#elfhame babes

[sipandbloom]

[thebisexualwreckoning]

Bitch exactly he wanna fuck you

[captain-aralias]

9 books that are my favourites

tagged by @arenee1999 a few days ago, thank you <3 as i was writing this list in my head last night, i thought - this could be read as a list of my favourite fandoms and television/film adaptations, but hey ho. i did a degree in english lit or something.

harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban by JKR - no book has been so important to my life and i also just think it's a really fun mystery and i still like it, so - it's here, it's staying.

carry on by rainbow rowell - but of course. this one was quite important too.

pride and prejudice by jane austen - i don't think this has ever made a fav book list before, i think because i thought it was too basic, but damnit - this book is great, it influences the way i write enemies to lovers, i love the 1995 adaptation and all of austen's novels are bangers except mansfield park, which i keep trying to like but it sucks.

the once and future king by TH white - all my life i loved the movie 'camelot' and it's depiction of arthur. i only learned as an adult that it was TH white's gentle, earnest, thwarted arthur that they'd used <3 he's perfect. 'ill-made knight' is the best of the series, IMO

lieutenant hornblower by cs forester - i haven't read the books in ages, so maybe it's time for a re-read. the ioan grufford adaptation is great, i wish they'd do the later/earlier books too! BUT this early (in hornblower's life) book is my fav - the only one told from bush's POV as he struggles with how he loves hornblower but worries the guy wants to do a mutiny (which he totally does)

the folk of the air by holly black - a new entrant even though i've loved it for years, but i've decided i don't just think it's really good, it's so good that it's one of my favs. maybe the best of the trilogy is the middle book, 'wicked king' where jude is in power with limited support and they fall in love (or do they???). how the king of elfham learned to hate stories is also brilliant.

'the emperor mage' by tamora pierce. i've been waiting my whole life for the numair book and it was terrible, but her first three trilogies are my absolute crack, and this is the best book of those series IMO. the bit where numair tries to hit the emperor for implying he loves his student daine (which he does) while she's listening but disguised as a bird - and then he fakes his own death, and daine goes crazy... that bit has stayed with me for decades, i love it so much.

'night watch' by terry pratchett. i still feel late to properly loving pterry, but i've always liked this one and now i love it - vimes is my guy, i love the time travel, that he trains himself, that he resists both passively and when required actively. v good. my next fav is probably ... 'monstrous regiment', which i think is a bit more of a weird choice (unlike this one which is mega popular and also about all the things i like), but it just does everything right! oh, 'and 'going postal'.

'the princess bride' by s morgenstern william goldman. i haven't read this for ages either so maybe it shouldn't make the list, but i expect it's still pretty great. a mindfuck for a young child who has only seen the film and thinks all of the frame narrative must therefore be real... also, the film is like one of the best films ever and i have seen that super recently. if you haven't seen the home movie, do yourself a favour and watch it because it's a great way to enjoy the movie a-new.

no idea where this meme has been already. so just saying hello to some folks and if you'd like to do this meme and haven't done it already, please do! @giishu @orange-peony @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @carryonvisinata @alleycat0306 @fight-surrender @cows4247 @messofthejess @mysterioussheep

[wanderingpages]

HEY BABES

feel free to ignore this this is like the first time I'm ever sending this ask thing on Tumblr but ur the only acc I follow who writes jurdan😭 so I read this fics (year ago💀) it was a oneshot? Post QoN and like based around smut (impact play mostly) and the plot is basically Jude messing around with cardan who's new to phone and technology and then she gets back to elfhame and yeaaa😭 I thought it was one of ur fics but I don't think u have any like that sooo if yk which one if talking about pls help😔🙏🏻 (IVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR DAYS IDK WHAT TO TYPE) okay tyyy byeyeyeye💋

Hi! No I did not write this and I wish I knew who did 😭😭😭

[unseeliiee]

Cardan’s eyes fix one the child again as Jude settles the little thing back in his arms, now cradled with a little more care. She seemed even smaller like this, her entire body curled up and cradled in the crook of one arm. Still, she continues to cry and Cardan’s brow furrows until Jude speaks again.

She’s hungry. Of course. There was no telling how long it had been since the infant was able to nurse. But naturally, there’s no way they can get her milk quickly. Taryn’s son was the youngest child he knew of and Vivienne had convinced her to raise him in the human realm for a little while, at least until he was old enough to sleep through the night so she could easily receive any help she needed. That was a little over a year ago and she had yet to return. He didn’t blame her.

The only other options were far less savory and far more dehumanizing. Whoever this little babe was, they were certainly beneath her. She could wait just a little longer, he was sure.

“To the human realm we must go then?” Cardan asks, one dark brow raising and he glances back up at his wife.

( @words-of-elfhame )

[slightlyrebelliouswriter23]

I just had one of your jurdan fics pop up on my dash and it just hit me that we’re getting a cardan book in three months like WHAT!!!

cue live footage of me externally screaming since may:

AKSJDKANAKJAKAJSMAMSNSMAKAJAK listen.

i would honestly read a 150 page monologue from cardan ab the different tinctures of faerie wine and their corresponding bacchic states, and you're telling me?? that we??? get to read???? about his past?????? and his post-qon life w jude????!?!!?

i'm yELLING YOUR HONOUR. we get to see jude from Not Jude's Perspective and thank god bc girl is Hot but she can be oblivious sometimes and we get to sEE HOW CARDAN FEELS. HIS MIND i want to climb inside it!!!!! with little iLLUSTRATIONS????!?! *SHRIEKS IN JURDAN*

idk man idk. i can't think about it for more than five seconds without losing my shit.

