#shes the only character of mine i can see deciding to sword fight a princess ballerina

[fandom-hoarder-official]

Cringetober Day 18, Fandom AU

[gensnix]

I'm gonna combust if I don't get this out

Totk rant underneath

I know I did review and I put a small rant in it but I got more shit to say and yes I might be repeating things because I have the need to point shit out

The writing is bad a lot of characters I loved in botw have turned into stale biscuits

I can't take the fact that the game goes against its own lore multiple times

"to become a dragon is to lose oneself" K. why tf was Ganondorf still fighting us in dragon form.

Also Zelda knowing when to join the fight or the fact that she cries her memories into the ground and the fact that she's perfectly fine at the end. Zero repercussion

Link your arm is fucked beyond repair... jk lol it's fine

Everyone talks about the shrines and sheika towers but no one talks about the giant sheika pillars that surrounded Hyrule castle I miss them :(

Link would you please react to something besides food and horse points I know you can, especially in a place where you were completely alone

Nope I'm not accepting that the ancient hero is part Zonai cause 2 things. there were only two zonai left that I don't see Mineru having kids and wouldn't that mean that hero and princess would be related or why isn't it just the princess. That is NOT A ZONAI WTF IS THAT IT IT LOOKS NOTHING LIKE THE TAPESTRY mf got blue skin and clearly wearing boots in the pic and I know that Hyrule can be racist but if the zonai were sooo important why would they make him look like a hylian(gerudo?) it really just feels like they just put Zonai stuff everywhere without actually thinking

I like the idea that the three dragons were once Zonai and went through with swallowing secret stones but shouldn't they have three eyes? Idk that's just a nitpick In fact, who even made the secret stones we get no explanation why do they do that.

another nitpick I have is that they should not be speaking the same langue in the past. Zelda shouldn't be able to understand a word of what they're saying

If Zelda gets her light magic from Rauru and time from Sonia why in botw does the triforce appear when she seals Calamity Ganon Sonia is the one with a triforce tattoo and yet they don't even talk about the triforce once in this game and correct me if I'm wrong but don't Sonia and Rauru not know what the master sword is

This game is trying way to hard to convince me that the Zonai were good people. An entire race of good people doesn't die out like that. They also don't have robots that kill everything on site. or doors that drain the life out of people. Or not correct anyone when they are called gods. Or have mining facilities everywhere underground. Or have a gerudo cemetery near all their underground shit

I want this game to stop trying to be Ocarina of Time it's not working.

Why are the labyrinths different especially the one that had all the guardians down there. All of them are gone. Who even went there to get them was it Link. The Zonai researcher makes it seem their the first one to ever go there

I usually see this on twitter saying that the missing sheika tech was stated to be decommissioned in Purah's diaries. Except what the FUCK are you talking about like is it different in other languages or are twitter people just saw one person say it and decide to spread it around. Please ya gotta tell me I know how bad American Nintendo translates their games

also about the shrine of resurrection I see a lot of people say that the yiga took it down. but uh... the whole reason the yiga started is cause one of the old kings banded their tech shouldn't they y'know use some of it and at least fuse it in some designs I know they can

As much as I love them I don't think the yiga really fit in this since everything sheika related got pushed off a cliff

I love the depths but there really isn't much there Like I feel like there should be some sheika stuff down there all destroyed and stuff. cause a lot of chasms are where old sheika shrines were wouldn't it be cool to go down there and see an old sheika shrine in ruins

demon king??? Secret stone????

Idk why I seem to be the only one who wants to know where the actual thunder helm is. I looked high and low for it. I even wore the replica to see if I'd get a reaction and I did but it's only for the speech bubbles above the gerudo's heads Most of them being "that helm..." one being "I want a helm!" Even RIJU with the fucking "That helm..." GIRL WHERE IS THE ACTUAL ONE. This game makes me confused about which side quests are apparently actually canon. Did Link lose it?? Why would they react like that?

Yunobo I love you please please please use your shield why are you not using it

Yunobo why won't you question why Zelda gave you a mask that possessed you please my baby boy don't let people treat you like a doormat be mad you are allowed to be mad that you got possessed

I will never not be mad they sidelined Teba. I didn't spend all those years convincing my friends that Teba was a crazy bastard cause they don't talk to npc's like I do and then proven right in Age of Calamity for him to not even get a redesign. Hell, he's fucking bored as an elder and he doesn't say the injury he got while fighting Medoh was lethal he shouldn't be standing if it was. In botw his wife, best friend, and elder all talk about how Teba acts without thinking and has been like that since a child. Who are you what have you done to my crazy speaks his mind bastard. It's hard being one of so few Teba simps but hey at least I'm not a Sidon simp who had to go through with his marriage.

Saki didn't even want Tulin to be a warrior why is she so ok with him being a Sage

Once again cause this pisses me off the most. In her diary Zelda says that Link follows her everywhere in there attempt to rebuild Hyrule. Everyone and their mothers knows Zelda she's the princess. But they don't recognize Link..? Does she not talk about him to them. Strange since she was so happy to share about him with her ancestors. They should know him he carries the fucking master sword and is always with Zelda. Hell I believe that they live in the same house but I guess Link's not important to them. Even though he's the reason that Zelda was able to seal away the calamity away.

Why does all of Hyrule just accept she's the princess? You guys haven't served under a monarchy in 100 years. You guys are so skeptical of Link but not her... and you're not gonna question anything she does. Even if it seems evil cause yeah that was a plot point in game that was completely dropped. the evil zelda thing could have been great. Get people questioning shit but you know whatever I guess

I don't know how true it is but I saw someone on twitter say that botw and totk take place in different universes (not from the timeline who cares about that but from each other) as stated on an official Nintendo site, even showed a picture, but it was in Japanese so I wanted to try and find this website cause it's easy to be fooled but couldn't cause once again it's Japanese I can't understand Japanese and I don't remember where that tweet was. And at this point I am going to believe that proof or not cause what is this story I know Nintendo is gameplay over story but I have never been upset at a plot like this before.

[notasocialismjoke]

nintendo has explicitly confirmed that the reason zelda is the playable character is because she doesn't fight with a sword and shield:

An important element of this game is that – for the first time in the Legend of Zelda series – Princess Zelda is the protagonist of her own adventure.

Terada: Echoes plus a sword and shield... They just didn't work well together. There is a wide variety of echoes, so to get the most out of the gameplay, we decided to stick with echoes only.

Aonuma: If that's the case, it must be someone who doesn't fight with a sword and shield, right? Who in the series would be a good fit for these powers and bring their insight to them? Well, that would have to be Princess Zelda.

I see. A lot of things have come out of the relationship between Link and Zelda. Since it seems like there are a lot of things to consider with Princess Zelda as the main character, what went into the story's development?

Aonuma: Well, first it was difficult to find a motive to send Princess Zelda on an adventure. In Link's case, he is destined to be a hero, so if there are monsters, he sets out on a journey to defeat them, and that makes sense. But in the case of Princess Zelda, as she is royalty, we needed to carefully craft the setting of why she really needs to leave her castle when there are people around her who can fight.

(emphasis in aonuma's quotes mine)

the girl doesn't fight or use a sword and shield, from the horse's mouths.

"this character is meant to be a self insert for the player to project onto"

> the character is a man

[amenomiko]

Part 2! @ikemen-girl

Retrieve That Smile Again (Part 2)

Pairing: IkeSen Ieyasu x MC (Reader)

Type: One Shot

Rated: Angst + Fluff

❤🧡💛❤🧡💛❤🧡💛❤🧡💛❤🧡💛❤

Even though he will be out of his character, now he will be the one to retrieve her old smile.

----

Day 1

"....What is this?"

"It's a food made by Masamune-san. He made it a lot, so it will go to waste if we didn't finish it. I've asked for the maids to serve it here... Maybe you could join for a lun-"

"Bring it to my chamber. I will eat it later if I remember it."

"Your chamber? Isn't it far away from mine? It's better to have it here, while it's still hot--"

"More the reason why to have it in my chamber. Rather than eating it hot and at an unpleasant surroundings, it's better to have it cold in an area that I'm more comfortable with."

An invite for a meal together - Failed.

Day 10

"A new bow and arrow?"

"Yes. It's a fine wood given by Lord Nobunaga's alliance with nanbans (a lie), it's not bad to have a proper material for our weapon, isn't it?"

"Hmmm..."

His eyes went wide as a plate when she suddenly aim the arrow towards him. "Wh- what are you-"

There was a silent scream within him when she shot something behind him. And..

SHRAKKKKKK BOOOM!!!

"WHO CUT THE TREE IN THE GARDEN INTO HALF (　☉д⊙)???"

"It was not me, Hideyoshi-sama, P-Princess is trying her new weapon >A<!!"

"As expected of our warrior Princess! She aimed for the tree's main point and makes the tree shred into half!"

"Ooooohhhh😮😮😮😮😮😮👏👏👏👏👏~~~~"

"Heh. Not bad. Like you said, Ieyasu."

Ieyasu's current state: *Fainted with eyes open*

Amazed her with new weapon - 50% failed 50%... Success...?

Day 20

She stared at the ointment in his palm.

"It's an ointment for wounds. You are still you no matter how strong you get, MC, but you can be reckless at times. So here, use it for the wound that you get during our recent battle-"

She turned to one of the soldiers, "Here, give it to my horse."

"Understood, My Lady."

"Wha-- (　☉д⊙)??"

"Hm? Oh, my horse got pierced by an arrow, so yeah. Thanks, it's a great help." She waved goodbye and walk away after that.

Caring for her and to tell her that he knows her well - Failed.

Day....30

"My lady~~~ let's play skipping stones..!"

"Alright I will be right there~"

Ieyasu took the chance to approach her. "MC. Here."

She turn to the box in his hand. "An ointment again?"

"No, it's.." He opened the box, there's a small hair clip inside of it. "I.. Coincidentally come across a shop near the medicine shop I frequent to. When I saw it, it reminds me of you."

"..Oh."

Hm? Did it succeed this time?

"Thanks." She smiled, and he felt relieved to it, as it was a first time she responded positively to his attempts.

But was it him or..

Her smile didn't reach her eyes?

"My lady~~ here's your stone for the game!"

"Oh, there's no need! I have my own!"

Ieyasu raised his eyebrows when she run towards the lake without putting the box away in her hands. Of where.... She squeezed the same box and took an aim,....

"HEYA \(^ w ^\)!!!"

Ieyasu : *GASSSPPPP* 😱😱😱😱😱😱!!!!

*Splash Splash Splash BLUB*

"YAAAAAYYY I winnnnn! Thank you for the 'stone' Ieyasu! Thanks to it I won the game~~~ weeeee~~~~ 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸!!"

Ieyasu slump on his knees at that moment. "Ugh OTL ...."

Attempt to give her a gift, FAILED COMPLETELY.

.....

Is this it..?

Looks like.. She wouldn't budge, or no matter what it is, her heart won't melt anymore.

-----

Ieyasu sigh to himself. He won't try again, he swear it. Until, on that same night, he couldn't bring his tired eyes to sleep, then he decided to have a walk at the lake.

"It's almost midnight, and.." He groans, "What am I doing--"

He froze.

He saw something, no, someone were standing near the lake. Was it an enemy? But there was only one. He cautiously sneak behind a tree, his small sword readied in his pocket, and when he took a peek..

It was her. It was the help from the moonlight that shine above, revealing her.

But what is she doing here? Half of her body is wet. Wait- does she attempt to--

He was about to step out from where he was hiding, when MC took something out from her chest pocket, revealing a familiar square box in her hand.

"I'm glad it didn't get wet."

'It'..?

She open the box, and takes out a small hair clip. A hair clip that he bought for her..!

Ieyasu's eyes didn't leave her, especially when she smiled at the clip, and smiled giddily as she hold it close to her chest. "Fufufu.. You idiot." She giggled, and he almost jumped when she turned to face him. "Are you looking down upon your warrior princess who can easily detect a presence?"

"......"

He had no choice, but to stand in front of her right now.

"...Wh-"

"Why, you ask?"

He pressed his lips tight.

"Hmm.. I don't know. Maybe there's a part of me helplessly looking for you, I guess?"

"..You guess?"

She shrugged. "Yeah."

"Looking for me, is it? Looking for.."

His love, again?

"Well, up to you to think what it is. Okay, I am sleepy again. I will see you tomorrow."

"You are bad at lying yourself."

Her wet kimono. It's obvious that she has been searching for the box in the lake the whole night.

Her smile to the hair clip.

Her relief when it is not wet.

Her.. Gentle, loving eyes, treating it as if it is very fragile to her.

Just like her.. The old her.

"Me? Lying? Don't classify me like you-- nnf-"

He pulled her by the wrist, closing her lips with his.

She didn't struggle to get away; she stayed there. Letting him to dominate her lips, again and again, even when his hand snake into her hair locks to bring her closer. Especially when..

"Nnh-"

She closed her eyes, fighting for that dominance when their tongue lap against each other.

He pulled away, staring deep into her eyes, "Let's return. The night is cold."

"..Then make me warm."

"....."

They undressed each other right there right then, sharing their body warmth to one another into the night, making up for what they have lost.

And then, few months after that special night...

Nobunaga and his warlords were having their usual war council, when it was announced with the return of MC from her mission.

His chest beams despite his facade, especially when she entered the hall, eyes met with his first. The fatigue from battle is there, but he wouldn't deny that she is still beautiful no matter what.

"Good job for the successful mission. As expected of my Lucky Charm. Hmh."

MC nodded to the smirking Nobunaga, and turns back to face him.

Hideyoshi had offered her a seat, only to be declined politely. Her smile is mesmerizing too; Ieyasu can feel that he is the one who had fallen head over heels for her; everything about her is astounding. Even when she is walking to him, hastening her pace, and he is about to welcome her but

SLAP!!!

Them: (☉.⊙)

"Again??" - Hideyoshi.

And him: Wh- what (☉д⊙)??

What did he do this time?

"........Hm." She grinned. Grinned? But why does she slap him??

"I nearly fell over my horse for the sudden uneasiness in my stomach, turns out you are the cause."

"What? Is it a food poisoning? Why does it have anything to do with--"

"Midnight. Box. Lake." She uttered one by one before placing his hand on her growing belly. "Congratulations, and take responsibility."

"....."

Bing!

It hit him. "Ah- wha- wha- wha- wha wha wha wha O///////////o?????"

"Hooh a smaller lucky charm is on its way it seems?"

"Apparently it is, my lord. Congratulations, little mouse."

"Heeeh to think our Ieyasu is very bold deep down. Proud of you, lad."

"Wha?? MC? Who's the father-- IEYASU?? WHEN? WHAT? HOW??"

And Mitsunari: *Things were too lively to blend in and so the words around him were jumbled here and there, resulting him to imagine a baby's face on a four leaf clover* OwO 💭🍀👶🌼🌼🌼

Also Mitsunari, after few minutes: Congratulations, Ieyasu-sama \(≧ω≦)/ 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸!!!

[janeykath318]

Once Upon A Time (WinterShock Fantasy AU)

Once upon a time there lived a happy, mischievous Princess named Darcy. Sadly orphaned at a young age, she was surrounded by loving caregivers, who taught her how to be a good, but kind ruler. 

When Princess Darcy was just twelve years old, the regent Lord Phillip noticed she showed signs of being gifted with magic, a rare ability in that land. 

After some consultation with Darcy’s other guardians, he decided she should learn how to use her gift and Darcy started magic classes. By the time she was sixteen, she had learned many useful spells and was becoming better at controlling her magic. 

In history class, she learned of the great wars between the evil practitioners of black magic known as Hydra and the wizards and knights of the kingdom. 

Hydra had been defeated, but at the cost of many lives, including those of the stouthearted Sir Steven Rogers and Sir James Barnes, whose great deeds lived on in story and song. Darcy passed by their portraits in the great hall and wished she could have known those great men. Sir James she found especially appealing with his mirth filled grey-blue eyes, well-shaped face and dark brown hair.

As her twenty-first birthday approached and she readied to take up the mantle of queen, many suitors sought her hand. Most of them didn’t make it past Lord Phillip, who carefully questioned them to gauge their character and intentions, and the few who did did not arouse Darcy’s interest. 

Then came the shocking revelation that Sir Steven had been found alive, having been encased in an enchanted block of ice for seventy years. He was brought to the castle and tended to by physicians and healers before Lord Phillip and Lord Nicholas questioned him. Finally, they were finished and allowed Darcy to have an audience with him. 

Excited to meet one of the heroic men of history, she perked up when Lord Phillip brought him into her reception room. 

He was tall, with a powerful physique, golden hair, and melancholy blue eyes. 

“Sir Steven!” She greeted, as he bowed before. 

“Your highness,” he replied politely. 

“We are glad to find you alive against all odds. How do you feel after your awakening?”

“Physically well, but I struggle to reconcile with the passage of time, your highness,” he answered with surprising honesty. Nearly all of my contemporaries are dead or nearly dead and I as yet do not know how to restart my life.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine,” Darcy said gently, heart aching for the man who’d given up everything for the kingdom. “But just know that if you need a friendly ear to talk to, I am happy to lend mine. Anything you need, just say the word and Phillip will see to it.” 

Over the next few months, Steven and Darcy made friends and he told her many stories of his adventures with Sir James, or Bucky, as Steven called him. 

Unfortunately, with six months to go before Darcy’s coronation as queen, Hydra began to make its presence known again with the reappearance of their legendary assassin, The Winter Soldier, who felled several wizards and was rumored to be sent after the princess herself. Alarmed, Phillip increased the number of Darcy’s bodyguards and brought in the renowned Lady Natasha for extra security and help planning against Hydra’s threats. 

Much as she liked Steven, Darcy chafed at having him everywhere. Her complaints fell on deaf ears, however. Lord Nicholas and Lord Phillip were on high alert and stood firm. 

One day, Darcy and Steven walked through the great hall together and he shared anecdotes of several of the royals depicted on its walls. When they reached Sir James’s portrait, Steven fell silent for several moments, grief so raw in his face that Darcy turned away out of respect.

“It must still seem fresh to you,” she said quietly. “I am sorry for your loss, Steven.” 

“Thank you, your highness,” he sighed. “Yes, to me it seems like it only happened a few days ago. We were ambushed on a treacherous mountain pass. I tried my hardest to reach him, but he lost his hold and…….fell.” 

He swallowed hard, struggling with the memory.

“I know he would have liked you,” he told the Princess. “Bucky appreciated your type of humor and wit. He also was fascinated with magic, albeit only mildly had a very small ability in that area.”

“Sir James had magic?” Darcy asked, even more intrigued.

“He did,” Steve confirmed with a faint smile. “Mostly used it to annoy me: make my armor turn weird colors, grow out my beard to an unnatural length, give my horse a purple tail.” 

Darcy chuckled. “What a rascal. Did I tell you how I gave Phillip a toupee once?”

Steve looked at her in amused disbelief. 

“No, but I must know now.”

For several weeks, the period of watchfulness continued, but nothing happened and Darcy began to hope that the danger wasn’t coming after all, then one night she was awakened abruptly by Natasha.

“Get up your highness. Your life is in danger.” 

“Wha-huh?” Darcy replied sleepily, brain struggling to come to. A pile of clothing was thrown onto her bed.

“Hydra. They nearly killed Lord Nicholas in a late raid. Put on the disguise and pack one bag. We need to get you out of here. Steven is waiting with the horses.”

Numbly, Darcy dressed in the plain gown and dark cloak Natasha had provided and quickly packed a few belongings, hoping desperately her friends were safe. 

Natasha led her out through the secret underground exit that led out behind the stables where Steven was waiting, armored and well armed. 

“What happened?” Darcy whispered as she mounted the horse behind Natasha. He was a good rider herself, but in the dark and under threat, she was more than happy to have the expert take the reins. 

“The Winter Soldier attacked,” Steve said grimly. “I fended him off, but he will likely be back. We are headed for the stronghold of Lord Anthony deep in the mountains. It’s the safest place for you right now.”

The journey was long and hard, taking almost the whole night. They were only a few miles away, when they were overtaken by a black knight on a black horse, covered head to toe in armor, the only mark on him a red star on his silver left arm. 

Steve muttered an oath.

“The Winter Soldier!” He muttered. “Get down!”

Darcy obeyed. She heard the sounds of swords clashing as Steve fought the intruder, then there was a ping! Sound and metal hit the ground and Steve cried out “Bucky!” In an anguished tone followed by a deeper voice saying “Who the hell is Bucky?” 

Now it was Natasha’s turn to swear, but she stuck close to Darcy. Peering up a bit, she could see the tall knight, his helmet now gone, revealing dark brown hair and finely shaped jaw. Her heart jumped into her throat. It was Sir James! He looked completely cold and menacing, but there was something so dead in his eyes, she knew there was something wildly amiss. 

Reaching out with her magic, she sensed the thick cloak of dark magic upon him and guessed Hydra had him under some spell. 

“What do you want?” She heard Steve ask.

“My mission is the Princess. Hand her over. They want her alive.”

“Over my dead body,” Steve growled. 

“Very well.” 

The swords clashed again and the struggle began again. This time, she could tell it was going badly for Steve. 

Darcy couldn’t stand it anymore. She stood up, brushing off Natasha’s restraining arm and walked over to the scene of the fight. Steve was now bleeding on the ground, still trying to get Bucky to remember him. James had his sword at Steve’s throat and was ready to plunge it in when Steve murmured, “I’m with you to the end of the line.”

This made The Soldier pause and the cold expression in his eyes was replaced with a flash of recognition followed by pure panic. 

Darcy stepped forward.

“Don’t kill him! I’ll surrender.”

James whirled around to face her, confusion written all over his face. 

“What are you doing, your highness?” She heard Steve hiss out, but Darcy had a plan and she needed to get closer. 

“You surrender?” James repeated dully.

“Yes,” Darcy said. “Do what you have to do.”

He stalked towards her with his knife drawn, and Darcy stood stock still, waiting for the right moment. She knew a spell she was pretty sure would work, but it would likely leave her exhausted. At this point, exhausted was preferable to dead and she had to try to help James. 

Summoning every ounce of magical strength she could, she cried out, “Restore!” and held out her hands.

Bolts of magical energy sparked from her fingertips and connected with James, wrapping around his head. The energy warred with the darkness and caused it to dissipate and vanish. 

James fell over unconscious.

“What did you do?” Steve asked, having dragged himself painfully over to his friend.

“A restoration spell. Hydra was controlling his mind. I cancelled it out,” Darcy sighed, suddenly exhausted. 

“Can we bring him to the stronghold? It might be some time before he wakes.”

Steve looked at his friend and nodded. 

“We will. I really hope you are right, your highness.”

Between the three of them, they managed to haul James to the gates of the stronghold. It took rather longer to convince Lord Anthony to let him in, but Darcy shamelessly pulled rank on the man and he finally relented. 

She was almost stumbling with exhaustion by the time they reached the keep and Natasha almost carried her off to the guest chamber provided.

“I want to be there when he wakes up!”’she protested.

“He may not wake up for some time,” Natasha answered. “Your spell is still working on him. Please rest, your highness. He won’t get away, I promise.”

So Darcy finally agreed and shortly fell into deep slumber. She awoke rather disoriented and very rumpled. 

“Ugh. I look like a hag, not a Princess!” She moaned, repulsed by her reflection in the mirror. She managed to get herself into a somewhat respectable state when Natasha came for her.

“Is he awake?” Darcy asked eagerly. 

“Yes. He awoke about an hour ago and seems to be himself again. He recognized Steve.”

“That is wonderful news! Please take me to him.”

Natasha obliged and showed Darcy into the room where a bandaged and rather battered looking Steve sat beside James. Darcy felt a pang of remorse for not trying a healing spell on him. 

Both men got to their feet as she entered, Steve rather shakily. 

“Bucky, this is her highness Princess Darcy. She is strong in good magic and wove the spell that freed you from Hydra. I trust you rested well, Your highness?”

“I did, but sit down, Steven, before you fall down. You need to see the healers.” 

“Just what I’ve been telling him….wait PRINCESS Darcy? You saved me?”

James’s voice was filled with awe and wonder as he looked at her, blue eyes now clear and sharp like in his portrait. Oh, heavens, he was incredibly handsome and for a moment she was speechless as they stared at each other. Finally, Bucky shook himself and knelt before her, bowing his head. 

“Where are my manners? Forgive me your highness. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done. I am your devoted servant henceforth.” 

“Sir James, I am very happy to see you in your own mind. I am so relieved that it worked,” Darcy assured him, holding out her hand to show him she accepted his thanks. He kissed it, looking reverently into her eyes and Darcy felt her heart skip a beat. She could feel the unspoken connection between them. 

“You and Steven will be honored as heroes,” she declared. 

“Steven is well deserving,” James agreed, a shadow falling over his face. “I do not know that I am deserving to hold the title of knight anymore. The things I have done would sicken you.”

