#tiled conservatory roof | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

1986harrington · 2 years ago

Note

If you’re still doing prompts can I request #20?

Steve Harrington x fem!reader Prompt: #20: 'You won't be fun if you're dead.' Summary: You get a little too drunk at a party, Steve comes to your rescue Word Count: 1.8k

You weren’t sure who had called him. Your working theory was that Vicki - who'd you seen earlier over by the punch bowl, eyeing you a little judgementally as you filled up your cup for fifth time that night - had called Robin, who in turn had called Steve.

Either way, there he was - standing on the lawn below, looking up at you with an expression coloring his too-handsome features that you couldn’t quite distinguish between blind panic and simmering rage.

Maybe it was a bit of both.

He’d arrived just in time to watch you clamber out of the third-story window and onto the roof of the Hennesey’s conservatory, which overlooked the pool. Before he’d even had a chance to call up to you and tell you to bring your drunk ass back down to ground level, you had pulled off your shirt and tossed it off the side of the roof, triggering a chorus of cheers and wolf whistles that made Steve's blood simmer. He’d shouldered his way through the crowd to the front, snatching the material of your shirt from the hands of a boy who had scrambled to catch it like a bouquet at a wedding. Steve stared the other boy down until he let go, jerking his head to the side as an indication for him to move out of his way, which he did silently.

He was front and centre now to the show you were putting on, placing one unsteady foot in front of the other until you were teetering at the edge - the bright, white floodlights surrounding the yard blinding you slightly and making your already blurry vision worse.

He’d called up to you then, shouting over the sound of the music still blaring from the party inside and the incessant cheering going on around the pool, asking you just what in the hell you were doing.

You didn’t answer his question, instead squealing his name excitedly and yelling back down that you couldn’t hear him but “look at this!” as you lifted one foot from the beam you were balancing on, your leg extended out to the side as you balanced on one foot.

Steve cursed, hand running through his hair as his eyes darted around looking for the quickest way to get up there next to you, but then someone to his left tugged on his jacket sleeve and told him that it was a forfeit. That you’d been playing a game of truth or dare and Sean Hennesey had dared you to kiss him. You’d been pretty wasted by this point, but insisted you couldn’t - that there was only one boy you wanted to kiss and he wasn’t here.

Steve made a mental note to circle back to that once he had you safely back on the ground and his chest cavity wasn’t filled with a sickly sense of panic.

Instead, you’d opted for the forfeit, which was to jump from the roof into the pool. You'd seemed a little apprehensive at the idea, so various members of the basketball team went first, cannonballing in to assure you it was safe enough.

Once Steve had sent someone else inside to turn down the music and you could finally hear him, he called back up to you, asking you to please not make him come up there after you.

“Ohhh c’mon, Stevie! I remember the days when you used to be fun!” You hollered back, losing your footing slightly and throwing your arms out for balance.

“Jesus Christ," He muttered, taking a half-step forward on instinct, one hand still knotted in his hair anxiously. "Yeah? Well you won’t be much fun if you’re dead. Come on, get down from there already.”

You were giggling, taking one final step forward to the very edge of the roof and Steve swore his whole heart was in his mouth.

"No, no - shit - I didn't mean jump-" He was rambling, eyes darting between your position on the roof and the tiled edge of the pool below you, weighing up your chances of actually hitting the water and not the ground.

But when you looked down, suddenly it looked a whole lot higher than you'd previously given it credit for. Out of nowhere, you felt blood rushing in your ears, knocking off your sense of balance and sobering you up as the realisation kicked in of just how high you were. Your knees began to wobble, your arms that were previously by yours sides now lifted slightly to keep you upright.

"Fuck," You whispered. Then, a little louder - eyes darting down to meet his, watering slightly at the corners and some of the flush leaving your cheeks as the panic set in - "Steve, I don't wanna do this anymore."

Your lip was trembling, hands shaking and you were silently pleading with your eyes for him to help you.

"Goddammit," He groaned. "Just- wait there, alright? Don't move, I'm coming. Just wait for me."

