#TFoTA

[anotherwriternamedclara]

why is cardan lowkey ...

IM STILL ON THE FIRST BOOK OKAY 😭 i have yet to form an actual honest to goodness opinion on him

The cruel prince, chapter 20, dance scene: a small comic 🧚🏻‍♂️

[thejudeduarte]

I read somewhere that this was Cardans' first genuine hug and wtf why is there water leaking out of my eyeballs

[myhyperfixationisbooks]

Cardan: I may not be good at making responsible choices, but I do excel in making dramatic entrances

[highking-cardan]

FYI, this land is not associated with America, never has been, never will be, to even think that is insulting.

[anxious-alyssia]

😭

cardan just wanted love. 😐

i was just replying to someone regarding nicasia and i had this sorta realization moment abt cardan lol

Cardan is consistently merciful toward people that wrong him. To his abusers.

He spares his mother when she leaves the tower of forgetting. He gives her a courtier title. After her lifelong abuse. he spares balekin from execution time and time again, despite all the death threats and beatings and humiliation. he forgives nicasia and Locke and remains (sorta) friends with them after they screwed around behind his back and broke his heart. He forgives Jude for putting him on the throne, for killing balekin.

Cardan has the capacity to be a lot kinder to those he cares about. While he attempts to act like he has a stone heart, he cares so deeply about the few people around him. No matter how they treat him in return.

Even his sisters, whom treated him like a dog when he was a child, throwing food at him under the table. He held balekin responsible for killing them, even when they had little love for him.

and his father, whom tossed him out of the kingdom for dains lies. He still strove for his fathers love and attention. And he did what he thought he needed to do to get that attention.

All he wanted was love, and he gave a lot more of it than he wanted to show. I’m so glad he found it w Jude 😭

And with Jude, he gave her everything. He gave her half of his army bro. HALF OF HIS ARMY just because she ASKED. She didn’t even have to order him to do it, because he trusts her and he so badly wants her to trust him too.

He secretly desired (and eventually cared for) her for yearsss. It’s so sweet how they went from school rivals besting and beating one another, to them making each other king and queen. ENOUGH

moral of the story, he just wanted LOVE. 😭😭😭😭😭😭

I’ll never stop thinking about them, idc how generic and obvious my posts are, every throwaway thought i have of them i will post

[letmeliveinelfhame]

I noticed something when rereading some of my favourite parts of The Queen Of Nothing.

The mortals mentioned here are Hazel and Ben from The Darkest Part Of The Forest. Jude thinks they are twins.

However, they are NOT twins, as said here in TDPOTF.

[viivdle]

cardan: i hereby exile jude duarte

jude:

cardan: jude:(

[sweetvillainjude]

Jude was so deep in denial because what do you mean “The memory of his mouth on mine shimmers in the air between us” and still you’re convinced neither of you can even tolerate the other

[confusionmeisss]

“Come home and shout at me. Come home and fight with me. Come home and break my heart, if you must. Just come home.” - Cardan Greenbriar

“I want to yell at you. I wish you were here so I could yell at you.” - Kit Herondale

parallels will be the end of me i fear

[shuggyjiggy]

The mutuals™ have influenced me. The cruel prince is on my wishlist. We will see if i get it.

[ladyashaofelfhame]

And you think everyone likes you? They only listen to you out of fear. I'm glad I'm not like them, I don't think you're worth listening to at all.

Why did you say I don't deserve Dain?

Because you don't. You aren't worthy of a prince of Elfhame. Really, just what does he see in you? I bet you only want him because of his status.

[grendel-menz]

another fake cover

[deathsweetblossoms]

Cardan, Locke, Nicasia, and Valerian by Frostbite Studios (from the Folk of the Air by Holly Black)

[madockisser]

So I'm trying to figure this out and if I'm just missing it in the books let me know. Why did he give Locke the position of Master of Revels? I understand his forgiveness and sort of friendship with Nicasia, I do. But Locke? I don't get it. Hope you're having a good day

Why did cardan make Locke the master of revels/why did cardan forgive Locke?

hi! Thanks for the ask! Hope you’re having a great day/ night too!!

Cardan gave Locke the title of master of revels for a number of reasons,

But first, the title gives Locke he overseeing of revels right, so he’s like the guy that plans all the parties.

Cardan knows that Locke is mischievous, that he likes a good story above all, and that he can acquire that by giving him the title.

But cardan and Locke obviously have history, Locke stole nicasia from him and they screwed around behind his back, so why give locke such a great boon?

Because, cardan didn’t want to be king, he doesn’t even see himself as king, he sees Jude as queen.

But by throwing Jude under the bus by giving locke a position in court that would make Jude’s life harder(to pay her back for putting him on the throne, which he didn’t want), and maybe make cardans job as king something more of an opportunity to be like how he was as prince:

Someone who can drink their problems away, taking the drugs and powders of nevermore/never, making merry with courtiers of the kingdom.

As for his forgiveness toward Locke, we must remember that Locke is (most likely) a gancanagh. A charm speaker, a love speaker. Someone who can sway others to their side by saying all of the right things, by saying the things that person wants to hear most.

It’s likely that cardan was swayed by Locke into remaining friendly with him, even after the betrayal. Tbh tho I’m not sure if cardan ever really forgave Locke. Most likely just tolerated him lol

Locke is also one of his only friends, and one of his only friends that isn’t actively trying to physically hurt him, only emotionally. But cardan is so emotionally and mentally broken from years of abuse that i doubt he comes to care much.

Like i said in my last post, about how cardan forgives his abusers, cardan can be kind. He has the capacity to forgive, time and time again.

Lastly; the whole relationship status in elfhame can be complicated. There doesn’t seem to be a “boy friend” or “girlfriend” or just significant other status that isn’t husband or wife(there’s consorts but that seems reserved for royals, lords and ladies). And husband and wife status, especially in royalty seems to be complete and utter devotion.

When fae take lovers, they seem to see lovemaking as a sport, so coming to CARE for those lovers would make a person seem weak. Especially for a prince. Cardan showing how Locke and nicasias relationship affected him would make him seem weak, would give them both the upper hand, by 1. Giving nicasia power over cardan, and 2. By Locke making a story out of the betrayal.

Cardan lived by the whole “boy with a heart of stone” story his whole life, but he didn’t have a heart of stone, and making it seem like he didn’t made him seem weak. Cardan held desperately onto the only power he had, his title as prince and using it to be cruel.

Overall, Cardan gave Locke the title for cardans own benefit, to terrorize Jude, to see being king as something that isn’t a burden. And he “forgave” Locke because it’s likely that Locke is just charming that way, and because Locke is one of his last buds, and because cardan doesn’t want to seem weak for not forgiving him.

Anyway that’s what i came up w, thanks for the ask! Hope i answered your question! Feel free to add on! 🫶

[florsdelluna]

Golden hour ✨🧡🍂🧚 #jurdan