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theladyofbloodshed · 1 year ago

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Neris prompt-

Nesta and Eris attending a HL meeting after taking over as High lord and lady of Autumn and having to deal with the NC except they get backed by all the other HLs from Tamlin to Helion and Kallias cause the true nature of IC is now visible to everyone after Nesta left with Eris (idk if this is understandable since my English is weak).

Over a year later, here it is! This is set after the events of my fic A Court of Tangled Flames.

***

A heavy deluge of rain soaked the paths, turning them into a slopping mess of mud and leaves.

Nesta winced at the weather from her window then turned back to her looking glass on the vanity to finish pinning up her hair. ‘Some would say this weather is a bad omen.’

On the bed, Eris lounged with one of the dogs. He crossed his ankles. ‘Would they?’

‘Yes. I think we shouldn’t go.’

Last night, she had started on a new book that was rather good and she wanted to spend her day reading that instead – especially with gloomy weather surrounding the Forest House.

‘The amazing thing about Prythian, my love, is that the Dawn Court will have entirely different weather.’

Sometimes she loved that smile he wore, sometimes she wanted to smother him with a pillow when he smiled at her. Eris remarked that it was a miracle she hadn’t yet done it. He was flashing the smile now. In the corner of her vision, she could see his reflection in the mirror.

‘Stop smiling. It’s unnerving.’

‘Hm, am I unnerving you or is the looming family reunion? High lords have never swayed you, so one has to think it’s your family.’

Nesta turned in her seat to point at him. ‘One of them is my family. One is unfortunately a marital relation. The rest are sycophantic followers who, very occasionally, enter my orbit.’

She rose at the same time as her husband. They were always in synchronisation with each other which a bond did not facilitate. Eris was right, of course, as he always was. The last time the high lords had gathered, she had warred with herself whether to tell her story or not. They’d spent the time bickering amongst themselves until Azriel and Feyre had lost control of their sense and attacked the Autumn Court. Then, she’d managed to get her dearly departed father-in-law to take notice as her story spilt out of her. No, it wasn’t the high lords that Nesta cared about. It was the ever-insufferable Night Court.

Eris helped her into her heavy gown for the meeting. It was a beautiful thing of gold and red that firmly signified her allegiance. His fingers smoothed up her back as he fastened each hook around the small buttons. Since marrying, Nesta found that she did not want a servant’s help to dress when her husband was always ready and willing to assist – especially with undressing.

A kiss was pressed to the top of her head. ‘All will be fine. No need to worry.’

‘I will retract my claws.’

Eris gripped one of her hands then brought it to his lips. ‘I love you, claws and all.’

***

The rolling hills and golden skies of the Dawn Court greeted them. A delegate from the court received them as they winnowed into the balcony then showed them to the large atrium with the stunning pool in the centre. It was just how Nesta remembered from the pink lilies floating on the surface to the white and gold fish darting through the waters. Only this time she was with another court. Her court.

If they arrived on time, Eris felt they were late so he had an annoying habit of arriving everywhere early. It meant they were the first court – except for Dawn - assembled. For once, Nesta did not mind the punctuality. It gave her a chance to make her greetings then settle into a chair beside her mother-in-law who rested a comforting hand on top of her own.

It wasn’t the Night Court in general that had a bubble of worry growing in her chest, but the potential for them to goad Eris. There had been no contact between them since the bond had been severed with Cassian, not even a single letter from Feyre regarding the babe. The Autumn Court had been flourishing under Eris’ rule and change had been staggering. What he would propose today would either be met with anger or laughter.

The Winter Court arrived next so Nesta played her role as the lady of her court, greeting them formally after Eris had, then Day and Summer came. At the sight of Tamlin winnowing in, Nesta held back her surprise enough to greet him too. She could see the beast behind his eyes that he struggled to contain. When the Night Court arrived, they looked suited to a ball rather than a meeting. Feyre and Mor’s dresses dipped low on their chest. She held her breath as Cassian came into view. Even as Eris took her to say her formal greeting to the high lord and lady, neither she nor Cassian could look at each other. It was a relief to be back in her seat.

‘You have gathered us, Thesan, get on with it,’ clipped Helion.

Thesan swept his head across the room. ‘I am merely playing host as a neutral ground. Eris?’

Confidence seeped from her husband once all eyes settled on him. He made it look easy. Everything that Eris did seemed effortless but Nesta knew he’d have imagined this meeting in a thousand different ways, ran through every possible outcome to be prepared for it. ‘Though not our jurisdiction, I would like the high lords of Prythian to offer aid to Hybern.’

As expected, a hush fell across the room followed by a low laugh from Helion.

‘Surely your father’s treasury hasn’t been so depleted by his successor that you cannot offer aid?’ asked Rhysand. ‘Why should we give up our own wealth for a country that has warred with us for centuries?’

