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the-midnight-blooms · 7 months ago

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visions of you | cs

masterlist

Trope: Forbidden Love

Choi San.

Borne from the roots of a pious tree, sprung from the ashes of his father's shadow was the Kingdom of Qiān's esteemed Crown Prince, scholar, charming bachelor and skilled swordsman. His name roamed in the villages of foreign nations, where the people believed his rubric was the elixir of eternal strength and beauty. For his mere presence intoxicated weakened souls, harbouring an essence of rebirth within the individuals that sook a replenished health. Though it was merely an old wives tale, Choi San was indeed a potent, renown individual who rose to power after the death of his predecessor: King Choi.

King Choi, on to contrary to his beloved son, was by no means the greatest King to ever rule over the ambitious lands neither was he the poorest. Though, he was the reaction intermediate, used to form something much more powerful. A much more historical ruler ascended to the throne in his wake.

The once coddled prince, who spent his carefree childhood sauntering the seven seas, reading books until the stars blurred into the dawn, playing chess with the strategists, could no longer escape from responsibility. His father's weakened hold on his hand had almost drained the life out of him. Momentarily, he had felt soul meander towards his ancestors; though they had rejected him.

Show them how powerful a King can be.

Hunched over a small desk, in a large tent, sat Lieutenant Seok- Qiān's first female high-ranking officer. With a quill fixed between her nimble fingers and a sore back, she scribbled away at her commanding officers report transcribing his poorly written work for the King. The dim light from the candle swayed in the desolate tent, bending to the will of small wisps of wind that flooded in through the slits between canvas fabric. With a tired sigh, she settled down her pen at last exercising the tense fibres in her muscles. A patter of loud footsteps ascended from outside the tent, her head piqued up as the fabric tore revealing Major Seong, his eyebrows creased in irritation as he stalked towards her.

"Hand me that." Snatching the sheet in front of her, her hands remained hovered in the air repressing the urge to roll her eyes at his short-tempered antics. His stern, hazel eyes peered over the sheet down at her as she stretched out her arms to correct the complacent stiffness. "King San requests your attendance his office. Major Baek will be there too." Momentarily, the Lieutenant felt a pulse of shock run through. The King requests my presence? She wasn’t aware that the esteemed King knew who she was. After all, her superiors had made many attempts to dissolve the rumours of there being a female military official. It didn't occur to her why, surely that was something to be proud of, yes- it defied convention but this could potentially further Qiān's image internationally catalysing the need for society to become modernised. Besides the Royal Army had, historically, suffered from a shortage of its members-if women had to fill the shoes of men then so be it. Unfortunately, her commanding officers did not share her contemporary mindset so she left the advocation for her less passive successor.

"Hurry up or it'll be off with our heads." Major Seong deadpanned, apologising profusely she shot out of her seat grabbing her jacket off the back off the chair before disappearing out of the tent.

Lieutenant Seok dashed through the ostentatious palace walls, her boots smacking against the marble floor heart pounding against her chest. Fixing the lapel of her jacket, she snatched a quick glance at her appearance through the blade of the guard's spear.

Chin up, chest out, shoulders back, stomach in.

A slight nod, and the heavy doors to the King's office were heaved open, the crystal white paint of the room blaring in her eyes. At the top, first and foremost sat the King's ebony chair and desk, along the expanse of the wall behind him was a bookcase full of books, the vestigial walls plastered with portraits of the preceding Kings. Large royal blue velvet curtains hung over baroque windows, reminiscent of the crests symbolic metallic silver and deep blue colours. Her own uniform was a navy blue jacket, shoulders padded with an expensive silver beadwork, and a long pleated skirt. Along her breast jacket sat her ribbon rack, adorned with all of the honorary medals she obtained during her service. Elegantly, she strode down the aisle; the King's careful eyes following her as she fell into a deep bow.

"Your Highness." She rose with grace too, hands firmly fixed at her sides, lowering her gaze before the King. "I am Lieutenant Seok." San cocked his head to the side, raising from his seat. Major Baek, the mentor to Seok stood adjacent to the King's desk sending a small sheepish smile, an odd emotion lingering behind it that she could not quite put her finger on. He was an old man, of about late sixties with thinning grey hair and a crinkled smile that stuck on his face throughout his life. He was renown for being the more compassionate of military officials she had ever come across, immediately taking the younger girl under his wing as soon as she stepped foot into the camps.

Being the only female lieutenant was more threatening to the cause than inspiring. Typically, women were not allowed to serve, in the military, unless they were Nurses or Administrators. Despite this, Lieutenant Seok's quick wits and admirable strength had her soaring through the rankings though she hated to admit that her father's occupation as Military Strategist may have been what allowed her to even step foot on the soil, or even what got Major Baek to show her some kindness. They loved to remind her of that. Though he was not the one to get her that far. Hell he had even died before the thought of joining the military had even crossed her mind.

The King rose from his chair, moving to stand in front of his desk waving a stack of papers in hand. Her eyes narrowed slightly in confusion, she shifted her gaze to Major Baek who only avoided eye contact.

"Here, I have all of Major Seong's reports. Very meticulous, very well-written. Such is what I expect of my men." The pulse of her heart rose, blood rushed through her veins at a palpable speed, clenching her pleated skirts within the tight fist of her sweaty palms. Had he realised that she was the one writing all of his reports? "Except there's a slight problem and I need you to fix it for me." San provoked, she shifted uncomfortably under his hard stare.

"Look at me whilst I speak to you." Her eyes widened, was this King deranged? Who dared to even look into the King's eyes? Tentatively, lifting her chin, she bored into his crescent eyes. His high cheekbones and defined jawline created an intimidating impression, a current of virtue circulated around him as he spoke. His robes accentuated his broad shoulders and cinched waist. "In the Battle of Myeongnyang, by how many men was Admiral Yi Sun-Shin outnumbered?"

"333 to 13." Lieutenant Seok answered before San could blink, he fought back the smirk dancing on his lips.

"In which battle did he die?"

"Battle of Noryang on December 16, 1598."

"Exactly as its written here." San held up the report again, sharing a look with Major Baek that she failed to read. "So when I asked Major Seong, why did he say Pyeongyang?" Oh God. She thought as quickly as she could, reeling her mind through ways to answer the King.

"Everybody makes mistakes, Your Highness." she answered, settling upon the weakest argument one could make.

"He said December 14, 1598. I don't think this is a mistake Lieutenant. Now, I'm not concerned that our military officials don't know our countries history. I should be, but I'm not. This here." He shook the paper as furiously as he could. "Means nothing. But I asked him to recite basic facts from this report and he stuttered like a man with a lisp." Flinching at the King's harsh insult, she fixed her gaze to the ground again realising that the King knew that all along she was writing Major Seong's reports for him, which was one of the biggest crimes one could commit as a member of the Royal Army.

"I could ask you, on the other hand, and you would read this off like it's the back of your hand. Do not lie to me, Lieutenant, have you or have you not been writing Major Seong's reports and carrying out his duties which are significantly above your pay grade?" The King's voice seethed with anger, a large gust of wind emptied into the tense atmosphere as if the wind itself was mirroring his vexation. Once again, she fleeted her gaze back to her mentor who was painfully silent during this assembly. "I asked you, not him."

"Yes." She responded, weakly. "I did, Your Highness." San sighed, dropping the reports on the table with a loud thud. He didn't need to question why, he already knew that despite the fact that she was a particularly hard-working individual committed to carrying out her duties diligently, she was also just a woman- being punished for her sex.

"As you know, every King gets to choose his General. I have to be able to trust that my General can lead me into war and win." He paused, a breath hitched in the night's air. "How does General Seok sound?" Her eyes lit up at the sound of ‘General’ in front of her name, the urge to gasp out and cry was hanging heavy on her tongue. Looking into Major Baek’s eyes, they were full of joy and admiration for his mentee. Prior to this meeting, he had spoken with the King, believing it was time Qiān had elevated their distinguished reputation further through their first ever female General.

"With all due respect, Your Royal Highness, there are many Majors and Lieutenant Colonels who have much more leadership experience and the desired skill set to fill this role. I am not sure if I possess the qualities that you are seeking." Besides, why had he even called her into his office? To humiliate her before giving her the title of General, to prove that even though she would have the power of the military in the palm of her hands-above all King San held a more divine power that only she could dream of?

San saw in both her eyes and her slight discomfort of her face, that it pained her to say such words. Then why did she say them? Was it the fear of being rejected by those who looked down on her? The fear that accepting this esteemed position would exacerbate the conditions she was living in. Men hated powerful women, history made that story known. Though, there was something about the woman before him being by his side, ruling his Royal Army that magnetised him.

“I disagree. You are General Officer Seok’s daughter, who helped us win a number of battles. Before he died, he told me you would win a thousand wars for Qiān.” Major Baek inputted. She always thought that her father had a hyperactive imagination; simply put he said the things he said to motivate his daughter. But her father was never wrong.

Is this not what she always wanted? Was King San not giving it to her on a hot silver platter dish? Yet, did this not mean her hands would be drenched in blood even more than it already was?

“Sacrifices have to be made, pet. In war, you sacrifice your sanity.”

"I accept this position." Falling into another deep bow, she rose as a wilted plant once did when it was blessed with water from the skies after a deserted period. "Thank you, my King. I promise I won't let you down."

General Seok strode down to her office situated in the East Wing of the castle, yet a distance from the King’s quarters. It was usually derelict at this time yet as she walked down she felt the burning stare of a hundred military officials, all jealous of her rank. She recounted the wave of discontentment that spun over the room like a wild fire, all questioning their noble King’s decision. Her mind fixated over the way her name reverberated through the room, a wave of gasps infiltrating the tense air. The officials heads snapping towards her, their mouths gaped.

"Men will never take you seriously if you are too afraid to look them in the eye." Staring at her father from across the chessboard, she bit her lower lip. "Are you afraid of me, my child?" Shaking her head no, she captured his bishop with her rook. With a contented humph, her father got up.

"Then look at me next time, when you have won. Show me that you are more powerful than Generals, wits great enough to be our Queen."

Pushing past the door to The General’s office, the large room was wavering with a warmth, the shut of the door silencing the bustle of movement outside the wall. Bookcases were plastered across the walls of the room, the palace brimmed with profound knowledge each published piece of literature could be found in Qiān's halls. A large mahogany table with a soft leather chair resided by the glass pane windows overlooking the garden. On a much smaller table, in the far corner, sat a chessboard- two chairs on opposite ends. A bundle of ink quilled pens rested above the table, a stack of plain books on the right hand corner. Sighing, she dropped the pile of books in her hand onto the table.

“War is looming over us. Freyr will not rest until they have seized our lands and we will not rest until we have secured ours." Over several generations, from the beginning of time when Kingdoms were forged from molten rock, a foreign tension bloomed between two of the most powerful nations of Earth. For the longest time, Qiān had always been imperilled with the possibility of war; they had just been harmless threats from a King that was too dim to strike against an equally powerful nation that would cause mutually assured destruction. Until now, King Jeong proved one of the more impulsive of Kings from his ancestors. Her kingdom's safety was now at stake and she needed to protect it with her life. "Over the next few weeks we need to prepare for a potential war-” She was cut off by the grumblings of the militia.

"I will not have a woman lead me into a war."

"How pitiful, death awaits for you from the male Generals that have this country running in blood."

"You sound incredibly confident, General, that you'll lose the least number of men." One mocked, the crowd of men let out a taunting laughter only be silenced as San rose from his chair.

"Had I believed we'd conquer this war by a man, would I have not chose him to stand by my side? Do you think me unintelligible of making a wise decision?" A deafening silence punctured her ears, her head dipped under his omnipresence. Did they go reticent out of sheer embarrassment or because they thought that King San would be one to disperse their Kingdom into ashes? Granted, her first assembly as General was a disaster, the uproar from her comrades induced a thumping headache; her forehead hit against her table a long groan escaping from her lips out of sheer exhaustion.

"My, my General-you're going mad already." Hastily, she jerked up her head straightening her posture as the King slumped into the chair opposite her desk. When did he enter?

"Your Highness, should I call for some tea?" San snickered, dimples adorning his cheeks. His heart fluttered slightly at her disorientation he could not put his finger why. Perhaps it was that for the first time, the organised, composed General had been caught off guard by his surprise visit. There was something so domestic about the fact that she was summoning tea for him; he didn’t even get to say ‘No thank you, I’ve had three cups already and it’s one in the evening.’

Certainly, the woman before him was beautiful- he noted that on first sight. He did not know how to feel now that he assigned her the role as his General. The whole world could see her sacred beauty, she was not something for him to lock up in a treasure chest and keep her all to himself. How dare she sway his heart into unchartered seas that San had spent the duration of his life running away from.

“Your Highness, the maids have told me that you haven’t had lunch yet. Perhaps we can have tea another time.” She stood by the doorway, arms folded as if she was his wife scolding him on his lack of appetite.

“First of all, I didn’t come for tea.” Her face heated up in embarrassment; pressed in her palms in realisation that she had jumped to a sudden conclusion. “Secondly, I’m not hungry. I’ll drink your tea anyway.” Huffing, she grabbed the tea tray from the maid thanking her before shutting the door with her foot. She picked up the porcelain teapot, the air fulfilled with the aroma of Jasmine tea; tranquillity succeeded the exhaustion felt by both King and his General.

“Jasmine tea?” San questioned, he preferred green tea with its grassy undertone. Jasmine tea was too floral for him.

“Yes, it’s good for calmness and mental clarity.”

“So that’s your secret, lots of Jasmine tea.” She nodded, placing the teacup in front of him. He sucked in a breath before raising the cup to his lips. Oh, it’s sweet. A lot sweeter than the cups he had been forced to drink as a child.

“I added honey.” The General added, on cue as if she had read his thoughts. “With respect Your Highness, if it wasn’t tea you came for: how can I help you?” He settled down the cup, clearing his throat.

“I excused Major Seong. As of tomorrow morning, he will be a normal civilian working in his father’s farm. He’s best off serving the country in another way.” Her chest heaved in shock, she leaned back in her chair chewing on her lip as she could not help but feel that she was to blame.

“He was still the best of us.” She retorted, after a long, painful silence.

“Not good enough. Otherwise I wouldn’t have dismissed him. Also, I don’t know if Major Baek has told you but he is retiring.” With her elbows perched on the desk, her face rested within her palms.

“Don’t you have anything good to tell me, Your Majesty.” He laughed, shaking his head at her forlorn attitude.

“Call me San.” He retorted, the beauty of his name flew her heart into oblivion. “Tell me something, that reads like poetry.” He blurted, though his claim was abrupt a part of her understood where he came from. Tell me what’s on your mind, he wanted to say.

Tell me what your deepest wish is so that I can fulfil it.

“I believe, in a hundred years time, my successor will be the vessel that tells the people of Qiān that a woman’s rule can be as bold and as true as a man’s.” His eyes narrowed, infatuation settling into his heart, bewitched by his General's moving words. “I will be the woman to win the wars against our enemies. She will be the one to win against society.” A comfortable quietude penetrated the tense atmosphere, San sat still in his chair, afraid to make a sound as he swallowed her words with a heavy heart. For the first time since his father's death, he felt weak. As if he wanted to fight the war, that she was fighting, with her. Her wish was one those that even as omnipotent as he was, he could not fulfil.

"I shall take your leave. Enjoy the office." Smiling, San strode out of the room, his powerful aura remained suspended in the air in his absence.

