#cardan holding grudges is all i needed to see

[jamcarven]

CARDAN MAKING FUN OF LOCKE TO HIS CHILD IS SO ON BRAND OF HIM. CARDAN IS NEVER LETTING THAT GO.

[slightlyrebelliouswriter23]

the one thing about cardan that makes me incredibly uneasy is when he slut-shamed taryn. oh so her and locke hooking up is all wrong but then he goes to bed every night literally draped in faeries? 🙄 make it make sense

i get where you're coming from, nonnie, but i think it's a bit more convoluted than that.

Cardan is mean to Taryn in TCP, yes. but that's primarily because Taryn is the accomplice to Locke making Nicasia cry. even if her part in it was indirect, to the fae, that's all they'd probably need to hold a grudge against someone forever.

the closest thing Cardan gets to explicitly slut-shaming Taryn (that i can think of, at least) is when he tells Jude "not that I'd be the first to green gown her". but we have to remember that Taryn is knowingly keeping a very big secret from Jude. a secret Cardan knows about, but is sworn to keep. so he can't say anything directly to Jude to warn her. this is his way of "telling her" without telling her.

and since Jude is "involved" with Locke, i think Cardan sees Taryn going along with Locke's games, despite the fact that she could tell Jude if she wanted to, as a deep betrayal of Jude. a betrayal not too unlike the one Nicasia committed against him only a few months prior. it hits a little too close to home.

i've mentioned before that Cardan's feelings for Jude in TCP are present, albeit complicated. so likely, the idea of someone Jude loves wittingly betraying her did not sit well for him. and he dealt with those feelings of discontent the only way he knew how: by lashing out at the person who caused them.

now, i'm not commending Cardan for being mean to Taryn. personally i think he should've focused the brunt of his ire on Locke. but Taryn is an easy target. she's mortal, an identifier that makes sense to scorn in Faerie (because that's the way their society is). and a mortal who is generally pretty submissive at that.

Locke on the other hand is one of the fae, one of the gentry, has a history of deriving pleasure from other people's vexation and misery, and ultimately has a lot more power to make Cardan's life a living hell in return.

it would be a lot of work to get back at Locke for making Nicasia cry. it would be infinitely easier to get back at someone else who had a hand in the matter.

and if there are two things we know TCP Cardan hates most, it's mortals and work.

not to mention, it is very likely that Cardan's maliciousness towards Taryn is something Balekin would've rewarded him for. or at the very least Not Beat Him for. if Cardan had lashed out at Locke instead of Taryn, who knows what Balekin would've done.

also! as sort of an informal addendum, Cardan was.... not a nice dude in TCP? like idk if y'all remember that cos it seems like fandom usually takes big scary characters and flattens them into melodramatic himbos/simps. and i'm not saying that isn't part of Cardan's character, but...... he is also scary as hell.

we all agree that Jude is the scariest thing in Faerie, yes? and she lived there for a decade with loads of faeries. the scariest one for her was Cardan. Jude was terrified of him. that should say something to you about how Not Nice Cardan was at the beginning of the series.

so even if you don't agree with my analysis, and still think that what Cardan did was slut shaming (which you are totally within your right to think)..... i mean. YEAH. he was kind of terrible for a little while there! the title of the book is literally The Cruel Prince, idk what to tell you 🤷‍♀️

–Em 🖤🗡

more thoughts on cardan's feelings for jude

more analysis & theories

[laequiem]

No tricks, only treats [ONESHOT]

/ Cardan and Jude join the rest of the family to enjoy Halloween in the Mortal World.

Part of Tales from the Mortal Realm, a collection of random moments in the lives of the Queen and King of Elfhame.

"Is it strange that I find you attractive dressed as such?"

I was looking at myself in the mirror, assessing my outfit, when Cardan sneaked into the room. His training with The Ghost was paying off, he was as silent as ever.

"Strange? Yes. Surprising? No."

Read it on ao3

"Is it strange that I find you attractive dressed as such?"

I was looking at myself in the mirror, assessing my outfit, when Cardan sneaked into the room. His training with The Ghost was paying off, he was as silent as ever.

"Strange? Yes. Surprising? No."

I saw him prowl towards me through the glass. He slid his arms around my waist, staring at me through my reflection.

