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fantasyescapes17 · 1 year

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Closed Doors (Part 3, Final)

Soonyoung had made peace with his station in life. A younger son of a little-known family, he was not set to inherit a fortune and had nothing to recommend him but his bright personality. Nobody expected Soonyoung to make the match of the season. But when you- a woman with ties to the royal family and riches beyond his imagination, a Duchess in your own right- seeks Soonyoung's hand in marriage, his life begins to spiral entirely out of his control.

Genre: Hoshi x female!reader. Regency!AU. Your title is the Duchess of Graham but your first name is not mentioned.

Warnings: Not even remotely historically accurate. Much like Bridgerton, this is all about the aesthetic.

Word Count: 8.1k+

Part 1 Part 2

Series Masterlist [This is not the first installment in this series- it is strongly recommended to visit the Masterlist and read the installments in order as they are all interlinked and the timeline can be confusing.]

You awoke with the morning sun shining brightly in your eyes.

One of the maids had opened the curtains and cracked the window. There was a gentle breeze and you could hear birds chirping; the sounds and fresh smells of the countryside estate were much more pleasing than the smoke and noise of London.

You relaxed instinctively, knowing that you were home. It was warm under the covers and you sleepily sat up in bed and blinked at the maid.

“What time is it?” you asked her.

“It’s a quarter to eight, Your Grace. I thought perhaps you might want to sleep in, but since the Duke was already awake…” she trailed off with a giggle.

The drowsiness cleared and you suddenly remembered where you were. Not in your usual bedchambers, but in the bedchambers of your newly wedded husband, now the Duke of Graham. Your face grew hot as you remembered the events of the previous night. Soonyoung had surprised you many times since your first meeting, but the events of the previous night had perhaps been the most pleasurable surprise of all.

“Do you require anything, Your Grace?” the maid asked you, concerned. “If you are in any pain…”

You wrapped the bedsheets around you tightly and tried not to show your embarrassment.

“No- I… just help me dress, please. Where is the Duke?”

“In the master study downstairs, Your Grace. He has been there all morning.”

“All morning?”

“Yes, Your Grace. He was awake long before most of the servants had arisen.”

You were confused but kept your questions to yourself. You allowed the maid to help you dress and then went downstairs to the master study. This had been your late father’s favourite haunt, and although it was not as large as the grand library upstairs, it was still a luxurious room where your father had conducted most of his business meetings and matters of the estate.

The study door was slightly ajar. You could hear familiar male voices: Soonyoung, Mr. Johnson the estate manager, and one of his assistant bookkeepers.

“There are separate ledgers for the household and for the estate?” Soonyoung was saying in a slightly confused voice. “If I wanted to see a consolidated view of the overall finances-”

Mr. Johnson spoke up. “We reconcile everything on a quarterly basis, Your Grace. Those records are kept here. I would recommend viewing them separately, however, as the household ledgers only track expenses and outgoings and we report them here as a percentage of the gross income.”

Soonyoung sighed. There was a hint of frustration in his voice. “But that gross income is before you’ve provided for taxes?”

“Which taxes, Your Grace? The ones payable to the duchy or the ones payable to the Crown?” the bookkeeper asked patiently.

“Those are separate taxes?”

You knocked gently on the study door and pushed it open. Soonyoung was sitting behind the large mahogany desk, while various ledgers and volumes were open on the table before him. He was startled when he looked up and saw you. His ears promptly turned red and he jumped to his feet.

“Your Grace!”

The bookkeeper and Mr. Johnson also rose to greet you.

“Good morning, gentlemen,” you greeted them with a small smile. “Isn’t it rather early to be going through these tedious ledgers?”

Soonyoung rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “My apologies, Your Grace. I-I asked for Mr. Johnson to come. I wanted his help to better understand the matters of the estate.”

It was certainly unusual behaviour, but as with everything Soonyoung did, you could see his innocence and good intentions shining through. His eyes were bloodshot. If the maid was to be believed, Soonyoung had been here grappling with the ledgers since half past five in the morning. The new Duke of Graham evidently did not shy away from hard work. You felt a sudden rush of affection for this man, your husband, and his dedication to his new role.

“Perhaps we might adjourn for breakfast?” you suggested lightly.

Soonyoung nodded and hastily closed the ledgers before coming over to you. “Yes, yes, of course.”

“Shall we eat in the gardens?” you asked Soonyoung, who gave you a sudden handsome smile that made your heart skip a beat. You bit your lip and turned to the other gentlemen. “Thank you for coming on the Duke’s request, Mr. Johnson. I will ask the staff to arrange breakfast for you and your assistant in the parlour.”

Mr. Johnson nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

Soonyoung offered you his arm and you took it before leaning closer to him. It was a strange and thrilling feeling to be so near him. While there was little reason to feel shy after the events of last night, you still enjoyed the subtle contact of your hand resting on his elbow. It was an innocent gesture, but now that Soonyoung was your husband, it felt far more meaningful.

The sight of his soft smile left a strange but pleasant feeling in your stomach.

The servants had set out your breakfast in the garden and Soonyoung blinked, squinting in the bright morning sunlight as you both stepped outdoors. The gardens were large and beautifully maintained with flower beds, water fountains, and artfully shaped hedges.

“This estate is even more beautiful by day,” Soonyoung said honestly.

You bit your lip. “Something you might have discovered sooner if you had not shut yourself in the study on your very first morning here,” you replied.

Soonyoung looked apologetic until he noticed the soft smile on your face. You did not appear angry, so he relaxed.

"I apologise if I worried you, Your Grace."

“I was only surprised. Was going through the estate ledgers so much more exciting than having breakfast with your wife?”

Soonyoung flushed. "No, I only…"

You smiled at him gently. "Yes?"

"As a second son I never took an interest in matters of the estate or business in my own family. Now I find myself the Duke of a duchy with a history and genealogy that goes back hundreds of years…" Soonyoung paused and bit his lip as he looked down at his teacup with a heavy sigh. "I only hope I can be what the title requires me to be."

You felt a sudden burst of affection for the man and you reached across the table to place your hand on top of his.

"Soonyoung."

"Yes?"

"I want you to know that you are not alone. I am genuinely grateful for the effort you are putting in," you told him honestly.

Soonyoung smiled in relief. "Thank you, Your Grace."

"Shall we eat?"

It was a pleasant breakfast in the fresh morning air. Soonyoung seemed in awe of everything; from the breakfast spread to the perfectly maintained flower beds. Soonyoung polished off his meal enthusiastically while telling you about the childhood he spent in the countryside.

"I'm sure our estate wasn't even a quarter of this size," he admitted. "I don't remember much about it. I was sent off to boarding school and then the Royal Naval Academy fairly young, and I spent my summer breaks in London."

You blinked at him. "But the Viscount said he first met you in Oxford?"

He coughed, looking rather embarrassed. "Yes- I attended Oxford for about a year. It was fun; I made friends but I was bottom of the class and it was quite evident by the end of the first year that I was not about to become a barrister or a doctor. I thought I had best cut my losses, and transfer to the Royal Naval Academy."

"Were you drawn to the navy by a sense of adventure?" you asked with a smile.

