#mathilde of coventry

[hphmmatthewluther]

Threads of Silver: Chapter 5 - Ripples in the Valleys

After a long time of waiting due to uni work and creative block, it's finally here! This is the conclusion to this part of TOS, but there is definitely more of this story, that might be told by some other familiar faces! This story features ocs by @camillejeaneshphm and @endlessly-cursed !!

The previous chapter can be found here !!

Chapter 5: Ripples in the Valleys

“It must be understood that in medieval society, poisonings were seen as a fairly regular and harmless practice for dealing with problems, especially when a serf or servant was poisoned, but only if the perpetrator is never caught. To fail at a poisoning, however, was a massive social faux pas, as it often had the capacity to ruin a good feast in a way successful poisonings didn’t.” - Mayson Kowalski’s History Report

It was Gabriel who broke the stunned silence that had filled the hall as Lachlann got to his feet. He looked the apprentice up and down, shaking his head in disbelief. “We all thought…I mean…it was, wasn’t it? The symptoms…the way you…”

Rowena nodded briefly, before turning back to Lachlann. “His body is still dealing with the poison, but…the more fatal symptoms don’t seem to be appearing. Now then, would anyone like to do the decent thing and own up to poisoning my apprentice?”

There was an awkward silence in the air as the many guests looked between each other, Lachlann noticing the Osadas looking directly at Mathilde and Bruna. All of the decorum between the group he had seen early had gone.

It was Mathilde who broke the silence. Between her dark expression and the accusatory look Gabriel was giving her, it seemed rather obvious now what she was notorious for. “Something you’d like to say, good sir?” she asked, her tone of voice passing the judgement back onto Gabriel.

However, it was Rousalie who spoke up. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous-”

“Rousalie, it’s alright-” Gabriel tried to interject, Baron Osada now standing up trying to calm his children down, and the Thane of Cawdor absolutely failing to get everyone to sit back down. Unfortunately, Mathilde and Bruna weren’t helping matters, and it seemed to Lachlann as if an argument would break out there and then. At least until Godric stepped away from the High Table and jumped up onto the one the others had all been sitting on. They all fell silent. Rowena merely rolled her eyes, which conveyed to Lachlann that this wasn’t the first time he’d done this.

“Works every time.” Godric chuckled to himself as he walked across the table towards the others. “Now, I hate to interject, you know me-”

“Oh, please…” Rowena hissed, Lachlann looking up to see Luxia trying to hold in a laugh.

“-but,” Godric continued, holding up his cloak to keep it from getting into any soup, “I feel like all this yelling isn’t helping matters. Let us start with what’s important: are you alright, Lachlann?”

Lachlann winced as the hall now turned to him. He was beginning to understand why Rowena thought of Godric the way she did, but he still appreciated him asking. “I…I definitely feel less faint, and the pain is lessening too…still feel rather sweltered, though.”

Gabriel nodded. “See? This is what I was talking about, all symptoms of Enchanted Nightshade!”

Mathilde chuckled. “Though you are missing the most important component of Enchanted Nightshade, namely the death that follows. Are we sure he didn’t just react badly to our food?”

Rowena tried to stop him, but to Lachlann it didn’t seem like anyone else was following social etiquette either. “Maybe the fact that a certain changeling over there projected into my mind so she can tell me I’m being poisoned.”

Lachlann didn’t need to do much to signpost who he was blaming. The glare he was giving Betwixt was enough for everyone to swivel their heads to find her clutching at the fabric of her dress and glaring back at him, also noticing the Thane of Cawdor looking increasingly agitated. “...And you’re going to all believe him over me? If I wanted to kill him I would have actually done it, not made him pass out for a few minutes, that would simply be-”

She very clearly wanted to say more, but the two changelings either side of her placed a hand on either of her shoulders, and she fell silent. The changeling on the left, the one in the dress, gestured to Godric to continue.

Godric nodded to the other two changelings, his smile fading for a moment. “Thank you. Now, maybe a better question would be “Why didn’t he die?” Because as I’m sure Mathilde knows, that could only be Enchanted Nightshade. I’ve had many a good guest succumb to it in the past few years. And the answer, from where I’m standing at least, is clear.” he said, coming to a stop a few inches from where Lachlann was sitting.

There was a moment of confusion, before Rousalie finally exclaimed “Oh!” and pointed at Lachlann’s bowl. There was a mass of clamouring as the nobles craned their necks to see what she was pointing at, and sure enough within the bowl was still a huge amount of bread and meat. Now she’d pointed it out, it stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the other empty plates.

Bruna finally spoke, still clinging to Mathilde. “I…I don’t quite follow-”

“I do.” Rowena said, a smile now on her face. “Lam, are you alright to stand?”

“I-I think so, milady.” Lachlann said, now feeling a little self-conscious about her holding him up. She let him go and walked over to the table, picking up the bowl. Pulling out her wand, she muttered a few words and her wand glowed a faint purple. There were gasps and a few gags as the food became covered in purple veins.

Godric chuckled. “And there we have it. As Rowena so eloquently demonstrates, It’s not a matter of the food being poorly poisoned. He just didn’t eat enough. My word, this must be why poisonings only happen in noble circles…”

“What makes you say that?” Gabriel asked, squinting at the contaminated food.

Rowena moved it closer to him, Rousalie backing away as she did. “Well, don’t you see? I’m afraid Lachlann here is still getting used to a diet such as ours. Where he comes from they eat different amounts. To him, he ate a normal amount of food.”

“H-He…” Mathilde said quietly, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times. Lachlann stepped over too, and when he did she shot him a look not unlike the one Betwixt gave him. Not just irritation, but sheer disbelief that someone as low as him was able to best her. It made him feel a lot better about the whole thing.

“It was rather rich food.” Lachlann said, absentmindedly. “Does…that settle it?”

“I’m afraid not just yet.” Rowena sighed, turning to the High Table and staring at the Thane. “The last thing I want, O Thane, is for this to devolve into a messy argument that you can skew into one of your battles. As far as I’m concerned, anyone in here could have done it. I confess I’ve made my enemies, after all. I suppose I really should have listened to Lady Hufflepuff. Come, Lam, we’re leaving.”

The Thane looked as if he was about to blow a gasket (not that the gasket had been invented yet). “E-Excuse me?! You talk of me as if I am some common mercenary! My feast has been ruined by the use of magic and so it is my right to use whatever means I have to deal with this!” he spluttered. He looked to either side of him, to Salazar and the third changeling, the one in armour, who seemingly had a conversation between each other based on eye contact alone. Lachlann wondered if they were doing the same thing he and Betwixt had done. Eventually, in part due to the flabbergasted expression on the Thane’s face, Salazar turned to the rest of the hall.

“I find this reasonable. I shall use my magic in the Thane’s service to discover the culprit.” he pledged, his eyes darting across the hall for reactions. They fell on Godric, waiting for his response. For a moment, Lachlann felt as if that was it. He had almost died, but now everyone’s focus was on the Thane’s feast being disrupted. An intense rush of anger filled him at that dismissal of his life, and of Rowena’s, so much so that he almost missed what Godric said next.

“I agree…with Rowena.”. There were gasps. There were mutters. There were exclamations of “What?!”, but Lachlann watched silently. Bruna and Mathilde looked scandalised. The odd thing to Lachlann, though, was that he didn’t think Salazar was taken by surprise by this. Godric, clearly enjoying the attention to the point that he winked at Luxia, continued, “I grant that the feast is ruined, and that is a tragedy. But for you to see yourself as entitled to our services in that way…that I cannot stand. We grant our services as a gift, a price for protection. It becomes clear to me now that perhaps another approach is needed if all it gets us is petty killings and being thrust into battle against each other for the highest bidder.”

Godric leapt off of the table, grinning at the others. “I’m with Rowena on this one. I just don’t think I can stomach another pointless skirmish. What say you, Sal?”

Salazar looked between Godric, at his own apprentices who suddenly looked rather afraid, and then at the Thane. “I’ll admit that I find it slightly degrading at times, but it’s more about finding the right nobles to work…with.” he said, Lachlann unsure if he was looking at the changelings or at the Thane. “But I insist that there is no division between us. You are my friend, Godric. As are you, Lady Ravenclaw. As is anyone who seeks to ensure that magic’s purity is maintained. I imagine you shall be leaving too?”

Godric’s smile had faded once more, and he nodded. “I think that’s for the best. Luxia, my dear apprentices, shall we?”

Luxia got up and walked over to him, maybe milking the attention her walk was getting just a little bit, folding her arm under his once she got there, and not really paying attention to Lachlann. The Osadas, meanwhile, turned and bowed to their parents before joining up with Lachlann and the others.

“Does this happen to you a lot?” Gabriel asked, as the Thane started yelling at the group to stay, his voice undercut by Godric pulling the grand doors open.

“...Not until recently.” Lachlann shrugged, still nursing his stomach.

“I didn’t know serfs ate so little!” Rousalie said, shaking her head in disbelief. “I mean, I saw how much you ate, no wonder you survived!”

“Rousalie, please!” Gabriel said, exasperated. “Sorry, Lam, she really doesn’t mean to be this obnoxious…”

“I-It’s fine, really.” Lachlann reassured him. “Being a serf saved my life, after all.”

“Former serf.” Rousalie said, smiling.

Lachlann found himself laughing at that as they found themselves outside their carriages, as if he hadn’t been poisoned just a few minutes prior. “Yeah…I guess you’re right.”

They ran to catch up with the others, with Godric and Luxia getting into their own coach and leaning over to talk to Rowena. “Are you sure we can’t convince you to stay with us?” Godric asked, looking back at the castle. “I do worry about what that Thane might do.”

“I can take care of myself, as can Lachlann.” Rowena pointed out, opening the door for her apprentice to climb in, “We fought off the Sovereign of the Changelings after all, what’s some foolish noble who thinks he owns the place?”

Godric merely smiled at her. “You’ve been asking that question all your life, I think. Say hello to Helga for me, won’t you?”

Rowena smiled back and nodded, checking to make sure Lachlann was in the carriage. “Safe travels, Lord Gryffindor.”

“You too, Lady Ravenclaw.”

***

An hour or two passed, and before long the carriage had stopped outside a medium-sized castle, the gate already open. As the two climbed out and walked towards it, already Lachlann felt that it had a profoundly different feeling to it than the Thane of Cawdor’s abode. The flames dotted around seemed to glow more warmly, and the structure did not seem to loom over him in the same way either. Lachlann spent a moment clutching his stomach, the carriage journey had not helped his fragile stomach. He brought a shaking hand up to his hair, dreading to think what he must have looked like. A few seconds passed and a woman with blonde hair in a simple yellow dress walked out, accompanied by another blonde woman who was about Lachlann’s age,with incredibly long blonde hair that escaped her veil into two long braids. She seemed to be the other woman’s apprentice, though very clearly was also a noble.

Helga Hufflepuff stared at Rowena and Lachlann for a moment, before clicking her tongue. “I did say it was not wise to attend.” she said finally, looking Lachlann up and down. “My word, boy, what has she put you through?”

Lachlann blinked a few times before mustering up the strength to speak “I…it was not Lady Ravenclaw’s fault, milady…I have some share of the blame for my actions towards the one who hired the poisoner.”

Rowena looked between Lachlann and Helga and sighed. “...I’m sorry. Do you have any medicinal herbs? I might be able to improve his condition before we leave for home.”

Helga nodded, clicking her tongue once more. “Of course. Henriette, if you could see to gathering those, that would be wonderful. Come, I’m sure you’ll want to pick up Helena.” she said, a smile appearing on her face as they entered the castle. “She’s been very well-behaved, for the most part. Kept trying to crawl out into the corridors, though.”

“Well, she’s in a very adventurous stage at the moment.” Rowena shrugged. “You can see why I needed the extra pair of hands.”

“Indeed. I hope you don’t mind me copying your ideas.” Helga chuckled as Henriette returned with the herbs. “Finding an apprentice with connections to the King and Queen has been rather useful with my work in dealing with these pesky wars. No offence to your choice, of course.”

Lachlann didn’t react, only watching as the herbs were prepared. He looked over at Henriette for a moment, who looked back. Lachlann blinked rapidly again. “A-Apologies, um…I’m afraid I’m not exactly in the best of shape.”

