#the eldric brothers

[unicorncornflakes]

Political Rivals - Modern AU! | Chapter 1

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Paring: Reader x Aemond Targaryen.

Summary: You always spend your afternoons playing and talking with yoour friend Aemond on Discord. Now that you father, Eldric Dayne, has to move to king´s Landing, you have the chance to meet Aemond. However, this is only the benning of a rivality between the two of you.

Tags: Alternate Universe/ Friends to Enemies to Lovers/ Emotional Hurt/Comfort Drama & Romance/ Eventual Smut.

Warnings: None, for now :D

I know I said that in this chapter they would meet, but if it wasn't too long, so I'll leave it for the next chapter. Sorry. I need a context to be able to tell what I want. I'm sorry again :(

Tag-List (If you wanna be tagged in thi series or all of my work, let me know): @thedamewithabook @bluevxnus @glame @tempt-ress

Author´s note: Pls, enjoy! Feedback, shares and comments are always welcome!

Word Count: 4.7K

Your cat got back under the bed in the new apartment your parents had bought in the center of King's Landing. Raistlin hadn't wanted to leave there since you moved. You had only lived there two days and you were already missing Sunspear. The house in the Dornish capital was smaller, but it had a garden and a pool. Your room was on the second floor and you had more privacy than now. The new apartment was one of those luxury apartments located in the very center of the entire capital of the country. They were a lot more square feet, and your father had decided that your room would be one of the largest, with a small terrace where Raistlin could lie out and sunbathe. You understood that he did it with good intentions. He knew that moving both you and your brother to the end of the academic year had been a problem. Separate yourself from your friends, from your environment and from everything you had known. You sighed. You knew that this change was for the greater good, but it did not seem fair for that reason. Now you were in a city where you didn't know anyone, at the gates of summer. You had always been shy, but it seemed like the world was going to swallow you... Well, in that city you had Aemond, but it still didn't feel real. He was just an intangible friend.

You heard your brother, Rodrick, play a couple of chords on his guitar. In the other house you had never heard him. Always busy in the garage with his group, which he had had to leave due to that hasty move that your father couldn't put off any longer. Another chord now. From your bed, you could see him in his room, sitting on the mattress, with no other company, and a frown. He had spoken at length about the moving. He had told your father why it was necessary for you all to move. The conservatives were going to win. Rodrick was more than sure. To him, your parents had separated you from everything you loved because of your father Edric Dayne's impossible dream of being the president of Westeros. It was impossible, he had told your parents before the trip, during the whole trip, and after the trip. After two days of complaining, the two days that the moving company had spent bringing boxes, he had silenced. He now just played the guitar with a mixture of disinterest and anger. You saw him leave the guitar in one of the corners of the room and lie down on his bed. You saw him looking at his phone. He would surely be on Tinder by now, looking for more 'friends'. He had had many of those in Sunspear. You sighed. You didn't like living in an apartment. Now you were constantly with your parents, with Rodrick and you couldn't hide from the constant visitors that came. Rodrick saw how you were looking at him and, lying on his bed, he winked at you affectionately with a sly smile. He was an exact copy of your father when he was young, and to you, the best big brother in the world. You winked back and put on your computer headset. They had finally put internet in your flat and you could now talk to your friends from Sunspear. You had agreed that you would call them there when you had Internet.

"Honey, where is Raistlin?" You heard your mother's voice at the door and, just as you turned to answer it, you saw how Rodrick closed the door angrily in the presence of your mother. She just sighed when she felt your brother close the door behind her. She hadn't said anything, but she also gave you the feeling that despite her always smiling face in front of the cameras, she wasn't happy with the change either. She had left her position as a titular professor at Sunspear University to only accept one as a visiting professor at King's Landing. She had had to cancel several lines of research to start others at the new university that would give her work for at least the following year.

"He's under the bed" you told her, turning your gaze to the computer screen that was turning on. She looked at the huge room taking a breath, as if she wanted to continue some topic of conversation with you and she didn't know which one to choose.

"He will come out in the sun from the terrace one of these days" she smiled sweetly at you, continuing to hold on to the door frame. You shrugged as you launched Discord.

"He really liked the garden at home" you commented without malice, checking that no one of your friends was online. The truth is that you also liked the other house better, and you didn't want to talk about it. You were very docile, not like Rodrick, but if they kept asking you what you thought, even if it was the color of the bathroom tiles, you were going to explode. Your parents had tried to portray that change as the best in the world when it wasn't for you two.

"How empty is the room!" she exclaimed, looking around. Yours was a huge room in which there was only a bookshelf with a couple of books, a few stuffed animals, a desk and a bed, all stuck together in one of the corners, as if your life in that huge room was going to take place in that little corner. “Are you sure you got all your things out of the boxes?”

“Yes, I've left most things at home” you sighed, because your home would always be the small house with a garden in Sunspear. “I've only brought the essentials. I imagine… that if we stay here longer… I'll fill it with things” you shrugged your shoulders again.

“If you want tomorrow we can go shopping. I don't know. We could go look at furniture or…” Your mom tried to sound excited again, but you just went back to staring at the computer screen.

"I have enough with what I have" you told him, trying to hold back tears. You missed all your previous life. Your mom came over and tried to hug you from behind, but she just stared at your screen too.

"Oh, Ashara is connected, isn't she?" she said cheerfully, trying to cheer you up a bit more “Let her know you've arrived. I'm sure she's glad to hear your voice…”

"No. I haven't spoken to her for two months,” you said, selecting Aemond's chat. Surely he would cheer you up. He wasn't online, but you were sure if you texted him he'd see it when he got home. Your mother raised a questioning eyebrow. You didn't know if it was because of Ashara's revelation or because you had chosen the chat of someone she didn't recognize and who had a picture of a dragon as their profile. So you looked at her and kept talking about her "Ashara stopped talking to me after Rodrick broke up with her" you gritted your teeth. That friendship relationship had never made you happy, like almost most. Everyone seemed to be reaching out to you because of who your father was. Your mother sighed desperately, looking for a moment at the closed door of Rodrick's room, as if she really knew raising her eldest son was quite a challenge. However, she returned her gaze to the computer. You didn't see it, but she winced when she saw you write to Aemond. She didn't know who he was. However, she didn't say anything and just left the room leaving you alone. That was how the three of you felt those days. Alone. Your mother, your brother and you.

Aemond angrily closed the bag of his fencing equipment. That day the session had been a disaster. Cregan had beaten him. Alyn had knocked him down and even Jace had beaten him with his inelegant moves. He had already showered and all he had to do was close that zipper and go home. The truth is that he was more irritated than ever, and he refused to accept the reason. Not having had you for three days in a row had tensed him terribly, and no one knew how to give a logical explanation for his erratic behavior. If he had failed in that training it is because his senses were focused on listening to the tone of the Discord application. That would indicate that you had written him. If you wrote it, it indicated that you were already there. If you were already there... Cregan's huge hand, slapping his shoulder friendly, woke him up from his musings.

“Hey, One eye, we're going to have a few beers. You come with us?" the northerner and his wide and always charming smile invited him to join them. That was what his "friends" called him. One eye. Mainly it was the nickname he had been given at the fencing club. The members of that group had become the few people with whom he related on a level a little more intimate than the superficiality with which he carried out most of his relationships. They were the closest thing to friends he had. Aemond finished zipping it up.

"I don't feel like it too much..." he said without looking at the northerner, checking his messages again. Not one of you. Would you be alright? Cregan raised an inquisitive eyebrow. And he looked at Jace and Alyn who shrugged, as if dealing with Aemond was super difficult.

"You Know? That girl is not going to write to you sooner because you spend all day looking at her chat” Alyn joked. Aemond quickly turned off the screen. He felt that his privacy had been violated. He didn't like it.

"Alright. I'll go with you.” Aemond rolled his annoyed eye and Alyn clenched a fist as if to indicate that he had won that battle. The four left the gym. But, the one-eyed man was still aware of that characteristic sound of the telephone. At any moment you would have to write to him, right?

"The polls show him as the winner" Jace took another drink of beer. Everyone sitting with their training bags in that bar that was crowded. You could tell the finals were over and all the people there were looking forward to having a good time while they waited for their final grades. The four of them were sitting in a quiet corner of the crowded bar. They always went on Fridays after training. Although it had been about two months since Aemond hardly went. It was more urgent for him to talk to you than to spend it drinking with his friends. “The problem is that I don't think he's really going to win. It's just going to be one more nuisance,” Jace commented. He was called Strong in that group. Aemond continued to listen to the conversation. At least they were interested in something as vital as politics, not like his Brothers.

"He will not. He looks like a dandy straight out of a movie. I mean. He is good looking. But you don't win the elections by just being attractive,” said Cregan, who was studying political science. It was one of the friendships Aemond valued most. Both conservative. With high values about family and respect for the elderly. Tradition as a banner. "Surely, it will remain as another anecdote, like the year that Rhaenyra Targaryen appeared against Viserys and lost" he laughed, looking at Jace who outlined a face of rejection at the anecdote of his mother. Aemond just smirked and took another swallow of his beer.

“He is a winner, have you seen his wife? She can be as old as she wants, but I called her mommy and let her cradle me between her big tits all night” Alyn added and Aemond and Cregan looked at him with cold looks, while Jace tried not to laugh. Alyn always had points of view like that for any topic. They all ignored him as he continued to laugh.

"Yes, Hull. Your priorities are incredible” Aemond said in a serious tone, not meeting his eyes if he wanted to. And Alyn laughed again. "He's not going to win. Westeros is conservative ”he commented, trying to deceive himself, as if his father's candidacy was terribly solid, and he didn't see his grandfather Otto, director of the press office, getting nervous every time Eldric Dayne appeared in television.

"That's what we say. We are the sons of the Conservative Party," Jace laughed. His mother, in the end, was also within the Conservative Party, although she was from one of the most open-minded splits, but without going too far. Cregan smiled thoughtfully and Alyn took another drink. “But that guy does something our parents don't. He has an image, social networks, damn… he was invited to one of the Lord of Whispers Podcasts. I mean, he reaches an audience that our parents don't,” he mused, and Aemond smiled to himself. And did that audience matter? They were going to win. He repeated it over and over in his head.

"Well, when One Eye is the president of Westeros in a couple of years, and we're all in his political cabinet, because he'll remember his friends, we'll laugh about these conversations," Cregan said, resting his huge hand on Aemond's shoulder. The young Targaryen had realized that this was the only way to express affection from him. Aemond wondered if himself had any. The truth is that he liked the perspective that direwolf, as Cregan was known, was telling. He was fascinated by that perspective. Him as president, running the country. He would do better than his father. He always told her so himself, full of arrogance and haughtiness.

"Yes, I can imagine the promotional photos" Alyn laughed and Jace followed his laugh "With his perfect wife, the five children he wants to have. He completely serious. 'Westeros sticks to tradition'. That will be the slogan he will have” he laughed amused and Aemond added.

"Actually, they will be six," Aemond said with a smirk. He would have one more child than his father. I would do everything in a big way. Basically, he was going to be the best at whatever he set his mind to. It was what he tried to repeat since he had lost his eye. The best. He had to prove it to everyone. "As my future advisor, you should know," he added amused, as if he really believed Cregan's words.

"And... the girl you've been waiting for the message from for so long, she knows that you want to have six children?" laughed Cregan "Because, maybe, and just maybe, she's not up to it." Aemond felt his cheeks grow red at that moment. He wanted the earth to swallow him up. You... well, you were so sweet... Although he didn't know what you were like, he imagined you pregnant while you had a little dragon in your arms and he played with another of his children in his arms. He looked at you and knew that he was not going to be the last one you were going to have. In his imagination, he heard your voice with that pretty accent asking him to cum inside of you, in search of another little dragon. Damn, that would be perfect. He had never discussed it with you, but… very surely you were a traditional girl, like him. Flawless.

"What a Girl?" Jace asked curiously, as if he thought Aemond couldn't feel anything for anyone. He was always so cold that he didn't think he could have any attraction to another living being. Aemond wondered how Cregan could have noticed this. He hadn't told anyone, but it was clear that those three days of always checking his cell phone messages hadn't helped, nor had he been missing almost every Friday for the last two months.

At that moment, when Aemond was going to tell them to mind their business, his cell phone rang. His heart stopped. It was the sound so recognizable. He turned on the screen and there was a notification of a message from you on Discord. His heart nearly stopped dead. You were finally there. At last…

“Well, the one that just wrote him. Can't you see the douchebag grin on his face right now?" Alyn added as they all smiled knowingly. Almost everyone was looking for Aemond to be happy again after breaking up with Alys. Actually, even though the one-eyed man was not one of many words and every time he spoke he was a great arrogant person, everyone at that table respected and appreciated him. They were his friends...

"But you know how to smile!" Cregan exclaimed, taking another sip of his beer, not hiding an amused smile. They all seemed to sneer under Aemond's watchful eye, but he couldn't have cared less. He just got up, forgetting his beer and equipment and went outside so he could reply to your message without anyone seeing him. They all laughed and smiled as they watched him spring up and walk out the door. He didn't need witnesses.

'I'm already in Landing: D' you sent him. He didn't know it, but that message meant too much to you at that moment, completely isolated and away from everything you knew, as if the only thing in King´s Landing was him for you right now.

'Great' he answered quickly, he felt how his hands were sweating and how his fingers trembled. He lit a cigarette, as if that would calm him down, and he waited for your answer. You were online, although he appeared as in Invisible.

'Lol, you're the quickest in Westeros to respond,' you joked, and he smiled even wider, to finish by sticking a slow drag on his cigarette. He had to think of his next move. He was thinking of taking your thing to the next level. He was sure that he would get it.

‘You have no idea how fast I can be if you need me ;)’ he replied to you, but then he typed again before waiting for your answer. He was going to make a date. He needed to see you. He needed to be with you. Those three days in which he had been more than irascible were proof of that. ‘Tomorrow is the opening of an exhibition on Ancient Valyria at the Visenya Hill Museum. I had thought we could go :D’ He texted quickly. You were interested in history and you were intelligent. You would appreciate the offer. He was sure.

'And then we could go to dinner: D`, you answered, because that was the plan you were used to in Sunspear. Meet up with your friends, go to the movies, go to dinner and sit on a bench where you talked to each other about your day, waiting for the southern heat to go away at some point. Aemond smiled at your response, as if it were an indication that you were interested in him.

'Of course. I will pay it’ he replied. He was going to impress you. He was even thinking of asking his brother for the car. If you saw him pull up in the Lamborgini, you'd think he was a fucking winner. He would look like a gentleman, and he would take you to the door of your house. He was going to be perfect.

'Oh do not worry. There's no need. I can pay my part :D' you answered him. The truth is that you were the first girl to say that to Aemond... that surprised him and he took another puff. Tomorrow he would insist on paying everything. He wasn't going to think about it anymore. 'I ask my parents if I can go with all this hassle of moving and I'll confirm tonight' you wrote quickly. And he counterattacked. He was going to show you how chivalrous he could be.

'If they're going to be more at ease knowing who their daughter is going with, I can go look for you at your house...' he suggested. It was what Cregan had done when he started dating Helaena, present himself as a true man. To pay his respects to his father, he had not asked her permission to go out with her, but he had remained a true gentleman...

'Lol, nooooo' you responded quickly 'They are very open. They don't care who you go with. It's just asking them if I can go while I'm in the middle of moving ;)' Aemond stared at the screen. He didn't even know how to answer you. He imagined himself as a father to a girl like you, would He like you to go with a guy he didn't know? No. Definitely not, but you seemed to handle yourself well. So he didn't say much more.

“I said no, (Y/N)” your mother said it again at the dinner table. You were sitting at the table Rodrick, your mother and you. You ate again food that you had ordered to go. You were starting to get fed up after two days, but your mother didn't know how to do much more than pick up the phone and ask with perfect diction what you were going to have for dinner or lunch. Your brother kept looking at his phone in a bad way while he gave likes all the photos that appeared and you tried to convince your mother to let you go with Aemond to the exhibition tomorrow.

"But, in Sunspear you always let me go with whoever I wanted" you answered, visibly angry, as if too much was changing because of your arrival in the capital, starting with the absence of your father at dinner time, lunch and even breakfast. "I told him you would tell me yes..." You insisted without much strength now, turning to the fried noodles on your plate.

“The problem is that we don't know him. He has told you that his name is Aemond and that he is, how old?” your mother said visibly angry as she continued eating.

"Twenty," you snapped back, as if the moment she found out Aemond's age, she was going to let you go, as if it were a reminder that he wasn't that old. That only two years separated you. "On the Internet I can say that I am twenty and that I am a dog" he replied, as if he wanted to settle the issue "I said no and it is no" your mother spoke again. Rodrick smiled liking another photo showing the tits of a girl who had to be a lot older than him. "Rodrick, can you put the damn phone down for a minute?" Your brother rolled his eyes in annoyance and looked at your mother with a not very friendly face.

"What danger could there be in her leaving with someone she has met through Valyrian War Strategy?" your brother replied, with a sly smile “I wouldn't worry. He has to be even a virgin. We run the risk of (Y/N) deflowering him. Careful!" he said, laughing and your mother looked at him with a sour face.

"This is not Sunspear, nor do we have the same profile right now as there" your mother tried to explain to you, but you both seemed terribly angry, each with their own way of expressing it: while you were turning the food around, Without saying anything, Rodrick had decided to take the combative stance he always had.

