#Cold War Wedlock

[haveyoureadthisfanfic]

Summary: AUish take on Fem!America being forced to get married during the late 50s when she gets pregnant with Alaska. Due to certain circumstances she gets married with none other than Mr. Soviet Union, or Russia as we know and love him. Cue crazy events surrounding the married couple expecting a kid, as well as potential "feelings".

Author: Yuzume Mikien

[novaursa]

The Flames We Share

- Summary: You tell your son the truth. He has more than the blood of dragons in his veins.

- Paring: Gwayne Hightower/targ!reader/Daemon Targaryen

- Note: reader is referred to as Y/N, is Rhaenyra's younger sister and was bonded with Silverwing. These events happen right after The Blood We Choose. If you want to read all parts before this one in chronological order, visit my blog. The list is pinned to the top.

- Rating: Mild 13+

- Word count: 5 198

- Tag(s): @deniixlovezelda @duck-duck-goose2 @aadu2173 @sachaa-ff

The dungeons beneath Dragonstone were a cold, damp place, lit only by flickering torches that cast shadows that seemed to dance mockingly on the rough-hewn walls. The stench of rot and mildew clung to the air, seeping into the very stones of the fortress. Gwayne Hightower sat chained to the wall, bruised and dirty from his days of captivity, but his eyes were clear and resolute, fixed forward as he awaited what was surely his fate. His thoughts, however, were elsewhere—focused only on you, the woman he had risked everything for.

The sound of heavy boots echoed through the stone corridors, and he looked up as the iron door creaked open. Daemon Targaryen stepped inside, a predator’s smirk twisting his lips. He tossed a crumpled message onto the filthy floor in front of Gwayne’s feet. The black wax seal was unmistakable—bearing the sigil of House Hightower.

“Your father sends his regards,” Daemon drawled, a cruel edge in his voice. “He offers to trade his traitorous son for some stronghold I care little about. Imagine that—a worthless fortress in exchange for his even more worthless offspring.” Daemon’s eyes gleamed as he studied Gwayne’s reaction, searching for any sign of weakness.

But Gwayne’s expression remained stony. “You can say what you wish, Targaryen. My fate was sealed the moment I brought her to you.” His voice was hoarse but steady. “As long as Y/N is safe, I care not what becomes of me.”

Daemon’s lip curled in disdain. “Is that so?” He took a step closer, as if to loom over Gwayne. “Safe? You think she’s safe, having fallen from the sky, bleeding and broken? You think I would allow the woman who bore my son—my heir—to suffer any harm under my roof?” There was a dark gleam of possessiveness in Daemon’s eyes, as if the very notion of another man daring to care for you was an affront to his pride.

Gwayne’s gaze sharpened at that. “I want to see Vaeron,” he demanded suddenly. There was a tremor in his voice, a desperation that Daemon did not miss. “I want to speak with my son.”

Daemon’s anger flared at the insolence of the request. “Your son?” he hissed, voice low and dangerous. “That boy is a Targaryen—a dragon, not the product of some dishonorable tryst! Do you think I would allow him to be tainted by the shame of what you nearly brought upon my niece, siring a child on her without even the dignity of wedlock?”

Gwayne’s eyes darkened, yet there was a hint of mocking amusement in them as he stared up at the Rogue Prince. “And you believe yourself to be the righteous one? The man who slew his first wife in pursuit of power? Who consorts with whores while claiming the love of dragons? Tell me, Daemon, what makes you any different from me?”

Daemon’s smirk faltered, his face tightening with barely controlled rage. But Gwayne continued, his voice laced with bitterness. “She was denied to me—Y/N, I mean. If your brother had seen sense, had given her to me rather than feeding your ambitions, we could have avoided all this bloodshed. The boy would have been raised in Oldtown, under the guidance of both our Houses, and this war might never have happened.”

“Nothing could have prevented this war,” Daemon snarled, eyes flashing. “It was written in fire and blood long before you or I even took breath. But do not delude yourself into thinking you have anything resembling love, Hightower. What you claim as love is mere possession—an attempt to bind what you could never truly have.”

Gwayne’s jaw clenched at the words, but he did not respond. The two men stared at each other, the tension between them crackling like a drawn sword. Daemon took a breath, his composure returning as he straightened.

“I’ll have the boy brought to you,” Daemon said at last, his tone laced with scorn. “You may look upon him and see the life you were never destined to have. But do not forget—he is mine, and Y/N belongs to me now. She is a Targaryen, and you are nothing more than a failed traitor.”

With that, Daemon turned and strode toward the door. Before he left, he paused, throwing one last taunt over his shoulder. “Do not hope for mercy when your father trades you away like the pawn you are, Gwayne. Your life is worth little, even to those who should care most.”

The door slammed shut, leaving Gwayne alone in the darkness once more. But he did not feel defeated. Even with the chains biting into his wrists, he had no regrets for what he had done, for saving you and ensuring you were delivered safely to Dragonstone. In the end, it was not his fate that mattered—it was yours. Even in the heart of this cold, bitter place, the thought of you kept the warmth alive in his heart.

Because in the quiet shadows, despite all the titles and power Daemon clung to, Gwayne knew one truth that Daemon would never fully grasp—he loved you, wholly and without condition. And in his mind, that was a victory far greater than any throne or dragon could ever grant.

The soft crackle of the hearthfire filled the chamber, mingling with the scent of herbs and ointments from where Maesters had tended to your wounds. You sat by the window, Silverwing’s scales still etched into your memory, the pain a constant reminder of the battle you had narrowly survived. The healing was slow, but the bruises and cuts were nothing compared to the deeper ache in your chest. You weren’t sure what stung more—the death of your dragon or the desperate, foolish bravery of the man who had risked everything to save you.

A knock at the door broke your thoughts. “Come in,” you called, and the door creaked open to reveal Vaeron. The boy’s silver hair glinted in the evening light, and his blue eyes—so much like his father’s—fixed on you with concern.

“Mother,” he said quietly, stepping inside. “How are you feeling today?”

You smiled softly at him, though your heart ached as you looked upon him. “I am mending, sweetling. Stronger with each day.”

Vaeron nodded, yet his expression was troubled. He came closer, sitting on the edge of your bed, the worry in his eyes clear. “I heard… I heard Daemon talking about him,” he murmured. “The man in the dungeons—the one who saved you. Is it true he defied Ser Criston Cole and fled with you from Rook’s Rest? They say he’s a Hightower. An enemy.”

You took a deep breath, steeling yourself. The boy was no longer the child you had once cradled; he was growing, his curiosity sharp and his mind keen. He deserved the truth.

“Yes, it’s true,” you replied, voice gentle. “The man who saved me is Gwayne Hightower. He… he betrayed his own kin, risked his life, and rode through the chaos to bring me here, to safety.”

Vaeron’s brow furrowed in confusion. “But why would he do that? Daemon says he’s just trying to make amends for his family’s treachery. That he’s nothing more than a desperate fool.”

You shook your head slowly. “It’s more complicated than that, my dear. Gwayne… he did it out of love, out of loyalty to someone who meant the world to him once.” You hesitated, the words heavy on your tongue. The truth was a blade you’d kept sheathed for too long, and it was time to draw it, no matter how much it might wound.

Vaeron looked at you expectantly, sensing the weight of what you were about to say. You reached out, taking his hand in yours, needing the touch to anchor yourself.

“Vaeron… the man in the dungeons, Gwayne Hightower… he is your father.”

The silence that followed was thick and suffocating. Vaeron’s eyes widened, the shock raw and unfiltered in his young face. He pulled his hand away, as if trying to distance himself from the revelation. “What?” he breathed out, voice barely above a whisper. “My father? But… Daemon… I always thought…”

You nodded, pain lancing through your heart as you watched him grapple with the truth. “Daemon has raised you as his own, and in many ways, he is your father. But you have another father, by blood, and that is Gwayne Hightower. You were conceived out of a moment we both knew would never be more than a fleeting dream. He wanted to marry me, to build a life, but—”

Vaeron shook his head, backing away as he struggled to process it all. “No,” he muttered, as if denying the words could somehow make them untrue. “Daemon’s always told me I’m a Targaryen, that my blood is pure, that I am his son, a prince of the realm. How could—why didn’t you tell me? Why now, when he’s chained beneath us like some criminal?”

Tears welled in your eyes, but you blinked them back. “I didn’t want you to bear the burden of that knowledge before you were ready. You were always meant to be strong, to carry the legacy of the dragons. But Gwayne… he isn’t just a Hightower, he’s the man who saved my life when no one else dared. Whatever his blood, he does care for you in his own way, even from afar now.”

Vaeron’s lips trembled as he stared at you, his confusion and hurt palpable. “I need… I need to think,” he stammered, turning abruptly and nearly stumbling over himself in his haste to leave the room.

“Vaeron, wait—” you called after him, but he was already gone, the door slamming shut behind him. The sound echoed in the emptiness of the chamber, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

Your chest tightened with regret. You had known this moment would come eventually, but you had hoped it would be under different circumstances. There was so much more you wanted to tell him, so much more to explain. But for now, all you could do was hope that he would find a way to understand, to see beyond the conflict of bloodlines and names.

In that fleeting moment before he vanished, you had seen the storm raging behind his eyes—a storm you knew would not settle easily. And in that storm, you glimpsed the boy he had always been and the man he was becoming, torn between the truths that defined him.

But you could only wait, knowing that the choice between dragons and towers was his to make, even if it broke your heart in the process.

Vaeron’s footsteps echoed through the winding corridors of Dragonstone as he fought to steady his breath. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat a heavy drum drowning out the world around him. The truth his mother had just revealed rang in his ears like a cruel jest—Gwayne Hightower is your father. The words were a blade lodged deep in his chest, twisting with every thought, every doubt that now swirled within him.

He turned a corner, the air cool against his flushed face, and found himself in the dimly lit dining hall. The large table at its center was set for the evening meal, though the room was mostly empty save for one figure seated at the end, absently twirling a goblet in his hand.

Jacaerys Velaryon looked up, catching sight of Vaeron. His dark curls fell loosely over his forehead, and his brown eyes narrowed in concern as he took in his cousin’s strained expression. “Vaeron?” he called out, his voice low but filled with the warmth of kinship. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s wrong?”

Vaeron stiffened, his gaze flickering away as he hesitated at the threshold of the hall. The weight of the revelation clung to him like a shroud, and for a moment, he wondered if it would be easier to bury it, to pretend that nothing had changed. But Jacaerys’ patient eyes, filled with genuine care, drew him in like a tether.

With a resigned sigh, Vaeron walked over and slumped into the chair opposite Jace, the firelight casting shadows on his troubled face. He didn’t speak for a moment, merely stared at the table as he tried to gather the words that had lodged like stones in his throat.

Jace leaned forward, the lines of worry deepening on his brow. “Vaeron, you’re scaring me. What’s happened?”

“I…” Vaeron’s voice cracked, and he swallowed hard before continuing, “I just learned something that changes everything.” He finally looked up, his eyes rimmed with uncertainty. “The man in the dungeons—the Hightower who brought Mother back from Rook’s Rest… He’s my father. My real father.”

