#especially blacksmith lady she carried

[rena-yume]

Even the tree god tired of jelly & peanut butter brothers it told them to go build things elsewhere

Also them being gods yet they were made by the tree is so dumb like what??

Oh and good job Alyx and crwby, give vomit boy his youth back instead of idk helping the cat?? His life turned to shit thanks to her but let's ignore that, let's hope the ice cream phsycopath murderer and Jaune get closure instead (also Ruby being worried about said murderer instead of the cat was just 👌) I'm being sarcastic it's so dumb

Also 10 years in and we still don't know almost anything about Summer, a 10 seconds scene with her and Raven going somewhere with absolutely 0 context and we're once again left to fill in the many gaps the show left because why bother writing something that important am I right?

Also what do you mean they teleported to when they're needed?? I swear if they pull some random time travel crap, imagine messing up a story so bad you needed time travel to unfuck the mess you mad

Moral of the story: kids, don't do drugs while writing

Now for some positives: the fight was cool especially the Ruby vs cat part the animation was surprisingly pretty good, and good job not making Ruby turn into Summer, it's a low bar but better than nothing

The episode was fun, the writing is still bad and team wby's dialogue about Ruby is still cringe but if you turn your brain off the episode is generally fun

In conclusion I had fun but the writing is still garbage despite the animation being pretty cool at moments

[pajulammas]

[Chivalrous Devotion AU] Reference sheets for some of the supporting characters!

Nimue's designs were designed by @tillytilli!

The fic can be read here!

Twitter | Bluesky

More info under the cut!

The Blacksmith:

Maoilios the Blacksmith, known as Smithy, is a 43-year-old two-tailed fox. He's the best blacksmith in Camelot and knows a thing or two about weapons. His knowledge and skills are very appreciated. That wasn't always the case, though. Smithy was very ostracized during his first years, as everyone seemed to think that a two-tailed fox would bring bad luck and curses. Smithy spent most of his time doing research and building swords, which made Arthur was curious about him. Not wanting to scare the fox away, he approached him in disguise and befriended him, nicknaming him Smithy for his blacksmith skills. After seeing that Smithy was just a lonely boy living in a burrow all alone, Arthur invited him to live with him. Smithy was very shocked to find out his new friend was King Arthur himself. Arthur worked hard to make sure no one saw Smithy as a bad omen and took good care of the little fox. It didn't take long for the two to form a close brotherly bond. Smithy really looks up to the king and admires him, even after 35 years.

Nimue:

Nimue is known as the Lady of the Lake. She is a magical fairy enchantress, who disguises herself as a hedgehog to be more approachable to mortals. She knows a lot about sacred weapons, and even gifts them to knights she deems worthy. She often has missions for knights, and Sir Percival especially likes to fulfill them. Nimue has grown quite fond of the knightess and looks forward to her visits. She is also the foster mother of Lancelot, who lost his family and home castle when he was just a little boy. Nimue took him in and taught him how to fight, eventually gifting him the sacred sword made from the stars, Arondight. And when Lancelot had his own son Galahad, Nimue naturally took the role of a grandmother, helping Lancelot take care of the young boy and looking after him when Lancelot had to go on his missions. She also taught Galahad to fight and gifted him a cinquedea which has telekinetic powers. While teaching fighting isn't the most conventional way for parenting, Nimue genuinely cares for both Lancelot and Galahad, and considers them her family.

King Arthur:

King Arthur Pendragon is the legendary king of Camelot and the leader of the Knights of the Round Table, as well as the alternate reality doppelgänger of Sonic the Hedgehog himself. He owns the sacred sword Caliburn which can transform into the legendary Excalibur. He can always be seen carrying its scabbard which was a gift from Nimue. The scabbard protects him, preventing any wound he receives from bleeding. His looks aren't the only thing that resemble Sonic – he's friendly and laid-back but can be short-tempered, has a strong sense of justice, and treats everyone equally. He's a skilled fighter, a fast runner, and the most powerful knight in the land. While he isn't as fast as Sonic is, Arthur is physically stronger than him. However, Arthur mysteriously disappeared three years ago, and no one knows what happened to him. The court isn't worried anymore, as Sonic's arrival's timing was just right – they believe Sonic is the lost king. While Sonic must pretend to be Arthur who has lost his memories, he also wonders what even happened to the king. Will he be back one day, and will Sonic be in trouble if he does return?

[gortash-did-nothing-wrong]

Parade

Enver Gortash loves walking through town with all his children trailing behind him like little ducklings. He's the type of guy to keep his wife pregnant because he simply adores having children. And he's actually a very involved father, especially considering how busy he is. He has some errands he runs two to three times a week, and when he does them he herds all of his kids into the carriage he had commissioned specifically for transporting so many children, buckles them all into their seats, carries his newest child in his arms, and parades them all through town as he hops from one errand to the other.

Sometimes his wife accompanies him, sometimes she stays at home, enjoying the alone time. Whichever she chooses, Enver supports.

The citizens eat it up seeing their ArchDuke strolling down the streets with his newest baby in his arms. A chubby cheeked child, with big brown eyes, fussing a bit in Enver's arms. Any tears, Enver cleans away on his own sleeve, before soothing the baby with some bouncing or snuggles as he places an order with his favorite blacksmith.

His older children wander around each store he stops in, poking and prodding wares but hardly ever leaving a mess. He's taught them better than to destroy a store, after all.

And as long as his children behave, he of course stops by their favorite ice cream parlor on the way home, letting each child have a single scoop of whatever ice cream they want, either on a cone or in a cup. He'll spoon feed his baby a little bit of his own ice cream, if they show an interest.

The public call him a doting father, and he certainly is. His wife is a bit shocked at just how good of a father he insists on being, considering most noblemen see their children maybe once every few days.

"Lady Karin told me last week that her husband sees the children once a week." His wife tells him. "And she herself only sees them once a day for afternoon tea."

Enver snorts, reading the newspaper as he sips his evening whiskey. "I'd be too embarrassed to ever admit being that useless of a parent. My own torturers wouldn't be able to pull that confession out of me."

His wife chuckles, then pauses. "You have torturers?"

"How do you feel about a family picnic at the beach today, my love?"

[thechthonicherbalist]

Who is...

Lady Athena?

Lady Athena is a #Hellenic goddess worshiped in Ancient Greece and beyond. Like many of the Ancient Greek Gods, Heroes and Lore, the story of her birth is not quite average. Zeus, mighty ruler of Olympus had received a warning, that one of his sons would take his throne & strip him of his power, as he himself had done with his father Cronos. So like his father, Zeus decided that cannibalism will solve his problem and swallowed his first lover, Metis, a beautiful Okeanide (Daughters of Okeanos and Thetys), while she was pregnant. Instead of bearing him the promised son, a wise girl, with the attire of a warrior was born from Zeus' head. Hephaistos, the disabled god of fire, metallurgy, and crafts came to aid Zeus as a midwife, effectively splitting his head open with an axe, to make way for Zeus' most beloved daughter, Athene, who stepped forth, with eyes of steal and fully armoured. If this is a special benefit of having a divine blacksmith midwife or a side effect of cannibal birth through your father's head is unknown.

("The birth of Athena" - Vase painting from 555 - 550 B.C. by the Phrynos Painter - British Museum, London)

Little Athene however was soon sent to be raised and educated in the arts of war, by the God Triton, alongside of his daughter Pallas, who became her companion (read: potentially wlw lover). Training together, the two girls would fight against each other with sword and shield and both were so skilled in their doing, that Zeus started to worry about his daughter, interfering in their play. This startled Pallas so much that she missed to parry a thrust of Athena's sword and got lethally wounded. According to some interpretations Athena was so devastated about the death of her lover, that she took her name as her own, to immortalize her memory and henceforth was known as Pallas Athena, whereas other interpretations identify Athena as aromantic or asexual.

(1. Contemporary bronze figurine of Athena, taking the fierce stance of a warrior with her iconic Medusa shield, her helmet and spear.) (2. Alternative shield of Athene's sporting the owl emblem, a symbol of her wisdom and crest to the city of Athens.)

Pallas is also synonymous with the word "girl" which goes hand in hand with another epithet of Athene's: Parthenos, meaning "maiden". In other words, Athena was known as the "Girl Athena" or "Maiden Athena", implying that she was rather young. Despite her everlasting young age, Athena became known as the wisest and most skilled warrior. Unlike Ares, God of war, her skills lie particularly with wisdom, protection and defense as well as diplomacy and righteousness, with which she aided many Greek heroes like Hercules, Perseus, Achilles and Odysseus according to Hellenic lore. Being an INFP (MBTI type) myself, and therefore a diplomat, I always admired her for these particular traits and often seek her council, aid and guidance, in order to act thoughtful and not get carried away by heated emotions, especially in the face of conflict and problems. (I'm not always successful, but that's why we ask for help. 😂)

("Athena Protects the young Hero" - Berlin)

Furthermore she is the patron goddess of arts and crafts, specifically those that serve the creation of useful objects and tools, but especially of crafts connected to thread and fabric. Notably she is also known as the Patron of Greece's capital city Athens, who sports an owl emblem in it's crest in her honour. The people of Attica chose her as such, after she gifted them with the invention of the olive tree, rooting the discovery of olives and their products in the hands of Greece, according to their lore. Furthermore she is known as patroness of Sparta, founder of Thebes and in association with the city of Corinth. Later Athena was also associated with Hygieia (goddess of health, cleanliness and hygiene) and the Hippocratic oath, a pledge physicians make before various healing gods to practice medicine and healing in a honourful and ethical way. Therefore Athena is also sometimes depicted with a serpent-staff, like Asclepios.

(Athena as restored by Algardi - Museo nazionale romano di palazzo, Altemps)

Some animals & objects associated with Athene are:

The Owl and Serpent - symbols of wisdom

The Horse - symbol of equestrian skills

The olive tree - symbol of victory

Armour, Helmet, Shield and Spear - symbols of divine authority, protection, wisdom and strategy

Sphinx and Griffins - symbols of power, domestication and taming of the wild spirits, abundance

Well received offering for Athene are:

Food like bread, meat, milk, honey, cakes, barley meal, olive oil, fruit, wine and pure water

Olives and Olive Branches

Flowers, especially white roses

Spices, especially cinnamon

Burning or offering incense

Crystals, amongst others Sodalite, Marble, Shungite, Fluorite, Granite, Amethyst, Dumortierite, a number of quartzes, emeralds and opals

Dedicational work and worship can include:

Studying, reading and educating yourself

Promoting peace and seeking diplomatic solutions and conversations to resolve conflict

Arts and crafts, especially weaving, knitting, crocheting

Learn and practice martial arts

Educating or writing informational works

(Athena with Owl and Shield, Replica)

[blueberrypancakesworld]

House of the dragon - Romance in the Winter - Door.15

warning : fluff

The calendar

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

Rhaenyra :

The queen was at her family seat during the winter months when she wasn't flying outside on her dragon Syrax. Dragonstone.

The castle of her ancestors and her blood, the place where she retreated in winter with her highborn lady. The rumors of the people were clear and yet they did not reach the two women at the castle.

A dragon did not care what the people thought. A movement emerged from under the furs and blankets of the queen's bed. The light-colored hair pops out and Rhaenyra was still clearly asleep.

Which is why she did not notice the entrance of her beloved. As the lady came in with a silver tray full of cookies. Cookies in the shape of dragons and eggs sprinkled with sugar, it was her own baking mix she had used.

Sitting down by the bed and placing her hand carefully on the queen's head she said, ,,Oh my queen...my dearest dragoness...wake up". She heard the murmur of the Targaryen before she finally removed the blanket from her face.

The cold of winter was also making its way into the castle and yet the dragon did not seem to be asleep. ,,My flame," mumbled Rhaenyra, her face still clearly visible with too much wine from the night they had spent together. Leaning down to the older woman, she gave her a gentle good morning kiss.

She saw the queen's grin and giggled herself. ,,Your flame has brought you something," the younger one replied and held out a cookie to her as Rhaenyra sat up.

She took it from her and bit into it happily, lifting the blanket to signal her love to come to her. The two women sat down next to each other and enjoyed the cookies arm in arm.

She could feel the Targaryen's kisses moving from her lips down her body. The dragon wanted more than just a little sweetness in the cold winter.

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

Alicent :

The Green Queen of House Hightower second wife of Viserys Targaryen the first of his name did not like winter.

Ever since she was little she knew that winter complicated business, restricted sea trade and only fire could help them. The fire of the black party that disputed her throne.

But in times of impending war, the seasons did not stop and neither did love. The love she had found in the arms of her childhood friend.

They spent any free time together as much as they could and the Lady did everything she could not to let her Queen sink into mourning. ,,I'm back from the city!" the slightly older lady announced, carrying several boxes and leather-wrapped jewelry.

Despite the fact that white, silver and blue tended to be worn in winter, she had searched all the blacksmiths and jewelry dealers for green pieces of jewelry.

,,Oh dear, that wouldn't be necessary, I told you we could go together," Alicent replied and got up from the couch, went to her heart and took a few things from her before they sat down on the couch together.

They unwrapped the presents and jewelry, each more beautiful than the last.

Alicent gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek as she put a necklace around her neck. Running her hand down her neck to the necklace, ,,A beauty for a beauty," Alicent murmured, seeing that it flattered her heart.

But when the lady knelt down in front of the queen and slipped a ring with a green stone onto the queen's finger, she saw how she opened her eyes.

She knew the gesture and had read about it in countless books. The symbol of love as she pulled her heart into an earnest kiss on the couch.

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

Daemon :

The rugged prince and former heir to Viserys his older brother was known for his ruthlessness, brutality, chaos and madness.

But above all, his wife knew him as a loving man who would fulfill her every wish. A man who gave everything for his family and his loved ones, especially for his wife, especially for his pregnant wife.

It was only the first few months and yet the winter seemed to have taken its toll on her as she struggled with fever and pain, something unnatural that Daemon knew.

She lay in bed another morning in pain and it wasn't just Caraxes she missed the warmth.

,,Cold as ice," Daemon murmured and she heard the frustration in his voice, despite her fever, she seemed as cold as the snowflakes outside that inevitably fell and increasingly formed the white carpet over Westeros.

She felt his hand on hers as he lifted her from the bed and held her close. ,,Just hold on for a moment, darling," he said, hugging her even closer, trying to give her some of his warmth.