“Oh, the same profile? No. We've come this far and now you're going to be the most conservative in the place. A very expensive apartment in the posh neighborhood. You cut off our exits. You almost look like a…” Rodick was about to say the dreaded word that your mother hated and she raised her finger at him in a threatening gesture.

"Don't even think about it, Rodrick" she told him and your brother fell silent, knowing that he was right. At that moment, the door to the entrance of that apartment was heard to open. You heard the tired footsteps of your father. He greeted you with joy but with his tie completely undone and tired from all the day he had had.

"What's for dinner?" he said happily sitting down in his place at the table. There he did not preside over anyone, so he just sat in front of you, next to your mother. Your mother responded to him about the oriental food he had ordered and imitated as if she really liked him. He tried to pretend with you that nothing was happening, when the tension that was breathed was noticeable.

“Dad, can you give me permission to…?” You started by saying and your father's face lit up from hearing something from you since you moved.

“Don't even think about asking your father,” your mother warned you, and the progressive candidate, the amazing Eldric Dayne, looked at all of you with a confused smile. For the first time in a long time, you ignored your mother. You wanted to see Aemond. He was the only thing you knew of that city.

“I met a guy online, and I was wondering if you would let me meet him tomorrow, because I understand that with all about this moving…” you said, trying to sound innocent. Your father raised an inquisitive eyebrow and your mother scolded you with her eyes. Eldric took one of the boxes from the restaurant and put some of the fried rice on his plate, which your mother had placed as always even if he arrived later.

“Little girl, we don't know him. You haven't even seen his face, if he's the boy I imagine he is” he commented, beginning to eat with his chopsticks. You were amazed. How was it possible that your father knew of Aemond's existence? And that you had never met? Well, he had interrupted you several times while you were talking and when you left him with the Martell boy, the one who got the most upset was your father. You had lbroke up with the son of his best friend for a boy you didn't know. From there, he had begun to investigate, or what is the same, to sharpen his ear every time he went up to your room and found you talking to someone.

"That's what I'm trying to explain, Eldric," your mother replied again. And Rodrick smirked again.

"Good. This is good. You're not going to let us make friends here. We got it. Now you are going to be the most conservative in the neighborhood” he replied, stopping eating and your father looked at him in disbelief. He would never have said it out loud, but he was starting to regret running and winning the primary, especially considering how much Rodrick had changed. "But tomorrow at least you'll let us go to the movies, right?" He asked. Your mother was going to speak when your father jumped in quickly, in an attempt to ingratiate himself with you two.

"You can go to that, but your mother will buy the tickets online and then I want to see the tickets sealed or used or whatever when you get back" he replied as if it were a deal and Rodrick smirked. Your mother rolled her eyes in disbelief, as if your father didn't already know the eldest of his children. But, he's just doing the best he could.

You really thought you were going to the movies. You were always so docile in Rodrick's eyes that you had no malice to think about his true plan. Your brother sent you messages on your phone and asked you to delete the messages. He was going to the cinema, of course, the tickets were there, bought by your mother. But, he wasn't going to go with you. The one with the fat tits from Tinder had matched him and he was thinking of fucking her after the movie. You narrowed your eyes, but as he explained how you could stay with Aemond in the meantime. He would pick you up once you let him know. You looked at him across the hall in his room, and he winked at you again. Rodrick was the biggest headache your parents had in their lives. However, you did not complain. You were going to see Aemond after all.

[branwendaughterofllyr]

hiii, I just read both of your fics, and I’m going crazy because they’re not finished!!! do you have a d!scord or tw!tter account for spoilers? please save your impatient fan, Im losing my mind lol (seriously, whose body is ‘the body forgotten’?? Is robyn reswell from the stark family tree related to our robyn? how does aemond marry alyssa? how does aegon react when he learns the truth about the fire at harrenhal? why your joffery arryn's mother is a royce? I couldn’t sleep last night thinking about these, really)

Hi! So excited to hear how much you liked my fics. I dont have a twitter or a private discord server, but I do hang out a lot at the Braavos server run by the lovely @visenyasdragon and can be induced to talk about spoilers there fairly often lol.

The title of "the body forgotten" is loosely taken from a poem by Ono no Komachi (translated by Jane Hirshfield and Mariko Aratani) that goes like this:

Since this body was forgotten by the one who promised to come my only thought is wondering whether it even exists

I have always really enjoyed the themes of existentialism that permeates Heian poetry, and I often turn to it for fic titles, haha.

I think the body in question could be Sybelle's, who is very much trapped in her own head, but it could refer to her dead sister, Irinna's, or to any of the various long forgotten tombs in the barrowlands. I also picked it after reading H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald, specifically this passage.

You want the hawk to eat the food you hold – it’s the first step in reclaiming her that will end with you being hunting partners. But the space between the fear and the food is a vast, vast gulf, and you have to cross it together. I thought, once, that you did it by being infinitely patient. But no: it is more than that. You must become invisible. Imagine: you’re in a darkened room. You are sitting with a hawk on your fist. She is as immobile, as tense and sprung as a catapult at full stretch. Underneath her huge, thorny feet is a chunk of raw steak. You’re trying to get her to look at the steak, not at you, because you know – though you haven’t looked – that her eyes are fixed in horror at your profile. All you can hear is the wet click, click, click of her blinking.

The idea that you must become invisible, nothing, so that the hawk learns not fear you, that you forget even yourself. Hawking is going to feature pretty majorly in "the body forgotten," so I thought it fit.

In my head, the canonical Robyn Ryswells is probably descended from Sybelle's brother, who will go on to be the next lord, rather than from Sybelle herself, whose only child right now is an Umber, not a Ryswell. But I did use her as the name inspiration for Birdy, since I try to use canon names where I can.

To answer "how do Aemond and Alyssa get married" and "how does Oldgon react when he learns the truth about the fire," well, I can't really, bc spoilers, haha. I will say that my take on the Fire in Harrenhal is going to be different than the show's, and it should be coming up relatively soon in the fic. Such drama.

And for Joffrey Arryn's Royce mother, the answer is I wanted higher stakes for the Vale, and to partly explain why Jeyne Arryn chose Joffrey over closer relations. Jeyne Arryn had a very good relationship with the Royces, particularly her regent, so her choosing his grandson was a safe choice for her and showed how much faith she had in them. But also, not nearly enough families were torn apart by the Dance, and I really wanted that element. For a civil war, families themselves and even whole regions were remarkably united (especially compared to the Blackfyre Rebellions and the War of the Five Kings), so I wanted to add in some higher stakes by having Joffrey's Royce cousins ultimately choosing to back Eldric Arryn (as the Royces did in canon) and move the war in the Vale up, so it actually happens during the Dance. Joffrey Arryn and his Royce cousin will be making an appearance at some point before the Dance, to keep us updated on Vale politics, lol. Also, I wanted Rhea's death to actually have some relevance, and to make it a point of conflict for the Royce-Arryn alliance, so making Joffrey's mother one of Rhea's canonical unnamed sisters was my solution to that.

Hope this answered some of your questions!

[written-in-flowers]

Fly Away: Pt. 5

Pairing: Young!Aemond x Young!Velaryon!Reader | Side pairing: Rhaenyra x Alicent, Aegon x Helaena

Genre: Fluff, Angst

Au: friends to lovers, childhood love, incest (duh), slight homophobia expressed, repressed feelings, mutual pining, teenage runaways, mentions of bullying, arrange marriages

Word Count: 7k

Summary: Young love overcomes all in a family full of broken bonds and broken hearts. When Princess Y/N Velaryon and Prince Aemond Targaryen are discovered missing from their beds, their mothers must come together to find them. The search might do more for their families than a mere marriage pact can. 

A/N: want to clarify now that we stick with young!Aemond throughout the story. Ewan’s Aemond comes in at the very end. This is mainly done starting a bit before The Princess and the Queen and a little bit after the events at Driftmark. I do pull some scenes from the show, but it remains relatively loose throughout. Want to also point out that The Dance doesn’t happen in this universe, so...happy ending expected, because we need more of those.  

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Taglist:  @yitish,  @imjustboredso, @discowizard88, @mddieeunson, @caramelcandescence, @bookwhoresthings, @astrumark, @ophelialaufey​

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She’d finished writing to Lady Jeyne Arryn when your lady-in-waiting entered her chambers. She’d hoped to persuade a betrothal between you and Eldric, one of Lady Jeyne’s younger brothers. The boy is a bit younger than you, but he was an Arryn of the Vale. An alliance between House Velaryon and House Arryn will be beneficial to both sides. The fair-haired girl waited for her to sign and seal her letter before speaking. 

“Forgive me for the interruption, Your Grace,” the girl bowed, “But Princess Y/N was not in her bed this morning.”

Rhaenyra smiled softly. This was not the first time a maid informed her that your bed was empty. “I’m sure it’s nothing,” Rhaenyra said, grabbing another slip of paper, “She must’ve gone for an early morning flight, Helen. She loves riding Starshine in the morning.”

“Yes, Your Grace, but she missed her morning meal as well.”

“She can eat when she comes back.” 

You always came back. Rhaenyra dismissed Helen, then returned to writing the second marriage proposal: to Lord Rickon Stark. He had a son, Cregan, who was roughly your age. House Stark are a noble house and Wardens of the North; you will do well there. She hoped. Rhaenyra knew you had not fully forgiven her or Alicent for breaking the betrothal. She noticed the bouts of sadness you’d have during meals, particularly if they served a dish that reminded you of Aemond. She’d taken a look at your drawings when you didn’t see, and saw that a fair few were of Aemond and Vhagar. Rhaenyra knew what heartache looked like, and she certainly knew how it sounded. She’d forever feel guilty breaking her own daughter’s heart, but the pain would pass with time. You’ll come to see that, in the long run, retracting the pact benefited everyone involved. 

Perhaps you’ll like Rickon’s son, and forget all about Aemond. 

Rhaenyra wrote to Lord Stark, as well as Lords Tully and Manderly. All had sons who would make fine suitors for her only daughter. When she finished, about half past one, she left her chambers for the training yard. She spotted Luke and Jace being trained by the master-at-arms, heeding his instructions and executing them as told. Rhaenyra could never shake the very slight pang in her chest each time she looked at them. They reminded her too much of their father, of Harwin. Especially Jace, who already had his mane of brown curls and nose. Watching them swing swords at straw dummies, she stood on the balcony overhead and looked on quietly. The rumors of their births cannot reach her in these high walls; the whispers and murmurs could not touch them here. Yet, they’d come all the same that night at Drift Mark. Seeing them now, she thought of the insult that resulted in so much bad blood. She regretted now what she’d said about Aemond; suggesting he be questioned rather than cared for. She’d been concerned for her own sons, who’d been attacked, and the dangerous rumors that floated in the room. But, then Rhaenyra imagined how Alicent must’ve been feeling seeing her son maimed. 

Rhaenyra knew her temper. She would’ve picked up that knife too, were she in Alicent’s position.

She’d ordered a bowl of grapes, cheese and wine while she watched over them. Sipping from her wine cup, she’d been clapping for Luke’s strong sword swing when Septa Sarisa appeared. An older woman with a narrow nose, thin lips, and dark eyes, she wore the gray robes of the female clergy. 

“Septa Sarisa,” she said, “How can I help you?”

“I’m afraid it is your daughter, Your Grace,” she replied. “She did not show up for her lessons after breakfast this morning. I spoke to Helen, and the girl says she has not seen her.”

“That’s odd,” Rhaenyra’s brow furrowed, “Y/N isn’t known to skip lessons.” 

“Could she possibly still be flying, Your Grace?”

“Hm, possibly.” 

She looked over the balcony railing and called to her sons, “Boys, have either of you seen your sister?” When they both shook their heads, she turned back to Septa Sarisa, “Perhaps she is flying still. I am sure she’ll turn up, Septa, and when she does I’ll send her to you.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.” 

Rhaenyra planned on having a serious talk with you when you finally returned.  

****

“I have already spoken with Lords Tyrell and Baratheon. They’ve all accepted a possible betrothal for the young prince.” 

Alicent sat on her husband’s left as she told the council her plans for Aemond. Ever since she broke the betrothal between Targaryen and Velaryon, she’d reached out to other noble houses. It saddened her every time she came to see her son, see the eyepatch covering his wound, and know he’ll never be the same. She’d seen him struggle at the dinner table, trying his best not to knock anything over and the neck pains he’d have from twisting his head so much. Maester Orwyle told her he’d eventually learn to cope with his disability, but her heart broke regardless. Aemond. Her sensitive, shy boy who’d only wanted to have a dragon like a “true” Targaryen. What hurt most that night was the realization. 

The realization that her husband, father of her children, will never care for them. His son became permanently damaged, and he did nothing. He cared more about what people said of Rhaenyra’s bastards than what they’d done to her son. Aemond only protected himself against children who’d attacked him first. Her husband did not give a single word of comfort or concern. He’d questioned Aemond, who’d lied to protect her. The only version of the story he’d accepted was the one that Rhaenyra’s sons told him. 

How could she let him marry the sister of such boys? 

“A marriage with House Tyrell can ensure resources are plentiful,” her father said to her. “The Tyrell’s supply a majority of their crops to Westeros; each year. We can use this match to make sure citizens of King’s Landing do not go hungry. Lord Tyrell’s daughter is a lovely maiden.”

“Lord Baratheon,” Lord Beesebury, Master of Coin, spoke up with a quavering voice, “Has four daughters. Two of them are Prince Aemond’s age, but the others are a bit older and have flowered. An alliance with House Baratheon will ensure we have their support should we ever see a time of war.”

“Let us hope it never comes to that,” Viserys said from his seat at the head of the table. 

Alicent did not know how to tell him that the day might come. Rhaenyra will become queen one day, and her stomach churned knowing what that could mean. The men of this world would rather tear it down than have a woman ascend the Iron Throne. She did not doubt Rhaenyra’s abilities; she never would even now. But, with her uncle Daemon at her side and her possible Hand one day, things may become difficult. He will no doubt influence her to murder Alicent’s children, since their claims challenge Rhaenyra’s. Alicent could not let that happen. 

“My lords, Your Grace,” Lord Tyland, Master of Ships, called for their attention, “House Lannister controls all the gold coins in Westeros. Our gold mines are endless and bountiful. May I propose a union between House Lannister and House Targaryen? My brother, Jason, has a daughter close to Prince Aemond’s age.”

Simply speaking about Aemond’s betrothals gave her a headache. Aemond’s recent injury resulted in his sudden spike in temper. He glared at her whenever she mentioned him marrying another girl. She knew he’d grown to love Princess Y/N, and that he’d possibly never love anyone else. Alicent sometimes scoffed when he proclaimed this out loud. He is a boy. He knows nothing of love or romance. She knew, with time, Aemond will eventually forget about you and do his duty to his family. How could he love the girl who’s family permanently damaged him? True, you had not swung the blade, but your brother had. Things would be more complicated if the marriage went forward as planned. This decision is easier for everyone involved. 

“A fine suggestion,” her husband said with a smile. “I heard your niece is something to be envied in Casterly Rock.”

Lord Tyland smiled proudly, “She most certainly is.”

Beauty was one thing, but what about her personality? Was she kind? Generous? Creative or imaginative like Aemond? She’d no doubt be terrified by Vhagar, whom Aemond adored and visited daily. Would Lady Lannister be a good companion for her lonely boy? She hoped so. 

The council meeting ended with Alicent telling Lord Tyland she’d consider his offer. She truly would consider it. Aemond is approaching manhood soon, and will need to marry eventually. She left the council chambers, and decided to go look for him. However, she’d gotten a few steps before Maester Hunt came towards her. 

“Your Grace,” the old maester said to her, “Forgive me but I’m afraid I have urgent news.”

“What’s happened? Is it Aemond?” 

“Partially. I’d gone to Prince Aemond’s quarters to examine his eye, but the boy was not there. I spoke with the maids, and they said his bed was empty this morning.”

“Hm,” she hummed, taking a moment to think, “Aemond wouldn’t miss a treatment. He told me just last night his eye hurt him deeply.” She recalled how the boy nearly cried from the pain in his eye. She’d given him tea to calm him, then kissed him goodnight. “I’ll see where he has gotten off to. He is most likely in the library with his tutor. I will tell him to see you when he is finished.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Alicent changed course and walked towards the library. Aemond might’ve gone to return books he’d borrowed and pick up new ones. When she arrived, she fully expected to find her children sitting with Maester Crowlin and learning about the histories and cultures of Westeros. Instead, she only found Helaena and Aegon. Aegon, who sat with his head in his hand and eyes half open, no doubt nursed a hangover. Helaena paid attention, however, scribbling down notes and listening intently. The seat between them, Aemond’s seat, remained empty. 

“Ah, Your Grace,” Maester Crowlin, a middle-aged man with thinning brown hair, greeted her with a smile. “I was just teaching the Prince and Princess about the houses of The Reach.”

“That’s wonderful, Maester,” she replied politely. She looked to Helaena and Aegon, who snapped awake at the sound of her voice. “Where is your brother?”

“I don’t know,” Helaena replied. 

“How should I know?” Aegon replied, irritably. 

“You should know because you’re the one who was meant to watch him,” she said sharply. “You know things have not been easy since his injury. He needs to be watched.”

“He can do things himself now,” Aegon dismissed. “If he needs so much observation, why not leave him with a guard?”

