#royal blue dining room

[cheeseukeikeu]

Miami Children Inspiration for a large eclectic boy marble floor kids' room remodel with blue walls

[honey-bri-books]

Red White and Royal Blue

[aeristudios]

F.U.C.K.

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: ex!bf Seungcheol x fem!reader

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: angst, smut, small fluff, lovers to exes au, 18+

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 3.1k

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: You've been on and off forever and you couldn't leave him alone if you tried. You have an itch only Seungcheol can scratch.

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: unprotected sex, oral, missionary, riding, praise, dirty talk, creampie, clit stim, multiple orgasms, a bit of overstimulation, Coups is a lover boi, angsty feelings about the relationship

𝐀𝐍: Thank youuuuu @hobeemin & @wongyuseokie for reading this for me and Beezy you are the best hype woman ever <3. Also thank you @aaagustd for making this sexy ass banner 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: 💿 F.U.C.K- Victoria Monet, Dirty Dancer- Orion Sun, Idea 686- Jayla Darden, Strings- iyla, Behind- Woodz, Forgive Me- Chloe x Halle, Art- Tyla, I Could Imagine- Alina Baraz, Good& Plenty- Alex Isley, Masego and Jack Dine, Skin Tight- Ravyn Lenae Steve Lacy, Idea 683- Jayla Darden, Body and Soul- Emotional Oranges and Biig Piig, Butterflies- Tyla, Between Us- Alina Baraz, Nasty- Tinashe, Under The Moon - Alex Isley, Jack Dine (spotify)

It’s complicated. Your Facebook relationship status has been that way for over a year. If someone asked, you wouldn’t know how to define your relationship with Seungcheol. You can’t say you’re just friends when the love is still there, but you can’t stay together longer to just work. Something happens, and you argue and split up. Months, sometimes years, can go by, and you feel like you’ve finally moved on, but all he has to do is call, or you have an itch that needs scratching, and there he is, ready to make it go away.

He stands there in front of you, his dark hair clipped and trimmed perfectly, highlighting the handsome features on his face: his dark, round eyes, high cheekbones, and plump pink lips. He comes dressed in a simple white tee and sweats, with an overnight bag in hand, as he knows he is staying the night. Seungcheol smirked as he walked in, placing a small kiss on your temple. 

“Well, hello to you too,” you say, shutting the door behind you. You watch him take off his shoes, walk into your living room, and admire the view of the city through your picture windows. You just moved into your high-rise condo a couple of months ago, and your job promotion allows you to level up in life and enjoy nice things for once. Your place looks straight out of a movie, with your tastes added. Your favorite color is blue, and you included it in your decor. 

“You kept the couch?” Seungcheol points at the royal blue sectional sofa with matching gold-trimmed throw pillows you bought from your favorite thrift store. “Yes,” you say proudly. “That couch is my pride and joy. We’ve been through a lot together.” Memories about the many times you spent together on the couch, clothed and unclothed, cloud your mind. He chuckles as you sashay to the kitchen, grabbing a bottled water. You offer him one, and he shakes his head, returning his attention to the city's shining lights. He’s been in your life for five years, meeting at a grocery store with both of your hands on the last bag of cherries. He relented, letting you have them in exchange for your number. You didn’t give it to him, hoping that you would see him again. At the time, you just moved to the city, and if you were meant to meet again, you would give him your number. A couple of weeks later, you did when you went to a birthday dinner with your former roommate. His eyes twinkled when you exchanged glances, and you felt like it was fate.  “You did it,” he felicitates you. “You did everything we talked about doing all those years ago. I’m proud of you.”

You would have late nights with him in your shitty old apartment, eating Chinese takeout in bed and talking about your hopes for the future. Seungcheol wanted to have it all: a nice house, cars, and riches beyond his dreams. All you wanted was a good life. You grew up poor, raised by a single mom who worked two jobs to ensure you had a roof over your head. You understood each other in that way, and it worked between you two for a while… until it didn’t.

“You got your high rise before me,” you appear beside him. “What does it feel like, being the top broker in your firm?”

“It’s nice,” he nods. “It keeps me busy.”

You knew that all too well. One of the reasons you broke up was time. His work felt more important than maintaining a relationship with you. You swear if someone called in the middle of the night, he would answer in a heartbeat. It’s not like you aren’t busy; you work on Wall Street. But you still made time to be with him at all important events and when it mattered most. The energy wasn’t reciprocated.

“I see nothing has changed,” you say, taking a swig of your water.

“Yeah,” he mumbles. “I think I am ready for it, though.”

“Are you now?”

“Yeah. There is no point in having all of this if there is no one to share it with, right?”

You didn’t have to say anything back because he was right. What is the point of working hard, making more money than your parents could ever dream of, traveling, and having life experiences without having someone to share them with? It also incredibly frustrates you. Why did it take five years for him to get to this point? The back and forth, blocking each other on all accounts. Was it worth it?

You two are silent, watching the city lights twinkle in the distance. His fingers slip in between yours, pulling you closer to him. Just being near him makes your heart skip several beats. No one like him can melt you just by his touch and presence. Yes, he can irritate you to no end, but he also makes your soul smile.

“I missed you,” he says, gazing at you. 

“I know.” 

You kiss him, the magic stirring in your chest as he returns your feelings; sparks all around you two like fireworks. Your hands explore him fervently, pulling off his shirt and throwing it on your couch. He unhooks your bra, helping you out of your shirt and exposing your breasts. He bites his lip as he palms his growing bulge, the very thought of his lips all over you making you hot.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispers. 

You take his hand and guide him to your bedroom, climbing over your king-size bed. He follows you closely, his index finger sliding up your thigh. It feels electric, having him touch you again after so long. You have tried moving on, going on dates, and having one-night stands here and there. But deep down, those people weren’t him. Seungcheol knows your body, what makes you tick, your boundaries, and what drives you crazy. It’s exhausting trying to find that chemistry with someone else. Too bad you can’t just make it work. 

He slides your shorts and panties off with one hand, your naked body being illuminated by the moonlight. He notices your sheets, trying to hold it in before succumbing to a belly laugh. 

“Cherry sheets? Really?” He says in between breathes.

“Come on now,” you chuckle. “You know I love my little house on the prairie sheets.” “I swear you were born in the wrong generation,” Seungcheol expresses, brushing his thumb across your cheek. “Yeah, maybe,” you muse over his words. “I’m glad I met you in this lifetime, though.” He admires you, his thumb caressing your cheek before he kisses you again. This time, it’s more heartfelt, your bodies hungry for another as each minute passes. His hand travels down to your inner thighs, spreading your legs apart and slowly entering a digit into your wet core. Seungcheol licks his lips, watching your eyes roll back as you unravel his arms. “Shit,” you moan. “Keep doing it just like that.”

“I’m going to do more than that,” he whispers in your ear. 

Seungcheol was already great with his fingers, slipping one more in you as his tongue played in circles on your neck, your sweet-smelling perfume intoxicating to him. He loves the way your brows furrow when he goes deep, your mind focused on nothing else but cumming all over his hand. You play with your clit, drunk on the pleasure he’s giving you, with your wetness pooling onto your sheets. You two are connected in a way, in your own little bubble surrounded by ecstasy.

“Fuck baby,” you pant as pressure builds up in your stomach. “I’m almost there.” He pulls his fingers out of you quickly, snapping you out of your zone, and you whimper in protest. He aggressively pulls down his pants and briefs, revealing his hardened cock already leaking with precum. He slides down to your entrance, his face nose deep in between your legs before he dives in; his tongue attacks your sweet nectar. Sensational couldn't even begin to describe how you feel. He eats you with an enthusiasm that almost makes you laugh despite the deep pleasure he brings you. “You taste better than I remembered,” he mouths. “Cum for me.”

Your body is at its brink, ready to fall, when Seungcheol slips his fingers in, working together with his tongue to make sure you hit that pool of ecstasy. Your hands grip his hair, and your orgasm hits you like cool water on a warm day. You feel him smirk against your thigh, leaving you with lasting, small kisses before lifting his face and revealing your essence on the lower half. You cover your mouth to hold back your giggles, and he rolls his eyes, leaning over and kissing your lips. “I’m not sorry,” you breathe. “You knew what you were doing.”

“You shouldn’t be,” he smirks. “Especially when I’m going to make you do it again.”

Seungcheol lifts your leg, pulling himself back as he rubs his throbbing dick against your entrance. Your eyes grow wide as he taps your sensitive, swollen clit, a mischievous grin on his face. 

“Don’t worry, baby,” he says as if reading your thoughts. “I’m going to start slow.” “You don’t want me to blo—” you start to protest. “No, I’ve waited long enough,” his deep and velvety voice serves as a warning. FUCK.

He enters you inch by inch, stretching you out the way you like, your fingers already gripping the sheets. You look at him through a hazy daze, his focus on burying himself deep inside of you, bringing you a deep satisfaction. You enjoy watching his Adam’s apple shift when he moans, his voice barely audible while he dives into you. You remember the first time you slept together; he had your legs over his shoulder, fucking you long and deep on top of your blue couch at your old place. You both didn’t intend for it to happen that way; you were caught up in the highs of seeing a band you both enjoy, and one thing led to another. His dick is long with a bit of a curve, fitting perfectly like your pussy was molded and made for him. No one has even come close. 

“Give it to me,” you breathe. “Please, I need you bad.” Seungcheol loves it when you beg for it, and he obliges, his thrusts becoming harder, deeper. Maybe it’s because you love him, but he is the sexiest thing you’ve ever seen. The way his hips roll as he snaps into you, watching him come in and out of you with your wetness coating him, turns you on. Your hands grasp his face, your thumb slipping into his mouth as he fucks you silly. You can barely form words in your head, let alone say anything else but “fuck” and “make me cum”. He fucks you in a way that makes you have wet dreams and leaves you with a puddle in your sheets. If he were a Greek god, he would be Eros, the god of love and sex. That’s how bad he has you. “Turn over,” you grit your teeth. You lean up and flip him over, his throbbing cock still inside you as you are on top of him. You let your body take over, riding him while his hands are placed firmly on your breasts. You set the pace, and he follows, a harmonious rhythm between the two of you, your senses heightened to another level. You are on this incredible high, sliding on his shaft while you vigorously play with your clit, ready to cum. “Did you miss this?  He teases you as he grinds harder into you. “Did you miss sitting on this dick until you cum?” You nod fervently, your hand still playing with your clit, and you are ready to explode. 

“Fuck,” he grits his teeth. “I’m close. Let’s come together like we always do.” You erupt, screaming his name while he sloppily pumps into you, his hair sweaty and his succulent lips red from biting. He leans up and kisses you hard, your moans and words of praise swallowed and digested. Whatever you were going to say, he felt it more, your hearts beating in unison powered by your feelings for each other. He talks you through it, helping you come down from your high before he releases his own, spilling into you until he is completely spent. You’ve been on birth control for years, and Seungcheol is the only person you’ve let hit without a condom. It just feels so right with him. You roll off of him, collapsing on your pillow as you try and catch your breath. His breathing is relaxed, and when you gaze at him, his eyes are closed, already half asleep. You attempt to get out of bed, but he grabs your arm, pulling you close to him. 

“Stay,” he kisses your shoulder. “I sleep better when you’re with me.” 

You can’t deny him when he is in this state, pulling on your heartstrings like that. 

“Fine, you win,” you say without much effort. 

Glancing at the time, it’s after 12, and fatigue finally hits you at least. Snuggling into him, you fall into a deep sleep, but not before admitting that you still love him and would do anything for him. 

The sunlight is not kind as it peers through your windows and wakes you up a little after 9. You had forgotten to draw the curtains before you fell asleep, but you didn’t have much energy left after the night you had. You woke him up after three, sucking his cock until he exploded down your throat, and he returned the favor by eating you out until you were ripe from overstimulation. You made such a mess that you had to change your sheets and listen to him teasing you about your “old lady” sheets. Whatever, you liked them.

You rolled over, and Seungcheol was already awake, scrolling through his phone. He notices you and kisses your forehead before removing your blanket and smacking your ass.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he says, leaning back against the headboard.

You chuckle as you get out of bed, grab your silk robe, and walk into the bathroom. You feel sore; last night’s shenanigans are indeed catching up with you. You just want to lay in bed and relax, but you have this nagging feeling in your stomach. You could brush it off and deal with it later, but knowing you, you will overthink, turning it into something it's not. You have to know how he feels.

Finishing up in the bathroom, you leave to find him setting orange juice on your nightstand with a couple of ibuprofen. He is only dressed in his sweats and nothing underneath, your center aching for him despite the tenderness you feel.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, reading your look. You have never had a good poker face.

You sit down on the bed, take your two pills, and wash them down with orange juice. You allow yourself to get your thoughts in order. You're unsure what to say, but you know the conversation needs to be had.

“What are we doing?” you blurt out. “I love you, and you never stopped loving me. Why can’t we just get it right?”

The silence is too deafening for your liking. It would be like you to tear the band-aid off first thing in the morning. But you hate being in the dark, not knowing what the future will hold. You’re not saying that you have to jump the broom, but you have to know if there’s any chance he feels the same way you do.

“I-I-m sorry,” you shake your head. “I shouldn’t have sprung that on you first thing in the morning. Forget I said anything.” 

You attempt to leave the room before Seungcheol catches your arm and motions for you to sit down. Grudgingly, you do, sitting on your ottoman and facing him. “You didn’t even give me a chance to respond,” he complains. “You can’t always assume how I feel is something bad. Give me a chance.” You nod, knowing deep down he is right. “You are right,” He admits. “I love you, and this song and dance we’ve been doing for years is tired. I came to you last night because I missed you and I need you. You’re the only one in my life who has always kept it straight with me, even when you get on my nerves.” You smirk at his comment, knowing it’s true. “But we have also been apart for a long time, and as much as I want to jump back into our usual routine, I recognize we have grown up a bit and need to get to know each other as our different selves.” You nod slowly, mulling over his words, unsure what to say. “I also don’t want to see anyone else,” he breathes. “You are the only person I want to see, to do this with.” He points at the sheets, and you roll your eyes. It would be like him to somehow bridge it back to sex. 

“So…” your voice trails off. “What are we then? We are more than friends but not together? I don’t understand.” “I want to be with you,” he grabs your hands. “If we fight and storm off to our houses, I’d rather it be that then we break up and don’t talk for months at a time. I hate that.” You nod, finally understanding what he is saying. He is scared of the future, just like you are. But in this life, you would rather go through it with him than anyone else. You have too much time and feelings just to throw it away. “Maybe we can try talking to someone about it this time around?” You say. “A therapist or something? I want to be with you, and maybe working through our issues to understand each other better sometimes is what we need.” “Yeah, I’m open to that.” He hugs you, embracing you tightly before leaving sweet kisses on your face. You are deathly ticklish, and he knows it. He moves his kisses elsewhere until you find yourself in your bed, his body towering over yours. He leaves you one more kiss on your lips before laying his head on your chest. “We’re going to be okay,” he whispers.

You look down and smile, caressing the dark stresses in his hair.

“Yeah. We will be.”

[cherryite]

overthrown - part 1. the twins

summary. tragedy strikes your home, a prophecy leading you to the viltrum empire where you encounter people who you are bound to by fate. (word count. 4.3k)

content. princess!reader x prince!mark, fem!reader, strangers to lovers, slow burn, angst, hurt/comfort, fantasy au, saving the world, war time activities, found family

warnings. MDNI!!, depictions of violence, blood and injuries, loss of family, grief, rex being a dickhead lowk, survivors guilt, eventual smut (not until the last part hehe)

author's note. well.... you know how i said this may take a bit to come out? here it is because i'm crazy apparently. the content tag and the warnings tag will get things added to it as the story progresses, just to keep certain things a secret mwahahah >:) once again if you have any questions feel free to ask! i also LOVE reading comments so dont be afraid!

next

plot/ world info character index

“Your Highness, the castle walls have been breached.” 

The sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the large and extravagant dining hall. Glass and blood red wine from the king's cup lay scattered across the stone floors. The royal family had been enjoying their usual late night dinner when the member of their royal guard burst in with the news. A panicked soldier stood at the large, wooden oak doors of the hall, breathing heavily. The royal family of Ephia, a kingdom in the realm most respected, sat stock still. The younger twin of the king and queen glanced at his parents, soup dribbling from his lips from the dinner they were enjoying just a second before, suddenly upright. 

The eldest daughter, you, sat silently, stroking a small white feline, orange patches coating its fur. Your eyes showed the emotions stirring within; panic. After the fall of the Grand Duchy of Durna and the most recent fall of Kaltia, the Dark God’s army had laid in wait. They had been driven to the outskirts of the realm a few months ago, and had been quiet… until recently. In the past few weeks, there had been reports of the Dark God’s people slinking around the border between Ephia and Kaltia, and it was even rumored that they were plotting to take over the northern border between Ephia’s own kingdom and the Viltrum Empire. Thought no one had thought the supposed invasion would become a reality; until now. 

As the  heir to the throne, you  knew how stressed your parents had been as of late, as evidence of the upcoming attack piled up. They had been preparing battle strategies and possible outcomes of this possible war day and night. They rarely got more than four hours of sleep, and it worried the staff and their children, who were worried their parents were working themselves to the bone. Eventually, the king stood with determination in his eyes as his queen rose beside him. She worriedly set her aging hand on the soft fabric of his cloak that covered his broad shoulders. 

“Malchor, what do we do?” She questioned in a hushed tone, her eyes flickering between her husband and the palace soldier. You stayed glued to your seat, continuing to stroke the cat’s back that sat in your lap. It seemed as if it calmed you, running your delicate hands through the animal's long, fluffy pelt in a way made you more mellow. The king didn't even seem to think about what to do next. He turned to his wife, a serious look on his face. 

“Take the children, you must get out of Ephia, it's no longer safe for you. Go to Viltrum, the High Queen will ensure your safety,” the queen shook her head, loose strands of her hair, tinged with grey fell on her face. A tense aura filled the room. You rose from you seat, still grasping the cat in your arms. Your face was solemn, knowing what had to be done. The blue dress you were wearing swept at your ankles as you strode to your mother, resting a hand on the older woman's shoulder.

“Mama, we have to go,” You soothed in an attempt to convince your mother to do as your father instructed. This would be proven difficult, knowing your mother was a stubborn woman and wouldn't back down. As the princess, you would have to take the situation into your own hands if you wished to keep your family alive and away from the Dark God's forces for as long as possible. You notice your younger twin run off, most likely, to grab his traveling cloak and his sword. Not that he really needed such a thing, as he could wield his magic instead. Your parents continued to bicker between themselves about the situation they were in. Your eyes landed back on the palace guard, who was looking even more fussy as they continued with their battle of words. 

You inaudibly scuttered over to the young man as your parents continued to dispute. He seemed to sputter at the sight of a royal family member before him, as he was about to bow, but you stopped him. You crossed the room quickly, your movements soundless. 

“Go,” you instructed the guard in hushed tones. “Find the staff. Ensure their safety. Then return for us.”

As you  turned from the guard, who was now leaving, you saw the athletic build of your brother come running back as he carried his cloak as well as yours and your mother’s.

Aaric threw his cloak over his shoulders, clasping the metal clamp into place. You stiffened, watching as your brother slipped your Mother’s elegant shawl over her now quaking body. You couldn’t bear to stay still, almost as if you had just taken a shot of the fresh brew your family stored in the cellar. Shuffling over quickly, you neared your family mutely, turning to your father.

“I’ll look after them,” you spoke softly, as if someone else was listening. Your father’s normally hard eyes were soft, like the mashed potatoes that lay abandoned on their dinner plates. The weight of his hands resting on your shoulders was comforting. You two weren’t the closest, never truly got along. Now you both stared at each other, a mutual understanding bringing you close for the first and last time. Your eyes started to well with tears as you forced out the word that hung on your tongue. 

“I will avenge the crown.”

The old king, your father, nodded stiffly, his own eyes brimming with regret. He released your  shaking shoulders, chastely planting a rough kiss to the side of his wife’s temple, while his rough hands ruffled his son’s head of ragged hair. You turned, the spotted cat gently brushing at your feet. Your heart pounded, eyes fixated on the wood doors instead of your mother’s gut wrenching wails. How long did they have, how long ‘til it was too late, how long ‘til you all were doomed to expire instead of just one of you? Pulled from your thoughts, your brother’s comforting hand slid into yours. His other hand firmly grasped the withered and taunt hands of your mother. The cat nimbly leaped into your other arm, as you started out the door, not looking back, ignoring your mother’s shrieks to her husband. You silently hoped one day you could love someone like that, love so fiercely.

