#captive prince did it in the... third book?

[lennyjamin]

i'm a big fan of scifi/fantasy romance novels and it's really tickling me how many of the ones i've read over the past year have involved Confessing To The Murder(s) as a major relationship development milestone

[rs-hawk]

Something something, the beast saunters into the library and hears his captive frustratedly trying to pleasure herself, a smutty book cast to the side as she leans back onto his reading chair. And maybe his name slips out her mouth as she fingers herself. And maybe he peeks through the shelves and strokes himself as he watches her fingers desperately stretch herself to mimic his girth…

I had an out of state concert yesterday so I forgot to schedule an upload for Day 2 yesterday so I'm going to do a double upload today. Sorry everyone!

Here's the fic for Day Two :)

CW: obviously this fic contains smut and graphic depictions. It is intended for an 18+ audience

Belle was ecstatic when Beast showed her the library. There were more books than she could ever read there, and it was the one, singular room in the entire castle that she had found where there were no servants. Of course, if she called for them, they would come to her, but they did not come of their own accord, and there were none who resided inside the spacious library. She wondered for a moment if no one had been in here when the curse happened, so that was why no one was in here, but she had no idea. Not really.

One day, she had found what was described as a great love story. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she settled into the Beast's chair. She was content and happy, even. It surprised her how at home she had begun to feel here, in this place. Her prison. Pushing that thought to the side, she began to read her book. To her surprise, it quickly turned from a sweet romance to one of the dirtiest books she had ever even heard of.

Her cheeks flushed and her chest heaved as she continued reading. A burning in her core made her overly aware of just how long it had been since she had touched herself. The book was just so enticing. It was making her mouth water and her empty hole pulse and squeeze around nothing. Vaguely, she wondered how Beast would feel. He was so tall. So big. If it was proportional...

Her mind spiraled down as she kept reading, now imagining her and the Beast in the characters' places. When the Prince held the Princess down, stuffing his fingers into her virgin hole, Belle whimpered, bunching up her blue dress in her free fist. She was so needy and empty that it was making her so hot that she was ready to cry. Yet, she couldn't stop reading it.

Beast had asked everyone where his beautiful captive went, but no one seemed to know. After checking everywhere else, he knew that she had to be in the library. It was the last place he had to check, and while he was surprised she would be in there for so many hours without even coming out to eat, it wouldn't be completely unheard of for her. Maybe she had brought in a snack or a spot of tea to enjoy.

However, as he entered the library, he heard whimpering and moaning. His entire body froze as he listened intently to the sounds. What... was that? Curious, he hid amongst the bookshelves, making his way as silently as he could towards his reading chair, where he could now smell Belle. She smelled different, but he couldn't place why. Not at first.

"Beast, please," she whimpered, the sound of her trying to fit a third finger inside of her dripping hole filling the quiet room.

Her book tumbled from her hand as she gripped the arm of the chair, her legs spread to be able to have better access to herself. Beast watched from behind the shelves, his cock hardening. His tongue darted out to wet his lips as he watched her pretend that he was fucking her. Using her pretty, wet hole for his own pleasure.

When she began pleading for him to go faster, her breathing hitching as she let go of the arm of the chair to begin playing with her clit, still stuffing her fingers inside of herself, he started stroking himself. His huge cock was straining in his pants before he took it out, slowly pumping his hand up and down as he watched the object of his obsession play with herself, the smell of her arousal almost overwhelming. He sped up when she started begging for him to cum inside of her, to make her his.

Fuck he thought as he clawed at the bookshelf, bucking his hips roughly against his hand, his knot swelling. How badly he wanted to give her what she was begging for.

Like this story? Support me on Ko-fi ☕❤️

[luckycheesefoodie321]

Look idk what the new Narnia tv show will bring, and I can absolutely see it improving upon the second and third films… but the first movie was truly something special.

The vision of the director, the wonderful young core cast, the score, the visual and practical effects, the truly elegant cgi, all really bringing the original story to life in the most beautiful way.

I was just as captivated by the film after not having watched it in some 10-15 years, as I was the first time I watched it.

The war scene???? THE WAR SCENE. THE MUSIC. THE BUILD UP. THE TENSION. I CANT.

The way it allows for the quiet moments to enriched the big moments. Peter and Aslan talking for the first time? Peter looking to Oreius “are you with me?” “To the death”???

Even Prince Caspian was such an engaging film, even if it did deviate from the book, bc the cast was so good and the story followed on so well from the first. The understanding of the script writer’s that the characters were now adults flung back into young bodies and their skill level, their mannerisms, their confidence and countenance would all be drastically changed from the first film, and the cast do a wonderful job of projecting that. And obv Ben Barnes was a fantastic addition.

It’s the way that Susan and Edmund had very minimal roles in the first film’s war and leaned heavily on Peter to lead the charge. By the same token, Peter took most of the responsibility upon himself. Susan used one arrow to kill in the first film. Whereas Peter’s first kill was kind of incidental. Edmund used his strategic abilities for the first time in going for the Witch’s ice sceptre.

Cut to Prince Caspian.

Edmund is absolutely and clearly the strategist between the two. He’s the negotiator. The master manipulator. The diplomat. And proves to everyone involved he is a more than capable swordsman - we don’t need to see Peter fight before he needs to. We need everyone to mentally catch up to where Edmund is in his skills. Then Peter leads as he always does at the front of the action. He duels Miraz. He proves his mettle once more.

Then Susan, while initially paired up once more with Lucy, goes with them in the initial raid on Miraz’s castle to fight, demonstrating her expert archery and combat skills. She solos about 7 or 8 mounted soldiers from the ground with her bow. She leads the archers before entering the battlefield herself.

It’s the DEVELOPMENT.

And while Lucy is not involved in the fighting, it’s the way she speaks against the stubbornness of her elder siblings so openly. Who holds firm to her beliefs even when everyone else doesn’t. She doesn’t run away and cry anymore. This is a Lucy who knows how to counsel her fellow kings and Queen.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third film, is where it falls apart story wise, in direction, and in vision - it forgets where the characters were previously. Like I hate when Caspian and Edmund are duelling on the Dawn Treader, and they end in a draw and Caspian says the line “you’ve improved, my friend” “I suppose I have” because BRO. Edmund is a skilled swordsman and several hundred years Caspian’s senior. While he may be in a younger body that doesn’t show the experience, and he doesn’t have opportunities to practice it, he has several wars and combat engagements under his belt and only a year since his previous visit to Narnia. That doesn’t go away. A better line would’ve been “the rust is starting to shed, my friend” “I’m finally warmed up” would’ve been a far less condescending line, even if sweet baby boi Caspian would never mean it that way.

so I definitely would look forward to how the show might improve upon it IF it gets that far.

[ltrllynbdy]

So a few years ago I bought this trilogy called captive prince but after reading a few chapters of the first book I kind of gave up on it. I normally don't have a problem with exploring darker themes in a story but captive prince in particular was unenjoyable for me at that time

Later, I was bored with nothing much to do, so I decided to check my bookshelves, found captive prince and started reading and boy I am so glad that I did! I finished the books in a few days and proceeded to read all the short stories.

First of all, before I get to praise the book, I want to say my main criticism about the books: "the slavery stuff in the first book is badly written". Don't get me wrong, Captive prince does not glorify slavery like some haters suggest. I'm not exactly opposed to writing slavery in fiction and there are many political/historical fictional stories that have main characters trying to abolish slavery. It's a common theme.

Captive prince is not much different from the main character ,Damen ,who used to be a slaver himself, gets turned into a slave and tries to abolish it by the end of the series.

It's a fine idea on surface level but there's one big problem with it , I'd like to call it the "Erasmus problem". The first book of captive prince heavily suggested that there were slaves like Erasmus who liked to have a master and I want to believe it's Damen being biased and bigoted because of his privileged upbringing but the story itself still falls apart. There are also instances where sexual slavery becomes apparent and uncomfortable. So if any of these bothers you like it bothered me, the first book of CP is definitely not for you.

OK now for the positives:

From the second book onward, this trilogy becomes a masterpiece.

This story is truly an enemy to love. Most of the other enemies to lovers stories that I have read are just characters either having a simple rivalry or a petty misunderstanding. They dislike each other because one character ignored the other when they were kids , or because they are simply on a different sports team. Captive prince does not shy away from giving the main characters good and logical reasons to hate each other and even hurt each other to an extreme for great and understandably human reasons. They have hurt each other a lot and have no business ever falling in love and still somehow manage to grow and understand and develop something special and unique and I think it's beautiful.

The slow burn: The romance starts only after the entire first book (in which they just hate each other) and most of the second book (where they get to know and understand each other), it's not the slowest burn I've ever read but for a book with characters like these two, it's necessary. and well written

Captive prince's author is extremely brave in making the first book and one of the main characters deliberately hateable with a seemingly unreliable narrator: I don't think I've ever read a story where I hate the first book and enjoy the rest. First impressions are very important and when people don't like an entire first book they probably wouldn't try to continue. I have no idea how and why this author managed to make people still invested enough to publish the second and third book but I'm glad that it happened. It was so enjoyable reading the story from one character's perspective and going from absolutely hating the other character to loving him and understanding him. with the unreliable narrator that is Damen.

The world building, writing and the political story: This may not be the greatest political story with the greatest worldbuilding I've ever read but considering the genre that is m/m romance, I think it's excellent. Let's face it, it's not common for m/m romance to do worldbuilding and politics well. I don't want to seem mean but I've read a decent amount of books and m/m romance and very few of them were actually satisfying to me in terms of politics. Captive prince was one of the rare gems. There might be a few plot holes for me here and there but seeing the characters struggle with each other and plan things out , helping each other or getting fooled by each other in a romance story focusing on mostly only two characters was great to see. I also found some aspects of Homonormativity in the world hilarious. Unless you are married, you are not allowed to be straight in Vere because they hate bastards lol

Despicable villain: This story has the worst and most hateable villain I've ever read in an m/m story. This again goes back to the author being brave enough to write the story the way it is since a lot of romance writers don't dare tackle some really darker aspects.