“Did something happen to Aemond, Mother?” Helaena asked, ignoring Aegon. 

“I hope not. Maester Hunt said he wasn’t in his room, and he needs to have his eye examined.”

“What’s there to examine? He’s already lost it.”

“Aegon!” she snapped, “He is your younger brother. Show a bit of concern.”

“Mother,” Aegon sat up in his seat and faced her. Out of all her children, Aegon resembled her the most. They shared the same nose and face shape. Her father said had he been born with brown hair, he’d be a spitting image of her brother, Gwayne. “Aemond probably snuck out of the palace early this morning and went to the Dragonpit to see Vhagar. Yes, yes, yes, I know he’s supposed to go with me or Helaena, but you know he likes to do things by himself. He’s been especially annoying about it since his accident. I’m sure wherever Aemond is, he’s fine.” When she appeared dissatisfied, he closed his book and groaned, “I’ll go to the Dragonpit and see if he’s there.” 

“I’ll go with you,” Helaena said, closing her own book and standing with him. 

“You don’t have to,” Aegon replied. “I can go by myself.”

“Aemond is my brother as well,” she said. “I want to see if he is alright.”

“Ugh, you women,” Aegon rolled his eyes, “Aemond’s fine. You’ll see.”

Alicent allowed her children to leave. Aegon might be a little reluctant at times, but she’d noticed a very slight change in his behavior towards Aemond. Perhaps he felt guilty for not protecting his brother. Perhaps he realized his constant bullying and teasing caused his younger brother to seek out the largest dragon and claim it as his own, resulting in the fight at Driftmark. She reassured herself that they’d find him. They had to. Where else could he have gone?

***

This was stupid. Aegon sat beside Helaena in the wheelhouse taking them through the city. He’d prefer to have gone alone, since then he can sneak into a tavern for a drink before continuing to the Dragonpit on the hill. Helaena is too soft for the city. She’s too gentle and delicate. Aegon knew the streets of King’s Landing like the back of his hand; if Aemond snuck off somewhere outside the Dragonpit, Aegon could venture alone to find him. Of course, he said none of this to his mother. She already disapproved of his lifestyle; he’d give her no more reasons to scold him. 

“Do you really think he is alright?” Helaena asked him. 

“Yes. He’s probably with Vhagar right now, talking to her or stroking her.”

Aemond loved dragons. He knew everything about them, and wanted one for as long as Aegon could remember. When he claimed Vhagar, Aegon admitted he’d been impressed. He never expected that from him. Vhagar is old, battle-worn, and too large for the world. Only the bravest of riders could’ve claimed her, since it is the dragon who chooses really. It made him realize that Aemond might not be as big of a twat as he’d once thought. Unfortunately, due to his injury, Aemond could not fly Vhagar right away. The Dragon Keepers heavily advised against it, since he needs to adjust to his new vision before doing so. Aegon managed to feel a drop of pity. He knew when he bonded with Sunfyre, he’d wanted to ride the dragon immediately. 

“Things have not been easy for him,” she continued, “Since he lost his sight.”

“He is not blind. He has one eye left.”

“But he still has difficulty regardless. What if he flew Vhagar?”

“He’s not supposed to.”

“When has that stopped Aemond from doing anything?”

He nodded. He supposed his sister was right. He looked over at her, seeing the worry on her face. They’d been married a few months now, and he still had not taken her maidenhead. He couldn’t find it in himself to do it. He didn’t particularly like Helaena in that manner. They share nothing in common. She’d be better suited to Aemond, but his mother insisted on the betrothal. Targaryens have wed brother-to-sister for centuries; it only made sense for the eldest boy to marry his younger sister for blood purity. Aegon honestly tried, but he’d drunk too much at the wedding feast and could not perform his duty. It’d upset his mother considerably. He scanned briefly over her soft features, her dreamy violet eyes and long mane of silver hair. She is not ugly; in fact, quite the opposite. He realized this is one of the few times she spoke to him normally. Usually, she’s spitting out riddles and nonsense he couldn’t decipher. But, that wasn’t important. 

“The Dragon Keepers will have stopped him. They know he cannot fly.”

The wheelhouse went throughout the city until they reached the large doors of The Dragonpit. A tall and wide fortress, Aegon knew down below were tunnels and caves where the dragons lived. The high domed ceiling brought in rays of light inside the dimly lit space. Helaena walked behind him as he approached the doors. Any minute now, they’ll see Aemond with Vhagar, bring him back to the castle, and his mother will be relieved. One of the older Dragon Keepers approached him when he walked into the center of the room. 

“My Prince, welcome. Have you come to see Sunfyre?” he asked in High Valyrian. 

“No. We have come to look for Aemond. He was not in his bed this morning, and our mother is concerned. Is he here?”

“No,” he shook his head. “Prince Aemond has not been here at all today.” 

“Are you certain?” Helaena interrupted. “Our mother deeply worries for him.”

“I am certain, Princess. If Prince Aemond had arrived, we would have known.”

A sense of dread filled the bottom of Aegon’s stomach. “Is Vhagar here?” 

“Vhagar is too big for the caves,” he said. “She often becomes hostile and irritated when left in the caves for too long, so a keeper must have let her out for a flight. But, I assure you, Prince Aemond is not here.” 

“Let us check the caves,” Aegon told him. “He might have broken in when nobody noticed him.”

“I believe that is impossible. We have Keepers patrolling day and night.”

“Aemond is intelligent. He would know how to avoid detection.”

Unable to argue further, the aged Keeper went to round up others for a search party. Aegon could not go back without him. If he did, his mother would assume he hadn’t truly bothered or did not care enough to try. He’d tell her that she was wrong, but she’d never believe him. His mother often thought the worst of him. He did whatever she asked; he defended her whenever anyone spoke ill of her, and stood at her side. Still, she continued to scold and berate him. Nothing he did mattered. So, he must come back with Aemond. He needed to prove that he could do something worthwhile. 

Helaena followed him into the tunnels, each sibling carrying a torch as they walked through. The thick smell of dragons hung in the air, being blown through by gusts of air. Aegon passed each iron door, taking care to mind his steps, and hoped he’d find Aemond somewhere. 

“How do you speak High Valyrian so fluently?” Helaena asked him. 

“What?” he looked at her, surprised by the sudden question. 

“Valyrian. You speak it well. How? You hardly pay attention in lessons, but you speak it just as well as Aemond.”

Pink filled Aegon’s cheeks, but he hid them by facing forward. “I…” his stomach churned thinking about it, “I guess I picked it up quickly.”

Not completely truthful. Aegon studied High Valyrian, the language of his ancestors, in hopes of impressing his father. He knew about his father’s fascination with Old Valyria, and thought if he learned it quick enough, he might receive some sort of praise. Instead, his father simply acknowledged it. It’d been the only time Aegon showed any interests in his studies, and his father did not care. Aegon always thought he’d been the only one Viserys disliked. Aemond and Helaena stuck more to Targaryen traditions than he did. They did not disappoint anyone like he did. But, when Aemond lost his eye and his father’s true favoritism showed, he realized it was not only him. His father did not care about any of them. He did not like them. They are not offspring from his first wife, the beloved Queen Aemma, so they aren’t important. 

Aegon learned that night that his mother, sister and brother were all he had left. 

“You speak it very well,” she said, getting closer behind him. 

“Thank you.”

Aegon noticed, as they walked, they were alone. Usually, they are surrounded by people, and Aegon has an excuse to avoid her. But right now, in the empty tunnels and caves, it was only them. He gulped, smelling a hint of her perfume in the air. 

“I don’t think Aemond is here,” she told him. “We would have found him by now.”

He conceded. She was right. “Wonderful,” he sighed, “What am I supposed to tell Mother? That I failed to do the one thing she expected of me….again?”

“This isn’t a failure,” Helaena reasoned. 

“We came here to find Aemond. We didn’t find Aemond. I’d consider that a failure, wouldn’t you?”

“Well,” she hesitated, following him as he started his way back, “Perhaps he’s somewhere else in the city. He could’ve tried to come here on his own and gotten lost. We can go into the city to find him.”

He snorted, “You going into King’s Landing?”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re too…”

“‘Too’ what?”

He heard the firmness in her soft tone. “There are places in the city that noblewomen like you shouldn’t go to,” he said. “It’s better if I go on my own. Maybe send the City Watch to look for him. But you, Sister, must go back to the keep. You can tell Mother that I went to find him.”

Maybe then she’ll be happy with him for once. 

****

Alicent spent most of her afternoon waiting for Aegon and Helaena to return. She hoped with Helaena by his side, Aegon may actually stay on task and not be distracted. It is usually a gamble sending Aegon to do anything, since he normally came back without having done it. Sitting in her apartment, she found it difficult to eat or focus on anything else. She tried busying herself with her daily tasks: figuring out more marriage proposals, joining prayer at the palace sept, and tending to her household. She hoped if she kept her mind occupied, time would pass quickly and she’d have Aemond home soon. Yet, as the hours went on, she’d yet to receive word from Aegon or Helaena. She immediately felt guilty for asking them to go. She should have sent Ser Criston with them, but she’d tasked him with having the Kingsguard search the castle. Aemond could have easily gone down into the dungeons or be holed up somewhere else. She prayed they found him soon. 

She’d been staring off into her fireplace, twirling her necklace between her fingers absentmindedly, when the door opened. She spotted Helaena first, her breath catching in her throat. 

“Helaena,” she moved over to her, clasping both her daughter’s hands, “Have you found him?”

“I’m afraid not, Mother,” she said sadly. “The Dragon Keepers say they did not see him, and he was not in any of the dragon dens. Aegon went with the City Watch to look for him.”

“Aegon? Aegon is still searching?” she asked in disbelief. 

“Yes,” she nodded. “He said Aemond might have gotten lost in the city, and he knows it better than me. He ordered the commander to have his men look for him, while he went on ahead to Flea Bottom.”

Alicent groaned. King’s Landing is a hub of distractions for her son. She knew he’d eventually stop looking, find a brothel or tavern, and drink the night away. He’d come stumbling back, drunk and absent his brother still. She plopped down onto her couch, poured herself a glass of wine, and drank. If Aemond is in the city, she hated to think of what might befall him. He might be mugged or assaulted. He might be murdered. She pictured a group of men hauling her son away, and trembled. Tears started to well in her eyes, while Helaena looked uncertain of what to do. Helaena. So sweet and kind, yet so unsure of certain social customs. She might have been a good match for Aemond, but Alicent wanted so badly to avoid her marrying Jace, she gave her to Aegon. She gazed outside to see the sun still in the sky. It is not too late. Aemond might come back on his own. 

He was always the clever one. 

“Your Grace,” Ser Criston appeared next, giving her a bow when addressing her. 

“Ser Criston,” she breathed, putting her cup down to walk over to him, “Have you found him?”

“I’m afraid not, My Queen,” he replied apologetically. “We searched the entire keep and found no sign of Prince Aemond.” 

She groaned in despair. “Where could he have gone?” she asked him, her composure starting to slip. “Aemond is not one to stray away from home. He never leaves the Keep except for the Dragonpit. Why would he leave and not tell me?” 

She paced. Her nerves refused to let her sit any longer. Briefly, she thought of Rhaenyra, who’d tell her to breathe deeply and bring back her focus. She’d felt it slipping so often these days. Losing Aemond had only worsened the anxiety in her bones. She suddenly started picking at her nail beds, but immediately stopped herself. 

“The Prince will be found, Your Grace,” Ser Criston said gently. “Prince Aemond is a smart and capable young man. I’m sure wherever he is, he is safe.”

“We do not know that,” she cried. “We do not know because he is not here. He…” she breathed deeply again, “He must be so frightened.”

“He is fine,” Ser Criston reached for her, and brought her over to sit. “Hopefully, Prince Aegon will return with good news.”

“Or drunk.”

“Aegon would not drink now,” he insisted. “Not when his brother is missing.”

“You do not know Aegon.”

“I know that he cares for his little brother,” he said, “And you and Helaena. You are all he has. I trust Prince Aegon is doing his best to find Aemond right now. We must practice patience and wait for news.”

She’d done her waiting. Far too much of it. She would not be satisfied until her son came home. 

****

Rhaenyra stood on her balcony overlooking the ocean. Her eyes stared right at the darkening clouds ahead of her. Rays of yellow and orange broke through the thinner clouds, while night time began overcoming them. Nobody saw you all day. Septa Sarisa said you never showed up for any of your lessons. Maester Gerardys said you hadn’t visited him today. Jace and Luke said they had not seen you either. She’d sent the household guard to search throughout the castle, but no sign of you was found. Rhaenyra could not help imagining the worst. 

You’d run away. 

“Rhaenyra?” she heard Laenor call gently behind her. 

“The sun is almost going down,” she told him, sniffing back worried tears. “She always comes home before sundown. She doesn’t like flying at night. She says it’s harder to see.” 

“I’m sure she’ll be home soon,” he comforted, putting his hands on her shoulders. “You know our little dove. She gets carried away when she rides.”

“She does love her adventures.”

It was true. It wasn’t uncommon of you to take long trips, and come back with treasures or stories for your brothers. Lords and ladies often spoke of seeing Starshine soaring through the skies above them or the young princess showing up at their doorsteps with her dragon. They commented that you were a courteous guest, who never overstayed her welcome. You liked being free in a world where you’re given so little of it. Rhaenyra never scolded you. Westeros may one day become yours; you should know its people. But, you always came home. That was the one thread of hope she clung on to. 

Laenor saw the concern, and said, “If she is not home in an hour, I will send men into the village to look for her. She might have lost track of the time in a pub or a pot shop there.”

You didn’t drink. You are far too young for ale or wine. But, you did enjoy the songs, the people, and the stories. She knew you talked to certain people in the small village below. It was another freedom Rhaenyra let you explore at your leisure. Her father let her have those small bits, so she let you have them as well. Rhaenyra consented to this, and decided she’d dress for dinner. Her lady-in-waiting helping her, she imagined where you might be right now. She smiled thinking of you sitting on a bartop in your riding leathers, listening to a bard play a raunchy song you’re too young to understand. You’ll be talking with the barmaids or the barman, asking curious questions about commoners’ lives. You might find a group of sailors who recognized you, who’d tell you stories from across The Narrow Sea. If anything, with the Gods’ favor, you might’ve run into a man from Driftmark, who will bring you to Dragonstone safely. 

Rhaenyra arrived for dinner, and saw Jace and Luke sitting with Laenor. She’d fed Joffrey already, and left him to sleep in his cradle. Her eyes swept over the table over and over as if she might’ve missed you somewhere. 

“Y/N-” she began to say but Laenor stopped her. 

“I sent men into the village,” he said. “They’ll come back with her, I’m sure of it.” 

“Mother,” Luke spoke when she sat down, “Did Y/N run away?”

“Of course not,” she assured him. “Why would your sister run away? Her home and her family are here.”

“She cried a lot when you told her she wouldn’t marry Aemond,” he replied, sticking his fork into a thick slice of beef. He tried cutting it on his own, but Laenor came to his aid. “What if she ran away to King’s Landing?”

“Your sister wouldn’t do that. She’s most likely in the village, like your father said.”

“What if she’s not?”

This question came from Jace. She saw the sullenness in his face, and frowned. “She is. Don’t worry about your sister,” she said to them, “She’s a strong girl. She can handle herself.”

Rhaenyra forced herself to swallow her own words. You might be a girl, but you are strong. You ride the fastest dragon of the clan; the Dragon Keepers told her a rider needs a specific kind of strength for that. You stand up and face things, rather than sit down and take them. If you are lost somewhere, you will make your way back home. Rhaenyra told herself if you did not appear by morning, she’ll take Syrax and look for you herself. She distracted herself with her husband and sons, anxiously awaiting news from one of the guards in the village. It wasn’t like you to be so late. 

***

They didn’t find him. Aegon returned to her as the night grew darker, sweaty with his hair tied from his face, stinking of the city, and without Aemond. Her stomach dropped. She thought she might be sick. Alicent plopped back onto her couch, no longer interested in the food on the table nearby. One plate was picked at, while the other untouched. She had the cook make Aemond’s favorite dinner, as if the Gods might bring him back to her if she did this. Her father stood nearby, silent and concerned as she wept. 

“I will have the men keep looking,” he told her, putting an arm around her shoulders. “Aemond cannot have gone far. Even if he did, he’d come home soon. He’s a good boy.”

Yes, a good boy. Her good boy. Her son. Images of Aemond in various disastrous scenarios filled her head, and she stopped herself from sobbing. Aemond’s disability only made things worse. The world did not build itself for a boy missing an eye, and it will not adjust either. 

“He must be in so much pain, Father,” she wept, tears watering her eyes, “His eye…It pains him so…How is he going to manage without his medicine? He must be suffering so much.” 

“Aemond is fine,” he assured her again. “Alicent,” he turned her to face him, “Aemond is a strong, smart, capable boy. He will come home.”

“Aemond’s not dim-witted,” Aegon chimed in. When they looked at him, he continued, “I mean to say that he will not go into situations blindly. He’s cautious.”

“I will send word to lords nearby,” her father told her, standing up, “And tell them to keep an eye out for the prince.”

“Psh, tell them to search the skies, if they must,” Aegon scoffed. “Aemond wouldn’t go anywhere without Vhagar.” 

“The Dragon Keepers told you nothing of the beast?” Her father asked him. 