‘When the call to arms comes, every citizen must defend their country. We know it well enough,’ continued Eris. ‘We rallied to your call, Rhysand. Many in Hybern were faced with the choice of killing or be killed. Many did not want to go to war. They had a king who would slaughter their families if they didn’t.’ He paused for effect. Nesta had heard this speech rehearsed whilst she was in the bathroom. ‘There are children there. Children without a leader, without any sort of guidance. That country hangs on the edge. Groups are vying for power still, playing tug-and-war with a country full of innocent fae. I’d like to offer aid to the ones who just want a life of freedom and peace.’

As they expected, it was met with scorn from some.

Feyre folded her hands into her lap. ‘So that I understand it, you would like us to open the doors to our courts so Hybern can sweep in?’

‘You had no problem doing that to my court,’ said Tamlin.

‘You unlocked the door for them.’

Tamlin raised his brows, gaze settling on Cassian. ‘How does it feel? Your high lord stole my bride. His court,’ a jerk of his thumb to Eris, ‘stole your mate.’

The words hit Cassian like an arrow to the chest. Nesta saw it pierce him – the sudden involuntary recoil, the breath that caught in his throat.

Despite the heat flushing her own neck from the attention on her, Eris showed no signs of trouble. He merely smiled in a gesture of innocence reserved for a child. ‘You cannot steal something that never belonged to another. I’m afraid that what happened was my darling wife told her sister that the child inside of her would kill her – a fact they all knew but neglected to tell their high lady.’

‘Eris,’ warned Rhysand.

‘Apologies, I’m not finished. The high lord threatened to have his general’s mate killed so a fitting punishment was to have her walk until exhaustion caused her to collapse. I merely happened to reach out a hand, offer a different life. And to show no hard feelings between our courts, a wonderful healer of mine helped deliver the babe. The Night Court has an heir and a high lady. We are all won that day, didn’t we?’

Eris had no problem airing other’s dirty laundry. He had been trained in the Beron Vanserra school of humiliation and misery. Nothing could ever embarrass him; Nesta knew because she had tried. This revelation was clearly news to the other courts gathered. Usually, Nesta wouldn’t want her own story shared. She did not want pity for the punishment she was given. She just wished it hadn’t had to happen for her to fall in love with Eris.

Breaking the silence, Eris clapped his hands once. ‘We are not here to discuss my beautiful wife – although, I assure you, I could talk of her until the rivers run dry and the skies bleed black because there is nobody in this world that I love more.’

That struck something in the Winter Court. Not anger or annoyance, but almost envy. Viviane had nudged her husband. In a low voice she muttered, ‘Why can’t you talk about me like that in public?’

All eyes were on the usually cool High Lord of Winter who had a pink blush creeping over his thin cheeks. He cleared his throat. ‘Why should we offer assistance? Your land is vast enough, Eris.’

‘Indeed, it is,’ he confirmed. ‘I will take any as many as I can who want to be there.’

Mor scoffed. ‘Bolstering your armies?’

‘They will be Autumn Court citizens in time. The option to serve will be there just as the option not to will also be theirs. I am not a tyrant, Morrigan, nor am I a high lord who sees my court as a disposable force.’

So much for needing the Night Court on side, Nesta thought.

‘And you believe you will be able to control them all, Eris?’

At Rhysand’s words, Eris made a show of laughing. Ever the dramatist. ‘Control them? You make my court seem like a mindless rabble. There hasn’t been an uprising in the Autumn Court since… Oh, no there never has been one. I wonder when anybody could tell me the last time the Illyrians staged a rebellion? Last week?’

Her brother-in-law’s lips thinned. From Feyre’s expression, Nesta knew they were having a private conversation through their mental link. She knew Eris was pushing them too quickly so prodded his knee in warning as subtly as she could manage.

Tarquin exhaled as he ran a finger around the rim of the glass he held. ‘We can take in some refugees. We still have ones from Spring who have settled.’

‘We want to decide though,’ added Cresseida. ‘We’ll organise a meeting with the first batch to ensure they’ll gel well in our court.’

‘Indeed, emissary.’

A long, heavy silence followed. The solar courts tended to be close-knit with each other, but the Night Court had the largest free land for Hybern’s innocent fae to settle on. There were many females without their husbands, their fathers, their brothers, their sons. Children were without parents. This was beyond a wicked king. This was about innocent fae whose lives were uprooted by a war they had no part in. With no monarch on the throne, the country lacked direction. Eris could have been vile and proposed seizing their throne to gain control of an unstable land, but he did the honourable thing. It was only a possibility now with Beron gone.

‘Spring can take some.’

Nesta uttered a thank you before she could stop herself. Tamlin’s words had shocked her. Her gratitude shocked him in return.

