#Can I Wear Blue Sapphire and Pearl Together

[starsthewitch]

Star’s beginners guide to Aphrodite worship 🐚💕

Who is Aphrodite?

Aphrodite is the goddess of love, sex, beauty, seduction, and war. She is most commonly known for her immense beauty and her many associations with sex.

What are some things she is associated with?

Doves

Flowers like roses

The colors pink, red, blue, green, white, and gold

Crystals like rose quartz, clear quartz, pearls, diamonds, sapphires, amethyst, rubies, moonstones, and aquamarines

Incense that smells of rose, cinnamon, myrrh, frankincense, vanilla, and jasmine

Her tarot cards, The Lovers, The Empress, and The Star

What can I give to her as offerings?

Shells or shell imagery

Ocean imagery

Swan and dove imagery

Heart imagery

Valentine's day gifts like chocolates

Imagery/paintings that depict her

Roses or rose imagery

Doing skincare for her

Perfumes or colognes

Hairbrushes

Mirrors

Doing your makeup

Moonwater

Strawberries, apples,and raspberries

Devotional acts or things you can do in her honor

Giving compliments to people

Collecting things you find pretty

Wearing jewelry you've offered or devoted to her

Watch or read romantic material

Self-love

Masturbation (if comfortable in doing so)

Sex (if comfortable in doing so)

Wear perfume dedicated to her

Spend time with loved ones

Create a digital altar (these can be done on Pinterest)

Write poetry about her

Write a letter to her

Create or listen to a playlist dedicated to her

Talk to her (tarot cards, dice, pendulum, and other forms of divination work just fine)

What is it like working with her?

When it comes to Aphrodite, in myth, she was often known as a wrathful and jealous goddess. However, since the myths are just stories and are known to exaggerate some details, this isn’t usually the case.

However, when people mention to others that they are interested in working with Aphrodite, they usually say that you absolutely should not. That she is needy, requires a lot of attention and offerings, that if you don’t do what she says, she will take your beauty away.

This is also not the case.

In my experience as an Aphrodite worshipper, she is very loving, along with being insanely passionate. Also being very vocal about her needs and wants.

Often getting signs from her isn’t at all uncommon. I remember the first few weeks I started working with her, I got an image on my feed that had these two eels intertwined together in a heart shape.

You will often feel connected to sea life, the sea in general, wanting to do things for yourself like dressing nicer and wanting to take care of yourself more.

Here are some things I’ve experienced in my time in working with her.

When I first started praying to her, I stuttered and fumbled over my words. A lot. I was oddly nervous about it? I’m not the type to stutter and fumble often. But beginning to feel nervous and even embarrassed in the presence of the goddess of love? Very normal.

She often enjoys getting milk and dark chocolate, along with roses or any kind of flower, real or not. I gave her chocolates, a fake rose, and a real flower for valentines day and she was insanely happy with it. So much so that her candle rested in a heart shape for a short while.

I often saw butterflies, a symbol of Aphrodite.

I often feel inclined to go to the beach, collect seashells, and do things that make me feel good.

I feel more comfortable expressing love. Before, I was never the type to use pet names for people, especially for friends. But i’ve noticed that I now call people sweet and endearing names. Honeybun, sweet pea, boo, sweetie/sweetness, and babes are things i’ve been saying lately.

She is very honest, often not sugarcoating things. I asked her when my ex first asked me out if we’d last. She said no and gave me explicit reasons as to why. Though I still went out and dated them anyway, and it pretty much ended in the way she said.

She very much enjoys art work of her. I’ve drawn her a few times, asking her to guide my hand in doing so.

Whenever I feel unattractive or hate something about my appearance, she usually makes someone compliment me that day or that week. I was having an off day with my hair, and in that same hour, a girl walked up to me and said that she loved my hair and the style it was in.

That is it for my beginners Aphrodite worship guide! I will be doing these for the other two deities I work with, Apollo and Freyja.

I do hope these were helpful. If you have any questions or need assistance with anything, my ask box and my dms are always open. So be sure to shoot me a message!

Much love to you. <3

[lua-magic]

Improve your planets.

I know planets in our birth chart is fixed but we can fix the energies of planets externally as well.

Venus.

If you want to improve your Venus then wear white colour, include number six and wear either diamond or white sapphire in your middle finger

Mercury.

If you want to improve your Mercury then wear green colour, include number five and wear emerald on the little finger .

Mars.

If you want to improve your Mars, then wear red colour, include number nine and wear red coral on the ring finger.

Jupiter.

If you want to improve your Jupiter then wear yellow clothes mores, include number three and wear yellow sapphire on index finger.

Saturn

If you want to improve your Saturn then include number eight, wear black colour and wear amythest bracelet or blue sapphire on ring finger.

Sun.

If you want to improve your sun, then wear

orange, saffron, golden and red, include number one and wear Ruby in ring finger or wear copper bracelet.

You eat and drink water in copper vessels and practice sun gazing.

Moon.

To improve your moon in your chart then wear pale white, cream or silver colour, wear pearl ornaments or moonstone bracelet and include number two.

You should eat food and drink water in silver vessel and do moon meditation.

Rahu or north node.

If you want to improve north node then wear dark blue colour, include number four and wear hessonite bracelet.

Ketu or south node

If you want to improve your ketu then wear cats eye, include number seven and wear brown colour clothes.

Don't wear the stones of enemy planets together.

Sun is enemy planet of Saturn, Rahu and Ketu.

Moon is enemy planet of Saturn, rahu, ketu and Mercury and sun.

Mars and Mercury are enemy planets.

Venus is enemy planet of ketu and sun.

Jupiter is enemy of Rahu and Moon, Mercury and Venus

Saturn is enemy of Sun, Rahu.

Wear either the stone of Moon or Mars but don't wear them together.

Don't wear black or stone of Saturn if Saturn is in six, eighth and twelfth or even retro in your chart.

[h4arts]

Hi! I saw that you've opened your requests for s&b sooo can I request a Nikolai x reader where they're in an arranged marriage and they're distant with each other but one day they get ambushed and she's the one who saves Nikolai (like she can fight and she's good at it) and Nikolai is surprised and he starts seeing her differently and they start spending time together and confess? Angst to fluff kind of thing 👉🏻👈🏻

pearls to opals, nikolai lantsov -synopsis: your new husband takes a liking to make small aspects of your new life miserable. it isn't until a close call in an ambush that he truly sees you for who you are, not as your parents painted you to appear. -warnings: injuries, fighting, me not knowing a thing about boats, def not proofread and a bit rushed (i'm so sorry)

Pearls glinted in the dim lighting, reflecting off your mirror as you stare at your reflection. You didn't want pearls, you hated them actually, yet you had to suffer through an entire wedding and celebration with their weight setting into your collarbones. That wasn't even the worst of it.

This wedding was yours, to a man you knew nothing about besides his name. Everything felt wrong, like you were in someone else's skin, taking someone else's place. And in a way, you supposed you were. A soft knock on the door breaks your mind from wandering too far, and at your permission, your mother enters the room, glittering from head to toe in blue velvets and shimmering sapphires. You wondered how she managed to pull off so much blue.

"Feeling alright?" She asks, sitting on the open end of the stool you sat upon.

"Just fine." No, not at all. This whole thing had been arranged, for the better future of Ravka. That's what your father had told you the day you found out of this predicament. A few choice words had slipped past your lips that evening, angering your father, but you didn't care, this was your life, not his. Your anger had been brushed off though, and this was where it led you, a dim room in the palace you were to be married in in mere minutes.

"Good. You look wonderful, the pearls look wonderful on you. Excellent choice on my behalf." The words made your stomach churn with sickness. The pearls didn't belong to you, and even if they had, you would have thrown them into the depths of the sea before ever wearing them. "Come, it's time."

───☆───

That had been months ago, and you had been living comfortably yet miserably since then. Your new husband, Nikolai, had been relentless in his remarks against you during the first weeks of the marriage, but in the last two months, he'd hardly spoken a word to you. You'd sleep in the same bed but on opposite ends, never touching in between. You'd sit beside each other at meals, but only spoke when asking for something closer to the other.

It was constant working around each other, you were hardly in the same room during the waking hours of the day. Keeping this in mind, you weren't sure why your feet carried you towards the harbor Nikolai's returning ship would soon be docked on. He hadn't been there for you, why are you going for him?

The question plagued your mind as you sat on a bench, watching as part of the ship's crew jumped onto the dock, securing the boat to ensure it wouldn't drift away with the tide. Finally, the ramp was set in place and the crew on the docks rushed aboard the ship while others carried crates of various sizes off, a few nodding to you in acknowledgement, which you returned.

A boy slightly younger than you came running off the ship, weaving between the people surrounding him, the unmistakable shout of Nikolai's voice sounding after the boy. He ran right at you, dropping something into the palm of your hand as he passed. You squint after him in confusion, his broad shoulders crashing into the people lining the streets as his long legs carried him away from the docks at a quick pace. Looking back towards the ship, you stifle a laugh and the glare Nikolai sent to the back of the boy's head from over the railing. You quickly turn your head when his gaze turns to you, but you didn't miss the frown that turned almost deeper at the sight of you.

The feel of something in your hand became apparent as you remembered it, but at the sight of it, you wished you hadn't looked. A pearl bracelet with a golden clasp rested in your palm, suddenly feeling heavier that it was. Pushing through the wave of the crew with crates adorning the tops of their shoulders, you climbed the ramp to the boat, weaving your way to Nikolai, who stood surrounded by three other men and women. With a sigh, he waved them away, promising to meet them later, and you took that as a sign to approach the man.

"These wouldn't be of any importance to you, would they?" You hold your hand out, revealing the set of pearls that was currently weighing down your hand with vicious yet imaginary weight.

"Are they not to you? I was under the impression that a girl like you would swoon over such a thing." Nikolai responded dryly, taking the bracelet from your hold.

"Well you're wrong. I prefer diamonds. Pearls are for women like my mother." Nikolai let out a laugh at that, though he was anything but amused by the comment.

