#also if Auberon’s dead already…

[averagedettlaffenjoyer]

i am a shameless witcher: the blood origin hater and i will die on this hill

[writing-for-life]

The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known

Or: Does Morpheus really have commitment issues?

[Bear with me, I’ll get to this panel 🤣]

I’ve read many times that Morpheus supposedly has commitment issues, and it always has me scratching my head a bit…

I personally rather think he is desperate to commit. He so badly craves a serious relationship that he is prone to rush into it and build it on wonky foundations, but he has certainly no commitment issues as we would commonly understand them.

Is it in his nature though to be truly seen and understood when he is [a] Dream? And can dreams ever last? These are the much more interesting questions in my view. Let’s have a look at the romantic relationships we know of…

Killalla: Walked out on him. That wasn’t his lack of commitment. If anything, he came on a bit strong while she was still assessing her feelings for him.

Alianora: He fully committed to her despite basically being bullied into it by Desire. And they were happy for “a goodly while”. For those in doubt: “Goodly” doesn’t mean “a bit”. It means “great, large, long.” And the fact that Alianora couldn’t go back to her own plane because she had stayed in the Dreaming too long corroborates that they were together for a long time. Probably longer than any human relationship ever lasts, because I doubt “a long time” means “a couple of years” for someone who is 12 billion years old.

And now I’ll sandwich the relationship we hardly know anything about between some random (?) panels to also make a point why I think it might sit here in the timeline…

Titania: Who knows. Sounded like an affair, and as if they both had no intention of committing. He was clearly very fond of her though, and I can never shake the feeling that we should look a bit deeper into AMND and find the parallels between Auberon, Titania (not hard, and they are pretty much pictured as estranged) and Bottom. There are many ways to get confused with a jackass, you know? 🤣 Plus, Bottom is the one who gets to play Pyramus in “Pyramus and Thisbe”. That’s the ultimate blueprint for “Romeo and Juliet”: Ill-fated love of catastrophic proportions, people are dead by the end of it. That’s why I often wondered if the affair with Titania was actually pre-Nada, and the inspiration for Shakespeare wasn’t random (it wasn’t random for The Tempest either). I mean, it wasn’t random anyway because it was a parting gift, but I also don’t think it was entirely random with regard to their relationship. Wild head-canon of course, but maybe not that wild (he also says that Wendel’s Mound was already a theatre before humans walked the earth, so there’s that)? And even if he wasn’t committed (we quite frankly don’t know if he intended to but she didn’t or couldn’t), she and the Fae meant enough to him to give them a play as a parting gift.

Nada: Killed herself after one night, but that wasn’t down to lack of commitment on his part. Again: If anything, he came on far too strong, wanted to be with her and was far too pushy about it.

Calliope: We don’t know how long they were together before they had Orpheus. Could have been a while, could have been only a shortish time. But even if we assumed they had him fairly quickly—they were still together when Orpheus, who was mortal, got married to Eurydice, so even if he got married young, we’re still talking something in the realm of +/- 20 years, and that’s the absolute low-ball-estimate. And while they had started to drift apart (considering what we know from Calliope), they were still on good terms and had no intention of splitting up until the whole Orpheus drama caused a rift they couldn’t mend. Again: That’s not someone who has commitment issues. It’s a relationship breaking down over hurt, stubbornness and grief.

Thessaly: Again, she was the one who left him and caused his dramatic interlude in the rain. Were they ill suited? Yes. Did she feel neglected and went into a strop over it? Yes. Did he not get that she felt neglected? Also yes, but that’s not lack of commitment. That’s his not getting that people aren’t mind readers (must be hard if you’re probably one yourself 🤣) and, by and large, need assurances of love. He doesn’t get that these women don’t understand they have his love; he can’t grasp that line of thinking because it is all so clear to him when he loves someone: They have him, what’s the issue? Is that a not so great way of (not) communicating when you’re having a relationship to someone? Absolutely. Is it a commitment issue though? Absolutely not.

I think Morpheus doesn’t really have commitment issues in romantic relationships—wouldn’t that almost be antithetical to his nature? Rules and responsibilities. Yeah, about that one…

What I do think is that he struggles with the mortifying ordeal of being (not) known by his lovers. Because how could he? He is Dream. That is his problem. Dreams cannot be fully known or understood. He is very eloquent but at the same time a very… confusing communicator. I don’t want to say “bad”, because I feel that’s not getting to the bottom of it. Again, it is the nature of dreams to be confusing and strange, open to (mis)interpretation, hard to grasp and understand. And they also stop being dreams once they become real. All of that is true and hence makes relationships both hard for him and those involved. Is he truly not willing to commit though?

I still find that hard to believe…

[jaeellec]

Episode 1: THE COLORS OF THE FALSE KING

Synopsis: Starting ten years before current day, the independent New World kingdom of Auberon is happy and flourishing...until something is discovered one winter morning.

Word count: ~12k

CW: su!cide and violence

I love to go all-out so episode includes visual references, soundtrack (track and timestamps indicated by brackets), and links. But feel free to ignore the soundtrack and read as usual! It serves as notes for me and anyone who wants more immersion~

Also, I watch the dub so One Piece characters sound and speak like their English versions in my mind and are written to match!

Read full episode on Wattpad or below the cut!

───── ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ ─────

Main (OC) players (sorry I didn't have time to get full-colors busts of everyone!):

Espen, Capital of Auberon and the town Eventide refs (Disclaimer: these town images are not my art):

Thane Home visual ref (Disclaimer: Images not mine):

Canon Character Fits (Chopper is wearing a cute lil axolotl costume and Kid Pirates are default):

(Disclaimer: The only outfit art that is mine is Luffy and the two sketches)

───── ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ ─────

{bg: Her & the Sea - CLANN (0:00-0:15/3:43-end)}

Deep teal waves gently jumped at the base of a black cliff, and a soft snow fell only for each flake to be forever lost to the dark sea. But atop the cliff, the snow thrived and thickly gathered in the large backyard and coated its rose bushes, dead trees, and ornate Victorian-style home. {end}

A young girl smirked and cleared her throat with a small, focused growl into the cold as she readied her two wooden swords to attack her enemies: 3 almost comically built snowmen lined up in front of one of the many whitened rose bushes. The frozen foes never stood a chance when she charged, her aim to take their heads. Though playing as any child would in a backyard, it couldn't be denied there was actual skill somewhere underneath.

She was quick as she popped off the heads to the left and to the right, grunting out with each strike. And just as quick, she spun back to center, using both of her swords to scissor and sever the head of her carrot-nosed final victim.

The head landed back to the snow from whence it came with a heavy thud - a silly sight, really. But it meant victory for the girl. With a big grin, she cheered at her triumph and pranced and spun around with her little wooden swords waving in the air and cape wisping around her.

"Come on, Astraea!" called out her bundled-up older brother. The poor boy was hugging himself and shivering. "It's cold - can we please go inside already? I'm tired of watching this snowman slaughter you call a game."

"My training isn't a game, Terrence!" the girl retorted and thrust a sword in his direction. "You go inside. I told mom I don't need you to watch me anyway," she lowered her weapon and gave a sigh. "I don't know why she's always so scared I'm gonna go over the cliff."

"I just might throw you over myself!" Terrence pouted with eyes cut to the rose bushes. His crossed arms were more from annoyance than trying to keep warm at this point, but something in roses caught his attention - something that replaced his scowl with a smirk. "Hope all your stupid training has paid off. You ready for a real fight? There's a monster in the roses." Terrence's confident and mischievous eyes glanced back at his sister.

"No there isn't!"

"There is, too! I can see it. And your little wooden sticks are no match for its vicious teeth!"

In her confusion, Astraea tried to not let any fear show as she looked back to her beheaded practice buddies. There was no mistake about it - from behind the center snowman, rustling was coming from the rose bush.

"He'll get you," came Terrence's amused warning.

But the stubborn girl gave an irate exhale into the cold and tightened the grip on her little wooden dual swords. She squinted at the bush with the middle snowman in the foreground, bravely focusing on what she was sure to be a lie.

Until...

Again, came a rustle.

In a split instant, the snowman suddenly burst as the monster lurched towards her with a mighty growl, scooping her up and disarming her while her scream turned into laughter.

In the arms of her father, she was spun around and tossed into the air. The man was still playfully growling and roaring when she fell back into his hands. Gently, he placed his giggling daughter back on her feet and brushed the snow from his shoulder with a smile from the fun. "Were you scared?"

"Nah-ah! Not once!" the grinning girl annoyed her brother.

"She's lying!"

"No, I'm not, Terrence! I was standing my ground and ready to fight!"

"You little baby, you were ready to cry and run!"

Astraea's overwrought retort was to quickly scoop up a handful of snow and force it at her off-guard brother with a Haki-hardened arm and a grunt to power the shot. The sudden strike to his shoulder caused him to stumble backwards and slip in the snow while his sister laughed in delight.

"Dad!" Terrence whined, "Do something about her! She needs to be kenneled!"

"Astraea don't do...that. Not to your brother, at least if you don't want your mother and I to suspend your training," Rae warned his contemptuous daughter and made his way over to his son to kindly help him up. "On your feet, Terry. You're not hurt, are you, bud?"

"Maybe just my pride, dad..."

Astraea hurried up to the two, eager to cause more trouble and get back to her training. "Dad's out here, so you don't have to watch me anymore! Why don't you go read a book by the fire?!" She delivered the lovely idea in a mocking manner.

"Great! I've only been trying to do that for the past hour!" Terrence grabbed a fistful of snow that remained on his shoulder and chunked it at his sister in retaliation.

The girl squealed out in playful surprise.

From inside the warm home in her cozy, pastel, peacock-themed tearoom, Marika sat at a window and looked down at her family as they started up a snowball fight with a face full of peace and compassion. But that turned to curiosity when she heard knocking coming from the front door.

Back in the yard, Terrence was determined as his sister had been during her training, and he had a snowball ready, aimed, and almost fired when something on the sea in the distance caught his attention. "Pirates...?"

Together, the girl and her father lowered their guard and turned to see.

"Looks like," Rae smiled as he rid his hands and arms of snow. "I don't think they'll be bothering us, though - they're just passing by."

"They better be..." Terrence quietly said, but the topic sparked up something exciting in Rae.

"Would you two like to hear the story of Gol D. Roger again? I haven't told it in so long!"

"Nah," the two casually chorused, and Rea's eager expression fell.

"But...you two used to love it...Every night before bed you wanted to hear it! And I did the Pirate King voice so well..."

Terrence shrugged, "Mom's giant boar story has always been more fun."

"Are you kidding? That one?!" Of course, little Astraea was going to be antagonistic. "Mom has way cooler stories than that one! No one even actually got eaten - it's so dumb."

The boy was something beyond incredulous.

"Are you aware of how demented you are??"

The girl threw down her snowballs in protest, "I'm too little to know what that word means!"

"Maybe if you put your stupid little swords down and picked up a book-"

It was then a teasing and heavily real-world Scottish accented and playful voice boomed from behind the three, "What's with all this patter?! Too cauld for this shite!"

They turned to see a mountain of a man wearing a broad smile and a well-decorated uniform strolling alongside sweet Marika.

"Elliott!!" Astraea beamed and ran towards him with outstretched arms, giggling all along the way.

"There's my lass!" He was jovial as he scooped her up, and the moment she was in his arms, the girl was excitedly jabbing a finger out to the sea.

"Mom, Elliott! Look! Pirates!"

"Oh..." Marika tried to find the enthusiasm and the words. "How very...um..."

Elliott grinned. "Don't you worry pretty mind, Marika! They don't seem have course set for this way, and even if they did, I bet this little mad lass could take 'em! I've been well. Just look at what became of those snowmen; those are quick, clean cuts right there!"

"Yeah, quick and clean! I'll protect you, mom!" The little menace declared in delight and determination while her father and brother approached. "Not like Terrence is gonna do it." She just had to quickly quip.

"Astraea," Rae made a point to warn his daughter again before he greeted his comrade as he put a comforting arm around Terrence. "Afternoon, Elliott! Always good to see you. What brings you over on this fine wintry day?"

"Gatherin' up the lot. King's called a meetin' - and it's an important one, Rae. Details will be shared and sorted out when we get there, but something amazin' has been discovered."

"Like what?!" Astraea just had to know. "Did someone find the One Piece?! Catch a castle ghost? Or a dragon??" Rae and Elliott grinned at the girl's wild imagination. All those exciting thoughts urged her free from Elliott's arms, and she was tugging on the sleeve of her father as she begged, "If it's a dragon, will you please bring it home, daddy?? Please?! I promise I won't feed Terrence to it! Cross my heart!"

"It's not a dragon, but it is super-secret!" Elliott knelt beside the girl and put a hand on her shoulder settle her. "Yer da can tell you all about it when he gets home tonight. Why don't we go play with Seamus so he can get changed right quick, aye?"

"Seamus!!" The girl wasted no time in forgetting about her dragon and made a mad dash for the house.

"I'll go tack up Cosmos for you, father," Terrence contrasted his sister with the dutiful declaration and made his exit to the stables.

Elliott rose with a friendly and fond smile, "Those two...Terrence is becoming a fine young lad. And your little Essie..." Gentle frozen flakes fell over the three headless snowmen. "She's as feisty as ever."

───── ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ ─────

In front of the fine home, other knights watched from horseback with humor as little Astraea tried as she might to get in the saddle of the massive draft horse. The gentle giant was patient with her throughout all her failed attempts. Grunting out in effort as she was latched to the side of the saddle, the girl struggled to pull herself up; but her little strength gave out and she found herself on the cold, hard ground while some of the knights gave warm, hearty laughs. Though some were content with keeping quiet.

