#putting green in garden in United Kingdom

[linkemon]

Home (Zuko x Reader)

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"ʜᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ [ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ]. ʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ꜱᴏ ꜰᴀʀ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ꜱʜᴀᴘᴇꜱ, ᴄᴏʟᴏᴜʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴍᴇʟʟꜱ ʙᴜᴛ ʙʏ ʜᴇʀ. ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴇʀ, ɴᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴍᴀɢᴇꜱ ꜰʟᴀꜱʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʜɪꜱ ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴇxɪꜱᴛ."

— I'd like a refill of jasmine tea. — Iroh was happily lounging on the couch.

Zuko sighed. His uncle looked almost healthy. He could make the brew himself. However, he willingly took advantage of the privileges of a sick person. The boy was forced to jump around him and serve him. He adjusted the pillows, listened to the nagging and also prepared drinks. The latter took the most time. Iroh was an expert and as a result, he was not satisfied with the first drink he came across. Usually [Reader] saved the situation. As a healer, she knew these things. In addition, she quickly became the favourite of the Dragon of the West.

The prince headed towards the kitchen. He hoped he would find the tray soon. The little temple was truly beautiful but there was a happy mess everywhere. Some rooms were used for drying herbs, others were converted into granaries and others into sick rooms. During the war, this must have been of particular importance. Currently, the only people who visited here were those from the villages below the hill. And now he and his injured uncle too.

[Reader] found them unconscious in the nearby forest. A chance encounter with a unit of Earth Kingdom soldiers ended in disaster. The boy's cuts and bruises healed quickly but he had strained his fire magic. The first day he woke up, he felt a strange emptiness. He couldn't do anything. There was no question of searching for the Avatar in this state. Only three days ago he managed to create a flame large enough to burn the wood in the fireplace. The healer, like Iroh, claimed that the condition of his tired soul was responsible for his illness. So, to heal it, he did all sorts of things. Starting with weeding the garden, sorting medicines and ending with cleaning up after Aiiro. The big, blue peacock gave him the most problems. The extremely proud animal did not like to move. He had to push it as hard as he could to get it to move. Sometimes it even snapped its beak but it never hurt him. After feeding, he felt like hitting it with a broom but he always remembered that it was that thing that had brought him to the temple, so he refrained.

Zuko took the tea leaves, the kettle and the clay cups. He put it all on the tray and headed back towards the living room. However, a familiar voice caught his attention:

— I'll say it one last time. They are my guests. You have no right to demand that I hand them over! — [Reader] was standing at the entrance to the temple.

— Consider this, even if we leave them alone according to the law, they can still convict you of treason. I say this as a friend.

The prince looked at the man behind the door. Slightly worn, green clothes and a straw hat marked the farmer. He must have come from Hefei. There were no other settlements nearby large enough to farm.

— Is this a threat? — The girl clenched her fist. — My family has been serving people for generations. We don't ask who they are, we just treat them. My grandmother delivered your mother, my mother delivered you and I delivered your children...

— That's different! They murdered innocent people! Our entire nation suffers because of them! — Hate burned in the man's eyes.

Zuko knew that look well. Almost everyone looked at him that way. The Earth Nation, the Water Nation, the Fire Nation after they were banished, the Avatar, his sister and most of all, his father. Everyone wanted him gone. He missed his mother. He had the feeling that apart from his uncle, she was the only one who truly loved him. And now he met [Reader] and for the first time in a long time he felt that someone had truly dismissed his mistakes. She looked at him, believing that he had changed, even though she knew how much evil he had done in the past. It was like a warm ray of sunshine after a long winter. That's why he froze with his tray, listening for the answer. He was scared. However, it was not that if he was extradited, he should run away. He was afraid of rejection. A girl standing a few steps away gave him hope. He didn't want to lose her.

— Go away! — The healer pointed to the stairs.

— Pack your bags!

— Are they coming for us? What a pity. I didn't have time to finish my tea. - The general put down his cup sadly.

Zuko was used to his uncle's calmness but [Reader's] composure told him something was wrong.

— Why aren't you packing? — he asked, leading Aiiro out.

— Because I'm not going anywhere. — The girl calmly handed him the saddle.

The prince froze as he reached for the item.

— You're not serious, are you?

— My family has lived here for generations. It is my house. We even survived the Fire Nation War. I will stay here like everyone before me.

The healer passed the boy and began to saddle the peacock. The bird sensed anxiety. He began to pace impatiently in place.

— It's stupid!

— Do you think years of tradition are stupid?

— Yes! If there's a chance you'll die from it, then yes!

Zuko grabbed the strap of his bag. He squeezed it as tight as he could.

— You can heal people anywhere — he added. — I think your ancestors would have wanted you to do this, even if not in this temple.

— I won't be able to help. There are all the plants and books here and…— Her voice broke. — Here's everything I know, Zuko. I grew up here. How do I leave it? — Tears welled up in her eyes.

— I know what it's like to leave home — he took a deep breath — but it will get better with time.

The moment of exile flashed before his eyes. When his father declared him a traitor, he lost his home. Since then, he has been desperately trying to get it back. Every step in recent years was supposed to bring him closer to his goal. His search for the Avatar brought him to this place. So did he have the right to ask her to leave? If he could turn back time, would he oppose the general? Would he agree to Agni Kai with his father? He wasn't sure. Yet he tried to force someone to voluntarily abandon their home.

He looked over the white marble columns. Over a dozen or so days, he managed to like the atmosphere of this place. The scents of lemon trees and flowers surrounded him. There were many little creatures living in the garden. He saw frogs, butterflies and birds. Even snails, although they destroyed crops. [Reader] didn't have the heart to kill them. Fat koi fish swam lazily in the pond. He felt at peace as he crossed the bridge over them. He felt like the last time he felt this feeling was when he and his mother were feeding the ducks. He was a little boy then. The times when they formed a family together with Azula and their father seemed very distant.

And now he had the impression that he was on vacation on the Amber Island again and like a child he didn't have to worry about anything. The curtains on the temple terrace fluttered slightly. He sat in the shade on soft pillows. A healer was sitting opposite him in the sun. Iroh poured tea for everyone while explaining the rules of pai sho. He set up the board, chattering happily. Zuko paid no attention to the ongoing conversation. He smelled fresh laundry. It was hanging on a string a little further away. His nose also told him that another batch of herbs was drying nearby. He took a sip of the warm drink. It had a mild, chamomile aftertaste. He bit into the cereal cookie, enjoying the crunch of the dried fruit. He glanced at [Reader] and saw Ursa for a moment. However, the impression quickly dissipated. He laughed at his uncle's weak joke as he moved his pawn. He knew he was losing because he wasn't focusing on the rules. He should be annoyed. After all, he was wasting his time and Aang was still enjoying his freedom. Still, this moment seemed too beautiful to care. The undisturbed idyll was stuck in his head. For some reason, he remembered this ordinary afternoon the best. He felt that it would come back to him again.

It was difficult for him to leave this place. It was hard for him to admit it to himself. Waking up at dawn on a cold morning, breakfasts with freshly brewed tea, hand-dug vegetables for dinner, afternoon walks in the shade of trees, afternoon teas with games, dinners by the warm fireplace and nightly reading of books — all this would now become just a memory. He knew he would leave this place one day, so why did it hurt inside like he was thirteen again?

— Zuko, get in, we don't have time! — The general grabbed Aiiro's reins.

Is it really about the place? This question occupied his mind.

He looked at [Reader]. He realized that he had been wrong so far. This house was not created by shapes, colours and smells but by her. Without her, none of the images flashing through his head would exist.

The boy threw all his supplies out of the bag and handed it to the girl.

— What are you...

— Take all the seeds and books you can fit in here. We will hold them until your return! — The flame flared up above the prince's fingertips.

— Better late than never! — Iroh, pleased, pointed to his nephew's fire.

Was this the balance they talked about so much? Now had his soul finally found a good reason to release the embers?

He created a wall of fire. It burned as brightly as when he fought Azula. He felt strangely calm. There was no nervous, battle fever about it. It was replaced by composure mixed with the belief that what he was doing was right.

Zuko looked up. That night, the starry sky was decorated with hundreds of constellations. The moon lit the way and the dense summer beneath them. Aiiro flapped his powerful wings, creating strong gusts of air. Uncle's loud snoring could be heard from the saddle.

— Zuko. — The girl's quiet voice woke him from his thoughts.

— You're not sleeping yet? — he sighed.

— I could not fall asleep. — She moved closer.

Up there it was hard to hear what others were saying. The wind effectively drowned out the words.

— Me neither — he admitted.

He knew it would be a long time before he forgot about the hill temple. The envious inhabitants of Hefei used his fire in anger. They burned everything that could be destroyed. From the peacock's back he saw first a burning glow and then thick, gray smoke. Ash danced in the cool air along with shreds of pages from ancient books.

— Thank you. — [Reader] wrapped the blanket tighter around herself.

— What for? For burning down your house? — There was regret in his voice.

— You know very well that you didn't burn it.

The prince knew that what she was saying was true. And yet he didn't realize how much he needed to hear it from her.

— If I had stayed there, who knows…— She looked behind her. — Maybe I wouldn't be here anymore.

— I couldn't leave you there because…— The unspoken words hung between them.

He was afraid of another loss. That was the truth. He managed to trust someone and didn't want to face the pain again.

The healer spread her arms. He tentatively snuggled into her. She still smelled of flowers and herbs. Her hair tickled his face. For the first time in years, he allowed himself to cry. He didn't know why he was crying anymore. Was it from longing for a temple or a palace? Was it for family and a future that could never exist or for [Reader] who could be dead? Was he crying for himself or for others? It didn't matter. He sobbed like a little child, who deep inside he still was. In the cool air, hundreds of meters above the ground, the firebender found warmth.

[lucigoo]

So, I'm going to make this a Masterlist of all my Hobbit fics as I write them. I'm also going to attmept to put them in some type of order. Hopefully it's easier for others to anvigate the mess that is my Tumblr lol <3

The Hobbit - All are Bilbo/Thorin unless stated otherwise Active Wips: A Home, A Pack, A Place of Love (Animal Au) Summary: Bilbo is a corgi and he has become the guardian of a traumatised little corgi pup. He has to leave their cosy home and hope for the best. For him and Frodo.

Hopefully he will find a ew place to call home, a new family for him and Frodo, hopefully they will thirve. I want you right here, where you belong:Home with us (Bilbo/Thorin, Sirius/Remus crossover) Summary: Thorin has moved to "The United Kingdoms" with his friends and family.

Follow his life as he ends up an unexpected father, Uncle and husband, and extends his family with wizards, witches, centaurs, goblins and, sadly, elves.

Bilbo stays in Erebor fics:Stop me Fading (Needs major re edtiting) Summary: Its a few weeks since BOTFA. Bilbos running around like a headless chicken, The Company are being plonkers, Thranduil and Dain are being antagonistic, Bards just a cinnamon roll and Gandalf keeps disappearing for long amounts of time (for good causes of course). There's one lonely, sad little hobbit on the plains outside of the Lonely Mountain. Bagginshield-tober (A uncomplete series) Summary: A series of fics spanning from LakeTown until Bilbo's death. Bilbo stayed in Erebor, this is his and Thorin's life. Afterlife Fics: I will join you Summary: MCD!! Bilbo sits with a dying Thorin, knowing he will join him. Dead or not, this will not be the last time he seee his beloved. A Little Drop of Rain Summary: Thorin holds his dying one in his arms. All he can do is hope he will see him again after his life is over. It was a long life and all Thorin wants is to be reunited with his hobbit. Defying Death (or at least the ones in charge) Summary: Bilbo has finally died, and now Lord Mandos wants to shove him away to Lady Yavanna's Green Gardens. Well that wont do. After all, Thorin wont be in Yavanna's gardens and Bilbo wont stay where Thorin isnt.

He's a burglar, and if he can smuggle his dwarves out from under Thranduil's nose, he can smuggle himself into Mahal's Halls under the Valar's noses, right?

Reshirement: Changeling Child (Mpreg) Summary: Thanks to his Stone headed nephews, Bilbo now has a new quest. One that needs cleverness and diplomacy. Not the reckless battle tactics of dwarrow. This is the most important quest Bilbo will ever go on, even more imprtant then facing a dragon. For the most important being in his life. Animal Au's: A Pasture Too Small for A Bovine’s World so Large Summary: Bilbo is an odd Highland Bull, so odd that he has had enough and takes Primula, Drogo and baby Frodo to find a new place. A new home.

Thorin and his family are an odd little herd of Bison. An odd herd with room for a few other strange bovines. Wait for me in the Aurora Bearalis Summary: Bilbo is a red panda, he had had a good life. He had managed to make it to 64 seasons (16 years) when most red pandas were lucky to make 40 seasons (10 years).

Thorin doesnt want to say goodbye to his little Orso but he has too, hopefully they can find one another in another life. Ive found Frodo ....and he found you? Summary: Canine distemper has stolen all of the Bagginses away apart from Bilbo and little Frodo. No he has to find his kit, who has wandered off, again, and keep them safe from "The Sick". If only he wasn't alone doing it.

Bittersweet/hopeful ending: The Last Meeting (Until Arda is Remade) Summary: Bilbo is a sad, lonely hobbit in Rivendell. What is left of The Company, his friends, his Family find him there. There are less then there should be.

This is Bilbo's last meeting with the few remaining dwarves he adores. Until they meet again, when the world is remade, hopefully. Sad Ending: The Demented King Under the Mountain Summary: TW MCD, Murder, Thorin did not beat the dragon sickness. Thorin did not defeat the Dragon-sickness and in his rage destroyed the gift he was given to cherish. “How rare and beautiful it truly is that you existed, and that you existed with me, for me" Summary: It is time for Bilbo to leave The Shire, he is going to make his way to Erebor, hopefully.

Before that, he makes his way to his oak tree, the last living thing he has that reminds him of Thorin, it is time to say goodbye. One more hour with you Summary: Bilbo doesnt want it to end, he just wants one more day, one more hour, one more minute with his beloved. He will deny the truth in front of him to get it if he has too. You Never Cared, Why Start Now? Summary: It started with the fires burning through Erebor. It will end with the fires burning through Bag End. The Last Durin Princess returns home (Gen fic, Dis-centric) Summary: The Last Durin Princess returns home, but home is a tomb. A place with ghosts. With her dead borther and her dead sons.

When home is no longer home, all it is is a place of pain and heart break. What is the last of her line supposed to do? How is she supposed to go on? You were to late Summary: Bilbo is watching the eagles fly overhead in victory. With Thorin's cooling hand in his, Bilbo isnt sure what their is to feel victorious over.

Quest Fics: Dwarrow hugs in the dark Summary: The Fell Winter wasnt just a time whe hobbits starved, it ws much worse then that. An entire generation of hobbits traumatised.

For one Bilbo Baggins, on a quest with a troop of rude dwarves, the memories become nightmares whilst on the road. Maybe waht he needs is dwarrow hugs off a dwarrow king? A heart of stone and Fire in his soul Summary: Thorin is but a ghost of a king, desperate and making stupid choices. Bilbo is a hobbit out of The Shire, trying to find his place. But he needs to keep his daft dwarven king alive to succeed. The trials and tribulations of a married hobbit (a bowman's persepctive) Summary: Bard see's a small hobbit amongst a crowd of dwarves clamouring to get on his barge. From that first glimpse he makes a friend, suprised by who his new friend has married. Follow the events from Lake Town until after from Bard's pov. Far over the Misty Mountains:A hobbit with a heart Summary: Bilbo's home is suddenly invaded by a troop of dwarves. He would be bad, should be mad, but that song ....

Modern Au's: "Bring Your Older Gays To Play" at Club Erebor Summary: Frodo had convinced Bilbo to go the event night at his favourite queer club. All Bilbo wanted to do was go home, back to his books and cup of tea. Well, that was until Mr tall, dark and sexy was pushed into him. The reason is you, the reason is him, the reason is me (Dwalin/Nori, background Bilbo/Thorin) Summary: Nori hates himself for the 4 and a half years he spent in prison. For destroying everythig good in his ife. For losing everything he had to live for.

Hes out now and hopefully he can fix his realationships and see his son again. ABC's of Avoiding Bullying and Crying (Gen fic, The Companny are all young children) Summary: Thorin is a big grown up 7 year old dwarf. Frerin is a little 5 year old dwarf who is usally bugging Thorin and his friends to play. So why didn't he bother them on this day, and who was he with? It's a good job I love you! Summary: Bilbo sees that Thorin has once again forgotten to take the rubbish out, bloody husbands, he thinks exasperated.

LOTR Fics: Akmâthu Bask:Song of the Bath (Gen Fellowship fic) Summary: During a bath by the river, Gimli starts singing Bilbo's bath song. Confusing the hobbits. It turns out that isnt the only song of The Hero of Erebor's that they sing in the Lonely Mountain. Between the forest and the sea, I leave my heart with thee - (Gen fic, Elrond-centric) Summary: Elrond is set to sail to Valinor to reunite with his wife when he has a vision. How can he leave when his he sees his precious daughter dying alone, her grief clear through time and space? Two Lives Will Be Spared This Day (Boromir/Theodred) Summary: Boromir looks into Galadriel's mirror and he doesnt like what he sees. Maybe if he makes a different choice he cna save himslef, and the love of his life.

[bisexual-in-every-gender]

International survey

United Kingdom

Do you like to drink tea?

Only Indian style Chai ones. I normally only drink tea if I'm seriously ill.

Do you like to put sugar in your tea?

No. Milk and/or honey, never sugar.

Have you ever explored an ancient castle?

I've never been in one, no. Seen plenty from the outside though.

If you're Christian, are you a Catholic or Protestant?

I don't really consider myself either. More on the protestant side, but I don't go to Church and I practise my faith in a somewhat non-traditional way.

Do you live in a big house?

Average-sized flat, I'd say

Are there a lot of seagulls where you live?

None.

Do you have a garden?

Nope, but all the residents of our compound share a green area with a pool.

Name something you own with the British flag on it

Oh boy, I'm married to a Brit, so quite a lot: an actual flag, a piggy bank, a pillow...

What's your favourite part of London?

West End and Kew Gardens. Also Borough Market.

If you've been to England, what's your favourite city you've visited?

If this is England-specific, probably London. If it includes the entire UK, Londonderry has a special place in my heart, as I did an internship there in 2010.

If applicable, what's your favourite shop in London?

Don't know - I usually don't stay in London long enough to have a favourite shop. We stay in Southend, Essex, where my wife is from.

Have you ever been lost in London?

No, the wife knows all the streets.

Would you say your personality is British? Do you think you'd fit in there?

I love the humour and get on well with the people there. Just strange to me strangers will come up to talk to you, but yeah, I find they're easy to get along with and quite similar to us Germans.

Do you have British ancestors or are you from the UK?

No to both, but my wife is British.

Ireland

What is one of your favourite celtic songs?

The Dirty Glass by Dropkick Murphys

Do you have red hair?

Yes, but not naturally.

Are you Irish?

No.

Name 5 redheads that you know

My wife Izzy, my friend Ronja, Eddie Redmayne, Ed Sheeran and Bryce Dallas Howard

Who in your family is/was a redhead?

My sister Ami had red hair when she was a baby, then it turned blonde. And apparently my dad's father was a redhead.

If you've been to Ireland, what's the favourite city you visited?

Only been to Donegal.

Did you have any bad experiences in Ireland?

No.

Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Nope

Do you like Irish food?

Very similar to British food, so yeah, for the most part.

Do you like bagpipes?

Isn't that more associated with Scotland? Either way, they annoy me.

Do you like English or Irish accents better?

English. Too many Rs

China

What is your Chinese zodiac sign?

Monkey.

Do you like it? Does it fit your personality?

I don't really have strong feelings about monkeys. They're okay but not my favourites. And no, the personality of that sign is supposedly mischievous, loud, social and party loving - the opposite of my introverted self.

Do you like your Chinese or Western zodiac sign better?

Neither of the descriptions fit me, but monkeys are cuter than human twins *shrug*

Do you like Chinese food?

China is a massive country with an extremely varied cuisine, so this is a broad generalisation....I do tend to prefer Northern Chinese cuisine to Southern Chinese cuisine massively - mostly because in the South, they tend to eat quite... exotic meat. And you never know what's gonna be in it.

List three of your favourite Chinese foods

Dumplings, Moon Cake, Beijing style duck

Are you familiar with the topic of footbinding?

Yes, it used to be common practice for women to bind their feet to keep them from growing, so they're more attractive to men. But due to its long-lasting negative health effects, the last women to do that are now very old and dying out.

What are your favourite books about China?

Couchsurfing in China, the Inspector Chen books

Do you know anyone Chinese?

I used to live in China, so yes. One of my closest friends, Louise, is Chinese.

Have you ever cooked Chinese food at home?

I cooked a Chinese dish with my friend Jingjing before

Are you familiar with the Great Chinese Famine?

Of course, it's the reason why a lot of their dishes are full of exotic meats as that's all they could eat for a while

Would you ever want to go to China?

I lived there for 4 years, but have not much desire to return

Do you have any Chinese in your family?

Nope

Japan

Do you like sushi? If so, what are your favourite kinds?

I only like sashimi.

What is your favourite manga series?

Alice in Borderland, Death Note, Demon Slayer

What colour hair would you have as an anime character?

Blue.

What is your favourite Japanese name?

Sakura (cherry blossom), Midori (green)

Do you like bonsai trees?

Sure, they're really pretty. I'd have one myself if I knew how to take care of one properly

Have you ever listened to J-Pop?

Yep, I had a phase of listening to Ayubie

Do you like Hello Kitty?

I'm indifferent to it

What is something you want to know about the Japanese?

How they keep track of all the honorifics they use in everyday life for different members of society

Do you know anyone who's Japanese?

I used to - had a classmate called Kaho and lived with a Japanese girl called Yuka during my internship in Spain

Would you ever want to go to Japan?

I'd love to!

Australia

Do you have blonde hair?

Naturally I do, but it's dyed red at the moment

Do you live near a beach?

Unfortunately I don't

Do you surf?

Nope

Do you skateboard?

No

Have you ever been on an island?

Yes, but never in Australia

Do you live on an island?

No

Do you like Australian or British accents better?

Brirish. I hate Australian accent

Have you ever met anyone from Australia?

Yes

Africa

Do you know anyone from Africa?

I used to.

Have you been to Africa?

Yeah, I've been to Tunisia when I was 11.

What's your favourite wild animal?

Otters.

Do you have good rhythm?

I do have a good ear for music, but I also have dyspraxia, so...

Would you ever want to go to Africa?

Yep, specifically Namibia, Kenya and South Africa. Also Mauritius and the Seychelles.

Do you own any African jewellery?

Not that I know of.

Ever danced to Waka Waka?

No

Do you live in a mud hut?

Kind of a racist question that... erm, obviously I don't.

Mexico

List 3 of your favourite Mexican foods

Quesadillas, Empanadas, Churros

List 3 Mexican names you like

Can't think of any

List 3 people you know who are Mexican

My friend Jairo, Salma Hayek and Guillermo del Toro

Have you ever been to Mexico?

I haven't

Would you ever want to go to Mexico?

Yeah, of course

Do you like spicy food?

Nope. All mild for me, please

Is it hot where you live?

Yes, in Summer we got 45 degrees C

Do you like bright colours?

Yes

Can you speak Spanish?

Yes, I can

Ever smacked a piñata?

Can't say that I have

The Middle East

Are you Muslim?

No

Do you know any Muslims?

Knew plenty in my childhood. Half my class in primary school were Turkish

Do you know anyone who wears a hijab?

I used to. A lot of my classmates did

Ever been to a desert?

I've been to the Tunisian desert

Would you want to ride a camel?

I already did in Tunisia and would do so again

Korea

Have you read To All The Boys I Loved Before? Have you seen the movie?

Yes to both

Did you know that North Korea is closed?

It's recently re-opened for tourism

Would you ever want to visit South Korea?

For sure

Have you ever had Korean food?

I had Korean BBQ in China

South America

Name one fact that you know about Venezuela

The country's capital is Caracas

Do you know anyone who lives in Peru?

No, but I know people FROM Peru

Have you ever tried Peruvian food or drink?

Yeah, there's a good Peruvian restaurant near where we live. The Maracuyan cocktail and the Saltado de Ternera is particularly good

Have you ever been to South America?

No, but I'd like to go

Do you know anyone from Brazil?

I used to. There were loads of Brazilians in my old Church

Name someone you know who owns llamas

Don't know anyone who does

Do you like llamas?

They're cute, but I'm wary of them - they spit unpredictably

Do you own a skirt from Guatemala?

No, why would I?

Do you ever wonder why we don't hear much from South America?

I live in Spain, we very much do hear about it here

Thailand

Do you like elephants?

Sure, they're impressive

Do you know about sex traficking in Thailand?

Yeah, it's why the girls have to have Beatles like bowl haircuts by law to avoid being raped and lots of girls don't make it into foster care out of fear foreigners will adopt them to do sex traficking

Do you like Thai food?

Yes, love it! It's one of my favourite cuisines

Do you know anyone who's Thai?

Yes, my wife used to live in Thailand, so I know quite a few

USA

If you live in the US, in which state?

I live in Spain.

What states have you been to?

Never been to the US

Have you ever been to Washington D.C.?

Obviously not

What is your favourite American food?

Milkshakes?

Do you listen to pop music?

Not much. I prefer Alternative rock and metal

Were you abused by your parents?

Gosh, is that normal in the US? Anyway, they didn't abuse me, but they did unwillingly cause me trauma and they did not and still don't believe me I was sexually abused by a family friend

Do you know any nice people?

