#I’m not a game of thrones blog but when someone wants to talk about it I can’t help myself
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hetalia-club · 3 days ago
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Not going to lie. The way those books are written sounds so cool! does each POV have a different writing style? Because that would be goated!
It is so cool! And there is not a different writing ‘style’ in the literal since. You can still tell it’s one writer writing all the POVs but each character has their own things they focus on. Like for example. Here’s some things I’ve noticed while reading characters:
Theon Greyjoy- is extremely vain and is quick to point out people’s shortcomings in his mind. He will tell you if someone is ugly to him very bluntly. And maybe even make a few jokes about them to you. Which his jokes are normally pretty good lol. He also will find fault in people he finds attractive. When he meets his sister after 10 years he doesn’t know it’s her and is thinking that she’s pretty. Then he flips it and goes ‘actually no this girl has a big nose kind of, fuck her I’m prettier than this girl…like way prettier’ Which is a very funny character detail that he has to make sure the reader knows he’s the prettiest person in the room at all times. And if he’s not he will lie to you so he is.
Tyrion Lannister- focuses on little details, he will watch people hands and make note of subtle face gestures. Doubts everyone and makes you doubt everyone because he is very smart and it’s good to take his word for it if he finds someone sketchy.
Daenerys Targaryen- on the opposite side never notices any details except for people’s clothes. She will spend 2 pages explaining to you her pretty dress and jewelry she has on and make note of what other people are wearing and if she likes it or not. She won’t notice when someone is lying to her face and sees the good in everyone to a fault. She’s also kind of fucking crazy and often thinks about burning people alive to solve her problems.
Sansa Stark- is a day dreamer. Most of her chapters are her in a fantasy world where everyone is a knight from a storybook , everyone is good and they are nice to her. She knows they are not real but they are her escape. She’s not trying to get you to believe her day dreams. So a lot of her chapters are based on her current state of mind rather than actual story unfolding around her. Which isn’t her fault because it’s not like they tell her what their war plans are lol. But she also apparently does not and has not been telling the entire truth. Which again is interesting it makes me wonder what else she’s lied to the reader about.
So people’s personalities 100% effects the lense in which you see the world through. A lot of people skip certain characters chapters on second read through a because they are bring narratives like Bran is a big one everyone kind of agrees is boring.
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izar-tarazed · 1 year ago
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Welcome!
What this is: This blog is mostly dedicated to my Elden Ring OC Izar (and well, her companion Ensha – more about them below). There might also be other content (other games, DnD 5e, writing) unless I’ll feel the need to create specific sideblogs for that (unlikely, I lack the energy).
What I do: I’ll mostly share screenshots, headcanons, storytelling, and writing snippets. (Here's my tag list!) While this is not a pure RP blog I very much enjoy RPing, so feel free to shoot me a prompt/starter whenever you like! (For more information regarding RP, flip through the Stargazer's Cookbook over here!)
Who I am: over 30, she/her, living in Europe. Not a native English speaker, so bear with me if I say strange things. Expect occasional ramblings about the glory of freelance life, and know that there is never enough coffee.
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Izar Tarazed, Tarnished Astrologer
Izar barely remembers anything from the time before her awakening in the Lands Between – just her name and what she knew of the stars. However, the stars above the Lands Between are different, their lore mostly lost to her, so she gathers stories and bits of information wherever she can.
Her most treasured possessions are her telescope and her map-making tools.
Whenever she gets the chance, Izar will sit and work on her celestial maps, preferably beneath the golden light of grace, trying to figure out constellations and their possible meanings. Working on her maps also calms her down and helps her focus.
She’s often more driven by her astrological curiosity than by the ambition to become Elden Lord – she’ll confront Rennala mainly because she wants access to the library of Raya Lucaria, and Radahn because she wishes to set the stars back in motion.
Izar relies mostly on her sorceries – the Comet and Night Comet are her favorites – and only starts improving her skills with melee weapons and a shield when Ensha insists on teaching her.
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Personality
Izar is a little geek when it comes to astrology and will talk about it with neverending enthusiasm. At a new place, its (potential) view of the night sky is usually the first thing she’ll check.
She values the friendships and alliances she makes, being protective of those she cares about; that might be both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness.
Upon meeting someone for the first time, she'll rather be calm and cautious, but much more confident, cheeky and bubbly once she feels comfortable.
The fact that she doesn’t remember who she was before bothers her more than she lets on.
Izar soon realizes that she isn't as ambitious about taking the Elden Throne as she maybe should be. Her true dream is running the Academy of Raya Lucaria and turning it into a welcoming place where knowledge is not hoarded but shared.
When upset, she can be pretty defiant, sarcastic and snappy.
Sir, That’s My Emotional Support Skeleton
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Izar spares Ensha’s life when he attacks her at the Roundtable Hold.
This leads to them being sent out on a mission together to track down Latenna (which, of course, doesn’t go as planned). While they start out deeply suspicious of each other, teaming up only reluctantly, they eventually come to trust each other and, despite some challenges, become close friends, which leads to certain tensions considering his loyalty to Sir Gideon.
(I’m not entirely sure what Ensha is, but I’m leaning way more into the headcanons of the somehow animated armor/actual skeleton with some kind of relation to the ancient king mentioned in the description of the Royal Remains set, rather than just being some guy with a skull mask.)
Ensha will often travel with Izar, having her back and finding picturesque dungeon walls to lean against and ponder how on earth this careless astrologer can still be alive. (He's exaggerating, of course. Izar can definitely handle herself ... most of the time.)
Ensha tends to be more wary of others than Izar is. He's extremely perceptive and quite good at reading people (and finding things). He often encourages Izar to put in the work to improve her skills, and be more disciplined about her goals. However, he's also surprisingly fine with engaging in all kinds of mischievous shenanigans with her.
Since Ensha doesn’t speak, their communication process is a little rocky at first but improves once Izar gets better (and eventually good) at understanding his sign language. From then on, they'll often have some partially silent banter going on, and are able to communicate subtly if the situation calls for it.
Izar is also able to sense Ensha's emotions to a certain extent (more on that headcanon here).
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in-my-feels-probably · 2 years ago
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Hii! Congrats for your 600 followers! You deserve each one of them! 🫶🏻
I already took part in your two previous celebration events, last time I requested a matchup for House of the dragon, so this time - if I can participate again - I’d like to request a matchup with a character from Game of thrones!! If that’s alright, I’ll use the same description I used last time.
my pronouns are she/her and I’m asexual biromantic so any gender is fine. I’m an ESFJ and a Gemini. I have green eyes and short black hair with blue strands, my haircut is similar to a soft mullet. I dress with goth/ fairy grunge clothes. I wear lots of rings and love to exchange them with others.
I’m the mom friend of the group, always there for everyone and my friends say that I’m really good at comforting people. I’m also calm and responsible, I usually am the one that takes care of other people. I’m very optimistic, I always try to see the good in everything and I often put other’s needs before my own, I would do everything for the people I care about and sometimes I’ve been told that I’m too kind for my own good. I have a sarcastic humor and I love making others laugh to lighten the situation, people say that I should be more serious and that I shouldn’t joke around so much. I don’t like when people tell me what to do and I’m not afraid to stand up for myself or for someone else. I also dislike when someone is too serious and really can’t take a joke as I tend to use humor as my coping mechanism.
All my friends tell me I’m very smart. I’m also very ambitious, I always try to achieve my goals.
My love languages are physical touch and words of affirmation.
I absolutely love listening to music, it helps me relax and I really like reading. I also love watching horror movies even though it’s impossible to scare me. I also play Dungeons and Dragons with my friends anytime I can. also, I absolutely love musicals and I’m definitely a theatre kid.
I really love your writing and will definitely keep supporting your blog, have a great day :)
hi! thank you for participating again
i ship you with margaery tyrell!
margaery likes interesting people. i think ordinary people bore her, and she likes to see new things. i think she’d first be drawn by your appearance and aesthetic, and she’d seek you out for it. i wouldn’t consider margaery a particularly pessimistic person, more of a realist i guess. you being an optimist would make her smile, and change her views for the better on some things. she can take care of herself, but i think she’d appreciate that you are a bit of a mom friend, and would let you coddle her and make sure she was doing alright. she’d also make sure nobody walked all over you, and would be the blunt friend you needed in life when people would try and take advantage of your kindness. you also can take care of yourself, but she’d like doing it for you. and she’s so smart and witty, she’d match your level of humor and enjoy banter with you. like you, margaery is incredibly ambitious. she wants the throne, and she’ll have it. she’d make anything you wanted in life happen for you. id also consider margaery to be a fairly physical person. she’d enjoy little touches throughout the day, holding your hand or skimming your arm as she passes you in the halls. i think it would ground her. she’s good at words, and would find words of affirmation a very easy love language to fill, but i think sometimes she’d like to let touch speak for itself.
after a long day, i think she’d find you somewhere, either sitting in the courtyard or somewhere in your chambers, maybe on a balcony. she’d know that although she could talk to you, and voice any problems, you’d be just as content to comfort her without any words. i don’t think margaery likes to dwell on what bothers her, instead choosing to focus on you.
she’d sit behind you, resting her chin on your shoulder.
“what are you reading?”
you’d set your book down, reaching a hand back to hold hers. “it’s a play, actually. a bit grim, but i think you’d enjoy it. the main character reminds me of you.”
you could see it in her face that she was tired, and not in the mood to talk. she was content to let you distract her.
“oh really?” she’d say, lifting your arm so she could turn to lay her head in your lap. “tell me about it, darling.”
you’d smile, letting a hand run through her hair as she looked up at you, more relaxed already.
“okay.”
thank you again for participating, i hope you liked it!
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selkiewrites · 2 years ago
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For years now, I’ve been filled with ideas of a grand medieval fantasy world, many of those ideas gone and forgotten as it’s developed in my head. For context I practically grew up on Eragon, visual media like HTTYD and H20 (props to fans of that), and a larger than normal dosage of celtic culture. See, I went to celtic language revival primary school, and though in reception I recall having to say grace before lunch sometimes, that didn’t last—the rest of my time there was filled with folk music, tales and cultural practices.
Now many years later, I’ve always thought to myself that my world was too cliche, too much “already done” and not enough “wow, that’s new”. Despite that it never went away. Some of my favourite music is soundtracks from high fantasy shows, like Game of Thrones (though as we know the show itself turned out awful, the music is stunning), and when I listen to those pieces I’m back in that world again, or possibly another one. So here I am, dedicating a blog to my musings, whether they be tidbits of writing advice I’ve picked up or actual content and worldbuilding to do with this place I wish was real.
I think a lot of people get caught up in cliche, myself included. I love the themes in my childhood favourite media as well as media I currently love. The question is how do you distance yourself adequately to not be a thief of ideas, while also taking inspiration? The line is subjective, and that's my biggest problem. Some people argue that Eragon, at least the first book, was a ripoff of Star Wars. I can definitely see where they're coming from. At the same time, though, a large portion of the overlap is that they both employ the Hero's Journey. There are other similarities, but there are also a lot of similarities between Hamlet and The Lion King. Both of those stories are massively famous stage productions now, without the majority of people pointing out the "stolen" ideas from Shakespeare's famous work. The line between "stolen" and "inspired" seems to move depending on the audience, the perceived quality of both works, and perhaps whether the "original" is a beloved classic or not. Hamlet, for most, is read or seen closer to adulthood, whereas for a lot of people Star Wars was (and still is) a childhood favourite series. If you're looking for someone to say it's okay to worry about this, then here I am saying it. If you're worried about it, it probably means you're doing your best not to plagiarise. You can still put the story you want to tell down on paper no matter if you aim to publish or not. Cliches and tropes aren't ever going to go away, and each one has an audience that adore it. They're what often attract people to new media, they're what tie us together, the common threads you can often find people talking about when it comes to discussing their favourite media. Things are a little cliche for a reason—they're done so often because people enjoy them. Enjoy your writing like many people out there would.
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zyafics · 5 months ago
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i’m breaking my rafe-only content blog for u elle i hope u know how much i love u 🌷🙂‍↕️ ⬇️
“Do you think my hair will get just as luscious as yours did after you got back from Winterfell?”
no fr how is he serving face every episode of s2
Luke didn’t, which was why he was so antsy to get there and almost didn’t pack the fur lined gloves their mother had laid out for them.
glad to know the universal lack of appreciation for mothers telling u to wear a coat is seen in game of thrones’ dragon fantasy
“Nyke ivestretan zirȳla, paktot Vermax?” Jacaerys whispered to his dragon, stroking Vermax’ neck with his gloved hand and the creature let out a puff of smoke. I warned him, didn’t I Vermax?
do u google translate this or do u know high valyarian (is that how u spell it?)
“Ah, the infamous Prince Lucerys,” Cregan said with a smile, shaking Luke’s hand. Based on his face, Jacaerys could tell his brother was struggling to keep a straight face; Cregan’s handshakes were nothing but firm.
baby boy lukie ur aliveee 🥹🥹🥹🌷
“Ten and eight, my lord. And please, call me Luke.”
bro what does that mean r u eighteen
Jacaerys almost tuned out Cregan’s voice as he introduced you, but it was like your name was ringing in his ears. He was sure he had never been quite taken with any lady as with you right from the first meeting. Jacaerys cleared his throat, hoping his voice would come out even.
i feel like i’m being introduced like i’m in bridgerton
His eyes lingered on your slender fingers for longer than they should have.
bro have u ever had a woman’s touch
The way you accentuated the honorific had Jacaerys sweat, something he never thought he’d do in Winterfell.
this man has, in fact, never met a woman
He wondered if all women from your land looked like you or if it was just you that had him so enthralled
why r u thinking of other women 🤨
He couldn’t even understand what it was about you that had him so shaken to the core. Jacaerys had never been the kind of man who stuttered around when it came to women. He knew what he had to offer, he knew a lot of women found his status appealing.
“who stuttered around when it came to women” bro ur giving mr darcy energy from pride n prejudice
But something about you was just…. Infuriating. It made him lose his footing.
yo what did i do
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“What did you think of her friend?” Luke finally asked and Jacaerys rolled his eyes. There it was. “She’s pretty, right? I think she might be interested in me.”
no i am 20 that’s illegal / no thank u
“Exactly. She makes you shiver in your boots like a child and swallow your words like Vermax does goats.”
👢 👢👢
“You can refer to me as anything you want,” Jacaerys said quickly. Too quickly.
it’s like his first crush hehe
“I wouldn’t want to seem disrespectful,” you added. “Folks are already whispering about the “foreign lady”, I do not wish to give them more reason to be suspicious.”
YO-
A corner of your mouth tugged up in a grin. “You wish to be close with me?”
omg i’m such a flirt 🙂‍↕️🌷
“And who is going to tame that one wild curl that always does whatever it wants at the back of your head?”
they r so brothers-coded we were ROBBED in the show (i haven’t watched a single episode)
“These are usually my chambers I stay in when I visit Winterfell,” you said nonchalantly, taking in the chambers and Jacaerys’ possessions that laid scattered around. “You can imagine my surprise when Cregan told me it was occupied for someone else when I arrived.”
this would’ve started our enemies to lovers storyline 😠
Your mouth quirked up in a smirk and you brushed your hair back with a flick. “I must say, I have to admit that I thought you less nervous when no one was around.”
omg i’m such a flirtttt
“You make me nervous because I do not know how to act around you. You make me stutter, lose my footing. I was never anything less than charming when it comes to talking to ladies, but you for some reason…”
i call bs 😐
Jacaerys dared to glance at you, swallowing thickly when he realized that you had come closer, his eyes roaming over your exposed skin. He exhaled sharply, feeling his cock stirring in his breeches, thankful that his tunic was untucked, covering his excitement.
BREECHES TOOK ME OUT 😭😭😭☄️ i’m crying
“You don’t even know the affect you have on me… You had me on my knees,” he murmured, pushing your gown up. “I’m the crown prince of the seven realms. I don’t kneel for anyone.”
oh this line EATS
“I will die an immediate death if I don’t,” you said, extremely serious. “Lay back.”
damn i am dickmatized
“I really enjoyed your company,” you then said, your voice a bittersweet tone. Jacaerys pressed his nose against your neck, biting back the question if you wanted to come with him, see King’s Landing. He knew he was being foolish.
and he is pussywhipped goodnight 😴
final thoughts — i had so much fun reading this. it’s fun navigating this new fandom even though i know next to nothing except for snippets off of tiktok. also.. the language is so different and i love how u cater ur writing style to the fandom you’re writing in (obx feeling more modern versus this one is more eloquent + medieval). also some of the words choices took me OUT—nothing on ur writing, but because i giggle when i read stuff like breeches hehe (7 year old boy mentally fr). anyways, i love love LOVE the dynamic you’ve written for jace + luke, like that was the spotlight for me. they’re so BROTHERS with that dynamic and it’s devastating we’ll never have that experience in hotd. also. baela who? 🤭
and i burn for you (and you don’t even know my name) | j.v
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summary:
“Something like that, “ you sighed, eyeing him briefly. Jacaerys tried not to flinch at the clear rejection and pressed his lips together.
“I should leave-”
“No, please, don’t leave on my behalf…. My prince.”
OR; Jacaerys doesn’t quite know how to behave himself around you
pairing: jacaerys velaryon x reader
warnings: 18+, MDI, doesn't follow canon, Jace has been aged up to 20!
word count: 7,5k words (oh)
author's note: this is very much is an indulgent story bc i miss Luke and Jace🥲 also inspired by close to you by gracie abrams ! pls let me know ALLL YOUR THOUGHTS!!!🫶🏼
✦ .  ⁺   . ✦ .  ⁺   . ✦
“Do you think my hair will get just as luscious as yours did after you got back from Winterfell?”
Jacaerys’ rolled his eyes at his brother. They were on their second day of journey from King’s Landing to Winterfell. It was to be Cregan Stark’s name day and he had cordially invited Jacaerys and his family to the celebrations. His mother could not just leave her throne at King’s Landing, and Daemon wouldn’t go without her. Joffrey, Viserys and Aegon where still too young to go, so only Jacaerys and Luke rode to Winterfell on dragonback. They could’ve made it in one day if they had wanted to, but they were in no hurry. Well, Jacaerys wasn’t. He knew what temperatures were expecting him. Luke didn’t, which was why he was so antsy to get there and almost didn’t pack the fur lined gloves their mother had laid out for them. Jacaerys couldn’t wait until the biting, cold winds hit Luke’s face for the first time. He would treasure the memory forever.
“Har har, good one,” Jacaerys said dryly. “The court jester should watch out or you will be going for his position in no time.”
Luke grinned at his older brother wickedly, opening his mouth once more to say another jest, Jacaerys had no doubt about it, but the words died on Luke’s tongue when the winds suddenly turned cold, whipping his hair around like icicles.
“Seven hells!” he cursed and Arrax let out a soft whine, not used to the coldness, just like his rider.
“Nyke ivestretan zirȳla, paktot Vermax?” Jacaerys whispered to his dragon, stroking Vermax’ neck with his gloved hand and the creature let out a puff of smoke. I warned him, didn’t I Vermax?
It wasn’t much longer until the two brothers reached Winterfell, their dragons landing just in front of the gates of town. Jacaerys could already see Cregan’s imposing figure standing by the gate as he climbed off of Vermax, carefully patting his snout. He took the bags off his saddle, Lucerys doing the same before leaning his forehead against Vermax’.
“Sȳz valonqar. Umbagon va, ao rȳbagon issa? Se jurnegon hen syt Arrax” Good boy. Stay near, you hear me? And take care of Arrax.
Vermax let out a soft rumble, pressing his snout against Jacaerys’ hand, before he and Arrax leapt back in the air, disappearing across the woods with few wing flaps. Jacaerys wasn’t sure where exactly they went, but he assumed it was some warm cave. Winterfell didn’t exactly have a dragon pit.
“Woah,” Luke gasped, astounded by the amount of white surrounding them.
