#helnik royalty au

[theoppositequeens]

there's glitter on the floor (after the party)

ship: Helnik

rated: T

read on AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52884196

Part 4 of the Helnik Royalty AU is Christmas fluff, written for Kay (@im-doing-hot-girl-shit ) for the Bastards of the Barrel WInter Exchange. Hope you enjoy, Kay!

there's glitter on the floor (after the party)

Christmas banquets and New Years galas are all the same – the same themes, same music, same kind of classy entertainment – year after year. Matthias has never found them exciting. Even Christmas has long since lost its charm. When expensive clothes and items are an everyday requirement, gift-giving can easily get excessive. He really appreciates his little sister's handmade or thoughtful gifts – Embla has always been artistic – but the family traditions have felt a tad stiff and planned and lackluster. The highlight has always been decorating their own private tree together, and getting a few rare days of downtime between Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Nina throws all his expectations for another boring holiday season out of the window.

The day before the row of banquets start, she shows up with two homemade bingo sheets.

"These are things I think we'll spot people doing," she explains with an excited smile. Matthias stares at the paper, confused. It contains squares like Ambassador Gröndahl itches his nose and someone trips on their skirt and Embla shocks someone with descriptions of her current obsession (horror TV-series) and a parent gives their child the patented disapproving stare and someone gets too drunk and knocks over a glass. "Every time we see something on this list happen, we get to cross it off after the party! And then if we get the whole bingo card we can celebrate!"

"Celebrate with what?" Matthias asks dumbly.

Nina smirks. "Perhaps we'll shop together online for some lingerie."

That gets him on board real fast.

-

The other bingo card contains ridiculous phrases or words they have to try to squeeze into polite conversation.

"Why, I believe Mrs. Andersen is slaying in that dress tonight," Matthias comments to Nina and Embla while watching the dance floor. Mrs. Andersen is about 80 years old and wearing a black ensemble which might be made out of leather, but Nina keeps a surprisingly straight face at his comment, her eyes glittering. Embla in turn is choking on her champagne, eyes comically wide.

"Yes, it's giving fashion," Nina retorts, a pretty tame phrase on their third bingo card – they are going through them way too fast.

"I can't with the two of you," Embla mutters and flits away to join one of her friends.

"Are you having fun, darling?" Nina asks, and Matthias wraps an arm around his wife.

"Surprisingly, yes," he admits.

-

They do keep to Matthias' family's tradition to decorate a private Christmas tree. The rules are that they have to chop it down themselves in the forest edging palace grounds, and every year they manage to find an ugly and lopsided one.

It always looks crazy and colorful and beautiful with the ornaments on, though.

Matthias hangs the star but lets Embla dig through the decorations they've made through the years: pinecones painted by clumsy chubby toddler hands, paper snowflakes that he made when he was still mastering the scissors, tacky painted balls and some uneven crocheted angels Embla has contributed. Of course there's tinsel and family ornaments from years past as well, so it's quite a mess.

Nina runs back to her rooms and contributes an ugly glittering plastic avocado-ornament as well as a red ball with a picture of her family printed onto the side. Embla is ecstatic about the ugly ornament and Matthias shakes his head from the sofa while the women debate the best branch to hang it from.

His parents have already given up, enjoying a hot toddy and casually cranking up the volume on Frank Sinatra Christmas songs to drown out Embla's dictator-like commentary on tree decoration.

Matthias feels happy, at that moment. Content. In the years to come he's sure Nina will add more ugly decorations, and perhaps one day assist new chubby hands in making something for the tree.

-

Nina insists on making Christmas dinner themselves. She somehow gets his mother and father on board. Mother even starts reminiscing about grandpa Krister's Christmas meatballs and digs out all the old family recipes on her side. Matthias' father has always enjoyed cooking, and he cures the salmon for gravad lax and makes the potato casserole.

Matthias religiously follows a recipe for a beetroot salad, and does not mess it up too badly. Nina whips up cranberry mousse and generally cooks like there is no tomorrow. The ham ends up with a lovely mustard glaze and they'll have leftovers for a week. The table looks very different to Christmases before, no carefully plated dishes or subtle flavor combinations. Instead some dishes are a bit burnt, others too salty and some quite perfect. At least their cooks sure enjoy an extra holiday.

