#fic: the queen of nothing | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ur-mousey · 10 months ago

Text

Shot in the Dark ~

Jude Durate x Cardan Greenbiar

summary Morden AU, Jude remembers a steamy night of fun with Cardan. 2.1k warning mature, flashback smut, softcore possessive, breast fondling, steamy makeout.

..............................

Jude Durate nocked the arrow into place. Her stance held rigid as she breathed in deep. Her skin prickled, haggard by the sun's rays. And the whirlwind that was her raged mind never ceased to calm. Too much had pissed her off this week.

She had known outright that a relationship with Locke would turn out less than hopeful.

He was dumb teenage fun. Dry humps in the back of his truck after stealing vodka shots from the party of the week. His chest had felt like a feather pushed against hers when she desired friction. Always, his hands, so desperate, reached for hers to touch his bulge. When she meant to overpower him, his lithe tongue found refuge by hitting the back of her throat, which caused her to battle against his pursuit.

Dumb teenage fun.

Cardan Greenbriar was more... Encompassing. However, she would never allow herself to imagine a future with him either.

Both of them had tormented her and her twin for their illegitimate seat at the Madoc Estate. She lived like them since the age of six. And, it was never enough to make her one of them

The gothic manor she had inhabited, with more rooms than there were people inside, didn't impress. Nor was her ability to attend the same private school. Or dress her hair in braids and beads. Nor was her conquest to dominate many sports get her any praise.

All because she was a bastard child?

She fucking doubted that.

There was something else about her that made her insignificant to them. Madoc called her weak. He'd beaten her down countless times until she could land a satisfying blow. She wasn't stunning like Nicasia, the gem of the sea, or psychotic-like Valerian. She felt little need to be manipulative like Locke, or to be as cruel as Cardan.

Cardan, Cardan, Cardan. Cardan this. Cardan that. Like a vermin, he seeped his way into everything.

How dare he?

Locke wasn’t much of anything. He’d chased a story where he pitted sister against sister. Being a silent observer of betrayal because he found himself too boring. That fiasco was years ago and whatever hurt had faded into the backdrop until times like these.

Cardan was the reason she found herself here.

Jude has been shooting all day. She drew from the quiver strapped to her back, nocked the arrow, and released the shot until it became monotonous. Canaries and quails fell victim, struck from atop trees, or while diving for the stream to escape the heat. Their corpses were then tied and dealt with before she placed them in the travel cooler at her side. Now, she stared ahead, left hip held forward towards the unaware hare some feet away. It rubbed its face in between nibbles of grass blades. Its head swiveled at the drop of acorns mistaken as footsteps.

She couldn't waste any more time. Jude adjusted her feet, re-curled her fingers around the bow, and pulled at the sting. She ended the hare's life. The arrow plunged into its side. Like that hare, all her life Jude Durate was meant to play as a defenseless little thing, prey for the taking.

When in actuality she was something to be feared.

Nicasia had drugged her in front of her peers where she found herself on her knees in front of Cardan. Locke made prom a spectacle where his date, Jude, stood on the sidelines as he revealed in tender kisses, not of her lips, but, of the pious Taryn Durate. Valerian more than the rest had tried to tame the beast he saw behind her feral eyes.

But she'd always slept afraid. And, Valerian was dealt revenge worse than the rest. Their family names are tarnished or lost with their life.

Cardan complicated things the minute she tread too close. At a house party hosted by Cardan years after they went their separate ways. Jude found herself in arms with Madoc and her stepmother, guided into the lustrous golden arches of the Greenbriar manor. Twine held everything together.

Chrysanthemums stamped the floor. Each tile became a monument of flowers held in time by resin casings. Since his family's murder, Cardan decorated with fever, white rabbits and ticking clocks filled the space between the doors and walls. Portraits of his father were replaced with him seated with a crown of thorns, his ethereal beauty highlighted.

"Darling Jude, could you follow me?" Cardan made his appearance from the shadows. His feline features quirked in a welcoming smile. "I've waited for your arrival more than I care to admit." Jude pouted but accepted his outstretched hand. He pressed her knuckles to his lips. He lingered there while sinking his eyes into her. She tensed at the sensation of his teeth grazing her calloused skin before nipping at her fingertips.

"What are you doing?" Jude hurried her arms to her side.

"Oh... Something that I should have done long ago."

He dragged her to his barren room. The closet door swung wide with collared shirts and tweed jackets hung. However, a mound of clothes could be seen kicked under his bed. There, sat in its lonesome corner, a floor lamp pushed soft warm lighting into the space. The only thing filled with life was his bookshelf, filled with titles she had never seen. Even his brown comforter lacked a human touch. "You are free to leave whenever. But, please look around, darling Jude."

"Free to leave?" Jude scoffed, "What the fuck? What would you do if I didn't want to play your game?"

Cardan gently twirled Jude around by her shoulder. She sighed, he's treating her like a pet, she thought. Her hands clenched as she made the effort to refrain from decking him in the face. "I see you wore the dress I sent. Should I say, good girl?" Cardan's thumb trailed down her back, exposed by its v-line. He brought her back into his chest. His drunken breath played tricks on her skin. "If you do decide to leave, I'll find other ways of getting what I want."

"And what would that be?"

"Hint, I'll start with the bookcase if I were you," Cardan whispered, sauntering by to take perch on the edge of his bed. Jude tilted her head which he acknowledged with the same gesture. He undid his collar and began unbuttoning his shirt. And with a scoff of his own, he bellowed, "Buttons are the bane of all outfits."

With reluctance, Jude strode to the opposite wall, the click of her heels echoed in her ear. She had no reason to believe that the dress she'd worn that evening was sent by him. She had assumed Oriana, her stepmother, laid it out for her on her childhood bed. The fabric of the skirt flowed pin straight to the ground. Her breasts were held tight by the fabric, showcased by the heart-shaped neckline, whose trim was finished with gold embroidery.

