#reluctant royals

[readtilyoudie]

“This city is held together by hope and insomnia,” she said. “Who needs infrastructure?” 

“Americans,” he muttered, shaking his head.

-  A Princess in Theory (Reluctant Royals, #1) by Alyssa Cole

[cha-melodius]

firstprince hug prompt #30

(You sent two and I said I was gonna combine them, so I did. And because you said you were constantly adding "between spies" to the prompts in your head, that's what you get too. 😂 hug ficlet prompts)

30: The reluctant hug from someone who isn’t exactly a fan of physical affection; 13: The hug which tells you everything you need to know.

Alex is not ok.

He’s trying not to show it, of course, but they’ve been working together long enough for it to be obvious. They’ve been partners long enough, have seen each other at highs and lows, and this, Henry knows without a doubt, is a low. Maybe the lowest he’s ever seen Alex, and that’s saying something.

He doesn’t know what happened. Is too afraid to ask when Alex returns and doesn’t immediately start giving him a play-by-play. Whatever it is, it must be quite bad for Alex to have retreated into himself like this. He’s in pretty much the same place he collapsed on the sofa after he came back to the safehouse, answering Henry’s questions in single syllables, staring at a newspaper without reading it. He doesn’t even read the newspaper under normal circumstances. Henry’s the one that always picks it up, because he likes the idea of some things being true enough to print in indelible ink, even when he knows they’re not, and Alex makes fun of him for being an old man.

Henry doesn’t know what to do. He’s not equipped for this, not after so many years in the Service. He’s not built for providing comfort, not beyond making a pot of tea, which certainly won’t help Alex. But he wants, unaccountably, to make things better somehow. Needs to.

He won’t pretend not to know what’s behind it, even though he probably should. It’d be safer for both of them if he just let Alex be, let him handle whatever happened on his own.

Instead, he slowly lowers himself to the couch next to Alex and takes the newspaper out of his hands. Alex doesn’t fight him, just gives him a wary look like he’s afraid Henry’s going to ask more questions that he doesn’t want to—or can’t—answer.

But Henry slides a hand onto Alex’s shoulder and opens his other arm in the universal sign of offering a hug, and asks, “Can I?”

Perhaps predictably, Alex stares at him. “Are you sure? You don’t have to just for me. I’ll be fine.”

Just as Henry knows him, he knows Henry. Knows that Henry avoids most physical contact outside what’s necessary for his work, has pretty much since his father died and his mother withdrew and his sister disappeared, and no one hugged Henry for literal years. Knows that the demands of the job have only made it worse. Alex is careful with him, never asking too much, even though Alex is definitely the kind of person who thrives on casual physical affection.

Even with all of that, Henry wants to do this. He’s not sure it will help—not sure he even knows how to give good hugs anymore—but he’s sure he wants to try. “Yes,” he tells Alex. “I want to. If— If you do,” he adds, suddenly uncertain.

What if Alex doesn’t want a hug from him? What if he understands the magnitude of this, because there’s no way he doesn’t, and it’s too much? What if—

Alex very nearly launches himself into Henry’s arms, pressing in close as he curls his own arms around Henry’s waist, burrowing under skin and muscle and bone until he’s securely lodged in Henry’s ventricles. The hug almost hurts, and not because Alex is squeezing him so tightly, but because Henry’s chest is cracking open at the feeling of Alex shaking apart in his arms. Henry holds him just as tightly, murmuring soft words of comfort as he smooths a hand over Alex’s wild curls, and lets him stay as long as he wants.

(It’s all night—Alex stays in his arms all night, and Henry never once wants him to leave. Their partnership will never be the same. Henry will never be the same.

He doesn’t regret any of it.)

[twosidedcherrytrees]

I hate this man

Original image:

[hallmark-movie-fanatics]

Upcoming Hallmark Movies for March

Hallmark Channel

The Royal We Saturday, March 1, 8pm/7c When her older sister elopes with a non-royal, Princess Bea who has lived her life away from her royal duties must now step in and honor the arranged marriage to a small kingdom prince. Starring Mallory Jansen and Charlie Carrick.

