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onceuponaneverafter · 1 year ago

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Let's Talk About Jacks's Apples

...and especially their COLORS. I wanted to figure out what they could mean, so I made a spreadsheet!

part two

First, DISCLAIMERS:

MAJOR spoilers for OUABH and TBONA + the Caraval series!

This post was written BEFORE ACFTL and does not contain information or spoilers from it.

This post is based on my interpretations and observations, all of them may not be perfectly accurate. The conclusions I make are my theories, not necessarily canon information.

When I reference page numbers, they're from my OUABH UK paperback and TBONA UK hardcover - it's possible they're a bit off for you if you have different editions of the books.

This is a long post, so grab a snack and get comfortable!

I hope you enjoy reading! 🍎

Table Of Contents

Introduction

Why Apples?

A Detailed Look Into The Apples (= explaining everything I say I'll explain later)

The Colors

Where Do The Apples Come From

Conclusions/TL;DR

This is a long post, so here you can see what's coming and skip over to what interests you most :)

Introduction

Throughout the OUABH series, there are 14 scenes in total where Jacks is holding an apple in his hand (sometimes eating them, sometimes not) while Evangeline is there to witness it. All of those apples are unnaturally colored. To look for connections between them, I made a spreadsheet:

For sake of clarity, I will be discussing 13 total apples instead of 14 - I believe the "undescribed" apple (its color is not explicitly stated in the scene) is the same as White Apple #5, but it appears in two separate scenes, so both are included here. I will get into this later.

The spreadsheet contains various details about the apples, such as what Jacks does while holding them, when he picks them up (or if he's already holding them when they're described), what happens to them (dropped somewhere etc.), how he feels during the scene, etc. I will discuss these later in this post.

Then I realized he also has some apples in Legendary and Finale, so I made another list of the ones he has while Tella is present:

Here's a summary of all the apples:

That would make 20 apples in total, half of them being white.

Now let's go over some relevant context! Then I will get to analyzing what these colors mean and what kind of connections I found between the apples, I promise.

Why Apples?

Before we do a deep dive into the details, let's go over the basics on why Jacks keeps eating the apples. The most popular theory (if it can even be called a theory, it's basically canon) is based on what LaLa tells Evangeline in OUABH:

"When we [Fates] feel, it's intense and consuming. It devours us and drives us. And the strongest of our feelings is always the urge to be that which we were made to be." –OUABH page 270

She proceeds to explain that when she sews wedding dresses, it helps her with that urge, and to say that for Jacks it's similar – he has the desire to find his true love, and supposedly that's the one person his kiss doesn't kill. So, according to LaLa's logic, the apples help him with that. It makes a lot of sense, and everything he physically does with the apples makes more sense in light of it.

When Jacks is first introduced to the Caraval series, he is described eating an apple. While I believe the theory above is true, it was also interesting to notice that he seems to already be holding the apple when he meets Tella practically by chance. In fact, there are only four times he ever picks up an apple during a scene, and they are all during the OUABH series. I will get more into it later.

In OUABH, Jacks is described to have countless apples and apple cores in his rooms and offices, so we don't know how many he eats and why when Evangeline isn't around him. However, I found that he almost never touches Evangeline while holding an apple. (With sort of the exception of the silver apple, where he touches his dagger to her lips, and the blue apple, which he was holding before stopping Evangeline from taking the luck stone back from Chaos.)

Now, this could just be for practical reasons, but he touches Evangeline in about 21 of the 25 (I focused on the apples so this may not be the exact count) scenes where he doesn't have an apple and only in 6 of the 14 scenes where he has an apple, and in 2 of them the touch is barely there or brief and initiated by Evangeline.

An interesting comparison is how he does touch Tella while holding an apple (like Blue Apple #1 and White Caraval Apple #2), so it definitely isn't purely about logistics. Maybe it's related to him thinking she's his true love, that's the greatest difference I can think of. It is also noteworthy that he doesn't eat any apples while in the Hollow, which Evangeline also notices (TBONA 284).

With the theory above in mind, the way Jacks touches his apples is pretty straightforward:

He tosses them when he's in a good mood or needs to distract himself

Him biting them is practically his version of self-control

He drops them when things aren't so fun anymore or there's a clear mood shift (I will discuss this a bit more later).

He stabs two apples in total: the Silver Apple and White OUABH Apple #4. the first time he tells Evangeline how Apollo would be eternally heartbroken if she called off the engagement, the second time he tells Evangeline that the Archer ends up killing the Fox. And what unites these? Great heartbreak.

A Detailed Look Into The Apples

Or in other words, let's get into everything I said I would discuss later. After this, we'll look more into the apple colors.

The Undescribed Apple

I believe that White Apple #5, the apple Jacks holds in his hand before he and Evangeline leave to LaLa's engagement party, is the same as the apple that he picks up in the next scene, in the carriage as they travel - its color is not described, but the narration leads to the assumption that this apple is already familiar to the reader:

"Jacks leaned back in his seat and picked up his apple" –TBONA page 184

13 is also a more meaningful number than 14 (and the total count of all apples would be 20 instead of 21), so even though the total number might be purely coincidental, it also could be a fun intentional detail.

Caraval vs. OUABH

There are some very interesting parallels between apples in Legendary/Finale and apples in OUABH/TBONA.

First, we have the blue apple (in Legendary) that Jacks ends up dropping into a fireplace (see chart below). The only other apple that he specifically drops into fire is the very last white apple in TBONA. Before he drops the blue apple, Tella says that nothing could make her fall in love with him. Before he drops the white apple, Evangeline suggests that maybe Jacks could find another true love.