Jacaerys’ eyes widened in shock, his goblet nearly slipping from his grasp. “What? But—Daemon’s always—”

“I know,” Vaeron cut in, voice strained. “I thought Daemon was my father, too. I grew up believing I was his son, a true Targaryen. But Mother told me just now that Gwayne Hightower is my sire. I’m… I’m a bastard.”

The word hung heavy in the air between them, laden with shame and confusion. Vaeron felt his chest tighten again, the sting of doubt gnawing at him. What did that make him now? Was he even truly a part of this family? A dragon in name only, born of a union that should never have been?

Jacaerys’ expression softened as he saw the pain in Vaeron’s eyes. He set down his goblet and leaned closer, trying to find the right words. “Listen to me, Vaeron,” he began, voice steady and laced with a touch of empathy. “We’ve both been raised with more lies and expectations than most people could handle. But if anyone understands how it feels to question who you are, it’s me.”

Vaeron blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”

Jacaerys gave a rueful smile, leaning back in his chair as he stared into the flames. “I’ve heard the whispers, the taunts—people saying I’m no true Targaryen because of my questionable blood. They mock the fact that I don’t have silver hair or violet eyes, that I look more like a commoner than a prince. And sometimes… sometimes, I wonder if they’re right.”

The honesty in Jace’s voice caught Vaeron off guard, pulling him out of his own turmoil. He had always admired Jacaerys—his confidence, his sense of duty. He had never imagined that his cousin carried doubts of his own.

“But you’re still recognized as one of us,” Vaeron murmured, brow furrowed. “You’re still heir to the Iron Throne, still a dragon. No one would ever dare deny that.”

Jace nodded, but his gaze remained distant. “True, but that doesn’t erase the whispers. Even with the dragon blood flowing through my veins, I’ve always felt like I had to prove I’m worthy of the name Targaryen. But you…” He looked back at Vaeron, a small smile tugging at his lips. “You look like a Targaryen. No one would ever question your blood—silver hair—you were born a dragon, even if your father wasn’t one.”

Vaeron’s breath hitched at the kindness in Jace’s words. But it didn’t soothe the ache gnawing at his heart. “Does it even matter, Jace? If I’m truly a bastard, what does any of this mean? My whole life, I’ve been told I’m meant for something great, but now… now I don’t even know who I really am.”

Jacaerys’ expression grew firm, his voice taking on a rare edge of command. “It means you choose who you are, Vaeron. Blood alone doesn’t decide it. You were raised in this family, loved by your mother and Daemon alike. That is what makes you one of us. Not some Hightower who’s rotting in a cell.”

Vaeron’s throat tightened at the thought of Gwayne, the man who had defied his own House, who had thrown everything away to save the woman he loved. Did that make him worthy of being called a father? Could that kind of loyalty outweigh his bloodline, or was it too little too late?

“I need time to think,” Vaeron murmured, running a hand through his hair. “It’s just… a lot.”

Jacaerys reached across the table, placing a reassuring hand on Vaeron’s shoulder. “You’ll figure it out, cousin. You’re not alone in this, alright? Whatever you decide, you’ll always have me and the rest of your family behind you.”

Vaeron nodded numbly, grateful for Jace’s support but still lost in the sea of confusion and emotions swirling within him. The questions gnawed at him relentlessly, leaving him torn between the man he had always believed himself to be and the truth that now threatened to shatter that identity.

The tension clung to the air in the dining hall like smoke, heavy and suffocating. Vaeron sat in silence after Jacaerys left, lost in the maze of his thoughts, unable to untangle the twisted knots of his emotions. His whole life had been built on one truth: that he was a Targaryen, son of Daemon, a prince destined for greatness. But now that truth had shattered, and he felt like a child cast adrift on a stormy sea, unsure of where to turn.

The sound of footsteps approached, measured and deliberate, and Vaeron looked up to see Daemon entering the hall. His expression was unreadable, though his sharp eyes missed nothing as they swept over Vaeron’s troubled face. For a moment, the prince said nothing, merely studying his son—his real son in all but blood—with a calculating gaze.

“You’re brooding,” Daemon finally said, his voice low and tinged with an edge of dry amusement. “A trait you didn’t inherit from your mother, I’d wager.”

Vaeron clenched his fists on the table, unable to meet Daemon’s eyes. “Everything I’ve ever known about myself is a lie,” he muttered, his voice thick with anger and confusion. “How am I supposed to believe anything now?”

Daemon’s gaze softened, but his voice remained firm. “You think this changes who you are?” he asked, stepping closer. “You think some whispered secret about your parentage wipes away the blood that runs through your veins? You are still a Targaryen, still my son in every way that matters.”

Vaeron’s eyes snapped up, a flash of frustration crossing his face. “But I’m not,” he insisted, his voice cracking. “I’m not truly your son, not by blood. I’m just… a bastard. A mistake.”

Daemon’s expression darkened, and he took a seat across from Vaeron, his presence commanding and unyielding. “Is that what you truly believe?” he asked, his tone both gentle and sharp. “That blood alone defines who you are? You were raised in the shadow of dragons, with the legacy of kings and conquerors shaping your every step. That is no lie. I’ve taught you, guided you, prepared you for the world because I chose you as my heir, not because of whose seed sired you.”

Vaeron looked away, struggling with the conflicting emotions swirling within him. “But… why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, his voice a whisper now, tinged with the pain of betrayal. “All this time, you let me believe…”

Daemon sighed, his gaze growing distant as if recalling a memory long buried. “Because you needed to grow up without that burden,” he said quietly. “What good would it have done to burden you with a truth that might have only confused you, made you question everything? You were born a Targaryen in all the ways that matter. I’ve treated you as such, and so has your mother. That will never change, no matter who your true father is.”

Vaeron’s chest tightened at the mention of his mother, and he shook his head. “But now I know, and I can’t just pretend it doesn’t matter. That man in the dungeons… he’s the reason I exist, and yet he’s a stranger to me. How can I make sense of that?”

Daemon leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming lightly on the wood. “Gwayne Hightower might be your blood father, but that doesn’t mean he has any claim over you,” he said with a hint of disdain in his voice. “He made a choice back at Rook’s Rest—one that I don’t entirely understand myself. He risked everything to bring your mother back here. Perhaps he thought it would redeem him somehow, or maybe he truly cared for her in his own way. Either way, he’s asked to speak with you.”

Vaeron stiffened at the words, his heart lurching in his chest. “He wants to see me?”

Daemon nodded slowly. “He does. He requested it, though he knows the choice is yours to make. I told him I’d send you, but the decision is yours. You can go to him, or you can ignore it and leave him to rot where he belongs.”

Vaeron’s mind reeled, torn between the curiosity gnawing at him and the fear of facing the man who had upended his world with his very existence. He shook his head, his voice trembling as he spoke. “I can’t. Not today. I don’t even know what I’d say to him… what I’d ask.”

Daemon studied him for a moment before nodding in understanding. “That’s your right. You don’t have to face him until you’re ready—if you ever are.” He reached out, placing a hand on Vaeron’s shoulder, his grip firm and reassuring. “But know this, boy: whoever sired you, you are still my son. You bear the Targaryen name because I have claimed you as my own, because you were raised with fire in your blood. No man, be he Hightower or otherwise, can take that from you.”

Vaeron looked up at him, searching Daemon’s face for some trace of deception, but all he saw was the fierce loyalty and pride that Daemon had always shown him. For all his faults and ruthlessness, Daemon had been the only father Vaeron had ever known. And in that moment, the boy clung to that truth like a lifeline.

“Thank you,” Vaeron murmured, his voice small but filled with genuine gratitude. “I just… need time. To sort through it all.”

Daemon’s lips curved into a rare, almost affectionate smile, one reserved for the few he held dear. “Take all the time you need,” he said quietly. “But remember, you are a Targaryen, and no truth will ever change that. Not in the eyes of those who matter.”

With that, Daemon rose from the table, giving Vaeron a final nod before turning to leave the hall. Vaeron watched him go, the conflicting emotions still swirling in his chest, but there was a newfound clarity in his heart. The path ahead was clouded, and the shadow of Gwayne Hightower’s existence hanged over him like a specter. But for now, he knew where he stood—with the family that had shaped him, that had loved him despite the secrets and lies.

But deep down, in the quiet recesses of his mind, he knew that one day he would have to face the man who had saved his mother and who claimed the title of his father. Just… not today. Today, he would hold on to the identity he’d always known and trust that, in time, he would find his way through the tangled web of blood and loyalty.

For now, he was still Vaeron Targaryen, son of Daemon—trueborn or not, dragon or not, he was still a part of the legacy that burned brightly in the heart of House Targaryen. And that was enough to anchor him, at least for tonight.

The corridors beneath Dragonstone were dark and damp, the oppressive chill seeping into Vaeron’s bones as he made his way toward the dungeons. It had been a week since his world had been upended, a week of wrestling with the truth of his parentage. He had tried to push it aside, to focus on the training sessions with his cousins, the books his mother insisted he study, the words of comfort from Daemon. But every night, when the candles burned low and the castle quieted, the thought gnawed at him: if he didn’t face the man in the dungeons, he would never truly understand where he came from—or who he was.

So here he was, descending deeper into the belly of the fortress, the iron doors looming ahead. A guard nodded and stepped aside, allowing him entry. The door creaked open, revealing the shadowed cell where Gwayne Hightower sat slumped against the cold stone wall, chains rattling faintly with his every breath.

Gwayne’s face was bruised and gaunt, the days of imprisonment leaving their mark on him. But his eyes, so strikingly similar to Vaeron’s own, flicked up the moment the boy entered. Surprise and something softer—something like hope—flashed in his gaze.

“Vaeron,” he murmured, as if testing the name on his lips. “You came.”

Vaeron stood just inside the threshold, tension thrumming through his body. He wasn’t sure what he had expected—anger, indifference, desperation? But all he felt was a tangled mix of emotions that refused to settle.

After a long silence, Vaeron finally took a few steps closer, his voice tentative as he asked, “How could I not? I had to face you… or I couldn’t live with myself.”

Gwayne’s expression softened, a flicker of pride and sorrow crossing his face. “You’re braver than most would be in your position,” he said quietly. He shifted slightly, wincing at the pull of his wounds and restraints. “How… how is your mother? Is she recovering?”

Vaeron’s heart tightened at the genuine concern in Gwayne’s voice. Despite everything, despite the shame and anger swirling within him, he could not deny the sincerity of the man’s question. “She’s getting better,” Vaeron replied, a hint of guardedness still in his tone. “But her injuries are still bad. The fall from Silverwing was…” His voice trailed off, unable to find the right words.

Gwayne nodded, his jaw clenched as if in shared pain. “She’s strong. She always has been. I knew if I could just get her here, she’d fight her way back.” His voice grew hoarse with emotion, and he averted his gaze for a moment before looking back at Vaeron. “Thank you for telling me.”

For a moment, the only sound in the room was the faint drip of water echoing through the dungeons. Vaeron swallowed the lump in his throat and finally spoke the question that had been burning in him since he decided to come here. “Daemon says you’re a traitor,” he said, his voice low but unwavering. “That you can’t be trusted, that you’ve betrayed your family and your House. But… you saved my mother. You risked your life, your honor, everything.”