[mehamang]

just read the lost sisters and i understand nothing of taryn's thought process. like. yea she's trying to survive etc but the whole oh i am the kindest loveliest person in all of elfhame no one shall ever dislike me thing already makes her so unlikeable to me but then she decides to go to that man's house and encourage him to cheat on her? who with a working brain does that? i thought ur oh so lovely yet u settle for this? ALSO ur boyfried finds your sister hot and u get angry at her?? ur sister stands up to her and your bullies who are in fact getting worse because of u and ur first thoughts are i want to yell at and hit her?? this girl got mad problems 😭 this whole letter was basically "yea we played u but i felt so jealous and sad and miserable the whole time im so pitiful so u have to forgive me" babes i've seen notes app apologies that sounded more genuine than these 50 pages

[lollytea]

“I am Jude Duarte, the High Queen of Elfhame.”

“And I am Cardan Greenbriar, Jude Duarte, the High Queen of Elfhame’s husband.”

“And the High King, babe. You’re also the High King.”

“Oh yes, that too.”

[francesderwent]

BABES THERE’S A NEW ELFHAME BOOK IN JANUARY

[laequiem]

Netflix and Chill [ONESHOT]

/Jude and Cardan Housesit for Vivienne. They cuddle. Super fluffy

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

Read it on ao3

Even with all the responsibilities resting on our shoulders, Cardan and I took every opportunity to escape from boring politics. So when Vivienne asked us to “housesit” while she attended a comics convention where Heather had an artist table, we immediately accepted. Heather and her had gotten back together and moved into a bigger place, in a charming residential neighborhood. Apparently, housesitting is a common thing in the mortal world - especially when you have pets, or… plants.

“She’s even growing ragworth!”, Cardan exclaimed as he looked at a planter on the porch.

Cardan was always very excited to visit the mortal world with me. Everything fascinated him. Electricity, for one, was like magic. At first, I had expected him to be awful, pompous, to degrade everything from the human world. I was surprised to find he was genuinely curious. He wanted to try every machine he saw, and was quite sad when I told him that, no, he could not drive a car. That you needed a card to use the ATM - which, obviously, I did not have.

Before we left Elfhame, he kept talking about how excited he was to … watch TV. The first time we went to the mortal world together, after the whole snake-debacle, Heather showed him how to navigate the smart TV to find something to watch. Oak taught him how to make popcorn (“ You can’t watch a movie without popcorn, Uncle Cardan!”). So, we spent the first day of our couple getaway watching movies.

When I came out of the bathroom in my pajamas, Cardan was sprawled on the couch, legs crossed over the coffee table. He had made popcorn, and apparently had already selected a movie.

“So what are we watching?”

I pushed his feet off the table and sat between his legs. He immediately wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer.

“The movies are sorted into categories, and there is a “romance” section,” I could feel the grin in his tone. He nuzzled my hair. “I found one called ‘Titanic’.”

I laughed. “Well, this is gonna be interesting.”

“Have you watched it before ?”

“No, everyone knows about it! It was one of my mom’s favorites. Let’s watch it.”

He pressed play.

----------------

I did not see him cry, but I heard a few suppressed sobs. At the end, he was clutching my hand as if to make sure I was still there. He let me pick the next movie. Eventually, I fell asleep in his arms, one of his hands idly playing with my hair.

----------------

When I woke up, we were still on the couch. I was laying on his torso, his chest rising slowly as he slept. As I watched him, I thought about how different from who I thought he was when we had lessons together. How different I am from the person I was back then. I was not afraid of him anymore. Without Balekin and Dain to hurt him, Cardan did not have to try to be as cruel as possible. He had nobody to impress. And while I still did not have the same kind of respect as he did from our people, I was not afraid of living in Faerie.

I was strong.

I survived.

We survived.

I thought about my sister Taryn and her reaction when she learned I married Cardan. Her confusion and disbelief. Did she ever really understand me? We had such different ambitions, but I guess I ended up reaching both of our dreams: I got a place in court, and I fell in love with a faerie.

Cardan shifted, which drew me out of my thoughts. He opened his eyes and smiled down at me.

“Good morning, babe.”

“What?”

“I said good morning.”

“No, what did you call me?”

He looked away and I could have sworn he was blushing. I could not help but feel some kind of sick pride whenever I embarrassed him - the prince who humiliated me, undone by a mere human. It’s not like he did not relish in teasing me, either.

“Huh… ‘babe’. Is this not a name humans use for their lovers? I heard it in one of the movies.”

I moved up and settled in the crook of his arm. I brushed a black curl away and tucked it behind his ear.

“It just surprised me, Cardan. You’re usually so… creative with your nicknames.”

“Am I now.” He still looked embarrassed. I brush my knuckle against his sharp cheekbone.

“I keep a list of my favorites.”

He threw his head back and laughed freely. A smile tugged at my lips as I looked at him.

“I would love to see this list.”

“My current favorite is ‘my darling god’,” I said, then I leaned in closer and whispered in his ear, “But I love when you call me your queen.”

He raised his eyebrows and smirked. I felt a shiver going down my spine when I realized in what direction his thoughts went.