The Reluctant Royal Saturday, March 8, 8pm/7c Philly mechanic Johnny is surprised to learn that his long-lost father is a duke. But the duke isn't quite what he expected, nor are his growing feelings for the duke's advisor Prudence. Starring Andrew Walker and Emilie de Ravin.

Royal-ish Saturday, March 15, 8pm/7c Lacey is an amusement park princess who befriends 8-year-old Rose, a real-life princess, and is recruited by her handsome father to travel to their kingdom and be the new governess. Starring Nichole Sakura and William Moseley.

Hearts Around the Table: Jenna's First Love Saturday, March 22, 8pm/7c Jenna plans a charity event for Billionaire Tom Redlands. But working with Tom's right hand Andrew is proving difficult, especially since Jenna and Andrew have a romantic history. Starring Ashley Newbrough, Steve Lund and Mindy Cohn.

Hearts Around the Table: Shari's Second Act Saturday, March 29, 8pm/7c Shari just moved back to D.C. after a breakup and hopes to start painting again. Inspiration hits when she meets Evan, a repairman who winds up actually being a gallery owner. Starring Mishael Morgan, Brendan Morgan and Mindy Cohn.

Hallmark Mystery

Mystery Island: Winner Takes All Thursday, March 13, 8pm/7c Mystery Island hosts contest winners vying to solve a fake murder for a grand prize, but the event goes awry when an employee is murdered, and secrets are uncovered. Starring Elizabeth Henstridge, Charlie Weber, and Kristin Booth.

[notonlymice]

The Reluctant Royal sneak peek

[raisedbyanother]

Emilie de Ravin and Andrew Walker Stills from "The Reluctant Royal"

[watchinghallmark]

The Reluctant Royal - March 8th on Hallmark Channel

Philly mechanic Johnny is surprised to learn that his long-lost father is a duke. But the duke isn’t quite what he expected, nor are his growing feelings for the duke’s advisor Prudence. Starring Andrew Walker and Emilie de Ravin.

[sophie1973]

Bloodstream (tell me when it kicks in)

COMPLETE AND SAFE TO BINGE

Tagging a few people who were kind enough to read it as I posted (you brave souls) or showed interest by reblogging or commenting when I posted snippets :)

@onthewaytosomewhere @stellarmeadow @iboatedhere @saturntheday

@caterpills @tailsbeth-writes @whoevenknows-things @thesleepyskipper @thighzp @grace-in-the-wilderness

@idealuk @anti-homophobia-cheese @bitbybitwrites

[icespur]

You know what I love that I don't see enough of?

AU fanart and fanfics where Shido raises Goro.

There's one that I love called Ruin or Glory, where Shido is a doting single Dad, which is precious, but might I suggest an alternate scenario?

Begrudging DadShido who got forced into the father role after Goro's mom dies in childbirth. The Doctors tracked him down and went "Hey, Prime Minister deadbeat, come get your fucking newborn." leaving Shido no choice but to drive to the hospital to take custody of his "consequences of his fucking actions, maybe this'll make you think twice before refusing a condom before calling over your favorite Health Maid" child.

At first, Shido considers this baby a nuisance, an obstacle. Because juggling a baby while working on a Political Career was not part of the damn plan! But, very slowly--he starts to warm up to his son. It takes a long while, it's practically a character arc because Shido is so damn stubborn and stoic, but it eventually happens.

Which is fine, because reluctant DadShido is the funny part.

If he isn't bald already, Goro is going to make him bald from the stress.

For the most part, Shido hires Nannies to watch and care for Goro so he doesn't have to deal with him. But what about when there's no Nanny available leaving Shido little choice but to interact and cater to Baby Goro?

I think it's safe to say this man has no experience with babies, so he's struggling.

The hospital staff did give him a quick crash course on the basics when he first claimed Goro, so he's not completely incompetent.

He didn't pick up on the secret cry language of infants, though. So he's often irritated, struggling on how to get his screeching infant to shut up, and tries everything until he gets it right after the fifth try that Goro was screaming his little lungs out just trying to communicate to Dad that he's fucking starving.

