#knights dash mention had to bring this up

[hiswrlds]

[thebenjiblackwoodexpress]

Jump then fall part.3

Description: In which Aeron is Y/N's knight in shining armour and Benjicot has a soft spot for Bracken ladies crossing the border (this may be an Easter egg for future crossovers with The Blackwood Knight series 😏)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Playlist:

Fearless~ Taylor Swift @ithilwen-blackwood you are so right about Aeron being Fearless coded.

Somebody to You~ The Vamps

Hold my Girl~ George Ezra

Warnings: Canon typical misogyny, mentions of a panic attack, angst, swearing, I don't understand basic geography so I'm just making things up topographically

Y/N had hoped that taking a walk along the bank of the Red Fork would help clear her mind from the swirling thoughts that had consumed her mind of late since her return to the Riverlands. To her dismay, the gentle babbling of the river and the quiet beauty of the landscape she called home did little to distract her from thoughts of Aeron Bracken. Detained by his duties that morning, they had arranged to meet later that day. Her truest friend since she was but a girl, even the separation of many years had failed to sever their bond. Quite the opposite, and that is where the problem lay. Y/N had thought about Aeron Bracken often during her time in Kings Landing, constantly wondering whether he missed her as much as she missed him. When her father had informed her of their imminent return to the Riverlands, Y/N was delighted at the prospect of being reunited with her old friend. Whilst she had adapted to life in Kings Landing and forged new friendships, none had been as strong as the one she had made with the young Bracken boy.

She had convinced herself that everything could be just as it had been when they were children, determined to befriend him anew. But she had not counted on the butterflies that had arisen in her abdomen upon seeing him for the first time as a young man, a knight. He struck a dashing figure in the garb of his order and the colours of his house. She recalled thinking him pretty, almost like a woodland sprite as a child with his long locks of hair and sharp features. In that moment, she thought him the most handsome man she had ever seen. She found herself wanting to trace the outline of his cheekbones with her fingertips, to run her hands through his hair, which she rejoiced to see he still kept long, and she wanted to gaze into his warm brown eyes forever as they bore down into her own.

She did not know what she had been expecting, but Aeron Bracken was no longer the gangly boy she'd trusted enough upon first meeting to break her fall from the Brackentree. By the end of the evening Y/N feared that she might be falling in love this time, against all reason. He was the heir of Stone Hendge and would one day be Lord Bracken. Worse, he had been her closest friend and she had hoped he would be again. Y/N had no desire to jeopardise their friendship now they had been reunited.

While Aeron had by no means acted coldly towards her when his uncle had reintroduced them, she could not but notice how reserved and shy he seemed around her that first evening, holding her at somewhat of a distance. Several moons had passed since then and their rekindled friendship seemed stronger than ever, and there were many times when Y/N was certain Aeron shared her sentiments. He had never expressed it through words, but she had thought she had understood it in his actions.

By the way he would always read to her, knowing that she found the sound of his voice comforting, shoulders or arms always somehow brushing as they sat by side. By the way he would often bring her the flowers she adored so much, when she knew the Eastern part of the Bracken Woods where they could be found were nowhere near the training yard from whence he had come. By his gentleness towards her, always holding a hand out to help her over an obstacle and walking her home each day. And by the way he would gaze at her so attentively, looking at her as if she were the most interesting thing in his world no matter what their course of their current conversation was.

Yet Y/N was nervous to broach the subject, aiming to encourage Aeron through her own affectionate gestures and always hoping that her feelings for him were reciprocated. Mulling over her options, Y/N realised she had reached the outermost boundaries of Bracken lands, nearly stumbling over a pile up of boundary stones. Immediately turning to return back the way she had come, a jolt of raw panic pierced her heart as she spotted four Blackwood Knights storming angrily towards her. The one closest to her had a face like a storm cloud, his booming voice breaking the tranquility of the landscape.

"Bracken wench. Did you think you could just waltz right into Blackwood lands?" He sneered at her, voice dripping with venom. She opened her mouth to explain that his anger was misdirected, she had not crossed the boundary and was not strictly speaking a Bracken, but as he continued to glare furiously down at her she realised that she had chosen today of all days to wear a dress of mellow ochre, closely resembling the colours of House Bracken. She was immediately certain that nothing she said would carry much weight and started to take small but hurried steps backwards away from him, suddenly hoping Aeron would turn up and immediately cursing herself for the thought. It was not his responsibility to rescue her from every scrape she found herself in, she was no longer a child, and she would rather face a hundred shouting Blackwoods than see her knight endanger himself for her.

To her dismay the Blackwood Knight continued to advance towards her, suddenly taking hold of both her elbows in a bruising grip and aggressively shaking her.  "You think you can do whatever you want, don't you? You smug Brackens. But these are Blackwood lands and there are consequences for crossing them."  Panicking in earnest now, and finding herself unable to speak, Y/N feared the Blackwood would strike her or kill her where she stood, his anger so palpable and his iron grip searing through the fabric of her dress.

Her mind frantically fought for a way out of this situation, but before Y/N could act upon any of her admittedly half-baked escape plans she felt the Blackwood release her arms as he was abruptly shoved away from her onto the ground. A gentle but firm hand encircled her wrist, and she was swiftly pulled backwards as her rescuer took up a protective stance in front of her. Her relief at the realisation that the shoulders now concealing her from view were Aeron's was short lived, quashed by an intense wave of fear and nausea at the danger she had unwittingly placed him in.

Samwell was starting to get on Aeron's nerves. He'd been badgering him all day to tell Y/N how he felt, Tully girl be damned. He'd then been insistent on meeting Y/N with him after they'd finished in the training yard, much to Aeron's chagrin. The two had become dangerously conspiratorial, often banding together to tease him, and Aeron was unhappy to have to share Y/N's attention. His mood soured further when Jon and Edmund (who he always thought resembled a peacock) had similarly decided to tag along. He found himself marching along the Red Ford to meet Y/N with his friends in tow.

Distant shouting caught his attention as they passed close to the border. What he saw directly ahead of him had him seeing red and breaking into a run before his friends could fully comprehend what had set him off. Before he'd fully come to a stop he used his momentum to forcibly shove the Blackwood brute he'd seen manhandle Y/N away from her. Pulling Y/N behind him he tried to push her gently backwards towards Samwell who'd been hot on his heels.

"You dare attack a lady?" Aeron seethed, hand clasping the hilt of his sword. The Blackwood Knight had stumbled back up to his feet, three more Blackwoods hovering just behind him. "The stupid girl trespassed on our lands!"

Aeron stepped forward threateningly, glaring at the craven bastard who dared to insult Y/N. "They're Bracken lands, and if you speak another word about my lady you'll regret it." Suddenly Aeron felt a smaller hand grab his, tugging him backwards. "Please Aeron, it does not matter."

Y/N's voice was barely above a whisper and tears streamed down her face. It was all Aeron could do not to fell the Blackwood responsible where he stood for causing her state of distress. He wanted to hold her and comfort her, but he did not trust to turn his back on the Blackwood Knights when she was still in danger.

Samwell stepped between Aeron and the Blackwood. "The lady meant no harm, let's set the matter to rest." His tone was placating but firm and, for the most part, the Blackwoods seemed to have tired of the whole affair, turning to walk away. Aeron turned to look at Y/N, lightly cupping her cheek and bending down to look into her eyes. "Are you well my love?" She looked quizzically up at him, slowly nodding but still visibly shaken, trembling slightly. Aeron took deep breathes, trying to root himself to the ground and will himself not to do something reckless.

He might have successfully calmed himself enough to walk away as Y/N had asked, had he not heard the Blackwood bastard mutter under his breath "Bracken whore." Aeron removed himself from Y/N in the next second, his sword drawn and pointing directly at the Blackwood's heart, the sound of metal echoing throughout the clearing as more swords were drawn. Samwell quickly grabbed Y/N's arm to lightly drag her further backwards. The Blackwood Knight looked almost surprised at the unbridled rage on Aeron's face.

"What's all this then?" The smug face of Benjicot Blackwood as he strolled calmly towards the scene, as infuriatingly confident as ever. "Brackens can't fucking keep within the boundary lines" one of the Blackwood Knights snarled. "Your Knights attacked a lady, Blackwood" Aeron snapped back. "She should not have come so close to the border then!"

The young lord of Raventree seemed to assess the truth of the situation in mere moments, his eyes darkening. "I am sorry for the lady's distress, I will not permit any of my Knights to attack a woman on my lands" the last part addressed to his fellow Blackwoods. Benjicot turned slowly back towards Aeron, his expression far more serious than Aeron had ever seen it in any of their past interactions. "I trust you will honour the boundary stones in future Bracken."

Aeron said nothing, just glowering back at the Blackwood boy as he watced him turn away, signalling with a wave of his arm for the Blackwood Knights to follow. Aeron watched them walk away for a few moments before turning back around, looking for Y/N only to lock onto her a few yards away hyperventilating, a panicking Samwell frantically trying to calm her down. Aeron sprinted over, pushing Samwell aside. "It's ok Sam, I've got her."

Lowering himself to her level he cupped her face, trying to get her to meet his eyes all the while trying to reassure her in hushed tones only she could hear. "Hey, hey it's all OK. You're safe, no one will harm you, I swear to you."

Still struggling for breath, Y/N gasped out "I thought he'd kill you. And it would be all my fault." Aeron felt his heart stop for a moment at Y/N's heartfelt concern for him but any satisfaction he would have felt from such a confession was diminished by Y/N's sharp intakes of breaths and tear-stained face, which pulled at his heart strings. His primary concern was to calm her down, starting with assuring her that he was ok. "None of what transpired is your fault." Grabbing her hand, he pressed it firmly to his chest. "Can you feel my heartbeat beneath your palm?" Y/N looked up at him, nodding slowly. "I am unharmed." He spoke slowly, looking into her eyes, trying to keep her focus on him. Y/N's breathing slowly began to even out as she continued to feel the steady beat of Aeron's heart and the comforting heat of his hand atop hers, holding it in place over his chest.

Aeron did not know how much time they passed in this manner. After a time Y/N slumped onto him, her head coming to rest in the crook of his neck in exhaustion as he supported most of her weight. Tentatively adjusting his hold on her, Aeron moved his hands up and down her back in what he hoped was a comforting motion.

"I could not bear it if they'd hurt you because you were defending me." Y/N's voice was muffled by the fabric of his tunic but he heard her easily.

Tilting his head down close to her ear, Aeron replied in a soft tone "I will always defend you."

Y/N loosened the tight grip she had on his tunic to look up at him with eyes still blurry from tears. "Why?"

"Because I love you." Aeron had envisioned many scenarios for how he would confess his love to Y/N. But in the end the words fell from his lips almost without his permission. He had been so concerned for Y/N's safety, so angered to see her harmed and in tears, so grateful for her concern for him in spite of her own safety, and so relieved to see her well that the words came naturally. "What?" Y/N's eyes had widened  almost comically.

Aeron mustered all of the courage he possessed, taking a deep breath. "I said that I love you. I will always defend the woman I love." He shut his eyes briefly, lowering his head and waiting for her response.

"I Love you too, you silly boy."

His eyes snapped back up to meet her waiting smile.

"I think I have loved you ever since you coaxed me into jumping out of that tree."

He moved his hands to her waist, holding her in place and slowly moving his face closer to hers, noses lightly brushing against one another. "That is not exactly how I remember it, but I have loved you just as long."

Y/N laughed at that, bringing a hand back up to his tunic to pull him closer.

" May I kiss you?" Their close proximity had made Aeron braver than he'd normally be and the words left his mouth before he could rethink them.  Y/N responded by gently pressing her lips to his own, pulling away shortly afterwards. Aeron found himself chasing her lips and pulling her back towards him by her waist as she brought her hands up to his shoulders to grant her more leverage as their lips moulded together once more. Their first kiss was not the sweeping embrace of legends, it was clumsy and inexperienced, noses bumping against each other and teeth knocking together. Aeron found he did not care, pouring all of the love he felt for Y/N into each brush of his lips against hers.

Feral pretty Bracken defending his lady.

@lovebabe18 @poppyflower-22 @ithilwen-blackwood @spinachtz @lady-callisto @twistytimesandthoughts @abookloverlawyerfan-blog @mymoonempress

[pink-november]

Do you ever think about how the burning grey is in a bridal gown because the smitten wanted to marry the damsel before you stabbed her in the back? How een when she's trying to kill you she stays with you, eyes locked in forbidden embrace as you both melt in her fires?

Or how the drowning grey is in funeral attire because she's mourning what could have been? How the line "Your lungs fill with water as mine filled with blood" is so fucking raw?

I think the dichotomy of the greys is very interesting, is what I'm saying.

I kill you. You kill me. Back and forth we go, faster and faster and faster. I kill you. You kill me.

Boy do I ever think about the contrast of the two greys huuuu fascinating how they're connected despite being so different.

The first time I saw the Burning Grey, I immediately took notice of her white bridal gown and all that entails. Burning with her felt like a betrayal at first and watching her slowly becoming a charred corpse was horrifying. Was this her revenge for stabbing her in the previous chapter?

The Drowning Grey made me detest her. I hate her with a passion when she drowned us, looking down on us while her bloated corpse grabbed us on the ankles like how some of my nightmares typically goes. Not to mention the path to get to her is downright harrowing when I played through it. I didn't take notice of her black dress at that time because the sheer shock I've experienced between The Prisoner and The Drowned Grey was immense. What caused this seemingly stoic and rational princess to be this vengeful at this point? My brain hurts trying to come up with the answer.

But then, they came up during the Shifting Mound's fight.

They loved us. Painfully so. To the point that they imagined thousand of different futures with us if we escaped the cabin together.

Damsel, and despite everything she was at that point, wished so genuinely to be with us, her innocent love so boundless and pure that at the end of the day, all she wanted was to make a home with us. And we took that away from her. And she laid there on the cold cobblestone floor, accepting what her dashing knight did so readily like some caricature. But she cried while she died, the futures she wished to see flashing before her, taken, burned away to a crisp.

She watched with hollow eyes from the dry corners of a memory, every possible happy ending we could have gotten and will never happen because something else is interfering, something was preventing the union she seeks, and she sets it all ablaze, hoping that the flames of her passion would burn away this horrendous ending we've given her. She holds us in a fiery embrace, scared that even with the fires of her love we might slip away and vanish.

Prisoner, despite her cold and cynical nature, loved us. But she cannot readily show this feeling to us, not when she knows something else was pulling the strings, something so eager to end her showing its ugly face so early on. We showed her we trusted her, despite bringing the knife down, that we are willing to drop the blade and use it for her sake. But then she had to kill us and if we played our cards right, play a game of tricking The Narrator into setting her free.

But we left her to rot. She trusted us that we understood her intentions, that her own love is enough to look past the horror and confusion and set her free. She believed that once we get out the cabin, whatever entangled us would also set us free. And our real happy ending would start after.

She watched with hollow eyes from the dark corners of a forgotten place flooded by emotions left unspoken. The world cries. The tide rises. The cabin floods. She smothers you with a love so achingly terrifying, even her bloated messed up corpse holds you in place, hoping against all hope that maybe you'll stay with her for this agonizing ending, her throat flooded with words she wishes to convey but her lungs filled with blood so she chokes while the tides take and take our breath away, trying to make us see and feel the emotions she left buried and left to waste.

They loved us. She is passion betrayed but even then her love never faded. And we killed them. She is guarded sorrow and alone but had the courage to share with another. And they killed us. We taught them death is a temporary ending, a seed for a better beginning, and they loved us.

I kill you and me.

They hope the next beginning would be happier.