“You know, ‘my queen’ is also something humans call their female lover. Even if she doesn’t bear the title.”

“I should call you my High Queen then, lest you forget you do bear the title.”

“What about you, Your Highness?” I said teasingly, “High King Cardan Greenbriar, what shall I call you?”

He lifted my chin and brushed a thumb against my cheek, my lips.

“Yours.”

[theoceanfaewriter]

Kdksskksk I know it's not done yet, but can I get any piece of information about Cardan the twilight fae???? 🙈🙈

 aksksksdd sorry this took so long babe but here! thanks so much for the ask 💕

btw, you are the inspiration for this after I read “There’s no such things as vampires”. but instead of oak in his twilight phase, i chose the second immature little kid: cardan.

um.  Basically this is the cheesy folktober fic in which Vivi introduces Cardan to twilight, and he becomes like, teenage girl level obsessed. Which in turn, makes Jude spend her days plotting ways to murder Vivi. 

Vivi stared open-mouthed at her front porch. Which had the High King of Elfhame on it. While this had happened once before, she was relieved to see him looking less murderous than the first time. 

Cardan cleared his throat, pushing past her and taking a seat on the living room couch. 

“Would you like to come in?” she grumbled under her breath, shutting the door with a bang. She strode over to the armchair.

“What do you want, Cardan?”

“I want to know more about the mortal world. Your books, customs, those odd things you call movies.” 

She grinned. “What brought that on?”

He glared. “Jude’s birthday is coming up. I wanted to find out what she liked, to bring it to Elfhame.”

Vivi made an aww face. “That’s really sweet.”

She crossed the room and pulled three books off the shelf, the first one having a cover with two hands holding an apple. “Here. These were some of Jude’s favourite books when we came back from time to time. Try them.”

Cardan looked at them suspiciously. “Thank you.”

ok, this is it for now. i hope you like it, i really need to get more of it done lmao! thanks again for the ask babes!

[acciomanorian]

Wasting All These Tears on You (Jurdan Modern Au)

So, I did a thing. This is my first time trying to write fanfiction, and I hope that it isn’t horrible. If you like it, and want more, I would be willing to give it another go. I actually, kinda, had fun. Also, I left room in this fic for their to definitely be a part 2.

This is based off of the song Wasting All These Tears by Cassadee Pope. I couldn’t get it out of my head, so I tried to write it out instead. I really hope you guys enjoy. 1770 words.

Of all the days for Jude Duarte’s car to break down, of course it had to be the one with the downpouring rain. Fortunately, her office was only a ten minute walk from the home she shared with her fiance, Cardan. Unfortunately, she didn’t even have an umbrella, assuming she would have a working car to protect her from the rain. Maybe she could run into the coffee shop five minutes from their house, with the chocolate crullers that Cardan liked so much, a little treat for them both. Jude had been cutting down on carbs since the proposal, when she realized that she would have to wear a wedding dress, and wanting one scandalous enough to offend Madoc and Oriana. 

Just as she was about to duck into the coffee shop, Jude saw something through the glass that made her heart stop. Cardan sitting in a corner booth. He was supposed to be at work until six, he said. Something about an important meeting at the firm, a new client. Maybe that’s who he was meeting, although it doesn’t explain the expression on his face, like a love sick puppy. Or the glimpse she caught of the mysterious person, a girl really, who also happened to look extremely familiar. Nope, not a business meeting, Jude thought as she saw Cardan lean forward and kiss his “client” on the lips. 

As he leaned back, Cardan looked up, out the window and saw Jude standing there, watching him and a look of absolute horror overtook his face. The girl looked over as well. Nicasia. There was a sly smirk on her painted face, and she snuck a kiss on Cardan’s cheek before getting up from the booth and walking out the door. Cardan followed her, and Jude didn’t know if he intended to stop and explain himself or just keep following Nicasia. She turned away at the last second, feeling the tears running down her face, and began to walk towards her home.

“Jude!” She heard Cardan call behind her, but she was not going to wait. “Jude! Please, let me explain.” 

“Explain?” Jude cried, whipping around so fast, her wet hair smacked across her face. “Explain what? That you’re cheating on me? That you’re lying about where you are, so that I think I’m in a loving relationship with a loving fiance.” People were staring,  but it was the least of her concerns. Cardan however, was looking around, trying to find a place where they could talk without all the attention. 

“Please, Jude. Let’s go home, let me talk, let me explain.” 

“No. You can go home. I’m done. I’m going to stay at Vivi’s. I’ll be by tomorrow to pick up my stuff,” Jude turned around again, pulling her phone out of her pocket to call her older sister. Catching sight of the diamond on her finger, Jude ripped it off and threw it at Cardan, shouting “Take this, too. Maybe you can give it to Nicasia, since it seems you care more about her than about me.” 

Cardan let the ring land at his feet, not bothering to pick it up. “Jude, dear…” he said softly, but Jude was done listening to his lies. She didn’t want an explanation. She wanted her sisters, and a dozen bottles of alcohol, preferably the strong stuff. Luckliy, that was Vivi’s specialty, being a bartender at the local gay bar. 

The phone rang once, before Vivienne answered with a “‘Sup.”

“I’m coming over,” was all Jude said. The tears were running down her face, mingling with the rain pouring from the sky. 

