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satuguro · 2 years

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ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚ THUS ALWAYS TO TYRANTS

[ ACT I : EYES OF THE TIGER. ]

jacaerys velaryon x reader

#CONTAINS— not canon au, lady of a house! reader, flawed reader, later enemies to lovers, gore, blood, death, sexual content (later on in the series, after a time skip)

#AUTHORSNOTE— there will be some aspects of the original story that i changed. i added a new house that i created, and a lot of it has characteristics from greek and south east asian culture. reader has golden eyes purely for the plot, but remember, everything else is you. if you don’t like that i did any of these things, don’t read!

ACT I, ACT II, ACT III, ACT IV

there is very little known of house arslan.

jacaerys had only ever heard of them from stories and history books. they were the leaders of an entire group of islands, the islands of iona, in the summer sea, away from the mainland and further away from any war or politics. they were as careless about court politics as the north was, often keeping to themselves and only appearing when needed.

the first time jacaerys had ever seen someone from house arslan was when his family went to one of his grandfather’s events.

they didn’t brag, nor did they speak much about their home. they listened and observed to how some of the nobles bragged of their riches, spoke freely of their war strategies, and spoke so highly of themselves. jacaerys saw it, how they chose their words carefully and responded in such a way that left them satisfied, but made their house seem like a mystery.

it was as if they had played the game like that for all their years of reign. what was heard of them were usually rumors; whispers of strategic minds, their hidden animalistic ways, or the plague-ridden jungle of their island. but one rumor very few people have proven to be fact, were their tigers.

history books said that before the arslans, they were untamable. they ruled the jungle, and rightfully so— they were huge, fanged creatures with around 300 pounds of pure muscle. they were powerful, with the ability to rip their enemies to shreds, and the iona islands were infested with them.

he had noticed you then as he stood to the side of a snack table. you were surrounded by nobles in your gold and white clothing, standing next to your solemn father. his cane, adorned with a deep jade tiger head on the top, was gripped tightly by his left hand as he watched the other nobles around him. his hair was tied back into a low knot, and around his neck was a golden necklace of thorns.

the entire arslan house was known for their striking gold eyes, similar to that of a cat’s. and as jacaerys stared at the arslans, observing them similarly to how they were observing others, his eyes met golden ones.

you were observing him for much longer than he had been observing your family. you had mentally taken a note of him and his family upon your arrival to king's landing; the heir, princess rhaenyra, prince daemon, prince jacaerys, and his brother, prince lucerys. their names echoed in your head, mixed in with the other names; queen alicent, king viserys, lord otto hightower, prince aegon, and prince aemond.

"you are staring, brother," lucerys stated, hiding his smile behind a tart.

“she is staring too, luke,” jacaerys muttered, tearing his eyes away from the lady to send his brother a glare. “much longer than i have, actually.”

lucerys shrugged, his eyes moving to the different nobles gathered in the great hall. “i doubt that admitting it makes it any better.”

“the point is,” jacaerys huffed, fixing his clothing quickly, “she was looking first.”

their small bicker had left them distracted to your approach. you had excused yourself from your father and his conversation with princess rhaenyra and had quietly made your way to the snack table, where the two princes stood. you were trying your best to keep yourself from laughing, instead choosing to act casual.

you stood next to jacaerys, acting as though you hadn’t just snuck up to the princes. “although,” you mindlessly reached for a grape and carelessly interrupting their conversation, “i was more subtle in my staring.” you glanced at the princes, a witty smile gracing your face before you popped the grape into your mouth.

“i don’t believe you were,” jacaerys responded, raising a brow as he watched you move to stand in front of him and his brother.

“you can believe whatever you want to believe, my prince,” you clutched your hands in front of you, that witty smile of yours never once faltering, “but i am correct.”

a small snort was quickly covered by a cough. you turned your attention to lucerys, your eyes softening at the boyish charm he exuded as he tried (and failed) to hide his laughter behind his food. “it is a pleasure to finally meet you, prince lucerys.”

he reminded you of your older brother.

“luke is fine, lady arslan.”

“then feel free to call me y/n. ‘lady’ makes me feel old.” you turned your attention to the older prince, “you as well, prince jacaerys.”

“call me jace, please.” jacaerys sat up straight, holding a hand out towards you. “may i have a dance with you, lady arslan?”

you raised a brow at both his forwardness and his use of your title, “i told you, do not call me ‘lady’, my prince.”

“i will only stop if you refer to me only as jace.”

you narrowed your eyes at him, a small gesture of a challenge, before you placed your hand in his. softly, he closed his hand around your’s and led you into the dance.

“how do you like king’s landing so far, lady y/n?” jacaerys questioned, moving around you as you danced the celebration dance.

“it’s beautiful,” jacaerys lifted you up by the waist before placing you down again, “i have not been able to explore, but it’s beautiful nonetheless.” you moved around him yet again, a small smile on your face as you noticed he, like you, refused to find a different partner after that dance section. “may i ask you something, my prince?”

“jace.”

“how wonderful,” you held onto him as he lifted you once again. and yet again, you both refused to find another partner. “you know your own name.”

jacaerys rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself, “you’re a sarcastic one, aren’t you?”

“i never noticed.” you moved around him again, similarly to how a predator would move around an opponent. “as i was saying, my prince, why were you staring so intently at me and my family?”

your forwardness left jacaerys suddenly at a loss for words; the fact that he had been caught staring — intently, based on your words — was frankly, embarrassing. but he saw that ghost of a smirk on your lips as you looked at him with striking eyes. he saw the teasing glint in your irises that confirmed his assumption— you were teasing him.

he could feel his face heat up at your words, your hands reaching up to cheer a loud ‘hey!’ with the others. “you jest, lady y/n.”

“am not,” you grinned, the festivities’ contagious happiness influencing you much more than you would admit, “i’m just curious, that is all. you were so focused, ‘m just wondering what could have captivated you so much.”

your hands met in the middle, skin against skin, and you both moved in a slow circle; this time, connected. you could feel how warm he was, how his hand was larger than yours and littered with new callouses. yet, despite the callousness of his fingertips, his palm remained smooth.

he could feel the cold rings that adorned your fingers. the ring in the middle was stamped with your house’s tiger sigil, and the others were simple abstract bands. the gold was pressed against his skin, warming up at his touch, and jacaerys was captivated by it. he stared at your hands, his staring habit shining through once again before you spoke.

“you have not answered my question, my prince,” you murmured, curious eyes lingering on his face as you switched hands for the dance. yet again, skin touched skin. you swallowed thickly, a cheshire-like smile creeping onto your face, “your staring problem.. it’s showing.”

jacaerys coughed, face burning red as he mumbled, “no it is not, lady y/n.”

unbeknownst to the both of you, otto and alicent hightower sat at the front of the great hall, observing the prince blush like a school girl at your teasing. though, alicent didn’t pay much attention to you, for she was too preoccupied with the sense of pride bubbling in her chest at the success of the simple festivities. she had planned it all, for her dear husband was too sick to, and she succeeded. it was, well, festive; people were laughing and joking around, nobles were socializing, kids ran between the legs of their parents, and there was good food and music.

she invited everyone and brought everyone together. no one else did that but her.

but alicent felt her father’s presence next to her, watching her every move like a hawk, and she knew he had something to say about everything. for him, there was always something to say.

“do you not think that that sight is not even the least bit unusual?” otto asked behind his cup of wine, eyes focused on you and the young velaryon, both too drunk on the celebration to notice his stares.

“is there something unusual about it?” alicent questioned, keeping her voice as composed as ever. she sipped her wine, shaking her head to herself. “nobles have been wanting to dance with lady arslan since the dancing began.” she watched on as you and jacaerys raised your hands together, yelling out a ‘hey!’ that made you throw your head back in laughter. from the side, aemond stood almost broodingly, watching his nephew continue to dance with you. “i even overheard my boys talk about it,” alicent remarked, “aemond wanted to ask her to dance.”

otto raised a brow at that, all-too-thoughtful eyes looking down into his wine as he began to think. “house arslan is powerful, alicent. dislocated from the mainland, but powerful all the same.” he swirled his cup, gazing into the twirling red, “those tigers of theirs.. if princess rhaenyra was planning to wed them—”

“we do not know if that has been planned.”

“let us put it this way then,” otto gazed ahead of him, looking into the ending dance, “lady arslan and prince jacaerys have ended their dance together. they have left the celebration together,” his eyes lingered on the space where you and jacaerys last danced, now left empty while everyone cheered around it, “with no chaperone.”

the halls of the red keep, though normally busy with maids and guards, was quiet. echoes of the celebratory music and talking from the great hall was all that was left to ripple down the corridors. but that sound was soon accompanied by the sound of rushed footsteps.

you were almost breathless as you held your skirts up above your feet, running down the hall after jacaerys. the soles of your feet ached from the uncomfortable shoes you wore, but you were much too stubborn to let some prince beat you in a race he didn’t know he was a part of.

you slowed down to a walk as you saw him stop, your chest heaving as you made quick work of removing your tight shoes. “if i had not given you a head start, then you wouldn’t have been ahead of me.”

ignoring your comment, jacaerys tilted his head, watching you curse as you removed one shoe. “what are you doing, lady y/n?”

“these shoes,” you grumbled, reluctantly allowing the soles of your feet to touch the cold stone beneath them, “are the reason why i could not dance for much longer, and the reason why i could not run as fast as you.”

“maybe i’m better than you at both.”

“you’re funny, my prince.” you huffed as you stood back up, holding your shoes in your hands. “how long will it take for people to notice that we’ve gone?” you asked, looking at the prince.

it was a hasty decision, really. during the dance, you had made a comment about not truly getting a tour of the red keep due to your arrival the night prior, and jacaerys — ever the gentleman — asked you if you wanted one. he would be your guide through the castle, but you both had to be hasty with your stroll. it was a mutual decision; a rather irresponsible one due to your titles, but a mutual decision nonetheless.

truthfully, you didn’t think that he would be so willing to leave the festivities; much less offer to leave with you, alone.

“if we stand here and converse, i suppose not long,” jacaerys quipped, holding his hands out towards your shoes in your hands. “may i?”

“prince jacaerys wants to carry my shoes,” you stated, as though in disbelief at the thought of any prince wanting to hold another’s shoes. still, you placed your shoes in his hands, and he fixed them under one arm.