"Of course you would prefer the expensive alternative." He was wrong, though. You didn't hate diamonds, but they were better than pearls in your eyes. Anything was, really. Pearls were not yours, they never had been and never would be, but Nikolai couldn't have been more oblivious to the fact as he wrapped them in a soft cloth and returned them to an open crate nearby, presumably where the running boy had taken them from to begin with.

Before you could question why the boy had taken them to begin with, a loud noise echoed through the harbor, followed by the unmistakable sound of gunfire.

"What is going on?" Nikolai didn't get an answer, as you had shoved him aside. One of the attackers swung himself onto the ship, rifle firing at where the two of you had just been standing.

"What does it look like." you frown, breaking off a stick of wood from a barrel that had been broken by the gunfire.

"What are you-" Once again, Nikolai receives no answer his mouth being covered by your free hand, eyes peering around the crates the two of you were hid behind. A creak in the boards sounds from behind, making Nikolai turn to look, but when his eyes returned to your spot, you were gone. Though he had no time to wonder where you had gone before the barrel of a pistol was pointed right at him. Slowly, Nikolai raised his hands, uncurling his legs from beneath him even slower as to not alarm the raider.

"Where are those pearls? I know you've got 'em." Nikolai chooses not to respond as he tries to form a plan of attack. You however, seemed to have beat him to it. With a loud crack, the attacker is sent falling forwards, Nikolai quickly scrambling to the side to avoid being crushed under the other man's weight. You stood before Nikolai now, the stick from the crate held tightly in your hand.

"Well, I guess we both have a reason to hate pearls now." With a disinterested glare, you turn your back to him and race off the boat to the docks where the rest of Nikolai's crew was fending off the others who attempted to attack the ship. He quickly regains a hold of the situation, running behind you to fight as well.

Half distracted, Nikolai fights alongside his crew, still sparing a few too many glances at you. Maybe, he thought, he'd been wrong about you. Or he had just overlooked the obvious. You had held yourself as more of a fighter than a diplomat, someone who was shoved into a role they did not want to play, he knew that feeling too well and wondered if it was too late to fix what shouldn't have happened to begin with.

───☆───

Returning home was not something you looked forward to, anticipating a lecture of some sort. Accompanied by more silence and a continuance of glances that were gone before you could tell if they were real or not. The thought of being ignored by your own husband in a home that was not yours was terrifying, and you hated every moment of it. However, Nikolai spent the journey planning how to change that, how to start over all the things he should have done sooner.

The dirt path came in to view just outside the harbor town. It was a view you'd seen only a few times since your arrival in Ravka, but you'd always wondered what the path looked like from the road travelling through it rather than around it.

"What's caught your eye out there?" Nikolai had been observing your tense posture since the carriage doors opened and he'd sat across from you.

"Nothing. Just looking." You respond. Maybe one day you could come back and travel it yourself. Then, you'd have all the time in the world. He nodded, dropping the subject though he knew it wasn't true.

Once you'd arrived back, you were quick to make a move back to your room, but a hand on your wrist gently pulled you back. Nikolai's hand.

"I need to say something before you go running off again," He sucked in a sharp breath, eyes staring deep into your own, like he was just seeing you for the first time. "I want to start over."

"What?" You were nothing but confused and tired and there was probably an injury somewhere that you needed to take care of.

"This marriage is not what it should be, I know that. And, I apologize it's taken me so long to realize that it was not your fault, but mine." The tension in your shoulders seemed to match his now, this wasn't the conversation you'd imagined would take place. "I've misjudged you, and I've not even given you the time you deserve. If you'd like to leave this place, me, I couldn't rightfully stop you. But if you stayed, this time I'd give you more than just a crown or a spared glance, I can promise that fully to you right now."

This was the promise you'd been waiting for, but it didn't feel right. Not after everything you'd been put through this far.

"I won't leave." The tension in Nikolai's face slowly loosened up. "But it will take time to fix what was broken to begin with."

"Of course. I wouldn't expect anything else."

───☆───

Two months later, your relationship with Nikolai had mended. You were closer than ever, and even the air around the two of you seemed lighter than after the marriage.

One morning when you had been awoken and told to meet Nikolai in the garden, you hadn't been expecting him to take you on the path you'd stared at on the night of the ambush. It was even better than you'd imagined. It was lush and green and the sunlight cast an ethereal glow through the leaved and branches hanging above your heads.

"It's beautiful out here."

"Not as beautiful as you." Nikolai grinned, that stupid grin that made your heart flutter.

"Oh, please." You turn away from him, instead kneeling by a bush blooming with pink and yellow flowers.

"I'm serious," He starts, kneeling beside you and picking a pink one, tucking it gently behind your ear. "Before I forget, I've got something for you." You watch as he pulls something from his pocket and holds it out to you. It was a thinly wired gold ring with an opal stone. It was simple, but it was the prettiest ring you'd ever seen.

"I know you could care less for diamonds, truly. I thought it might suit you." He takes your hand, sliding the ring onto your finger. It glinted in the sunlight, reflecting sparkles in your eyes as you admired it.

"I love it, thank you." Lifting your eyes to meet his, he's already looking at you, a soft look like he'd give you everything, and he would.

"Anything for you."

[spongeaddict]

My SINCEREST apologies that I’ve been MIA, here are some headcanons to hopefully tide you over until I can get my GD crap together!

Fraphne engagement/wedding headcanons!

Fred proposes with a trap, of course

Shaggy, Velma, and Scooby are all in on the proposal

Fred doesn’t have a ring when he proposes because he was afraid of getting the wrong one (even though Daphne promised she’d love anything he picked out) 

Instead he tells her they’ll go ring shopping together, which delights her to no end

Daphne is anti-diamond, so she chooses something more unique, like an opal or a sapphire

While both Daphne and Fred would have been happy with a small wedding with just the gang and close family in attendance, both sets of their parents insist on throwing them a huge wedding

They can afford it after all

It’s definitely a spring wedding; sometime in late April or early May

Daphne’s wedding dress is practical but gorgeous; a classy ivory strapless mermaid style gown with a short train, if any

Her something old is a string of pearls that all the women in her family have worn an their wedding days

Her something new is her dress/veil

Her something borrowed is her mother’s best pearl earrings

Her something blue is the insoles of her shoes

She’s got two pairs of shoes by the way; heels for the ceremony, comfortable white sneakers for the reception

Fred doesn’t wear a tuxedo; instead he wears a classic dark gray suit

But instead of a tie, he wears his ascot

Shaggy’s the best man, Velma’s the maid of honor, Scooby is the ring bearer (but you knew that!)

The wedding is outdoors, somewhere like a winery; the tent for the reception is set up next to the vineyard

Daphne’s bouquet has lilacs, orchids, white roses, and plenty of greenery

Fred and Daphne don’t have a First Look; the first time Fred sees her on their wedding day is when she’s walking down the aisle

Daphne is worried about crying during the ceremony, but when the day arrives she’s so happy she just smiles the whole time

Fred, however, goes through the whole ceremony with tears of joy in his eyes 

So do Shaggy, Velma, and Scooby for that matter

Open bar at the reception because again; the Blake family can afford it

Fred and Daphne’s first dance is to something classic and romantic like “Something” by The Beatles or “At Last” by Etta James

In a move that surprises everyone, Velma gives a funny maid of honor speech, and Shaggy gives a serious best man speech 

Both speeches are perfect

There’s no bouquet toss because Daphne thinks it’s tacky

There’s also no garter toss because Fred thinks it’s weird

The biggest drama of the evening occurs when Scooby disappears halfway through the reception and no one can find him for an hour

It turns out he just ate so much food he passed out behind the DJ booth

The song that closes out the night is “Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing

Fred and Daphne do the lift 😊 

They discussed for a long time about what to do about last names; whether Daphne should take Fred’s or keep her own

What they end up doing is both hyphenating

So their full names after they get married are Frederick Blake-Jones and Daphne Blake-Jones

[liviavanrouge]

Fashion Princess

Livia: *Walks through the schools halls, wearing a black off shoulder dress with fake green rose petals scattered around it, a line of roses replacing the ruffle, her hair up in pigtails being held together by flower headbands, large green rose earrings hanging from her ears*

Ace: WOAH LIVIA! IS THAT YOU!

Livia: *Looks over and waves* Hey boys

Deuce: W-wow...you look so pretty...

Silver: *Holds his baton against Deuce's neck, narrowing his eyes* She's always pretty

Deuce: Y-YES!! SHE ALWAYS IS!!!

Silver: *Removes the baton, nodding to Livia* Let's go

--

Vil: *Smiles, his Elf Pixie handing him his lipstick* Thank you, Pretty

Livia: *Walks in, wearing blue dress with ruffles, flower patterns along it with blue fake daisies, petals scattered across the chest part, her hair up in a bun with a braid around it* Vil?

Vil: *Looks over and drops his lipstick stunned* L-Livia?

Livia: Yes, Vil?

Vil: *Smiles wide* YOU LOOK GORGEOUS!! COME HERE!!!

Livia: O-oh okay *Walks over surprised*

Vil: Your dress is so pretty!

Livia: *Giggles as Vil circled her, studying her dress*

--

Trey: *Carries lemon tarts, heading to Diasomnia to give them to Livia*

Livia: *Walks out of Diasomnia's mirror, wearing a white dress with blue roses at the end of it and covering the chest part, blue thorn patterns decorating it with a blue bow around her waist facing the back, a ribbon clipped around her neck with flowers at the tips, her hair in a ponytail tied with a braid, a sapphire necklace around her neck*

Trey: *Sputters looking shocked* PIPSQUEAK!

Livia: *Looks over and beams* Oh hey Trey!

Trey: I've never seen you in a dress before...I'm sure nobody has!

Livia: Yeah, I only wear my dresses in Diasomnia, but Mal Mal says I'm allowed to wear them out if I so wished

Trey: I-I see, well here, I made you tarts

Livia: Thank you!

--

Ace: I'm serious guys! Livia looks like a fashion icon!

Deuce: *Nods in agreement* She looks outstandingly stunning!

