#arranged marriage but she's a jo march

[celestialwrites]

"shouldn't i have a say in whom i marry? is it not my freedom that is being taken?"

"you are the heir to the greatest empire this world has ever seen, you never had freedom to begin with."

[a-kind-of-merry-war]

KISSIN' BOOKS BY MERRY

Hello! I write queer, medieval romance books - and you can find them below. Currently, I'm working on the Hartswood series, which is three separate, standalone stories with connecting characters.

My books are available wherever books are sold, online, and in ebook/audiobook format.

One Night in Hartswood

Oxford 1360

When his sister’s betrothed vanishes the night before her politically arranged marriage, Raff Barden must track and return the elusive groom to restore his family’s honour.

William de Foucart ― known to his friends as Penn ― had no choice but to abandon his intended, and with it his own earldom, when he fled the night before his enforced marriage. But ill-equipped to survive on the run he must trust the kindness of a stranger, Raff, to help him escape.

Unaware their fates are already entwined, the men journey north. But amidst the snow-capped forests an unexpected bond deepens into a far more precious relationship, one that will test all that they hold dear. And when secrets are finally revealed, both men must decide what they will risk for the one they love…

You can read more about ONIH here!

And browse my ONIH tag here 💖

All the Painted Stars

The first sequel to One Night in Hartswood! Out 28th March in the UK and 5th November in North America.

Oxford 1362

When Lily Barden discovers her best friend Johanna’s hand in marriage is being awarded as a prize at a tournament, she is determined to stop it. Disguised as a knight, she infiltrates the contest to fight for Jo’s hand. But her conduct ruffles feathers, and when a dangerous incident escalates out of Lily’s control, Jo must help her escape.

Finding safety with a local brewster, Lily and Jo soon settle into their new freedom, and amongst blackberry bushes and lakeside walks an unexpected relationship blossoms. But when Jo’s past catches up with her and Lily’s reckless behaviour threatens their newfound happiness, both women realise that choices must always come at a cost...

You can read more about ATPS here!

And browse my ATPS tag here 💜

Watch this space for Hartswood Book 3, aka Ash's Book!

[dirtylilspawn]

~"Damn kitten. Don't you know it's bad luck to have a gangster fall in love with you. Ah well, no point turning back time, you're officially mine."~

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NAME: Kazimir Petrovic

AGE: 22

BIRTHDAY: March 20th, Aries

GENDER: Male, He/Him

HEIGHT: 5'11

SPECIES: Werewolf

ETHNICITY: Russian

CAREER/JOB: Crime Mafia Boss

MAIN POWER: Probability Manipulation

PERSONALITY TRAITS: Hot-Tempered, Sarcastic, Aggressive, Witty, Lucky, Clever

TYPE OF YANDERE: The Possessive Type

VOICE CLAIM: Fyodor Dostoevsky from Bungo Stray Dogs

BACKSTORY:

At the very beginning, luck was not much on Kazimir side.

His parents marriage and his birth, were both arranged and forced. His father was the most powerful mafia boss in the underworld trade market. Their last name 'Petrovic' was feared through many cities and countries. Because they were the largest, and known to be a clan of werewolves.

But inside the Petrovic household, was nothing but fear. Kazimir was born in a abusive home, his father the main reason. He was very cruel, uncaring, misogynistic, and brutal man. Those to his subordinates and his own family.

His mother was no better. Though Kazimir had a bit sympathy towards her since his mother had been abused by his father too. But that lead to his own mother taking her frustrations out on him as well. Calling him a ugly monster, that should of never been born.

Kazimir lived in fear every single day, and it made him acted out. Whether it be starting fights in school, illegal racing, or anything he could do to erase the pain he suffered.

The only kindness he ever received living in that home was his fathers best hand man Vladimir. He was the only adult, who treated him like he was his own son. Treating his wounds, getting his presents for his birthday, taking him out to eat. He really cared for the boy, and Kaz cared for him as well.

Kazimir also had a little sister named Liliya, who is ten years younger than him. He thought he would hate his sister, but the minute she was born, he loved her very much. At birth Liliya was born with down syndrome, so he is very protective of her, shielding away any abuse his father would throw at her. Even shielding her from her mother, who would call her many derogatory words.

Liliya loved her big brother, always staying by his side.

When Kazimir was 16 his father issued an arranged marriage for him. Wanting to sell off his eldest son to another woman who was the daughter of an older crime boss, just for an alliance. He had also planned on doing this to his sister, not caring if they get abused by their spouses, or died.

When Kaz heard this idea from his father and mother in his office. He was beyond furious.

Everything went dark in that moment, as Kaz doesn't really remembered what had transpired in that moment. But the moment he woke up, he looked down to see both his mother and father torn to bits.

The ground spilling with blood. His hands face, and clothes littered with their blood. He was panting heavily, as his half werewolf form was visable.

He was scared, he didn't meant for this to go so far. But it's not like he didn't wish for it to happen. But before anything happened, Vladimir had came and saw the crime scene.

Walking over to a panicked and crying Kaz, he told him to go back to his room, and clean himself off. Telling him that he was never here, and doing so obediently he did. Washing up the blood, and staying in his room, reviewing the memories over and over his head.

Once morning hit, the house was bombarded with members of his fathers gang. He watched as they accused Vladimir of killing they're leader. He wanted to tell the truth, he wanted to say Vladimir wasn't the killer, but he didn't.

He doesn't regret killing his parents, but he does regret not saying anything to help his friend.

And now as the two sole survivor of the horrific Petrovic family "murder", Kazimir has don the mantle of the clan. As boss of the underworld.

Being in this job is a dangerous gamble, he knows this all too well. So he wonders why a soft kitten like yourself, lives in these dirty parts of the town. Looks like his luck was turning around.

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[thebrightpreciousthings]

All right, this three-year-old post has started gaining traction and so I finally dug up my old essay. It's under the cut.

The Subtle Feminism of Little Women’s Marriage Plot

         Modern 21st-century readers and critics have long debated the ending to Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women: is the novel feminist, or does it betray its intended message by marrying off its spirited, independent heroine Jo March? Alcott did not originally intend for Jo to marry at all, but her publisher and fan reception forced her to find a husband for Jo to meet society’s expectations. The most recent Little Women film adaptation by Greta Gerwig sought to rectify this perceived slight by depicting Jo’s marriage to Professor Bhaer as merely a fictional event within the text of Jo’s novel, while the real Jo remains unmarried and independent. Though the ending of Little Women is definitely controversial, it is more nuanced than many of its critics are willing to see or admit, as the ending still contains the feminist undercurrent of the earlier sections due to its depiction of egalitarian marriage and family relationships. Alcott imagines a non-patriarchal marriage and family arrangement in which neither party must submit or lose their sense of self – rather, the members of the familial unit come together to add to each other’s happiness and provide a network of mutual support and even work distribution.

Many readers and critics of Little Women have failed to reconcile Jo’s character with the eventual marriage plot. In their essay “Dismembering the Text: The Horror of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women,” Angela M. Estes and Kathleen Margaret Lant argue that the hidden horror of Little Women lies in the novel’s “spiritual killing” (Estes and Lant 569) of Jo.  Since “Alcott could never have allowed her to marry for love – in other words, to love and marry Laurie – for…marriage for love reduces women to ‘submission’” (Estes and Lant 569), this results in “Alcott’s violence against this very character” (Estes and Lant 569). The authors argue that once Laurie punctuates the Marches female-dominated world, Jo’s life is “immutably altered” (Estes and Lant 570) and upon Beth’s eventual death, Jo experiences a spiritual death to fill the role her sister left behind. To them, Jo is virtually unrecognizable at the end of the novel when she transforms “into the blushing, halting maiden and the dutiful wife and mother” (Estes and Lant 578), her marriage to Professor Bhaer having metaphorically stripped “Jo of all vestiges of self until she is indeed ‘Bhaer,’ or bare” (Estes and Lant 579).

         However, critic Anne Dalke argues that the real violence is perpetrated by those who misinterpret the ending of the novel and Alcott’s intentions by ignoring how the ending to Little Women imagines a non-patriarchal system of marriage and family that can “rework masculinity on a female model” (Dalke 557). Indeed, Estes and Lant’s argument relies on some far-reaching assumptions, and while marrying Jo may not have been Alcott’s original intention, that does not mean the ultimate ending is not still subversive. Estes and Lant argue that Marmee counsels Jo against marrying Laurie because they are both masculine, and therefore neither will be willing to play the feminine role and submit, but Alcott’s ideal vision of marriage does not involve either party submitting: it imagines a situation of mutual betterment for both parties, in which they can forge a familial unit based on love, equality, and mutual respect. As Dalke says, the reason Laurie and Amy are so well-matched is that they are each other’s “best educator” (Dalke 559), and Laurie’s relationship with the March sisters has always been a “reciprocal” (Dalke 558) one. Both parties are benefiting from the relationship and become better people from knowing each other.

         The introduction of men into the female world does not necessarily mean that feminist ideals have to be abandoned. Alcott may have described Bhaer as a funny match for Jo, but their pairing is still consistent with the tone of Alcott’s work. Though Bhaer is a funny match in the conventional sense, being foreign, older, unattractive, and poor, it is his eccentricities that make him an apt partner for Jo, the person with which she can achieve the mutual betterment of an egalitarian partnership. Consistently, Bhaer’s defining traits are his kindness, generosity, and love for children – he takes on a parental role for his two nephews, displays such affection with Tina at the boarding house that Jo thought “she must be his own” (Alcott 265), and “money doesn't stay in his pocket long enough” (Alcott 374) as he focuses on helping others before himself. The traits that earn Bhaer the most admiration are stereotypically feminine qualities of charity, love, and goodness, and he respects Jo’s free will enough to keep his feelings to himself when he believes her to be engaged to her “handsome friend” (Alcott 369). Comparatively, Laurie’s proposal is littered with forceful language such as “you must hear me…I’m going to make you hear” (Alcott 284) and “I don’t believe you’ve got any heart” (Alcott 286), punctuated by fits of entitled melodrama that show the love he had for Jo was never true love at all. He merely thought he loved her because she introduced him to the warm March family unit, and he longed to solidify his ties to that home through marriage. His love for the family was displaced and in reality Jo and Laurie were more suited for their eventual marital partners than they were for each other.

         While Estes and Lant contend that Jo at the end of the novel is unrecognizable, and  Professor Bhaer “destroys Jo’s one authentic means of self-assertion – writing” (Estes and Lant 580), this is fundamentally untrue. It is reading Jo’s poem that tells Professor Bhaer she might welcome his romantic feelings, and Jo at the end of the novel has not “given up hope that [she] may write a good book yet” (Alcott 379), even if writing is not the center of her life. Though she is a wife and mother, Jo has not given up all vestiges of her former self, as the narrator outright acknowledges that she “would never learn to be proper” (Alcott 373) and she will still follow the directions of her heart. Even when she is doing what seems to be the conventional thing, Jo continues to be unconventional, and she always will. To say that Jo is an unrecognizable character is a major oversimplification.  

Though Estes and Lant say that Jo gives up her identity to become the replacement Beth, it might be more accurate to say it is Bhaer who effectively becomes the new Beth in Jo’s life. In her life, Beth acted as Jo’s companion and her “conscience” (Alcott 148), and this is the role the professor effectively fills as Jo’s husband and egalitarian partner who “steered her safely into calmer waters” (Alcott 376). The professor takes on the role of Jo’s moral counsel, and his new role is signified by the songs sung at the March home on his first visit, bringing music back into the family’s lives. Jo admires the professor for his morals and opinions, and he brings joy and comfort to the rest of the family, who enjoy his “conversations” (Alcott 379) and “good” (Alcott 354) nature. In return, Jo is able to fill his empty hands. Jo and Bhaer’s partnership does not equate to Jo’s submission, but rather a marriage of mutuality where each is to “carry [their] share” (Alcott 372).

As Dalke says, the introduction of men into the family unit does not, as Jo feared, make a hole in the family but rather fills the holes the Marches did not previously know existed. Little Women depicts “a family unit in which husband and wife share the economic and, more significantly, the emotional responsibilities of group existence” (Dalke 562), and the love between women serves as a model for male relationships. Little Women imagines an egalitarian view of male-female relationships in which burdens are shared and a “new world, one that demands [men’s] active participation in those activities conventionally reserved for women” (Dalke 563).

Roles within the family are not determined solely based on gender, but natural aptitude, such as how Jo says she will work on the gardens and orchards at Plumfield because “farming isn’t in Bhaer’s line” (Alcott 373). Mr. and Mrs. March have a relationship in which each “helped and comforted” (Alcott 69) the other – Mr. March helping Marmee with her temper, and she tending to him in his time of need – and the most important lesson Meg and John need to learn in their marriage is to be more understanding of the other’s emotional needs. Amy and Laurie, a controversial couple in the history of Little Women fan reaction, are also incredibly well-suited – Laurie grounds Amy, while Amy’s influence helps Laurie overcome his worst characteristic, his “passivity” (Dalke 559).

Perhaps this state is not exactly independence, but it is interdependence, in which the characters can rely on each other and find comfort in the marriage and family unit. Alcott imagines a new world based on a new set of gender principles, in which marriage does not have to equal submission for either party. To love is not innately weak, and partnership is not innately bad. If male heroes in literature are allowed to find love and get married while still staying true to their character and personality, then female heroes in literature should be allowed to do the same thing. It does not mean they are less of a feminist or not a whole person on their own.

In part one of the novel, Marmee gives Meg and Jo two pieces of advice: that “to be loved and chosen by a good man is the best and sweetest thing which can happen to a woman” and “better be happy old maids than unhappy wives” (Alcott 84). Both of these maxims can be true simultaneously. To be loved by another person is a wonderful experience that Marmee wishes for her daughters, but only assuming that love is true, and based on respect, devotion, and mutual felicity. Yet, marriage is not the be-all, end-all goal of a woman’s life. She still has to remain true to her character, and she should not be willing to compromise for a man who does not love, respect, and support her the way a marital partner ought. Whether or not a woman marries does not define her self-worth, and she should not settle for anything less than an equal, loving partnership. She can still live a full life without marriage, or live a displeasing life with a marriage. However, when love and marriage are done right, it is a beautiful thing that can only add to one’s happiness as two people devote their souls to each other in a marriage of equality. This is an important distinction that critics like Estes and Lant overlook in their analysis.

To argue that including marriage in the story equals the female characters losing themselves and giving in to patriarchal standards is a blatant misunderstanding of the world Alcott is trying to create. Like Jo, Alcott’s ending is unconventional under the guise of being conventional. Her ending is an act of subversive compliance. Literary heroines were expected to marry in this period, but Alcott was astute enough to realize that did not mean she had to uphold the patriarchal system by doing so. The feminism of Little Women is intricate and complex, if the reader is willing to see it.

Works Cited

Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. Edited by Anne K. Phillips and Gregory Eiselein, Norton, 2004.

Dalke, Anne. “‘The House-Band’: The Education of Men in Little Women.” Little Women, edited by Anne K. Phillips and Gregory Eiselein, Norton Critical Edition, 2004, pp. 556–563.

Estes, Angela M., and Kathleen Margaret Lant. “Dismembering the Text: The Horror of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.” Little Women, edited by Anne K. Phillips and Gregory Eiselein, Norton Critical Edition, 2004, pp. 564–583.

Writing my Little Women essay for class is just reminding how much I hate how Greta Gerwig mangled the professor and Jo’s relationship in the most recent film adaptation to push a pseudo-feminist message that willfully misunderstands the meaning of Alcott’s ending. Alcott didn’t want to marry Jo, that’s true, but instead she did the next best thing and imagined a non-patriarchal marriage based on mutual respect where each partner carries their own weight in the relationship. Also any message Gerwig was trying to push is ruined by the fact that she has Jo doubt her refusal to Laurie and makes her seem bitter af.

In part one of Little Women, Marmee gives Meg and Jo two pieces of advice: that “to be loved and chosen by a good man is the best and sweetest thing which can happen to a woman” and “better be happy old maids than unhappy wives.” I.e. marriage is not the be-all, end-all of a woman’s life but when you find someone who loves and respects you, that is an absolutely beautiful thing. Love and marriage does not make you weaker, but it has to be with someone who is right for you and will help you be a better person without changing your intrinsic self. That’s what Bhaer does for Jo.  

If male characters are allowed to have true love and retain their sense of self, women can too, and there is nothing un-feminist about it.  

[fictionadventurer]

Hi! I would love to hear more about why John/Meg is your favorite Little Women marriage (or maybe just in the recent film version?) I love them too!

I don't have much of an opinion about the marriage in the book (it's been too long since I read it), but John and Meg's marriage was my favorite relationship of the 2019 movie. In a movie obsessed with marriage, this is the only relationship that shows us what marriage actually looks like. The rest of the movie is filled up with cynical philosophical musings about marriage as an economic arrangement. Aunt March has stayed single because she has money. Amy wants to marry for money. Jo doesn't want to marry, but has to marry off her heroine for money. The discussions all center around what they can get out of a marriage, and whether it's even worthwhile.

John and Meg show us the simple, concrete reality of marriage. There's an economic problem--John doesn't make enough money to buy Meg a new dress--that causes both of them distress. But the thing that solves the problem is love--both of them show themselves willing to sacrifice for the sake of the other. It's not about what they get from the marriage--it's about what they can give to each other.

It's a perspective that's lacking from all the other relationships. Jo literally says she wants to be loved, not to love. Amy marries the guy she loves--but fortunately he's almost as rich as the guy she was going to marry just for money. John and Meg are the only two who give to each other, and give up something for each other, and are glad to do it. It's the one place in this movie where marriage is portrayed not a business decision, but a relationship between people who love each other.

Jo and Amy spend their time wondering what they could get out of a marriage, whether the gains will be enough to outweigh the drawbacks, whether marriage could be more fulfilling than a career. With John and Meg, it's not give-and-take. It's give-and-give. Their simple moment of loving sacrifice does more to show what marriage is about than all the long-winded arguments of the rest of the movie, and that's why it's one of the best things about the film.

[merlinssassybeard]

▪︎▪︎Roses & Thorns▪︎▪︎

Tags- angst, fluff, arranged marriage, enemies to lover, disgusting baby talks, jjk au, friendly mean/nice Gojo x Sub talkative reader, slow burn, degradation, smut, heavy angst family drama.

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Upon the orders of the Higherups, you have been tasked the mission of working as a spy the very man you are to marry, the strongest sorcerer Gojo Satoru.

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Important notes:- LN - last name, yn- your name, use of 'san, sama, nii, nee, oka, oto' japanese terms basically.

Prologue

The day had finally arrived. The most dreaded day when you finally get married after a month long turmoil as to who would you be marrying. You were to marry someone infamous and very well known, the none other than The Gojo Satoru

Originally from the start, you were betrothed to the next supposed clan head from the Big 3 Sorcerer Families, The Zenin's, Naoya Zenin.

The Zenins' good reputation and friendly relations with the Higher ups council was what your father saw when he promised your hand at a family dinner with the Zenins at their house, to Naoya when you were 17. It was not only the good face of the family but also the social ladder that your family will climb if or when you'll be married to the Zenin boy.

Its not like your family isn't at the top already but its more to cement their position. Nobody can touch the LN's, your family, but with the Zenins backing up, not a single soul would dare to look up against the LNs.

You were against the marraige needless to say but didn't protest much either, a week locked in your room was what you did to show your discontentment. It was more like you had given up because what would you do anyway? Fight? Run away from your family? Nah, you're not that type of a person. You're grounded or to be specific, you fall more on the lazy side.

You never wanted to get married and always wanted to live an easy 'free from responsibilities' type of life. No work, no responsibility, nothing. Just you and your pet dogs, if you had any that is, under the warmth of the sun and the cool shade of the trees.

Good for you, being born in the conservative family of the highest ranking member of the Elders of the Jujutsu Society ensured nothing but comfort, riches and exemption from working as a sorcerer. Connections and relations with the elites of both from the Jujutsu Society as well the human society.

.

You were blessed and spoilt more from the very beginning. Being the youngest of 3, you were literally your daddy's princess.

Treated like a fragile glass, you were never to allowed work or move an inch of your muscle as you had a personal maid, Haru, from age 5.

When your engagement with Naoya Zenin was announced, it was kept a secret within the 2 families for some unknown reasons.

You knew very little about Naoya in person. Only having seen him at family dinners every now and then and engaging in random small talks here and there, where he'd mostly talk about how women should just be obedient to their 'man' and all alike gibberish.

