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resident-gay-bitch · 12 days ago

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🐈‍⬛ Trick or Treat 🐈‍⬛

Little Steddie + Stobin meet cute; Eddie and Robin decide they must take Steve trick-or-treating, and they absolutely must make him their friend (a really special friend in Eddie's case) - fluffy! (5.5 k words)

This was all inspired by this tweet. It was so heartbreaking and upsetting I just had to fix it :)

🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃

Steve hasn’t celebrated Halloween since he was five. Not properly, anyway. Hasn't dressed up, or gone trick or treating even once since then. And he’s ten now, almost eleven.

He doesn’t want to admit it, but he misses going trick or treating. His mummy used to take him, until she stopped being home as much, and his babysitters could never be bothered.

He used to love dressing up, it was his favorite part. Liked to talk to the other kids in the street and play spooky games. But he’ll probably never do that again.

It’s probably stupid anyway. Steve’s double digits now, and his dad says that makes him a man, and men aren’t supposed to get sad about stupid things like Halloween.

Besides, his mum says candy’s bad for him. It will make his teeth fall out and his tummy fat, and his mum really hates that stuff.

Steve’s grown up knowing to always believe her, but he sees kids at school eating candy all the time, and they still have all their teeth and aren’t fat. Even his teacher eats candy, and offers a bowl of it around every holiday.

But Steve never eats it. His mom will be upset with him if she finds out.

But Steve’s a big boy, he can handle himself now. He’s got a bowl of sweets sitting by the door, eyeing him off and he’s trying his best not to eat one, because it’s for the trick or treaters.

The little kids, the ones his age, the older ones, and even some parents.

Steve pretends he’s not disappointed when they show off their awesome costumes that their moms made for them. He pretends he’s fine, he’s becoming a man, he shouldn’t care about kid things like Halloween.

He gets up when there’s another knock on the door, what feels like the millionth one of the night, and finds three people waiting there all dressed in cool costumes.

There’s a girl with freckles, short brown hair, and she’s done it all messy, dressed up like a scarecrow with a glowing lightbulb on the top of her head. She looks awesome, even has makeup on her face and real pieces of straw sticking out in random places.

There’s a boy beside her, with big brown eyes sweet like the chocolate Steve’s giving out, with long hair like a mane with golden shimmers of tinsel through it. He’s dressed like a lion, a showy badge on his chest, and he roared when Steve opened the door.

Behind them is an adult, probably their dad or something, dressed in grey with silver all over him, a funnel wrapped in foil on his head, a big red heart stitched into his shirt, and he’s holding a lead that’s got a little black cat on the end of it, with bows around its collar.

They’re dressed as The Wizard Of Oz, Steve thinks, and they look awesome. Steve wishes he had friends or family to go trick or treating with. All he’s got is Mrs. Delores, from across the street to look after him tonight, and she’s been asleep on the couch since five o’clock. She’d never take him anyway, says Halloween is for the energised, whatever that means.

“Cool costumes!” Steve says, puts on the brightest smile he can muster, just like his mom taught him. He grabs the candy bowl and holds it out for them to stuff their pillow cases with, “I love Wizard Of Oz— isn’t Toto a dog though?”

“Yeah, but Eddie only has a cat.” The girl answers as the boy digs through the bowl, clearly looking for something specific, “I think she’s crazy enough to be a dog though! Makes the funniest noises ever.”

“Yeah, she’s the funniest.” The lion boy giggles, waggles the Milky Way he found in the air, “She’s crazy too, I found her by the quarry one day, and Wayne said I can keep her.”

Steve thinks the tin man is Wayne, gives the man a smile and offers the candy bowl to him, which he politely declines.

“That’s cool, I’m not allowed pets. Especially strays, mom says they’re filthy.”

“Cthulhu is filthy, but she doesn’t stink more than Eddie!” The girl teases, already eating a caramel treat, chocolate all over her mouth.

Eddie punches her in the arm hard, “I don’t stink! Cthulhu is the best kitty in the world.” He bends down, picking the cat up under the arms and snuggling her, and she hisses and squeaks at him, “Aren’t you Cthulhu? You’re the best kitty cat in the world.”

Cthulhu meows and puts her paw on Eddie’s face, and Steve laughs. He’s always wanted a pet, loves them so much. He Loves all animals.

“Can I pet her?”

Eddie looks up at him from his snuggle with Cthulhu and arches his eyebrow, “Perhaps.”

“Oh, lord.” The man mutters to himself behind them, and it seems like maybe Steve shouldn’t have asked.

“Eddie’s very protective of Cthulhu because she’s a scared cat. She was really sick when we found her! So small you could see her ribs, it was so sad!” The girl informs him, very eager to teach, “She’s just a poor little kitty, and only loves me and Eddie and Wayne and no one else.”

“It’s true, she bites people you know? If they get too close.” Eddie says ominously, holding onto Cthulhu like she’s a precious treasure that Steve is trying to steal, “One time Nash from across the trailer park tried to feed her tuna and she bit a chunk out of his hand! It was so funny, there was blood everywhere. He screamed so loud, the stupid fuck-“

“Language.” The man said, glaring at Eddie.

“Uh, I mean, the stupid wimp.”

“It’s true, did you know?” The girl nodded as she spoke, nodded so much Steve thought her head would fall off, “We hate Nash, he’s so mean.”

“I would maybe let you pet her, if she likes you, which she probably won’t because she doesn’t like anyone except for us.” Eddie said, scratching Cthulhu behind the ear to make her purr, giving her little kisses to make her smile, “But, you must also pass the test.”

“What test?” Steve asked, curious now. He’d really like to pet Cthulhu, if she’d let him.

“First, you have to swear to never, ever be mean to an animal ever.” The girl said.

Then dramatically, Eddie added in, “Second, you have to swear allegiance to Robin and I forever and ever, which also means you swear allegiance to all underdogs by proxy-“

“I don’t know what any of that means.” Steve mutters, ashamed of himself. He’s been doing really bad at school lately, he knows he’s dumb, his dad tells him all the time.

“Ed, remember not everyone reads Tolkien by the time they’re eight.”

“Right.” Eddie nods, smiles up at Steve, “Uh, it means you have to swear to at least be nice to us always, like, friendly! No bullying us or being rude or anything. And also the same goes for every nerd or weird kid.”

“Yeah, you can’t be mean to weird kids ever.”

“Are you weird kids?” Steve asked, looking them over. He doesn’t think they’re weird, he thinks they’re cool, they have the coolest costumes he’s seen all night, they put a lot of effort into them.

“The weirdest ever, actually.” Eddie states, nodding like he’s proud of it.

Robin, the girl, nods in agreement.

“Okay.” Steve shrugs, “I don’t care if people are weird, you have cool costumes.”

“That’s really nice, thanks!” Robin says, but Eddie gives him a funny look.

“Where’s your costume? And why aren’t you trick or treating? Are you sick or something?”

“Uhm, I just don’t want to.” Steve lies, he feels stupid because he wants to cry.

“Oh, okay, weird.” Eddie says and stands again, keeps Cthulhu in his arms and Robin leans over to pet her too, “The third rule is that you have to give us an extra candy bar-“

“That’s not one of the rules?” Robin intervenes, clearly confused by this, which Steve finds funny.

“Shh!” Eddie hisses, “Come on, it’s Halloween, it’s a special extra holiday rule.”

“I don’t think that’s fair.”

“It’s just one extra candy bar. Besides, would you prefer stupid Jason come by and steal an extra one like he did at the last house?”

“No.” Robin admits and turns to Steve, “Okay, yeah, an extra candy bar.”

“And also, the last rule is-“

“You have to stand on one foot and hop on the spot and sing Soft Kitty!”

“Hey, I wanted to say that part.” Eddie groans at her.

“You always say that part.” Robin bickers back, and Eddie starts to sulk.

Steve wishes he had friends like that.

“Do you agree with the rules?” Robin asks, and Steve nods.

“Sure.” He says.

“Okay, fine.” Eddie said, snapping out of his hunch to grin at Steve again, “But don’t be offended if she doesn’t like you. She hates everyone. She was even scared of us for the first few days!”

“Yeah, it’s true.” Robin agrees, watching Eddie set Cthulhu down, taking the leash from the older man, “She’s such a poor little kitty. Eddie, show him the scars you have! I can’t or it will stuff up my costume.”

“Oh, yeah!” Eddie grins, shoving the sleeves up his arms to reveal an array of tiny bites and scratches, “Gnarly, huh?”

“I thought he had rabies! I was so scared, but it’s okay, we all got a rabies shot.”

“Yeah, I almost passed out, I hate needles.”

“It was really funny, the nurses had to give him three lollipops to stop him crying-“

“Hey! Don’t tell him that, he won’t think I’m cool.” Eddie punches her again. Robin punches him back.

“He probably already thinks you’re not cool, Eddie. Everyone thinks you’re not cool, and he’s rich.”

“Oh, yeah.” Eddie mutters, shrugs like he no longer cares, loosens Cthulhu’s lead a little, “Anyway, just don’t take it personally if she tries to kill you or anything, she especially doesn’t like mean people or rich people. She only likes freaks and weirdos I think, ‘cause we’re like her, you know? She’s a good cat like that. So yeah, just don’t like, get upset if she hates—“

They all stop and stare when Cthulhu wanders over the threshold to Steve’s house, looking up at him with her tail in the air as she goes. She walks right up to Steve, rubs her face against his shin and weaves between his legs, stretching out and laying on his fluffy slipperd feet.

Behind them, the older man snickers, and Eddie glares back at him.

He takes a few steps away to catch his breath as he laughs, muttering as he goes, “Spoke too soon, boy, what’d I tell ya?”

Eddie growls and looks back at Cthulhu like she’s betrayed him. Robin is just smiling, which is nice, she has a very happy smile.

“I think she likes him, Eddie.” Robin says, and Eddie growls again.

“So, can I pet her?” Steve asks.

“You have to do the ritual.” Eddie says with sass, like it’s a challenge, like Steve won’t do it, “Swear kindness to all animals.”

“Obviously, I love animals.” Steve said with a frown.

“That one’s easy, you’d be a total psycho if you didn’t!”

“Okay, swear you’ll never be mean to an outcast or a weirdo.” Robin said.

“Okay— but what about if a weirdo is mean to me first? Can I be mean back?” He asked, because the rules seemed a little biassed.

“Eh, makes sense.” Robin nodded, “What do you think, Eddie?”

“I agree. Not like a weirdo would ever be mean to a rich kid.” He said, shrugging.

Steve arched his eyebrow at the boy, put his hands on his hips unimpressed, “I swear it, idiot.”

“Hey, you can’t—“

“You said I can, if you’re mean first.”

“I’m not— Wayne! Stop laughing at me!” Eddie huffed back at the man, facing Steve again, he said, “I’m not mean to you.”

“You are. You said Cthulhu would probably hate me cause I’m rich. I’m not even rich, I just live here.”