Cater: Liv always wears tomboy clothes, so I'll believe it when I see it!

Riddle: *Points past Cater* Better see it and believe it now then, cause I am!

Cater: *Looks behind him and gasps*

Livia: *Walks through the hall with a book, wearing a sky blue off shoulder dress with purple freckle like spots around the skirt part, a large purple ribbon on the chest part with a large crystal blue diamond in the middle, rose patterns along the skirt of it, miniature bows around the waist part, a flower clip in her hair as her hair flowed down her back*

Cater: OMG!! LIV-CHAN!!!

Livia: *Perks up surprised* Cay Cay, hi!

Cater: Can I get a pic with you?!

Livia: *Beams and nods*Of course!

Cater: Yay, totes thank you!

--

Livia: *Reads a book on a bench, wearing a no sleeve dress with colored flower patterns across it, a bow coming out as a large rose around her waist, her hair in a high side ponytail*

Rook: How beaute your clothes are, Mademoiselle Flower Huntress!

Livia: *Looks up* Oh, thank you Rook!

Rook: Would you mind if I write a few poems about you?

Livia: Of course, write as many as you wish

Rook: OH! Such kindness! Thank you!

Livia: *Nods and looks back down at her book humming*

--

Livia: *Sits in Diasomnia, wearing a sky blue dress with an apron like front, a bow around her waist facing the back, black and white striped stockings on her reaching up to her knees, a black ribbon tied up in her hair*

Malleus: What inspired you to make this dress?

Lilia: *Laughs, smiling* A book about a girl who fell down a rabbit hole!

Malleus: Ah, I see

Epel: Liv, wanna come with me and the others

Livia: *Stands up, putting her shoes on* Of course!

Livia: *Hurries over to Epel, beaming*

--

Vil: *Checks the time, looking worried* Where is she, we'll be late

Golden: Oh, there she is..

Livia: *Walks over, wearing a white dress with a carnation pink tip, carnation pink mini bows decorated just above it, the same color bow tied around her waist adorned with a blue sapphire in the middle, pearls on the ribbons, her hair up in a ponytail with curls along with a headband that had bows on both ends both decorated with pearls, a white caplet with carnation pink freckle spots was around her shoulders, pink and white pearls draped around her neck, pearl earrings in her ears*

Vil: *Stares at her shocked* Oh..my..

Golden: *Chuckles* Malleus overdressed her

Livia: Sorry I'm late, Malleus was picky about my outfit!

Vil: He's certainly dressed you well!! I'm impressed!

Livia: *Laughs, beaming at him* He learned from my Mama!

Vil: So glad he did, hate to see what he'd put on you if he didn't, but enough talk let's go!

Livia: *Nods, following him and Golden*

[dearest-painter]

Yandere! Darkiplier is finally being able to fuse with Rose Quartz! Reader and refusing to let her infuse with him because he loves her so much

And because Peral told him that fusing is the ultimate connection between gems and that he isn't a gem

Pearl just jelly Dark and Rosa Quartz!Reader got better tension then she does/J

TW/CW:Yandere behavior, unhealthy behavior, unhealthy relationship, abusive behavior, abusive relationship, Dark being possessive but Reader doesn’t mind and thinks it’s funny bc she thinks he’s always like this, Pearl and Dark lowkey hating each other, Since the way I read it just Dark and Reader fused imma make up a character and a character name for them, accidentally made Pearl a bit bitchy but she’s like jealous but also being rude to Dark bc Yandere, fusion gif :), using Garent, and sapphire, and Ruby’s gif bc it’s cute, tell me if I need to add more

Summary:Dark was jealous since Pearl said only gems could fuse..he hated it, he wanted to be with you at all times. He decided to make Pearl jealous by dancing with you but by pure accident….you two fused..

“Fusing is the ultimate way gems can show affection to each other and you aren’t a gem so there is no way you have a better connection with Y/N then I do” that has been going through Dark’s mind all day…he knows she’s just jealous since you two balance each other out and genuinely care for each other. He arrived at your garden to see Pearl and you giggling…he hated it but you stop and smiled when you saw Dark.

“Ah hello dark! Please come join us!” Dark smiled a bit and walked over to you when he saw Pearl get pissed…it made him so happy. Soon you two heard your favorite song to dance to he gently grabbed your hand and started dancing with you making you giggling and smile. He genuinely loved seeing you happy but he also liked seeing Pearl jealous.

He spin you then you dipped you as he rested his forehead against your making you giggle more but Pearl was pissed and surprised as you two fused…you two were fused..the new form you had was monochrome with only hints of pink and blue and red, wearing a suit vest with a white dress and some red accessories(the reference. Also they are so pretty like WTF), much human like expect the sharp teeth, super pointy ears, and where the white in your eyes should be is black. You looked down at your form then started to move your gloves hand.

You started laughing then hugging yourself. “We did it! I didn’t even know it was possible! Oh I love this goodness!” Pearl was jealous as you seemed to love this fusion then hers and yours. “Hmm what should we call this…Dark rose? No to on the nose…Dark Quartz? I like it…yeah Dark Quartz! Pearl look!” “I see..but dark quartz?” “Mhm! Our names added together!” Pearl knew it was obvious that you and dark wouldn’t unfuse for a long time…she hated it

[honey-minded-hivemind]

(I think Sapphire!Reader would be a Gem who gets away with things. (Seeing the future and/or past certainly helps). They love gossip, beautiful clothes, and the finer things in life. But... they wish they didn't have to be so... fake. With others, they feel like they're always wearing a mask, hiding any "flaws" or "cracks" so all anyone sees is what they WANT to see. Sapphire!Reader feels drained. If they didn't have their crafted masks, their false fronts... would their friends, their higher-ups, their companions (their family/their cluster) still actually care about them? Or would they only care for the mask they've made of themself? It drives Sapphire!Reader to contemplating possible shattering, or poofing themself because of their inner turmoil and doubts... But then... they meet THEM-

A Pearl.

And suddenly-

Their masks aren't wanted. Aren't accepted. This Pearl!Reader, who is elegant without trying, just- They want the real Sapphire!Reader. Not a false one, not some mask, not the perfect poised doll, but THEM, their TRUE self, their true LIGHT. And for once, in a long, long time, Sapphire!Reader feels-

Seen.

Heard.

Loved.

And they can't help but (platonically) fall for Pearl!Reader, a gem who wants the truth, who is curious, sometimes naive yet still wise, someone who finds the rainbow in light and finds the rainbow, in all its mixed colors and fractured waves so against the Empire, against Homeworld, beautiful and opulent and worthy of notice. How can Sapphire!Reader not love this gem, so real and warm and vibrant, as their closest confidant, their muse, their friend?

And Pearl!Reader loves them, too.

When they fuse for the first time, it's-

They're new.

They're whole.

And the love they feel, the love they are, is enough. They're enough, this mix of Sapphire and Pearl. And they're wonderful, just the way they are.

But...

Neither of their companions or higher-ups or courts (their own family, their own cluster) approve. They look at them, and demand they separate. They call their fusion an abomination. Unnatural. Unmoral. And their gems, their cores-

It feels like they shatter into a thousand pieces.

They try to be what they want them to be, but-

Sapphire!Reader can't do it anymore.

They want to be loved, and be themself, and their self is whole when they're with Pearl!Reader. And if their companions can't accept that... Then they can't stay.

When they sneak off with Pearl!Reader, they feel- bad, but better. Stronger. They're together, and when they fuse-

Back into a being that is THEM, both of them yet neither but someone NEW, someone made of LOVE and ACCEPTANCE-

They decide they can be themself, together, without anyone else. And just like that, they board a small ship, as their true self, and head for a new galaxy, one at the edge of the Empire, a little planet of rock and dirt and water called-

Earth...

(Special note: Sapphire!Reader was with/was family/clustered with the X-Men gems, while Pearl!Reader was with/part of the Brotherhood gems)

[reneesbooks]

a little jarthur for sunday morning

*claws out of my own grave* the students haven't killed me yet. here's the first coherent thing i've written in literal weeks

A rap at Arthur’s window makes him look up from his notes. He see’s Jack’s beaming smile through the crack of the shutters and throws them open, leaning on his elbows on the sill. “You know you’re not supposed to be here.”

“That’s what makes it fun.” Jack’s smile grows impossibly brighter. “It’s the coronation today.”

“I know.”

“Everyone’s invited.”

Arthur raises an eyebrow. “Even street rats and orphans like us?”

“As long as you don’t announce yourself as such.” Jack offers him a hand. “Come with me?”

Arthur glances over his shoulder at his bedroom door. The nuns won’t expect him until dinner; he has plenty of time to get back before they’ll notice he’s gone. He turns back to Jack and takes his hand, smiling back at him. “You’re going to get me in so much trouble.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

They blend into the crowds streaming towards the castle gates and Arthur cranes his neck to see as much of the gardens as possible as they are herded down the main path by the royal guard. The great hall is even bigger than he’d imagined, the chandeliers sparkling with light that dances across the walls. He and Jack climb the stairs up to the balcony around the perimeter of the room and jostle their way to the front, leaning against the railing. From this point, they can see the nobility snacking on pastries and the priest pacing back and forth on the dais, ordering around altar girls and snapping at servants. Next to the ornately carved wooden throne stands a scowling soldier in a deep purple cloak, his piercing green eyes scanning the crowds continuously.

“That’s Keelan O’Leyne,” Jack whispers to him, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Have you heard the songs?”

Arthur shrugs. “The nuns have mentioned him once or twice. They don’t seem to be a fan.”

“They wouldn’t be.” Jack strings his fingers through his hair, his eyes taking on an admiring quality that makes Arthur’s chest ache. “He’s dangerous and violent.” He sighs a little dreamily. “He’d probably cut my tongue out within ten minutes of meeting me.”

“It’s weird that you sound like you want him to.”