“a wonderful and correct inference, lady y/n.”

“oh, just get on with the tour.” you walked quickly ahead of him, forcing him to quicken his stride alongside you. a comfortable silence befell the both of you, the muffled sounds of the party left long behind you.

you decided that the red keep was much more serious than your home. it stood tall and proud, practically untouched and unscarred. your home in iona was nothing of the sort; your people embraced nature, and so nature became its focus. stones were accompanied by vines and vines by its flowers and thorns. the mainland, in a way, was blind to the beauty of unkempt nature.

“i assume that you haven’t seen the streets of king’s landing yet, huh?” jacaerys questioned, turning to look at you. the gold of your clips, which were shaped as thorns, on your hair glistened under the light of the torches. he had heard that only the house of arslan wore thorns as a sign of their nobility on their islands. the motif adorned your arm bands and your rings; it was beautiful, he had concluded.

“regretfully, no,” you gazed at some of the tapestries you passed, “my father is rather cautious when we are on the mainland. unfamiliar territory.”

“the streets can be fairly dangerous, lady y/n,” jacaerys hummed, “but it can be beautiful. you just have to look at it from a certain angle.”

“a certain angle,” you echoed, “what angle is that, my prince?”

“patience, lady y/n.” jacaerys grinned a boyish grin, “i’m not done getting to know you yet.”

you snorted at his poor attempt at flirting (though that was a rather strong assumption to make), nudging the prince with your shoulder as you walked. how odd was it, that you were nudging prince jacaerys — the future heir to the throne — as though he was merely a boy of ten and six years? while that last part was true, it was still an unusual idea for you to comprehend; you were walking with the prince, alone, barefoot, as he held your shoes.

“don’t do that—“ jacaerys laughed, fixing your shoes under his arm, “i thought that it was a fairly good delivery.”

“oh, quite definitely. you will have women falling at your feet in no time, my prince.” you moved to situate yourself in front of him, walking backwards down the corridor. “for a tour, there are not too many historic comments being made. nor has there been any significant landmarks.”

“that is because this isn’t a tour, lady y/n.” jacaerys swiftly moved to walk next to you yet again, forcing you to turn yourself forward. ahead of you stood a rather large door, one he opened ever so slightly. with an outstretched hand, he motioned for you to enter first. “lady y/n,” he commented, making you roll your eyes and place your hand in his yet again.

the breeze outside had some strength to it, but its temperature was moderate as you stood out on the balcony alongside jacaerys. it was completely dark except for the two torches next to the door, but the lack of light was truly worth it for the view you had.

below you, the streets of king’s landing was lit up with its street lights. even at night it was bustling with markets, entertainment, music, and people, all glowing under the lights that decorated the streets. the lines of light that went down the streets seemed to stretch on for miles, the lines getting smaller as they did, but still as bright as ever. you could see the houses and their windows, some of them open to let the breeze in. lines of the city went on for miles and almost surrounded the red keep.

“this was the angle i was speaking of,” jacaerys said, leaning against the railing as he stared at the city alongside you. your shoulders were touching with how close the two of you were, and there was a certain amount of warmth that came with it that left comfort in his heart. he looked at you, thankful that you were too enamored in the city to notice how he was staring yet again.

“it’s breathtaking,” you murmured, too focused on the lights to come up with a witty remark. you turned to him to find him staring at you already, his face unreadable. “when did you think of bringing me here?”

“you said that you have not seen the streets of king’s landing because your father was cautious,” jacaerys shrugged, tearing his eyes away from you to look at the star filled sky, “i believe that this is the best solution; a safe yet beautiful way to see king’s landing at night.”

you couldn’t help the genuine smile that appeared on your face at his words. the fact that he had thought of such a way to let you see the city was a gesture you honestly wouldn’t just let go as if it was nothing. “you’re a good man, my prince.”

“you would think that after i bring you here, you would at least call me jace,” jacaerys said, a laugh escaping him as you rolled your eyes and nudged him yet again. “c’mon, lady y/n, just call me jace.”

“okay, jace,” you grinned at him, failing to notice the blush on his face, “you are quite persuasive. you’ll make a good king some day.”

after your brother disappeared, you had learned to trust your gut instinct.

you had a horrible habit of thinking too much into things that it clouded your judgement. your older brother, magnus, always noticed when you’d ‘drift away’ from conversation whenever something hooked your mind.

he’d always nudge you softly, saying a small, “keep yourself grounded, sister,” that always brought you back.

his disappearance had left you to deal with those moments on your own. even after three years and being the age of six and ten, you still couldn’t find it in yourself to do it at times. but all those criticizing thoughts always began with that tugging feeling in your gut.

that was what you felt now, as you and jacaerys made your way back to the festivities. because in the distance, a silhouette of a tall and lanky man came into view before you both could continue down the hallway. there it was— the tugging feeling in your stomach that signaled that something was not right. hesitantly, you took your shoes from jacaerys, interrupting his talk about his dragon.

“lord hightower,” jacaerys stated, the rest of his words dying in his throat as he looked up at the hand of the king. he, too, felt that pit in his stomach, for while you knew nothing much of the man, jacaerys knew enough of him to not trust him.

“prince jacaerys, lady arslan,” otto’s stern eyes flashed your way, looking down briefly at the shoes you held, before returning to the prince, “how nice it is to find the both of you,” he clasped his hands together, towering over the both of you, “i am sure that you are missed in the celebration.” his tone was sharp, implying something else entirely as he stood in front of you.

“we were just making our way back, lord hightower,” you responded, cursing yourself for the slight waver in your voice. “it was a pleasure to see you.” ever so quickly, you moved past the man, jacaerys following closely behind you. goosebumps ran up and down your arms at the feeling of eyes behind your back, and as you turned your head to look, you saw lord otto hightower’s eyes burn holes into you.

the walk to the entrance of the great hall was quiet, the both of you basking in the relief that came with avoiding a possible consequence. you stopped to the side of the entrance, leaning down to fix your shoes back on before you stood back up. you fixed your hair the best you could (the wind from the balcony had done a number on you, you were sure of it), turning to the prince. “how do i look?”

jacaerys looked at you then, standing under a torchlight, and felt his mouth run dry. the good bands that decorated your arms shone bright under the flames, and he could see the dusting of crushed seashells on your skin that left it glittering. your golden eyes shone bright as they stared at him, waiting for his answer. “good,” he murmured, and that was (thankfully) enough for you.

“good.” you nodded your head, peeking into the great hall before turning to him, “are you ready, jace?”

“as long as you are, y/n.”

you both slipped into the great hall, easily blending in with the crowd as you made your way to where your father stood. he was in front of princess rhaenyra and prince daemon, both of whom were sitting in their respective seats at the front of the great hall. you moved to stand next to your father, your presence making him turn his head towards you and raise a brow.

“princess rhaenyra, prince daemon,” you bowed your head slightly, as your curtsied, “it is a pleasure to finally meet you both.”

jacaerys slipped into his seat next to his mother, ignoring the look daemon gave him as he quickly fixed his hair and clothes. he reached for his cup, feigning exhaustion from dancing.

rhaenyra looked at you, your hair (while honestly, still well pinned back) slightly messy, and the entrance of her eldest son with messier hair. a small smile graced the heir’s face, and she made a mental note to gently tease her son about it later. “it’s wonderful to meet you, lady arslan. i hope you enjoyed the dances as much as my son has.”

your face reddened at the comment, but you nodded in response, “indeed.”

“y/n, i was inviting princess rhaenyra and her family to stay in iona for some time,” lord aegeus commented, and you raised your brows at that.

after your brother’s disappearance, very little visitors had visited iona. there were the occasional diplomats and traders, but no one with as much importance as the heir and her family. your father had become a shadow of himself after he lost your mother upon your birth, and after magnus was gone, he threw himself into focusing only on his people and you. to hear that he was offering to house the heir was, frankly, completely unlike him.

“it would be wonderful to finally see iona’s islands,” princess rhaenyra said, “i have always wanted to go there as a child. it’s always seemed so beautiful.”

“iona will surely welcome you,” lord aegeus responded, a shadow of a smile on his lips. “how does visiting in two weeks time sound? if it is allowed in your schedule, princess.”

you felt that feeling again as they continued to talk; the feeling of eyes burning into your skull. you looked down the right of the table in front of you, gazing past the throne and to the hightowers. both of them were listening to everything princess rhaenyra and lord aegeus was saying.

ACT II, ACT III, ACT IV

#AUTHORSNOTE— surprise, i write for house of the dragon now. sorry if i get anything wrong in regards to the titles, greetings, etc! i'll start a tag list if people are interested in this. feel free to send me asks about this series!

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grimmbitty · 11 months

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Introduction to the Rock of Eternity~✨

This was my first time trying to make a drawing with a full background, a character, and shading and it took soOoOo long 😭 lmfao.

Anyways, this is my finished concept art for the train car that Billy gets off of once he’s magically transported to the Rock of Eternity. This version of the Rock of Eternity is a series of floating island that is in the middle of The Magic Realm.

This version of the Rock of Eternity is filled to the brim with jungle and rainforest nature and animals. That is how Tawny comes into the story. Tawny is a magical tiger who is the Wizard’s right-hand pet. They have a magical gemstone embedded in their head that grants them the power of telepathy, allowing them to communicate with others around them. They are not humanoid. They walk on four legs like a tiger and aren’t really fond of wearing human clothes.

I still have to draw the throne room for the champions, that’s where I want The Wizard and Tawny to spend most of their time. Working together as they divide up their time between recording/collecting ancient magic artifacts, resolving magic-related issues, and overall just trying to keep The Magic Realm safe. The Rock of Eternity is a protected hub of information and resources for anyone who is interested in learning about magic.

[ WRITING CONTINUES BELOW ⬇️ ✍️📝 ]

⚠️ Content warning: mentions of slavery in ancient Egypt, mentions of tyranny, clear portrayals of villainous intent, moral corruption etc.

It is a tireless job, that always has a constant flow of work to be completed. This also explains why The Wizard is looking for a champion of magic. He is looking for a pupil to train. Someone who will assist him protecting/saving the other realm. The Wizard sees The Mortal Realm as a mess that is in desperate need of assistance.