Today is October 31st and Oak insisted we join him in celebrating Halloween. Of course, this means we all need costumes. I decided to go as the one character I knew more than anyone else.

Cardan.

I looked through his wardrobe for my outfit. It was quite hard to find a top that was loose enough to account for my breasts, as most of his clothes were tailored to fit him perfectly. I also found a dark blue coat, its collar covered in iridescent feathers. I gave up trying to find pants in his collection, as my hips would never fit, and just wore a pair of black leggings with black combat boots.

"What do you mean, dear Jude?"

"The only thing you love more than booze is yourself."

He raised his brows, making a show of looking offended. 

"Your capacity to lie to yourself will always impress me,” he said then plucked a kiss to my temple, “I love you more than I love wine."

I don’t think I will ever get over him being  caring . It felt as if he was a completely different person from the boy who would disturb lessons just to get attention.

Cardan turned me to face him, then inspected my face. “Something is missing.” He took my hand and directed me to his personal vanity. He opened the drawer and pulled out some cosmetics. He lined my eyes with kohl and coated my lashes with dark mascara. I suppressed my laugh when I saw he was so concentrated that he had stuck out his tongue. Then, he took out some glittery gold powder and applied it on my cheekbones. 

He took a step back to look at his handiwork and smiled.

“And the final touch,” he said as he plucked his crown off his head and put it on my head at an angle, “Voilà!”

I looked at myself in the mirror. I did not bother with any kind of wig. I put my hair up in elaborate braids, letting a few short curls hang in a few places. Yet, even without his signature dark hair, I still looked like him. I made faces at myself in the mirror, trying to get his grin right. 

Finally, I got up. “Your turn now, dearest Cardan.”

When Heather learned that Cardan would be coming too, she started suggesting outfits for him. She even went as far as drawing some of them. Something about his otherworldly looks inspired her. Maybe it's the tail, since a lot of her designs included it: a devil, sexy cat man and my personal favorite, a cute puppy.

In the end, I chose my own, petty idea. I walked in the closet and pulled out the outfit I had the servants clean for the occasion. 

“A King needs his Queen,” I grinned as I revealed the Queen of Mirth dress and crown.

Cardan threw his head back laughing. “You sure know how to hold a grudge.”

Thankfully, my husband was a team player, and he went with it. Even in this, he looked strikingly handsome. Or pretty, I guess. Unfair.

We landed in Maine in the early afternoon. It was strange to be awake so early, but Cardan did not seem bothered at all. We met up with Vivi, Heather, Oak, Taryn and Garrett at the entrance to FallFest, some kind of harvest festival that was held every October in the local park. It had everything from harvest contests to food stands, a section with typical carnival games, a small hay maze and even a haunted house.

I was not surprised to see my eldest sister dressed up, she went crazy for Halloween every year. Vivienne would dress up for a week straight before Halloween, even when she still lived in Elfhame. She was wearing a tight black bodysuit with a tail and claws as well as a black leather mask with cat ears. Heather dressed up as some kind of … plant lady? She had a short bodysuit made of green ivy leaves, green stockings and a long red wig. Oak was with them, wearing a reddish pink shirt with a big yellow star on it. I can only assume they went for pop-culture references I am unfamiliar with.

The real surprise was seeing my twin Taryn and her quiet lover also dressed up.

"What are you dressed as?", Cardan inquired, cocking his head to the side, "You ought to have dressed as Jude, you have already proved to be so good at it."

I snapped my head at him and slammed my foot as hard as I could on his. He was joking, of course. But the peace between me and Taryn was still fairly new. We mostly kept to ourselves and rarely talked. Garrett was back with the Court of Shadow and we were friendly, but he kept his professional and personal lives completely separated.

Cardan was hopping on one foot, scowling at me like he did not understand why I was upset. Taryn understood, though. She was sheepishly looking at the ground.

"I… I'm sorry for tricking you, Cardan."

I tried finding something to say to end the awkwardness. I wanted Cardan to apologize for what he said, but I knew he would not. Fae don't apologize.

Thankfully, Vivi broke the silence. "C'mon guys, we're here to HAVE FUN!" she complained, "What ARE you two dressed as?"

"Phantom of the Opera." Garrett replied.

"Nerds."

"Says the one dressed up as Catwoman." Garrett mocked.