“Can you blame me?” Jack gestures at him, Arthur rakes his gaze over the knight again, admitting to himself that he is quite handsome. He would be more so without the deep scowl on his face. “Anyway, he’s famous for how he escaped the massacre of his village by slaughtering the twelve thieves that burned it down. He’s been the princess’s sworn shield since. I heard a rumor that he threatened to cut out the tongue of anyone who used her name in his presence.”

Arthur shivers. “No wonder the nuns don’t like him.”

The crowd hushes and the priest begins to chant. The doors at the end of the great hall swing open and Arthur cranes his neck as the princess steps into the room, floating down the aisle in a gown of blue silk. There is a black mourning stripe down the back. Jack whistles loudly and Arthur sees Keelan O’Leyne’s head whip in their direction, green eyes narrow with cold, calculated anger. Arthur hopes he isn’t able to tell which of them whistled and elbows Jack in the side. “You’re going to get your wish about meeting Keelan O’Leyne if you keep that up. It’s inappropriate.”

“I don’t care about the princess’s beauty, though it is great,” Jack says, his eyes still locked on where she’s advancing slowly down the aisle while the priest chants. “O’Leyne can have her. I’m looking at those jewels on her head and around her pretty neck.”

Arthur looks again, focusing on the crown and necklaces that she’s wearing. The necklace is three strands of jewels twisted together—rubies, pearls, and sapphires shaped into perfect spheres resting on her collarbone. The golden crown has been worked into the shape of flowers, the metal nearly blending into the princess’s braided hair. As she reaches the dais and turns to face the crowd, he gets a better view of it. The jeweled flowers glint in the light, more rubies and sapphires and pearls than Arthur has ever seen in his life set into the intricately wrought metal. He remembers from his reading that the crown jewels were made by the first queen of Raedora and placed on her head by her magical students. There were old stories, buried in the backs of his books, that they once served as powerful magical conduits for the moons.

“Long live Queen Maura of Raedora, blessed by rivers and moons!”

The room erupts in cheers and Arthur gets caught up in it, the shouting crowd around him and the carefree grin on Jack’s face. He could stay in this moment forever, the two of them anonymous in the crowd, not a gutter rat and an orphan but just two kids attending the coronation like everyone else.

Jack turns to him with that wide grin and says over the cheers, “I’m going to steal the crown jewels.”

Arthur laughs, perfect and unburdened. “Sure you are, Jack.”

“Oh, I am.” His eyes are full of plans and mirth and more plans. “And you’re going to help me.”

thieves of morbhard taglist (ask to be added <3): @k–havok @theharpywrites @allianaavelinjackson @oh-no-another-idea

[advikaglitteringtreasures]

Elegantly Patriotic: Balancing Independence Day Attire with the Perfect Accessories

The 15th of August is celebrated as Independence Day in India, the day when India got its freedom from Britishers in 1947. India will be celebrating its 77th Independence Day in 2023.

Celebrating a day is as important as celebrating our birthday, anniversary, or any achievement. Don’t you ever feel like mounting the flag on the balcony, singing nationalistic songs, or going around the tri-colour dressed with a hand flag? Yes, of course, right?

I am so excited for this nation’s special occasion. I believe the right way to honour the sacrifice of our freedom fighters is with the right attire and perfect matching jewellery.

Especially women love to dress up to celebrate the occasion by putting on colourful sarees, kurtis, formal outfits, and jewellery such as bangles, pendants with flag colour, pure white pearl jewellery, or a blue Diamond Sapphire Necklace, as we all know how important the colour blue is because it represents the heart of our national flag in the form of an Ashok Chakra.

Yet, if you are still wondering how to enjoy it, here are some ideas: you can try to wear your favourite multi-coloured jewels, select any colour of the flag for your best attire, and put a big charm, pride, and smile on your face to celebrate Mother India.

In this article, we will try to explain to you exactly how to dress well with the Latest Indian Artificial jewellery Designs.

Unleash the Shine of Artificial Jewellery

To complete the look of every outfit, you should try the right jewelry. If you want to identify yourself with the Indian flag's colour, let’s try the first colour, which is Saffron.

If you are not a fan of dark colours, go with the light shade. Pair your white shirt or kurta with a solely Bead Necklace Chain Costume Jewelry to fulfill the multi-colour pattern.

You can also try a gold pendant with a pearl drop for a unique touch or a heart-shaped saffron-coloured diamond pendant to glamorously display your love for your country.

Experiment with All White

If you like to dress up in one colour, go with pure white because it is best to be in the limelight to try it with multi- color jewelry. Imagining a white outfit with bold jewellery looks amazing, doesn't it?

All-white salwar kameez is the perfect pair with classic diamond drop earrings or a Karisa Kundan Pendant set, and you will definitely be the gorgeous lady in white, no doubt.

Tri-Colour Bangles

What is the common and every-green choice of women when in need of celebration? Guess what? It's bangles, of course!

This Independence Day, bring a big smile to your face and celebrate with your family or colleague by wearing bangles in the hues of the flag.

It's easy and time-saving jewellery; just add bangles with flag-coloured thin chudiya in between them, and you are good to go for an Independence Day celebration.

The best part is that you can wear the same bangles anytime because everyone loves white, green, and orange with their outfit.

Simple Yet Elegant Jewellery

Nowadays, the best jewellery websites online have specially designed tricolour jewellery for this Independence Day, such as drop earrings with added fancy elements, diamond stone rings, pendant sets, etc., easily available over there.

I did some shopping at Advikka.com; they have classic jewellery at a cost-effective price, from Green Gemstone Bijoux Earrings in 925 Silver to blue-coloured stones studded, which spread a great feeling of Patriotic nationalism everywhere.

Your simpler outfits can stand up to more jewellery. If single bracelets aren’t your choice, try a ring and bracelet together.

Mix and Match Jewellery

Don’t be afraid to mix the jewellery as colorful as you like! The pieces of the sapphire ring with chain ring and drops with the sapphire hoops are great to do as pairs or to mix and match.

The variety of bangles, such as Chahna Imitation Polki Bangles, is also a great way to add a simple finishing touch without feeling like you're overpowering your outfit for the occasion.

If your outfit is bright and in a fancy style, select sub-ordinary jewellery pieces such as bracelets, rings, or small earrings to complement your style without taking away from your appearance.

If you want to invest in less expensive jewellery, go with a few funky, fun pieces that will enhance your overall look and even add some colour to your charm.

Freedom is never dear at any price. It is the breath of Life. - Mahatma Gandhi

[freetriumphwasteland-blog]

Where can one buy an authentic 8 Mukhi Rudraksha, and what is its price range?

Introduction What is a 7 Mukhi Rudraksha? A 7 Mukhi Rudraksha is a natural stone bead that has seven vertical lines on its surface. It is believed to remove bad luck, promote growth and attract financial security and good fortune. The wearer of this mukhi (face) will also experience enhanced physical health. What are the Benefits of Wearing a 7 Mukhi Rudraksha? There are many benefits of wearing a 7 Mukhi Rudraksha. Here are some of the most important ones: - Good fortune and prosperity - The seven faces represent the seven planets in our solar system, which are known to bring good fortune and prosperity to those who wear them. - Increase energy levels - The seven chakras, or energy centers, in your body correspond with each face on this mukhi rudraksha. Wearing one will help you activate these chakras so that you can feel more energetic throughout the day. - Improve mental clarity and enhance decision-making skills - By activating all seven chakras at once through wearing this type of bead necklace (or even just carrying it around), it helps stimulate your brain cells so that they become more active than usual when making decisions or solving problems! This makes sense because if there's anything we know about astrology it's that each planet represents something different: Mars = aggression; Venus = love/relationships; Jupiter = expansion/expansionism etc.. So if we put all these together... Instagram Gallery 6340 996 5978 306 8903 594 3454 77 3010 924 4719 422 5419 851 4862 342 8577 755 7710 748 1525 49 5570 107 1580 308 2447 172 7401 402 8424 11 4651 447 8215 860 Recent Posts - What to know before wearing a Garnet stone? - What is Blue Sapphire? Why Blue sapphire is the most Powerful Gemstone? - Can I wear Emerald stone (Panna) without consultation? - Unheated Ruby vs. Heated Ruby Rudraksha For you - Natural Round Shape 7 Mukhi Rudraksha 2.555 Grams 19.65 mm from Nepal I.G.L Lab Tested ₹1,100.00 ₹770.00 - Natural Round Shape 7 Mukhi Rudraksha 2.187 Grams18.33 mm from Nepal I.G.L Lab Tested ₹1,100.00 ₹770.00 - Natural Oval Shape 7 Mukhi Rudraksha 2.716 Grams 20.21 mm from Nepal I.G.L Lab Tested ₹1,100.00 ₹770.00 Contact Us FIND YOUR BEST STONE FROM BELOW COLLECTION Blue Sapphire Yellow Sapphire Emerald Ruby Opal Amethyst Catseye Blue Topaz Yellow Topaz Feroza Garnet Malachite Pearl Red Coral Akik White Coral Peridot Citrine Aquamarine Round CVD Cushion CVD Oval CVD Princess CVD Heart CVD Emerald CVD Radiant CVD Asscher CVD Baguette CVD Pear CVD Marquise CVD Round HPHT Cushion HPHT Oval HPHT Princess HPHT Heart HPHT Emerald HPHT Radiant HPHT Asscher HPHT Baguette HPHT Pear HPHT Marquise HPHT 1 Mukhi 2 Mukhi 3 Mukhi 4 Mukhi 5 Mukhi 6 Mukhi 7 Mukhi 8 Mukhi 9 Mukhi 10 Mukhi 11 Mukhi 12 Mukhi 13 Mukhi 14 Mukhi 15 Mukhi 16 Mukhi 17 Mukhi 18 Mukhi 19 Mukhi 20 Mukhi 21 Mukhi Gauri Shankar Garbh Gauri Shankar Savaar Sidhha Mala Jaap Mala Indra Mala Ganesha Ganesha Read the full article

[essektheylyss]

The ring Essek brings him quietly one evening, when he arrives without ceremony in the kitchen, is flashier than all of Caleb’s wardrobe put together, and it is beautiful on his finger.