The pressure built on their final seasonal ally. Viviane had wound her hand into her husband’s, squeezing it in a pattern like a pulse. Eventually, he caved and let out a wearied sigh. ‘We can take some, though the Winter Court isn’t for everybody.’

Cressieda grinned at him. ‘They can always visit the Summer Court for a vacation.’

‘Only if we are invited too,’ countered Viviane.

Although Helion was a friend to the Night Court, they had brought their own weapon with them to sway his decision. Eliška leaned forwards in her chair to catch the male’s gaze. He had been stealing enough glances at her throughout the proceedings already.

‘Helion, what of your court?’

Nesta had never seen the male so flustered. A few words from Eris’ mother and he was entirely undone.

‘My court.’

‘Your court,’ she said, voice sweet and soft. ‘Will you help us?’

With the love-struck expression that had clobbered onto his usually collective face, Nesta thought that Helion might offer up his entire court if Eliška asked.

‘Whatever you need,’ he said, eyes never leaving her face. ‘I give it freely.’

Thesan shook his head. ‘We cannot take them here. We already have many from the Continent here, but we can offer financial aid to the courts who are helping to re-settle.’

‘Thank you for your generosity,’ replied Eris.

Begrudgingly, Rhysand spoke though he did not seem happy about the decision. ‘As a gesture of good will, we will also provide financial aid. Our emissary will discuss the figure with you later.’

‘Could Lucien not make it because he’s still walking down the ten thousand steps in your house?’

Nesta knew that Eris shouldn’t have said it. He had no reason to bring that house up. But her lips still pressed together to stop a laugh from sneaking out. She could laugh at these things now. Her life in Velaris had been a misery, but her darling Eris had managed to tease out some comedy from it all that did make Nesta laugh or roll her eyes from time to time.

‘They must have very tall houses in your court. As long as my niece-’

‘Elin is not your niece,’ said Mor, a finger pointed at him.

‘I understand that relations in the Night Court can be confusing if you consider the general your brother that you also have sexual exploits with, but you are only a loosely related cousin of the high lord. I am married to the sister of your high lady, making me Elin’s uncle. The high lord’s daughter is my niece by marriage.’

Rhys stood up, the rest of them following suit, and shook his head. ‘This meeting is done.’

‘Farewell.’

‘Couldn’t resist, could you?’ Nesta muttered.

‘I never can.’

#anon asks

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thebeetleball · 2 years ago

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sorry need to be abnormal over my favorite horror game rq since its the sixth anniversary. the first little nightmares' ending is the opposite of the prequel's but it's still just as grim and i'll die on this hill.

specifically, i'm thinking about what tarsier posted in celebration of the anniversary and how they captioned it;

getting thus out of the way right now i do Not think six is the lady, i think that theory only ever came to be because of the thin man and mono's situation and if you hold it up to any scrutiny it falls apart, but i do think they're deeply tied to each other in a more . symbolic way? i do not think six takes the lady's place at the end of LN1, i think she escapes from the maw and leaves it to rot, as it deserves, but she doesn't really leave it.

as the game progresses, six's hunger drives her to eat more and more disturbing things; bread, raw meat, a rat, a child, and finally the lady herself. not only that, but her musical cues changes over the game as well. there's multiple different tracks for hunger and six's own theme undergoes a dramatic shift, with part I being droning instrumental and quiet, nervous humming, and part II having a more upbeat hum contrasted against overbearing an brass instrumental, in both tracks the humming is eventually either cut off or drowned out by the music. in the comics, there's a repeated theme about six not knowing who she is, most notably the hunchback girl's line about how you don't know what you'll see if you look in a mirror.

there's an emphasis on change and not knowing yourself when it comes to six, and it confirms for me that despite their endings being tonal opposites, both of the little nightmares games are about cycles; just in different ways.

LN2 is about a little boy who wasn't able to escape a cruel, abusive environment, and eventually grows up to be another bitter adult, another cog in the machine. LN1 is about a little girl who was able to escape the environment that harmed her, but not without taking a piece with her. childhood trauma changes you, you're not the same person you were before it, you can leave your house but your house doesn't leave you.

the six who held mono's hand and hugged nomes, or played with toys at the playground, is not the six who lashed out and left him behind or the six who devoured other people just to survive. the six who was running from the adults that operate the maw is not the six who took the lady's powers. at the end of the story, six sits exactly where the people who hurt her did, she wasn't able to remove herself from the maw's food chain, only scale it and become the apex predator. she changed, the maw changed her, like all trauma does.

which isn't her fault at all, full stop the obsession some people have with portraying six as evil or malicious, or even worse, deserving of what happens to her in LN1, is appalling to me. i genuinely can't fathom how you can play a game so clearly about childhood trauma and abuse and come out of it putting her and mono in "bad victim vs good victim" roles. there's no right or wrong way to be a victim, there's literally only just victims, the real villains of the story are the adults who put them in this situation in the first place.

six isn't wrong for killing the workers aboard the maw, but it's still deeply sad to me that the story plays out the way it does, that the circumstances are what they are. LN1 ends with her going up, out into the sun where everything is bright and golden, but she's all alone and she's taking apart of the lady with her, she couldn't survive without taking from the lady, she couldn't survive without having to become someone else.

tldr; you know that scene at the end of chirin's bell? "what they saw was neither wolf nor sheep but some unknown creature that made their blood run cold?" yeah.