Subversion of Tropes and Exploration of Power Dynamics : This one was a little hard for me to put into words but basically the series delves into power dynamics in relationships, politics, and society, offering nuanced portrayals of domination, submission, and consent and I don't necessarily mean sexually. In most romance stories, whenever character 1 goes to character 2's kingdom as a lover or sex slave (usually character 1 is the female character in a straight romance) you'd almost always see them have one specific power dynamic. In Captive prince, their characters and their dynamics clashes and changes rapidly and as the story goes on, Damen as a king becomes almost equal to Lauren (I would argue he even becomes politically more powerful than Laurent during certain parts of the story considering Laurent remains a prince for the most part but I digress)

Flawed and human characters who hurt each other without actually romanticizing toxicity: One thing that some people criticize about captive prince and I disagree with, is that it has a toxic relationship. I have to mention that there's basically no actual relationship between the characters until the end of the story and when they do get into a relationship they are a very sweet couple. I think people call them toxic because they were flawed and literal enemies who hurt each other because of it but that's not what I call toxic. Toxicity implies that them being together (they were not together) poisons their life. Both characters manage to grow and understand each other. Damen in particular is a character who you don't see his flaws at first but it becomes more evident how privileged and naive he was and he changes a lot as well as Laurent.

Overall I think excluding the slavery aspects of book 1 which are badly written, this story hits the mark of everything I need in a romance book and I just needed to talk about it. Thanks for coming to my ted talk!

[izartn]

The thing about the Captive Prince and Dark Rise comparisons is that ultimately, I think despite the YA thing, the ages of the protags, and not having the third book yet, Will and James are more into kink personally than Damen and Laurent.

It's been a while since I read Captive Prince so I could be wrong but I swear our main pairing there is not that into it as the povs in Dark Rise. They are adventurous of course, but something bout how Will and James think and react to each other, like. There's clearly a power dynamic they both look at each other for, you know? Outside of, and liked to yeah, the sexy stuff.

Like Will directly tells James that he will give him orders later if he likes (when denying him the collar at the throne room) and is so pleased and turned on by his submission hello (and James is also like, directly asking for the collar they think would enslave him bc he trusts Will more than anyone else to not abuse that power over him which like, ñom), between other infamous scenes.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I remember anything that directly from the dom/sub kink playbook in Laurent and Damen relationship. Like their circumstances when they met and all that stuff yes, but their relationship for each other? They don't give the same vibe.

Just look at Sarcean and Anharion oh good. The queen general chained at the feet of the throne with the magical ruby collar and decorated for all to see, bc they were into exhibitionism as well oh good. (Will and James getting memories of that and being like. Oh gods why is evil past me life so hot. What a way to discover what are you into)

.... Which is to say. Will and James bring that out on their interactions even when they're not sexual (Will daydreaming about how James uses his magic for him, on his orders, and how both scary and pleased he is by that trust, James looking at Will for guidance and support or backing off when Will tells/makes him to, etc) bc their dynamic is kinda inherently playing by those rules since they met, while I feel like Laurent and Damen doesn't have that. Yes including the slavery thing.

CS Pacat, sir how did that happen. Dark Rise is nominally YA, how did that happen. Like. I'm not complaining but I want to meet the editorial team who gave green light and thank them lmfao.

[ihavedonenothingright]

Captive Prince: Historical References and Naming Conventions

Part 2

And I'm back! Last post I looked at Vere and Akielos; today we're onto Patras. I was originally going to tackle Isthima and Artes here as well, but then things got. Long. So we'll save them for next time. You might notice I'm not touching Vask or Kempt—that's because I lack the background to do so properly. I'm currently studying Greek and Latin, and I speak okay-ish French, so I feel pretty comfy looking at names derived from those three, but not other languages. And with that little preamble, let's jump right in!

Patras

Patras' historical inspiration is a little less cut-and-dry than Vere and Akielos. We're told it's culturally similar to Akielos, and it shares its name with Πάτρα/Patras—the regional capital of the Peloponnese and one of the largest cities in Greece—but the two Patran given names we have access to—Torveld and Torgeir—are both Scandinavian. You could also probably make a good case that its capital "Bazal" is a slightly corrupted version of "Basel," the third most populated city in Switzerland. I don't really think we see enough of it to fully label its culture one thing or the other, but for my purposes here, I'm going to label it a mix. So then, why do I feel fine analyzing the name?

I did a quick search to see if any words similar to Patras pop up in Old Norse or derivative languages, and came up empty. So I feel pretty comfortable assuming that the country name is Hellenic/Romantic in origin, regardless of its other names. Feel free to correct me in the notes if that's not the case. But with that in mind, where does Πάτρα come from?

Well, first, from its Ancient Greek name, Πάτραι (Patrai). And that comes (supposedly; we're dealing with mytho-history here) from this guy, Patreus, who conquered it. I have not been able to find anything solid on where his name comes from, but what it reminds me of is the noun πατήρ (pater), or 'father.' This is partially because the word for one's native country in Greek is πάτρα, itself derived from πατήρ, and that is, I think, one possible interpretation of the country's name.

Patras' role in the story, from start to end, is to remind Damen of his home country. In book 1 this is a positive association—Patras' cultural similarities to Akielos are what allow Damen to 'save' Erasmus and the other Akielon slaves—and in book 3, when Torveld and Erasmus make their appearance, it's negative. Patras and Torveld effectively function as foils for Damen and his attitude towards Akielos, so having the country's name evoke that idea is nice. It works.

The other thing I associate it with is kind of related, but not entirely. It's important to note that Greek and Latin share a word for 'father'; πατήρ and pater. And particularly in Latin, the word pater lends itself to several other terms and associations that are, I feel, relevant to Patras's role as a foil. The main one I'm going to talk about is the patrōnus-cliēns relationship, which played a very important role in Roman society. 

Patrōnus, derived from pater (stem: patr-), can be translated as patron, advocate, or protector depending on context. The most common usage of it that I've encountered is in describing a social designation in which a wealthy Roman (typically a man) would take on clients and dependents (called cliēns) in exchange for some form of benefit. That benefit might be monetary—"I'll give you the money to maintain your farm if you trade xyz on my behalf"—or social and political; clients were typically obligated to vote for their patroni or his immediate family in elections. While not a legal institution, this kind of relationship was deeply ingrained in Roman society. And it was also the default relationship between freed slaves and their former masters. 

On the one hand, such an arrangement does help keep new freedmen (liberti) from becoming destitute; on the other, continued obligations to one's former owner meant that, functionally, the freedom afforded by manumission was never true freedom. Akielon attitudes towards slavery are, in my opinion, more in line with Roman sensibilities about slavery than Greek ones (take a peek at Martial's Epigrams if you want to understand what I mean, but it's not pretty), and Patras is the picture of Roman slavery. Torveld embodies the ideal of a Roman patrōnus: by the standards of his society, he is a protector and an advocate, and we see him exercise his power on behalf of dependents like Erasmus… but he is still, ultimately, in an unearned, hierarchical position that gives him the power of life-or-death over everyone he owns. And that's what really stands out to me about the name Patras: its associations with this state of protection and exploitation that are themselves associated with Damen's homeland. It's very, very good.

That's it for today's analysis; tune in tomorrow for Isthima and Artes! Please let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like me to look at. I'm open to anything linguistic or historical; in fact, I'll probably make a more comprehensive post about the similarities between Akielon and Roman slavery at a later point in time anyway. For Part 1, see below.

<< Part 1 Part 3 >>

(Note: for convenience, I'm making a tag for these posts. You can find them all on #capri name analysis)

[metalandmagi]

I need the third Dark Rise book to come out right fucking now because I really want to make a post describing how each song on The Tortured Poets Department would fit into the story as if it were a musical like I did for Reputation and Captive Prince.

[ridleyandthebeast]

I just realized all of the parallels between the Dark Rise series and the Captive Prince series!

Dark haired powerful dude has an enemies to lovers arch with smart bitchy blonde hair dude with a lot of sass. It is literally them in a different font!!!! In this essay i will ....

Damen and Will are practically similar characters. To start with the basics like before they are both very powerful dark haired dudes. One has warrior strength, one was god like in sorcery powers. Everyone wants to be fucked by them and are mad about it and try to kill them because that was their best lay. But they only had eyes for some snarky blonde bitch. Their own siblings tried to murder them each! They both are hiding their identities from their new friends and love interest because their friends will react badly when they figure out who they really are.

Laurent and James are the same person because like I said blonde, bitchy, smart, and sassy. Both were raised by hypocrites who preached to be the saviors of their worlds. One was a prince ruled by his hypocritical uncle, the other was raised by his hypocritical father. Everyone wants to dominate them sexually or for power! Jame's is through the collar, Laurent's is through taking over his kingdom. They both fall for the puppy dog brute everyone ends up liking because he doesn't cross their boundaries, doesn't want to take away their power, and respects them.

Joakste = Visander

Violet = Nickandros

Katherine/ Will's mother = Kastor

Laurent's uncle = Jame's father/ light side

Captive Prince themes: slavery and child SA

Dark Rise themes: religious trauma and child abuse

I have a sneaky suspicion that the third book of the Dark Rise series will have similar plot twists and overall story arch and conclusion in a similar way that fits the narrative of this series. In Captive Prince, we thought Laurent's uncle was a little skeptical until plot twist after plot twist confirms that he orchestrated Damen's family's downfall and the death of Laurent's family. Not to mention he was a child predator. We already learned about the hypocrisy of the knights with the cup and how they are now tied to Sarcean with the shadow. I think we will soon find more bad things the light side has been hiding into how they brought down the "dark king". And lets not forget Laurent was revealed to know Damen's identity at the end of book two, beginning of book three. At the end of Dark Heir James now know's Will's identity and will now be further explored in book 3. It is not all gonna be rainbows and sunshines in book 3 for Dark Rise just like it wasn't in book 3 of Captive Prince. But like in book 1 they hated each other and finally decided to work together for a common goal, and in book 2 they started to fall for each other and would not act on it due to personal reasons. I think in book 3 they are gonna have to work through personal trauma and trust issues before they can truly love one another like they did in Captive Prince book 3.

All in all to say history was written by the winners so thats why each side has different perspectives and until the whole truth comes out like in the other series we will not know true piece for our characters. However, there is hope following those similar story arches because how well it turned out for the other couple. Also remember Damen was Laurent's slave and now the roles have reversed and Will is now James's master. But like Laurent said, Damen could never truly be a slave....

(Sorry this was long but I have been thinking about this all day, I don't know if anyone will read this but let me know your thought!)