“Only that she doesn’t fit in the dragonpit, so they release her from time to time. They say she most likely was let out by a keeper…” 

Her father studied her son, “And you believe differently?”

“I think Aemond snuck out of the keep sometime during the night when the rest of us slept,” he began, “And made his way to the dragonpit. King’s Landing at midnight is the perfect time for a prince to go walking about without being noticed, and Aemond is short. He can easily be overlooked. He cannot get into the dragonpit without alerting anyone, so he must’ve waited until they released Vhagar. Then it is a matter of waiting for her to land. Aemond calls her when he needs her, and she obeys.”

Alicent looked upon him in surprise. Aegon is often fully in his cups by night time, so he isn’t much use to anyone. She’d fully expected to hear he’d lost himself in a pleasure house or a tavern, but he’d come to give his report himself, fully sober. It comforted her that even if he pretended otherwise, Aegon did care in his own way. She loved that about him. 

“Are you saying he’s run away?” her father asked him. 

“It is a possibility. Otherwise, where is he and why has he not come home? Aemond would have at least left a note or given worse of his whereabouts to not upset Mother,” he answered. He watched both of them for a moment and said, “I’ll take Sunfyre and go searching in the morning.”

“Aegon, that is not my wish,” she stood up and walked to him. “If something ill has befallen your brother, I do not wish for it to happen to you.”

“I will be fine, Mother. I know the city and the lands around it,” he then gave a reassuring smile, “I pay attention in lessons occasionally.”

She gave him a soft smile, caressing his cheek. Moments like this were rare and few in between, but she cherished each one. Her eldest. Her wildest, most reckless child. The boy who is prone to distractions, libations, and indulgences. She kissed his cheek, then released him. 

“I will go with him,” said Helaena, who’d stopped sewing to speak. 

“You do not-” Aegon began but was quickly cut off by Helaena.

“-I will,” she said firmly, staring at Aegon. “Aemond needs all of us, not just you.” 

Yes, he needed them all. 

***

She’s majestic. Aemond could not think of any other word; it fit her perfectly. Laying in the grass outside the little shack, a blanket of darkness went over the sky so it was dotted with stars. Aemond rarely saw the stars in King’s Landing; the city lights and tall towers blotted them out. Yet, here in this quiet island devoid of people, he saw every single one. He enjoyed connecting them together to make his own constellations and shapes. Then, he realized he’ll only ever see half the sky again. 

“Do you think anyone is worried about us?” you asked him. 

“I’m sure my mother is,” he answered. “She has been very…suffocating lately. She made Helaena and Aegon watch over me all the time; she never lets me out of her sight and is always fussing over me.”

“She only cares about you.”

“But it becomes bothersome,” he replied. “Your mother must be worried about you too.”

“She will be, I suspect.” You both sat in silence for a while, then you asked, “Aemond?”

“Hm?”

“Do you think they’ll ever find us?”

Aemond would rather imagine anything else. Their little island is not too far from Driftmark, he knew. It’s possible a passing ship might see Vhagar or Starshine flying around and tell Lord Corlys, your grandfather. He knew both your families will find you soon. It was honestly only a matter of time. His hand grasped yours absentmindedly. 

“It’s possible,” he said, not wanting to lie to you. Aemond wished he could; he wanted you to be in the here and now with him, not in the miserable future. “I hope they never do. My mother wants to betroth me to someone else.” If he never went back, then he couldn’t marry another girl. “She told me she’s found girls she thinks will suit me well.” He turned to see your stony face, eyes flared slightly with jealousy. “But, I don’t like any of them. Truthfully. I’ve never met any of them before.”

“What if she marries you to Floris Baratheon?”

“Who’s that?”

“One of Lord Borros’s daughters. She’s said to be very pretty.”

“My mother could marry me to the prettiest girl in the world, and I still wouldn’t like her as much.”

This made you smile softly, turning your head to look at his. He loved how your eyes glimmered when you looked at him. It made such a difference from those he received at home. 

At home, people turned their heads whenever he walked past. Even if he wore his eyepatch, they knew what laid underneath it and it disgusted them. His mother told him wearing the patch will protect his socket from any further damage, but he knew the real reason. Such a hideous scar churned the stomachs of most proper ladies. They saw his injury and looked away, pretending not to notice the wound starting above his brow and down to his cheek. What girl would want to marry him when he was missing parts? An important part, he might add. It made living so much harder. All the skills he’d learned from Ser Criston with both eyes, he must relearn with only one. Ser Criston, thankfully, is an understanding teacher, who has taught him new maneuvers and techniques to use against well-visioned opponents. 

He’d begun to ask if you wanted a cinnamon bread he’d brought with him before a stabbing pain came to his eye. Aemond bolted upright, cupping the pain surging in his socket. It throbbed. It ached. He gritted his teeth. He ripped off his eyepatch and put his palm to the wound. They’d taken the stitches off already, removing the eyelid since he no longer needed it, so the socket remained empty. He growled through his pain, hardly hearing anything you said. His normal eye started to tear up. No. No, you can’t see him cry. You can’t see him like this. Quickly, he ran away towards the trees. He heard you calling after him, but he continued running. The forest was darker at night, so he couldn't see with his regular eye. 

“Aemond, wait!” he heard your voice echo through the forest. “Please, wait! Aemond, it’s not safe-”

He hadn’t seen the tree. Aemond charged right into the trunk on his left side, the force knocking him onto his back and making his shoulder burn. He had not dislodged it, but the pain still burned. Aemond curled into a ball on the ground, clutching his eye and weeping. He heard your footsteps disturbing the twigs and leaves on the ground until you knelt beside him. 

“Aemond,” you said softly, persuading him to sit up. He heard you uncork a bottle, “Drink this, please. It’ll help you feel better.”

Milk of the poppy. He’d stolen it from the maester’s stores before he left, but he hoped not to need it. Aemond sat up shakily, gingerly taking the bottle and sipping it. The herbal milk thickly coated his tongue, yet he still drank it. In a few minutes, his pain would subside, but the throbbing pain of his socket continued to plague him. 

“I’m…I’m sorry,” he said to you, drawing his knees to his chin and not looking at you. “It…It still hurts sometimes.”

“I’m so sorry, Aemond,” he felt your delicate fingers brush through his hair. “I’m sorry this happened to you.” 

“It’s not your fault.”

“But, it’s my family’s fault you’re suffering this way now.”

Aemond thought about that night. He’d felt so confident; he’d finally claimed his dragon, and you’d be in love with him for sure. Aemond remembered thinking he might kiss you the next time he saw you. Then, your brothers and cousins ruined it. They’d attacked him when all he’d done was claim a dragon. The other riders taunted him for not having one. He thought it only made sense to have that same behavior. Why was it alright for them to bully him, but not for him to bully others? They’d maimed him, and never said they were sorry. His own father did not care. 

“Here,” you handed him his eyepatch, “You dropped this.”

“Thank you.”

He turned his head and placed it back on his head. He didn’t want you to see it. If you saw it, you’d be disgusted with him and leave. Aemond already hated seeing the wound itself in mirrors; he hated imagining your face when you did. 

Slowly, you and Aemond walked back to the house. You let him rest on the bed rolls that replaced the bug-infested straw mattress, while you made a fire in the hearth. Soon, warm light spilled from the fireplace and filled a part of the house. Aemond wondered how people lived in such small houses. You suspected a family once lived here, since you’d found broken toys behind a divider with a rotting bassinet. The back door led to a small campfire with a spit hanging over it, a rack for hanging animal skins implied that they must’ve hunted for their food. It must’ve been a simple living. People in King’s Landing navigated dangerous back alleys and streets, while people on this island lived quiet lives. Seeing you standing by the firelight, he realized he might like living this way. No servants whispering and spying on him. No fretful mother or indifferent father. He could live this way with you for as long as he could. 

“Is it better?” you asked carefully, coming towards the bed. 

“A bit,” he said. 

You’d gone behind the wooden divider to change into your nightgown, a long dress that ended at your ankles. A cool breeze blew in through the open windows, combatting the warmth of the fire. Aemond’s cheeks grew hot when you slipped underneath the blankets faintly smelled of dragon; he remained on top to avoid your bodies touching. You still snuggled close to him, the closest your body has ever been to his. 

“Isn’t it uncomfortable?” you asked. “Wearing the patch to sleep?”

“No,” he fibbed. He normally didn’t wear it to bed, but his stomach tightened taking it off in front of you. 

“You don’t have to hide it from me.” The words broke the silence that’d grown between you. He caught you gazing at the patch. “I won’t think any less of you for it.” 

When he did not respond, you gingerly reached forward. His entire body stiffened as you gently removed the patch. He sensed the gasp you withheld. An empty hole remained where his eye once was; the dark, scarred tissue around the socket made for an unpleasant sight. It disgusted him sometimes. The heat of tears rushed up his neck to his face, causing him to bury it in the pillow. He wished you’d never removed it. 

“I’m a monster,” he sniffled, not looking at you. “You wish to marry a monster.”

“You’re not a monster, Aemond. You’re strong and brave and smart. Very smart and very brave.” 

“Please, do not lie to me.”

“I never have,” you insisted, scooting towards him. The warmth of your body under the thin sheet spread over his own. “Aemond,” you slipped your hand under his cheek so he looked at you, “You’re the only one out of all of us who approached Vhagar…Vhagar, the oldest and mightest dragon of them all. You bonded with her because…because she sensed your courage and strength. Vhagar is too big for the dragonpit, so I think she’s sort of gotten used to being alone. When you approached her, she might have seen that you were lonely too, and wanted you as her rider.” Your thumb wiped the tear going down his temple, “I do not care if you’re whole or not, I still am…fond of you.”

‘Fond’. You’re ‘fond’ of him. You’d never love him; not now that he’d lost his eye. It’ll keep you from loving him completely. Every dream he had of you suddenly vanished, and he cried again. The thoughts he once envisioned of you two being like Jaeheryes and Alysanne would forever remain daydreams. How could you possibly love him when he looked like this? He blamed your brothers. They’d attacked him, and were never punished. They didn’t want him to marry you, so they took his eye. Now, the words ‘I love you, Aemond’ will never fall from your lips. 

You put your arms around him as he laid on his back, the sheet still separating you, and you let him cry. He forced himself to keep them quiet, but his shaking body gave him away. Neither of you said anything, yet your gentle squeeze of assurance soon quieted him. Finally, the medicine started working its magic, and he soon fell to sleep beside you. 

****

A/N: Awww, poor Aemond! Poor everybody really. These kids really have everyone worried, but they only want to be together <3 I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you guys liked it! Thanks for reading, as always.

[atopvisenyashill]

The Magic Users Before Old Valyria, Part One: Magical Nuclear Fallout

i am positive this post has been made before but i'm making it anyway because it's eating away at my brain so let's gooooo.

We are delving into a fever dream that Dany has in AGOT, that will take us to the Pre-Valyrian magical users and their link to Valyria.

so in Dany's fever dream in AGOT, she has a vision of her ancestors:

Ghosts lined the hallway, dressed in the faded raiment of kings. In their hands were swords of pale fire. They had hair of silver and hair of gold and hair of platinum white, and their eyes were opal and amethyst, tourmaline and jade.

They look just like other Valyrians - hair of gold, white, and silver with funky colored eyes.

But note the exact gems mentioned! In TWOIAF, we get a little background on Yi Ti and their belief system. read here:

[In the beginning] a single realm ruled by the God-on-Earth, the only begotten son of the Lion of Night and Maiden-Made-of-Light, who traveled about his domains in a palanquin carved from a single pearl and carried by a hundred queens, his wives. For ten thousand years the Great Empire of the Dawn flourished in peace and plenty under the God-on-Earth, until at last he ascended to the stars to join his forebears.

Dominion over mankind then passed to his eldest son, who was known as the Pearl Emperor and ruled for a thousand years. The Jade Emperor, the Tourmaline Emperor, the Onyx Emperor, the Topaz Emperor, and the Opal Emperor followed in turn, each reigning for centuries…

When the daughter of the Opal Emperor succeeded him as the Amethyst Empress, her envious younger brother cast her down and slew her, proclaiming himself the Bloodstone Emperor and beginning a reign of terror. He practiced dark arts, torture, and necromancy, enslaved his people, took a tiger-woman for his bride, feasted on human flesh, and cast down the true gods to worship a black stone that had fallen from the sky.

Opal, Amethyst, Tourmaline, and Jade Emperors, just like her ancestors. It's not a huge stretch to say that likely, Dany, and therefore Valyrians as a whole (or at the least the Dragon Riders of Valyria) are the remnants of this ancient empire, The Great Empire of the Dawn, the same way that the Ghiscari culture is the remnant of Old Ghis - changed a bit, but with many similarities passed down amongst its people.

But who exactly is this civilization and how did they eventually turn into the Valyrians? Well, let's keep continuing with that passage about the Bloodstone Emperor:

In the annals of the Further East, it was the Blood Betrayal, as his usurpation is named, that ushered in the age of darkness called the Long Night…How long the darkness endured no man can say, but all agree that it was only when a great warrior—known variously as Hyrkoon the Hero, Azor Ahai, Yin Tar, Neferion, and Eldric Shadowchaser—arose to give courage to the race of men and lead the virtuous into battle with his blazing sword Lightbringer that the darkness was put to rout, and light and love returned once more to the world.

Basically, the people of Yi Ti believe that the Great Empire of the Dawn stretched far across the globe, and that when the Bloodstone Emperor usurped his niece, The Amethyst Empress, potentially using some weird blood magic, it caused the Long Night and the collapse of the Great Empire of the Dawn.

I think that this blood magic he was messing around with was, to use a metaphor, basically a magic nuclear bomb and I think ground zero for this - and therefore the capital of the Great Empire of the Dawn - is Asshai-by-the-Shadow. It's very notable that Asshai is so old its people don't even know what its origins are:

The ancient port of Asshai stands at the end of a long wedge of land, on the point where the Jade Sea meets the Saffron Straits. Its origins are lost in the mists of time. Even the Asshai’i do not claim to know who built their city; they will say only that a city has stood here since the world began and will stand here until it ends. Few places in the known world are as remote as Asshai, and fewer are as forbidding. Travelers tell us that the city is built entirely of black stone: halls, hovels, temples, palaces, streets, walls, bazaars, all. Some say as well that the stone has a greasy, unpleasant feel to it, that it seems to drink the light, dimming tapers and torches and hearth fires alike.

Note that last part, about the city being built from black stone - Valyria is well known for having Weird, Cool Architecture that involves black stone, fused together by dragon fire. From ADWD prologue:

Across the wide blue expanse of the Rhoyne, he could see the Black Wall that had been raised by the Valyrians when Volantis was no more than an outpost of their empire: a great oval of fused stone two hundred feet high and so thick that six four-horse chariots could race around its top abreast, as they did each year to celebrate the founding of the city.

and again from Tyrion's POV:

The gateway to the Long Bridge was a black stone arch carved with sphinxes, manticores, dragons, and creatures stranger still. Beyond the arch stretched the great span that the Valyrians had built at the height of their glory, its fused stone roadway supported by massive piers. 

And one more time F&B/The Princess and the Queen, when Aegon and Sunfyre on are Dragonstone:

Sunfyre’s scales still shone like beaten gold in the sunlight, but as he sprawled across the fused black Valyrian stone of the yard, it was plain to see that he was a broken thing, he who had been the most magnificent dragon ever to fly the skies of Westeros

rip to the hottest dragon in westeros.

It's very much a Valyrian thing, this fused black stone...yet the entirety of Asshai is built with black stone, even though the city predates Valyria, and the black stone of Asshai is just a little different - a greasy, unpleasant feeling. I think that this greasy feeling comes from the remnants of the magic that caused the Long Night - going back to that idea of a magical nuclear bomb which is poisoning the land the way radiation does. I think this because there are actually several ancient cities of mysterious origin with black stone and a greasy, oily feeling to them, all of which seem to have suffered some sort of magical nuclear fallout the way Asshai has, and they're all not too far from each other either:

The Idol on the Isle of Toads in the Basilisk Isles

Ruins found upon the Isle of Tears, the Isle of Toads, and Ax Island hint at some ancient civilization, but little is now known of these vanished men of the Dawn Age. If any still survived when the first corsairs settled on the islands, they were soon put to the sword, so no trace of them now remains … save perhaps upon the Isle of Toads…

On the Isle of Toads can be found an ancient idol, a greasy black stone crudely carved into the semblance of a gigantic toad of malignant aspect, some forty feet high. The people of this isle are believed by some to be descended from those who carved the Toad Stone, for there is an unpleasant fishlike aspect to their faces, and many have webbed hands and feet. If so, they are the sole surviving remnant of this forgotten race.

The Five Forts

The Five Forts are very old, older than the Golden Empire itself; some claim they were raised by the Pearl Emperor during the morning of the Great Empire to keep the Lion of Night and his demons from the realms of men … and indeed, there is something godlike, or demonic, about the monstrous size of the forts, for each of the five is large enough to house ten thousand men, and their massive walls stand almost a thousand feet high.

Certain scholars from the west have suggested Valyrian involvement in the construction of the Five Forts, for the great walls are single slabs of fused black stone that resemble certain Valyrian citadels in the west … but this seems unlikely, for the Forts predate the Freehold’s rise, and there is no record of any dragonlords ever coming so far east.

