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laxmankodadala · 14 days ago
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RCS Chat: Everything You Need to Know About the New Messaging Standard
With its many new features that improve on SMS, RCS chat a next-generation messaging protocol, is revolutionising communication. However, what is RCS Chat and why is it becoming so popular? The purpose, features, and ways that RCS (rich comminication services) chat can greatly enhance your messaging experience will all be covered in this article.
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What is RCS Chat? Understanding the Basics
Prior to delving into the advantages, it is crucial to provide an explanation of "What is RCS Chat?" RCS Chat is a communication system that incorporates read receipts, typing indicators, multimedia features, and more to improve traditional SMS messaging. RCS enables users to exchange photos, videos, and audio messages with greater quality and dependability than standard SMS, which is restricted to text and simple multimedia. Richer and more engaging conversations are made possible by the fact that it operates via the internet instead of the conventional cellular network.
Multimedia Messaging
One of the standout features of RCS messaging is its ability to handle multimedia content far better than SMS. With RCS, you can send high-resolution photos, videos, GIFs, and audio messages without worrying about compression or file size limits. This means that your media-rich conversations will maintain their quality, allowing you to share moments in greater detail and clarity.
Read Receipts for Better Communication
RCS texting adds read receipts, a feature that many users have come to adore in other messaging programs. RCS allows you to track when the recipient has received and read your message. By letting you know whether the recipient has read your message, this openness helps remove uncertainty and is very helpful in both personal and professional communication.
Rich Communication Services
RCS isn’t just about improving one-on-one conversations; it also brings enhanced group chat features. With RCS, group chats can handle more participants and include the same rich media and interactivity as individual conversations. You can create groups, add participants, and enjoy seamless communication with all members, regardless of their device or carrier.
Location sharing is another feature that gets a significant upgrade with RCS messaging. Instead of sending static map images, RCS allows you to share your real-time location in an interactive format. This is particularly useful for meetups, traveling, or simply keeping your contacts updated on your whereabouts.
As technology continues to evolve, RCS is poised to be the standard for messaging. With the increasing adoption by carriers and device manufacturers, RCS is becoming more widely available, ensuring that your messaging experience remains cutting-edge. By adopting RCS now, you’re future-proofing your communication methods, ensuring compatibility with the latest features and services.
conclusion
RCS chat completely changes the way we communicate via messaging; it's not merely an improvement over SMS. You can improve your chatting experience in ways that were previously unthinkable with SMS by comprehending "What is RCS Chat" and utilising its advantages. RCS is setting the standard for communication in the future by offering enhanced security, business messaging features, and high-quality media sharing. There has never been a better moment to investigate how RCS might enhance your messaging experience as it continues to gain popularity.
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chefjbonilla · 1 month ago
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Discover the L1585 Troop London Classic Messenger Bag (Large)
Are you looking for the perfect combination of style, functionality, and durability in a bag? The L1585 Troop London Classic Messenger Bag (Large) is designed for those who seek a versatile, robust, and stylish bag for everyday use or even short trips. Let’s dive into what makes this bag an ideal companion for your daily adventures. External Features The exterior of the Troop London Messenger…
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generalsmemories · 1 year ago
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Admiral, the general is touch-deprived.
✧ jing yuan x gn!reader
✧ based on the ask: "Please do one if you haven’t where Jing Yuan is severely down bad for reader and makes it known to everyone and they are just done with him"
✧ content: established relationship, fluff, make-out scene, humor, mentions of other characters
✧ a/n: where did almost 100 of you come- bless this ask for making me write needy jing yuan i love you. not beta-read again anyway buckle up this is another one of unfiltered shame for my love for one mere general with a silly thunder lord that he nicknamed shin-kun in the jp dub because the official title was way too long for this old man.
this was written in a google doc on the phone since I'm on vacation so I apologize if the formatting is messier than the first post 🫡
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There's tension in the air.
"... As for Stargazer Navidia, there seems to be another onslaught of mara-struck cloud knights making their way within the area in the next few days. I'll appoint Lieutenant Yanqing to lead a few troops there by the next hour, but be sure to send a messenger cycrane if the situation gets too out of hand or you need to divide the troops up to cover more ground."
You hear a loud "Yes!" as you flip over to the next page, quickly scanning through the documents contents, purposefully ignoring the tension in the air, muttering the details lowly to yourself with a furrowed eyebrow.
It's the sort of tension you wish everyone just ignored, even though it's more difficult than it sounds.
Perhaps being fed up with your avoidance of ignoring the elephant in the room, one of the captains of the Knights loudly cough into the air before meekly addressing you, "Admiral [Name]?"
"Yes?" you look up with a smile, cocking your head to the side. A small gesture to ensure the captain that they have your full attention which makes the knight before you quickly glance to the side and away from you, although that didn't help the pair of eyes boring a hole into the side of his head, "The general…" he starts, coughing once again while glancing back and forth at you and the weapons displayed at the seat of Divine Foresight, "... Would very much like your attention, it seems."
As if on cue, the arms that were wrapped around your waist squeeze a bit tighter than normal. The sudden pressure makes you let out a grunt of surprise while Qingzu lets out another exhausted sigh. Meanwhile you glance down to lock eyes with Jing Yuan, who very much is staring at you with a small pout evident on his lips, "Oh so my darling has finally acknowledged my existence?" he jokes with a grin, meanwhile you merely stare down back at him with a neutral expression before resting your left arm carrying the paperwork on his gray head. The general uses the opportunity to nuzzle his face into your waist, playfully biting into an exposed part of your skin from where his hand had wormed itself underneath your shirt, making you squirm away from him, to which he immediately grabs your back into his hold.
"If you haven't noticed dear, you're practically leeching onto me to the point I can't even stand at my usual side, that is to per say in front of the desk and not literally quite next to you and within your arms." You whisper to him gently. Flicking his forehead before whipping your head around to address the Cloud Knights before your husband can say anything in his defense.
You ignore the looks of disbelief on some of the soldiers' faces.
"I apologize for the awkwardness this position may cause, I can only hope for your understanding being that I've been away from the Luofu for a few months helping Marshal Fua with some matters at her fleet. I've only recently come back." you explain, gesturing Qingzu over to hand over the paperwork to her before waving your hand with a guilty smile, "You're all dismissed, please be safe out there."
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"Lady Fu Xuan, how may I be of assis-"
"Are you two arguing or something?" Fu Xuan interrupts before you can even finish your sentence which leaves you staring wide eyed at her with your mouth agape, "Pardon? I'm not quite sure who you're referring to-"
"The general. I'm referring to general Jing Yuan, who else would I be referring to? He sits around the seat of Divine Foresight like a kicked puppy. Which makes it even harder to get any information in OR to him because he's not even mentally present! Can you fix him? Wonderful! Let's make haste to the seat."
You're not even allowed to finish your cup of tea or give an answer before the divination commissioner grabs you by the forearms and drags you out of the teahouse.
"Jing-" you haven't even taken one step into the seat of Divine Foresight before you're surrounded by the familiar scent of your husband. A gentle hand placed by your head while an arm is tightly wound around your waist. You can practically feel the smile of utter glee on Jing Yuan's lips as he buries his face into your hair.
"Darling, I thought you had the day off today?" he mutters into your hair, sounding a bit too happy to have you in his arms again to the point he's ignoring the death glares from Fu Xuan besides you, the divination commissioner just wanting to do her part of keeping the Luofu afloat.
"I was having my day off, before Lady Fu Xuan here dragged me out because someone didn't-" you struggle free to nag at him, but your husband merely smiles softly at you before lifting your chin to give you a quick kiss, "Now that you're here I feel more energized than ever, let me finish the paperwork for today and I'll join you, we can even play a round of starchess." he suggests.
You can practically sense Fu Xuan roll her eyes in disgust, able to hear her mutter about a "lovesick fool" before walking past the two of you, Jing Yuan merely grabbing your hand to lead you towards the seat.
So much for a day off.
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You can't breathe.
"Jing-" another press of his lips onto yours as you find yourself pressed on the wall beside the door, "Yanqing-" you manage to breathe out when finally able to pull a tiny bit away from him. Pressing your hand over whatever surface of his face you can reach to try to shove him away, your other hand occupied with bracing itself against the wall.
Your husband ignores your literal hand on his face, somehow having more strength to still slant his lips across your own despite your efforts, the hand he has behind your head pushing you further against him while he shoves a leg between your own to keep you still, "Train-"
There's a rather loud set of knocks on your bedroom door followed by an exasperated sigh coming from behind it, which makes you freeze but Jing Yuan ignores it, sliding his tongue over your teeth while you resign yourself to slam your fist repeatedly on his back to get him to back off.