The guard from earlier had returned and escorted them throughout the winding halls of the castle, passing rushing cooks and handmaids who were gathering their things in sheer hysteria. You could hear your heart beating, but almost nothing else. Your family's worst fears had happened, your most ghastly of dreams couldn’t even come close to competing with this. A rumble shook the castle, arousing shrill cries and screams from staff and your family behind you.

“Quickly! We must get to the stables before-,” the guard manages out, his voice choking, before he screams and you can feel the pressure of his hand on your back, shoving you forward. The crashing of stone, of terrified screams ring through the halls. Your knees and hands collide with the ground. Blood rushes from your hands, the skin of your palms and kneecaps burning. A sharp and distasteful scent washes over you as you raise your head wearily. The walls of the castle are crumbling around you, ancient brick exploding as a ball of what she can only assume to be dark magic, comes crashing through the structure where you had grown up. You know you need to get up. Stumbling to your feet, you swivel, the fabric of your dress skims the cuts on your knees. You note how it stings. It doesn’t hurt nearly as much as the scene before you. The air exploded with dust and rubble. One moment, your family was just feet away. Now, only broken stone and swirling darkness stood between you. Their voices pierced the chaos.

“Mama! Aaric!”

Your scream tore through your throat, raw and desperate. On the other side of the fallen wall, muffled cries of horror and frantic spells crackled in the air, the unmistakable hum of Aaric’s magic battling the unseen enemy. Smoke stung your lungs. You clawed at the debris, but the stones would not move. You were trapped, separated. Alone.

“No, no, no!” Your fingers bled against the jagged stone. You could still hear them, still feel them so close.

A weak cough pulled your attention. A few feet away, the guard lay, half of his body crushed under the rubble. Still in a panic, You rushed over to his side, grasping his hand with horrified eyes. His grip was weak, the coarse skin of his hand brushed your cuts. The guard’s lips opened, blood was smeared across his white teeth and dripping out the corner of his mouth, words tumbling out of his throat like the stones that crushed his spine. 

“Get to… the Viltrum Empire, it’s your only chance, they’re expecting you. You can’t wait, go,” he urges with as much force as his dying body willed him to. His eyes glazed over and lolled back into his head, and the last words he spoke died on his lips with him. The blood seeped into your dress, staining the fine linens more than they already were. The breath from your lungs rattled out as you leapt to your feet, mind a mess of panic and determination. Bodies shouldn’t be scary to you anymore. The cat sat a few feet in front of you as you stumbled forward. It seemed to be nursing a hurt paw, watching the scene without much worry. Scooping up the cat, you ran, your skirts nearly tripping you as you bolted to the stables. Tears stung your eyes, pain throbbed throughout your body. Your life was crumbling around you, and you weren't sure you were going to make it out alive. 

With the stables in view, you scampered to your riding horse. Castle staff were running around, not sure what to do, unsure of what was happening. You reached for the reigns of the dark horse, pulling yourself and the cat up onto the beast. The ebony creature took off as soon as you found yourself in the seat, silently begging the horse to go faster. You burst through the stables into the murky air. A metallic smell hit your nose, causing it to wrinkle with disgust. Blood. 

The horse's hooves thundered against the ground as it sprinted from the siege, its nostrils flared and puffing out hot air. In a moment of clarity, you turned your head to stare at your home. Fires were raging from the towers, the beautiful tapestries and garlands that collected around the castle's walls had begun burning, a dark smoke rising from the carnage. Magic was flying everywhere, tearing down the stone brick fortress slowly. The air was lit up by the purple shine of spells. It would have been beautiful if under different circumstances. 

Loose strands of your stuck to your face like glue, tears clearing the dirt and grime from your face. Your people cried in the distance as you retreated. A sob dropped from your mouth, eyes screwed shut in pain, your heart aching. You thought of your mother, your brother, your father. Trapped behind the rubble. Fighting. Dying. Stuck in the crumbling walls of the castle your family had cherished. You had run, you left them all. And what for? You couldn’t lead, that was your father’s job, not yours. 

Your sobs became broken, as your horse continued on at a fast pace. You brought your eyes forward, staring into the night, your surroundings blurred by tears. The guard's words hung in your mind. ‘It’s your only chance, they’re expecting you.’ Your grip tightened on the reins, your shoulder moving up hastily to dry your tears, the soft silk of your dress providing you comfort. A labored breath escaped your lips, wetting your lips with the tears that soaked your face. The night air stung your face. Only one thought was on your mind though. 

‘I will avenge the crown.’

~

Mark traverses the halls of the castle he knows so well he could walk them blindfolded, every step falling into rhythm with the memories etched into the stone. William, his best friend and gentleman-in-waiting, walks beside him as they near the war room. The air hums with the quiet bustle of attendants, their hurried steps echoing through the grand corridors. Golden sunlight filters through the stained glass above, dappling the polished marble in shifting hues of ruby, emerald, and sapphire. Servants weave between one another, their arms burdened with silken drapes and gilded chairs, still making accommodations for the excess of heirs now housed within these ancient walls.

Mark doesn’t like admitting he’s nervous, but he is. He twists a house emblem ring around his finger absentmindedly. The cool metal grounds his thoughts, his mind drifting to the oracle visiting him late in the night not even a fortnight ago in his chambers. A faceless being, a shadow physical form, its essence swirling with constellations of sapphire and midnight, had woken him from the fragile grasp of sleep. Its voice, layered like a chorus from beyond the veil, had unraveled a prophecy before him; a warning veiled in the form of a poem.

" when shadows stretch across the skies,

and darkness wakes with heavy sighs,

five souls shall rise from distant lands,

to hold the fate within their hands.

through trials deep and hearts undone,

their unity will see the sun.

if they should fail, the world will fall,

but if they stand, they’ll conquer all.

the dawn shall break, the dark shall cease,

and light return, bringing peace."

He half thought he was dreaming, until the formless being started listing heirs, the remaining living generation who was next to ascend their thrones. After calling a small council meeting and explaining the figure that spoke to him the night before, his mother’s brows pinched together and Cecil, the hand of the Queen, immediately got to work on locating the heirs Mark had recounted. And so, as if the looming threat of the Dark God’s army and the volatile magic crackling through his veins were not enough of a burden, Mark now had to grapple with the knowledge that destiny had marked him to either save or fail the world as they knew it. Fantastic.

Mark’s eyes fall to his feet as he and William approach the war room, his brown eyes flickering down to the dark material of his slacks. The heavy sword still sheathed at his side from training earlier. Even after training, the remnants of magic thrum beneath his skin, simmering in the aftermath of exertion.

William turns to look at him out of the corner of his eye. “You know, people get nervous when they see the crown prince of the Viltrum Empire just as nervous as they are,” he chides, his voice a mix of wry amusement and vague concern, a smile on his lips. Mark exhales sharply, turning his head to level his friend with a weak glare that borders on a pout.

“My people can’t see me right now, I can be nervous,” he breathes out, his hand clasping against the cool hilt of his sword, Steelsworn, as his fingers drum against it. William studies him again, pieces of his sandy blonde hair falling over his forehead.

“Just take a breath. How hard can it be to tell a princess who just lost her home and family that she’s now a part of a prophecy to save the world.” 

Mark groans, his hand fragging down his face in frustration. 

“You are not helping right now in the slightest,” he mumbles, turning to weakly glare at William, who just shrugs his shoulders, gesturing for the prince to enter the war room.

“Whatever you say your Highness,” he responds as Mark places his hands on the large, carved wooden doors.

Inside, the grand round table is already occupied. Princess Eve sits poised, sharp eyed and composed, while Prince Rex lounges back in his chair with infuriating ease, balancing on the back two legs as if he hadn’t a care in the world. His tunic hangs open, baring tanned skin that gleams in the torchlight, his posture more befitting of a tavern rogue than a royal. Across from him, Princess Rae fidgets with the green lace at the hem of her sleeves, absently adjusting the round spectacles perched on her nose. The bickering has already begun.

Mark can already feel his blood pressure rising as he sits at the far end of the table, William standing close by as he hears the prince of Troylos yapping loudly. Mark can’t help but roll his eyes unceremoniously.

“Do we really need nameplates?” Rex scoffs, “I think I know all your names by now after dining with you lovely lot for the past week. Shouldn’t we spend our efforts on saving the Realm or something,” Rex chucks the yellowed, triangle of parchment over his shoulder that had his name printed on it. Eve rolls her eyes next to him, throwing an annoyed look his way. 

“Are you thick in the head? The princess of Ephia has never met you-”

“At least I hope she hasn’t,” Rae pipes up beside her, pushing her round glasses up her nose. 

“Well maybe she should have done her research on the way here,” Rex shrugs his shoulders, paying no mind to the words of the women beside him. Mark tries to ignore the fact that the prince is completely unsympathetic to the fact that you had just lost everything you’ve ever known, not even mentioning you are wholly unaware of how your fate is intertwined with the rest of theirs. Mark’s hands fold in front of him, his elbows resting on the wood table as he thinks, tuning out the bickering between Eve and Rex, his deep brown eyes locked on the tapers that flickered in the center of the table. 

Even though he’s never met you, he knows just a fraction of what you’re feeling. When his father died, the world as he knew it shattered. Suddenly he couldn’t dilly dally with WIlliam all day, couldn’t train whenever he pleased; he had to help his mother, strong in her grief as she managed leading the Empire, taking care of the realm. 

He remembers the small council meeting after the siege on Grayson’s Stronghold, the one that resulted in the death of his father, High King Nolan, First of His Name, Uniter of the Realm, the God’s Born, where his mother, in all her grief stood at the head of the table with her head held high. Her posture was tall and regal, immediately diving into the actions that should be taken promptly in the wake of her husband's death, planning with Cecil until dawn broke over the horizon. And with the new knowledge of the prophecy, it just made his life that much harder.

The grand doors push open, pulling Mark from his thoughts. He immediately rises at the sight of his mother. Queen Debbie, regal and unyielding, carries herself with effortless authority. A delicate crown encircles her head, her hair twisted into an elegant updo, her deep purple gown pooling like liquid night around her feet. But it is the figure beside her that draws his gaze.

 Mark’s eyes coming face to face with the princess of Ephia. 

He takes in your appearance, he’s only ever seen paintings when you were a child or heard about you from his mother. Debbie and your mother Shallan were apparently quite close, queens of neighboring kingdoms and such. He remembers seeing them walking the halls of the castle when he was only knee high, giggling between themselves. Now, before him, you are no longer a figure in a story but a presence in your own right.

Your hair is loose over your shoulders, midnight blue silks drape your form, the off-the-shoulder design baring the elegant slope of your collarbones. The fabric moves like water, rippling with each step, darker threads woven throughout like veins of glittering night sky. There’s something haunting about you, it sucks the air from his lungs, seizes his heart. An unexpected vulnerability tugs at Mark, like the room has suddenly become too small for him to occupy without being painfully aware of her every movement. A beautiful princess, plagued with guilt, walking into a room where they meant to tell her that her whole life was about to change again in the span of only a week. 

The Hand of The Queen, Cecil Stedman walks in neutrally from behind them. He nods to you and Debbie as he passes, greeting you both in a hushed tone,”Your Majesty. Your Highness.”

He is barely seated at the grand table, Cecil is quick to speak as soon as he lowers himself into the chair, his voice measured, professional. "Now that everyone is here, we can begin."

He does not waste time. The prophecy is repeated, each word like a stone added to the growing pile of burdens resting on your shoulders, it suffocates you. The flickering candlelight catches in your eyes, but you remain silent, attempting to absorb it all without interruption. Words are thrown out, so many people speaking, you hardly even twitch when you hear the Queen’s hand speak of their next steps. 

“What we need is action, especially in light of recent events in Ephia. Each of you has a role to play in this, and we do not have the luxury of hesitation.” The older man lays out maps, highlighting weak points in borders, battle routes, and other important information your brain struggles to decipher.

“Thankfully, you lot are some of the most powerful magic users in the Realm-,” Cecil continues on plainly, starting to speak again before a quiet voice interrupts him.

“What are you talking about?” Your words are hoarse, tired eyes going over to Mark in confusion. Debbie tenses beside you, her frail hand moving to rest on your arm as Mark searches your face from beside his mother. 

“With all due respect your Highness, maybe you should pay attention better,” Rex responds, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. Your eyebrows furrow, shaking your head and Mark nearly tells him to stop being an ass for once, holding his tongue so as to not add to the tension of the moment.

“I am listening, I just-,” you pause, turning to look at Cecil, who is staring at you with expectant patience, his eyebrow raised as he fiddles with the corner of some browning parchment paper. 

“Princess, now is not the time to be humble, just accept the compliment please. We have a lot of issues to tackle right now.” Cecil pinches the bridge of his nose. You stand suddenly, your hands slamming on the table, your eyes frantic, brimming with grief.

“Would you please just listen to me!” She cries out, staring down the old man, who sits partially shocked at her outburst shaking his head. Everyone shifts at the table uncomfortably, tension hangs thick in the air. Your breathing is coming out in ragged gulps  and Mark can tell you’re trying to control your breathing.

The room is so quiet Mark almost thinks he can hear the way the fire wicks at the tapers.

“Aaric,” you whimper out, your voice cracking, Debbie rises to grip at your shoulders because you are starting to look faint, swaying at your upright position. Eve furrows her eyebrows in concern at the scene playing out in front of her, throwing a glance at Rae, who shares a similar expression.

“Aaric, my twin, he’s the magic user.” 

Cecil stares at you, cogs turning in his head, he turns to Mark as you continue to puff out heavy breaths. Debbie, in all her queenly glory, soothes you in a hushed voice, but it doesn’t seem to get through, “I-I’m not, I’ve never been able to use magic, I can hardly manage to use a sword half the time.” Your voice echoes in the quiet hall, hardly keeping your composure. 

“You got the wrong twin.”

Mark stands as well, the movement of his chair scraping against the stone floors. He tries to catch your gaze, but your eyes remain fixed on the cool wood of the table beneath your fingertips, as if grounding yourself in its solidity will steady your emotions.

“The oracle said your name, not your brother’s,” he says, voice low, careful, as if speaking too harshly will shatter you completely. “I heard it myself.” You shake your head, staring down at your hands and their place on the table below. 

“Aaric,” you choke back a sob in your throat, thick and suffocating, “Aaric is the strong one. Aaric should be here.” Your knees buckle, the strength leaving your body in a sudden wave. You fold inward, collapsing under the unbearable weight of your loss. Like a baby deer learning to walk, your legs betray you, wobbling and weak. But unlike a newborn, this isn’t something you’ll grow out of, this is something you must learn to live with. Because Aaric is gone, along with your mother and father, bound to forever rest in the ruins of your old life.

The queen steadies you, her embrace warm and comforting, motherly, your grief stricken cry continuing to bounce off the old stone walls. “Oh Gods, it should have been me. My baby brother, my Aaric, oh Gods. He should be here right now.” The words tear from you, raw, broken, each word dripping with anguish.

Mark now realizes the impact the news has on you, the news of your destiny; because it doesn’t involve your brother. He watches closely as Debbie leans down to speak to Cecil, her hands still cradling your form as you gasp for air. The Queen’s Hand can only nod in understanding. Mark’s mother nods to him, before leading your shaking figure out of the war room, the oak door swings shut, and your wails echo in Mark's head long after the meeting is over.

[minju4won]

into your soul pt2

WORD ACCOUNT 11k

PAIRING: prince niki x lady y/n

WARNING: arranged married, bridgerton au, smut, oral (f receiving), jelaousy.

SYPNOSIS suddenly, your life had been ruined from one moment to the next. after several arguments, you were going to marry Prince Ni-ki, the queen's youngest son. how were you going to deal with this?

author note: finally part two haha it has cost me the truth is that I had exams :( (I have failed them all) anyway enjoy:) also my next works are going to do a ceojay x single mother and one of sunghoon from house do the dragon au although I don’t know which one to upload first hehe.

it’s not corrected! sorry for the spelling mistakes

tl: @firstclassjaylee

a month has passed. a month since you married ni-ki and became a member of the royal family. surprisingly, you hadn't had such a bad time, you hadn't done anything and you had a boring time on your "honeymoon".

but at least you hadn't seen your husband.

sometimes you wondered what ni-ki was doing that you didn't see, you asked the guards and maids but they didn't answer. or ni-ki was not in the palace, or he was in his quarters.

you were grateful for the space he was giving you, but talking all day with your maids was exhausting.

you looked in the mirror and saw the dress. since you had married the prince you have dresses that you had never seen, at first it was strange to see you with it, but as time passed, you had gotten used to it.

the dress was blue with a little gold around it, the shoulders were bare and a little pompous.

you left your room and went downstairs to get closer to the dining room. you came in and looked around, just as you expected, your husband was not there. you didn't know whether to be happy or sorry.

you sat down and started eating. you could dislike your new life, but you couldn't deny that you loved jewellery and food. it's something you had a hard time accepting, since you didn't want all that luxury to close your eyes, but it was inevitable that you didn't like it.

“your grace” a voice after you said. you heard how his steps were approaching you. “prince ni-ki is here?”

you smile. “i do not know where is he, but you can wait for him here”

the man shook his head nervously. "that is inappropriate, your grace"

“we are not alone, lord key. please, get him a chair” the guards listened to you and immediately did what you said.

you saw how he sat metres away from you, with discomfort.

“tell me, lord, why are you looking for my husband?” you watched him carefully. it was clearly seen that the lord was new in his title, he moved with discomfort and even stuttered.

at first you thought it was because of your invitation, but the lord seemed too young to have years with the title. you assumed he was five years older than you. it was impossible.

“it is something private, your grace”

“i understand” you said, releasing the spoon in anger. “i am very sorry if my invitation bothered you, i just feel a little lonely these days”

the man looked at you with a frown. “but the prince ni-ki?"

you sighed when you heard it. “i need to talk to more people than my husband, lord”

“but you just got married”

“does that matter?” you murmured.

you took the cutlery again and started eating. you tried to enjoy his company, but noticing how the man looked at you sideways was not very comfortable.

“your grace” said the man getting up while bowing. you squeezed the spoon hard, you didn't want to get nervous because of his presence.

“y-your grace invited me to wait for you with h-her”

“accompany him to my office” he ordered while ignoring him to take the chair that the lord was using and put it next to you.

you looked away and put it on the lord, he made several bows while he was leaving, clearly uncomfortable. you couldn't feel anything but pity.

“explain”

you stared at him and you frowned.

“excuse me?”

“why is my wife alone with a lord?”

you rested your back on the back of the chair. what was he talking about? you weren't even alone, the butlers were inside.

“you disappear for a month and the first thing you say is this?”

you saw how ni-ki rested his elbow on the table and touched his temple. you couldn’t believe what you were listening to. he had left you alone, he didn’t even show himself and the first thing he does is ask you why you were in company with someone else.

“i gave you space”

“well, thank you” you said sarcastically.

“i do not know what you want from me” he said touching his hair with anger. “you tell me that this marriage ruined your life, you say that i am a monster. i give you space so that you do not feel uncomfortable for me and the first thing i see is that you are with a man in our dining room”

“you do not understand! i felt alone this last month. you know i did not want this life, i did not want to be a princess. you knew it and the first thing you did was leave me alone. i can not go for a walk, i can not go to the park, i can not go to the dressmaker. i can not do anything i could do before! just being locked in this stupid palace”

you got up from the chair with anger. you looked at Ni-ki’s face. expressionless as always.

sometimes he asked you what was going on in his head. he showed you the worst book you could read, after this he disappeared and he appeared again to ask you the stupidest thing in the world.

yes, you knew that you couldn’t be alone with a man who is not your husband, since it could be treated as infidelity. but your marriage with the prince didn’t even exist after having ignored you for a month.

“if i was chatting with that man it was because i had no choice but to have his company so as not to feel alone” you finished leaving the dining room.

after that little discussion, the days had passed and you had never seen him again. after hearing your complaints, ni-ki disappeared again, caring little.

you didn’t even know how to feel anymore. the only one you had spent time with, ignored you with a bow while running to your husband’s office.

but you didn’t care, your older sister had visited you several times in a row, you hadn’t enjoyed her company and your nephews for a long time.

it reminded you of the old days.

“you should have a party in your palace” you watched how your sister fixed her daughter’s dress before letting her play. sometimes you wondered how you were going to have children with ni-ki. no, you wouldn’t have children with him, you were never going to do that. “your honeymoon is over”

“i know” you said touching your dress nervously. “you will help me organise it, right?”

“of course. mom can help us too”

“if mom helps us, she will choose everything in her own way”

you heard your sister’s laugh, you laughed under your breath when you heard her.

“and how is your marriage going, y/n?”

you looked at her sideways. you didn’t even know what to say.

“what do you mean?”

“your grace does treat you well? are you getting along properly?”

you made a grimace when you heard it. well, if you were honest, ni-ki had treated you better than you expected. despite having disappeared for a month, he had given you space. if it had been another man would have been worse.