[kira-mori]

Hello <3 a strange question about Capri, what was the moment when Laurent knew he had fell in love with Damen and viceversa? I'm reading the third book and it is literally killing me their divorced era, I know it's all part of Laurent twisted beautiful sexy mind but still I want to die so I'm thinking of romantic moments in my head :( especially Laurent having Auguste as his favourite person in the world and saying to Damen that he reminded him of his brother

This is a tough question, (but I'm happy to answer!) as both Laurent and Damen struggle with their emotions and internal conflicts, making the acceptance of their feelings a gradual process. Animosity slowly shifts into admiration, acceptance, trust, and finally, love.

There’s definitely an initial animalistic attraction from the very beginning, but the moment Laurent and Damen consciously realize they are in love definitely happens in Book 2.

Damen's Realization:

In the early chapters of The Prince's Gambit, Damen still uses reptilian comparisons to describe Laurent and hates the man who is responsible for his captivity and punishment. But gradually, a thin thread of respect starts to form.

Their visit to the inn could be seen as a turning point. Laurent teases Damen while disguised as a pet, catching Damen off guard. Here, Damen begins to struggle with conflicting emotions. On one hand, he sees Laurent as dangerous, "it was like feeding a predator" when he feeds him bread like a master would do with a pet. On the other hand, he battles the urge to touch Laurent tenderly, “He fought the urge to press against Laurent's lips with the pads of his fingertips.” He tries to keep his feelings in check, “He reminded of himself forcefully of who this was, Laurent, his captor.”

Despite this internal struggle, Damen accepts his feelings more quickly than Laurent. He even finds himself reminiscing about their wild night, “that memory was inextricably tangled with the glints of Nicaise’s sapphire earring, the murmur of Laurent’s voice in his ear, the breathless brilliance of the chase, rooftop to rooftop, all of it woven into a long, mad, endless night.”

Afterward, Damen becomes more protective and affectionate toward Laurent, even admitting to himself that “any man would have been roused by Laurent playing pet in his lap”. Damen already gazes at Laurent in a new light, noticing that “it was impossible not to look at his mouth” as his yearning for him deepens.

When they are captured by the Vaskian raiders and the leader slides his hand across Laurent’s body, Damen’s possessiveness unleashes: “This man had his hands on Laurent, and Damen was going to kill him.” Damen then goes on a killing spree, despite being bound (wtf Damen, lol). This, I believe, is the moment when Damen fully and consciously realizes he’s in love with Laurent, feeling protective and ready to slice down anyone who dares to lay even a finger on him.

Laurent's Realization:

In the inn, Laurent is mischievous and teasing, clearly attracted to Damen but not yet aware of his crush.

It’s not until Damen saves his life at the river, rescuing him in a spectacular way.

“He hefted his sword, changed his grip, and threw. It was, emphatically, not a throwing weapon. It was six pounds of Veretian steel, forged for a two-handed grip. And he was on a moving horse, and the man was moving too, towards Laurent.”

In this moment of vulnerability, Laurent begins to see Damen not as an enemy but as someone he can trust with his life.

After this, Laurent starts to become more aware of his feelings. When he declares to Halvik (at the women's Vaskian camp), “The slave lies in no bed but mine,” it’s the first time Laurent asserts his claim over Damen.

By this point, Damen shifts between treating Laurent like a feral cat and giving in to his urges to touch him in a more intimate way. He says and does things that catch Laurent off guard, like lifting his fingers to touch the bruised edge of Laurent’s jaw: “The man who did this to you…” Damen is surprised by his own actions, not even himself knowing exactly what he’s doing, yet he continues to tear down Laurent’s defenses like a bulldozer. Damen being damen.

Laurent’s acceptance is slower due to his guarded nature and traumatic past. It is a process. The river rescue deepens his trust in Damen, and by the time he claims Damen at the Vaskian women's camp, his defenses begin to crumble. By their first kiss, Laurent is already fully aware that he is in love with Damen.

Hang in there, anon! Great things await you after the divorce era🖤

[cyberphuck]

It peeves me a little that most fanart of Laurent Captive Prince makes him into this soft, uguu pantybottom boy-- (spoilers for the entire Captive Prince trilogy under the cut and discussion of sexual assault, torture, grooming, suicide and incest)

--when in the books he's a ruthless vessel of hatred and vengeance who is super okay with torture, rape, and torture involving rape for the first two books and only didn't get around to ordering the rape-torture of anyone in Kings Rising because he was too busy having a shitload of people publicly flogged to death. I love Laurent, I love his character, I love his story arc, I love his development through the books, but I feel like so many people forget that he becomes a more open person by the end of Kings Rising, not a softer one. The guy who knew Aimeric was being groomed by the Regent but threatened him with his go-to type of torture (the rape kind), publicly humiliated him, then goaded him into and enabled his suicide is the same guy that defends Damen in the third book and the same guy who immediately commits regicide afterwards. He's still ruthless, he's still dangerous, and although he'd feel conflicted about it, I think that he'd still order the rapetorture of anyone who stood between him and his goals. Do you think that he'd hesitate for one second to order a bunch of dudes to fuck Kastor to death (or at least pointedly look the other way if dicks started pouring in through the windows) if he'd thought there was time for that? Laurent isn't like Damen, and never becomes like Damen: not only does Laurent kick people when they're down, he keeps kicking them until they are dead of Kick and makes sure everyone knows who killed them and why. Pacat is asking you to consider all of Laurent in the last book, not just the parts that are nicer now that he's had non-incestuous sex and discovered clothing that doesn't take two hours to put on. Nik comes in to remind you what Laurent had done to Damen in the very recent past when he sees the Scars From The Time Laurent Tried To Have Him Whipped To Death While Also Keeping Him As a Slave and goes ballistic. Oh yeah, you say, Laurent did do that. Damen made a choice to forgive him for it, but the scars are very much still there to say right, right, Laurent is dangerous. We forgive him for it, he is making changes, holy shit he just killed someone with a chair. That Damen acknowledges that Laurent has done terrible things and still loves him shows what kind of man Damen is and how his opinion of Laurent has changed as they've grown closer and also had sex. He's not surprised when Nik points out the scars, and he doesn't try to hide them from anyone. He didn't forget about them. He just chose to forgive. Pretending that none of that happened, or that none of that is a part of him anymore, and turning him into Damen's Arm Candy is doing everyone a disservice. Laurent, Damen, Aimeric, Nicaise's severed head, everyone. Laurent killed so many people to get here and he deserves recognition for it.

[jaimeslanisters]

the pawn in every lover's game (part five)

Aemond Targaryen x Lannister!Reader

When you're ten, your father sends you to King's Landing to befriend a princess and woo a prince. A lioness growing up amongst dragons is a dangerous thing indeed.

crossposted on ao3 masterlist word count: 6k notes: slightly tipsy while posting this so forgive any mistakes! hope you enjoy!

The library is blessedly quiet as you enter. With the official welcoming feast for the wedding set to begin in a few hours, the Lannister apartments that typically only housed you and your uncle had been transformed into a verifiable disaster zone. Your cousins were scrambling about to get dressed and ready, blurs of shining golds and deep reds, with their servants scuttling behind them. Your father had long since slipped out and even your Uncle Tyland had vanished, eager to escape the mess. After your third time crashing right into a harried handmaid, you had followed their example and had left the apartments with haste, wishing that your extended family could all just disappear so the Red Keep apartments that had become your home could once again become the tranquil space you were used to. The halls are hardly any different with servants and noblemen alike buzzing about and, desperate for peace and quiet, you had headed directly for the library.

When you first enter, only the usual maester is seated by the entrance. He doesn’t look up when you come in, keeping his head bowed as he scribbles away, and you silently move past him, heading to the table in the back that you and Aemond share. As you head deeper into the library, you realize with a flush of embarrassment that your gown, an opulent golden dress covered in hundreds of mini jewels that cinches at your waist and flares out from there, is too big to fit through the narrow rows of books that hide your childhood meeting spot and that you’ll have to turn sideways and pull it up at the sides to squeeze through. For the first time in your life, you pray to the gods that Aemond is not there to see how ridiculous you look as you shimmy through the aisles, cursing under your breath as you take care to not catch the jewels on your dress on any of the books.

Predictably, however, the gods do not take your side and, when you tumble out of the aisle, nearly falling, Aemond is there to watch you with barely repressed laughter.

As usual, he’s surrounded by books and scrolls, some of which you know must come from the Lord Hand’s desk as he usually helps his grandfather with some of the day-to-day tasks. He’s dressed for the occasion with his black tunic encrusted with shining emeralds that form dragon heads on his chest, some of his hair braided back rather than simply pulled back as he usually did.

You don’t pause to admire how handsome he looks, however, instead frowning at him. “I would love to see you, Prince Aemond, attempt to navigate small aisles in a gown like the one I’m wearing right now. Perhaps you wouldn’t be laughing then.”

He shakes his head, biting back a smile. “I don’t think you would enjoy that, my lady. I’m afraid I wouldn’t look nearly as captivating as you do in that dress.”

“I’m glad you thought I looked lovely as I played the fool for you,” you shoot back even as your cheeks blaze at the compliment. You slide into your usual seat, crossing your arms. “Perhaps you can demand the aisles be made larger to accommodate women’s fashions so I don’t look quite so ridiculous the next time.”

“I can’t see most women wearing gowns fit for a royal wedding feast to the library but I’ll be sure to bring it up with the Lord Hand next chance I get,” he says as he turns back to his work, the corner of his mouth quirking up slightly.

You roll your eyes, reaching for one of his papers to skim. “More’s the pity,” you reply as your eyes scan over the carefully written out summary of proposed tax increases for the lords of the Crownlands. “I heard from the Queen that Princess Rhaenys is here. You might wish to discuss these increases with her to ensure that the other lords don’t complain. The Crown rules the region but many of them tend to fall behind House Velaryon.”

“I doubt she’d want to speak to me. I don’t think Princess Rhaenys likes me much,” he responds, not looking up from his work. “Something to do with a dragon and a funeral.”

“The fact that she came to this wedding means she doesn’t want to depend on Princess Rhaenyra to support her own house,” you shoot back and he looks up at you. “Lord Corlys is at war in the Step Stones. That could easily serve as an excuse to not attend. As it is, however, she’s left Driftmark in control of her good-brother and come here with other members of the house and Baela Targaryen. Even if she does think you dishonored Laena Targaryen by claiming Vhagar, she must hate the Princess and Prince Daemon for what they may have done to Ser Laenor.”