Within the subsequent weeks General Seok was burdened with bourgeoning responsibility, abetting a series of migraines that not even Jasmine tea could fix. They ranged from completing reports, training soldiers, attending her own training-during the day that was. Then at night, she read books on the Freyr-learning about their language, culture, and then reading upon all of their wars. She managed to find books on previous Generals that served the Freyr Kingdom, noting their battle strategies. She became reserved to her study, papers scrawled across the floor, hooking up drawing pins as she noticed trending schemes. There were multiple different outcomes, like a game of chess. One move by the opponent unravelled up to ten to the power of a hundred and twenty-three potential outcomes, much like war and its soldiers.

"You just started your job and it's already exhausting you." Her mother claimed, as she placed her book on her nightstand. Sat at the foot of her bed, the elderly woman looked at her daughter's tired eyes-witnessing the same determined gaze; once held by her husband.

"I know, a big position only means more responsibility. Besides, I think I've got most things worked out. I have a meeting with the King, tomorrow and then the whole day to myself." Letting out a stifled yawn, she sunk into her cotton sheets hair sprawled across the pillow.

"You've been busy, General." With a single nod, she watched as San drew his eyes down her veraciously detailed report. A pair of round glasses sat at the bridge of his nose, she could not help but notice how they heightened the sharp features of his face. "Your work ethic is incredible, even I don't think I could have done this in the time span you did. You can rest now."

It did not occur to her that she had fallen asleep in the King's office, right in front of His Majesty's eyes. The sight of her tenacity lead his heart to swoon a little. General Seok was a sight to behold, especially with the way the soft afternoon light streamed in through the window, beaming across her face forging a halo. Her hair which was usually straightened and fastened tightly behind her shoulders had become loose from its knot. She breathed gingerly; the strands of hair that fell structurally over her face drifting as the air spun around it. He wanted to outstretch his hand and brush the hair from her face.

"I need tighter security, here." she ordered, pointing to the farming village, the kingdom's most vulnerable district. "If I were the Freyr, I would attack here. It's unscrutinised and connects to the Valley-perfect for pushing equipment and aid through. We need to block any shipment through these borders." The valley connected to the farming village became one of the fundamental ways that the Freyr and Qian people traded over centuries.

Gathered in the War Room, the military officials were all stood around large chestnut table, a map of the world and it's seven seas. Adjacent was a black box, which she recognised as holding pawns, figurines, as well as odd bits of trinkets. The dark walls were plastered with weapons of all sorts, a preview of all the artillery they held in the War Inventory. Despite the spectrality in the thin air, there was an odd sense of comfort to be found here. Something like she could spend the rest of her days trapped within these four walls and she'd be surprisingly at comfort with it.

"If we close the bridge, how will we trade?" Major Baek questioned.

"We can trade at the Centre." Her finger fell over the busiest and the most surveyed port in Qiān. "Let's just tell them it's closed for repair." An influx of complacency infiltrated the room. Her eyes glanced towards San, who was staring intently at the map over her shoulders, with a calculating look.

“We’ll have to have a talk with the foreign diplomats, otherwise good job General.” With a single nod, he left from the room signalling the end of the meeting. All left except Major Baek, sat in front of her, sipping on the Jasmine tea she had called for.

“You’re doing incredibly well, dear. If it’s any reassurance.” A genuine smiled plastered on her, soothing the agitation in her muscles.

“It is. I can’t believe you’re retiring. What was a few more years? I can’t do this without you.”

“You can, you already are. Besides it’s not like I was ever going to become General.” He joked, they shared a small laugh that echoed in the dim light of the War Room, where for the last time: the man who had treated her as if she was his own daughter was soon to be a name written in a history book, his memory lost to the wind.

General Seok found that the women of the palace grew indifferent towards her success for they taunted her with dirty looks as she surpassed them. Their snake like tongues spat venomous rumours, claiming that whenever she entered the King's chambers she was carried with a promiscuous sense of duty. To which this enraged her but there was simply nothing she could do, because they were just rumours; there was no substantial proof that they were rallying against her.

"Here comes the whore." They sang in an undignified manner as she strode down the hallways, a book pressed against her chest. Biting down on her lip so she did not release a snarky remark, she merely ignored them as their giggles venerated through the hallways. Pushing through the doors to his chambers, Seok entered his bedroom finding him sat by the balcony reading a book. Her anger had diminished at the sight of him, following the pout of his pink lips, the crease between his eyes as he revelled the words; the breeze tousled his hair. Within this moment he was no longer the King that ruled over his kingdom with a tight fist and sharp mind but rather an amiable man with a thirst for knowledge. Clearing her throat, his head craned to find her standing by his desk. A strand of hair fell over his dark eyes, he rose from his seat; gaze travelling up and down her body.

“You’re dressed like a bride.” He blurted. My bride. Clearing his throat as his cheeks blushed pink, he stuttered over his words, "Eastern brides traditionally wear red on their weddings days." Handing over the book, she sat herself down on the chair, dazing out of the window. To think of it, why did she always dress so ostentatiously around San? Was it his nobility that intimidated her? Or the need to live up to the King's standards as his General?

"What's wrong?" San chimed. She shook her head, as if there was nothing wrong with herself. Maybe the women were right, she was gnawing at his attention trying to keep him to herself. There was no denying Choi San was beautiful with his sleek dark chair, cut-throat jawline, his angelic eyes, his benefaction. His concern whenever she tired herself, slaving herself over her work. Then came his desire to stand next to her in every meeting, his body pressed close to hers fighting of all of the griping stares as she fought gruellingly to protect their kingdom.

"Nothing, nothing." With a wave of her hand, she brushed him off. He slumped down onto the chair opposite her, chin resting with the palm of his hands cupping the sides of his cheeks.

"Oh its something, something." His crescent eyes peered into hers, she wanted nothing more than to delicately kiss them. Then to drag her lips over the bridge of his nose and then his plump lips. "Is it not your duty to share the people's concerns?"

"No because I am not a member of parliament." She quipped, with a smirk that made him scoff. "My duty is to protect you."

"But you did not protect me from you." He got up from his seat, walking around the table to face her. His hands outstretched towards her face, tucking the loose strands of hair behind her ear, with his lips dangerously close to her own, she basked in the sight of her King as a hungry soul reaching for the fruits of love to which only she could hand down to him.

“San, what am I to you, if not your general?”

"You are my heart and my soul. You are what keeps me beating, and what brings me back to life every morning. You are everything I want and even more. It is painful to be so in love with you, so tell me you don't love me and free me from this anguish." As if he had knocked the life out of her, her body glissaded under his devotion. How cruel of him to beg her to purge herself of the profound emotions she held for him. Did she not want him too, in all ways whether it may be forbidden?

"We shouldn't do this." Her mutter reached to him through a series of rough, passionate kisses-a fire burning wherever his touch lingered upon her skin.

"Then tell me to stop" But she could not as her hands ran into his hair. Her every scent pulled the strings of his heart, every pulse was hers as their arms circulated around each other in the darkness of his chambers. Every touch felt as if they would never feel again, every sight relished as if they would never see again. Their clandestine marriage of hearts was so potent, it was enough to send them into a drunken haze for eternity.

The Royal Palace was struck with chaos- servants bustling around in desperate attempts to create an illustrious image of decadence, in honour of Qiān's annual banquet held in order to improve international relations. This year it was to celebrate the strong tradesmanship formed between the Qiān and the East. That also included inviting their enemy, Freyr, to maintain an image of agreement to their people. Of course, this enraged her as the Freyr became more hostile, finding multiple ways to pose threats on their country. For all she knew, they could see this as a perfect opportunity to strike as the Qiān would not want to damage foreign relations by keeping a tight security. Having raised this with the other military commanders, they all mocked her by deeming her paranoid.

“I agree.” San’s cold voice bellowed over the War Room. “Our allies may perceive our tightened security as a threat. The Freyr were already adamant to not attend the ball, convincing them was hard enough.”

“Your Highness, this is exactly what they want. We should at least have tighter security at the border and ports.” He shook his head in disagreement, a pang of annoyance jutting through her.

“Stand down, General. You are not a member of parliament.” Swallowing the lump in her throat, she sunk her head in humiliation. He had never disagreed so bluntly before, if he had ever disagreed: he would raise the point so gently or provide another solution, not outright dissipate her suggestions. Later that day she was huddled up in a chair in her office; finishing up the finality of her report. She was so wrought with exhaustion she wished for some comfort. A pair of arms would soothe the headache from the burden of stress that persisted on her shoulders. As soon as she walked in through the doors to his chambers, he invited her with a look of irritation.

“What do you want?” He snapped, flinching at the harshness of his tone- she rushed forward to hand the report to him. Next time she’d hand it to the Royal Secretariat if he was going to act this way. Turning on her heel, she hurried out of his chambers biting down her quivering lip. Wrapping her arms around herself, as if it would reprimand the damages he inflicted upon her.

Hidden behind a pillar, her head was thrown back-hands pressed over her abdomen in order to soothe the persisting ache residing. San's voice carried out of the room, to which she listened to his manufactured speech which rendered their hearts into submission. General Seok, herself, was clad in an embellished silver dress her ears and neck were bejewelled in a matching set of silver with the infamous General’s sword to her hip. Her eyes peered through the open doors to the ballroom-a sea of fabrics enveloping the white marble ceilings as a cacophony of sounds emptied into the room. Despite its elegance, an ominous feeling was pensile within the humidity, a dark cavern with a haunting soul ready to be unleashed onto the crowd. It was too liable, susceptible to attack.

Something felt off.

At the top through the window, she noticed a glint penetrate through the glass. The silhouette of a sharp blade pointing down in San’s direction as he spread his arms wide summoning the attention of the nobles. Her hand reached for the hilt of the sword, but the figure retreated. Instead, she sought a shadow move closer across the skylines, as soon as he placed one foot on the chandelier, his arrow pointed straight at the King of Qiān. Swiftly, she stole a knife from the nearest guard. His bowstring pulled back. Dashing towards San, she drove his body into the floor as the arrow penetrated through the air, landing less than a foot away from his feet. Chucking the blade into the air, the dagger pierced through the rope holding up the chandelier- the glass sinking in the ground releasing a camaraderie of panicked screams.

Unsheathing her sword, she struck down at him only to strike again, the rim slicing through the surface of his skin. This time, he pounded a harsh blow against her to which the colliding of his weapon against hers created a screech loud enough to bleed ears; the sword in her steadfast grip was growing heavy and acuminating at her tiredness. The attacker stumbled backwards, falling to his knees under her powerful blow. The full length of her blade impaled through his heart, ripping the seams that held his soul together- blood bursting from its banks. A breath hitched in his throat, a loud thud gratified the throne room. Her hands shook as the adversaries screams mimicked the cries emptying into her detached soul; thick scarlet blood painting her fingers as her body roamed through the folds of his dead body. Bingo. Ripping the crest from his body, she threw it at San's feet.

“I want this castle searched for any more intruders.” When the Royal Guards did not move, rage flooded through her. “Now!” She roared, parading out of the room.

Her back slid slowly down the wall of the War Room, tears sliding down her cheeks. Tucking up her knees to her chest- her body wracked as an excruciating wail echoed into the room. General Seok felt the derisive stare of the chess pieces, the maps, the strategy books. What kind of General was she? One who could barely protect her king. They were right. All of them: the nobles, the ministers, officials, the noblewomen and even the servants. A woman was in no position to protect the country, she had spent hours, days and weeks cooped up drawing out plans, playing out schemes in her head, sketching them out like role play over the board. All of that work seemed futile now that the enemy was daring enough to unleash an attack against the King. The painful creak of the door snapped at her attention, she roughly wiped away her tears with her sleeve a harsh stare befalling on her face.

“I thought I told-Your Majesty.” Her rough tone transgressed into a soft voice as she bowed deeply, San rushing into the room.

“Are you ok? You’re not hurt, are you?” She shook her head no, avoiding his gaze. “My love, look at me.” Hesitantly, her red eyes bored into his own. Cupping her cheeks, he pressed his lips to her forehead. That was enough to break her walls again. Digging her face into his neck, she erupted into a fit of sobs, her weary body slumping against his robes. His slender fingers pulled out the clip to ease the strident tug of her hair gnawing at her scalp; his hold around her waist tightening.

“I should have listened to you. The faults mine.” Lifting her head she looked at him, mouth parted as if to reason. Placing a finger on her lips, he silenced her. “No- none of this was your fault. You couldn’t have possibly known any of this was going to happen. In fact, you told me this was a possibility and I didn’t listen. It was an uncharacteristic and a foolish attack. General Seok, we have the upper hand now.”

"That's what they want us to think. God, San, my head hurts. I'm struggling. I can't come to terms with what they want."

"For now, you need to rest. You must be exhausted."

"I can't rest. Tomorrow the officials will be at my necks. 'General Seok you never saw this coming, did you?', 'This is why you should leave it to the men.' They won't see how I almost sacrificed my life to save yours, they'll only see the fact that you were endangered in the first place."

"I've warranted a search for the rest of the attackers around our villages too. More royal guards have been posted, security is much tighter. King Jeong seemed unsurprised, but not his son. This was an attack by Freyr. I saw the crest" He ambled towards her, sinking to his knees in front of her. Her breath hitched in her throat, a king kneeling to his servant? Had this man gone mad? His hand drifted towards her cheek, “You need sleep. You’re unwell, my General.”

"Get up, if anyone sees you kneeling before me, it will look nasty for the pair of us." He shook his head.

"I don't think I care." Encasing an arm around her neck and under her knees, he effortlessly lifted her up from the chair. "Don't say anything." he warned, walking to the other end of the room towards the large banner pinned to the wall. Moving the fabric with a few fingers, he grunted twisting the door handle. Leaning against him, her eyes fluttered to a close as he surpassed into the hidden passageway. The next morning, she was prescribed with escorting the Crown Prince of Freyr, Yunho to his carriage. They strode down to the horses in silence, wind brushed against them, left with tired sighs and quiet hums to serenade the airs.

"You are ok, aren't you General?" Nodding gratefully at his compassion, they stood outside his carriage, ready to exchange their final goodbyes. Yunho, himself, despite his incredibly tall stature, and depictable strength, held more altruism in the tip of his finger than his father held in his whole body. In comparison to King Jeong, whose violent tendencies and insatiable appetite for destruction was now the impending cause of his deteriorating health, he was renown for his charity work and advocating for peace instead of war. However, at times she could not help but think he was executing a carefully constructed façade to move the hearts of the Qiān officials. Primarily, herself. For she sought the way that he looked at with the same level of infatuation that San had. "I'd love to get to know you General and I feel as if soon we will be obliged to work more closely together. I know you understand that our countries enmity is a product of egotism, which I hope we can soon come to a conclusion on." Her head nodded slowly, as Yunho have her one last final smile before entering his carriage.

The officials were bashful in the following meeting. A few spoke of an outbreak of a plague, San walking into the meeting late addressing the militia's concern.

"The village is under lockdown?" she questioned.

"Yes, and some villagers were on their way to Freyr too." A thought processed through her mind, vaguely. They needed something against Freyr. Something to make them pay for attacking her Kingdom.

"Nothing is immoral in war, pet." her father beamed at her as she sat in his bedroom reading through his journal. "Don't let emotions cloud your judgement, the second it does? You're as good as dead."

"That's it, Mr Seok! Stop trying to turn our daughter into a tyrant!" Her mother’s cry clamoured into her bedroom. Sharing a smile with her father she turned back to her book.

"What if we sent some of them to Freyr?"

"We can't do that, there'd be an ou-." Her cunning grin censored his reasoning.

"Can we not?" she challenged, the officials all shared a look. "Meeting adjourned." Is this what you meant Father, when you said nothing, in war, was immoral?

Nestling her head in the crook her neck, she sat on his laps staring out into the dusk. Pressing his lips to her cheeks, he breathed her in as if she was oxygen.