Steve took off through the crowd, darting inside the house and heading for the staircase that would take him to the correct floor of whatever window you'd climbed out of. It felt like an eternity but it was probably only a few minutes at most when he finally flung open the door to the right room, curtains fluttering the breeze through the open window.

Steve made his way over, sticking his head and the top half of his body out the window.

He was so much closer to you now that even with your back to him and the music still playing, he could hear your little panicked breaths.

"Hey, it's me," He called out to you and your instinct was to turn and face him, but your foot slipped and you yelped, a sob leaving your throat as you steadied yourself and he lurched forward.

"Shit, no, no. Be careful, alright. Just, take your time. You're okay."

"I'm scared, Steve. Please, I don't like this."

"I know, baby. I know, but you've got to be careful, alright? Just listen to my voice and you'll be okay. I promise."

He watched as his words washed over you, the trembling in your limbs slightly subsiding at his promise, shoulders relaxing a little knowing that he meant it when he said he wouldn't let anything happen to you.

"Okay, I need you to take a big breath, as many as you need until your knees don't feel shakey anymore."

"Steve, I can't, please-"

"Yeah you can. I promise you, you can. I'm right here."

You took a few steadying breaths, closing your eyes and letting the sound of his voice ground you.

"Okay," You breathed. "What do I do now?"

Steve coaxed you through it gently - how to turn your body, how to bend your knees just enough that you could hold onto the narrow beam as you turned yourself around, standing back up slowing and placing one foot in front of the other until you were close enough to him that he could reach out to grab you. His strong, warm arms wrapped around you, held you tight as you closed the last of the distance and then you both tumbled back through the window together, landing on the plush, expensive carpet with a thud.

You were underneath him, the length of his body pressed to yours, his forearms bracing him on either side of your head and both of you were breathing so heavy it felt like your chests might burst.

"You know you could have really fucking hurt yourself?" Steve said after a few jagged breaths, eyes trained on yours. But there was no harshness or malice or reprimad in his tone - just dread, as if it was truly the worst possible thing he could imagine.

"I'm sorry," You mumbled eventually, breaking the silence that fallen over your laboured breathing.

"I know," Steve replied on an exhale, the back of his knuckles brushing the soft baby hairs at your temple.

"It was dumb." You continued, although you weren't sure why.

"Sure was." Steve agreed, a hint of a relieved smile tugging at his lips.

"Are you mad at me?" You spoke a little softer this time.

"Right now?" He asked, dipping his head down to push at your cheek with his before leaning back to look down at you again. "No. But when Robin called and said you were playing truth or dare with a bunch of basketball players? Yeah, I was pretty pissed." He laughed, and you laughed, and a little more of the tension was gone.

"But when she said you were on your way upstairs to jump off the roof? Then I wasn't mad anymore. Just scared."

You nodded wordlessly, your body feeling numb and tingly all at once and you didn't know what to say to that.

"I do have one question though. Then I can take you home and we don't need to bring it up again. Deal?"

"Deal," You agreed, curious as to what the question could be.

"Why take the forfeit? I thought you had like the biggest crush on Sean Hennesey." Steve asked, a knowing, teasing grin on his face.

You spluttered out a nervous laugh, eyes suddenly darting up to the ceiling behind Steve's head from your position still on the floor, desperate to avoid his gaze.

"I- Okay, first of all, that crush was so long ago-"

"You literally asked me if it was lame to put a note in his locker on Valentine's Day," Steve countered, laughing at how flushed you'd gotten.

"So?"

"So? That was only like three months ago."

"Yeah, well..." You trailed off, one hand reaching up to push his hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah well what?" When you didn't answer after a few seconds, he pushed his cheek to yours again. "Huh?"

You weren't sure if it was the alcohol or the adrenaline or just the proximity of him lying on top of you with literally just your bra and shorts on, but you couldn't seem to stop the words tumbling out of your mouth.

"That had more to do with you than Sean Hennesey."

"And what's that suppose to mean?"