He snorts, shaking his head. “Even if they didn’t have him killed, they dishonored him by marrying mere days after his death. It wasn’t the appropriate amount of time after Lady Laena’s death as well.”

“Their mistake is our gain,” you respond, smiling when he nods. “Princess Rhaenyra may not realize it but she is no longer the Realm’s Delight. They scorn her and, by choosing Daemon Targaryen as her consort, has maligned most of her allies, most crucially the Velaryons.”

“Lord Corlys has always been firm in his backing of Luke as heir,” Aemond hums. “Princess Rhaenys, however… I remember the funeral of both her children well. If Meleys had been near her at the time, I can only imagine the destruction she would have rained down.”

You glance back down at the summary in your hands. “Discuss it with Lord Otto. Princess Rhaenys would be instrumental going forward. The Queen has a tea arranged for Helaena and the other ladies of the court tomorrow. I can… speak with Lady Baela then, see if I can find out more about the state of House Velaryon.”

He quirks an eyebrow up at you. “From what I can recall from the few times I’ve met Lady Baela, she’s half feral. She resembles more of my uncle than she does a true lady.”

Your smile widens. “If she’s anything like your uncle, then she must resent the insults her stepmother and father have levied against her mother. Perhaps… she’s even resentful of the fact that the seat that is rightfully her’s will go to little Lord Strong instead.”

He laughs then, quietly, and you beam. “I’ll speak with Grandfather then. See if you’ll be able to manage your part. Take care that you don’t poke and prod at her anger and cause her to explode.”

“Hotheaded people tend to reveal more than they ever realize,” you reply, shrugging. “Either she will warm to me or she won’t. Either way, I imagine she’ll let something slip. I’m not frightened of dragons - I’m afraid I’ve spent too much time in their company to fear them.”

He leans back in his chair, looking you over. His uncovered eye gleams with mirth. “If you’re not frightened of dragons, my lady, why have you never accompanied me on Vhagar? I offered once.”

You shake your head immediately. “You offered two months after you first claimed her! I was only twelve!”

“You’re a woman grown now,” Aemond replies quickly, his voice low. “Would you ride her now?”

You meet his eyes and suddenly the silence of the library feels heavy, wrapping around you and holding you in place. His lips are curled at the corners and his eye is watching you carefully, burning you as if he was physically trailing his hands over you. The mad desire to reach over and grab his face and pull him close nearly takes over and you let out a shaky breath, trying to find control.

“Perhaps,” you say, moving as close to him as you dare. The heat of his body scalds you through the thick lining of your gown; somehow, you want more and more. “If you promise to make sure I land back on the ground after.”

“Vhagar respects nerve and cunning,” he responds, reaching over to pull the tax summary out of your grip. His hands brush your’s and you suck in a breath, praying that he didn’t notice. He smirks and you know you’ve failed. “You have that in shades, my lady. She wouldn’t harm you.”

You tap your fingers on the desk, looking down for a moment before you glance back up to meet his eyes. “Helaena once told me something of same. She said that Dreamfyre would never hurt me since Dreamfyre would never harm anyone she cares about.”

Aemond watches you and, for a moment, you think you’ve overstepped, but then he smiles at you, soft and gentle as if it’s only saved for you. “Helaena has always been wise where it counts.”

He turns back to his work and you reach for another sheet from his pile, if only to stop yourself from reaching for him.

——————————–

The hallway outside of the throne room is crowded with people and you fight to the urge to pick at your neckline or your sleeves, knowing that it was only the nervous energy affecting you. Your family was next to be called and, behind you, your cousins anxiously whisper with one another, your great uncles speaking to each other in low tones. As members of the main line, you, your uncle, and your father stand at the front. Your eyes scan the little you can of the throne room past the throng of people. What you can see is beautiful - large banners are strung up on the walls and beautiful flowers adorn the long feast tables.

Your eyes meet Lord Commander Harrold Westerling and he spares a smile for you, one you easily return. Johanna Lannister was his niece and, as her daughter, he was always kind to you even if he rarely crossed your path as he was usually assigned to the king. Finally, he looks over at your father and, after a nod, Jason begins to step forward.

“House Lannister, with their lord, Jason Lannister. Lord Paramount of the West and Master of Casterly Rock.” Ser Harrold’s voice rings loud and clear in the throne room though you can’t imagine much can hear him over the buzz of conversation. As one, your house all move as one, following behind Jason as he walks confidently down to the royal table in the shadow of the Iron Throne. Around you, some lords that notice bow their heads in greeting but the majority talk amongst themselves, ignoring your family’s entrance.

It rankles.

Lannisters used to be revered, you think, eying your father’s back as he continues forward. But now the Rock has five daughters and a babe for an heir. They think us weak and vulnerable.

You hold your head high, keeping your eyes locked on the royal table as you approach. A marriage to a dragon would help House Lannister reclaim its former glory but it would take more than that to ensure the realm remembered that the Lions of the Rock were still meant to be feared.

“Your grace, Lord Hand,” Jason greets, bowing low as he stops in front of the royal family. The rest of the Lannisters all follow behind and when you look back up, Aemond meets your eyes.

He nods his head in greeting and you nod back, eyes flitting over to his sister at his side. She looks pale, paler than usual, and in her hands, she grips a napkin, the fabric nearly tearing in her hands. She doesn’t notice you, her head bowed over her lap as if she’s in prayer. Next to her, the Queen Alicent speaks with your father, her eyes shifting over occasionally to check on her daughter.

The King is, predictably, absent. Otto Hightower sits in his place and you send a quick prayer to the Seven that Viserys coughs out a lung in his chambers while the welcoming feast takes place. It was the very least he deserved.

With a quick glance at Tyland, who nods his consent, you step away from your family and walk up the steps to stand in front of Helaena and Aemond, curtseying again when you slow to a stop.

“Your highnesses,” you murmur, eying Helaena with care. She doesn’t look as if she hears you, too preoccupied with shredding the napkin with her bare hands but you push forward. “I wanted to personally wish you, my princess, peace and prosperity in your upcoming marriage. I also wanted to vow that I would remain loyal at your side throughout it all.”

“Claws of gold, claws of green,” Helaena murmurs. “Shadows in the walls.”

You glance over at Aemond but he looks just as confused as you, carefully watching his sister for any sign that he needs to take her away from the feast for her comfort.

You move closer. “Helaena,” you whisper, glancing over your shoulder just in time to see House Tarbeck be announced. “I will not be able to accompany you during the feast but once the dancing starts, I’ll come up to help you if you need,”

She looks up suddenly, her eyes flashing. “A lioness will burn blood to protect her pride,” she insists, almost begging, and you stare back, helpless.

I’ll help you. I won’t let even Aegon hurt you if it’s in my power to stop it.

“I’ll be with her,” Aemond says to you quietly and you look at him with gratitude. “If you see me take her out, meet us in the hall outside the small council chamber. It should be quiet and empty there.”

You nod, wanting to say more, but your father calls your name and you’re forced to retreat with your family. Luckily, thanks to Tyland’s position as Master of Ships and your own closeness with the royal family, you aren’t seated far. On your side of the throne room, only the Hightowers are closer than you and, on the other side of the room, the Velaryon family sits, directly next to the royal table on Aegon and Daeron’s end.

You watch them carefully. Rhaenyra had unceremoniously rejected the wedding invitation, citing her pregnancy as a reason to stay on Dragonstone. It was an insult, a grievous one, to not even send her bastard sons or husband as an envoy. The cracks in House Targaryen grew ever wider and more obvious and, not for the first time in your life, you wonder why Viserys had named her heir if she wasn’t willing to dine with her own family to at least pretend there was peace amongst them. She needed allies - desperately. Viserys had yet to formally adjust succession laws and you had heard whispers everywhere you went about the King violating the laws that had allowed for his own ascension to the throne over Princess Rhaenys. Rhaenyra remained stubborn and blind in her pride, preferring to slight her half-brothers and sister rather than attempt to consolidate power to her claim.

Princess Rhaenys, however, seemed to be perfectly content with ignoring her good-daughter’s lead. Her house all sits around her, looking perfectly in place, as they talk cheerfully and calmly amongst themselves. At her side, however, Baela Targaryen sits, her head held high and her discomfort clear on her face.

You had heard that Baela had been separated from her twin and father, and shipped off to be fostered at Driftmark. You had also heard that it was Rhaenyra’s poor apology for marrying Daemon before her six months of mourning were up after Ser Laenor’s mysterious death, a grievous affront to House Velaryon. There were even rumors aplenty that the two had had Laenor killed to clear the way for their union, something that you knew had broken down the once firm alliance between the houses.

It was no small wonder that the Velaryons hadn’t snatched back Rhaena as well.

You feel a twing of pity for Baela before you remember that she had helped the Strong boys attack Aemond, that she had been the first to strike him, and you almost curl your lip in contempt. It’d be terribly funny, you think, for her to have helped Lucerys Velaryon take Aemond’s eye only to have him take something of even greater value from her - her own birthright, Driftmark.

Still, you had given Aemond your word. Baela Targaryen would have her comeuppance if you had anything to do with it but first, you needed to secure her and her grandmother to the side of the Hightowers.

Reaching for your goblet of wine, you take the tiniest of sips to settle yourself before turning back to your family. Jason has already charmed the Hightower ladies, all of them taken in by his easy grin and suave words. Across from him, Tyland is deep in a conversation with Lord Ormund Hightower, heads bowed towards each other as they talk about ships and lumber. You try to follow along with their conversation as best you can, eager to soak in more about your uncle’s position, but then the last house finishes greeting the royal family and all are seated.

A hush falls across the room as Otto Hightower rises to his feet, tall and striking in front of the Iron Throne. There’s little of his grandchildren in his features, save perhaps, his steely countenance. “In the King’s absence, he has asked me to speak for him and express his sincerest apologies for not being here in order to celebrate the union of Prince Aegon and Princess Helaena.”

Hidden safely in the crowd, you make a face at such a clear lie. Even if the King were in perfect health, you somehow doubt he would be willing to attend a celebration celebrating any child of his that wasn’t Rhaenyra. Aemond catches your eye and he smirks at the more than obvious look of scorn on your face.

“The crown would like to thank all of you and welcome you to the beginning of a weeklong celebration for the King’s eldest son and his youngest daughter. Together, they will serve the realm by cherishing the customs and laws of not only Old Valyria but of the Seven Kingdoms. May their example serve as a shining light for us all.” He claps his hands and servants pour out of the side doors, carrying trays and trays of endless food as the singers burst into song.

