#my engagement with a fae prince

[animatorweirdo]

My Engagement With A Fae Prince

You come home and reveal your engagement to your family and folks.

Requested by Anon

Hi,

Not sure if this counts as a continuation, but I loved the Fae!Maglor x reader pieces that you sent to LoveFairyMina - I was wondering if maybe you’d be willing to do a quick continuation of what happens after they get engaged? (Could be pregnancy shenanigans, other Fae!Silm characters reacting or after reader gives birth to their firstborn) I’d love to see more of this relationship!

Again, wanted to apologize if it’s not part of the guidelines for open requests this time and feel free to discard if not. Thank you and have a wonderful day!

(Author note: Never thought this could get turned into a crack fic but here we are. Decided to use my Frozen Heart characters. Tagging Mina: @a-contemplation-upon-flowers so she can also see this)

Warnings: none just drama

------------------------------------------

Your dad: Let me get this straight. You go to the fae woods and vanish for three days, and now you are engaged to a fae prince because you thought you could fulfill the terms of the deal of giving him your firstborn child by having your firstborn child with him?! *Points at Fae!Maglor standing beside you*

You: *Sweats nervously* Uh... yeah?

Your dad: *Releases a deep sigh* Why am I not even surprised? 

Your mom: *Smiling* Anyway, it's lovely to meet you. Will you stay over for dinner? 

Your dad: Darling, our daughter is engaged to a fae, who is also a prince. I think you are taking this way too calmly. 

Your mom: Nonsense, thanks to him my illness is gone. Let’s show some appreciation. 

Fae!Maglor: *Looks at your grandmother and little brother, Kian,  who are doing their things, not minding his presence like he was a casual sight*

Fae!Maglor: Your family is taking our engagement oddly well. 

You: I mean... it's good, right?

Your grandmother: *Looks up to you* Taking the other things you have done. This is not the strangest thing so far. 

Fae!Maglor: *Getting slightly worried* And what are the other things she had done? 

Kian: *Randomly* Can you really turn into a bird? 

Fae!Maglor: *To himself* Into what kind of family have I gotten myself into? 

--- 

Camilla: (Name)! I heard you got engaged to a fae! 

You: I can explain! 

Camilla: No need. After hearing about your deal, I'm not even surprised. I know that's something you would do 100 percent. So, congrats on your engagement, I guess. *Pats your shoulder and leaves*

You: *Giggles* Well, that went better than I thought. 

Fae!Maglor: *confused by the reaction* Huh? 

---

Your village chief: *Slightly nervous at the sight of Fae!Maglor* (Last name). Can you explain why you have brought a fae prince to our village? 

You: Well, chief, that's actually a funny story. You see I made a deal with him in order for my mother to get better again, and.... well... he wanted my firstborn... I asked when do we start... and then... now we're engaged! 

Your village chief: *calms down immediately* Oh--- well, congratulations on your engagement then. *leaves casually*

You: *Smiling* Thanks chief. 

Fae! Maglor: *freaks out* Why are you humans taking this so calmly?!

--- 

Fae!Maglor: *Pouting and sulking in the corner of your house, waiting for the rest of the visit days to go by so you two can finally go back to his home*

You: Are you gonna pout the rest of the visit here? 

Fae!Maglor: You are weird! Your family is weird! Your whole village is weird! They should be afraid of me and look at me with cautious, but all of you are taking this situation way too calmly. This was supposed to be a typical deal, where you ask what you want, accept the terms, and then give me your firstborn a decade later. Not having the firstborn with me and getting me unwittingly engaged to you! 

You: *Shrug your shoulders* Well, sorry if I'm not an ideal partner. Anyway, I heard from your family that you were a musician and liked music, so--- I checked the attic of my house and found some old musical notes my grandfather used to play. *pull out some music notes*

Fae!Maglor: *Looks at them with interest*

You: They might not be anything like fae music, but since we're gonna be married soon... I thought you might be interested.

Fae!Maglor: *Stares at you with silence before reaching out his hand and taking the notes* Your weirdness is forgiven for now. 

You: *grin* You know, with your feathers so puffed up. You look like an angry curled owl. 

Fae!Maglor: * Pufs and turns his back toward you with the notes in hand* Silence, my clever fool of a bride. I am a proud majestic bird of great songs. Do not compare me to those night dwellers. 

You: *Pats his head with a grin* Whatever you say, my pouty little birdy. 

Fae!Maglor: *Disgruntled yet flustered bird noises*

[choices-and-voices]

I shall henceforth be referring to this as The Proposal Scene and nobody can stop me, part 1/4

[lqveharrington]

Feelings Mutual | C.G.

summary: Your forced to hangout with Cardan at the High King’s birthday celebration. Turns out, you both make stupid decisions when drunk. And what’s the fine line between hatred and love between two being who can’t lie anyway?

pairing: Cardan Greenbriar x half fae!fem!reader

includes: drunk Cardan, drunk reader, cursing, making out, suggestiveness, no use of Y/N, barely proofread (i think that’s it)

a/n: i’m on a reading spree, and working on my projects, so this should help get me out of a huge writing slump.

In Faerie, it was uncommon for a half fae, half human being to be a princess in the court. Your father — the King of one of the many lands — wed a human woman, causing you to become the land’s princess. Of course many of the court thought that you were lesser than them; For such a creation should never hold that high of a status.

Ever since you were younger, you often attended lessons with the High King’s youngest child. At first, you sought out to befriend him and his group of friends. But you soon found out that they loathed you. Because how could a halfling ever be a worthy princess?

So you gave up trying to befriend them. You let the group taunt you for not being full fae, but what was the worst thing they could do? You still were a daughter of a very powerful king. The very king that was the closest with the High King himself.

You and your family were constantly invited to all their gatherings, and this one wasn’t an exception. It was the High King’s birthday, which meant all of Faerie was invited to Elfhame palace to celebrate such a day. The only issue with that meant your father and mother urged you to talk to Cardan and his group.

“Mother, they don’t like me.” You wring your hands together, fidgeting with your silver jewelry.

She clicked her tongue, “Nonsense. Prince Balekin spoke of how much Cardan talks about you when he comes home from your lessons.”

“Wait what?” Your eyes widen at her in disbelief. “Mother, I’m sure they’re words of hate.”

“Is it because you don’t like your dress? Are you afraid they’ll hate it?” She tugged you to stand in front of herself. “You look gorgeous, angel.”

You purse your lips at her compliment. You truly loved the dress. It was a beautiful sage color that complimented your skin tone completely, and the corset really did wonders. There were gorgeous lace details of butterflies that were a shade darker, with a slit running down one side of the dress. It was beautiful, but you feared that it was much too modern for Faerie, causing your thoughts to wander to how Cardan’s friends would insult it.

“No, I love the dress, mother.” You give her a tight lipped smile, squeeze her hands. “If you truly wish for me to find Cardan, I’ll go and be friendly so you and father can enjoy your time here.”

“Thank you.” She pressed a kiss to your forehead and a real smile etched its way onto your face.

“Be safe, alright?” Your father squeezed your shoulder before leaning down to whisper words your mother couldn’t hear. “If trouble comes, you know what I’ve taught you. You have your dagger?”

Your lips twitch in excitement, “Of course.”

“Then you’re all set then, kiddo.” He gave you one last look before resting an arm around your mother’s waist. “I’ll come find you when it’s time for us to depart.”

You nod before taking a small bow. You watched them leave and make their way to the throne, immediately engaging with the High King and Queen. They seemed happy, which made you glad that they accepted your mother as their own. Shaking your head, you took a deep breath and blew out the air in one go. Carefully, you made your way over to Cardan. Luckily, he was on his own for once.

“Cardan.” You nod in his direction, watching his dark eyes with flecks of gold suddenly gazing into yours. Without fail, his eyes roam over your body, tail whipping behind himself after gaining someone’s attention.

“Princess! Don’t you look absolutely captivating tonight.” He slurred, red wine dripping out of his glass. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

You raised a brow at the prince. From what you could recall, he didn’t live inside the palace walls. And there wasn’t a chance he could lie either. “You don’t live here.”

“I used to.” He tipped his glass up to his wine stained lips, taking in the drink whilst taking in the sight of you.

“Where are your—“ You use your hand to gesture in the air as you grab your own glass of wine from a server passing buy. Unsure of how to word your question, you sip on the wine, immediately hit by its strength. “Where are your friends, I should say.”

“Off to bother some mortal or do something stupid.” He smiles in your direction as you down your drink and reach for another. “What’s upsetting you, princess?”

“Nothing.” You tilt your head toward him, eyes flicking down from his strange stare to his stained lips. “Just want time to move faster.”

“How drunk do you want to get?” He leans closer to you, fingers itching to pull you into him.

You place a hand to his mouth and push him further away from yourself. He hums as he traces his finger over his empty wine glass.

“How many glasses have you had, Cardan?” You tip back your third drink, missing his smirk while he watches.

“Enough.”

“Enough to forget?” You turn toward the table and grab the strongest drink, carefully downing the drink.

His shadow towers over you as his breath tickles your neck, “Forget what exactly, love?”

“I hate you.” You say against Cardan’s lips, arms loosely hanging around his neck. “I hate you so much.”

He continues to push you backwards as he slams the door behind him, hands finding their place around your waist. “Feelings mutual, princess.”

Letting your hand thread through his hair, you pull him in for a more heated kiss, tugging ever so slightly at his roots. Cardan groans against your lips, pulling your body closer to his.

“This is such a stupid idea.” You unwillingly part as he drops you down on a bed — hopefully one that used to be his. You let out a small gasp as he litters soft kisses on your throat and down to your exposed collar bone. Your hands find his shoulders, pulling him impossibly closer. “Cardan—“

“Yes, love?” He slowly makes his way back up to your lips, pressing short kisses as you try to make sense of the situation. He stops attacking you with his lips, staring and waiting for you to continue.

You shake your head, eyes glassy with drunkenness as you meet his gaze. “Kiss me.”

“You’re too perfect for me.” He groans again, tasting the red wine from your lips as he kisses you harder. “God, I hate you.” Cardan mumbles as he lets his hands wander over your body, refraining from the more private areas at the moment.

Cardan allows you to wander over his own body, feeling you fidget with the hem of his shirt. Letting your hands slip underneath his shirt, you let out a small sigh before flipping the both of you over. You quickly toss your dagger onto the floor before meeting his lips again, the kiss heightening all your profound feelings.

As minutes turned into an hour more, you both fell into a pit of no return. The shared kisses were intensified, and without either party having a clear mind or being sober, neither could stop the motions that lulled them both to sleep very late into night.

It wasn’t until early afternoon that the pair awoke to the sounds of pounding at the door and a splitting headache.

“Your highness, your father is looking for you.” The voice called from outside the wooden doors, causing you to groan and bury your head into the warmth emitting from your bed.

A beat passed before the pounding occurred once more.

“Your highness—!”

“In a minute!” Cardan shouted, eyes shut from the dizziness and hangover. “For fucks sake…”

Your eyes widen at the voice, head rushing up before falling back down at the impact of a jaw. “Shit, that hurt.” You mutter, wincing when you felt the hangover hit you. Slowly, you remove yourself from Cardan’s arm, slightly frowning when you saw him rubbing his jaw. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to slam into you…”

“I think that’s the least of our concerns.” He grumbled, glaring at the door again.

He pushed himself up from the bed, eyes raking over your appearance. He smirked over at you before leaning against the headboard. You crease your brows before looking down and realizing whose clothes you were in — crossing your arms over the loose shirt.

“Princess, I think your father will be a little disappointed in you.”

“Why is that?” You roll your eyes at him, keeping one arm over Cardan’s shirt while running your free hand through your hair.

Your bored gaze meet his amused one, watching him tilt his head. You look away as you weren’t necessarily hiding the fact that you were eyeing his bare chest either.

He pulled you into his chest, despite your halfhearted protests. “Because you have hickeys all over your skin.” Cardan presses a kiss to your cheek, causing your breath to hitch.

All the memories from last name came rushing in, warmth filling your body at the thoughts. Your eyes flit to your dress and dagger scattered across his floor, still thinking of the punishment to come.

However, you did not regret him.

“I don’t think we drank enough last night.” You twist in his arms, lips barely touching his.

“I don’t think so.” He lands a soft kiss to your lips. “I still hate you, love.”

“Feelings mutual.” You straddle over his hips and rest your forehead on his, both your heads still pounding from last night’s activities.

©lqveharrington - all rights reserved. do not copy, translate or share my work on other media platforms

[pomefioredove]

hiya :D i hope you're well rested, well fed, and hydrated today (and if not this is your reminder!!)

may i please have a sugar cookie, #18, with whipped cream and chocolate chips? thank you <3

ANOTHER BANGER COMBO. lilia fans here's your dinner

order #18, sugar with whipped cream and chocolate chips

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ bored senseless

tropes: fake dating and royalty AU characters: lilia additional info: romantic, reader is gender neutral, reader is not yuu, fae!reader, takes place during Malleus' childhood word count: 900

It was only supposed to be for one ball.