Your long time personal maid Haru told you about how the Zenin women are treated at their household, they don't even spare the clan head's wife. How Naoya beated down his own cousin sister, named Maki, when they were kids. You genuinely felt nervous and Haru hadn't even finished but she noticed your face going pale at the thought of receiving harsh treatment at your to-be married house because at your father's house, you knew nothing but comfort.

You fell in a deep dilemma now as to what should be done. Its not like you can do anything anyway, the marriage is set in mid March, just half a month from now. Not many people knew about the marriage, only the two families. Your measurements had been sent 3 week ago for the Shiromuku (An all white shinto wedding dress).

The wheels had been set in motion as you were freaking out internally. The whole family was busy in preparations, your elder siblings, both married, ino and takeshi, had also come to their parent's house for the secret marriage.

There was joy and happiness in the air among your family while you suffocated at the thought of your future.

Your sister Ino noticed and gave you a long sister-ly lecture about how you should be happy and feel lucky that you're not marrying just anybody like her and Takeshi but a man from the Big 3 families. And no, its not a common thing. Its not everyday the big arrogant families accept just anyone. You received the pass because of your father's status. She continued elaborating how you should be grateful and fulfill your womanly duties of providing an heir at the least. Providing with an heir will cement your as well as the family's ties stronger, and how it is very important.

All this commotion in the family day and night was only making you more tense. You tried your best to look happy all the time but internally, you wanted to run away, run far away into a far off island of green. You were never happy about the betrothal and your recent revelation made your heart and guts do somersaults.

.

Seven days to your marriage..

Old or young, the whole family was engaged in preparations of their outfits for the wedding and continues showering of gifts by the Zenins had made you to snap to reality, a reality of duties and responsibilities.

You can't do anything and had finally come to terms to accept life as it is and prepare yourself for a new step in your life with a bright smile and hope for the best until..... the evening your father arrived after being absent for 2 consecutive days, he had a frowning look on his face, as he said..

"Yn......you're not marrying the Zenin boy....."

The whole family, your 3 uncles their wives, 4 aunts and their husbands, your 7 cousins and their husband and wives, your siblings and their spouses, your granny and grandpa and your nanny with your mother, who were all sitting and enjoying their tea while gossiping, all gasped together.

You didn't knew how to react, of course you were happy and relieved, you knew your dad is the BEST! So you simply started daydreaming your 'back to normal' life where you do nothing special but read books or paint, go shopping or attend countless kittyparties with your girlgang which mainly includes daughter's of other high born families.

The reaction of those words of the rest members were one to see, some spitted out the tea, some's grip loosened as their cups fell, while others had their mouth ajar which even further escalated when your dad finished his sentence..

"...you're marrying.....Satoru...from the Gojo clan."

That's it. Everyone froze. There were "eh?", "huh?", "come again?"s in the room while the olds simply asked for a new hearing machine. Your sister, sitting beside you, pressed your shoulders slightly as you snaped back to reality.

After a moment of realizations, there was silence in the environment, only laughing and giggling of the kids of your relatives outside who were busy playing. Your sister ino spoke up to break the silence, "you mean that s-satoru?"

Your dad had no response, he only looked away as he noded.

Your eyes widened. Weren't you betrothed to someone already? Why are the Gojo's after you? So your father wasn't going to save you from the impending doom of marriage? Why is this happening? Or even better! What is happening? Just when you convinced yourself that you'll be marrying someone you already knew and that everything will be alright, a new trouble approached.

You didn't knew Gojo Satoru. Only having heard his name as the 'six eyed boy' and from your dad's mouth at dinner, who never shied away from adding pretty prefixes and suffixes with the name, his favorite being 'bastard'. Always ranting during supper, 'that bastard satoru doing this, doing that' and what not. But you never thought, never in a million years, that you'd be married off to someone your father truly hated.

But if its something he wants, you're more than happy to go for it, after all your father's done for you. Your father has always favoured and prioritized you more than his twins son and daughter. Whatever he's done for you, is only for your good, what will he get anyway? The marriage to the Zenin would've ensured a continued life of leisure, security and respect for you, or so your dad thought, unbeknownst to the ill treatment.

"Yn... i have failed....you...as your father.."

These words, these words by your father stabbed you like knives. Why is he saying that? Is this gojo satoru really that bad? "Oto san-" You tried to speak before he interrupted, "i need to talk to you both, please come" he said in a monotonous tone, pointing to your mother and you. "Yes!" Your mom said and noded as she hurriedly got up and walked off to the other room with your dad, you followed them.

.

"They want yn to marry the gojo boy and keep an eye" this words were spoken by your father, who was in great distraught.

He continued to explain the situation that the elders wish or more like have ordered your father to have his daughter married in the Gojo family. They wanted you as a spy, an eye and ear from the inside on Gojo Satoru, who would keep tabs on any instigating conspiracy against the jujutsu elders, after a very recent murder threat and calling off a secret assassination of a boy named Hakari.

"But that would ruin my daughter's life! Do you know what you are talking about? How could you agree to this-" your mother lashed out before being interrupted " ITS FOR A GREATER CAUSE GODDAMM IT!" your father angrily yelled out in frustration.

"You think i don't care about my own daughter? I love my children very much and y/n... i know y/n is the smartest of all. That man can be the strongest but it is US who maintain the two worlds. It is OUR duty to keep all human safe. WE see the bigger picture but that man.. that man sees nothing but himself... and whatever pleases him." Your father turned his gaze to you now, "y/n, what is your decision? Will you agree to the marri-"

"Oto san, if this is what you want, i have no problem." You said looking straight into your father's eyes. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS Y/N!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! HOW COULD YOU LET YOUR LIFE RUINED LIKE THAT!" Your mother yelled at you as she held your shoulders and shaked you.

"Oka san, its alright." You said in a calm voice with a smile as you tried pull her in a hug and continued, "its not like I've been of use either. And if the elders think that I'm of all people is capable of pulling this off... then why not?"

Your mother had tears rolling down her cheeks as she hugged you tighter, "My love....you're such a big girl now...."

Your dad sat in the corner with his chin on his palm as he turned his gaze from you to the window outside and murmured, "i have indeed failed as your father to have you dragged into all this mess"

You heard your father's words who was in greater pain, "its alright father.", "i promise to do my best"

And just like that, you were now sitting at the shrine in your ivory shade Shiromuku with red borders and gold emerald kanzashi tucked in your hairbun neatly. Beside you sat a man in montsuki and black sunglasses with natural pure white hair, the strongest sorcerer to have ever born, your husband to-be and your target, Gojo Satoru, sharing vows and sake.

Masterlist

[kay-emm-gee]

always, only, you

Pairing: Theodore Laurence/Amy March Rating: Mature || wc: ~1.5k a/n: Always loved the two of them, and I absolutely adored the 2019 adaptation, and I felt inspired to write jealous!laurie, so here we are.

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For what felt like the tenth time tonight, Laurie was staring at her from across the room, not saying a word. Amy did not look away from her vanity mirror, ignoring the feel of his eyes on her. Their party had gone well as any of their previous endeavors, and she simply wished for the happy sort of exhaustion that normally came after a successful night as hostess to sink into her bones. But instead, after the way her husband had behaved, she only wished for sleep. He had barely spoken to her during their customary waltz or at the dinner table. No kind words for her, no usual shower of compliments--only silent, sidelong looks, just as he was doing even now.

Stubbornly ignoring him, she reached up and continued pulling pins from her hair. Curl after curl fell, and as the last one tumbled down, she heard Laurie’s breath catch. A small thrill of satisfaction tripped up her spine to have finally shaken some semblance of reaction from him. Too soon, however, it died under the weight of her lingering annoyance.

“Are you going to stand there all night?” She finally asked breezily. “Or do you plan to sleep standing up?”

“I will, at the very least, take my cravat off. Still deciding where to sleep. The wall here is quite comfortable, I’ve never noticed before.”

Ignoring his dry quip, she began brushing her hair. “I thought it went well tonight. Not as much of a success as our Christmas party, but still a grand time.”

“Fred Vaughn certainly had an excellent evening.”

She paused mid-stroke, turning to face her husband. When their eyes met, his mouth twisted into a sharp mockery of a smile.

“Whatever do you mean by that?”

“I suppose any man would have had just an excellent of an evening, being so devotedly attended to by my wife.”

He said the last word softly but with such force that it seemed to shatter as it dropped into the silence between them. Slowly, Amy set down her hairbrush. Then she rose from her chair, staring at him in disbelief.

“You...you’ve behaved this way all night, because you are jealous?”

Laurie scoffed, pushing off the wall. He turned from her and shrugged off his evening jacket, then reached up and removed his cravat with short, jerky movements. Incredulous, Amy stood and approached him, her chemise swishing against the floor.

“Laurie, I paid him no more attention than I would any other friend of ours—”

“But no other friend of ours has proposed marriage to you, hmm? No others have been in love with you, have they?”

“It has been more than five years since he and I...you are being ridiculous. Laurie—”

He spun around. “Am I?”

The tinge of angry desperation in his words brought Amy up short. She swallowed down the words of her sharp retort and simply looked at her husband. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and his hair was mussed. No doubt he had been running his hands through it before he had come up to bed. Instinctively, she moved towards him, resting her palms on his shoulders. She could feel the tension in them, and so she slid her hands up until they cupped his jaw. Forcing his gaze down to meet hers, she felt her breath catch again as she glimpsed something all too familiar in his eyes.

Worry that something was slipping away. Fear that something precious and so desperately wanted would be wrenched from his grasp.

This worry, this fear—she had felt it in the first years of their marriage. Despite the rings, and despite her sister’s blessing, Amy had struggled to leave her girlhood insecurities behind. In those early years, jealousy had been her constant foe. She knew Laurie and Jo were connected by threads of closeness that could not be severed. It was as incontrovertible a fact as the shape of her nose or that her sister had died too young. She had known this and said her vows anyway. She had known this and still honestly believed Laurie when he had promised to love and cherish her until death did part them. Never once had she truly thought he considered betraying his vows, and never once had she believed her sister ever wanted him to. Even so, in the infancy of their marriage she had fought this battle that she now saw raging in her husband’s eyes.

She stroked a thumb over his cheek. He closed his eyes, and let out a tired sigh.

“He made you laugh.”

Amy bit her lip to keep from smiling. “Old Mr. Rochester also makes me laugh, but I don’t see you worrying about me spending time with him.”

“I tried to make you laugh all week, and you just snapped at me every time.”

“Well, because, for example, you almost destroyed our flower arrangements--our very expensive flower arrangements--for the party in the process of trying to make me laugh. Besides, you know how I get before these events. I’m insufferable.”

She watched as his lips flexed in stifled amusement. The heavy weight on her chest lifted at the sight.

“Theodore Laurence,” she whispered. “I love you. Only you. Always have, always will.”

His forehead knocked gently into hers. “You do?”

“I do.”

“How much?” His voice was tender, rasping.

“More than those flower arrangements.” She paused for a beat. “But only just barely. Certainly not more than my blue muslin, however.”

He chuckled, the corner of his mouth kicking up. She pressed a kiss there, soft and lingering.

“Theo?”

His eyes finally opened and met hers, and the heat Amy saw reflected there made her stomach clench. He always loved it when she called him that—particularly because no one else did. It was for them. Angling his head, he let his lips drift just over hers, a breath away from touching. Anticipation shivered down her spine.

“Yes, dear?” He answered as he slid hands around her waist.

Her own hands slid down his neck, over his shoulders and down his back as she perched up on her toes to whisper in his ear, “I want my husband to take me to bed.”

He took in a sharp breath, and then his mouth was on hers, hot and claiming. His fingers dug into her sides, and she gripped his shoulders for balance. They stumbled backwards, but neither of them were paying proper attention, so Laurie ended up backing her into the wall beside her vanity instead of the bed. With each stroke of his tongue against hers, the tension inside her wound tighter, and she let out a small moan as he pressed his hips into hers. With an answering hum of pleasure, he broke the kiss and spun her around so quickly that she had to grip the wall to steady herself. His fingers unlaced her underclothes with little trouble, and she shimmied out of them hurriedly. When she faced him again, he had already made quick work of his shirt. Her hands went to his pants, fumbling with the fastenings.

“Faster, wife,” he muttered as he tried, and failed, to help. She huffed in response, unable to hide her grin any more than Laurie was able to hide his own. As she felt the fastenings finally give, she sighed in triumph. That sigh quickly turned into a moan, however, when she felt Laurie’s fingers slide over the heat between her legs. He stroked her slowly, firmly, just the way she liked. Vaguely she heard him kick off his pants, but she was too lost in the pleasure he was giving her to know for certain.

By the time Laurie positioned himself at her core, she was aching for him, and when he entered her, she let out a throaty cry of relief. He moved in and out of her in short, rough thrusts, her leg hitched over one of his arms, the other curled around her lower back for support. The friction between them wound her tighter and tighter until, with one last long slide, it peaked. He groaned and found his pleasure just as she keened and found hers. Together, they rode out the crashing wave until it was just small ripples.

As Laurie cleaned them both up, Amy focused on catching her breath. It had been a claiming, no doubt, but on both sides. She was his, and he was hers. The heat inside her had smoldered down to coals, and now suffused her with a low, satisfied burn. He stood and leaned into her once more, and she looked up at him lazily.

“Now will you take me to bed, husband?”

With a smug grin, he leaned down and kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Certainly, my dear.”

Then he grasped her hand and tugged, and she followed him gladly--always had, always would.

[roguerogerss]

sunshine

Pairing: Laurie Laurence x Reader

W/C: 1.7k

Warnings: none!

Plot: Your love life is decided for you by your aunt, but that was never an issue to you until you met Laurie.

A/N: this is so short but it’s at least something? and i think it’s pretty cute. i’m kinda uninspired atm but keep sending in requests and i’ll give them a go! like and reblog if you enjoy please!

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The sun was bright in the sky when she woke, the clouds that hung above her window looked full and fluffy and white. She'd forgotten to draw the curtains in her state of panic from the night before, and as she thought about what the day was to entail, that same panic slowly settled on her shoulders and she could feel a throbbing behind her eyes.

Wedding Day. Or, rather, arranged marriage day.

Y/N's mother would never have let it happen, but she'd passed when her daughter was only young and her father worked overseas for most of the year. She lived with her aunt in a cushy villa in the countryside, one that resided across from the field in which the March sisters spent most of their time.

That was how Y/N had come to meet Theodore Laurie Laurence.

Her love life had never been a choice that she'd had the right to make, with her aunt deciding who she was allowed to love for her, but that had never been much of an issue until she'd become acquainted with Laurie.

They'd met on the three year anniversary of her mother's passing. She was taking a stroll down by the brook to clear her mind, squinting against the sun after forgetting to bring a hat, and Laurie had gone rushing by and bumped arms with her on his way, knocking her to the floor.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." He had helped her to her feet and dusted off her dress for her, smiling all the while. It had occurred to her that in all of the time that she'd known Laurie, she'd never known him to do anything other than smile. He was like a ray of sunshine, always energetic and smiley and glowing. She often wondered how he managed to be so happy in a world that was anything and everything but.

By the time that she'd realised that she should've been out of bed and half ready instead of thinking about Laurie, her aunt was already bustling into the room, white dress in hand and ready to lace Y/N into a corset that felt tight and restricting and wrong. She rambled something about how Y/N should've already had her hair and makeup done, but her niece took no interest and instead watched as the silhouette of a seagull danced against the blinding sun.

Y/N's little concern for things in life that she didn't care for was what had drawn Jo March - and, consequently, her sisters - to her. Jo didn't care for social class or etiquette and paid little mind to the philosophy that women served the singular purpose of marriage, and Y/N was much the same. While her aunt was very much traditional in her views, along with most everyone else in Plumfield, Y/N was the opposite. Her aunt thought it was unladylike to let her hair down and enjoy life as it came, but doing just that had made Y/N the best friends that she had.

"You look beautiful, dear." Y/N's aunt commented, holding her shoulders as they both looked at Y/N's reflection in the mirror in front of them. The dress was cream, with a floor length skirt and circle and long sleeves, complete with small pearl details. It might've been beautiful, but Y/N couldn't shake the fact that she wouldn't be marrying the love of her life, but, instead, he'd be watching as she married someone else.

She remembered the day that she’d announced her engagement to the March sisters. They’d consoled her and allowed her to cry herself out, to the point that, when Laurie arrived, her voice was so thick and face so covered in tears that he’d insisted she lay her head in his lap and let him braid her hair. It was something of a tradition between them, had been from the first moment that they’d realised their mutual feelings and they were sure it would be as they grew old together - the one thing that they were certain of in life was that they would be married and they were more than okay with that.

“Tell me, my love.” Laurie had said. His voice was so soft and gentle and Y/N knew that what she was going to have to say would break him. “What’s going on in that pretty little head?”

She’d opened her mouth to laugh at what he’d said, but an unexpected sob had erupted and she’d soon found herself sat up and wrapped in Laurie’s arms. “My aunt she - I - Laurie -”

The words leaving her lips made no sense and she couldn’t find it in her to make sense of them. It had been hard enough for her to tell Jo, Amy, Beth and Meg, nevermind Laurie. Laurie, the love of her life and the man who she wished more than anything to marry and to love for the rest of both of their lives, and who wished the same. “Slow down. Take your time. I’m listening.”

Deep breath, “It’s Arthur, Laurie. We’re engaged.”

The light in Laurie’s eyes had faded and so too the sun in the sky seemed to as he held Y/N at arms length and watched her with parted lips and a soft pout. “What? You’re engaged?”

“Yes.” She felt so small. The word that she had just uttered was so small but yet it held so much hurt and caused so much hurt that it seemed as though it should’ve been huge. “My aunt...Laurie, she made me-”

She was crying again because she expected Laurie to leave. She expected that he’d pick up and leave her alone on the picnic blanket on the hill and forget about her. But he didn’t, he understood. Because Laurie Laurence seemed to always understand her, it was all of the reason why she loved him so much. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t apologise. Never apologise for something that isn’t your fault.” Laurie had said. His arms were around her and he used his fingertips to brush lightly through her hair. His words had stuck with her and probably would forever.

Her aunt had left the room to allow Y/N to fix her hair into an updo instead of leaving it in the tangled mess that it had turned into during the night. She watched her reflection in the mirror, and she watched as the door behind her opened and Laurie stepped inside.

“I know I shouldn’t be here.” He said before she could even turn around. Hearing his voice was enough to start her sobs again, his sweet and gentle voice, so much unlike Arthur’s which was cold and hard and unloving and unappreciative of her. “Oh, Y/N.”

Laurie’s eyes were watery and his bottom lip wobbled lightly, the sunshine and light in the world seemed gone because Laurie Laurence was not smiling and Laurie Laurence was always and forever smiling. But he managed to catch Y/N in his arms as she let her shaking body fall into his embrace. “It’s okay. Everything will be okay.”

“It won’t, Laur. Nothing is okay when we are not together.” The sentence wasn’t something that she had to think about saying, and was almost a surprise when it left her mouth, but it was more true than anything else she’d ever said to Laurie apart from that she loved him. It was all she knew, that she loved Laurie Laurence and that when she couldn’t love him nothing would be okay and the good in life would slowly evaporate until it ceased to exist.

“Then don’t let your aunt break us apart.” Laurie pulled away and cupped Y/N’s cheek in one hand. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, allowing herself to relish in it, in him, for one more second.

“What do you mean?”

“Stay with me. We can leave right now, she won’t know you’re gone for at least an hour and my father will cover for you. I promise.” Running away from her home life with Laurie was something of a dream to her. It wasn’t often that she did things without seeking a second opinion or taking time to think about the consequences, but her answer came quickly and with seemingly little to no thought in it whatsoever.

“Yes. Okay.” She spoke so quickly after Laurie’s proposition that he furrowed his eyebrows as if asking if she was thinking straight. “Yes, Laurie.”

“Yes?” He hadn’t expected her to say yes. He was asking a lot and he never asked a lot of her, but she seemed to be perfectly okay with it.

“Yes.” She was smiling and so was Laurie. Everything seemed right when Laurie smiled.

“We must go, she’ll notice you’re gone too soon if we don’t.” Laurie held out a hand for Y/N to clasp in her own, a confirmation that this was really happening and that he wasn’t going to lose her, that they really would be able to grow old together like they’d so often spoken and dreamed about while laying together in bed when the stars were out and time seemed to stop because they were alone together and nothing mattered.

“We can go.” She spoke softly, unclipping her hair and letting it hang freely around her shoulders. “Laurie?”