Embla's Christmas tarts meant for dessert sort of explode in the oven, but they all agree they taste wonderful.

-

Matthias gets a kiss at midnight that New Years, and he strokes Nina's cold cheek as fireworks explode above. Privately, he muses that she's been the best thing about this year.

-

They make new traditions as well. Nina enjoys having dinner with friends on January the first, to start off the New Year right!, she claims.

Matthias loves how well their friend groups mix, Nina's friends and siblings having flown up to meet them. He especially enjoys watching Nina in her element, playing hostess and tossing jokes around. Her brown hair meshes with Inej's black as they lean their heads together, discussing something in animated whispers.

Fedyor sidles up to him at some point, and they contemplate the starry sky outside while nursing their warming beers.

"She's really happy here," Fedyor says quietly at one point. "Just so you know."

Matthias smiles and claps him on the shoulder.

"I'm really happy she's here," he says, and they rejoin the party.

-

And January the second... Well, the lingerie they ordered arrives, and Matthias tackles Nina into bed and they don't end up leaving their room that day.

[tryalittlejoytomorrow]

my hand was the one you reached for (all throughout the Great War), ch.11 ✨

Fandom: Six of Crows / Shadow and Bone (TV)

Pairing: Nina/Matthias

Tags: alternate universe: modern royalty; arranged marriage; enemies to lovers

Status: in progress???

Summary: Nina decides to enjoy her last night of freedom before her trip to Fjerda to meet her betrothed. What happens in Ketterdam stays in Ketterdam, right?

Extract:

“Oh, Nina, I can’t believe you’re back!” Jesper engulfs her into a hug, sweeping her off her feet – or at least, attempting to, before they both stumble back into the wall, Nina’s back taking the full brunt of it while Jesper guffaws, face pressed into her neck. He’s hugging her so tightly Nina reckons he might break a rib or puncture a lung, but who cares? Jesper’s hugs have this kind of magic about them, stronger than any other kind. “Only for a month,” Nina tries to remind him, but Jesper doesn’t seem to care. One minute, one hour, one day: Jesper always lives to the fullest. Nina’s never met someone quite like him, and although his fiery personality sometimes does him a disservice, Nina loves him just the way he is, always going at full speed and embracing everything with both arms wide open. She and Jesper, they’re made of the same stuff: risking everything even for the smallest inkling of a hope that something great and amazing and unforgettable could happen. They’ve both crashed and burned hard before, but neither of them can seem to settle for the comfort of routines and predictability. And perhaps it’s exactly for this reason that they were ready to face the adventure of a lifetime when it knocked on their door. Jesper has Wylan now, and he’s happier than Nina’s ever seen him, and she has Matthias, so… So far, so good. “Give her a break,” Inej lets out with a chuckle, before she’s tugging at Nina’s arms, helping her out of Jesper’s bear hug and right into her own arms. “Saints, I’ve missed you.” “I’ve missed you too,” Nina says, feeling her eyes welling up suddenly. Saints, she has. “Saints, I’ve even missed Kaz. Where is he? That little cockroach couldn’t even be bothered with joining the welcoming committee?” Inej pinches her hip, eliciting a squeal from her, but Jesper only laughs. “You know him, he’s got an empire to run and money to make,” Jesper explains as he reaches for her suitcase, wheeling it behind him as he leads the group away. “He sends all his love and most sincere affection. Actual quote.”

Read more on AO3!

[sissytobitch10seconds]

Me, clawing my way through Hell: they can't just get along forever, they started hating each other in canon and will here too

[lilisouless]

What your favorite Six of Crows ship says about you

inspired by this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns_7ax-i3DE&list=PLZKnRTyUP15ZC04zScew3pmDG8ZaKno_M&index=12 and the other serie s of videos 

Kanej: You crave a romance with the yearning of a period drama but also want to create unstoppable chaos while holding hands

Helnik: Your thing is enemies to lovers as long as it pays off with tons of fluff afterwards (also chapter 40 doesn’t exist)

Wesper: You like ships with the versatility of working in any possible au…And you may have anxiety and/or self steem issues

Hanina: You favorite aesthetic is either royalty core or cottage core

Matthias/Nina/Hanne: you just want Nina to be happy and fuck the fjerdans in all senses

Kuwei/Jesper : you just wanted good things for Kuwei (and really, who wouldn’t?)