It tells of time spent combing through distant markets and shops, places Caleb has no interest in visiting except through the tales of his partner, and he is all the more glad to hear this tale as Essek’s fingers play along the band that sits lightly on his ring finger. It is not as heavy as it looks, the metal and stones delicate and reminiscent of stars in the sky.

“It is, ah, a representation of the Rosohna constellation,” Essek murmurs, his eyes still caught on the jewelry. The stones increase in size as they curl inward to the sapphire inside, a gradient of white to a deep, violet-toned blue, the silver beneath carved in swirling tides. It is similar to a cuff curled around the lobe of Essek’s ear.

He has told Caleb of this constellation, which is called other names on other continents, its importance to the Kryn as a representation of their rising to the surface, the time when they took root in the ruins of Ghor Dranas. But for the astrological sages of the dens, it is a symbol of a deep change, a transformation of heart and soul, and, from what Essek has told him, it was rising over the Lucid Bastion during the moment in which Caleb delivered a stolen beacon to the Bright Queen.

The Skysibil declared it a sign for the Dynasty, lending credence to the Nein’s actions there and encouraging the Bright Queen to give them leeway, but that is not why this ring has relevance to Essek, or to Caleb.

“Love at first sight, hmm?” Caleb teases, and Essek purses his lips to keep from laughing.

“Not quite,” he replies, his mouth tight. He still has not met Caleb’s eye since he put the ring gently upon his finger. “A… profound change. Or the start of one.”

Caleb takes his idle, nervous fingers and wraps his hands around them. Essek softly, without another word, brings his ringed finger to his lips.

It is not his style, and he can feel the eyes that catch on it when he begins to wear it to classes, and the reminder of it doesn’t leave him even as the weight of it becomes familiar and the wrinkled frowns trickle away.

—

The ring Caleb saves for Essek is plain, simple, and at first glance almost boring, a burnished gold band that does not gleam enough to properly stand out against his skin. It sits in a small box in the back of Caleb’s wardrobe for several months while Essek is away, and by the time he returns the next time, it has long been out of mind, and they spend several days reveling in breath on lips.

“Where have you been?” Caleb asks, with interest, exhaled against Essek’s mouth.

Essek tells him, tells him of the archives he has spent a long time undercover gaining access to, building up an extensive web of a lie in order to convince foreign researchers to admit him, tells him of mentions of something akin to dunamis in ancient Tal’dorei that he is still following the trail of, but for now he can come home.

He maps out the constellation of Caleb’s palms as he does, and only when his fingertips brush the band of the ring does Caleb sit up, interrupting an anecdote about a particularly snooty librarian who Beau would’ve kicked in the teeth, and his words falter before he is able to describe how he actually managed to circumvent the scribe.

“Caleb?” he calls, as Caleb leaves him lounging on the bed wordlessly and traipses to the wardrobe, ruffling through the back of it until he can pull out a dusty box.

He gives a half grin as he returns and rests sheepishly against the edge of the bed and sets the ring in Essek’s upturned palm as he rises to meet him. “I, ah, found this,” Caleb says, and then murmurs a word, and an arcane inscription glows around the band.

A small panel of the metal opens to reveal a minuscule pearl, very fine and only a bit lopsided, set within a tiny extradimensional space.

“You found this?” Essek asks, with only a hint of irony, and Caleb’s smile cracks across his face.

“I modified it a bit. I thought you would prefer not to advertise any hidden components, and this way…” he smiles, and cups Essek’s jaw in his hand. “You will always have a second chance, no matter where you are, ja?”

With great care, Essek presses the compartment closed, and holds it to his chest, where another pendant already hangs. He removes the necklace over his head and slides the ring onto it.

When he has replaced it, the ring settles directly over the bones of his ribcage and his armored heart.

He leans into Caleb’s hand and closes his eyes. “Thank you,” he says finally, “for giving it to me.”

“I only offer what I have already received,” Caleb whispers, and intertwines their fingers around the rings, one on his finger, and one over Essek’s heart.

[jayyekko]

since it’s been a while since i’ve posted properly on this app, here’s a 1212 word essay i wrote at 1 am a while ago during a fit of insanity.

the parallels and key differences between rupphire and conniverse:

to start off, the way the relationships btw ruby and sapphire, and steven and connie develop are different in pace.

ruby and sapphire being the lovesick lesbians that they are, don’t fall in love instantly but establish their romantic relationship pretty quickly. as seen in the episode, the answer, the two gems get to know each other and become extremely close after ruby saves sapphire from being shattered by blue diamond and they accidentally fuse as garnet for the first time. w/ fusion between two different gems being seen as taboo on homeworld, they have to flee down to earth. over their time together, interacting w/ nature and rapidly falling in love, ruby and sapphire come to the agreement that they liked the way they felt as garnet, and they choose to fuse again on their own terms, solidifying their relationship.

but w/ steven and connie, their relationship starts out as pure friendship. before they met on the beach in the episode, bubble buddies, steven mentions having first seen connie at a parade in town a year before the show starts. connie didn’t have any friends, and w/ his admiration of the girl steven quickly became her first one. from that, they become best friends that are inseparable. we first see a glimpse of connie’s future sword fighting skills as she fights a gem defense weapon along side steven in the episode, lion 2: the movie, and we get confirmation that the two have mutual crushes on each other in an indirect kiss, seeing how connie was going in to kiss steven before getting a headache from wearing her glasses w/ her newly healed eyes.

the gems know how important connie is to steven (including his crush on her) and quickly become fond of her. even going as far as to fuse as alexandrite to impress mr. and mrs. maheswaran when steven meets them for the first time in fusion cuisine. garnet, more than anyone, was very happy with the kids’ friendship. this can be said to be due to her future vision and her knowing how their friendship would eventually evolve into more, but i believe it was more-so bc she saw herself and ruby and sapphire’s relationship in theirs. this was made apparent in the episode, alone together, after steven and connie dance and end up fusing to be stevonnie for the first time. amethyst and pearl were shocked to see a human fuse w/ a gem, as it was previously thought that someone like stevonnie could never exist. but garnet was absolutely ecstatic to see the fusion, donning the biggest grin on her face when she first laid her eyes upon them.

fusion is used to display different types of relationships throughout the duration of the show. btw like-gems, such as ruby guards, fusion is purely practical and has no changes in appearance other than size. but btw different gems, fusion reflects the relationship the gems have w/ each other. w/ more healthy relationships, fusions such as opal and rainbow quartz are more stable and have some abnormalities but nothing harmful. but the more toxic a relationship is, which is explicitly shown with jasper and lapis’ fusion, malachite, the more unstable and difficult it is to stay together. garnet is one of the most stable fusions on the show due to ruby and sapphire’s deep love for each other and their ability to usually resolve their conflicts together in a calm and understanding way. we don’t see a fusion this stable until stevonnie first makes their appearance, which is why garnet repeats these words to them when she sees them doubting themself: “stevonnie, you are not two people, and you are not one person. you…are an experience! make sure you’re a good experience. now go have fun!”

even though steven and connie don’t get together romantically until the movie, they still have their moments. in full disclosure, the first episode of season 2, steven ignores connie’s worried calls after returning to earth from getting taken hostage by peridot and jasper. having experienced all this new trauma (with much more in store), he didn’t want to put connie in the line of danger or dump his problems onto her. he sings abt being scared of not being able to protect connie from his gem-related battles and escapades, wanting to keep her away from all the horrible things he’s experienced at such a young age. when connie comes to confront him, he finally tells her the truth and she says in return to him not wanting her to get involved, “i want to steven. i want to be a part of your universe.” from there, connie slowly becomes a part of the crystal gems, becoming a master of sword fighting with pearl as her teacher. steven, concerned with his young appearance at his age, makes a reference to being called “first boy” instead of first man when connie becomes president in the episode, steven’s birthday, alluding to the fact that he plans to marry connie someday. and they train more together as stevonnie, having previously promised each other that they would always fight as a team. when aquamarine and topaz come to take a bunch of humans back to homeworld for pink’s human zoo, steven sacrifices himself by revealing his gem to them. and as connie’s screaming at him to stop and the door to the ship closes, steven looks back and mutters, “i love you.” it’s debated whether or not this was directed to his family or to connie, taking one last chance to tell her his true feelings. they’re a new couple in the movie and have an established relationship in the epilogue series, steven universe: future.

to illustrate more comparisons btw rupphire and connverse, we can take a look at their character. both ships contain red and blue coded characters, which is a popular trope btw romantic relationship in animated shows. ruby and steven, both red coded, are more quick to act and reckless, having no hesitation to put themselves in danger to protect the ones they love. sapphire and connie, blue coded, are both calmer and more collected, using their wits and patience to think out a solution but often forgetting to prioritize their own feelings in the process. ruby and sapphire, and steven and connie, are all shown to not be perfect, for perfect relationships do no exist. in garnet’s words, love takes time and love takes work. both couples have episodes that show how they can have disagreements and conflicts w/ each other, but what sets them aside as healthy and stable relationships are their abilities to solve their problems together without screaming matches and violence, but with talking it through and explaining what they’re upset with calmly. ruby and sapphire had been in a relationship for over 5,750 years, but steven and connie continued to following in their example despite their relationship being relatively new.

overall, steven and connie’s budding relationship in the steven universe franchise was a reflection of ruby and sapphire and their love for each other. despite their ups and downs, they all solved their differences and became stronger together after each time. their love for each other is unmatched, and not even the strongest diamond can tear them apart.

[lya-dustin]

Someone will remember us

Chapter 17

Gif by: @selkiewife

Taglist: @arrthurpendragon @stargaryenx @ocappreciationtag @fyeahhotdocs

In time Princess Aemma went from precocious child to the beautiful Pearl of Dragonstone.

If her mother was Visenya, Aemma was Rhaenys.

Laughing and dancing and singing and winning the hearts of the smallfolk wherever she went.