Beside him, Robin nodded, “You are kinda mean sometimes, Eddie.”

Eddie looked like a fish out of water. The old man was still laughing, hunched over from it now.

“We can call it even, if you’re nice to me from now on.” Steve states, holding out his hand in an offer.

Eddie looks at his hand and considers it, looks back at Steve and sighs, “I’m sorry, okay, you're right. We can call it even.”

Steve smiles and solidifies the shake, wondering why his stomach goes all fluttery.

“Three!” Robin interrupts, literally leaning over to get between them, “Extra candy bar.”

Steve smiles and lets them both have at it again, holding it steady as they aggressively rifle through the bowl in hunt of their desired treasure. Robin eats half of hers again when she gets it, drops the other half in her pillow case.

“And the dance!” Eddie chimes in, carefully placing his sweet in the sack, “For a whole minute.”

“How am I supposed to hop on one foot when Cthulhu is laying on my slippers?”

“Uh, that’s a good point, Eddie. You know Cthulhu hates being disturbed.” Robin whispers, like she’s scared she’ll suddenly wake the sleeping kitty.

Eddie pouts, looking down at the animal to come up with an answer. It takes him a while. Steve comes up with one first.

He grabs the bowl of sweets again and dumps half in Robin's sack, and the other half in Eddie’s. A trade, extra candy so he doesn’t have to do the dance.

“Awesome!” Robin grins, beaming down at her loot.

“What about your leftovers?” Eddie asks, looking sadly at the big empty bowl, “You won’t have any leftovers! And you’re not trick or treating, so how would you get chocolate?”

“It’s okay, mom doesn’t really like when I eat chocolate. Says it will make my teeth fall out—“

“Ah! Is that true?” Robin asks, her mouth full of melted chocolate again. She looks back at the man in fear, “Wayne! Are my teeth gonna fall out?”

“No.” He says, stern and sharp, “My mama used to tell me the same thing. You’re supposed to have treats, you’re a kid.”

Oh, Steve thinks to himself, he’s a kid.

“Oh, thank goodness.” Robin huffs and keeps munching away.

“Here.” Eddie smiles, and he’s got a handful of candy bars taken from his pillow case, holding them out to Steve, “You deserve some chocolate too!”

Steve blushes and takes the sweets, can’t find the Strength to protest when he really, really wants it. He stashes them in his pockets and tells himself not to forget about them.

“Do you want some more?” Eddie asks, “I know how it feels to have no candy on Halloween, it sucks. I never got to trick-or-treat when I was little, my dad couldn’t be bothered and my mama was always sick.”

Steve frowns, looks at the boy and doesn’t even get another word in before Eddie’s reaching over and stuffing another handful of chocolate into Steve’s other pocket. He gives it a firm pat, stands up straight again, and smiles.

Steve doesn’t know what to do.

He thinks he’d like to be friends with these kids.

“Can I pet your cat now?” He asks, too scared to say anything else. His dad says he’s too much of a wimp these days, and needs to man up.

“Of course.” Eddie smiles, nods his head.

Steve crouches down, careful not to move his feet and disturb the kitty, and he strokes from her head down her back until she purrs. She purrs so much her whole body starts to vibrate, it makes the three of them laugh.

“She’s so cute, huh?” Robin asks, crouched down too to watch.

“She’s the best kitty cat ever.” Eddie agrees, reaching to scratch under her chin with a finger, and Cthulhu smiles and tries to bite his finger, “No silly! I’m not a Halloween candy.”

“She’s so soft.” Steve muses, can’t stop petting her, “She’s so cute.”

“Super cute.”

“The cutest!” Robin shouts, slaps a hand over her mouth when she realises how loud she was.

“I wish I had a cat.” Steve sighs.

“You can visit her sometimes, if you like?” Eddie asks, his cheeks all red for some reason, “Wayne doesn’t mind if I have friends at the trailer, and it would be mean to keep Cthulhu from her new best friend.”

“You mean it?” Steve asks, feels himself smiling so wide his cheeks get warm, “For real?”

“Yeah.” Eddie nods, gets very nervous when he says, “And… and maybe we could play, or something?”

Steve nods his head, he hasn’t had a friend to play with since Tommy decided they were too cool for make believe, “Yes please.”

“You probably won’t want to if you’re cool and not a weirdo.” Robin says, doesn’t even look up as she speaks, too busy petting Cthulhu, “Eddie likes weird games, he always makes me be the dragon he has to fight and slay.”

“I thought you liked being the dragon? You make such good dragon noises.”

“Of course I do.” Robin huffs, looking over at him, “But he might not like being a dragon.”

“Well he wouldn’t be the dragon, ‘cause you’re always the dragon.”

“We’ll, maybe he won’t want to be the knight either!”

“I’m always the knight.” Eddie huffed and turned to Steve, wearing a very determined glare, “What do you want to be when we play fantasy? You could be the horse, but that’s probably boring. Or I suppose you could be the princess I rescue, because Cthulhu is always the princess. You can’t be the evil troll because Wayne’s really good at being grumpy. Or you can be something new if you like?”

“I can be anything.” Steve shrugged, “I’ve never played fantasy before. It sounds fun.”

“It’s so fun!” Robin grinned, “Maybe you could be the prince and Eddie can rescue you too!”

“I’m really good at rescuing.” Eddie stated.

“Okay.” Steve smiled, “Whatever you guys want.” He says, because he’s excited enough they want him there at all, he would play the tree if they wanted.

“Cool.” Eddie grinned, totally delighted by this.

“Thanks for letting me pet your cat.” Steve said, knowing he shouldn’t keep them any longer. They have more trick-or-treating to get too, and the man taking them is probably bored. “I think your costumes are really cool and creative.”

“Thanks, we made them ourselves, Eddie’s really good at sewing and painting!” Robin grinned.

“Well, Wayne had to help with the sewing machine. And Robin did all the decorations.”

“That’s so cool.” Steve grinned, the words toppling out of his mouth before he could stop himself, “I wish I knew how to make costumes, my mom never makes me costumes, I miss trick-or-treating.”

“I thought you said you didn’t feel like it?” Robin asked, and Steve stared at her, caught red.

“Why doesn’t your mom make your costumes?” Eddie asked, looking so terribly sad about it, “Why don’t you go trick-or-treating? Is your mummy sick too?”

Embarrassed, Steve shook his head, eyes averted to the ground as he shamefully admitted, “My parents don’t really care about this stuff, they say it’s for kids, and it’s silly. They’re never home anyway.”

“But you are a kid.” Robin says, confused.

Steve feels that harshly for the second time tonight.

“I think your parents are stupid.” Eddie says flatly, and Steve thinks he’s awesome.

“Eddie!” The older man snaps from behind, “That’s not very nice now, come on.”

“But it’s true.” Eddie huffs, “Your parents sound like they suck. My dad sucked too. He’s in prison, you know, cause he sucks.”

“Eddie really doesn’t like his dad.” Robin said, still crouched down to pet Cthulhu, not looking up at them as she spoke.

Quietly, for the first time ever, Steve admitted something back, “I don’t like my dad either.”

Eddie smiled at him, held up his hand in this strange symbol, his pinky and pointer finger extended whilst the others were folded.

“What’s that?”

“Metal.” Eddie said, a cool smile as he nodded. And Steve had no idea what metal means, but he makes the symbol back and smiles, because Eddie seems to think it’s cool, so it must be.

“Cool.”

“Do you want to come trick or treating with us?” He asks, and Steve thinks yes, but holds himself back.

“Oh, yeah, please come!” Robin grins, up and jumping on the spot now.

“We don’t even have a Dorothy.” Eddie says, “We don’t even have the main character!”

“I told you to be Dorothy.” Robin tells him, “You have the perfect hair for it.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to wear my lion costume again. It saved more time! We had to spend all our time making your costume!”

Robin shrugged and looked back at Steve, “Do you wanna be Dorothy?”

“Isn’t she a girl?”

“So.” Eddie shrugged, “I think Toto’s a boy, and Cthulhu is pretending to be him— and Robins being a boy scarecrow. It’s just a costume.”

“But she wears a dress. I don’t have a dress.”

“You can be a boy Dorothy if you like?” Robin answers.

“Or, you can be a girl Dorothy in pants.” Eddie adds on, “And I’m really good at making costumes, I bet I can help you come up with something cool. And then you can walk Cthulhu all night if you like, ‘cause Toto is Dorothy’s pet!”

Steve does like the sound of going trick-or-treating with these guys. And he really likes the sound of hanging out with Cthulhu all night, she’s such a cute kitty, still sleeping on his slippers.

Steve worries his lip and looks at the old man past them, wondering if he’ll tell Steve to stay home for wanting to dress up like a girl.

“You’re welcome to join if you want, kid, I’ll just need to talk to whoever’s lookin’ after ya.”

Steve is sort of scared to wake Mrs. Deloris, she’s a real hag when she’s grumpy.

But, he’d like to go trick-or-treating even more. And this might be his only ever chance.

”I’d really like to.” Steve says, and the three of them seem happy with his answer.

Eddie dives down and grabs Cthulhu so Steve can move, which is a big mistake because she starts hissing and trying to scratch Eddie’s face, and he screams, the old man and Robin have to intervene.

Steve rushes over to Mrs. Delores to wake her with a fright, and he tells her his plans, doesn’t ask, and she gets up in a grump to go talk to the man at the door.

When Steve makes it back to them, Eddie’s got a bloody scratch on his cheek, but he doesn’t seem to mind it, he’s still holding Cthulhu as she naps in his arms, and he kisses her between the ears adoringly.

“I wouldn’t know how to make a Dorothy costume.” Steve says, and this seems to excite Eddie and Robin.

“Can we come in? We’ll help!” Eddie asks.

“And your house is so big.” Robin wonders, leaning forward to inspect the inside, “I’ve never been in a house this big before.”

“Me either.” Eddie muses, “Do you have a hot tub?”

Steve leads them inside, and up the stairs, “No, but I have a pool.”

“Cool!” Eddie grins.

“Do you have a cinema?”

“No.” Steve giggles, “Of course not.”

“Do you have two bathrooms?” Eddie asks.

Steve furrows his brow at the weird question, “Uh, yeah— or three if you count the extra toilet.”

“Woah!” The two say in unison, their eyes wandering around Steve’s house as they walk.

“That’s so cool.” Eddie says.

“I’ve always wanted two bathrooms. My dad gets pee all over the toilet seat, and me and mom hate it.” Robin adds, and Steve decides to laugh, because Eddie is.

He thought everyone had two bathrooms. He’s never shared one with his parents. That seems so strange. He’s not even allowed in his parents bathroom, they get so mad at him if he goes in there.

He leads the pair into his bedroom and they go right for his wardrobe, diving right in without asking. Not that Steve cares, he thinks they’re so nice, and he’s excited to have more friends.

They’re talking amongst themselves, chattering and chattering, agreeing and disagreeing.

“Would you wear a skirt?” Eddie turns around to ask.