When the General of the Right, the Dragon's Hand, the keeper of the Prince himself sends for your word, you answer. When he invites you to attend the centurial ball with him, you say yes. When he whispers in your ear as you ascend the castle steps, his hand tight around your arm, you listen.

And if he tells you that he's been formally courting you for the past century, you nod your head and let him hold the door for you like a true suitor would.

There was, of course, a thousand and more questions to be had, but not there, not when you were already inside the castle's stone ballroom, arm-in-arm with Lilia.

You really just wished he would've disclosed this pertinent piece of information before the ball.

The questions you had, you now had to answer for others.

"How did you catch the crimson eye of the General himself?"

"Especially as a fae of such low nobility?"

"Especially when he's had no interest in courting for the past several hundred years?"

You were able to keep up with the ruse, but it wasn't easy nor fun, especially since Lilia seemed to prefer letting you do all the talking.

When it was over, he handed you a small box of silver and went off alone, without a word, leaving you at the gates of the castle.

How strange, you had thought, but in your years in the court of Briar Valley, you'd learned not to question strange things.

Besides, it was only one evening.

...Well, that's how it started, anyway.

The next invite was to a gala hosted by a Count the following year. Then there was one a few months after that, another after that, and, slowly, your name became known throughout the country, and always spoken right next to General Lilia's.

On a cold night, a dinner hosted by a member of the Senate, one you would have never even dreamed of being invited to if it were not for your suitor, something stranger happens.

"Another one," you sigh, leaning against the stone of the terrace you and Lilia had snuck off to. The night was chilly but clear, every star visible in the sky.

Lilia sits on the railing beside you. "Don't look so glum. I'm sure these events are just a fad. You know how the nobles like their trends,"

"They're just very long,"

"And very boring, I know," he sighs, rubbing his face. "And I hate to be away from the Prince, but times have changed. I can't just win a battle to stay in the Senate's good graces. I have to be..."

He gestures vaguely. "...Noble,"

You look up at him as he sits cross-legged on the stone railing. "Is that why we're..."

You can't say "lying about being engaged to the entire country", but you want to. He knows that.

"What? ...Oh, no," he says, waving you off as if you had said something silly and childish.

"I just didn't want to come to these things alone. I'd be bored senseless."

Your eyes widen with something like wrath.

"..."

He's looking at the party ahead, picking his nose. It takes him a moment to sense your glare.

"...What?"

"Are you unwell?" you suddenly snap. "For years we have been "engaged" in front of the people and the nobility and you say it's because you were bored? Do you know how many lies I've given? To my own family! And the stress of coming up with such nonsense on the spot, to people who could have me banished from court, or worse..."

Lilia stares back, wide-eyed at your sudden outburst. Then, he smiles.

"...How long have you been hiding that sharp tongue, hm?"

"That's all you have to say?"

"Goodness, no," he says, hopping down from the railing to stand in front of you, his hands folded behind his back.

He leans forward, invading your personal space, which he is ever so fond of doing. "Do you know why I chose you, out of everyone in the court?"

What kind of a question is that? You scoff.

"...No,"

Lilia smiles, and he takes a step closer. "Well, you're not as uptight as the rest of them, for one. Your family has always been a little... untraditional, we'll say. But it was also because of this,"

He flicks your forehead, almost playfully, and you blink.

"My face?"

He chuckles. "No, no, though that's certainly a bonus. I meant... before the lies and the sneaking about, the one thing I could remember about you from court, for as quiet and meek as you can be, was your imagination. You always have the most outlandish ideas, the most improbable thoughts. And yet, you speak them with such passion, when you're permitted..."

He pauses to smile.

"...Well, I knew you could come up with some lie about us, and it would be rather entertaining."

You stare back. Lilia has always had a way of surprising people, but this is...

He smirks at the look of shock on your face, taking a moment to not-so-subtly check you out, for lack of a better term, and he takes your hand in his.

Then, he says the magic words, the ones you'd been dying to hear for every event since you started this whole ruse.

"Shall we get out of here?"

[twst-kumi]

What about yan malleus who courts his darling with fae practices?

So what I see the most about fairies is about how they would kidnap theirs bride and very little about actual courtship. But if we are talking about wedding, I did read somewhere that both fairy couple would give each other some task to accomplish before said wedding. Of course the task must be under the spouse capacity, so they could accomplish it well.

Warning: Yandere, forced marriage.

Your name

Fairy and Fae are a very closeted species, so very little are known about them. Malleus should have thought about it before courting you. You were HIS cute little human, so pure and innocent. A quality loved by fairies on other species. Fairy are quite unfair and selfish in their expectations for other than their own kin. And Malleus are the same, if not more. For the fair folk, their human lovers (or any other species) should be pure, innocent and loyal. Qualities you already hold in Malleus' eyes. "Oh? You want to exchange name, child of man?"

He is overjoyed by this. Name hold power, that mainly why he refused to give you his name the first time you both met. Of course since you so naively told him yours, he already had A LOT of power over you. When he developed feeling for you, Malleus wanted to kidnap you at first. But Lilia convinced him not to. It was a very old and outdated rules. Too old for this modern day and age.

That why after the incident during VDC you asked to exchange name once again, he was over the moon. Malleus had yours, but you also wanted his. "Uh fu fu! I hope you understand the meaning of your word, Child of man." Before you could ask about what he meant by that, he gave you his full name. The name that will be attached to yours soon enough.

Now that you both exchanged name, you two are officially in a relationship. You both are owning each other now. Which means that you both are now on an "equal" standing... In theory. While it's true, you being magicless mean you can't really use his name against him. But Malleus will gladly oblige if you need anything from him.

But Malleus know that name isn't highly protected in human society. So even though you are both engaged, Malleus decide to court you a bit. Fairy and dragons like pretty and shiny thing, so of course the draconian prince decided to gift you with some of his prettiest gem. By then you have already learned some fairy custom so you knew not to accept a gift from a fairy without giving something back. "Oh my, you shouldn't have, my dear child of man. You don't know how much this mean to me." He laughed delighted to see you have accepted his courtship and give him another one back. It was a pretty stained glass bracelet, but seeing your financial status he guess this is the best you could find. He is even more happy when you said you started to learn Fairy custom. That mean that you did it consciously and love him too, isn't it? Malleus take it as a sign that he could finally move forward with preparing the wedding.

As per the Fairy custom, Malleus prepared some task for you. He also didn't hesitate to ask for some task for him to accomplish. Since he you are magicless, he decided to give you some easy task. Like helping polish his horn, or going on a stroll with him. One time he even demanded that you cook for him. For the task Malleus has been asking from you. They were all so simple and adorable (in his eyes) that he couldn't help but swoon. Knowing that he loved to do his laundry on his own, you asked him to help you wash and hang them. Which he did eagerly. While he enjoyed it, it felt like you were preparing him for your marital life. "Look like the roof need to be repaired. Do you want me to do it, Child of man?", "I don't want to bother you with it Tsunotaro. Are you sure?" Malleus laugh it off before fixing it with magic. "It's no problem at all." He said with a smile.

You discovered about your engagement and wedding by Lilia. The wedding approaching the retired general took upon him to teach you every thing you needed to know for your life as Malleus' spouse and future consort of Briar Valley. When you discovered it, you ran to Malleus demanding explanation. The Fae prince just smiled as if you were just throwing a tantrum. "I did warn you, Child of man. Exchanging name are proof we are now betrothed. We have already completed most of the wedding rituals now only the ceremony are left." It broke his heart he saw you trying to push him away and leave. How you called him crazy, and tried to back out of the wedding. Malleus pinned your behavior on stress. You must be very anxious about your future as his consort. It must be why. The fairy dragon sighed before using your name against you. He hugged you gently and kissed your lips softly. "I know it's a very big step. I'm also anxious about it. But don't worry, I will take care of everything." He smiled as you were under his control unable to move. This is why you never give your name to a fairy.

[starboyshoyo]

The Summer After Graduation pt. 2

Pairing: Malleus Draconia, Silver, Sebek Zigvolt x fem!reader (separately)

Fandom: Twisted Wonderland

Genre: fluff, domestic

A/N: @ryker-writes ;) you know. It’s so early and I’m exhausted, so if there’s mistakes I’ll go back and fix them later.

Where does life take you, after you move back to Briar Valley with them?

Part 1 (Kalim, Deuce, Epel, Trey) || Part 2 (HERE)

Malleus Draconia

In Malleus’ eyes, the moment you agreed to be his was the moment you became engaged. A relationship with him starts and stays serious and committed due to the traditions of his species. So naturally, after the two of you graduate from NRC, you move back to Briar Valley with him and his family as his first friend and first love.

There are some difficulties with hostile fae at first. The traditional council would be very against your relationship with him. But according to Briar Valley lore, draconic fae children can only be born from immense love and care between a couple. So even if the royal advisors disagree with the prince’s choice of partner, they couldn’t deny him his happiness if they ever hoped for an heir.

So despite the protests of some narrow-minded fae, Malleus is free to bring you home with him, to live as his partner and lover. Of course, Lilia is In complete support of the two of you, as is Silver. Sebek took some time to come around- he complained a lot about how no one, human or fae, could be worthy of Waka-sama’s affections. But once Lilia pointed out how happy you made Malleus, Sebek quieted down. No one had ever seen the crown prince smile the way he did when you were around.

Moving into the royal palace takes some time to get used to. It’s easy to get lost in the corridors of Castle Draconia. The hallways can also seem gloomy and cold at first, and almost frightening when you walk the stone passageways at night. If you get nervous, Malleus will do his best to be by your side as much as he can, holding your hands and cuddling you at night. If not him, then he’ll send a guard or two to watch over you.

If you want to take part in more diplomatic duties in Briar Valley and insist that you get to know the citizens as their future queen, Malleus will be worried but support you wholeheartedly. You’re considerate, responsible, and kind, three qualities that make for the best ruler. And besides, he doesn’t want you being cooped up inside all day the way he was when he grew up. While the work you’re doing may be dangerous, Malleus trusts you to handle yourself. Just make sure to bring Silver with you along with the rest of your personal guards, just in case. Fae can be unpredictable at times.

When Malleus isn’t busy with his princely duties, he’ll seek you out and whisk you away to a private wing of the castle using magic. The castle is old, and even with hundreds of years of free time, he hasn’t been able to explore every nook and cranny of it. The two of you will roam the hallways, naming the various statues you come across and slow-dancing in empty ballrooms with ancient music echoing from an unknown place within the walls.

“Briar Valley has come alive, my dear. Do you hear that? They are greeting their new ruler. This is all for you.”

At night, nothing makes Malleus happier than returning to his bedchambers to find you cuddled up in the sheets. He’ll slide into bed around you, tail unfurling to curl around your body and hold you close to him. He’ll spread his wings and rest them over your body to protect the two of you while you snuggle through the night.

Malleus might not know much about romance, but he does know when he’s found the one. He’ll have to ask the royal jewelers for a ring soon- infused with magic and inlaid with his love.

Silver

All his life, Silver was trained to become a knight for Malleus. It’s exactly what he did in the years he attended NRC. But what Silver hadn’t realized yet was that it was more of an obligation than his true calling. After meeting you and moving back to the Valley of Thorns, Silver began craving a quieter lifestyle- one where he could enjoy your company without having to be on guard duty 24/7.

It’s Lilia who first notices Silver’s restlessness, and he takes the matter to the young king. The two of them surprise you and Silver with a little graduation present- a cottage deep in the forest. Malleus tells Silver that he’s promoted him from the title of knight to that of a lord- the land that the cottage is built upon is now his to care for and do as he pleases. He’s already had servants move yours and Silver’s things there. Silver was initially worried that he was being fired from his job for falling asleep too much, but with some reassurance from his father, the two of you were on your way.

The cottage is gorgeous, situated in a clearing with a meadow and waterfall. The sun caught the water just right every morning- creating rainbows through the spray that danced in the dawn. It’s the perfect place for you and your boyfriend to live a peaceful, quiet life. The nearby villages are peaceful ones, and don’t mind having two humans living in their vicinity. They occasionally come by to drop off homemade food or ask for Silver’s help, but otherwise it’s just the two of you.

Silver’s animal friends come by daily to help out with the chores, making the workload light. The birds do the laundry for you and hang clothes out to dry, while deer often come by to help weed the garden. Even the squirrels play their part in helping to patch up holes in the walls and roof.

With only light work, your days are spent by Silver’s side, going on horseback rides through the meadow and napping with him in the garden. Finally, you have time to learn all of the things you’ve ever wanted to do. Speaking another language? Reading a book? Learning to sew? You have all the time in the world.

Date nights become a regular occurrence; something that you couldn’t do back at the palace. One of the most memorable dates is a time where Silver covered your eyes and led you to a beautiful meadow on the mountain, overlooking a valley. As you watched, songbirds swooped down carrying a picnic basket and blanket, setting up a romantic little spot for you and Silver to lay together and watch the sun go down. While you were busy watching the stars come out, a gentle smile graced your lover’s features. Yes, the sky was beautiful- but he could never take his eyes off your smiling face.