Second, every apple is either last seen still in his hand or dropped on the floor/ground (or fire), except for two: the sparkling white one in Finale (in Tella's dream again) and the pink one in OUABH, which he tosses to Tella and Evangeline. He directly encourages Tella to taste the white apple, and he tells Evangeline that she might need a snack. In terms of color, the sparkling white apple is especially interesting – I will look into the sparkling later along with the colors.

"Jacks picked up his apple"

The main difference between the Caraval and OUABH apples - and the one thing that keeps messing up my theories - is that during the Caraval series, Jacks never picks up an apple during a scene, he is always already holding one when the scene begins (see chart above). However, during OUABH and TBONA, he picks up four apples in total. And they are all white.

White Apple #1: Meeting Evangeline for the first time

White Apple #3: Evangeline says she'd stab Jacks if she got the chance to

White Apple #5: Evangeline forbids Jacks from killing people at LaLa's party

White Apple #7: Jacks lets go of Evangeline and shuts off from her, he's about to tell her the truth about planning to go back in time

All of them are different in terms of why exactly he picks up the apple, but there is more or less a shift in tone/topic of their conversation during all of these scenes.

The Colors

White Apples

I think that white apples are the "default" color, and/or they represent focusing on what's important.

They make up half of the apples Jacks has, and all of the apples he spontaneously picks up are white. So, if something like his emotions or circumstances affect the apple colors (which I think is at least somewhat the case), it makes sense for white to be the basic color – and what would be a better "default" apple than the one who reminds him not to get distracted.

Even though the apple he tosses to Tella is sparkling white, I don't think the color represents her because he was holding a white apple before he met Tella. He couldn't have been thinking of her, but he most likely had plans that he was thinking over as he was hoping to take the throne from Elantine.

Black Apples

I originally thought the black color could mean bad intentions or regret, but I'm now quite sure it represents doing whatever it takes to get what he wants. The context surrounding the black apples highlights this:

Black Apple #1: Jacks offers his help in exchange for controlling Tella's emotions. He wants to find true love more than anything, and this is his last attempt to make Tella fall for him.

Black Apple #2: He's controlling Apollo in order to make him propose to Evangeline. He needs it, again, in order to reach his goal – only this time he's planning to go back in time. Still to find true love, though.

Black Apple #3: This one stands out a bit from the other two. Jacks brings Evangeline to Chaos' castle so she can be healed after Apollo shot her. Here the black apple might symbolize doing anything to keep Evangeline alive (he also needs her alive, so that checks out, but at this point I don't think it's just that), and possibly his reluctance to either ask Chaos for help or put Evangeline through being infected with vampire venom.

Blue Apples

Blue apples seem to represent happiness and success, because we tend to see them after something went just like Jacks wanted. This could also be connected to his eye color.

Blue Apple #1: It's the first apple we see after Tella didn't die of his kiss, and he's obviously more than happy about that.

Blue Apple #2. He got into Tella's dream, for the second time, and he had successfully tricked her into the "marriage thing" before.

Blue Apple #3. He is holding this one right after Evangeline agreed to open the Valory Arch, while the apple he held in the previous scene (only five pages earlier) was white.

The Golden Apple

The apples that there are just one of are the trickiest because there's less context to go by, but I think the golden apple represents Tella. It's the first one we see in his hand after the events of Finale, and Tella's hair color is close enough to it. She is also a princess now, which the color gold could also represent.

It's worth mentioning that it could also be tied to failure, heartbreak, or Jacks's own hair color (as it is often described as golden). He also lives in the North now, known as Lord Jacks, and he's "friends" (?) with Apollo, a prince, so it could be related to that as well.

The Silver Apple

I think the silver apple is like a "milder" version of the blue apple, in which case the apple representing happiness would definitely be intentionally the same color as his eyes: The Caraval Wiki describes his eye color as "silver-blue".

When Jacks has the silver apple, Evangeline has got married to Apollo just like he wanted, but everything isn't perfect yet. He's quite content, but it isn't quite as big satisfaction as when he has a blue apple. However, because Evangeline asked him to meet, the apple's color could also represent for example curiosity.

The Pink Apple

Because of Evangeline's hair color, the pink apple seems to intuitively represent her. Not only that, he's just spent the night holding her before he appears with the pink apple in hand, so it just makes a lot of sense to me. This is also the apple he tossed to her.

The Purple Apple

I've had the most trouble with the purple apple. It being the apple he holds after talking with Scarlett and the scene leading to Tella's discovery that his heart beats, and the only purple apple during any book and scene, I don't even know where to start.

While basic color symbolism is connected to the apple colors loosely at most, purple as a symbol for royalty, nobility, and power could make sense if he wanted to emphasize those qualities while talking to Scarlett. Purple is also associated with mystery, and with us and Tella not finding out immediately why he met with Scarlett, it could also be a storytelling element.

Bonus: Sparkling/shimmering Apples

There are some apples that deserve a special mention, and that's the ones that are described as sparkling or shimmering.

White Caraval Apple #3, "sparkling white": This is the apple that Jacks gives to Tella (in her dream), urging her to taste it.

Black Apple #3, "shimmering black": And this apple is in TBONA, when Jacks brings Evangeline to Chaos' castle to be healed.

The only similarity between them that I've found so far is that they both stand out from the other white and blue apples: the sparkling white apple is the only white apple that Jacks gives to someone else, and the shimmering black apple is the third one that stands out to me (see "Black Apples" above).

Where Do The Apples Come From

A very good and for now unanswered question is where Jacks gets the apples from. Does he pick them from a tree? What tree? What color are they, do they start off as natural apples or maybe white? What makes an apple something other than their default color? For these questions, I don't have solid theories yet, only speculation.