The bickering continued, though less mean-spirited than Cardan’s original comment, as we walked down the main path. Our first stop was the pumpkin carving station. Each couple got their own pumpkin to carve, though Vivi and Heather’s pumpkin was mostly Oak’s handiwork and the couple making sure he did not stab himself. Taryn and Garrett made some intricate flower design on theirs, Garrett being the one doing the carving of course. As for us, well… Cardan had creative ideas, but no skills with a blade, and my skills were more of the  stabbing  variety. We settled on giving our pumpkin a traditional jack-o-lantern face. 

After the effort of carving pumpkins, we were starving. Oak was complaining, dragging his feet on the ground so much that Vivi and Heathers were holding both of his hands to pull him along. Behind them, I saw Taryn with her arm looped around The Ghost's.

I was suddenly very aware that Cardan and I were the only ones not holding hands.

Nobody knows us here. We needn't keep the appearance of the power couple, together to rule and nothing else.

I took my hand out of the pockets of my borrowed coat and tentatively brushed my fingers against Cardan's hand. I saw him whip his head towards me, and I blushed when I witnessed the surprise in his face. Soon enough, he smiled. One of those smiles he kept for me and only me, blissful and happy. The smile he gives me when we have the time to spend hours cuddled together in bed, enjoying each other's presence.

Cardan took my hand and squeezed. I squeezed back.

We spent the rest of the afternoon eating good food, trying to guess the weight of giant pumpkins and visiting a haunted house. Cardan was fascinated by the weird human traditions and absolutely ecstatic about the food. Pumpkin-spiced flavored food will become the new trend in Elfhame, judging by his reaction.

When the sun started to go down, Taryn and Garrett left for Madoc’s, who decided to try giving out candy to the trick-or-treaters. Heather and Vivienne had initially volunteered to take Oak trick-or-treating himself, but when one of their friends invited them to a party, we offered to take him instead. Oak was excited to spend more time with me and “Uncle Cardan”. 

I had not gone trick-or-treating in...10 years? Maybe 12? Since my parents died. Cardan, obviously, had never gone. So, dressed up as each other, with Oak dressed as some cartoon character, we roamed the residential streets of the city to beg for sweets.

“If it is called ‘trick-or-treat’, does that mean I can make bargains if someone refuses to give me candy?” Cardan asked as we watched Oak go up to a house.

I gave him my best ‘I’ll-strangle-you-if-you-do’ stare. “No. No turning people into cats, no curse making them hear imaginary insects buzzing around their ears.”

“Why is it called trick-or-treat, then?”

Vivienne told me they had to explain this to Oak, too, a few weeks ago. Someone at school had mentioned being excited to go trick-or-treating and my brother had been very confused.

“I don’t know.”

Cardan hmmed and smirked, “Perhaps the Folk were involved when the holiday was first established.”

I crossed my arms.

“If that’s the case, not all traditions need to be brought back.”

He laughed at that, then reached around me and pulled me closer to him.

“You win. I won’t trick anyone,” he crooned in my ear, “but I want a kiss for being well behaved.”

I rolled my eyes dramatically. “So needy.”

Once again, I had to remind myself that nobody knows us here. Nobody recognized our costumes today: in the mortal world, dressed as each other, we were only The Guy In An Ugly Dress and Fashionable Emo Boy. Nobody knew we are King and Queen of Elfhame, therefore there are no expectations to be the hedonistic king and his murderous wife.

I slid my hand behind his neck and pulled him down. I felt him smile as I captured his lips with mine.

“Ew, gross!” Oak’s voice came from the other end of the driveway, “Stop that, come here.”

Reluctantly, we pulled away from each other and looked towards the house. Oak was in front of the opened door, talking with a couple. 

“Honey, look,” the tallest woman exclaimed as we walked down the driveway, “She’s dressed as High King Cardan!”

“Oh my god,” the other one replied, sounding so very human, “that sounds kind of profane. Do you think he would have her hung for this?”

As I looked at the two women, I realized that Oak had stumbled upon the house of a Fae couple. They saw through his glamour, and he saw through theirs.

“This is my sister Jude,” Oak started, “and this is my Uncle Cardan.”

Both females had gone completely still and were staring at Cardan with wide eyes. Simultaneously, they bowed deeply. 

“Forgive us, Your Majesty. We weren’t expecting you.”