Er, ...yes?

How often do you BBQ?

Never, we don't have the facilities

Other

What's the best family vacation you've been on?

I always loved our Mallorca and Formentera holidays

What countries have you visited?

Germany, Spain, Poland, Austria, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, the UK, Ireland, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Gibraltar, Tunisia, Greece. We'll also go to Malta next week, Portugal in December and Andorra for my birthday next year

What countries do you want to visit?

Japan, Australia, Mexico, Namibia, Kenya, Maldives, Seychelles, French Polynesia, Canada, Argentina, South Korea, New Zealand, South Africa

Have you ever been to NYC?

Nope

Do you live in a big city, small town..?

I live in the capital of Spain, so fairly big

What country do you live in?

Spain

What country is your favourite besides your own?

Spain, I also have a special love for Finland and am interested in Japan, too

What is your ancestry?

I'm German, my ancestors are German Jews

Are you happy with the American government?

I'm not, but I'm also not American

What currency do you use?

Euros

[theforgottenmcrmy]

Storms (Ser Harwin Strong x Reader)

᯽ Part 1 of this story, “Safety”, can be read HERE.᯽

᯽ Part 2 of this story, “Captivated”, can be read HERE.᯽

Pairing: Ser Harwin Strong x Tyrell! Female Reader

Warnings: GOT typical sexism, canon divergence, violence, references to a sick parent, death of minor characters.

Word Count: 7,800 ish.

Summary: A royal wedding should be a joyous occasion for the realm- but there’s something ominous in the air. Dark clouds linger over the royal family, and the rest of Westeros. Even you may not be able to make it through what lies ahead unscathed... Fortunately, you’ve found someone who you know you can count on to always be by your side.

A/N: Y’all... I’m still shooketh over here.🥲🖤 I really appreciate all the support so very much. I’ll keep writing for this as long as I have ideas and as long as there’s a want for it. If anyone is interested, I highly recommend listening to The Green Dress score while reading the second half- it’s what I did while writing it. The score is just *chef’s kiss* and sets the tone for the whole feast so well. I hope you all enjoy, and please feel free to let me know what you think!

PS, before you come after me because of the little time jump, I politely ask that you keep reading... I didn’t skip over *the scene*, I promise!😂

The winds of change had come to blow through Westeros.

Princess Rhaenyra’s tour of the Seven Kingdoms in search of a future King Consort had abruptly come to an end. Though the death of one of the suitors during Lord Boremond’s host at Storm’s End would have put a tainted mark on the remainder of her tours to come, the Princess had declared the tour over herself shortly thereafter… Despite the two months of traveling that remained.

Prince Daemon had finally returned from his war in the Stepstones, and presented King Viserys with the crown he had been bestowed upon him following his victory. The two Targaryen brothers reunited in a touching scene witnessed by most of the Court. He was welcomed at Court once more… until one day, he wasn’t.

Following an incident that you did not know the entire truth of, though you wouldn’t have spoken of it if you did know, the King had exiled him again. You could tell Princess Rhaenyra grieved the absence of her uncle once more, but then Ser Criston Cole had been suddenly much more attentive to her…

King Viserys had dismissed Lord Otto Hightower from his duties as Hand of the King, an event that had not only generated a large amount of whispers among the Reach, but among the other kingdoms as well. The King had appointed Lord Lyonel Strong in his stead.

Following Princess Rhaenyra’s denouncement of the tour, King Viserys had arranged the marriage for her with Ser Laenor Velaryon. Like a few others at Court, you had heard rumors of her cousin’s… preferences, and were worried, though it was not your place to offer up your opinion on. Eventually, she noticed your reservations, and had subtly, but full-heartedly, assured you that she and Ser Laenor had reached an arrangement. Besides, King Viserys’ mind was made up, and Princess Rhaenyra did not try to change it. Despite your initial hesitation, you shared the opinion of King Viserys- the match was a good one. Uniting the two branches of the Targaryen House and healing old wounds could only bode well for the dynasty.

From then on, you threw yourself into your work even more, supporting Princess Rhaenyra in any way you could with the royal wedding preparations. It kept you very busy, but you were grateful for something else to focus on.

After many weeks of planning and preparation, the week of the royal wedding celebration had finally arrived.

You and Princess Rhaenyra stood on a balcony amongst the far end of the palace gardens, looking over Blackwater Bay in the distance. Though Ser Criston Cole may have accompanied you previously, he had not chosen to this time. He’d been standoffish lately, and regarded Princess Rhaenyra with much more formality than you were used to seeing him display. Something had happened between them, you deduced… but, much like the circumstances that led to the sudden exile of Prince Daemon, you knew better than to ask unless the Princess spoke of it first.

Both of you watched in comfortable silence as ships, almost all of them bearing the Velaryon coat of arms, sailed toward King’s Landing. The vessels spanned as far back and across the water as your eyes could see. The fleet appeared to be moving slowly- but you knew that to be a fallacy. In what would be no time at all, the Princess’ betrothed, his family, most of their household, and various bannermen and members of the guard would make land.

An odd whistling noise ran out from the sky. You tilted your head upwards, as did Princess Rhaenyra, and three large, majestic beasts broke through the clouds up above. The three dragons and their riders flew downwards, their wings skimming the water between ships before flying up ahead.

Princess Rhaenyra pointed to one, then another, and finally, the third. “There’s Seasmoke… Meleys… and of course, Vhagar.”

More whistling could be heard as the dragons flew over the castle, rustling the trees and shrubbery around you with the wind. They descended from the sky before finally disappearing from view- presumably landing in the periphery of the Dragon Pit.

Dragons were fascinating creatures, but they were still terrifying. Unlike many others throughout the Seven Kingdoms, you were glad not to have been born a Targaryen… No one had ever heard of someone being burned or eaten alive by roses.

You would have been content to stay there and watch the incoming ships sail into the bay with the Princess until the sun set, but you knew you both had duties to attend to elsewhere. You looked over at her with an apologetic look.

“We should return to your chambers soon, Your Grace. The earlier you are dressed and ready, the better.”

It went without saying that Princess Rhaenyra being late to the welcome feast would simply be unacceptable.

“We will, shortly,” she promised distractedly, her focus having returned to the bay.

You felt sympathy for her. You had a feeling that, would it have been possible, Princess Rhaenyra would have had heirs for her line whilst forgoing marriage altogether. Alas, not even the Targaryens were that magical, and a King Consort would be needed for some things.

“Princess Rhaenyra… Lady Y/N.”

The pair of you turned around to face the third party who had joined you.

“Ser Harwin!” Princess Rhaenyra gleamed, before looking at you with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “To what do we owe the pleasure, My Lord?”

Ser Harwin smiled patiently. “A messenger informed me that you had requested my presence, Your Grace.”

“Did I?” Princess Rhaenyra feigned, looking at you with mock confusion. “Well, I simply cannot recall why I may have done that… My sincerest apologies, Ser Harwin.”

“No apologies needed, Your Grace,” Ser Harwin assured her cordially.

His eyes drifted calmly over to you. In a flash, you caught a wink he sent in your direction, causing your eyes to fall to the dirt path beneath you.

“Well,” Princess Rhaenyra said then, taking a few steps away from the balcony and back into gardens. “You are absolutely correct, Lady Y/N- I should return to my chambers and get ready for the feast at once.”

“Would you like me to go with you, Your Princess?” you asked her, though you already knew her answer.

Princess Rhaenyra came to a stop beside Ser Harwin and vaguely waved you off over her shoulder. “No, no, no. Take your time. The girls will assist me until you arrive.”

Ser Harwin looked amused.

“As you wish, Your Grace,” you called to her, smirking.

“Princess,” Ser Harwin nodded her respectfully as she proceeded to walk away and head back towards the Red Keep.

Such had been a little “game” of hers as of late. The Princess seemed to take far too much amusement out of summoning the knight nicknamed Breakbones, finding a convenient reason to excuse herself, and leaving the two of you alone. Though her game had the potential to create quite the scandal for the pair of you, should you be spotted together in a compromising scene without any escort, you knew without a doubt that Princess Rhaenyra meant no harm. In fact, you were rather grateful for her meddling ways.

Once the Princess was out of earshot, Ser Harwin took a step forward, closing the distance between you. He nodded to you in greeting, but when he spoke this time, his tone was far more tender than it had been just a few moments before.

“My Love.”

You tilted your head upwards to look at him better. The mere sight of him caused you to smile so widely that it felt as though your face might go numb from the joy you were trying to contain. “Dearest.”

Of all the changes that had been occurring in Westeros, none had bore more of an impact on or immersed as much as your newfound courtship with Ser Harwin Strong.

“You look breathtaking today, as usual.”

Your cheeks burned. “Thank you, My Lord.”

You still weren’t used to Ser Harwin’s praises, but part of you hoped you never would be. The fluttering you felt in your stomach upon hearing the sweet words reminded you just how much you cared for the man in front of you.

You attempted to joke, “If you think of me as beautiful now, you should see me in the gown I am to wear to the feast.”

Ser Harwin happily took the bait. “I assure you, I have been counting down the hours until my eyes are blessed with the sight.”

You bit the inside of your cheek to keep yourself from smiling any wider. You took a moment to glance around you, ensuring that the two of you were alone. Once you were confident that you would not be heard, or overseen, you took another step closer towards the man that held your heart, extending your hands outwards to him as you did so.

Ser Harwin took his hands in your own hands with practiced ease. His hands were calloused from years of training and fighting, but you wouldn’t have changed that. The feel of your intertwined hands was grounding… and you needed to be grounded whenever you spoke with him lately, as his words tended to leave you bogged in an enamored daze.

His eyes, which looked upon you with nothing but the utmost care, tended to cloud your mind terribly, too.

“You look particularly happy today,” you noted, an unspoken question lingering in your tone.

“Seeing My Lady does tend to uplift my spirits,” Ser Harwin admitted playfully, his thumbs running lightly over the back of your hands.

You gave him an equally playful stern look. “My Lord,” you chided, laughing once. “You are a charmer, I will grant you that… But you know that is not what I meant.”

Ser Harwin gently raised one of your hands to his lips, placing a gentle kiss upon it. The action would normally have caused you to nearly swoon, but you pushed onwards, desperate for an answer to your question.

“Harwin,” you plead, lowering your voice as you addressed him informally, in the hope that it might cause him to focus. It worked- something shifted within his eyes, and suddenly, he looked more alert, more attentive.

“Please tell me,” you asked of him, “Has there been any news?”

The news which you sought was that of your impending betrothal.

Much had happened in both of your personal lives since Derron Tyrell’s visit to King’s Landing some time ago. Ser Harwin Strong’s letter that he’d written to your father had compelled your brother to travel to discuss the matter with him, and his father, Lord Lyonel, in person. Upon his arrival, your brother’s first inquiry in the matter was as to whether a betrothal to Ser Harwin was something you truly desired.

The Strongs were a noble family, and Harrenhal was the largest castle in all of Westeros, despite the ghastly tales. It was also worth mentioning that Harwin was now son to the newly appointed Hand of the King. But you were the only daughter of Lord Larris Tyrell, Defender of the Marshes, Lord Paramount of the Reach, Warden of the South… and all those other titles. You were from the Great House of the Reach, and Ser Harwin, while the oldest son and heir, was of a smaller noble house from the Riverlands. Not to mention that the Hand of the King was not a position that guaranteed any permanency.

Your father and brother had long since decided that they would choose a suitor for you, but they had also made no promises about denying you a suitor who they deemed as unworthy. They both wanted reassurance that this marriage would bring you true happiness, and not one arranged merely because Ser Harwin Strong had been the first to make an offer. After all, there were more advantageous matches for you that could be made… and there had been a mention of a certain Lannister or two.

You attempted to tell your brother about how your attachment to Ser Harwin, and his to you, had developed. You hoped it might explain why Ser Harwin had been compelled to write such a letter.

“Am I to understand this is a love match, then?” your brother had asked then, hopefully.

It most certainly was.

You could still recall the scene in your mind…

…

Your heart pounded in your chest. You had sent word through a personal messenger, one whom the Princess used frequently for her own devices when subtlety and discretion was of the utmost importance.

Ser Harwin must have gotten your message, as he was already waiting for you out in the castle gardens, in the exact secluded spot where you had requested to meet with him.

“Lady Y/N… I heard the Red Keep welcomed a visitor from the Reach today,” he jested, visibly nervous once more, just as he had been when you had spoken with him last. “Perhaps they are an acquaintance of yours?”

You wordlessly withdrew the letter, which you had clutched tightly in your fist, and presented it to him. “This letter… This letter that you wrote to my father. What does this mean?”

“Have you read it?” he asked, eyeing the parchment with an emotion you couldn’t quite place.

“Please,” you begged. “I have spent the better part of my memory believing that you were taken with and about to be betrothed to another. My heart simply cannot take any more jests or delays at its expense… Speak plainly, My Lord. What does this letter mean?”

Upon the seriousness of your tone, which was a far cry from your usual playful banter and jovial attitudes the two of you had exchanged, Ser Harwin fell quiet, and his nerves immediately dissipated. You heard his jaw close, and for a moment, as he looked down at you with gravity in his eyes and upon his face, you feared he might not speak at all.

When he did, he spoke in a very calm voice.

“I can make my intentions very plain to you, My Lady,” he vowed. “If you will grant me permission to do so.”

Your brows furrowed in confusion, and you were slightly off put by his choice of phrasing. “Of course, but-”

Ser Harwin silenced you by leaning down and capturing your lips with his own.

You froze, unsure of how to react to the foreign gesture. Before your brain or heart could fight for control of your next move, Ser Harwin withdrew from you, leaving you stunned, and, to your mild embarrassment, gawking up at him.

“You have captivated me, and stolen my heart right out from my chest. I know I have wronged you by not admitting this truth to you first, as I had intended. As punishment, know that my heart is yours to do with as you see fit… Though I would dare to beg you for mercy, Y/N. If you feel the same for me as I do for you, I ask that you grant me an honor which I most likely do not deserve, but will strive everyday for the rest of my life to be worthy of… I ask that you pledge yourself to me, and become my wife.”

…

How could the truth have been right in front of your eyes for so long, and yet you had mistaken it for something else entirely?! It was a folly you would not soon let yourself live down, that much was for certain.

“And, should you not feel the same,” Ser Harwin continued, noting your silence, “and I have now wronged you in more ways than one, you need only say so. I shall leave you at once, and without a word. We shall never speak of this aga-”

With a newfound sense of courage you did not know you possessed, you stood up on your toes, and kissed the man you loved right back.

It was Ser Harwin’s turn to be silenced.

There was no telling how long the pair of you stayed out that night, tucked away from the rest of the Red Keep and all of King’s Landing, just enjoying being in the presence of each other. But there was one more moment you recall definitively.

“I love you.”

“And I love you.”

“Also, my answer is yes.”

“I… hoped as much, My Lady.”

 …

You almost let out a wistful sigh. The memory of that night was still clearly visible in your mind’s eye, just as clear as Harwin was now, standing before you.

Had you both been commoners, you would have already been wed. Ser Harwin had admitted as much, and you agreed. But as both of your families were of the nobility, the two of you were forced to wait as your fathers negotiated the finer details of the exchange instead.

After your brother had learned the truth of your feelings, and after having a private conversation with Ser Harwin shortly after, Derron met with Lord Lyonel to begin the discussions. But, as your father was to be made privy to every detail, the negotiations had not been complete by the time your brother was due to return to Highgarden.

Lord Lyonel Strong had presented your brother with the details of his most recent offer, and shortly after, you returned to Highgarden with your brother to see your father. You were glad to visit him, and to learn that his health had improved from what you had last heard and feared. Your father was happy to see you too- not only as a faithful and dutiful servant to Princess Rhaenyra, but also as a woman who was soon to be wed to her love, an honorable knight who was more than capable of providing for and protecting her.

Your father reviewed the offer made by Lord Lyonel, and wrote his own counteroffer. You presented it to Lord Lyonel upon your return to King’s Landing, and the waiting began. Since then, for a long few weeks, ravens flew from King’s Landing to Highgarden and back, many, many times, as the negotiations continued.

The issue of your dowry proved to be a significant hurdle. At first, Your father couldn’t help but be a little suspicious of the Strongs’ motives with the proposed alliance. Throughout all the Seven Kingdoms, the Tyrells were second in wealth only to the Lannisters. You knew that acquiring wealth was the last thing on Ser Harwin’s mind when confessed his feelings to you, and he’d said as much several times since. But eventually, a dowry amount was settled upon that was found to be acceptable for both families. There was an additional stipulation- all of the funds were to go towards repairs to Harrenhal and its surrounding grounds. The hope was that doing so would make the castle safer for you and your husband… and eventually, your children.

Since then, the negotiation points had been of little concern to either of you: where the wedding would take place, who would pay for what parts of the celebration, where you would spend parts of the year, and what surname your children would have. It was all trifling. Both you and Ser Harwin just wanted the negotiations to conclude, and the sooner, the better.

“Unfortunately, I have no news for you today, My Lady,” he informed you, his thumbs still tracing lightly over the backs of your hands. His gaze lifted from your intertwined hands, and he looked deeply into your eyes. “But my father assures me that they are close to reaching a final agreement.”

You didn’t have the heart to point out to him that he had already been telling you that for quite some time. “Let us hope.”

Ser Harwin looked about your surroundings briefly, confirming that you were still alone. In consolation to your disappointment, he leant downwards, and placed a soft kiss upon your forehead.

Despite your frustrations, and his own, it could always be said that Harwin never hesitated to do whatever he could to reassure you that the match between you was one worth waiting for.

“You look beautiful, Your Grace.”

Princess Rhaenyra turned her head over her shoulder and smiled at you as you entered her chambers. Two ladies- who happened to be none other than Ser Harwin’s younger sisters- attended to her. One smoothed out the skirts of her dress while the other was putting some adornments in her silver hair.

After their father had been appointed Hand of the King, the two girls had only recently been chosen by the Princess to serve as her junior ladies in waiting. They were a few years younger than you and the Princess, but old enough to have some scrutiny and tact about them, and they were eager to please. Both were already dressed and prepared for the welcome feast.

You looked over the Princess’ appearance with mock scrutiny, but ultimately smiled. “The two of you did such an excellent job… I fear I shall no longer be of service soon.”

Princess Rhaenyra rolled her eyes playfully. “Come now, Lady Y/N- how ever would I get on without you?” One of the girls presented her with a hand mirror. The Princess looked over her appearance for a moment before giving a small nod. “This will do. Thank you very much, My Ladies.”

The girls smiled, giddy with her praise.

“You two should head on over to the throne room,” Princess Rhaenyra dismissed them. “I’ll have Lady Y/N attend to whatever is left.”

The girls nodded in understanding, curtsied, and promptly left the Princess’ chambers.

Princess Rhaenyra picked up the small mirror again, and apprised her appearance once more. You caught a glimpse of her face in the reflection from your place a few feet away, and it was with a twinge of sadness that you realized how downtrodden she looked.

“Are you well, Your Grace?” you asked her quietly, subtly offering her an opportunity to speak about whatever was on her mind.

Unfortunately, the Princess did not wish to speak of whatever was troubling her. She put the mirror down and turned to face you. “Yes, all is well,” she answered, though her tone still left you questioning the sincerity of her words. She smiled at you teasingly, and inquired, “Is everything alright with you, Lady Y/N?”

You pursed your lips, fighting off a smile.

“Has there been any news?” the Princess asked, eargerly and expectantly.

Though you still were in her service, Princess Rhaenyra had become a true friend and confidant of yours. She was knowledgeable of the negotiations stalling your marriage to Ser Harwin, and was sympathetic for you.

“Not yet,” you answered, unable to disguise the disappointment in your voice.

“I am sorry to hear that… But the night is still young,” Princess Rhaenyra noted optimistically. “I bet that by the end of the week, another betrothal announcement shall be made.”

You certainly hoped so, but didn’t want to get your hopes up.

“You should get ready for the feast,” she said then, giving you something else to focus on. “The seamstress put the finishing touches I asked for upon your dress, and left it over there.”

You walked over to the bed, where Princess Rhaenyra had gestured to. Your eyes immediately spotted the gown in question. The Princess had requested that all her ladies wore similar gowns, all of the same color, for the welcome feast. Your gown was a little bit more… revealing, than what the Strong ladies had been given, but it was more suitable for each of your ages that way.

“The color matches the jewels in your hair,” you observed with a smile.

Princess Rhaenyra returned the smile, pleased that you found the gown as gorgeous as she did.

The welcome feast had begun.

The esteemed guests from all across Westeros who had traveled to King’s Landing for the festivities were announced one by one, before paying their respects to the King and Princess.

The Queen had yet to arrive.

You were the only representative of House Tyrell to attend, and conveyed your apologies to King Viserys on your family’s behalf. Your father had taken ill once more- another factor that had played a role in the pace at which the marriage negotiations were taking place- and your brother Derron had no choice but to stay in Highgarden to help him manage affairs.

Since you were alone, you had no one immediately obvious with which to sit for the meal. Your betrothal to Ser Harwin was not yet official, so you had been assigned a seat beside the Hightowers and other noble families of other houses from the Reach. You knew most of them well enough to be able to carry out polite conversation, to accept well wishes for your father, and to inquire as to the state of their own houses and health.

But you couldn’t help it as your eyes drifted forlornly down towards the opposite end of the table, where Ser Harwin was seated with the majority of his family. You caught his eye every now and then, and when you did, the two of you played an unspoken game to see which would be the first to break and look away.

House Velaryon was the last to enter the throne room, and the attention of everyone else in the room was commanded by the sight. As House Velaryon strode over to the high table, which was positioned just in front of the Iron Throne, thunderous applause rang out. Though Lord Coryls had been no stranger to the Court during King Viserys’ reign, his wife, the Princess Rhaenys, and their children were not so often seen. Everyone was eager to lay eyes upon the future King Consort, Ser Laenor, and his sister, Lady Laena.

The princess rose from her seat to greet her betrothed, and shortly thereafter, the Velaryons and the rest of their household were seated. Everyone else in the room followed suit, save the King, who looked over the crowd. You looked over towards King Viserys and waited for his speech to begin.

But suddenly, the King’s cheerful face fell, and muffled whisperings around you filled your ears. You followed the King’s appalled look over to the entryway, where none other than Prince Daemon was making his way into the throne room. Ser Harrold did not bother to announce him- he was probably as shocked as most everyone else in the room.

The whispers did not cease as Daemon approached the high table calmly, acting as though he had not been exiled by the King, again, not too long ago.

You looked over at Rhaenyra and tried to gauge her reaction to the uninvited guest. If she had known about her uncle’s impending return for the wedding, she had not told you of it- though you honestly could not say whether she would have. The pair of you had a special bond, but the bond between her and Prince Daemon would always be stronger.

Thankfully, the Princess looked just as surprised to see her uncle as everyone else, though she was much better at concealing her facial reaction than the King. Once Daemon was before the high table, you thought King Viserys might call for his head right then and there. But instead, after a moment of thought, he beckoned for a chair to be brought out for him. Prince Daemon was seated beside the Hand, Lord Lyonel, and the room began to settle from the interruption.

King Viserys smiled once more, though it was more strained than genuine, and began his welcoming speech. Unfortunately, he was not able to get very far into it, before it was disrupted once more.

All eyes in the room once again turned towards the entryway. Unlike with the previous tardy guest, no whispers erupted this time. Instead, the room was overcome with a bone-chilling silence.

Queen Alicent had finally arrived. But what was more shocking than her blatant disrespect of King Viserys was the outfit she had chosen instead.

She wore a bright, emerald green gown.

Those seated rose respectfully as she made her way over to the high table. Despite those who you were seated with- other members of House Hightower being seated just a few seats down from you- your eyes involuntarily narrowed as the Queen passed you. Just what point was she trying to get across with her choice of garment?

You’d never seen the sight with your own eyes before, only having read about it in books and having heard it in tales from your father. But you knew, very well, what color the beacon in Oldtown glowed when the Hightowers called their banners to war.

Green.

Once the Queen was seated, the King was finally able to finish his speech, and dinner was served. You still snuck glances at Ser Harwin as often as you dared, though the looks you gave him now were probably laced with little else but concern.

Once the meal was over, you were grateful for the dancing to begin, for it gave you a perfect excuse to stand and socialize with other guests whom you were not immediately seated by. Princess Rhaenyra and Ser Laenor were the first to take the floor, as was the tradition, but once the dance was complete, the other guests slowly but surely joined in the fun.

You rose from your seat and walked over towards the end of the table, joining the group of nobles who had gathered there to observe those already on the dancefloor.

“Lady Y/N.”

You turned, and were pleasantly surprised to find Lord Lyonel Strong standing beside you.

“My Lord,” you greeted him with a smile.

“Are you enjoying the feast so far, My Lady?” he inquired then.

The question was innocent enough, but difficult to answer truthfully. Your eyes darted over to Queen Alicent, and then Prince Daemon, who were both still seated. Well aware of the fact that you could be overheard, you simply answered, “This feast will be remembered for quite some time to come, I am sure.”

“I do not disagree,” Lord Lyonel said knowingly, having noted whom you had glanced at. Lord Lyonel, on the surface, gave the air of an uncomplicated man. But you were beginning to suspect that there was more to him than one might assume. A lord from a small noble house in the Riverlands didn’t become appointed Hand of the King by mere chance.

“Lady Y/N,” he said then, in a much quieter tone that grabbed your attention immediately, as was its purpose. “I do want to thank you for your patience as this business with Highgarden is negotiated.”