The Wizard decides to launch a project where he will expand his influence to The Mortal Realm in an attempt to solve all the problems he sees that plague the mortals of Earth. This project starts roughly about 5,000 years ago, when The Wizard believes he has found a worthy champion, Teth-Adam.

Teth-Adam proves to be a very powerful champion, who actively trains his newfound powers to help harness them to their full potential. He also becomes very involved in his studies of magic. Spending his early adulthood growing alongside The Wizard and Tawny as they eventually form a family-like connection. This joyful aspect of Adam’s life is in sharp contrast to his life in The Mortal Realm. Where he is a slave in ancient Egypt, being forced to help with the construction of the pyramids.

Eventually, Adam starts to corrupt. He returns to The Mortal Realm and begins to use his powers as a tyrant. He successfully frees the people of Egypt from their current enslavement however, instead of letting them roam free and begin to build their own lives, Adam has a different plan in mind. With his arrogance and ego afoot, he decides that he is the one true ruler of Egypt, and seizes complete control of the country.

Adam believes that he is the best possible person to rule over Egypt. He sees himself as a strong, competent leader. A pillar of strength who wants to optimize Egypt to it’s fullest potential. As his overt political power starts to corrupt him, Adam starts to micromanage the Egyptian people, turning the country into a complete and total dictatorship.

The Wizard sees this corruption that Adam is forcing over the people in Egypt and tries to talk some sense into him. Telling Adam that he did a good thing by freeing the people of Egypt however, in seizing complete control over the country he himself has become the one of tyrants he swore to destroy. Adam isn’t hearing any of it, he believes he is different from any previous leaders of Egypt because he has the country’s best interests at heart. Everything he has done in his rule has only improved the country, so he was clearly destined to be Egypt’s one true leader.

The Wizard then realizes that there is no getting through to Adam. They have a dramatic confrontation. The Wizard with a heavy heart, realizes that Adam has grown to be a very powerful advisory and is willing to fight for his rule over Egypt.

The Wizard eventually wins the battle however, doesn’t have the heart to kill Adam because they formed a very strong father/son relationship over the years as The Wizard was training Adam as his champion. As a last resort The Wizard decides to banish Adam to the furthest star in the galaxy. The Wizard reverses Adam’s influence over Egypt. He helps them to establish a proper democracy before returning to The Magic Realm to grieve over what he had to do to Adam, someone he saw as his own son.

The Wizard and Tawny mourn for many moons, causing the Wizard to put an indefinite pause on his project, leaving The Mortal Realm with no champion for the time being.

Fast forward about 5,000 years, The Wizard realizes in his old age, that he is growing weaker and weaker as the centuries pass. He ponders the idea of trying to find another Champion of Magic. Tawny tries to talk him out of it, reminding him of how poorly that went last time and saying there is no reason to want to do that again. The Wizard eventually changes Tawny’s mind once he reminds his fuzzy friend that once the Wizard is dead and gone, that Tawny will be unable to keep up with the responsibilities of the Rock of Eternity all by themselves.

The Wizard doesn’t really want to find a new champion, but he deems it necessary because he wants to make sure there is always enough people/resources to keep the balance of magic. He wants to personally train a mortal to eventually one day take over his duties, guiding them closely to make sure they are on the correct path. Hoping that now that he and Tawny are both wiser and older that they can find one pure, good soul to build into the perfect hero, and avoid repeating their old mistakes.

The Wizard and Tawny search for hundreds of years in an attempt to try and find a new Champion of Magic, but no one they bring to the Rock of Eternity seems to have a completely pure and good soul.

After years and years of tirelessly searching, they eventually stumble upon Billy Batson. Unfortunately Billy, like everyone who came before him, has imperfections and moments of human weakness that lead The Wizard and Tawny to initially discard him as a possible champion.

Then Billy questions their judgment, questioning them if there is such a thing as a “completely pure good person”, explaining that everyone has their flaws no matter how “good” they are. Suggesting that The Wizard and Tawny have been searching for so long because they’re looking for peoples flaws instead of their strengths.

This convinces The Wizard to change the conditions of his search. Deciding to comb over Billy’s mind again, but this time looking for the good within him instead of his flaws. The Wizard begins to see that Billy has a lot of moments that show him being a good kid and genuinely trying to help people, showing that Billy genuinely has a good heart.

The Wizard and Tawny mull over this decision and bicker amongst each other. They eventually decide that the Wizard has already burned thousands of years on this search so far, and they don’t know how much longer he has left to live as it is. Better to choose this kid who obviously has a good heart, and help mold him into a hero than to wait around for another thousand years, possibly having The Wizard die before he ever found a replacement.

And then, The Wizard decides to bestow the powers of Shazam to Billy Batson, making him the next Champion of Magic.

Very shortly after this decision is made, Adam returns to Earth. He has spent the last five thousand years traveling across the galaxy in an attempt to eventually make it back to Earth. He is very hurt by the Wizard’s decision to banish him to the furthest star in the galaxy and seeks to make amends.

However, when Adam finds out that The Wizard has chosen a new champion this sends him into a complete and utter rage. He sees this as The Wizard trying to replace him, both as a champion and as a son.

It’s a total slap in the face to Adam since he just spent the last 5,000 years traversing the cosmos to see The Wizard again. Adam sees it as a complete dismissal of the deep and meaningful familial connection they once shared to replace him with his new champion, Billy.

Adam knows that Billy is on the same path that he once was, being trained by The Wizard and Tawny to become the new Champion of Magic, and that they eventually plan to have him manage/protect The Rock of Eternity.

Adam resents the idea that he could ever be replaced and seeks to seize control over The Rock of Eternity. He plans to kill both The Wizard and his new champion to prove his superiority and “show them” that he was always destined to be the one true champion of magic.

His villainous behavior is not only motivated by his desire to have control, but also by his deep internal hurt of being replaced by Billy. Adam sees the terms “champion” and “son” as interchangeable. To him they mean the same thing, and Adam will stop at nothing to prove himself because deep down he wants The Wizard’s approval.

The Wizard and Tawny were the closest thing Adam ever had to a real family and after spending thousands of years trying to get back to them, he returns only to find he’s been replaced, and that is a pain he’s never felt before.

Adam doesn’t know how to cope with the feelings that erupt within him besides crushing all competition and once again using his tyrannical personality traits to try and prove his worth.

End. ⚡️

Wow that was a long one, lol. Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed. I know the writing of this post was a post about Black Adam’s origins rather than The Rock of Eternity, but I hope you enjoyed regardless.

As always let me know what you guys think. I’m always open to suggestions since I’m making my own version of Shazam anyways lol. ⚡️💕

#billy batson #captain marvel #captain marvel dc #dc comics #fawcett comics #shazam #shazam 2019 #digital art #digital illustration #artists on tumblr #black adam #shazam: fury of the gods #Shazam:CoBL

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disney-is-mylife · 3 months

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My Disney Villain Categorization because I have lost control of my life

Disclaimer: I am ONLY counting movies from the Walt Disney Animation Studios line-up. That means, no Pixar, DisneyToon, no live-action, etc etc.

If y'all ever want to know what kind of Disnerd I am..... here ya go. I don't come up with theories or headcanons. Instead, I categorize! So here's the giant list no one asked for lmao:

~~~

There are Four Major Categories:

Totalitarianism

Personal Grudge

Means to an End

Ambiguous

Each category has two sub-categories, plus sometimes an extra sub-sub-category:

Totalitarianism: The Selfish Tyrant & Imperialism

Personal Grudge: Rise to Power (Aka, Hate Your Dad) & Obsession

Means to an End: Animal/Child Cruelty & Forces of Nature

Ambiguous: Intangible & It's Complicated

Without any further ado, let's dive in!

Tier 1: Totalitarianism

The Selfish Tyrant

What it says on the tin. Already a monarch, already has power, and just abuses it for their own personal reasons.

Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland)

Prince John (Robin Hood)

King Candy/Turbo (Wreck-It Ralph)

King Magnifico (Wish)

Imperialism

Even if it's not literally imperialism, these are the villains who are interested in "spreading" their power, to subjugate others for their own selfish needs, etc.

The Horned King (The Black Cauldron)

Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective)

Gov. Ratcliffe (Pocahontas)

Shan Yu (Mulan)

Lt. Rourke (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

Alameda Slim (Home on the Range)

King Runeard (Frozen 2)

~~~

Tier 2: Personal Grudge

Rise to Power (aka, Hate You/Your Dad)

This formula was particularly popular during the Renaissance (almost HALF of those films employed this!)

Ursula (The Little Mermaid)

Jafar (Aladdin)

Scar (The Lion King)

Hades (Hercules)

Yzma (The Emperor's New Groove)

Dr. Facilier (The Princess and the Frog)

Hans (Frozen)

Bellwether (Zootopia)

Obsession

These are the villains who don't want or need more power, but rather are fixated on the protagonist, for one reason or another.

Revenge:

Evil Queen (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

Captain Hook (Peter Pan)

Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)

Shere Khan (The Jungle Book)

Amos Slade (The Fox and the Hound)

Bowler Hat Guy (Meet the Robinsons)

Callaghan (Big Hero 6)

Control:

Most of these are toxic romantic abusers, but familial ones are counted as well.

Lumpjaw (Fun & Fancy Free; the Bongo sequence)

Lady Tremaine (Cinderella)

Gaston (Beauty and the Beast)

Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Jack-in-the-Box (Fantasia 2000; the Steadfast Tin Soldier sequence)

Mother Gothel (Tangled)

Ralph (Ralph Breaks the Internet)

~~~~~

Tier 3: Means to an End

Cruelty

These are the villains who have no real interest in "power," but are willing to use unethical methods to get what they want (usually monetary or material desires).

Animal:

Cruella DeVil (101 Dalmatians)

Edgar (The Aristocats)

Clayton (Tarzan)

Child:

Every single Pinocchio villain (besides Monstro lol)!!

Medusa (The Rescuers)

Sykes (Oliver & Company)

McCleach (The Rescuers Down Under)

Forces of Nature

What it says on the tin. These aren't really "bad guys," no matter how scary they appear. They're just Nature and a source of conflict for our heroes.

Monstro (Pinocchio)

T-Rex (Fantasia; the Rite of Spring sequence)

"Man" (Bambi)

The Wolf (Make Mine Music; Peter & the Wolf sequence)

The Rat (Lady and the Tramp)

Black Bear (The Fox and the Hound)

The Firebird (Fantasia 2000; the Firebird Suite sequence)

Carnotaurus (Dinosaur)

Te Ka (Moana)

Don't Fuck with the Fae

Same principle as Forces of Nature, only fantastical/supernatural examples, and as a result, are often more petty or cruel. But mostly, they don't actually do any harm when left alone. But if you cross their path....

Zeus (Fantasia; the Pastoral Symphony sequence)

Chernabog (Fantasia; the Night on Bald Mountain sequence)

Willy the Giant (Fun & Fancy Free; Mickey and the Beanstalk sequence)

The Headless Horseman (The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad; Sleepy Hollow sequence)

Madam Mim (The Sword in the Stone)

Tamatoa (Moana)

~~~

Tier 4: Ambiguous

Intangible

I'm just gonna list the films that have a sorta "villain"-ish, in the sense that there's a major conflict/theme that hurts the protagonists, but is mostly very.... vague or metaphorical.