“You mean the things Hydra forced you to do?” Darcy responded. “Hydra’s deeds do sicken me, but the reason you became their captive in the first place was because you were fighting to end their reign of terror. You will not be held liable for something you had no control over.”

“You are very gracious, your highness,” James said gratefully. 

Darcy turned to Steven next and gently scolded him for not getting his wounds tended to before using a healing spell on him.

Lord Anthony came in to check on his guests and give them an update on the situation at the Castle.

“Hydra had infiltrated some of the guard and it has been difficult to weed them out,” he informed them. “Jasper Sitwell and Lord Alexander are both Hydra and have vowed to take over the kingdom. I am sending reinforcements as soon as I can.”

Anger stirred in Darcy. 

“The traitors! I will kick their posteriors!!” 

Steve looked startled at her uncouth language, but Anthony grinned and James’s mouth twitched in amusement. 

“I like the spirit, your highness, but it’s safer for you to remain here. My stronghold has magical defenses and right now, you are Hydra’s number one target. There is a large bounty on your head.”

Darcy turned pale and gripped a nearby table for support. 

She was almost shaking with rage and fear, but told herself to calm down. She had to be strong for her country. 

“I can’t just sit back here while you all risk your lives. You know I can defend myself with my magic,” she reminded them. 

“You can, but the ratio of Hydra to loyal soldiers is much too high and we cannot risk losing you,” Natasha reminded her. “You’re the last of your family line.”

Darcy deflated at this painful reminder. She knew Natasha was right and she couldn’t endanger the throne by rushing headlong into danger, but she hated the thought of waiting all by herself. 

In the end, James volunteered to stay with her as protection duty, being a most powerful warrior. She couldn’t help but be pleased at his company, despite the circumstances. 

Before Anthony and the army departed, she took care to lay helpful enchantments upon Steve’s sword and Shield and Natasha’s knives and the archers’ bows. 

Satisfied at last, she saw them off with well wishes and turned back to James, who walked beside her back to the luxurious library that she’d picked out as the room to hole up in. 

“Come sit by me, James,” she requested. “You can be vigilant in comfort.”

“Thank you, your highness,” he responded, carefully seating himself beside her. Up close, she could see how well built he was and how strong his arms were. She had to stifle a sudden urge to feel his biceps: both the flesh and the metal one. 

“Did Hydra equip you with the metal arm?” she asked. 

“They did,” James confirmed. “I lost my arm in the fall that led to my capture. They designed it to be another weapon. I shudder to think of how much blood it has spilled.” 

He clenched and unclenched his metal fist, sad blue eyes looking reproachfully at it. 

“Maybe we can get you a new one once we’ve stomped them out once and for all,” she suggested. “I know Stark would love to upstage them and make a better one. He is very gifted in that area.”

“You are very thoughtful, your highness,” he said, giving her another grateful look that brought a lump to her throat. The poor man was clearly not used to being treated like a human and it hurt her to think of. 

“Please call me Darcy,” she requested. “There’s no one else around and it gets old hearing “your highness” all the time.”

“Darcy,” he repeated, saying her name reverently. “What a lovely name.” 

The next few days were trying ones for the Princess as she waited for news from the battle. James told her many stories of his and Steve’s adventures and she told him about her childhood and her mishaps while learning magic.

James admitted one of the reasons he’d stayed behind was because he feared Hydra would speak the words to him that would trigger his Winter Soldier persona.

“You mean you didn’t stay because of my captivating beauty and charm?” Darcy said teasingly. 

“Now, I didn’t say that, Princess,” he said, flushing a bit. You are very pleasant to be around. I just thought you should be made aware there still might be traces of the spell in me.”

“We’ll have you examined by our best wizards,” Darcy promised, anxious to reassure him. “Their knowledge is greater than mine and they will be able to rid you of any lingering effects.”

“I hope so,” James murmured. “I really hope so.”

He looked at her for a long moment with an expression that made her heartbeat quicken before he sighed and looked sad again, as if longing for something out of his reach. 

She saw that expression several more times over the next few days and wished she could comfort him. 

Five days later, a messenger returned to the stronghold to bring news both good and bad. The good news was that the Hydra uprising had been crushed and its members dead or in custody. The bad news: the chaos had stirred up a legendary dragon, who was headed straight for the palace. 

James thought Darcy should stay at the stronghold, but she overruled him.

“I appreciate your consideration, but I must return and oversee the investigation. I need to talk to the wizards about you as well. I cannot hide any longer. I will go mad.”

He’d sighed and gone to bring the horses around. 

The journey back was done as stealthily as possible, and Darcy watched James with interest as he skillfully and silently guided them along the journey, always on high alert. She felt safer with him than any of her bodyguards, good as they were. This knight had had his senses honed to a razor sharpness that was unlike anything she’d seen. She wondered if part of it was due to his latent magic powers and if he’d ever used them. But magic was not a topic he seemed willing to discuss, other than the moment he’d thanked her for rescuing him from it. 

They returned to a palace that was very chaotic, evidence of fighting all around it and grim faced guards everywhere.

Darcy went straight to Lord Phillip and Lord Nicholas who were in consultation with Lord Anthony, all three looking very somber. 

“I am relieved to see you safely returned, your highness,” said Lord Nicholas. “Thank you,” she told him. “I am also relieved to find you well. I heard you met up with the Winter Soldier.”

“I did and I broke the spell that held him a prisoner,” Darcy told them proudly. “Phillip, Nicholas, may I present Sir James Barnes? I assure you, he is no threat.”

The men looked shocked and wary, but Darcy made them talk to James and confirm that he was, indeed, an ally and in his right mind. 

“Where is Steven?” James asked nervously, looking around for his friend.

Phillip sighed. 

“He is in the infirmary. He suffered grievous injury fighting Hydra and had previous untreated injuries that led to his collapse.”

Darcy sighed and James groaned.

“Typical of the imbecile,” he muttered. “Never could take care of himself.” 

“What?” He said bluntly at the questioning looks the Lords were giving him.

“He just laid there and would have let me—the Soldier—kill him, if the Princess hadn’t intervened. The one time he decides to back down from a fight….” James sighed and shook his head.

“Yes, I have noticed that trend with him,” Lord Phillip admitted, almost smiling at James’s aggravation. “We enchanted the door of his room so that he cannot get out until the healers have finished with him.”

Darcy smiled her approval. 

“I knew I liked you for a reason, Phillip,” she said fondly. 

“Unfortunately, we will need him at his full strength sooner rather than later,” Lord Nicholas sighed. “The dragons are but a three days journey away.”

As soon as Steven was recovered, they began making plans for defending against the dragon horde, who were led by a large purple beast named Thanos. 

Thanos had obliterated many cities in neighboring realms with his terrible breath and destructive claws and he had fifty fearsome fellow dragons with him. It was going to be a very difficult fight. Darcy went around giving motivational speeches to the troops and leaders in between making sure the citizens were evacuated to the mountain strongholds. She stood on a balcony looking out over the city, hoping it wouldn’t be its last day of existence.

“The last of the refugees are about to depart for the mountains, your highness,” Steven reported, James standing beside him. “Are you certain we cannot persuade you to go with them?” 

“Very certain,” Darcy said firmly. “My place is here.” 

He nodded, then smiled. “I understand. I too, would chafe at being denied the chance to defend my country.”

James heaved a deep sigh. 

“There are two of them,” he muttered in a disgruntled tone that had Darcy and Steven chuckling. 

“You will get used to it, James,” Darcy said lightly, giving him a pat on the shoulder. 

The following day, Thanos and his dragon army arrived, blasting fire and roaring ferociously. The army was ready for them and put up a good fight, slaying quite a few, before they could get into the city. The tide soon turned against them, though, as Thanos’s power was unleashed and death and destruction rained down. Darcy was safely inside the tower and fretting about the increasingly grim reports coming in from the battlefield. 

“If we could just get Thanos, we would actually stand a chance!” She said, pacing in frustration. 

“Unfortunately, Thanos appears to be untouchable,” Nicholas reported, stress making his eyelid twitch rapidly. “He has a power far beyond anything we’ve faced before. Melts people before they get near him. Normal shields are ineffective.”

“What about magic?” She asked.

“The only spells that might work have to be within twenty paces,” Nicholas mused. “And all our wizards are either wounded, dead, or busy.” 

A plan began to take root in Darcy’s mind. It was crazy and might not even work, but at this point, what did she have left to lose?

“Phillip, would the enchantment on Steve’s shield stand up to Thanos’s breath?” She asked. 

“Yes, for a few minutes, but Steve does not have magic.”

“He doesn’t have to. I do,” she told them.

Phillip frowned. 

“What spell would they have taught you that would fell Thanos?”

Darcy smiled. 

They pleaded and argued and begged her not to, but Princess Darcy prevailed. 

“What kind of ruler will I be if I am not willing to give my life to protect my people?” She’d told them. 

Phillip had closed his eyes, but nodded, unable to dispute this. 

After giving a few quick orders, Darcy put on some armor and went out to face Thanos. It wasn’t hard to find him, bring huge and purple and all. He was even more fearsome up close, huge claws and fiery breath wreaking havoc upon the city and its people. Darcy swallowed. She had to stop him before he spilled any more blood. Searching for Steven, she found him finishing off a young red dragon. 

“Steven!”

He looked up, shocked to see her.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, panting heavily. 

“I think I know how to stop Thanos, but I need your help. Where’s James?”

“Over there,” Steve jerked his head to the left. “Do you need him, too?”

“Yes. For my plan to work we need all three of us.”

James was not pleased to see Darcy in battle and even less so when he heard her plan.

“Eight out of ten cases, that spell kills the caster, too! We can’t lose you, Princess. Surely, there’s some other way.” 

His blue eyes were desperate and pleading as he spoke, and Darcy’s own heart hurt a bit. She would have loved to agree and have the chance at deepening her friendship with him into something more, but if they all died due to a dragon, that wouldn’t happen anyway. She would hold out hope she could be in the two out of ten. 

Darcy smiled sadly. “The only other wizards that know this spell are incapacitated or dead. I’m so sorry, James. I have to protect my people.” 

For a brief moment, he looked as if she’d ripped out his heart and trampled it under foot, then the expressionless soldier’s mask returned and he simply nodded.

“Tell me what to do.”

“Steve will cover us with his shield so that I can get close enough to cast the spell, which will block his airway and allow James to stab him in his soft underbelly. Be quick about it so he doesn’t crash down on top of you,” she urged James. He didn’t look like he cared much about being crushed at this point, but he nodded. 

She shook both their hands, then took a deep breath. 

“Let’s go.”

Steve held up his magical shield over them as they approached Thanos. She could feel the intense heat around them, but the magic did its job and soon they were within range.

She held out her hands and began chanting, energy swirling through her as she summoned everything she had to hurl at the dragon. 

Thanos laughed evilly and blasted fire at them, which bounced off the shield. Knowing the protection would not last long and not wanting to get Steve and James killed, Darcy quickly spoke the rest of the spell, then flung the energy toward the dragon’s snout. It wrapped around and went down his nostrils, thickening up and causing him to sit up and choke and gasp for breath, clutching his nose.

James darted forward and the last thing Darcy heard as the life drained out of her was the terrible scream from Thanos as the knight’s sword plunged into him. 

She came back to consciousness in a plain white room, birds singing outside the window.

“Is this the afterlife or did I survive?” She wondered aloud. 

There was a gasp and James suddenly lifted his head from where he’d been resting it on the side of the bed.

“I assure you, you’re very much alive, Princess,” he told her, voice trembling with emotion. The usual very polished knight looked haggard and unkempt, eyes red and bloodshot. 

“I was one of the lucky two out of ten?” She asked, warmth spreading through her at how he was looking at her. 

“Not at first,” added another voice. Steven was beaming at her from the doorway, relief showing strongly in his amiable face. 

“What do you mean?” She asked curiously.

“When we finished off Thanos, I picked you up and there was no breath in you. No pulse. Nothing.” 

Steven looked pained at the memory and Darcy looked back at James, whose lips were quivering. 

“Bucky here insisted on carrying your…...body…...back to the palace,” Steve continued. “Somehow, you started breathing again on the way there. We really have no idea why. Maybe the healers can tell us.” 

“Wow,” Darcy breathed, a smile blossoming on her face. “So the dragon army was defeated?”

“Soundly,” Steven assured her. “The kingdom is saved. You’re a hero, Princess. They’re ready to crown you queen right now.”

“Well, they’ll have to wait,” Darcy said with feigned haughtiness. “I refuse to be crowned until I’m able to be fully fabulous again.”

Steve barked out a laugh and Bucky’s shoulders shook. Lifting his head, he looked at her through tear-filled eyes.

“Princess, you’re always fabulous,” he told her sincerely. 

A healer bustled in, interrupting the moment. Darcy was a little annoyed, but she let herself be examined with no fuss and took the opportunity to ask about why she had come back to life.

Healer Cho smiled. 

“We believe that the one who carried you in has the gift of Healing Touch, which in some cases, can revive a person. Sir James, you have some magic in you, right?” 

Bucky nodded, wide-eyed at the realization. 

“I couldn’t heal people before, and as the Winter Soldier, I was forced to use what magic I had solely for evil,” he said thoughtfully.  “I’ve never tried magic since.”

“Sometimes these gifts develop later, James. You may not have known it was there, but it was,” Helen told him gently. 

“As for you, your highness, a day or so of rest and you should be back on your feet again. Do you feel in need of food?”

Darcy nodded enthusiastically and Helen departed to get her a tray, looking very pleased. 

“Buck, You saved the Princess,” Steve commented proudly.

Bucky, who’d been staring at his hand in disbelief, looked into Darcy’s eyes as she grabbed the hand and kissed it.

“My hero!” she sighed, giving him a dopey smile that somehow tripped something in him to release the emotion he’d been trying to hold back. Steve thoughtfully shut the door and retreated to the corner again. Darcy kept holding James’s hand and whispered soothing words to him as he cried. The poor man had been through so much, and she was determined to help make his new life as happy as possible. 

“It killed me to see you lifeless,” he whispered, when he’d finally calmed. “I’ve become very attached to you in the short time I’ve known you. I know you probably wouldn’t want to be courted by a man like me, but if you did, well…..”

“Who says I wouldn’t want to court you?” Darcy retorted. “I would very much like to court you, James. “You’re brave, you’re selfless, you’re funny, you’re an awesome warrior, and you’re exceedingly handsome. Don’t think I haven’t been wanting to run my fingers through your glorious mane since the day we met.”

James blushed bright red. 

“However, no courting can happen if you don’t take care of yourself.”  She told him. “As your princess, I command you to eat, bathe, and sleep before you return. “You’re clearly exhausted. Steven will make sure this is carried out, won’t you, Sir Steven?” 

Darcy’s firm tone had Steven nodding quickly. 

“I will, your highness,” he declared, looking pointedly at James. “I attempted to previously, but he refused to leave your side, the stubborn mule.”

“You hypocrite,” James shot back, grinning at them both. “But I will happily follow your commands, Princess.”

Getting to his feet, he kissed her hand and gently released it.

“I will be back.” he promised. 

“You’d better!” she called after him. 

Falling back on the pillows, Darcy held the hand he’d kissed to her cheek, dreamily thinking about him kissing her on the lips. 

Five Months later

The coronation of Queen Darcy was a day of jubilation and partying, a national holiday having been decreed for the occasion. Throngs of people had arrived in the city to witness the grand event and the city, which had recovered  from the Hydra and the Dragon invasions, was decorated to within an inch of its life.

Darcy stood in the hall, dressed in a deep green formal gown and rich red robes, trying to calm her nerves. There were a lot of eyes on her today and she hoped she wouldn’t embarrass herself. 

Lord Phillip and Lord Nicholas were busily going over the schedule with Lady Natasha and the royal guards and Darcy was going over her speech once again in her head. 

There was a clanking of metal, and she saw her favorite knights approaching, both looking impeccable and stunning. 

“Hello, gentlemen,” she greeted warmly. “You’re looking magnificent.” 

They bowed gracefully.

“Thank you, your highness. So are you,” Steve replied.

“Absolutely breathtaking,” James said, giving her a look that made her blush. He was quite the master at those looks, as she’d learned during their courtship. There had been quite a stir when it was announced that the soon to be Queen was betrothed to the former Winter Soldier, but happily, the critics were vastly outnumbered by the supporters, as he was now seen as a hero after saving her life. Darcy had been highly  lauded herself and was still being swamped with gifts from her grateful subjects. 

“How are you feeling, Darcy?” He asked quietly.

“Nervous, but excited,” she said. “I’m going to be the best queen I can be.”

“I know you will,” James agreed, with one of his becoming smiles. “Save me a dance at the ball later?”

“Silly man,” she chuckled fondly. “You should know by now all of my dances are for you.” 

[heroineimages]

Queen Viarra’s Mom

So for those of my readers who follow my novel’s progress, Queen Viarra’s mother, Princess Lutaxa, isn’t dead. My intent for her since pretty much when I started writing the story was for her to be absent for most of Viarra’s early career as queen. I’d planned to depict her as this legendary but absentee badass who won the heart of a Tollesian crown-prince and birthed the future empress of the Vestic Sea. Her back story was that her family are exiled Gannic royals and that seven years before the story begins, her father died and her brother and uncle led the rest of their family back north to retake their homelands. But I chose to leave Lutaxa’s fate ambiguous. Characters refer to her in past-tense, and I never specify whether she died or left with her family. Much later in the story, I wanted to have her pop back up and fight beside her daughter following her family’s failed attempt to reclaim their kingdom.

A few nights ago, I decided to reintroduce her much sooner.

While writing several flashbacks told from Elissa’s POV, I had the chance to experiment with Lutaxa’s character for the first time, and it bothered me that I’d given my badass protagonist a badass mom but don’t really get to explore their relationship. For the epilogue in Book I, I’m going to cut to Lutaxa’s defeated army, holed up in a fortified village, thousands of miles to the north. They’re beaten down without hope for more than an impressive last stand against a superior foe, when they get word of Viarra’s victories in the south. The news reminds Lutaxa that she has a home to return to and motivates her to withdraw the remnants of her army and flee back to warmer climates.

*************************************

“The thaw comes early this year,” Aunt Lutaxa observed as Reovalix stepped up beside her along the palisade.

“Aye,” Reovalix nodded, crossing his arms over his chainmail. Beyond the palisade and in the valley below, spots of dark brown were already appearing amid the coastal pines and white landscape. “Soon our enemies will start tae move again.”

“If they’re nae already,” his aunt agreed, her fur-lined hood thrown back. An enormous, brawny woman, she towered over everyone Reovalix had ever met and had a reputation for having a will like iron and an edge like obsidian. It pained him to see her looking so tired and defeated. “And soon they’ll find us here, if they dinnae kin already. Nae more word from the Cotis tribe?” she asked.

“Nae word,” he confirmed. “We’ve nae allies left—faithless cowards.”

“Nae,” Aunt Lutaxa disagreed, silver hair reflecting the midday sun as she shook her head. “Wise, nae faithless. They do wha’s smart tae protect they people. Our foes are too many, and allying wi’ us just gets people killed. We got overconfident from our early successes against the Cenali and their allies, and we failed tae deliver too many promises tae too many of our allies. We started with seven-thousand warriors and highest hopes, but now we’ve barely four-hundred warriors and this last hold-out,” she sighed, gesturing to their fortified mountain village. “We failed, and I wish I had a way tae apologize tae every ally we let down.”

“Ye never know, Aunt, we might yet win tha day when our foes come,” Reovalix offered, rapping his knuckles against her bronze breastplate.

His aunt snorted with a trace of a smirk. “Only if our foes take the biggest nosedive in competence I’ve ever witnessed,” she admitted, reaching over to stroke his fresh-shaved chin and tweak his long, coppery mustache. “But thank ye for saying sae, nephew. We may hae spent all winter fortifying, but in the end I think the best we can hope for is tae weaken they army enough tha’ other tribes might stand up tae them.” She shook her head sadly and stepped away from the palisade.

Over the winter, they’d set up in an abandoned mountain village, near a small slate quarry. The slate turned out to be focking useful, making effective, non-flammable roofs for their houses, as well as paving material for their streets and building material for reinforcing walls and palisades. As they ventured away from the walls, the sound of steel on steel echoed through the courtyard as his cousins, Talutix and Ressona pounded out new swords, spearheads, and chainmail from the last of the iron shipment they’d stolen last fall. At least they had that to their advantage.

“Though I cannae apologize to our allies, I’d like tae apologize to ye and ye sister and remaining cousins,” Aunt Lutaxa admitted, loosening her cloak from her shoulders. “This should nae hae been ye fight.”

“What d’ ye mean, Aunt?” Reovalix asked, glancing over at her. “It’s our family too. Ye fights are our fights.”

“But should nae hae been,” his aunt disagreed. “Ye were a babe when our family was exiled, and ye siblings and most o’ ye cousins hannae been born yet. When ye grandfather died and me uncle and ye father sought tae travel north and reclaim our homeland, our generation thought only o’ ourselves. We thought only o’ our own past disgraces and nae o’ the fact tha’ ye generation was nae a part o’ tha’ past. There was twenty-eight in ye generation and seven in mine when we sailed north from Valos seven summers ago. Now, I’m the only one left of me generation, and ye, ye sister, and nine cousins are all left o’ ye. Ye fought and died for a home ye never knew. And tha’s nae fair tae ye.

“And now ye’ve nowhere tae run tae,” she added, bowing her head in shame. “Nae allies left tae take us in. Ye are trapped in tha hole my generation dug for ye, wi’ no way out but death.”

“But, Aunt—”

“Nae ‘buts’!” she interrupted, reaching out to grasp his arm. “Ye should ha’ been free tae make ye own choices and live ye own life, and we took it from ye. I just want ye tae know how sorry I am. If there wae a way out, I’d happily guide all o’ ye out o’ here. I want ye tae ken tha’,” she added, his mail clicking against her breastplate as she embraced him.

“I ken, Aunt, thank ye,” Reovalix assured her, returning the hug. Tall as he was, he still had to stretch to rest his chin on her shoulder.

Three sharp notes from a hunting horn blared from further down the mountain. It was a signal from the forward sentries for a friendly rider. Stepping back from their hug, Reovalix followed Aunt Lutaxa to the gates.

“D’ ye ken who they’re signaling?” Aunt asked one of the gate guards.

“Aye. Cousin Venixa is riding fast back from her supply run, but I dinnae see any o’ the others,” a sentry explained, pointing down the hillside at the distant horse and rider trotting through the mud and melting snow.

“What could ha’ happened?” Aunt Lutaxa frowned.

“Venixa, love, wha’ happened,” their aunt greeted as Venixa rode through the gates and dismounted minutes later. “Where are the others?”

“They’re coming, Aunt, dinnae worry,” Venixa assured them, laughing with a smug twinkle in her smile. Beaten by the early spring wind, her face was redder than her hair. “There’s big news from the south—big, important news—and I rode ahead tae tell ye!”

“What kind o’ big news?” Reovalix asked, crossing his arms.

“Aye, did the Litulli change their minds and send warriors?” Aunt Lutaxa added.

“Nae, further south than tha’!” Venixa laughed, tossing her hood back. “News from the Vestic Sea, in fact,” she declared as other warriors and family members gathered. “While we were in Congenetia trading for supplies, there was a ship o’ Tollesian traders wi’ goods and news from the south. Apparently, the Hegemony o’ Andivel has been usurped! Last spring, an upstart queen overthrew the tetrarchs and dissolved the council tae make herself hegemon.”

“The tetrarchs, were they exiled or executed?” Aunt Lutaxa asked.

“Executed, I think,” Venixa answered.

“Shame,” their aunt frowned, shaking her head a bit. “The tetrarchy needed tae be replaced, but Tetrarch Wayer deserved better than tha’,” she admitted. “Who was this queen, though? And why is this such big, important news?”

“Queen Viarraluca is her name,” Venixa told them, her smirk getting bigger and smugger. Another cousin gasped, and eyes went wide on everyone who recognized the name. “Viarraluca of Kel Fimmaril.”

“Viarraluca of Kel Fimmaril…” Aunt Lutaxa repeated reverently, a tear forming at the corner of her left eye.

“Queen Viarraluca…”

[streets-in-paradise]

Battle Scars

Troy 2004 fanfiction

Characters: Hector, sister oc ( it can also be read as a reader insert since i haven’t named her yet and there are no mayor descriptions) 

Word Count:  2101

Genre: Angst Comfort - Fluff

Relationships : Platonic - Family. 

Summary: Paris is determined to fight Menelaus. His siblings are concerned with the high chances of his death and his younger sister wants to take his place. Hector comforts her and warns her about some less discussed consecuences of battle. ( I suck at writing summaries.)

Triggers: Mentions of war and typical war involved violence. (not much. Don’t worry because it is not gory) 

Disclaimers: This is my first attempt of writing fanfict to post. English is not my native language, i translated it to english with the help of an online translator. 