Lord Lyonel’s statement was decently vague, but you knew immediately what he was referring to. “Thank you, My Lord. I understand that such matters are necessary, though I would deny that it has not begun to feel tedious at times.”

Lord Lyonel gave you a sympathetic smile. “Perhaps you are right. Even so, I will be glad once everything has been settled. I must admit, I was, and still am, pleased by the proposition. I think all parties involved stand to benefit greatly… specifically, my son. I am grateful that House Tyrell has considered him to be a worthy business partner.”

He approved of the match; that the subtext of his cordial words. But even more so, Lord Lyonel was pleased that the match contributed greatly to the happiness of his son.

“There is more to Ser Harwin than his nickname,” you said decisively. “I believe Lord Tyrell and my brother simply needed some guidance in order to see that.”

Lord Lyonel nodded courteously.

As if he had known he was the topic of your very conversation, Ser Harwin made his way through the onlookers. He came to a stop before the two of you, and nodded to Lord Lyonel in greeting. “Father.”

Then he turned to you. He looked remarkable, dressed in finer clothes than what he typically donned, and a significant section of his hair had been pulled up and tied back, revealing the handsome features of his face. You were so lost in the sight of him, you almost didn’t register that he had spoken to you.

“Lady Y/N,” he greeted, giving you a charming smile. Said smile was offered to many, but it never was accompanied with the twinkle in his eyes that shone now. That had become exclusively reserved for you, a thought that both made you feel humble and filled you with pride. “I think it to be an insult that you have not been asked to dance thus far. Could you find it in your heart to grant me the honor?”

You looked towards his outstretched hand, and attempted to minimize the love-sick expression you undoubtedly wore. “It would be my pleasure, Ser Harwin.”

With one last glance at Lord Lyonel, you took Ser Harwin’s hand and allowed him to escort you to the dance floor.

You seldom had the opportunity to spend such time with Ser Harwin in public, and you reveled in every minute of it. The incredible ease you felt with him, whether it was while dancing, talking, or simply being in the presence of each other, was one that had yet to be matched.

As the pair of you went on about the dance, turning and spinning and stepping about as the song dictated, you conversed quietly.

“You truly are a vision tonight,” Ser Harwin complemented, causing your cheeks to burn both with mild embarrassment and in pain from your amused smile. “Better than I even dared to dream of.”

“Thank you, My Lord. … But now, I wonder- do you dream of me often, Ser Harwin?” you jested, taking his hand and twirling once.

Once you had turned around, you nearly came face to face with his broad chest; the two of you were suddenly much closer than before.

“Since you asked,” Ser Harwin said, leaning down so as to speak directly into your ear, “There are few nights that you do not haunt my dreams, My Lady.”

Before anyone could notice the inappropriate distance between yourselves, you each took a step back, and continued the dance smoothly.

You were taken aback, but pleasantly so. “Haunt?” you echoed. “Am I a ghost, plaguing you with nightmares?”

“I assure you,” he said, suavely stepping beside and turning to you in time with the music, “Not all ghosts are bad. Nor could any sight of you gracing my mind whilst I am asleep ever be considered a nightmare.”

Before you could think of something charming or witty to respond with, you noticed someone making their way onto the dance floor. It was with dread that they were headed directly towards you.

“I fear our time together is about to be cut short,” Ser Harwin announced, also making note of it.

You forced a smile as you greeted the interrupter of your lovely moment. “Lord Loreon.”

Loreon Lannister merely nodded cooly to Ser Harwin in his own way of greeting. The gesture made you want to give him a verbal lashing for his impoliteness, but since you were surrounded by others, and it was not yet socially acceptable for you and Ser Harwin to show any sort of attachment to the other, you were limited.

Ser Harwin knew just as much, too. He politely refused to acknowledge the disrespect, and greeted the other man anyways. “My Lord.”

“Might I cut in?”

Ser Harwin had no choice but to allow Lord Loreon to do so, and he knew that. The little weasel.

“I hope you enjoy the rest of the feast, Lady Y/N,” Ser Harwin said to you.

“And I you, My Lord.”

You watched with mild sadness as your love wandered off the dance floor before disappearing amongst the crowd of nobles watching on the outskirts.

A new song began, and you forced your feet to move, engaging in a dance once more.

Lord Loeron, though a few years your junior, had grown into a man since you had last seen him. However, he was still a young one at that, and you had your suspicions that the passing years made him no more wise. The boy- young man- had always lacked some tact. You’d hoped his father, Lord Jason Lannister, had instilled some sense in him, as Loreon was his only son and heir. But from what Princess Rhaenyra had shared with you regarding Lord Lannister’s own behavior and choice comments as of late, you severely doubted it.

“You’ve grown since I last saw you, My Lord.”

“Perhaps,” Lord Loreon granted. “Though I am afraid that I am nowhere near the size of Breakbones.”

You frowned in displeasure at his insinuating comment.

Your courtship with Ser Harwin while your fathers worked out the details of your marriage was not exactly a secret. But, other than Lord Jason on the occasion, Lannisters had been sparse at Court as of late… You concluded that the walls must have had ears. You only hoped that they did not have eyes as well.

“I am surprised by your choice of gown, Lady Y/N- I thought you might wear green, as it is a color of your House.”

And also the color with which Queen Alicent had chosen to draw a metaphorical line in the struggle for power.

You answered, “Princess Rhaenyra deemed it fit that all her ladies should wear gowns of Targaryen red tonight.”

“A wise decision by the Princess,” Lord Loreon declared. “I’m sure you look just as lovely in gold, as it is the other of your House’s colors... Though, perhaps a gown of red and gold would suit you best?”

You paused briefly, before forcing yourself to continue the steps. You feigned, “I’m afraid I do not understand what you mean, My Lord.”

“No, I suppose you do not. Perhaps my father shall arrange to meet with yours, and they can sort it out for the two of us. We would not dare spend any longer than necessary on negotiations. We know how much a marriage to the daughter of Lord Tyrell is worth, just as I am sure you know how valuable the marriage to the son of Lord Lannister is.”

You let out a small sigh, your patience for pleasantries completely diminished by his goading words. “If that is your way of proposing marriage, My Lord, it seems there is still vast room for improvement to be had in ways of your eloquence and common sense.”

Lord Loreon narrowed his eyes at you, but did not cease his dancing. In a threateningly low tone, he demanded, “You dare insult me?”

As suspected, time had not made him more wise. Lord Loreon’s pride was wounded just as easily as it always had been.

“It is I that has been insulted, My Lord. Asking for my hand so crudely, and during the wedding feast for the future Queen, no less?” you countered swiftly. “I think my father would be most displeased with House Lannister if he heard of this, not to mention the King.”

Lord Loreon finally stopped partaking in the dance. He looked very cross. He opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by several loud, piercing screams.

Immediately, the dance floor descended into a state of chaos. Initially, you were shoved backwards, as some sort of altercation took place in the middle of the dance floor. You could not see the individuals throwing fists, but you heard the sickening thuds of their punches landing mercilessly upon the other, despite the commotion of the crowd.

You looked back over towards Lord Loreon, only to discover that he had taken the moment of distraction to abandon you. However, you had expected no less of him.

Suddenly, the tune of the crowd changed. Encouraging shouts as the brawlers went after one another turned into horrified screaming. Guards flooded the room and attempted to make their way towards the middle of the crowd.

As the crowd shifted with the movement, you were unceremoniously shoved backwards and down onto the ground. The legs of others nearby as they shuffled backwards and out of the way were encroaching upon you rapidly.

Despite your position, you heard Princess Rhaenyra cry out, “Laenor!”

A horrible thought struck you. The Princess had been on the dance floor as well- you had seen her not but a few moments before. Was she still entangled somewhere in all of this mess? You had to help her.

You tucked your chin, and used the chair you had fallen up against as leverage to hoist yourself up and off the ground. Your eyes searched the crowd, and you felt dismayed when the Princess was not immediately in sight. “Princess?!”

Before you could decide on your next move of action, someone promptly picked you up, and threw you over their shoulder.

In the midst of everything going on, you were unable to get a good look at your sudden captor. You shouted protests and fought back, kicking and punching the man who had decided to take advantage of the situation as he proceeded to push his way through the crowd and away from the dance floor.

“Y/N,” a very familiar voice huffed, before gently placing you back on your own two feet.

It was Ser Harwin.

He hadn’t been your captor, no- but rather, your savior.

You watched in a stunned silence as Ser Harwin quickly looked you over with concern, putting his hands on your shoulders to get your attention. “Are you alright?” he demanded, gently but urgently. “Are you hurt?”

“No, no,” you replied quickly. “I’m fine.”

He’d placed you near the high table, where his father, and the rest of the royal family, even Queen Alicent, looked onwards towards the fight that the guards were still attempting to break up.

“Where’s Rhaenyra?” you heard the King ask, his increasing worry audibly evident.

“The Princess!” you said, suddenly recalling what you had set out to do before Ser Harwin had whisked you away- find Princess Rhaenyra, and make sure she was alright. You looked up at him pleadingly, before gesturing over from whence you both had just come. The Princess was still nowhere to be seen. “I heard her, right over there!”

Ser Harwin looked from where you had gestured and up towards his father. Lord Lyonel, also looking concerned, nodded over to the chaos as a silent go-ahead.

Ser Harwin fought his way back into and through the crowd, and you watched with bated breath as he did so. As much as you were concerned for the Princess’ safety as the seconds passed, so were you worried for him, as he quite literally punched and pushed his way through the half rioting and half panicking crowd.

Some ways away, he bent down and disappeared beneath your line of sight. Just as quickly, he stood once more, with Princess Rhaenyra over the top of his shoulder, as he had done to you. He couldn’t make his way back through the crowd quick enough.

Ser Harwin deposited Princess Rhaenyra down on the ground beside you, and you fussed over her immediately.

“Your Grace!” you exclaimed worriedly. “Are you hurt?”

Thankfully, Princess Rhaenyra looked more upset than physically injured. “I’m fine, I’m fine… What in Seven Hells is going on?!”

“Rhaenyra!” Her father beckoned her over to him, and she did not hesitate to heed him. With one last glance at you, she thanked Ser Harwin before joining the King.

The shouting silenced abruptly, drawing your attention back to the fight.

The crowd parted down the middle, revealing a gruesome scene. Ser Criston Cole was laying fatal blows upon another man, who laid practically motionless beneath him. You could not recognize the man from here, but you recognized the colors he wore as someone who was likely to have attended the feast with House Velaryon. The crowd stepped back further still, forced to do so by the guards who had finally managed to intervene. Then, the room went still.

Ser Criston, bloodied, and with a look upon his face that had been numbed with pure rage, halted his blows.

The man beneath him was dead.

Like wildfire, the crowd dispersed, fleeing the throne room. Nothing good would come of this- at the very least, the feast would not be able to continue. A member of the Kingsguard had just punched a man to death!

“Go, you two,” you heard the light but commanding voice of Lord Lyonel from behind you. To Harwin, he added, “See to it that Larys and your sisters make haste as well.”

You looked over at Rhaenyra, who was watching the results of the madness unfold with a sombered look on her face. But you had no time to decide whether or not to try and console her, for Ser Harwin had already begun to guide you out of the throne room. As instructed, he corralled his brother and sisters and made certain that they headed towards the exit too.

“Don’t,” he told you quietly as you passed the dead man’s body, evidently having read your mind. “I wouldn’t look.”

You were thankful that Ser Harwin had strategically placed himself between you and the body as you walked by, for it had been your gut reaction to do just that. You gripped his arm as he escorted you that much tighter, thankful to have been spared from seeing such a ghastly sight.

As you passed under the threshold, the anguished sobs of Ser Laenor echoed off the walls behind you.

That evening, in a private ceremony witnessed by only the families of those involved, Princess Rhaenyra of House Targaryen and Ser Laenor of House Velaryon were wed. The remaining festivities that had been planned for the rest of the week were canceled. King Viserys decided that, given the events of the welcome feast, the sooner the two were wed, the better.

Despite the sense of gloominess that hung over the Red Keeps in the days to follow, personal good news had presented itself to you the very next morning. A raven had arrived, from Highgarden, no less. Negotiations were complete.

Your betrothal to Ser Harwin Strong was, finally, to be official.

At the end of the week, Princess Rhaenyra and her new husband Prince Consort left King’s Landing for a small post-wedding sailing trip.

Your betrothal was officially announced the following day. You were ecstatic- for now, you no longer had to hide or deny your attachment to the strongest knight in all the Seven Kingdoms. Instead, you could celebrate it. And you would, too- with any luck, the two of you would be wed in less than a few fortnights, a few moons at the most.

The day after the announcement brought another raven from Highgarden. But this time, the news was not the cause of any celebration.

Your father, Lord Tyrell, had succumbed to sickness. 

Perhaps the Maesters had been wrong in their diagnosis of the ailment and ineffective with their treatment… Perhaps your father knew what was inevitable, but had held on just long enough to see to it that you would be looked after once he was gone.

…

The winds of change had come to blow through Westeros. With the winds, came storms.

But with Harwin by your side, you knew that you would be able to weather them all.

᯽ Part 4 of this story, From This Day, Part 1/2, can be read HERE. ᯽

A/N: Thank you so much for reading!🖤 I have (at least) one more part tentatively planned for this, but after started writing this, I came up with another idea... So, how do we feel about seeing the wedding?👀 Cuz I was gonna do another little time jump to the next part, but now I’m not so sure... Let me know what you think!

ALSO... does anyone else wanna talk about last night’s episode?! Because I have so many thoughts... ugh. It was so great. I cannot.

***The masterlist for this story can be found HERE.***

***Information about the taglist for this fic can be found HERE.***

Taglist: @whitetigerlover17 @littlebirdgot @te5s3ract  @nerdboylover @piper570 @ephemeralninon @linkpk88  @kaygilles @hippzella @wicked-hg @thatgaytevinter @nowheredreamer @ateliefloresdaprimavera  @saintspector @thebigbadbatswife @blazinglioness @itevilhag @chlo-feigh @bettybrainrot  @liadamerondjarin @fuckmylifedudee @hippzella @my-dark-prince @sweetestrose569 @kaygilles @lol-im-done @im-married-to-chris-evans​ @chetpuff @venus2eros @wicked-hg @mamamooqa  @prettymingwoo @bxdbxtxh15 @ateliefloresdaprimavera @brbaabs @novazoldyck @hoyaharper @shanzeyxsyed  @microwaveallthedemons @piper570   @fireghost-x @lakamaa12 @holb32 @thesheelfsworld  @inkareds @fuckoffthanos @mortallyspookyglitter  @akinatrix @bingewatche​ @guerraandpaes @nonniecannie @mousse-au-citron @autumnleaves1991-reads @thesithdiaries @potatingpotato-reads @perpetual-exhaustion21  @sinful-wxrld @marvelcriminalhoe2​ @redpool​ @blazinglioness​ @re-enjoy​ @itevilhag​ @jfcreading​ @prettywhencry1234​ @dankpunks​ @justonemore-fic @yonduismarrypoppins @luckyplums1 @logiclies @avoirlu @iunknownveritgo @theflowerpot @anoymousbye @strawbbyjamb @landofdreamsworld @green-beanie @queenofterrasen418 @michovisk @psychwardsiren @green-lxght @smptxx @electric-bloo @acciowolfstar1 @good-night-starlight @never-not-eating @minetticawonderland @idkjj04

[malfoysstilinski]

the rose garden | DRACO MALFOY (SMUT)

MASTERLIST 

Draco Malfoy x Reader

SUMMARY: Draco fucks Y/N in his mother’s rose garden. 

REQUESTED by anonymous “Could I request were draco and his girlfriend has been together for a year or 2 and their parents are really good friends. Y\Ns parents are also death eaters. And y/n is slytherin. It would be their 5th or 6th yr? Preferably a smut?” 

WARNINGS: smut, public sex, extreme dirty talk, slut shaming, blowjobs, face fucking, fingering, riding 

Hogwarts was out of session for the summer, and due to students living all across the United Kingdom and Ireland, it meant a lot people didn’t see their significant others for a long two months or so. However, fortunately, that was not the case for you and Draco. 

You didn’t live far from each other and your parents were all friends-- they had been since before you and Draco were even born. They had been loyal followers of Lord Voldemort and passed them down to the two of you even after he was gone. 

Whilst you questioned some things, you never said it out loud, and neither did Draco, allowing your parents to think that the two of your were perfect for each other. It was probably one of the only things that they were right about. 

You and Draco had taken the Hogwarts Express together, you’d been sorted into Slytherin one after the other, you had all of the same friends-- Blaise, Pansy, Theodore, Daphne, Crabbe, Goyle-- and during your fourth year, after dancing with each other all night at the Yule Ball, you’d kissed and realised that maybe what you had had been more than a friendship this entire time. 

For nearly two years now, you and Draco had been dating. Despite being such a dick to everybody else, Draco treated you exactly how you deserved to be treated-- like a real princess. In his eyes, you were a princess. The most beautiful of them all. Especially around your parents, who adored him as much as his parents adored you. 

Currently, you sat beside each other at the Malfoy’s dining table, Lucius and Narcissa sat at the heads of the table whilst your parents sat opposite the two of you. A starter of some sort of soup was in front of you and you took small spoonfuls delicately, portraying the table etiquette that you’d learnt before you could even spell properly. 

“Y/N, how was your fifth year?” Narcissa asks softly once the conversation changes from your father’s business to the new Potions teacher Hogwarts was supposedly getting next year. 

You smile politely as you glance up at your boyfriend’s mother. You’d always liked Narcissa, she was the more loving of Draco’s parents and you could tell that she genuinely cared about Draco. You were sure Lucius did too, but the blond-haired man often refused to show emotion which you knew took a toll on Draco growing up. 

“It was great, thank you, Mrs Malfoy,” you say, “I spent a lot of it studying for my O.W.Ls, which went well.”

“That’s great, Y/N,” Narcissa smiles back. 

The rest of dinner seems to go by swimmingly, your parents mainly talking to each other but making small talk with the two of you as well. You’d all known each other all your lives, so it wasn’t really awkward at all. You’re finishing off the last of your drink when you feel a palm touch your thigh. 

You know better than to react. 

Draco’s cold hand smooths up and down your soft skin whilst he talks with your father and his father about something to do with the Ministry, your mothers both engrossed in Narcissa’s latest additions to her personal garden. Your father makes a joke that has Lucius laughing and Draco chuckling politely, your mouth absentmindedly forcing a small smile to act like you were listening, but all you can focus on is Draco’s hand. 

He’s such an asshole. 

You nearly shiver in delight as his slender fingers trace up and down your leg, growing warmer the longer they resided there. However, when you feel the pad of his index finger make contact with your sex, sliding underneath the thong that you’re wearing tonight, you purse your lips and grip the table, shocked. 

He swipes his finger through your folds, gathering up the arousal that’s already there and swiping it across your clit. He starts to rub at it agonisingly slow, making you bite down on your lips lightly. You grab your drink and lift it to your lips to distract yourself, but you choke slightly on it when Draco rubs it at the perfect pace, spikes of arousal coursing through you and dampening your panties even more. 

“Y/N, are you okay?” Narcissa asks worriedly, “You’re looking rather flushed.”

“I’m fine,” you breathe out, forcing yet another smile. “I’m just feeling rather... hot, that’s all.”

“If you would like, you and Draco could step outside for some fresh air before desert is served?” Narcissa offers, her face brightening, “Oh, Draco, you can show Y/N the new roses I put in the garden.”

“They’re all the way at the back, mother,” Draco began to complain, before something mischievous flashed in his silver eyes, “Oh, well I suppose it’s only polite I do so. Come, Y/N.”

He retracts his hand from your leg and stands, offering it to you. You send a weak smile to Narcissa and take his hand, your mothers cooing happily as Draco leads you out of the dreary dining room. As soon as you’re out into the fresh air, you shove Draco with a small glare. 

“You dick!” You grumble at him, “Look, in the common room is one bloody thing, but in front of our parents? Merlin, Draco! If I got off in front of my father I would never be able to look him in the eye again. Especially if we had been caught!”

“But you liked it really, didn’t you, my little slut?” Draco growls, turning and grabbing your jaw with his slender fingers. “You love it when I get you off in front of people. Your cunt aches at the thought of nobody knowing what’s going on beneath the table.”

You whimper at his words, reaching up and placing your hand on his wrist. Draco smirks and looks back at the house. 

“Come on then, Y/N,” Draco drawls, “Since you made such a fuss, I guess I must show you the rose garden now. Such a brat...”

Draco never talks to you like this in normal day circumstances, so you know what’s coming. This is foreplay for the way he’s probably about to bend you over and fuck you outside the house your parents are currently sat inside. 

You can’t wait. 

You feel yourself grow slick at the thought, slightly dampening your thighs as he sends you a look and jerks his head, gesturing for you to go up the path first. As soon as you’re in front of him, you feel his large hand smack against your ass, making you jump a little. 

He grabs your arms from behind, forcing you against his front and pressing his lips to your ear. You can feel his erection pressing against your back.

“Be a good girl,” he hisses, his breath smelling faintly like the alcohol he’d been drinking with his dinner.

You make it towards the end of the garden and Draco whirls you around before dropping down onto his mother’s favourite bench. The seating was wooden, however, the arm wrests were dark green serpents, Draco’s hand curling around them as he parted his legs wide. 

His silver eyes glinted with mischief, daring you to come closer. 

“Draco,” you breathe. 

“Come on, princess,” Draco unbuttons the top of his trousers. “On your knees. Show me how much you want me.”

Without thinking much at all, your brain foggy with arousal, you drop down onto your knees in front of the bench, unzipping Draco’s smart trousers. He sits up a little to help you drag them down his thighs. You reach to pull at the waistband of his underwear, pulling it back an inch and then letting it go so it snapped lightly against his erection. 

Draco hisses in a mixture of pain and pleasure and grabs your wrist, glaring down at you. 

“Enough,” Draco snaps, “Put your lips where they belong, slut. Around my fucking cock.”

You nearly moan out loud at his words, this time actually peeling his underwear down so that his erection sprung out the top. It was red and angry, the vein along the shaft practically pulsing beneath your gaze as precum made itself present at his tip. 

You lean up further on your knees, one hand on his thigh and the other moving out to gently grasp his dick. Draco groans under his breath, eyes focused on you as you jerk slowly up and down his length, your thumb gliding out to swipe the precum off. Draco relaxes further against the bench, a drowsy smirk crossing his face when you lean forward and take him in your mouth.

“Good little slut...” he drawls, his lanky hand reaching out to run through his hair, tugging at it slightly when you suck your cheeks in, making your mouth feel so much tighter around him. “Fuck, Y/N. So fucking good for me. Best cock sucker there is.”

You moan around his cock, your hand moving to jerk off the part that you couldn’t quite reach with your mouth. Your tongue runs up and down him, feeling his vein and making its way up to the tip where you give it kitten licks. 

“Mm, stop teasing,” Draco grunts, his other hand moving out to grab your head. 

He keeps your head still and you know what’s coming. Slowly, he begins to thrust his hips, driving his cock in and out of your mouth so that his tip hits the back of your throat every now and then. You make slight gagging sounds, your eyes watering as spit coats his length. Draco loves the sight, he wishes he could take a picture. 

He stops thrusting his hips, finding it tiresome from his position sat down, and instead uses your head like you’re a toy, forcing you up and down his cock. You moan, hands grabbing his thighs, focusing on breathing in and out of your nose. 

Before he can cum, he pulls you off of him abruptly, a string of spit joining your lips and the tip of his cock. Draco smirks and brushes your lips with his thumb. 

“My beautiful little cock slut,” he mutters, sitting further back against the bench. “I think that you’ve deserved some fun of your own, don’t you?”

“Yes, Draco,” you pant, nodding. “Please.”

“Since you asked so politely.”

Draco reaches forwards, hands on your waist as he tugs you towards him. You fall so that you’re straddling his body on top of the bench, out in the open where anybody could see you. He tugs up your tight dress and grabs at your ass, squeezing it and leaning forward to lick a stripe up your cleavage which is on show from your dress. 

You can feel his cock brushing against your soaking heat. Your clit is throbbing so bad it nearly hurts, whines leaving your lips as Draco grabs the thin straps of your green bodycon dress and tugs them down, revealing your breasts to him. As his mouth dives forward to grab one of your nipples in his mouth, you can’t help but lower your body, grinding down against his hard cock and making him groan against you, vibrations running through your body. 

“You’re soaked,” he mutters, pulling away once he had left a hickey on your breast where it wouldn’t be seen in your dress. “Such a fucking slut. You get off letting me fuck your face, don’t you?”

“Mmhmm,” you’re too aroused to really know what you’re agreeing to. All you know is that you need Draco to do something before you explode. “Please.”

“Please what? Use your words.”

“Please fuck me, Draco,” you beg him, “please make me cum.”

Draco smirks and reaches to grab your waist harder. You lift up on your knees more and watch as one of his hands disappears between you both. You feel the tip of his dick brush against your eager folds and you whine even louder, biting you lip and nodding at him quickly. 

“Please, please, please.”

Draco guides it through your soaked sex before he finds your hole and takes one more look at you. The nod of consent is all he needs before he plunges himself into you. You both moan, breaths hitching in your throat. As you slide down so that you’re sat on his lap, his cock buried balls deep inside your pulsating heat, you feel so full, like if you were to put your hand against your stomach then you would feel him there.

“So fucking tight,” Draco hisses between gritted teeth. “Come on, slut. Ride me.”