They were all nicely dressed in the same casual winter uniforms. The only difference was the individual family crests that delicately adorned the shoulders of each man. Some select men even carried bright crimson banners that bore a bear sigil - that of the royal family, no doubt.

"Give it another go!" one of the men kindly encouraged her, "Wouldn't be Rae's daughter if you didn't!"

"You got it, kiddo!" came the words of another. But with or without uplifting cheers, backing down was never an option for the girl, much to Seamus' dismay. His saddle jerked as she jumped back onto the side of it with one mighty leap - more entertainment for the idle order.

"How goes your training, darling Astraea?" asked one of the quiet knights. He had dark hair and matching dark eyes, a very nice face with a rather charming smile.

"It's good!" The girl put on a mask of enthusiasm through the fight against gravity, though it was cracking in her tone. "Elliott says I'm almost strong enough to be a knight."

"My, my. What will our enemies do with you in our ranks?"

"They better run!" she was able to push through and crawl up a little further, still grunting out all the way. "I'm gonna be Captain of the Guard! I'll be giving you orders someday, Sir Alerick!"

While the other knights chortled or exchanged comical glances, there was something unreadable about Alerick's expression.

He gave a small chuckle. "Won't that be the day? I certainly believe it."

"You mad little lass!" came Elliott's jest as his giant hands took hold and placed her in the saddle, "You trynna to replace me?!"

"I almost had it!"

"Almost," Elliott winked and gave poor Seamus a much-deserved pat on the neck.

"You should be careful, dear," Marika's comment to her daughter was as gentle as it was useless, so she turned her attention and gave a warm greeting to those who waited in the cold, "Afternoon, good sir knights. Isn't the snow just lovely? I adore how it sparkles."

"Know how to turn any grey day bright and sunny, don't you, Marika?" One said with a pleasant smile.

"Always good to see you!" Concurred another. "We should get the kids together again soon! I know how much Terrence adores my Lily."

Marika gave that sweet smile of hers, "Of course! Sooner rather than later. I'll talk to Rae tonight about arrangements!" she said and kindly turned to the Captain of the Guard. "Oh, Elliott, will you tell Stormy I said 'hello' when you arrive home, tonight?"

"Sure, I will! My will be happy to hear from ya! Was just tellin' Caleb and Alerick how she's goin' mad in the last few weeks!"

"Any day now, right?"

"Any day now! All three of 'em will be here."

"Goodness! And I thought my two were a handful! Well....one of them is."

Though she had just been seated in the saddle, little Astraea was already on her feet struggling to balance on it, her balancing arms wavering at her sides and her little cape swaying behind her. "Father!" she called out to him as she tried to keep herself steady. He was just coming out of the front door in his causal uniform, a crest of two briars forming a loose 'x' in front of a rose on his shoulders. "Make me fly again!"

"Alright, Essie," Rae couldn't help but grin. "One last time before I go."

The girl leapt from the saddle with faith and again she found herself laughing in her father's hands as he held her high and spun, "Whoooo!" He made the playful noise before tossing her into the sky just as he had done in the backyard, and she was laughing when she came back down from his strong hands and placed back on solid ground. "Might just have to get you a pair of wings for your birthday," Rae teased.

"Oh my, it is coming up..." Marika brushed her fingers through her daughter's hair, "Almost ten years old already...My sweet girl."

"Sweet??" Terrence trotted up on Cosmos. "Mother, she's a menace," he added as he dismounted and gave the reins to his father.

"Thank you, Terrence," Rae was pleased and patted his boy's shoulder with a smile, and with a horse now in hand of his last knight, Elliott hopped into Seamus' saddle.

"Best be gettin' ta Primus Keep, Rae! King's waitin'!" the man was enthusiastic as he pulled at the reins and commanded the shifting horse forward into a swift trot.

The order followed suit.

Turning his gaze from Elliott to loving wife, Rae placed his free hand on the small of her back and pulled her in close, "I must go now," his words of farewell were bittersweet, but he added some sugar with a kiss. "I'll return to your arms tonight. I love you."

"And I you, darling."

"Aw, sick!!" Astraea shouted out at the sight of affection, disgust on her face and disdain in her voice.

Marika couldn't help but give a little giggle, "You'll fall in love someday, too, you know."

"No, I-shut up, mom!!"

"Watch it, Astraea," Rae once again warned his daughter, though this time there was some playfulness to his tone as he moved to hug his son. "Try and keep the peace while I'm gone. I'll see you, tonight, Terry."

"Of course, father."

{bg: Overtaken (Epic Choir Mix) - Carameii (0:00-1:25)}

Rae placed a gentle kiss onto his daughter's forehead, "Stay out of trouble," he gave the gentle reminder before mounting Cosmos. The knight kicked at his horse's flanks, catching up with Elliott in a swift gallop and falling at his place in the front of the line by the captains' side.

With a wondrous grin and bright eyes, the girl took off after the trotting group. Marika put an arm around Terrence's shoulder; the two were happy to stay put on the front steps as they watched the departure.

"I love you, daddy!"

"I love you, too, Astraea!" Rae looked over his shoulder as he slowed the canter to a trot, "Watch the moon - I'll be home when it's at its highest in the sky!"

With that same look on her face, the girl stopped in her tracks and watched the knights ride away.

_

{0:19} Beneath a cloudy pastel sky, the order ambled their steeds across a stretching a spanning bridge over the dark sea. At the other end was a grand gate to the city of the keep - it was open and decorated with torches and draped in crimson banners embroidered with magnificent bear crests, the same the knights paraded around on horseback. Gate guards happily waved to greet the order as they passed into the city.

{0:28} Snow still covered the ground, but the fall had ceased and at last made way for the sun as the heart of the capital flourished. Many stopped the hustle and bustle of their work or busy lives to look in awe at the group of knights as they rode through the streets. Children were awestruck with fantasies spinning around in their heads. Some of the civilians smiled and waved, and many of the knights happily returned the favor as they neared the entrance to a regal white castle.

{0:38} Two grand doors were pulled open to reveal their meeting room that sported the same crimson bear banners. The knights entered in a single-file line, and each began to their seats in an orderly yet friendly fashion - talking, smiling, and even displaying a bit of playfulness before business was to begin. {1:19} Last through the doors was the King himself - a strong and majestic man, regally dressed in a mix of light armor and fine draped fabrics with a golden wreath crown atop his head. He sat at the head of the table beside Rae with his advisor standing behind him on his left and Elliott on his right. {end}

The king zealously looked around the table to one of his gallant knights. It was as if his majesty was sorting through all the words, trying to string the perfect ones together that would fit such a fantastic occasion.

And then finally, he began.

"My loyal knights," he was regal as he rose. "I do apologize for such a sudden calling of a meeting, especially on a frigid day while you were warm with your families, no doubt; but what has been uncovered today in our very own capital city simply cannot wait."

On cue, two servants entered and placed a small, velvet-draped cube on the table in front of the King and bowed to immediately take their leave. Once the doors were sealed behind them, the King continued.

"There is a boy and his brother who dwell in this kingdom. Both quite brilliant - prodigies, even. One has a gift for science and invention while the other has a gift for the arts. Connor and Rowan Burns - some of you know them well with all the good work they do around the Keep. Rowan happens to most enjoy nature as the subject for his work. As such, he spends much time surrounded by the nature he so loves drawing and foraging. On his most recent outing, the boy discovered this."

The King removed the drapery to reveal a glass box with golden trim. Inside was a fruit black as a brewing storm cloud with a yellow, jagged stem that twisted all around. It was adorned with the distinct trademark swirls everyone knew.

A devil fruit.

Upon the reveal, the knights whispered amongst themselves while Alerick was unfazed and poker-faced as he keenly observed the fruit before him.

"A discovery indeed!" The King beamed, and the room fell silent once more. "Once the fruit was delivered to me, I thought of perhaps having a tournament for it. Fighting? Jousting? The whole kingdom could participate!" He lifted his arms up at the vision. "Anyone who wished could have a chance! But power such as this...it's come to our kingdom for a reason, and I would see it harnessed by someone trustworthy - someone deserving. Therefore, on the suggestion of my brilliant advisor," the man behind the King took a subtle bow. "I have called you all here to grant this fruit to one of you, my most brave and loyal knights. And together, we shall decide who will take the bite of the--"

"Storm-Storm fruit," the name came from Alerick's lips, and all the order turned to him in unison and shock. After all, he had just cut off the sentence of the King himself. Though that meant nothing to him, and on this day, he would say as he pleased. "Type: paramecia. It's a very powerful and peculiar fruit that grants the user control of the sky itself. The very weather and humidity in the air at your fingertips to do your bidding," the knights exchanged glances at the mention of the power capable from the very thing in front of them - the very fruit one of them would sink their teeth into. "Water droplets forged to weapons, tornados as spinning soldiers, cyclones to reign supreme...As you put it, your majesty, a discovery indeed," his dark eyes narrowed. "And, oh, how I've waited for it. But you intend for Raemond Ryker Thane to have it, don't you?"

Rae was immediately on guard, and the King's demeanor shifted as well, his tone now stern instead of jubilant. "As I said, I intend for us to decide together."

"But you will all choose Raemond...won't you?" The man's eyes glanced at all his fellow knights. "He is the pinnacle of what it means to be a knight, after all. The very essence of valor, loyalty, and bravery. He's got everything going for him, don't you think? Even a family to still love from that exotic little wife of his."

All the order was appalled as they hummed with chatter. Elliott uncomfortably shifted as he tightened his fist around his spear, and a troubled Rae turned to the King, who once again rose and silenced the room with the raise of a hand.

His Grace was a patient and just man.

"Sir Alerick, I understand any frustration and pain you may still harbor. The loss of Genevieve in the raid was by far the most grievous in the kingdom. I am open to having a private meeting if yo-"

"It wasn't just Genevieve," His solemn gaze rested on the King as he rose to match his highness. "It was Caroline. Little Frances. My unborn James. All gone. All because you, Orson Aurelus Ferus, are not fit to be King." The King was beyond thunderstruck at the boldness - the very words that Alerick would continue to spew. "Perhaps it's time for a new king," Alerick was alarmingly casual as he addressed the order. "Shall we choose another while were all gathered? Truth be told, I don't even think that son of his has what it takes. Is this the best the name Ferus has to offer? Even with that fantastic, fabled lineage, I say the family has run its course when it comes to the throne...

Perhaps...the one who gets the fruit shall be crowned king."

Rae slammed a fist on the table amidst the clamoring from others, angrily leaning forward in his seat. "Alerick!" He spat the name like it was venom. "You've always been outspoken, but this is crossing the line. What is this madness? This treason?!"

Intense eyes locked between the King and the man who would be one.

"It donnae matter, Rae.... Alerick Casimir," Elliott took a step forward and pointed the tip of his spear to the disgraced knight. The rest of the knights were all sullen faces and reaching for their swords. All except for one who eagerly sat in his seat with subtle a smirk to the show that was unfolding, "I am placin' you under arrest for treason. I'm sure ye know the sentence for such a crime."

"Death?" The question was arrogant, sinister even.

There was a surreal moment of silence and tension amongst the men caught in the calm before the storm.

And then...

Like lightning, Alerick drew his sword and cut the throats two knights that sat on either side of him. Just as quick, he was on the table barreling towards the King as all men moved to attack. His majesty took a step back and raised an arm in protective reflex as Alerick's wrathful sword swung down upon him with a mighty cry. Metal rang out as Raemond and the would-be king slayer found themselves clashing blades.

"Elliott!!" Rae shouted to give the order that was already being carried out. The mountain of a man was guarding and escorting the King to safety with haste as the other knights were still charging Alerick, swords drawn and voices booming. "You're no king!" Rae spat through their locked blades. "You will never know the power of the throne or the love of the people! None shall bend the knee!"

From behind, the bloodied blade of a sword mercilessly tore through Rae's chest and slowly withdrew. He gasped and clutched at his chest, struggling and heaving to breathe as a single line of blood leaked from the corner of his lips and he collapsed down onto one knee.

"Oopsie-daisy," Alerick grinned as he looked down on Rae from his place high on mighty on the table, and Rae collapsed down as if a worshiper to a god. "Spoke too soon, Rae. Good work, Felix."

It was the King's advisor.

Felix felt no wrong nor remorse. Even as Rae rasped and choked with eyes full of disbelief, the former advisor simply wiped the blood from his blade.

"Dietrich," Alerick turned to look past the charging men who were dangerously close to only address the one standing silently and risen from his original seat. "It's your turn."

Obediently, Dietrich pressed out a palm to face the storming knights and the others to those fleeing with the king. A strange burst of energy radiated out, and the men soon found themselves locked in place, frozen in time itself. In triumph and ignoring the blades that had nearly made it to his throat, Alerick looked back down to Rae.

"Like Dietrich's power? We've been keeping it a secret. He's going to be my new Captain of the Guard...Once I'm on the throne, of course."

Felix slid the pristine sword back into its sheath and casually opened the little glass display containing the fruit and tossed it up to Alerick. The catch was a clean one, and Alerick relished the sight of the fruit finally in his grasp.

Still clutching at his overflowing wound, Rae struggled and fought to stand, using his sword as a crutch and the will to stop what was about to happen as a desperate drive.

But it wasn't enough.

Again and again, he could only collapse back to his knees. All that willpower, and he still couldn't pull himself to his feet. All that rage, and yet he couldn't waste his time or breath on any words that would make no difference anyway.

And at long last...

Alerick sank his teeth into the Devil Fruit.

With that single bite, he had all the power he could ever want coursing through him. Thunder rolled through his bones, his blood became a ceaseless and unforgiving rain, and it was as if there were bolts of lightning that flashed in his eyes. He was now a living cyclone, but still not yet a king.

Not yet.