The sleeves were cut down the middle from the crease of her elbow and looked as if it could merge with the skirt. The gown hugged her silhouette comfortably. How did he know her size? More importantly, what would be his intentions? Cardan was born with more even if he wasn't seen as the heir to his father's wealth. He belonged. There was nothing for him to gain from her. Did he mean to humiliate her in some way? Is that why she's here. It had to be a joke on her part. The hues of blue moved throughout the dress like a story, images of the forest were embroidered into the skirts, its branches reaching to touch the tip of her nipples. Silvered-shaped stars hid themselves, playing peek-a-boo with all who would want to search for them. It was tailored to her taste and with pockets in random nooks.

It took Jude little effort to find the most suspicious thing on Cardan's bookshelf. Alice and Wonderland sat there worn and in her face. Out of all the novels, it seemed the most childlike on his shelf. She made her way to Cardan, standing in front of him. "Is this it?"

"Not quite," He quipped. "It's what's inside that you'll find interesting." Cardan tapped the spine, adorning her ruby ring which she had on in the banquet hall. "Well? Hurry on, you keep me in suspense."

"Cardan... I don't like your games."

"It is merely a surprise."

"Let me rephrase. I like nothing when it comes to you." Cardan eyes met Jude's in a mid-languid blink. Like a cat, she thought.

Jude flipped through pages until she came across a folded note. Her eyes furrowed at what was sprawled across, her name, over and over:

Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude. And then some.

Stains inked the paper along her name. Blood splattered and dried alongside spurts of... cum? What the fuck?

Did he hate her that much? But, would you do that to someone you hate? She surely hated Cardan and her friends but she never made a display of their name. "What is this?" Jude threw the novel aside on the nightstand. She shook the paper in his face.

"Surprise... that's it."

"Now you're out of words?!"

Cardan shuddered, kneading the palm of his hands into his pant legs. "I have always been afraid of you," He confessed. "I have hated myself for less, but mostly because I wanted you."

Jude threw the paper at Cardan's feet. "You have some nerve... And a cruel way of showing you like someone."

"Darling Jude," Cardan gripped her waist. His fingers glazed over her plump bum. "I could be good for you... To you." He nuzzled his head into her stomach trailing kisses along to her left hip bone.

Jude faltered in step to Cardan's motion. She swung her legs over his waist and lifted his face to reach her lips. He tasted like sour wine and it intoxicated her. She knew not much of kisses. There was Locke but it was years away and didn't feel as forbidden as this. His cruel mouth was soft against hers, and his eyelashes shuddered against her cheek. He reached his other hand up to her ears and he tugged at the upper bit before biting down. He sucked her lips into his mouth, and the warmth of his lip ring brushed her lower lips. Teeth smacked and she wanted to laugh. Cardan lolled his tongue over hers which he gave up power to be dominated by her.

She pushed down on his chest till he lay there flat. Cardan reached for her lips to stay connected with his, however, Jude parted. Being witness to his face, desperately red, sent shivers down Jude's front. Cardan hiked her skirt up and encouraged her movements. She let herself buck her hips against his growing cock.

"Is that what you imagined?" Jude could only imagine the silver on his cheeks staining hers.

"No, and I rather not say."

"Why? Did you imagine more?" Jude tugged the collar of her dress. Her glorious cups spilled out for him to see. Cardan eyes widened and he looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Now you look scared?"

"I told you that you terrify me." Cardan reached both hands to pinch around her areoles. She would say that his touch felt reverent if she didn't know better, but she did. "Alas, I didn't believe I would get this far." He chuckled lightly, guiding her hands to wrap around his throat. Jude gave an experimental squeeze and Cardan breathed out deep.

Mocking, Jude parroted his earlier statement, "I'll find other ways of getting what I want."

NONNONONONONONO!!! Jude kicked at the ground like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Her cheeks burned deep into the skin. He played her, right? How dare he?! It made no sense. Jude hung her head while she packed the hare into the cooler and began to make the trek back to the manor's stable where she'll ponder and get more furious. And, where she'll replay more vivid scenes.

>>>

Cardan saluted to the groundskeeper who pointed him down the dirt path to where he was sure to find Jude. He has let her be a full week. Longer than he wanted, but he knew Jude like the back of his hand.

Jude, Jude, Jude, everything about her screamed to him. He twirled her precious ring from finger to finger. This time, he's on a mission to engrave her taste on his tongue.

.............................. Thank you for reading! Accidentally deleted this upload but here it is again! Please leave suggestions! And possible part two because I didn't truly deliver on smut.

Request rules are here!

>>>

NEXT JURDAN POST: Song Writer! Cardan x Jude

#jurdan #jurdan smut #soft yandere #smut #smut fic #the folk of the air #the cruel prince #the wicked king #the queen of nothing #imagine your otp #jude x cardan #tfota

79 notes · View notes

wanderingpages · 1 year ago

Note

High for this by The Weeknd but *jurdan*?

∞

Now Playing: High For This by The Weeknd

1:20 ───⊙─────── 4:15

Cardan’s lips taste sweet, like over ripe fruit; honeyed and heady, and Jude can’t help but want more of it, more of the feeling that slowly ebbs its way into her system. He holds her close, by the base of her neck and the small of her back, keeping her mounted on top of him while he nibbles small little red splotches down her neck. She’s breathing heavily, half dazed with the lack of oxygen getting to her head and something else that fogs and clouds the room. It’s so hot in here, she thinks, but she must have expressed this out loud, she realizes, when Cardan gives her an answering moan that vibrates against her skin.

“Ah,” she cries when his teeth nip at a spot just above her breast, leaving a sting he soothes with the pad of his tongue. Her knees on either side of him, tighten in response and he groans when the heat of her presses down against his groin. Her hands slide from the curve of his shoulders to the nape of his neck. One hand slides up, weaving through thick curls, gripping them tightly, pushing his face harder against her. She tilts her head, giving him space to move up, to that juncture between her neck and shoulder. It tickles her, but she likes the way she can feel it from the base of her spine all the way to the tips of fingers.

Jude would be lying if she said she hadn’t known what she was in for, why she heeded his words when Cardan told her “Come find me,” in the midst of the revel. It had been some time between him being the center of attention and being long forgotten in the haze of smoke and wine. With his finger tugging at a lock of her hair, letting the strands lace around his knuckles before slipping through, with his eyes so transfixed on the motion, Jude thought, he’s absolutely blissed out of his mind.