“There’s no need to worry, I’m not surprised after a dose of Enchanted Nightshade.” Henriette reassured him, looking over at Helga and Rowena. “Did Lady Hufflepuff’s absence get mentioned?”

Lachlann shrugged. “It might have happened in the time I was unconscious, but it also came up when Lady Ravenclaw was dressing down the Thane.”

Henriette smiled at that. “I am glad to hear it. You are very lucky to have a mage like her teaching you. I’ve heard a lot of things about her spellcasting and knowledge, it’s wonderful to have her active once more.” She said, sagely.

Lachlann nodded along with what she was saying. “Yes, her knowledge of magic is second to none. I’m glad that I’m able to help her. Which reminds me-” he said, walking forward to help with Helena briefly, Henriette following behind.

“It’s alright dear, I’m here…” Rowena whispered, her daughter sobbing for a moment before swiftly calming down as she settled into her mother’s arms. “Thank you, Lam. I see you two have been introduced to each other. I’m sure this won’t be the last time we visit, though perhaps next time we will be able to stay for longer. Alas, Helena needs her cot, and Lam here needs to sleep off the rest of the poison.”

Helga laughed out loud at that, placing a hand over her mouth. “Apologies, my boy, apologies. You’ve been through the wringer tonight, I can see that. And you’re still trying to help where you can. You’re already a fine apprentice, and I’m sure you’ll be a fine wizard as time goes on. I’m sure we’ll see you both again soon, especially if the Thane continues to rage about his feast being ruined.”

Henriette passed over the herbs to Lachlann. “I look forward to seeing you at full health soon.” she said, smiling softly at him.

Lachlann took the herbs and bowed. “Thank you. I’ll try not to annoy the changelings or Lord Slytherin’s lot too much for a little bit.” He turned to leave, feeling a lot better than he had done, and looked across the hills and valleys, covered in silvery moonlight. The wind rushed through the grass, creating waves of movement that scattered themselves across the Highlands. It occurred to Lachlann that this was the second time someone had tried to kill him in the past week. He felt a peculiar sense of pride in that he’d been able to defend Rowena’s beliefs in this way, and as he boarded the carriage and started eating the herbs, he wondered just how much of the magic at work in the realm could be used to push back against those who sought nothing but control.

This is where the night ended for Lachlann of Wexford. But it is not the end of the night for many of the others who attended that ill-fated feast.And thankfully, records exist of their night as well. Across the windy valleys, the ripples blew from the grass to the trees to the fires of the Thane of Cawdor’s castle, that one by one were being blown out. In the courtyard, staring as the last carriage left, Salazar Slytherin stood with the castle’s owner.

“I shall fire all my cooks, just to be sure!” the Thane insisted, unable to look Salazar in the eye, “I cannot apologise enough for what happened! For you to be accused of poisoning like that! I do wonder just what Lord Gryffindor teaches those apprentices of his.”

“Lord Gryffindor is a close personal friend.” Salazar droned in an icy voice. “Please, do stop grovelling. You ought to go and oversee that process personally, I doubt you would want any more of your food to be contaminated, am I right?”

“Y-Yes, of course!” the Thane said suddenly, running off into the castle. A few moments later, a blonde woman and a woman with red hair walked out and towards the waiting Lord of Magic.

There was a moment where he stared at the two before sighing. “I want to hear nothing of portion sizes and what kind of serf or peasant he was. You failed. I ordered you to poison a magic-user and you failed.”

“I’ll say!” came a voice from the open gate. A woman in a deep purple dress walked out, followed by two others. They angrily walked towards the others, holding their dress above the ground as they did so. “I’ve never felt such rage before. I thought you said peasants were supposed to be the weakest of mortals?” she fumed.

“I said that non-magical serfs were the weakest of mortals.” Salazar replied, giving Betwixt no more attention as he turned to the two changelings behind her. “Monarchs Eadar and Sgàthan, I hope this night has not diminished your opinion of mortal feasts.”

The two looked at each other, shrugged, and proceeded to change, their hair turning white as snow and their skin becoming pale and then purplish. When they opened their eyes, there were no pupils. The one in the suit of armour, Eadar, spoke first. “Not at all. We do not share our daughter’s anger at the serf, nor his mistress. Nevertheless, two slights such as these against the Silver Kingdom cannot go unaccounted for.”

“Three, if you count the silver this Lady Ravenclaw is harbouring.” Sgàthan pointed out, dusting down her dress. “You mortals have such fragile lives. I wonder why you put them in danger so frequently.”

“Getting to the point…” Betwixt seethed, also returning to their white hair and eyes, “We came into an agreement with you because you promised you could take out anyone opposing our claim upon these Isles’ silver. And now, that bastard and the woman he babysits for have all the motivation in the world to start gathering allies against us!”

“I doubt Rowena would do anything so rash.” Salazar pointed out, his attention finally turning back to his apprentices. “She will concoct a plan of some kind to achieve her goal. Which gives us valuable time. So I ask you both…what are you going to do with that time to help uphold that agreement with our friends here?”

Mathilde and Bruna looked at each other, clearly feeling a great deal of unease at the way Salazar was talking to them. “Lord Slytherin…Majesties of the Silver Kingdom…” Mathilde began, only now beginning to truly process what had happened. Only now processing that someone had gotten the better of her. Someone lower than her. “We will do whatever is necessary to get rid of them. I will correct my error and ensure that the next time he is brought down by my poisons, he does not wake up.”

Bruna nodded along with Mathilde. “And I pledge myself to that same goal. I will assist in devising a strategy that not even Lady Ravenclaw could predict.”

Salazar smirked and turned to the changelings. “There, I think that settles things, no? Rest assured that soon the serf will be dead, and Rowena…well, her responsibilities that she hired that boy to help with will be too much, I’m afraid. You needn’t worry about her opposing you then.”

Sgàthan nodded approvingly. “Very good. We shall return to our kingdom. Come, Betwixt.”

Betwixt sighed, glaring at Mathilde and Bruna. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing the both of you.” she said, chuckling darkly. “I’d quite like to be there to watch him splutter…” she said, shapeshifting into Lachlann and mimicking him clutching his own neck “...and choke..and turn blue…” before quickly returning to her initial form, laughing aloud as she followed her parents.

The three humans bowed, before turning to the carriage. Before they could get on, however, Salazar put his hand in front of them. “This conversation is not over. I want to know exactly what your plan is and soon. There can be no distractions from this, either. If your family comes calling once more…” he said, pointing at Bruna, “...I cannot promise I can hide you from them. Especially not without the changelings supporting us.”

He moved his arm and allowed them into the carriage, glaring up at them before taking a seat near the front. The carriage moved out of the courtyard, and Bruna and Mathilde turned to look at each other, each with an expression that a thousand words would not be enough to describe, but most of which involved killing Lachlann Doherty.

***

It was late now, and Merula put down the book she was reading from with a sigh. “...There we go. Sorry if that took longer than I thought it would.” She looked up, half-expecting to see them all asleep, but instead she saw Mayson, Persephone and Matthew all still watching intently, smiling.

“Thanks, Mer!” Mayson exclaimed before being shushed by Persephone, “That really does help. I’ve got this assignment in the bag now!”

“I, too, am grateful.” Persephone admitted. “And I appreciate the amount of gossip and scandal that occurred. Such devious plans those nobles had!”

“I do wonder if I’m a walking spoiler for whether or not he makes it through though, um…” Matthew pointed out, at which the group laughed.

“Yeah, well, that’s history for you. About how you get there, not the destination…though that’s still pretty important too.” She said, staring at Matthew for a few seconds before shaking herself out of it. “Right! You two, off to bed, and Luther here has to sneak his way back to Ravenclaw Tower.”

The two lower-years stood up and headed for their respective dormitories, waving goodbye. “Thanks again, Merula!” Mayson said, “I’d prefer you teaching over Binns any day!”

It was now just Merula and Matthew. She started piling up her books, hoping she wasn’t too pink in the face. “I could…walk you up to your room, if you wanted. Keep you out of trouble, and all that.”

Matthew smiled, taking a step closer to her. “As much as I’d like that, um, you look really quite tired. You need sleep too, you know.”

“Oh…fine.” Merula sighed, pulling him close and kissing his cheek. “Go on, get out of here. If I had a bar of silver I could just pull Ravenclaw Tower closer, couldn’t I?”

Matthew blushed and nodded. “Maybe you could. If anyone could figure out that world of ancient magic, it’s you.”

He turned to leave, Merula looking down at her notes, about her ancestors, his, the founders, and the strange and wild magic that roamed. To her, it suddenly didn’t feel all that far away.

[camillejeaneshphm]

family

the children of mathilde of coventry and lachlann doherty

featuring:

caitílin doherty (portrayed by alyssa sutherland. eldest daughter syndrome.)

samhradhan “sam” doherty (portrayed by berk cankat. spoiled, stupid, and sexy.)

simone doherty (portrayed by freya mavor. the middle child.)

fèlix doherty (portrayed by aidan turner. the evil one.)

sisuile “sissy” doherty (portrayed by celina sinden. doomed by the narrative.)

(tagging @hphmmatthewluther because these cuties are shared between us!)

[endlessly-cursed]

bitches be like "that's my ot3!" and that ot3 consists of...

lachlann doherty belongs to @hphmmatthewluther

mathilde coventry belongs to @camillejeaneshphm

[camillejeaneshphm]

<3

THA’S 4K CELEBRATION ❤️ ↳ @lesbiancerseilannister requested: Cersei Lannister

[harryandmeghan0-blog]

Royal snaps of the year: the pictures you have to see - Channel 24

New Post has been published on https://harryandmeghan.xyz/royal-snaps-of-the-year-the-pictures-you-have-to-see-channel-24/

Royal snaps of the year: the pictures you have to see - Channel 24

Cape Town – From new babies to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, 2018 has been filled with plenty of excitement for royal families around the world. With many memorable moments captured in photos, let’s revisit some of the most popular events from across the globe.

Windsor, United Kingdom.

19 May 2018

Prince Harry gestures next to his wife Meghan as they ride in a horse-drawn carriage after their wedding ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. (Photo: Reuters/Damir Sagolj)

London, United Kingdom.

23 April 2018

The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, leaves the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital alongside her husband Prince William with their new baby boy, Prince Louis of Cambridge. (Photo: Reuters/Hannah McKay).

Windsor, United Kingdom.

12 October 2018

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank share a kiss after their wedding at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. (Photo: Reuters/Toby Melville).

Mount Nuhulun, Australia.

9 April 2018

Prince Charles of Britain visits Mount Nhulun for a ceremonial welcome with leaders of the Dhimurru and Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporations. (Photo: Arthur Edwards/Pool via Reuters).

Ottawa, Canada.

12 March 2018

Belgium’s Queen Mathilde reacts while sampling freshly made maple taffy at the Richelieu Park sugar shack during a state visit in Ottawa. (Photo: Reuters/Chris Wattie).

Wellington, New Zealand.

28 October 2018

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, exchanges a hongi (a traditional Maori greeting) during a welcome ceremony at Government House in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo: Reuters/Phil Noble).

Windsor, United Kingdom.

11 May 2018

Queen Elizabeth II in conversation with Prince Philip at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. (Photo: Reuters/Peter Nicholls).

Bulford, United Kingdom.

9 February 2018

Prince Charles of Britain has his helmet adjusted after taking a ride in a Warrior tracked armoured vehicle during a training exercise. He was visiting the Mercian Regiment at their barracks in Bulford, Wiltshire. (Photo: Reuters/Peter Nicholls).

Coventry, United Kingdom

16 January 2018

Britain’s Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visit Coventry Cathedral. (Photo: Reuters/Heathcliff O’Malley).

London, United Kingdom.

20 February 2018

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II attends the London Fashion Week and sits next to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour watching Richard Quinn’s runway show before presenting him with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. (Photo: Reuters/Yui Mok/Pool). 

Tallinn, Estonia.

19 August 2018

Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria protects herself from splashing water on board the Estonian Navy ship Wambola near Tallinn, Estonia. (Photo: Reuters/Ints Kalnins). 

Windsor, United Kingdom.

13 July 2018

Queen Elizabeth II stands with US President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, in the Grand Corridor during the couple’s visit to Windsor Castle. (Photo: Steve Parsons/Pool via Reuters).

London, United Kingdom.

24 October 2018

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May welcomes King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands to Downing Street in London. (Photo:Reuters/Peter Nicholls). 