He gave a pleasured sigh from the feeling of such power. "This was going to be yours I believe," Alerick threw the rest of the fruit at Rea. "I apologize. You can have my leftovers...And I'll take yours. Don't worry Rae, your family will be taken care of. Especially lovely Marika."

"You--!!"

"I think I'll even take your sword," Alerick ignored Rae in favor of adding more insult to injury. "It is quite nice, and you won't be needing it. In fact, I can just order someone to retrieve it for me, since I will be King and such. Watch this, you're going to love it! Dietrich," He called out to his loyal follower. "Unfreeze them, will you? I should like to play around with my new abilities - I think it'll be quite fun to see what I can do, don't you?"

Dietrich smirked. "Certainly, Your Grace."

Everyone that was released from the time spell suddenly stumbled back into action, and though Rae couldn't stand, he could still fight to his last breath and hope the best for the king he chose to serve. His bleeding hand shot from his chest so both grips could be on the hilt of his sword whose blade went black with Haki. As a final order, Rae looked to Orson and those who guarded him as they were just reaching the doors. "Protect the king!!"

Blood and water shot across the floor in a trail.

───── ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ ─────

"I told you; I'm done with piano for the day!" Astraea protested from atop the foyer staircase to her mother at the bottom, who had ended the futile attempt in getting her daughter back in front of the keys. "And I'm already done with my stupid singing lessons tomorrow!"

"You know the deal, my love. If you want to train with Elliott, you have to study at least two arts. It is very important that you have a well-rounded and refined education."

"The only thing that ever needs to be well-rounded and refined is my fist!"

In the room over, Terrence was cozied up in a chair with a book in his hands. His eyes rolled from the captivating pages, as he was so cruelly pulled out of the story and into the unintelligible bickering - well, bickering on one end and calm, collected reasoning on the other that Marika would keep up.

"If you would like to cut your lesson short today, at least go ahead and take your bath."

Astraea's response was simply to start storm off without another word.

"And wash your hair!"

"I did wash it!" The aggravated girl stopped to grip the banisters and look down at her mother.

"When?"

"Couple months ago!"

A defeated sigh escaped Marika's lips as her daughter's fuming footsteps receded, "What is with that child...?" she quietly asked herself as she moved to the open archway of the room where Terrence had happily returned to his pages. He dared not let his eyes leave them this time, even as he quipped.

"Oh, mother, just set the little beast free. She can wander around the forest or the beaches - feed on fish and rock."

"Terrence!" Even her scolding was soft and sweet, further betrayed by a tickled grin.

_

Upstairs, the little troublemaker padded down the hallway and bypassed the door for her bath to one that was of more interest - her father's office.

It was a grand room sporting dark wood, a fireplace, fine desk, so many model ships - all happily held in bottles while one larger model rest atop the mantle. The study was lit by two large windows with a gorgeous display of a knife collection mounted between them.

Of course, that's what the mischievous girl was here for. She rolled out the luxurious chair from the desk for the sole purpose of standing on it to admire the collection of blades.

_

"So...Lily's father suggested a meet-up again soon," Marika's signature sweet smile was something a little more playful this time. "I'll have to talk to your father about it, but how does end of the week sound?"

Terrence's eyes ceased scanning the words as he thought for a moment. "...How about tomorrow?"

There was a moment of pause as Marika pondered.

"Why don't you help me get dinner started?" her expression was tender. After all, her children were growing up so fast. "And we can talk about it."

The boy was suddenly eager to put his book down, "Certainly, mother!"

He was quick to join her side, and just as they moved to head for the kitchen to carry out their cozy plans, a deafening thunder roll shook the whole house, leaving the two looking up in fear.

_

The shaking threw Astraea off balance as she scrambled to stay balanced in the trembling and rolling chair. She fell forward and caught herself on the narrow windowpane that was over the backyard. When she looked up, she could see the dark sea madly roaring and a furious wind that churned sickening storm clouds.

_

"A storm...?" Terrence and his mother exchanged puzzled glances. Before either could give any further thought, an explanation, or an answer, another deafening blast rang out and Marika's scream along with it as the front door was reduced to flying splinters.

_

Astraea's head whipped into the direction of the commotion with a gasp and cautious eyes.

_

"Knock, knock," came a familiar voice accompanied by slow footsteps.

Marika's motherly instincts took over, and she pushed Terrence behind her, shielding him from the approaching intruder. Her breathing was only becoming more labored - chest rapidly rising and falling in fear.

"Sir Alerick..." It was like she had to choke his name out. Then a shaky swallow. "What brings you back to our home?"

"What's with the fright, my darling Lady Marika?" The King's crown was cooked on his head. After all, it was fit for a king, not for him. "The meeting ended early, and I thought I'd stop by. Well...invade, really."

As if on cue, Dietrich entered the home holding the same velvet-draped box that had been presented at the meeting. Though now a liquid dropped from it.

Frozen in fear, the pair could only move wide eyes. On the other side of the doorless frame, they could see a carriage that awaited them.

"You're speechless - it's completely understandable, my love," Alerick brought their eyes back to him. "Proposals are always such an emotional occasion. Especially when they come so prettily packaged with the title of Queen."

With the reality of the words sinking in, the two only found themselves more paralyzed.

Even as he moved in closer.

"All you have to do is say yes," Alerick told her and Dietrich looked down to the box in twisted excitement as he got a handful of velvet - raring for the reveal. Alerick's cue was getting close, "And I think you'll find you won't be able to res-"

A feral war cry came from such a small girl as she ran at him with hardened arms and a blade from her father's study. He didn't know where she came from, but even with her element of surprise, he was still faster. It was nothing for him to snatch wrist and hold her in place so mean.

Dietrich looked at the girl in distaste for a moment ruined, and Marika choked out a sob as Alerick began to tighten his grip on her daughter's wrist. Tighter and tighter and tighter still...Her whimpers of pain or what could happen to her little bones didn't matter to him, he wanted that blade to fall from her fingers to the floor and that's exactly what he got.

"Elliott lied to you - you're nowhere near ready to be a knight," Alerick so cruelly said to the child. "You can't coat weapons. You can barely demonstrate the basics. Such a pity. I was so looking forward to our new Captain of the Guard." He looked down at her, taking pleasure in her wide fearful eyes. "Well go on, girl. Give me some hope. Fight back."

And she did fight back, just with a demand. "Why do you have my father's sword?!"

Marika and Terrence hadn't even noticed, but Astraea was right. What was in the Usurper's scabbard belonged to Rae. But now in his possession, Alerick took hold of the hilt.

"I have so much more than just his sword."

Taking that as his cue, Dietrich yanked the velvet.

Hearts dropped and wet eyes widened in that split second.

Until it was finally fully uncovered.

{bg: Hito no Dokuro ni Tee Dasuna - One Piece OST (0:00-0:28)}

Astraea's violet eyes grew fearful and swam with tears. But the tears wouldn't fall, and fear gave way to rage, and from the rage awakened a brutal, bright burst of supreme power...

3 YEARS LATER

A bleak snowy slush fell over a colorless kingdom, cold and quiet beneath those sickening storm clouds that eclipsed the sun. Crimson bear banners had fallen to see dark grey vortexes rise and tyrannize. Truth be told, the new banners did compliment the current dreariness of the kingdom.

Content as a cyclone over vast warm waters, Alerick thrived upon the throne as he looked at his approaching audience led by a man that looked strikingly similar to the fallen king. Behind the true heir was Terrence and two other teenage boys on either side of him. One had short auburn hair paired with easy hazel eyes and the other had wild, curly black hair and bright green eyes. All three stopped and patiently waited in silence with hands respectfully behind their backs as the Ferus boy fell gallantly into place by the Usurper's side. {fade out end at 0:28}

"See that?" Alerick asked the man beside him with a casual gesture to his audience. "Still just so very well behaved, aren't they? What gentlemen! This is exactly why you're all still around. Well?" He switched up his tone from spirited to annoyed and urged. "Speak."

"Your Grace," Terrence gave a subtle bow of his head. "Gratitude for taking time out of such a day to grant us audience."

"But, of course, Terrence, my boy." There was a certain smoothness to the Usurper's tone. A happiness, or perhaps a charm. "How could I turn my favorite stepchild down on this joyous occasion?"

"I'm hoping you'll say that when I speak with you on an important matter...It's of mother."

"Ah! My good queen. I haven't seen her today...As is typical given the...Well, you know. You were there," he practically jested. "Permanently seared into your mind, I'm sure! So, tell me. What can I do for sweet Marika?"

"The sun, Your Grace."

Alerick raised an eyebrow.

"I'm afraid mother isn't handling today very well. It's worse than usual, Your Grace. She barely slept at all last night, she refuses to eat or even speak. The last few months have been long, cold, and so drearily grey. If you would part your clouds and gift her some sun, just a little bit of kind warmth, I'm sure the sentiment would bring your good queen some sense of peace."

"Part my precious clouds?" Alerick seemed equally playful and offended, and the man that stood next to him lightly leaned in.

"If I may, Your Grace..."

"Let's hear it, Lecius."

"The Kingdom of Auberon hasn't seen sun in several months...If you would allow rays to breach today of all days, the people here consider it a good omen. Heaven smiling down on your day, so to speak."

"Ahh," Alerick smiled. "You're brighter than your poor bastard king of a father ever was. May his soul rest in or out of peace. I just might have to promote you from my sworn sword to my advisor. If only Felix wasn't so good at his job..." Alas, he turned back to his audience. "I'll consider it. I assume that's why you're here, too, Rowan? Sunless times spoiling your plants?"

The boy with the black curly hair opened his mouth to speak, but the moment he took that breath, Alerick cut him off.

"Oh, do shut up, I've already said I'll consider it. And you, Connor?" The King's enthusiasm further plummeted when he addressed the other boy. "Something with your gadgets or mad science or what have you? Don't tell me they're solar-powered."

"Oh, not at all, sire! I'm just here for support!" Connor harshly hit Terrence's back in what was supposed to be a supportive pat.

"Well, boys. You have your answer. Off with you." He made a shooing motion with both ring-heavy hands, and the three followed the order, taking leave with a quick and respectful bow. When the three were gone, Alerick turned to his sworn sword. "Good heavens, Lecius, I almost forgot to ask how your mother is faring today! I've just been thinking so much of my dragon pit. Such a shame the renovations couldn't be complete for my anniversary."

"My deepest condolences, Your Grace."

───── ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ ─────

"It's unforgivable," Terrence was heated but hushed as the three boys strolled down the castle breezeway adjacent to the dying royal gardens. "That arrogant bastard. Seated on the throne while the rightful heir stands next to it as a loyal lapdog."

"Careful, Terry," Rowan urgently muttered. "These walls have ears."

"I wouldn't say such things if I didn't think it was safe to do so."

With not a single soul nearby, the three took pause beneath the grey in the breezeway arch that was the garden entrance.

"Maybe Lecius will finally snap and slice his throat," Connor seemed to agree they were in the clear for brazenly honest words, but Terrence shook his head.

"You know Lecius is smarter than that...More disciplined. You remember what happened the last time anyone tried anything...And now even once-abundant seaprism stone is hard to get our hands on...Besides, Lecius wants to set nothing into motion until his poor mother passes. Because...If it fails..."

"That damn chokehold he has on us all..."

"Loved one against loved one..." Rowan sadly added. "What about Elliott? Has anyone heard from him? Perhaps he's planning something given that Alerick wouldn't dare hurt Stormy? Right...? She was such good friends with him and Genevieve...they all grew up together."

"No..." Terrence was thoughtful. "Elliott got the easy out. I know it pains him, but I'm sure he's put this all behind him and is just focusing on his family now. And I would ask or expect nothing more of him. Let the man have his peace, and let's see this conversation put to rest."

Connor titled his head. "So, that's it, then? That's what three years has amounted to? Let's just keep waiting around until Lecius' mother is out of harms way in her grave or Astraea gets stronger? The corpses I get on my table are more proactive."

"You leave your twisted hobbies and my sister out of this!" Terrence warned under his breath. "I know she can get grand and brazen with her words, but she's just a girl."

"She has the Colors, Terry. She's a Conqueror."

"She blames me for all of this..." Rowan was dejected, but above all else, the boy bore guilt. "If I hadn't found that damned fruit none of this-"

"Not another word," Terrence cut him off with softly-spoken but stern words. "I promise Astraea does not blame you. She is angry. She is hurt. But all of that is directed at our King."

But before another word could be said, beautiful beams broke through the clouds and cast warmth onto their skin. All three turned to look at the clearing sky, and Terrence was still nothing short of spiteful.

"And what a merciful king he is..."

───── ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ ─────

The golden sun atop the gray shone through an ornate window of Astraea's chambers, softly filling the room alongside a gentle crackling fire and a small singing voice.

"It's always summer...under the sea...I know, I know...oh, oh, oh..." Seated at the vanity, Astraea looked down and fidget with ribbons as her mother lovingly brushed through her long locks. They had grown with her through the unforgiving years. "The birds have scales...and the fish take wing. I know, I know...oh, oh, oh...The rain is dry, and the snow falls up...I know, I know..." The girl raised her sad eyes to the mirror and looked past herself at her mother, and that was when she realized, "Oh, look, mother, the sun came out!"

No response.

"Mother...?"

Still nothing, and Astraea thought for a moment.

"Will you tell me again about the Flower Capital...? About the samurai? The stories of the kappa and strange creatures were always so much fun!"

Marika only brushed though the locks in silence, weakly but with so much love.

"Mother, please say something...You haven't spoken all day, and I-"

"Your hair..." Marika finally spoke. Her voice sounded small, so defeated. "I'm glad you let it grow...I hope you know how so very special it is - It's just like his but gifted my waves." Marika gently played with the locks between her fingers as she brushed them and cherished fond memories of her lost love. "You got the best of both of us...Two perfect little pieces from us each that will live on through you...It's beautiful."