When he gets a little older, Goro's cry translations update from:

"Father, I require food"

"Father, I am in agony, my butt feels icky and I don't like it, change me! (I may or may not take the opportunity to piss on you)"

To:

"I have decided I hate my crib. I will not stand for sleeping in this thing. I require human warmth to slumber, specifically your warmth." Where Shido has to lie down and hold Goro against his chest to get the clingy brat to fall asleep while Shido, dead tired, just stares up at the ceiling questioning his life decisions that lead to this moment.

When Goro becomes old enough to become mobile, he gets into everything. Anything and everything he can reach or get his little pudgy hands on. Shido better start baby-proofing, and fast!

Even though Shido isn't the most affectionate father, Baby Goro adores him and Shido has no idea why. Goro's practically Shido's little shadow, where Papa goes, he must go, whether Papa wants him to or not! Shido soon learns that one of the prices of being a parent to a curious clingy infant is "privacy and personal space is dead." Because God forbid he closes the bathroom door to take a shower or take a piss, or leave Goro in another room while he locks himself in his office to do important business stuff.

Goro will sit outside the closed Bathroom, lightly shoving and hitting the door with his tiny hands, confused and frustrated as to why this darn wooden blockage won't let him pass when he can hear Papa doing things in there without him!

For working at home, Shido makes the stupid mistake of leaving Goro in a playpen, so he can go to his office to work.

Shido greatly underestimates his little troublemaker's intelligence though, because after witnessing Shido close and lock the playpen gate enough times, Goro figures out how to open it, leaving him with free unattended reign to the Apartment!

As you can imagine, he does what any infant would do, get into shit.

That keeps him occupied for a good while, but eventually, he gets bored, misses Papa, and waddles his way to Shido's closed Office door. He tries pounding and pushing on the door, but to no avail, and he's too small to reach the doorknob yet. He toddles off to fetch a stool and drags it to the Office door to help him reach the doorknob.

Shido is typing on his computer, enjoying the calm, when he hears the doorknob followed by a thud of the door being roughly pushed open.

"Papa!" A very happy Goro squeals from the now open doorway on top of his stool upon spotting Shido.

Shido lets out a resigned sigh as his toddler cheerfully waddles over to him, most likely to demand uppies.

On days Shido goes to the Official Office, what if he's put into a situation where once again there are no available sitters, so Shido has to take Goro to work with him?

Shido sitting at a conference table, talking about important matters, while at the same time, Goro is chilling in a baby carrier strapped to Shido's chest.

Unfortunately for Shido, Goro is in his babbling phase and seems to want to contribute to whatever he and his associates are currently discussing because between his monologue Goro chimes in with incomprehensible babbles and gurgles.

Give me cute Baby Goro and Dad Shido fanart and fanfics. I need more, gimme!

[readtilyoudie]

You let your defenses down. When you do that, the bad can get in with the good. There was nothing scientific about that line of thinking. 

There was no way that a few days with Jamal had led to her current situation, but it felt like it. Just like getting excited about the practicum hadn’t caused the government to shut down the Task Force, even though it felt like it. Feelings couldn’t be quantified like data in R, but that didn’t make their effects any less real.

-  A Princess in Theory (Reluctant Royals, #1) by Alyssa Cole

[bookwormchocaholic]

Someone is going to have to Rumbelle "The Reluctant Royal" at some point.

Just sayin'.

[whumpflash]

Penumbra: Undoing

cw: illness, whump aftermath, death/war mentions

previous ///// masterlist ///// next

§•§•§

They were locked in the blacksmith's woodshed; a cold, cramped room made smaller by the logs stacked along the walls. Once securely inside, one of the men loosened the bindings on Tansy's wrists; enough to grant a scrap of comfort, if not freedom of movement. Another fastened what looked like a bridle around Cerus's head, forcing the metal bit into his mouth and pulling the leather tight.

For the hundredth time, Tansy tried to pull at the party's sympathies.