Gwayne’s expression didn’t change, but something deep and resolute flickered in his eyes. “Daemon’s right—I am a traitor to my own kin, to my House. I turned my back on everything I was raised to uphold. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

The simple conviction in his words struck Vaeron like a blow. He could see the truth of it written in every line of Gwayne’s face, in the quiet determination that had driven him to this point. Vaeron wanted to challenge him, to demand answers, but instead, he found himself asking, “Why?”

Gwayne’s lips curled into a faint, sad smile. “Because she was worth it. Your mother was worth more than any loyalty to my House, more than any honor I might have clung to. You see, I loved her long before any of this war came to pass. I wanted to marry her, to build a life with her, but your uncle, King Viserys, had other plans. When she was given to Daemon, I knew my place would only ever be on the outside, looking in.” He paused, eyes darkening with the weight of old wounds. “But that didn’t change how I felt. When I saw her falling in battle, when I saw Silverwing plummet… I didn’t think about anything else. I just acted. I’d rather be a traitor and live knowing I saved her than be a loyal man and watch her die.”

Vaeron’s chest tightened, torn between resentment and reluctant understanding. “You say that like it was noble, like it justifies everything. But it’s still treason. You abandoned your family. You betrayed your own.”

Gwayne’s expression grew more serious, his voice a low rumble in the dim light. “Yes, and I will face the consequences of that. I know what I’ve done, and I’ve made my peace with it. But you must understand, Vaeron—whatever Daemon tells you, whatever anyone says—you are my son. I know I have no right to claim you, not after all these years, but it doesn’t change what you are to me.”

Vaeron felt the words hanging in the air like a challenge, daring him to acknowledge the bond that existed between them, even if he wished it didn’t. He looked down, his fists clenched at his sides. “I don’t know what I am,” he admitted, his voice strained. “I was raised to believe I’m a Targaryen, that I’m Daemon’s son. Now everything feels like a lie. How can I be both?”

Gwayne’s gaze softened, the hardness of his demeanor giving way to something almost tender. “You are both,” he said quietly. “You were raised as a Targaryen, with all the fire and pride that comes with it. That is a part of you. But you’re also my blood, whether you like it or not. And you get to decide what that means for you.”

Vaeron’s mind spun with conflicting emotions—anger, guilt, a flicker of something like pity. He wasn’t sure if he could ever see Gwayne as his father, not in the way Daemon had been. But he couldn’t deny that the man who sat before him had risked everything for his mother, for the chance to protect her even when all seemed lost. And for that alone, he couldn’t simply dismiss him.

After a long silence, Vaeron finally shook his head. “I can’t face you—not today. There’s too much I don’t understand, too much I still need to figure out.”

Gwayne nodded, accepting the decision without protest. “I won’t ask for more than you’re willing to give,” he said softly. “But know that I’m here, for as long as they allow me to draw breath. And whatever choice you make, whatever path you choose—I will always be proud of you.”

The words stung, leaving Vaeron with a raw ache in his chest. He wanted to respond, to say something more, but the weight of everything—his own confusion, the war, the fractured loyalties—was too much. He turned abruptly, leaving the cell without another word, his thoughts swirling in a tempest of conflicting emotions.

As he walked away, the echo of Gwayne’s voice lingered in his mind, a reminder that some truths, no matter how painful, couldn’t be ignored forever. But for now, he needed time to reconcile the man he had always believed himself to be with the truths he couldn’t yet fully accept.

And so, Vaeron returned to the world above, leaving the man who called himself his father to the shadows, knowing that one day—perhaps too soon—he would have to confront the reality of who he truly was.

[princeloww]

The Real St. Judes: Gartloch Hospital - History (abridged)

The Scottish Lunacy Act of 1857 saw the creation of the Glasgow District Lunacy Board. The act, through these boards, aimed to establish and operate "district asylums", which would house patients unable to pay for the already existing "Royal Asylums".

In 1889, the Gartloch Estate was purchased by the City of Glasgow for approximately £8600 (~1 million today). The Glasgow District Lunacy Board were to turn it into an asylum for the mentally ill, and Gartloch Hospital would open in 1896.

In the early 1900s, a tuberculosis sanitorium was opened.

During World War II, Gartloch was temporarily transformed into an Emergency Medical Services Hospital; the psychiatric patients were transferred and housed in other hospitals. After the war, the tuberculosis sanitorium was shut.

Gartloch would fall into the hands of a different board (Board of Management for Glasgow North-Eastern Mental Hospitals), after joining the NHS in 1948.

Although there were 830 beds in 1904, by 1990 there were apparently only 530 - this being just under the amount available when it first opened.

In its last few years, Gartloch would fall under the Greater Glasgow Community and Mental Health Services NHS Trust. In 1996, the hospital officially closed, and was essentially abandoned, until 2003, when plans to turn Gartloch into a village began.

Now, there is a village, "Gartloch Village", surrounding the hospital. The main body, the iconic front we see in Donna Franceschild's TOTA, standing derelict and with boarded windows.

Oh, it's also apparently haunted, according to two nurses.

What was the hospital like?

I've nabbed these (like most of the other information - although I cross-referenced the rest (such as the years) from wikipedia and some other archives) from this article on hiddenglasgow.com.

I was born and lived at 2280 Gartloch Rd (East Cottages) of Gartloch Hospital. My Father, Bill Milne was the Bacteriologist at Gartloch Hospital Laboratory. My Mother was Helen and was the hospital hairdresser. My memories of Gartloch are the most wonderful memories ever. We had the most perfect childhood. The children of employees were involved in lots of differant ways. I remember especially the farm. Our house looked onto the busy fields and the Bishop Loch. We spent many happy summers pickinf tatties with the patients. And in the long cold winters, skating on the Bishop Loch. Christmad parties in the hospital involved all the staff, their children and patients. We got to know many of the patients who had been there most of their lives. Some had been admitted the the unit because of ''having a child out of wedlock'' I have so many stories to tell this page is not big enough! I would love to hear from anyone who remembers Gartloch or who lived/worked there.

Pattie Milne [04/02/2004]

I was talking with my gran t'other night about Gartloch (her maw died in there!) and she remembers these two women that used to walk about when she went visiting. One of them was about 4 foot nothing and the other about 6 foot. They walked up and down the hall, not saying a word to each other, but every now and then the taller one would repeatedly slap the little one on the head (that story seemed funnier when my gran told it!).

Crusty [30/01/2004]

There are a few more interesting stories on the linked article, so if you're interested, I recommend you check them out.

Finally: Takin' Over the Asylum (and other pop culture)

Takin' Over the Asylum aired on the 27th of September, 1994. The six-part drama was filmed in a disused wing of Gartloch, while the hospital was still open and functional. The hospital would close only 2 years after the airing of the show.

Gartloch's iconic, gothic towers would play a key role in the show, and be instantly recognisable to any viewer of TOTA.

Although it shut down in 1996, TOTA would not be the only media produced about the hospital. Wikipedia states that a film was produced in 2005, named (appropriately) "Gartloch Hospital", that covered the history of the hospital. This film went on to win an award in 2007, at the Scottish Mental Health Art and Film Festival, for "Best Factual Film".

Although hidden away, Gartloch hospital has an undeniably interesting history. Personal accounts from the hospital seem to paint it as a fun place, where patients and staff seemed to get along. Knowing the horrors of early mental health treatment, and the abuse many would suffer in these sort of places, we can only hope that these accounts are true and create an accurate image of life surrounding the hospital.

And I wrote all this because I really like David Tennant. Good night

Note the decorative peaks on the towers - they are absent from the rest of the photos. They were reportedly removed in the late 1930's.

SOURCES

Very interesting archive that goes into the history of Gartloch: (link) (source of above images)

Timeline and personal memories: (link)

Overview: Wikipedia (gartloch, Takin' Over the Asylum)

[greenqueenhightower]

How did Olivia and Fabien’s interview- where they’re clearly talking about a scene that got scrapped this season, snowball into Team Black and Alicent haters believing that they meant season one?

https://x.com/marebarrow1929/status/1799861473969160237?s=46&t=a2c3OPYBKMaDot90jYoK4A

Now they’re stating it as a fact that when Aemond got his eye sliced out, Alicent was sleeping with Criston. She is therefore a bad Mother and an even worse Mother if they’re having sex during blood and cheese (because she and Criston totally knew it was happening that night and said fuck Helaena and the twins).

It’s even become a fact to them that Alicent and Criston have been sleeping together before Rhaenyra even slept with Criston 😂😂 They’re saying it’s a 16 year affair and Daeron is definitely Criston’s son and I’m like “What about Aemond??” Would he not be their son too?

They seem to have forgotten that someone has been posting season 1’s script and some of Alicole’s interactions definitely show a mutual attraction and devotion- but they’re also all PG…. There was no “beautiful, messy, scrappy” sex scene anywhere in the scripts amongst the deleted scenes. There is nothing to allude to them having a sexual relationship. An inappropriately close relationship that blurs the lines between the Queen and her Guard, yeah that’s there but we already knew that from the scenes that did make it to the screen.

They’re holding “Hiding under your cloak of righteousness” and “Now they see you as you are” close to their chests right now.

Desperately grasping at straws to make Alicent sleeping with Criston after her husband is cold and dead, comparable and worse to Rhaenyra having 3 bastards with Harwin’s skin coloring, hair color, hair texture AND face while being married to A biracial Valyrian man, claiming they’re trueborn. Placing them in the line of succession for the IT and DWT, gaslighting and lying through her teeth about it. Something that causes Vaemond Velaryon to be murdered fighting for it to remain in his family. Let’s also not forget that Rhaenyra is seen on screen having sex with her uncle at on the night of his dead wives funeral, on her ancestral lands. While her parents and her daughters grieve.

It can’t be compared. Alicent went to her marriage bed a maiden, she took care of a man who didn’t care for his own children while Rhaenyra abandoned him for years. She was faithful to him and gave him 4 Targaryens. He’s now dead now and her job is done. Her son is on the Iron throne and she crowned her Daughter, Queen. She even gave up her rooms to her. If there wasn’t a war going on and if she hadn’t been scared for them their entire lives, her duties would be passing the reigns to Helaena. Mentoring her but mostly just living a life of leisure and comfort as the Queen Mother. She could even go back to Oldtown if she wanted or anywhere else. She could marry again if she wanted. She is a young woman still, in childbearing age.

Apart from it being out of wedlock, which is hypocritical but we already know her to be a hypocrite, just like we know Rhaenyra to be a hypocrite- it’s their thing that they do. It’s still not the same and definitely not comparable to Rhaenyra’s great big screw up.

I've honestly concluded that some of the TB stans lack media literacy, are eager to jump to conclusions, do not have the patience or willingness to discuss matters peacefully or educate themselves about the other person's POV, are content with stirring up drama and spreading misinformation, and take things out of context. This time is no exception.

I watched the whole interview of Olivia Cooke and Fabien Frankel with Jonatan Blomberg from MovieZine (he is a Swedish interviewer) before he made it private on his YouTube channel, and it is clear that they are talking about S2. Before he asked them about the experience of filming intimate scenes together, they had been talking about S2 for quite some time and how their characters' dynamics changed this season. Then, Jonatan (knowing about the leaks obviously) asked them about the experience of filming intimate scenes and how they approached it.

