#during both moments of his mother's betrayal both when he was an infant and as a child he was looking on from a hill/mountain??

[sebbyisland]

Blood on the Tracks - Oshimi Shuzo

[emilythescribbler]

Literary Tropes: Reincarnation

Lily had little time to think, for if she was to ensure her only son's survival in the wake of the tragedy which would befall their quiet home, in that quiet village in Godric's Hollow, she had to act, to move swiftly up those stairs, as her love, her husband, stayed behind to ward off the evil presence at their door. 

He was armed, not with a wand, but with his courage, and so he surely fell to the ground, with a loud thump which sought to both distract and horrorify the woman who had hastedly rushed to her infant son's bedroom, pausing only to allow the feeling of immense shock to wash over her, striking her with a force which almost knocked her off her feet, before she forced herself onwards. All her mind could think of, in that long, drawn-out moment between one second and the next, was Harry - her son, who looked so much like his father, who had her green eyes, remarked often that he'll break hearts when he is all grown up, much like James himself... and Peter, who she would have never expected to betray them, to betray his childhood friend, to kill those he fought beside, to join forces with those very wizards who sought domination over all. 

Tears flooded her eyes, but she forced herself on, closing her son's bedroom door, as he gazed up at her - an innocent, with an  unknowing expression upon his face, with little idea of the horrors which awaited them within the next few moments. 

Her love for her child knew no bounds, and Lily would risk even her own life to protect him, but she knew she had little way to prevent the tragedy which was sure to occur. Each second seemed to pass by with shocking pace, as if god himself were taunting the young witch, dangling escape or salvation from out of her grasp. She dried her eyes, cursed beneath her breath, as she racked her mind for anything, any solution to her problem, any spell to shield herself and her infant son, anything at all to protect them from the danger present.

Tom Riddle's footsteps grew ever closer. A thud here, a thud there against the decades old carpet lining the hallway floor, as an eerie green glow appeared on the other side of the pale blue bedroom door. Children's finger paintings and other decorative images, tacked upon the wooden frame were now coated in the signs of death and decay, as Lily held her son close to her, shielding his small, fragile body from harm.

She sensed her time was near, but knew there could be a chance for them, for something, someone, somewhere, to appear once more, to live a new life far from betrayal, death and the threat of magic. It would be a long shot, there would be no guarantee it would even work, but she felt, as strongly as she felt the love for her child, who still looked upon her with little more than a son's love for his mother, not sensing the dangers posed to them, in that very moment, that she had to try.

She had been a bright student, as intelligent as any other her age at that mysterious school many, many miles away, and so she had often been found reading in the library, her nose always stuck in some book. She learned much during those solemn times, particularly in her later years at the school, for she had found herself overcome with a sense of loneliness only resolved once she had finally, after six long years, gained the courage to befriend those Gryffindors who always seemed as though they had everything, and could always depend upon each other. She had wanted that, had longed for it for so long, but it was a slow process of trust to build, after Severus had torn it down, had pulled that budding flower out - root and stem. 

Spells abound could be found within those leather bound pages and, she had to admit, she had found herself in that forbidden section of the library more than once, when her curiousity got the better of her. She recalled a spell she had found particularly fascinating, which suggested that, for those who faced death, with no option to retreat or escape, they could cast such a spell to allow their spirits, their hearts, their will to re-emerge as another, to come reincarnated entirely. An surprisingly simple spell, but her only true option as she wondered, if it were to work, what would become of her family, of  herself, in this unknown future. 

Power built up on the other side of the door, she only had a few seconds to spare, but for a skilled witch such as Lily Evans Potter, that would be all she would need. She set her son down for a moment, planting a final kiss to the top of his head, embracing that familiar smell all babies seemed to carry for a moment longer, before she turned back to face her opponent. She drew her wand, taking in a deep breath as she cast a orb of bright blue light upon herself and her son. She could never know if her husband's lifeless body also carried the same glow, all she could do was hope the spell worked as well as she had read, as she forced her hands to be still for those final words to speak into the ether. 

In regeneratione, reincarnationes, restituo.

As she uttered those words, in no more than a whisper as she heard the gurgled laughs of her son nearby, as the orbs which enveloped her family shrunk in a flash, shrinking inside their bodies, before bursting in a brief burst of sparkles and light, the door before her burst open also, taking her by surprise by the full force of the blast. Harry's door hung loosely off it's hinges, she heard him begin to cry as she wished to rush to him, to flee the scene before anyone else could die, but that was not meant to be. 

She only had moment to look upon the face of her killer, before green light appeared before her then, the last thing she saw before darkness overcame her. She thought to herself that she had failed, that her efforts were all for naught, until both herself and her husband recalled that sensation of waking, in the moment before realisation would overcome them, only it never truly did. Their son would find himself in that state of dreaming in the waking world all his life, particularly as he came to find himself more and more involved with, and a part of, the same magical world his mother had cursed long ago. And Ginny Weasley often found herself with this same feeling, this feeling with no name, and only when she found herself side by side with Harry James Potter did it become more and more apparent that the thing she seemed to feel was missing in her life was him. Lily and James lived on, and while she felt that her spell had failed, she never could have known that it was her love which shielded Harry from the very danger she feared, but also her love for her husband which allowed their will, their strength, their power, to live on, to carry itself into the next generation. 

Lily Evans Potter was an expectional witch, until the end.

[profoundbondfanfic]

Fourth day of more fic recs sent by our followers.

PART 4:

On the Scattering of Ashes by ricketyjukeboxer [Explicit, 29k words]

When the mother of a fallen army buddy passes away, Dean Winchester is called to fulfill a promise he made over a decade past. The task brings him to the childhood home of Marshall Hall, the best friend he lost in the war, and face to face with Cas Novak, the sergeant who saved his life. As they lay Marshall's mother to rest, Dean and Cas must confront their own romantic past cut short by the pain of loss and the guilt that comes with it. For the Destiel Modern AU Challenge. My prompts: A Quran salesman. Expired food. "I will remember this."

Pick It All Up by thepinupchemist [Explicit, 126k words]

Army veteran Castiel Novak is a wreck after his tour in Afghanistan, brought home to his brother's apartment in Lawrence, Kansas with scars both mental and physical. He copes poorly, and during one night of bad decision making, meets somebody just as much of a disaster as he is -- a prostitute named Dean Winchester. And suddenly, two damaged men might not be as irreparable as they believed.

Plain and Tall by destielpasta, mtothedestiel [Explicit, 69k words]

Dean is a Kansas farmer who only wants to work his land and care for his infant daughter. With his wife gone and his brother moving on to a life beyond the homestead, Dean finds himself in need of another pair of hands. Castiel, a lonely drifter freshly arrived in town, may prove the solution to Dean’s troubles. Over the course of four seasons, the two men face the everyday challenges of prairie life, and learn to overcome the betrayals of their past to discover a new definition of family.

Sea Green, Ocean Blue by Pimento [Mature, 16k words]

Dean Winchester likes his simple life. His biggest problems are catching the perfect wave, balancing his love of pie with his need for insulin and being so secretive and vague about his writing career that almost everyone he knows assumes he writes porn, not beautifully illustrated fairy tales for children. He thinks only his best friend/literary agent Charlie and her wife know just what a sappy romantic dork he is, but his over-protective brother and his friends and family know him far better than he realises. So when it looks as though his knight in shining armour might actually be something else entirely he has allies aplenty.

separate ways and sleeping dogs by sobsicles [Mature, 53k words]

Dean is three years sober when Cas comes back into town. For a moment, they just stare at each other. Dean, once again, has to swallow the urge to offer to swallow something else. It's very hard to resist the gut-wrenching pull of want that hooks in his chest whenever he looks at Cas. And to think, he used to have him, used to be able to act on that want. God, he's so fucking stupid. Well, there's no point in kicking himself three years later for shit he can't change. He'll just sit right here and pretend that his fingers aren't twitching with the urge to reach out and touch. He can't do that anymore, and it's his own damn fault. "Three years ago," Cas prompts. Dean huffs a weak laugh. "Yeah. Eventful."

Stay With Me, Sweetheart by MandalaRose [Explicit, 142k words]

“Alright Cas, here comes the hard part. We’re gonna get you out of here, but we’ve gotta take the roof off and while we do that, we’re gonna have to cover you with a sheet to protect you from the glass. I’ll be right here though. I’m not going anywhere.” As he starts to drift away, he suddenly feels the press of Dean’s forehead against his own through the rough fabric and hears that warm, sunlit voice murmer quietly in his ear, too low to be overheard by the firefighters currently working to remove the SUV’s roof, “Stay with me, Sweetheart.” A single moment's distraction ends with a serious car accident that leaves Castiel trapped in his vehicle. Fortunately for him, fire fighter Dean Winchester is there, never leaving Castiel's side as the rest of his company work to free him from the mangled remains of his SUV. When the two meet again in the ICU, Castiel finds himself just as drawn to and comforted by the handsome fireman as he was during his accident. Dean is certainly attractive, but single father Castiel doesn't have time or space in his life for a romantic relationship. Then again, there's no harm in making a new friend, is there?

Stitches by Askance (doomcountry) [Teen, 23k words]

Castiel survived Leviathan--but only barely. Vessel mauled and eyes destroyed, Cas is barely clinging to what's left of his grace when Dean finds him naked and alone on the reservoir's edge; in a panic, Dean brings him home to the cabin where he and Sam have been holed up off the grid. What follows is the slow process of the angel's recovery and the unexpected changes that come with his being blind, and in the three months this takes, their little family slowly begins to patch itself back together in forgiveness, love, and darkness.

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 5]

[aboveallarescuer]

Parallels between Aerys II Targaryen and Cersei Lannister (and why they are both foils to Dany)

In this post, I gathered all the parallels I could find between Cersei and Aerys II after recently rereading Cersei’s chapters and Aerys’s section in TWOIAF. While a lot of people have made good points criticizing how Cersei was written (namely, as incompetent, misogynistic and irredeemable, at least in the canon timeline where her fate is already sealed) considering her special place in the narrative (namely, as arguably the female character who most frequently and openly questions and challenges the validity of Westerosi patriarchy, as well as the only major female villain of the story and the only woman among the three Lannister siblings), it’s also true that GRRM intended her to be paralleled with Aerys II in many ways, which will be laid out here.

Recognizing how Aerys II and Cersei are alike is particularly important for emphasizing that both characters were written as foils to Daenerys, so I will also explain how Dany doesn’t share their similarities.

Both believe they are destined for greatness

Aerys II:

Aerys II did not lack for ambition. Upon his coronation, he declared that it was his wish to be the greatest king in the history of the Seven Kingdoms, a conceit certain of his friends encouraged by suggesting that one day he might be remembered as Aerys the Wise or even Aerys the Great. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

Cersei:

The Lord of Casterly Rock deserved rainbows. He had been a great man. I shall be greater, though. A thousand years from now, when the maesters write about this time, you shall be remembered only as Queen Cersei’s sire. (AFFC Cersei II)

That’s not the case with Dany. Her titles (the Unburnt, Mother of Dragons, Mhysa, Azor Ahai, etc) were given to her by other people, she doesn’t think she’s special despite birthing dragons and receiving multiple prophecies and she’s incredibly hard on herself for every mistake she makes. She simply doesn’t have an exaggerated sense of her importance or abilities like Cersei and Aerys II do.

Both are cut by the Iron Throne

Aerys II:

Yet still the blades tormented him, the ones he could never escape, the blades of the Iron Throne. His arms and legs were always covered with scabs and half-healed cuts. (AFFC Jaime II)

Cersei:

The barbs and blades of the Iron Throne bit into her flesh as she crouched to hide her shame. Blood ran red down her legs, as steel teeth gnawed at her buttocks. When she tried to stand, her foot slipped through a gap in the twisted metal. The more she struggled the more the throne engulfed her, tearing chunks of flesh from her breasts and belly, slicing at her arms and legs until they were slick and red, glistening. (AFFC Cersei I)

While Cersei was only cut in a dream, this moment is still significant because the Iron Throne is infamous for only harming and ‘rejecting’ the bad rulers. GRRM could have written a similar dream for Dany if he wanted to make her and Cersei follow the same direction, specially in AFFC/ADWD where he noted multiple times that they’re meant to be paralleled and contrasted. Instead, while Cersei’s first chapter in AFFC begins with her dreaming of being on the Iron Throne and being cut by it, Dany’s first chapter in ADWD begins with her dreaming of a house with a red door. Also, while Cersei wishes she could sit on the Iron Throne but is unable to because only the King and the Hand can sit on it, Dany willingly gives up on the privilege to sit on an elaborate throne and chooses an ebony bench that "did not befit a queen" in Meereen. So, not only the author emphasized that Dany doesn’t want power for its own sake (but rather to help people) and that she wants to be at the level of her people, he also didn’t take the chance to portray her as a bad ruler (because she is a good one) like he did with Cersei and Aerys II.

Both feel excitement and pleasure at the sight of wildfire

Aerys II:

Frustrated, Aerys turned to the Wisdoms of the ancient Guild of Alchemists, who knew the secret of producing the volatile jade green substance known as wildfire, said to be a close cousin to dragonflame. The pyromancers became a regular fixture at his court as the king's fascination with fire grew. By 280 AC, Aerys II had taken to burning traitors, murderers, and plotters, rather than hanging or beheading them. The king seemed to take great pleasure in these fiery executions, which were presided over by Wisdom Rossart, the grand master of the Guild of Alchemists...so much so that he granted Rossart the title of Lord and gave him a seat upon the small council. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

The sight had filled him with disquiet, reminding him of Aerys Targaryen and the way a burning would arouse him. A king has no secrets from his Kingsguard. Relations between Aerys and his queen had been strained during the last years of his reign. They slept apart and did their best to avoid each other during the waking hours. But whenever Aerys gave a man to the flames, Queen Rhaella would have a visitor in the night. (AFFC Jaime II)

Cersei:

Cersei thought of all the King’s Hands that she had known through the years: Owen Merryweather, Jon Connington, Qarlton Chelsted, Jon Arryn, Eddard Stark, her brother Tyrion. And her father, Lord Tywin Lannister, her father most of all. All of them are burning now, she told herself, savoring the thought. They are dead and burning, every one, with all their plots and schemes and betrayals. It is my day now. It is my castle and my kingdom. (AFFC Cersei III)

~

Cersei felt too alive for sleep. The wildfire was cleansing her, burning away all her rage and fear, filling her with resolve. “The flames are so pretty. I want to watch them for a while.” (AFFC Cersei III)

~

Jaime knew the look in his sister's eyes. He had seen it before, most recently on the night of Tommen's wedding, when she burned the Tower of the Hand. The green light of the wildfire had bathed the face of the watchers, so they looked like nothing so much as rotting corpses, a pack of gleeful ghouls, but some of the corpses were prettier than others. Even in the baleful glow, Cersei had been beautiful to look upon. She'd stood with one hand on her breast, her lips parted, her green eyes shining. She is crying, Jaime had realized, but whether it was from grief or ecstasy he could not have said.

The sight had filled him with disquiet, reminding him of Aerys Targaryen and the way a burning would arouse him. (AFFC Jaime II)

That never happens with Dany. She does describe the flames positively during the ritual to hatch the dragon eggs, but so does Jon Snow and GRRM himself. She does claim the fire as hers, but it has to do with her magical intuition as she puts two and two to birth her children and is ultimately validated. Most importantly, unlike Aerys II and Cersei, Dany a) never feels excitement while watching things burn for their own sake, b) never takes pleasure viewing or imagining her enemies burning and c) is never compared to Aerys II to highlight any disturbing behavior from her part. She is called the Mad King’s daughter by her enemies (the slavers and Mace Tyrell), but the characters around her and the ones who have nothing to gain by defaming her (Barristan, Tyrion, Illyrio, Quentyn) reiterate that she’s nothing like him. Meanwhile, two of the people who have known Cersei the longest (Jaime on the quotes above, Tyrion) compare her to Aerys II.

Both grow paranoid with time; they imagine implausible scenarios in which their perceived enemies are working (often together) against them, accept their baseless fears as truth and make hasty decisions based on them

Aerys II:

The march of the king's madness seemed to abate for a time in 274 AC, when Queen Rhaella gave birth to a son. So profound was His Grace's joy that it seemed to restore him to his old self once again...but Prince Jaehaerys died later that same year, plunging Aerys into despair. In his black rage, he decided the babe's wet nurse was to blame and had the woman beheaded. Not long after, in a change of heart, Aerys announced that Jaehaerys had been poisoned by his own mistress, the pretty young daughter of one of his household knights. The king had the girl and all her kin tortured to death. During the course of their torment, it is recorded, all confessed to the murder, though the details of their confessions were greatly at odds. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

The birth of Prince Viserys only seemed to make Aerys II more fearful and obsessive, however. Though the new young princeling seemed healthy enough, the king was terrified lest he suffer the same fate as his brothers. Kingsguard knights were commanded to stand over him night and day to see that no one touched the boy without the king's leave. Even the queen herself was forbidden to be alone with the infant. When her milk dried up, Aerys insisted on having his own food taster suckle at the teats of the prince's wet nurse, to ascertain that the woman had not smeared poison on her nipples. As gifts for the young prince arrived from all the lords of the Seven Kingdoms, the king had them piled in the yard and burned, for fear that some of them might have been ensorcelled or cursed. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

Captivity at Duskendale had shattered whatever sanity had remained to Aerys II Targaryen. From that day forth, the king's madness reigned unchecked, growing worse with every passing year. The Darklyns had dared lay hands upon his person, shoving him roughly, stripping him of his royal raiment, even daring to strike him. After his release, King Aerys would no longer allow himself to be touched, even by his own servants. Uncut and unwashed, his hair grew ever longer and more tangled, whilst his fingernails lengthened and thickened into grotesque yellow talons. He forbade any blade in his presence save for the swords carried by the knights of his Kingsguard, sworn to protect him. His judgments became ever harsher and crueler. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

Once safely returned to King's Landing, His Grace refused to leave the Red Keep for any cause and remained a virtual prisoner in his own castle for the next four years, during which time he grew ever more wary of those around him, Tywin Lannister in particular. His suspicions extended even to his own son and heir. Prince Rhaegar, he was convinced, had conspired with Tywin Lannister to have him slain at Duskendale. They had planned to storm the town walls so that Lord Darklyn would put him to death, opening the way for Rhaegar to mount the Iron Throne and marry Lord Tywin's daughter. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

And when the triumphant Prince of Dragonstone named Lyanna Stark, daughter of the Lord of Winterfell, the queen of love and beauty, placing a garland of blue roses in her lap with the tip of his lance, the lickspittle lords gathered around the king declared that further proof of his perfidy. Why would the prince have thus given insult to his own wife, the Princess Elia Martell of Dorne (who was present), unless it was to help him gain the Iron Throne? The crowning of the Stark girl, who was by all reports a wild and boyish young thing with none of the Princess Elia's delicate beauty, could only have been meant to win the allegiance of Winterfell to Prince Rhaegar's cause, Symond Staunton suggested to the king. (TWOIAF The Fall of the Dragons: The Year of the False Spring)

~

When the news reached the Red Keep, it was said that Aerys cursed the Dornish, certain that Lewyn had betrayed Rhaegar. He sent his pregnant queen, Rhaella, and his younger son and new heir, Viserys, away to Dragonstone, but Princess Elia was forced to remain in King's Landing with Rhaegar's children as a hostage against Dorne. (TWOIAF The Fall of the Dragons: The End)

Cersei:

“I am counseling you. If you will not yield the regency to me, name me your castellan for Casterly Rock and make either Mathis Rowan or Randyll Tarly the Hand of the King.”

Tyrell bannermen, both of them. The suggestion left her speechless. Is he bought? she wondered. Has he taken Tyrell gold to betray House Lannister? (AFFC Cersei II)

~

“Lord Manderly hacked the head and hands off the onion knight, we have that from the Freys, and half a dozen other northern lords have rallied to Lord Bolton. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Where else can Stannis turn, but to the ironmen and the wildlings, the enemies of the north? But if he thinks that I am going to walk into his trap, he is a bigger fool than you.” (AFFC Cersei VII)

~

“No doubt. Tell me, was it our little queen who commanded you to kill Lord Gyles?”

“K-kill?” Grand Maester Pycelle’s eyes grew as big as boiled eggs. “Your Grace cannot believe ... it was his cough, by all the gods, I ... Her Grace would not ... she bore Lord Gyles no ill will, why would Queen Margaery want him ...”

“... dead? Why, to plant another rose on Tommen’s council. Are you blind or bought? Rosby stood in her way, so she put him in his grave. With your connivance.” (AFFC Cersei IX)

~

She knew Joff was too strong for her, Cersei thought, remembering the gold coin Qyburn had found. For House Tyrell to hope to rule, he had to be removed. It came back to her that Margaery and her hideous grandmother had once plotted to marry Sansa Stark to the little queen’s crippled brother Willas. Lord Tywin had forestalled that by stealing a march on them and wedding Sansa to Tyrion, but the link had been there. They are all in it together, she realized with a start. The Tyrells bribed the gaolers to free Tyrion, and whisked him down the roseroad to join his vile bride. By now the both of them are safe in Highgarden, hidden away behind a wall of roses. (AFFC Cersei VI)

Cersei’s case is complicated in that she has valid reasons to be anxious: prophecies come true in her world, the Tyrells did kill Joffrey (she’s right in that regard, at least) and the coin found in the cell could be evidence that the Tyrells were involved in Tyrion’s escape. The problem is how she deals with her suspicions. To defeat Margaery, she projected her experiences on her (every widow definitely has sexual appetites, so Margaery definitely has lovers), held on to the few dubious signs that she was cheating on the king (Margaery asking Pycelle for moon tea or having a lively court), tortured an innocent man to confirm the story she needs to incriminate Margaery and arrested several innocent people. Besides that, Cersei also: alienates Kevan by avoiding his recommendations and giving important titles to other cousins based on her hunch that he was bought by the Tyrells (quote above); avoids giving the Tyrells help when the ironmen attack the Shield Islands based on her baseless suspicion that Stannis made an alliance with the ironmen and was, therefore, behind the attack on the Shield Islands with the intention to turn Cersei’s eyes away from the Storm’s End and Dragonstone (quote above); forces Pycelle to "confirm" what she wants to believe because of her guess that he helped the Tyrells kill Gyles Rosby (quote above). And these are just some of the major examples.