Those sad eyes filled with concern as she kept them on her mother in the mirror. "Are you alright, mother...? I can have Rowan bring tea...Whatever you need."

"Worry not, darling...I've just grown quite tired..." Slowly, Marika placed the brush back onto the vanity and rose, "I think I'll rest for a while...Save my strength," She turned to her daughter, took her face in her hands, and the two locked eyes, "Maybe then I can be as strong as you."

"But you don't need to be strong, mother. You've got me to protect you."

At last, the slightest bit of a smile tugged at the corners of Marika's lips, "Of course, darling. My strong, beautiful girl," her fingers lightly brushed Astraea's bangs to the side. "Remember, I'll always love you." Marika placed a kiss on the girl's forehead and then took her leave without another word. The girl watched as her mother departed. Once the door close, she kept her eyes on it for just a moment before turning to face herself in the mirror.

───── ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ ─────

The dark silhouette of the castle and quiet capital coldly rested under a black, moonless night sky.

Astraea lay in bed with a grave face fixed on the massive clouds that drifted outside her grand bedroom window. But on this night, the capital would be blessed with another welcomed glimpse of the sky and even the shimmering moon itself was shyly unveiled.

At the beautiful surprise of a sight, the girl gave an elated gasp. "The moon!" she happily exclaimed to herself as she scrambled to her knees in bed, positioned for prayers to the silver light. "Hi daddy..." She so softly started. "I miss you so much...Do you remember? On that day...? Before you left, you told me to watch the moon, and you would be home when it was high in the sky...Mother and Terrence say you're happy in heaven now, but I think that's where you went - to moon and never back...I wish..." her little whispering voice began to quiver, but she quickly steadied herself - she had to.

{bg: Maya's Tears - One Piece OST (0:00-0:23)}

"I wish I could have gotten that pair of wings, so maybe I could fly to you. But...Even if I can't see you, I hope you're still watching down on me...I hope you get to see me make everything right. This isn't the part where life keeps me down. I'll get back up. I'll be the very, very, very strongest - I promise I will, daddy. I'll always fight for what you believed in...

And I'll win."

{end at 0:23 and fade into next ost}

{bg: Remember - Brunuhville (this is the non-vocal version - very important}

_

Terrence sat in front of a fire in the castle's library. A book was open in his lap, but his eyes were fixed on the flames. Even when the slight of the moon shone into the room.

_

Despite the snow and freezing cold, Marika wore nothing but an open white nightgown cinched just under her chest by three ties and exposed the rest of her bare body in nothing but a pair of white panties. The gown whipped where the wind willed as she slowly walked atop one of the castle walls. Cold tears streamed down her blank face and her lips shivered.

At last, she stopped at a spot on the wall-walk and slowly stepped up onto parapet. She looked down below to the impossible drop into the dark she knew ended in snow-covered cobble. But her face showed no sign of fear - in fact it remained blank.

The good queen looked to the sky for some final beauty as the clouds moved for the moon, and she closed her eyes as she gave her last breath to the cold. Her arms raised out to her sides and she leaned forward into a fall.

Marika saw nothing but him.

Her love.

His arms opened for her welcomed embrace at long last. As she fell, she only got closer to him - closer to peace.

{1:17} Until finally there were reunited.

Three guards at their post not far away snapped their heads around when they heard a sickening thud (inaudible) behind them. Their eyes went wide at the source of the noise.

_

A pair of other guards strolling down the halls of the castle saw the others below running from their post. The moment one of them caught a glimpse of the reason, they two were full speed.

_

Cozied up in the lab, Connor seemed to be stringing a guitar and waiting on test results while Rowan played with his plants, full sketchbook open and a curious sample under a microscope. Their attention was soon torn from hobby to hurried guards that tore into the room.

One was catching his breath while the other was frantically explaining through huffs.

The half-brothers weren't even fully up to speed when Connor was pulling out a pocket-sized transponder snail and Rowan was rushing to grab any rope, which he quickly handed off to one of the guards as Connor began a call.

_

Alerick was quite enjoying himself at a late-night feast celebrating three years on the throne. He was seated and all smiles at a full dining table, and two massive, monstrous bears adorned in gold and jewels were chained to the wall behind him - gods of war reduced to party décor.

The Usurper had just raised a glass of whiskey to his lips when those loyal to him quickly and discreetly informed him of the misfortune.

The warm fire that blazed in the banquet hall and all the welcome company could do nothing for the cold expression that washed over his face. He muttered an order (inaudible), and gestured with the fingers that held the glass for it to be carried out. The guards hurried to take their leave, and he calmly took another sip.

_

Terrence was still fixed on the fire when the door behind him burst open. Startled, he turned to see a guard rushing up, urging him (inaudible) from his chair and forced the rope from Rowan and his own sword into the boy's hands.

_

Astraea hadn't moved when her door burst open and, she whipped around to see Terrence hurrying to her. He yanked her to her feet and was quickly but sternly explaining something to her (inaudible) as he tied the rope around the bed post and threw the window open. Harshly, he shoved her towards it and urged her out.

She went from confused to scared when guards swarmed the room, and Terrence gave one final shove before he moved to be her shield from the storming guards.

The last thing she saw on her way out was her brother hold his ground with a readied sword as they came for him.

In nothing but her nightgown, her bare feet dropped into the snow.

And she ran.

But it didn't take long for yet another pair guards patrolling this side of the castle on horseback to spot her. Through the stinging tears and labored breaths, she fled from two pursuers through the freezing night, winding through narrow alleys and stumbling over railing to lose them.

She made it to the backend beach, but they had caught up with her when she struggled through the sand. As they closed in, one communicated on a portable transponder snail while the other guard reached for the fleeing girl, his hand mere inches away from her. But just before he could get a fistful of her hair, he abruptly stopped, and blood went flying into the crisp night. {2:18}

The second man was still speaking into the transponder snail when his face turned to horror, and his report became nothing but a scream (inaudible) as Elliott rode at him on an untacked Seamus with a black warhammer raised and readied for the enemy's head.

Elliott leapt from his horse and quickly got the girl into one of the few boats that were beached. He rowed as fast as he could while the girl could only stare at Seamus left behind with the two other aimlessly trotting horses and at the distant castle that got lost in the black moonless sky.

Storm clouds were rolling in.

{2:33} When dawn broke, she was curled up on the bottom of the boat. Her eyes looked to Elliott, and he could only offer the same. He was winded, pouring sweat, and rowing slower.

Without a word, she closed her eyes.

Night fell once more and they were blessed with calm waters but cursed with a dense fog. The girl hadn't moved since dawn, and Elliott looked down at her in pity as he gently rowed. But his attention was torn from her by a small approaching ship from behind.

One man aboard pointed and shouted commands (inaudible), and soon cannon fire tore through the night and towards them. {2:57} Astraea awoke to Elliott throwing himself over her as one cannon ball hit him directly in his Haki-coated back. The two went down with the splintered rowboat.

The men on the ship looked out into the dark waters for any sign of life, though none would come. Once satisfied, the one who ordered the canon fire nodded and the small ship began its departure.

The fog turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the pair. After swimming a distance Elliott sure was safe, they surfaced. But that wasn't the end of it, they would have to swim until they reached land. She broke free from Elliott's protective hold to swim on her own, and they struggled and paddled into the deep dark waters, fighting to keep their heads above the roughening waves before going under again. {end}

Exhausted and shivering, the two resurfaced with a final, deep and desperate gasp. At last, land was within reach, the pier was the answer to their prayers. Elliott hoisted the girl up onto the frozen wharf. She messily tumbled, but quickly gathered herself to grab the massive man's forearm in a futile attempt to pull him up to join her. Desperately, she tugged, pulled, and grunted until he was able to crawl up with the help she had to offer. Instantly, he was flat on his back, huffing and panting, a well-deserved rest for what he had just gone through to protect the girl.

She was in not much better of state, as she was on her knees and folded over herself facing towards the land while trying to catch her breath. Whimpers and the cold escaped her trembling lips as she peered into the darkness before them where a rundown harbor town waited to be their new home.

{bg: Le Retour Triomphal - Shiro SAGISU}

PRESENT DAY

That same image of the town erupted in bright sunlight, colors, confetti, and cheers. It was clearly cleaner and expanded, hosting merry masses and a sea of happy faces. Underneath lines of strung pirate flags and lovely string lights, people hurried from one booth to another - each one offering games, prizes, or delectable dishes. Some carried around cotton candy or sparklers as they excitedly explored all the festival had to offer.

{0:18} A petite cloaked figure approached a fruit stand from the seaside harbor path. Well, cloak was a generous word for the beige cloth fashioned into something like a cloak. The wearer pushed the hood far back enough to free thick strands of raven hair and full lips as she leisurely took her time to browse the sweet selections. She seemed enough at peace until she was pulled out of her choosing by overhearing two very ecstatic nearby boys with their little wooden swords and homemade pirate costumes, wide eyes to the harbor.

"Whoa, cool! Look at that one!" one child pointed at a massive ship as it pulled into port.

"That's Liberal Hind! X Drake's ship!" the other excitedly responded. "Awesome!! He's actually here!"

"The Fire Tank Pirates are already here, too! I saw them walking around! Is that the Straw Hats in the distance?! So cool!!"

A bit perplexed, the girl pushed her hood back even further to reveal a full familiar face - though now all grown up. She glanced from the children to the harbor to find it beyond bustling with onlooking civilian crowds and unloading pirate crews alike. So many peculiar ships she had never seen while others were incoming on the horizon.

Just then, an eclipsing ship drifted directly in front, blocking her view of harbor and ocean and casting a massive shadow over the crowds and street. This one she knew - the Stay Tuned. And while the boys swooned with starry eyes over the Sea Roar, she sneered.

"Oh shit...that's today?" the girl asked herself and looked into the town with dismay to find festive decorations aplenty, booths, more crowds, and the most damming all the evidence: pirate flags. "Oh shit...that's today."

{0:51} Without hesitation, she grabbed a peach from the fruit stand and took off into town.

"Hey!! Carmen!" the shopkeeper called after her.

"Sorry, Cal! You know I'm good for it!" she threw her hood back on before sinking her teeth into the peach and disappearing into the crowd as some heads turned after her.

_

{1:00} From aboard the Thousand Sunny, Chopper was on Franky's shoulders as the helmsman sailed the Sunny to the harbor town on the horizon.

"Hello, New World!!!" the little reindeer couldn't help but happily exclaim. Relaxed and eyes closed, Robin took a sip of her drink, and interrupted from his nap, Zoro lightly opened his one eye.

"Our first stop here! Or rather, our first vacation~" Eternal pose in hand, Nami jumped up from sunning in her lawn chair and hurried to the side of the ship, "I can't wait to see what it's like!"

"I'll be by your side come what may, Nami-sweet~" Sanji playfully sang and hurried after her.

The captain stood on the lion head with a broad smile and sight set to the fest - to the future. Wind played in his hair and seagulls soared as his dreams. This was it.

This was the New World.

_

{1:15} Standing proudly on the bow of their ships at sea, Eustass "Captain" Kid and the Mad Monk Urouge held grins to the horizon.

_

{1:19} "Straw Hats, huh?" Law could see the ship and others ahead in the not-so-far distance. "Eustass and Urouge, too. And looks like there are plenty more already at port," he side-eyed his limited crew. "I can't believe I let you guys talk me into taking a break and coming here."

"But Captain! We missed you!" Bepo was first to speak, gathered with the rest of the crew behind Law on deck. "And you really do deserve this! You've been working hard for almost two months now!"

Penguin nodded. "A well-earned time of rest. Plus, the timing was perfect with your birthday!"

"Well, almost perfect..." After those words, Sachi would be the first to break - he could hardly contain his excitement. "And we wanna see the cabaret girls!!

"Yeah!" Penguin shamelessly admitted, hands on his friend's shoulders. The two earned a death-glare from the Surgeon of Death, "We wanted to see you too though, captain!"

"Would you two knock it off?!"

_

{1:30} Carmen still hurried through the packed-out streets of her usually peaceful hometown, her teeth still anchoring the peach to her lips as she made her way further into the sea of spectators.

"Where's the pizza stand?!" a pink-haired woman that Carmen had, at a distance, passed by demanded.

"We're looking for it, Captain!" a large man tried to placate her.

The voice from another crew mate came far from the left. "Over here, Captain!"

Swiftly turning a corner, the girl passed by tall, stout, and well-built man that was occupied at one of the booths with an array of reptiles on display. From his wanted poster, she knew to be Red Flag himself, X Drake. Though his wanted poster did him no justice, and his stature made her tear the peach from her teeth and up-and-down as she kept her pace. "Good lord..." said to herself with her mouth full before setting herself straight and running down past the part of the street lined with horse-drawn carriages.

_

"Careful, Chiffon," Bege held the hand of his 6-month pregnant wife as she stepped into one.

"I got it, honey," she sweetly assured her dear husband who turned back to his two men, Vito and Gotti. "You two wait for us here."

_

Peach back between her teeth and running full speed, Carmen arrived the town square. It was festively decorated with a stunning sun and moon themed stage, even more decadent and exotic booths, a traditional renaissance band tuning their instruments, and brightly colored tents set up.

She sped past a man with long blonde hair, a single black cat mink crewmate at his side. Repulsion on his face from the sight, the blonde man immediately shuffled and suspended cards in the air before him. "A little thief, I imagine."

"You're doing a reading to see if she stole the peach?"

"No...I'm trying to figure out why the cards advised I come here in the first place."

"Perhaps fate just wants you to have fun for once, Captain," the Magician couldn't help but wryly suggest.

_

At last, Carmen reached her destination - one of the big, bright tents with one of her beautifully dressed but impatient man waiting for her outside.