So there clearly was NO MENTION OF S1, and neither did Fabien nor Olivia talk about the experience as something that occurred in the previous season. Olivia literally says: "We know each other so well at this point," meaning the time they started filming scenes for S2, and Fabien adds: "We have this sort of added bonus of having worked together for a year and having developed a friendship and a trusting relationship."

So they are clearly talking about S2, for which they shot a "beautiful, messy, scrappy sex scene" but which did not make the cut for reasons known to the producers. They did make it sound as if they filmed other sex scenes though, which we will again see this season.

For my take on why Alicent and Criston could have started sleeping together in S1 only after Viserys' death, and why the "Daeron is their love-child" theory holds no ground, see here.

[darklinaforever]

TG and their stupidity :

The link for this post :

https://www.tumblr.com/princessyuue/746484212352319488/rhaenyra-choosing-to-not-have-a-relationship-with?source=share

These people really don't watch the same show or read the same book as us. Or their brain has a problem.

Rhaenyra did not explicitly ask for torture, but for Aemond to be questioned more harshly, because his insult directly put his children in danger. How dare Rhaenyra protect her children ?!

And she treated Alicent like shit ? Really ? Does ignoring her at most in episode 3 mean treating her like shit ? When she literally became queen by seducing a grieving Viserys ? Rhaenyra has no right to be angry ? Serious ?! Rhaenyra literally realized that while she was confiding her insecurities to Alicent, Alicent was preparing to become queen. She has right to be angry. And again, even if she is angry in episode 3, she clearly has positive moments with Alicent all the same. Worrying about moving Alicent who is pregnant / if the journey is going well for her and smiling at her when they were out hunting talking under the aunts. I think it's okay for Rhaenyra who supposedly treats Alicent like shit. She's just cold to her ! And she has the right to do so ! Oh and if that's treating poor Alicent like shit... Alicent who publicly declares war on Rhaenyra during her wedding and who harassed Rhaenyra (treated her like shit) for 10 years, what is that ? Oh but I guess it's nothing since Rhaenyra had children out of wedlock, and lied to her about losing her virginity in episode 4 ! She deserves to be harassed ! Not as if the show (since we're talking about the show) that Rhaenyra tried to have children with Laenor but was unsuccessful and therefore turned to Harwin, a trusted man, to have them ?

Another stupid argument that Daemon is a pedophile ! (While it is Aegon II who in the book sleeps with a woman considered a child for the society of Westeros and have a subtext / and has a symbolism about pedophilia in the episode 9 of the show...)

And also say that he kills people, as if we didn't know that Daemon was a gray character capable of doing bad things ? What about all the murders the Greens committed ? It does not count ? No, of course they have the right. (#irony)

And then, these people really have no knowledge of history or Fire and Blood, or do we need to rewatch the beginning of HOTD perhaps ? Dragonstone is the seat of the future heir to the throne, the heir must live there. Rhaenyra only did her duty by going to live there. (And then I remind you that in the show, Rhaenyra decides to finally move in partly because of Alicent and her harassment. But no, everything is always Rhaenyra's fault. Especially since normally, in the book Rhaenyra leaves to live sooner that's in Dragonstone from what I remember, and she doesn't run away. She just lives there because she has to. On the other hand, she settles there permanently after the event where Aemond lost his eye)

Also, the TG really aren't tired of always stating that Rhaenyra had 3 children out of wedlock, as if that were a real reason for her usurpation and problems ? Rhaenyra was still being impersonated in an old version of GRRM from Fire and Blood. Rhaenyra could have had children from her marriage that she would still have been usurped, because as the message from Fire and Blood makes clear, and the line from HOTD in episode 3, all that matters is that Rhaenyra is a woman. She could literally be Jaehaerys recussiter, she's a woman.

Anyway... the TG is really stupid.

[lilmisssona]

𓍢ִ໋🀦 HISTORY & HOUSE MOODBOARDS 𓍢ִ໋🀦

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋 MAIN MASTERLIST 𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

𓍢ִ໋🀦 HISTORY : The University of Magicks was founded in tbe 1700s by 4 men ( The Yang Dynasty, The Hwang Dynasty , The Bahng Dynasty, The Lee Dynasty ) and 1 woman ( The Yu Dynasty ) allies. They all were children of the Enchanted land who wanted to do something good for the people with magicks aka those with supernatural abilities. So they united and formed The University of Magicks. A University for the Enchanted. They created four groups for people with different supernatural abilities. They were as below -:

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

𓍢ִ໋🀦 THE ELITES: Formed by the closest allies and long term friends, The Yang and Hwang Dynasty. This house comprises of the creatures with the highest supernatural abilities. That is the Demon and Vampire clan. They are trained to become the powerfullest of them all. As due to a sudden mutation earlier, they don't even require much blood to survive now. They can even withstand any temperature be it hot or cold.... Now after the great feud, only their last descendants and other lower graded demon vampire clans study here.

𓍢ִ໋🀦 MOODBOARD:

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

𓍢ִ໋🀦 THE WOLF PACK: Formed by the Bahng Dynasty, they comprise of the higher ranked werewolves. Known for their quick wit and agility they grow the strongest nearing to the Full Moons night. They are trained to be the second highest in rank after the Elites. They usually live in packs and marry their destined mates whom they identify through their scents during heat season. Now all the Bahng Dynasty descendants and the other lower clans study there....

𓍢ִ໋🀦 MOODBOARD:

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

𓍢ִ໋🀦 THE WITCH'S LAIR: Formed By The Yu Dynasty for all the wiccans and elves . Ms. Yu wanted to do something good for her magical clan so that they don't get shunned by their villages by the superstitious humans. The Witch's Lair comprise of many different small clans, that is the witches, elves, fairies, necromancers to name a few. Each clan has their own familiar and everyone with magical abilities, good or bad are welcomed here to train....

𓍢ִ໋🀦 MOODBOARD:

𓍢ִ໋🀦 THE OUTKASTS: Formed by The Lee Dynasty, the outkasts are basically what they're named after. That is, they don't belong to the higher ranks and mostly comprise of spirits of the forests or the deep sea. Mr. Lee was a very generous man and he wanted to do something better for the betterment of these lesser ranked creature. So he joined hands with the famed 3 men and 1 woman to form the fourth and last group. Dragons, Centaurs,  Minotaurs, Mermaids And Sirens are few of the many clans that study here...

𓍢ִ໋🀦 MOODBOARD:

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

𓍢ִ໋🀦 THE GREAT FEUD ( 1999-2000)

In The Year 1999, A Grear Feud formed against the greatest ally clan. The Hwang Dynasty declared a war against The Yang Dynasty.... It came to be known that the royal princess of the Hwang Dynasty cheated on her husband with the Prince Of The Yang Dynasty. She was pregnant at that time when the war was declared. She already had a son named Hwang Hyunjin and she bore another son named Yang Jeongin, out of wedlock that is the result of the affair.

The great feud was declared because of this. The cold war went on for months. Afterwards, it resulted into war between the two clans. The Princess and Prince of the Hwang Dynasty and Yang Dynasty respectively were banished from both kingdoms and were cursed to rot alone forever in the forbidden lands of the Undergrounds. Now No one knows of their whereabouts now. Some say they were cursed to rot in the deep tunnels underneath the mountains of the Enchanted Peaks. The war killed a lot of innocent families and now only the step brothers - Hyunjin and Jeongin reside as the last descendants of the Hwang and Yang Dynasty...

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

𓍢ִ໋🀦 OUR ETERNAL ALLIES: @atinyniki @candycrunchstay @writingforstraykids @cheesemonky @skzoologist @minholing @michelle4eve @jinnie-ret

𓍢ִ໋🀦 NEW RECRUITMENTS: @star92 @arloo00 @dabiscrustyfeet @loxgirl2004 @lakoya @thisrandomgoofy15 @kpopmenace143 @avokralaim @i2nsstuff @yasssposts @kopikokrunch @wa-wandavision @nlr1606 @kangyeonie @niaalove @bellandxx @annybah @kaiyaba @seungminindabuilding

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𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

𓍢ִ໋🀦 ENDNOTE: Make sure to like, reblog, follow me and turn your notifications on to get notified wehenever I post! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

Resuse and Translation Not Allowed 🙅‍♀️🚫

[burningchandelier]

My mom got a DNA test done and it didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know.

Ukrainian Ashkenazi. The Wiseman Family.

We know where we come from.

We went as far North as we could when there was nowhere safe for us in Eastern Europe. We made a home for ourselves in Lerwick, Scotland. Scotland, the only country in Europe that has never expelled Jews, kept us safe for a while, but a poor family could only live at the end of the world in the Arctic Circle for so long. There were too many fishermen and not enough people to buy fish.

Between wars, we went South again, to Germany. We didn’t stay.

I am grateful every day that my great-great grandfather could see that there was trouble coming for his family. He sent his four children and wife to Canada and followed the next year. So many of us did not.

We found a place in Toronto where we watched what happened to our loved ones in Europe. We forgot Hebrew. It was easier that way.

My great-grandmother kept secrets:

Her first daughter, born out of wedlock, was raised by her parents as one of their own.

Her second daughter was told that her father was dead, rather than divorced away (it was a different time— divorce was shameful, death was inevitable).

Her job was mysterious. Officially, she worked for the state department as a pay roll clerk. I don’t know why any pay roll clerks would have traveled to Russia during the Cold War, but she did many times.

The secret she kept the longest was her heritage. As far as anyone knew, she was a severe Scottish immigrant and fiercely proud of it. Only my mother, her favorite, had suspicions.

When Granny Annie Wiseman died, she left everything to her favorite granddaughter. The money, the house, and everything inside it. Every memory of who we are.

Years later, my mother fell in love with a Jewish man. They raised me together. I had the privileges and the pains of knowing who I was. I carry our family burdens and I honor them.

Someday, I will name my daughter after the woman I never met who passed our heritage to me through the simple and brave act of survival. Her assimilation kept us alive. Her secrets got me here. She left the breadcrumbs that let us find our way home.

We know where we come from.

[sheeple]

Lady Strong | Chapter 3.5

PHOTO NOT MINE. THIS IS ALL FICTION. Genre(s): Strong!reader / Angst? Fandom(s): House of the Dragon (TV series) Pairing(s): Aemond Targaryan x Strong!reader / Jacaerys Velaryon x Strong!reader (platonic/siblings) Summary: It's not easy being a Strong; with a mother who committed suicide, a father who sired three children out of wedlock and then died for it, and a creepy uncle who has nefarious plans for his niece, it's hard to find people who truly mean the best for you. Luckily there are your brothers and your fiance... right? Warning(s): Drowning / fighting / holding someone hostage / mentions of murder / choking / blood [Masterlist] [Mini masterlist]

There is something inherently peaceful about your state of mind right now. It's like you're floating in an endless sea of nothingness, just floating among the push and pull of the water.

That is until a large wave crashes into you and pulls you under. Suddenly, everything's wild, you're thrown around under the water, crashing into the rocks at the bottom. Events flash before your eyes.