There was radio silence, on the other end of the phone, and then “Okay”. No questions, nothing. This was the reason Jude called her older sister first, rather than her twin. She also knew that the second Jude hung up the phone, Vivi would be calling Taryn, and Jude’s best friend Liliver. 

The second Jude walked through the door of Vivi’s apartment, she was bombarded with a hug by Taryn, before being traded off to Vivi, and then Vivi’s wife Heather. After she was released, Jude found a bottle of vodka sitting on the counter, placed there by Vivi only moments before. Without any hesitation, she ripped off the top and began to guzzle it down like it was water, relishing the burn in her throat, hoping that it will make her forget the ache in her heart. 

She was halfway through the bottle when Liliver walked through the door, saw the look of Jude’s face and said, “Viv, you better have more than just that one bottle.”

She shot Lil a look. “What do you take me for? An amature?” 

Liliver just shook her head before coming over to Jude. “Babe, what happened?” she asked, swiping the bottle out of Jude’s hands. Lil took a sip before handing it back to her. 

“Cardan cheated on me. I saw him kissing another girl, and not just any other girl, but Nicasia.”

“Nicasia,” Taryn started, “as in his ex Nicasia.” 

“The one and only.” Jude took another chug of the vodka and wiped her wet eyes with the palm of her free hand. 

“That bastard. Wait until I get my hands on him, he’ll never know what hit him, my baby sister.” Vivi began to pace, until Heather put a hand on her back and handed her a glass of honey whiskey. She had two more glasses, as well as a barely opened bottle. Pouring generous amounts of the alcohol into the cups, she handed them out to Taryn and Liliver. Heather opted for a ginger ale herself, due to the fact that she was 3 months pregnant. 

“I have a better idea,” said Taryn after draining her glass. “Let’s go out and get wasted.”

Jude looked up at her twin, and saw the devilish grin on her face. “For the record, I had already planned on getting wasted, either alone or with you guys, but I’m in. Anything to make me forget, even for a little while.” She turned to Vivi, “You got something I can wear, cause I’m not going to a bar in my slacks.” 

Vivienne ran to her room, returning moments later with a silver mini dress. “The only way you’re wearing this is if you promise no more Cardan tears, cause I don’t need that negative energy polluting my favorite dress.” Jude only wiped her eyes a final time and took the last swig out of the vodka bottle. Rising from the chair, she accepted the dress from her sister and made her way to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face, thanking God for waterproof mascara and proceeded to get dressed. The silver mini was a little tight, thanks to Vivi’s slender figure, but fit nonetheless. 

Jude exited the bathroom, and grabbed her phone from her bag by the door. 13 missed calls, all from Cardan. She shut it off and threw it back into her bag, no inclination to call him back. 

“Let’s go get wildly drunk and make me forget everything,” Jude loudly shouted, followed by a woot from her sisters and friends. She was beginning to slur a little, the effects of an entire bottle of vodka slowly hitting her brain. Heather noticed this, and also knew that it was only going to get worse. 

“As the only person here who can’t drink, I volunteer to be the designated driver and get all of your drunk asses home tonight.” Heather also knew that she would be the only one with a working brain tonight.

The girls piled into Heather and Vivi’s car and made their way to Elfhame, the only bar where ladies get in free at all hours. Even though it was only a ten minute ride, Jude couldn’t hide her delight of the tiny bottles of assorted liquors being handed out from Vivi’s tiny bag. 

“Bottom’s up,” said Lil, before shooting back whatever was in the bottle she had been handed. Jude also drained hers, some cheap tequila. Good enough to get her drunk fast, but not enough to avoid a major hangover in the morning. 

Two more shots later, they arrived at the club, and were ceremoniously allowed inside. Jude would be lying if she said that she hadn’t flirted with the bouncer a bit in her inebriated state, just for a little extra treatment. It was granted, as the group was corralled into the VIP section and handed complimentary margaritas, mostly alcohol from the smell of them. A sip of her’s confirmed Jude’s suspicion, and she began to take bigger sips. As soon, as she finished the first drink, a second was pressed into her hand, another margarita that Jude drank half of immediately before making her way to the dance floor. 

Two hours, and about five drinks later, Jude was having the time of her life. Dancing with her sisters and friends, enjoying herself without the pressure of having a fiance at home who might not be too approving of the dancing she was doing with strangers at the club. 

When Jude and Taryn excused themselves for a quick brush up in the bathroom, she caught a glimpse of a guy watching her with profound interest. She knew him too, and allowed him to see her face, and the enjoyment of the night. Valerian just shot her a grin, in his eyes, a promise for something fun later. 

“How are you feeling?” Taryn asked once they got into the bathroom. 

“Never better,” Jude replied, throwing on another layer of lipstick. “I don’t even remember what I was crying about earlier, or if I was even crying.”

“Good, I’m glad. We haven’t had a good girls night out in a while. I missed this, and I missed you.” 

“I missed you too.” Jude gave her twin a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, leaving a bright red lipstick stain behind. Taryn didn’t even bother to wipe it off, she just laughed and pulled her sister out the door and back onto the dance floor, where they were greeted with another round of tequila shots and margaritas.

…

At five in the morning, Jude found herself on the bathroom floor of the guest room she was sharing with Taryn and Lil. She was over the toilet, dry-heaving the alcohol left in her system. As the memories returned to her more sober brain, she began to cry in earnest again. She remembered why she wanted to go out drinking, remembered seeing Cardan and Nicasia together, the fight, the ring. Jude felt her heart break a second time.