“I don’t have a skirt.” Steve says back.

“That’s not what I asked.”

“I guess.” Steve shrugged, “But it’s too cold for a skirt! It’s windy outside.”

“He’s got a point.” Robin says, and Eddie nods.

“Will your dad be mad if we cut up one of his shirts?”

Steve’s eyes widened, he think his dad would definitely mind. But, he’s not home, won’t be for another week at least. Besides, he might not even notice, if Steve hides the evidence.

He shakes his head no.

“Does he have a blue button up?”

Steve nods, knows he does. He has like, a billion of them.

He races to go get one, finding one that’s got little blue and white checkers all over it, thinking it would be perfect for Dorothy. When he shows it to Eddie, he’s excited, says it’s perfect.

Robin hands Steve a white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans and tells him to change into them whilst they work on the dress. Steve rushes to change in the bathroom, can’t wait, he’s so excited.

By the time he comes back out, the sleeves of his dads shirt have been cut off, and the collar removed to make straps instead, and Eddie’s making Steve put it on, and it’s long, like a dress. He’s cut one of the sleeves to make a belt, ties it around Steve’s waist with a bow, and Robin ties the other on his head.

He’s still got his slippers on, which they decide are perfect, because they’re fuzzy red Elmo slippers, just like Dorothy’s shoes. Steve hasn’t felt this cool in a long time, he likes how creative Eddie and Robin are.

He half expects to be told off when they get back down, yapping away to Cthulhu about the next houses they’re gonna hit, but the old man doesn’t mind that Steve’s in a dress.

In fact, he compliments him, “Cool costume, looks just like the movie, kid.” He says, waves them all out the door, “Come on, it’s getting late and I have to have you home by ten.”

“Quick!” Eddie says, putting Cthulhu down and letting Steve take her lead, “We’ve got so many more houses to get to.”

“Wait! Dorothy doesn’t- wait, what’s your name?” Robin asks, and Steve feels silly for not having introduced himself.

“Oh, it’s Steve.” He says, walking down the steps, Cthulhu right beside him.

“That’s cool, I’m Robin, and he’s Eddie.” Robin said, “We’re best friends, we take art class together.”

“Wow, you do art?” Steve asks, “I like colouring.”

“Colouring is cool.” Eddie smiled, five steps ahead of everyone else, “I like drawing best. I draw monsters mostly.”

“They’re so creepy.” Robin giggles, “It’s for his nerd game he likes. Watch out, he’ll probably make you try and play it. It’s so confusing.”

“It’s not confusing. It’s just roleplay! It’s called Dungeons and Dragons, and it’s the coolest game in the world.”

“Sounds fun.” Steve says, even though the dungeon part worries him.

“What were you gonna say before, Robin?” Eddie asked, “You seemed so worried.”

“Oh, uhm, I can’t- Steve doesn’t have a pillowcase!” She gasped, turning to Steve.

“Oh no.” He said, looking back at his house, already a block away now.

“It’s okay!” Eddie said, running back to them, “Steve can share mine, we’ll split all my candy down the middle since you missed so much. Come on, that house always has the best stuff.” He says, grabbing Steve by the wrist and pulling him along to run.

Steve lets him, giggling as the three of them run through the street up to the house. His skin tingles where Eddie holds it, which is strange, but he doesn’t mind. It’s sort of nice. Eddie is really nice.

“Come on.” He says, shoving Steve to the grand front door of the house they’re at, “You should do the honours, Steve, since you haven’t in ages! Come on, come on!”

Nervously, Steve lifts his hand and rings the doorbell. And when the woman answers the door, he grins, and shouts, “Trick-or-treat!” Louder than he should have.

The three get their fill of candy and head away to the next house, playing with Cthulhu as they go, comparing which chocolates are their favourites.

Eddie says his favourites are milky ways, Steve says they’re his favourites too, and Eddie’s cheeks go red again at the fact.

They manage to hit fifteen more houses before Steve has to go home, and Eddie’s pillow case is so full they decide to carry it together, so it’s not too heavy.

They sit on the floor by the open door to divvy it out, Robin sits beside them eating more of her candy. Mrs. Delores comes out to flirt with Wayne, who Steve learned is Eddie’s uncle that he lives with, and apparently a lot of old ladies flirt with him.

They split the chocolates clean down the middle, having an even amount in the bag. And Steve’s excited, because he’s got five milky ways, can’t wait to eat them. Eddie’s got six, at Steve’s insistence as payment for making his costume.

At the last minute, when they’re scooping their treats back into Eddie’s pillow case and the candy bowl by Steve’s door, he remembers the pocketed treats from before, and races away to get them. He quickly divvys them between him and Eddie, gives the extra one to Wayne as a thank you, and says goodbye to his new friends. Especially Cthulhu.

“Remember you have to come visit.” Eddie says sternly, watching Steve snuggle the cat, “Cthulhu will get depressed without you.”

“Promise.” Steve nods.

“Maybe you can come on Saturday! And maybe Tuesdays after five o'clock! And also Wednesdays after school, and Fridays too—“

“That’s when Robin comes over to my house. We hang out a lot.”

“We’re best friends.” Robin nods.

“That sounds like a good idea. Maybe I can come after school on Wednesday.”

“Okay!” They both shout in unison.

“Bye, Steve!” Robin shouts, beginning to hop down the steps, “See you around.”

“Come here, kitty kitty.” Eddie says, tries to grab Cthulhu but she doesn’t let him. Hisses at Eddie and snuggles against Steve. Eddie looks very betrayed again, “Cthulhu! I said come here.”

She just meowed.

Steve laughed, handed her back over to Eddie with a little fight and apologised, “Sorry, Cthulhu. We’ll have to cuddle another time.”

“She really loves group cuddles, you know.” Eddie blurts out, looks embarrassed again, “Just so you know.”

Steve smiles, thinking he might like a group cuddle with them some time, “Okay.” He’s got butterflies again.

“Okay.”

Eddie’s so nice.

“I’m gonna go now.” He mutters, “But you can come play whenever— not just when Robin’s there, okay?”

“Okay.” Steve smiled again. It’s all he can do, really.

“Nice to meet you, Steve.”

“Nice to meet you too, Eddie.”

Eddie blushes and ducks his head, waving as he turns away, “I think you look nice, by the way, in your costume. Blue looks really nice on you.”

Steve blushes too, “Thanks, Eddie.”

He doesn’t say anything else, just bounces away, catching up to his uncle who’s holding Robin's hand as they walk. Steve watches them walk away, stands silently at the door with a fuzzy feeling in his stomach.

Wayne scruffs Eddie’s head as they walk away, “Steve seems nice.” He says, sounds like he’s teasing.

Eddie hunches his shoulders up, glances back at Steve and looks away again immediately, grits out, “Shut up.”

“What’s going on?” Robin asks, leaning into Eddie’s space.

“Nothing!—“

“Eddie thinks Steve’s nice.”

Eddie groans, and Steve doesn’t understand why that’s such a big deal. Steve is nice, isn’t he?

Isn’t he?

“Ohh!” Robin muses, skips a few steps ahead and starts singing as the reach the street, “Eddie and Steve, sitting in the tree—“

“Shhh! He’s gonna hear you.”

“K. I. S. S. I. N. G—“

“I’m gonna kill you!” Eddie groaned, running straight for her.

Robin erupted in giggles, running away down the street, into the night.

Steve closes the door and looks down at his bowl of candy, can’t help himself, just wants one before bed. He goes to grab a Milky Way, and something catches his attention.

He’s supposed to have five. But there are— one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven in the bowl.

Eddie snuck Steve all of his, even though they’re his favourites.

Steve can’t wait to hang out with his new friends Robin and Eddie.

Especially Eddie.

Steve doesn’t think he’s gonna have a lonely Halloween ever again.

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calisources · 8 months ago

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𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒

All sentences has been taken from different media and soruces about life in the royal court, involving the introgue of succession, war, marriage, kings and queens and tournaments. Most of this are acceptable for all audience except one with some foul language. Chance names, pronouns, locations as you see fit.

Ten years of shadows, but no longer. Light up the darkness, Majesty.

You don't know a woman until you've met her in court.

A queen keeps a court that is spoken about. A goddess keeps a court that is never forgotten.

And you, lady? Are you a woman of conscience or of ambition?

That's a question rarely asked here at court.

Court games aren't fair. They don't judge men by their worth, and they aren't about what's just.

We know all men are not created equal in the sense some people would make us believe .

Either you break the law, or the law breaks you.

There is no playacting in this court. If you stay your hand, they will cut it off.

Power does not pardon, power punishes.

Listen! The court jester's cap and bells. The King is coming!

He was a man with a vision- and an extraordinary vision it was.

The cat who lived in the Palace had been awarded the head-dress of nobility and was called Lady Myobu.

In every reign there comes one night of greatest blackness, when a King must send away his court of flatterers and servants, and sit alone in the dark with the beast called truth.

It is important to refuse to be intimidated.

They all come innocent in court.

Is that how you get propositioned at the court? 'Mylady, would you be so kind as to allow me to put my manhood in your vagina'?

They used to say that, in a battle between the lion and the tiger, the winner was the monkey, who watched from a distance.

Men love those creatures that need to be taken care of.

If you want to tame a lioness you need to become a lion, not a goat.

A doe is easier to keep.

The woman did not care for empty compliments; to get such a woman, one needed to put forth effort.

I’m a terrible prince. I should put my kingdom first and everything else second, but your first. I want you by my side every second . . .

Once a King in Narnia, always a King in Narnia.

She calls herself the Queen of Narnia thought she has no right to be queen at all.

Plenty of people have told me you are not my father.

It is necessary for a prince to have the people friendly.”

Royalty is not a right, Captain. The willingness of the people to follow a ruler is what gives her power.

Here, in this place, by this people, I have been chosen.

These men are tired of being told whom to follow. Now they have a choice, and they use that choice to call me Princess.

I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny old attics.

A prince ought also to show himself a patron of ability, and to honour the proficient in every art.

You should never have been only a little girl, you should have always been a crown princess.

You knew you would be sending me away?

A born king is a very rare being.

The world will need to know that I’m the last royal left. Their queen.

There’s royalty in me, but stronger than that there is adventure.

My life is the Crown and yours is politics, and I will not trade one prison for another.

Dignity is trained into royal children before they can toddle.

The first year of marriage is not always easy, especially within the Royal Family.

The real intelligence in the royal family comes through my parents .

The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind.

The royal road to a man's heart is to talk to him about the things he treasures most.

The hands of the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known.

The winner will marry the prince.

You want to marry my daughter? Prove yourself worthy.

That is acceptable. A king is a martyr to their ideals.

f I rule the nation as king, I cannot ask to live as a person.

A wise king never seeks out war, but... he must always be ready for it.

All men need something greater than themselves to look up to and worship. They must be able to touch the divine here on earth

I am the First Imperial Princess of the Misurugi Empire!

You can tell she's a princess, she doesn't need a crown.