We're all obsessed with how intensely Fates feel when they do feel something (*cough* the end of TBONA *cough*), but I also think that it could have something to do with the apples, at least some of them. When Jacks feels something or spends a lot of time thinking of something, maybe it could somehow affect the apples' colors? Some of the apples seem to be connected to his emotions, such as the blue ones. No apples are seen changing colors and some apples seem to not have a direct connection to his emotions, though, so there is little evidence to support this.

Conclusions

To summarize everything I went over above,

There are 20 apples in total that Jacks is seen holding throughout every scene he is in, seven of them during the Caraval series and 13 during OUABH and TBONA.

What Jacks does with his apples (tossing, biting, picking up, dropping) is connected to his emotions.

The apples have different colors that I believe represent different things: white (10 of 20, focusing on what's important), black (3 of 20, doing whatever it takes), blue (3 of 20, happiness), gold (1 of 20, possibly Tella? multiple possibilities), silver (1 of 20, possibly happiness mixed with something else), pink (1 of 20, Evangeline?), and purple (1 of 20, power? nobility? mystery?).

The origin of the apples is for now unknown, as is the reason for each color (both the colors' meanings and how they take on the different colors).

With all that said, there is quite much room for interpretation, especially in terms of the apple colors. My theories aren't the only correct ones, and I do not wish to present them that way. As I stated in the beginning, I might have overlooked details or noted some down inaccurately. The purpose of this post was to share my findings and to have fun theorizing!

Let's hope that we get some actual answers for these in ACFTL and that the books treat us kindly <3 Please do not give me any spoilers, not on the topic of apples or anything else, I'm actively trying to avoid them!

If you read this far, THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I poured my heart into this research and this analysis, and I'm so happy if at least one person besides myself enjoys looking at my little findings. <3 Here, have an apple as a reward: 🍎

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heartbreakprincexsweetevangeline · 1 year ago

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A Case For True Love

There is nothing that the OUABH fandom is as invested in as the question who is the Prince of Heart’s One True Love–the one person that could make his heart beat again, whose kiss wouldn’t be fatal to, and his only weakness.

It wouldn’t be as vexing if it wasn’t for the paradox that One True Love have supposedly been found and yet it was anything but love, and here’s another person who finally challenged the supposed unrequited love the Prince represents and yet they are denied to be rightfully called as “True Love.”

That's what makes everything so confusing and compelling all the same. And I sincerely believe that the One True Love, a powerful force in this universe, has always been the backdoor.

Perhaps, like the Northern Tales, the promised One True Love had been twisted by the story curse until only bits of truth remained and none, even the Prince of Hearts is, the wiser

—----------------------------------------------------------------

Forewarning

Before we proceed, I would hate to deprive you of joy of experiencing the stories you have not read before so please be cautioned that this will contain major spoilers for the Caraval book series (Caraval, Legendary and Finale) in which the Prince of Hearts first graced us with his presence. And obviously, the Once Upon a Broken Heart series (Once Upon Broken Heart and The Ballad of Never After) just in case curiosity got the best of you.

Lastly, I am aware that in one of the author’s IG story, Ms. Stephanie Garber have said that the third and the last book in this series, A Curse for True Love’s ending has changed. Thus all of my interpretations and theories based on the OUABH and TBONA would be rendered useless (ouch).

And I've heard more people have received their copies of A Curse For True Love which sucks greatly, so at this moment, many have already know the ending and this is useless once again.

But I supposed if I love this series any less, I wouldn't feel be driven to write all of this.

Now all of that is out of the way, I hope you will have fun reading, as much as I had writing it. And perhaps could gain deeper appreciation of the wonderful, heartwrenching, but just as magical world of Once Upon a Broken Heart.

Paradox of The Prince of Hearts

One True Love that Perhaps Never Was

The Ballad of the Prince of Hearts

The Key to the Valory Arch and More…

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·. Paradox of the Prince of Hearts

Some of us may know the tale of the Prince of Hearts by heart, but for all intents and purposes, let’s revisit what we’ve known about him, beginning from the 2nd book of Caraval Series: Legendary.

Chapter 3, Legendary

The description of the Prince of Hearts is the same as it is in Once Upon a Broken Heart, with the difference of Evangeline, being an angel as she is, couldn't imagine a more tragic existence. She knew Fates weren’t saints or saviors, but she hoped that the Prince of Hearts was more feeling than the others. (OUABH, Ch1)

But that illusion is shattered. The Prince of Hearts is indeed a Fate. If not cruel and evil, Fates are dangerous because they couldn’t tell the difference between evil and good (OUABH, Ch 2). She thought Jacks wasn't a savior but someone needed saving from (OUABH , Ch 4)

And that makes the Prince of Hearts and his curse very baffling. On one hand, his entire driving force is to break his curse of fatal kiss, to find his one true love, and yet he himself is incapable of love. I

t’s not hard to imagine how he’s trapped in eternity of heartbreak, for in him exists the duality of Fate and very human desire–love.

Contrary to belief, Fates are not entirely unfeeling as Lala said to Evangeline:

(OUABH, Ch 38)

As mentioned throughout, Fates are also very jealous, possessive and obsessive. They are not entirely incapable of love, but loving is antithesis to the very nature of Fates, and perhaps that’s why love will turn them human.

(Finale, Ch 20)

Jacks’s strongest feeling is to find his true love, in itself goes against being his Fate. Perhaps, that’s the problem- finding true love, but not allowing to experience love.