With Jacaerys fostering with his grandmother in Driftmark and Lucerys squiring for Daemon, Aemma was forced to cave in and renew her relationship with her mother, or so the fool Mushroom claims as he was the only one to have been there during those three years,

They ruled their lands together and Dragonstone flourished just as Driftmark had done under the rule of Rhaenys Targaryen.

Mother and daughter were close to keep no secrets, except one: the identity of the suitor who gifted the Sapphire Eye to the princess.

“There was a secret suitor she met during her time in court, one who’s letters she awaited like all lovesick maidens do. Florian the Fool, I called him when I discovered her crying because he never wrote to her.” The fool had said nostalgically. “If I had known it was Aemond One-Eye, I would have called the One-Eyed Prick.”

----

“Cousin Jeyne’s laughter will be heard throughout the mountains, mama.” Aemma laughed as she dressed in a fine red dress identical to that of her six ladies.

“I don’t think it will work, little heart.” Mother indulged her in all, this scheme to scare off the young men coming to call on her was outlandish and had a chance of backfiring, but Aemma did not care.

This was good fun, and if they wished to marry the heir to the Princess of Dragonstone, then he should play her game and see if he wins.

Her suitor must find her in the seven maidens wearing veils and the exact same color dress.

Aemma, Rhaena and Baela Targaryen, Maris Baratheon , Hazel Harte, Daena and Daela Velaryon.

Five Velaryon beauties and two beauties who share the Strong coloring.

“It will be fun and if whoever he is goes for Mari or Hazel you can tear him a new one, mama.” Aemma assures her.

Three have assumed she was a Strong, three have been banned from the Crownlands under penalty of death.

Two had gone for Daela as she was the youngest of the group, and so far no man has been able to find the real Aemma.

She is six and ten in a fortnight and her nameday tourney will be held in Kingslanding.

Her time is running out and the Hand writes that both he and the King will host Cregan Stark at Court and betroth him to her if she doesn’t choose a husband before the year is over.

Aemma is to stay in Court for the next three to five moons, escort the Starks all the way to the Riverlands and have until they reach Harrenhal to decide if he is good enough for her.

But there is only one boy for her.

And yet he has hardly written to you in three years, a treacherous little voice says.

Whatever they had has cooled down and that was why King Viserys was pushing for her to become the queen in the north.

Aemma has ordered no portraits of her be sent to the Starks, she has promised Rhaena to do this one last time in Kingslanding.

The dresses have been done in silver and white to honor the North and give the allusion of a groom picking out his bride from the bridal party.

“I wish I could be the one to present you as my heir in court. Have the world know my first born daughter will be queen after me.” Mother held Aemma’s shoulders with pride.

“Perhaps I can convince grandfather to remove your banishment once I embarrass this northern savage he wants to marry me to.” Aemma whispered as her handmaiden, Jeyne, returned with her Myrish lace mantle that would go over her head and face.

Silver gold lace that mimicked Ghar’s scales.

If only her six companions weren’t wearing the same lace too.

Joffrey Arryn would not know what hit him.

----

“Cousin, we welcome you to our court.” Mother smiles and pets Ghar like a villain.

Ser Joffrey Arryn is handsome, blue eyed and fair and looks eerily like mother even if his hair is blonder than Targaryen silvery gold.

“Well met, Cousin, our kinswoman, Lady Arryn sends her warmest regards and hopes a match between your humble servant and the Pearl of Dragonstone will be to your liking.”  He is bold, Aemma will give him that.

But the men and boys before him were too.

“Then I wish you all the luck in the world in finding which of these fair maidens is my beautiful pearl.” Mother is charming most of the time, but there is sharp turn to her smile.

Doesn’t quite like the epithets these boys give her. Says they’re being too forward with them.

The smallfolk name you, not some lordling thinking you are an object to possess, she said after Mushroom composed a song using all of them.

Pearl of Dragonstone.

Valyrian Siren.

The Maiden Herself.

Those were the main three.

She had taken Pearl of Dragonstone as her official one, she liked it best of all.

One of the girls giggles when he goes for Daena who Vaemond struggles to marry off for being so tall.

The court whispers amused believing he had chosen correctly.

Aemma was just a hair shorter than her cousin, and many mistook them for her.

But no man had ever chosen Daena. Daena was beautiful and witty and not as narrow-minded as her father.

Joffrey was tall as all Arryns were, they were evenly matched now that she thinks about it.

A match between the next Lord of the Vale and Daena Velaryon would be great for everyone.

“I believe fate has brought us together, loveliest of the children of Old Valyria.” Joffrey kissed her hand still none the wiser after he had lifted the heavy veil and Daena bit her lip to stifle a giggle.

“I am Daena, daughter of Vaemond Velaryon, good ser.” Daena smiled sweetly and the Knight of the Bloody Gate turned as red as mother’s velvet dress.

The knight at least hid his disappointment, some had reacted horrendously. Some had the audacity to demand a second try, others recoiled in disgust at knowing the heir to Princess Rhaenyra was black of skin and one had even cried knowing he had missed his one chance to marry a princess.

“Ser Joffrey, I do hope you are not too disappointed, Lady Daena is the one closest in appearance to my daughter, not one man has been that close to finding my pearl.” Mother tries to assuage the knight’s disappointed hopes. “Should you still wish to marry one of the most beautiful children of Old Valyria, I am sure Lord Vaemond would be pleased to consider the Knight of the Gate and Heir to the East for his eldest daughter.”

“Should Lady Arryn give me leave to do so, I will return and pray the gods let me find Lady Daena again.” He smiles almost shyly and clearly besotted by the lady in question.

Many claimed to be struck with love at first sight with those of Valyrian blood, that their fabled beauty and strange coloring attracted many even when they were ugly.

Lady Daena Arryn, Aemma can see it now.

And now that the game is over, Aemma and her ladies remove their thick veils from in front of their faces, Ghar leaves mother’s lap to fly into her arms like a child thus revealing her to the Arryn envoy.

“I do hope you are not angry, Ser Joffrey, you see I prayed to the Maiden that the man who is worthy of me find me this way and she has yet to answer.” Her voice is clear and sweet and she hates how phony she sounds when she lies about why she set up the game as she did.

The truth was, Aemma is fond of parties and masques and pageants. This was a way to have fun and dress up and run from the Septon’s noose in a way that was less insulting than how her mother and grandmother had done so.

“Then I wish Lord Stark all the luck in the world, for the Maiden may decide no man in planetos is worthy of you.”

It stings and Aemma feels hurt by his words, but she smiles and bears it with all the grace she can muster after being told she may never find a husband because her expectations are too high.

-----

“He has not written in three years, sweetling, perhaps you should give Lord Stark a chance.” Teora nudged her as she wrote her latest vison down.

She had seen Vaemond be beheaded with Dark Sister for demanding Driftmark pass to him. He has been hinting at an unbroken line of Velaryon sons and that at least his father had the decency to sire a spare unlike Aemma’s father.

The saucer had shattered irreparably on the floor splattering Aemma with cinnamon tea just as Vaemond’s blood splattered her dress in the vision.

He will be executed for calling her brothers bastards in front of the king.

He will be missed, but in the end his own ambitions and in ability to accept his nephew’s will have killed him.

“Perhaps I will, Teora, I do not wish to go north, you know I can barely handle the cold air of the Vale.” Aemma sighed.

To marry a lord paramount, she would have to live in his kingdom. Could have asked for a Tyrell, or one of Tully’s sons, or even the pompous jackass of Lannister, but Otto Hightower wants her as far as humanly possible from the Iron Throne.

Prince Qoren had proclaimed that should the Greens seek to take the throne from her mother and Aemma, they would be glad to come to her side if she were to take little Prince Qyle as her consort.

With those words, all plans to unite the seven kingdoms died and the fucked up notion of rewarding the North with the Pearl of Dragonstone were born.

The north had spoken for Rhaenys and remained steadfast in the side of the Blacks, but the Starks were so honorable that they prided themselves in executing their own blood if they deserted the Night’s Watch.

Should Viserys change his mind and name Aegon his heir, Aemma would not be able to count on them going against their honor.

Her only hope at marital happiness is that Stark does not choose her.

“You know what they say about those northerners, winter is always coming.” The septa said with a wink.

“Teora!” Aemma sputtered, shocked that Teora could make a dirty jape.

“If that shocked you, you should have heard the things she says when we are in confidence.” Her mother doesn’t bother knocking as she comes into Aemma’s rooms. “Can you leave us, Teora, I would like to speak with my daughter alone.”

Once that had bothered her like hell, not Aemma doesn’t mind as much and even welcomes it.

“What is it that you wish to talk about, mama?” Aemma was hoping it wasn’t about her flirting with some visiting young sailor from Pentos or kissing Maris to see if she liked girls, or that she now has her very on copy of Septa Coryanne’s sexual exploits.

“I think you know, Aem.” Mother looks embarrassed to even confirm Aemma’s worst fears. “It is time we have that talk.”

She doesn’t mean the basic information of how babies are made, no, this is about what is expected of her in marriage, of things her mother could not tell her before because she was too young.

Gods, her mother will tell her of how she lost her maidenhead to Daemon Targaryen. She isn’t sure she wants to know that.

[orpheusredux]

I Do (And I Always Will) - Part 1

I Do (And I Always Will) - Part 1

Fic Summary: Eddie asks you to marry him on the fourth of July, when there are literally fireworks going off overhead.

Fic Rating: Fluff

Pairing: Eddie Munson/Female Reader

Warnings: Season Finale Spoilers, Fix-it Fic

Fic Song: Love Is Only A Feeling - The Darkness

A/N: This is just a stream of conciousness I couldn't get out of my head and every time I came back to it there was just more schmoopy, fluffy, sweet Munson goodness coming out. It's really just head canon, just starry eyed Eddie adoration. I don't think there's any smut coming, I'm not 100% sure though, so vague warnings for future parts.

Eddie asks you to marry him on the fourth of July, when there are literally fireworks going off overhead. 

He’d made a big song and dance about not wanting to participate in “some jingoistic, state sanctioned propaganda fest” this year, out of solidarity with El. But you love Eddie, and you know him, and the idea he’d willingly miss out on a cookout at the Hoppers’ should have clued you in to something being up. 