He left before she could offer him an answer and when she had finally given in just moments later, weaving through the crowd to the room where she knew he’d be. He had a faint smile across his lips, knowing that she’d come. Cardan offered Jude his hand, and she hesitated only for a moment before she let him pull her between his legs.

Her hands had found their way to his arms, her chest getting tight against her clothes as she suddenly struggled to breathe properly. He tucked a stray tress of hair behind her ears, letting his fingers linger. His eyes at half-mast, stared at her with something more than lust, maybe – she guesses it was concern, though his question didn’t really sound like a question. “You know what you’re here for?” Teasing, she thinks, because his hushed tenor when he pulls her closer, when their bodies flushed and her heart beat so hard against his own — and for a moment, it seemed like one rapid rhythm had mended between them; had tethered them to each other – his soft words had felt like the beginning of a fire. Heat and smoke.

Then his hands were guiding her, positioning her against him, roaming her body and letting her roam his, forehead against hers when she bent at the right angle, lost in her eyes while his lips barely skimmed hers. She kissed him first and when he parted his mouth, it was all the friction needed to ignite a spark. She bit down on his lips, tasting red as much as she felt it. He pulled back in a gasp, eyes blown out, but perhaps it had been like so from the start. Still, hers all but mirrored his. Cardan's fingers fumbled, then grasped at his own attire; buttons on his shirt, buttons on his pants. His top was off before Jude could catch up to him, her brain muddled for a little more than a moment. Then, Jude leaned in again and there was a flame.

“Take it off,” he tells her now, tugging at the laces on the back of her dress, loosening them with ease and expertise. He leans back on his elbows, watching her pull the dress up and then toss it somewhere on the floor beside them. In that time, it seems Cardan has absently found something amass the sheets and pillows. A golden fruit he had bitten into earlier that had coated his lips iridescent and his tongue in poison. There’s liquid gold between his lips after he's taken another bite, and Jude’s a little entranced, not realizing she’d folded her arms across her bare breasts.

Cardan reaches and gently pulls at her wrist. There’s no resistance as Jude’s hands are placed on his chest. She hovers hover him, stray pieces of hair, dismantled from pins and jewels, curtain the two of them. She’s nervous now, “Cardan,” her lips mouth over his, tasting that sweetness again. He squeezes the fruit, letting the liquid drip over his knuckles and land against his skin between them.

“I’m right here,” he tells her quietly, tossing the apple before letting his hand wander up her spine, the other sliding through her hair, letting glimmering traces of gold speckle over her body. “Don’t be scared,” he paints the places he likes the most about her... spine, neck, chest, breast, navel - up again to her cheeks, nose, earlobe, then down to her thigh and the curve of her ass.

“I’ve.. I’ve never…” she feels dizzy by proximity of him, by juices seeping into her pores. She's unable to finish her sentence, can’t really recall where she had been going, but she knows for certain that she wants to taste his lips again, wants to lick the elixir right off of him. But a small part of her wonders if that would be okay, if she could handle more than just the remnant of what he had taken hours prior.

“Do you trust me?” He’s genuine this time, reading her easily. Jude realizes, maybe outside of this moment, the answer would be different. She nods her head in response. He presses her closer, and uses the hand at her back to slowly guide her hips against his. “Then you can taste me,” he tells her. “I’ve got you,” Cardan promises.

Her tongue darts out, lapping at his bottom lip without thought, slowly pulling it into her mouth. Cardan's hips lift and begin to move in tandem with hers, hands at her hips, guiding her in wave-like motions, pressing their bodies harder against each other until she cries out against his lips. His eyes flutter shut and his fingers leave indents in her skin. The scant material of her underwear is dampening against his pants, and she’s kissing him sloppily as she rocks against his hardening cock.

His lips are swollen when he turns them over, has her on her back while he takes a nipple into his mouth. She sucks in a breath, exhales a whimper. “Ah – ah, ahh…” losing her words, unable to think straight. She’s trying so hard to muffle her moans, paranoid the remaining revel party would hear, let alone even care. She bites down hard on her lip, and Cardan thinks it’s the most endearing thing he’s ever seen. His fingers squeeze at her other breast, twisting the pebbled nipple between his fingers, soothing the hurt with his thumb, then slowly traveling up her neck, over her chin and slips four fingers into her open mouth, helping her muffle herself, easing the hurt from her lips. She whines and spit dribbles down his ring adorned fingers. Her teeth bites down, but not harshly, and her tongue licks languidly at the sticky psychedelic.

Jude’s body thrashes in tight, mostly controlled movements, trying to cover more surface area, arching her back, buckling her legs over his waist, gripping his hair. Closer. He flicks his tongue and she sobs in rapture, silently begging him for more. His free hand holds her hip down, slides up and down her thigh until she releases him from her python grip, letting her legs fall against the mattress, spreading wide for his fingers to trace her nerves right to between her thighs. He licks off the remaining substance then his hand slips into her panties, two fingers slipping easily in her. She gurgles out Cardan’s name when his digits curl upwards and his palm presses down on her clit. Spit slides down the sides of her mouth, tears parallel from the corner of her eyes. She looks upward, finding swirls in the smoke, glitter in the air, stars in her eyes.

Her knees bend, soles of her feet pressing down firmly on the mattress, her hips lift in vain, breath coming concerningly fast. “It’s okay,” Cardan says now, “breathe,” he instructs her, “I know, Jude.” He takes her in, watching as her eyes gradually hone in on him, straining a pinkish color from the sting of whatever still permeates the air. They’re wet and wide and repeatedly losing focus as Cardan’s slowly thrusts his fingers in and out of her. “I know, Jude,” he whispers again, sweat beading along his skin, entranced with her every reaction. “I feel it too,” he promises.

“Cardan…” she manages, hands going to his wrist, holding on to it as he slides down her chin and collars her neck, all the while, she rocks against his other hand, finding a rhythm that makes her ache. Slowly, she hikes a leg up, fumbling to slip his pants down. His tail flicks against her skin, stopping her, holding her ankle tight and still. “Will it hurt?” she glances down, watching when Cardan takes pressure off of her pelvis and reaches to pull down his pants. His fingers glisten obscenely, coating the tip of his member as he strokes it slowly. He squeezes tightly, at the base, giving an already light headed Jude a visual comparison to go by. His hand slides up and down like a slow tease. Her hands begin to shake, “Cardan…?”