Sydney, Australia.

19 October 2018

Meghan and Prince Harry at Bondi Beach, Sydney on the fourth day of the royal couple’s visit to Australia. (Photo: Dominic Lipinski/Pool via Reuters).

Laikipia, Kenya.

30 September 2018

In his capacity as Colonel of the Regiment, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William (middle), talks to Irish soldiers of 1st Battalion, the Irish Guards battle group training under the British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk) in Laikipia, Kenya. (Photo: Reuters/Thomas Mukoya).

Windsor, United Kingdom.

19 May 2018

Prince Harry and Meghan leave St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle after their wedding. Photo: Jonathan Brady/Pool via Reuters). 

Windsor, United Kingdom.

19 May 2018

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry leaving St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle following their wedding. (Photo: Jane Barlow/PA Wire/Pool via REUTERS).

Windsor, United Kingdom.

25 April 2018

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Tank Regiment, poses for a photograph after presenting the regiment with their new standard in St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle. (Photo: Steve Parsons/Pool via Reuters).

Cork, Ireland

14 June 2018

Britain’s Prince Charles emerges from a recreation of a potato famine era mud hut on the campus of University College Cork, in Cork, Ireland. (Photo: Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne). 

Washington DC, United States

25 June 2018

US first lady Melania Trump escorts Jordan’s Queen Rania after her arrival at the White House in Washington. (Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst).

Source: https://m.channel24.co.za/Gossip/Royal-News/reuters-pictures-of-the-year-2018-royals-20181220

[hphmmatthewluther]

Threads of Silver - Chapter 4: Feast or Famine

I'm back! The previous chapter can be found over here!

This chapter features characters from @camillejeaneshphm , @nikyiscreepy and from @endlessly-cursed !

Taglist (please ask to be added/removed!): @camillejeaneshphm @endlessly-cursed @that-scouse-wizard @catohphm @gaygryffindorgal @potionboy3

In the dull orange light of the fires that surrounded the entrance to the Thane of Cawdor’s castle, Lachlann tried to readjust his clothes so they’d be less constricting for what felt like the hundredth time. It didn’t work. He and Rowena had only had a single day to get used to the tower’s new location before they were off on horseback to get here on time, leaving especially early so that they would have time to drop Helena off with Rowena’s friend, Helga Hufflepuff. They did not stay long, but he overheard that she too had decided to find an apprentice. It appeared that Rowena had started something of a fad when she ventured to Ireland, though of course she had had to wait until Lachlann turned eighteen for him to begin learning magic with her. In the time in between, it seemed, such ideas had caught on with those that knew Rowena. He had met those working under Godric already, and was now slightly curious as to whether or not this Salazar person had done something similar.

A loud creaking sound rang through the night air as the great doors before them opened, allowing Lachlann and Rowena to see into the castle itself. The grand structure still seemed incredibly dark and imposing in spite of the many lights that were dotted across the walls and courtyard, guests all around seemingly all too happy to enter the place, which to Lachlann looked almost nightmarish with how it loomed over them.

Rowena seemed to understand her apprentice’s concerns. “Worry not, Lam. While the Thane’s castle certainly doesn’t present its owner as benevolent, he will not want to look too bloodthirsty in front of his guests, especially since he’d like to distract from Helga’s absence.” Lachlann nodded along as they ventured across the courtyard, following the other guests. He was keeping an eye out for Godric or perhaps the Osadas as well, while also listening to Rowena’s advice. He got the strangest feeling that he’d almost certainly need it.

“Now, you’re an apprentice and ex-serf, and so some may not necessarily be welcoming to you. As long as you remain close to me and remain dutiful, deferential and polite to all, we shouldn’t run into any problems. Understand?”

“Yes, Milady.” Lachlann confirmed. “And that’s even if the changelings are here, understand?”

“Yes, Mi-” he stopped to ask if he had heard her correctly, but before he could they had made it into the hall where the feast was being held, being briefly greeted by the Thane before entering, who couldn’t quite seem to meet Rowena’s eyes, despite towering above her and being donned in ceremonial armour. 

But the Thane wasn’t what Lachlann’s mind was on.Huge tables were set up across the large space, about as large as the inside of a church, with plates and knives carefully set out, as well as enough space to socialise before sitting down to eat. There was a singular table on the raised part of the hall, which stretched across most of the area, that seemed to have the most ornate chairs and tablecloths. Something else caught Lachlann’s eye as they walked into the room. Most of the knives and plates were either wooden or iron, except for three on the far right of the high table, which glistened in the candlelight in an all too familiar manner.

“They’re here.” Lachlann said bluntly, Rowena nodding. Her face didn’t show any sign of emotion, however, a surprise to Lachlann seeing as she would be eating with the very people who sent someone to kill her. When she heard someone call her name, however, she rolled her eyes.

“Ah, Lady Ravenclaw, I’m so glad you decided to come. And Lachlann! Wonderful to see you again! Luxia, dear, this is who I was telling you about the other day.” Godric laughed, walking over to the two with a woman with dark hair in a red dress by his side, who Lachlann assumed must be Luxia, as well as the Osadas,  who both bowed to Rowena and gave a brief nod to Lachlann.

“Lord Gryffindor. Lady Thorne.” Rowena said, bowing in return and trying not to grit her teeth, “And how wonderful to see Gabriel and Rousalie too. Will the baron be joining us too?”

“Yes, though father and mother are with-”

The crowd seemed to be growing quiet and moving away from the door as a group neared it. “That’s what I was going to mention, ‘Wena…he’s just arrived.” Godric sighed, Luxia looking slightly nervous as she too gazed over at the door.

The man gave the briefest of nods to the Thane, who bowed and smiled as he held the door open for him and his entourage. He had dark hair and a short beard in the same shade, and wore resplendent green robes, lined with a material that looked silver, but most likely wasn’t the real thing. What was real, however, was the staff he held in his right hand, that thudded against the stone floor as he walked. His green eyes flitted across the room, Lachlann following them whilst everyone else was seemingly entranced by him. They scanned his seat at the high table, the silver crockery, the many guests, Godric, Rowena, and for the briefest moment he seemed to smirk at Lachlann before completing his venture into the room, the noise returning as both he and the Thane began to socialise, his servants closing the doors to the hall behind them.

“Lord Slytherin, I presume?” Lachlann asked aloud. The Osadas had stepped back a little, and Rousalie nodded as if answering the question.

“Yes, and there’s our parents, just there.” She pointed across to the two people at the edge of Salazar’s entourage; both looked to be in their mid thirties with a different form of Regalia compared to those around them, which Lachlann supposed made sense seeing as they were from abroad. “Goodness, a Scottish feast, how exciting. I wonder how it may differ from English ones…”

Gabriel sighed. “Would you stop pointing? It’s improper and you might attract them over.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Rousalie asked.

“It might be!” he hissed back, Lachlann feeling slightly awkward. “If people see us on the opposite side of mother and father-”

But alas, Gabriel’s worst fear came true. Salazar turned and began walking towards them, entourage included. Seemingly knowing that Lachlann would be more than a little concerned by this, Rowena turned around and nodded softly. There wasn’t much more to say. He’d either sink or swim at this point.

He watched as Salazar approached both Rowena and Godric, bowing as well as kissing Rowena’s hand. He was the only one who saw Godric roll his eyes when that happened. The Thane of Cawdor also bowed, before slipping away to “prepare for the feast”, as if he had noticed the tension in the air. Lachlann tried to reassure himself. It wasn’t like anyone would be wanting to talk to him specifically, after all. He felt far worse for the Osadas, who suddenly found the floor very interesting to look at in the face of their parents. 

By this point, some of the entourage had left Salazar’s side, leaving just Baron and Baroness Osada, Salazar himself, and two women who looked about Lachlann’s age.

“Lord Gryffindor, Lady Thorne, and…” he paused for a moment as he stared at Rowena. “It’s so wonderful to see you again, Lady Ravenclaw. The realm of magic simply hasn’t been the same since the last time you graced us with your presence.”

“You’re much too kind, Lord Slytherin.” Rowena replied stiffly, “Returning to being a full-time witch is something I have been eager to do for quite some time.”

“Indeed, indeed…curious how quickly you’ve been able to do so, considering…well, I thought that you must have offered your services to a noble or king, especially when I heard you’d changed address. But no, you’re still up in the Highlands, correct?”

“Correct.” Rowena said, bluntly. Godric quickly stepped in before she could say anything else, however.

“Yes, it’s a truly lovely spot she’s chosen, I was over there just recently with the Osadas. They are truly wonderful travelling companions, Baron Osada. They are exceptionally well-behaved and dutiful.”

“I’m so glad you found them that way.” the Baron replied, bowing to Godric. “We are so grateful for your tutelage of them. What an invaluable endeavour.”

Godric shrugged, smiling. “Well, I cannot take all of the credit, Alas. The idea was Lady 

Ravenclaw’s, of course…”

“Indeed it was.” Salazar said, smirking, his eyes once again flitting to look at Lachlann for the briefest of moments, before turning back just as the Thane of Cawdor approached. “Ah, it is time for us to take our seats at the high table.” He turned to the rest of the group, with Lachlann, Gabriel and Rousalie all unable to directly make eye contact. “You all should be escorted to your seats in due time. I don’t believe you’ve met my own apprentices, from the Kingdom of Francia, no less. Lady Brunhilde of Cologne, and Lady Mathilde of Coventry, allow me to introduce you to the children of Baron and Baroness Osada, and…Lady Ravenclaw’s apprentice. If you’ll excuse me…” he said, bowing slightly and walking away, his staff tapping against the castle floor, as if signalling the other guests to make way.

Perhaps, in hindsight, Lachlann should have paid more attention to who else was on the high table. But it now fell to him and the Osadas to greet Salazar’s apprentices. Rousalie, with surprisingly quick speed, got her introduction out of the way very quickly, graciously bowing before taking a step back, even gesturing to Gabriel as if to rub it in. Ignoring her, Gabriel stepped forward, and by instinct Lachlann did too. He forced himself to look away from the ground and up at the two women.

The one Gabriel bowed in front of was the taller of the two, and by a decent degree taller than a lot of others in the hall, including Gabriel, but stopping a few inches short from Lachlann’s height. She wore an elegant deep purple dress in the same style as Salazar’s clothing, her hair a deep orange, masterfully styled, and her face unmoving as Gabriel bowed slightly before her, extending his hand. Lachlann tried his best to copy the motion for the woman before him (thankfully Rowena had taught him for moments like this). Unlike the woman in the purple dress, however, the woman before Lachlann wasn’t expressionless at all, and seemed to be making just as many observations as he was. It gave him a modicum of relief.

Judging by the order Lord Slytherin had introduced the two, he assumed that this must be Lady Mathilde of Coventry. She also had incredibly well-styled hair, though hers was blonde, and she was much shorter in height than Lady Brunhilda. Her dress was a similar shade of green to Salazar’s, though perhaps a shade one way or the other, and happened to be adorned with silver linings across the fabric, wrapping around the tightly fitted upper half of the dress, giving her a very sleek look despite the many, many layers that presumably made up the dress. Her green eyes looked down upon him, and he dared to look back up. She remained quiet, but it was clear that she had something on her mind as she looked at the group all the same.

***

Persephone looked between Merula and Matthew for a moment. “So both your ancestors ended up meeting each other a thousand years ago? Boy, no wonder you two got wrapped up in all of that magical destiny sort of thing.” she chuckled.

Merula rolled her eyes at the interruption. “Oh please. Once you’re at the thousand year mark the chances are you’re going to find an awful lot of ancestors wandering about the place. It’s no surprise that many of ours just so happened to come across each other, it’s just that it got recorded because our ancestors are fairly important people.” she said, proudly.

Mayson sighed. “Aw man, that doesn’t mean you're technically a Baroness, does it?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Kowalksi.” Merula chuckled. “Possibly. There are several contenders for where the title should be, myself being one of them, though of course I don’t mind too much. My fame will come from what I do, not because my ancestors managed to pass a title down the family line.”

Persephone raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound like you, Miss Fourth-Generation-Slytherin. Anyway, when are we getting to this gossip? So far all we’ve had is some weird cutlery.”

“And the general tension between the founders, um…” Matthew pointed out. “It’s crazy to think we know them now as close friends after hearing they acted like this around each other, trying to one-up each other with their apprentices.”