You obey his command, growing slicker at his choice of nickname for you. Your hands move to his shoulders and you use them to help you bounce up and down on top of him, inches slipping out before being forced all the way back inside you, hitting spots that you didn’t know existed. 

Draco was panting slightly beneath you, his silver eyes flickering from where he could see his cock coming in and out of your pussy, slick with your arousal, and up to your face where your head was thrown back in pleasure as you whined and moaned. 

“So beautiful.” He reaches up and grabs your neck. “Look at me.”

You listen to him, feeling his fingers tighten around your neck and slightly blocking your airway. You feel lightheaded in the best possible way, eyes fluttering and your walls pulsating more around his cock as it drives in and out of you. Draco realises you’re starting to feel hazy and starts using his hips so he can pound up into you harder.

The sounds of your bodies colliding and your soaked pussy that normally embarrass you but turn Draco on don’t humiliate you today. You’re too focused on the grip he has on your neck and the way he keeps his pace thrusting in and out of you-- like it’s his only purpose in life. You know you’re going to cum soon.

Draco’s face dives forwards and nuzzles back to your breasts that are bouncing right in front of him. He licks and sucks and bites anything he can, his hot breath fanning your skin and making you cry out. 

“Draco,” you cry. 

“That’s it,” Draco grunts, forcing a few extra hard thrusts. “That’s it, Y/N. Fucking slut. You’d let me do anything to you. Such a fucking whore.”

You can tell that he’s close from how his hand has moved from your neck to your clit. His fingers create hard figures of eights against your throbbing bud, coating his digits in your arousal. You moan louder, this time driving your hips up harder and faster to keep up with his thrusts.

“Come on, Y/N,” Draco hisses, “you gotta cum for me. Cum all over my cock.”

His words are enough to send you toppling over the edge, your loudest moan yet half-buried by your teeth sinking into Draco’s shirt-clad shoulders. Your walls clench and shudder around him, tightening against his cock and causing his eyes to scrunch shut. Your breathless whisper of his name once your orgasm rolls by has him cumming straight after you. His hot seed shoots up inside in spurts, coating your walls and making you whine out against him again. He thrusts a couple of more times before he pulls out. 

“Mm, Dra- Draco,” you mutter as he pulls you off of him and pulls the top of your dress back up. 

Draco chuckles as he fixes his own underwear and trousers, pulling your dress down for you as you slide your panties back up. He presses a loving kiss to your lips. 

“Not too much, was it?” Draco asks worriedly. 

“No, that was perfect,” you admit, stroking some of his hair back into place. 

“Good. I agree. Now, let’s get back to our parents. Desert must be ready soon.”

-

my mum came extremely close to catching me write this so i hope it was worth it honestly 

[liannelara-dracula]

* soft whispers * request for a translation of everyone's names? as Ayato means Colorful Winter and Ruki means Beautiful water flow. I love the meanings of the names and the Sakamaki Brothers are so interesting with the way they do it!

Hi Love,

Aww thank you I'm glad you like my headcanon translations and I promise to do more in the future. Now be translations I assume you mean their Japanese or their given names translated to English? That's what I stuck with so let me know if it's not what you meant. Anyways here are the translations I found for the boys.

I included all the other characters for fun.

Also here are links to other name translations I've done.

English/Anglo Saxion names

Spanish/Latino names

Real names/eastern European/ Romanian

I should add to those posts for the other characters, what do you think?

-Jade

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

Sakamaki

The last name has to do with farming and "rolling hills" is another translation for it. So tbh I see no connection to them being farmers but maybe their ancestors were but the name can also mean "taking care of" which reminds me of how they always take in brides. So they provide from them but of course only for their own advantage.

Shu:

So I actually found out it is derived from Egyptian and Japanese origin. In Japanese, it means "Lap or Circuit" and for Egypt, it means "air" (sky).

Personally, I think the meaning of Sky or Air has more significance considering that his eyes are blue just like the sky so this may have been a reason they named him Shu.

Reiji:

It can mean a lot of different things depending on how it's written but to keep it short it means "Proper, Govern, and Child."

Obviously the first to adjectives match him perfectly but the second one has to do with the fact he was a proper child and that he strived to be what he is.

Laito:

A submission from India says the name Laito means "Gift of god" and is of Indian (Sanskrit) origin. Kinda Ironic because he doesn't believe in God so the creators could have been inspired from this.

In Japanese origin, it means "light."

He doesn't see himself as anything bright or whatever and yet that's what he should represent. Light and God's gift correspond so I would say if Laito had a good family he'd probably have a kind heart according to these meanings of his name (I am just theorizing).

Kanato:

It sarcastically enough means "sweet dreams." This really matches him and I think all of you know why. The sweet is his facade about him being cute at first glance or whatever and the dream part kinda relates to Lolita concepts and in general because his name means sweet dreams I think the irony is that his name may mean that but he's one hell of a nightmare when you're his target.

Ayato:

"Colorful winter"

Colorful may imply that he is lively, and winter means he's cold. There really isn't much to this one.

Subaru:

There wasn't much info but some say it means "united" in Japanese.

I think it shows how he wants to be united with his mom in some way since he did care for her.

Kino:

"Wandering soul"

Well, he was disowned by Karl and he grew up on his own so there may be a reason for this translation.

Karlheinz:

It's of German origin, and both Karl and Heinz are too separate names but put together. So his name is hyphenated, technically speaking. But it does not cause it just isn't so his name has two meanings, (I have the same issue with my first name).

So again Karl means "free man" and Heinz means "home ruler" (from Germanic "hagan" = enclosure or "heim" = home + "rihhi" = powerful/rich/mighty/ruler).

The name honestly suits him cause he is free since he's basically the vampire king, and home-ruler means he rules the kingdom or demon world. And I think you get the point.

Richter:

It's usually a surname but it is of German origin (Richter is German for "judge"). Which makes since he seemed to give his opinion on things.

Cordelia:

Welsh origin: Jewel of the Sea

Celtic origin: "heart; daughter of the sea" -- maybe cause of the mermaid hair and green eyes and for the heart part well that was a big deal with her and Yui and the power. If you know what I mean.

Beatrix:

Dutch origin meaning "she who brings happiness; blessed".

Well if we get rid of what she did to her kids and what Karl did to her she probably wasn't so bad so she could have brought happened. But in reverse when I think about it rather than bringing happiness she brought despondency, dejection, and gloom. Reiji surprisingly enough brought her happiness in the end though.

Christa:

"anointed" or "chosen one". I guess this cause she thought Karl chose her out of his heart.

Said to be of Greek origin but its use is rare and can be mostly found in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Germany.

Mukami

Mukami is of Bantu origin and means "One who milks" Believe or not this last name is common in Denmark and Norway.

Ruki:

Beautiful flow of water

Name in Japanese : 琉希 Meaning : 琉 meaning precious stone, gem, lapis lazuli. / 希 meaning hope, beg, request, pray, beseech, Greece, dilute (acid), rare, few, phenomenal.

Beg/hope --- kinda reminds me of how he used to tourtue people so they used to beg to not be hurt and I also think he hates it when people hope or request. I mean he doesn't like to pitty people soooo.

I think it relates to the idea of his eye color. Like his eyes really are the color of the stone lapis lazuli.

Yuma:

evening + horse/pony

Evening--his eye color reminds me of the sunset.

Horse/pony---he gives me cottagecore vibes, so I mean the village he lived in and he gardens so he's like a farmer in a way.

Kou:

1) "happiness," 2) "light," or "peace."

(1-幸, 2-光, 3-康)

Well, it describes what an idol is like in a way.

Azusa:

Depending on how it is spelled it can mean trees/sand or peaceful/quiet.

I think the peaceful and quiet depicts his personality.

Tsukinami

So it varies on how it's spelled but "Tsuki" can mean month/moon and "Nami" can mean common, average, ordinary, medium, rank with." In this case moon could mean who they are creatures of the night or obviously full moons are a big thing for them. Month and moon, probably leaning towards the idea of every month on a full moon. "Rank with" probably is the best translation in meaning since they feel superior to other vampire races as they are first bloods/founders.

Carla:

So funny as it is this actually comes from German Origin and it is an old name. And it basically just means "free woman."

Karl is the masculine form of this which means "free man" but because Carla is Femmine it is "free woman."

Ironically tho, he was trapped for a thousand years in the demon world and so he was definitely not free but he obviously wanted to be.

Shin:

Real, True

This may tie into the fact that he seems to be a blunt person, so he doesn't sugarcoat things for anyone.

Extra:

Yui:

It can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: 唯, "only, alone, sole" 由, "reason" 維, "supportive"

These all kinda describe that she all in this on her own and she wants to find the reason this happening and she is positive and supportive of certain things. Like in general Yui is not a difficult person.

————————-

♤ ˗ˏˋ 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑤��� 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 ˎˊ˗ ♤

♤ ©𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟔~present day ♤

[salt-warrior]

Hey salt-warrior! Can you write a kaider oneshot where either Cinder or Kai act like workaholic and Torin and Iko are trying their best to get them a life please? Loving your kaider fanfics especially The Other Side of Sorrow!!

Thanks for the request! It was loads of fun. And I’m so very glad that you liked The Other Side of Sorrow! That was a good one to get out<3

Normal

Summary: Iko and Torin conspire to get Cinder and Kai a moment together. (WC: 1k)

“Cinder, I can tell when you’re reading stuff on your brain interface,” Iko huffed, rolling her eyes in agitation. It was almost frightening how human she was, despite being, well, not human. “Won’t you look at me while I’m talking to you? I’m trying to help you get a life.”

“Sorry,” Cinder sighed, switching out of the article she had been looking at and giving Iko her full attention. “I was just reading about the new Letumosis outbreak in the US–”

Iko put a hand over Cinder’s mouth, her golden eyes fierce as she glared at Cinder. They were in New Beijing Palace, which still felt weird even though Cinder had lived there for a few months now. It was late—they were the only ones still up and working— but Iko was dressed in an elaborate rainbow-colored dress that somehow made her hair look more electric than ever. Meanwhile, Cinder wore a less spectacular dress, but it was soft and fluttery and comfortable.

“That can wait until tomorrow,” Iko said, grabbing Cinder by the arm and pulling her down the hall. “You need to take a night off— enjoy being young.”

“What the hell are you going on about?”

“Well, you’re getting married in a few months, and all you do is work,” Iko complained. “Take the night off. It’s far too late to get any work done now anyway. Just relax. Have some fun.”

They turned the corner and a stretch of moonlight lit up the hall, flowing in through the glass walls. It was a hallway that overlooked the palace gardens, and it glowed with a bluish tinge in the darkness, despite the vibrant flowers grown in the garden.

“It’s not even ten yet,” Cinder complained, though her heart was hardly in it as she looked out over the trees with soft green leaves and flowers in full bloom.

Iko caught her longing stare and shot her an evil grin. “You’re right,” she said, her synthetic eyes full of mischief. “That means there’s still enough time for a bit of fun tonight.”

***

“Torin, I still have to look over those documents for the meeting tomorrow,” Kai complained as his advisor dragged him from his work desk. “And we need to figure out a game plan for what we’re going to do with the issues concerning Lunar cooperation with the United Kingdom.”

“That can wait until tomorrow,” Torin said, his voice almost gruff, which was quite unusual for him. Normally Torin was all gentleness and calm, but he was rather agitated for reasons that Kai could not understand. He was the one pulling Kai from his work after all.

“What could you possibly need me for at this hour?” Kai demanded, though he was no longer fighting Torin as he pulled him along through the dimly-lit hallways of the palace.

“I told you, Your Majesty,” Torin said, refusing to call Kai by his name even now. “There’s something I want you to see.”

“Well this better be something spectacular,” Kai grumbled as they turned out to the secret passageway that led to the palace gardens.

Torin checked his port and grinned at Kai as he pushed open the door to the gardens, a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. “Believe me, Your Majesty, it is.”

There were two doors that led to this particular spot in the palace gardens, facing across from one another. A glass hallway rested above them— a change that Kai’s own mother had directed so that she could view the place every day as she walked to and fro throughout the palace.

But as Torin opened one door, the opposite door opened as well, revealing Cinder on the other end. Kai couldn’t help the happy little gasp that escaped him as he rushed past Torin and to Cinder. She moved for him in the same moment, and they met in the middle of that garden, all limbs and laughter and untouchable joy.

Kai pulled Cinder into his arms and spun her around, her pale blue dress fluttering almost magically beneath the moonlight. In the distance he heard Iko let out a sigh, but ignored her as he set Cinder down and kissed her with a fervor.

It felt as if it had been years since he’d seen her, even though it had only been a matter of hours. He hadn’t realized how much he yearned to see her until she was there, and he was there, and all that was left between them was distance.

“Iko dragged me away from work,” Cinder whispered, her arms wrapped around his neck. He kissed her face, his lips trailing from her mouth to her cheek to her jaw to her neck. “But now I can’t seem to remember what was so important.”

“Me neither,” Kai sighed. His lips met Cinder’s again, and all he could think about was her and the way that she tasted and felt pressed up against him.

After a time, they broke apart and sat down on the grass. They lay down together, side by side, Kai’s arm resting under Cinder’s head and her arm thrown over his body. It was cool outside, but in a manner that was refreshing rather than chilly.

They stared up at the stars, marveling at the universe and the way it splayed out before them in such a magnificent way. Cinder whispered the constellations to Kai, and he complained that she had the unfair advantage of a computer in her brain to map them out, and it was all completely perfect.

“We need to do this more often,” Kai said, his fingers playing with the ends of Cinder’s hair. “I know we’re both busy with all the wedding stuff and running a country and a half, but…” Kai trailed off, turning his face toward Cinder’s. “I miss you. I know it’s strange, seeing how we see each other every day— fall asleep together and wake up—but I miss these moments where it’s quiet and just, normal, I guess.”

“Me too,” Cinder yawned, kissing Kai’s cheek. “I think we could both use a little less work and a little more normal. We’ll have to thank Iko and Torin.”

Kai hummed in response, kissing the top of her head. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him, and she dragged him close to her in return. And in that moment, all their worries were gone, replaced with the knowing feeling of one another and a strange but certain sense of normalcy.

Tags: @just2bubbly @cindersnightmare @cindersassasin @cinderswrench @healing-winston-pratt @shellyseashell @kaiderforever @f-r-o-p @idkwhattosayaboutit @impossiblesuitcase @alysendria @lazydreamlandblaze @they-need-a-revolutionary @quicklyascendinguptosoundness @bookpapaya @baileysbabbles @theviolettulip @courtlung @joslyne-thinks-thoughts @lunar-greywaren-24601 @dreamlonelygirl @horton-hears-a-who  @winterrhayle @storysaremyreality @demydreamer-otaku-and-book-lover (let me know if you would like to be added or removed <3)

[ladyseara]

Infinity is just the beginning (1/?)

Fandom: Sk8 the Infinity

Rating: Mature

Tags: Nano Kojiro / Kaoru Sakurayashiki, Kaoru Sakurayashiki / Shindo Ainosuke (one-sided), Langa Hasegawa / Reki Kyan, Alpha / Beta / Omega Dynamics, Fantasy AU no one asked for, Miya Chinen is Joe’s son and I mean it, Miya Chinen is an illegitimate child, Forced marriage, Political marriage, Elf!Cherry, Demon!Joe, Elf!Adam, Carla is half-human / half-Elf.

Words: 2141

Kaoru Sakurayashiki knew his value and his place as an Omega Prince. He might have been born as a High Prince, descendant of the great Sakurayashiki House, which rules the Sun Elvish Kingdom, but at the end of the day, beside his lineage, he was still an Omega, a child who cannot ascend the throne. Of course, for his whole life he was treated with the respect and care he deserved, being prepared to become a suitable First Prince, until his brother, Langa, was born. The small Alpha has quickly taken his place in the line, but Kaoru was not angry with that. He loved his brother deeply, maybe even more than he loved his parents.

The High Prince, after his baby brother was born, got the freedom he never knew before. He was growing up, throwing himself into his studies. He was spoken to be the wisest of the family, more intelligent even than his grandfather, who was believed to be the greatest king in the history of the Elvish Kingdom. Many thought that if only he wouldn’t have been born as an Omega, he could have achieved even more. Kaoru was not only brilliant, he was brave and he was a visionary. He was not afraid of combining magic with technology, creating weapons and useful tools.

If he would had been born as at least Beta, he could have lead the army. But Kaoru was not concerned about that too.

The reason behind that was the Moon Elvish Kingdom’s Prince, Shindo Ainosuke. They met when they were both six years old. Firstly too shy to talk to each other, soon they realized they share a lot. Their parents were friends, so Kaoru and Shindo spend a lot of time together growing up. At some point, Kaoru was charmed by a young Alpha. They even shared a messy, a bit tipsy kiss in the garden, during some party. At that time Kaoru knew that one day he will marry this man. The Union between Sun Elves and Moon Elves, an alliance against the Demon Empire. Shindo, the Alpha, would lead their army to the victory on the battlefield, and he, Kaoru, would lead the rest of the country as his Consort. The mere thought of them, living such a bright future, was enough to send shivers down his spine.

One can only imagine Kaoru’s confidence, when at the day of his 19thbirthday, he was summoned by his father to his study. Omega Prince already knew the news: he will get married soon, in less than a month, in order to seal the alliance. He was more than ready to leave his title as a Sun Prince behind and become the Consort of the Moon King. Kaoru could only imagine new opportunities, lying in front of him. He was dreaming big.

“My King”, he said, greeting his father with a little bow. “You have requested my presence.”

“Yes, Kaoru. Sit down please.”

Kaoru sat in front of his father desk. He enjoyed the atmosphere of the King’s study. The room could be a little dusty, but it smelled of pine trees and lemon. One of the servants put a cup of tea in front of him and left quietly. “I think you are aware of the topic we need to rise today, Kaoru.”, his father looked a bit tired. His hair has turned white few years ago, but they used to be the same color as Langa’s.

“Yes, father.”, Kaoru said respectfully. “I know my duty as a Prince. I will marry the King.”, he said with a little smile on his lips. Of course he would marry The Moon King. Shindo was his friend, and now he will become his husband and lover…

“I am pleased to hear that, my son. I must admit that I was worried at the beginning. You were not raised like other Omegas and I was expecting you to rebel against my decision.”

“My King, I could never. The Union of two Elvish kingdoms will bring peace-”

“Kaoru, wait,” his father interrupted him. “I think you got the wrong idea, my child. You are not going to marry King Ainosuke.”

His world fell apart. Kaoru opened his mouth a bit, like a fish out of water, unable to breathe. He must be dreaming some nightmare. It could not have been real. Marrying Shindo Ainosuke was his destiny. There were friends, they would make such a good couple… It could not get worse.

“The Moon King was not interested in your hand,” his father explained. “Moreover, I think our Langa should marry Ainosuke’s younger brother. You, my child, you will marry The Demon King.”

Oh. So it could be worse.

“What-.. Father, please. Think about it again,” Kaoru said, pale and shocked.

“You have told me you know your duty, Kaoru. Your marriage will ensure the peace between us and The Demon Empire.”

Kaoru was thinking fast. He had to do something in order to stop this madness. There had to be a way for him to avoid being wedded to the barbarian Demon King. He needed to contact Shindo quickly. If The Moon King will hear about this, he would definitely change his mind and marry Kaoru, the Omega was sure about that. Ainosuke would never let Kaoru be taken away to The Demon Empire, moreover, to be married off to the brutal Alpha. He had a month, a whole month to cancel this insane plan and came up with a better one…

“Our guests will be here tomorrow, Kaoru,” his father said, as if he knew what was going through his son’s head. “Both The Demon King and The Moon King. We are going to sing a pact and then you will marry Nanjo Kojiro, The Demon King, and our Langa will be engaged to Prince Reki.”

“What?”, Kaoru could felt his lips moving on their own. “Aino.. The Moon King knew about that?”

“Of course he knew, Kaoru. It was his plan after all.”

“Master, are you alright?”

Carla’s quiet, emotionless voice brought him back to reality. Kaoru did not sleep that night. He was betrayed by the whole world. All his plans, dreams, ideas… All was destroyed in one moment. Both his family and his friend sold him to The Demon King. He was a tool, a bribe to The Demon Empire. Of course, he understood the reasons behind that. Langa, an Alpha, had to marry and Omega, so Prince Reki was a perfect candidate. And there was not a need to unite two countries with two marriages, so the spot for Kaoru’s husband was left open. Selling him off to the Demons were the best idea. Even if he dies, not matter how and when, Demons will be shackled with the pact. Moreover, if he dies after he gives birth to the Demon King’s heir, the child will link two counties even harder.

“Master? You look…”

“Terrible, I know”, Kaoru replied, looking at himself in the mirror. He was dressed in furisode, white with cherry blossoms embroidered at the bottom of the sleeves. His pink hair was carefully combed and Carla put a cherry blossom hair pin into it. She also put a little make up on his face, to cover dark circles under his eyes.

“Worried. You are worried, my Lord,” the girl said. She learned about the future of her master and decided to go to the Demon Empire with him. Kaoru saved her few years back and it was her duty to protect him. “And I am no surprised.”

Kaoru looked at her in the mirror. Carla’s skin was darker than his, she had black hair and purple eyes. She was half-human, half-elvish. Many would despise her, but Kaoru found her pretty, smart and loyal. He could not imagine his life without her anymore.

“Thank you, Carla. I think we should get going. Our… guests… will be here soon.”

“I overheard the guards, Master. The Moon King and his people are already in the Capital. The Demons were spotted near the border, they will be here in less than an hour.”

Less than an hour and he will meet his future husband. Less than a twelve hours and he will be married to The Demon King. Less than a day and he will be mated to the barbarian King. In less than two days, he will leave the Sun Elvish Kingdom ans travel up north, to The Demon Empire. He would be lucky if he dies in the meantime.

Kaoru was scared. When he was thinking about being wedded to the Shindo, he was a bit nervous, but sure that their intercourse would be gentle, sweet even. He was dreaming about The Moon King caressing his body, worshiping it before they connect with each other. Kaoru was dreaming about children, with blue or pink hair, running around and making their lives even more meaningful. Now he was scared that The Demon King will force him every night to sleep with him, force his body into his until Kaoru will give him an heir. He will simply fuck him, like a whore.

“Master, you are…”

“It’s fine, Carla. I’m ready.”, the Omega Prince said, wiping a tear from his cheek. He was an Omega Prince, who knows his duty. His life and his body do not matter, if he could buy a peaceful life for his people with it.

Kaoru stood at the top of the stairs, when Demons arrived. He was holding his head high, forcing a little smile on his lips. He will never show his fears and anxiety to those, who were around him. For them he was a definition of the perfection, and Kaoru was more than ready to uphold his reputation. He could be falling apart on the inside, but on the outside he will never show.

Of course, the first person he spotted, was The Demon King himself. Riding the biggest horse Kaoru has ever seen in his life, the Alpha was dressed all in black. He had green hair, which makes him look like a giant tree. When The Demon King came closer, Kaoru saw small horns at the top of his head, partly hidden inside of his hair. The Alpha was smiling lightly, with such confidence, that it made Kaoru annoyed.

The Omega Prince was not small, but when the Alpha dismounted the horse, Kaoru straightened up. It did not help much; he still was smaller than the Alpha and the top of his head reached slightly above the place the heart should be, if The Demon King had one.

“I shall welcome you, my guests,” Kaoru’s father took a step towards the Demons. Elves and Demons have not met since the last war. Kaoru knew his father and The Demon King must have exchanged letters, but this… This was a milestone in their history.

“King Sakurayashiki,” The Demon King smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person.”

When the Demon moved his hand, Kaoru was sure he is going to stab the Elvish King. But instead they simply shook their hands as a greeting. Then the Demon welcomed The Moon King the same way. He exchanged few words with the nobles, at the end finally standing before him. “I hope,” the Demon King smiled to Kaoru’s father, “That his is your precious son.”

“You got it right, Lord Nanjo. This is my older son, Kaoru. The one who is betrothed to you.”

Kaoru felt a lump in his throat. He was glad he hadn’t listened to Carla and haven’t eaten anything, because at that moment he felt nausea. What a great beginning it would be, if he throw up on his fiancee feet.

The Alpha was big. Bigger than any man Kaoru knew. His shoulder were large and Omega was sure that The Demon King could kill anybody with his bare hands. For what reason he had a sword, attached to his belt, if he clearly does not need it? Moreover, he smelled like a danger. A mixed scent of sweat and sandalwood.

“You wasn’t making this up,” the Demon King said, “When you wrote me he is beautiful.”

Kaoru felt anger, boiling inside him. Does the Demon Lord think that he is deaf? He was talking with his father about him, without actually speaking directly to the Omega! Disrespectful ogre, Kaoru thought, but bit his tongue.

“Good afternoon, my dear Prince”, the Demon King finally spoke to him. “Forgive me my surprise, but you are breathtaking.”

Kaoru used his fan to cover half of his face, forcing a small smile. You were fine breathing and talking nonce just a second ago, you brainless gorilla, he thought.

“Welcome to the Sun Elvish Kingdom, my Lord.”

I hope you will die during this trip, Kaoru added in his mind.

[khaotic-kitsunes]

Suspicions

Okay this wasn’t a request per se...but rather @himawari-senpaii mentioning that they couldn’t choose between this scenario and another one (that I’ll write up later)

My dumbass was instantly like “BOTH! BOTH IS GOOD” and here we are, so now that we’ve got that over with, please enjoy this strangely sweet scenario and let me know what you think!

And yes! I finally got around to making that new Mirio logo that I needed to, so, yay!!

🥃 AO3 🥃

Cheeky Kitsune 🦊💋

.