"It means-" You began, both your hands coming up cover your face as you felt your cheeks heat up before you let them fall onto your chest to look at him. "It means I wanted to see how you'd react to me potentially asking out another boy."

"Hm," Was all Steve said, replacing the knuckles that had been stroking at your temple with a thumb grazing along your cheekbone.

"So when you told Sean earlier that you couldn't kiss him because there was another guy you wanted to-"

You cut him off with your lips against his. Chaste and sweet and innocent, a simple push of your mouth against had his whole body melting into yours. His forearms were still bracing him above you, stopping his whole weight from crushing you, but his lower half was pressed to yours, and your arms snaked their way around his waist until your palms were flat against his back, pulling him down further.

You only lay like that for a few minutes, lips moving against each others until you were pushing your tongue into his mouth with a groan, hips pushing up into his. Steve sat up, cursing into your mouth with laboured breaths as he pulled you up with him until you were settled on his lap and his back was against the wall beneath the window.

You eventually pulled back for a breath, forehead resting against his as his warm palms stroked at the bare skin of your back and sides, sending a scattering of goosebumps along your arms and spine.

"That is why I didn't kiss Sean Hennesey."

#steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fic #steve harrington #steve harrington smut #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington angst #steve harrington oneshot #steve harrington imagine #Steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fanfiction #jade writes prompts

379 notes · View notes

blooming-violets · 8 months ago

Note

In joy with FILE Peter and Charlie? I just like the idea of them adopting a little goth baby and being happy they have the family they deserve I'm sorry Katie I'm so soft for them

[link to original ship prompt]

[link to Forever Isn't Long Enough]

“Peter?”

Charlie lounged in the conservatory, laid out on her favorite wicker chair, as she stared through the glass roof at the blackened sky. A few persistent stars shone back but most were drowned out by the town's light pollution. A strange part of her memory could still see through Charlotte's eyes to look up at the same night sky over 300 years ago. Like she was seeing the same image from two perspectives throughout time. The difference in the number of stars now was depressing.

She had been doing that a lot lately.

Sharing more and more memories with Charlotte.

“Hmm?” He glanced up from his novel with a relaxed smile on his pale lips. His eyes softened the moment they caught her in his gaze. The ruby red of his iris gave off a faint glow in the dark room.

Through Charlotte’s eyes, she could still see glimpses of his warm, chocolate brown one’s staring back at her. Even though he had been frozen in time, Peter had looked like such a boy back then compared to the man sitting here now. His body might never physically change but time will always change the way one carries themselves. The eyes don’t lie.

Charlie placed an absentminded hand over her stomach with a soft sigh, “Do you ever think about the child?”

His shoulders tensed and he tucked the book away at his side, “Which child would that be, dear?”

She sat up and shot him an unimpressed look. He knew exactly which one she was talking about.

“Your child.” She still didn’t feel right saying “our” child. She wanted to separate herself from Charlotte as much as possible. It wasn’t her baby who died in her womb but, somehow, the grief of that loss was becoming a constant nagging in the back of her mind. Her stomach would ache with a hollow emptiness whenever she thought about it. “The one Charlotte was pregnant with when she died.”

Peter was still for a long time. Charlie counted the tiles on the floor under them while she waited for a response. He was prone to doing that. Time worked differently for him. He would often take his time to think and process before speaking. What felt like ten minutes to her, would only be a few passing seconds to him.

Finally, he stirred, letting out a long, deep sigh. His jaw tightened then relaxed and he leaned back in his seat.

“Yes,” his reply was stiff and calculated. “I’ve thought about it every day of my agonizingly long life before you got here.”

Charlie chewed at her bottom lip, trying not to feel ashamed for asking him the question. She was trying to learn how to be more assertive. She was allowed to talk to Peter. She was allowed to ask questions. Even if he didn’t like what she was asking. He would never hurt her for being curious. He was a safe person to talk with.

“And?”