Dany has moments when she is unsure of whether the people around her are reliable or not. She questions if Reznak is trustworthy or if he, Hizdahr and the Green Grace joined forces against her or if Groleo could be one of the three prophesied treasons, but she remains willing to listen to their advice and never undermines or punishes them solely based on her suspicions because, unlike her father or Cersei, she has a healthy distrust of others.

Both choose to be excessively and needlessly brutal against their enemies and the people who offend them (even when their offenses are relatively minor and/or not supported by facts)

Aerys II:

When one such reported that the captain of the Hand's personal guard, a knight named Ser Ilyn Payne, had been heard boasting it was Lord Tywin who truly ruled the Seven Kingdoms, His Grace sent the Kingsguard to arrest the man and had his tongue ripped out with red-hot pincers. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

The march of the king's madness seemed to abate for a time in 274 AC, when Queen Rhaella gave birth to a son. So profound was His Grace's joy that it seemed to restore him to his old self once again...but Prince Jaehaerys died later that same year, plunging Aerys into despair. In his black rage, he decided the babe's wet nurse was to blame and had the woman beheaded. Not long after, in a change of heart, Aerys announced that Jaehaerys had been poisoned by his own mistress, the pretty young daughter of one of his household knights. The king had the girl and all her kin tortured to death. During the course of their torment, it is recorded, all confessed to the murder, though the details of their confessions were greatly at odds. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

By 280 AC, Aerys II had taken to burning traitors, murderers, and plotters, rather than hanging or beheading them. The king seemed to take great pleasure in these fiery executions, which were presided over by Wisdom Rossart, the grand master of the Guild of Alchemists...so much so that he granted Rossart the title of Lord and gave him a seat upon the small council. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

When Darklyn and his family were presented to him in chains, Aerys demanded their deaths—and not only Darklyn's immediate kin but his uncles and aunts and even distant kinsmen in Duskendale. Even his goodkin, the Hollards, were attainted and destroyed. Only Ser Symon's young nephew, Dontos Hollard, was spared—and only then because Ser Barristan begged that mercy as a boon, and the king he had saved could not refuse him. As to Lady Serala, hers was a crueler death. Aerys had the Lace Serpent's tongue and her womanly parts torn out before she was burned alive (yet her enemies say that she should have suffered more and worse for the ruin she brought down upon the town). (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

Cersei:

"M'lord, begging your pardon, Her Grace said those as didn't meet their numbers would have their hands crushed," the anxious smith persisted. "Smashed on their own anvils, she said."

Sweet Cersei, always striving to make the smallfolk love us. (ACOK Tyrion III)

~

"Y'Grace," he said quietly, "the boys caught a groom and two maidservants trying to sneak out a postern with three of the king's horses."

"The night's first traitors," the queen said, "but not the last, I fear. Have Ser Ilyn see to them, and put their heads on pikes outside the stables as a warning." (ACOK Sansa VI)

~

“I hope you did not wake them, Ser Boros. Let them sleep.”

“Sleep?” He looked up, jowly and confused. “Aye, Your Grace. How long shall—”

“Forever. See that they sleep forever, ser. I will not suffer guards to sleep on watch.” (AFFC Cersei I)

~

“His Grace should send the Wall a hundred men. To take the black, ostensibly, but in truth …”

“... to remove Jon Snow from the command,” Cersei finished, delighted. I knew I was right to want him on my council. “That is just what we shall do.” She laughed. If this bastard boy is truly his father's son, he will not suspect a thing. Perhaps he will even thank me, before the blade slides between his ribs. “It will need to be done carefully, to be sure. Leave the rest to me, my lords.” This was how an enemy should be dealt with: with a dagger, not a declaration. (AFFC Cersei IV)

~

“Send some of your whisperers to these shows and make note of who attends. If any of them should be men of note, I would know their names.”

“What will be done with them, if I may be so bold?”

“Any men of substance shall be fined. Half their worth should be sufficient to teach them a sharp lesson and refill our coffers, without quite ruining them. Those too poor to pay can lose an eye, for watching treason. For the puppeteers, the axe.”

“There are four. Perhaps Your Grace might allow me two of them for mine own purposes. A woman would be especially ...”

“I gave you Senelle,” the queen said sharply.

“Alas. The poor girl is quite ... exhausted.”

[...] “Yes, you may take a woman. Two, if it please you. But first I will have names. (AFFC Cersei V)

~

“I cannot have Falyse spreading tales about the city. Her grief has made her witless. Do you still need women for your ... work?”

“I do, Your Grace. The puppeteers are quite used up.”

“Take her and do with her as you will, then. But once she goes down into the black cells ... need I say more?” (AFFC Cersei VII)

Dany doesn’t act like this. She burned the masters in Astapor to protect her retinue and punished the Meereenese leaders who ordered the crucifixion of the slave children, but she also spared all the Yunkish masters and most of the Meereenese masters. Her leniency is the root of her problems in ADWD, since it allowed them to retaliate against the abolition of slavery. Additionally, Dany doesn’t punish Ghael for spitting on her, she doesn’t punish a boy for trying to attack her, she doesn't punish Xaro for threatening her to her face, she chooses not to follow her councillors' advice to punish the former slavers indiscriminately and so on. You can read more about how Dany's tendency is to avoid using violence in this meta.

Both use torture to get people to confirm what they believe or what's convenient for them

Aerys II:

The march of the king's madness seemed to abate for a time in 274 AC, when Queen Rhaella gave birth to a son. So profound was His Grace's joy that it seemed to restore him to his old self once again...but Prince Jaehaerys died later that same year, plunging Aerys into despair. In his black rage, he decided the babe's wet nurse was to blame and had the woman beheaded. Not long after, in a change of heart, Aerys announced that Jaehaerys had been poisoned by his own mistress, the pretty young daughter of one of his household knights. The king had the girl and all her kin tortured to death. During the course of their torment, it is recorded, all confessed to the murder, though the details of their confessions were greatly at odds. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

Cersei:

“Tell us how you pleasured the little queen. [...] How many of them did you have carnal knowledge of?”

“None of them. I’m just a singer. Please.”

[...] Lord Qyburn ran a hand up the Blue Bard’s chest. “Does she take your nipples in her mouth during your love play?” He took one between his thumb and forefinger, and twisted. “Some men enjoy that. Their nipples are as sensitive as a woman’s.” The razor flashed, the singer shrieked. On his chest a wet red eye wept blood. [...]

By dawn the singer’s high blue boots were full of blood, and he had told them how Margaery would fondle herself as she watched her cousins pleasuring him with their mouths. At other times he would sing for her whilst she sated her lusts with other lovers. “Who were they?” the queen demanded, and the wretched Wat named Ser Tallad the Tall, Lambert Turnberry, Jalabhar Xho, the Redwyne twins, Osney Kettleblack, Hugh Clifton, and the Knight of Flowers.

That displeased her. She dare not besmirch the name of the hero of Dragonstone. [...] The Redwynes could not be a part of it either. [...] “All you are doing is spitting up the names of men you saw about her chambers. We want the truth! [...] Horas and Hobber had no part of this, did they?”

“No,” he admitted. “Not them.”

“As for Ser Loras, I am certain Margaery took pains to hide what she was doing from her brother.”

“She did. I remember now. Once I had to hide under the bed when Ser Loras came to see her. He must never know, she said.”

“I prefer this song to the other.” (AFFC Cersei IX)

Dany doesn't act like her father or Cersei in that regard either. She allows the use of torture (which is normalized in her world) to question people regarding the murders of former slaves, but she stops it once she realizes that the results are unreliable because, unlike her foils, she cares about punishing the actual perpetrators, not about having her beliefs confirmed at any cost.

Both are often cruel, rude and disrespectful to others

Aerys II:

At the great Anniversary Tourney of 272 AC, held to commemorate Aerys's tenth year upon the Iron Throne, Joanna Lannister brought her six-year-old twins Jaime and Cersei from Casterly Rock to present before the court. The king (very much in his cups) asked her if giving suck to them had "ruined your breasts, which were so high and proud." (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

Over his Hand's strenuous objections, the king doubled the port fees at King's Landing and Oldtown, and tripled them for Lannisport and the realm's other ports and harbors. When a delegation of small lords and rich merchants came before the Iron Throne to complain, however, Aerys blamed the Hand for the exactions, saying, "Lord Tywin shits gold, but of late he has been constipated and had to find some other way to fill our coffers." (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

Tyrion, as the babe was named, was a malformed, dwarfish babe born with stunted legs, an oversized head, and mismatched, demonic eyes (some reports also suggested he had a tail, which was lopped off at his lord father's command). Lord Tywin's Doom, the smallfolk called this ill-made creature, and Lord Tywin's Bane. Upon hearing of his birth, King Aerys infamously said, "The gods cannot abide such arrogance. They have plucked a fair flower from his hand and given him a monster in her place, to teach him some humility at last." (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

Cersei:

Cersei stared at her, aghast. “Your lackwit sister gets herself raped by half of King’s Landing, and Tanda thinks to honor the bastard with my lord father’s name? I think not.” (AFFC Cersei II)

~

She wanted a storm to match her rage. To Jocelyn she said, “Tighter. Cinch it tighter, you simpering little fool.”

It was the wedding that enraged her, though the slow-witted Swyft girl made a safer target. (AFFC Cersei III)

~

“Would Your Grace honor her white knight with a dance?”

She gave him a withering look. “And have you fumbling at me with that stump? No. I will let you fill my wine cup for me, though. If you think you can manage it without spilling.” (AFFC Cersei III)

~

“Very well. Get off those saggy knees and try to remember what it was to be a man.” Pycelle struggled to rise, but took so long about it that she had to tell Osmund Kettleblack to give him another yank. (AFFC Cersei IX)

For the vast majority of the time, Dany is kind and courteous. Her detractors tend to question that fact with two main arguments: a) she laughed at Quentyn; b) she is intolerant about Meereenese culture. Their first argument is very weak. Dany didn't laugh at Quentyn, she laughed about the reason why Quentyn is called frog and then forgot to explain why she did so in the Common Tongue. Even then, though, Quentyn is so overwhelmed by her kindness that he only remembers that "the queen had always spoken to him gently". Their second argument is also unconvincing because Dany's dislike of several aspects of Meereenese culture has to do with their ties to slavery (case in point: the fighting pits) and, even then, she makes several concessions to culturally adapt. Additionally, unlike Aerys II or Cersei, she doesn't express her critical thoughts (which are way less common and way less derogatory than Cersei's) verbally.

Both give rewards and promotions to those who blindly obey and agree with them, regardless of whether they’re experienced, competent or trustworthy

Aerys II:

He was also vain, proud, and changeable, traits that made him easy prey for flatterers and lickspittles, but these flaws were not immediately apparent to most at the time of his ascension. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

His father's court had been made up largely of older, seasoned men, many of whom had also served during the reign of King Aegon V. Aerys II dismissed them one and all, replacing them with lords of his own generation. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

The king replaced him as Hand with Lord Owen Merryweather, an aged and amiable lickspittle famed for laughing loudest at every jape and witticism uttered by the king, no matter how feeble. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

The Mad King could be savagely cruel, as seen most plainly when he burned those he perceived to be his enemies, but he could also be extravagant, showering men who pleased him with honors, offices, and lands. The lickspittle lords who surrounded Aerys II had gained much and more from the king's madness and eagerly seized upon any opportunity to speak ill of Prince Rhaegar and inflame the father's suspicions of the son. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

Cersei:

"A weak ruler needs a strong Hand, as Aerys needed Father. A strong ruler requires only a diligent servant to carry out his orders." (AFFC Jaime II)

~

The Kettleblacks would charm her, take her coin, and promise her anything she asked, and why not, when Bronn was matching every copper penny, coin for coin? Amiable rogues all three, the brothers were in truth much more skilled at deceit than they'd ever been at bloodletting. Cersei had managed to buy herself three hollow drums; they would make all the fierce booming sounds she required, but there was nothing inside. (ACOK Tyrion IX)

~

My councillors. Cersei had uprooted every rose, and all those beholden to her uncle and her brothers. In their places were men whose loyalty would be to her. She had even given them new styles, borrowed from the Free Cities; the queen would have no “masters” at court beside herself. (AFFC Cersei IV)

~

Grand Maester Pycelle had wanted an older man “more seasoned in the ways of war” to command the gold cloaks, and several of her other councillors had agreed with him. “Ser Osfryd is seasoned quite sufficiently,” she had told them, but even that did not shut them up. They yap at me like a pack of small, annoying dogs. (AFFC Cersei V)

~

"She would have done better to leave the tower and burn her Hand. Harys Swyft? If ever a man deserved his arms, it is Ser Harys. And Gyles Rosby, Seven save us, I thought he died years ago. Merryweather ... your father used to call his grandsire 'the Chuckler,' I'll have you know. Tywin claimed the only thing Merryweather was good for was chuckling at the king's witticisms. His lordship chuckled himself right into exile, as I recall. Cersei has put some bastard on the council too, and a kettle in the Kingsguard. (AFFC Jaime V)

Besides the Kettleblacks (as shown above), Cersei rewards many other people that are rarely, if ever, willing to question her - Harys Swyft, Orton Merryweather, Aurane Waters, Gyles Rosby, Meryn Trant, Qyburn (the only one who doesn't turn his back on Cersei after she falls from power), etc. The only one that disagrees with her decisions regularly is Pycelle, which is why she rebukes him quite a few times throughout AFFC. Also, while Cersei considers Aerys a weak ruler, they both believe that their Hands should be servants that know their place and follow them blindly.

Dany doesn't restrict herself to only listening to the people she agrees with. She welcomes dissent multiple times throughout the books and so, consequently, her council gives voice to multiple groups (from the Unsullied to the freedmen to the former slavers to the Dothraki).

Both alienate and undermine important allies because of disagreements that could have been mended and fears that lead both rulers to perceive these potential allies as enemies

Aerys II:

The growing rift between the king and the King's Hand was also apparent in the matter of appointments. Whereas previously His Grace had always heeded his Hand's counsel, bestowing offices, honors, and inheritances as Lord Tywin recommended, after 270 AC he began to disregard the men put forward by his lordship in favor of his own choices. Many westermen found themselves dismissed from the king's service for no better cause than the suspicion that they might be "Hand's men." In their places, King Aerys appointed his own favorites...but the king's favor had become a chancy thing, his mistrust easy to awaken. Even the Hand's own kin were not exempt from royal displeasure. When Lord Tywin wished to name his brother Ser Tygett Lannister as the Red Keep's master-at-arms, King Aerys gave the post to Ser Willem Darry instead. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

Perhaps seeking to gain advantage of His Grace's high spirits, Lord Tywin chose that very night to suggest that it was past time the king's heir wed and produced an heir of his own; he proposed his own daughter, Cersei, as wife for the crown prince. Aerys II rejected this proposal brusquely, informing Lord Tywin that he was a good and valuable servant, yet a servant nonetheless. Nor did His Grace agree to appoint Lord Tywin's son Jaime as squire to Prince Rhaegar; that honor he granted instead to the sons of several of his own favorites, men known to be no friends of House Lannister or the Hand. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

Lord Denys, seeing that Aerys's erratic behavior had begun to strain his relations with Lord Tywin, refused to pay the taxes expected of him and instead invited the king to come to Duskendale and hear his petition. It seems most unlikely that King Aerys would ever have considered accepting this invitation...until Lord Tywin advised him to refuse in the strongest possible terms, whereupon the king decided to accept, informing Grand Maester Pycelle and the small council that he meant to settle this matter himself and bring the defiant Darklyn to heel. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

Cersei:

Garth the Gross on the small council and his two bastards in the gold cloaks ... do the Tyrells think I will just serve the realm up to them on a gilded platter? The arrogance of it took her breath away.

“Garth has served me well as Lord Seneschal, as he served my father before me,” Tyrell was going on. “Littlefinger had a nose for gold, I grant you, but Garth—”

“My lord,” Cersei broke in, “I fear there has been some misunderstanding. I have asked Lord Gyles Rosby to serve as our new master of coin, and he has done me the honor of accepting.”

Mace gaped at her. “Rosby? That ... cougher? But ... the matter was agreed, Your Grace. Garth is on his way to Oldtown.”

“Best send a raven to Lord Hightower and ask him to make certain your uncle does not take ship. We would hate for Garth to brave an autumn sea for nought.” She smiled pleasantly.

A flush crept up Tyrell’s thick neck. “This ... your lord father assured me ...” (AFFC Cersei II)

~

Cersei had named her cousin Damion Lannister her castellan for the Rock, and another cousin, Ser Daven Lannister, the Warden of the West. Insolence has its price, Uncle. (AFFC Cersei III)

~

“I have been remiss. With a realm to rule, a war to fight, and a father to mourn, somehow I overlooked the crucial matter of naming a new master-at-arms. I shall rectify that error at once.”

Ser Loras pushed back a brown curl that had fallen across his forehead. “Your Grace will not find any man half so skilled with sword and lance as I.”

Humble, aren’t we? “Tommen is your king, not your squire. You are to fight for him and die for him, if need be. No more.”

She left him on the drawbridge that spanned the dry moat with its bed of iron spikes and entered Maegor’s Holdfast alone. Where am I to find a master-at-arms? she wondered as she climbed to her apartments. [...]

Aron Santagar was Dornish, Cersei recalled. I could send to Dorne. Centuries of blood and war lay between Sunspear and Highgarden. Yes, a Dornishman might suit my needs admirably. There must be some good swords in Dorne. (AFFC Cersei V)

~

He had even had the temerity to object to her sending to Dorne for a master-at-arms, on the grounds that it might offend the Tyrells. “Why do you think I’m doing it?” she had asked him scornfully. (AFFC Cersei VI)

~

“Your Grace, let me take Dragonstone.”

[...] No one had given Cersei such a lovely gift since Sansa Stark had run to her to divulge Lord Eddard’s plans. She was pleased to see that Margaery had gone pale. “Your courage takes my breath away, Ser Loras. [...] Swear to me that you shall not return until Dragonstone is Tommen’s.”

“I shall, Your Grace.” He rose.

[...] Pycelle had to struggle to keep up. “If it please Your Grace,” he puffed, “young men are overbold, and think only of the glory of battle and never of its dangers. Ser Loras ... this plan of his is fraught with peril. To storm the very walls of Dragonstone ...”

“... is very brave. [...] I have no doubt that our Knight of Flowers will be the first man to gain the battlements.” And perhaps the first to fall. (AFFC Cersei VII)

Dany doesn't do this; instead, she makes plenty of concessions to appease her influential allies, from wearing the tokar to marrying Hizdahr by Ghiscari rites if he gives her ninety days of peace to allowing Hizdahr to reopen the fighting pits to accepting a deal between Meereen and Yunkai that allows the latter to reinstall slavery. All of these decisions are ultimately mistakes since they unwittingly prioritize the privileges of the former masters over the rights of the former slaves, but they still show that Dany is capable of making alliances in a way that Aerys II and Cersei aren't due to their black and white thinking.

Both are extravagant rulers who plan grand schemes that are never realized

Aerys II:

His Grace was full of grand schemes as well. Not long after his coronation, he announced his intent to conquer the Stepstones and make them a part of his realm for all time. In 264 AC, a visit to King's Landing by Lord Rickard Stark of Winterfell awakened his interest in the North, and he hatched a plan to build a new Wall a hundred leagues north of the existing one and claim all the lands between. In 265 AC, offended by "the stink of King's Landing," he spoke of building a "white city" entirely of marble on the south bank of the Blackwater Rush. In 267 AC, after a dispute with the Iron Bank of Braavos regarding certain monies borrowed by his father, he announced that he would build the largest war fleet in the history of the world "to bring the Titan to his knees." In 270 AC, during a visit to Sunspear, he told the Princess of Dorne that he would "make the Dornish deserts bloom" by digging a great underground canal beneath the mountains to bring water down from the rainwood.

None of these grandiose plans ever came to fruition; most, indeed, were forgotten within a moon's turn, for Aerys II seemed to grow bored with his royal enthusiasms as quickly as he did his royal paramours. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

Cersei:

“Would that we could do the same to the rest of this foul castle,” said Cersei. “After the war I mean to build a new palace beyond the river.” She had dreamed of it the night before last, a magnificent white castle surrounded by woods and gardens, long leagues from the stinks and noise of King’s Landing. “This city is a cesspit. For half a groat I would move the court to Lannisport and rule the realm from Casterly Rock.” (AFFC Cersei III)

~

A group of merchants appeared before her to beg the throne to intercede for them with the Iron Bank of Braavos. The Braavosi were demanding repayment of their outstanding debts, it seemed, and refusing all new loans. We need our own bank, Cersei decided, the Golden Bank of Lannisport. (AFFC Cersei VIII)

That's not the case with Dany either. Throughout her reign, she only makes reasonable and attainable decisions to improve Meereen's economy, such as planting grapes, beans and wheat, replanting olive trees, making an alliance with the Lhazareen and freeing the slaves of the hinterlands to bring crops to the city.

Both are unpopular with the common people

Aerys II: (note that Tywin himself is unpopular with the smallfolk)

They cheered Father twice as loudly as they cheered the king, the queen recalled, but only half as loudly as they cheered Prince Rhaegar. (AFFC Cersei V)

Cersei:

As she made her way through the ragged throng, past their cookfires, wagons, and crude shelters, the queen found herself remembering another crowd that had once gathered on this plaza. The day she wed Robert Baratheon, thousands had turned out to cheer for them. [...]

No one was smiling now. The looks the sparrows gave her were dull, sullen, hostile. They made way but reluctantly. (AFFC Cersei VI)

~

Thrice that day she heard the sound of distant shouting drifting up from the plaza, but it was Margaery’s name that the mob was calling, not hers. (AFFC Cersei X)

We have yet to see how the common people in Westeros will view Dany, but she is very popular among freedmen and slaves from all over Essos, so she doesn't fit this either.