“Yes, my dear?” Laurie reached behind her to loosen the corset of her dress. He knew how much she hated corsets - much the same way she hated being with Arthur and for the same reason - that she hated anything that restricted her and stopped her from being able to do as she pleased.

“I love you. I love you so much.” She could say those words a million times and never be able to convey exactly what they meant to her. She meant that Laurie was her happiness and her muse just as much as he was the bad days and the sadness. He was her perfect match in love and in life and her best friend all in one.

“I love you too, darling.” And the sunshine was back in his eyes.

[princesssarisa]

I'd like some more input about my own writing, if it wouldn't be too much trouble.

In my Beauty and the Beast retelling, I've been fleshing out girl-Beast Liriel's backstory from when she was a princess. I've decided that her father, at least, died when she was too young to remember him, and so her main guardian was a single mother figure, whom I've named Katriel. Their relationship was distant at best, though, because Katriel was a real socialite of a princess and didn't have much time for little Liriel, and as the latter became a teenager, they constantly clashed because Liriel was too independent, not social or charming enough, has too much iof a passion for elemental magic, and was too staunchly a lesbian who rejected every wealthy potential husband she was offered. Still, they did love each other, and Liriel wanted Katriel's approval. Yet when (after other plot developments) Liriel turned herself into a beast and was, in turn, cursed never to be able to change back, Katriel banished her into the wilderness. They never met again, as Katriel died long before the main storyline begins.

The question is, should Katriel be Liriel's mother, or her much-older sister? I haven't decided.

Pros of Mother/Cons of Sister

*The original Beast/Prince in Villeneuve’s version of BatB has a widowed mother.

*Conflict between mothers and teenage daughters is older than recorded history and universally relatable – especially between traditionalist mothers and free-spirited, gender non-conforming daughters.

*Likewise, even though there’s no homophobia in the world of this story, conflict between an LGBT+ daughter and her mother who wants to make her more “feminine” and marry her off to a man (in this case for wealth or status) will always feel relevant. Especially because it ends with the mother throwing her daughter out when she realizes she’ll never conform to expectations.

*Shanna (Beauty) also has a widowed mother and has also sometimes felt inadequate in her eyes. (In their case it’s because she’s a sensitive, imaginative girl while her mother is down-to-earth and tough-minded.) She and Liriel could bond over this, while at the same time, learning just how cold and intolerant Katriel was would make her appreciate how loving and accepting her own mother is despite their differences.

*If Katriel is Liriel’s mother, then the shadow of the dead father can add to their conflict. I imagine him as a jerk who cheated on her throughout their brief marriage; in their daughter’s free spirit and stubbornness, she would see too much of him, and she would reject Liriel's desire to marry for love because her own marriage for love went so sour. I also imagine she might resent Liriel for making her unable to remarry, because no royals or noblemen on the marriage market wanted to raise another man’s child.

*An aloof older sister queen/free-spirited younger sister princess pairing might remind people too much of Frozen’s Elsa and Anna, albeit more dysfunctional.

*A rebellious “spare to the throne” who becomes estranged from their dutiful older sibling might feel too much like a female Prince Harry.

*A woman rejecting her daughter for being trapped in the form of an ugly beast would probably be much more appalling and heartbreaking than her rejecting her sister for the same reason.

Pros of Sister/Cons of Mother

*Conflict between sisters, especially between ladylike sisters and gender non-conforming sisters, is just as time honored as mother/daughter conflicts. They’d essentially be like an age-inverted Amy and Jo March, or like Sansa and Arya Stark, albeit if they had no other siblings and one had to raise the other.

*Shanna has two sisters too, and though they’re not mean the way Beauty's sisters traditionally are (and are younger than Shanna instead of older), Shanna still struggles with seeing them as “perfect” compared to herself. That commonality of “perfect” sisters would give her and Liriel something to bond over.

*Megan Kearney’s BatB webcomic has already given the Beast/Prince an abusive single mother in his backstory.

*The traditionalist mother/free-spirited daughter conflict might remind people too much of Elinor and Merida in Brave: especially because they’re royalty, part of their conflict stems from Liriel resisting an arranged marriage, and one of them is eventually turned into an animal.

*The “shadow of the dead father” aspect of their conflict could be expanded into “shadow of the dead parents.” Katriel-as-Liriel's-sister would have more memories of their parents than Liriel does and have been strongly affected by their father’s cheating and their mother’s misery. Hence “Don’t be wild like Dad and don’t throw your life away for passion like Mom.” Their mother could also have died giving birth to Liriel, which would add to Katriel’s resentment.

*I’d probably succeed better in making Katriel complex and not too evil if she were Liriel's sister instead of her mother. I don’t want her to be all bad, but deeply flawed parents are hard to write without demonizing them, because it’s such a triggering subject. We see this again and again when fandoms vilify even mildly flawed parent characters and refuse to see the nuances the author gave them.

*Seeing Liriel's mother throw her out after she’s cursed might be especially triggering for LGBT+ teen readers, even though she’s not thrown out because she’s LGBT+; her sister throwing her out would still hurt, but wouldn’t be triggering in the same way.

I wouldn't mind taking a vote: should Katriel be Liriel's sister, or her mother?

[the-other-art-blog]

Jo’s Boys: Chapter 2 Parnassus (Part 3)

Did I tell you that my first two posts about this chapter only covered 4 pages of the chapter... 4 pages!!!

The shrine 🥺

Probably one of my favorite things in this book. It's such a thoughtful thing to have for such a powerful legacy. And it definitely echoes May’s shrine to her mother in her home with Ernest.

So there are a couple of busts of John and Beth. Both were made by Amy and she chose marble. The material is very important. It goes after the saying:

'Clay represents life; plaster, death; marble, immortality'.

It just made think me of the idea of an afterlife that was very important to Louisa. Marble also is a luxury and art teachers only let the best students try the material. So it's really significant that Amy chose this material (and it also speaks of how good she is as an artist).

For the old generation, there are three portraits. On the right, there is Mr. Laurence's painting and is called the “founder of the house”, which makes me think that he got to live there at least for a few moments. And it's also the same portrait that Jo saw in LW part 1. There are so many Easter eggs in this book.

There's also Aunt March. I really like that it's said to be "a legacy to Amy". I don't know if Aunt March married a wealthy man for love or if it was an arranged marriage gone right. But if it was the former, then Amy kind of repeated the pattern: the girl from a working-class who falls for a wealthy man and thanks to that she rises up in society.

Also, Aunt March was also the most and least supportive person to Amy's artistic dreams. On the one hand, she paid for her artistic education in exchange for becoming her companion. On the other, I highly doubt Aunt March expected and wanted Amy to work as an artist. Or maybe she just left the portrait to Amy and I’m over-analyzing. Who cares, I love this relationship.

At last, it's Marmee's portrait. It was made by a friend of hers, when they were still poor and I just think it shows how kind and free of prejudices Marmee was. I like to think Marmee gave him his first gig! And maybe Amy and Laurie helped him later on. I really have to make a list of all my headcanons.

Fritz x Jo

This is also a great chapter for JoxFritz fans. They had a make out scene and they’re so in love. It’s a thing of beauty. Jo is so excited for Franz’s engagement. These boys are truly part of the family and I love it. 🥰

Nat Blake

So, Nat is all grown up and about to go to Europe. Laurie is financing his trip and Fritz will help him with some friends in Germany. Jo... well, she doesn’t have much hopes. In Little Men, both Jo and Fritz described him as a “daughter” and even though he has grown up, in Jo’s eyes, he needs to get stronger and independent. Look, this might seem politically incorrect today, but please, this is 1880s, give them a break.

But hey, we have a forbidden love! I’m writing a post solely on this subject, but just know it mirrors Amy and Laurie. 🥰

Feminism

Jo’s Boys also makes some of the clearest feminist remarks in the entire saga. After a discussion with Ted, Josie goes to Mr. March and Bess and asks,

'Grandpa, must women always obey men and say they are the wisest, just because they are the strongest?'

'Well, my dear, that is the old-fashioned belief, and it will take some time to change it. But I think the woman's hour has struck; and it looks to me as if the boys must do their best, for the girls are abreast now, and may reach the goal first,' answered Mr March, surveying with paternal satisfaction the bright faces of the young women, who were among the best students in the college.

I really enjoyed all the Ancient Greece references. It’s a really long and interesting discussion. And Laurie is there too. But it’s great to see women questioning the status quo and men encouraging them and having faith in them.

Emil arrival

So Emil comes back and bring gifts to everyone. It’s all really nice and I love his gift to Amy:

'I couldn't find anything swell enough for Aunt Amy, because she has everything she wants, so I brought a little picture that always makes me think of her when Bess was a baby'

But the best one is the one for Nat: a pair of lava earrings shaped like little skulls. To which Bess is horrified! 😂 Why do I feel that’s something my sister would like. She was all excited dissecting rats in a lab and she sent me pictures of the brains as if that was something I enjoyed watching. That’s Nat. In modern times, Nat would be like, look this surgery tape, it’s awesome! Poor Bess and Josie.

[heyyyharry]

Chapter 14: A Life For A Life

(from ‘The Conman and the Maid’ Series)

…in which Y/N takes a life and saves a life.

Word count: 7.7k

AU: princess!y/n, conman!harry, prisoner!harry.

Series description: Y/N is a princess and Harry is a prisoner in her castle. With his help, she escapes from her arranged marriage in search of a happy ending, if there is one.

Wattpad link (Reyna as Y/N)

Warning: character’s death, gore, violence

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Two Isolde guards grabbed Egon, twisted his arms behind his back and forced him down onto his knees. Another one stabbed Jo’s murderer from behind. His body stumbled forward before collapsing right beside Jo’s. Dead. More screams erupted from the crowd of courtiers, but all Y/N could hear was the thundering of her own heart.

These weren’t Isolde guards; they were Attwell’s men in disguise. And this was all a part of the Bastard Prince’s plan to assassinate his brother and soon, Egon. If that was the case, then there was no chance for Y/N to walk out of here alive.

“The throne room has been secured by Attwell guards,” Lance announced, taking in every frightened face before his grey eyes stopped at Y/N once again. “We are here for the tyrant and the rescue of Princess Y/N. I’m going to free you from tyranny, not imprison you. Those who are innocent shall not be harmed. Unless you try to defy us.”

Catching her breath, Y/N narrowed her eyes at him to silently question, ‘Why?’

Lance seemed to understand and yet did not answer. “Kill him.”

“Stop!” Y/N shouted. All eyes fell on her. Lance was frozen in his spot though there was no sign of astonishment on his face. She couldn’t figure out why such a kind-looking prince could murder his brother cold-bloodedly. But she could not criticize him for something she also would have done.

With all her courage, she marched toward Lance. His guards reached for their weapons, but he raised a hand for them to stay back and let her approach. She stood an arm’s length away from the prince, her voice lowered, “You are not going to kill my brother in our home.”

“I just saved your life, Princess,” Lance said coolly.

Y/N let out a mirthless laugh. “Don’t expect me to thank you. You are no better than him if you saved my life only to take my father’s throne.”

Lance considered her, his voice steady, “I’m here to kill the tyrant. I do not wish to hurt you.”

“Really?” Y/N challenged. “Not even when I’m standing between you and my crown?”

The question had captured Lance’s full attention. His eyes squinted as though to ask her to explain. She lifted her chin and bent down to take the letter out of her boot. “This is my father’s letter,” she said, “in which he stated that I shall be the new ruler of Isolde. So if you want the crown, you’ll have to kill me.”

Lance didn’t speak. Y/N then beckoned to the Lord Chancellor who was trembling in the corner. “Lord Chancellor Callahan, would you please read this letter and confirm that it is from my father?”

“Y-Yes, Your Highness,” the old man said as he accepted the folded piece of paper with both hands.

The atmosphere in the throne room became heavy as the Lord Chancellor scrutinized King Willem’s letter. The stench of fresh blood hung in the air, sickening Y/N. She gripped her sword-hilt and refused to acknowledge Jo’s dead body lying on the floor. She would avenge her loyal friend. Even if it cost Y/N her life.

“This is,” proclaimed the Lord Chancellor, “indeed King Willem’s handwriting and signature.” The whisperings among the crowd grew louder. The old man stroked his beard as he looked over at Y/N. “That would make you the rightful heir to the throne, Princess Y/N.”

When her eyes met Lance’s once again, he composed and inclined his head. “Very well,” he said. “Then I shall leave the fate of the tyrant in your hand, future Queen of Isolde. I would not break my promise of becoming your ally.”

The indifference in his expression left her bewildered. Was he simply here to murder Egon and free the people of Isolde from her brother’s tyranny? What was he? A living saint? It was unthinkable that he’d gone through all this trouble to plan this assassination just to hand the crown back to her.

What were his real motives?

She was about to ask when suddenly Egon, who had been silent this whole time, raised his voice.

“Cheers to you, little sister.” He was smiling despite being held down by two Atwell’s guards. “Are you going to kill me now? Put me out of my misery?” His tone was full of mockery. “Remember. You will never escape the fate of our family. How do you think the people would react to their new Queen,” his gaze jumped to Lance, “who’s been assisted by the enemy to commit treason,” then back to Y/N, “murdered her own brother and stolen the crown.”

His words chilled her to the bone. She wished he would stop talking, but everything he said was based on facts.

“People won’t care if you are the heir Father chose, Y/N. You are weak. You are not meant to rule. It won’t be long until another one cast you down and our dynasty crumbles. If you believe in a prophecy told by a madwoman, then you are more a fool than a queen.”

“You believe in the prophecy,” she hissed, bending down to come face to face with her kneeling brother. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have kept Maggie alive after murdering her sisters. Admit it, Egon. You are afraid of me.”

Egon did not waver. “Is that what you tell yourself at night?”

Y/N balled her free hand into a fist as she straightened. She felt the whole room watching as she motioned for a guard to hand her his sword. Lance was the first to realize what she intended to do.

“Princess, don’t do it,” he implored. “Just have him executed and take the crown.”

She ignored him. He was, after all, a foreigner. She knew her people. They would never bend the knees if they couldn’t see her as a ruler. Her father might have passed the crown onto her, but it was she who had to show the people she’d earned it rightfully.

She tossed the weapon on to the floor and it slid toward where her brother was being held. His head jerked up as he shot her a tentative look.

“We’ll have a duel,” she declared.

The crowd gasped.

“Princess–” the Lord Chancellor interjected, but she raised a hand to silence him, her eyes fixed on her brother, who couldn’t seem more satisfied. She’d had him on his knees, but now she’d given him the chance to kill her.

“Just like Uncle and Father,” she said.

“The winner takes Isolde,” Egon stated.

“Not only Isolde.” She shook her head. “But also the other’s life.”

“Princess, this is absurd!” Lance cried out and his men unintelligibly agreed.

Y/N cast him a pointed look. “I don’t know who you are and why you’re doing this, but I can condemn you for invading the nobility of the Isolde court. If you wish to preserve the alliance between your kingdom and mine, I suggest you do not speak up. This is our land. We go by our rules.”

Lance didn’t break their gaze, and Y/N found herself trying to convey through her eyes that she wanted him to trust her. He then released a heavy breath and ordered his men to release Egon.

“Pick up the sword,” Y/N commanded. Her brother growled as he got up to his feet, almost losing balance on his wounded leg.

“With all due respect, Princess,” spoke the Lord Chancellor. “King Egon is the best swordsman in the royal court. I cannot stand by and watch you risk your life now that you are the rightful ruler of Isolde. King Willem would not approve of this.”

“If you accept me as your new ruler,” Y/N said, “the first thing you should do is believe in me.”

Her command silenced the Lord Chancellor. He reluctantly bowed and stepped back.

Wiping the blade with his sleeve, Egon said, “It’s not fair that you’re requesting a duel with a wounded man, sister.”

“You’re wounded. I’m wearing a dress. We’re both at a disadvantage, aren’t we?” She cocked her head. “Now, should we take this outside?”

“It’s snowing,” Egon said.

“Good,” Y/N replied. “Just like old times.”

.

.

.

When Harry arrived at the home of the witch sisters, he was shocked to see that what had been a beautiful cottage was now ashes and burnt wood. He dismounted Lightning in the shade of a tree and asked Kenny, his companion, to stay right there. Stubborn and curious, Kenny got off the mare and followed him toward the ruins of the house.

“What do you think happened here?” she asked.

“Egon’s men,” Harry said with no further explanation.

“Do you think these sisters had something to do with the prophecy about Y/N?”

“Possibly,” he sighed. “Come on. We better get going. Hopefully, we’ll reach Stefan’s village before it gets dark.”

The two returned to their horse. Harry was helping Kenny vault Lightning’s back when he was greeted with a swift blow to the back of his legs. He cried out in pain as he came down on his hands and knees. Lightning neighed loudly to frighten Harry’s attacker, gaining just enough time for him to get back to his feet and draw his sword.

He froze when he recognized the person.

“Mary?”

Half of her face was severely burnt, but Harry would never forget the one who’d given him love potion so he would sleep with her.

“Harry, are you okay?” cried Kenny, snapping him back to reality.

“I’m okay,” he told her without breaking his gaze with Mary. The maiden was holding a wooden board above her head. She looked like she’d lost her mind. “Put that thing down, Mary,” he cautioned while extending a hand toward her. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Mary recoiled like a scared animal. Something told him her sisters were both dead and somehow she’d survived. He wasn’t sure if she recognized him.

Suddenly, she asked, “Where is she?”

“Who?”

“The princess.” Mary’s eyes darted around, her breathing quickened. “Your lover. She did this. She did this to us!”

“Y/N...burnt down your house?” Harry arched both eyebrows in disbelief.

Mary shook her head. She was calmer than before, even though she was still scared. “Her brother did,” she said. “His men came. If it weren’t for her, my sisters would still be alive!”

Harry regarded Mary for a moment before he slowly lowered his sword. To his surprise, she did the same with the wooden board. She let it fall to the ground and jerked back when he tried to reach for her arm. He quickly held up both hands to let her know he meant no harm.

“I’m sorry about your sisters,” he said. “But Y/N didn’t want this to happen. She’s–”

“You’re defending her because you love her!” Mary shouted. “My sisters called her the saviour but what has she done for us? She’s not a saviour! People die left and right for her and she’s now safe in the North castle with her tyrant brother!”

“Mary–”

“I just...I just want to be normal! I didn’t get to choose! I wanted you for myself, but I had to give you to her. Now I’ve lost my sisters to her as well. I want her dea–”

An arrow whooshed right past them and stuck into the trunk of the tree next to Lightning. The animal reared up on her hind legs, tossing Kenny right off her back, and before Harry could react, Kenny screamed, “Harry, behind you!”

He jumped just in time to dodge the blade of a sword. The bushes rustled, and Mary disappeared into the wood, leaving them to deal with the attacker. A man dressed in a black cloak.

He advanced toward Harry and raised his blade above his head. Harry rolled to the side. The sword thrust into the dirt. He leapt back to his feet and swung his sword, but Black Cloak was fast enough to block the blade. The villain kept attacking and Harry kept deflecting the blows. Harry might be quicker, but his weapon was no match for his opponent’s. He recognized the symbol on the blade. It belonged to the Isolde court. This man served Egon. He must be here to make sure none of the sisters had survived.

Harry could not strike back with his stubby sword, not even once, so he tried to buy himself time, hoping he would exhaust his opponent before himself. Just as his hands were getting numb, he heard galloping and whipped his head to find Lightning charging forward. The mare kicked Black Cloak with full force, sending his massive body sliding across the dirt and slamming into a tree, his sword in the opposite direction.

Harry fetched the heavy weapon as fast as he could and pointed it at the defeated opponent. Groaning, Black Cloak pushed himself up to sit against the trunk of the tree. His hood fell off, revealing an ugly scarred face. It looked like he’d been attacked by a jungle cat.

Harry took a moment to recall what had happened to Y/N at the market. How she’d been beaten by a man in a black cloak. She’d scratched his face before he could squeeze the life out of her.

“You...” Harry hissed, the tip of his sword pointing at the man’s heart. “You tried to kill her.”

“Prince Egon’s command,” said Black Cloak, giving a half-smile. “I was just going to bring her back alive.”

“Wait, I know you!” Kenny limped toward them and stood behind Harry, peering around his arm. “I know him, Crow. I’ve seen him a few times when my mother used to work in Theros court. He used to be a courtier. He betrayed the Queen!”

Harry’s chest burnt with rage as realization hit him. “You killed the king, didn’t you? Everyone wanted to believe the North did it. They did not suspect the murderer to be an insider.”