The Ancient City of Yeen

Maesters and other scholars alike have puzzled over the greatest of the engimas of Sothoryos, the ancient city of Yeen. A ruin older than time, built of oily black stone, in massive blocks so heavy that it would require a dozen elephants to move them, Yeen has remained a desolation for many thousands of years, yet the jungle that surrounds it on every side has scarce touched it.

And even more suspicious is the fact that Sothoryos, where Yeen is located, is known for its large wyvern population:

Most terrible of all are the wyverns, those tyrants of the southern skies, with their great leathery wings, cruel beaks, and insatiable hunger. Close kin to dragons, wyverns cannot breathe fire, but they exceed their cousins in ferocity and are a match for them in all other respects save size.

Now there's different stories on how dragons came to be, but most interesting to me is what the Asshai'i claim:

The Valyrians themselves claimed that dragons sprang forth as the children of the Fourteen Flames, while in Qarth the tales state that there was once a second moon in the sky. One day this moon was scalded by the sun and cracked like an egg, and a million dragons poured forth. In Asshai, the tales are many and confused, but certain texts—all impossibly ancient—claim that dragons first came from the Shadow, a place where all of our learning fails us. These Asshai’i histories say that a people so ancient they had no name first tamed dragons in the Shadow and brought them to Valyria, teaching the Valyrians their arts before departing from the annals.

Septon Barth later writes that he believes Valyrians used wyverns and blood magic to make dragons:

In Septon Barth’s Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns, he speculated that the bloodmages of Valyria used wyvern stock to create dragons. Though the bloodmages were alleged to have experimented mightily with their unnatural arts, this claim is considered far-fetched by most maesters, among them Maester Vanyon’s Against the Unnatural contains certain proofs of dragons having existed in Westeros even in the earliest of days, before Valyria rose to be a power.

So to sum up basically:

Dany's vision shows us her ancestors, who are almost definitely the rulers of the Great Empire of the Dawn

We know several cities - Asshai, Yeen, the Isle of Toads - that have an architectural resemblance to the fused black stone that the Valyrians used, but their structures predate Valyria.

We know Septon Barth believes dragons were made through blood magic with wyverns as a base stock and that there are a lot of wyverns in one of these ancient places, Sothoryos/Yeen, where the black stone architecture is found.

The people of Yi Ti believe that a magical calamity of some sort caused the Long Night.

THEREFORE: The Great Empire of the Dawn had its capital in Asshai, and used blood magic to start the Long Night (by accident, most likely), which caused a huge magical calamity that affected the entire world, and while their people never recovered from it, they brought their magical knowledge with them to their new home in Valyria, where they made more black fused stone architecture and turned their wyverns into dragons. Meanwhile, the "ground zero" for much of this magical calamity still experiences the magical fallout of this calamity.

OKAY. That's part one because this is getting super long winded. Part Two will be....JUST HOW BIG WAS THE GREAT EMPIRE OF THE DAWN ANYWAY?

[cloverandstuff]

I'm rewatching Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood cause it's been literally a decade since I've watched it.

So cheers, I have a reaction thread (because I'm a sentimental bitch)

Episode 1:

God, I've forgotten how it immediately just got to the action in the first episode. Like, it set up everything and gave a glimpse of nearly all important character.

Poor Isaac, was probably manipulated, but ultimately led himself to his own demise. Very bold though.

And god, I think I was too depressed at the time of watching it, but the Eldric brother's backstory was so painful with that small glimpse.

Episode 2:

I cannot for the life of me understand why this shit didn't affect me as much as it should've as a kid. It might've depression that numbed my emotions, but I guess we'll never know.

Anyway, my point is, this is is traumatizing, and that's me saying this as an adult. The backstory and the short glimpses of the mom, as well as the clear love and dedication they had for her? The way that Ed didn't even hesitate to try and find more truth? The way he dragged himself, bleeding leg and all, to the armor to shove it down, and connect his brothers soul to it???

And god, the way I just kept whisper-shouting when they came to recruit him, cause I didn't remember shit, going-

But man, as someone is is now so much older than Ed is in the anime, they make him act a kid. A very smart, powerful and purposeful kid, but a kid nonetheless. He's so young and you can just feel it in the little things he does. He does not have his shit together and is still figuring some shit out.

Episode 3:

I love the comedy this anime has. It has the funny little pauses and the interuption of what should be serious moments without ruining the actual serious moments.

It is exactly my cup of tea, with a silly joke that just poked fun at a kid or being, well. A kid. He's small, and that joke may remind He's small but I can also remind you that he is so much younger than his peers.

I am an atheist so I do have the same kinda mindset about God that Edward has. Rose has this sort of annoying mindset of God and his priests being this answer to all suffering and anyone who disagrees will suffer divine Punishment. It is frustrating at the start.

But I can fully understand where she's coming from by the end. She clung onto this hope, this prayer that someone she loved so much will eventually be revived. Rose then meets the brothers who lost someone they loved, and tried to being back as well. She saw the consequences and felt terrified. But she spent so long just clinging onto this hope that she desperately wants it to be true. So she argues, trying to convince herself that Cornella was telling the truth and she didn't waste so long praying for something that didn't exist.

People can find comfort in the idea of God(s). The idea that there is someone looking after everyone and offering guidance is reassuring for some.

That was not Rose's situation.

Rose's situation is more akin to having a loved one suffering from a terminal disease and convincing yourself that prayers and God will be able to do what science could not. You can not pray for the impossible. You can pray for hope, for guidance or for even a fast recovery. But you need to understand that even if you wish for something impossible, you cannot spend your life wasting away on these prayers and refuse to do anything else.

Rose needed to stop clinging in general because she was clinging on to something impossible that compelled her to try and attempt awful things. She needed to learn to stand on her own. Maybe she could one day find hope in God again, but it wouldn't be anytime soon.

Man, I went on a rant there.

Anyway, I just wanted to type all that put because my mind just felt like analysing for a bit.

I forgot what the philosopher stone even did until now. I remembered that it was powerful but I that was about it. Now I remember, it was shit about defying the rule of absolute equivalence.

I am kinda happy I forgot majority of the lore of this anime, it makes it fun to put all the pieces together again as an adult who can process things and analyse better.

Episode 4:

This hurts.

This hurts so much. They were so happy, and acting like actual kids. They played all sorts of games with Nina and Alexander. It was so bright. They were so bright.

But Tucker, the motherfucker, only saw what he was bound to lose instead of what he had. He tried to work his way through it, but eventually just gave up.

My heart sank when I heard him ask Nina to play the next day. It broke even more when heard Nina say, in that voice that doesn't belong to a kid, "onii-chan".

He sacrificed everything just to save his title pf State Alchemist. He gave up his wife and then his daughter and the respect of these kids.

God, I hate him. I understand him and his desperation and I hate him.

Scar is back though. We love scar man. He's weird but core to the story and has every right to hate State Alchemists.

Again, when I was a kid, I didn't feel much. This episode never hit me as hard as it does now. Back then, I though the Eldric brothers were being dramatic about the whole thing.

Now it just strikes me so hard how fucked up it wad to be willing to experiment on your own kid for a stupid title. To mutate her into an existence that was nothing like her human one.

Brotherhood didn't make it blatantly, but it was mentioned time and again, just how painful it was to be a chimera in the original. Nina was in pain and Tucker knew this.

I fully understand why this hurt the Eldric brothers so much now. That was horrid. And to be able to even see a semblance of yourself in that was painful.

[lovelymessybubbly]

I binge read fullmetal alchemist about 2 weeks ago, and I absolutely fell in love with the story and all the characters.

I headcanon that Winry would be the best ler, like she could wreck the hell out of eldric brothers, but she's also the sweetest.

She helps remind Al that he's still human and comforts him when he has nightmares about being stuck in old metal body or feels like he's not making enough progress in alchemy.

She's constantly tickling Ed when he thinks that he's not useful anymore without alchemy. Not to mention, I'd imagine those areas where scars would be from losing his arm and leg would be pretty sensitive.

My favorite character is hands down Greed/Lin. Like he would be a great ler but also a fantastic lee bc man's spend so much time thinking he wants everything, but he just wants friends, so there's no better bonding technique. In short, he needs to get wrecked but also wreck the hell out of someone bc they said they loved to laugh, so he wants to keep them laughing, right? The switchiest of switches.

I have so many thoughts, okay

ahhh i am so excited you loved it, it is so so good, right ??? (੭ु˶˭̵̴⃙⃚⃘᷄ᗢ˭̴̵⃙⃚⃘᷅˶)੭ु⁾⁾~ the wide variety of unique characters was one of the main charm points to me, as well.

all your thoughts are spot on hehe; winry always struck me the same way, since she is so compassionate and kindhearted, yet has that bit of feistiness and stubbornness. tickling seems like it would be a sort of “tough love” tactic to her lol. like, digging into ed’s armpits every time he catches an attitude, or pinning al to the ground and scribbling all over his tummy after he expresses doubt in himself. just a very “hey !! listen up !! you are wonderful !!” sort of ordeal lol.

and i totally agree about greed uwehh, he does have a super switch personality just based on his desire to have EVERYTHING lol. and his time spent in ling’s body must have only heightened those instincts; before, he surely would have been a total ler, the devious bastard, but after being stuck in the body of such a young, impressible, and hyperactive individual, he was definitely subjected to things he would not have allowed in any case before, such as tickling (ᗒᗜᗕ)՛̵̖ i mean, normally, that sort of touch does not get to him right away, it would take more than that to bring down a homunculus. but, somehow, now the tickling is way more unbearable, and it’s all because this kid he is stuck with is so damned ticklish !! so greed gets caught by a tickling attack, and all of a sudden laughter is bubbling up in his throat wayy faster than usual, and he feels much more hysterical than he would have expected. meanwhile, cut to ling’s internal monologue, and he is laughing his precious head off, writhing around, hiccuping out “that tickles !! that tickles !!” not even trying to fight it haha. so, that does not leave greed with a lot of options. sorry, greed !! so i bet he became accustomed to that nonsense real quick.

but, as we know, ling ended up rubbing off on greed a bit, so perhaps he learns to embrace it after a while…

thank you so much for sharing these with us !! i am so happy you loved it kyaaaah, it really is just an amazing series °₊·ˈ∗(( ॣ>̶᷇ᗢ<̶᷆ ॣ))∗ˈ‧

[mellowwillowy]

hello!!! i am new to asks but ever since i stumbled upon your eldric priest post i cannot, i repeat, i CANNOT let the image of that man out of my mind💞✨ (i might be insane for his character tbh) and i want to praise you for creating such a masterpiece✨💕 🥹

do you have any sort of fun fact/more concepts of him in that universe? like if he ever almost got caught flailing his tendrils around because reader was nearby or maybe something with incubus/succubus reader?

(also, can i be ☂️anon, please? 👉👈)

Hellowwww ☂️ Nonnie! I'm so happy that Caelus actually has a genuine fan for the first time! (Or so I'm assuming that you are referencing this post right?)

As for fun facts, let me break down some for you:

Caelus is capable of taking any form but something that stays would be his golden eyes (or anything that screams golden) no matter what.

His nickname is Henchman because he acts almost like one for reader.

Caelus and Reader do not live in just one universe so expect lots of universes where Caelus is featured while assuming shit tons of different roles~

In the current fic, you are his devotee whom he had spent millennium to find, and you bet he won't let you slip away from his fingers. You are actually tricked into pledging loyalty to his church (not mentioned in the fic but I'll detail it if you want)

As for caught off-handed, Caelus is a man who doesn't tolerate any slip of hand (or tentacles lol) so never. If anything, he probably does that on purpose to ignite something out of you.

I'd say Caelus is your typical annoying OP character. But I write him off to be tolerable.

As for the succubus/incubus reader, he'd love to mark you with his rosary and do lots of nasty stuff to 'cleanse' you.

There are multiple of readers for Caelus but so far I've only written Devotee! Reader and Suicidal? Reader, and he also appears in this fic as Yan! Brother ~

For more, please refer to this masterpost.

[biscuitsofthesevenseas]

Ima just drop the rest of these rewrite ideas (Credits too @sonicfan1837 for writing some of these)

I HC that Sea Fairy is Black/White Pearl & the rest of the Gem Mermaid's mother, so it'd make no sense for her to abandon them, so she's gonna help, only to get frozen under the curse. That way, she isn't indirectly the reason Black Pearl became...well...herself

The St Pastry Order isn't thrown away like dirt and is a vital part of the Odyssey storyline (With the white masks and shit)

Pastry Cookie joins the Cookies of Darkness after learning the truth of their “gods” (The witches)  

All of the Beast Cookies have their own version of the Dark Side of the Moon to talk to their Soul Jams new holders (The most funny one being Eternal Sugar randomly falling asleep because shes the Beast of Sloth and Hollyberry having to wake her up to communicate with her)

The Beasts are much more relevant instead of being randomly thrown in during Beast Yeast and never being mentioned before that 

SEA FAIRY ISN'T A SIMP FOR THE MOON (she still likes her, but doesn't go as far as she did during A Mermaids Tale)

SEA FAIRY ALSO DOES HER GOSH DARN JOB AS A PART OF THE ELEMENTAL COOKIES-

All of the Beasts were created from the personality Witches from Witches Castle (Mystic Four was made by the Witch of Order, Shadow Milk was made by the Witch of Logic, Burning Spice was made by the Witch of Aspiration, Silent Salt was made by the Witch of Observation, Eternal Sugar was made by the Witch of Happiness)

There are good witches and bad witches, the bad witches ate the Cookies and enabled the Beasts to destroy everything, and the few good witches locked them away (BECAUSE FUCK THE BULLSHIT THAT THEY WERE ONCE GOOD, NO) 

The witches basically got FUCKED during the Salem Witch Trials, so uhh…yeah, they’re dead 

Gingerbrave & the others tell the truth instead of hiding it from everyone 

DOOMED YURI!! (Aka abyss monarch and aquamarine+more doomed yuri ships I can’t think of)

MORE DADDY-I MEAN DARK CACAO ANGST

Smoked Cheese & Burnt Cheese are brother and sister (yes I hc SC as transfem, ok?) 

Golden Cheese & Smoked Cheese actually talk things out, and Smoked Cheese is NOT the villain 

The Beasts are stuck in separate prisons across the lands they once ruled over. Burning Spice laid in the Great Destroyer's Tomb, Mystic Flour hid in her cocoon, and Shadow Milk was trapped in a tree.  

As for Eternal Sugar, she’s inside one of her clouds, and Silent Salt is trapped in the Bottomless Pit 

Oh you thought Dark Cacao & Dark Choco was the only angsty family we got? Hell no. Capsacian angst with Burning Spice baybeeeeeeeee (I know it would be ancestry, but who says it can't be a fucked up mother/father and son reunion?) 

Since the Beasts are treated as Eldric gods, they often get offerings at their prisons. This is based on a hc of mine. 

EVERYONE WHO GOT A FAKEOUT DEATH ACTUALLY DIES FOR REAL (Ex: The Christmas gnome guy and Frilled Jellyfish) (Only one exempt from this rule is Sherbert since technically he’s still dead)

Speaking of which, Sherbert is basically the messenger of the Elemental Guardians 

Faeries and Gem Mermaids are creatures of Cookie Mythology 

I actually agree with some of these, and they could help patch up some of the big a d gaping plot holes in cr storylines.

Thanks for dropping these!

[time8582]

Can you tell me more about Jerico and Rin?

Do they have any elemental powers or powers in general?

How powerful are they?

What species are they?

Sorry this took so long for me to answer but I’d be happy to tell you about Jerico and Rin!

These two and an Oc named Akeno are brothers with Rico being the oldest and Rin the youngest of the three. They all have some kind of elemental powers and some thing extra. (well except Akeno but I talk about him in a different post)

Rico can manipulate and control both fire and shadow. He can choose when and how much his fire can hurt someone as well as travel through his or others shadows.

Rin can manipulate/control energy and air (it’s pretty much just air bending) Rin can take and give people energy or just store it up for later as well manipulate it into a weapons and objects or a copy of whoever or whatever Rin took energy of. Rin can also heal people by giving them the energy their body needs to heal faster tho depending on the severity of the injury this could lead to Rin passing out for a couple days.

For species and power I’m pretty sure I already mentioned this in a previous post but to answer your question: They are beings known as the “False Beings” largely because they’re often mistaken to be some kind of deity or Eldric creatures from different mythologys and such in many different worlds cause of their power and their ability to change their shape. Tho False Beings usually have the characteristics and some instincts of animals or an actual mythology creature (like for instance the boys are wolf and fox deers). The boys don’t use much of their power, cause they usually don’t need to or aloud to. There are certain rules they have to follow.

And this is getting really long so I’ll stop here. Hope this answers your questions and I’ll be happy to answer any other questions you might have about these guys! :)

[unicorncornflakes]

Political Rivals - Modern AU! | Chapter 2

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Paring: Reader x Aemond Targaryen.

Summary: You always spend your afternoons playing and talking with yoour friend Aemond on Discord. Now that you father, Eldric Dayne, has to move to king´s Landing, you have the chance to meet Aemond. However, this is only the benning of a rivality between the two of you.

Tags: Alternate Universe/ Friends to Enemies to Lovers/ Emotional Hurt/Comfort Drama & Romance/ Eventual Smut.

Warnings: None, for now :D

Tag-List (If you wanna be tagged in thi series or all of my work, let me know): @thedamewithabook @bluevxnus @glame @tempt-ress

Author´s note: Pls, enjoy! Feedback, shares and comments are always welcome!