[thorns-ofthe-thistle]

Prince Thistle of the Fenlands -- Character Sheet

honey you're familiar like my mirror years ago / idealism sits prison, chivalry fell on it's sword / innocence died screaming, honey ask me i should know / i slithered here from eden just to sit outside your door

Archetype — The Wanderer Birthday — February 19, 1910 Zodiac Sign — Sun in Aquarius, Rising Scorpio, Moon in Scorpio MBTI — ISTP Enneagram — 4; the Individualist Temperament — Choleric Hogwarts House — Slytherin, a pure babe Moral Alignment — Chaotic Neutral Primary Vice — Sloth Primary Virtue — Patience Element — Air

Overview:

Mother — Theodosia Barrie (deceased, died in 1919) Father — Prince Nettle of the Fenlands Mother’s Occupation — Seamstress  Father’s Occupation — a fae prince? lol Family Finances — rich in fae world/getting by in human world Birth Order — youngest Brothers — Reed, Stick, and Dragonfly (there are more than this) Sisters — Fern, Bristletail, and Mayfly Other Close Family — Nibs, Slightly, Peter, etc. Best Friend — No one. Other Friends — None.  Enemies — the fae queen lol Pets — none really Home Life During Childhood — when he lived with his mom (which he did until he was 18), he had a pretty normal childhood in the 1910s. They lived in a small flat. Didn’t have much.  Town or City Name(s) — London was where he was born, but grew up mostly in Elfhame. What Did His or Her Bedroom Look Like — in Elfhame, the fenland fae live in houses built on stilts. The castle was where he lived. Any Sports or Clubs — uh he trained with the other fae boys, he was good at knife throwing and horse riding... Favorite Toy or Game — fucking with people Schooling — trained at the High Court, went to Mundus school too Favorite Subject — uhhh tbh likes literature Popular or Loner — loner Important Experiences or Events — being brought to Elfhame, his mother dying, getting engaged to Wendy :/  Nationality — English/Elfhamian Culture — Fae culture primarily, with a bit of human sprinkled in. Religion and beliefs — When you die, you die. 

Physical Appearance:

Face Claim — Regé-Jean Page Complexion — Smooth skin, no pimples or anything. When he isn’t using his glamour his skin has a purplish hue.  Hair Colour — Black Eye Colour — Black when in his fae form, brown when using glamor. Height — 5’11 Build — muscular, but slight Tattoos — none Piercings — earring Common Hairstyle — usually keeps it short  Clothing Style — loose and fashionable Mannerisms — doesn’t have a lot of mannerisms because that would give you away.

Usual Expression — 

Health:

Overall (do they get sick easily)? — no Physical Ailments — none Neurological Conditions — none  Allergies —  none Grooming Habits — does a good job taking care of himself, fae take pride in their appearance  Sleeping Habits — regular Eating Habits — regular Exercise Habits —  regular Emotional Stability — uhhhhhh that’s a great question lmao who knows Body Temperature — runs a little cool Sociability — very good with people Addictions — none Drug Use — probably  Alcohol Use — probably but not too much

Your Character’s Character: 

Bad Habits — what isn’t a bad habit? Good Habits — takes good care of himself, doesn’t lie? lmao Best Characteristic — is beholden to himself Worst Characteristic — takes himself too seriously Worst Memory — his mom dying :( Best Memory — uhhhh becoming a prince? Proud of — tbh all of his pride is pretty performative Embarrassed by — his cousins and siblings  Driving Style — lmao probably pretty wild, likes to go FAST Weakness — caring too much on the lowkey Fears — the fae queen shortening his leash even more Phobias — none Secrets — so many Regrets — getting engaged to Wendy, that shit is annoying Feels Vulnerable When — people try to discover his true name Pet Peeves — untidy people Conflicts — disobeying the fae queen v his loyalty to his family Motivation — wanting to do his own thing Short Term Goals and Hopes — break his engagement to Wendy and be FREE Long Term Goals and Hopes — tour the world and not have to worry about the fae queen Sexuality — bisexual af Day or Night Person — earlllly morning person Introvert or Extrovert — introvert Optimist or Pessimist — neutral Greatest Want — to be free Greatest Need — to decide who he is and what he stands for...

[highqueenofelfhame]

The Other Side

*TWK spoilers/bits you won’t quite understand if you haven’t read twk.*

-

The pregnancy had been hard enough. Pregnancies where faerie children were concerned were even more delicate than those of mortal children. A faerie babe in a mortal body? It became more difficult by tenfold. Where Jude Duarte was concerned, the baby growing in her womb had taken all of her energy, all of her patience. The constant fussing of her husband was driving her up the wall, and you need not get her started on being on bed rest for the last several months. She couldn’t take it.

When her water finally broke, the first emotion she’d felt was relief. Relief that the baby was coming and soon, after she healed, she could be back doing the things she loved. She would get to train with a sword again, strategize with the army commander, continuing lessons with Oak on what it meant to be a prince. What it would mean to be King when his time came, which if Cardan passed it off to him when he came of age, was only three years away.