Both feel threatened by the shadow of Tywin Lannister

Aerys II:

By this time, King Aerys had become aware of the widespread belief that he himself was but a hollow figurehead and Tywin Lannister the true master of the Seven Kingdoms. These sentiments greatly angered the king, and His Grace became determined to disprove them and to humble his "overmighty servant" and "put him back into his place." (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

Cersei:

“Lord Tywin was a great man, an extraordinary man,” he declared ponderously after he had kissed both her cheeks. “We shall never see his like again, I fear.”

You are looking at his like, fool, Cersei thought. It is his daughter standing here before you. (AFFC Cersei II)

~

She was tired of Jaime balking her. No one had ever balked her lord father. When Tywin Lannister spoke, men obeyed. When Cersei spoke, they felt free to counsel her, to contradict her, even refuse her. (AFFC Cersei V)

This is not a perfect parallel because Cersei alternates between hero-worshiping and drawing inspiration and strength from Tywin to resenting the control he had over her, so much so that she lists her father alongside her enemies and takes pleasure in the fact that he's now dead. Even so, both Aerys II and Cersei feel that they were owed the treatment that people gave Tywin.

This doesn't happen with Dany because she doesn't feel threatened by anyone nor does Tywin play an important role in her story.

Both feel threatened by a younger, more beautiful, more popular would-be king/queen

Aerys II:

The cheers of the crowd were said to be deafening, but King Aerys did not join them. Far from being proud and pleased by his heir's skill at arms, His Grace saw it as a threat. Lords Chelsted and Staunton inflamed his suspicions further, declaring that Prince Rhaegar had entered the lists to curry favor with the commons and remind the assembled lords that he was a puissant warrior, a true heir to Aegon the Conqueror. (TWOIAF The Fall of the Dragons: The Year of the False Spring)

~

The lickspittle lords who surrounded Aerys II had gained much and more from the king's madness and eagerly seized upon any opportunity to speak ill of Prince Rhaegar and inflame the father's suspicions of the son. (TWOIAF The Fall of the Dragons: The Year of the False Spring)

~

Meanwhile, King Aerys was becoming ever more estranged from his own son and heir. Early in the year 279 AC, Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, was formally betrothed to Princess Elia Martell, the delicate young sister of Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne. They were wed the following year, in a lavish ceremony at the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing, but Aerys II did not attend. He told the small council that he feared an attempt upon his life if he left the confines of the Red Keep, even with his Kingsguard to protect him. Nor would he allow his younger son, Viserys, to attend his brother's wedding. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

~

The memory was still bitter. Old Lord Whent had announced the tourney shortly after a visit from his brother, Ser Oswell Whent of the Kingsguard. With Varys whispering in his ear, King Aerys became convinced that his son was conspiring to depose him, that Whent's tourney was but a ploy to give Rhaegar a pretext for meeting with as many great lords as could be brought together. Aerys had not set foot outside the Red Keep since Duskendale, yet suddenly he announced that he would accompany Prince Rhaegar to Harrenhal, and everything had gone awry from there. (ADWD The Kingbreaker)

Cersei:

Her mood was not improved when Mace Tyrell arose to lead the toasts. He raised a golden goblet high, smiling at his pretty little daughter, and in a booming voice said, “To the king and queen!” The other sheep all baaaaaaed along with him. “The king and queen!” they cried, smashing their cups together. “The king and queen!” She had no choice but to drink along with them, all the time wishing that the guests had but a single face, so she could throw her wine into their eyes and remind them that she was the true queen. (AFFC Cersei III)

~

“Your Grace, she ... she is the queen ...”

“I am the queen. (AFFC Cersei IX)

~

It was a pity that Maggy the Frog was dead. Piss on your prophecy, old woman. The little queen may be younger than I, but she has never been more beautiful, and soon she will be dead. (AFFC Cersei IX)

Cersei's case is more justified in that she believes that, by defeating the YMBQ, she'll also prevent her children from dying and the valonqar from killing her.

This doesn't happen with Dany.

Both lost a child (children, in Aerys’s case) and fear for the safety of their remaining child (children, in Cersei’s case) to the point that these concerns become intertwined with their fears that someone is out to get them

Aerys II:

The birth of Prince Viserys only seemed to make Aerys II more fearful and obsessive, however. Though the new young princeling seemed healthy enough, the king was terrified lest he suffer the same fate as his brothers. Kingsguard knights were commanded to stand over him night and day to see that no one touched the boy without the king's leave. Even the queen herself was forbidden to be alone with the infant. When her milk dried up, Aerys insisted on having his own food taster suckle at the teats of the prince's wet nurse, to ascertain that the woman had not smeared poison on her nipples. As gifts for the young prince arrived from all the lords of the Seven Kingdoms, the king had them piled in the yard and burned, for fear that some of them might have been ensorcelled or cursed. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

Cersei:

I am dreaming still, Cersei thought. I have not woken, nor has my nightmare ended. Tyrion will creep out from under the bed soon and begin to laugh at me.

[...] A dream, that’s all it was, a dream. I drank too much last night, these fears are only humors born of wine. I will be the one laughing, come dusk. My children will be safe, Tommen’s throne will be secure, and my twisted little valonqar will be short a head and rotting. (AFFC Cersei I)

~

Cersei had a sudden vision of the dwarf crawling out from behind a tapestry in Tommen’s bedchamber with blade in hand. Tommen is well guarded, she told herself. But Lord Tywin had been well guarded too. (AFFC Cersei I)

~

The younger queen whose coming she’d foretold was finished, and if that prophecy could fail, so could the rest. No golden shrouds, no valonqar, I am free of your croaking malice at last. (AFFC Cersei X)

Like in the previous parallel, Cersei's bad reactions are more justified due to the fact that prophecies come true in her world and due to her understandable sense of self-preservation.

This doesn't happen with Dany.

Both had unhappy marriages and believed that their spouses weren’t the right ones for them

Aerys II:

What Tywin Lannister made of this is not recorded, but in 266 AC, at Casterly Rock, Lady Joanna gave birth to a pair of twins, a girl and a boy, "healthy and beautiful, with hair like beaten gold." This birth only exacerbated the tension between Aerys II Targaryen and his Hand. "I appear to have married the wrong woman," His Grace was reported to have said, when informed of the happy event. (TWOIAF The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II)

Cersei:

“...Your father will find another man for you, a better man than Rhaegar.”

Her aunt had lied, though, and her father had failed her, just as Jaime was failing her now. Father found no better man. Instead he gave me Robert, and Maggy’s curse bloomed like some poisonous flower. If she had only married Rhaegar as the gods intended, he would never have looked twice at the wolf girl. Rhaegar would be our king today and I would be his queen, the mother of his sons.

She had never forgiven Robert for killing him. (AFFC Cersei V)

The major difference in this parallel, of course, is that Aerys raped his wife and Cersei was raped by her husband.

This doesn't happen with Dany.

Comparisons in the text between Aerys II and Cersei

"Let all of King's Landing see the flames. It will be a lesson to our enemies."

"Now you sound like Aerys."

Her nostrils flared. "Guard your tongue, ser." (AFFC Cersei III)

~

Jaime knew the look in his sister's eyes. He had seen it before, most recently on the night of Tommen's wedding, when she burned the Tower of the Hand. The green light of the wildfire had bathed the face of the watchers, so they looked like nothing so much as rotting corpses, a pack of gleeful ghouls, but some of the corpses were prettier than others. Even in the baleful glow, Cersei had been beautiful to look upon. She'd stood with one hand on her breast, her lips parted, her green eyes shining. She is crying, Jaime had realized, but whether it was from grief or ecstasy he could not have said.

The sight had filled him with disquiet, reminding him of Aerys Targaryen and the way a burning would arouse him. (AFFC Jaime II)

~

"Westeros is torn and bleeding, and I do not doubt that even now my sweet sister is binding up the wounds … with salt. Cersei is as gentle as King Maegor, as selfless as Aegon the Unworthy, as wise as Mad Aerys. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honor, for love. Tommen's rule is bolstered by all of the alliances that my lord father built so carefully, but soon enough she will destroy them, every one.” (ADWD Tyrion VI)

Again, as I said above, the comparisons between Cersei and Aerys II come from two of the people who have known Cersei the longest (Jaime, Tyrion).

Meanwhile, Dany is only called the Mad King’s daughter by her enemies (the slavers and Mace Tyrell). The characters who actually know her and the characters who have nothing to gain by defaming her (Barristan, Tyrion, Illyrio, Quentyn) reiterate that she’s nothing like him.

[mochegato]

Hope on Board

Chapter 30 – Written in the Stars

Chapter 1     Chapter 29

“Congratulations Officer Grayson!” Bruce boomed, raising his glass along with the rest of the room of friends and family.  A loud cheer rose up in agreement with his comment.

Dick smiled at them graciously and clinked his champagne glass with Marinette’s juice glass, pulling her closer into his side with his other hand.  Marinette squeezed him back and looked up at him with a proud smile.

“Finally, someone who can fix my tickets,” Jason cheered.

“Not going to happen. In fact, I might write more up for you. Did you know parking your motorcycle in an alleyway is a moving violation?” Dick answered with a smirk.

Jason gaped at him, every inch of him conveying the betrayal he felt until he finally looked down to Lucy in his arms with a sour look.  “Man, fuck the police.  Can you say that?  Fuck. The.  Police.” He enunciated each word slowly for her.

“Language Master Jason,” Alfred chided.

“Jason, do not teach my children to badmouth their father,” Marinette warned with an accompanying glare.

Jason huffed and returned his attention to Lucy.  “Fine whatever.  But the cursing’s okay, right, Pixie?”

“No,” Dick answered quickly before Marinette could respond.  He really wasn’t confident what her answer would be considering the language she used when she and Jason were hanging out.

“Wasn’t asking you, Dickhead,” Jason singsonged while making faces for Lucy.

“Don’t badmouth their father while they can hear you, Jason,” Marinette repeated with a sharper edge to her voice this time.  “And I’m fine with you teaching them to curse as long as you’re willing to deal with the repercussions of Alfred and my Mother finding out exactly where they learned it from.”  She shrugged casually as she said it but the smirk on her face when she looked up at Dick made it clear she knew exactly how much of a threat that was.

Jason pouted and focused on Lucy.  “Your Grandmother and Grandfather are both deceptive bad asses.  Never cross either of them.” The room broke in laughter as Alfred grinned smugly and nodded in approval.

“So what are you going to do now, Officer Grayson?” Stephanie asked as she bounced Rob to quiet his fussing.

Dick rubbed the back of his neck.  “I don’t really know.  Hang out with the family, I guess.”

“I have a celebratory dinner planned unless you have other plans, Master Dick,” Alfred stated, looking at Marinette questioningly.

Dick looked back and forth between the two of them for a moment before answering cautiously.  “I don’t think I do.  Do I?”

“It’s up to you.  I was thinking maybe we could go out for a celebratory dinner.  Together. Just the two of us,” Marinette offered quietly.

“Like on a date?” His face brightened considerably.

“If you want it to be,” she answered shyly, suddenly not able to look in his eyes.  Suddenly, it felt dangerous to offer.  Her heart was pounding.  What if he changed his mind, which was ridiculous because he still acted the same as he had when they first started dating.  But some part of Marinette, the anxiety controlled part, insisted there was still a chance, and as always happened when anxiety entered the arena, it took over, regardless of rationality.

Dick wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, adoration shining in his eyes. “I do.”

Marinette let out a relieved sigh and an exhilarated smile spread across her face.  “Great!  I know just the place.”  A devious glint appearing in her eye.  The same look she got whenever she had come up with a brilliant plan.  She looked him up and down, taking in the dress blues he was still wearing from his Academy graduation.  “You should change before we go though.” She looked down at her dress. “I should too if we’re taking the bike.”

“I’ll watch the rug rats while you’re gone,” Jason offered as he wiggled Lucy’s hand that was wrapped around his finger.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll watch over the infants to ensure they are safe and adequately mentally stimulated while they are awake,” Damian offered loudly, a confident look on his face.

Dick raised his eyebrows in surprise at Damian and looked down to Marinette to see if he was really hearing what he thought he was.  That was by far the strangest outcome of the situation, Damian taking his position as the twins’ uncle with deathly seriousness.  He watched over them like one of his pets, until they started crying. Then the twins were their parent’s or someone else’s problem.

Marinette smiled knowingly at him and nodded almost imperceptibly to assure him that Damian was in fact offering to babysit.  Dick subtly glanced to the more responsible people in the room to see if they would be there as well.  Barbara, Alfred, and Bruce all nodded at him to assure him they would stay as well.

“I’d help too, but… I have plans,” Adrien shrugged, deftly changing the topic of conversation before another fight over who the best uncle was could break out between Jason and Damian. Which was absolutely ridiculous anyway. Clearly, he was, precisely because he did things like taking this hit.

“With Wally?” Marinette asked innocently.

“Yeah,” Adrien answered a little too breathlessly.

“Ooooooohhhhh,” Marinette teased with a knowing smirk.   Dick grinned.  He had introduced Adrien to the Titans when they stopped by to meet the twins and take a second shot at meeting Marinette, this time without them having to hide anything and with Plagg sequestered in Dick’s bedroom, nowhere near Garth.  As expected, Wally and Adrien hit it off extremely well, the enthusiastic, bubbly, romantics, that they were.

“Shut up.  It’s not like that,” he grumbled looking away from them. He wasn’t about to give them the satisfaction of seeing his lovesick expression.

“Yes, it is,” Marinette, Dick, and Stephanie all chimed at the same time.

Adrien’s cheeks blushed a deep rose color and he growled halfheartedly at them as he left.  “Good luck,” Marinette called to him.  He waved and stuck his tongue out at her as he closed the door.  Marinette giggled and turned back to Dick.  “I’m going to feed the twins while you’re changing.”

“Okay.  I’ll take a quick shower too then.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek before making his way to his bedroom.

Marinette nodded and took Lucy from Jason, who only gave her up grudgingly.  “And we’re going to get you ready, too,” Stephanie informed her as she slung her free arm over Marinette’s shoulder.

Marinette laughed and shook her head.  “We’re going to have about two hours between when they eat and when I have to be back to feed them again.  I’m not wasting any of that time on appearances.  If Dick is still willing to go on a date with me after sharing a room with me when I hadn’t showered in I don’t know how many days, he will be fine with me not having a ton of makeup on.”

“Okay fine,” Stephanie groaned before immediately brightening again.  “I’ll do stuff while you’re nursing then,” Stephanie insisted, completely ignoring Marinette’s objections.

Marinette sighed and shook her head.  This was not worth the effort.  She was not willing to put what little energy she had into debating personal boundaries and priorities with Stephanie, and apparently Cass, judging by the excited glint in her eye.  “Fine. Just don’t get any makeup or hairspray on Lucy or Rob while they’re eating.”

Stephanie squealed and handed Rob off to Barbara as she and Cass raced to her room to get everything ready. They only had about ten to fifteen minutes to treat Marinette like their own personal doll and they weren’t about to waste any of it.  Marinette looked over to Barbara and Tim with a questioning glance.  “Either of you two want to get in on this?”

Tim waved his hands in front of him.  “Hell no. I’ve seen them in this mode.  I’m not getting in the middle of that.  Good luck.”

Barbara laughed and rolled over to her.  “I’ll come to help.  At the very least I can hold one baby while you feed the other one… and laugh at you while they work their magic”

Marinette giggled at her as she rolled her eyes.  “So very magnanimous of you.”

<><><><><> 

Dick’s entire body relaxed as he sped through Gotham’s streets.  He had missed driving through the streets of Gotham with Marinette’s arms wrapped around him.  They hadn’t done it since she was only a few weeks into the pregnancy then quickly had to switch to a car when it became too dangerous and awkward for her to ride with him. He loved feeling the rush of the wind against him and the warmth of Marinette’s arms and body pulled tight against him.  The way their bodies moved in sync with one another as he turned or changed lanes.

“Make a left here,” Marinette yelled.  He nodded his acknowledgement and made the turn.  They were in a very familiar neighborhood.  “Right,” she yelled again.  He nodded again and made the turn.  They drove straight for a few blocks until Marinette yelled the final time. “We’re here.”

Dick chuckled and shook his head as he pulled off his helmet.  “Batburger?” He raised his eyebrow at her.

Marinette shrugged and pulled her helmet off as well, giving him a sweet smile.  “Thought we could try it again when I’m not pregnant.  See if it really was just the pregnancy that made it taste so good.”

“Want to eat in the park again?” he asked as he secured their helmets.  He took her hand, entwining their fingers as they walked into the restaurant.  

“Yeah, if you don’t mind,” she nodded at him.

“I think that sounds brilliant,” he assured her, pulling her against him and circling his arms around her waist.

“You ready to order or what?” the cashier asked in an annoyed voice.

Marinette giggled into Dick’s chest.  “Not a fan of romance,” she whispered.

“Two batburger deluxe meals, please,” he looked over to Marinette to get her approval.  When she nodded in agreement he returned his focus to the cashier to pay.

Their order was done in just a few minutes and a few minutes after that they were looking out over the same park and sitting on the same bench they had sat at during their first date. Marinette took her first bite and quirked her lips to the side before continuing to chew.

Dick laughed and swallowed his bite.  “So, what do you think?”

“It was definitely the pregnancy.  But it’ll do. It was more about the nostalgia.” She grinned up at him and took another bite.

“How about you?  What do you think?  Are you excited for your first day as a Gotham Police Officer?” She grinned up at him, the proud look gleaming in her eyes again.

He smiled at the look, his chest puffing out ever so slightly at the way she was looking at him.  “I am.  I’m really hoping I will be able to make a difference, within the police department more than anything else.  I think if I can make a difference there, weed out as much corruption as I can, then that will feed out into the community, more than anything I could do as a single police officer.”

Marinette nodded in agreement.  “I think you’re right.  I’m worried about you though.”

Dick grimaced and considered not telling her the next part, but he’d promised her and, more importantly, himself, that he wasn’t going to keep things from her just because it might worry her.  He took a deep breath before continuing.  “I’ve already been approached by one of the families to work for them.  Saw him talking to a few other cadets as well.”

“Dick!” Marinette gasped, eyes wide with concern.

“It’s okay,” he assured her with more calm than he felt.  “Commissioner Gordon and I expected it.  It would actually be more concerning if I didn’t get approached by anyone.”

“I know.  It just makes me nervous.” She looked down at her burger and took another bite so he wouldn’t see her concerned frown.  “Your fellow officers are supposed to have your back, not stick a knife in it.”

“I can handle myself. I’ve been trained since I was nine to take on more than a few rampant officers.”  He puffed out his chest in an exaggerated motion to distract her.  “I’m like Captain America in the elevator.  I can take on all of them with nothing more than a stick and win.”

Marinette giggled and buried her face in his shoulder trying very hard not to laugh at him.  She finally pulled her face out of his shoulder to look up at him in adoration.  “You’re better than Captain America,” she assured him.  “Just as skilled, better moves, smarter plans, better leadership, and all without the need of a super serum.”  She brushed his hair away from his forehead and traced along the side of his face down to his jaw.  “And much handsomer.”

She guided his face to hers and pressed her forehead to his.  She let out a deep breath before continuing.  “Just… make sure you come home to me, to us, every night.”  She looked back up at him with concern etched deep in her features.  “Please.”

“Every night?  Forever?” Dick asked hopefully.

Marinette paused to think about it.  That was what she had meant.  Without overthinking it, without letting anxiety dictate her thoughts, that was what she had wanted.  That was what she was asking him for.  They had been waiting so they could figure out some issues they had between them and within themselves.  Dick acted to protect without sharing.  She hid away entire parts of her life.  They both had needed to learn to open up more.  

She was ready.  She was ready to break down the last bastion of secrecy hidden in the depths of a magical fortification.  If Dick wanted, she was ready to let him in.  The question was whether he was ready.

She nodded slowly, her forehead still pressed against his, her breath fanning across his face.  “I’m ready.  I’m ready to move forward, but I don’t want to rush you.  I don’t want to rush us if we aren’t both ready.  I want to make sure we last.”

Dick grinned and ran his knuckles along her cheek.  “We’ll last.  It was written in the stars.  The universe brought us together.  And we’ll take on the universe if it tries to tear us apart.”

“And win,” Marinette giggled affectionately, the smile on her face brilliant and hopeful.

Dick grinned against her lips.  “And win,” he agreed solemnly.  “That’s a very important part.”  She grinned at him and gently brushed her lips against his.  She started to pull away but he followed her, pressing his lips against hers more urgently.  She pushed back against him, bunching her fists into his shirt, pulling him closer with it.  He wound his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap.

She whimpered against his mouth as his hand moved up her back until it wound into her hair.  The sound made his heart race.  God, he had missed this feeling, the feeling of her lips against his, of her body against his, the exhilaration her sounds produced in him. He missed knowing she was his to touch, that she wanted him to do it.  He missed the way they fit, like a perfectly engineered puzzle box, each piece fitting into the other so precisely, anything else felt wrong.  

She moved her arms around his neck, working her fingers into his hair to pull him closer.  She needed to be closer.  She had missed his warmth and the way he touched her and now she couldn’t get enough. She needed more.  She tilted her head to deepen the kiss, opening her mouth to grant him access.  She moaned as his hands traced her face and worked down her sides and back up her back.

She finally pulled away breathless after a few minutes and smirked at him.  “Definitely more enjoyable without the nausea.”  She rested her head against his neck as she fought to recover her breathing.

“Glad to hear it,” he laughed.  He hugged her closer to him, keeping his arms tight around her.  “I missed kissing you,” he whispered as if afraid to break a spell.

Marinette grinned and kissed his neck.  “Me too. I missed kissing you, hugging you, being held by you,” she looked pointedly at their situation, “sitting in your lap, calling you my boyfriend.”

He hummed in agreement and nuzzled his head against hers.  “I’d prefer fiancé or husband, but I’ll take boyfriend for now.”  He smiled thinking of the ring he already had stuffed away in his drawer.  

“You’re ready for that move?” she pulled away in surprise.

“I’ve been ready for months.  Even after our fight, I’ve never changed my mind.  I love you Marinette.  I am completely, utterly, ridiculously, unapologetically in love with you.”  He leaned down to kiss her, slowly, sweetly, passionately.  “I know what I want my future to be.  I’m just waiting for you to decide if it’s what you want too.”