Word Count: 4.9K

Aegon woke lazily from his nap to find Aemond rummaging through his trouser pockets to get out. He almost jumped when he saw the tallest of all his brothers inside his room, without having knocked, without asking for permission... on top of him, he had that black turtleneck sweater that he wore when he had a date. His older brother laughed, how long was the last one? Black dress pants and perfectly coiffed hair, with that stupid mini ponytail in the back.

"Who's the silly one you fooled?" Aegon purred, turning back on his bed. He wasn't going to wake up again until it was time to party again at night and under the cover of the flea bottom.

"Where did you put the car keys?" said Aemond, losing patience with his brother, and Aegon laughed.

“Pufff, she has to be hot if you want to take her in the Lambo” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed “But, I'm sorry. I'm going out to wreck the city tonight, and I'm taking the car.” Aegon reached up and Aemond caught him by the shirt.

"The car belongs to both of us," he whispered under his breath, almost as if threatening, and Aegon laughed. It had been a gift when Aemond had come of age, but for whatever use or case, Aegon had kept it. "I'm asking you very politely" he threatened, as if things could get worse for the older brother.

“I am telling you that you are going to walk to that date. The best thing is that you don't show her the car. He's going to believe something you're not,” Aegon said, releasing his brother's grasp. Aemond turned, ready to leave his room, as if he had given up. But Aegon followed him. "What's she called? Do I know her?” he said, following his little brother, as if he wanted to continue laughing at the situation.

"No" was all Aemond said rudely. He took the bottle of expensive perfume from the bathroom and put on a little. If he wasn't going to drive the car, at least let it be known that he had money by the way he smelled. He intended to impress you, even though now he had to go on the date. He didn't want to continue arguing with Aegon and go on your first date in a bad mood. He thought about whether you would consider it a first date too.

Aegon smiled to himself and ran to his room, returning to the bathroom again with a mischievous smile and closing the door behind him. Aemond looked at him with a questioning raised eyebrow. The two brothers looked at each other in silence, and then Aegon tossed three unused, sealed condoms onto the sink. Aemond already lost his temper.

"But what the hell is wrong with you?" The younger of the brothers responded rudely and Aegon went to the mirror to lightly comb his hair.

“Withdrawal is not one of methods of contraception, or are you going to wait until the wedding to fuck her?” Aegon said with a smirk as he looked at the ever perennial dark circles under his eyes. “You have to like her a lot if you want to take the car…”

Aemond didn't even answer. He just grunted and walked out of the bathroom, ignoring his brother, but Aegon picked them up from the sink and went back to follow his brother. He had to pick them up. If his mother saw them, she was going to give him something. It was clear that all of them were sexually active, but Alicent preferred to think that they would all wait for the wedding, just as she had done, based on the faith of the seven. Aemond went to his room again, looking for his wallet, cigarette pack, and Zippo. Just as he turned to walk out the door, he ran into Aegon again. Aemond simply put on his eyepatch, ready to go, when Aegon spoke again.

"At least, is she hot? Because if she's not, I can tell you, with the light off, it feels just as warm and wet as any other…” he laughed, as if he were a master of women, A true Casanova... Aemond didn't even bother to answer. He imagined you beautiful, and sweet as you were, surely you would be. He wasn't going to say anything about you, let alone Aegon. "At least take the condoms with you, you never know..." he whispered in his ear just as he walked past him.

"I don't have sex on the first date" he replied through his teeth, about to kill his brother. His violet eye fixed on the purple ones of his brother, who kept looking at him funny, as if he really enjoyed teasing him. "I have…values" he told him raising his chin, provoking him to continue. "And so did she," he replied. Yes, you must have had them, just like him. You were going to be the perfect couple. That was what he said. Aegon laughed as if his brother's very… chivalrous ways, as if by having them, he was missing out on a whole world of amusements, which Aegon enjoyed almost every night. In that sense, he was a good son of his mother, a good grandson of Otto Hightower.

"There goes the future president of Westeros, to meet his regal and frigid first lady," he joked loudly, as Aemond slammed the door shut, after donning his long black coat. On that occasion he would have to walk to meet you. He was past arguing with Aegon's airhead.

Your mother screwed up her face when she saw Rodrick in that half-buttoned shirt, smelling expensive cologne, and you in the shorts and fishnets you always wore under them. Torn and mangled, but you thought they made you look so ragged and sexy that you couldn't miss the chance to make a good impression on Aemond. You changed into a tight black turtleneck top and were ready to meet your brother at the door. Your father had lent him the car and your mother had asked you to come straight back after the movie. Rodrick replied that you would also go to dinner, and that they should not wait up for you. Allyra Dayne knew exactly where her children were going, as did Eldric, who was reading the newspaper at last calmly on that Sunday afternoon, the first real break he had had. But they didn't want to fence you off either. They both felt that they were not being true to what they had believed until you had left Sunspear. They preferred to deceive themselves and tell each other that it was for your good. Allyra sat down next to her husband and Eldrick just told her to calm down. They had brought you up well and besides, since they had you, it almost seemed that they did not remember that they, too, had been young. And the things you did were normal.

"Where do I leave you?" your brother asked as he got into the car and you followed him into the passenger seat. You smiled charmingly at him as you used the rearview mirror to paint your lips with a subtle lip gloss before he start the engine. “Puff, you got that cheap blackberry crap. You already have to like him” he said, opening the window before driving away. You laughed.

"He's just a friend" you said closing the gloss and putting it in your little backpack with summer island motifs. It was obvious that you were a rather casual girl, despite your shyness, and the pin you wore in your backpack in favor of women's sexual freedom was proof of that. Rodrick thought that the boy you had met for that game so old school was going to freak out as soon as he saw you. “He told me that we were meeting directly at the door of the museum. He told me that he would wear a black sweater, and I told him that I would then go with the black top too ”

"I love it, how original you both are" Rodrick laughed again, taking his wallet and opening it. He had never worried about anything you did, and yet, he was always there for you "Here, use them responsibly, and I hope you inflate many... balloons" he told you winking, as he handed you two condoms "Both first run of my own. The rest you already go to a pharmacy and you catch them”

"What an asshole you are!" You laughed, but Rodrick smiled even more as he watched you pick them up and put them in the pocket of your backpack. Your brother started the car engine and smiled. He liked seeing you so happy after the two shitty days you'd been through since you'd arrived in King's Landing. You thought about whether you were really going to use them… Well, you liked Aemond very much, even if you didn't know how he was like. He was so smart, so bright, so arrogant… you could imagine his sexy voice whispering to you what a good girl you were as you sat on his lap and his fingers darting in and out of you with cheeky, wet sounds… you had seen his hands, in those photos that he sometimes gave you of the last zippo he had bought, from when he would pass you a photo of Vhagar, his old cat... they were slender and strong... they would fit perfectly in your... you stopped thinking about it, because you told yourself that the best thing was that you only take that as a date between friends, maybe Aemond just wanted that, although you smiled. You knew you didn't want just that, and you didn't mind sleeping with him that night.

You sat on the steps of the Sept of Baelor, now a national museum. You sighed and stretched out your legs. There were hardly any people on that cool afternoon at the beginning of summer,  you almost regretted not having brought something more warm. But most of all, you started to think that your mother was right. Aemond hadn't made her appearance, maybe he just wanted to laugh at you... you bit your lip nervously. The rest of the people continued to gradually enter inside. There were not many people and most of them were much older than you. The truth is that you would not have chosen something like that for the first time you met either, but, Aemond seemed to like it, so you knew that he was only trying to show you the things that he loved. You sighed again. The hour began to pass to be able to enter and no one had gone to meet you there. You sighed and picked up your phone. You would play something until him appeared. But, at that moment, you heard a sound that you were more than used to. The sound of a zippo opening and turning on. Aemond always used a Zippo and when he smoked while talking to you, you heard that sound more than once. You raised your head from the phone and located the source of it.

A boy much taller than you just lit a cigarette. He looked like he was waiting too. The first thing you noticed was that he was wearing rather expensive clothes. A long black coat and some rather expensive, well-pressed dress pants. A belt that you knew would cost an arm and a leg, because Rodrick had insisted on buying himself another one just like it and a black turtleneck sweater. At that moment, you almost caught your breath, was that Aemond? But, if he had told you that he was twenty years old, it seemed that he was almost thirty. And besides, he had…a patch over his left eye. Ok, so the username Aemond_One_Eye made sense, as well as the fact that he never wanted to show you his face… ok. But, nevertheless, that attracted you even more to him. He looked super sexy… He was slim but well muscled. He was very pale and you loved his straight, well-groomed, long, silver hair. His face was defined by strong facial features, with high cheekbones, a sharp jawline. A perfect nose... you stayed for a moment contemplating it. You blushed when he leered at you, annoyed. His eye was violet… he really was like a being from the old days. He released the smoke, this time, his eye almost seemed to pierce you. And you blushed even more. He looked slightly annoyed, as if he didn't like being looked at the way you did, but you couldn't help it. You had been speechless, almost breathless... and your heart seemed to come out of your mouth. You were definitely going to sleep with him that night if he wanted to.

Aemond took another drag on his cigarette. That girl kept looking at him. Damn. He hated when someone stared at him so intently. Did he have something on his face? Well, he knew that yes, something was missing, but it was not necessary to look at it so often. He gave her a sidelong glance as he waited for you. With that he would scare her away. He didn't need you to see him with a girl staring at him so hard when you arrived, he almost seemed to analyze it. You were late. He didn't like that you kept him waiting, but he knew that girls take longer to get ready, and you would surely look spectacular on your first “date”. He looked at the girl sideways. She looked like a kid, but she also looked like a girl who knew her stuff. Ripped fishnets, short shorts…she was quite pretty and looked sexy. She wasn't the kind of girl he'd woo for, but obviously, he had an eye in her face that told him this was pretty daring. A black, high-necked top that clung to her body. Without a doubt, she was one of those girls who had once fucked at Aegon's parties. They were for what they were. He had other plans with you, but you were also another kind of girl. He looked straight ahead and took another puff, quite annoyed. If that girl kept looking at him, but finally, he froze when he heard her voice…

"Aemond?" you asked with your sweet voice and smile. You had never imagined him like this, but it was perfect. Gods. You won the lottery. It was just perfect. He turned, his eye locked on you, and you put your hands behind your back and smiled at him. Of course, it was him. With your little backpack on your back and your torn socks, you thought you couldn't be more different, but you always liked different. So you didn't care.

“(Y/N)?” he asked, incredulous. You…didn't look like what he had imagined. The sweet voice was there, of course. But, he had expected a girl more…more like him. Someone traditional, well dressed for the occasion... He mean, you looked spectacular, but, but... damn. He wanted to fuck you. That was all that crossed his mind, especially when he smelled your aroma of blackberries. But, but... you weren't that sweet and shy girl that he had imagined... he remained quite serious, while you would be blushing and with a beautiful and sweet smile... you jumped happily when he said your name. You sure were cute, and you actually looked rather shy, despite the way you were dressed, but… but, you were Aegon's kind of one-night-out girl, not the mother-to-be of his children. Aemond took another drag in silence as he gave you a complete up-and-down eye. Perhaps, he should go... but, at that moment, he thought that he would not be chivalrous on his part. "How was the move?" he asked politely, but he broke down just as you laughed sheepishly. Damn, you were beautiful when you laughed.

"Very good, but Raistlin doesn't come out from under my bed" you laughed, as you approached him and gave him two kisses by way of greeting, just as it was done in Dorne. You could see how he pursed his lips and looked the other way. Almost as embarrassed. Aemond's head was a sea of doubt. You were the same smart and cute girl from the internet, but you were also beautiful. However, what the hell was someone going to think if one saw him with you? He tried to remain a gentleman. He had dressed like that to impress you. You had done the same, but... surely, in your day to day you weren't so... explosive.

“Well, cats take time to get used to new environments” he commented as if he was speaking on Discord with you. You walked up the steps to the museum and he realized that he had put on the very expensive shoes while you were wearing battered sneakers that had definitely seen better days. You were smiling, while he was still stoic and thoughtful... but, also, that calmed him down in part. You couldn't be Eldric Dayne's daughter. That girl had to be as well dressed as he was. For that she was the daughter of such an important and prestigious politician. He relaxed. Well, he was going to have a good time with you. He was going to be a true gentleman. Was there something wrong with you not being what he had imagined? No, of course not, he tried to convince himself.

“Oh, I have to pay you the ticket from the museum” you commented as you entered the front door. And Aemond looked at you in surprise again. You were opening your pack when he spoke again.

"It's not necessary" he answered you with a smile that was charming, he already felt more relaxed. He wasn't going to care that you were like this today. He told himself that you would not always go like this, that you were (Y / N), a girl that he really liked, even if you were dressed as a one-night stand girl. That also inflated his pride a little. He had got a girl who could have picked up Aegon being himself. "I told you that today everything was on my side," he replied, chivalrous and gallant, as he had been taught to be.

"No, please" you laughed sweetly, biting your lower lip, beautiful and sweet. And Aemond felt the blush rise to his cheeks. He really liked you, even after he had seen you and with those pints, he liked you. You were irresistibly sweet… and even, you seemed innocent. "Well, then I'll invite you to dinner" you added and he laughed arrogantly.

“I have already booked at my favorite restaurant. I told you that I invited you” he replied, giving the tickets to the guard, who checked that everything was in order and let you pass. You followed closely behind him and he even dared to grab your hand. Why was he making such a bold gesture? Well, he really liked you... "Today... I want you to feel like a princess..." he whispered to you, setting a tone according to the place where you entered. And you smiled at him.

“Hey, I'm not a damsel in distress” you told him, but you didn't let go of his hand. Aemond thought it must have seemed comical to see two such different people together, but he couldn't have cared less. You weren't Eldric's daughter, you were just another girl your age... great... and, you were just going like that to impress him, fine, good...

"Yes of course. In the last game, you didn't need me to come and rescue you” he replied jokingly, but with an aura of arrogance. Sure that what he said was real. He was a better player than you, in his opinion, and he always came to your aid. You frowned but kept laughing. You smacked him affectionately, as you would any of your Dornish friends, and he just smiled, like a lovesick fool. He liked being with you. It was the same feeling he had while he was speaking over Discord. It was just perfect.

You watched the exhibition laughing. Aemond didn't ask you if you wanted to see any room other than the one in the Old Valyria, after all he must have been just as nervous as you and he was the one who directed you around the place. He even had a gesture that puzzled you. Terribly protective, as if he felt obliged to constantly take care of you because you didn't know where to go. He carried his hand that had released your grip on his lower back, but not once touching your ass. He guided you through the exhibition under his desires. To where he was interested. You were having a good time, but... you liked it, going more... free. You mean, it wasn't that the grab didn't turn you on. You liked the warm feeling it gave you, but at the same time it baffled you that such a young boy could establish such a...protective relationship, in just a couple of minutes. Yet you laughed. You liked Aemond. He was perfect, intelligent, sarcastic... you loved boys like that...

“I love this painting” you said to yourself, approaching one of the paintings that were at the exit of the exhibition, but which continued to receive preferential treatment. They were the jewels of the museum. Whatever you were going to see, you always had to see them. Aemond came up behind you, hands behind his back, smiling, as if you were the sweetest thing in the world. The painting was by one of Westeros' most famous Art Noveau artists. On it you could see two forms resembling a kissing couple. You were fascinated, looking at the shapes and colors. At last you would see a painting that you had only seen in textbooks.

"Yeah, not bad," Aemond commented while he wasn't looking at the painting. He was only looking at you. The author of that work was just another progressive who tried to paint without forms or structure. Did he like it? Yes, it was art. However... "I prefer the renaissance, the anatomy... the perfection of the forms..." he whispered to you almost seductively and you blushed. He lifted his chin in an arrogant and suggestive way and you thought you could undo yourself right there. "I like the authors where you can see the line of the drawing" he commented again looking at the painting and you looked at it fascinated. Aemond was the kind of guy you'd always dreamed of, but you weren't used to. You could talk to him about things like that. Most of your friends in Sunspear would have ignored even your comment.

"Here you can see the lines" you commented, looking back at him, and he gave that superior smile again, as if you didn't know what you were talking about or were a little girl. However, at that moment you did not realize his paternalistic attitude towards you.

"Yes, of course" he agreed with you. That was turning him on at times... you were incredible, you knew what you were talking about, but you were so innocent... damn, the looks of a daring girl and the innocence of such a young girl. He was going to have a good time. He liked that innocence for the mother of his children. He saw you again as a strong candidate. As cultured a girl as you proved to be, but still innocent and sweet. He kept looking at the painting next to you, keeping his hands behind his back, controlling what you did. Aemond felt whole at that moment.