“I told you,” Jacaerys said, shouldering his bags as Cregan approached them, several pages in tow.
“Prince Jacaerys!” Cregan’s voice boomed across the snowy field, before he stopped in front of the two princes. “What an honor to have you.”
The two men sized each other up, before breaking out in laughter as Cregan pulled Jacaerys into a hug.
“It is good to see you, my friend.”
“And you, Cregan,” Jacaerys replied, patting Cregan’s back that was cloaked in a warm fur. He really ought to ask him what animal pelt it was, he never seemed to be cold. Luke was shifting on his feet next to him and Jacaerys took a step back to introduce his brother.
“Lord Cregan, this is my brother.”
“Ah, the infamous Prince Lucerys,” Cregan said with a smile, shaking Luke’s hand. Based on his face, Jacaerys could tell his brother was struggling to keep a straight face; Cregan’s handshakes were nothing but firm.
“Lord Cregan, it is an honor to finally make your acquaintance.”
“I have heard much about you.”
“Ah,” Luke sighed, hand still enclasped in Cregan’s. “I’m sure all lies.”
“Only good things, your brother has shared high praises of you.”
Luke glanced over to his brother in surprise and Jacaerys only raised his eyebrows at him. Cregan finally let go of Luke’s hand, clapping him on the shoulder, sending the younger man nearly flying.
“How old are you, Lucerys?”
“Ten and eight, my lord. And please, call me Luke.”
“Very well,” Cregan said with a grin. “You’re the prime age of a young prince, Luke. Are you courting anyone?”
“No,” Luke replied, his cheeks reddening. Jacaerys only snickered, ignoring the deathly glare his younger brother sent him.
“No worry. There are a few of very beautiful ladies that will be attending, maybe one or two will catch your royal eyes.”
Cregan gave Jacaerys a knowing look, but he only rolled his eyes, stretching his hands, the coldness starting to seep into his gloves.
“I am about to lose feeling in my limbs, can we continue this dreadful conversation inside?”
“Of course. I apologize, I forget that you are not accustomed to our weather,” Cregan said, motioning for the pages to help the them with their bags. “Let’s get you into the warm, shall we?”
Cregan lead the two brothers towards the Great Keeps, giving Luke a very brief rundown of the grounds as he did. Jacaerys could already feel his fingers warming up; he even dared to take off his gloves.
“We are currently having tea, I would love for you to join but if you wish to get some rest, we can meet again after,” Cregan said, stopping in front of the dining halls.
Jacaerys glanced over to Luke, who only gave him a shrug. “I could do with some food.”
“As do I.”
“Very well.”
Cregan pushed open the door to reveal a lively dining hall, one that Jacaerys was familiar with. He spotted faces he recognized, when his eyes stopped in the middle of the table, surprised to see Lady Alysanne Blackwood sitting next to you, someone he didn’t recognize. Immediately, you turned your head to look at him, as if you had felt his eyes on you. Jacaerys tried not to falter under your gaze.
“Who’s that?” Luke whispered and Jacaerys fought the urge to elbow him.
“The Princes Jacaerys and Lucerys Velaryon!” Cregan announced, causing a ruckus as everyone pushed their chair back to stand. You only followed after Alysanne gently nudged you, folding your hands in front.
“Thank you for having us,” Jacaerys said, him and Lucerys both bowing. “Please, sit.”
As everyone took their seats again, Cregan led him and Luke to the middle of the table, where three seats were empty next to Alysanne and you.
“My princes, may I introduce Lady Alysanne of House Blackwood and Lady-”
Jacaerys almost tuned out Cregan’s voice as he introduced you, but it was like your name was ringing in his ears. He was sure he had never been quite taken with any lady as with you right from the first meeting. Jacaerys cleared his throat, hoping his voice would come out even.
“Lady Alysanne, it’s nice to see you again,” Jacaerys said, bowing to her as Luke followed suit.
“The pleasure is mine, your graces. I hope your journey was swift,” Alysanne replied. “I hear you travelled on dragonback.”
That seemed to pique your interest as you straightened your back, eying Jacaerys with a new found interest. Jacaerys tried to ignore the heat unfurling in his lower stomach. He had seemed to take beat too long to reply, because Luke cut in, throwing a look at his older brother.
“Yes, my lady. It only took us a day and half’s journey.”
“Ah, I envy you. To travel on dragonback and have a short journey. It took me a moon’s turn to get from Raventree Hall to Winterfell,” Alysanne said with a small sigh, turning to you. “Nearly took you two moon’s turns, didn’t it?”
Jacaerys had kept his eyes steadfastly on Alysanne as she spoke, but when she turned to you, he took the chance to do the same. You nodded, fingers between the stem of the chalice you had been drinking from. His eyes lingered on your slender fingers for longer than they should have.
“Two moon’s turns is quite a long journey,” Jacaerys finally pressed out, hoping his voice didn’t sound odd. “Where in the Seven Kingdoms does your house lay?”
Your eyes met his for the first time and Jacaerys felt like he was looking in the eyes of a predator, as if he hadn’t been riding a dragon for nearly all of his life.
“I am from a land beyond Essos,” you finally spoke, voice as smooth as honey. Before you could continue, Alysanne whispered something under her breath and you let out a small laugh, shaking your pretty head, speaking again. “I’m afraid we’re not part of the Seven Kingdoms, *your grace*.”
The way you accentuated the honorific had Jacaerys sweat, something he never thought he’d do in Winterfell. He managed to give you a wry smile; luckily, Cregan finally gestured towards the empty seats and as Jacaerys sat down - two seats away from you - he let out a breath of relief, desperate for a quick respite. His behavior was mortifying and unbefitting for a crown prince.
“Are you alright?” Luke whispered from his left as he reached for a particularly large meat pie. “It is unlike you to let me do the talking.”
Jacaerys waited as the butler poured him some mulled wine, only stopping him when it was nearly full to the brim. He lifted the chalice, taking a big drink from it, feeling Luke’s eyes on him the whole time.
“It appears the journey has tired me more than I had expected.”
Luke narrowed his eyes at him, but as soon as he bit into the meat pie, the suspicions slid of his face.
“Seven hells, what kind of meat do they put in these?” he almost moaned, already reaching for another. Slob, Jacaerys thought, reaching for some bread himself, leaving his brother to his own world as he discovered the cuisine of the North. Jacaerys glanced over to his friend, but Cregan was in the middle of a conversation with Alysanne; they were speaking in hushed tones, Jacaerys could barely make out a word even though he was sitting right next to them.
The way Cregan was whispering to Alysanne suggested a certain familiarity; a familiarity that Jacaerys was surprised by; he hadn’t known that Cregan had taken on a lover, and Alysanne no less, though he could see what had drawn his friend to her.
Jacaerys didn’t pay attention for half a second before his eyes impulsively laid on you. He didn’t want to be caught staring, but you seemed preoccupied listening to Alysanne as she talked, so he allowed himself a few moments to take you in. Your hair fell over your shoulder in soft waves, the bodice of your dress was snug around your chest. The more he looked, the dryer his throat became, suddenly the bread in his mouth tasted days old. Letting out a soft cough, Jacaerys reached for his wine, nearly finishing all of it in one to, desperate to quench his thirst.
He wondered if all women from your land looked like you or if it was just you that had him so enthralled. Jacaerys was lost in thoughts so deeply, he didn’t even realize that Cregan had turned his attention to him.
“Did someone catch your eye?”
“What?”
Jacaerys teared his eyes from you to look at his friend, who was sipping on his wine, eyebrows raised. Despite trying to seem nonchalant, the crown prince knew a pink flush creeped on his cheeks; he’d blame it on the wine if Cregan would ask.
“I was enjoying the festivities.”
“You’re surely enjoying something.”
“I’m positively not enjoying this conversation,” Jacaerys sniffed. Cregan laughed, placing his heavy hand on his shoulder. Jacaerys tried not to falter under it.
“I like her. She’s a good friend of Lady Alysanne’s. Though if her behavior grates you: her land does not have a king or queen, so she might not be familiar with our customs. She is also especially forward; I fear that was a given, considering the company she seeks.”
Jacaerys knew immediately what Cregan was alluding to. Alysanne had a reputation for not holding her tongue when something displeased her, there were a good handful of people who quite dislike her for it.
“I’m sure you will get along with her fine, my prince.”
Jacaerys hummed, glancing over to you for a split second before looking away for fear of being caught again, but in doing so, he missed you looking back at him with raised brows. After the table was cleared, you and Alysanne excused yourselves to your chambers. Jacaerys stared after you until you disappeared from sight, his hands clasped.
“Let me show you to your chambers for some rest,” Cregan offered. “Jacaerys, I had the same chambers prepared as last time.”
The three men walked through the hallways of Winterfell once more, stopping in front of Jacaerys’ chambers.
“Someone will fetch you for supper, please get some rest in the meantime,” Cregan said, clasping Jacaerys on the back. Jacaerys glanced over at Luke, who waved him off, so he entered his chambers as Cregan walked Luke to his, with the latter chattering excitedly.
As the door shut behind Jacaerys, the chambers were engulfed in silence and he was finally able to breathe. The room was comfortably decorated, of course in no way as lavish as his chambers in King’s Landing, but everything he would need was there. Taking off his cloak and his doublet, Jacaerys hung them over the small bench that sat near the fire, before he laid down on the bed, staring up the canopy with a sigh.
Gods, he really needed to get it together. He would not allow himself to act like such a fool in front of you again. He couldn’t even understand what it was about you that had him so shaken to the core. Jacaerys had never been the kind of man who stuttered around when it came to women. He knew what he had to offer, he knew a lot of women found his status appealing. But something about you was just…. Infuriating. It made him lose his footing.
Jacaerys was still questioning his life choices that led to this moment, when the door suddenly flung open, and he knew immediately who it was without having to move; there was only one person in whole Winterfell who would barge into his chambers like this.
“Your chambers are so much nicer than mine!” Luke crowed, throwing his hands up in the air before he dropped onto the bed next to Jacaerys. “I do have to say, even though it is freezing outside, the Northeners know how to keep it comfy in their chambers.”
Jacaerys let out a small sigh.
“What are you doing here, Luke?”
“Gods, why are you such in a sour mood?”
“Maybe because I am tired from the journey and you’re sitting here talking about meaningless things,” Jacaerys lamented with a pointed look in his younger brother’s direction, who only pursed his lips, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Let me move onto meaningful topics then,” he agreed. “You didn’t tell me Lord Cregan is betrothed to Lady Alysanne.”
“He’s not, as far as I know,” Jacaerys replied, resigning himself to the fact that Luke wasn’t going to leave anytime soon. “I was taken by surprise just as you were.”
Luke didn’t answer; for a brief second Jacaerys wondered if he had fallen asleep, and he wasn’t sure if he’d be happy about or not.
“What did you think of her friend?” Luke finally asked and Jacaerys rolled his eyes. There it was. “She’s pretty, right? I think she might be interested in me.”
“What makes you think she would be interested in you?” Jacaerys pressed out, annoyed. He knew Luke was baiting him, but what if he wasn’t? His younger brother turned over to look at him, the corners of his mouth tugging up.
“I knew it. You’re absolutely smitten with her.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I barely exchanged two words with her,” Jacaerys said defensively.
“Exactly. She makes you shiver in your boots like a child and swallow your words like Vermax does goats.”
“Blasphemous,” Jacaerys snapped, his cheeks growing hot. “I’m the Crown Prince of the Seven Realms, I do not get flustered around a lady.”
“I cannot wait until you talk to her again,” Luke remarked gleefully.
Jacaerys reached over to grab one of the fluffy pillows that was resting against the headboard to whack Luke in the face with it.
The next day, Jacaerys found himself with some time by himself. Cregan was greeting some more of the guests that were arriving for his celebration that evening, and Luke had wanted to see the training grounds of Winterfell, so Jacaerys ventured out by himself, walking the walls. He passed a few guards, who bowed respectfully as they marched past him. They asked if he got lost, if they should walk him back inside where it was warm, but he declined.
Despite the cold snow that was falling from the sky, Jacaerys enjoyed leaving the castle for a few moments. Winterfell was peaceful, the white that covered the grounds allowed him to breathe, a stark contrast to the grounds of King’s Landing. As the cold winds started to pick up, Jacaerys turned to head back, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw you standing by yourself at the wall, staring out at the distance. Jacaerys hesitated.
His interaction with you last night at supper was… Passable. He had managed to keep the conversation going, he still wasn't happy with himself. But this was unfamiliar territory, he hadn’t ever been alone with you. What if he made a fool of himself?
Before Jacaerys could decide what to do, his feet already carried him over to you. At the sounds of the snow crunching under his soled shoes, you turned around, your eyebrows risen in surprise. Your cheeks were red from the cold, despite the fur-lined cloak that engulfed your shoulders.
“Oh, it’s you,” you said, your breath visible in the cold air.
“Only me,” Jacaerys confirmed, bowing his head slightly in greeting. You did the same. “Come out here for some quiet?”
“Something like that, “ you sighed, eyeing him briefly. Jacaerys tried not to flinch at the clear rejection and pressed his lips together.
“I should leave-”
“No, please, don’t leave on my behalf…. My prince.”
You added the honorific after a brief pause, and Jacaerys stayed rooted in his spot. You seemed like you were in deep thought, and your voice was hesitant when you spoke again.
“I am unsure as to what the difference is, if I’m being quite honest. Do you want me to refer to you as my prince or as your Grace?”
“You can refer to me as anything you want,” Jacaerys said quickly. Too quickly.
The frown on your face smoothed, a grin growing in its stead. “Indeed?”
“I meant,” Jacaerys pressed, trying to sustain any sort of dignity. “You’re not from Westeros, you do not need to address me as your Grace or my prince.”
“I wouldn’t want to seem disrespectful,” you added. “Folks are already whispering about the “foreign lady”, I do not wish to give them more reason to be suspicious.”
Jacaerys felt a flash of hot anger coursing through him at the belief of anyone uttering a bad word about you.
“Are you being mistreated, my lady?”
A laugh escaped your lips. “I did not tell for you to fight in my honor, I have endured worse than some meaningless gossip.”
You tossed your hair back, and for a brief second, your scent carried over to Jacaerys’ nose. You smelled… Sweet. A scent that was unfamiliar to him, but not exactly unwelcome. With a small sigh, you turned your head to look at him. Damn it, did you say something?
“So... Your grace or my prince?”
For some reason, either address didn’t feel right. Well. They felt right, but not right. Never before had Jacaerys felt anything when being referred to with the correct title except for a sense of respect and pride that he was being recognized for his status. But for some reason, having you address him with either had Jacaerys feel things in regions where he shouldn’t. And both seem equally catastrophic.
“Either is fine,” he finally settled on. “But if no one is around… It is alright for you to call me by my given name.”
“Jacaerys?”
A shiver ran down his spine at the sound of his name rolling of your tongue so easily. He was done for. No matter what you referred to him as, it made him weak in the knees.
“Or Jace.”
“Is that not improper?” you asked. “I would hate for folks to think I’m getting too familiar with the crown prince.”
He definitely wouldn’t mind getting too familiar with you.
“My friends call me that… And people that I’m close with.”
A corner of your mouth tugged up in a grin. “You wish to be close with me?”
Jacaerys flushed, stuttering. “I-“
“I’m only jesting,” you said, your gloved hand reaching out to touch his arm and even though there were about five layers between, Jacaerys could *feel* your skin on his. He was in trouble. “I will address you properly in public but if no one is around, Jacaerys….”
Your voice trailed off and you took a step towards him, leaning in so you could speak to him in a small whisper.
“I hope we can become friends.”
With that, you bowed your head, stepping back and turned to depart, leaving Jacaerys standing by himself. He exhaled a breath - a breath he had not realized he had been holding this whole time.
Somewhere in the distance, Jacaerys could hear Vermax screech out, no doubtedly feeling exactly what his dragon rider was struggling with.
“Yes, Vermax, you and me both,” Jacaerys muttered with a small sigh, enduring the cold for a little while longer before he retired inside, knowing he had to start getting ready for Cregan’s celebrations soon.
“How much longer are you going to stare at your reflection?”
Jacaerys resisted the impulse to roll his eyes. He was tense enough as it was, giving into Luke’s teasing was not going to help it.
“I’m representing mother at this celebration, a single hair out of place and rumors about my legitimacy as heir might start,” Jacaerys pointed out, wiping off the fleck of dusts that sat on the shoulder of his doublet.
“Of course, we would not want that,” Luke said, his voice taking that annoying tone which Jacaerys knew meant he wasn’t taking him serious. “You are most certainly not trying to look absolutely perfect for a certain lady.”
Jacaerys met Luke’s eyes through the mirror, his forehead creased. “I did not ask you to wait for me. No one is stopping you from going by yourself.”
Luke sighed, pushing himself off of the bench to approach him, hands reaching out to smooth out Jacaerys’ cloak.
“And who is going to tame that one wild curl that always does whatever it wants at the back of your head?”
Jacaerys winced when Luke gently tugged on said curl, setting it in its place, before the younger prince grinned at him through the reflection as the two of them stood in front of the mirror, Luke's shoulders slightly higher than Jacaerys'. He despised the fact that his younger brother was starting to overtake him in height. Jacaerys hoped that Joffrey would stay shorter than him.
“You look fine, Jace,” Luke assured him. “And even if a hair might be out of place, she will think it charming.”
Jacaerys decided against deeming that comment with an answer, instead straightening his shoulders.
“Let’s go then.”
The two brothers headed the the Great Hall and the closer they got, the louder the music became. Jacaerys tried not to pick on his clothes as they walked through the hallways, knowing he was just being antsy at this point. When they finally reached the threshold of the hall, the herald bowed to them both respectfully, waiting until the music quietened down, the guests looking at them.
“Presenting His Grace, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, heir to the Iron Throne, and his brother, Prince Lucerys Velaryon of House Targaryen!” the herald announced.
The guests all bowed, which Jacaerys and Lukereturned, before they were being led to their seats and Jacaerys tried not to stumble over his feet when he realized that Cregan had sat Luke to his right, whereas Jacaerys sat next to him.
Right next to you.
Jacaerys ignored Luke’s smirk as he sat down, and instead offered you a small smile.
“My lady.”
“Your grace.”
You sent him a conspiratorial smile, before your attention refocused to Cregan, who suddenly stood, lifting his chalice.
"Good evening, my dear guests. On this occasion, the celebration of my name day, I am deeply honored to be surrounded by such loyal friends, family, and allies. I thank everyone who made their long and burdensome journey to celebrate this day with me. Raise your cups, my friends, enjoy the festivities, the music and most importantly, the food. Now, let the feast begin!"
Everyone clapped as Cregan took his seat again, the lively music beginning to play. Immediately, people rose to occupy the dancefloor. You stayed seated, sipping on your wine and Jacaerys watched you out of the corner of his eye, reaching for his own wine, hoping it would ease his nerves. You looked pretty; wearing a dark red dress, the fabric seeming to melt against your skin like it was sown onto your body. Jacaerys tried to not let his gaze linger too much on your cleavage, which was tasteful, but still incredibly distracting. He couldn’t help but think how you and him seemed to be dressed to compliment each other.
“You look very beautiful,” Jacaerys blurted out. You turned to him, eyebrows risen in surprise and his cheeks reddened. “I apologize if it was too forward, I-”
“You look very handsome yourself,” you said, returning the favor with a grin. “At least I know what took you so long to get here.”
By now, Jacaerys was sure that the color of his face rivaled the color of your dress.
“Thank you,” he said, fingers tracing the stem of the chalice. “I try to look my best.”
“It is working in your favor, my prince,” you all but purred quietly, making Jacaerys grip his chalice so tightly, his knuckles turned white.
“Are you alright?”
“Fine,” Jacaerys pressed out, letting a small sigh pass his lips. “I apologize. I am usually more… Composed,” he admitted. You raised an eyebrow at him, but he couldn’t help but feel like you were biting back a smile.