"Sirs, please. I only wanted to—"

And for the hundredth time, they were ignored, this time rewarded not with a blow, but with the slamming of the woodshed door. As the footsteps outside retreated, Tansy tested the door, ignoring the throbbing of their bruised abdomen as they threw their weight against it.

It didn't give, not even a little, and they fell away from it with a wince. Their various injuries were scattered in such a way that while moving wasn't agonizing, anything they did caused some kind of pain. In their face, in their torso, in their knuckles, a flicker or a flare.

With an immediate exit out of the question, Tansy turned their attention to Cerus. They felt a twinge of relief as they watched the shallow rise and fall of his ribcage, and found themselves wondering once again why they'd done it. 

Treating his wounds was one thing, but fighting for him? Hurting fellow villagers in the name of helping the damned Shadow King?

They pushed the prickly thought aside, scanning the cramped room until their eyes landed on a small woodaxe. In their hurry to lock the pair away, the search party hadn't bothered to clear the shed.

Tansy trudged over to where the axe lay, freeing their wrists, then carrying the blade over to where Cerus lay and cutting his bonds.

The man still seemed unconscious, though he was shivering uncontrollably, and after a brief moment's hesitation, Tansy sat against the wall and gently pulled Cerus into their arms, wrapping their cloak around his shuddering form and cradling him against their chest. It was likely they'd be in here for a while, and after all they'd already done, they weren't about to let him freeze to death.

Despite his fever-hot skin, Cerus leaned into them as if seeking warmth. His head lolled back onto their shoulder, eyelids fluttering as he uttered a soft groan. Shadow King or not, warmth was warmth, and Tansy made no effort to create a distance between them, instead setting half-numbed fingers to work on removing Cerus's makeshift muzzle.

They could break out of here. It would be fairly easy with the woodaxe handy, but what then? Would they spend the rest of their lives running? Would they even make it out of the village if they were dragging Cerus along? Abandoning him was no longer an option. They'd made their choice, however stupid, and they'd stick with it.

Still, there were better paths than further ruining their own life. They could wait for the Council to arrive, and explain the situation. They could claim it was a misunderstanding, and distance themselves from the Shadow King. Or maybe they could plead for mercy. For reason. Find a better fate for them both.

They'd managed to undo the first clasp on the bridle when there was a voice at the door, muffled and reedy and familiar.

"Tansy?"

They frowned. "Uncle?" Normally, Aldon would be out on the sea at this hour. Had the news already spread to him?

"So it's true."

They felt their heart sink at his tone, shock ringed with stark disbelief. Tansy wasn't particularly close with the old man, but he was the only family they had left.

"Why?" Aldon said, his voice quieting. "Why would you do such a thing?"

Tansy grimaced, fingers moving to the second clasp. All these whys. "If you'd seen him on the dock… if you could see him now, you wouldn't ask me that," they answered.

"Child—"

"He's suffered enough abuse, Uncle. I don't care who he is. I won't stand for it."

There was silence on the other side of the door, and for a moment they wondered if he'd left. Then,

"The men are saying you've allied yourself with him, Tansy," Aldon said, his tone sharpening. "Allied with the Shadow King. I'd thought them mistaken, but now—"

"Would you have me scorn a wounded man?" they cut him off, unable to keep the anger from their voice. "Leave him to die in the cold? I thought we were better than that. I thought we all were better than that."

Aldon sighed, and the door creaked, as if he were leaning on it. "Is there nothing I can say to sway you from this madness?"

Madness. There it was. Spoken insistence that Tansy really had lost all sense when they'd chosen to hold out their hand. "Nothing," they replied. For a moment, they were resolved to speak no more, to end the conversation there if it would only amount to more accusations, but thought better of it, remembering the healing herbs still tucked into their cloak.

"If you have any love for me… if blood means anything, will you bring me some hot water? And…" they swallowed, their head throbbing. "And some willow bark. For the pain."

"For him?"

"For us. Please, Uncle."

Another long silence, filled in with the slight creak of the woodshed walls and the short breaths of the Shadow King.