“The council is talking about your marriage now, aren’t they?” He hummed in agreement, sadness provoking through her. Was it possible for them to be together for eternity? Could she be both General and Queen? Perhaps she was getting ahead of herself, what if his intentions weren’t marriage? What if he wanted a little bit of fun? As if he read her thoughts, he rested a hand upon her cheek to console her.

"I’ll find my way to you, if not I’ll make my way.” But just how would he make his way to her, when he could not even do as much as hold her hand for longer than a minute under the table? How would he do so, when he had to drag her into the nearest empty room to stoop her into a dulcet kiss for a mere second before they played their respective roles again? The sweetest things are forbidden. The things you desired the most are the ones you cannot have. Therefore, did she desire him more than she desired to be great and true? Was it love that she was seeking rather than power and intellect?

It was one or the other. It was San or General. How could the universe make her choose? It was like when she was asked if she preferred her mother or her father. When she was younger she always chose whoever had bowed to her wishes and pleased her the most. Her father-tending to her every need whereas her mother taught her that patience would give you more than what you desired. What was she to do now? She waited, and she became Qiān's acclaimed military official standing next to their eminent King. What would the people think? What would the naval think? They already hated the fact that she ruled over them, but as their Queen no witty remark would slip past her.

“I can make you my wife, right here and right now.” I love you, but I can't have you. "Marry me and let me make you Qiān's most powerful queen."

"San, do you think they like the fact that a woman has to tell them how to win a war? Do you think they'll like me even more when I become their queen? Your duty to this kingdom is to be its face, to unite, create stability between yourself and the people. Mine is to protect."

"You also have a duty to your heart. What does it want?” The booming of their incessant souls prevailed, the strings attached to them, curtailing. His tantalising aura pulled her in, yet the fact that she could not have him drew her away. It hurt that he did not belong to her, having spent the remainder of her life ruled by rationality than emotion, she knew it was better to let go of what she desired.

"It wants you. But we can't always have what we want. We have to live with that San."

"Then I won't marry. This kingdom can die with me, for all I care. After my death they can tear this palace apart. When my ancestors ask me why I broke their legacy, I'll say I fell in love."

"Don't be ridiculo-."

"I am irrevocably in love with you. My heart beats to your name, I'd abdicate-" Her hands pressed up against his lips. Tears rushing to front of her eyes.

I want you, I want you so badly.

"San, you fool.” she sobbed, her hands sliding down his face before settling on his chest.

"Can't you see? I'm a fool for you." He kissed away her tears, slowly inching towards her lips. The taste of it so sweet, so divine, something to get drunk on every night until her soul was too intoxicated to stay alive. “I’d let kingdoms fall for you.”

“We can build this kingdom together, just not as King and Queen. Just as King and General. As it should be.”

“Please. Think, we can make our way to each other, we can make it work. I beg.” Her hold around his neck tightened, he gripped her so tightly as if he would lose her and it seemed that any second now: he would.

“The Freyr have surrendered their threats? They wish to organise a peace treaty?” Her voice rose by an octave with every word as the Major revealed to her the latest political news. “Why wasn’t I informed of this? This is great.”

“Mainly so, King Yunho has requested to meet with you rather than His Majesty.” Once the migrants had reached the Freyr border, unbeknownst of the news of a disease- a sudden epidemic occurred across the nation, the death count inclining exponentially. Freyr’s army depleted significantly with the plague, Qiān locking its borders- keeping the spread of infection on a tight leash. Finally, when the disease had reached the palace- King Jeong became a victim; with his prolonging amenability, his life was taken from him a new ruler acceding to the throne. “I hear he may be visiting soon, after a period of isolation- of course.”

As claimed, Yunho made his way to their kingdom with a restricted access to the palace grounds and movement to prevent the spread of disease. She caught him traipsing across the guest's quarters with white gloved hands and a face mask- to meet with San who wore the same protective dress. Entering the room, the King of Freyr was sealed behind a transparent white fabric. Joining San on the opposite side, she greeted him with a deep bow.

“Your Highness. To what do we owe the pleasure?” The treaty was signed now, the threat of war had been consumed. Was he after something more malicious?

“I was thinking what would be better way for us to create an efficacious partnership than to bind our kingdoms together in matrimony.” She shared a look with San.

“Are you talking about the Freyr Princess, Yeji?" He nodded, dubiously.

"We'll have to think about this prospect, Yunho. Our people will not take lightly to a Freyr Queen." San spoke, his careful words penetrating through Yunho's heart. His way of speaking was hypnotic enough to make his counterpart submit under his command. Through the sheer fabric, a long arm outstretched before hers dragging her body violently towards his.

“I know this was all your doing General Seok. You are a very clever woman and I respect that you will do whatever it takes to defend your country. Do not mistake my lack of maleficence for weakness.” He whispered, before releasing his rough grip on her. Pounding out of the room with his officials on his tail, her ears rung, the sonority of voices calling her name fell deaf to her ears. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, blundering out of the room her palpitating heart pushed into the furnished hallway knocking over porcelain vases.

“General? General Seok!” Her head snapped up from the picturesque map pinned to wood. The naval all scrutinised her from the top of the table where she sat nursing a headache. She couldn’t care how weak they thought of her now. Yunho knew. How did he know? Was there a spy within her troops she did not know? Or was he sharper than she had forseen? The latter brimmed her heart with solicitude.

“Go on, Major Kang. Tell me, I didn’t see that coming. Tell me that I have driven this country into the ground with my wit.” Her noxious tone reached out to them through gritted teeth. For the first time in her life, there was an odd sense of sympathy in the room that wasn’t foreseen before.

“General Geon cried in this very room when he lost his precious battalion to the Freyr in the Valley. In front of us all. We do not care if you ripped your hair out in front of us, we care that you move us forward.” Swallowing the lump in her throat, battling the tears that threatened to leach out of her eyes, her head oscillated. “It’s ok to not know what to do, General.”

“I can’t have the Freyr Princess in this kingdom."

“Then Qiān will be sunken under the sea.” San spoke, a mutter of agreement fulfilled the War Room.

“If we have to shed blood, let’s do it now. Their troops have minimised, we’ve blocked all ways in, they’re still suffering from a chronic disease. If they declare a war, they won’t win.”

“He doesn’t have to declare war now. He can declare war in ten, fifteen, twenty years time. Will we win then?” San argued. Under their heated gaze, the officials left the room leaving their General alone to rally with the King.

"I can't and won't stand here and watch another woman take my place in your heart." Tears pooled at the bay of her eyes. He drew closer to her, pulling her into his chest.

"I'm afraid you have to."

"Sannie, my love. Please." she begged, weakly. He turned his head away. "You can't do this to me." A painful sob escaped from her lips as she sunk to the floor, dragging San down with her. Her cry weakened him, breaking down the exterior of a powerful King that had been fabricated from his coronation.

"If I were to hold you in my arms, in front of them all, that would be all the more reason to let you go. You are my heart and my soul. You are everything that keeps my body moving. But to love you is a sin that would condemn me to eternal damnation."

“I would lose a thousand wars, willingly, if it meant I could have you." she choked out. His lips fell into a pout, as his own tears forged from the ardent fires of his love.

“Anything to win a war, right?” Their heads pressed together, pearly tears staining her supple flesh. “You will always be my queen.” With a final kiss pressed to her forehead, he got up escaping through the door. Her heart entwined between his fingers, blood dripping down the palace walls as they were mercilessly parted by fate.

DO NOT REPOST, TRANSLATE, REPURPOSE, OR PLAGISRISE ANY OF THE WORK HERE

‘seok’ meaning stone

A/N: I decided to remaster the whole thing because I was a bit iffy about the first version, since the first half is different I just didn’t want to edit the older version. lmk if you find this edition better!!!

tagging some folks who read the old version, hope you don’t mind!

tags: @potatos-on-clouds @n0v4t33z @jean-swolo @wooyoungjung99 @yeontaegu @butterflydemons @ajuniceagain @chocosuh

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midnight-mourning · 2 months ago

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He’s a Little Confused but He's Got the Holiday Spirit

Hello! As the title implies, it's time for this to become a fic, for those that don't know, I wrote a prompt response that's basically a christmas au of confused spirit (curtosey of @divinit3a) and it was so good that I decided to make a full fic for it. this post contains the basic info of the fic, some lovely designs brought to life by Pom and will include links to each chapter as it posts ^_^

There's also a little poll at the end to vote on the title if you'd like to participate~

The Plot:

You're a blacksmith/animatronic technican in a small, mountain village, known far and wide across the kingdom for it's holiday decorations and delight. So much so that the royal family themselves visit yearly to partake in the festivities.

However, due to some recent threats and strange has happenings, there's much more security this year, and among that security is two royal guards who seem keenly interested in keeping you from investigating too far into the matter. And you, they're also interested in you.

The Characters:

Y/N - You! With the same personality, motivations, and goals as Y/N from Confused Spirit, and with a similar job as well. You run a shop in town with a small team of smithies, tinkerers, and inventors at your side. (I don't have a design currently but imagine a the most androgynous blacksmith/medival peasent outfit ever <33)

Sun & Moon - The two guards that have been meddling in your affairs. Though, given they've been a surprising help with your siblings, you can't say much. Also with the same personalities, and characteristics as Confused Spirit. However, they're motivations and goals are different and do not reflect their CS counterparts. Meaning, anything discovered about these two does not apply to or justify any actions taken by them in CS. Designs below are by Pom who brought my vision to life <3333

The Shop Crew - the parts & infastructure team from CS! with an adjustment here or there :)

Melissa & Gabriel - Your siblings. Still adorable. And still a menace.

All others - You'll just have to see :) There is some overlap from CS, such as Abby as some already know, among many more

Where to read:

I'll be posting these to tumblr & ao3! Tumblr first/only (until I can think up a title) but then I'll also have it on ao3 for better reading bc these will be long chapters.

Speaking of, there will be seven chapters total, including the one I've already posted!

Timeline:

Honestly want to tell y'all i'll be sharing a chapter every day or so, but after the disaster that was me last week with feeling unwell and getting behind, I'll just say, she'll be posted completely hopefully before my break is over 😅

Title (and tagging):

While I admit it WOULD be funny to just name it Holiday Spirit, I'm gonna let y'all decide for sure. I'll leave the poll up for a week since I'm not in a rush to post to ao3 (and I unfortunately doubt I'll have it done in a week lmao) everything related to it though will be tagged with #HS! au and #Holiday spirit au as the au is called Holiday Spirit, this is just for fun pretty much

Chapter 1:

Chapter 2:

https://www.tumblr.com/midnight-mourning/771893744939270144/2-animatronics-dancing-oh-and-you-youre-there?source=share (this is an inline link bc it KEEPS SHOWING SPOILERS)

EDIT: messed up the poll, so sorry >_< if you already voted and it said 1 day pls vote again shkjdf

Tag list for the usuals (if you would like added, see this post for more info):

@scarletcowboy @beemyhuneybee @fishm0ther @deviouscrackers @elsajoyagent8

@luckyyyduckyyy @zenkaiankoku @jogimote @local-shrub @amarynthian-chronicles

@robinette-green @everlightreader @sinister-sincerely @starredeclipse @dangerva

@juukai @crystalmagpie447 @mothgutz236 @lizyxml

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yourfatherlucifer · 1 year ago

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Stay With Me (CS)

Prince!San x Princess!Reader

Summary: You were the king's trophy, a mere prize from the neighboring kingdom as a peace treaty. The king didn't care about you. Only wanted to flaunt that he owned the most beautiful princess, but his son fell in love you, and he wants to run away with you.

Warnings: Slapping, I think that's it.

Genre: Fluff

AU: Royal/Joseon

WC: 1.1k

Taglist:

PLEASE REBLOG

Four Years Ago

“You have no choice in this matter, Y/N! You will go to him and you will stay there. We have no need for you, the people don’t want a queen. They want a king to rule them. Your brother is our heir.” Your mother scoffed and looked down at you in a disgusted manner.

“He’s only eight! So if you or father suddenly dies, then what? The people are left with a child for a ruler. That’s what you want? You’d just throw away your daughter just to have peace between the kingdoms?”

Your mother’s palm slapped across your face, “You will NOT speak to me that way! I am still your mother, you brat.”

“Not anymore. No mother gives away their child just for a peace treaty.” You spat in her face, picking up your hanbok’s end to walk away.

The Present

The King’s eyes bore into you, “Maybe I should’ve made you a concubine.” His disgusting smirk plastered his face, you turned your nose up to him, how dare he? You are of royal descent, you are a princess! Not some object for this man.

You turned your head and rolled your eyes, could this man get anymore revolting? You met the eyes of his son on the other side of the throne, his beautiful cat-like eyes. He was gorgeous and was nothing like his father in any way. Choi San, the most dreamy prince around. Women and girls fawned alike, but he only had eyes for you. Afterall, he was in love with you.

The king soon became surrounded by his actual concubines and dismissed his son and you, both away, saying he wanted to be alone.

You made your way back to your private chambers, glad you weren’t forced to share with the vile king. San ran after you, his hand grabbing your wrist, “Y/N, wait!”

You turned to face him, an eyebrow raised, “Yes, Prince San?”

He smiled and pulled you into a hidden section of the palace, “I wanted to see your cute face,” you smiled back at him and placed your hand on his chest, “and to say I’m sorry about my father, please remember to ignore him. I wanna take you away from here so bad.”

“San, you can’t just leave your duties, you’re the crown prince after all. And eventually, he’s gonna have you married. You know it won’t be me.” You sigh and release him, leaning your back on the stone wall, “I’m surprised I still have my status and not living in the dungeon yet.”

San smacked your shoulder, “Don’t say such things! You know I hate that, besides, he’s old as hell, if he dies before he can engage me. Then I’ll have you. I’ll get rid of all those concubines as I will never need them.”

His sweet words ached your heart, he was such a dreamer. You both knew his father wasn’t gonna die anytime soon, the man seemed immortal, his wife passed during San’s birth, which made him surround himself with women, forcing you to be by his side. You are his most beautiful piece, but he won’t touch you. Even said himself, you are just a prize for him, other than that, he has no means for you. He would still inappropriately touch you, but other than that, he usually ignored you.

Just why did he keep you around? To show you off? To say he owns the most beautiful princess ever? The most sought for woman? To keep you so no one else can have you? So you die alone? But you were loved, loved by his son. It’s not like you’re his step mom or anything, just someone trapped in his kingdom.

Tears escaped your eyes, “You know that's not true, San. Your day to get engaged will come soon, I’m sure of it. Then I will go back to being alone.”

San pulled you to his chest, “No, I will not allow it, you’re mine, and I want you to stay with me.” A few tears fell down his face, “I want only you.”

You nodded and held his cheeks in your hands, “I know, I know, but we can’t.”

When you finally push him away and leave him behind, tears flood his cheeks.

You sat on your bed, face in your hands, his father banished you to your chambers as he didn’t wanna see you around the palace at all. He was already tired of seeing your face, hopefully, you thought. If that was true, maybe he’d finally let you leave, or something else you dared not to think of.

A knock on your door interrupted your thoughts, “Princess Y/N? Crown Prince San would like to speak to you.” You dismiss your maiden and allow San in.

He quickly ran over to you once the door shut behind him. He tackled you to the bed, giggling, “Hi, Y/N, I missed you.”

You looked up at him before smacking his back, “San! You need to be careful! One of these days you’re gonna get caught.”

He giggled again and squished your cheeks in his hands, “What’s he gonna do? Nothing, I’m his only son and heir, and he can’t knock up his concubines.”

You gagged, “Don’t even talk about him.”

San sat up and pulled you to his chest, “Okay, okay. So, Y/N, I was thinking.”