You, sir, are the most uncharming prince I have ever met! In fact, the only thing royal about you is that you are a royal pain.

No one ever told her "no."

In no time at flat, she'll get herself established as his official mistress, with her own rooms at the palace.

These men are my bodyguards, their lives forfeit to the guarantee of my physical safety. Of their loyalty to me, there shall be no question nor doubt.

Some balls are held for charity And some for fancy dress, But when they're held for pleasure They're the balls that I like best.

Be careful of what women with gowns plan, specially in a ballroom.

The art of husband seeking is something every woman has been trained since birth.

Many wives and consorts, of course.

Who is to rule when I am gone? You are a princess. I have no son.

Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne.

Did I not mention there was another?

A king must always have an heir and a spare.

He was born to be a king... He rules men just by breathing. When he walks into a room, he commands it. People love him.

Two knights off to rescue a princess. Sounds like a great song.

As the king's brother, you should've been first in line!

I was first in line. Until the little hairball was born.

That "hairball" is my son, and your future king.

My parents were... rather traditional. They wanted the heir and the spare, and I was left in the cold.

It cannot be easy being the youngest prince. To have others expect nothing from you, yet still shake their heads in disapproval.

If my uncle attacks King's Landing I'll ride out to meet him.

You are in need of serious princess lessons.

You're the new ruler of Mechanicsburg. You need to act like it.

Every princess needs a battle axe. Here. Use this one until we find you something more impressive.

You know what they used to write on cannons? The last argument of kings. I guess you could say magic is the last argument of queens.

A tournament has been arranged in your name, so you must attend and make yourself presentable.

They hope to find me a husband here. They said I am already a woman bled.

#roleplay memes #sentence meme #( cali meme. )#rp memes #rp prompt #rp musings #roleplay prompt #royal scheme #royal concept #royal court

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necroneol · 25 days ago

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🐇🗝️ i must become a lion-hearted girl,

ready for a fight 🛡️⚔️

#alice #alice kingsleigh #alice in wonderland #tim burtons alice #disneys alice

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ihavetoomanyocsdealwithit · 23 days ago

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Queen of hearts Pt II

She wanted to teach her manners, and tea parties and croquet first, how to balance fierceness and poise, control and fun. She wanted dresses and lace and softness to give to her. But what Queen Mary wants and what Yuu needs are to different things.

The Overblots will keep coming, they are sure of it. Once is an accident, twice a pattern, but three already? Yuu must learn how to fight, and dodge and finish a brawl quickly. She must learn the rules of combat.

That is how the two of them train together, throwing axes until her shoulders are sore, dodging spears and learning stradegy from the great Bloody Mary of Heartsland.

It's not what she wanted, but its what Yuu needs.

Yuu pants under an apple tree, resting her head on Mary’s thigh. Taka works more on her stretches during these weeks, building up her concentration and flexibility. They'll give her a day off soon though, time with friends and away from mirrors. Away from them so she can be silly and goofy with the little card soldiers and the other miscreants.

“Queen Mary?” Yuu asks, looking up at her. “I still don’t quite understand how the fan hides like that. It’s like, as soon as I throw it, either here or out there, it becomes the battle axe. But when I pick it up or tuck it underneath my uniform it’s light as silk.”

“Ah, that would be the illusion magic dear. Illusion magic is a specialty of Underground Natives, but you’ve been inheriting mine slowly. That’s why you’ve been needing extra rest and food.”

“Do you think I could try and practice that some? My arms are about to fall off.”

“Hohoho!” Queen Mary laughs, “We do have the basics covered for both, it may be good to take a break from this for a bit. How are you doing with your color theory?”

Illusion magic was a hybrid of color blending, transportation, and nature-based magic. Being able to blend yourself and your magic into Wonderland, painting the place you wanted to go so vividly within your mind that you end up there, and the natural sway of Wonderland itself. Creatures of Wonderland, like the Cats, had more of a natural movement with transportation, but the Royal family was good at transmutation. Growing bigger or smaller, faster or longer, but the longer one held a mutation, the harder it was to control. Potions and substances certainly helped, but you could do it without.

Mary certainly wasn’t starting her on any of the potions. She would monitor those heavily.

She would not see this one go down the way her son did.

Yuu was a bright girl though, didn’t overindulge in much, but rather that was lack of resources or not was difficult to say. She trusted Scar to keep an eye on her though, he was one of the few who had children as well and had that instinct to keep them safe.

It was nearing sunrise when she finally brought the lessons to an end, letting her mind process everything with a light game of cards.

Yuu scampered off to school, and Queen Mary updated Taka on what they had worked on.

“Ok, progressing a bit quicker than planned.” He commented, leaning against the staff. “Do you feel like she’ll be able to release you soon?”

“I think so. Little Braveheart is quick witted, strong too boot!” She smooths the lace on the cuff of her sleeve. “I worry for what’s to come. I worry if she’ll be ready.”

“You and I both. But the more of us out, the more reinforcements we can put in. Besides with as much time as she’s spending in Heartslabyul, something tells me she’s getting extra practice. She reeks of your Blood roses.” He huffs his nose, as if he can smell it lingering.

“Oh, she’s safer among the Roses and Cards than alone!” she puffs, “Besides, you are simply jealous that she feels safe amongst my subjects!”

“She sought Leona’s help when she was homeless, let’s not forget that. She can have her fun with your hedgehogs, but she knows to go to the Lions for protection and strength.” he smirks, knowing that she can’t reach him through the mirror. He only laughs more as the roses in the mirror start dripping red, her hands clenching around nothing.

When she gets released from here, they are sparing, she swears, and she can remind him exactly why that battle axe was her favored weapon.

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst wonderland #disney twst #stone heart au #twst great 7 #twst the great 7 #twst yuu #Queen of Hearts

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terrifyingstories3 · 1 year ago

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how hanna needs things to be out in the Physical Realm for her to work through them. she needs to envision alison sitting in front of her to be able to articulate some of the damage this relationship did to her and find some degree of closure with it all. she has to go see mona in radley to try and make sense of what she did and move past it because the feelings are too large and too tangled for her to work out on her own. how she needs to redecorate her room after the dollhouse, how it isn't until she sees the place she and jordan met being torn down that she realizes their relationship is over, how she doesn't come to terms with how much she pushed down in new york and the consequences it had for some of the most important relationships in her life until she's back in rosewood. hanna and the physical. hanna and places. hanna and needing to engage her body and mind when on a quest for healing.

#i must become a lion hearted girl.#meta: hanna.#meta.

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ikeromantic · 4 months ago

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Fanning the Flames

A Chevalier Michel fanfiction. Approx. 3000 words. This scene takes place in Chapter 14 - 17 of the main route and is told from Chevalier’s POV. Part 15 of a series.

Chapter List

“Just what is a human life to you?” Leon’s raised voice would have put anyone else on guard. The anger in it simmered at the surface, unsubtle and ready to explode into action at any moment.

Chevalier regarded him coolly, unwilling to be goaded. His brother grabbed his collar and shoved him back against the palace wall. The second prince counted four ways he could have killed Black, but made no move to stop his brother. He knew Black would not listen to reason, not when he was like this.

He noted when the Belle arrived alongside One. She probably spent the morning crying into his welcoming arms. Chev felt a sharp pang at the thought of Jin holding the Belle, an a flush of annoyance greater than anything Black’s current shouting roused in him. One grabbed the Belle by her shoulders and ducked behind a pillar.

Black didn’t notice anything. Leon was too busy working himself up into a lather over the border events of the past week. “Why did you turn your sword on your own people? I bet there was a way you could’ve talked it out!”

Chevalier sighed as if bored. “You’re too lenient. Forceful occupation of a fort is a serious crime that could bring our kingdom to ruin.” Something Black should know. They’d studied the same military history under the same tutors, afterall. “You would call such traitors ‘our people’?”

He took hold of Black’s hands, still wrapped tight into the fabric of his shirt. Then, he pushed his brother off of him in one short, brutal shove.

“They’re not traitors!” Leon’s breathing was heavy as he continued to shout. “The actions of the anti-war faction are the result of you not listening to them in the first place!”

“I did listen. And I determined that their views are unnecessary. That’s all.” Chevalier tilted his head slightly, wondering if his younger sibling could understand. The sacrifice was required. A handful lost so that the rest of Rhodolite could continue in safety and stability. A tragedy, yes, but one of their own making.

Black’s expression contorted until he was practically snarling. “You don’t mean to tell me the purge happened because you think those people are unnecessary, do you?”

It was clear to Chevalier that he would not listen to anything he had to say. “Don’t ask a question you already know the answer to.” He straightened his collar. “I can’t understand your anger in the least. I don’t think the choice to purge the few in order to save the many is a mistaken one.”

“That’s because, unlike you, I want it all. Saving the few AND the many is what royalty does!” Leon was shaking with rage, with the effort of keeping his beast restrained.

Chev felt disgusted. Not because Black’s ideals were not worth having, but because he did not understand that being in command always meant making hard decisions. Hope for whatever you like, sometimes it wasn’t possible to save everyone. Especially when they were the biggest threat to themselves. “It is pointless to harbor ideals that will never become reality,” he replied after a pause.

Black shook his head, off balance now, but still furious. “Still better than you not even trying to save as many as possible!” He took a step back, looked away. “I’m sick of this.”

“Indeed.” Chevalier let out a small, exasperated breath. He watched Leon walk away, the lion unbowed. Black would continue to be trouble. He glanced toward the pillar where the Belle and One still stood. “Well?”

The Belle stepped out, trembling almost imperceptibly. Chevalier wished his presence didn’t frighten her. For a time it hadn’t. For a time, she - no - regrets were for lesser minds. Those that could not move forward. This was how it must be. He was a beast, and she was a common girl with a pure, gentle heart.

“I was just passing through, so I don’t have anything to discuss with you.” One spoke into the tense silence. He glanced at the girl. “Was there anything you wanted to say, Emma?”

She shook her head. “N-no. I . . .”

Chevalier found himself almost leaning forward to catch her quiet words. He straightened and continued to watch her with a purposefully chill expression.

“Emma?” Jin put a hand on her shoulder to comfort and reassure her.

“It’s amusing how you can’t even look me in the eye.” Chevalier was almost surprised by how distant and disinterested he sounded. As if the dull ache in his chest was not there, rather than only ignored. “I can hardly believe you are the Belle. If you can’t have a proper conversation, stay out of my sight.” He turned to walk away.

“Wait! Prince Chevalier!” Emma took a step toward him, her hand raised to beckon or plead.

He turned to glance at her over his shoulder. There was a flicker of the bravery that attracted his interest, there in her gaze. She was looking at him now, defiant, desperate. Chevalier resumed walking, searching inside himself for that cold, perfect numbness. Whatever these feelings were, he was done with them and with the Belle.

As Chevalier turned the corner, he heard One. “I can’t ignore a beautiful lady when she’s looking down.” The charming voice, the kind words. Emma would prefer that to his own harsh, charmless self. He kept walking.