Visions of you and Luke running through Storm's End, both of you flying above the trashing seas, being chased by Aemond. Before finally being pushed off by Luke and seeing your brother get devoured before you crash into the water.

And at last; someone diving after you. Long, white hair floating in the water and a blue gem gleaming. Could this be The Stranger coming for you? To take you to be with your father, mother, and brother?

With a gasp, you open your eyes and sit up. Panic washes over you as you are in an unfamiliar room. It is a private chamber, as you are laying under dark green, silk bedding. Multiple walls are covered by tower-high bookshelves packed with books and scrolls. A large round table is filled with more books, scrolls, and quills. A fire crackles softly with two chairs in front of it.

Panicked you scramble out of the bed, limping towards the window. King's Landing... You're in the capital. Then it clicks. It was no stranger at all. It was Aemond diving after you.

You rush towards the door, trying to pry them open. But it is no use. Scanning the room, you search for something to pick the lock. A quill, a knife, anything.

But all of sudden, you remember when Ser Erryk helped you escape through a secret passage. Running your hands along the walls to search for a lever or a dent, you find it and push against the panel. It swings open and a gush of wind welcomes you, ruffling the silken dress you're wearing. Since when were you wearing that? It doesn't matter.

Running down the dust-covered stairs, you end up somewhere along the west wing in an alcove. Hiding behind a wall until guards have passed, you continue sneaking towards the exit.

When you escape, what then? Your horse is in Dragonstone. Does anyone even know that you're alive? Or do they think you've died with Luke?

Oh, Luke...

Halting in your steps, you lean against the cold stone wall and clasp a hand against your mouth, silent tears rolling down your cheeks. The poor boy was so young, being trusted in a war of a previous generation. And Jace. He must feel so guilty to have suggested going for themselves.

No, you have to continue to fight. Fight for Luke. Fight for the injustice of it all. Fight for the rightful ruler of the realm.

Pushing off the wall, you start to sprint. There is yelling behind you, ordering you to stop. The King’s guard has drawn their swords as they chase you. Turning a corner, you bump into someone and stumble a couple steps back. Two hands shoot out and hold onto your shoulders.

Before you can thank the person, you notice it’s Aemond. Shit. A smirk grows on his face as his grip on your shoulders tightens and he pulls you towards himself.

“And where were you thinking of going?”, he asks smugly.

You try to struggle out of his hold, but he’s way stronger than you. In an attempt to hit him where it hurts with your knee, he anticipated your move. Aemond wraps a hand around your thigh, effectively halting your shot to knee in the family jewels.

In one swift movement, Aemond lifts you up and throws you over his shoulder. You scream and trash against his hold, but his grip is made of iron and holds you tightly over his shoulder.

Once he reaches his chambers, Aemond throws you onto the bed, which you quickly scramble off.

You are the first to speak. Aemond's too busy raking his eye up and down your body. "How could you."

He takes one step closer to you, and you back away. Until you feel your body press against the cold stone of the wall and Aemond's just a hair away from your face. "Would you believe me if I said it was an accident? That it wasn't my intent to kill him? I just wanted to scare him, make him crash into to sea below."

His fingers trace the burn scar on your hand that leads up to your shoulder. His touch continues to the scar his mother inflicted upon you. While his eye holds both of yours captive, you don't notice his hand wrapping around your throat. A gasp leaves your lips as Aemond squeezes slightly and tilts your head upwards.

In a panic, you reach for the sapphire bejewelled dagger around his waist and hold it up to his throat. The corners of his lips turn upwards as he watches you with dark eyes.

"You always go on about justice for what Luke did to you. You always claim to want his eye. But what of a life? What do I get in return for you taking Lucerys Velaryon's life? Your brain? Your heart?"

Aemond grabs your hand that holds the dagger. He fiddles with the clasps of his cotton shirt and lays the tip of the blade on his bare chest. "Then do it, carve my heart out. You already own it, so take it as payment for your brother."

You are trembling, and silent tears roll over your cheeks. 

A mocking smirk replaces the smile. "Not so brave now, are we?"

You want to do it. You want to plunge the blade into his chest and take his hard. Throw it in front of the false king to see that they should not mess with you, with the Blacks. 

But no. You want to do it where an audience will be. You want the world to know that Lady (Y/n) Strong is the one who took the Aemond 'kinslayer' Targaryen's life in retribution for your brother, the Queen's son.

The point of the dagger pierces into Aemond's chest, drawing blood before you pull away and drop your arm. "For now, we are even."

Taglist: @jeyramarie |  @fuckinglittlekitten | @neenieweenie | @myspotofcraziness | @tired-ninfa | @yoshiplushie | @percyjacksonspeen | @lol-im-done | @manitskatrina | @myspotofcraziness |  @caspianobsessed | @hawsx3 | @green-lxght | @literischdegree99 | @bellameshipper | @greenowlfactif | @ksuumin | @hi-im-fan-trash | @bellameshipper | @hiatuswhore | @psychwardsiren ​

[teamtargaryenapologinist]

Aemond “One-Eye” Targaryen Series

The Silver Dragon (Ongoing)

Summary: Rhea Royce had suffered for too long at the hands of her husband. She knew she would not survive his final revenge, but she would not let him forget her. So she left him with a daughter, a girl with the white hair of a Targaryen and the slate grey eyes of a Royce - Arianwyn, the Silver Lady.With the girl’s mother gone, and her father swiftly remarried and off across the Narrow Sea before even acknowledging his daughter, the young Queen Alicent Hightower took the babe in, to be raised among the only family she had left. As she grows, Arianwyn remains close to all her cousins, whether they have white or black hair. But none is closer to her than Aemond. The two spend long nights in the palace library together, studying the histories of both Old Valyria and the First Men, seeking to understand who they are and where their places are.As tensions in the family rise, it seems as though their places may begin to diverge. Will they let themselves be pulled apart as the dragons dance?

1: The Bronze Bitch’s Daughter  2: The Bench  3: The Book  4: Rune of Endurance  5: The Funeral  6: Cold Fire  7: The Beach  8: The Tunnel  9: The Decisions of Fathers  10: Prayer  11: Dearest Friend  12: The Girl in the Tower  13: The Sapphire  14: The Garden   Chapter 15: A Holy SightChapter 16: The Legend of Gahaelon and Aeremys  17: Families   Chapter 18: The Petition

Blood of My Blood (Ongoing)

Summary: The heir to the Iron Throne gives birth to her firstborn children, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon and Princess Y/N Velaryon.

Pairing(s): Jacaerys Velaryon x Twin!Reader, Aemond Targaryen x Niece!Reader, Aegon Targaryen x Niece!Reader

Prologue  Chapter One  Chapter Two  Chapter Three  Chapter Four  Chapter Five  Chapter Six  Chapter Seven  Chapter Eight  Chapter Nine  Chapter Ten

Lady Strong

Summary: It’s not easy being a Strong; with a mother who committed suicide, a father who sired three children out of wedlock and then died for it, and a creepy uncle who has nefarious plans for his niece, it’s hard to find people who truly mean the best for you. Luckily there are your brothers and your fiance… right?

Part 1

A Fair Exchange

Summary: the youngest daughter of king Viserys and Aemma Arryn is betrothed to prince Aemond and no everybody is happy about it.

Prologue  Part one  Part two  Part three*  Part four*  Part five  Part six*  Part seven

First and Seconds

Aegon I’s third wife is born again.

PART ONE  PART TWO  CONCEPT ONE  FIRSTS AND SECONDS  PART THREE

The Misbegotten Child

Summary: Rhea gives birth to a daughter. Daemon ignores her for most of her life. The Greens raise her.

Prologue  Chapter One  Chapter Two  Chapter Three  Chapter Four  Chapter Five  Chapter Six  Chapter Seven  Chapter Eight  Chapter Nine  Chapter Ten  Chapter Eleven  Chapter Twelve  Chapter Thirteen  Chapter Fourteen  Chapter Fifteen  Chapter Sixteen  Chapter Seventeen  Chapter Eighteen  Chapter Nineteen  Chapter Twenty  Chapter Twenty One  Epilogue

The Queen and Her Husbands

Summary: Greens wins AU. Rhaenyra Targaryen is dead, the war seems to be over but that doesn’t mean there is peace. Your relationship with Aemond is strained after he killed your brother and he will leave you for Alys Rivers. As if that wasn’t enough, now you have to marry Aegon, your mother’s killer, to bring peace to the kingdom and stop Cregan Stark from continuing the war.

Part 1: We’ll Be Fine  Part 2: The Council  Part 3: Give Me A Chance  Part 4: I Wish That Too  Part 5: The Wedding  Part 6: Antidote

Drabbles:

You Can Do It: The Twins are born. Aemond isn’t by your side but Aegon is.

Dad Aemond

Fool Me Once

Summary: Despite learning about Aemond cheating on you, life has never been sweeter. Who knew being so bad could be so good.

Part one  Part two  Part three

When Pride Married Prejudice

Summary: she is the (only) trueborn daughter of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Lord Laenor Velaryon. after her younger brother, Lucerys, slices out the eye of their uncle, Aemond Targaryen, her hand is offered as payment to keep the peace. though unexpected, she finds herself in a loving marriage, until devastating news forces her to make an impossible choice.

When Pride Married Prejudice  [ part two ]

It Feels Like (the Very) First Time  [ part two ]

Petitions  Distraction  The Inky Green Council  Bearer of Bad News

alternate ending one: Kin Slayer  •  [ part two ]

alternate ending two: Sweetest Devotion  •  [ part two ]

guide to final alternate endings:

Kin Slayer  –  is for those in the slutty angst club ‘cause i’m comin’ for your feelings. reader is Team Black.

Sweetest Devotion  –  is for those who crave closure and comfort. reader is Team Green.

Exile

Summary: Your mother had informed you of your betrothal to Prince Aemond around your name-sake day. She informed you that your grandsire had made this decision. Featuring Alys Rivers

Part 1  Part 2

And Winter Came

Summary: You had been happy at King’s Landing.  The happiest any Stark had ever been that far south.

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

The Other Woman

Summary: You were overjoyed with your marriage to Aemond, unfortunately for you— he doesn’t feel the same way. You will always be the other woman.

The Other Woman  Retribution  Repentance  Appatent  Enamoured

Don’t Get Sad, Get Even

Summary: You and your House Dressed Up for Revenge.

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

Growing Pains

Summary: They say it’s always the dark before sunrise, and Aemond and Y/N have more than earned to bask in the sunlight of their love. But, will everything go as smooth as they would hope to? Will the Prince and the Princess get the happily ever after they deserve? Or will they burn for each other apart?

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4

Blood of My Blood and Kin of Mine

Summary: Aemond falls in love with a woman already married. Not that anything ever gets in his way.

Summary: Aemond has his family, now he must keep them safe

Blood of my Blood  Part 2  Part 3

Kin of Mine  Kin of Sorrow

Have You No Idea That You’re In Deep?

Summary: Aemond is a fearless, enigmatic prince and the most renowned dragon-rider of the Greens. You are a (newly widowed) daughter of House Mormont and a lady-in-waiting to Princess Helaena. You can’t ignore each other, even though you probably should. In fact, you might have found a love worth killing for.