“mom has told you to interrogate me?”

“i only worry about my sister”

“ni-ki treats me well. despite having been forced everything is fine between both of us”

“are you sure? the prince looks cold”

because he is cold and distant, you wanted to answer, but you kept quiet. no one should know your relationship with the prince.

“he is fine” you said to get up and get closer to your nephews.

even though you loved them, you wished your sister had never married. that everything was like the old days. that they were a girl agains.

you knew that was impossible, but if you could only come back one day you would be more than happy.

“your grace” you heard behind your back. “prince ni-ki requires your presence in his office”

you stroked your nephew’s cheek while you let out a sigh.

“you should bring me my nephews more often. i want to spend time with them” you approached your sister and hugged her “i will call you to help me”

“of course, y/n”

“please, fix the carriage for my sister and my nephews”

you looked at your sister for the last time and started walking inside the palace. you went up the stairs and saw the door of her office in the background.

you approached slowly and looked at the door nervously. what had he called you for?

you knocked on the door and opened it. you could see ni-ki with his glasses, looking at some papers.

you looked at the office and were surprised by how pretty it was. it was full of books and it was a white colour with blue flashes.

you approached ni-ki and stood in front of him. he didn’t even look up to see you enter, you tried not to roll your eyes.

“your grace”

you looked at how he fully ignored you, wrote on some papers and didn’t look up.

you decided to wait in case he had the decency to look at you and listen to you. but he didn’t.

“your grace?”

you heard how he sighed and pointed out several more things.

you closed your eyes with anger. is that why he had called you? so you’re watching him? he was a monster and a narcissist.

“ni-ki!” you shouted under your breath. when the aforementioned heard you, he looked at you instantly. you frowned when you noticed his gaze and looked down.

you closed your eyes tightly when you remembered that you were not only talking to your husband, but also to a prince. you heard the chair squeak and opened your eyes, but without looking up.

“look at me” he said posing next to you. you looked at the floor nervously.

you had never called him by his name. how could you? after all, he was your husband, you had to respect him.

“we are going to the theatre tonight” you looked at him with a frown.

“do you want to go to the theatre?” you asked confused. he nodded with nervousness. “have you ever been to a theatre?”

you saw how your husband swallowed saliva and looked away from you. you couldn’t help but smile when you saw his uncomfortable face.

“what were you doing when you were little then?”

the prince looked at you with a face that you couldn’t decipher.

“i played with my brothers” he murmured.

you smiled and you bit your lip when you heard it, you were excited to go to the theatre. when you were little, you always went to the theatre with your sisters. you loved to see how they performed, you loved to see the dancers dance ballet, you always wanted to be one of them.

your mother, seeing your enthusiasm, made it clear to you that you couldn’t be one of them, so you just settled for going every weekend to see them.

you were excited because you were going to see the prince what you felt, you wanted to share the love you had for the theatre with someone.

“i will go get ready” you turned around and started running excitedly to the exit.

ni-ki watched as you closed the door without a sound, despite your emotion. the prince didn’t know because suddenly his heart had softened when he saw your smile.

ni-ki closed his eyes as he approached the door to go to his room. you should smile more.

you squeezed your husband’s arm nervously when you saw everyone looking at you. it was the first time they appeared in public since their wedding party.

the times you went to the theatre, people casually ignored you. the only ones who talked to you were your friend or the men who wanted to ask for your hand.

but you weren’t the only one, you could hear ni-ki’s agitated breaths. despite having his expressionless face all the time, if you looked closely at him, you could see how he hid his emotions.

“your grace, we did not expect your visit tonight.”

ni-ki looked at the group of men who landed on his way. you could remember some of their faces, some of them had tried to conquer you months ago. and now you’re his princess.

“i wanted to spend time with my wife outside our palace”

suddenly, all eyes fell on you. you moved uncomfortably and smiled.

“lords.”

“you are as pretty as ever, princess y/n.” you pressed your lips with discomfort and looked at your husband, who was already looking at you. you looked away quickly and bit the inside of your lip. “it is an honour to have the princes in the theatre”

“it is a honor for us too” ni-ki replied. “with your permission”

ni-ki and you walked away from the group and went up the stairs. you felt everyone’s eyes on your back. you were definitely never going to get used to the attention.

once they arrived upstairs, they both approached the terrace and sat down. it was just a terrace for both of them. you bit your lip with nerves.

you looked down in case you saw a familiar face. you could only see lady canella with her daughter. ugh.

“are you excited, your grace?” you said turning to ni-ki. the prince looked at you strangely. “we will see one of the most prestigious works in the country”

“have you already seen it?” you shook your head.

“i never had the opportunity” you looked at the stage and you could see how the actors went up. “i can explain to you what it is about”

you smiled at the end of your sentence and looked at him. you could see a small smile on his lips and how he clenched his fist.

“please”

suddenly, they turned off several lights, almost in the dark. a warning that the play was about to begin. you made a grimace and looked at ni-ki, it was impossible to explain the play out loud, they would bother others.

you crossed your legs and looked ahead, you listened carefully to what the presenter said, who was presenting the protagonists.

you let out a choked scream when you noticed how you moved to your left. you turned around and you could see the prince a few metres from you.

you were too close. very close for your taste, but surprisingly, it didn’t make you uncomfortable, not either his closeness, nor did it bother you how the prince looked down at your lips. and it didn’t surprise you either as you did.

“your grace?” you said looking up him.

“please” your husband said, with a hoarse voice.

you held your breath when you heard it. you had never felt this way with someone, least of all with the prince, whom you hated a few days ago.

you feel weird. it was the first time you felt that, it was uncomfortable and strange.

“it is about love” you said looking away and put it on the dancers.

“about love?” you could feel his gaze sticking in your profile. you looked at him and saw that he had raised his eyebrows.

you bit your lip when you saw it. what was happening to you?

“about a poor ballerina and a rich lord” you whispered in a low voice while looking into his eyes. “the lord was going to see her every weekend. every saturday. he did not miss a single play”

“did he?”

you want to kiss him.

you had never felt that way, you felt weird and wanted to throw yourself on top of him. what was happening to you?

“yes” you let go in a sigh.

“and what happened then?” he said lowering his eyes to your lips.

“he was married.”

“did he?”

you got closer to him, leaning your head in front of his.

“can i? can i touch you?” the prince said with a sigh. you nodded and felt your husband’s hand on your thigh.

you bit your inner lip when you felt his hand under the fabric. you felt weird and uncomfortable. you just wanted to be with him, you wanted...

“ni-ki…”

“riki.” he corrected you. “please, call me riki”

you opened your eyes and you could see that he was already looking at you.

“riki…” you grabbed your husband’s hand and raised it by bringing it closer to your crotch.

suddenly, the sound of applause baffled them both. you separated from the prince and looked at the stage. the protagonist was kissing the dancer.

all that was wrong. you couldn’t do that in public, and even less with him. what was happening to you? a few weeks ago you wanted to hang him.

you swallowed saliva when you noticed his gaze and separated from him

“let’s see the play” you said fixing your dress while watching the play.

“we can not be together!” said the protagonist, moving away from the ballerina. “you are just a poor dancer and i am a lord”

you tried not to grimace yet when you felt your husband’s gaze. you felt that his soul was looking at you, trying to decipher you.

you weren’t going to bear his gaze for so long.

suddenly, you felt ni-ki get up. “i will go to the bathroom” you nodded without looking at him, staring at the work.

“please, my lord! do not you dare leave me alone! i love you”

you closed your eyes tightly when you realised that they were still in the first part of the play.

you weren’t going to be able to be with him for so long.

after an hour and a few minutes of the play, you got up quickly and walked away from your husband in a hurry. you didn’t want to see him, or talk to him. shame consumed you.

now you were in a group of women, listening to their fanciful stories while they choked you with questions about your new life.

you looked at the floor, thinking about what had happened. you had felt just as the book described it, or that’s what you thought. maybe it was a little stomach ache.

you told yourself that you were never going to do that, at least not with ni-ki.

“are you happy with the prince ni-ki, y/n?”

you looked up quickly when you heard his name. you frowned when you saw one of the ladies smile.

“with ni-ki?” you asked in a low voice. the question came to you off guard, even though you had just married him. “yes, we feel comfortable with each other. i mean, we are fine”

“do you love him?” one of them asked, holding your hand with enthusiasm.

“that is a pretty private question”

“well, at least he loves you”

you frowned when you heard it. “excuse me?”

“he has not stopped looking at you”

you looked behind your back and saw the prince staring at you, ignoring the men who were talking to him.

you looked down as you turned around and tried to ignore the women’s questions.

he loves you? did he love you just to look at you? how stupid.

you couldn’t love him and he couldn’t love you. you hated him. you hated him for making you marry him, you hated him from the first day you saw him. you hated him simply for being him.

“i must retire” you walked away from the girls and left the theatre. you went down the stairs while crossing your arms.

it was cold, but you didn’t even feel it. you were too busy thinking about ni-ki.

the scene was only repeated in your mind, what you felt, ni-ki’s voice, your forehead stuck to his, his breathing.

you felt something big covering your shoulders. you didn’t even have to realise it to know who it was.

“it is not necessary”

“please” you looked at him when you heard that word.

you swallowed saliva. “you will catch a cold”

“do not worry”

you pressed your lips while you saw two carriages in front of you.

“i will help you get up”

frunciste el ceño. “won’t you go with me?”

had the scene before made him so uncomfortable that he didn’t even want to be with you?

the prince shook his head while leaving his hand in the air for you to accept it.

“it is a protocol that all members of royalty must follow. for safety.”

you accepted his hand and sighed when you saw the carriage. you hated riding at night in the middle of the trees, and even less alone. you went up the small stairs and sat down, still not letting go of your husband’s hand.

you hated travelling alone. at night. you didn’t trust the driver, you didn’t trust anyone. what if they looted your carriage? what if the driver...?

“riki…”

ni-ki shook your hand in comfort mode.

“i will be right behind you. i promise you”

you shook your head, your eyes were watery. you didn’t want to travel alone. you couldn’t.

ni-ki put your hands on his lips, to give you a little kiss.

“can you trust me? nothing will happen to you. i will not allow it”

you nodded and he gave you a small look before letting go of your hand. you hugged your husband’s jacket more and sighed when you noticed how the carriage was already moving.

you bit the fruit with boredom while looking at the vase in the centre of the table. another day where you ate alone, another day without doing anything, another day locked in the palace.

“your grace, your nephews are on their way”

“thanks” you got up from the table and left the dining room. if you were going to be locked up all day in the palace, at least you were going to bring people to you.

you went up the stairs and approached ni-ki’s office. it had been two days since the incident happened, two days without seeing the prince.

even though you didn’t like being alone for so long, you needed it. you needed to clear your mind about that. and the conclusion you came to is that that shouldn’t happen again.

despite your feelings in between, you were forced to marry him, and from the first day you repudiated him, you should not change that.

you had to keep the formalities in front of him. you won’t let that happen again.

you knocked on the door and waited for him to accept you. seconds later, the door opened and you saw his right hand, taki.

“your grace” he said, bowing. you smiled at him and looked at your husband, he had papers scattered on the table.

“riki” you addressed him as you approached. the named one looked up and you could see that he was frowning. you tried not to smile when you saw his state. “i will do a dance next weekend. it will be the first winter dance and it will be one of the best of these last seasons”

you smiled at the thought of the dance; how luxurious it will be, how perfect, how lively. you really wanted to organise it.

when you were little, your family did many dances, but you didn’t give it importance since for you they were boring. but every time you grew up, your mother gradually let you organise it, but not completely. knowing that you had all the freedom to organise it excited you.

“it will not be such a dance”

you stopped smiling when you heard him. what did he just say?

“excuse me?”

“i am not going to allow our house to be filled with strangers. this is our privacy.”

you narrowed your eyes when you heard him. you knew that your husband had been without the eye of society all his life, but that life no longer exists. now it is prince ni-ki that everyone knows.

he can’t drag you into his life.

“i did not come to ask you if you wanted to or not, i came to inform you”

you saw how he got up from the table and approached you, but before, looking at his right hand, telling him to withdraw.

“do not make it more difficult”

you let out an ironic giggle.

“every newly married woman of high rank does a dance at her house. how do you expect i not to do it? what will people say about our marriage, then?”

“y/n-“

“i will do the dance” you said to separate yourself from him.

ni-ki was an insensitive selfish, he wasn’t going to have a woman just to have her doing nothing. you weren’t going to allow that.

your husband grabbed your hand to get closer to him. your head hit his chest, before this, you looked up and for the first time you could notice something in ni-ki’s eyes.

anger.

“i will not allow you to do a dance in our house without my permission”

“i am the lady of this house!” you screamed and hit him in the chest, thus moving him away from you.

you couldn’t do anything with him, not even go out or make decisions in your own house. this marriage was your misfortune.

“and i am your prince! you will do everything i order. i do not want any more complaints from you.”

you pressed your lips when you heard him. he was your prince and you just a subject, he didn’t even take you as a wife. you were his prisoner, you won’t have freedom unless he wants it.

this wasn’t the future you dreamed of.

you nodded and looked down.

“of course, your grace. with your permission” you bowed and left the office with tears on your cheeks.

you watched your nephews play in the garden. you wanted to play with them, but your husband had taken away all the spirit of the day.

you were a few metres from them with an umbrella covering you from the sun.

you drank tea while some tears ran down your cheeks, your ladies-in-waiting had the decency to clean them, even though you had repeatedly told them no.

“do not be sad, mylady. it is normal for newlyweds to argue.”

you sighed when you heard her. “of course it is normal to fight, which is not normal is to deprive myself of my rights as a wife”

“your grace…”

“he ignored me for a whole month, he spends days locked in his office without keeping me company, i can not go out alone without his authorisation and i can not do a dance in my own house either! that is normal for you?”

“everything will get better”

“in addition to all that, he offended me the other day” you said covering your face.

your ladies looked at each other strangely when they heard you. “what did the prince do?”

you looked at your nephews to make sure they weren’t near you. seeing that they weren’t, you approached your ladies and whispered: “he tried to kiss me in the theatre.”

the girls frowned when they heard you. “but he is your husband, mylady”

you rolled your eyes when you heard her. “i know.”

one of them squeaked and got closer to you. “i am sorry for the question, your grace. but have you ever...?” you frowned when you heard her. “have you had sex with your husband?”

you opened your eyes in surprise, you didn’t expect that question.

you looked away from them and put it on your nephews.

“no”

both made a sound of surprise when they heard you. “but you haven’t consumed your marriage! you are not really married”

you got up from the chair, tired of your ladies. “it is better this way”

you walked away from them and started running towards your nephews, you heard their laughter when you caught one of them in the air.

“are you having a good time?”

“yes! are you going to play with us?” said your nephew, matheus. you squeezed his cheek and nodded with happiness. the three of them let out a squeal of happiness and you started running after them.

you were with them for a while, if you wanted to be honest, you needed to run through the garden. you didn’t want to be a poet, but you had felt a little freer than you were, besides spending time with your nephews had loved you.

after several—long—minutes you were sitting on the floor agitated, magically your nephews wanted to play more. but you with your dress and with your little physical training you didn’t have much strength.

“please, please, please, please!” the three of them shouted in chorus in your ear.

te tocaste tu cara con cansancio, ¿cómo es que no se cansaban?

“what do you want to play?” you said, letting out a sigh.

you felt your nephews’ hands on your shoulder and took your hand off your face, you frowned when you felt how they hugged you with fear.

you tried not to curse under your breath when you felt his presence.

“your grace” you said turning around.

ni-ki was wearing a button-up shirt, and the first two unbuttoned, he had dark loose pants and his typical shoes.

you frowned when you saw it, it reminded you the first time you saw it. a person from low society.

“is he the prince?”

the aforementioned knelt down to be at his height. “I am”

“i also want to be a princess!”

you saw ni-ki laugh. for the first time.

you took your eyes off him when you heard him, his laugh was harsh and serious. like that of a man.

“you are the niece of a princess”

you looked at him with your eyes narrowed. “what good is it for me to be a princess if i can’t even make decisions”

you separated your nephews carefully and got up and cleaned your dress. you didn’t want to be near him, or listen to him, or talk to him or see him.

“play with us, pleaseee”

“to hide and seek!”

you sighed and nodded, you expected that to be a sign for your husband to leave. that you were going to be busy playing with your nephews.

“you hide” you sighed tiredly when you heard it, wasn’t I going to leave you alone?

you saw how your nephews screamed as they ran to hide.

“what are you doing? go do what you should do and leave me alone, your grace”

you saw how he made a grimace while shaking his head. “go hide”

you let out a burlesque laugh. “i will not play with you”

this time you didn’t receive an answer from him, you could only hear how he told in a low voice.

“riki!”

“you have one minute left.”

you raised your eyebrows. okay, you were going to play, but he wasn’t going to find you.

you started running in the direction of the forest, he wasn’t going to find you in there, it was big enough. technically it was impossible.

you went into it and pulled up your dress so it wouldn’t get dirty. even though it wasn’t one of your favourites, it made you mark the contortion, which you loved.

even though you wanted to beat him, you couldn’t go into the forest much. after all, you hadn’t had the opportunity to find out. you could find animals, or even men hunting. for this very reason, you decided to hide under some bushes large enough to cover yourself.

you bent down and pressed your lips while you waited.

despite the distance, you could hear the screams of your nephews. they were too obvious.

the minutes passed and you heard how your nephews were found. now ni-ki was going for you.

you covered your mouth so as not to make any more noise. you could hear his footsteps running. walking around the place, although he wasn’t near you yet.

you could hear his footsteps approaching. he was close.

you got up a little so you could look over and you saw him, turning around. you closed your eyes with anger when you realised that he was very close to you, he was going to win.

you looked up again and watched him again. He had his hands resting on his knees, clearly tired.

but you hadn’t noticed that.

his shirt was rolled up on his shoulder, thus asking to see his muscles. his arms were in shape. everything about him was in shape. drops of sweat fell from his forehead, and his black hair was wet.

you bit the inside of your lips while you saw him. you shouldn’t think that way about him, your relationship was a farce, it wasn’t even real!

you opened your eyes in surprise when you saw how he raised his head... and he was looking at you.

were you too obvious?

you didn’t have time to think, you had to remember that you were playing.

you got up and started running into the forest, you heard behind your back how he called you, however, you didn’t stop. you felt his steps behind you, as they approached. He was about to catch you. he was going to win.

suddenly, you stopped short when you saw a puddle of mud in front of you. but you didn’t have much time to think, since you felt how they grabbed your arm and cornered you to a tree.

“i won” you heard your husband’s voice in your ear. he separated more from you to see your face.

you were blushing. you knew it from his smile.

“you cheated” you said by hitting him in the chest, which is not the affection.

he let out an ironic laugh. “if you had not been looking at me, maybe you would have won”

you opened your mouth in surprise—and offended—you hadn’t been so obvious!

you shut your mouth when you realised that he had noticed. he knew you were looking at him in a not very good way.

your cheeks were more than coloured.

“i-i was not looking at you!”

“your look was nailing my soul”

you looked away from him and put her on the floor. you were embarrassed, you were a young lady! how could you look at it like that? with desire? that wasn’t typical of a lady.

ni-ki lifted your chin, forcing you to look at him.

“i want to apologize, y/n. i should not have yelled at you. you are the owner of this house and i should not have interfered in your decisions. i know i hurt your heart and i have not stopped thinking about it since then” you let out a small smile when you heard it. his eyes were crystal clear and his hand wore a fringe behind your ear. “you are my wife and my princess, i should not have disrespected you. could you please forgive me?”

you nodded and couldn’t help but hug him. you were so angry that you couldn’t empathise with him. If it was hard for you to adapt to that life, so did he.

both had completely different lives and both are trying to put the other in the life they had.

“i forgave you” you murmured in his ear. you felt your husband’s hands hugging you by the waist.

you didn’t know how much time had passed. you only liked your husband’s feeling in you, you felt good and safe.

maybe it hadn’t been so bad to marry him, right?

“but i am still a little angry” you said separating from him.

“what can i do to make that anger disappear?”

“what can you do?”

“what can i do?”

you smiled with tight lips and began to think. you looked around until you saw what was behind him. you let out a small laugh.

“throw yourself into the mud”

your husband raised his eyebrows in surprise. “do you want me to throw myself in the mud?” you nodded. “you still won’t have a grudge against that meeting, will you?”

you rolled your eyes when you heard him. “that is the only way for me not to be angry anymore”

“the only way?”

“the only way” you affirmed.

you put a hand on your husband’s chest to separate you from him and crossed your arms. you knew he wasn’t going to do it, he was a prince and he had to maintain his image. besides that you wouldn’t do it.