Dumbo (society/prejudice)

Lady and the Tramp (classism/animal cruelty)

The Fox & the Hound (yes, I counted Amos Slade and the Bear previously, but the "true" villain is Prejudice)

Brother Bear (ironically, would fit under "Obsession/Revenge"..... if the target was more than just an ordinary bear)

Chicken Little (society/bad parents)

Bolt (reality)

Encanto (generational trauma)

Strange World (generational trauma)

It's Complicated:

Honestly, I straight up could not decide on a category for these movies because their "villains" are much more complicated than your average Disney antagonist.

Lilo & Stith

Treasure Planet

Raya and the Last Dragon

And finally!

No Villains:

Here's the handful of Disney movies with absolutely ZERO villains or major antagonists or themes that can be interpreted as the "true" villain/conflict.

(I don't count the Heffalumps and Woozles, because they only exist in Pooh's dream lol)

Saludos Amigos

The Three Cabelleros

Melody Time

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh (2011)

#Starling ramblings #y'all this list kept me up for WEEKS #Disney #Walt Disney #Disney animation #Disney villains #Disnerd #Disnerd issues

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queersatanic · 1 year

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(genuine question) why do people identify as satanists if they don't believe nor worship satan? and do you mind being confused with "actual" satanists who do worship the devil?

In the mid-19th century, it was not really with reference to the devil when when anarchists and socialists like Felix Pignal said:

Give me any epithets you wish; I accept them all in advance. I have only one thought, and envision only one glory: it is to strike everywhere and always, as much as I can, at the principle of domination. Satan, in his revolt, is my father, and, in his courage, Cain is my brother! ... … A tooth for a tooth! The law of the jungle. Such is the combat that we must still make against the divinity… First, why do we tremble at this audacity? Isn’t humanity, under the weight of its sorrows, at bay, at the last extremities? So it no longer has anything to lose… Courage in the attack! Courage! Our servility offers us a glorious pretext which would, by itself, justify our rebellion. And since we honor a people when they know how to overthrow a tyrant, what would be the grandeur of our triumph, if we succeeded in destroying the principle of tyranny!

You might also save and print this out:

Theistic Satanists (also Demonolaters and some Luciferians) are the minority of Satanists, and the people who believe in the literal, supernatural devil or a material sort of Satan are always going to be Christians.

Those Christians project a lot, and to some degree you just have to accept that it can't be helped.

#felix pignal #per faxneld #the philosophy of defiance #the devil is red #anarcho-satanism #satanism

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wayward-delver · 1 year

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There are Drones, then there are Monster Drones: (Monster Hunter x Murder Drones)

Tessa is a Hunter/Rider btw.

Uzi Doorman is Yian Garuga, the Lone Wolf Wyvern. A toxic fire unmatched for someone her size.

N is a Risen Crimson Glow Valstrax, a dragon that can hellfire across the world he simply doesn't want to.

V is a Seregios, she's an angry pinecone that will cut you.

J is a Shrieking Legiana and Eldritch J is Narkarkos, an Ice Cold Tyrant Angel and Mountain of Stolen Corpses respectively.

Khan Doorman is an Azure Yian Kut Ku, he gets on his daughter's nerves a lot.

Nori Doorman was a Dreadqueen Rathian, the name says it all.

The Sentinels are Tzitzi Ya Ku, it's about what you'd expect.

Lizzy is the ever-pompous Crimson Qurupeco, she's vain and calls some really scary people.

Thad is a Great Maccao, the cool Chad everyone likes, punching well above his weight class, and always paying for it.

Briaden was the Kulu Ya Ku, who has since gone the way of the dodo.

Rebecca was the Purple Gypceros, she was gone in a flash.

Doll is the Malzeno, a fallen angel damned to a dreaded existence by an ancient evil.

Alice was the Kecha Wacha, the knife-swinging lunatic of the jungle ruins.

Beau was Testucabara, he was a good boy but bit off more than he could chew.

Cyn the Risen Shagaru Gore Magala, the Golden Demise, the start of all the suffering and strife, a living plague.

The Absolute Solver is Gaismagorm, The Archdemon of the Abyss, corrupter of souls, devourer of worlds.

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gimblerthe · 8 months

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Yes, she is a female. No, this isn't Yharim.

Deep eyebags, a stretched smile, and the ever-present golden armor of the Tyrant. When this woman randomly appeared in the Jungle Empire and was given support by three of its lynchpins, those being Calamitas, Draedon, and Yharon, she immediately ascended the throne as its king.

The nobility had no say. The peasants didn't hear word of it until months after her ascension. And, after her first policies and speeches to the public, she was quickly accepted as the new king of the Jungle Empire.

At that point, it had become more of a clump of city-states rather than a distinct country. They were only held together by the beings of unfathomable power on top, those being its five lynchpins. Anyone who could gain the approval of that majority was already worthy enough of being king, and her actions were also very welcome in the eyes of all.

Under her policies and procedures, the entire empire had renewed into a whole state once more.

This wasn't an accident, of course. She had been groomed into the position by those lynchpins, even if one wanted nothing to do with her, another only saw it as an experiment, and the last was too interested in his partner's child to truly look deeper.

Her name was Aetia, and she was the only child of the Jungle Tyrant, Yharim.

Yes, that means Yharim fucked.

She's nearly eight foot tall, is physically strong, has a pair of wings grafted onto her back, has a few drug addictions, is mentally unwell, and has many, many parental issues. But the people love her, and she's very good at not making people think she's ill, so there's that. The eyebags are just part of the charm, obviously. It's not like she does super heroin to stay awake and do the mountains of paperwork she refuses to let anyone else touch, that would be weird.

Her total of three parents just bakes the cake on this one, too. Did I mention she doesn't eat? She doesn't eat.

She's also dirty as fuck. How much of a pain would it be to clean yourself if you're eight feet tall and wearing a golden suit of armor day-in and day-out?

Anyway, that's Aetia, whom I might post about sometimes because I think she's neat. Does she need to be hosed down? Absolutely. Does she need copious amounts of therapy? Get off drugs? Learn self-care? She'd disagree!

#calamity mod #terraria calamity #terraria

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itsyamajesty · 24 days

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[I don't know how to do a masterpost, so this is going to get ALOT of edits]

The way this went is just that one ProZD skit (alternatively, "we doing circles now?")

I be thinking about all this stuff for Curse of Freedom (story based AU)

Then brain latches onto Rising Charcoal AU

"Guess this is happening now"

Rising Charcoal AU

Cookie Run Kingdom AU by (ya) Majesty

Based on 3 original what ifs:

Dark Enchantress wins

The Ancients are gone (missing, trapped, dead? Who knows, they aren't here to save anyone)

The Beasts have awaken, much weaker

(more below)

'Proper' Plot Description

(some things are ommitted because this is WIP, plus there's some stuff I want to be mysteries)

Most cookies have lost count of how long ago it happened.

The Ancients lost, they were split apart, and she took over.

Despite best efforts, the fighting was in vain. Are the Ancients dead... or simply captured? For some, the answer is clear, but with only the words of the darkness to listen to?

Is it true all hope is lost?

The Hollyberry Kingdom has been invaded by deadly poisons and crimson curses, all cookies who escape the jungles fall to the puppeteered Pitaya Dragon. The biggest settlement remaining is in a deep ravine, everyday spent planning against the fruit dragon, with the expectation of some trying all they can to free them from a hopeless spell.

The Dark Cacao Kingdom appears safer than ever before. Ruled by duel tyrants, the manipulative poisoneer and possessed knight. Together they've achieved a balance between protection of the public and the posh, a paradise most chose to reside. In truth, the smile of the snake and the sayings of the sword are not safe to believe.

The Golden Cheese Kingdom are wastes from which the licorice scented dead rise, clawing their way towards a small settlement of the Sand Slices, protected by shredding sandstorms caused by a surviving deity and the purple smoke of a revived advisor.

The entirety of Beast-Yeast has turned into various factories of unknown products, all being sent towards a laboratory on the island south. Some of these factories however are in ruin, covered by twirling vines and the aura of faerie magic.

In the Vanilla Kingdom, Dark Enchantress rules over it all.

Most other settlements have already been stampeded over by cake monsters, the larger being taken down by large creatures even the best will struggle to clash against.

It should have been this moment that all faith left- and yet hope had returned.

For unknown reason with unknown creators, the Beast Cookies awoke in bodies for their own. They had many new abilities with their vessels, but they were all much weaker overall.

In a fight for the world's fate, the Beasts' wish for conquest fades.

Guided by shards of their lost power, holding the memories of kings and queens who gained their power after, and now before, them.

Fighting it or not.

Their original selves are destined to return.

If they don't, the fate of Earthbread is sealed.