Ninej: Your love language is physical touch, sharing sweets and slaying together

Kazper: You have a secret crush on someone in your life or you love buddy cop comedies

Kaz/Nina: You though the books were written by Sarah J Maas

Inej/Jesper: You believe in friends to lovers supremacy , but keep it to yourself to avoid toxic responses that you clearly don’t deserve

Matthias/Kaz : You don’t like enemies to lovers, you like enemies WHILE lovers (or you just wish Wesper went harder with their hostility phase)

Wylan/Kuwei: same as above , but more like a passive aggressive kind of hostility

Nina/Jesper: you have a crush on one or both and since you can’t have them you just make the most bi couple to ever bi

Jesper/Matthias: Probably shipped Bert and Ernie in your childhood before knowing what shipping was

Kaz/Wylan : Your thing is corruption and revenge stories, also hate the Dad!Kaz thing

Inej/ Matthias: You just don’t understand why short people with tall partners will beg to get lifted instead of climbing over them and obliterate them

Wylan/Matthias: You don’t actually ship them, you are just a Kazper shipper who doesn’t want Wylan to be sad

Alinej: Your thing is bodyguard au! (Also totally your choice but you should consider Alina x Tamar)

Zonej: There is a surprising lack of positive desi women representation on YA literature, so you said “alright i’ll do it myself”

Nina/ Nikolai : You are heterosexual 

Nikolai/Kaz: 🎼 two bastards are better than one, is twice the cringe 🎶

Kaz/Anika: You tried to get into Kaz x reader but you didn’t feel y/n had enough personality for your taste

Kaz/Imogen: You want to see more of this girl, you also dig lost love tragedies when the main characters doesn’t end up together

Kaz/Saskia: you don’t exist

Anya x Joost: you wouldn’t survive a single A song of ice and fire book

Aditi x Colm: You are a textbook hopeless romantic

Colm x Marya: you are so lost in the thought of second love chances, that you didn’t thought the implications of wesper becoming step brothers

Marya x Alys: you are so lost on the thought of destroying Jan Van Eck that you didn’t thought the implications that Alys is probably at least twenty years younger

Jan Van Eck x Death:I respect your opinions but i seriously don’t get it,death is clearly too good for him

Inej/Dunyasha: You love enemies to lovers in theory, but in practice you would rather they just stay on the enemies stage

Important: i had the link saved since this was on drafts and didn’t remember it gets you to a hp video themed since is the first one on the reproduction list, i recommend skip the video if you can’t stand anything related to jk rowling

[violets-and-books]

Bestie! Will you pleaseeee pick a prompt for Helnik, Kanej, and Wesper 👀 I'm in the middle for one shots today 😌

Always happy and honoured to help!!!

Kanej: Going over to the other's house in the middle of the night (I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're bout to cry and I know your favourite songs and you tell me bout your dreams think I know where you belong think I know it's with me)

Sorry, I got a little side-tracked

Wesper: Calling someone because they're drunk/hungover and need a familiar face to take them home

Helnik: Hurt and the other person not realising until much later (royalty au royalty au royalty au knight matthias knight matthias knight matthias - it's all I askkkk)

[helniksdaughter]

Helnik // Modern Royalty AU

[marvinthecrow]

HelnikWeek Day 1: Royalty AU!

May I present you the Ice King Matthias and the Ice Queen Nina?💙

Instagram • Patreon • Ko-fi • Redbubble

[art available in my Redbubble shop]

[helnikweek2022]

It's the first day of Helnik Week 2022! What are you showing us for Royalty AU? Our collection for fanfiction can be found here

[nerdyhuntress]

Helnik Week (Day 1: Royalty AU)

@helnikweek2022 

“We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren’t chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins.” (Crooked Kingdom)

[dregstrash]

hey! i just finished crooked kingdom like 30 mins ago and was wondering if you have a masterlist of your writing??

Ah congrats on surviving Crooked Kingdom.