Sebek Zigvolt

Sebek Zigvolt has always known his dream was to serve Malleus Draconia in any possible way. A love life and career don’t always mix, so he feels grateful that he found you- always so willing to support his dreams. It helps that you and Malleus are on friendly terms as well. Nothing makes Sebek happier than seeing his lover and his Lord get along well.

Life with Sebek in Briar Valley is pretty similar to life at NRC for a while. Besides the fact that you don’t have to attend classes, Sebek still gets up at the crack of dawn every day to do weight training and go on a morning run, to train for the royal guard exam. He’ll ask you to get up with him, but ultimately leaves it up to you. If you have trouble sleeping, he wouldn’t want to tire you out. But for a while, you won’t be getting many lazy mornings with your boyfriend.

While Sebek is gone, his family will keep you company. Sebek’s mother loves to gush about her son’s younger days and show you embarrassing photos, while his father is quite happy to have another human around for once. His brother and sister love teasing him- who knew that grumpy Sebek would end up falling so hard for a human?

It’s a little-known fact that Sebek is actually afraid of horses- he tolerated being in the equestrian club because he needed to know how to ride if he wanted to be a knight for Malleus. Sebek will want to hold your hand before he goes to riding classes in the afternoon, and he’d appreciate it if you’d watch him- he’d feel safer if you did. He’ll do the same for you when you need him to be strong for you as well.

The both of you will be so proud when Sebek finally passes the class, and is certified as a real Briar Valley knight. Lilia assigns Sebek to lead a new, special battalion, one directly under his and Malleus’ command. Sebek will wear his uniform with the crest on it- a peacock with honeysuckle and iris flowers surrounding it, and a tail made of eucalyptus leaves- proudly. He’d probably wear it to sleep if you didn’t remind him to change out of his work clothes.

Sebek is a big deal in Briar Valley, and gone for work trips often. While you do miss his company, it also gives you time to plan surprises for him, such as learning to speak his native language. While Sebek has mostly gotten over his prejudice towards humans, he’s still immensely proud of his culture as a nocturnal fae. If you take the time to learn the language of his heritage from his mother, Sebek will realize that the feelings he holds for you are not between a human and a fae, but one between soulmates.

[imdeadinsidesiriuslydead]

Must you be so cruel?

Cardan Greenbriar x fae!princess!reader

a/n: this concept was most requested so here you are. warnings: swearing, no smut (unless y’all want a part 2 with some😏lmk), not proofread I have like six more to write

As your steads stop for water, your mother approaches you.

“We are almost there.” She grins excitedly.

you roll your eyes as you fix your riding skirt.

“yay.” You say, unenthusiastically. Your mother had arranged a ball with the High Court, you suspected she was trying to marry your older sister off to one of the princes. But you dreaded seeing a particular prince with a stupid rat tail.

“Don’t take an attitude with me, y/n” your mother warned, “we need to be on our best behavior. We mustn’t insult the High King or Queen.”

Your mother made you changed once you made it to the Palace. Your dress was black as to not outshine your sisters. As you walked into the Throne room, you spotted the king and queen but no sign of that dreaded prince.

You make your way to the King and bow as your parents exchange pleasantries.

After your mother turns to you “Go grab your sister some wine.”

“Why? She has legs.” You said as you smooth down the ruffles of your skirt.

“She is talking to Prince Dain. I will not interfere with the makings of an engagement.” Your mother said sternly.

you sigh, “yes ma’am.”

As you make your way to the banquet table, you look around at the folk dancing. Trying to shield your eyes from the naked folk, you grab a glass and have a servant fill it with wine.

You look back and see your sister dancing with Prince Dain, and you smile to yourself. Even though your mother made you come here and has been driving you crazy, it’s nice to see your sister radiant smile light up the dance floor.

The glass being rather useless now that she’s dancing, you start to down the drink when someone clears there throat.

“It’s unlady like to chug wine 30 minutes into a ball.” Nicasia said sharply. “You filthy half breed.”

you turn dreading facing her. When you look, she’s wearing a body hugging blue dress and a face of pure disgust.

“Mermaid style dress? That’s a bit on the nose isn’t it?” You say continuing to sip from your glass.

“Why are you even here?” She spits, seemingly losing her patience even though she approached you.

“She was invited unfortunately.” A voice behind you called.

You freeze. God damn it. You turn around to find Cardan’s gold rimmed eyes staring back at yours.

“Cardan.” You acknowledge, turning back to watch your sister.

“Y/n. Is your mother trying to push your boring sister onto my brother?” He asked as Nicasia laughs moving to link arms with him.

“Must you be so cruel?” You ask, annoyed.

“Only to you.” He replied.

“I’m not completely sure of my mother’s intentions, I haven’t asked.” You say, finishing your glass. “Afraid of your reputation if you become related to a half mortal?” You ask, motioning for a servant to get you another glass.

“I’d be disgusted to be related to you.” He says as Nicasia laughs.

A grin spreads across you face as an idea comes to your head.

“Why?” You ask with an innocent grin.

“must there be a reason? That’s a reason enough.” He replied.

“Yes, I’m curious. Why would you be disgusted to be related to me?” You ask.

“Most far find the existence of half bloods disgusting.” He said brushing if off

“Yes most of the folk. What about you though? What’s your real reason for not wanting to be related to me?” You smirk.

His smirk momentarily drops before regaining his composure.

“My opinion of you.” He says before grabbing Nicasia’s hand and pulling her to dance. “Now if you don’t mind, I’ll be leaving.”

you laugh to yourself as a servant puts the wine glass back in your hand.

—————————

Later that night as the ball is winding down, your Mother asks you to retrieve your sister.

You look around the dance floor to no avail, no sign of her.

Walking out of the hall, you make your way into hallway. Looking around and opening seemingly endless doors, grew tiresome.

As you give up and walk back to the banquet hall, you feel a hand on your shoulder.

“Your boring sister is in my brothers room.” A drunken voice called.

turning to see Cardan with the gold juice of fae fruit smeared on his lips while the smell of wine on his mouth. He looks at you with an intensity you’ve never seen before.

“Oh.” You say, realizing you’ll have to explain to your mother that your sister is spending the night with the prince. But then you realize Cardan has not moved his hand from your shoulder.

Quickly pushing his hand off you, he stumbles grabbing ahold of your arm to stabilize himself.

“Cardan how much have you had to drink?” You asked annoyed.

“I lost count after 12 glasses.” He said as he focused back on your face. “And why’d you have to shove me?” He whined.

“Oh you’re such a baby.” You say, using your arm to support him as you guide him to walk.

“Where are we going?” He asked leaning on you.

“Your room, you need to be put to bed before you hurt yourself.” You say dragging him through the corridor.

“But I left my wine goblet.” He says trying to pull you back to the alcove he emerged from.

“If you go back for it, I’ll leave you there and you can pass out on the floor for all I care.” You say letting go of him.

“Fine.” He huffs.

As you reach his room you open the door and close it behind you. You push him onto the bed and he laughs looking up at you.

“That’s not how I imaged it.” He laughs, eyes glazed over.

“Imagined what?” You asked as you move to leave.

“You pushing me onto the bed.” He replied as if it was common knowledge.

You mule over the words in your head. He seems more honest when drunk. Before you can stop yourself, you find your self asking.

“Why would you hate it if we were related?”

“My thoughts of you would be considered inappropriate. The thoughts I don’t want to have.” He relied his eyes getting droopy.

“What do you think about me?” You ask.

“The thought of you in my arms.” He said as his eyes shut.