"General! I know you missed [Name] a lot during the months they were away from the Luofu, but you know that today is supposed to be a training day!" Yanqing shouts from behind the door, and you feel sorry over the realization he's aware of what's happening beyond it.
Feeling sorry enough for Yanqing whose probably already waited 15 minutes before knocking at the door, you muster whatever little strength you have left against your husband's addictive lips to grab his ponytail and yank him off and away from you.
Jing Yuan merely grunts in irritation, looking at you with a glare and swollen lips, but you ignore him. Opening the door before Jing Yuan can grab you again and giving Yanqing an apologetic look, "I tried-"
"It's better than last time, at least." He points out to which you merely sigh before opening the door wider, "I'll give you more pocket money this month, how's that for compensation?" You suggest, shoving your husband out the door before he do anything else, Yanqing smiling in triumph at your generosity.
"You're the best! Give me extra if I manage to land a few hits on the general?"
"5 more than usual and I'll give you an extra thousand." You settle, tapping Jing Yuan on the shoulder. Your husband turns around to face you with a hum, and you lean in to peck him on the cheek, gliding your lips over to his ear, "If you're a bit nicer to him today you'll also get a reward."
Needless to say, there were two very happy boys onboard the Luofu at the end of the day.
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khaire-traveler · 1 year ago
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Random Greek Deity Facts
- Artemis has been associated with horses in the past.
- Ares has associations with owls.
- There are ancient gravestones with reliefs on them that historians still cannot tell if the art is of Dionysus or Jesus.
- It is common for historians to struggle identifying if a statue is of Artemis or Apollo because they often look so much alike.
- Hephaestus is a god of fire.
- Maia, the Mother of Hermes, was thought to assist in raising both Dionysus and Hephaestus.
- Hypnos is said to live in a massive cave, sleeping with thousands of his sons.
- Rather than blood, Greek gods are said to have something called Ichor running through their veins; no one is quite sure what "Ichor" actually is.
- Both Apollo and Artemis are deities of light; it is not just Apollo. Along with this, it is believed Leto may also be a goddess of light.
- It is commonly believed that the hyacinth flower is not actually the flower Hyacinthus was infamously transformed into; most sources seem to agree that it was likely either an iris or a larkspur.
- At one point in the Dionysiaca, Dionysus wages a war against India. The goddess Rhea is said to have gathered troops for him, and Zeus was said to have been the one to task Dionysus with going to war in order to allow him to join the gods on Mount Olympus.
- Demeter's chariot is pulled by two giant winged serpents; she has literal dragons pulling her around, and no one is talking about it.
- The Python was a child of Gaia, and before Apollo took up the Oracle in Delphi, there was actually an Oracle with Gaia in that location.
- The twins Castor and Pollux, who made up the Gemini constellation, were commonly worshipped throughout ancient Greece under the title of the "Dioscuri" or "Dioskouroi".
- Also regarding the Dioskouroi, the name "Castor" ("Kastor") may translate to "Beaver".
- The famous epithet "Paean" of Apollo was also listed on an ancient Mycenaean tablet that listed the names of separate deities. It is, therefore, possible that Paean was once a separate god who later became associated/merged with both Apollo and his son Ascelpius.
- Besides being an epithet, a Paean was also a type of devotional chant/song that was sung in honor of Apollo. Some ancient sources claim that the event of singing a Paean could actually be quite loud, involving clouds of stomping/banging and movement.
- The masculine version of Hekate's name, "Hekatos", was an epithet for the god Apollo; both names can be translated to "worker from afar".
- The first record of the more "traditional" view of a werewolf comes from the Greek myth about King Lycaon, when Zeus transformed into a wolf for ten years as punishment for tricking the gods into consuming human flesh (yes, you read that right).
- In the myths, Zeus and Hermes have a lovely Father-Son bonding trip of destroying an entire village (except for one home) for not showing either of the disguised gods hospitality as poor travellers.
- Both Apollo and Zeus were seen as gods who purified "blood-guilt" - a condition which was caused by the killing of another person and required immense purification.
- Cerberus is described as a fully sentient being who can communicate as other immensely powerful children of Gaia could, meaning he is akin to the gods in terms of intelligence rather than being like an overgrown dog.
- Hermes is said to be the inventor of offerings, specifically animal sacrifices.
- One origin of the Pegasus was Poseidon and Medusa doing the devil's tango.
- There is a tale that claims Hermes to be the one who granted Aesop his knowledge of fables.
- According to some ancient sources, Cerberus has as many as fifty heads, a mane of snakes, the claws of a lion, and a snake tail.
- Iris was not only the goddess of rainbows but was also the personal messenger of Hera and was prominently featured in The Iliad delivering many messages on behalf of the Olympian gods.
- Eros has been depicted as the child of Aphrodite and Ares, the child of Ouranos and Aphrodite, the child of solely Aphrodite, the child of Poros and Penia, the child of Ouranos and Gaia, the child of Zephyrus and Iris, and a primordial being who simply came into being. So, where did Eros actually come from? Your guess is as good as any.
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That's all for now! Let me know if y'all enjoyed these and would like more. 🧡
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|| Sources ||
- Theoi.com (of course)
- The Iliad by Homer
- Theogony by Hesiod
- The Dionysiaca by Nonnus
- Information from various museum trips in Athens and Delphi, Greece (sorry, I don't remember the exact sources 💀)
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gallusrostromegalus · 5 months ago
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Soul Society is top heavy when it comes to power. With rare exceptions (Ikkaku), the gap between captains and rank-and-file troops, let alone normal citizens, is astronomical. How does Soul Society handle the reiryoku classism problem in and out of the Rukongai? Do the lower seats think of themselves as cannon fodder? Are there any major political factions that try to tackle the issue (ethically or not)?
So the gotei-13 is actually kind of a solution to this problem on accident.
The thing is, as powerful as the captains are, there usually only about a dozen of them, and a maximum of 2600 shinigami total. They are VASTLY outnumbered by literally everyone else, and because they need drastically more food than others (everyone in soul society needs to eat, but shinigami are at a drastically higher calorie demand and risk of starvation), they are VERY dependent on the rest of society. Zaraki made a fair fist of being a roaming menace but even he had to bow to the economy and work jobs to eat.
Hence, there IS reiryoku discrimination but it's largely in the other direction- shinigami are extremely exploited as workers, and that's the GOOD job. Other psychics are frequently drafted, kidnapped, enslaved for imprisoned so the rich and politically powerful can exploit their abilities. Even if a captain class individual were to say, take out a whole clan in self-defense, the rest of society would come down on them like a hammer and kill them or let them starve.
Yamamoto didn't found the Gotei-13 all at once. Originally it was just him, Sasakibe, the 200 spiritually aware students in his dojo, and the dojo was there to train the postal workers how to defend themselves against people trying to kill them for the messages they were carrying, but secondarily so spiritually powerful people didn't get press-ganged into serving the noble houses.
The first organization for psychic souls Yamamoto ever made was a... Relatively Safe Haven. He was also up against a wall dealing with the noble houses and other political factions so he needed anyone who could push back to do so, so a psychic would be expected to serve in at least some capacity. But the souls under his care were free to marry who they chose if they wanted or have children or not, or travel if they felt safe doing so, and even to just be weird without major repercussions, which was a vast improvement over the way they'd be treated as livestock by the noble houses. Even 1000 years later, Byakuya had to fight his family to marry who he wanted. Imagine what a psychic born in a random village and no legal protections would be facing.
So everyone with even an ounce of spiritual capacity was joining the postal service for his protection. It was a boon to the non-psychic messengers too- not knowing if a random Mail carrier could set would-be attackers on fire with their mind made all carriers safer.
...and them the Quincy attacked.
Yamamoto was now even more up against a wall because while having a united front had been helping him it was now a problem-the Quincy were attacking psychics specifically, something that endangered his ENTIRE organization.
...so he hired every spiritually powerful person he could find, including thriteen real bastards directly off of death row and organized them into an army to fucking deal with Yhwach.
Once yhwach was gone though, he had an army. And a lot of nobles looking to exploit or destroy that army.
Fortunately, one of the real bastards he'd hired had fallen for his peculiar charms and become his wife, and what Lady Tsubaki lacked in battle prowess, she more than made up for in political shrewdness. Be magnanimous, she explained. Be generous and speak of peace in our lifetimes and extend the olive branch to those who harassed you for so long. They won't realize it's bait.
So with her help, Yamamoto proposed that his army become the COURT GUARD in charge of protecting the very real and definitely alive Soul King, as well as all the people of soul society from the hollows and other misfortunes that may befall them. Finally, *proper* employment for all those spare heirs and potentially dangerous village psychics, doing the noble work of protecting society.