It was no surprise when, some time later, he saw the Belle leave the palace on Jin’s arm. No surprise at all, though it left an uncomfortable tightness in his chest. A tightness that became a low, bitter flame at the back of his throat.

Chevalier sought refuge in his private library. Surrounded by stories, lives, worlds he could never know, only observe at a distance. Safely. Clinically. He was the Brutal Beast, but he would not be a fallen one.

He could still remember the lost look in his father’s eyes and the way his mother would weep when she heard another rumor of the king’s infidelity. The horror and fear of the maids in the palace. Men with smirking mouths and barely hidden laughter. All because of love. All because of want. There were no happy endings.

***

“Prince Chevalier, may I have a moment of your time?” Sariel stood at the threshold to Chevalier’s private library, unwilling to enter without the prince’s invitation.

Proper to a fault, was Four-Eyes, Chev thought, glancing up only to immediately return his attention to his book. After a drawn out moment of silence, he replied. “So it’s you, Four-Eyes. This is unusual.”

Sariel gave a curt nod. “I have something important to report.”

“Has the anti-war faction made its move?”

“So you knew about it already? I should have expected no less.” Sariel let out a sigh.

Chevalier allowed himself a grim smile. “After an extravagant purge like that, I could guess what the faction’s next move would be.”

Sariel waited for more explanation but when none was forthcoming, he spoke again. “May I ask what that guess is?”

There was little point to needling the advisor, but Chev found some small satisfaction in the functionary’s irritation. He half hoped Sariel would come to the obvious answers on his own, though he knew few could follow the information to its logical outcome as he did. Instead of responding, he turned to the next page in his novel. He let his eyes travel down the page over the familiar words, the story committed to his memory long ago.

Sariel didn’t leave or interrupt, just stood there waiting.

“The anti-war faction would spread gran rumors that the purge was a crime against humanity and by doing so, win the masses to their side,” Chev finally replied. “It would then start a large-scale uprising and subsequently propose direct negotiations with the royal family. From there, it would be a matter of time before the faction’s ragtag army closed in on the palace.”

The councilor’s face paled, his lips a thin, hard line as he processed this statement from Chevalier. “You . . . performed such an extravagant purge even knowing that this was going to happen?” Sariel’s voice was calm, his tone neutral.

Chev did not respond directly to the question, only added what information seemed most valuable. “One of my knights reported that Obsidian’s army came close to the border when the fort was taken.” He could see Sariel’s eyes widen ever so slightly, but just in case that didn’t clarify, he added, “Most likely, someone in the anti-war faction is connected to Obsidian. If I did not immediately deal with the problem, the chaos it created may have allowed enemy forces to take over our stronghold. They would have an undefended opening into Rhodolite.”

Sariel nodded, his hand coming to his chin. “I see.” His mouth curved up in a hard smile. “Your objective was ostensibly to purge the anti-war faction, but in fact, it was to keep Obsidian in check through a show of force, yes?”

Chev snorted, neither denying or agreeing with the councilor.

“The people are unaware of your intentions.” Sariel clasped his hands behind his back. “The number of groups denouncing you, with the anti-war faction chief among them, is increasing by the day.” He leaned slightly forward, “If we don’t act immediately, the public will bare its fangs at you.”

“I don’t care. I’m used to having fangs bared at me.” Chevalier looked up from his book again and met Sariel’s gaze. “The people may bark, but only a small fraction of them would dare to bite. Even in the worst case scenario, I can deal with them. Right now, there are other things I need to prioritize.”

Sariel studied his expression, clearly weighing Chevalier’s words and attitude against what he knew - and what he did not know. The councilor gave another nod. “I see. If that’s your decision, Prince Chevalier, then I have no objections.” He looked as if he might turn to leave, but stopped before taking a step. “However, there is the matter of the Belle to consider.”

Chevalier felt that dull ache in his chest anew, awakened just by the mere mention of the woman. He forced it down beneath the ice, his gaze hardening.

“I’m sure she would choose a king who is willing to meet his people half-way,” Sariel went on, as if oblivious to the change in Chev’s expression.

“Probably. Her values are the complete opposite of mine.” The prince did his best to keep his voice cool and level. “She would never choose as king a beast who so easily tramples on the human heart.” He could hear the roughness of his voice on the last word, and shut his mouth before he gave more away.

Sariel said nothing, though his brows lifted.

“Is that so surprising?”

The councillor shook his head. “No, it’s just . . . you allowed yourself to get so close to her that rumors began circulating. People say she is your favorite mistress. Did you keep the Belle at your side even knowing it would have no benefit for you?” His voice was thick with disbelief.

Chevalier’s lips turned up in a smile that did not reach his eyes. “What do you think?”

“That’s a difficult question to answer.” Sariel’s eyes narrowed. “However, you don’t do anything you consider unnecessary. Therefore, there must be some meaning to it.” He paused, pushing his glasses up his nose. “However, I don’t know what that meaning is.”

The prince stood and re-shelved his book. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to answer Sariel’s question, for the councillor or himself. The truth his heart murmured with every beat. He did not want to give it voice. Emotion does not matter.

“Should I assume you don’t want to waste more time talking?” Sariel's voice still held no judgment.

“If you understand that, then there is nothing more I need to say.” Chevalier pulled another book from the shelf and left the library. His thoughts were in uncharacteristic turmoil. Emma feared him now, as she should. There was no reason that should leave him with this heaviness. As if his chest were full of lead.

He was so deep in thought that he almost didn’t see his brother standing at the other end of the palace corridor. But she was there as well. The Belle. Drawing his eyes like iron filings to a magnet. She was beautiful, her cheeks tinged pink from alcohol, though her gaze was still clear and full of sorrow.

Chevalier would have hurried on, ignoring them, but for one thing. Clavis’ arm snaked around the Belle’s waist. She pulled back, but Clavis only tugged her closer, and put a finger over her lips. His smile was wide and sensual, even as Emma struggled against him.

A deep, icy rage rushed through Chevalier’s veins at the sight. A cold as bitter and hard as a winter storm. Two steps, three. He unsheathed his sword and pressed it to Clavis’ throat. His brother let go of the Belle and stepped back, still grinning.

“Oh Chev! This isn’t like you at all! You’re not the one who usually picks fights with me!” Clavis tapped the flat of the sword with his fingernail.

“Get out of here.” Chevalier’s voice gave no room for argument, not that Clavis ever needed room. He probably argued with himself in the womb. For once though, his brother had no snappy comeback. Instead, Clavis backed away and with a little bow, left.

Chevalier’s gaze snapped to the Belle, quickly ascertaining her condition. She looked fine. Frightened, but fine. Still . . . he grabbed her and settled her on his shoulder. Irrational, his thoughts chided.

“Hey!” She shouted, but didn’t struggle.

“Be quiet. Unless you want to fall?” Chev held her more firmly, just in case she did not take his advice.

After a few steps, the Belle took hold of his cloak to steady herself.

Chevalier allowed himself a small smile. “A wise decision.” He carried her to her room and set her down on the couch. The whole time, all he could think was that this was unplanned, foolish. Impulsive. But with the Belle, with Emma, he felt. He wanted it to stop, and he missed it when she was gone. “You’ve really become a huge nuisance. You know that?”

She swallowed nervously, looking all around the room. Anywhere but at him.

He brushed a fingertip along the line of her jaw, down the side of her neck where he could feel the wild racing of her pulse. His hand settled on her shoulder, hoping his touch would calm her. As if a beast could charm a frightened rabbit . . .

But after a moment, her eyes met his. Her chin took a defiant tilt. “You call me a nuisance, but you just brought me all the way here!”

“Indeed. It was unpleasant.” Said more gently than the words allowed, another lie.

“Unpleasant for whom?” She arched a brow at him, her fear evaporated in the face of her frustration at being manhandled.

Chevalier leaned closer, battling within himself a mix of unfamiliar desires. “You stood out so much . . . I almost thought . . . I could bite the spirit out of you. That’s all.” He could smell her. The light floral scent of her perfume, the sharp tang of alcohol, and that smell that was just her. He’d missed it.

“I -”

He nipped her throat. He hadn’t planned to. The action surprised him almost as much as it did her. Tasting her skin, feeling the shiver that ran through her against his lips. A trembling that was anything but fear. Chevalier felt an answering shudder run through him, a lightning strike that left a humming tension in his veins. He pulled back, forcing restraint. “That was a warning.” And it was - a warning that he would do more, that he wanted more.

Chev settled back in the seat across from her, willing the cold familiar numbness into his heart. “I’m not so generous as to continue allowing nuisances in my sight. Don’t ever let me see you again,” he said, and if there was an unsteadiness in his voice, the Belle did not seem to notice.

“But -”

“What,” he interrupted.

There was that rebellious flame in her gaze. That bravery that defied logic and sense. It made him want to kiss her. “If I’m a nuisance,” she tilted her head, “then why don’t you just get rid of me once and for all? That would be easy enough for you to do, right?”

She was right, of course. If he meant it, he could kill her. Exile her. Force her to leave the palace - with or without the consent of Four-Eyes. But he couldn’t do any of those things. Chevalier looked away, unable to meet her eyes. To let her see the turmoil in them. “Indeed,” he said softly. “You’re right. I could.” He drew in a pained breath. “It would be easy to consign you to oblivion.”

“Go on then. Do it.”

Chevalier’s hand moved almost of its own accord, gripping the hilt of his sword. Drawing it from the sheath. He tracked the slow motion of its arc as he pressed the razor sharp edge to her delicate throat. Killing her would destroy this - this thing growing in him. This tangle of foolish emotions would die with her. And he would be the king he’d promised himself to be. A man free of folly, dedicated to duty. To what was right for the kingdom, not the man.

But he couldn’t do it. For the first time, here was a foe he could not destroy. “Even a beast chooses what it eats.” His voice rasped into the quiet night air, the words an excuse for his lack of action. A rationale that did not fit the facts. “I’m not so famished that I would devour prey with as little value as you. It’s not worth staining my sword with your blood.” Chevalier sheathed his sword.

“Then leave me alone, if I am so worthless,” the Belle shot back.

“I don’t take orders from simpletons.”

Her defiant expression crumpled a moment later, as tears of frustration boiled to the surface and ran down her cheeks. He had not meant to make her cry. Chevalier wiped them gently with the pad of his thumb, but she pushed his hand away. He stood. She didn’t want his touch. Of course not.

The Belle touched her neck, where his blade rested only a moment ago.

This was a fool’s errand, he thought, and he was the fool. He left then, without another word. There was nothing to say.