You stare there for a minute, processing this new information. You wait until you hear soft snoring before opening the door and turning to find your mother.

~~~~~~~

[reallyromealone]

Azul x Malleus brother male reader

Fae courting

A broach

A coin

And a paperclip.

These are the things that Azul had received from (name) Draconia within the past few days, the fae wandering to him at random points and placing them in his hand wandering off, leaving the octopus merman VERY confused as he held the shiny trinket.

what was this??? What's he trying to tell him?!

"Well I don't understand the political spectrum of box beetles but I'm sure we could work out something" (name) said softly, voice joyful and absent-minded. "Perhaps we could ask my brother to assist on this" (name) offered unaware of eyes on him.

Jade and Floyd watched in the distance, following their bosses order on figuring out (name)s motives but so far they saw him tend to mushrooms and talk to insects along with chatting with his brother about fae nonsense, nothing to raise suspicion.

"A... Iron frog?"

"Silver, iron doesn't like fae" (name) said airily as he played with Azuls hand "I was informed by the trees that a confectionery has bloomed in the east..." He said to the other who raised an eyebrow "ok?"

"I wish to be invited" (name) said looking at him with a smile and Azul just stared "so?"

"Perhaps someone could invite me and tell me tales of their whimsies" (name) looked hopeful but Azul wasn't getting it "I hope you find someone to do that with" and with that (name) was alone.

"He's my paramour yet he rejected my advances for an outing" (name) said to Lilia who smiled at his nephew figure who looked confused, not understanding why his beloved would not go to a cafe with him despite not asking but instead implying that he wanted to go there with him.

And now Lilia was dealing with a pouty prince "perhaps I should ask my beloved child of the sea to play his table games... Oh I should have considered his feelings on the subjects of our engagements" (name) looked upset with himself "perhaps take him to a cafe of sorts that has board games" Lilia supplied and (name) tilted his head confused "I will seek Council with someone to assist me on this" and with that (name) was gone.

'that sweet hopeless sparrow's Lilia thought as he watched him wander off.

"Oh? Hello (name)" Vil looked at the younger Draconia brother who handed him old coins "I wish to seek in conversation with you in regards to romantic rendezvous" (name) said seriously and Vil looked very confused "my beloved paramour Azul has rejected my proposition for a romantic outing and I wish to know what would fancy him instead" Vil wanted to laugh at this situation, the fae precious in his attempts to woo a man who Vil isn't even sure knows (name) has been pursuing.

"Well perhaps we can figure something out"

"By the seven he was asking me out" Azul said stopping in his tracks as he went over the earnings from the lounge "the coins... He was asking me out"

"Oh he thinks you're dating" Ace said casually as he sipped on his drink "what?" Azul looked floored at this "he refers to you as his Paramore, you accepted Fae courting gifts after all"

Azul needed to find (name).

Vil smiled as he dressed (name) up, the fae prince pleased with the flower crown and nice clothes that weren't too restrictive "now you go tell him that you wish to see his coin collection" Vil was supportive of the other as he urged him to go find Azul.

(Name) wandered the halls blissfully as he looked for his beloved ocean born lover "(name)!" Azul called out as he briskly walked to the other "hello fair ocean treasure, I was hoping we could eng--""are you telling people were dating?" He asked getting to the poing and (name) tilted his head "why would I not speak of our courtship"

Frustrated Azul sighed "because we aren't?"

"But you accepted my gifts?"

"That was a mistake"

Azul regretted his words at the simply heartbroken expression (name) held at the word mistake, it was a mistake? But... But he accepted his courting?

(Name) was a mistake to him?

"(Name), I di-"" very well, I hope you find yourself in good health... Goodbye"

And with that (name) was gone.

Malleus was protective of his younger brother, (name) was his kin after all.

So seeing him so visibility distraught as he clutched a flower crown in his hands "I wish not to seek romantic intentions anymore..."

"But what of your courtship with the ocean born?" Malleus comforted his brother who looked tearful "he claimed our courtship was a mistake!" He cried into his hands and Malleus felt rage bubble within him at his brothers betrayal.

"He is not worthy of your affections"

"That was cruel" Rook spoke up after seeing the interaction "he was so hopelessly in love with you too... Poor little thing" he sighed with false sadness "he had plans of asking you to do things you enjoyed too, he had Vil help him and everything..."

Azul felt like shit.

He missed the clear Fae courting traditions and (name) was hurt because of it, Azul couldn't deny be felt... Romantic interest towards the horned male but in the heat of it he spoke out of his ass.

Word got around fast about the "break up" and (name) seemed absolutely miserable, Vil comforting the poor fae as Silver showed him a very small toad to cheer him up.

Azul sighed as he held a hand held glass greenhouse with tiny mushrooms in it and (prefered treat) as he walked to the trio "if you wish to know, I have not spoken of anything" (name) looked down as Silver glared at the octopus and Vil sighed but saw the gifts "Silver, could you help me with something?" Vil dragged an angry Silver away as (name) fidgeted slightly, refusing to make eye contact with the other "I can assure you, I will no longer cause mistakes for you" (name) whispered and was ready to leave when Azul stopped him "please... Just listen" (name) continued sitting and looked suspicious and sad "I was.. an ass yesterday, I was thrown off and reacted horribly... Would you please accept this courting gift?" (Name) looked at the items hesitantly as he looked at the other.

"But I'm a mistake"

"No you're not, I was being a jerk and I didn't understand why you would want to date me"

"Because you are like the ray of dawn on a winter's morn" (name) said simply as he took the small terrarium and inspected it "a death cap?" He smiled and looked at the other "You are forgiven sea born, but if you tread in those waters again I will not be able to stop my brother" he said simply and Azul shivered as he remembered (name)s brother was literally one of the most powerful mages in existence.

"And by the way" Azul said softly as he walked with a still shy (name) "your gifts were very nice"

(Name)s smile at that moment could melt the sun, so brilliant and pure "those are fae coins, you collect coins so they would be good for your collection"

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Also, I would like to add that Malleus’s blatant disregard for the autonomy of others and fits of rage is DELIBERATE on his end. Being one of the top five mages in the entire world, I am sure that he KNOWS there is a large disparity between his power/social and the rest of the peers/subordinates etc. His sheer and utter confidence in his abilities to get what he wants and general disregard for others isn’t only an indicator of his awareness about this disparity, but is also a reflection of the abuses of his power AND social status as a whole.

In light of his age, imagine the amount of times he has repeated these mistakes despite others advice and criticisms against his choices. Only Ace has been able to overcome others general reverence and fear towards Malleus when it came to calling him out. He is not an innocent person who is ignorant about the ways of humanity verses faes, and is certainly not the innocent character the fandom (especially those who are infatuated by him) think he is.

[Referencing this post!]

***Standard disclaimer: In sharing my thoughts, I do not mean to disparage Malleus fans. Furthermore, me disliking him should not detract from your own enjoyment of the character. If you do not feel comfortable reading about this topic (ie critique of Malleus’s character), then I encourage you to scroll on and to not engage with this post.***

My thoughts below the cut!

I do feel that, to some degree, the disregard for others and inappropriate fits of rage come from blatant ignorance (since Malleus did have a very isolated and sheltered upbringing). However, it's also hard for me to believe that in his 178 years of living that he was NOT told countless times by those around him (mostly Lilia and his grandmother, Maleficia) to wield his power and social status more tactfully than how he has. Did he take none of those lessons to heart??? What about the 2-3 years he spent living among the non-fae at NRC? Nothing from then too?? Regarding self-awareness of his strength and social status, Malleus has made it clear on more than one occasion that he stands above others. Right from his first appearance in the main story (in book 2), it's implied he's well aware of his position--so much so that he deliberately hides his identity from Yuu. He also cannot propose to Eliza in Ghost Marriage because he is the crown prince of a nation. Time and time again, Malleus's status is mentioned and it plays into his importance as the sole heir to Briar Valley. He must also know he is powerful, given that he is one of the top 5 strongest mages in the world and can perform incredible feats (like reassembling a stage and walking through Vil's poisonous miasma in book 5) like they're nothing. His grandmother and Lilia tell him the Draconias are powerful and shouldn’t use their magic to harm, but to help those they rule over. Yet he seems to have surprisingly few qualms when turning these powers against people who are only at a fraction of his power (Rook, his dorm mates, everyone in the Scalding Sands trip group, Ortho, etc.) or have no magic at all (remember when he attacked those civilians in Terror is Trending and the other Diasomnia students had to restrain him?). Malleus may be emotional in these moments, but the fact remains that he's making the deliberate, intentional choice to wield his magic in this way. He has the ability to hold himself back (as we see him refrain from fighting Rook in Malleus's PE Uniform vignette, only because he knows Rook is baiting him), but the vast majority of the time he fails to do this. For someone who is acutely aware of his power, you'd think he would... I don't know, keep a better leash on it? And what about his identity? So Malleus is concerned about Sebek insulting Leona (the prince of another country) but he ISN'T concerned about how his own fits of anger poorly reflect on himself, who is the CROWN PRINCE of a country??? Please make that make sense... Why is Malleus so selective 💀

I'm actually quite shocked at how little Malleus's pride and arrogance is pointed out; it's usually Leona who gets those labels even though Malleus is also just as arrogant, prideful, and confident in his own powers. Most of the time, I feel like I see Malleus being called "innocent". Maybe his negative traits on display get overlooked because TWST tries so hard to present Malleus to us as someone we are supposed to like (especially with how often they use his overpoweredness or loneliness is used as a punchline for jokes). Our interactions with Malleus are also so few and so short, particularly early in the main story, that fans project their own ideas about what he's like onto him and that forms a certain “image” of him that may not be the same as how he actually is. Him being lonely makes it easy for fans to perceive him as desperate for company and even easier for fans insert themselves as his “special” friend or S/O to fill the void.

It's... quite ironic, really? Malleus says in Riddle's Suitor Suit vignettes that he is familiar with the concept of "noblesse oblige", which is the implied duty of the privileged and nobility to act gracefully towards those less privileged. Yet... he is sometimes overstepping "fae playfulness" or "teenage childishness/immaturity" and continuously creating situations which put people around him in danger (all of Endless Halloween Night, not holding back his attacks against the Magicam Monsters, all the times he let his temper get out of control, book 7 OB, etc.) When defending the extremes he took in book 7 by citing his status and his UM, Malleus has this to say, which is very telling of his lucidity: "Monitoring? Meddling? Heh, how silly. It's a king's duty to govern, is it not? I'm watching over you. To ensure no nightmares befall you in the fairy tales you now reside in... To ensure you have happy dreams that last forever!" It's implied that Malleus's grandma has told him since childhood that their line has powerful magic to protect their people's smiles--and here he is, overextending those words to people that aren't even his subjects, and twisting the meaning to justify his own brutal rule.

What I noticed is... Malleus is often so oriented on seeing the situation from his POV that he fails to consider those from any entity aside from himself. In Endless Halloween Night, he feels sorry for the ghosts who showed up late and were left out of the festivities because he can relate to them, so therefore he wants to make sure they are included. In book 7, Malleus fears his loved ones leaving and projects this fear onto everyone else so he feels right in being the one coming in to be their "hero" and grant them happy endings they never asked for. In his own Dorm Uniform vignettes, Malleus frames the circumstances as, "I wouldn't be mad if you did the same thing to me" instead of listening to his peers' complaints. He centers problems around himself (which admittedly is very frustrating to me), and this is how Malleus tries to understand and navigate the world. This gives me the impression that he has a very particular way of thinking and it's perhaps difficult for him to understand others, even with extensive pointers.

I truly believe Malleus is ignorant about humans and fae. That much matches up with what we know of his history. What I do NOT get is why he continues to remain ignorant when 1) he has spent a few years exposed to non-fae and their ways; even if this pales in comparison to the 175ish other years of his life, he should have some new basis for appropriate social interactions with other races, and 2) major adult figures in his life are telling him he should consider others' perspectives and try to learn more about that which he is unfamiliar with. Malleus has so many opportunities to expand his horizons and get to know new people, but he seems to sit around and keep waiting for others take the initiative for him. But he could initiate too, so why doesn't he???? (He has shown he is capable of it, as he approaches Deuce to fix his virtual pet and chatting with Idia about the same pet in the main story; if not by himself, then Lilia can easily assist or invite him into activities such as the Silk City trip.) Even if Malleus fails to socialize in a way that's considered appropriate, at least that's something he can learn from and correct for next time... But why doesn’t he????????? If he did, it would sure help out with his inability to empathize with his peers and could even curb his temper (which would be seen as socially inappropriate). So why exactly does he seem to know so little and make so little effort to try and rectify this???? Why does he keep postulating that his word is above everyone else’s and then get upset when people don’t like him for this very alienating attitude? Aaaaah, it's a sad cycle to witness him devolve into again and again... 😭

P. S. Bless Ace for being the one character who still held it against Malleus for the fucked up “prank” he pulled in Endless Halloween Night (and then convincing everyone the misunderstanding was their faults for “attacking the ghosts first”).

[uhhlifeig]

Hot Chocolate - Dec. 13th - word count: 464 - @wolfstarmicrofic

Remus walked into the cafe, fiddling with the sleeves of his sweater. He looked around for a good place to sit, glancing at the door nervously every few seconds.

Lily had finally gotten him to go on a blind date, but Remus was now wondering if that was the greatest idea. Like, what if the other guy turned out to be a mass murderer and a convicted felon? 

It was too late to back out now, though. 

He pulled out his phone to distract himself, but the door jingled, catching Remus’s attention. 

His first thought? The person who walked in was gorgeous. 

He was wearing a leather jacket and low-rise jeans, and his shirt under the jacket was cropped. His hair was impeccable, too. It looked effortlessly windswept and velvet-soft. The man’s face was practically ethereal, too. His high cheekbones and storm-gray eyes made him look like some sort of fae prince.