The room applauds his speech, cheering either his words or the beginning of the feast you don’t know, and you think about how it was not mere luck that had enabled Otto Hightower to climb to the most powerful seat in all of Westeros - maybe even including the Iron Throne. The King’s absence had given him the opportunity to throw the entire weight of the throne behind Aegon and Helaena and, by saying they were cherishing all of the customs of Westeros, had reminded nearly all the noble families of Westeros that, by rights, Aegon was the rightful heir and, in order to continue to uphold the laws they had vowed to protect, they needed to support his ascension.

It was a masterful move, you think, as a servant lays a plate in front of you. It was subtle enough that his true intentions could be denied but firm enough to cement his and his house’s stance on the matter. You glance up at the royal table and see Aegon, nearly as pale and withdrawn as his sister, firmly push away his plate in favor for reaching for another goblet. On the other side, Helaena, coaxed by her mother, has begun eating.

You can’t look for too long when one of your cousins calls your name and pulls you into a conversation about the most eligible bachelors in the Red Keep. More and more of your cousins join in and soon, you feel vaguely like a lecturing maester except your focus was the social climate of the royal court rather than medicine or astronomy. Your cousins all titter and giggle, eyes scanning the massive room to find the men that you were mentioning. They gossip and scheme and, when the plates are taken away and the center of the room made clear for dancing, they all prepare themselves to go search for potential husbands.

Before they can do that, however, a hush falls over the room as Aegon and Helaena rise from their places at the royal table and make their way toward the center. They both look impossibly pale, ethereal in the glow of the torches with their shining silver hair and glowing lilac eyes, and your cousins whisper about what a striking couple they make.

You clench your fists under the table.

The court musicians begin to play a song and the melancholic cry of a flute rises above it all to sing its melody. Aegon and Helaena face each other once they reach the center of the room and, after only a moment’s hesitation, they reach for each other and begin to dance.

It reminds you uncomfortably of when you were all children, before the betrothal between the two siblings had been announced, and Aegon and Aemond would join you and Helaena as dancing partners in your lessons. You remember how back then, during his good moods when he wasn’t distant and standoffish, Aegon would spin Helaena around the room, moving faster than you had ever seen him move in the training yard, and her shrieking laugh would echo in the room.

There is no laughter now. The two only stare at each other blankly, their faces cleared of emotion, as they move through the motions of the dance with no passion, no eagerness. The facade fools at least your cousins and they swoon about the two’s beauty. You want to hiss at them to shut up, to realize that this marriage was a mistake for all the good it would do to support their family, but instead, you bite your tongue, watching them dance resolutely.

Finally, the song ends and Aegon and Helaena stand together for one beat longer, long enough for it not to seem as if they were desperate to pull away from one another, before they separate. The room erupts into applause and, after a moment, you follow suit, clapping your hands. The dance floor is officially opened for the rest of the court and your cousins immediately disperse, seeking out the men they had narrowed in on earlier.

You nod your head at your father and uncle before heading after Helaena who has already retreated to the relative safety of the royal table. The rush of nobles to the dance floor crowd your way and you want to push and shove to get through quickly and only a lifetime of etiquette lessons keeps you from doing so. You just manage to escape the throng when an all too familiar figure steps in your way.

“My lady,” Victor Florent greets, bowing his head, and you fight the urge to roll your eye, instead smiling politely as you curtsey back. Since his arrival at court two years back, Victor Florent had become somewhat infatuated with you. At first, it had been flattering - you were young and he was five years older, somewhat handsome though the traditionally plain features of House Florent held him back. But then you had realized he was almost frighteningly dull. He seemed to think that you desired nothing more in the world than to find a good nobleman to father your children and to sit by a warm fireplace, stitching garments for your children until you were too old to move your fingers. The worst part was that he didn’t even mean it as an insult though, you took it as one to be sure.

He truly believed that you wanted that since he wanted that. He was the fourth son of Lord Erren Florent and his eldest brother’s wife had already given the Florents an heir and a spare. He would not rise higher than his station unless he fought to do so and he so clearly did not wish that. Because he thought that he, as a fourth son, was accepting of his lot in life, he could not ever consider that you, a third daughter, would ever want anything more.

He tended to trap you in conversations when he could and talk up his admittedly impressive achievements in tourneys and the sizable amount of gold he had squirreled away to support his future wife and any children she may have him. The fact that he meant to impress you, a Lannister who routinely wore jewelry that would cost him more than his savings could bear, with his funds was laughable. If you could have gotten away with it, you would have told him so.

As it stood, Uncle Tyland had made it clear to you that you weren’t meant to reject all the men who came to you straight out of hand, not even Victor. Men always desire that which other men crave and Prince Aemond, for all his talents and skills, is just a man at the end of the day, he told you and you had begrudgingly seen the logic in his reasoning. Aemond, however, did not seem to notice the rather strange popularity you had gained amongst the men of the court, never bringing it up to you. Plenty of other men have approached you though they always stopped rather quickly even if you were perfectly polite and cordial. A few had gone to your uncle to request more directly and he had always denied them, treating it as a fun game to find how he could insult them openly to their faces without them catching on. Victor Florent remained your only stubborn suitor.

“If I am permitted to say, my lady, you look like a vision tonight,” Victor says, eyes bright and cheeks rosy.

You stop yourself from replying ‘No, you are not permitted to say’, and instead you lower your eyes coquettishly to the ground. “Thank you, my lord. Now, if you would pardon me, I believe I promised Princess Helaena that I would find her once the dancing began.”

You move to side step him but Victor is that much faster, blocking your path. “Oh but wait, please. I was just about to ask you if you would do me the honor of being my first dance.”

He’s persistent, I’ll give him that you think and you apologetically shake your head. “I’m sorry, Ser, but I must attend to the princess and I do not know how long she may need me for. I would hardly wish to be holding you back from any of the other ladies in the court.” You look over and spot one of your cousins, standing against the wall as she speaks cheerfully to a girl you recognize from House Marbrand. “My cousin, the Lady Jocasta, is just over there. I’m sure she would be so ever pleased to dance with such as a talented knight such as yourself.”

His cheeks explode with red and it would be charming if he wasn’t blocking your way. “I will do so, my lady, if you ask, but really, I must ask that you save a dance for me at one of the other feasts?”

You smile tightly. “Of course, Ser Victor. I promise I will make every attempt to do so.”

Victor’s face brightens at that. “I saw that your father has come to the capitol as well. Perhaps we can arrange a tea or luncheon soon?”

You nearly roll your eyes. His intentions were clear - your uncle had denied him but perhaps your father would not. You could see his exact logic. Tyland only took care of you and was openly fond of you as his ward and niece. He would value your hand more than perhaps your father, responsible for four other dowries, would. “My father is a busy man, my lord,” you respond, a tad more chilly than you had intended but Victor does not seem to notice, still too star-struck by you. “I fear his schedule would be too busy for such a… meeting of small consequence. He is Warden of the West and I do not wish to take up his important time. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

This time, he allows you to walk away, hastily bidding you farewell, and you shoot up a prayer to the Seven that your father will not make any poor decisions if Victor chooses to approach him now when he was in his cups. Jason would never fail so miserably and give your hand away like that but, if Victor was somewhat intelligent about it, you fear that your father would agree to a meeting and that sounded like a miserable affair.

Quickly enough, you reach the royal table and nod in greeting at Aemond and Helaena as you quickly claim Queen Alicent’s chair that she has abandoned in order to walk around the room and socialize, sitting on the other side of Helaena.

Helaena sends you a shaky smile, still clearly out of her element. She seems moments away from bolting from the throne room and you don’t blame her. “Is Ser Victor still bothering you?”

You sigh, even as Aemond lets out a too-sharp laugh. “I managed to escape more quickly this time though perhaps not quick enough. He seems determined to get a meeting with my father before this week is out.”

“Would Lord Lannister be inclined to give him one?” Aemond asks, fingers tapping on the table.

You finally roll your eyes. “Perhaps if he catches him at the right moment. He’s a lovestruck fool if he thinks that my father or my mother would consent to such a match. I may be the third daughter of five but I’m still a Lannister. He offers me nothing but comfort he says.”

Aemond smirks. “You never did like the stories about giving up nobility for the arms of your lover.”

“Some of them make for pretty songs, my prince,” you say, looking back out at the crowded dance floor. You can’t make out Victor or Tyland but you can see Jason laughing in a corner, talking with Lord Tyrell. “But in reality, lords and ladies have duties to fulfill and their houses to honor. Lann the Clever did not win the Rock for me to disgrace it by throwing away all it has given me to live with a household knight. I was born and I live to serve and better my house and the Westerlands.”

Helaena nods, eyes shining. “Lions will soar high above the rest.”

You smile wryly. “Besides, if I marry poorly, Jeyne and Joy will not stand a chance in the marriage market. If for nothing else, I will seek a better match to better their odds.”

“We all have our duties,” Aemond agrees. “We all have our roles to fulfill. Shame that so many are comforted by what is easy.”

“Indeed,” you reply. “I’ll find a match, one that is worthy of my house and suits me.”

Aemond hums. “And what sort of marriage would suit you?”

You look over at him but his blazing eyes are already on you. Your breath catches and it’s only Helaena between the two of you that keeps you steady. “I will not suffer a fool or a craven as a husband,” you finally say, voice firm. “I will only marry a man whose ferocity matches the lions that live within the walls of Casterly Rock.”

A slow smile spreads on Aemond’s face. “I can’t imagine you submitting to any other.”

“Who said anything about submitting, my prince?” You fire back and he laughs in earnest. Even Helaena breaks out in giggles, shooting you a playfully scolding glance.

You watch them, grinning and your chest glowing warmly. A rush of emotion fills you and you almost want to burst out about how much you care for the both of them, in drastically different ways but both equally as deep. You’d do whatever it takes to keep them both safe and the intensity of your devotion would frighten you if it hadn’t been a fact that you had always known deep down since Driftmark.

More than customs and laws, more than any true desire to see Aegon on the throne, you want to give them the throne because it is what they deserve. Helaena was born to be a loving and gentle queen, a mother to all of the Seven Kingdoms. The world didn’t deserve it but it needed to see her as you saw her - the sweetest and kindest girl to ever live. Aemond was made to be a protector of the realms. If Aegon was king, he would be Hand and, just as Otto to Viserys, he would be the true power on the throne. Your children by him could inherit the real power, not a throne that you had realized meant less and less. You would make it so. Together, House Lannister and House Targaryen could create a power and forge a legacy that the kingdoms had not seen since Aegon the Conquerer.