You went to dinner at a rather small restaurant. You had thought that you would end up in a burger joint, but it was not the case. Aemond took you to a restaurant in the very center of King's Landing. It was quite intimate. Most tables had one or two couples at most. Dim lighting and mostly pasta in all their dishes. You didn't feel like you were well dressed for the occasion. No doubt Aemond was much more in tune with that restaurant than you were, but you didn't mind it. You tookhis hand and walked head high into the restaurant. He smiled when he felt your grip from him and inflated his chest, in his opinion you were going to need his protection from him in the end. You dined smiling. You laughed at all his jokes, and he drank wine at dinner. He loved that you asked for water. The right girls didn't drink alcohol…he was loving it…

Aemond led you to the museum gate again. Your brother seemed to have had a bad date and he was going to pick you up to come home. It was already midnight. You were holding Aemond's hand, and you had already assumed that you would not sleep with him on the first date. He hadn't groped you once and had been correct at all times. But you knew he was interested. Everything had been perfect enough for you to know. However, in a moment when there was a comfortable silence between the two of you as you waited, he grabbed your wrist and hip and pulled you close like that. You stood wide-eyed at his audacity as he gave you a passionate kiss, as if he were trying to win you over. You closed your eyes and let yourself be carried away by his lips from him that devoured in silence. He did not once use his tongue, but there was a clear enough desire in that contact that was making your skin crawl. You wrapped your arms around his neck and encircled him. There you continued in one of the corners of the stairs, kissing as if it were going on for an eternity. You were in the clouds. Aemond was everything you had sought. Meanwhile, he only thought about the perfection of the moment. In that movie kiss that he was giving you, like a true gentleman. He was surprised when at the end of the kiss you bit his bottom lip. He wasn't expecting it, but he was quickly convinced. What happened in the privacy of your sheets was only yours. You could be as daring as you wanted in bed, as long as you kept up appearances outside, he was even excited by the idea. He stayed for a while looking at you in silence, while he grabbed your face from him and caressed your lower lip. You smiled at him with a shade of blush on your cheeks. He pursed his lips in satisfaction.

"Did you have fun?" he asked you, charming, irresistible, gallant. He wanted you to see everything that protected you. How much you meant to him.

"It's been... amazing" you whispered. You've never had a date like this. You'd always ended up naked in the back of a car or in someone's bed, who'd fucked you and forgotten about you. You had given it almost for granted that love was that. That's why you didn't believe in romantic love, but Aemond had made you remember the fantasies that had reigned in your head years ago.

"I was nervous, you know?" He said smiling and pleased with your reaction.

"In case I didn't like the eyepatch?" you told him happy and he just laughed at your occurrence. All a clean laugh, without letting go of the grip of his face, as if he wanted that to last forever.

"No, no... you're going to laugh" Aemond was laughing at all the unfounded fears he had. He had been stupid. "I thought you were the daughter of that asshole Eldric Dayne..." he laughed arrogantly, as if until that moment he hadn't really relaxed when he confessed to you what had been on his mind. But then, you widened your eyes at his confession and your grip on his neck loosened…

"Well... I... I am the daughter of Eldric Dayne..." you confessed and saw Aemond's face change from a look of arrogance to one of disbelief.

“Don't be a joke, (Y/N)” he replied to you as if it were a joke, and rolled his eye in amusement. "The daughter of a politician would not dress like you do"

"Is it something wrong with how I dress?" You responded by letting go of his embrace.

“No, no, fuck no,” he replied, but he already knew that he had screwed up. You were so extraordinarily special and sweet that he felt stupid to think that you and he had a chance. He felt like he screwed up with you, but…

“Eldric Dayne is my father. That asshole, as you call him, is waiting for me at home” you said with a shrug, terribly angry. "What will it matter whose daughter I am?" you told him… Aemond just stood up straight in front of you. He put his hands behind his back in a gesture of arrogance. In his mind it just sounded: 'You're screwed, Targaryen. He swallowed before speaking.

"My name is Aemond, Aemond Targaryen" he told you with a serious and cold tone of voice. And you couldn't believe it, now you thought that he was joking… “I am the fourth son of Viserys Targaryen, leader of the conservatives. Current and future president of Westeros." Now you swallowed. In your head there was a voice that repeated: 'You're screwed, Dayne'.

[aemmalynderly]

We are pleased to announce the arrival of { LADY AEMMA LYNDERLY  } of { HOUSE LYNDERLY } to King’s Landing! The { 28 } year-old { FEMALE } is whispered to be { SHREWD AND SELF-SERVING } but in reality they are { LOYAL AND INTELLIGENT }. They are also said to resemble { KEIRA KNIGHTLEY }.They are { NEUTRAL } a new treaty of peace and unity between House Targaryen and House Stark. Things, however, are not always quite what they seem, are they?

character  basics

NAME  :  Aemma Lynderly.

NICKNAMES  :  The Two Headed Viper (in reference to she and her twin sister).

OCCUPATION    /  TITLE  : Lady of the Snakewood.  

GENDER  :  Identifies  as  a  cis  woman  with  she  /  her  /  hers  pronouns.

ROMANTIC  &  SEXUAL  ORIENTATION  :  Heterosexual.  

AGE  :  Twenty eight  years  old,  currently.

BIRTHPLACE  :   The Snakewood.

CURRENT  RESIDENCE  :  The Snakewood.  

personality

POSITIVES  :  Loyal, Intelligent.

NEUTRALS  :  Calculated.

NEGATIVES  :  Shrewd, Self-Serving.

MORAL  ALIGNMENT  :  A Mix of Chaotic Evil and Chaotic Good, definitely Chaotic though.

MYERS-BRIGGS  TYPE  :  entj-a  —  the commander.

affiliations

FAMILY  :   Ruling Lord Mord Lynderly (father), Ruling Lady Teora Lynderly (deceased), Lord Jonos Lynderly (elder brother, deceased), Lady Arwen Lynderly (twin sister), Lord Eldric Lynderly (infant brother, deceased).

PARTNER  :  n/a.

CHILDREN  :  n/a.

physical  details

PREFERRED  HAND  :  Left handed.

EYE  COLOR  :  Dark Brown.

HAIR  COLOR  :  Dark Blonde/Medium Brown.

HAIR  STYLE  :  Down and Loose.  

COMPLEXION  :  Pale, Rosy Cheeks.

BUILD  :  Slender.

HEIGHT  :   5′7″.

CLOTHING  STYLE  :  Dresses in House Lynderly Green.  

NOTABLE  FEATURES  OR  SCARS  :  Signature pout.  

PORTRAYED  BY  :  Keira Knightley.

miscellaneous  details

RELIGION  :  The Faith of the Seven.

HOBBIES  :  Linguistics, Reading, Calligraphy.

POSSESSIONS  /  HEIRLOOMS  :  A silver necklace that has a pendant with two snakes on it.

MEDIA  /  CHARACTER  INSPIRATIONS  &  INFLUENCES  :  Morgana Pendragon, The Black Sisters, Lady Mary Crawley, Katherine Pierce, Elizabeth Swann, Spencer Hastings, Bertha Russell, Olenna Tyrell.

more information

Aemma was born the second child and first daughter of Lord Mord and Lady Teora. She was quickly followed into the world by her twin sister Arwen and the two have been inseparable since. The elder sister would compare her younger sister as akin to her right arm. Without her she wouldn't know what to do.

The sisters grew up, never spotted without the other. Anyone throughout the Snakewood could tell you that they were joined at the hip, so much so that the two were branded the nickname "The Two Headed Viper" in reference to their House's coat of arms (A black field strewn with green vipers).

Their childhood was a rather pleasant one overall, save for the unrelenting taunting they received from their elder brother Jonos. The Snakewood was happy and prosperous until one fateful day when their mother lost her life in the birthing bed, their newborn brother (whom Mord bestowed the name Eldric), passing along with her. As a result of this, the Snakewood entered a long period of mourning.

Without her mother's loving guidance and warm presence, Aemma clung even more to her sister. After all, apart from herself, Arwen was the closest thing to Teora that she had left. Aemma had always been closer to her mother than her father and the emptiness she left behind was felt throughout the entire fortress. The silence alone was deafening.

It was during this time that Aemma delved well into her hobbies. She spent hours devoting herself to learning languages from various regions throughout Westeros, working hard to master different dialects as well. As she learned, she also read, flying through any book she could get her hands on. It didn't matter the topic, she simply wanted to learn as much as possible and perhaps escape her reality if only for a little while. With all the reading came writing and she became rather adept at calligraphy. In fact, she also became quite the master at copying the signatures of others, using such things to practice the art.

Over time, her studies led she, as well as Arwen, to become secretly fascinated with the art of healing. They learned about herbology and poisons and what could heal and what could hurt. It was a hidden hobby they shared that would come into play in a much greater way later in their lives.

As years passed and Aemma grew older, her brother Jonos continued to present himself as a problem. One might mistake him for a Targaryen as it was as if someone had tossed a coin when he was born. All his life he had been cruel, but as he grew into adulthood his behavior only worsened. This reckless and ruthless boy was to one day be the face of House Lynderly? He practically spat on the name. The idea that he would one day be Ruling Lord of their House made Aemma sick. It couldn't be allowed. For if it was, he would only drive their name and their seat into the ground to be a house made extinct and forgotten. No, Aemma had much greater plans for House Lynderly and the Snakewood.

No one had ever discovered how it happened. To anyone else it would just appear like an untimely demise. The seven had different plans and all that nonsense. But there were two people who knew the truth. They knew how a colorless, odorless, slow acting poison ended up in their brother's cup. They knew about the secret book in their personal library that wasn't in fact a book at all. They knew of the vials that the false book contained and just what their contents could do. But it would appear like any other unfortunate illness and no one would be any the wiser. Rest in Peace Lord Jonos Lynderly, heir to the Snakewood.

Following the young lord's death, Lord Mord named the twins, his only surviving children, his heirs (After discussions, the sisters decided they would lead together after their father's passing rather than it simply going to Aemma as the oldest. They were always better together after all). They have agreed that when it comes time for them to name a heir that the title would go to the first born child between either of them.

[yahoo201027]

May 29: Happy 31st Birthday to Voice Actress Erica Lindbeck, who provided the English voice of the Class Representative and one of the students attending the Academy, owner of the creature called Nue, former member of Team 15 who is currently a part of the Scientific Ninja Weapons Team as the Naruto (Boruto) character of Sumire Kakei and the former pro hero turned vigilante who served time at Tartarus prison who worked for All For One for hire as the My Hero Academia character of Kaina "Lady Nagant" Tsutsumi; and the secondary/cecurring character on the show who attends Hexside School in the Illusion Track alongside her brother Eldric, sister of Amity, and daughter of Alador & Odalia as The Owl House character of Emira Blight.

[crowndbeauty]

( GILLIAN ANDERSON,  CIS WOMAN,  SHE/HER.  )  could  that  really  be EILENE BARATHEON nee LANNISTER,  the  QUEEN  of  WESTEROS  entering  the  keep  ?  king’s  landing  is  sure  to  benefit  from  the  FIFTY SIX  year  old’s  ability  to  be  both  INTELLIGENT  and  PERCEPTIVE,  but  beware,  whispers  also  say  they  have  been  known  to  be  MANIPULATIVE  and  CALLOUS.  their  loyalty  belongs  to  HOUSE LANNISTER/THEMSELVES  and  they INDIFFERENT  TO  the  notion  of  peace  throughout  westeros.  /  HAWKE,  SHE/HER,  25,  PST

Basics

Full Name: Eilene Baratheon nee Lannister Title : Queen Eilene of House Baratheon ; formerly Lannister, Queen of The Seven Kingdoms and Queen of Westeros Nickname: Lena (Used only by her siblings and parents) Birthplace : Casterly Rock, The Westerlands Age: Fifty Six Gender : Cisfemale Orientation: Biromatic, Bisexual Marital Status : Married

Interesting Tidbits

Physical appearance: Long white blond hair, high cheekbones, knowing blue eyes, statuesque  Education: Her father planned for nothing but for Eilene to be queen one day, so her education was the best the richest lord in Westeros could provide. Her days were filled with the teachings of septas and maesters to essosi diplomats. There was no part of her education that was missed Religion: Faith of the seven Opinion of Religion : It is a thing to calm the masses and to rile them up, at least that is how she views it now. When she was young, she was quite religious and dutiful in her prayers but now she pays only lip service. She is the one in control of her destiny, not far off gods.

RELATIONSHIPS

Father : Lord Lannister of Casterly Rock (deceased) Mother : Lady Lannister of Casterly Rock (deceased) Siblings : Current Lord Lannister of Casterly Rock and Lord Lannister of Lannistport Spouse :  King Orys Baratheon Children : Prince Eldric Baratheon, Prince Daemon Baratheon, Princess Bethany Baratheon, Prince ..... Baratheon

Biography

Born the second child of Lord and Lady Lannister, Eilene was held still up to the same standards of her older brother. The spare heir until her younger brother was born, Eilene's purpose changed from inheritance to allegiance.

This did not change how her parents felt of her, it perhaps made her even more special in their eyes.

Her education started young with her mother being her first teacher and her most beloved. As the septas and the maesters started to take over, her mother was always there to make sure she was raising her children and not the servants.

Perhaps that is why when her mother passed, Eilene changed. Gone was the girl who was happy, charming, and loving and was replaced by what can only be called as Lannister arrogance. No one really realized how counterbalancing their beloved Lady Lannister was to her husband, which made her loss even harder.

Soon she reached the age where she was ready to receive betrothals, and dozens of potential suitors sent their ravens to see if they would be ones to marry the Lannister prize. But her father held back. She became older, reaching 18 before long and still all her meetings with the various lord vying for hand were for nothing.

This all changed when the civil war started. Of course, the young Lannister lady would never feel the real effects of war in her tower but Eilene was smart enough to see this is what her father was waiting for.

For the first time, she finally felt that she was a prize, a commodity. They bartered about her for hours, and two names always seemed to pop up.

Before long, her father had her leave her tower in casterly rock and finally she was told her she was to be married. To Orys Baratheon, the soon to be King. Finally all her life seemed to make sense. The tutoring, the waiting, the bartering, it all made sense. Her father wanted her queen.

She resented them all, and when she met her future husband, she resented him too.

But she did what she was supposed too, and married. The first ceremony small and in Casterly rock, and than when they arrived in King's Landing. She had never seen such celebrations and luxury, and even though she was still a spoiled girl now woman, she was reviled by it.

But she adapted to her circumstances, Queenship fit her like a glove. All the training had amounted to something. But there was still her husband, she never could adapt to that. She tried, oh she did and perhaps her first child was his but even now she cant be sure.

The years flew past and now she is a mother of 4 and they are all that matter. The children that carry the Baratheon name but they are only truly hers. And she will have the final laugh.

Headcanons/Connections

Romantic : She was loyal to her husband for perhaps a year before she started taking lovers. It always has been discreet, she refuses to embarrass herself or her children in that way.

(Romantic connections are open and ready lol. Masculine to feminine, current or former, I do not mind any)

Platonic : Being a queen and a Lannister has stalled many chances on making many friends. Her ladies in waiting are political and she hardly give a chance to others. But perhaps she has friends and she doesn't realize it

(Open as well, She is pretty closed off and callous but if you get real deep, she can be a friend)

Antagonistic : She is smart enough to realize she cant afford to have to many enemies but I am sure she has plenty secretly.

(She hates passionately, but tries not to show it. Orys Baratheon loyalists are immediately on her list, and anyone that tries to hurt her children. Big mama bear. )

[sarvottam5]

  Shadows of Arcadia

In a world where demons, magicians, and humans lived on one land, Ivy was a 15-year-old magician from the Lantania tribe, known for their intelligence and knowledge. Ivy was not born in the clan but came there at the age of 10. She had been living with a kind woman and her three sons—Xander (currently 16), Jack (currently 18), and Arthur (currently 21). They treated her like their little sister. However, Ivy had secrets of her own. She was, in reality, the princess of the Arcadia Empire. Her brother, Eldric (currently 22), ruled over the Empire. She also had another secret known to no one in the clan: she possessed tremendous power and the ability to control dark magic, typically found in demons, just like her brother.

One day, Eldric suddenly changed. He misused his power and started annexing neighbouring kingdoms to expand his empire. He suddenly wanted to find The Codex of Arcania, an ancient text containing the secrets of becoming a supreme magician. Written in Latin, it was unreadable to most people except those of the Lantania clan. Ivy had learned to read and speak Latin during her time there. Eldric began capturing Lantanians to force them to reveal everything they knew about the Codex. It seemed he had forgotten about Ivy; in fact, it appeared no one in the palace remembered her. The leader of their clan, who was the guardian of the Codex, managed to pass it to Ivy before being captured and urged her to flee.

With a heavy heart, Ivy fled to a nearby human village, knowing there was something wrong with her brother, though she did not know what. She began living with a loving couple who had a daughter named Lily, the same age as Ivy. Ivy started attending school and made many friends, including a magician named Rayla. She was careful not to reveal her true identity, though Rayla discovered it. Guarding the Codex became increasingly difficult as more Arcanian soldiers arrived in the city searching for it.

One day, during a class excursion in the forest, Ivy's group sought a clear spot for lunch when they were suddenly surrounded by Arcanian soldiers. Ivy was alarmed but maintained her composure. Rayla also sensed something was wrong. The soldiers demanded the Codex, threatening to kill a girl if they were lied to. The teacher quickly responded that they knew nothing about the Codex or even what it was. Disbelieving, the soldiers pressed a sword to the frightened girl’s neck. 

Rayla, sensing the urgency, took a defensive stance. “Why do you want The Codex of Arcania?” Her voice was resolute. “And leave the girl alone.”

The commander’s wicked laughter filled the air as he ordered his soldiers to attack. Rayla raised her hand, creating a protective shield around the students. Aware that the shield wouldn’t hold much longer, she quickly deployed a smoke bomb, pulled the girl to safety, and teleported everyone to safety.