Black Cloak didn’t even try to deny. “Calanthe is not my queen,” he spat out blood while smiling as if he was at the other end of the sword. “I’ve served the court of Theros my whole life and I was nothing but a poor soldier. Now I’m loyal to King Egon. He would make me his commander when the war is over. He should rule both the South and the North. Not some little girl.”

Harry gripped the hilt of his sword so tight he couldn’t feel his fingers anymore.

“Look at you, street rat,” Black Cloak continued with a sneer. “A whore spreads her legs and you stick out your tongue and become her dog. I wouldn’t aim too high if I were you.”

“Harry, leave him.” Kenny tugged at Harry’s arm when she recognized the darkness in his eyes. “Let’s go. Before it gets dark.”

He let her take his hand, but instead of following her steps, he thrust the sword into Black Cloak’s chest. Kenny cried out and begged him to stop when he twisted the blade and yanked it out. Red blood poured from the wound. The man died fast. His eyes were open, staring back at his murderer.

Harry dropped the sword with a clang and wrapped both arms around Kenny, holding her tight against his chest as she wept uncontrollably.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” he said, closing his eyes and kissing her forehead.

She was still crying as she buried her face into his chest. “You had to,” she choked out the words. “He was a bad man...You did the right thing.”

Harry wanted to believe that, but he knew he hadn’t done it in the name of justice. He’d been triggered by the disgusting words Black Cloak had said about Y/N. After all, Harry was only human.

.

.

.

The snow was falling outside in the court of Isolde, each flake dancing in the fading light of day. When Y/N was little, she used to stand on this field outside the castle and picture herself in a wintry ballroom as colourless confetti fell weightlessly downward from heaven. Now, as the entire royal court had gathered here, it really did look like a ballroom. And she was about to dance to the death.

She’d ripped off the tail of her skirt, leaving her legs exposed from the knees down. Her breath was pale against the numbing air. The frost kissed her face as she blinked thoughtfully, enthralled by the soft, dusty illusions of light that sat heavily on her eyelashes. For a moment, the world faded away, and there was just her, the snow, the trees, and the sky.

Then, the clang of armour snapped her back to reality. A guard presented her with the maid named Aleina. The poor girl was shaking. Y/N wasn’t sure if she was scared or simply cold.

She stopped in front of Y/N and curtsied. “You asked for me, Your Majesty?”

Y/N met Egon’s eyes as he bandaged the wound on his calf with a torn piece of his sleeve. He smirked at her, and she looked away. She took Aleina’s hand, leaned in and whispered to the maid, “Clean the body of Lady Josephine. Make sure no one moves her.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I’ve ordered the guards to take the white-haired lady from the dungeon to see Jo.” Aleina nodded though she seemed utterly perplexed. “You will tell the witch that...she may have her pure soul to travel to another world...in exchange for Jo’s life.”

“My lady!” Aleina exclaimed and immediately lowered her voice to a whisper, “What are you talking about?! Jo...is dead!”

Y/N placed a finger on her own lips to silence the girl. “You are not allowed to question. Just do as I say.”

Aleina hesitantly nodded again, her gaze fell to her feet.

“And no one will be in the room with Jo and the witch,” Y/N went on. “No one will know what happens in that room. Do you understand?” Seeing how frightened and shocked the maid was, Y/N took Aleina’s warm hand with her cold fingers and squeezed it tight. “I might not come back, and you’re the only one I can trust. Can you take care of this for me, Aleina?”

Aleina nodded, seemingly more determined although her voice wavered as she spoke, “You’ll c-come back, Your Majesty...I-I believe in you.”

Y/N thanked the girl and promised that she would try her best. Watching Aleina disappear into the crowd, Y/N gripped her heart to stop it from beating so hard and fast. She had no idea if Maggie was capable of bringing Jo’s back, but she knew Maggie had a reason to tell her about the other word and how to get there. Y/N believed this was it. This was how she must save Jo.

She wasn’t a mother. Who knew if she would ever be if the circumstances had been different? But Jo had been with child. Jo had sacrificed the life of her baby and her own for Y/N to almost get killed if it hadn’t been for Lance’s interference. Jo would still be alive if Y/N hadn’t one-sidedly involved Jo into her stupid escape plan.

She would never be at peace bringing up a child with the memory of what had happened to Jo today. And she didn’t want to have her child grow up in court and live the same life she had lived, full of risks and uncertainty. She’d thought that, with her father’s permission, she could find Harry once she’d become Queen and bring him here so they could live happily ever after in richness. But Egon was right. Her father could forgive her for breaking traditions, but her people would not. She’d be a queen. She’d live and die for her kingdom, and that was her only purpose. If she was not allowed to end up with the man she loved, be his wife, have his children then she wanted none of it.

With that in mind, she must survive today.

When she was little, every time there had been a duel, she would be so certain that she’d lose because Egon was bigger, stronger, and faster. Now Egon was wounded and it had been years since the last time he’d picked up a sword to fight. He had never left the comfort of the castle grounds, while she had travelled all the way to the South and escaped Death countless times. Many people had tried to kill her and failed, so she would not die in a duel where there were rules and spectators who were also the judges.

She remembered the euphoria of watching duels between her father and uncle; it’d been nerve-racking watching from the front row, but it’d been nothing compared to how she was feeling now. She squeezed her free hand into a fist so no one could see her shaking.

The Chancellor went over the rules which she had learned by heart, then prayed for the Gods to bless them both. As his sad eyes lingered on Y/N before he walked back to the crowd, she realized she might be the only one here who believed she would win.

She hated how knowing that troubled her a little.

Still, she steadied her breathing, her numb fingers closed around the sword-hilt, her boots pressing firmly into the snow.

Egon stood a few feet away, holding his sword, mirroring her fighting stance. “It’s not too late to back out, little sister.”

“No,” said Y/N. “If you want my blood, take it.”

“Very well,” he replied, drew his sword and lunged. When he moved, the blade caught the light with a wavering spark. Y/N backed up, her eyes on the weapon. They had been here too many times before and she’d been defeated too many times before. Her brother attacked with confidence but also negligence. She was wiser now. For all the fall she’d taken, the way he moved was imprinted on her consciousness.

She ducked his strike and advanced, her sword almost cutting his arm but he moved fast enough to dodge it. The crowd fell silent, watching. His face hardened. He advanced, faster than before. His blade broke her guard and scoured her shoulder. Her sleeve tore, blood running down her arm. He struck mercilessly and she parried the blow and shoved him back. From the horrified look on his face, she knew it wasn’t her skills that had shocked him, it was also the fact that she was ruthless. She wasn’t afraid to hurt him. And this was not a threat.

All about her, the crowd stood mute. The hot smell of her own blood drove home to her. She thought about Jo’s body turning cold on the floor of the throne room, and fury filled her to the brim. She drove suddenly beneath his guard and dragged her knife across his ribs. Blood poured from the open wound. The crowd broke into gasps.

He howled and leapt back, face twisted with pain. Blood was dripping down her fingers, staining the pure white ground every time she moved. She didn’t know how bad her wound was, but the pain caused her teeth to rattle as she gripped the hilt of the sword, using all the strength she had left to strike continuously. Her brother could only dodge and parry. He was helpless and horrified.

He fell to the ground with a loud thump and cries burst among the crowd. Someone screamed. Someone wept. She saw her reflection in her brother’s eyes as he soundlessly begged for mercy. She forced her sword down, broke his guard; her blade cut through the blood-stained bandage around his leg. His painful wail rattling the trees.

The snow kept falling lazily all around them. Her vision went hazy for a second. From behind her, Lance shouted, “Kill him!”

Her blade was lifted, then frozen midair.

She could not.

She remembered the dream, how she’d murdered her brother, but she was the one bleeding out.

“Do it, whore! Kill me! Are you scared now, little girl?” Egon taunted, veins popping on his necks. Y/N didn’t answer, so he turned to the people. “This is the heir my father chose. A coward. Look at her. Would you want this, a frightened little girl, to become your ruler?”

There was only silence.

The Lord Chancellor was the first person to bend the knee.

Then the guards.

The maids.

Even those from Attwell.

Each and everyone got on their knee and bowed their head to the new queen of the North.

Y/N’s tear-filled eyes searched for Lance, who was one of the last to kneel. He held her gaze, and she wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she saw a smile, as though to say, ‘Well done.’

Egon was bewildered. He started screaming at his men, calling them insulting names, ordering them to take her, but no one paid attention to him. Y/N thrust her sword into the snow and gazed down upon her brother, taking a deep breath.

“For the innocent lives you’ve taken,” she declared. “For the ones you’ve hurt. For the murder of Josephine. I banish you from Isolde.”

“You are not allowed, you stupid bitch!”

“If you manage to stay alive until dawn, you’ll be taken into the woods, and you shall never return again. If you disobey my order, you’ll be sentenced to death.”

Just as Y/N spun her heels, Egon shouted after her, “I killed two kings, Y/N. I will come back and kill you, too.”

The crowd cried out as Y/N stopped, and turned slowly. Her fingers hardened around the sword-hilt despite the blood pouring from her open wound.

Egon was bleeding to death. The pain had turned him hysterical as he laughed like a madman. “I killed our father, Y/N. I plotted our uncle’s murder, too. There is nothing I couldn’t do. You cast me out, I will return. I will live. Because I am the face of Go–”

Her blade slashed across his throat and blood splashed on her dress. She stood quietly above his dead body, watching the light in his eyes go out. Someone was calling her name. Blackness oozed in from the corners of her vision. She was on the edge of consciousness when two strong arms caught her before she fell.

“Y/N! Y/N!” Lance called her name, his face was blurred. In his cold grip, she remembered riding on Thunder’s back through a snowstorm. The crackling of the fire. The sound of the running river. A road in a forest full of stars. A pair of green eyes and a familiar voice whispering sweet words in her ears.

She could have sworn the prince cursed under his breath before she could feel his arm beneath her knees, beneath her shoulders as he lifted her from the ground.

.

.

.

Y/N woke up screaming.

In her dream, Egon had had his fingers around her throat. It was the pain of the wound that brought her back to reality. She blinked frantically, feeling a warm hand placed over her forehead, calming her nerves, before the room and the face above her came into view.

She was staring into Jo’s bright blue eyes.

Before Jo could speak, Y/N jolted upward and wrapped both arms around Jo’s neck, laughing and crying hysterically. Jo was crying, too. They held each other for the longest time until it was too painful for Y/N to remain sitting. Jo helped her lie back down and brushed her hair out of her forehead.

Jo looked so well. Her cheeks were pink, her hair shiny and more golden than Y/N remembered. She seemed more alive than she had always been.

“You’re so stupid, Y/N. So stupid,” she sniffled, stroking Y/N’s cheek.

Y/N’s gaze dropped to Jo’s flat stomach, eyes widened before glancing back to Jo’s face. “Did it...did it hurt?”

Jo pursed her lips. “I guessed it couldn’t have hurt more than being stabbed. Still, there are scars to make sure the emotional pain is permanent.”

Y/N frowned as she placed her hand on Jo’s belly, trying to feel a beat that was no longer there.

“A life for a life, the white-haired lady said,” Jo sighed. “It’s gone forever. I won’t be able to have one again.”

Y/N felt tears sting her eyes again. “I’m so sorry, Jo. This...this is all my fault.”

“No, Y/N! Stop that!” Jo leaned down and cupped her face. “You saved my life! I would have jumped in front of the blade for you, you know that!”

“The baby was innocent!”

“It’s better this way, Y/N. If the baby was born, it would forever be condemned for having a tyrant as a father. Children don’t deserve to pay the price for their parents’ wrongdoings.”

Y/N bit her lip. She nodded once before changing the subject. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Two days.”

“And the Prince–”

Jo didn’t even let her finish. “Aleina told me he was the one who carried you back from the field! He could be a wonderful suitor considering now that he’s the next in line for his father’s throne.”

Y/N laughed. She was glad that Jo had found her sense of humour, but she was not amused by the joke.If it had been a joke.

“He murdered his brother,” she said coolly.

Jo didn’t seem to agree. “His brother was no better than Egon. The Prince did you a favour.”

“But why?”

“You’re going to have to ask him. He’ll be in court to have an audience with you when you have recovered,” Jo said brightly. “I think he wishes to marry you to strengthen the alliance between Isolde and Atwell.”

Y/N didn’t reply, but she supposed Jo could see right through her. Jo sighed as she fidgeted with her skirt. “He’s a charming young lad,” her voice lowered, “but maybe your heart is in another place?”

Y/N shut her eyes and exhaled sharply. “I should have asked Maggie to take my heart, too. I would have given her for free.”

This made Jo giggle. “I adore your heart, Y/N. It saved the kingdom from a tyrant.” Then, she put her fingers under Y/N’s chin, making Y/N open her eyes again. “If you want to talk about him, I’m all ears.”

“I cannot ask that of you,” Y/N mumbled.

There was a flicker of sadness in Jo’s eyes, yet she managed to conceal it with a twitch of her lips. “I love you, Y/N,” she said. “I always have and I always will. I know you don’t love me the same way, but you do love me. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have sacrificed so much for me. Maggie told me what it took to bring me back. I could never repay you. All I ask is for you to let me be your friend again. I’d be happy to serve you as your lady-in-waiting.”

Y/N pressed her lips into a smile. “I didn’t bring you back to cast you out, Jo. If the two of us are going to be husbandless and childless. Let’s be that together.”

Jo gave her a look that said ‘I don’t believe you’, but all she said was, “I’d be honoured.”

“Do you know where Maggie is?” Y/N asked. “I have to thank her when I can get out of this room.”

“She’s gone,” Jo told her regretfully. “She said something about another world.”

.

.

.

It took a week for Y/N to recover.

Lance and his retinue were meant to leave tomorrow. He had requested an audience with her the day before his departure, and she had gladly accepted. However, instead of meeting in the throne room, she’d demanded to see him in the garden where they could be alone.

She had ordered the servants to grow some winter flowers in the garden. Her mother had always wanted that. As she was admiring the primroses, she heard heavy footsteps coming up from behind, and so she spoke before the person could, “Your walk is so loud, you’d scare off the prey during a hunt.”

Lance laughed lowly as he stopped beside her, hands behind his back. He was dressed in all black, his silky hair was dark as midnight. In her white garden, he stood out the most.

“I’m not hunting and you’re not my prey,” he said.

She arched an eyebrow at him. “Are you finally going to give me answers?”

“Yes.” He inclined his head. “And also...an apology. I should not have caused so much chaos.”

She lifted her shoulders. “We both slit our brothers’ throats. I’m not fit to judge you, am I?”

His dimples made an appearance at her response.

She expected him to wait for her to prompt, but then he commenced, “I was supposed to marry your aunt. Queen Calanthe of Theros.”

Y/N assessed his face to make sure he wasn’t joking. His eyebrows were drawn together; he could not look more sincere.

“My father had offered the marriage to save her after her family had been executed. But she chose your uncle’s proposal because she’d rather be married to a king than a bastard.”

This information amused her more than it should. She couldn’t help but smirk. “So you hate her because she turned you down and hurt your pride?”

“Some would find your mockery offensive, my lady.” He grinned.

“Do you?”

“I find it attractive.”

She waved off his compliment. “Don’t expect me to swoon and sigh for that.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” he said, still grinning. “To answer your question ‘Why did you kill your brother?’: My half brother was an idiot and since my father’s reign was over, he was going to be the new king.”

Y/N blinked. “The king of Attwell is dead?”

Lance nodded. “The news hasn’t been announced to the people of Attwell yet, but it would be when my half brother returns with his new bride, which was supposed to be you.”

“So you planned on killing Kavan and then Egon in the hope of stealing his bride and ruling two kingdoms at once.”

Lance lifted a brow as though to say ‘well done, you’ve figured it out.’

“I raised an army,” he told her. “People of Attwell are more open-minded than those of Isolde. They serve whoever they think is more competent, and most of them have chosen me as their leader. No one would speak of what had happened here. When we get back to the West, we’ll tell the people that Kavan has been murdered in Egon’s order.”

“So you lied your way to the throne?”

“Are you judging me?”

“No. Just wondering.” She arched her lips. “Well then, congratulations on your soon-to-happen coronation.”

Lance took a moment to contemplate her face. She almost thought he’d lost grip on reality. Then, he said, “Not everyone would be happy that their new king is a bastard. Same as how many of your people would react to having a female ruler.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What are you suggesting, my lord?”

“Call me Lance,” he said with a hand over his heart.

She nodded. “Well, Lance?”

“A marriage to unite our kingdoms.”

“No,” she answered without pause. “I did not kill my own brother to hand my reign to you. A foreigner. And no offence, a bastard.”

Lance didn’t look offended at the slightest. “We are both the black sheep of our family, Y/N,” he said quietly.

“You may call me Your Majesty.” Her anger didn’t stir him. If anything, he seemed even calmer than before. She lifted her chin. “I suppose you wonder how I’d convinced the witch to save Jo’s life.”

“There have been different versions of the story,” he said, his forehead puckered. “No one dares to ask you, however.”

“Well, I’m going to tell you now, Lance. In return for Jo’s life, I gave up the ability to produce an heir. So you will gain nothing from this marriage.”

“I’m not proposing to you for a baby, Y/N!” She glowered at him, and he cleared his throat into his fist, his face reddening. “Sorry…Your Majesty. But that was not the reason I’m proposing–”

“You’re not proposing to me at all. Good day, my lord.”

She turned and he caught her elbow. She shot him a glare, and he released her in an instant.

“Think about it,” he said. “You gave up the chance to have an heir, and I suppose you’re not going to marry, either. Because you cannot bend the rules of your kingdom for your own benefits and marry a peasant.”

This time, her gaze silenced him. And she regretted it. He’d heard the rumours about her ‘romantic excursion’. Now she’d confirmed it was true. She’d shown her weakness and he was going to use it against her.

Lance stepped forward until he was close enough for her to see herself in his grey eyes. “If you have a king by your side–”

“I don’t need a king.”

“Yes, you do. It’s politics,” he said. “Look, we can have an agreement. The marriage will be based solely on the political stability of our kingdoms. We’re neighbours so the North and the West can become one. I will rule my country and you will rule yours, separately, but together. I will even stay here in your court if it means that I get a chance to gain your trust. I don’t want an heir. I just want to do the best I can for my people and be the ruler they need. Calanthe can use the murder of Egon to turn the other kingdoms against Isolde, and I cannot side with her. Your people would let you rule in peace if you have a king by your side, and my people would let me rule in peace if I marry an actual royal queen.”

She took some time to ponder over his words before asking, “Why can’t you side with Calanthe?”

He gave an open-mouthed smile. “Well, first of all, she rejected my proposal and insulted me.”

“So you’re a bitter little boy?”

Her teasing made him chuckle.

“What is the second reason?” she asked, genuinely curious.

His eyes found hers. “Am I allowed to say I fancy you?”

Y/N went stiff. She worked her jaw, trying to find an answer, but the Prince didn’t wait for her to succeed.

“We won’t have to fall in love,” he said, smirking. “Unless you want to.”

“I don’t. Thank you,” she huffed and looked away. “But I will consider this agreement.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” He took her fingers, his lips warm against the cool skin of her hand. He glanced up from beneath his long lashes “I would gain your trust. You have my word.”

She could not withdraw her hand fast enough. “I would love to see you try.”

.

.

.

There was a ball that night in celebration of the Queen’s recovery.

Y/N had not doubted Lance’s warnings about how she was perceived by her subjects. But it wasn’t until she conversed with the courtiers that she allowed herself to fully believe him. As courteous as they might appear, she could feel it in their words, bows and curtsies that half of these people doubted her, the other half feared her. Though they had bent the knees, their loyalty was not rooted.

However, they loved Lance. She supposed it was because they knew nothing about him while Egon had spent all those months convincing the people that she was either a madwoman or a whore. When she was with Lance, her subjects seemed to like her better.

The courtiers who had witnessed the massacre in the throne room were not allowed to speak of it to the public. So the other members of the gentry who had not been here only knew the details of the duel, and Lance was portrayed as the knight in shining armour who’d shown up just in time.

Of course, people also knew about Y/N’s bravery and that she’d commanded a witch to bring Jo back to life. Y/N believed that was why they feared her. But she didn’t want to be feared. She wanted to be loved, like her mother. She had spent her whole life trying to not be like her father and Egon. With Lance by her side, she might succeed. Everyone loved the romanticized version of what had happened that day, with less blood and death, more prince carrying princess home from the bloody battle. Tonight, she would give them that. She was still on the fence about the proposal, but the ball tonight had really made her think.

That was until she saw him.

At first, she thought it was only a trick of the mind. Because there was no possible way he could sneak past the guards to enter the castle, let alone attend the royal ball. But she could not mistake him from any other faces. That was him.