He walked out of the room with her and went to the den for Caraxes that was on the seat of the two of them. Spacious, perfect for the red dragon, but as the two went into the cave he heard the surprised sound of his wife.

He had lit all the torches and candles and laid a makeshift bed of furs and blankets in front of Caraxes' belly. The dragon snorted when he saw his rider and his wife.

He had sensed the child inside her for a long time and was apparently taken with Daemon's idea. ,,Here we go," the Targaryen said, carefully placing his wife on the hides and sitting down next to her before pulling her close.

Caraxes wrapped them both lightly with his wings and tail and his warmth seemed to be the only thing that would help her.

,,Thank you my love...and Caraxes," she murmured and ran her hand over the dragon's warm scales before snuggling further against Daemon, who let his hand wander over her body. Giving her his closeness and warmth while Caraxes watched over her as the snow fell outside.

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

Aemond :

The second-born son of Viserys, who was known for his swordplay, knew that he would never get the crown.

But in all that time he would have loved to take up the sword and fight his way to the throne. Had he not lost his heart to his wife, the only daughter of a rather lowly house.

She was still not a good party for the prince, but when he and Vhagar had picked her up from her husband and insisted on marrying her, it was done.

He didn't care that she wasn't a princess, that she wasn't noble, and even though his mother wanted something else for him, he had made his decision. He felt her hand on his shoulder as she called him for his training.

,,By the snow....pass your stand on my love," he said and smiled as he dodged her sword when she attacked him without warning. The two of them battled across the square, and he countered her blows and vice versa.

He had taught her a few things and yet he knew that she had a lot to learn herself. But as they fought on and on, she didn't notice the smoothness in her fighting frenzy.

She made a leap towards him and saw Aemond already raising his sword defensively as she lost her balance on the slippery surface. ,,My dear...got you!" he exclaimed and caught her with his hands on her parts as he saved her from falling.

He knew he was right about her losing her grip and yet he saw her anger turn to devotion. She placed a hand on his cheek and saw his handsome image supported by the snow falling around them.

,,You got me," she replied and pulled him into a deep kiss which he returned, pulling her closer to him and for the first time he was glad to be the second born.

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

[vulturereyy]

GIVE ME FOXGLOVE CONTENT pls any general stuff like fave foods to eat fun stuff she likes to do

TEEHEE my worlds biggest Foxglove fan, i too am not immune to my own giant woman...

Foxglove is still evolving as a character BUT here are some tidbits for you:

Her favorite foods are probably spicy enough to kill a lesser moth

Despite her love of spice, she also has an intense sweet tooth, and hoards hard candies in a small cubby she carved into the underside of her bedframe

This hiding place has likely not stopped her siblings (Reed, Hyacinth) from stealing them

Foxglove can digest meat. And has, in the past. Don't worry about it.

She takes up blacksmithing as her main profession under her father, Atlas.

While she thinks weaponsmithing is cool as fuck, Foxglove's main skill is actually in practical smithing, like forging harnesses, tack, stag-shoes, etc.

Foxglove doesn't perform in the troupe, but serves as more of a general handy-moth, especially when it comes to structural repairs and metalwork.

Foxglove's weapon(s) of choice are two leather caestuses that she made herself, often with black iron plates over top of them if she's in a real fight. Basically, moth brass knuckles.

When forced to choose a handed weapon, Foxglove favors the mace and hammer.

Foxglove is a chimera bilateral gynandromorph, and is the result of two fertilized eggs fusing together. She is technically Nightshade, Atlas, and my oc Valka's all at once, as Atlas and Valka both had knocked up Nightshade around the same time.

Foxglove cannot fly, as her wing-to-body ratio is way too low. Since she doesn't have to worry about being able to carry herself, she's bulked up a ton through strength training, and has a lot more brawn than most moths.

Atlas is the only person she knows of that can still physically best her in terms of strength, but it's close.

Foxglove is a daddy's girl through and through. Reed and Hyacinth may be more Nightshade's, but Foxglove is Atlas' baby.

Foxglove and Valka have a ... strained relationship at best. Valka is barely involved in her life, through little fault of her own. She genuinely didn't know that Foxglove existed, and when she did, she tried to reconnect and help where she could. Foxglove still isn't sure if she wants Valka to be a more prominent figure in her life or not.

Foxglove's girlfriend is Lady Lambfeathers, the daughter of the capitol city's Harbormaster and Captain of the Guard. I'm sure nothing will go wrong there.

Foxglove and Lambfeathers are T4T

Foxglove's favorite drink is rye whiskey

Foxglove can play the banjo (daddy taught her)

[taciturnraccoon]

Work-It seems like one of those girlies where if she’s having a bad day or can’t be bothered to fight when being threatened, she goes “Hold on, let me fix my lipstick first for I am a helpless little lady…” She just casually uncaps it then BAM! TASER LIPSTICK.

I was gonna draw something for this but I lacked the motivation 😢

But she spent a lifetime living in Kaon, and she didn't always have safety in numbers, especially when she was new there. What she did have was her mind and scrap metal everywhere. She may not have any kibble, and maybe to some thugs she looks like an easy target, but just because she can't transform it doesn't mean she doesn't have any tricks up her sleeve.

And it's more than a lipstick tazer. Think more like Arm >>> Blaster. The Entire arm, up to the shoulder.

And her horns? Yeah, she can remove those and do some damage. Not to mention the paints she carries in her forearms, those do well in a pinch to blind a bot so she can scram.

But you are right, she 100% plays into the damsel in distress bit. And her fighting isn't refined but she can still brawl and she still has the strength of a blacksmith so whoever targets her is in for a mew coat of paint sprinkled with rubble. Because she'll throw them through a wall.

[apinklion01]

Ghostly Phic Phight

The Forgotten

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Chapter 1: Whithersden

A03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38301643/chapters/95705521

[[ Prompt: There's a colony of humans in the Infinite Realms. Tell their story. ]]

[[ For: @language-of-ghosts ]]

[[ Disclaimer for the misgendering of one of the main characters. The townsfolk of Whithersden live their lives as if they were still in the 11th century, and back then the LGBTQ+ terms we have today didn’t exist, nor the understanding of people who fell under them. As the fic goes along, the character will be misgendered less. ]]

[[ Special thanks to my beta reader, MistytheFifth, as well as EmeraldAndAmethyst, @deuynndoodles and @kawaiijohn on the DP Fanfiction Palace server. ]]

The oldest elders claimed that long ago, their ancestors lived in a place not of darkness, but of light. Light from the sun, the moon, and the smallest lights called stars.

For a time they lived in peace, but peace was short lived when the barbarians came. The soldiers of the town attempted to fight back, but were no match for their brute strength. Many were slaughtered.

One man, Hawk Whither, led the remaining townsfolk deep into the woods towards the ancient ruins while the barbarians were closing in. Suddenly a bright bolt of lightning raced through the stone pillars, creating a mirror of bright green.

Death was imminent; Hawk and the townsfolk leapt inside. When they opened their eyes, they were met with an unfamiliar and strange world. A never ending expanse of green, strange creatures that tormented them with their presence, and who seemed to be invulnerable to their weapons.

They weren’t able to leave the island that they found themselves on. Those that tried plummeted below and were never seen again. Many died from starvation or from tasting the unfamiliar vegetation.

Hawk Whither was the first town leader, helping them all survive the first years in their new home. Ever since, his descendants have carried out the task of taking care of the town and its people, defending them from ghosts and evil spirits. The town was renamed to Whithersden in his honor.

Matthew Whither always felt proud to carry his family’s name. He wasn’t slated to take the title of lord in the slightest; that duty belonged to his aunt, Lady Violet Whither, the firstborn child of his grandfather.

As the Lady of the town, she watched over the farmers, the house builders, the weavers, the ceramists, and especially the Hawk Guard.

He watched intensely as the soldiers walked by him, their golden brown capes dappled with the pattern of a hawk.

“Good morning, Abigail, hope the children are well,” spoke one of the Hawk Guard members. Matthew immediately knew it was Henry Ashdown, the captain, and his idol.

“Oh they are, bless you for finding them before nightfall,” She answered.

As Ashdown walked to catch up with the rest of the guard, Matthew said to him, “Good morning, captain!”

“Good morning, young Matthew, you’re up rather early,” Ashdown said. “I trust you to do your best to help out the blacksmith.”

He let out a gasp of awe as the captain walked away.

‘Oh how I long to be one of them… Protecting the town from ghosts, to wield a staff stained with blood roses, and gaining the respect of everyone-’

“TACKLE HUG!” A voice yelled. Matthew yelped as he found himself underneath a teen his age with fair brown skin and curly brown hair.

“Jonah, no, it’s too early for one of these! And you’re getting too old for these games, young man,” He muttered.

“Dude, how many times do I have to tell you? I’m a lady,” Jonah corrected him, pressing down harder on his shoulder.

“Ack! Fine, lady, you’re a lady” Matthew lied. His younger sibling released him with a sigh. Matthew dusted off the dirt from his clothes, but noted a few other teens watching nearby. How embarrassing.

Jonah was a Mirror Stranded, the name given to those who found themselves on the island and were from the Living Realm. No one knew how to predict the portals nor how they were created or where they lead, but the people who did appear were the only proof of the world of their ancestors. Some of them spoke in strange tongues and wore strange clothes. They were often placed into families to assimilate to life in Whithersden.

And they were often odd.

Jonah, for example, insisted on wearing his clothes and refused to place his colorful sandals out into the waste buckets. He also insisted on being called a lady, which didn’t make any sense at all in his head, nor to anyone else.

It wasn’t any wonder why his aunt placed Jonah in his family’s care, though all the same, Matthew wished he wasn’t.

“Soooo… Do you want to do something fun today?” Jonah asked.

“Fun? Like a child? We’re far too old for that, Jonah, and you know it,” He said in disdain. “Father will likely bring you around town for a task to keep you busy now that one month’s passed since your arrival.”

“What!?” Jonah exclaimed in disbelief, just the same way he reacted about everything in Whithersden. “Matt, I’m not even 14, I can’t get a job! That’s illegal!”

“Everyone who reaches the age of 12 begins helping out around the town till they find a job. Your parents were certainly foolish to delay you from starting out.”

Jonah’s face dipped into a scowl, and he began to open his mouth.

“Jonah, there you are.” Matthew heard his father’s voice and watched as he approached from behind the troublesome Mirror Stranded.

“Come along now, we’ll be finding a task for you today,” His father said, guiding Jonah by his side. The curly haired teen didn’t seem to notice, still staring at him.

“Matthew, I don’t think Ulric will be pleased if you arrive late again.”

“Right, I know. I’ll be on my way,” The teen said before starting to run down the street.

“Don’t forget to take your meal with you,” He heard from behind.

“I know!”

_ Ch. 1 _

The smell of burning firewood had become familiar to Matthew as he attended the fire in Ulric’s forge. The smith was older than almost everyone in Whithersden, and due to his age, he needed to start teaching an apprentice to become his eventual replacement.

Matthew started about two years ago. He would’ve been assigned earlier if he didn’t break his leg from an unexpected tumble down a hill, striking a rock. The injury left a scar running from near his knee down his left leg.

‘I don’t understand how Ulric ever saw it as a sign of endurance,’ He thought to himself. ‘If anything, it just proves how weak I am to have gained it… But if he is right, I still have a chance to impress the Hawk Guard someday…’

“Boy, the flames need to be higher,” The gruff voice of Ulric spoke up.

Matthew quickly squeezed the bellow, the loud huffs sending embers out of the hearth.

“That’s enough… Work on making more nails, I’ll work on fixing the horseshoes.”

“Yes, Ulric,” He spoke. It was a common task, but one essential with a few builders creating another house.

‘Two years ago I thought this job would be boring… If I knew about the dozens of things Ulric makes and repairs for the town I would’ve known otherwise…’

The sound of someone approaching caught Matthew’s attention as the gate squealed open.

“Good afternoon, Ulric.”

“Good afternoon, Lady Whither,” The smith greeted her, pausing from hammering the horseshoe. “What brings you to my forge?”

“Merely a visit, I wanted to see my nephew,” She answered, giving Matthew a warm glance. He paused to nod at her before once more hammering a nearly finished nail.

“May I have a word with you outside?” She asked Ulric in a quieter voice.

“Certainly,” He answered.

The two adults went through the gate before disappearing out of sight and out of earshot. Matthew still wondered what was so important that they couldn’t talk about it in front of him.

‘Ulric wouldn’t appreciate me eavesdropping, certainly not in my aunt’s presence… Maybe he wouldn’t mind sparring a light detail…’

Eventually Ulric returned, Lady Whither walking away from the forge.

“Bless you, Ulric, and take care!”

“Thank you, M’Lady,” He called out to her. The bearded man walked over to inspect the nails Matthew finished.

“Hmm… nice size, good shape and consistency... Perhaps you’ll be mending swords and daggers very soon. Take a break, you’re starting to look a bit pale.”

A rush of excitement filled Matthew but he held it in. “Thank you, Ulric.”

He took a drink from the pitcher, the cool water relieving himself from the heat. The teen then wandered and sat down on a stool.

“What sort of inquiry did my aunt have?”

“Matthew,” He muttered, wiping his brow.

“Does it have to do with the guard? Or something more secretive?”

“...I suppose secretive is a good word to describe the task at hand,” The smith relented.

“What is it?”

“Do you know much about the bell tower?”

Matthew paused and tried remembering what his tutor taught him about the building. “It was made by Cináed Whither, Hawk’s younger brother… He was very good at masonry… And he created inventions, but no one knows how to repair or create them anymore since he died without an apprentice.”

“Exactly… You may have noticed that it rings more frequently. It’s starting to become hard to keep track of time, the only exception being the day lilies that open at dawn and the night lilies that appear at dusk.”

“I certainly would get in trouble if I came to the forge late,” The teen admitted.

“And so will the others in Whithersden if it continues to stall. Lady Whither is asking me to check the bell tower and see if there’s any way to fix it… And, if I’m successful, I’ll have to teach you how I fixed it so you’ll be able to repair it when I retire.”

“Wait, how soon?”

The smith looked at his large worn hands. Some of his nails were cracked from when his hammer struck the wrong place, one of them freshly bruised.

“At my age, I won’t be able to heave up firewood nor stoke the flames with care much longer. Unless Lady Whither decides to give me another apprentice, you’ll become Whithersden’s new smith.”