“Well, we’re getting into it now. You want gossip? Fine.” Merula huffed, flicking through her notes once again. “Hm…being a Baroness would be pretty cool…a-anyway… ”

***

Even now, Lachlann could smell the food being prepared in the castle kitchens, the smell beginning to waft in from the doors. The others didn’t seem too bothered by it; perhaps because they had had meals like these all their lives, and so it provided an extra difficulty when it came to socialising like this. Still, he remained determined to represent Lady Ravenclaw in a proper manner. He and Gabriel rose from their bows and watched as Brunhilda and Mathilde both curtseyed in return, the silver that adorned Mathilde catching Lachlann’s eye. He figured this was a result of the changeling’s claim of control over silver only extending to the Isles.

But right now wasn’t the time to focus on silver, even if the changelings were here at the feast. Maybe it would come up with Brunhilda and Mathilde, maybe it wouldn’t. He knew full well the conversation likely wouldn’t be led by him.

The woman Gabriel had bowed before, Lady Brunhilda, spoke first. “How truly wonderful it is to see you all. It is always a pleasure when you visit from your home kingdom, and I am delighted to hear you will be staying in these Isles on a more regular basis.” she said, the words sounding complimentary, but Lachlann sensed no real emotion behind them.

Gabriel, too, sensed the detachment, but seemingly chose not to comment. “Indeed, Bruna, it truly will be a delight for both myself and my sister.” he said. Bruna seemed to glare at Gabriel with some semblance of annoyance for a moment before quickly returning to her blank mask. Rousalie’s face, meanwhile, briefly glowered with anger at being pulled in before composing herself.

“My brother speaks truthfully. It is always a varied experience whenever we are invited to a feast anywhere in these Isles. There are simply so many slight differences in the way the many kingdoms do their feasts!” she exclaimed, smiling.

Bruna smiled as well, but it seemed hollow. “I wholeheartedly agree. It’s much the same in the various provinces in France, wouldn’t you agree, Mathilde?” she droned, looking to her companion.

Lachlann turned to look at her, and was surprised to see that she’d been looking at him. “Oh, of course, Bruna, dear.” she said, her face still in that observant expression. “We’ve both been to so many of these feasts…” she said, her eyes now fixed on Lachlann. “But this is the first time Lady Ravenclaw has come to a feast with an apprentice.”

All eyes in the group were now on Lachlann, Rousalie once again wordlessly gesturing, this time for him. “That’s correct, milady.” he began, though sensed immediately that it’d take a little more than that. “Lachlann Doherty, of Wexford.”

“Wexford, did you say?” Mathilde repeated, her eyebrow slightly raised. “I’ve not heard of that province. Would it happen to be on the other island?”

“That’s correct, milady, by the South East Coast.” Lachlann confirmed. “Though, I suppose the accent gives it away too.” he said as well, unsure where that admission had come from.

Mathilde’s mouth formed a small smile, Bruna continuing to watch on without reaction. “Yes, it does.” she chuckled. “But of course, that’s not why you’ve been the subject of a few rumours.”

“Rumours, Milady?”

“Quite so,” Bruna interjected, “About how despite Lady Ravenclaw devising the idea of apprentice mages, she was the last to acquire one. And while the other sorcerers of her standing took their protégés from their close friends who shared the gift…she went all the way to the South of Éire, only to return with…a peasant.”

“A former peasant.” Rousalie pointed out, sparing Lachlann from thinking about making the interruption. “Or do you prefer “serf”, Lachlann?”

He blinked a couple of times. “Either’s fine.” he blurted out, clearing his throat before continuing, “It’s not exactly something I can hide about myself, after all.”

Mathilde hummed in response, her fingers tapping together. “Fascinating, you seem remarkably frank about your former status…you consider yourself to be among your peers, now?”

Lachlann shrugged, praying that he understood what she’d asked properly. “Well, in terms of us all being apprentices, yes. Though I’m not gonna pretend I’ve had as much experience as any of you, be it in magic or in doing whatever it is we do at feasts.”

Mathilde blinked. Then she smiled. Then she brought her hand to her mouth to stifle a chuckle, which seemed to surprise Gabriel, Rousalie, even the stoic Bruna. “Worry not, I do not blame you for not knowing what it is we do at feasts. After all, sometimes I have similar questions myself at events like these.” The others in the group then took terms politely agreeing with Mathilde’s comments, Lachlann’s eyes being able to glance over at the group preparing to sit at the high table. He saw the Osadas, Godric, Luxia and Rowena on the left side of the Thane, and Salazar and three others on the right. He didn’t recognise them at first, but then realised that these were the ones dining with silverware. There were two who looked to be in their late 20s and seemed to be a couple, and a woman that somehow seemed younger but not by much. But before he could examine them any further, people started moving around the hall.

“The feast is beginning.” Gabriel explained. “Well, technically it already has, but the actual feast portion of the night. You understand.” He confirmed. Lachlann nodded in return as the tables were organised and plates were positioned on top. A servant appeared, gesturing for them to follow, but before he could walk forward, he was stopped by Gabriel. “You’re doing well, friend, but…be wary around those two. They are fully devoted to Lord Slytherin, and they say that-” but he stopped as Bruna and Mathilde walked past, and he was forced to walk along with them.

They were guided to their tables, and ended up passing by Rowena’s group as a result. She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head in a way that suggested “Did it go well?”. Lachlann returned the expression in a way that suggested “I think so, at least it has so far.”, aware that there would be conversation during the feast as well as whatever followed it. He tried to calm his nerves, his eyes once again scanning the room. It was during this that he noticed Mathilde and Bruna were talking in hushed voices to Salazar and the three others. The Lord noticed him, but merely smiled, and gestured for the women to rejoin the group before talking with the others on his side of the table, presumably the changelings.

Two others made eye contact with Lachlann from that group. Mathilde, only briefly, and the youngest of the changelings, who gave him a smirk that felt oddly familiar. He sat down with the others, next to Rousalie and opposite Mathilde. The younger Osada also noticed the woman. She had a purple dress, though of a different shade to Bruna, as well as silver linings that absolutely had to be the real thing.

“I’m not sure what family they are, either.” Rousalie whispered, smiling still. “They certainly seem important, though. Do any of us present have an idea as to their family?”

Gabriel shrugged, as did Bruna and Mathilde, though theirs seemed almost in unison, as if practised. Lachlann wondered if that was something they taught nobles, how to shrug properly. He fought the urge to smile about it. “Ah well,” Rousalie continued. “It doesn’t concern us right now.”

Before any more could be said, however, the food was brought out. More meat than Lachlann had ever seen was piled onto the plates, alongside rich-looking bread and more. It was definitely the most amount of food Lachlann had ever had on a plate, dwarfing even what Rowena gave him. He looked around, and everyone else seemed to be waiting to eat, looking at the high table. The Thane stood up and raised his goblet, a wicked grin on his face. “Welcome, esteemed guests! We are honoured to have so many of the nobility in our presence here in the Highlands, and I am sure his Majesty of this fine region would agree. And so, in thanks for his wise leadership allowing this meeting between those of a magical persuasion and those who are otherwise. To His Majesty the King!”

Everyone in the room raised their own drinks, repeating the toast, before the feast properly began. Lachlann picked up his utensils, his eyes still on the high table. Yes, he was very much hungry, but there was simply so much in front of him, he wondered where on earth he was supposed to start. It was then that Mathilde cleared her throat.

“Something about the Thane’s speech?” she asked, a small smile present on her face as she spun her fork on her food.

Lachlann shrugged. “I suppose a little. It was odd to see him praising the King so much, since I heard the Thane doesn’t like him.”

Mathilde rolled her eyes in a lighthearted way. “Oh, but that’s precisely why. He’s wanted to try and break from the King for a while now, he’s just got to keep up appearances for a bit until the time is right. But you don’t need to worry about all that.” She leant back a little on her seat. “Now, you ought to eat. Your food will get cold.”

He nodded, focusing on the large meal before him. He took a hold of his spoon and started eating what was before him. It wasn’t just food that looked rich. It was the most filling thing he’d ever tasted, a single bite or two of the red meat completely wiping away the stomachache. He had some of the bread, hoping it would be slightly less rich, but no such luck. A few minutes in and he already felt full, and he’d only eaten about half of what was on his plate. He tried one more bite, and it felt as if his stomach was fit to burst. He wasn’t sure how rude a gesture it was to not eat everything on his plate, and so decided to be very careful about pushing his bowl forward, the food left inside hidden to an extent by the goblets in front of it. But, as fate would have it, this would turn out to be the least of his problems.

At first, he thought it was the richness of the food that was causing him to feel a little unwell. But soon, it became clear that the pain was in more than just his stomach. It was as if it was reaching out across his body. He felt sweaty, his head felt numb, it became very difficult to breathe. Once more, he’d observed everything in the hall. He saw Mathilde, her eyes anywhere but him for some reason, Bruna whom she was talking to, who also seemed to act like he didn’t exist all of a sudden. The only one who seemed concerned was Gabriel, who he saw mouth words that he didn’t hear. That was when Lachlann realised his hearing had muffled. The world seemed to swirl around him, and his thoughts were on how disappointed Lady Ravenclaw was going to be in him because of whatever this was…at least until he saw the woman in the dress smirking once more. And he knew where he’d seen it. The last time his life was in danger.

“You.”

Suddenly Lachlann was not in the hall of the Thane of Cawdor, though he heard distorted voices from the feast in the misty air. Instead, he was in a clearing in a dark forest that seemed to be shrinking in on him, the trees covering more and more of the grass. The only other person there stood opposite, looking down upon him.

“Me.” Betwixt chuckled, her eyes now a pale white without irises. “Typical peasantry, always surprised when a changeling they met in armour rocks up in a dress. It’s so fun watching them wrap their tiny little minds around the ways of the Fae.” 

Lachlann scowled as he lay on the ground, trying to regain his composure. “...Should’ve known. I just thought you would have spent some time sulking after I threw you in that puddle.”

Betwixt rolled their eyes, though without the pupils it was a little hard to see. “Please. I likely would have sulked a little longer, but when I heard you would be accompanying the thief to this feast, my parents and I agreed that it was simply too good an opportunity to miss.”

Lachlann blinked several times, the mist getting just a little bit thicker. “So, what? You poisoned my food?”

“Do you never listen?!” Betwixt seethed, dusting down her dress, “We are royalty! As if we would ever poison someone ourselves. We simply spoke to Lord Slytherin and he agreed to have his specialist handle it. We’ve used the services of his acolytes in the past, after all.”

“Right…” Lachlann sighed, his mind swimming as he tried to get to his feet, though this time it was not from numbness, but from curiosity as to who had poisoned him. As he thought about it longer, the answer became clearer. “And killing me does what, other than avenging your soggy clothes?”

Betwixt did not show an outward reaction to that jab. “Simple.” she smirked, her skin becoming purple and her hair going from brown to white, “Without you, Lady Ravenclaw will once again be unable to operate as a full-time witch. From there, it shall be far easier to reclaim our stolen silver.”

“You stole the silver first, as far as I’m concerned.”

“It was given to us through Fae law, something you clearly know nothing about!”

“You caught some Lord exaggerating, congratulations, it doesn’t give you the right to-”

“Would you be quiet!” She bellowed, running her hands through her hair. “When I use Legilimency on those who are dying on my orders, it is not for them to insult me! It is for them to plead for their worthless mortal lives! You are doomed! As we speak, the poison works through your veins, causing so much pain that your mind is obscured by a cold, foul mist…until of course, death strikes.” she gestured to the forest. “That’s why you can only hear my voice. I am here, but the fog in your mind prevents you from seeing any more.”

Lachlann blinked. “...but I can see you. It’s not even all that foggy.”

Betwixt looked like she was about to continue, but stopped in her tracks. “N-No, you can’t.”

“...I’m certain I can.”

“No you can’t! The poison is clouding your mind, you can’t see, you’re frozen in place...”

Lachlann took a step forward. “I can see you, and…” he turned his head, noticing a path leading out of the forest, towards what looked like Ravenclaw Tower. “I think I see a way out.”

Betwixt laughed in spite of herself. “No, no, no!” she said, denying what was happening in front of her as Lachlann started walking forward. “You can’t move! You can’t see the trees! You can’t see the way out! That’s not how this works!” she screeched, stamping her foot on the grassy floor.