(OUABH, Ch 38)

Jacks could still be attracted to anyone, driving him to kiss even with tiniest hint of attraction. Operative word being “tiny hint of attraction” perhaps this is characteristic of Jacks’ Fatedness’s deadly combination of intense urges, obsessiveness, and inability to think of someone else’s welfare before his. As Evangeline puts it, Jacks being cruel as he always do.

(OUABH, Ch 44)

His Fately powers could help him attract a person with his beauty, and indeed his kiss felt like it was worth dying for. But it is also the very thing that stands between him and breaking his curse, as if it wants to ensure he will remain a Fate.

And perhaps, a part of Jacks didnt want to become a human after lifetime of hurt. So the more he hurts the more heartless he becomes. But then again, his raison d'etre is find his one true love.

Thus the more heartbreak he experiences, the more his understanding of love becomes thwarted, perpetually damning him to remain Prince of Hearts and embodiment of heartbreak.

Hope seems dire, until he finally comes across the girl who made his heart beat, the one who did not die of his fatal kiss, the most awaited One True Love…

︑︒⚬∙︓·⠄.*+:｡.｡　　｡.｡:+*·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.*+:｡.｡　　｡.｡:+*︑︒⚬∙︓·⠄

One True Love That Perhaps Never Was

In Once Upon a Broken Hearts, Princess Donatella of Valenda has been repeatedly mentioned and it’s becoming apparent that the sister of the Southern Empress is connected with the Prince of Hearts.

It’s been said that she broke his heart (OUABH, Ch 13), Evangeline noticed Jacks had been tense at the mention of her (OUABH, Ch 40).

In OUABH, Ch 44, Jacks revealed to Evangeline their brief history- they first met at the sky carriage, she threatened to throw him off. The second time they met, he kissed her. He lied that she wouldn't die if she got him what he wanted. But as we know, she’s alive and well. And it’s because she’s made his heart beat and she’s the mythical One True Love promised in the story of Prince of Hearts.

But as we could infer, it didn't work out. Jacks said that she never forgave him for their first kiss, fell in love with someone else, and stabbed him with his own knife.

With Jack's propensity for cruelty, obsession, and selfishness, it's not hard to imagine why. But why is that the supposedly powerful force in the universe OUABH exists in itself could be so flimsy? Jacks himself repeatedly said that true love could break a curse, so why does it feel it’s the one being broken?

Most pressingly is the question, is there really true love in that One True Love?

• • • • • • • SHORT NOTE• • • • • • •

Due to the bullet limitations, I had to cut out the timeline I created beginning from the second and third book of Caraval Series-- Legendary and Finale--up to the beginning of Once Upon a Broken Hearts. I will attempt to condense them and post them here in tumblr or on another platform.

But for now, I did as much as to include the most signficant moments and include the chapter in which you could find it

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Without further ado, let's proceed

*+:｡.｡　　｡.｡:+*

Reading the Caraval series definitely has my impressions vastly changed from what is told in the Once Upon Broken Heart series. That is just like the fairytales in the Magnificent North where stories are made both of truths and lie.

And I’d like to start with Jacks’ version of the story particularly on the part that it didnt work out :

(OUABH Ch 44)

First of all, Tella was able to forgive him, numerous times if I may add. She trusted him and she had been grateful for the kindness he showed her. She’d started to believe he was trying to fight against his nature for her, but ultimately betrayed her trust and hurt (Finale, Ch 39)

Jacks also conveniently left out that Tella was left with no choice but to stab him in the heart because it’s the only way to break out of the marriage he tricked her itno when that concept seems out of her card ( Finale, Ch 44) And when Tella thought that Jacks allowed their marriage to end because somehow the bond made him genuinely care beyond the immortal's feeling of obsession, all remains are selfish impulses. He wanted to use his restored full powers (which he was made to promise not to use against Tella or Legend but ofc he said unless they ask of him) to control her feelings for eternity. (Finale, Ch 54)

But most importantly, she has always been in love with someone else. She wondered if Legend felt love in the lust, obsession, and desperation in the feelings the Immortals’ possess (Finale, Ch 32). Or how during their kiss after they got unknowingly married and he’s absorbing her pain, her mind wandered to Legend (Finale, Ch 12). She didn't want to get married and yet in her mind Legend is the one that could tempt her to (Finale, Ch 22). When Tella was tempted to undo the immortal bond with Jacks she severed since she felt less alone when they were connected, Jacks wasn’t the person she wanted to be connected to. (Finale, Ch 45)

If anything, Jacks simply made it easy for her to not to be swayed even when the object of all her desires has broken her heart numerous times.

Jacks may have wanted Tella, but to her wanting someone is not the same as loving (Finale, Ch 40) To her, love is messy but powerful all the same that you think more about someone else’s life more than your own. (Finale, Ch 34)

Of course, sometimes feelings and emotions are hard to untangle from each other. It’s hard oftentimes to say if they are the cause or the effect or something in between. Two contradicting things could be true. But I think it’s intentional that between Jacks and Tella the One True Love they shared is the lack thereof.

As we’ve seen when Jacks kissed Tella during their marriage that allowed her to feel his emotions, there’s no love. (Finale, Ch 12)

Or when the Ruscica that told the story of Donatella Dragna (which appears to only include objective truth) revealed that Prince of Hearts is still not capable of caring even though Tella, who supposedly made his heart beat. (Finale, Ch 44)

Perhaps, believing that he found his One True Love that thwarted it all. There’s no love that could counteract his Fately nature with propensity for cruelty and obsession. He only warmed up with Tella after the fact she’s possibly the One True Love, and it seems genuine, after all he disclosed intimate details about him and the fact he was once a human (Legendary, Ch 42).