Tags: @hrisity12��� (tag you because i think you will want to see this)

I hope you enjoy this and thanks for reading 

The night after the start of the war had already fallen. The palace was quiet, a silent atmosphere that was nothing more than the mix of grief and exhaustion surrounded the entire place. Pacing around the hallways, Hector seemed to be the only person around, unable to allow himself to have some rest. He was looking for Paris, after the scandal created by his proposition of fighting against Menelaus and the lethal risks involved for him in that reckless idea he felt the need of having a serious conversation with him. 

Unfortunately, his brother was not the only one who needed his words and company that time. In his way he crossed ways first with Helen, stopping a grief induced attempt of scaping in a desperate try to stop the war. After comforting his sister in law, he was approached by his younger sister. The young lady was rageful and worried in the same amount. Without hesitation, she let go all the thoughts that were troubling her and vented to her brother. 

“Paris is the worst swordsman I have ever seen. How can you allow this? He can’t do that, i will not allow it. Why can’t I fight in his place?” she snapped.

 Seeing her state, Hector decided to stop his search for Paris and have a talk with her. The last time they had a few words was that morning in the armory when she begged him to let her fight and stumbled across his refusal. He thought that,after that short altercate in which no one had the time to explain themselves and with the news about Paris worrying both to the core, they needed some time alone. 

“You know you can’t do that. It would hurt his honour. He can’t let his sister fight his own battles “  he tried to explain. 

“Do you really think Paris cares for his honour? He is doing it out of guilt. I can’t let him die.“ she asserted 

“ It is his choice”  he stated. 

“ What about my choice of fighting this morning? I am the little girl so it is correct to take away my will to choose? “  she replied, her tone getting progressively more enraged.” Helen is a trojan princess now, let a trojan woman defend her freedom to choose her own fate. She is not a fighter but she has a sister willing to do it for her. I will be defending her freedom, not Paris’s right to possess her.” 

“ I will not let you get involved in actual combat for the first time against the King of Sparta. That man fought all his life.” 

“ But it is fine to send Paris to his death? It would be his first combat as well but with half of my training as backup. He never cared for this sort of thing, the only weapon he handles with a considerable talent is the bow. He can’t show up to a single combat with bow and arrows and he is terrible with swords.”  

“Don’t put me in the situation of being the one who has to choose between you two which one of my siblings will be sacrificed.”

“ Of course, because you already decided it.”

That thoughtless reply was more of what the man could handle. Abandoning his conciliatory tone, Hector allowed himself to let his own concernings go and said exactly what was going through his mind. 

“Do you think i want to burn our brother’s body?? I love him as much as i love you. I can’t allow you to fight, it is not your right to die in his place.”

“ How can you be so sure i’m going to die? Is your trust in me so small and weak?”she asked, confused by the switch in her brother’s approach.

“Real life is not like training in the safe space provided by the security of our walls. Battle is screams, blood,sweat, excrements and desperation. Nothing more. Your skills are worthy of trust but you are still very young and naive. You think you will go out there and end up crowned as trojan champion after doing some heroic act. That sort of attitude can get you killed.”  he explained in the most honest and realistic way he could use without upsetting her more. 

“Menelaus is a slow old beast. I’m young, fast and flexible. I’m a better choice than Paris for that combat and you know it.” she insisted. 

“I may be aware of it but i don’t care. “ Hector replied. The only way to go with this sort of conversation, especially considering the stubbornness of his sister on the topic, was through full honesty. 

He decided he was going to give her a complete explanation of his reasons on that choice. 

“Since the first time you picked a sword i told myself i would let you have your fun but i would also protect you from what would be waiting outside if you actually tried to pursue that path.”

The princess listened carefully and, imagining the route the conversation was heading, spoke her mind. 

“Death? That 's all? Your greatest fear is for me to end up dead in the battlefield? I am not afraid of it. I will die with glory if it saves our brother. Stories of my sacrifice will be tell all around our country and i will live in them. “ 

Hector was visibly angry this time. He wasn’t able to let himself believe what he was hearing. 

 “That is nonsense. Stories? You are asking me to let you die with stories as consolation? The songs of the bards are party entertainment, they aren’t worth your life “

“Even with the result of my death the outcome is good. If i leave my mark in history men will notice they need to change their ways. My death will save Paris and inspire more shieldmaidens.” she explained

“Had you realized who you are sounding like? That is exactly the sort of pointless nonsense i heard from Achilles. It is not what i taught you.”  he warned her 

“You taught me about sacrifice for my family and my country. That is your moral code, and it is the exact thing you don’t let me practice.” she complained, hurt by feelings of injustice. 

 Becoming desperate witnessing how nothing seemed to make her understand, he tried to show her understandment of her point of view and spoke from his own feelings and fears.

“I don’t want to lose you! I’m not even talking about death when i say it. That is indeed a big fear of mine regarding you but it is not the only one. I will not be talking about death now.” he said, lowering his tone trying to sound more calm to show her that his anger was not related to a misunderstandment of her point. “ Real combat, a battle in the middle of a war unleashed at our gates ... It is a terrible event to witness. I would not wish that to my worst enemy. It changes you, leaves scars on you that you would have to carry your whole life. Not just the physical ones, in your inside. Your mind and your heart are not the same after you survive your first battle. I hate to fight, it consumes you. Why would i want you to go through my same suffering? I don’t  forbid you to fight because you are a girl and i am some traditionalist who can’t come across to understand your will to challenge our ways. You know i am not like that, i wouldn’t had let you get involved in combat training sessions in the first place.”

The girl seemed less upset in her approach after hearing him. 

“You said it was a good way to wake some sort of interest in Paris and it was part of his formal education. We were very hard to separate back then.”

“And you still are. Menelaus would find you both sticked to each other in combat if i wouldn’t interfere in your choices.” he teased . She smiled briefly while hearing him. 

“ Combat has a terrible effect on people.I don’t wish such a terrible fate for you.” Hector stated, going back to his point. “As long as i live i will protect you from it. I love your sweet enthusiasm, your kindness and concern for our people. I already know you sneaked out to help in the expedition I sent to look for people in the camps. I should be mad about it but i am not because in that action you showed who you are. You are caring, you are full of hope and life. I love you as you are, Troy loves you as you are. Don’t ask me to take that away from you.” 

The words of her brother had a clear effect, she was on the edge of tears. 

“ But i want to help you!! I want to share the weight of the war with you.”  she yelled. “It is not fair for you to carry it all on your own and you know well Paris will not help” 

“He is trying”  he said, trying to comfort her

“He will kill himself!!” she shouted while tears started falling through her cheeks 

“ I promise i will help him as much as i can.” he reassured her 

 “It is not enough, i want to help you” 

“Your cheerful welcomes after every battle are more helpful to me than the strength of your arm.” 

With her feelings overwhelming her, the young lady hugged her brother tightly

“I want to fight for you and for our people. I love you so much, it hurts me to see how you work so hard on your own for all of us.”

Hector caressed her cheeks to clean her tears. 

“Do you want to know why it’s said that Achilles is a better warrior than me?” he asked in a trivial tone 

“ Because it is said that he is the son of a sea goddess?”  she answered in a slightly doubtful way. 

“ That is what people who have never stepped into combat believe. What i saw in him today, he is so good because he doesn’t care about anything. It’s clear that the scars war left on him took over and at some point he stopped caring. He has no mercy, no respect. He talks of war like it’s a game. When he is fighting he stops existing as a man and becomes only the tool war requires him to be. He became desensitized to all the death surrounding him. His only concern is to win glory because, once this lifestyle takes everything from you, that’s all what’s left for you to collect. He is a broken man, an extreme example of what war makes on soldiers.” he explained

“ You are my moral guide, my example of behaviour. I would never allow myself to get lost like that because i have you.” 

“ And i am not the almighty hero you see in me. I am another man changed by war. I fight hard to stay in my path, to remain as myself. I don’t want to look at you one day and see just a shade of the kind, lifeful girl you are now.”  he confessed. 

“ I have to assume you are protecting me from myself then?” she asked, without the connotations of assertiveness in her ways previously displayed. She felt regret for the rude ways in which her anger made her judge him 

“I am, even when you don’t notice it.” 

“ I don’t want our countrymen to die protecting my spirits.”

“I love you and i can’t allow it. Call me selfish if you want but even i have the right to a bit of selfishness on occasions.”  

After hearing her usually selfless brother admitting he was incapable of an impartial view of the issue when she was involved she was done with the talking. There was nothing more left to say that could mean as much as that. Hector’s life was full of sacrifices, she felt unable to question him. She wasn’t going to complain about the first time she ever heard him thinking of himself to make a choice. 

Instead, she thanked him for his concern and told him once more about how much she loved him. Hector kissed her forehead, wished her goodnight, and went to see their brother. He had brief thoughts about the very little time of sleep that was left for him but it didn’t matter. His siblings needed him that night and, as always, he was going to be there for them. 

[purplerose244]

Thoughts journal Ninjago season 13!! 🖤🖤 (4/4)

Here we are, at the end of just another season of Ninjago! And I've gotta say, until now it has been very good, I think I'm liking this season better than Prime Empire and Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu. I liked them too, but this one feels more complete and deep, also LILLY GOT A BACKSTORY HECK YEAH 😍😍

Prime Empire had one really great ending, so I'm very curious how this season will conclude! Spinjitzu burst? Some last minute plot twist? Cole and Vania confirmed...? 🙄

Here we go!!

THE DARKEST HOUR

So I'm guessing the guys aren't doing too good at the moment 😅

I know this is kind of a tense situation, but honestly Kai looking so confused at having to lead cracks me up 😂 "Do I have to say it? Is that what being in charge means?"

Lloyd: YOU

Jay: SHALL

Kai: NOT

Zane: BE GRANTED THE PERMISSION TO TRAVERSE BEYOND THIS POINT

I have no words, that was such an obvious reference in full Zane style so in character, I have tears. Beautiful 🤣🤣

Also they all look SO COOL 💚💙❤🤍

My ninja babies fighting together screaming NINJA-GOO!! Really this season feels like we're back in the old days, so cool! And they are so in sync, Kai lifting Lloyd up and Zane pushing others away and I LOVE THE FIGHTING ANIMATIONS 🤩

Poor Skull dude, he's trying to do his big bad guy monologue and he keeps getting interrupted 😂

It was cute that both tribes immediately refused to surrender, not sure if it was for pride or they actually care about their new ninja friends, but it was nice

Aahh, near death life experiences, the best way to elicit teamwork 👍 Nice scene, nice cute scene

Nnnnnyyyggg, Lloyd, that's the sacrifice look right there 😱 At least they just turned themselves in peacefully after reuniting the tribes... aaand of course he was lying, I hate that Skull dude 👿👿

THE ASCENT

Back to team Cole! Back to the Upply! 🖤 Quick guys, we're only three episodes left!! NEED TO GO BIG!!

Heeeeeyy, Wu back in business! I kinda missed him a bit taking control of the situation, it used to be him because he was the master. It really is a jump into the past this season! 🤩🤩

Sure let's go with the explosive cart, not like Cole and the other ninja haven't been piloting a falling apart rocket back to Earth before 🤷‍♀️

A Mech on rolleskates, why not? Does Cole even know how to go on those though? He was already out of the Tournament of Elements during Chen's Thunder Blade so I don't really know...

Lolz the monster was actually waiting staring at the wall, guess you don't get much fun in this mine 😅

COOL FIGHTING SEQUENCE COOL FIGHTING SEQUENCE COOL FIGHTING SEQUENCE 🖤🖤🖤

And a poor old couple of civilians traumatized. They need to be trained by the people of Ninjago City on how to deal with weird appearances 💪

I guess we're doing this 😅 Gonna be honest, this is the first very evident sweet look I see from these two. I like Vania, a lot, but another classic love interest? Uuuuhhh, Idk, Imma see the rest of the season and see what happens 🤷‍♀️

A baby dragon on a giant spider, one of my favorite things ever on one thing I fear... I'll let it pass just because Adam is a good boy 🕷🕷🕷

GO VANIA GO GIRL LET HIM KNOW WHO IS THE BOSS HERE!!! 💛💛💛

THE UPPLY STRIKES BACK!

I really like these DnD guys, they've grown on me, let's see what they have in store! 😁

Munce and Geckles under chains, ninja in a cage, the Skull dude has the control, we're back when we started... sucks to be a ninja sometimes 😅

Omg I'm loving that this dude is trying so hard to be menacing and he keeps getting ignored 😂😂 Aww cute, you think you're the first that wants to destroy the ninja? Such a special little snowflake 😘 Evil monologue, we've been going for 13 seasons now with various specials and a movie, we heard it already 🤷‍♀️

Also the reveal, and he's all "Your friend Cole is dead" and Lloyd "That's what they all say, buddy" 👌👌

Poor Cole just wants justice for his mom HELP EMOTIONAL AGAIN

I'm all for Cole's personal team, they should do missions together, like Jay's team in Skybound!... that technically never happened, BUT STILL COOL 🖤💙🖤💙

Oh boy oh boy oh boy got the swords, confrontation ready, BRING IT!! Ninja team is all in for this!! ❤💚💙🤍🌊

REVOLUTION!!!! 💪💪💪💪

Swords aren't usually Cole's weapon of choice... BUT DANG IT HE CAN SWING THEM, HOLY GARMADON!!! THIS IS THE FIGHTING SCENES I WANT!!! 😍😍

How is this the episode prior the finale? It already feels like the finale! What else is going to happen?

SON'S OF LILY

Oh with a title like this, it's a given that I will not survive. Oh boy, here goes, the FINALE!

Chaos, chaos, beautiful dragon of death and distraction, also gently reminder that Mino is also a very good boy 💕 Are the skeletons connected to the skull? Are they gonna stop reform when Cole defeats the Skull Sorcerer?

The swords are not actually magical? Huh, first weapon in this show that turns out to be a fluke, apart maybe the Dragon Armor of the Firstborne... that one stayed intact at least 😅

HERE COMES THE VALKIRIES!!! *classic related music plays*

THIS. FIGHTING. SCENES. ARE. SO. FREAKING. GOOD 😍 Also wow sensei, full kamikaze with a dragon? I guess the sacrifice gene really runs into that family 😅

COLE NO DON'T HURT ROCK BABY 😭

"Always." KIRBY STOP MAKING ME CRY WITH YOUR AMAZING VOICE ACTING SKILLS ALSO HOLY HOOLA GANG

THAT'S LIKE A SPINJITZU WITH THE TRUE POTENTIAL OMG HECK YEAH SHINE COLE SHINE!!! 🖤🖤🖤

A bit red, could mistake it for Kai's, but it's an orange earth lava burst so I understand

Cole: okay guys, done my part

Cole: wake me up when next season is out

LOOK AT VANIA BECOMING THE QUEEN WITH THAT BEAUTIFUL ATTIRE AND USING COLE'S MOTHER QUOTE BECAUSE SHE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM COLE AWWW 💛

Okay, since there weren't evident references to Nexo Knights this season, can I pretend Fungus shooting fireworks is one? Merlok used to do that almost at every season finale... IMMA PRETEND 🙃

She is so adorable, I really love her. Wished we've seen more of her bond with her father, it felt a little easy her giving up on him. Idk, Sky and Chen didn't have that much of a bond but she struggled a lot! But she is super cool and cute, I ADORE her 💕

This sounds like a pretty good experience for Lloyd who FINALLY spent a season without being scarred for life!!! He even met a princess who didn't plan his death!!! Montgomery things are getting better 💚

Well, that surprised me, I guess Cole and Vania like each other but not heavily? Just a very light mood, like they care a lot but no other step further. I'm very happy about this choice, you can see it as a couple if you want, but you can also say they are just good friends. Nice 👍

Oh no, Wu got his midlife crisis, SOMEBODY STOPS HIM 😱

Wherever the wind will take them okay, wherever the producers will decide to torture them 😗

Overall, great finale! 😁

FINAL THOUGHTS

I think I enjoyed Prime Empire's finale more than this one, but this season with all of its episodes was absolutely AMAZING 🖤

The Skull Sorcerer wasn't necessarily a bad villain, but the story kinda went into another direction in my opinion so his part wasn't fundamental. Which isn't a bad thing for me, it's actually new and exciting see the attention to the story instead of the villain, and I did enjoy how they made fun of how cliche he was being 😂

Vania was GREAT. Wished we had more time with her father to really establish what kind of bond they had, but overall I loved her, new best girl acquired 💛💛💛

FREAKING ROCK MOM!! FREAKING LILLY!! I'm so emotional just thinking about this family, omg, THIS is the content I want for Ninjago! Impactful, that makes sense, connected to the heart that makes you so much closer to a character! Finally the Rock family is getting more complex 🖤

I think this season really gave Cole justice, we got her mom's story, we've got him leading a team again, we've got him with a cool new power! 😍😍

For the other ninja it was okay, I really liked the shenanigans with the tribes and the cultures were really fun to explore. Was kinda like a side quest and for me didn't bring that much to the main story, but it was fun and it's fair, Cole had all the attention he deserved 👌

FIGHTING ANIMATION OMG HECK FREAKING YEAH 10/NINJA-GOOOO ❤💚💙🖤🤍🌊

Beautiful designs for the characters, in particular the Shintaro citizens, and also wonderful backgrounds and sceneries, that I thought were starting to lack but here seems much nicer to look at 🤩

What can I say? Ninjago still knows how to mess with my heart, and I'm so very happy about it. I think the so wanted Cole season was definitely worth it 🖤🖤🖤

Now, I heard voices about a possible Nya season... ABSOLUTELY YES, YES TO EVERYTHING, QUEEN GETTING HER OWN SEASON YES YES YES!!! 😍😍😍🌊🌊🌊 Besides that apparently Maya will come back, which is a dream coming true, if they give Nya the same attention they gave to Cole this season, I will be happy 😊

[lavenderradionoises]

Can You Hear the Winds Changing? - Part 3

I love how this entire thing started as an assignment for class and now became a project with a plot and full character arcs. 

You can find part 1 HERE and part 2 HERE Warnings: mentions of war, violence “Do you really think that having a festival this soon after the campaign is appropriate?” Usta asked Aion, pacing the length of his room. Aion watched his sister. A letter and rose lay forgotten before him on the table.

“It’s Candelae, Usta! The people wait for this the whole year, rest of the world be damned,” Aion countered. When Usta sighed, he took it as a sign to continue. “Besides, it’s one of the few festivals that father allows which celebrate gods who aren’t patrons of the royal family. The people need this now more than ever.”

Usta stopped her pacing to level Aion with a glare before a knock sounded from the door before Iiaare, Usta’s maid, walked in carrying two platters of food. With his own servant dismissed to celebrate with his family, the prince was quick to take one from her.

“Here, let me help.” Iiaare rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh but allowed the prince to take one of the platters. 

“She isn’t helpless, you know. If anything, she can probably carry the food for all the visiting nobles and not break a sweat,” interjected Usta, making her way to the table. Iiaare gave a noncommittal shrug and held up eight fingers before pointing at the platters and mimicking the motion of carrying them. 

Aion watched the interaction with a slack jaw and eyes that darted between the two. “When did you two become friends?” he asked, surprised, remembering how only last week Usta was constantly complaining about her new maid and her inability to communicate.

Usta hummed as though mulling over the question. “When she punched Sir Prent in the jaw three days ago after he told- how many was it?”-- Iiaare held up four fingers-- “after he told four maids that it would be an ‘honor to have his bastard children’ or something along those lines.” 

Aion looked at Iiaare, baffled. He knew Sir Prent and some other knights had missed the past couple of days of training, but the story was that they were feeling ill after coming home from the battlefield. 

The rest of the mealtime was spent discussing what else led to the unthinkable friendship between his sister and her maid. Apparently, as soon as Usta gave Iiaare her protection as both the princess and the kingdom’s seer, Iiaare decided that the best way to use it was for those who had no such protection. 

While Aion was impressed with the new maid, he was even more shocked to hear the awful behavior of the kingdom’s knights. He had known they weren’t perfect, but the knights were supposed to stand for honor and integrity; yet here they were, using their power to abuse those without any. It made his teeth grind. He was so lost in his own head that he didn’t realize their meal had finished until Iiaare lifted his plate from in front of him.

“Oh!” Aion exclaimed, jolting to face his sister as she was making her way out of his chambers, “remember that there will be a remembrance feast tonight for the fallen knights. You should make an appearance.”  

Usta stared at her brother from the open door before rolling her eyes and walking away. Iiaare bowed her head in the prince’s direction and closed the door with more force than Aion thought was necessary. 

~

Aion scanned the banquet hall full of knights and nobles dressed in green, the color of mourning, his earlier conversation with Usta and Iiaare still echoing in his mind. 

“Looking for someone?” came a familiar voice from his left. Aion turned to his sister, eyebrows raised at her presence.

“Oh, stop looking like a startled stoat,” Usta sassed as she took her seat, gesturing for Iiaare to fill her wine glass “The knights who fell in battle were my people too, they deserve the same respect as anyone who works with me in Firebird tower.” The prince nodded and murmured quick thanks in her direction before turning to face the king on his right, who was engaged in quiet conversation with the queen.  

“I have my personal guard stationed at every door. If Stozia attacks, they will buy us some time,” the king said, eyes wandering around the room just as Aion’s had a moment previously.

“Are you sure they will attack tonight?” the queen questioned, spinning her wedding band, a gesture Aion had come to associate with his mother feeling anxious. 

“No, but both Captain Necrosis and Lieutenant Iaastil have a feeling,” the king replied before taking his wine glass and standing up. 

Aion tuned out whatever speech the king had prepared to honor the fallen knights; it was one he had heard many times. The prince gestured for Iiaare to fill his glass with more wine. When the servant did not react, he turned to her. He was not expecting to find her stiffly staring at the main entrance to the banquet hall. Nor was he expecting to see the slightest tremble of her hands around the pitcher. 

Just as he turned to look at the doors, they burst open, with two people calling for knights in the room to prepare for a fight before barricading the entrance. Aion recognized them as twins, Elos and Alos, from his father’s private guard. Unsheathing the sword from his waist, Aion began yelling for everyone to start evacuating. He turned to his sister, kissing the top of her head.

“Take Iiaare and Mother, head for my rooms. If anything happens, take the tunnels to the lower town. At least one of us needs to survive this.” 

Usta opened her mouth in protest but stopped. 

“I love you. Make sure you come back to me alive.”

Hearing yelling approach the doors, he watched his sister grab Iiaare and ran in the direction of the evacuating nobles. 

Aion joined his father and the twins in the front of the hall, the sound of splintering wood resounded through the room.

~

Aion and Usta took turns pacing the physician’s office, both wringing their hands and telling each other that everything will be okay.

“I just don’t understand why…” Usta trailed off, looking towards the cot where Iiaare was being treated. The prince had to bite his tongue so his response would not make it past his lips. He had his suspicions as to why Iiaare jumped between his sister and the assassin’s sword, but it was not something his sister would want to hear. 

The court physician made his way to the siblings. His posture was relaxed as he rolled up unused bandages. 

“She will live. The sword didn’t pierce any vital organs, so she should recover without any issues. Though she will need to rest until further notice.” 

Both siblings let out a sigh of relief. Usta made her way to Iiaare’s side, clearly intending to stay with the servant until she woke up.

“What about the council meeting? They need your ability to See,” Aion began, but quickly realized how futile any argument would be. His sister would hear nothing of the meeting until she knew that her maid would wake up. So, he made his way to his father’s chambers alone, readying himself for an argument between his father and Captain Nexros. 

He heard the yelling before he saw it; surprisingly, his father was not arguing this time.

“Just because Stozia already sent assassins doesn’t mean they won’t do it again!” Iaastil exclaimed, their words followed by a thud. Perhaps they hit the table with their fist. 

“They won’t! That’s not how wars work,” came the reply from Captain Nexros.

“Oh yes, because the rules of war don’t ever change, and Stozia is well known to follow any code of conduct.”

“What do you suggest we do then? Make documentation for every person who lives in this country?” 

“That won’t work when raiders attack. That will be the first thing they go for, leaving all our outlying villages vulnerable,” Aion interjected as he entered the room. The duo stopped whatever glaring match they started earlier to glance at him.

“What do you mean?” asked a young boy near Iaastil. His features and accent reminded Aion of the twins, both of whom he noticed were missing from the room. 

“If everyone in Nemothage was carrying some kind of documentation that they live here, raiders would begin targeting it along with food and supplies,” Aion continued, taking a seat across from the queen, “And if the documentation is stolen, then we would not be able to help the village, hence leaving them vulnerable.” 

At that, Iaastil smirked triumphantly at Nexros, who in turn pinched the bridge of his nose. Moments later, he threw up his hands.

“Fine, be that as it may, but we still need to figure out Stozia’s next move.”

The king pointed at the map in front of him, “There have been attacks on Flatband, Rizeria, Quoavacia, and other border villages between us and Stozia. That’s not even counting the battle at Yorkmer.” 