At some point, there will be a "key posts" list here:

For now, I don't know how to actually do the embed link stuff so

There are posts for Eternal Sugar, Mystic Flour, and Burning Spice as of now- everything can be found with the Rising Charcoal AU tag

I didn't originally have anything big for it beforehand, but I'm getting ideas, Plus, Curse of Freedom is very story based, and I want to try (and fail) to write it, I can't make half of the posts I want to without spoilers. So I can post this instead. There is still a story to it, but I don't plan on writing more than a couple oneshots or short non-serious series, so there's no pressure for me to keep things secret (although there is some things I'll keep in more mystery for awhile)

Also with school I have a lot of drawing opportunities, I already got some stuff, but nothing post worthy yet

#cookie run #cookie run kingdom #cookie run au #cookie run kingdom au #dark enchantress cookie #pitaya dragon cookie #eternal sugar cookie #beasts crk #ancients crk #Rising Charcoal AU #mystic flour cookie #burning spice cookie #silent salt cookie

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ruzhuzhu · 11 months

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HELP I ACCIDENTALLY MADE PICS LOOK LIKE THEY ARE FOLLOWING EACH OTHER WHEN THEY ARE NOT (or at least not supposed to, think what you want to think)

realization hit me just when i was making the post. phenomenal

#ruth's art #calamity mod #terraria calamity #yharim #the jungle tyrant #draedon #digital art #artist on tumblr

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regiscarnivora · 3 months

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Muse Profile: Shere Khan

This post covers the info for my portrayal of Shere Khan from The Jungle Book, from it's OG Material and other adaptations.

Name: Shere Khan.

Species: Bengal Tiger.

Height: 1 meter.

Length: 3.2 meters.

Weight: 320 kg.

Weapons: 8 cm canines and 8 cm claws to injure and hold his prey/enemies. As well as a paralyzing roar that can be heard at 2 km of distance.

Likes: Hunting, drinking, swimming in water, peace and quiet and acheiving dominion and other goals.

Dislikes: Humans, potential competitors, fire and man-made weapons.

Personality: Suave, yet egotistical, scheming, conniving, persuasive, aggressive, brooding, prideful and vengeful.

VERSES:

TJB Adaptations (The Kipling book, 1942, 1994, 1967 and 2016) and Kingdom Hearts.

#Muse: Jungle Tyrant||Shere Khan #muse info #do not reblog please

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regaliasonata · 9 months

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Also character ask ZIGGY

Character Ask: Ziggy Grover

First Impression

-Definitely falling under the average green ranger stereotype of being the silly but less engaged member of the team, though that is quite alright cause he'll probably give some positivity to the team due to the state they are in via the season

How I Feel About The Character/Impression Now

-.....I love this twink and honestly me and everyone else should love him, the fact that he was in a mafia, managed to escape, gave medicine and supplies from said group to orphans in needed AND GOT OFF SCOT FREE WITH HIS TOASTER BOYFRIEND speaks volumes.

Favorite Moment

-So far has to be that scene between him and the cartel where he's got that serious face, I'll have to go back and fully complete RPM but seeing Ziggy look so cold is amazing.

Idea For A Story

-okay think of this....Ziggy as a Peter Pan type character who was reborn in another world that raises orphans or children who've passed early and they live in this alternate world with magic, at the same time he's an assassin that's teaming up with Dillon and Tenaya(who also have powers based on fairy tales) to steal ancient treasure from a tyrant king in order to rule the rule, Once Upon A Time walked so this can run.

Relationships

OTPs

-Ziggy/Dillon....obviously, can't have a happy twig without his grumpy muscular emo boyfriend.

-Ziggy/Scott, Ziggy/Flynn. Both these work really well in my opinion.

-Crackship idea if this crossover was ever a thing...Ziggy/Jarrod/Dillon/Casey, imagine all that chaos together with those four like(I'd pay to see a one shot of this tbh). Heck not even a crossover needed because JKP exists in the RPMverse and assuming the entire team is alive then this could fly, crazy twinks and the emo duo.

BROTPs

-Ziggy/Dr.K, honestly feel like he understands Dr.K and they are really close when it comes to hearing each other out, plus Ziggy might actually get her to enjoy some hobbies.

-Ziggy/Casey...seriously Disney fucked us over from ever getting this interaction, be happy with marvel I guess but imagine the send off you could've had.

-Ziggy/Tenaya, she needs earplugs every time he talks about Dillon...

Unpopular Opinion

-Kinda wish we got even more of a backstory for him or seen Ziggy encountering other green rangers. I feel like both him and Trip would get along quite well to be honest.

One thing I wish would/had happened in the show

-....We serious? That Jungle Fury/RPM crossover obviously because ALL THOSE INTERACTIONS AND SUCH WOULD'VE BE LEGENDARY.

-Even if he didn't end up with Dillon we should've had Ziggy kissing some guy.

-Imagine a scene of Ziggy hacking Venjix down with his axe after he found out the program's intention for Dillon, or if Venjix succeeded and Dillon died...it would've been brutal like Ziggy would be shown Venjix why the cartel kept him around🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡

Headcanons

-The RPM team technically has sentient zords because in reality they hold secret Engine Souls like their Go-Onger counterparts. This is actually a result of humanity evolving and without the vitality from Earth's nature so their animal spirits evolved into Engine Souls, thing is the team hasn't unlocked them but when they do the zords will be able to talk(a little fib of my JFAU movie arc idea with RPM cause we deserve that crossover).

-Ziggy's fingernails can turn dark green because of Venjix exposure, some humans after being exposed to the virus during their apocalypse developed small traits via their survival(Scott having sharper canines, Summer being able to detect metals for tools, Flynn when growing out his hair has white highlights and can absorb radiation, Gem and Gemma can see people's dreams and Dillon can purify dirty food and water).

-Ziggy sleeps with a huge dolphin as a pillow or just something to hold whenever he's sad. If he can't morph then he'll fill it with rocks and beat down venjix monsters with it.

-Sometimes when he would leave the dome(before the world began to return to normal) he'd walk miles until making it to the ocean since it wasn't fully destroyed and enjoyed watching the waves. Plus that spot is the only one in the world where the stars in the sky are still viewable.

-After RPM Dillon, Tenaya and Ziggy ventured out into the world to see what needed to be fixed, they built a railroad and it oddly began to glow with energy. This led to the team getting powers via trains and soul power with imagination, humanity's will to keep going(ToQger adaption), villains born from the deceased malice of humanity aim to take advantage of this world and others leading to the team having bigger stakes than last time.

#power rangers #mmpr #mighty morphin power rangers #power rangers rpm #rpm #ziggy grover #green ranger #mutual asks #send me asks #character asks #ask me!#ask answered

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satuguro · 2 years

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ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚ THUS ALWAYS TO TYRANTS

[ ACT II : THE CITY IN THE TREES. ]

jacaerys velaryon x reader

#SYNOPSIS— lucerys is a little afraid of tigers, the city of iona is beautiful, and jacaerys likes looking shiny.

#CONTAINS— not canon au, lady of a house! reader, flawed reader, slowburn, later enemies to lovers, gore, blood, death, sexual content (later on in the series, after a time skip)

#AUTHORSNOTE— there will be some aspects of the original story that i changed. i added a new house that i created, and the reader has golden eyes purely for the plot, but remember, everything else is you. also, there's a weird glitch that duplicates some of my paragraphs, so i'm sorry about that. tthank you for all the support on the first part!

ACT I, ACT II, ACT III, ACT IV

"again!" akari yelled, readying his bamboo sword as he pointed it to you. his feet, bare against the floor of the jungle, stood firm as he bent his legs, ready to strike at any moment.

you were on the ground, nose bleeding profusely under the lanterns that hung above you and your trainer. you were only three and ten, much too young to train but much too stubborn to quit, for you stabbed your sword into the soil and forced yourself up. "i am up," you seethed, the anger of losing beating hard in your chest as you got up and into position.

"then fight," akari raised his sword up further, obsidian eyes glaring at you under thick brows. akari was a retired general from your father's army, and had chosen retirement not out of force, but simply because he wanted to. he was in his late 50s now, wise enough to guide his old army from afar but old enough to choose to live peacefully. for a while, he did; he owned a stall in the market that was popular for all types of fishing supplies and knives, and he was a stubborn haggler who only allowed discounts if the customer was as quick and as stubborn as he was.

which was why he agreed to train you. with your father's reluctant permission, of course.

you dove towards him, swiftly side stepping to try and hit the back of his legs. but of course, akari was quicker than you were; his sword blocked your hit, and he turned to kick you in the stomach with his opposite leg. you groaned as you laid on the ground, gripping your stomach as you curled into a fetal position.

"i believe that that is all we will be doing today," akari stated, walking towards his shoes to slip them back on. his brushed his white beard with his fingers to get rid of the little bits of dirt in them, not even paying you any mind as he began to walk back to his home.

"one more!" you said, forcing yourself to get up yet again, your stomach aching with pain as you gripped it. "please, let's go again."

"i told your father that when i said enough, i meant it," akari looked at you, dark eyes almost threatening you to argue with him, "you agreed to that, lady y/n. adhere to it."

you often found yourself training on the days your father was too focused on your brother. it wasn’t his fault — you understood that it wasn’t simple readying your son to rule over a whole island. but you knew you had time before your father would turn his sights to you to be the next leader. magnus was kind, thoughtful, empathetic, and cunning all at once; he was going to be the perfect lord. but you, being the youngest and only three and ten, had the time to be impulsive. you could afford to be curious, to explore the forests and and train until your bones break.

you had the time to be your age.

you forced yourself up by stabbing your bamboo sword into the soil, placing your other hand on your upright knee as you slowly tried to stand up. you winced in pain at that action, retreating back to a singular knee as you felt the pain spread wide on your leg. drops of blood from your nose fell to the ground and seeped into the soil, painting the rich dirt with red.

your father always said that iona's fertile soil was achieved not from simple nature, but from the blood of battle.

stiffly, akari brought out a handkerchief from his pocket, embroidered with the same golden thread used for your clothing. he knelt down to your level and gave it to you, not saying a word as he watched you intently. your hands were shaking, the adrenaline from the fight and the angry thoughts of not winning too strong to keep you still. he could see your eyes well up out of frustration, making your golden eyes shine brighter as you sniffled harshly.

"go to magnus, child," akari muttered, watching you avoid his eyes, too busy focusing on being tough to pay attention to how you actually felt. he sighed, placing his hand on his knee to stand up straight again. "learning how to fight takes time, strength, and agility," he said, "but most importantly, you need to be kind to yourself during this time. you are making good progress, but you will not be a master if your mind is not as strong as your body."

you nodded, not saying a word as akari turned away from you to walk back to his house. you watched him disappear into the surrounding plants, sniffing angrily to yourself.

that night, you had climbed the steps of the tree nearby and ran back home. magnus always knew how to help with fighting wounds. he had always laughed about it, saying that he had to teach himself because of how often he injured himself after training.

you ran inside your temple, going straight to his door. you gave a small nod to the guards in either side as you knocked. "magnus?"

silence. you frowned; usually he was back in his room by now.