Why, he even helped found the central 46, a council of sages and scholars and general brain trust to work on the greater problems of soul society (a problem later but at the time, a VAST improvement over the eternally warring clans), that Yamamoto himself would be beholden to, just to show how civic-minded he was.
And just to finally, fully bury the hatchet- Yamamoto offered five of the captain's seats to the five remaining great noble houses, to be passed from scion to scion, ensuring each line would have a place in the direction of this army... Not realizing it was a trap to trick them into handing over any psychics they had, but also the high mortality rate of captains would kill scion after scion and gradually weaken the clans to the point of irrelevance.
And it WORKED.
By the time Ichigo turns up, the scion of the Shihouin clan is in exile with no plans of returning, the Shibas are reduced to a roaming band of pyromaniacs, the Tsunyashiro clan has been gone so long they don't even appear in the manga, and while the ISE and Kuchiki clans still both have representation within the captainacy... The Ise clan only has a brother-in-law and the Kuchiki are at a genetic dead end, and both those men are FAR more loyal to Yamamoto than their own clans.
Yamamoto has done what he set out to do- make a safe haven for the spiritually powerful to work the (not great but still best) protected jobs in the afterlife, destroyed his enemies the great noble houses, and largely wrested government control from them.
It's not perfect, but you can't fault the man for his accomplishment.
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ceilidho · 1 year ago
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I am also sweating at the image of knight!Ghost putting a golden collar on his pretty little wife 😮‍💨 and that moment when she finally comes crawling to him, begging him to take her, she can’t take the sexual tension anymore and desperately needs him? I imagine Ghost would be just oh so gentle with her that first time, doesn’t want to break her 🥺 giving her little forehead kisses the whole time
Ghost would be so good to his princess when he finally takes her virginity :))) and the whole lead up to it would be so delicious.
You'd probably finally cave after he'd been away on a month long campaign, no way to contact him except for whenever a messenger returned from the battleground to bring news of any successes or losses. You spend the entire month absolutely petrified that Ghost won't come back from war, and for the first time since meeting him, you don't dread the sight of his black Friesian coming up the long path towards the manor house.
That's probably when he first puts the collar around your neck. One of the spoils of war that he brought back with him to adorn you with and remind himself what he went to fight for. And that would be just too much for you; you'd have to clutch his hand tight and whisper that you'd like a private moment with him (because he fit the collar around your neck while surrounded by his troops and the servants).
He'd be so gentle that first time, so conscious of his size compared to you. Ghost would lie down on the bed and drag you up over his mouth to make sure you were properly wet and stretched enough to take him.
Maybe he'd make you sit astride him so you could sink down onto his length the first time and set the pace, and it would come as a complete shock to you because you'd expected to have to grit your teeth and suffer through it (you trusted him enough to not hurt you too much, but you'd heard nothing but horror stories from your sisters and mother when they'd first married you off). You didn't even think ladies could sit on their husbands this way - it seems so crass and unseemly. But Ghost seems so content under you, your barrel-chested, hirsute husband, finally secure enough to let you see his face and trace over all the white scars across his skin.
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crescent-blades · 15 days ago
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What Rank did Michikatsu [Human Kokushibō] Hold as a Samurai?
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When we think of a samurai, we often envision a fierce warrior prepared for battle. While this is partly true, we often tend to forget the internal heirarchy among them. Like any military group, samurai had a clear chain of command for smooth operations. However, it's important to note that samurai were a social class rather than a military one. 
These "ranks," or more so, distinctions within the samurai were closely tied to hereditary social status, the extent of land ownership, and titles within the clan, rather than personal skills, which could vary depending on the era.  
In this discussion, we will concentrate on the Sengoku era, as it is relevant to our topic. I will examine Michikatsu's role based on the available canonical information. 
⚠ SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠
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⨳ Where His Father stood   
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In the image above, Michikatsu talks about his father having a "vassal." A lot could be inferred from this, but it is likely that his father either might be a samurai lord [Sengoku daimyo] or a wealthy, high-ranking samurai who supports smaller samurai. 
[Daimyo (大名): military lords who controlled small, unified areas in which all the land either belonged to themselves or was held in fief by their vassals] [Vassals: subordinates who pledged their loyalty and obligations towards powerful lords] 
So essentially, he was not just an ordinary samurai but rather a figure of considerable importance. His possession of vassals and land suggests that he must be exercising some form of governance, implying that he is possibly some sort of lord having an independent clan. 
As you can see, he seemed to have personal servants:   
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And also personal messengers:     
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Though it is rather difficult to tell whether he was a powerful lord or not—an actual daimyo who was the direct vassal of the shogun, or just a lesser lord having a smaller land—possibly a heir to the family head or a landowner with a fief.
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⨳ Was The Tsugikuni Clan Powerful? 
First, let us understand what was going on during that time:  
"This was the 'Age of Warring States', when scores of minor daimyo seized power for themselves in their immediate localities and fought each other until, during the mid-16th century, a comparative handful of 'super-daimyo' competed with each other on a grand scale before Japan was finally reunified" [source]
From this, it seems logical to assume that the Tsugikuni clan was a smaller one rather than a grand one—also considering Michikatsu's father's rather obsessive nature and his intense determination on getting better heirs, even to the point of being willing to harm his own family due to superstitious beliefs. Better heirs: more likely the clan gets to thrive and gain power.
Also, if we consider these words from Kokushibou:  
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Notice how he says this—he doesn't seem to be very surprised to know that his clan's name has died out, which would only solidify the fact that his clan must not be very powerful to begin with. [Considering that many direct descendants of the major clans today still seem to be thriving, with many carrying out their clan names. Muichiro seems to be an exception here]   
So now that we know that his clan was likely not a powerful one, we could also assume that his father was a local lord rather than a full on daimyo for obvious reasons. Not only that, but this would also suggest that their clan must be a retainer family—they would be under a much stronger lord—a powerful daimyo, whom they would had to serve.
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⨳ MICHIKATSU'S POSIBBLE RANK [DISTINCTION]  
Before moving on, I would just like to point out that holding a high-ranking position as a samurai—such as leading troops— was a result of personal achievement rather than mere familial ties. If a family did not meet the necessary standards of talent and capability, their members would be assigned to lesser roles based on who they served.
With that being said, let us now try fitting in Michikatsu into all of this and find out what military rank he should have based on his family background:
Initailly, I was rather confused and wondered if Michikatsu could be a Hatamoto. They were the highest ranking samurai, considered the most loyal and skilled, who acted as bodyguards towards their lord. Sounds familiar, right? However, there was one piece of canon information that completely debunked this idea:
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Samurai usually had to chop off their enemy’s head as proof of their kills; typically that shouldn't be done by the hatamoto, as they typically stayed close to their lords as a last resort instead of fighting on the front lines like the others. 
Okay.. so he probably isn't a hatamoto. If his first instinct was to bring the head of Ubuyashiki to Muzan, then it suggests he must have done this before. if that's the case, then he must have ranked lower than a hatamoto, more so in a class where he might have been around collecting heads. After looking into what the manga could offer, I reached two conclusions:
1. He was a Taisho (大将)[general]: These ranked officials were the generals in the Daimyo's army, leading groups of soldiers called kumi. Depending on the troops they commanded, they were either referred to as Samurai-taisho or Ashigaru-taisho. They usually oversaw multiple kumi, each consisting of around 50 to 100 men. 
2. He was a Kumigashira (組頭) [captain/platoon commander]: These officers controlled and led a single kumi of troops and were called samurai-kumigashira or ashigaru-kumigashira based on the type of troops in their kumi; which, often consisted upto 15-30 men each.
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-> By those conical hats (jingasa) those men are wearing, I'm pretty sure they are depicted as Ashigaru foot soldiers. [This explains why he refers to them as his subordinates, as ashigaru were considered lower than samurai.]
Looking at the image, I doubt there are 50-100 men present there, and it seems more likely there are about 15-30. Therefore, we can conclude that he must be an Ashigaru-kumigashira.   
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Also, when people talk about Ashigaru, they usually think of peasants taken out of their farms. This is a misconception. Even though they were lower in class, ashigaru were generally treated as full on warriors. Not only were they as capable as their samurai counterparts, some were even stronger than them.The men under Michikatsu's command were fully capable and skilled swordsmen.
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⨳ Michikatsu's Troops and His Role:    
A general overview of the make up of the sengoku era army
—In short, the troops were reorganised in Sonae, which had between 300 to 800 men. Each Sonae included various types of troops. They were split into smaller units called Kumi, based on their weapons. These included archers, gun squads, cavalry, spear squads, and standard bearers.