“only for you” he said throwing himself into the puddle. you let out a scream for what he just did and approached him.

“riki!” you shouted funny.

you laughed several times when you saw your husband full of mud. you weren’t going to lie, it gave you satisfaction to see him so dirty, you still remembered the first meeting with him.

you had to throw away your dress. your favourite dress.

“are you still angry, wife?”

“mmmm, not so much anymore”

you watched him get up from the mud and looked at you mockingly.

“do not you want to give me a hug?”

you frowned and denied as he approached you.

“do not come near”

“pleasee”

you started running when you saw how he almost hugged you. you laughed when you heard Ni-ki’s pleas.

you had to be honest, being married to the prince was not as bad as you thought. he had taken care of being more open with you, thus having breakfast every day and spending every afternoon together.

he has been trying not to make you feel so alone in your new life, and you thanked him. you also understood those days when you didn’t even see him.

your feelings towards him had also blossomed, it took you weeks to understand it, but you had finally accepted it. and you could realise that you were not the only one, seeing how ni-ki looked down at your lips when you spoke, how he looked at you when you were distracted, and how he tried to give you everything you asked him made you understand that you were not the only one in this.

despite that, you had never kissed him, and you were dying to do it. You had to admit it, you were afraid. afraid of what happened after the kisses. according to that book you had sex with him.

and you didn’t see yourself doing that, not yet.

you were afraid that ni-ki wouldn’t understand, you were afraid that he would force you, or that he would look for someone else to give him what you didn’t give him.

you rolled your eyes when you heard riki. “you are doing it wrong”

“i am not doing it wrong!”

you were both sitting on the sidewalk in front of the piano. your husband was trying to teach you one of his favourite songs played by the piano. you weren’t bad with this instrument, but his favourite song seemed like the most difficult thing in the world.

“you touched the LA and it was SOL”

“it is impossible”

“we can try again tomorrow”

you nodded and got up from the sidewalk. “today the decorators will come”

“do not you want me to help you?”

“my sister will help me, do not worry” you separated from him and touched his shoulder amicably. “today we have dinner at my mother’s house, please get ready early. my mother is very punctual”

your husband smiled in response and you left the room.

hours later, you met the decorators telling them your ideas about the dance. the theme was going to be winter, all the guests had to go in blue costumes.

“it is a great idea, your grace”

“thank you, sir”

the gentleman told your idea to his workers and ordered them to bring the material to decorate it.

“we must talk to the prince about the cost, your grace”

“of course, wait a moment, please, let me bring him”

you walked away from the main living room and went up the stairs to get closer to his kitchen. you were so excited! your first dance organised by you, will be the best of the season.

“it is so difficult, your grace” you heard a female voice. you frowned when you heard it.

they were not the voices of your escort ladies, nor of any of the workers. you approached their office and you could see that the door was open.

you hide behind the wall and you poked your head out. ni-ki was with a woman. you tried not to be alarmed when you heard her sobs.

“don’t cry” your husband said approaching her. “it will pass” he said to hug her. you covered your mouth in surprise.

ni-ki was hugging you to another woman, he was cheating on you? being alone with a woman, hugging her? they already knew each other before, that is, why would he hug her?

if they already knew each other, why did he marry you if he had someone else? why did he try to make you fall in love all this time? so those days that you didn’t see him, was he with this woman? you closed your eyes when you imagined it, your tears ran down your cheeks while you tried not to sob.

your fear had become real.

“you look beautiful, my sweetie!” your mother shouted while hugging you. you didn’t smile at her compliment or hug her back.

she was to blame for all this, if she had never accepted that marriage you would never have married riki.

after learning about your husband’s infidelity, you had gone down the stairs and tried to organise everything perfectly, but the tears on your cheek betrayed you.

the gentleman, seeing this, immediately left to let you rest. clearly that was notified to your husband and he tried to enter your room. but you ignored him.

“thanks, mom” you said separating from her and hugging your father, followed by this, you hugged your little sister and they both approached the living room.

“i have missed you. mom won’t let me go to the palace, she always says that you are very busy, that your property is to give birth to princes”

you rolled your eyes when you listened to your sister. blessed be the day your mother stopped talking so much.

“do not pay attention to mom. after the dance you can come as many times as you want”

you heard behind you the fun—boring—conversation that your father and your husband had. you turned to look at them and you could see that your husband was already doing it. you couldn’t help but hold your breath. damn the day you fell in love with him.

you looked away from him quickly and watched as your mother approached you.

“how is your married life, daughter?”

“it is okey, mom”

“really?”

you frowned when you heard her. “why you ask?”

you saw your mother’s nervous smile and felt how your mother touched your belly.

“do you think you will be on tape soon?”

“mama!”

“i am just worry for you, darling” she said caressing your cheek. “it is fundamental in a relationship”

you smiled ironically when you heard her. how dare she talk about that when dhe didn’t even give you an explanation of what sex was?

“do not worry, mom”

“fine” she said separating from you. “let’s come to the table”

you sighed when you heard her and sat at the table, next to your husband and in front of your mother and sister.

you had no appetite, you didn’t want to be there, you just wanted to be in your bed. that’s how the heartbreak felt that the love novels talked about so much? not wanting to do anything.

how could he do this to you? how could he fool you? betray you?

you were right from the beginning, he was a monster, a heartless one. but you decided to ignore those warnings and end up falling in love with him.

your eyes were already watery thinking about that. you wanted to disappear.

“do you feel good?” you heard in your right ear.

you gritted your teeth when you heard him, how can he act like nothing? you ignored him and walked away from him. you looked at your father grimacing.

“i do not feel well, i will lie down a little on my bed” you got up from the table without waiting for an answer from her.

as you entered your room, you slammed the door and let out a sob. how could he betray you? how could he do this to you? you couldn’t live in that marriage, you didn’t want to be with him knowing that he loved someone else.

why…?

the door was abruptly opened, and you quickly wiped the tears from your cheeks.

“are you okay, y/n?”

you let out a sob when you heard him and separated abruptly when you felt his arm on your shoulder. you couldn’t formulate any words. you felt stupid, useless, stupid for having believed in him.

“why did you have to do this to me?” you said turning around. your husband had a sad and confused face when he saw you. “i believed in your dirty words, i believed in your actions, i believed in you!”

“y/n, i do not understand you. please, calm down”

“i saw you with another woman! i saw how you hugged her and comforted her. you had another woman all this time, right? that’s why you disappeared so much. because of her.” 6our husband frowned at seeing you so disconsolate. “why did you do all that for me then? why did you try to make me fall in love? why did you do so much for me?” you let out a sob while you took a few little turns. “i will not live in a marriage where the man i love has another woman. i want to divo-“

“my heart belongs to you, y/n. my breaths, my mind, i belong to you” he said approaching you, this time he too with soaked cheeks. “how could i deceive the woman i think about every morning, every afternoon, every night, throughout the day? how could i deceive the woman who captivated me with her look? how could i deceive the woman who makes me get up every day?” he took you by the cheeks and began to wipe your tears. “i am yours. i have always been from the first day we saw each other, until our last breath. i could never deceive the woman of my life. i am yours”

you looked at his eyes full of tears as you raised your hand to caress his cheek with affection.

“i love you, riki” you murmured.

ni-ki smiled.

“you are the reason for my existence, y/n”

ni-ki brought his lips to your cheeks, kissing your shed tears. you closed your eyes when you felt his lips in contact with your skin. little by little his lips approached yours, until they met.

the kiss was slow and passionate, even though you didn’t know how to kiss, ni-ki guided you, thus avoiding feeling uncomfortable. ni-ki grabbed your waist to get closer to him, to sabotage you more, to feel more by his side. the same thing you felt the other day at the theatre, you began to feel it at that very moment. you wanted it.

you separated from him when you noticed how things were going out of control and you stuck your forehead to his. “i am not ready, i am sorry, riki”

ni-ki smiled when he heard you and stroked your cheek. “i will never pressure you, take your time.”

he himself grabbed your hand and separated from you to guide your bed, stuck his back on the headboard and grabbed your waist so that you could sit on his lap.

“so, do you love me?” he said with a mocking tone.

you rolled your eyes when you heard it and gave him a small blow on his chest.

“you are mine, riki. you even said it yourself.”

“you are right”

you smiled and gave him a little kiss. “i am yours too”

he raised his hand to caress your cheek. “you are mine”

you bit your lip and looked down. “i do not want you to see her again.”

your husband let out a small laugh when he heard you. “you have nothing to worry about”

“likewise”

“trust me. you are the only woman in my life.”

you smiled and approached him to kiss him.

and so they spent the whole night, kissing in your room at your parents’ house.

“how do i look?” you said entering your husband’s office.

you had a white dress, contrary to the dance theme, which were blue outfits. you had a white and pompous dress with blue arrangements around it, while at the top you had a small tight white jacket.

ni-ki looked up and smiled when he saw you. He separated from the table and raised his hands, indicating why you were approaching him. you sat on your lap and gave him a little kiss.

“you are beautiful, my wife”

“do i?” you asked funny, even though you already knew his answer.

“yes”

you bit your lip when you heard him. you were so in love with him, who was going to say that? a few weeks ago you promised that you would never be with him, and now you were sitting on his lap.

“you must prepare yourself. the guests will arrive soon”

“no, you must do it now. clear your mind of those papers, they will not move from here, i assure you.”

“whatever my wife says” you rolled your eyes when you heard it and he lifted you from his lap and they both started walking towards the exit.

“i will wait for you downstairs”

you smiled at her for the last time and went downstairs to see your sister do the final touches. you called her and her face lit up when she saw you.

“it will be the most beautiful dance of the winter season”

“i hope so”

your sister grabbed your hands and looked at you sadly. “i can not believe that my little sister has already become an adult. do you still remember when we slept together?”

you rolled your eyes when you remembered it, as if to forget. you slept with her practically half of your life.

“at least i did not hear your snoring anymore.”

you got hit by your sister. “i am being serious!”

you smiled when you heard her. “maybe we can have a sleepover in the future. with nira this time.”

“yes, we can.”

after the little chat with your sister, they both checked if everything was perfect. and it was.

you saw how your husband went down the stairs and you approached him. ni-ki, like the hunk he is, gave you a kiss on your hand in front of your sister, which made you blush and separate from him.

they opened the doors when they heard the sound of several horses in the distance. you and ni-ki stood at the entrance, greeting the guests. familiar faces—your friends—unknown faces and nasty faces—lady canella and her daughter—that you would rather have avoided seeing. after greeting the guests, the musicians started dancing and there were people dancing on the dance floor and people in the corners.

you looked around, everyone seemed to be satisfied with the dance. the decoration had been fantastic and people seemed to be having fun.

“do you want to dance with me?”

you smiled when you heard him and grabbed his hand while he took you to the centre of the room. both began to dance a slow music, a music familiar to your ears.

“it is the favourite song of the queen”

“i know”

both danced as if they were one, thus attracting people’s attention.

“the last time we danced together you told me you did not want to marry me” you let out a low laugh. “do you regret marrying me?”

“the first month, yes. the second month not so much”

“that day you asked me why I did not cancel the wedding even though i had the power to do it” riki gave you a look and you frowned when you heard him. why did he tell you now? “since i saw you in the park, I fell in love with you. i knew you did not want to marry me, i was selfish in forcing you. but i do not regret it. i told you that day, i have been yours since the first time i saw you.”

those words would have bothered you a month ago, maybe they bother you a little. you would have liked to meet riki in other circumstances, but despite having been forced to marry him. you didn’t regret it. you would have chosen this path many times if that would mean meeting him.

“i do not regret marrying you anymore, riki. that is because it was you i married. i would choose this path millions of times if it is with you”

the music stopped and riki raised his hand to your cheek, caressing it. you smiled even though you were surrounded by people who were looking at you. you didn’t care anymore.

“i love you”

you rolled your eyes while you separated from him playfully. “do not make me blush in front of everyone!”

“your grace” they said behind yours, you turned around and could see your husband’s right hand. “we need to talk with you”

“is it important? i am with my wife right now”

“yes, your grace”

ni-ki turned to you and took your hand to give you a kiss. “i will not be long”

you smiled as you watched as she left and looked around in case you saw someone you knew other than your family. you saw your friend in the distance with a group of women, you approached and your friend’s face smiled when she saw you.

“y/n! i saw you dancing with the prince ni-ki.”

“you are so in love!”

you smiled when you heard her and thanked her. you heard a carraspeo on your left and you saw lady canella’s daughter.

“i am going to marry”

you raised your eyebrows in curiosity. “really?”

“with the duke.”

hou smiled half-heartedly when you heard her, the duke was forty years old while she was barely nineteen, you knew she was being forced. even though you didn’t like her, you knew what it was like to be forced to marry a man you didn’t know.

but you knew what she was like, even though she was being forced, she and her family only cared about the title.

“congratulations,” you murmured.

“not everyone can marry someone with a high-ranking degree, only women like me and y/n understand it.”

you avoided rolling your eyes for the safe of your public image. “what is the use of the title if you do not love the person? we live for love, it doesn’t matter if it is a lord or a duke”

“you say it because you are married with a prince”

“i say it because i know how it feels to marry someone you do not love. fortunately, i was lucky enough to start loving him over time”

you heard the snort of lady canella’s daughter that you decided to ignore. you weren’t going to argue with someone who didn’t care what love is and how it felt.

you disconnected from the conversation when you heard how they talked about handsome lords and dukes of the dance.

your husband was taking a long time, wasn’t he? were they family problems? or something very, very important had occurred to him.

“your grace” said a guard next to you. you looked at him expectantly. “lady whistledown has published in the newspaper right now.”

“lady whistledown?!” you listened to the girls and saw how they took the role. you tried not to curse in a low voice when you saw how that lady had ruined your night.

dear reader

this week has been a little catastrophic if we take into account that this week the long-awaited dance of the new princess y/n is celebrated. birds tell that lady cowl has been insulted in the trail by lady canella for trying to steal her daughter’s dress. my hands automatically write the surname canella, since every week there is always something new from them.

in addition, speaking of the king of rome, we learned that her daughter married the Duke of karingston, a widowed lord who lost his wife ten years ago. will lady anabella be lucky to conquer the heart of this poor man?

and as i have always said, the best is always for the end. Inner birds of prince ni-ki’s palace tell us that the prince and the new princess have not consumed their marriage. it has been three and a half months since their wedding and they have not yet slept together. if we make theory, maybe the princess y/n is in love with another man, since as we all know, she never wanted to marry the prince. or maybe because prince ni-ki really is a monster as they say? we will never know, but what we will be able to know is that soon we will not have a child from them.

you were shaking, what did you just read? how did they get that information?

why just the day you were most looking forward to?

you looked up and could see the group of women looking at you with surprise. you looked around and all eyes were on you. you heard murmurs, insults, even looks of disappointment.

“this is not real! how you can believed that?” you heard your mother scream. however, no one listened to her, no one was paying attention to her, only to you.

they were judging you.

you turned around and began to change to the stairs, you had to tell ni-ki.

“what a disappointment” you heard behind your back.

you went up the stairs quickly and approached your husband’s office, you didn’t even touch, you opened no matter who was inside.

you should have touched.

he was with the woman the other day, at a more considerate distance than the other day. You closed your eyes in anger.

“i need to talk to my husband.” you said approaching him.

“you can leave” the girl bowed and left the office.

“i thought i had told you that i didn’t want you to talk to her anymore”

“you do not understand, love”

“i do not understand, riki? that one of the best nights for me, is my husband in his office with another woman? tell me that i do not understand, then”

“y/n”

“what would you do if you saw me with lord key alone in a room, riki? what would you do if you saw me hugging him?” you let out an ironic laugh and separated from him, but he pulled your arm and kissed your lips.

this was a different kiss from the other day, it was wild and possessive, as if you were going to fade away.

“you are mine, y/n” he said between the kiss. “just mine. only mine”

he grabbed you by the waist and put you on the table, separated from your lips and began to kiss your neck. despite the shame, you couldn’t help but let out a moan.

“are you feel ready?”

you felt quickly and kissed him again. “i want you, riki.”

he lifted your dress and raised his hand through your crotch, touching your private part. he took off your underwear and touched your inside with his finger.

“you are so perfect for me”

riki put two of your fingers penetrating you with these. you closed your eyes with satisfaction and you bit your lips.

your hair was dishevelled and you assured that your face was destroyed, but it didn’t matter anymore.

“riki!”

riki shut you up with a kiss, however, he didn’t stop playing with his fingers.

“they are going to listen to you, do you want them to listen that?” you rested your head on his shoulder. “i am the only privileged one who can listen to you. you are mine, y/n”

“y-yes”

“tell me. tell me that you are mine”

you let out a moan when you noticed how riki increased the speed, you weren’t even able to formulate a word.

“tell me, y/n”

“i am yours. i will always be yours”

“and i will always be yours. my only woman.”

“i am cumming!” you screamed under your breath and your boyfriend stared at you, wanting to see your face to this new sensation. you screamed as you came and you rested your forehead on your husband’s forehead while breathing agitated.

riki raised his two fingers full of you and forced you to suck it, you did it while you stared at him and he repeated the same as you.

you grabbed him by the hair forcing him to kiss you and he began to take off his pants, desperate.

ni-ki had wanted so much to be at that moment, he had imagined it so much, that having you as he wanted so much in those last three months drove him crazy. he couldn’t even wait.

you look his dick and you looked him in the eyes again.

“are you ready, love?”

you nodded “yes, riki”

ni-ki entered his member slowly and threw his head back when he noticed your closed walls. instead, you closed your eyes when you felt that new feeling in you. it was strange and uncomfortable.

riki looked at you again and stroked your cheek. “tell me when i can move”

“do it”

riki began to move slowly, so you got used to his size and little by little you stopped feeling uncomfortable to the point of satisfaction.

your husband, seeing how your face began to change, began to accelerate his movements. to the point that you could only hear your bodies moving and the table about to break.

your moans were getting louder, to the point that ni-ki wasn’t sure if you were already listening to each other, for this very reason, he began to kiss you, shutting you up.

“riki…”

“be quiet”

“i am going to cum” you whispered in his ear.

“can i- can i cum inside you?” your husband asked. you nodded quickly and seconds later they both let out a small scream as they came.

riki took your every in his hands and kissed your nose. “do you feel good?”

your husband came out of your interior and helped you get off the table, fixing your dress and your hair, the best he could.

when you finished getting ready for you and your husband, you approached him and gave him a little kiss.

“we have a problem” you said remembering what had happened minutes ago. your husband raised his eyebrows and grabbed you by the waist “lady whistledown. she talkedabout us, about our situation before today.”

“i do not understand”

“they said that we had not consumed marriage. they said it was because you were a monster or because i loved another man”

ni-ki smiled half-heartedly when he heard you. “that is nonsense”

you sighed when you heard him and rested your head on his chest. “i know, but people started looking at me badly. they began to judge me, i don’t know what they said about me, but i can imagine it. it was so uncomfortable. i thought about asking you for help but i forgot you know why.”

ni-ki separated from you and took your hand to leave the office. both went down the stairs and could see the crowd of people looking at them, you noticed their look.

but only towards you.

se quedaron en medio de la escalera y tu esposo te agarró más fuerte de la mano.

“i will not allow any disrespect towards my wife, i will not allow her to be slandered that way in the newspaper. i love my wife and my wife loves me. if some of you believe what that lady said, i invite you to retire. the dance is over.” ni-ki finished to go back up the stairs.

after the dance and that event, you were stroking your husband’s hair while they were both silent.

“do you think they will talk a lot about us?” you said in the middle of a speech.

“they will talk, but the only difference is that you continue to be a princess and they will be your subjects”

rodaste los ojos y tu esposo se levantó de tu regazo para ponerse al lado tuyo, ambos mirando a la nada.

“about the woman of before, y/n. i would never fall in love with her because she is a sister to me” you nodded not very sure of his explanation.

“and how do I know she is not interested in you?”

“because she is no like you” you frowned when you heard it and looked at him. “she do not like boys.”

“what do you mean?”

“she likes girls. all these meetings and paperwork is an option to eliminate the punishment for women over being with other women. since we can not legalise same-sex marriage, i want to remove as much punishments as possible from this. so that she can be with her girlfriend freely.”

did you grimace when you heard him, being with someone of the same sex? it was weird; you had never heard it.

vut you couldn’t admit that it was impressive that riki was doing all that for a friend of his. even though you didn’t understand much, you were relieved that she wasn’t interested in him.

“But i will take these months off”

“why?”

niki looked at you and smiled. “i want us both to travel. i want us to have our moon of the same dream.”

you opened your mouth in surprise. “are you joking?”

“no, my love”

you screamed excitedly and climbed on his lap to kiss him all over his face. “oh my god, riki. i love you so much.”

ni-ki smiled when he heard you. “i love you more.”