Matthew couldn’t stop the feeling of disbelief filling his chest. “B-But that means I won’t be able to join the guard… T-They don’t permit those with a job to-”

“I know, you’ve told me a thousand times,” Ulric retorted firmly, pausing the teen with a hand gesture. “I’ve already heard an earful of other boys and young men in the village with that aspiration…”

“But sometimes a change in the way you want your life to go will be for the better… Whithersden will always have a need for a smith as much as the Hawk Guard to protect them. Do you understand, boy?”

Matthew wanted badly to protest with his reasons for becoming a Hawk Guard member. Being stuck in the forge and fixing weapons was fine, but he wanted to be seen and known like Ashdown. To prove his worth and make Hawk and all of his ancestors proud.

To be worthy of being a Whither.

But he didn’t want to speak up against Ulric, or his aunt for assigning him as his apprentice. If she had to play the part she was assigned, he would have to do the same.

“Yes Ulric,” He answered, holding back his disappointment.

[queenmarytudor]

MARY: SERIES ONE

When King Henry VIII announces his daughter unable to inherit the crown of England, Princess Mary Tudor and her friends at court rebel and conspire against him.

An imagined six episode psychological drama series, focusing on Princess Mary Tudor and the intrigues, secrets and lies of Henry VIII’s court... 

THE KING’S PEARL

Princess Mary Tudor, Princess of Wales and heir to the throne of England, is at her court in the Welsh Marches. Rhys ap Gruffydd kneels in irons before her; he has been arrested for inciting rebellion and is on the way to the Tower of London. Rhys petitions Mary for help in getting his grandfather’s lands and titles restored to him, as they are his by right and not her stewards, who has been gifted them by the king. Rhys says surely Mary knows what it is like to have an inheritance threatened. Mary promises to help him when she returns to court. Rhys thanks his princess, stating that though his wife is related to the king’s mistress, Anne Boleyn will never be Rhys’ queen.

Mary returns to court for Christmas. All along the streets nobles and peasants alike cheer for their princess before she is welcomed lovingly by her parents King Henry VIII and Queen Katherine of Aragon. 

There is a grand feast; Mary reunites with her father’s cousin Henry Courtenay and his wife Gertrude, one of Katherine’s ladies. She dances with the courtier Nicholas Carew while her parents watch proudly. 

Mary petitions her father to release Rhys from imprisonment in the Tower. The king, delighted to have his pearl back, agrees, but refuses to grant him his grandfather’s lands and titles. The pair decide to go riding together.

On their return, Gertrude escorts Mary to see her mother. She tells Mary her father’s mistress, Anne Boleyn, has just arrived back at court. Katherine introduces Mary to Eustace Chapuys, ambassador to Mary’s cousin Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Chapuys promises he will do his best to help her and her mother. Katherine and Chapuys reveal Pope Clement has forbidden the king from marrying Anne, threatening him with excommunication from the church if he does.

After Mass, where the royal family pray together, a freed Rhys seeks out Mary. He thanks her for his release and attempting to get his inheritance back. 

Mary goes to her father’s chambers, where Thomas Cromwell introduces himself as King Henry’s new minister. Mary asks where her father is. When Cromwell replies he is with Anne Boleyn, Mary leaves for the sanctuary of her mother’s rooms. 

Henry Courtenay arrives from parliament, telling Katherine, Mary and Gertrude that the king has now declared himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Gertrude tells them she heard of a nun in Kent who can predict the future. Katherine warns her not to do anything foolish. 

On Saint David’s Day, the patron saint of Wales, Mary is given a Welsh leek by the king’s gentlemen pensioners in a grand ceremony. She is watched by a crowd of courtiers and Chapuys, who compliments her. They talk for a while before she leaves. 

Exiting, Mary comes across Anne Boleyn. They glare at each other before Anne reluctantly sinks into a curtsey. Mary ignores her.

Mary plays the virginals for her parents. Despite their praise, there is obvious tension between the pair.

At nightfall Mary and her father talk. Mary is confused how he has declared himself the head of a church that doesn’t exist. Henry says she is clever; one day his pearl will understand. After he has left, Mary tells her governess, Margaret Pole, that she doesn’t think she will ever understand.

Katherine worries when Margaret wakes her in the night to inform her Mary is ill. Gertrude brings up the Nun of Kent again, but Maria Willoughby and Jane Seymour shush her. Katherine goes to help Margaret care for Mary. As Mary continues to vomit, Katherine strokes her daughter’s hair, clutching her necklace which she believes contains a piece of the True Cross. She prays her daughter will get better, comforting her with old stories of her and King Henry when they were younger.

In the morning a recovered Mary wakes to six luxurious new dresses, a gift from her father. She immediately puts one on.  

At breakfast, the queen is sat at the table alone. The king left them earlier in the morning to go on summer progress with Anne Boleyn, forcing most of the courtiers to go with them, including the Courtenay’s. Katherine smiles and tells Mary they can still have a good time, just the two of them and their households.

Reginald, the son of Margaret, is sent money by the king to study in Padua. Katherine and Margaret are hopeful Reginald will convince King Henry to recant his decision to break from Rome and marry a heretic. Reginald promises he will. Mary hugs her cousin goodbye, wishing him well. 

At court, Chapuys watches on with Nicholas Carew and an incensed Gertrude and Henry as Anne Boleyn takes the queen’s role at a feast. While talking, Rhys Gruffydd is publicly re-arrested for encouraging Wales to rebel against the king, and supposedly taking the title of Prince of Wales. The group disbelieve this after what Mary did for him. 

Katherine hears from Maria that Rhys has been beheaded, but she is determined to protect her daughter and keeps the news a secret.

Mary and Katherine go hawking, but on their return are sent orders to separate. Katherine promises she will see Mary soon, encouraging her to stay strong. Any bastard born of Anne Boleyn will never rule; Mary is the heir and future queen of England.  

 PRINCESS OF WALES  

Mary and her tutor Richard Featherstone are having a Latin lesson on Utopia by Sir Thomas More. In the book women are encouraged to fight in battle; Mary tells the priest she would if she could. 

Mary is walking in the fields with her ladies, Susan Clarencius and Anne Hussey, and her cousin Margaret Douglas. Her and Margaret’s cousin Frances Brandon has recently married Henry Grey. Mary is betrothed to the French Dauphin, but she has heard no news lately of a marriage... she is surprised to come across her father, riding with Nicholas. He asks how she is and Mary replies she is well, but missing her mother now she has seen him. The king is going to Calais with Anne Boleyn, now the marquess of Pembroke, but promises to see her more often when he returns.

Gertrude sees the Nun of Kent in disguise, switching clothes with her maid. Amazed at her trance, she invites the woman, Elizabeth Barton, to her house.

Mary is having her breakfast served by her friend Henry Jerningham when she is informed by her chamberlain that her father has, with the blessing of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, married Anne Boleyn. John Hussey asks for a verbal response to the news for the king, but Mary ignores him entirely, continuing to talk with Henry and her ladies. Uncomfortable, he carries on with his orders; Mary is forbidden from writing to her mother and he must take Mary’s jewels. Margaret refuses to give them up to John unless she has a direct order from the king. 

Gertrude welcomes Elizabeth warmly, asking about her prophecies. The nun says there may be war now the king has married Anne Boleyn; Gertrude asks her to pray her husband will remain safe. It grieves him that men of noble blood are being dismissed from the privy chamber, with the king ruled by Cromwell who is the son of a blacksmith.

That night, Gertrude tells Henry about the nun’s visit, telling him the king will flee the realm one day. Henry is horrified at her listening to the prophecies, potentially earning the wrath of his cousin when he finds out. He demands she tell the king. 

Mary and Margaret Douglas are informed by Margaret that their aunt Mary has died. The pair worry over Frances, but Margaret tells them she has a husband to comfort her now. Mary fears the French accepting Anne Boleyn as queen means her betrothal will be void. The three are interrupted by Mary’s servant Randall Dodd, who delivers a letter passed on by her mother’s servant Anthony. Katherine writes she has “heard such tidings today that I do perceive if it be true, the time is come that Almighty God will prove you; and I am very glad of it, for I trust He doth handle you with a good love [...] But one thing I especially desire you, for the love that you do owe unto God and unto me, to keep your heart with a chaste mind, and your body from all ill and wanton company, not thinking or desiring any husband for Christ’s passion; neither determine yourself to any manner of living till this troublesome time be past.”

Shortly after there is an official command from King Henry to take Mary’s jewels. Her personal arms are stripped from her and her household is to be reduced, with some servants, including Randall Dodd, sent to wait on her new sister Elizabeth, whose christening John Hussey must attend. 

King Henry confronts Gertrude, informing her that he knows she has visited the Nun of Kent. She petitions King Henry to forgive her, blaming her womanly foolishness. He does, and orders his cousin to as well. To show his goodwill towards her, Gertrude is bestowed the honour of becoming Princess Elizabeth’s godmother, but an annoyed Gertrude sees it as an insult.

Mary is playing a card game with her ladies and Henry Jerningham when John returns from the christening and tells Mary she is longer a princess. Mary refuses to accept it and writes to her father, believing he was “not privy to it, not doubting but you take me for your lawful daughter, born in true matrimony.”

In response to her letter the Duke of Norfolk comes to dissemble all her household; Mary is to go to Hatfield to serve her sister Elizabeth, the Princess of Wales. Mary says that title belongs to her by right, and no one else.

Mary is only allowed to take one lady in waiting with her and chooses Susan. Her cousin Margaret Douglas is to serve the new queen. Margaret offers to serve Mary at her own expense, but Norfolk refuses. Mary has an emotional goodbye with her staff. Margaret urges her to remember her grandmother had been declared a bastard before becoming queen of England.

On the way to Hatfield, one of the men escorting Mary whispers she must hold firm, for the sake of England. 

Arriving, Norfolk asks if she will pay her respects to the Princess of Wales. Mary replies she knows of no other princess in England except herself. The daughter of the marquess of Pembroke has no such title - but if her father acknowledges her as his own, she will call her sister as she calls Henry Fitzroy brother.

As he leaves, Norfolk asks if can take a message to the king. Mary says to tell him his daughter, the Princess of Wales, begs for his blessing. When Norfolk refuses, Mary tells him curtly he might leave it then, and to go away and leave her alone. She retires to her bedchamber to cry. 

UNBRIDLED BLOOD

Mary refuses to pay court to Elizabeth unless made to by force. When walking, she is always far in front or far behind the newborn, never at her side. She eats in her own rooms with food Susan steals from the kitchens, avoiding the public table. She has outgrown the ornate dresses her father gave her.

An outraged Gertrude shows Chapuys the letter she has received from the king, telling his subjects that they ought to thank God for giving them a lawful heir. Chapuys reveals he has already sent a Latin declaration for Katherine to sign and pass along to her daughter. 

The king arrives to visit his youngest daughter. Mary is desperate to see her father, but is visited by Norfolk and Cromwell. They urge her to renounce her title, but Mary says it is labour wasted to press her; they are deceived if they think bad treatment, rudeness, or even the chance of death would make her change her determination. She asks to see her father and kiss his hand, but is refused. When they leave, she runs to the terrace at the top of the house and kneels in mercy. The king bows and doffs his cap, as do the men with him, before leaving.  

The Oath of Supremacy and 1534 Act of Succession are both implemented, making Henry VIII Head of the Church of England, and Elizabeth and any other children of Anne Boleyn his heirs. The Courtenay’s are annoyed as queen Anne flaunts her belly; she is pregnant again. 

Mary receives a letter from her mother, which comforts and encourages her, along with the Latin declaration Chapuys spoke of that denies her illegitimacy. She signs it and Susan smuggles it out of Hatfield back to Chapuys. 

John Hussey and his wife Anne are returning home now Mary’s household has been dissolved, but before they go John talks with the Courtenay’s and Chapuys about the possibility of the emperor invading in support of his cousin’s rights. Chapuys says he is trying hard to convince his master. Henry says he wishes he had the opportunity to shed blood in the service of Katherine and Mary. John replies he could easily rise the north of England to help Princess Mary, and “the insurrection of the people would be joined immediately by the nobility and the clergy”. Gertrude reminds them of the prophecies of the Nun of Kent; perhaps there will be war over this... 

When moving households, Mary refuses to share a litter with Elizabeth and is forcibly put in by guards. Roughly manhandled, she shouts a public protest to some peasants who salute and cheer her as princess. Her new caretaker, Anne Shelton, warns Mary her niece queen Anne has ordered her to box Mary’s ears as a cursed bastard when she uses the title of Princess.

After Gertrude informs him of Mary’s abuse, Nicholas pays the king’s fool to insult queen Anne and princess Elizabeth. The king is furious, banishing the jester from court, but Nicholas shelters him in his own home.

A badly bruised Mary hears of Nicholas’ actions and sends a letter of thanks to him via Susan. Shelton summons Mary to visit her, questioning why she has received a letter from Elizabeth Carew, Nicholas’ wife. Elizabeth urges her to submit to the king for the passion of Christ, otherwise she will be undone. Mary pleads ignorance and throws the letter in the fireplace.

As they watch queen Anne and her uncle Norfolk prepare to visit Elizabeth, Jane Seymour tells the Courtenay’s that the queen has had a miscarriage. They fear how she will treat Mary.

As punishment for the litter incident, Norfolk takes Mary’s remaining jewels. He mocks a brooch from her childhood spelling out the Emperor. Mary is furious, even more so when Anne visits her, urging her to honour her as queen and she will reconcile her to her father. Mary says she knows of no queen of England but her mother - but if her father’s mistress would intercede on her behalf, she would be much obliged. An enraged Anne storms out, swearing to bring down her unbridled Spanish blood.

Shelton tells Mary if she were the king she would kick her out of the house for disobedience, and that the king said she will lose her head for breaking the law and not renouncing her title. Seeing Richard Featherstone preparing to leave in the retinue of queen Anne, a quick witted Mary asks him if she can practise her Latin. The people around them do not understand as she asks if the rumours are true and she is to be killed. Richard is shocked, saying it is not good Latin before leaving with the rest of Anne’s entourage. Returning to London, he immediately informs Chapuys of the danger Mary is in. The ambassador is determined to find a way to see her. 

The Nun of Kent is publicly executed, with her head put on a spike on London Bridge. After, the king tells Henry the trust his daughter has in the emperor makes her obstinate, but he fears no one if his vassals stay loyal. He warns his cousin not to trip lest he lose his head. 