[dandelion-wings]

🖤 Kaeya and dealer's choice

Thank you for the ask! <3 I hope I'm not wearing out the Jean/Kaeya here, because honestly I couldn't think of anyone else I ship Kaeya with who quite worked for this scene (I could get about halfway there with Rosaria but I cannot imagine her crying XD). This is set during some vaguely-imagined endgame, which is always a good spot for angst.

---

ETA: Now on AO3.

---

Kaeya should be used to saying goodbye by now. He's had plenty of practice. But all the times before, it hasn't been him who's leaving.

"Be careful," Jean says for at least the tenth time--he's given up counting. "Look out for yourself. You know better than I how dangerous this will be, so I won't try to give you advice. But please... be careful."

"I will," Kaeya promises her, just as he has every time before. "We'll be back, safe and sound, before you know it."

His reassurances don't ease the worried look on her face. Of course they don't. She knows how much of a liar he is. And he *is* lying.

Once Kaeya walks through the great buried doors of Khaenri'ah, there will be a reckoning. He knows that Diluc thinks that he can save him from it. Has even promised Jean that he will. Kaeya will let him believe that, and let Jean cling to that hope, until fate dashes it for them both. He's long since outgrown the childish belief that his big brother will always be able to protect him.

Maybe it's cowardly to let them pretend, and to pretend along with them. This should be a more final goodbye. But it's easier, so much easier, to put off Jean's heartbreak until he doesn't have to see it. Nor does he want to spend the whole length of their journey into the depths negotiating Diluc's grief right in front of their Honorary Knight and Barbatos himself, not to mention Paimon.

"Be sure you are," Jean says. Her voice wavers just a little. She straightens up and meets his eye, clearing her throat. Her own eyes are bright with unshed tears. "And when you do...."

She comes around her desk as she speaks, closing the distance between them. Kaeya steps back, instinctively, his hands coming up. He's all too aware of what she's about to offer. It's laid quiet between them for years now, expressed only in the smallest of gestures--a day off for his hobbies, an unprompted party--but he can see it, nonetheless, in how she looks at him when she thinks she's not looking. How Lisa likes to bend in and whisper something that makes her blush whenever he walks by their tea table. How she reaches out to him now and then, as if to clasp his hand in hers, always pulling back just before he can decide whether to reach back to her.

"Save that for our return. Who knows what will happen while I'm gone? You might-"

Jean steps in again, closing the distance, crowding him against the railing to the side of her desk. "That's why I have to do this now. I don't know what it is you think will happen, but Kaeya, I *do* know what you look like when you've given up. I need you to know what you have to come back to."

Reaching up, she grabs the points of his collar and pulls Kaeya down before he can fend her off. Her kiss is fierce, hungry, desperate, as if she can somehow breathe his survival into being if she just kisses him hard enough. Kaeya, all his defenses crumbling, kisses back with equal hunger.

If this is the last time he sees her, the last chance he gets.... It's *her* last chance, too. He can at least give her something to remember.

And something for him to remember, too, for as long as his fate lets him do so. For a moment Kaeya entertains the future she's trying so hard to summon, the one where Diluc does keep him alive and whole and himself, and he does come home, and he takes her into his arms as he can't help doing now and kisses her just like this, all over again, except that this time the tears in her eyes will be of joy and not of anticipated sorrow. The fantasy of it is enough to bring a lump to his throat.

Then Jean pulls back, letting go of his collar and looking up at him with pained determination. "Look after yourself," she says again, taking a step back and giving him space to sidle out around her.

"I'll do my best," Kaeya says, and hopeless as he knows the promise is, this time he wishes he wasn't lying.

[asnowfern]

Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown

Summary: Why hide when we can play? Haven’t we had such lovely games before? All of space and eon at your fingertips. All you need to do is pluck. ~~~ It was supposed to be gone when Nesta made the bargain with the Cauldron: her stolen powers for the knowledge to save her sister and nephew. Unfortunately, nobody told the Trove.

Rating: E, NSFW WC: 11.4k Read on AO3 Play the accompanying card game here!

Written for my dear @azriels-shadows for the @acotargiftexchange !🎁

Thank you for being such an amazing giftee!💖 You mentioned that your favourite type of fic is canon-compliant or canon-divergent with fun new problems and a dash of physical danger. Trust me when I say, I literally took that and ran for the finish line.

I honestly had such a blast writing this and I hope you enjoy it too!

A huge thank you to @reverie-tales, @wilde-knight, @damedechance for being so encouraging and amazing! Also, another huge thank you to @thelovelymadone for giving me the idea of bringing back the mercenary from ACOTAR. You guys are the best!💕💕💕

Snippet under the cut!

Stones crunched under her feet. Snow swirled at their feet as lightning cracked in the distance. They stood at the pass, the line Nesta drew on the ground was long gone with her depleted energy. The view opened up to the vast Illyrian mountains. It would have been breathtaking under any other circumstances.

The arms that would often lovingly hold Nesta trapped her in a crushing grip. The endless ache and exhaustion in her bones shifted and screamed in protest. 

“He can’t obey you, Nesta Archeron.” Her blood ran cold at the raspy voice, “he’s mine now.” 

The aged Made queen was still talking but Nesta couldn’t take her eyes off her mate. The organ in her chest twisted painfully at the glazed expression clouding vibrant hazel, every nerve in her body acutely aware of the unrelenting pressure of strong muscles on her comparatively petite frame. 

She desperately searched those familiar eyes for any signs of the male that she knew had to be fighting back. Every bit just as desperate as she was. Despair rose in her with every shallow breath as her bones threatened to give way.

“Cassian”

The name fell out in an agonised plea. With a growl, Cassian knocked her roughly to the ground, pinning her limbs down to close a rough hand around her throat. 

“Good bye, Nesta.”

Fingers tightened painfully around her neck and crushed her windpipe, filling the air with nothing but choked gasps. 

Nesta’s eyes snapped wide open, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. Walls closed in on her as she felt the same arm slung over her waist kept  her trapped in the muscled chest from her dreams. She pushed the arm roughly off her and scrambled to her feet. Her world spun, panic rising to suffocate her. Her feet stumbled backward. Anything to build distance between her and-

She froze as her brain finally caught up. 

What was she doing? This was Cassian: her mate who would rather kill himself before he allowed himself to hurt her. 

As if on cue, Cassian stirred. His voice was hoarse from sleep when he asked, “Nesta?”

She squeezed her eyes shut and brought forth her mind stilling techniques, letting the ingrained practices attempt to soothe the jungle beats of her heart. A nightmare, she reasoned with herself, nothing but a nightmare.

A slight creak of the bed, a rustle of wings.

“Nesta?” 

When Nesta opened her eyes once more, it was to a furrowed brow and clear hazel that shone with concern. The knot eased in her chest to allow a clear flow of oxygen. 

“I’m alright,” she replied shakily, “Just a nightmare.”

She resisted the urge to shudder and recoil from the gentle hand reaching out for her. But Cassian’s hand still paused midair before dropping back to his side. “Again?” 

She jerked her head before turning away to avert his perceptive gaze. She inhaled in deeply, holding her breath for three long beats before exhaling. “Go back to bed. I’ll join you later.” 

“You can read your smutty books in bed.” He commented, the edges of his lips tugged upwards lazily, “I’ll sleep just fine.”

The knee jerk response to reject the offer died at her lips at the worry in his eyes, a palpable tension set in his jaw. She nodded and let him lead her back to bed with the lightest touch on her waist. 

Hours of unresolved pining culminating into one highly fulfilling smut session later, Nesta slid back fully under the covers. Outside the windows, the tiniest glimmer of light played at the horizon. Her eyes shuttered and she heaved a soft sigh. 

A comforting warmth enveloped her back and a familiar weight wound around her waist, encasing her world in sandalwood and snowpine. “Sleep” a low rumble from right next to her said enticingly.

“We need to wake up soon.” She reminded him even as her arms reached out to press the strong arm tightly against her.

“You’re exhausted,” he soothed, sniffing her neck deeply, “Training can wait an extra hour.”

A small smile played on Nesta’s lips as she let the reassuring scent pull her down under and surrendered to blissful sleep. 

The skies were bright the next time blue-grey eyes opened to the world, the sun way too high in the sky. She palmed the cool sheets next to her and let loose a breath.

It had definitely been more than an hour. 

Nesta hurriedly put on her leathers and was half a minute from leaving the house when the main door swung open, eclipsing the doorway with the silhouette of tall muscled frame and large wings.

Cassian cocked a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He surveyed her carefully as he strode in, stopping just a step away. “Feeling better?” 

She did feel better but she retorted back anyway, “You should have woken me up for training.” 

“You needed the rest.” He insisted, “Besides…” 

He bridged the gap between them. Close enough for Nesta to see the droplet of perspiration roll down the side of his face and down the length of his neck. The apple of his throat bobbed.

One of his arms teasingly slid up, from her fingertips to her upper arm, before drawing a small knife from the many pockets of his leather, “If you wanted private lessons.” 

A familiar tension coiled and tightened in Nesta. Between her night terrors, the training, Cassian’s responsibilities in Illyria and the preparation for the mating ceremony which was less than a week away, their time together was far and few between - nothing more than quick stolen couplings.  

The dilation of his pupils pushed molten hazel that she loved deeply to the rim, his nostrils flaring slightly. With a smooth motion, he pushed her flushed against the wall, his thigh wedged hard between her legs. A delicious friction with every minuscule movement. The small knife was now held horizontally to her neck in an almost tender display. The thrill coursed through her bloodstream, directly to her core. 

His breath was hot against the arched ear, “I will be more than happy to demonstrate.”

[srim01997]

The Red Princess & The Green Knight | Gwayne H. x OFC

Paring: Gwayne Hightower x Alyssan Targaryen (OC), Slight Aemond “One-Eye” Targaryen x Alyssan Targaryen (OC), Eventual Gwayne Hightower x Alyssan Targaryen (OC)

Fandom: House of The Dragon (HBO)

Warning: Slight Angst, Violence and Blood mentioned, House of the Dragon Season 1 Ep. 7 Spoiler

Writer’s note: Apologies for my English, as it is my second language. As I translate work from Thai to English, updates may be gradual. I'm Team Black but this knight stole my heart. ;)

Previous Chapter |The Red Princess & The Green Knight Masterlist | Next Chapter

Chapter 2 The Estranged

For the dragon rider, the journey to Driftmark felt extremely long. Alyssan could see her dragon's siblings alongside unfamiliar dragons gathered around the beach and cliffs. She also noticed the royal families and other guests on the cliff. As she scanned the scene, Alyssan observed her younger siblings growing up; they initially gazed at her with confused expressions, seeing her as a stranger until Alicent identified her. Alyssan touched her copper hair and understood their reaction.

Her copper hair made her look different from Aegon, Helaena, Aemond, and Daeron, who all had Targaryen features. She shared her mother's copper hair but still had lilac eyes like the other Targaryens.

Laena Velaryon's funeral was a somber occasion. However, Alyssan felt detached, especially in response to Vaemond's foolish remarks. She thought that if she were to die, she would hope no one would speak like that at her funeral.

Her lilac eyes fell on the boys with dark hair who clung to their mother's hip. They stared at her with curiosity. She turned to her uncle and asked, “Who are they, Uncle?”

“That's your half-sister... and those are her children," Ser Gwayne whispered beside her. "Though... it's said they aren't truly Ser Laenor's sons."

Alyssan nodded thoughtfully. "Do you think anyone suspects that I might also—”

“You are Queen Alicent’s daughter,” Gwayne interjected, squeezing her small shoulder reassuringly. “I was there when you and Aegon were born. You’re a Targaryen, even if your hair is different from that of your siblings.”

The red-haired girl clung to her uncle's strong hand, listening to Vaemond speak until a sudden laugh broke through the quiet, drawing everyone's attention to the source. The funeral ended with Laena’s stone coffin descending into the sea in the Velaryon tradition, after which the guests gathered quietly around Driftmark Castle.

Alyssan sat by herself on a stone bench, head lowered as small clusters of conversation formed around her. She noticed a pair of shoes stop in front of her and looked up, meeting the gaze of a dark-haired boy wearing the sigil of House Tyrell.

“Hello, Princess,” He greeted awkwardly. “I— I’m your betrothed.”

She could feel his eyes studying her hair with a look she didn’t care for, hoping he wouldn’t bring up her appearance being different from her siblings. Her small hands fidgeted nervously, feeling tense about the encounter.

“You don’t look much like your siblings,” He observed.

“I must take after my mother,” Alyssan replied, a hint of defiance in her voice. “That’s why my hair is auburn… but I do have a dragon-like my siblings.” She swung her feet slightly, feeling a bit more confident, though the boy’s next words quickly dashed her mood.

“You’re sure you’re not… some stray child they took in?” He murmured with a smirk.

“Alyssan, what are you doing out here alone?” Gwayne’s voice interrupted just in time. His turquoise-green eyes glanced at his niece before turning a steely gaze on her betrothed, who had been prying at her insecurities. Gwayne ruffled her hair gently. “Go on, join your siblings.”

She nodded and went off to find her mother and siblings at the other side of the castle, smiling as she looked at the spider in Helaena’s hand before turning to Alicent, who called her over. They exchanged a few quiet words as the evening waned, and soon, everyone was preparing to rest for the journey back to King’s Landing the next day.

Meanwhile, Gwayne leaned close to the young Tyrell, whispering something that left him pale and stumbling back toward his parents. With a faint shake of his head, Gwayne watched his niece laugh with her siblings, relieved that her spirits had lifted, if only for now.

The young girl with copper hair sat on the bed, staring out of the window with a heavy heart. She felt estranged from her siblings, even though she had a dragon. Her twin brother teased her about how she should be siblings with those strong boys. She brushed her copper hair back and sighed. As she prepared to sleep, she could hear Vhaegar’s roar, sounding as if someone was bothering the old dragon—no, she reminded herself, she had a new rider now.

The small body jumped out from the bed and opening before saw the hallway was empty because no king guards. She walked until she reached her uncle’s temporary chamber, she knocked and said,

“Uncle Gwayne, where is the guard? No one guard my room” She said while her uncle opened the door. Her uncle’s copper hair was messing and he dressed in white linen shirt and a long breech. “Am I disturbing you?”

“Alyssie?” Gwayne always Alyssan as Alyssie in sometimes, he glared at his niece who stood in front his room with bare feet. “You should be sleep right now.”

“But no one was guarding my door,” the red-haired girl said, looking up at her uncle with wide eyes. “And I heard Vhagar’s roar—”

A scream suddenly cut through the air, and Gwayne quickly pushed his niece back into her room to keep her safe as he went to see what was happening. But the small girl managed to sneak out, her violet eyes widening as she saw a guard carrying Aemond, his face bloodied. The hall quickly filled as everyone rushed to the scene, and the Maester tried to tend to her younger brother’s wounds. Her mother helped her limping father, who leaned heavily on his cane. The Targaryen king cast a furious look at the guards standing still.

“How did you let this happen? I want answers,” he demanded.

Ser Harrold stepped forward. “Your Majesty, the prince was supposed to be in bed.”

“Who was on watch?”

“The young prince was assaulted by his cousins, Your Grace.”

Viserys hobbled slowly around the hall, eyeing Ser Harrold and Ser Criston with anger. “You swore to protect my blood.”

“My deepest apologies, Your Grace,” Harrold replied.

Criston added coldly, “The Kings guard aren’t usually tasked with protecting princes from each other.”

“That is no answer!” Viserys snapped.

“They should be stripped of their titles for allowing this to happen,” Alyssan muttered to Gwayne beside her.

Queen Alicent’s gaze darkened with worry as she saw her son’s wound. She questioned the Maester, who assured her that while the young prince would survive, he would lose his eye. Alicent then turned furiously toward Aegon, who seemed dazed from a hangover.

“Where were you?!” she shouted.