"i'm hurt, brother, can you please help?"

silence.

you pushed his door open, finding only an empty room and an open window. you could feel yourself panic, the sudden realization hitting you; he actually did it. you didn't think he was serious - you should have known better than to underestimate your own family.

"guards!" you yelled, running to the open window and looking down. there was a rope that led all the way down the mountain and to the beach below. it was high tide, and the footprints he would have left behind were long washed away now; yet another secret washed away with the sea. you picked up the tied rope, swallowing thickly as you unsheathed your dagger, cutting it off the balcony. you turned around to the guards that ran into your brothers room. "call my father! my brother is missing!"

the islands of iona were located in the summer sea, a mile or two off the mainland. the island was located in the summer sea, barely visible from the shore.

the islands, from up above, were in the shape of a crescent that was open away from the shore. there were cliffs that were dislocated from the shore, coming off of the island at all sides. it made the island look like a sun from above.

surrounded by the deepest blue ocean jacaerys had ever seen, iona was filled to the brim with trees and shrubs. a row of mountains ran along the middle of the main island, equally as green as the rest of the scenery. the sands were a pure black and surrounded the edges of the island. boats were casted out around her — a sight only seen by the rhaenyra and her sons due to their dragons — and docked on a boardwalk market along the island’s cove. rocky cliffs sat to one side of iona, with ragged stones visible among the crashing waves. on the side of the island stood a desolate volcano — the only thing besides the hills and mountains that towered over the trees.

iona’s rainforest had some of the tallest trees he had ever seen. it seemed as though they reached for the heavens— as if they were reaching for their dragons. from above, iona almost seemed abandoned. almost, for along the wide shore towards the mainland were four figures with two tigers standing alongside them.

you squinted up at the royals, allowing your eyes to relax as their dragons’ figures casted a shadow over you. they were breathtaking in the bright sun, their scales shining bright against the lights and their wings creating a stronge breeze that rippled the waters as they neared. never had you seen such creatures, and you had to remind yourself to maintain a cool front— your father allowed you to greet them and bring them to him.

out of slight nervousness, your hand went to pet your tiger, vulcan. he gently pressed his face into your open palm, blowing air out of his nostrils out of familiarity. his white fur was wet from the oceanwater he had been running through not too long ago— unlike your brother’s tiger, ares, who stood on your other side, he was much younger.

the dragons landed a little ways in front of you and your cohorts, their large feet splashing in the water as they alnded. princess rhaenyra, prince lucerys, and prince jacaerys; all three dismounted their dragons, and you allowed yourself to walk closer.

“princess rhaenyra, prince lucerys, prince jace— jacaerys,” your felt your face flush red at your slip up, and you purposefully avoided eye contact with the prince as you curtsied, “iona and house arslan welcomes you.”

“history books truly does not do this place justice, lady y/n,” princess rhaenyra responded, returning your smile as she looked at you. “my husband has decided to stay at our home in dragonstone to keep everything grounded,” her eyes floated to your tigers, then to your cohorts, as though she was searching for someone, “where is your father? i believe he had told me that he would be arriving.”

“he has been aiding in the festivities," you laughed softly to yourself, "he’s a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to these things." out of pure wonder and curiosity, you looked up at the three dragons before you, frilling their necks as they got themselves situated to the hot and humid weather. they seemed to be enjoying it, for the summer sea was much hotter than most places further north. "your dragons are beautiful." you didn't take a step towards them, instead turning to the royals and asking, "what are their names?"

the bushes in the rainforest began to shake, the sound of heavy paws against the green floor reaching your ears. your cohorts turned to the sound, hands hovering over their spears as the sound neared. lucerys took a step closer to his mother, hiding a part of his body from whatever was about to jump out. jacaerys’ hand moved closer to his own weapon, his action wary as the eyes of a tiger were visible in the shaded jungle.

but even in the shade, jacaerys could see the second pair of eyes that sat right above the first, larger pair of eyes.

lord aegeus arslan, sat atop his own tiger, appeared from the thick foliage. his tiger (on its four legs) was large, almost as big as a bear on its four legs. it stood proudly in front of the others, its marks more orbital than the other two, and its fur shone tan and white. easily, lord aegeus slid off of his tiger, keeping a hand on it as he reached for his cane. he bowed, “princess rhaenyra, welcome to iona. house arslan welcomes you and your sons.”

you allowed him to take over with greeting the queen, your heart thumping hard in your chest. speaking so casually to the heir — as though she was simply another, well respected diplomat — you didn’t know how he did it. that had always been a problem you had tried to work with, one that had always been your downfall. because while you had mastered fighting with both words and your tongue, there was still a certain anxiety behind it all. socializing wasn’t your strong suit, you knew that, but that worried you even more. you were too busy asking the names of their dragons to keep yourself poised in front of the heir. you couldn't let your impulsive curiosity overtake you again; you had to be a perfect leader.

your fingernails dug into your palms, creating small crescents. mentally, you were criticizing yourself. you talked too little when you were supposed to speak up, spoke too much when you were supposed to be quieter—

“their names are syrax, vermax, and arrax.”

you turned towards jacaerys, who stood next to you. he looked as poised as ever, standing straight with his hands behind his back, but he was looking at you. you blinked, watching his eyes move down to your hands. quickly, you clasped them, acting indifferent to the worry that shadowed his face. "they are beautiful. i was just curious - it is not every day that we have dragons and dragon riders visit, you know."

"it's okay to ask, you know," jacaerys said softly, making you nod, still avoiding eye contact. "will they be well taken care of? we saw the volcano a bit away from here."

“rhea, cadmius, and achaikos will take good care of them. we have underground areas near that volcano that can house them during your stay.” you looked behind you to find your father bring princess rhaenyra closer to the rainforest, no doubt speaking about how your island worked. “i suppose we should follow them.”

“wait!”

you turned your head towards him, offering a small smile, “yes, luke?”

ever so wary, his eyes drifted to the two tigers that sat next to you. orion, your brother’s black tiger, on your left, and your own tiger to your left. hesitantly, he asked, “are they friendly?”

“no.” you stated, biting back a grin as you watched the young prince’s face fall. “i only jest, prince luke. they are friendly— to those who deserve their kindness.”

you motioned for the princes to come closer to vulcan as you squatted down to your tiger’s level.

“brother, you go first,” lucerys muttered, nudging jacaerys closer as he moved behind him.

jacaerys smirked at him, slowly moving down to the tiger’s level, “scared, luke?” he teased.

“am not!”

“whatever you say.” jacaerys looked at you, moving his hand closer to vulcan. gently, your hand wrapped around his wrist, slowly guiding his hand to be in front of vulcan.

vulcan was the youngest of the tigers your family had, he being your tiger. he was a beautiful white tiger, with sharp saber teeth that certainly weren’t fully grown. he was only a year old, since, due to tradition, arslans were gifted their own tigers on their fifteenth name day. but while vulcan was considerably young, he was already the size of a well fed dog.

“allow him to sniff you first,” you guided, still holding his wrist as you watched him. you could feel his pulse against your fingertips, strong and steady, signaling his fearlessness.

vulcan sniffed him, his eyes dilating as he did. his golden eyes — identical to yours, jacaerys noted — stared at him, before he pushed his nose into jacaerys’ hand.

“see? i told you.” you let go of jacaerys’s hand, offering your own hand to lucerys. “be gentle. tigers demand respect, similarly to nobles,” you guided lucerys as well, watching as a grin appeared on his face as he finally pet vulcan behind his ear. “but to them, there are no castes. they are no royals— through their eyes, everyone is equal.”

you stood back up, brushing off your dress. ares was long gone, already choosing to slink back into the jungle.

ares was 6 years old, and since he had been so used to magnus, it was hard for anyone to be his companion. for a year, he had been lost to the iona rainforest, until he appeared in magnus’ room when you were visiting it. since then, ares chose and picked when he appeared by your side.

“he will meet us at the temple,” you turned away from the princes, patting vulcan twice and watching him run off into the jungle. the two princes followed closely behind you as you walked.

“don’t we need him to make our way through the jungle?” lucerys asked, walking to your left as he stomped his way through the sand.

“my tiger, vulcan, and my brother magnus’ tiger, ares, both know the way through the jungle,” you explained, holding your dress up until your shoes reached the entrance of the jungle. “they shadow us from the rainforest floor, keeping us away from the other, untamed animals within.”

you followed your father, pushing away some foliage next to a rather large tree. “sometimes, our people opt to walk on the jungle floor.” it revealed covered steps that went all the way up the tree, a thick bundle of vines acting as a railing for those who used it. “but sometimes, we use our bridges.”

“bridges,” jacaerys breathed, and you smiled a playful smile at him.

“yes, that is what i said, my prince.” you bit back a laugh as you motioned for them to follow you up the steps.

“jace, remember?” jacaerys hummed behind you, and you only scoffed.

the steps went all the way up the tree, leading to a larger platform. there were guards situated there with their bows, focused on guarding the shoreline. their clothing was identical to the color of the foliage, making them blend in much more than they already were. they greeted them with a bow, and you raised a hand and said a small, “hello omari, acacius. as you were.” from their platform, they could see the shore perfectly; they could see potential enemies before they could see them.

silently, jacaerys wondered just how many of them were hidden among the trees.

“the people of iona, as well as my family, have learned to live with nature rather than against it,” you said, moving to one side of the platform, where a bridge led deeper into the rainforest, “so rather than live on the crowded and much more dangerous jungle floor,” you walked down the bridge, “we learned to live in the trees.”

jacaerys’ hands gripped the bridge railings, the texture slightly rough against his skin. “these bridges.. are they made of the trees?”

you sent them a proud smile behind your back, your hand coming up to feel along the tree, “not quite, my prince. this entire bridge is a part of the tree we climbed up, as well as the next tree. they are like their branches; our bridges are the trees."