“We so rarely see our kind around here,” the shorter one said nervously, “we… wanted to meet who little Oak was with.”

“We have tea, if you would like.”

I dared a glance at Cardan and noticed he seemed amused. Was he delighted to make them uncomfortable?

“That won’t be necessary,” he said as he took my hand, “My  wife  has us on a tight schedule, we have other houses to visit. Have a nice evening.”

I caught the emphasis on  wife  and realized they only recognized him as royalty. ‘  Your Majesty ’, singular. I could tell from the two females’ expressions that they also understood their mistake. I felt bad for them knowing they had no ill intent, probably unaware of the situation in Faerie. Yet, I could not help the grin that crept on my face. I worked hard to become High Queen. I fought and killed my way through the ranks, almost dying. Multiple times. I made decisions that will haunt me until the day I die. I am High Queen, and the Folk must know. 

“It was nice meeting you,” I say as I take Oak’s hand, “You are welcome to visit us at the palace if you wish.”

My memories from before Faerieland were to blurry, I did not remember getting so much candy. Did Taryn and I get that much? How could we possibly have eaten all of that? Cardan and I each had a smaller bag, only accompanying Oak to some of the doors, but Oak had multiple full bags. Once he went to sleep, Oriana was more than happy to give us some. She had learned how bad candy was for children’s teeth - even little Fae kids. She filled little bags for us to take back to Elfhame. 

Like anyone eating candy for the first time, Cardan went a little crazy. He wanted to try everything. Faeries might be different in a lot of ways, but I now have proof that chocolate is addictive even to them. 

The High King of Elfhame ate so much candy that he fell asleep on the couch, to the former General’s dismay.

[pintofteaforthesoul]

Bodyguard AU Part 4

Jude stuck to her promise and was never away from Cardan’s side, despite everyone in her team encouraging her that they would be enough. The Roach showed up in the morning, nudging a passed-out Jude on the couch.

He tsked at her as Jude startled awake, a yawn splitting her face. “You won’t be much good to him if you’re tired off your rocker.”

Jude rubbed the back of her hand over her eye, straightening. “I’m fine. Just resting my eyes for a moment.” A blanket dropped into her lap as she moved to get up and she clutched it, confused. It hadn’t been there before.

Roach just shook his head. “Go home. Shower. I can hold down the fort for an hour.”

Jude shook her head, but Cardan entered the room, holding a coffee cup to his chest. He was shirtless, as per usual, but the gleam of his skin in the morning sunlight made Jude’s breath catch. She coughed, tearing her eyes away as he spoke, “I promise not to leave the apartment until you come back. We have that appointment with your sister today, after all.” Cardan winks at her.

“Fine.” Jude stood and Cardan passed, brushing past her side with a small smile on his face. He takes her place on the couch. Jude pulls the Roach further away despite his frame being much larger than hers, dropping her voice. “Keep a close eye on him.”

The Roach had her arm in a grasp, his hard eyes slightly softened with worry. His skin was dark, bald head gleaming in the sunlight that streamed through the windows. “Is something wrong? You’re more on edge than I’ve seen you.”

From her back pocket, Jude pulled out the summarized toxicology report. She’d been carrying it on her as a reminder. Without a word, she pressed it into the Roach’s hands. She may not trust anyone, but she couldn’t protect Cardan alone. She was only human, after all.  She met the Roach’s eyes with an intense expression before passing him.

Jude showered in record time, keeping an anxious eye on the time. When she pulled up to Cardan’s building, she was dressed more casually in light jeans and a burgundy tank top. Taryn would not accept any black in her vicinity- not with her wedding so close and paranoia already having taken root.

When Cardan, escorted by the Roach, hopped in the passenger seat beside her, his eyes lit up. “I was starting to believe you didn’t own another color.”

Jude rolled her eyes. “You forget that I was hired to protect you. What I wear is a uniform.”

Cardan props his feet on the dash, a grin on his face that lights up his eyes. “I prefer this.”

Heat spread over Jude’s cheeks, regretting choosing such a revealing top with a tall man around. What had she been thinking? They ride the rest of the way to the bridal store in silence.

The inside of the store is bright and airy, floral scents pervading the entire space. Jude leads Cardan through the store until they find Taryn, Jude’s twin sister, standing on a pedestal in a large, flowing white dress. Taryn squeals when they appear, coming to rush at Jude, throwing her arms around her twin. “You made!”