“And what?” He forced a tight smile, his fangs flashing under the moonlit night. “It’s something I can’t change. The past is the past, Charlie. This is the present. I am here, with you, happier than I’ve been in centerties. I no longer feel the need to torture myself over what could have been. I have you. I don’t need anything else.”

The past wasn’t just the past for her. It was flooding into her life like a ghost with unfinished business. She kept flashing between the present and past. Little glimpses of memories. Overwhelming feelings of Charlotte’s emotions. She wasn’t allowed to just be Charlie until Charlotte got put to rest.

And there was one thing that Charlotte wanted more than anything.

She had found her Peter again. She had found a place for them to be safe with their love. But there was still something important missing.

“Do you think I would be a good mother?” Charlie asked quietly, looking at her lap to not over analyze his expression.

She heard him stand up. He silently strode the few steps towards her and leaned down between her legs. His cold hands wrapped around her cheeks and lifted her head up to face him. He wore a look of soft love plastered across his sharp features.

“Do you think you would be?” He brushed his lips over the tip of her nose. “Because I know what I think but you’re the only one who knows your true self. I could sing your praises for years but only you know what is in your heart.”

“Charlotte wants her baby.”

Peter gave her a sad smile, “Charlotte is dead. Charlotte can not want. She is not here. What does Charlie want? Because that is who I care about.”

She closed her eyes, nestling her head deeper against the safety of his palm, “I don’t know. Something is missing, though. There’s a piece still not in place.”

Peter dropped an arm down to hook under her knees and easily lifted her into his arms. He sat down in her place instead with her draped over his lap and snuggled into his chest. His hands tangled in her hair with soothing strokes over her scalp.

“Our lives are not normal, Charlie.” He whispered into the top of her hair, leaving kisses peppered over her. “I can’t…I can’t give you children. Not like before. Not like a normal man could. If that’s a deal breaker, I can figure something out, I can-”

She cut him off with a swift kiss to his lips, “It’s not a deal breaker. I don’t need you to give me children like that. There are other ways, though. There are kids out there. Sad, lonely kids who have known nothing but abuse and pain. Kids who long for someone to just love them. Why can’t that be us? I know what it’s like to grow up in a broken home. I think- I think I could love a broken kid better than anyone.”

Peter smiled at the thought, “I think you could, too.” He tightened his grip around her waist to hold her closer. “I raised a child once. A long time ago. Late 1800’s. I was living in Queens. He was living on the streets. I used to buy newspapers from him. He was always around in the evenings when I would be out. One day I let him come inside for a meal and, next thing I know, he’s become my ward. His name was…was…”

She waited patiently while he thought through his old, foggy memories.

“Miles! That was it!” He planted a sloppy kiss to her cheek. “He was a good kid. I kept watch over him until he was 18. I sent him off to college with my money and left him a good fortune to do with as he pleased while I traveled around. I wonder what he made of it…”

Charlie leaned her head against his shoulder. She liked the idea of Peter picking up stray children throughout time to help improve their lives.

His mood darkened to a sulk, “But that’s the curse of living forever. People you love, they keep growing, they outlive you, and then they die. We might be able to have forever but they won’t. That’s the price you need to think of before you decide what you want to do.”

She lifted herself up to straddle her legs on either side of his lap so she could properly face him.

“Peter Parker, that is not a curse,” she chastised him. She squished his cheeks between her palms to make sure he was paying full attention. “That is a blessing. Think of how many lives we could change with our forever. You changed a little boy’s life over a hundred years ago. He might be dead now but who knows what he went on to do. It sounds like you never stuck around to find out. He could have changed the world. He could have saved lives. He could have gotten married and had children of his own who were able to grow up in a financially stable household. Those kids could have gone on to do something great. His life got to open up because you showed him an act of love. Imagine what we could do. Together. Imagine the lives we could change if we really wanted to. I was a sad, lonely little girl who did not know what love felt like. I want to use that pain to make sure I can help someone else. I want…I want a child! Me. Charlie wants this. Please, Peter. This is what I need.”