Chapter 1: Moonstone  Chapter 2: The Same Agony  Chapter 3: I Have Claimed You  Chapter 4: Under The Heart Tree  Chapter 5: I’m Coming Back  Chapter 6: You Are In Battle  Chapter 7: Final Tribute  Chapter 8: Starfall

prūmia va perzys (heart on fire)

Summary: The reader is Aemond's lover, but when the civil war broke out, she sided with the Blacks, supporting Rhaenyra's claim to the throne. One night, she and Aemond meet, and attempt to make the other see reason.

don’t you love me?  and what of your love?  the flames that divide  the aftermath

Little Secrets

Summary: She’s his sisters handmaiden, Highborn, but not high enough. He’s a Prince of the House of the Dragon, destined to marry someone of higher birth than her. This, them, can be their secret for just a little bit longer.

One  Two  Three

Love is Blind

Summary: Aemond meeting and befriending the reader after she finds him crying over the cruel comments of his missing eye by the servants of the Red Keep. Reader is from a noble family and completely blind, a bit of a renowned sweetheart as well.

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 3.5  Part 4  Part 4.5  Part 5

Blood of The Dragon

Summary: There is a small rocky island in the Narrow Sea easily reached on dragonback, and it has become a home of many secrets for Aemond Targayen and Rhaenyra Targaryen's only daughter

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4

A Fair Exchange

Summary: From one day to the other, her uncle's ambivalence had turned to cruelty until Aemond Targaryen's presence was enough to make her cower. But when she comes face to face with him in the halls of Storm's End, she has to be braver than she ever thought herself capable to protect her little brother.

Part I  Part II  Part III  Part IV  Part V  Part VI  Part VII  Part VIII  Part IX  Part X

Forget Me Too

Summary: When the faithful abandon their duty…what is it that remains? When Aemond return home from yet another visit to see Alys and their son, he finds that there are consequences to his infidelity. Consequences he not only did not expect, but does not like.

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6

An Eye for an Eye

Summary: Aemond and Alicent are determined to even the score...only does he still?

Part 1  Part 2

you can pretend it's not meant to be (but you can't stay away from me) 

Summary: to you, he is fictional. but to him, you are everything and more. he can't live without you. and, really, there is no use in trying to run away, he'll always find you. 

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

Season of the Witch

Summary: Aemond gets more than he bargained for when he chooses his spoil of war at Harrenhal.

Part 1

Playing with Fire

Summary: You travel to the capital, as Prince Aegon intends to take a wife at the command of the King. Much to your surprise, more than one Targaryen prince catches your eye.

Part 2

For Ever By Your Side

Summary: King's Landing was in a celebratory mood. People celebrated Princess Helaena Targaryen's first name day. The little princess was barely aware of the celebrations held in her honor. Slept peacefully in the care of her governess. 

Prologue  Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7  Part 8  Part 9 

Part 10  Part 11  Part 12  Part 13

Waiting For A Lifetime

Summary: Overcome by grief, Daemon turned to black magic to revive you. Moved by pity, the witch who casted the spell promised you would live until you met your love again in his next life.

Part 1  Part 2

[doueverwonder]

I'm so sorry if I'm bothering you, I just love all your OC's.

I kinda wanted to hear about Austria-Hungary, more specifically how Aushun reacted to her death.

oh boy, and no your not, absolutely I can talk about Edith. I'm gonna put the whole thing under a cut bc major tw: for death, mentions of war, and people neglecting their own health because of guilt.

okay so, Edith Stafania Rosemarie Edelstein; she's the as you said representative of the Austro-Hungarian empire, she was born June 8th, 1867 making her 148 years younger than Liesl, 52 years younger than Ludwig, and 109 years older than Franz.

She's terribly stubborn and overdramatic, the second one especially when she's proven wrong; like no one likes being proven wrong but she'll be driven to full out fits over it. The stubborn one more pertains to when she decides something is true it must be true, there's no other way things can be. In her defense on both of those she was very small.

She started counting Ludwig as her best friend as soon as she was old enough to know what a best friend was, Ludwig thought it funny that his little cousin was so attached to him if anything. He called her 'Ditte' which is technically the Danish diminutive of the name but I thought it was cute so it stays.

Liesl as all older siblings do got annoyed by Edith more than most but also would have thrown herself in front of a movie vehicle for her; y'know as all older siblings would. There was a fairly large age gap in between them that made their relationship somewhat odd, Liesl was good at helping take care of Edith when she was a baby, but once Edith was old enough that she wanted to play with Liesl they didn't spend nearly as much time with each other because Liesl didn't want to play most of the games Edith did. (She would fairly often though indulge her little sister in playing castle and being the queen of said castle)

Edith was Roderich and Erzsébet's for lack of better term "miracle baby" (even though considering physical age the title would probably be more accurately applied to Franz) after they lost their second child they decided they still wanted more kids, and tried for a couple decades before giving up. Then when they made up and resumed their relationship in the mid 1860s in comparatively no time at all they were expecting Edith. So she was special, the only one of their kids that was planned and the only one that was born in wedlock (not that important now but this was the late 19th century so bit more important then); as much as they don't want to admit it their world revolved around Edith.

in 1918 she was eight years old, physically. She had been sick the whole war, that wasn't unusual. It didn't make it easier to bear, but they weren't that worried either. Until the end, unlike the last person in the family to pass--Heidi, Holy Rome--there was no gradual decline at the end. She was the same amount of sick she had been the whole war, no concern, she'll be on the mend any day now. Then one morning someone went to go check on her and she was dead.

as for their reactions; by the time Edith actually passed in September on 1919 Erzsébet had already gone back to Budapest and would find out about her daughters death through a far too cold and formal letter. This would happen on both sides but Erzsébet would blame herself a lot, way too much "if i had just stayed with him she could have survived, if I hadn't left, if-" ignoring the fact that their were a dozen reasons the empire crumbled. Her staying might have not changed anything. But she was convinced for a few years this was all her fault, it woukd effect her even years later when she would find out she was expecting Franz; her initial reaction would be to be terrified at the idea of having another child, because that brought about the possibility of losing another child.

Roderich blamed himself sure, but unlike Erzsébet he didn't stop there. It was everyone else's fault too, it was the ww1 Allies who killed his daughter. It was Vuk's fault for killing the archduke and setting off the war. It was Adéla and Evžen's fault for leaving the empire. He even blamed Gilbert and Ludwig at some point. It was everyones fault, her blood was on their hands as far as he was concerned. He buried his daughter because of everyone else's actions, not his own. It would take him years, decades even, to get over this mentality Victim theory. And when he finally would, it would have gathered a lot from both the world wars, and even some things before to the point that his entire belief system would crumble around him. The entire thing would be set off on Edith's Birthday.

as he did every year Roderich would walk himself down to the cemetery with some flowers and some new little trinket he thinks she would enjoy. And he has a conversation with his daughter, "good afternoon. Happy birthday Mäuschen; you're how old now? 120? impossible you were born just yesterday" starting in 1992 Erzsébet & Franz would join him. By 94' so would Liesl, and a year later so would Ludwig.

Roderich and Erzsébet spend a lot of time questioning what could have been done differently, what could have changed how everything turned out, if there could have been a way to save her. But sometimes, like on sunny days in June, they have to stop asking 'what if-' and just start remembering the happy little girl they had.

[percy-x-luke]

Robin, if a demigod (whose parent is one of the big three) and an Olympian second generation/or a minor god<>goddess have a child together, who will it belong to?

a more powerful grandfather or a divine parent?

My headcanon — grandfather, because the big three likes to show their superiority over the Olympian second generation.

But I am very interested in your opinion on this issue.

It depends on which of the Big Three it is.

Zeus usually claims his divine children even when he has them out of wedlock (the list of which includes: Apollo and Artemis, Athena, Dionysus [used to be a demigod], and Hermes off the top of my head). Zeus didn't raise any of them except Athena but it should be noted that all of them are major Olympians and under his strict control. That being said, even though Thalia (and others) knew he was her dad, it's unclear if Zeus ever actually formally claimed her. That level of distance might have been because of the oath he took, but frankly we just don't know. I'm leaning towards not having much involvement though.

As we learned in Chalice Of The Gods, Poseidon has absolutely zero boundaries with Percy. Aside from watching and photographing Percy in bathrooms using the condensation on the bathroom mirrors, it's directly said that (gods) Poseidon (and possibly other gods) will show up in Percy's shower. It's safe to assume that this isn't actually new behavior (except maybe showering together), especially since we know that Percy has a memory of Poseidon from childhood that Sally doesn't know about and because Poseidon has been sending nature spirits to spy on Percy. I wouldn't be shocked to learn that Poseidon is a bigger part of Estelle's life than anyone really knows because he's obsessive about things that are his.

Hades behaves like a man who has had too many family members taken away from him. He's generally cold and distant toward Nico (calling him the di angelo kid, saying he'd rather have Bianca alive than Nico, using Nico to get the upper hand in the war, hoarding Maria and Bianca's souls for himself) but there are some times when Hades does what might be considered caring things for Nico (giving him a room in the Underworld, the zombie chauffeur driving him around, actually listening to Nico when Nico talks to him about joining the battle of manhattan). Hades has his favorites and they're in his domain with him. I don't think he'd care very much about any grandchildren.

[teatitty]

Hello!!

Saw your post about Sakamoto's sibs,i really would like to know more and hear about them more if you don't mind

Ah my beloved Sakamoto siblings! Sure I don't mind exanding on them a little bit!

Asaka, the oldest daughter: Her mother was of noble samurai lineage, and had an arranged marriage to her father. The marriage itself was loveless and cold, but had no real problems between them. Asaka was raised to be a samurai and had high expectations placed on her from birth to live up to both her families' legacies. She is as severe and stern as her mother before her and keeps herself distant from anyone who would be a distraction. She's in love with a childhood friend - another woman - but doesn't think herself capable of being a good lover, and is thus keeping her feelings to herself

Looks wise, she has thick brown hair like her father and Tatsuma, but keeps it in a long warrior's ponytail. She's tall, broad, and built thick, proudly displaying her family's blue haori on her shoulders. She claims not to care for her younger siblings but when Tatsuma was being bullied as a child she swiftly dragged him off to teach him how to fight with a sword.