His second thought? Fuck, wait. Lily better not have set me up with this guy.

And as luck would have it, the mystery man walked up to him and asked, “Are you Lily Evans’s friend? Or is that someone else?”

Remus was gobsmacked, practically unable to speak. He managed to choke out, “No- no, that’s me. You’re James Potter’s friend?” 

Mystery Man nodded and sat down opposite Remus. “Yep. Name’s Sirius, by the way.”

“Oh, like that star?” Remus asked. No wonder he looks otherworldly.

Myster- no, Sirius- looked shocked. “You’re one of the first people to pick up on that. You know astronomy?”

“Well, no,” Remus admitted. “I read a lot, though, so I have a lot of random knowledge. Oh, and my name’s Remus. It’s not much better than Sirius is, though.”

“Remus. Wasn’t he the brother of the founder of Rome, or something? I don’t remember.”

“Yeah. I’d explain the myth, but I think we should get drinks first, no?” Remus asked, already getting up, waiting for Sirius to follow.

And follow he did. They made their way to the counter together, with Remus ordering a hot chocolate and Sirius ordering a caramel cappuccino. 

They went back to the table and engaged in some small talk. They were on the topic of how badly Zeus sucked as a father when Remus noticed Sirius’s phone ringing.

“Hey, Sirius, what did you say your work was again?” he asked. 

“Oh, uhm, I’m a model. Why?” 

“Because, well. Your phone is ringing?”

Sirius looked on the table, at where his phone was sitting, shocked. “Oh shit, Remus. I’m sorry, but that’s my agent. I’ll be back. How the fuck did I even miss that? Sorry, sorry.”

So it turned out that the perfect human being could also be a bit of a dork. Honestly, that made him even better, in Remus’s eyes.

[asvterias]

𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝟤: 𝖢𝗋𝗈𝗐𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝖯𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗈𝗌

the cast // series masterlist

chap. 1 || chap. 2 || chap. 3 || chap. 4 || chap. 5

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Canon-Divergence, Targ!Cest, Typical Misogyny, Just Daemon, A Simple Conversation about Daemon, Some Foreshadowing, Mentions of Daemon & Slight Jealousy

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Father!Corlys Velaryon ✘ Daughter!Reader, King’s Small Council ✘ Teen!Rhaenyra Targaryen ✘ Fem!Velaryon!Reader, Teen!Alicent Hightower ✘ Fem!Velaryon!Reader, Teen!Rhaenyra Targaryen ✘ Fem!Velaryon!Reader

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Returning to The King’s Small Council very late would cause a disturbance and Princess Rhaneyra could care less. As long as Y/N, Alicent, and Rhaenyra were seen together, everything would be alright and light confessions would rise.

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3.7k+

𝐓𝐚𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭: @username23345 @fae-the-wanderer @hippivanhan34 @harjasblog @feyresqueen @ithemaduh @poopietomuch @starless-nightz @yelenaslyubov @chittakii @flowerluzx @laiahernandeeezzz @dvrkhcld @lizzieswife101

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: Please don’t be a silent reader and interact within the chapter! If you wanna be tagged in this book, comment below and say ‘future tag’! Also go check out my tiktok page @/localgirlie, where I post videos relating to this fanfic! gif credit to @/bonniebirddoesgifs

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝟐: I apologize for being an unannounced hiatus, school got heinous quick already, so yeah that’s my bad. I promise I will try not to make this a habit because I’m posting next month, but I will do my best to keep you updated.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝟑: Also if you like Daemon, then don’t read this, reader is NOT a lover of him. Later in the book, reader will grow to tolerate him, that’s it and all.

🌊 ✘ 🔥

𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝟤

𝖲𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝖮𝗇𝖾: 𝖤𝗉𝗂𝗌𝗈𝖽𝖾 𝖮𝗇𝖾

𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝐀𝐂

𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨’𝘴 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨

••••

Two guards opened the heavy wooden doors, allowing you and Rhaenyra to saunter inside to view the members of the King’s council already engaged in discussion. Lord Corlys Velaryon, your dear father, was currently informing the council, displaying a map of their conflict of interest.

At the head of the council table, there sat King Viserys, and His Hand Ser Otto Hightower sitting on his rightward side.

On the King’s leftward side, Lord Lyonel Strong, Lord Mellos, and Lord Lyman Beesbury had taken their seats, leaving your father, Lord Corlys Velaryon, sitting directly ahead of the King.

“…They call him ‘The Crabfeeder’ due to his inventive methods of punishing his enemies.” Your father’s voice was the first to be heard.

“And are we meant to weep for dead pirates?” King Viserys retorted, letting the situation fly over his head.

The Princess walked ahead of you, going directly to her father as you immediately headed over to the wine table.

“No, your grace.” Lord Corlys replied, only to be interrupted again.

“Rhaenyra and Lady Y/N, you’re late.” King Viserys gently reprimanded the two young girls. “King’s cupbearers must not be late, leaves people wanting for cups.”

“My apologies, Your Grace,”

“It’s quite alright, Lady Y/N, I know Rhaenyra roped you into her plans,”

The Princess kissed her father’s cheek. “I was visiting mother.”

About to pull away from her father’s grasp, he steadied her wrist, tugging her forward again, now catching a whiff of her scent. “On dragonback?” He questions with a low tone.

Rhaenyra detached from her father’s grip, venturing forward to the wine table, and grabbing a pitcher.

“Hey, Your Grace at Prince Daemon’s urging the crown has invested significant capital in the re-training and re-equipping of his City Watch.” Lord Beesbury announces, “I thought you might urge your brother to fill his seat on the council and provide an assessment of his progress as commander of the Watch.”

By then, Rhaenyra had already refilled her father’s wine, moving on to the next person.

Once your father was reseated in his chair, you moved toward him, the wine pitcher held steady in your hand. You could sense his gaze on you, the cold yet disapproving glare set upon you.

Trying your best to ignore his disapproving glare, you plastered on a small smile and poured his wine. As soon as his cup was filled, you ventured closer to Rhaenyra, finding more ease with her presence. You send her a faint smile, receiving one in return as you both intently listen.

“Do you think Daemon is distracted by his present tasks? And that his thoughts and energies are occupied?” King Viserys asked Lord Beesbury.

“Well, one would hope so, considering the associated costs,”

The King nodded his head, “Then let us all consider your gold well-invested, Lord Beesbury,” You politely patted the said lord’s shoulder, filling up his cup as he thanked you with a firm head nod.

“I would urge that you not allow this Triarchy much latitude in the Stepstones, Your Grace.” Corlys spoke, seeking reason in his tone, “If those shipping lanes should fall, it will beggar our ports.”

“The crown has heard your report, Lord Corlys, and takes it under advisement.” Otto Hightower claims, his expression unreadable as always.

You made eye contact with Rhaenyra, both girls resisting the temptation to roll their eyes at the older man’s irritating voice. It’s a wonder how Alicent handles her father every time, she’s truly a survivor.

“Shall we discuss the Heir’s Tournament, Your Grace?” Otto asks the King, turning back to him.

“Oh gods, please do, this subject is getting boring,” You mutter to yourself, plastering a fake smile when Otto sends a glance your way.

You had to bite away your incoming insult, brewing into your mind, rather than focusing on pouring him another glass. Quite frankly, you didn’t care about Lord Otto’s opinions of you, he knew well enough to not pester you, yet you struggled to not make a mockery of him.

“I would be delighted,” King Viserys smiled, mindlessly picking at his food, “Will the maesters’ name say prediction hold, Mellos?”

“You must understand that these things are mere estimations, my King, but we have all been poring over the moon charts and we feel that our forecast is as accurate as it can be.” Lord Mellos explains to the council, his tone is dry as ever, “The cost of the tournament is not negligible. Perhaps we might delay until the child is in hand?”

Lord Lyonel sighs, “Most of the lords and ladies are certainly on their way to King’s Landing already. To turn them back now–“

“The tourney will take the better part of a week.” The King interrupted the advisors, his tone charismatic and hopeful, “Before the games are over, my son will be born and the whole realm will celebrate.”

“We have no way of predicting the sex of the child,”

“Of course, no maester’s capable of rendering an opinion free of conditions, are they now?” He chuckles slightly, still chewing on his food. “There’s a boy in the Queen’s belly, I know it.”

You caught Rhaenyra’s saddened gaze, smoothly approaching to be at her side, going to the wine table again.

“And my heir will soon put all of this damnable hand-wringing to rest himself.” He declares loudly, having fed up with the insistent questions. “That will be all, council is dismissed.”

King Viserys’ last statements fell on deaf ears for the two young ladies, who became wrapped in their own thoughts.

Immediately, your hand reaches out to settle on top of Rhaenyra’s hand, squeezing it softly. She made no reaction to the kind and simple gesture, so you knew she was deep in thought. Of these past couple of days, the hassle of her mother’s pregnancy and her father’s insistence on producing a son. Worst of all, Rhaenyra had expressed her concerns to deaf ears, feeling overlooked by the pressure of a brother. It was stressful for the entire family of three.

A son for the Iron Throne. His male heir. His next successor. A gender in which Rhaenyra is not, meaning her father will never see her fit to be.

••••

After the hostile meeting of the small council members was finally adjourned, the men slowly departed, off to complete their other duties.

Unlike the two young ladies rushing out of the council meeting, arms looped together and tantalizing giggles filled the corridors. As you passed maids and guards, who bowed in respect and continued their tasks, the two young ladies headed in search of Alicent.

You found your other dearest friend, already occupied underneath the familiar spot, sitting on a blanket with a history book in her hand. When she spotted her two friends, a wide grin overtook her face, and happily waved over, encouraging them to come closer. The Weirwood Tree was a special place for the trio of girls, it was a hangout. Associated with the ideal combination of reviving fresh air and receiving light confessions, the atmosphere was peaceful.

Sitting upright crisscrossing as you face your friends, Alicent doing the same position with Rhaenyra’s head on her lap. You fiddled with the loose strands of your silver hair, listening to Alicent revising Rhaenyra’s studies.

Seemingly, Rhaenyra was bored out of her mind, completely disinterested in the subject as Alicent’s frustration with her beloved friend heightened.

“Did you read it?” Alicent tilted her head asking the silver-haired girl lying on her crossed legs.

“Of course, I read it.” Princess Rhaenyra hummed softly.

“When Princess Nymeria arrived in Dorne, who did she take to husband?” The Hightower girl decided to test Rhaenyra’s knowledge of history.

“A man,” The young royal blandly answered, the disinterest clear in her tone. History always bored the Princess, she sought no interest in it, therefore she never expressed any.

“What was his name, Nyra?” You insisted, poking at her side, lightly pinching her exposed pale arm. She paused, distracted by the small sharp pain, glancing at you, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursued. She dropped the leaf on the grass, primarily attentive to your movements and facial expressions.

Truly, she could never be irritated at you, but the reaction was only an excuse to stare at you. Soon enough, her gaze shifted elsewhere, rolling her eyes, “Lord Something.” She replies with an exhausted sigh.

“If you answer with ‘Lord Something’ Septa Marlow will be furious,” Alicent reminds her Targaryen friend.

“She’s funny when she’s furious,”

You glimpsed at Rhaenyra, tilting your head, and watching her anxious movements.

“You’re always like this when you’re worried,”

It was noticeable and Rhaenyra wasn’t even attempting to hide it. Perhaps, she wanted you to notice and pester her about it.

“Like what?”

“Disagreeable,”

Rhaenyra meets your gaze first and shifts her eyes toward Alicent, both girls reassuringly giving a subtle hint of confessing her concerns. It didn’t take that much for the Princess to confess her concerns in your company, always placing up walls in defense, only for it to crumble quickly. She is often unpredictable during certain times, allowing you to know what she wishes. Although Rhaenyra refuses to be straightforward, mind bouncing with insecurities, you decide to take matters into your own hands.

This conversation was meant to be a revision for the Princess, testing her ability but it drifted to her father’s succession. The potential possibility of her being overlooked when her newborn brother is born and soon named as heir. It made her feel unwanted, her presence vanishing slowly from the castle walls when the delivery day was nearly approaching.

Will she succumb to such a sad fate? To have no one by her side or even hold a regular conversation without the mention of Baelon?

She knows her enthusiasm about a new sibling should be enough, but the thought of being replaced sickened her to the stomach.

“You’re worried your father is about to overshadow you with a son.” You concluded, finishing the small makeshift braid.

“I only worry for my mother.” She corrects you, her energy still somewhat gloomy. Still, the Princess stared down, plucking away a red maple leaf, “I hope for my father that he gets a son. As long as I can recall, it’s all he’s wanted.”

“You want him to have a son?” The auburn teenage girl shockingly pointed out.

“I want to fly with you and Y/N on Dragonback, see the great wonders across the Narrow Sea, and eat only cake.” She dismisses the conversation entirely, her tone purely genuine at the wondrous thought.

“I’m being serious,”

“I never jest about cake,”

“Yeah that’s true, I don’t jest about food either,”

“Food is not the discussion as of this moment, Y/N!”

“Right, sorry, Ali.” You sheepishly nodded, a slight wave of embarrassment passed through your face.

Alicent shakes her head, amusement lacing her features, a smile tugging her lips as she returns her gaze to the discouraged princess.

“You aren’t worried about your position?”

“I like this position, it’s quite comfortable having you and Y/N so close by my side,”

“You know what Ali means,”

“Why are you only testing me? Test Y/N too.” Another dismissal from the current topic wasn’t working in Rhaenyra’s favor. Not when the conversation at hand brought out her dejected fear of being replaced and possibly ignored by the realm and her father alike.

You knew the feeling all too well, having a present father but also absent at the same time. Meanwhile, your mother was your biggest supporter, attempting to fill up the distant love that your father so deeply ignores.

“Y/N already knows this, she doesn’t need revision,”

“Sucks to be you, Princess…” You giggled, scoffing when she shoved your shoulder with her hand. Rhaenyra lets out a huff, rolling her eyes as Alicent continues about the history topic.

“Hey, where’d you get that necklace?” Your eyebrows furrowed in intrigue, noticing the new jewelry, reaching out to further analyze it.

“Oh, umm...” She clutched the necklace in her hand, drifting her attention onto the sky, “Daemon gave it to me.”

Did you hear that right? Daemon gave Rhaenyra a priceless necklace. Surely, it wasn’t out of the goodness of his heart, but for his own gain? It’s the only logical explanation, right…?

Was the Princess already perceiving the valryian necklace as too much of her personal value? Will his gift possibly outshine yours?

Upon hearing that statement, you and Alicent shared a confused glance, wanting further elaboration.

“When did he give it to you?” Alicent asked, peering down at the Princess, glimpsing at the valryian steel necklace.

“Just today.” Her eyes fell to yours and Alicent’s as she cleared her throat.

Raising your brows in curiosity, you continued the pestering, “When was he here?”