Here’s the one masterlist I did a while back

And here are some recent additions:

Fever Dreams and Shadow Games – this one is a collaborative fic with @wafflesandkruge (you should def follow her btw) and it’s ongoing!

gilded crowns – this one is my kanej royalty au that currently has three parts (i’m linking the latest part)

“Wait a minute, are you jealous?” Kanej fic

“Never Gonna Give You Up” Jesper drabble

“Teach Me How To Play?” Kanej fic

“What do I do with all this love that’s running in my veins for you?” Helnik and Wesper fic

“You lied to me” Kanej fic

Jesper’s unrequited feelings

Hanne + The Dregs – this one has a character from King of Scars

“You heard me. Take. It. Off.” Kanej fic

Crows going to a Party

Inej Has a Nightmare

[theoppositequeens]

Helnik Royalty AU part 3

Title: it’s a love story (baby just say yes) Pairing: Matthias Helvar/Nina Zenik  Rating: T  Read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45919597

it's a love story (baby just say yes)

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess

It's a love story, baby, just say yes

- Love Story, Taylor Swift

-----

"Stop kicking me," Nina hisses through the polite and regal smile she's holding for the artist, half twisted in her chair for their individual portraits. Like old-school headshots, she'd joked this morning.

Matthias is in a similar position on his own chair, head tilted towards the artist capturing him in turn, but seated close enough for his feet to touch hers. It's only their upper bodies that are needed, since the chair won't be visible in the final product. 

They're doing the faces now, a critical part of every process, and though they've already sat for numerous sketches he thinks they will never be finished – and after this, they'll still need to do the official wedding portrait. That'll be after the wedding though, half modeled on their wedding pictures, but they'll still need to be available for posing and sketches then, too.

Well, at least I'll see Nina in the wedding dress multiple times, Matthias muses. That might be worth all this. Of course, it's a well-kept secret, but knowing his bride, it's stunning.

Nina manages to send him an impressive glare for a smiling woman, and he withdraws his foot quickly.

"Touchy, touchy," he teases and returns his face to neutral quickly. The atmosphere is in fact quite relaxed – the artists focusing on their projects, discussing in technical terms he doesn't understand, and generally ignoring Matthias' and Nina's banter.

"I'll show you touchy," Nina promises viciously out of the corner of her mouth.

Matthias feels this is a good time to shut up.

----

"I'm so bored," Nina declares in a dramatic tone a few hours later. They've had breaks of course, but even Matthias is feeling this in his back. The position he's holding is unnaturally stiff.

"Shall we play twenty questions again?" He asks, and the dismissive scoff he receives from her is a clear answer. "Never have I ever?"

"You'll just win that," Nina sulks. It's true - she's done a lot more fun and crazy stuff than he has, and she'd been down to zero fingers before he reached seven.

"You can always try to say boring stuff I've done and you haven't."

"Ugh."

"Two truths and a lie?"

"Sure," Nina sighs. How she is keeping up that big smile through it all he'll never know. Aren't her facial muscles aching?

"Okay, I'll go first," he offers, and tries to think of something she'd find funny.

"I once named my horse Willie, I used to play with mother's dresses, and I've broken my arm several times."

"Willie?" Nina sputters. "Okay, the arm-breaking is a lie. I can totally see you playing dress-up."

"Actually, Willie doesn't exist," Matthias smiles. "But yes, my sister did convince me to try many things. And I've had an active childhood."

"Fine," Nina concedes, fingers tapping out a rhythm. "I've thrown a glass of champagne in someone's face, as a child I used to hide for hours from my bodyguards and I've colored my hair purple."

Matthias is sure any photos of her with purple hair don't exist, and those do tend to leak, so he chooses that one.

"I did, in fact! Mother ordered me to the hairdresser the very next day and colored it back to my normal shade."

"What was the lie?" Matthias asks idly, busy imagining this fierce woman with purple hair.

"The hiding," Nina says. "I loved my bodyguards, they could never get rid of me."

"So you've thrown champagne on someone?" Now he is intrigued.

"Bastard deserved it," Nina mutters, working hard to keep up the smile for the artists. "He groped me while we were dancing, so a bit later I oh-so-accidentally stumbled and lost control of my flute."

"That sounds very reasonable," Matthias tells her seriously, and starts thinking of more truths and lies. Thankfully, the artists dismiss them, and Matthias stretches as he rises from the chair.

"My legs are asleep," Nina complains, scrunching up her face. "And I will not be smiling anymore tonight."

"Good thing mine aren't," Matthias quips and sweeps Nina off her feet before she can protest. He starts carrying her out of the room and down the corridor, bridal style, a few of their bemused attendants following.

"Put me down, you oaf!"