WORST ENEMY IN THE WORLD

After she was forced into a litter, Mary asks to ride on her horse when moving households. As soon as she is mounted, she races ahead of her sister’s litter, riding across the countryside to the waiting river barge. Exhilarated by the freedom of her ride, she beats the rest of the household there and takes the place of honour. On the riverbank, Chapuys watches on as Mary sails past. They smile at each other, reassured. 

Shelton wonders how the ambassador knew they would be there. Suspecting Susan of sending messages in and out of the household, she dismisses Mary’s last lady. Mary is completely alone. 

Months have passed; it is now winter. King Henry remains furious at his daughter’s continued defiance, telling his cousin Mary will be an example to show that no one ought to disobey the laws; at the beginning of his reign he was as gentle as a lamb, and by the end he will be worse than a lion. Henry tells his wife.

Gertrude disguises herself to visit Chapuys, saying after the next parliament Mary and Katherine will die. She swears it is as true as the Gospel. Gertrude is adamant they must do something to help save their princess. Chapuys says Katherine spoke to him of Mary marrying Reginald Pole and uniting their claims to the throne. The emperor is busy taking Tunis, but Chapuys believes only a small army sent by Charles V with Reginald amongst the troops would be enough to make people declare for Mary. Gertrude pledges the support of her relatives, but says they need a quicker solution. 

Mary is no longer allowed to eat in her room, but she refuses to eat at the main table and submit to a lower rank then her sister Elizabeth, now a toddler at the head of the table. She is slowly starving. 

After seeing the king talking with Jane Seymour, Gertrude has an idea. She tries to convince Jane to attract the king’s attentions in the hope of getting better treatment for Mary but a haughty Jane refuses. 

Mary is constantly belittled by servants, who say the world will be at peace when they are discharged of the pain and trouble she gives them. She is incensed to hear the French ambassadors are to visit Elizabeth in the hopes of a betrothal. She declares she is the Dauphin’s future wife, not her bastard sister. Shelton orders her to her room, and when Mary refuses she is locked in by force. 

The next morning, a weak Mary discovers she has started her period. Disoriented, she calls out for her mother and Margaret. While getting up, she collapses.  

Shelton weeps, fearing people will think she has poisoned Mary. She tells a bedridden Mary the king will not see her until she admits to being a bastard. He believes she is his worst enemy in the world. Mary sobs but refuses to give in, saying God has not blinded her to confess her father and mother had lived in adultery and made her a bastard.

Chapuys talks to Cromwell and then the king, trying to convince them to let Katherine tend to her daughter. Henry refuses; if mother and daughter are together, Katherine might “raise a number of men and make war, as boldly as did queen Isabella her mother.” He also refuses to send Margaret Pole, who Chapuys calls Mary’s second mother, as she is a fool of no experience. If Mary had been in her care she would have died, but Shelton is an expert in female complaints. 

After queen Anne shows no sympathy for a grievously ill Mary, Jane agrees to help Gertrude. 

Mary is examined by a doctor. She fainted due to her heavy period, in addition to not eating or drinking enough. She is suffering from sorrow. The doctor orders her to eat more and recommends being moved closer to her mother to improve her spirits. Mary knows it will never happen. 

Shelton reveals Sir Thomas More and several monks have been executed for refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, and Richard Featherstone is now imprisoned in the Tower. She tells Mary to take warning by their fate. Servants openly desire her death, especially now the queen is pregnant again with what is sure to be a son. Mary notices her old servant Randall Dodd does not join in their bullying. Cornering him in private, she convinces him to deliver a letter to Chapuys.

Gertrude leads Jane to Nicholas, and the pair coach her on how to act. Nicholas tell Jane she must by no means comply with any of the King's wishes, except marriage.

Mary watches out of the window as armed guards are stationed at the gates. Randall walks through them, carrying a letter for Charles V urging the emperor to invade. Mary tells him “In the name of the Queen, my mother, and mine, for the honour of God take this matter in hand, and provide a remedy for the affairs of this country; begging you in the meantime not to forget to solicit permission for me to live with my mother.” 

MONSTER IN NATURE  

Chapuys visits a mortally ill Katherine. She worries over her daughter, but he promises to look after her. After Maria Willoughby arrives she is no longer alone and begs Chapuys to go and protect Mary.

Mary is summoned to see Shelton, who informs her of her mother’s death. She is devastated. Shelton implores her to submit, saying she will not receive the necklace her mother left her in her will. Mary replies she would rather die a hundred times than change her opinion, before going to her bedchamber to cry. 

Randall gives a letter to Mary from Chapuys, making plans for her to escape England. The emperor cannot spare any troops, but there is a ship waiting 40 miles away if she can get there. Chapuys says he will write with a plan soon but Mary is convinced she must go at once lest she be killed. 

Chapuys holds a dinner party with the Courtenay’s, Nicholas and Jane. Nicholas has been inducted into the Order of the Garter over George Boleyn. They discuss queen Anne having a quarrel with Cromwell, and rumours of the king wanting a new wife. Gertrude advises Jane to tell the king his subjects hate his marriage, and no one considers it legitimate. A messenger arrives for Jane from the king, with a letter and a purse of money. All watch on with approval as Jane sends it back, saying she can only accept a gift of money from the king when he makes her an honourable match. Chapuys hopes the progress of their scheme will mean Mary will not need to flee - he tells them “she is so eager to escape from all her troubles and dangers that if he were to advise her to cross the Channel in a sieve she would do it.” 

In turmoil, a grieving Mary takes matters into her own hands. While playing with Elizabeth she tests the strength of the garden gate, noting where Shelton’s window looks out. Returning to the house, she tells the doctor she can’t sleep. He says he will get her some pills to help. 

On the same day Katherine is buried, queen Anne has a miscarriage. The king tells Henry he has been seduced by witchcraft into his marriage, which is null because God has not granted him a son. 

Mary laces some wine with the sleeping pills, and prepares to give it to Shelton and her maids. Only a letter from Nicholas delivered by Randall dissuades her. He begs her to “be of good cheer, for shortly the opposite party will put water in their wine as the King is already sick and tired of the concubine as could be.” Mary replies telling them to do everything possible to remove the mistress. 

At queen Anne’s trial for adultery against the king, Henry votes guilty. He, Gertrude, Nicholas and Chapuys watch on as Anne is beheaded and Jane marries the king.

Mary is astonished to receive a visit from her old lady, Anne Hussey. They have returned from the north as John has to attend parliament, where Elizabeth will be declared a bastard now queen Anne is dead. While talking to Mary, Anne calls for a drink for the princess, and is arrested. Mary is in shock and writes a letter to her father, hoping to reconcile with him now her enemy is dead.

After being presented as the new queen, Jane tells the Courtenay’s, Nicholas and Chapuys that Henry has received his daughter’s letter but is not happy. She promises to help Mary, and Chapuys christens her the peacemaker. 

Margaret Pole returns to court, attracting hundreds of people on the way who think Mary is with her. She carries a scathing letter from her son Reginald. King Henry is outraged that Reginald accuses him of tearing true defenders of religion to pieces, as well as likening him to the tyrant emperor Nero.

A group of nobles headed by Norfolk arrive to harass Mary into signing the acts, calling her a monster of nature and a traitress for continuing to defy her father. When she argues with them they say if she were their daughter they would beat her to death, or bash her head against a wall until it was a soft as a boiled apple.

Mary is locked in her bedchamber and not allowed to talk to anyone. She is to be watched over day and night. Hours pass and she refuses to back down. The guards are changed - this time Randall is on duty. Mary creates a distraction for the other guard and passes a scribbled letter to Randall for Chapuys. 

Jane pleads for mercy, but the king calls her a fool for interfering; she ought to think of the children they will have together and not any others. King Henry swears that not only will Mary suffer, but also his cousin, Cromwell and others. 

Anne is interrogated in the Tower for calling Mary a princess, but she insists it was merely due to habit. Henry is kicked off the privy council, and Nicholas is questioned about his relationship with Mary. Legal papers are drawn up to put Mary on trial for treason.  

Randall returns, detailing what has happened to her friends and giving Mary a letter from Chapuys. Chapuys points out she now has a better opportunity of becoming heir to the crown than when Anne Boleyn was alive. He urges her to save her life for the tranquillity of the kingdom, and comforts her with the knowledge that “God looks more into the intentions than into the deeds of men.”

Fearing for her and her friends lives, a broken Mary finally submits to her father and signs the document before her without reading the contents. 

GRACE 

Mary lies awake in the night crying before being disturbed by a knock at the door - Susan has returned. She is to resume her duties as the king is riding to see Mary. 

A nervous Mary sees her father for the first time in years, along with his new wife Jane who gives her a diamond. King Henry says he regrets their long separation, giving Mary some money and the necklace Katherine left her daughter in her will. He promises she can soon return to court. 

Freed from the Tower, Anne returns north with her husband John, where the people mutter about the king being ruled by evil ministers who have closed the monasteries and forced Princess Mary to sign acts labelling her a bastard. 

Mary returns to court, where the king pats Jane’s stomach, insinuating she is with child. He tells Mary some of his councillors were desirous of her death and she swoons in fear, but her father assures her all will be well now. She sits beside the queen at the high table while Gertrude serves them. 

Cromwell welcomes Mary back, congratulating her on finally signing the acts and calling her “the most obstinate woman that ever was.” 

Mary reunites with Henry Jerningham and Margaret Pole, along with Margaret’s sons Henry and Geoffrey. She tells Mary Reginald, who has just been made a cardinal, will not stop supporting her cause abroad. 

Mary thanks Nicholas, Henry, Gertrude and Chapuys for their help. She begs the ambassador to get her absolution from the Pope for signing the acts under duress. Seeing them talk, King Henry tells his daughter he hates dissemblers. There is talk of an uprising in the north where people believe her able to inherit after him. He forces her to write to the pope, the emperor and his family confirming she sees herself as a bastard.  

In Lincolnshire rebels threaten to burn the Hussey’s house down. Anne promises her husband will join them. John calls her a fool to make such a promise; Anne argues he wanted to rise the north for princess Mary and the true faith. John says that was with the emperor’s help and before she submitted to the king. He writes to him protesting his innocence in the affair. 

At court the king is enraged at the rebels, tearing up John’s letter. Jane goes on her knees and petitions him to reopen the monasteries, but is rebuffed by the king who tells her not to meddle. He talks about the rebellion with Mary, making sure to mention her old chamberlain’s letter, and the vast expense of the army he is sending to suppress it. 

Henry is sent north at the head of the army to prove his loyalty. Gertrude worries over his safety, remembering the Nun of Kent’s prophecies of war. Courtier Edward Neville asks Gertrude if she is merry and she replies "How can I be merry? My lord is gone to battle." He tells her not to fear this one or the second battle, but beware the third. She warns him prophecies will turn him to displeasure one day. 

Anne gives the rebels food, wine and money, encouraging them further. As the army approaches and rebels still camp outside his house, John flees. 

A terrified Jane tells Mary she was mistaken about being with child. Mary reassures her, thanking her new mother for all her help. When he hears, King Henry says he will clearly have no children by his wife, and that if he will have no son to succeed him he hopes for a grandson. 

Henry meets up with John. He pleads innocence, and joins him to deliver an invitation to the rebel leader, lawyer Robert Aske. At the king’s request he is to attend court for Christmas.   

At court Aske and Mary are kept separated. The king questions Aske on the rebels demands. They want the monasteries to reopen, and see no reason why Mary could not be queen. People think the king’s divorce made by Thomas Cranmer was not legal and “Lady Mary ought to be favoured for her great virtues [...] for she is marvellously beloved by the whole people.” He worries with her being ruled illegitimate the emperor has a reason to wage war against the realm. The king tells him he has nothing to fear from the emperor. 

Mary asks Chapuys to distract the king while Gertrude takes her to Robert Aske. Chapuys talks with King Henry about Prince Luis of Portugal being a possible husband for Mary now the French Dauphin has died.  

In secret, Aske tells Mary she will always be the Princess of Wales and heir, no matter what the king decrees, as the law deems her legitimate. The people of England look to her for hope in such faithless times. 

She keeps his words close to her heart as Aske and John Hussey are beheaded for treason. The king says their bodies are to be sent back north as a message for all those against his rule. Mary approves, and King Henry delights at his pearl finally understanding his authority. 

A traumatised Mary stares at the bloodstained scaffold, silently vowing to avenge the deaths of her loving supporters.

[amaranthprincess21]

A Tale Worthy of a Novel: Chapter 1

Fandom: Genshin Impact Pairing: Kamisato Ayato/Reader Rating: Mature AO3 Tags: background Ayaka/Lumine, fuck canon Kazuha has sisters now, she/her pronouns for the reader, Family Drama, Marriage Proposal Fic summary: Being a writer, it's easy to get sucked into the worlds you create. But that's all they are in the end: fantasy worlds and scenarios that you can escape whenever you please. When you marry Kamisato Ayato, it feels as if the lines blur between reality and fiction. And as time goes on, that line gets more and more faint as things you once considered the truth are exposed as lies.

And as Rina looked down the cliff, she realized that the waves and rocks below cracked the shackles that kept her bound to horror. The monster was no more, sinking beneath the waves. She could breathe; the fresh sea air cleansed her lungs. It was over. 

There was a shaky kind of excitement that came with finishing a novel, especially one that had been serialized for the past two years. It was similar to that feeling of being too little sleepy, that jitteriness that tells you you’ve made a mistake. But this wasn’t a stomach-sinking, icky feeling. Your heart was soaring and it felt as if a weight had been taken off your shoulders. This should be the last edit of your novel. And then it would be completed. And before the deadline, too! Well, four hours before the deadline. Still, better than nothing! You quickly shoved the manuscript into your satchel and made for the door.

The Outsuka Manor seemed to be in a tizzy, lately. It felt like more servants were around, which you guessed made sense. It was a pretty nerve-wracking time for the household. You hurried down the stairs, careful to avoid any servants or your… you weren’t sure what to call them, but the elder Lord and Lady Outsuka, the parents of your sister’s husband. You gave them a polite greeting before heading for the door.

“I thought I heard you. Where are you going?” So close. You turned around, seeing your sister stride out of her husband’s study. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a servant there to help her walk. After all, everyone was doting and waiting on her every whim because she was pregnant. And they were just letting her walk? On her own? The nerve. 

“I’m going into the city for some dango milk,” you lied. “Do you want me to bring you back some?” 