Soonyoung chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "A boyish sense of adventure? I suppose so. I was certainly more motivated by the thought of defeating enemy warships than being called to the bar. I wanted to do something exciting, so I will not pretend that I was pleased to learn sailors are more likely to die from scurvy or drowning than at the edge of an enemy combatant's sword."

"Is there much sword-fighting in the Navy?"

He grinned at you sheepishly. "There was plenty in my fantasies."

You could not help but smile back at him. "It seems I must apologise, then, for depriving the Crown of a potentially heroic naval captain to defend our stormy seas."

"Considering the number of times I had to retake the lesson on using a sextant to navigate at sea, I am sure the Crown is quite grateful to you for keeping me on solid land, Your Grace," Soonyoung replied humbly.

"Oh- I have always wanted to learn how to use a sextant," you said brightly. "It's a funny little contraption, is it not?"

Soonyoung chuckled as he sipped his tea. "Fiddly little things and awful to use. I was horrified when I went to the academy and learned that ships did not just sail blindly into the vast unknown, and marine navigation involved an overwhelming amount of mathematics and nautical charting," he admitted.

"You expected more sword fighting?"

"I expected less calculating."

"Well," you said with a smile as you sipped your tea, "I am sorry that you are forced to do some calculating here. I noticed that you were going through the ledgers this morning. What prompted you to rise at daybreak on your first day and undertake that particularly painful task?"

Soonyoung blushed. "You will laugh if I tell you."

"Only if you say something funny."

“I- I woke at dawn and I could not sleep,” he admitted. His ears were slightly red. “I went out for a drink of water, but I wandered down the wrong hallway and found myself in what I now understand to be the ancestral gallery? It was a long hallway filled with portraits of your ancestors who all stared down at me disapprovingly from the walls. It struck me that I was responsible for continuing their legacy, and I did not relish the idea of having to face them if I hadn’t done everything in my power to uphold the glory of their duchy. I became quite anxious, so once I had escaped the gallery, I asked to meet the estate manager immediately.”

The corner of your lips twitched noticeably.

Soonyoung pouted at you. “You promised that you would not laugh, Your Grace!”

“I promised no such thing,” you replied, but you could not help but let out a giggle at the thought of the poor Duke wandering around the manor at dawn. “But I will not laugh at you. I will only make one observation.”

“That is?”

“Many of these ancestors you saw in the portrait gallery were drunkards, gamblers, and adulterers. I assure you that there is nothing particularly grand or glorious about most of them. They were simply rich men. I do not think you shall find it incredibly difficult to outshine them, Your Grace,” you told him. “Honestly- the only prerequisite to be added to that gallery is to stay alive long enough to produce an heir that will put up your portrait once you are gone.”

Soonyoung almost choked on his tea. “Yes- an heir, of course.”

You bit your lip and avoided his gaze. “There is… no particular urgency on that front.”

“Right.”

“Shall we take a tour of the manor, then, to prevent Your Grace from losing your way and encountering more anxiety-inducing portraits?”

Soonyoung smiled. “Yes, let’s.”

Over the course of your first day as Soonyoung's wife, you were surprised by how pleasurable you found his company. Soonyoung was not suave or charming in the style of men like Viscount Hong, nor did he possess the bold confidence or pride that were often considered desirable among the male sex.

No. Soonyoung was different. He was kind, he was honest, and he was humble. You had never met a man quite like him. You had never met a man that you wanted, more than anything in the world, to love and trust with all your heart.

It was a long day but time spent with Soonyoung went by in a flash. You showed him around the manor, the gardens and the creek and told him about your family and childhood and the estate. Soonyoung listened to you intently. He hung onto your every word and although you had always been a quiet and reserved person, you found yourself speaking more than you usually did, opening up to him, and even laughing.

Your maid, Rosie, noticed the lingering smile on your face as she helped you dress for bed later that night.

"If I may say something, Your Grace…" Rosie began shyly as she combed through your hair.

You blinked up at her in the mirror. "Yes?"

"We were all quite worried, Your Grace, when we heard that you had married in London so suddenly- and to a man with no fortune, even Mr Johnson thought perhaps Your Grace was being taken advantage of…"

You looked up at her defensively. "I may be a woman but I am not an idiot, Rosie."

Rosie flushed. "Of course not, Your Grace! I see that now… I think we all understand why you married the Duke."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Well… pardon me, Your Grace, but you haven't been yourself since the late Duke passed. You've become so quiet and withdrawn and we were rather worried. But since yesterday… well, old Mrs. Minnie in the gardens was saying that she couldn't remember the last time she saw you smiling so brightly."

You pursued your lips in embarrassment. Was it so obvious, even to the servants? You had always been careful not to reveal your true feelings too much, to mask your emotions behind a practised smile. But if even the servants could see that Soonyoung had such an effect on you…

The thought was strangely both comforting and scary.

There was a knock on your door. One of the servants opened the door and poked her head in. She seemed to be stifling a smile.

"Your Grace? The Duke is here for you. We found him wandering the upstairs hallways."

"Of course, please let him in. Are you done, Rosie?"

Rosie released your hair with a smile. "Of course, Your Grace. Good night."

The servants left while hiding their giggles, and Soonyoung entered your room with flushed cheeks. He was holding a bottle of wine- the same bottle, you realised, that you had brought to his room the previous night and left unfinished. He glanced awkwardly at the door that the servants exited from.

"That is the second time one of the servants caught me lost in the manor," he said, embarrassed. "I think they are all laughing at me. I had forgotten where your bedchambers were."

You smiled at him. "Shall I draw you a map?"

"I would probably lose the map as well," Soonyoung joked. He stepped closer to you and revealed the bottle in his hand. "Can I tempt you with a glass of wine before bed? We never finished this one last night."

You nodded. "Of course."

It was a strange sort of intimacy; comfortable and yet still exciting, to crawl under the covers with Soonyoung as he poured you a glass of wine. He lit a cigar with your permission. You ordinarily disliked the smell of tobacco, but oddly, you did not mind anything much when you were with Soonyoung.

Sipping the wine, you patiently answered his questions about the estate and the dukedom. You had been handling most of the important matters yourself for many months now; particularly since your father's illness had him bedridden.

"It must have been very difficult," Soonyoung said gently, "taking care of the estate while you were worried about your father's health."

You looked down at his fingers entwined with yours and sighed. His touch was warm and comforting.

"It was not easy," you confessed. "I lost my mother very young and my father was all I had. I was never a very social person. Without a mother or a sister to chaperone me I… I never even spent much time in society or at balls."

Soonyoung was quiet, but you could tell that he was listening.

"I had always felt alone, but it wasn't until my father passed that I realised how alone I really was," you continued. "He had wanted me to marry before he died but his health became worse suddenly…"

Soonyoung squeezed your hand.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

You bit your lip. You had never spoken to anyone about this before and it felt almost cathartic to confess it all to Soonyoung.

"The day after my father died, all the vultures descended."

"Vultures?" Soonyoung asked, confused.

"One of my father's oldest friends- a nobleman more than twice my age- proposed marriage to me before my father had even been properly buried. When I refused him, he was furious. Another came to the funeral and told me that as a lady I couldn't possibly manage the duchy and that if I signed it over to him, he would take care of it for me and give me an allowance."

Soonyoung stared at you in disbelief.

"Monsters," he mumbled.