“Me? I—” Her answer was a slap that left Aegon stunned, looking at his mother in shock. “Why did you hit me?”

“Your brother endured cruelty while you were off drinking, you fool!” she hissed.

Alyssan flinched at her mother’s anger, stepping back to hide behind her uncle. Lord Corlys descended the stairs with Rhaenys, hurrying to his trembling granddaughters. The doors opened as Rhaenyra rushed in to check on her sons, cradling their small faces.

“Who did this to him?”

“They attacked me.”

“He struck Baela.”

“He broke Luke’s nose.”

“He stole my mother’s dragon!”

“That’s enough!” Viserys bellowed, but the children’s accusations continued, each louder than the last.

“He tried to kill Jace!”

“Perhaps we should hear from my son,” Alicent pressed.

“He called us—” one of them began, but was cut short.

“Silence!” The king’s shout brought quiet to the hall. Luke whispered to Rhaenyra, mentioning the slur they’d been called, which prompted Viserys to question his second son directly.

“Aemond, tell me the truth of what happened.” His voice hardened as he continued. “Now!”

Gwayne gently patted Alyssan’s head to calm her, while Alicent demanded justice for her son’s now-blinded eye.

“Your son has been permanently scarred at the hands of her children!” she cried.

“It was a tragic accident,”  Viserys said.

“An accident?” Alicent’s voice quivered with rage. “Prince Lucerys wielded a dagger with intent to harm! He meant to kill my son!”

“My son was attacked first,” Rhaenyra countered. “He had no choice but to defend himself. They were slandered and insulted.”

Viserys narrowed his gaze. “Insulted? What insult?”

“The legitimacy of my sons’ birthright was challenged openly,” Rhaenyra said.

“What?”

“He called us bastards,”

She confirmed, adding, “My sons are in the line of succession, Your Grace. Such slander is treason of the highest order.”

“Prince Aemond will be questioned thoroughly to learn where he heard such lies,” Viserys declared.

“For slander?” Alicent retorted. “My son has lost an eye!”

Viserys turned to Aemond once more, his voice deadly calm. “Tell me. Where did you hear this lie?”

“It was just boys’ talk in the training yard,” Aemond hedged.

“Aemond, I asked you a question.”

“Where is Ser Laenor, the father of those boys? Perhaps he has something to say,” Viserys muttered.

“Where is Ser Laenor indeed,”

Rhaenyra answered, a touch of sadness in her voice. “I don’t know, Your Grace. I couldn’t sleep, so I went walking.”

“He’s likely off with one of his paramours,”

“Look at me, Aemond,” Viserys commanded, his voice stern. “Your king demands an answer.”

“Aegon told me,” Aemond confessed, casting blame on his elder brother.

“Me?” Aegon stammered.

“And you?” Viserys stepped closer to Aegon. “Where did you hear such vile rumors? Aegon! Speak truthfully.”

“We all know, Father… everyone knows,” Aegon mumbled, fear edging his voice. “Just look at them.”

The hall fell silent at the king’s furious glare. “This endless bickering within our family must cease! You are one blood, one family. Apologize to each other and show kindness as your king commands.”

“That isn’t enough,” Alicent seethed, her voice shaking with the anger of a wounded mother. “Aemond is permanently maimed! Kind words cannot restore him.”

“I know, Alicent, but I cannot return his eye.”

“Indeed, because it’s gone.”

“What would you have me do?”

“There is a debt to be repaid! I want one of her sons’ eyes as payment,” Alicent demanded, but Viserys cautioned her.

“My dear wife—”

“That’s your son, Viserys! Your blood!”

“Don’t let anger cloud your judgment,” He warned.

“If the king will not provide justice, the queen will take it herself.” Alicent looked at Ser Criston. “Ser Criston, bring me Lucerys Velaryon’s eye.”

“Mother!”

“Choose which eye to keep, though my son was not given that choice.”

Rhaenyra immediately shielded her son. “You cannot do this!”

“You will not touch him!”

“No, you swore an oath to me!”

“As a sworn protector,” Criston argued, but Viserys interrupted.

“Alicent, the matter is settled! And let it be known to all: anyone who questions the legitimacy of Princess Rhaenyra’s sons will lose their tongue.”

“Thank you, Father,” Rhaenyra said, her voice firm.

Alyssan was about to speak up, but Gwayne held her back, knowing she might face punishment if she defied Viserys openly. The tension in the hall mounted as Alicent, overcome with fury, lunged for Viserys’s dagger, moving swiftly toward Lucerys. Rhaenyra intercepted her, gripping her former friend’s wrist as others rushed in to separate them.

Daemon blocked Ser Criston as Gwayne pulled Alyssan away from the fray. He could see only the two women locked in a fierce struggle, ending with a cut on the heir’s arm. That night ended with everyone returning to their quarters, the air thick with anger that Alyssan could sense.

The following morning, the red-haired girl was preparing to mount her dragon when Ser Gwayne called her back. She slid off the saddle and approached him.

“What is it, Uncle?”

“Your mother… she wants you back in King’s Landing, not Oldtown,” he said, ruffling her hair. “Daeron will be in Oldtown with my family. I’ll have your belongging sent to King’s Landing.”

The girl’s violet eyes widened. “Why? Why do my parents want me now? Will it be safe for me?”

She’d grown used to life in Oldtown over the years. Wrapping her arms around her uncle, she whispered, “Can’t I stay with you?”

“You’ll get to know your siblings better, Alyssan. You’ll be safe there because your parents won’t let any harm come to you,” Gwayne assured her, though he knew well enough the king’s bias. “Besides, you have your dragon—you can visit Oldtown whenever you wish.”

She nodded reluctantly, climbing onto her dragon and instructing it to fly her to King’s Landing to join her siblings. Looking down, she watched the Hightower ship sail away, feeling a pang of homesickness for someone onboard.

TBC.

[elli3luvs]

could i get ellie as a knight in love with princess reader?

my beloved

summary: she was coming back today. after many days and nights without her, your knight was finally back.

wc: 985

cw: mentions of injury, maybe slight homophobia in a way

a/n: i literally love this trope it's my absolute favorite! thanks for your request

your fingers tapped against the book laid in front of you. your tutor was going on and on about the dull allegories hidden within the text, but you couldn't be troubled to pay much attention. 

she was coming back. after many restless nights, you finally got a letter delivered addressed to you detailing where exactly she was. 

if she was correct in her estimate, the group she was with should enter the palace any time now. at the latest, another hour or so. your heart swelled at the prospect of seeing her again.

your tutor clicks her tongue as she sees your eyes wandering out the window, "my lady," your head twists back to look at her, "looking out the window will not bring her any faster."

you lay your head on your hands with a sigh. there was truth to her words but all you wanted to do was will the knights to arrive, "i just pray they are safe, that is all."

she chuckles at your words, "i know your true intentions."

it wasn't said in a malicious manner, you knew she would never mean it like that, but it still made your heart pick up speed. falling in love with a knight as a princess was taboo enough. but with a woman knight? it would be hard for your to fully explain that to people. 

"there they are!" she blurts suddenly while clapping her hands together. you jump out of your seat and scramble over to the window.

she was there in the front, riding in on a beautiful white horse. you couldn't see her face due to those stupid metal headgear. it was for her safety, but you were selfish. all you wanted was to see her freckled face. you were going to have to be a little more patient.

you look over at your tutor who gave you a knowing nod. she was telling you to go ahead. the books scattered on your desk were the last thing on your mind as you scurried out of the room. the hallways were bustling with maids and medics dashing to tend to the knights.

you weave through the crowd of people, trying to hide a smile that was pulling at the corners of your mouth. 

your friend, who happened to be a maid, stops you with a giddy expression, "come over here!" she whispers while pulling you into a concealed corner.

"dina," your hushed whisper vibrated between the two of you, "i must go! i have to see her this instance or i will seriously explode." 

she laughs, "i know, i know but," her face turns more solemn. worry spread through you, "i must let you know that she was injured."

you twist to try and get out of the corner but dina was stronger than she looked. she kept you firmly in place, "i have to go!"

"it was nothing serious!" her words cause your wriggling to stop, "she just has a slight scar on her face now. that is what i have heard from the medics."

"oh, dina. i don't care about that."

dina pats your shoulder, "yes, i'm aware. ellie can do no wrong but i just didn't want you to be stunned," she pushes your shoulder slightly, "now go see her."

not wasting a second, you dart back into the hallway, breaking through the flow of people. you had to get your tree soon or she would have to go back to training without even getting to see each other. you could not let that happen. that would be a fate worse than death for you right now.

when the outside air rolls onto your skin you feel a sudden relief wash over you. only a couple more strides and she would be there, waiting for you. the thought made you giddy.

as you breached the top of the hill, you saw her outline staring in the opposite direction of you. she was looking out on the small village you were one day going to rule over. your heart hammered against your chest. she was as gorgeous as she was when she left.

you take a couple more steps before calling out, "ellie." she jumped at your voice before turning around. 

her face scrunched as if she was in pain before engulfing you in her arms, "it felt like i waited for you for an eternity out here."

you take a deep breath, reveling in how her arms felt around you, "dina pulled me aside. i would've gotten here faster if i could have."

ellie laughs and you could cry at how the sound made you feel, "that girl is always causing trouble." she pulls you from her chest so she could look at you.

your eyes go to the scar that starts at the top of her eyebrow and ends in the middle of her cheek. your fingers ghost over the healed scar. ellie smiles gently at the soft way you treat her.

"a knife wound," ellie speaks causing you to jerk away, "i let my guard down."

you rub her face and she leans into it as if she had been starving for your touch, "even with a wound like this you are still the most sensational human i've ever seen."

she shakes her head, "clearly you haven't seen yourself," her hands grab at your waist, "i missed yo-"

a booming voice echoes throughout the hill, calling for your perfect knight. she curses as a tinge of regret flickers through her eyes. ellie looks at you apologetically but you understand.

"i may have looked at the schedule of the knights," ellie looks impressed at your act of deviance, "i expected this. you may go, i am just elated we got to spend some time together."

ellie lands a kiss on your cheek, brushing your hair out of your face, "expect to see me tonight, my beloved."

[arkhammaid]

i'm curious.. you mentioned that you have many drafts, which would you love to finish? (and maybe post)

literally all of them-

no but seriously. i have a few favorites amongst my ideas which have been written out by a few sentences/paragraphes and just have been stuck like this forever because i just... dunno. don't have enough brainpower to fully write the idea out

much much yapping about some of my fic drafts rotting on the fic graveyard below the cut <3 i warned you... i wrote so much...

f1 fic drafts

son of helios!oscar

this fic is a weird mix between greek mythology and... my love for oscar. basically, oscar's biological father is helios, who, unlike the greek gods, still exists because he IS the sun. his mom did some praying (unintentionally) and asked for a son. helios gave her one. he is also a very present father and also loves oscar's sister's like his own children. yada yada, some background history of oscar's childhood and speculation of the grid about this unknown man who always seems to be around oscar but isn't a family member (can you tell... i'm a whore for outsider pov)

logan/max time travel fic

you guys know these drafts exist, so you should also know that these are just... existing and not doing much more. lol

omega!charles x omega!max

this is... just. brain barfed onto paper, i literally have snippets of outsider pov (ollie, alpha's on the grid, some chat snippets), and a cringe attempt to get back into smut writing... i have failed btw

dc fic drafts

bruce wayne x slade wilson

okay now this one... jason is slade's kid, dies and due to this, bruce finds out slade is actually his father, not willis. (yada yada, someone with an s being in willis' phonebook... it's all connected). bruce, the honorable fool he is, finds slade and brings him the news. slade is.. well, mad, because 1. his kid died and 2. his kid got treated like shit. slade really gets into bruce's head, and it's very much rancid vibes. in the end, bruce aka batman still doesn't kill, but everyone knows that deathstroke does... yeah.... and then jason comes back and is in for a surprise....

damian wayne discovers fanfic

oh boy... this one is a total brainrot. basically, damian spends too much time on his phone and discovers ao3, wattpad, tumblr, etc. he becomes a minor celebrity on tumblr due to his... damianess i would say. bruce tries to cut down his screentime, damian is not happy and as revenge he writes a superbat fic. and then, everytime someone makes him mad, he writes a fic about them. yeah. i have nothing to say for myself

fem!slade wilson x jason todd

a 5 + 1 fic, where jason discovers not only his mommy issues but also the fact that he has a massive competency kink. of course. i have written one out of the six parts

fem!jason, red hood!jason, arkham knight!jason

basically... fem!jason and ak!jason end up in rh!jason universe, they're like "okay we're triplets now" because they've all suffered beneath the same people. it's just pure chaos. as of now, they've already claimed they're clones of either lady shiva, deathstroke, batman or wonderman (with a dash of constantine because how else can you explain the magic swords) and everyone is left scrambling to actually find out if they're their clones. in the end, slade claimes them as his kids, because they were like "we will fight against you and if we win, you're our father" and he was just too amused by it. as you can see, it got crack

game of thrones

time travel robb that somehow became a girl

girl!robb thinks for the longest time, that her 'memories' of boy!robb are a warning of the gods. she has a mental breakdown before the weirwood tree and accidentally makes a blood offering. yada yada, she claims her own wolves, has some ravens as pets. important tho, the whole north is ready for her to become the next lady stark, since for the longest time, she only had sisters and no brothers. ned sees how special she is and gets approval of robert for girl!robb to become the next warden of the north. due to this, he prepares her much better. the south of course, is mad about it, but they can't do shit. meanwhile the old gods continue to torture girl!robb with visions of the future, if she doesn't keep her family north...

greek mythology in the north

basically, the old gods exist but they have the names of the greek gods. people of the north guard their religion more, targaryens grow obsessed with it, once they find out the starks own the winter crown smithed by hephaistos, from the sword and heart of the night king. which can't be true, because obvs someone from their line would defeat the night king (they forgot hephaistos is technically a fire god... yeah not really smart of them). just some ramblings about the south viewing the north as barbarians, while the north is just chilling

crossovers

sansa stark x jason todd

jason dies again, the old gods drag him through the multiverse or whatever (very murky explanation on how he ended up in westeros) and he swears fealty to sansa, when she was stuck with ramsay. i have actually gotten pretty far, but i'm stuck on where the starks search for alliances and end up going to dany for dragonglass. jason is also a son of shiva in this one, because why not

fem!jason todd x marvel

something something along the lines of jason always having potential, be it as robin, as assassin, as monk, as priest, as someone practicing magic in every universe. and in one universe dr. strange comes across jason and takes her in

bruce wayne x sung jinwoo

universe hopping, jinwoo claims bruce as his and that's it. it's well known that robin has a pet monster that looks like a giant ant and everyone in the universe knows that batman is the beloved knight of death. do with that what you will

jjk x genshin impact

yada yada, more universe hopping, megumi ends up in mondstadt, gets a hydro vision and learns the art of healing from barbara. people assume he's from inazuma, and think his father has left the clan due to the war. he does the same thing as the traveler, and just goes around in teyvat. i've gotten until liyue (and zhongli almost wanting to kill megumi because he sensed 'dark' energy from him, similar to the abyss)

got x peaky blinders

the northern nobles somehow end up in the modern world right during the ww1. i don't have much here, only specific scenes. like arya and lyanna mormont walking around with a gian dog (nymeria) and playfighting each other, while tommy is taking a double take at jon snow (who let his hair grow out and looks a bit like a woman from afar so pretty he is) because he has a sword on his back. don't ask me what was going inside my brain, i don't know myself

percy jackson x jason todd

percy has to marry someone or else becomes a god, since he's already a prince of olympus. since annabeth died due to plot reasons during the war, percy goes on search for a mortal to marry. but because gods are assholes, this mortal has to be someone. he comes across red hood who has ties with the all caste and is not immortal, so he is someone to respect. percy approaches jason by offering protection if he would ever need it. they marry, batfam doesn't know, and while they're not in love, they're friends (yes, they will fall in love, why wouldn't they)

jason todd x deamon targaryen

honestly i'm trying to decypher my own notes to this, but basically, jason founds his own assassin group, going around saying he comes of the al ghul family. no one in westeros/essos knows who this is, and he's like, well obviously we wanted it that way. daemon comes across him, has bi panic, they fuck. daemon finds out jason is magic (as in has magic sword and his wounds heal on his own) while jason gets creative with his english master and yaps about the al ghuls being demons and dragon slayers. daemon gets obsessed, while rhaeneyra is on denial because no, he can't be a sword swallower. now i would like to quote a note on this document "jason is very manipulative, fully knowing he can never let daemon run to rhaeneyra in order to prevent war (he's just delulu and likes his dick)". wow, no notes, 10/10, i don't even know if i meant for jason to have knowledge of this world???

