to the throne itself! And now he was being forced to sneak through the woods in the middle of the night like...like some common ruffian! 

“You said we’d be reaching real lodgings soon!” he whined. His mother would say that his tone of voice was “unbefitting of a prince,” but he felt that after three days of sleeping rough with no one but his irksome personal knight for company, he was entitled to a bit of complaining. Speaking of his knight...

“We will, highness.” Roman could never figure out how the formal address managed to sound so insulting when Sir Virgil Ellsworth said it. “We should reach it before daybreak, so long as you do not slow us down with any more of your griping.” 

Roman made a petulant noise (that his mother would also not have approved of), but Virgil just rolled his eyes and pressed onwards, slipping through the foliage with the ease of a practiced woodsman. Roman stumbled along clumsily behind him, trying to resist the urge to gripe (he was a prince, he did not gripe...he loudly protested) about the terrain.

He managed this for approximately three minutes, which he thought was a rather impressive effort, giving the circumstances. 

“If your plan was to hide out at an inn then I don’t see why we had to trek through the undergrowth like this. Would it not have been simpler to take the roads? You do know what roads are, don’t you Sir Ellsworth?” 

“You do know what caution is, don’t you highness?” Virgil retorted. “By all means, take the roads, if you want to be caught by the assassins in less than a day.”  

Roman opened his mouth to argue back, but Virgil shut him up with a scathing glare. 

“I know you’re used to being the one to boss people around, Princey, but we’re not in the palace any longer. It’s my job to keep you alive, and out here, what I say goes. Got that?” 

He turned around without waiting for an answer, a breach of protocol that ordinarily would land him in serious trouble, but even Roman had to admit that the systems of etiquette and protocol that he was used to didn’t matter much in the middle of a coup. And as much as Roman had whined and complained (and alright, griped) about their traveling conditions, underneath his brash facade he was just glad that Virgil had remained loyal to him, even after the people who paid his salary had been run through by assassins’ blades. 

Not that he’d ever admit that out loud to his knight of course. 

“Okay, we’re almost there,” Virgil said, pulling Roman out of his musings. “Keep your head down, and let me do the talking.”

Roman glowered at him, but he pulled the hood of his travelling cloak up to obscure his face and followed Virgil without further complaint. Roman wasn’t sure how Virgil knew where they were, the woods all looked the same to him, but one minute they were surrounded by trees and the next they were stepping onto a dirt road that led into a tiny village. Virgil kept glancing around as they approached a building that Roman would call quaint if he wanted to be kind...ramshackle if he was feeling more irritable, which tonight he was. 

“You’re sure this is an inn?” 

“What part of keep your voice down is confusing you?” Virgil hissed with perhaps a touch more venom in his voice than was typical, and Roman blinked.

“Okay, okay, sorry,” he muttered, folding his arms with a huff. 

Virgil sighed and shook his head, then stepped forward and nudged the door open a crack, peering inside. Apparently satisfied with what he saw, he pushed the door open properly and gestured for Roman to follow him inside.

Roman didn’t have much experience with inns, on the rare occasion that he had to travel his entourage would usually solicit the hospitality of a local noble family, so he had no idea if the cramped space was typical of this more...rustic establishment. Still, the room was cleaner than he’d expected; the stone floor was swept, the worn wooden tables were wiped down, and a pleasant, homey smell wafted through the air. It wasn’t hard to imagine the room full of peasants after a hard day's work, enjoying hearty food and drink to forget their hardships for a few hours. 

For now though, the room sat empty, save for one man who was hunched over the fireplace, stirring something in an iron pot. He spun around when he heard the door close behind them, and his eyes widened behind a pair of round glasses. 

“Oh! I wasn’t expecting customers this early in the morning, I–” 

“Pat, it’s me.”

The man froze. 

“Virgil?” he asked, and Virgil nodded. “Oh my– what are you doing here? When I heard about the capital, I was afraid that–”

“I need your help,” Virgil interrupted, and the man nodded. 

“Of course, whatever you need!.”

“A room? And off the books, Patton, nobody can know we’re here.”

Patton’s eyes flickered to Roman for a moment before looking back to Virgil with a firm nod. 

“Of course, of course. This way.”

He led Virgil and Roman up a staircase and down a hall, ushering them into a room. 

“It’s not much, but it’s yours for as long as you need it. And once I’m done opening things up downstairs I’ll come up and bring you some porridge, you kiddos must be hungry.”

“I can pay you,” Virgil began, but Patton shook his head. 

“Keep your money. I have a feeling you’ll be needing it more than me anyhow. Just stay safe for me, okay?” 

Virgil nodded. “Thank you.” 

Patton smiled at him, then with one last glance at Roman, slipped out of the room and back downstairs. Virgil shut the door behind him, then quickly crossed the room and closed the shutters as well, blocking out the first few rays of morning sunlight. 

“Okay,” he said, a bit of tension finally leaving his shoulders. “We should be okay to rest here for a bit. 

Roman looked around the room, and tried not to grimace. It was tiny, barely big enough to comfortably fit the single bed, wooden chair, and side table. No wardrobe, no desk, no vanity, and no lavatory. Still, at least there was a bed. No matter how lumpy the mattress might be, it was sure to be more comfortable than the forest floor. 

“Will this suffice for you, then?” Virgil asked, raising an eyebrow, and Roman sighed.

“It will have to do, I suppose,” he said, and Virgil rolled his eyes. 

“It better, because this is the only inn this side of the capital that won’t sell us out at the first flash of some coin.”

“So that innkeeper, you trust him then?” 

“With my life,” Virgil responded immediately, and Roman blinked. 

“Well alright then,” he muttered. He looked around the room, then frowned as one particular detail stuck out to him. “There’s only one bed.” 

“It’s a roadside inn, Princey, it doesn’t exactly have suites.” 

“I know, I wasn’t exactly expecting the lap of luxury here, but–”

“Relax,” Virgil interrupted. He pulled off his cloak and bunched it into a ball before stretching out on the floor and stuffing it under his head. “I’m all good, see? No need to worry about sharing your bed with the measly common folk.” 

 “I’m aware you’re making fun of me,” Roman grumbled, and Virgil laughed. 

“Good, I’d be worried if that was lost on you.”

“You think just because the world is collapsing around us that you can mistreat me so? I am still your prince.” 

Virgil gave him an unimpressed look, and Roman swallowed, suddenly cognizant of the fact that the only reason he was still alive was because of Virgil’s interference. He’d taken it for granted, Virgil was his knight, after all, it was his job to protect him, but when the rest of the palace had fallen, there would have been nothing stopping Virgil from giving Roman up to save his own skin. Instead, Virgil had taken him to safety, and Roman felt his face warm in shame.

“I apologize,” he said quietly, looking down. “That was...not a very chivalrous remark. I do recognize that it is only because of you that I am even alive, let alone a prince, and...I am grateful for that.” 

He glanced up, just in time to see a strange expression flicker across Virgil’s face for just a moment before his familiar smirk was back. 

“Alright, Princey, don’t get sappy on me now,” he said, and Roman let himself smirk back. 

“Just covering my bases here, I can’t exactly have rumors start spreading that the prince of the land doesn’t appreciate when someone saves his life.” 

“Go to sleep, highness, your precious reputation is safe with me,” Virgil snickered, closing his eyes. 

Roman chuckled, but as he lay back on the lumpy mattress, he didn’t miss the way Virgil’s hand drifted to rest on the hilt of his sword, or how he adjusted his position so that his body lay across the doorframe, one final barrier between Roman and any threat that might dare to enter. 

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, letting his own eyes slip closed. “I know I’m safe with you.”

---

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