#tKotA: unofficial fanfiction from me a.k.a the writer who writes fanfiction for a story before writing the actual story

[writerfae]

Silver Lining - Chapter One

A "The Knights of the Alder" au/„fanfiction“, pairing: Taiden (Talon x Aiden)

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The freezing winter air made Aiden shiver as he made his way over the yard to the main hall. He put his woolen cloak tighter around himself in an attempt to block out the cold and quickened his pace. The young man had just returned from a hunting trip, when a guard told him that his mother was searching for him. So now he was on his way to her, wondering what she might wanted.

Bow and quiver still stripped to his back, he pushed open the heavy wooden doors and entered the big hall. Immediately a flood of warmth washed over him and Aiden welcomed it with closed eyes, letting out a relieved sigh. He loved being outside in the cold, but in the end he was always glad to return to his warm and comfortable home.

“Aiden! There you are.” A voice called from above. Aiden looked up and met eyes with his mother, who was looking down at him from the hall’s gallery. Ranva quickly made her way towards her son, her shawl fluttering behind her as she rushed down the flight of stairs. She approached Aiden and greeted him with a quick hug. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you all morning.”

“I was out for a hunt and forgot the time. I’m sorry, mother,” Aiden said. His mother gave him a soft smile. “Don’t be.” She ran her hands through his dark hair. “Now take off your cloak and the hunting gear and come to your father’s study room. We have to talk with you.”

Aiden lifted his head in surprise. It didn’t happen often that he was called into his father’s study room. The last time he recalled being there was when his parents told him his older brother Henry would move out. “Talk about what?,” he asked his mother. “You’ll see, my dear, you’ll see,” was all she said.

***

“Your mother and I called you here because we have news for you, good news.” Milan, head of the family, said to his son. He had a smile on his face, still his expression was serious. Aiden didn’t know what to think about that, he has never been good at guessing his father’s emotions. Still he was curious.

“Really? What is it?” Expectant, he leaned forward in his chair. News were always welcome, life had become pretty boring for Aiden ever since his brother had left to live with his new husband.

His father’s smile widened. “We finally found a good match for you,” he said. Aiden wasn’t sure if he understood what his father meant to say. A good match? He shot his mother a questioning look. She smiled at him. “What your father meant to say is, that we found a husband for you. You are getting engaged, sweetheart.”

Aiden’s face dropped. “Engaged?,” he asked, dumbfounded. He looked first at his father, then at his mother. Were they serious? Did they really think it would be good news for him that they were about to trade him away to some stranger?

No, they must be joking. This couldn’t be true. He was nineteen, he was too young to get engaged. He wasn’t ready to get engaged. “You’re just the right age, my boy,” his father said as he told him that much. “I was as old as you when your mother and me got engaged. Your brother was even younger.”

His mother reached for his hand over the table. “I know this is overwhelming, Aiden. Big news like this always are. I understand that you’re surprised and unsure right now, but trust me, you’ll be fine.”

“How will you know that?” Aiden withdrew his hand. “Do you even know my “match���? Do I know him?”

His mother nodded. “Yes we know him, we even met him before. His name is Talon.” “He’s the son of Lord Cyrus from the House of Hawks. A very reputable family, highly ranked among the families at court,” his father added.

So that was what it was all about, Aiden thought. “Is that why you organized my engagement with this Talon? Because he has an influential family? Is that all you care about? How much reputation it will gain you?”

Aiden’s family was lower nobility, not really influential at the Willow court. But they lived in a world where status was very important. The higher a family’s rank was, the better was their reputation. And everyone wanted a good reputation, because it meant a good life for your family. That included Aiden’s father too.

He always wanted to enable a better life for his family. Not that their life was particularly bad. It was more then enough for Aiden. But it wasn’t enough for his father it seemed. Otherwise he wouldn’t marry off both of his sons to the children of  higher ranked families, which was the easiest way to rise his own family’s status.

One could think it was enough that Henry was married to the heir of one of the most influential families at the Willow court, which already gained them a lot of reputation, but apparently even that wasn’t enough if his father married off Aiden as well. Maybe he simply acquired a taste for it.