You want to tell them both this. You want to tell them you’ll gift them both Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms because that, more than dowries and marriages and gold, is the greatest gift a Lannister could ever hope to give them but you don’t.

Instead, you smile at the both of them, wishing you could find the words to say it all to them.

“I think I will retire soon,” Helaena says softly, once her laughter has subsided. “It’s too… loud.”

You nod, already rising to your feet. “I can inform your mother.”

Aemond shakes his head, already out of his chair. “I can do that. It would hardly do for Ser Victor to accost you again, would it?”

A laugh escapes you. “Thank you, my prince, I would avoid that if I can. Take care that he doesn’t try to trap you in conversation about me as he has to my uncle several times before. I imagine he pestered my poor cousin Jocasta for details on me.”

His eyes brighten with that, suddenly eager. “I hope he does. I have plenty to tell him.”

“Please don’t maim someone at my wedding,” Helaena cuts in, frowning. “We are not Dothraki. A marriage is not blessed if someone dies during the festivities.”

“No, sister, I don’t imagine it is. I assume it’s quite the opposite,” Aemond teases, his face softening as he looks at her annoyed face. “I would not curse you like that.”

“You might curse Prince Aegon like that,” you retort and he shakes his head, giving you one final small smile before he descends from the royal table and joins the mesh of people. It’s easy enough to track him - he stands taller than most of the crowd and his silver hair is a beacon, even amongst the colorful attire of the court. You watch him for a few more moments but turn back to Helaena.

She’s smiling at you, mischievous and you wonder if it’s too late to take back your earlier mental praise of your character. “It seems that your wedding will go much more cheerfully than mine.”

You shake your head. “Is that another one of your strange predictions?” You ask, feeling a flash of anxiety at being laid bare in front of her like that. She had never hinted that she had noticed the relationship between you and her brother and your desire to nurture it to flourish into more.

Helaena’s smile only grows. “I don’t need that to see the truth.” She turns away to you to walk away and, as she does and you follow, she looks over her shoulder at you, eyes bright and glazed over. “Lions will ride dragons someday.”

You try your best not to trip.

[scarletsxnss]

open to women!

characters: victor "conway" reed , 55 , he / him , & bruce laurant , 33 , he / him 

plot: fantasy au ! lowkey just started reading a court of thorns and roses and want a plot based on that ( but make it poly ) . doesn't have to be exact , but victor captures ym and takes them to his mansion/castle . for any reason u choose , she's now fated to live out her days in this new place but is given a home by victor and bruce . i'm just gonna say they're demons so i'm not completely ripping off the book lol up to u if u wanna go full fantasy but im also down for ym to be from the modern era.

food was spread out on the table. with a wild display of wealth and abundance, victor opted to have the servants cook food from every corner of the earth—unsure of what type of food this particular human would want. his stoicism shines against the bright warmth of the nearby hearth. one by one, servants pour in bringing golden plates and goblets. victor's eyes barely look at his captive, since the journey from the land of the humans has caused him fatigue. his clothes were still clean, despite a long journey through the eye of the universe. his clean grey tunic sat beneath demonic steel armor—the only armor that can keep him safe from the fatality of human wepons. "eat." his voice nothing more than a low growl. "you haven't eaten in days."

the large table is set for three, though the third guest doesn't enter until he's fashionably late. servants begin shuffling out of the room and leave the two in silence. the quiet doesn't last for long before the doors swing open and the pompous arrogance can be smelled off the royal that enters. bruce dons a luxurious leaver outfit, lined with the nicest of white threads to accent the rough warrior clothing. "conway." the prince speaks, calling victor by his nickname. "i heard the pet is here. how is she—" his tall figure pauses when he sees the girl. "oh." a dissaproving tone mixed with a judemental look. "victor... you didn't... dress her? did you?" he finally takes his seat across victor and observes the woman. "when i heard we were finally recieving a guest, i honestly imagined her prettier. though i bet if you'd wear a nicer dress than you'd look lovely, sweetheart."

[jadejedi]

Fantasy Book Review: The Captive Trilogy by C.S. Pacat

JJ’s rating: 4.5/5

How feral did it make me: 5/5

My book reviews

Ahh these books. What can I possibly say about these books that hasn’t been said before? I first read these books not long after the third book, Kings Rising, was published, back in 2016. If I remember correctly, on that first read, I was sort of like, eh, these are good. I like these. And then a bit later, maybe like a year later (?) I went back and reread them and was like “oh my god?? oh my god?? OH MY GOD??!” And now they have become one of my more frequent rereads (like almost once a year), and they are easily the fandom that I most frequently return to in between hyper fixations. I only have these books on Kindle, and they are pretty thoroughly annotated at this point. Book two, Prince’s Gambit, is genuinely one of my favorite books of all time. 

Okay, if you haven’t read these books or heard of them, here’s the summary: Damianos of Akielos, the crown prince of this world’s version of ancient Greece, is captured by his half-brother in a coup and sent to his country’s greatest enemy, Vere, which is this world’s version of, like, a more debauched version of medieval France. Damen is given as a sex slave to the frigid Crown Prince Laurent. The problem? Damen killed Laurent’s older brother, Prince Auguste, five years ago, and if Laurent finds out Damen's true identity, he’ll definitely have him killed. So Damen has to make his way through the complexities of the Veretian court, ruled by Laurent’s uncle, the Regent, while trying to escape before his identity is revealed. 

There are a LOT OF content warnings for these books, but some of them are spoilers, so if you want them, DM me and I will be happy to answer any questions about content. I will say that the first book has a fairly different tone than the later two. The first book really leans in more to the master/slave kink dynamics of the whole story and is more like ~oooh look! So sexy! So provocative!~ The second and third books are more like “here, let me stab you with these heart wrenching revelations and genuine emotions!!!!!” Like the kink dynamics are still there in the later two books, but the tone is much more serious, if that makes sense. I believe C.S. Pacat has sort of talked about how the Captive Prince series was kind of her practice trilogy before writing Dark Rise (book two out now!!), and I think that is most obvious in the first book. 

The relationship between Damen and Laurent is absolutely wonderful. I consider them one of my top two or three OTPs. The hatred. The eventual respect. The yearning. The pining. The LONGING. THE TRUST. Here are some of my favorite (non spoilery) lines (all from book 2 because 2 and 3 have the best lines but the best lines in book 3 are all spoilers):

“It was like being pleased by a thorn bush, feeling fond of every prickle. Another second and he was going to say something ridiculous like that.”

“To get what you want, you have to know exactly how much you are willing to give up.” 

“A kingdom, or this.” (this line lives RENT FUCKING FREE in my mind forever)

These books also have a fairly unambiguously happy ending. The author has published several short stories, which are all very enjoyable.

Due to the content of these books, they are definitely not for everyone, but for me, at least, I think they are brilliant. They are THE enemies to friends to lovers couple, in my humble opinion. Also, there is a fairly large fandom for these books, with some GREAT fan artists and fanfic authors. Truly we are all blessed.

[lucky-clover-gazette]

prince's gambit highlights & annotations

chapter 3

indented text is from the book. some quotes have commentary, some do not. some comments are serious, and some are definitely not. most of them will only make sense to people who have read the series. and, like, there are spoilers. so please read the books first if you're interested!

also: part of the reason i'm doing such a close reading is to study cs pacat's style, especially in terms of how she does romance and erotica. there are "craft notes" that might seem weird, like i'm being redundant or restating something rather than analyzing, but those are more things that i want to remember/take away from the writing!

i'm going to tag these longer posts with "sam reads capri" in case anyone wants to read them all at once.

this is a google doc i wrote with overall content warnings for the captive prince series. it's not perfect, but i do think it's important to include.

The dispatch that Laurent had written the night before galloped off to the east with a horse and a rider.

this is to the guy at the inn, right?

He became aware of Laurent on the periphery of his vision, pale-haired and wearing riding leathers.

blonde man jumpscare

Laurent was apparently arrogant enough to do this without armour. He clearly didn’t think he was going to lose, not if he was inviting the entire troop to watch it happen. He wasn’t thinking clearly at all. Laurent, with his unmarked body and his pampered indoor skin, would be fresh from palace sports where his opponents would have always, politely, let him win. He’s going to be killed, thought Damen, seeing the future in that moment with perfect clarity.

again. “i hope she fries / i’m free if that bitch dies / i’d better help her out” (buffy the vampire slayer, once more with feeling)

Damen’s heartbeat was loud with the shock of his surprise: at the end of the first exchange, Laurent was still alive. At the end of the second also. At the end of the third he was, persistently and remarkably, still alive, and watching his opponent calmly, measuringly.

THE PEOPLE’S PRINCE!!! ✨

Laurent fought like he talked. The danger lay in the way he used his mind: there was not one thing he did that was not planned in advance. Yet he was not predictable, because in this, as with everything he did, there were layers of intent, moments when expected patterns would suddenly dissolve into something else.

glances pointedly at the book 1 garden scene

Laurent turned back Govart’s second surge with an easy grace and a particularly Veretian series of parries that made Damen itch to pick up a sword.

“he’s so competent i need to duel him so bad” this is attraction! to me!

It was not an even match at all. It was a lesson in abject public humiliation. But the one teaching the lesson, the one effortlessly outclassing his opponent, was not Govart. ‘Pick it up,’ said Laurent, the first time Govart lost his weapon.

now that we’re in book 2, we (and damen) finally get to see laurent’s laurentocity projected on an opponent who is not damen. and it’s like, oh, is that how everyone else has seen him the whole time? no wonder they were confused by laurent’s worst and most openly depraved behavior towards damen in book 1. especially since they didn't know that damen killed laurent's brother!