A wide smile spread across his lips, showing off his pointed teeth that she loved so much, and he let out a quiet laugh, “You know I would give anything in the world, right? I would give you anything you ever asked for. Your wishes are my command. I am nothing but a humble servant sent to do your bidding.”

“Then give me this,” she whispered, leaning in closer to bump foreheads with him. “Let’s adopt a kid. Foster a child. Open an orphanage. Fuck it, let’s steal a kid from some assholes if we have to! But let’s do this. I want it.”

She could swear his eyes were sparking under the moonlight.

“If you want it. I want it,” he grinned.

Charlie threw her arms around his neck and crashed her lips onto his, smiling into the kiss with a squeal, and mumbling happily against his mouth, “I love you, Peter.”

He replied with a happy, satisfied moan, “Forever.”

They for sure go on to adopt a little girl who never smiles and scowls at everyone and has dark bags under her eyes and doesn't trust a single soul in the world. And they slowly let her open up to them on her own time while providing her with a stable environment. AND THE FIRST TIME THEY HEAR HER LAUGH?? omg they both look at each other with tears in their eyes. She loves to explore the house and look at all the old antiques Peter has around. She steals the one's she likes most and keeps them under her bed in a growing pile like a magpie collecting her trinkets. She falls in love with Charlie first because she has a lot of mistrust around men but eventually Peter wins her over by clearing a spot in his library just for her and her children books. They have a vintage style nursery set up for her with all her toys. Peter handmakes all her wooden toys and sews her stuffed animals. He paints murals around the house for her to admire like he one he painted behind Charlie's bed. She gets to grow up with parents love and adore her and have all the time in the world to just experience life with her.

#andrew garfield #tasm #peter parker #forever isn't long enough #FILE extras #Peter Parker au #tasm au #ship kiss prompts

7 notes · View notes

jimblejamblewritings · 2 years ago

Text

Rewriting Lightlark | part 2.

Summary: That's it. I literally just rewrote Lightlark and tried to make it better. Read if you want.

Word Count: 2.9k

Previous Part

Something wet landed on Isla’s cheek. She wiped at her hand as she sat up from her nap. Isla looked down at the book under her head. She remembered telling her main servants, Poppy and Terra, that she would spend the morning of her coronation reading in the conservatory. She didn’t remember when she must have fallen asleep in the middle of a chapter about healing tonics.

“Good. I was starting to think you might be dead,” a bright voice said.

Isla rubbed her eyes and turned her head to see Miso, her companion. The red panda toddled towards Isla and made herself comfortable in her lap. The Wildling absentmindedly scratched under Miso’s cheek.

She finally stood up, feet tickled by the moss floor. The Conservatory was Isla’s favorite part of the castle. It was entirely glass but the plants were so large that no one could see inside the building unless they looked through the roof. The moss floor instead of any tiles had been her great-grandfather’s idea. Isla found it to be one of the best materials to read and nap on. She patted her left foot against the ground multiple times, groaning when a small vine flattened under her foot.

“Oh come on… Stupid Nightshade powers.”

Being half-Nightshade didn’t just make her Wildling powers a bit weaker, it made her have to work a thousand times harder than others. Nightshade and Wildlings were complete opposites. One practically manipulated death, the other created life. They were always battling with each other inside her.

“Fine,” she said with a huff. “No giant vine, just don’t let me fall.”

She clutched Miso a little tighter as she placed her foot on the base of a giant eucalyptus tree. The trunk bent just enough that Isla could stand on it without falling straight to the floor. It kept bending as she walked higher and higher until she reached the roof. There was a large crank to open up a hole in the ceiling.

Only the royals took care of the Conservatory. It was their little sanctuary away from everyone. Isla didn’t want the plants to suffer while she was at the Decennial. She would be back. She had to be back. Her brother’s wife died in childbirth and the baby didn’t make it either. Talon was gone before finding another woman. There were no more Wildling heirs so she had to live.

She pulled on the crank until the ceiling was completely open. Hopefully that was enough for the plants to get the proper sunlight and rain that they needed while she was away. The large doors of the Conservatory opened.