You raise your brow at him, when he’s thinking it's never good.

“What is it?”

“Let’s run away together.”

“But-”

San halted your protests with his lips on yours, molding them in a warm and intimate kiss, “You don’t have a choice, we’re leaving, I’m abandoning my title. I want to be with you forever, I don’t care about being King if I can’t have you by my side.”

“I already had one of my servants prepare everything we need to leave with, I have the gold and some clothes for us. We will head five villages over, he will never look for us, trust me, my princess.”

San hikes you up and carries you out of the room, running towards the back of the palace, carefully dodging staff.

When he makes it to the carriage and nods away the servant, “Thank you, for everything, remember the story.” The servant smiles and bows.

“Farewell Prince San and Princess Y/N, may you two live peacefully.”

And thus began your journey to freedom, the story ends with two lovers living happily in a remote village, in a nice farm house, no one aware of their former statuses, just a happy couple living together till the end of their days. The king never found either of you, he eventually died of old age and a magistrate took over the kingdom.

#ateez #ateez x reader #choi san #x reader #choi san x reader #san x reader

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blacklegsanjiii · 1 year ago

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Sanji's birthdays and how it's celebrated throughout the AUs

Happy birthday to the most easily transferable child in all the blues!!!!!! 🥳🎂🎉🎈

It's long and it's not every au but!!!!! It's most of them that are more fleshed out and

Warlord!Sanji: Zeff knows he should ban them all but he made Mihawk take the kid so this is penance, and Sanji is smiling so brightly and calling them all his parents as Boa sticks a party hat on him and the family photo is a photo no one is ever going to believe a poor waiter took as they insisted "Uncle Zeff should be in it"

Golden!Sanji: It's a quiet affair, there's not even cake, it's just a normal day. Sanji finds a present on his bed and it's a book of tales specifically about the All Blue. He hugs Mihawk and thanks him.

Golden!ASL(Sanji's the s, RIP Sabo): It is very much a big thing. All their birthdays are. Luffy and Ace help Mihawk make and decorate the cake(Ace helps make it and Luffy does most of the decorating), put up decorations("Luffy please don't snap your limbs like rubber bands, Ace these are flammable-quit flying around!"), and a present they all picked out. It's a knife set in a chef roll. Sanji hugs them all and thanks them.

Shirohige!Sanji: Gets to make the menu and not the food. He is banned from the kitchen for the day. When Ace joins it's much easier because they're in so much fucking love you don't understand, Sanji is willing to take a day off for this boy, even if it his birthday(when it's Ace's he makes sure Ace only eats the food he makes)

Trafalgar!Sanji: They don't celebrate anything, he only celebrates it because Luffy found out and made him. Law thinks it's ridiculous they now have to celebrate living thanks to Sanji's boyfriend/captain making them. Ridiculous.

NBL!Sanji: it's a medium affair, there's cake and a present but no decorations and it's far more mellow than Golden!ASL but just a bit bigger than Golden!Sanji.

Hancock!Sanji: It's a royal affair of course they go all out, who do you take them for? Marines?

ASL+S: They bring home Sanji's preferred animal somehow, someway. In all of the ASL+S AUs.

Blue!Sanji: The quads always loved spicy seafood pasta. Sanji eats it every birthday. Judge always made something sweet for it, usually a pudding.

Clown!Sanji: Buggy's crew loves throwing parties, Sanji's first birthday with the crew is the biggest party they've ever thrown. Sanji's not sure how they could ever top it. And every year they do.

Redhair!Sanji: Shanks puts his coat on Sanji and lets him be captain for the day. It's the only day of the year that mutiny is not threatened.

Croc!Sanji: Oh he's blowing money. And everyone is swooning for the little prince of Baroque Works. Even Daz is smiling.

White heart!Sanji(Trafalgar+Shirohige): The crews all get together to celebrate Ace's and Sanji's birthdays and their wedding. Law lets Bepo be protective as hell. But the feast is grand and they party like there's no tomorrow.

Fishman!Sanji: Cookbooks and maps from almost the whole island. He spends the whole day reading(and the next several months)

Revolutionary!Sanji: they don't celebrate, Sabo and Sanji do not know each other's or Koala's birthdays. They do celebrate Sabo and Sanji's anniversary and Dragon tries to make sure they can be together for that(the Okama start giving them lube soon as the know, Sanji has the biggest stockpile in the blues)

Donquixote!Sanji: The four Cs: Cocaine. Cake. Cigarettes. Chaos.

Loved!Sanji: He used to spend it with his family. He still does. A royal party and a birthday shared with his brothers. But at night it's just him and Luffy and a spare cupcake Sanji snagged just for them.

Nico!Sanji: The celebration is an exchange of stories about their moms every year, private and calm.

Charlotte!Sanji: Katakuri visits him and they catch up. Katakuri loves his little brother and how free he is. He doesn't give Sanji a present, never will. Just wishes him happy birthday and receives a letter for his.

Friend!Sanji: Spends a birthday in a town with one of his friends every year. Gets woken up with breakfast and sent out to play and be a kid. He brings whoever it is back to the Baratie for dinner and cake.

#black leg sanji #monkey d. luffy #trafalgar law #vinsmoke sanji #portgas d ace #fire fist ace #dracule mihawk #hawkeye mihawk #all the aus #sanlu #lusan #sabosan #acesan #sanji #sanji day #sanace

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kmomof4 · 3 months ago

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12 (Actually 13) Days of Captain Swan Fic Recs!!!

On this Day 3 of my 12 (Actually 13) Days of CS Fic Recs, I'm reccing @jrob64!!!

Joni is one of my dearest friends and we've been friends ever since I apparently appeared in her DM yelling at her for something she did in the fic she was posting at the time, Devastation and Healing. I do not remember this initial introduction, but she swears it's true and since she doesn't lie, I guess I have to affirm its veracity... But again, I don't remember it, so she might be exaggerating... just a bit... Anyhoo, on to my favorites of her fics...

First and foremost, has to be the Girls Trip Fics that we've co-written the last two years with our traveling buddies @whimsicallyenchantedrose and @snowbellewells. All of the fics in that collection have been SO MUCH FUN to write together including ALL our favorite couples from the show, as well as some that are just our personal head canons! The two main fics in the collection were inspired by our own Girls' Trips we've taken the last two years.

And now on to my other favorites of Joni's fics!!

Where Her Heart Belongs - Rated T - This fic was written for CSSNS22 and turned into something completely different than what Joni planned. And then, for my bday that year, she wrote a sequel - Her Heart's Home - which is the same story, but this time told from Killian's POV and rated M. Canon divergent for the missing year.

Rescuing the Princess - Rated T - Twenty-eight years after Princess Emma of Misthaven is kidnapped by the Evil Queen, Pirate Captain Killian Jones attempts to rescue her in order to earn the substantial reward offered by her royal parents. A CS Fairytale Mash-up AU featuring Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty & Tangled, with a sprinkling of The Princess Bride thrown in for good measure

Sowing Seeds of Trust - Rated M - Emma Swan is a young woman without a family, friends, a home, and now a boyfriend after he tries to pin his crime on her. When she goes looking for help from a local charity at a church, she ends up meeting a group of people, including a handsome blue-eyed man, who offer her friendship...and a whole lot more.

I Loved You First - Rated G - Written for my birthday last year, this fic features my second favorite relationship on the show, Charming Swan.

Emma and her father share some special sentiments with each other before he walks her down the aisle to marry her True Love. A canon compliant missing moment for 6X20, just prior to Emma and Killian's wedding.

Silly Songs with Killian - Rated T - After a frustrating and exhausting day, Emma Cassidy is relieved when her little boy, Henry, is entertained by a gorgeous musician at a restaurant, giving her a chance to sit back, relax, and enjoy the music (and the view!) It gets even better when the singer, Killian, sings some of Henry’s favorite Silly Songs from his favorite videos, Veggie Tales.

Currently posting for this years' birthday, Exacting His Revenge - Rated M - When Hook sees an opportunity to finally get his revenge on Rumplestiltskin, he seizes it, putting him in the company of Emma Swan. A season 2 canon divergent story.

This was soooo hard, y'all! I really could have added several more of her fics to this list, but I had to keep the post to a readable length... I hope you enjoy these!!! See you tomorrow for Day 4!!!

#12 days of cs fic recs #actually 13 #day 3 #krystal recs #jrob64

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insert-the-4thwall-entity · 7 months ago

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I can tell that if something new for Gravity Fall is in the works, Alex Hirsch would absolutely do the wildest promotion for it, whether be an ARG, whatever the Book of Bill event was or something else.

Like, imagen if this really large metropolis that is this website got flooded by water by the Dream Demon himself for a promotion for something new about G-falls. -

You wake up in your apartment to see the water trough the window. You get up to the roof of the complex to see what the fck is going on. You look around yourself -

There's already a full communal base on top of some buildings on the far left made by the Minecraft/Terraria users, @ranboolivesaysstuff and some of his friends like Racoon boy, Bee-goat, Crow father included. On the right there's a big ship sailing through the waters that's mainly full of monster truck pirates, mainly cause of the three main humans that are there, captain "Burn wheel" 's second in hand, the Mechanic, @flamy-789 - the third in command and some of the pirate users of here. Far in the distance there're lots of 4th wall entities, OCs and characters all over the roofs and in the sky. Pilots, wizards, bird people, pegisi, god-likes are flying everywhere. There are horrors beyond your comprehension chilling like it's not a big deal. On one group of roofs there are oversized hedgehogs sitting on them, with users like @weirdozjunkary, @taffydragondraws, @smallpwbbles with their au characters and right beside them the cast of Lego Monkie Kid are riding a Chinese Dragon. On another roof is the jsab gang, most likely where i and my homies the royal Cs are at, with @raisa-drawz 's @jsab-corruptedbond gang, the rest of the HOB trio - @deltaqi 's boi and @soulofzurvan 's boi @afrothunderxx96 's cast and such. On another one are the Team fortress 2 cast with Medic trying to save a wet inanimate object with @shinyzango and some Pokémon: strangled red characters watching it happen. Right beside their building is the one with the Bendy fandom on it, even some canceled aus are there with one being very recognizable. And to top it all off - in the far middle a fight between Perfect chaos and Shiny & Thunder is happening with AM on the side, enjoying the show. Oh, don't forget the people who are sailing their boats on the water below.

All I'm saying is that it would be chaos. And the funny Tumblr men such as @itsapmseymour would enjoy voicing it.

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the-starry-seas · 10 months ago

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So I guess it's as good a time as any to have a pinned post?

Hi, I'm Sticks! I use vae/vaer/vaers/vaerself and it/its pronouns. This is a multifandom blog with a dash of many other random things. I'm a proshipper, cloneshipper, multishipper, and polyshipper.

I'll tag things to the best of my ability if you ask. Sometimes I'll forget. I love being tagged in ask games, WIP games, last line challenges, literally whatever. Mutuals can DM for my discord.

You can check out my fics on AO3 at lizardwrites (Star Wars) or purpleturtle9000 (Rise/Bayverse TMNT). Or check the tag for sticks' fics to see drabbles and previews. My askbox is open for requests for more drabbles, headcanons, and general rambling.

Consider this a blanket permission for any and all transformative works of my writing. You may post translated versions of my fics on other sites but you may not repost the original work. And please show me what you've made!

I have a lot of OCs and I love talking about them. I also want to hear all about yours! In the meantime, there's a list of mine below the cut. tumblr wouldn't let me link all of them, but you can try copy-pasting the-starry-seas.tumblr.com/tagged/ and put in the character name (I tag with ranks, so put in CT Racer instead of just Racer).

The Murderbot Diaries:

Jude (she/they rogue SecUnit)

ROTTMNT:

Kestrel

Star Wars:

212th Squad (Boot, Mik, Squeaker, Moxie, Onion, Crumpet)

Aces Squad (CT Racer, CT Fury, CS Blue, CT Whisper, CT Ember)

B Roll, all-girls clone squad formed of Bark, Bite, Bumble, and Bee

Clone Force M (CT Winter, CT Bee, CT Indigo, CT Jewel, CC Nebula, CT Zenith, CT Sunny, CT Star, CT Sky, CT Silver)

Mar'eyce, modern AU Clone Force M, featuring the Smokejumpers

Ghost Squad (CL Harlow, CS Karla, CT Shay, CT Cavalry, CT Boom, CT Ray, CT Nox, CT Tally) and their associated Mandalorians

Green Squad (formerly) now civilians Aralyn, Berry, and Prey Drive

Royal Squad, five tubies adopted by the royal family in a nobody-dies Bail/Breha/Fox AU (Bug, Jaonyc, Yancy, Helio, Vidal)

Shili Squad (Chen Nihaan, Alyx, Bella, Corvin, Watcher, Atlas, Ginger, Circuit, and Synch)

Shiny Squad: Kit's batchmates CT Lucky, CT Shrike, and CT Carno

Grafitti & Rence of the Corrie Guard

Kit also of the Corrie Guard and Fox's shiny/adopted son

Legacy and Legend, a pair of Force-sensitive batchmates who are smuggled to a Jedi temple

Prim Fett (clone, Mandalorian, and adopted daughter of Boba)

Riye Verda (Kamino-cloned, Mandalorian-raised)

Switch (clone, reconditioned, cyborg, mercenary)

Kryndi (florist and Kit's girlfriend in the royal OT3 AU)

Cathedi (Jedi)

Xerin (Jedi)

Clan Merit, composed of Quin, Aya, and Amery (Mandalorians)

Mirshko (Mandalorian)

Torrak Varkus and Torrak Vermil (Mandalorian)

Vinir (Mandalorian)

Senaar, Rish'ak, Marev, and Maiangi from the Suum Ca'nara AU

Soruli and Seryla (Nautolan Jedi and Force-sensitive smuggler)

A'Hidayat (Tusken)

U'Rajya (Tusken)

Tusken OC umbrella tag

Ripper (Yautja in Star Wars)

Valkyries (all-women pirate crew-slash-polycule)

CC Kamor, Eixes Judarri, and Padawan Rivi from the Better or Worse AU, where a clone captain finds and adopts his general's padawan, with the help of the Zabrak smuggler who becomes his queerplatonic partner

Chen Xunielah, a Togruta ambassador and duchess, and her clone husband Chen Nihaan, who form the Chen family with their kids

Scrapper Crew, a collection of troublemaking ladies

Come Home AU, about Mando spouses separated by the Empire and later reunited

Mordex, a Force-sensitive kid enslaved by a Sith who later becomes a bounty hunter during the Clone Wars

And various SWTOR OCs, also an umbrella tag

Transformers:

Button

Chromeblaze

Demoiselle

Goldshot

Neutrobolt & Nitroblitz

Nightflash

Stormbrake

Voltcast

Various:

Rowan

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killiansprincss · 9 months ago

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Timeless - a Captain Swan AU - Chapter 2/19

Summary:

Season 3 divergence - When Zelenas time portal works, Henry wakes up alone in Storybrooke and must travel to the Enchanted Forest to get his family back. Only once he gets there he quickly realises its not like the one in his book, theres no Evil Queen and his mother Emma wasn't put through a wardrobe, theres even a poster inviting the entire kingdom to her engagement ball, to Hook. What will happen once Henry gets them to break this new curse and they get their memories back? In which chapter is inspired by a different Taylor Swift song.