#ikemen prince #ikepri chevalier #chevalier michel #fanfiction #otome #fanfic #otome guys

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hmdeath · 1 month ago

Text

I must become a

Lion-Hearted Girl

ready for a fight

before I make the

final sacrifice...

art: Koala_Laurelin

#unravel #ao3 fanfic #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #bg3 #tav #I'M CRYING LOOK AT THEM #GLYSTER AND HIKARI AND THE SUN BLADE IN SHADOWDUSK HOLD AUGH #KICKING ASS

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sena-seastar · 7 months ago

Text

The Dragon's Gold

Chapter Three

Pairing: Aegon II Targaryen x Aerys Reyne (male oc)

Summary: Aerys Reyne, son of Naerys Targaryen, the second-born daughter of King Viserys and Queen Aemma, has been best friends with Aegon since childhood. As boys, they had been inseparable. Many said that it reminded them of the early days of King Jaehaerys reign. When the princes Aemon and Baelon were still children. Wherever one boy was, it wasn't long before the other came running behind him. That was until forbidden desires of the heart forced a wedge between them. After the death of his grandsire, King Viserys, Aerys finds himself torn between two sides: stand by his oldest friend or stand by the only mother he has ever known.

a/n: I want to clarify that Aerys is the same age as Aegon. Dialogue in italics means that the characters are speaking in high valyrian. I was just too lazy to attempt to translate it. Though, there may be some high valyrian thrown in here and there. No beta, so I apologize for any or all grammar and spelling mistakes.

Aerys

Red sap was leaking from the eyes of the carved face of the heart tree. It reminded Aerys of something he had been told years ago. A boy from House Blackwood said that when a Weirwood tree cries, it is a sign that something bad is coming. Aerys had believed it to be nothing more than superstition, but now he was unsure. Perhaps there was some truth to the tale. Now that everything in his life had seemingly gone wrong.

His bones and muscles ache from sleeping on the hard stone floor. Though the hot bath he took earlier helped. The old maid had stayed by his side, using soaps and oils to scrub him clean before she allowed him to get out of the tub. Fortunately, he had been allowed to dry himself, but she insisted on helping him dress. She had chosen a black tunic with the red lion of his father’s house embroidered in red thread on the breast, soft black lambswool breeches, black leather boots, and a black wool cloak.

The boy assumed he must have slept at least two or three hours. Not as long as he’d hoped, but it would have to do. The poor old maid who had found him lying naked on the floor also had the misfortune of informing him about the passing of Lady Laena Velaryon. In truth, the news did not trouble him greatly. He couldn’t recall ever even meeting the woman. Prince Daemon and his lady-wife had run off to Pentos shortly after their wedding. They had refused to return, even after the birth of their daughters, Rhaena and Baela.

Aerys felt for the two girls. Even if he did not know them, the pain of losing a mother was all too familiar to him. Aerys was informed that he and the royal family would travel to Driftmark to attend Lady Laena’s funeral.

His fingers toyed with a stray thread on his tunic. The events of the previous night still haunted him. Aerys had yet to face the rest of his family. Instead, he had chosen to hide away in the garden until it was time to go. No doubt, the whispers of his face were spreading throughout the castle. The lords and ladies of the court were prone to gossip. He could hear it now; the king’s eldest grandson was a clumsy, drunken fool. As if they needed something else to whisper about him and his family. Aerys had heard the terrible whispers about his parents many times before.

His father, once a highly skilled knight and jouster, suffered a terrible leg injury during the tourney he had hosted in honor of Aerys’ birth. His horse had fallen on top of him, crushing his leg completely. The man had become quite dependent on the milk of the poppy to dull his pain. This caused his father to have violent mood swings, and unfortunately, his mother was forced to take the brunt of it. This continued for a few years until he died after catching the pox from some Tyroshi whore.

Aerys’ mother, Princess Naerys, took the death of his father very hard. The maesters had to lace her nightly tea with sweetsleep for her to get any rest. Most days, she would lock herself away in her bedchamber. The only person she would see was Aerys. Rhaenyra had told him that his mother would hold him in her arms and sob for hours on end.

However, after weeks of this, his mother's mood had finally begun to improve. The princess seemed to be returning to her normal self. That was until two women came forward, claiming that his father had sired bastards on them. These women were both of noble birth, so their children were acknowledged by his paternal grandmother, who acted as regent until his brother Robb came of age. Despite his mother’s many protests, his father's three bastard sons had been sent to Castamere, to be raised alongside Robb and Aerys.

Not long after, his mother went to sleep and never woke up. The maesters determined that there was too large a dose of sweetsleep in her usual nightly tea. Whether his mother was killed or had taken her own life is still debated. Though Rhaenyra maintains that his mother had been killed. Whatever the truth was, his mother’s favorite handmaiden was found responsible and had lost her head because of it. Aerys did not remember much of this, as he had only been four years old at the time.

Aerys lifted his fingers to graze over the cut. The wound on his cheek was beginning to scab over, and the bruising on his cheek and around his eye was becoming visible and sensitive to even the slightest touch. He flinched and dropped his hand back down to his side. Noon was approaching; soon, it would be time to set off. The King, Queen Alicent, and Aemond would travel by ship, while Aerys, Helaena, and Aegon would all travel on dragonback.

Aegon.

The prince hadn’t left Aerys’ thoughts since the moment he awoke. He was the one Aerys wished to avoid the most, but the gods were never kind enough to grant his wishes.

“I knew I would find you here.”

Aerys scrunched his face in anguish. Of course, speak the Lord of the Seven Hell's name, and he shall appear. Aerys bit his tongue to stop himself from lashing out. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure how to express himself. He didn’t think saying whatever came to him in anger would be the right thing to do. So he stayed quiet, hoping the old gods before him would grant him mercy and send the boy away.

“I was hoping we could speak before we had to depart-”

“There’s nothing to discuss.” Aerys retorted, clenching his hands into fists.

“Aerys,” the prince sighed. “I am sorry. I was a coward. It’s all my fault-”

“You’re right. It is your fault.” Aerys turned around to glare at the boy.

Aegon's eyes widened. For a moment, blinded by anger, Aerys had forgotten the state of his appearance. He covered his cheek with his hand, turning back towards the tree.

“What happened?” Aegon asked, his voice cracking.

“I tripped and fell down the stairs.” Aerys scoffed, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

The prince stepped forward, taking Aerys by the hands. Aegon turned Aerys around to face him, his thumbs running over his bare knuckles. Aegon's hands were cold to the touch, as they normally were.

“Please, don’t be cross with me. I am sorry for what he did to you. I will go to him, and I will confess that it was all my fault. That I was the one who convinced you to lay with me.”

“No, you will not.”

“What...?”

“Nothing happened, Aegon. I was distressed about Rhaenyra’s departure and spent my night wallowing in my sadness. I got drunk and slipped while trying to find my bedchamber. That’s all.”

“No, what happened between us, it-it meant something. I know it did.” Aegon sputtered

“Nothing happened!” Aerys asserted, wriggling free of the prince’s grasp.

Aegon flinched, his lips trembling. His violet eyes welled with tears. In Aerys' mind, the prince looked like a sad little puppy. He wanted nothing more than to pull him close and apologize, but he could not. This was the way it had to be. It was better for both of them.

“The carriage is ready. It’s time to depart!” Ser Criston’s voice called from behind them.

Aerys did not speak another word. Quickly, he passed the white knight, keeping his head down, not having the courage to look the man in the eyes. No doubt Ser Criston knew what had happened. He was the queen’s sworn protector, her confidant. There wasn’t much she didn’t tell him.

When Aerys made his way to the outer yard, the royal family had already been gathered there. Helaena and Aemond stood off to the right side of the carriage, silently waiting. Queen Alicent was attending to the king in front of the carriage entryway. Finally, his eyes landed on the reinstated hand of the king. The man stood to the queen's left. Though Aerys quickly averted his gaze.

Ser Harrold moved to whisper into the king's ear. The man swiftly turned his head around.

“Gods, be good! What happened to you, my boy?!” His grandsire asked, his eyes scrunching up as he looked over the boy’s face.

Aerys found his gaze moving towards the queen and her father. The queen kept her head down, not making eye contact. Ser Otto kept his face neutral, and his eyes held no expression.

“I had a bit too much wine last night. I slipped, your grace.”

“Yes,” the king hummed. “It’s been difficult for us all. Princess Rhaenyra’s presence shall be missed. Come, sit with me.”

The king was loaded into the carriage before Ser Harrold motioned Aerys to follow. He sat on the king’s left while the queen sat across from them with their children. Aerys kept his eyes trained on his lap as Aegon entered the carriage last. Fortunately, Ser Otto would be riding behind the carriage on horseback. So Aerys did not have to worry about facing him just yet.

The journey to the dragon pit was not a very lively one. No sounds were made except for the king's small grunts of discomfort. His illness was getting worse; everyone knew it. The maesters had removed one of his arms just a few years back. The man spent most of his days sitting in his chair. The simple act of standing for too long could take a heavy toll on him. It saddened Aerys to think of his grandfather being in so much pain. He couldn’t imagine being so helpless, unable to do anything as his own body began to deteriorate.

“Do you remember-” the king coughed. “Do you remember the lady Johanna Westerling?”

“The lady of Casterly Rock? I know of her, but I'm afraid I don’t remember much of my time in the Westerlands.”

“Yes, of course. I forgot how young you were when you came to court.”

The mention of the court caused the boy to shift in his seat. He had been very young when the king requested him to be brought to court. It had only been a fortnight after his mother’s death. Aerys was under the impression that he would only be visiting. That was until his brother Robb had informed him of the truth.

Aerys remembered crying the entire journey to King's Landing. He had just lost his parents, only to lose his brother later as well. As the firstborn son of their father, the lord of Castmere, Robb had to stay in the Westerlands. The only communication they had was through letters and the incredibly rare visit. Robb had become so busy lately that it had been two years since they last saw each other in person.

“Well, the lady Johanna has proposed a marriage between you and her eldest daughter, lady-”

“Lady Cerelle?” Aerys questioned, interrupting the king.

“So you remember her?” The king mused, raising his brows with a sly smile.

“She was at court for some time before returning to Casterly Rock. We got to know each other a little, that’s all.” Aerys shrugged.

The lady Cerelle Lannister was quite a boisterous little thing, with hair like gold and beautiful emerald eyes that reminded him of Agana. Though Aerys found her antics amusing, Aegon never took a shine to her. He would always try to convince Aerys to run away and hide from her whenever she tried to play with them. Aerys remembered how Cerelle had given him a daring kiss for all to see during some great feast. Aerys wanted to melt into the floor as all the lords and ladies laughed at the two. That was until Aegon moved forward and pushed her to the ground. He received quite the scolding from both the king and the queen. Aerys shook his head to rid himself of the memory.

“What was your reply?”

“I have yet to give it,” the king groaned. “I had wished to speak with you about it first. You're nearly a grown man now, Aerys; it’s time to begin thinking about such matters. The daughter of the lord of Casterly Rock would be a good match for you, but there are others. You’re quite popular with the young women of the realm,” the man smirked.

Aerys blushed, dropping his head to hide his embarrassment. It was a fact that his grandfather liked to taunt him with. Aerys’ popularity with women was never something he had strived for. All he had ever done was be kind and gallant, as a man should be.