“Princess?” a shrill voice called.

“Coming!”

Isla hastily ran down the tree, the tree bending to make sure she never fell off. Her main servants, Poppy and Terra watched her set Miso down onto the ground. Terra and Isla winced at the shriek that left Poppy’s mouth.

“What happened to your hair?”

Isla tried to look up at her own hair. Her fingers gently raked through the strands. Most of the braids were gone. She could have sworn she had done her hair last night so they wouldn’t have to worry about it the morning of the coronation. Isla shrugged.

“I’ll handle my hair so you don’t have to redo it, Poppy.”

“No matter, I love doing hair.”

Poppy was already running back to her room to grab a vial of fresh mint leaf oil. Terra and Isla both laughed as they followed behind the over excited woman. Sometimes it was better to just let Poppy do what she wanted. If she got too upset, rose bushes tended to spring up around her. No one really wanted to deal with pulling thorns out of their feet. Isla just sat at her vanity stool while Poppy did her hair and Terra created makeup.

Wildlings rarely owned makeup that they hadn’t created. They were the main creators of beauty products for Lightlark. Terra didn’t want to use Isla’s already-made makeup. A coronation needed something special. Isla’s vanity looked more like a factory table. Terra carefully cut a single leaf from a small aloe plant. Her knife scraped all the gel into a bowl, combining it with shea butter made two months ago and some witch hazel. The smallest bit of cocoa powder was added to make the mixture match Isla’s skin.

“Here,” Poppy said, handing it to Isla to put on her face.

Isla put it on her face without complaint. Sometimes she wondered if Poppy and Terra were what it was like to have sisters? If her parents hadn’t died would she and Talon have gotten baby sisters or would she have been the only girl?

Terra moved on to make color for Isla’s eyes and cheeks. They were in smaller pans, likely to be thrown away after the Decennial because Isla didn’t care for anything on her eyes. Poppy didn’t trust her or Terra to apply the eye color. She finished Isla’s hair in record time before taking the tin and applying it herself.

Isla finally stood up after Terra applied the berry lip stain, thankful to be done. She couldn’t remember her brother’s coronation but she imagined it was just as boring of a process for him as she was finding it. Everything was beautiful, from her makeup to her beaded dress, but getting ready was still boring. She took in a deep breath before opening her bedroom doors. Poppy and Terra tied the strings of her cape around her.

“The carriage is waiting for you. We’ll see you at the stage.”

“Why are we still using plain carriages? Sunlings have created autocarriages.”

“Yes but those were only invented two years ago, I don’t trust them yet,” Poppy fussed.

Isla didn’t argue. She walked towards the side of the castle where they held the carriages. She got into the open-top carriage after greeting the driver, careful to make sure her entire cape made it into the vehicle. The cape was merely plain vines sewn together.

The carriage was off before Isla could process it. The carriage was to drive through most of Wilding, giving Isla the chance to wave to those who couldn’t make the coronation. Farmers looked up from their work as the carriage came by. They waved back to Isla, creating flowers and throwing them into the air as a form of celebration.

She was happy to see there were more babies around but the amount of adults didn’t seem to go down. Children were always a sore point for Wildling. The only way they could see to keep the population successfully was through a breeding program — something that sounded so demeaning everyone called it The Quoi instead.

The carriage passed by The Quoi, one of the last places before city hall, where the workers and couplings were outside to see her come by. The Quoi might not have been very empowering but it worked. The whole building was inside a giant, hollowed out sequoia tree. Couplings were blindfolded before being put in rooms by matchmakers who personally selected each man and woman for a coupling. Love cottages were run the same way to try and allow people to still have sex without forming attachments. It worked for the most part. Each year seemed to bring less death than the year prior.

The carriage finally pulled up to city hall. City hall and the castle were in the same city of Edulis, so close that Isla could walk there if she wanted. But the coronation was held there instead of the castle because of tradition. Every Wildling ruler worked in city hall. That was where mornings and sometimes afternoons were spent holding meetings, hearing people’s grievances, and greeting the rulers of the other isles.