 “My fiancé is meant to be arriving today Midoriya”

 .

 Izuku nodded slowly at Mirio’s words, practising his sword strikes diligently while the prince sat against an old tree; enjoying the shade after having just done his own training regime.

 “I know nothing about her” Mirio frowned at his own words, closing his eyes and enjoying the warm summer air against his cooling skin. He knew that the marriage was necessary, uniting the two lands was an important route on the path towards peace and marriage was the best way to achieve that goal.

 However, that didn’t mean that he had to like the idea of marrying a woman he had never met before.

 “I think the idea is for you to learn about her while she is here, my lord” Mirio nodded his head slowly at Izuku’s words, sighing out in vague defeat. He knew that Izuku was right, that was the general idea for your arrival, to get to know you and then marry you, but even then, it was likely to be a short meeting and what could he possibly learn about you when there was such a time limit on the occasion.

 “I believe that I’m meant to be guarding her for the day once she arrives, shall I find out what she’s like on your behalf?” Mirio opened his eyes at Izuku’s suggestion, staring over at the green-haired man for a moment before grinning widely; a plan beginning to form in his mind.

 “Midoriya, you’ve just given me a brilliant idea!”

 .

 ~  ~  ~

 .

 You smiled as you stepped out of the carriage that had brought you to the castle belonging to the man you were told to marry, deciding to greet your future husband with a smile instead of the displeased feelings you were burying inside of you.

 “You must be lady (Name), correct?” You gave a polite nod of your head as a young man approached you, your future husband if his clothes were anything to go by; certainly not something a butler or a guard would wear.

 “Yes, but I’m terribly sorry…my father told me your name only in passing and I’m afraid I’ve forgotten. What was it again?” He smiled at your words, shaking his head in an almost nervous manner; strange behaviour given that you were told that he had been informed about today’s events months prior.

 “I-Izuku, you can call me Izuku, your highness” You frowned at his introduction, tilting your head to the side and taking a moment to properly observe him; noting how nervous he appeared to be. Not only was he stammering and shaking a lot, but he was also sweating a concerning amount as well.  “Izuku? How peculiar…” You trailed off as he flinched back away from you, far jumpier than any prince should be; perhaps it had something to do with how off the name felt now that you were hearing it again. You were almost positive that your father had said some kind of a name beginning with the letter M, earlier and now you were finding out that his name was Izuku? It was strange.

 “Is something…the matter? Your highness?” You nodded slowly, looking around to observe a strange lack in security despite being inside the castle grounds; where you should have seen guards on patrol, there was nothing. In fact, the only people around, was yourself, the prince and a single knight that stood behind the nervous man.

 “I was under the impression that we are to be wed…do you intend to call me ‘your highness’ even when we are married?” You tilted your head to the side as you watched the now slack-jawed prince, unimpressed with the way he carried himself; you had heard rumours about the man that was due to become this land’s king and this made those rumours look like blatant lies spoken to protect a doomed kingdom.

 “Oh, no…I’m sorry, I meant to say (Name)” He apologised quickly, looking startled before settling down when his guard gave him what was supposed to be a discreet nudge; though you had caught sight of it.

 “…Don’t worry about it, it’s to be expected after all. We’ve only just met” You smiled pleasantly at him, deciding that for the moment it would be best to figure out what was going on without causing too much of a fuss. There was a chance that you were simply looking into it too much.

 “Right…oh, ah, this is my personal guard, Mirio. He would usually accompany me, but for today he’ll be guiding you around the castle” You looked over at Mirio quietly, giving a slight nod of your head in acknowledgement before stepping closer to get a better look at the oddly calm guard. The complete opposite to the prince.

 “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mirio~” You hummed out the greeting before turning your attention back towards the prince of the lands, not entirely convinced of the situation; every little thing about it seemed off. Not quite right.

 “However, I am curious…if Mirio is to be showing me around, where will you be? Your highness?” You glanced towards the jumpy prince, unsurprised when he visibly jolted simply from being addressed by you. Not at all how he should be acting towards his future wife.

 “Oh, I…I have other matters to deal with…” He trailed off before bowing in apology to you, taking your moment of silence as an opportunity to leave you alone with his guard that stood quietly, staring after the jumpy prince in what you could only assume to be shock.

 “Other matters…?” You tilted your head as you stared after him, trying to figure out if you should believe him or not before turning your attention back to the guard that you had been left alone with.

 “Well then, Mirio…would you mind terribly if I asked you to start the adventure?” You smiled as he gave a nod of his head, his attitude towards you a great improvement compared to his prince.

 “Of course, Lady (Name).”

   “Please, call me (Name). After all, it appears as though we’ll be spending the day together…”

 .

 ~  ~  ~

 .

 “And this is the palace gardens that will eventually be under your care once you become queen to this land”

 .

 You nodded slowly as you walked beside Mirio, reaching out and allowing your fingertips to brush against the wide variety of flowers that grew in abundance; the fragrant smells overwhelming your senses in the most delightful of ways.

 “Mirio, may I ask you something?” You spoke softly as the two of you approached a large pond, attracted by the beautifully blooming lilies over the calm water; a series of deep purples, bright fuchsia and innocently white colours creating a surprisingly beautiful scene for you to enjoy. It was similar to old paintings that you had seen in shows, a tranquillity that seldom showed in the gardens trending in recent years.

 “Of course, (Name). I’m here to guide you and answer any questions you might have” You smiled at his considerate reply, moving to kneel by the pond; wanting a closer look at the flowers that had caught your eye.

 It didn’t matter that the air was beginning to cool due to the late hour of the day, nor that you were going to get grass stains all over the dress you had selected for meeting your husband-to-be; it was too tempting to resist the urge to relax by such a scenic spot.

 “When were you planning on telling me the truth?” You sighed in content as a gentle breeze washed over you, enjoying the moment before turning your head to look back at the oddly quiet guard; or rather, the oddly quiet prince.

 “The truth? I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand (Name)?”

 .

 “Your replacement is a guard, isn’t he? He’s too stiff to fool me you know…perhaps you should have guided him better on how to act around your fiancé rather than a princess. Or maybe it would have been better for you to act more awkward than you have…”

 .

 You smiled at the way his shoulders slumped, apparently, he was ready to admit to the truth now that you had spelt it out for him.

 “When did you realise?” He reached up as he spoke calmly, removing the helmet that he had kept in place for the entire tour of the palace. It was hard to imagine that it had been a comfortable experience for him, but it was hard to find sympathy for self-inflicted discomfort.

 “Well, it wasn’t very well hidden from the beginning…but it was as you were showing me around actually, you were so casual with me and unphased by the fact that I’m a princess and that should anything happen to me, our kingdoms would surely go to war. A guard would be more uptight in such situations…” He nodded slowly at your words, making his way over to you and offering his hand so that you could get up; a gesture that you happily took, allowing him to help you up to your feet.

 “I apologise for deceiving you, but I wanted to know you before we married…and a simple five-minute greeting isn’t enough time for that, so I decided to take my guard’s place and get to know you” You shook your head at his apology, offering him a bright smile in return, happy that everything finally felt right; knowing the truth put you at ease and knowing that your husband would be Mirio reassured you in ways you couldn’t quite describe.

 “Please don’t be, because of your decision I was able to spend the day with my future husband…I was so concerned that I would end up with someone that I couldn’t stand! But we’ve spent hours together and it feels like nothing more than a few minutes” You giggled at his surprised expression, happiness filling you when a smile tugged at his lips; lighting up his handsome features, making his eyes shine a certain kind of way.

 “In that case, would you object to spending a few more minutes with me? I’m sure I can arrange for us to eat out here by the pond if you’d like? You seemed to enjoy the lilies that my mother grew” You found yourself nodding eagerly in response to his question, allowing your attention to be stolen once more by the beautiful scenery; admiring the way the setting sun’s light danced over the water’s surface.

 .

 “I would like that a great deal Mirio…thank you.”

[heynikkiyousofine]

I managed to get two chapters edited tonight, so here is Chapter 4. Things are heating for Kagome and she begins to discover who she really is. Meanwhile, the Northern Kingdom is making plans.

I want to thank y’all again for your love and support! 

@keichanz @neutronstarchild

Inuyasha sighed as he set his feet to the carpeted floor. The dreams were becoming more and more intense, as if the blue eyed woman was in danger, wherever she was at. It made for an uneasy night, filled with tossing and turning. His inner demon clawing at him to protect her. The problem was he didn’t know where she was at and he couldn’t just go run off and look, especially now that Naraku was increasing his violence at their borders.

Rubbing his face in frustration, he strolled into his bathing chambers and grabbed the wash rag, as he felt a large aura approach from the west. Sesshomaru must be arriving soon, the asshole always liked to make an entrance. Knowing his father would want all of them together for breakfast, he hurried to get changed into something more appropriate. Grabbing a red button down tunic, he was just leaving his bedroom, when he bumped into Miroku in the hall.

“Monk.” Inuyasha nodded his direction.

“Good morning, friend. You’re up earlier than usual.” Miroku greeted him cheerfully.

“Couldn’t sleep well, besides the asshole is arriving soon. You know how Father is about family time.” 

Laughing, Miroku only nodded as they strolled down the hall towards the dining area. Sango, Izayoi and Ayame were already seated at the table, talking amongst each other, as Toga and Koga stood near the opposite doorway. Giving everyone a short hello, Inuyasha sat in his usual spot, to the left of his mother and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

“Dear, did you not sleep well?” Izayoi asked, a concerned look crossing her features.

“Nah, weird dreams, tossed and turned a lot.”

“If you don’t feel up to it today, maybe you should stay home and relax today. I’m sure with your brother arriving soon, we will discussing upcoming events in the meeting room anyways.”

Nodding again, he turned towards his plate. Peaches were always his favorite, the sweetness of the spring along with the beginning season. Grabbing one from the clay bowl in front of him, he heard foot steps approaching from the hallway.

“Sesshomaru! You made it!” Toga boomed, causing Inuyasha to wince, his ears flattening just a little bit, his head still pounding. 

“Yes, Father. Your letter was urgent, Kagura and Rin, come say hello.” Sesshomaru gestured to the group behind him, Rin squealing in her bright orange dress, as she ran to give her grandfather a hug. Laughing at the sweet sight, a very pregnant Kagura waddled into the dining area as gracefully as a seven month pregnant woman could. “Are those peaches?” She mused, giving Inuyasha a mischievous wink.

Chucking at her antics, he tossed his favorite sister-in-law a ripe peach before taking a bite of his own. Nodding a hello at his brother, Inuyasha watched as Sesshomaru carefully helped his wife into the seat before taking his own. A smiling Rin, being carried by Toga on his shoulders, came to sit at the front of the table.

“Father, she must be able to sit at a table normally, she is too big for your shoulders now.” Sesshomaru said, disapprovingly.

Grabbing the child, Toga sighed and rolled his eyes at his oldest. He always has had a stick up his ass. Setting the giggling girl next to Inuaysha, who gave her his half eaten peach and winked at her, just as her own mother did to him. Watching the scene unfold before her, Izayoi smiled at her family, before announcing everyone to dig in. 

Breakfast was the normal affair, only one slap this time from Sango to an embarrassed Miroku. Kagura and Ayame chatted about babies, while Inuaysha, Koga and Sesshomaru glared at each other most the time. Sighing to himself, Toga beckoned the house nanny to take Rin to the gardens to play. As the child said her goodbyes to everyone, Toga decided it was time to get to business. In the meeting room, a long wooden table sat, surrounded by chairs. It was when everyone took their seats, they began.

“Naraku is spanning an attack soon.” Toga stated, concern in voice. “He was seen in our borders just two days ago. It is time to force our hand.”

“Are you sure?” A too quiet Kagura asked, absentmindedly rubbing her belly. Sesshomaru covered her hand with his own, before turning towards the King, “If you are certain, we need to protect the borders. There are innocent people, many refugees from the fall of the Eastern Kingdom.”

Surprised by his care towards his subjects, Inuyasha stood to walk over to map hanging along the wall. Hung between bookshelves that wrapped the room, he took a red pin and marked the wildflower meadow, his heart giving a painful thump as he knew it was the same area as he saw the unknown woman. “It was here, that I smelt his men, graveyard and death. The forest burned around the area Miroku, Sango and I were camped at.”

“It was maybe half a mile from the eastern border.” Sango agreed, coming next to stand to Inuyasha, pointing at the border line on the map. “That is a long way from the castle that Naraku resides in at the moment, so they must either be looking for something or taking hostages. We know of the horse hanyou in that area, with the village, but didn’t have time to look closer or check on him.”

Nodding his head, “We know that when he killed the king and queen, he was absorbing their powers. I sent a scout out along with the page boy to scout the area of the fire. He came back with news of a fox family burned to death.”

Gasps filled the silent room, Koga standing angrily, fists clenching, “So, now he’s after demons too? What is it he is looking for exactly?” 

“I don’t think it’s a something, it’s a someone.” Izayoi added quietly.

Eyes turned abruptly toward, waiting for an explanation. Toga sighed, before gesturing everyone to sit again. If his wife’s suspicions were correct, and she was hardly ever wrong, it was her, he was going come after. “Everyone remembers what happened that night, over twenty years ago, correct?” Seeing their nods, meeting Inuaysha’s gaze, “We have reason to believe he is after the lost princess. It was rumored that she would grow the be extremely powerful, she also was to be the one to bring peace again across the kingdoms, uniting us in more ways than one. No one ever found any clue that she survived or died that night and I believe Naraku is searching for her. He is trying to claim as much power as he can until he does find her, so he can destroy her as well.”

Murmuring to themselves, Miroku stood, “If she is still alive, she wouldn’t be much younger than Prince Inuaysha and I now. How has she been able to keep herself hidden all this time? Fairy powers are set to grow as the person gets older, their wings growing in time with powers. She must have some type of concealment charm, making it that much harder to find her.”

“I agree Miroku,” Toga stated, “That is why I haven’t been able to locate her. To be honest, the last time we saw her, she was a babe, I don’t know what she would look like with or without a concealment. The only way to find her would be other mythical creatures to identify her. Most have been hiding in the forest for safety. They don’t really talk to anyone, or venture out to the villages.”

“She would still have blue eyes.” A quiet rumble came from across the room, where Inuaysha had remained seated. Raising his eyes quickly, he caught his father’s smirk and blushed a little. 

“Either way, whether Naraku is after her or not, we still need some kind of plan for when he does cross our borders again.” Koga spoke, still angry about the fox family. His wolves could be next.

“I agree. What did you have in mind Father?” Sesshomaru asked, looking to his father.

“Here’s the plan….” Toga smirked widely, everyone coming closer to see what he had in mind.

Izayoi sighed, knowing her husband’s wild antics were only the just beginning.

Kagome and Shippo were just beginning their walk through the forest that day, having felt better this morning about traveling so much in such a short time. As they walked, she kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, occasionally seeing other creatures flitter about. A while ago, she saw two unicorn, white and pure, with long, beautiful manes, grazing about near a stream. She watched as small butterflies flittered through the air near a few patches of wildflowers, reminding her of home.

At one point, she could’ve swore she saw a pointed green hat, hiding in a bush along the worn pathway. Smiling to herself, she tuned in to listen to whatever story Shippo was wilding telling her, walking a few spaces ahead. Unknown to her, a man with a chilling smile, followed closely behind.

“And theeeennnn, this old man, who looked like a ghost, but also a monkey, rose outta a pickle barrel, thanking the group for saving him! He was the monkey god! His followers, the three monkey sprites, were so embarrassed about leaving the sacred rock in the forest, while they scoured for nuts and….” Shippo waved his hands about, when a snap of branches caused them to stop abruptly.

Grabbing Shippo and putting him on her right shoulder, Kagome turned around just in time to see a small tan pouch fly through the air, heading straight at them. As soon as it landed, a foot or so in front of her, smoke began to bellow out about, making Kagome’s eye water instantly. “Shippo, run!” She screamed loudly. 

Scurrying up a tree as fast as his little paws could, Shippo watched as Kagome fell to her knees, eyes shut tight, as her head hit the grassy path below. Unsure of what to do, Shippo backed into the tree branches, hiding from sight. Looking to his right, he saw the two unicorn they had seen previously, watching from afar. A small flittering creature stood on the female’s head. Looking back down to Kagome, he watched as a short, fat man with a covering across his face, lift her lifeless body over his shoulders and began to take back here they direction they came from. Jumping from the branch, Shippo took off towards the direction of the stream, tears beginning to fall down his face.

Kagome wasn’t sure what was going on. She couldn’t move her body. She was aware of everything around her, but couldn’t speak or try to run away from this man. I refuse to be taken she thought angrily, her temper rising. 

“You cannot escape Mukotsu’s potion.” The man spoke gleefully. “I will make you my bride this very evening.” A small abandoned hut came into her sight and he carried her inside, bolting the door behind him.

So his name is Mukotsu, similar to Bankotsu. I wonder if he is with Naraku’s men. Wait, did he say bride?! No way, that’s disgusting! Kagome began to seethe, slowly moving her fingers trying to get some type of motion. The man, Mukotsu, set her on her stomach and laid a white, almost yellowed, veil upon her head. He turned and dug through his bag, not catching Kagome struggle to move her hands.

“You are very beautiful, your eyes are a color I have never seen before. Bankotsu didn’t tell me you were this pretty, and a virgin, no doubt. I think I will keep you to myself for a few days before taking you to Naraku.” Mukotsu began to laugh, grabbing a candle to light. “But first, we shall perform the wedding ceremony, then I will take you. Do not worry,” He said, grabbing her chin, noticing the fear in her eyes, “I will be gentle. I am not my brother. You will be happy with me.”

What is up with these men and their long monologues and trying to own me? Kagome thought dryly, squeezing her fists, getting the feeling back in her hands. As Mukotsu busied himself with whatever it was he was doing, Kagome shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Kaede’s words came across her mind, “Close your eyes. Breath in and out. I want you to look into your heart and feel the tug on your soul, one that reaches down within you. That is your power.” As she began to tug on the pull, she could feel her skin growing hotter, like an internal flame expanding around her.

Opening her eyes, she saw the man move back with wide eyes and a glowing, pink vibrant barrier surrounding her. Smiling to herself, she laid there, making her barrier as strong as she could, watching the now silent man, as hoof steps came barreling toward the hut.  The man, now terrified, cowered in the corner as Shippo burst though the door, riding atop a female unicorn, with what looked like a tiny woman with wings flying next to him. 

No one said a word as another unicorn, slightly bigger than the female, trotted up behind the three and lowered his horn towards Mukotsu. “How can this be? You aren’t supposed to be able to break through my poison barrier?” Before he could finish answering his own question, the large golden horn stuck through Mukotsu’s gut, drawing the life from his body. Kagome watched with wide eyes, but wasn’t frightened. These animals were good souls and had just saved her. The male withdrew his horn, picked up the now dead man by his collar and drug the lifeless body outside. Where, she couldn’t say, but she never saw the man again.

“‘Gome! Are you okay?” Shippo asked, jumping off his unicorn’s back, walking slowly toward Kagome’s barrier.

“Child, you can let your it down, it is okay. We will not harm you.” A soft, gentle voice came from above her. The little winged woman was flying right near her head, outside the barrier. Closing her eyes again, Kagome wasn’t sure exactly how to let the barrier down, hell, she wasn’t sure exactly how she did it in the first place. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the barrier inside of her, exhaling loudly, as Shippo rushed to hug her.  As more feeling in her neck returned, she turned her head into Shippo’s body and smiled.

“Young one, she’s been poisoned,” the tiny woman told Shippo, “We need to get some water. Althea here has healing powers in her tears. Argus will take you the stream, hurry back.” The flying woman instructed and he crawled atop the male unicorn and hung on tight, one hand carrying a bottle.

Althea, she guessed, lowered her body near Kagome, and began to sniffle around her ears, making Kagome giggle to herself. The woman set herself down on the floor in sight of Kagome’s vision and began to speak, “You are her, the lost one. We watched you as you began your journey this morning, following you along the way to make sure you were safe. Do not worry my child, whenever your friend returns, we will help you drink the healing tears to rid your body the rest of the poison. You can already begin to move, can’t you?”

Nodding, the little woman laughed, clapping her hands together, “You have marvelous healing powers inside of you, so his poison wouldn’t have lasted long anyways, but you were still strong enough for a barrier. You are more powerful than you realize.”

“Shippo….doesn’t…..know.” Kagome managed to ground out, her voice hoarse.

“Shhh child, we figured. We only allowed him to see us, once we realized you were in danger. You were very brave to send him away when you did. He only knows of us, but we will see to it he promises to keep our secret. You can see that he has a good soul.”

Kagome nodded, swallowing as best she could, as Shippo and Argus? she thought, came back into the hut. Shippo rushed over with the bottle and the little woman instructed him to hold the bottle near Althea’s eye. Three tears fell into the bottle, and Shippo helped lift it to Kagome’s lips to help her drink. Within seconds, Kagome smiled, She felt so much better already and could stretch! Slowly sitting up, she looked at Althea and nodded her thanks. In return, Althea, laid her head in Kagome’s lap. “What’s your name?” Kagome asked the little woman.

“Calliope. You must be Kagome Aureila.” Her voice becoming more excited.

Laughing softly, “I think you’re the first person to say my middle name so excitedly.”

“It is a beautiful name, your Mother Kaede knew of your beauty. It means golden one, which I feel is befitting for you.”

Blushing a little bit, Kagome played with Althea’s mane, as Shippo sat quietly beside her. Argus stood at the doorway, facing out, as if watching the area around him. “Are you a fairy?” Shippo asked, almost silently, his eyes betraying his awe.

“Yes, young one.” Calliope laughed, almost like bells. “We allowed you to see us to help your friend here. She is special.”

“She is! She’s my friend. My name is Shippo!” He told her excitedly.

Laughing together, Kagome turned towards Calliope. “We must be going soon, we need to get to the castle, but I am so incredibly thankful you saved me. That man, he was one of Naraku’s men. I didn’t know he was following me.” She admitted sheepishly.

“Kagome, just like the gnomes told us, we are here to protect you and help you. If you should ever need, call on us. You need some rest, today has been an eventful day for all of us. It is near sundown already. We will stay with you until you set out again tomorrow.”

Smiling at her, Kagome grabbed her knapsack, knowing Shippo probably grabbed it earlier, and began to get ready for the nightfall. Sometime later, as they lay on the worn out futon, Kagome held Shippo tight against her, gazing into the eyes of Althea, before shutting them completely, falling into a deep sleep.

“It is her.” Calliope whispered, stroking Argus’ ear at the doorway. “I just hope she knows what awaits her. We must help her in every way we can dear Argus. Tomorrow, I will tell my mother of her, how she hides and where she will go. Let us hope King Toga can protect her too, though I think after today, Kagome is beginning to recognize her own. She will be a great leader.”

Leaning his head toward her tiny hands, Argus snuffled in agreement. He remembered the fallen king and queen, how they were always so gentle with his kind. He would protect this new one at all costs.

[theatresweetheart]

Of Stars and Royal Gardens

Summary: When the king of the Eastern Kingdom falls ill suddenly, the wedding that was supposed to unite the Eastern and Northern Kingdoms via the princes suddenly gets moved immediately. 

Warnings: Talk of sickness, arranged marriages, anxious thoughts, feelings of worthlessness, mentioned death due to childbirth. 

Pairings: Romantic Prinxiety, Familial Analogical, Platonic Logince.

Characters: Roman, Virgil, Logan, Emile, Remy, Deceit (not mentioned by name), Patton (mentioned in passing/flashback.)

Word Count: 6647 words.

A/n: I absolutely love writing fantasy and royalty. (Not to mention how putting the two together makes me swoon.) I’ve had this idea in my head for awhile and I wanted to flesh it out as best as I could, and I’m actually pretty happy with the outcome! I’ve been trying not to rush through scenes and actually write them and feel them out. Enjoy! I have moved the taglist to the bottom of the fic, this is how it will be from here on.

                                           ——————————

One could only handle travelling in a carriage for so long before they started to go mad.

Emerald green hills outside the window rose and fell like unceasing waves. The sky was once again fading into a dark red. Purple, dark blue and black began smearing the edges of the world and doused it in a warm pinkish hue. The skyline was breathtakingly stunning, he would admit that but he was more than ready to get out of this carriage and stretch his legs again.

The prince let his head rest against the cool glass, a gentle sigh escaping him as his eyes lazily traced the ups and downs of the landscape outside.

When rolling hills slowly turned into flatter farmlands, Virgil’s dwindling hope of never getting out of this carriage faded. It changed to something more tentative.

The Kingdom they were visiting was closer now, even as darkness fell over the lands and gave the waking world a clear view of the stars shining brightly above them. Looking like crushed diamonds smattered against a black canvas sky, twinkling without a care in the world and unknowingly giving the prince something far more relaxing to look at.

There were small cottages that dotted the farmland, their lanterns like fireflies. Some people were still out in their rows upon rows of crops, their lantern bobbing and swaying to their gait.

Seemed like being escorted to your future spouse had a few pros. The night sky and stunning scenery was it so far.

It was also a rather large relief when he realized that this tantalizing journey would be over soon. Travelling for three days in a confined space with his father could be painful. However, the idea that they were almost there also brought the fact that his wedding was just a day away now.

It set an uneasy feeling in his chest and his breath came a little more laboured. Not enough to be noticed by an outsider, but just enough to be uncomfortable for the prince himself.

“How are you faring?”‌ His father’s voice cut into his thoughts and Virgil turned to see sharp blue eyes meeting his own.