Their eyes met from across the room. He was dressed like a gentleman, probably had stolen the clothes from a real gentleman who’d been too drunk to care. She wouldn’t be surprised if it was true.

She opened her mouth although he wouldn’t be able to hear her voice over the music even if she shouted his name. Suddenly, he broke their gaze and disappeared through the doors like a ghost.

She immediately excused herself from the conversation and left Lance to entertain the guests with his jokes; they liked him better anyway.

No one followed her as she ducked out of the ballroom, holding up her full skirt as she ran down the long stairs leading to the garden. The snow was falling thick and the night was black. The dim flickering of lanterns could not help her see more than ten steps ahead of her.

The snow had covered the footsteps of the runaway guest, if he existed at all. She believed he did. She wanted to believe so. She found herself wandering into the darkness as the wind blew stronger and colder. One of her hands holding the crown upon her head, the other gripping her skirt, her hair flying wild, and her eyes burning from the cold.

“HARRY!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, the howling of the wind drowning out her voice. “IF YOU DON’T SHOW YOUR FACE, I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!”

There was no answer. She feared he couldn’t hear her, and after a moment, as the hot tears turned to frost on her cheeks and eyelashes, she feared that she’d gone mad.

“Y/N!”

She whipped her head around to the doorway where Lance stood with a guard in the warm glow of the castle corridor. He rushed down the stairs toward her while shrugging off his coat and wrapped it around her body. He tugged her to his chest and walked her back inside.

“What happened?” he panted, his gloved hands warming up her cheeks. Her teeth were rattling, and she could see her breath. “Are you hurt, Y/N? Speak to me!”

“No,” she managed to say. “I thought I saw someone…”

“An intruder?”

“I don’t know.” She swallowed and buried her face into his chest. She was crying. She couldn’t control it, but it felt good to let it all out. Lance rubbed her back and mumbled into her hair that it could be a wild animal and he’d send the guards to search in the garden. Her heart jumped as she thought of Harry getting caught. But maybe he deserved it. If the guards caught him, they’d present him to her, their Queen. And she’d meant it when she’d said she wouldn’t forgive him for messing with her like that.

Deep down she knew there was no Harry. Just her mind playing tricks on her.

“Would you like to return to the ball?” Lance asked, still not letting her go.

She shook her head, still shivering. He didn’t object and told the guard behind him to escort the Queen back to her bed-chamber.

“I’ll tell the guests that you don’t feel well,” he said.

She scowled at him from beneath her frosted lashes. “I don’t trust you to deliver the words. You’ve tried to win my people’s affection all night.”

He laughed a little, his hands were firm on her shoulders. “Just because you can resist me doesn’t mean the others can.”

At that moment, the Lord Chancellor appeared at the end of the hallway, apparently also looking for the two of them.

“There you are, my lord,” said Lance. “The Queen doesn’t feel well. She’d like to return to her bed-chamber.” Then he gave her a look which said ‘do you believe me now?’

She rolled her eyes in answer and pushed away from him. His touch lingered on her body when she left.

The guard followed her all the way back to her chambers. She could not wait to be alone so she could scream and break things, so as soon as she entered the room, she ordered for all the maids to leave. The door fell shut, but she could still feel the guard’s presence. He was standing at the door, in full armour.

“Did Lance tell you to stay?” she sighed. “Get out. You are not needed. I’m going to have to change my clothes.”

The guard didn’t move.

Something was wrong.

Intruder. Think fast.

Y/N held her breath as she ambled to the bed. Right as she drew out her dagger from under her pillow and raised it in the air, the guard had advanced and caught her by the wrist. She did not give in. She kicked and screamed. He covered her mouth and said something, but his voice was muffled by the helmet. She punched him and he pinned her to the bed, straddling her waist. He managed to take the dagger from her hand and held it at her throat.

He tried to tell her something again.

Wait, the ring. The ring on his finger! She knew that ring!

Before she could react, the guard used his free hand to pull off the helmet, his long brown curls tumbling out, dim candlelight flickering in his green eyes.

“It’s me, Peach,” he said, his voice soft and warm.

He smiled that beautiful smile.

And she struck him across the face.

[charliesradiodemon]

Arranged Marriage AU (Part 1)

AU where Lucifer arranges Alastor with Charlie to help strengthen the royal family and ensure the safety of the house. It’s just business.

(This was sent from my phone, sorry if the format is messed up. I came up with this idea and I just had to write about it. I’ll probably continue it, we’ll see!)

(EDIT 2/10/2020: So I’ve been rereading old chapters and I’m still not satisfied with them. I’ve decided to edit the chapters on Tumblr so they now line up with the AO3 version. Sorry for making ya’ll wait so long, I just want to get this right ^.^)

It was an average, quiet morning at the Happy Hotel. The fiery red hue of Hell's skies had just lightened and most of the few denizens of the old hotel were still fast asleep.

 However Charlie was already up, eager and ready for the day with a smile. Every morning she had to coordinate and prepare for breakfast. Afterward, she'd set up the various events and activities for the tenants to occupy themselves with. Today there would be a group therapy session after breakfast and some physical activities to let the guests blow off some stream.

 It was going to be another nice and quiet day for her. At least it was supposed to be.

 She heard the front door of the hotel ring from the kitchen so she put on her happiest face and marched out to greet her next potential guest.

 However what met her were two of the most powerful wide-grinning demons in Hell.

 “Charlotte, how I missed you!” Lucifer cried out and leaned down to give his only daughter the biggest hug she’d ever received from him. The abruptness of it made her whole body tense.

 Charlie tentatively returned the hug “D-dad?” as soon as she spoke, Lucifer pulled away but kept his hand on either of Charlie’s shoulders. “Uh what are you doing with Alastor?” She leaned to look around her father to point at Alastor, who stood close by just observing the interaction with his signature grin splayed over his face.

 Alastor made frequent visits to the hotel to check up on it whenever he had nothing else to do. That was fairly often, but recently he'd been away and seemingly busy. This was the first time Charlie's seen him in a little over a week. And he showed up with her father nonetheless. With how busy the King of Hell always was, it made Charlie wonder how a mortal soul like Alastor managed to get him away from his duties. Hell, he never even bothered to come visit his own daughter until today.

 Lucifer nearly pushed Charlie away to move back to Alastor’s side. “Dear, you are getting older now and I know you have this dream thing… or whatever, but I think it’s time for you to think of the future!” He gestured his cane toward Alastor, who still stood there, saying nothing. “I know he’s a lot younger than you but what is a few centuries or two?” He leaned on his cane and chuckled.

 Charlie had no words and only looked back and forth at the two looming figures as if it was her way of processing. In reality her mind was blank. It was too early for this and suddenly Charlie felt like it was a mistake getting up this morning.

 Alastor finally chimed in with his chipper radio-backed voice. “What your father is trying to say is that we should get hitched! Tie the knot! Take the plunge! Conjugate-“

 “What?!” Charlie’s exclamation startled Lucifer enough to where he nearly fell off his apple-topped cane. Charlie's heart dropped to her gut. Was this really happening? “D-dad you can’t be serious right?” Charlie’s laughed nervously. When she looked back to her father with a concerned smile, he did not look amused in the slightest. He stared her down with a stern glare that she knew all too well. “This is just a jo-…” she stopped and shut her mouth when the elder demon's frown deepened. She looked away from her father and she felt whatever confidence she had melt away in an instance.

 It was really happening. She feared this day would come, but not so soon! Charlie knew that one day her parents could possibly urge her into an emergency marriage at any point in her life. With their warning, they loosely promised her the freedom to live as she wished as long as she would answer to her duty when they needed her to. But this was over a century ago. And as a young, eager and very naive young demoness, Charlie happily accepted. They even gave her time to think it over, but she was young and stupid- something neither Lilith or Lucifer understood. 

 Alastor’s laugh track pulled Charlie’s attention back to him. “My dear this is certainly not a joke. I’m afraid I’m deathly serious,” Alastor’s impossibly wide smile widened even further and it sent chills down Charlie’s spine. How could he be so calm and nonchalant about this? He was entering a role far beyond his station as a mortal soul. Alastor was always impulsive and acted on anything he thought could entertain him; he could be making a huge mistake.

 “Al, why are you doing this? I know you have no interest in me, you don’t even give a damn about me!” She shot an accusatory finger toward him which, to Charlie’s surprise worked well enough to make him back off with an amused smile. Charlie knew her father would disapprove of this behavior but she didn’t care. But she dared not look at her father. If she even glanced at him, she’d lose this momentum.

 Alastor only seemed more intrigued and amused at the situation. They'd known each other for six months and despite his intimidating nature, Charlie warmed up to him fairly quickly. It was always interesting how confident Charlie could be around him when no one else could. If he were honest to himself, Alastor could say that he'd warmed up to the unusually warm demon princess. She was one of the few that he could bear to be around for longer than five minutes despite her raging naivety and cheerful nature. Charlie awoke something unusual within him and he wanted to explore this pleasant feeling he would always have around her even further. It was as if Lucifer answered his prayers when the King of Hell himself showed up to his front door with a proposition. 

 “On the contrary dear Charlie, you do catch my interest in a way. I just think this arrangement can better solidify our partnership into something more permanent,” he bent close to whisper in her ear. “Your father proposed this arrangement and I think it’s an excellent idea. I believe the both of us will benefit from this.” He straightened his back and the pair turned their gazes to Lucifer who even seemed to be a tad nervous himself with both eyes on him. 

 Charlie sighed. 'This must be important then if dad's this spooked...'  Her father was the most feared demon in Hell. He'd ruled Hell for over countless millennia and over those millennia he'd come across many bumps in the road. Whatever was happening now, it was important for Charlie to marry Alastor.  

 Charlie turned her gaze back to the taller demon and caught his attention again by stretching up closer to his ear. “What are you scheming?” She hissed through her teeth so only Alastor could hear.

 The taller demon’s smile didn’t waver. In fact, he chuckled with an accompanying audience laughing with him. He reached down to grasp her hand and held it up between them. This was a secret he couldn't disclose, no matter how much he liked Charlie. He wanted to figure out the secret to his odd notions around her all by himself. “Nothing! Like I said, your father proposed this. My guess is that he wants to prevent me from harming you and your family,” he said nonchalantly. Charlie shivered at the ease of his words. It was as if the man had indeed considered it at one point. “He’s quite the businessman. Offering his daughter in exchange for peace!” he belted a strong chortle “Oh… how wonderful. I couldn’t help but accept. It was certainly a wild turn of events even I couldn’t have anticipated!” His wide smile grew in size and Charlie felt his tight grip tighten. 

 He mixed in a bit of truth to his lie. He truly didn't know exactly why Lucifer came to him asking to be his son-in-law nor did he ever foresee this wild turn of events.  

 She tugged a couple of times before slipping from his grasp and took a step back. “Right… Al you know this is a big deal right? And I’m not exactly single either you know!” Charlie explained with a strained smile and a nervous chuckle. “Do you really want to marry me because you’re bored?”

 “Yes!” He immediately answered. His face lit up like a child in a candy store. “It’s nothing I could have imagined! It’s nothing anyone could have imagined! Who would have ever thought that I would become part of the royal family of Hell! Hahaha! We haven’t even announced the news to the denizens of Hell yet and I’m already simply elated!” He clasped his hands together as the sound of the laugh track came and went once more. He continued on a tangent of something when Charlie began tuning him out.

 The young demon heiress leaned over to look at her father’s reaction to all of this. His apparent nervousness seemed to dissipate, but he still held onto the apple atop his cane tightly. He shot her a look of expectancy and nodded his head at her.

 'I know...' Charlie internally sighed.

 Charlie crossed her arms and sighed warily. It was still early and yet she already felt drained. Too many thoughts spun in her head and she didn’t know how to feel. Devastated? Angry? Sad? All of the above maybe? It didn’t matter. She knew this day was going to come, but she didn't know that it was going to be so soon- or with a mortal soul like Alastor. Though she guessed it could have been worse. She could be engaged to Harold Von Eldritch, her absolutely abhorrent ex-boyfriend in a political marriage.

It was strange how the engagement didn't feel so heavy. Charlie almost felt like laughing it off. Maybe it was because of the ridiculousness of the situation? Her father and her business partner walked into her hotel and imposed a marriage on her. That was pretty crazy already. Or maybe it was because she was engaged to one of the most powerful demons in Hell and he was marrying her all because he was bored.

Part 2 HERE

[blackkudos]

Janet Jackson

Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. A prominent figure in popular culture, she is known for sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, and elaborate stage shows.

The tenth and youngest child of the Jackson family, she began her career with the variety television series The Jacksons in 1976 and went on to appear in other television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, and Fame. After signing a recording contract with A&M Records in 1982, she became a pop icon following the release of her third and fourth studio albums Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). Her collaborations with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rap and industrial beats, which led to crossover success in popular music.

In 1991, Jackson signed the first of two record-breaking multimillion-dollar contracts with Virgin Records, establishing her as one of the highest-paid artists in the industry. Her fifth album Janet (1993) saw her develop a public image as a sex symbol as she began to explore sexuality in her music. That same year, she appeared in her first starring film role in Poetic Justice, and has since continued to act in feature films. Jackson then released her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope (1997), which is distinguished for its innovative production and dark lyrical content. By the end of the 1990s, she was named by Billboard magazine as the second most successful recording artist of the decade after Mariah Carey. Her seventh album All for You (2001) coincided with a celebration of her impact on the recording industry as the inaugural MTV Icon. After parting ways with Virgin Records, she released her tenth album Discipline (2008), her first and only album with Island Records. In 2015, she partnered with BMG Rights Management to launch her own record label, Rhythm Nation, and released her eleventh album Unbreakable the same year.

Having sold over 100 million records, Jackson is one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time. She has amassed an extensive catalog, with singles such as "Nasty", "Rhythm Nation", "That's the Way Love Goes", "Together Again" and "All for You"; she holds the record for the most consecutive top-ten entries on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart by a female artist with 18. In 2008, Billboard placed her number seven on its list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, and in 2010 ranked her fifth among the "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years". In December 2016, the magazine named her the second most successful dance club artist of all-time after Madonna. She has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers. Jackson was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

Life and career

1966–1985: Early life and career beginnings

Janet Jackson was born on May 16, 1966 in Gary, Indiana, the youngest of ten children, to Katherine Esther (née Scruse) and Joseph Walter Jackson. The Jacksons were lower-middle class and devout Jehovah's Witnesses, although Jackson would later refrain from organized religion. At a young age, her brothers began performing as the Jackson 5 in the Chicago-Gary area.

In March 1969, the group signed a record deal with Motown, and soon had their first number-one hit. The family then moved to the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles. Jackson had initially desired to become a horse racing jockey or entertainment lawyer, with plans to support herself through acting. Despite this, she was anticipated to pursue a career in entertainment and considered the idea after recording herself in the studio.

At age seven, Jackson performed at the MGM Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. A biography revealed her father, Joseph Jackson, was emotionally withdrawn and told her to address him solely by his first name as a child. She began acting in the variety show The Jacksons in 1976.

In 1977, she was selected to have a starring role as Penny Gordon Woods in the sitcom Good Times. She later starred in A New Kind of Family and later got a recurring role on Diff'rent Strokes, portraying Charlene Duprey from seasons three to six. Jackson also played the role of Cleo Hewitt during the fourth season of Fame, but expressed indifference towards the series, largely due to the emotional stress of her secret marriage to R&B singer, James DeBarge. Jackson later elaborated on her time on the show in an interview with Anderson Cooper, revealing that the cast would occasionally play pranks on her, but she spoke fondly of them.

When Jackson was sixteen, her father and manager Joseph Jackson, arranged a contract for her with A&M Records. Her debut album, Janet Jackson, was released in 1982. It was produced by Angela Winbush, René Moore, Bobby Watson of Rufus and Leon Sylvers III, and overseen by her father Joseph. It peaked at No. 63 on the Billboard 200, and No. 6 on the publication's R&B albums chart, receiving little promotion. The album appeared on the Billboard Top Black Albums of 1983, while Jackson herself was the highest-ranking female vocalist on the Billboard Year-End Black Album Artists.

Jackson's second album, Dream Street, was released two years later. Dream Street reached No. 147 on the Billboard 200, and No. 19 on the R&B albums chart. The lead single "Don't Stand Another Chance" peaked at No. 9 on Billboard's R&B singles chart. Both albums consisted primarily of bubblegum pop music.

1986–1988: Control

After her second album, Jackson terminated business affairs with her family, commenting "I just wanted to get out of the house, get out from under my father, which was one of the most difficult things that I had to do." Attempting a third album, Jackson teamed with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. They set out to achieve crossover pop appeal, while also creating a strong foundation within the urban market. Within six weeks, Jackson and the duo crafted her third studio album, Control, released in February 1986. The album shot to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and was certified fivefold platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling over ten million copies worldwide.

Control was declared "remarkably nervy and mature" for a teenage act, also considered "an alternative to the sentimental balladry" which permeated radio, likening Jackson to Donna Summer's position of "unwilling to accept novelty status and taking her own steps to rise above it." The album spawned five top five singles, "What Have You Done for Me Lately", "Nasty", "When I Think of You", "Control", and "Let's Wait Awhile", and a top 15 hit with "The Pleasure Principle". "When I Think of You" became her first No. 1 hit on the Hot 100. Control received six Billboard Awards, including "Top Pop Singles Artist", and three Grammy nominations, most notably "Album of the Year". It also won four American Music Awards from twelve nominations, an unbroken record.

At this point, Jackson was successfully "shaking off the experience of being a shadow Jackson child", becoming "an artist in her own right". The album's lyrical content included several themes of empowerment, inspired by an incident of sexual harassment, with Jackson recalling "the danger hit home when a couple of guys started stalking me on the street and instead of running to Jimmy or Terry for protection, I took a stand. I backed them down. That's how songs like 'Nasty' and 'What Have You Done for Me Lately' were born, out of a sense of self-defense."

Its innovative fusion of dance-pop and industrial music with hip-hop and R&B undertones influenced the development of the new jack swing genre by bridging the gap between the latter two styles. The accompanying music videos shot for the album's singles became popular on MTV, and obtained a then-unknown Paula Abdul a recording contract for her choreography work with Jackson. Billboard stated "[Jackson's] accessible sound and spectacularly choreographed videos were irresistible to MTV, and helped the channel evolve from rock programming to a broader, beat-driven musical mix."

1989–1992: Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814

Jackson released her fourth album, Rhythm Nation 1814, in September 1989. Although her record label desired a direct sequel to Control, Jackson chose to include a socially conscious theme among various musical styles. She stated, "I know an album or a song can't change the world. I just want my music and my dance to catch the audience's attention, and to hold it long enough for them to listen to the lyrics." The album's central theme of unity was developed in response to various crimes and tragedies reported in the media.

Peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the album was certified sixfold platinum by the RIAA and sold over 12 million copies worldwide. Rolling Stone observed Jackson's artistic growth shifted from "personal freedom to more universal concerns—injustice, illiteracy, crime, drugs—without missing a beat." The album was also considered "the exclamation point on her career", consisting of a "diverse collection of songs flowing with the natural talent Jackson possesses", which effectively "expanded Janet's range in every conceivable direction", being "more credibly feminine, more crucially masculine, more viably adult, more believably childlike." With singles "Miss You Much", "Rhythm Nation", "Escapade", "Alright", "Come Back to Me", "Black Cat" and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", it became the only album in history to produce number one hits in three separate calendar years, as well as the only album to achieve seven top five singles on the Hot 100.

Famous for its choreography and warehouse setting, the "Rhythm Nation" video is considered one of the most iconic and popular in history, with Jackson's military ensemble also making her a fashion icon. The video for "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" is notable for being the first instance of Jackson's transition into sexual imagery and midriff-baring style, becoming her trademark. Rhythm Nation 1814 became the highest selling album of 1990, winning a record fifteen Billboard Awards. The long-form "Rhythm Nation" music video won a Grammy Award.

Jackson's Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990 became the most successful debut tour in history and set a record for the fastest sell-out of Japan's Tokyo Dome. She established the "Rhythm Nation Scholarship," donating funds from the tour to various educational programs. As Jackson began her tour, she was acknowledged for the cultural impact of her music. Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote "the 23-year-old has been making smash hit records for four years, becoming a fixture on MTV and a major role model to teenage girls across the country", and William Allen, then-executive vice president of the United Negro College Fund, told the Los Angeles Times, "Jackson is a role model for all young people to emulate and the message she has gotten to the young people of this country through the lyrics of 'Rhythm Nation 1814' is having positive effects."