The entire crowd turned as they heard the carriage. Isla stepped out of the carriage to the deafening sound of applause. Carefully, she bent down and took off her sandals. Each of her steps were calculated as she walked down the plain grass aisle. Calla lilies and pink hyacinths were left behind, springing up from the ground the moment her heel lifted off of the grass.

Each member of the crowd bent down to touch the grass. Slowly, Isla’s vine cape was becoming covered in various flowers. By the time she reached the stairs of city hall, the cape was completely full. Isla turned to face the crowds after taking her spot on the middle step of the staircase. She tuned out Terra’s speech, only going through the motions when she needed to say her lines. The coronation was real. It finally hit her that Talon was gone.

“I now present to Wildling their new queen. Guardian Isla Ciaran Bryony Crown, long may she reign and keep us safe.”

The crowd kneeled down. “May Guardian Isla keep us safe.”

Terra placed the crown on Isla’s head. It was a wreath made of dried grass and peony. The wreath had belonged to Talon. He had made it himself a few years ago, choosing to wear it as his everyday crown. Isla bowed back to her people, thankful the coronation was over. Poppy ran to get Isla’s sandals and helped her put them on.

“You need to sit and eat.”

Isla nodded absentmindedly and let herself be led into city hall. Every Wildling left plants on the ground if they were barefoot. Most were able to control it better after puberty, along with the fact that they only produced one plant subconsciously. Isla still had control problems, causing daisies to randomly appear sometimes. But she wanted to do something special for the coronation, regretting every moment of it because her energy was now drained and she felt like she would faint.

Poppy came back after making sure Isla was sitting properly at her writing desk chair. Isla reached for the orange slices first. Her eyes scanned the room as she thought. The Decennial was in three days. She had never trained for the Decennial. That was Talon’s problem. Even if he died in the event, she would still have a decade after that to learn. It was impossible to learn any worthwhile skills in three days.

Isla jumped when an envelope came through the Shadow Mirror. The Shadow Mirror was a Nightshade invention and not very common. They were gifted to all the other rulers by the first Nightshade king, Commandant Cronan. A bit of shadow was captured and trapped into the metal frame of a mirror. Things could be put into the Shadow Realm by those that weren’t Nightshade and taken out, all through the mirrors.

Isla picked up the envelope and turned it over. The neat, carefully placed letters on the front were addressed to her. She dug her finger underneath the wax and forced the envelope open.

I accept your proposal for an alliance.

— Commandant Grimshaw Scepter

Isla’s eyebrows scrunched. When did she request an alliance with Nightshade? No matter. One more alliance wouldn’t hurt. She had already secured the Starling queen, Professor Celeste. Alliances could break and friends could turn on each other but it always made rulers felt better to have them. Isla nodded before pulling open a drawer in her desk and grabbing a match to burn the letter. At least with another alliance — and one from Commandant Grimshaw, no doubt — she might have a chance of living through the Decennial and making it to her twentieth birthday next year.

Three days passed too quickly. With reluctance, Isla left her bed only after Miso smacked her in the face. Her eyes glanced over to her trunks near the door. They had been packed ever since receiving a letter from Star Isle that Moonling fishermen fishing off their coasts had recovered Talon’s body along with five other Wildling soldiers and sailors.

The trunks held everything she needed to stay at the Grand Palace on Lightlark. Isla took her time washing up. She made her way to her closet with heavy steps. All rulers were supposed to show up in a very nice outfit with the main colors of their Isle to greet the Grand Queen. Isla just didn’t feel like it.

“The light green dress is pretty,” Miso said from her spot on the bed.

Isla didn’t even argue, just grabbing the green dress from off of the hanger. She put it on, fighting through layers of tulle and lace and flowers.

“How do I look?” she asked, turning to face Miso.

“Radiant.”

The red panda jumped into Isla’s arms. She greeted Poppy and Terra right outside her door. They collected her trunks and took them to the personal dock. Wildling Castle overlooked the coast, making travel to any of the other isles very easy for the rulers. Lightlark wasn’t just a single island. It was a large main one and several smaller ones surrounding it.