The second thing that Jude felt when her water broke was that something was horribly, catastrophically wrong. To begin with, it was too soon by a handful of weeks. Her hands immediately went to her stomach and she let out a startled cry, her eyes searching the room wildly as though her husband would have heard her and immediately appeared. She reached for the wall, yanking on one of the bells by her desk to alert the staff that she needed assistance – something Cardan had installed in her office for emergencies almost the moment he found out she was pregnant. It didn’t take long for a servant to scuffle in with tea, and Jude shook her head rapidly.

“I need you to find the king immediately and send for healers,” she gritted out through her teeth. The servant dropped the tray of tea and turned on her heels, running as fast as she could and shouting down the hall that the queen was in distress. Had Jude been healthy, her eyes would be rolling, but she couldn’t shake the distinct feeling that the baby wasn’t okay, and something was horribly awry in her body.

“Jude?” Cardan was in the room moments later, crouching next to her. His feet slapped against the wet floor where her water had broken, and upon seeing the liquid on the silver tip of his boot, she realized it was blood. She hadn’t yet noticed because she was dressed in all black.

“Something is desperately wrong, I-“ a blood curdling scream interrupted her words and erupted from her throat as white hot pain coursed through her, something bigger than any contraction she’d been anticipating and prepared for. Jude could feel it, deep within her bones, that her baby was in peril. She knew that labor would be difficult, that bringing her baby into this world would be the hardest thing she’d done in her life. What she didn’t anticipate was feeling like her life own life was barely hanging by a thread.

Cardan swept his wife into his arms, rushing her to their chambers where he deposited her carefully on the bed. Healers were already milling about, two streaming into the room behind the king. Tears ran down Jude’s face, soaking Cardan’s tunic as she pressed her face into his chest. Another sob shook her to her core as another wave of pain shot through her nerves. Jude could feel the pain on every inch of her skin, down every millimeter of her body. Every nerve ending was on fire, was ripping from her body one by one. Cardan’s tunic tore at the sleeves where she gripped, silently begging him not to leave her.

Attempting to stay strong for his wife despite his fears, the king stayed with his queen, holding her hand and kissing her temples. Healers cut her pants off, and Cardan thought he was going to pass out when he saw just how much blood stained his wife’s skin. Deep, dark red coated the insides of her legs, all the way down to her boots, and when they tugged her them off, drops of blood spilled out onto the white bedding.

On her other side, a healer appeared with a few vials of potions, holding them to her lips. She drank, willing to do anything to ease her pain and save her baby, despite not wanting to have taken anything originally. Now, however, she begged to every god she could think of that her baby survive this mess. Take her if you must, but give her baby the life it deserved with it’s all too deserving father.

The potion merely brought the pain from a ten to a nine and a half. It wasn’t much better, but as the healers commanded her to push, she did. Pushed and pushed and pushed until a shrieking cry filled the room. Cardan’s eyes, however, never left Jude’s face. Through every cry of pain, every tear, he kissed her temples, her knuckles, the ruby ring he’d returned to her when he’d asked her to be his queen when their relationship was still full of snark and that drop of hatred. When they finally heard that cry, he pressed a firm kiss to her wan lips, brushing her tears from her cheeks. Cardan’s eyes glittered like black onyx, lined with the silver of tears that he couldn’t contain. We should have called truce long before this.

“You did it, my love,” he whispered into her hair, thumb stroking over her cheekbones. Tears of his own were falling as he held his wife, rocking her in a soothing way that had her full lips stretching into a slight smile. Kiss me until I am sick of it.

“Cardan,” she whispered, resting her hand on his wrist, but he shook his head. “Tell me that you hate me,” he had begged her all those years ago. She had obliged then, breathing the words into his soul though they both knew it wasn’t the truth. “I want to tell you so many lies.”

“Don’t speak, Jude, dear. They’re going to get the potions to heal you.” His eyes roved over her body, how her skin seemed to get paler by the second. The mass amount of blood that occupied the bed was pooling on top of the duvet, dripping over the side of the bed and splashing across the floor. With shaking hands, he pulled her into his lap properly, kissing her forehead. “You’ll be okay.”

“Cardan,” she said again, squeezing his wrist so pathetically that his heart cracked. Gone was her iron strength that had pinned him to a chair with a knife to his throat. Jude’s voice was breathy and hoarse, and tears continued to streak down her temples. When he looked into her eyes, they weren’t quite as bright as they usually were. Everything about his Jude seemed to be fading. Her coloring, her light, her life. He could hear how shallow her breath had become, could feel her weak heartbeat his fingertips.

“Jude,” his voice cracked as more tears fell from his face, dropping onto her cheeks and mingling with her own. “Jude Duarte Greenbriar don’t you dare leave me.” Every word that the king spoke, his voice got smaller, weaker, more broken. Jude reached up, pale fingers brushing through his hair and down his cheekbones. “You will be okay. You will be okay. You’re going to be fine.”

“My love,” her voice was so small and weak, had he not buried his face in her neck he might not have heard it. “I want…” A faint smile graced her lips, that he almost missed, but he pulled back to look at her as she paused her words. Jude’s thumb brushed over his lips as she inhaled shakily, remembering the first time Cardan had said he loved her, in his own Cardan way. The words he had spoken time and time again when she infuriated him, when she would pop off that she hated him just to get a reaction out of him.

“You’ll be okay, Jude. You’ll be okay.” He looked around the room wildly, only to find a healer holding the baby, the others simply standing and staring at the floor as their queen died in his arms. It was then that Cardan realized she was beyond help. She was beyond fixing. She would not be okay. Jude Duarte was going to die.