He strokes the tip between her folds and Jude’s stomach all but caves. Her body tenses, waiting for an intrusion that never really comes. Just a smooth teasing that has her twitching occasionally. “We’ll be good,” Cardan says in murmur of a slur, “So good,” he whispers, placating. His hand smooths down her pubic bone, thumb pressing at her clit.

“Ah –” Jude’s head lolls back, and she takes in a deep breath just as he enters, slowly, testing the waters at first before pressing all the way in. He’s slow at first, easing out of her tight grip whenever he pushes in. When she begins undulating her hips, he falls forward, encasing her with his body, beginning to move more nimbly. Her nails find his back, scraping skin between scars already healed over. He fucks her that much harder, forcing short little screams from her whenever he hits deep enough that her toes curl. She’s still fighting her vocality, still fixated on faeries in the halls, not aware that they won’t recall even seeing her slip past them the next day, won’t recall her entering the room Cardan had decided to occupy.

He grips at her hair, forcing her to look at him, driving into her harder. “Just me,” he manages, and whether she understands his proclamation, or she’s unable to hold back any longer, Cardan isn’t quite sure, but he’s so pleased when she screams out in bliss.

So fucking pleased, when she’s fighting her eyes to stay open, when she’s uttering a jumble of words next to his name, “Please, please, please…. more…Cardan …more…please…I – just…you…”

367 notes · View notes

court-of-forever-undone · 8 months ago

Text

Something Precious | Jurdan Baby Fic

Chapter Two

Summary : After three years of exile, Cardan is determined to bring Jude back home with him. When he arrives, the last thing he expects to find is a dark-haired toddler looking up at him.

Tags: Jurdan baby, Jude’s exile, Dad!Cardan

Masterlist

Read on AO3

Cardan made good on his promise to assign more guards. They kept their distance, but Jude noted their presence. At first, it was bothersome, but with the reminder of how dangerous it could be for a king’s heir, it was nice to have additional eyes watching out for Everly. At least she no longer had to worry about hiding her from Cardan.

Jude had replayed the entire conversation over and over in her head, trying to find any hint of a trick. But Cardan’s words left very little room for interpretation. There was still the matter of ruling together and returning to Elfhame, something she would deal with later.

A week after Cardan’s unexpected visit, a number of packages with various faerie children’s toys, beautiful clothing, and food arrived on their front porch. Most of the presents were for Everly, but Jude found several boxes with her name on them too, including a new sword. The hilt was exquisitely decorated with tiny rubies, and the guard was made of golden twin snakes. After testing it out during one of Everly’s naps, Jude found the balance was equally extraordinary to the design. Beautiful gifts were not going to sway her decision to return, but she could appreciate them. At the very least, she could consider it child support and reparations for her loss of station after being exiled.

A third week passed before Cardan sent a letter requesting to visit again. Jude considered the request. If she refused, Cardan could always show up anyway. It would be easier just to say yes, and truthfully, the little enjoyment she had found in her mundane human experience had dimmed since being granted an opportunity to go home. Grief that had subsided after so long ago came back and pitted in Jude’s stomach. If it were only her, she would have returned back with Cardan the night he showed up. She would have faced whatever difficulties that came with returning as they arose.

Her sweet child changed everything, though. Jude had lived a childhood in Faerie, and it had been filled with too many close calls. Whether motivated by hatred, politics, or on a simple whim, the fae were ruthless. Vivi pointed out that Everly was half-faerie and, on top of that, would be a princess; she surely wouldn’t be as vulnerable as Taryn and Jude had been. Oak had nodded in agreement when she brought her dilemma to them. However, neither of them were present every time she had witnessed attempts on Cardan’s life in just a single year.

It was a battle between what she wanted and what she knew was best. A worrisome mother against the calculated crown’s strategist. Two roles that were entirely foreign to her just a few years prior, but both so ingrained in her personality now, that it was hard to separate the two. Jude didn’t want to make her final decision just yet. So, for now, she was content to let Cardan visit and see how their daughter would take to him a second time.

Three days after she sent the letter, Cardan arrived around dawn, impeccably dressed but not entirely inconspicuous in his royal tunic and pants. By all accounts, he should look exhausted, given that it was well past sleeping hours in Elfhame. Yet, he greeted Jude at the door with a soft smile and another armful of gifts.

“Err.. Good morning.”

The tension between them was palpable. Enemies. Schemers. Lovers. Husband and Wife. They had been all of those things. After years of silence, they were … co-parenting?

Jude set the boxes down and led Cardan down the hall to the nursery. As they entered the room, Everly, awake and wearing her purple and black striped onesie, beamed up at them. She reached over to the bars and hauled herself up into a standing position.

“Mumma!”

“Hello, little one,” Jude cooed. She scooped the squirming child from the crib and held her out to Cardan, without second-guessing herself. He fumbled for a second as if he had been expecting only to watch, but quickly regained his composure and held her securely.

“Hi! Hi!” The child chanted over and over, excited to see another face during the morning routine. Jude stood back and watched the look on his face, similar to the one when he first held her. It was impossible to pinpoint the exact emotion he was feeling, but he clearly wanted to be there. Cardan rocked her gently as she babbled some and then used her chubby little hand to pull on his curls again. The third yank was hard enough to jerk his head, but Cardan only laughed and twisted his hair out of her hand before opening his palm to reveal seeds in his hands.

“Would you like to see a trick?” He asked. Slowly, the seeds began to bloom into vibrant wildflowers with an unnaturally strong perfume. The child’s eyes opened wide with amazement; her full attention turned to the magic at Cardan’s fingertips. His focus, however, remained on the child, taking in every detail.

“Fwowers!” Everly said, reaching to touch them. Cardan repeated the trick once more before Jude gestured for Cardan to follow her into the kitchen. She grabbed ingredients from the fridge and cupboard and laid them all out on the counter. Cardan, with Everly still in his arms, took a seat on the barstool across from her. She began preparing breakfast, taking extra care to cut the fruit into bite-sized pieces. Cardan, who never cooked a meal in his life, nor likely ever would, watched intently and nodded every so often as if making mental notes.