She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of her impact on the recording industry and philanthropic endeavors. The massive success experienced by Jackson placed her in league with Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Tina Turner for her achievements and influence. Ebony magazine remarked: "No individual or group has impacted the world of entertainment as have Michael and Janet Jackson," arguing that despite many imitators, few could surpass Jackson's "stunning style and dexterity."

With her recording contract under A&M Records fulfilled in 1991, she signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Virgin Records—estimated between thirty-two to fifty million dollars—making her the highest paid recording artist at the time. The recording contract also established her reputation as the "Queen of Pop." In 1992, Jackson provided guest vocals on Luther Vandross's "The Best Things in Life Are Free", becoming a top ten Billboard hit and reaching the top ten internationally.

1993–1996: Janet, Poetic Justice, and Design of a Decade

Jackson's fifth studio album Janet, was released in May 1993. The record opened at number one on the Billboard 200, making Jackson the first female artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era to do so. Certified sixfold platinum by the RIAA, it sold over 14 million copies worldwide.

Janet spawned five singles and four promotional singles, receiving various certifications worldwide. The lead single "That's the Way Love Goes" won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song and topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks. "Again" reached number one for two weeks, while "If" and "Any Time, Any Place" peaked in the top four. "Because of Love" and "You Want This" charted within the top ten.

The album experimented with a diverse number of genres, including contemporary R&B, deep house, swing jazz, hip hop, rock, and pop, with Billboard describing each as being "delivered with consummate skill and passion." Jackson took a larger role in songwriting and production than she did on her previous albums, explaining she found it necessary "to write all the lyrics and half of the melodies" while also speaking candidly about incorporating her sexuality into the album's content. Rolling Stone wrote "[a]s princess of America's black royal family, everything Janet Jackson does is important. Whether proclaiming herself in charge of her life, as she did on Control (1986), or commander in chief of a rhythm army dancing to fight society's problems (Rhythm Nation 1814, from 1989), she's influential. And when she announces her sexual maturity, as she does on her new album, Janet., it's a cultural moment."

In July 1993, Jackson made her film debut in Poetic Justice. While the film received mixed reviews, her performance was described as "beguiling" and "believably eccentric." Jackson's ballad "Again", which was written for the film, received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for "Best Original Song."

In September 1993, Jackson appeared topless on the cover of Rolling Stone, with her breasts covered by her then-husband, René Elizondo, Jr. The photograph is the original version of the cropped image used on the Janet album cover, shot by Patrick Demarchelier. The Vancouver Sun reported, "Jackson, 27, remains clearly established as both role model and sex symbol; the Rolling Stone photo of Jackson ... became one of the most recognizable, and most lampooned, magazine covers."

The Janet World Tour launched in support of the studio album garnered criticism for Jackson's lack of vocal proficiency and spontaneity, but earned critical acclaim for her showmanship. It was described as erasing the line between "stadium-size pop music concerts and full-scale theatrical extravaganzas."

During this time, her brother Michael was immersed in a child sex abuse scandal, of which he denied any wrongdoing. She provided moral support, defending her brother, and denied abuse allegations regarding her parents made by her sister La Toya.

She collaborated with Michael on "Scream", the lead single from his album HIStory, released 1995. The song was written by both siblings as a response to media scrutiny. It debuted at number five on the Hot 100 singles chart, becoming the first song ever to debut within the top five. Its music video, directed by Mark Romanek, was broadcast to approximately 64 million viewers and listed in Guinness World Records as the "Most Expensive Music Video Ever Made", costing $7 million. The clip won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.

Jackson's first compilation album, Design of a Decade: 1986–1996, was released in 1995. It peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. The lead single, "Runaway", became the first song by a female artist to debut within the top ten of the Hot 100, reaching number three. Design of a Decade 1986/1996 was certified double platinum by the RIAA and sold ten million copies worldwide.

Jackson's influence in pop music continued to garner acclaim, as The Boston Globe remarked "If you're talking about the female power elite in pop, you can't get much higher than Janet Jackson, Bonnie Raitt, Madonna and Yoko Ono. Their collective influence ... is beyond measure. And who could dispute that Janet Jackson now has more credibility than brother Michael?"

Jackson renewed her contract with Virgin Records for a reported $80 million the following year. The contract established her as the then highest-paid recording artist in history, surpassing the recording industry's then-unparalleled $60 million contracts earned by Michael Jackson and Madonna.

1997–1999: The Velvet Rope

Jackson began suffering from severe depression and anxiety, leading her to chronicle the experience in her sixth album, The Velvet Rope, released October 1997. Jackson returned with a dramatic change in image, boasting vibrant red hair, nasal piercings, and tattoos. The album is primarily centered on the idea that everyone has an intrinsic need to belong. Aside from encompassing lyrics relating to social issues such as same-sex relationships, homophobia and domestic violence, it also contains themes of sadomasochism and is considered far more sexually explicit in nature than her previous release, Janet.

The record was hailed as "her most daring, elaborate and accomplished album" by The New York Times, while Billboard ranked it as "the best American album of the year and the most empowering of her last five." The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified triple platinum, selling over ten million worldwide.

The lead single "Got 'til It's Gone" was released in August 1997, featuring guest vocals from folk singer Joni Mitchell and rapper Q-Tip. The song's music video, depicting a pre-Apartheid celebration, won the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video. "Together Again" became Jackson's eighth number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, placing her on par with Elton John, Diana Ross, and the Rolling Stones. It spent a record forty-six weeks on the Hot 100 and nineteen weeks on the United Kingdom's singles chart. It sold six million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. "I Get Lonely" peaked at number three on the Hot 100, and received a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. It was Jackson's eighteenth consecutive top ten hit, making her the only female artist to garner that achievement; and surpassed only by Elvis Presley and the Beatles.

Several other singles were released, including "Go Deep" and the ballad "Every Time", which was controversial for the nudity displayed in its music video. The album fully established Jackson as a gay icon for its themes regarding homosexuality and protesting homophobia. "Together Again", a "post-Aids pop song", and "Free Xone", considered "a paean to homosexuality" and an "anti-homophobia track", were praised for their lyrical context, in addition to Jackson's lesbian reinterpretation of Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night".

The Velvet Rope received an award for "Outstanding Music Album" at the 9th Annual GLAAD Media Awards and was honored by the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum. A portion of the proceeds from "Together Again" were donated to the American Foundation for AIDS Research.

Jackson embarked on The Velvet Rope Tour, traveling to Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. The tour received praise for its theatrics, choreography, and Jackson's vocal performance. It was likened to "the ambition and glamour of a Broadway musical", and exclaimed as "only fitting that the concert program credits her as the show's 'creator and director'."

The tour's HBO special, The Velvet Rope: Live in Madison Square Garden, garnered more than fifteen million viewers. It surpassed the ratings of all four major networks among viewers subscribed to the channel. The concert won an Emmy Award from a total of four nominations. Jackson donated a portion of the tour's sales to America's Promise, an organization founded by Colin Powell to assist disenfranchised youth.

As the tour concluded, Jackson lent guest vocals to several collaborations, including Shaggy's "Luv Me, Luv Me", used for the film How Stella Got Her Groove Back, as well as "Girlfriend/Boyfriend" with Teddy Riley's group Blackstreet, and "What's It Gonna Be?!" with Busta Rhymes. The latter two music videos are both among the most expensive music videos ever produced, with "What's It Gonna Be?!" becoming a number-one hit on the Billboard Hip-Hop Singles and Hot Rap Tracks charts, reaching the top three of the Hot 100.

Jackson also contributed the ballad "God's Stepchild" to the Down in the Delta soundtrack. Jackson recorded a duet with Elton John titled "I Know the Truth," included on the soundtrack to Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida. At the 1999 World Music Awards, Jackson received the Legend Award for "outstanding contribution to the pop industry". Billboard ranked Jackson as the second most successful artist of the decade, behind Mariah Carey.

2000–2003: Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and All for You

In July 2000, Jackson appeared in her second film, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, as the role of Professor Denise Gaines, opposite Eddie Murphy. Director Peter Segal stated "Janet Jackson was a natural fit, and an obvious choice." The film became her second to open at number one, grossing an estimated total of nearly $170 million worldwide. Jackson's single "Doesn't Really Matter", used for the film's soundtrack, became her ninth number-one single on the Hot 100.

Preceding the release of her seventh album, MTV honored Jackson with the network's inaugural "MTV Icon" ceremony, honoring her "significant contributions to music, music video and pop culture while tremendously impacting the MTV generation." The event paid tribute to Jackson's career and influence, including commentary from Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Aaliyah, and Jessica Simpson, and performances by 'N Sync, Pink, Destiny's Child, Usher, Buckcherry, Mýa, Macy Gray, and Outkast. The American Music Awards also honored Jackson with the Award of Merit for "her finely crafted, critically acclaimed and socially conscious, multi-platinum albums."

Jackson's seventh album, All for You, was released in April 2001. It opened at number one on the Billboard 200 with 605,000 copies sold, the highest first-week sales of her career, and among the highest first-week sales by a female artist in history. The album was a return to an upbeat dance style, receiving generally positive reception. Jackson received praise for indulging in "textures as dizzying as a new infatuation", in contrast to other artists attempting to "match the angularity of hip-hop" and following trends. All for You was certified double platinum by the RIAA and sold nine million copies worldwide.

The album's lead single, "All for You", debuted on the Hot 100 at number fourteen, setting a record for the highest debut by a single that was not commercially available. Jackson was titled "Queen of Radio" by MTV as the single made airplay history, being "added to every pop, rhythmic and urban radio station" within its first week. The song broke the overall airplay debut record with a first week audience of seventy million, debuting at number nine on the Radio Songs chart. It topped the Hot 100 for seven weeks, also reaching the top ten in eleven countries. The song received a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. "Someone to Call My Lover" peaked at number three on the Hot 100. Built around a sample of the iconic 1972 hit "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon, "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" featured Simon herself, along with Missy Elliott on remixes of the single.

In July 2001, Jackson embarked on the All for You Tour, which was also broadcast on a concert special for HBO watched by twelve million viewers. The tour traveled throughout the United States and Japan, although European and Asian dates were required to be canceled following the September 11 terrorist attacks. The Los Angeles Times complimented Jackson's showmanship. Richard Harrington of the Washington Post said Jackson's performance surpassed her contemporaries, but Bob Massy of Spin thought her dancers "threw crisper moves" and her supporting singers were mixed nearly as high, though declared "Janet cast herself as the real entertainment." Jackson donated a portion of the tour's proceeds to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The following year, Jackson began receiving media attention for her rumored relationships with Justin Timberlake, actor Matthew McConaughey, and record producer Jermaine Dupri. Upon the release of Timberlake's debut solo album Justified, Jackson provided vocals on "(And She Said) Take Me Now" per Timberlake's request, with the song initially planned as a single. Jackson collaborated with reggae artist Beenie Man for the song "Feel It Boy", produced by the Neptunes.

2004–2005: Super Bowl XXXVIII controversy and Damita Jo

Jackson was chosen by the National Football League and MTV to perform at the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in February 2004. She performed a medley of "All for You", "Rhythm Nation", and an excerpt of "The Knowledge" before performing "Rock Your Body" alongside surprise guest Justin Timberlake. As Timberlake sang the lyric "I'm gonna have you naked by the end of this song", he tore open her costume, exposing her right breast to 140 million viewers.

Jackson issued an apology after the performance, saying that the incident was accidental and unintended, explaining that Timberlake was only meant to pull away a bustier and leave the red-lace bra intact. She commented, "I am really sorry if I offended anyone. That was truly not my intention ... MTV, CBS, the NFL had no knowledge of this whatsoever, and unfortunately, the whole thing went wrong in the end." Timberlake also issued an apology, calling the accident a "wardrobe malfunction." The incident became the most recorded and replayed moment in TiVo history, enticing an estimated 35,000 new subscribers. Jawed Karim has stated that the incident inspired the creation of YouTube, as he noted that it was difficult for him to find videos of the incident online.

It is regarded as one of the most controversial television events in history, and Jackson was later listed in Guinness World Records as the "Most Searched in Internet History" and the "Most Searched for News Item". CBS, the NFL, and MTV denied any knowledge of the incident and all responsibility for it. The Federal Communications Commission heavily fined all companies involved and continued an investigation for eight years, ultimately losing its appeal for a $550,000 fine against CBS.

Following the incident, CBS permitted Timberlake to appear at the 46th Grammy Awards ceremony but did not allow Jackson to attend, forcing her to withdraw after being scheduled as a presenter. The controversy halted plans for Jackson to star in the biographical film of singer and activist Lena Horne, which was to be produced by American Broadcasting Company. Horne was reportedly displeased by the incident, but Jackson's representatives stated that she withdrew from the project willingly. A Mickey Mouse statue wearing Jackson's iconic "Rhythm Nation" outfit was mantled at Walt Disney World theme park the previous year to honor her legacy, but it was removed following her controversial performance.

Jackson's eighth studio album Damita Jo was released in March 2004, titled after her middle name. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. The album received mixed to positive reviews, praising the sonic innovation of selected songs and Jackson's vocal harmonies, while others criticized its frequent themes of carnality. However, several critics' reviews focused on the Super Bowl incident, rather than critiquing the album itself. It was certified platinum by the RIAA within a month, and sold over three million copies worldwide.

The album's performance was affected by blacklisting from radio and music channels, in part at the behest of CBS CEO Les Moonves. Conglomerates involved in the boycott included Viacom and CBS, subsidiaries MTV, Clear Channel Communications, and Infinity Broadcasting, the latter two among the largest radio broadcasters. The blacklist was placed into effect preceding the release of Damita Jo and continued throughout the course of Jackson's following two albums. Entertainment conglomerate Viacom owns MTV, VH1, and many radio formats, and a senior executive commented that they were "absolutely bailing on the record. The pressure is so great, they can't align with anything related to Janet. The high-ups are still pissed at her, and this is a punitive measure."

Prior to the incident, Damita Jo was expected to outsell prior release All for You. Its three singles received positive reviews but failed to achieve high chart positions, although each was predicted to perform extremely well under different circumstances. Billboard reported that Damita Jo "was largely overshadowed by the Super Bowl fiasco.... The three singles it spawned were blacklisted by pop radio—they were also the album's biggest highlights".

For the album's promotion, Jackson appeared as a host on Saturday Night Live performing two songs, and she was also a guest star on the sitcom Will & Grace portraying herself. Jackson received several career accolades upon the album's release, including the "Legend Award" at the Radio Music Awards, "Inspiration Award" from the Japan Video Music Awards, "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the Soul Train Music Awards, and a Teen Choice Awards nomination for "Favorite Female."

In November 2004, she was honored as a role model by 100 Black Men of America, Inc. and presented with the organization's Artistic Achievement Award saluting "a career that has gone from success to greater success." The organization responded to criticism for honoring Jackson in light of the Super Bowl incident by saying that "an individual's worth can't be judged by a single moment in that person's life." In June 2005, she was honored with a Humanitarian Award by the Human Rights Campaign and AIDS Project Los Angeles as recognition for her involvement in raising money for AIDS charities.

2006–2007: 20 Y.O. and Why Did I Get Married?

Jackson began recording her ninth studio album, 20 Y.O., in 2005. She recorded with producers Dupri, Jam and Lewis for several months during the following year. The album's title was a reference to the two decades since the release of her breakthrough album Control, representing the album's "celebration of the joyful liberation and history-making musical style."

To promote the album, Jackson appeared in various magazines, and performed on the Today Show and Billboard Awards. Jackson's Us Weekly cover, revealing her slim figure after heavy media focus was placed on her fluctuations in weight, became the magazine's best-selling issue in history. 20 Y.O. was released in September 2006 and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. The album received mixed reviews, with multiple critics chastising the production and involvement of Jermaine Dupri. Rolling Stone disagreed with the album's reference to Control, saying "If we were her, we wouldn't make the comparison."

Jackson's airplay and music channel blacklist remained persistent, massively affecting her chart performance and exposure. However, lead single "Call on Me", which featured rapper Nelly, peaked at number twenty-five on the Hot 100, number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and number six in the United Kingdom. The video for the album's second single, "So Excited", was directed by Joseph Kahn and portrayed Jackson's clothes disappearing through a complex dance routine.

20 Y.O. was certified platinum by the RIAA and sold 1.5 million worldwide, also receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album.After the album's release, Dupri was condemned for his production and misguidance of the album, and subsequently was removed from his position at Virgin Records. Slant Magazine stated, "After promising a return to Janet's dance-pop origins, [Dupri] opted to aim for urban audiences, a colossal mistake that cost Dupri his job and, probably, Janet her deal with Virgin."

Jackson was ranked the seventh richest woman in the entertainment industry by Forbes, having amassed a fortune of over $150 million. In 2007, she starred opposite Tyler Perry as a psychotherapist in the film Why Did I Get Married?. It became her third consecutive film to open at number one at the box office, grossing $60 million in total. Jackson's performance was praised for its "soft authority", though also described as "charming, yet bland".

2008–2009: Discipline and Number Ones

Jackson signed with Island Records after her contract with Virgin was fulfilled. She interrupted plans for touring and began recording with various producers, including Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Tricky Stewart, and Stargate. Her tenth studio album, Discipline, was released in February 2008, opening at number one. Despite radio blacklisting, the album's first single "Feedback" peaked at number nineteen on the Hot 100 and nine on Pop Songs, her highest charting single since "Someone to Call My Lover".

Also in February 2008, Jackson won an Image Award for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture" for the role. Jackson was also approached to record the lead single for the film Rush Hour 3. Jackson was awarded the Vanguard Award at the 19th annual GLAAD Media Awards, honoring her contributions in promoting equal rights among the gay community. The organization's president commented, "Ms. Jackson has a tremendous following inside the LGBT community and out, and having her stand with us against the defamation that LGBT people still face in our country is extremely significant."

Jackson's fifth concert tour, the Rock Witchu Tour, began in September 2008. Jackson parted with Island Records through mutual agreement. Billboard disclosed Jackson was dissatisfied with LA Reid's handling of the album and its promotion, saying "the label agreed to dissolve their relationship with the artist at her request." Producer Rodney Jerkins expressed "I felt like it wasn't pushed correctly.... She just didn't get her just-do as an artist of that magnitude."

In June 2009, Jackson's brother Michael died at age fifty. She spoke publicly concerning his death at the 2009 BET Awards, stating "I'd just like to say, to you, Michael is an icon, to us, Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much." In an interview, she revealed she had first learned of his death while filming Why Did I Get Married Too?.

Amidst mourning with her family, she focused on work to deal with the grief, avoiding any news coverage of her sibling's death. She commented, "it's still important to face reality, and not that I'm running, but sometimes you just need to get away for a second." During this time, she ended her seven-year relationship with Jermaine Dupri.

Several months later, Jackson performed a tribute to Michael at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, performing their duet "Scream". MTV stated "there was no one better than Janet to anchor it and send a really powerful message." The performance was lauded by critics, with Entertainment Weekly affirming the rendition "as energetic as it was heartfelt".

Jackson's second hits compilation, Number Ones (retitled The Best for international releases), was released in November 2009. For promotion, she performed a medley of hits at the American Music Awards, Capital FM's Jingle Bell Ball at London's O2 arena, and The X-Factor. The album's promotional single "Make Me", produced with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, debuted in September. It became Jackson's nineteenth number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart, making her the first artist to have number-one singles in four separate decades.

Later that month, Jackson chaired the inaugural benefit of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, held in Milan in conjunction with fashion week. The foundation's CEO stated "We are profoundly grateful to Janet Jackson for joining amfAR as a chair of its first event in Milan.... She brings incomparable grace and a history of dedication to the fight against AIDS." The event raised a total of $1.1 million for the nonprofit organization.

2010–2014: Film projects and True You

In April 2010, Jackson reprised her role in the sequel to Why Did I Get Married? titled Why Did I Get Married Too?. The film opened at number two, grossing sixty million in total. Jackson's performance was hailed as "invigorating and oddly funny", and praised for her "willingness to be seen at her most disheveled". Her performance earned an Image Award for "Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture". Jackson recorded the film's theme, "Nothing", released as a promotional single. The song was performed on the ninth season finale of American Idol along with "Again" and "Nasty".

In July, Jackson modeled for the Blackglama clothing line featuring mink fur, which was criticized by the animal rights organisation PETA. Jackson then helped design a signature line of clothing and accessories for Blackglama, to be sold at Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales. Universal Music released the hits compilation Icon: Number Ones as the debut of the Icon compilation series.