Marinette stared at him in awe.  She shook her head and buried it in his neck again as tears began to fall.  “Marinette?” he asked carefully, trying to pull away far enough to look her in the eye.  He wasn’t expecting tears.  That was… a concerning reaction.  He didn’t think suggesting they eventually marry would make her cry.  Damn it, way to kill the mood just as they were getting back to a great place.

She took a breath to steady herself, a breath that very much smelled like Dick. She pulled away enough to look up at him, love shining in her eyes.  “I don’t know exactly what I want for my future, but every time I picture it, you’re there with me.  Every iteration of it you’re there with me.  Sometimes with just Lucy and Rob, sometimes with more kids.  Sometimes in the manor, sometimes in our own place.  Sometimes in Gotham, sometimes somewhere else.  Sometimes I’m running a major fashion label, sometimes I’ve become a WE employee.  Sometimes you’re still an officer, sometimes you’re a detective.  But every version, every iteration, you’re there with me.  I know that much.  That’s all I know.  I love you and I want my future to be with you.”

He examined her eyes to look for any indication of uncertainty in her words, but her eyes were confident and adoring.  He surged forward to capture her lips in another searing, breathtaking kiss. The moan she let out into his mouth made his body react viscerally.  They needed to get somewhere more private before they continued.  “Maybe we should take this home and away from prying eyes,” he gasped out when he was finally able to force himself to break away.  She nodded wordlessly, still trying to catch her breath.

<><><><><> 

“Perfect timing,” Barbara smiled at them.  Lucy was rooting into her chest searching for something to latch onto. “They just started fussing and searching for milk in places they won’t find it.”

Marinette laughed and took her from Barbara.  “Sorry about that.”

“No problem.  I feel worse for her.  She’s never going to find what she’s looking for here.  Hate to be a disappointment.”

“If it makes you feel better, they find me to be just as much of a disappointment,” Dick offered.  “No milk, no value.”  He shrugged.

“Come here, sweetie.  Don’t let them shame you for knowing what you want.”  She stuck her tongue out at them and left the room with a smile.  

Dick picked up Rob from Duke with a smile and a nod of thanks.  “Anytime,” he shrugged as he handed Rob off.  “So… how did it go?”

“Hm?” Dick responded absentmindedly, checking Rob to see if his clothes needed to be changed too or just his diaper.

“How did it go?  How did the date go?” Stephanie elaborated annoyed by his lack of attention.

“Oh,” Dick’s eyes brightened and he grinned excitedly.  “It went brilliantly.  We’re back together and we know where we want to go with our future.”

“So… proposing within the year or within a few months?” Tim asked with a smirk.

“Pft. Knowing Dickieboy, within a few hours,” Jason scoffed popping a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

Dick ticked his head to the side.  “Considered it, but I want to make it romantic.”  He turned to Tim with a wink.  “Give me a few days.  Come on, Rob. Let’s get you changed and ready for Mommy.  Night guys.” He smiled at them as he carried Rob to the family bedroom.

“Have fun tonight,” Stephanie called after him with a laugh.

“No more babies tonight,” Jason called immediately after.  “Turn the movie up.  I don’t want to hear them ignoring me,” he grumbled to Duke.

Dick made it up to the family bedroom just in time to change Rob’s diaper, reswaddle him, and switch Lucy for Rob so Marinette could nurse him.  She took him with a smile.  “Did I hear Jason yelling?”

“Yeah, he was just saying how happy he was that we’re back together,” Dick assured her with a laugh.

Marinette chuckled then immediately quieted when the movement startled Rob. “Sorry Rob,” she cooed at him.

Dick swaddled Lucy quickly and laid her down in her crib.  “How about I set up a movie in the other room?” he whispered into her ear as he gently ran his hand over Rob’s head.

Marinette hummed in appreciation and pressed her head against his.  “That sounds wonderful,” she whispered back.

He kissed her temple and quickly made his way to his bedroom.  He pulled out a few fuzzy blankets and navigated to a movie he thought she would like.  He ran down to the living room where the rest of the family was and grabbed one of their bowls of popcorn and a few drinks.  “Thanks,” he called out to them as he ran away before anyone could stop him. He set up the popcorn and drinks on the side table and propped up a few more pillows for them to lean against while they watched the movie, if they did in fact watch the movie, though he really hoped they would be too busy doing something else.

He kicked off his shoes and double checked that everything looked perfect. Assured that it was, he made his way back to the family bedroom.  He had expected Marinette to be done already and come find him.  He silently opened the door to check on them and smiled at the scene in front of him.  That was why Marinette hadn’t come to find him.  She had fallen asleep nursing Rob.  Rob was lazily sucking at her breast in his sleep.  Dick shook his head at her.

Dick picked up Rob and put him back in his crib.  He fussed sleepily for a few seconds, trying to get back to the nipple, but quickly fell back asleep.  Marinette opened her eyes at the movement, arms reaching out to keep Robert from falling. She looked up at Dick with a hazily confused look.  “What’s going on?”

Dick smiled at her and made his way back to her, picking her up in a princess hold and carrying her to her bed.  “We have the rest of our lives to watch a movie or do anything else.  Tonight, I think you need sleep,” he told her quietly as he gently laid her down, pulling a blanket over her.

She hummed in response and pulled the blanket closer around her.  He kissed her cheek and ran his fingers over her face lovingly before pulling away to get ready for bed.  Before he could move away from her, she caught his hand and pulled him down next to her.  She looked up at him with soft, affection filled eyes.  “Please stay?”

Dick’s heart stuttered at the request, so open and vulnerable and filled with love. He smiled at her and climbed into bed next to her as she lifted the blanket for him.  “Always,” he whispered into her hair.  He settled in behind her and gently pulled her against him, feeling her warmth against him as she curled into him and he curled around her in a perfect harmony.

The End

Tags:

@dickinette-february @demonicbusiness @ichigorose @iloontjeboontje @ladybug-182 @toodaloo-kangaroo @dast218 @golden-promises @trippingovermyfeet @emimar7 @laurcad123 @lady-bee-fechin @thewitchwhowaited @redscarlet95 @jayjayspixiepop @alessialeone6997

[avengershumanresources]

blood 7 - Strange/Stark!Reader

Relationship: Dr. Strange/Princess!Stark!Reader

Rating: M

Warnings: Adult Themes, eventual smut, adult language, implied sexual violence, general violence

Synopsis: Reader is the daughter of the legendary King Anthony Stark, Uniter of Lands, The Iron Defender, and leader of the realm. When the king disappears during battle, hope is lost and he is presumed dead.

When the late king’s uncle, Obadiah, takes the throne until your brother Peter is of age, he quickly arranges a marriage for you with a wicked king in a neighboring kingdom.

With the realms politics in question, and rumors of an upcoming siege to overthrow Peter’s rule before it starts, you quickly learn who is loyal to the crown and who is not.

part 6 - part 8 (coming April 13th)

Masterlist

Chapter Playlist

CHAPTER WARNING: Yee-har, thar be smut afoot in this here chapter. 18+

7- a king

Anthony Stark hadn’t expected all of this to come of his death. He foresaw of some of it.  

Of Obadiah’s imminent betrayal and Brock’s general ambition, but when Wanda had approached him with her vision all those years ago, he couldn’t have understood what it all meant. 

Now, however, he realized the violence that was soon to arrive at his kingdom’s doorstep. It was an uneasy feeling; the responsibility bestowed upon him to put men’s lives at risk. To make widows and orphans because of inter family squabbles. 

But Tony knew that Obadiah and Brock both presented far larger threats in the long term. 

A king who is hungry for power will never stop to consider the least fortunate in his rule. 

It was a mantra Tony had created for himself after his father had let entire villages fall to win back some petty golden toy during the War of the Giants. In the end, the lives lost had been worthless and the giants returned to their mountains with more spoils than they’d started. 

It had made him sick. 

That was the moment Tony decided to be a better man. A better king. He took pride in his unselfish rule and lack of war among those who shared the boundary with his kingdom. By a miracle he’d gotten Brock into line, but Obadiah had gotten a taste of power from his position in the Giant’s War and wanted more.

Rumors turned to plots, and all at once Tony knew his family and legacy was in danger. He had a troubled relationship with the Wakandans after one of his own barons killed their king in a quest for vengeance after the Giant’s War. Steve had volunteered as ambassador with the shadowy James Barnes (who’d long had a positive relationship with T’Challa) and they’d managed to broker a deal benefiting both nations. 

And Asgard. 

That was a whole other bag of complications. 

Odin had long been distrustful of Tony’s first wife, the late Queen Alexandra due to her Vanir lineage. The Asgardians had fought for centuries trying to eradicate what they’d seen as a dangerous race of uncontrollable magic users. 

Odin had been a step in the right direction, after replacing his late father, but the prejudices still remained and Tony’s marriage to one of the few remaining Vanir royals had soured what little relations they’d had. 

Still, in the end, they’d protected you when he so desperately needed help the Asgardians could only provide. To that, he’d offered her hand to the princes, and Odin took the offer into consideration, only backing off when an agreement was made between the two boys and yourself that affections lay elsewhere.

Which brought him to his latest challenge. Your engagement to the monster king, Brock Rumlow. 

The popular story was that he’d had his late wife killed when she hadn’t produced a male heir. Every female baby prior had been fed to the dogs and at last, when her fifth pregnancy had yielded yet another female, she fell mysteriously ill and died a few nights later. Some say a villager found the baby’s water logged corpse shortly after. 

From a strategic perspective, it made sense. You hadn’t been called upon by any serious suitors, often running around the kingdom with a begrudging Stephen on your coattails, and you were still young enough to bare a child or two. 

Brock needed a means of securing trust in the kingdom, and marrying one of its beloved daughters was the way to do it. Not to mention, Obadiah got his army, Peter would be overthrown when he attempted to take his birthright, and both men would share in the mutual benefits of being involved in one of the strongest economies in history. 

It was a clear cut plan for control of the kingdom, and it would have been more than enough for Tony to take action.

Except for one small caveat.

You. 

You’d been born of the same Vanir blood as your mother and even as a days old infant, you had shown the Master Sorceress at the time an insurmountable measure of power. 

It was an old and finicky magic, the woman had warned before your mother’s body had even cooled in bed. You would need trining, but there was no one left to provide. 

The Asgardians had been thorough in destroying the ancient texts and any remaining Vanir had long fallen into hiding, often using enchanted amulets and trinkets to conceal their seidr from those with wicked intentions. 

Your mother had been a victim of such vicious greed. She’d been open with her abilities, sharing a close bond with Orin’s own wife and his young son, Loki. The pair had conspired to learn all the forbidden secrets of the Vanir, and she’d begun to accumulate quite the library of resources from old temples and Asgardian burial tombs. 

Frigga helped her translate and in turn, the relationship with the royal families had warmed considerably until a few days before your birth. 

Things had fallen apart so quickly. The Northern Kree empire had infiltrated the castle after hearing rumors of the queen’s power. Someone had once written that a single drop of Vanir blood was worth thousands in gold pieces. A bandit had gotten through the gates while she labored, he had ambushed her in the birthing chambers and despite putting up an admirable fight- died with a dagger stabbed through her heart. 

The beast had tried to cut it free in front of the midwives. 

The Master Sorceress had only stepped from the room a moment to freshen up her herbal remedies. By the time anyone had made it to her side, she had died, and you’d been cut free of her with that same knife. 

“Your majesty?” Wanda inquired, approaching where he sat by the fire of the rebellion campsite.

“Yes?” He blinked up, returning to the present at hand. The men who were preparing for battle around him. The women sharpening weapons and sewing leather.  

The people he had asked to rise up for the betterment of the kingdom. The people who were prepared to die by his side for a secure future. 

“Master Strange is to meet at my cottage in the hour,” she explained. 

“And what would you advise Master Sorceress?” he asked, an amused expression on his face. “Shall we let him in on our secret?” 

“With less than seven days to the wedding, it might be wise,” she reasoned sardonically. “Natalia has her own mission in securing the support from within. Master Strange is working with Peter and Loki on securing the vulnerable.” 

“Do you think he told him?” Tony looked down at the fire pensively. 

“Who?” 

“Loki,” he clarified. “He and Master Mordo were among the few who knew. They had to have mentioned something to him. He’s- well- I’m not entirely sure what he is to her now, but he’s certainly one of the closest lines of protection to her.”

“Assuming the rune hasn’t already faded, I would think he either told him or Stephen found out for himself, my liege,” Wanda sat down on the log next to time, her gaze following his into the flames. “Her power is what Amora desires. It needs to be concealed until the princess is in safe hands.”

“Then he knows,” Tony decided, nodding to himself. “Amora would have done something stupid if the seidr had broken through completely. Someone is keeping it under control.”

“I’ll find out,” Wanda promised. “Would you like to speak to him?”

Tony made a disgruntled noise at the thought of approaching the sorcerer. House Strange had long served under the Stark banner, proudly riding at the front of the line when called upon for battle. When they sent their oldest to train at Kamar-Taj, Tony had been surprised.

The boy had a knack for strategy and was sharp as a needle point. Tony could have seen the young man easily rise in leadership in the house, ruling his own militiamen and managing the family affairs. 

But apparently he had no interest in it, and in an unorthodox fashion, the assets had been passed to their eldest daughter. 

Granted, in the end, none of that mattered- as the entire family estate had been stricken by a particularly nasty plague. The sole survivor was Stephen, who’d been away at Kamar-Taj when he’d gotten the news. 

He’d rushed home, and in the process gotten sick himself, but with the help of his fellow sorcerers, recovered with the only remnants of the illness remaining in his hands. He often told others it had been a riding accident. Only a select few knew the truth and devastation of his loss. 

Tony had met with the young man on his sickbed, assuring him the assets would remain in the family. That the castle would maintain the property while he fulfilled his obligations to Kamar-Taj. After all, there was no greater calling than to a life of service and compassion. It was the least Tony could do. 

Well, until you had scared off every Master to cross the castle threshold and he’d gotten desperate and asked the boy for a favor.

He should have known better. You were close in age. Equally as ambitious and cunning. For years you’d been sneaking through passages and around the villages at night, often with Natalia at your side. 

Stephen just made it easier, and helped Tony rest a little easier knowing the man would give his life for you, if need be. 

Tony wasn’t dumb. He’d seen it the first night the you had met. 

The sneaking smiles, the conspiratorial whispers in the corners of the ballroom, and when Peter’s cat turned into a lion almost identical to the Stark sigil, Tony knew that one day he might allow that young man to break the oaths he’d made for a single exception. 

“Your highness?” Wanda pried gently for a clearer answer. 

“Yes, I’ll speak to him,” he pinched the bridge of his nose. About a great many things.

(—)

“I somehow don’t believe you just found out about this,” you stated, sitting cross legged on one of the strewn about cushions, a teapot floating delicately from the palm of your hand. 

“I’ve learned a number of thing recently,” he replied dryly. “Like Mordo is alive, and Brock wants to kill Obadiah once you’re wed.”

You lost your focus and the cup shattered on the ground. 

“He what?” you gaped at Stephen while he repaired the ceramic cup with a wave of his hand. 

“It ties into the whole secret magic thing, but it really isn’t an ideal situation,” he explained, setting the cup aside and dropping to the cushion across from you. 

“I guess it’s good I’ve pestered you for your books over the years,” you mused, flexing your fingers in the air in front of you.

“It isn’t the same,” he sighed, watching while you lifted a few other stray objects and paused them between the two of you. “Seidr is... there isn’t documentation. The books were destroyed. Kamar-Taj had a few tomes but the Vanir language is nearly impossible to translate at this point.”

“What about Loki? Or Frigga?” you asked, moving both your hands at once and dropping a feather into his lap with a grin. 

“Believe it or not, I’ve been focused on other issues,” he muttered dryly. “We’re going to have to seal this before you leave.”

“But you said it’s what preventing Amora from taking over my head,” you reminded him pointedly, summoning a small flame from an incantation you’d studied the day before. Extinguishing it between your palms, you looked up at him for a better excuse. 

“But it is also the reason Brock is forcing you into a marriage and so she can control you, and in turn, your power better than you can,” he explained tersely. “She can’t know you’ve gotten partial control over it. Let her underestimate you, but until you can learn to conceal the energy yourself, you can’t risk exposure.”

“So am I being sealed or not?” you asked impatiently, floating a candle from you to him. He took it with an amused half-smile, extinguishing the light with a quick puff of air. “Can you do a... half seal? Hide the energy, keep some of the good parts?”

“Gods, I don’t know,” he groaned, shaking his head while he seat the canclde aside. “This is entirely new territory that I was not trained for.”

“That must mean you’re a terrible Sorcerer Supreme. What fool put you in charge?” you teased, reaching forward and tapping the top of his nose playfully. 

“It’s not my fault you’re a freakish anomaly that’s supposed to be extinct,” he mumbled, pulling a frown while you laughed. “Give me your wrist.”

“Fine, but when this over I demand you help me train properly,” you stated and though he  continued grumbling under his breath about being too old for your games, he agreed. “And Loki helps too.”

“Not part of the deal,” Stephen scowled. 

“Fine, I’ll marry him then,” you smirked back at him. “You still haven’t asked, so I guess when my wedding tragically falls through, I’ll have to find respite with him.”

He pulled you forward, a glint in his eyes that sent a shiver through your entire body. 

“I’m not going to chase after a betrothed woman, it’s bad taste,” he hummed, fingers crawling up your wrist and intertwining with your fingers. “I have a reputation to uphold, even if you feel comfortable hiding away with strange men in dark places.”

“Is that supposed to be a joke?” you whispered, sitting up on your knees and tilting your head.

“Do you not think I’m funny?” he murmured, reaching with his free head and tilting back your chin. A smile played on the corners of your mouth, both of you sizing the other up and daring the other to make the first move. 

“I can think of many things you are,” you lifted his hand and pressed a tender kiss to his palm. “But funny?”

“You laugh at all of my clever wit, don’t try to deceive me princess, I know the truth,” Stephen sharply pulled your hand forward, forcing you to fall into his chest. He held your lower back, gazing down at you adoringly. “You’re trying to hide it, but I see it in your eyes.”

“Do you know what I see in your eyes?” your voice cracked ever so slightly, your hand cradling his cheek, your thumb lightly tracing the sharp features. 

“What do you see?” 

“Strength,” you murmured, transfixed by his opalescent gaze. All at once, it was like you were seeing him for the first time. You could feel the energy radiating off of him, seeing the waves of magic as they ripples through his body. “Devotion to... Stephen you’re beautiful.”

“Or so the stars whisper to the earth below,” his voice was soft, gentle, while his hand guided itself up your arm to your cheek. “But, what the stars do not see is their own radiance, their own ethereal light shimmering across the velvet heavens above. The stars do not know how the Earth worships the very flicker of their existence, tells stories of their magnificence and beauty. The do not know how the Earth finds its meaning in what little time it steals away to them in the night.”

It all happened very quickly after that. 

You peeled at his robes, he worked at your corset, a frenzy of hands and mouths tasting one another in a way neither had ever imagined. 

Discarding the corset, he worked his hands up your blouse, fingers lightly teasing the tip of your nipple until you let out a satisfied moan. Robes loose, you pushed him back against a nearby pile of cushions, climbing between his legs and peppering hungry kisses up and down his neck until he growled, clawing at your hips. 

“If you’re-,” he tired protesting while you pulled away more clothing, pressing his leg between yours and letting out a whimper of pleasure when he shifted in just the right way. 

That seemed to set something off in him. 

He was over you, flipping you to the ground and pulling what little clothing remained between you, your naked bodies now flush. Stephen moved down to your breast, drawing a nipple between his teeth and watching you squirm under him at the incredible sensation. 

“Please,” you mewed, an absolute wreck under him. 

He took his time, moving to the other nipple and repeating his actions until you were begging for any kind of release. 

“Needy are we?” he murmured in your ear, his voice low and so controlled, you couldn’t understand how he could stand it. Goosebumps erupted over your body, and he just smirked, continuing his exploration.  

Teasing a finger at your entrance, he looked to you for final approval before easing the digit into you. 

“Gods,” he hissed, moving the finger at an agonizingly slow speed. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes upon.”

He caught you in a kiss, speeding up his hand below, his thumb searching for the sensitive nub of nerves. When he grazed over the tender area, you nearly shot out of yourself, the sensation feeling downright sinful. 

Pulling his finger out, you let out another whimper, this one of protest at the emptiness inside of you. 

“Are you certain-?” he asked again, eyes scanning your face for any sign of hesitation or doubt. 

“I’ve never been more certain of anything,” you replied honestly. It wasn’t an exaggeration. You’d been a make up to this point, untouched and with no interest in engaging in such outrageous behavior.

Yet with him, you wished you could give more. Your body. Your soul. Your love. What did it matter anymore? He was yours, sitting before you and showing you through his loving car assess and sensations you’d never known before this moment. 

He eased himself in, giving you time to adjust to his length, the member much larger than his single finger. But Gods, did he feel incredible. 

You’d never thought so much emotion and pleasure could occur in a single moment. For this tiny hidden corner of the universe, you felt like your souls had collided and merged. 

It was a far cry from how Nat had told you it was. 

This was- you anticipated each of his movements, raising your hips to meet his as he crashed inside of you. Your brain couldn’t form coherent thoughts and when he started to coax something feral from within your core, you let him lead you through it. 

Pumping in time with strokes to your clit, you clenched your walls around him, pulling a hissed curse from the sorcerer. 

A few more pumps and a final circle around the sensitive area and you felt your orgasm crash over you. 

At first, you thought you’d done something wrong. Did you break something? How did this feel so incredible and overwhelming all at once? 

While you rode out your bliss, you felt his hips tighten, finishing with a final grunt.

You both stated at one another, eyes wide, trying to catch your breath. 

“Have you-,” you started but paused. “Like that before-?” 

It was no secret Stephen wasn’t exactly a virgin. He had his vows but they were against attachment, not sex, and sometimes, as he put it, the spirit needed to be revitalized. 

You’d called him a creep and moved on, but Gods did you understand now. 

“I don’t know what happened,” he blinked, looking thoroughly bewildered. “That’s... I’ve never- my gods, you’re incredible.”