[gayandgayerforventi]

☆ ₜₕₑᵢᵣ ₑyₑₛ

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ how they look at you.

characters included: venti, kaeya, scaramouche

.ೃ࿐ VENTI

his eyes are usually soft. they're filled with mirth and smiling is a popular expression on his face. as a grin fills his face, his eyes scrunch up into a swirl of their shade of cyan.

but on other days, on days with you, this changes. they become more heartfelt, more wistful. he looks at you with a soft expression, savouring the sweet expression on your face as his eyes gaze into yours. it's hard for a lot of people to say they've ever seen such a look on such innocent eyes, and perhaps you once before, but in your eyes they're considered a gem. he's so joyful to have you, and though a lot of the time he's smiling, you can never miss the care his eyes hold.

on days in which you're not feeling your highest, his eyes will go sombre. he'll stare at you with a stunning intensity, not blind to how you're feeling. whether or not you tell him what's bothering you is fine, he doesn't want to force it out of you, but every part of him wants you to know he's there for you.

his eyes are so entrancing, something easy to get lost in, and it's impossible not to feel at ease with them staring at you, a small smile on his face.

if only you could hear his soft thoughts envoloping you in the utmost love he holds for you. as he stares at you with a lasting comfort, he can't help the smile that rushes to his face.

.ೃ࿐ KAEYA

his eyes are naturally curious ones, paired with his witty and cocky responses. it's not rare to find them staring at you with some form of an inquisitive gaze, as he smirks at you. what sort of person would be able to guess spot on about what the laced curiosity in his gaze is for?

arms crossed, laid back in his chair with those drop dead gorgeous eyes of his. it's a shame to have such eyes wasted by the slyful expression he wears. it's a huge part of his charm.

moments you haven't noticed though?

as your back is turned, and he stands staring at you with a wondering gaze, observing. the moment will be shrugged off with a sudden quest or mention of the knights, but one who meets it can't forget what a lovely stare he had.

his eyes are sly ones, but that doesn't make them any less pretty.

.ೃ࿐ SCARAMOUCHE

they never seem to be soft.

always with a hard and glaring gaze, perhaps a daring smile dashed with troublesome eyes. they don't seem to lower in their intensity.

and yet, it's as he brings up his past, that seems to change.

as he bitterly reminsces over the betrayals he's faced, his voice breaking slightly, you catch a glimpse of them change.

they're sadder now, something that in days and moments where they're back to their usual harshness you would never be able to imagine. even the thought is hard to entertain, but it's a true one.

if there's anything you need to see though, it's his stare of irritation. though not a rare one, it's both a slightly humourous and yet one in such control. it's hard to give a name to, though however harsh they may be they're still pretty nonetheless.

Such a degrading look, but one you get used to most of the time. < 3

[queen-scribbles]

Breather

My SWtOR Secret Santa gift for @ishallobservethis! I had to do something with Felin soon as I saw she had a "tripped and fell in love by accident" arc with Koth. I love the Smuggler, I love accidentally falling in love pairings, and Koth always need more love. So I wrote them a little scene between chapters 7 & 8 of KotFE.

---

Despite her best efforts in the moment, Felin had never been all that good at subtlety. So it wasn't really a surprise when Koth caught one too many of her 'surreptitious' glances in his direction.

It was enough to prompt him to look up from his half-disassembled rifle, arching a brow at her. "Need something , Outlander?"

"No, um, I just... the stuff with the Heralds was... a lot." Felin set down the tools she'd been using to repair her own blaster. "Wanted to be sure everyone's okay after that, you know?"

"And I'm first on your list?" A wink. "I'm flattered. And fine. The rifle took damage, not me." He shrugged. "Not the first time I've been in a fight like that, anyhow."

Former military. Right. On the run for deserting because he had a conscience. He was used to danger, used to Zakuul and Asylum and didn't need her fretting over him. But I want to.

She didn't want to dwell on why that was. She cared about all her comrades in arms, that's why.

"Good," she said, clearing her throat. She picked up the tools and went back to work. There was just a little carbon scoring to clear away, but better to have it in working order now, under the circumstances. "I gotta ask, Koth," she started after a few minutes' companionable silence working side by side, "especially after that mess, what exactly did Lana tell you that had you all gung-ho to bust me out?"

"Bunch of stuff," Koth laughed, turning back to reassembling his rifle. "Findin' the lost riches of a crime lord, taking down some bigshot admiral--not to mention a near-mythic Sith. Or was he a Jedi?" He shrugged, brow furrowed as he slotted the casing back together. "Point is, she spun you up as this dashing hero who thrives on long odds."

Felin chuckled. "Somethin' like that. And what, your curiosity got the best of you?"

"Somethin' like that," Koth said, shooting her a grin. "Gonna take someone experienced with long odds and pulling down powerful Force users to deal with Arcann and Vaylin. Wanted to see if you were the real deal. She didn't mention you have a great smile, though."

She smirked down at the blaster. They'd traded flirty banter a couple times in the swamps; if he wanted to go again she was happy to play. "Can't imagine how that slipped her mind, it's one of my best features."

"Guess she was distracted by the skytroopers and Knights and wildlife chasing us," he deadpanned.

"I do bring a flare of adventure to the lives of most people I meet," Felin joked, biting back the odd little squirm that didn't want to see him hurt in the course of this adventure.

"Only most?" Koth asked, half-joking, as he secured the last pieces back in place.

"Some are too boring to be helped," she said with exaggerated drama, biting the tip of her tongue. as she finished and holstered her blaster. "Not you, though," she winked.

"Well, that's a relief," Koth said with a laugh. "Think I'd be a little intimidated if you found my life experience boring."

"You mean running from a galaxy spanning empire with a price on your head isn't normal for you, Vortena?" Felin said with faux-shock.

"Right now it is."

"Touché."

The hum of the engines shifted, rocking the shuttle just a little. The computer beeped, and Koth wiped his hands on his jacket as he leaned over to check it.

"We're dropping out of hyperspace," he reported. "Almost there. I should check on the Gravestone repairs when we land. If we're gonna use it to save the galaxy."

"Yeah, be bad for that hope--and the engines--to go up in flames when you try to take off," Felin said dryly. "Would hate for our dashing heroics to end before I have a chance to really see what y- the ship can do."

Koth chuckled, sent her a smirk. "Have a little faith, Outlander. Let me show off her moves." His expression sobered as a view of Asylum flashed outside the shuttle. "Be careful down there, huh?"

She nodded as they headed to strap in for landing. "Do my best."

The flicker of relief in his eyes made her heart skip a beat. Or two. Maybe she wasn't the only one worried.

Maybe she liked that thought a bit more than she should.

[gingerbreadmonsters]

stupid cupid

or: stop picking on me!

gn!reader, no content warnings, fun dumb fluff for the soul. sam collins, you’re a real mean guy! takes place inside the wonderful lexi’s prissy au, where alexis and christian are together - @autisticempathydaemon i hope i do your blorbos justice! as always, i owe everything to the discord girlies - i get the sudden feeling that @zozo-01 ​ might want to hear about this... oh, and all my love to my lovely dialect coach, the incomparable @sri-rachaa - without whom, you would all be subject to the most unholy combination of accents imaginable. be very very grateful! 💕💕 heavily inspired by stupid cupid by connie francis, which i demand you listen to while you read. spot the 五二零 reference! sam being absolutely, thoroughly to blame in just over 2200 words.

“Well. Fancy seeing you here, hmm?”

Sam Collins is an idiot.

Yeah, you’re not afraid to say it.

Sam Collins is an idiot, and you’ll tell anyone who listens, swear up and down it’s the honest truth. A bleeding-heart birdbrain who couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag. An empty-headed vamp with a talent for healing and an even bigger talent for sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. Nobody else alive can put their foot in their mouth quite so quickly or obviously, and - despite Asher’s continued existence - he actually holds the state record for most dumb things said in a single minute. He’s a moron and a fool and the stupidest goddamn loser you’ve ever met in your life, and the worst part about it is that you’re absolutely, ridiculously, so so so in love with him.

It’s not fair!

What even is there to like about him? His stupid face and his awful smile and that horrible way he says there’s my darlin’, all relieved and deep and easy, when you come traipsing back through his door like a drowned rat because you hadn’t checked the forecast and it had started raining about twenty minutes after you left. His old-fashioned, ugly haircut that’s the perfect length to run your fingers through, all messy and falling across his face when he’s asleep in your arms, unfairly soft and pretty even though he barely takes care of it at all. That god-awful scruff around his jaw that you can’t help but kiss as he fills the kettle up with water, those strong hands that gently find their way around your waist as you’re listening to Milo’s tale of whatever bullshit he and his mate got up to last week, the way he likes to prop you up against his chest whenever you’re watching TV together…

…Sorry, what were we talking about?

Oh, Sam, right. Yeah, yeah. He’s an idiot. Have you mentioned that yet?

He gets back and finds you perched on the kitchen counter, elbow deep in the bag of crisps you said you didn’t like but he knows you do, because he pays too much attention to stupid shit like that for his own good. He lets you play your music in the car way more than the 50/50 you’d agreed on, which you know is true because you’ve started counting, because he’s a lying liar who lies. He always opens doors for you and pulls out your chair at the table and brings you flowers, but never lets you do the same for him, because he’s an enemy of goodness who hates things being fair.

He’s just so - he’s - the - he - aargh!

Stupid, stupid Sam Collins. It should be illegal to be so - so like that, you know? Who even let him get like this, anyway? Kissing your hand as he says hello with that damned smile, like some dashing hero out of one of those gushy romance novels Vincent’s always carting around - you know the ones, the cringy airport-duty-free types with the big cursive letters and a stock photo of some windswept white guy plastered across the cover. Your real life white knight, stepped right off the page and into your arms like it’s where he’s meant to be.

(It sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud, but sometimes you really do have to wonder. He gives Vincent shit for reading all those cheesy romance novels, but you’re starting to think it’s Sam who takes them to heart. He does know that those aren’t instruction manuals… right?)

He’s something else, that man. Unfortunately, you can’t say you don’t like it.

At first, you’d thought he was just playing it up - trying to be courteous, trying to be nice, and accidentally laying it on just a bit too thick. It seemed like the sort of thing he’d do, from what you could tell. He’s just so good - the kind of guy that you can’t help but admire in a sort of ‘oh, he’ll make someone really happy, one day’ kind of way. Does that make sense? Charming, really charming, even if he thinks he isn’t - and thoroughly, utterly, absolutely meant for someone a lot better than you.

You don’t say it. Never have, never will. It’s obvious. Larger than life, moonlight on the silver screen. He’s always been meant for more than this, more than you, and you won’t insult his intelligence by pretending you don’t know. He could do so much better, couldn’t he? To start with, you’d thought he must be more of an idiot than he’d seemed, to want you the way he says he does.

You know a little better now, but it doesn’t stop surprising you - he doesn’t stop surprising you.

Credit where it’s due, he’s stuck around, even when you thought he wouldn’t. The truth isn’t hard to see, but he does his best to persuade you otherwise, in as many words - and sometimes not so many clothes. More often than not, you tend to believe him. He’s very convincing, when he wants to be - that or he’s just stubborn, and you never learnt the difference. Whatever it is, it sounds so nice when he says it. If that’s what his version of persuasion feels like, you’re more than happy to, uh… to be convinced, if you will.

You don’t have to say. He knows. He already knows, and he stays anyway.

“...Darlin’?”

Oh, fuck, he - um-

“Uh - yeah, I - oh - yeah, I, um…” Startled out of your daydreaming, you’re caught off-guard by that foaming, fizzing feeling that bubbles up in your chest as he catches your eye, leaning down to prop himself up on the side of the sofa right next to where you’re sitting. “I was just, you know… sitting here…”

He laughs low and easy at your smooth comeback, shifting his weight to rest on one arm so he can reach out and take your hand gently in his. “Gettin’ comfy, are we?”

“Mm-hmm,” you mumble, trying desperately not to look as flustered as you feel. Fuck, does everyone feel like this when they see their mates? Or is it just the effect Sam has on you? You’d better start cutting Milo some more slack for that dumb face he makes whenever his mate walks into the room. “Got back early from David’s.”

“He alrigh’?”

“Seems it.” It’s always a bit awkward, going over to hang out at David’s house, but it’s generally a good time when you can pluck up the courage to actually go. “Ash spent half the time giving him shit for losing at Mario Kart, and the other half was mostly David beating him into the ground at Gang Beasts, so… yeah?”

The afternoon had been pretty good, all things considered - barring one minor mishap with a deck of UNO cards, a saucepan full of rice and some god-awful rhythm action game - and it had been nice to spend some time just relaxing with the others again. Everyone’s been so busy that it’s been hard to find a day you could all do, so it was a good change of pace.

Sam nods, thumb idly stroking over the back of your hand. “Seems like the pair of ‘em are settlin’ right in with this whole engaged business, then.”

“Business as usual, more like. They’re all lovey with their mates anyway, so it’s no different.” It’s not like it’s anyone’s fault - it’s just the way the bond works, you know? Not a compulsion, it’s not forcing you close or making you want to be all soft and touchy all the time. It just… it feels nice, is all. Like it’s good, like it’s true, like it’s right. You’d like to say you’re not as PDA-heavy as the really ooey-gooey ones like Milo and his mate, but… Well. Maybe most of the time.

“Mm, ‘spose you’re right on that front,” he muses, regretfully letting go of your hand as he stands up and starts walking off towards the kitchen. “‘Sides, ain’t David the one who proposed to his mate on solstice day? Guess he’s just the romantic type.”

“I…” When you think of romantic people, David Shaw isn’t top of the list, but maybe he’s right. When it comes to all that cheesy, cutesy stuff? Angel isn’t exactly the most subtle pet name, after all. “Yeah, I guess.”

You make to get up and follow him, but he holds out a hand to stop you before you can even properly stand.

“Nope - you stay right there, darlin’,” he says, grabbing the remote off the side table and tossing it lightly into your lap as he disappears out into the corridor. “Won’t be more’n a minute.”

“Everything alright?”

“Left my phone on the counter, ‘s all,” he replies, voice echoing slightly in the hall as you turn the TV on, idly flicking through the channels. “Vincent wanted me to take a look at some website or other - last I heard, he’s been makin’ plans for some Valentine’s Day thing?”

“He’ll be disappointed, then,” you snicker, readjusting yourself slightly to make room for Sam as he comes to sit next to you on the sofa. “He has realised that Valentine’s Day was, like, two weeks ago, right?”

A long-suffering sigh - which, to be honest, is most of the clan’s reaction when Vincent starts waxing lyrical about his partner again. There’s been a meeting at William’s all evening, something about making preparations for an event at one of the properties in a few months’ time, so Vincent must have got a hold of him there.