He said that he didn’t know if she’s his One True Love, but he wanted Tella to be (Legendary, Ch 45). But is it Tella herself that dares him to hope, or because he wanted it to be true that One True Love has come? When he kissed her with all the passion and longing, did he truly want to kiss her because the lips belonged to Tella or is it because his kill wouldn’t kill her? Unlike Legend, not once Jacks said what he liked about Tella.

So if there’s no love, then why do Tella possess the characteristics of One True Love?

In OUABH, we have known there’s actual spell to turn someone into One True Love (OUABH, ch 47)

Then seven years before the events of the final book of Caraval series, Tella pulled up three cards and one of them is the Prince of Hearts. Because of this, Tella believed she’s doomed to loveless future for Prince of Hearts symbolizes unrequited love. (Legendary, Seven Years Ago)

So maybe they got unknowingly cursed, as if dooming that their love will be loveless, and for Prince of Hearts to remain forever heartbroken. That future tried very hard to bring itself. Perhaps just like magic spells could mimic Love, some kind of curse could also mimic the promised One True Love.

So Prince of Hearts’ true love is told to be:

Immune to the fatal kiss

Will make his heart beat

His greatest weakness.

Let’s start with weakness.

So it was said that Fate’s weakness is love because they will lose immortality. Well, Jacks didnt turn human, and if anything he became exactly the Fate and their destructive obsession that Tella was warned about.

With regard to weakness as in the kind of vulnerability that you could do unimaginable things for your love, or you’d sacrifice even yourself if it means they will be safe and happy – what actions did Jack do for Tella?

Throw away his morals- he didn't have it to begin with.

Willingness to sacrifice– regardless of his intentions, he put her life as a bargaining chip that made Tella think that he wanted his powers more than he wanted her (Finale, Ch 40) He betrayed Tella when she thought he'd try to fight his nature (Finale, Ch 39)

Unimaginable things– marry her without her knowledge and manipulate her feelings for eternity.

Tella should've been her weakness but everything he did was less for her but more like for him and his own heartbreak. He may never intended to harm her, but as Tella said he already have. (Legendary, Ch 44)

Making his heart beat

This one is baffling indeed. Jacks kissed Tella during the First Night of the Caraval (Legendary Ch 11), and Tella felt his pulse beating as fast as hers during the Fifth Night of the Caraval (Legendary, Ch 35). Firstly, Tella’s heartbeat weakened after the first kiss , and then it went fast, then it slowed down again until this moment. Secondly, four nights have passed by since the first kiss, did Jacks not just notice this until Tella pointed it out?

There is a possibility that their heart beats synchronized at that moment because of One True Love binding them, and Jacks’s heart just took its time to beat. But at the same time, nothing stood out at that moment except the burning hate Tella had that made her attack Jacks, which he effortlessly avoided.

There is another possibility that there are other things that have triggered Jacks’s heart to beat within the 4-night window. After all, Jacks is a busy man, a calculated collector, with many people writing to him asking for favors or meetings as Evangeline noted in OUABH (Ch47). There is a possibility that his heart beat far longer as there’s no definitive indication that he didn't have a heartbeat before that kiss.

Immunity to Fatal Kiss

There were a lot of intimate moments and attempts at kiss but there about three times that Jacks and Tella shared a kiss and she didn't die. First, of course at the Fated Ball/First Night of the Caraval (Legendary, Ch 14). Second is the night Tella grieved for her mother and Jacks took her sorrows (Finale, Ch 13)

First kiss

With the first kiss, Jacks told Tella he wouldn't kill her if she got the second thing he wanted, but warned her that she’d still feel the effects. And so she did. Throughout the first to third night, Tella’s heart beat slowed down, even stopping in between (Legendary Ch 15, Ch 22). Blood pooled down from her ears to her neck, and beads of blood even fell from her fingertips. (Legendary Ch 16, Ch 24)

So if she’s One True Love, why is she showing symptoms of dying?

By OUABH (Ch 44) , Jacks said that he purposely slowed down her heart so that she wouldn’t die immediately. That explains the heart beat.

But I feel the revelation that Jacks lied to Tella, in a separate series, is quite significant. He purposely said that she could still feel the effects of the fatal kiss so she wouldn't suspect and still do his bidding, just to survive.

Perhaps that also explained why her heartbeat went abnormal again (fifth night of the Caraval, Legendary Ch 31, 34) just when her heart raced and healed her wounds after she was fed blood from Legend two nights ago (Third night of Caraval, Legendary, Ch 26 to 27). It healed her wounds and not completely counteracted the fatal kiss (Fifth night of Caraval, Legendary Ch 31, Ch 34). Tella was indeed dying.

But then on the same night, Tella felt Jacks’s heartbeat pulsing . And her heart racing at the same time, which further confirmed to Tella that she’s his One True Love. The day after, she awoke with her heart pounding that further confirmed that Tella has survived the Fatal Kiss. (Fifth night of Caraval, Legendary Ch 35-36)

As mentioned with the heartbeat, there is a possibility that the One True Love activated at this moment which might explain why Tella’s heart quickened when she felt his heartbeat and no longer felt like she’s dying.

Or perhaps, the love she had for Dante and her mother, somehow broke the curse.

She might’ve hated her mother at this point that she no longer cared to win the Caraval especially now she knows she wouldn't die by his fatal kiss. But she wouldn't have felt so hurt by the betrayal had she love her any less. Despite the ruling anger, deep down she loves her mother very much. She was also increasingly conflicted about Dante who she suspects is Legend. That even if he wasn't, she feels she would still be betraying him. Tella was getting conflicted that she may have to choose between them so maybe the desire to save them both is what broke the curse.