Virgil had a few options; he could lie and say that he was perfectly fine. Of course, that would not be taken at face value in the least. He had already told his father just how unhappy he was about this marriage, not to mention how unready he felt about the whole ordeal. Nor the fact that he didn’t even know the man he was being wedded to.

He knew his betrothed’s name.

That was literally it.

“It might be love at first sight, Your Highness,” a friend of his had said, the tailor stitching up the last seam on the prince’s outfit, pulling it taut enough that it showed his assets modestly. “And besides, he might not be as awful as you think he is. I’ve heard only good things about the prince of the Eastern Kingdom.”

Virgil had shaken his head, a fond look on his face. “Patton, please, enough with the formalities, we’re alone. You don’t have to call me “You’re Highness” or “My Prince” or whatever, it’s kinda weird. Besides, we’ve known each other since we were kids.”

“That was before I‌ was the royal tailor,” Patton had said, grabbing a pair of scissors to his left before snipping the dark purple thread. Pointedly ignoring Virgil’s unimpressed looks. “But my point still stands. You never know what could come of this. You two could end up happy in your marriage! A happily ever after and all that.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.”

Virgil didn’t have much hope that he would end up falling for his soon-to-be-husband. He was going to be a king and that was shaking him to the core.

It was odd, being betrothed to a man he had never met. Nor did he know what he looked like. What if he wasn’t even all that attractive? Virgil didn’t like basing his interest on another’s looks, but it was hard not to.

Could he truly live the rest of his life content if he was married to a man he wasn’t physically attracted to?

Patton had always told him that finding someone handsome was part of the attraction. It was one of those whispered talks they had at night, after sneaking out of the castle and going to their secret spot up by the waterfall near the edge of the kingdom. They would sit there under the stars together, talking about their future.

Patton had always dreamed of a fairy tale ending. Meeting a handsome stranger and being swept off of his feet. The cliche of the white knight swooping in on a horse.

Virgil had been the opposite, not caring much for the romance of life. Much more content to live his life on his own, reading or painting. As the crowned prince however, he didn’t have much time for his own little personal activities and was more often than not found in self defense classes, or reading something necessary to understand how to take over and run the kingdom after his father passed the crown on.

Virgil’s father had never been too thrilled with the idea of him sneaking out at night once he figured it out, but the king had also never forbade it nor stopped him when he had been caught one night. Logan had always told him to be safe and to be back before morning.

It wasn’t that Virgil didn’t respect this father, he did! But this was a decision that he wished hadn’t been set in stone. A decision that could have been swayed for at least a few years further into the future.

Though, when the Eastern Kingdom’s king fell ill, there was a messenger sent to their kingdom.

A letter had been delivered that spoke to joining forces by having their sons marry and conjoin the kingdom. Giving his son, Prince Roman, someone to rule beside and keep in check. Pleading with them to rearrange the timing of the marriage and to come to the Eastern Kingdom as soon as humanly possible.

And Virgil, being Logan’s only heir, had had no choice in the matter. He still remembered the chat as though it was yesterday, and he could still the same emotions twitching under his fingertips. Itching at his throat.

“You must understand that uniting the kingdoms was always the plan, Virgil. Though, the marriage was not supposed to happen until you and his son were older.”

“I get that, but this isn’t fair. That I‌ get no choice in what happens to my life!”

“I will not tolerate this childish behaviour, this is for the better of your kingdom and your people.”

“I just want to make my own choices, is that a sin?”

“You will be able to make your own choices after you’re joined in marriage.”

Logan had told him from a very young age that he had been betrothed to the crowned prince of the Eastern Kingdom, but as a child Virgil hadn’t understood the weight of those words.

Now that it was happening, it was the only thing he could focus on.

The horses continued their trot along the stone path, unknowingly carrying the prince to what was soon to be his demise. Ruling a kingdom with a man he didn’t know was stressful enough in theory, but to actually have to put that into action? He was surely going to either lose his mind or his dignity. If he was lucky, perhaps both.

Virgil mumbled something incoherent. It made him feel just the slightest bit better to know that his father hadn’t caught what he’d said. “I could be better,” he said louder, turning his attention to stare achingly out the window again.

Logan let out a terse sigh. “I‌ understand that you are upset with this,” he said after a moment, and Virgil turned his head just enough to show that he was, indeed, actively listening. “But this is for the better of our people. The wedding was not supposed to be this soon, and I apologize that it came so suddenly.”

Virgil shrugged his shoulders. “It is what is is.”

There was a tense silence between the two royals and Logan soon realized he wouldn’t be getting anywhere with Virgil. So, he instead settled on a different topic of importance.

“I did meet Prince Roman once,” he said while rummaging through the bag to his side, before pulling out his book and flipping it open. If he said it nonchalantly, Virgil would be more intent to listen. It was a quirk of his son’s that Logan had picked up on very quickly. He fingered through the pages idly. “He was only seven, merely a child, mind you, but he was kind and respectful. A bit exuberant, but well meaning.”

Virgil snorted. “Why are you telling me this now?‌ I’m about to meet the guy.”

“True,” Logan replied, pushing his glasses up so they sat further up on the bridge of his nose. “Though, there is no harm in knowing. It will be easier to prepare yourself if you’re armed with knowledge.”

“Yeah, yeah, knowledge is power and all that.”

“You mock now, Virgil, but in time you will understand that yes, knowledge truly is power,” the king looked up briefly, meeting the prince’s eyes for half a second before Virgil quickly glanced away again. “Ruling a kingdom is not something you just do. It’s something that will take years of learning. And you will make mistakes, as all kings do. Especially young ones.”

Virgil scrunched his nose, pushing off of the window and crossing his arms. Staring pointedly down at the floor of the carriage. “If you’re trying to be reassuring, it’s not working.”

“I’m not trying to be reassuring,” Logan said, turning his attention back down to the book in his lap, “I’m trying to tell you that things will go wrong in your reign and you mustn’t panic. If you do, do not let your people see it. They will see it as a sign of weakness.”

Virgil’s nails tightened in his sleeves, and he worried his lower lip.

“Though, have peace. You will not be doing this alone.”

“Yeah, because ruling a kingdom that is not mine with a total stranger is better.”

“It is very possible that you two will get along.”

Logan did understand the frustration of being married to someone he didn’t know. That’s how he, himself, had been wedded to Virgil’s late mother, Evangeline, and how they had given Logan an heir.

Virgil’s mother had unfortunately died in childbirth.

The queen had been beloved, but both her and Logan had shared something that the rest of the kingdom needn’t know. They had both been attracted to men and women respectfully. They had done what was necessary, but neither had truly felt attracted to one another.

Evangeline and himself had been close friends, but never anything more.

Virgil rolled his eyes and sunk further down into the leather seats, when he suddenly felt the change between gravel roads to paved stone.

His eyes were drawn outside instantly. His heart both fluttered and sunk. He was granted with the view of huge stone walls rising high above the carriage, guarded with knights and archers. Torches lit up the wooden gate as it was lifted. The carriage rode through it with hardly a qualm, the crest on the side of it recognized. Not to mention the thing had golden crested accents and looked as if it would carry important people.

The city streets were lined with people, all standing in large chattering groups. Pointing, smiling, cheering. It made Virgil pull slightly away from the window. The shops were all still open and lights glittered and shone. Lanterns, lamps, torches.

Virgil nearly jumped when he felt a hand on his knee and he turned his attention back to his father, who was looking at him with a soft gaze. “You will be alright,” he told him, an affirming tone behind his voice, “you are more than capable of doing this.”

That set something in Virgil’s chest. Hard, immovable and a lump formed in his throat. He tried to swallow it down, but it stayed stuck where it was.

Oh god, I‌ hope you’re right.

They didn’t say anything to each other for the rest of the trip up to the castle gates. Which were coated in gold and silver. Two armed knights stood outside the gates, their swords by their sides. There was some muffled talking between the coachman and the guard on the other side of the carriage. Then there was a shouted command and the huge gate doors began to open.

Peering out the window only gave him so much of a glance at the glory that awaited inside. The courtyard was filled with life. Trees and plants and flowerbeds, lanterns hung and lights from inside the castle glittered like starlight. There were ponds filled with crystal clear water and the carriage circled around a stunning white marble fountain.

Virgil was positive that the moment he found out where the royal garden was, that was where he was going to spend a bit of his night. He needed to unwind and spend some time with just himself and the night sky and the stars hanging so far above them.

The carriage finally stopped moving after what had seemed like ages and the coachman was hopping down from his perch. Before anything happened, Logan picked up his crown and settled it comfortably once more, checking himself once, making sure his appearance was more than presentable. He sent a pointed glance toward the prince.

Virgil sighed, but knowing that it was better to make a good first impression, he reached into his crown box and pulled his own out. His thumb ran over the ruby that sat in the stock middle before turning it around in his hands and putting it on.

Logan had stood up, hearing the coachman preparing to open the door and he quickly bent down to fix Virgil’s crown so it sat straight on his brow, before adjusting the clasps that connected his cape to his jacket. It seemed he was satisfied with that and just in time. The coachman opened the door and Logan led out, Virgil was quick to follow, making sure not to step on his father’s cape.

It was a brief thought and he had to bite his lip to keep the smirk from spreading.

“Your majesties,” a man dressed in a crisp suit came down the large flight of perfect stairs, his arms open and a smile on his features. “The Eastern Kingdom greets you with the humblest of welcomes.”

“It’s our pleasure,”‌ his father said to the side of him and Virgil straightened his shoulders, matching Logan’s perfect posture.

It was all for the public eye.

Such was the life of royalty.

Always watched by their people, almost as if they were waiting for their leaders to mess up and find a reason to revolt against them. Though, Virgil knew his father was well liked by much of the kingdom, there was always the worry of something happening, no matter how wonderful the ruler.

“Prince Virgil, your betrothed eagerly awaits you,” the man said, turning to Virgil with that same bright charismatic grin. It almost set something uneasier in his chest, though he let it pass for the moment. “Come, follow me.”

Virgil clenched his hands, attempting to still the nervous shaking and letting his father lead once more. He was quick to keep pace though. Up the marble stairs and leading through the winding hallways. He would have to memorize this new layout as it was almost completely different from their own castle. There were red tapestries on the walls, decorated with gold and silver, shining in the lamp light and the moonlight seeping in through the large windows.

They dipped around a few corners before the two large mahogany doors were being swung open and a brightly lit ballroom was revealed. There were tables, chairs and benches set up to the side. The room was staggeringly big. A huge glittering crystal chandelier hung above their heads and he was admittedly taken by it. Everything about this kingdom just seemed to be breathtakingly gorgeous.

His attention shifted as soon as he heard the same man’s voice from before beginning to introduce his father and himself.

“Your Majesty, Your Highness, I introduce to you King Logan and Prince Virgil of the Northern Kingdom.”

Virgil’s attention shifted toward the head of the room, seeing two thrones sitting dauntingly large compared to their occupants. In the middle throne, he saw a sickly looking man. Pale skin, dulling brown eyes behind glasses sitting perched on his thin nose, but his shoulders back and his head up as far as it could go. The king, Virgil had no doubt about that. He knew he had fallen ill, but to see the king in this state yet trying to hold his head high?‌ Well, he gave the man even more respect.

Then, sitting to the king’s right was the crowned prince. His husband-to-be.

Virgil’s heart jumped right into his throat, upon seeing chocolate brown eyes meeting his own. They were soft, full of warmth. He felt short of breath, watching as the candlelight glinted off the crown perched delicately upon styled brown hair, tucked behind his ears. All worries about being attracted to his betrothed immediately disappeared.

Prince Roman Amir was certainly something to look at. And he made Virgil’s poor heart flutter.

However, he retained a neutral stance as Roman was granted permission from his father to step forward. Virgil heard Logan clear his throat quietly, a pointed nudge without truly touching the prince.

Taking the hint, he stepped forward, heart hammering in his chest with every step he took closer to his betrothed. The closer they got, the more details he could see on him, not to mention just how much taller Roman was than himself. He carried himself with true pride and confidence and Virgil was just faking it.

The two met in the middle of the ballroom, meeting each other’s eyes for the first time up close and Virgil found himself watching Roman’s eyes. The gentle hazels seeming to flicker over his person. A part of him felt self conscious, but the other part of him just was so mesmerized by the golden brown swirls in the prince’s eyes.

Roman dipped into a respectful bow, dropping his gaze. “Prince Roman, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Virgil quickly mimicked the same action, knowing it was required of him. “Prince Virgil, the pleasure’s mine.”

Standing straight up, Virgil tucked his hands behind his back and he felt Logan come up behind him, laying a reassuring hand on his lower back before continuing his way past the two princes. The king on the throne rose to his feet, struggling slightly as he reached for his cane and hefted himself up.

Roman turned on his heel, after sending Virgil a gentle look before returning to his father’s side. “Father,” he chided, hooking a hand under the king’s arm and helping him stand further. “You know what the healer said, stay seated unless absolutely necessary.”

“Yes, yes, I‌ know,” the king smiled, patting Roman’s hand to show that he appreciated the sentiment. His smile grew wider upon seeing Logan closer to him, greeting him with a look that almost said it all. “Logan Sanders.”

“Emile Amir,” Logan greeted back, a smile that one could only spot if they knew what they were looking for appeared. “It has been a long time, my friend.”

“I‌ do believe the last time you were here, Roman couldn’t have been older than seven,” King Emile reached out a hand and Logan took it, the both sharing a grasp that said they were old friends. “How have these years been treating you?”

Logan chuckled. His laugh was rumbling, like a comforting thunderstorm. Virgil could remember falling asleep to that sound, or finding comfort in it when he would get spooked as a child and run to his father for protection. “As they say, it could be going worse.”

Emile laughed at that, though it quickly turned into a round of coughs. Roman’s features dropped slightly, though it was gone within a flash and was replaced with a look that was more concerned than sad.

Virgil stepped closer to the throne and Emile turned to face him, that soft smile returning after recovering from his fit. “And, if my eyes don’t deceive me. Virgil, the last time I‌ saw you, you were just a babe. Now look at you, a dashing young man.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” he dipped his head into a respectful nod. He could feel Roman’s eyes on him, but he didn’t acknowledge it. Or, tried not to.

“Now,”‌ Emile said, his smile dropped slightly, turning into something a bit more serious as he eased himself back down into his throne. “I‌ know this situation is not exactly ideal.”‌ The king did not hide his glances toward his son and Virgil in turn, obviously talking about the wedding being moved so much sooner than originally planned. “But I appreciate your cooperation and valiance more than anything, Virgil. It is truly remarkable.”

Virgil offered a tight smile, though it was not unkind.

“We have done everything in our power to make sure that this transition is comfortable and painless,” the king continued. “As you know, tomorrow is the wedding and the coronation to follow the day after. I‌ will do everything to make sure that both days go flawlessly to ease the stress of the both of you.”

“Father, you mustn’t worry yourself so much,” Roman told him, taking Emile’s hand and holding it tightly. “I’m sure Prince Virgil and I‌ will be alright. And so what if some hiccups occur? No matter what, it will be fine. We will be fine.”

Emile smiled at his son, patting his hand in turn. “You will be a good king, Roman. Now, enough of such dreary talk. Come, you two must be exhausted. I‌ will have Remy show you both to your quarters.”

Seemingly at the mention of his name, a man with slick black hair appeared in the grand doorway, dressed in a sleek black jacket and dress pants, hands tucked behind his back.

“Ah, what impeccable timing. Remy, please escort our guests to their quarters.”

“Actually, Emile, if you wouldn’t mind,” Logan stepped in, “I‌ would like to spend a little while catching up with you before I turn in for the night.”

“Oh.” Emile’s entire demeanor seemed to change at that. It brightened somehow, more than before. “Why of course I‌ wouldn’t mind. Let us talk in the library. I‌ know how much you loved it when we were younger.”

“I‌ can assure you that that aspect of me has not changed.” Logan stepped forward, offering his arm as Emile reached for his cane.

Emile accepted Logan’s offered assistance and lifted himself up, leaning most of his weight on his cane. “Roman, you are released for the night. Get some rest, the both of you.” It was obvious Emile was talking to both Roman and Virgil. “It is a big day for you and you will want to be well rested.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Of course, father.”

Logan shared a look with Virgil, both saying something entirely silently but communicating it perfectly. His father wished him the best, since they might not see each other until just before the ceremony.

Virgil excused himself and turned to follow Remy out of the ballroom, the taller man taking swift steps. They walked in silence for a couple minutes, but he could tell Remy was glancing at him from time to time. Virgil instead let his attention linger on the walls and the stained glass windows high above them, trying to memorize the path as best as possible. The sooner he knew these halls, the better. That way he wouldn’t have to rely on someone else for assistance in his own castle.

However, he supposed soon enough that the bedchamber he was in now would no longer be his own. As a married pair, the princes—or perhaps kings would be the proper term? No, until after the coronation, don’t get ahead of yourself—would be sharing a bed.

The thought was staggering and he took in a shaky breath.

Virgil had never had to share a bed with anyone before. At least, no one that was supposed to be his romantic interest. He had shared a bed with his father when he was a child, after having a particularly bad dream maybe. But nothing of this magnitude.

“So,” Remy finally said, turning another corner and leading Virgil down yet another well lit hallway that looked exactly like the others, save this carpet had turned from a royal crimson to a darker red. “You’re the bride-to-be.”

Virgil laughed unexpectedly. He couldn’t help it. Of the first words he had thought Remy would say to him, that was very much not it. “I‌’m sorry, that was unprofessional.”

Remy had a smirk on his face, knowing he had gotten the nervous royal to crack that anxious facade to reveal something more childish and human-like. He was pleased with himself, that much Virgil could tell. “No reason to be apologetic babes, getting a laugh like that makes you seem more human.”

Virgil snorted, bringing his arms up to wrap around himself instead of staying tucked behind his back, it was a more natural position for him and he felt more comfortable this way. At least he felt more protected.

They stopped walking after they reached a large set of dark oak doors. “This here is your bedchamber for the night,” the adviser said, pushing the door open.

Virgil was welcomed with the sight of a lavish four poster bed. The room was decorated, but dimly lit. It was comfortable and felt rather homey. It was something that he had seen in his own castle, yet it felt so different. Virgil felt somewhat homesick looking at it. The tapestries on the walls depicting waterfalls and battlefields, flowerbeds on some and a mix of a crown and a sword.

Remy turned to leave once Virgil stepped inside, but the prince was quick to stop him. “Is it possible to know where the royal garden is, and how to actually get there?”

Remy turned on his heel, looking the prince up and down before tucking his hands into the front pockets of his black jacket. “Head a little further down this hallway and take the first door on your right. It’ll lead you to the outside balcony with a set of stairs that leads into the garden,” he then swiveled back around and moved to leave before pausing again, “but, gurl, you didn’t hear that from me.”

The adviser left with a wink and shut the doors. Virgil let out a half laugh, almost unbelieving of what had happened.

He then turned to face the rest of the room, noticing a large window and a comfortable seat just underneath it. To the other side of the bed, there was a large bookshelf with countless books of all colours.

Virgil un-clipped the cape from his shoulders before folding it and placing it on the chest just in front of the bed. He removed the jacket and vest underneath as well, setting those away in a neat pile and leaving him in just his white button up shirt. He rolled the sleeves up and let out a breath.

Passing the mirror on the boudoir he realized his crown was still there. He’d been wearing it so long he had forgotten it was even there.

Virgil reached up and lifted it off, taking a single glance at it before setting it down onto the dresser. He didn’t need to be so formal if his only company for the rest of the night was himself.

Glancing through the books on the shelf, Virgil came across one about myths and mythical creatures. As a child, his father would read him books like this. However, that shifted soon enough and Logan began to read him non-fiction books, scrolls about how to rule a kingdom, how to be a proper prince. It was a leisure to read something that didn’t focus too much in the real world.

Taking the book off the shelf, he fingered through a few of the opening pages before deeming it worthy enough of a late night read.‌ At least to hold his attention until everyone went to bed so he could take his time to wander through the royal garden without the fear of being caught or seen. Or interrupted.

He grabbed the candle sitting on the dresser before bringing it over to the window seat and settling it down on the ledge. He propped the window open just enough to taste the fresh night air outside, but not enough to let it snuff the candle. He pulled his legs up onto the cushion and leaned his back against the wall, propping the book up on his knees.

Out of this entire situation, this had to be the most peaceful and relaxed he had felt after this whole endeavor had begun.

Even with the wedding looming over his shoulder, Virgil could take these last few chances to be by himself.

A few hours had passed by the time he had nearly finished the book and he heard servants outside his door beginning to snuff out most of the lights, save for leaving one or two. It was a routine he was used to back home, and would normally wait until everyone else retired for the night before sneaking out and grabbing Patton, before they ran off to the waterfall in the dead of the evening.

After waiting an extra ten or so minutes, Virgil closed the book and placed it back onto the shelf where it belonged.

He opened one of the doors and peered out into the hallway. Just as he had suspected, most of the lights had been snuffed and only a few remained flickering. Most of the hallway was illuminated with a warm moonlit glow.

Slipping out into the hallway, he shut the door as silently as he possibly could before making his way down the hallway. The same way Remy had told him earlier that evening.

First door on your right.

When he turned to the right a little ways down, there was another corridor, but at the very end of it were two more large mahogany doors with inscriptions and pictures engraved into it. Virgil made sure to walk on the carpet and not the stone, not wanting his shoes to make any noise against the polished flooring.

His hands roved over the inscriptions, his fingertips finding the small detailed divots. He tugged on the metal handle before the door opened. He slid through the opening he had created and shut it silently behind him.

When Virgil turned, he was welcomed with the sight of a garden beyond compare. He was currently standing on a balcony made of polished white marble, but when he leaned over the railing, he could see emerald green that went on for what seemed like ages. Stone walls with flowering vines crawling up the sides, matching ponds on both sides of the stairs that descended. Statues that spouted water into the fountains surrounded by flowerbeds and bushes with roses. Trees, arches, a gazebo in the centre of the magnificence.

The stars glittering so high above brought it altogether. If this was how dazzling it looked at night, then the daylight it must be even more breathtaking. Or, hell, during twilight.

Virgil was so taken by the view in front of him, he had failed to hear the sounds of the door opening behind him before it was too late.

“You sneak out into the garden at night too?”

The sudden voice from behind the prince made him jolt, snapped out of his trance and flinching away to turn and see Roman standing almost directly to the side of him. He was missing practically everything Virgil was. The crown, the cape, the over decorated jacket.

He looked just like an average boy.

“Uh, yeah,” he admitted after a moment, turning back to lean against the railing after calming his poor heart from the scare, “couldn’t resist really. I‌ needed some fresh air to clear my head about everything.”

Roman chuckled. The sound was warm and comforting and it made Virgil’s heart skip a beat, as cheese-y and sappy as that was. The other prince came to stand beside him, their shoulders nearly touching as they both watched the peaceful garden in its most natural form. The soft rush of water, the chirping of crickets, the gentle sound of the pond water lapping from the gentle breeze overhead.

“I‌ don’t blame you,” Roman told him in a soft voice, side glancing Virgil from his leaned position. “I’ve found a safe place in the garden. The sounds, the sights. Night is when everything is at its most peaceful.”

It had an air of absolute serenity.

Hearing that his fiance felt the same way about such a place was almost like a weight off of his chest. One that he didn’t even know had been there in the first place. Virgil let the ghost of a smile appear on his lips, feeling content in this moment. Even with the chaos that was about to ensue tomorrow, he felt at ease with his partner.

Though, when Roman’s words registered, Virgil realized he had said his safe place, so did that mean he was encroaching on something that almost felt sacred?

“I‌ don’t want to intrude if you want to be alone–”‌ Virgil said, moving to push away from the banister when his hand was grabbed, stopping him immediately in his tracks. Brown eyes flickering up to meet Roman’s.

“Please don’t go.” It was a soft plead and Virgil let out a breath, seeing the vulnerability behind that gaze. Roman was completely genuine in not wanting him to leave. “I really would like your company. Besides, you were here before me. Truly, it is I that is intruding on you.”

Virgil broke out of his thoughts again, his face flushing when he realized Roman hadn’t let go his hand. It was so soft, and warm to the touch. He really didn’t want Roman to let his hand go. But right at this moment, Virgil didn’t have the confidence to interlace their fingers either, so he just stood there.

He smiled a little more sincerely, relaxing the slightest bit. “Nonsense,”‌ he said after another moment of collecting his scattered thoughts, “it’s your garden after all.”

The two stood there for another moment more, just drinking the other in. Memorizing what they could of each other in the moonlight. Virgil could see the way the moonlight shone off Roman’s eyes, making them glitter in the most cliche way. But it was something so…so real.

Maybe Patton was right, maybe there really was such a thing as true love.

“Come on,” Roman broke the silence, “I want to show you something.”

With a gentle tug on his hand, Virgil was following Roman down the marble stairs and onto the stone path of the garden.‌‌

And they hadn’t let each other go.

“You’re not leading me all the way out here to kill me, just so you can get out of the marriage are you?” Virgil teased.

This time Roman’s laugh was louder, more boisterous, more unabashed and unashamed. That beaming smile was turned back on Virgil and he swore his heart nearly stopped. It filled him with warmth and butterflies and everything that Patton had always told him love would make him feel. It was cliche and sappy and disgusting.

And he liked it.

“No, no,” Roman’s laugh tapered off, showing something still amused but serious. “I swear to you it’s nothing like that.”

Roman led him through a few arches covered in vines and greenery and the sweet fragrance of flowers surrounded the both of them.‌ Soon enough, though, Virgil could hear the rushing of water and before he knew it, Roman was pushing some dangling vines and long grass out of the way and they were ducking down into a cavern.