As they emerged on the other side of the forest, relief turned to dread when they realised some students were missing. Rayla, despite her exhaustion, prepared to return to the forest. “We have to find them,” she insisted.

Ivy, still reeling from their escape, grabbed Rayla’s arm. “No, Rayla, you can’t go back. You’re too weak. If you go in there now, you might not make it out.”

Rayla pulled away, frustration boiling over. “You can’t tell me what to do! You only care about your little secret. If you had helped earlier, none of this would have happened!”

Hurt by Rayla’s words, Ivy responded coldly, “Fine, you do whatever you want. I also have people to save.” 

Rayla’s anger surged. “So, are you just going to find the Codex and give it to the emperor? Is that your plan?”

Hurt and anger flaring, Ivy snapped back, “I don’t need to find the Codex; I have it!” With those words, she transformed into her battle costume, her twin crystal blades at her waist, and vanished into the forest.

Rayla stood frozen, watching Ivy disappear into the shadows. The argument and Ivy’s display of power left Rayla reeling. The forest seemed darker and more menacing without Ivy’s light.

Determined to find the missing students, Rayla pushed forward, but her thoughts kept returning to Ivy and the power she had just revealed. She had seen Ivy transform and the dark aura surrounding her. Rayla couldn’tshake the feeling of unease it left behind.

Suddenly, Rayla heard a faint noise—a muffled cry. She rushed towards the sound and came upon a small clearing where the missing students huddled together, terrified but unharmed. Relief washed over her as she approached them, whispering reassurances.

Before she could lead them out, a low, rumbling growl emerged from the darkness. Arcadian soldiers appeared, closing in on Rayla. Panic surged as she realised, she was outnumbered. Just when hope seemed lost, a burst of energy lit up the clearing.

Ivy appeared, her eyes glowing with a dark, powerful light. In her hand was the sceptre, an artefact Rayla had never seen before. Ivy raised it, and the ground beneath the soldiers trembled. Shadows erupted, ensnaring the soldiers, and dragging them into the darkness. Within moments, the clearing was silent, the soldiers gone.

Rayla stared at Ivy, speechless. The power Ivy had unleashed was beyond anything she could have imagined. Ivy’s eyes, now their normal colour, met Rayla’s with an understanding. Without saying a word, Ivy turned away. “Let’s go,” she said quietly, her voice carrying sadness and resolve.

Rayla nodded, still in shock, and began leading the students back out of the forest. As they walked, Rayla’s mind was consumed by one thought: Who was Ivy really, and what kind of power did she truly possess?

After Ivy’s departure into the forest, Rayla managed to safely escort the students back to the village. As she settled into her room, the weight of the day’s events pressed heavily on her. She couldn’t stop replaying the confrontation with Ivy and the revelation of the sceptre’s power. The pieces were falling into place, and Rayla was beginning to understand the gravity of the situation.

The next day, Rayla made a decision. She needed to find Ivy and get to the bottom of the truth. Rayla set out early, her mind racing with thoughts of what she had seen and the questions she needed answered. She followed the trail into the forest, her determination guiding her.

After a few hours of searching, Rayla finally found Ivy in a secluded grove, sitting alone, and appearing lost in thought. The sight of Ivy’s battle costume spoke volumes.

“Ivy,” Rayla called softly as she approached. “I need to talk to you.”

Ivy looked up, her eyes reflecting a mixture of relief and wariness. “Rayla, what are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t stay away,” Rayla said, stepping closer. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what happened, and I need to understand everything.”

Ivy hesitated but saw the sincerity in Rayla’s eyes. She took a deep breath and began to speak, revealing her true identity as the princess of the Arcadia Empire, her brother Eldric’s descent into tyranny, and the Codex of Arcania. She explained the dark magic she wielded.

Rayla listened intently, her shock giving way to deep empathy. “I had no idea,” she said. “I knew you were hiding something, but I didn’t realise it was so… immense.”

Ivy nodded, her expression sombre. “I didn’t want to endanger anyone. But now, with the Codex and the Arcadian soldiers closing in, I can’t do this alone.”

Rayla’s resolve hardened. “You’re not alone. If the Codex is in danger and the Arcadian soldiers are involved, then we have to do something. I want to help.”

Ivy shook her head, her face etched with concern. “Rayla, it’s too dangerous. You don’t know what to get into. I can’t risk you getting hurt.”

Rayla’s determination didn’t waver. “I am already involved. I have seen what’s at stake, and I am not backing down. You can’t do this alone. I want to help, and I will.”

Ivy sighed, her defences melting under Rayla’s unwavering resolve. “You’re stubborn, you know that?”

Rayla smiled faintly. “I prefer to think of it as determined.”

Ivy’s resistance softened as she saw the sincerity and bravery in Rayla’s eyes. “All right,” Ivy said reluctantly. “If you are set on this, I can’t stop you. But you have to promise me you will be careful.”

Rayla nodded firmly. “I promise. Let us work together to protect the Codex and handle the soldiers.”

The two friends embraced, forming a pact to face the challenges ahead together. They began to plan their next steps, coordinating efforts to safeguard the Codex and deal with the Arcadian soldiers. With Rayla’s support, Ivy felt more confident in her mission. The road ahead was uncertain, but with their combined strength and determination, they were prepared to confront the dangers that lay ahead and safeguard the future of their world.

They carefully strategise their next move. They decided to rescue the prisoners kept in the dungeon of Arcadian castle. 

The moon hung low over the Arcadian Castle, casting eerie shadows across its towering walls. Ivy and Rayla moved quietly under the cover of darkness. From her concealed position, Ivy whispered instructions through a private magical link.

Ivy directed Rayla through the castle grounds with subtle signs and signals. She used faint, magical lights to show the way and whispered hints to help Rayla avoid patrols and navigate around obstacles. Each step was meticulously planned, ensuring they remained undetected.

She used her magic to create distractions, causing faint disturbances and illusions that led guards away from Rayla’s path. Rayla moved through the corridors with Ivy’s silent instructions helping her dodge patrols and avoid traps.

When they arrived at the heavily guarded cells, Ivy used her magic to neutralise a few guards silently. She directed Rayla to each cell, ensuring that the guards were out of sight before Rayla unlocked the doors.

Rayla unlocked the first cell and stepped inside. “Stay quiet and follow me,” she instructed the prisoners, who looked up with a mixture of hope and anxiety.

Ivy maintained her cover, continuing to provide discreet support. She cast protective spells that shielded Rayla and the rescued prisoners from view, ensuring they remained hidden as they moved through the castle.

As they approached the exit, an alarm suddenly blared, indicating their presence. Ivy’s heart raced, and she urged Rayla through their link, “Speed up! We are running out of time.”

To cover their escape, Ivy intensified her magical barriers and illusions, creating a veil of confusion for the guards. Rayla led the prisoners through a secret passage, a route Ivy had guided her to earlier.

As Rayla and the rescued prisoners emerged from the castle and entered the forest, they were met with a sudden ambush. Arcadian soldiers, alerted by the alarm, had set up a blockade at their escape route. The soldiers closed in, their weapons drawn, and Rayla found herself struggling to protect the prisoners while fending off the attackers.

Seeing Rayla’s predicament, Ivy remained hidden in the shadows, her heart racing. She quickly assessed the situation and decided to intervene. From her concealed vantage point, she notched arrows to her bow and began to shoot. Each arrow was precise, hitting its target with a silent, swift impact, causing the soldiers to fall unconscious one by one. Ivy signalled Rayla to move deeper into the forest. In the forest, Ivy reunited with the group.

Xander, Arthur, and Jack rushed to her, their faces filled with joy. “Ivy!” they exclaimed, their relief and happiness evident.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Xander said, embracing her warmly. Arthur and Jack joined in, expressing their gratitude and relief.

The group gathered around a makeshift campfire, sharing their experiences. The group chuckled and shared their own stories, the atmosphere light and filled with camaraderie. Ivy enjoyed the moment, keeping her role in the rescue a secret as she participated in the conversation and celebrated their success.

Xander, Arthur, and Jack expressed their gratitude to Rayla, praising her bravery and leadership. “You did an incredible job,” Arthur said. “We’re truly thankful for everything you’ve done.”

Suddenly Ivy sensed something and warned Rayla. Suddenly Arcadian soldiers, accompanied by fierce demon beasts, emerged from the forest, their numbers overwhelming. The unexpected attack forced Rayla and the others to react quickly, their faces a mix of shock and determination.

Rayla took a defensive stance, her blade flashing in the dim light as she fought off the soldiers and the wild beasts. The group tried to hold their ground, but the sheer force and ferocity of the enemy made their efforts seem futile.

“It’s useless to fight like this,” Ivy’s voice cut through the chaos, her tone calm but resolute. Her words, though spoken softly, were laced with a confidence that drew everyone’s attention.

The others turned in surprise. “What do you mean, ‘like this’?” Xander asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Before anyone could react, Ivy stepped forward with a determined expression. Her form began to shimmer and change as she changed into her battle costume. The transformation was swift and dramatic—her usual attire was replaced by a sleek, dark outfit with glowing accents. She summoned the sceptre, its dark power emanating an aura of raw energy.

The sight of Ivy in her battle attire, wielding the sceptre, was both awe-inspiring and intimidating. The group watched in stunned silence, unable to comprehend the sudden shift.

“Ivy, what—” Arthur began, but Ivy cut him off.

“Stay back,” Ivy commanded, her voice steady. “This is where I take over.”

She said something in demon language and the sceptre began to glow unleashing a powerful wave of dark magic that surged toward the advancing soldiers and beasts. The magical force struck with precision, sending the soldiers and beasts reeling as the ground around them trembled.

Rayla, Xander, Arthur, and Jack watched in awe as Ivy’s magic decimated the enemy forces. The soldiers fell, the demon beasts were driven back, and the once-overwhelming threat was swiftly neutralised. The clearing was soon quiet again, the remnants of the ambush scattered and subdued.

As the last of the enemies fell, Ivy lowered the sceptre, her breathing steady but intense. “Ivy, that was incredible,��� Xander said, his voice filled with awe. “What was that power? Who are you?”

Arthur and Jack echoed the same sentiment. “We had no idea you had such abilities,” Arthur said.

Ivy took a deep breath, her gaze meeting theirs. “I’m someone who’s had to keep a lot of secrets,” she said with a faint smile. “But right now, what’s important is that we’re safe.”

Rayla, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. “Ivy’s abilities are formidable, but she’s been working in the shadows for a reason.”

The group looked at Ivy with a newfound respect and understanding. “We’re incredibly grateful for your help,” Jack said, his voice filled with admiration. “You saved us all.” 

Rayla teleported the group out of the forest to their village. Now Ivy and Rayla stood in silence when Rayla suddenly asked,” What’s our next move?” Ivy replied in a voice filled with determination” We are going to the library in the castle. Maybe we will find something there.”

The moon hung high in the night sky as Ivy and Rayla quietly entered the grand library of the Arcadian Castle. The library was vast, with towering shelves filled with ancient tomes and scrolls, their contents long forgotten by most. Ivy’s heart raced with anticipation. They had come here seeking knowledge that could turn the tide in their fight against Eldric’s forces.

The grand library was a sanctuary of knowledge and mystery, filled with the scent of old parchment and the quiet rustle of turning pages. Ivy and Rayla had been searching through ancient tomes for hours, their hope on finding something to help them defeat the spirit devils.

Ivy's fingers traced the delicate spine of an old book titled “Legends of the Spirit Realm.” She carefully opened it, revealing pages filled with ancient script and illustrations of dark entities. As she scanned through the text, her eyes widened with realisation.

“Rayla, look at this!” Ivy exclaimed, pointing to a detailed illustration of a menacing figure surrounded by dark, swirling energy. “This is a spirit devil.”

Rayla leaned in to examine the page. “What are spirit devils?”

Ivy read aloud, “Spirit devils are malevolent beings that possess individuals, including powerful magicians, to fulfil their own sinister ambitions. They are incredibly difficult to detect because they hide their influence behind the victim’s actions and thoughts.”

Rayla’s brow furrowed. “So, they use their victims to achieve their goals without being noticed?”

Ivy nodded. “Exactly. The book explains that spirit devils are particularly dangerous because they manipulate their hosts from within, making it hard for outsiders to recognise their control. So maybe a spirit devil is manipulating Eldric.”

Rayla’s eyes narrowed. “So, how do we stop it?”

Ivy flipped through the pages, searching for more information. “Here it is,” she said, finding a passage detailing a method to counteract the spirit devils’ influence. “To defeat a spirit devil, you need to redirect moonlight onto the possessed person during a full moon night. The moonlight disrupts the spirit devil’s control and weakens its hold over the victim.”

Rayla looked thoughtful. “We will need to enter the throne room to do it but how? Also, we need to hurry as today is full moon night.”

Ivy closed the book, her expression focused. “I have a plan, but you will have to create a distraction to distract the guards.”

“What are you planning to do? Don’t you do something dangerous?” Rayla said in a worried voice.

Ivy smiled and reassured her that it was going to be okay.

Rayla although still suspicious used magic to create a huge explosion in the garden outside to attract all the guards. Ivy went into the throne room in disguise while pretending to be a trusted emissary. The room was in complete darkness as all the windows were shut. Eldric seemed a little surprised to see her.” Who are you and why are you here” he asked in a heavy voice. Ivy bowed in front of him and replied,” Your majesty, I am Raila, a great magician who knows all the secrets of the world. I am here because I heard you want the The Codex of Arcania.” This caught Eldric’s attention, and he nodded.” I have the Codex hidden in a different realm and if you allow can summon it but there is one problem” Eldric looked at her suspiciously and asked what the problem was.”The spell requires a little bit of sunlight if you allow me to open the window just a little bit I will be able to perform the spell” Ivy replied in a voice full of confidence. Eldric nodded and Ivy went to the window in front of the throne and opened it so the moonlight would enter only halfway through the hall. She created a symbol in the air and recited the spell, almost immediately the symbol began to glow in a a light purple light. Ivy moved out of its way and in a sudden turn of events the symbol absorbed the moonlight and redirected it towards Eldric, who screamed in pain. Suddenly a shadow came out of Eldric, it was the spirit devil. It was on the verge of disappearing but still rushed towards Ivy. Eldric quickly pulled her out of its way. Ivy almost started crying happy to see her brother back. She hugged him tightly and he hugged her back.” Oh Eldric, you are back!”  Ivy said while crying. Soon enough Rayla came with other guards. Ivy introduced Rayla to everyone. Rayla bowed respectfully in front of Eldric but he asked her to get up. He thanked her for helping Ivy. Later a letter of apology was sent to all the kingdoms and clans and the peace was restored.

In the woods of Arcadia, the members of the Lantinia tribes were busy in their work. Xander, Arthur and Jack were in the forest away from their village. They were talking about Ivy and how they missed her.

Suddenly they heard a voice they recognised quickly.” Someone is missing me” “Ivy!” they all exclaimed together as she appeared out of the shadows with the codex and letter in one hand. Ivy explains everything and gives them the Codex and letter asks them to give it to the leader and then disappears out there leaving the three brothers shocked. They went back to the village and gave the Codex and the letter to the leader and explained everything to everyone.

[azraelspage]

Background Story

Hi, my name is Azrael Marcello O'Niel, but you can call me Ael. Here, I'd like to share a bit about my life as someone with dual citizenship.

My father is from Indonesia. He is a businessman in the automotive industry and is currently a senior executive at Rolls-Royce. My mother is from Italy. She owns an Italian restaurant called Trattoria Pennestri, which serves classic Roman dishes with a unique twist. This restaurant has branches in various countries, and this year, my mother will be opening a branch in Indonesia. For those curious about Italian cuisine, feel free to drop by!

I have an older brother who is passionate about hotels and resorts. If you are planning a vacation, you can contact him for recommendations on safe and comfortable places to stay.

Now, about me. I am a 23-year-old who loves the universe and everything in it. I am more interested in science than business.

People know me as a sweet and caring person. I have a cat named Cio. My favorite foods right now are ice cream, gado-gado (without sayur), and kwetiau. Also my favorite drink is soda.

I live alone in an apartment, but I occasionally go home to visit my parents when they are not on business trips. Just a lilbit personal info: I have a very handsome, attentive, and loving boyfriend named Josean Eldric, whom I love very much.

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

You are not tripping. GRRM is a fan of Moorcock - he even read the Elric saga before LOTR was released in the US.

It was actually through a fanzine, Cortana, that I first heard about Tolkien-- it was a fanzine for fans of Sword & Sworcery fiction, and I was that because I was reading Conan and I was reading Elric and I was reading some of the other heroes. And it talked about this book called Lord of the Rings by this British writer... —GRRM's Podcast, 2006

It's also been noted before that the Melniboneans bear a strong resemblance to Valyrians (in appearance and philosophy), and the Melnibonean Ruby Throne may have been an influence on the Iron Throne. Furthermore, Brynden Rivers (Bloodraven, the three-eyed crow) bears a strong resemblance to Elric himself, and the enmity between him and his half-brother Aegor Rivers, Bittersteel, bears a strong resemblance to the famous fantasy nerd "who'd win" scenario of Elric vs Conan the Barbarian.

And not to forget, GRRM's blatant tribute to Elric within ASOIAF, as it's mentioned in TWOIAF that a name for Azor Ahai (bearer of Lightbringer) in some cultures is Eldric Shadowchaser. Maybe more will come in the future, who knows...

surely I CANNOT be tripping