Second kiss

The second kiss took place at night (again) just after Tella’s mother had been killed. Overcame with grief, Tella agreed against her better judgment to accept the help Jacks was offering by temporarily taking away the unwanted feelings. Unknown to Tella, the blood exchange, and the words they uttered would tie them with an immortal bond that would forever tie their souls together in eternal matrimony. They proceeded to kiss as he took in her grief. (Finale Ch 12-13)

Unfortunately we don’t know if Jacks have experimented with someone else before. We also don't know how this exactly works. If the immortal bond goes beyond the grave— what happens if one half is immortal who has not become human, will the soul of the other half remain like some ghost?

There is the possibility that since the matrimony happened before the kiss, it could've saved Tella from the fatal kiss by an immortal bond that tied her soul to Jacks who was still immortal at this point.

On other hand, I would imagine that if they were truly One True Love, they would’ve some existing bond before this..

• • • • • • •

Perhaps, the One True Love between Jacks and Tella is a cursed one, hence it mimics some of the supposed signs.

Or maybe there is a universe where Jacks and Tella would’ve worked out in the infinite possibilities. And possibly the contradictions were due to the fact it failed to realized.

What is clear to me, in this timeline, Jacks and Tella's love story felt almost doomed—not in a star-crossed lovers way, but doomed to never happen with every odds not in their favor.

Perhaps their meeting and connection are necessary–Tella to challenge her notions of love. From a person who didnt allow herself to fall in love, to someone who embraced her heartaches, fought for love, and finally experienced all its wonder.

Maybe, true could be said for Jacks. His story continues, and his true ending and ever after awaits him…

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The Ballad of The Prince of Hearts

It wouldn't take a genius to say that Prince of Heart’s concept of love is rather terrifying. It’s easy to chalk it up to him being Fate but we know that he was once a human. He might say he’s grateful it lasted for short time, but there's a hint of regret. (Legendary, Ch 42)

He was genuinely brokenhearted when the supposed One True Love didn't feel the same obsession as he felt for her. (Finale, Ch 44). Tella even thought that whenever she thinks of heartbreak, she will forever think the way he looked at her for the rest of her life. (Finale, Ch 45)He longs so much that he’s willing to manipulate if he could have a taste of true love.

But we also know that using magic to make someone love you rarely ends well –we’ve seen that with Luc and Marisol, Tiberius and Marisol, Evangeline and Apollo. Their experiences may have differed but they are all left with the same despair (OUABH, TBONA). For Jacks, it's witnessing with his own eyes how his spell even with his fully restored powers, would be broken by true love. (Finale, Ch 59)

If he witnessed true love, then it seems his notion and concept of love barely changed. Why is his concept of love twisted to begin with?

From Lala we have known that Fates are not entirely unfeeling. When they do, it’s intense and consuming; and the greatest of these feelings is the urge to be which they were made to be. (OUABH, Ch 38)

For Lala, it’s to be loved. As the Cursed Bride, she’s left alone at the altar crying poisoned tears.

For Jacks, it’s to find his one true love.

To help with the urge, Lala makes gowns, seeing brides happy in ways she couldn't be.

To Jacks perhaps it’s the apples. After all there’s no other constant with Jacks than apples. Perhaps that’s also why his diet varies only with the colors of the apples, because there’s nothing his lips wanted more but to feel someone else's'.

Later on, Lala revealed there’s more to her curse . The reason she’s Cursed Bride is because she’s unable to move on from her first love, calling off her weddings. She had chosen to become a Fate, thinking she would be able to stop loving him, to let go but she couldn't. (TBONA, Ch 38)

Perhaps the same is true for Jacks. Perhaps there’s more to his curse and how it was borne because of love.

Evangeline’s favorite tale is the Northern Tale Ballad of the Archer and the Fox , a romantic tale about a crafty peasant girl who could transform into a fox and the young archer who loved her, but was cursed with the need to hunt her down and kill her. (OUABH, Ch 8)

It was said that Northern fairytales and history were treated as one and the same because their stories and histories were all cursed.

Except this one is true and it was Jacks all along. He wasn't lying when he said truth is never the what you want it to be– he, the Archer killed the Fox (TBONA Ch 43):

Jacks said he didn't know if he really loved the Fox, but if he hadn't he wouldn't have broken the curse that makes him want to hunt her. He wouldnt own seven volumes of the Ballad, and which is the only collection precisely positioned (OUAB Ch 47) The Fox appears to have felt the same; she's the one who encouraged him anyways and chased him even when he’s driven to kill her.

Perhaps that’s how his idea of love had become so twisted. Could he even dare to call the love he shared with Fox as true love when even though they broke the curse, she still ended up dead.

Maybe his perception of love has become opposite of what he had once felt for Fox, because it seems it’s not meant to be.

So when the girl that was immune to his kiss appeared, it didn't matter if there was love. He could just rely on magic to make her feel things, and perhaps that was enough.

But we know that he desired true love. He needed true love. Because he’d be trapped in eternity of misery for chasing someone who didn't love him; for relying on love borne out of magic, an illusion so fragile that would always end up shattering. He very deserved true love.

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The Key to the Valory Arch and Possibly More...

As we’ve established, Jacks’s qualities as Fate with propensity for cruelty and obsession might be the reason he is unable to break his curse. But at the same time, his strongest feelings is to find his true love, which is very human desire, and itself antithesis to his being Fate.