“Well, whatever it is, he’s got all sorts of ideas floatin’ around. He normally asks Alexis about this kinda thing, but she wasn’t there tonight so he came to me.”

“Huh.” That’s unusual. Alexis is normally really on top of these sorts of things - say what you will about her, she’s always on time and she never misses anything business-related if she can help it. “Maybe she’s just feeling a bit under the weather today.”

“Vincent said she had some ‘prior arrangement’ in town she couldn’t miss.” Sam shrugs, settling in next to you as you switch over to Netflix. “Guess she must’ve been double-booked tonight.”

Hmm. Why is that familiar? Playing truant, ‘double-booked’... You haven’t heard anything about Alexis being busy tonight before, so why does ‘prior arrangement’ ring a bell?

...Wait.

Oh, so that’s why Christian left early! You’d thought he was looking unusually dressed up. Their date night is normally Wednesdays, so it hadn’t even crossed your mind, but now that you think about it you remember Chrissy bitching about being on an out-of-town job all this week and having to miss it.

Oh, fair enough then. If someone had tried to send you out on some boring security gig for a week and you couldn’t see Sam until you got back, you’d probably be pretty pissed off too.

The conversation trails off a bit as you finally find a show you want to watch, and you’re just reaching for the blanket behind you when he - oh, when - um, when, ahhh…

“This alrigh’?” Curse his vampire speed! Before you really know what’s happening, he’s got you pressed right up against him, legs draped over his lap and curled in close under his arm, blanket over both of you. Not that you need it, anymore - your face feels like lava with the way he’s looking at you, impossibly gentle and kind.

“Yeah, yeah…” The spotlight of his attention, turned fully on you, and you’re practically blinded every time. “Good, yeah, it’s uh… yeah, ‘s fine…”

“Good,” he says, smiling softly like he has no idea of the effect he has on you. “Wouldn’t want my mate gettin’ cold on my watch.”

Fuck, does he always have to say it like that? Doesn’t he know what it does to you? Mate, mate, mate. Rattling around in your head, that firecracker-fizzing in your chest that runs through you at just the thought. He’ll end up giving you a heart attack one of these days, the way he’s going. And if it means he’ll heal you, hands all over you, holding you close as his aura cracks and sparks with healing magic? Maybe it’s overkill - but you can’t say the thought isn’t very appealing.

You hide your smile against his shoulder, burying your face in his chest in a vain attempt to play it cool - unfortunately his ridiculously-affectionate little laugh as you twist your fingers in his shirt tells you that it hasn't quite worked.

“Y’know, you seem a bit distracted, if I’m bein’ honest.”

The TV is long-forgotten as he gently tips your chin up, that idiot, idiot Sam Collins - dumb silver eyes and horrible smile and stupidly-handsome face just inches away. Is it just you, or is it a bit warm in here? In the arms of an evil, awful, wicked man whose favourite thing to do is make your stupid brain stop working, who sets your face and your heart and your soul on fire without a second thought, without even knowing he’s doing it. Honestly. What’s become of you? A house and a life and a mate that’s yours, it’s yours, he’s yours.

“Penny for your thoughts, darlin’?” A soft kiss, pressed lightly to your cheek, and all of a sudden the inside of your brain lights up a familiar shade of bright, bright blue.

He - you - oh, that’s - he just - aargh!

masterlist

this is an original work by @gingerbreadmonsters - please do not repost or misattribute

[sourpeachly]

The Guardian of The Forest of Dreams

Female Lead was drawn by ansem, @ansemthesprite on tiktok.

Male Lead was drawn by Ani, @anikiri

Author note: This was a fun little project i cooked up to enter in a contest :) (p.s, Ms Brigitte if you see this, i did NOT plagiarize this, i posted this after sending in my entry. Thank you.)

Word count: 7.1k

Warning: mention of blood (like once Or twice)

ೋ❀❀ೋ═══ ❀ ═══ೋ❀❀ೋ

"There! I see her Highness! Men! after her!"

The girl's feet padded on the muddied ground caused by the rain prior to her escape. She had to run barefoot, her shoes discarded and long forgotten. She pulls the cloak closer to herself, like an indestructible armour. Being raised in a castle didn't allow her much physical activity making her quite frail.

Just a little more. I'm almost there.......

The place that shall keep me safe.

There she sees an ominous-looking forest, shrouded in a dark misty ambience. The grand forest of dreams. That was her destination. Her ticket out of this miserable life of hers.

Almost there....!

She could hear the royal knights closing in from behind. They were right on her tail.

Just a little more.......!

She tightly shut her eyes and focused her energy on her feet, pushing herself to reach the forest before the knights could capture her. Or even worse, present her head to the crown prince.

Faster feet...!

Just then, her feet had slipped on the muddy and unstable ground, making her crash face-first into the dirt. No... it was too late. At this rate, she would be caught by the soldiers pursuing her.

This is the end.

Just as she had accepted her grim fate, sudden screams, and sounds of confrontations made her whip her head backward. There stood a grizzly bear standing around 8 feet tall. It was blocking the soldiers' path. The bear looked back, staring at her. Her breath hitched, for a moment, she thought that the bear would pounce on her. But instead, it had turned its attention back to the royal knights before it.

She took her chance that very second and dashed into the forest. A prick of worry for the bear made her look past her shoulders. She sees the knights struggling against the bear. Just then, she could've sworn that she shared a brief eye contact with the bear before focusing her attention back in front of her.

If she hadn't known any better, she might've thought that the bear was helping her. She pushed such ridiculous thoughts away. She needed to focus on the present. Now that she's inside the Forest of Dreams, none of the royal knights would dare to follow her inside. Because of how The Forest of Dreams earned its name. Those who entered the forest uninvited.............

............never wakes up ever again.

✧༺✦✮✦༻∞ ✣✣✣✣✣ ∞༺✦✮✦༻✧

After walking for what felt like hours, the girl had taken a short rest under a tree with a decent shade from the sun. Her back had made contact with the bark of the tree as she lightly tapped her head against it. With it, the hood on her cloak fell, unveiling her long silvery hair. The girl sighs, curling herself by bringing her knees to her chest and resting her head on top of it.

If the Forest of Dreams was so dangerous, why did she decide to enter it in the first place anyway? She had no choice in the matter. She would rather get killed by getting eaten by a wild animal than dying at the hands of the crown prince hands. But that wasn't the only reason she sought after the Forest of Dreams. She wanted to meet the Infamous Guardian of the forest. Leshy, the Guardian of the forest or commonly known by other people as the Wood Demon.

She had snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a distinct thump, coming from behind her. Feeling cautious from her earlier train of thought, she slowly peeked her head to investigate.

What she found.....was just a young nestling who had fallen out of its nest on accident. Her amethyst-colored eyes soften immediately as she breathes a sigh of relief. She carefully scoops up the young hatchling into her palm, taking extra caution so as to not accidentally injure it.

The girl had always had a special talent with animals. Growing up, her only companions were mice that found their way into her room, birds that sat themselves down on her window sill, or stray cats that would beg for her attention by wrapping themselves around her legs. Those small animals were her only companion during her childhood years after her nanny disappeared.

Just as she had succeeded in returning the bird back to its rightful nest, her neck snapped towards the sound of footsteps steadily approaching her. She swallowed back the lump that was blocking her throat and prepared herself for the inevitable confrontation that was coming.

"Who dares to trespass these sacred lands?"

She felt a shudder run down her spine, an intimidating voice calling out to her. There was no doubt about it, this was the infamous Leshy she had been wanting to meet. Unconsciously, she held her breath as Leshy made it's appearance. The being that had struck such deep-rooted fear in people in the whole Kingdom of Garnette for centuries was not a tall stickly figure that would have branches as limbs that she had imagined inside her head. Instead, it had a human body, just like her. The only difference being the long deer antlers that sits itself on top of the being's head, as well as it's hooves replacing the normally would-be human legs. It had long silky straight hair that reached the ground. She noted that the color resemble that of the night sky. Holding a wooden staff in one hand, Leshy was wearing a porcelain mask resembling a deer.

Seeing how similar the being was to that of a human made her feel more at ease. But she still kept her guard up. surely it wasn't unfounded, the fear that Leshy had struck inside of the citizens. She took a big gulp of air before answering,

"Lord Leshy, Please listen to my humble request.."

She paused briefly, waiting for the being to reply. When it kept quiet, she took it as her sign to continue.

"Please allow me to take refuge within your forest!"

"....."

She felt her hope slipping through her fingers when the guardian kept it's mouth shut. The girl was about to open her mouth again before Leshy finally replied.

"For how long are you planning to stay for?"

At it's words, her face visibly lit up. Now that it was actually hearing her out, she was going to do whatever she could to convince it to let her take shelter in the forest for a few months. At least until the knights and crown prince cease their pursuit of her.

"Half a year would be enough, but we could also discuss it further-"

"Are you not afraid of me?"

Leshy cutting her off took her off guard, but without missing a beat, the girl's smile widened.

"I know you won't hurt me as long as I follow the rules of the forest and don't bring harm to the animals living peacefully inside the forest." "What made you so sure?" The speed of his reply shocked her, but only for a brief moment before composing herself once more.

"I have read all about you in various articles and other literature sources and I found something in common. You only hurt those who were scheming to harm the animals living in harmony. Such as poachers or hunters. But people or little children who had wandered into the forest accidentally would mysteriously return without so much as a scratch on their body besides the fuzzy memories of the forest."

When Leshy had kept it's silence, she knew that she had guessed correctly. "Am I wrong Lord Leshy?"

But after long period of silence, the familiar feeling of fear creeps up inside. Had she bitten more than she can chew? Her hope completely shattered the being turned around without so much as a word.

This was it.... this was the end...

What do I do now...?

The girl hung her head low, feeling dejected. Just then, The being spoke up, it's back still facing her. "Just as you promised to not harm the residents of this forest, I'll allow you to stay for half a year, as you had suggested."

Happiness quickly bubbled up inside the girl. Feelings of delight and relief. For the time being at least, she had the forest's protection.

"Oh thank you Lord Leshy! I'll be in your care from now on! Ah, right, where are my manners..? My name is Anya.." The girl, Anya, gave a low curtesy. Perhaps out of habit. Leshy, who was on it's way back retreating further into the forest, stopped and looked past it's shoulder to stare at the young woman.

"Don't call me that. That isn't my name. it's just what people had started to call me after a while."

The being looked off into the distance for a moment before directing it's gaze back to Anya once more.

"Call me....."

✧༺✦✮✦༻∞ ✣✣✣✣✣ ∞༺✦✮✦༻✧

".......Morpheus! Won't you come down and join us?"

"No need."

Anya huffed in frustration at Morpheus's short and curt answer. Currently, Anya was resting on the grass, wildflowers surrounding her. A small squirrel rests itself on her lap as various other animals sit around the young woman as well. Meanwhile, Morpheus had stubbornly insisted on resting on a tree branch above their little get-together.

After staying with the guardian of the forest for two months, Anya had thought of the being as a treasured friend. She had discovered that Morpheus preferred to be referred to as a man even if he himself admits that he does not have genitalia of either gender. However, the face under the porcelain mask remains a mystery. She had asked him about it once, he had said that his face was much too scary for the eyes. Anya wasn't quite convinced at his reasoning. Someone who protects animals would surely have a kind face.

Over the course of the two months, she could see Morpheus observing her every move. Morpheus didn't even attempt to hide the evident suspicion that he had for the girl. But she had paid it no mind. After all, it was admirable how dedicated he was to his duties of keeping the forest safe.

But she hopes that after all that time spent in each other's presence, he no longer holds such hostile feelings against her. But seeing how laid-back he is acting, it's safe to assume that he had become quite used to her presence. Somehow, everything felt a bit domestic. The thought made her crack a small smile.

Suddenly, the peace broke as quickly as it came when she noticed Morpheus's body tensing up. That was never a good sign. It wasn't just Morpheus who was acting odd, the animals that were surrounding her a moment ago had all left one by one, as if they were running away from someone, or something. The sound of Morpheus's feet hitting the ground after jumping down from the tree branch had snapped her out of her train of thought and scared away the squirrel that was peacefully napping on her lap.

"W, What's wrong...?" The girl questioned hesitantly. She was scared. Of course, she was. How could she not be when it had gotten all of the animals and even the forest guardian so agitated? Morpheus stayed silent and instead stared intently at the east side of the forest. She felt a part of her heart squeezing when she thinks of the possibility of it being the royal knights.

No, that's impossible... She pushed the idea away as quickly as it came. There was simply no way, the knights and everyone should've all thought of her as dead by now. Surely the crown prince would've demolished his search for her by now, right..? As much as she'd like to believe her own words it was becoming increasingly harder to put a lid on her growing anxiety.

Eventually, heavy rapid footsteps could be heard approaching their location. A large figure entered the scene. Emerging from the thick trees was a rhinoceros, whose height reached about 1.9 meters tall. It looked enraged... and was charging straight towards her! Not having enough time to react, all Anya could manage was to block the front of her body using her forearm and hope that the injury she sustained would not be as fatal that she'll lose her life.

But whilst tightly shutting her eyes and bracing for impact, it never came. Instead, she opened her eyes to meet the all too familiar porcelain deer mask. Part of her was shocked that he even saved her, whilst another part was glad she didn't sustain any injuries. Morpheus had saved her by lifting her into his hold. His forearm was hooked under her knees and the other was supporting the small of her back. Immediately noticing how unstable her position was, she hooked her arms around his neck.

"Anya, are you hurt?"

All she could manage was a weak nod in return, her eyes never leaving the rampaging wild animal behind Morpheus. Eventually, Morpheus found a suitable place to put down the frightened Anya. It was on top of a medium-sized tree. One that would be out of reach for the rhinoceros. After placing down the woman and making sure that she was okay, Morpheus turned around to go deal with the animal before it did some actual damage to the forest. But the feeling of his shirt getting pulled made him look past his shoulders and meet the eyes of a worried maiden.

"Will you be okay?" Maybe at the back of her mind, she had already known the answer to it. But she needed to hear him say it. To calm herself down.

He gently took ahold of her shaking hands, softly prying off her hands that were clutching his shirt so tightly. Maybe she had been more affected than he had initially thought. But even so, he gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. "This is the burden of my duties. You shouldn't worry too much. I'll be just fine."

Reluctantly, she nodded as she hung her head down low. Morpheus jumps down to deal with the beast. All she could do was to observe from above. It was less than ideal, but if she was to stay bellow with Morpheus and the rhinoceros, she would've probably ended up being a hindrance to him or even worse, getting turned into mush by the rhinoceros hooves.

Anya watched in awe from above as Morpheus expertly darted around the rhinoceros, dodging the rhinoceros's fruitless assault towards him. The girl knew that he had to be amazing to earn the title of 'The Guardian of The Forest', but to see it with her own eyes was still unbelievable.

The rhinoceros began charging towards Morpheus. At first, Anya had no doubt that Morpheus would be able to expertly dodge it this time as well. But all of a sudden, she noticed a deep dark purple liquid trickle down his legs. Could it be his blood? He isn't human after all, a different color of blood isn't too far fetch. But when she saw how much he was bleeding, a seed of worry grew inside of her. When could he have gotten hurt? She had been intently staring at him this whole time, and the rhinoceros didn't get close to him once! Unless he had gotten hurt before then.....

Could it be...?

Had he gotten hurt when he saved me before?!

Just then, Morpheus had moved to sidestep the animal when the injury on his legs preventing from moving his body how he had intended. This resulted in the rhinoceros ramming into him, its horn impaling him into a sturdy tree.

"Morpheus!"

Anya's eyes widen in horror. It had all happened so fast. The force of the impact had made a crack in the porcelain mask, promptly shattering it to pieces.