[satorusluver]

Prince!Gojo x maid!reader

Minors DNI

I know I mentioned Prince Gojo x arranged fiancé reader but now I am also thinking about Prince Gojo x maid reader.

Tags/warnings: unprotected sex, creampie

Prince Satoru Gojo, who first saw you years ago when you joined his mother's household when you were both teenagers and had an instant attraction to you. You're not even a lady-in-waiting who serves the queen, they're at least noblewomen. You're a servant to a lady-in-waiting, far far below the Crown Prince in ranking, but do you think that's gonna stop Satoru? Hell no. Not when you're the most beautiful woman he's ever laid eyes on.

It took him years to actually speak more than a few sentences to you though, not because you're so below him, but because you're so ethereal, so beautiful and pure that he didn''t want to corrupt you with the sinful thoughts he has of you. But once the spark between the two of you became apparent, nothing could stop it from blazing, his better judgement and the social hierarchy be damned.

You think he's thinking about any of that when he's balls deep in your soft, velvety cunt? When he's feeling your legs wrapped around his waist and your hot breath panting in his ear, and hearing you whimper his name, his real name, and not "my prince" or "your highness" or "Crown Prince Satoru"? Because here, in this room away from prying eyes, he's just Satoru -your Satoru.

And no, you didn't expect friendly conversations and harmless flirtations and maybe a few stolen kisses to so quickly evolve into Satoru bunching up the skirt of your dress around your hips and rutting into you against the wall of an empty room during the few short minutes before he has high tea and you have to return to washing the windows. His pace is hard and fast due to the lack of time, and it makes your eyes water and your toes curl each time his thick cockhead rams against your sweet spot and causes you to see stars and dig your teeth into your lower lip to keep from crying out loud enough for someone outside the room to hear.

And yes, you know it's a terrible idea. That you should have saved your maidenhood for your future husband. That you're risking everything, your honor and your future, when you feel those ropes of royal seed spurting against your cervix and into your womb and very possibly putting a bastard in your belly.

But how could you have possibly said no to the handsome Crown Prince and those captivating blue eyes that look at you like you're something wonderful, something precious, something more than a servant who scrubs floors and empties chamber pots? When he's kissing the side of your face so sweetly and gasping out a declaration of love as he's fucking that royal seed back into you?

You can't bring yourself to regret it, even when you're soon back to washing down the windows outside of the room where Satoru is now dining with his family, sipping tea from cups expensive enough to keep you fed for an entire year. Not even when you feel that familiar trickle of his seed spilling out of you and pooling in your undergarments, and see those same blue eyes now momentarily flicker over to you with an utterly blank expression that betrays no recognition whatsoever.

[bright-side20]

A little scene inspired by one of my headcanons 🫶

The dining hall brimmed with Valahan’s opulence, golden chandeliers, silver platters piled high with delicacies, and a soft symphony humming in the background. Frosted windows lined the walls, framing the snow dusted landscape beyond, a reminder of the biting cold outside.

Azriel had no business being at this dinner, not really. His role was simple: ensure Elain’s safety while she worked her magic among Valahan’s royal family. Keep her in sight. Keep her safe. Keep his distance.

But keeping his distance was becoming a losing battle.

His shadows swirled at the edge of his vision as he watched the prince lean closer to Elain with a dazzling smile . The prince’s gaze drifted to her far too often, trailing over the tailored folds of her gown. The dress, a Valahan piece chosen to reflect their culture,was a masterpiece of icy blue and silver embroidery, clinging to her form and shimmering under the hall’s golden light.

He shouldn’t care. Shouldn’t let his attention on the way her delicate hand rested on the edge of the table, just out of reach of the prince’s.

Azriel’s jaw tightened as the prince laughed at something Elain said. He hated how the bastard’s smile seemed wider every time she spoke, hated the way his gaze drifted to her lips as if he had any right to look at her that way.

“You wear our style beautifully,” the prince said, his blue eyes sweeping over her. “The dress suits you perfectly.”

Elain dipped her head, her smile polite. “Thank you, Your Highness. The dress is exquisite.”

The prince inclined his head as though she’d complimented him, his blue eyes gleaming.

“Elain,” he said after a moment, tilting his head toward her, “have you had the chance to see the palace gardens yet? They’re spectacular, truly".

Elain smiled. “Not yet, but I’ve heard they’re beautiful.”

“They are,” the prince replied. “They’re enclosed beneath a great glass dome to shield them from the snow and ice. The gardens remain lush and green all year round. Perhaps after dinner, I could give you a private tour? They’re magical under the moon.”

Azriel’s grip on his glass tightened, his shadows stilling as tension coiled in his chest.

“That’s very kind of you,” Elain said, her voice light, measured.

“I would be honored,” the prince pressed, his smile widening as he reached out, his hand hovering just shy of hers.

“Her safety isn’t up for negotiation,” Azriel said, his voice cutting through the room.

The table fell silent, every head turning toward him. He didn’t care.

Elain turned her head , glaring at him, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was staring down the prince.

The prince blinked, his smile faltering for a moment before he recovered.

“Surely, Shadowsinger, there is no safer place than my palace. Or is it that you doubt my intentions?”

Azriel didn’t flinch. His shadows swirled around his shoulders like snakes ready to strike. “It’s not your intentions I’m worried about.”

The prince’s lips quirked in an almost smile as he smoothed his blond hair with his hand, but there was no humor in his voice, “How fortunate she has such a devoted guardian,” he said.

Elain exhaled softly, her expression composed as she glanced toward Azriel, her foot nudging his under the table. The touch was light. A silent reminder of the purpose of being here.

Azriel’s gaze flicked to her. Her foot didn’t move. Neither did his.

She placed her hands in her lap and leaned forward slightly. “Your Highness,” she said softly, her voice like a balm, “I deeply appreciate your generosity. But perhaps it would be so kind as to arrange a daytime tour tomorrow. After all, I wouldn’t want to miss the gardens’ beauty in full sunlight.”

The prince inclined his head. “As you wish.”

Azriel kept his eyes on his plate, his jaw tight, his mind a mess of thoughts. It was jealousy, pure and simple,eating away at his control. So he said nothing. Pretended not to notice the pressure of her foot against his. Pretended he was only doing his job. He was good at pretending after all.

....

After everyone slept Azriel headed towards Elain’s room, the corridor stretched before him, the weight in his chest growing heavier with every step. He shouldn’t have spoken out at dinner. He knew it. Every logical part of him screamed at how reckless, how stupid it had been to risk the treaty over a petty reaction.

She wasn’t his.

But gods, he wanted her to be.

And he hated himself for it. Hated the jealousy that coiled hot in his gut. Because she wasn’t his, and yet he couldn’t stop imagining it,her smile, her touch, her love, all meant for him.

He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to still. He had to apologize, smooth this over . Gathering what remained of his composure, he knocked lightly on her door.

“Come in,” came her soft voice from within, as if she knew he would come.

Azriel stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Elain stood by the window, bathed in moonlight, her arms crossed over her chest. She was now wearing her pink gown, and he let himself drink in the sight of her before closing his eyes for a moment, inhaling her jasmine and honey scent that wrapped around him.

“We need to talk,” he said finally, stepping further into the room.

She turned to face him fully. “You jeopardized the treaty,” she said, her voice firm. “Do you realize that? If the king and queen had been at dinner, your outburst could have unraveled everything.”

“I was doing my job,” Azriel replied, his tone colder than he intended. “Protecting you.”

“Protecting me?” she repeated, shaking her head. “The prince was being polite. Nothing more.”

His jaw tightened. Polite. The word grated on him. “Polite?” His voice was sharp. “Inviting you to a private, moonlit tour isn’t polite, Elain. It’s...” He stopped himself.

“It’s what?” she pressed.

He tried to maintain his composure. “You didn’t see the way he looked at you,” he said, his voice low.

Elain blinked. “And how did he look at me? Like he wanted to court me? Like he thought I was beautiful? Is that so terrible?"

Yes. Yes, it is. But He shoved the words down. He stared at her, trying to find the right response, something logical. But he couldn’t.

Because as much as he wanted to deny it, to convince himself it was about duty and nothing else, the truth shone too brightly, it wasn’t about her safety. It was about her.

His eyes locked onto hers, and he hated how easily she seemed to see through him.

“The prince wasn’t a threat. He didn’t deserve that reaction from you.” she continued.

Maybe a prince is what she deserves. Someone whole, untainted. He should apologize, he reminded himself. He nodded, “You’re right." "I apologize ".

“Then why did you react that way?” she asked, stepping closer, her voice almost a whisper now,her big brown eyes scanning his face .

She stood there, her cheeks flushed, her gaze locked on his, and he wanted to break. To close the remaining space between them and tell her everything he’d been holding back.

The thought slammed into him, and he had to lock his knees to keep from taking a step closer. His gaze flicked to her lips before he could stop himself. Some dark, possessive part of him wanted her to understand. Wanted to make her see that she wasn’t meant for anyone else,not the prince, not her mate not anyone's.

Some part of him wanted to punish her for making him feel this way...wanted to thread his fingers into her hair ,pull her close and kiss her until she understood. Until she felt the hunger that consumed him whenever she was near.

Elain’s breath hitched, her throat bobbing as she swallowed, the lovely pink flush spreading down her neck and over her chest.

But he didn’t move. He couldn’t.

Because if he did if he gave in, even for a second...there’d be no turning back.

“As I said, I was doing my job,” He finally answered.

Her eyes broke away from his for a moment, then looked back at him. “I don’t need you to protect me, I can handle myself.” “You’re the spymaster,” she said. “I expect you to know more about diplomacy than I do.”

He nodded once, sharply. “It won’t happen again.”

“Good,” she said, though her tone lacked satisfaction. “The prince has arranged for the tour. During the day tomorrow, like I suggested.”

Azriel’s hands curled into fists at his sides, his knuckles whitening, but this time it was his turn to say, “Good.”

She turned her back to him, her voice quieter. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” he replied, taking a deep breath as he turned and walked toward the door, shutting it quietly behind him. He rested against the wood for a second, his eyes closing as he tried to shake off the rush of emotions. But, as usual, he pushed it down and stepped into the shadows...

[writingoddess1125]

OMG! I loved your Kurt Fae story!!! Would you do a part 2?? It was way too Good!!

Ehhh So since this was a Kofi Request I didn't expect to do a Pt. 2? This is a short mini part I suppose lol

<<< Original

Everything has a Price 1.5?

Dark!Kurt Wagner x FemReader

Idk if this really counts since it's fairly short however it's something I guess. Hope you like!

⚠️WARNING: ⚠️ Dirty Talk, Claiming, Sexual Innuendo, Dark themes, Manipulation

I tried ;-; I hope this is okay

(Y/N) stood in her dimly lit bathroom, her fingers brushing against the deep, almost branded bite mark on her neck.

The scar refused to fade, no matter how much magic she poured into it.

"Fuck-"

She hissed to herself.. It had been a gamble for sure, however the innocents of a Neyaphem was a powerful bit of magic something she could for centuries- however if she had known it would release a now unchecked Neyaphem, on earth- She wouldn't have dared to do so.

Pulling back from the mirror she is quick to wash her hands. Thinking it would somehow wash away her mistake-

The other fae folk knew.. They said they could smell it on her...

Now growing weary of her presence like she was cursed when they used to bask in her glory- She who was a royal amongst the fae they now ran when she was close.... Worse of all she couldn't step back into her world- Like a leash was now keeping her here in the mortal world. Yanking her back everytime she tried to return home.

It was humiliating..

"Fucking bastard-"

She grumbled walking back to the master bedroom simmering over the damn mortal who had done this to her-

"I need to find a way to kill that blue peice of sh-"

"Awww and here I thought you liked me my little fairy~"

(Y/N) jumped in hearing that voice- turning to see the man who had plauged her mind calmly leaning against the doorframe of her room, looking like he had woken up from a nap as he was barefoot wearing only sweats and a old wife beater.

Finishing off some grapes he had snagged from her dining room- Clearly knowing damn well the fae food had no real effect on him in this state.

"Why are you here?" she demanded, Hearing the trembling in her own voice which surprised her, despite trying to keep her authority and pride. "We had no further arrangement."

Kurt shrugged, his tail flicking lazily behind him as he flicked the empty stem of the grapes down the hall as if he owned the damn place.

"I just wanted to visit."

He said, his tone casual, as if dropping in unannounced was the most natural thing in the world let alone into her home.

However his face seemed a bit- Spaced out? as if contemplating.. his yellow eyes staring at the carpeted floor below.

"Everyone’s been noticing the changes in me... I notice them too. I feel stronger, less afraid? I can teleport farther now came here from to Colorado from New York in one jump."

He said, his voice almost soft as he messed with his hands a bit before flicking his eyes back up to (Y/N) almost making her jump at the intense gaze-

Kurt rolled off from the doorframe, sauntering over to her with his hands in his pockets now.

(Y/N) took a step back feeling her own tail tuck between her legs like that of a puppy, her heart pounding in her ears as he began to circle her, much like she had done to him months ago when she had first asked for that fucking innocence of his.

He continued, his voice low and so soft. Now smiling to himself when he saw her tail was tucked-

"To keep suspicions down, I’ve been masking sorts.. putting on sweetness, and cowering more. It’s starting to..."

He paused as his tail ran over her cheek like a cat, smiling softly to her as the newly developed sharpness of the spade glided across her cheek-

"Really annoy me?"

(Y/N) smacked his tail away from her- Mindful to make sure it didn't cut her.

"Why are you telling me this? Im not a therapist for you damn Mortal-" she hissed at him- Earning her a sharp glare which made her shrink a bit and warmth suddently between her legs as she looked away from him fast. Her mind and eyebrows scrunch in panick at her sudden submissive nature?-

"Ja I am mortal- somewhat at least now... But a mortal did that to you" He cooed and pointed to the mark on her neck. (Y/N) hand instinctively went to the bite mark on her neck, as if shielding it from him.

Kurt’s grin widened, and calmly walked closer to her, his large finger tapping the her hand were she covered it making a shiver go down her spine at how close he was- and warmth seemingly filling her body.

"This," he said, his voice almost dripping with amusement.

"It is strange ja? I can feel where you are? When I cross your mind Maus... Even when you curse yourself at touching yourself thinking of me.. it’s really interesting"

(Y/N) swallowed hard, her face heating up in embarrassment anf horror at his words. Her skin crawling as she tried to figure out if she wanted to run, to beg for him to take her or to cry.

"So Maus-" Kurt continued, his tone almost playful as he clearly enjoyed watchinv her squirm.. (Y/N) biting her lip when they started to tremble.

"Since I seem to be on your mind so much, I figured me and you could have a bit of a chat. And hopefully take the annoying feeling ive had too- Hm?"

He said softly, pulling her hand away from the bite on her neck which she allowed and he placed his own on her waist- Almost mocking of a lovers hold. (Y/N) releasing her wings as well-

Something in the back of her brain telling her he liked them... seeing how he smiled brighter at his silent command.

"Would you like that Maus?~"

He cooed in her ear, (Y/N) nodding softly. Embarrassed by her own desires- Her wanting to please and... be good for him?

She knew she should be terrified... fearful for her life, should try and fly away but couldn't find it in herself to do so- Her feet firmly planted like roots to the soil.

"Yes.. Please"

(Y/N) said shyly, feeling his hand tighten around her hip as his tail wraps around her leg making her shiver in want.

"Now Maus.. I do think we are well acquainted now- I want to know the true name of my pretty little fairy~ Don't you want to hear me moan it for real?~"

He purred out, placing a soft kiss on the corners of your her lips. A soft whimper leaving them as if he had already started to touch her in the ways she wanted the most-

"(Y/N)...(L/N).."

She whimpered out, feeling how it burned on her lips at her true name being told to the male- Kurt eyes shimmering as he gave a wide fanged grin, no better then the cat who had the canary between its teeth.

Or in his case a little fairy in his control.

"Good-" He growled out, he reached behind her head grabbing a fistful of her hair making her yelp as he forced her to look at him in those bright yellow eyes of his. "I knew my little fairy wouldn't refuse~ Now for being such a good girl, Let me give you everything you want. Do we have a deal?"

She nodded softly within his hold. Desire burning in her chest as she knew... She was his- Seeing that almost evil smile from him knowing he was mocking her, claiming her as his own- and abusing his power over her.

"Yes.. we have a deal.."

[cursedfallingmoon]

Touch the Sky || Yan GB Merida x GN Reader

Characters: Murray

Summary: A wild prince who fights for his own hand... and maybe yours too

Warnings: Yandere themes, possessiveness

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦

Yan GB Merida who is the firstborn son of the leading clan. He's also the prince. His mother woks so hard to make sure he's a perfect leader for the clan's future. So many rules that he hates. He wants to have freedom to do what he loves most. Archery. Ever since he was a child, archery was always something he adored. His father encouraged it. His mother disliked it. He didn't care, however. He became so good at it as he aged.

Yan GB Merida who had first met you when he was a child. It was his birthday and his father had gifted him his very first bow. They were practicing as his mother watched anxiously. She didn't want her son to be hurt. He shot the arrow too far into the woods. He left his mother and father to go and find it. As he searched, small blue spirits made themselves present. Will o' Wisps. His curiosity took a hold of him and he followed them. The wisps had led him to not only the arrow but you. You were dressed in tattered clothing with a dagger wrapped around your neck. You were a child of the forest.

Yan GB Merida who makes silent eye contact with you. The silence in the forest other than the leave rustling in the wind. He wanted to break the beautiful silence with a simple greeting. His mother had beat him to it when she called for his name. Just the sound had startled you. Much to his disappointment, he had returned to the camp. While his mother had carried him, a huge black bear had attacked. Mor'du. His father defended the both of them while his mother rode off with him in her arms.

Yan GB Merida who, years after that, manages to find you once more. On days where he doesn't have any royal duties or expectations to fulfill he rides his horse, Angus, and practices his archery skills through the forest. When he's deep enough in the forest he finds you. The both of you have been good friends, and he always loves spending time with you.

Yan GB Merida who comes home one day after a wonderful outing with you. He's saddened by the fact that he has to leave you, but he knows that you love the forest. It's where you thrive. When he walks into the large dining room, he gets lectured by his mother, and sneaks his triplet brothers some pastries he took from the kitchen. While he sits down, sharing about his day, his mother is handed three letters. He's told that they're letters from the three other clans. They've accepted to participate in Murray's betrothal. He's angered by the idea and storms out. Retreating to his room, he grabs a sword and start hitting his bedpost with it. His mother is quick to follow him, and she's as calm as ever when she enters the room. In this calm state, she shared a tale of an ancient kingdom. Something he didn't care to pay attention too. His mind drifted off to thoughts of you.

Yan GB Merida who meets the clans soon after. He's dressed n a stupid tight tunic and an even tighter and nicer looking braise. He couldn't breath. He could barely move. He sat in front of the clans as the three leaders introduced their first born sons to him. When his mother said he could chose the game in which would choose his future husband, a plan popped into his head. This was his way out. He chose archery.

Yan GB Merida who represents his clan after the three contestants had taken their turns. He hid his bow and arrows next to his wooden carved seat. As he announced he was going to shoot for his own hand, his mother was outraged. Once he hit a bulseye on each target, his mother had confronted him.

Yan GB Merida who was pulled aside privately by his mother. He was pulled into the room where she had been working on the tapestry. She was enraged by what he had done. In the midst of their argument and in the heat of it, his mother ripped the bow from his back. Without even a beat, the bow is thrown into the fire. In return to this rage, Murray picked up a sword and ripped the tapestry where him and his mother were holding hands. He runs once more to the comfort of his horse and furthermore out to the comfort of the forest.

Yan GB Merida who gets throne off hid hotdr ehrn approaching a circle of large stones. He's in tears and his clothes are torn. So much is going through his head. He wanted comfort. He needed it. He looked around with teary eyes. A branch breaks and is greeted with the soothing presence of you. You tower above him and hold a hand out to him. He takes it to help himself up, but is quickly destracted by a whisp.

Yan GB Merida who feels his heart ump into his throat as you try to help him. He's, unfortantley, too distracted by the whisps to properly thank you. He starts to follow the blue spirit, dragging you along with him. The whipss lead him to a cottage hidden within a small stone cave. There, you two meet a witch his is desguised as a wood carver. He managed to haggle with the witch to ger a spell. A spell that will change his mother's mind about the unwanted arranged marriage. He also gave you one of the bear wood carvings as a gift for your comfort.

Yan GB Merida who goes back to the castle with the cake in a wooden box made by the woodcarving witch. He managed to get a ride back home because of you. You calmed downed his horse. He also managed to convince you to ride with him. Before he rode through the castle gates, you had gotten off to return to the forest. Disappointed, he went on without you.