“I believe we’re here,” Aegon grumbled as the carriage stopped.

“Already?” the king sighed. “The three of you will arrive at Driftmark first, as you’ll be on Dragonback. It should go without saying, but I expect you to be on your best behavior. You represent not only yourselves but our entire house. The way you conduct yourselves is important.”

The three dragon riders nodded in agreement. Helaena was the first to exit the carriage, and Ser Criston extended a hand to help her step out. Aegon went next, with Aerys trailing behind. The shadow of the giant pit began to loom over the three of them. The guards outside of the dragon pit noticed them immediately. A moment later, the giant iron doors creaked loudly as they opened. Two of the older dragon keepers came to meet them at the entrance.

“Jiōrna, Aerys!” The dragon keepers called as he entered. “ And welcome to you, Prince Aegon and Princess Helaena .”

“ Thank you, ” Aerys and Helaena replied kindly.

“We’d like to get on with it,” Aegon said.

“Of course, my prince,” the dragon keepers bowed.

The three followed behind as they led them deeper and deeper beneath the dome. The sun's light shines through the thick outer iron doors of the man-made caves, which open to the hillside. Helaena went ahead of the boys. Dreamfyre was resting in her nest., something the she-dragon was very protective of. The dragon keepers did not think having the boys near the pale blue dragon was wise.

Aegon was next to leave. The light reflected off of Sunfyre's beautiful golden scales. It was almost blinding. The beast lifted his head as they passed before laying back down. A few dragon keepers were already waiting with Sunfyre to assist Aegon.

Syrax, Vermax, Arrax, and Sea Smoke had all gone to follow their riders to Dragonstone. Only three dragons remained in the pit. Sunfyre, Aegon’s golden dragon. Dreamfyre, Helaena’s beautiful pale blue dragon. And Agana, Aerys’ dragon with scales of silver and aquamarine. The aquamarine scales surrounded her emerald eyes and trailed down her spine. Small pearlescent white-colored horns grew from the top of her head like a baby goat. The dragon keepers that remained with Aerys came to a stop when they reached the end of the dragon pit.

The sunlight did not give off the same radiance that the moonlight did when reflecting off Agana’s scales. A loud purr echoed in the air as the dragon stretched her neck forward. She pressed her muzzle against the giant iron bars to reach her rider. Aerys raised a hand and stuck it through the bars. He held it out, and immediately, the dragon nuzzled her face into it. The heat of her scales filled him with a sense of strength. It was not unheard of. The dragons were the true power of the Targaryens. It’s said that when King Aenys Targaryen bonded with his dragon, Quicksilver, the sickly king began to thrive.

“I missed you too,” he said softly.

Aerys pulled his hand back as the large gates swung open. Agana lowered her head to the ground. His small hand ran down her long neck. Aerys stopped to walk around her giant wing. The boy used the ropes attached to his riding saddle to help scale his way up her back. When he reached the top, he grabbed one of the saddle bars to pull himself up. Aerys swung his leg over the saddle and strapped himself as he had done a hundred times before. He believed he could do it even with his eyes closed.

“Open the gate!” He yelled to the dragon keepers.

Agana moved to stand on her feet. Aerys held on tightly to the handlebars of his saddle as she began to turn around. He could feel the ground tremble beneath her every step. The sounds of chains rattling filled the air as the giant gate that opened to the hillside began to rise.

He didn’t even need to give the command before the dragon was off. Agana ran forward, her large wings beginning to fan out. As she reached the end of the cave, she leaped into the air. Aerys felt himself being thrust forward, but the saddle straps kept him secure. His grip on the handlebars tightened. The loud flapping of Agana’s giant wings was all he could hear.

There was no other feeling in the world as great as the one you felt being on a dragon's back. The power of looming over everyone and everything. The freedom of being able to fly. There were many times he never wanted to go back to the ground.

Agana flapped her giant wings as she went higher into the sky. Then she began to glide, only flapping her wings now and then. The boy released the handlebars and stretched his arms out to the side. He closed his eyes, enjoying the wind blowing through his hair. Agana suddenly dove down. Aerys could see the sea surrounding them below. The boy quickly took hold of the reins and pulled back. Just as they were about to dive into the waters, the dragon pulled up. There was a giant splash behind them from how swiftly the dragon moved. She was toying with him.

It seemed like they both missed the sky even more than he thought they did. It had been a whole week since Aerys had taken her out to fly. The dragon disliked being kept inside the dragon pit. The two used to be free to fly together nearly every day, but then life had become busy. Aerys found himself always stuck with tutors and septons. He understood how she felt in a way. Sometimes, the red keep felt like a giant cage to him as well.

Agana let out a roar, freeing her rider from his mind. He looked forward. Aerys could make out the silhouette of the giant castle far into the distance. They will be arriving soon.

—

Agana landed in a clearing not far from the shore. Aerys held on tightly to the reins as he was jerked side to side. He waited for Aegon and Helaena to land before he loosened the straps and swung himself off the saddle. He began to climb down the dragon's side. When he was a couple inches off the ground, he jumped the rest of the way down. Agana growled and moved her neck to shield her rider. The boy sighed and peeked around her head.

“I’ve been waiting for you to arrive,” Rhaenyra smiled.

However, her smile disappeared when she got a good look at him. The boy rubbed the dragon's muzzle before he moved forward to greet his aunt. The woman gently took his chin into her soft hands. Her violet eyes hardened as she examined him.

“What happened?”

“It was nothing, I fell.”

“You fell?” She asked incredulously.

“Yes,” he replied, pulling away from her grasp.

“Hello, sister,” Helaena called warmly as she and Aegon stood at Aerys' side.

“Hello, my sweet sister.” Rhaenyra greeted her with a small smile. “And you, Aegon.”

The Targaryen prince gave her a brief nod. “To you as well.”

“If you’ll excuse us, Princess, we wish to express our condolences to Princess Rhaenys and Lord Corlys.” Aerys cut in.

The woman furrowed her brow and nodded. “Of course, come on.”

Aerys held out his arm to Helaena. The princess readily accepted it, wrapping her arm around his. He helped her keep her balance as they made their way from the sandy beach to the castle.

The hours seemed to pass by so swiftly. Aerys had done his best to avoid any run-ins with a certain Targaryen prince. Instead, electing to spend his time with his cousins, Jace and Luke. The younger Velaryon had clung onto Aerys the moment he saw him. Jace had been unusually quiet. Probably due to the news of Ser Harwin and his father, Ser Lyonel. Aerys himself was saddened by the news. Ser Harwin was a good man. He cared deeply for the princess, and she cared deeply for him. The boys learned a great deal from him.

The rest of the royal family had arrived a few hours after they landed on Driftmark. Everyone was waiting around for the burial to take place.

“It’s time, boys,” Rhaenyra called, motioning for her sons to follow.

Aerys traveled alongside them, holding Luke’s hand as they walked. The boy looked over at all the people's faces. Most had their heads hung low in respect. He spotted Ser Laenor. He looked so sad, so defeated. Aerys wanted to make his way to him, but he noticed the boy standing next to him. It was Aegon. He had been staring at Aerys since he arrived. Aerys looked away, choosing to stand beside Jace. They watched silently as the ropes were attached to the casket. Then Vaemond Velaryon, Lady Laena’s uncle, began to speak. Aerys watched as the man’s gaze turned to Rhaenyra and her sons. He could hear the venom in his voice as he spoke of Velaryon blood. Aerys had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Of all the places, did he need to do this here? Now, in front of all these people? In front of the dead woman’s husband and her weeping children? The boy was glad the man spoke in Valyrian rather than the common tongue. Only a few in the crowd were fluent enough to understand.

Then Prince Daemon laughed. It had initially startled Aerys, but he supposed everyone grieves differently. Perhaps he, too, was appalled by the lack of courtesy. To use a woman’s funeral to take a jab at the princess, how tasteless. As the casket hit the water, Aerys felt himself being watched. He turned his head to find Prince Aegon still staring unabashedly at him. Aerys turned his head back towards the water. Perhaps he could escape through the crowd as they made their way back.

Everyone had returned to the castle shortly after Lady Laena’s bones were laid to rest. The sky had begun to turn dark. The wind started picking up, sending a chill down Aerys’ spine. He was wandering about the castle. Lord Corlys had wished to speak with Luke, and Jace had been pulled away by his mother. Aerys dashed to the castle, trying to avoid Aegon’s eyes. Fortunately, Aemond had unknowingly provided Aerys with the perfect distraction.

Aerys found the castle a bit ominous. Skulls decorated the halls. Trophies were displayed everywhere, evidence of the Sea Snake’s many conquests around the seas.

“Do you plan to avoid me forever?” There was a slight slur to the prince’s words.

Aerys stopped in his place. He closed his eyes and let out a weary sigh.

“Perhaps I do,” the boy said, turning around. “Did you need something, my prince?”

Aegon sauntered over, raising his hand to run his thumb over Aerys’ lips.

“I like it when you call me that.”

“Call you what?” Aerys tilted his head in confusion.

“My prince. You always call my brother Prince Aemond or just Aemond, but you call me your prince. I quite enjoy being yours,” he smiled sadly.

“Stop it!” Aerys hissed, pulling his head back. “We already had this discussion . ”

“Don’t pretend it meant nothing. I know it did, for both of us...”

Aegon took Aerys by his forearms. Aerys raised his head, looking towards the stormy-looking ceiling. Why did he insist on making this so difficult?

“The feelings we have for each other go far beyond the love of family. I understand how you feel. The shame, the guilt, the self-loathing. I felt it all, too. But I can tell you now that the thought of not having you by my side is worse than all those feelings combined.”

Aegon took Aerys’ hand, placing it over his beating heart. His violet eyes welled with tears, his lips trembling as he smiled. It broke Aerys' heart to see him this way. His iris eyes wandered up the castle walls. His cheek began to throb.

“Aegon, it didn’t mean anything,” Aerys said, forcing himself to pull away. “We were drunk, and we made a mistake. There’s no need to make it more complicated.”

“Well, I’d say it already seems a little complicated to me,” the prince retorts.

“What do you want me to say, Aegon? How did you think this would play out? I am a man, as are you! What we did, nothing can come of it. I am a man of the houses Targaryen and Reyne, and you are a prince of the realm. Us, this,” Aerys gestures between them.

“It can never be.”

“But it can!”

“And how would that work, Aegon? We marry women and then sneak off in the dead of night to meet each other in dark hallways like we are doing now?”

Aegon cupped Aerys’ face in the palms of his hands, pressing their forehead together. Aerys’ body stiffened but did nothing as he allowed Aegon to pull him close. It was so easy to give in to him.

“Just because I have to wed Helaena does not mean this has to end.”

Those words immediately brought him back to the present. Aerys pulled back his head to stare at the prince incredulously. Aegon, as if just realizing what he said, went pale. Aerys immediately pushed him away. The boy stared at him in disbelief.