"I… I will. For your sake, not his."

And then the silence lingered. Tansy let out a sharp, frustrated sigh, and at last opened the final clasp, gently removing the leather from Cerus's tangled dark hair, and pulling the bit from his mouth. As they did, his body gave a little shudder. A reaction to the touch, they thought at first, but then it came again. And again, accompanied by a small gasp. Cerus was… was he crying?

Of all the things he'd done, from his insults to his wary questioning, this was the thing they'd expected the least. This was the thing they knew how to respond to the least. Even with friends in the battalion, most preferred to hide their tears. What were they to do with an enemy?

They opted for silence, shifting slightly beneath the man, hoping he couldn't sense their discomfort.

"I lost," Cerus said after what felt like forever.

"What?" they replied, wondering if the man was in the grip of a fevered dream.

"I l-lost the war," Cerus continued, his voice laced with a tremor. "The victor chooses the fate of the defeated, and the defeated accepts." The end of his sentence was choked out by a cough, but he pushed on. "I failed, and I'll reap the rewards of that failure. It's what is right."

"Is that what you think?" Tansy said.

"It's—" Another cough, punctuated by a whimper. "It's what I know."

Reaping the rewards. Was that why he seemed so numbed to the world? Had he accepted the Council's drawn-out death sentence, and consequently given up on life? They remembered how confused he'd been when they'd started cleaning his wounds, as if it was the last thing he'd expected to happen. Yet he'd gone with them without a fight, willing to bear whatever horrors a stranger decided to drown him in.

 They didn't expect him to continue, but somehow were still unsurprised when he did.

"Th-thought it was a dream," Cerus said. "When I heard the shout to stop. I thought the fever had my mind, I thought, who would say that? Who would do that? Yet here you are. And I still don't know why."

Tansy opened their mouth, the same explanation they'd given a hundred times—to their uncle, to Cerus, and more than anyone else, to themselves—on their tongue, but the Shadow King spoke again before they had a chance.

"I know, I know, you don't want to see more suffering. Then look away. Or close your damned eyes." He let out a bitter laugh. "I lost. A-and I–gnh—I earned my fate."

"You think you deserve it then? All of…" they gestured aimlessly, "...this?"

He was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was even, devoid of the tearful quiver that had gripped it before, replaced with something hollow. 

"Such a funny word," Cerus murmured. "Deserve. Who is to say what anyone deserves? I suppose the decision falls to whoever is in power. Yet seeing as it was these new powers who chose my fate… perhaps I do deserve this."

Before they'd won the war, before they'd watched the guards drag the Shadow King's broken body into the city square, Tansy might've agreed. A man who ruled with fear should be made to feel that fear himself, shouldn't he? Terror, pain, loss. All the things they'd wished on Cerus when their home burned, when they counted their battalion's casualties, when they raised their sword against an undead soldier.

But now that he'd tasted them all, Tansy felt no closure. They only felt tired. Putting Cerus through misery didn't make anything better. Fighting fire with fire only made more fire.

"What if you hadn't lost?" they asked. "What do you think those of us who rose against you are deserving of?"

"Death," Cerus said plainly. Despite the implications, Tansy felt no fear, nor anger, nor even indignation.

"And what would you have done?" they said.

"I would have the rebel leaders and generals executed," Cerus answered with little hesitation. "Leave their corpses hanging as a warning. Foot soldiers and lower ranks would choose to swear an oath of fealty, or follow their leaders into death." Something almost joyful had crept into his voice, and a sick sense of unease crawled into Tansy's gut in response. Cerus had reason to hate his former subjects, especially after the treatment he'd received from them, but that didn't make it any easier to hear him gleefully speak of murdering them. For a moment, they could remember their determination to see Cerus fall.

"I would double the patrols," Cerus continued. "Enforce a curfew. Set up wards to alert me of any future plots. But that would be all." His voice had grown quiet, the hint of joy swiftly fading. "The deaths of the traitors would be swift. I wouldn't—" his voice broke. "I-I wouldn't have…"

The moment passed. Not knowing what else to do, Tansy wrapped their arms around him, letting him clutch feebly at their shirtsleeves as his body shuddered with suppressed sobs. Another surprise. Even now, after all he'd endured, Cerus seemed opposed to torturing his enemies.