Eiko, second oldest: Eiko and Asaka are 20 years older than Tatsuma, but are only three years apart themselves. Eiko's mother was a low-born servant who had her out of wedlock and tracked down their father when Eiko was four to give her over to him. It's unclear if she was lying about Eiko's parentage in a bid to give her a better life or not, but her father saw something stubborn in her and allowed it to pass without issue. She is the most "traditional" of her siblings, and dresses well the part, her hair dark and silky and her eyes even darker

While Eiko looked up to her father, she had little contact with her mother, since she worked as a servant, and spent most of her life learning the trade of business, expanding the Tosa Family's roots and buying up as many places as possible within their domain. She has no need for love, but enjoys being a mother, despite how quiet and reserved she is. She dislikes most of her siblings, but gets along with Noriko because they both have the same business-driven mind and a perfect lack of morals

Kohei, the first son: His mother was a politician, and his birth a huge scandal, as he was undeniably a bastard born of a torrid affair. His mother's love for his father was entirely one-sided, and Kohei himself is a lazy sort with his head often in the clouds. He has no desire to do physical labour and is terrible with ships. But as the first son of the Sakamoto's, it was his duty to inherit the navy, though he ended up foisting those responsibilities onto Tatsuma instead, so he could spend his days doing accounting work

Of all the siblings, he looks the most like Tatsuma, just with longer hair, looser clothes and a more serene persona. They're often mistaken for one another despite being 10 years apart, which is how Tatsuma ended up in the war instead of his brother. He has a heavy hostile relationship with Eiko and Asaka, but gets along well with his brother and is neutral towards Noriko

Finally, Noriko, the third sister: While they use neutral pronouns, Noriko still refers to themself as a daughter and a sister, and they are 2 years younger than Kohei. Their mother was a housewife, the second marriage of their father's after Asaka's mother passed on, but the marriage was a bad one. Noriko is wild and reckless and rowdy, with a penchant for violence, but gets away with their misdeeds because they bring in so much money and have a vast array of connections

They work as a blacksmith that sells weapons to any and all willing to buy them, and viewed the War as a great boon for their business, selling weapons to both sides with no regard to the consequences. They cannot understand Tatsuma's hangups about their lack of morals, nor do they see why he's so intent on becoming a merchant instead of a fighter. Noriko, like her other siblings, has their father's brown hair but their mother's freckles and sharp green eyes. Their laugh is a barking thing, and their skin smeared with the ash and labour of their work

While the Sakamoto father has no real love or affection for his children, it's obvious to everyone that he favours Eiko and almost entirely disregards Tatsuma himself. Despite this, many believe that Ryouka, Tatsuma's mother, was the only woman he ever truly loved, though he himself stays completely silent on the matter

[unbloomingmoonflower]

idle musings.

Ariadne did not fear dragons. In fact, the Horde was at the very bottom of things that the halfling would be afraid of.

Yet Aymeric and Estinien, her longtime friends and comrades, have even questioned the extent of her fear. Inquired and pondered as to how she could be face-to-face with massive fangs and claws of the wyrms and not once experience the trembling of fear.

“Other people tend to be the most frightening,” she had answered them once, over a shared pint of Ishgardian ale at the tavern once they had returned safely from their aptly named suicide mission. “Have you seen how easily those with power or wealth treat their lessers?” Ah, how she hated that word.

When Aymeric and Estinien did not answer her with words, their silence all but confirmed that they have, indeed, noticed such things. It only served to have Ariadne continue. “See how easy some noble families cast out their own children to save face with proper society? And yet, their little secrets being exposed is all it will take to undo them and their frivolous reputation.”

“It appears you have a rather personal experience with such, haven’t you?” Estinien had asked, none too gently. It wasn’t like the man, training to succeed the Azure Dragoon at the time, to ever ask with a soft voice. 

“Absolutely,” answered Ariadne with just as much bluntness one would expect of a woman with no patience for guile. “My father’s own family cast him out because he dared to fall in love with a “common woman” like my mother, may she rest in peace. He dared to take responsibility for the child he sired out of wedlock and we were tossed to the cold. Yet there are those in Ishgard who look down on illegitimate children as if we were the plague, regardless of how our circumstances are.”

Draining the dregs of her ale, Ariadne’s full lips had curled into a wry smile. “Yes, gentlemen. Other people frighten me far more than any dragon and its brood. I much rather stake my life every waking moment fighting them than to deal with the honeyed words of those who will sooner tear down their lessers.”

“Perhaps that can change,” Aymeric had declared, with a burning passion in his sapphire eyes. “Perhaps we can take Ishgard into a new tomorrow. Where no such lines of nobility and the impoverished exist.”

Lofty ideal, Ariadne remembered thinking, drinking down a tankard of ale even now. It had been years since then, years since she had began serving as a Temple Knight. She rose through the ranks just as well as her comrades, her brothers, serving under Aymeric as he took the position of Lord Commander when all odds were against him due to the very stigma Ariadne had seen all of her life. Seeing his passions take him so far made the halfling proud of her friend, willing to put her life in his hands. 

Estinien’s own ideals were steeped in revenge and blood, wanting nothing more than for Nidhogg to suffer. He rose to succeed Alberic, becoming the Azure Dragoon and channeling his inner dragon. Though she wondered if Estinien loathed the term. She never asked, with him never being the loquacious type. It took several pints just to get him to unveil that Nidhogg had destroyed his home, killed his family, and that he swore revenge. 

Ariadne was quite willing to die for them and had come close during the finale of Dragonsong War. She remembered it well. How could she forget? She was not present when Nidhogg had taken possession of Estinien, using his body as though it were a simple mammet. She did, however, bear witness to it during the peace conference with Vidofnir; at how Estinien’s body took aim to the wyrm and Aymeric making the choice to loose and arrow at their dearest friend.

When the crescendo of the war was upon them, Ariadne had stood with the famed Warrior of Light and their fellow Scions, ready to fight for her nation and her dearly beloved comrades. Nidhogg had dealt her a devastating wound through her abdomen that it was nothing short of miraculous that Ariadne had even survived. 

It was certainly something Estinien had carried guilt over; he had apologized to Ariadne in that brusque way of his while renouncing his title as the Azure Dragoon. Aymeric had chided Ariadne for moving so soon to see the inert, recovering Estinien. “You’ll reopen your wound.”

“My wound will heal. The Fury knows I have more scars than I know what to do with.”

Her words must have worried them, even though it was unspoken. Aymeric and Estinien knew Ariadne best, knew what she was like. She wondered why Aymeric seemed so keen to have her as some sort of acting liason as Lucia did. Even Lucia noticed such. “Lord Aymeric cares for you deeply, as though were the younger sister he’s never had,” she had noted once to Ariadne in private conversation. “He simply doesn’t want to see you buried so young. I am sure Estinien feels the same.”

Exhaling a sigh, Ariadne pushed rogue strands of her short hair from her face, the loose fringes framing over her left eye. Tankard empty, she reached into her coffer to drop some gil onto the counter with a respectful nod toward the tavernkeep. She was never a woman to wear out her welcome. 

The snow barely crunched beneath her sabatons as she left the Forgotten Knight. The chill bit at her exposed skin, yet so accustomed to her home climate was she that it hardly counted as a bother. Crimson eyes took in the softly falling snow, at the remains of Ishgard being rebuilt brick by brick by Her people. 

Ariadne did not fear dragons. She did fear other people, at how readily they turn their fangs on one another. 

Yet she also feared that such a peaceful calm after a storm was not meant to last. 

Keeping her troubled thoughts locked within the confines of her heart, Ariadne simply made her way home to where her father awaited. 

[mermaidsirennikita]

plssss when you have the time also list the "pregnancy important to plot" recommendations, too ❤❤😊

--The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham. The heroine suffered a traumatic late term pregnancy loss when she was young, and has since become an accomplished rakes~ who avoids emotional intimacy. She starts a no-strings affair with a widowed single father who's also very leery of pregnancy because he lost his wife and youngest to a hard birth. They actually use Ye Olde Condom, but it falls off, and she gets pregnant (and attempts... to hide it--he finds out in the most dramatic way possible).

--Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor. Heroine and hero were childhood sweethearts, he went off to war and she married another man and got pregnant. Husband dies before the baby is born, and turns out he was a bigamist, so her marriage is invalid; in order to secure her baby's legitimacy, she marries the childhood friend/sweetheart right before the baby is born. He can't deal with his feelings for her and his shame about his mobility issues post-war, and he leaves for like... a year before she forces him to come back and be a husband. I really liked that this one also dealt with disability and accommodations they make during sex to prevent pain.

--The Viscount and the Vixen by Lorraine Heath. Hero's father is this batty old man, and he brings this young lady to the estate all of the sudden--turns out dad put an ad out for a new wife, promising 10,000 pounds to the woman if he didn't follow through on the marriage. Son is sure that she's just a gold digger, so he finds a loophole in the contract--and marries her instead. Turns out she's not a gold digger, but unbeknownst to him she's left an abusive relationship and is pregnant. She decides to pass the baby off as the hero's, but this becomes a lot harder as they fall in love.

--Waking Up with The Duke by Lorraine Heath. Recommended this a lot recently, hero is responsible for best friend's disability/impotence, best friend asks hero to impregnate his wife for him. Hero and heroine fall in love during the babymaking process, it's all very tense and fraught and emotional and AMAZING. There's a scene where they're alone and he's pushing her dress up and she's like "uh we cannot have sex right now" and he's like that's not what this is about... and he just wants to kiss her belly and feel the baby.... pain...... he also gives her a foot massage..... he's amazing.

--The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath. Recommended this a lot recently too. The hero goes on a safari with his identical twin because twin's wife is pregnant. Twin is killed by a gorilla (yes). Before he dies, the twin requests that the hero pretends to be him so that the heroine doesn't miscarry (which she has several times prior). Hero therefore pretends to be his brother, and gets home when the heroine is around 7-8 months pregnant. There's a lot of him caring for her while she's pregnant, carrying her around so she doesn't have to walk, doting on her. He also tries to use the baby as one excuse for why he's not having sex with her, because he doesn't wanna hurt it--this... does not work for long.

--Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas. This is more towards the end of the book, but the third act issue the hero and heroine (who have been having an affair after he inherited her husband's estate) involves her... riding him a bit too aggressively (she's inexperienced and doesn't realize how close he is, it's not a purposeful Daphne Bridgerton situation) and them having an oops baby crisis that he handles very! Badly! Resulting in a grovel.

--Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt. Hero and heroine got married because she was pregnant out of wedlock by another man (who died). She miscarried right after, and they then lived separately for four years, which he was fine with because he's a widower who isn't over his first wife. She returns and basically is like "put a baby in me, don't worry about falling in love". He acquiesces.

--Duchess by Day, Mistress by Night by Stacy Reid. Heroine is a widowed duchess with a young son, hero is a self made man from the wrong side of the tracks. She hires him to find her governess after the girl disappears, and he... would rather not be paid in money. An affair begins, she knows sexual pleasure for the first time, etc--and then she gets knocked up. He's all excited about it, she's hesitant to be with him publicly, LOTS of hurt feelings abound (and the rare heroine grovel).

--Accidentally Compromising the Duke by Stacy Reid. Heroine plans to compromise a friend by slipping into his bedchamber and getting caught on purpose to avoid being betrothed to a sexual predator, accidentally compromises local scary single father duke. He marries her, but is determined to not have sex with her because he's all scarred about his first wife dying in childbirth. This becomes "well I'll have sex with her, but only, like, oral". This becomes "well I'll put it in her but I'll pull out". He fails, she gets pregnant, he blames her, they separate, THE GROVELING AND ANGST IS A LOT.

--The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt. Heroine is a classy upper class hiress, moves to her new estate and begins an affair with the rough and tumble steward. She gets pregnant, and he actually doesn't want to marry her because self-loathing and social class issues--it's very Lady Chatterley. Has an incredibly satisfying and dramatic ending. Think... Shrek.