“but how did you build it like this?” lucerys looked down from the bridge as he walked, mouth opening slightly when he saw the treehouses on the lower sections of the trees. even there, there were bridges leading from one tree and the next. each tree house seemed to either be a shop or a home, and ionians were all moving around on all the bridges, tending to their daily activities. “jace,” lucerys tugged on his brother’s clothes, nodding down to the community.

jacaerys cursed under his breath at the sight, the intricacy and beauty behind every bridge and building prominent. they were overgrown with vines and flowers alike, but the ionians didn’t care. in fact, they seemed to embrace it; fruit grew proudly along the side of one house, and children running on the platforms and bridges each grabbed one happily. lanterns hung from each house and on the side of bridges, illuminating the town, and jacaerys swore he saw an old woman bringing out food for a group of nearby monkeys.

the trees above them completely shielded them from the harsh sunlight, only allowing a few rays in through the cracks. the weather is humid, but comfortable.

“your city is beautiful,” jacaerys said softly as you continued to walk.

“i know,” you looked down at your people, waving at a group of children, who squealed in happiness at your attention, “we are currently on the tallest bridge in the rainforest, which is usually used by my house, diplomats or the guards. from here, you can see our entire town.”

“will we explore it all soon, y/n?” lucerys asked, excitement evident in his tone, and you laughed softly as you nodded.

“you will be here for a week and a half, luke; i will show you around personally.”

arslan temple was built into the mountain range that ran along the island like a spine. it was well hidden, overgrown with vines and flowers alike, with two statues of tigers next to the large doors, both carved out of the mountain itself.

it was cool inside, for the only sunlight that shone in came in through the windows. lanterns hung from above the corridors, and tapestries full of the history of iona decorated the walls, some of the thread shining gold in the warm light. you greeted each of your servants by their names, your smile genuine as you walked by them and led the princes to their rooms.

"your rooms are next to your mother's; i figured that it would be appreciated." you pushed open a door to reveal a rather large room with a balcony that overlooked the cove. it was decorated well, with a large closet, table and sofas, and a mirror. thick vines ran up the walls and onto the ceiling, coming down to hold a large lantern overhead. the bed had a canopy with white linen that hung from them, the cloth pinned to the engraved posts for availability. there were hanging plants that came down to act as a curtain to reveal the balcony, and bits of sunlight shone through the breaks. there was another window next to it with the same hanging plants. "prince lucerys, here is your room."

"thank you, lady y/n." he entered, immediately going to the balcony to look at the view.

you and jacaerys closed the door to his room, and you clasped your hands behind your back as you said, "he reminds me so much of my brother." you both began to walk down the corridor.

"how so?" jacaerys questioned, looking down at you. all he and the rest of the eight kingdoms had heard of magnus arslan was that he had died in sea. they heard that there was a traditional ionian funeral that was held shortly after his death; what they didn't hear, was that his funeral boat was empty.

"his charm," you stated, a sad smile on your face as you thought of your brother, "my brother was always the more charming one - much more charming than me."

"i would not doubt that."

"you are not supposed to agree." you glared at the laughing prince, "while i respect your family greatly, it doesn't mean i don't feel provoked to hit you." your threats were empty, a small thankfulness in your chest bubbling as the topic was swiftly changed.

you never liked dwelling on your memories with magnus. you had a slight contempt in your heart for him choosing to leave, not because he actually left, but because he never told you. he left you without so much as a goodbye, without so much as a warning, and you still covered for him.

why? because he was your brother.

"i'm sorry, lady y/n; it was too good of an opportunity to give up," jacaerys poked your arm, biting back a grin, "i do want to thank you, though."

"what for?"

"the ravens. i read every single one, you know."

"well, it would have been rude if you didn't," you commented wittily, rolling your eyes with a smile, "it is not every day that i find myself making friends; much less with the prince himself. i wanted to continue to talk with you," you stood in front of a door, "here are your chambers, prince jacaerys."

his room was nearly identical to lucerys', but his balcony was decorated with two chairs and a small table. jacaerys walked inside, making his way to the balcony and raising the curtain of plants with one arm, "care to join me, my lady?"

"your lady?" you fired back, raising an eyebrow, silently demanding him to correct himself.

"lady y/n," he corrected quickly, eyebrows furrowing as he cursed at himself under his breath, "hobrenka." jacaerys watched you intently as you closed the door behind you, walking towards him and slipping under his arm to go through the curtain.

you sent him a glare as you did, saying a short, "i am not your lady, jacaerys," that showed your obvious dislike to the idea.

jacaerys groaned, "i know, y/n. it was a simple mistake." he moved to the edge of the balcony, placing his hands on the railing as he gazed over the cove. below him, the market was as busy as ever, with fisherman moving in and out of the cove, sellers and customers haggling over prices, and piles of fruits, spices, and cooked food out for anyone to buy. "will you take me there?" he asked you, his eyes remaining on the marketplace.

"hm," you leaned your back against the railing next to him, pretending to think as you picked at your fingernails, "i suppose that tonight, i will. we have a celebration planned for you and your family," you looked over your shoulder, down at the thriving market, "but the night market is happening tonight as well. so if you truly insist.."

"i really do," jacaerys' grin was wide as he poked you again (what was it with him and poking your arm?). "i must ask.. did you have this planned out before my arrival?"

"do you assume that i was so excited by your presence that i planned an entire scandalous night? you royals truly do expect the most from us."

"you are so kind, lady y/n."

"shut up."

jacaerys had been to many celebrations, but nothing as beautiful as iona's.

their celebration venue was not hosted in the arslan temple, but rather, outside in the largest platform they had. built around one of their strongest trees, the platform went completely around and stretched to other platforms, all of which were held up by the trees many branches. ionian architects had learned to manipulate the branches to grow to hold up the platform, a feat that only they and house arslan knew. from above, vines held lanterns of all kinds of colors and shapes, hanging at differing lengths all around them. tabls surrounded the main stage, where lord arslan's chair sat right in the middle. to the side of him were three chairs for the royals, and to his other side was a chair for you.

the music was booming and loud in jacaerys' ears, primarily due to the drummers that were situated in higher platforms, all wearing their celebration clothes as they switched between drums. in a corner, musicians played a quick song for the dancers, who were doing a traditional circle dance around the tree.

the festivities were in full swing by the time you had arrived, for you opted to appear when the party was in full swing to draw less attention to yourself. you stepped up the last few steps to the platform, holding your skirts in your hands. your arms and neck were decorated with bands of gold, and your fingers were adorned with your rings. your hair was worn back into a braid decorated with flowers - you had told your maids that you planned to dance for most of the night.

they had offered you your mother's earrings, which were a chain of gold with one single pearl hanging down. like many other times, you only gave them a pained smile and politely refused.

your dress, white and made of the finest silk, fell gracefully as you allowed your hands to stop holding them. embroidered cold decorated the bottom of your dress, coming up in swirls of thorns and flowers. you swallowed thickly as you stood there, watching some of the dancers stop when they noticed your arrival.

"lady y/n arslan, of house arslan!"

curse those announcers.

you forced your back to be straight as you carefully walked around the dancers, smiling at them politely. you made eye contact with your father, who rather than look disappointed at you tardiness, looked on at you proudly. you could see it in the shadow of a smile he had, and the sadness in his eyes. you knew what he was thinking, having heard the phrase multiple times before; you looked like your mother.

you quickly curtsied in front of princess rhaenyra, observing her red and black dress and the elegancy in her appearance. she smiled at you as she nodded, saying, "we have missed you in this celebration, lady arslan."

"some of us much more than others," lucerys commented quietly behind a cup of water, looking at his brother with a cheshire grin. he groaned as jacaerys reached over to ruffle his hair, his playful annoyance unconvincing as jacaerys poked his stomach and made him laugh.

"thank you, princess rhaenyra. you dress is truly exquisite; the colors look beautiful together." you looked to your father, seeing the satisfaction in his face, before continuing, "may i ask you for your permission to teach prince jacaerys and prince lucerys a dance?"

"oh, go ahead," rhaenyra motioned for her sons to join you (though lucerys was already standing up and joining you). she looked at jacaerys, whose eyes were on you yet again as you excitedly told lucerys of the dance. she was observing him, how his face looked peaceful as he watched you, how he seemed to be looking at you with a kind of contentedness that only came from a certain liking. "if you would like to dance with her, go ahead, jace."

jacaerys turned to his mother, nodding quickly, "i will. i will ask her.. but not right now." he watched how you interacted with lucerys, how relaxed lucerys looked with you, and a part of it warmed his heart. you were getting along painfully well with his brother, and for some reason, that mattered a lot for him. "i'll join them both, if that's okay, mother?"

rhaenyra nodded, and jacerys stood up to leave a swift kiss on her cheek. her knowing purple eyes followed him as he approached you, and you poked the prince as you started over in your steps. the three of you were dancing between two bamboo sticks that were held by people on either side. on beat, the bamboo sticks would occasionally come together, increasing the possibility of injury, but that didn't seem to bother you that much. rhaenyra heard the jokes that were passed between the three of you, but she saw how you held jacaerys' hand as he quickly stepped between the bamboo. you were smiling at him, your fingers so gentle against his skin as he tried to keep up with you and lucerys (who, for some reason, was doing much better at the dance).

"oh to be young again," lord aegeus commented next to her, and rhaenyra laughed softly.

"you are quite correct, lord arslan," rhaenyra looked on at the teenagers, even as they moved with the other dancers around the tree. "it makes me truly happy to see them being children."

"if any one were to bring out that side of them, it would be my y/n," the lord's smile was solemn as he continued, picking up his cup of wine, "of my two children, she was the impulsive one, you know."

"really?"

"truly." lord aegeus laughed softly to himself, "my eldest was always so dutiful. but y/n.." he fixed himself in his chair, leaning closer to rhaenyra, "i always compared her to the sea. her mind is unpredictable and stubborn.. but dangerous and cunning if need be."

"watch your ankles, brother!" lucerys laughed as jacaerys nearly tripped over yet again, almost messing up the dance in the process. lucerys was keeping your pace, the beats of the drums loud against his heart.

next to them both, you were twirling and holding your skirts, your smile bright as you danced alongside them. you had danced this dance many times before, all for different reasons, and you loved it every time. not for the dance itself, but for the thumping of the drums. you could feel it match your heartbeat, ringing loud in your ears and vibrating the air. there was a certain amount of adrenaline that came to it all, and maybe that was what made it so addicting.

the song finally died down, and everyone cheered loudly, you especially. you were laughing, drunk off of the excitement of the night, and you turned to jacaerys, grin widening as he bent down to massage his ankles.