Jude glances over to see Vivi collapsed in a chair looking positively exhausted but utterly relieved. Pulling out of the hug, Jude asks Taryn, “Anything catching your eye so far?”

Taryn pouts, a mirror of Jude’s own face. “No.”

Jude glances over to see Cardan’s eyes impossibly wide, mouth slightly open as he regards Taryn. When their attention turns to him, he recovers himself, bowing. “A pleasure to meet you.”

Taryn’s cheeks pink, glancing at Jude with a cocked eyebrow. “You must be the client.”

Cardan tilts his head to her, maybe surprised that he wasn’t recognized. “Cardan Greenbriar. And you are T, I assume?”

“Taryn.” Jude’s twin smiled, a brightness in her eyes that Jude hadn’t seen before.

Cardan took Taryn’s hand, planting a soft kiss on her knuckles. “A pleasure,” He drawls, making Jude roll her eyes. “and my congratulations on her engagement.”

“Thank you.” Taryn murmurs before returning the pedestal. Jude drags Cardan over to a small settee across from Vivi, who asks no questions but her gaze is inquisitive enough.  Cardan relaxes back, putting one long leg over the other as he rests his arm on the back of the settee. Jude glares at him when his arm circles just above her shoulder.

“What? I’m just getting comfortable.” His eyes are alight with humor. Jude scoots away from him, but the settee is small and there’s no other place to sit.

Taryn tuts over the dress, ultimately finding it unworthy and disappearing back into the dressing room with the attendant. About ten dresses later, Jude is just as lounged back as Cardan, almost falling asleep from exhaustion.

Cardan nudged her. “She’s coming back out.”

Jude let her head collapse on Cardan’s shoulder. “Let her. She won’t like it anyway. Nothing is good enough for Locke.”

At the name, Cardan tensed. “Your sister is marrying Locke?”

Jude glanced up at him. “You know him?”

Cardan kept his face neutral. “I’ve heard of him. Locke works closely with my brother.”

“The king or is this another one of your brothers?” Jude whispered back drily, plastering a smile on her face as Taryn twirled around in front of them.

Cardan shrugged. “I only have one other brother- named Balekin. He’s a lawyer on wall street. Locke is his assistant.”

Jude straightened a fraction, voice bitter. “I didn’t know Balekin was a prince.” She forced down the memories that threatened to plague her at the mention of that name- of a late night and dark office and ripped fabric.

Cardan smiles but it’s more of a grimace. “You’ve met him then. I’d say he’s the worst of my siblings, but there’s always Dain.” The name dripped with venom that surprised Jude.

Memories forgotten, Jude leaned closer so that Taryn doesn’t overhear, “King Dain?” She says if there could be another Dain that Cardan spoke of.

Cardan jerks a nod. “He’s not as wonderful as everyone thinks. Dain hates me, and trust me- the feeling is mutual.”

Small gears began to click in Jude’s brain, but she didn’t understand why the King would want to poison Cardan simply over a childhood grudge. “Did you do something?” She asked purely out of curiosity.

Cardan shrugged, opening his mouth to speak when Taryn’s high soprano interrupted, “What are you two chattering about? Do you not like this one either?”

Jude’s head snapped up. Taryn’s dress was lovely, as they all had been. “You look wonderful, Taryn, I’m sure Locke will love it.” They’d been sitting in the same spot for hours and Jude’s butt was starting to go numb. She prayed to any god that would listen that Taryn could finally make up her mind.

Taryn did a small twirl before her face lit up. “I think you’re right. This is the one.”

The attendant, who somehow still looked perky after all the time, jumped in. “Wonderful!” She started into the specifics of buying the dress, but Jude caught the price as being well over ten grand. Taryn didn’t bat an eyelash, however, and mirrored the attendant’s perkiness.

After Taryn was back in her normal clothes, Jude pulled her aside. “Taryn, who’s supposed to be paying for that dress?”

The euphoric smile didn’t leave her face. “Locke said to pick out whatever I wanted and that he’d cover it.” Jude narrowed her eyes in suspicion but let it go.

From behind, Cardan looped his arm through hers. Jude glanced up with surprise, but Cardan’s attention was directed at her sister. “Sorry for the interruption, but we need to get going.”