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By looking at these images, I see no one holding weapons, just a few casual swords thrown in here and there, which I find to be very odd.. 
Perhaps Michikatsu had set up his base further from his soldiers and gathered them up for a speech about the next day's plans just before they went to sleep? This could explain why they were caught off guard by the demon and didn’t have their weapons ready. After all, it’s strange not to have your weapons out when you are being attacked.   
Regardless of the situation, his troops should be either a spear unit [Yari-gumi (長柄組)] or an archer unit [Yumi-gumi (弓組)].
These troops Consisted of: 1 samurai commander/katana samurai, 2-4 servants, ~20-30 foot soldiers, 3 labourers, 1 cavalry horse, and 2 packhorses.
Why you ask? This is because, firstly; guns weren't introduced until the mid sengoku period in 1543 [Michikatsu is theorised to be born around 1432] In the cavalry unit, the troops consisted of samurai rather than ashigaru, and bannermen did not engage in battle. 
MICHIKATSU'S ROLE: Although there is not much provided anywhere about these commanders, from everything I have gathered: These commanding officers used to lead a unit of ashigaru soldiers. They were ranked below the sodaisho and samurai daisho (commanders) and an ashigaru taisho.
He would be assigned to train them, discipline the foot soldiers, and turn uneducated common men into reliable warriors. He would command and lead them, ensuring everyone followed his commands and maintained order within the ranks, and not disrupt the hierarchy. Hmm that sounds familiar doesn't it?
[I might actually make a detailed post about the military formation with Michikatsu if any of you are interested.]   
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Final thoughts: 
[A/n: Hello everyone! It's been a while since my last post. No, I haven't abandoned my blogs. I just took a short break last week. Now I'm back and eager to share a theory with you all! Which I will be posting more of, both here and on my other blog, @gilded-sunrays. Please feel free to share your insights!]  
And if you've made it through all of this, then I thank you wholeheartedly!
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iiseult · 4 months ago
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𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝐹𝒾𝓋𝑒: 𝒢𝑜𝓁𝒹𝑒𝓃 𝒞𝓇𝑜𝓈𝓈
CWs →  FLUFF, angst, depression, themes of war and death, historical inaccuracies, slow burn, she/her pronouns, AFAB reader, eventual smut (once reader and baldwin are both over 18), leprosy, time-period accurate sexism
Wordcount: 3.5k
Note: For those of you who have been waiting for actual fluff for like five chapters, I hope this is satisfactory. The next chapter is probably going to involve smut, so maybe that will give you something else to look forward to! Enjoy!
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The following days were the darkest you had ever known. The palace was eerily silent, half of the staff left with nothing to do in the absence of their King. There were no more tears, and no more talking– there was only waiting, agonizing waiting. You could not bring yourself to leave the fortified stone walls of your home, not necessarily for fear of a raid by Saladin’s troops, but more for fear of leaving your post at your window and missing a sign that Baldwin might be returning. Whatever that sign might be– a flag, a cross, a messenger, you didn’t know–  but you would surely know once you saw it. 
For that reason you took all of your meals in your bedchamber, dressed perpetually in a white linen nightgown. Though she had tried and tried, claiming that looking better would also help you to feel better, Matilda could not convince you to get dressed. To you, there was no longer any reason to get dressed and presentable, let alone get out of bed. The only thing that could help you now was seeing your husband living and breathing, in the flesh. So in this way, the days faded dimly into dark nights, and those dark nights into fair-weathered days, whose blissful sunlight and blue skies mocked you and every other citizen of Jerusalem. Still he did not return. You stayed at your window for hours every night, fighting the heaviness of your eyelids and the sag in your shoulders, but inevitably passing into the realm of sleep from pure exhaustion, hunched over the sill with your head resting on your arms. You would wake in that exact same position every morning, accompanied by aches and pains in your muscles. 
One night, there was thunder. You thought bitterly that it would be the perfect weather to reflect your brooding and negative mental state, that it only made sense for there to be a rainstorm, bring it on, but then there was the issue of there not being a single rain cloud in the sky. It was the clear amber sky of an autumn evening just around sunset, annoyingly picturesque, and dappled with only pink and orange stratus clouds. But there was the thunder, a deep, constant rumbling, perhaps growing even louder by the minute. Yes, you were certain now your ears were not playing tricks on you and that it was growing closer and closer, resounding low, and sustaining. In fact, you could feel its very vibrations rattling your teeth in their sockets. A flame of hope ignited in your heart. 
You leapt to your feet and ran to the window, and you saw over the horizon a dark mass approaching. It was as if the raincloud you had ben searching for was on the ground instead, rolling in for the storm. But it was not a raincloud. It was an army. 
The first rider appeared, distinct from the others because he was moving ahead of them. The thunder was the sound of a thousand horses’ hooves hitting the ground. Your heart dropped and your eyes frantically searched for a flag or an emblem, anything that could tell you which army this was. Given the circumstances of the battle, a large, very logical part of you knew it was Saladin and his men. The low chances of Baldwin’s 4,000 poorly trained soldiers beating out Saladin’s 20,000 had been present in your mind all along. However, the tiny part of you that was illogical needed proof, needed confirmation that it was not simply the soldiers of Jerusalem, returning home in glory. 
Now you could see more horses, more soldiers, a score more than you had ever seen at one time before, all charging in your direction, creating a terrific rumbling sound that drowned out all else. Then appearing from over the horizon was the sign you had been searching for; the flaming golden cross of Jerusalem! They had come home! Tears sprang to your eyes as you watched that beautiful God-blessed cross-bearer speed past the stone palace walls and onto the grounds, followed by a steady stream of warriors. You swallowed back tears to avoid your vision clouding over and watched in amazement as that indistinguishable mass of soldiers transformed into a group of individuals, each a man with his own thoughts and feelings and loved ones. Your heart jumped back up into your throat from where it had fallen earlier. Jerusalem was victorious, they had won! But had he survived? 
You tore your eyes away from the window and began to run, throwing open your bedroom door carelessly. As you did, you saw that you were apparently not the only one who had noticed the troops upon their return, and the hallways were abuzz with life. Servants ran about here and there, clamoring to see out the windows and catch a glimpse of the cross that they so loved, so they could see and believe the good news for themselves. Some laughed, and some cried. Matilda was there. You ran by her as you barrelled down the long corridor, heading for the grand staircase. She called after you, but her voice only succeeded in falling in with the muddled cries of all the others, exclaiming as they were. Shouts of jubilation echoed off the impressively high ceilings and carried throughout the space, filling it entirely. It was a beautiful sound. 
You descended the staircase quickly, quickly, dizzy from the spiral shape of it, your legs pumping as best they could. Another pair of footsteps followed in your wake, and Matilda’s calls persisted, but the rushing of blood in your ears overpowered all else. Finally, you rounded the last bend and came out into the downstairs corridor, illuminated by flickering torches mounted in wall sconces. They threw your shadow large and imposing against the flagstones, making it almost seven feet tall, and dancing wildly in the wind you created in your haste. Matilda could not keep up. 
The giant oak doors of the entrance loomed above you, very stately, and so impressive that they usually required multiple boy servants to open them. It was held closed by a series of iron bars, chains, and bolts, which shone in the orange light, challenging you to best them. You got to unhooking the lower latches that you could reach and called for someone to handle the higher ones. A wide-eyed servant boy, though very much afraid of you, rushed to your aid, quickly sliding the bolts and turning the locks above your head. Soon, they were all undone, and rather than wait for the boy to find another to assist him, you slammed your shoulder against the giant, solid slab of wood and grunted, “help me!”
“Your Majesty!” The boy called, panic evident in his voice, “Please allow me to find a-” But you cut him off before he could finish that sentence, growling in frustration and shooting him a menacing glare. He gulped and without further ceremony, helped you push open the doors. As soon as the crack between them was large enough, letting a sliver of fading daylight paint the flagstones pink and yellow, you pushed through them, out into the real world. The boy rushed after you, and behind him was Matilda, something clutched in her hands. 
Summoning all your strength, you ran, gulping down great lungfuls of the smoky evening air. Your eyes searched, wide and unblinking, as your legs carried you closer to the legion of armor-clad men on horseback. Besides about a thousand identically-shaped silhouettes, you couldn't make out much of anything in detail. No way to tell yet, you had to get closer. Your feet slapped the earth, bare as they were, the sound ringing out shrilly in your ears. The soft flesh stung and turned pink, but you were becoming numb to external stimuli and it made no difference. Your arms swung wildly at your sides, and your hair, whipped into coils by the wind, lashed at your face. There was a growing ache in your chest, but still, you were getting closer. So close that now, you could make out a figure. And suddenly, he was there. 