He pulled out, dropping to the ground next to you with a huff. 

“I have a potion,” he muttered, pointing to the table above them. “Prevents pregnancy.”

“And here I thought you were devoted to me,” you poked him in the rib and he just laughed. 

“I am,” he insisted. “However, I’m not devoted enough to end up in the gallows for deflowering a princess who is betrothed to a ruthless king. My apologies, my grace.”

“Hm, I’m sure I can find someone willing to make that sacrifice for me,” you hummed. 

“And a fool he will be,” he leaned up on his elbow. “I still win the day. He would be hanged and I still get my princess.”

“Your princess?” 

“Has it been any other way?” he asked, quirking a brow. “Truly, if I’m mistaken, tell me. I don’t want to sound too over ambitious.”

You considered it briefly. Had it? 

No, you knew from the moment you spied those eyes at the ball welcoming him to the castle that he was your future. You just hadn’t realized what that meant at the time. 

There was no world, no life, where you could live without him by your side. 

The thought sobered you quickly, your upcoming nuptials springing to mind, the spell locking you in your private world, now lifted. 

“Would you have asked my father?” you asked. 

“In another life, we would have been married by now,” he answered earnestly. “I’m a fool for having hesitated and nearly missed my chance at an eternity by your side.” 

“And Brock?” you asked, the name leaving a sour taste in your mouth. Stephen’s expression darkened at mention of the man. 

“I’ll kill him before he touches you,” he vowed. “I will not yield your heart to such a monster, and I will stop this. I cannot risk you leaving my side. Not again, my love.”

You leaned forward and kissed him, soft, intimate, and gentle. Stephen wasn’t a fighter. 

Certainly he could fight, but you knew him well enough to know that violence was a last option after all other options had been tried. And here he was preparing to declare a one man war on your betrothed. 

Truly, the heavens were smiling upon you in this life.

(—)

Later that evening, when Stephen had returned you safely to your quarters, he met with Wanda at her cottage at the edge of the woods to discuss the next steps in the plan. 

When she caught sight of him, her expression shifted from confused to elated to-

“What is it?” he asked, knowing she’d gotten a read of what he’d been up to previously. 

“Do well to conceal your thoughts,” she warned, leading him inside. 

“Conceal what-?” he asked after her, stopping in his tracks when he saw Anthony sitting at her table, sipping at a large horn of water. 

Tony stood up, giving the man a once over, brows raised as he took him in. 

“You couldn’t wait until the wedding night?” he grumbled, dropping back down in his chair with a long sigh. 

(—)

8- a secret

TAG LIST (message to be added!):

@ayamenimthiriel​ @ladynothing

@im-a-bi-disaster-help @idkwhatthisislol

[youngbounty]

The Problem with Apollo’s Backstories

It’s very rare I see this. So far, I’ve only seen two posts on Tumblr about this, but I’ve noticed a few posts that make mention about Phoenix Wright having no backstory. Now, whether they were made as a joke to not be taken seriously or not is something I cannot confirm. That being said, it did bring up something that does come up often: the problem with Apollo Justice having too many backstories. The thing is, Phoenix Wright has just as many backstories as Apollo, yet no one seems to make mention of it or perhaps are not aware. It made me question how this is possible. Certainly, if Apollo’s three backstories stick out like a sore thumb, wouldn’t Phoenix Wright’s three backstories stick out too? Shouldn’t Phoenix also have the same amount of complainers about having too many backstories?

I am a true believer that there is no such thing as a bad idea, but bad execution. I think Phoenix’s backstories are an example of Apollo’s backstories done correctly. To understand this, I’m going to go over each of Apollo’s and Phoenix’s three backstories, and explain where Phoenix got it right where Apollo did not.

With Apollo’s first backstory in the game Apollo Justice, where Apollo is introduced as the main protagonist of this game, we find out that he used to work for Kristoph Gavin at the Gavin Law Offices before finding out he murdered Shadi Smith. Later on, we find out his bracelet matches Thalassa Gramarye’s in her picture, proving that they are mother and son. Through Zak, we find out that Thalassa was once married to a different man before he passed away, believing that her first born had died with him. This draws the connection between Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright as being half brother and sister. And… that’s it. This information does not effect Apollo, since we don’t know his life outside of this during the time of the game’s release, and he does not know that Trucy is his half sister. This backstory does draw a connection between the two long lost siblings, but without any knowledge to create a reaction, it feels empty and shallow. It wasn’t until the two follow-up games that we get more of Apollo’s character and development that fans of the game began to care enough to demand the two half siblings discover their long lost relationship they are not aware of.

For Phoenix Wright, his backstory is the all-knowing class trial back in his elementary school. On one school day, Phoenix Wright was accused of stealing lunch money from a student, due to being sick and being dismissed from school that day, leaving him without an alibi. This lead to a class trial where everyone, including the teachers, shamed him, even though Phoenix claimed it wasn’t him, then crying over the humiliation and shaming. Just when Phoenix was about to forcibly apologize to this student, the student stands up and makes the claim that, since no proof was given that Phoenix had taken the money, he is innocent until proven guilty. A second student also defends him, leading to the teacher deciding to pay for the lunch money that was stolen. From that moment on, Phoenix became friends with the two students that stood up for him: Miles Edgeworth whose money was stolen and Larry Butz who was the second student to stand up for him.

The first thing that makes Phoenix’s backstory different is it creates a motivation and relatability. This backstory tells the story of what motivated Phoenix Wright to become a Defense Attorney. He had befriended the two boys that stood up for him when he was accused of theft at school. One of those friends grew up to become the Demon Prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth, who is known for falsifying and withholding evidence. When Phoenix tried to contact him, he would not answer. So, Phoenix Wright became a Defense Attorney both to meet with him and save him. With this, comes with relatability. Phoenix is someone longing for the friend he once lost, something most of us can relate to – if you’ve ever had a childhood friend, whose friendship broke apart over time. This creates motivation for Phoenix and the players to wish for Miles Edgeworth to return back to being Phoenix’s friend again. With Apollo, on the other hand, his first backstory doesn’t give us anything to relate or motivate us to want him and Trucy to discover their real mother or relation. The mention about Apollo’s biological father does come up, but not until Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice, which I will get into later. Because of how shallow and empty this backstory feels, it’s no longer Apollo was called a Gary-Sue when the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney first came out.

The second backstory for Apollo finally gives us something concrete. In this second backstory, Apollo had grown up with Clay Terran in a boarding school. We get a flashback of Clay crying because someone in his family died (I can’t remember who. Comment if you know). Apollo cheers him up with his “I’M FINE!” speech. This became a motto for him and Clay. From this backstory, we finally find out that Apollo had grown in a boarding school during his youth with Clay. We finally get a motivation and relatability from Apollo Justice to make us care and cheer for him. There’s just one problem… what does this have anything to do with Apollo’s connection to the Gramarye and his relation to Trucy? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. That’s where Phoenix’s second backstory differs.

For Phoenix Wright, his second backstory tells that he began studying at Ivy University to study on law and art. From there, he met a beautiful lady named Dahlia Hawthorn at the library inside the courthouse. She gave him a heart-shaped bottle as a token of their love and they hit it off. Having dated Dahlia for nine months, he began showing off his little gift to all his friends at the university, even when Dahlia asked him to give it back. Just then, Phoenix came across Dahlia’s ex boyfriend named Doug Swallow, who met with him to warn him that Dahlia was not who he thinks she is. Angry, Phoenix pushes him, then finds him dead not long afterwards. He is arrested for murder, defended by Mia Fey – who is an already established character, in the tutorial first case of the third game of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Through Mia’s defense, Phoenix realized that not only did Dahlia’s gift turn out to be evidence used to poison Mia’s boyfriend, but Dahlia had also tried to poison him with his cold medication and was the one responsible for Doug’s murder.

Just like with Apollo’s second backstory and Phoenix’s first, this creates relatability and motivation. It creates a motivation for why Phoenix was angry at Miles Edgeworth during the second game, why he trusts Mia so strongly and why he would go to Hazakura Temple, once he sees someone that looks like Dahlia. This also reveals one of Phoenix’s major flaws as someone that considers betrayal and murder by poison inexcusable actions, much like how Apollo’s second backstory reveals how and why Clay’s death pushes him to distrust his colleagues. Unfortunately, what Apollo’s second backstory does not show is any connection to the first. With Phoenix’s second backstory, it connects back to the first and second game. It explains how Phoenix met an already established character, explains why Phoenix was cross with Edgeworth in the second game and follows where the first backstory left off with wanting to become a Defense Attorney to meet with Miles Edgeworth. Aside from Apollo growing up in a Boarding School, confirming that he is an orphan, and why he always shouts “I’M FINE!” we get no connection or follow-up from the first backstory. There’s no connection to his former boss, Trucy or the Gramarye’s. Thus, Apollo’s second backstory feels like a separate story from the first, whereas Phoenix’s second backstory feels like a follow-up to the first.

Apollo’s third backstory is that Apollo’s father, Jove Justice, came to the Kingdom of Khura’in to play music inside Durke’s home. One day, a fire arose and Jove Justice was assumingly murdered. Dhurke had miraculously saved Jove’s infant son in the nick of time before the rest of his residence was burned, hiding in the mountains with his eldest son, Nahyuta. From there, Dhurke had raised Nahyuta and Apollo in the mountain as their father, watching them grow up. Unfortunately, because of the laws in the kingdom where Defense Attorneys were prisoned with any client declared Guilty and Dhurke being an outlaw, he sent Apollo to the United States. From there, Apollo never saw or heard from Dhurke or Nahyuta again, believing all his life that Dhurke had abandoned him.

Again, like the second backstory, this gives us relatability and motivation. Leaving any family is something all of us feel saddened about. It also follows up with the relatability of Phoenix’s first backstory of being close with someone, only to grow apart from them with age. But, again, there is no connection between this backstory or the other two. What does this backstory have anything to do with Apollo’s connection with the Gramarye, relation to Trucy, friendship with Clay, growing up in a boarding school as a youth or his reasons for saying “I’M FINE!” all the time? NOTHING! There’s not a single callback to any of these, not even to reoccurring characters from the fourth or fifth game. Nothing on Kristoph Gavin, the Space Center, nothing. There is mention of Jove Justice being Apollo’s biological father, but do we get anything on Thalassa or the Gramarye’s? Even a tiny bit? Nope! Any connection with Jove Justice and the Gramarye’s to explain how he may’ve met the daughter of the famous Magnify Gramarye and they may’ve fallen in love? Nope! Again, I get nothing. It’s sad, because the story could’ve also added Thalassa into the mix as being Jove’s singing partner, a subtle picture of her and explaining why she might be so talented in singing. The fact that the second case does involve the Gramarye, I think, is a missed opportunity to draw a connection to Apollo’s third and first backstory.

For Phoenix Wright, his third backstory is in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, believe it or not. This backstory takes place during the seven years between the third and fourth game. Phoenix Wright was defending Zak Gramarye for the murder of Magnify Gramarye. During this trial, he presents forged evidence unknowingly, which Klavier Gavin reveals to be forged via the surprising Witness. From there, Phoenix is disbarred from law and his client Zak disappears from site. Trucy, who is Zak’s daughter, is left behind and Phoenix cannot find any living relatives, thus decides to adopt her as his own daughter. From here, he turns his law offices into a Talent Agency for his new daughter and takes the job as a piano/poker player. He befriends the only Bar Associate that voted him to be innocent, Kristoph Gavin, who had used his friendship to stalk and watch him.

Again, this creates relatability and motivation as someone losing their job for unfair reasons, entering fatherhood and being manipulated by fake friends. This also is a great follow-up to the trilogy itself and confirming everything that’s already established canon such as Phoenix considering poison and betrayal to be inexcusable, which is what Kristoph does. It establishes the relationship and connection with Trucy and even Apollo. Even as weak as Apollo’s backstory is, it is enough to give Phoenix a strong motivation to take him in as a student. With how strong this third backstory to Phoenix is and its connection to the trilogy as a whole, it makes me wonder why he wasn’t the protagonist of this story. Though, it does conclude what this third backstory does so well that all of Apollo’s backstories do not do: continue where the previous left off.

With every backstory Phoenix gets, it always continues where the previous left off. They connect well like a puzzle. Each piece matches well and never feels separate. With each new backstory, it continues where the previous left off. The second backstory continues where the first and second game left off and the third backstory continues where the trilogy left off. With Apollo’s three backstory, they feel so disconnected, it’s like trying to fit three unmatching pieces together, while ignoring the rest of the 197 puzzle pieces. Sure, the third backstory might’ve mentioned Jove Justice as Apollo’s biological father, but we don’t know anything about Jove or Thalassa, their relationship, how they met or anything. Was Thalassa the lead singer when Jove played, like she is as Lamoure? I don’t know. Even Apollo growing up at a Boarding School or how he went there is never explained in the third backstory. Did Dhurke send Apollo there and pay for his classes? I don’t know.

In conclusion, Apollo’s problem with his backstories are not that there are too many, but that they do not connect. Backstories must fit together in order to work. There has to be a cause and effect. Phoenix Wright has full backstories that have always connected perfectly like puzzle pieces. He has one of the strongest established backstories in Ace Attorney, alongside Miles Edgeworth, who technically has four backstories. That just goes to show you can’t have too many backstories. Although, you can have botched up backstories that do not match up that makes it feel like there are too many backstories.

What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to comment, whether you agree or disagree. I might make a follow-up to this to explain how Apollo’s three backstories could be fixed to where they feel complete. It really depends.

[writing-for-me-at-this-point]

Forever | Alucard | Yandere

Request: Can i request castlevainas alucard as a yandere?

Word Count: 1,602 words

Page Count: 4.5 pages

A/n: hope you enjoy, it was my first yandere request and i hope it lives up to standards! AND I THINK I SPELLED ADRIEN AS ADRIAN FUCK IM SORRY LMAO.

Tags: none :)

        It had been months since the decaying corpses in the front of the castle had dissipated into nothing but bone, two lone bodies forever impaled next to one another, a reminder and a warning. A reminder of the cruelties humanity has birthed and a warning to those who wish to follow in their footsteps- leading many astray from the castle and it's inhabitant, in fear of Dracula's return or the eternal echo of his being being trapped to roam the halls, impaling those who he deems unworthy.

        Giggles can he heard echoing through the castle, though soft, they're there. A young woman laughs, a baby's innocent babbles that light up a room are there too, and a man- his chuckles only deepened as they continued. Inside, the woman ran through the castle, her giggles only fueled the others, and a young child no older than one or two years of age rode on the shoulders of the honey-eyed man.

        The two came into his life during the darkest moments, the young woman named [ Y/n ] ignored the warning left on his land, running up to the door and banging on it with the hilt of a whip- her baby wailing as fear over took her. Opened his castle to her, and as he watched the doors close, his eyes met those of a woman whose soul was filled with venom that watched from the treeline. He had helped you once he noticed the pool of blood surrounding you, assisting you stand as he noticed dizziness starting to over take you, mindful of the child who's cries now started to calm.

        Large slashes crossed her back, her wrists were raw and her legs were scarred. The infant, who matched your [ S/c ] tone, yet held the deepest brown eyes looked to him, as if begging Alucard to help them.

        He was careful around both of them, helping [ Y/n ] as she healed and searched the land for the other woman he saw, but never found a trace of her yet. As [ Y/n ] started to heal, he would keep her company while she started to move around more and more, often speaking with her while she fed her son- making Alucard flush slightly at how she seemed to reject modesty and be fairly comfortable with exposing a moment like this to him. He found out that her sons name was Damien and was the product of a romance with her mistress's son, who she had been working for as a maid, and once the woman found out she wasn't all too pleased- hence the slashes across her back and arms, and the whip she managed to grab along with her child before she ran.

*****

        "And that is how I managed to run, all the way here, I..." She seemed to trail off, looking down at her son who continued to suckle, uncaring of anything and only longing for the nurturing hand his mother gave, before her eyes trailed up to Alucards, a small frown forming on her face.

        "I am sorry for the trouble I caused. Once I am healed, I can leave immediately, or perhaps work for you in return?" She asked, staring into the amazed pools of honey once again, confused why he looked almost appalled at the idea.

        "That would never be necessary. You can stay as you please, I- I myself have grown fond of you, and the little one of course. Charming boy, really." He mused, nodding his head to Damien who couldn't be all but happier.

        "Then maybe we should."

*****

        Alucard had come back inside the castle, a deer in his arms as blood was scattered across the shirt he wore, glistening on his face as well, dripping from his chin and splattered on the rest of his face. You were still sleeping soundly in the room, from what he could hear, which was pleasant for him. He could make you and the baby dinner without you seeing the mess he had made. A bit too bloody than he would have liked you to see. Waking up to a fabulous dinner hadn't been on your mind, though, Alucard had a habit of spoiling you.

        You had grown even closer with Alucard- no, Adrien since then, who seemed to fall deeper in love with you as the day went by. He had told you stories of his childhood, his friends, his betrayal, and yet instead of being fearful in anyway- you only listened and empathized with him, assuring him that you would stay with him for as long as the universe allowed you to. 

*****

         "I never thought I'd understand how my father felt," He started one night, Damien sleeping in the new cradle Alucard himself had made in the room down the hall, his head on your chest while you played with his hair.

        "But, once you came here, I didn't know what to think." You chuckled at his words, feeling him smile against your skin, his deep chuckle shaking you both as his arms tightened around you.

        "You spoke with me, listened to me, cared for me when I needed it." He continued, enjoying your nails scratching his scalp, the safest feeling hes felt in quite a while.

        "Thank you."

*****

        Running down the hall with a child on his person wasn't what he thought he'd be doing months ago, chasing the woman of his affections with a smile on his face, hearing their laughter made his heart and head fill with light joy. Just as you turned the corner, he reached an arm out and wrapped it around your waist, Damiens body faltering slightly before he grabbed onto Alucard again. 

        "Gotcha." His face fell onto one shoulder, your son falling onto the other, moving your hands you placed it on your boys heads.

        "I guess you did." You continued, before moving to take Damien, then laying your head on his chest.

        "Well, I don't plan on letting go, so you're both trapped with me." He laughed lightly, pulling you with him to the hall, thinking now would be a good time to take you both on a walk outside.

        "I think I'd be okay with that." You laughed, making your way out onto the back of the castle, something you noticed that had been happening more often than not, then again you'd rather not have Damien see the remnants of Taka and Sumi. Though they weren't lonely, with the newest editions of your old mistress and her own children who aided her in harming you, it seemed even in death Taka and Sumi had company on the land as well- everyone was happy! Alucard hummed at those words, his heart beating faster, he knew you meant it innocently, but he couldn't help it.

        He wanted you here. You and Damien. You're both his to care for. To take care of him. To love. And to love him back.

        You're both his. And he is yours.

        For as long as you remained. Though, he knew of your mortality, he wished to change that soon, to keep you and your memories with him for the rest of eternity. Damien would surely follow, though he'd wait until he was a bit older, wishing to enjoy his childhood and help him grow into a fine young man. He'd of course have both of your permission, but he knew you'd follow his advice and Damien would do what his father said, so the only issue that came to his mind would have been the sunlight. 

        He could deal with that later though, find a witch or some magician that could cultivate a ring or two, to help you both walk with him in the sun. Perhaps a wedding ring? That would be a lovely gift, he thought, a wedding ring that would keep you with him. Maybe, he could commission a ring with the Belmont crest for Damien to wear, keep him safe from any other hunters who might have their suspicions.

        "Adrien?" Your voice had pulled him from his thoughts, not noticing you and Damien at the river already, the young boy splashing around happily while you stayed near the edge- keeping him from getting in too deep.

        "Yes?" He blinked, turning quickly to you, and striding over.

        "Did you hear what I said?" Your voice was soft, scanning him.

        "Ah. I'm sorry. I was just, enjoying the moment, thinking about how lucky I am. What was it again?" His arms tightened around your waist, placing his chin on your head, taking a deep breath.        

        "I said... I love you. I really do. You're the only one- who can make me feel this way. Safe. Happy. Loved. It's you." The warmest smile came to your face as you felt his heart beat quicken, your hands on his arms as you looked down with a distinct flush on your face, Damien coming up to hug both of your legs as well.

        He couldn't believe it, it was real, you loved him. You said it. You meant it. You want to be his as much as he wants to be yours, you want to stay with him, you want to love him deeply. He felt so relieved, that his affections were returned, and he picked up Damien and kissing his head before his lips came down onto yours.

        "And I love you too." You smiled against his lips, hearing his love for you back made you swoon, unknowing of the gentle manipulation of your heart that tugged you further into his world.

        Something you gladly welcomed.

[aion-rsa]

The Sopranos’ Best End Credit Songs

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There are so many legendary aspects of The Sopranos that it’s hard to pick just one. Between masterful storytelling, deep character development, and uncanny acting, everything comes together to create a show that has been enjoyed for over two decades now. The most artistic aspect of the package, however, may just be the use of music, specifically the unique songs curated personally by creator David Chase that run during each episode’s end credits. 

Ranging from oldies, foreign ballads, jazz compositions, and pure instrumentals, the variety is stunning and can keep you exploring the track list of the series for days. We’ve decided to narrow all of the end credit songs down to the best 15 in the series, listed in chronological order of airing. Enjoy! 

Season 1 Episode 4: Meadowlands 

“Look on Down from the Bridge” by Mazzy Star

The nice father-son moment between Tony and A.J. at the closing of this episode is accompanied by this beautiful track from Mazzy Star. A.J. sees his dad in a whole new light after Meadow tells him that he’s in the mafia, but a simple smile and wink from Tony reassures the youngest Soprano child that he certainly will still “look on down from the bridge” and see his family as the only priority in his life, no matter what criminal occupation he tries to hide on a daily basis. 

Season 1 Episode 7: Down Neck 

“White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane

This one follows the pattern of the show choosing to play a song earlier in an episode and then again during the final scene and credits. The Jefferson Airplane hit refers to drug use and being intoxicated, therefore changing as a person in the process. The song plays when Tony is taking prozac mid-episode and during the final scene in which Tony and A.J share an ice cream sundae and some whip cream together. No matter how much the therapy and the meds try to alter Tony’s life, he’ll remain the same man: a depressed mobster and a father who softens for his children. 