“I want…to tell you so many…lies,” she breathed out, a ghost of a smile on her lips as the light in her eyes completely extinguished, her gaze that had been locked on his face going completely blank as she stopped seeing. Her hand on his lips went limp, dragging down his chin and neck. Beneath the fingers that graced her neck, he felt her heart stop beating. I want to tell you so many lies.

“WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE?!” He screamed, tugging her body closer to his as he continued to sob, her blood warm and sticky the more it seeped through his trousers and to his skin. “SHE IS YOUR QUEEN!” Marry me. Become the Queen of Elfhame. The healers in the room merely shook their heads. I’ll marry you.

“I am so sorry, Your Highness. She is beyond our h-“

“SHE IS YOUR QUEEN!” He shouted again voice cracking and utterly broken, dropping his face into her neck. Cardan sobbed. For the first time that he could remember, he felt the most lost, broken, and ruined than he had ever felt. He felt a boiling hatred in his blood for being the reason she had been with child. What was the use of his magic if he couldn’t save his wife? What was the point if he was unable to save the woman that changed him in the best ways, that challenged him? From their very first kiss, the way the dagger had dug into his neck, she was always catching him off guard, making his heart flutter. “You really do want me. And you hate it,” she had said, just before their lips touched for the first time. I want to tell you so many lies.

Her hair stuck to his wet cheeks. Jude’s skin seemed to get colder by the minute. In a desperate attempt, he pulled the duvet around her, rubbing her arms as his chest cracked open and his heart shattered. Cardan Greenbriar stay bent over his wife’s lifeless body, rocking her and doing everything in his power to keep her warm. “Jude,” he whispered into her ear, her name over and over like a prayer. “I am so sorry, my love. My queen. I’m so sorry I did this to you.” Let us be wed until we wish for it to be otherwise, and the crown has passed from our hands.

It felt like ages, that he stay with her, weeping her name and apologies into her ear that she would never hear. It could have been a life time, because by the time a hand touched his elbow and he snapped his head up, her body was cold.

“Cardan,” the Bomb spoke softly, and his eyes fixed on her face. Her white hair was wild, her eyes red from crying. He supposed that his own eyes looked like that: bloodshot, puffy. His face was splotchy with grief.

“I killed her. I killed my wife,” his voice was raw, as though he’d been screaming for hours. Maybe he had been. Maybe he had been cursing himself for long enough that his voice was nearly gone. Maybe he’d been apologizing to Jude for so long that he had no voice left. I want to tell you so many lies. He could only hear the blazing truth of what he’d done to her, now.

“You have a daughter,” the Bomb said softly, not affirming his beliefs, but not brushing away his feelings either. Something snapped in Cardan then, and his face crumpled. A daughter. He had a daughter. He stayed completely still as the Roach lifted Jude’s body from his lap, his tears never ceasing to fall. The limp nature of her body sent another sob tearing through him, the way her neck dangled back, her eyes still frozen and staring. Eyes that he had spent so much time gazing into, eyes he’d spent time trying to catch just to hold her attention for a single moment. Her hair – her long, beautiful hair that he had tangled his fingers in over and over, had braided while she slept against his chest.

When the healer approached, he shifted where he sat, his clothing stiff from all the blood. She held a bundle of blankets in her arms, and terrified, Carden stay frozen as she passed the small babe to him, his heart breaking in half. The tiny baby girl in the blankets blinked up at him, the eyes unmistakably those of his queen. This is an absolutely terrible idea, he had said the first night they shared any sort of intimacy. At the time, it was. But looking back, being with Jude was the best idea he’d ever had. Cardan couldn’t help but wonder how he was ever going to feel safe, sound, or even remotely okay again.

“Jude,” his voice broke again as he leaned his forehead down, resting it against his daughters. When he inhaled, through the intoxicating scent that babies seemed to carry, he could smell her, smell Jude. He could smell her warmth, hear her laughter ringing between his ears. The presence, the wrath, the joy that had been Jude Duarte seemed to hang on every memory that he could muster. When he tried to think of something happy that happened before he’d met Jude, he came up short. When he tried to imagine a happy memory that would ever come after her, he was at a loss. So Cardan Greenbriar wept and wept for his lost queen, and her final words to him that she didn’t have to say. I love you.

-

And is there a god up there? ‘So where does he hide?

Cause the devil is raging inside my mind.

And is there a moment where it all makes sense?

When saying goodbye doesn’t feel like the end?

Sometimes I can’t help blaming you

For leaving me here, what am I supposed to do?

There’s plenty of women, there’s drinking, there’s drugs

But we both know that won’t be enough.

‘Cause I see you in the daytime, and I hear you at night

There’s a pale imitation burnt in my eyes

I don’t want to be here, I don’t know what to do

Sometimes I’d rather be dead, at least then I’m with you.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Amen - Amber Run.

[daddycardan]

hey so I don’t want to lose any brain cells to a whole book dedicated to taryn so could you please post the part where Cardan talks to her? Or tag someone who has already posted it maybe? Thanks.

Ok, so to be honest, it’s not that bad, yeah it’s about that traitorous bitch Taryn, but it’s actually quite enjoyable if you can see past that, and view her as a character. Hearing her explain things helps you understand better not only her but other character’s motives too. If you have a few spare dollars I recommend reading it, it’s a fine read, really, nothing brilliant, but fine.