“I wouldn't put it past King Azorius to keep sending mercenaries to border towns to try and split us up,” The lieutenant speculated, repeatedly tapping one of the outlying villages on the map. “My money is also on him trying to forge an alliance with Nicosby to the north.”

“Why Nicosby? King Azorius and Queen Malyn have a rocky relationship at best,” Aion’s mother pointed out. Aion prepared to answer but was cut off by Nexros.

“Because both have something to gain. Stozia has always wanted our mines, while our current stalemate with Nicosby over the Gretrior fields won’t help us form an alliance. But if Stozia wins, Nicosby might have a chance to gain that territory.” 

“Necrosis is right,” the king stated, ignoring the look of pain on both Iaastil’s and Nexros’s faces before beginning to ramble off instructions on where the king’s guard should go out to scout. Before the king could make any more decisive decisions, Iaastil cut him off.

“Your Majesty, we still have to consider our mission of protecting Princess Usta while she is in Grimmimire. We’re leaving in a couple of days to make it there in time for her to follow up on her promise to the village elder.”

“I see,” the king said lowly. “On whose authority are these orders?”

“The prince’s,” answered Nexros, shifting slightly in Aion’s direction. 

The king looked at Aion, eyes narrowing. Aion squared his shoulders and glared back at his father. His father may still be able to rule, but age occasionally interfered with the king’s priorities, especially when it came to Usta and her role as the kingdom’s Seer. 

The stand-off lasted until the door burst open and a frazzled Usta strode in, scanning the room. Once she zeroed in on Nexros and Iaastil, she stomped over to plant herself in front of them.

“Captain Nexros, could you please ask your twins to leave my maid alone? If they offer her another torte, I think she is going to lose her eyes in the back of her head. Who even let have that many? They have about thirty between the two of them.”

This time it was Aion who cut the captain off, with a smirk that rivaled Alos’s when they were scheming.

“Are you sure it’s not you who’s going to lose their eyes in the back of their head?” 

Usta ignored Aion in favor of glaring at the captain and lieutenant. The captain stood up from his spot at the table.

“Elos must have gone to the kitchens after the attack, she and Alos didn’t even show up for the briefing.”

Usta let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose before turning to their father. Her eyes were tinted green, something Aion recognized as a sign of his sister getting a vision.  

“Your plans to attack through Marmeny are going to fail. Stozia is trying to lure our forces in by purposely weakening their defenses.” Aion watched the king scowl and reach for a quill and some extra parchment. “the most effective way to win would be to split up into three groups.” 

Usta approached the table, keeping eye contact with the king from where he was still leaning over the map. Aion watched the battle in his father’s eyes, contemplating whether to believe the kingdom’s seer or to order his daughter out of the war council. Moments later, the king stepped aside, giving Usta ample room to join the table. Aion released a silent sigh and settled in more comfortably. Even with Usta’s help, this was going to be a long strategy meeting.

[smileyjaeminies]

To Keep The Peace

Sequel to my previous work: In times of war

Synopsis: As Minho finds himself in grave danger, he needs you to protect him. A prophesy that waits to be fulfilled, schemers and traitors that lurk closer and closer. Will you be able to fulfill your destiny?

Word Count:   14, 6 k

Genre: Narnia au!, Prince Minho! Au, angst

Warnings: major character death, strong language, fighting, war, hinting of smut

Member: Minho, ft. appearances from the rest of skz

A/N: Okay everyone… Minho prince of Narnia is back!! A very dear friend of mine asked for this the second ‘In times of war’ was out so… Kristi, baby, this one’s for you. @prodbyskz​

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of FICTION. I do not own these characters or names. Some Stray Kids members have taken a… Bad route in this work. This IN NO WAY insinuates that said members are evil/bad or that I hate them in any way.

  You were taking a stroll on a field filled with flowers, your evening gown dragging on at your ankles. Your skirts ruffled around you as you walked, feeling your bare feet burying themselves in the soil under you, which was still a little damp from the soft summer rain of the previous night. The sun was dipping back in the mountains behind you, signaling you should be leaving soon.

  But you had only gotten there… You savored the serenity of the moment, the soft wind on your skin and the smell of flowers hanging in the air. The silence was broken by a voice behind you, calling your name. You turned around, scouring your surroundings to spot source of the familiar voice.

  And there he was, clad in formal attire much like yours, smiling at you from afar. Prince Minho. You mirrored his expression instantly, gathering your dress in your hands and running uphill to him.

  Once you we only a few feet away, he paused, raising his hand against some type of glass that was separating you. You saw his lips forming your name, but heard no sound. You threw yourself on the glass, hoping to break it apart and reunite with him after so long.

  You shouted out in pain, holding your aching shoulder as you hit the glass time and time again. Minho was doing the same at the other side, his cheeks filled with tears as he pushed, punched and kicked with all his might. At some point, he stopped, simply beholding you.

  You looked at him, pushing your hands on the glass as if to walk past it, walk to him again. Slowly, a red spot appeared over Minho’s heart, a spot that only grew as blood poured out of the wound.

  You shot up on your small bed, drenched in sweat as a scream that sounded much like Minho’s name fell out of your lips.

  Another nightmare. You cursed loudly, rising from your bed and opening the window of your small room. You let the air calm down your blazing skin as you beheld the view of the forest before you.

  It had been the third one this week. For about a month now, your sleep had been disrupted by this nightmare, always the same one. Seeing Minho die time and time again, while you were completely powerless, always had the same numbing effect on you.

  You longed to have news from him, from anyone from back home, but I’d been years since you contacted anyone other than your family. Your life in Archenland had been peaceful for the most part. You had adapted quickly enough to the new environment, learning your way around the castle in no time. Slowly but surely you had even climbed through the ranks, meanwhile maintaining your position as Master of Archery.

  You trained the new soldiers, molding them into fine archers. You trained the Princesses and Princes of Archenland, but maintained your distance from them, despite loving them dearly. You had time to ride and hunt, study and read books. They were peaceful years, even though your heart always felt like it was in the wrong place.

  You couldn’t really tell how long it had been since you had gotten lost in your thoughts, when a sound from outside your door startled you. You wiped away the tears that stained your cheeks quickly, before turning to face it. You walked towards your sword lightly, trying to make no sound, waiting for the intruder to show themselves.

  A blonde head of hair and tiny hands appeared from behind the door, making your heart settle in her place.

  “Cassandra. What are you doing here?” you asked the little girl, who giggled, running into your arms.

  You hugged the girl tight, picking her up in your arms as she squealed in delight.

  “Cassandra” you said again, more sternly this time. “We talked about this. You can’t keep coming here. It’s not right”

  “Oh, but Y/N, you know I love you so” she confessed, squeezing her small arms around your neck and resting her head on yours.

  Your heart melted at the little Princess’s confession and you hugged her back.

  “You know I love you too, little one, but something bad could happen if we keep doing this.” You tried to explain to her.

  “But Y/N I always have Chan with me! And no one would ever take on a fight with you two!” she countered.

  You had to say, the Princess did have a point. Chan was a fine soldier, set on guarding the youngest Princess. And you were, well, you. Everyone knew you had fought in the previous war and gained your position as a result. People didn’t fear you per se, but they respected you and left you alone for the most part.

  “Since I can’t seem to convince you that I will come to you when it is time for our lessons, you have to promise me you’ll always keep Chan close, okay?” you asked the girl, offering your pinky.

  “Yes, yes, yes!” she squealed in delight, connecting her finger with yours.

  You put her down, and she shuffled over to the chair next to your window. You made your bed, tidying up your room as best you could, as Cassandra blabbered on from the corner.

  “So what are we to do today, your Highness?” you asked and Cassandra stuck her tongue out at the title.

  “Can we go gather flowers? Or maybe we could go down the river again? Yes! Let’s go to the river, we haven’t been there in so long!” she decided and you smiled at her enthusiasm.

  “Okay then, why don’t you go ask her Majesty for permission, while I get ready? I’ll meet you at the gates in a bit.” You offered and she smiled brightly, running away from you.

  “See you in a bit, Y/N” she repeated the words you used, disappearing behind the door again.

  You gave a long sigh, shaking your head at the little Princess’s shenanigans. After you got ready, you made your way to the kitchens for a quick breakfast, before heading out to the gate to wait for the Princess and Chan.

  You greeted some men on your way out and you talked to the guards for a while before the Princess arrived. You saw her walk up to you with Chan only a few steps behind her as she strolled leisurely through the busy street. You smiled at both her and Chan, greeting them.

  “Y/N, does Chan have to come? Can’t just the two of us go for once?” she asked.

  You glanced at Chan, who simply shook his head at the Princess’s request. It was not unreasonable for a little girl to simply want to spend time with her favourite teacher. It was however an unreasonable request for a Princess to make.

  “Your Highness,” you began, all too aware of unwanted ears eavesdropping on your conversation, “I don’t think that’s wise. Besides, think of all the games we can play, just us three”

  Cassandra thought about it for a few seconds before nodding at both you and Chan, taking a hold of your hands and dragging you outside. You spent the morning on the riverside, gathering weeds and trying to teach Cassandra how to swim.

  Several hours later, after wolfing down the small lunch you had prepared, Cassandra started getting cranky, so you packed up your things and made your way back. You were walking back to the castle, Cassandra piggy backing on Chan’s back, completely exhausted. You reached the gates of the castle, giving a small nod to the guards as you parted ways with Chan and Cassandra.

  Settling in for dinner with the other officers, you sat, as you often did, by yourself, enjoying your dinner after a big day. Safely back in your room, you read a few pages of a herbology textbook with the help of a candle. Too tired to actually process the information, you blew out the candle, getting comfortable under your covers and hoping for just one night of good sleep.

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

  It looked like your wish had been granted, as the rays of the sun seeping into your room woke you up the next morning. You got ready for your day, knowing full well that your excursion with Cassandra the previous day didn’t go unnoticed. You were accustomed to the way the court worked both back home and here in Archenland, prying ears and greedy eyes looking for even the slightest misstep. You refused to grant them the satisfaction, always striving to be soft spoken and polite, a wallflower in public events.

  After breakfast, you made your way to the training fields, happy to see some of your soldiers already there. You greeted them all, getting into work immediately. Slowly more soldiers poured in, and you made your rounds, correcting mistakes and giving helpful tips.

  You conversed with Seungmin, the Captain below you, as you were still trying to work out a plan to change the training field for the soldiers to train better while also riding on horseback. You lost yourself in the discussion, not noticing two figures making their way towards the tent you were sitting under.

  Seungmin beside you shot up, making you look past your notes. You got up immediately when you saw Prince Changbin before you.

  “Your Highness” you greeted politely.

  “Y/N. Captain” he greeted, nodding for you to be at ease.

  “How may I help you?” you asked.

  “Not me. Him. If you’d like.” The Prince answered curtly, making you confused.

  “I do not think I follow, your Highness” you admitted.

  You looked at the man next to the Prince. He was beholding you with a strange look, almost expecting for something. His armor was familiar to you, as was the badge on his shoulder. Your heart skipped a beat in recognition but before you could say anything the Prince spoke up.

  “Captain, could you leave us alone for a minute?” he asked, and Seungmin exited the tent quickly.

  “Y/N, as you very well know, my Father has made me responsible for every link of ours with Narnia, due to my friendship with the Prince Minho. That is how I offered you your position, and that is why I am here right now. This kingsguard here has come with a proposal for you. He came to me first, to ask for permission and I have granted it. Listen to what he has to say and come to me when you have made your decision. Do you understand?” he asked, his tone more light this time, even exchanging meaningful looks with the kingsguard.

  “Yes, your Highness” you answered him.

  With a curt nod at your direction, he turned to the kingsguard. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he said a few words to him before leaving you alone.

  “So you’re really going to pretend you don’t recognize me?” he asked.

  You were shocked at his audacity, yet the sound of his voice… You opened your mouth to protest, tell him you had never seen him before. But something stopped you, a sudden feeling of familiarity which made you take a closer look at the man before you.

  His hair was pitch black, reaching his shoulders. His eyes were brown, soft looking. You peered into them, trying to get your mind to figure out the mystery. You took a step closer, as the weight of realization hit you.

  “H- Hyunjin?” you asked timidly and the man opposite you smiled.

  “Finally!” he said, his face lighting up.

  You jumped on him, hugging him tightly. It had been so long… So many years and the boy you knew had grown into a fine man. His smile was still the same though, the way it still lit up his face not changing in the slightest.

  “What on earth are you doing here? A kingsguard! Oh, Hyunjin, what happened?” you asked question after question.

  “We need to talk. Not just to catch up. Do you… Do you have somewhere we can go?” he asked, taking a few careful looks around him.

  “Let’s get you a horse. Nowhere in here is safe.” You told him, keeping your voice low.

  On your way to the stables, Hyunjin let you know how he had wound up as kingsguard, even filling you in on some gossip from officers and members of Narnia’s court you had both suspected were far from clean.

  You rode into the forest, the safety of the trees covering you. You didn’t go far, only far enough to make sure no one from the castle would be walking around. You left your horses, sitting down under a big oak tree to listen more carefully to Hyunjin’s words.

  He was telling you of an arrangement for Prince Minho to marry a Northern Princess, one that he had barely even met and how he had opposed strongly to the idea, but it seemed that it was the only way to keep the peace.

  You nodded as you heard the story, trying not to pay attention to your heart that was deeply hurting at the thought of Minho getting married. You brushed off the apologetic looks that Hyunjin gave you, not ready to have that kind of conversation just yet.

  “Hyunjin.” You said after a few moments of silence, “What’s the real reason you came? I’m guessing it’s not just to fill me in on gossip or because you missed me”

  “I did miss you, believe it or not” he told you.

  “I do believe it, because I missed you as well. But we’re far enough now. You need to talk to me.” You said, trying to sound encouraging.

   Hyunjin gave a long sigh and seemed to be gathering his thoughts. You waited for him to talk, almost scared of what he could say.

  “There is a reason I started with the gossip. You needed to know to understand what has been happening back home in the last couple of years. Betrayals everywhere, nowhere to look except for Archenland. The crops at least were good, thank Aslan, and so we managed. But threats kept popping up everywhere we looked and we had no other option but to turn north. After the engagement, things started looking good again. Trade was flowing, the crops were good and no threats made an appearance for a few months…” he said, his voice trailing off.

  “Until?” you asked, anxious to understand where he was going with this.

  “Until a couple of months ago… Prince Minho started getting death threats in his mail. At first we thought it was someone in the castle who was planting them, so we nearly changed all of the staff. We realized that wasn’t the case when another letter arrived, telling us our efforts were fruitless and the Prince would be dead before he even got to marry. The letters keep coming in, no matter what we do. So… Well, Prince Minho and I made a plan.”

  “We need the Prince to stay away from the castle for a while… To see what happens. If someone follows us, it’s for the best so we can find the bastard and end this. If they don’t, it means the threats are empty and everything can continue as planned. This is why it is so important to be quiet about the plan. Not many know the Prince is going to leave, and life in the castle will continue as planned, brushing off the Prince’s absence.” He stopped, catching his breath.

  “I don’t understand… What does that have to do with me?” you asked.

  He looked at you for a few moments, seemingly trying to find the right words.

  “He needs you, Y/N. Right now, more than ever. You are the most talented archer in the country.” He stated.

  “I’m not-” you started, but Hyunjin shook his head sternly, making the words fail on your lips.

  “Y/N, you have to understand that it was very hard for him to ask for help from anyone. Even Prince Changbin knows only half of it. You’re one of the only people we can trust.” He told you.

  “Half of it? What are you talking about?” you asked him.

  His serious expression faltered, as his face broke into a smile.

  “Well, it was Jisung’s idea, absolutely brilliant… We need outmost discretion for his, I’m sure you understand so… So I told Prince Changbin we’re taking Prince Minho to secretly meet his fiancé.” He admitted.

  “That doesn’t even make sense? What would you need me for?” you asked.

  “To pretend to be the Princess’s handmaiden and lure her outside to meet Minho” he informed you.

  “That doesn’t even make sense!” you repeated.

  “Exactly.” He told you. You shot curious looks at him, which urged him to go on, “We need something completely stupid to steer clear and prying ears… So even if they want to ask questions, they don’t really care enough”

  “Hyunjin I… I just don’t know.” You said after a few moments of silence. “I have a life here, a good, peaceful life. I train the soldiers, I train the Princes and Princesses. I’ve risen in ranks, I’m doing well after so long. I don’t know if I can just leave it all behind.”

  “Y/N, you can’t be serious. Look where we are. You trust no one here. You can’t be happy. I saw you when we were riding out here… You, between the rocks of this place… This isn’t you. This can’t be your home. You thrive off of openness, of valleys and the open seas, of forests bigger than this one.” He countered.

  “What would you know about it? What would you know about me? How much I have suffered? It took me years to call this place home, Hyunjin, and now here you are trying to rip it away from me. I can’t do it. Don’t you get it?”

  “Narnia was ripped away from me the night I left. I knew that night was the last time it’d step foot in my home. And now, now that I finally have something, you’re saying it’s not good enough. Well, it’s good enough for me.” You answered, your cheeks heating up and anger boiling inside of you.

  “Narnia will always be your home, Y/N. And right now, it needs you. You’re the only one that can help.” Hyunjin tried again.

  “But I can’t” you said, your voice breaking.

  Hyunjin shook his head in disappointment as silence reigned between you. You felt that the atmosphere was still tense, needing only the strike of a match to blaze up like an inferno again.

  “Let’s get out of here” he told you, leading you back to the horses.

  You rode back in silence, with you leading the way and Hyunjin following closely behind you. You put the horses back in the stables and you turned to look at Hyunjin.

  “Where are you staying?” you asked him.

  “I’m having dinner with the Prince Changbin tonight. I suppose I’ll be staying somewhere in the castle” he told you and you nodded.

  “Well I guess this is where we part.” You said.

  “Y/N, listen to me. I’ll be staying here for three days. Take your time, I will not bother you at all. On the third day, meet me and the Prince for dinner, then you can announce to us your decision.” He offered.

  “Hyunjin, I-” you started, but he cut you off.

  “Don’t rush into a decision. I trust you, Y/N.” he told you.

  You weren’t sure who initiated it, but you found yourself in his arms again. As you hugged the younger boy, you couldn’t help feeling your heart break little by little. This could be one of the last times you saw him.

  You broke apart after a few moments and Hyunjin turned around, confidently walking back into the castle.

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

  On the first day after your discussion with Hyunjin, you buried yourself in your duties, not quite ready to face your dilemma. All morning, you felt the weight of Hyunjin’s stare on your back as you overlooked the soldier’s training. You finally gave in, turning around and raising your hand in a small wave. He mirrored your action, but stayed true to his word and gave you your space.

  That night, sleep didn’t agree with you. You tossed and turned in your bed, your head spinning from thinking too much. At some point late at night, you were able to catch a few hours of sleep, only for them to be filled with the same familiar nightmare, of hills filled with flowers and Minho dying just out of your reach.

  The following day, you rode out on your own, needing desperately to clear your mind. You rode mindlessly, trying to get your thoughts in order and face your decision. You found yourself at the northern end of the forest, close to Archenland’s borders with Narnia. You looked on to the land you used to call home, the land you left years ago, never to return.

  You felt it, felt the ground calling you back. Your eyes longed to feast upon its great plains, to jump over the crashing waves of the ocean. You felt homesick, missing your parents desperately. You thought of your brother, who gave his life to protect your country and you would have died with him. You could have died.

  You allowed yourself to cry and scream and thrash about. You felt pain, sharp pain that started from your heart and took over everything. It took a long time for you to calm down, but when you did, you felt empty in the most satisfying way possible.

  You decided you had better catch some game, at least pretend you were doing something all those hours. Equipped with two large hares, you made your way back to the castle. After settling your horse at the stables and dropping off the hares in the kitchen, you were ready for a semi- warm bath and a quick bite.

  Your mind was filled with thoughts of settling in the water when your body collided with someone on the steps up your room. Glancing up, you were muttering a string of apologies when you saw Chan before you.

  “Chan? What are you doing here? Where’s Cassandra?” you asked.

  “She’s with her handmaidens. I needed to see you” he told you.

  “Let’s talk in my room” you proposed, all too aware that there could always be unwelcomed ears everywhere in the castle.

  You settled in your small room, Chan sitting on the chair you offered him and you on top of your trunk of clothes. You could tell that he was gathering himself so you allowed him to take his time before talking to you.

  “I heard something… Around the castle. I know I shouldn’t believe every piece of castle gossip, but this one seemed too real, especially with the kingsguard here…” his voice trailed off.

  He licked his lips, softly biting on the bottom one. You urged him to continue, curious of what he had to say about Hyunjin.

  “Prince Changbin’s guards were talking in the common room… They were saying about this deal the kingsguard brought… That it had something to do with you. That you were going to leave” Chan said, leaving several pauses between his words.

  “Did they know what the deal was?” you asked, anxious to know if your cover had been blown off.

  “No. Just that it concerned you and Prince Minho.” He answered you.

  You gave a long sigh, thankful that Hyunjin’s efforts didn’t go to waste. After a few moments of silence, you asked,

  “So you came here to tell me?”

  “Yes… And no” Chan admitted.

  “What is it Chan? Tell me truthfully.” You asked him.

  “Are you going to take it?” he asked in turn, his voice small.

  “To be honest, I don’t know. Maybe.” You answered.

  “What about Cassandra?” he asked again.

  “What about her?” you returned the question.

  “You’re leaving… What is she going to do? In a castle full of men, what is she going to do?” he asked you.

  “She’ll be just fine, Chan. She has you. Besides, I’m only a Master of Archery. It’s very easy to find another one. Too easy almost” you told him.

  “You and I know very well that to Cassie, you’re much more. You’re a friend and a role model and she needs you.” He told you, slowly raising his voice.

  “Chan, calm down, I’m just-” you tried to tell him, but he stopped you with a wave of his hand.

  “Don’t pretend you don’t know. Don’t pretend you don’t know that she asks for you much more than she does for her Mother. And when she comes back from a lesson, all she ever talks about is you.” He said.

  “I know. I know Chan. When I came here, I said to myself that I was to keep my distance, don’t grow attached… But I did and it’s all my fault. But I am going to come back. This is… temporary. Yes. Only a mission and then I’ll be back here and everything will be normal.

  “That’s bullshit and we both know it.” Chan snapped.

  You gasped at his words, shocked to hear him speak like that. He looked at you for a few seconds while you were desperately trying to find something to say to him. All words died at your lips and he finally had enough, scoffing and getting up to walk towards the door.

  “At least say goodbye” he told you, before getting out of your room, slamming the door behind him.

  After you were left alone, you let your head drop in your hands. What were you going to do?

    The final day found you waking up to another nightmare. Your body was shaking as you tried desperately to compose yourself. After lying in bed for a while, trying to control your body, you got up to get ready for your day. You maneuvered through the long hallways, nodding at some familiar faces before softly knocking on the door you were looking for.

  “Come in” a voice told you as you walked inside the room.

  You smiled at Chan who was sitting next to the door, before walking further inside the room. Cassandra was sitting at the head of a large table, enjoying tea with some of her favourite dolls.

  You gave as small bow, aware of several handmaidens lurking on the sides of the room.

  “Your Highness, good morning” you told the little girl.

  She giggled, her face filled with sheer glee.

  “We’re having a tea party!” she announced. “Would you care to join us?”

  “May I, your Highness?” you asked.

  “Oh yes yes yes! Here, we’ll move Ser Higins further down so you can sit by my side!” she said.

  You helped her make the necessary arrangements and sat down for the tea party. After Cassandra got a bit bored, Chan proposed a quick walk on the barricades before lunch. You gave him a thankful look as Cassandra dragged you outside, holding your hand tightly.

  When you had gotten far enough, you stopped Cassandra in her tracks, dropping down on your knees to face her.

  “Cassandra, I need to tell you something” you started.

  “A secret! Tell me, tell me!” she urged you on.

  “I might need to go away for a little while… Go back home” you told her.

  “Why?” she asked, curious.

  “Someone I love very much needs me. He’s my friend and I have to help him… Just like I help you” you tried to explain.

  “Can’t you do it from here?” she demanded.

  You shook your head firmly. You ran your fingers through her blonde curls, hoping to provide some comfort.

  “How long?” she asked then.

  “I’m not sure, I’m sorry.” You told her.

  “But you’ll come back? Just like Changbin did when he went to help Prince Minho?” the little girl asked you.

  Your heart ached at both the mention of her brother and Prince Minho. Knowing your words would fail you, you nodded, pulling her in an embrace. She latched on to you, holding you as tightly as she could and you did the same.

  “I love you very much, little one” you whispered, fighting away the tears blurring your vision.

  “I love you too” she sobbed into your chest.

  At that moment, Chan joined you on the floor, pulling you both into his arms. You smiled, knowing that Cassandra would never be alone. Not while Chan lived.