#SORRY TO EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWS ME FOR LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE I'M ILL ABOUT THESE GAMES #and I'm Sick of acting like all those ''I love characters who are romanticize victims'' aren't six she's not evil she's nine #🐝.txt #little nightmares #child abuse/#ask me to tag #long post #you spend so long in the dark.......you're neck deep in the cycle of trauma and abuse and even though you've made it into the light #you brought some of that darkness with you #s/o to sidney for fueling this the discord convo made me cuh-razy

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weekendsabo · 8 days ago

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Journal - Thursday, January 3rd, 2019

Had another crazy dream but it was really nice. Watched Walle for the first time, then went to the Disney Studio and met one of the artist. She lived there. But she was so happy we were there and talking to her. She loved my tattoos. I had more than what I have now. But it was time to go and she got sad. She just laid there. I wanted a hug, but she wouldn’t get up so I gave her a kiss. Then I was late for work where I needed to take a test. It was a written test and I scored really low the first two times. So I was worried about that. I left a Mickey shirt for the Disney girl before I left. I had to ride my bike to work. But it was all freeways and I was in CA so I had to have a helmet so I went back and tried to find one. The store had one, but I didn’t really remember buying them. Then there was an older lady with a pet monkey that I hung out with. I feel she was odd, but the monkey loved me. We cuddled and napped and I spent some time in her house. Can’t really remember names at all but all in all good dreams. Makes me want to sleep all the time. Not really. Real life is just as cool.

Cont. on 8/10

I wonder if Jessica and Crystal don’t think about me as much as I don’t think about them. Probably. I only bring this up because it's the day before Crystal’s birthday. 8/11/87 or 88. I can’t remember. I was such a bad boyfriend. Maybe I was at times. Either way. We needed to break up. I wasn’t happy. I was talking to girls on FB. I checked out of that relationship for sure. She did the right thing breaking up with me. I’ve learned so much since then. It’s been 7-6 years. I’m a lot different now. I still believe that when I stopped writing I went down hill. I can because I stopped holding myself accountable and just let myself go. Drinking eating and not exercising did it to me. Never again. I do like moving my body. But I don’t like moving this body. It’ll get better. Today I will get that proposal done. I’ll get a salad at walmart and take my dad to costco. When I get home I will clean, read, write, play some music and ride the bike for 30 minutes. Find a different interval training video. Have a good stretch before bed. Then go through my flash cards. It’ll be a good day.

Cont. on 8/9

Let’s see how long you can go sober. Today is day 3. Lets make it through the weekend and I’ll be golden till next Friday. Also, lets spend as little money this weekend as possible. I’ll make u some burgers on Saturday. Maybe. But I definitely have plenty of food for the weekend. So I’m set there. I’d like to do the chickpea salads for lunch. I hate not eating lunch. Just ruins my day. Not really, but It sucks. I don’t want to do that anymore. So I will make lunch! I do which I was living close to go home for lunch. But its okay. Car lunch will soon turn to bench lunch, then I’ll find a nice place to go for lunch. Probably just go to the wall and sit somewhere. Nobody will care and I can walk around a bit. It’ll be easier to write and stuff so I should start doing that. I will. No offense to them, but I don’t want to go over there for lunch. It would be so draining. I wouldn’t be able to relax. I like the wall idea. I could get in some people watching, could be cool. I’ll give it a shot. It’ll look like I work there? Doesn’t matter. No one will care.

#journal #2019 #journal2019 #thursday #january #3rd

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siravalondulac · 1 month ago

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xvi. all for one and one for the damsel in distress

a heart so golden, a sun so bright

asoiaf ff | fem!oc centric

summary: elle tries to stop a crime at a ball word count: 3110 warnings: blood, wounds author's note: i know that this means jack shit to 99% of you, but i moved the liberation of stone hedge further back in the timeline for this chapter to work

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A heavy fog had settled over the town, masking her presence to the three women she was spying on.

She had not meant to, truthfully. But when she had heard the words “arrow”, “castle”, and “kill” in rapid succession, her body had refused to move from its hideout behind the crates.