But Anya didn't care about that. She couldn't have cared less for the mask. All that was running through her mind was the guardian's well-being. Maybe that was what convinced her to climb down the tree, not caring enough about her own safety.

As she ran closer to their location, she picked up a small pebble on the way, throwing it toward the rhinoceros. Where had she gotten the courage to provoke the rampaging beast, she does not know. But all she knew was that she needed to get the animal away from Morpheus. Even if it was stupid of her to risk her life for it. There was also a possibility of Morpheus not surviving it. She pushed such negative thoughts away. He had survived for centuries, surely he'd survived this time as well.

He has to!

The pebble hit the rhinoceros behind, making it face toward her and releasing Morpheus from its horn. Morpheus slumped down to the ground. As the rhinoceros began charging toward her, she ran in the opposite direction leading it somewhere else. It wasn't as if she had climbed down from the tree without a plan at all. Well, could it even be called a plan if she wasn't even sure that it would work?

She led the wild beast towards an area filled with long vines, planning to immobilize it without actually hurting it. She took out a small dagger gifted to her by Morpheus when he had seen her struggling to pick berries, after making her promise that she wouldn't use it to hurt animals. Not like she was planning to, even if he didn't make her promise not to. Come to think of it, Morpheus had given her plenty of things. Including the soft shoes that were on her feet this very moment. She smiled at the thought. Even if he had always acted cold and distant, at his core was a kind and sincere being.

Cutting some vines and expertly wrapping them around the rhinoceros without it noticing, she successfully made it lay down on its side. She was lucky that her half-baked plan worked. Now comes the hard part. Calming the rhinoceros down. Cautiously, she puts a hand on the space between the rhinoceros eyes, trying to soothe it gently.

"It's okay. No one is going to hurt you...Won't you calm down?"

Eventually, the rhino stopped fussing and turned quiet. All that was left was quiet whimpers, almost as if it was in pain. Pain....?

......!

That was it! It was causing a scene because it was hurt but it didn't know how to convey it!

The worst-case scenario immediately came to mind. Could poachers have come and threatened the rhinoceros? But it didn't look like it was bleeding......

Suspecting that something was amiss, Anya carefully inspected around the rhinoceros making sure to check it thoroughly. Eventually, she found the root of the problem. A giant splinter had nudged itself into the rhinoceros's feet. Now comes the next problem. Pray tell, how does one take out a splinter from the foot of a large animal?

After a bit of brainstorming, Anya wrapped a sturdy-looking vine around the splinter and pulled on it hoping to get the splinter out. Of course, the chance of that plan working was slim. After three minutes of pulling on the vine, no progress was made. It was not at all helping that the rhinoceros was not keeping itself still even while bound by the vines.

"Did you truly expect that you would be able to pull out such a large splinter all by yourself?", a voice said from behind. Anya turned around, her alert amethyst eyes stared into calm sea blue ones. It took Anya a few seconds to piece together who it was since he was no longer wearing the porcelain mask.

"M, M, Morpheus?! Is that truly you?" There, standing, well.. leaning, against a tree casually with his arms crossed in front of his chest, was no other than the forest guardian, Morpheus.

"B, But how? I saw you get impaled with my own two eyes! How do you look unscathed?" It was truly mind-boggling how the hole in his chest had disappeared and what remained was the hole in his shirt and purple blood stains.

"As a forest guardian appointed and created by the Spring Faerie herself, I am not human. As you can see from my drastically different blood color.", he showed his purple-soaked shirt, "But I am also immortal. How else did you think I survived for the past centuries?" He arches a brow, his face screaming, Are you a moron?

Somehow, Anya felt slighted. "Well... I had thought that you were highly skilled for being able to survive for hundreds of years..." At that, he got quiet. "That was a reason too, I supposed.." He muttered a few moments later.

His voice sounds different without being muffled by the mask... She thinks to herself, now having the luxury of staring at him. Contrary to what he had said about his own appearance, he was a fine young gentleman. With deep blue eyes like the ocean, and a sharp jawline. Rather than scary, she would say that he was rather...... handsome.

"......Pardon?" he uttered, completely bewildered. Anya quickly slapped a hand over her mouth.

Oh great heavens, did I just say that out loud?!

"Yes, you did..", As if the situation couldn't have possibly gotten worse, it did. All she could do was wallow in embarrassment as she waited for the moment to pass. Seeing her rather adorable reaction, all Morpheus could muster was a brief chuckle.

Just then, Anya realized something. "Wait, how long have you been watching me try to pull the splinter out?"

"For about 3 minutes."

"You've been watching me struggle from the start?!" the girl fumed.

"Enough of that. Anya, you go and calm down the rhinoceros while I'll go and pull out the splinter."

She decided to ignore the blatant attempt at changing the subject and to focus on the task at hand. "Why don't we just pull on the splinter together?"

He stopped in his tracks and looked past his shoulder to stare at her with that same look again. "Do you truly think that you can make a difference with that scrawny noodle arms of yours? It would be much more useful for you to calm down the rhinoceros while I pull the splinter out." Anya promptly shut up and took her position near the rhinoceros face.

Morpheus wrapped the other ends of the vines to his hands and pulled on it with all the strength that he could muster. Immediately there was progress as the splinter began to move. Anya felt relieved. But now it was time to do her own job as the rhinoceros became restless. She puts her palm against the rhinoceros once more, attempting to calm it down. Gentle whispers of reassurance surrounded the forest as she tried her best to settle the panicked animal down. The rhinoceros began to quiet down, which shocked the girl. She hadn't expected the plan to work.

After a few more minutes of struggle, Morpheus was able to safely pull the splinter out of the rhinoceros foot. The wound left by it wasn't as big as they had thought, so they released the rhinoceros soon after. The rhinoceros gently nudges Morpheus and Anya, as if it were expressing its gratitude. But it lingered just a bit longer around Morpheus. Morpheus had reciprocated by softly patting its side with a gentle smile on his face. It was her first time seeing him smile. It looked peaceful. It caused her to crack a smile as well.

"It's okay... You weren't able to properly convey your feelings because you were hurt.." If this wasn't her first time witnessing such an absurd sight, Anya's eyes would've been bulging out of her skull by now. It was only last month that she found out the fact that Morpheus had the unique ability to talk to animals. She had found him tending to a wild fox who had gotten hurt. A forest guardian had plenty of surprises it seems.

They both watched from afar as the rhinoceros retreated back into the deeper part of the forest. As soon as the rhinoceros disappeared from sight, Anya was startled at the speed at which Morpheus turned towards her.

"You! What were you thinking climbing down the tree when the rhinoceros was still causing trouble?! You could've gotten seriously injured, or worse, lost your life!"

His words had snapped something inside of Anya. "What, do you truly think that after seeing you get hurt like that you expect me to just do nothing and stay still?! You could've lost your life!"

"I'm immortal. I don't lose my life like that of a mortal-"

"Well, how was I supposed to know that!" The woman shouted. Fresh tears pricked her eyes. "I, I, I was afraid!", tears were now flowing freely fall down her cheeks. "I was terrified! That you would perish before my very eyes and I would be left alone in this vast forest- no, world!" Anya was finding it increasingly hard to breathe. Her heartbeat ringing inside her ears.

Morpheus silently observed her. Guilt in his eyes. "I, It is my duty to-"

"Enough already!" Anya screamed, which had startled Morpheus. "I understand your point..... You have your duties to fulfill as The Guardian of The Forest. I understand. Truly. But could you stop being reckless in fulfilling your 'duties'?" She asked sincerely. Her hand clutched the garment above her heart. "I begged of you. Next time, please save yourself instead of protecting me. Then, you wouldn't have....." gotten hurt while you were protecting me.

Morpheus thought hard about her words. He looked down on the ground as he carefully chose his next words. ".... I have a duty to fulfill. To protect the forest, the creatures, and the beings in it. Because you have temporarily become one of the many residents living inside the forest, Then protecting you became one of my duties too." Morpheus tried to give her the most genuine tone he had. She too, had become an important part of his life. He hoped that she could understand that too.

"......oh.." So I'm just another duty he needs to fulfill, am I?

It felt as if a pit had drooped to her stomach.

Morpheus saw how her shoulder was shaking, and her eyes were red. If his words weren't enough to reach her, he had to find another way to stop her tears. Getting a brilliant idea, Morpheus holds out his hand for her to take. Anya was skeptical, but she trusted Morpheus. There was no need for more words as she readily put her hands in his.

He had led her through the thick forest. Across the luscious green trees and small bushes. Across the large roots sprayed on the floor. Across the tall trees and chirping birds. They arrived at a large clearing. A flower field. The view was breathtaking. It looked magical. Like something straight out of a fairy tale.

"It's... Mesmerizing. Truly." Anya looked around in awe.

"... I'm glad you feel that way." Morpheus stared at her, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

The field was filled with all kinds of flowers. There was one flower that had caught her eye. A flower known as gypsophila or Baby's Breath. The Garnette Kingdom national flower. Gentle hands softly pluck the flowers from the ground. Anya turns around, showing Morpheus the freshly pluck flower. Morpheus looked startled as he flinched slightly. But he recovered just as quickly. Maybe she had seen it wrong?

She decided to brush it off.

"This field is... A safe place for me. It's a place that always calms me down. And I hope it shall have the same effect on you, Anya."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, the world goes quiet.

"Thank you.", and for the first time in a while, her smile reached her eyes. Then, Anya held out a hand while the other lightly lifted her skirt to form a small curtesy. Looking up at Morpheus, he had a shocked expression and his jaw dropped open slightly, Anya barely managed to suppress a laugh.

"Would you care to join me for a dance, my lord?"

"O, Oh, I'm afraid that I've never danced before. I would only bore you.." This was Anya's first time seeing him so flustered.

"Don't worry too much about the small details. It's just us isn't it?" The playful wink from Anya had done little to calm him down, but he found himself breathing out a laugh all the same. Without wasting another second, Morpheus puts his hand in her outstretched one, squeezing it softly.

"If you mind taking the lead... My Lady,"

And so they danced. For that day, the forest was filled with giggles and gentle smiles. In this dance, they are not the 'runaway princess' or 'the guardian of the forest of dreams'.

They were just Anya and Morpheus.

✧༺✦✮✦༻∞ ✣✣✣✣✣ ∞༺✦✮✦༻✧

That day was as peaceful as every other day. It had been well over 4 months since Anya's arrival in the Forest of Dreams. By now, Anya and Morpheus had become much more comfortable around each other's presence. Spending each day in the comforts of the green humid forest, surrounded by the distant chirpings of birds and sounds of small critters, Morpheus was peacefully resting his head on a bark on a tree, his eyes never leaving the figure of a woman who was petting a tamed rabbit. She looks ethereal, even while doing something so mundane.

On the other hand, ever since the incident that had caused the porcelain mask to shatter, Morpheus had taken a 3-day trip to fix it. Contrary to what Anya had expected, the mask was as good as new. Although, Morpheus had kept his lips tightly sealed on his methods of fixing it, no matter how much she begged and whined. That stubborn fellow, him.

But unlike before, Morpheus rarely donned the mask around her, while he does keep it tied to the side of his head. She supposed that there was no longer a reason to since she had already seen what he had looked like.

Returning to the present, everything had felt peaceful. But Anya knew that something was bound to go wrong when the usually calm and nonchalant guardian of the forest had abruptly gotten up and donned his porcelain mask on. The mask he'll only put on to interact with animals or for intruders.

"Anya! Get down!"

Diving into her, they rolled downhill into a thick bush, just barely dodging the hoards of arrows fired their way. The sharp thorns in the bushes had caused her to scrape her cheek, as well as her palm and knees. But she didn't have the luxury to pay attention to her well-being considering their current predicament.

"Your Highness, 6th Princess Anastasia Von Garnette! Please cooperate with your arrest ordered by the Imperial Crown Prince, His Highness Helios Von Garnette, under the crime of plotting treason to His Majesty, The Sun of the Kingdom of Garnette, King Zachary Von Garnette with the help of The Guardian of The Forest of Dreams, Leshy!" A piercing male voice called out. He sounded out of breath after his long declaration. But nonetheless, Anya had recognized the voice to be Alexios Von Garnette, the 5th prince as well as the Captain of the royal knights.

Realizing such a fact had shaken Anya to her core. She gripped the sleeves belonging to Morpheus, her body all the way to her fingertip trembling uncontrollably. Morpheus looked at her pitifully. There was no need for an exchange of words. His larger hand gripped over her smaller ones, squeezing it reassuringly. It was as if he was saying 'Everything will be okay.' With much more determination than before, Morpheus released the maiden trembling hand and emerged from the bushes ready to risk everything to defend those he cares for.

In an instant, rain of arrows descended towards him, the tip lightly coated in a light blue substance. 'Most likely poison.' concluded Morpheus. With his inhumane level of agility and skills, Morpheus easily dodged the assault of arrows. The hoard of arrows went past him and destroyed the bushes from which he appeared from. Thankfully, he had instructed Anya to escape elsewhere beforehand.

Breathing a sigh of relief at Anya's successful escape, Morpheus did not allow himself to get distracted, as he sidestepped the sword that was aimed at his head. With a swift kick, he takes out two guards as he smashes the other three with their own heads taking all five of them out. While simultaneously trying to fend the knights off, Morpheus made a mental count of all of the knights present. There were at least 200 of them. But the situation was in his favor, for no one knew the layout of the forest better than the forest guardian himself.

The fight was so one-sided that the royal knightage was slowly losing morale to continue the battle. Soon enough, the only ones left standing on the mountain of bodies were the terrifying Guardian of the forest and the terrified captain of the guards. Even if Prince Alexios was already beaten up and haggard, he had refused to let go of the weapon in his hands. Be it because of stubbornness or undying loyalty to serve his country, or even because of his pride preventing him from admitting defeat.

As Morpheus approached him, he could see Alexios trembling, the hand holding the sword was barely able to keep the weapon steady in his grip. The Prince was breathing heavily, his eyes unfocused, he was barely keeping them open. Out of the blue, the prince started to laugh, uncontrollably. Morpheus had thought of it as odd, his face contorting to confusion. All of a sudden, Alexios grabbed a firearm that he had concealed on his thigh strap.

"If I can't defeat you, then I'll at least get rid of that nuisance, Anastasia!"

With that, Prince Alexios pulled the trigger, shooting past Morpheus, successfully hitting something behind him. With a slacked jaw and wide eyes hidden behind his mask, Morpheus turns around. Although he was the one who ordered her escape, he, himself does not know where she has hidden herself. The worst-case scenario had crawled itself into his head.

"Anya-!" Her name was at the tip of his tongue.

He turned to see... nothing. The bullet had instead hit a tree. Just then, he felt pain in his left abdomen. He looked down to see Alexios, lodging a stray arrow into his side. Successfully tricking the guardian of the forest, Alexios smirks in triumph.

"Perhaps I should thank my foolish little sister for my success in this bluff... Looks like she had some.... use.... after all..." After his last few words, Alexios had passed out. It was surprising how he had held his ground for so long.

All Morpheus could do was huff out a laugh as he slumped down a tree bark. Just then, Anya emerged from her place of hiding. It was on top of a tree, the complete opposite of where Alexios was aiming. She jumped down without caring for the hoard of bodies down below.

"Morpheus!" Hot, wet, tears stream down her face, her voice calling his name. She kneeled beside him, her whole body trembling in terror or sadness, Morpheus couldn't quite tell from his blurry vision. "Wha, What do I do..? Wait, You have self-healing, don't you? Is the arrow preventing you from healing? I, If I take i, it out, will you be better?"