Yan GB Merida who gifts his mother the spell the witch had given him disguised as a cake He became eager for her to changer mind about the betrothal. While he tries asking, she becomes sick. He tried to help her up to bed, but gets stopped by the clan heads. After an embarassing moment, the Queen gets to her room. Much to Murray's startlement, his mother turns into his bear. As he tries to explain why she's now a bear, he admits to the spell.

Yan GB Merida who is relieved that his mother turned bear is now out of the castle. They find their way through the forest to where the witch's cave was. On their way, Murray spots you first. He's amazed as you hunt a deer all on your own. His mother becomes spooked when she sees this stranger with a dagger. Her response is smothering Murray into a protective hug. He manages to break free and catches your attention. He explains to you the situation and you offer your help.

Yan GB Merida who becomes frustrated to find out that the witch is gone for a festival. You three end up laying under the remains of the door after Murray causes an explosion that blows it off it's hinges. What's worse is that it starts raining. After a restless night, you watch how his mom bonds with him even if she's a bear. You help his mother catch fish.

Yan GB Merida who stumbles upon the ruins of what seemed to be an old-abandoned castle. His mother remains on the top, watching you both anxiously through the hole. As you explore, he realizes where he recognizes this castle. The story his mother had told him before. Danger had been unknowingly lurking in the shadows. When he turns around, he's caught off guard by the giant bear. Mor'du. His mind immediately goes to you. He does his best to protect you. He helps you out as quick as possible, and you pull him up. His mother grabs both of you and runs off back home.

Yan GB Merida who walks through the door and sees the clans fighting. The room is a mess with broken furniture and tables being used as shields. He is bombarded with questions, which he tries to answer them, but he glances and see you and his mother trying to sneak by. Murray starts a speech in an attempt to calm down the clan heads. Too which he answers their questions. When a guard sees movement, he walks over, and in the quick response from his mother was to pretend to be a bear statue while hiding you behind her. From there, she watches her son. Impressed by his words, his mother guides him through the speech. You watched with amazement from behind her. When the clans head to the dining hall to celebrate, the three of you are quick to retreat upstairs where the torn tapestry lays.

Yan GB Merida who becomes increasingly panicked when his mother starts acting like a real bear again. What's worse is when his father comes into the room. His mind races when he catches you standing in front of his father and his bear mother to protect her. He would be enraptured that you want to protect his mom but his care for you out weighs that. He was quick to pull you away as he told his mother to run. His father chased after the bear, but not until he locked the both of you in the room. Once the two of you are alone, Murray winces due to the gash on his upper arm from his mother.

Yan GB Merida whose brothers had turned into bears because of the left over cursed cake. Noticing them, Murray called out to them for help. They provided, more so to cause chaos, but they love their older brother too. As they tried to get the key from the poor nursemaid, he worked on mending the tapestry he had ripped during his anger. To you, it was clear that there was so much regret and guilt in his eyes. You place a gentle hand on his back, your presence is enough to encourage him. After a couple of moments of chasing the nursemaid around the castle, the three little terrors managed to get the key.

Yan GB Merida who breaks out of the room with the tapestry he's trying to fix in his hands. The needle and thread are in his mouth. You follow him with the end of the tapestry in your hands, carrying it so you both can go quick. His bear brothers don't trail fare behind. You're all quick to hop onto Murray's horse, and he leaves one of his brother's to steer the horse. You sit behind him. You hold the tapestry so it's steady and doesn't fall as the wind blows. All of you try to remain calm under the scary hand of panic.

Yan GB Merida who faces off with the legendary monstrous bear; Mor'du! He tries his best to protect you. He doesn't want you to get hurt. He tries to focus on the huge bear but his mind floods with concern about you and his mother. You try your best to help by distracting the large bear. His mother ends up facing off with Mor'du. She pulls you away with her large bear hands to where Murray was. He wraps his arms around you, making sure to steady you. The clans try their best to fight. They don't want to hurt the queen turned bear.

Yan GB Merida who watched his mother turned bear with anxious eyes. They were both in the middle of the stone structure circle. The clans that surrounded them all waited with bated breath. Murray had you close to him. You were a huge part of this. This journey. As the sun rose further up into the sky, covering the bear wrapped in the fabric tapestry, the bear had changed. She changed back into a human. He was so happy that he hugged the queen. His father had joined the hug as the three boys had run up. You were pulled into this group hug by Murray.

Yan GB Merida who after a night of recovery, and having you over at his castle for the first time ever. The next morning, him and his family had gone to the docks to send off the three clans. He had brought you with him. His family were more than happy that he had a friend. Much to his disappointment, however, one of the clans' sons had kissed his arm repeatedly. He had wished it was you.

Yan GB Merida who catches you trying to leave as the clans start to sail off. He doesn't want you to leave just yet. If you leave, who knows when he'll see you again. He needs you in his life. His mom catches him chasing after you. He tries his best to convince you to stay. With him. She walks up to the two of you which gives him the chance to finally formally introduce you to his mom.

Yan GB Merida who offers you a horse ride once he managed to convince you to stay with him. He helps you onto the back of his horse while his mother joins. The three of you watch the ships leave and once they're out of sight, the three of you ride off into the forest. He's so happy to finally be with you without having to do anything after.

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦

Property of @cursedfallingmoon! Do not repost or translate without my explicit permission! Reblogs are welcome!

[jimblejamblewritings]

love letters and second sons | part 3.

Summary: The princess is finally ready to debut in society. But before she does, she decides to disguise herself and see the true faces of the ton.

Warnings for the Series: light sexism in line with the times, light classism in line with the times, mental health stigma, shitty doctor care, smut, suicide attempt (will get it's own warning when the time comes),

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x princess!reader

Word Count: 2.5k

Previous Part | Series Masterlist

A/N: Sorry this part is so short

You stood in the drawing room of Kew, waiting for your mother and father to arrive in just a few minutes. Instead of a huge breakfast in the dining room, you opted for a light tea in a more casual setting. Honestly, you were mildly annoyed. The only thing you wanted to do after people returned from their church services, that they never attended weekly because no one cared about the priest admonishing them, was go to the Featherington house. You were shocked that Colin was calling Marina. But friends didn’t always fall in love.

It wasn’t like Penelope was upset about it. She didn’t even like Colin. But like your mother you wanted to matchmake someone and figured they would have been the easiest couple to form. But you wanted to spy on Colin and Marina under the guise of aiding in chaperoning with Penelope since Lady Featherington was running around between girls and their callers.  

Your thoughts about who to matchmake were interrupted by your parents arriving. You poured tea for them. Breakfast was a bit awkward in a way it had never been before. George and Charlotte were assessing you intently. You got in two bites of bread when the physician entered. Your parents continued their conversation while you were being checked over. The physician made little comments for the nurse to jot down. Overall, you were fine. That seemed to satisfy your mother and father. There was a glint in Charlotte’s eye. 

“The King an— Everyone, out.” 

The room, aside from Brimsley and Reynolds, cleared out. 

“George and I have decided that we’d like to give you an opportunity. There is an opera coming up. Agatha and her friend Violet will be attending. You may come with. You will meet them before the show starts and then we will stay to watch the entire performance. Afterwards, you must go home. No exceptions.” 

“Thank you! Thank you so much! I wo—” 

“Calm yourself. You know getting excited makes your condition worse.” 

You sat back down, trying not to bounce up and down. She was right after all. Being overly excited made you sweaty or a little hot for some reason and being too warm made you start to see things or think strange things. When your parents left, you ran to your wardrobe. 

The dresses needed to be fancy but not too fancy since it was a sit-down event. You picked a yellow dress with short puff sleeves. It ended just above the bottom of your ankle — very stylish for the times. Pairing it with light blue gloves that went past your elbows, you added a light blue skirt piece that made a small train. 

“You look beautiful, Your Highness,” Brimsley said. 

“I have to agree.” Both Pandora and Reynolds looked at each other, shocked they said the same thing at the same time. 

“Thank you. Shall we go? Reynolds, would you like to be dropped at home to see Father?” 

“That would be nice, Your Highness, thank you.” 

“Then let us leave now.” 

You rolled your eyes in the carriage, setting down your copy of Lady Whistledown’s society papers. 

“It is utterly ridiculous. She is a disgraceful woman. I tolerated the gossip but speculating death, wishing death on my father is something I cannot accept nor tolerate. How dare she?” 

Your confidantes agreed with you and shared their own opinions on society and gossip. 

Whispers started to spread throughout the opera house while people still rolled in and music still played. How could it not? The youngest royal child was actually outside. There was no opening for the mouth on this particular mask which meant this was not your introduction. You might speak to a lucky few but there would be no speeches or announcements tonight. People couldn’t hear you from far away with ceramic blocking your mouth. You stuck close to your mother while everyone tried to look at you or talk to you. 

“Lady Bridgerton!” Lady Danbury yelled from across the room. “Do join us.” 

Violet tried to conceal her wide eyes and smile as she grabbed Daphne’s arm before her daughter could walk away from whoever she was trying to avoid. She made eye contact with you. You watched as she rather frantically waved over someone else. 

Anthony — or should you call him the viscount for the evening — began walking towards you, bowing to the Queen before turning his full attention to you. You let him take your hand and give it a kiss. A kiss that you noted was considerably longer by a minimum of five seconds than when he kissed you as Miss Beckett. So it was definitely Violet trying to set up the princess with her son and not the valet with Colin.    

You let Anthony talk your ear off about his responsibilities as the eldest and his horseback riding hobby, notably leaving out the details of riding through the mud and staying out there for hours. He was considerably more boring when trying to impress a woman. Ignoring the whispers that permeated through the room, you tried to focus on your friend. 

You motioned for him to lean in so you could speak into his ear and actually let him hear you rather than sounding muffled, practically silencing the hall. Anthony laughed at the joke you told which caused both of your mothers to turn around. This was the Anthony you liked better. Violet gasped when you placed a hand on her son’s arm — your mother raised her eyebrows as she and Lady Danbury gave you a slight nod of approval. 

“Will you escort me to our box, Viscount Bridgerton?” 

“Please, call me Anthony.” 

“Lord Bridgerton, that is most forward when we don’t know each other.” 

“I was told royals didn’t obey our rules of upper society.” 

The two of you started up the stairs, away from prying eyes, that led up to the Queen’s box. 

“Anthony?” 

“Now we speak of first names.” 

You rolled your eyes. “I will allow you to call me by mine, just this single occasion. Anthony, where are the other Bridgerton siblings? If I remember correctly, you have seven of them? Miss Bridgerton is here but I do not see the others.” 

“Truthfully, they were very bored by the show being put on tonight. We’ve seen it before. I’m merely here to aid my mother and chaperone my sister. Have you seen this show before?” 

“If I have then it was when I was very little.” 

“Well, then please do not let my words discourage your enjoyment of the performance. Here is your stop.” He extended a hand to help you up the short steps into the box. “Y/N, thank you for the flowers from the other day. Truly, they are appreciated.” 

You studied his face for a moment. He really was handsome. His hair didn’t cover as much of his face this evening as it usually did whenever you visited. The stark colors of his black and white attire made his features stand out. 

“I am glad you liked them. Now is where I leave you for the evening, Lord Bridgerton. I shall hope to see you some more once I formally introduce myself to society.” 

“I will look forward to that day. Goodbye… Y/N.” 

“Goodbye, Anthony.” 

Taking your seat, you waited for your mother and her friends to come to the box. The smile on Charlotte’s face grew wider the closer she got to the box. She was going on about Anthony. Obviously, you were going to have many suitors to entertain but a viscount was certainly a very important suitor and only made your prospects have to be better in their courting. 

“Excuse me, I’m going to the privy,” you told your mother when you felt your throat start to tighten up. 

She just gave you a nod. The shadows of the opera house were closing in on you and you couldn’t calm your mind down. You needed to be in a place with more candlelight. You jumped at the sound of several dogs barking from the shadows. They were big creatures. You had never seen them but you could tell from their bark and — when you got too close — how their breath fanned across the top of your head. Hastening your steps to get away, you ran straight into Violet. 

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry. I decided to take a walk after going to the privy and wasn’t watching where I was going.” 

The woman in front of you smiled. “Your Highness, if I may be so bold to ask? Would you like to attend a dinner we are hosting? The Duke of Hastings will be there. I understand that you aren’t yet introduced but it woul—” 

“I shall love to come. Just tell me when.” 

“Saturday evening.” 

“Perfect.” 

Saturday evening couldn’t have come any sooner. You were tired of counting the floor titles in the bathroom and needed to leave. For the sake of your valets, you hadn’t snuck out at all that week.

You turned to your valets. “I will be back in a few hours.” 

“Please be careful,” Pandora said. 

“I always am.” 

“Not really.” You heard someone mutter inside the carriage. 

Marshall escorted you in. You had to stop yourself from smiling, remembering that he had no clue who you were. It was almost alarming when everyone — including the Duke of Hastings — stood when you entered the dining room. You weren’t sure why you didn't expect it. Perhaps you were already too used to your disguise as Miss Beckett. You gave a slight curtsey. 

“I apologize for being late.” 

“No. You aren’t late at all,” Anthony said as he started to gather his plate. 

You shook your head. “Oh, stay where you are.” 

“But, Your Highness.” 

“I can afford to not be the head of a table for a single night.” You looked around. “I shall sit across from Miss Daphne Bridgerton.” 

“She knows your name!” Hyacinth’s voice rose three octaves. You figured you could make her night by having the princess knowledgeable about the Bridgertons. 

Colin and Benedict scrambled to pull their chairs apart so you could sit in between them. You waved Marshall away, plating your own food. You could feel the silence of the dinner table as you did things the normal way you would at Kew or Buckingham House.

They also might have been preoccupied with your disguise rather than the way you dragged your own spoon through the mashed potatoes. It was natural. Your siblings had told you all about how people would scrutinize the different masks you would wear. They'd try their hardest to get a real glimpse of your face.

The eye holes had sheer coverings on them that made it hard to see your true eye color. And when it came to your mouth. Your maids had taken their painstakingly slow time making sure the makeup covered up an unique qualities around your mouth and changed the shape of your lips to a shape unrecognizable to you at all. Hungry mamas with daughters they'd want to be in your court or sons they'd want to court you are able to sniff out something like the tiniest wrinkle by the bottom of your lip and use that to scout the whole ton until they found you without the mask on.

It happened to Edward countless of times and was the reason for all the rules regarding the masks in the first place. You looked up after cutting your chicken. 

“What were you all talking about before I arrived?” 

“Lady Whistledown,” Eloise cut in before anyone could stop her. 

“Really? Tell me more.” 

“You want to know?” 

“Of course I do. I must know her identity. However I must say I will be having a private word with her about not publishing speculation of my father’s death.” 

“How is he?” 

“Oh, he’s perfectly fine. No matter, though, I need to know every thought you have on our mysterious Lady Whistledown?” 

You enjoyed the bickering between everyone. There wasn’t even a firm thought on what class Whistledown belonged to. In your opinion it had to have been an upper class woman. Only someone like that could have enough time on their hands and still survive day to day needs. You dipped your fork into the potatoes. 

“Viscount Bridgerton, I must say that any correspondence between the royals and the Bridgerton House should be sent to Kew. I stay there now.” 

“Correspondence?” Violet asked, trying to suppress the excitement in her voice. 

“Yes. I shall need to understand the ton more than what I have studied. Don’t bother putting them together. I much prefer to read individual letters. Now, I have engagements already arranged for tomorrow so I must be on my way. However, I would love to attend dinner again. Goodnight, Lady Bridgerton, Viscount, Bridgertons, Your Grace.” 

Anthony stood up from the table. “Let me escort you to your carriage.” 

“That would be much appreciated, Lord Bridgerton.” 

~~

My Dearest Ton and Wonderful United Kingdom, 

I implore you all to remember that gossip, particularly baseless gossip, can be a dangerous thing. While we all are very entertained by Lady Whistledown, remember that you must discover the truth for yourself. I would hate to see lives ruined over entertainment. 

Yours Truly, 

Princess Y/N Hanover

Dear Viscount Bridgerton, 

The dinner at your house was very lovely. Your family seems to be a wonderful group of people. I am sorry for keeping my lady’s maid away for so long. She has been in Ireland, procuring plant seeds and fabrics for me. Please fret no more for she will be back soon. But I do have to say our correspondence might be limited to letters for a majority of our current time. Until I am introduced to society, it is not wise for me to constantly be out. I shall look forward to more times spent with the Bridgertons at a later date. 

Yours Truly, 

Princess Y/N Hanover 

You finished signing the letter, handing it to Pandora to take to the press for copies to be made. Moving an entire printing house from Buckingham to Kew wasn’t exactly quick and easy but your staff had managed to do it in no time at all. For the time being, Kew was entirely self-sufficient. 

“Please take the letters for the Bridgertons to their house after you have visited the press.”  

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Brimsley, what is on the schedule after the physician leaves?” 

“You wanted to ride horses and then prepare a bouquet for the ball tomorrow night to be delivered by one of us.” 

“Yes, thank you. And after that?” 

Reynolds looked at you and then his partner. You had just made the schedule no less than an hour ago. It didn’t seem normal for you to not know. Their eye contact didn’t waiver as they silently communicated to not say a word but just answer all your questions. You got up, moving to your wardrobe to get a petticoat for outside. 

“Ah, yes, Brimsley. Are we preparing the bouquet tonight before or after the physici…an…”

Tears started to well up in your eyes as you realized you had asked the question already. Brimsley and Reynolds were a tad too slow. You were already in the wardrobe, trying to calm yourself down. Every time a sob left your mouth or you begged them not to tell your parents caused some pain in their hearts. Reynolds stopped Pandora from leaving, handing the letters to a different lady-in-waiting. 

You looked up in the dark space when you heard the knocking. It was hard to ignore the dogs in the shadows just waiting to snap at you. But the dark stopped the heavens from coming in. It was always a compromise. And since the heavens confused your mind and blocked your memory, the dogs would have to wait. 

“You can open it.” 

Pandora stuck her head in, trying to prevent too much light from coming in. “You’re stronger than whatever you have, you know? It doesn’t matter. None of it does… Maybe you should show the planets and shadow dogs and other shadow creatures that they cannot control a princess. They do not control you.” 

Reynolds sighed as he said a quick prayer to not be fired. “Maybe going to the ball would show the shadows that they cannot control you.” 

You didn’t really have a choice. Pandora practically pulled you out of the closet and started making plans for tomorrow’s ball, including how to enjoy yourself but stay hidden.

(part 4)...

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[norris55s]

the summer i turned pretty - charles leclerc & arthur leclerc

a reader x charles leclerc/arthur leclerc love triangle

warnings: intoxicated (but consensual) kissing

a/n: trying out a written piece/smau/texts weird hybrid but it was all i could come up with to get this idea across! i hope you all like it <3 (there will be a part 2)

also this was requested!! i'm so sorry anon i lost the ask but i hope u see it and like it anyways

Day 1

France is a place that isn’t easy to forget, but having lived there your whole life made it seem ordinary. The country that saw me grow up, and that I was glad to call home, failed to impress me every day because I was used to it. The beautiful architecture, history, and tourist attractions weren’t as beautiful to me anymore; it was my day-to-day life.

That wasn’t true for the beach house in Nice. It wasn’t mine, or my family’s, but that place never failed to impress me, even if it was my day-to-day life every summer. The Leclerc summer home was my favorite place on Earth. From its blue and white facade, the soft beige interiors, the pool and beach view, the big dining room, and the incredible company, there’s no place I’d rather be in right now.

“Y/N L/N, you have arrived!” Charles Leclerc, the ultimate reason for this place’s beauty, yelled out to me.

“Charles Leclerc, I have arrived!” I replied blushing, and opening my arms into an embrace. As every time I hugged him, my body relaxed and tensed somehow at the same time, safe and nervous, loved and not loved back. But aren’t all childhood crushes like that?

“I’ve also arrived, pote. If you even care,” my wonderfully annoying older brother, Alexandre, interjected. Charles let me go to greet my brother, and I turned to find the youngest Leclerc, Arthur, on his way to hug me hello.

“Hi, chérie,” he said with a smile on his face, ruffling my hair affectionately.

“Hi, Arthur. Up to no good once again?”

“I’m always up to all good!”

Pascale Leclerc, the boys’ mother, greeted me with cheeks kisses and pinches. Everyone then swarmed my mom, Alice. Sometimes I think my friends love her more than they love me, but that was deserved.

As every year before, everyone finally felt at home. And as every year before, the inaugural pool party started.

“Y/N L/N, will you do me the honor of joining me at the pool?” Charles exaggeratedly held out his hand, as if we were Royals in a ball. Antics that I was happy to oblige with. Too happy for my dignity to recover. 