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

  You were looking at yourself in a small mirror, hoping to pin down the last few pieces of your unruly hair into a bun. You realized you’d never be truly satisfied with the result, so you just shook your head, making your way back to the main part of the castle.

  You walked through the dimly lit halls, up towards Prince Chanbin’s chambers. You nodded at the guards on each side of the door and you were just about to knock when a forceful hand stopped you, turning you around.

  You almost screamed, but when you faced Hyunjin’s familiar eyes in front of you, you stopped yourself.

  “Don’t scream” he asked in a playful tone.

  You gave him a hard shove, freeing your hand from his grasp.

  “I wasn’t going to” you told him.

  “Except you totally were” he teased you.

  You glared at him, which made him take a better look at you.

  “You look beautiful” Hyunjin complimented you.

  Your cheeks sparkled with red as you gave him a playful shove.

  “Shut up. Are we going to go inside or not?” you asked him.

  Instead of answering you, he raised his hand, knocking on the door. Someone on the inside opened it and Hyunjin motioned you to walk in first. You took a few seconds to absorb your surroundings, the long table that had been set for three, the comfortable set of couches only a few feet away, the open glass door that led to the balcony, gracing you with soft blows of wind.

  “Y/N, Hyunjin” Prince Changbin greeted you, walking in from a door on the opposite side to the room.

  You curtseyed, politely greeting him. He smiled at both of you, taking your hand in his and placing a kiss over your knuckles. It almost made you barf.

  He led you to the table, helping you to your chair before taking his seat at the head of the table.  For a while, the room was filled with the sound your forks made at the bottom of your plates and some fruitless attempts to strike up conversation from Hyunjin.

  The air on the table was awkward, so much so that you couldn’t stop yourself from hopelessly glancing at Hyunjin opposite you. It seemed that although many years had passed, you still had a way to talk without speaking.

  After a few glasses of wine, Prince Changbin finally loosened up, striking up conversation with Hyunjin. You were glad you were off his radar, even for only a little bit. You managed to pull yourself together and collect your thoughts for the part of the conversation that was soon to follow.

  “I think I’m ready to talk now” you told Hyunjin with a glance and he picked it up right away.

  “Your Highness, I think we have gotten ahead of ourselves. Y/N here has barely talked all evening! Not to say that we have completely disregarded the topic of this dinner!” Hyunjin expertly turned the conversation where he needed it.

  “Y/N, you’ll have to forgive us, it is often that two men get… Ahead of themselves. For Hyunjin is correct, we have neglected you today. Have you reached your decision?” he asked you.

  “I believe I have a few more questions for Hyunjin, your Highness” you answered him.

  “Ask away! Just pretend I’m not even here!” he told you, raising his cup and drinking deeply from it.

  “How many of us are going to be there?” you asked, turning your attention to Hyunjin.

  “Not many. You, me, Jisung… Oh and his Highness’s new squire. His name is Jeongin. He’s an okay lad” Hyunjin answered you.

  “How long?” you asked him.

  Hyunjin’s eyes dropped to his plate after hearing your question.

  “You know I can’t answer that” he told you.

  “Try me” you urged him on.

   “Two months. Maybe three. Maybe a lot longer.” he said, more a question than a statement.

  Changbin gave you both puzzled looks, so you decided you had better take his attention elsewhere.

  “Your Highness, you’ll have to forgive me for asking but this is going to be a very important factor to my decision. Will my place be waiting for me when I get back? I know you’ll need someone to take care of it while I’m gone but I do intend to come back for…” you said your voice trailing off.

  “For my sister. I understand, Y/N. To answer your question, yes. Yes we will wait for you. You’ll always have a place here, as long as Cassandra and I are here.” He told you.

  “Thank you, your Highness.” You told him and you truly meant it. “Could I… take a moment for myself? I’ll come back to you with my official decision”

  “Of course, Y/N. Take your time.” The Prince dismissed you and Hyunjin gave you an encouraging smile.

  You retreated out to the balcony, savoring the feeling of fresh air. You hadn’t realized how stuffing the atmosphere was inside. You let your eyes skim over the tree line, the mountains luring not too far away, the shadows they cast placing an eerie note on the air.

  Your mind recalled you sitting at an entirely different balcony, with a wildly different view. Yes, you’d give anything to sit at one of the high balconies of Cair Paravel once again, to see the ocean open up before you.

  Your thoughts took you to a place you hadn’t been in a while. Though you thought of Minho regularly, you had scarcely thought of your last night in Narnia. Now, it was almost as if you felt his arms around you, his lips on yours. Your mind was clouded by thoughts of him, always him, whispering sweet things in your ear.

  Would you be able to bare it? Would it hurt more, to look after him without being able to touch him? Would you feel better, knowing that you’d done your best to save the only man you had ever loved? What would happen when something went wrong? What if…

  You shook your head, willing your thoughts to come before the question hovering over your head. You tried to control your emotions, desperate to make a decision that was right for you. Not for the world, not Cassandra… Not even Minho.

  But of course… You had to go. You wouldn’t be able to live with yourself otherwise. Taking a few deep breaths, you straightened your back, bracing yourself to walk back inside.

  Laughter erupted from the room behind you and you took it as your cue to walk back inside. Hyunjin’s head immediately turned to watch you as you took a few steps and took your seat at the table.

  “We’re all ears Y/N. What is your decision?” Prince Changbin asked you.

  “I’ll go your Highness.” You announced, looking at Hyunjin instead.

  Hyunjin’s face lit up and he pushed his chair back to come pull you into a hug.

  “Well I’m so glad you’re taking your Prince’s marriage so seriously. I hope you’ll do the same for mine” Prince Changbin said.

  “Of course, your Highness” Hyunjin said.

  Changbin gave a hearty laugh and you smiled at Hyunjin next to you.

  “I think you’ll have to excuse us, your Highness. I have to pack and we have to rest. We’re leaving tomorrow, aren’t we?” you asked Hyunjin.

  He nodded, turning to bow before Prince Changbin and you did the same. He dismissed you quickly, calling his guards to lead you out.

  You allowed Hyunjin to walk you back to your room, knowing fully well that you weren’t ready to be alone yet.

  “Y/N” he called you when you stepped in front of your room.

  “Yeah?”

  “You made the right call. We truly need you there… Minho needs you there” he told you.

  “Don’t. Let’s just not, Hyunjin” you said.

  “Y/N, listen.” he started, but you stopped him.

  “No. I’m going to go pack. We’ll talk tomorrow” you told him.

  Without waiting for an answer, you walked in your room, closing the door firmly behind you. You heard Hyunjin curse outside, before walking away.

  “Well. Let’s pack” you told the walls of the room, which felt smaller than ever before.

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

   The first light of the day found you wide awake, staring outside your window. You took it as your cue, getting dressed and packing a few last things before you went down to the stables. You were saddling your horse when Hyunjin walked in, his smile brighter than ever.

  “Good morning, traveler” he greeted you and you couldn’t help the giggle that fell from your lips.

  “This isn’t a camping trip, Hyunjin” you tried to bring him back to reality.

  “Oh really? Then what is you and me travelling through the lands, occasionally stopping by to sleep?” he joked.

  You shook your head, all finished with your horse. You were walking it out when an unexpected figure blocked your way.

  “Your Highness” you greeted him, bowing deeply.

  “I came to see you off. Cassandra is still asleep.” He informed you.

  “I’m honored, your Highness” you said, resuming your walking.

  He followed you, as you knew he would. Your stomach turned in a funny way when he walked around your horse to stand next to you. There was something about him that made you feel uneasy, and it wasn’t just his reputation.

  “Y/N” he said, bringing you back from your thoughts. “I need you to know I meant what I said last night. I wish we could’ve gotten… Closer”

  He made a step towards you and you felt your back hitting your horse’s saddle. You felt like throwing up.

  “Your Highness, I’m afraid I don’t really understand” you managed.

  “Oh really?” he said, cocking his head to one side. “I’m just saying I’d love the same thing you’ll be giving to Minho”

  You gasped loudly. You almost brought your hand up to smack him, but exile wasn’t what you needed right now. You searched for words in your brain, to tell him just how disgusted he made you feel.

  He seemed to read your disgust in your eyes, for he shook his head looking at the ground.

  “We’ll give it a try anyway” he told you, almost like a promise.

  “No, I don’t think we will” you answered him, glad you’d found your voice again.

  Changbin was about to answer you, when the sound of Hyunjin’s happy whistling stopped him.

  “Y/N, it’s time” Hyunjin announced.

  You nodded your head, quickly mounting your horse. Your gaze skimmed past the Prince and onto Anvard, the castle you’d called home for a short while. You let your mind place a fleeting kiss on top of Cassandra’s head, before kicking at your horse and moving forward.

  So you rode. No matter how much you pestered him, Hyunjin refused to disclose the secret location where you’d be meeting the Prince, Jisung and Jeongin. You’d be there shortly, only a two days journey from Anvard.

  The first day flew past you as you rode back onto home. The very air seemed different as you rode with Hyunjin at your side. It felt like taking a deep breath after a long dive, like hugging someone you loved after a bad day, like hearing a good joke for the first time, like the cleansing feeling that overtook you after crying your heart out.

  Once you passed a river that could have been Glasswater Creek, Hyunjin proposed you made camp. The sun had only begun to set when you finally got the fire going and Hyunjin returned with two decent sized squirrels.

  “I told you I should’ve gone hunting. I fucking hate squirrels” you nagged at him.

  “And I told you I can’t start fires for shit so what good could your game have been?” he asked you.

  “Well, thank Aslan I have my connections” you said, walking to your saddlebag.

  You walked back to the fire with some bread and cheese, a small dinner, but it would have to do. Hyunjin looked at you in disbelief, shaking his head.

  “You’re eating the squirrel. And you’re gonna like it too” he told you.

  You bickered back and forth for a while, which lead to you actually eating some of the squirrel and leaving Hyunjin with the better part of both. It felt weird having someone you could trust again, bickering and laughing with.

  Not long after your small dinner, Hyunjin’s breathing evened out mid conversation, leaving you to stare at the stars. It had been so hard for you living in Anvard where the stars were barely seen. Now you were back home, your heart soared while looking at the familiar skies, finding constellations and loosing yourself in their beauty.

  You must have fallen asleep without realizing, for you woke up with a start. You looked into the tree line, a sound coming from inside. You looked over the dying fire to Hyunjin, who was deeply asleep, huddled up in his blankets. You decided not to wake him, unsheathing your sword and walking inside the trees.

  The sound kept getting louder the further you walked and soon enough you could make out your name being carried from tree to tree. Goose bumps raised at your skin as you reached a small clearing. There, all sounds stopped and time almost stopped flowing.

  A great lion walked past the tree line opposite from you. You couldn’t mistake him for anyone else, having heard stories told of him all your life. You dropped your weapon and fell to your knees, your gaze falling to the ground, too stunned to face him.

  “Are you scared, child?” Aslan asked you, his voice deep and booming through the quietness.

  “No, sir” you answered him.

  “Then why won’t you look at me?” he asked again.

  “I am looking at you, sir” you said, removing your gaze from the ground and meeting his.

  The weight of his stare wasn’t as daunting as you feared. You felt comforted more than anything else, comforted and at ease. Aslan was always here to help, never to destroy, so you breathed evenly and waited for him to speak.

  “Tell me, Y/N, do you love him?” he asked smoothly.

  Despite his laid back tone, the question took you aback. You worried for your answer, your mouth lagging behind your mind.

  “I- I don’t” you stuttered and Aslan gave you the closest thing a lion could get to a smile.

  “You know of whom I speak, Y/N. There is only one man in this land for whom you have affection for, am I correct?” he asked, his tone serious once again.

  You felt like he was looking through you, right past you and into your heart. You knew there was no point in hiding things from him, that he would pry them out of you anyway. You decided to answer truthfully,

  “Yes.”

  “Are you ready to die for him? For die some must to show their love.” He said.

  “Yes.” You answered him again.

  “Good. I am here, to give you a prophesy… One that shall fall only on your ears and that is yours to see through. Do you understand?” he asked you.

  “Yes, Aslan, I do” you replied.

  “He who is to sit upon the highest throne, must first lose what he values most to keep the peace. For an enemy lurks between his midst and he will find him only when it is too late. And keep the peace he will, and marry well and Narnia shall have seven good harvests and two new sons, to rule and carry it and make it great again.” He finished.

  “Lose… An enemy in his midst… Aslan I don’t-” you were saying, information floating around your brain.

  “None of us do, child, until it is too late” he told you.

  “I’m going to die. Aren’t I?” you said, more a statement than a question.

  “Are you scared?” he asked you for a second time that night.

  “No. Just sorry” you said, thinking of Cassandra.

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

   You woke up to Hyunjin softly shaking your shoulder to wake you. You pushed his hand away, sitting up and facing your surroundings. A dream? Or a trick? Hyunjin sensed your unease, sitting by your side until you calmed down.

  “A nightmare?” he asked softly.

  “No. I just forgot where I was for a second” you told him truthfully.

  After a quick breakfast, you were ready to go again. You were a little sore from a whole day of riding yesterday, but you brushed away the screaming of your muscles, needing desperately to sort your thoughts out.

  Hours of you being lost in your thoughts passed and you were sure of two things. One, last night wasn’t a dream. Not at all. Two, you had to be extra careful with your steps from now on. Aslan’s words were like a stamp in your head and once again you were feeling like you could trust no one.

  “We’re almost there. Try not to bite off my ear” Hyunjin announced.

  Reality hit you hard, as you understood that the reason for not telling you where the hideout was, wasn’t because he didn’t trust you, but because you wouldn’t like it. You scoured your surroundings for a more clear idea of where you were, but you didn’t find any hints in the trees and small hills.

  “Just behind this hill here!” Hyunjin told you, almost giddy.

  You turned the hill, finding yourselves in front of a vast plain. The wheat had overgrown, almost reaching your feet on top of your horse. Hyunjin raced in front of you to a small rise on the opposite side of the plain.

  And then you understood.

  “HWANG HYUNJIN I’M GOING TO KILL YOU” you screamed, urging your horse to go faster to catch up with him.

  You heard him laugh, a hearty and throaty laugh that made you smile despite your anger.

  “THIS IS THE BEST YOU COULD COME UP WITH?” you shouted at him as he got down from his horse making his way inside the mouth of the tomb.

  “Keep your voice down! This is a sacred place!” he scolded you.

  You rolled your eyes, but did in fact stop talking while Hyunjin paid his respects. The room was dimly lit and cool, your voices echoing throughout it. The cracked Stone Table loomed at the center, a carving of Aslan with the sunrise behind him only a few feet back. You lost yourself in his calm face, your thoughts racing back to your conversation the precious night.

  “Hyunjin!” a voice called, snapping you away from your thoughts.

  You turned around to see a young boy running up to Hyunjin, hugging him as a form of greeting. They fell into easy conversation, going back and forth for a few moments before Hyunjin was reminded of your presence.

  “Jeongin, come meet Y/N. Y/N, this is Jeongin” he said, pushing Jeongin towards you.

  “I’ve heard so much about you! It’s great to finally meet you!” he said, unsure of what to do next.

  You took a look at his smiling eyes and messy mop of hair and were reminded of Hyunjin, how young he looked when you’d first met him.

  “It’s very nice to meet you too. Hyunjin wasn’t subtle to singing your praises” you ultimately said, putting a hand out for him to shake.

  He took it willingly, despite his cheeks turning scarlet in the process.

  “Jeongin, the Prince?” Hyunjin asked.

  “Oh, yes, yes of course. Let me get the horses. Jisung and I made somewhat of a stable. And we have rooms too, come, come let me show you!” he urged you on.

  Jeongin gave you a small tour of the grounds, showing how he and Jisung had used the different chambers of the place to fit your needs. While still maintaining your doubts, you admitted that you were impressed with what they’d done.

  Jeongin led you to your makeshift rooms, a small chamber with a mattress, a desk and chair and a basin with water.

  “Not bad… for a tomb” you said, making Hyunjin roll his eyes.

  “Freshen up, I’ll go tell the Prince you’ve arrived, then I’ll come and get you.” Jeongin offered and you nodded.

  You placed your bags down in the corner of the room, lying on top of the mattress. You let out a long sigh, closing your eyes and trying to sort out your thoughts. The reality of the situation hit you fairly quickly as you realized you’d be seeing Minho in only a few moments.

  You splashed water on your face, trying to clean up. You rubbed your hands together, cursing at the dirt that had found its way under your fingernails. You were dreading to see his reaction. What if you had changed too much? What if he had changed too much?

  A soft knock at your door made you jump. You composed yourself, opening the door to find a smiling Jeongin and Hyunjin.

  “He’s waiting for you” Jeongin stated simply.

  He didn’t wait for an answer of any sort, only turned on his heel and led the way forward. You shot Hyunjin a “What is with this guy?” look, which made him chuckle, shoving you playfully for being mean.

  Not long after, Jeongin was knocking on a door, comically raising his eyebrows at you before walking in and taking you with him. Your heart assumed a crazy beat and you almost felt dizzy as you walked inside the room, bowing respectfully along with Hyunjin.

  “Get your shit together. You haven’t even laid eyes on him yet” you scolded yourself.

  You looked around the room that served as what you guessed was an office. Maps and scrolls were laid everywhere, with a big desk dominating the center of the room. And behind it, stood Minho.

  He had a stern look on his face, almost looking angry. His eyes were trained on you and you did your best to return the stare. He didn’t look good. His cheeks were hollowed out and it was clear that he wasn’t eating well. Half-moons of blue circled around his eyes, which seemed to have fallen back on their sockets. His hair was different too, cut pretty short onto his head, perhaps an attempt to conceal his identity.

  “Everyone out” he barked, making you shiver.

  You turned to walk out the door with the others when his voice stopped you.

  “Not you, Y/N. You stay.”

  You closed the door, turning around to face him. You clasped your hands behind your back trying to contain their shaking. He took two long strides and he was in front of you, your bodies inches apart. He continued to stare at you with something in his eyes, something you couldn’t put your finger on.

  “Say something” you pleaded in a whisper.

  “Why would I do that?” he asked.

  And you were kissing. You didn’t know how it happened, but his lips were placed on yours in a hard kiss. You felt like you were dreaming, and yet, this was the most alive you’d felt in years. The kiss was urgent, showing his passion and neediness as Minho’s tongue graced the roof of your mouth, your teeth hitting against his. You were touching him, your hands roaming his back, your fingers running through his hair. His own hands danced all over your body, finally settling on the back of your neck, keeping you in place.

  Suddenly, uncalled for, you were brought to your senses. You bit down at his lips, hard, pushing him away from you. He got back with a yell, a smirk finding its way on his lips.

  “Stop.” You said, the word sounding wrong as it came out from your mouth.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Is this why you brought me here? To do… This?” you asked, motioning between you and him with your hand.

  “You know that’s not the reason.” He told you, making you glare at him.

  “You have a funny way of showing it.” You retorted.

  Silence reigned over the room as both of you tried to read the other. Soon enough, you felt small under the weight of his gaze, shivers running up and down your back. You hugged yourself with your hands, looking away from him and he moved across the room, sinking on a chair behind the desk.

  With some distance laid between you, you started to feel better, breathing again and trying to put yourself together. His voice startled you when he said,

  “You look good. Was Archenland okay?”

  “Yes it was. Not quite like home, but it was okay. A little lonely I guess” you confided in him.

  He nodded at your words, taking them in.

  “Well everyone says I look like shit. So guess you’re thinking it too, just can’t really say it.” He snapped, as if what he was telling you was somehow your fault.

  “If you’re going to snap like that every time we talk, I don’t think this is going to work” you said, scolding him.

  You saw hurt flashing in his eyes, only to be removed by rage.

  “You think you can tell me what to do? How to act? You’re just a low life piece of shit, what do you know about anything?” he fired his blows at you.

  You stood tall before him as he screamed, breathing hard.

  “Go on then, let it out! Scream at me, as if it’ll make a difference! How gives a FUCK about what you’re saying to me? You think I care? Oh, my Prince just insulted me. You think I’m going to cry? Beg for your forgiveness? No. You forget it have somewhere to be. It’s you who’s pushed up against a wall with no one to turn to but me. So you’re going to play nice. Right, your Highness?” you asked sweetly, dropping the harsh tone you had throughout your talk.

  Only then you realized you had really pushed him back against the wall and his eyes were burning. You took a step back, wanting to put some distance between you once more. His hand found yours unexpectedly and you cursed at your heart for betraying you by skipping a beat.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry” he said, the rage in his voice replaced by remorse.

  “I’m sorry too, your Highness… I was out of line, I-” you were saying when he stopped you by cupping your face with his hand.

  “No, you’re perfect, just perfect” he said only for you to hear.

  Your foreheads were connected, your breathing coming out labored.

  “You’re engaged” you whispered, the disbelief evident in your voice.

  “I’m also getting death threats. I thought I might have to mention that before we proceed any further” he retorted.

  “Well that’s a buzzkill.” You tried to joke.

  You felt his smile rest like a badge of honor on your chest. You mirrored his expression, smiling up at him.

  “You think the others are thinking we’re killing each other in here?” you asked.

  “Right. The others” he said, as if the thought just occurred to him. “You know, when I’m with you it’s hard to think of anyone else.”

  You felt the heat rushing up your cheeks, which made you shake your head and untangle yourself from him. He sighed at the loss of contact, loud enough for you to hear. You leaned on the desk, looking at him from under your eyelashes.

  “Don’t look at me like that. It makes me want to kiss you even more” he stated matter-of-factly.

  He walked away from the wall he was pressed against, moving across the room to rest his hand on the doorknob. Before doing anything else, he turned to you, looking at you longingly, as if there were miles separating you.

  “You ready?” he asked.

  You gave him a small nod, which was his cue to open the door. He called for Jisung, who walked in the room only moments after.

  “Captain, it’s very good to have you here” he said as a greeting.

  “Not a Captain anymore Jisung. Just Y/N” you answered.

   “Just Y/N. That sounds nice” he smiled at you.

  “Get everyone here. We need to talk” Prince Minho announced, breaking your small moment.

   And talk you did. Minho sat you all down as you went around in circles, fleshing out the details of your plan. After several disagreements and hours of going back and forth, you finally settled to a decent plan.

  First, you’d drop the formalities. It was just another way to give yourselves away and you didn’t have the privilege to get caught. Second, you set up a schedule for watches and scouring the perimeter, exit plans and meeting points in case you had to scatter.

  Then, came the important part of the plan. If no one made a move for two fortnights, you’d use your connections to spread rumors that Minho fled the country to avoid his arranged marriage. Then, you’d allow for some time to pass, not really sure how long, and if nothing happened even then, everyone would be going home. Hopefully safe and sound.

  You still felt uneasy, the shadow of an enemy making the way you were making your plans feel fruitless. Your head was throbbing, making you feel even more moody as you retreated to your small room.

  Your last thoughts that night consisted of Minho and how it would come that you’d have to lay your life down for him.

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

  The first couple of days were spent by trying to find a rhythm to make everyone happy. In the mornings all of you would eat together from the stash that Jisung had managed to gather. Then, usually you and Hyunjin, occasionally Minho, would go out hunting for your dinner. You’d set up a pretty good field of traps, but still, you enjoyed going out, even if it was only for a little while.

  After catching some game, there were endless hours you’d fill in any way you could. You were the one to shoulder Jeongin’s training, as Minho was too preoccupied to do something about it. You sparred with him for a couple of hours at a time, molding him into a better soldier. You taught him some archery, but he was only now beginning and he had a long way to go. Hyunjin would sometimes watch, giving his own tips and helping, though not taking it as seriously.

  At night, you’d scour the perimeter around you, looking for any sign of someone spying on you. You’d also search for people coming your way, trying to be prepare for any change to your repeating patterns. Your sleep was peaceful after a long time, your nightmares thankfully stopping, which you attributed to knowing that, ultimately, you’d be the one to take Minho’s place.

  And so days passed as you played the waiting game. One day, you were sitting at the corridor that led to the Stone Table, gazing at the drawing of the four Pevensies who were waiting to take their thrones. Someone sat themselves next to you, snapping you away from your thoughts.

  “Hey” Jisung said, getting comfortable next to you.

  “Hey” you answered simply, your gaze meeting the former Kings and Queens again.

  Jisung seemed content with the silence as he followed your gaze.

  “Do you think they really existed?” Jisung asked abruptly.

  “What? Of course they existed” you answered, taken aback at the absurd question.

  “I don’t know. They sound too good to be true. Queen Susan especially.” He told you.

  “Why her?” you asked him.

  He took a few moments to think about it, probably trying to gather all the reasons why he felt that way.

  “I mean… She’s pretty and she’s nice, she doesn’t believe in ranks and treats everyone equally. She’s Queen next to her other brothers and sister but she’s not thirsty for power. She has a killer bow and arrow that never miss their mark but she’s not one for warfare. She is good at making peace negotiations, sensing what others what and immediately granting their wishes… Too much?” he said, questioning himself.