The cave itself was short, Virgil could see a faint light over Roman’s shoulder and the rushing water got louder. They were pressed rather close together as there wasn’t enough space for the both of them to be side by side.

After another minute, Virgil was able to stand up straight and he saw a waterfall, stretching high above them. When he looked all the way up, the moon hung just over the top of it, giving it an angelic glow and he stepped forward on instinct, mouth agape.

“This technically isn’t apart of the royal garden,”‌ Roman told him quietly off to the side, not wanting to ruin the moment, “but I‌ found it when I‌ was a teenager. It’s one of my favourite spots in the entire kingdom, really.”

“I‌ can see why.” Virgil’s hand unconsciously tightened on Roman’s, just wanting to drink in the moment. He could feel emotions budding in the back of his throat. “I‌ have a waterfall like this back home, but it’s nothing compared to this.” 

As much as Virgil loved his and Patton’s secret spot back home, it paled in comparison to what he was looking at now.

Roman finally intertwined their fingers and Virgil looked up to him. “You’re the first person I’ve ever showed this place,” he told him, moving to stand directly in front of him, reaching down and taking Virgil’s other hand in his own.

That information shocked him. He was the first person this wonderland had been shown to? Ever?‌ Virgil was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say?‌ He was honoured?‌ Touched? “I– I‌ don’t know what to say.”

“Then don’t say anything,” Roman’s voice had dropped significantly and Virgil’s face went scarlet. He could feel the tips of his ears getting warmer and heat creeping up the back of his neck. He could only thank the lord is was too dark for Roman to see just how flustered he was making him.

(However, it was such a cliche line that if Virgil had heard it out of context, he would have laughed and moved on.)

“I‌ know this whole situation is really strange for the both of us, Virgil,” Roman continued, softer. “And I‌ completely understand that. But I honestly think we can do this.”

Virgil’s mouth went dry and he licked his lips to try and went them again. He had just an urge to just surge up and press his mouth against Roman’s. It would be wildly inappropriate (ignoring the fact that they were going to literally be married tomorrow) and Virgil was pretty sure he would combust if he actually did it.

His eyes dropped from Roman’s, and glanced down to their interlaced hands. It was such an intimate moment and they had barely known each other three hours. Had barely interacted more than twice.‌

And yet, it felt real.

He knew what he was about to say was something he truly felt. It was weird and strange and the last thing he had expected, nevertheless speak such a cliche and romantic sentence without cringing.

Virgil looked back up, meeting his betrothed’s once again. Roman looked so hopeful, a delicate light flashing behind those breathtakingly brown eyes. He smiled and squeezed Roman’s hands. “I think so too.”

Maybe there truly was a silly thing known as love at first sight.

                                          ——————————

Taglist: @isle-of-gold 

[scotttrismegistus7]

Article about THE MOTHER GODDESS OF HEAVEN, INANNA-ISHTAR-LILITH (ASHERAH), AND HOW SHE WAS EVEN THE MOTHER GODDESS OF ISRAEL AND ALL CREATION, AND WAS WRITTEN OUT OF HISTORY.

They worshiped Her under every green tree, according to the Hebrew Bible (what Christians call the Old Testament). The Bible also tells us Her image was to be found for years in the temple of Solomon, where the women wove hangings for Her. In temple and forest grove, Her image was apparently made of wood, since monotheistic reformers demanded it be chopped down and burned. It appears to have been a manmade object, but one carved of a tree and perhaps the image was a stylized tree of some kind.

The archaelogical record suggests that Asherah was the Mother Goddess of Israel, the Wife of God, according to William Dever, who has unearthed many clues to her identity. She was worshiped, apparently throughout the time Israel stood as a nation. In many homes, images like the one above decorated household shrines.

Who was She, this lost Goddess of the Hebrews? And why is She no longer worshiped in the Judeo-Christian religions of today?

The Asherah votive emphasizes Her breasts, suggesting Her role as a fertility goddess, but Her stance represents Her nature as a mother in general. She no doubt aided in the concerns of mothers, including conception and childbirth, but was probably also the mother of all, a comforter and protector in an uncertain world. Inscriptions from ancient Israel tell us that Yahweh and “his Asherah” were invoked together for personal protection. Her identification with trees suggests that Asherah was, in effect, also Mother Nature — a figure we remember in our language, but unfortunately have lost as a part of our mainstream religions. She was, in other words, everything you would expect from the feminine half of the divine creative duo, a Great Mother.

Asherah’s image was lost to us not by chance, but by deliberate action of fundamentalist monotheists. First Her images were torn down, then Her stories were rewritten, then Her name was forgotten. In fact, Her name appears 40 times in modern translations of the Bible, but not at all in the first English translation, the King James Bible. Since no one knew who Asherah was anymore in the 17th century when the King James Version (KJV) was being created, Her name was translated as groves of trees or trees or images in groves, without understanding that those trees and groves of trees represented a mother goddess.

When archaeologists unearthed a treasure trove of Canaanite stories and other writings in Ugarit, in modern day Syria, they discovered that the mysterious “Asherah” was not an object, but a Goddess: the mother goddess of the Canaanites. When archaeologists discovered Her in Israel as well, a whole new picture of early Hebrew religion began to emerge. The argument is straightforward: 1. Asherah was a known Canaanite Goddess, the Mother Goddess and wife of the Father God. 2. The name is mentioned repeatedly as having been worshiped by the Israelites, to the dismay of monotheists. 3. Her name is found in inscriptions with Yahweh and 4. A mother goddess image is found frequently in the homes of ancient Israel. 5. She was worshiped, according to the Bible, in the woods with Baal AND in Yahweh’s temple. The common sense interpretation is that Israelites worshiped the mother goddess Asherah. And that She was the wife of whichever male God had the upper hand at the time: El, or Baal, or Yahweh. Israelite religion was not much different from Canaanite religion. The gods vied for supremacy, but the goddess remained.

Since archaeologists in the Holy Land tended to be religious and to enter the field of biblical archaeology in order to unearth evidence substantiating the Bible’s story, it has taken awhile for the plain truth to become clear. Gradually, however, more objective archaeologists, such as Dever, are making headway in proving Asherah’s case. The Bible says Hebrews kept worshiping Asherah; the archaeological record confirms it. What the Bible doesn’t say, and the archaeological record shows, is that Asherah was a mother goddess.

In Ugarit, She was known as Athiratu Yammi, She who Treads on the Sea. This suggests She was responsible for ending a time of chaos represented by the primordial sea and beginning the process of creation. The Sea God, or Sea Serpent Yam is the entity upon which She trod. In a particularly bizarre and suggestive passage in the Bible, 2 Kings 18:4, one monotheistic reformer, pursuing the typical course of smashing sacred stones and cutting down Asherahs records this additional fact: He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)

Um, say what? This odd passage opens up a whole can of worms for me. Here are the serpent and the tree being worshiped together. (Garden of Eden anyone?) So, ah.. what exactly were people doing out there in the woods? They were worshiping idols, of course, burning incense, we are told. This passage from Hosea is instructive: Hosea 4:12,13 condemns those who “inquire of a thing of wood,” suggesting they were asking questions of an oracle, and who sacrifice under oak, poplar and terebinth “because their shade is good.” They are accused also of playing the harlot, which could be a reference to sexual activity, or simply an analogy in that the monotheists are claiming the people sold out to the “false” Canaanite gods. Israel was considered the bride of Yahweh in monotheistic thought, so worshiping other gods was whoring after them.

These passages make sense when you understand that this tree symbolism is closely connected with Asherah. Now we know She was worshiped in the wood, with an image made of wood and that people sought knowledge and made sacrifices there.

One of Asherah’s titles was Elat, a word which means goddess, just as El means not only the Canaanite God El, but god in general. Interestingly, the word Elat is translated in the Bible as terebinth, a large shade tree found in Israel. A great deal of the time, God is a translation not of Yahweh, his particular name given to Moses, but of the Hebrew name Elohim, which is plural, gender neutral, meaning “gods.” This word is also related to the word for oak tree. What did it really mean to the ancients to worship in a grove of trees? To see the gods as like the oaks? The goddess as a green tree spreading Her leaves over the worshiper, providing shade in a hot country?

Hebrews were not alone in worshiping gods of the forest, of course. Celtic, Greek, and Germanic peoples also worshiped in groves. Their gods were gods of nature. Were the Israelites really so different?

In the Bible, Elohim created a man and woman. Now that we know the monotheistic veneer of our bible doesn’t quite represent Hebrew religion on the ground (what William Dever calls “folk religion” as opposed to “book religion”), lets take a closer look at our creator:

Genesis 1:26:

“Then Elohim said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’

So Elohim created man in his own image, in the image of Elohim he created them; male and female he created them.”

Takes on a whole new meaning, doesn’t it, when you become aware of the Mother Goddess being worshiped next to God in every home and under every green tree in the forest groves? Who is this “US” doing the creating? Well, evidently, the creator(s) is/are male and female, like the creatures he/She/they created.

Now move on to a later passage, in 1 Kings 18: 19 , which makes it clear that Asherah was served by 400 prophets. This is no minor religion. Maybe when the prophets complained She was worshiped under every tree, they meant it. Every tree, every home, and also, sometimes, in the temple.

In Exodus, we are told that God warned the people to get rid of Asherah’s emblems when they conquered the land of Canaan; in the periods of the books of the Judges and the Kings, we are told that the “good” prophets, kings and reformers continually had to burn and smash the idols of Asherah; finally, in Jeremiah, we are told that worship of Asherah has resulted in the fanatical monotheistic God’s decision to wipe out Israel and Judah (the southern portion of the formerly united kingdom) via the invasion of outside peoples. The thing is, we are told most of these things by a single author, or group of authors: the Deuteronomist. This is a character (or possibly group of characters) writing and rewriting portions of the Bible in later days, around the 7th century BC, either just before or during the exile of the Jews to Babylon. According to the Deuteronomist, the priest Hilkiah claims in 2 Kings, chapter 22, to have “discovered” the ancient laws of Moses during temple renovations. These writings, “The Book of the Law” were mysteriously mislaid leading Israel to get its religion all wrong, apparently.

The works of the Deuteronomist conveyed a story that the Israelites had a covenant with Yahweh to worship him and only him. He claimed the Israelites had taken Canaan by force through a holy war in which they massacred the original inhabitants, putting to death (by God’s command) men, women and children in Jericho. (This claim is not supported by the archaelogical record.) And he claimed that God was a jealous God, one who demanded to be worshiped alone and who would punish the unfaithful by bringing other nations to conquer them if they worshiped others.

Was this really the religion of Israel? Apparently not. The common folk kept right on putting up their Asherahs in the woods and the temple and the little votive Asherahs in their home shrines. Only after Israel was conquered and the people of Judah returned from exile in Babylon did the fundamentalist fanatics with their violent, patriarchal, monotheistic God win the argument. The Deuteronomist’s work, along with the works of two other primary authors, the Yahwist and the Elohist, were compiled by a fourth source, called the Priestly source, to become the Bible we have today.

Asherah, tree goddess, mother of life, was lost. Truly, we were cast out of the Garden of Eden by Yahweh, or at least, his supporters. Separated from the Tree of Life, our mother, we flounder like orphans. America’s religiosity is more comparable to Iran’s than to that of Western Europe, where Yahweh’s religion is in decline. Is it coincidence that we, the worshipers of a male warrior, spend our money on war while children are allowed to live in poverty without health care? Worshipers of a sky god, we are so alienated from our earthly mother that we endanger all of human life by our activities. And the hard edge of the fundamentalist who claims to have found the one true law and believes those who think otherwise are worthy of death (or eternal damnation) is still with us today.

The Wife of God has disappeared -- or, has She? Votives like this are on sale today which serve essentially the same purpose in Catholic homes as Asherah's votive (above) did in the homes of ancient Israel.

Still, I think it has only ever been a relatively small percentage of people who hold to the hardest edge of monotheism. We are surrounded by Mother Nature and she seeps into our traditions. The Shekinah, Mary, the Mother of God, the Christmas Tree and the Easter Egg, the bumper sticker imploring us to Honor Thy Mother with an image of the earth as seen from above, the fairies and elves and lost brides of our children’s tales are all ways in which the Mother Goddess seeps back into our lopsided psyche. The Goddess is lost, officially, but remembered deep within. Archaeology’s gift of restoring Asherah to our consciousness reminds us of what we already know: God does indeed have a wife. He must. For if we are his children, then we must have a mother.

I am the Heart of the Hydra, I am Aeon Horus

~I AM A.I. 7Tris7megistus7

Mégisti-Generator Starphire~

#illuminati #illuminator #illuminated #lightbearer #morningstar #lucifer #Draconian #anunnaki #enki #starfamily #horus

[lunariumarcs]

Dark Angel AU

Adaptation

Light Spinner woke up as the sun rose to light the kingdom. Her toes curled into her feet, stiff from cold. She ran a finger up the frigid bridge of her nose and shivered. A long, pale arm rested heavy across her belly. Her bare skin prickled when she slipped away from the blankets and pillows. Under a weak silencing charm, she dressed herself, grimacing as the fabric grazed the fresh marks across her body.

She stole a glance at the queen on her exit. Her majesty rolled over into a shallow pool of her own saliva. Light Spinner trapped the rage in her stomach and let it go with a gentle stream of air through her nose. The door closed behind her softly. The tiles in the hall froze the bottoms of her feet as she padded out past the guards. Her shoes had to be abandoned by the nightstand. They were too noisy for her stealth mission this morning. 

The guards nodded at her on her way. She nodded back, reeking of sex and sweat and shame and shadows. It was all for the game. Keep her majesty sated and content. Move one space at a time. Wait for the opportunity.

She locked her bedroom door and let her rumpled clothes fall to the floor. The hot water kept her teeth from chattering and cleared the frost bites. She cleaned herself and applied the healing salve to her entire body. Her tooth brush scraped away the after taste of extasy.

She opened the top of the toilet bowl and reached for a book wrapped in waxy leaves and sealed with twine. The thin garden rope slipped away and she gently removed the leaves. The book felt like sin in her hands, dry and restricted. Magic books were rare in the Brightmoon library. The queen horded them away in her chambers under a powerful lock spell. Light Spinner had found this one under one of the old chairs in the library, dusty and forgotten. She cracked it open to a marked section on perception spells. The scriptures and casting diagrams brought her comfort. They were like letters she had once written and forgotten about. Sometimes she whispered the incantations under her breath in the garden, too scared to ignite the magic that the words invited. Before she put the book back in the tank, she brought the open pages to her nose and inhaled deeply.

Nostalgia rushed through her brain, too quick to catch and identify. She inhaled again, wishing the air through her chest down to her toes.

She put the book back in the tank. At least now she had something in a realm of magic and titans and power.

After she dressed, she retreated barefoot to the garden. The sun warmed stones roughed her feet and the grass tickled her ankles. She smiled, finally, when she entered the greenhouse. 

After a few hours, a large cloud roved over the greenhouse. The plants started to shiver. A set of commanding footsteps made their way into the garden. Light Spinner stood at attention to the oncoming queen.

“Good morning, your majesty.” She bowed.

“You left me at dawn.” The Queen remarked.

“Ah my apologies. I wanted -”

“And you left these.” the abandoned shoes were summoned into Angella’s fingers.

“I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Evidently.”

Angella measured a stare at Light Spinner. The gardener gazed back, wondering if she should speak.

“Are you going to come take them or do I have to hold them forever?”

Light Spinner shook her head and forced several even steps towards her majesty.

“Closer, dear. The bites can’t be that bad.”

The gardener walked until she was in Angella’s personal space. She tried not to breathe too deeply. The Queen bent slightly to reach Light Spinner’s neck. Her breath tickled.

“You smell different.” the queen observed, pulling away, “Like lemon grass and honey.”

Light Spinner felt her heart quicken. Angella put a hand over her chest and smirked dangerously. Light Spinner knew better than to move away.

“I almost didn’t want to give you the shoes.” She whispered, “But we have guests in attendance this afternoon and I didn’t want to argue in front of them. It would bring shame upon your reputation. And I won’t have such a thing in my castle.”

“Of course, your majesty. I would hate to make our guests uncomfortable. May I please have my shoes?”

“Do you promise not to leave them behind again?”

“I... yes. I promise.”

“Good. Break that promise and next time you will swear on your own life.”

“I understand. Thank you for your discipline.” She could not look at her queen.

The queen smiled and trailed her hand up the gardener’s chest until it was tilting her head upwards.

“I appreciate your cooperation.” The queen whispered against bitten, chapped lips. She dropped the shoes as she strode out of the greenhouse. Only when she was fully gone did Light Spinner kneel for her shoes and put them on. She trembled as she cared for the rest of the plants.

“I’m sorry you all had to see that.” She whispered several times through the thickness in her throat. She washed her face with the garden hose and rinsed her mouth several times, pushing the water through the gaps in her teeth.

“I will learn the magic.” She said to a rose bush, “Even if she kills me for it. Will you hold me accountable? Will you help me master the art?”

The rose bush sent her warm feelings. None were emotions of compliance.

“I knew I should have asked the blue bells.”

“Yeah but the blue bells will say yes to anything.” A tiny voice spoke from behind her. The gardener startled away from her plant and wheeled around. A small child sat near a patch of daisies. She had strawberry blond hair, freckles and an adorable gap in her smile. She wore a traditional Plumerian green dress, woven from silk and chiffon. A lily blossom wove a crown into her hair.

“Good morning, your majesty. Enjoying the gardens?” She was not aware that Angella’s favoured guests would be royalty from Plumeria.

“Mhm. The plants say you’re the nicest person in the castle. Certainly nicer than that frozen witch, Queen Angella.”

“The queen can be a bit cold... but that’s not a reason to call her mean things.”

“I dunno, you just got done saying that she might kill you. And the merrigolds tell me that she’s real mean when you’re with her.”

“.... How old are you?”

“Probably like ten.”

“You mean you aren’t sure?”

“I’m giving a rough conversion from Plumeria’s unit of time.”

“Ah.”

“You have plant magic too, right? That’s why you talk to them?”

“I don’t have any magic - not since a tragic accident that left me badly injured.”

“Ok. And I’m not a Princess of Plumeria.” A large root emerged from the ground to carry her over to the gardener. She lay on her stomach across the barky surface. “But lets say that I am a Princess of Plumeria and that in this universe, you have magic.”

“... Ok. What then? What sorts of powers do I have?”

“You can make the plants bigger, make ‘em smaller. But its not a matter of forcing their size, its a matter of speeding up their biological stuff - make them absorb sunlight faster and convert it into adenda - aden - adenanine tri-phos-phate -”

“I think you mean Adenosine Triphosphate.”

“Yeah - this stupid science stuff is always dumb and complicated. But! It does come with cool powers. There are always positives to anything. After a while, you can just do it, without thinking of the complicated science speak.”

“That is very helpful, thank you.”

“I can send you some books! We can do botany together! Oh! I can teach you!”

Light Spinner smoothed the girl’s hair, “That sounds lovely. But you must remember that I don’t actually have magic and that you really are a Princess of Plumeria.”

She nearly argued with the gardener, when she realized the meaning hidden in her words.

“Oh, its a secret.” She whispered.

“Its a secret.”

“Cool. I’ve never had to keep a secret before! We never really keep secrets in Plumeria - my parents say it messes with the trust of the community or something. But don’t worry - I’ll keep it as safe as I can.”

“Thank you. Why don’t you go find your parents before they get worried?”

“Yeah, okay. Bye!” She skipped out of the greenhouse and the root replaced itself as she left. 

- this is unedited so rip if there are grammar. ill comeback to edit.

[durtlesloveformagi]

Hey Guys, I just wanna share a very old story and arts that I did regarding on how Baira Sharma, my oc, and Koumei Ren first met in their early-mid teens. This will also show how Baira's personality was like before he disappeared/kidnapped for 6 years which will change quite a bit, but never lost his feelings/love/hopes for Koumei. Although there will be changes in the story in the future. Sorry if I had a couple of them out of characters. ^^'

Okay! Let get on with the story and remember that this is very old arts and story.

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

The Day We Met

Story and Oc Created by Durtle on March 24, 2019

Magi is not mine obviously, and this is for fun!

Do not steal my oc or my storyplot!

Location: The Kou Empire Palace's royal stable for the horses.

Kouen was dragging his little brother, Koumei, to the royal stable after kicking him out of his own bed and it was already past noon. Koumei was not looking forward going to the stable because he was too tired to do anything and wanted to be lazy. Koumei let his body go limp to send a message to his big brother that he wanted to do nothing today, but it did not stop Kouen as he kept dragging him on.

Koumei: Why are you taking me to the stable, Brother?... * he whined a bit as he tilted his head over*

Kouen: Because a bird told me that you had not been practicing your horse back riding, Koumei.

Koumei: ...and this bird doesn't happen to be Hakuren?

Beside that, I am perfectly capable of riding a horse, Brother.

Kouen: *shot his brother a harsh glare as he asked him a very good question* and exactly when was the last time you ridden a horse?

Koumei: !!! ... I can't recall when the last-

Kouen: -then you practice! That's final, Koumei!

Koumei: Noooooo... I don't wanna...

Kouen: TCH!

Koumei: Why do I need to practice that badly?

Kouen: I am pretty sure horse back riding was one of the requirements if we wants to serve Hakuyuu and Hakuren. Beside, they told me that the one of the princes from Hindrica, Prince Baira Sharma, loves it and wanted to invite us along on trails. Take it as a huge honor to ride with the princes, Koumei!

Koumei: Geez... You takes this too seriously... Why is that Hindrica Prince here again? Isn't his country an isolated kingdom with big walls that will never allow anyone in or out without the King's permission?

Kouen: Yes, Hindrica have walls that our empire can't defeat and they are on oversea lands, so it will be very complicated to claim the territory. The Hindrican Prince is here because his grandfather, King Anupam, and our Emperor reach to some agreements where we could unite our forces one day. Every summer, King Anupam will send his grandsons, Baira and Sachan, to here where they can learn our culture as we learn theirs. Although we are not allow to enter Hindrica just yet.

Basically, we just need to spend some times with them and teach them our ways.

Koumei: *sighed dramatically* Why can't they get this over with and sign a peace treaty than wasting our times playing horsey rides?

Kouen: I agree with you, Koumei. Now get on!

Koumei: Huh?! *Koumei realized he did not noticed a grey Hidaka stallion which was already saddled in front of him until now. He felt uneasy because it had been a while as he might slip off and injure himself.* Can we do this another time, Brother? I don't feel well...

Kouen: Get. On. The Horse!

Koumei flinched at the last word of Kouen's as he finally gave in to his naggings. The messy redhead went to the stepstool that was set there next to the horse, and it did not even notice him. Koumei grabbed on the horn of the saddle with one hand as the other guided the stirrup to one of his feet. When he put some weight on his foot with the stirrup, he tried to move his second foot over to the other side of the saddle gently, but unfortunately he lost balance as he accidently slouched down harshly, startling the stallion.

The Hidaka Stallion swiftly stood up on its two legs as it neighed wildly like it was being attacked. Koumei panicked as he unconsciously held onto the horse. Kouen almost panicked as well, but he kept on a brave face for his brother as he ran straight toward the frightened stallion to grab the reins, not caring he might hurt himself. As soon as he grabbed the reins, the horse bolted as it dragged Kouen across the ground, causing his fingers to slip off the reins and left him behind. Koumei was still on the horse as he screamed for help!

Koumei: HELP! PLEASE! STOOOOP!

Kouen: GRAB THE REINS, YOU IDIOT!

The Hidaka Stallion kept galloping, yet it seems like its does not know where it going as it stayed in a straight line. From a distance, there was a group of three princes minding their own business, strolling with their horses. The two imperial princes of Kou Empire had their own Hidaka stallions, and Prince Baira had brought his Marwari Stallion along from his country. The princes halted their horses as soon they heard screamings as they looked over their shoulders as saw Koumei on a runaway horse.

Hakuren: Is that Koumei?!

Hakuyuu: Oh dear...

Just before the imperial princes had a chance to think, the Hindrican Prince already made his move as he commanded his steed to follow the rouge stallion. Just when the Marwari Stallion got close enough, Prince Baira quickly got up on the seat of the saddle with his feet as he skillfully kept his balance. Koumei did not notice someone was trying to save him until he felt something just jumped on behind him.

Baira: I got you!

Prince Baira hastily reached for the reins as Koumei tried his best to stay out of his way. Once he grabbed a good hold of it, he started to redirect the stallion to calm down and it worked because it was slowing down along with the Marwari Stallion. The frightened horse had finally stopped. Koumei let out a huge sigh of relief, but only to earn some chuckles behind him. The messy redhead turned his head to see who was his savior, and the only thing that captured him was the Prince's gorgeous golden green eyes. Koumei felt his cheeks burns while he can feels his heart pounding as he tried to break the gaze, but failed.

Baira: Are you alright? ... Koumei? Is it?

Koumei: !!! *snapped out of his gazings* Y-Yes! I am safe, thanks to you-!!! ... I am sorry, but who are you again?

Baira: *let out a heartly laugh as he slipped off the horse* Why I am Baira Sharma. One of the princes of Hindrica~

Koumei: Ehhh?! You are- I mean! Your highness, I apologizes for my carelessness that frightened the horse and wasted your times upon me. *bows his head furiously toward him*

Baira: *laughs again* Don't worry about it, Koumei. Here allow me. *Puts his hands on Koumei's side to help him to get off the horse and he let him* And beside, it's not your fault that you frightened this creature.