“And you’re not composed right now?”
“No. You…” he paused, letting go of the chalice, stretching his hand out. “You make me nervous.”
He dared to look up to you, searching for any sign of distaste, only to see your gaze focused on his hands, before you lifted your eyes to meet his.
“How?”
“You vex me.”
“In a good way, I hope.”
Jacaerys let out a breathless laughter, shaking his head. “In a very much not good way. This is not behavior befit for a crown prince.”
“Well, it’s just your luck that I have not a single idea of what behavior is befit for a crown prince,” you assured him, placing your hand on his, presumably to console him. It had quite the opposite reaction. “It is just me, you may speak freely.”
“I-” Jacaerys paused, his eyes darting around the countless of guests mingling in the Great Hall, the threat of a listening ear everywhere. “I cannot.”
You nodded in understanding, but Jacaerys could tell that his answer had disappointed you by the way you turned your head away from him. Silently, he cursed himself, feeling the desire for you coiling in his stomach, but unable to act on it.
For the rest of the night, Jacaerys tried to pick up the conversation with you again, and while you did speak with him, it seemed dull, like you were uninterested. He felt incredibly stupid, knowing he had messed up, but despite that, he couldn’t jump over his shadow to address the problem. So he didn’t. He pushed his disappointment in himself aside and tried his best to control the jealousy he felt whenever you accepted the dance of another man, acting like didn’t care at all, especially when Luke was watching, shaking his head.
Cregan was luckily too busy to entertain his guests to meddle, occasionally drawing Jacaerys into his side to clink their cups. Overall, (despite his personal failings) the celebration was a success. It was late in the night, nearing the hour of the wolf when Jacaerys finally retired to his chambers. He had dropped Luke off at his own chambers just before, his younger brother having one too many of the mulled wine and immediately dozing off in clothes.
Shutting the door with his foot, Jacaerys unpinned his cloak, tugging his doublet off, draping it over the small ottoman. His hands were in the collar of his tunic, ready to take it off when short raps on his door made him pause. Was that Cregan fetching him for another drink?
Jacaerys opened the door and his eyebrows rising in surprise when he saw who it was.
“My lady…”
You were standing in front of him, dark cloak slung around your shoulders, about the last person he had expected to come knocking on his door after his last conversation with you had gone. Your face was bare from any trace of cosmetics, but your cheeks still held a rosy glow. Jacaerys peered out into the dark hallway, expecting a handmaiden or anyone accompanying you, but alas, you were by yourself.
“It is late. Is something the matter?” he asked, concerned.
“Everything is fine,” you assured him. “I was feeling a bit restless, I was wondering if you were up for some company?”
Despite feeling exhausted just a few seconds ago, Jacaerys was wide awake now, his heart thrumming with excitement at the prospect of spending time with you alone. But he couldn’t help but hesitate, questioning whether it was smart of him to put himself in a situation he couldn’t control, especially with you.
You sensed his hesitation, tilting your head curiously.
“I can leave, if you wish.”
Before you could even attempt to retreat, Jacaerys’ hand shot out to stop you, and as he saw the amusement on your face, he knew you had never intended to leave.
Minx, he thought to himself, opening his door wider to let you inside. Swiftly, you passed by him and Jacaerys made sure no one saw you enter, before shutting the door. As he turned around, he found you had already settled on the cushioned couch, appearing comfortably at ease.
“These are usually my chambers I stay in when I visit Winterfell,” you said nonchalantly, taking in the chambers and Jacaerys’ possessions that laid scattered around. “You can imagine my surprise when Cregan told me it was occupied for someone else when I arrived.”
Jacaerys tried not to imagine you laying in his bed as he sat down on the bench.
“They are the chambers I stayed in when I visited last time. I assume Cregan wanted me to feel comfortable.”
“The lengths we would go to to make sure you felt comfortable,” you said with a look in his direction and Jacaerys flushed, clearing his throat.
“Do you like these chambers for a reason or are you merely a creature of habit?”
“These are the only chambers that don’t have the fire place directly facing the bed,” you explained, your arms gesturing to the layout of the chambers.
“I know the Northeners like to keep the fire on at night to feel cozy, but I tend to get a little… Hot.”
Oh.
His mouth ran a little dry and he only managed to blink at you, as you grinned, your eyes slowly trailing down his body.
“I imagine it is the same for you. What is it again, the motto of your house?”
Jacaerys opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out of it.
“Fire and blood?” finally pressed out and you arched an eyebrow at him.
“Are you asking or telling me?”
“Telling.”
Your mouth quirked up in a smirk and you brushed your hair back with a flick. “I must say, I have to admit that I thought you less nervous when no one was around.”
“You thought me less nervous when it is just you and I alone in a room?”
“Now when you say it like that…” you mused. “I told you that you do not have to worry about your behavior, I do not know any of the rules you have to abide by.”
“That’s not why I’m nervous,” Jacaerys said with a small laugh and you creased your forehead, looking at him questioningly.
“Is that not what you told me at supper?”
Jacaerys sighed, a chuckle leaving his lips and he had no other choice than to confess.
“You make me nervous because I do not know how to act around you. You make me stutter, lose my footing. I was never anything less than charming when it comes to talking to ladies, but you for some reason…”
Your face contorted from confusion to understanding and then glee.
“And I was starting to think you were letting me down easy.”
“I- what?” The indignation in Jacaerys’ tone made you laugh. “Let you down? Surely you must be jesting.”
“What was I to think? I was not exactly being subtle, my prince.”
Jacaerys bit down on his lower lip, nearly hard enough to draw blood, but he eased off.
“I’m trying my best to uphold my honor. And yours.”
You let out a small laugh, lifting your hand to deftly unhook your cloak. Jacaerys averted his eyes as soon as the cloak slid off your shoulders, but he could out of the corner of his eyes that you were wearing nothing but a nightgown with long, see through sleeves. Jacaerys had never seen a nightgown like that before.
“Would it not be dishonorable to deny yourself what you truly want?”
Jacaerys dared to glance at you, swallowing thickly when he realized that you had come closer, his eyes roaming over your exposed skin. He exhaled sharply, feeling his cock stirring in his breeches, thankful that his tunic was untucked, covering his excitement.
“What if your future husband would cast you aside knowing you have laid with another man?”
You smiled at him, your hand reaching out to trace the neckline of his tunic.
“I think if my husband were to cast me aside for enjoying the pleasure of sex, he is not the right man for me.”
Jacaerys held his breath as you looked at him through your lashes. He managed to stay wrong for about three more seconds, before he let out a frustrated groan, his hand curling around to pull you close, pressing his lips on yours.
You sighed softly into the kiss, your mouth pliable as Jacaerys moved against his, the kiss nearly driving him insane.
He needed more.
Tightening his grip on your waist, Jacaerys pulled you into his lap, situating your legs on either side of him.
“I have been going insane,” Jacaerys whispered against your lips, his finger tips dancing up your arm. “Trying to keep my composure, act like a prince, but one look from you and I lost the ability to string a sentence together.”
“Please,” you gasped as his hand wrapped around the back of your head to tilt it back, placing featherlight kisses on the column of your neck.” Cregan was telling me to behave - for once - because his great friend, the crown prince of the Seven Realms was to attend his nameday celebrations, but how could I when you’re just so-”
Your sentence trailed off in a sigh and Jacaerys pulled back to look at you, an eyebrow arched.
“I am so...?”
“Infuriatingly handsome.” Your voice was breathless as you spoke, hands slipping under his tunic and Jacaerys lifted his arms to help you take it off before you discarded it to the floor carelessly. “Like you were carved out of marble.”
You caressed him with your fingertips over his chest, your touch so tantalizing he had to shift his hips to ease the pressure on his breeches, a motion that did not go unignored by you at the sound of the small whimper that left your mouth, a sound that went directly to his south. He leaned in to kiss you again, before maneuvering you off his lap, standing so he could lead you over to the bed. His touch was gentle, but firm as you followed his lead to lay down at the edge of the bed, your nightgown bunching up at your calves.
“You don’t even know the affect you have on me… You had me on my knees,” he murmured, pushing your gown up. “I’m the crown prince of the seven realms. I don’t kneel for anyone.”
He might make an exception for you.
With his hands on your calves, pulling you closer, Jacaerys got to his knees, peppering small kisses on your inner thigh, making you squirm. He could smell the warmth of your musk as he neared your cunt, your smallclothes displaying a small patch of wetness he couldn’t help but be thrilled by.
“Lift your hips,” Jacaerys said, and when you did, he tugged your smallclothes off easily. He let out a soft breath when coming face to face with your cunt, sliding one finger through your folds. The moan out of your mouth sounded like heaven to him.
“Jace…” you sighed and his breeches got impossibly tighter, but he wanted you to finish first before he could even think about himself. Jacaerys applied a little pressure on your pearl with his thumb, inching closer, his breath hot on your lips before he licked a strip up your cunt. You responded with a small groan, your hands tangled into his locks and he knew he was on the right track.
He kept drawing circles on the small nub over your cunt, his tongue exploring between your folds, trying to elicit every moan and sigh out of your mouth possible, repeating his motions that seemed to please you the most. Soon, Jacaerys had you writhing on his bed, your hand tightened around his hair in a grip that nearly hurt, but he didn’t care.
“Jacaerys…” you breathed out, your hips lifting from the bed; he merely pushed it down with his free hand. “Don’t- I’m so..”
Jacaerys nuzzled his mouth even further into your cunt he not thought possible, the circles he was drawing onto your pearl becoming tighter, smaller until you let out an especially loud moan of his name, your cunt pulsating.
With a breath heave, you fell back into the cushions and Jacaerys pulled back from between your legs, not without leaving a lingering kiss on your inner thigh. You looked absolutely marvelous, blissed out on his bed, your sweaty hair sticking to your forehead. If he had to guess, he must not look any better, his entire face must be covered in you.
“Is this behavior befit for a crown prince?” you asked, chest still heaving. Jacaerys quirked a smile at you, brushing his hair back.
“For a lady like you, without question.”
A small laughter escaped your lips, and you tugged him down to kiss him, your hands slipping beneath his trousers and then his breeches, wrapping around his cock. Jacaerys hissed, bucking into your hands, realizing he was still fully clothes from the waist down. Giving you one last kiss, he reluctantly pulled away from you, taking his boots off, and then slowly pushing his trousers off, his smallclothes along with it.
He couldn’t help but flush as he stood in front of your inquisitive eyes, still wearing your nightgown but looking incredibly debauched, your gaze… Hungry. He got on the bed, crawling towards you on his knees, fingers gingerly pushing your nightgown off your shoulders - you didn’t lift a hand to help him, but merely watched as his eyes grew wide when he finally pushed your nightgown down, as it pooled around your waist.
“You were made by the gods,” he mumbled into your skin, mouth latching on the sensitive skin of your tits, his other hand gently rolling your nipples until it formed into a stiff peak. He leaned up, kissing you deeply and as he moaned into your mouth, he pulled away, breathing hard.
“Do you…” he trailed off, unsure how to word it.
“I will die an immediate death if I don’t,” you said, extremely serious. “Lay back.”
As Jacaerys settled into the mountain of cushions, you knelt in front of him, nightgown long gone. You positioned yourself over his lap, just as he had earlier, hand wrapping around his cock to guide it to your cunt, which was still sopping wet. Jacaerys let out a slow, guttural groan as you lowered yourself onto his cock, until he was fully sheated inside of you.
“Are you feeling alright?” he pressed out, his hands finding your hips to pull out incase you were feeling uncomfortable.
“Perfect,” you breathed, lips parted and eyes hooded. You leaned a hand on his chest, impulsively rolling your hips and Jacaerys moaned, throwing his head back. Slowly, the two of you found your rhythm as you rode him, in slow, but deep hip thrusts. His chambers was filled with the sound of skin hitting skin, whispers of his name and moans of yours. It wasn’t long until Jacaerys felt the familiar tension in his lower stomach, knowing he was close, while you were still moving on top of him, head thrown back.
If he had it his way, he would shoot his load into you, making you his, but the last thing he wanted was to trap you, so he stilled your hips, holding you in place and turning you so he was on top of you. Your hair fanned out on the bed, and Jacaerys kissed you, tongue licking into your mouth as he drove your cock into you with deep, but slow thrusts; his thumb was pressing into your pearl simultaneously.
“Jace,” you whined, your walls clenching and he nearly lost it right then and there. “Please…”
Jacaerys snapped his hips into you harder, leaning his head against yours as he did and after one particular deep thrust, you held onto his bicep as you moaned his name in a way that would ingrain into his brain for the rest of his life and he quickly pulled out, before he emptied his load in thick, white spurts onto your stomach. With a small groan, Jacaerys collapsed onto the bed next to you, neither speaking for a few seconds, catching your breath.
Jacaerys was the first to rise, pushing his hair back, standing to find a wet rag to clean you up. His touch was gentle as he cleaned your stomach, disposing of the dirty rag, lingering on the side of the bed.
“Do you want to stay? For a little while, at least?”
You turned your head to look at him, corners of your mouth tugging up. “If you’ll have me, my prince.”
Jacaerys snorted out a laughter, settling into bed next to you, making sure to pull up the blanket to cover your naked body, even though a warmth was emanating from you, it was rivaling his own.
“Are you sure you’re not a distant kin of Aegon the Conqueror?” he asked, pressing a soft kiss on your shoulder. “You would fit right into our house.”
“I find it very flattering that you think I have royal blood in me,” you laughed as your fingertips traced along his arm.
“It is only a question,” Jacaerys mused. “I think you would get along well with my mother.”
“A foreign girl in front of the esteemed queen of the Seven Realms? I wouldn’t stand a chance. Her royal knights would behead me as soon as I curtsied the wrong way.”
And as the fire crackled in the far corner of the chambers, pressed against your side, Jacaerys knew that while you spoke in jest, he wouldn’t mind you meeting his mother, even if that was highly unlikely. Coming the following morning it seemed like he would never see you again, with you returning home and him returning to King’s Landing.
And while he was a dragon rider, he wasn’t sure if that distance would be easy for him to cover, considering the fact he had duties he had to attend to.
“I really enjoyed your company,” you then said, your voice a bittersweet tone. Jacaerys pressed his nose against your neck, biting back the question if you wanted to come with him, see King’s Landing. He knew he was being foolish.
“As did I yours.”
✦ .  ⁺   . ✦ .  ⁺   . ✦
author's note: hehehehehe did u like it?
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crabbyloveswizard · 1 year ago
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Marking Out: Cheering the Heel (or, Conversely, Booing the Face)
Yep; it’s time for another wrestling essay.
Today’s essay was prompted by my watching of an old Wrestling with Wregret episode (available here) and hearing Mr. Zane say something that just struck me as off.
"If you’re a heel and people are cheering you, then you’ve failed at your job.”
This paraphrased sentiment is not uncommon, but I have a hard disagree on this point.  But since this is my blog - welcome to my TEDTalk! We’re discussing audience reactions this time so strap in.
First, my hot take: I don’t think the content of the reaction (i.e. cheers, boos, chants) matters all that much.  I think the fact that there is a reaction at all is what matters.  I think that the only way you truly fail at wrestling is to be boring and to elicit no reaction from the crowd at all.  I feel like Vince McMahon also thinks this way, and it’s to the detriment of his product, but that’s an entirely different rant than the one I’m about to go on.
There are three reasons for my stance on this, and they are outside of both the content of the video (an audience hijacking a show) and the general exceptions people make for storyline alignment turns or giant spots during the match.  Come on now, everyone pops for a good spot; we’re not touching low-hanging fruit like that one.
Reason number one: regardless of what your plans are, you will always have someone who sympathizes with the villain.  This is true of any piece of media, and the harder you try to make your villain unrelatable the harder someone is going to defend them.  I mean, no matter how indefensible Joffrey was in Game of Thrones there were still fans out there who defended his actions.  Sure, they were few and far between, but the fact of the matter is that they exist.  This ties into a sub-concept here: people will root for/defend their faves no matter what.  This holds just as true for wrestling as it does for fictional characters and celebrities.  If Becky Lynch was your favorite, sometimes the alignment turns don’t affect you and you’ll cheer for her regardless of position in the feud.  At least in a wrestling storyline aspect this is less problematic than, say, ARMY defending one of their faves who sampled the Jim Jones tapes for a pop single where you can audibly here him talking to his followers before the poisoning. 
Reason number two goes back to storyline, but as I mentioned before we’re not focusing on alignment turns, where cheering for a heel is acceptable because they’re refocusing their alignment for a new feud.  No what we’re talking about is something WWE has been particularly guilty of, but they are by no means alone in this.  What we are talking about is…poor writing.  Where a face has been cast in a role that is just the most annoying thing, or the person playing the face is putting nothing into it, or the storyline the face is supposed to be the hero in is just unrelatable to a normal person.  Where what has been presented is so unrelatable, disconnected from what the crowd wants, or simply doesn’t move the crowd the way you intended it to.  Where, despite all the set-up and decisions made, the crowd finds itself naturally on the side of the heel and will react to that then to what you’re directing them to react at.  I’m thinking particularly of Rhonda Rousey’s debut, and the way Becky Lynch was made out to be a heel but the crowd never bit that bait.  Everything Becky did was justified because Rhonda just wasn’t face material for the crowd; especially when it feels to the crowd like you’re sacrificing Becky’s popularity to force another girl into that role that nobody wants her in.
When it comes to this, I don’t lay the blame on the crowd OR on the wrestlers.  Rhonda vocally expressed frustration backstage that it didn’t matter what she did the crowd hated her anyway.  It didn’t matter what dirty thing you made Becky do.  The crowd had spoken.  The blame for shit like this lays firmly on writing & booking.  But it’s an overlooked part about ‘cheering the heel’ – nobody thinks that you’re cheering the heel because of bad writing; they simply rewrite the bad storyline in their head so that the roles are reversed.  I’ve seen people talk about how ‘no I know what story the writers really wanted to tell’ to excuse shit ass decisions that result in these role-reversals.  Stop excusing them; you’re cheering for the heel because they wrote the face like shit and the heel is the relatable one.  Admit it and move on.
The final reason, number three: never underestimate a hometown crowd.  I legitimately think that this is entirely overlooked when talking about reactions, and I’ve seen it more times than I can count.  Dr. Britt Baker was one of the biggest heels in the business when she walked into Pittsburg the AEW Women’s World Champion, and they lost their goddamn minds for her.  It does not matter how much even personally you might buy into disliking her as the heel; the moment she walked through those doors that audience was going to scream that someone they know is coming back to their colloquial ‘home’ and with a championship was even better.  Daniel Garcia has been a pretty good heel but he can’t come back home to Buffalo without the crowd losing their minds for the Buffalo Boy from the car accident who finally made it big. 
On a slightly more personal note (but not, considering) – I would be one of those people cheering for Garcia, and I did a lot of it when he was the Empire State Wrestling Champion despite being a heel.  Didn’t matter; at his last match there wasn’t going to be any booing it would be disrespectful to all he did to start with.  Speaking of ESW – the first show they got to hold after COVID took over the world?  Show kicked off with a match between two locals: the heel (Captain Nick Ando) from the next city over, and a hometown face (Brandon Thurston).  As preliminary context: Thurston is a great wrestling talent & trainer, but has never been well-liked.  The crowd considers him to be unrelatable and while this was fine as a heel, he has never really been over as a face. 
I don’t think I ever heard a bigger pop, a louder crowd, more ecstatic cheering, than I did the moment Nick Ando finally walked through that curtain.  Conversely, I don’t think a crowd has ever booed deeper for someone than they did for Thurston; they made damn sure to let him know he was neither forgotten, nor forgiven for being a boring ass unrelatable face.  And despite that…if you had seen Thurston’s face (I did; I sit by the ramp for a reason) you would have recognized the look of pure joy that rested there.  That man could not keep a smile off of his face if his life had depended on it.  We may as well have been chanting ‘welcome home’ because that’s what it looked like…he looked home. 