Season 2 Episode 10: Bust Out 

“Wheel in the Sky” by Journey

If you haven’t noticed by the time you’re done watching the show, The Sopranos loves to point out how trapped all of the characters are in the lifestyles they have either chosen or been forced into. Tony has betrayal surrounding him at every corner at the end of the second season: Richie and Janice plotting his removal, Carmela falling for a painter who is working in the family home, and Pussy’s FBI informancy reaching a climax. Still, the “wheel in the sky keeps on turning”. Tony finishes the episode having some fun with A.J. on the Stugotz, and he doesn’t “know where he’ll be tomorrow” but he’ll enjoy the time he has in the present. 

Season 2 Episode 12: The Knight in White Satin Armor 

“I Saved the World Today” by the Eurythmics

Tony returns home after disposing of Richie Aprile’s body because Janice shot him to death over a domestic dispute. After informing Carmela of the night’s bloody events, she quickly moves on to the list of chores and homemaker responsibilities she is going to lay at Tony’s feet for the next week while she goes on vacation with Ro Aprile. This apt song from the Eurythmics exemplifies everything Tony has to be in the lives of friends and family around him: always there to save the world for them.

Season 3 Episode 4: Employee of the Month 

“Fisherman’s Daughter” by Daniel Lanois

This Dr. Melfi-centric episode is one of the most deservedly acclaimed hours in the drama’s history. When the final scene gives her a chance to let Tony loose on the monster who assaulted her, she powerfully takes the moral route and declines his services. The camera pans to black solemnly with this haunting instrumental track by Daniel Lanois, a perfect backdrop to allow the audience to ponder everything that just happened and why Melfi was able to maintain strength that so many others wouldn’t have mustered. Anything with singing would have detracted from the environment the writers were trying to create, so this is a great song choice. 

Season 3 Episode 12: Amour Fou 

“Affection” by Little Steven and the Lost Boys

The penultimate episode of the third season features the climax of the relationship between Tony and Gloria, in which the crazy affection that they have for one another boils over into violence. Yet another of the brilliant musical choices this show made was to use the same song twice: once earlier in an episode, and then again in the final scene and credits. This tune, sung by Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt) himself, plays with Tony and Gloria spending time together mid-episode and then again at the end credits. 

Season 4 Episode 4: The Weight 

“Vesuvio” by Spaccanapoli

Another example of double dipping on the same song in one episode. The above scene between Carmela and Furio dancing and falling in love right underneath Tony’s nose uses this romantic Italian track by Spaccanapoli, and then uses it again in the final seconds when Carmela is daydreaming about Furio while having sex with Tony. So sensual and heavy, the audience knows that Carmela is going down a path she can’t see through to the end, but the music signifies the passion that she will inevitably entangle herself in for the time being. 

Season 4 Episode 7: Watching Too Much Television 

“Oh Girl” by The Chi-Lites

When an assemblyman starts an affair with Tony’s ex-lover, Irina, there is quite a bit of jealousy and ownership that exudes from the mob boss. This classic from the Chi-Lites plays in the car on the way over to the assemblyman’s house as Tony drives over to confront him about “taking” his mistress from him. It is a song which causes deep reflection and nostalgia for a lost love, and prompts Tony to get emotional listening to it. Wonderful acting by Gandolfini and superb use of in-world music that plays over to the credits, something the show got down to an art and a science simultaneously. 

Season 5 Episode 10: Cold Cuts 

“I’m Not Like Everybody Else” by The Kinks

No, Tony Soprano is certainly not like anybody else. He insists that Janice see anger management counselors at the beginning of this episode, and when she actually improves her mood because of it, his narcissism makes him antagonize her until a typical Soprano family fight breaks out at dinner. Tony walks out of the house with a despicable smile on his face to the tune of this intense rock anthem.

Season 5 Episode 11: The Test Dream 

“Three Times a Lady” by The Commodores

In an episode in which Tony spends 20 minutes literally dreaming about past and future problems in his life, culminating in the murder of Billy Leotardo by Anthony Blundetto, The Commodores soft romance hit plays us out. Tony calls Carmela to report about said dreams, part of which were repeat ones that have happened previously in Tony’s life. It’s nice for the audience to see these two having a tender exchange rather than the tense arguing that normally characterizes their marriage, especially because this was when the two were still separated previously throughout the fifth season. 

Season 6 Episode 4: The Fleshy Part of the Thigh 

“One of These Days” by Pink Floyd

Paulie Walnuts is a fan favorite for a myriad of reasons. Between his gray-haired wings and his immature one-liners, many forget that the mobster had one of the scarier violent streaks in the show. After discovering that his mother was actually his aunt, Paulie gets jealous of Jason Barone’s mother trying to protect him from the mafia after selling the sanitation business that serves as a front for the DiMeo crime family. This psychedelic, hard-rock snippet from Pink Floyd that blares in the credits after Paulie threatens Jason’s life at the end of episode is a strong reminder to the viewer that this is a character who borders on sociopathic most of the time. 

Season 6 Episode 12: Kaisha 

“Moonlight Mile” by The Rolling Stones

Unlike other iconic dramas, The Sopranos loved ending their season finales (and “Kaisha” is technically a season finale with season 6 split into two parts) with relative closure and absolutely no cliffhangers. The family has an enormous Christmas gathering at the Soprano residence, marked by A.J. bringing over an older girlfriend and Meadow’s rare absence from family time. This classic from The Rolling Stones that describes the feeling of trying to get back home off the road fits lovingly with the rare moment of calm before the storm that is the final season of the show.  

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Season 6 Episode 14: Stage 5 

“Evidently Chickentown” by John Cooper Clarke

This closing piece by John Cooper Clarke is actually considered a poetry performance, and the anger and fury that it inspires as Phil Leotardo laments being taken advantage of a few too many times is palpable. This is when we knew that war in New York was going to be bloody. The song also symbolizes the perpetual frustration both Christopher and Tony have with one another when they hug at the former’s baby’s baptism. The final season was certainly kicked up a couple notches as these final credits rolled. 

Season 6 Episode 17: Walk Like a Man 

“The Valley” by Los Lobos

This somber piece plays alongside Christopher picking up a tiny tree in his front yard after Paulie had attempted to destroy everything on his property as revenge for a violent incident. After Christopher thinks they’ve made up, Paulie and the gang start making fun of his infant daughter and laughing in his face. It is at this point that Chris understands he is forever an outsider, not loved by a single person on the planet. He will just trudge along and try to keep upright, which are themes displayed in this chilling and melancholy song of choice. 

Season 6 Episode 21: Made in America 

“Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey

The most famous song in the show is also the final one that plays right before the screen goes to black and Tony Soprano’s fate is left up to our own imagination (kind of). It’s technically not an end credits song, but there’s no way it can be excluded from this list. The song represents the nostalgia of sharing one final family meal together, the simplicities of the Soprano family when you strip away the mobster lifestyle and the murder, and it encourages the audience to never stop believing their favorite mob boss is still alive if that’s what they so choose to desire. A special ending to a legendary show!

The post The Sopranos’ Best End Credit Songs appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[herosillustres]

if.. if you want to.. since you mentioned wanting to write about percy, something involving him introducing his newborn child (either molly or lucy) to his mother would be pretty sweet

haha…what if I did do that…just kidding…unless…? 👀

———

When Molly was first placed in Percy’s arms, he had quite nearly cried. Only a warning look from Audrey, whose face was soaked with tears already and who had told Percy when she had first gotten pregnant that she would be the only one allowed to cry in the delivery room, kept the tears from flowing. That and a harsh bite on his lower lip, quickly and easily silencing himself and he held the baby closer to his body.

The doctors puttered about Percy and the baby as they worked to clean Audrey up, something the man could have easily done with the wave of a wand, but which was done manually as they were in a muggle hospital. Per Audrey’s request, and, in part, his own. He had been forgiven by his family, yes, and few in the wizarding world knew of the betrayal that he had enacted—opinions on whether his anger was justified or not ranged in how well the opinion holder knew him—but he still worried what those who did know might do. He was assured by many that this fear was unfounded, but Percy had grown cautious since the second war, watching his step more closely than he used to.

After a moment, the doctors and nurses cleared the room, one of them nodding Percy towards a chair they had moved over to sit besides Audrey’s bedside. He took a seat there once the room was empty and proudly presented the baby girl to his wife.

“Boy or girl?” Audrey asked as she took the swaddled, squirming thing from Percy, tucking the baby protectively against her chest even as her competitive streak came through.

“Girl.” Percy answered simply.

“Damn, you won,” Audrey sighed with faux exasperation. She looked down at the baby with a soft smile, ticking the infant’s chin with her finger for a moment.

“You were the one who insisted,” Percy argued in return, not a hint of malice in his voice. He leaned into his wife’s space, peering down at the baby girl once again. He felt a sob building in his throat, a feeling of such unbridled happiness and joy that even the smile that ached across his face was not enough to express.

“Only because I thought I would be right,” Audrey returned, glaring playfully at the other as she shifted about in the bed, making just enough room for Percy to hang off the edge of the bed if he so chose to. He did. He stretched an arm out as he settled uncomfortably on the sliver of mattress that Audrey had granted him and gently caressed the child’s face. His child’s face. The girl scrunched her face up in return, but made no move to cry, as she had when she was first brought out into the open. Instead she stared at her father with bright eyes and gurgled a noise that no one could decipher. “Her name?”

“Molly,” Percy said, having decided it long ago. He pulled his hand from Molly’s face and instead brought it to Audrey’s, pushing himself up so that he was sat more firmly beside her.

“Molly,” Audrey repeated with a smile. She pressed into Percy’s space and placed a chaste, tired kiss on his lips, revealing just how harrowing the whole ordeal had truly been. “It’s a good name.”

༻࿇༺

Molly was pressed comfortably against Percy’s chest, the baby making soft, incoherent noises as Percy trudged the two of them out of Ottery St Catchpole where he had left his car outside a small coffee shop that Bill used to take him to during his summer breaks—before Percy began to attend Hogwarts, as well. It was warm out, a slight breeze bristling through the fields surrounding the town, making it pleasant enough for a walk without it being downright unbearable. Molly seemed to agree with the sentiment, her small head swinging this way and that as if trying to memorize the landscape.

Audrey hadn’t come with the two of them out to the Burrow—although she had made Percy swear not to apparate with the baby, the woman not at all keen of the risks that it could pose for the infant (the argument she had laid out had been unnecessary as Percy had already agreed with the sentiment, but it served to make him not wont to apparate himself for a good while)—deciding to take the day to rest and recuperate after the long five months they had spent caring for Molly. Percy knew it was well overdue for his mother to meet her granddaughter, but he and Audrey had read something in a book that said it was best to wait a few months before introducing infants to others.

He had written his mother a letter when Molly was first born, including with it two muggle photographs: one of just the baby and another that also included him and Audrey, taken by a sweet nurse that had been all too willing to indulge them with a photo. She had written back almost immediately, gushing over the little thing and pleading for her son to bring her by sometime soon. They had exchanged a few more letters since then, but Percy’s reservations were still fresh in his mind making even the most simple interactive tasks nearly impossible for him to act upon if they involved his family. He loved them, there was no doubt, but there was always that nagging part of his mind that wondered if it wasn’t only him who did.

He had contacted Ron early last night to see if Molly would be free tomorrow—no matter how much he had denied it, Percy had always been Ron’s favorite—and the boy had told him when the house would be empty save for her, reading the older’s hesitance easily. He had only given his little brother a grateful smile before popping away from the flue, but only after Ron had wrung a promise from him that he could meet the baby, as well.

The Burrow was in front of Percy’s eyes before he knew it. The walk from the town took less time than he had remembered. He swallowed down a thick ball of guilt and melancholy that gathered in his throat at that thought. He made his way carefully to the front door, both fear of what lay behind the door as well as what lay in wait in the garden keeping him from dashing up to it.

Molly stared blankly up at the building, mouth opening and closing as if she were gawking at what had once been Percy’s home. He grinned down at the baby, bouncing her in his arms enough for her attention to be turned back to him, the infant letting out a gurgle of joy before squirming her arms up into the air towards her father’s face. Molly seemed to have developed a fascination with Percy’s glasses near immediately and was always attempting to get her hands on them in one way or another.

With one hand continuing to support the baby, Percy used the other in an attempt to simultaneously knock on the all too familiar door and knock the baby’s hands from his face, a game which left Molly squealing with joy every time. He heard someone puttering about just behind the door as he pulled his hand from the door and trapped Molly’s baby paws in his own palm, the baby squirming cheerfully in his arms.

“One moment!” He could hear his mother calling from within the house. Those two words, so meaningless in the scheme of things, brought a small smile to his lips, a warmth blooming in his chest as he listened to the other hurrying about. It hadn’t hit him until now just how much he missed his mother. His face felt hot as tears prickled in the backs of his eyes. He blinked them away and took a step from the door to wait for Molly to open up.

As she had promised, a moment later the door was flung open, the woman’s head of crazy red hair making itself known first as she poked it from within the house. It took her a moment to fully recognize Percy—Merlin, that hurt, but he couldn’t blame her—but when she did her face lit up as bright as the Christmas trees that populated Hogwarts’ halls during the season. Her face blanched slightly when she noticed the baby slung across Percy’s chest, but recognition once again settled quickly in.

“Percy, oh my goodness,” Molly’s voice was breathless, as if she couldn’t believe just what was happening before her eyes. She paced slowly out of the house towards him.

“Hi, mom,” Percy replies, a crooked grin spreading across his face. Molly, the little one, not the mother, made a gurgled sound as if to repeat what Percy had said. She knew how to say something that resembled ‘Ma’—as well as ‘Da,’ but she learned it later and Audrey had yet to let him live that fact down—and was quick to use it when Percy greeted his mother.

“Oh, Percy,” Molly repeated, voice filled with emotions as she hurried forward to press herself against her son, wrapping her arms tightly about him while somehow avoiding squishing the baby, who made a noise of slight alarm before settling into the gentle hold.

Percy ducked his head enough to press his face into his mother’s crazy curls, breathing in the scent that would comfort him as a child, that would hold him when he couldn’t sleep and indulge him in reading aloud boring books that no one could understand why he found so fascinating. He wrapped an arm around the woman, as well, one still holding his child as he let himself feel almost childish himself, back when he still held that belief that nothing could happen if mommy was there.

They pulled apart after a moment, Percy’s glasses popping from where they had stuck against his face but blurry with tears he hadn’t known he had shed and strands of Molly’s hair clinging to her face with tears she seemed all too aware of having been poured. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her dress and waited until Percy had cleaned himself up as well before speaking.

“And who might this be?” She asked, voice still a bit wet as she cooed at the baby in her son’s arms. The baby responded in kind, seemingly recognizing the woman as some sort of relation as she let out a series of squeals and less than intelligible noises, all the while swinging her arms about as if telling some grand story. Percy and his mother laughed at the affair.

“Mother,“ Percy started as he gently moved to hold the baby out to his mother. The older woman hesitated a moment before finally grasping the infant, years of child rearing—seven children left their mark, even if it had been close to 18 since she had last had one herself—allowing her to hold the baby properly. She bounced the girl lightly in her arms. “Meet Molly.”

“Molly,” his mother parroted, another wave of emotions gathering in her voice. She stared at the baby a moment longer before turning up to her son. The smile she wore was enough to rival the sun, the sun that glistened upon the tears once again blooming in her eyes. Percy pulled the older woman into a hug without her needing to be asked, an arm curling around his mother’s shoulders as she turned back to the baby. To Molly.

[argylemnwrites]

Five Stages

Character: King Liam

Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Riley Liu) referenced

Book: The Royal Romance (The Royal Romance Books 2 and 3, The Royal Holiday, The Royal Heir, and beyond)

Word Count: ~1700

Rating:  PG

Summary: There probably isn’t a framework for handling your best friend and the woman you love falling for each other, but that won’t stop Liam from trying to work through it all.

Author’s Note: Something about watching Drake and MC be all lovey-dovey in The Royal Holiday got me thinking about how unrealistic it is that Liam just apparently got over all his pain and heartbreak off-screen. I know Liam is a stoic, reserved man, but I just wanted to explore how I envision his internal healing process progressing.

Denial

For the sake of his mental health, Liam had chosen to ignore a lot of things over the past week or so. In some ways, it had been surprisingly easy. Not that Liam had anticipated needing to cope with a rejected proposal, but if someone had asked him last month how he would cope with Riley Liu rejecting him for his best friend, he probably would have thought it would have been harder than he’d found it thus far. 

Part of the way he was handling it seemed fairly healthy as he was able to shift some focus towards being happy for one of his oldest and dearest friends. Still, somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, he knew he was ignoring many little signs of their relationship. The looks they’d shared on the train back to the capital. The way they’d hung back from the group on the way from the beer garden to the palace. Her hand on his shoulder as she invaded his personal space with ease at the bar off to the side of the dance floor last night.

Granted, some things Liam had seen were harder to ignore. His hand low on her back as they left that same bar and attempted to sneak out of the ball without drawing attention to themselves. The fact that when they returned to the ball, they both looked slightly less polished and put together than they had before. The way the two of them held hands and cozied up to each other during the fireworks. And of course, Riley and Drake had both independently stated that they loved the other. But the mind could rationalize with amazing efficiency to protect itself. So, even in light of all of those moments, Liam had found himself able to forget about the realities of Drake and Riley being together. And then, the assassins last night had nearly completely distracted him from this topic. At least until this moment. 

There were a lot of things he could ignore when it came to Drake and Riley. The ring on her left hand as his best friend announced they were getting married just wasn’t one of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anger

It was probably fitting that Liam had first felt an intense rage in regards to Drake and Riley in Lythikos. He got the feeling that Olivia would have almost been proud if she had known, most likely telling him that it was important to keep a fire burning inside your soul to stay alert and focused, as well as warm in the frigid climate. And now that they were back in Lythikos for the holidays, Liam felt some of that anger work it’s way back into his mind.

Watching Drake and Riley flirt and tease each other was still irritating. He didn’t want it to be, and he intellectually understood that newlyweds were going to radiate an aura of giddy love. He just couldn’t help but resent it a little, just like he had back when they were here during their engagement and he’d been forced to be their relationship’s number one champion, pretending that it wasn’t obnoxious to watch them cling to each other on the dance floor, his fingers tracing over the strip of skin across her midriff left bare by her dress. When he’d had to announce time and time again that he was happy for them when he was well aware of the fact that they had just snuck out, unable to keep their hands off each other until the end of the ball.

Did they think that the fact they hadn’t immediately jumped into bed together made it alright that they had lied to him? Because they seemed to act like the fact that they “resisted” their attraction for a few months left them above reproach, that their actions weren’t at all a betrayal. Did they want a prize for not having sex initially? Did they not understand that an emotional affair was still an affair?

Part of him knew that viewing their relationship as an affair was disingenuous. After all, he and Riley had never been an official couple. There were other women during the social season, and after that there was Madeleine. But then he would see them hand in hand, lips against each other’s ears, undoubtedly whispering sweet nothings, and he just felt the irritation and rage rise in his chest again. Wasn’t it enough that they had each other? Did they really have to throw it in his face?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bargaining

Liam felt a bit foolish. He’d spent so much time and energy thinking about how Drake and Riley’s relationship impacted his own romantic life, but he’d never considered the practical impact their relationship would have on his own relationship with Drake.

He had gotten very used to Drake being around, his presence a comfort in times of stress and strain. It wasn’t that he took Drake’s friendship and support for granted, but he was just used to having it. But right now, they were on their honeymoon, and Liam didn’t know who to talk to about the pressures Auvernal was laying on him. It just felt bizarre not talking to him about the situation as it was evolving, but that obviously wasn’t an option at this time.

As he thought more about it, he realized that this was going to become more and more common going forward. For so long, he and Drake had been one of, if not the most important person in each other’s lives. But now Riley held that title without question for Drake. Liam could never hope to compete, and it was only going to get worse when they had children.

He knew he still had things to work through when it came to Drake and Riley. He knew that he was still processing his mess of emotions when it came to them. But he swore he was working on it, that he was getting over her and moving on. He just would have to try harder, though. Because he couldn’t risk losing them both. He wanted to go fishing with Drake when he needed to escape for just a few hours. He wanted to joke with Riley at council meetings. He wanted to be “Uncle Liam” to their children. He just needed to keep them in his life in some capacity. If he could make that happen, well that would be enough. He was sure of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Depression

Liam was lonely. That was a fact. He might be the most important person in the country, but that didn’t change the reality that he didn’t have anyone who saw him as the most important person in their life. He was publicly needed, personally all alone.

Leo called more often these days, inviting him on trips that would undoubtedly be filled with high-stakes gambling, Cuban cigars, expensive liquor, and even more expensive women. But Liam wasn’t up for that. He wanted the comforts and affection that came from long-standing love, not a temporary distraction. It wasn’t even really about not having a romantic partner, although that was certainly part of it. It was more about how isolated he felt, disconnected from literally everyone around him. 

He wanted someone to confide in and discuss his investigation into his mother’s death. He wanted someone who could comfort him as delving into his memories dragged up old pains and horrors. But instead he kept that all to himself, his feelings his alone to deal with as his time with his friends was focused on their lives. Olivia had her investigations. Maxwell had his novel. And of course Drake and Riley had impending parenthood and all that entailed.

Riley’s pregnancy seemed to be everyone’s focus these days, from the general populace to their entire social circle. And while Liam knew it wasn’t rational, he could help but feel alone and blue while everyone else moved on to better and brighter things. Drake and Riley just represented his separation with such profound clarity. His best friend and his ex, in love, married, and expecting a child, moving forward with their lives and leaving him behind. He knew he objectively led a blessed life. It just wasn’t what he craved most.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Acceptance

Liam smiled as he took in the sight around him in the palace’s private lounge. Olivia playing bartender, refusing to serve Drake whiskey until he drank a glass of Malbec, a sly smile sliding across her face as Drake scoffed and groaned while picking up the wine glass. Maxwell grabbing the baby from Riley’s lap, insisting he needed to teach his godchild some dance moves, the air filled with Riley’s laugh and the charming giggles that can only come from an infant who is completely delighted. Hana slicing a cinnamon apple cake she had made herself, all part of the perfectly simple birthday party she’d organized for him.