You knew him immediately by his silver mask, glowing in the sun, and his billowing white robes, though they were stained with sprays of brown and red. You ran and ran to him, calling his name and waving your arms, hoping to capture his attention, but it was all so very unnecessary. He had seen you the second you barrelled through those doors, known you by the shape of your body and your movements, even at such a great distance. Quickly, but as if moving in a dream, he brought his stallion to its knees and dismounted sloppily, nearly tripping in his haste, but it was no matter. His mask slipped, lubricated by his sweat, but he paid it no mind. In dreams, he was never able to move fast enough, as if his muscles were stuck in molasses, always preventing him from getting where he needed to be. This time was much the same. He simply could not reach you fast enough, could not feel the safety of being in your arms soon enough. But he ran, his feet digging into the ground, desperate to find purchase, beating into the soft earth viciously. His heart pounded just as hard against his ribcage, which had already sustained a brutal battering earlier during the battle. But now he could make out your face just a little, the curve of your nose and the dark line of your lips. 
The white linen rippled frantically around his flaming, aching body, which he pushed to its absolute limit, trembling from exhaustion though it was. Faster, he commanded it, faster! And somehow, it listened. 
The two of you drew closer and closer until you could see the way his mask was askew, dangling around his throat like a gaudy, oversized necklace. He seized it in his gloved hand and ripped it away carelessly, breaking the string that held it to him and letting it fall. It hit the ground with a dull thud and rolled away. As your teary-eyed smile came into focus, he desperately clawed at his hood and chainmail veil, discarding those, too, in one fell swoop. Those golden tresses, caked in sweat and blood, sand and earth, rain and battle, flowed freely behind him, cleansed by the wind. 
Then you were upon him, there in your nightgown and unwashed, untethered hair and without any shoes, and yet with the biggest smile he’d ever seen, and could all of that really be for him?
You collided with him roughly, unable to stop due to the momentum, and you heard a puff of air pass his lips. A sob passed yours. For the first time, you knew what it felt like to throw your arms around his bare neck and hold him close, and to cry into his shoulder. He held you, too, a bit hesitant and stiff at first, but soon he softened. His arms wrapped around you and his hands rested on your shoulder blades, and he cried. It was silent save for the few sniffs he gave. He let go of himself and buried his nose in your hair, inhaling your warm, rosy scent straight from the source, tears sliding down his golden-blond lashes and landing softly in your hair. He said nothing. Everything he wanted to say, you had already read from his letters. It was your turn to talk. 
“I read them,” you cried miserably, looking up at him with red-rimmed eyes. So much regret, so much wasted time. He knew it all, he saw it there. 
“I read them all, and I love you,” you said, then redoubled your efforts, burying your face in him and drawing him somehow closer. He almost believed that his arms would slip right through you and you’d vanish any second, so he cherished every second of your warmth. But you didn’t. You stayed. He broke away for a second, only to sigh in impatience and violently rip off his gloves, whipping them to the ground behind him. The satin sank into the mud. 
With his naked hands he carefully, almost timidly, stroked the small of your back. It was something he’d always wanted to do. He did this until he was fully convinced you were real, and here, and not just a pleasant vision conjured up by his post-battle delusion. But you felt firm and warm and alive beneath his hands, the fabric of your nightgown the very thinnest of barriers.
He slid his palms up to your cheeks and looked into your eyes. So full of love, they were, full of fear and relief and joy and love. You gasped, feeling his calloused hands burning their print into your cheeks. He grinned at the privilege of touching his flesh to your very own. You parted your lips, wanting to say something, but you could make no sound. You could only stare wide-eyed at each other, loving in silence. 
Behind Baldwin, his army stood still and looked on. Their horses stamped but did not move. The men did not know what to think, or how to behave. On the one hand, they were witnessing something very special; the pure, young love of their master and his betrothed. On the other hand, they were staring at a lady dressed in only undergarments, sharing an intimate moment with her man. Some of them blushed, and some smiled. But nobody, absolutely nobody, could bring themselves to look away. 
Over your shoulder, Baldwin could see the palace staff lined up in front of the great doors, some hunched over in tears of relief and joy, others standing tall and triumphant, filled with pride for their nation. Among the latter were his lady sister Sybilla and her son, and Matilda and Amelia, though they were too far away for him to see. Still clutched in Matilda’s hands were a pair of your shoes, which she had been intending to give to you to put on before you ran outside. As soon as she heard the army approaching, she’d known you would abandon everything and go to him. 
Baldwin pulled you into his side with his left arm, and with his right, he cupped a hand around his mouth and shouted to the sky, his voice ringing clear across the field, “Today, we have won a great victory!” 
In an instant, the field erupted into cheers and shouts of rejoicing, almost deafening in volume. You laughed and smiled up at your husband, whose eyes reflected the pink and purple sunset on the horizon. Then he led you towards the castle, just the same way you had come before, only slowly and fulfilled this time. As you looked at him, your eye caught a glint of something gold and glittering against the bare skin of his neck. 
“Heavenly Father, thank you.” 
Together, you walked home. 
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞
A feast was thrown to celebrate Jerusalem’s victory, and for the first time in over a year, Baldwin sat at the head of the table with his Queen at his side. He wore no mask, and no bandages on his face, and he was adorned only by the golden crown that sat atop his cornsilk curls. So many nobles had greeted the two of you that you lost count, but there was one man in particular that stood out, and his name was Reynald de Chatillon. 
His beard was red and scraggly, spreading across his chin like a wildfire and complimenting the equally red hue of his face. In fact, his skin was florid all over; it wasn’t limited to just his face, though his pudgy cheeks were mottled with patches of red, and full of craters left behind by the pox he’d had as a boy. The pox had almost killed him, but it seemed nothing could snuff out his lifeforce, least of all a silly illness, so he just went on living. The same was true of him when you met him at the feast. Despite his constant brushes with death on the battlefield, he was likely the most alive person in that room. An insane, cruel look glinted in his perpetually open, bloodshot eyes– you weren’t sure you ever saw him blink– and his lips shined wetly beneath his mustache, for he was constantly licking them, his fat pink tongue darting out of the corner of his mouth like some kind of tic. But it wasn’t a nervous tick, and that you could be sure of, because Reynald de Chatillon was never nervous. He was a warlord, equally bloodthirsty and wine-thirsty. Mean, short, fat, and clever, though he didn’t look it. Perhaps therein lied his power. You shuddered to think of how he must appear to his enemies. Thankfully, he was on your side, at least for now. 
Reynald entered with his wife, two sons, and three daughters in tow, and to your surprise the girls were rather delicate and pretty, despite harboring the genes of their brutish father. Each of them had fine and flowing red-blonde hair and fair skin, indicating a life of luxury. Both sons were brawny and imposing, though one was much taller than the other, and perhaps more slender. But absolutely none of the children inspired fear the way their father did. You decided that you did not like him, but at that moment, you couldn’t help but at least respect him, just a little. After all, he was apparently an integral part of Baldwin’s army, given the fact that he was invited to the feast, and you had heard that he was one of the main forces that had led Jerusalem to its bloody victory. 
Just as everyone had said, Baldwin was an excellent King, as you came to see for yourself that evening. He held himself with grace and humility, and his kindness inadvertently demanded the respect of others. In a way, he was just as powerful and intimidating as Reynald, but he greeted his soldiers and knights with gentle, welcoming words and tasteful compliments. You couldn’t bite back your smile as you watched him interact with his guests. It truly was just as you had been told. He was a great King, and a great man. You hoped you could be an equally good Queen. 
Though you were each too busy greeting and entertaining guests to really converse, you and Baldwin stole secret glances at each other whenever there was a second to be spared. Sometimes those seconds between you lined up, causing you to accidentally make fleeting eye contact, only to both look away hastily, knowing you’d been caught by the other. He’d blush, and you’d fiddle with your sleeves, and as subtle as you might have thought you were being, most everyone noticed anyway. To see a young King Queen, so green behind the ears and so obviously infatuated with each other, was something to be read about in fairy tales and great love stories from ancient times, but not to be seen in person. Reynald’s daughters whispered to each other and giggled behind their hands. It was a bit of a scandal. 
When the feast had finally concluded and the last drunken guests trickled out of the great hall and to their respective rooms where they were put up for the night, you and Baldwin finally turned to look at each other without embarrassment. A grin spread across his face, and then one broke across yours, too. Finally, a moment alone. 