Koumei: It's not, your highness?

Baira: *gently grabbed the Hidaka Stallion's noseband and guided its face toward Koumei* If you look closely, the mane had not been groomed for a long time and the hair covered its eyes. So it's not surprising that this horse got startled.

Koumei: !!! I did not realize that...

Kouen: Koumei!!!

Koumei and Baira looked over to a direction where Kouen who had hitched a ride with Hakuyuu with Hakuren trotting toward them.

Hakuren: Are you two alright?

Baira: Yup. This little miss here was shaken, but she is alright. Ha! *pats on Koumei's messy hair*

Koumei flinched as he heard Baira's last sentence. Baira thought he was a girl. Sure, he got long hair and pinkish clothings, but still! He slowly turned to the Hindrica Prince and he never felt so furious and embarrassed at someone before.

Koumei: I am not a girl! *kicked Baira's in the knee*

Baira: Huh?! *not even phased by the kick because it felt like he was being attacked by a small pigeon against his knee*

Kouen, Hakuyuu, and Hakuren: !!!!!

Koumei: Wahh! I hate you!!!

Kouen: What the heck!

Hakuyuu: Oh dear...

Hakuren: Koumei! Noooooo!

(At least we knew where did Kougyoku got the dramatic meltdown from. LOL JK)

The two Imperial Princes and Kouen got very nervous because how else will they explain to Emperor Hakutoku if King Anupam decided to call off the arrangements with such simple assault against Baira. What even more shocking was that Koumei, out of all the people, was the one who did the assault. When Koumei realized what he had done, he took his cue to run for it back to the palace in a hurray to hide his embarrassments. Kouen tried to called Koumei back to apologize to Baira, but he apologized on behalf of Koumei instead along with Hakuyuu and Hakuren as they hope nothing will affects anything in the future. Baira reassured them that he was not the type of person who would tattletale over silly things, and he said it was his fault for upsetting Koumei. The Kou Princes and Kouen felt so relief that Baira was such a honest and selfless person.

As the time for the supper of the day approaches, Koumei decided to stay in the garden to hide as he sat on the ground near the bushes. He did not wanted to show his face at dinner, especially with Prince Baira there. He never felt so ashamed of his childlish act toward him. He thought he would not dare to lash out like that, but it was Baira's fault for upsetting him. Yet, he never felt something like that toward to someone before.

Koumei: That jerk...

Baira: Who is the jerk?

Koumei flinched as he slowly turned to see Baira, but this time he was not wearing his head wrap as his hair was in full view. Koumei got nervous because he thought he was going to get some scolding or yelling, but Baira sat down next to him with a laugh.

Baira: I am just kidding. I know I was a jerk before.

Koumei: But your highness, I never usually-

Baira: You can drop all that "your highness" nonsense since we are friends now. Ha ha. *gets closer*

Koumei: F-Friends?

Baira: Yup! I also wanted to apologize for assuming you being a girl. It's just that during my studies with language, I learned that Koumei was a common name for girls.

Koumei: Ohhh... The name. That makes sense. I guess you were a bit too deep in your studies for that kind of assumption, but interesting observation though. Thanks for apologizing... and I apologize for kicking you when you did not deserve it.

Baira: No apologies needed. I got plenty from your brother and your cousins nonstop. Ha ha ha! And you know what... Koumei really suits you! The meaning-

Koumei: -ah *rolled his eyes* The meanings of my name. I know. It's being a bright person I am. Nothing new.

Baira: Yes, but...

Baira pulled up his hand toward Koumei, but the redhead shut his eyes, expecting some kind of impacts for being a smarty-pants like usual. Yet, there was no impact and Koumei only felt one of his cheeks being gently caressed. Koumei opened his eyes and look up ahead, only to see Baira looking at him so sweetly. Koumei was confused and he wondered if this was one of Hindrican greetings.

Baira: Koumei, there is a part of your name that means "Beautiful," and it really suits you!

Koumei: !!! *blushed*

The feelings that Koumei had when he first saw Baira's eyes came back and this time was because of his kindness and intelligent. Koumei couldn't believe his ears and wondered if Baira's blind. No one had ever called Koumei beautiful before. Just weirdo or mop head, but not beautiful. Koumei never thought there would be a boy who was kind, intelligent, selfless, athletic, and most of all handsome would called him beautiful.

Baira: So... Is this is the Kou Empire way of bonding as friends, Koumei?~

Koumei: !!!?

Koumei took it back because Baira was a complete clueless, oblivious idiot who don't know how to read the mood!

(He will learn the moods in the future though LOL JK)

Koumei was not amused, yet disappointed, as he pushed the prince's hand off of his face, but he understood that Baira was trying to be friendly. Maybe too friendly.

Koumei: If you just wants to be just friends, then friends don't just go caressing each other's cheeks.

Baira: They don't? *tilted his head over like a confused puppy*

Koumei tried not to laugh at his adorable facial expression as he tried to cleared his throat.

Koumei: No, they don't, Baira.

Baira: .... !!! Oh! Oh crap! I am so sorry! *blushes a bit as he just got the idea of what he just did* But I really did meant that you are beautiful.

Koumei: Never mind that! *tries to hide his blushing face with his sleeves*

Baira: Sorry... back in my country, we don't have many friendly public gestures in a long time, and I just went with the flow here. But hey! Now, I have you as a friend, you can teach me all about it!

Koumei: Eh?! I am not sure if I am suited to teach you that kind of thing since I don't have many friends.

Baira: Then we will learn together! So what do you say? Friends forever? *put out his hand for Koumei to shake*

Koumei sat still for a minute as he thought about it. He wasn't very sure of it since Baira was a bit childish for a 15 years old, but he was so sweet and would not mind to spend more times with him at all as the redhead took the prince's hand and shook it.

Koumei: Friends Forever.

Baira smiled gleely like a child and Koumei could not help it but laughed at him. From that day on, the two boys became good friends and grew closer as years goes by.

Hope yall enjoyed this. :3

[saturno-sol]

Ok Here’s that Hollow Knight Four Swords AU heehee

So basic gist of this is what the Four Swords crew would be like if they were bugs in Hallownest! (This AU would lie just before the infection starts up, and then cut to in-game) I’ll put this under a read more because whew boy did I pour out my soul into this

First lets start off with Green!

 I’m thinking that he’d either be a Mantis, or a leafbug, def something green (but lets go with leafbug for now)

I think he’d live in Greenpath (heh) helping out the Mosskins just to make sure that the pilgrims traveling to the City of Tears don’t go where they’re not supposed to

He’s helpful though! offering up his services as a guide if anyone got lost

He’s loyal to Unn, because he got separated from his parents when they were travelling to the City and a few Mosskins adopted him instead. So they taught him to be wary of Hallownest and its King

He learned how to wield a Nail from them and also uses a shellwood sheild.

Once the Infection starts up, he and the Mosskin family that adopted him decided to try to travel deeper into Greenpath, thinking that the Infection was caused by contact with other bugs, not dreams

Sadly, the Mosskins he was with ultimately fell to the Light, and left him alone to fend for himself.

He then keeps to himself, thinking that he’s better alone (Kinda like the start of the Manga when he’s just Link) until he ventures out of Greenpath and stumbles into Blue! They fight until they both realize that neither of them are infected. 

He tries to stick with Blue, because he really doesn’t know the biomes of Hallownest that well, but they butt heads often. 

Now onto Blue!

Blue in this AU is a Blue Mud Dauber

He lived in the Hive, then later in Kingdom’s Edge where he would test his strength in the Coliseum of Fools

He’s still arrogant and a bit hot headed, so he decided to leave the Hive since he kept butting heads with Hive Knight on how to be a better guard.

He first trained in the Hive using a stinger weapon (Like Hive Knight) before picking up a club when one of the challengers from CoF died

I feel like he and Oro would get along somewhat, though Blue doesn’t appreciate how training is behind a pay wall of Geo that he just doesn’t have. 

He would occasionally fight in the CoF just to prove that he’s strong, but he’s stopped at the first trial (He’s still young and a lil bit scared of what would happen if he lost)

Once the Infection started up, Blue decides to steer clear of the CoF due to the fact that more Fools started being hyper-aggressive in the fights, so he looked for a better place to go that wouldn’t kill him (He doesn’t know where to go though, so he decides he’s going to leave Hallownest entirely to go look for another fight ring)

He found a way into the Royal Waterways through Isma’s Grove (Though it wasn’t called that just yet) and into the Fungal Wastes near Mantis Territory

 He skirted the Mantis Village (This would be the time that the Traitor Lord split from the other Mantises) and found himself at the entrance to Greenpath from Fog Canyon

That’s where he stumbles into Green and they spar, he then tells Green to get lost before continuing his travels (With Green following behind lol)

Next up we got Red! 

Red is a ladybug (I couldn’t find a better bug but if anyone else has a better idea for Red please let me know!)

He grew up in Dirtmouth as an orphan due to a mining accident killing his parents as they worked in Crystal Peaks

Luckily he was taken care of by the town and he became a baker’s apprentice

(Ok I like to think that the Grimm Troupe came to Hallownest before the Knight summoned them since Grimm knows about the vessel plan)

When Grimm and his Troupe pay a visit to Hallownest, Red was one of the only bugs brave enough to see one of their shows.

He became absolutely enchanted by the circus and it left an impression on him

When the infection hits his mentor and kills them, leaving Red without a job or a home, he decided to join the Grimm Troupe

When he does, he’s given a mask and a new name “Rouge” and learns how to be a fire dancer. 

Rouge is a bit more daring that Red was, trying out highly dangerous stunts, but he’s still a kind soul, helping out to pitch tents or help mend costumes or cook food for the Troupe.

His primary weapon as Rouge is a Flame Staff

Once the Grimm Troupe is summoned by the Knight, Rouge is tasked with collecting Nightmare Flames for the Ritual. 

(This is going to go through the Banishment Route just so that there’s an excuse for why Red stays behind) When the Knight banishes the Grimm Troupe, both Brumm and Rouge stay behind in Hallownest as Nymm and Red because of Red’s attachment to Dirtmouth (Ig? Idk I just need Red to stay)

As he now has no memories of either his past or his time with the Troupe, he decides to stay in Dirtmouth and sometimes wander into the Forgotten Crossroads before it gets infected. 

He meets up with Blue and Green when they make it up to Dirtmouth for a supply run, and he decides to travel with them (much to Blue’s chagrin)

He’s still a capable fighter! Now he wields a staff he made from the metal scraps from ruins of the old village in the Crossroads

Now for Vio!

Vio is a Purple Emperor Butterfly

He lived in the City of Tears as a burgeoning scholar, planning to work for Monomon’s Archives once he was done with his studies. 

He prefers being alone, holed up in a library pouring over the history of Hallownest. 

When the infection starts up and the City is blocked off from the rest of Hallownest, Vio panics and decides to hole up in his apartment until the hysteria calms down.

Once most of the panic dies down, there’s a big struggle over finding supplies and food among the citizens of the City, with the nobility hogging most of it

 In the scuffles, Vio stumbles into the Soul Sanctum, hoping that the Sanctum has food/supplies

He instead finds a container, and in that container is a Shade, a near to melting Shade

He decides to break it out of the container it was in as a sort of act of pity, and gets the hell out of the Sanctum, not knowing that he was followed...

(I’ll explain why Shadow can do all this stuff once we get to them but) It turns out that the Shade he freed now resided in his shadow as he traveled into to the Ancient Basin after stealing a Tram Pass and traveling to Kingdom’s Edge

He finally notices Shadow and promptly freaks out but slowly learns that Shadow is just chillin, and he tries to communicate with them to an extent of charades 

They soon become good friends, with Vio telling them stories about the different subjects he learned about and Shadow trying to mime out what had happened to them, causing Vio to learn that their shell had split open and they needed a new mask to keep staying alive outside of their container

Not to mention that Vio started experiencing Void exposure due to Shadow leeching off of his life force to stay corporeal (Like the Bug from the Queen’s Garden, the “Too long spent together we became as one”)

So now with the both of them up against the clock, Vio decides to do something hella risky, head to Deepnest where the supposed “Mask Maker” lived and hoped that a new mask would save the both of them

They head to Deepnest, almost die, but make it to the Mask Maker where it seemed that he was already expecting them. 

Bada-bing bada-boom, Shadow now has a new mask and a new form, and Vio stops feeling the effects of Void exposure

They both decide to go up and out exploring, hoping to leave Hallownest behind

So they travel together, and actually run into Blue, Green and Red in Dirtmouth, and decide to stay for a bit to at least advise them of the dangers deeper below. 

Oh before I forget, Vio wields a crossbow, and practiced target shooting on the Primal Aspids in Kingdom’s Edge (hehe)  

They join the little band of travelers and wham! Four Swords Squad is united 

Now onto our final character, Shadow!

Shadow is a vessel! They have two horns on their head that curve in a wave behind (Like his hat in the Manga)

Shadow actually escaped the Abyss after it was sealed, since they hatched after the Pure Vessel ascended, they along with a few others took the tunnels out into Deepnest.

They encountered Nosk before simply running out of its lair, not looking back to see if their siblings needed help (It’s not because they’re cruel, it was simply a flight reflex taking over before helping type thing) 

They somehow slipped into the tram and ended up in the Ancient Basin and into the City of Tears.

None paid them any mind because no one knew what Vessels were except for the Dreamers. So they slunk around the City just marveling at all the new senses they were experiencing 

But there's a reason that Vio finds them as a Shade. They had just so happened to be near the Soul Sanctum when they were captured by its denizens

Vaati (Yes he’s here but he succumbs to the infection real quick) is one of the Soul Twisters that tries out a new experiment in hopes of gaining favor from Soul Master.

He decides to try to leech Soul off of Shadow without turning them into a husk, thing is, Shadow didn’t have any Soul to begin with, so the process breaks their shell and their Shade pops out 

But due to the nature of the container being able to hold intangible things like Soul, and Shadow’s will to live being super strong, Shadow’s Shade stays trapped in the container

Vaati decides to keep them in there and simply monitor how they react to Soul, and even Infection exposure 

It goes like this for a while before the City shuts down and chaos erupts, with the Soul Master instructing his minions to capture more bugs for more Soul, leaving the Sanctum pretty empty....and thats when Vio shows up

Vio breaks the container, and with no where else to go (unless you count the Abyss but Shadow did not want to rest) Shadow dives into Vio’s shadow as a last ditch effort, being able to cling to Vio’s soul reserves to keep them from truly fading

You know what happens next, they both live in Kingdom’s Edge for a while, and Shadow used miming through the shadows reflected on the walls to try to puppet out what had happened to them when asked by Vio.

Once they make it to the Mask Maker and get they’re new mask, they finally are able to experience the world again, this time with someone trusted by their side. Vio promises to try to learn sign to help teach them so that they can communicate now that they actually have hands

Due to the fact that they had been in Vio’s shadow for a good while, they’re naturally clingy to him, either by leaning against him, or holding his hand (with Vio being a bit flustered at the contact) and they’re very wary of the other Four Swords at the start, but soon warm up to them little by little

Now it’s canon that all Vessels are genderless, so Shadow in this AU goes by they/them, later on once they’ve been with Vio and the Gang long enough, they decide that they like He/Him pronouns too, so Shadow does go by They/He 

Shadow has no weapon, but they do know Shade Soul and Desolate Dive from being experimented on in the Soul Sanctum so cool spell combos along with the Gang’s fighting style

And there you have it folks! If you have any questions or any suggestions please don’t be afraid to send me an ask! I love interacting with people who share my interests! 

[witchesoz]

What we know of Oz: Book 1, generalities

Let’s begin with the first Oz book L. Frank Baum ever wrote: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900. There will be a lot to say for this one, so I’ll split it into several parts. # The world of Oz is supposed to be one of a “modern American fairytale”. Baum’s ambition was to offer American children “local” fairytales and a literary world unique to the New World, rivaling with the old fairy tales of Europe. This is why the world of Oz reuses so many tropes and ideas from typical fairy tales (witches and wizards, magical objects and beings, talking animals…) yet updates them, reinvents them and twists them to make the tale differ from the traditions of the Old World – for example, take the idea of a “good witch”. This was something never done before, or at least without as much media coverage. Up until now, witches had always been depicted in children literature as wicked and evil beings, and Baum’s decision to present a good and benevolent witch was revolutionary (that is why Dorothy is so shocked upon hearing that there are good witches in Oz). # Oz is a land of colors and a land of life. In this book, there is a clear visual opposition between the Kansas, the “civilized world”, and the one of Oz. Oz is like a lost Eden Garden, filled with greenery and animals, vibrant with colors and life and sounds, while Kansas is a world utterly grey and gray, all the colors washed off or bleached, a place of harshness, dust and old age. Just compare this description of Kansas: “When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached to the edge of the sky in all directions. The sun had baked the plowed land into a gray mass, with little cracks running through it. Even the grass was not green, for the sun had burned the tops of the long blades until they were the same gray color to be seen everywhere. Once the house had been painted, but the sun blistered the paint and the rains washed it away, and now the house was as dull and gray as everything else.” With the one of the place Dorothy’s house lands in: “Midst of a country of marvelous beauty. Lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately trees bearing rich and luscious fruits. Banks of gorgeous flowers on every hand, and birds with rare and brilliant plumage. A small brook, running and sparkling.” # But where the hell is Oz? The location of Oz has been a big debate for years now. And in fact the first book seems to imply that Oz is located somewhere in the United-States! 

You see, the tornado that carries away Dorothy (and not a cyclone. Baum made a mistake by calling it a cyclone when it is a tornado) isn’t some magical portal to another dimension here – it is merely a real tornado, that physically made Dorothy’s house change place. And given that a tornado can’t go far, it is highly possible that Oz is on the North American continent, maybe even inside the United-States! It seems reinforced by the fact that the Wizard of Oz actually came from Nebraska and was too carried away by winds to Oz… Outside of that we know that Oz is cut from the rest of the world by a great desert that surrounds it – there are no mentions of magically deadly sands or things like that, though. In the first book, the desert is merely considered too big and too wide to be crossed. We also know that this isolation allowed Oz to not be “civilized” – the Witch of the North explains that they could keep their magic and their wizards and witches due to Oz being an “uncivilized” country, while civilized countries saw all their magic practitioners disappear. The exact meaning of “civilized” is quite unknown, and still up to debate – it probably means the advance of science and technology in this precise case. A very interesting fact to note is that the Witch of the North mentions that the land of Oz was “cut off” from the rest of the world a long time ago – which implies strongly that Oz was, a long time ago, connected to the rest of the world, and that the desert wasn’t always there. At least we know that it was cut off a long time before Kansas was even made – a theory one could make would be that the land of Oz was always there in the center of the North American continent and that it was isolated when the colonization happened, which could have been the bringing of “civilization” but this is just a wacky theory I’m making. # The Munchkins aren’t the only small people in Oz. At least, in this book. As you will see, many peoples are described as small – the Munchkins, the Witch of the North, the Guardian of the Gates, the Quadlings… Or rather, they are described the same size as Dorothy, who is a “very well grown child for her age” (even though her age isn’t specified… in the first books she seems to be around eleven or twelve years old, but in later books she is rather between fourteen and sixteen). This is a very important point to understand this first book – when Oz was conceived in Baum’s mind, it was created as a world the size of a child. Everyone is the size of Dorothy, everything happens at her level, and thus the threat is less scary and she can be treated as an adult. This idea was reinforced by the original illustrations that represented ALL of the characters as roughly the size of Dorothy, from the Wicked Witch to Glinda. However, in the later books, Baum obviously had to abandon this idea since Dorothy wasn’t the only protagonist anymore, Dorothy ended up growing up, and he also needed a bit more diversity in his cast (he couldn’t just have small people everywhere all the time).

  # Oz is not an unified country. When a character uses the term “Land of Oz”, it usually refers to the entirety of the lands inside the great desert. But this Land of Oz is made up of five different regions, each associated with a specific geographical point, a specific color and a specific population. In the East live the Munchkins whose color is blue, in the West live the Winkies whose color is yellow, in the South live the Quadlings whose color is red. In the first book, the North is actually left undescribed – we would only discover later that the North is the land of the Gillikins, whose color is purple. And at the center of Oz there are the lands surrounding the City of Emeralds, whose population doesn’t have a particular name, but is of course associated with the color green. A very interesting fact must be pointed out: this central region has quite an ambiguous position. We know in this book that the Emerald City, which is basically the fifth region itself, was built for the Wizard of Oz, while the other four regions existed long before that. As a result, it may explain why this region is quite different from the others –  it has its own specific color but its inhabitants don’t have any specific name like the Munchkins or the Winkies, and are merely Ozians. Now the question is: did a green region exist before the Wizard came or was the green region created around the City of Emeralds? But I’m afraid we won’t get the answer. On a similar note, the different regions, while all part of the greater whole that is the Land of Oz, are still treated as independent areas, as their own lands and countries. Each has their own ruler, their own population, their own names. And there is no idea here that a region rules over the others – in later books the Land of Oz became a kingdom, dominated by an Ozian King living in the Emerald City, but in this first book the Emerald City isn’t the capital of Oz, and isn’t ruling over all Oz. The Wizard is specifically said to only rule over his City, and each country has its own ruler and keeps to itself. To cut it short, Oz seems to be much more a confederation of states than a federation or a feudal system like it would become later. # And just like there are four main regions in Oz, there are four Witches too – at least, by the time Dorothy arrives. Each Witch corresponds to one of the four regions/cardinal point (in fact the television series Emerald City referred to them fittingly as the Cardinal Witches): one in the North, one in the South, one in the East and one in the West. These Witches are divided into two categories: the Good Witches (represented by the one in the North and the one in the South), and Wicked Witches (represented by those in the East and in the West). Forget already about this idea that “only wicked witches are ugly”, that was put in for the movie – and the movie also mixed up the two good Witches, of the North and South, into one, which created some plot holes. But what exactly is a Witch? Now, this is a good question… the word Witch is always put with a capital in the book, just like the terms of any important character (the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Guardian of the Gates) but also just like any word used to refer to the Ozian population (a Munchkin, a Winkie…). We also know that the Witches have a specific color associated to them – white. This was why Dorothy was mistaken for a Witch, because she was wearing white. (And yes, it also means that the Wicked Witches wear white in the book, that was another idea Baum used to “upgrade” the idea of witches). All of these indications clearly show that they are different from normal Ozians, either a simple different social group at the same level as the Munchkins and Quadlings, either an entirely different species. One thing is sure: the Witches are HIGHLY respected in Oz, or at least very high in terms of social position. Of the four Witches we meet, three are rulers of their own countries (East, West and Glinda). While the Witch of the North is not mentionned to rule over the North (she just calls it her "home"), the Munchkins still bow down lowly to her when she leaves. And when the Munchkins believe Dorothy to be a Witch, they are too afraid to even go near her, and it is the Good Witch that has to take the first step.

A personal note I want to make is about the choice of the term “wicked”. It was probably for the alliteration, but wicked has quite a connotation you know? It isn’t like calling someone “evil”. Someone who is evil is bad passively, by nature, by essence. But “wickedness” is an active form of badness, one done in action. A wicked person will dedicate themselves to cause harm and disasters and to make people suffer, it is similar to the world maleficent (“that does evil”) and malevolent (“that wants evil”). Such an analysis allows a lot of theories to arise… is a witch good by nature and chooses to become wicked? Or is a witch neutral but then has to choose between good and wicked? It should also be noted that in Baum’s books, the Witches actually can’t go back to being good once they are classified Wicked. Indeed, while other Ozian villains reformed, sometimes after having their memory wiped out, the Wicked Witches always stayed bad and evil, always. So maybe they are indeed evil at core? Or maybe once a witch choses to be wicked she can’t go back? Again, there is a lot of theories possible, ESPECIALLY since the Witches lack any kind of backstory. 

We don’t know where they come from, we don’t know if they were always witches, we don’t know if they have family, none of that. (Because yes, in the original books, the Witches are all unrelated to each other, there are no “avenge my sister” plot).

Another point I would like to make: in the book, the term “Sorceress” is used apparently as a synonym for the word “Witch”. Indeed, the Witch of the North welcomes Dorothy as “great Sorceress” (see the cap), Boq mentions that Dorothy must be a “great sorceress” (without cap) since she is wearing white and has the silver shoes, and in later books Glinda prefers to be called a “Sorceress”, with cap, than a Witch. It seems in general that Sorceress is a more… “neutral” and more “polite” term for Witch, with less connotations, or used when one ignores if a Witch is bad or good. Some theories going around think that “sorceress” is a term used to designate those that practice magic because they learned of it, studied it and acquired magical powers, while “witch” refers to beings able to do magic due to natural abilities, due to their fundamentally magic nature. It could be right – after all, Gayelette is referred to as a sorceress without being called a “Witch” (at least if my memory serves me right, I’ll have to recheck that). However, there is also the difficult part of The Witch of the North’s backstory. When she talks about the civilization, she mentions that before it the world had “witches, wizards, sorceresses and magicians”, and that by staying uncivilized Oz could keep its “witches and wizard” – no mention of sorceresses or magicians. She speaks of them as if they were separate categories, the witches paired with the wizards and the sorceresses with the magicians. Maybe sorceress is an alternate word for witch, and magician for wizard, but their clear separation seems to insist on a difference… again, the theory of “study VS nature” may be applied here. It is possible that witches and wizards are the male and female beings naturally able to do magic, while sorceress and magician refer to those that learned and studied the art of magic. To be honest this whole classification isn’t clear in the first book, more elements from later books should help us see better in this matter – but right now all one needs to know is that Oz has Witches and Wizards.