In November 2010, Jackson starred as Joanna in the drama For Colored Girls, the film adaptation of Ntozake Shange's 1975 play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf. The Wall Street Journal stated Jackson "recites verses written by Ntozake Shange, the author of the play that inspired the film ... But instead of offering up a mannered coffeehouse reading of the lines, Jackson makes the words sound like ordinary—though very eloquent—speech." Jackson's portrayal the film was likened to Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Her performance earned Black Reel Awards nominations in the categories of Outstanding Supporting Actress and Outstanding Ensemble.

Jackson announced plans to embark on her largest world tour in support of her second hits collection, Number Ones. The tour, entitled Number Ones, Up Close and Personal, held concerts in thirty-five global cities, selected by fans who submitted suggestions on her official website. During the tour, Jackson performed thirty-five number one hits and dedicated a song to each city. Mattel released a limited-edition Barbie of Jackson titled "Divinely Janet", auctioned for over $15,000, with proceeds donated to Project Angel Food.

Jackson released the self-help book True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself in February 2011, co-written with David Ritz. It chronicled her struggle with weight and confidence, also publishing letters from fans. It topped The New York Times' Best Seller list the following month. Additionally, she signed a film production contract with Lions Gate Entertainment to "select, develop and produce a feature film for the independent studio."

Jackson became the first female pop singer to perform at the I. M. Pei glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum, raising contributions for the restoration of iconic artwork. Jackson was selected to endorse fashion line Blackglama for a second year, being the first celebrity in the line's history chosen to do so. She partnered with the label to release a fifteen-piece collection of luxury products.

In 2012, Jackson endorsed Nutrisystem, sponsoring their weight-loss program after struggling with weight fluctuations in the past. With the program, she donated ten million dollars in meals to the hungry. She was honored by amfAR for her contributions to AIDS research when chairing the Cinema Against AIDS gala during the Cannes Film Festival. She also participated in a public service announcement for UNICEF to help starving children.

2015–2019: Unbreakable and concert residency

On May 16, 2015, Jackson announced plans to release a new album and to embark on a world concert tour. She outlined her intention to release her new album in the fall of 2015 under her own record label, Rhythm Nation, distributed by BMG Rights Management. The launch of Rhythm Nation established Jackson as one of the few African-American female musicians to own a record label.

On June 15, 2015, Jackson announced the first set of dates for the North American leg of her Unbreakable World Tour. On June 22, the lead single "No Sleeep" was released from the album. Jackson's solo version of the single debuted on the Hot 100 at number 67, marking her 40th entry on the chart. The song went to number 1 on the Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 immediately following the release. The album version featuring J. Cole enabled it to re-enter the Hot 100 with a new peak position at number 63, while also topping the Adult R&B Songs chart.

BET presented Jackson with their inaugural Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual award at the BET Awards 2015, which also featured a dance tribute to her performed by Ciara, Jason Derulo and Tinashe. It was announced she would launch a luxury jewelry line called the "Janet Jackson Unbreakable Diamonds collection," a joint venture between herself and Paul Raps New York. On August 20, she released a preview of a new song "The Great Forever," while also confirming the title of her eleventh studio album as Unbreakable.

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis stated that Jackson's concept for the album was developed simultaneously with the accompanying tour's production and that its composition will differ from the majority of her catalog. They also stated that the album's theme reflects "being able to be vulnerable and to be able to withstand what comes to you," drawing on Jackson's experiences over the past several years. The album's title track "Unbreakable" was released on September 3, 2015, debuting on Apple Music's Beats 1 radio station, hosted by Ebro Darden. The album was also made available for pre-order on iTunes the same day. "Burnitup!" featuring Missy Elliott debuted on BBC Radio 1 on September 24, 2015. Unbreakable was released on October 2, 2015. It received largely positive reviews, including those by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian. The following week, Jackson received her first nomination to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming her seventh album to top the chart in the United States.

On April 6, 2016, Jackson announced that she was "planning her family" with husband Wissam Al Mana, resulting in her postponing her tour. On May 1, 2017, Jackson announced she would resume her Unbreakable World Tour, now known as the State of the World Tour. The revamped tour launched on September 7, 2017. Refocusing the tour's theme to reflect socially conscious messages from Jackson's entire music catalog, a number of songs selected for the concert set list along with corresponding imagery depicted on stage address racism, white supremacy, fascism, xenophobia and police brutality. The tour opened to positive critical reception, with several commentators praising Jackson's post-pregnancy physical fitness, showmanship and socially conscious messages.

Her emotional rendition of "What About", a song about domestic violence originally recorded for The Velvet Rope, drew media attention highlighting her recent separation from her husband; Jackson's brother Randy alleges she suffered verbal abuse by Al Mana which contributed to the breakdown of their marriage. Proceeds from the concert of September 9, 2017 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas were donated to relief efforts supporting evacuees of Hurricane Harvey. Jackson met with Houston mayor Sylvester Turner and evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center prior to the performance. In May 2018, it was announced that Jackson would received the Billboard Icon Award at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards. In an interview for Billboard magazine, Jackson revealed that she was currently working on new music. On August 16, 2018, it was announced that Jackson and Rhythm Nation had entered into a partnership with Cinq Music. The next day, Jackson released the single "Made for Now", a collaboration with Daddy Yankee.

In October 2018, she received her third nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On December 13, 2018, Jackson was announced as one of the seven inductees of the 2019 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On February 26, 2019, Jackson announced a four-month Las Vegas residency entitled Metamorphosis. The initial schedule comprised fourteen shows at the Park Theater at Park MGM resort; three additional shows were announced in May. In September and November 2019 Jackson performed a series of concerts in support of the 30th anniversary of the Rhythm Nation album in Welch Treasure Island Resort & Casino, San Francisco and Hawaii. In 2019, Jackson played a variety of festivals in the US and abroad, including The Glastonbury Festival.

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Janet Jackson among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

2020: Black Diamond

On February 10, 2020, Jackson announced her upcoming Black Diamond World Tour as well as her upcoming twelfth studio album Black Diamond due sometime in 2020.

Artistry

Music and voice

Jackson has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Over the course of her career, she has received frequent criticism for the limits of her vocal capabilities, especially in comparison to contemporary artists such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. In comparing her vocal technique to Houston and Aretha Franklin, vocal coach Roger Love states that "[w]hen Janet sings, she allows a tremendous amount of air to come through. She's obviously aiming for a sexy, sultry effect, and on one level that works nicely. But actually, it's fairly limited." He adds that while her voice is suitable for studio recording, it doesn't translate well to stage because despite having "great songs, incredible dancing, and her star like presence, the live show is still magnificent. But the voice is not the star."

Biographer David Ritz commented, "on Janet's albums—and in her videos and live performances, which revealed a crisp, athletic dance technique [...] singing wasn't the point," saying emphasis was placed on "her slamming beats, infectious hooks, and impeccable production values." Eric Henderson of Slant magazine claimed critics opposing her small voice "somehow missed the explosive 'gimme a beat' vocal pyrotechnics she unleashes all over 'Nasty' ... Or that they completely dismissed how perfect her tremulous hesitance fits into the abstinence anthem 'Let's Wait Awhile'." Classical composer Louis Andriessen has praised Jackson for her "rubato, sense of rhythm, sensitivity, and the childlike quality of her strangely erotic voice." Several critics also consider her voice to often be enveloped within her music's production.

Music critic J. D. Considine noted "on albums, Jackson's sound isn't defined by her voice so much as by the way her voice is framed by the lush, propulsive production of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis." Wendy Robinson of PopMatters said "the power of Janet Jackson's voice does not lie in her pipes. She doesn't blow, she whispers ... Jackson's confectionary vocals are masterfully complemented by gentle harmonies and balanced out by pulsing rhythms, so she's never unpleasant to listen to."

Matthew Perpetus of Fluxblog suggested Jackson's vocal techniques as a study for indie rock music, considering it to possess "a somewhat subliminal effect on the listener, guiding and emphasizing dynamic shifts without distracting attention from its primal hooks." Perpetus added: "Her voice effortlessly transitions from a rhythmic toughness to soulful emoting to a flirty softness without overselling any aspect of her performance ... a continuum of emotions and attitudes that add up to the impression that we're listening to the expression of a fully-formed human being with contradictions and complexities."

Jackson's music has encompassed a broad range of genres. Her records from the 1980s have been described as being influenced by Prince, as her producers are ex-members of the Time. Sal Cinquemani wrote that in addition to defining Top 40 radio, she "gave Prince's Minneapolis sound a distinctly feminine—and, with songs like 'What Have You Done for Me Lately?,' 'Nasty,' 'Control,' and 'Let's Wait Awhile,' a distinctly feminist—spin."

On Control, Richard J. Ripani documented that she, Jam and Lewis had "crafted a new sound that fuses the rhythmic elements of funk and disco, along with heavy doses of synthesizers, percussion, sound effects, and a rap music sensibility." Author Rickey Vincent stated that she has often been credited for redefining the standard of popular music with the industrial-strength beats of the album. She is considered a trendsetter in pop balladry, with Richard Rischar stating "the black pop ballad of the mid-1980s had been dominated by the vocal and production style that was smooth and polished, led by singers Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and James Ingram."

Jackson continued her musical development by blending pop and urban music with elements of hip-hop in the nineties. This included a softer representation, articulated by lush, soulful ballads and up-tempo dance beats. She is described by music critic Greg Kot as "an artist who has reshaped the sound and image of rhythm and blues" within the first decade of her career. Critic Karla Peterson remarked that "she is a sharp dancer, an appealing performer, and as 'That's the Way Love Goes' proves—an ace pop-song writer." Selected material from the following decade has been viewed less favorably, as Sal Cinquemani comments "except for maybe R.E.M., no other former superstar act has been as prolific with such diminishing commercial and creative returns."

Jackson has changed her lyrical focus over the years, becoming the subject of analysis in musicology, African American studies, and gender studies. David Ritz compared Jackson's musical style to Marvin Gaye's, stating, "like Marvin, autobiography seemed the sole source of her music. Her art, also like Marvin's, floated over a reservoir of secret pain." Much of her success has been attributed to "a series of powerful, metallic grooves; her chirpy, multi-tracked vocals; and a lyrical philosophy built on pride and self-knowledge." Ritz also stated, "The mystery is the low flame that burns around the perimeters of Janet Jackson's soul. The flame feeds off the most highly combustible elements: survival and ambition, caution and creativity, supreme confidence and dark fear."

During the 1980s, her lyrics embodied self-actualization, feminist principles, and politically driven ideology. Gillian G. Gaar described Control as "an autobiographical tale about her life with her parents, her first marriage, and breaking free." Jessie Carney Smith wrote "with that album, she asserted her independence, individuality, and personal power. She challenged audiences to see her as a transformed person, from an ingénue to a grow-up, multi-talented celebrity." Referring to Rhythm Nation 1814 as an embodiment of hope, Timothy E. Scheurer wrote "It may remind some of Sly Stone prior to There's a Riot Going On and other African-American artists of the 1970s in its tacit assumption that the world imagined by Dr. King is still possible, that the American Dream is a dream for all people."

On Janet, Jackson began focusing on sexual themes. Shayne Lee wrote that her music over the following decade "brand[ed] her as one of the most sexually stimulating vocalists of the 1990s." Lilly J. Goren observed "Jackson's evolution from politically aware musician to sexy diva marked the direction that society and the music industry were encouraging the dance-rock divas to pursue." The Washington Post declared Jackson's public image over the course of her career had shifted "from innocence to experience, inspiring such carnal albums as 1993's 'Janet' and 1997's 'The Velvet Rope', the latter of which explored the bonds—figuratively and literally—of love and lust."

The song "Free Xone" from The Velvet Rope, which portrays same-sex relationships in a positive light, is described by sociologist Shayne Lee as "a rare incident in which a popular black vocalist explores romantic or sensual energy outside the contours of heteronormativity, making it a significant song in black sexual politics." During promotion for Janet, she stated "I love feeling deeply sexual—and don't mind letting the world know. For me, sex has become a celebration, a joyful part of the creative process."

Upon the release of Damita Jo, Jackon stated "Beginning with the earlier albums, exploring—and liberating—my sexuality has been an ongoing discovery and theme," adding "As an artist, that's not only my passion, it's my obligation." Stephen Thomas Erlewine has found Jackson's consistent inclusion of sex in her music lacking ingenuity, especially in comparisons to other artists such as Prince, stating "while sex indisputably fuels much great pop music, it isn't an inherently fascinating topic for pop music—as with anything, it all depends on the artist."

Videos and stage

Jackson drew inspiration for her music videos and performances from musicals she watched in her youth, and was heavily influenced by the choreography of Fred Astaire and Michael Kidd, among others. Throughout her career, she has worked with and brought numerous professional choreographers to prominence, such as Tina Landon, Paula Abdul, and Michael Kidd. Veronica Chambers declared, "Her impact on pop music is undeniable and far-reaching," adding, "A quick glance at the Billboard chart reveals any number of artists cast in the Janet Jackson mold." Chambers observed numerous videos which "features not only Ms. Jackson's dancers but choreography and sets remarkably like those she has used."

Janine Coveney of Billboard observed that "Jackson's musical declaration of independence [Control] launched a string of hits, an indelible production sound, and an enduring image cemented by groundbreaking video choreography and imagery that pop vocalists still emulate." Ben Hogwood of MusicOMH applauded the "huge influence she has become on younger pretenders to her throne," most notably Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera. Qadree EI-Amin remarked that many pop artists "pattern their performances after Janet's proven dance-diva persona." Beretta E. Smith-Shomade wrote that "Jackson's impact on the music video sphere came largely through music sales successes, which afforded her more visual liberties and control. This assuming of control directly impacted the look and content of her music videos, giving Jackson an agency not assumed by many other artists—male or female, Black or White."

Parallel Lines: Media Representations of Dance (1993) documents that her videos have often been reminiscent of live concerts or elaborate musical theater. However, in her 30-minute Rhythm Nation 1814 film, Jackson utilizes street dancing techniques in contrast to traditional choreography. The group dynamic visually embodies a gender neutral equality, with Jackson "performing asexually and anonymously in front of, but as one of the members of the group." Her music videos have also contributed to a higher degree of sexual freedom among young women, with Jackson "heavily implying male-on-female oral sex in music videos by pushing down on a man's head until he's in exactly the right position." However, accusations of cosmetic surgery, skin lightening, and increasingly hypersexual imagery have led to her being viewed as conforming to a white, male-dominated view of sexuality, rather than liberating herself or others.

Jackson received the MTV Video Vanguard Award for her contributions to the art form, and she became the first recipient of the MTV Icon tribute, celebrating her impact on the music industry as a whole. In 2003, Slant Magazine named "Rhythm Nation" and "Got 'til It's Gone" among the 100 Greatest Music Videos of all time, ranked at number 87 and number 10, respectively. In 2011, "Rhythm Nation" was voted the tenth best music video of the 1980s by Billboard.

Independent Journalist Nicholas Barber stated "Janet's concerts are the pop equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie, with all the explosions, special effects, ersatz sentimentality, gratuitous cleavage and emphasis on spectacle over coherence that the term implies."Jet magazine reported "Janet's innovative stage performances during her world tours have won her a reputation as a world-class performer." Chris Willman of Los Angeles Times stated the "enthralling" choreography of Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour "represents the pinnacle of what can be done in the popping 'n' locking style—a rapid-fire mixture of rigidly jerky and gracefully fluid movements." When Jackson was asked "do you understand it when people talk about [The Velvet Rope Tour] in terms of Broadway?", she responded, "I'm crazy about Broadway ... That's what I grew up on."

Her "Number Ones: Up Close and Personal" tour deviated from the full-scale theatrics found in her previous concert arena settings in favor of smaller venues. Critics noted being scaled down did not affect the impact of her showmanship, and in some cases, enhanced it. Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune wrote, "In past tours, Jackson's thin voice was often swallowed up by the sheer size of her production ... In the more scaled-down setting, Jackson brought a warmth and a passion that wasn't always evident in stadiums ... the best Janet Jackson performance I've covered in 20-plus years."

Thor Christensen of The Dallas Morning News reported Jackson often lip syncs in concert; he wrote: "Janet Jackson—one of pop's most notorious onstage lip-syncers—conceded ... she uses 'some' taped vocals to augment her live vocals. But she refused to say what percentage of her concert 'voice' is taped and how much is live." Michael MacCambridge of the Austin American-Statesman, who reviewed Jackson's Rhythm Nation World Tour, described lip-syncing as a "moot point", stating "Jackson was frequently singing along with her own pre-recorded vocals, to achieve a sound closer to radio versions of singles." MacCambridge also observed "it seemed unlikely that anyone—even a prized member of the First Family of Soul Music—could dance like she did for 90 minutes and still provide the sort of powerful vocals that the '90s super concerts are expected to achieve."

Similarly, Chris Willman commented, "even a classically trained vocalist would be hard-pressed to maintain any sort of level of volume—or, more appropriately, 'Control'—while bounding up and down stairs and whipping limbs in unnatural directions at impeccable, breakneck speed." Critics observed that in the smaller scale of her "Number Ones: Up Close and Personal" tour, she forwent lip-syncing. Chris Richards of The Washington Post stated "even at its breathiest, that delicate voice hasn't lost the laserlike precision."

Influences

Jackson describes Lena Horne as a profound inspiration, for entertainers of several generations as well as herself. Upon Horne's death, she stated "[Horne] brought much joy into everyone's lives—even the younger generations, younger than myself. She was such a great talent. She opened up such doors for artists like myself." Similarly, she considers Dorothy Dandridge to be one of her idols.

Jackson has declared herself "a very big Joni Mitchell fan", explaining: "As a kid I was drawn to Joni Mitchell records [...] Joni's songs spoke to me in an intimate, personal way." She holds reverence for Tina Turner, stating "Tina has become a heroic figure for many people, especially women, because of her tremendous strength. Personally, Tina doesn't seem to have a beginning or an end in my life. I felt her music was always there, and I feel like it always will be." She has also named other socially conscious acts, such as Tracy Chapman, Sly and the Family Stone, U2, and Bob Dylan as sources of inspiration.

In her early career, Jackson credited her brothers Michael and Jermaine Jackson as musical influences. According to Rolling Stone and MTV, other artists attributed as influences include the Ronettes, Dionne Warwick, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Teena Marie, Prince, Parliament-Funkadelic, Zapp, and Tina Turner.

Legacy and influence

The youngest sister of the "precious Jackson clan", Janet Jackson has striven to distance her professional career from that of her older brother Michael and the rest of the Jackson family. Steve Dollar of Newsday wrote that "[s]he projects that home girl-next-door quality that belies her place as the youngest sibling in a family whose inner and outer lives have been as poked at, gossiped about, docudramatized and hard-copied as the Kennedys." Phillip McCarthy of The Sydney Morning Herald noted that throughout her recording career, one of her common conditions for interviewers has been that there would be no mention of Michael. Joshua Klein wrote, "[f]or the first half of her recording career, Janet Jackson sounded like an artist with something to prove. Emerging in 1982 just as big brother Michael was casting his longest shadow, Jackson filled her albums not so much with songs as with declarations, from 'The Pleasure Principle' to the radical-sounding 'Rhythm Nation' to the telling statement of purpose, 'Control'."

Steve Huey of Allmusic asserted that despite being born into a family of entertainers, Janet Jackson has managed to emerge a "superstar" in her own right, rivaling not only several female recording artists including Madonna and Whitney Houston, but also her brother, while "successfully [shifting] her image from a strong, independent young woman to a sexy, mature adult." By forging her own unique identity through her artistry and her business ventures, she has been esteemed as the "Queen of Pop". Klein argued that "stardom was not too hard to predict, but few could have foreseen that Janet—Miss Jackson, if you're nasty—would one day replace Michael as true heir to the Jackson family legacy.".

Jackson has also been recognized for playing a pivotal role in crossing racial boundaries in the recording industry, where black artists were once considered to be substandard. Author Maureen Mahon states: "In the 1980s, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Prince were among the African American artists who crossed over ... When black artists cross over into pop success they cease to be black in the industry sense of the word. They get promoted from racialized black music to universal pop music in an economically driven process of racial transcendence." The Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge documented that Jackson, along with other prominent African-American women, had achieved financial breakthroughs in mainstream popular music, receiving "superstar status" in the process.

She, alongside her contemporaries "offered viable creative, intellectual, and business paths for establishing and maintaining agency, lyrical potency, marketing and ownership." Her business savvy has been compared to that of Madonna, gaining a level of autonomy which enables "creative latitude and access to financial resources and mass-market distribution." A model of reinvention, author Jessie Carney Smith wrote that "Janet has continued to test the limits of her transformative power", receiving accolades in music, film and concert tours throughout the course of her career.