The man gave a dramatic gasp, "There you are!!" his relieved exclamation came with him tearing the peach from her teeth.

"Sorry, Tracey," she threw her hood back as she chewed. "I forgot."

"You forgot?" it almost sounded like disbelief was caught in his throat, and she flatly gave her defense.

"I was drunk every time they talked about it!"

"They've been talking about it for months!!"

"I've been drunk for years."

"I would rip my hair out if it wasn't already done!" Tracey yanked one half of the tent entrance open.

"You do look stunning, really, Tracey. So festive!"

He wouldn't be sweetened by her compliments or pretty smile.

"Get in, Songbird! Victor said your hair and makeup need to be perfect by the time the fireworks go off."

{1:59} With the best timing in all of the New World, shrill whistles of fireworks soaring into the air sounded out. In unison, Tracey shot Carmen a death glare and threw the peach at her bicep, and she curled her lips in, violet eyes on him in a mix of remorseful and amused as she tried to make herself smaller.

{2:05} Sparkling and mixing into the sky with the confetti and clouds as they whistled upwards, the fireworks burst in air. {end}

Title shot~!

{Next Episode Preview: ALL THE STARS}

Read the next episode here!

───── ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ ─────

(Disclaimer: The song Astraea is singing when her mother is brushing her hair is "It's Always Summer Under the Sea (Shireen's Song)" - Game of Thrones Soundtrack, Season 3)

[alia-turin-fanfiction]

So everyone asked for part two of that Kneel Before Your King fic and because I'm nice ...here is some filth for y'all.

Warning for smut and bondage.

“Where is your belt?” Caranthir asked him as soon as Eredin walked in the large throne room. The place was deserted, everyone was probably too concerned to show up or they were plotting somewhere in the palace’s darkest corners.

“Misplaced it.” Eredin forced a smile, sweet thoughts about where his belt was conquered his mind. “Why are you not with Avallac’h.”

“Seems like I misplaced him as well.” Eredin knew that the annoyance in his Navigator’s voice was mostly with himself rather directed at his king. “Ge’els was looking for you. He said he needs you to talk to some of the noblemen.”

Eredin just nodded. That was going to be a very long day and he was glad he already released some of the pressure building in him but he would need to release more by the end of the day.

“You will need that.” Caranthir undid his belt and handed it to Eredin. “Makes you look more kingly, also there was a certain urgency in Ge’els’ voice, I don’t think you have time for wardrobe change.”

The younger man was not joking when he said there was urgency. Eredin spent the rest of his day with Ge’els, from this meeting to that meeting, people worried about Auberon, why would they be, the man was dead, if anything his problems were over…

It was way past midnight when he found his way back to Ciri’s room, he was tired, but he needed his belt back and he needed to ensure something.

When he walked in the room it was completely dark but he could make her shape on the bed, curled, her hands still in front of her.

“Comfortable?” Eredin asked and he saw that his words woke her up. He started walking around the room, lighting the candles, but his eyes did not move away from her naked body on the bed.

“I have had worse.” she pushed herself up, sitting or more like kneeling, her head following him around the room.

“Don’t tempt me.” he stopped at the last candle and kept his eyes on her. “I have a deal for you.” he walked closer to the bed, slowly, every step measured, making the seconds drag like minutes. Eventually he sat on the bed reaching for her face, his finger gently caressing her scarred cheek. “Give me what you promised Auberon, and you can go.”

Ciri knew she was not thinking straight. The lust and desire from this morning had turned into frustration, later into anger and now was borderline annoyance, until he had walked into the room. Eredin had a strange pull on her, from the first time she had seen him, the arrogant smirk and the emerald green eyes. There was something in the way he looked at her that made her just lose coherence in the head and after this morning…

...she looked away. He was too intense, he was...too much for her to think straight. Lust and desire was one, but she needed out of here, she needed to get back to her world.

“My deal was to give Auberon what he needed, not you.” she could feel herself almost leaning in his touch. How was he doing that to her? Before she fell asleep she had been so frustrated and angry, now that he was here...the unsatisfied need was coming back and she demanded his hand to touch her.

“That is disappointing.” he removed his hand from her face just to move it between her legs, his long fingers drawing lazy circles around her clit. “Still wet.” He leaned forward, his lips on her ear. “Give me what you promised Auberon, and I will let you go.”

She couldn’t answer but moan. All day she had been thinking about him touching her, just the way he was doing it now, helping her find her release and then even more. Now that he was here, that he had his fingers on her she couldn’t think about anything else. What did it matter really? Auberon or him, there was no difference, despite the little fact Eredin was just driving her crazy in ways nobody else had.

“Yes.” she moaned feeling herself getting closer.

“I didn’t hear that.” Eredin pulled his hand away, and she looked at him frustrated, he cannot do that to her again, not now.

“Yes. You can have what Auberon wanted if you allow me to leave.” she pulled her legs together wanting to find some sort of release but it really didn’t work that way. A terrifying thought creeped in her head. Would she be able to leave after that? Not because he would stop her but...she looked into his green eyes, the confident smile on his lips...she wanted him and she needed him.

“Good girl.” he stood up from the bed and for a second she was worried he would walk away. Maybe that was just one of his games wanting her to say it and that would be it, she would never see him again. “Touch yourself.”

She felt redness creeping up her cheeks. She was naked, he just had his hand between her legs and this morning she had his cock in her mouth and yet somehow that managed to make her blush. “I can't,” she groaned in frustration, she had tried that earlier today, but the way he had tied her hands made it harder for her to easily reach between her legs. She could touch herself, she knew that, but the angle was wrong and eventually her hands started hurting.

Eredin didn’t answer, he watched her. He could stay all day here and his eyes will drink from her nakedness. She was embarrassed and he found that more turning on than her naked flesh.

“It is not that hard.” he mocked.

“Then do it yourself if it’s not that hard.” she responded in frustration raising her bound hands as if he was not aware the difficulty his belt was creating.

“Careful now, I have another belt and I still have not decided how to use it.” Eredin placed his hand on the belt he was wearing, not his really, but it would do the job, the mocking grin not leaving his lips.

Ciri continued looking at him in defiance, if that was the way she was going to fight him, she should be prepared to lose because Eredin was not the one tied and whimpering like a bitch in heat. Eventually she did as she was told, spreading her legs and reaching with her hands, he could see the struggle, the leather digging in her pale skin as she did her best. Her face flushed and her eyes closed from the small pleasure she was giving herself.

“Eyes on me.” Eredin commanded and Ciri had no other choice but to comply. Despite how difficult it was to reach for herself and the cramping in her hands she could feel more pleasure building in her. It wasn’t the same as his fingers, and she wanted to feel that again, but the act of him being here and his hungry gaze on her naked skin made it easier for her. “If you come you will regret it, but don’t stop until I tell you.”

A mixture of frustration and pleasure escaped from her lips in the form of a moan. Her fingers continued working on her clit and sliding lower but she had to slow down every time she felt she was getting closer. It wasn’t that she was afraid to resist him, he wanted something of her and she was sure he could make her life very unpleasant, but it wasn’t that. There was something in his voice, something in the way he looked at her that made her follow his demand and do as she was told.

He gave her another couple of long tortuous minutes and started taking his clothes off, now Ciri didn’t need his encouragement to look at him. He went for the belt first, the way he removed it wasn’t as slow as last time, but she just couldn’t take her eyes away from the way he was undoing the knot and then tossing it on the bed next to her feet. Ciri watched as hypnotized as his fingers worked on the buttons of his clothes and how he causally discarded everything on the floor, revealing his naked body. Taut muscles covered his torso, few thin scars, enhanced his looks. Her eyes traced every inch of him, the way his neck muscles slid into his shoulders, his firm chest expanding with every breath he took. She wanted to take her hand away from her and run it over his skin, feel the hardness of body, touch the scars crossing his flesh, feel the fine lines between his abs and the little veins sliding down under the belt line of his pants.

“Your fingers are not moving.” Eredin’s voice snapped her away from the thoughts she was having. She continued touching herself with more need as if that was even possible. Her eyes fixed on him as he kicked his boots away and started undoing his pants. He was already hard which brought some satisfaction in her mind. She wanted him, but it was good to be desired back.

Eredin watched as her little fingers struggled to bring her pleasure, he noticed every time she slowed down knowing that was when she was going to bring herself closer to an edge. He climbed on the bed, pulling her bound hands away and placing his knee between her legs. Even if his skin was not touching her he was close enough to feel the wetness and heat. With his other hand he reached for her messy hair and yanked, exposing her tender neck for him. He placed a kiss, just at the top of her throat, gentle, then another one, even softer and more eager below it, then he sank his teeth in the sensitive skin just above her collarones. She moaned and he yanked her hair a bit harder. With his free hand he touched where his bite mark was, but he continued sliding his fingers down over her breasts, brushing against her hand nipples, down to her abdomen and between her legs. She was so wet all he could do was smile. He slid two fingers in her, with a predator grin on his lips.

“You cannot come until I tell you to.” he said as he pulled his fingers out and reached for the belt behind himself. He made a loop around the bound over the hands and roughly turned her over on her hands and knees, her face crashing into the pillow as she could barely use her arms for support. He used Caranthir’s belt to pull her hands up and tied it to the top part of the bed’s headboard.

He stepped back, the belts were holding her hands making the top of her body hang, her knees were supporting the rest of it. He ran a finger over her spine then used his hands to spread her legs wider. Her inner thighs were wet and she bucket toward him as if hoping to find her release like that.

“Eager?” she tried to turn her head as he said that, but the way he had bound her hands made it impossible.

She felt as he placed the tip of his cock at her entrance, almost sure he would just tease her more, make her beg for him, but she was proven wrong, he pushed in her hard her whole body moving forward from the force of his trust. Ciri didn’t want to give to him the satisfaction of her moans, but she could not stop herself. She had been teased by him to the end, she had thought about him all day, now feeling him inside was the second best thing he could do. She felt his fingers around her hair and him yanking it, it was uncomfortable but she didn’t care. Her mind was somewhere in the clouds, all she cared about was the way he moved in her, the power of his thrusts and the pleasure of him hitting all the right spots in her. She knew she was getting louder every time he went all the way in without mercy, but she didn’t care. The whole palace could hear her probably and it didn’t matter. She wanted to find her release, but she was also enjoying feeling him inside her.

“Beg for it.” she could feel his skin on her back as he leaned forward and whispered in her ear.

She couldn’t form a thought in her mind, not to mention words. Perhaps she can come like that, just let him continue with his merciless moves and she would find her release eventually. No. She needed him to…

“Please.” she whimpered, she wasn’t moaning anymore it was almost screaming in pleasure.

“Please what?” He bit her ear after a particularly violent thrust.

“Please let me come.” she managed to form a sentence after a moment.

“I don’t hear you.” he yanked her hair, her neck exposed for him as he sank his teeth in her.

“Eredin, please I need to come.”

His brutal moves did not stop, but he slid a hand between her legs and that was all she needed. Couple of touches from his fingers and she came around him, her whole body jerking needing to curl and relax at the same time. Unable to control her own reaction, her hands tug against the restraints but she didn’t free herself, Eredin still pushing in her without even slowing down, his fingers also on her clit until everything was too intense, too sensitive, her voice cracking as her brain didn’t know if it wanted to scream, moan or everything in between. She did feel when he eventually stopped, the way his fingers were digging in her hair made her realise he had come in her.

Eredin slowly pulled out, letting go of her hair, the fingers of his other hand had left red marks on her hips. He unhooked the belt from the bedpost letting her limp body crash into the soft sheets. He thought for a second but then also removed his belt from her wrists.

“I will see you tomorrow.” he said as he got off the bed and started dressing, not sure if she could even hear him.

[alia-turin]

It has really been forever, but work kind of kicked my ass the last few weeks and writing has ben really really hard. In any case I am determined to finish that (just one chapter left, yey) and I also have bunch of hot requests to work on. 

Fic Title: Somewhere in Time:  Chapter 9  Previous Chapters:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8   Rating: Explicit [NSFW around the end] Fandom: The Witcher Relationship: Caranthir Ar-Feiniel/Original Female Character(s) AO3 Link

“Caranthir?” Aine looked at him confused and afraid, he pulled the blanket over her knowing they won’t be alone soon. Of all the possible days and times now would be the one, of course. He knew Avallac’h probably had no idea Carabthir was not alone, but that did not make the situation less annoying and frustrating. He was not a child anymore.

As soon as Avallac’h stepped through the portal, Caranthir got off the bed and started walking to his dresser, ignoring the man. The clothes he was wearing were downstairs in his study and he was not going to talk to his teacher naked. Avallac’h moved his eyes between him and Aine, she had the blankets pulled almost to her eyes level. Caranthir could feel the anger building in him. Of course his mentor will come now, if there was one thing Avallac’h had ever achieved regarding Caranthir was to ruin the few good moments he ever had in life.

“Get out of the room.” he said as his teacher was shifting his gaze between Aine and him. “The door is there, Avallac’h.” Caranthir pointed angrily as the older elf just smiled politely, acting as if just teleporting in someone's bedroom was the most normal thing in the world. His teacher walked out of the room, Caranthir followed, considering pushing him down the stairs.

“Why are you here?” Caranthir asked as they walked in his lab, Avallach had already lit the place. “Actually, I don’t care, leave.” He was having a good moment, for the first time in his life he was actually enjoying the closeness to another living thing, going through emotions he thought for a very long time unable to experience, and it was all cut short.

“I need to ask you something.” Avallac’h pretended as if that whole thing was absolutely normal. It wasn’t, it had never been normal.