Your lower lip trembled. "There were more offers… some cruder than others. I began to realise that as long as I remained unmarried, I would continue to have a painted target on my forehead. But I had nobody to trust. That was when I finally reached out to Viscount Hong."

Soonyoung blinked. "But he is happily married."

You nodded. "That made it easier to trust him. I knew the Viscount from my youth, of course, but plenty of people that I knew from my youth had since revealed themselves to be untrustworthy. Viscount Hong was the only person who did not want anything from me and genuinely treated me as a friend. That is why I could confide in him. I sought his help to find a husband."

Soonyoung finished his glass of wine and then turned to look at you- his gaze was a little unfocused and you realised that he had drunk too much of the wine. The bottle lay empty on the bedside table.

"Wouldn't you rather have married him instead?"

Your eyes widened. "Soonyoung!"

His lower lip stuck out, almost in a pout as he leaned his head against one of the pillows lazily. His tone was contemplative. "It's hardly outrageous. Viscount Hong is rich, handsome, very charming…"

"And as you pointed out yourself, quite happily married," you protested.

"But you must have considered it?"

You blinked down at your husband. He did not seem angry; his eyelids seemed heavy but he forced them open to look up at you. It was genuine curiosity in his eyes and you felt obligated to answer him with honesty.

You sighed. "I will admit that I considered Viscount Hong quite handsome when we were younger- although I dare you to find a young lady in the ton, married or single, who did not feel the same way about him at some point. He is quite attractive but no, I do not think I ever seriously considered marrying him."

"Why not?"

"I am not sure we would have suited each other."

"But you thought I suited you?"

You looked down at Soonyoung. His cheek was pressed against the pillow and his face was flushed. It had been a long day; he was clearly struggling to stay awake and his voice was beginning to sound slurred.

"I did," you replied quietly.

"Why-why did you marry me?" he mumbled.

You took a deep breath. Frankly, you were surprised that Soonyoung had not asked you this question much, much sooner. It had quite clearly been on his mind. Stranger yet was that you dreaded being asked this question- it forced you to confront feelings that you were not sure you were ready to face.

"I-"

There was a soft snore from the pillow. You looked down in surprise- Soonyoung had fallen asleep. His mouth was still slightly open and his face flushed. You giggled and leaned down to kiss his soft cheek.

"Good night, Your Grace."

—----------------------------------------------

The first few weeks of your 'honeymoon period', as many called it, with Soonyoung were perhaps some of the happiest days you had ever spent. The Graham manor (a place that had never been a source of much happiness for you, and had become a source of misery since your father's death) was suddenly lit up by Soonyoung's mere presence.

He resolved to learn about the estate. You discovered that, despite his seeming lack of confidence, Kwon Soonyoung could do anything if he set his mind to it. There was a steely determination that seemed to overtake him when it came to matters of the estate and dukedom.

Even Mr. Johnson, the stiff and difficult-to-please estate manager, admitted to you that he was impressed with the way Soonyoung had taken charge of the dukedom.

"His Grace insisted upon meeting the peasants himself," Mr. Johnson told you in confidence. "I assumed it was a vanity trip; some of the noblemen like to lord their wealth before the commoners. But His Grace actually walked through the fields instead of taking his carriage and spoke to each of the peasants individually to understand their troubles."

You blinked in surprise. "Did my father ever do that?"

Mr. Johnson chuckled. "No. The late Duke would make the peasants travel up to the manor if they had complaints and to submit their taxes. It took them all day- and meant that they couldn't tend to the fields."

"This way is better, then."

"Personally, I think some distance between the common folk and nobility should be maintained," Mr. Johnson said stiffly. "Yet I cannot find it in me to fault His Grace's methods. The other day, he resolved a land dispute that some of the peasants have been having for years… I wish I had been there to see it, but I was not at the site. It seems he convinced them to come to a mutual settlement."

You blinked. "How?"

"I wish I knew. He mediated it himself- they have come to accept His Grace's authority even in such a short time."

You were surprised as well. As the Duchess, you were hardly disliked but it had been ingrained in you from a young age to keep your distance from the peasants and be and be wary of everyone and everything.

You were respected- but Soonyoung was beloved. He had such an amiable nature that in a matter of months, almost everyone in the duchy had fallen in love with him.

You were no exception.

From the peasants, to the villagers, to the servants at the manor… everyone agreed that the new Duke of Graham was nothing short of a bright ray of sunshine.

Soonyoung's dedication to his new role as Duke did not mean that he was any less dedicated to his role as a husband. He spent his evenings solely with you. You shared long walks in the gardens and often indulged in some wine before bed. Separate bed-chambers were not uncommon among married couples of the nobility, but you and Soonyoung had never felt the need for them.

"We shall have to return to London soon," you told him one morning over breakfast as you both perused the post. "Her Majesty has specifically asked me to join her court now that I am married, and you will need to take your place in court among the other Dukes as well…"

Soonyoung blinked at you in surprise. "Has the Queen really written to you personally?"

You bit your lip. "She has always taken a personal interest in me. My mother was quite close to the Queen; she would not have issued the decree which allowed me to keep the title otherwise. I cannot risk offending Her Majesty."

Soonyoung nodded. "Then we shall return as Her Majesty commands."

You suddenly felt anxious. "Maybe it was foolish of me, but I did not invite many Dukes and Earls to our wedding. At least not the vultures. They are certainly upset at my decision not to marry any of them, and I am worried they may be unpleasant upon our return-"

Soonyoung reached across the table and placed his hand on yours gently.

"It will be fine. We will handle it together."

You smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you, Soonyoung."

"When do we leave?"

"In two days."

—----------------------------------------------------

You were miserable as the carriage approached your London manor and you felt the familiar thickness of the city air.

The court, the ton, and the intricate politics and pettiness of elite society had never been to your taste. You were by no means bad at it. Putting on a fake smile and pandering to society was a skill you had mastered early on in life, but it gave you almost no pleasure.

You would have stayed at the estate with Soonyoung forever, if only it was possible.

"Your Grace!" the butler greeted you politely as you stepped into the familiar luxurious manor and the servants rushed to carry your belongings inside. You turned- but the butler was addressing your husband. "There are a number of letters here for you."

Soonyoung took them and frowned as he rifled.

"Letters already?" you wondered.

"I wrote ahead to some of my friends that I was returning to London," Soonyoung admitted shyly. "Mr. Kim wishes to know when I will come by the gentleman's club for a game of cards. Viscount and Viscountess Hong have invited us to a dinner party on Saturday. And this is from… who is the Duke of Kent?"

You winced. "A disgusting old fellow."

"He invites me to join him on a hunting trip tomorrow with some other gentlemen," Soonyoung replied. He looked at you sheepishly. "I… am not particularly good at hunting."

You waved a hand dismissively. "Neither is the Duke of Kent."

"I suppose I should accept his invitation then. Perhaps Mr. Yoon will give me some tips about using a shotgun beforehand…" Soonyoung muttered thoughtfully, as he walked away to find an ink and pen to answer the invitations.

You felt a strange anxiety in the pit of your stomach.

"Soonyoung…"

He paused. "Yes, dear?"

"I know I have said this before, but some of these Dukes can be very unpleasant and manipulative, and I…" you trailed off, not sure how to explain yourself.