Musicologist Richard J. Ripani identified Jackson as a leader in the development of contemporary R&B, as her music created a unique blend of genre and sound effects which ushered in the use of rap vocals into mainstream R&B. He also argues her signature song "Nasty" influenced the new jack swing genre developed by Teddy Riley. Leon McDermott of the Sunday Herald wrote: "Her million-selling albums in the 1980s helped invent contemporary R&B through Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis's muscular, lean production; the sinuous grooves threaded through 1986's Control and 1989's Rhythm Nation 1814 are the foundation upon which today's hot shot producers and singers rely."

Simon Reynolds described Jackson's collaborations with her record producers as a reinvention of the dance-pop genre, introducing a new sonic palate. Den Berry, Virgin Records CEO and Chairman stated: "Janet is the very embodiment of a global superstar. Her artistic brilliance and personal appeal transcend geographic, cultural and generational boundaries." In July 1999, she placed at number 77 on VH1's "100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll". She also placed at number 134 on their list of the "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons of All Time", number seven on the "100 Greatest Women In Music", and at number two on the "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era", behind Madonna.

In March 2008, Business Wire reported "Janet Jackson is one of the top ten selling artists in the history of contemporary music; ranked by Billboard magazine as the ninth most successful act in rock and roll history, and the second most successful female artist in pop music history." She is the only female artist in the history of the Hot 100 to have 18 consecutive top ten hit singles, from "Miss You Much" (1989) to "I Get Lonely" (1998). The magazine ranked her at number seven on their Hot 100 50th Anniversary "All-Time Top Artists", making her the third most successful female artist in the history of the chart, following Madonna and Mariah Carey.

In November 2010, Billboard released its "Top 50 R&B / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" list and ranked her at number five. She ranks as the top artist on the chart with 15 number ones in the past twenty-five years, garnering 27 top ten hits between 1985 and 2001, and 33 consecutive top 40 hits from 1985 through 2004. Recipient of eleven Billboard Music Awards, she is one an elite group of musical acts, such as Madonna, Aerosmith, Garth Brooks and Eric Clapton, whom Billboard credits for "redefining the landscape of popular music."

In November 2014, Jackson was voted 'Queen of Pop' by a poll conducted online by VH1.com. In October 2015, she received her first nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and four years later was inducted to the Hall. Jackson's music and choreography have inspired numerous performers.Virgin Records executive Lee Trink expressed: "Janet is an icon and historic figure in our culture. She's one of those gifted artists that people look up to, that people emulate, that people want to believe in ... there's not that many superstars that stand the test of time."

Sarah Rodman of the Boston Herald remarked: "For every hand-fluttering, overwrought, melisma addict out there aping Mariah's dog calls, there's an equal number trying to match Jackson's bubbling grooves and fancy footwork, including Britney Spears, Aaliyah and Destiny's Child." Music critic Gene Stout commented she "has so broadly influenced a younger generation of performers, from Jennifer Lopez ... to Britney Spears, who has copied so many of Jackson's dance moves." 'N Sync and Usher have credited her for teaching them how to develop stage show into theatrical performance. Kesha, Toni Braxton, Aaliyah, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Crystal Kay, Kelly Rowland, Rihanna, Brazilian singer Kelly Key, and Christine and the Queens have all named her an inspiration, while others such as Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas of TLC, Cassie, Nicki Minaj, Keri Hilson, and DJ/singer Havana Brown, have all expressed desire to emulate her.

Elysa Gardner of USA Today wrote: "Jackson claims not to be bothered by the brigade of barely post-adolescent baby divas who have been inspired by—and, in some cases, have flagrantly aped—the sharp, animated choreography and girlish but decidedly post-feminist feistiness that have long been hallmarks of her performance style." Adrienne Trier-Bieniek stated "scholars trace the origins of pleasure as a Black feminist commitment within popular culture to Janet Jackson" who inspired the feminist perspective found in many pop stars' careers. Those who are considered to have followed in her footsteps have been referred to as "Janet-come-lately's."

Other artists who have drawn comparison to her include Mýa, Brandy, Tatyana Ali, Christina Milian, Lady Gaga, Namie Amuro, and BoA. Sociologist Shayne Lee commented that "[a]s Janet enters the twilight of her reign as erotic Queen of Pop, Beyoncé emerges as her likely successor." Joan Morgan of Essence magazine remarked: "Jackson's Control, Rhythm Nation 1814 and janet. established the singer-dancer imprimatur standard in pop culture we now take for granted. So when you're thinking of asking Miss Jackson, 'What have you done for me lately?' remember that Britney, Ciara and Beyoncé live in the house that Janet built."

Personal life

At age 18, Janet Jackson eloped with singer James DeBarge in September 1984. The marriage was annulled in November 1985. On March 31, 1991, Jackson married dancer/songwriter/director Rene Elizondo Jr. The marriage was kept a secret until the split was announced. In January 1999, the couple separated and were divorced in 2000. Elizondo filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against her, estimated to have been between $10–25 million, which did not reach a settlement for three years.

From 2002 to 2009, Jackson dated music producer/rapper/songwriter Jermaine Dupri. In 2010, Jackson met Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana and began dating him shortly after that. The couple became engaged and married privately in 2012. In 2016, Jackson announced that they were expecting their first child together. On January 3, 2017, Jackson gave birth to a son, Eissa Al Mana. In April 2017, it was announced that the couple had separated and were pursuing a divorce.

Discography

Studio albums

Janet Jackson (1982)

Dream Street (1984)

Control (1986)

Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)

janet. (1993)

The Velvet Rope (1997)

All for You (2001)

Damita Jo (2004)

20 Y.O. (2006)

Discipline (2008)

Unbreakable (2015)

Filmography

Good Times (1977–79)

Diff'rent Strokes (1980–84)

Fame (1984–85)

Poetic Justice (1993)

Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)

Why Did I Get Married? (2007)

Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010)

For Colored Girls (2010)

Tours and concerts

Headlining tours

Rhythm Nation World Tour (1990)

Janet. World Tour (1993–1995)

The Velvet Rope Tour (1998–1999)

All for You Tour (2001–2002)

Rock Witchu Tour (2008)

Number Ones, Up Close and Personal World Tour (2011)

Unbreakable World Tour (2015–2016)

State of the World Tour (2017–2019)

Janet Jackson: A Special 30th Anniversary Celebration of Rhythm Nation (2019)

Black Diamond World Tour (2020)

Concert residencies

Janet Jackson: Metamorphosis (2019)

[jomiddlemarch]

The subtlest fold of the heart

“Sometimes,” Amy said dully, her fingers pleating the silk of her wide skirt. The star sapphire Laurie had given her was heavy on her finger. “Sometimes I wish we’d never come home.” Whatever she had expected from her sister, it was not laughter. It was soft, a sweet, low chuckle Amy would never have believed Jo capable of—Jo was brazen, given to yelps, shouts, guffaws, nothing ladylike, never reining herself in, her delight bold and explicit. Amy lifted her head and saw her sister regarding her with a steady, affectionate amusement.

“You utter goose,” Jo said, shaking her head a little. Her chestnut hair was simply arranged, her dress just this side of drab and she wore a knitted wool spenser instead of the cashmere shawl Amy had draped around her own shoulders. “What will it take to convince you?”

“Convince me?” Amy repeated.

“That Teddy, I beg your pardon, that Laurie loves only you and that I love Fritz,” Jo said calmly.

“What?” Amy felt herself flush, shocked into rudeness. Shocked that Jo would speak so frankly of the fear that gnawed at her, waking her in moonless nights to watch Laurie sleep. Without the moonlight, her bright hair was dark; when he woke and sleepily drew her down to him, she wondered if he knew which woman he held in his arms.

“He won’t even think you’re worried about it. It hasn’t occurred to him, that you have doubts, that you are jealous,” Jo said. “He doesn’t think he needs to prove it to you. You wear his ring, you’ve his name and his house and you sleep in his bed.”

“Jo! You’re brazen!” Amy cried. Jo laughed again, more sharply, as Amy might have expected.

“I know, I’ve given up trying to be any different, and Fritz isn’t bothered. I rather think he likes it,” Jo said. She smiled then, a confiding smile, a little sly. “He said this would happen, you know.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Amy replied. Somehow, it was just as when they were girls, Jo knowing, superior, conspiring against her. Amy tried to draw her dignity around her like a queen’s ermine cape and saw in Jo’s expression that her sister noticed.

“Amy, you really needn’t worry. About any of it. Fritz and I, we’re not discussing you and your marriage late into the night. Laurie loves us both, but I am his friend and you are his wife and he knows, Amy. He knows the difference. Go back to Europe if you want but not because you think he’ll love you better there,” Jo said.

“He loved you first. He proposed to you,” Amy said and she heard how bitter she sounded.

“And I loved him. As my friend, my dearest friend. And I said no. I’ve never regretted it, Amy. There is more than one sort of love and I’m blessed to have them all—a friend’s love, a sister’s…a husband’s,” Jo said. Amy suddenly saw her as Friedrich must, such an intrepid soul, lovely, brilliant. “A lover’s,” Jo added, her grey eyes bright and wicked.

“Jo March!”

“Josephine Bhaer,” Jo corrected her. “Fritz’s Professorin. His Schätzchen. I shan’t go on or you’ll combust, you’ll never be able to look at Fritz the same way and I’ll note, you never worried that he might be jealous too.”

“Oh, Jo, please! This isn’t appropriate, we can’t—"

“Will you stop fretting then? Or Teddy will come ‘round to scold me, about what I said that fussed you and he’ll insist on sitting with us every time we visit and there are some thing I don’t mind telling you that I’d rather talk about with only my sister,” Jo said.

“There are? And Friedrich doesn’t mind?” Amy asked. She couldn’t bring herself to call her sister’s husband, tall and bearded and capable of great gravitas, especially with his spectacles and when Jo tied his cravat properly, by the sprightly, teasing nickname Jo used.

“Oh no! He knows all my secrets worth keeping,” Jo answered.

“But you said, to share only with your sister,” Amy said.

“I’d tell you half a dozen things he wouldn’t attend to,” Jo said. “He knows I tell him everything that matters to us.”

“You’re so sure, Jo,” Amy replied.

“It’s what I promised and Fritz too,” Jo said, leaning over to pat Amy’s knee. “You and Laurie did the same, even though none of us were there to see it.”

“We did,” Amy said, remembering the brief ceremony, her black veil trailing behind her and the white roses Laurie had brought her, his dark eyes watching her steadily. The smile he’d given her before he kissed her. It was the same one she saw every morning, even before she’d poured out his coffee.

“Well then, I don’t mind saying I’d hate it if you went abroad this fall. I’ve been counting on Laurie and Fritz to run a musical recital for the children and I have concocted quite a plan to make them play a duet on your grand piano.” Jo smiled broadly then and Amy recognized that look, the director of the play, the instigator of the lark. Her sister’s face, honest and forthright, entirely trustworthy, even if Amy did not always trust herself.

[robertsoncountysource]

Mrs. Lynne M. Walpole, age 68, of Springfield, Tennessee passed away on Sunday, March 13, 2022 at her home. Mrs. Walpole was born August 23, 1953 in Springfield to the late Joe and Martha Morris. She was a graduate of Springfield High School, studied music at Swansea University, and graduated from Austin Peay State University, majoring in Voice and English Literature. She sang in bands and at lots of weddings throughout her college years. During her Junior year at Austin Peay, she began her 49-year marriage with Marshall Dale Walpole. They graduated together and began their life as teachers. Several years later they invested in a Baskin Robbins. Over the course of ten years, they owned and operated two stores, one in Springfield and one in Nashville. Since teaching remained in their blood, Lynn and Dale both returned to teaching. Lynne taught at Jo Byrns High School for 23 years and Dale retired with 29 years in teaching. Lynne was a member of the Springfield First Presbyterian Church where she sang in the choir until her health began to fail. Mrs. Walpole is survived by her husband, Dale Walpole; sons, Matt Walpole and Tyler Walpole; and brothers, David Morris and Mike Morris. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, March 16, 2022 at 6 pm in the chapel of the Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Springfield. Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Wednesday from 4 pm until the hour of service at 6 pm. Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Springfield is in charge of these arrangements. AUSTIN & BELL FUNERAL HOME-509 WALNUT STREET, SPRINGFIELD, TN (615) 384-1000 https://www.austinandbell.com   For more obituaries visit https://robertsoncountysource.com/obituaries/

[thatscarletflycatcher]

I want you to know I made myself sad thinking about it XD

Disclaimer: I don't think Jo accepting Laurie's proposal makes sense, character wise, but I'm going to try

Here it goes:

Laurie proposes. Jo hesitates. Something in the back of her head tells her that he says he'll change and he'll be a saint in the future, but that he won't really try, the same way he didn't put effort into college and just pretty cruised it, occupying his time with friends, and billiards and flirting and fashions. She also knows he's volatile, like she is.

But on the other hand, he's her dear friend, and isn't is said that a good friendship is the most solid basis for a marriage? Besides, she'll be right next to her childhood home, close to Meg too, and it would give Beth joy to see her settled before... she wouldn't be able to finish that thought, but she'd have it.

So, she says yes. Laurie is ecstatic, everybody congratulates the couple.

Wedding preparations start, but a Laurence wedding is a big affair, and soon, Jo feels overwhelmed by the size and pomp of it all. She'd rather have a small, familiar thing, similar to what John and Meg had. To that, Laurie proposes eloping several times, even after Jo tells him it would break everyone's hearts and that they are no longer teenagers.

Finally, Beth's health makes a sudden turn for the worse, so the big wedding is dropped and a smaller ceremony is quickly prepared so that Beth can attend it before she dies.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Fred Vaughn has proposed to Amy and has been accepted. Amy and the Carrolls are invited to England to meet Fred's parents. They had not liked the idea of the match at first, but Amy wins them over easily with her ladylike manners, cultivated mind and overall charm. Wedding preparations are being made when news of Jo and Laurie's engagement -and Beth's rapid health decline- reach Amy. Amy and Fred find comfort in each other, and Amy finally opens her heart to him, as Fred's brother Frank is also very ill at this point. The shared pain made them closer. It is finally decided that Amy and the Carrolls would go back to America as soon as possible, and tearful promises of frequent correspondence are made.

Jo and Laurie get married, as I said, in a sober and simple ceremony, in account of Beth's health. Jo still has some doubts, but her mind is absorbed mostly by Beth. After the wedding, all are focused on Beth, and she dies surrounded by her family.

Around the same time, Frank Vaughn dies too. Amy and Fred keep writing to each other, pouring their hearts in their letters. Jo cannot really explain the feeling in her gut whenever Amy shares something about her correspondence, or even sees her writing or reading one of those very frequent letters. Arrangements are made for their wedding to take place in England after the main mourning period is over.

Jo and Laurie and Mr. Laurence mourn in their own way, but it is mostly silent. Some nights Laurie would sit at the piano and start playing. Mr. laurence would leave the room, closing the door loudly, and then Jo would inch closer to Laurie, and then a last dissonant chord would be heard, followed by shared sobs.

When the time comes, Jo and Laurie agree to take the opportunity of Amy's wedding to finally get their honeymoon. Jo tries -and partially succeeds- to hype herself about finally going to Europe and seeing all the things there. Marmee and mr. March are also invited to the wedding, expenses being paid by the Vaughns. John and Meg couldn't have attended anyways, because of Demi and Daisy being still very young.

The fortnight they spend at the Vaughns is excruciating to Jo. If she didn't know how to handle American polite society, British polite society is even worse for her. She keeps telling herself that it will be over and Laurie and her will finally get to see their Europe after the wedding is over. One day Jo overhears Mrs. Vaugh talking to Kate Vaughn. "Such a wild creature! One wouldn't imagine them to be sisters at all." "Miss Josephine has nothing of miss Amy's elegance and manners, that's for sure."

Laurie finds her crying and tries to comfort her, but deep down he cannot deny that he's impressed by the change operated in Amy, and how gracefully and at ease she is in this situation, at tea, and dinner, etc, and also cannot help but feel the contrast with his own wife, always awkward and shy (which given her demeanor and features came across as haughty and cantankerous) in the same situations.

Their honeymoon was mostly sweet and fun, but didn't meet the expectations Laurie had built for years, of how actually fun and exciting it would be. They visited museums and churches and all kind of beautiful places, but also whenever they were to meet with any of Laurie's friends, Jo would either be in some form of disarray in her dress, or the same awkwardness of England would return. Laurie started to feel the looks his friends were giving him and her, and though it made him feel angry, it also made him feel ashamed.

Laurie had thought that a time in Europe would finally wake the genius in him, and tried, in the months they traveled, to compose his magnum opus, without success. He studied Jo, his muse, a lot, but no inspired ideas would come to him. One day, watching her watch the sunset in a garden in Tuscany, the chilling sensation that she lived in her own world, a world he couldn't really reach or comprehend, hit him. And the fear that gave him was the last nail on the coffin of his musical aspirations.

Once the honeymoon was over, they returned home. Jo was happy to be once again around her family, and Laurie, begrudgingly, started learning the ropes of the family business. They were soon settled in their new married life, and then the challenges started to come.

Jo realized she wasn't really the mistress of the house: that is, she was, but every attempt at getting her hands dirty, in the kitchen or the garden were met with such an uproar from the servants, and with such gossip and complaints to Mr. Laurence, that for his sake, she stopped, and tried instead to spend her days in the library, reading and writing; but soon it became evident that Mrs. Laurence couldn't possible be publishing stories in newspapers and such. She didn't have to! Laurie reminded her. Her and her family would be taken care of! That was the reason why he was wasting away at such a boring profession! Laurie had started to feel that he had been wronged by life.

So the hours at the mansion became even more long and cold, and Jo found herself visiting her parents very often; and when Marmee started hinting that she shouldn't be found every evening there by her husband, she started to alternate with Meg's house. Daisy and Demi were her comfort, and she longed to have children of her own; the house, she thought, would be different with children in it.

But the children were not coming, and that became another source of tension between Laurie and her. They never were good at talking things out. There was also the fact that many ladies in their social circles had paid them visits, and Jo had returned none of them until the gossip reached Laurie, and he had to persuade her to do so. She hated every minute of the weekly calls she had to receive and make, and when Laurie insinuated there should be dinners too...

She did host them, but it didn't much better people's opinions on her. It was after one of those dinners that they had their first real fight. He was sacrificing so much for her, and she complained about doing small things like these few social occasions! He knew who he was marrying, she had told him what was going to happen! He had promised that it'd be different!

After that first one, many others followed. Reconciliation was never an explicit chat; they would just naturally gravitate back to each other, exchange a look and a kiss, and reconciliation would be assumed to have happened.

There was a period of joy once Jo finally got pregnant, but it was soon clouded by the scare of a miscarriage, that prevented her from the kind of exercise and being out and about that was essential to her mind. She finally gave birth to a sickly little girl, and the care and worry did bring them closer in a way nothing had done since Beth's death. Jo loved her daughter dearly, and she was the darling of her grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins, yet Jo couldn't help but also long for the chubby and overactive boy she had dreamed of, and that never came.

Little Bessy was, anyways, the salvation of her parents' marriage, in a way. In their secret hearts, every now and then, Laurie would ask himself "What would have been if I had listened to her when she said no?" and sadness for a life he'd never get to live would wash over him. And likewise, Jo, when she asked herself "What would have been if I had listened to my gut feeling back then?" but then both would look at Bessy and think "but her, her, is not and never could have been a mistake". Bessy was the reason why many fights and slashing words were avoided, and the thing that kept them connected when every other thing in common died.

By the time she left home, they have grown accustomed to each other. Jo had accepted, years before, that Laurie would never learn that she didn't like gifts or embelishments; that he'd never learn to spend wisely, or to do his job with love rather than begrudging consent and entitlement to praise as if he were breaking stones from sunup to sundown. But other than that, he was a good husband. Likewise, Laurie grew to realize and accept that he had not married a lady; that Jo would always be clumsy and careless, and shy and awkward in social situations, never to shine in them. But she was a good wife.

They were always good friends, but never lovers.

An interesting literary experiment for Little Women would be to have two people each write an AU sequel where Jo and Laurie are married.

One of them should be written  by someone who thinks Jo and Laurie should have ended up together (those fan fics probably already exist), and the other one should be written by someone who thinks that they should not have ended up together.

It would be interesting to see how people with those different viewpoints imagine Jo and Laurie’s marriage would have been.