He had spent so long chasing things. Being a perfect ruler, the type of king that served the common man and the noble with care. Securing the country without repeating his father’s paranoid mistakes. Balancing foreign diplomacy with internal strength. But today, just for a few hours, he felt at peace, calm and content with the love of those closest to him.

Because love took on many forms, and the platonic love that surrounded him was absolutely something worth being grateful for. Just as he had worked to define the type of king he wanted to be, independent of his father and his legacy, he had worked to define what it meant for him to have personal connections, not just royal ones. And a low-key “commoner” birthday was just one way to embrace all the good things in his life.

Of course, he still hoped for a romantic partner, someone to share his life and with whom he could start a family. But wanting more didn’t mean he couldn’t celebrate what he had right now. He had gained enough perspective and experience to see that. Twenty-nine had been rough, and thirty hadn’t been much better, but painful times were not indefinite. Liam had no idea what thirty-one would bring, but he was hopeful. All he could really do was take it one day at a time.

Tags: @dcbbw @mfackenthal @yaushie @jovialyouthmusic @iplaydrake @gibbles82 @drakewalkerisreal @riley–walker @thequeenofcronuts @notoriouscs @butindeed @octobereighth @ao719​

[vanessakirbyfans]

Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf play a couple shattered by the loss of their newborn baby in Kornél Mundruczó's intense English-language debut.

Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó broke through internationally in 2014 with his snarling social parable about the downtrodden rising up against their oppressors, White Dog. He puts aside political allegory to drill deep into the heart of family tragedy in his first English-language feature, Pieces of a Woman. Puncturing a brittle European veneer with spikes of more American emotional volatility, the drama wears influences from Ingmar Bergman to John Cassavetes — not always lightly. Despite some contrived script passages and unsubtle symbolism, the first-rate cast keeps it gripping.

Written by Kata Wéber, the director's partner and frequent collaborator as both screenwriter and actress, the new film is expanded from a multimedia theater piece they developed together. It opens with a superbly controlled pre-title sequence running almost a full half-hour, which will be harrowing for anyone contemplating parenthood.

Martha (Vanessa Kirby) seems serene as she receives congratulations at an office baby shower, and her partner Sean (Shia LaBeouf), a construction engineer on a Boston bridge project, is already bursting with pride about becoming a dad for the first time. Even his irritation at the shade implied by her controlling mother Elizabeth (Ellen Burstyn) buying them a car ("She got it gray like her soul; that's her spirit color") can't dampen his high spirits. He gives Martha a gift of framed ultrasound photos of their daughter to hang in the nursery.

Having prepared for a home birth, they call their midwife when contractions start. But Martha begins to freak mildly when the woman is unavailable, caught up in the middle of a difficult labor. Sean tries to keep the mood light with jokes and romance as Martha's water breaks and the replacement midwife, Eva (Molly Parker), arrives at the house. She reassures Martha that her nausea is normal and only begins to show concern when the baby's heart rate slows between contractions. Within minutes of their daughter being born, apparently healthy, the infant abruptly turns blue, and the paramedics arrive too late to save her.

This is a startling sequence of events, made more urgent by the restless agitation of DP Benjamin Loeb's camerawork, darting among the three adults in the house. The meticulous blocking that went into setting up this virtuoso scene must have been head-spinning. It all happens so fast that even with the immersive sense of participating in real-time trauma — shot in a single take using a gimbal — you find yourself later struggling, along with the characters, to piece together specific details as doubts, recriminations and unfounded guilt begin surfacing, both in private and public.

The absence of conclusive findings from medical examiners only compounds the couple's lack of closure. Sean, who has a history of addiction, reacts with violent frustration while Martha becomes cold and closed-off, horrifying her mother with her stubborn decision to donate her daughter's body to science. Elizabeth, an iron butterfly who wears her hair like a lacquered helmet, barrels ahead with legal action against the midwife, a witch-hunt stoked by the medical establishment. She enlists Martha's slick attorney cousin Suzanne (Sarah Snook), who's confident they can win both criminal and civil cases against Eva.

The action is punctuated by shots of the harbor and date stamps, marking intervals over the seven months following the tragedy, during which the lawsuit is pushed forward while family relations break down.

In one strong ensemble scene that points to the material's stage roots, tensions boil over during a lunch gathering at Elizabeth's home, to which Martha's sister Anita (Iliza Shlesinger) and her car salesman husband Chris (Benny Safdie) also are invited. Chris and Sean get into an animated back and forth about grunge bands and the weird period when The White Stripes were passing themselves off as siblings instead of spouses. Suzanne feigns interest, having zero engagement in pop culture, while Elizabeth dithers about, working on her own plan to help Martha move on.

Loeb's nimble camera again is a valuable storytelling tool as it ricochets among the guests in another feat of single-take dexterity, zigzagging between rooms but rarely taking its eye off Martha's pressure-cooker state for long. Her explosive anger makes it clear she doesn't share the hunger for justice that her mother supposedly "needs." This prompts an overwritten but nonetheless effective speech delivered in bristling close-up by the formidable Burstyn, in which Elizabeth spits out the harsh history of her own birth as a Holocaust survivor in Central Europe.

While LaBeouf brings his customary physicality to some punchy scenes, ranging across uncontrollable rage, caginess and crushed vulnerability as grief poisons the couple's relationship, the movie's shattered core, as its title would suggest, is Kirby's Martha.

She visibly hardens in the wake of her devastating loss, discarding the lovingly assembled elements of the nursery with a resolute absence of emotion. A scene where she returns to work — silently absorbing the pitying looks of her colleagues with the air of a woman as dangerous as she is damaged — is one of many such moments of charged intensity. And when she gazes at children on the street or the subway or in a department store, her eyes could be expressing tenderness or resentment. The remarkable Kirby gives a tough performance, bleeding beneath her armor-plated guard but refusing to soften Martha's abrasive sides as she undertakes the isolating work of learning to live with her loss.

In smaller roles, Snook and Parker both make incisive impressions, and Safdie is always an interesting screen presence, too infrequently seen beyond his movies with his brother. Jimmie Fails, such a revelation in The Last Black Man in San Francisco, is under-utilized.

Mundruczó's command falters in climactic courtroom scenes that seem pedestrian and too movie-ish compared to the edgier psychodrama that's come before, especially when Martha gets stuck with a big heart-stirring trial speech. Such flaws are heightened by increasing overuse of Howard Shore's intrusive score in the latter sections. There are also clumsily obvious touches like Martha's interest in sprouting apple seeds as a metaphor for rebirth, or clunky allusions to bridges as tricky structures that sometimes need to be burned.

It's unclear who the audience will be for a drama so unflinching that its sunny coda feels almost like a betrayal. But those with the stomach for a forcefully acted representation of the gut-wrenching impact and long-range after-effects of sudden infant death will be rewarded with moments both powerful and affecting.

[fuzzballsheltiepants]

(not trying to be rude at all) why do you like aedion? I stopped liking him when he was extremely misogynistic and unfair with lysandra

I think that’s an easy interpretation to have of his behavior in EoS, and believe me, you are not alone.  (I’m assuming you’re referring to the beach scene after the attack in Skull’s Bay and at the end of the book after Aedion learns that Lysandra will be mimicking Aelin.)

So, here goes, and I’m going to put this below a cut because I’m wordy af so this is going to be ridiculously long.

I think it’s really important to listen to his voice in his POV during the whole episode in Skull’s Bay.  First you have the scene where he and Lysandra are waiting in the alley to see if the wyrdkey draws Rolfe.  They’re pretending to be having a tryst while Lysandra plays a prostitute, and Aedion is upset that she is forced to play that role: “Aedion still wished that the shifter was wearing fur or feathers compared to...this.”  He’s highly sympathetic to the fact that she hated her former profession and hates that she’s being forced to even pretend.  He would rather she be unavailable to him as an animal than have to be put in a position where her past trauma is relived.

They argue about his behavior towards Dorian, she calls him out for pulling rank, and he respects her enough that he promises to try to forgive him for his father’s actions.  Then when things get a little heated, he backs off the second he realizes she’s uncomfortable.

So we have here evidence that he respects Lysandra greatly, has zero interest in pushing her or putting her in a situation to make her uncomfortable - even when she volunteers - and also, during their argument, it’s clear that she is more than happy to call him out on his bullshit and he knows that.  Wants it, even.

Now, we get to the Skull’s Bay thing, where Lysandra nearly kills herself fighting the sea-wyverns.  He gets to her where she’s bleeding out on the sand, and she’s snarling at him.  “‘You made it this far.  Don’t die on the rutting beach.’  The eye narrowed--with a hint of female temper.  He had to get the woman back.  Let her take control.  Or else the beast would never allow them near enough to help.  ‘You can thank me when your sorry ass is healed.’  Again that eye watched him warily, temper flickering.  But an animal remained.”

So, next is the part where everyone sees Aedion as being misogynistic or sexist or rude or whatever: 

“Aedion drawled, even as his relief began to crumble his mask of arrogant calmness, ‘The useless sentries in the watchtower are now all half in love with you,’ he lied. ‘One said he wanted to marry you.’

A low snarl.  He yielded a foot but held eye contact with her as he grinned. ‘But you know what I told them?  I said they didn’t stand a chance in hell.’  Aedion lowered his voice, holding her pained, exhausted stare.  ‘Because I am going to marry you,’ he promised her. ‘One day, I am going to marry you.  I’ll be generous and let you pick when, even if it’s ten years from now.  Or twenty.  But one day, you are going to be my wife.’

Those eyes narrowed--in what he could only call female outrage and exasperation.  He shrugged.  ‘Princess Lysandra Ashryver sounds nice, doesn’t it?’

And then the dragon huffed.  In amusement.  Exhaustion, but...amusement.  She opened her jaws as if she’d try to speak, but realized she couldn’t in this body.” [Emphasis mine.]

How I read this is: Aedion loves her, yes, but that is not what drives this.  He needs her to be enough herself, her human self, to accept the healers when they arrive.  And he knows her well enough to know that one way to trigger that return of the human to the body is to tease her or push her and pretend he is in any way in control over their relationship.  She had already ripped into him about enforcing rank in the previous scene between them.  So, thinking on his feet, he comes up with one way he thinks is guaranteed to irritate and amuse her.  SJM emphasizes (“he lied” “the mask”) that Aedion is not honestly proposing nor expecting Lysandra to agree to this, he is purely trying to get her back.  Is he manipulating her?  Sure, but he’s doing it not to take advantage of her weakened state, but to get enough of her back for Aelin and Rowan to save her life.  And it works.

Later, they get back from the swamp with the mirror, and Lysandra approaches him. 

“‘I do enjoy it, you know.  This--whatever this is.’

His heart ratcheted to a thunderous beat.  Aedion debated whether or not to go for subtlety and gave himself the span of three breaths to decide...’Whatever this is,’ he said with a half smile, ‘between us?”

Lysandra indeed went on the defensive and showed her hand. ‘I know my history is...unappealing.’

‘I’m going to stop you right there,’ Aedion said, daring a step closer. ‘And I’m going to tell you that there is nothing unappealing about you.  Nothing.  I’ve been with just as many people.  Women, men...I’ve seen and tried it all.’... ‘Attraction is attraction.’ He steeled his nerve. ‘And I know enough about it to understand what you and I...’ Something shuttered in her eyes, and the words slipped from him.  Too soon.  Too soon for this kind of talk.  ‘We can figure it out.  Make no demands of each other beyond honesty.’ That was really the only thing he cared to request.  It was no more than he’d ask of a friend.

A small smile played about her lips.  ‘Yes,’ she breathed.  “Let’s start there.’”

He then had a moment where he could have pushed - could have touched her or kissed her, she seemed open to it, but he didn’t.  He respected her too much to push her.  He wants to appreciate her, not take advantage of her.  “He had no intention of wasting each glorious moment in one go.”

It’s a short scene, but a lot happens.  She admits to him she likes him and enjoys their flirtation, and confesses her concerns about her past.  He immediately reassures her and lays himself bare, coming out as pan and assuring her that he will never judge her for her past.  Then in his internal monologue he basically states they need to be friends first, that he has no desire to push the physical, and he says - both aloud and to himself - that all he cares about is that they are honest with each other. 

This is important because of the scene at the end.  Aedion is furious with Lysandra, yes; he says things in anger, yes; because all he had asked for was honesty, and she had not given it to him.  We as readers can understand - and Lysandra even says - that her loyalty is to Aelin and that she is going to choose to do what Aelin asks.  But he’s hurt, and he’s grieving, and he lashes out in that grief.  He’s realistically flawed here.

Put yourself in his shoes.  He became Aelin’s protector when he was five years old, she was an infant and his mother was newly dead.  He grows up with the expectation that he will be her protector, he will take the blood oath, his whole life is to be devoted to her.  Then when he’s what, 13? 14?  (We don’t know when his birthday is) his whole life is shattered.  Aelin is gone and his entire remaining family is dead.  He gets taken in by the enemy and has to lie and manipulate and play a detested role to try to protect Terrasen from the worst of Adarlan’s ravages. 

Ten years pass, and he finds out Aelin is alive.  She’s alive and has been hiding in Adarlan all this time; and he doesn’t for one second hold that against her.  Ten years of agony, of sacrificing his honor because he thought he had failed, and he says not one word against her.  He learns she’s given away the blood oath and hidden that from him; and he’s crushed and lashes out, but he gets over it very quickly.  Finally, finally he’s part of the court he had longed for his entire life.

And now it’s gone.  Again.  And Aelin lied to him, again, and Lysandra, who had promised him honesty, lied to him too.  Can you honestly say you wouldn’t be furious in his shoes?  That you wouldn’t lash out at one of the people who betrayed you?  No matter how justified the betrayal?  If you think you would just swallow this and accept it with no ramifications, you are a better person than I am.

I like Aedion in part because he’s flawed, but he tries so hard.  He cares so much.  He gives and forgives, over and over.  And he’s the one who constantly gets asked to yield.  “Get over Aelin having hidden her identity for all these years.  Get over the blood oath thing, Aedion.  Get over your justifiable resentment over Dorian playing pretty boy prince for a decade while your people suffer.  Get over growing up without your father because he was bound to Maeve.”  And he does.  He yields and he yields and he yields, until finally he’s been lied to and betrayed just one too many times.  So no, I don’t blame him for his behavior towards Lysandra, and I don’t think he’s misogynistic or unfair for one second. 

[thescrybe]

Xerath, The Magus Ascendant

Xerath is an Ascended Magus of ancient Shurima, a being of arcane energy writhing in the broken shards of a magical sarcophagus. For millennia, he was trapped beneath the desert sands, but the rise of Shurima freed him from his ancient prison. Driven insane with power, he now seeks to take what he believes is rightfully his and replace the upstart civilizations of the world with one fashioned in his image.

The boy who would eventually be called Xerath was born a nameless slave in Shurima thousands of years ago. He was the son of captured scholars, with only the prospect of endless servitude ahead. His mother taught him letters and numbers, while his father told him tales from history in the hopes that such skills might allow him a better life. The boy vowed he would not end up bent-backed and whipped like every other slave.

When the boy’s father was crippled during the excavations for the foundations of a monument to the Emperor’s favorite horse, he was left to die at the site of the accident. Fearing her son would suffer a similar fate, the boy’s mother begged an esteemed tomb architect to take him on as an apprentice. Though at first reluctant, the architect was impressed with the boy’s eye for detail and innate understanding of mathematics and language, and accepted. The boy never saw his mother again.

He was a swift learner and his master dispatched him on errands to the Great Library of Nasus to retrieve specific texts and plans on an almost daily basis. On one trip, the boy met Azir, the least-favored son of the emperor. Azir was struggling to read a difficult passage in an ancient text, and, despite knowing that to talk to royalty was to invite death, the boy paused to help the young prince with its complex grammar. In that moment, a tentative friendship was established, and over the coming months that friendship only grew stronger.

Though slaves were forbidden names, Azir gave one to the boy. He named him Xerath, which means ‘one who shares,’ though that name was only ever spoken between the two boys. Azir saw to it that Xerath was appointed to his household’s slaves, and made him his personal attendant. Their shared love of knowledge saw them devour texts from the library and become as close as brothers. Xerath was Azir’s constant companion, learning all he could from this new proximity to culture, power and knowledge, finally daring to dream that Azir might one day free him.

On the annual tour of the emperor’s dominion, assassins struck the royal caravan as it spent the night at a well-known oasis. Xerath saved Azir from an assassin’s blade, but Azir’s brothers were all slain, leaving the young prince a heartbeat away from Shurima’s throne. As a slave, Xerath could expect no reward for his deed, but Azir promised that one day they would be as brothers.

In the wake of the assassination attempt, Shurima endured years of horror and fear of the emperor’s retribution. Xerath knew enough of history and the workings of the Shuriman court to understand that Azir’s life hung by the slenderest of threads. That he was heir to the throne meant nothing, for the emperor hated Azir for living while his more beloved sons had died. Of more immediate danger, the emperor’s wife was still young enough to bear other children, and thus far she had borne many healthy sons. The odds were good that she would produce another male heir for her husband, and as soon as she did, Azir’s life was forfeit.

Though Azir was a scholar at heart, Xerath persuaded him that to survive, he must also learn to fight. This Azir did, and in return the young heir elevated Xerath, insisting he continue his education. Both youths excelled, and Xerath proved to be an exceptionally gifted pupil, one who took to the pursuit of knowledge with gusto. Xerath became Azir’s confidant and right hand man, a position unheard of for a mere slave. This position gave him great - and some said, undue - influence over the young prince, who came to rely on Xerath’s judgement more each day.

Xerath bent his every effort into seeking out knowledge wherever he could find it, no matter the cost, no matter its source. He unlocked long-sealed libraries, delved into forgotten vaults and consulted with mystics entombed deep beneath the sands; all to further his knowledge and ambition, both of which grew with unchecked rapidity. Whenever the whispers around court that spoke of his delving into unsavory places grew too loud to ignore, he would find cunning means to silence them. That Azir never mentioned these whispers was, to Xerath, tacit approval of how he was keeping his emperor safe.

Years passed, and Xerath took ever darker steps to keep the emperor’s wife from carrying a child to term, using his nascent magical abilities to corrupt every infant in the womb. Without rivals to the throne, Azir would be safe. When rumors of a curse arose, Xerath ensured they were never spoken again, and oft-times those who had voiced such suspicions vanished without trace. By now, Xerath’s desire to escape his roots as a slave had become a burning ambition to achieve power of his own, though he justified every murderous act by telling himself he was doing it to keep his friend alive.

Despite Xerath’s best efforts to thwart the queen’s midwives, a new prince of Shurima was brought into the world, but on the night of his birth, Xerath used his growing magical powers to summon the elemental spirits of the deep desert and craft a terrible storm. Xerath brought bolt after bolt of lightning down upon the queen’s chambers, reducing it to burning rubble and killing the queen and her newborn son. The emperor rushed to his queen’s chambers, only to be confronted by Xerath, his hands ablaze with arcane power. The emperor’s guards attacked, but Xerath burned them and the emperor to cindered skeletons. Xerath ensured that the mages of a conquered territory were blamed for these deaths, and Azir’s first act upon taking the throne was to lead a brutal campaign of retribution against its people.

Azir was crowned emperor of Shurima with Xerath at his side, the boy who had once been a nameless slave. Xerath had long dreamed of this moment, and expected Azir to end slavery in Shurima before finally naming him brother. Azir did none of these things, continuing to expand his empire’s borders and deflecting Xerath’s overtures regarding the end of slavery. To Xerath, this was further proof of Shurima’s moral bankruptcy, and he raged at Azir’s breaking of his promise. Azir’s face was thunderous as he reminded Xerath that he was a slave and should remember his place. Something once noble died in Xerath that day, but he bowed in supplication, outwardly accepting Azir’s decision. As Azir continued his campaigns of conquest, Xerath remained at his side, but his every action was carefully designed to increase his influence over a realm he now planned to take for himself. To steal an empire was no small thing, and Xerath knew he needed more power.

The famous legend of Renekton’s Ascension revealed that a mortal did not have to be chosen by the Sun Priests, that anyone could rise up. So Xerath plotted to steal the power of Ascension. No slave could ever stand upon the sun disc, so Xerath fed the Emperor’s vanity, inflating his ego and filling his head with impossible visions of a world-spanning empire. But such a dream would only be possible if Azir could Ascend as the greatest heroes of Shurima had before. In time Xerath’s perseverance paid off, and Azir announced he would undertake the Ascension ritual, that he had earned the right to stand alongside Nasus and Renekton as an Ascended being. The Sun Priests protested, but such was Azir’s hubris that he ordered them to comply on pain of torture and death.

The Day of Ascension arrived and Azir marched toward the Dais of Ascension with Xerath at his side. Nasus and Renekton were absent from the day’s events, for Xerath had arranged a distraction for them by weakening the seal on a magical sarcophagus containing a beast of living fire. When that creature finally broke its bindings, Renekton and Nasus were the only warriors capable of defeating it. Thus Xerath had stripped Azir of the only two beings who might save him from what was to come.

Azir stood beneath the sun disc and in the final moment before the priests began the ritual, events took a turn Xerath had not anticipated. The emperor turned to Xerath and told him that he was now a free man. He and all Shurima’s slaves were now released from their bonds of servitude. He embraced Xerath before naming him his eternal brother. Xerath was stunned. He had been given everything he desired, but the success of his plans hinged upon Azir’s death and nothing was going to dissuade him from acting. Too many pieces were in motion and Xerath had already sacrificed too much to turn back now – no matter how much that part of him wanted to. The emperor’s words pierced the bitterness enclosing Xerath’s heart but came decades too late. Unaware of his peril, Azir turned as the priests began the ritual and brought down the awesome power of the sun.

With a roar of anger and grief combined, Xerath blasted Azir from his place on the dais, watching through tears as his former friend burned to ash. Xerath took Azir’s place and the light of the sun filled him, reshaping his flesh into that of an Ascended being. But the power of the ritual was not his to take, and the consequences of his betrayal of Azir were devastating. The unbound power of the sun all but destroyed Shurima, sundering its temples and bringing ruination upon the city. Azir’s people were consumed in a terrifying conflagration as the desert rose up to claim the city. The sun disc fell and an empire built by generations of emperors was undone in a single day.