“Ah, typical nobility.” Lachlann chuckled as he walked past her, “Something doesn’t go your way, and you can’t wrap your head around it. Who was the blind one again?” 

“Stop!” yelled Betwixt, uselessly, “Come back this instant! You’re doing it wrong, you damn peasant!”

Lachlann simply waved as he walked towards the Tower, the trees thinning along with the fog. It was still cold, and he still felt awful, but his mind was clear. He looked to the sky, and lightning came down over the trees. There was a flash, and the forest was gone. He opened his eyes, scanning the hall yet again. He was lying on the stone floor of the hall, with Rowena on one side and Rousalie on the other, Gabriel squatting nearby as well. All eyes were on him.

“Oh, Merlin…” Rowena said, her voice betraying how relieved she was.

“Aah! He’s still alive!” Rousalie exclaimed, backing away in shock.

“Yeah, I can see that, Rou,” Gabriel sighed. “How did…”

“Wena, just where did you find this boy?” Godric chuckled, Luxia holding his arm and the Osadas near him, all looking on in surprise.

Lachlann sat himself up, still feeling numb and sweaty. He looked at the high table, at the Thane of Cawdor who seemed at a loss for words, at Salazar who simply glowered at him, at the changelings who were behind all this (and seemed to be having trouble keeping their chosen forms stable). Then he looked at the table he’d fallen from, at Bruna and Mathilde. The former was trying and failing to keep expressionless, her lips parted slightly. The latter was glaring directly at him, held back by Bruna as if she was afraid Mathilde was going to leap over the table to get at him. Lachlann simply smiled.

“A-Apologies…” he said, grimacing in pain, “...As a former serf, I’m afraid I’m ignorant on the proper way to be poisoned.”

***

Merula paused for a moment, yawning. “Blimey, how long have I been going…Matthew, you’ve got one of those muggle wrist-clock things…what time is it?”

Matthew checked his watch. “It’s…ah…late.” He sighed. “Past midnight, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“You can’t stop now!” Persephone exclaimed. “We were just getting to the good stuff! I wanted to know what everyone was going to do next!”

Merula sighed. “You were the one who wanted us to go to bed in the first place, Palerosine.”

“Sparks is right,” Mayson said, “You’re the best History of Magic teacher I’ve ever had. You actually made it…y’know…interesting! I actually want to learn more for the first time!”

Merula rolled her eyes. “I know you’re playing to my ego, Kowalski…but that’s exactly how I operate, as I’m sure Matthew must have told you. Alright, I’ll tell you about the rest of the night. You’d better get an O on this report, is all I’ll say. The both of you.” she ordered, pointing to Mayson and Persephone.

“Oh, I imagine we will, don’t worry.” Persephone smiled. “Also…did you just call him Matthew?” she asked, pointing to the only Ravenclaw in the room.

“What? N-No. Did I? No. Don’t be silly.” she said dismissively, fishing through her notes and hiding her blushing face. “Ah, here we are, let’s…let’s keep going.” she said, quickly looking at Matthew, who smiled back at her. She blushed a little more, before finding what she was looking for. “Here we are…Lachlann makes his snarky quip, and then…”

[hphmmatthewluther]

Bringing Good Tidings, Part 4: Epiphany

Here it is! Sorry for it being so late! This is the final part of a 4-part collab by myself and @endlessly-cursed, featuring characters by her as well as characters from @camillejeaneshphm and @that-scouse-wizard !!

Bringing Good Tidings, Part 4: Epiphany

As Lachlann watched the Krampus snarl at the many guests, he moved in front of his children on instinct, as did Mathilde. The creature had dark grey fur and moved like a goat on its hind legs, though instead of hooves on the front trotters there was a pair of clawed hands. It had two long horns on its head that curled in different ways before tailing off, and on its back was a large red bag. Lachlann could guess what it planned on putting in there. It cackled at the frightened nobles who fled from it until they were shivering in the far end of the hall. That only left Lachlann’s family, Henriette’s family, Bruna and Betwixt as the last ones not cowering in fear.

“As always…” Mathilde muttered under her breath, holding out her free hand for the other three children to cling onto, Felix remaining in her other one.

Henriette, figuring that they would know at least something that could help, turned to Betwixt, and was surprised to see an expression of abject fear on their face. They saw her looking at them, and tried desperately to calm themselves. They failed. “...I-I apologise…I thought that I would never have to deal with it again…”

The Krampus snapped its neck to look at the group. “Ahh, if it isn’t the ickle Sovereign, no mummy or daddy to keep you from me now…and who do I have to thank for that?”

Lachlann’s grip on his wand tightened as Krampus creaked its neck over to scrutinise him. For the briefest of moments, it was as if the last decade or so had never happened, and he was a scared peasant boy with no idea what magical monstrosity stood before him. “...Anything they could do, Betwixt can do. And more, as a matter of fact.”

The Krampus’ eyes, goatlike with long black slits for irises, stared unblinking. “And what about you? You, who found himself at just the right place at the right time to inherit an abandoned kingdom’s worth of silver and magic? You are a very lucky peasant…but I think your luck may have run out.”

Lachlann considered looking away from the hungry gaze of the beast, but despite his fear a part of his mind considered the possibility of it striking at his children if he did so. But he couldn’t keep staring, couldn’t keep looking at his warped reflection within the goat-man’s eyes.

But then he heard voices to his left and right. “What on earth are you talking about?” he heard Mathilde say, trying not to let his breath hitch when he heard her take a step forward to stand by his side. “I was there, and I can tell you he did a fair bit more than that. He and Henriette saved countless people from meaningless wars and conflicts. The kingdom was just a bonus, really.”

“Indeed.” said Bruna, who he was even more surprised to hear walk forward, “And if his luck’s run out, he’s always got his foolish noble friends to save him, which we’ve often had to do anyway.”

Lachlann nodded silently, his face now level with the Krampus, this strange Fae-like barrier even stronger with the three of them standing together. Betwixt, breathing rapidly, turned to Henriette. “We might be able to get out of this…if we make the Krampus look away, it will have lost, and we can go on the attack.”

Understanding, Henriette directed her attention to the staredown, the Krampus trying and failing to insult Lachlann, with even his children joining in on the conflict. She stifled a smile as they yelled several irish insults that Lachlann must have taught them, even Fèlix was getting in on the act, blowing raspberries at the creature. Henriette marvelled at the Doherty family for a moment before clearing her throat just as the Krampus was beginning to get even more annoyed than it had been previously.

“Cease this!” He raved, his goat-eyes still unblinking in spite of his rage. “I will not be bested by a mortal family…especially not a cursed mortal family!”

Henriette cleared her throat. “You seem quite keen to criticise us, sir, but I’d say you’re ripe for criticism too. I assume you’re here on the invitation of a certain changeling advisor?”

The Krampus tapped on the floor with its hooves a few times. “Please do not distract me, I’m trying to kidnap these children. I’ll get to yours in a minute…maybe they’ll be able to continue their playdate on the way back to the Faewyld.”

“That’s rather what I was getting at. Why do you kidnap children? And why specifically at christmas? I don’t remember a Krampus going to Bethlehem after all.”

The goat stuttered for a moment, before bleating in disgust, still not looking away. “Bah! Typical! No consideration for how your funny little church took over one of the pagan festivals! All this revelry, and dancing, and flirtatiousness? It did not come from your God or his ministers. It came from us! And now we’re taking what you owe: the children you cannot raise right!”

Though it did not turn, Henriette still felt as if a pair of unblinking eyes were now on her too, just as they were on Lachlann. “It’s funny, there are so many more peasants than you noble types, and yet I end up taking far more of these children. I hear them, you know, bickering and gossiping like their parents, with the same disdain for everyone around them that you all have! So in a way, this is something of a gift for them. They get away from you, and have a chance to live free from your sins!”

Henriette thought for a moment that its eye had darted over to her, but it clearly wasn’t enough to break the spell. She felt like looking away, but she didn’t need to. She knew the faces that were standing behind her, just as Lachlann knew the faces behind him. Maybe she was afraid of what they might end up like. But with that fear came excitement at seeing them grow. No matter what might come, what mistakes they made or what tragedies befell them, she would be there for them, and she would make sure their lives were theirs to lead. She took a breath, looked the Krampus up and down, and said “Forgive me for not taking parenting advice from a creature that looks like a gargoyle done on a budget.”

The Krampus snapped its neck to stare at Henriette, the crack echoing through the hall as it realised that the sound was about more than its bones. Fred placed his hand on her shoulder, looking at her and smiling, before turning to the now nervous beast. “Thank you for silencing this prattling beast’s tongue, darling. If he dares to loosen that tongue against our family again, may I relieve him of it?” he asked, brandishing his large sword.

The Krampus scraped across the floor with its hooves nervously. “T-This wasn’t my idea, understand…i-it was that other fellow, the advisor…they said Oberon himself wanted me to do this…I’m beginning to think they might have been lying.”

“Mm, funny that.” Betwixt chuckled, stepping forward too. “Because now you’re going to listen to the Monarch of the Silver Kingdom. Leave, for these children are protected.”

The Krampus bowed its dark head in defeat. “Very well. I see now that you will not let your children go lightly. Not you with your three,” it bowed to Bruna, “not your…however many there are, it’s hard to count-” at which Henriette had to hold Fred back, “and not your five.” Before anyone could say anything else, there was a puff of black smoke, and the Krampus was gone. In its place were two small white goats, one with a label reading “to Lord Lachlann (Doherty) of Wexford” and the other “to Lady Henriette of Wessex”.

At once, the children all ran forward to pet the goats, giggling amongst themselves as the other nobles moved away from the wall and towards the others. Everyone else seemed to be breathing a sigh of relief, but Henriette and Lachlann then shot a look at each other. “Wait a moment,,” Lachlann said, looking at the goats. “Did it say…five?”

Mathilde chuckled, Henriette realising it before Lachlann when she saw Mathilde’s hand on her stomach. She had thought her dress was less tight than Mathilde usually had it, and what was more, Henriette had suspected the same thing was the case for her too, and felt her own hand move over her stomach. The Lady of Coventry chuckled at her husband. “Don’t look like I’ve poisoned you or something. I found out a few days ago, should be due around the Harvest season.”

Sam looked up amongst the gasps and cooing. “What does that mean?”

Caitílin looked as if she was about to mock him, but stopped. “It means that Mum’s having another baby!”

“Does this mean that there’s going to be another feast?” Simone asked, still smiling.

Felix started fidgeting out of his mother’s hands, clearly already getting jealous of the attention the baby a few inches below him was getting. Lachlann scooped him up and kissed Mathilde’s cheek, a warm and wonderful smile on his face. “Oh Tillie, that’s wonderful news, I’m so…I can’t put into words how happy I am.”

“You’ve said that every time.” she replied, smirking as she kissed him back, “But thank you, dear. And yes, Simone, though a small one.” She looked up at Bruna, hoping to see a look that confirmed she would be there, but the smile on her perfectly poised face carried a sadness with it.

“I wish I could, but I am expected to leave here tomorrow.” Bruna sighed, cupping Mathilde’s cheek in plain view of everyone else. “But I shall keep you and your lovely children in my thoughts. You too, Lord Doherty.” she said.

Lachlann blinked once or twice, looking out the doors the Krampus had come through, still ajar, at the starry sky outside. It was Henriette, though, who then spoke, her hand intertwined with Fred’s, Betwixt looking at the two goats with the many children. “Then perhaps we ought to spend this night together, in celebration.” she said, looking between the three knowing that they meant far more to each other than most marriages could articulate.

The two women looked at Lachlann, and at the toddler he was holding, and nodded in unison. “I’d love nothing more, my dears.” Bruna said, the sadness still present in her smile, but now with something more hopeful behind it too.

[hphmmatthewluther]

Bringing Good Tidings, Part 2: Childermass Goes Awry

Here's my first part of this collab between me and @endlessly-cursed ! Apologies for the slight delay! Continuing from her last post, we rejoin Lachlann and Henriette as strange goings-on begin to threaten the holiday...

(Featuring ocs from @endlessly-cursed , @camillejeaneshphm , and @that-scouse-wizard )

The next few days passed with much merriment from those in attendance, though Lachlann continued to worry about the nagging feeling that he was about to be caught off guard by something. As he mingled with the other guests, he was able to pass off any of his nervous glances as “Serf’s Intuition”, which always got a polite laugh from the other guests. But, of course, there was one person he couldn’t keep it hidden from. His wife, Mathilde, looked up at him in a way that only someone who’d studied his entire biology to know how best to poison him could know.