You were worried for him. You were worried at the thought of your kind, caring husband alone with those manipulative noblemen who had decades of experience in the art of politics and under-handedness. Soonyoung's expression softened as he came back to you and leaned down to place a soft kiss on your forehead.

"Do not worry, Your Grace," he said gently.

"I will not be able to join you hunting, I am required to meet with the Queen tomorrow," you reminded him.

"As you must."

Soonyoung seemed more confident. Perhaps his success at managing the duchy and popularity with the peasants had left him feeling more comfortable about his position as a Duke. Yet, you could not help but feel that your husband was about to be thrown in the lion's den unprepared.

You had supper together before going to bed. As was common, the enormous London manor had separate bedrooms for the Duke and Duchess but Soonyoung always found his way to your bedroom after dark. On your first night in London, he arrived much later than usual, after you had already settled under the covers.

"I got lost," Soonyoung mumbled to you in apology as he blew out your candle and slid under the covers beside you. His arm wrapped around your waist as you giggled.

"Lost, again?"

He huffed, pressing his cheek to your shoulder. "This is my first night at the London manor. It took me over a month to find my way around the manor at the estate. Now I must acquaint myself with a completely new building full of winding corridors."

You giggled. "I'll have the butler draw you a map in the morning. Good night, Your Grace."

"Good night."

—-----------------------------------------------------------

Soonyoung left for his hunting trip at dawn and you had to leave soon afterwards for your engagement with the Queen. Her Majesty received you warmly in her tea parlour with some of the other ladies-in-waiting, and her sharp eyes scanned you as soon as you had taken your seat.

"You look different, Duchess," the Queen told you bluntly.

You bowed politely. "Do I, Your Majesty?"

"Yes. Marriage suits you. I can't be the first person to have told you this. I have seen excellent young ladies destroyed by entering into the wrong marriage, and it pleases me to see that this does not seem to be the case with you. Tell me; are you happy?"

You bit your lip and nodded. "I am, Your Majesty."

"We could have found you a Prince, you know."

You smiled at her graciously. "I am very grateful, Your Majesty. But I have a responsibility to my dukedom and my title- I could not abandon my family heritage to become a Princess."

The Queen nodded and sipped her tea. One of the other court ladies- the Countess Harrison- took the opportunity to speak.

"Our dear Duchess is, as always, thinking about responsibilities that are not hers to bear," the Countess Harrison said with a titter. "Perhaps it is time you left your dukedom to the men and learned something from the other ladies about womanly responsibilities."

You sighed. You had long learned to pick your battles carefully with the court ladies.

"And what are these womanly responsibilities, Countess?" you wondered.

The Countess giggled. "Why, of course; bearing sons to continue the noble bloodline! Surely your family will not petition Her Majesty again to allow you to pass the title onto someone else, simply because you did not bear enough sons?"

"Enough sons?" you asked. You were not taking her conversation seriously at all- frankly, you were more interested in the lemon cakes being served than anything the Countess had to say.

"But of course! You must have enough sons. Children sometimes die prematurely, it is an unfortunate reality."

You stirred some sugar into your tea. "So fear of your children dying is the reason your husband has sired so many bastards? If little Jonathan should die of fever, then at least your maid's bastard son can take over the Earldom. The continuation of the noble Harrison bloodline may depend upon it," you remarked coolly.

The Countess flushed a furious shade of red. Some of the other court ladies giggled. They were no friends of yours, but they also did not have much loyalty to each other.

The Queen looked at you with a friendly twinkle in her eye.

"Now, now, Duchess. We are all delighted to see you happily married, but you must not be so mean to our Countess here," the Queen said lightly. Her tone was playful.

"My apologies, Your Majesty," you said half-heartedly.

The Queen rose. "I wish to step outside onto the balcony. Accompany me, Duchess."

It was a statement and one that silenced the other court ladies immediately. The Queen had never been shy about the fact that you were her favourite court lady. Your mother had been her close personal friend, and despite their best efforts, none of the other court ladies had been able to wriggle their way into the Queen's good books quite like your family.

You offered your arm to the Queen, who led you outside to the balcony and called for her snuffbox. Then she turned to you with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you remember what I told you when you arrived in London a few months ago- after your father's death?" the Queen asked.

You bit your lip. "Of course, Your Majesty. You told me that as a Duchess, nothing could come before my duty to the title and my dukedom, and that I would have to make my decisions carefully."

The Queen nodded. "Do you think it was sound advice?"

"I do, Your Majesty."

"Have you followed it?"

You hesitated and the Queen's sharp eyes did not miss the look on your face. She glanced back at the parlour where the court ladies were still having tea and then raised an eyebrow at you.

"I-I have tried, Your Majesty," you replied.

"Then you should have no problem telling me why you chose to put your entire family's legacy in the hands of a poor second son without a penny to his name."

You swallowed.

"Well?" the Queen asked. "Can you?"

"... I cannot."

—-------------------------------------------------------

You were drained of energy by the time you returned to the manor. The butler informed you that your husband had still not returned from his hunting trip, and that he had sent word for you to have supper without him.

You ate and went to bed but somehow, you could not sleep alone. You had become too used to Soonyoung's warm body against yours. He always tucked you in close to him with an arm around you and his soft and steady breathing was what helped you sleep. Without him, the room was too silent.

You waited for Soonyoung to return, but the clock struck midnight and he was still not back. You wrapped a robe around yourself and went downstairs.

The butler ran to you."Do you require anything, Your Grace-"

"Had the Duke still not returned from the hunting trip?" you demanded.

The butler looked confused.

"His Grace returned a few hours ago. He was tired and went straight to his bedchambers."

You blinked and nodded before dismissing the butler. Perhaps Soonyoung was too tired to risk getting lost in the manor in search of your room, and had gone to sleep in his own bedchambers. You went back upstairs and hurried to the bedchamber that you knew to be your husband’s.

You knocked on the door. "Soonyoung?"

There was no response. You turned the handle.

It was locked.

An unsettling feeling came across you. You could not think of why Soonyoung would lock the door to his bedchamber. You often had to remind him even to just close the door- he had a careless habit of leaving doors completely ajar.

There were footsteps on the stairs. Some of the servants were awake, and you decided to return to your own bedchambers instead of causing a scene.

—----------------------------------------------------

You awoke to find Soonyoung had already left the manor. The butler informed you that the Duke had gone to visit his friends Mr. Kim Mingyu and Mr. Lee Seokmin, and would be back in time to accompany you to the dinner party at Viscount Hong's.

You tried not to read too much into it. Soonyoung had lived in London for a long time, and his friends were undoubtedly eager to meet him upon his return.

You wondered if you would have had an easier time making friends if it had not been for your title.

You kept yourself occupied for most of the day with your correspondence and answering invitations that flooded in from members of the ton who had learned you were back in London. The social season was drawing to a close and there were plenty of balls and events crammed into the next week. You could not possibly attend them all, nor did you wish to.

Soonyoung finally returned in the evening. The carriage waited outside to take you both to the Viscount's home, and you smiled in relief at the sight of your husband.

"Soonyoung!" you greeted him warmly. "I did not see you last night. How did the hunting trip go?"

Soonyoung grimaced as he helped you into the carriage. "I couldn't shoot anything," he told you honestly. "But neither did the Duke of Kent so at least I was not the worst hunter there. The Viscount shot a rather plump pheasant."