AO3 CH.1

This is the newest chapter in my new CS Enchanted Forest with a twist AU, this fic has my entire heart so please read it! This is a Snowing chapter and will be focusing on Captain Swan very soon!! Please enjoy :)

Marys Song -

She said, "I was seven and you were nine"

I looked at you like the stars that shined

In the sky, the pretty lights

And our daddies used to joke about the two of us

Growing up and falling in love

And our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes

And said, "Oh my, my, my"

____________

“Johanna, I'm so bored.” Princess Snow, at 7 years old, was an independent girl. She loved her parents, but she was stuck inside her palace, and after 7 years of roaming around every inch of the palace, she wished to go outside.

“My dear Snow, why are you bored?” Snow loved Johanna, her lady in waiting. She was like a mother to her when her own mother was busy, but she didn't understand that she needed time away from the palace, she wanted to be like the girls she sees outside her window.

“Johanna please. We can tell mother and father I need a riding lesson! Or you wish to teach me about nature?” Snow was desperate to see the outside world.

Johanna sighed. “I will see what I can do.”

Snow smiles, she knows she’s won, Johanna is pretty easy to wear down.

A few days later Johanna tells Snow they can go riding together outside the royal path, and snow couldn’t be happier.

“Snow! Snow! Wait, you can’t go too fast!” Johanna calls out as Snow's horse gallops ahead slowly out of sight.

Snow's horse Nightshade starts to gain speed and she unintentionally loses sight of Johanna.

“Nightshade! Slow down! Ahhhhh.” Snow starts to scream as she clutches on Nightshade for dear life.

Nightshade neighs loudly and comes to a halt, throwing Snow off screaming as she hits the ground.

“Hello? Are you okay?” She hears a voice say.

She opens her eyes to see a boy, blonde scruffy hair, no older than 10 standing over her. He gives her a hand and helps her to her feet.

“Thank you.” She says to the boy. He was wearing ragged clothes and had dirt on his face. He was very different to any boy she had around the castle, even the stable boys were better dressed than he was.

“I’m David! What’s your name?” He asks.

“I’m..My name is Mary.” Snow smiles at the boy. She considered telling him who she was, but then again this was the first person her age not from the palace and she wanted to see what it was like. Being a normal child. “Do you live here”

The boy, David nods. “Me and my mother do, we grow crops on our farm to sell at the market, where do you live?”

Snow couldn’t tell him she lived at the palace, so she simply says, “I don't live far from here, but my parents don’t let me out of the house much, I don’t have many friends.”

“I’ll be your friend!” David says, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, Snow liked him, he had an infectious smile, and he was the first person to not see her as a princess,

“I like you David! You seem like a good friend!” They talk for almost an hour until Snow hears Johanna on her horse frantically looking for her.

“Oh no.”

“Is that your mother?” David asks.

“Not exactly no, but I may have lost her on my journey here.” Snow explains.

‘There you are! I have been looking for you! I was worried sick!” Johanna loved Snow, she cared for her like a daughter, and not just because it was her job to do so.

“I’m sorry Nightshade lost control and threw me off, I don’t know where he went. But I made a new friend, his name is David! He owns a whole farm, isn’t that amazing!” Snow always looked for the positives in life, something awful could happen but Snow would look and see the good thing, something her mother taught her, always look for the good even in the worst of situations

“We have to get you back home, your parents will be worried sick!” Johanna says, wiping the mud off Snow's dress.

“What about my friend? When can I see him again?” Snows asks, she wasn’t about to leave the first friend she had made.

David smiles at Johanna, there was something about this girl that he liked, he wanted to see her again.

Knowing Snow would keep pestering and pestering her she simply says, “Okay, okay. As long as you stay on the trail with me. Tomorrow, I can see what your mother thinks.”

Snow smiles, “see you tomorrow David! I can’t wait!”

“See you tomorrow Mary!” David calls out as Johanna helps Snow onto Nightshade.

“Mary?” Johanna asks.

“He can’t know I’m a princess, he won’t want to be my friend. Please Johanna please, don’t tell him.” Snow begs, this is her one chance to be somewhat normal, to have someone look at her like she was normal.

Johanna reluctantly agrees and the next day, Snow goes back to David and his farm. And the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that. They become best friends, Snow helps him harvest the crops, and he even gets her to milk the cow. Snow loved it, she was coddled at the palace, her mother would scream if she knew the things she was doing. But she didn’t care, she was having fun and that was all that mattered.

A few months later, after spending every few days together, Snow isn’t able to keep up her secret for much longer.

____

“We’re going to the King?” David asks his mother, excited to see the palace that rumour has it is remarkably beautiful.

“Yes my dear son. The Farm is suffering, and we need his help.” Ruth explains to her son. Their farm had been suffering for weeks, but Ruth was stubborn and wanted to find a way without asking the King for help. Too proud. But after the crops had been wilting they were not able to sell any to the market, and hadn’t the money to sustain themselves.

“Wow the Palace! I can’t wait to tell Mary about this!” David and Mary had become fast friends, they told each other everything, she would tell him about her horse Nightshade and he would tell her about how he ran around chasing his sheep. He knew she was clearly from a wealthy family-her clothes were nicer and not many families could afford a horse for their children. But she wasn’t snobby like some of the richer kids in the kingdom or the ones he met during his brief moments at school who looked down on him for not having much money, but Mary she didn’t mind that he had to work for his money, she was happy to get her pretty clothes a little muddy. He liked that she was different. And since he didn’t bother to go to school anymore he didn’t get to meet any other kids his own age. He knew he had a good friend in her.

King Leopolds and Queen Eva’s palace was grand. It was far more elegant than he could’ve imagined. There were colours he had never seen before, and the walls were decorated with so many paintings. One wall was lined with paintings of who he assumed were all the royals, they each had crowns sitting atop their heads with brightly coloured jewels.

They join the line of other people. His mother said that around this time of year, the King and Queen are generous and like to help out their people who are in need. There are roughly 10 people in front of David and his mother. He sees the Queen sitting on the throne at the end of the room, she has dark hair and a red dress on. The King sits beside her in deep conversation with the man at the front of the line. Then at the end, David presumes is the princess, he isn’t the tallest so he can’t see her very well but she sits on her own throne and her parents seem to adore her.

It must be nice, David thinks, to have two parents. David was always told his father was a brave man who sacrificed himself for others and that’s why he wasn’t around. But David wasn’t dumb, he didn’t know exactly what happened but he remembers hearing them fighting all the time and vividly remembers sneaking out of bed one night when the fight was really bad, his mother was yelling at him for being drunk. He also remembers her crying a lot, when he didn’t come home. And the day she told him he was gone forever, that was not a good day.

“Your majesties.” Ruth bows in front of the King and Queen when she gets to the front.

The King and Queen smile. “Whatever can we do for you?”

“Mary?” David creeps out behind his mother to take a look at the royal family, and in the Princess’ throne, Princess Snow, was his best friend Mary.

“David!” Mary, no, the Princess replies. “I can explain!”

“Snow?” Queen Eva looks to her daughter and to the young man. “Do you know this boy?”

“You’re the princess?” David looks at his friend in disbelief, she was lying to him?

“I wanted to be a normal girl for once, not a princess. So I’ve been getting Johanna to sneak me out of the palace.” She tells her parents. She looks over to David and his mother, fearing that he won’t want to see her again, “I’m sorry I lied. I thought you wouldn’t want to be my friend if you knew I was a Princess.”

The Queen whispers to her guards who announces to the rest of the people waiting to speak to the King and Queen would have to come back later. They needed to know what their daughter was getting up to.

“You’re Majesties, I had no idea young Mary here was Princess Snow.” Ruth felt so embarrassed, she had come to the Royal Family for help with her farm and ended up being in the middle of a scandal with her son. “But she and my son David have become quick friends, my boy has been getting her to milk our cows and feed our pigs. If I had known the truth, I wouldn’t have allowed this to happen.” Now the thoughts of the young girl mucking out didn’t sit well knowing her life of luxury and servants waiting on her.

King Leopold crouches down and looks at his daughter in the eyes, “Is it true? You’ve become friends with this young man?”

Snow nods, worrying what will happen. But Leopold just smiles and takes a look at David. “I’m not going to deny my daughter friendship. I admit I worry about my dear Snow so we do keep her locked up where it’s safe, but if she has found a friend in you young man, then I say why stop the blossoming friendship.”

Queen Eva can see how happy her daughter is, and like her husband said, who are they to deny friendship, “I believe it will do Snow some good, having a friend like you David. You can teach her that just because she is a princess, does not mean she is any better than someone like yourself who was not born into royalty.”

The King and Queen in the spirit of friendship pay off all the loans on the farm, and promise that if times get hard again, they would be more than happy to help again in the future, it was the least they could do for David who was their daughters first real friend. David and his mother were always welcome in the palace to see Snow, except when she had royal duties or lessons.

“You’re not angry with me?” Snow asks David, “for lying to you?”

David shakes his head, “I couldn’t be angry with you! I think it’s really cool you’re a princess!” He takes a look around at the ceiling, seeing all the floors and rooms it must have, “you just have to show me around the palace!”

_______________

I was sixteen when suddenly

I wasn't that little girl you used to see

But your eyes still shined like pretty lights

And your daddy used to joke about the two us

They never believed we’d fall in love

Years passed for Snow and David, and they remained best friends, well into their teen years. The King and Queen had offered Ruth and David roles at the palace, so that David could be close to Snow, and Ruth would not have to worry about the harsh winters but they politely declined, they loved their work on the farm too much. The three parents were amazed at how close their children were, they would joke that a royal wedding was in their future, but at their young ages they couldn’t think of anything worse.

Until that changed slowly over the years.

“I don’t like that Hercules kid.” David says seeing Snow excited to go hunting with her new “friend” who happened to be half Greek god.

“Okay Charming.” Snow teases, using the nickname she gave him a while back, “just because he’s a demigod doesn’t mean you need to be jealous, you’re just as strong and powerful as he is, running around after the pigs and carrying milk to the market is a hard job!”

“I’m not jealous! I don’t care how big his muscles are.” He lies, hoping Snow doesn’t detect any more jealousy. “It’s just that Greek gods are known for being corrupt, what if Hercules is also corrupt and will corrupt you by association?”

“He’s just teaching me how to use a bow and arrow, it’s not that deep!” Snow rolls her eyes at her best friend, he was overprotective sometimes, or at least that’s what he said.

The truth was, David was in love with Snow. He doesn’t know how or when it happened, but he was in love with her. He started to notice how her hair shone in the light and how her green eyes would light up when speaking about something she liked. He’d look at her lips and wonder what it would be like to kiss her. She was his best friend and it did worry things would change which is why he kept it hidden.

David would make excuses to come and see her more often because not seeing her was painful. But now she had started seeing Hercules, a literal Greek god who was good looking with large muscles and perfect hair, of course Snow was obsessed with him, he didn’t blame her, it would be if Aphrodite was around-though David did wonder if her beauty would compare to Snows. He was too afraid to tell Snow how he felt, she was a princess and he was just a shepherd. He couldn’t be with a princess, she was going to marry someone rich and noble and have royal babies while David would be left alone on the farm until he died.

“All right well I have to get back to my mother, those pigs don’t feed themselves.” He was too much of a coward to say how he truly felt, one day she would announce her engagement to a prince her parents chose, and David’s heart would truly break.

____

“Stupid Hercules, with his big muscles and being a half god.” David was angry. Not at Snow, not directly at Hercules either. He was angry at himself for not saying anything sooner.

“Stop stop stop.” Ruth tells her son, she can see his head is not focused. “You realise you're not feeding the pigs anything?” Gesturing to the empty bag of pig feeder.

“Sorry, I guess I’m just a little distracted.”

His mother nods, “I can see that. Go to her. Tell her how you feel before it’s too late.”

David scoffs, “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m your mother. I know everything. I see the way you look at her, you’re not just friends anymore are you.” And it wasn’t a question she was asking, it was a fact.

David kisses his mother on the cheek and runs to the palace, he was going to tell Snow how he felt. At last.

When seeing Snow, he would use the servants entrance rather than go through the main gates, it would take him into the kitchens where he’d smile at the head chef who knew him as he went to the passageway that led to a stairway outside Snow’s room. He lingers in the stairway next to her door for a few moments, working up the courage and going over what he was going to say.

“Johanna, I can't believe it!” He hears Snow's voice from inside.

“I take it you had a good time?” Johanna was still Snow's most loyal servant, he had gotten to know the older woman over the years and knew how much Snow loved her.

“He kissed me! Hercules actually kissed me! My first real kiss, I can’t believe it!”

In a matter of seconds David’s heart broke into a million little pieces. He was already too late. Hercules had got there first.

What really hurt was ‘my first real kiss’. David was her first kiss, granted they were both young and it wasn’t anything romantic, Snow dared him to kiss her, and he did. They both laughed about it, it didn’t mean anything. Except it did to him. He thought about it all the time, and as he grew older he wanted to kiss her again. Now he will never get the chance.

____

Snow hadn’t seen David in almost 2 weeks. It was a long time, Snow didn’t have any royal visits or duties planned so why hadn’t he come to see her?

Hercules was also gone, he was going to complete his next labour and he was one step closer to Olympus. Before he left, he kissed her goodbye. It was magical and beautiful, but he was gone. She would miss him, but they had only spent a few weeks together, and she didn’t love him. The kiss was nice, but her heart didn’t belong to him.

David on the other hand. What was it about the shepherd, he made her feel things nobody else did. The only person who knew of her feelings for him was Johanna. She probably knew the moment they met that they would end up falling in love. Except, he only thought of her as a friend. He will only ever think of her as a friend. He was always the little boy she met on the farm, who chased around the chickens and didn’t care that he had dirt on his face, but then over the years he became sweet and Charming, hence his nickname, and she kept thinking about his eyes. She would close her eyes at night and he would appear in her dreams, confessing his undying love for her, but then she would wake up and he would just be her friend.

For some reason he hadn’t been showing up, he would send letters saying he was busy with the farm, or he was making extra trips to the market. Something was up, and she was going to find out what.

She went to find her horse Nightshade, and rode up to his farm. He was there, he wasn’t at the market, and it didn’t seem like he was that busy.

“Hey Charming, you look really busy at Market Day.” She shouts as she dismounts Nightshade and ties him to the tree.

David drops the chicken feed, not expecting to hear her voice. “Dammit.” The chickens are now all around his feet where the food fell, pecking at him. His mother was going to kill him.

“Snow? What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” Snow was shocked, and annoyed that he was feigning innocence, “Where the hell have you been David? I haven’t seen you in almost 2 weeks, I miss my best friend.”

She hears him mumble something, and can’t quite make it out, she thinks she heard Hercules name. “What was that?”

He makes his way out of the chicken cot. “I said, I thought you were too busy courting Hercules.”

“I’m not courting anyone, and certainly not Hercules.” She says standing up straight and poised, careful not to let any emotion slip past her guard,

“No?” He asks, eyebrow raised clearly not believing her.

“No of course not, and I’m not sure why you would think so.”

David shrugs. “Just assumed so, I mean you were spending so much time together.”

“I thought you weren’t jealous?” Snow didn’t know why he was so jealous all of a sudden, even if she was romantically involved with Hercules it shouldn’t matter to David who has not once shown any interest in her other than friendship.

“I’m not jealous.” He’s lying, Snow can tell, she can always tell when someone is lying to her.

“David I’m not sure what is going on with you lately, one moment you’re my friend, the next you’re avoiding me and acting jealous because I’m spending time with someone else.” She wanted answers, she was tired of playing it safe. “If you don’t want to be my friend anymore then I don’t care.”

She turns her back and walks back over to Nightshade, if he was going through something, then he could figure it out on his own.