Which is why I reiterate – it’s not the content of the noise being made.  If you are adamant that cheering a heel means their doing their job badly then how do you account for the hometown pop?  Brushing it off seems insincere; they are just as big of fans of the product as you are after all and they’re showing that appreciation.  People don’t feel like the hometown representative is some stranger after all; the crowd takes a sort of ownership of that person and the town is proud.  Proud that someone ‘made it big’ and proud that they can take part in that in even a small way by hosting a show and turning out for support. 
Whether we cheer or boo is irrelevant in the long run; the wrestler isn’t going to look back and remember much of the content of the noise.  But they are going to look back and remember a crowd that made noise for them.  That loved them back with their lungs as forcefully as they could.  That they haven’t been forgotten; relegated to nobodies or a single sentence in a history book.  If you ever saw Mickey Rourke’s The Wrestler than what I’m saying should be crystal clear to you.  Thurston’s face was so full of joy not because he was being booed but because he was remembered; because during COVID he wasn’t forgotten and ignored and overshadowed. 
It is the reactions that keep this business going.  In that regard, then, the only way to fail is to be boring.   
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donutloverxo · 3 years ago
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A Royal Scandal 2
Modern royalty au
(Image from Pinterest)
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Cowritten with @lizzygal
I'm so sorry! I made a mistake while posting this yesterday so I'm reposting it now. Hope y'all enjoy💖
Note - Since y'all liked it so much we've decided to post this fic on both ao3 and my tumblr! There will be no taglists for this however💖 You can subscribe to the ao3 story to receive updates!
Please note that my stories are not to be stolen or reposted on any other site. Reblogs are welcome. This blog and this story is 18+. Do not read, follow or interact if you are not 18+.
Summary - Modern ruler, His Majesty King Steven G Rogers, is on a quest to make his long term secret relationship the real thing. He is a man in love and wants his lover and partner to be his queen.
Warnings - Smut (m/f), dub con/non con, sex tape, scandals, mentions of past domestic abuse, soft dark Steve, possessive Steve, spanking, power imbalance, Mentions of previous domestic abuse.
Pairing - King!Steve x reader
Word count - 8k
To be fair, Steven could understand why his mother was so upset after watching the entire footage from the royal steam rooms. He had a far better understanding after having seen the footage in question. The one that had led to his mother’s reaction that very morning.
Seated beside Carol on the ride back, he slipped in his wireless earbuds and pulled up the first video he found online on his phone.
A separate car had been sent for you for whenever your meeting completed. However, he had a whole series of his own back at the palace before his day could be considered over in the administrative offices. Days were never really over for him. Should anything happen somewhere in his nation, he would be informed. As was expected for a ruler.
Until then, he had fifteen or so minutes to kill till he arrived back at the royal palace, depending on city traffic.
Which was how he found himself watching what was obviously some sort of hidden camera. As the royal banya did not have CCTV cameras. Steve found himself making a mental note to himself to ask Carol about it.
After he watched the video.
He had the feeling that this would not be going away anytime soon. Therefore, he needed to know what was on there if he was going to have to defend his actions, or even speak about it.
It was somewhat surreal watching himself walk into view wearing nothing. Not even a towel. Talking with someone who was obviously you.
Based on where the camera was located, Steve could tell it was somewhere in the hallway that led from the steam rooms into either the showers or locker room. Thank all the saints above your back was to the camera. Half of it anyway. You were standing at a turn in the hallway, leaning against the wall. Half of you hidden. A towel wrapped around your body.
Thanking those saints above still that there was no sound, Steve watched on as a voice narrated the video, some celebrity blogger dissecting the footage as if it were a pivotal moment in some sporting event.
Steve watched himself turn to face you, facing the camera too and exposing his entire self to the world.
Not that he was ashamed. He had nothing to be ashamed about. Steve was built tall and powerful like his father and mother’s father. He kept himself in shape and as for the manhood that hung heavy between his thighs, he refused to be embarrassed by that either. The blogger however did have several opinions about what she referred to as, the royal sword.
She also seemed to be very opinionated when Steve watched himself kneel down in front of you. He’d never watched himself go down on you before and found himself transfixed, easily able to ignore the blogger’s excited rambling.
For once, Steve watched your hands sink into his hair as he sank between your legs. He watched your pleasure grow and grow, he watched you sag back into the wall and reach up, grabbing at it like a cat stretching out in the hot sun.
Seeing it happen like this? Steve felt like a voyeur. He felt like he was doing something wrong. And then, he watched you climax on his face. He watched your hands tighten up against the corner of the walls meeting. He watched himself stand and no longer noticed the commentary as he sheathed himself between your legs and proceeded to pound you into the wall without mercy.
His attention caught on one little inconsequential thing. Watching one of your legs that wound over his thigh bounce wildly each time.
Quickly he exited out of the video and blog. Unwilling to watch more. Pulling a bud from his ear, he glanced over at Carol who was watching the city fly by her window.
“Have you inquired as to if the palace guard has looked into how the video was taken in the royal banya?”
Blonde hair dusted her shoulders as she looked at her king. Carol answered without a second of hesitation. “Already done Your Majesty. The camera was found this morning. A webcam of some type. It’s been sent away for fingerprints and I have the best IT professional I know looking into it, to determine if we can track down who it belongs to. The royal guard has also launched an investigation into all palace employees.”
“Thank you,” he answered her with complete sincerity.
Captain Danvers had been at his side since he assumed the throne and had proven herself hundreds of times over. She was his confidant. She was his bodyguard. She was his closest thing to a friend, if Steve could say he had such a thing. He could tell Carol anything. He had told Carol about you. Carol had told him about her sick mother and in return, Steve have given her a cottage on palace grounds while providing a nurse. So that Carol would be able to spend as much time as possible with her mother in her final days. Carol still lived on the palace grounds in that cottage down by the gardens.
“I’ll let you know when I know something,” she assured him.
***
Your return to the palace felt like it took forever. Mostly because your panties were very obviously damp from leakage and you were greatly concerned about a wet stain. The modern equivalent of a scarlet letter. Letting everyone know what you’d done.
Twice you’d checked in a bathroom along with every mirrored surface you came across.
Alas, it seemed you were in luck.
No one would know that you’d had inappropriate contact on a workday, or think you’d had an accident. Granted if someone would have noticed you planned on blaming your monthlies.
By the grace of the many women who came before you, you managed to get back to the palace without being caught and were about to go change your panties when a familiar face popped into your office.
“Hey! You’re coming! I’m not taking no for an answer!”
Wanda.
Bright red hair and a brighter red dress that was far from office appropriate appeared in your office, leaping in like an acrobat leaping onto a stage. Making you look up from where you stood behind your desk, digging through your handbag.
A bunch of different thoughts buzzed through your head.
What was Wanda talking about? Where did she want you to go? Did Wanda wear that mini-dress to work? Cause it was about five inches too short and did downright sinful things to the girls. Wanda could always pull off anything. She looked amazing in clubwear, sweats and those tea-party dresses that Jackie O was always wearing.
“Coming?” Fell from your lips in a valiant attempt to stall till you could make sense of what was happening. “What are you not taking no for an answer for this time?”
In your roommate swept like a hurricane.
“It’s practically six!” She declared, as if that was supposed to mean something to you. It had you staring at her and waiting for more information. Hands paused in their hunt for clean panties and a pantyliner in your bag’o’stuff. “No more talk of this fake boyfriend. You and me are going to go have dinner. We’re going to hit the bars to pre-game and then to the clubs! Everyone is going so you are too!”
Such news had you freezing in your patent leather pumps.
Pre-gaming? Dinner? Clubs? Everyone?
How?
It was only Thursday and then you remembered.
It was a long weekend. The winning of some great victory over the Germans from the big war that you only kinda remembered hearing about. Mostly because you’d been busy with the border issue and the education overhaul. You’d known that it was coming up and the entire four-day weekend would be spent celebrating.
Wanda saw your face. She saw what you were thinking. She was practically a mind reader. Which led her to pointing at you scoldingly. “No! No no no! No checking emails or messages. No more work. No! We’re going out tonight and we are going to have fun! You remember what fun is? Right?”
But…you really did have emails and messages to check. You actually did have a ton of work to do. Granted you always had emails and messages to check, plus work piling up. It was the nature of your job. Helping in the running of a country was a 24/7 gig.
“Wanda…”
“Nope!” She declared, marching on into your office and behind your desk to chase you out. Shooing you. Literally making you hop away and grab your handbag because you just knew Wanda wasn’t letting you back near your desk. That much was for sure.
Like a sheepdog, she herded you around your messy desk as you attempted to protest, to get her to listen, to inform her that you really really did have a good bit of work to do.
“Wait…hold on…wait, Wanda…just one second…gah!”
“No more protests! I’m not going to hear it anymore! I refuse to let you hide behind work or the fake boyfriend.”
More protests came from you. You tried. You really really did. But Wanda was shoving and pushing and hip bumping you out into a hallway that did not look like an office building, instead, it was very obviously a palace.
Your heels clicked on polished white marble that shone. Walls were cream and had priceless art hung around, gold gilded borders ran up along where the ceiling met the walls. Light fixtures were old, bronze and cut glass. Furniture that belonged in Sotheby’s was sparsely decorated around the halls.
Door were old and creaky up and down the halls, wooden with locks that required big iron keys.
It was unlike any other place you’d ever worked.
You could feel and see and even smell the smokey history oozing from the walls.
A few people were hurrying out of their offices and locking the doors behind them, which Wanda didn’t even let you do as she went on indignantly. “No! Nope! Clint from Tinder will not wait forever! He digs foreigners and he has a job and he loves to dance!”
At mention of Tinder, your gut lurched.
Dear god not this again.
Why had you ever agreed to let Wanda make you a Tinder profile? At the time it seemed so reasonable. Let her make the profile and she’d get off your ass about your alleged imaginary boyfriend. Problem solved! How on earth were you to know she’d be on the damn app making matches for you?
“Why don’t you go out with Clint from Tinder,” you wanted to know, earning yourself a roll of Wanda’s eyes as you were dragged down along the hallway to the massive marble stairs. Looking as if they’d been carved from one piece, smoothly curling down a floor to the ground floor. Large chandeliers hung with cut glass that threw light everywhere. A massive painting hung up on the large wall of a long dead large royal family in the palace of past.
“He’s not my type. But he is absolutely your type.”
Somehow you doubted that.
Sighing deeply and focusing on not snapping your ankle on the stairs and in your heels, you followed Wanda down, mixing in with the few stragglers who were leaving work and making mental notes to text Steve and let him know you’d be late coming back to the palace that night. You were then planning when you could check your work emails and work-phone messages. That had to be done in a quiet place where no one could overhear. Maybe you could go out to the club and feign a tummy ache? Then sneak away from Clint? It’d probably be much easily to sneak away from Clint than Wanda.
Click. Click. Click.
With every step you maneuvered down your heels were noisy. You’d managed to fling your sizable bag over your shoulder and just knew Steve was going to be annoyed with you. But he was an adult. Being adults meant the two of you would have to do things that you didn’t want.
“So help me, if it kills the both of us, you and I will be going out tonight and having a fun time! This is a celebratory weekend! There are festivities going on all over the city!” Wanda went on, yanking you along behind her upon reaching the bottom step and heading in the general direction of the ground floor exits.
Hurrying along behind her, you followed but you weren’t happy about it.
God did you have so much work to do and you really really wanted to spend the night with Steve. And maybe if you gave in to Wanda, she’d get off your ass about your fake boyfriend? Wait, no, your secret boyfriend, because Steve was very real, you just didn’t want to be eviscerated all over the internet and tabloids for dating a king.
You’d seen what happened when a pretty actress had dated then married a prince who didn’t rule his country. The only thing you had going for you was Steve’s country was still looked at with some serious side-eye from the world, due to past events and rulers. Plus, he wasn’t a young prince that had grown up before the eyes of the world. He was a son of a tyrant, a citizen of a sizable nation the world still viewed suspiciously with a questionable human rights record.
“You’re going to love the club! It’s totally new and they open at ten. Meaning we can have plenty of time with the girls!”
Girls?
As in plural?
Because of course this would be a group event. Wanda never half-assed anything.
“Wanda…” you began.
Before Wanda could turn her attention on you, loud shrill lady screams came and you were greeted to the sight of Maria, Okoye and Pepper. All three threw up their arms and grabbed Wanda in a big hug, yanking her away from you and freeing you from her grip.
Loud girl screeches followed.
There was group hopping and hugs and laughter.
It should have made you realize that it’d been so long since you had a fun girls night. It should have reminded you that you were young and your life shouldn’t be all about work and sneaking off with your boyfriend whenever the two of you were able to.
Your heart should have been warmed by the sight of your palace coworkers who were clearly part of the aforementioned Girls.
How long had it been since you had fun?
How long had it been since you’d had a night out on the town?
What were you doing?
Were you jumping and screeching and hugging too?
No.
You were digging into your handbag so you could text Steve real quick. To let him know about your change in plans before he began to think you’d bailed because you were a coward and got cold feet.
Just as your fingers touched the smooth surface of your iPhone…
A noise caught your attention.
Movement.
Peering up to the side at the wall, or what you’d assumed was a hallway wall since you were in another hallway nearly identical to the one upstairs. All while the hugfest continued. You noticed that the wall was at a weird angle. As if it were opening up on a hinge and by the time you realized that the wall was actually an opening to a hidden passageway, a hand grabbed your elbow and yanked you in.
No more than a soft squeak came from you.
In you tumbled.
Into a dimly lit hallway that was actually a passageway you found yourself. With a metal sounding click the wall slid back into place and a big hand fell over your mouth. Making you immediately panic, immediately reach up to grab the hand that was silencing you. Making an arm band around your chest and pull you flush back against a broad muscular body.
“Did you honestly think for one moment that I would allow you to go get drunk with Wanda? Or go to a club with a man that she met for you on Tinder?”
Steve.
It was Steve.
His faint aftershave still burnt your nose but paired with the masculine scent that was him, you relaxed only a little bit, just a smidge.
How the hell did he know all of that? Had he bugged your office? Was he following you?
Deep in your chest your heart pounded wildly. Your skin was on fire. Even though it was dimly lit, you swore you could see each nail and groove in the wooden walls of the hidden passage.
Steve’s shoes were soft on the carpeted floor. Yours however never reached. Your legs dangled. Desperately you stretched out to try and reach your toes down, but alas, Steve was holding you up and was simply that much taller than you. Easily holding you up as he carried you.
His voice an angry snarl, a seething whisp against your ear. “That is so disappointing my love. A failure on both our parts,” came his angry voice. Walking with sure footing and a quick pace through the only barely lit halls.
Turning here and there, quickly and suddenly, until you were very much lost.
A protest came from behind his palm that was crushed against your mouth. Your blood heating with every passing second till it felt as if it were boiling. All that sudden fear was turning into anger at this treatment.
“I’ve clearly failed you if you’re unable to announce with nothing but the utmost certainty that you’re both in a relationship and have no desire to go out clubbing with whomever Clint from Tinder is.” The word clubbing was spat out, as if Steve found it vile on his tongue. “As for you? Yesterday we were discussing where to go for your birthday and today, you refused to answer one of my calls! You have work to do tonight to make up to me your behavior today!”
Further down the hidden passageway you were unceremoniously carried pulled to his front. Your brain racing at warp speed.
You had work to do? You had to make up for your behavior?
Had he lost his damn mind?
Had he not seen the video of his naked nether-regions all over the internet? Or the sex that made the footage a sex tape? The two of you were now amateur porn stars and he was mad that you? Because you were trying to be lowkey until the entire situation blew over? Steve was mad because you were being reasonable?
A most valiant attempt was made to free yourself.
You struggled. You kicked. You flailed and shrilled behind the hand over your mouth. No longer taken by surprise or frightened. Now you were growing angry.
On top of being terrified of being found out in that footage and ridiculed by the world, or worse, chased out of this country by a horde of angry people who didn’t agree with you being the kings choice as not only a foreigner, but one from pretty humble roots. You were upset that the world saw such an intimate moment between the two of you and even if Steve didn’t care that his junk was all over the internet, you cared. You cared a great deal. The royal junk was your junk. It was bad enough you had to know he’d dated women before you who’d seen him nude and were intimate with him, but now the world? It was simply too much for you to comprehend.
Steve slowed and turned, using his elbow he made something pop and a slight crack of light where there was obviously another hidden door in the wall appeared.
Using his broad shoulder, Steve pushed the door open and stepped out into a hallway that led down to the royal chambers and split off.
With his knee, he shoved the hidden panel shut and tightening his grip on you, Steve hurried down that hallway.
A completely different one from where the administrative offices were located.
Rich wooden paneling covered the walls. Making everything appear warmer, lusher. An amber haze hung in the air.
Thick carpet was underfoot. Furniture spoke to its age but had been made with a quality that endured. Like this palace. Built when his land was called something else but had stood through time in proof of his claim to the throne.
Generations before him had ruled, claimed spouses and lovers in these halls, grown old and made history and now it was his turn.
Merely that knowledge had him growing excited in his slacks for a second time that day. All of your thrashing and struggling didn’t help. If anything, it sparked a part of his brain that insisted he ravish and conquer you in his royal bed.
Mouth pressed to your ear, till he felt amber and diamonds press against his lips. “I swear, I will spend the rest of tonight inside of you until things are as they were yesterday. Until you remember that when I speak to you in any manner, you answer. Considering how thoroughly you’ve consumed every last part of me, it is only fair.”
And then, in his slowed pace down the hall ever closer to the door that would lead into Steve’s Royal Apartment, he saw a portrait up on the wall that made him pause.
It was him.
Or his portrait from when he’d turned thirty.
There he stood looking down at you both. Dressed ceremonially in his crown, holding the traditional ruling scepter and wearing the robes from kings of past. Fur, jeweled toned fabric that he’d easily filled out with gold adornments, amber buttons and pipping on his shoulders.
What was most striking about this portrait compared to all the others of Steven throughout the palace, was he was alone in it and unlike all the others, at the time, he’d not been single.
Further making that internal fire burn hotter.
Making him stop and force you to look up at it with him. Framed in a gilded bronze heirloom. Up where he had to look at it to be reminded of what could have been.
“Look! Look!”
You stopped struggling and looked, were well aware of his mouth against your hair.
“See? See it? You could have been there with me. At my side. Wearing my crown. Wearing the robes and jewels of my grandmothers. My queen.”
And indeed you saw.
When you’d seen the finished portrait, you had been blown away at how your body reacted to the sight of your lover in his traditional uniform he only pulled out for big special events. How powerful he looked. How sexy he was wearing a crown, holding a golden scepter with an eagle on the end clutching a piece of amber the size of an egg.
The arm around your chest fell so he could point at the empty space in the picture beside him. “Look. Right there. That is where you would have been. Right there. At my side.”
His hand over your mouth still held you flush against him. Pulled tight against him.
That thought, that entire notion of you painted on a portrait, up there with Steve at his side. It was so surreal to you.
When it was just you and Steve it was fire and gold and everything was amazing. When it was King Steve and his Chief of Staff it was stimulating and exciting. You still weren’t sure about being queen. A queen! That wasn’t like being a princess or a duchess. A queen was different. Even the word felt different.
It made your heart start to pound wildly in your chest again. It made you breathe hard against the back of his hand. It made you have a physiological reaction.
***
This was not how Carol intended to spend her night.
It was not how she wished to start her off-time. Having given Val the update on all things that had transpired for the day as she handed off command of the Royal Guard to her fellow captain.
No sooner had she told Val everything, did one of the messengers from communications come hurrying in. A slip of paper in her hand. A note that changed everything for that night, that week and even that month.
It had left Carol walking through the royal apartments towards the Queen Mother’s rooms.