“Do we have to do it at the ball?”

“It’s the only way to make them listen. We have been planning this for months, we cannot back down now.”

“You never mentioned it was a name day celebration.”

“That is what you are concerned about?”

“Silence, both of you. It matters not how or when we do it, merely that we do. Stone Hedge will be easy to enter during the ball - which is not truly about the name day, Mona, but about the castle's liberation. We can hide amongst the guests and get close to Harry if our original plan does not work. We will end this”

"A Blackwood, a Bracken, a peasant, and a bastard. What can go wrong?”

The voices moved down the street, swallowed by the fog and the darkness. Elle thought about following them, trying to find out more about that plan of theirs, when a sudden force threw her against a wall.

Her breath got knocked out of her the same moment a cold blade pressed itself against her throat. It all happened so fast, she had no time to defend herself in any way, being left to helplessly stare at the dark eyes before her.

"What are you doing out here, pretty girl?”

She was barely able to make out the woman before her, only noting her short hair and light cloak.

“Just taking a walk,” Elle answered with a shaking voice.

“At this time of day?” The woman chuckled. “You were spying.”

“That would necessitate a prior intention to listen in on a conversation, not simply overhear it when walking down an alleyway.”

The woman moved her face even closer to hers, her breath caressing Elle’s cheek. “Stay out of things that do not concern you, pretty girl.”

And with that, she was gone.

Elle, of course, did not decide to stay out of it. She was the Golden Paladin, and despite her focus lying on helping the lowborn, she could not choose to look away when lords and ladies were threatened.

So, after listening around the town the following day and gathering as much information as she possibly could, she found herself a green dress and went about preparing herself in the inn’s small room she was occupying.

Fixing her hair in the mirror before her, her gaze wandered behind her for just a moment, yet it was long enough to notice the woman from the alley standing in the shadows behind her.

How long had she been there?

“Like what you are seeing?” she said, trying to overplay her discomfort.

The woman scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself. I just wanted to check if you were still holding onto that idiotic notion of yours.”

“You have given me no reason not to.” She fixed the bronze chain around her hip.

“Is a dagger to your throat not enough?”

“I am not easily intimidated.” Elle turned towards the woman, who was still hiding in the shadows. “So either you give me a real reason to abandon my plan, or you leave.”

“You will regret this.”

“We shall see.”

Stone Hedge, the seat of House Bracken, was imposing. The castle sat on top of a hill, overlooking the surrounding areas, with two massive towers rising even further upwards. Before it lay a sprawling garden that might once have been filled with greenery, yet a fire had laid waste to everything. The castle had recently been liberated from Lannister forces, she had heard, so its state wasn’t all too surprising.

She made her way upwards, careful not to be seen. Starlight stayed hidden amongst the trees as Elle slipped through a side entrance and into the castle.

Finding the ballroom wasn't very difficult. But she was not prepared for the onslaught of light and noises that greeted her as she entered the hall. Music and laughter and conversations and clinking and stomping layered onto each other and swelled up into one giant, unbearable clamour.

She took in a deep breath.

The man she was here to protect was named Harry Rivers. He was the bastard son of Lord Jonos Bracken, and an important leader in his father's army, if rumour was to be believed.

She disappeared amongst the crowd, hesitantly walking between the lords and ladies in attendance, each of them decked out in finery she had not seen in years.

On her way to the castle she had passed fields and towns, each of them destroyed by the war still raging around them. And yet these people preferred to spend their time dancing and drinking in a castle that rose high above the lands they abandoned.

Perhaps if they did their duty, she would not have needed to sacrifice her own life.

You're not here for this, she reminded herself. She would save Harry Rivers and then leave. And run far, far away from these people.

Thinking of- She had no idea what he actually looked like. Nor where she could find him. This celebration was held in his honour, but would he even want to take part? What if he preferred the quiet? The ball had been going on for quite some time, had he perhaps already retired to his rooms? It would be much easier to kill-

“What is a beautiful girl like you doing unaccompanied at a ball?”

A man appeared before her. He was not much taller than her, with brown hair, wide shoulders, and dressed in red, yellows, and browns. His smile seemed almost… predatory.

“What makes you think I am alone?” She cocked her head.

“I've been watching you. So, unless your chaperone is asleep under the wine table, I say you are on your own.”

“Watching me?”

“I was told to be on the look-out for potential brides. And you caught my eye.”

She had an inkling of an idea as to who he could be, but she needed to be certain.

“And to whom do I owe the pleasure?” she asked, raising her hand.

He took it and pressed a kiss to its back. “Harry Rivers, son of Lord Jonos. And you, my lady?”

“Ceryse,” she said the first name that came to mind.

“Well then, Lady Ceryse, would you accompany me in this next dance?”