  You took a few seconds to absorb his words, your eyes meeting Queen Susan’s on the wall.

  “I mean… I see your point. But she’s Queen. Almost a Goddess. She’s supposed to be perfect” you said.

  Jisung hummed at your answer, taking your words in. You didn’t give him much time, your own thoughts running ahead of you.

  “But take Queen Lucy for example. I for one, have a hard time to believe she’s perfect. In a time where humans don’t exist in Narnia, she hangs out almost exclusively with satyrs. She is one of the first to jump in warfare, second only to King Peter. She looks down on her duties, training vigorously instead of helping the others rule. She’s strong- headed and bad at finding solutions. But hey, she’s strong and awesome and kicks ass so who cares, right?” you finished, turning to look at Jisung.

  You find him giving you and amused look, almost ready to crack up as he was listening to your words.

  “What’s so funny?” you ask him.

  “Oh, it’s just the correlations between you are clear as daylight to me” he confesses.

  You gasp a little, his answer not what you were expecting. You start to think about it better, think about yourself a little. And there it is; the truth is staring at you right at your face, and yet you were too blind to see it.

  “Jisung, do you think it was a bad choice for me to come here?” you ask, changing the subject.

  “No, Y/N, I don’t. I think we’d be lost without you. Most of all, I fear he wouldn’t bare it” he said.

  There was no need to specify who ‘he’ was. You both knew. And ‘he’ knew it as well.

  “Thanks, Jisung.” You said, patting the younger one’s knee before getting up. “I need to do my rounds for tonight. Tell Hyunjin I’m taking first watch too”

  You didn’t expect an answer, just turned on your heel and left. You let the wind hit you, enjoying it after being stuck inside for hours. You did your rounds, scouring the perimeter and thankfully finding nothing in sight. You went back, taking your place at the entrance of the cave, weapons in hand.

  You tried to entertain yourself by naming different herbs and sorting them alphabetically. Although you were lost in your thoughts, you didn’t miss the sound of footsteps coming from behind you. You listened carefully, trying to distinguish who it was, but to no avail.

  “Y/N” Minho called, making you shut your eyes tight before turning to face him.

  “What are you doing out here?” you asked as a greeting.

  Minho chuckled lightly while shaking his head. He sat down next to you without another word, even taking your hand in his in the process.

  “Minho, what…” you let your voice trail off, not sure what you wanted to ask in the first place.

  “Let me just sit here with you for a while. Just the two of us. We don’t even have to talk. Just let me sit here” he told you and you could see the urgency in his eyes.

  You nodded, fearing your words could fail you. You knew this wasn’t wise, the very person you were trying to protect, sitting out here in the open, readily available for anyone to see.

  But you sat there nonetheless, as Minho held your hand, painting odd shapes with his finger on the back of it. The sensation made you shiver, causing Minho to turn to look at you.

  “Are you cold?” he asked, pulling you into his arms without waiting for an answer.

  His body heat seeped through your body as you let yourself be held by him. The sensation felt almost new, as you had both changed so much since the last time he held you like this. You were surrounded by his scent, getting lost in it, all burnt matches and mint and Minho. You closed your eyes, turning your head to rest against his.

  You felt close to tears, wanting nothing more than to attach your lips to his, have him keep you close again and stars to explode behind your eyelids. But you couldn’t have that. You couldn’t have him.

  Or maybe you could. The words of the prophecy were still bouncing around in your head as you opened your eyes again to look at Minho.

  Minho, the Prince of Narnia. Minho, the boy you trained when he could barely hold a bow properly. Minho, the boy you fell for slowly, but realized only when you were in too deep. Minho, who kissed you senseless, until you melted in front of him, his, always his.

  The man before you was the same one you left that night years ago. And yet… he was different.

  “Sometimes it feels like I need to get to know you all over again. Is that crazy?” you ask him in a whisper.

  He traces his hand through your hair before answering, his other hand never leaving yours.

  “I don’t know. I think we all changed after the war. Some of us for the better, some for the worse. And yet, I’m still the same person, I still want the same things” he said, his eyes drifting to your lips with the last word.

  “I still want the same things too. Maybe some new ones, but still the same idea” you said.

  “Let’s hear the new ones then” Minho urged you on with a smile.

  “I want you to be safe, that’s never going to change. But I also want Cassie to be safe and I wish I could do them both at the same time. I want my parents to be happy. I want Prince Changbin not to touch me. I want to stay close with Hyunjin-” you were saying when he cut you off.

  “Changbin touched you?” Minho asked, the anger evident in his voice.

  “I shouldn’t have said that” you said, wishing for the little slip up to be forgotten.

  “I’m going to kill him. Did he really go after you like that?” he asked again.

  You continued looking down, not answering him. His heart was beating fast, you could feel it where your back was touching his chest. You tried to keep your cool, knowing that you could possibly add fuel to the fire with every word you said.

  “I need you to tell me. It can’t be worse that what I’m imagining right now” he pleaded, and the very last of your defenses broke.

  “He… Insinuated that I’m just coming here to give myself up to you. And that he’d like the same treatment once I go back.” You told him, feeling more embarrassed than you’d ever felt.

  You saw his expression change instantly, rage overtaking his features. You squeezed his hand, trying to offer the least level of comfort you possibly could.

  “Go get Hyunjin. You’re done with this watch.” Minho said curtly.

  “Minho, it’s barely been an hour-” you were saying, but he stopped you, pulling you both on your feet and shaking his head.

  “No. You’re coming with me. That’s an order. Go wake up Hyunjin” he said, pushing you lightly to the direction of your rooms.

  You did as he asked, knowing that he was in no state to talk reasonably right now. After waking up Hyunjin, who said he’ll be out in a minute, you went back outside where Minho was waiting for you. Without saying a word, his hand found yours again and he dragged you to his own room.

  The chamber they had chosen for him was visibly larger from yours. They had carried a full bed for him, which reigned at the center of the room. A chest was sitting at the one side of the room, while the other was decorated by Minho’s suit of armor.

  You had barely walked in when Minho spun you around, crashing his lips on yours. This kiss was as passionate, but less forceful than the one you had shared merely days ago. You whined into the kiss, feeling your heart crack open to reveal itself to him.

  You broke apart, stopping you both from getting to a place you couldn’t come back from.

  “Minho…” you started, letting your voice trail off as you both breathed heavily.

  “I know what you’re going to say. We shouldn’t be doing this, I’m engaged, it’s not right… I’ve heard all of that before, Y/N. You think I don’t know it? But we can’t help us. We never could. So what’s really the point of pretending?” he said, walking a bit away from you and running his fingers through his hair.

  “The fact is, we’re all waiting here for an assassin to show himself and try to kill me. I’ve even managed to gather all the people I care about outside of my family here, to face this threat with me. And it’s killing me. It’s tearing me apart every night you go out there, because I fear you won’t come back. And I don’t think I’ll be able to live with myself if that happens.” He finished.

  “Minho, we all came here willingly. I traveled across the country to come to you because I knew I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you and I wasn’t there to protect you. We all knew the risks and yet we all came. Not because it was the right thing to do, or our duty to our Prince. Because we love you. I love you” you told him, your voice faltering at the last words.

  He came to you at once, holding you by your neck and whispering I love you’s with every kiss. You didn’t realize you were crying until he kissed away your tears, never failing to make you love him even more than you already did.

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

  You woke up the next morning in a tangle of sheets, legs, arms and Minho. For the first time since you got there, he seemed peaceful, no knots on his forehead, his brows not furrowed together. He slept soundly next to you, his breathing even, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. Your eyes traced the line of his jaw, his closed eyelids, his nose, his full lips.  

  You placed a soft peck on his lips, trying to untangle yourself from him. Minho whined in his sleep, holding your hand and bringing you closer to him.

  “Stay” he whispered, his voice hoarse from sleep.

  “Jisung could walk in any minute. I have to go back” you whispered back.

  He groaned, burying his head in his pillow and then in the crook of your neck. He breathed in your scent and your hand instinctively patted at his hair. He smiled as he got back up to kiss you sweetly, making you smile yourself.

  “We’ll figure it out. I promise. Besides, everyone knows you’d only be able to resists my charm for so long” he joked and you playfully pushed his head back on his pillow.

  You were able to go back to your room, thankfully undetected by anyone else some time later. So on the days that followed, you and Minho used this pattern, and it worked. Everyone noticed you growing closer during the day, the static atmosphere around you having dispersed. They didn’t mention it however, brushing it off as you followed your duties and Minho followed his.

  Then, at night, after your watch ended, you’d shuffle into Minho’s room, where he was waiting for you. The words of the prophesy stayed in the back of your mind, but you couldn’t deny yourself these stolen moments of happiness. You kept your eyes open, yet you had difficulty suspecting any of your companions.

  Jisung was loyal to a fault, willing to give his very life for Minho if he had to. Hyunjin had gone to all the trouble to travel south to recruit you and besides, you knew he loved his country too much to betray it in any way.

  Then there was Jeongin. Jeongin was sweet and kind and willing to take up any task. He was doing well in his training, learning more every day. He was always smiling, spreading happiness over any room he entered. You knew that you should be suspecting him, and yet, in your heart you knew the boy wasn’t able to hurt much more than a fly.

  Weeks passed, and it was finally time to start spreading the rumors. Minho used every connection he had and made sure the rumors would be shared far and wide.

  “Another round of the waiting game.” You told Hyunjin bitterly.

  “Yeah… I know” he answered.

  “Is it me, or does it feel like we’re losing?” you asked.

  Hyunjin took a few moments, deliberating your question.

  “I think now is the time we need to stick together. Stay sharp. Don’t slack off. Anything could happen at any moment.” He said.

  You nodded at his words, turning to look over the Stone Table again. You sent Aslan a silent prayer to guide you, help you fulfill your destiny.

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

  It had been a few days since the rumors were out and you and Hyunjin had taken it upon yourselves to go hunting. Bow and arrow in hand, you scoured the woods for any decent game that could come by. You and Hyunjin both turned to look at each other when you heard voices not far from where you were standing.

  You nodded at each other, crouching down to get closer to the voices. You discovered a small clearing that had become the camp of some travelers. Five men sat down around a fire, conversing loudly. They were dressed plainly, but their weapons showed that they weren’t simple villagers. Hyunjin nudged your shoulder, pointing at one of the shields that was laying close to you. Archenland’s sigil.

  The dots started connecting themselves in your brain. “An enemy between his midst” didn’t mean someone in your company. It meant someone in the Prince’s circle. You knew you should’ve trusted your gut feeling when it came to Prince Changbin, now feeling even more disgusted at the thought of him. Your heart went out to Minho, who was always especially fond of the other Prince…

  You and Hyunjin made a few steps back, out of hearing distance. You both started talking at the same time, keeping your voices low. Hyunjin was the one to step down first, waving his hand for you to speak.

  “You need to go back. You’re faster than I am. You need to get Minho here” you told him.

  “Absolutely not. I’m not leaving you alone.” He retorted, shaking his head.

  “Hyunjin, you have to. I have to stop them if they try to move, maybe hear what they have to say. It has to be you” you tried to convince him.

  Hyunjin didn’t seemed convinced, but he knew that you were making a fair point. You linked your arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug.

  “I’ll be okay, I promise. Go.” You told him, turning him around and pushing him to the opposite direction.

  He broke into a run, turning around once to look at you. You braced yourself, going back to the clearing and concealing yourself the best you could. Eavesdropping on the men’s conversation, you weren’t surprised not to hear anything of importance.

  They were grumbling about one thing or the other, how long this job was taking, how their wives were not good enough for them. Once Prince Changbin’s name came up, you decided you needed to go even closer to get a better chance to listen.

  You were moving on all fours when you stepped on a dry leaf, making it crunch under your boot. You held your breath, hoping the bushes around you would conceal your body.

  You felt yourself being dragged by your shirt, as you let out a growl, demanding for them to put you down. They sent you flying to the ground and you felt your knees and hands meeting the ground harshly.

  “If it isn’t Y/N… Fancy seeing you around these parts” The voice you recognized as Captain Seungmin’s said.

  You met his eye, not saying anything, only piercing him with your stare. He scoffed, turning away from you and pointing to a man behind you.

  “You! Go back and bring the Prince. Tell him we’ve found the wench and she will lead us straight to Prince Minho.” He ordered and the man ran away with a smirk on his face.

  You cursed yourself, cursed your rush and your greed to hear more. You almost got up when two men grabbed you harshly from behind, tying your hands behind your back and making you stand in front of the Captain. You looked at the faces of the men and realized you knew none of them.

  “Assassins” the realization hit you.

  You stayed silent as Seungmin pestered you with questions, looking on to the trees around you.

  “You know Y/N, I can be very convincing.” He said, taking a dagger out of his belt and turning it around in his hands.

  You kept your silence, though visibly gulping hard.

  “The Prince said he wanted you alive… He didn’t mention in one piece” Seungmin whispered in your ear, placing the dagger on your wrist and applying just enough pressure to make you bleed.

  “I’ll never tell you where he is” you spoke up for the first time.

  Seungmin chuckled behind you, walking around to face you again.

  “I believe you, you know. That’s why I’m going to kill you. We can tell Prince Changbin it was an accident, that you fought too much, that it was your fault really.” He threatened you.

  You took a deep breath, hoping to ground yourself. You looked on, and you spotted movement from behind the trees. You kept your face neutral, trying not to show anything as you didn’t know if it was your salvation or your demise.

  Then a ray of sun caught at Jisung’s ash blonde hair and your heart skipped a beat. Seungmin was whispering in your ear again, telling you he was going to fuck you before he’d kill you and you almost laughed.

  “NOW!” you heard Minho’s voice, spurring you into action.

  Υour knee met with Seungmin’s groin and his stomach immediately after. You pushed him to the ground with your leg, your movements being restricted by the tight knot at your wrists.

  “Minho!” you shouted, trying to catch his attention.

  All hell had broken loose over the small camp, grunts being heard from everywhere as everyone was held up in combat. You tried to move towards Minho and he did the same, pushing his foe off of him and running towards you.

  “Minho you have to leave, Changbin’s coming and he-” you were saying as he was making quick work on the restraints at your wrists, when he started talking over you.

  “Changbin? What is he doing here? No matter, he can help us” he said but it was your turn to stop him.

 “No, no Minho he’s behind this” you tried to explain, shaking your head.

  Your movements were cut short, your words dying at your mouth as pain, seething pain started spreading from the place over your heart. You looked down to meet the head of an arrow slightly peeking out of your chest. Your feet gave out from under you, but luckily, Minho was there to catch you.

  He placed your body softly on the ground, warning you first before pulling the arrow from your back. You screamed at the pain, tears streaming down your face. Minho was shouting orders left right and center as you struggled to breathe next to him.

  With shaking hands, you caught him by the shirt, using all of your strength to pull him closer to you.

  “No, don’t talk, we’ll fix you right up” he consoled you.

  “It’s okay, Minho, it’s okay. I just wanted to see your face… Before I…” your voice trailed off.

  “I love you so much” you thought, as your breath hitched in your throat.

  Your hand dropped next to you, as your heart gave up in your chest.

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

   “MINHO” Jisung shouted, trying desperately to catch the Prince’s attention as more men walked in the small clearing.

  “Jisung, go!” Hyunjin said, pushing him out of the way and taking over the fight with his foe.

  Jisung did as he was bid, running to the Prince’s side. His heart ached at the sight of your still body, but pulling Minho away from you was a harder task than he had bargained for.

  “Minho, listen to me, you need to go, they’re coming!” Jisung tried to reason with him.

  “No.” Minho almost growled.

  “Minho…” Jisung tried again, but Minho pushed his hands off of his shoulders.

  “Get me Changbin” he growled, moving to his feet.

  “If you do this, she died for nothing!” Jisung screamed after him, still trying to hold him back.

  “So be it.” Minho muttered under his breath, brushing Jisung’s hand off of him.

  “Friend!” Changbin hollered from across the clearing as Minho bee lined to him.

  Minho waved his sword, meeting his friend’s unsheathed blade. With the rage cursing through his veins urging him on, he managed to disarm his opponent with a few clean hits, pushing him against a tree, his blade touching Changbin’s neck. The fight had brought them away from the clearing, giving them some kind of privacy.

  “Why?” Minho said, not recognizing his own voice.

  “Why? For power, of course. I have two older brothers, and they aren’t giving up the throne any time soon. But if you get out of the way, I can find my way into your little sister’s pants and on top of Narnia’s throne in no time” Changbin said, laughing.

  Minho pushed his sword further up Changbin’s neck, blood gushing through the wound he was inflicting on his friend.

  “You’re going to die for this” Minho threatened him.

  “Go on then. Kill me. My neck is right here” he said, baring his neck for the other man to hit.

  Minho hesitated for a few seconds, causing Changbin to laugh at him.

  “I knew you didn’t have it in you. Little Prince Minho, too late to show up in battle, too scared to fight, too-” he stopped mid-sentence as Minho dug his sword deep in his belly.

  “Or not” he said softly, spitting up blood, his cocky attitude forgotten.

  “Stay here. Die alone.” Minho spat at his old friend, grabbing the fallen one’s sword and going back to the clearing.

  “People of Archenland!” He called, the attention on him, making almost every movement cease.

  “Your Prince has died! Whatever generous offerings he had promised you after he assumed Narnia’s throne are no more. Go home, and we will not pursue you. Tell your King, his son’s body shall be buried in the grounds he wanted to soil. Go, now! Or you shall walk no further.” Minho finished, breathing heavily.

  The men scattered, leaderless, failing to meet even each other’s eyes. Minho didn’t spare them a second glance, walking around to Y/N’s lifeless body. Kneeling beside her, he took her cold hand in his, finding his heart breaking all over again.

 A scream shook through his body, echoing throughout the woods. Jisung’s comforting hand found his shoulder and Minho for once didn’t brush it off. He allowed himself to be comforted, for his chest felt like it was being tore open, the pain almost unbearable.

  Jisung’s hands were around him, rocking him softly back and forth. Soon enough, Hyunjin joined him, his tears landing on the ground under them and mixing with the blood that had poured out of Y/N’s wound. Jeongin shyly joined them after a while, sniffling now and again. Their grief rose as time passed, Minho continuing to scream when the pain got too much.

  No one was quite sure how much time had passed once they finally got back on their feet. Minho insisted they had to carry Changbin back too, but once they went to retrieve his body, he was nowhere to be found.

  “Assholes. I let them live and they-” Minho was raging, when Hyunjin’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

  “Let it go. Not now” he said, his voice hoarse.

  Minho nodded and they walked back to the clearing. Some more bodies were laid there, but Minho only saw hers.

  “It’s that one” Jeongin spoke up.

  “What?” Jisung asked him.

  “He killed her. With her own bow and arrow. I cut him down after I saw, just like she taught me, small but hard movements. I killed him” Jeongin said, horrified.

  He was pointing at an unknown man’s body. Hyunjin only recognized him as the unnamed Captain that he had found sitting with Y/N the day they met again. Minho was the first to move, approaching the younger boy, pulling him in his arms. Jeongin seemed stunned, but nevertheless hugged him back.

  “You did well. I’m proud of you” he told him.

  More tears stained Jeongin’s cheeks as he put his face in his hands. The Prince patted his head, trying to comfort. Moving next to her body, he hauled her up in his arms but he denied when the others offered to help.

  “This is something I have to do. Let’s go home” the Prince said.

  And then there were four. The others saddled the horses as Minho sat, mindlessly staring at Y/N’s lifeless form. Soon enough, they arrived back in Cair Paravel and Minho carried her body down to the crypts, were only former Kings and Queens were buried. The others followed closely, except for Jeongin, who went to recount the events of their adventure to the King and Queen.

  Somehow, the words of the prophesy became known to the people, whispered from mouth to mouth about the girl that was laid under Cair Paravel, who was the one thing the Prince loved most. The words reached Jisung’s ears, who heard them whispered in the kitchens one day. It wasn’t long after that the Prince himself heard them, realizing the sacrifice Y/N had made for him.

  At the crypts under Cair Paravel her body stayed, long enough for Minho and his wife’s bodies to join hers, after many prosperous years had passed. Satyrs made songs for her and nymphs used her name to name their children, keeping her memory alive. Every knight in Narnia called to her, the hero of their age, to send them wisdom and strength. And though she was long gone, her memory lived on.

[morrisuniverse]

The Chase (MC, Ieyasu mostly)

Fandom: Ikemen Sengoku

Featuring:  The Oda warlords x MC (Naoki), 

Synopsis: MC gets confronted with an assassin and nursed back to health my Ieyasu.

Disclaimer: All characters are the rightful property of Cybird and I do not claim them as my own. This is just for funzies. 

WARNINGS: angst, death

Also, I have not read Ieyasu’s storyline yet, I just like to imagine him as the medic... 

Wet footsteps running through the woods. The sound of my breath and heartbeat seemed to echo in my head as I ran. The rain was pouring down and not even the tree crowns made much of a cover. My body didn’t notice anyway, all I could think of was to get as far away as possible. I ran until I collapsed on the forest soil, out of breath and out of strength to carry on.

I looked around for followers but I couldn’t see any. I still couldn’t hear anything but my own heartbeat inside my chest so I crawled behind the nearest tree and put my back towards its trunk.  I leaned my head against its rough bark and closed my eyes to try and focus on sounds. Nothing. I focused on taking deep breaths. Nice and slow Naoki, nice and slow. But the monster lurking in the dark did not agree. Adrenalin was pumping through my body and the fear stabbed me in my chest and made my breath ragged. 

…..

What felt like moments ago I had been on horseback. I had felt free like a bird soaring through the sky only I was soaring through an open field. The wind blew in my hair and smelled of flowers and rain. I was happy. Then there was a sound of lightning and something hit me hard in the shoulder. I was knocked off my horse but managed to make a roll and landed flat on my tummy. My horse took off without me wildly whining.

From the edge of the forest I could see the dark silhouette of a man. As he walked closer I could see the rifle in his hand. I touched my shoulder. There was something wet and sticky coming from it but I couldn’t feel it. My brain did a mental note that I had been hit and probably should try to have some first aid done quite soon but for now my focus was on the man walking towards me. What did he want with me? Was he going to kill me? Why? 

He didn’t seem to bother to reload. Instead he drew a sword from his belt and held it towards me. 

“Oda princess! You will give me the pleasure of seeing the face of the warlords of Azuchi when I hold up your head in front of them. Finally I will avenge my family!” 

No thanks. I gathered my strength and stood up to meet him, drawing my katana. 

“Not if I take yours first!” I glared at him and took a stance. 

“So the rumors are true. Azuchi’s princess can fight.” He had a wicked smile on his face and his eyes narrowed. 

Never had I been more thankful for Mitsuhide and Masamunes training. It was like they stood behind me, their voices reminding me of the tactics. I felt calm and collected, just like people describe when put through accidents or life threatening situations. I faced my enemy and decided that this was not my day to die. I would show him that this Oda princess indeed was a force to be counted with.

It felt like forever. The sound of metal meeting metal. My own laboured breathing. Suddenly there was a mistake made and I used it. My sword ran straight through his chest and he gave up a small sigh before his body slumped to the ground. As he fell I let go of my sword and stared down at the lifeless body. I just killed someone. I stood there for what felt like hours until I heard voices screaming something from the forest. All the focus and calm I had felt during the battle fell off me with the raindrops running down my arms and body. I felt panic swell in my heart and throat and I ran the opposite direction from the sound. 

….

My hand moved towards my shoulder. It hurt now, a searing pain that spread out to my hand and fingers and back to my neck. It was slick with blood that had bled through the fabric of my kimono. I closed my eyes and imagined being back in Tokyo, in the office, designing clothes in a nice, warm room with aircondition and soft chairs. I felt surreal. Maybe it was all a dream? I mean, me, a princess in the Sengoku era, fighting with swords and riding horseback. Surrounded by seven awe striking warlords that adored me. Come on Naoki, does this sound like reality to you? Well, now it turned into a nightmare and it was time to wake up. 

I pinched myself, knocked my head back into the tree trunk, kicked with my feet and screamed. Nothing seemed to help with the waking up. I even thought of the genius plan to poke my wound. The pain almost made me faint but I was still here, in the woods with the rain pouring down around me. I started to feel hopelessness grow inside me and tears dimmed my sight. Within short I was sobbing and wailing in desperation. Was this the end for me? Here in some distant time in the muddy soil? 

My concerns about enemies following me were long forgotten when I suddenly realized there were people moving in the woods. I gasped for air and tried to swallow my tears but then I heard what the voices were calling. 

“Naoki! NAAOOKII!” 

I couldn’t even answer properly. Tears flooded my eyes and my throat only voiced a hoarse whining. I didn’t want them to see me like this. I forced myself up from my hidingplace and just as I did I saw Kuybei’s familiar face show up behind the trees. His eyes met mine and he ran towards me only to have me collapse into his arms.