Nina wriggles and tries to playfully beat her hand against his chest, but Matthias doesn't budge. She's a curvy woman, but he's not one for skipping his workouts. Besides, he's very much secretly enjoying pressing her curves against his.

He carries her all the way to dinner.

--------

Nina Zenik looks stunning in a wedding gown.

Matthias' brain informs him she'd probably look stunning in a potato sack, but he's too busy ogling her and trying not to fall over to care. He barely notices the photographers or the camera team rushing to make sure the production gets the best angle. He's not aware of his family and Nina's in the front pews. He only wants to kiss Nina, preferably right now.

(Later, while looking at the pictures from the ceremony, he'll see a picture of his face at this exact moment. It's graced by an adoring smile, and he'll think: Helvar, you are completely whipped.)

The bridal march is agonizingly slow, but feeling the weight of her hand in his settles the butterflies that are butchering his stomach. The ceremony is long-winded, and Matthias tries to listen to the priest. He does believe in Djel, after all. But the woman beside him is so captivating, and she keeps glancing at him too.

They have a secret: Nina kissed him yesterday. It was a short stolen moment, and Matthias can't be more thankful to Nina's attendant for excusing herself for five minutes. It was enough for Nina to whisper, this is for us, and kiss him like her life depended on it. Then she'd excused herself quickly, leaving Matthias standing with a hand over his mouth, feeling like someone had just bludgeoned him over the head. In a good way, if that's possible.

He's itching to do it again. And again.

Finally, the priest speaks the magical words, and Matthias turns to Nina. They've been coached on this, too: slow moments for the cameras, smile, keep it child-friendly, and under no circumstances will there be tongue involved.

It's a very different kiss. Matthias gets to initiate this one, and they savor it. Soft, and slow, and gentle, but no less moving. No less enticing. He never wants to stop, but someone in the audience shuffles and he remembers where he is.

He turns Nina towards the cheering crowd and proudly presents her as his wife.

The dinner is long and boring, speeches are made (some more touching and familiar than others) and Nina makes it bearable. She is all joy and laughter and sparkle, feeding verbal sunshine down Matthias' throat until he can't do anything but join her in her excitement. She's happy to see her family and other siblings and gets overwhelmingly chipper when she see's the wedding cake. For a moment, he suspects she might have plans of smashing some in his face - a tradition royals avoid - but she's only looking forward to consuming her weight in cake. She's been in charge of the food, and for once they eat hearty portions, still dressed up as fancy delicacies, of course.

"You should have seen the menu the poor cooks had planned," she tells him halfwaay through. "The poor lambs were shaking, thinking it wasn't fancy enough, and I thought they would faint when I asked them to tone it down more!"

"And how did they react?" He can't really imagine Nina terrorizing the chefs, she's too nice.

"I told them I wanted comfort food in fancy food disguise, and they were falling over themselves shoving me recipes they usually make at home when they want fancy-looking but good food." Nina sighs happily and Matthias serves her more wine. "I had such a fabulous afternoon trying all that food!"

He chuckled warmly. With Nina, the surefire way to her heart is through her stomach, and the chef probably endeared themselves for life. He wouldn't be surprised if they're in for a raise.

"Your efforts paid off," Matthias compliments, and gestures to the dining room. There is a warm atmosphere for such a formal event, silverware clattering occasionally against plates. "No-one looks hungry."

"Or hangry," Nina quips with a smile.

The cake is indeed spectacular, as is the Royal Ballroom decked in subtle wedding decor, floors polished to a shine.

Their first dance is a traditional waltz with complicated choreography. The dances that follow melt into a haze, the only clear pinpricks the moments when he's spinning Nina around or drawing her close. He remembers her laughter, tinkling like bells.

Royals leave their wedding feasts discreetly to retire for the night.

------

Their wedding night is fun.

They kiss a little, admittedly. But mostly it feels like the best sleepover with this intriguing woman he's started to call his friend. Someday soon, she'll be his lover, not just his wife on paper, but until that day Matthias is very happy to keep up the charade. Sleeping in the same bed with Nina consists of her telling funny stories, them feeding each other heart-shaped chocolate, her daring him to sip champagne while hanging upside down from the bed and then dissolving into a tipsy giggling pile when the bubbles get to his nose and he sneezes champagne everywhere. 