“No thanks. Ugh, the thought of it makes me sick,” she said, gagging. It could be the pregnancy, but okay, you wanted to say, but didn’t. Her husband, Lord Outsuka Tsutomo, came out to join you two. He carried a pouch that jingled heavily. 

“You’re heading into town?” he asked. You nodded.

“Yes, sir.” 

“Thank goodness. I was going to send a servant to do this, but given you’re already heading into the city…” He handed the pouch over to you; it was heavy and you stashed it into your satchel, careful not to reveal the manuscript inside. “You need new houmongi. Go to Ogura’s and commission her for at least two.” Homongi? You had one, but given you never accompanied your sister or her husband on their visits to other estates, you never really wore it. Perhaps they wanted you to be more involved in clan affairs?

“Uh… Yeah. Yeah, I can go to Ogura’s. I’ll try and be back before dark, but who knows?” you told them. 

“I’m sorry I can’t go with you, but you know, baby, and all of that,” Big Sister said with a laugh.

“No, don’t worry about it,” you reassured her. Thank goodness she was pregnant and couldn’t go on long trips. How you’d escape to visit the publishing house with her in tow, you didn’t know. You slipped your shoes on and hurried towards Inazuma City. After all, your manuscript wasn’t going to turn itself in.

Hanamizaka was quiet that day. The weather was nice as always. But perhaps it was still early enough in the morning that everyone was still rousing from their beds and getting ready for the day. Hajime was already at work at the blacksmith’s, and you gave him a polite greeting as you passed. You didn’t really know him, but your families were connected, and etiquette and all of that. 

At the very end of the district was Yae Publishing House. No one seemed to be around, so you let yourself inside. One or two editors were already in, but none of them yours. They sat at their desks, chatting with Lady Guuji herself. She was a more frequent figure at work than one would suspect. Although she was the head of the Grand Narukami Shrine, she still visited the publishing house every morning. Their eyes turned to you as you entered. 

“Sorry to interrupt. I have my final draft for Shigeru,” you told him. “I’ll go ahead and put it on his de–”

“Not so fast.” In a blink of an eye, Lady Yae was in front of you, taking your manuscript out of your hands. “Let's take a look," she said, flipping through the manuscript. You stood there, watching her face as she read through the manuscript. Time crawled to a halt as you stood there, watching her read. Was she being slow on purpose? The only sense of time you had were her little nods, the occasional flipping of paper, and the quiet conversation the other editors started up. What if she didn't like it? What if you had to go back yet again and rewrite something? This chapter had been through so many revisions already that you weren't sure you could have a new version done before the next publication date.

"I see," Lady Yae finally said after a tense silence. Or perhaps it was only tense for you. "It's quite good. I'll go ahead and mark it ready for publishing." Your heart leaped out of its chest.

"Thank you, Lady Guuji." You tried not to sound too relieved. Who knew how'd she take that?

"It feels like just yesterday you signed with us, although I suppose it's been a few years now," she commented.

"It has. But I suppose these books took longer to finish than I thought they would," you commented. Shortly after your older brother had taken control of your family and promptly left the country, you'd gotten signed with Yae Publishing House. That'd been three-ish years ago. Maybe getting close to four.

"So, do you have any ideas for your next work?" she asked.

"No, not yet. I was thinking of taking a break for a couple months while I try to figure something out," you told her.

"A break? Well, I do suppose you've been working constantly since signing. Have you thought of taking commissions?" Commissions?

"Um, no I haven't. I've been too busy with the duology to even think about taking on other writing projects." She said nothing, and spurred by the silence, you continued. "Is. Uh. Has the publishing house been asked to write something?"

"No, not officially. I've been thinking of commissioning one of our writers for another serialized piece for a newer publication we'll be starting in a month, but the person I was thinking of is going to be taking a break." The edge in her voice was enough to make you flinch.

 "Well, if I don't have to think of the main premise, I suppose I could take it on," you told her. Her mood brightened immediately.

"Wonderful! Come, let's talk in my office. I don't think this is something you'd want to discuss publicly." I've made a mistake is the first thought you have as you follow her into the small building, into the loft office she had above the printing press room. It was a small space, but it didn't need to be large. It wasn't like she was here 24/7.

"So, what would the premise be?" you asked her, sitting down in the chair opposite hers.

"Has anyone told you about the new publication?" You shook your head. "That's Life has been taking off and as such, some of the other women in the office and myself are thinking of creating a bi-monthly magazine for older women. I have reporters and columnists lined up, but I would like a fiction section in each issue," she explained.

"The premise for our first serial is simple. Our heroine is sold to a prominent bard by her parents, who are strapped for cash. The story would involve the heroine coming into the bard's inner circle and falling in love with him."

"I... So, it's a romance? Just to clarify," you added hurriedly.

"Yes, although I think the better term for it is a ‘bodice ripper.’ They’re all the rage in Mondstadt currently. I recognized the premise may seem a bit outlandish, but I know it’ll do well. Especially if you’re helming the project," she told you. A bodice ripper? Oh no. Oh no no no no no. You only knew two things about the genre: lots of romance and even more sex.

"Lady Guuji, I'm very honored that I'm your first choice for this serial, but truthfully, I don't think I'm the right person for this," you began, and she immediately cut you off.

"So you think my judgment is off?"

"No! No, not at all!" you squeaked. 

“Then I look forward to seeing your outline and first chapter in two weeks.” There was no arguing with her or turning this down. There was a weight on your body as you nodded and bid her farewell. How on earth were you going to write this? Maybe you could get away with not writing a lot of sex scenes. That would take care of one problem. But romance? As the main focus? Every step you took towards Ogura’s Textiles, it was as if your heart was sinking further and further into the ground. 

“Oh, good morning, Miss Outsuka!” Ogura Mio greeted you cheerfully. It wasn’t worth it to correct her. You lived with your sister and her husband; for all the commoners knew, they had adopted you into her husband’s clan. It hurt, but it felt silly to correct anyone.

“Good morning, Miss Ogura. I’ve come to commission two houmongi.”

“Go ahead and pick some fabric and we can get to work.” Choosing was certainly going to be a difficult choice. There were always so many beautiful fabrics in Ogura’s. Just picking one seemed rather impossible. You looked along the racks, eyeing the various bolts. Part of you wanted to ask for prices and pick on that. But you knew if you did, not only would it be humiliating, Big Sister would be furious. It was lucky she got married before your clan completely fell from grace; she married wealthy and got to spoil herself. It was a miracle she was able to secure a good marriage, all things considered. 

There were footsteps and a flash of blue and red caught your eye. Although you wouldn't call yourself friends, you knew the girl who just walked into Ogura Textiles. Her silvery hair was pulled into a ponytail and she was accompanied by a tall man with strawberry blond hair. Lady Kamisato was someone you knew, but you'd never spent much time with her. Her family had much higher status than yours. And besides, both your brother-in-law's family and your family (before yours had dissolved) had served under hers.

Lady Kamisato looked over to you and a sweet smile spread across her face as she gave a small wave. 

“Lady Kamisato, Thoma, good morning,” you said politely.

“Good morning, Miss Outsuka,” she said. She didn’t know better. “A fine morning to go shopping, isn’t it?”

“It is.” What could you say? Would it look bad for your sister's family if you said the wrong thing? But would it be worse if you said nothing? “It’s awfully early for you, isn’t it? Your estate is quite far.”

“It’s true, I had to wake up earlier to be here. But it’s fun to go out and about so early, don’t you think?” You didn’t want to give her the honest answer.

“It is.” There was a beat, you two smiling politely at each other, panic in both of your eyes as you ran out of topics to discuss. “Um, what brings you here?” Shopping, obviously. What were you even saying?! 

“Oh, Thoma’s favorite yukata caught fire and he needs a new one,” she said with a shrug, as if that was a normal occurrence. “How about yourself?”

“Big Sister wants me to get some new houmongi,” you told her. 

“Is she out shopping too?”

“No. She’s expecting, and her husband and the servants are keeping her home as much as possible.” Lady Kamisato’s face lit up.

“How wonderful! Congratulations on the addition to your family,” she said with a wide smile.

“Thank you. She’s not very far along, but they’re being cautious,” you said.

“I can imagine. Pregnancy is a rather scary time in someone’s life,” she replied. “I… Oh my, I’m so sorry. I didn’t–”

“Oh no, it’s fine,” you replied just as fast, trying to make sure she didn’t feel as if she imposed. “It happened years ago. It doesn’t hurt. I’m sure my sister will fare better than our mother did, anyways.”

“R-right.” She cleared her throat and turned the bolts of fabrics. “Are there any you’re fond of?” She was… helping? Sure, you knew her, but this was the most you two had ever spoken to each other. During formal functions when you were younger, you and your brother mostly stuck together. Talking to Lady Kamisato wasn’t something you did. But, as odd as it felt, you needed to roll with it lest you embarrass your sister’s family.

“I’m fond of all of them. It’s a problem,” you sighed. Lady Kamisato nodded and stepped closer to the fabrics, surveying them all. She glanced at you, and then pulled a bolt out. 

“These colors would suit you well,” she told you. The fabric was a beautiful ombre in the colors of the sunset. Hydrangeas just as beautiful, outlined in golden thread, seemed to float in the sky that was the fabric. It was incredibly beautiful, but was this fancy enough? Or would it be considered gaudy? You couldn’t remember the kinds of houmongi Big Sister had when she was cou–

“Is it not your style?” Lady Kamisato’s voice jolted you. You looked over to her, seeing her trying to gauge your expression and there was the faintest look of disappointment on her face.

“No! No, not at all. That’s not it. I’m sorry, I spaced out for a moment,” you hurriedly replied. “I’m just trying to think if it would get my sister and brother-in-law’s approval.”

“I see.” Lady Kamisato nodded.

“Lady Outsuka likes hydrangeas, doesn’t she? If I remember right, the last time she visited the Kamisato Estate, her kimono had hydrangeas on it.” You jumped a little as Thoma spoke up, still going through the premade kimonos. 

“Now that you mention it, I think it did,” Lady Kamisato murmured, tapping her finger on her cheek in thought. “Surely she would approve of a similar design?”

“She does like them.” Lady Kamisato seemed so fond of the fabric. Well, you needed two, right? You could get one in this fabric. ”I think she would be okay with me getting a houmongi with this fabric. That just leaves one more.” Lady Kamisato’s smile rivaled the sun’s brightness as she went back to searching through the bolts, letting you hold the first one she’d picked out. She was awfully pretty when she smiled like that. There was an energy about her that seemed positively infectious as well. You couldn’t help but grin. She sharply turned to the wall of fabrics and pulled out another bolt. 

“Perhaps this one would do?” she suggested. It wasn’t as vibrant as her other suggestion. This one was a pastel ombre with elegant gold and silver embroidery of birds and a flower you didn’t know the name of. It was much more of a mature vibe, but perhaps that’s what you needed? It vaguely reminded you of something your brother-in-law’s mother wore once, albeit hers was more ornate. Again, she looked so excited, you couldn’t bear the idea of letting her down.

“I think this is the one. I can’t thank you enough for your help, Lady Kamisato,” you told her, and she smiled sweetly at you.

“I’m so glad I was able to help,” she replied, still radiating that pure, joyful energy. For a moment, you wondered why you’d never bothered to speak to her before. 

Ogura Mio said the new houmongi would be done in a week, and sure enough, a week had passed and you got word they were ready for you to pick up. It was fairly early in the morning and before your brother-in-law got to work. While it wasn’t a rule, you always told him or your sister if you were leaving the house. But as you approached his study, there were the faint strains of a conversation. 

“... Kanade, I don’t think you should get your hopes up,” you heard your brother-in-law say. 

“What, are you saying she’s not marriage material?!” Your blood froze over as you realized the topic of their conversation: you.

“No, that’s not what I’m–” he sighed. “I mean I don’t think you should assume she’s going to get the best possible suitors, considering… Her family situation.”

“She’s an Outsuka now. She has been since we took her in.” Was that really your sister?! Her voice was ice cold and had an edge sharp enough to put a knife to shame. 

“You know she’s not officially a member of the family,” he said gently, but Big Sister scoffed.

“Tsutomo, she. Is. An. Outsuka,” she spat out. “We are going to get her married, and married well. And soon.” 

“I don’t think she even considers herself an Outsuka since we never truly adopted her,” he pointed out. “She’s still very much a–”

“She absolutely is NOT,” your sister spat. “Either way, the sooner she’s married, the sooner she’ll have a proper family name and not have to dwell on the past.” Every word they said added a stone on your heart, tearing at the fragile skin and pushing it further and further down into your stomach. One more stone and you were sure your heart would fall to the floor. You turned away quickly, bursting through the front doors and plowing into the courtyard.

You were not an Outsuka. Why was Kanade always like this?! Insisting you were a member of a family that you most certainly were not. Tsutomo was nice, but he and his family made it all too clear you were not one of them. You were your sister’s family. Not theirs. To Big Sister, it was as if your real family was somehow a dirty secret, something meant for you to forget. But you couldn’t. You wouldn’t. They had been the ones supporting you, who loved you. Even if they were no longer around.

The sakura tree in the courtyard weeped petals. It felt fitting to the mood. Sitting underneath the tree, you were showered in the soft pink petals. Even they seemed to have weight, your shoulders seemingly sagging as you sat there. No. You needed to leave. You needed to get out. You needed to go on to Ogura’s to pick up your houmongi. Without telling them. If only your brother was still in the country; you could stay with him for a while. 

Standing up, you brushed the petals off of yourself and started the short walk to the gate. But as you got closer, you heard the sound of a horse neighing and then human footsteps drawing nearer. A guest? This early? You stopped for a moment, confused. Lord Outsuka did get visitors, but not usually this early in the morning. Was something wrong? Was something important happening?

A figure appeared at the gate: tall, immaculately dressed. He had a smile similar to his sister’s, yet there was something about it that was… off. Off in a way you couldn’t quite put your finger on. But still, he was handsome and pleasant to look at. 

“Ah, Lady Kaedehara, good morning,” Kamisato Ayato, the head of the Yashiro Commission, greeted you with a gentle smile.

He got my name right.

[iamnightduchess]

There were originally two Asks for this but the draft got deleted by accident. To the two anons, I am so sorry 🙈 I also spent quite some time on it, so I had to rewrite everything all over again. But the Asks wanted to know what happens after their confession & their lives together afterwards in Hizuru, their courting process, marriage, kids & what Reiner does for a living when Mikasa ascends the imperial throne as the new Empress.