“Make an appointment.” all the serenity was gone and he was pure rage right now, he couldn’t believe something so simple bothered him so much and was able to destroy all the tranquility he felt just a moment ago. He couldn’t show his feelings to Avallac’h, he would not give him the satisfaction. He did his best to look calm, but the winter storm outside the Tower started howling. “Leave.” Caranthir snarled.

“I understand that your absolute inability to build meaningful intimate relationships probably makes you very uncomfortable being seen in bed with someone, but I really need to speak to you.” he was talking to him, but Avallac’h’s eyes were not on him. Caranthir turned and saw Aine standing on the stairs wearing one of his shirts. He turned back to his teacher, Crevan’s eyes narrowed as if trying to determine how serious this thing was. No...he was thinking if he could use her to get to him. He was staring at her in the way Caranthir would stare at a horse he found interesting. He didn’t feel jealous because of his teacher’s gaze, he was concerned.

“Aine, go upstairs.” she hesitated and he raised his voice. “Now!” This time she did it, her light steps echoing as she climbed up the cold stairs.

“Free advice, from personal experience, snapping, especially when there is no need to do so, will result in unfortunate consequences.” Avallac’h forced a smile and Caranthir’s anger only grew. That patronizing, always knowing better than him...

“Despite my inability to build meaningful intimate relationships, do I look stupid enough to follow the advice of the man known for driving the one woman he loved away.” Caranthir chuckled, he had learned from the best. If Avallac’h wanted a fight, he was going to give him one and Eredin was not here to stop them.

“Lara might have left me, but at least she knew who I was.” Crevan pointed toward the stairs even if there was no one there anymore. “Tell me Caranthir, how long before your arrogance and impulses drive her away? How about everything in you that Eredin has corrupted? How long before your true colors show and she walks away for real this time. What will you do then? Let her go?” Avallac’h made a fake laugh. “I saw the marks on her skin, you will not allow your possession to just walk away. I would know.”

Silence fell between the two of them. Deep down Caranthir knew they were just two elves trying to hurt each other without doing it physically. They knew each other far too well, despite how much Avallac’h had tried to hide his pain through the years, Caranthi had seen it. Avallac’h was wrong however, she was not a possession, or maybe he had sensed that was using the words to push him further?

“I need to know where Eredin keeps the girl.” Avallac’h finally said, his voice soft, no trace of the frustrated tone they both used.

“What girl?” It has been days since he has been in Tir na Lia, he had no idea what Eredin or anyone was up to.

“Cirilla.”

“I don’t really keep track of where Eredin stores his toys.” Caranthir smiled. “Now, the door is downstairs, or use a portal, I don’t care.” The storm outside calmed, but so high in the tower, the wind was still whistling against the stone.

“Caranthir, I know you messed with the potion for Auberon.” Avallac’h added without hesitation. “I also know Eredin asked you to.” pause, he did not respond, just looked at his teacher. “I also know you have cast a spell to prevent me from finding Cirilla, I would have located her by now otherwise.”

“Maybe you should try harder.” Caranthir didn’t speak in anger, but he knew the words would hit home. That was what Avallac’h would tell him every single time he was unable to cast a spell or do something that was expected of him.

“You need to look beyond your selfishness.” Avallac’h added. “You have responsibilities.”

“I do.” Caranthir smiled. “To my king.”

“He is not the true king.” Avallac’h did not raise his voice, but the anger there was obvious. “I need to find the girl, she is a key to something more important than whatever Eredin wants to use her for. He will ruin everything…”

“Everything what?” Caranthir laughed. “All your life you have believed that there is a great purpose for you Crevan. Be with Lara, be the power behind the throne, father the child to save us all. Look at you. Ended up with Lara death, me as a replacement for your child and now even the throne is not yours. You are not as special as you think you are, Crevan. You think everyone to be more stupid than you are, but Eredin knows exactly what is at stake here. As do I. We are all aware and don't need you to remind us.”

“But I'm the only one who knows how to help.” There was malice in Avallac’h’s smile now, an emotion he had not seen on the other man’s lips before. “You think you are stronger than me? You can do a lot, but we still need Ciri and your ability might be enough to keep Eredin happy, but they are not enough to save us. All of us.'' A pause followed, Caranthir was ready for an attack, but one did not follow. “Tell me, how good of a mage is she?” Avallac’h pointed up the stairs. “If I am to...collapse the roof of this ugly tower, how long do you think she will last? A minute? A second?”

“Your issue is with me not with her.” Caranthir spoke through his teeth. “Besides, it doesn matter how good she is. I can protect her.” Avallac’h was bluffing. He would not do that...wouldn’t he? The man was pragmatic, logical, in his mind the life of all of the Aen Elle was more valuable than whatever might happen here, Caranthir understood that very well.

“Protect her? Like that other one? The one that the human mages killed? Did you tell her you will protect her too? Or there was no time for that.” The tower shook and Caranthir had just a second to stop his teacher's spell, before he found himself flying across the room and hitting the wall.

“The same way you promised Lara to protect her.” he got up, clearing blood from his mouth. “How did that work for you?.” he cast a spell, Avallac'h saw it and avoided the ice falling from the ceiling, but Caranthir knew that would happen, he moved the table behind Crevan and hit the small of his back forcing him on his hands and knees. They were even now.

They looked at each other, the anger in Avallac’h’s eyes softened, there was still displeasure, but the malice was gone.

Avallac'h stood unsure why he even did that. Why was he going so far? He did not come here to threaten Caranthir or that poor girl that had nothing to do with their past. He was happy Caranthir found someone, the kid deserved to feel something other than anger.

All he needed was Ciri's location, Caranthir must know something, otherwise he would be able to sense her. The logical explanation was he had cast a spell, he could walk for days through the palace, assuming she was in the palace and look for the spell, but he did not have days.

“I should have been kinder to you.” Avallac'h changed his approach. This was how he should have started. Tell him how he really felt, apologize, especially knowing that after today they would certainly be enemies and one of them would end up dead. Hopefully not, but it was a possibility. “I should have taught you how to love.” A pause followed and the navigator did not speak either. "I am not threatening anymore and I will not hurt her or you, unless you provoke me. Where is Ciri?" the young man laughed at his words.

“You should either continue with murder attempt or leave.” Caranthir finally said calmly

“I wish you could look beyond your own hatred.” Avallac’h sighed. “Lara taught me things I didn’t know. About myself. I think you have learned something about yourself tonight as well, my boy.”

Avallac'h couldn't believe how much alike the two of them were. Not in everything, and he was to blame for all of their similarities and differences. Ironically, he was not his biological father, but judging by their characters he might as well be.

“Avallac’h, it's too late to be my father.” Caranthir finally said as if reading his mind. It was a mix between regret and pain. "I will not tell you where she is. I will not betray Eredin."

Avallac'h nodded. That one was on him. He could have been smarter but his emotions took the best of him. He opened a portal and walked away. He was going to find her himself.

Caranthir stood there not sure what happened or why. He just stared at one point on the wall, his mind numb.

"Caranthir?" Aine's voice came from the stairs, he turned his head just to see her standing back at the stairs. The look on her eyes made him snap. She was scared and she was worried. For herself or for him? "Are you okay?" She asked and he stood there...for him? That was the first time…

"I'm okay. Let's go to bed." he walked to her and wrapped his around her shoulders.

Carathir woke up sensing his spell broken. Avallac’h finally found her. He knew it was just a matter of time after their conversation yesterday he just hoped it was in more time than that. Going back to Ti na Lia wasn’t something he wanted to do right now. Aine was still asleep, her small back pressed against his chest. He wrapped his arms a bit tighter around her, he had never woken up next to someone in his life, nor had he ever had the desire to do so until now. He couldn’t believe how his entire life he had missed that. Sure, until now he had the need to be someone for more than a night only once before, but the whole feeling of having someone in his arms...he buried his face closer to her, inhaling the smell of wild flowers and pine from her hair. Caranthir wished he didn’t need to go to Tir na Lia now, he could spend the day here in bed just...holding her. That was new as well.

He felt her shift a bit and he released his grip not wanting to be clingy. Funny, he managed to sleep the whole night without moving at all, that was a first as well. She rolled over looking at him with sleepy eyes. Caranthir just stared. Even half awake she was the prettiest thing he had ever seen. He felt bad for waking her, probably it was his tight embrace, but he could just not control himself, he needed to feel her so badly against his skin.

“Good morning.” she said as her eyes were pinned on his, he couldn’t stop admiring all the color on her. The red hair, such a contrast to the paleness of his, the vividness of her eyes, compared to the dullness of his...

“Last night...I promise that won’t happen again.” she looked at him puzzled, again he realized what he said was stupid and he should use more than three words to describe things. “I don’t mean...I mean with Avallac’h and the tower. Not what happened before that.” what happened before that he hoped would happen again. More than once. “He was out of line.”

“He is your teacher, right?” she asked as she pulled herself closer to him. Caranthir just nodded. Avallac’h was more than a teacher to him and less at the same time, but now that was not his problem. He had to tell her that he needed to leave despite not knowing for sure yet. Truth was he had no idea what was going on in Tir na Lia, he knew someone broke his spell, probably Avallac’h no one else had the power to do so, not now. Maybe Eredin captured him...he had to go.

“He was my teacher.” he finally answered, realizing that silence lasted too long. “He is something else right now.” he had to tell her, but how to do that without making it sound as if he was abandoning her. Last night she told him this was what she was afraid of, being used and then left. “Tell…” he stopped and her eyebrows raised in curiosity. Did he really want to know? “Tell me about that man. The one you said...left you.”

Aine stared at his pale eyes not sure she understood the question. She understood the words, that was not the problem, but why was he asking about that all of a sudden? Then again, she had seen probably some of the most intimate moments of his life, it was just fair.

“Well...not much to say...he was someone close to my half brother, but wanted to be closer, get more power.” That happened years ago and it still hurt her in a way. It had been a valuable lesson to learn her place. Not that much because of what he did, but because it was such a good reminder for her she had no place, neither with humans nor with elves. “He thought my father valued me more than he actually did, and he was not entirely wrong, he encountered him at a time when he was somewhat affectionate to me. We spent months together, I was happy because I felt like finally I had found my place. Finally I wasn’t neither here nor there, I was a part of something, accepted by someone...a few months passed he finally understood that my father used me to show off to elves who were sympathetic to humans, parade how generous he was to me, and ignored me the rest of the time. He tried, he asked my father if being with me makes him part of the family, my father ignored him and there was that.”

“Did you ever…” Caranthir started and then stopped half way. It was curious how hard these questions were for him, but he was the one asking, she did not share that on her own. Aine could feel his body being tense around her, his embrace a bit stronger. “Did you ever have that with him?”

“That?” she had to try to suppress a laugh. “I’m not sure what you mean by ‘that’.”

Caranthir felt the air just stopping in his lungs. He knew jealousy as a feeling, but that was the first time he felt it in a romantic way. He wasn’t even sure why, whoever the elf was, that was in the past, he didn’t even know his name, and that was probably for the best as otherwise he would find him and kill him. Not for what he had done to her, but because they had something, no matter how fake it might have been. No, the real jealously came from the fact that he probably held her in his arms, the way he was holding her now, but he had not done that with anyone else.

“Held you in his arms?” he finally asked, knowing the answer.

“Caranthir, why are you asking?” she pushed herself away from him a bit, placing a hand on his chest and looking at him concerned. “Does it really matter what happened years ago, with someone who does not matter anymore?”

Why was he asking? She was right, it didn’t matter.

“We need to go back to Tir na Lia.” he finally said. He just didn’t want to sound like he was leaving her, but he was leaving her, even if it was not in the same way. “And I will have to leave with the king on a hunt most likely.” he saw the confusion and pain on her face. He reached quickly for her cheek and cupped it with his hand. “I did not plan for that to happen.”

“Can I stay here?” she finally asked, the concern in her eyes not disappearing but he could feel her body being less tense.

“No.” he laughed. “I might be gone for a day, but I might be gone for months. You can’t open a portal on your own, not even to move yourself downstairs. There is no way out of here but through a portal.” he kissed her forehead. “In Tir na Lia, you will have all of my servants, everything you’d ever need.”

“Caranthir, no…” she grabbed his hand from her face and held it in hers. “My place is not there, I’m neither human nor elf, I have no place in the palace. Not as an elf…”

He placed his finger on her lips making her silent.

“You have a place. Here and in Tir na Lia.” he opened a portal under the two of them and suddenly they moved to his rooms in Tir na Lia. They fell on his bed, the warm blankets from the Winter tower with them. “This is your place.”

Before she could protest again there was a knock on the door and one of his servants walked in, an elderly man who usually looked after everything.

“My lord, I was not aware you will be coming back.” the man bowed as he spoke, he looked at Aine for a second and then his eyes were on Caranthir again.

Aine pulled the covers closer to her chin as Caranthir got off the bed, the servant still standing there. That dynamic was not unfamiliar to her, the man was most likely trained all his life to do exactly what he was doing right now and Caranthir had grown up knowing humans were nothing but servants. She was the odd one in the situation. He got off the bed and walked around it, the servant's head bowed down but he followed his master’s movement as he went to the window on the other side of the bed. Aine used the chance to study the room, it was at least twice as big as the bedroom in the Winter Tower, the bed was softer, there was a small table with chairs, dresser next to the wall and vanity, but the mirror was covered with a sheet. That was curious, she realized just now that there was not a single mirror in the Winter Tower.

“I will be leaving Tir na Lia for a hunt.” Caranthir turned toward his servant. “In my absence, her word is my word.” The man did not answer to him, just gave her a quick look, almost as if trying to understand. Aine did not blame him. His life was easily defined. Humans served elves and there was that. She was neither. She wasn’t his mistress, nor wanted to be, but she was not his equal either. “Make sure you find her some clothes. We left everything at the Winter Tower.”