"Viscount Hong was there?"

"Yes, thankfully," Soonyoung muttered. You eyed your husband anxiously as the carriage took off. He was quiet, but it was not entirely unusual for Soonyoung to sometimes be more quiet and withdrawn. He often did it when he was focusing, or thinking deeply about something.

"Did you enjoy your morning with Mr. Kim and Mr. Lee?" you asked lightly.

Soonyoung nodded. "Oh-yes."

"What did you do?"

"We only played cards and talked about how they've been during the last few months. I didn't bet much money on the cards," he added quickly.

You blinked, confused. "I am not worried about you gambling, Soonyoung."

He flushed. "Yes- of course."

The carriage arrived at the Viscount's grand manor and you both descended. Soonyoung offered you his arm and you took it.

The Viscount and Viscountess were waiting to greet you at the entrance. Viscount Hong smiled, while his wife embraced you and congratulated you and Soonyoung warmly on your marriage. They guided you to the drawing room where about ten or eleven other guests were already gathered. You saw the Earl Harrison, the Duke of Kent and some of the other unpleasant old noblemen along with their wives.

"Perhaps we should have looked more closely at the guest list before accepting this particular invitation," you mumbled to your husband. Soonyoung did not smile or agree with you. His expression was grim and he seemed uncomfortable. .

"Ah; the new Duke and Duchess of Graham!" the Earl Harrison greeted you loudly. You forced a smile. He was a disgusting man with a reputation for sleeping with his servants, and you had no respect for him.

"Earl Harrison," you replied politely.

"We had the pleasure of hunting with your husband just yesterday. Rather unfortunate that you did not enquire whether he could handle a shotgun before you married him!"

You felt Soonyoung stiffen beside you and gave the Earl a sharp look.

"I did not consider proficiency with a shotgun to be one of my primary requirements in a husband, sir," you replied coolly.

The Earl raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? Well, it leaves one to wonder…"

"Wonder what, exactly?" you demanded.

"Why you married him, of course."

You felt a burst of irritation. You were normally much better at controlling your anger and keeping calm, but the Earl's snide remarks about Soonyoung wound you up more than they should have. Your jaw clenched but before you could respond, the Viscount and Viscountess inserted themselves into the conversation.

"Earl Harrison!" the Viscountess said with a kind smile. "You must allow the Viscount to show you his new hunting rifles in the gallery. Perhaps you would be interested as well, Your Grace?"

You were furious but the Viscountess was the master of smoothing things over. She quickly ushered the gentlemen into the gallery to look at the rifles, and then took your arm and pulled you aside.

"Are you all right?" the Viscountess asked you gently.

You nodded. "Thank you."

She sighed. "I am afraid Earl Harrison forcefully wrested an invitation to tonight's dinner from Joshua yesterday. I did not want to invite him at all, especially after I heard what he was saying about you and the Duke during the hunting trip."

You stiffened. "What has he been saying about myself and the Duke?"

The Viscountess looked upset. "Nothing of any substance, only some nasty remarks about why you might have married the Duke. It's all baseless, really, everyone knows that-"

"Has he been saying these things in front of the Duke?"

The Viscountess bit her lip. "I do not know."

"I want to know what he is saying."

She sighed. "I am really not sure that you do…"

The Viscountess was a lovely woman, and the last thing you wanted was to create a scene in her home. But you were angry; you needed to know what this foolish Earl was running his mouth about. You had tolerated his insults long enough, and you would not allow him to insult your husband as well.

You went into the gallery where a number of gentlemen were gathered looking at the Viscount's new hunting rifles. Earl Harrison was standing a short distance away and talking to the Duke of Kent. He made no attempt to even lower his voice.

"-women have too much power these days, I tell you. Outrageous that the Duchess should have been given a title at all. That calculating wench knew that if she married one of us, she would be put in her rightful place immediately. So what does she do? Marries a poor man without connections or a fortune so that she can control him like a puppet!"

The Duke of Kent laughed. "Naturally, naturally. She wanted a young man she could keep under her thumb. The poor Duke does not realise she is emasculating him entirely. Pathetic excuse for a man."

You saw red.

How dare they? How dare these disgusting men stand there and say these vile things about you and your husband in public? Had they said similar things within earshot of Soonyoung?The thought made your blood boil

"Would you like to repeat that so that I can be sure what you are saying?" you demanded loudly.

The room fell silent. All conversation ceased.

Soonyoung and the Viscount Hong were standing a few feet away, and you saw your husband watching you with wide eyes.

"W-what?" Earl Harrison sputtered.

"I asked if you would like to repeat yourself," you said coldly. "Surely I must have misheard you. Surely you could not have been standing here and openly insulting the Duke and Duchess of Graham, who outrank you in every possible way. That would be a very foolish thing to do, don't you agree?"

The Duke of Kent smiled abominably. "My dear Duchess, you must not go into hysterics-"

"Then perhaps your and the Earl should avoid giving me reason to go into hysterics, Your Grace. Or have you forgotten who is the Queen's close confidante? Who receives letters and invitations to tea from Her Majesty personally? Allow me to refresh your memory, Earl Harrison. It is certainly not you or your stupid wife."

The Earl paled. "I have never had a woman dare to speak to me this way-'

"You do not want to make an enemy of me, Earl Harrison. I will not waste my time with backhanded gossip and failed petitions to the Crown. One word from me can persuade Her Majesty to strip you of your entire title and estate in a heartbeat. I will undo your generations-long lineage in an instant. Do not test me."

The Duke of Kent frowned. "That is quite enough!"

"I agree," you replied sharply. "I have had quite enough. My husband is a hundred times the man you will ever be, and the next time you worry about anyone being emasculated, you would do well to remember that a woman is in charge of the Crown and your life."

Soonyoung was staring at you with wide eyes, as you walked over to him and took his arm.

"We are leaving," you said firmly. The rest of the room watched in stunned silence. "I apologise for the intrusion, Viscount and Viscountess Hong. Thank you for your hospitality."

You took your husband's arm and walked out.

—----------------------------------------------

Soonyoung said nothing in the carriage ride home.

You could not speak either; the adrenaline was still pumping in your veins. You had never addressed anyone in that manner, much less an Earl and a Duke. They had said worse things about you in the past, you were sure, and it had not made you angry. But the idea of them saying these things about Soonyoung made your blood boil.

"Perhaps we should go to bed early," Soonyoung mumbled as he left straight for his bedchambers. You had never seen him look so tired and withdrawn.

You followed him upstairs to his bedchamber and called out to him just as he was about to slip inside and close the door behind him.

"Soonyoung, wait."

"I'm tired-"

"Please don't close the door."

There was a long pause and he finally opened the door again, allowing you inside. You took a deep breath and entered, sitting on the edge of his bed as you thought about what to say to him. Soonyoung stood patiently near the door and watched you for a long moment before finally speaking.

"It's all right," he said quietly. "You don't need to worry, Your Grace."

You blinked at him. "What?"

"I knew this was a marriage of convenience. You were always honest with me. I would be a fool if I resented you for it just because some Earl said it aloud. I knew perfectly well what this marriage was when I agreed to it."

Your heart dropped.

"Soonyoung, no-"

"I know you were in a difficult position, and you needed to marry someone who would not dare to exercise power over you or the dukedom. It is a rational decision to make."