(Eddie loves El, has been besotted with her since the moment Dustin introduced them. She’s the little sister he never knew he desperately wanted. Plus, she is actually magic. He’s wary of Jim Hopper, though. Eddie’s had more than a few run ins with over the years, but his miraculous return and metamorphosis from disgruntled Sheriff to monster-hunting Zen master, is a source of endless hilarity to him. )

Instead, Eddie asks if you want to drive up to Lover’s Lake for the weekend with him. 

“Take a roadie in the van, park up in that place, you know? The one we found last summer? Sleep in back with the doors open, watch the sun come up?”

He’d said it with his arms tightly crossed, hand trapped in his armpits, shoulders up, like he’d been bracing for a “no thanks, babe”, but you’d said yes before he’d even finished describing it. 

(Afterwards, when you come home and you’re showing everyone the ring, Robin will coo and say she’s glad he went with the pearl rather than the sapphire, so you know Eddie must have asked her what she thought you’d like, and the thought of him doing that, of him maybe telling Harrington - “I’m gonna do it man. 87, baby. This is our year” - all jittery and excited, like you know he would have been, makes you feel giddy and more happy than you ever thought it was possible to be.)

Maybe you know something’s up, too, because you have butterflies the night before, and Eddie has never made you feel like that. He’s made your knees weak, and your heart skip a beat, your skin tingle and the breath catch in your chest, but he’s never made you feel nervous, or unsure. 

It’s how you’d known it was right to kiss him that first time, under trees, by the picnic table, your legs swinging in the late summer breeze, while he messed about, trying to make you laugh, teasing. 

You’d plucked the fabric of his tee shirt and he’d fallen slowly against you, his hands landing either side of you on the table, the soft, butterfly’s kiss of his hair against your cheek; his breath against your lips as you turned your face towards him and pressed your mouth to his like a promise. 

“God, really, Princess?” 

“Yes, Eddie. Really.”

So you pack that pretty red sundress he bought you at Jackson fair in your duffle bag for the trip. The one he’d caught you looking at while the two of you strolled the stalls together, pinkies linked. The one you’d decided you couldn’t afford because it was such an indulgence when you had rent to pay, and school fees coming up. You’d left it at the fair, only to find it wrapped in white tissue paper on your bed a couple of nights later.

You can wear it on Saturday, to watch the fireworks.

(You’ll take a polaroid right after he asks, after you turn and find him behind you, down on one knee, the little blue velvet box open in his cupped hands, and a look of absolute terror on his face. You'll take a polaroid right after you look down at him, take his long, pale face in your hands, look into his wide, chocolate drop eyes, smooth your thumbs, slowly, over his cheeks and say, "Can you imagine a world, any world, where I'd say no?" You'll take a polaroid and your faces will be smushed together, and you'll be holding up your hand to show the lights of the fireworks glinting off the ring, and your smiles will be so huge, so bright, and your cheeks will be as red and delightful as the dress you’re wearing.)

He’s jittery when he arrives on Friday evening, after you finish your shift at the diner. The stereo is blasting Kiss, and he leaps out of the van and races to pick up your bag for you as you walk down the steps to the pavement. He opens the passenger door for you and asks you if you’re “all set” five times, until you’re laughing at him and telling him “yeah , baby, I’m peachy. I’m always peachy when I’m with you,” and then he loses his keys, and finds them again. They are literally in the ignition.

On the drive, he loosens up a little and so do you. You’re in charge of the stereo and you’ve spent a couple of nights this week making mixtapes, and the glove compartment is literally jammed with Eddie’s mixtapes already, so you have options.

He starts singing along to Whitesnake, and you sit sideways in your seat, knees tucked up under you so you can watch him drive, watch the way the tendons and muscles strain in his forearm when he shifts the stick, watch the fine, pale skin of his throat moving as he sings. You love his voice. It’s raspy and wild and he can do this insane Bruce Dickenson-style falsetto, and deep down just know that one day, one day someone is going to hear that voice and make him famous.

The sun sitting low above the trees when you get to the lake. The road down to the shore is strung with festoon lights and pennants for the holiday and there are lots of families already parked up, lots of tailgating and tents. It’s busy, and you knew it would be in the public areas, but the place you found last summer is on private property, out at the end of the dirt track, on the far side of the lake.

Round a bend in the coastline of the lake, there’s a stand of oaks with a gap between them that leads down to the water, just wide enough for a van to sit in. When you back in and open the doors, you have this clear view through the trees to a little beach, and out across a little beach and the water. (It's in back of his buddy Rick's place, so he knew there wouldn't be anyone else here.)

It's golden hour when you park up and throw open the back doors, and the water is literally glowing. Eddie pulls out the little camp grill and fires it up, while you make the bed on the mattress in back of the van and wriggle into your bikini under the blanket. 

He races you into the water, and you spend the glittering twilight messing around, dunking each other, playing tag and trying to do that lift from Dirty Dancing, that has you both laughing so hysterically Eddie has to drag you out of the water under one arm because he thinks you’re going to drown.

(You dragged him to the movie a couple of weeks ago, under protest He'd wanted to go see RoboCop. Again. But he has almost never been able to say no to you, and so you ended up watching this film together. You'd bee totally unprepared for how much it affected you, how good their love is, how unfairly Johnny is treated, how much you felt like that was you and Eddie on the screen. You didn't want to look at him and see him hating it, because you were loving it so much, and you didn't want him being bored out of his mind to bum you out. But then half way through you feel his thigh pressed into yours jiggling during the dance scenes, and when it was over he tried to hide how red and damp his eyes were. And when you get to the van, he races to open the door for you, saying, “no one puts baby in the corner” and gets so choked up you have to stand there hugging for a minute.)

After you dry off, Eddie will roll you a fat jay, and you’ll sit in the back of the van, your legs swinging and smoke is as the sun goes down. Then you'll both get the mean munchies, and he'll cook hotdogs and you'll make s’mores by the light of the camp fire. Then you’ll sit, huddled together under a blanket with the van doors open, and watch the Junebugs flitting between the trees and listen to the sounds of the families camping, echoing from the far side of the lake. 

You’ll smile at each other, and kiss, and whisper the sweetest of nothings. And he’ll stroke your cheek with the back of his finger and call you his girl, and you’ll realize you may not have a pot to piss in, but tomorrow night the Clark County fireworks display will go up over the treetops, and it will be beautiful. But you’ll be with Eddie, and what could be more beautiful than that?

[celestialvoid-fanfiction]

Distant Memories - Prologue

One fateful night, the young Prince Samuel Hale disappears when the palace is overrun and the royal family are murdered. Years later, the Grand Duke Peter offers a reward for the return of his nephew. Stiles and Boyd come up with a plan to find someone to play the role and take the money; that’s when they stumble upon an orphaned man with no memories of his childhood and who bares a remarkable resemblance to the missing prince.

 For @benaya-trash​

[AO3]

  The large ballroom was filled with light and sound. The hall had been decorated with strings of crystal beads, draped from the chandeliers to the golden filigree of the ornate crown moulding and the towering columns on either side of the hall. The crystals shimmered like stars in the night as they caught the light.

Small groups of people gathered on the mezzanine, talking quietly as they sipped on champagne or looking over the ornate railing to watch the others dance.

Guests filled the dance floor, dancing gracefully to the music, the fabric of their ball gowns and evening coats billowing as they moved.

Grand Duke Peter sat on one of the thrones positioned on the landing of the staircase at one end of the hall, the hard lines of his face and his cold composure softening as he watched his nieces and nephews move among the crowd.

The eldest of the three children, Laura, smiled sweetly as she danced with her father – the Tsar. She moved gracefully, gliding across the dance floor as if she were floating on air. The fabric of her deep indigo ball gown billowed and swayed like the waves of the ocean in the darkness of the night; the gold embroidery and beading that ran down the front of her dress caught the light like moonlight reflecting off the waves. Her long dark hair was pinned back from her face, left to hang loose in cascading waves past her shoulders but decorated with gleaming beads and the delicate golden tiara that sat atop her head.

Nearby, Prince Samuel danced with his younger sister, Cora.

The young princess was dressed in a blush pink gown with a scooped neckline. The corset and sleeves were decorated with white flowers and pearls that matched the string of pale pearls that sat around her neck—the one her mother had given her to wear that night. Her long hair was tied back in a pony tail with a pink ribbon tied into a bow. The look was finished by a small tiara sat atop her dark hair. She looked much healthier than the last time he had seen her.

Prince Samuel wore a navy blue coronation suit much like his father’s, with gold embroidery around the cuffs of the sleeves and the stiff collar. Two rows of shining buttons lined the front of his jacket with braids of golden string hanging across his chest, draped from the golden plate on his right shoulder to the buttons on his chest.

Peter couldn’t help but smile as he watched them dance. Samuel would pick his sister up and twirl her around or spin her in circles until the sound of her laughter drowned out the music.

The girls were the splitting image of their mother; they had inherited her beauty and her elegance, but it was Samuel who had inherited her calmness and her patience.

Peter looked away from the ballroom floor, turning to look at his sister who stood beside him.

Tsarina Talia smiled at her brother, gently setting her hand on his shoulder before stepping down onto the dance floor and joining her husband.

Laura curtseyed as she stepped back, turning to see her brother’s pleading expression. She chuckled as she stepped over to their side, taking Cora’s hand and dancing with her.

Samuel stepped back before making his way over to his uncle’s side.

“I wish you didn’t have to go to Paris,” Samuel said softly.

Peter’s smile fell slightly. “I was going to wait until later to give you this, but I suppose you can have it now.”

Peter dug into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small bejewelled silver box; the dark sapphires and pale aquamarine and glossy opals catching the light.

“A jewellery box?” Samuel asked, bewildered.

“A secret,” his uncle corrected. He pulled out a necklace; a small silver pendant in the shape of a triskelion hanging from the end of the chain. He slotted it into the matching hole, holding onto the small grip on the back of the pendant as he turned it.