Since his return, the two of you had decided to drop the formalities and titles, opting to simply call each other by name, at least when you were in private. He took both of your hands in his and held them gently. 
“Y/N, you make such a wonderful Queen.” 
You couldn’t help but beam. 
“You are the most perfect King. And everybody says so, Baldwin.”
He looked down at the table, shaking his head and blushing a little, but his smile never faltered. Then he furrowed his brow, opening his mouth quickly as if he were about to say something, and then thought better of it and closed his lips again. You raised an eyebrow and squeezed his hand gently. 
“What is it? You were going to say something.” 
He smiled a little and only shook his head, still gazing down at the table, but you persisted. “You can tell me anything, you know. I’m your wife. Now, please,” you urged. He looked up at you, something vulnerable flickering in his eyes as he raised his head again. He held your hands a bit tighter for support and took a shaky breath before asking, “Would you…maybe…want to sleep in my room tonight?”
//taglist: @eatmeandbirthmeagain @lzsia @likeanecho344 @lunargraveyard @yoursoulisinyourkeepingalone @stickparrot @ainselthegreat @luigisang @sad-bag @vamp-hira @madeleinerosexxx
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yoongikapi · 7 months ago
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returning injured || levi || oneshot
angst
aot masterlist
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levi waited restlessly in his office for the scouts to return. his injured foot kept him from the most recent mission and he’s never felt more anxious. of course he was worried about everyone and hoped they’d all make it back in one piece, but his mind kept wandering to you. why am i so worried about her? he had no reason to be, you were riding along commander erwin and other strong squad leaders, so why? i have no reason to worry about her, they’ll all be fine. but even so, he ignored the throbbing pain in his foot and paced around his small workspace.
a messenger suddenly knocked on the wooden door, making levi freeze in his tracks; “sir! the troops are back!”
he couldn’t stop himself from leaving his office; couldn’t stop himself as he practically ran outside, and couldn’t stop himself from gasping in shock, not only at how many didnt return but also from seeing you on the back of someone’s horse, knocked unconscious. he took in how blood ran from your head and leg while your arm was heavily bandaged.
“what happened here?” levi asked, walking up to the man on the horse as he attempted to get off without you falling. before he could think, he reached up and pulled you off the horse himself, barely hearing the man as he walked away with you in his arms. “she was cornered by titans, we’re lucky she’s even here….”
once again, levi’s forgotten about his own injury as he studies yours. as he studies you he realizes, he wouldn’t know what to do if you didnt come back. yes you’re unconscious, but you’re here now and hes gonna do everything in his power to ensure you wake up.
he gently places you in a cot at the infirmary, covering you and taking the seat next to your bed. he stares at the dried blood clinging to your fingers and he reaches out to you, brushing his rough fingers against the back of your hand.
you better wake up brat.
please wake up.
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yuurei20 · 12 days ago
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Lilia Facts Part 6: Lilia's Past (pt6)
Sebek translates an explanation of the situation that he and the others find themselves in upon landing in Lilia’s dream: “Under Lilia's command, we royal guardsmen are fighting desperately to drive the Silver Owls out of our land…but there are so many of them, it's an uphill struggle."
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Lilia tests Sebek and Silver by ordering them to capture a group of ironclads, and intervenes when they fail.We see Lilia do a “poison test” of Silver and Sebek’s cooking before allowing them to feed his troops.
Lilia and Baul explain that they are palace guards who have been dispatched as a delegation to delivery a letter from Maleanor to the ironclads’ eastern stronghold. The letter is an ultimatum, warning the Silver Owls to behave themselves.
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Lilia explains that flight magic is not an option for the letter’s delivery, because “every other delegation that set out for the eastern stronghold has gone missing," so part of their task involves searching for the missing delegates, as well as expelling the Silver Owl miners raiding the country's resources.
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During their journey they come across a mask that once belonged to one of the missing envoys. Lilia says, “safe bet that the owner is no longer with us.”
Lilia’s troops are met with an armored excavator that they manage to destroy despite not knowing what it was.
Sebek suggests that it may be a machine designed for construction work and Lilia says, “How long have they had these things? Just 20 years ago, they were digging up dirt by hand with wooden shovels,” sending a messenger to inform Maleanor at once.
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At one point Lilia’s troops find the commander of a search party from three months prior. They ask what happened to the others, and while we do not hear what he says, he proceeds to provide them with the magearms and healing potions the other envoys had been carrying.
Upon reaching the enemy stronghold it is revealed to be empty, converted into a trap for Lilia and his men.
A messenger returns with the news that the missing enemies are besieging Castle Wildrose and Maleanor.
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laxmankodadala · 14 days ago
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Self-Hosted Messengers for Privacy-First Team Communication
You need a self-hosted server to host your enterprise work conversations!
Indeed, self-hosted messenger the only way you bring your teams together to exchange work ideas and discuss more work.
Making your teams rely on personal chat applications at your workplace is no fun when you seriously look for productive outcomes from them you must provide self-hosting chat applications. Instead, give them the best self hosted chat software like Troop Messenger, Flock, Rocket Chat, Mattermost, etc., to stay informed and monitor all the work routines and updates.
These days, business entities, corporates, startups, SMEs, large enterprises, etc., are bombarded with many collaboration tool options. And, most of the tools are available in the variants of SaaS and Self-Hosting.
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Troop Messenger
While data is essential to all industries, government agencies and large corporations place a high premium on enterprise risk management. Therefore, for these kinds of data-specific companies, an instant messaging solution that offers on-premise chat is advised. Let's examine the following business collaboration solutions that provide chat room software and meet these organisations' internal communication needs.
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Data-sensitive and regulated businesses such as Governments, Defense, Large Enterprises, Manufacturing, Pharma, etc., need a secured chat platform, unlike web-based chat software for their internal office communication to collaborate without compromising on the data they communicate. The self-hosted chat server Troop GRIT is powered by Troop Messenger's chat engine. They have complete control over the program thanks to this self-hosted messenger since they may direct talks through their databases and networks.
You can get a customized version of hosted messaging to suit the operations of your ecosystem. As this self-hosted chat software supports Air-Gapped Networks, you can be assured of not having any third-party intrusion to access your standard or critical data.
The Deployment suite for Linux and Windows help you with detailed instruction to set it up on your on-premise servers with detailed documentation. This on-premise chat application guides you on the prerequisites for operating systems, databases, and server specifications. This self-hosting chat application will help you on; how to install docker, register, and configure SSL certificate and firewall policies.
Besides providing all the standard and productive features of SaaS, Troop Messenger the self-managed office chat messenger, comes with Trumpet, File Deck, TM-Monitor (with Lawful Interception), UNITs, User Authorization, etc., as advanced features. End-to-end encryption, Multi-factor authentication, LDAP/SSO, and Role-Based access controls are the exclusive features for user security.
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hoverboards-and-dragons · 2 months ago
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can we possibly get more michael and adam content, analysis/art whichever YOU HAVE GOT ME INTERESTED
Adam has a thing for Michael, he thinks Michael is fondly exasperated of him and all their arguing is sexual tension and flirty. Enemies to lovers and all that, Michael is a Challenge and Adam has been in Heaven a long time.
One - just to get out of the way; Michael is both some level of sex and romance repulsed.
Two; Michael just fucking hates Adam, vehemently, here's the itemized list of reasons.
Personal:
Loud and obnoxious with little respect for Heaven's customs, especially refusing to learn anything about Heavenborns's unique ways of life.
Michael was the original leader of Heavens armies before lending the title to Gabriel, Adam abuses Authority as a commander, that's Michael's Authority and troops he's disrespecting.
Adam general tendency to sleep around with angels, Michael's creations.
Will not leave him alone.
General least impressive of the og3, Eve and Lilith making him look worse through comparison.
Michael thinking Adam is just projecting Lucifer onto him, that he'll trip over himself to earn the favour of a first human 'like he did' either as the backup choice or for him to prove he can score just like Lilith did.
Constant off handed demeaning remarks. Insisting that its not gay since angels aren't gendered (despite Michael clarifying that most aren't but he very much is) it's not cheating if it's just 'you little God things' and other implications that Michael's 'kind' simply doesn't count.
Related, Adam's focus on his early role in creation and child of God status as if it makes him the most important person in every room while never acknowledging the same for the archangels, again as if you only count if you're human.
Impersonal projections:
Michael blames humanity in general for 'taking his brother from him', it would be worse for the first man himself.
Winners are the most difficult sector of Heaven for him to manage.
The archangels are pettily defensive over their Father, its why even the most serious and professional among them still call Him 'Dad,' He's more their Father than anyone else's. They were raised by Him, they'll never stray from His side.