Squeezing her eyes shut, Anya gripped the arrows with two of her hands, swiftly pulling them out. Her actions had caused Morpheus to arch his back whilst groaning in pain. "I, I told you to save yourself instead of protecting me.." Anya mutters to herself, salty tears still spilling from her eyes. Her trembling hands tried covering the wound, still spilling purple blood out of him. After moments and moments of waiting, Morpheus's wound had shown no signs of healing itself. A seed of despair planted itself inside of Anya.

"Wha, What's going on?! Why aren't you healing? Morpheus!" Anya screamed, desperation in her tone. With her free hand, she uncovers his face. Morpheus was breathing heavily, his eyes unfocused. Yet, a small smile tugged at his lips.

"What are you smiling for, Morpheus..? W, Why aren't your wounds healing like they always do?"

As time passed, Morpheus had become paler by the second, beads of sweat gathered around his forehead. "Anya... No.. Anastasia-"

"No! Don't... Don't call me by that name.. It, It isn't mine.." Morpheus glanced at Anya. Her shoulders trembling. ".... Very well. Anya.. the wound isn't healing was most likely due to the tip of the arrow being coated in a mixture of gypsophila, my only weakness."

Anya's body froze. A shocking realization dawned upon her. "N, No! Doesn't that mean that this is just a normal wound? No, You, You're bleeding too much! Morpheus! Tell me! How do I heal this wound? Tell me how do I heal you!" Glossy eyes stared into tired ones. Anxiousness, desperation, terror. Morpheus could see it clearly painted across her face. But both of them knew that it was far too late to save him. He had lost too much blood. All that was waiting for him were internal slumber.

"Anya..." Weakly, Morpheus brought a hand lightly caressing her cheek, slightly tainting it purple. A heart-wrenching sob pried itself out of her. With her trembling hand, she gripped his larger ones bringing it close to her cheek, cradling it. She closed her eyes, unable to bring herself to look into his eyes without herself sobbing.

"There's something I have to tell you before I-"

"No! Don't say that... You're going to survive, and then you're going to tell me!"

"Anya..." Morpheus furrowed his brow, not having any more energy to properly scold her.

Anya had no choice but to hear out his last wish. Even if she couldn't accept that it was his 'last'.

"Anya... Didn't you notice how you were surrounded by animals, big or small, your whole life?"

"What does this have anything to do with-"

"Anya."

She took a second to stabilize her breath. Morpheus was not far off. Animals had been her only friends and companions her whole life. She nodded at his question, not trusting herself to answer without stuttering.

Morpheus had kept quiet, his gaze never leaving her. "I knew... That you were special the moment I laid my eyes on you." That made Anya open her amethyst eyes to stare into his sea-blue ones. "Wha, What do you mean.." All of a sudden, Morpheus wore a serious look.

"Anya.. You were blessed by the Spring Faerie to be loved and adored by animals. Similar to how I was created using the Spring Faerie's blood to be the guardian of the forest. " Anya's mouth dropped open slightly, yet no voice came out. Seeing as Anya didn't have much more to add, Morpheus continued.

"That's why the gypsophila flowers hurt me." He placed his other hand above hers which had been blocking his bleeding wound the whole time. "They originated from the Spring Faerie's tears, they become toxic to me."

"S, So I was blessed by the Spring Faerie? Is that why the bear helped me? Is that why the rhinoceros didn't attack me? If it was a blessing, is any of the 'love' and 'adoration' from those animals I've interacted with truly their own? Who's to say it wasn't all the work of the blessing? How is that any different than brainwashing them?"

Anya's breath had become unstable, her brows furrowed together. Her feelings were in turmoil. She felt betrayed, confused, fake. She didn't know what to believe anymore. Morpheus turns to gaze pitifully at her.

"That... Isn't how the blessing works. It's because of your kind and selfless nature. All the Spring Faerie did was make that kind and selfless nature visible to the animals. Animals are an amazing judge of characters after all." Morpheus smiled, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. All Anya could do was hang her head low, not having enough energy to shed more tears.

"And I, as a half-animal, crafted by the Spring Faerie's blood, could also not stop the feeling of love and adoration that continue to grow for you." At his words, Anya immediately lifts her head to look into his eyes. He had a bittersweet smile on his face. She should be happy right now. Happier than before. But all she could feel were grief, sorrows, and regrets.

"M, Me as well, I share those feelings as well!" The woman shouts in desperation. She had never felt so helpless before.

For the first time, Morpheus's eyes held mirth in them. "I'm glad.... To hear that.." And just as soon as it appears, it disappears just as quickly. All of a sudden, the lower part of Morpheus turns into golden mist.

"Wha, What's happening to you?! Whe, Where are you going? Morpheus!" Anya screamed, clearly startled.

Morpheus however did not seem alarmed in the slightest. "Since I was created using the Spring Fearie's blood and a part of this forest, must mean I'm returning back to the forest. So I will not perish, and instead continue to live in this forest without my consciousness."

"You... How is that any different than actually perishing...?"

Morpheus chuckled weakly. "Perhaps you're right. There really aren't any significant differences aren't there?"

Soon enough, the hand she had been cradling disappeared, as well as his wounded torso. All that was left was his head which was kept in a smile.

"Goodbye, Anya.."

Anya swallowed back her tears and sobs, instead wanting to send him off with a smile. "Goodbye, Morpheus.."

Unfortunately, he was no longer present to hear her farewell. All that was left was a porcelain deer mask, an arrow, and a grieving woman.

✧༺✦✮✦༻∞ ✣✣✣✣✣ ∞༺✦✮✦༻✧

"Did you hear about the Guardian of the Forest of Dreams?" A patron at the bar asked his friend.

The friend in question sipped on an alcoholic beverage. "Oh, you mean the monster that had deer antlers and wore a dear mask? I hear people say that They had long black hair or something.."

"What?!" The bar patron slapped his hand on the table, shouting, "That's not true! Witness says that they had long white hair with a dear mask! There's no antlers!"

"huh, I must've misremembered the tale..."

"Well, it's no wonder! Looks like you had too much to drink! Let's get you back home."

The much sober patron lent a shoulder to his friend as they made their way home. On their merry way home, the sober man noticed a wild deer watching their every move. He thought that they were odd. Then, for a split second, he saw a hooded figure wearing a deer mask. But just as he blinked, they disappeared.

Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him.

[sanvirtheobserver]

Taking Flight, Chapter 34: Roll Call

The Knight's roars are cut short as their head is cut clean from their shoulders. The other two Knights stare daggers as Pietro stands over their fallen broodkin with a straightsword in his hand. One Knight roars and charges in with their mace. Pietro is quick to dodge, the mace shattering the earth beneath it. The second Knight fires several fans of burning flechettes from their Splinter. Pietro expertly dodges and weaves through the oncoming barrage as he dashes right up to them.

Pietro: Amateur.

The Knight doesn't even have time to react before both their arms are sliced clean off. A flash of silver pierces through the Knight's head, the light fading from its eyes as it drops to the ground. The first Knight charges in, violently swinging their mace at Pietro. But try as they might, they can't seem to land a single solid hit on the Frenchman, whereas he is able to land thrust after thrust on the Knight with pinpoint accuracy. One single parry sends the mace flying out of the Knight's hand.

Pietro: Don't take it personally, amigo. You were just in my way.

In an instant, several silver flashes streak across the Knight's body. He dusts the bits of chitin off his suit as the final Knight falls to pieces. A moment of calm passes before he hears some footsteps coming from behind him. He swivels on his heel, sword at the ready.

Y. Sniper: GAH, friendlies! Friendlies!

Pietro carefully analyzes the YLW Sniper along with Tari, Belle, and Whisk. They had just come in after following the trail of dead Hive to his position.

Pietro: Identify yourself, bushman.

Y. Sniper: Rufus Mason. From Yard Logistics Workers. We were hired by Mr. Potman to clear out the infestation.

Pietro: I see.......

He slowly lowers his blade and turns his attention to the girls.

Pietro: And you three must be the adventurers Potman had mentioned.

Tari: Yes sir. My name is Tari, and these are my friends Belle and Whisk.

Pietro: Pietro Sterling, at your service.

Belle: Let me guess. You're doing pest control for Potman too?

Pietro: While I am assisting with the extermination wherever I can, I have my own reasons for coming here.

Whisk: So, you're here looking for treasure I presume?

Pietro: You could say that. The Mercenary life is all about the thrill of seeking that next big score. Isn't that right, Rufus?

Rufus: I mean, so long as it offers a nice challenge that gets you out of the house and across the world, then yeah. All with free healthcare and dental, mind you.

Pietro: Yes.......Anyways.......

He takes a moment as he analyzes Tari's robotic arm.

Pietro: ............What brings YOU here?

Elsewhere, Mario and Meggy are making g their way through the ever deepening depths of darkness.

Meggy: Holy Carp this place goes on forever. BOB? BOOPKINS? IF YOU CAN HERE US, SAY SOMETHING.

Mario: Mama Mia, this place is darker than Ben's sense of humor.

That's when they some odd sounds coming from a nearby tunnel. Peeking out, they see what remains of RED Team and YLW Team after their encounter on the bridge. The RED Pyro gives them a warm welcome via a warning shot from her flare carbine.

Mario: Hey, what was that for?!

R. Pyro: (You should know better than to sneak up on someone with a loaded gun.)

Mario: .............. Why is she speaking in Charlie Brown?

Meggy gives him a quick bop on the head.

Meggy: Sorry about that. He's...... not the brightest.

Seeing that the two aren't dangerous (if not a little rude), the RED Pyro sighs as she holsters her carbine. She turns over to her team, who are still working on trying to get across the ravine in their way. The Scouts get across easily enough with their double-jumps, while the RED Soldier tries Rocket Jumping. He does survive the initial blast and goes flying, but twists his ankle on the landing and falls screaming into the abyss. The Medics are....... awfully calm about this development.

R. Medic: You'd think he'd carry a parachute.

Y. Medic: Instead he settled for the para-BOOT.

The two medics share a laugh while the RED Sniper and YLW Demoman hatch a different kind of plan. The YLW Demoman lays a few sticky bombs and the RED Sniper lays his backshield on top of them at an angle. The plan is for those two to use the blast to launch them both over the ravine. Once they're both seated, the demo finishes his fifth bottle of scotch before pulling out a detonator.

R. Sniper: Watch and learn, boys! This is gonna be a real peace of cake!

Y. Demoman: Welcome, to the *BURP* train station. Let's kill a wizard.

With a push of a button, the payload detonates with enough force to send the two flying across the ravine......... before the Sniper crashes into a pillar and the Demoman ends up half buried in the ground. How either of them are still alive is honestly a miracle, but Mario seems unimpressed.

Mario: This is taking too long! Let's do this Mario style.

Mario rummages through his pockets before pulling out a Mega Mushroom and........ a random Koopa Troopa. Not the weirdest things he's pulled out of his pockets.

Koopa Troopa: WHERE AM I?! WHO ARE YOU?! WHERE IS MY FAMILY?!

His cries are silenced as Mario force feeds him the Mega Mushroom, causing the Koopa to grow to an immense size. As the growing continues, Mario tosses the Koopa over the ledge and his shell gets stuck between the two ledges. His immense shell has now become a bridge for everyone to cross.

Mario: Tadaaaaaaa!

R. Medic: Good work, camarade!

Y. Heavy: Little man is credit to team!

The other mercs cheer as they cross the "bridge." Meggy just looks on bemused while the RED Pyro is still processing what in the fresh hell she just saw.

R. Pyro: (Does he do shit like this on the regular.)

Meggy: Yeah. You get used to it. Name's Meggy, by the way.

They shake hands.

R. Pyro: (Garnet.)

Elsewhere, we see Boopkins and Soldine meet up with Bob and GRN Team doing some Excavation. The GRN Demowoman flicks a switch, detonating a plastic explosive that helps soften up the limestone mass in their way. The GRN Heavy gets to grinding out a path with his drill. Upon seeing Bob, Boopkins immediately rushes over and gives him a big hug.

Boopkins: Bob! Oh, I'm so glad to see you!

Bob: Boopkins? Where the hell have you been?

Boopkins: I tried to keep up, but you were too fast and I got lost.

Bob: Oh yeah........ Sorry about that. But hey! I got first pickings on the loot.

Boopkins: Oooooh, can I see?

Bob shows Boopkins the dufflebag full of miscellaneous trinkets while Soldine walks over to a handful of BLU mercs. The BLU Sniper keeps her head low as the BLU Medic tends to her. The BLU Soldier gives a salute to Soldine as he scans the area.

B. Soldier: Captain Edward Marston, reporting for duty sir.

Soldine: Where is the rest of your team?

Edward: Right here, sir.

He hands Soldine a chain lined with various trinkets. Among them were six class badges, all caked in blood.

Soldine: I see........ My condolences.

Edward: They fought hard and were damn good at it. Maybe even the best.

Soldine turns his attention to the GRN Medic.

Soldine: Doctor Tödliche Heilung, I presume.

The Medic turns to face the mechanized soldier. His face mask releases a hiss of steam as he adjusts his glasses.

Tödliche: That would be me.

Soldine turns his gaze to the bottle held in the doctor's clawed hand. A black liquid swirls within the glass, it's red sheen gleaming like eyes within the abyss.

Soldine: That substance........ what is it?

Tödliche: This, my friend, is Kuva. I harvested this sample from the "Denizens" I've encountered down here.

Soldine: Kuva......... I've heard the stories.

Tödliche: Yes. The Old Blood of the Orokin Empire. Some say it's the key to eternal life that cures all wounds. Others say it's a poison that corrupts the mind, body, and soul.

Soldine: What do you believe?

Even beneath his mask, you could see the slightest smirk.

Tödliche: I believe it's a matter of perspective.

Back with Tari's group, another Knight falls before Pietro's blade. He wipes the black ichor off his blade as the group turns their attention to a new discovery. Before them stood an ancient gate of ornate steel recessed into a frame of pallid marble and opalescent glass.

Rufus: Mother of Madcaps........

Tari: These have to be the ruins the SMGs located.

Pietro: SMGs?

Tari: More friends of ours.

Whisk: Wait a minute......... is THAT why your arm is glowing?

And glowing it was. Tari steps forward and places the hand on the door. The glow spread across the edges of the interlaced plates. Untold ages of dust fall as the plates begin to shift. Several openings form and merge until the gate has completely recessed into the arching frame. Before them laid a single bridge leading deeper into the earth, the path alight with a vivid azure hue. Tari turns to the others as they gather to look inside.

Tari: Just when you think you've hit the bottom........

[dutybcrne]

@strdstd said : Here’s Boothill, on one knee before Klee, a smile brimming with warmth on his face. One hand was behind his back. “A lil birdie told me it was a certain Spark Knight’s birthday, so…” With a flourish, he revealed a hand-crafted plush horse, all done by Boothill himself. “Happy birthday, sunshine.” {Hap birth Klee- 🥺} 『 O HECK I FORGOT IT WAS KLEE DAY || Accepting 』

           ・⊱ Today was absolutely the BEST day ever.

           Klee got to run around aaaall day and play with Diona under Kaeya's watch, got to make monsters and bad guys go BOOM, and she didn't get in trouble for anything either! Not to mention Jean, Kaeya, Miss Lisa, Albedo, even the weird grownup ( Mr. Diluc, Kaeya had told her while coughing strangely into his hand after the guy had given him a funny look; like the ones Jean gave Kaeya sometimes when he made jokes during a talking to about blast-fishing ) gave her so many good wishes and presents. She even got some presents sent from far away! From her mama, no less!

           But now–

           "Ah???" –now, Klee's expression brightened with excitement, as Boothill knelt before her, like a real knight! A cowboy-knight bringing tri-bute to his person! But what did he have for her? What did he have???