“For breakfast, she likes to eat strawberries and yogurt. I also give her some eggs that I make for myself.”

“Is that what you are making now?” He asked as Jude moved back and forth from the oven to the plates.

She nodded. “Sometimes, I give her a half piece of toast if she’s hungry. It all depends.”

“Depends on what exactly?” Cardan asked, having switched his attention briefly back to Everly, who began blowing bubbles with her mouth.

She shrugged, “I don’t know. Every day is different, but you just learn to read what she wants.” Jude moved around the kitchen bar and slid her arm around Everly, moving her into the highchair and placing the breakfast plate down. “Plus, she is talking so much more now, so it is easy enough just to ask.”

On cue, Everly said, “Tank youuu,” before shoving a berry into her mouth.

Upon making her own plate, Jude sat down next to Cardan, offering the carton of strawberries to him. They all ate in silence for a few moments, before Cardan spoke again.

“I’d like…” he began, “...to learn to know what she needs… and wants.”

A twist of guilt formed in Jude’s stomach. Devastation was written in the hard lines of his face. It pained him to know he had a daughter, who he functionally knew nothing about. Jude let the silence grow for another minute before she began listing off things about their daughter; She was born on March 13th. Her favorite foods were grapes and cheese. She hated carrots and would throw them across the dining room if they were on her plate. Her favorite toys were blocks and a rainbow unicorn stuffed animal. She had a nap after lunch around 12:30, and dinner was at 5. She always fell asleep in the car after playing at the park and always played with other kids. Once she had started crawling, she discovered how to play hide-and-seek on her own, and frequently tried to scare Jude after finding it hilarious the first time Jude jumped in surprise. She had developed Cardan’s coy smirk, purely from genetics. Some “only magic could explain” events had happened in recent months, so it was very likely that she possessed her father’s fae gifts.

The corners of Cardan’s beautiful mouth turned up with each tidbit he learned and was practically beaming when Jude started to tell stories about what it was like during the teething stages, when she took her first steps, and other moments where she acted so much like both of them. Jude let herself take in the small enjoyment of being able to share so many of the moments that she had experienced with their daughter alone. While she had often shared these things with her sister and little brother, it felt different sharing it with Cardan. Jude never planned to share Everly with Cardan, but things had changed dramatically over the last few weeks. The fact remained that she was their daughter, and it was something that would bond them forever.

Before either of them realized it, it was almost dusk. Cardan had followed her around through a typical day at home routine with a trip to the park, a nap, and he even helped with potty training and preparing dinner. Cardan held her when she was fussy and didn’t mind the occasional smack to the face when she got too excited and threw her arms out.

She shouldn’t be impressed. These were things she did every day, alone. If Cardan wanted to know his daughter, then he should have to participate in everything that went into being a parent. But Cardan grew up in a palace. He had maids and cooks. He was king . Every need was taken care of at a single command. In the castle, Everly would likely have a maid tend to her. None of the skills she was teaching him really mattered, but he learned them anyway.

Unless he thought she would never allow Everly back to the castle, and this was the only way he would get to see her. The thought made her feel a flurry of emotions.

Everly was fighting sleep as she watched Cardan’s magic light up and dissipate from his palm. As much as she was in awe of the colorful lights he created, her eyelids dropped lower and lower until she fell asleep in the crook of his arm.

“She is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Cardan murmured finally, brushing her dark bangs out of her eyes.

Jude rolled her eyes and laughed, “Well, she is the spitting image of you, so of course you’d think that.”

Cardan just shook his head, “I cannot deny we share the most obvious similarities, but when you look closely, she looks just like you.” He traced Everly’s tiny ear, much like he had with Jude’s that day lying in the grass. “She has your smile. Have you noticed?”

He looked back to Jude, who shook her head slowly. She had never noticed before. All she saw was Cardan in her beautiful features. Some days it had been a painful reminder of the past that she could never entirely escape. Their eyes met, and Jude noted the way Cardan’s eyes dropped to her lips before returning again. She mimicked the motion herself. His lips were as perfect as the rest of his features. Jude’s breath caught as she noticed Cardan had gone preternaturally still. Suddenly, the oxygen in the room had run out.

Meeting Everly had stolen the focus of their reunion. Without a moment by themselves, the true reunion between the former lovers ( and enemies ) had not yet happened. They needed to talk. They needed to be at each other’s throats; in violence or want, Jude wasn’t sure. It was standing at a precipice, balancing before that falling sensation that would be the future neither of them knew the outcome of yet. A future as united rulers, raising Everly in a loving environment was still a fever dream Jude wouldn’t let herself believe in.

Jude broke her eyes away first, jumping to her feet and walking over to the dresser to get her can of soda. The action gave her a moment to resume a normal breathing pattern again. When she returned, she reached for the baby, but Cardan pulled back ever so slightly.

“Would it be alright to hold her a few minutes longer? I haven’t got much time before I must go.”

Jude hesitated, shoving down the rage that boiled when he had moved away. She searched his face and found no malice in it, just a bit of exhaustion peeking up. A calming breath had her thinking rationally again. Nodding, Jude moved back to her original spot.

The king and queen sat quietly, watching the sleeping child, all the while ignoring the almost moment they had. After a few minutes, Cardan rose gently from the couch and carried the child to the nursery. He returned to the living room a moment later. “May I return next week?” Cardan asked.

“Next weekend is Halloween. We are going to be out for most of the day Sunday.”

Cardan looked puzzled for a moment before recognition hit. “The mortal holiday of candy and tricks? Such a day does not seem suitable for a babe.”

Jude laughed. Leave it to Cardan, who grew up in Faerie of all places, to think Halloween was dangerous. “It is hardly as dangerous as it sounds. It is mostly families who dress up in silly costumes and walk around the neighborhood getting candy.”

A spark lit in Cardan’s gaze. “Families?” he asked softly, “So… you intend to wear a costume along with Everly?”

Realization dawned on Jude, causing her to fidget. They still had not really established what type of dynamic they would have raising Everly. Being a “family” seemed too personal of a term, although they were bound together in more ways than one.