Your throat felt tight.

"Don't call it that-"

"I am saying it is perfectly understandable and rational-"

"But it's not!" you cried. You rose and stood in front of him, grabbing his cold hands. For some reason you suddenly, desperately needed Soonyoung to understand what you were telling him. "Rational? Choosing you was not a rational decision, Soonyoung. Far from it; it was possibly the least rational thing I have ever done in my life."

Soonyoung's hands were limp in yours but his dark eyes flashed.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

You took a deep breath and looked up at your husband. You had not expected to open up to him, or to reveal your vulnerabilities to him tonight, but it was now or never.

"It was an impulse, pure impulse. I was so tired of always doing the right thing, the expected thing. If I was being rational then I would have married a Baron or a Lord. Heaven knows there are plenty of them to be had."

Soonyoung was quiet. "Why didn't you?'

"The night we met- at the ball when we danced- I know it was only a few moments but you made me smile. I felt happy with you. For the first time in my life, I felt something that wasn’t just duty or obligation or responsibility. I felt like this nightmare of a life might be bearable if I could share it with someone like you," you confessed quietly.

Soonyoung's expression had softened and his dark eyes looked down at you with a sudden gentleness and vulnerability.

"But we hardly knew each other-"

"Which is why it wasn't a rational or calculated decision. The decision to marry you wasn't made for the good of the dukedom or the title. I made it for the most selfish of reasons- my own happiness. It was worse than irrational. It was a rebellion against everything my father expected from me."

Soonyoung's lower lip trembled. "You must have regretted it, then."

"I thought I might," you admitted shakily. "For the first few weeks after I proposed to you, I was terrified that I was making a mistake. But Soonyoung… you never gave me a single chance to regret it. At every turn, you only showed me, over and over again, that I made the right choice."

"Do you mean that?"

You lifted your hand to cup his cheek.

"I love you," you told him firmly and honestly.

Soonyoung kissed you. It was a soft, gentle, loving kiss and you wrapped your arms around his neck as he pulled you into his warm embrace. You gasped against his lips and he slowly pulled back and pressed his forehead against yours.

"I love you too," he whispered.

Your heart swelled with happiness. "Do you mean it?" you asked him softly. "Just moments ago, you were calling this a marriage of convenience-"

Soonyoung's lips curved into a smile as he cupped your cheeks.

"Because I thought you felt that way. How could I not love you? You are a divine angel that came into my life. Some days I wake up and look at you beside me and think that I must be in some kind of dream, because I don't know what I did to deserve your love and trust."

Your lower lip trembled. "That's not true-"

"It is. I love you."

You wrapped your arms around his neck tightly and buried your face into his shoulders. Soonyoung embraced you and you breathed in your husband's warm, familiar scent.

"Then don't ever close that door again."”

"I won't," he promised. "I won't."

—------------------------------------------------------

#seventeen scenarios #seventeen fluff #hoshi scenarios #seventeen x reader #hoshi x reader #seventeen fanfiction #seventeen angst #hoshi fluff #regency!au #seventeen imagines

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quindread · 1 year

Text

DISCREPANCIES

Yet another Daminette post.

An actual fic this time. IDK if this will remain a one-shot or nah.

It’s not everyday you discover that the person you are undeniably attracted to is a retired hero. Damian did not know whether to feel horrified or relieved.

This was Jason’s fault like always. He just had to go and befriend Marinette as his alter-ego. And somehow that ended up with her outing her past so she could purge the pit madness out of him because she was kind and generous like that.

But who was he kidding, Damian was happy for his older brother. This was Jason’s chance at normal life. Besides, demoting him back to Peter sounded like an appropriate retribution anyways.

Now, Spoiler, Orphan, and Red Hood were on Marinette’s balcony as was agreed upon. Since Marinette was familiar enough with Damian and his mask could only cover so much, Robin was relegated to chair duty since it was too risky to have him in the meeting. So he wormed his way into a task he would normally leave to the other members of his team to be able to observe - babysit - his siblings in fear that they would scare Marinette off.

Through the Bat-computer, Red Hood could be seen knocking four times against Marinette’s glass door when the clock struck ten. Not a second later and it slid open.

Damian did not expect to see a topless blond. And so did everyone else it seems from the sound of gasps coming from inside the cave and the monitors. He could not even imagine any guy close to Marinette without the risk of popping a vein. But there he was, gaping at the view of an unknown guy his age standing in her apartment.

“Oh, hey. It’s the batfam!” The man grinned like it was completely normal to have three vigilantes on what was supposed to be a lone woman’s balcony. “Come in! Mari’s waiting in the living room.”

Mari?

An invisible weight dropped against Damian’s stomach. This guy was apparently on nickname basis with Marinette.

The footage shook slightly as his siblings step foot into Marinette’s home. He ignores the pit in his stomach in favor of taking in every detail he could. Cream walls, random trinkets, vintage decorations, and a painting he recognized as a gift her gave her, framed and hanged beside a vase of irises. The weight in his chest seem to dissipate at the sight.

Then the footage pans to the topless guy again as he opens a door. He could hear Timothy whistle in appreciation and Damian would have shivered in disgust if the monitor did not currently have the vision that is Marinette Dupain-Cheng plastered on it.

She stands and smiles and Damian could only stare. He was glad the monitors were generations better than the ones his father originally used. He could see how her eyes crinkle into half moons as she greets his siblings.

“Sit wherever you like.” Her voice sounded just as refreshing coming from speakers.

His siblings all settle around on their chosen seats. From Spoiler’s view, the topless blond is seen leaning against adjacent wall. Where the fuck is his shirt?

“Uh, is he supposed to be here?” Spoiler points at the guy and Damian takes note of this, she did always support him in his paltry romance endeavors.

“Oh! This is Adrien Graham de Vanily—“ Ah, yes the next name to be added in Damian’s ledger. “—but you may know him as the first Chat Noir.”

Oh.

That changed everything. Marinette told Hood about her relationship and role in the Court. She mentioned that she was closest to the cats and the dragon - they had a good camaraderie. They were teammates. Friends. Just friends.

But why in the world was he without a shirt? Does he not have any decency, lounging there like he was some sort of nudist? Is this some datum of friendship Damian was not aware of?

“And why is he…?” Yes, Stephanie asking the right questions.

Marinette eyes her friend and sighs. “Ah, we were—“

“We were in the middle of a very heated debate,” Graham says with a smirk and Damian swear he could see crimson. He squeezes his armrest hard.

Footsteps sound from his back. “Dames, it’s probably nothing—“

“Fuck off, Drake.”

“Okay! Woah. Last names. Geez, you really like her.” Before Damian could respond, a smack echoes through the cave.

On the monitor, Marinette is shown standing by Graham as she slaps him on the arm repeatedly. It sounded like music to Damian’s ears.

“Stop.“

Smack.

“Saying.“

Smack.

“Stuff“

Smack.

“Like“

Smack.

“That.“

Smack.

“People will get the wrong idea!” Marinette admonishes but her efforts are futile as Graham laughs louder at every contact of her hand against his skin. She faces Damian’s siblings with a slight flush on her face.

“We really were debating,” she says.

“About what exactly.” Red Hood drawls in amusement. “And did he really need to be shirtless for it?”

