#NO book spoilers

[maybemaleksentmeasakindness]

Knight!Liam Mairi x Princess!Reader

A/N - Reference to arranged marriage (without reader's consent.) NO BOOK SPOILERS! I'm thinking about turning this into a longer one-shot and maybe even a part 2, written out, not head canons but I needed to write something to get out of my writers block if only head canons. So let me know if you would like this as a written out fic and/or part two.

⚔️ 👑 ⚔️

Liam has been your guard since you were little, even unofficially. Learning from his father.

When his father is part of the rebellion to take down the monarch he's executed.

You don't care who Liam’s father was, nor that his father was part of the rebellion, you secretly backed it anyways so when you need a new guard you beg your parents to let it be Liam.

After much persuasion your father approves of it and he's granted knighthood shortly after.

Somewhere between childhood and young adulthood you fall in love.

How could you not?

Maybe it's the way he always offers his arm to you.

Maybe it's the way he notices when you need escape from a situation.

Maybe it's the late night conversation you have by cracking your bed chamber door open when you can't sleep.

Maybe it's the way you so gently tend to his wounds.

Maybe it's the way you defend him and his family's name.

Maybe it's the small notes he slips below your door that say "I love you" at the end of them.

Maybe it's the secret kisses you both share in the dead of night.

But that doesn't matter, not when you're suddenly betrothed without your knowing/consent. To another man, in another kingdom.

You think you might crumple into the floor when you relieve Liam of his duties, explaining why he's free. That he can travel the world now.

"Thank you," you whisper through tears.

"It's been my honor, Princess."

[jedinightsister]

I didn't know that slow horses were books until i read your pinned post! do you think that the tv series has done them justice?

Yes it does, anon! Highly recommend giving them a try.

And if you're willing to bear with me, see below for my personal journey with Slow Horses show and how it got me to the books~

It all started with seeing a mutual on Twitter talking about the show. We usually have similar taste in stuff we watch, but seeing the title "Slow Horses" made me think of a cowboy drama sort of thing 😆, so I didn't really pay mind to it. (Slice of life dramas and such aren't really for me 😆✌️)

Eventually I got curious and checked it out on TV Time and lo and behold, it was a spy show!! (Context: spy genre legit my top fave heh)

Add that to the fact that I am a huge Alex Rider fan, and I've seen this fancasting of Jack Lowden's Slow Horses character as Alex's father (shout-out to weak-hero !)

So I decided to check the show out one late Friday evening. Told myself I'd only see one episode, but man, it hooked me in so well, ended up finishing all six 😆

I got so into it, that I wanted more, so that's why I went into the books. After all, it was stilm a few months before season 2, so I had time for that. And no regrets 'cause the books are phenomenal!

Season 1 has to be the one of the best book-to-screen adaptations I've ever seen. They changed very little and the changes they did make, just made the show more cinematic.

By seasons 2 and 3, they made way more changes but you know what, I don't even mind. What I love about the show adaptation is how faithful it is to the energy and themes and tone of the books.

The Slow Horses continue to be bumbling fools that end up with the most absurd and dangerous missions. It's such a unique perspective to focus on the losers instead of the best super spy yada. And the fact that they are a "not found family" haha, like, they are forced to work together despite how much they hate each other is so amusing.

Each characters are so unique in their voice and motivations (shout out to Sean Barrett for his excellent audio book narration!) and grounded in their own ways, and by grounded I relate it back to the popularity of super spies, who can come off more superheroic in their talents. But no, Slow Horses loves their failures and so do I.

The dark and sarcastic comedy is top-tier. Jackson Lamb's lines alone are a feast of laughter. The political intrigue will grate on you for how annoying people at power are, playing with lives of people just to get what they want. It really has all the elements I could possibly want from the spy genre, and the show managed to capture the essence, which for me is the most important thing in making adaptations.

In conclusion, if you loved the show with its tone and themes, there's a huge chance you'd also enjoy the books, so give it a try! And if the books aren't for you, that's okay too. You will always have the show.

Thanks, anon! 🐌🐎💫

[pikatik]

Wanted to draw that scene from The Book of Bill :D

[razzafrazzle]

Just Checking In! (aka Something About Red Triangles)

[candycatfalls]

Wait the book of bill appearing to Ford first is fucking HILARIOUS actually. Ford literally killed Bill less than a month ago, and Bill's still banking so hard on him getting him out of therapy that the book shows up in Ford's stuff MULTIPLE TIMES. Girl the situationship has been over for thirty years give it up 💀

[leox-un]

valley of ashes

[ekko-idk]

Epilogue :)

Yknow the line "he'd speed up my mind when it was sluggish" in the journal 3 lost pages? Yea this is how I think that went

[atlas-hope]

so. i had an idea

[mosslingg]

life lessons with grunkle ford

you can support my work on kofi!

[jovuuu]

In light of recent events 😭😭

Crying laughing because of this:

[d1rtb]

a long list of regrets

[nb-hedgewolf]

why did you do it?

[Image description: art of Bill Cipher. He's floating in a dark void, illuminated by blue light from the bottom upwards, staring forward with his eye wide, and with his limbs hanging limp. Behind him is a white panel shattering into pieces, showing a red and a blue triangle holding hands. A smaller triangle between them has been punched out of the panel. On the very bottom of the canvas blue flames produce light and white squares simulating a "pixel glitch" effect, on the opposite end, there are white dots adorning the void, gradually disappearing downwards, simulating stars. End ID.]

original ID by @anistarrose thank you!

[eggsistential-breakdown]

Okay, but hear me out -- what if his parents weren't usually red and blue?

[arrimorr]

If you couldn't tell this part of their first meeting dialogue haunts me. The foreshadowing.....

[ckret2]

I'd like to imagine Bill has something to look forward to