The top of the bejewelled box opened, revealing a surprise; inside were two figurines that looked like Samuel’s mother and father, spinning in circles as they danced along to the sweet melody of a familiar song.

He straightened, his eyes widening with realisation as he looked up at his uncle.

“The lullaby,” Samuel said.

“You can play it before you go to sleep and imagine that it’s me singing to you,” Peter said. He waited for the melody to catch up and softly sang, “On the wind, across the sea, hear this song and remember.”

Samuel smiled, his voice quiet as he sang along with his uncle, “Soon you’ll be home with me, once upon a December.”

Peter pulled the pendant out of the side of the music box and passed it to Samuel.

“Read what it says,” he instructed.

Samuel turned the pendant over, reading the text that was inscribed on the flat surface of the triskelion.

“‘Together in Paris’,” Samuel read. His face lit up as he looked up at his uncle. “Really?”

Peter smiled and nodded. He took the necklace from Samuel and lifted it over the young prince’s head, letting the pendant fall against his chest.

The ballroom fell silent.

Samuel turned around, watching as the crowd parted and a dark figure emerged. His heart sank, his stomach twisting in knots as his eyes fell upon the woman.

She was a young lady with a golden wave of curls that cascaded down her back, bouncing off her translucent skin as she walked forward unhindered. She was dressed in a long black dress and a fur-lined coat, the tail of the coat sweeping across the floor as she glided forward. Her sapphire blue eyes sparkled in the light, but there was something about her gaze, a glint of malice that gave away the darkness in her heart.

Peter rose to his feet, gently ushering his nephew behind him as he stood defensively before the prince.

Laura and Cora ran to their mother as their father stormed forward.

“How dare you return to the palace?” the Tsar growled.

“But I am your confidante,” Kate said, her voice sickeningly sweet, “I healed your daughter.”

“For that I have thanked you, but you are no longer welcome. Now, get out!”

“You think you can banish me?” Kate scoffed, her hand absentmindedly reaching for the yellow crystal that hung from an old leather rope around her neck. “By the unholy powers vested in me, I will banish you; mark my words. You and your family will die. I will not rest until I see the end of the Hale bloodline forever!”

She turned sharply and stormed towards the large doors. The lights that filled the room blinked out, the crystals overhead catching the silvery glow of the moonlight as the chandelier swung back and forth dangerously.

“Father!” Samuel cried out.

His father looked up, noticing the chandelier. He staggered back as the chandelier crashed to the floor, scattering glass and crystal across the ballroom floor.

“Darling,” Talia called out, reaching out for her husband.

“I’m alright,” he reassured her as he stepped over to his wife’s side.

Cora clung to her father’s leg, burying her face in the fabric as he gently patted her head and hushed her tears.

Samuel and Peter ran to their family’s side; Samuel wrapped his arms around his father’s waist, holding him tight as Peter checked on his sister and Laura.

Several houseboys emerged from the darkness, holding candles. The dull glow of the flickering lights lit the ballroom as the Tsar made his apologies and the staff saw their guests out.

Peter gave his sister a look, a silent message passing between them, but Samuel knew them both well enough to know what it meant; don’t let them see how scared you are.

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

 “Laura?” Samuel’s quiet voice disturbed the darkness of the night.

Laura sat up in her bed look to where her little brother stood in the doorway to her room, holding a small candle in his hand. “Are you alright?”

“I can’t sleep,” Samuel admitted.

Laura’s shoulders dropped as she let out a soft sigh. She shuffled over in her bed and pulled back the blanket, patting the mattress beside her.

Samuel stepped over to her bedside, Cora’s little figure trailing in his shadow He set the candle down on the bedside table and lifted his little sister into the bed. He pulled himself up onto the bed, letting Laura drape the blankets over them as they curled up together, drowning out the sounds of shouting and rioting that filled the city.

At some point they must have drifted off because they woke to their mother gently shaking them awake.

“Come now,” she said softly. “We have to go.”

She lifted Cora out of the bed.

Peter took the girl from his sister’s arms, wrapping her in a thick coat.

“What’s going on?” Laura asked as her uncle passed her a coat.

“We have to go,” Peter repeated.

The sounds from outside were louder than before, the deafening roar filling the air as a crow of armed men threw themselves against the palace gates.

“Let’s go,” Talia urged, taking Cora’s hand and leading the way towards the hallway.

Peter wrapped his arm around Samuel’s shoulder as they followed Talia out of the room and down the hallway.

“Wait,” Samuel said, pulling back from his uncle. “My music box.”

He turned and ran back down the hallway.

His uncle called out his name, chasing after him back through the dark halls of the palace. He sprinted into his nephew’s room, watching as Samuel scrambled to pick up the small bejewelled music box that sat on his bedside table.

“Samuel,” his uncle said firmly. “We have to go.”

There was a deafening crash as the doors fell, the sound of heavy boots against the floors like rolling thunder as armed men and soldiers stormed the palace.

“There has to be another way out of here,” Peter said quietly.

There was a small tug at his sleeve.

Peter turned to see a young house boy pulling at the sleeve of his coat.

“This way,” the boy insisted, pulling Peter and the young prince towards an open panel in the doorway. “Follow it all the way and you’ll come out near the kitchens.”

“Thank you,” Peter whispered, leading the way into the darkness.

Samuel followed after him, the bejewelled box slipping from his fingers as his uncle pulled him into the dark tunnel.

The sounds outside the room grew louder as the soldiers drew closer. The young kitchen boy looked at the hidden passage way. He swallowed hard and pushed the door shut, turning to face the men that stormed into the room.

“Where are they, boy?” one of the soldiers demanded.

The kitchen boy didn’t reply, staring the man down defiantly.

“Where are they?!” the soldier shouted.

The kitchen boy grabbed the vase of flowers from the bedside table and hurled it at the man.

The man turned slightly, shielding himself with his arm as the vase shattered against the sleeve of his coat. Jagged pieces of porcelain rained across the floor.

The soldier charged at the boy, slamming the butt of his rifle into the boy’s cheek and knocking him to the ground.

The boy felt a rivulet of warm blood trickle across his cheek, his ears ringing and his head pounding as his heavy eyes fell shut and the cold embrace of darkness enveloped him.

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

 Laura thrashed about as the soldiers dragged her down the dark hallways beneath the palace and into the safe room. They threw her to the ground beside the rest of her family.

He father tried to catch her as she fell, holding her close and craning his neck to look her in the eye.

She gave him a sweet smile, trying to reassure him as she straightened herself up and turned to face the soldiers that gathered in the doorway.

She glared at the woman who stepped forward, her blonde hair hidden beneath a fur-lined cap.

Laura swallowed hard against the lump in her throat.

The room was designed to be fortified; one door in and out. But now it felt like a coffin.

“Take aim,” a soldier shouted, his voice ringing through the night.

Kate’s emotionless eyes stared at Laura as the solider ordered, “Fire!”

The gunshots rang through the dark hallways, echoing in the confined space of the room as the bullets tore through flesh. Blood was splattered across the wooden floorboards as lifeless, bloodied bodies fell to the ground.

Searing pain tore through Laura’s side, her blood soaking into the fabric of her nightgown—clinging to her skin. She drew in deep breaths, tears pricking at her eyes as she slowly opened her eyes.

Her father’s body lay beside her, his eyes clouded and unfocused. His clothes were torn and stained red. Her mother’s still body lay beside his, her dark eyes staring into oblivion as the life drained from her body.

“Mama,” Cora whispered.

The soldiers rushed forward, grabbing Cora by her hair and hauling her to her feet.

“Leave her alone!” Laura shouted.

A second man grabbed Cora’s coat, digging into the pockets and pulling out chipped jewellery and silver lockets with bullets embedded in them.

Their faces twisted with rage as they threw the young princess to her knees again and drew a pistol, aiming it at her head.

“No!” Laura screamed.

The gunshot rang in her ears as she watched the bullet tear through her sister’s flesh, bathing her pale skin in red as her body collapsed to the floor.

Another soldier grabbed Laura, tearing her coat off.

“This one’s mine,” Kate said, grabbing Laura by her hair and dragging her out of the room.

Laura thrashed about, her head burning as Kate tightened her grip on the fistful of Laura’s long, dark hair and pulled her down the hallway and out the front door.

She dragged her into the open courtyard before the palace, a trail of red following them as Laura’s blood dripped into the snowfall.

The cold snow bit at her bare feet, the hem of her nightgown soaked and her skin prickled with goosebumps as she shivered in the cold. Searing agony flooded her veins as blood seeped from the wound where a bullet had torn through the skin over her ribs.

Kate threw her to her knees.

Laura’s long dark hair fell loose around her face, bruises marring her skin with smears of blue, black and purple. A stream of blood fell from her nose, trickling down her chin and staining the front of her gown red.

Tears welled in her eyes, glimmering in the moonlight as she blinked them back and lifted her gaze defiantly. She glared at the woman who towered over her.

Kate drew a pistol, aiming the barrel at Laura’s forehead.

“I curse you, Kate Argent,” Laura snarled. “The Hale bloodline will find you and make you pay. And when that day comes, I’ll be waiting at the gates.”

The gunshot rang out thought the night, the deafening boom echoing through the shadows as the spray of blood stained the snow red and the princess’s body fell against the icy ground.

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

 Peter held onto the sleeve of his nephew’s coat, pulling him through the crowds that gathered in the streets. They kept their heads down, shielding their faces to avoid recognition as they ran through the falling flurries of snow.

Samuel’s feet pedalled beneath him as he stumbled and staggered on the icy cobblestone paths.

“Where are we going?” Samuel asked.

“There’s a train to Paris leaving soon,” Peter told him.

A thundering rumble grew louder as a carriage came barrelling down the street towards them. The carriage struck Samuel, tearing him from his uncle’s hand.

He was thrown aside, colliding with the icy cobblestones. Blood coursed from the wound on Samuel’s head, pooling on the ground around him.

Peter cried out his name, but the crowd pulled him away, leaving his nephew’s still body lying among the muddy sludge and falling snow.