Smaller isles that held only Larkings of the same kind of magic. They all intermingled and lived together on the main island, also named Lightlark. Isla gave her final goodbyes to Poppy and Terra before she and Miso boarded the ship.

A group of sailors bowed to her. “The main island is a three hour ride, make yourself comfortable.”

Isla nodded and sat down on the ship’s deck, taking her crown off and leaving it next to Miso. She recognized the sailors. They were Moonlings. They could move the water and create large tides. That was the only way to get to Lightlark in such a quick manner. And being punctual was important. Aurora controlled their lives during the Decennial. They tried not to anger her as much as possible. Being on time might win points with her.

It didn’t happen every Decennial, but more often than not, Aurora would pardon a ruler. They were immune from death, giving them a sense of peace for the remainder of the Decennial. Isla spent her boat ride thinking about ways to win the Grand Queen’s favor. Aurora’s title made her huff. She might have been a Starling ruler five centuries ago but all her family was gone and she abandoned Star Isle long ago. She wasn’t a Grand Queen but a tyrant.

Isla stopped thinking about it when they reached the docks of Lightlark. No one knew of Aurora’s powers but she wouldn’t be surprised if mind-reading was one of her talents. The ship finally docked. Isla stared at the row of carriages. Six carriages for the six remaining rulers of Lightlark.

Hers was obviously the green one. One other ship docked two spaces over. Isla saw the golden halo crown of the Sunling king before she saw Lord Oro’s face. She couldn’t actually see his face. He was covered from head to toe in a gold shroud. His outfit underneath, Isla imagined, was probably just as intricate and gold.

He turned his head and Isla could spot a thin sheer slit for his eyes. He bowed before gesturing to Isla’s own dock. The two left their ships at the same, ending up side by side as they walked to the carriages.

“It is nice to see you, Guardian Isla. May I extend congratulations for your coronation.”

“Thank you, Lord Otto.”

The two didn’t say anything else. They sat in their respective carriages and waited for the trunks to be loaded before taking off. Isla always loved coming to Lightlark. The island glittered with the spirit of innovation. When all of the citizens lived together, they could come up with incredible things.

Buildings started getting taller, and not because they were giant sequoia trees. More of them were also becoming made of glass or fine stones. And plants separated road lanes and blocked the carriages and autocarriages from running into pedestrians on the pavement. The place still needed more nature in Isla’s opinion but she wouldn’t mind bringing some of the designs back to Wildling.

The green and gold carriages pulled up to the Grand Palace. Once, the rulers of Lightlark held council and boarded together in the Grand Palace while their heirs went to school and lived their adult years on their respective isles. Now it was the home of Aurora only. The large castle made of white and yellow mentime stones glittered as sunlight bounced off of it. Isla noticed all the windows were closed either with wooden shutters or thick curtains. Certainly for Lord Oro’s sake.

The two rulers stepped out of their carriage once they entered the outer courtyard of the palace. The Grand Queen Aurora was standing there waiting for them. Her lightly tanned hand pushed at the silver crown on her head.

“I thank you for making the journey to the Decennial.”

“Do we have a choice?” Oro asked, either not aware of or not caring about Aurora’s expression.

Isla couldn’t blame him for the anger. He wasn’t much older than her but he was an unwanted second son. Sunling’s royal family was notorious for not caring about any children after their firstborn. They thought it made it easier to accept their deaths in the Decennial. Oro was only fourteen in his first Decennial, the same age as Talon. Grace of the other rulers was why he was still alive.

He only had to live through this Decennial and then he would be welcomed home with open arms. His older sister’s second child would be old enough to compete in the Decennial. He would be free to live his life in peace and finally abdicate the throne, giving it to the firstborn like it was supposed to be.

Aurora ignored his statement. “The attendants will show you to the gathering room. You can wait there for the others to arrive.”

#lightlark #alex aster #isla crown #grimshaw #oro #booktok

11 notes · View notes