“What is it?” she asked at one point late on the 27th of December, the children already in bed by now (if not asleep, at least in their bedroom). “Is it about the Lord of Misrule business in a couple of days? I doubt you of all people would find it too humiliating, you always have been quite good at dismissing any funny looks.”

“It’s not that.” Lachlann said bluntly, shaking his head for a moment before shuffling closer. “And it’s not even about who that Lord of Misrule is going to be…if anything, I wish that were the explanation…”

“But it’s not, is it?” Mathilde raised an eyebrow at her husband. “You don’t get nervous when dealing with Betwixt. More…mildly irritated.”

“Can you blame me? They cursed our bloodline because of what happened back then…and whenever it comes up I try to tell them how I tried to find another way, but…”

Mathilde placed her hand on his shoulder. “You really can be quite stubborn sometimes. It would take a miracle to get Betwixt to like you, so I suggest moving on. Even they’ve learnt to do that, from what I’ve heard.”

“Oh yeah, that Spaniard woman they married. I honestly can’t believe they settled down after the strop they pulled when Hen- what?”

Mathilde pointed to the woman standing in the door, who had a friendly smile on her face as if recognising Lachlann’s utter embarrassment. “You are somewhat right, Lam.” Henriette began, walking forward and sitting down with the other two. “Betwixt never was one for mortal traditions…or monogamy. Still, they took the time they needed, met a nice immortal, and now they’ve got a family. In fact, I hear that Lady Sancha is expecting her 4th child, hence why Betwixt is only coming for one day.”

“Oh, how lovely for them!” Mathilde exclaimed, Lachlann detecting no amount of her normal snark. “The child must be due soon, in that case.”

“Quite soon, I imagine so, yes.” Henriette confirmed. “Seeing them will be a wonderful change from the routine of these feasts…not to mention tomorrow.”

“Don’t remind me.” Mathilde chuckled, looking over at the corridor that led to their children’s room. “How do your children deal with it? I think Caitílin is just about growing out of being fully terrified by it now, like Sam and Simone are, and Fèlix is still too young to fully understand what’s happening, bless him.”

Henriette smiled as Mathilde recounted their children. “I’d say it’s the same with us, yes. It’s always interesting to see who tries to act all tough and unafraid and who still voices their fears. Speaking of, we ought to get our sleep if we want to be ready for the Mass tomorrow. Still, it’s only for one day. How bad could it be?”

Lachlann bit his tongue and refused to comment on how dangerous it was to ask questions like that. “I suppose we’ll see. Goodnight, Henriette.”

Henriette made her way back to her room, where her husband Frederick was already sleeping. She didn’t blame him, considering how restless the children could get during Childermass. She laid down next to him, shuffling close. As she closed her eyes, she found herself thinking about Lachlann and Mathilde. To say they weren’t a traditional couple was something of an understatement, after all, he was a former serf and she was a former assassin who’d been tasked with killing him. They talked and acted like all the other couples in attendance, of course, but then there were moments when they’d mention what happened during the Mage Wars, and it was obvious how it had given them such a different perspective. They seemed almost untouchable, seeing as most other nobles were terrified of this new clan, too afraid to try to interfere with their matters. This was where Henriette’s mind settled as she drifted off: that her role in maintaining a noble family was one thing, but to get one started was an entirely different beast.

***

The morning silence was broken by the sounds of bickering from the next room. Lachlann leant forward, gently moving Mathilde’s arm from his side, giving her a brief kiss on the forehead. “I’ll handle it, darling.”

Mathilde hummed in relief, trailing her hand down his chest as she settled back in the bed. “Bless you, Lam.” she whispered, Lachlann smiling for a moment before getting dressed and heading out into the other room. Inside, he instinctively took a head count of his children. Caitílin, the oldest, was currently trying to force Fèlix, still very much an infant, into the arms of Sam, the second oldest. Simone, meanwhile, the second youngest, was seemingly content to watch this play out. Lachlann took a seat next to her, waiting for the others to notice him.

“Morning, Daddy.” Simone said, smiling up at him in that way all siblings do when they’re the one not in trouble.

“Morning, sweetie. What’s all the fuss about?” Lachlann whispered back. Simone simply chuckled and pointed to the others.

“It’ll be good for you!”

“I have no clue what I’m doing!”

“Time to learn, then! You’re inheriting the Line, after all.”

“Line, Line!” Fèlix laughed, clearly enjoying the rocking motion, before looking up and seeing “Daddy!”

Caitílin and Sam looked up and finally noticed their father, both stepping back leaving Fèlix staggering in the middle for a moment before Lachlann caught him, picking him up and holding him.

“All up and early, I see. Cait, didn’t your mother say it was your job today to look after your brother?”

“But why? If I’m not inheriting the Line, surely I shouldn’t have those responsibilities!” She said, sounding out the longer words in a way that suggested they weren’t originally hers.

“But I don’t know how to do all of it!” Sam pleaded.

“Neither do I, but you have to do it anyway.” Caitílin said, as if that ended the matter, her face dropping when she saw Lachlann’s expression, which made it very clear that it didn’t.

Lachlann cleared his throat. “Here, Sam. I’d like you to take your brother over to your mother’s room and she’ll get you something to eat. Simone can help you. Can you do that for me?” 

Sam thought out the process in his head, before nodding. “Yep! I can do that!” Simone looked over and nodded as well.

“Excellent. Now, Caitílin, out here please.” Lachlann said, pointing to the balcony overlooking the snow-covered fields. The youngest three Doherty children looked at each other, shrugged, and left the two in the room. 

They walked over to the balcony, Caitílin sighing as she leant against the wall. “I’m the only one who can see over the wall, the others need me to lift them up.” she said, proudly.

Lachlann smiled at her, before looking out over the fields. “Cait, where’d you hear about all this line stuff?”

She shrugged, tracing a pattern in the snow that had fallen onto the very edge of the wall. “Dunno. One of the other children at the feasts was talking about how since he’s the oldest and a man he gets to inherit the Line of his family.”

Lachlann nodded, understanding perfectly. “And you thought that meant we’d be giving this “Line” to Sam instead.”

Caitílin looked up at him. “Well, aren’t you?! You need a strong line to keep the family going, and that means choosing someone suitable. Well, I’m far more capable at most things than Sam, and I actually want to do it!”

Lachlann shook his head. “Cait, you do realise what a Line is, right? It’s a continued legacy going all the way back through noble families, all the history and betrayal and fighting.” He traced a line in the snow, all along the windowsill. Then, at one end of the line, he put a very tiny dot.  “We…don’t really have a Line yet. Your mother and I are the first Dohertys. That’s what you and Sam have been bickering about.”

Caitílin leant over, staring at the little dot in the snow. “...That’s our Line? That’s all it is.”

Lachlann nodded. “Pretty much, yeah. Not so important now, right?”

She shrugged, leaning back from the wall. “I guess not. Can we get breakfast?”

He smiled, taking his daughter by the hand. “Of course. Come on, let’s go and find the others.”

They left the room only to hear more yelling from the others, though this time it was not bickering.

“Mum, Dad! Look! It’s the Lord of Misrule!” came the yelling.

“On Childermass?” Caitílin asked, confused. Lachlann, however, looked more afraid. 

“Cait…don’t let go of my hand.”

***

For Henriette and Frederick, the morning seemed oddly quiet. She’d been expecting more arguments between Juliana and Denefigu. But no, there was nothing. At least not until there was a loud knocking at the door. Frederick shuffled in his sleep, clearly assuming it was one of the kids, but it was far too heavy for that. Henriette moved out of bed and got dressed quickly before opening the door, seeing someone who definitely was not one of her children. They were dressed in an incredibly odd costume, consisting of a large green overcoat, matching stockings, a bright gold and silver-covered shirt, and an olive wreath wrapped around a large jester-like hat. It could only be the Lord of Misrule, and that meant…

“Betwixt?” Henriette asked, surprised, watching them breathing heavily as if they had run all the way here. 

The Monarch of the Changelings looked up at her, nodding. “A-Apologies…M-Merry Christmas, I…I wish I could say I’m here early for a good reason.”

“I’ll say. It’s Childermass, you know, the day when all the kids are hiding, hoping Herod’s ghost doesn’t come back and get them.” Henriette explained.

“Yes, that’s what I mean.” Betwixt said. “But that’s Catholic tradition. While that and the Fae sometimes are intertwined…and by that I mean they stole from us and our worshippers….sometimes there are differences. Childermass is one of them, and it means that we have to go now.”

Henriette nodded, suddenly aware of how deafening the silence was. “Explain, Betwixt. If something has happened to my children…”

“Your children will be fine, I’m sure…provided we hurry and deal with this as quickly as we can and get them back inside before it’s too late.” Betwixt held out their hand to her. “Come on, we’ll Apparate.”

Henriette looked back at her husband. “Darling, there’s a bit of a problem. Get dressed and meet us down there, alright?” Turning to Betwixt, they took their hand. “How’s life now you’ve settled down, then?”

Betwixt couldn’t help but smile. “It doesn’t feel like settling down, I’ll tell you that much.” With a loud crack, they were gone, as Frederick prepared to bring certain non-magical elements to the fray.

They arrived outside in the snow, Betwixt taking a moment to adjust their tall hat as they surveyed the frost-covered area. “There!” they exclaimed, pointing out at a group of children surrounding someone who was wearing identical clothes to Betwixt, albeit with a strange mask covering the face. The two set off through the snow, their path bringing them past the castle gates. As they ran past, Lachlann and Caitílin emerged. Lachlann saw Betwixt. Betwixt saw Lachlann. The two slowed as they approached each other.

“Don’t tell me you think I’m responsible for this?” Betwixt asked incredulously.

“I wasn’t sure at first. I heard the Lord of Misrule was here on Childermass of all days, and you’re dressed as him, and we all know you’re not exactly a fan of Christian traditions like these.”

“I most certainly am not, that’s true.” Betwixt said, shrugging. “But even I am not enough of a fool to mess with the bizarre magicks of the Yuletide season. However…it would seem that someone is.” They pointed over at the other Lord of Misrule. The two looked back at each other for a moment, before sharing a brief nod, sprinting towards the False Lord.

Henriette followed closely behind, finding herself next to Caitílin. The eldest Doherty looked up at her. “Merry Christmas, Lady Henriette!”

“Merry Christmas, my dear child.” Henriette responded, noticing her children near the Lord. “Though it would seem someone is conspiring to take that merriment away.”

Eventually, they arrived before the False Lord, the children looking very confused as to why there were now two Lords of Misrule. The Fake looked like they were about to say some in-character nonsense to keep the children entranced, but only managed to get out “Well, well, well-” before Lachlann and Henriette blasted them with their wands, Lachlann using a lightning spell and Henriette using an orange and red hex that burned through the air like a flame. The Fake skidded through the snow for a moment before coming to a stop.

Betwixt blinked a few times. “Hmm. I’ll have to tone down what I had planned.” they muttered to themselves. “Still, we are in luck. For a second there I thought the real Lord of Misrule was there, and…” they paused, looking around at the children. “But that couldn’t be right, because I am the real Lord of Misrule!” they began, before catching themselves. “Apologies. It is still Childermass.”

The Fake slowly got to their feet, their mask having fallen away. Lachlann squinted at the face for a moment before raising a moment. “Hang on a second…weren’t you one of the Silver Kingdom’s Royal Advisors?”

The other changeling’s face contorted until the eyes were blank and the skin pale. “I assumed you wouldn’t recognise me, seeing as you were so callous with destroying our home. I am indeed Advisor Pridestone, and do excuse me Monarch, but I thought it fitting to try and teach these insipid mortals a lesson.”

Betwixt had their hand in their arms. “Oh, god, Pridestone, this does not help matters. Firstly, I have already dealt with enacting revenge on Lord Doherty, which means you don’t need to do it, nor do you need to get Lady Henriette’s family involved too.”

Pridestone sneered at her. “She worked with those abhorrent sorcerers that sealed our Kingdom, and helped build a school on top of it!”