As she knew exactly what King Steven was doing and quite frankly, she wanted no part in disturbing that unless she absolutely had to.
Besides. The message that had been sent to the palace via royal envoy was meant for Her Majesty. It was best Her Majesty the Queen Mother figured out how best to deal with this coming…situation.
Compared to His Majesty’s Private Rooms, Sarah’s were all light and brightness. White marble and ornate touches. Colorful priceless paintings and large bouquets of fresh flowers in crystal vases. Soft plush furniture held little personal touches. A white chenille throw draped over her couch by a fireplace. Pink slippers sat on the floor. Books both new and ancient with various markers holding her place were scattered about. Fresh flowers. She loved fresh flowers. They were everywhere.
As expected, the door to the Queen Mother’s apartments were open.
Carol still paused outside of it to knock gently.
“Your Majesty?” She called out, looking at her watch to see that it was nearing seven. Around seven was when the queen took her dinner meal privately. Of course she’d leave the door open for kitchen staff to bring up food as usual. It wasn’t one of the nights that was reserved for Steve and his mother to have their dinners together.
After the death of her husband the former king, Sarah had effectively thrown open all the doors that he had imprisoned her with.
Her soft voice drifted out.
Delicate and gentle.
The Queen Mother sat in a large chair by a big window overlooking the city. Her pale hair pulled back at the nape of her neck. A string of pearls tightened and loosened around her fingers as she lowered the book she’d been reading. A pleasant smile came over her soft features.
Upon seeing the stone of Carol’s face, the queen frowned. “What is it? What is wrong?”
Only confirming that something was wrong, Carol shut the door and locked it.
Dinner had been brought up. Smells emanated from the queens private dining room off to the left. It reminded Carol that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast that morning. It had been that kind of a day.
Clasping her hands before her, she rocked back on her heels. “A message was sent by Her Highness Janet Van Dyne. She and her daughter will be at the palace tomorrow…”
Janet and Hope Van Dyne?
Steven’s former fiancée and her mother?
Two golden eyebrows rose, making Carol press on. “Her Highness is under the impression that they’ll be staying here? In the palace?”
All of this was new to Sarah.
She had not heard from Janet since Steve’s coronation. When she and her husband had been in attendance. Earlier that particular year, Hope had broken her engagement with Steven to run away with a Maharaja.
It’d been all over the tabloids.
A young princess of the Netherlands had broken her engagement to the crown prince of an incredibly traditional nation to follow her heart. Hope had spent many years splashed across tabloids and blogs with a handsome charismatic Asian Prince. She’d lost her royal title and gave tell-all interviews about how her family had forbade her from running away and how she’d never marry a man from infamous Rogers Royal Line. And then, oddly, she was back home with her family this year.
Sarah had found it unusual. Alas, she was a busy woman with a life of her own to keep her busy.
“Was anything else in the message,” Sarah wanted to know.
Carol shook her head.
It had been a simple message that was very to the point.
Sighing in a most un-Sarah-like sort of way. She set her book down on the arm of her chair and rose. Tall. Willowy. Pursing her lips. Her dress fell around her in a gauzy cloud.
“Do you want me to tell His Majesty?”
Pausing, the older women considered the question. Dare she tell her son? He deserved to know. Nothing good would come from this visit.
If it were Janet alone? Sarah would not be so suspicious. But Janet and Hope? And that they would come so last minute? After the release of this video footage from the royal sauna?
“Is my son with her?”
Silence.
Carol was quiet.
A noise came from the Queen Mother. A clicking of her tongue. Stepping into her slippers, she pulled the hem of her dress up. “I suppose I should not be surprised that you would keep this from me.”
More quiet came.
“I won’t ask. I’ll find out my own way and leave him be for now. Janet and Hope won’t be here tonight. This can be a problem for tomorrow, today has been difficult enough for us all. Let tomorrow be tomorrow.”
Let tomorrow be tomorrow.
On her other hand was her wedding band. A treasure itself. Now on the widow’s finger. It was so symbolic of the cage she’d lived in for the duration of her marriage.
Absentmindedly, she twisted the rings. “Have you eaten yet?” Pulling them up and down her hand. “I had hoped you would come. I had the kitchen bring up extra.” Off slipped the rings that she had to wear in public. In her hand they jingled until she set them down on a smoothly polished table.
With two heavy clicks, they bounced on the wood by a vase full of peonies. Freeing her for the time being.
“I missed you while you were away.”
A blush bloomed over her porcelain complexion at Carol’s words.
As she watched Carol lock the door to her chambers, a warmth bloomed within her chest. Such words were so simple. So honest. They were words she had not heard before in her life. In this new chapter however, in this new time in her life, she had become accustomed to kind words and compassion.
“I missed you as well.” She confessed, stepping closer and still keeping space between them. As some habits died hard. “Stay with me? Tonight?”
“There is nothing I want more, Sarah.”
***
As it turned out, now you were ready to talk.
However.
Unfortunately.
Steve was now past that point and was on a whole other page.
You found yourself protesting when he carried you into his bedroom like some manner of caveman would carry a slab of meat. Shrilling out when he yanked and ripped and tore at your dress, forcing it over your head after ripping fabric and popping buttons, till it was an unsalvageable heap of material and threads.
Which was an absolute tragedy.
You loved that dress.
You even pointed out that fact to him somewhere between the threshold of his bedroom and his massive bed that really was fit for a king.
It was so big!
A headboard wider than Wanda’s itty-bitty car was long. An elaborate collection of regal flourishes and shapes. Dark sheets so soft they were slippery awaited you as you screeched and hollered, letting out an outraged sound when your bra was popped then yanked roughly from you.
“Steven!” You admonished your king, toes digging deep into the thick carpet as you’d lost your shoes back in the hallway leading to his quarters.
This whole evening was going off the rails for you. There was no other way to put it.
Dim sconces on the wall lit the way. Highly effective mood lighting if you ever saw it. Allowing you to see the set in Steve’s face, the firm line of his mouth.
His fingers wrapped around the back of your neck so he could hold you close, ground out for your benefit. “All day long I tried. Calls. Messages. Texts. Did you want to talk? No. You ignored me. Now I do not wish to talk either.”
Pushing you forward, you found yourself stumbling but knew if you didn’t walk on your own, Steve would merely toss you up on his bed. Up on the sea of pillows. Framed by gilded silver and dark curtains that came down from above to allow for privacy.
“All day long you denied me. I’ll remind you what is mine until you’re thinking clearly again. Until we’re back where we were yesterday!”
“I’m ready to talk now! I’m in a place where I can discuss this with you! I am thinking clearly!”
Words were not needed.
Oh no.
Not when the king grabbed your hand, pulled your arm back and pressed your palm against his straining erection. Hot to the touch. Shockingly hard. Painfully so even you were willing to bet.
Your knees hit the bed and you were pushed forward till you fell over, till you wound up on the expanse of bedding in a tangle of hands and knees and that silky smooth material.
A big explosion came from Steve. Feeling like and you were flailing on your stomach, trapped beneath his oppressive weight and the bed. Fighting. Wiggling. Trying to get free from beneath him but bigger stronger arms had your wrists.
Something was being wrapped around your wrists that you couldn’t see, as your vision was impeded by the broad chest in your face. Right there. Blocking your line of sight. Pinning you down to the sea of grey until finally, finally, he was up and you were once more struggling, wiggling, jerking and finding that you were tied to the headboard.
You were tied to the headboard. You were naked and bound to his bed.
Silky fabric that was Steve’s tie bound your wrists snugly together and wove into the headboard, securing you there most soundly.
It was outrageous! It was absurd!
You were tied to his headboard!
It was a first for you.
When your gaze returned to your boyfriend and even that was now a bit questionable, you were greeted to the sight of Steve shedding his suit. Yanking off each garment without pause or care. A few tears were heard and he was far rougher than need be. A button or two may have flown off.
“You cannot be serious! That’s your plan? You’re going to take what’s yours? Are you serious? This is not the dark ages!”
Ignoring you, Steve shoved his slacks down his long legs. Allowing his rigid cock to bob obscenely. Causing an eyeroll to immediately come from you. A hint of something dark on his hip caught your eye. But it was only a flash and as he was moving, yanking off his suit jacket and fiercely ripping open buttons on his shirt, you couldn’t get a good look.
Was it a bruise? A tattoo?
Somehow you doubted kings were even allowed to have tattoos. Or that Steve even had the time to get himself permanently inked. When the hell did he get that bruise?
Momentarily distracted by him climbing up on the bed, you looked up to give your bindings a good hard yank.
No luck.
Steve’s weight was pushing you down. Shoving you into the bed. Pinning you down as you protested, implored and began to plea. Which was exactly what he wanted. After everything you had put him through today? You would beg. You would plead. You would forget all about that video.
“Open your mouth.”
It was an order.
It could be nothing less.
An absolute command that had your lips slowly parting as your eyes widened in surprise at the sudden treatment, this roughness. Steve held his painful erection in hand and pushed his tip to your lips. Pushed the red end of his cock sticky with precum past your lips. Till you were forced to open your mouth wider and wider for him. To take him deeper and deeper into your mouth.
Steve held your gaze and pushed his member in further. Straddling your chest and gripping his headboard in one hand, till it dug into his fingers. While his other hand grabbed your face to hold it tight.
You’d never be able to take all of him. He knew this. You’d never been able to no matter how much you’d tried. But he wanted to see how much he could fit in your mouth tonight.
“Don’t swallow. Don’t let me down again.”
Your mouth was so warm closing around him. Wet. Sacred. It made him want to close his eyes to sink in deep but Steve would not. He would do that soon enough. He would lose himself in your cunt soon enough.
A few small movements from his hips sank his cock deeper into your mouth. Filling your cheeks as you struggled. Until you found a motion of moving up and down his length, running your tongue along his sides. Wetting up his shaft till sloppy noises started to fill his ears and a small little dribble began to moisten the corners of your mouth.
Those blue eyes remained set on your own. Never once showing you mercy.
“Tomorrow. In the future. If I call or text, you will answer.”
There was no follow-up. Nor was it a question.
Long fingers that belonged on an artist or musician sank into your hair tightly.
All you could do was nod as drool rolled down your chin and you suckled his cock like you would a popsicle, without swallowing, sucking on his sensitive flesh as he liked and without the aid of your own hands to steady his member.
It was glorious and Steve could only slightly appreciate it. As the words that fell from his mouth were more important, more vital.
Feeling how wet your mouth was getting was fantastic. Absolutely. Your nimble tongue was a gift. No one had ever sucked his cock like you.
However…he was still frustrated, still angry, still hurt even.
He’d not worked his way through those feelings as of yet.
Perhaps? In your body?
Those feelings teased and taunted him with his unworthiness. Of how you hadn’t been firmer with your roommate. How you had allowed her to drag you down the stairs for a night out with possibly another man? It infuriated him. It sent his hips rocking into your mouth. It had his cock rubbing up along the back of your throat and made your eyes water.
No.
Steve would not lose you. He loved you too much to even entertain such a notion. No. Infact, he would make sure that he ruined you. By the end of the night, he would make certain that you’d never even amused the notion of being set up. He would be completely sure that when you left his chambers come morning, you would never be doubted when you told Wanda or anyone that you had a partner.
“I want to start publicly courting you. I want to be engaged this year. I do not want to hide any longer. When people look at you, I want them to know that you belong to me.”
Noises came around his cock that Steve knew were words and he did not care.
“Look at yourself.” Steve stilled, his words harsh, bitter even. “You have my cock in your mouth and I am completely at your mercy. Tied to the bed of kings because I cannot go one night without dreaming of you, fantasizing about your tight cunt and smooth skin. I would give you the world and all you want is nothing. You are the worst type of infuriating.”
As if to prove his point, he steadily pumped his pelvis up into your mouth. Each slide in pushed saliva and pre-ejaculate out, making it ooze from the seal of your lips around his erection. Against your throat his wet balls bounced. His ass rested on your chest and he could not get enough. More. He wanted more. He needed more. Craved more.
The urge to go harder was strong.
Steve wanted so badly to fuck you. To make you feel how much you drove him mad. How you caused him physical pain from longing alone.
With drool smeared down your chin and neck, never looking more beautiful in his opinion, Steve pulled his dick out. Done with your mouth for now. Needing more. Needing to grab your tits and to be closer to your face, looking closer into your eyes.
In a familiar sort of way, your throat bobbed.
“Did you just swallow when I specifically told you not to?”
A moment of hesitation followed from you that had Steve gripping your face, easing his body down yours but holding your slippery chin tight in his grip. Your eyes were wide. Again, probably without even realizing, you swallowed in nervousness.
“I’m…I’m sorry…”
“I’m sorry what,” he demanded, leaning down closer, licking the wetness from your chin and earning from you a most satisfying shiver that wracked your body.
“S-s-sorry, Your Majesty.”
His tongue was hot and wet on your chin. His body was heavy and hot on your own. Skin on skin contact made your brain short circuit. It was a miracle you could string those syllables together. With your hands bound so snugly to the bed. All you could do was take it. Take what he gave you.
Feeling him push your thighs open and position himself between your hips made you gasp. Words failed you.
And then words didn’t even matter because he was pushing into you. Claiming you. Taking what was his because you did belong to him. You belonged to him in every possible way.
A scream exploded out of you when he dove right in. Sank in till his crown was pressed up against the wall of your cervix. Deeper than anyone had ever been before. Hands were grabbing your ankles and spreading you wide. Spearing you on his cock. Stretching your body taut.
“So wet. You were made to take me. Made to take your king.” He whispered more to himself even though you heard. You would have heard a pin drop. You could hear your heart pound and blood rush through your ears, each gasp your lungs took. You could feel every last inch of him deep inside your core. Painfully stretching you open like this. Burning. Tingling. Twisting.
Hands tightened on your ankles till you looked up at Steve. Hovering over you like a pillaging warlord about to ravish his prize.
“You have till Monday to decide how you wish us to become public. I will not wait a day longer.”
Seeing you like this before him. Splayed out. Your pussy curled around his member, plump from being filled with your breasts round puddles up on your chest. It set his hips into a frenzy. Powerful thrusts were sent into your tight walls that made Steve grunt every time from the power behind his motions, from the sight of his cock vanishing up into you. Watching your pussy take him so hungrily as you cried out beneath him each time. Breasts swaying. Skin slapping on skin with the contact. Your hips jiggled, his headboard creaked, his balls slapped soundly against you both.
“Say it. Say the words to me. Say them!” Steve commanded you. Pieces of his hair falling and sticking to his sweaty forehead as he sank in to the very depths of you then pulled out, revealing a glistening shaft before slamming his member right back in where it belonged.
“Yes…yes…yes…yes…” you chanted, over and over, again and again with every thrust in, every withdraw that was like heaven and hell, your body needing him to complete this circuit only the two of you could create. “…yes…yes…my king…yes my king…”
Those words. They were a song to his ears and had your ankles slapped together. Those words had the backs of your thighs slapped wetly against his chest, your feet touching his shoulder as Steve continued to pound into you.
Pumping into your now closed thighs, into your tighter walls at this angle.
“Look!”
Dimly your eyes fluttered, you looked into his burning blue eyes.
“Look. Here.”
You followed his gaze to where he pointed, looking down at his pelvis, where his hip met his abdomen in that hard cut of muscle that was visible above his beltline. The one you loved to lick.
He did have a tattoo.
It took you a second to realize what you were looking at and focus, as his thrusts continued without mercy, pounding away, slamming into you without mercy. Shaking and pushing you into his bed.
Your writing was inked into his skin. Your very own signature.
Your name was forever scrawled into Steve’s skin and then, it hit you. Your climax took you by complete surprise. Your entire body went stiff. A pained noise came from you and you shattered all around his cock. Fingernails dug into your palm and you stared at your name in cruel ecstasy.
Steve fell too. You could tell from his thrusts getting wild, falling out of sync. You could tell because he swore out, clenched his face and held your thighs tight to his chest.
Pumping deeply into you while your body milked him for everything he had to give.
Making him merely a man in that moment with you.
Up on his headboard, you were tightly secured and would soon have bruises from arching up against the silk tie restraining you. Unable to do anything but feel and accept what your king was giving you. On your back. In a bed that past kings had slept in.
None of which was lost on you.
Not as your body felt leaden, filled with molten hot lava. Limp. Your secret garden continued to suck him in, clench around him and spasm, making your eyes roll up in your head, your body dig into his bed and words fall from your mouth.
In a most dignified sort of manner, your king humped into your body like a jack rabbit, chasing the last vestiges of his climax with coral wet lips and dark honey hair now damp with sweat.
A sight for your satiated eyes.
“Let me call my mother in the morning.” You breathed out slowly, as if figuring out how your lungs worked once more after a marathon. Your words making Steve still above you. Though your cunt did not. It twitched around his royal girth and you met his gaze from on his pillows. “Tomorrow you can have Maria release a statement saying whatever you want. Just let me tell my parents myself. They should hear from me that I’m not coming home.”
Whatever wind that may have held up his sails had clearly been withdrawn.
Almost tenderly now, Steve leaned forward to quickly loosen the silk around your wrists and free your hands from his headboard. Stretching out his long powerful body above you. Flushed red now. Glistening. Though he left his tie there. He remained inside of you too. Filling you and stretching you full.
Gently, he pushed your legs down until they wrapped around him and he was able to rest his weight most carefully on top of you. Pressing wet kisses to your nose, your cheeks and chin. Worshipping your face with delicate touches and caresses.
“I’ll fly them out here whenever you want. When we get back from Switzerland, I’ll have them waiting for you.”
Softly you answered, reveling in his softness now that your body had been given her reward, her treat, her pleasure from his roughness. Smelling the musk of his sweat and feeling the wet glide between your bodies.
Leisurely, your hands found their way up his muscular arms to his shoulders. “You know what I mean. I won’t ever be their daughter again. I won’t ever be Wanda’s roommate. I’ll have to quit my job. Nothing will ever be the same.”
Those words, well, they settled uncomfortably in him.
All of them were true.
You would be giving up so much. He would have to make sure to take care of you even more so, keep a closer eye on you. He would need to have a talk with his mother come morning.
“That’s true,” Steve softly conceded, rubbing his nose along your own. Barely grazing his lips over yours. A hint of a tongue touched you before his breath danced over your mouth. “We would be together though. Finally together. You. Me. Not hiding anymore.”
Speaking of hiding.
That word alone had you pulling away from his mouth to lean to the side, to get a look down at his Adonis belt. At the alluring groove that led down to his pubes where your name was now in black.
Nay, your signature.
As if sensing what you were after, your boyfriend tilted up a smidge. Enough for you to see but not enough for him to leave your body. Pray tell that couldn’t happen.
“When did you do this?”
“Do you like it,” Steve asked, as if your opinion mattered. Which was laughable considering how permanent it was.
He’d literally took your signature and had it tattooed on his body.
“Of course I love it. Now you have a part of me on you all the time.” An incredibly modern take on Steve’s royal jewel gift thing, but in reverse you thought. Then grinned as it sank in. “I can’t believe you did it though.”
Why wouldn’t he have done it?
Steve hadn’t thought twice when Maria had gone on about getting her late mother’s writing tattooed on her side, in a lasting forever tribute. Having your writing on him at all times had been an idea that hadn’t left him. Not until he’d had a tattoo artist praised for their work brought to the palace late the other night.
He wasn’t even going to lie, king or not, there was something downright satisfying about having something like this hidden on his body from all. Known only by you and him. A secret only for you two.
Bringing him right back to the thought that the biggest secret the two of you shared would soon be out.
Soon it would be public knowledge and that had Steve brushing his fingertips over your cheeks, kissing the swell of your cheekbone and moving ever just so to make a small moan come from you. “You’ll never regret this. I’ll love you for the rest of my life. I’ll devote myself to making you happy. You’ll never regret becoming my queen.”