As we made our way inside, and swam a couple laps playing around on who is faster, we wound up floating peacefully on a corner with the sun beginning to set. 

“I missed you,” Charles said out of nowhere, making my heart do a somersault. 

“I miss you too,” I managed to reply, feeling the blush on my cheeks. 

“I want to hear from you more often. I know I’m busy with racing, but I always can make time for you Y/N.”

The thing about unrequited love is any show of affection feels like a marriage proposal. But of course I could not deny his request. He was, above all else, one of my best friends and one that I needed to be there for. 

Hervé Leclerc passed away the year before, a couple months after the summer vacation. We didn’t know it would be the last time we spent with him, and I was worried about what this year’s vacation would be like with the boys’ father missing. 

“I’m always here for you,” I vowed and he gave me a quick, chaste kiss on my forehead. To make sure I wouldn’t forget my promise. 

As I looked at Charles’ glistening face against the darkening sun, I realized we would be okay. 

y/ninstagram added to her stories

charles_leclerc added to his stories

Day 2

“Chérie,” was the first voice I heard as I woke up, with Arthur knocking on my door for show and letting himself in.

“Too early,” I whined back and hid under the covers, to have them ripped from me by the guy in my room.

“It’s time for the sunrise beach walk,” he replied and I knew he was right, so I let myself be dragged outside the house. I couldn’t say no, since the sunrise walk at least once during the vacation is also a tradition between Arthur and I.

It was also worth it; we silently agreed for that to be time to catch up, be honest, and be vulnerable ever since we began taking the walks. This one would be particularly hard too.

“I really, really miss my dad,” he said, putting his arm around my shoulders to walk side by side.

I didn’t know how to handle Hervé’s death with the boys. 

Enzo was older than me, even beyond his years, and there was nothing I could say that would be wiser, or better than what he had to say.

Arthur was quiet and reasonable, way more accepting of inevitables than me, more useful to himself than me.

Charles was passionate but closed, a master at compartmentalization, never letting me in even if I’d like to.

But Arthur, ever my closest friend, still needed my support.

“I know you do,” I replied softly and squeezed his hand. “It’s only normal, and I’m sorry you’ve been dealt these cards.”

Grief is a strange thing, but on the beach I hoped I let Arthur know that I would always be by his side, and that the sun will always rise again for him. With his steady breathing while leaning on me as we sat on the sand, I knew he understood.

arthur_leclerc added to his stories

y/ninstagram added to her stories

Day 3

y/ninstagram added to her stories

ameliedeveraux20 added to her stories

This was the third year Arthur and I were invited to parties that Alexandre and Charles went to. The promotion from little siblings to cool siblings opened up a new world in Nice. Especially one where I could ignore my schoolgirl crush on Charles through alcohol.

So I happily got ready, into a pink summer dress and into the car that would drive us all to an even bigger house filled with a bunch of privileged European kids ready to drink the night away.

The first drink came from Antoine, who sadly had a beautiful girl around his arms that indicated he wouldn’t be a good distraction. The second one came from Amelie, my Nice girlfriend, who was happy as ever to see me and catch up with me before she also found an arm candy and promptly left. The third one was on me, as I was forced to stare at Charles making out with a girl I learned was named Charlotte.

After that, I stopped counting and kept drinking, joining the dance floor to enjoy the numb feeling in my face, the new found careless attitude, and the music blasting in my ears.

Before I could process it, Arthur was in front of me, the blush on his face indicating he was also intoxicated. What started as a normal jumping around like one does at a party, progressed to a point where his hands were on my waist and my hands were on his neck.

I couldn’t even recognize the song anymore, too entranced on the way his eyes were on mine. There were no words, as was usual between him and I. We just knew.

I wouldn’t take the first step, but he would. Arthur’s lips met mine in a strong, messy kiss. I didn’t pull away. I did want it. And it wasn’t scary.

When we stopped to take a breath, I realized I wanted to kiss him again. As I was leaning in, taking the initiative myself now, another force pulled me away.

I walked by inertia, trying not to fall down in following who was leading me away from the crowd. When I looked up, I recognized it to be Charles.

I couldn’t breathe from the adrenaline of the kiss I just shared, but also from the touch of Charles’ hand on mine, even if it was to take me out of the party.

My reaction was all too slow, finally starting to protest.

“What are you doing? Let me go,” I defensively said, snatching my hand away from his. The butterflies didn’t leave anyways.

“You’re drunk, let’s go home,” Charles coldly replied and held my hand again on his way to the car.

“Why would I want to go home? I’m having fun,” I continued to protest and he continued to pay me no mind.

As he put me inside the vehicle, despite my clumsy attempts to fight it, and slammed the door, I continued to think about what this could possibly be about. Where was Charlotte? Where was Arthur? What was happening?

My head spun and he got in the driver’s seat, turning the ignition on.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“You’re drunk. You don’t kiss people when you’re drunk.”

“That makes no sense.”

“You don’t kiss people you haven’t kissed sober.”

“Its Arthur!”

“Exactly!”

The back and forth continued all the way to the house, my thoughts sobering up with every passing moment.

“If you don’t want me to be with your brother because you don’t think I’m good enough, that’s really not your choice,” I told him decisively, crossing my arms and pouting like a child throwing a tantrum.

That was the only explanation for what Charles just did. He didn’t think a Leclerc should be with someone like me, and was doing everything he could to prevent it.

When he started laughing, I wasn’t so convinced anymore.

“What’s so funny?”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about. I just made the biggest scene out of jealousy, and you’re saying I don’t think you’re good enough.”

Time froze and my mouth went dry. The confession made its way through my entire bloodstream, replacing the alcohol effects with pure shock. My head was spinning for entirely different reasons, and my brain couldn’t bring the words out. What would I even say?

I opened my mouth but nothing came out, and Charles put his face on his hands in frustration, before leaving the car. I still could only think what is happening?

[fanfictionismyaddiction]

Celebrating Wins

Word count: 942

Pairing: Lando norris x girlfriend!reader

Summary: As a new couple landos girlfrined celebrates his polepostion with with a playful, intimate evening, marking the start of their relationship

Request are open

______________________________________________________________

The excitement from the day still lingered as we made our way back to the hotel. The buzz of the crowd, the thrill of Lando securing pole position in Q3—it was all still fresh in our minds. But now, it was just us, away from the cameras and the noise, and I had something fun and a bit silly planned for our own private celebration. I couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nerves. We had only just gotten together, and this was my first chance to really show him how proud I was of him. I wanted to make the night special, something he’d remember—not just as a celebration of his pole position, but as a moment that marked the beginning of us.

As we stepped into our room, Lando immediately burst into laughter. I had covered the bed with orange and blue confetti—McLaren’s colors, of course. There were small, goofy trophies on the nightstand, the kind you’d find at a dollar store, with labels like “World’s Best Driver” and “Pole Position King” hastily scribbled on them in my handwriting. I’d even put out a cheesy plastic crown that said “Speed King” in glittery letters.

“Are you serious?” Lando asked, grinning from ear to ear as he picked up one of the trophies. “You really went all out, didn’t you?”

“Well, someone’s got to remind you how awesome you are,” I teased, reaching up to place the crown on his head. It was a bit too small, but he wore it proudly, striking a ridiculous pose.

“I feel like royalty,” he declared, holding out his hand for me to kiss, as if he were some kind of racing monarch.

Laughing, I took his hand and gave it an exaggerated, over-the-top kiss. “Your Majesty, the Speed King, shall we dine?”

He snorted, his eyes shining with amusement. “Lead the way, my loyal subject.”

We moved to the small table I’d set up near the window, where a simple dinner was waiting for us—nothing too heavy, just some of Lando’s favorite Italian dishes, including a massive bowl of pasta. I’d even ordered pizza, because who can resist pizza in Italy? And there, chilling in the ice bucket, was a bottle of his favorite champagne.

As we sat down, I grabbed a napkin and tucked it into his shirt collar like a bib. “Can’t have you getting pasta sauce on your royal robes,” I said, doing my best to keep a straight face.

Lando burst out laughing again. “You’re ridiculous! But I love it.”

We dug into the food, the atmosphere light and playful. Lando twirled his pasta dramatically, pretending to be a food critic as he took a bite. “Ah, yes, the perfect carbo-loading meal for a champion,” he said in a mock-serious tone.

“Only the best for you, your highness,” I replied, mimicking his tone.

As we finished eating, I brought out a small cake I’d hidden earlier. It was nothing fancy, just a simple cake with “Pole Position!” written in blue and orange icing, with a little toy car on top for good measure. I stuck a single sparkler in the middle and lit it, the tiny fireworks crackling and popping.

Lando’s face lit up with childlike glee as he watched the sparkler. “This is amazing. I didn’t think I could be this excited about cake.”

“Well, it’s not just any cake,” I said, grinning. “It’s the first of many celebrations this weekend, I hope.”

“Does this mean if I win tomorrow, I get another cake?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

“Oh, you bet,” I replied, slicing into the cake and handing him a piece. “And maybe I’ll even throw in a victory dance.”

He nearly choked on his cake from laughing so hard. “Please tell me you’re not serious about the dance.”

“I’m dead serious,” I said, trying to keep a straight face. “It’ll be legendary. You’ll win the race and I’ll be the talk of the paddock for my sweet moves.”

He shook his head, still laughing. “Now I’m even more motivated to win, just to see this ‘legendary’ dance.”

After we finished the cake, we collapsed onto the bed, both of us a little too full and a lot too happy. Lando was still wearing the plastic crown, and I couldn’t help but giggle every time I looked at him.

“You know,” he said, turning to me with a grin, “this has been the best celebration ever. No fancy dinners, no big parties—just us, being goofy.”

I leaned in, resting my head on his shoulder. “That’s because it’s real. And you deserve to enjoy every second of it, without any pressure.”

He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close. “Thanks. I needed this. It’s easy to get caught up in everything, but tonight, I feel like I can just be me. With you.”

I reached up and took the crown off his head, placing it on mine. “Well, tomorrow, the Speed King is going to show everyone what he’s made of. And McLaren is going to be that much closer to winning it all.”

Lando grinned and leaned in to kiss me, his lips warm and soft against mine. “I couldn’t do it without you, you know. You make this all so much better.”

As the night wore on and we finally started to drift off to sleep, Lando whispered, “No matter what happens tomorrow, this is my favorite victory.”

I smiled, cuddling closer to him. “Mine too. But just so you know, I’m ready for another cake tomorrow.”

He chuckled softly. “You better start practicing that victory dance then.”

[sashi-ya]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ エロチックトバー２０２４> MDNI / EXPLICIT CONTENT

TEETH TO YOUR FLESH 🍓 VINSMOKE ICHIJI X F! READER ＫINKTOBER DAY 6: BITING

🐙 requested by: Anonymous. Biting (Day 6) for Ichiji Vinsmoke and a female reader that’s his (promised) Fiancée since childhood days? ⚠️ tw: mdni. explicit content. not that sexual, more on the "romantic" side. arranged marriage. biting. 🐙 wc: 1.2k // kinktober 24 masterlist // join the taglist

“Auch! Mooooom, Ichiji bit me again!” you screamed.

Your mother snatched you from your little hand; a deadly stare made you silent almost instantly. The tears were kept at bay, as they just pooled in your eyelids. You shouldn’t, you mustn’t disobey nor piss off the Germa prince.

“Stop it, (Name). I told you; Ichiji-sama can do anything he likes! You will be killed if you disobey!”

You, by the time you were already born, were promised as future Germa 66’s king Ichiji as a wife. Somehow, to Judge himself and the rest of scientific crew, your potential was high enough to meet the future queen expectations -probably just to bare children even more modified than Ichiji himself-.

And the time flew with you having to put up with a kid that soon turned into a young man… You would lie if you said you didn’t miss him a bit when he became an adult; always from war to war, always training and studying… where was that kid that enjoyed messing with you? biting your arm all of a sudden, and even sometimes coming with tears in his eyes that nobody should see?

Yet, the time was close; the date set since forever, in which you would finally become his wife was around the corner. You were taken to his side of the Germa palace, were thousand maids started a month earlier to prepare you for your future husband…

“Miss (Name), Ichiji-sama will return today from a mission. You need to be ready for tonight!” one of the maids tells you.

Ah, that dinner you were told about a couple of months prior. Should you speak? Should you mention anything at all? What would happen tonight?

Dressed in red finest fabrics you stand in front of the mirror; your hair on a braid rests on your left shoulder and your skin exudes the sweet scent of chocolate and strawberry. You were specifically bathed in oils that smelt just like a sugary dessert.

Alone, with two guards behind you, you walk down an immense hall you remember from your childhood days. You were used to run from Ichiji’s biting torture; that kid had hyper fixated into using his teeth to play with you.

The opened doors of the dining room welcome you; a big table with only just two seats, one on each side, full of food you are sure two people can’t even remotely finish.

“Miss (Name), please take a sit. Prince Ichiji will arrive soon” a maître says, coming out of nowhere.

You nod and sit where you were indicated to do so. Nervous, you fidget with your fingers; It’s been a minute since you’ve seen him. Perhaps it’s been two minutes in total silence, but you felt it like an eternity until a warm, heavy hand slid through your shoulder and back.

“Sorry for the delay” his sweet voice, sweeter than he looks, reverberated inside you.

Your stiffened back remained that way as your eyes followed him walking to his seat. Wearing his prince attire, and not his Germa suit, Ichiji Vinsmoke had the appearance of prince charming – a very severe, not so friendly, and smoking hot prince charming-.

“Your hair has gotten a lot longer, hasn’t it?” he observes, once he gets comfortable. Ichiji acts a lot different that his brothers, he is a true royal. Manners are important if he wish to be the next King of these lands.

You take your eyes from the silver plate in front of you, to a swift look at him before answering. Cheeks on fire; when has he ever paid attention to your hair?

“I think so, Ichiji-sama… is it ok for you? or should I cut it?” you ask, grabbing the braid in between your hands.

Ichiji, taken aback, took some time before taking his dark cherry glasses off. For the first time in years, you are able to see his blue eyes again. And despite them being framed by an annoying frown, you realized that deep inside he is still a kid.

“Should a future queen ask such nonsense? Who am I to decide the length of your hair?” he asks, standing up and slapping the table. You, startled, blink a few times before freezing completely. Of course you must ask, you were taught you should obey him no matter what since the day you were born.

Ichiji’s annoyance grows the more you keep silent; he walks towards you, with his white cape flaming as he moves.

His hand, covered in little cuts he won’t admit he has from past battles, strongly takes the braid from your hands to inspect it.

“I don’t care how long your hair gets as long as it can be moved out of the way” he mutters, pulling so softly from it to let you know you should stand up.

The prince throws your braid off, letting it fall on your back and his hand land on your mandible. Just a finger there, and his thumb so close to your lips, seems enough to leave you breathless. Ichiji smirks; slowly, he moves your head to the side to expose your neck and coming close he simply murmurs some more words before attacking your flesh with sharp teeth…

“I don’t mind your hair, I don’t mind your clothes… MY only order is to let me enjoy your flesh, (Name)... and you smell, as always, so deliciously~”

You swallow, what order? If there isn’t anything you wish the most right now than him eating you alive?

He carves his teeth deep into your skin; marking your neck so that everybody knows Ichiji Vinsmoke’s future wife is only his.

You moan to his first attack, making the man topping you to slightly stop; that sweet whimper caused things to his insides he cannot even describe. His hands, in response, passed from your waist to your thighs, lifting you up to finally deposit you on the table. The food Scattered all around, he didn’t care and nor did you.

He rips the fine strings of fabric that were holding your dress up; he wants to enjoy your flesh, again, he doesn’t even care about the clothes.

“You’ve grown up…” he forgets, for a moment, that dominant role to become a simple man amazed by the beauty of your chest.

“You have as well…” you murmur, remembering once when you were innocent teenagers trying to discover what human anatomy looked like naked.

He smiles, this time so genuinely it almost scares you… Ichiji shouldn’t have feelings, yet you know he always hid them.

“Come’ere” he laughs, attacking your breasts with those sharp fangs you are so pleased to feel carving marks again… this time as adults, not innocently but so lustfully, so sinfully…

Slowly, your back finally meets the table. Ichiji falls on top of you, with his hands on each side of your shoulders and his hair slowly losing the hairdo; he looks so hot with his crimson hair down.

“I am dying to fuck you” he states, so needy. “Fuck me, then…” you whisper, with cheeks on fire and your nails carved on his back.

His eyes wander yours; his lips separate…

“You know I shouldn’t…” “I know…”

He can’t. He has it forbidden. Cruel rule imposed by his father, the King. He shouldn’t have intercourse with his wife if not before she’s been taken to the lab… exactly like his mother.

“Don’t tell anybody…” “I promise, I won’t…”

Taglist of amazing babes: @terrabear2003 @eyes-ofhell @cokou @seoul-is-a-dream @tinydonkeysforlife @appalost @themessedupsonata @adamsfanficstash @votaeto @ariesbbytings @animesnowstorm @lenablack9919 @anothersoulless 💖🍓

[anakinskwkler]

The jewel and the blade

Summary: Anakins fear to be vulnerable with the princess leads to a distance in their friendship.

The soft rays of the morning sun filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow across the princess’s chambers. The air was thick with the scent of fresh vanilla, and the gentle hum of the castle outside hinted that it was a calm day. The Princess lay still beneath her blue, silken sheets, her chest rising and falling in a serene slumber, oblivious to the world outside.

Standing near the doorway, Anakin skywalker, her royal knight, kept a watchful eye. His posture was rigid, his armor gleaming in the morning light, yet his expression was calm—an unwavering sentinel at the princess’s side. His thoughts, though, remained on his duty, not on the quiet stirrings of the day.

The door creaked open softly as the princess’s handmaidens entered, their whispers breaking the stillness. Their presence was a signal of the day’s start, and without a word, they moved to her bedside, ready to rouse her from sleep. Anakin's gaze flicked to them briefly, a hint of something unspoken in his eyes, before returning to his protective stance.

But as the handmaidens’ gentle hands stirred the princess awake, Anakin's eyes stayed on her figure before the door slowly shut. The quick eye contact they had made in that moment had sparked that bit of tension that was always bubbling when they were around eachother.

The princess slowly woke, the soft morning light streaming into her room. Her handmaidens quietly entered, moving to her side to help her prepare for the day.

She got dressed into a pale, lavender gown made from silk. The dress fit her figure well, it was quite flattering on her. Her handmaidens put half her hair into a bun while the rest fell over her shoulders. The Princess put a pair of elegant slippers and opened the door to her room, her eyes meeting anakins soft blue eyes.

Anakin stood at the door, waiting silently. His posture was straight, his expression calm, but there was something tense in the way he carried himself.

The princess looked up at him. “Good morning, Anakin.”

“Good morning, Princess,” he replied, his voice even. They began to walk down the hall to the stairs, on their way to the dining room.

“Is something wrong?” she asked. “You’ve seemed distant lately.”

Anakin hesitated, his eyes briefly shifting away. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

She studied him for a moment, sensing that something was troubling him more than he let on. “You don’t have to hide it from me, Anakin. If something’s wrong, you can talk about it.”

Anakin’s gaze flicked to hers, and for a second, he looked like he might say more. But instead, he shook his head. “I’m fine. It’s my duty to keep you safe. That’s all that matters.”

The princess didn’t press further, but she didn’t believe him. She could feel the unease in the air, and though she didn’t know what it meant, she knew something was coming.

Anakin would usually be open with the princess, he'd rarely talk this formal with her unless they were in the company of others so it was quite strange.

Hours later, The princess was making her way to the garden when she saw anakin already sitting on the bench facing the small fountain. He was sitting alone, just staring off into the distance in thought. Something was wrong with him but she had no clue what.

She watched him from afar for a few moments before slowly walking up behind him. He felt her presence and slightly straighten himself and focusing his eyes. She sat beside him, not saying a word.

"Anakin.." she spoke quietly.

"Yes milady?" He answered, not making eye contact.

"I told you to call me by my name." She urged once more like she did often.

"I know, I'm sorry..Y/n.." He said as he looked at her finally.

She looked back at him, his eyes had a tinge of sadness and longing. The blue eyes that were usually bright, and welcoming, were now dull, and lost.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked in a curious tone.

"Of course,"

"Whats going on is your mind?" She blurted out.

He wasn't very shocked, only slightly surprised at how she asked. His eyes looked away, back at the piece of grass he was fidgeting with. "I told you earlier, nothing. I'm fine"

"Anakin-" She started before he cut her off, "Y/n, i said I'm fine. Please drop it." He said in a firm voice.

He had only spoken like this to people who had been disrespectful or rude to her, but had never actually used it on her. Her eyes widened slightly as she watched him, the expression on his face was one she hadn't seen, he looked lost.