She let him pull her into the middle of the hall, taking her position, and started following his steps.

He was charming, in a sense - or tried to be. He pressed her a bit too close to him than was necessary for this dance, but did not seem like someone worth killing.

“Tell me, my lady, what leads you to Stone Hedge?”

“Just… curiosity, I suppose. I have heard quite a lot about this castle, I wanted to see it for myself.”

“No other reason?”

He had his eyebrow raised almost in a challenge, yet she could not discern what he could possibly be hinting towards with his question.

“Do you want there to be another? I'm certain I could think of something.”

He gripped her waist tighter at that.

As they continued waltzing across the floor, her gaze flickered around the crowd. Many of the assembled guests watched them, but she paid them no mind. What she was looking out for were weapons - bows, swords, daggers, and anything else to be used nefariously.

Yet she found nothing.

Had she misheard the women? Or had they abandoned their plan after all?

Perhaps she should leave. This was no place for her, had never been, and she didn't know how any of these nobles would react if they found out she-

Glass shattered, and Harry screamed out. An arrow stuck out of his shoulder a hair's breadth away from her hand. He stumbled back and out of her grasp, clutching his wound.

She ripped her head towards where the arrow had come from, towards the shattered window, ignoring her racing heart, and could only just make out a crouching figure against the darkness outside.

People had started screaming and running from the glass shards raining down on the floor. Harry stumbled, eyes fixed on his right shoulder almost in disbelief. She quickly grabbed his left arm and pulled him after her, fighting herself through the chaotic masses and towards a small side door.

He stumbled after her through the empty hallway, breathing heavily, and - from what it sounded like - trying to say something yet failing to.

She pushed him into an alcove by a window, and down onto a cushioned bench. He tried to move away when she drew her dagger, but she heeded him no mind as she cut two long pieces of fabric from her dress.

“I apologise, I thought I had been better prepared.” She grabbed the arrow. “This might hurt a little.”

He sobbed as she pulled it out of his skin and pressed one of the cloths to the wound.

“What- What do you mean? Did you know this would happen?”

She tied the second cloth tightly around his arm. “I- I overheard three women talking about wanting to kill you. I thought I could stop them.”

“No one can stop us.”

She startled at the female voice coming from behind her. She whipped around and only barely dodged the sword aimed at her chest.

The girl before her looked similar to the woman that had threatened Elle a few nights previously, yet she did not have much time to study her features.

Her dagger was a poor defence against the sword. Even pushing the girl away from her and Harry took far too long, and caused her to almost get skewered by the blade at multiple points. The dress did not help in that regard.

The girl threw her to the ground with ease, stepping over her and preparing to jump at the confused Harry, when Elle slashed out with her dagger and cut the back of her knee. She screamed out, her legs giving out under her, making her crash to the ground.

Elle quickly jumped up and grabbed Harry’s hand, pulling him after her down the corridor.

“Who are you?” he screamed out.

“That really does not matter at this moment.”

They rounded a corner she thought led to a passage out, when a woman with a spear jumped at them.

Once more, Elle pushed Harry to the side, drew her dagger, and went on the attack.

The woman's clothing looked old and dirty. Even the wood of her spear splintered already. Nothing about her made her look threatening, and with how easily Elle managed to disarm her she did wonder how the woman had gotten roped into this.

(With how much she was forced to move, she was quite glad she had left her necklace in Starlight’s saddle bag.)

Harry seemed to finally figure out how to walk on his own again as she pulled him through a door and into the open.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Just-” Her skirt got stuck on some thorns, yet she quickly pulled it off the bush. “Away. Somewhere they won't find you.”

“Too late, pretty girl.”

The woman from the alley stood before them, and for the first time Elle was able to see her in her full might.

She was tall, with wide shoulders, and brown hair that went just past her chin. Her clothing consisted of dark, earthen colours, blending in with her olive skin, only interrupted by the saffron belt swung around her waist. She grinned.

“You’re braver than I thought.”

Elle was about to respond, when Harry spoke up.

“Zima?”

She turned to him. “You know her?”

“Yes,” the woman, Zima, responded. “Quite well.”

“Are you behind this vicious attack?” Harry asked.

She smiled. “Only partly.” Then she drew her dagger. “Step aside, pretty girl. I have to finish this.”

Elle guided Harry behind her and grabbed her own knife tighter. “No.”

“Such a shame.”

And so began an endless dance between her and Zima, full of slashing, hacking, stabbing, punching, and kicking, clothes being ripped and cut, blood spilling from wounds on both of their skins. At several points, she stumbled over her dress or was knocked back, yet Zima did not use this opportunity to get to Harry, instead continuing to attack her. It almost seemed like any good will or positive feelings she had towards Elle previously had vanished as soon as she had stood between her and her target.