David swears as he runs to catch up with her. “Look, you were my best friend, still are. But I think I love you Snow. And no, not just as a friend. I think about you all the time, I want to be with you, I want to kiss you again and not laugh about it. I don’t care that I’m just a shepherd, I’m in love with you.” He looks into her green eyes and tries to read her reaction but he can’t, so he continues, “but if you’re with Hercules, how do I stand a chance against someone that’s a Greek god? I know that I’ll never be enough for you, but I want you to know that I’ve been in love with you for years and I don’t think I’ll ever not love you.”

Snow doesn’t say anything. She’s in shock. He loves her? Really loves her? The boy she’s been in love with for years, loves her back?

David watches Snow's facial expressions, sure she’s shocked and thinking and probably finally realising why he had been acting strange the past few weeks. When she doesn’t say anything back, he realises it was a mistake and turns back to his farm.

“Charming wait!” She calls out. Instead of saying anything, she runs over to him, grabs his coat turning him to face her and says nothing as kisses him. She kisses him for the first time, nothing like when they were younger no. This kiss is something she has wanted to do for years, she’s no longer the 9 year old that got kissed by David as a joke, she was 17 and in love with her best friend. He was the only person she wanted to be with.

“Wha-what was that for?” David asks when they finally pull away.

Snow laughs. “Seriously? Charming, I love you too. I think I’ve loved you for years, I just assumed you only ever saw me as a friend. And Hercules by the way, he’s gone. I didn’t love him, it’s you who I want to be with.”

David kisses her again. This was perfect.

_____

Years pass and Snow is still in love with David. David’s mother is over the moon, she wants only happiness for her son. The King and Queen on the other hand were a different story. They loved David, he was a great friend to Snow and he made her happy, they adored him for that reason.

However the kingdom was suffering, they were not as rich as they once were. They always wanted Snow to marry for love, but they didn’t think she would fall for the penniless shepherd. She couldn’t marry him, he would bring no money and no wealth to the kingdom. Snow had to be married to another prince, or a duke from a wealthy kingdom.

The two had spoken about marriage over the years, whilst Snow knew her parents wished for her to marry a nobleman or Prince, she knew they loved her and loved David. She wanted to marry for love and did not think they would have a problem. David on the other hand did have his reservations, whilst he loved Snow and wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of their lives together, he couldn’t imagine actually marrying her and marrying into royalty. Life would be different. But then for Snow it was worth it.

So the two lovers go to the King and Queen to ask for their blessing.

“Your majesties, you know how much I love your daughter. She makes me happy every day and I can't imagine life without her.” He smiles at her and she squeezes his hand in reassurance. “I know I do not come from much, I am but a shepherd but I promise to love and cherish your daughter every day, I wish for your blessing to marry her.”

It’s King Leopold who speaks first. “David, we understand how you feel about our daughter. I do not doubt your intentions.”

Queen Eva picks up where he doesn’t know how to continue, “Snow. Dear sweet Snow, as much as we would love for this union to happen, it simply can’t. Our kingdom will be in debt three years into your marriage if you do not marry a nobleman. We were going to introduce you to the idea of suitors but then the two of you began a courtship of your own and I was hoping you would come to your senses. I’m sorry but we do not accept this union.”

Snow didn’t know what to say, she looked at her parents with wide eyes and shakes her head, lip trembling as she fought the tears that wanted to come out. There was nothing to say to them so she storms out of the palace with David at her heels. It’s only when she is outside the palace walls that she drops down and tears begin to flow.

“Let’s run away together.” Snow tells him a few nights later. Since telling their parents, Snow had been staying with David at the farm, avoiding her parents.

“What?”

“I mean it. Let’s get married, and run away together. I don’t want to be a Princess or Queen if I can’t be with you. So let’s get married, without telling my parents. It can be just you, me, your mom and Johanna. Then we can run away and start our lives together.” Snow was crazy, David thought, but brilliant at the same time.

He kisses her and tells her, “If that’s what you want.”

“I’m only happy if I’m with you.” And she meant it, they were meant to be together, she could feel it.

“In that case.” He drops down to one knee and pulls out the ring he’d had in his pocket for months. It wasn’t new, it wasn’t the fancy jewellery she was used to, he wouldn’t be able to afford that if he tried, he’d end up starving for 2 years before he could buy a cheap metal band. But the ring he gives Snow is special, it’s his mothers, he didn’t want to accept it at first, his parents' marriage didn’t work out. But Ruth said she saw great things in he and Snow's future, she was getting old and wished for nothing more than to see her son get married before she died.

#captain swan #captain swan fanfic #cs ff #cs fanfic #ouat fanfic #my writing #snowing #kp fic; timeless

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snowbellewells · 1 year ago

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A Birthday Gift for the Amazing Krystal @kmomof4

Krystal @kmomof4 -- I tried and tried to come up with just the right sort of story to write for your birthday, or rec list to make of your works, or gift to send to you in the mail, but nothing seemed quite right. Then an idea finally struck me. I hope you will enjoy it, and that maybe it will feel like the gift keeps on giving as it unfolds: A Krystal's "Choose-Her-Own-Adventure" Story!!! (I don't know if you remember those books where you, the reader, got to choose the different turns it would take at various points in the story.) I'm hoping to gift you a story where you get to choose the pieces and parts you'd like, and I'll craft something that goes along with what you suggest.

So, to start us off message me, or send me an ask, or e-mail me (or whatever you would like :) and answer these questions to start with, and I'll do my best to get your adventure on its way....

Sorry it's so late in the day, but I hope it's been a wonderful birthday for you. You deserve all the celebration possible!!!

Questions to start under the cut:

Overall Type of Fic You Want: Canon Compliant/Missing Moment Canon Divergent Modern AU///Enchanted Forest AU Historical AU Movie/Show/Book AU Other (another type you would prefer)

Other Relationships to Include Besides CS: Captain Cobra Captain Charming daddy!Charming mama!Snow CaptainBook BrothersJones Other (your choice)

Side Characters to Work In: Will Tink Grumpy Elsa Ruby Jefferson Other (your choice(s)

Relationship Tropes to Use: Slow Burn - Mutual Pining Enemies to Lovers Soulmates Childhood Sweethearts Forbidden Love Princess/Pirate or Royal/Commoner Musician or Actor/Actress Other (up to you)

Plot Elements to Include: Bed Sharing (Only One Bed) Isolated or Trapped (huddling for warmth) Love Potion Truth Serum Pregnancy (accidental or planned - you choose) Natural Disaster (shipwreck/fire/flood/etc.) Other

#birthday fic idea #komof4 birthday gift #choose your own adventure fic #fandom shipmate birthday

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winterchimez · 1 year ago

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please tell me all abt the sunwoo jichang and jacob fics PLEASSEE i know some of them like the sunkyu series but Pls 🙏🏼

my sweetest moni <3 ask and you shall receive ✨

Dancing With A Stranger (Ji Changmin)

summary: you both hated each other’s guts for as long as you could remember since joining the dance club. but as summer is approaching and your club has decided to host a summer camp getaway, you are left with no choice nor escape as you get paired up with your rival to perform a choreography together by the end of the camp.

pairing: rival Changmin x dancer f!reader

genre: angst, suggestive, slight fluff

a/n: okay so i was supposed to get this out for K-Vanity's Summer Event but due to irl stuff i wasn't able to finish it on time 😭 but i will eventually get this out bcs I LOVE THIS WIP. Sam Smith's Dancing With A Stranger will forever be one of my ult fav songs ever ✋ tho depending on when i'll publish this i'll def change the season to match the timeline by then fs

After Hours (SunKyu series)

summary: you've been The Lupin's main singer for the past several years, and none of the large number of men who have tried to woo you has ever piqued your interest. that is until one fateful night where you encounter a secret admirer of yours, Kim Sunwoo, and that is where you truly believe and realised that he was one of a kind.

though at the same time, your roommate, or rather friends-with-benefits at this point, Ji Changmin has begun to see his relationship with yours as something much more then ever before.

it is up to you to make the ultimate decision. to choose the admirer? or your one and only roommate.

pairing: admirer Sunwoo x singer f!reader x fwb Changmin

genre: suggestive, angst, otome

a/n: this whole series was actually inspired from The Weeknd's Moth To A Flame, so umm yes, this will be pretty suggestive 🤓 i plan to make this a mini series, so i'll probably have 5 general chapters, and then eventually one chapter per route (aka you will be choosing either Sunwoo's or Changmin's ending depending on your choice) so yeah kinda like those jp otome games lol

a lil snippet from the drafts 👀

Untitled (SangKyu series)

okay so i have two options for this

Black & White Swans au

pairing: royal Sangyeon x royal f!reader x enemy Changmin

genre: angst, suggestive, crime, fluff, otome

a/n: this whole series was inspired from this tiktok i saw!! i was like omg that would be such a cool series 😮 though the thing is i've never written royal au before, nor do i have much experience in them cs i don't really read much royal au fics to begin with 😭 so i'm still debating on going this route or not

Cops & Robbers au

pairing: detective Sangyeon x detective f!reader x thief Changmin

genre: crime, angst, some fluff & suggestive, otome

a/n: now this is a genre im pretty much more comfortable writing in lmao this was inspired by one of my all-time fav jp drama Dorokei!! i literally watched this for Nakajima Kento back then 😭 but i'd imagine you and Sangyeon are detectives who've been on the hunt for Changmin for as long as possible (and Changmin would kinda play the role of Arsène Lupin in this). so every time your police force has always failed to capture the man himself, because what they didn't know was that you were living with two identities, aka also being Changmin's right-hand woman in his crime spree hohoho 👀

like before, around 5 general chapters before choosing which route/ending you'd prefer!!

summary: the campus heartthrob whom you've had a crush on for the longest time finally asks you out on a date. since you have never been on a date before, you decided to elicit the help of your best friend, Kim Sunwoo, for some romantic advice.

pairing: f!ckboy Sunwoo x g.n!reader

genre: suggestive, angst, fluff

a/n: never in a million years would i have known that this would be my most well-received fic as of now and with the many requests i've gotten to make a pt2 for this, i will have to now (technically it was my fault for ending it on a cliffhanger so 👀)

but eyyy, with pt2 all i can say is we'll def see y/n's date with Hyunjae, Sunwoo gets jealous and is not happy about it (though he tries to hide it to the best of his abilities but he will eventually fail HAHAH), confronts y/n abt it, and yeehaw more spicy scenes coming your way folks ✨

read pt.1 here!!

Door (Kim Sunwoo)

pairing: ex Sunwoo x g.n!reader

genre: angst, hurt

a/n: this is inspired from their jp track door! ever since i released lip sync i was determined to also write for my other fav tracks from the album, one of them being this one!! i haven't planned much of the plot yet, but judging from the lyrics i'm definitely going for an angsty breakup fic, may or may not get both Sunwoo & reader to be reunited at the end 👀

Starry Night (Jacob Bae)

summary: your childhood friend Jacob has promised you that he would give you the best graduation gift you'll ever receive. you did not expect that you would both travel out of the country to the City of Love and eventually become more than just friends.

pairing: best friend Jacob x g.n!reader

genre: fluff, crack & humour

a/n: this is a fuzzy warm fluffy cobie fic!! there's just something about stargazing while lying down on a field with your loved ones. originally, i had planned to write this for his birthday way back in May, but i couldn't so i'm saving this for the future! but i'd imagine you both lying down on the fields near where the Eiffel Tower is, and just stargazing with one another 🫶 and i'll def write about some cute and fluffy moments from their trip (cafe hoping, etc.)

ask me about my wips!

#❄️ — asks!#❄️ — wips!#mutuals! <3 #moni 🦝

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driaswrld · 1 year ago

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royal au w geto and gojo + smut??? OH WE EATING REALL GOOD 🤭🤭 i’m sitting here patiently bae i’m here for it!!!

IM COOKING SO GOOD RN BAE OMGGG😩✋🏾

plus like im throwing in a bit of bridgerton humor cs i can 😭 (on my lady whistledown shit frfr) ALSO ALSO YESS my first smut thingy on this blog im crying screaming i hope u guys will like it im in loveee rn

if it does well i'll do a full feature event thing with other jjk characters 🤭🤭

#★ MOOTIES

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human-nxture · 2 years ago

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Random tropes for you:

Five, Nyssa,Tegan - 2 + 49

Twelve & Clara - 45 + 7

Captain swan - 6 + 41

@thisbluespirit

!. Royal AU and Marriage of Convience- ... This necessarily wouldn't have to be an AU. I mean, I can see a BF story where Nyssa has to marry a prince or a king in order to save her friends who've been imprisoned. ( there's sort of one where she's fake married bc of plot reasons)

2. Fake Dating and Florist AU- Clara is a florist and needs an Emergency Boyfriend ( like in that Christmas ep) so she tries to convince this one guitarist who keeps coming in.

3. Bookstore AU and Flowers of Romance- Are you... sure you meant this ship with this one? :P Well @searchingwardrobes has done him being a bookstore owner ( I have it open in another window at the moment in fact ! ) so what I might do is have Belle be the bookstore owner and have a meet cute with CS in there. Eventually they get closer and he sends flowers to her house or work.

I'm gonna be honest, I really like this idea.

Got more tropes?

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sentryofwords · 5 months ago

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Princess Celestia CS

the character sheet for Princess Celestia in my human in equestria AU

Background Information

Age: 1821 cycles; 299 years

Date of Birth: mo/da/1711 (Human) or 54th day (out of 60) of -30 C.E. (Equestrian)

Place of Birth: Canterlot

Nationality: Equestrian

Education: Homeschooled by Starswirl the Bearded and others until adulthood(ish). Has continued on to teach herself anything she needs to know.

Social Standing

(Co)Ruler of Equestria

Very popular

Physical Appearance

Race/species: Alicorn (Transformed)

Coloration: white, with a multicolored mane and tail that appear to be floating. Mane and tail have both slowly been charged with magic over time to give it this effect. This happens to all Alicorns eventually.

Cutie mark: a yellow sun emblem. This is seen throughout Equestria and the royal palace. Her cutie mark is on the flag.

Clothes: wears a golden decorative breast collar with her cutie mark engraved on it. Wears decorative hoof boots ( the kind to signify nobility). Wears a tiara (not a crown, this is key)

Personality

Posture: Stands tall, regal and graceful

Gesticulations: uses her eyes to talk a lot, but mouth tends to stay in a mostly neutral position. Will rarely, if at all, utilize her hips or hind legs when gesticulating, only her front legs, with only a few controlled movements that she tends to cycle through.

Speech: calm and cordial, never angry sounding, only stern. Feels authoritative. Has a slight accent due to the language changing over the course of her rule.

Friends: Twilight sparkle, Spike, Sunset Shimmer(?), Starswirl the Bearded

Enemies: Major known enemies of Equestria, anyone bad enough to be seen as a serious threat.

Relations: Princess Luna, REDACTED

#mlp #mlp au #character sheet #human in equestria #princess celestia #mlpfim

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amitypunjab · 2 years ago

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Study at the best B.com Hons in Punjab University | Amity University Punjab campus

B. Com (Hons) or Bachelor of Commerce Honors is an undergraduate degree program that focuses on in-depth study and specialization in the field of commerce and business. It covers various aspects of commerce and finance, such as accounting, economics, taxation, and management.

This degree is a perfect choice for students who are interested in pursuing a career in the commerce field. Looking for B. Com Hons. in Punjab University of Amity in Mohali, then you are in the right place.

Overview

B. Com (Hons) at Amity University Punjab offers specialization in specific areas such as accounting, finance, taxation, economics, and management. This allows students to develop in-depth knowledge and understanding of a particular area of commerce. They can choose a specialization that aligns with their interests and career goals.

Enhance job opportunities

This degree is highly valued in the job market as it prepares students for various roles in the commerce field. B. Com (Hons) graduates can work in both the public and private sectors in areas like banking, finance, accounting, management, auditing, and taxation.