“Doesn’t matter,” She curtly replied, fiddling with the jewelry. “He left shortly after,”

You hummed silently at her reply, playing with a loose strand of hair, “Why was he here?”

It was imperative to know why he was here. Did she enjoy his company? Was her infatuation with her uncle transforming into something more? Even if it threatened your heart’s desire? You needed answers but Rhaenyra seemed reluctant to give answers.

“He wanted to see me,”

“Alone?”

“Yes, alone.” She repeats, her irritation replacing fake coyness.

You stared at the Princess, unimpressed by her childish behavior, “Where did you meet up with him?”

Were the many annoying questions necessary? Possibly not. Did it give you any sort of ease? Not at all. Was it fun to watch the Princess squirm underneath your unwavering scrutiny and reply with vague answers? Yes, her responses were well-timed.

“In the throne room,”

“Was he sitting on the Iron Throne?”

“Yes, he was–“

“Gods be good, Rhaenyra! Does he have no respect for his own brother?!”

“I met him sitting there! It’s not like he would have listened to me,”

“He still believes he’s to be heir, that’s pure nonsense. Even if there was the tiniest chance of him ascending to the Iron Throne, his impulsiveness would surely cause the kingdom’s early demise. He’s power hungry and bloodthirsty, he’s only of good use to win a war, not start a family with,”

“Do you not like him that much?”

“Perhaps you simply misheard me, I don’t like him at all, I’d rather detest him, he’s like an insistent hound who ruins everything he touches.” You mused, hoping the Princess would surely understand the complexity of this total situation.

A hidden mixture of rage and disgust welled up, coursing through your veins, the familiar Targaryen fire enlightening at the mere desperation of coming forth the longer she remained clueless, or at least pretended to be. But you withhold those overwhelming emotions threatening to speak the truth and lower your tone, sickly calm and collected.

“He should be back at the Vale with his lady wife, Rhea Royce instead of lingering here like a fucking creep. However, I must sympathize with Lady Rhea, to be burdened with the title of being his wife. She is rather beautiful and doesn’t deserve such a Prince as a husband,”

“Y/N is right, from what I heard Lady Rhea is an impeccable woman of taste,”

“I’m not one to resist another’s beauty,”

Turning her head around from you, huffing in jealousy, “Perhaps you should be with Lady Royce instead since you seem so smitten with her,” She retorted under her breath, a burdening unsettling sensation began to form in the pit of her stomach. The pure grimace on her face matched the inner turmoil within her, stirring each time she thought of you and Rhea together. The pairing of the two made her completely forget about Daemon’s surprise visit.

She didn’t like the jealous and possessive nature she gained over you, but it was difficult to bypass, even more so when you complimented another woman’s beauty. Then again, she felt prepared in a way, dreading the day when your wedding day approaches.

What does Lady Rhea have that she doesn’t? She’s a Targaryen princess, she mustn’t stress over the small simple things such as wishing for reciprocated feelings.

Alicent sent her a knowing look at her murmurs, ultimately ignored by Rhaenyra, but settled down.

“Do you feel left out, Princess?”

“No, I’m not. Why should I?”

“Just because I complimented another woman’s beauty doesn’t mean I think any less of you. You’re always in my highest regard, such as Alicent,”

“Good, there’s no need for me to question where your loyalties and love lie.” Her eyebrows relax and a tight-lipped smile appears.

“Although, I must wonder if your feelings had led you astray, reaching into unknown fires that aren’t of your own,”

“You shan’t worry about him, I’m not tarnished yet,”

“If you keep arranging secret meetings with Prince Daemon, you’ll soon be because of him,”

“Do you not trust me, Y/N?” She lets out a bewildered scoff, lifting her head to get a better view of you.

“Of course, I trust you, it’s Daemon I don’t trust, and never will either.” You spoke firmly, refusing to back down.

She exhales tiredly, resting her head against Alicent’s thigh again. “He’s not as bad as you make him out to be,”

“My assumptions are always right, that’s a given. You perceive him in some twisted sort of good light, which I can’t seem to comprehend at all. Look, I care for you deeply, Nyra, and being involved with Daemon isn’t a good idea. He’s a creep and manwhore, don’t throw away your virtue for a man like him. I can only help you to a certain extent and after that, it’s out of my control,”

“I can handle myself,”

“Not around him, right?”

“That was uncalled for,”

“Surely it has the slightest bit of truth,”

“My self-control is of a great deal when involving my uncle,”

“Or lack thereof,” You mumbled, rolling your eyes.

Alicent quietly scoffs to herself, slamming the book shut and rushing to her feet. You repeated the same movements as your Hightower friend, causing Rhaenyra to lose both girls.

“Where are you two going?”

Rhaenyra groans, her head no longer having its support or the preferred enjoyable company.

“Home. The hour has grown late.” Your friend responded, spinning around to face Rhaenyra once again who’s now walking closer.

“Being knowledgeable is not stupid, Rhaenyra. It’s a power that only a few bold women have, who can outsmart these boisterous lords of the court for either our amusement or our satisfaction.” You stood up to your feet, brushing off any invisible dirt specks of your possibly contaminated dress.

“Princess Nymeria led her Rhoynar across the Narrow Sea on 10,000 ships to flee their Valyrian pursuers. She took Lord Mors Martell of Dorne to husband and burned her own fleet off Sunspear to show her people that they were finished running.” During her summary of Princess Nymeria, she rises to her feet and begins to walk over.

“Was that so hard?”

“No, it wasn’t,”

Just like that, Rhaenyra stepped forward and ripped the page right out of the book, startling Alicent with her defiant actions.

“What are you doing?”

“So you remember,” She throws the torn page into the book.

“If the Septa sees this book, then–“

“Fuck the Septa.” You interrupted, closing the book in her hands.

“Y/N!”

“We’ll be fine, the Septa can’t go against the Princess, it’s considered treason to even do so,”

The trio of girls walked alongside each other, you being in between them, arms looped around the other.

“You two are bad influences,” Alicent chuckles, referring to your defiance.

“That’s why you’re here to keep us in line,”

You snuggled your head into the crook of her neck, meeting her soft gaze and earning a faint smile. Rhaenyra playfully rolls her eyes at your interaction, feeling left out with an unwelcoming sensation bubbling upon the surface, yet internally deciding to keep it to herself, not sparking an unnecessary fuss.

“Oh, and did I mention my gifts for you?” You perked up, lifting your head away from Alicent’s neck, much to Rhaenyra’s surprise.

“Gifts? That’s one word I love to hear,”

“Meet me in my chambers when the night bestows,”

“It better be worthwhile,”

“Shush, Rhaenyra!” Alicent shakes her head at the Princess, before turning to you, hands wringing in front of her dress in a semi-anxious manner, “We can’t wait to see the beloved gifts, Y/N.”

It wasn’t hard to see a warm inviting smile plastered on Lady Alicent’s face, her easy-going personality shining through. Besides, the last thing you wanted to do was disappoint your closest friends with a stupid gift. So you weren’t. By the Gods’ good graces, you hoped they’d adore your gifts or else it’ll be an awkward night to follow afterward.

••••

likes, comments, and reblogs are highly appreciated!

© asvterias, 2024. please do not copy, repost, or translate any of my works onto any other platforms without my permission.

[coralinnii]

I love the villain scorned by the world feat: Malleus genre: drama, hurt/comfort, romance note: part 3 continuation of Being Reincarnated into a New World as the Bad Guy AU Malleus ver, not gender specific reader, no pronouns used, villain/ess!reader is human, insecure villain/ess!reader, use of non-canon characters, 1.6k word count

I'm scared that people aren't gonna like how the villain/ess!reader is portrayed but I wanted to write people who are hurt and are afraid, cuz that's what being alive is like, to sometimes be afraid. So, hope you enjoy!

There are requests with more specific topics or aspects of the story so they may get their own story post. I'm not ignoring you, I'm more story pacing ^^"

In one night alone, you’ve met your ex-fiancé and your former friends while you were with the fae that has asked to marry you. Then, said fae went on to antagonize your ex-fiancé who was a prince and low-key threatened to ruin him, his lover and those who supported the couple. 

You were not built for this stress

In his defense, Malleus only did it because your former fiance started to mock you and your family over a crime that was proven false. You certainly weren’t ungrateful enough not to thank Malleus for his assistance. The powerful king simply smiled.

“This is but a mere glimpse of the things I would do for you, should you finally accept my proposal” 

“T-this is not a decision you can rush” 

You were hesitant and gave excuses to refuse the dragon king but he made efforts to rebuke your reasons one by one, destroying whatever obstacles that kept you from saying yes. Soon, it came down to one reason, your real reason. 

You were scared

Not of Malleus, he has never done anything to warrant fear from you. But rather, his status as a “route target”. 

Before the arrival of the heroine, you were friends with the other route targets and even felt happy enough to be engaged with the prince despite having only platonic feelings between each other. But the moment they all met her, your world became hers. 

Your former fiancé grew irritated with you, then full out ignoring you. It was no better with the others as well when you expressed your worries to your mutual friends. Rather than consoling you or hearing you out, they took the heroine’s side and started ignoring you as well, calling you delusional and unreasonable. 

Everyone changed (or perhaps you changed and this was how it was meant to be) and you were left ridiculed and soon villainized by those you felt close to. The look of disgust on their faces whenever you attempted to just speak to them, it hurt you.

Would Malleus be the same? Be kind to you then break your heart when the heroine comes in? You suffered because of it the first time but if it was Malleus…your last and maybe closest person in your life since reincarnating to this world… you don’t know how you could come back from that. 

So you started to give up on your happy ending, refusing to answer Malleus’ proposal, avoiding to engage with the heroine at all, even escaping the party and retreating to your old hiding spot… in the royal garden. 

Alone with your thoughts, you berated yourself over your cowardice as you hid in the tall rose bushes. Gently, you fidgeted with the rose petals and you reminisced about the past. You met Malleus here, didn’t you? 

You were so clueless over your future. Back then, you still held hope that your fate was not predestined, that you could be content with stepping aside for the heroine and live happily with them. Yet despite your conflicted feelings, you managed a smile as you recalled one fateful night in the garden. It was the night that you met with your closest friend… 

“Lord Malleus!” 

…Did you say that out loud? 

You looked around in confusion to see if you were truly alone as you thought and to your surprise, you saw beyond the tall hedges the very fae you were just thinking about and the person who called him…

The female protagonist. 

“Do you like flowers, Lord Malleus?”

Your heart clenched painfully as you saw your worst nightmare come to be, the female lead with your friend(?) and they were alone in the gardens, where you realized where the player was supposed to meet Malleus in order to enter his route. Was the baron’s daughter aware of this? Did they meet like it was meant to be? Should you stay…or run away? 

You could. Your engagement has been annulled and your family was cleared from accusations of treason. You haven't accepted Malleus' proposal so nothing is holding you or your family back from leaving this kingdom forever and starting a new life away from here. No need to follow this cursed story to the end. No need to ever see your ex-friends or the protagonist ever again. 

No need to see Malleus again. 

Just run away.  

Malleus internally thanked the elders and Lilia for their lessons to conceal his emotions, or he could have done something as drastic as burning this garden to ashes due to the annoyance he felt at this moment. He noticed your escape from the party and assumed you wanted some fresh air so he left you on your own. But soon, the party attendees bore him and he soon ached to be by your side once more. So, he made his way to the one place he immediately thought of when thinking of you, the royal gardens. 

It was his curiosity borne from boredom that brought him to the gardens that day. He found himself attracted with your kindness and obliviousness to his true identity. He found you charming, a delight and later an optimist when learning of your situation. He knew right away who you were, the child from a noble family betrothed to the young prince of this kingdom since young but that piece of information did not bother him…at first. 

But you were turned from charming to tempting as time went on. He craved your attention, envisioning your smiling face with each letter he received from you via his attendant Lilia. He couldn’t count how many times he wanted to visit you personally but couldn’t. He was sure that if you knew his identity, you may cease your correspondence with him in fear of a scandal between the kingdoms. He at least could appreciate your tactfulness. 

But he was greedy as any dragon fae would be once he heard your engagement was annulled. He may curse the foolish prince for his actions but Malleus suppose he should count himself lucky that your ex-fiancé was a fool. If he were a decent man then he may have to declare war by stealing you away. 

But Malleus encountered another greedy individual, and she’s standing right in front of him. 

“Do you like flowers, Lord Malleus?” The baron’s daughter asked, fluttering her eyelashes cutely. 

“This garden and its flora has its charm” Malleus curtly replied, he can’t hate this garden afterall. He met you here. 

“So do I! I guess fae and humans aren’t so different, huh” 

Well, that’s a stretch of a comment. He couldn’t comprehend this human’s agenda. Constantly surrounded by young men, Malleus assumed she had better ways to spend her time, and not waste his. 

Wait…was she reaching her hand to him? 

“My wish is for humans and fae to get along. Wouldn’t that be great?” The female lead sweetly said with her best smile, stretching her fingers to reach for Malleus’ crossed arms. 

To dare attempt to lay hands on him without his permission. No one would fault him for burning this woman’s audacious hands off, right? 

“King Malleus!” 

The dragon fae’s pointed ears perked up at the sound of his name. He turned immediately to the source, knowing exactly who just called him. 

“My dear human” he responded back with a smile as he saw you walking quickly towards him. 

In spite of your nervousness, you walked up to the duo and looked to share a gaze with the tall dragon fae before cautiously moving to hover your hand on his arm. Malleus did you one better and guided your hand to firmly rest on his arm, with his large hand kept over yours. 

“Good evening, lady” you nodded your head at the heroine who seemed displeased with your presence but curtsied back, as is custom. You barely gave the woman’s much of your attention (your confidence may waver if you did) and turned directly to face Malleus.

“King Malleus, I had planned to retire early tonight and leave this party” you looked to Malleus, taking a deep breath before speaking once more. To let yourself be selfish and fight for the only man that mattered to you now. “Would you like to leave…with me?”   

“Aren’t you being rude?” The female lead argued, barely hiding her annoyance with you. “Not only did you interrupt a conversation, you’re shamelessly asking Lord Malleus to leave-“ 

“Where would you like to go, my dear human?” Malleus’ deep voice interrupted the baron’s daughter, not that Malleus cared as his striking green eyes focused solely on you. 

“If you’re willing…perhaps your manor’s garden?” You shocked yourself with your boldness, but you kept at it. “I much prefer your garden above all others, especially during our dates” 

Whoosh