Zima stepped on her skirt and ripped it backwards, making her drop her dagger and fall right into her arms. A blade was pressed to her throat.

“You just couldn’t stay away, could you?” she hissed in her ear.

“Not when I knew what you and your friends were up to.”

Zima chuckled. “Do you want to know why he needs to die?”

“So you finally think me worthy of this information?”

Harry had disappeared from his spot, having either run away or gone into hiding.

Zima tilted the dagger, ghosting the edge across her skin. “When the Lannister forces attacked Stone Hedge, Lady Barbara, the heir to this castle, was raped by the Mountain. And she has never been the same since. Before she was loud and ferocious and actively engaged in the happenings of her family’s lands; now she has confined herself to her chambers, and has not spoken a single word. Harry sees this as his opportunity to usurp her seat and become Lord of Stone Hedge.”

She did not dare move. “No, I don’t- He would not be this stupid. He has true-born sisters-”

“He does. Though it seems he sometimes forgets about this. Just like he forgets that he isn’t Lord Jonos’ first born.”

She just stood there, catching her breath, pressed against Zima, trying to process what she had just been told. “How would you know about all this?”

Just then, soldiers came running into the garden, led by Harry. The dagger was removed from her throat and she was unceremoniously pushed into the damaged rose bushes lining the path. A quiet scream escaped her lips as the thorns buried themselves into her skin.

“Follow her!” a voice shouted.

Harry appeared in her field of vision, concern on his face, with his shoulder still wrapped in her makeshift bandage. He gripped her hand and arm and pulled her upwards.

“Are you alright, my lady?”

She quickly pushed him away. “Is it true? Are you trying to usurp your sister’s seat?”

“What? Who told you-”

“Zima did. Her story seemed rather convincing.”

He exhaled. “You cannot trust what Zima says. She is jealous-”

“Jealous? Is that why four separate women tried to murder you tonight?”

“I cannot expect a lady to understand the intricacies-”

“I am no lady, I can assure you that.” Suddenly, everything started falling into place. “You told me you were searching for a bride tonight. You. A bastard.”

His mood shifted from one second to the next at that word. “We are in a war! The only way for House Bracken to survive is to have a strong leader at its head, a role women are not equipped to fulfil.”

She let out a laugh in disbelief, one that sounded too much like a sob for her liking. “How could I have been so stupid?”

Why had she not simply listened when Zima had told her to stay away? Now she had saved a man who could not even show the most basic respect to the women around him, intending to strip them of the little power they had. Saved one man and doomed five women.

She quickly picked up her dagger and started walking away, when Harry tried to grab her arm.

“My lady-”

“Don’t fucking touch me!”

He moved back a step, acting as if she had hit him. She should have.

A soldier appeared beside Harry. “M’lord, are you-” His gaze fell on her, eyes widening as he put a hand on the pommel of his sword. “M’lord, step back.”

“What? No, I need to talk to her.”

“M’lord, I would advise you not to. This is the Golden Paladin.”

And in an instant, any sign of hurt or betrayal (the audacity of this man) disappeared off his face, replaced by what could only be described as disgust.

“Take her captive. We need to send her to Riverrun for questioning.”

As if sent by the Gods, Starlight came riding up beside her, knocking the soldier to the ground. She had mounted up within an instance, sending one last look to Harry.

“The next time I see you, you will not live to see the sun rise.”

Her tears had long since dried up. Now she was simply exhausted.

She had made it back to the inn she had been staying at the previous nights, and had been sitting in front of the window, watching the moon make its way across the night sky.

“Not feeling so great, pretty girl?”

Zima.

How did she get in here again?

“Come to gawk at my failure?” She did not turn to her.

“Maybe. Maybe I also heard from a little bird that I have finally met the great Golden Paladin, and wanted to see her again with this knowledge.”

“You’re mocking me.”

Zima laughed. “How could I mock the only person successfully driving the nobility on all sides into madness?”

“Why will you not leave me alone?”

She stood up, admittedly not quite knowing what her goal was, when Zima pushed her against a wall and trapped her between it and her arms, knocking the breath out of her.

“I cannot explain it.” The woman’s lips were a mere hair’s breadth from her own. “You intrigue me. You fascinate me. I want to bury my teeth into your skin so that you will never leave me.”

She should be alarmed by her confession. Should try to fight her off, run out of this room, and flee as far as she could.

“You tried to kill me. You refused to tell me about Harry Rivers’ true nature and let me defend such a loathsome man, dooming you and your friends. You pushed me into thorns, left me to fend on my own, and broke into my rooms twice now. You have a strange way of showing your fascination.”

“Gods, do you ever shut up?”

Her gaze flickered down to her lips, before meeting Zima’s eyes again.

“Make me.”