But a lifetime of heartbreak– killing his Fox, being trapped in the Decks of Destiny, and the One True Love that should’ve been promised to him didn't work out– desensitized him from feeling any remotely human feelings, and fueling his obsessive nature even further.

And perhaps he just needed something that could make a tiny track in his hard exterior, and something that could prevent his obsessive nature from taking over. That someone could make him tempted to actually love, to care for someone so much they’ve become your weakness and you will do anything in your power to keep them safe and warm. That for a Fate like him, he’d do anything within his power to fight against his nature.

Jacks might believe that the key to the Valory Arch is his last chance to get his One True Love–and he may not be incorrect, because that will also lead him to actually experience one of a kind love..a true love in the truest sense of the word.

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The moment Jacks’s realize that Evangeline could open doors, and saw the color of her hair, he have already thought of the prophesied key (OUABH, Ch 2) :

“You will know her because she will be crowned in rose gold. She will be both peasant and princess– a fugitive wrongly accused, and only her willing blood will open the arch. (Ch TBONA 53)

At that point, he still had some leverage over his supposed One True Love as their souls were still bound for eternity. [Note: It was reported that wedding turned to stone but was saved by the bride's sister arrived the morning after the marriage (Finale, Ch 12, 15, 16) ]

Jacks could find her use for later.

But that’s not the only surprising thing about Evangeline–when he helped by turning something worse to even worse, she couldn’t just stand back and drank the poison to take the place of the boy she loved and people who turned to stone. Jacks must’ve been reminded of the person he used to be when he warned her heroes don't get happy endings–they give them to other people, and she should want her happy ending. (OUABCH, Ch 3)

Maybe that’s prompted Jacks to become a hero even for a short while when he gave Tella the Map of All, despite knowing she will find out about their secret marriage (Finale, Ch 40). And when he did not fight her, encouraged her even when she was reluctant to sever the bond. (Finale, Ch 44)

As we know, he’s the one that asked Poison to save her, and suggested that the Empress send her to the Nocte Neverending, get her married by making the Crown Prince in love with her, all so she could fulfill the prophecy.

But he also needed her willing blood, which prevented him from directly manipulating her. He needed her alive, so he needed to protect her. And all of this perhaps is how he has grown to genuinely care for her well-being.

Unbeknownst to Jacks, Evangeline has started hearing his voice way back in the Nocte Neverending “Self-pity doesn’t look good on you, Little Fox.” (OUABH, Ch 19). And it was confirmed further when he tried to take away her grief of sorrow that was being amplified by the poisoned tears (OUABH, Ch 36) Not only that, his magical manipulation wouldn't work on her. And from there on, they could project and hear each other's thoughts, which is reminiscent of the immortal bond that Jacks once attempted with Tella.

But that didn’t stop Jacks from betraying her trust when she realized that he’s the one who cursed her husband in suspended, thwarting his scheming (OUABH, Ch 44). Even so, Evangeline was able to gain her autonomy, as if she possessed some kind of charm that Jacks couldn't fully manipulate with magic or elaborate scheming.

Jacks also needed Evangeline alive, that’s why he had been overprotective over her– he quickly shoved her out of the way when a vampire lunged at her (OUABH Ch42) or when he hold onto her like a grudge and didnt let go, so she could properly recovered for being given poisoned tears (OUABH Ch 36). But as Evangeline felt, perhaps with increasing intensity over time, how he genuinely protected her for her– he held her close and carried her as if his life depended on it instead of hers. (TBONA, Ch 13). Even Lala knew that he wouldn't let Evangeline die (TBONA CH23) His nostrils flared when he saw her arms with crudely carved words (TBONA Ch 20)

Not only is he protective of her, he’s gentle and comforting. Unnecessarily to his goals, and excessively even. Maybe he held her like a grudge, but then his arms were tight as if he had no intention of letting her go. When he slid his hands across the rail and twined his cold fingers with hers; he didn't even let go when she squeezed his hand (OUABH Ch41) Or when Jacks offered to kill people who were whispering bad things about Eva (TBONA Ch 23) Even he kept warning Evangeline about Petra, Jacks was never condescending about how he is right and just crushed Evangeline to his chest, gently pressing her head to his shoulder. When she got a slash across her back, he slid his arms carefully and under her neck as he cradled her to his chest. How he comforted her when Evangeline said how much it hurts “I know love, I’m going to take you somewhere safe.” (TBONA Ch 31).

Perhaps Evangeline is easily dazzled that Jacks had fun teasing her– claiming she is tempted to kiss him or that she's jealous. When it’s increasingly obvious he is the jealous one; but it feels that it wasnt because he is a Fate, it felt something that belonged to Jacks; something that we havent really seen him do with his supposed OTL.

Jacks was off-kilter when Evangeline pulled her hand free from him in her desire to answer Luc’s pleas for help. He told her how to most people, he’s the worst thing that can happen to them, but not to her, as if she’s willing to be destroyed and he was only a human (OUABH Ch 42) Or how he told Lala he’s only giving her what she wants, when he just terrorized every man approaching Evangeline before (TBONA Ch 25) then wouldn't allow Luc to take her to a dance (TBONA Ch 30).

Jacks kept reminding Evangeline that he’s not a human, and it seems Evangeline is the human that is tempting Jacks to love.