“Yes, my lord.” The man bowed and shot another look at her, filled with confusion as if he was trying to make sure he really understood his master’s commands. He nodded and walked out.

“You don’t need to do that.” she said as the man walked away. “I don’t need servants.”

Caranthir walked toward the bed and sat at the edge, the morning light from the window reflecting in the white lines of the scars on his body.

“You said you don’t have a place.” he ran his fingers through her face. “I’m giving you one. But you will not have a place, among the Aen Elle, or among the humans, unless you decide if you want to be Aen Elle or human. It’s yours.” he made a gesture with his other hand pointing at the vast room. “There is a study next door and all the books you need on magic...hopefully I will be back soon.”

He looked at her face trying to remember all the lines, how her red hair contrasted with her skin, the mismatching eyes, the curve on her nose, the fine on her cheekbones...he hoped that would take no more than a day but he knew Avallac’h he was clever and he had already seen the rest of the Red Riders preparing in the yard. It was a matter of time before Eredin came looking.

“Why are you doing that?” she finally asked him and he was taken aback. What sort of question was that? “You don’t need to.” she added. “You can leave me in the rooms where you kept me imprisoned, they are perfectly adequate, but you are giving me your rooms. Why?”

Caranthir could not answer these questions. He could, but not actually voice it. She made him feel good, she made him forget how bad he felt about himself, she made him feel wanted for something else than being Eredin’s Navigator. He also liked holding her in his arms, just having another being that accepted him for who and what he was. Someone who in a way was as lonely as he was, someone just as him, could never find their place, because he was not a warrior like Eredin and Imlerith, but he was also different from Avallac’h. Or at least wanted to be.

“Come.” he took her hand in his and walked with her to the window where he was standing just a moment ago. She hesitated for a moment to step closer, she had nothing covering her body. “It’s okay the rooms are high enough, even if someone looks they can’t see you.” He pushed her closer to the glass and wanted her to see what he was looking at just a moment ago. Eredin and the rest of the Red Riders rushing around the yard, preparing to leave. He had not spoken with him, but he already knew what was going on. “I’m doing that, because you are doing something for me.” he kissed her neck where he could still see the marks he left on her last night. “Something to me.” He placed his hands over her belly and slid them up to her breasts, but she stopped him.

“A payment?” there was hurt in her words and Caranthir stepped back, she was not turning but she could see his reflection in the window.

“No.” he wished he was able to express what was going on in his head. The fact that he did not want to leave, not now that he actually felt good for the first time in many years. “Gratitude. Appreciation.” yes, that sounded closer to what he was feeling, probably not an accurate description but as close as he could allow himself to admit aloud. He wrapped his hands around her again, but this time sank his teeth in her skin, pulling her closer to himself trying to remember how her skin feels against his. One hand sliding between her legs, the other reaching for her breasts but she stopped him again.

“Not like that.” she turned around and faced him, placing a hand on his chest just over his heart. “Gentle.”

“I’m not sure I know how.” it wasn’t a lie. Last night was the nicest he had ever been to someone in bed and he still wasn’t sure that qualified as gentle.

“I can help you.” she stepped on her tip toes and kissed his lips. Caranthir didn’t even need to think about it, his whole body was just responding to her.

“I don’t have a lot of time.” It was partially an excuse to hide his lack of experience in being kind, but also truth. It was a matter of minutes before Eredin asked for him. He wanted to treat her differently than everyone else and he was far less ashamed of himself around her, he wouldn’t be standing naked in front of her now if that was not the case, but he had no idea where to start from.

“You don’t need a lot of time.” she kissed him again, this time he was trying to memorize the sweetness of her taste.

Aine wasn’t even sure where all that courage came in her, she knew she wanted him, just this time she wanted to look at his face, all the time. As much as she liked last night, that was different. He said he could be away for months, so she wanted to remember him.

“I will try.” he groaned as he reached down and lifted her, placing her on the window sill but still supporting most of her body. He moved one hand between her legs running a finger through her entrance feeling that she was already wet. Redness crawled trough her neck and cheeks having herself for a second day spread like that for him.

“Slowly.” she moaned as his finger was replaced by the tip of his cock. He listened, he pushed slowly in her, his hand grabbing her chin and made her look at him as he was slowly pushing in her. He was careful and gentle, trying to be. The hand that was supporting her was still digging in her skin, probably leaving bruises and she could see the lust in his eyes.

As he pushed all the way in he leaned forward and kissed her, moving the hand that was holding her chin to where they were connected, his thumb easily reaching for her clit.

“I don’t have time.” he whispered in her ear as he picked up the pace. She kissed his chest trying to silence her moans. Despite his faster and harsher pace he was trying to be kind, his lips were on her neck, but this time kissing not biting. She wrapped her legs around his urging him to go faster even if he did not really need the invitation. He moved his lips to hers just before she came around him, as his own moves became more frantic and needy. Couple of thrusts later and he came slamming his hand at the window behind her to find support.

Neither of them moved for a second, she couldn’t until he did, and he was just leaning over her looking at her unfocused and trying to catch his breath.

He didn’t step away from her but grabbed her and threw her on the bed, her back hitting the softness of the mattress.

“How was that for ‘nice’?” He did not follow her in bed, but watched her naked shape over the covers.

“We need to practice.” she teased him, as she was trying to memorize every inch of his body.

“When I am back.” he leaned forward and kissed her. For a second she thought he would follow her in bed, but he stopped over her. He pulled one of the rings from his hand and handed it to her, it was different from the one he used to teach her. This one was just a band with runes marked on it. “Keep that with yourself. If something happens, I can find it.”

“If something happens?” she could sense concern in his voice. Happens to her or to him? “No more tracking spells?” she teased, not wanting to even imagine what ‘something happens’ could mean. Not now.

“No tracking spells.” he touched her lips with his thumb. “If you are to walk away now, and leave the ring here, I won’t be able to find you.”

She wanted to tell him that she wouldn't leave, not unless he asked her to, but a knock on the door prevented that.

“My lord.” it was his servant. “The king is asking for you.”

[explorerspack]

9 for cerise and jess!

9. What are your character’s relationships like with every member of their party? Bonus, if you want to write a short blurb on your character’s opinion of them.

Cerise:

Kobus: a cool guy who showed up and killed a dragon and is friends with her friends! she actually really likes Kobus! i was so prepared to hard commit to not liking him for no reason (ofc i had reasons triumph emoji) but he answered some of her questions and he's protecting and helping auberon, something cerise has realized she Can't do, so. she kinda trusts them! especially since he passed the "didn't know about rhest until it was too late to do anything" test! she'd like to talk to him more, but, you know!

Fásach: cerise has a LOT of respect for Fásach and he's definitely the "party" member she trusts most. she doesn't approve of all their choices, but also a lot of choices that are perhaps less beneficial in the long term are directly beneficial to her, so. she also thinks he's unnecessarily reckless with his own life, which frustrates her, but which she also understands on some level.

Auberon: i...man i don't even know anymore....they used to GET each other!!!!! and i think she doesn't know what to DO with what ve said in that last fight i think. she expected cami to be mad she expected auberon to be on her side :[ i think auberon ends up being in a similar category as elliot in her mind, as someone who is capable and she can trust on some levels but is also a liability and needs to be protected.

Camille: sigh. they were like sisters! cerise loves cami very much and thinks she's one of the most genuinely incredible people she's ever met and cami has saved her and all the people she loves in pretty much every way and that hasn't changed. however, cerise also thinks that she's frightfully naive and is going to get herself killed before this war ends and there's probably nothing cerise can do to save her. so.

Jess:

Ted: 20 ac solidarity.

Cadence: Jess immediately identified Cadence as the heart of the party and was correct! she's only been with this group for like 24 hours but she already trusts Cadence the most, and therefore she really...wants Cadence to like her! wants to be her bestie! wants the confidence and security that she seems to have!

Zhill: Jess had NO idea what to do with Zhill at first but is starting to understand it a bit better now. Jess and Zhill operate on very different wavelengths but they both have a similiar like...ferocity to them, which is :] and is something that Jess both respects about Zhill and is also cautious of. she gets the sense that if Zhill decided she was a threat, she'd be screwed. so she's very invested in that not happening.

Reese: Jess thinks Reese is cute and thinks it's funny how easy it is to make her blush. also she's absolutely so baffled by her. what do you MEAN it's fine if your magic goes away? what do you MEAN there's no use worrying about things we can't know? what do you MEAN "all the best for everyone else" why is that where your mind goes? she resonates with the not wanting to be killed and she'll help her get rid of the fire spirit i GUESS but like. hello?????

Dasolis: okay so like. so the thing is. so sometimes you have one (1) level of sorcerer and thirteen (13) levels of warlock which you picked up a few days ago basically by being in the right place at the right time and which you KNOW are temporary but you'd be dead without. and then one of your new friends has innate magic so strong that it just bleeds out of her. there's a few different responses that can evoke and they're all insane and jess is feeling all of them at once!

[lladmie]

Auberon's death: canon!lore speculations

I was reading for the umpteenth time the Aen Elle chapter in the book "The Lady of the Lake", and something started to caught my attention...

The short sub-story of the Aen Elle is the most unsolved one. A lot of questions and mysteries still hang in the air. The death of Auberon, for example, the old king of the Aen Elle. It was retconed in the games, that made us believe Eredin was without a doubt the cold killer, but in the book... it's way more shady than that. I have a few hypothesis and I want to start with the one I find the most plausible right now.

Auberon killed himself

“Undoubtedly,” he began slowly, “you already know little enough about Auberon. You certainly already noticed that he is ambitious. There are things that he’ll never accept, never take note of. He’d rather die.”

Let's start here. This was the first alarm, and the first suggestion. It's a very important line: Eredin here is basically saying that Auberon won’t accept that he is unable to impregnate Ciri, and that he actually thinks that dying is better than a total failure.

It was Ciri who assumed immediately that the bottle was poison and later that Eredin killed Auberon. But Ciri didn't trust Eredin at all, we can even say she had real prejudices toward him for a whole lot of reasons I won't analyze in this post. But she didn't trust him, didn't like the way he acted, and her little childish infatuation made her think (and even hope deep down) that he was going to abuse her soon. That maybe he wanted to replace Auberon. And shit, it's so funny to think that she was so afraid about Eredin's intentions and at the same time asked Avallac'h to impregnate her without concern and he was the one who almost chocked her. Eredin would have probably laugh lol

Interesting to notice that, to that point onward, Auberon started to act with more and more impatience and rage. He was trying everything to have sex with Ciri: porn, drugs... and nothing worked.

“Despite all,” spoke the king, “I resent dying, Zireael. And I find it terribly sad that it has to happen. Who would have thought. I thought that I would have no regrets. I have lived a long life, I have known everything. I’m bored of it all… However, now I feel regret.”

Auberon was calm, controlled. He wasn’t surprised, he wasn’t acting as if someone killed him. He admitted that he was bored of living and thought that he would have died without regrets. Without being sad. He didn’t expect that he would have felt resentment toward his own death. Honestly, this makes me think of a suicide.

“He overdosed on the stimulant you gave him. Or was it meant to do something else entirely?” “What are you talking about?” “He’s dead.” He quickly shook off his surprise [...]

Eredin seemed genuinely surprised to learn about Auberon’s death. He was not faking it, there is no way.

Auberon, though, drank the potion. So how could it have killed him if the bottle wasn't poison to begin with? Was it another bottle? Seems too far-fetched. Of course, there is a possibility that it was just an incident. An overdose due to the fact that Auberon was using drugs and mixed them with it, or he was too old or too weak for a strong aphrodisiac. Or...

Eredin killed Auberon

Everyone, I think, has thought about this possibility, not only because the game went for this option or because Ciri herself wasn’t convinced of Eredin’s innocence (not even after his reaction), but because Eredin was the one with the bottle in hand and the entire dynamic seems a little... strange and secretive, to say at least.

He asked Ciri to follow him and talk with him in private. Then, he immediately framed the other elves as liars and deliberately told Ciri she won’t leave the planet—ever, not even if she does what she needs to, simply because they don’t want to let her go. But Eredin doesn’t want it either, only... we discover this much later.

He was saying Ciri’s situation was hopeless: they won’t let her go and Auberon didn’t even want to cooperate, because he’s ambitious. While Eredin didn’t care, didn’t think Ciri was important, and so he offered his help, another deal, this time with him. Assuring her that she will be victorious independently of what the bottle contains. But he didn’t clarify what it actually contained, didn’t even bother to explain, despite threatening Ciri about her assuptions. And why didn’t he say what the bottle contained and try to pass through Ciri and not Auberon directly?

Now, or Eredin is really naive to the point he’s easily misunderstood—something he doesn't give me the impression to be, because he even seemed to know she had a crush on him and was acting on it—and the scene was written in a weak and intentional deceitful way, or it's honestly stinky. Because a person who has nothing to hide won't talk like that.

All the dialogues can be read in a way or another. Auberon could be resentful that he's dying without having control over it. He's calm because he's an elf. Eredin could have been aware that Auberon wanted to die and took advantage of that, he was the one saying he'd rather die after all.

“We are going back, Zireael. Auberon is waiting. I assure you that tonight he will be lively and full of vigor.”

This little sentence could be innocent, simply an excuse to take Ciri back, but it could also be the proof that he actually gave the bottle to Auberon that very day. That he knew Auberon had it, but he clearly didn't know Ciri went to Auberon already. His surprise is very brief, though still a clear evidence of his innocence. But he didn't argue against it, it’s a simple and shallow reaction for something so important.

Eredin’s characterization is also very interesting. His nature is uncharacteristic for an elf. He’s the only elf in the bunch of the Aen Elle that was presented as impatient, for instance. His presence in the whole affair wasn’t so explicit and obvious as that of Auberon and Avallac’h, that are also personal involved. He was playing his own games, breaking useful lies and dealing with Ciri alone in his preferred style. Just an helper or something more?