“Everly is going as a pumpkin. Vivi bought her the costume last week. I can show it to you if you’d like.” Cardan nodded, and Jude retrieved the costume from the closet. She handed it to Cardan, who held it gingerly. It was utterly adorable with its puffy bottom and matching hat. “Oak insisted that I dress up too, but I will probably just put on a witch hat.”

“Are you going with them?” Cardan set down the costume and walked to the door. He recognized her diversion for what it was.

“Yeah. Neither Oak nor Vivi have to wear their glamour on Halloween. So Oak is going as a devil, Vivi as a cat, and I think Heather is going as a mad scientist.” She trailed off as guilt washed over her in waves. The entire conversation felt wrong, especially when she knew what Cardan wanted. A different Cardan would have made demands and threats, but the three years she had been gone had changed him. He was more patient, more willing to give her space. She was waiting for something… for the cruel young boy she had known to make an appearance, but he wasn’t there.

Cardan took one look back towards Everly’s nursery door, before turning the handle and stepping out into the night. Sadness not well hidden on his face. Jude mentally berated him. He shouldn’t forget to wear a mask among his enemies otherwise they would take advantage of him and the kingdom. But... perhaps he didn’t bother because they weren’t enemies anymore.

“I’ll send a letter next-”

“You should come,” she blurted out.

Cardan turned to face her, equally shocked at her words. “I-” He starts, but Jude interrupts again.

“We are leaving at 4. You can wear a costume or drop your glamour, whichever you prefer. But…” she swallowed. “It would be nice for you to be there. Everly would like it if you were there.”

Heat burned across her cheeks. It was a silly thing to be embarrassed about. Cardan was Everly’s father. Parents go with their kids on Halloween. But the redness was not only from her words. Cardan was staring at her with an unrecognizable emotion. She met his gaze, and the intensity behind his eyes felt too intimate like it had on the couch. It brought up too many feelings that Jude had not allowed herself to feel in years.

Her lips parted, attempting to fill the silence that had grown too long when Cardan bent down and placed a chaste kiss on her warm cheek before saying his goodbye and leaving.

The spot where his lips had met her cheek continued to warm as she returned to the living room and threw herself face down on the couch.

________________________

Jude walked through the door into Heather’s apartment and was overcome with a thick wall of fall scents. The entire apartment had been decorated with Halloween and fall decorations. It looked like Heather and Vivi had not decided on a cohesive theme, as each room appeared to be at war with each other. Dismembered bloody figures were wrapped in glitter pumpkin-themed garland. Skulls lined the shelves and were accompanied by “Friends Gather Here” signs. It was utterly horrifying and amusing at the same time.

Everly didn’t mind and squealed at the string of purple and orange lights that covered the ceiling. She walked into the middle of the room where the lights were lowest and reached up for the lights. The child’s face exploded with joy when her little body was lifted into the air, close enough to the lights she could grasp them in her hands. Cardan had swooped into the room, drawn by the sound of Everly’s laughter, and lifted her above his head before Jude had a chance to track the movement.

“Good afternoon, my loves,” Cardan said while bringing Everly back down into his arms.

She smiled up at him, “Daaa.” The word was still unfamiliar in her mouth. Cardan looked to Jude for help. Without meeting his eyes, Jude walked over to them and smiled encouragingly.

“That’s right! This is Daddy.”

Everly repeated the word over and over, still missing the second syllable, but Jude continued to praise her as she had over the last week teaching it. Finally, she glanced up to meet his eyes and felt butterflies in her own stomach. Cardan’s cheeks had reddened, and silver lined his eyes. He continued to bounce her lightly in his arms and nod encouragingly. Any words that he might have spoken were cut off by emotion.

“I wanted to surprise you.” She said as a way of explanation.

Cardan nodded again, eyes glistening. He leaned over and gently pressed a kiss to Jude’s cheek, making it her turn to blush.

“Jude…” his voice came out hoarse. Before he could continue, the moment was interrupted by the rest of the house.

Oak ran over and hugged Jude, “Can we play together now?”

Jude looked to Cardan for the answer, and begrudgingly, he set her back on the ground. Taking her by the hand, Oak led Everly to his room, where the two often played together. Vivi had brought out two large steaming cups of cider and placed them in Jude and Cardan’s hands before Heather motioned for everyone to sit down in the living room. Heather took the beanbag chair and clasped her hands together.

“So, look at you too. Co-parenting like pros. I wish my parents did holidays together. Instead, I just had to celebrate every holiday twice, which I suppose wasn’t the worst thing in the world.”

A blush spread furiously across Jude’s face, and she refused to look in Cardan’s direction, but judging from his sudden stiffness, he too, was trying to process the comment.

Co-parenting.

Two twenty-somethings. High King and Queen of Elfhame. Parents of a two-year-old. Their lives had never been simple, but their current circumstances were especially new territory. Halloween was not the time to talk, but Jude wondered how much longer she could find an excuse to delay a conversation.

A half-hour later, the six of them left the apartment in search of candy. Cardan had managed to find a pumpkin costume himself in the short period he knew of their plans, but when he realized how unflattering he looked in it, he opted for an even more obnoxious orange suit instead, while Jude decided to wear a black skeleton costume.

With the King of Elfhame walking around in the open, Jude made sure to keep an eye on each and every ghoul, zombie, and vampire that crossed their path. Liliver and the Court of Shadows lurked, undercover and from the unsuspecting places around them, but Jude still kept vigilant herself. It was a taste of what their future would look like. Even as queen, she would still look out for Cardan and now their child too.

Everly didn’t make it long into Trick or Treating. Oak tried to walk with her up to each house, but her little steps made the process slow, and Oak’s excitement had him basically dragging her along after the first street. Eventually, Cardan swooped in and carried Everly up to each house, until her eyes dropped and she completely fell asleep.

Oak’s energy, on the other hand, was limitless, and it wasn’t until his bag was so full he had to resort to dragging the bag that he agreed to go home. Once it was time, Heather, Vivi, and Oak said their goodbyes and headed toward their house.

Cardan and Jude walked down the dark street and up to Jude’s apartment, remarking on the events of the evening. Once inside, Cardan helped remove the costume and wiped off the orange spots on Everly’s cheeks before laying her down in bed. She stirred for a moment before sleep took over once again. The two walked back to the entryway before Cardan interrupted the silence that had loomed over them.