Disliking Adam makes Michael feel like he's questioning his Father's choices.
His general superiority complex to 'the plight of man.'
AAAANNnnnnndddddd the big one. He is physically incapable of processing any of these emotions.
Angels cannot possess negative thoughts towards something beloved by the Lord, personal distaste yes, but not genuine contempt. As servants and messengers, Michael’s devotion to his Father binds him to serve Adam by extension, and protects Adam from malicious intentions.
This leaves those feelings float around untethered, compounding in on itself, and causing problems like mould spores in their chest.
He had to just, tolerate him, with all of this, for ten thousand years.
and Michael is bound by a few extra Commands around Adam because he would have just killed him otherwise. And everytime Adam is being annoying Michael mind strains against itself to express or solidify his hatred in anyway And He Can't.
And then he can.
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the thrilling sequel to Michael going apeshit and hacking both of Adam's wings off the second he was broken free from the commandment to not cause Adam harm.
Also listing out everything wrong with him rapid fire, mocking him for his unearned title of first man when Michael is older than him, that he only got into heaven because he had a use not because he deserved to be or anyone wanted him and any other insecurity he could grab off the top of his head.
Losing restrictions suddenly can make angels weird sometimes, pulling at a leash so hard that when it breaks you go flying back.
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Note
My knowledge of the books isn't as great, so I hope you don't mind this question. Where was Eomer during the First Battle at the Fords? Did he arrive in time to find Theodred's dead body? Was he there at all? Thank you so much!
I absolutely don’t mind, and I understand why this is something that’s not clear! The full timeline isn’t obvious even from the LOTR books — you have to supplement what we know about Éomer from Two Towers with info from Unfinished Tales, which has the only account of the battle where Théodred was killed. But the short answer is that Éomer was dealing with business elsewhere so he wasn’t part of the fighting at the Isen, and he never saw Théodred’s body — only his grave after the fact. Here’s the long answer:
In late February, Théodred was in the Westfold, which was his territory as 2nd Marshal. Scouts alerted him to troops from Isengard preparing to invade from the west. Acting on his own authority — because his dad was Not Well — he went to meet the challenge with Grimbold and their men and also sent a summons to Elfhelm in Edoras asking that he come with relief troops of his own. We don’t know *exactly* what Éomer was doing right then, but he was 3rd Marshal and his jurisdiction was the East-mark. So he had his own stuff going on, and the bulk of his men would be further away from the Isen than Elfhelm and his men were, so Elfhelm was a more natural relief choice.
The First Battle of the Fords of Isen happened on Feb. 25th, and Théodred was killed that night.   We’re not told what day he was buried, but we do know that his grave was there, with his banner flying above it, when the Second Battle of the Fords began on March 2nd. So somewhere in between, Elfhelm and Grimbold buried Théodred at the Fords, right where he died. That means this image from the movies, while lovely and moving, is non-canonical — Théodred never got back to Edoras and wasn’t buried there:
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News of Théodred’s death came first to Erkenbrand at Helm’s Deep on Feb. 26th, and Erkenbrand sent word on to Edoras. That messenger didn’t make it to Edoras until midday on the 27th, which is the same day Éomer set out to track down the band of orcs (those carrying Merry and Pip, it turns out) that had just been reported in the east. There is some ambiguity as to whether Éomer heard the news of Théodred’s death before he left or not, but he indisputably spent the next few days engrossed in other urgent stuff that would have kept him from grieving or visiting the grave — he had to go track down and slay those orcs; he ran into Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in the plains and had to decide whether to let them go; and then, when he got back to Edoras, he got thrown in jail for having acted without orders and for letting those foreigners run free in Rohan. He didn’t get out of jail until March 2nd, when Gandalf healed Théoden, and then they were off straight away to Helm’s Deep.
It’s not until after victory has been achieved at Helm’s Deep and all our heroes are on the road to confront Saruman that they pass by the Isen and take notice of the graves that are there. It’s a bit of a sore point for me that NO ONE mentions that Théodred is among the dead (😵😖🤯), but at least Éomer is thinking of him because he is the one to mention the murder of Théodred among Saruman’s biggest crimes when Saruman is trying to sweet talk his way back into Théoden’s good graces once they get to Isengard (“Remember Théodred at the Fords and the grave of Háma in Helm’s Deep!”).
Anywho, obviously the movies chose to mix up the timelines and events a bit for their own dramatic purposes, since they have Éomer arriving at the tail end of the fighting at the Fords, finding Théodred still alive, and bringing him back to Edoras before his death and funeral. It’s a substantial change from the books, but I do really like that they found a way to put Théodred in the movies and to give proper weight and notice to his death! And thanks for the question, I hope the answer was helpful!
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strwberri-milk · 1 year ago
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Could I request Kaeya with an s/o who missed him so much that, when they're having sex after he comes home from a dangerous mission, she starts crying?
i decided to do when theyre *about* to have penetrative sex!! you can choose if anything else happened beforehand but idk i just thought that this sort of placement was better for me
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Everything was going according to plan. Kaeya comes home, you give him a big old hug and kiss, and then you have a meal or go on a walk together. Whatever it is that Kaeya needs to unwind after a long mission you will do to get his mind off of things.
Whenever it's a dangerous mission he makes sure to either send a messenger ahead of the troops to give an accurate list of returning knights to the citizens, or run home as soon as he finishes checking in at headquarters. He knows that if he doesn't, that knot of anxiety as you wait for him to come home is just going to get worse and worse.
Thanks to how considerate he is, you tend not to have to worry too much about whether or not he'll come home safe. He keeps his communications regular, and he has been getting better at not constantly trying to risk his life because he knows he has someone to come home to. Everything is fine. Until it's not.
Kaeya's letters aren't being sent and you try to imagine it's just because they get lost. It's normal for the letters to be delayed as the birds either lose their way or the scout's path gets interrupted by a threat or misdirection.
It's not until you remember him telling you that yes, this was going to be an especially dangerous expedition that you really start to panic again. You know that if Kaeya's saying that then it really is going to be bad. He tried to get sent off with a smile, but your worries never fully abated. It just had moments of being better or worse.
That's why when he shows up at your door, panting from the exertion of running all the way from headquarters and apologising you can't resist the urge to jump his bones. You don't even think you're turned on, but you're desperate to feel him, confirm that he is indeed real but you know he understands with the soft kisses he peppers on your skin.
He's about to take off his shirt, straddling your hips when he hears the distinctive sound of your sniffles. Yanking the fabric over his head, he leans down to the sight of you crying, shushing you gently as he kisses your tears away.
You wrap your arms around him tightly, any sort of arousal you could have had from the situation immediately gone as your brain flashes through all of the worst-case scenarios. You know that none of the end with him like this, holding you tightly against his chest as the heat of his body seeps through your still-clothed chest. He's trying his best to soothe you, wishing he knew what to tell you to make everything better.
You let him take over, sobbing into him as he repositions the two of you to lie on your sides. You bury your face in his neck, legs wrapping around his hips as your nails dig into his back. He bites back a low grunt of pain, a small part of him appreciative that he can feel it. It reminded him he's still alive.
The two of you just hold each other like that, drifting in and out of consciousness as the space between your bodies only gets smaller.
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sketchedboba · 1 year ago
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"A Green Queen" AU
Prologue Part I
The plan to rescue "Princess Peach" went just as planned! However as the trio fled the castle, the green plumber forgot to read the fine-print on his marriage certificate when he disguised himself as the princess.
The furious look on the fuming reptile's face only darkened as they ran down the aisle and out the courtyard. He was shocked stiff, but Luigi could feel the fury swelling in those crimson eyes.
A month had passed since the mission, the Mushroom Kingdom hadn't heard any news about Bowser taking action against them. The Princess took note of it and wearily placed a curfew on her kingdom as more of Bowser's Troopa were patrolling around her border.
As she sat in a meeting with her council,a Koopa Troopa was escorted into the room by two Mushroom guards, "Your highness, this messenger says he's flown in with a reques- demand from the infamous King Koopa. What are your orders?"
Princess Peach stood from her throne, but paused on her way down the stairs. She glanced over to Mario who had entered the room in a hurry. He noticed the koopa from the hall window on his way there and bounded into action once he saw the guards escorting them to the council room.
"Mario, don't worry. He's just a messenger, and as such, I would like for you to read these... demands.", she cleared her throat. A feeling of dread and fear rose as she gripped her dress.
"His queen? What do you mean by...", The Princess furrowed her brows. "Wait... You don't mean-"
The messenger glared at Mario, who had slowly passed by him, but easily turned their gaze back to the princess. "His majesty, King of the Koopas, demands that his queen rules by his side. If not, he will retrieve him by force."