Reiner x Mikasa (ReiKasa) Canonverse AU (18+) Post-Rumbling Headcanon #18 (Pt.2) a.k.a a ficlet

A continuation to this post. Show me some ❤!

‼️Contains: mentions of PTSD‼️

Aftermath of Confession

Jean, who was also there with Annie & Armin, was very happy to see that two of his loved ones are finally embracing each other's feelings. He asks the new couple, "So, what's next?

Reiner looks into Mikasa's eyes and says, "For now, I just want to make out with the new most important woman in my life."

Annie sneakily jabs, "Get a room."

Reiner snarkily replies, "Good idea," causing Mikasa and Kiyomi both to panic before Reiner adds, "It was a joke, ladies."

"Jerk." Annie grins, as she holds her paramour's hand tight in hers. One could also see the look of pride and happiness on Armin's face, upon realizing that his sworn sister is genuinely loved by a good-hearted man, who would be her true anchor & life companion after the horrors she was forced to go through.

Reiner immediately approaches the Azumabito family matriarch and asks for her blessing and advice with the intention to officially court her kin. Kiyomi states that once Mikasa ascends the throne, the rules of Hizuru forbids the empress to marry a commoner but the spouse of a married ruler who ascends the throne will be recognized as the empress or prince consort. Thus, Kiyomi advises for their courting to proceed after the marriage, which will be held in a week.

Reiner and Mikasa, together, also talk to Jean and Armin in making it a triple wedding instead.

As soon as they return to the settlement, Reiner wastes not a second as he also looks for Levi, to get the older man's blessing as his soon-to-be wife's last living kin on her father's side.

Levi shakes his hand, albeit sternly, to which even Jean and Armin would cower in reflex, yet no one can miss the tender look in their former captain's eyes; one of a proud father when he said, "Be true. Be loyal."

Karina, Gabi and the rest of the Braun family are over the moon over the news of their immediate engagement & the family spearheads the wedding preparation together. The men go out to hunt and the women help with the simple but homely decoration as well as cooking preparations. Connie prefers to help the women and part of the reason is he's really interested in getting to know one of them; a single lady who had adopted 4 children whose parents were killed in the Rumbling.

The evening after Reiner had received Levi's blessings, Mikasa asks him out for a stroll around the settlement. Reiner also wants to spend more alone time with her. Teary-eyed, Mikasa confides in Reiner on everything that happened during the moment when she decapitated Eren's head, a truth that she has never told anyone. Not even to Armin. She told him that she placed her lips on Eren's cold dead ones to say her last farewell and that she is haunted by what she has done ever since. She is scared & terrified of what she has done and she feels she is being unfair to Reiner because of how 'broken' she is from within. Mikasa also says that she understands if Reiner wants to call off their wedding because he deserves to be happy with someone who doesn't have immense emotional baggage like she does.

Reiner, wordlessly, only holds her close in return. Mikasa almost flinches but she gradually allows the shackles inside her head go. However, she isn't able to return Reiner's physical affections as yet because of the unbearable guilt she still holds, thinking she is unworthy of Reiner's genuine love.

Reiner also confides that he has his emotional baggages himself; namely the day he tried to shoot himself in the head right before the assault in Liberio. Reiner also shares the reason why he has stopped thinking of dying, in particularly, the moment he realizes he did not want to give up on life so easily was the second he saw Mikasa's helpless face when the alliance decided to kill Eren. He accepts if Mikasa refuses to proceed with their wedding, but he would still follow her to Hizuru and be by her side - even as a friend.

At that moment, they both realize one fundamental truth: all these horrors they had to go through especially together only made them even more compatible with each other. No other man could ever understand and love Mikasa the way she is. No other woman could truly understand and love Reiner the way he is. They were both broken, emotionally weighed down but the strength they each needed was in the other all along.

Reiner and Mikasa are indeed two odd-shaped puzzle pieces who turn out to be a perfect fit after all.

That night, Reiner makes the first pledge to Mikasa way before his wedding vows: He will love her and make her happy for the rest of his life. He will never give up on her. Not even after death.

Wedding

The wedding had been a simple but a merry affair. Falco had been the ring-bearer & Gabi the flower girl.

Kiyomi had a craftsmaker from Hizuru and a blacksmith from Marley to make wedding bands from melted 3DMG blades and titan crystals for the three couples.

Kiyomi had found beautiful western-style white silk dresses in the Azumabito family's garments chest on the main ship. The brides, along with the help from Gabi, Karina and her sister, personalize the dresses according to their preferences.

Mikasa wears an ankle-length princess cut dress with tight long sleeves. She embroidered the hem with forest green trimmings (her new favorite color) and sewn gold laces and ribbons on the wrists and neck to match the color of Reiner's eyes. So as the gold teardrop stone on her silver headpiece. Reiner wore a matching white dress shirt and dark pants with a long beige overcoat, with a silver garnet tie to match the colors of his bride's beautiful eyes.

Annie wore a shin-length bell-shaped dress, with a sky blue drape silk wrap across her shoulders and sky blue hair ribbon to match the color of Armin's eyes. Armin wore a crisp beige coat with a light blue dress shirt and a matching dark blue bow tie.

Pieck, who's already 7 weeks pregnant at that time, wore a long halter bare-back dress, with a flowy dark purple ombre gradient skirt and a violet satin waistband, which matched Jean's bowtie and suit vest. He paired it with a crisp dark brown full suit.

Annie & Pieck were walked down the aisle by their respective fathers. Levi was the one who accompanied Mikasa down the wedding lane to Reiner.

Reiner was just captivated - he had tears in his eyes the moment he saw Mikasa in her wedding dress. He immediately kisses her hand when Levi gave her away.

Reiner & Mikasa's vows brought the guests to tears. Reiner vowed that he will always place Mikasa's life & needs before his and will always be with her through every second of their lives together - side-by-side, not behind her or in front of her. Mikasa vowed that Reiner will always have not only her heart but her whole life, in which their souls are bound for all eternity.

When they shared their first kiss as husband & wife, Mikasa truthfully savored & surrendered her heart to her first true love's kiss with Reiner.

Since Captain Levi was injured, it was Armin who sweetly offered his hand for Mikasa's father-daughter dance, as her sworn brother.

At the reception, Connie, being the best man to all the grooms jokingly said to the three of them, "You boys might have been married first, but I already beat you guys in being a dad," proudly proclaiming while cradling his adopted 3-month old baby girl in his arms.

Wedding Night & Courting

That eve of the wedding, Reiner had been a perfect gentleman and he wants Mikasa to know that they will always be each other's equal. He only asks her to take the lead when it comes to the physical intimacy in their shared life & they will only consummate their wedding when she is ready.

Reiner & Mikasa spent their wedding night just talking & reminiscing about their time as 104th cadets and positive memories of everyone they know until they fell asleep in each other's arms. Reiner wanted Mikasa to remember only the good memories with Eren and that night, Mikasa had a minor night terror but Reiner's embrace helped calm her down as he helped her back to sleep.

The next morning, Reiner & Mikasa spent their time helping the resident cooks in the main kitchen with breakfast. Reiner likes to sneak in quick kisses on Mikasa's forehead in between the kitchen chores & despite not being able to fully initiate physical affections towards Reiner, Mikasa have become more comfortable in accepting Reiner's physical affections without being subconsciously defensive.

They spent the next several days together by doing domestic chores around the settlement in particularly, they discovered that they both share the same enjoyment towards harvesting in the fields. Reiner loves seeing the peaceful expression on Mikasa's face underneath the sun when she's working hard at plotting soil for the vegetable roots. He never stops seeing her as the strongest, most beautiful woman in his life.

They both went on evening walks with Falco & Gabi and stargazing at night. Sometimes they would talk, sometimes they would just sit in silence while holding each other's hands. They also discussed on their near future plans in settling down in Hizuru, bringing Karina with them so they can still take care of her together.

Reiner carries her from the main walkway to their shared unit every single night, much to Armin & Annie's amusement and Mikasa's horror. But by the third night, Mikasa had become more relaxed and she leant on Reiner's sturdy shoulders, accepting his comfort naturally.

Reiner also loves giving Mikasa surprises - whether it's a wild flower, a ripe edible harvest or any interesting things that he found while he was out helping at the fields.

Reiner's honesty, diligence and romantic wooing won Mikasa's heart and the last evening before they left for Hizuru, they finally consummate their marriage. That night, he carried her all the way to bed and they never left until they woke up in the morning. Reiner spent the whole night just worshipping every inch of his wife's body and never took his eyes off hers when they made love for the first time.

Life in Hizuru

As soon as they docked in Hizuru, Reiner & Mikasa, respectively, went into an immediate intensive training to prepare them for the duties & expectations of the imperial throne. Mikasa, to prepare her as an Empress and Reiner, to prepare him as her prince consort, especially him being the first non-Hizurian blood to sit on the imperial throne.

Reiner also voluntarily enlisted with the Hizurian naval forces to learn the new ropes of being a sea military member, as oppossed to land. It wasn't long when the higher-ups took notice of his exceptional skills, natural leadership & battle experience, that he was made an Admiral in training within three months of his enlistment.

Reiner & Mikasa had to spend the first few months apart and that made the newlyweds miss each other even more.

During this temporary separation, Reiner and Mikasa had been writing love letters to each other, everyday without fail. Karina made sure that her daughter-in-law would never feel alone & she always helped Kiyomi in supporting the empress-to-be so it would not be a lonely, isolated period for Mikasa while she's being separated from Reiner.

Reiner & Mikasa were only reunited a week before their enthronement, which was held six months after they arrived in Hizuru. Everyone of their loved ones in Fort Salta's residence had been invited as the royal guests. Despite having challenging pregnancies as former female shifters, Annie and Pieck wouldn't miss the opportunity to support Mikasa & Reiner's historical day as they officially become the new age imperial monarch of the East Sea country. Pieck went into an early labor during the visit. Jean & Pieck's eldest son was born in Hizuru.

Enthronement & the royal Azumabito (Ackerman-Braun) family legacy

Mikasa's royal title is Her Imperial Highness Empress Mikasa of Azumabito.

Reiner's royal title is His Imperial Highness Reiner Braun Consort to Empress Mikasa.

The first night after Mikasa & Reiner's enthronement, they conceived the firstborn heir to the throne - His Imperial Highness Prince Ryuujin Marcel Ackerman-Braun of Azumabito. In the following years, they were also succeeded by twin princesses, Her Imperial Highness Princess Reina Mathilde Ackerman-Braun of Azumabito & Her Imperial Highness Princess Ryoko Minerva Ackerman-Braun of Azumabito and the second crown prince, His Imperial Highness Prince Ren Mathias Ackerman-Braun of Azumabito.

Mikasa will then make history as the first royal empress who had built the greatest legacy & the strongest, peaceful empire in the world. She is the global icon of world peace & female empowerment, with her husband's neverending love & support.

Reiner is known in history as not only as one of the World's heroes & Eldian consort to the Hizurian empress, but he is the first non-Hizurian naval leader who unites three major nations in the world - through his battlefield intelligence & military prowess.

Under Levi Ackerman's watchful tutelage, Reiner & Mikasa's four children (consecutively their descendants that followed after) have become existential symbol of humanity's unity through the four major bloodlines running through their veins : Hizurian, Ackerman, Marleyan & Eldian from their parents. Each child becoming successful scholars who would continue to fight for humanity in their respective chosen fields; Prince Ryuujin in military & global peace efforts, Princess Reina in women's studies, Princess Ryoko in medicine & Prince Ren in industrialism - all fortifying the legacies their parents have inspired them with growing up.

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

I truly had fun in working on this. Just imagining such potential future for my two beloved characters never fails to leave an everlasting warmth in my heart. Even if 139 may not promise a future for Reiner & Mikasa, I'd hope this vision would offer a much-needed comfort for my fellow RK shippers ❤🫂 xoxo

[margridarnauds]

Hero of Brightwall & Logan (platonic!), 3 for the character dynamic ask

ANGSTY SIBLINGS

What quirks/mannerisms do they consider characteristic of each other?

Marie-Josephine always notices the way that Logan holds himself, like he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Since there was almost never a time in her life when her brother wasn't king, she never really got to see what he was like before, she never really got to see him as a KID. He did sometimes smile, when they were younger, rarely, though as they got older, she increasingly associated him with that deep-set frown, which generally ranged from "worried" to "angry" to some mixture of the two. (The first time that she could remember seeing it lift was when she spared his life, when she knew that she'd take whatever consequences she needed to to if it meant sparing her brother.) Logan is also a natural pacer, often holding his hands behind his back as he goes from one end of the room to another, which is often how she would see him when she was summoned into his office to account for herself after a particularly brazen prank, with him usually intentionally putting his to back to her.

With Marie-Josephine, it's the total opposite. She can be lady-like, when she wants to be, she can be very elegant, but there's this...natural, easy liveliness to her. She wears flashy jewelry, she talks with her hands, when she shoots, she puts a little bit more recoil into her shots than she needs to, she will fight and scrap like a common Bowerstone pub brawler in elegant silks (she started off in pinks, ending up in black and red when she became queen.) She can't really hide in a crowd, she doesn't know how. (She...wore a neon pink chicken costume when she was in hiding.) She isn't necessarily a himbo like Druid was, but, especially when she was starting out, she was not always holding the singular, cherished brain cell in the family.

I know I've said in the past that Logan is very much Sparrow's child (especially as Sparrow got older) and Marie-Josephine is Reaver's, but it's also like....if we're going to take Reaver out of the equation (though why would you?), Marie-Josephine is who Sparrow was, especially when she was an angry, determined young woman trying to establish herself in the world, using her first major paycheck as a blacksmith/bartender to buy elegant clothing and a place of her own that she would never use, mixed in with Reaver's charisma; Logan is who she became. And they might not recognize that themselves (I think both of them think the other took more after Sparrow, though Marie-Josephine only thinks that post-game for obvious reasons), but it's something that, on some level, they do recognize. Like, both of them are what the other was never really allowed to be. (Something something about how Logan knew that she hadn't had the training, that he KNEW that she was bright and naive...and he knew that he had to smash that.)

[hettiesworld]

A/n: So, some of you have wanted a Sheriff!Jeremy, ever since I reblog he’s that post of Jeremy in P!nk’s music video, Trouble... and your wish is my demand. Or whatever you call it.

Sorry, I had to write this on mobile. Can’t use the Read More feature, so forgive me!

So here you go guys.