After that, they calm down a bit and he rubs her feet (those wedding shoes have left angry red marks) while they trade quiet conversation. Nina likes to cuddle, so they cuddle, and Matthias who has no experience with cuddling decides he probably likes it as well.

At least with Nina.

----

It takes a while for all the wedding photos to be edited and ready. It takes even longer for Nina and the publicity team and the artists to choose the ones that will be painted for the Royal Gallery.

Matthias doesn't mind. He loves absentmindedly looking through them, remembering the day fondly, while Nina sorts through them with purpose and passion, ordering copies for her scrapbooks.

Together, they pick out a few to be printed and hung in their new home that they're moving into soon.

A few of the official paintings are predictable, stiff wedding portraits. Nina has also chosen to include a more intimate one, where they're standing in each other's embrace in front of the gazebo, roses in the garden in full bloom. Matthias looks down on Nina with a soft but intense look on his face, and she's smiling, happy and carefree.

Recreating that is a lot of fun. He gets to spend hours with his arms around Nina, her beautiful wedding gown a stark contrast to his crisp suit, her laughter ringing in his ears. It's easy to recreate that fond look for the artist.

Of course Nina gets bored after a while (his new wife is not one for being still), and demands he entertain her. If he's whispering compliments and dreams and perhaps some of his less child-friendly fantasies in Nina's ear, then no-one else in the room is the wiser.

The blush looks fabulous on her, and he hopes the artist will capture it on canvas.

[tryalittlejoytomorrow]

my hand was the one you reached for (all throughout the Great War), ch.9 ✨

Fandom: Six of Crows / Shadow and Bone (TV)

Pairing: Nina/Matthias

Tags: alternate universe: modern royalty; arranged marriage; enemies to lovers

Status: in progress???

Summary: Nina decides to enjoy her last night of freedom before her trip to Fjerda to meet her betrothed. What happens in Ketterdam stays in Ketterdam, right?

Extract:

Matthias brushes his thumb along her jawline, gently tips her chin up so she looks at him. "Nina..." "Tell me you're happy I'm here." His eyes widen a little, then take on that enamored, dazed quality. "Of course I'm happy," Matthias breathes softly. He is, Nina can see it; can feel it in the warmth of his voice, the gentleness of his touch, the way his breath hitches when he looks at her. So close, she can even hear his heartbeat, the way it speeds up when she's near. "If it were up to me, it'd be just you and me and my family tonight. We'd have a nice dinner, and then you and I..." He smiles, shy and beautiful, his cheeks turning pink. "We'd go out for a stroll under the moonlight. I'd kiss you under the blanket of the night sky and the stars." Nina beams, feeling her good mood soar up. "Yeah? Is that all you would do?" she teases him. Matthias bites his lip as his whole face flushes prettily. "There are steps to this...a proper courtship. I should bring you flowers and gifts and all the waffles in the kingdom." Nina laughs, something small and bubbly as her eyes dumbly start welling. "Now we're talking." She bunches her hands in the front of his shirt, steps into his personal space until she's all flushed against him. "Is that all you'd want to do?" Tell me you want me. Tell me you like me for me. Tell me -

Read more on AO3!

[tryalittlejoytomorrow]

my hand was the one you reached for (all throughout the Great War), ch.2 ✨

Fandom: Six of Crows / Shadow and Bone (TV)

Pairing: Nina/Matthias

Tags: alternate universe: modern royalty; arranged marriage; enemies to lovers

Status: in progress???

Summary: Nina decides to enjoy her last night of freedom before her trip to Fjerda to meet her betrothed. What happens in Ketterdam stays in Ketterdam, right?

Extract:

Matthias thinks Djel might just hate him.

It's the only plausible explanation to justify why, the one time he's strayed from the right path, it'd choose to come back to bite him big time - in the lush, luscious form of the most beautiful and decadent woman he's ever met, who'd turned his world upside down and thrown him off his axis, and filled his every hour ever since with the vivid memory of her body and the sounds she'd made when she let him play her like a violin.

And who just so happens to turn out to be his bride-to-be.

After the initial shock, Mila - Duchess Ekaterina, Matthias has to remind himself, though her name still tastes foreign in his mouth, not the one he'd groaned against her skin - had recovered more quickly than he did, enchanting the assembly with the pretty blush in her cheeks and the coyness of her smile. He'd offered her his arm to escort her to the dining room and she'd slipped her hand in the crook of his elbow without a second glance, when Matthias had had to clench his jaw so hard not to react to her touch, he'd almost ground his teeth to dust.