“It was to prove a point!” Graham exclaims.

“And the point being; you lose!” Marinette slaps him again.

“You’re biased! I’m literally a model!”

“Ex-model!”

“B—I—A—S—E—D.”

“Am not!”

Graham sticks a finger into each of his ears. “Your biased opinions are painful. I gonna get tinnitus,” he snickers and that seems to stop Marinette from hitting him again. Shame, it was beginning to get entertaining.

She glares at him for a second which just seemed to amuse Graham even further.

“You know what,” Marinette starts. “You can call me biased and I won’t give a fuck.” Damian definitely did not get hooked at the way she cursed.

Marinette pokes Graham’s chest before taking a huge breathe.

“Because for me, Damian Wayne is way hotter than you.”

Tim gasps beside him. “Holy shit.”

Holy shit, indeed.

Damian sat there, fully aware that he was probably as red as the accents on his suit. His head was ringing with embarrassment and he swears that he might get thermal shock if he tries to breathe in the drafty air from the cave.

And Marinette was not even finished. She pokes at Graham with ferocity - her every word clear with conviction.

“You may have abs but Damian was literally carved by the Gods.”

Damian disagrees but preens at the compliment anyways.

“I will die happily after he lets me take a body shot off of him.”

She can’t! Damian would be the one doing the dying the moment her tongue touches his abdomen. And he has been through it before, what’s one more if this is the particular cause of death?

“So, you do wanna bone him!” Graham exclaims smartly.

“Kwami! Yes, I do! Can this discussion wait another time?!” Marinette shoves him this time. Damian can hear his heartbeat drumming in his ears.

“But why don’t you?!”

Good question.

“Because we’re friends! And I’m fine with that!.”

Graham raises any eyebrow at her. “Are you?” He asks and she falters, stepping back with her arms crossed.

“Y-Yes!”

“You’re a shit liar.”

Marinette tries to slap his arm again but her catches his wrist. “You are more than just your duties, Marinette.”

The way Graham’s playful demeanor melts of his face suddenly reminds Damian that this man was a hero, a child soldier, who lived with his emotions under duress for years. His voice was solemn, grave with grief.

“You’ve given up more than anyone for the sake of the Order.”

“Adrien—“

“Why can’t you take a pause and live—“

“It’s not that!”

“Mari—“

“Damian isn’t interested in me—”

“You don’t know that!”

“—He’s gay!”

What the actual fuck?

“He and Jon dated. How am I supposed to compare to his best friend? And that’s even if he would so much as look at me which he never will because he is not interested on the opposite sex!

No. Nonononono. This was nightmare, somebody wake him up. Damian and Jon kissed twice and that was the end of it - you could find more spark in a coin battery. And he looked at Marinette plenty. He just makes sure she could not see him doing so like the sneaky assassin that he was.

Timothy had dropped to the ground a while ago and was cackling so hard that Damian fears he might pop open like a kernel and loose his spleen. Again.

From the monitor, his siblings were laughing up a storm as well as Marinette and Graham stood there in confusion.

“Wuahahahahahaha—He’s not—hahahaha—The Wayne kid is—Oh my god, I’m so glad I volunteered to be here.” The feed from Spoiler was pointed at the ceiling. Damian could imagine her clenching her stomach as throws her head back in laughter.

“He’s bisexual.” Orphan says, amused. The only reliable footage came from her albeit a little shaky.

Marinette blinks at her. “And you know that how?”

“We talk. Rescue him and his family all the time.” Hood and Spoiler could be heard agreeing.

Graham pushes Marinette down on her spot on the couch. “And now that we’ve established that, you are going to make a move on him,” he says.

“I will not.”

“You will—“

“He doesn’t see me like that!”

“—after you heal M. Hood.”

That snaps the mood in place and the conversation is stirred away from the topic of Damian.

Said subject was unfocused during the rest of the meeting, his thoughts replaying every single interaction he and Marinette had. In the end, he came to an obvious conclusion:

Marinette will be getting that body shot.

AN: There you have it folks! Another one from my archive. I just edited the dialogues. And speaking of archives, should I post this on AO3?

Inspired by the recording contact lenses in Battinson. Here we have an indirect Daminette confession witnessed by Cass, Steph, Tim, and Jason.

You may have noticed that Damian first-names his siblings in this one. I always though that it would be a good measure of his growth as a person. And I headcanon Damian going from last names to middle names to first names as his tolerance (read love) for his siblings grows. He goes through middle names because his male siblings absolutely detests it (except Duke). Imagine pubescent Dami addressing Jason as “Peter”.

Adrien taking his mums maiden name after handing Gabriel’s ass to him? This is non-negotiable. But I really had no idea if I should write Damian referring to him as Graham or Vanily. I like graham crackers so there you go.

Damian and Jon as a ship will always have a place in my heart. Like I can see them trying for more but deciding against it. I think Jon has a partner in the comics. And with his new age, he and Damian now have this space between them I hate with a passion. (I saw a fan-art of Damian crying about how his Jon was taken from and I bawled like a baby. Please do link that art in the comments. I enjoy pain.)

And finally, should I make this a multi-chapter fic? Or is it satisfactory as one-shot?

#mlb x dc #batkids #damian wayne #marinette dupain cheng #daminette #adrien agreste #maribat

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always-outlander · 11 months

Text

Outlander 7x07 “A Practical Guide for Time-Travelers” Easter Eggs and Spoilers

An in-depth breakdown of episode 7 (spoilers included) below the cut!

We open in 1777 at Bemis Heights, New York outside of Saratoga and Jamie has joined Daniel Morgan’s rifles. The voiceover is Claire telling Bree that she had seen William as we cut back to Lallybroch and Bree is reading the letter in the house. Turns out while Roger was cooking and running after Buck at the end of last episode, she was upstairs reading alone (like I thought she said she wouldn’t do?) Roger introduces Bree to Buck and it’s now official that Outlander is going to pretend like Graham McTavish didn’t play Buck in season 5 and he has Benjamin Button’d himself.

In the show title we see Jemmy getting a pin on his shirt labeled The Tufty Club, with a small squirrel on the pin. This was a show from the 1960’s focusing on road safety and education for kids.

Buck explains how he ended up back here and that he and his family were headed back to Scotland to join Morag’s brother who was in need of a Clerk. Buck had been a lawyer and their family needed money, so they traveled to Glasgow and headed north past the stones where he heard the buzzing. Morag stayed with her parents and he went back to see what it was and he went through mistakenly. He saw Roger in the town and it freaked him out that Roger survived being hanged and yet he appears in the future too. Similar to the books but slightly different approach to Buck, more on that later.

Back in 1777, the British army is near Stillwater in New York. William has made friends (namely Sandy Hammond) and he’s amongst the officers who are discussing how to defeat the Colonists. General Fraser encourages them to fight in open field to their strengths when a message arrives from General Howe. The superior officers rush into a meeting which Fraser pulls Captain Richardson into. Meanwhile to stay busy, William and Sandy practice with their swords. Richardson later approached William and tells him that Howe will take Philadelphia instead of heading north like everyone believed. Without Howe, their army is now essentially alone without support in upstate New York. General Fraser has tasked Richardson to create diversions with General Clinton on the Rebels side to help them gain footing on their journey to Albany, and Fraser named William as Richardsons second. That means William will miss the battle in Saratoga, which upsets him.