A soft knock came at the door, and Tansy looked up to see an earthenware flagon being passed through a gap in the boards that made up the wall. They gingerly removed themselves from behind Cerus to retrieve it. The water within was not hot, but it was warmer than the surrounding air, and they fished out the pouch of herbs, pinching some between their fingers and dropping it into the water to steep.

A finger's length of willow bark followed the flagon, and they took it with a murmured thanks.

"How long are they to keep us locked in here?" Tansy asked, once they'd repositioned themselves.

"The Council will be notified, but you will not walk free before their arrival," their uncle answered.

Would they be kept here in that time? Freezing in this tiny shed? "And when will they arrive?" they asked.

"With luck, they'll garner transport with a mage's circle and be here within a few days," Aldon replied. "But child, the village will not wait."

Dread curled in their stomach at his words. "Will not wait for what?"

The old man took an audible breath before continuing. "You are both to be punished," he said. "Flogged in the square. I tried to reason with them, but people are afraid. They want to show that the Shadow King, and… and any collaborators, are subdued."

Flogged? Tansy forced themself to take a deep breath, a futile effort to ease the curdling in their gut. 

"Tansy?"

"I heard you, Uncle." They closed their eyes, resting the back of their head on the wall. "It's… it'll be alright."

"I will see if I can bring you a meal," Aldon said. "Please… I ask that you think on this in the meantime. How much are you willing to sacrifice for him?"

As the sound of their uncle's footsteps faded, Tansy placed the willow bark between their teeth, chewing anxiously. A public whipping would be both painful and humiliating for them, but for Cerus it may well be a death sentence. The bandages they'd wrapped around his torso the night before had already darkened with blood from the wounds that covered his back. The thought of layering more on top of those…

They couldn't let it happen. There was one thing they could do, one way to shield Cerus, but it wouldn't be pleasant for them.

A rueful smile crept across Tansy's face.

But what's one more sacrifice?

§•§•§

@whumpwillow @rabbitdrabbles @kixngiggles @honeycollectswhump @chiswhumpcorner @whatwhumpcomments , @dont-look-me-in-the-eye , @turn-the-tables-on-them

[hallmark-movie-fanatics]

The Reluctant Royal

Airdate to be determined. Will update when it becomes available, also with official poster.

Philly mechanic Johnny is surprised to learn that his long-lost father is a duke. But the duke isn’t quite what he expected, nor are his growing feelings for the duke’s advisor Prudence.

Starring Andrew Walker and Emilie de Ravin.

[befuddled-calico-whump]

Ooh. On the subject of Cerus and a bad time...

I'd love to see him being found by Tansy in the rain.

"Oh gods, it was him. The Shadow King, the tyrant, trembling before them on the ground. The catalyst of the war, the thief who'd stolen Tansy's family— they wanted to run, forget they'd ever seen him here, but they couldn't bring themselves to turn away.

Because it was clear to them now that the Council had indeed sentenced Cerus to death. A slow, drawn-out death, to be carried out in silence, with no ceremony, no recognition. Tansy doubted the fallen ruler would live through the winter… unless he had help."

from Penumbra: Unless §•§•§•§•§ (rainless version under the cut)

penumbra tag list:

@whumpwillow @rabbitdrabbles @kixngiggles @honeycollectswhump @chiswhumpcorner @whatwhumpcomments , @dont-look-me-in-the-eye , @turn-the-tables-on-them , @pigeonwhumps , @itsmyworld23 , @andromeda-liske , @starlit-hopes-and-dreams , @haro-whumps

whump art tag list:

@kira-the-whump-enthusiast , @whumpsday , @regrets-realization-acceptance , @kixngiggles ,

[raisedbyanother]

Title and Synopsis for Emilie de Ravin's upcoming Hallmark Movie.