Pairing: Sheriff!Jeremy x Outlaw!Fem reader

———————————

Y/n pushed the saloon doors wide open. Her y/h/c hair went past her shoulders, styled with a braid. Her y/e/c eyes shone with a little bit of rebellion in them. Her jacket and hat matched with y/f/c, sowed perfectly to a point.

The piano stopped playing. The charge and conversation stopped as well. All eyes on y/n.

Scarlett, the local barkeep, looked over to y/n and then looked over to the rest of the bar. “Hey!” She shouted at them. “Continue what you were doing!”

The atmosphere became more full as the piano started playing again and the conversations carried on as normal.

“The usual?” Scarlett asked y/n as she walked over to the bar, sitting opposite to Scarlett. Y/n nodded back as she waited for her usual drink.

“You’re on the wanted poster again. The Sheriff won’t like that.”

“Don’t care.”

Scarlett chuckled and put a glass full of some alcohol on the counter, leaving the bottle on there as well.

“He’s gonna come here first, you know that right?”

“Yep. And...”

“You don’t care. I know.”

Suddenly, the saloon doors opened once again. The piano stopped again and the chatter turned into whispers. All eyes on the person.

“He’s here.” Scarlett whispered, cleaning some glasses and leaning in to say it quietly to y/n.

“Great.” Y/n replied quietly as well, sipping her drink.

He walked in, boots stomping on the wooden floor, metal clanging along the rhythm of his walking.

He looked around with his bright blue eyes. Around them was eyeliner. To be honest, it looked better on him than the saloon girls. Let’s call it guyliner.

The piano slowly started playing again with the whispering become louder. The atmosphere was full again.

“You might as well run.” Scarlett requested to y/n. But she stayed put. She wasn’t afraid of him, so she weren’t running.

“Scarlett. The usual please.” A voice beside y/n made her jump internally. She slowly drank the rest of her drink and put up her bandana to hide her identity.

“Of course Sheriff.” Scarlett replied, giving y/n a look before facing the different bottles on the shelves.

Y/n kept her head down, not looking at the Sheriff. She knew, in an instant, he would recognise her, especially the fact that y/n was a saloon girl in the past and the Sheriff came to nearly all of the show she was in.

And now, she was an Outlaw, he hasn’t caught her yet so he wasn’t exactly sure what the criminal looked like.

“Scarlett. Call me Jeremy. I said that to you many times, remember?”

“A force of habit, sorry.” She placed his drink on the counter. He picked the glass up and drank it all up. He placed it back down and nodded at Scarlett.

“Ladies.” He said deeply, tipping his hat and nodding at the two of them, his Sheriff badge shining in the ceiling light above them.

He left the saloon as soon as he came in.

“Did he know it was me?” Y/n asked Scarlett.

“I’m guessing... yes.” She replied, cleaning Jeremy’s glass with the whitest of cloths.

“Shit.”

She had to leave town. For definite.

Y/n left the saloon and leaned back against the exterior front wall of the building. She lit up a cigar after putting her bandana down and smoking said cigar.

In the distance, she could see the Sheriff with his deputy, talking to the local blacksmith. Probably if he saw the criminal. For a Sherif, he’s not very good at finding out that the criminal was under his nose the whole time.

Until...

Where did he go? He was right over there!

“I know it’s you, committing those crimes sweetheart.” The same voice was behind y/n. The one that was in the saloon.

“Then why haven’t you arrested me yet?”

“We all have our secrets. But not me. Cause I already handcuffed you.” He whispered in y/n’s ear, putting his hand close to her waist but not touching it. His breath was hot against her ear, his waist quite close to hers. But she could feel metal on her wrists.

The force of him pushing her towards his office as they tumbled into the building.

————————————-

A/n: And that’s all I wrote for now. I might do a smutty part 2... I don’t know if I will or not. But there you go!

@jeremyrennerfanxxxx123 @yavanna80 @averyrogers83 @navybrat817 @heavenlypugpizza

[grifalinas]

There was once, in a kingdom which no longer exists, a man who had three daughters. This man was poor and his daughters beautiful, and he thought he might with this get them spouses who would give them a better life than he could afford.

It went as he hoped: in the first year that the eldest came of courting age, she found love with a grocer’s son. Her father said: Ah! People need groceries year round; as a grocer’s wife, you will always have an income, and always be necessary in your community, and so I know you will be happy. And so the eldest married her grocer, and her father was glad that she would be provided for.

Not long after her sister had gone to her house, the second daughter came to courting age, and within half the year she had drawn the eye of the woman who designed gowns for the rich ladies in the town. Her father saw this and said: Well! You will be dependent on the waxing and waning seasons of fashion, but during the full times you will have enough income to put by for the lean times, and you will be in the company and notice of those who have an opportunity to do right by you, and so I know you will be happy. So the second daughter married her designer, and it was a relief to her poor father.

In time, the youngest daughter came of courting age, but though she had the most suitors, she turned away all but a young and poor huntsman. She swore she would have no other but him, but her father worried for her, and said: If you marry this poor huntsman, you will be not much better off than you are with me. Your entire income will depend on what game is available, and you will have hard work ahead of you. But the youngest was not deterred.

Her father still objected, so the poor huntsman declared that he would go into the world and find his fortune, and once he did then he would give the youngest the life her father wished for her, and begged the girl to wait for him, and so the betrothal was arranged, and the young huntsman went out into the world, and was not heard from again.

Seven years passed after that (seven years being the amount of time required by law before a betrothal could be considered dissolved should one party be missing), and by this point the youngest daughter had grown entirely into a young woman, but her heart was cold and hard at the loss of her love, and she declared that whoever came courting for her when she was once more free of her betrothal she would marry with will.

Her father was as distraught by this as he had been at the thought of her working herself to the grave as a huntsman’s wife, and said to her: You are more beautiful now than the day when you came of courting age, and you have in seven years built a resume of skills that would make you an ideal wife for anyone. Show some discernment, and court one who can make you happy, and provide for you at once.

But she knew her own mind and would never be dissuaded, and her father, who felt the distress he had unwittingly caused his daughter, relented.

On the day after the young woman’s betrothal was dissolved, a boar came to their cottage, and asked to court the young woman, because he had heard that she would be an ideal wife for anyone, and wished her to be his. The father tried to protest- he would not like to see his daughter married to a boar, he said- but the young woman reminded him of her promise, and agreed to marry the boar right away.

And so it was. But though she knew her own mind, and would not back down when she had chosen to do something, she still felt some apprehension as her new husband carried her to his home. What sort of husband could a boar make?

The boar, sensing her apprehension, said: I do not have a fine, grand house, nor can I offer you servants. As my wife you will need to work for your daily bread. But I am not unkind, nor will I see you overworked. I have some income, and I can provide for a household, or I should not have taken a wife at all.

His wife was mollified by this, especially when she saw the house he kept, which was simple but quite clean, and very comfortable. When they reached it, he told her that he had prepared a marriage bed for them, and she was to go there and wait for him, and he would join her after nightfall.

The young woman was apprehensive once more, but her husband assured her that all would be well, that she only had to wait for nightfall, and he would come to her in a much more pleasing state, but she must keep the curtains pulled as tightly as possible.

Driven now more by curiosity enough to overcome her apprehension, she did as he asked, and after nightfall the door to the room opened and a shape approached her: but this shape was the shape of a man under her hands, not a boar, and she felt a little better reassured by this state of things.

When they lay together much later, she asked him how this had come to be, and he said: I am at present under a curse, so that I can only come to you as a man at night, and remain a boar during the day.

His wife asked: Can I see your face, then? May I look upon my husband?

But he told her no, that she must never see his face when he was in this form, or they would be lost to one another. And though her curiosity was great, she agreed, and so they made their life in this way, and in time the young woman found herself falling quite in love with her husband, who was kind and gentle, and knew a great deal of things from his travels, and entertained her in the evenings with stories of his adventures, and at night he came to her as a man in their marriage bed, and so despite her husband’s cursed state, the two were happy, and made a very merry home together.

In time, it came about that an old woman passed by where the young woman was keeping her house, and begged of her some hospitality. The young woman was very happy to grant it, and shared her lunch with the old woman, who wanted to know whose house this was. The young woman told the old woman of her husband the boar, and the curse he was under, that he could only come to her as a man at night, and that she couldn’t look upon him.

This, the old woman said, was unhappy news.

But I don’t mind so much, the young wife assured her. We’re quite happy together otherwise.

I just wonder if he might be lying, the old woman said. He may be a boar who can shapeshift. No, no, that’s unfair, there are many who are cursed. I’m sure it’s nothing.

And she changed the subject, but she had planted the seed of doubt in the young woman’s thoughts, which was her intention, so when the couple lay asleep that night, the young wife fretted in her heart over whether the old woman could have been right.

I’ll just take a tiny peek, she said to her self. I’ll pull the curtain back the tiniest amount, just enough to welcome in a sliver of moonlight, and that will not be nearly enough to see his face, but it will assure me that what he claims is true.

For, of course, the old woman had remarked that a shapeshifter’s true form could be restored by moonlight, and this surely must be the true reason he forbade her from looking on him at night. This was only speculation, of course, and the young wife must disregard her, she had just learned not to trust in her life. No, it’s probably nothing. Don’t worry about it.

As soon as the moonlight touched the face of the man in the bed, his wife gasped, for there at her side was her betrothed! Her gasp woke him, and he cursed quite vehemently, and had just enough time to lament that she had not trusted him, because his curse was nearly timed out, but now she had made it worse, and he must go away until she had worn down three pairs of iron shoes, and blunted a steel staff from searching for him, and at that he vanished.

I’m sure you can imagine how unhappy the young woman was at this second loss of her beloved! But, as she was a stubborn woman, she determined that she would go and find her husband, and bring him back as soon as possible, whether he be a boar or a man or both, and she also cursed the old woman who had planted the doubt in her mind.

So she went to the blacksmith and had made three pairs of iron shoes and a steel staff, packed her a sack of provisions, and set out into the world to find her husband.

[threeofeight]

Continuing the theme of stuff no one cares about: Since I showed off Thanveri for DnD I figured it was only fair to show off the other 2 ladies in my RPG life. Though these doodles are hella WIP concept stuff.

SO we all know Thanveri, Fallen Monk

So we also have Shizuru for Cyberpunk 2020.

Techie, Ace Lesbian, She/Her. Married for 5 years to a wonderful lady called Natsuki (Yes, that was an intentional weeb reference). 

Specialises in Electronic Security and playing guitar like a badass. 

For Warhammer Fantasy 2nd edition we have Adele Du Voiles.

Brettonian, Smuggler starting class, Currently Master Thief. Ultimate Lesbian Disaster. She/They. 

Specialises in Silent move, Lock pick and Concealment. Has the BIGGEST crush on the local Blacksmith. 

So bit more Info.

Shizuru:

Name: Shizuru Fujino (I couldn’t help myself) Nicknames: Shiz, Zuru, Tech Princess Ethnicity: Japanese-American Class: Techie Alignment: Neutral, leaning to good. Background: Raised in a warzone, estranged from her parents, has 2 sisters and she gets on especially with the youngest Sayaka. Met her wife when she was 17 and they married a year later and have been together since. Her wife is a painter. Pronouns: She/her Sexuality: Asexual Lesbian.

Electronic Security, basic tech, electronics, Playing guitar are her highest stats.

Highest attributes: Tech 10, Attractiveness 10, Intelligence 9.

Personality: Pretends she doesn’t care too much... cares an excessive amount, so in love with her wife it hurts, quirky dumb humour, puns, exasperated at people who don’t plan

Also one time, she infiltrated a fancy dress party as a pirate and made it so she had a lesser version of her smart goggles attached to the back of her eye patch so she could still use them to control her drones, the bee drone was embedded onto her sword in plain sight. She called the Bee Hatchi and she also programmed it to respond in dance to things like “I love you”. She has a snake drone called Kiyohime and a fish drone called Oishii, 

This was the quick as fuck doodle i did for the Gm for planning how to get cyberware into her costume without being obvious. The sword was also something she borrowed from her sister and it has a electric damage component to it for non lethal takedowns.

Adele:

Name: Adele Le Beau Nicknames: Multiple Aliases including Adele Du Voiles (Thief name), Amelie Baudelaire (Diplomat), Aveline Cadieux (Merchant), Celeste Toussaint (Artist), Gianna Rossi (Tilian Tourist) Born: Bretonnia, L'anguille Class: Smuggler, Thief, Cat Burglar, Master thief. Alignment: Chaotic Neutral. Background: Born in a relatively large merchant town, was sentenced to death for smuggling warp stones in the Empire. Currently hired, against her will and threat of death to do a nobles bidding in order to keep her life.

Worships the Lady. Soft spot for Shallya

Fancies the pants off the local blacksmith whom she is yet to have a single conversation with without stumbling and leaving the shop without blushing.

Pronouns: She/They Sexuality: Lesbian 

Silent move, concealment, pick lock, evaluate, gossip are her highest skills

Agility is her highest attribute. Followed by Intelligence. 

Personality: Quiet but very observing, down with the patriarchy, 100% done with noble men looking down on her, Dry humour laced with a lot of sarcasm, tries to put herself first but does sometimes do stupid things for those she trusts.

She has terrible willpower and is currently sat on 4 of 6 insanity points before something goes wrong haha. I also designed a random crest of arms for her that she infiltrated the records place to insert to give stories credibility

She is also, not exactly possessed, but she is carrying the spirit of a kick ass woman archer named Kelda after being asked to take the bow from the museum she was on a mission in. Her unfinished business hasnt been revealed yet but she sees potential in Adele and has attached her spirit to her in the meantime. 

It’s not an official thing but i like to play her as someone who sometimes talks out loud without thinking about it to the voice  of Kelda in her head, often directed at the bow itself and it’s caused some really funny npc moments.

Adele: I was ... how... I wasn’t flirting with the blacksmith! Listen just because you died a million years ago ... IM ASEXUAL.... Can you please stop backseat driving I know how to hold a bow.... well see now you distracted me.