“Are you coming home?”

There was no anger or sadness in his words. Rather, a carefully delivered question, not revealing any of his thoughts.

She considered the question. Yes, she wanted to. No, it was dangerous. How long before Cardan’s patience wore thin? How long before the desperation to return home would overtake her? How long before some enemy court found them here anyway with limited protection?

“It can’t just be about what I want anymore.”

A non-answer, but Cardan did not back down this time. “What does the mortal world have that makes it a better place to raise her?”

Jude’s brow furrowed. “Less would-be assassins or kidnappers, happy to snatch a royal baby.”

“I would like to remind you, that I survived a childhood in Elfhame utterly neglected and without any protection.” Jude started to object, but Cardan continued, “And that would not be the case with her. She will have all the protection our kingdom can offer.”

Jude didn’t miss the emphasis he had placed on “our” kingdom.

“Surely, someone will notice the rotation of spies and guards that are sent here, and our enemies will wonder why. We are being careful, but it is foolish to think someone won’t pick up on it. Not to mention, the risk we take with my absences.”

“Then stop coming.” The venomous words slipped out of her before she could stop them. The anger rising in her was from the truth of his words She had been foolish to think there was a way to continue this inbetween situation. They would either have to disappear again and cut off the connection to Cardan and the court completely, or they would have to return.

“I-” she began, wanting to take the words back. Cardan kept his features blank. His words were more clipped than before, the only reaction he would show to her words.

“I said before I want to be in her life, and I mean it. I want to be in both your lives,” he stressed. “I will not miss this time with her. And if you continue to live in the mortal world, I will not miss the limited time we have together.”

Jude flinched so violently that it was like an invisible blow struck her. He was right, though; she would keep aging in the mortal world, and Everly would only be a faction of the way through her long life before Jude passed from old age. The thought had her shaking slightly.

Her head emptied as he stalked up to her. It had her automatically stepping backward, pinning her back against the wall. His intensity didn’t waiver, but as he noted her body language, he took a small step back.

His eyes searched hers, despair burning his features. “I will have you however you decide. Rule me again as you once did. Take a lover if you won’t have me. But know, I will bend to your will with or without a bargain. Name your price, and I will meet it; just don’t torture me with your absence or delay any longer.”

A sob built in her throat; her words came out with unexpected anguish, “Cardan, I don’t want a new lover. I don’t need another bargain.”

This time, when he advanced, he did so slowly, and Jude didn’t move away. He brought his hand up to cup her cheek. It burned under his touch. Cardan gently tilted her head up until they were eye level, “Jude…” He closed his eyes in silent prayer before looking down at her again. Almost too quiet to hear, he whispered, “I just want you home.”

Her resolve had melted, and she didn’t have the strength to fight the truth anymore. She wanted to go home too, with Cardan, with Everly.

It was time to reclaim her throne and her life with the family she never could have imagined.

“Take me home.” The words were barely off her lips before Cardan’s mouth was crashing over hers. He wrapped his free arm around her as they continued the kiss, her hands gripping his tunic. Before long, their cheeks were damp with tears of joy and release from all the years of waiting.

"Take me home, Cardan," Jude murmured again, "Take us home."

Cardan only nodded before leaning in to kiss her again.

#jude x cardan #jurdan #cardan greenbriar #jude duarte #the cruel prince #tfota #the folk of the air #tcp #the wicked king #queen of nothing #just jurdan things #jurdan baby #tofta fanfic #jurdan parents #jurdan fic

57 notes · View notes

likecassandra-ao3 · 4 months ago

Text

the rumors are true... instead of focusing on my existing works I have a brand new fic on coming (probably) in july

#cass' little writing diary #ao3 #fanfic writing #house of the dragon #house of the dragon fanfic #fic: the queen of nothing #aegon x helaena #helaegon #helaena targaryen #helaegon nation i hope ur excited #getting a hyperfixation for yet another ship i don't actually ship #“from persephone” (alicent/daemon) is proud to welcome her little sister into the world <3

10 notes · View notes

jurdanhell · 2 years ago

Note

Okay so basically, I was re reading the chapter where Cardan asks Jude “and is it out of your system?” And Jude’s like “oh yea yea totally” sis, we all know that’s LIES 😂. I was just trying to imagine an alternate scene thinking.. what if she says no? Idk about anyone else but I think it would lead to basically chapter 15 part 2 so I was wondering if you could write a filthy something something 😂🥴 (like I mentioned before, no pressure)

I Will Know Nothing (Until I Know You)

Read it on AO3!

Word Count: 1,432

Rating: Mature

“And is it?" He asks. "Out of your system?”

I think of the blusher mushroom, the deathsweet, the wraithberry running through my veins with equal measure ferocity and instinct. We are alike in this way.

“No,” I say, because the indulgence of poison is one that I know greater than anything else.

I am unlearned at love and its making, but no matter how obvious that is to him, he does not let it show. Not when he guides my hands so carefully over him. Not when he redirects my nails to claw again at his back as he brings his mouth to the tender space just behind my ear. I suck my lip between the sharpest edges of my teeth, against the sound that rumbles in the back of my throat, because what this really is is a secret, and the more he knows is all the more he can use against me. I bite down on my lip hard enough to bleed.

The familiar sickness of poison roils through my gut, twinged with something else. A layer of sweat sheens over my skin and I am dizzy from the blood that rushes to my cheeks, my head, no doubt as diseased as what I’d ingested only earlier today. As infected as myself.

I tip my head back, again reminded of the things we’d done in that secret room behind the throne, and all the things we hadn’t. He brings his mouth to the hollow of my throat, pushing me back into the office in the Court of Shadows that I’ve taken as my own. He pauses only to push the door closed.

The dizzying absence from his hands on my skin leaves as quickly as it arrives, as though it was aware of how soon it would be replaced with another, equally intoxicating feeling.

Since my time in Faerie, I have grown very good at pretending. Pretending that my muscles do not sing from the acute pain from the swinging of my sword, pretending that it didn’t hurt every time I’d been made an example of being something lesser. Pretending that I do not feel as I do, hiding even from myself. I am not sure I keep the longing off my face, but with his hands drifting down the tie of my breeches, nose deep in the crook of my neck, I am not sure it matters.