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grimespostarchive · 2 years ago
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the grimespostarchive mission statement
“mission statement” lol it sounds so serious but i wanted to talk briefly abt why i made this blog and the goals with it now that it’s not just me posting into the void
seems obvious, but im a big fan of grimes and her music. even with the controversy/”dIsCoUrSe” that surrounds her i find her to be a fascinating cultural figure. i’m also interested in lost media - how media can get lost, how it gets found, etc. etc. and if you know grimes you know she has a very fickle social media presence (no stranger to tweeting then quickly deleting, probably so her words don’t get taken out of context). 
if you’re unaware, grimes purged most of her tumblr once in 2013 and again in 2018 for a few reasons - the main one being that she was tired of her random personal posts being taken and turned into headlines by music publications like pitchfork and such. understandable for her, but kinda the burning of the library of alexandria for fans because grimes’ tumblr is almost historical looking at the incremental rise to popularity she had. it was also very humanizing, to see this successful musician was just another nerd on tumblr posting about game of thrones and reblogging anime gifs. i see why it became such a liability when she got more mainstream.
so now some of her old posts are still accessible on her blog (@actuallygrimes) but it’s been reduced a signifcant amount, any post pre-2013 is *poof* gone. the things that stayed were: promo for her music, fanart she reblogged/reposted (w/ credit), sharing music/videos she enjoyed, and random reblogs of art and other stuff. it’s fun to look through but it’s much different from how it used to be. (as far as i know. i became a fan around 2019, i’m in no way an og lol).
but, when you delete something on tumblr it doesn’t exactly get wiped clean or become unrecoverable. with how tumblr works with reblogs, a deleted post that’s unavailable on op’s page can still be accessed on the active page of someone who reblogged it. (i panicked one time because i accidentally deleted a pretty popular post on my personal blog, but that post is still floating around in the ether getting likes and reblogs, i just don’t get notifications about it.) 
i got inspired to make this blog after seeing that the blog @/worldheritageposts has some of grimes old deleted posts logged on their page, the actual post and not just a screenshot. i thought it would be fun to try and find these old deleted posts in the wild and compile them into one place - cuz there’s loads of screenshots of her deleted posts, but there isn’t really one place to find all of it. i have massive respect for orgs like Internet Archive and others who try to preserve internet content (preservation is sooo important esp in the internet age) so i wanted to do something like that on a smaller scale. 
idk how popular this page is going to get (i just made it for myself, anyone who finds it and enjoys it is more than welcome to stay) but know that i probably will post some of her more controversial/unflattering deleted tweets relating to e*** m*** for preservation. with that, i DO NOT!!!! DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT want any discourse or fighting on this page. i want this blog to be an archive of grimes’ lost internet posts, nothing more than that. anyone who tries to hate on grimes or start fights gets blocked, please don’t bring that here. actually if there’s anything important to takeaway from this post it’s this.
most of all, i just want this to be fun! if you like grimes or lost media or both i hope you enjoy your stay. i’m still trying to figure out how sideblogs work actually (i’ve only had one personal blog since like 2015) but i want to follow some ppl back. also if you see me fuck up and accidentally post something to this blog that i meant to post to my personal, no u didn’t. have a good day yall stay grimey
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wordsnstuff · 4 years ago
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Guide to Writing Dark Fantasy
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What Is “Dark” Fantasy?
Dark Fantasy subscribes to the tropes and conventions of fantasy, while mixing in elements of the horror, thriller, and sometimes dystopia. Loosely, the magical elements of fantasy take a gloomier, more frightening turn. Dark fantasy is not simply “fantasy, but make it sexy or gory”. (I’m talking to those who cite Game of Thrones as an example of the genre.)
Yes, a lot of authors choose to incorporate heavier subject matter into dark fantasy stories, but things like rape and copious amounts of gore and death are not genre-defining. Darkness exists in every adult story, even if it’s only in symbolism, but the darkness in this sub-genre specifically persists throughout each scene and coats every element. This includes character development, plot development, world building, etc. 
Death Still Has to Mean Something
Something you have to understand about dark fantasy is that death can be a tool, but the nature of the genre shouldn’t make it any less impactful. When a side character or an extra gets killed, it should affect the reader emotionally, even if death is very common. If the death isn’t going to surprise them, it should unease or upset the reader. Death should never serve the purpose of filling space. 
Incorporate The Horrific
A lot of dark fantasy authors and writers have trouble or fail to incorporate the dark elements in a rounded, even manner. A lot of authors go for the “show the reader something undoubtedly tragic or traumatizing and the tone will endure” or the “if I sporadically kill characters for no apparent reason throughout the plot, the reader will stay disturbed and none will be the wiser”. 
The Villain Is The Key
The antagonist must be complex and compelling, and you have to use them well. Dark fantasy is a genre which depends on a fantastic villain or antagonist. It’s wise to create an antagonist whom the reader can understand, but who is severely misguided or obviously facing their own demons. Stories with a standard “I’m evil because my mommy didn’t love me” or “The world has been unkind to me so let there be fire” villain is outdated and, at this point, you have all the opportunity in the world to do better. 
If there’s one place where you should invest your creativity, make it the antagonist. 
The Darkness Is In Everything
Incorporating horrific things into fantasy is what makes this genre, true, but it has to be a consistent effort and an author must play the long-game. The darkness has to penetrate your word choice, the way you deliver new information in the text, the way you build up to important events, etc. The horror shouldn’t just spurt out every couple of chapters. You want to create a dark atmosphere, and an atmosphere must stretch beyond one or two scenes here and there.
Flawed vs. Unlikeable
This is a major downfall of a lot of dark fantasy works. It’s difficult to create a character whose flaws are so integral to the storytelling without making them unlikeable, but if you don’t toe this line carefully, your readers will put the story down. Yes, the character must be flawed and complex, and there are no heroes in the situation, but if there’s nobody to have hope for, then the reader will abandon the story. Nobody wants to sit and watch something that is sad and frustrating for the sake of depressing themselves. Well, some do, but not enough to convince someone there’s a market for your story.
Common Struggles
~ How do you craft a dark fantasy ending?... Not all pessimistic stories have to have a pessimistic ending. You can give your characters a positive outcome (or even just somewhat positive) without sacrificing the work you’ve done to maintain the genre’s tone and message. Most dark fantasy is about topics that are larger than the story itself, such as equality (in many aspects), existence, freedom vs. security, society vs. individuality, etc. Dark fantasy tends to branch off from the typical fantasy in terms of messaging because incorporating darker aspects of reality forces the reader to face harsher truths. Make your ending about what you want the reader to walk away with, and you should have no problem figuring out how to do it. 
~ How do you warn readers of possible triggers in non-fanfiction works?... Simply put, market your story honestly. Disclose any especially dark elements, and when advertising on platforms such as social media, perhaps provide an official disclaimer. The manner in which you warn readers of possible triggers is up to your own and whatever marketing team you have’s discretion.
~ How do you research dark topics while writing?... With purpose, caution, and practicality. I see a lot of posts that cover very tiny details that may go into fantasy, and while I encourage research of all kinds for every genre, I think fantasy is one where writers can get so caught up in getting every minute detail researched and recorded that they get burned out with their own ideas before they even put pen to paper. Research what you missed, then find holes as you write, and then do the rest of the research for the second draft once you’re finished with the first. Avoid burnout that comes with extensive research beforehand.
~ How do common fantasy tropes interact with darker aspects of the sub-genre?... There’s a lot of ways you can mix typical fantasy with typical horror/thriller and come out with dark fantasy. The main fantasy characteristics that persist in dark fantasy are setting and the way magic systems are executed in the story. Secondly, I see a lot of similarities in general world building. Where it deviates, I think, is in character development, plot structure, plot development, and messaging. The smaller events tend to be more mature, the character arcs turn more raw, the characters themselves are more flawed, and the plot develops in a much less linear fashion. The messages are heavier because the content is heavier. 
Other Resources
Resources For Fantasy/Mythology Writers
20 Mistakes To Avoid in Fantasy
Guide to Writing Fantasy
Guide to Story Researching
Commentary on Social Issues In Writing
On Writing About Sensitive Topics
Resources For Writing Royalty
Dark Quotes & Prompts
Angst Prompts
31 Days of Character Development : May 2018 Writing Challenge
Suspenseful Prompts
Sad Prompts
31 Days of World Building : August 2018 Writing Challenge
31 Days of Plot Development : January 2019 Writing Challenge
31 Days of Horror : October 2019 Writing Challenge
Resources For Creating Characters
Giving Your Protagonists Negative Traits
Writing Good Villains
Showing Vulnerability Without Death
Giving Characters Flaws
Creating Villains
Flipping Character Traits On Their Head
“Male characters are more relatable”
Tips on Character Motivations
Tips on Character Consistency
Resources For Plot Development
Guide To Plot Development
How To Write A Good Plot Twist
How To Foreshadow
Plot Structures
Describing Setting
Resources For Worldbuilding
Guide To Political World Building
Creating Diverse Otherworld Characters
Tips on Creating Magic Systems
Tips on Introducing Political Backstory
Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : High Middle Ages & Renaissance
Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : 1600s
Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : 1700s
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captnjacksparrow · 3 years ago
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Incoming *long* rant
I find it ridiculous when SS fans bash SNS and then go and talk about “development” and whatever like-
This is coming from someone who used to be an SS fan, this fandom WORSHIPS manga moments. Like a small moment between Sasuke and Sakura happens and they blow up literally. Whenever anyone criticizes SS they immediately point to these “SS development posts” that are always on Instagram and I wanna talk about that:
1- 2 full Instagram posts will be 18 slides (minus the introductory photo at the front) so you’re telling me, your ship has 18 slides/ SQUARES of pictures/moments from the manga and their explanation, and you wanna pull that in front of 7 HUNDRED CHAPTERS and tell me it’s enough development? Baby if I did that w SasuNaru it’d be like 30 posts. of small little sns moments AND their big ones AND everything sns owns.
2- if your ship don’t have enough meaning it. isnt. development. Tell me where the soulmatism is. Tell me how SS is visible in literature romance and has been culturally developed. Oh wait, you can’t. Cuz the soulmatism and literary romance/chemistry belongs to SNS. A moment of Sakura helping Sasuke / Sasuke thanking Sakura / Sasuke smiling at Sakura is not enough??? If I saw that between two characters in a show the last thing I would do is start shipping them lmao like
3- I’ll give you it, SS does have development, and there is a reason for a person to ship it.
but don’t you dare go bashing SNS when you know damn well you don’t stand against that ship when it come to development.
I hate the development argument. Even though SasuNaruSasu still wins in it, I still hate It. It’s disrespectful to literature romance. It’s disrespectful to plot in stories. It’s disrespectful to how romance works. It’s not that relevant. I will NOT pull every moment of SNS communicating and use it against SS fans (even though if I did SNS would win immediately in the whole development thing) because I value plot, importance to the story, soulmatism, etc.
Anyone who studies literature and how plots/stories work would NEVER, and I mean NEVER, use small moments of the story to prove a point. Look at the Game of Thrones fandom, when someone wants to analyze or defend Daenerys, they focus on her plot as a whole, what she did in every city/season/book, and point at it with societal, economical, and religious levels and ideas to prove a point about her. If they took EVERYTHING she did no one in the fandom would listen to them.
You can’t do that kind of thing with SS, you’d have to rewatch the story/manga with SS lenses, which means plot doesn’t matter any more.
The summary/point of this whole thing is: I’m not saying SS don’t have development/ moments, but they don’t compare to SNS and their importance to the plot and the literature of them.
Hmm... An SS turned SNS shipper's POV. Interesting.
As a strong Anti-Daenerys person, I do agree that she is a character that has every potential to analyze in-depth or even make a blog about her... The Author has a peculiar way to present her and always asks the reader at every decision she makes on her journey, "Can you able to make a rational judgment about Dany for what she really is... Rather than falling for her (seeming) heroism or her difficult past or her gender??". Most of the readers fall for one of the reasons I mentioned above and that's why she is an interesting character. Because historically, every dictators had hordes of blind supporters (atleast at the start) before they spiral into mass murdering bullshit.
But with SS, the thing is totally irrelevant to the plot or Sasuke. Even if there is no entity called Sakura, Sasuke's story would never change. And I did watched this series from SS lens... And I ended up annoyed with Sasuke (Naruto as well)... Like that scene where Sasuke flips off the plate of Apples in the Hospital, if it were me I would've flipped it back in his face. LOL. That's something Sakura would do if it were anyone other than Sasuke.
There are SS moments.. True.... But 98% of them are all negative and few remaining positive moments are either that comes under Comradeship moments which Sasuke did for Team Taka as well or just not 'Special' only to Sakura kind of moments... A Character who couldn't even make a dent on This 'supposed' Character with whom she was being shipped for 700 chapters... (???)...
I think if any SS shippers agrees the fact that 'I ship them because they look good together or I ship them because I simp for Sasuke'... Then there won't be any arguments. I mean no one bash any crack ships out there because they know it... But claiming that SS as this timeless romance as to which the entire Naruto story revolves around... Looks like 🤡🤡🤡.
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witchthewriter · 2 years ago
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Hi! I’m so glad I found your blog! I love it! I was hoping you would be able to do a matchup post for me.
My fandoms: Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and Harry Potter
Level Completed: 3
About me:
• she/her
• INFJ
• Bisexual
• Libra sun, Pisces moon, Aquarius rising
• Introvert
• Hates conflict but will do anything to defend the people I care about
• Generally an anxious mess
• Passionate to a fault
Hobbies: Cross stitching, reading, cooking/baking, history, snuggling my cat
Likes: hanging out with people in small groups, prefers staying in to going out, trying new food, sarcasm, morally grey fictional men, all women ever, a big thunderstorm, the smell of fresh roses and gardenias, cuddling up under warm blankets
Dislikes: mess, people who feel the need to be loud at all times for no reason, the cold, having to make decisions, weirdly specific but eels (why they gotta look like that tho?)
Thank you so much!!
Want one? Here be the rules 🦋🌈
Thank you for being patient!
𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫
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𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
I ship you with Ginny Weasley! Moreso book Ginny rather than movie Ginny - no hate to Bonnie, but they completely ruined her character. I mean she wasn't even a character in the movies, she was just ... there.
Anyway, I think you and Ginny would be a great couple. She would always look out for you and make sure that you're okay.
𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠
・She takes note of what you do to calm yourself down if you’re feeling anxious, or when your sad or overwhelmed. She does her best to take any burdens she can from your shoulders
・Would absolutely love to braid your hair, or playing with it. She’s a very physical person, and likes to hold your hand, or cuddle into you whenever she can. 
・Would throw herself in front of you if there was even a tiny threat of danger. 
Theme Song:
↬ ‘Hares on the Mountain’ by The Local Honeys
Relationship Tropes:
↬ Outgoing and Bold (Ginny) x Introvert Who Doesn’t Like Many People (You) 
↬ Aggressively Supportive 
𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬
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𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
I ship you with Sansa Stark! Specifically, the woman she develops into after leaving King's Landing and the Boltons. She's an independent, strong and smart woman, who knows what she wants and how she's going to get it.
𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠
・She loves to pepper kisses all over your face, it’s always done in private because Sansa isn’t big on PDA, but she is so loving when it’s just the two of you. 
・She’s very witty and has a lot of good banter. She loves when you two sit and laugh about awkward interactions and embarrassing stories. 
・Would kill anyone for you, without a moments hesitation 
Theme Song:
↬ ‘I’m Kissing You’ by Des’ree
Relationship Tropes:
↬ Sun x Moon 
↬ Mutual Yearning (TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE SHE WANTED YOU SO BAD)
𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧
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𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
I ship you with Rhaenyra, I think you two would have a relationship based in friendship. You have similar personalities and I think she would appreciate being with someone who likes to be away from the crowds and sneers.
𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠
・She would defend you against ANYONE AND EVERYONE. No one talks ill of her partner, and she would go down swinging if she must
・Loves humming and you can always find her in the castle because she’s absentmindedly doing so
・And she loves to slow dance, she would love swaying with you back and forth
Theme Song:
↬ ‘To Bring You My Love’ by PJ Harvey
Relationship Tropes:
↬ Childhood Friends to Lovers 
↬ Forbidden Love
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megsironthrone · 4 years ago
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A Change of Fate
Based on this request:  hiiii could i request one with Gendry, she’s a high born lady and they’re in love but shes married off to someone else because her family don’t approve of him her husband dies and when she finds out Gendrys alive they reunite. He’s legitimatised and they go off to storms end together?
Here you are, my lovelies! I do not own ANY Game of Thrones characters!
Warnings: Angst? Arranged marriage, death, FLUFF!! Some suggested steaminess??
Pairings/Characters: Gendry Water/Baratheon x fem!reader, Samwell Tarly
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"Please don't make me do this," you begged. Your heart sank to your feet as your pleas fell on deaf ears yet again. "Father, please. I can't marry him. Please don't make me." Your father finally turned his eyes on you. "Y/N, you are going to marry young Dickon Tarly. There will be no question about it.'
         "But I can't! I can't marry him when I love someone else. Father, I beg of you to listen!" You felt foolish, like a child, arguing with him. You knew it was inevitable. You were going to have to marry Dickon. Once your father made up his mind, there was no stopping him. "You will not be seeing that blacksmith ever again, Y/N. Now, I don't want to hear another word on the subject." After pleading once more to at least let you tell your lover yourself, you ran off to see Gendry for the last time.
         Years had passed since you'd been forced to marry into House Tarly. Dickon was truly a good man, despite his father, who you loathed. And Dickon was a good husband. If your heart hadn't been in taken by Gendry all those years before, you might have been able to come to love Dickon. As it was, there would be no chance to find out.
         You sank to your knees as the messenger told you the news. Your husband was dead. Executed for standing with his father against the Dragon Queen. While you hadn't loved him in the way he had loved you, he was still your closest friend and confidant. The messenger continued on in the background, talking about how the Dragon Queen was heading to Winterfell and to help against the Army of the Dead. He said there were rumors that she was with Ned Stark's bastard son, Tyrion Lannister, the Hound, and…
         "Bastard Baratheon? I thought Cersei killed them all," your good mother said. Your ears perked up. There was only one Baratheon bastard you knew that had survived against Cersei's wrath. He had escaped thanks to Ned Stark. "Apparently not, My Lady. There is one left. Worked as a blacksmith I believe." You had to hold back a gasp. He really was alive?! And headed for Winterfell. If it was true, you knew what you had to do.
         In the dead of night, you packed up a few things, saddled your horse, and rode North. You hoped you'd make it in time. You had no desire to bend the knee to Daenerys Targaryen, but you had to see Gendry again. Some people might accuse you of not caring that your husband had just died, but you knew he would have understood. He had been in love with someone else before you married too.
         You rode as quickly and safely as you could, arriving in Winterfell just days before a battle was about to take place. The stronghold was armed and ready for a fight. The guards at the gate nearly didn't let you in. It was only thanks to two familiar faces that they moved aside. "Y/N?" The guards turned and you were able to catch a glimpse of your good brother. "Samwell!" The guards moved to let you through. You threw your arms around Sam and squeezed him tightly, thanking the gods he too was alive. It was then that you let your gaze wander to his companion.
         "G-Gendry?" You cursed yourself for stuttering. His piercing blue eyes stared back at you as if he couldn't believe it himself. "You're here." You let go of Sam to get a good look at the love your life. He was a bit taller, broader. And he'd cut off most of his hair. You met his gaze again to see that he had been doing the same to you. "This is the…? Oh. I'll, uh, leave you to it then, shall I?" Sam said, knowing who you and Gendry used to be to one another.  
         "You're alive," you whispered. Gendry nodded. "And you're here alone. Shouldn't your husband be looking after you?" You glared at him. "You know damn well I never needed anyone looking after me," you hissed. Gendry chuckled softly and shook his head. "I know that, Y/N. But seriously, what are you doing here? Does he know you're here?"