--The Courtesan Duchess by Joanna Shupe. Hero and heroine have an arranged marriage, he ditches her right after the altar without consummating it. They're separated for like... 6 years, during which he lives on the continent carousing. She has threats breathing down her neck and needs his heir to secure her future, so she basically... trains to look and act and like a courtesan (and mind you, she's heavily made up and wearing a wig when they reunite, so he doesn't recognize her at all). The hero actually totally falls for her during their fling when he thinks she's a courtesan, and once she's gotten what she need (semen it's semen) she runs back to England. He figures out what happened and shows up in their house and she finds him WAITING FOR HER IN THE DARK SMOKING A CIGAR LMAO. And he's all "THE OTHER SHOE JUST DROPPED" and whisks her away in a carriage, and she's like "I'm pregnant" and he's like "well you're a lying liar who lies so I bet you're lying" to which she vomits on his boots. It's hilarious. I love it.

--This Scot of Mine by Sophie Jordan. Hero is Scottish and comes from a long line of men who all die right after their first child is born due to a family curse. He totally buys this and is very gloomy about it--enter an English girl who's been exiled from her family because she's pregnant out of wedlock. They have a physical attraction and he's like omg great compromise, I'll get an heir by just adopting her baby, and he proposes marriage. Problem: she does not know about the curse, and she is actually not pregnant. She made up the pregnancy to avoid a bad marriage. So her natural impulse is to just... have sex with him and get pregnant, and they have this amazing wedding night (or morning) sex, and then he realizes she was a virgin and is like "great, I'm cursed to die when my first baby is born, and I probably just got you pregnant" and she's like "well you probably didn't knock me up in one shot" (he did) and then she's all "well the curse is surely fake" (enter like five near death experiences for this man immediately).

I will also add that Never Seduce a Duke by Vivienne Lorret is out in February, and that one features a heroine on vacation before she goes on the shelf, who gets into this very convoluted and hilarious game of cat and mouse with a SEXY GLASSES-WEARING STERN DUKE, and they fall in love and fuck and then through a series of events and miscommunications they get separated and she goes home thinking he doesn't give a fuck.... and.... OOPS. A fabulous book, I love it so much.

[maydela]

Leefside, Wales 1379

Mikel had some friends come and visit. He and his friend Maxwell have decided to start a fighting school in Windenburg, the King has provided them with land to build this. His mother, Sara fell in love with his other friend Royce, and they got married.

Everyone is trying to tell the future lately. Diving tools of all kinds are popping up for sale everywhere.

The new King has been reported to be quite the womanizer. Rumor has it that he has fathered 2 children out of wedlock, with no sign of him marrying a suitable lady.

The tavern was doing so well, Moriddyg hired a maid after Haeju had a fifth living child, Arthur. Then Moriddyg died from a cold. One day he was perfectly fine, the next, he could hardly breath and passed away. Rosa, Michael's betrothed, moved in to help Haeju with the children. Haeju has decided to close the tavern and concentrate on selling her nectar to other taverns.

Michael has gone to war. His eldest niece, Eiddwen, is terribly sad, especially after the loss of her father, as she was Michael's favorite. He sends news that Mikel & Kent have enlisted as well.

[wordsandrobots]

IBO reference notes on . . . assorted head-canons

Was planning to put this up later in the week but it's been one of those days that make me want to throw stuff online to make myself feel better. Nothing too involved, just various things I head-canon about Iron-Blooded Orphans. Some of these have come up in my fics, others are simply things I keep in mind while writing them. Likely not an exhaustive list, so I may do another post like this later. Under a cut to hide one or two spoilers.

Oh, and on the off chance anyone has something else IBO-related they're interested in my opinion/head-canon on, please don't hesitate to sling an ask my way. This show has literally been eating my brain for a year and three quarters.

The Bauduin Family's blue hair is the result of genetic meddling. An ancestor really liked the colour and decided to make it stick forever. This had the unintentional side-effect of giving the family the lowest incidence of by-blows in the Seven Stars, because all its sons are painfully aware any 'accidents' outside of wedlock are going to be really, really obvious.

A long sword/katana is Barbatos' original main weapon. That's why Mika suddenly understands how to use one correctly when he connects more deeply to the system. I have a few ideas about what its first pilot was like, but she is basically a complete OC so beyond the scope of this post.

The original, 'pure' Alaya-Vijnana is safer to use. A lot of what happens to Mika is the result of him being implanted with the knock-off, bastardised version. This is why McGillis experiences no loss of motor function despite using Bael at a similar level of power. The fact I also picture almost all the original pilots as suffering some degree of paralysis speaks entirely to how bad the Calamity War got. Essentially, it took months, even years, of running the A-V at full tilt for them to reach where Mika is after Edmonton.

Agnika Kaieru was a cold-hearted bastard. Think Heero Yuy's consideration for his own happiness and well-being coupled to a functioning understanding of human nature and how to get people to do what he wanted. This guy could screw over those close to him in ways McGillis can only dream of.

Not that McGillis realises this because the central 'joke' running through my Calamity War head-canons is that, as a historical document, 'The Life of Agnika Kaieru' isn't worth the paper it's printed on. It's pure propaganda, the result of the original Seven Stars covering for the fact their leader was a manipulative arsehole who ended his days using Gundam Bael as a life-support machine.

Aside from McGillis deliberately creating distance between them, the main reason Carta fell out with him is because Iznario pulled strings to get her an early promotion to colonel. She wanted to earn it but wasn't given a chance, and had to watch McGillis sail up the ranks without any assistance at all. She's been overcompensating for the inferiority complex this created ever since.

Orga has always been able to read Eugene like a cheap novel and the reason he's Orga's go-to driver at the start of the show is that Orga knows he cares far more about being seen to do a good job than getting one over on his replacement as Third Group leader. The same logic applies to making him deputy boss.

Eugene's brain is wired such that his spacial awareness works better across large distances and in three dimensions than close-to and on one plane. This is why he's so adept at space combat and so crap at it on the ground. In space, he has breathing room and can move any way he wants; in ground skirmishes, he quickly becomes overwhelmed and locks-up for lack of options.

Mikazuki made a regular thing about working on Sakura Farm with Biscuit but Orga generally didn't accompany them. This is because Orga is not a fan of physical labour and his napping at the start of the very first episode is fairly typical of how he spends his breaks.

Ride doesn't join Kudelia's classes because he already knows how to read. He wasn't particularly better off than the others, but he did get some schooling before joining the CGS. Yamagi also knows how to read long before the series starts, probably owing to Yukinojo training him up as a second head-mechanic.

Age-order for Tekkadan, running oldest to youngest, goes something like: Dane, Dante, Akihiro, Chad, Eugene, Orga, Biscuit [16, S1], Zack, Shino, Hush, Mikazuki, Atra, Yamagi, Derma, Aston, Takaki [13, S1], Ride, Trow, Embi and Elgar, Hirume. I take Shino to be the youngest of the secondary boys (about 16, S1), and Yamagi to be the oldest of the tertiary trio (~15, S1). Even accounting for the general haggardness of the human debris' designs, Dante's character model looks older than the rest to me, so he comes in ahead of everyone except Dane, who I imagine has a fair few years on him. The younger kids are hard to be sure about, but I figure Ride is about 11 or 12 to begin with, and the others seem to be one to two years younger than him.

Character sexuality – because are we writing fanfic here or not? These are the ones I've given thought to. Anyone not listed, I haven't considered in enough depth to care who they want to sleep with.

Mikazuki: Straight. Sorry guys. I don't even read him as being on the ace spectrum, though I understand how you could.

Kudelia: Probably pansexual, not that she's considered it very closely.

Atra: Definitely, very, extremely bi.

Orga: 100% asexual and occasionally embarrassed by his inability to grasp what the big deal is supposed to be. By which I mean, people sometimes mock him for it, and by people, I mean Eugene and Shino.

Akihiro: ???? As in, if you asked, that'd be his response. A row of question marks to the tune of 'I have literally never given this a single thought in my life and I'm too busy to care.'

Eugene: Thinks he's straight. It's adorable. He's actually into anyone who'll treat him good and tell him he's doing OK.

Shino: Has known he's bisexual for years but internalised that the cool, macho thing is to be very into girls. Which, I mean, he is very into girls, but also sex is good regardless of which bits the other person has.

Dante: Straight. Dante is very boring in this regard.

Chad: Panromantic and demisexual. Chad wants to be loved, and everything else slightly scares him because he doesn't know where to start.

Yamagi: Gay (canon!) and somewhat kinky with it, since he approaches sex as an engineering problem and is, at heart, a control freak.

Takaki: Curious. Essentially a big 'TBA' on the whole sexuality thing. He'll get back to you after he's tried a few things.

Gaelio: Bi and hopelessly romantic with it. Prior to everything, he tended to fall in and out of love on a weekly basis. Bit of a commitment-phobe, but genuinely caring while actually in a relationship.

McGillis: Do not even go there. Long ago locked all his actual wants and desires in a box marked 'irrelevant' and threw away the key.

Julieta: Grey/demisexual. Would need a long run-up, probably involving a lot of frustration because why is [traditional relationship marker] even necessary?

Azee: Loosely bi, on the ace spectrum. Slightly more in love with Amida than Naze.

Eco: Straight. She and Yamagi take turns sympathising with and mocking each other for their equally terrible taste in men.

Argi Mirage: Asexual in an 'I don't need anyone else to take care of my sex-drive' way.

Grown-up!Ride: Firmly aromantic. Exists in a constant state of vague surprise about the things people do together.

All these sexuality descriptors are approximate modern-day translations because Post-Disaster, how people express their attraction has moved on to different phraseology.

That incident Shino shuts Zack up about because he cannot have anyone knowing it happened? Yeah, Shino ran into a dominatrix and became incoherently turned on by the experience. This is about the only sexual thing I can imagine him being worried others might find out about. Anything else could be hand-waved along the lines of 'I'm so hot, even the boys want me', but if people discover he has a submissive streak wide enough to drive a tank down, his life is over. Obviously, re: everything I've done with Shino in my fics, he grows out of being concerned by this. Not that it would have survived two seconds in a relationship with Yamagi anyway.

Relatedly, Shino is the world's most turn-on-a-dime switch. Fundamentally, always the people-pleaser.

That actually is both Orga's scarf and Mikazuki's gun Ride has in the epilogue. He accidentally stole the scarf during the evacuation of the Isaribi, then picked the gun up after Orga's death, and has held on to both ever since.

Akatsuki is small for his age and basically indestructible. Along with his eyes, his stature and the ability to shrug off physical harm are the main things inherited from Mikazuki. That said, he's probably going to shoot up like a rocket once he hits adolescence, leading to jokes about him having somehow stolen a tall gene from the Bernsteins. He also spends a large chunk of his childhood obsessed with wolves. This is a complete coincidence: he read about them in a book of Earth animals and liked the way they smile.

And while it's not strictly head-canon, if I were ever tempted into doing an 'Iron-Blooded Orphans: The Next Generation' fic centred on him, I wouldn't under any circumstances put him in a Gundam. Akatsuki becoming a child soldier represents a total failure of everything achieved in the main story and, frankly, I'm not (quite) that cruel.