And now here she is, answering his father's questions about her trip, engaging into small talk about the most mundane topics while Matthias feels like he's about to self-combust.

Read more on AO3!

[tryalittlejoytomorrow]

my hand was the one you reached for (all throughout the Great War), ch.3 ✨

andom: Six of Crows / Shadow and Bone (TV)

Pairing: Nina/Matthias

Tags: alternate universe: modern royalty; arranged marriage; enemies to lovers

Status: in progress???

Summary: Nina decides to enjoy her last night of freedom before her trip to Fjerda to meet her betrothed. What happens in Ketterdam stays in Ketterdam, right?

Extract:

Nina changed the chat title to remember that guy I fucked at the Crow Club?

The first reaction is instantaneous: Kaz left the chat.

Nina added Kaz to the chat.

Nina: come on, get over yourself, Kaz

Kaz left the chat.

Inej added Kaz to the chat.

Jesper: it's not like they fucked on your desk kaz

Inej: don't test him jes

Inej: so what about that guy? is he causing you any trouble?

Jesper: I'll shoot him for you, Nina love

Nina: I appreciate the gesture <3

Nina: turns out, he's *him*

Jesper: ???

Inej: oh, Saints

Jesper: what's happening???

Read more on AO3!

[tryalittlejoytomorrow]

my hand was the one you reached for (all throughout the Great War), ch.8 ✨

Fandom: Six of Crows / Shadow and Bone (TV)

Pairing: Nina/Matthias

Tags: alternate universe: modern royalty; arranged marriage; enemies to lovers

Status: in progress???

Summary: Nina decides to enjoy her last night of freedom before her trip to Fjerda to meet her betrothed. What happens in Ketterdam stays in Ketterdam, right?

Extract:

"You're something else," he says, more to himself than anything, failing to find the words to define her. Realizing for the first time that it doesn't matter what or who she is, because he loves her exactly that way, loud laughter and sweet smiles and downright dirty at times. "You're overwhelming," he still says, because it's true, she is, and he wouldn't have her any other way. Nina lets out a giggle, and he watches the slender slope of her neck unfold as she throws her head back, the tips of her brown hair touching the grass and glinting in the sun. Of all things, perhaps it's the reckless abandon with which she laughs that he loves the most, the way she snorts like a little piggy with no care in the world about what she looks or sounds like. It's unladylike and he should find it unbecoming, but Matthias can't remember why. "I've heard that before," Nina says softly when her laughter dies down. She mirrors him, lying down on the blanket, her brown waves framing her face like a halo as she tilts her head towards him. "There's more to you than meets the eye, too." "Is there?" Matthias asks, curious.

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[tryalittlejoytomorrow]

my hand was the one you reached for (all throughout the Great War), ch.7 ✨

Fandom: Six of Crows / Shadow and Bone (TV)

Pairing: Nina/Matthias

Tags: alternate universe: modern royalty; arranged marriage; enemies to lovers

Status: in progress???

Summary: Nina decides to enjoy her last night of freedom before her trip to Fjerda to meet her betrothed. What happens in Ketterdam stays in Ketterdam, right?

Extract:

There's a gleam of triumph in Jesper's eyes, one that makes him look like a toddler on a sugar-high - which is pretty much Jesper in a nutshell, Nina reckons. "So I was right, kind of? Him being cute did help in the end," Jesper says, half-smug as he gives her this lazy smile many a people have damned themselves for. Nina rolls her eyes. Of course this is what Jesper would gather from her tale - not her inner turmoil about the recent events and the fast-like-lightning evolution of her relationship with Matthias, but just how cute he is. And he is, so cute. "Shut up, Jesper," she says without heat. "You're not allowed to use my weakness for handsome men against me like this. Especially as you suffer from the same affliction". "I'll keep it for my toast, then," Jesper laughs, then grimaces as Inej's hand disappears at his side to pinch him. "Ow, be nice. Our girl's happy, I'm allowed to tease her a little bit," he argues weakly. Inej gives him a side-eye that could rival Kaz's. Then she turns her attention back to the screen, her eyes locking with Nina's. "You're really happy, aren't you?" she asks softly.

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