         "His name was Dickon and he's dead. Queen Daenerys executed him and his father." Gendry at least had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry," he muttered. You softened a bit. "It wasn't your fault. And he wouldn't have cared that I came here. He knew I didn't love him. How could I? I gave my heart to someone else a long time again. A blacksmith with noble blood and a bastard name." It seemed to take him a minute to make the connection, but once he did, his eyes widened almost comically.
         "Me? You traveled all this way to find me?" You nodded. "Once I heard you might still be alive, I had to see for myself. Even if…if you no longer love me. Even if you despise me. I had to know that you're safe." You looked up at him, waiting for him to say something.
         What you got wasn't words. That wasn't Gendry's way. So, it came as no surprise when you suddenly felt his arms wrap around you. His gaze flickered down to your lips and then back up to your eyes, silently asking permission. As soon as you consented, Gendry's lips were on yours, attacking your lips fervently. If not for the sudden cheers, you would have forgotten anyone else was there. Gendry pulled away, took your hand in his, and pulled you after him toward his chambers.
         Once inside, Gendry's lips were on yours again, but they didn't stay there. He kissed you all over your face, making you giggle. "I love you, Gendry." Gendry pulled you close. "I want to be with you," you continued. "What about your parents? I'm still a bastard. Still a blacksmith." You shook your head against his chest. "I don't care. I've never cared. If you'll have me, I want you." Gendry chuckled. "If I'll have you? Y/N, I'll always have you. In every way you let me." You felt your skin flush as his warm breath tickled your ear.
*time skip*                                                            
         You sat next to Gendry, practically clinging to him. After the battle with the Night King's Army, you were so grateful that you were both alive. From the moment you both saw that the other had survived, you had been nearly impossible to separate. It was probably annoying and somewhat nauseating to the people around you, but you didn’t care. You had missed out on so much time together and then you both nearly died in battle. You weren't about to let one another go for a while. It wasn't until Queen Daenerys spoke directly to Gendry that you even paid attention to anyone else.
         You could hardly believe it when Daenerys pronounced that Gendry was no longer a bastard. He would be given the Baratheon name as well as all the lands of Storm's End and the title of "Lord". He thanked her profusely before turning to you. You let him lead you from the room once all the cheers had died down and everyone had stopped staring at him.
         "Can you believe it? I'm a lord! I'm not a bastard anymore." You beamed at him. It wasn't like him to get so elated about things, so you were happy to let him enjoy the moment. "I can marry you," he said suddenly. He pulled you close to him again. "Marry me? Please say you'll marry me? We waited long enough." You laughed and nodded. "Of course I'll marry you, Gendry. You didn't even have to ask. Now come here and kiss your future bride."
         Samwell married you and Gendry the night before the army was to leave for King's Landing. He'd had enough training and study with the Maesters to at least do that. You and Gendry decided to travel to Storm's End instead. "I think, if Dickon were alive, he'd want you to be happy," Sam had told you when you had asked him. You and Gendry headed out the next morning, blissfully happy in your new life. Together.
(a/n: I hope you like it!)
Forever Tags: @fizzyxcustard @brewsthespirit-blog​ @etherealpotter​ @line-viper​ @frozenhuntress67​ @cd1242​ @smalltownbigheart​ @gruffle1​ @igotmadskills​
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wolfstar-in-color · 3 years ago
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July Colorful Column: Remus is a Crip, and We Can Write Him Better.
There is one thing that can get me to close a fic so voraciously I don’t even make sure I’m not closing other essential tabs in the process. It doesn’t matter how much I’m loving the fic, how well written I think it is, or how desperately I want to know how it ends. Once I read this sentence, I am done.
It’s written in a variety of different ways, but it always goes something like this: “You don’t want me,” Remus said, “I am too sick/broken/poor/old/[insert chosen self-demeaning adjective here].”
You’re familiar with the trope. The trope is canonical. And if you’ve been around the wolfstar fandom for longer than a few minutes, you’ve read the trope. Maybe you love the trope! Maybe you’ve written the trope! Maybe you’re about to stop reading this column, because the trope rings true to you and you feel a little attacked!
Now, let’s get one thing out of the way right now: I am not saying the trope is wrong. I am not saying it’s bad. I am not saying we should stop writing it. We all have things we don’t like to see in our chosen fics. Maybe you can’t stand Leather Jacket Motorbike Sirius? Maybe you think Elbow Patch Remus is overdone? Or maybe your pet peeves are based in something a little deeper - maybe you think Poor Latino Remus is an irresponsible depiction, or that PWPs are too reductive? Whatever it is, we all have our things.
Let me tell you about my thing. When I first became very ill several years ago, there were various low points in which I felt I had become inherently unlovable. This is, more or less, a normal reaction. When your body stops doing things it used to be able to do - or starts doing things you were quite alright without, thank you very much - it changes the way you relate to your body. You don’t want to hear my whole disability history, so yada yada yada, most people eventually come to accept their limitations. It’s a very painful existence, one in which you constantly tell yourself your disability has transformed you into a burdensome, unworthy member of society, and if nothing else, it’s not terribly sustainable. Being disabled takes grit! It takes power! It takes a truly absurd amount of medical self-advocacy! Hating yourself? Thinking yourself unworthy of love? No one has time for that. 
Of course, I’m being hyperbolic. Plenty of disabled people struggle with these feelings many years into their disabilities, and never really get over them. But here’s the thing. We experience those stories ALL THE TIME. Remember Rain Man? Or Million Dollar Baby? Or that one with the actress from Game of Thrones and that British actor who seemed like he was going to have a promising career but then didn't? Those are all stories about sad, bitter disabled people and their sad, bitter lives, two out of three of which end in the character completing suicide because they simply couldn’t imagine having to live as a disabled person. (I mean, come on media, I get that we're less likely to enjoy a leisurely Saturday hike, but our parking is SUBLIME.) When was the last time you engaged with media that depicted a happy disabled person? A complex disabled person? A disabled person who has sex? No really, these aren’t hypothetical questions, can you please drop a rec in the notes?? Because I am desperate.
There are lots of problems with this trope, and they’ve been discussed ad nauseam by people with PhDs. I’m not actually interested in talking about how this trope leads to a more prevalent societal idea that disabled people are unworthy of love, or contributes to the kind of political thought processes that keep disabled people purposefully disenfranchised. I’m just a bitch on Tumblr, and I have a bone to pick: the thing I really hate about the trope? It’s boring. I’m bored. You know how, like, halfway through Grey’s Anatomy you realized they were just recycling the same plot points over and over again and there was just no WAY anyone working at a hospital prone to THAT MANY disasters would stay on staff? It's like that. I love a recycled trope as much as the next person (There Was Only One Bed, anyone?). But I need. Something. Else.
Remus is disabled. BOLD claim. WILD speculation. Except, not really. You simply - no matter how you flip it, slice it, puree it, or deconstruct it - cannot tell me Remus Lupin is not disabled. Most of us, by this point, are probably familiar with the way that One Canonical Author intended One Dashing Werewolf to be “a metaphor for those illnesses that carry stigma, like HIV and AIDS” [I’m sorry to link you to an outside source quoting She Who Must Not Be Named, but we’re professionals here]. Which is... a thing. It’s been discussed. And, listen, there’s no denying that this parallel is a problematic interpretation of people who have HIV/AIDS and all such similar “those illnesses” (though I’ll admit that I, too, am perennially apt to turn into a raging beast liable to harm anything that crosses my path, but that’s more linked to the at-least-once-monthly recollection that One Day At A Time got cancelled). Critiques aside, Remus Lupin is a character who - due to a condition that affects him physically, mentally, emotionally, and intellectually - is repeatedly marginalized, oppressed, denied political and social power, and ostracized due to unfounded fear that he is infectious to others. Does that sound familiar?
We’re not going to argue about whether or not “Remus is canonically disabled as fuck” is a fair reading. And the reason we’re not going to argue about whether or not it’s a fair reading is because I haven’t read canon in 10-plus years and you will win the argument. Canon is only marginally relevant here. The icon of this blog is brown, curly haired Remus Lupin kissing his trans boyfriend, Sirius Black. We are obviously not too terribly invested in canon. The wolfstar fandom is now a community with over 25,000 AO3 fics, entire careers launched from drawing or writing or cosplaying this non-canonical pairing. We love to play around here with storylines and universes and races and genders and sexualities and all kinds of things, but most of the time? Remus is still disabled. He’s disabled as a werewolf in canon-compliant works, he’s disabled in the AUs where he was injured or abused or kidnapped or harmed as a child, he’s disabled in the stories that read him as chronically ill or bipolar or traumatized or blind or Deaf. I’d go so far as to say that he is one of very few characters in the Wide Wonderful World of media who is, in as close to his essence as one can be, always disabled. And that means? Don’t shoot the messenger... but we could stand to be a tiny bit more responsible with how we portray him. 
Disabled people are complicated. As much as I’d like to pretend we are always level-headed, confident, and ready to assert our inherent worth, we are still just humans. We have bad days. We doubt our worth. We sometimes go out with guys who complain about our steroid-induced weight gain (it was a long time ago, Tumblr, okay??). But, we also have joy and fun and good days and sex and happiness and families and so many other things. 
Remus is a disabled character, and as such, it’s only fair that he’d have those unworthy moments. But - I propose - Remus is also a crip. What is a crip? A crip - like a queer - is someone who eschews the limited boundaries placed on their bodies, who rejects a hierarchy of oppression in favor of an intersectional analysis of lived experience, who isn’t interested in being the tragic figure responsible for helping people with dominant identities realize how good they have it. Crips interpret their disabilities however they want, rethinking bodies and medicine and pleasure and pain and even time itself. Crips are political, community-minded, and in search of liberation. 
Remus is a character who struggles with his disability, sure. But he’s also a character who leverages his physical condition to attempt to shift communities towards his political leanings, advocates for the rights of those who share his physical condition, and has super hot sex with his wrongfully convicted boyfriend ultimately goes on to build community and family. Having a condition that quite literally cripples you, over which you have no control, and through which you are often read as a social pariah? That’s disability. But using said condition as a means through which to build advocacy and community? Now that’s some crip shit. 
Personally, I love disabled!Remus Lupin. But I love crip!Remus Lupin even more. I’d love to see more of a Remus who owns his disability, who covets what makes him unique, and who never ever again tells a potential romantic partner they are too good for him because of his disability. This trope - unlike There Was Only One Bed! - sometimes actually hurts to read. Where’s Remus who thinks a potential romantic partner isn’t good enough for him? Where’s Remus who insists his partners learn more about his condition in order to treat him properly? Where’s sexy wheelchair user Remus? Where’s Remus who uses his werewolf transformations as an excuse to travel the world? Where’s crip Remus??
We don’t have to put “you don’t want me” Remus entirely to bed. It is but one of many repeated tropes that are - in the words of The Hot Priest from Fleabag - morally a bit dubious. And let’s face it - we don’t always come to fandom for its moral superiority (as much as we sometimes like to think we do). 
This is not a condemnation - it is an invitation. Able-bodied folks are all but an injury, illness, or couple decades away from being disabled. And when you get here, I sincerely hope you don’t waste your time on “you don’t want me”ing back and forth with the people you love. I’m inviting you to come to the crip side now. We have snacks, and without all the “you don’t want me” talk, we get to the juicy parts much faster. 
Colorfully,
Mod Theo
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cozycottagetarot · 3 years ago
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Pick A Pile: Your Next 6 Months
July - December 2021
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Disclaimer: All readings and tarot/blog games are for fun and entertainment purposes only. It is in no way meant to act as or replace professional advice of any kind. You know yourself and what’s going on in your life best so I asks that you trust yourself above all else. Finally please take only what resonates from the reading which may be some of it, all of it, or none at all.
Reading Specific Disclaimer: Keep in mind this is just for fun and ultimately your actions and things you can’t control are the factors that will truly determine how the next 6 months pan out for you.
PILE 1
Theme // The Lovers Rx — Hello Pile 1! The theme for your next 6 months are all about finding your passion and building a relationship with yourself. Are you going through a rough patch right now Pile 1? Because I’m seeing you getting out of it or having a major shift by the end of the year.
July // Knight of Cups — With the knight of cups, I see you need to get your mood and mindset in check during the month of July. The energy you are in right now could be sooo much better my love. I feel like you’re holding back, there’s this brooding energy I’m picking up on. Focus on expressing yourself in some format (creatively, journaling, when talking to others) because if you do so I see you can allow yourself to begin this journey of transformation.
August // Seven of Pentacles — I’m picking up this energy you may potentially have of “when will things start to get better?” The answer— when you start putting in the work. That’s what August is about. Take some time during this month to really check your strategy at whatever it is you’re brooding about and come up with a game plan.
September // Ten of Swords Rx — So far if you’ve taken the tarot’s advice, then in September you’ll find yourself finding your momentum and strength again as the Ten of Swords Rx can signal getting off of rock bottom in a sense.
October // Ace of Pentacles — To me aces represent new beginnings. During the month of October something you’ve been manifesting (remember August?) is going to start coming thru. I’m also picking up on your financial situation improving or new financial opportunity coming through.
November // Ace of Swords — Your are going to be able to think and see things much clearer during November Pile 1. I don’t see a major ‘aha’ moment, but I do sense a subtle "oh my gosh look how well I’ve been doing" type of energy. 6 may also be a number of importance for you here too.
December // Death — Finally we’ve made it to December and I feel so much good vibes. The previous months may have been… challenging and have pushed you to grow, but when I look at the cards I see something beautiful, and I see progression. You started out, Pile 1, with the knight of cups riding forward with his/their white horse, cup in hand (an intention of sorts) and end with Death on their white horse but now a skeleton holding a flag of what we’ll call victory. I know, it sounds morbid, but the point I’m trying to make is that Death represents transitions and endings, and that is what December had in stored for you.
Oracle Card — Chant//Invoke
Yogi Tea Messages — “In every moment of life, you should be what you ought to be.” | “If we are happy, everybody looks up and shares our happiness.”
PILE 2
Theme // The Fool — Pile 2, I’m not sure the cards wanted you to know what’s in store for you over the course of the next three months. Therefore your reading is kind of short so if you have specific questions just send it in an asks. The general energy is very guarded. The fool here represents, beginnings and potential.
July // Ace of Cups — Ace of Cups is mainly about love and peace. I felt inclined to draw another card and out popped the Ten of Swords. Maybe you’ve had a not-so great experience happen recently, and July is about healing from it and trying to find a place of love and peace within yourself.
August // The Hermit — On this idea or energy, I see The Hermit as hinting that during the month of August you may find yourself doing a lot of self reflection Pile 2. I wanted to know what you were potentially doing self reflection on and out came the Six of Wands which, summarised, is about success and recognition. Self reflection on your progress maybe?
September // Death Rx — During the month of September beware of being resistant. Alternately, things maybe moving slowly and in wanting things to move faster, you maybe creating resistance to your blessings coming thru. Ultimately going with the flow.
October // Eight of Wands — I moved the eight of wands and under it was The Star which I hadn’t realised and was pleasantly surprised. With these two cards, I’m hearing if you heed death’s advice of being aware of your resistance to whatever is going on, you’ll see a sudden improvement in your situation. In October things are picking up and the things you’ve been wishing for will come to you.
November // The Chariot — One of the first things to come to me with this card was ‘faith, trust and pixie dust’. I have no idea why but maybe you do Pile 2. I see you having lots of motivation with The Chariot, finding balance, and success with a problem or situation you maybe having.
December // Four of pentacles Stability will be yours by the end of the year pile 2. However there’s an energy I’m not feeling. I pulled a card to clarify and got the Knight of Swords. Things are coming through for you in December but there is also a message to be aware that the chariot energy you’re carrying from November to December doesn’t morph into an energy stemming from greed and superiority.
Oracle Cards  — Mystery//Dream & Align//Ignite
Yogi Tea Messages — “Think seriously and think honestly.” | “We are born wise, we are born complete.”
PILE 3
Theme // 10 of Swords — Have no fear pile 3,   I’m reading this card as the next 6 months marking completion to a rough  phase in your life.
July // 6 of Wands — Success and   victory you’ve been growing and working on yourself or a creative endeavor. During July you may find yourself acknowledging your progress,  or other’s may comment on how well you’re doing.
August // 8 of Swords Rx — If you have been feeling powerless or trapped Pile 3, that is going to change. You may be opening your eyes to a situation or a truth maybe revealed.
September // King of Swords — I’m seeing you stepping up and being in-charge... being more levelheaded. With the butterflied on the throne, I’m thinking maybe you were more erratic in thought or and emotion? Or maybe during September butterflied will be of importance. Honesty and good communication is also key.
October // 6 of Cups — During October you maybe taking a trip down memory lane, or indulging in old/childhood enjoyments. Someone from your past may also be showing back up in your life.
November // 10 of Pentacles — I see you coming into abundance. It could be material abundance but it doesn’t have to be. There’s also a message of keep doing what you’re doing.
December // 9 of Cups — To end the year off you maybe feeling more content and satisfied with the things you’ve been doing. Keep up the mindset you’ve seemingly come into and enjoy the good things life has to offer.
Oracle Card —  Love//Empathy
Yogi Tea Messages — “People who love are giving.” | “Let your energy be used to build not destroy.”
PILE 4
Theme // 6 of Swords Rx — Pile 4, my chaotic little bunch. With the 6 of Swords reversed I feel you maybe regressing if you’re not careful.
July // 5 of Wands Rx — Here this card represents the end of conflict and moving on. I don’t know if it’s working out for you... I feel like you might just be like ‘screw it’ and move on. Throughout the reading I kept feeling like it was related to familial disagreements so for some of you that could be it.
August // The Fool —  The fool is about fresh starts, potential and being carefree. While I do see that, in this reading the dog by the fool’s foot jumps out at me as a warning of sorts. While new beginnings may be in the works, be careful of making rash decisions and not thinking things through.
September // Justice — I see things as balanced for you during September Pile 4, maintain that energy of balance going forward.
October // Queen of Wands — For me this is one of my favourite cards because I see it as being in your ideal energy, being your own muse. It’s time to come into that healthy, attractive, confident, creative energy.
November // Queen of Cups Rx — Why would you be wallowing Pile 4? You were doing so well and now the cards show me you finding yourself in an upset and moody energy. This is where familial disagreements really came to me since depending where you live the holiday season really kicks off in November and potentially so does family tension. Regardless of what it is, during November you may need to show yourself some extra love and prioritize self care.
December // 5 of Swords — You’re fiery Pile 4, and I don’t see you as they type to take crap from anyone. You know your situation best and the people around you best so there are two main messages with this card. The first message being one of ‘the world doesn’t revolve around you’. While you need to put yourself first, you also need to understand your actions and decisions affects those around you. Alternately — you need to claim control your rights, your power... whatever you want to see it as. If someone is taking advantage of you, you need to break free and be able to choose yourself.
Oracle Card —  Spiral//Cycle
Yogi Tea Messages — “Life is a flow of love; your participation is requested.” | “An attitude of gratitude brings opportunities.”
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walkerismychoice · 3 years ago
Text
Queen of My Heart - Chapter 36
Book: The Royal Romance
Pairing: Drake X MC, Liam X Olivia, Hana X OC Lydia
Rating: NSFW (I didn’t intend it but it just happened
Summary: Liam finally clears the air with Constantine, and we go to the Fire and Ice Ball at Lythikos, the final social season even before Liam chooses his future Queen.
A/N: Umm, I don’t even want to know how many years it’s been since I updated, but it is with the encouragement of you readers that I was compelled to finish.  My tag list is probably way outdated and I’m sure I’ve missed some poeple who’ve asked to be tagged along the way. Feel free to let me know either way if you want to be tagged or removed from the list.