The last possibility is that

Avallac'h killed Auberon instead 

This is something I see some people enjoy to think because he's so foxy—to the point that everything could be his fault, he could be the mastermind behind the entire plot, basically, if we overthink it... well, he actually might be. Being the cunning and clever brain he is, Avallac’h’s probably the most dangerous of the Aen Elle. But this is a leap in the void. There is not even a single clue that make us assume it could be his doing. Probably the only suspicious sign is his disappearance; suspicious, sure, but it tells us everything and nothing at all (especially because he fought with Ciri the day before). Eredin comparing his new method to Avallac'h's—" Much more effective than the attractors Avallac'h's servants put in your cosmetics."—kind of contradict that he could possibly be involved, too. He didn’t even slightly suggest that his plan was Avallac’h’s or that he was acting on his instruction. Together with the fact that Avallac'h seemed to believe Auberon should absolutely be the father of the child (so much that he snapped at the thought that Ciri could say something in front of the king that she shouldn't say) make it seems unlikely. But well, he is a suspicious candidate nonetheless.

Everything is possible. Thanks for reading! If you notice some differences in the dialogues, that’s because I tried to translate the majority of them from the italian version.

[a-byronic-heroine]

“My kind aren’t the story or fairytale type, if you hadn’t noticed. Most stories told to children have morals to them. The moral of Lara Dorren’s story, for example, was to stay away from humans and avoid attachment and affection or it will lead to the destruction of our entire society. Also the death of your mother if you heard the songs, though I had already been responsible for my mother’s death by then, so that never really applied to me. The moral of the tale of the Unicorn’s escape from enslavement was to always kill you enemy. No exceptions. Get your slaves from other dimensions entirely.” She snorted at his opinions on Auberon’s sculpture. Oh, if only he knew.

The Auberon she had known was no great warrior. No great mage, either. Just a jaded, self-absorbed man who preferred dreams of paradise to reality. But the Aen Saevherne had raised him to nearly god-like status. Everyone loved King Auberon. The histories claimed he was the king to help form Tir na Lia. How he led vast armies into the heat of battle, wiping out anything in his path. How his wisdom built the very foundations of the Aen Saevherne and all the governing branches. How surprised they must have been when they discovered he was dead. By something as cunning as poison mixed into an aphrodisiac no less. If only they knew what an insufferable parasite she was in her life. How cruel he could be with a few simple words and a dead stare. “He certainly didn’t look that healthy or lively when I met him. But I do know he’s killed unicorns by breaking their necks with his bare hands. That’s factual, at least.” She giggled when he wanted to see it, rolling her eyes. “That sculpture was in the courtyard to greet visitors if you can believe it. Pure marble with sapphires for his eyes. And Aen Elle are supposed to be emotionless in the sight of that nonsense. I had to try and not roll my eyes in front of my slaves and servants.

Now that she was living comfortably—happily, she’d admit only in the privacy of her mind—she could look back on her past with little bitterness. Sure, she missed the massive bed, the room solely for bathing with a bath she could swim in, the clothing, the library, and especially the private royal gardens. But she could look back at some things and see how awful or insane they were now that she was more removed from it all. How ridiculously narcissistic some of the politicians and advisors could be. Like Auberon with his statues and paintings of his dead wife everywhere. Or Crevan with his experiments and books he’d written about himself. And that ridiculous poetry. Or Ge’els and his awful paintings he thought were revolutionary. In many ways, her world wasn’t perfect or wonderful. She realized that now that she’d been away from it.

As he explained his Kat-vampire thing, she began to grow more wary concerning Eskel’s safety. She never worried about herself. After everything she’d been through, she believed she could handle herself. But Eskel…she couldn’t bear to lose him. The very thought made her stomach roil and her chest tighten. Even seeing him only slightly injured was like taking a javelin to the heart. She almost suspected he’d heart her heart rate skitter with anxiety, because he almost immediately changed the topic to her attire for that evening. Kly only rolled her eyes. “The only way I wear that itchy nonsense is if I’m dead or being mind-controlled. You can wear the puffy dress. I’ll wear my dress. Do I need to play bait? Vampires like blood if I recall correctly. I sincerely doubt this kat-thing has had Aen Elle before. That would keep it off you, at least.” She reached up with the hand on his shoulder and traced over the edges of his scar idly.

❰❰ DANCE ❱❱ (Try to teach her some of that fancy footwork)

The more Kly learned about humans, the less she liked them. They were far too emotional and fickle. They were ridiculously superstitious and lacked in every creative way outside of culinary feats. And now there was this ridiculous dancing business. What was the point? Was it some mating display? There were literally no benefits to it, and yet humans seemed to think it worthy of their upper classes. They actually thought it a form of diplomacy. Eskel insisted she learn it so she could join him during his contract at the ball. They were in some stupid human country where Eskel was doing some vampire contract thing at a masked dance gathering he called a “masquerade”. She was perfectly fine waiting in their very nice inn room enjoying the warm fire and new apple tarts the innkeep was serving, but apparently this wasn’t part of Eskel’s plan. No, he wanted to show her what human “luxuries” were. Wanted to drag her into this miserable event with him.

Kly was staring at Eskel in their inn room, rather unimpressed as he told her he was going to teach her to dance. She was wearing one of Eskel’s shirts since the weather was nice out while Eskel was in some lounging clothes of his own. He waltzed in, opened the window, letting a gust of autumn breeze in and turned on his heel to face her, hand outstretched. Kly heard the faint strumming of a lute outside. Some troubadour playing for the inn while people sat outside and sampled wines. All of them in their ridiculous puffy dresses, frilly hats and collars and overdone makeup. Kly rolled her eyes but took Eskel’s hand.

She was immediately pulled up from her reclined position on the bed and practically dragged into Eskel’s thick chest. She grunted as the air was knocked from her lungs and she struggled not to fall. One hand came up to fit over her waist while the other took her hand and put it on his shoulder before taking the other one in his. He pulled until their chests were lightly pressed together, one of his feet between hers. She narrowed her eyes as she looked into his yellow ones suspiciously. “Is this really dancing lessons? Or are you just trying to have sex with me?”

@wanderingwolfwitcher

[alia-turin]

I got an anon request for ciredin some time ago, also I know @mentoskadraws would hate to read that. 

Warning: NSFW, Eredin is being Eredin. Mostly porn, plot is for decoration

AO3 Link

Eredin watched as the young Navigator rocked back and forth on the dining chair. His eyes weren’t fixed on Caranthir exactly but a point between the hind legs of the chair and the stone floor. If they snapped, he was going to laugh.

“For someone who is about to be a king you appear to be very calm.” Caranthir was staring at him with his cold blue eyes. 

Eredin just smiled. He was glad he appeared calm because he was everything but on the inside. There was a small chance his plan would fail. He knew nobody would suspect him, but he was done with being Auberon’s errand boy. He was better, he could do better. 

Caranthir stopped rocking on the chair and narrowed his eyes. Eredin heard it as well. People running outside the common room where they were sitting. Shouts he couldn’t identify - guards or servants didn’t matter there was some sort of commotion. 

“He is dead.” the navigator said with a flat voice. He might have said that the sun is shining with the same pathos. Eredin raised an eyebrow questioning, Caranthir rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Yes, I’m sure.”

It wasn’t that he doubted his navigator, Caranthir rarely made mistakes, but even Eredin was surprised how finetuned the younger man’s senses were. He should thank Avallac’h daily for this gift.

“I think it’s time to pay your old teacher a visit.” Eredin said with a smile and his words were met with an even wider one. Caranthir got up, way too eager and opened a portal. “Don’t kill him. Just make sure he doesn’t create trouble.”

“Your Majesty.” the navigator made a graceful but obviously mocking bow before he walked through the portal.

Eredin waited alone few more minutes. He couldn’t very well walk out and proclaim himself king while Auberon’s corpse was still warm. Ge’els had to work his magic, the two of them had an agreement. Imlerith was going to take care of the army, not that he ever assumed that would be the issue. The soldiers loved Eredin and they would follow him anywhere. Avallac’h was the only problem, too powerful and too influential with some of the nobility that Ge’els might have a hard time swaying. It didn’t matter, with time that would be resolved. There was one task he had to take care of. 

Eredin walked out of the room calmly, the hallways had grown very silent. There was no trace of the commotion that happened just minutes ago, probably everyone was too afraid to ask the question what was going to happen next. He was going to tell them exactly what was coming next. 

There were two guards by Zireael’s room, both of them looked as if they wanted to be anywhere but here. Eredin just waved them off, and they walked away, almost grateful.

When he opened the door she was curled on the bad, her robes barely covering her small body. Green eyes immediately looked at him and there was a bit of a disappointment when she realized who walked in. 

“Expected somebody else?” Eredin asked as he started walking toward the bed.

“Auberon is dead, I cannot do what you all asked me to do, Avallac’h promised I can go home…” she got up and stepped toward him, her robes being barely held by a thin belt around her waist. 

“Avallac’h promised.” Eredin mocked her words. “What did I tell you about Crevan?”

She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it. Eredin placed a finger under her chin and made her look at him. 

“Do you really want to leave?” he made a step closer, his body almost touching hers. “Where was your mind all these nights with Auberon. Home or...with someone else?” he saw the blush growing on her cheeks and creeping down to her neck. He ran his thumb over her lips, so soft. 

“Why don’t you kneel for your new king?”

Ciri hesitated for a moment her body was betraying her. The bastard knew he had that effect on her and he had been using it all these week. She looked at him, the smirk, the arrogant gaze that was undressing her, not that she had much on herself. Her knees buckled and she found herself kneeling, his finger still supporting her chin and forcing her to look up to him. Everything had just disappeared from her mind, Auberon, home...all she could think about is Eredin and the arousal that was growing in her. She hated him for making her feel like that, for wanting him like that. He didn’t even need to look at her and she felt like she could beg for his touch. 

“You are overdressed.” Eredin was looking down on her, she felt as if she should resist him, but she couldn’t. She wanted him and in this moment everything else could be damned. 

Ciri peeled the robe off her body and it just felt around her. Eredn’s eyes following every move, the smirk on his lips not disappearing even for a second. It was embarrassing and exciting at the same time. He was still fully dressed, she was completely naked. She could see him getting harder, she was already so wet. 

Eredin pulled his hand away from her chin and Ciri looked confused. She wasn’t sure what she was hoping for - kiss, for him to throw her on the bed...something but not to...step away. He started unbuckling his belt slowly, every move measured and controlled as if wanting her to see and memorize that. Equally slowly he pulled the belt, the leather sneaking through each loop of his pants, the way he moved was hypnotizing. He bent toward her and for a split second Ciri thought he was going to kiss her, but his mouth did not come anywhere close to hers. Instead he just grabbed her hands and tied his belt around her wrists. When he was up again he ran his fingers through her hair almost gently. 

“I don’t think I need to tell you what to do, dh'oine slut?” he increased the grip around her hair, but didn’t yank. 

Ciri could only guess what he wanted, but she was more than aware of what she wanted of him. She raised her bound hands up to untie his pants, but then Eredin yanked her hair painfully. 

“These are tied for a reason.” the predatory smirk on his lips was intoxicating. “Use your mouth.” 

Ciri gave him a confused look, but her arousal had taken over her entire mind and body. She leaned forward using her teeth to pull on the laces. It turned out to be easier than she thought but she still needed to loosen them enough. That was the harder task, her teeth pulling on each lace, but without her hands that seemed impossible . 

Eredin moved his hand from her hair and cupped Ciri’s face, making her look at him. 

“That pretty mouth better be good for something else.” with his free hand he finished undoing his pants and pulled them down. 

Ciri’s eyes shifted from his to between his legs, his cock hard in front of her. No, she didn’t need him to tell her what to do. 

She moved her head forward and he released his grip. Bastard knew what was doing to her, but two could play that game. She licked the back of his shaft slowly, her eyes looking up at him, but Eredin’s face was just a mask of arrogance and lust. Her tongue stopped at the tip, very slowly circling. 

She could be imagining that but she could hear a very loud swallowing sound come from him. Ciri smiled mostly to herself, her lips kissing the top of his length and then very slowly taking him in her mouth. Eredin’s hand moved on her head again, but to her surprise he did not force her to go faster. It was just resting there. 

She wasn’t sure if she could take his full length in, but she was certainly going to try. As he reached the back of her throat she gagged, but used her tongue to press against him. Ciri started moving up and down his length as she moaned. The need between her legs was torturous and she wanted for him to touch her or at least allow her to touch herself. Her eyes did not leave Eredin’s as she was sucking him, but his expression remained unchained. His grip around her hair tightened now he forced her down on himself and she just couldn’t resist him. 

She got the hint, she started moving faster, not able to maintain her eye contact with him she just focused on pleasing him and maybe after that he could return the favour in some way. Every time he squeezed her hair she moved a bit faster until at some point he just pushed her down his length, his hips bucked hard against her and she felt him come. Her eyes filled with tears by the more violent intrusion but she swallowed as she looked back up at him. For a second the mask of arrogance and lust had broken, there was some strange bliss on his face. 

Eredin let go of her hair and caressed her cheek as he stepped back away from her. She was panting, gasping for breath, but also needing him desperately to touch her. 

He pulled his pants up his eyes not leaving hers and...he walked away. 

“Where are you going?” Ciri shouted in frustration after him. 

“I have business to attend to.” he didn’t even turn toward her as he said that and opened the door. “But you can keep the belt.” she couldn’t see his face but that bastard was smirking. 

“Are you coming back?” she didn’t want to sound needy, but she was needy right now. 

“In an hour. Or a day. Maybe a week.” he walked out and closed the door behind himself.