Henriette simply sighed. “I apologise if my actions displeased you, my good sir. But I find your method of dealing with grievances to be rather heavy-handed and crude. Not to mention unoriginal, seeing as we all heard of the fascinating tale of a Piper in Hamelin who did something rather similar.”

Pridestone floundered for a moment, their blank eyes staring daggers at Henriette. “Crude?! Unoriginal?! How dare a mortal speak to me like that, I-”

They took a step forward, but were repelled by two more volleys from Lachlann and Henriette. Pridestone went flying into the snow, landing headfirst. Before anyone could say another word, the children erupted into a chorus of cheers, crowding Lachlann and Henriette as Pridestone got up and fled the scene. Lachlann found his own children had made their way closest to him.

“Dad! That was amazing!” Sam yelled, holding Fèlix in his arms who had taken to yelling “Dad! Dad!” over and over. Lachlann picked Fèlix up, nodding at all of his children, watching as Henriette did the same to those that were hers. At this point, a crowd of the other parents were coming out too, Mathilde and Frederick at the very front. But at that moment Lachlann’s eyes were on Betwixt, and their eyes were on the trees of the area, which formed a large forest. Mist seemed to be falling in. Betwixt turned to Lachlann.

“We played right into their hands.” they said, scowling. “I told you, bad things can happen when certain magical energies mix…Let’s just hope it goes away, and we can enjoy the festivities in peace…well, relative peace.”

Caitílin tugged on Lachlann’s arm, grinning, all thoughts of inheritance and family lines forgotten. “This is the best Childermass ever! Why couldn’t we do this every year?”

Lachlann shrugged, ruffling her hair, though he had a nasty feeling that by the end of this they were about to find out why exactly that was.

[hphmmatthewluther]

💞 for our OT3 or Reyllardo please?

Thanks for the ask, Noe! I couldn't decide in the end, so I did both! Hope you like them!!

[hphmmatthewluther]

The Vaulties!

Day 2 - Era That Caused the Most Brainrot

This one simply had to go to the Founders’ Era, seeing as it’s inspired me to write a multi-chapter story that is sure to be longer than anything else i’ve written for my ocs before! I just love how the setting is far-removed from the wizarding world  of the future, and yet interactions can be had between eras thanks to these characters showing up in History of Magic lessons!

Characters shown here:

Lachlann Doherty

Sovereign Betwixt

Rowena Ravenclaw (co-owned with @endlessly-cursed​  ) Henriette of Wessex ( @endlessly-cursed​ )

Mathilde of Coventry ( @camillejeaneshphm​ )

“It really goes to show how important knowing your history is! It’s also one of my favourite parts of History of Magic, it’s way more interesting than a lot of other portions which sum up to “and then the wizards tricked all the muggles and everyone went home.” So congratulations! Not sure how we can send the Vaultie back a thousand years to them though...” Jane Luther

[endlessly-cursed]

make me choose meme; @gaygryffindorgal asked apprentinces of gryffindor, hufflepuff, ravenclaw or slytherin?

mathilde belongs to @camillejeaneshphm

eadric belongs to gaygryffindorgal

[endlessly-cursed]

guzma's 20 years old! edit; silvercrownlogne + 'fuck off, wilhelm' 'i can tell him to fuck off myself' ft @hphmmatthewluther & @camillejeaneshphm

happy 20 years old to my fav man on the internet! can you believe it's been three years since we started this medieval adventure? i can't, lol

getting to know you has been a blessing and a treat. many nights where i'd have a terrible day, opening our discord and fangirling over our founders ocs was what got me through most things. i know your bday was weeks ago, but i wanted you to have something nevertheless, no matter how silly.

thank you for being an amazing friend, and to more adventures! felicidades, guz, me alegra tenerte en mi vida 🤍🫶🏻

[endlessly-cursed]

Bringing Good Tidings, Part One: A Royal Ball

AN: It's here! A thousand times late, but here nevertheless! Tis not the 29th till the sun comes out, lol. This is a collab that Guzma ( @hphmmatthewluther ) and I have created for all of you. Do not worry, this doesn't contain spoilers from neither of our series and can be perfectly read! Enjoy!

Summary: Ten years later after the biggest events on Henriette and Lachlann's lives, the heroes reunite for a royal ball hosted at London.

Word Count: 1.2k

OCs involved: Henriette of Wessex, Frederick of Kent ( @that-scouse-wizard ) Lachlann Doherty ( @hphmmatthewluther ) Mathilde Coventry ( @camillejeaneshphm )

Taglist: let me know if you wish to be added!!

24th of December  

Henriette’s estate was chaos.

Servants ran left and right, some chasing the children while the others made sure that Lord Frederick and Lady Henriette would be presentable for their majesties and the horses. Henriette was used to this, although her dear husband was yet to get used to some of the customs. Adjusting her travelling veil and hairstyle, she looked at her husband, who dealt with the rather long sleeves. She chuckled, amused by how uncomfortable he looked in festive gear. She got up from her vanity and adjusted them. Freddie leaned on her touch, kissing her forehead “Thank you, my love.”

“Nervous?” She asked.

“About the king? Not really. But I am anxious about the feast… it’s the first time we bring the children with us.”

“I know. I am anxious as well. But we’ve worked hard to train them for court. All will be well. Besides, many of Hogwarts’ professors and friends will be there! Our children won’t be the only ones under scrutiny.” She realised what she said and kissed his hand “Sorry, my love. Being under scrutiny is not something we ought to enjoy.”

“It’s alright. This is how you’ve lived for decades now. I’d be surprised if you weren’t accustomed to it.”

They were about to kiss when a ten-year-old Odalric barged into the room, Juliana in tow.

“Mother! Juliana is misbehaving again!” He complained.

“Denegifu and I were merely playing, mother!” She retaliated.

The two of them looked at each other before each of them talked to their children “Tell me, Juliana, were you? Misbehaving?” Henriette asked calmly.

“No! Denegifu and I were playing tug-of-war and she lost. I merely teased her!”

“Is it true, son?” Frederick asked.

“She wasn’t just teasing! She started laughing at her and made her cry!”

Juliana turned to her brother “It’s not my fault that she’s still a baby!”

Henriette made her daughter look at her “Hey! Never say such things about family, Juliana! Despite what you might think of her, she is your sister and will be for the rest of your life, and you ought to love and respect her, alright?”

“Fine…”

“Is that all, Odalric?”

“Yes, father. I will go dress now.”

As each nanny took the children to their room, both parents sighed. Frederick shook his head “I know that, sometimes, children can be mean, but I worry about Juliana.”

“Me, too. I fear that there is somebody who’s pitting her against her own sister.”

“Let us hope that it stays a teenage rivalry.”

Lachlann was adding the last touches to his riding gear when an owl arrived. Without even turning, he asked his wife “Tillie, love, do you mind getting that for me, please?”

His wife, Mathilde, picked the scroll from the ill-tempered owl and opened the scroll. After a few minutes, she turned to look at her husband “Our contact has no news of Bruna. Still locked at home with the children.”

Both of them fell silent. Ten years had passed since Brunhilda had been married off to her cousin and whisked away for her cruel husband’s pleasure, and despite following them into a wild goose chase, Bruna herself asked the couple to leave her be for the sake of her children and herself. It pained them both to leave her to Wilhelm’s clutches, but they could do nothing at the moment.

A servant broke the silence by announcing that their children were already dressed and finishing packing. Lam smiled. If something had kept him going, it was his beloved family. They were all each his pride and joy, and despite the fact that at court they’d be heavily watched by the king, he looked forward showing London to his children.

“You know,” Mathilde commented “this is the hottest event in town. Not even a savage like Wilhelm would miss it. Perhaps there is hope for us to see her again before the year ends.”

She was right. The last time they saw her, they had all been in a royal hunt, and Brunhilda had looked pale and tired. Nothing like the energetic and vivacious young woman that they both had loved. She had been left behind in the hut to take care of her daughters while Wilhelm showed off his son in the hunt. Lam could speak for him and his wife when he wondered how come someone like Brunhilda took so much from a monster like him.

The moment the servant announced that they were ready for their journey to London, Lam shook off his thoughts and took Tillie’s hand, putting a brave face to his family for the sake of the holidays.

As they approached the castle, which, for Henriette, was already much familiar, she smiled. Much had happened there over the years. She had finally laid eyes upon her husband, they had shared small moments, married there, and many of their six children had been conceived there. She now may look bigger and older, but she was much happier than she had been when she was merely nineteen.

“Shall we?”

“If we must…”

“Lord Frederick of Kent and Lady Henriette of Wessex!” The herald cried, and they both made their entrance.

They both bowed to the monarchs and each greeted them.

“Your Graces, may I present my children? You may remember my oldest, Odalric. These are Denegifu, Juliana, Akelda, Cuthfelda and Hilda.” Each of the children bowed as Henriette and tutors had taught them and the queen smiled.

“Be welcome, Lady Henriette. We hope that your travels were safe.”

“They were, Your Graces.”

“Lord Lachlann Doherty and his wife, the Lady Mathilde!”

Bowing respectfully, they all moved on to their seats. Henriette’s, of course, was next to the Queen. The children were taken to another room, as per tradition dictated. Setting onto the seat, they observed from afar how the former serf was now handling gracefully a conversation with His Grace, who seemed intrigued by him. He had certainly come far ever since the infamous feast at the Thane of Cawdor’s castle.

The couple came over to them and curtsied to them both “My lord. My lady. It is a pleasure to see you here.”

“Likewise, Lady Mathilde. You look well.”

Mathilde nodded “Same to you. I couldn’t tell that you’ve had six children. You must tell me your secrets.”

“I’d be delighted, my lady.”

“I hope to see you for tomorrow’s feast.”

“Christmastime and your lovely daughter’s birthday, no less. We wouldn’t miss it, would we, dear?”

Lachlann nodded.

“It shall be an interesting soiree, indeed.”

They were a bit right about that.

Henriette and Frederick sat on the edges of their daughter’s bed, who was starting to stir up. She sighed and opened her eyes “Good morning, Mother. Father.”

“Good morning, sweetie.” Frederick smiled.

“Happy birthday!” Henriette smiled.

Akelda beamed weakly “Is it today?”

“Why, yes!”

Frederick ordered the servants to dress her as Henriette woke up the rest of the children as she reminded “Remember, we are now at court, and we must be on our best behaviour! Keep the naughtiness to a minimum!” She chided.

“Yes, Mother!” They all echoed.

As everyone dressed, Akelda was presented with a beautiful cream dress and a brooch with her favourite flower, the magnolia. She beamed and hugged both her parents “Thank you. You’re both very kind.”

“Anything for the birthday girl.”

Lachlann had woken up with a certain queasiness. He felt it. Something was off. He just knew, after his training. Mathilde had said that maybe it was the mulled wine, but he knew better.

As the court danced away, his senses tingled, telling him to be alert.

This had just begun. And he wasn’t referring to the party.

[endlessly-cursed]

Bringing Good Tidings, Part Three: New Year Upon Ye

A/N: After 80 years, I finally finished the third part! This one's my second fave, and I hope you guys enjoy it. Bon apetit!

Summary: After today's victory, it's time to party! Let's hope that nobody else comes to rue the day.

Word Count: 1.2k

Rating: T

OCs featured: Lachlann Doherty ( @hphmmatthewluther ) Mathilde Coventry ( @camillejeaneshphm ) Frederick of Kent ( @that-scouse-wizard )

Taglist: @catohphm @gaygryffindorgal @magicallymalted

First Part - Second Part - Third Part - Fourth Part

The moment the foe had been vanquished, the king declared that the party must go on, and everybody, feeling relieved, had no trouble whatsoever on carrying on. A dance started, and everyone’s spirits were over the roof. Henriette smiled, watching her children play tag among them.

Fred appeared behind her, radiating hi usual warmth, kissing her cheek “You were wonderful out there, my love.”

“It was mostly Mr. Doherty.”

“No, it was not.”

She spun around and pecked him “Sneak away with me.”

Henriette blinked “Now?”

“Yes. I’ve missed you, and we won’t have a moment later. Please?”

“But we can’t leave the children unattended!”

Fred was about to concede when a voice she hadn’t heard in a long time reassured them “I’d be happy to watch them for you, my lady.”

The marriage whipped their heads to see a red head that they hadn’t seen in ten years “Go,” she insisted “your children will be in my care. Two hours shall suffice.”