Preparation for professional courses

B. Com (Hons) provides a strong foundation for pursuing professional courses like Chartered Accountancy (CA), Cost and Management Accountancy (CMA), and Company Secretary (CS). The coursework of B. Com (Hons) is aligned with the syllabus of these professional courses.

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The coursework of this degree program provides students with a solid understanding of various aspects of commerce, such as finance, accounting, and management. This knowledge is essential for setting up and running a successful business.

Scope of B. Com (Hons)

The scope of B.Com (Hon) is vast and offers a wide range of career opportunities in various fields. At B. Com Hons. in Punjab University of Amity, students have several opportunities to improve their communication, teamwork, and leadership abilities.

Accountant

Financial Analyst

Tax Consultant

Investment Banker

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Operations Manager

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Teacher or Lecturer

What makes Amity University Kolkata campus one of the best colleges for B. Com Hons in Punjab/ B. Com honours colleges in Mohali, Punjab.

The University has undertaken significant initiatives including:

Developing Employability Skills workshops that increase a student's employability

Learn programmes from abroad to increase exposure to the world

Building entrepreneurial skills on campus

Exposure on multiple levels to various technologies

Amity, a sustainable and values-driven organisation, is taking the initiative to alter the educational environment.

With 30 years of excellence in education and 150,000+ strong alumni network, there is no doubt that AU Punjab is among the top B. Com Hons. in Punjab University of Amity located in Mohali.

We have industry-led pedagogy, where prestigious groups like the multinational conglomerate Tata, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in the UK, and the Confederation of Indian Industry established institutions in collaboration with Amity.

Learn more on www.amity.edu/mohali

Source : https://sites.google.com/view/bcom-hons-in-punjab-university/home?authuser=4

#b.com hons in punjab university #best college for b.com hons in punjab #b com honours colleges in mohali punjab

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seriouslyhooked · 4 years ago

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Feels Like This (Part 10)

Emma Swan is a once lost girl who is now making good. She has made a way in the world for her and her young son, Henry, and after years of hard work, Emma is in her last stretch of schooling for the career she’s always wanted. Unexpectedly, she finds herself in a tiny nation no one’s ever heard of for her last year of study. She knows nothing about the place except that it’s beautiful, has a world-renowned child life program, and is filled with possibility. Meanwhile, Prince Killian is hardly happy with the title he received at birth. As the second in line for the crown, Killian has long tried shaking his royal duties. He built a career in the royal navy, and has stayed out of the limelight, but his ship has been called to port indefinitely at the request of his brother, the King. Fate (in her many forms) brings Emma and Killian together and the resulting fic is a cute, fluffy, trope filled romp featuring heart felt moments, a healthy dose of insta-love and an assured happily ever after. Story rated M and will have 12 parts. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9. Available on FF Here and AO3 Here.

A/N: Hi everybody! I am so excited to FINALLY be back with a new chapter of a fic that so many of you have fallen in love with. This response has been truly unprecedented in my writing experience. I have had lots of fics that many of you rooted for and supported me in, and I am always so grateful for that, but having a hiatus from writing this story showed me just how invested so many of you are. This is a great feeling as a writer, and that excitement you all have is the only reason I have been able to write more of this fic. My ability to write at my usual pace has been tested this fall, and there’s been some ups and downs in my attempts to reengage, but I love this story and I am so excited to share the rest of it with you all. I hope you will all like this new installment, I thank you again for continuing this with me, and I cannot wait to hear what you think!

“Mmmm, this smells delicious,” Henry said, hovering over the skillet not for the first time this evening, and breathing in the pasta sauce Killian had been working on the past half hour. To the boy’s credit, it did smell absolutely wonderful, a comforting classic anyone would love, and which the three of them had earned, after a day of unexpected meetings and introductions. This pasta was a traditional Montennaran recipe, not far off from a classic Sicilian pomodoro, but with the benefit of a few of this country’s specialties. It was a favorite of his personally, and one of the few meals he’d learned to cook well during his time in the service.

“Seriously. Who knew you could cook like this?” Emma said, still stunned at the display before them. She must have assumed from pizza night and the slow cooking speed of their first date that he was fully a novice, and he was in many ways. But he did have a few small tricks up his sleeves, and one was this sauce, which was easy to make as long as he had the right ingredients. It was quick, but precise, and it gave off the perception that he had mastered something difficult, even though that wasn’t true.

“This dish is a special one for me and for my unit. This is the spread each of us waited for during deployments. You crave so many things when you’re without them for so long, but this meal symbolized something else. The moment we’d touch down on Montennaran soil, this is the first thing we would eat. It represents safety just as much as it does a good meal.”

“You always had this?” Henry asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. “No matter what time?”

“Breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This was it,” Killian said, smiling at the memory of early morning pasta meals that he’d enjoyed more than most other moments in his time at sea. Those were the times when they all felt at peace again, and where they allowed themselves to breathe and heal no matter what dark moments had been withstood. “We took turns preparing it, tired as we’d all be from the tour and the travel, but the pressure was on. The last thing you want to do is disappoint newly anchored sailors. It’s a mistake that may just be your last.”

“No kidding,” Henry said, surprised but taking the words at face value. “It sounds so cool though. Being in the Navy, I mean. You meet all those people, people who are your family too even if you’re not related.”

“Aye, lad, they are my family. Always will be.”

“I can’t wait to meet them someday,” Henry said eagerly. Killian noticed Emma tense a bit but she didn’t need to worry. It was always his intention to introduce them all, because it was his plan to keep Emma and Henry with him forever. “Will it be like today do you think?”

“That depends on how you think today went.”

Killian’s quip earned a laugh from Henry and a soft smile from Emma. He was teasing as if the afternoon had been anything but excellent, when of course that was not the case. Despite the unexpected nature of it all, his family had been on their best behavior and they’d all immediately loved Emma and her boy. He knew in his heart they would, but it took a lot of pressure off and hopefully would help ease some of Emma’s worries about where this was going and if his family would approve.

“Today was totally awesome!” Henry said. “Everyone was so nice and cool. But Gran was definitely my favorite.”

“For now maybe,” Killian said, knowing full well what the draw of his Gran was and how her energy and feistiness made her infinitely lovable. “But give it time. My Mum and Liam both have a few more tricks up their sleeves.”

“What did you think of today, Mom?” Henry asked, and Killian was intrigued to know her thoughts. He doubted that Emma would go very deep with her assessment, but she was always honest with her son, of that Killian was totally assured.

“It was… easy,” Emma confessed, smiling at the memories of the day. “I never expected to feel so welcomed right away, but everyone was so normal, it was nice.”

“Normal is pushing it a bit, love. My grandmother’s revelations alone somewhat undermine my family’s classification as something so benign.”

“Maybe,” Emma said with a shrug. “But the families I’ve seen all have some kind of well-meaning meddling, don’t they? Hers just has a bit more royal flare.”

“Oh, Gran’s got flare all right. No doubt about that,” Henry said cheekily as he took the dishes and silverware from Emma and headed to the dining room to set the table.

It wasn’t a statement the boy had meant to be impactful, but it hit Killian right in the heart. That was another special moment from today. There was no formality with his family and Henry and Emma, and he had witnessed the moment his grandmother insisted that Henry call her Gran as well. To have Henry accept that so quickly was a blessing, and another bright spot in what had been a beautiful day.

“And what about you?” Emma asked him when they were alone. “How did you think today went?”

Instinctively Killian turned off the burner, knowing the food was ready to serve but not wanting it to be ruined. He wiped his hands clean of any rogue tomato and then he pulled Emma straight into his arms in one fluid motion. Without pause, he pressed a kiss to her lips that was meant to be soft and nonintrusive in case Henry returned, but quickly morphed to something heated when Emma clutched at his shirt and arched in closer. By the time they pulled apart, he almost forgot the question, but Emma’s curious green eyes prompted him to reassure her of the truth.

“Today was one of the best days I’ve ever known, love. The most important people in my world came together, and if my instincts are correct, it’s gone just about as perfectly as it could. I couldn’t ask for anything more than that…”

“Sounds like there’s a ‘but’ hanging in that statement,” she said, running her fingers across his cheek as she looked at him, searching for answers. “Talk to me.”

“It’s just that I -,”

“Okay, table’s set!” Henry said, barreling back into the kitchen and prompting Killian to step back from Emma but to keep his hand in hers.

Emma and Killian exchanged a look that silently said they would pick up this conversation again later, but Killian squeezed her hand in what he hoped was a calming and comforting gesture. The hanging words he’d yet to say were hardly bad ones, he just had to admit that as beautiful as today was he wanted so much more. He’d never have enough days like this one for his liking. He would always want more, no matter what came, and that was what he’d have to ask her for if not today then someday very soon.

Dinner proceeded without a hitch, and not only was his cooking a success, but the meal was fun and lively. Henry made for so much conversation, and his thoughts on the day were long and varied. He was so full of excitement and energy that it was contagious, and Killian learned more from both the boy and his mother about what they’d taken from meeting his family. They all talked about the center too, about Marco and Marie and Cecelia, and then at length about Anna and especially Elsa.

“Do you think anything will come from it?” Emma asked Killian at one point, after they’d already dissected how undeniable the moment was between Emma’s friend and Killian’s brother.

“Oh for sure,” Henry said before Killian could respond. Both Emma and Killian laughed at his confidence.

“You seem rather certain, lad.”

“Well it’s pretty obvious. I mean he looks at Elsa the way you look at Mom. They’re totally gonna get together. It was love at first sight. Just like with you two.”

“Henry,” Emma said, chastising him somewhat but in a measured way.

“What?”

“Well not for nothing, but you didn’t even see Killian and I meet how could you know it was…”

“Love at first sight?” Killian offered, grinning at her, knowing in his heart that was exactly what they’d felt the moment they laid eyes on each other.

“Exactly.”

“Oh, come on, Mom,” Henry said, rolling his eyes in a move Killian rarely ever saw, but which looked exactly like his mother when she was exasperated. He nearly choked on his water, but he powered through, biting back a laugh at Emma’s shocked face. “It was totally love. You came home extra happy and you had a dreamy look on your face all the time when Killian started volunteering. And since then you’ve been kinda… what does Mrs. H call it again? Oh right, scatterbrained. Love can do that, you know. I asked Gran about it today and she said it’s a telltale sign.”

“You asked her that?” Emma asked, shocked and maybe just a little bit mortified as Henry nodded like it was no big deal.

“Yup. She knows everything. She said that’s what happens when you’re old, and since Mrs. H says that too I think it’s probably true. Come to think of it, they’d be great friends don’t you think?”

“Mrs. H and Queen Eleanor?” Emma asked, as if the thought of their neighbor and Killian’s grandmother being ‘friends’ was too much to handle. “Well I mean, now that you mention it, there are a few similarities there.”

“Totally. And if Mrs. H was here she’d agree with me about Liam and Elsa. It’s totally love, and that’s awesome. Queen Elsa. It has a nice ring to it. Like she was meant to be a royal.”

Killian didn’t think Elsa was the only one with a name suited for royalty. In his estimation Princess Emma and even Prince Henry were rather fitting as well, but he bit that statement back, not wanting to overwhelm Emma or bring something up in front of Henry that she wasn’t ready for. Instead he steered the conversation in other directions, enjoying himself thoroughly as they all enjoyed dessert together that Emma had put together before watching a movie the three of them. It was a totally natural thing, and at more than one point Killian thought that they really looked like a family. It filled his heart with hope, and he wished one day he could officially claim both of them as his. But tonight, he’d just enjoy how good it felt to be with two such special people who seemed to see something in him too.

“Okay, kid, it’s about that time. It’s late already, so PJs and then you can read two chapters and then that’s all she wrote. You got me?”

“Sure, Mom. But can I read to Killian tonight? I’m at a great part in the story. The pirates are about to board the ship.”

“Um, I’m not – I mean, if you want?” Emma asked deferring to him though she was obviously flustered.

“Sounds good to me,” Killian said prompting relief in Emma and a sound of excitement from Henry.

Henry hurried to get himself ready for bed, and just as he’d promised, he proceeded to read Killian two chapters of his current book. The title was one Killian recognized from his youth, but he was impressed that a ten year old had such command of the story. Henry was a good reader but also theatrical, keeping Killian’s attention all the while. Only when he closed the book did Killian leave the swashbuckling alternative universe the story took place in.

“Quite the tale there, lad. You’ll have to keep me apprised of what happens next.”

“No need, I’ll save it until you come back again,” Henry said easily, gesturing to his bookcase which was full of books in so many shades and shapes. “I’ve got tons of them to read.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Killian said truthfully standing back up and heading towards the door. “Well thanks again for the story, Henry. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Killian,” Henry said, letting out a yawn and settling into bed. “Love you.”

The words placed a direct hit on Killian’s heart, and he was unsure if Henry had meant to say it or if sleep was getting the better of him, but Killian could only go on instinct. He answered honestly, telling the boy he loved him too and seeing him smile and settle to sleep before slipping into the hall and walking right into Emma who had tears in her eyes.

“Emma?” he asked, mindful to keep his voice more a whisper than something that could wake up Henry. “Is everything all right?”

“He said he loves you,” Emma whispered, and Killian nodded, brushing her tears away as he held her close.

“He did, love, and it made me feel ten feet tall.”

“Because you love him too,” she whispered, awed at that as if were some kind of stunning revelation and not a given fact of life.

“Of course I do. He’s an amazing boy, and his mother… well she’s the beating of my heart. How could I do anything but love him when he’s a piece of you, Emma?”

“What were you going to say earlier?” Emma asked, abruptly pulling them back to that moment in the kitchen. He debated holding back, but he decided ultimately it was better to put all of his cards on the table. Transparency was key if they had any shot of making this work.

“I was going to say that you, Emma Swan, are the reason. You’re my reason for everything, this impossible gift I never saw coming, and I’m lost in you. I see this perfect moment and forever when I look in your eyes, I see a life I’m desperate to pursue and real hope for the future. I still can’t believe that you’ve chosen me and that I’m standing here with you at all, and a day as good as this one only reminds me that I’ll always have this want - this need - for you. I love you, Emma, irrefutably, incandescently. In a forever and so much longer kind of way.”

“I love you too. Just as much,” Emma said, her voice stronger this time though her tears still came. They appeared to be the product of joy instead of sadness, but they still clutched at his chest like a vice. The only antidote was pulling Emma somewhere private, in this case her bedroom, and confirming he was right.

Once the door was closed behind them, locking them into a sound tight suite on the other end of Emma’s temporary home, their actions blended together. He didn’t lead the way, but moved with Emma, a dance that felt so much more practiced than it was. Emma pulled him for steamy kisses, and he savored her taste on his tongue as he held her close and moved her back towards the bed in her room. The lights were dimmed, but washed the room in a warmth he felt upon his skin. He was burning up from the closeness and the promise of what was to come, but the only thing he could think was that he needed more.

In the back of his mind, Killian also realized that this moment needed quiet. With Henry in the house, they didn’t have the freedom he might yearn for, but no matter. He had the love of the most incredible woman and she’d accepted his love in return. That needed celebration and merited some long-desired reveling. He wanted to show her how he felt, and though he’d finally said the words and attempted to make her understand, the feelings he had went so much deeper. Looking in her eyes right now, he could tell she felt just as much, but the time for waiting and wondering was over. They had put the truth between them and now it was time to truly immerse themselves in it.

Instinct and hunger soon took over for Killian, melding with the love he felt and the softer feelings in his heart in a wickedly wonderful way. He wanted Emma bared to him as soon as could be, spread out on the sheets of this bed and ready for his taking. They’d been flirting with the pleasures they could have for a while now, and they’d been intimate before, but this was different. This was a first in many ways, and Killian was intent on having this moment be one they wouldn’t rush, and that they’d remember for the rest of their lives.