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author's note: i based stone hedge off the festung hohensalzburg (castle in austria) bc i want the brackens to get nice things too :(

#fic: stars above songs below #asoiaf oc #a song of ice and fire #asoiaf #asoiaf fanfic #game of thrones #game of thrones fanfic #house bracken #fic: a heart so golden a sun so bright #oc: elle sand #oc: cerelle baratheon

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familyofpebbles · 11 months ago

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Luxembourg – February 2022

A quick and chilly weekend roadtrip to a new country. We arrived in Luxembourg with little plan but to wander the city. It was a beautifully sunny day but the wind was bitingly cold and I spent the whole day wishing I had a warmer coat, or gloves.

Our first stop was “The balcony of Europe”, and it did indeed live up to the grandeur of its moniker. The city stands on the edge of a cliffside with large fortifications – or the remains of them- carved into the very rock itself. It was originally built in the year 943, and had 14 miles of tunnels within the cliff walls. There’s a beautiful bridge spanning the gap in one part, crossing the ponds and green vineyards beneath. Most of it had to be dismantled when Luxembourg became neutral due to the Treaty of London in 1867. How demoralizing it must have been for the locals to see it all torn down.

I love that you love taking the time to read plaques and Wikipedia articles about all the places we visit as much as I do. I love learning things together and telling each other stories that enrich each location we get to see.

After thoroughly exploring The Balcony from above and below (but not from inside unfortunately- still shut down) we continued to wander the city streets, which were white-walled and tidy and rather empty. We found a vegan restaurant and had a hearty meal to comfort us from the cold, and very good carrot cake. We found a bar after and has some delicious fancy cocktails to warm us further, before we said farewell to the now-dark city- the cliffs now lit by golden lamplight.

Castle visiting day! We have several stops as we make the loop back home. The sun had had enough and this day was grey and foggy. But as we drove through the countryside of rolling hills dotted with old twisted trees, neat hedges, and the occasional sheep, I decided that the weather complimented the land perfectly.

The first castle was Medieval Castle Beufort. It was also closed, covid again probably. But we parked and tramped around the muddy exterior anyhow. It wasn’t really bigger or grander than others we had seen, but there was something about it that really captured my imagination. I felt like I would actually enjoy being a lady of that manor and its sweeping lawn leading off to a pond and a willow tree in the distance. I could imagine myself sweeping down the stairs in a gown before leaping onto a horse and flying down the grass to the treeline… it inspires that kind of drama.

The next was Esch-sur-Sûre- a sprawling ruin covering an entire hilltop. It has to be the largest we’ve seen. A tiny town sits clustered around the base of the hill, all tucked into the tightest bend in the river, almost making a loop. It’s really the perfect spot, they must have felt so safe! There was much to explore- plenty of old rooms to duck into and old stairs to climb. In the tallest tower, we tucked our umbrellas somewhere they wouldn’t blow away and danced to our song.

We left Luxembourg, but stopped for a night in Trier before truly heading home. You found it because it’s known for its Roman ruins.

On arrival, we were a bit alarmed to find out that the Airbnb listing photos did not quite match reality. The room itself was fine, but the neighborhood was… sketchy. Very dirty, garbage everywhere, men standing around making us (or maybe just me) nervous, and the house being the ONLY residential building on the block that we had to carry our bags to from a couple blocks away- it made us feel rather exposed. In fact, we found that the whole city had a kind of an abandoned feel to it, which was so strange considering the historical draw it had. And the weather was freezing rain. Comfy!

But we did see some beautiful ruins! We walked under Porta Nigra- one of the four original gates to the city and built in 170 AD. We explored the massive complex of St. Peters, which is the oldest church in Germany and was commissioned by Constantine after he was converted to Christianity. The first building began in 270! We also found a cool little upstairs restaurant that was a satisfying discovery to end the evening.

The next day, Trier greeted us with a fender bender. Dented our car, but thankfully not the other persons. But we carried on, determined to see what Trier had whether it liked it or not!

Kaiserthermin began as an elaborately planned bathhouse, but it was later used as a barracks. Many of the below ground passageways still exist and have been excavated, so we got to explore the maze beneath the ground for a while.

Barbarathermin is the largest bath complex in the entire Roman Empire outside of Rome itself! They’re still unearthing parts of it today, so we observed the excavation sites from a metal walkway above.

Lastly, the gladiatorial amphitheater. It used to hold 20,000 spectators, and the rooms for holding the competitors are still intact and accessible. You can even go underneath and see where there used to be a lift up to the arena to bring up “set dressing” or to allow a dramatic entrance for a gladiator or some animals. Strange to explore a space that had so many horrific deaths inside it, and stranger still to say it was cool but… it was cool.

A successful weekend. I love packing travel into short spaces with you.

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