“Aerys, just listen-”

“Helaena? What do you-”

“My mother confirmed it this morning. Helaena and I are to wed within a fortnight.” Aegon said as he kicked at the stone floor.

Aerys scoffed, running his hands through his hair.

“You’ve been betrothed, and instead of telling me, you dare to confess some love you have for me? You want me to be your whores? Is that it?”

“No, of course not-”

“Really? Because that’s what it sounds like to me.”

“I didn’t mean it that way. Just tell me what I can do to make this up to you?”

“There’s nothing you can do, Aegon, just leave me be.”

“No, not until you forgive me.”

“There’s nothing for me to forgive. You’re not mine, and I-.”

“But I am!” He yelled desperately.

Aegon’s hands grabbed onto Aerys.

“No, you’re not. Last night was a mistake. It was an awful mistake, and I regret every moment of it.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do.”

“No, you don’t.” His hands cupped Aerys’ face. “Please look at me.” He begged.

It took Aerys a moment before he allowed his eyes to meet Aegons. He is sure that Aegon’s tear-filled eyes matched his own.

“That night was special. It meant something to both of us, and you can’t deny that. What we feel for each other, what I feel for you, it’s real.”

“No, I was drunk and upset about Rhaenyra, and you were just...there.”

“That’s it?” He scoffed. “So, what? I was just some plaything to give you comfort?” The prince spat in disgust.

Aegon dropped his hands and stepped back. His eyes had gone cold as he glared at him.

“I suppose so,” Aerys said.

The prince looked as if he were about to cry. Quickly, he cleared his throat, hardening his face as he sniffled.

“Alright then,” he muttered.

Aerys did not have a chance to speak before the prince rushed past him. Their shoulders collided, and Aerys struggled to keep his feet planted on the floor. With tears streaming down, he dropped his head. He raised his hands over his face to stifle his cries. How could this happen? Why was everything going so wrong? None of this was supposed to happen. He had been so stupid. He should have never gone out to the city. He should have never gone into that brothel. He should have never allowed that kiss to get out of hand. But how could he stop himself? When there was something inside of him begging him to continue. Something inside that longed to touch him, to kiss him, to hold him.

The boy shook his head. No, he needed to stop thinking about it. What happened was a mistake. One that could never happen again. The throbbing in his cheek was a reminder of that. He raised two fingers to dig them into the small cut on his cheek. He could feel the wetness coating the tips of his fingers. Quiet whimpers escaped his lips as he struggled to push past the pain. He deserved it for what he had done.

—

Aerys stared up at the white canopy above him. He watched the shadows from the candle flame on his bedside table dance. His arms rested above his head. The young man hadn’t slept at all. It seemed his mind had refused to rest. He had been staring up at the canopy for hours. The giant castle had gone silent. There was a pleasant chill in the air. Aerys found himself enjoying the cooler climate of Driftmark. The boy sighed and turned to his side. He stared at the wooden shutters in hopes it would lull him to sleep.

An urgent knock on the door made him jump. Aerys pushed himself up, putting all his weight on his hands.

“What is it?”

“Something has happened. The princes were injured, my lord.” A maid called from behind the door.

Aerys jumped to his feet. He quickly redressed and slipped his boots back on. Aerys could hear the loud chatter as he sprinted down the hall. As he descended the stairs, Aerys could see that everyone in the castle seemed awake. Everyone was gathered closely. He gasped when he saw the kids. The twins and the boys had blood on their faces. Aerys was infuriated by the sight. How could this have happened? Who had done this to them? The girls were a little roughed up, but they seemed alright. He immediately went to the boys. Little Luke was crying and clutching his nose.

“The maester says it’s broken,” he sobbed.

Aerys placed a kiss on the top of his head.

“What happened, Jace?”

“It was Aemond, he stole Vhagar!” He said in a hushed voice.

“What...? Where is he?” He asked.

The boy turned and pointed his finger. He patted the boy’s head and went to find the white-haired prince. He squeezed his way through the crowd of people. Aerys saw Queen Alicent kneeling beside a maester. The boy noticed Aegon standing near the fireplace and went to stand at his side. He peered his head around and gasped. The maester was stitching the left side of Aemond’s face.

“It will heal, will it not maester?” Queen Alicent asked.

“The flesh will heal, but the eye is lost.”

Gasps filled the room when the maester announced that.

“Where were you?!” The queen demanded as she stepped towards Aegon.

“Me?”

Aerys gritted his teeth and turned his head when the queen slapped the prince across his face. It was an unseemly thing to do. He watched sadly as the boy cupped his face.

“What was that for?!” He exclaimed.

“That was nothing, compared to the abuse your brother has suffered while you were drowning in your cups, you fool!” The woman had a wild look in her eyes.

Everyone turned as the lord and lady of the castle made their way down the stairs. Aerys took the chance to look over Aegon's face. He frowned when he noticed a handprint start to form. The prince discreetly squeezed Aerys' hand and smiled to reassure him. It did little to comfort him. Rhaenyra and Daemon were the last to show up. Aerys and Aegon stood quietly as both sides began arguing back and forth. Aerys had to bite his tongue when the queen claimed Lucerys had wanted to kill Aemond. Lucerys was a sweet boy, a handful at times, but sweet. Aemond may not have been Luke’s favorite person in the world, but he doubted the boy would kill him.

“It was my sons who were attacked and forced to defend themselves!” Rhaenyra refuted. “Vile insults were levied against them!”

“What insults?” The king questioned.

“The legitimacy of my son's birth was put loudly to question.”

“He called us bastards,” Jace put in quietly.

Aerys noticed the looks exchanged between the lords and ladies in the room. The thick tension in the air had grown. Aerys had heard the rumors before. It was hard not to. It was practically all everyone whispered about at court.

“Aemond, look at me. Your king demands an answer. Who spoke these lies to you?”

The room grew silent as they waited for the boy to answer. It took a moment before he raised his head to look at his mother. Of course, he had heard it from her. The strained relationship between the queen and Rhaenyra was no secret.

“It was Aegon.”

Aerys frowned; as much as he would like to deny the boy's claim, he couldn’t. Aegon was fond of Rhaenyra’s sons; he always has been. But even Aegon has muttered the word bastards when talking about Rhaenyra’s sons. He did not do it around Aerys, as the first and only time he did, Aerys refused to speak to him for a fortnight.

“Me?” The boy replied, confused.

Aerys felt the boy tense up as the king approached them. He quickly pulled his hand away from Aegons.

“And you, boy. Where did you hear such calumnies?”

The prince remained silent. The two jumped when the king screamed the boy's name.

“Grandfather, he would never-”

“Silence! Tell me the truth of it!”

“My king-”

“We know, father. Everyone knows. Just look at them...”

Aerys stared at the boy sadly. Aegon would not even look at him. Aerys stepped away and turned to face the fireplace. His grandfather’s yelling caused him to tense up. Aerys stayed quiet as the king and queen began to speak.

“I will have one of her son’s eyes in return.”

Aerys turned to look back at the queen in horror. The woman had seemingly gone mad. Everything was happening so quickly. The king tried to calm his wife, but she would have none of it. She ordered Ser Criston to take Lucerys’ eye. Fortunately, the man had refused.

“Alicent, this matter. . . Is finished. Do you understand?”

The crowd watched silently as the king began to walk away.

“And let it be known: anyone whose tongue dares to question the birth of Princess Rhaenyra’s sons should have it removed .”

No one failed to see who the king's words were pointed at. He was making it clear, not just to everyone, but to the queen herself. Rhaenyra thanked her father before turning back to her children. Aerys could feel the tension only rising between both sides of the room. He wondered if his grandfather’s words had done more harm than good.

Suddenly, the room turned to chaos as Queen Alicent ran at Rhaenyra with the king's dagger. Aerys had tried to run to her aunt's side, but Aegon grabbed a hold of him and kept him at his side.

Everyone had gone quiet as they watched the standoff between the queen and the princess. Rhaenyra had gotten the last word before the queen brought the blade down. Lord Corlys had caught Rhaenyra so she would not fall. The blade had sliced open Rhaenyra’s arm. Aerys had gotten away from Aegon. Quickly, he rushed to his aunt’s side, looking over the wound. A heavy trail of blood began trickling down her skin.

“Do not mourn me, mother. I may have lost an eye, but I gained a dragon.” Aemond rushed to his mother's side.

Aerys turned his head, his dark eyes scanning over the crowd. He noticed what was clear for all to see. The lines had been drawn.

—

The sun had seemed to rise earlier than usual. The crowd dispersed quite quickly after the events between the queen and the princess. The king had Queen Alicent and her children escorted to their chambers immediately while their ship was being prepared. Daemon had gone with Rhaenyra and the boys to have a maester tend to their wounds. Aerys was preparing to head back to King's landing. Aerys shared tearful goodbyes with the boys before they were ushered to bed. As he exited the castle, he found Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon talking. Prince Daemon noticed the boy first, nodding his head towards him. Rhaenyra turned her head to look for him. Daemon stayed behind as the Princess walked towards Aerys.

“I am sorry we did not have another chance to speak earlier.”

“There were more pressing matters to attend to.”

“Your cut looks fresher than it did yesterday.” She frowned.

“Aerys, you know you can tell me anything. If someone hurt you-”

“I reopened it in my sleep. That’s all.”

“Perhaps you should join us at Dragonstone-”

“My place is at court. I must do as my king commands.”

Rhaenyra huffed, a smile spreading across her lips. Her violet eyes traveled across every inch of his face. Warm, soft fingers trailed across his uninjured cheek.

“My little dragon, always so noble.”

If only you knew, he thought. The woman pressed a quick kiss to the top of his head.

“You’re always welcome at Dragonstone.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

The woman pulled him into her arms for a hug. Aerys was careful not to touch her injured arm.

“We have to go, Aerys!” Helaena called from behind.

The two pulled away, sharing one last silent look of goodbye. Aerys walked with Aegon and Helaena to the sandy shores where their dragons lay. Dreamfyre was the first to perk up as she spotted Helaena. Sunfyre and Agana continued to rest their heads together. Vhagar was lounging away from the others. Aemond was not allowed to ride the ancient-looking dragon on the way back due to his injuries. Aerys was still deciding how he felt on the matter. Aemond was well within his rights to claim Vhagar, but he did feel sorry for little Rhaena. Luke had told him that the girl wished to claim her mother’s dragon for herself. But claiming a dragon was not so simple. The rider doesn’t simply choose a dragon and gets to have it. The dragon must also accept the rider, and Vhagar had accepted Aemond.

Aerys pulled on a pair of riding gloves to protect his hand. Once again, he scaled up the silver dragon. The four dragons stood to their feet and began to shake off all the sand.

“Race you home!” Aegon called after he commanded Sunfyre to fly.

“He’s a fool,” Helaena sighed.

Aerys watched as the giant pale blue dragon lifted off into the sky. He gripped the reins to prepare himself.

“Sōvēs, Agana!”

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