But I’ll put this Cardan scene in anyway, because it’s the best scene in the whole thing, and I’ll also add a few of those lines where Taryn mentions Cardan, giving us a lil extra information that Jude doesn’t mention in TCP.

“My daydream reverie was interrupted by Prince Cardan.

“I know what you did,” he drawled, voice low, not at all sounding like he was asking a question. “Wicked girl. Yet you let your sister take the brunt of my ire. That wasn’t very nice, was it?”

He was dressed in a velvet doublet, with buttons of carved jet. Loose black curls framed his sharp cheekbones and a mouth set in a cruel line. He’s handsome, but that makes his horribleness worse, somehow. As though he’s taken something nice and made it awful. Being the single focus of his attention made me feel like a bug that a child was going to burn with a magnifying glass.

I stammered, caught completely off guard. “I—I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t.”

A slow smile spread across his mouth. “Oh, I see why Locke likes you.”

For a moment I thought that might be almost a compliment.

“You’re awful.” He said it as though he was delighted. “And the worst part is that you believe otherwise.”

Tears sprang to my eyes. I hated that I cried so easily. And he was wrong. I hadn’t known. Not until that afternoon by the river.

I shook my head, wiping away my tears. “Does that mean you’re going to leave her alone now?”

Cardan leaned in close, close enough that I could feel his breath on my cheek. “It’s much too late for that.”

Then you came out of nowhere and grabbed his shoulder. Before I could even speak, you’d spun him around and slammed his back against a tree. Your hand went to his throat. Cardan’s eyes went wide with shock. All around us, the children of the Gentry stared, agog.

Cardan was a Prince of Elfhame. And you were putting your hands on him—there, in front of everyone. Hands he was likely to order cut off.”

(so here, just to put it in context the thing Cardan and Taryn talk about is the fact that Taryn realized that Locke was tricking everyone into thinking that he dates Jude instead of Taryn, when they threw them both in the river and since then, she didn’t dare telling this to Jude, and just kinda… let Cardan be angry and Nicasia jealous at Jude, instead of at her. That’s what Cardan says isn’t nice.)

and now i’m just throwing in random quotes about Cardan, bc Cardan is a babe and who doesn’t want to read about him am I right ladies

“Prince Cardan, who listened to weeping like it was fine music, who stole selkie skins and tried them on, who smashed and burned enough things that it was said he was no longer welcome in his father’s palace.”

“ “Nicasia believes herself to be in love with me,” he [Locke] said.

“I thought—“ I began, then reconsidered what I’d been about to say.

“That she was Prince Cardan’s beloved?” Locke gave me a sly fox’s grin. “She was. And I seduced her away from him. Does it surprise you that she would choose me over a prince?”

I shook my head, startled into honesty. “Not even a little.” ”

“I did not point out what a hateful creature Prince Cardan was, but I doubted I had to if neither Nicasia nor Locke cared for him enough to consider his feelings.”

“ “I could, you know,” Prince Cardan said, something awful kindling behind his eyes. The way he looked at you made my stomach churn.”

“ “Cardan knows it was me you were meeting. He told me as much.”

“Ah,” he [Locke] said. Just that.

I took a few steps from him and crossed my arms over my chest. “Leave Jude out of this.”

He gave me a fox’s grin. “Cardan certainly does seem to enjoy hurting her, doesn’t he?” ”

(all of these quotes belong to and are written by Holly Black)

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

Review: The Cruel Prince (Holly Black, The Folk of the Air #1)

Rating: ★★★★★/5

This was my first reread of one of my top books of 2018, and I adored it just as much the second time around.

“What could I become if I stopped worrying about death, about pain, about anything? If I stopped trying to belong? Instead of being afraid, I could become something to fear.” I don’t have much to add to my original review from a year ago other than a favourite quote and a renewed awe for Holly Black and this vicious world she’s created. This was just as good the second time around, so bloody and full of cunning plot twists and an anti-heroine so completely worthy of that title. Original review: Hot DAMN. This is how you write about faeries. Where to begin...basically, I loved every aspect of this. The faerie world, the juxtaposition of the real world alongside it, the characters. Actually, let's start there, because my heart is so full of love for all of them. Jude is such a warrior queen. I adored her and every cunning decision she made, every calculated move that I thought I had figured out until BAM NOPE I knew absolutely nothing and Jude is brilliant. But besides my anti-heroine babe, everyone surrounding her was so well-rounded and real-feeling. Even little Oak had such a personality! Taryn dealt with living in Elfhame in such a different way - equally valid and thought-provoking, but so very opposite from her sister, which made me love her too. Vivienne, oh, my Vivienne - I adored her as well. And Cardan? I hated him as I was led to do for about half the book. I read a few updates and reviews discussing him and could not figure out where the love came from. Alas, now I understand, and I have e m o t i o n s. The plot twist here was so cleverly done that I gasped and paused reading for a moment just to puzzle it out and realize how I had been duped along with the other characters. This book is worth reading for that twist alone, because so often plot "twists" become predictable and boring, and I'm so excited to find one that actually got me. But aside from that, this book is so beautifully written. The world is complex and lush and mystical and deadly, and just so freaking well-developed as a secondary world that it may as well be real to me at this point. I adore the way Holly Black writes, and I'm so happy that this series is in my life.