Damen knew the answer to that question. Laurent was not going to kill him. He was going to break him. Here, in front of everyone.

we all need hobbies. that just happens to be one of laurent’s

He looked first to the Prince’s men, instinctively expecting to see his own reaction to the fight mirrored on their faces, but instead they showed gratification coupled with a total lack of surprise. None of them had been concerned that Laurent might lose, he realised.

because he’s that bitch. catch up, damen

Lazar, who had thrown Laurent the cloth, didn’t look as though he was going to be mouthing off about Laurent again. In fact, the new way he was looking at Laurent reminded Damen unmistakably of Torveld. Damen frowned.

someone’s jealous againnnn

His own reaction had him feeling oddly off balance. It was just that it was—unexpected. He had not known this about Laurent, that he was trained like this, capable like this. He wasn’t sure why he felt as though something, fundamentally, had changed.

me when i realize that i have a crush on someone

In other words, the Regent was to be informed that his Captain had been well and truly turned off, in a manner that could not be painted as a revolt against the Regency, or as princely disobedience, or as lazy incompetence. Round one: Laurent.

hey, that’s kinda how my annotations look!

Damen was finishing with the fire when Laurent came into the room, still in riding clothes. He looked relaxed and fair, as though weathering a duel, cutting down his Captain, and following that up with a day-long ride had had no effect on him at all. By now Damen knew him too well to be taken in by it. By any of it. He said, ‘Did you pay that woman to fuck Govart?’ Laurent paused in the act of stripping off his riding gloves and then, deliberately, he continued. He worked the leather from each finger individually. His voice was steady. ‘I paid her to approach him. I didn’t force his cock into her mouth,’ Laurent said.

oh you KNOW laurent was holding back a smile here. also gloves 😮‍💨

‘You broke a man today. Doesn’t that affect you at all? These are lives, not pieces in a chess game with your uncle.’ ‘You’re wrong. We are on my uncle’s board and these men are all his pieces.’ ‘Then each time you move one of them, you can congratulate yourself on how much like him you are.’ It just came out. He was in part still reverberating with the blow of having had his guess confirmed. He certainly didn’t expect the words to have the effect on Laurent that they did. They stopped Laurent in his tracks. Damen didn’t think he’d ever seen Laurent caught completely without words before, and since he couldn’t imagine the circumstance was going to last long, he hurried to press his advantage. ‘If you bind your men to you with deception, how can you ever trust them? You have qualities they will come to admire. Why not let them grow to trust you naturally, and in that way—’ ‘There isn’t time,’ said Laurent. The words pushed themselves with sheer force out of whatever wordless state Laurent had been shocked into. ‘There isn’t time,’ Laurent said again. ‘I have two weeks until we reach the border. Don’t pretend that I can woo these men with hard work and a winning smile in that time. I am not the green colt my uncle pretends. I fought at Marlas and I fought at Sanpelier. I am not here for niceties. I don’t intend to see the men I lead cut down because they will not obey orders, or because they cannot hold a line. I intend to survive, I intend to beat my uncle, and I will fight with every weapon that I have.’ ‘You mean that.’ ‘I mean to win. Did you think I was here altruistically to throw myself on the sword?’

context: damen accidentally hits the Laurent Vulnerability Button by comparing him to his uncle. in a rare moment of exhausted honesty, laurent admits his own helplessness and the dire nature of their situation. he doesn’t have time to do this right—doing it at all is already a daunting challenge. he then restates his determination to succeed, or at least die trying.

the last time something like this happened—“i can’t protect you as i am, trust me”—damen verbally eviscerated laurent and abandoned him in a vulnerable state. i wonder what will happen this time…

also. “i intend to survive. i intend to beat my uncle. i mean to win.” so this is how he’s survived the past 7 years: pure force of will. i love laurent so much.

Damen made himself face the problem, stripping away the impossible, looking only at what, realistically, could be done.

a strength of his! and often a weakness of laurent’s!

looks like damen isn’t going anywhere this time :)

Damen said, ‘I will help you in whatever way I can, but there will be no time for anything but hard work, and you will have to do everything right.’ Laurent lifted his chin and replied with every bit of cool, galling arrogance he had ever shown. ‘Watch me,’ he said.

I FUCKING LOVE LAURENT OF VERE!!!!

[ginsoakedgirl80]

Costume Cdramas I watched in 2023

My 2nd year with Chinese dramas as my love for costume drama continues.

The title links to where you can watch it (tried to find free legal watches where available)

The Blood of Youth (40 x 45min, filming started in Oct 2021, released Dec 2022) fun action drama with a good dose of comedy, not for people who want lots of romance because they are too busy (and the canon couples don't have enough chemistry, there I said it) to be making out. Good for bromance, ghost ships and/or ace character head canons. Xiao Se's fur collar wins fur collar of the year, Tang Lian is my blorbo of early 2023.

My Uncanny Destiny (24 x 30min, filmed in autumn 2021, released Jan 2023) My favorite comedy of the year. Don't get turned off by the toilet jokes, it's a gem that spoofs drama tropes, gives you a coherent plot, silliness, fun side characters, a ML that is not afraid of being silly and a FL that plays capable and silly well. This might be a low budget production but they put that money to work. Politics, cross-dressing, found family, sisterhood, enemies to lovers, third wheel bisexual who reminds me of Wen Kexing, over the top villain, himbo villain who works out shirtless all the time, it got it all.

Wulin Heroes (22 x 45min, filming started Nov 2020, released Jan 2023) I watched this for Li Hongyi and he is incredibly beautiful in this so props to his stylist and cinematographer. BUT it is a badly written and edited low budget romp. If you are not watching for any actor then do not bother. FL is bearable once you realize she is very much of a lets see where this goes kind of character. 2nd ML is a suffering captive prince turned whiny regent played by Zhu Zanjin. So if you want to see Jin GuangYao suffer, you might like his scenes?? It can totally be read as a throuple especially with the New Tales of Wulin Heroes mini series add on. The choppiness might also be a result of the dangai ban??

No Doubt in us (24 x 14min, 2021, donghua) saw this on netflix and it roped me in with the body switch trope. It's sufficiently entertaining. Though I didn't enjoy the animation style apart from the chibi scenes.)

Heaven Official's Blessing (season 1, 11 x 26min, 2020, Donghua) It's THAT story and the art style is so pretty. I haven't read the books yet but still got what was going on most of the time. Liked it a lot. Haven't watched the 2nd season yet)

The Journey of Chong Zi (40 x 45min, filming started in June 2021, released Feb 2023) This xianxia is a mess! But it gave Scorpion King Li Daikun another memorable role with being the FL's protector. Watching Wang Zhoucheng having a ball with his role was fun. Immortal turned demon Wan Jie is so handsome and tragic. It did draw me in but the main couple is just ick so every time they were apart it immediately got better. ML's refusal to take the antidote to ease his obsession was lmao, FL is naive but charming and her demon styling rocks (do not get the hate on the actress, she is selfmade and there are many bad pretty face actresses around but I guess antis attract antis). Oh and there is a bromance between two of Chong Zi's harem members

Till the End of the Moon (40 x 55min, started filming in Nov 2021, released April 2023) aka my brain rot drama of the year. Drawn in from episode 1 on. Bai Li and Luo Yunxi <3 Pian Ran, Ye Qingyu, Nian Baiyu and Si Ying. <3 I was spamming tumblr with my screenshots, it was a jolly good time to watch this epic tale of love and suffering and saving the world dilemma with a great cast, characters, costumes, sets and soundtrack with the cdrama ppl of tumblr. If this weren't too complicated for cdrama newbies I'd recommend it to all my friends. Do not skip the dream arc (I ended up liking it) or later stuff will make less sense. I'm still annoyed that we didn't get a good extra episode that wraps up some lose ends for the main side characters and that reunion of the main characters but Youku really went nah we better play it safe with censors not liking happy ends for morally grey characters.

My Queen (24 x 45min, filmed in 2020, released Jul 2021) An FL enters a romance adventure VR game drama that I watched because I needed some fluff between TtEotM episodes. Why pick this among any other sufficiently entertaining dramas that are probably better written and not as forgetable? Because I wanted to watch Hu Wei (rich nepo baby in The Blood of Youth) in another comedy role >_> and ridiculous overacting he did deliver

The Trust (30 x 45min, filmed early 2021, released Apr 2023) The life action adaptation of the manhua No doubt in us is based on. I dunno why I finished this, I guess I'm not a quitter and needed silly stuff to balance TtEotM angst. For some reason the director thought it would be a good idea to film this like a donghua and it is causing 2nd hand embarrassment. The ML cannot pull off being a woman in a man's body, not even a martial arts nerd like Xu Yu. Like Wulin Heroes it was filmed before the dangai ban but that didn't stop them from having at least two bromances.

Wanru's Journey (24 x 35min, filming started in Jun 2021, released May 2023) A mess. So IQIYI released this simply to ride on the wave of Ao Ruipeng's The Blood of Youth popularity. Because this got so chopped down because of the dangai ban and it probably wasn't good to begin with. Basically an actress transmigrates into a dangai screenplay and gets between the leads while also making money by writing fic about them (ok this is my reading but she DID release fic and drawings of them). Of course it takes an unnecessarily dramatic turn, instead of staying on the comedy side, cannot remember more of the plot, oops.

King is not Easy (20ep x 30min, released Aug 2017) I watched this for the body switch trope and Bai Lu. Nice to see her actual face before the fair skin filter got her, entertaining enough, badly written silly comedy with mind mindbogglingly contrived final 4 episodes. It's Bai Lu's drama debut so it's nice to see how far she got

Destined (40ep x 45min, filming started in Jun 2022, released June 2023) Highly enjoyable. Fell in love with Bai Jingting. What's not to love about a playboy getting put on his path by his wife and them becoming friends, sworn siblings and then lovers in the process? No this is actually about FL finding her thing (trade) and being wildly successful at it, then it's also political, revenge and more. The leads are extremely charming and have great chemistry (the drama suffers every time they are apart lbr) and the writing is good, though people are too perfect and I wasn't into the whole palace stuff.

My Journey to You (24 ep x 60min, filming started Dec 2022, released Sep 2023) Had me from episode 1 on. Made me buy IQIYI VIP so I can watch it in good quality. Fell in love with Zhang Linghe. Yu Shuxin needs to do all the wuxia while she is still fit. Why waste being able to do the splits on some modern drama? The director sent her mud wrestling and she went for it. Everyone knows she is pretty no need for her to be beautifully put together on screen 24/7. Love the style, the character introductions, the characters, the cast, the chemistry, the story, the way you expect something and something else is going on. While it started out gloomy and remained so for the most part, it surprised me with throwing in more comedy than I expected. The good old idle manchild gets thrown into a position of power story but it's a murderous martial arts clan against another murderous martial arts clan. It's giving you some information but often just enough for getting what's going on just to play with your expectations later, FUN! And I didn't even mention all the other characters because surprise! this is actually an ensemble drama with several intriguing characters. Do not expect for the two leads to be on screen all the time.