Perhaps desire is like mithridatism, where I should be taking doses slowly, accumulating my body to the poison until it affects me no longer. Perhaps my overindulgence here will kill me as surely as any sharp blade.

It isn’t until he sinks down onto his knees, pushing the backs of my legs to the edge of the desk, mouth drifting across my navel that I decide that I do not care.

Religion in Faerie is scarcely discussed, brought up only with the slandering of poor fates and cursed as surely as any gambling man might blame the hand. There might have been gods, once, but anything infinite in an immortal mind is just as easily forgotten. But he slides my breeches down to my knees with such piety, pushing my legs apart with such reverence that I’m sure one of us has found it.

Something flutters in my chest as he brings his mouth to my center, looking up at me through his dark lashes. Not as though I ought to be the one praying, but as though this is the prayer. As though any noise I might make would make for choir, would carry the cadence of a hymn. He looks at me as though he means to memorize it, this moment. The shape of my very skin.

His hands move methodically against me, into me. There is strategy here yet, and I refuse to concede. I will not concede.

This time, I do not let my hands shake.

I bring one hand to his hair and knot my fingers so deeply I am not sure they will ever be free. I am not sure I want them to be. His tongue brushes flat against me, but it is the heat of his breath against my bare thigh that is my undoing. He moans my name against my skin, whispering dirty things I'm certain he would not say if his goal wasn't to make me give in. I will not give in.

I lean back against the desk, putting my weight on my elbow. I’m half-aware of something being knocked to the floor when he sinks lower to bring one of my legs over his shoulder.

There is an awful kind of pleasure in being granted what you’ve so desperately wanted, even if you’ve convinced yourself you didn’t. It seems we are both good at making terrible decisions.

This deep underground, it is too dark for plants to grow. There are no windows to allow moonlight to skim in, pooling like milk against the scarce furniture that was undoubtedly stolen for the home of thieves. That does not stop vines from snaking their way up the walls, cloying around any surface they can find purchase on. Surely, deep down in their making, they must know they were doomed to die the moment they sprouted. There is nothing for them here. No light, no water. No chance for survival.

That is what I tell myself as Cardan’s other hand slips beneath my shirt to palm at my breast. That is what I tell myself as I let him. There is no chance for survival. There is no way I would have survived this, anyway.

Maybe I can still take him down with me.

His finery is disarranged as I pull against his hair, beckoning him to his feet as I yank him roughly overtop of me, laying myself flat against the desk, my hair spilling over the edge. He looks dissatisfied, as though he were a cat whose cream I’d just stolen for no other reason than to be cruel.

I am, I know. But not for this.

His lips are swollen when I bring them roughly to my own, tasting myself from his mouth. It is a stupor that fills my lungs, my brain, working its way into my blood that controls me. My volition is not my own. I do not think it has been for a long while.

My hands go to his breeches, toying with the lace in the front, but not untying it. I do not know much, enough that he is aware of, but not so little that I am completely unknowledgeable. I refuse to think of the way he looked up to me, his mouth against the softest parts of my skin, drawing sensitive shapes with his teeth, his tongue.

A flower I do not recognize springs from the ivy that unfolds above us, a deep blue that might have been purple in the sun, trumpeting from its stem on the vine. Its yellow-white center does not shy away from the darkness of the room around us.

I move my hands to undo the buttons of his shirt with as much slowness as I can manage with his mouth working delicious cruelties over a soft spot on my neck.

The room is overcome with blooming buds in the darkness. One of my hands drifts over a knot of scars at his back, and I realize that it is not despite the darkness that they crest so fully, so openly, that it is in spite of it. That, maybe there is a kind of bravery in being so honest. In knowing the risks of a poison, and taking the plunge anyway.

He pushes himself against me in a way that is somehow more intimate than when we were both bare. It is not unlike when the clouds part from a silvered sky, letting the moonlight drink in the land, the faelights crashing up into the stars and melding into the air. Somehow, the unbrokenness of this moment is what is visceral, is so guarded by its profoundness that it will know nothing else. I am certain that when I open my eyes, I will see stars.

I am filled with a hatred so hot it warms me from the inside out, so bright that I might never truly be cold.

I hate that he is the one that makes me feel this way, and that the statement alone is as much honesty I can bare, even to myself. I am a coward.

My thoughts are splintering under the guiding action of his fingers, and I realize his clever poison is not simply along the sweat of his skin or tucked in between stolen kisses. It is in his words, his breath, and it is in me, too. And now, I am not sure I will ever be able to escape it.

Masterlist

i don't think i've ever written a first-person tfota fic. anyway i have absolutely nothing to say for myself. enjoy, sluts and whores <3

Tag List:

@cutekawaiihentaiboobies @cardan-greenbriar-tcp @slightlyrebelliouswriter23 @whoviantalibah @snusbandxknifewife @goddess-of-writing @storiesandschemes @thesirenwashere @aelin-queen-of-terrasen @andromeddea @clockworkgraystairs @hizqueen4life @highqueenjudeduarte @the-chick-of-the-air @dorkzrul @sassylunars @justabunchoffandoms @queenofgreenbriar @fandomfanatic987 @df3ndyr @brittneyal @woodsbeyond1 @clouds-and-peonies @mis-lil-red @firestarsandseneschals @b00kworm @bisexual-bibliophile @greenbumblebee @danaanruhn @acciomanorian @ireallyshouldsleeprn @vanessa172003 @janeslandrys @potterpasties @nahthanks @ahdiejajdjsiaksudjjssj @queen-of-demons-and-hell @thefolkofthefic @myunfortunatenightmare @reneereadsstuff @lordoftermites @figonas @aftg-tcp-soc4402 @dumble-daddy @greenbriarxrose @shadowhuntingdemigod @pollyaunt @kittkatandbooboo @savagelysarcasticsilence @romantic-loverr @teenyweenynightghost @bookcide

#i don’t know what to say for myself. so i simply won’t #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #the cruel prince #jurdan #tfota #the wicked king #the folk of the air #the queen of nothing #tcp #cardan #tfota fic #jurdan fic #jurdan smut #jurdanhellwrites

295 notes · View notes