Back at Lallybroch with Buck, Roger reveals to him that they are related and Morag is his 3 times great grandmother making him a 3x great grandfather. Bucks requests alcohol to cope and Bree tells Buck that her father is Jamie Fraser and admits she is also a time traveler. While searching for his family tree, Roger sees that Buck dies in 1778. This is one of many papers strewn about his desk out in the open that should be locked away damnnit.

Rob Cameron shows up at the worst possible time and Buck has to hide in the Priests hole. Roger the people pleaser lies to Rob about the house being a crazy mess yet invites Rob inside anyways. Why they have made Roger act like he is, I don’t know. The original storyline in the book would have sufficed and this lack of care shown to hiding the papers and writings about time travel is just making Roger unlikable. He already was worried after Rob saw his entire book at the school, but now he leaves him alone in the room with the rest of the papers and letters? I’d like to think he’s smarter than that, and the writers could have done better by him here. Bree is obviously uncomfortable with Rob being there and even more knowing Buck is in the house. Roger then shows him the ledgers he is so slyly asking to see and leaves him in his office (not wise, Roger!!!). The kids come back from school and they all have dinner with Buck still in the priest hole, poor guy. Rob tries to befriend Jemmy and he is quite forward and flirty with Bree. When Rob won’t leave, he asks for another drink amongst the three of them and these two people pleasers say yes, again. They need to learn boundaries.

Back in Saratoga, Jamie brings Claire a book he’s found and is dressed in his new uniform. Here we get a perfect excerpt from the books where he hands Claire the book and tells her she needs glasses. If the show can do this scene such justice why are they messing with the Rob Cameron of it all? I digress. I love nerdy, printer press Jamie. And before we get to enjoy a quiet moment between these two he tells Claire that he is being mustered for battle in three days time. She and Jamie share their sweet moment and Claire tells him she’ll go looking for him if he doesn’t come back to her, like always. These two really should never leave each others sight.

Sandy and William share a scene with general Fraser while they eat, which is also straight from the books. The book Sandy’s name is Sandy Lindsay instead of Hammond (perhaps a name change to nod to a crew member or writer). Sandy name drops the Beefsteak Club (which is a place often visited and referenced by Lord John). When speaking of what keeps his spirits high, General Fraser speaks of the time spent with his men and the strong bond they share in the days leading up to battle, which inspires William. He asks to stay and fight instead of carrying dispatches with Richardson. Fraser admires his courage and asks him if fighting is what he really wants. When William says yes, Fraser tells him he can stay and William is glad to know he will be partaking in the fight to come alongside his men.

At Lallybroch, Rob tells Bree and Roger about his wife and son, and asks them if Jemmy wants to come to the movies and have a sleepover with his nephew, Bobby. They agree and finally see him out. When they head back inside, Buck is in the caravan with the kids. Mandy is combing his beard with her dolls brush and they are watching a show about astronauts (which Buck notes is star travelers in Latin). He apologized to the kids for scaring them, and Bree and Roger aren’t quite sure what to make of the situation. Might they just so happen to like Buck now? Is he weaseling his way into their hearts? Roger invites him to sleep inside for the night with Bree’s permission. They aren’t sleeping in the house yet for some reason despite majority of the downstairs being done, but Buck gets a spot in the dining room. Roger tells Bree that he has forgiven him and that he will bring Buck back to the stones on Saturday. In the meantime, Bree gets to take him to work with her.

At the dam, Buck admits that when he left Morag she was with child, and it doesn’t feel real to him now knowing they are all dead. When Bree starts questioning him about why he is here, they discuss the journey and how to go back. Our favorite man Rob shows up and Buck immediately dislikes him (evidently he’s the only one with eyes). He sees Rob touch Bree’s arm and resides that he is smiling at her a bit too much. When Roger gets back from the school, the caravan door is open and Buck is alone inside looking at a toy airplane. Buck tells Roger that Rob Cameron is trouble and Roger disagrees before he ever so kindly changes the subject to that of Bucks death. Buck says he doesn’t want to know the date, but he lets Roger tell him anyways. It is the year 1778, which could mean he never made it back to his own time so his family marked him dead, or he does make it back and then he dies soon after. Either way, not looking too good for Buck.

Roger and Bree have a moment discussing Rob Cameron’s hot eye. Phil Collins starts playing and I instantly fast forwarded through this entire moment, so I couldn’t tell you what happens 😂

Back in time we see a British deserter approach Ian and the Indians, and we know now that the battle is beginning. This episode has criminally too little Young Ian. Daniel Morgan’s me are leading the charge against Simon Frasers men and Jamie asks Claire to kiss him ahead of battle, a tradition I wish these two would end so they can be happy for once. He heads out of the tent and Claire sees him off like she has time and time again (and we get the great slowmo walk from the trailer).

September 19, 1777 is the first battle of Saratoga. William is instructing the men to fix bayonets when they see the rebels approach. Sandy Hammond is clearly nervous, discussing women’s they fancy when Sandy is immediately shot in the head beside William. Men start dropping like flies and William is in shock. Simon Fraser yells at him to join his men and William summons up his anger to join them with only a sword. This was visually very similar to Jamie’s highland charge at Culloden (by design I’m sure).

Back at Lallybroch, Roger has clothes on again thankfully and cannot sleep. He notices that *shocking* the box with Claire and Jamie’s letters is messed about, and Mandy starts scream about Jemmy. He and Bree seem to immediately know she’s talking about their connection (which we haven’t seen yet on screen) and Mandy says that Rob has taken Jemmy to the stones. This whole scene felt half baked to me in terms of acting, and when Roger and Buck head out to the standing stones he finally admits he should have been more careful. The only people who know about the time traveling are Jamie and Claire, Buck now, Young Ian, and Geillis Duncan. Roger gets spooked that Rob might have used Jemmy as a blood sacrifice himself like Geillis had tried. They find his scarf with his new pin on it and fear that he’s been taken through the stones.

At the battlefield, William is standing over Sandy Hammond’s body after the battle with zero blood or dirt on his uniform. When the men complain about the holes they have to dig, he joins in the digging of the graves and from a distance we see Simon Fraser admiring him for it. This is all the more meaningful when you know that Simon will never know that William is kin to him. The British mark the battle as victory, and General Fraser quotes Aeschylus to William, who is visibly upset by the loss of his friend. “Send thy men to battle and no such men return” he tells William, knowing that he’s a different man now. William completes the quote “and home to claim their welcome. Come ashes in an urn”

Back on the battlefield, we get the ominous shot of Jamie, laying on the ground alone and the episode cuts to black. I actually disliked that we never actually saw Jamie fighting in this episode. But they had to have a cliffhanger in place prior to the mid season finale next week and worrying about Jamie seems the natural choice.

In the preview for next week, we see Claire finding Jamie on the battlefield (which is a wonderful scene in the books that I’m excited to see brought to life). We also see Roger and Buck preparing to go after Jemmy and Rob. Young Ian questions if there will be another battle, and we see previews for that second bloody battle. Roger and Buck go to the stones, Claire appears to see William again (likely over Simon Frasers body), Ian and Rachel get super close(!!!). The preview ends with that same famous scene of Claire on the battlefield fighting off a woman with Jamie’s sword.

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