Maybe when he told Apollo for weeks how gorgeous she was, it wasn't entirely because of match-making purposes (OUABH, Ch 15) Evangeline felt the way Jacks slowly took in every inch of her black thigh-high boots, her shortened skirt, and the form-fitting lace corset cinching her waist and the muscle in his jaw (OUABH Ch 39) Or when he couldn’t seem to let go when they were wrapped in embrace even after the vampire effects have come to pass (OABH Ch 45) How as he take his took slow bite of his apple, his eyes darkening moving from her lips to her neck, to her clavicle then to her breasts (TBONA Ch 15) The way he looked her where you weren’t supposed to watch someone when they knew that you were looking —bold and unabashed and utterly inappropriate. (TBONA Ch 25) Or the occasional brushing of his fingertips to her stomach or ribs, occasionally her breasts (TBONA Ch 25) And that he knew her wounds would heal on its own but he tended to them anyways because he wanted to take off her clothes off. Evangeline was dying, yknow! (TBONA Ch 37).

Perhaps, Jacks has always been attracted to Evangeline, after all a sliver of attraction could drive him to kiss. But he needs her alive, thus he needs to keep fighting his urge, his nature as Fate, that only grew in intensity over time.

Even when he was burning with desire, about to kill another unsuspecting girl, he was able to fight against his nature because Evangeline didn't want him to. And as he touched her, grazing the slit of her skirt with fingertips soft as they traveled higher, and how he reached for her hips and hitched it to his– he reminded her “I’m not a human, Evangeline. And I’m not your friend, or your husband, or your lover.” It is apparent that he was being tempted–“Then don’t try to make me act like it. It doesn’t end well.” (TBONA Ch 25)

Even he was feeling blissful –perhaps as an effect of Mirth stone– he kissed her neck instead, as if he’s not taking any chances. His mouth pressed against her throat, slowly traced a blissful line next to her ear. (TBONA Ch 38) Or when he held her tightly that it hurts but Eva didn't mind, wrapped in embrace she knew they both wanted. Even when he deliberately fell his gaze on her lips, he licked only the center of her lips softly. She could feel his fingers against her scalp, holding her firm–he’s keeping his lips just shy of hers, he wants to kiss her but her safety is undoubtedly his priority. (TBONA Ch 43)

Perhaps because he believed the mystical One True Love has come already, that from the beginning he, warning her that he is a Fate. If he loved her any less, he wouldn’t try so hard to push her away. After all, as Chaos said, she reminds him of his first Fox (TBONA Ch35) ; he doesn't want Evangeline to end up just like her (TBONA, Ch 43).

But ust like the Fox, Evangeline had faith in Jacks. She kept chasing her even after knowing all this time he wanted to go back in time to his supposed One True Love, pleading with him to come with her instead. That he’s wrong that they aren't meant to be (TBONA Ch 45) And one last time, despite the hurt that he wanted her to just leave, she wanted to run back to him, tell him how much she felt. On one hand she believed that love was the most powerful magic of all, and on the other, it didn't matter if they stayed forever cursed–all that matters is he stayed. (TBONA ,Ch 46)

How she couldn't love him?

She kept being warned against Jacks, just like Tella. The moment Evangeline stepped in the Church of the Prince of Hearts which aroma supposedly would be one’s greatest heartbreak, it smelled of apples and blood. (OUABH Ch2).

When they jumped off the cliff, where she felt like that he held her close and carried her as if his life depended on it instead of hers —she hasn't stopped failing, she could no longer deny her feelings (TBONA Ch 37).

Maybe it has been foretold when the dragon-roasted apples that were supposed to taste true love, tasted hot, searing sweetness and Jacks–(OUABH, Ch 16).

The same man who had admitted that he’s selfish, is asking Evangeline to stay with him for one night, asking her to let him pretend she’s his. Or if it will be easier, he asks that she could also pretend she wants to be his. The man who is said to know how only to take, is asking someone to take him (TBONA, Ch 37)

Romantic as she always is, Evangeline didn't want to be person that could disappear without anyone knowing she’s gone; she wanted to be important to someone, that if her heart stopped, she wanted someone else to feel it (TBONA, Ch 14)

Only it did happen, and only if she knew afterwards the agony, the sort of raw grief that was only seen once in a century, how horrible the scream he let out as he held her in his arms when he lost her once. How he cried bloody tears for her.

(TBONA, The End)

Evangeline might not be the one that made Jacks’s heart beat, but she is the one that tempted him to love, to truly love again.

Evangeline has become his weakness–he’d fought hard against his nature as Fate. He would’ve traveled through time he used to be against for the One True Love, his raison d’etre—But he did it for Evangeline. All the scheming, the hardships they went through was so he could get back to his One True Love, his reason for being, but he didn't bat an eye and sacrificed it all for Evangeline. (TBONA, The End)

To Jacks, there’s nothing of equal value to Evangeline.

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Conclusion

No doubt in my mind that the “One True Love” promised in the story of the Prince of Hearts is the true love in the truest sense of the word. The same love held with highest regards, the powerful magical force on its own.

Perhaps, this will also mark the ending of the Prince of Hearts– his heartbreak will cease, his love no longer unrequited because he knows how to love and someone could return it with the same intensity.

He breaks out the curse, and perhaps he embraces the humanity he once discarded after a lifetime of heartbreak.

The Prince of Hearts and the Valenda’s Sweeheart Savior may have experienced the greatest heartbreaks, but maybe in A Curse for True Love their story shall be remembered as a love story of astronomical proportions.

#evangeline fox #jacks x evangeline #evajacks #ouabh #tbona #the ballad of never after #acftl #acftl theories #ouabh theories #onceuponabrokenheart #legendary #caraval #finale #prince of hearts #jacks #you wouldnt believe the amount of the time ive spent for this #i couldnt even think about anything else and even at my supposed rest time im doing this.#but am i happy #ofc perhaps im need an outlet fo all my evajacks feel

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