“What about me, huh?” Aiden continued. “Does it even matter to you how I feel? I don’t want to get engaged. I don’t want to get married either. I don’t even know this guy. I-”

“Enough Aiden.” His father interrupted. His voice was quiet but stern. “Do not talk to me like that. Of course your well-being matters to me, it’s the only reason I am doing all this! I spent a long time searching for a good fit for you, you should be thankful! Lord Talon is an excellent suitor, you’ll immensely benefit from the connection with him and so will our family.”

“But-” Aiden started. “No buts, son. I expect you to do as I say. Me and Lord Cyrus arranged a meeting in three days, there we will introduce you to each other and make your engagement official. You will get engaged with Lord Talon. I am not open for any more discussions regarding that topic.” With that, his father stood up and left the study. For him the conversation was done.

His mother said nothing. Aiden felt like he couldn’t breath.

***

“I can’t believe it!” Aiden exclaimed again and again as he paced up and down his room. He could feel panic rise in him as he tried to process what his father had just told him. He’ll be getting engaged. Against his will. To a total stranger.

“Honey, please, calm down.” His mother sat on his bed, watching her son with growing concern. “How am I supposed to calm down? I have to marry a total stranger! I will be strapped to someone I didn’t even choose for the rest of my life!” He stopped walking around and buried his face in his hands.

Aiden could hear his mother standing up and walking over to him, then he felt her arms around him as she pulled him into an embrace. “Oh sweetheart.” Ranva carefully stroked her son’s messy hair. “Look at me, hey.” She made Aiden look up to her.

“I know this is all a bit much. It is happening so fast, that’s a lot to process. I am very sorry for that. But you know sooner or later it had to happen.” Yes, Aiden knew that. He has known for a long time.

But he had hoped that he would have a saying in who he’ll be paired up with. Or that he would at least have enough time till it was happening. After Henry’s marriage, a little part of him had even hoped he wouldn’t have to marry someone his parents chose for him at all.

He took a deep breath. “I know. But why does it have to be someone I don’t know? What if I don’t like him? If he doesn’t like me? I don’t want to spend the rest of my life tied to someone I don’t love. Or with someone who doesn’t love me.”

His mother sighed. “You’ll get the chance to know him, darling. And you will like each other, trust me. You may not love him from the start, but love can grow. I didn’t know your father either when we were engaged, but I got to know him, and I fell in love with him. Arrangements like this don’t have to end bad, they almost never do. Just look at your brother.”

Henry was indeed a good example for an arranged engagement that actually turned out well. He truly loved his husband, they were happy together. Then again, they had known each other way before their engagement, and Aiden had no doubt that they would’ve chosen each other even when their parents wouldn’t have paired them up.

Aiden however will barely have time to get to know his soon-to-be husband, maybe a few months when he was lucky. It was winter and most weddings were scheduled for the warmer months, but even that didn’t seem enough time for Aiden to get to truly know someone.

“You’re a free spirit,” his mother continued. “I know that. And your father knows too. Don’t be mad with him. He really means no harm. Neither do I. If we wouldn’t be certain that you and Lord Talon will fit together, we wouldn’t have made the match, good reputation or not. We love you, we wouldn’t just give you to someone who won’t treat you right.”

“I know you are worried. I understand, I felt the same when I was in your situation. Things might not always be easy, I do not deny that. But I really believe, that in the end everything will turn out just fine. One day you will look back on your doubt and be happy you overcame it. So don’t let your doubt take you down, alright? Give yourself some time.”

Aiden cracked a smile. “Yes, mother.” She was not wrong, he realized. He needed time to reflect on the whole situation, maybe tomorrow things would look different. Ranva kissed her son’s temple. “Good. And now rest, my dear, it was a hard day for you.”

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next chapter

silver lining masterpost

[writerfae]

I know probably no one cares but I'm gonna spam you with my bad fanfiction snippets anyway.

So this is an AU where Aiden is son of a lower royal house at the Willow court. To raise their family's status, his parents arrange a marriage between him and Talon, the son of a higher ranked family. From the very start, Talon and Aiden don't get along at all. Still Aiden moves in with his soon-to-be husband, and slowly the two of them learn to work through their differences and start to warm up to each other.

Anyways so here's some snippets I wrote:

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Have I planned on doing some writing for The Knights of the Alder today? Yes.

Am I working on an arranged marriage AU fanfiction for Aiden x Talon (a.k.a my own characters and my unofficial second fave ship) instead? Also yes.