“My lord! I’ve found her!”

…

When I opened my eyes again I was lying on my futon in my own room. A pair of big green eyes gave me a grim look. 

“You should sleep some more…”

“Ieyasu?” 

I felt his hand on my arm as I tried to move. 

“Lie still you idiot. You are far from healed.” There was worry in his voice.

“I’m sorry”

“You better be… riding so far off all by yourself and not telling anyone about it! You are lucky Mitsuhide found you when he did.”

I felt ashamed and looked away. Maybe it had been a bit reckless but sometimes you have to live a little as well. And it surely wasn’t my fault that some revenge mongering moron happened to strike at just that day. I felt anger grow within me, anger for the injustice of being the one to blame but I had no strength to show it, it was only my eyes that blazed.

Ieyasu cleaned up my wound. I must have fainted again from the pain cause when I opened my eyes the next time there was a neatly done bandage around my shoulder and arm. 

“Why are you so stubborn? I’m still not done here, you’d do better just to go back to sleep.”

I looked at him, my eyes still blazin from the anger within.

“Fine. Drink this and try to relax ok?” Ieyasu helped me raise my head a bit and held a cup of something warm next to my lips. It smelled strongly of herbs and it made my eyes sting a bit. I gave him a look, he just nodded at the cup and I decided it was best to follow the doctors orders. As I swallowed I could feel that warmth of the liquid spread to my body and with it a sense of relaxation. Ieyasu gently laid my head back on the pillow. 

“I’m going to see that you have no other wounds that need taking care of, okay.”

I felt how he carefully undressed me, wiping away the grime with a warm cloth, looking for wounds. His touch sent weird sparkles throughout my body. It must have something to do with the drink he gave me. I felt hot and a bit dizzy. As his hand moved up my thighs a light moan left my lips and I got a puzzled look from Ieyasu before he looked away. 

“It’s just the medicine talking…” mumbling, perhaps to himself while his cheeks turned adorable red. 

---

Just pretend she is a soldier. He told himself. Of course, if she was he wouldn't be doing the washing and aid of the small wounds but he didn’t want to leave her in the hands of anyone else. He needed to see for himself that she was safe and that he had done everything he could. He had seen small wounds fester and cause seemingly healthy men to die in front of him. It would not happen to her and it was his responsibility. 

It was with a medic’s eyes he undressed her legs and started cleaning them. Removing the grime and dirt and making sure nothing was left to infect the abrasions. Her skin was so soft. For a moment he lost himself in the feeling, that’s when he heard a sound leave her lips. He woke up from his thought only to realize… he blushed and looked away. You are the medic Ieyasu. Focus! He covered her legs with blankets to keep her warm, then he took a deep breath. He needed to check for wounds on her upper body too. Just pretend she is a soldier… 

He took a new cloth and wringed out the water over the steaming bowl. Slowly he started with her hand and healthy arm. Finding a few scratches he carefully applied salve to them before continuing to her shoulders, neck and her chest. She was so beautiful, so small yet so strong. There were marks on her body where she had been hit by the sword, bruises and cuts. He felt anger towards the man who had done this to her lovely body but she had already avenged herself. He was still as astonished as when Mitsuhide had told him. That they’d found her sword deep impaled into the thug’s chest. A bit of him wondered how she was going to handle her first kill. But she was strong, their princess, both in body and mind. She would find a way, like they all had, and they would be there for her.

[babieyangyang10]

violent ends (chapter 5)

(chapter 5)

series masterlist

genre: hunger games!au

pairings: huang renjun x oc, na jaemin x oc

warnings: language, violent deaths, fighting, angst, fluff, + possible nsfw.

previous | next

Lee Athena’s POV

"In two weeks, twenty-three of you will be dead. Only one of you will be alive. Who that is depends on who pays attention over the next four days, particularly to what I'm about to say." The Capitol trainer, Atala, glances over all of the 24 tributes to make sure we're paying attention.

"First, no fighting with the other tributes. You'll have plenty of time for that in the arena. There are four compulsory exercises, the rest are individual training. My advice is: don't ignore the survival skills. Most everybody wants to grab a sword, but most of you will die from natural causes. Ten percent from infection, twenty percent from dehydration. Exposure can kill just as quickly as a knife."

Once she finished, we all separated into our own stations. Listening to Taeyong's advice, I decided to concentrate on the survival skills, instead of the combat. As a result, I start with the knot-tying station, where there is no one else.

"Welcome, you two." The trainer says. I turn to see Na Jaemin standing behind me. The man teaches the two of us how to build a trap that will end up dangling a person in a tree by their leg. After the trainer leaves us alone to work on perfecting it by ourselves, I notice Jaemin struggling with his.

"Here, try this knot, it will hold up better." I demonstrated on mine how to do a correct Poacher's Knot. After copying me, he managed to get a perfect leg snare.

Once we finished, Jaemin turns to me and asks, "Where are we going now, boss?" He's smiling a boyish smile, while slightly tilting his head.

I looked around the busy stations, then answered with, "I guess I'm going to camouflage."

"Lead the way, boss." He saluted me.

At the camouflage station, we practiced using both mud and berries to imitate nature. As we're painting, I look up to see around twenty people watching us from above. Even now and then, they would glance at either myself or another tribute and scribble down unknown words in a notebook. However, mostly they seemed to be either eating or talking to each other.

Jaemin followed my gaze and explained, "Those people in the purple coats are the Gamemakers this year."

I furrowed my brow and huffed, "I wonder what they're writing about in their little books."

"Probably about how that one Lee Athena from District 2 is so stunningly beautiful." He swiftly flirts.

"Oh please, this little act you used to win all the Capitol over isn't going to work on me." I laugh, actually calling him out on his shit.

Jaemin blinks, "I'm shocked you even think that it's an act. But if it was, would you say it's working?"

I took a deep breath.

"Jaemin. What are you doing?"

He feigns innocence, "I don't know. What am I doing?"

"You know what I'm talking about. This.” I gesture to him, “The whole following around like a lost puppy act. I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were." He says, softly.

"Jaemin, do you really think that this is the time to start becoming buddy-buddy? We both know we're here to kill each-other." I blankly stated.

He makes the space between us smaller in size. Playing with a strand of my hair, the boy asks, "And what's wrong with trying to try to win the heart of a pretty girl?”

I step farther away from him, "Jaemin, I know you're playing a character. You really don't have to play dumb with me. There's no cameras around here. Tell me what your really trying to do. You're trying to get something from me, aren’t you?"

Stepping back, he looked around to see if there were any cameras or people who could hear us.

"Well fine, since you want me to be completely honest. I want to work out a proposition with you." Jaemin openly confesses.

I knew it.

"Okay, fine. Let's talk business." I say, begrudgingly.

"Well,” He pauses, “I'm sure you're aware we both have gotten at lot of positive attention, recently."

"Sure, Prince of Panem." I agree, mockingly.

He’s now very serious, "Precisely. You should also know exactly what the people want and are expecting from the two of us. Since my whole game is based on winning the hearts of the people, there is something that has to happen."

"And what is that?"

"How beautifully tragic would it be if the Panem's Prince and Golden Girl fell madly in love right before their presumed and untimely deaths?" Jaemin suggests, dramatically.

My eyes narrow, "Devastating. Now, what can I get from out of this."

"Well to start, all the sponsors you could imagine; as well as an ally to protect you. You know you're going to be the first one the Careers go after, right? Play the part of a little princess all you want, they know you're trained just like them. If you are alone, who's going to keep them from stabbing you while you're sleeping?"

"And how do I know you're not going to kill me in my sleep?"

"I need you,” It almost gives me chills the way he answered with no hesitation.“You know so much more about plants and hunting than I do. You know, once I step into the arena, I can't have any weaknesses."

Of course he would say that. As far as the Capitol knows, Panem’s little Prince is absolutely perfect.

I smirk, “Sounds fair. I think you have yourself a deal. Now, what exactly is your plan to kick-start our little romance?"

Huang Renjun's POV

It didn't take long for Lee Jeno and Lee Donghyuck of District 1 to introduce themselves to me.

They were just as I expected. You name it: archery, knife-throwing, hand-to-hand, it doesn’t matter. They’re both good at it all.

One thing about Careers is that we have always had the same reputation. We share the same arrogance and superiority complex. Doesn’t matter if it’s District one or two, it’s all the same.

I guess that’s why the Careers usually all stick together every year as a group. Getting rid of the pesky little flies together until the end, when we turn on each other. I know Jeno and Haechan will do exactly the same thing as them. In fact, I’m expecting it. I guess we’ll see who gets the other first, won’t we?

“You know we have to kill that girl from your district as soon as possible. You okay with that?” Jeno waits to see my reaction.

I knew exactly why they were asking me this. They were testing me. Would I be the one to help them up to the top or slow the two of them down?

Lee Athena has always been the one exception. I find myself questioning if she was always meant to be picked off like the rest of them or supposed to be one of us: a true Career. All day I have been looking across the gymnasium, seeing her and Na Jaemin basically all over each-other. Noticing them talking in a hushed whisper or him constantly finding ways to touch her. How, she’s throwing away her life for this boy. This distraction, who’ll only make her weak and destroy her. Now, more than ever, it was obvious and so very clear to me.

Lee Athena is one of the flies.

“I have no problem with it,” I stare at him, directly in the eyes, “In fact, I’ll do it myself.”

[lovewillthaw-j]

Forest of Shadows review

I finally read FoS, because my recent post on the “Secret Room” led me to search FoS and I also had some time on hand. I’m writing this post to share my views and invite conversations. Spoilers ahead! Also; I have not read any other full reviews of FoS. This is also the first Frozen-related official fiction I have read other than the Dark Horse comic True Treasure. Long post ahead.

Background: Ever since joining the fandom, I have seen mentions of FoS by other bloggers and get the general feeling that it’s a great book; thus I had high expectations of FoS. I had obtained the book in early February, read the first chapter and found it interesting. Didn’t have time to finish the book till now. Unfortunately, to be honest and true to myself, I did not like it.

The Good: I give credit to the author for 1) Exciting writing, it is truly quite a page turner, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a day, reading into the night way past my usual bedtime. 2) A complex plot that did not feel drawn out for the sake of filling pages 3) Focusing on the sisters throughout and the climax being about their love for each other 4) The new characters do not take too much focus away from the sisters 5) Countless F2 references such as the scarf, Iduna singing the lullaby and cuddling both children, mention of a Dark Sea on the map, mention of Runeard and the Northuldra. 

The Bad: I will touch on 6 areas (with some unavoidable overlap): 1) The premise 2) Anna’s characterisation 3) The Nattmara 4) Aren and Revolute sword 5) Myth vs Reality 6) Plot holes. Spoilers ahead!

1) In this story, Elsa is 24 and Anna is 21 - 3 years post Frozen 1 and in the same year as F2. The premise of the story is that Elsa is fearful of being a bad queen, and Anna is insecure about how Elsa feels about her. Elsa is also about to leave, without Anna, on a world tour on a ship. Elsa has planned for Anna to be the “keeper of the kingdom” while she is away but for some reason, has not told Anna, even up till 3 days before the voyage. The Blight starts and Elsa feels powerless, amplifying her fear, which brings on the wolf form of the Nattmara. Anna, who is insecure for almost the whole story, gets freed from her insecurity when it is revealed to her that Elsa intended for Anna to be the “keeper of the kingdom” all along. And then, Anna figures out the Nattmara is Elsa’s nightmare (and not Anna’s) and in the climax, uses “true love” to free Elsa and the whole kingdom. I feel that the entire premise of this story is thin and very OOC for the sisters, at least in my headcanon. 

It is illogical to me that after 3 years of rule, Elsa feels fearful of being a bad queen. Surely she would have feared she would be a bad queen for the entire time since Agnarr died 6 years ago? Why now? Why would she feel this way 3 years after the great thaw and when she has Anna by her side? It is illogical to me that Elsa wouldn’t bring Anna on the world tour, and illogical that she would make Anna the keeper of the kingdom but not tell her about it or even give her some preparation and instructions, up till 3 days before the voyage. In the library, the sisters spent a whole afternoon together reading books and they couldn’t find the time to talk to each other? 

Regarding the climax, I acknowledge that the author found a clever word play with “Revolute” being an anagram of “True Love”. But, using an act of “True love” to save the day felt stale and rehashed from F1, as if Anna’s act of true love in F1 was insignificant. I was sorely disappointed when I reached the climax.

2) I was very irritated with how Anna was characterised in this story as it clashes with my headcanon of how 21 year old post F1 pre F2 Anna should be. The author decided that “Anna is really, really, REALLY insecure” and bombarded us with reminders every few sentences about it. For example, when the sisters talked to SoYun, Elsa told SoYun “you did the right thing coming to me” and Anna felt insecure that Elsa had not said “us”. When Anna suggested to send Kristoff to look for the trolls, Elsa hesitated and Anna felt insecure that Elsa did not seem to like Anna’s idea. When Anna discovers the secret room, she is reminded of how she was always “the last to know” as a child. When Elsa talked to Gerda, Anna “would have been even happier if Elsa had told Gerda that Anna had found something important”. Anna also has a nightmare that there is another “Anna” that Elsa and Kristoff interact with, while she, the real Anna watches from outside. Why is Anna so insecure 3 years post F1 when she knows that Elsa’s love for her is so great that Elsa would willingly lock herself away from her? The book also tells us that Anna felt that she needed to “prove her worth” to Elsa, and this led to Anna becoming fixated on fixing the Blight, to earn Elsa’s approval and to bring her on the boat trip. To me, Anna giving up her life for Elsa in F1 has “proved her worth” for all time!! The author also took pains to bombard us with reminders of how ditzy and clumsy and awkward Anna is eg always waking up late, walking into the great hall in her nightgown, interrupting Elsa and embarrassing Elsa in front of the people, running off with Revolute sword with no plan. This is not what I headcanon 21 year old post-F1 Anna to be. She might be awkward, yes, but not to this level.

Anna also did a couple of immature things. 2 big examples: Elsa held a meeting in her bedroom and Anna wasn’t invited, but Anna could hear that the meeting was going on (outside the door) and was upset and fled to her room. I would have expected Anna to knock on the door and go in and be helpful, after all, she is the royal princess and Elsa’s confidante. Anna’s belief in the spell that grants dreams is also rather immature, as a 21 year old adult I would have expected her to know better. 

I also expected Anna to sleep in Elsa’s bed every night to be there for her, especially when Elsa has been troubled by events (think about F2). Since when does Anna put anything, including her own insecurity over her love for Elsa? but no, upon finding Elsa’s bedroom empty, she goes back to sleep in her own room, and Elsa also didn’t come over to look for Anna. Why couldn’t the sisters just TALK to each other?? At the end of F1 they couldn’t stop touching each other, holding hands, hugging each other, making up for lost time.In summary:

I just cannot see my darling Anna as this person, sorry! 

Yes she could have been like this before F1, but not after her epic F1 journey to save Elsa and not after 3 years with Elsa by her side. 

3) The Nattmara. I have trouble with the Nattmara’s existence. As mentioned above, Elsa should have been fearful of being a bad queen 6 years ago - Nattmara should have appeared way earlier, why now? 

The powers of the Nattmara were also ill defined. First, it was a sickness on animals and crops. Then it became a literal, physical wolf with capabilities to inflict real physical harm. Then, it also gained the ability to scare humans (not as a wolf, but as some unseen, spiritual force) but additionally, turn humans into zombies (Kai and Gerda, while half-awake, were able to hold weapons against Anna) Next, the Nattmara gained the ability to turn into black sand, reform into a wolf, and turn back into black sand effortlessly. IIRC, the Nattmara only demonstrated the ability to turn into black sand after they read about it in Sorenson’s book, and then it started to use this power extensively. But even more confusing, when they were leaving the Huldrefolk and rushing back to Arendelle, they met up with Sorenson who was “possessed” by the Nattmara but didn’t have the yellow eyes and was able to speak normally and deceive the main characters about a magical water source. And after that, “possessed-Sorenson” (an old man) gained the physical ability to take on Kristoff in a fight. 

I feel that the author twisted the powers and capabilities of the Nattmara to keep the reader on the edge. (doesn’t everybody like zombies) I’m not sure if the Nattmara is just darkness or does it have a mind of its own? And every normal person has nightmares and fears, why hasn’t Nattmara appeared before? In chapter 9, it is stated that “Anna had dreamed of the wolf her entire childhood” - what is the explanation for that from a Nattmara perspective?

4) Aren and the Revolute sword are confusing as the author first introduces it as a myth (a sword that can create an actual, geographical fjord miles wide, is a myth) and the sisters acknowledge that it is only a tale. Sorenson debunks Aren and Revolute. Inexplicably, after Sorenson debunks it, Anna immediately says “So we need Revolute!”, showing that she now believes that there is a real Aren and a real sword, and this leads them to look for the Huldrefolk because “the Huldrefolk always find that which is lost”. To put it another way, a group of adults decided to enter dangerous, abandoned mines, based on the thinnest of suggestions that a mythical sword exists and a magical people that may not exist, somehow have it. Their quest to find the sword then leads them back to the tumulus, which they now believe is Aren’s. After some difficulty, they actually find a physical sword named Revolute, but my question is, do the sisters believe this is a real, normal sword owned by a normal human warrior called Aren or do they now believe they have found the mythical, fjord carving sword? They then try to use a physical sword against a mythical creature - doesn’t that contradict the “myth to destroy a myth” bit? 

Nattmara destroys the sword, and eventually the “myth to destroy a myth” is revealed to be True Love, which happens to be the anagram of “Revolute”. Clever, but too convenient! What does the sword have to do with true love? Couldn’t Anna have figured out that the answer was true love by another way? 

Historically speaking, warriors would be buried with their swords next to them or laid on their bodies with their arms crossed over the sword, so why is the sword found in the ship’s dragon mouth? And, the book said that the tumulus may be thousands of years old, how can a sword that old not have rusted and disintegrated by now?

Additionally, the Earth giant’s passage starts from the castle and passes the tumulus of Aren; Iduna knew the existence of the passage because she wrote about it in her book, so why wouldn’t any other king, Agnarr included, have examined/exhumed the tumulus and made it a museum, or store the artifacts in a museum, and research to see whose tomb it was? These are the 1800s after all, archaelogy had already begun post-renaissance.

5) As an extension of point 4, the treatment of myth/magic and reality is confusing. The story starts off on the premise that aside from Elsa’s magic and the rock trolls, we are in the real world dealing with real botanical and animal farming issues. Sorenson is introduced by Oaken as a “mystic” but in person, Sorenson is actually a scientist (reminds you of Varian from RTA/ TTS). Sorenson makes an excellent speech debunking the Nattmara, Huldrefolk and Aren and Revolute. When I got to this point in the book, I thought, that’s an absolutely correct 21st century mythbuster/human psychology explanation of nightmares and magical creatures and other unexplained phenomena. The book that he is holding is even called “Psychologia”. I was expecting that there would be a real world, logical explanation for the wolf and the Blight and Kai and Gerda going mad (Zootopia and the “night howlers” serum causing savageness comes to mind) However, the author then throws this away and the Nattmara is shown to be a real magic force, the Huldrefolk are shown to be real, Aren and his sword are actually real. Sorenson is the one who said “you can only defeat a myth with a thing of myth” but in the same breath says that all of these don’t truly exist; Yet, the rest of the story rests on defeating Nattmara with a thing of myth. 

 If the author had intended to portray this as a magical world and Sorenson as the “skeptic”, she didn’t write it clearly enough; or she shouldn’t have inserted so many sentences on debunking to maintain the suspension of disbelief. 

6) Plot holes: Why is Elsa the only one who can deal with mundane problems like cracks in chimneys and animal illnesses? Hasn’t she heard of delegation?

Why isn’t Elsa interested in the contents of the secret room, as an educated adult and ruler? She took one look at the portrait of Aren, thought about “great leaders”, felt consumed by fear that she isn’t one, and decided that she will shut the secret room and inexplicably says “mother and father intended for it to be hidden, so it should stay hidden”. A great leader would read extensively and do research and build on what your forebears have done; here is a treasure trove of work done by her parents, the previous rulers.

If Elsa could make the massive snow bear, Bjorn, then why didn’t she make an army of snow bears to fight possessed-Sorenson? Instead she left Kristoff to face him alone?

When Elsa was consumed by the black sand and Anna ran towards her, it is clearly written that Elsa attacked Anna with the black sand, but in the next chapter Anna is still Anna and not zombified.  

==

Wow, I have really written a lot. I guess I was really invested in the story, but my disappointment at the ending and the overall premise is too great. I really wanted to like this story. I don’t mean to start any wars, I hope I haven’t offended anybody and I’m willing to consider other perspectives. Please talk to me in the comments! Thanks for reading if you reached here!

[munchyn]

Pragma or  Philia

Summary: I can’t remember and I’m too lazy to re-read it. I think Y/n has trouble opening up to people and then something happens between her and Nico

Word count: nearly 2k

A/N: Sorry in advance of I don't get the personalities of the characters right. It's been a while since I read the books. The characters do not belong to me and neither does the story. They belong to Rick Riordan and you belong to you. I'm sorry if it's kinda weird. It's okay if you cringe (I cringed as I wrote it). Also, Pragma is longstanding love in Ancient Greek and philia is deep friendship in Ancient Greek.

Warning: none that I remember.

I looked over at my brother, Percy, as he trotted towards me. I started speed walking away. I knew he wanted to introduce me to his friends. But my anti-social ass always told him that I already had enough friends. Which was half true. Half true because I already did have enough friends. Half lie because I didn't have any friends,

I started to jog when I felt that my half-brother was gaining up on me. Soon, I was sprinting across camp to get away from Percy. Other campers watched in amusement as the two children of Poseidon chased each other. Well, for them the one child of Poseidon. As they surely didn't know who I was. There were only a few people who I had actually talked to. Those people were Percy, Chiron, Annabeth, Connor & Travis Stoll, Nico di Angelo and Jen, the satyr that had brought me to Camp Half-Blood over six years ago.

I had been in camp longer than Percy had. For most of my life here, I had slept in the Hermes cabin and lived there with the Stolls. No, they weren't my friends. Like I said before, I have no friends. They are more like allies or partners in crime. But anyway, I wasn't claimed until one year after Percy had arrived.

On one hand, I was glad I didn't have to sleep in a cabin crowded with thieves every night. On the other hand, I felt left out. Why hadn't my father noticed me until after two of his sons arrived at the camp? One of them being a cyclops. Was I not enough to be noticed? I mean, for more than half of my life I spent it on praying to Olympus for one of the gods to claim me. And then, after a lunatic with a sword comes along is when I finally get noticed. That lunatic had no idea what he was doing half of the time by the way. But he saved the world twice so I guess that makes up for it.

I held no grudge against Percy or Tyson though. What was the point? They didn't have the fault and besides, what was done was done.

"Y/n!" Percy panted as he grabbed my arm, stopping me and my thoughts. "Stop! I want to introduce you to my friends."

"That's exactly what I've been avoiding Percy," I say as I squirm out of his grip. "I also have enough friends as it is."

"You don't have any friends," he says bluntly. 'Wow,' I think to myself. 'So nice.'

"That's the point."

"Whatever," he says and grabs my hand. "You are going to meet my friends." I groaned and rolled my eyes.

"You can be so annoying sometimes," I say, but Percy ignored me and continued to drag me to the Poseidon cabin. He slammed open the door and seven faces turned to look at us. Between them, I recognized Annabeth, Nico and a girl that Annabeth seemed to hang out with a lot. Although I did not know her name. Percy sat me down on one of the bunks. He later sat down next to Annabeth on the bunk opposite mine. The others were already sitting down. I was sat down. I was next to Nico, who had a look that read he was sorry for me. I gave him the same look.

Nico was the closest thing I have to a friend. We used to have talks together about how the camp could improve and how the gods always sent demigods into their fights. In fact, it was our very first conversation together.

I leaned back against the wall as Percy introduced me to the group. I put on my annoyed face, but on the inside, I felt touched that Percy really cared for me enough to take his time to gather up people for me to meet them. As soon as he found out that I was his sister he tried to break down the walls that I had created around me. But so far the only person that had managed to do that was the person that was sitting next to me.

"How come I've never seen you around then?" asked the Latino boy next to the girl whose name I learned was Piper. I shrugged.

"I tend to keep to myself," I say. "I don't think you should be asking that question. I don't see you that much around camp either."

The boy blushed a deep crimson and I saw a bit of his hair go on fire before it went out. I huffed out a laugh. 'Okay,' I think. 'He has pyrokinesis.'

There was silence in the room and the tension was so thick you could've cut it with a knife. Percy must have noticed this and coughed to catch everyone's attention. "How 'bout we play some game?" he says. "Any suggestions Piper?"

Piper sighed. "Do I really need to say it? I think you already know what I'm going to say."