Tag List: @khakie4 @dreadpirateemma @ritachacha @blackcoffee85 @choices-fanatic @boneandfur @butindeed @simplyaiden-blog @bobasheebaby @traeumerinsworld @theroyalweisme @umccall71 @lizeboredom @debramcg1106 @enmchoices @jadedpixiescribbles @withice @viktoriapetit @mfackenthal @drakesfiance @drakelover78 @speedyoperarascalparty @silviasutton1989 @krisnicjack @devineinterventions2 @choiceswreckedme @notoriouscs @blackcatkita @hamalu @akrenich @drakewalkerfantasy @jamielea81 @andy-loves-corgis @jlouise88 @jovialyouthmusic @sleepwalkingelite @i-miss-trr @dragonball-luver @gkittylove99 @lovingchoices14
Word Count: 2861
Queen of My Heart Chapter Index
“Hello, Father.” Liam greeted Constantine as he walked into the hospital room. He noted the King's color was back to normal and he seemed in good spirits.
"My son, I knew you'd come!" Constantine reached towards Liam with arms outstretched.
Liam just shook his head and held up a hand to stop him. "This is not that kind of visit. I'm here because I know... I know everything."
"What-" Constantine choked out before a coughing fit ensued.
Liam fought the instinctual urge to comfort his father. "Enough with the theatrics. I know about Madeleine...about you threatening the show if they didn't help her win...as if me choosing the woman I plan to spend my life with is some political game to be won."
 "How did you find out? I gave strict orders that my demands were confidential."
Liam scoffed. "Seriously? I just told you I found out you tried to have the producers manipulate me into marrying a woman I don't love, and that's all you had to say for yourself?"
"You have to understand," Constantine pleaded. "Madeleine is what's best for Cordonia, and what's best for Cordonia is what's best for you."
"Unbelievable!" Liam felt the anger rising in his chest like a simmering pot ready to boil over. "You may have told yourself that to feel better about choosing your commitments to Cordonia over happiness, love, family... Maybe you’ve lied to yourself for so long you’ve actually started to believe it, but it's one hundred percent bullshit. I know I'll be a more effective leader if I get to choose the woman I want by my side, and that woman is Olivia."
Constantine's jaw dropped and there was a long pause before he gained his composure to protest. "Absolutely not. You know her family's history. I'd rather have you on the same page as me, but I am still King-"
"Save your breath," Liam shut him down. "You should know that your perfect candidate Madeleine has displayed some behavior quite unbecoming of a future queen, and it is all on film. I know Cordonians are generally flexible with their views on monogamy, but I don't think Madeleine sleeping with the host of the show while she's trying to compete for my affection will look good in anyone's eyes. She has been eliminated from the show and is no longer in the running. That leaves only Riley aside from Olivia, and I know you know what's going on there."
Constantine's face fell momentarily in resignation, but then he perked back up again. "Well, then you can bring back someone else. Kiara is quite lovely and is fit to play the part."
"Enough!" Liam practically shouted much too loud for the thin hospital walls. "Not that I owe you an explanation, but Olivia is stronger, smarter, and more capable of ruling a country than anyone you could hope to pair with me. You seem to forget that I am the son who stuck by you and am now the rightful and only heir to the throne. Your reign is coming to an end, and you have no choice but to accept my decision."
Unexpectedly, Constantine's demeanor changed, a sly grin creeping across his face. "My boy, I've always been a bit worried you were too soft to be king. However, seeing you stand up for yourself today gives me hope. I still don't approve of your choice, but I will no longer stand in your way."
Liam shook his head and let out an incredulous laugh, reeling from Constantine’s sudden change of course. "Bastien will take you back to the palace. We can talk more when I know it's not just the medicine that's gotten to your head."
-----
“Well, this place certainly explains a lot about Olivia.” Riley mused aloud as she scanned the ballroom. Ornate floor to ceiling windows with deep alcoves were surrounded by walls with intricate, gilded accents leading up to a hand-painted ceiling measuring at least 3 stories high. The grandeur of the space was both intimidating and beautiful at the same time, much like its owner.
“Has she shown you all the toys in her armory yet? That too says a lot about Olivia," Drake chuckled at his own joke.
Riley laughed along. “No, but she does constantly remind me she keeps a dagger hidden under her skirt. Are you sure Liam knows what he’s in for?”
"Heh. Better him than me, that's for sure. Liam's warm and fuzzy exterior can make him seem like a pushover, but he can hold his own when it matters. Olivia needs someone who can roll with her mood swings but still call her on her bullshit when needed."
"You know, I admit I had a little trouble wrapping my brain around Liam choosing Olivia, but when you put it that way, it makes sense. Now I suppose I need to find Kat so I can figure out if I need to dance with Liam or something. Ugh, I cannot wait until all these balls are over.
Drake almost doubled over laughing. "Oh, Bennett, I hate to break it to you, but this shit never ends. Next will be the coronation, then some charity gala, Liam's wedding...the list goes on. Welcome to your life as a noble woman."
Riley stared ahead blankly as a giant wave of realization washed over her. It was all so much, so fast. She'd never had time to think past the next day to consider this was all ending soon, and then what? Did she stay with her new-found family and live this life that was still foreign to her in so many ways? What about her life in New York? Sure, she didn't have much going on at the moment, but she still had her aunt Susan and best friend Sarah along with some good friends at work like Daniel. Becoming a therapist was still one of her goals, at least it was until the day she left for Cordonia. Now everything was so unclear, and she could hardly breathe.
Drake must have noticed her face looking some kind of way because he placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her to an open doorway to a nearby balcony. "Why don't we get you some air before you go off and do your thing for the show?"
Once outside and around the corner of the wraparound balcony, Drake pulled Riley into his chest, holding her securely, and she was almost instantly calmed. All the what-ifs fell away, and it was just them. All she needed was the be with him, wherever that turned out to be, and everything else would fall into place.
But what if Drake didn't quite feel the same? They'd been talking as if they'd be together indefinitely, but in reality, they'd only known each other two months. The anxious fluttering in her chest started up again.
Drake pulled back to look her in the eyes. "Riley, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. You know, we're both still half American. We can move back to the states....or uh, I mean you can move back to the states if that's what you want." His eyes darted bashfully to the ground.
Riley's face lit up, the nervous thumping in her chest giving way to excited butterflies. "I like the sound of 'we' better if that's what you really meant. You'd really move back to the U.S. with me? I mean I've hardly had the chance to think about what I want, so that may be irrelevant, but you seriously see a future with me?"
"I do." Drake smiled earnestly. "I'm sure anyone who knows me will think I've gone mad, but whether it means being in New York City and putting up with cramped apartments and way too many people, living a quieter, simple life in Texas, or stealing moments away at dreadful Cordonian events such as this, I know we can make our own happiness...together."
"Wow, the Drake Walker I met two months ago would not believe what's coming out of your mouth right now." Riley touched the back of her hand to Drake's forehead in jest. "Are you sure you aren't running a fever?"
"Haha, very funny." Drake swiftly but gently pushed Riley back again the stone wall. "I'm not feeling ill, but I know how to make your temperature rise.
"You pushing me against duchy walls is becoming a thing, huh? Must have really enjoyed the almost public sex last time."
"Possibly," Drake teased as he slipped his hand through the side-slit in her icy-blue gown, gently gliding his fingers up her thigh. Riley braced herself as Drake neared the place she wanted him the most. Goosebumps gave way to a burning need before she remembered where they were.
"Wait." She pushed a hand against his chest. "We're not exactly alone here, and we've gone to such lengths to keep this under wraps. Someone could walk out here at any moment."
Drake shrugged. "I know it may be a bit reckless, but honestly at this point, I don't care. I just want you."
Riley opened her mouth to protest but nothing came out before Drake swooped in for a searing kiss. She instantly melted into him, Drake continuing his earlier action and deftly plunging two fingers inside her, his eyes widening slightly in surprise when he noticed there was no fabric barrier to work around. A strangled moan escaped Riley's throat as he stroked the exact spot he knew always left her at his mercy.
Drake pulled back with a satisfied grin. "Do you want me to stop? Just say the word and we'll go back in right now."
Instead of answering, Riley yanked him by the collar and crushed her lips to his. Drake responded by hoisting her up and over to the balcony. He perched her atop the railing, one hand grasped firmly around her waist and the other making quick work of undoing his pants.
Teetering on the narrow ledge two stories high, Riley clamped her hand tightly to the railing on either side of her and Drake noticed. "I've got you Bennett, no need to worry. I won't let anything happen to you. I'm just doing my job after all," he said with a smirk.
She smiled at his reference to what was now an inside joke between them. But all joking aside, he always made her feel safe. She released her grip, flinging her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.
Drake eased his cock free and Riley could tell how hard he was just by sight, the skin stretched taught from his perfect proportion of thickness and length. He lifted her dress and she couldn't wait any longer. She pulled him in and he took the invitation to thrust inside her. Even as wet was she was, his size created just the right amount of fullness and friction to take her breath away.
Riley moaned and gasped with each thrust, which in turn seemed to turn Drake on even more. The thrill of being up so high with nothing but him to hold her only added to her excitement and when he began rubbing circles over her clit with his thumb that was all it took to push her figuratively over the edge. She tightened around him everywhere, her orgasm eliciting immense heat and pleasure with every pulse, resulting in Drake picking up his pace until his own release followed shortly thereafter.
Drake carefully set Riley down before putting himself back together. "I'm almost a little disappointed we didn't nearly get caught this time."
"If I don't get back in there immediately, that's still a possibility." Riley had no idea how much time had passed but it was probably more than she thought. "Fuck, Kat is going to be pissed." Riley straightened her skirt and started towards the ballroom door.
"Wait!" Drake puller her in for a quick kiss. "I love you. Just so you don't forget."
Riley rolled her eyes but smiled. "You know you have nothing to worry about. If Liam's charms haven't wooed me yet, I think you’re safe. But I love you too. Now go do your job." She smacked him on the ass before hustling back to the ballroom, Drake following shortly thereafter.
As expected, Kat was frantic when Riley found her. “Where the fuck were you? You were supposed to meet up with me twenty minutes ago?”
Overhearing Riley’s scolding, Olivia smugly sidled up next to them. “I mean, I didn’t mind getting extra time with Liam, but you know Jo and Kat and there ‘ratings’, Olivia said while gesturing with air quotes. She scanned Riley from head to toe and then glanced over to Drake on the perimeter. “Ugh, I can tell you exactly what, or rather who she was doing. Gross. I guess that just makes my position more secure, but really, couldn’t you have waited until after my ball to fuck him?”
Riley sheepishly smoothed her hair and adjusted her dress. “I just needed some air, that’s all. I was having a moment.”
Olivia scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Whatever you want to call it. Although I still cannot fathom why you chose Drake, I suppose I should be a little easier on you for eliminating yourself from the competition and allowing Liam to break free of his distraction of the shiny new object.”
“Aww, Olivia, that’s so sweet. Next thing you know we’ll be best friends,” Riley replied sarcastically.
 “I don’t know about friends...but I do dislike you less than the rest of them.” Olivia tried and failed to hold back a smile.
“I’ll take it,” Riley said with a laugh before turning to Jo. “Okay, now tell me where I need to be.”
Jo set Riley up with Liam on the dance floor. It still wasn’t hard to pretend to be into Liam because it wasn’t all pretend, but there was no lingering pining between them.
“Well, I spoke to my father this morning.” Liam spun Riley around and brought her back to face him.
“Finally!” Riley exclaimed. “How did that go?”
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it to be completely honest, but it went surprisingly well. I told him I knew everything, and he no longer had a say in my decision. He tried to argue with me at first, but somehow something I said made him respect me. He still may not agree with my choice, but I think this is finally all over! I am free to choose who I want without any threat or blackmail hanging over my head.
Riley pulled Liam in and hugged him tightly. “That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you, and for all of us.” The weight on Riley’s shoulders was suddenly ten times lighter. She hadn’t let herself think too deeply about how much was at stake, but now that the air was clear, she realized how stressed she had been. “Now all that’s left is for you to tear my heart to pieces on national television, and you get your fairy tale ending.”
Liam chuckled. “I’ll try to let you down easy.”
-----
Drake stood in his usual position off the side of the dance floor. This may not be the last of these events he’d have to endure, but at least it should be the last time he’d have to stand on the sidelines watching Riley dance with someone else. He was secure in what they had, but it still didn’t stop that twinge of jealously seeing her and Liam together talking, touching, and having fun. But it wasn’t a bad thing that his best friend and girlfriend get along so well. Girlfriend...that’s the first time he’d used that term for anyone he’d “dated”, even if only in his head. It was hard to believe everything was falling into place.
Drake took his eyes off Riley to scan the perimeter. What he saw didn’t immediately register as out of the ordinary, but then he quickly recalled this person walking towards the dance floor wasn’t supposed to be there.
“Bastien, check out three o’clock.” Drake altered Bastien via his radio earpiece. “How did she get in here without security clearance?”
“I don’t know.” Bastien replied. “I’ll check with the other guys to see who let her in. Keep an eye on her.”
Drake watched in concern as Madeleine marched towards the dance floor. She’d been banned from the rest of filmed events after her stunt. Not wanting to let her cause a scene, Drake was about to stop her from getting any closer, when she pulled out an unmistakable object. She had a gun and it was pointed right at Riley and Liam.
Before Drake could alert the rest of the team, people started to scatter. He heard a familiar click and knew he had to disarm Madeleine immediately, but it was too late. A shot went off and he didn’t hesitate. Drake dove between the bullet and his two best friends on the dance floor, and that would be the last thing he remembered before he hit the floor.
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kellyvela · 3 years ago
Note
There was one person who commented on grrm blog about Dany being their most hated character and hoping she would die. Grrm replied 'tsk tsk'. Do you know about that post?
This one?
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The comment, now deleted, is from this post: Dany and the Dragons - Jul. 8th, 2013.
What about it? Is this about targies clinging to that "tsk tsk" for their lives?
I remember that the user belomor555 wrote that comment as an answer to another user mentioning them, as you can see here:
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I like the conversation under grrm's comment, because those users didn't assume that George was saying he won't kill Dany:
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We also know that when someone said to George that he’s not allowed to kill Dany, he answered that "Parris has proclaimed that Arya cannot die!" [Source]
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Classic George!
But what is that "tsk tsk" compared to all this:
July 21, 2018
In the earlier published Targaryen family tree as found in The World of Ice & Fire, Princess Daenerys did not exist. In her place was Prince Aeryn Targaryen, Jaehaerys and Alysanne’s sixthborn son who died young. Besides Aeryn having been exchanged for Daenerys, several other children of Jaehaerys and Alysanne were shifted in their order of birth.
Regarding these changes, Elio Garcia has stated the following:
… George had some new ideas for some of the names and the stories of the children who died young, and corrected some issues that came out of his original birth order (we actually got the names of all the kids quite late in the production of TWoIaF—literally a month before we had to finalize the book—so there was not much time to interrogate it). However, the stories of those who live to adulthood, as published in TWoIaF, do remain the same (just, of course, much more detailed).
[Source]
November 20, 2018
Jaehaerys loved all three children fiercely, but from the moment Aemon was born, the king began to speak of him as his heir, to Queen Alysanne’s displeasure. “Daenerys is older,” she would remind His Grace. “She is first in line; she should be queen.” The king would never disagree, except to say, “She shall be queen, when she and Aemon marry. They will rule together, just as we have.” But Benifer could see that the king’s words did not entirely please the queen, as he noted in his letters.
(…)
It was the hour of the owl when Queen Alysanne was awoken by her daughter shaking her gently by the arm. “Mother,” Princess Daenerys said, “I’m cold.”
There is no need to dwell on all that followed. Daenerys Targaryen was the darling of the realm, and all that could be done for any man was done for her. There were prayers and poultices, hot soups and scalding baths, blankets and furs and hot stones, nettle tea. The princess was six, and years past being weaned, but a wet nurse was summoned, for there were some who believed that mother’s milk could cure the Shivers. Maesters came and went, septons and septas prayed, the king commanded that a hundred new ratcatchers be hired at once, and offered a silver stag for every dead rat, grey or black. Daenerys wanted her kitten, and her kitten was brought to her, though as her shivering grew more violent it squirmed from her grasp and scratched her hand. Near dawn, Jaehaerys bolted to his feet shouting that a dragon was needed, that his daughter must have a dragon, and ravens took wing for Dragonstone, instructing the Dragonkeepers there to bring a hatchling to the Red Keep at once.
None of it mattered. A day and a half after she had woken her mother from sleep complaining of feeling cold, the little princess was dead. The queen collapsed in the king’s arms, shaking so violently that some feared she had the Shivers too.”
—Fire & Blood - Volume I
May 19, 2019
Standing before the Iron Throne, Dany steps forward and kisses the man she loves. A perfect kiss, an expression of pure love and passion.
We push in on them until we’re tight on their faces – their eyes closed, his hand behind her head, her hand on his cheek.
Dany’s eyes open suddenly as she draws a sharp breath.
Jon’s eyes open as well, already filling with tears. For a moment, neither moves, as if moving will make this real.
In a wider angle, we see Jon with his hand still on the hilt of the dagger he just lodged in Dany’s heart.
Her strength leaves her and she collapses to the marble; he keeps her in his arms as she falls, kneeling down to the floor beside her.
He looks down at what he’s done. Terrible. And necessary. He hopes for one last moment with her.
But her eyes are already glazing over. Winter has come to the Throne Room. Dany lies dead in his arms, Pieta-style, as the snow drifts down.
—GAME OF THRONES “The Iron Throne” - Written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss - Based on A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
January 19, 2020
WELT: Again: We know what will happen to the Mother of Dragons. How do you want to surpass that in a novel – with an alternative literary version?
GRRM: Counter question: How many children did Scarlett O'Hara have? In Margaret Mitchell’s novel “Gone with the Wind” she had three children. But in the cinema version of the novels she only had one child. Which version is the only one valid - the one with one or the other with three children? The answer is: neither. Because Scarlett O'Hara never existed, she is a fictional character, not a real person, who would have had real children. Or take “The Little Mermaid”. We know her from the fairytale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen and from the Disney movie. Which one is the true mermaid? Well, mermaids do not exist. So you can chose the version that you personally like the best. Changes are inevitable in this process. Even if the adaption is as faithful to the literary source material as it was the case with “Game of Thrones”.
—GEORGE R. R. MARTIN “Die Leute kennen ein Ende – nicht das Ende” - WELT 2020 - (Translation)
April 18, 2021
Q: It is my impression that there are parallels between Westeros history and current events in ASOIAF. so in your opinion to what degree is George martin’s history cyclical? Because we have a lot of parallels. For example with the current history and the dance of the dragons.
Elio: You know George even uses that line from talking about the the arms of house Toland, the dragon eating its tail, but it was from the Archmaester Rigney which is a reference to Robert Jordan the writer of the wheel of time, that history is a wheel or time as a circle. I think George certainly deliberately sees, creates parallels. I mean this is a very obvious example, you know if you read The World of Ice and Fire, you saw the family tree of the Targaryens, and the family tree for Jaehaerys and his offspring changes quite a lot when fire and blood comes out. Because George realized that he wanted to create a kind of parallel by introducing another Daenerys. and he said like, i like the symmetry of it, I like the the sort of the way. You could perhaps read it as reflecting on Daenerys’s story, maybe. I wish it was true. I mean I think fans of Daenerys need to be really worried about what’s going to happen to her. Although I guess Game of Thrones maybe has revealed kind of where things may possibly end. Again the journey is going to be very different. I think you know circumstances, things are going to be very different. So there’s a journey that matters. But in any case, so yes I think George uses cycles and things a bit. He likes setting up parallels of events, he likes paralleling characters, he likes paralleling events, and he likes paralleling the past and the present as well.
Linda: I think certainly that when he fleshed out the details of Fire and Blood, even when he first did the sidebars for The World of Ice and Fire, and they just grew. We could see that, okay here he’s looking at foreshadowing or commenting on current events by doing a similar scenario in the past and he definitely likes to play around with those aspects.
[Source]
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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