"i will go drink some water!" lucerys yelled over the chattering and festivities, and you nodded as you moved closer to jacaerys. you tilted your head down to the side to look at him, smirk playing at your lips. "are you okay, prince?"

"of course," jace hissed as he massaged a particularly sensitive spot, "never been better."

"there's an herb that is sold at the night market that will heal that quite nicely," you sing-songed, and jacaerys laughed breathlessly as he looked up at you. his hair was messy and sticky with sweat, the dance proving to be much more a workout than a dance.

jacaerys held out his hand, "help me up first?"

"royals are so demanding." you took his hand into yours, your grip strong as you pulled him up with an alarming amount of strength.

jacaerys' eyes widened at the ease at which you pulled him up. "you are much stronger than you look, lady y/n," he commented, and you rolled your eyes.

your hand settled into his for there was a silent mutual agreement to keep your hands interlocked. his pulse was strong, thumping steadily against yours, matching the drums that signaled the next song. you looked at him, wordlessly moving to move some hair away from his face. your fingertips brushed against his soft skin, your eyes moving from his hair to stare at his face. he had a few freckles, you realized, and you noticed they were in the shape of your favorite constellation; orion's belt.

you cleared your throat, putting your hand back down. "let us go then, before they notice we are gone."

you were breathless upon your arrival to the market, your head looking up as you struggled to catch your breath. the stars have already began to appear, shining bright in the sky and adding onto the already beautiful multicolored lanterns of the night market.

you and the prince had ran almost the entire way to the market, for you knew your father would surely notice once he looked away from his conversation with princess rhaenyra. the fact that you were out with the prince without a guard or a chaperone again was scandalous, to put it simply. the night market was far more dangerous than the daily morning markets, which was why you had ordered your tiger to wait for you and jacaerys to start running so that he could follow you.

"tired, prince jacaerys?" you managed to ask between large gulps of air, laughing breathlessly as you closed your eyes and allowed the salty breeze to cool you down.

"how can you jest after the marathon we just ran?" jacaerys groaned, catching his breath as he looked at you. he saw you then, closing your eyes with a content smile on your face, the moonlight hitting your face and casting an ethereal glow. from where he stood, he could see the small scars you had on your face that were most likely achieved through hard training. but every one of your scars looked like a careful brush stroke onto a masterpiece of a painting.

his hand was still intertwined with yours, and while he was trying not to overthink about horribly clammy his hands must have been in that moment, you didn't seem to care.

"you truly do have a problem with staring," you stated, your eyes cracking open to reveal the familiar glowing gold of your irises. your free hand came down to pet vulcan, who didn't seem tired in the slightest as he sat next to you, patiently waiting for your order.

jacaerys huffed, averting his eyes to look at the night market. nervously, he fixed the collar of his clothes with one hand. "just like that, the moment is ruined."

"you are quite welcome." taking control of his hand, you pulled him towards the night market as you began to walk. "come; i promised i would show you all the best stands."

jacaerys had not realized how often you were in the market until he heard vendors and customers alike greet you. calls of 'lady y/n!' and 'lady arslan- we've missed seeing you!' filled his ears as he walked next to you and your tiger, who walked close to your side. he saw men twice his height greet you as though you were a friend, and saw all types of people do the same. you were respected - highly respected, by the looks of it. they were staring at him too - he was a royal after all - but none of them dared to step closer.

jacaerys furrowed his brows as he walked next to you, wondering why none of them dared to step closer. he looked at you, too busy looking for the first stall to bring him to, and his eyes drifted down to a particular silver and gold glint at the side of his eye. then he saw it; on your thigh, only visible by the slit in your dresses, was a sharply curved dagger.

so that was why. that and your tiger.

"so how dangerous is the market at night?" he asked, stopping with you in front of a stall. yet again, the vendor seemed to know you well as she greeted you happily. she was an old woman with a round face and a bandanna tied around her head, her smile bright and warm as you looked at the both of you.

"fairly dangerous," you responded nonchalantly, smiling as you addressed the vendor. "two orders of your fried squid on a stick. yes, thank you, carina." you paid her dutifully before turning to the prince with a smirk, "but it's safe as long as you are with me."

"are you sure?"

"do you doubt me?" you raised a challenging brow, gently removing your hand from his grasp to cross it over your chest. "i am telling you, prince, i come here often, much often than you think, and i have yet to die."

jacaerys sighed, taking a step closer to you as he put his hands clasped behind his back. "fine, then. though i doubt that the dagger you have will do much at all."

you smiled sweetly to him, eyes glinting with a slight excitement. "you would be surprised, my prince."

"your prince?" jacaerys repeated, eyebrows raising and a sly smile making its way onto his face.

you groaned as you hit his arm, making him hiss and rub the area. "you are the prince of the eight kingdoms, are you not?"

"here you go, lady arslan!" carina spoke happily, her wrinkled hands holding out three squids on a stick. you took one and handed it to the prince, who held it up to his nose and sniffed it curiously.

"carina, i only asked for two," you said, only taking the other squid from her.

"the other one is for your tiger, child," carina took your hand back, putting the other squid stick into your hand and curling your fingers around it, "you cannot have a hungry tiger at a market." she nodded towards vulcan, who was now eyeing jacaerys as he took a bite out of his squid. carina smiled again, a wise glint in her eyes as she commented, "he's a handsome one, lady arslan. odd, how i have never seen him before."

"that's the prince, carina."

"even better!"

you laughed softly, leaving more money for her on her table (which she immediately complained about, saying that the squid was a gift). "come now, vulcan. huminto ka na." you slid the squid off of the stick and tossed it to him, allowing him to catch it mid air.

you and the prince began to walk yet again with vulcan leading you in front. "do you like it?" you asked him, observing how he chewed the seafood.

jacaerys swallowed the squid, "what did she put in this? it tastes incredible," he bit another piece, happily chewing.

"a coagulation of spices, i assume." you bit into your own squid, eyes lighting up when you saw another vendor. "jace! you have to try these crab cakes," you grabbed his hand and dragged him up to yet another vendor who knew you well, your voice quick as you spoke to them.

you looked so.. excited. jacaerys would have never guessed that an arslan could act so much like a teenager until now, the assumption that all arslans were simply strategic and dangerous individuals flying out of his head as he watched you converse with the vendor. you cared for them - truly cared for them, and that was enough for them to care for you as well. he admired you for it.

the rest of the night continued on like that, with you dragging him (how were you so strong?) to every vendor you loved to buy from. from snacks to drinks, from jewelry to clothes, jacaerys tried it all. not only because it looked delicious and beautiful, but because you showed it to him. these were the favorites you grew up with, the pieces of your culture that you were showing to him. it was a piece of you that you were revealing to him.

"so how does this work?" jacaerys asked, holding up the small compact of crushed seashells. he was the one who dragged you to the vendor who sold powdered seashells and crushed pigments, and out of pure entertainment, you bought him a small compact of crushed seashells from iona's cove.

you had brought him to an area of the beach that was away from people. after buying a blanket from the market, you had laid it out on the black sand and sat down on it alongside him and vulcan. the food you hadn't eaten yet sat in front of the both of you for you both to snack on later.

"here." you moved closer to him, taking the compact and opening it. "hand," you ordered, and he obeyed, giving you his hand. you opened the compact and dipped your finger into the shiny powder before swiping it on the top of his hand, making it shine under the moonlight.

"so that's how you're so shiny all the time," jacaerys said, holding his hand up to the moonlight and moving the shine around.

"what is that supposed to mean?"

"nothing." he turned to you, smiling brightly as he held his hand out flat. "may i put some on you?"

you rolled your eyes, situating yourself in front of him. "sure, prince jacaerys." you grinned at the glare he sent you as he opened the compact, dipping his thumb into it the same way you did.

all you heard was the sound of crashing waves as he moved closer. you swallowed thickly, his eyes staring into yours as he placed his finger near your collarbone.

"may i?" jacaerys asked, searching your eyes for any sign of hesitancy or doubt. he was serious, more serious than you had ever seen him, and you nodded as you stared at him.

softly, his thumb swiped over your right collarbone. it was as if he was scared to break you, as if the smallest amount of pressure would leave a bruise or a crack on your skin. he was so focused on you, so entranced by the way the seashells looked on your skin and how you felt under his fingertips. gently, he moved onto the next collarbone, the tips of his fingers running over your skin as he moved pieces of your hair away from it. he swiped the powder on your collarbone again, as though he was a meticulous painter creating his masterpiece, as though he was a sculptor running his hands over smooth marble.

his eyes met yours, still searching for any sign of doubt as he moved closer to you. "are you okay?" jacaerys breathed, his breath fanning over your lips.

"more than okay," you responded, eyes moving down to look at his parted lips.

you were centimeters apart now, lips grazing over each other with teenage hesitancy. you could feel all of him; his hammering heart, his soft breath, his hands, his hair tickling your face, his quick pulse. your senses were all focused on him, because he was all you saw.

deafening screams echoed from the rainforest, making you and jacaerys jump apart from each other. your hand went to your dagger as you stood up, vulcan standing up with you and growling towards the rainforest. you could hear the snapping of twigs and the rustling of leaves, and you put yourself in front of the prince, whose hand was holding his sheathed sword.

a guard, omari, appeared out of the foliage, his sword in his hand. he was panicked, that much you could tell; nothing like the calm and collected guards you usually had. "lady arslan, you must come back to the celebration."

"omari, what happened?" you demanded, already walking towards him with vulcan and jacaerys in tow. omari looked pained to say his words, his eyes full of sorrow as he looked at you.

"an assassination attempt was made."

"on who?" jacaerys asked, panic already setting in as he looked at omari.

"it was an attempt on princess rhaenyra, but it did not succeed. the princess is safe, prince jacaerys," omari swallowed thickly, turning to you, "but your father.. he took the fall for her."

ACT III, ACT IV

#AUTHORSNOTE— there's a weird glitch that duplicated some of my paragraphs, so i'm sorry if that happened! i literally can’t wait for character development to happen to the reader lmao, thank you for all the support in the last part, and feel free to send asks about this series! thanks for reading!

#TAGLIST— @happinessinthebeing

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