           Even with her curiosity, she managed to keep her coo. Like a cu-cumber, the way Boothill's funny saying went. So very calm, because Kaeya told her to always be polite when getting her gifts. And he was watching so closely now too, so she kept veeery patient. As patient as she could be, bouncing on the balls of her feet in eager anticipation, until-

           "Waaaa~!" Her eyes grew wide as saucers as the little cry in surprise left her. Almost immediately after, she made a mad dash forward, scooping up the plushie with a louder squeal, raising it up and spinning. "It's a horsie! You got Klee a horsie!"

           "Aha...Klee? Aren't you forgetting something?"

           She stopped then gave a loud gasp, turned back to Boothill, bouncing a little in place before rushing right at him and leaping at the man to tackle him right into a hug. The biggest, tightest hug she could ever give! Because he deserved it! Because,

           "Klee's very happy! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Klee loves him!"

           She pulled back, hugging the plush tight in one arm as her eyes shined with utter glee in throwing the other out wide.

           "Happy Birthday, Papa!"

[dream-this-nightmare-over]

Tancrede de Hautville imagine (special guest: louis x)

This one is for my fellow knight @lllostgirlll

You can find this imagine and lot more in my book of Imagines that is being filled continuously by new stories.

Hope you enjoy!

From smoke and remains of Acre, Rashid has saved y/n. Again.

Tancrede told her to run, but she wouldn't leave her friends to perish in cries that started from the ramparts. Only solace he found in days and months that followed, was Rashid's promise from that night when he came to warn them, that he will track her down and make sure to keep little rascal out of bloodbath way. Even though, both men knew, it was more likely y/n will be saving one of them than vice verse. But Tancrede had to do something before everything was lost. He held onto echo of imagined answer to his prayer, that she found tunnels and reunited with brotherhood of light that was waiting on the other side. Sometimes he thought all he brings is darkness.

He killed Nassir when he couldn't tell him if you are with them in Paris nor where you are, and started going on instead about ultimate downfall. It was stupid and careless thing to do, but he didn't want to risk your name finding way to streets of Paris. Mention of doom that's waiting for them, was like echo back from acre, you were doomed as long as he is around. Why couldn't you just ran off anywhere else, why did you tie yourself to grail? He cursed and spitted on rules that didn't allow women to be part of order.

Y/n was born in Outremer and quickly became entangled in web of deceit and power hunger. Rashid was first to notice her talent, and offered to horn her skills for greater purpose. But he didn't know the whole depth of her involvement with Christian knights. He knew she and Landry struck an alliance before brotherhood revealed itself to templars, offence otherwise punishable by death, if it didn't prove to be so lucrative. Exchange of information, assistance in action, dividing the spoils, bonded by secrecy of truth neither really understood without the other. You were link between two pillars that held east together. And yet somehow, by virtue of survival on your own, you belonged to neither. Rashid had soft spot for you since you joined as orphan, but you were wild untamed thing that only wanted one special templar to be king of your heart. It was holy grail you weren't trading.

Y/n sneaked into castle grounds with golden trio, the gang back together at last just like in golden days of mischief, following Landry's mad dash for one last rush of adrenaline as he settles Paris' debts once and for all.

But soon it became apparent y/n is chasing her own agenda.

She didn't need them, she could deal with it on her own, and was already dashing down corridors, when Tancrede caught up with her, grabbed her by forearm pulling her back to look at him. "Are you mad? This place is swarmed with king's knights. They will have you served as roasted dessert before you realize you are dead." Just then four knights passed and Tancrede pulled you with him behind wall. "You aren't doing it on your own. We aren't separating again." He whispered shouted.

Gawain added as he moved forward when he made sure air is clear. "Landry boy wouldn't appreciate losing his ranks." Short lived discussion was over for him, his mind was made up without it. He is willing to indulge all the wishes just to be out of here as soon as possible.

"Glad to see you alive. Knew you would make it" Tancrede said with smirk.

Now that he finally found her (when he was taken by Rashid, who had penchant for drama so it wasn't far fetch in imagination to think he orchestrated whole thing just to witness happy reunion), they were running in exile again. But this time together; last time the doom fell on them, everything was no man's land except love they saved for each other.

"Not thanks to you"

"You didn't need to save me" Tancrede still believed he would get out of rashid's game, if it wasnt for help from within.

"We can settle it buddy. Right now." y/n says turning form wall they were hiding behind and toward Tancrede in what looked like challange on a fight. if anyone saw them, two bickering behind back of third who is crouching keeping guard spying the hallways trying to figure out next move, while hushing other two with agitated hand movements that are being ignored, one wouldn't need more proof to assume Order is truly dissolved duo to madness that poisoned their ranks. It's easy to understand why superstitious propaganda could lit a zealous pier in absences of context.

Tancrede and you fell in bickering teasing that had been turning bitter since you saved him from Rashid and wounded his pride of taking care of everything on his own, which in return made him insufferable prat, specially because he didn't understand what you weren't saying: you did it not out of doubt for his knightly skill but rather out of knowing Rashid too good and knowing very well that pothead needs reasoning every once in a while. Moreover when he is faced with man who kills to save your name. Like you can't protect yourself. Just because their Rules were devoid of belief in women strength, is didn't mean you weren't worthy of knight title.

Papa Gawain grumpy old cat tired and irritated, down to last morsel of every everything, tired of you two, poor man just wanted some break, had to put a stop to this before yet another Landry's 'great idea' is jeopardized and they are sent back to piers.

'Stop it you two, will you?' he hissed.

Just then lone hooded figure came their way and abruptly  stopped in it's tracks. "What-"

y/n had knife to his throat in blink of an eye.

Tancrede rolled his eyes. "no. just no."

"Gawain, i see you brought your friends" Garry didn't even tremble. it was almost like he was ready for anything. perhaps previous confrontation with Phillip gave him boost of bravery. Standing up for yourself, letting go of pretense, they say does miracles to people.

Gawain came closer, sighing heavily "Where is louis?"

Suddenly y/n ran off down the corridor, embers of light gliding down her cloak as she passed torches.

With a nod to each other of approvement, Tancrede moved out of the way so Gawain could strike old sly with hilt of a sword, making him pass out so they could finally get going. Knight couldn't find it in himself to kill yet another person. Besides if Landry does his part, and from what they heard that went down in court room, they have chance of being far away before Garry reunites with a new ruler. Calling de Nogaret by sobriquet y/n gave him, was another sign he was again falling under influence of his old ally. 

'Hurry' Gawain called out as they chased after y/n

In Louis room y/n and young king were having a duel. Moon casted whole room blue, shadows slithering around them like even night knows it's dawn of time.

"Give me back what's mine and I might let this damned country still be a monarchy" y/n demanded with patience running out, as she held sword point at velvet chest.

"if you kill me, someone else will come. it's never going to stop." Louis said like it humored him to be a prophet, like he is talking from brick of hopelessness where man has nothing to lose anymore. His dopey eyes reflecting the blade coming up his throat. His face ashen, but eyes full of manic understanding he was challenging his little spy to disapprove.  "Do people always have such pleasure doing business with you?' he said sarcastically. 

He backed y/n off aiming for her ribs but y/n caught his sword with hers and deflated the attack. Clash of metal ringing through dance for destinies.

"Tell me where is it! We had a deal! y/n throws Louis off balance and he falls on his bed.

"Why is it so important? It's just a necklace. Oh let me guess. It will pay the way." he snickers tiredly. In death of your world, everyone's can go to waste too. "You cant save them. they are all dead man." he says darkly.

He stays there staring at pattern on duvet transfixed or lost in day's events taking toll on his young mind that can only take so much, and y/n uses the chance to stalk across the room and go through his drawers.

Louis reaches in pocket of his pants looking like he will exhale last pieces of his defeated soul. when he brings it out, y/n nudges aside his sword that was laying on the floor where he dropped it, coming closer.

"I should feel gratitude," he says dangling the chain from his fingers. "But i feel nothing."

The boy smiles, girl snatches the necklace keeping eyes on his, consumed by sudden urge to tuck piece of hair away from his face just to give him some warmth in return but she knew he is wounded wolf who will consolidate his reign again, and pain will stay with the night in which she has to disappear as well as any trace of their business affair.

And that's how kings die, y/n thought. Teach them they can have anything, then teach them they have no power to save the only thing they really want.

Aren't they all just Achilles in different time?

His voice is haunting lullaby cautionary tale of prince who had to lose to gain, bitter wisdom, why is there price for everything?

"There is no way out. you wont make it. You can run but you wont outrun yourself."

Y/n picked up his sword and layed it next to him on bed, but he didn't even move or gave signs he even registered, then joined others.

'Let's go" y/n urged them as darkness filled castle.

They reunited with Landry on the dock and y/n wondered if he found absolution he was looking for. Everyone knew Landry playing saint, putting everyone in danger to settle exuberant price for love affair, wont stop further persecutions, but they didn't stop him when he jumped off the ship and ran back into night that is alive with claws and swords. Gawain cursed as they tied the boat, someone asked if they should send quick prayer to find it again, but time was slipping away too fast and their friend was chasing trouble and they were chasing after him to cover his trace to jump in if he misses a pair of hands or a blade and it all felt for less than a moment because time is not theirs anymore, like they were back in East, surviving in unlikely alliance, still heroes of their story.

Tancrede gave her that necklace back in Acre. It was token of friendship and love and honest faith in better world. Y/n used it as secret compartment to get a message to Louis about his love. She thought it served its purpose almost like it was meant to serve as container of hope in grim world of politics and war.

Louis was right.

She didn't feel accomplished for telling him where Margaret was. Just emptiness of every soul she failed to save, all the ghosts traded for freedom.

Once on deck, warm hand on her back promised there is a way to live with shadows. His hand found hers under cloak. three squeezes. Like in old time. She looked up and he was giving her his most ardent loyalty from storms raging in his depths.

"I didn't mean-" he started

"I should have left you to rot."

"Maybe. Maybe i deserved it." He will never forgive himself for leaving her behind. Even if he knew she would never run away from danger. Fighting together in acre, until battle divided them and he lost sight of his heart; everything set in motion too fast: extracting the grail boarding the ship, eaten to death by grief of not being more persuading more valorous when it comes to standing up for things that really mattered to him. But deep down he knew, acre was y/n's home and she would find a way to make it out alive from every hell. He knew there was side of whole grail mystery that dwelled just out of peripheral in fata morgana they will never come to fathom as anything more than scorching ordeal, but he hoped all along, it will serve its purpose to save life of it's protector. Are we born with grief, or we wake it up with actions that shake the grounds of innocence?

"I should have saved her" she could have got Margaret out if only she wasn't so set on saving already damned knights.

"We all should have been better."

He kissed crown of her head and she closed her eyes as his beard tickled her cheek and whisper warmed her insides as it found way to her heart. "but you are one thing i have no regrets about."

As laundry and gawain managed the sails, y/n looked back one last time toward Paris in heavy fog of change. Nothing will be same from tomorrow. History in making, will we be remembered or all the secrets we keep will take us with them, was it worth it all the secrecy if end finds you either way whether you leave legacy or die in stables looking for revange on your dead lover's murderer? Will someone else carry it out on your behalf when you aren't around anymore?

Y/n thanked louis in her mind for keeping his part of bargain and clearing the posts of prying eyes. They sailed into the night unnoticed, gone from history book pages, it was only beginning of yet another adventure.

Locket safe under tunic. Heart heavy but in arms that loved.

Y/n are running away with the remnants of the greatest.

They didn't know where their ship was bobbing but it was carried by unanimous hope of sailing into the port of some new sunsets that won't pull them apart again. If nothing, they will build one themselves.

[alissaming]

Character Deep Dive: Specter Knight

SPOILER WARNING! This deep dive talks about the character Specter Knight and the ending of Specter Knight's game, as well as his appearance during Shovel of Hope. If you have not played this game yet, I highly recommend you do. If you decide to proceed, you have been warned.

Specter Knight has to be one of the more tragic characters in Shovel Knight. He comes with a variety of cool natural abilities, such as a wall climb and what I like to call the dash-slice. The dash-slice focuses on something (an item, like a bubble, an enemy, or even a nearby friend to grab his hand) and uses it to basically dash to higher hieghts or across gaps. These two abilities, as well as his healing magic item are pretty much the most useful abilites in the entire game.

When you get through the very first level of the game, you fight Black Knight and find out Specter Knight has a distinct, recognizable style and a name. When you defeat Black Knight he calls Specter Knight Donovan. I remember, I was so blown away by this.. Like up until this point, with the exception of Reize, pretty much no one has an actual name. And while some characters have distinctive styles based on their level and what they do, no one seems so recognizable that someone knows their name by their mere attack. Anyway, as you play through the game, you also come across some of Specter Knight's memories. Turns out, he used to be a mortal who had a good friend named Luan. They were going on one last mission together to find an amulet said to bring protection. Luan wants it for his son. Basically the memories follow the two making their way through the Tower of Fate, meeting Shield Knight, and fighting her. What is tragic is that Donovan actually seems to have fatally wounded Luan, then the tower collapses, fatally wounding Donovan. The Enchantress shows up and offers his life back in exchange for serving her. And if he finds her eight knights, she'll return his humanity. That's what the game is following, that quest. Eventually, Reize, Luan's son, breaks into the tower and gets mind controlled by the Enchantress until the end of the game. At the end, Black Knight reveals, after seeing the Enchantress, that she's actually a possessed Shield Knight. Deciding that all his misfortune is her fault, Specter Knight decides to end Enchantress himself. In the end, he can't do it, and since Enchantress is one knight short, she decides she can make do with Reize and give Specter Knight back his humanity. However, Specter Knight, who seems to realize he was the one who was wrong, sacrifices his humanity to save Reize, and willingly becomes one of the Enchantress's knights. He then takes Reize home and goes to where he's the boss in Shovel Knight, putting the locket he carries everywhere (given to him by Luan) into a chest

So some stuff I noticed that I haven't been able to connect yet. Black Knight seems to know who Donovan is, or at least was once. As you may have noticed, Specter Knight is the only one I've called by name at all this entire time. That's because no one else uses an actual name, just a knight name. Even between rivals Black Knight and Shovel Knight, or classmates Shovel Knight and Polar Knight, they always use knight names. Another thing is the way a lot of the knights you face have to say about and to you. Plague Knight, Phantom Striker, and Tinker Knight all refer to Specter Knight as a specter, wraith, ghost, or just saying he's past his prime. Implying they can tell he's undead. King Knight and Phantom Striker both refer to Specter Knight as an honorless dog or errand boy, referencing him serving the Enchantress. The others all have general stuff, other than Black Knight referring to Donovan as a commoner (how can you tell?) and Propeller Knight mentioning Specter Knight's tattered robes.

So what exactly is going on with Specter Knight. I think it's actually pretty clear. He's suffering from doubt and guilt for killing his best friend, allowing his best friend's son to become mind controlled by the Enchantress, and making his deal with the Enchantress. We don't see it focused on much during the game, but it's pretty clear to me it's there. It's coming out as him blaming others, specifically Shield Knight, because she fought him trying to stop them taking the amulet, for his misfortune. He's convinced himself that, if not for her, none of what happened, happened. He may have even convinced himself she did what she did because she wanted to free the Enchantress. None of this really comes out until the end of the game when he fights her. And I think his sacrifice for Reize, wasn't just because of who Reize was, but what Reize represented. That all of this was actually his fault. He got himself into this situation, and now he had to get Reize out of it.

The locket is also important, as it plays an important part in Shovel of Hope. It's the Locket of Invulerability or whatever that's called. It's taken from the chest by Plague Knight in his game and given to Chester for stuff Plague Knight, and Chester sells them to Shovel Knight. So yeah, you have a family heir loom and it gives Shovel Knight temporary invincibility. Anyway, that's my thoughts and all the stuff I noticed.