Percy had a confused look on his face as he said, "Seven minutes in heaven?"

Piper, who had already stood up to the center of the room whacked him on the back of the head. "No you dumb ass," she says. "Don't make me any more of an Aphrodite child than I have to."

I smirked. 'I like her.'

"I think you might just be the only person that I actually like in this room, Piper," I laugh out. I heard Nico making a choking noise next to me. I wondered but left it for later. Percy, meanwhile, looked at me with a hurt look. "Oh don't be a baby Percy. You'll always be my brother, I have to love you."

Annabeth smiled and Piper sat down on the floor. "Nice to know Y/n," she says. "It's also a refreshing sight to see Percy the one being sassed so thank you."

"It's no problem," I say. "If you want any more refreshing sights you should hang out with us at the Poseidon table during lunch."

"Could we just move on with what we were previously doing?" asks Percy, looking between me and Piper with a desperate look.

"Well, I was going to say we should play truth or dare."

I jumped off of the bed. "Truth or Dare!?!! This is my jam!" Nico looked at me weirdly. Probably because of my change in attitude around him. I was usually more like him, now I was showing my more Percy-like self. I moved to sit in front of Piper.

"Since you're so excited, Y/n, why don't you go first?" says Leo. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," I say.

[Time Skip. I'm sorry.]

We had played a few rounds of Truth or Dare. At the moment, Percy was dressed up as Ariel (which he didn't mind), Leo had red war paint and Jason was wearing a pink princess dress. Nico's face, unfortunately, had been decorated with makeup and glitter by Hazel.

"Y/n," says Piper and I looked at her. "Truth or Dare?"

"You already know my answer Piper," I say and she smirks.

"I dare you to kiss the person to your left," she says and my heart drops. I look over to my left and see that Leo's face was flushing a deep red. Judging from the heat I felt in my cheeks mine was probably in the same condition. He turns to look at me and we both lean in. Our lips met in a kiss. It wasn't just a peck, but it wasn't a full-on makeout session. We both pulled apart and I looked down at the ground in embarrassment.

I didn't dare to look at anyone. Especially Nico. 'Darn it,' I curse to myself. 'Why couldn't Piper have said "to your right"?' Yep that's right. I had a crush on the Ghost King. On the only person that managed to break down my walls. 

I was still looking down when Nico finally decided to stand and leave. I looked up just in time to see the door slam shut. 

"Nico!" I called out for my only friend. I stood up and headed outside to look for Nico. I looked around to see if I could find him. After about ten seconds I saw him going to the forest, and even from here, anger radiated off of him. "Nico, wait!"

I chase after him but he seemed to walk faster when he heard my voice. 'Now I know how  Percy falt about a half hour ago.' I started to run as to not lose him from sight. I nearly crashed into him when he stopped all of a sudden.

"Why don't you just go and play Truth or Dare with Leo," he said as he gestured to the cluster of cabins behind me. 'Wait, did he say Leo?'

"Nico, I wasn't playing Truth or Dare with just Leo," I say and he mumbles something under his breath. "What?"

"I said that it looked like it," Nico rolled his eyes and continued walking into the forest. But he didn't go very far after I grabbed his arm. I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to read his poker face. Then I realized what was going on.

"Are you jealous of Leo?" I ask and Nico looks down. I burst out laughing and Nico goes even more red in the face. I wipe away a tear from my eye. "You are jealous of a guy I just met literally less than an hour ago. Oh, my gods." I catch my breath and Nico looks at me with a grumpy pout. I pinch his cheek. "You are actually really cute when you're jealous." 

I give him a peck on the lips and he blushes fifty different shades of red. My eyes widen as I just realized what I had done. "I'm so sorry Nico," I say as a fidget with the hem of my shirt. "You probably don't even like me."

Before I could say anything else he cupped my face in his hands and placed a soft kiss. I slowly kissed back and hugged him once he pulled away. "I really like you Y/n," he says into my hair.

"I really like you too, Nico," I say and peck his nose. There was a moment of silence. "I'm guessing this is the part where you ask me out?"

"Well, I was thinking more about asking you to be my girlfriend-"

"Yes," I said interrupting him. "I'll be your girlfriend." He grinned his grip around my waist got stronger. "Should we go and share the news?"

Nico paused to pretend he was thinking, "Nah," he says after a while. "They've been trying to get us together for the past year. Let them suffer."

[theimpossiblescheme]

A Very Palpable Hit

That long thread with @nonchalantdanger about Roxanne’s skill with a sword and where it could possibly come from finally made me decide to dip my pen (or my keyboard, rather) back into the tiny, but dedicated fandom of Cyrano de Bergerac.  Writing these characters is still quite a challenge, but quite a fun challenge, I think, and this was a fun kinda-sorta prompt to do.  I hope I did them justice, and I hope everyone enjoys this little piece!

Roxanne was pacing frantically to and fro in front of the fireplace in her villa, casting a long pink shadow across the red flames as she turned across the carpet so vigorously she might strikes flames behind her own feet and wear a hole in it.  Cyrano had grown restless just looking at her and was now standing behind the chair he’d been previously sitting in, arms folded over the back and chin propped pensively on his hands as he watched.  All of the Robin family maids, including her Duenna, had been sent away for the evening—it was only the two of them.  And the anxiety in the air could have been cut with a knife.

“I mean, I know it’s considered some sort of—of romantic custom for a man to fight for the honor of his lady love, but we are hardly living in the dark ages anymore, are we?” Roxanne was saying on her fourth lap back and forth, wringing her twisted hands demonstratively as she spoke.  “And besides, I would hardly call it romantic.  No, I would call it barbaric—I mean, at what point does it become less about the lady in question and more about some—some pompous popinjay proving his ego is larger than his opponent’s?  It seems ridiculous that the other preciuses allow themselves as prizes to be one in such a monstrous game, and I refuse to be the reason some poor feckless idiot gets skewered like a prize goose or a bunch of innocent bystanders are slashed to ribbons… I know it’s hardly ladylike, but I say it’s hardly manly to act so childishly on a lady’s behalf…”

“What exactly are you proposing?” Cyrano cut in as gently as he could.  The poor girl was working herself into a sweat, and she hadn’t even come to her point yet.

Stopping in her tracks, Roxanne turned to face him, fully silhouetted in front of the fire… beautiful and terrible, like a vision of Beatrice in the Inferno.   “I propose… no, I demand that you teach me everything you know about swordplay. I do not wish to debut into society a defenseless woman.”

Cyrano was taken aback… and it occurred to him in the same moment that maybe he shouldn’t be.  The girl who had been Roxanne—Madeleine, actually, once upon a time—had always been spirited, proud, and independent.  But she was also fearful, hiding behind him at the first sight of bullies.  Timid and shy at the idea of anything beyond those wide, empty Gascony fields.  Now here she was in the city.  Now here she was… unafraid.  Bold.  Determined to make her way with grace and, dare he say it, panache.

Now she was a woman. He’d known that before, he supposed, and not been nearly so surprised.  But not until now had his heart fluttered so in his chest at the thought.

But he quickly hid it under a smile—not a mocking one, but an understanding one—as he straightened. “So this is your solution.  Not content with the role of Guinevere, you instead intend to fashion yourself as Joan of Arc, a one-woman divine army against these… boastful infidels.”  Painting the image in the air before him with his hands, he wandered forward closer to Roxanne.  “Does that not seem a bit extreme, though?”

“Well, you’ve said so yourself, there are things one does well to carry to extremes!  Besides… you…”  She rushed forward and seemed less divine, but more human as she squeezed his hands pleadingly.  “You have made yourself a hero.  The finest swordsman in your regiment, everyone says so.  And even before then… you were the hero of my childhood.  My knight of the riverbanks.  If I were to ask anyone, it would be you and only you.” She gave his hands another tight squeeze.  “Will you?”

The words dried in his mouth for a moment, but he managed to find them again.  “How could I possibly refuse?”  Cyrano gave her hands a gentle squeeze in return and was relieved to find his own still dry.  “My princess turned page of the corn-silk hair.”  He said it with a joking air, but there was a tender sincerity lingering underneath.

And Roxanne’s face lit up with a smile of her own.  “Oh, thank you!”  She leaned up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.  “You won’t regret it I promise… oh, I shall need a sword.”

“Here, take mine.” Cyrano unsheathed his rapier and handed it to her before laying his scabbard on a nearby table and reaching for one of the Duenna’s walking sticks from a small rack beside the front door. “This is a bit heavier, but it shall suffice.  But let us take this outside—no use in skewering any innocent inanimate bystanders.” The maids might collectively pin him to the wall like a butterfly if they damaged any of the family’s valuables. Opening the door, he bowed her outside before following into the front yard.  Fortunately for them, there was a gorgeous full moon out tonight, and there was still enough light from the nearby streetlamps to see in case of sudden clouds.  He hung his cloak on the rose trellis and tested the walking stick a bit, weighing it in his hand as he tried a few lunges and basic maneuvers.  Not exactly the finest Italian steel, but it would work just fine.  This wasn’t exactly going to be the sort of rigorous training the cadets went through—with any luck, the worst Roxanne would have to do was smack away an errant hand.

A little ways behind him, Roxanne was doing the same thing, twirling the rapier over in her hand and swishing the blade back and forth like a machete in the jungle.  “It’s much lighter than I thought it would be.”

“It needs to be—it’s a weapon of grace and agility, not necessarily of brute force.  Keep that in mind as you wield it.  And now…”  Cyrano lowered into a crouch, makeshift blade at the ready in front of him.

Roxanne’s eyebrows shot up. “You intend to throw me into the deep end so quickly?”

“A fish learns to swim by the same principle.  Advance, mermaid of Orleans, and let us see how much you already know.”  Swinging the stick up in a salute then down to his side, he waited for Roxanne to copy his movements before waiting… waiting for her to strike first.

Eventually she did, dramatically lunging forward toward his shoulder, but Cyrano deftly blocked her. Roxanne backed away to try again with the other shoulder, but met the same result.  “You’ve learned to thrust, to disengage, and to re-engage well enough, I see… let us see how you deal with this.”  Swinging his stick around again, he feinted toward her free arm, then raised up to land a hit on her opposite shoulder.  The whole time, Roxanne followed his hand with her eyes, her sword bobbing vaguely in that general direction, but not raising it quick enough to fend him off.  As she stumbled back, startled, Cyrano lowered his stick again.  “That was called a feint—a maneuver designed to mislead. You anticipated the feint so much that you missed the hit.”

“But how am I to keep up?” she asked, holding her shoulder even though Cyrano had barely tapped her. “You move so fast, I can hardly see.”

“For a start, try not to watch my hand.  The hand can deceive, as you’ve just seen… look here instead.”  He tapped his chest.  “Then let your eyes unfocus a bit—it will allow you to see your opponent as a whole, not just the nearest moving parts.  Now… shall we begin again?”

Roxanne nodded, sinking into her best crouch to mirror Cyrano, her body leaned forward instead of back.  “Do not try to go easy on me.”

“Oh, perish the thought, my dear.”  And this time he moved first, moving toward her shoulder and then to her arm in a reverse of his last maneuver.  This time she caught on, catching his stick on her blade and trying to push him back, but he was quick with a riposte, pulling back just far enough to tap the side of her hand.  Unfazed, she pressed forward again—a breach of the rules of engagement, but he’d allow it for now—trying in vain to land just the slightest touch on him each time he parried.  At one point, Cyrano dropped his stance the slightest bit lower and thrust toward her shoulder.  When Roxanne lifted her guard up to parry in turn, he dropped his posture even lower to level his stick just at her collarbone.

Falling back a step, the sword almost dropped from Roxanne’s hand as she stared tremulously down at the hit he’d scored.  “Well, I… I did tell you not to go easy on me,” she said with an uneasily flickering smile.

It was all he could do to keep firm, not to dissolve instantly in the face of her fear.  He’d regretted the hit as soon as it landed, and yet…  “That may be a worse case scenario.  God willing, you will never meet a man with such cruel intentions.  But make it a lesson as well.”  Taking her hand and tightening it around the pommel of her sword, he raised it up again at the level of her chest.  “Keep your guard level for as long as you can.  Too high or too low, and you may end up with a terrible cut to show for it.”  Straightening to his full height again, Cyrano gave what he hoped was an encouraging look.  “Shall we try again?”

Nodding resolutely—more to reassure herself than him, he suspected—Roxanne took her stance once more. Cyrano struck first again in a quick lunge, but she caught it flat and spun it away in a bit of a flourish.  A grin flashed across her face before she was back to business once more and they fell into their slow, but steady routine of thrust-parry-riposte, thrust-parry-riposte, with an occasional respite of some new maneuver that he would patiently guide her through. Roxanne was sent retreating more often than not, but every so often she would gain some ground.  If she got too cocky, however, and started bouncing back and forth like an excited puppy, Cyrano quickly put a stop to that, flicking his stick down to her waist in a light hit.  “Your footwork is merely a steady tempo, not meant to ornament the passage.  Keep yourself even and upright—small steps, but never so many in a row.”  His own form didn’t stick so strictly to those guidelines, heaven knew, but it was very good advice for a beginner.  Instantly chastened, Roxanne nodded, and they started again.

This time, Cyrano squared his chest toward her, hoping she would take the bait.  As she went for the attack, he stepped to the side and almost caught her square on the inside of one shoulder… but to his amazement, she saw the feint and dropped her arm in that spare split second, blocking his blade within inches of her sleeve.  Pushing him back a few steps, their routine continued—thrust-parry-riposte, thrust-parry-riposte, thrust-parry-disengage this time-parry-riposte.  Thrust-parry-disengage… Roxanne swung her sword forward in a broad cut, Cyrano waited for the right moment to press his attack… and she stepped to the side and fairly jabbed at his shoulder in a triumphant shove.

“Ha!”  She lifted her sword over her head like a gladiator expecting cheers from the Coliseum.  “Victory at last!  I hope that was… oh—oh, no…”

Cyrano tried to smile even as he muffled the newly bleeding cut under his hand.  “Yes… true blades tend to elicit this sort of reaction.  It’s very shallow, you needn’t worry—”

“But I am worried! Oh, Cyrano…”  Dropping the sword in the grass, Roxanne rushed forward and urged him to sit down next to her.  “I ask you to teach me to fight, and I thank you by stabbing you… let me see it, please…”

“It’s barely a scratch, Roxanne, not worth so much fuss… call it well-deserved revenge for my earlier hit, I suppose.”  But Cyrano obliged, loosening his doublet just enough to lower the shoulder of the shirt underneath.  It was indeed a relatively shallow cut, but long and already deep red, like the nick of a shaving blade.  Roxanne immediately pulled out her handkerchief to try and staunch the blood, and Cyrano could only hope and pray she couldn’t feel how warm his skin had suddenly grown there under her touch.  He almost made a comment to lighten the mood about her old fits of motherly sternness, where she would scold him for earning cuts and scrapes like these in fights against the big boys… but the words dried in his mouth again.  They didn’t feel right.  Not now.  This… felt different.

“I am so sorry,” Roxanne was saying, alternating between keeping pressure on the cut and wiping away the blood.  “You told me to be so careful, and I’ve been such a reckless oaf, and you’ve been so patient… can you forgive me?”

“There is nothing to forgive.”  Catching her hand, he lowered the handkerchief away before quickly letting go. “This… unforgivable sin in your mind is merely an accident in mine.  And this accident may be taken as a sign of improvement.  It was, after all, the first hit you landed upon me.”  No, not the first… but he didn’t dare say that out loud.

Her response was a very strained, guilty smile.  “I suppose so… I only wish I hadn’t been so rough.”  She raised her eyes to meet his, and her smile became a little more genuine. “Thank you… if for nothing else, for being so patient with me.  I know I shall never be as good as you.”

“In a single evening? Impossible.  But good enough to defend yourself against the common ruffians of Paris and prevent a glorified cockfight on your behalf?”  He offered a new smile of his own, something finally approaching those lightning flashes of audacity that often struck him.  “Undoubtedly.”  Offering Roxanne a hand, he climbed back to his feet and picked his makeshift blade back up.  “And while we still have moonlight to spend, we might as well make the most of it… shall we continue?”

“Are you sure?” she inquired, picking up her sword again.  “With your shoulder?”

“My shoulder has withstood much crueler and more purposeful assaults—I shall survive.”  Sweeping the stick up in a new salute, Cyrano angled his body toward Roxanne’s once more as he sank into his stance.  “Lay on, good saint, and show me God’s wrath within your woman’s fury.”

With a salute of her own, erect and self-assured, Roxanne pressed on.

[holylulusworld]

Royal Pain – Part 7 - Fight for our love

Summary: You are princess, about to marry the Alpha of your dreams, or rather your true mate but he’s not what you thought he would be…

Pairing: Alpha!Dean x Princess!Reader, OFC Gwendoline, King!John Winchester, King Bobby Singer, Knight Castiel, Prince Cole, King Chuck, Prince Michael, Prince Lucifer

Warnings: angst, Abo dynamics, arranged marriage, protective/caring Alpha, fluff, comforting, pregnant Omega, scenting, nesting, mentions attempted sexual assault, implied characters death

Royal Pain Masterlist

“Son, we need to talk in private.” John wants to lead Dean away from your nest, but your Alpha won’t budge. Stubborn he stays close to your shared bed, purring into your direction. “Dean…”

“You can tell me anything in this room too. I will not leave my mate's side. Two weeks ago, she almost…” Snarling Dean glares at his father, ignoring the low growl leaving John’s throat.

“I don’t know if your pregnant mate should hear what Castiel and Ketch told me not minutes ago.” John sighs, hating he must tell Dean about Cole and King Chuck.

“Just tell me, father. I’ll protect my mate at all costs.” Now you sit up to crawl toward Dean, holding his hand you glance up at John. “I will fight for our love, my Omega...”

Your stomach drops as John tells Dean your attacker lied to King Chuck. He told him that you were promised to Cole, not Dean.

“What? How dare he!” Dean is squeezing your hand tightly, purring into your direction as you start to shake.

“The king wants to see you and your mate. Bobby and I will come too. We will not let Cole spread lies, son. Your bond was arranged the moment Y/N presented and Rowena told us you are true mates.” John rumbles and you grasp at Dean’s hand, not wanting to let go of your mate you whine.

“No one will part you and Dean. You are mated and married, princess. Chuck is a righteous, a fair man, Y/N. I can assure you he only wants to be sure Cole lied.” John tries to convince you but you started to whimper and Dean needs to bring you onto his lap to let you bury your face into his neck.

“Shh…I’ve got you, Omega. I swear this time I’ll kill Cole for spreading lies. You’re mine, only mine, Y/N.”

----

“I can’t believe we got summoned here, King Chuck. This man tried to force himself on a married and mated Omega. My daughter is carrying Dean’s pups and still, Prince Cole tried to rape her!” Bobby is furious, pointing toward your trembling form as you hold tight onto your mate for dear life.

“My king, please calm.” Castiel tries to reason with your father but Bobby is way too angry to swallow his anger.

“I was always loyal, your majesty. Prince Dean’s and my daughter's bond is legal. Y/N was promised to Dean the moment she presented, Sire. Cole never even showed interested until he saw my married and mated daughter.”

“Sire, King Chuck. Prince Cole is well known for forcing mated Omega’s into his bed. Even his father admitted his son’s insanity. We have an official statement of King Edward to assure there was no arrangement between King Bobby and Cole’s father.” Castiel explains, handing King Chuck the statement.

“I see, Lord Castiel.” Chuck glances at the statement and then his eyes land on you, hiding your face into Dean’s neck to scent your mate. “I want to talk to Y/N and Dean. After that, I’ll read this statement and will hear you all out.” Chuck orders his knights to lead everyone except for you and Dean out of the throne room.

“Your highness,” Dean chokes out as he leads you toward the king. Your hands are shaking as you look up at Chuck.

“Relax, Y/N. Don’t you remember your Uncle Chuck? We were playing hide and seek when you were a little girl.” Chuck chuckles, leaving his throne to squeeze your hand.

“You’re Uncle Chuck?” Sniffling you look up at Chuck as he searches Dean’s face.

“I’m your old Uncle Chuck, but that’s a secret.” Pressing his index finger to his lips King Chuck looks at your husband. “I had to summon you here to hear the truth. I knew the moment Cole opened his mouth he was lying, but I had to follow the law, Y/N.”

Dean slings one arm around your shoulders to make sure you feel safe, but you are still shaking. Holding your breath, you hear Chuck telling Dean he will respect your bond and marriage.

“Cole had no right to hurt you, princess. We all know about his crimes and he will finally pay for his sins. Now let me talk to the others and I will end this farce.”

----

While King Chuck listens to all ‘witnesses’ you purr into Dean’s neck, just hiding from the world while your Alpha gives Cole warning glares now and then.

“Son, I know you want to rip him apart, but leave this to Chuck,” John whispers into his sons’ ear but all Dean sees is your attacker looking at you, licking his lips.

“Prince Cole, I must ask you to stop looking at Princess Y/N. She’s mated and married Omega, pregnant with Prince Dean’s pup. At least try to act like a decent human being and admit your sins.” Michael raises his voice, giving the smirking Alpha one last chance to not feel the wrath of his father but Cole never was on the smart side.

“Prince Cole!” Lucifer jumps up as Cole started to purr into your direction, to get your attention. “My brother warned you! How dare you ignoring a crown prince’s order!” Pressing the tip of his sword into Cole’s chest Lucifer looks at the smirking Alpha.

“ENOUGH! This is a trial, not a carnival! You will respect the trial and my son's order or I will let my knights chop your head off right now!” Chuck is pointing at Uriel and for the first time, Cole’s smirk fades and gets replaced by a frown.

“My King, we should continue and ignore Prince Cole’s manners. His father assured us he will accept any judgment.” Castiel is the voice of reason once again, and the King gives him a curt nod.

“You’re right, Lord Castiel.” King Chuck agrees before he tells the last witness to step forward to explain what happened during the attack.

“My King, I heard my princess call for help and then I saw Prince Cole, and heard what he said to Princess Y/N. He threatened to fuck the pup out of her and other cruelties. I had no other choice than stepping in and defending her.” Gwendoline explains.

“Well done, Lady Gwendoline. I always knew you are more than a meager maid. I think I heard enough. Thank you.” Gwendoline bows before she stands by your side.

Dean is still glaring at Cole, ready to defend you the moment the Alpha tries to touch you. “Dean, I’m still scared. What if King Chuck decides I have to leave you?” Sniffling you cling to your Alpha as said king calls for silence.

“Shh…” Whimpering you intervene your fingers with Dean’s looking at King Chuck as he clears his throat.

“After I heard every witness and read the letter King Edward sent to me I came to the following judgment.” King Chuck looks at you and Dean, smiling. “Prince Dean and his mate belong together. Their marriage and bond are legal.”

Gasping you lean your head against Dean’s shoulder, not knowing your mate held his breath for a moment. He feared Chuck could be on Cole’s side.

“My Lord…that’s…” Snarling Cole tries to get to you, but Michael holds him back, snarling as the way smaller Alpha struggles against his strength.

“Silence!” Chuck is clenching his jaw, giving Cole one last glare. “I’m not done! You attacked a married and mated Omega. Your past is filled with assaults and crimes beyond anything I heard before. I will fulfill my duty as the King of my country and make sure you will never be able to hurt another Omega.”

Cole turns pale watching Chuck wave at his knights. “I, King Chuck, sentence you to death for your crimes against the people of Lebanon and Eden. The judgment will be executed right now. Steal yourself, Prince Cole and at least face your punishment like a royal.”

Gasping you look at your mate, sniffling as he brings you in his arms to calm you.

“He’ll never harm anyone again, my mate, my love.” Dean purrs against your throat and you close your eyes, praying this was the last time you and your Alpha had to face Cole.

----

Three days later…

“Finally back home,” Dean smirks as you snuggle into his side, not wanting to let go of him since you had to go to Eden.

“Home…” Whimpering you look up at your mate, hating you are still scared and meek. “He’s dead…”

“This wasn’t only to avenge you, but all the other Omegas Cole abused and hurt. He can never hurt anyone, Y/N. Cole is gone.” Dean doesn’t hide he’s happy about your attacker’s death, you do the same.

Your Alpha is gently stroking your tiny baby bump, purring as he knows you will be round with his pup soon. His eyes focused on his hand on your belly he smiles as you cover his hand with yours.

“I’m glad we can leave all this behind now, Dean. I don’t want to waste more time thinking about Cole or any other person wanting to get between us.” Your whines catch Dean’s attention and he looks at your quivering lips.

“What’s wrong? Are you not well, Omega?” Overwhelmed by your feelings you paw at Dean’s shoulders, purring as you want his attention.

“I want to feel you Alpha…” Eye lust-blown you look up at your Alpha, smirking as he rolls you onto your back.

“I’ll make you feel me, Omega. Now and forever…”

Royal Pain

@werewolfbanshee-love, @xcastielbabyangelface

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