Days went by and Anakin's attitude remained the same. The princess felt hopeless, watching the man she secretly loved look so deep in despair. The feeling to hold, and comfort him got stronger each day, making it hard not to ask what was troubling him.

The both of them found themselves in the library late that night, sitting across from each other while reading books. Little did anakin know, the princess had put her book down a while ago, now she was just staring, admiring him.

He felt her gaze on him and looked up, meeting her curious eyes. "Yes?" He asked with a soft chuckle. That was the first happy emotion he'd shown in a few days, it warmed her heart to hear. "Sorry.." she said, cheeks tinting with a pink shade.

"Everything alright?" He asked, "No.." she answered. "No? What's bothering you?" He said, placing him book down. "You. The way you've been so detached lately." She told him honestly.

He sat up straight at the confrontation, clearing his throat and becoming stand off-ish again. "I haven't been-"

"Yes you have, anakin!" She interrupted, "You've been talking to me like I'm my parents, you've been less talkative, you have no emotions other than sad, and you haven't been the Anakin i like to be around. She ranted.

He didn't speak for a few moments, gathering his thoughts before speaking. "It was the anniversary." He said simply, she looked at him with a confused looked, "Two days ago was the anniversary of my mom's death."

Her heart sank. How could she have forgotten. "Anakin im s-" "Don't be. I'm fine." He said looking down. "Anakin, I'm sorry. I..I forgot. I'm sorry I've been pestering you, I just- i didn't understand why you didn't want to be around me." She told him, hoping he'd look at her.

It was silent. Awkward, and silent.

"That day...that day I did terrible things because I let my emotions take over me and i-" He took a breath, "I don't want to let them take over again." He continued.

"Is that why you've been so distant?" She asked softly, he nodded in response. "I was afraid. Afraid I might breakdown." He confessed.

"Anakin you could've-" "I can't be weak in front of you, y/n. I just can't." He said firmly, looking up at her for a moment before looking back down to hide his glassy eyes.

"Being weak around you means letting you in farther, any time that happens...I lose them." He stood up and started to walk towards the door. She stood after and rushed towards him, gently grabbing his first to stop him, "anakin, don't leave. Please.." he stopped for a moment, glancing at her over his shoulder before turning away again.

"Anakin please, talk to me...you can be vulnerable, it's normal." She told him with hope in her eyes. "Im not supposed to be weak-" "it's not weak, anakin!" She interrupted "Being vulnerable is a brave thing to do, meaning you're strong. So please...just open up." She pleaded, voice cracking like the crackle of the candles lighting the library.

"I have to go, Princess." He said firmly before pulling his arm away and walking to his chambers.

First post in a whileeee and I'm so sorry!!

Have had this brewing for a few days now

This is the first part of this story BTW!

I HATE the fact that i used y/n multiple times but also hated saying princess repeatedly so 🤷‍♀️

Also happy early valentines day!

@saradika for the dividers!

[theglamorousferal]

Persephone's Binding Part 3

Anger Management/Hardcover ship Sacrificial Bride au

AO3 Prompt Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

As Jason was engrossed in the collection of Infinite Realms lore, a knock sounded at the door. "Come in." Jason said absentmindedly finding a stopping point and placing his finger in between the pages to mark his spot. Jeeves let himself in.

"Yes sir, it is dinnertime, I have been sent to escort you to the dining room." He said as he patiently floated.

"Right yeah, let me just find a bookmark-"

"Here you are sir." Jeeves held out a silver feather shaped bookmark from apparently the aether.

"Awesome, thanks." He placed the bookmark in his spot and set it on the side table next to the bed. "Okay, lead the way please."

Once more Jason was led throughout the dark, yet glowing, halls of the High Queen's castle. They passed many different entities, all of which were obviously not human and Jason hadn't seen this diversity of different fashions since he was last at a costume party. There were actual knights with swords and lances, some yeti's with arms full of scrolls, and eight foot tall women with bright blue skin and Amazonian armor, some with multiple arms. There was what appeared to be a wolf-man talking with the knights, in some language that seemed to have some roots in Latin, though other words he could hear were from other areas. Eventually, they arrived at a set of carved wooden doors.

"Here you are sir, the royal family awaits you inside." Jeeves said prepared to open the door.

"Wait, the whole family? I thought it was just Jazz?" Jason was suddenly nervous, he thought he'd have more time before meeting the family.

"It's quite alright sir, tonight it is only the High Queen Regent and High Prince Danny in attendance. I believe she thought the entire family would be a bit much, but the High Prince has a habit of showing up anyway. He is quite protective of his sister." With that bit of advice, Jeeves opened the door.

The room was ornate, though not as large as he was expecting, clearly this was the smaller dining room. Sat at the head of the table in a seat that in some countries would be considered a throne, was Jazz, she still had her helm-crown, but now she was just in the teal toga with clasps shaped like a sun at both shoulders. She still had her arm bracers on, which he expected, if she was trained by an Amazon, then those would likely stay on always.

Sat to her right was a young man, perhaps around 19 years old, with jet black hair and piercing blue eyes. He had been talking animatedly with Jazz when he heard the door open and his eyes snapped to Jason. He was in clothing far more similar to the yeti Frostbite, though in different colors and with a white peasant shirt on. Where Frostbite had gold, Danny had silver, where the yeti had blue, Danny had black.

"So, you're the sacrifice huh?" Danny looked unimpressed at Jason's entire existence. "How'd you manage to get sacrificed? You look like you'd be hard to take down for cultists."

Jason took a moment to process what was said and then made his way to the seat to the left of Jazz. He cleared his throat. "They got me while I was distracted helping a little girl get her stuffie that was stuck on her rusty fire escape. When she was walking away with her mom, I got clocked on the back of the head. Now I'm here." He splayed out his hands as if to say 'what can you do?'

"Hmmm, okay that's fair. At least I know you're not a cretin. What are your opinions on the undead?" He slouched back into his chair with his arms crossed, a critical eye on Jason.

"Danny! I thought I told you no twenty-questions! He hasn't even been here a day, and since I was dealing with paperwork all afternoon, I haven't been able to talk with him yet either." She scolded before she turned to Jason. "I am so sorry about him, I had one bad boyfriend years ago and now he thinks any guy that comes near me has unsavory intentions." She turned back to Danny. "Jason didn't choose to be here, remember? I'm sure the whole sacrificing to an unknown being in an unknown dimension has got to be somewhat traumatic and I don't want to make him relive that if we can help it."

Jason snorted. "Honestly, not even in my top ten most traumatic experiences. This one ranks so far a solid 3/10."

"Really?" Danny quirked an eyebrow. He stared longer at Jason and his eyes flashed that Lazarus green. "Ancients dude, what the hell happened to you?"

Jason sighed heavily. "I mean, Jazz already knows some of it, but," he swallowed heavily, "I died." He took a deep breath. "And then I came back. It hasn't been great since then." He said with a tone of finality, indicating he was done with this line of questioning. Danny's look of judgement turned more understanding.

"Okay, let's say we start dinner then? I'm sure you have some questions for us too." Jazz clapped her hands and skeletons came in with carts full of food. They placed plates in front of each of them and refilled the glasses of water before exiting the room. Upon the plate was a cut of salmon, some roasted asparagus and mashed potatoes. Okay, so they at least have a similar diet to humans. He dug in, and was reminded of Alfred's cooking.

Alfred...

"Would it be possible to get a message to my family somehow? To let them know that I'm alright?" He asked a little desperately.

The siblings traded glances. "It might take a while to pin down the correct dimension, but we should have a record of your time here in the archives, and that should have your dimensional code. You mentioned heroes, maybe we can pin down which one it might be if we can figure out which ones have those heroes?"

"There are heroes in your universe?" Danny perked up at the mention of heroes. Seems like the kid is intrigued by them.

"Yeah, there's a bunch, I don't even know all of them. The big three started an organization called the Justice League. Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman founded it to help protect the Earth."

"What's their deal? What are their powers? Do you know any of them?"

"Danny! What did I say about the twenty questions?"

Jason narrowed his eyes momentarily, thinking. Do I tell them? I did show up in armor with a domino on. "It's alright Jazz, I'm used to being interrogated by younger siblings. It comes with having the Batman as a father and all his birds and bats as siblings." He looked a little smug, bragging about his family where they would never hear him.

Both siblings looked blankly at him. Right.

He blew out a breath. "I forgot you don't know who that is." He took a bite and thought how to describe his family. "So, B is the world's greatest detective, and every one of his kids ended up becoming heroes in their own right. All of us are human, one of us has meta abilities, but we mostly rely on our minds, bodies and tech. Superman is from the planet Krypton, but it was destroyed just after he was born and his parents shipped him off to Earth. He's got a laundry list of powers, but the big ones are super strength, flight, enhanced senses and laser and x-ray vision. Wonder Woman is an Amazon Warrior Princess from Themyscira, she was molded from clay by her mother Hippolyta and trained as the strongest warrior of her people. She's got flight, super strength and the Golden Lasso of Truth." Jazz grasped her bracers when it was mentioned that Wonder Woman was an Amazon. Jason looks directly at her. "I noticed you have similar bracers and armor to her, as well as some of the people I've seen around the castle. Were you trained by an Amazon?"

Jazz looked up with wide eyes, not expecting the connection. She quickly recovered and took a bite of food before responding. "Yes, I was trained by Lady Pandora here in the Realms. When I completed my training, I received these." Jason nodded.

"Wait, Pandora? Like the Box Pandora?"

"Yeah, she's nice, but strict. She's the Ancient of Peace, and trained me in quite a lot before I took the throne. I found I quite enjoy sword fighting."

"Maybe we can spar sometime? Lord knows I get enough practice from the Demon Brat demanding fights all the time." Jason and Jazz shared a smile with each other.

"Demon Brat? Do you have a demon sibling?" Danny asked, startling Jason and Jazz and causing them both to blush lightly. He smirked at breaking up the moment.

"No, I just call him that. He's the only one of us that's biologically B's, but he was kinda raised in a murder cult. When he first came to us, he tried to murder every one of us to gain his 'rightful place as blood son'. Obviously it didn't work, but it was not for lack of trying. Replacement got the worst of it honestly, and the Brat seems to mellow out around Dickwing."

"How many siblings do you have?" Danny asked shocked.

"Uh, that's a good question. Are we talking legal adoption or emotional adoption?"

"What's the difference?"

"Oh probably at lease six people."

"I think your dad has a problem."

"Trust me, you aren't the first to say that and you definitely aren't the last." They all dug into their dinner and there was several minutes of quiet. "So, I guess the biggest thing about my universe would be finding one that has the League and meta-humans. Then find whichever one is missing me that should have me in it."

"Yeah, that's probably a good start, I'll get some of my aides to scour the archives. One team to locate the file about the time you spent here when you were, you know," Jazz hesitated, "Yeah, and then I'll have a team looking for the files on which universes have those heroes you mentioned. If there's any other details you can think of to help us narrow it down, that'd be great." She looked at him earnestly.

He smiled softly at her. "Yeah, I'll let you know. I guess another big one is probably that in that universe, I am known as the Red Hood."

"Oh, is that your hero name?" Danny asked.

"Uh, kinda kid. My methods are often frowned upon by the majority of the hero community, they also don't like that I use guns most of the time." He cleared his throat. "Some people consider me a hero, most just see me as a nuisance crime lord of Crime Alley. Which, I get, I do technically run drugs, but it's just to keep it outta the hands of kids and make sure it's all clean so nobody's dying from contaminated product. It's gonna get sold anyway, I might as well make it as safe as I can. I'm just trying to clean up my city as best I can." He carefully wasn't looking at either of them, they seemed like decent people, they probably would agree with the majority on this particular topic.

Jazz placed a hand over his. "I get it. There are some decisions I have had to make since taking rule that seemed counter-productive to my goal, but any little thing helps. You do what you need, those people are just gonna try and get it elsewhere that's not as safe if you don't provide the service, I'm sure some people are thankful for you." Jason looked at her as though seeing her for the first time. That is, his mind stuttered at how regal she held herself as she was comforting him, leader to leader.

Danny cleared his throat breaking the moment again. Jazz was wide-eyed for a moment before collecting herself and Jason blushed to the tips of his ears. Dinner was cleared by the same skeletons from earlier and dessert was placed before them. It appeared to be a chocolate fudge sundae with hand-churned vanilla ice cream.

"So you mentioned sparring, You gotta spar with me before you can spar with Jazz." Danny pointed at him with his spoon.

Jazz sighed, exasperated. "Danny."

"Nope! You have meetings all day tomorrow, I call first dibs."

"Danny!"

"Come on Jazz, I haven't been able to spar with anyone new in so long. Please please please?"

Jazz rolled her eyes and looked over to Jason. "If it's alright with you? He's right, I'm busy all day tomorrow so I wasn't going to be able to entertain you anyway, and it's probably better than being cooped up in the guest room all day."

Jason shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see why not? It'll be fun, I usually spar with an alternate version of Superman named Bizarro, so I'll go easy on you." Jason smirked, but was startled to find Danny already smirking at him with fanged teeth.

"Oh, you'll regret that." There was a bright flash of white light and suddenly floating there was a color-inverted version of Danny with bright Lazarus green eyes. He winked and flew out one of the windows near the ceiling.

There were a couple awkward moments before either of them spoke. "So, I didn't want to be insensitive at all, but uh, are you guys human? I know you said you were from Earth, but I've met all sorts of different types of beings too." Jazz sighed heavily.

"That's a complicated answer." She closed her eyes and folded her hands on the table. "Let's move to the library, we can discuss more details there." They rose and he followed her out the door and down the corridor.

[airconditionertm]

Aemond Targaryen x stark fem reader

Summary: y/n has been sent to kings landing she is to meet the prince Aemond before the arrangements of their marriage are finalized

Word count: 1606

An: I’m sorry for any spelling errors I’m dyslexic this is my first time posting a fic on tumblr.

He never really thought about marriage, he had always presumed he would marry whoever his mother brought him. A simple political marriage that would provide both benefits and heirs. His mother told him that y/n Stark would be visiting Kings Landing, he never quite understood why the Starks were so important they weren’t royals they didn’t have dragons all they were known for was keeping oaths. Aemond had never even been to the north. Though from what he heard northern women could be difficult, to say the least unwaveringly stubborn and prideful to say a little more. She was said to arrive in the following days and Aemond was expected to wo her so she might convince her brother to accept the marriage proposal on her behalf. Cregan Stark was ever honorable and cited concerns about Aemonds' character as his main reason to hesitate.

“Your Highness the Lady Stark has arrived the queen has requested you greet her “a servant interrupted his thought. He didn’t respond simply walked off.

The carriage she arrived in was simple it could be mistaken as the one of a commoner though the clear craftsmanship set it apart. Aemond stood a few meters away from the carriage as he waited for her to exit.

She stepped out of the carriage cautiously onto the cobble below. She wore a light silver blue gown that wasn’t as opulent as the regular court dress but still looked expensive. Some delicate silver thread decorated the neckline. She finally looked up at him waiting for him to introduce herself.

“Welcome to Kingslanding Lady Stark I’m Prince Aemond Targaryen “he spoke coldly.

“Well it’s an honor to be here your grace , “ she said curtly. Aemond noted that she didn’t bow as would have been proper.

“The maids will take your things…” and knew it was expected but he was in no mood to however he had a duty ” Would you like a tour of the grounds Lady Stark, “he asked begrudgingly.

“I’m quite tired from the journey, though I would like to at least know where the most important rooms are mainly the dining hall and the throne room oh and the library if you have more important things to attend to as I’m sure you do certainly someone else might show me “ she spoke quite quickly he was only glad she didn’t speak in a northern dialect one of his nurses when he was a child was this old northern lady and he quite frankly could never understand a word she was saying.

“I do not have other matters to attend to I prefer to do all my work in the mornings so that I might use the rest of the day as I wish, I shall show you the most important rooms before you rest “ he explained.

“Thank you-“to maids carried a wooden cage containing a white-grey dire wolf “Wait can you let her out of the cage I’ll take her with me so she can get used to her new surroundings “the two maids looked scared of the wolf but carefully opened the cage which the wolf immediately leaped out of charging at layana for a moment aemond was worried until the wolf started jumping up and wagging its tail. “Mhm you’re excited right good girl now don’t bite anyone and stay with me, “she said lovingly kneeling to pet the wolf, she turned back around to aemond. “This is my dire wolf Lilly I couldn’t stand to go without her don’t worry she’s trained she just might be a little skittish since she’s somewhere completely new, “she says almost apologetically. “Let us go on our tour “he turns around and begins walking.

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At the end of the tour he takes her to the library “This is the library “ he says. He is shocked to see a look of utter awe on her face.” this, it’s truly gargantuan I’m allowed to be in here right it isn’t restricted “she asked

“No it isn’t anyone can visit it though not many do, most of the books are however not allowed to be taken outside the library to prevent damage “ he replied.“That’s reasonable, don’t mistake my awe for thinking there aren’t any books in Winterfell it is just that we cannot keep many the moisture in the air tends to damage them “ she explains.

“ I see, do you enjoy reading Lady Stark, “ he asked. “Yes well it is more that I like acquiring knowledge rather than the act of reading itself, though I fear many of the most interesting texts here may be in high valerian “she states.“That may be true though there are many books in the common tongue to “ he says. “I must admit I’m tempted to try and learn the language just so I can read more books “she says excitedly .“It’s a difficult language “ he says curtly. “I can certainly imagine that “she replies.“If you truly wish to learn there are some guides to the language here too “he was sceptical she truly wished to learn the language many people tried to flatter the Targaryens by praising their mother tongue. Hells he wouldn’t be surprised if she was informed of his own love of reading so that she might wo him.

“The hour is drawing late I’ll call a maid to bring you to your chambers so you can rest and ready yourself for dinner “he turns to the exit.“It is getting late indeed, can I ask you one last question “ She was certainly chatty aemond thought.“Yes what is it” he replied .“What will dinner be like is it a lot of people will it be formal i don’t know what to expect”she asked.“We don’t often eat dinner together however my mother will probably make everyone ,but my father of course, come to dinner tonight to celebrate your arrival so it won’t be many people, it is formal yes but nothing too opulent “

“ I see thank you “A maid walked up to her and showed her to her chambers he didn’t expect that she would be taken into the same wing he and his family stayed in he hoped for her own sake that her chambers may not be too close to Aegons.

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She walked into the dining room on time she wore a more expensive gown than before though it was a similar color. However, it was velvet and tailored to fit more snugly the decoration was also far more elaborate. Her black curly hair was put in a neat updo with silver ornaments adorning it. Aemond had to admit she was beautiful not in the way southern women where it was more intense not so demure and soft. Aemond and his mother were the only ones already there “Everyone else seems to be late my dear why don’t you sit with Aemond“Queen Alicent greeted y/n .” right of course “She shuffled around for a moment before she sat next to him. He could tell she was nervous facing the queen for the first time.” There is no need to be shy my dear you are here in hopes that we may be family soon, so tell me how where you’re travels” Alicent asked sipping from a goblet. “My travels were pleasant for the most part though quite lonely with only my brothers men though I had my dire wolf Lilly to keep me company “Aegon stumbles in clearly drunk “You spent your whole journey only with tall strapping northern men, brother it seems like she’s already ruined “ Aemond of course knew what he meant with ruined, glaring at his brother. “I don’t quite understand, “y/n asked. “Well you know you probably fucked one of them or maybe all of them “he slurred laughing at his own joke. Alicent tried to give Aegon a warning look but it didn’t seem to work.” that is enough brother I will not let you insult her like this “aemond slammed his hands on the table.

“No need to overact brother I was simply joking, you understand that right Lady Stark” he sat down next to his mother.” I’m afraid I don’t understand how that is a Joke, “ she said sternly.” Bo I thought northern women were supposed to be more fun there’s no need to pretend to be all lady like “. She stood up “I am going to be insulted like this at dinner, enjoy your dinner queen Alicent “ and walked away. “Aegon must you destroy everything we need for this alliance with the north “Alicent rested her head in her hands. “Aemond go after her try to salvage this “. Aemond turned around and followed y/n.

“Lady Stark,” he asked cautiously, he had found her on the balcony looking out on King's landing. “Your grace “ she continued to look out her back facing him.

“ I must apologize for my brother, he’s a drunk and a fool “ he goes to stand beside her. “It’s my first night here and I’ve already been humiliated, “ she says quietly. “ it is not you who should feel ashamed it is my brother, to treat a guest like that to question your virtues and be so crude about it it’s deplorable,”he said firmly. She looks over at him “ I want you to know that I still have my virtue “she says. “ I never questioned it, my lady,” he says. “ I just wanted to be sure, “ she says. “Are you enjoying the view my lady? “ he asks. “ yes it’s quite beautiful and I do believe this high up the stench is less apparent “she says.