Your senses couldn’t keep up with the sudden shift as you were suddenly lifted by Malleus who quickly scooped you up into a bridal carry. You and the female lead both had looks of shock by the fae king’s sudden actions but Malleus paid attention to only one of you.

“I had made the false assumption that all humans were charming” Malleus’ eyes glinted a bright green, you compared them to gems, as he smirked amusingly at you, his fangs peeking from his lips. “But only you could evoke such feelings of greed within me"

Ignoring this world's protagonist, Malleus began to shroud the two of you in specks of green lights, a sign that you were going to be magically whisked away at Malleus' whim.

But before you did, you managed to meet the female lead's eyes which were filled with nothing but indignant rage. She looked ready to destroy you and everything you love, but you steeled yourself. Instead of flinching under her glare, you smiled at her while wrapping your arms around the dragon king's neck. Without a word, you made your decision.

I'm not giving him up

[schoenht]

↳ dust of the stars in their eyes

character: lilia vanrouge

synopsis: cinderella au (the musical version)

a/n: TO MY BELOVEDEST @linabirb I HAVE FINISHED PART ONE OF YOUR LATE BDAY PRESENT </3 ILY LOTS AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY !!! I'LL BE WRITING PART TWO VERY SOON I'VE BEEN SUPER EXCITED TO WRITE THIS SINCE I'VE BEEN OVER THERE

No one truly understood the woes of being the prince with pressures of becoming the next king. All the kingly duties and having to uphold the kingly stature when Lilia Vanrouge only wanted to slide across halls in his socks with his advisors, who joined a lot of the time. The loss of himself when he thought too much about who he was. On the surface, he was the prince, but deep down? He couldn't fathom understanding himself past the fun times that he granted himself. Slaying dragons, sliding across the halls, that was what created a life supposedly worth living for him.

Today, however, did not follow the usual exciting schedule.

Kalim walked in with a scroll in his hand. "Your Majesticness, we have to fulfill your father's wishes!"

Lilia smiled, an elfish grin that made him look so innocent when it was not-so-secretly full of mischief. "Which wish? The one where you and Cater dangle me from the ceiling as we pretend to be thieves taking the crown?"

The white haired male knew exactly what he was talking about. Their plans were jubilant, if not occasionally lethal at times. But Lilia seemed to always get back up after falling from several feet high. After all, he was a fae and fae were known for their antics. Kalim shook his head, unfurling a ridiculously long scroll that only said a few words in bright green ink and outrageously enormous letters. "Lilia, get married NOW."

What a bunch of poppycock, Lilia thought. His father had always been protective of him since he was young, and somehow, he had also been trying to set him up with several princesses. The princess he used to be betrothed to when he was a small fae had escaped when she was just 10, deciding to be raised by nuns. He was stunned to find out that when he was born, he was already engaged for some sort of power. Afterwards, his father believed he could court someone on his own.

He could not.

Kalim scrambled to pick the long scroll up and made it into a pile as he glanced at the prince. "My lord? You must find someone."

The prince knew it was time. "What do you suggest?"

"I have an idea~!" The singsong voice of his other advisor came through the halls as he took a singular selfie of himself and made his phone disappear into his pocket. Lord Cater, who was somehow the wisest one amongst the three of them when it came to a situation such as this one, had one of those signature Cater beams, the ones that could relax anyone because he had a plan.

Curious, Lilia slightly leaned forward. "What is your idea?"

"We host a ball! And if you meet the person you like there, we did it, you can get married!"

"That seems a bit unorthodox--"

Cater didn't want to hear it and refused to. "Just think about it, Your Gracefulness, a romantic night sky, candles...maybe even some flames."

"Flames?"

"Of love, of course! Not pyrotechnics." Cater glanced at Kalim, shaking his head. "That means no fireworks, Kalim."

"Awww."

Lilia tilted his head a little. Perhaps it was a good idea to receive guests into his castle, to see who could potentially be the next person at his side to hold a crown on their head. It did not have to be something so overly dramatic as Cater was implying, yet Lilia liked to have that dramatic flair. And a ball was as dramatic one can get. Not to mention, it would slowly quell the murmurs of an uprising advocated by the impoverished individuals in his kingdom. He would feed them and ensure that they got a pleasant night. And so, he agreed.

With his permission, Cater was sent to the kingdom to make an announcement. The day was blistering hot, and yet the town was bustling. He could see people hurrying to get the best purchases in the market; children laughing as they kicked a bright green ball around on the gray cobblestones; couples occasionally stopping at the old and unstable fountain in the middle of the square to share the toss of a coin, hushed wishes made about their relationship lasting until the finality of time; vendors shouting at the top of their lungs their best offers on their wares, hoping to outdo their fellow sellers and perhaps obtain a bit more money this time around.

A flash of excitement came over him and he slowly rose on a barrel full of old clothes, according to the label. The bell in his hand commanded for attention from the people and sure enough, the eyes of the public were on him. "The prince is giving a ball! The prince is giving a ball! Hear ye, hear ye, a ball and that's not all! His Royal Highness, Lilia Vanrouge, is giving a ball!"

The repetition of his words quickly got the attention of several individuals, murmuring and as if Cater was a magnet, they were drawn to him to listen further. "He's giving a ball?" "Impossible, the prince has never given a ball in his lifetime." "Oh, shut it, I want to hear!" "I can't see!"

The ginger grinned, knowing he had the attention of more people and as a crowd formed, he knew he had one shot at this. For Lilia and above all, for his paycheck. And his friendship with Lilia, of course. Clearing his throat, he spoke with regality as he brought out shiny, crisp cream envelopes with the famous wax seal on it. Everyone knew it was the royal seal. "His Royal Highness, Lilia Vanrouge, has this decree: To attend the ball, all one requires is an invitation and suitably fashionable attire, and the prince will choose someone from the ball to be his future partner. That means anyone can be the next royal."

In the crowd, swallowed up by other excited people, you listened with intent, eyes filled with a wistfulness to be able to join such a celebration with high stakes. Living in your position was not easy and perhaps, with luck, you could be the one chosen for the place at Prince Lilia's side. Your thoughts been filled with wishes and wants that had replaced your previous ones. Now there was one that was at the center of it all: you wished you were one of the lucky people with an invitation to the ball.

The crowd dispersed and it left you alone in the square as the vendors packed up to go home after a long day of work. You sat on the fountain, careful not to sit in the one crack that made it more unstable, daydreaming about what it would be like to be in the royal palace. You sigh softly as you talk out loud, dreaming up scenarios of what would happen. But you know it wouldn't and your voice trails off.

Out of nowhere comes the old man that listens to you speak all the time, speaking his gibberish. "All the wishes in the world are poppycock and twaddle!"

"Oh, Crazy Sam, are you mocking me with your gibberish?"

"Yes. All the dreamers in the world are dizzy in the noodle!" The man grinned, his magenta eyes hiding a secret as he listens to your wish about wanting to see the prince in person, to talk to him about what life in his kingdom was really like. With a hum, he teases, "And then to have him fall in love with you?"

You shake your head. No. You didn't want that for you, you wanted the prince to realize that his kingdom was a place that needed to be fixed as efficiently as possible. "Why did you come to visit me?"

"I just knew I would find in the same fountain, in the same part, on the cliff of a foolish dream."

For once, Crazy Sam wasn't crazy. He was right and you agreed begrudgingly. "Maybe I am being foolish."

"Then be foolish with me. What would you dream of?" His smile was reminiscent to that of someone who was the messenger for a surprise party. When he heard your dream of getting an invitation to the ball, he pulled out a cream colored envelope. It was a bit ripped from being run over in the stampede of the crowd as they left. "Here. There's an invitation. It isn't perfect, just go. What else would you dream of?"

Your heart lifted in hope as you spoke about silks and such for your outfit that you so desired for. But then you got realistic. "How would I get to the ball?"

He smiled. "See that pumpkin over there? I'll turn it into a golden carriage."

"And horses?"

"Those mice in that cage." He nodded at the mice trapped in a cage, almost a metaphor for your life was. "And a fox as a footman and a raccoon as a driver."

You could almost burst out laughing. This was so ridiculous and improbable. "In order to do that, you'd have to be a fairy godmother. Or godfather."

Crazy Sam raised an eyebrow and suddenly it felt as if the energy shifted between you both. In the same way a magical girl transformation would happen, it seemed like Sam glowed for a second and he changed from an old man with a hunched back to a man with a top hat that could stand up straight and dance. He had a cane in his hand, markings all around him and eyes that no longer hid their mischief and whimsy. Sam had hidden this secret from you all along. He laughed, doing a small turn. "Much better, don't you think?"

Your jaw was on the floor. You had just seen one of your only friends go from an old person into what seemed to be a magical being. "Sam! Are you...really my fairy godfother?"

Sam kept a beam on his face. "But of course! Actually, I'm everyone's fairy godfather, but you're the only one who has treated me with kindness and generosity. Now, I must make all the dreams we talked about come true."

"But that's so improbable, implausible! You could even say that it's impossible!"

With a regal huff, Sam shook his head, spinning his cane in his hand as he led you away from the town square into the edge of the woods. "Impossible? For a pumpkin to become a carriage? Four white mice becoming horses! Ha! The world is full of fools, who believe too much in their strict, invulnerable rules. Impossible things keep happening every day."

Truly, your eyes were deceiving you. You stared at Sam, thinking that he was out of his mind completely. "That's out of the question!"

"Is it?"

You nodded your head, your hands moving in front of you as if trying to emphasize your point. "Unattainable."

"Hmm, do you believe that?"

"Unimaginable..."

"Unimaginable..." Sam grinned as he parroted what you said.

You sputtered, "But you were just a beggar man a couple of moments ago and now you're my fairy godfather? Does that mean that anything is obtainable?"

"Of course." The man listened to you as you spoke, elated at the fact that maybe, just maybe, he could fix everything. He could fix all that caused you troubles. "No, but you can. You can make it all happen."

"I couldn't!" At your words, Sam mocked you a bit, "I couldn't, it's all so impossible--No, it isn't. Look at me, look at your invitation. I'll even give you proof."

His cane glowed as transformations began, suitable for that of a princess. The silliness of earlier became a reality as your dreams seemed to be closer and closer in your grasp. The pumpkin became a gorgeous white carriage, made out of a material that seemed to be made out of porcelain. It was ornate, decorated with gold linings and shining jewels on the swirling wheels. Under the sunset, it shimmered in the dazzling lotus pinks and poppy oranges of the sky.

Next were the raccoon and fox. They turned into grown men, with no idea as to how they could only walk on their hind feet and had fingers with actual human skin. They slowly stumbled to their positions by the carriage as commanded by the person who made them into something else. Another tap of the floor by Sam's cane and out popped the mice into horses, snuffling at the floor.

Finally, he turned to you. He caused you to float and spin and soon, you were transformed into the most gorgeous attire that you could ever even think of wearing. A gasp fell from your lips. "It's the most beautiful outfit I've ever seen in the land!"

He smiled not unkindly. "I will have to warn you, however, this spell only lasts until midnight. By that time, everything will go back to its normal state of being and so will you. Now go, go with the promise of possibility!"

With your heart beating faster and faster at the prospect of going to the ball that seemed as though any laws abiding by the fabric of the universe could now be ripped to shreds, your carriage raced through the night. The world seemed to hold its breath, as if waiting for you to finally step out and complete the puzzle of the idyllic night that was to come. Perhaps it was the joy of the moment that made you forget the midnight rule for now. After all, the plush fabric beneath you was more luxurious than any material belonging to your household. It was a dream that one would never wish to wake up from.

Arriving at the palace, it seemed as though you had stepped into another universe entirely. The palace was looming over you with its bright white ivory walls, shiny glass windows that prohibited a speck of dust to even land on it, perfectly polished doors with guards in armor, checking every guest for invitations as they walked in. Your carriage pulled itself aside, allowing you to step down from it. As the last person to arrive, it would be quite difficult to not notice you.

And that is exactly what happened to Lilia when he merely glimpsed at you, only to do a double take. In all his years of living, he had never seen a star up close, and yet here you were, dazzling without even attempting. It was a bit cute to him to see that you were standoffish, perhaps a bit shy. He made a choice to introduce himself as he walked over, bowing. "Good evening. I am Prince Lilia. How do you do?"

You couldn't believe your ears. The prince himself had walked over to you, even though you were late and completely alone. You also bowed as you introduced yourself to him. You studied him for a second and you saw that for a prince, he did not appear like one. Black hair with pink highlights in an asymmetrical haircut with tiny wisps on the sides of his head, reminding you of bat wings. Those red eyes full of roguery and the smile that showed who he was beyond being a prince.

"May I have this dance?" Lilia asked as a new soft ballad was being played in the background.

Taking his extended hand, you began to dance with him. It was awkward at first since you were not a professional in ballroom dancing and it was not something that was taught to you in your household. Waltzing through the ballroom quietly, but it was somehow a comfortable silence as you swayed back and forth with him. He didn't mind when you stepped on his shoes at all, he was fond of your inexperience. Oh, the thrill of possibly finding someone that he would adore, that made him refuse to come down to Earth again.

The waltz transformed into something slightly more upbeat, involving everyone. You did not know any of this synchronized dancing, only following through the motions. It was certainly overwhelming. Lilia saw that and he swiftly weaved through the other dancers to get to you, taking you away from everyone else. You may be in the center, but no one else would lay a hand on you as long as the prince decided that he would dance with you and you alone. The melody began to slow down slightly and began once again.

Time seemed to move slowly with him before you were matching the pace of the upbeat melody. It was quickening with every note until it reached its crescendo and suddenly it felt like you were floating. You were floating when you looked down at the floor. Lilia winked a bit. "I decided to switch it up this time instead of me floating."

He twirled with you around the room, everyone else enjoying their similar dances with their own partners as the music blared loudly from the area where the musicians remained. It began to quiet down before rising up again in its notes. As Lilia stared at you, he only thought that angels had to be real, for they lived in your eyes. He shook his head, getting that out of his head and smiling once more at you. "I would love to continue dancing with you, if you'd allow it."