A primal voice in his brain urged him to take her fast and hard, to make a claim they’d both feel branded by, but Killian anchored himself to an idea of something slower and more sensual. He knew taking his time would prove so much more gratifying, and he wanted to make this as good for his Swan as it could possibly be. He helped Emma out of clothes, noticing the tremble of her hands as he did. She was buzzing with excitement and electricity, but she matched his pace, understanding that if they drove each other crazy for just a little longer it would be sublime.

He was entranced by her entirely, and as her clothes from the day fell away, revealing two extremely unexpected scraps of red lace underneath, he couldn’t help but groan. No woman had a right to be so lovely, to claw at him so surely, and to set him alight in this way, but God did he love it. Emma was impossible, but somehow she was real. He felt her responsiveness to him and tracked the way that she noticed how his appreciative gaze moved up her body. A flush spread across her creamy skin, but she stood there, proud and sure as her hands moved across his body, removing his clothes as he’d done hers.

“I didn’t know that I could want this much,” she whispered, the honey-laced tone of her voice a sweet melody to his ears. “I need you, Killian. I love you.”

“Fuck me,” he grumbled, surprising her by taking her in his arms and lowering her to the bed. She let out a gasp before giving into laughter, her eyes bright and sparkling in the lamp light.

“Believe me, I’m trying,” she quipped, but her feistiness faded somewhat as he shed the rest of his clothes. Now her attention had switched, she was watching him steadily, and unconsciously licked her lips. That was it. His patience broke and he was on her, hands roaming, mouth teasing, and hellbent on more.

“Much as I might love that idea, Swan, tonight isn’t about fucking. Tonight I make love to the woman of my dreams. Tonight I show you my heart in full. It’s so much more than sex.”

“I know,” Emma whispered, running her hands along his cheek. “So show me.”

Bound by her request, Killian set out to do just that. It began with roaming hands and removing the last two scraps of red that shielded her from him. Once she was bare, he let himself explore and learn every spot and lick and nip that made her breathless. He traced the sensitive places on her body that made her hum in pleasure, and cherished each freckle on her skin that had come from the summer sun. He riled her up with his hands and his mouth until she was pleading for release, and then he gave it to her, touching her tender flesh and prompting a thready moan from her lips.

“Killian.” Emma’s croon was ragged and gorgeous, making him harder than he ever thought possible. The sound of her desire reached within his soul and engulfed him completely. Unable to resist, he felt himself growing addicted, unsure if he could ever stop. He needed her sighs like he needed to breath, and he purposefully pulled as many sounds of pleasure from her as he could.

There was nothing like Emma lost in lust. She’d never been more beautiful and he didn’t know how that was possible. As his thumb swirled against her clit and his fingers filled her, she gave more away, revealing herself and her needs in ways that made him dizzy. Every response set Killian aflame, and every breathy sigh and plea for more was a sign he intended to follow until he’d led her right over the edge and she shattered beneath him.

“You destroy me, love,” he found himself saying as he looked down at her and brushed some strands of her curled blonde hair out of her eyes. “Destroy me and make me into so much more. I’m in awe of you.”

In the face of her release, and the sincere words that he meant completely, Emma blushed again but smiled. Her expression was one he’d only ever seen her share with him, and it made him feel indestructible. He’d never met a person with more impact on his soul, and he’d never met a woman who so effortlessly created hope and good in his heart. Emma Swan was everything a man could ever want made real, and Killian still couldn’t comprehend how he was lucky enough to be here.

“I can’t imagine this is real,” Emma said, her words still dazed, but happy and content. “But I know it is. I know you are. I’m in this, Killian. I’ve never been more in.”

“Thank God for that, love,” Killian said with a grin and one more kiss before he trailed lower.

With careful attentions designed for maximum pleasure, Killian hit each peak point on her body, bestowing licks and nips that made her jump and mewl. By the time he’d reached her inner thighs, she was breathing heavy, anticipation clear as day. Killian looked up to her now emerald colored eyes as his hands held her steady, needing to know that this was what she wanted and what he saw was irrefutable. Emma was just as desirous for this as he was, and Killian was never so glad for anything in his life.

When his tongue met her sex, he tasted her need for him. Her body writhed beneath him, but he held her still, knowing she needed this from him now. She was wound up tight, the desire twisting around inside her and making her try to break away, but he built it up wanting to give her something she’d never get enough of. With slow, languid licks, he built the moment for him and her. The higher she climbed, the more crazed he himself became, but he waited until she shattered again to take his own pleasure. Once she had, though, all bets were off.

Their coming together was sensational serenity, walking the line between hard and gentle, tender and heated. Further and further they moved towards bliss, but time was off its normal tracks and their minds were filled with only this glorious moment. Soon enough, and yet not soon enough at all, they met that magic, crashing into climax. Minutes later they remained, both spent and breathing heavy, glowing from the aftermath and intertwined together, two bodies hell bent on never being parted. Killian found himself speechless in the aftermath, though his hands drew unknown figures on her skin. He had to touch her, had to hold her, even though he had just felt heaven itself. Truth be told, Killian was totally complete, and more invigorated than ever. Life had never felt more perfect and nothing had ever made more sense.

These revelations were all thanks to Emma. She was the one who made him believe love could be honest and true. She showed him depths he’d never dreamed of, and right now, as the swift and gentle tug of sleep came beckoning, she was a vision. Smiling at him, holding him close and whispering a promise he almost couldn’t bear.

“Forever, Killian,” she breathed, cuddling towards his chest after pressing one last kiss upon his skin. “That’s how long I know I’ll love you.”

“Forever, Emma,” he replied, though he knew even now she may already have succumbed to slumber. “Forever and whatever exists beyond.”

……………

Sneaking back into the castle now was a stark contrast to the many mornings he’d snuck out for a bit of space. Killian couldn’t resist smiling at how much things had changed since that time, and on those days when he walked out in the hills to watch the sunrise. However, unlike those other mornings, Killian knew the moment he walked through the great oak doors that he was not the only one up at this God forsaken hour. Call it instinct or intuition, but Killian could sense uneasiness in the palace, and as he moved up the corridor and saw light emanating from one of Liam’s studies, his hunch was proven right.

With measured steps he approached the open door. It remained ajar, a beacon to anyone who may pass by that his brother was here but still approachable. What Killian saw when he walked to the doorway, however, was the undeniable truth that Liam was not well, and that he likely had no idea the door was open. He’d been up all night, burning the midnight oil, and studying files and photos strewn about his desk.

“For your information, you’re about…” Killian’s words trailed off as he checked the clock on the mantel to clarify the time, “twenty-two and a half minutes from being discovered by Francine or Claudette. Give or take or minute or so.”

The mention of two of the maids on the morning shift in the palace seemed to ground Liam into the reality of this moment and the predawn light outside. He looked up at Killian and then out the antique windows which offered a familiar view of the palace grounds, now bathed in the early morning sunshine. Liam let out a sigh, running a hand through his dark hair that had already been mussed with some frequency. There was no way his brother had slept this evening. He was wild and unkempt, and so far from his state of normal it was fascinating to see.

“Any other day and I’d be focused on your early morning return,” Liam mused, offering something like a smile. It surprised Killian, given how infrequent smiles had become for his brother, but before he could mention it, Liam looked back to the papers and the books strewn about the mahogany desk. Killian wasn’t sure what he expected, but these archives of the family’s public events was not it. His curiosity grew, and he urged his brother to explain himself.

“But it’s not so ordinary, is it?”

“No, she isn’t,” Liam whispered, slipping up and referring to the woman who had turned his head completely, instead of the morning itself. “I didn’t plan for this.”

“No one ever does,” Killian quipped. “Gran will be the first to tell you that to love is to surrender. Planning has no place in affairs of the heart.”

“That old bird is too crafty,” Liam said shaking his head as Killian’s brow furrowed in confusion. “All these years of talk, throwing opinions here there and everywhere. She never met a moment where words failed her and she never lets a day slip past where she doesn’t share her every whim. But I’ve always written it off as her opinion or some grandiose turn of phrase that sounds ripped from a book of clichés rather than something rooted in truth.”

“The worst are the riddles. The woman loves a riddle,” Killian added and Liam groaned, a sound of actual pain that Killian felt, despite its humor.

“I hate the bloody things. The flowery words, the abstract philosophies. It’s all just meaningless. Or so I thought. A whole life spent listening to this woman, and I never took much of it seriously. To be sure there were some times when she offered sage counsel, but I found it unlikely that she was actually providing me with answers to anything really sentimental. Half the time she’s as vague as can be. I wrote off nearly all her musings for the better part of my life.”

“Yet here we are,” Killian said evenly and Liam nodded.

“Aye, here we are.”

Liam stood from his chair and walked towards the windows. Killian watched as his brother’s arms crossed over his chest, his gaze turned out to the world, looking but not really seeing. He was lost in his own thoughts, struggling to give voice to them, and so Killian was patient. There was no use dragging Liam to conversation. His brother was guarded and grappling for control. Only when he was ready, would the truth come out. A few minutes later, after a prolonged bit of silence, they finally did.

“I’ve long put off the inevitable, brother. Royal expectation demands that I choose a bride, but for years I’ve hesitated, unwilling to commit to any kind of match. The press has questioned my delay for ages, but that talk is mostly harmless. Still, I have always known that would change. A day would come when talk became more, and I needed to settle, to choose duty over heart.”

“You’ve said as much before, brother, but nothing in the law says that you have to forsake your heart for the sake of the country. A love match is allowed. You know this.”

“Aye, I do, but I never entertained the premise, not really. After our parents’ fiasco of a marriage, I ruled it out entirely. My best hope was for what had existed before, something arranged where, if I was lucky, love may bloom. Look at Gran and Grandad. It was love, absolutely, but it was also a merger. There was very little choice involved at all, just logic and good reasoning. At least in those situations you know what you’re getting into. There’s a safety in settling for that which is known. But fuck if I want that anymore. Truth be told the thought makes me sick, and I barely spoke to her.”

“To Elsa, you mean?” Killian prodded and Liam’s eyes brightened as he nodded.

“How can she move me like this already? One day in her presence and I hardly know myself. One day and I know that everything I thought would happen will never come to pass. I’ll never be the man that settles, not when I know she’s out there. I can’t describe it except to say that I have to know her, have to pursue this, have to hope she’ll give me a chance. I’ve never felt this out of my depths. I saw her and the rest of the world just ceased to matter. I wasn’t the King, or a ruler, or a politician. I had no duty and no course. I was just a man, and she was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, plain and simple. I know it’s mad, but damn if it’s not true.”

“If it’s mad, you’re in good company. That’s exactly how I felt the first time I saw Emma.”

“That’s reassuring, and yet… it’s the strangest thing, I swear I looked at Elsa and I was halfway in a memory. I was a boy again, but the details were hazy. It just felt familiar, like we’ve met before. My heart had skipped that particular beat. My gut had felt that strongly. Now though I’m lost. I’ve been trying to figure out if it’s more than what it is. Maybe I missed something, but how could anyone ever miss her?”

“Ah that explains these books,” Killian said gesturing to everything here. “But let me guess, no sign of her in these.”

“None. But the feeling still lingers. It’s like I dreamed her up. The recognition is strong, but just barely out of grasp. God, listen to me. I’ve become an absolute melt.”

Killian couldn’t help but laugh at the slang of their youth. Their boarding schools had been filled with Brits and other Europeans, and to be a melt was to be a sop, a sap, someone who had given in to their most romantic feelings.

“Maybe, but if that’s true, God knows I’m happy for it.”

“You are?”

“Of course I am. I’ve always wanted more for you, Liam. You shouldn’t aim for mere contentment, or to just be comforted by honor and duty. The goal is to be genuinely, honestly happy, and this morning, despite the anxiety of newness, I see the start of something in you. Something good.”

“I fear I’ve been too hard on you, Killian,” Liam said, his voice softer and his tone sincere. “Not lately I mean, and hopefully you’ve noticed the shift over the past few weeks, but in the beginning, I didn’t see how you could feel so much. I asked a lot of you, with the parade and royal obligations, and I didn’t realize what the risk was. Slowly I’ve grown to understand that the changes in you I have seen can only be attributed to love. You are happy and it is clear for the world to see. I’ve respected that, but now to know it’s more than hypothetical, I just think it bears repeating. To lose this feeling…” Liam brushed his hand against his heart absentmindedly, as if his chest ached from some physical pain. “Anyway, I hate that I forced that choice upon you. I’m sorry.”

“It’s forgiven, brother. Well, it will be, if you grant me one wish.”

“Anything.”

“I’d like your blessing, and not a royal one, not a King’s well wishes. Just you, as my brother, backing me when I ask Emma to be my wife.”

The look of surprise on Liam’s face quickly morphed into a grin. There was his brother of old, the one who had existed before royal training. He was truly happy and a bit mischievous as well. The two of them had long been told they shared that smile, but coming from Liam, it felt like a most precious gift.

“You plan to ask her already?”

“Already?” Killian laughed. “It feels like I’ve been waiting forever. But I suppose you’re right. It is fast.”

“Fast seems to run in this family,” Liam said thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t have said that before yesterday, but as it stands, I understand. You have my backing, Killian. Emma is right for you, and if she’ll have you, we’d be lucky to have her.”

Liam came around the table, hugging Killian and showing him the depth of his joy. It was genuine, this support from his brother, and it made a world of difference. No matter what, Killian would ask Emma to be his wife, but knowing that his family felt as good about this as he did settled something in him. Now all he had to do was find the perfect moment. It was hard to be patient, especially when they’d admitted how they felt, and when he knew his feelings for Emma would only ever grow, but he’d find away. More than anything he wanted Emma to have a perfect moment, one they could build their future on forever more.

“And what of you and Elsa? Where do you go from here?”

“The only way I can go,” Liam said, resuming his assured control even though he was at the precipice of something totally foreign to him. “Towards her.”

“Good man. Trust in that feeling. It’s yet to steer me wrong.”

The two of them would have no doubt shared more, but at that moment, the voices of the morning staff could be heard down the hall. Their privacy had expired, the day had dawned, and reality beckoned, yet Killian knew even without proof, that things would work out. For now, there was a tremendous amount of hope for both him and Liam, hope that had been missing for many many years. Things may still be a bit uncertain, hearts needed to be won and vows needed to be made, but in his soul, Killian knew it would all work out. For Gran was usually right in the end, and he and Liam would both certainly surrender to love. Killian, for his part, already had, and honestly, it was the best damn thing he’d ever done. Soon, though, he would need to do more, to take the steps he so badly wanted with Emma, and to build a life with her and Henry worthy of them both. It was a mission he felt down to his bones, and one he simply would not fail. He’d find a way to their happily ever after, whatever it may look like, and the excitement of that would keep him going as long as it took.

Post-Note: So there we have it – a new chapter of this story, and the setup for the next chapter which will have more of the Elsa/Anna backstory for you all. From there we get to move towards my typical happily ever after recipe, a proposal, a wedding, and the joyful thereafter. I think there’s going to be about 4 more installments left total (though one of those will be an epilogue and it may be quite a while before I am ready to publish that). But I promise to do my best to update more frequently than I have been. I have had so many of you sending love and wishes for faster updates, and those requests have not fallen on deaf ears. In fact, every comment and message makes writing that much easier, and I am so grateful for the overwhelming support. I promise I am doing my best to get you all this story, and just hope it’ll live up to everyone’s excited expectations. Either way, I thank you all so much for reading, and I wish you all well and healthy in this time. Sending you all the best!

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