[unfortunatelysirius]

Goodbye, My Love // Jon Snow

「 ❁ 」PROMPT 「 ❁ 」 When it comes to saying goodbye, you’ve always had trouble. But it becomes especially hard when saying it to Jon Snow. 「 ❁ 」AUTHOR’S NOTE 「 ❁ 」 I am SO bad at updating… all I’ve got as an explanation. *shrug emoji* If you guys want a reunion companion piece [season 6] then hey, just ask. Otherwise, here’s this chunk of trash for you all ;) [It’s honestly rushed, I apologize in advance] 「 ❁ 」WARNINGS 「 ❁ 」 Swearing, Angst 「 ❁ 」WORD COUNT 「 ❁ 」

3027

         YOU MET JON SNOW ON YOUR FIFTH NAMEDAY.        You had always lived in Winterfell with your mother and father, who were (respectively) the seamstress and blacksmith. You were lowborn, but respectable, with parents whose gifts were renowned throughout Winter Town. You were never put in the finest dresses or presented in front of hand-picked husband prospects, that much was true; however, you never wanted nor needed to be highborn to feel like your life had meaning.        Your first meeting with Jon Snow had you smitten, even at such a young age.        You’d been running around Winter Town, a crown of flowers in your hair, when you’d stumbled into something warm and fleshy—a human body. You squealed and fell, the stranger following suit with a kidlike grunt. Only when you’d managed to spit out one of the petals that had fallen into your mouth did you look up, eyes snapping into some sort of trance. There was a blue-eyed gaze locked on your own.              “Hi!” you’d immediately said, not bashful at all. You grinned at the strange boy, near the same age as you. “I’m Y/N. What’s your name?”        The boy’s face was flushed red, a look of embarrassment on his face. He stood quickly. And he stayed silent, continuing to stare, like someone might would a predator.        “Hellllllo?” You tilted your head. “You’re not very nice.”        The curly-haired boy shook his own head, defiantly silent. His eyes flickered away from yours and back towards the way he came—the way you were heading towards. When you went sideways to see from around his body, you saw what he was looking at. Eddard and Catelyn Stark, the Lord and Lady of Winterfell, as they stood on the railing of their tower.        You were incredulous, to say the least, that this was what caught the strange boy’s attention. Was it why he was silent, too? “Why are you looking at them?” you demanded. “D’you wanna be a lord, too?”        The boy snapped his head around to stare at you. “What?” he demanded, in a voice much too brusque to be a child’s.        You giggled childishly. “Lord Curly,” you teased. “’Cause you’ve got curly hair, and I don’t know your name!”        Though he remained alert and angry-looking, the boy finally caved. His mouth twitched into a grimace. “Jon,” he said simply.        “Lord Jon,” you said. You smiled toothily up at him. “Bye, Lord Jon.”        You pranced around him, sprinting in the direction you were going originally. And as you went, a stray petal untucked from your crown, and it was rushed backwards by the wind. It went and went, all until it fell at Jon’s feet.        He picked it up. And he stared at it.        What he wouldn’t admit to anyone, much less himself, was that he thought you were really, really pretty. As pretty as someone five name-days old could be. And he hoped he’d see you again.        He really hoped he’d see you again.

       -

       It was three years and three moons later when you saw the mysterious Jon again. You were eight, hair reaching your waist and eyes ever so wide. You’d become curious and adventure-seeking, still carrying around that same naivety like a sleeve’s patchwork. You were hanging around the kitchens, stealing sweets your mother refused to let you have, just leaving when you caught a glimpse of a curly-haired boy. He was walking briskly. Was he angry? You dropped the biscuits you were carrying and went to pursue him.

       “Lord Curly!” you cried, struggling to keep up. The boy was older and taller, his pace like that of a man running from a bear—only he was jogging. Maybe he knew you were following, even before you’d called out his nickname. “Lord Curly, please—stop running!”

       He stopped abruptly. A bit too late, perhaps, as you rammed your nose directly into his back.

       “Ouch,” you cooed, rubbing the offended spot, blinking. The boy had turned around in the time it took for the pain to disappear, and catching his bleary gaze locked you in place. In a very bad way, given his expression. “Are you alright?”

       “I was,” he said coolly. Was that a hint at you being an annoyance? You never could tell with anyone, much less the brooding subject of your childish fantasies. “What do you want?”

       “My, my, Lord Curly! I just wanted to speak to you.” You smiled.

       “I’m busy.”

       Your smile became a frown. “Oh? Doing what?”

       Jon didn’t look very pleased that you were still there. He was an inch away from fleeing. He returned your frown and muttered, “I’ll get in trouble if we keep talking.”

       You jutted out your lip and made a noise. A very inhuman noise. “Lord Curly, why do ya say that?”

       He looked over your head at something in the distance. You knew it was the Lord and Lady of the castle, as that’s all that lay beyond Winter Town.

       “You’re not Robb,” you stated. “So who are you?”

       “No one,” said Jon in response. Quick—too quick. He didn’t want you to know.

       You kept quiet in reply.

Jon pulled his cloak tighter around his neck and face, body twisting around. His back was to you, his curly head of charred hair the framework of his identity.

He was like a shadow and a puzzle, conjoined together to make one very difficult game. You were eager to be his friend, keen to know him better—but he kept disappearing. It’d been over three years since you seen him last. And now he was the one running away.

“Bye, Lord Curly!” you called out to him as his footsteps echoed into silence and his head of curls were no longer seen.

-

Jon had hoped to see you again.

But Catelyn kept watching.

And she didn’t want him to have any friends.

-

So many years passed. You got taller and curvier, growing into yourself, until eventually you stopped changing at fifteen. Your fifteenth name-day was a tremendous affair, with the Lord and Lady themselves in attendance. Jon wasn’t there, to your disappointment. You hadn’t seen him since you were eight. It’d been so long, too long, enough to make you forget he ever existed. But he plagued your memories, he haunted your dreams. His name was always on the tip of your tongue. The cusp of a breath.

You’d danced with several boys, wearing a flower crown on your head. Every boy was worse than the last. You always pretended they were Jon, even though you held no picture—hardly even an inkling—of his current appearance. How did he look now, with the two of you older and less naïve? You were sure he’d chiseled out. He probably looked more a man than your own father did, the child that he was.

You wanted to stop being eaten alive by questions. You wanted him to appear on a white mare and take you captive in his orbit. You wanted to fall in love the old-fashioned way, the against-all-odds way, with someone your parents would not approve of. You could not care less. You didn’t give a shite what they thought. All that mattered was finding someone who could give you a happy ending.

That was over a moon ago. You were beginning to feel like you’d never see him again.

You walked out into the snow atop your balcony on a crisp evening, wearing another crown of flowers. You were dressed in an evening gown—feet barren and your hair crowning your face. You’d spent the day dreaming about Jon, and crossed Winter Town over six times, desperate to see the boy again—even if he held no recognition for you. What were the odds that he’d appear? To you, chance was nothing; this was all fate. Whether you’d find him again, you knew not. You knew next to nothing on fate’s plans.

You felt the world was in your hands and odds were in your favor, however. There was a feeling in your gut, a feathery weight, that kept you lifting, refusing to let you land. You were not grounded. You were airborne.

What did this mean?

It meant having hope in naïve fantasies.

Your hair blew around your face, masking your vantage of the navy sky. The moon was a hair away, right above your head, crowning you Luna. It was glowing translucently. It was calling for you to give up your games. But you—really, honestly, truly—refused to leave this for children until you found Jon again. Until you saw his face. Until you knew his coldness for what it was.

Curiosity is a killer. As is love.

You knew it so, but that did not make you any less reckless.

A rustling sounded from below. Could this—be it? You thought maybe. You brushed your windswept hair from your eyes, glancing downward.

From the dark shadows emerged a shape. A lean, muscular shape, clad in black—or maybe that was the darkness. He was threaded with it, wasn’t he? When a glint of moonlight bounced off the shadow’s raven curls, you knew it so.

It was Jon.

“Jon?” you whispered aloud, just to be sure. This fantasy come to life needed cemented.

The shadow moved closer, bringing with him sudden light. It was like a scene from a fairytale, with the ruggedly handsome knight coming to rescue his damsel. Though, this one was much darker and much less renowned than what you’d normally expect; the princes in your books were blond, blue-eyed, and sunlit.

A new perspective, you declared it. Jon was perfect in your eyes.

The boy in question coughed. “Yeah, it’s me, Y/N.” He was silent for a while thereafter, as the two of you stared at one another. Then he said, “I’m sorry for how I’ve made you feel.”

“Sick with longing for a man I know nothing about?” You smiled, though wearily, and laughed at him. “I assure you, there is not any remorse.”

Jon sighed. If not for the crisp air, you wouldn’t have noticed it. “Lady Stark has no kindness in her heart for me. I am a bastard, you see—”

“I know what you are, Jon Snow,” you said. “And quite the contrary to what you think, I don’t care.”

“Y/N, I’m a bastard—”

You snorted, as unladylike as could be. “And I’m not highborn. So why would I give a rat’s arse?”

Jon looked uncertain, glancing between you and the way from which he came. “I came to apologize, Y/N, not to start anything—”

“Lady Stark is a bitter, middle-aged woman, Jon,” you said. “And I’m quite the opposite. I assume you like that. Why else would you come back here to woo yourself into my good graces?”

There was an intensity in the air. It made you want to scale down the balcony and take Jon for your own.

Jon seemed quite puzzled, like he couldn’t tell what to think of you. At last he said, “I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

“Then let’s not get caught.”

From this view, Jon seemed like he was considering what you said. You decided not to give him time to take back his visit and his words. You hopped up on the edge of your balcony’s wooden posts and curved your body to face the entrance to your bedroom. You gripped the posts tight, and dropped down a few feet.

Jon hissed, “What are you doing, Y/N? You’re going to hurt yourself!”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” you grunted, using your limited view to catch what post to drop to next. Eventually you reached the last available post and you realized that you needed to jump down. “Jon, I have to let go.”

“Y/N, stop, no. You’ll get hurt.”

You smiled largely. “That’s why you’ve got to catch me!”

Your hands lost grip on the balcony.

You fell down, the wind gusting in your hair. You were flying, a raven born of air. You didn’t think about the consequences, not the possibility of death or severe injury, brain only centered on the beauty that being airborne was; and the idea you had a prince of darkness to catch your fall.

You roughly hit Jon’s rock-hard body, his arms coming to envelope you, the both of you falling into the snow. He grunted, and you squeaked. You had only dreamt of a proximity this close, and having him as close to you as he was now—

You flipped around to be chest-to-chest with Jon.

“I’m gonna kiss you,” you said abruptly.

Jon blinked in surprise. “Oh. Um. Okay.”

You pressed a small peck on his lips, without an actual response.

Jon stared up at you, his cheeks a rosy red. His nose, too. He looked shocked, like he hadn’t expected you to actually kiss him—but then you did, and he didn’t know how to respond. How to think, even. This beautiful art-piece of a human-being, kissing him and touching him like they couldn’t care less what his namesake was.

Jon surged forwarded and kissed you hard, much more assertively than you did him.

You squeaked again, finding this roughness, this ferocity, such a difference from your own faint touches. He was gripping your body like nothing ever had, holding you close and center, with the snow just a background accessory in the face of his body heat, and his kiss—fuck, his kiss.

It was otherworldly.

Eventually, you found this had to stop.

“Jon, Jon, stop—my parents!” You giggled against his lips.

“Fuck the town. Fuck everything, Y/N,” Jon said, leaning back to stare at you. “We’ll have our own town. Our own world. I’m Lord Curly, right? You can be Lady Flowers.” He placed a delicate hand  on one of the flowers in your crown.

This direction was so different from where you’d thought it’d go. You thought Jon would use you then discard you like a used towel, and you’d let him because you liked him that much. You had learned to take what you could get, regardless of how hurt it put you in the process. Jon wanted this as much as you, right? So you thought it’d be foolish of you to say no.

You pushed yourself into him and got lost in the midst of frigid wind and falling snow, giggles and growls muffled under the pale light of the moon.

-

The two of you, for the better part of a few years, were rather invested in keeping up your connection. You’d hide out together and kiss, talk about your hopes and dreams, curse Catelyn Stark and her bitterness; all the while, you fell more and more hopelessly in love. You were once enraptured by Jon, thinking of him as the most honorable man you’d ever met aside from Eddard Stark, his father. But now, it was love.

Eventually, it caught up to you.

Catelyn Stark discovered your forbidden romance when she’d passed by the two of you kissing once. At once, she put a stop to it. She demanded Jon not to see you anymore, forced you all to put the shenanigans in the past. She knew who your parents were, and she disapproved of their child intermingling with a bastard. So much so, she went to your door a fortnight after you had last kissed Jon—and told your mother as she answered the door that you were in relations with her husband’s bastard.

Things got steadily worse after that. Your mother and father began fighting, as your mother did not like what you’d been doing while your father couldn’t bear telling you that you were wrong to love who you loved. Your mother would sleep alone in bed, your father made to sleep outside.

Jon never appeared again. He went moons without speaking to you. You felt like things were getting progressively worse, that the love of your life had been snatched away—

And then the King visited. And you learned from Robb Stark, who knew of your relation to his half-brother, that Jon was leaving for the watch.

You had to say goodbye.

-

Like you had two left feet, you clumsily left your mother and father’s abode, hurrying to the stables where Robb claimed Jon would be. You were terrified, thinking he had already left. This was the man of your dreams; if he left without giving you a deserved farewell, you wouldn’t know if you could forgive him.

You knew you wouldn’t forgive him.

You were flying through crowds of townsfolk, your legs aching and stomach receding into itself the longer you went, the farther you got. Eventually you reached the stables.

You stopped at the very edge of the entrance, peaking through. Your gaze swept past horses as they quietly moved their heads downward and ate from their haystacks. At one point, your sweeping gaze faltered, and you realized what had happened.

Jon had left you. He left without saying goodbye.

You didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.

-

You knew this day would come. Jon would get tired of running, and he’d get tired of feeling worthless, and so he’d put an end to both. He’d run until he got to a dead end. He’d fight until he was worth more than anything in the world. He’d do all he could to be something more than Eddard Stark’s bastard.

It meant throwing away your memories.

It meant leaving without uttering a single goodbye.

It meant letting your love be just as it was.

Never meant to last.

-

Jon kept running and running and running. He would run until his legs turned to jelly. He’d pant until his eyes rolled back with exhaustion. He’d scream and fight until he got where he wanted to be—somewhere new, somewhere different, somewhere not Winterfell.

(You couldn’t come with. Why couldn’t you come with?)

The running would stop.

(He never wanted to leave you.)

He only wished it didn’t mean losing the thing he’d loved most.

-

I love you, Lord Curly.

-

I love you too, Lady Flowers.

-

FIN.