"Oh, I would love to--"

Suddenly, everything snapped to reality as you took a brief look at the massive clock behind him. With a gasp, you realized it was late. You needed to go. "I am so sorry, but I have to go."

His surprise made you land on the floor as you ran through the crowd, a good amount of them a bit outraged and peeved at this inconvenience. "Wait! Please!"

You didn't listen. You made it up the stairs, breathing heavily and then moved to run downstairs. Your shoe fell from you but you ignored it. It was 3 minutes to midnight. If you didn't race out of there, everyone would find out who you were, especially your stepmother. It would not be a pretty sight to see.

As you hurried and pushed past Lilia's cries for you to stop in your tracks, the footman opened the door instantly and when you dove in, the carriage was off. What once seemed like a smooth ride on the way to the castle only seemed like a bumpy, hectic ride back home.

Meanwhile, Lilia was at the top of the stairs, watching you go. "How will I find you?!"

Then, there was the answer: the shoe.

He stared down at it and back up at the sky. The stars seemed to dim without you serving as their foreground.

The prince moved inside to his office, where Kalim and Cater were. "We need to find this person, immediately!"

They looked at each other before Cater spoke up, "Sir, that is a shoe."

"It will guide me to them!"

Kalim tilted his head but believed it. "Okay. Well, we can hold a banquet next!"

Lilia's eyes went wide. "Yes. Yes! That is what we will do tomorrow night. I will find them as soon as possible and we will do what my father said so that he can stop spinning in his grave. I am positive he has burrowed his way halfway to the inner core of the planet."

With a plan in mind, he knew what he would have to do next. He wouldn't stop until he found a satisfying ending. And it helped that Kalim and Cater were most definitely encouraging his delusions of grandeur, even if they were not delusions to him. They would become a reality.

[rendy-a]

Bobbing for Apples with Malleus

This is part of a Halloween collab sponsored by @jade-s-nymph. Do check out some of the other Halloween stories coming out on their page!

He looks at you flatly before returning his gaze to the barrel.  Then, he puts one long elegant finger to his chin as though to ponder the situation.  “I promise,” you assure him, “It’s a real thing!”  Malleus tilts his head slightly, letting one of his long trailing locks brush his shoulder, “And what am I to do once I’ve captured this water-bound fruit?”  You shrug again, “Nothing really.  That’s it.  You just fish the apple out of the barrel with your teeth and that’s all.”  He returns his gaze to the barrel holding several prime Harveston apples (courtesy of Epel) and again, seems to deeply ponder the meaning behind the game.

You nervously wait for his response, but none was forthcoming; he appeared content to observe the waiting fruit indefinitely.  Finally, you ask, “Should I go first?”  While you’d thought Malleus content to merely onlook, you were proven wrong by the appearance of a pouty scowl.  He gives you a hurt look, “I’m simply strategizing before showing my skills.”  You hold in a smile, “Oh, I see.  That’s a great idea.  I’m sure you will show me something interesting then.”  His scowl clears and he gives you a confident smirk, “Be certain to observe me closely, my Child of Man.” 

There was no chance you’d disobey that order.  As his gaze returns to the apples, your gaze returns to him.  You really didn’t care if your paramour impressed you with his apple catching skills or not.  You were just happy to have this time to be by the elusive Prince’s side.  As he presses his index finger to his bottom lip in concentration, he further exposes his brilliant white fangs.  While everything about the lovely fae catches your eye, those differences between human and fae stand out most.  You linger over the way the fang brushes against his soft lip, puckering the flesh around it.  An amused chuckle emerges from the same mouth, and you know you’ve been caught staring. 

You look down, suddenly shy at the attention.  “Are you so eager to see me begin?” Malleus asks with a bemused smile displaying his satisfaction, “Very well then, I shall show you the strategy I’ve decided upon.”  You step away from the barrel, giving him room to make his attempt.  You watch in anticipation, knowing that regardless of his success, you are about to witness the rare sight of Malleus engaging in a whimsical activity.  It was good that you were attentive for the attempt is over disappointingly fast.  It seems that Malleus had indeed developed a successful strategy of herding the apples into a group before attempting to grasp one with his teeth. 

You smiled at the proud fae displaying his caught prize and gave a little clap.  “Yay, nice job.”  He preens a touch under your praise before his face screws up in frustration.  You look at his puzzled, “What is it?”  He reaches up and tugs at the apple firmly secured in his mouth and you realize that he can’t remove it; the apple has become caught in his sharp fangs.  “Pfft,” you try to hold in the laugh, but it is too much for you.  Malleus glares at you as he continues to struggle to remove the trapped fruit from his open jaw.  “I’m sorry,” you gasp out, “it’s just so surprising is all.”  Having his lover see him in such a state seems to push him over the edge and with one powerful motion, he crushes the apple between his strong draconic jaw.

You turn away, not daring to meet his angry stare as he spits mushed apple from his mouth and huffs a small puff of flame as well.  He seems more upset than usual.  The murderous gaze he throws at the unassuming apples as he mutters under his breath chills you thoroughly.  “Say Malleus,” you try to redirect, “Why don’t we forget bobbing for apples and go do something else?”  He shoots you and angry pout, the tips of his fangs just barely visible in his pursed lips, “No more apples.  I’m going to write a strongly worded letter to the procurer of these faulty fruits.”  You cringe, thinking of the reaction Epel will have to hearing criticism of his apples.  “But apples can be nice too!” you try to convince him, pulling his hand to another stand.

Malleus frowns when he sees the caramel apple stand.  “Come on, give it a chance,” you beg as you squeeze his hand, “they are nice and sweet.  I promise!”  He huffs at you but allows his precious human to convince him to continue.  You bound up to the stand and pluck an apple from the display, setting the required amount of madol in the jar for payment.  You smile encouragingly at Malleus as you take the first sticky bite, letting the sweetness of the caramel candy mix with the juicy flesh of the apple in your mouth.  “Mmm,” you sigh happily before holding out the apple to your companion, “It’s good.  Try a bite.” 

He grasps your hand instead of taking the apple himself.  After maneuvering it to his mouth, he turns the apple to take a bite from the same place you’d had yours from.  You felt your cheeks grow warm at the sight of it.  “Indirect kiss…” you mumble.  His eyes meet yours and you see his pupils dilate slightly.  He’d heard you.  Of course, he had.  Stupid powerful fae hearing.  You turn your head to the side, avoiding his gaze.  “Would you prefer a direct one instead?” Malleus purrs into your ear. 

You gasp and turn unconsciously to face him again.  Then it is your turn to pout, “Don’t tease me.”  His eyes narrow in mischief as he replies, “Child of man, when have I denied you anything?”  You look at him for a moment, trying to control your emotions before answering.  “Fine then,” raising your chin in a haughty manner, “but only for the apple.  I’m not finished enjoying the taste.”  His smile takes your breath away moments before his kiss does.  You feel his fangs lightly nip at your lips as you taste just the smallest tartness of the apple lingering on his own.  When you break apart, you whisper, “See, I told you that you’d like these ones.”  He smiles as he pulls you close, “Yes, it was very sweet indeed.” 

[readychilledwine]

do you ever feel awkward writing for Eris? I saw your poll about doing an SJM bad guys week, so I'm guessing not.

Warning - This is going to become SJM critical. Please know I am not anti any of these characters. I am, however, critical of SJM as a long-time fantasy reader.

You answered your own question in your ask there, friend.

I do not have issues writing for Eris. The main issue the fandom has with him is the situation with Mor, and here's my stance on that:

We have an issue with the timeline around this incident, so I will make my judgement call when SJM does her eventual retcon and fixes it.

We know Eris is younger than Mor and Rhys, who are around the same age. Mor was sold to Autumn as Eris's bride at the tender age of 17. When Helion is giving us his gorgeous monolog talking about his love for Momma Autumn, we find out that she and Beron were married young and had barely been married for two decades around the start of the first war. Meaning Eris was around 19 at the time.

This passage from Rhys is a little hazy and unclear, but from how I and several other people took it, he was around 28 at the start of that war, meaning Mor was also around 27 to 28. That makes Mor at least 8 to 9 years older than Eris. Meaning, he potentially was a LITERAL child when he and Mor were engaged. He would have been around the age of 7 to 9 and already had the mindset to fear Beron.

This where I am going to look SJM critical. She is great at a few things, creating plotholes by retconing, and fucking up timelines due to her retconing.

Let's say she retcons to correct that issue. We still know Eris is younger than Mor by a year or two. So, let's say he was 15 to 16. At 15 to 16 years old, I want you to think about what you would have done in this situation:

You are a young prince or princess. Your father is a known abuser and racist. You all have just found out your betrothed has sullied themselves with a person your father considers below all of you, and you know it was done to get out of a marriage she did not want to be in. You and your men find her on the border of your father's court, beaten and with a nail in her womb. Here are your options:

1. You take her back to your father, the known racist and abuser. Thus making her, in reality, his problem. You have witnessed how your father likes to handle his problems. You also know he's angry and embarrassed this female made the choice to sleep with a lesser born bastard Illyrian over marry his high fae princeling.

2. You cannot risk touching her, so leave her somewhere her friends can find her without risking her or them having to enter Autumn. This will allow her to go home, where she is safe, and heal.

In both scenarios, Eris could not win. He either took Mor to his father and risked her death and was blamed for that, or he left her knowing her friends were more than likely coming and be blamed for that as well. He was now the villain in Mor's story regardless of what actions he took, and he was that villain as a teen. A literal child. As a child he picked to allow Morrigan life. To allow her to live without being trapped the way he and his mother are.

Eris, in theory, made a selfless choice. He made the choice to damn himself and his reputation for the sake of Mor and as he says, it cost him..

As for me being willing to write other SJM bad guys-

It is perfectly normal and acceptable in every other fandom to be attracted to the bad guys and to write dark fanfiction about them. You see it all time in Tolkien, Harry Potter, and (grossly since they are all children) it has resurged in the Percy Jackson fandom. Please have several seats and let me, and the several other people who are excited for it, enjoy my little story about Pollux, my reader, and his heavy cock that sways to and fro.

It's also, as someone pumping out the amount of content I am right now, really nice to get to write a dark fic with a villain here and there for a change of pace, so thank you to everyone who is supportive and open to me doing that.

[phoenixreadz]

(Very Slight Spoilers) The Cruel Prince by Holly Black - Review

Book 1 out of 10 of my goal for 2025! (Kinda cheating since I finished half in 2024, but oh well)

Rating: 4/5

Things I liked:

The worldbuilding of Faerie is great - This world is very easy to get quickly invested in and is quite magical when you begin doing so.

I'm extremely hungry for more Cardan and Jude - Despite their interest in one another not being the most convincing, I oddly find myself wanting to see their relationship develop so badly.

Each of the sisters have their own personality - Despite going through the same trauma, each of the sisters have different reactions to it and it paints them as individuals with a lot of depth.

The end of the book will have you wanting more because of how good it is - The end of the book made me want more from the series, so I will for sure be reading the other books down the line. It ended with that almost "high" and "inspired" feeling that one might get at the end of a powerful movie.

Holly does a few non-traditional artistic things - There are three distinct moments in the book when Holly seems to break away and just experiment with more non-traditional literary devices. The first is when she makes Chapter 1 only one sentence. The second is when she includes the page with "Jude" written on it and the blood after chapter 14. The third is when she suddenly notes that the second half of the book is "book 2" and includes a W.B. Yeats quote. Each of these things were completely unnecessary for Holly to do, but their presence adds a bit of occasional fun for the reader.

The fact that Vivi is queer is not made into a huge deal - As a queer person, I love that this fact about Vivi wasn't drawn out or made into a huge ordeal. Often times, when queer representation is done, even when it is not a central theme of the story, it is drawn out into something that is a big deal. In this story, it is simply stated and nothing more. This is beautiful because it works to make Vivi's queer relationship "normal" and not estranged from the non-queer relationships in the book.

Things I didn't like:

The beginning is great and the end is great, but the middle gives us nothing - I started this book out loving it! I wanted to keep reading, as it was very intriguing. However, the middle of the book caused me to put it away for some time. It feels drawn out. It might be hard for some readers to pick it back up. It then also causes the end to feel a bit rushed, despite it being incredibly engaging.

I wanted more Cardan - I wanted to see more Cardan throughout the first half of the book. It would make the enemies to lovers pipeline much more believable than it was. I also wanted more Cardan at the end. Why only have them kiss once? Why not kiss at the end? I was deeply unsatisfied. Why call the book "The Cruel Prince" if it never seems to be about said prince?

Jude pisses me off sometimes - I wish she had just a little more of a consideration and understanding for the people around her. She is very selfish and seems to only do things for her pleasure and moral standings. I wish every once in a while she could look outside of herself a bit more.

The immortality of the Fae needs to be better described - I got really confused once the members of the Fae started to be killed. I assumed they were immortal to all forms of death and had to google to find out that their "immortality" only meant that they would not die of age or disease, but could still die of killing.

I want the scenery to be visually described more - For such a beautiful world, I feel like we needed more descriptions of it. They were occasionally there, but I had a hard time envisioning how things looked in my head. The only things I could imagine well were the characters because I had seen the official art for them.

Overall thoughts:

The series of books itself seems promising, as the worldbuilding is beautiful and the characters are intriguing. However, as a standalone book, it leaves me wanting much more. It's biggest flaw is needing much more Cardan to warrant it being titled "The Cruel Prince." The enemies to lovers pipeline is less believable because of how little Cardan is in it. He does nothing to convince me that Jude would love him by the end. However, I do find myself deeply interested in how their relationship will play out.

That being said, I do recommend reading as it is a fun and inviting world. I enjoyed it well enough and will be picking up the second in the series soon. I want to see where each of the characters go.