Even as the city burned, Xerath held the sun priests in the grip of his magic, preventing them from ending the ritual. The energies filling him were immense, alloying with his dark sorcery to create a being of incredible power. As he drew ever more of the sun’s power into his body, his mortal flesh was consumed and remade as a glowing vortex of arcane power.

With Xerath’s treachery revealed, Renekton and Nasus rushed to the epicenter of the magical storm destroying the city. They bore with them the magical sarcophagus that had imprisoned the spirit of eternal fire. The Ascended brothers fought their way to the Dais of Ascension just as Xerath fell from the deadly radiance engulfing the city. Before the newly-Ascended Magus could react, they hurled his crackling body within the sarcophagus and sealed it once more with blessed chains and powerful sigils of binding.

But it was not enough. Xerath’s power had been great as a mortal, and that power - combined with the gift of Ascension - made him all but invincible. He shattered the sarcophagus, though its shards and chains remained bound to him. Renekton and Nasus hurled themselves at Xerath, but such was his newfound strength that he fought them both to a standstill. The battle raged throughout the collapsing city, destroying what had not already sunk beneath the sands. The brothers were able to drag Xerath toward the Tomb of Emperors, the greatest mausoleum of Shurima, a vault whose locks and wards were impossible to break and which answered only to the blood of emperors. Renekton wrestled Xerath within and called upon Nasus to seal the vault behind them. Nasus did so with heavy heart, knowing it was the only way to prevent Xerath’s escape. Renekton and Xerath fell into eternal darkness, and there they remained, locked in an endless battle as the once-great civilization of Shurima collapsed.

Uncounted centuries passed and, in time, even Renekton’s mighty strength waned, leaving him vulnerable to Xerath’s influence. With poisoned lies and illusions, Xerath twisted Renekton’s mind, filling him with misplaced bitterness toward Nasus, the faithless brother who had - in Xerath’s fictive narrative - abandoned him so long ago.

When the Tomb of Emperors was finally discovered beneath the desert and broken open by Sivir and Cassiopeia, both Xerath and Renekton were freed in an explosion of sand and rubble. Sensing his brother still lived, Renekton charged from the ruins, his distorted mind leaving him little better than a savage beast. After an age lost to legend, Shurima was reborn, and as it rose majestically from the desert, Xerath felt another soul return to life beneath the sand, one he had thought long dead. Azir was also newly resurrected as one of the Ascended, and Xerath knew there could be no peace for either of them while the other yet lived.

Xerath sought the heart of the desert to regain his strength and understand how the world had changed in the millennia since his imprisonment. His stolen power grew with every passing moment, and he beheld a world ripe for conquest, a world brimming with mortals ready to worship at the feet of a new and terrible god.

Yet for all his newfound power, however far he has come from that nameless slave boy, a part of Xerath knows he is still in chains.

[fellmother-archive]

{Robin’s Mother}

{ ooc. I promised that I would do this, and here it is! I’ve torn down every, single line of Validar’s that is applicable to Robin’s mother, and explained how that reveals things about her/her past/if she is still alive. For this, we will be focusing mainly on two quotes, but also a few others:

Validar, chapter 23 (English Version): “If your damnable mother hadn't been seized by weakness and fear... She betrayed us—stole you from your crib, and fled with you in the night! I know naught of your life thereafter; but all that matters is your return.”

Validar, chapter 23 (Japanese Version, translation): “And yet… your mother” “Seemed to be overcome with emotion upon your birth.” “She betrayed the Church, and with your infant self clutched to her chest, she gave us the slip.” 

     This entire analysis is over 2000 words, so let’s go-

“If your damnable mother hadn't been seized by weakness and fear...” “And yet… your mother”

     The choice of language here is critical to understanding how Validar feels about Robin’s mother during the events of awakening, as there are many ways that this sentence could have been phrased if it was trying to imply various sorts of opinions. First, the fact that Validar still refers to her as being Robin’s mother is an important use of words to note, since, in context to his character, this is not something he would use to refer to his wife if he felt she was not worthy of the title. He was born and raised in cult, taught that those who defect are nothing-- that they mean nothing-- so him still acknowledging the fact that she is the mother of the vessel points to him still having some sort of respect, for a lack of a better word, for the woman. If he thought of her as nothing, Validar could have used phrases such as ‘that woman’ or ‘that traitor’, but instead he does not refer to her using any sort of terms that would imply that she is lower than him. He still acknowledges that she is the mother of his child-- the mother of the vessel his cult has waited a thousand years for--, and this implies that Validar still holds some sort of respect for the woman; that, from the start, she was not nothing to him or a liability. Again, if she was, he would use harsher, and less empathetic language.

     It is also important to note that, in this context, the use of the word ‘damnable’ is most likely used to express frustration, as, at this point in time, it has been around twenty years since the day she fled with Robin-- twenty years he has been searching. The word ‘damnable’, in itself, is also used in reference to someone who has done something that is worth divine condemnation, which Robin’s mother has done by stealing the vessel, and running away with them.

     In the translation of Japanese version, it is also important to note that there is a pause in Validar’s words, which is often indicative of someone thinking, or slipping into thought, further pushing the idea that she was not ‘nothing’ to him-- not if the mere thought of her makes him take a moment to gather his thoughts and especially when it was Validar who brought up Robin’s mother; not Robin.

“If your damnable mother hadn't been seized by weakness and fear...”

     In the English version, Validar’s pause occurs at the end of the sentence, and, in this case, it implies that he is trailing off in thought, especially when one takes into consideration that he does not finish the sentence-- the man starts his train of thought concerning Robin’s mother that seems rather tame and thoughtful, and then, in the next line, suddenly gets more aggressive, as though he is telling himself to not think about what could have been; that it might possibly be painful for him to mull over. The fact that he still dares to even try thinking about her or what could have been implies that part of him still longs for her-- perhaps not in the most traditional sense, but still wishes that she could be by his side all the same. His use of language, this time, suggests that before her breakdown, he did not see her as being weak, or controlled by fear. 

     ‘Weakness’, in this case, is not used in the sense that someone is physically weak, but instead spiritually-- in cults, weakness is a term used to define those who stray from any of their sect’s doctrine, or to define moments when someone doubts their teachings. When Validar says that Robin’s mother was seized by weakness, he is saying that she suddenly started expressing doubts about the Grimleal’s beliefs, and it was this that struck fear into the woman, and ultimately forced her to flee. The use of the word ‘seize’ is also quite a specific one to use, as it bears connotations with forcefulness, or an act being against the person’s will, implying that part of him believes that she had no control-- that her moment of weakness forced her to defect; not his wife, herself. Whether this is his way of coping, or says that Robin’s mother truly was consumed by anxiety and fear to the point where the woman felt like she had no other option but to run is unclear, but both possibilities are highly likely, as a devout follower suddenly doubting themselves would be an extremely terrifying situation for the person.

“Seemed to be overcome with emotion upon your birth.”

     In this version, Validar’s words seem to imply that Robin’s mother had some sort of emotional breakdown upon their child’s birth that he was there to witness. Why he brings this up is unclear, however, judging by the words that follow it afterwards, perhaps it is that moment he blames for her eventually defecting from the Grimleal-- that it was a situation his mind deems worthy enough to remember, for whatever reason. It is also important to note that his calm tone when talking about her also carried through to this sentence as well, as shown by the use of a period over an exclamation mark. If we combine this with the English version, it suddenly paints a clearer picture-- Robin’s mother gives birth to their child, has an emotional breakdown that leads to her doubting the Grimleal’s beliefs, and the anxiety that stems from the thoughts arising from her breakdown is enough to strike an overwhelming amount of fear into her heart, and let the woman convince herself that the only way she can protect Robin is by running away from the cult, from everything altogether.

“She betrayed us—stole you from your crib, and fled with you in the night!”

“She betrayed the Church, and with your infant self clutched to her chest, she gave us the slip.”

     The one word in both of these lines that stands out the most is the use of the word ‘betrayal’. This implies that Robin’s mother was part of the Grimleal, and perhaps even a devout or high-ranking member. In fact, one can even go to say that it implies that Validar had some sort of trust in her before she decided to defect, as someone cannot betray something else if they were not truly part of it in the first place, or if the person affected by it did not have some sort of bond established with the traitor. This, when coupled with Validar’s line to Robin that degrades bonds, despite both Plegia and the Grimleal placing importance on such a concept, explains why he feels so bitter about the concept, as the one person he trusted, felt close to, and developed an intimate bond with turned her back on their one purpose-- on something she knew meant the world to him, and was his only goal in life, and that he thought she felt the same about. All of this points to the idea that Robin’s mother was someone he was close to, and perhaps even loved/still loves.      The quotes about bonds that I am referring to are:

1. “ A ludicrous idea, as you will know better than anyone soon enough... “ (in reference to Robin saying the bond they forged are stronger than Grima) 2. “Do you see now, Son/Daughter? Human bonds are leaves in the wind. They offer you nothing.” 3. “Humans are weak, pathetic creatures... Your "bonds" with them will bind you. You are destined for a greater purpose! The GREATEST purpose! You are to be a GOD!”

Notice the one word he uses to describe humans-- the same word he used to describe what consumed his wife? ‘Weak’. The last line is undoubtedly influenced by her and her actions, especially when one considers the bond she has with Robin, and the bond she has with Validar-- both bound them in one way or another, and ended up making them suffer even in the present day.

     Aside from that, these two lines also state that Robin’s mother defected with their child when they were a newborn, that her escape was successful-- she escaped alive--, and that it took place during some hour of the night. The use of the word ‘us’ in the English version could also be Validar’s attempt to bring himself out of his last train of thought, and emotionally manipulate Robin by saying that she betrayed the both of them; not just him. That she turned her back on both of their purposes and hers; not just his own.

“I know naught of your life thereafter; but all that matters is your return.”

     Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this line gives us one vital piece of information about Robin’s past, and Robin’s mother. Namely, after her escape, Validar never caught a glimpse of Robin or their mother ever again. He knows nothing about what happened after the night of her escape-- Validar did not know where they went, where they lived, where they travelled to; nothing. This line implies that he does not know anything. How does this prove that Robin’s mother is alive? If the Grimleal killed her, Validar would know, and he would have made a comment there. In fact, he would not have even brought up her betrayal, as that, in itself, is used as a means to try and manipulate Robin. He does not know where his wife is, or what she is doing, because the Grimleal never found her or Robin, and therefore could not give him a single report on them. If the Grimleal ever spotted her or her corpse, Validar would know, and this line would have been changed to reflect that they found her/her corpse, and that she died because she was wrong. If Grima killed Robin’s mother, Validar would have been told.      Robin’s mother is alive.

     This can also be proved even further-- the fact that Validar, twice, uses tactics that seem to express some sort of concern that Robin’s mother has fabricated the truth, and said that to Robin, with one instance occurring before Validar asks Robin to give themselves to Grima in chapter 13, and after.

“Well, well... Ha ha ha! Oh, I know you... Submit to me, and perhaps I might honor you with the truth!”

“You are of my flesh, but of sacred blood. You are to serve a glorious purpose! Search deep in your heart. You already know it is your destiny...”

“Why do you resist us, Robin? Your rightful place is at my side. Not wasting your time with these doomed servants of Naga! Give yourself to Grima! Let me join your strength to the fell dragon!”

If he knew she was dead, he would not have to resort to this, especially after realising Robin has amnesia. No-- most likely, he believes Robin’s mother is still involved in Robin’s life, and pulling strings from behind the scenes because she does not want to face him.

Another interesting point that also supports the idea that he has no idea about where his wife is and that he believes she is alive comes from a line Validar says in chapter 6:

“...Wait. Some of these actors do not belong on this stage...” 

“Ho ho! Can it be?! After years of searching... Tonight, fate truly piles the gifts at my feet!”

Of course, we know that he is sensing Robin, however his language is used for more than one person-- ‘some of these actors’ ; ‘gifts’-- which might imply that he initially thought both Robin and his wife were present. This could be further supported by the fact that Validar’s line when he does encounter Robin, as shown above, seems to be written as though he is surprised to see them, or at least to see them alone.

One could also argue that the purpose of showing Grima in chapter 13 might have been to try and smoke Robin’s mother out of hiding-- to make Robin go back to her, say that an identical version of them is there, and force her to step in.

Robin “He/She looks just like...me.”

??? “My name is Robin. Oh and that was YOUR name as well, wasn't it? What a strange coincidence...”

Validar “Why that IS rather curious, now that you mention it... What are the odds? In any case, I believe we are finished here. We will let you be on your w—”

“Heh heh heh. You have your father's courage, but your mother's judgment... Very well, pup. Come! Do your worst! Come at me with all you have!”

     Finally, while this line does not bring up anything new, it does reinforce the idea that Validar still thinks of her, and still does so in relation to himself-- a thought about her cannot exist without one about him or the Grimleal. In this line, he associates two traits with Robin-- one from himself, and one from his wife--, and could be inferred as Validar telling Robin to prove to him that his mother’s judgement was correct; to use the courage he inherited from Validar to do what his wife has not and show him that her judgement is correct. This is further supported by the final words Validar says before dying-- when he shows the smallest attempt at trying to understand Robin’s motives:

“Why... Why would you squander your birthright... Robin...my son/daughter...”

For those who did not want to read all of this, from Validar’s lines, we learn the following about Robin’s mother:

She must have been close to Validar

She was Grimleal

Most likely devout as well

Her decision to flee came after some sort of mental/emotional breakdown that Validar at least partially witnessed

Her escape took place at night, when Robin was a baby, and was successful

Validar never saw her or Robin after her escape

She was never found or killed by the Grimleal

She was not found or killed by Grima

Validar believes she is alive-- in fact, she is most likely still alive

She must have shared a deep bond with Validar-- enough to make him turn his back on the concept after her escape, despite Plegia and the Grimleal placing a lot of focus on such a thing

She still means something to Validar / Validar still has feelings for her }

[grimahearted]

below the cut is a 1.6k-word meta turned drabble about the first timeline. PLEASE be mindful of the trigger warnings listed in the tags--i don’t think it’s too graphic, but i do name certain actions and it might be disturbing. everything has either been drawn directly from canon, has been plotted with another mun, or involves a muse who i have not interacted with.

this is canon to my blog

ruya is a lot less trusting and a lot less forgiving in the first timeline. her past is...painful, shall we say, between being on the run, losing their mother, being forcibly teleported away on the brink of being captured, and suffering from abuse/assault at the hands of previous employers, because in ylisse no one in a court of law is gonna believe the brown girl over the white man--especially when the charge is rape. moreover, she’s faced a lot of racism (both in terms of microaggressions and in overt stuff). 

she joins the shepherds out of necessity. she’s running out of money, and sure, she’s not exactly leaping at the chance to be employed by the crown, it’s money and a place to stay, and she figures she’ll leave them within a couple of months anyway. she doesn’t trust the shepherds any farther than she can throw them, and she can’t throw ‘em very far because she’s not the physically strongest person around. also, she’s less likely to forgive someone for a slight, especially if she perceives it to be racial. of course, she doesn’t do much outwardly because she’s clearly the outsider in the shepherds, and doing so wouldn’t be safe (in her mind, anyway). 

it’s also harder for people to excuse her lack of social skills. as an amnesiac, there’s a clear explanation. but when she refuses to talk about her past and clearly has some odd mannerisms, people tend to keep their distance. not everyone, of course, but some. 

so, fast forward to them reaching regna ferox. she’s not too happy with chrom’s comment about the plegians being sent to cause trouble at the border (even if she understands his frustration), and the only shepherd she feels like is maybe a friend is lissa, because lissa feels the safest out of the shepherds and also being mean to lissa would feel like kicking a puppy, and ruya’s not one to kick puppies. 

she does sort of get along with virion, and is one of the first shepherds to realize he’s from roseanne (though even she doesn’t know he’s the duke), and once she tells him to buzz off on the flirting and they discover a mutual interest in chess, they’re at least...somewhere on the way to becoming friends.

by the time they’ve rescued maribelle, ruya’s friend list consists of lissa, virion, chrom (who managed to make amends after some serious conversation), and sumia (whom she bonded with over books). it’s just enough to give her some ties to the shepherds, and with aversa and gangrel knowing exactly where she is, she figures it’s better to stay put. 

then the assassination happens. chrom is severely wounded in an attempt on his life, which will leave him with a permanent injury on his leg and prevents him from rushing to emmeryn’s aid once the main force arrives. ruya does her best to cobble together a defense, but she has to get chrom medical attention first. they run into gaius on their way, and the candies that fall out of chrom’s pockets while ruya is trying and failing to soldier carry chrom plus gaius’ own misgivings about the assassination thing. it’s a good thing she does, because gaius can carry chrom better than she can, and he gives her a vital piece of news: rajya is among the assassins, looking for her.

by the time ruya manages to rejoin the fray, gaius in tow, the shepherds are in a bit of disarray, seeing as they basically ran over after hearing the explosion, and there are holes in their defenses even after ruya starts giving orders because ruya doesn’t know the layout of the castle. she manages to recruit rajya, who was all too happy to defect from the other side to join her under the name raven, and a taguel named panne, who claims to owe the exalted line a debt.

it’s not enough. assassins use the secret passages known to only a select few to run right around their defenses, and by the time ruya realizes and scrambles to catch up, emmeryn is lying in a pool of her own blood, and the fire emblem is gone.

it’s not her fault, chrom tells her. but she feels like it is, and what’s more, most people (including many of the shepherds) blame her. it’s bad enough that she’s a plegian who’s tightlipped about her past, worse still that she recruited two of the enemy, and worst of all they find out that validar is her father--something even she didn’t know. chrom is hastily crowned exalt and puts his foot down, promising ruya a place in the shepherds if she wishes it, no matter what uproar the nobility might create.

with the few friends she has in the shepherds suffering from wounds both physical and mental, ruya decides to stay. chrom is grateful, and several of the shepherds relieved. others, not so. rumors begin to swirl, stories of blame twisting into stories of collusion--she was a spy all along, planted to ensure that the assassination runs smooth. 

with chrom on her side, she finally has the safety to fight back. she no longer just takes the cruel words and snide laughter, nor the thinly veiled accusations or slights that go beyond just words. but it doesn’t matter. she can insist all she wants, gaius and rajya can corroborate all they want, but the specter of guilt hangs steadily over her shoulders. still, she stays.

the war with plegia is long and grueling, with them facing the full might of the plegian army with their smaller force and low morale. but they see it through.  with gangrel’s head lopped off in the desert sands and the fire emblem back in their grasp, they return home, weary but triumphant. chrom makes her his formal advisor and grants rajya a place to stay, should she wish it. 

her new position only fuels the anger held by many in the court, and the slights increase to even a poisoned drink. deliberate snubs and rumors of an enchanted exalt, beguiled by plegian magic, begin to swirl. ( if ruya marries chrom, it is only worse)

luckily, she won’t have to put up with them for long. valm attacks port ferox, and the shepherds ride again after just shy of a year of peace, and ruya’s relationship with a majority of the shepherds is as rocky as ever. none amongst them doubt her loyalty any longer, years of fighting erasing that doubt. but they aren’t exactly close, either. ruya holds many of them at arms’ length, save for the precious few whom she trusts. but things are better, and she’s happy to call each and every shepherd a friend, or at least a friendly acquaintance.

the war with valm proceeds more or less the way it did in the second timeline, save for the occasional complication made by chrom’s leg. say’ri and tiki join their party, and while ruya takes to both of them, she’s left chilled by tiki’s occasional musings on their own similarities, and the knowledge that the manakete brings--the grimleal are trying to revive their fallen god, and the only way to safeguard against it is to collect the remaining gemstone and complete the rite of awakening.

plegia has sable. in hindsight, it is just too convenient that they extend an invitation. but alas, validar had been careful to keep distance between himself and his most devout followers, and even rajya does not realize that it’s a trap before it’s too late.

ruya seizes the emblem under validar’s command, bound to his will by the rite performed on her as an infant, and rajya launches an assault on the prince, validar’s aim to end as much of the exalted bloodline as he can. chrom does not want to fight rajya, but frederick cannot simply stand by as his liege is attacked. 

frederick’s lance pierces rajya, and the surge of emotion it wells within ruya is enough to break the last of validar’s grip on her mind. she breaks free just in time to cradle her twin sister as she dies. fearing what else they might lose, the shepherds flee castle plegia, rajya’s body left behind.

ruya rounds on frederick in her grief. validar’s control left rajya wide open to attack, her sorcerer’s robes no match for the strength of a lance, but ruya doesn’t know that. she blames frederick, only to find herself facing the business end of his lance, still red with rajya’s blood. he delivers his judgement: she is a threat to chrom, and she must die.

chrom intervenes, placing himself between frederick and ruya as he professes his complete faith in her. frederick reluctantly agrees not to harm ruya without provocation, but it means little to her emotionally, even though she can concede that she understands. 

fragile trust grows even more strained in the wake of her forced betrayal, and no matter how much her closest friends try, ruya’s perception of the shepherds is irrevocably soured--in no small part due to grima whispering in her ear. 

ruya knows little about the rituals required to revive the fell dragon, but she has ammi’s stories of an altar deep in the desert, where grima supposedly slumbers. if grima will be awakened anywhere, it will be there.

and so they go, grima’s influence on ruya’s thoughts and feelings growing as he takes firm root in her psyche. they enter the dragon’s table to find validar ready for his rite, but the presence of the gemstones has grima so awakened in her that she can barely think straight. still, she leads the shepherds to victory...but alas. the lives lost during the battle--including some of her friends’--at the altar are enough to feed grima just enough, and he takes control for only a moment--driving thoron through chrom’s chest. 

“this was not your fault...promise me...you’ll get away from this place.” but it is, and there’s no going back from what she’s just done. chrom’s pretty words of peace and goodwill are nothing, for she has seen that nothing changes that she is plegian and they ylissean. their differences cannot overcome the bonds that she’s made.

the fell dragon calls to her, and she gives in.