Hilarious Family (24ep x 45min, started filming in June 2022 (?), released Sept 2023) A fun ensemble comedy I watched for Jackie Li. A widow moves to another city to marry off her 4 daughters (a silly man-crazy one, a homely one, a scholar one and a tomboy one). No it's not Pride and Prejudice but yes of course this is a romcom and all women have a love interest. It kind of drops off later on tbh, but still good for the characters and side characters. The success of this in China hopefully means that Jackie Li will get to be getting more comedies to work in after the Queen Lau disaster and people having a problem with her artist alias in 2022.

Hello There (20ep x 30min, released Jan 2023) I stumbled on this on IQIYI while looking for a light fast watch that will let my brain relax. The ML's best acting moment is when he plays a wooden robot. FL is fun. There are some questionable scenes, standard low budget action comedy fare.

An Ancient Love Song (14ep x 30 min, released June 2023) A wonderfully written and executed grown up time traveling story, that shows once again that you don't need a big budget to tell a story that draws you in. Ended my palace politics blockade. All this time traveling and no reincarnation in sight. ;_;

Story of Kunning Palace (38ep x 45min, filming started in May 2022, released Nov 2023) Tieing 2nd with My Journey to You for brainrot drama of the year. The cinematography is questionable, the story is not for teaching perfect courting behavior but those two are just such a good cp in their awkward messy way. Their friends/sidekicks are fun too and bring some comedy to that story though crazy in love ML is serving some comedy too. Props to ZLH for actually trying to grasp the basics of playing qin and not just waving over the strings like other dramas deem it sufficient. Bai Lu is Bai Lu-ing, gathering her harem. Coming into this right after An Ancient Love Song the idea to defeat destiny this time around seemed hopeless to me but this is one of those they are good at making plans and they turn out mostly alright dramas. I hope those two's material for the next years is as good as the two dramas with them I watched in 2023, fingers crossed!

Currently watching: A Journey to Love and Taoism Grandmaster as well as 2/3 through a LbFaD rewatch that I started in summer.

I also watched a handful of modern dramas (made in Korea and Japan) and some mini-dramas, but that is for another post.

And yes my most watched actors are probably those uncles stuck in Hengdian, might look that up another day.

If I got the time to blog about a drama I usually do it with screenshots so my tag for those posts is excuse my bad quality screenshots. In other cases I just reblog and put my thoughts in the tags.

[thehalfbloodedwitch]

Too Good to be true Blurb (D.m. x reader)

Pairing- Draco x Femreader

Summary- Some things aren't always meant to end happily| Angst

Words- 1,100

Draco Masterlist Main Masterlist

ੈᵔ ᵕ ᵔ❅*.ೃ

A lovely honey voice yelled, "Y/n/n, hurry up!". Y/n peeked her head out of the dressing table mirror and exclaimed, "Coming Pans!"

As Pansy dragged Y/n across the Hogwarts hallway, she remarked, "We're going to be late again, and it's all thanks to you." " We wouldn't have been late", Y/n said, "If it weren't for this ridiculous outfit that I had to find and that took so damn long." Pansy laughed in response.

McGonagall eyed the two of them and said, "Late again Miss Parkinson and Y/l/n?" "Sorry Professor, it wouldn't happen again," said Y/l/n. The professor then stated, "This is the third time you both are late, so 10 points from Slytherin. Now don't repeat this again."

"10 points? All thanks to you both "As Y/n and Pansy took a seat in the second-to-last row, a cold voice from the back spoke. Pansy replied, "It wasn't my fault." " Come on, it's just ten. Win the quidditch cup and bring our points up again, then we'll talk." Y/n then turned to face the boy with the blonde hair and said, as his grey eyes met hers.

"Come on man!  She's simply perfect," commented Mattheo, who was sitting next to him. "This girl is just something I can't explain through words, I don't know what it is," Mattheo said as Draco scowled and rolled his eyes at him.

When Pansy and Y/n began to make notes on their parchment, McGonagall yelled, "Silence!" and directed all four of their eyes back to the class.

Mattheo's eyes were transfixed on Y/n as she and Pansy exited the classroom because he has had a crush on her since he first had seen her in the courtyard one day reading a book that she had taken from the library. Mattheo has always admired her bravery, wit, and snarky remarks.

Pansy Parkinson had always been madly in love with Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Prince and the most intriguing and cold person at Hogwarts, whereas Mattheo had a huge crush on Y/n Y/l/n.  Pansy had always admired Draco for his intelligence and his mysterious personality; no one could ever know what he was thinking or feeling at any one moment; he was a puzzle that needed to be solved.

"You don't understand, Y/N! His flawless eyes "Pansy remarked, her dreamy gaze straying into nothing.

Draco rolled his eyes at Mattheo as he continued, "Her pretty smile when she reads."

Both of them were sick of hearing about their crushes and how they were, so they needed some time alone. "I am going to take some fresh air," remarked Y/n as she stood up and headed for the common room. "I need to get some fresh air, Theo." asid Draco and headed outside the dorm room.

Y/n heard footsteps approaching the common room as she sat on the couch next to the fireplace. Though she didn't mind sharing the space with another person at that time. She did not look around to see who it was and instead focused on the fireplace.

When Draco first noticed a person sitting near the fireplace, he was shocked. At first, he considered waiting for the person to depart, but after a few minutes, it became clear that the person had no intention of leaving, so Draco settled down on the couch and continued to observe the person.

The girl sitting next to the fireplace, who had Y/e/c eyes and beautiful pink lips, had her face partially lighted by the fire from the fireplace. Although the girl looked angelic, it was easy to identify her as Y/n. What was it about the girl Mattheo, his best friend, was so captivated with?

Even though they were sitting in the same common room, Draco and she were unable to speak with one another because they had never really talked much. "Hey, isn't it a little late for you to be up? " Y/n moved into her spot and asked. Draco answered, "I could ask you the same thing," with a chuckle, and Y/n's lips were sealed.

"Draco inquired, folding his arms across his chest, "So, what brought you here?" "Oh, me? I simply needed a break from friend drama. What about you?" "Me? Same" Draco replied and silence followed his words.

After a long pause and after glancing around, Y/n said, "Why don't you sit close to the fireplace?" Draco said, "Uhm, why though?" Y/n  asked Draco, "Don't you feel cold? It's December, the coldest month ever." "No, I actually don't" Draco replied. 

"I won't bite, so don't worry." Y/n teased Draco, who responded with a smirk: "I don't mind you biting me, honey, I'm not worried about that." Y/n pretended to fake gag and answered, "You know what? Forget that I ever offered you to sit here."

Draco remarked, "Now that I think about it, I should sit near the fireplace," to which Y/n sarcastically responded, "Oh, don't bother, you aren't welcome here anymore." Draco then sat down after giving her a nudge.

"It is warm here," he said, "Duh, it's fire" Y/n replied as the both of them started at each other for some time and then looked at the fireplace. This time the silence was serene and tranquil.

But despite the fact that Y/n and Draco had never met before and had never even spoken to one another, let alone sat next to one another, the two couldn't stop staring at one another.

They felt queasy for reasons they couldn't quite put their finger on, but they hoped they had some understanding of it before what was about to happen.

The two Slytherins immediately clicked when they started joking about and talking to each other the following day, and they quickly became close friends.

They both knew exactly when they fell in love with one another, but they didn't realize it until it came time to say goodbye for good. Mattheo invited her out on a date on the day the four of them graduated from Hogwarts.

It made Draco sick to his stomach to think that Y/n was in love with someone else. He could see the gleam in Y/n's eyes as she nodded and said, "Yes, I would love to Theo!"

Draco felt like his world was collapsing, like the ground beneath him had given way, and he was sinking helplessly while Y/n and Mattheo went on multiple dates.

A few years later, Y/n stopped by to visit his best friend Draco. While he was joyfully snuggling with Pansy Parkinson and, something felt terribly off to her, and Y/n was unable to look at the scene. Her mouth became dry, and her heart was racing as she turned her head and looked in another direction. This was wrong.

The dreaded day came, the day the both of them had to talk to one another, talk about where they stood in this relationship.

"What are we?" Y/n asked, she couldn't hold her emotions any longer, "We're friends?" Draco said as he whispered to himself just friends.

"Then why do I feel, something, when I see you and Pansy together, I should be happy for you but, that's not what I feel" "Rather you feel anger, jealousy, or any other emotion?" Draco continued, and Y/n nodded.

"Maybe we are meant to be friends," Draco said, as his eyes fell to the ground, a tear slipped his eye when they both realized they were in love but were too late to ever notice, Don't worry darling, this isn't over yet, but this is goodbye, for now, Draco said, placing his hand on her waist and kissing her lips as the clock behind them rang to announce that it was Christmas.

"I never imagined Christmas could ever be this miserable. I wish I knew-" Draco interrupted her by placing his finger on her lips." It's okay, dear, we'll meet again, perhaps in another life, but we will, and then I won't be so oblivious."

Draco then carefully pulled his hand away from her waist and walked away without turning around. He knew he would never be able to look at her again without the desire to stay, but he couldn't do this to Pansy or his best friend Mattheo.

A snowflake fell on his shoulder as a tear slipped out of his eye, Y/n just stared at the door while holding her tears, she never thought she would ever find love, and once she found her love, it was too late, Y/n wiped her tears and spoke, "I want to go back to a time before it was too late" as tears slipped down her eyes and she sat down on the chair, thinking of the moments she had with him, which she could never recreate with him. Never.

ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ❅*.ೃ

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Tags for Draco December- @alexis-angelsss @blackthunder137 @ell0ra-br3kk3r @writingwitch007 @kimberlyxmalfoy @offlines-idfk @dreamnotfound231 @myworldgoesboomz @staywildmoonchild91 @blisias @lazydreamer19 @fuurinbae @setef4nie @tsuki-tsukii @elizabethmalfoy16 @webofanxiety @turquoiseicepop @itchywitch33 @dr4cosimp

Tags for Draco Taglist- @nicofiliac @steveslittlesunflower @slythermuf @cait2212 @tsukibaby1 @dracoslittleangel @enchantedforever @gachabella23 @raajali3 @siriusblackstwin @ravenqueen777

Edit- I added the tags on 25th December because I was very lazy to add the tags on 22nd

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━