Taryn didn’t argue, but she surprisingly hugged Cardan, whispering in a voice that Jude couldn’t hear. “You’re invited to the wedding. I’m glad I got to meet someone who could make Jude relax.”

Jude narrows her eyes at the pair and the curl of a smile on Cardan’s lips. Cardan whispers something back that she can’t hear, but Jude can’t take it anymore and drags him away. Over her shoulder to Taryn, Jude remarks, “He’s just a client!” But there’s a flutter in her chest that betrays her.

~~~

Hey y’all sorry this is a repost, I accidentally messed up the first one. I’ll post part 5 soon!

Tagging: @arwenundomiiels, @daddycardan, @andromeddea, @landofpetrichor, @ladyof-starlight, @nish247, @cute898, @fangirlinghard-spoilerson, @cardans-tail, @nitrot150, @outofstyles13, @an-teo520 & @gamer670

[dhandelion]

I know we’ve all been reflecting on why Cardan exiled Jude at the end of TWK, and from what I’ve seen (I haven’t read everything though), it boils down to two reasons : to punish her from killing Balekin and for her own protection.

I do think some part of Cardan was mad at Jude for killing his main familial/parenting figure. Despite how awful he was towards him, Balekin still took Cardan in and somewhat cared for him? At least enough to protect him from the Bomb’s explosion at the end of TCP. But I can’t imagine Cardan being surprised at this turn of events. Balekin wanted power, was ready to grab it by any means necessary, and I can’t believe Cardan believed Jude would be fine living with this Sword of Damocles, threatening her, her family and her brother, for the rest of her life. I think he tried to delay his death for as long as he could, yet did expect it at some point.

The second reason would be for Jude’s own protection. Obviously Cardan cares a lot for Jude, and seeing her take so much hits (from the Tower’s guard, from Locke, and ultimately from Orlagh/Balekin) must have been hard, despite how resentful he initially felt at being betrayed and stuck in a role he didn’t want. And that’s after only a few months of her acting as Senechal. I think the more Cardan grew into his new title/over his grudge, the more he realized how dangerous it was for a powerless human to live, and worse, hold power in the Fae world. After all, we see things unfolding only through Jude’s eyes, who despite living there all her life, is still very much human and thus not really part of it. Cardan does. He has access to a lot more informations than Jude; his status as a Fae, and being in a seemingly constant drunken state would certainly bring the other Fae to speak much more freely than before Jude. What if he heard some of them uttering grudges, or even threats at her for being in a position of power? I think he very much realized that things would not get better with time, and that Jude would likely end up dead. Hence exiling her to the mortal world, where she would be much safer and able to blossom into the full extent of her abilities.

All these reasons are good, but there’s one I haven’t yet seen.

What if Cardan exiled Jude for his own protection, and for that of the realm?

So, we know that Cardan was very resentful of Jude for forcing him into the title of High King. He likely wanted to keep his “easy” life. This new title forced him to take responsibilities, to look for something else than his own self, to better himself. And I think he liked that. He grew into it, to the point of being the ruler we see at the end of TWK.

And while Jude challenging him was the push he needed, her presence began to conflict with these new desires. She became a liability, a weakness. Not only because hurting her would hurt him, and cause him to make rash decisions (declaring war on Orlagh and allowing part of his kingdom to suffer to get her back) but also because she herself could influence him, perhaps not in the right direction. After all, he gave Madoc half of his armies because he thought Jude (aka Taryn) asked him to. He trusts her so much he’s willing to give her anything. And while I love Jude to death, I also think her primary goal isn’t so much the good of Faerie than being safe and powerful*. What if she asked him something that would contradict the well-being of his people? Would he be able to say no?

I believe these three reasons are the catalysts for Jude’s exile. But I also don’t think Cardan meant it to be permanent (and not only for narrative reasons): if he had, he wouldn’t have tied his life to Jude’s so intimately, wouldn’t have made her his wife. There are too many loopholes in it to work (Grimsen, the phrasing, the knowledge of Jude’s character and the belief she’s gonna do everything in her power to kick his ass). But I do believe he meant to buy more time, for him to become a decisive and powerful ruler, able to protect both his wife and his kingdom.

*Let’s get clear, it is one of her priorities. She did betray her father figure because she knew his rule would bring war and death onto the realm. Just not her primary one.