Not taking chances, Fred whisked his wife away to another wing, one reserved for the royal family’s friends and lovers. The moment they were away from earshot, Freddie kissed Henriette fervently, picking her up “Geirmund!” She gasped, giggling like a silly teenager.

Their laughs were muffled after Fred opened the first door he spotted and closed it behind him, throwing his wife to bed, his shirt already on the floor “You heard our friend. We’ve got around two hours. Best to make them count.”

Henriette chuckled “Shut up and take me already.”

They rolled in the sheets, basking into the beautiful, stolen moment between them.

Brunhilda stood watch of Lady Henriette’s children, observing the merry scene in front of her, alongside keeping an eye on her own children. She chuckled, seeing how a clumsy little Louis tried to learn to dance from Dayana, who was already as graceful as herself.

However, the moment she saw a familiar blond hair, she froze “Come on, Sissy!” The little girl who greatly resembled her Mathilde cried “Before Sam spots us!”

Her heart hammered. They were here. She discreetly looked around the ballroom, and spotted Lachlann Doherty chatting with a duke, visibly bored by his hunting habits, perhaps. He looked up, and quickly spotted her. He had gotten taller, had gained muscle, grown his hair and the innocence in his beautiful eyes were gone, now replaced with sage and that fierceness that had beguiled her enough to give herself to him before her wedding. Excusing himself, he approached her, and she bowed “Mr. Doherty.”

“Bruna,” he marvelled “you haven’t aged a day. You look… as beautiful as I remember.”

“You have turned into a handsome man as well.”

He smiled “I’m glad my new look pleases you.”

She bit her lip “You always aimed to please.”

“That I do.”

They stood there, silent and processing the fact that she was here, before his eyes. He cleared his throat, washing away his last memory of her “Where is your husband? Again solving world hunger by himself?”

She bit a chuckle “Unfortunately, my dear husband has a stomachal issue.”

“Ah. How unfortunate.”

“Unfortunate indeed.”

A soft tune started playing, and Lam stretched out his hand “Dance with me.”

“What about your wife?”

“We shall greet her afterwards. She’s been asking about you.”

She gingerly took his hand and started dancing, as if ten years hadn’t gone by. It was a rather intimate tune, and often their hands grazed, their eyes never wavering from the other, as if the world ceased to exist. To finish, he spun her around and gently set her to the floor, their gazes still on one another. She was wearing a beautiful green dress, and her hair was up and visible by her thin veil, which didn’t conceal much of her powerful red.

Both clearing their throats, they abandoned the dancefloor and went towards Lady Mathilde, who had a baby Felix in her arms, cooing. Bruna’s heart melted at the sight. She was a formidable mother.

Mathilde looked up and brightened up “Bruna, Cherie!” She greeted her warmly, beaming. “Look at you, you don’t look a day over five and twenty!”

“You flatter me, dear.”

Just then, Dayana, Matilda and Louis came running, probably finishing playing tag. They stopped at the sight of their mother and quickly came by her side “Lord Lachlann, Lady Mathilde, these are my children; Dayana, Matilda and Louis.”

They all bowed and Mathilde’s gaze rested upon redheaded, little Matilda. Then, she looked at Bruna with fondness in her eyes “Are you the Mathilde I was named after, ma’am?”

“It seems I am.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet my namesake.”

Mathilde beamed and kissed her cheek “And I am happy that such a beauty was named after me.”

Matilda smiled bashfully and hid behind her mother’s skirt.

“You have lovely children, my lady.” Lachlann spoke.

“Thank you, my lord, they are my pride and joy.”

Lachlann beckoned his own children to come and introduced his to Bruna “These are my own; Caitlin, Sam, Simone and Fèlix.”

“Is she the Lady Bruna you always talk about, papa?”

Bruna raised her eyebrows and Lachlann cleared his throat “Yes, Caitlin, she is.” He gave her a look and she quickly took the hint.

“Ahem, well, we should let our children carry on playing! Dayana, darling, do keep your new friends entertained, and include the Dohertys to your playdate?”

“Yay!” Louis cheered “More friends!”

The eight of them ran off to where Henriette’s children had been playing. Lachlann and Mathilde shared a look before she offered “It seems like dinner will be ready soon. Would you like to sit with us and catch up?”

Bruna smiled genuinely “I’d love nothing more. I want to hear all about your adventures!”

Henriette and Frederick were cuddling, relishing on the passionate moment they had just shared. Looking at the direction of the sun, Frederick sighed “We ought to get going. Dinner shall be ready soon, and we’ve been away for a while.”

“As long as you tell me where did you throw off my stockings again.”

Fred smirked “Too focused on kissing you to remember,”

She playfully shoved him “You’re terrible!”

Both got dressed hastily and Henriette saw something move within the trees. She frowned.

“My love? The gong just rang. We have to move now, or else we’ll raise a few eyebrows.”

She shook it off “Right.”

They entered the room a few minutes before the monarchs and sighed in relief, sitting right where they had been assigned. She spotted Lady Brunhilda and smiled at her as a thank you, and saw her cozy in the table with Lord Lachlann and Lady Mathilde. She hoped to repay the favour soon.

The monarchs were announced and the usual protocol was made, and all started to dine and converse, talking about this morning. But Henriette had a feeling. Something was about to happen, she was sure. This day was far from over. Somehow, she knew.

Like clockwork, the doors slammed open, and a figure that they didn’t expect came to greet them, a malicious smile on its face. She looked at Betwixt, who was as shocked.

“Helloooooo, children! Guess who has misbehaved!”

A noble lady pointed at the monster and cried out “The Krampus!” Before fainting with shock.

“Shit.” Said Fred before readying his weapon. 

[endlessly-cursed]

𝘿𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙜𝙤𝙬

"𝘿𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙭."

BASICS

Name: Dayana of Glasgow 

Birthday: 16th of May, 990 AD 

Zodiac sign: Taurus 

Weight: 70kg 

Height: 1.72m 

Religion: Atheist 

Eye colour: Hazel 

Hair colour: Blonde 

Faceclaim: Vilda Ataveser ( gif credits to @hurrems​ ) 

FAMILY 

Mother: Brunhilda of Cologne 

Her role model in some aspects, they’re close and Dayana sort of knew who her mother was and was her best defender and supporter. She had founded the school of Hogwarts and was a powerful witch, and Dayana craved to have that power. When she turned twelve, her parents’ marriage broke and went to live near the Dohertys. She’d later be betrothed to the eldest son. 

Father: Wilhelm of Paris 

Wilhelm wasn’t the most present father, or the most affectionate, yearning for a son and neglecting Dayana for being a girl and reminding him of Brunhilda, he only cared when showing off and wanting to antagonize her mother, though it never worked out. When he tried to marry her off to a much older man, Dayana, her mother and sister packed everything and left. She never heard of him until his death. 

Other relatives: Matilda of Essex 

Sweet, a bit naive, but ambitious and cunning, Dayana and Matilda were very different, but loved one another nevertheless. They were closer once they moved in with the Dohertys and though Matilda soon married at sixteen Odalric the Red, they remained close. 

Younger brother: Louis of Montpensier 

Dayana and Louis never got along, for he was spoiled for being the only male son and heir to the fortune, and Dayana hated that she wasn’t him. He was but a child when they left and never spoke. She wasn’t even invited to his own wedding to Aurelia de León. 

Friends: TBD 

Significant Other: Samhradhan ‘Sam’ Doherty ( @hphmmatthewluther​ & @camillejeaneshphm​ ) 

Dayana and Sam met at Hogwarts, and during their second year, they were betrothed to one another. Dayana decided to get to know her future husband, and, along the years, fell in love with one another and lived a happy life. 

[MORE INFO TBD] 

PERSONALITY

Overall personality: Cunning, wise, intelligent, hard-working, ambitious and perspicacious, Dayana is a spoiled princess who always gets her way and has a high self-esteem, who is always right and has a mighty presence that can light the whole room. She takes no shit and is a no-bullshit person, but, in the end, like her mother, is soft for those whom she loves, which aren’t many. 

Positive traits: Cunning, wise, intelligent, perspicacious 

Negative traits: Proud, haughty and mighty 

Guilty pleasure: NA 

HOMETOWN

Dayana, being descended from one of the founders of Hogwarts, lived in the Scottish Highlands and was born on Glasgow (hence her name) and developed a strong Scottish accent alongside her French. She grew up in an Anglo-Saxon estate, though it was destroyed during the conquest of William the Conqueror, given that her father oppossed them. 

BACKSTORY 

Dayana of Glasgow was born on 990 AD of Brunhilda of Cologne and Wilhelm of Paris, who were first cousins. She was their first child, and her birth disappointed her father, who longed for a son. 

She grew up with everything handed on a silver spoon and had a fairly good childhood when she wasn’t reminded of the fact that she was not a son. Two more siblings joined: Matilda and Louis. They all lived fairly well until her twelfth birthday. 

Her father wanted to marry her off to a much older man, and Bruna wanted to betroth her to her old love’s son. They argued, and Dayana heard all of it, and the marriage fell apart. Bruna took her and Matilda with her, though couldn’t take her son with her due to law and never returned. She continued on her education, now betrothed to the eldest Doherty boy. They fell in love during those six years and continued on the legacy. 

MISC

Dayana has the gift of oratory and her magnificence helped her to earn the favour of many 

She is strong-minded and dislikes being told what to do or how to behave 

She is her mother’s supporter and helped her hide her relationship with the Doherty marriage with her own. 

At sixteen, she and Sam were married, and after graduating, they lived together a happy life despite the conflict in the Muggle world. 

She also can play the cithara and has a lovely singing voice 

She is strikingly tall for her age 

She could speak Latin, Ancient Greek, Old French and Spanish 

She was the one to introduce Matilda and Odalric 

Her brother continued the family line that would be born as the Dubois family. 

[endlessly-cursed]

hp women appreciation week, day two; favourite women that are not mine

agata della rovere; she's such an interesting and multi-layered and complex woman, I was besotted with her the moment I saw her @potionboy3

gaia alden; I know she remains a mystery but she's my emmie's descendant and i'm also in love with the concept of her and olympia (make them a couple challenge!!!) @cursed-herbalist

verna malinda; the first character of gryff that I met and I fell for. She's brave, tragic, heroic, and like me, one useless lesbian. I love her and she remains in my loml list @gaygryffindorgal

astraea mckenzie; she's beauty, she's grace, she's my baby and bestest girl of the founder's era. I fell in love with her and she remains a fav of this era ♥ @magicallymalted

ava campbell: reading book two of tpr made me fall for ava quickly: reckless, badass, with a strong sense of justice and one of the strongest characters of the saga, ava is a well-developed and written character and i can't wait to dive into her stuff @lifeofkaze

ophelia burke; she's such an interesting character, and the true embodiment of abba's 'money money money'. She's cunning, smart and knows how to play the game, and i can't wait to see the last part of symphony @the-al-chemist

brianna o'rourke; she's an underrated baby, someone i highly relate to and her character alone without her li is so interesting and fun to read! A comfort character of mine @unfortunate-arrow

virginia scott; another underrated b!tch, she's literally what i aspire to be someday, not to mention an instant crush and fav, she deserves to be in this list @slytherindisaster

adelia selwyn; a crush of mine before i came into the fandom (and later inspired me to join it!) Her beauty matches her intellect and she's one of the most all-time iconic women of the era. This legend is worthy to be here @thatravenpuffwitch

siobhan llewellyn; ofc shiv should be here!!! she was another of the inspos to join here and one of the first ocs i interacted, as well as her owners. She's badass, with a soft side, funny and witty, same goes for her owner 🤍 @kc-and-co

odette bellerose; yet another underrated baby, she's literally living my dream: live in marseille in a big ass mansion in late victorian england. she's such a complex and interesting character, she deserves to be here @kathrynalicemc

miriam cairncross; of our brokencross universe, miriam was the first lady i was introduced to and she was an instant fav!! She always shows that she's not just eli's wife and is interesting in her own right. She deserves to be here as well @cursebreakerfarrier

mathilde coventry; a recent one, she's such a badass as well! Poisoning her way through everything and ofc her special relationship with my bruna is one of the best girls out there @camillejeaneshphm

abbi bennett; ofc i had to put my wife here! She's one of the best characters, and alongside roxie, is a fav of mine. I'm forever thankful that you chose her to be ernest's wife 💜 @mjs-oc-corner