Before she could finish, the green plumber panted into the throne room. His hand rested on his knee and the other lifted up as he caught his breath.
"Sorry, I'm late! We should.. really label those pipes!.. Woo!", he gasped. As he looked up and caught his breath, he fliched once he noticed the pairs of eyes staring at him. "O-Oh! I'll just stand over there!"
Mario's eyes widened and he immediately took position in front of his brother, now l glaring intensely at the koopa. "Absolutely not! We just got you both back!"
The Princess sighed watching him stand next to his brother. She gave a slight smile seeing the two poke at one another playfully, but it slowly faded once she turned her attention back to the messanger.
She made her way to the bottom of the long staircase then she gave a small look to Mario then looked over to Luigi. "Better time than never. It seems that Bowser wishes..er- demands to... take Luigi as his queen."
"Wait!"
The Princess nodded in agreement, "He hasn't had any complaints now and we don't bother the countless troops he sends to the outskirts of several towns."
She then looked back at the Koopa Troopa, "Tell your King that we refus-"
"NO! I am not letting you go back to that beast! He took you and the princess hostage! Trick or not, he could've killed you!"
Everyone turned their attention to the shaken, tall man, "I'm.. I-a if I remember correctly.. I did sign the papers..."
Mario looked back at him confused, "You what? Lu, you didn't have to-"
"H-He would've suspected something if I didn't!"
Mario gave a deep groan, mainly directed towards the mad king. He started thinking of ways around this, but knew his brother would have been in trouble if he'd let go of the act.
Plus..we did trick him... It would only be fair if-"
"He's not a toddler, that little 'trick' is the last thing he'd be upset about."
"Yet here we are..", Peach sighed then looked at Mario in the eyes. "I can only give my word if he wants to.."
Luigi stared hopefully at his brother and rested his hand on his shoulder, "Mario, I-"
"I-I know, but we lied to him and at least he isn't trying to attack the kingdom! The least I can do is hear him out!"
"I said no and that's final!", Mario huffed turning back to the Princess.
The Koopa Troopa looked nervously at Mario whose eyes only narrowed at their gaze. He gulped then bowed to the Princess, "He will be most pleased to hear this, your highness. We will await your response, but I advise you... Be swift about it."
For a moment, Peach stood there too stunned to speak then took a deep breath, " Tell Bowser that... We..we will consider his demands and will send our decision shortly... one of my guards will wait by the pipe near the river at sundown with the letter."
The Princess nodded and watched as the soldier was escorted out by her guards.
As the doors closed behind them, but it wasn't enough to keep Mario from exploding with concerns.
"You're not sending my little brother into the jaws of his castle!", he shouted.
"Um.. excuse-"
"We have to at least hear him out, and frankly, I want to hear Luigi out on this. It's not your say in whether or not he can go.", Peach retorted.
"Says who?! We may just be your citizens, but he's MY brother and we're sticking together whether you like it or not!"
"Well actually-"
Peach sighed as she frustratingly pinched the bridge of her nose, "Bowser isn't looking to reason on this and I know he's your brother, but if we could negotiate this, he and the kingdom will be safe!"
"Excuse me!"
"I refuse! I know you are thinking about your subjects, but you know better than anyone what Bowser is like! This could be a trap or a set up to let our guard down. With one of us gone, it'll only be a matter of time before he tries to take me down and use Luigi as leverage!", Mario protested walking alongside the Princess as she made her way to her throne.
"Mario enou-"
"I-I want to go through with it. I think it's only right for us to hear him out.. P-Plus the other option is the Mushroom kingdom going ka-pluy! and w-we could just avoid that too.."
They both turned to the interrupter as they were midway up the stairs.
Luigi gulped once he had their attention then cleared his throat to speak:
"Are you sure about this?..."
Peach gave a soft look at Mario, her face filled with determination with her point being made clear.
Mario, in turn, sighed then hesitantly nodded. There was still a look of concern plastered on his face as he stared at his sweet baby brother. He stepped down and took Luigi's hands and looked him in the eyes.
"Not really, I'm actually sorta sweating, b-but I don't want to just sit by when it could be help stop another battle.."
Mario took a deep breath and nodded, he turned back to the princess waiting for her declaration.
"Yes, your highness!", both said in unison.
Peach smiled slightly when she saw Luigi's reassurance, "You have the heart of a warrior Luigi, thank you.."
He beamed at her compliment, lifted his chest a bit only to earn a playful nudge from Mario as Peach headed towards her throne.
"I'll have a messenger send a letter over to the pipe and we'll convene in the morning once while we wait for his answer."
Luigi, with a bit more confidence, strode out with Mario beside him. "I hope you know what you're doing... We don't know what he's planning especially after all this time.."
"Well..."
"I know....."
"You gotta think this through, Lu!"
To be continued. . .
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miryum · 1 year ago
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Foundling Villa- Chapter 12
Royal!Charles Leclerc x Reader. Princess Y/n is arranged to marry Prince Charles. There will be many ups and downs that the author hasn’t planned out yet, but read along to find out more! (Yes, I know that sounds super cheesy) Warnings per chapter. Hope you guys enjoy!
Tag list: @notleclerc @sunsumonner @saturnsrinqs @livster @chonkybonky @eau-rougee @champomiel @justyouraverageeverydaysimp @multifandom-loser
Warnings: Argument, misogyny, a man being a putz and hitting on reader (he grabs her wrist), and protective!Charles (yes, that’s a warning)
ao3 link  next chapter>>
Princess Leclerc,
I am, admittedly, surprised by your letter. It’s not often that a princess writes to me after I attend her brother-in-law’s coronation with tales of foreboding. 
I’m happy that you call me a friend. It’s nice to know that I have confidante in this upscale ladder of hierarchy. 
Concerning your words, I’m afraid I can’t say much more. My father would have my hide. Hopefully, he doesn’t find out that we’re conversing. 
Enza and Redull have always had a rivalry. It started when Redull was an up- and- coming kingdom. Enza felt threatened, so the king sent troops to watch over our building and monarchy. The people of Redull didn’t look kindly on that, and if Enzan troops hadn’t been deployed, Redull’s territory could be much more expensive today. My kingdom has never forgiven yours. My father, especially, had a personal vendetta against Enza. I’m not sure I’m in a position to disclose why. 
There is the past. I cannot tell you the future. All I can say is: tread carefully in the present.
Best wishes,
Prince Max Verstappen 
P.S. pawn to f6
**
“King Stein, once again, I wish to express my immense gratitude for allowing me and my wife to stay with you.” Charles shook King Stein’s hand and bowed. It was a lovely day and the royals of both Enza and Haas stood on the steps of the Haas castle. 
“It’s my pleasure!” King Stein grinned. “The kingdom of Haas is always welcome to Enzans. And my daughter loves having Princess Y/n as a playmate.” Charles glanced over to watch as you swooped up the princess of Haas in a large hug, whispering goodbyes and promises to come again. “But Prince Charles,” King Stein gripped the younger man closer. “Remember what we discussed. It’s vital to Formuline’s future. I recommend sending your quickest messenger to your brother to tell him what you learned.”
“Yes, of course. Once again, my deepest thanks.” Charles bowed once more before his eyes shifted back over to you. “Darling,” Charles ambled over to you and the young princess, setting a hand on your lower back. “We really should be going; King Verstappen is expecting us before nightfall.”
You sighed dramatically. “You’re right, unfortunately. I am so sorry, Princess.” You set the girl down, bopping her on the nose. “I must go now.”
The Princess of Haas groaned. “Noooo! Princess Y/n! We’re not done playing!”
“I know, dear,” you crouched down and pouted. “But I’ll visit soon, okay?”
“Okay…” the young girl huffed. “Do you think you could bring your baby next time?”
You frowned cautiously. “What baby?”
“Your and Prince Charles’ baby!” The girl exclaimed, “everybody has babies and I wanna see yours! I bet they're adorable!”
“We’ll get right on that,” Charles smirked, hand snaking to your waist and pinching your side. You slapped his hand away and bid goodbye to the monarchs of Haas.
The flirting between you and Charles had increased, and you weren’t sure why. It made you feel like a teenager again, daydreaming about the beautiful people you saw at court with your sisters. Your connection with Charles had grown ever since the night at Foundling Villa and the unfortunate death of King Hervé. Along with the connection, the butterflies in your stomach. 
Charles took his place beside you in the carriage and opened up a small chest. “What are you doing?” You hummed, peering at the chest and resting your head on his shoulder. 
“I need to write a letter to Lorenzo,” Charles explained. “King Stein said some very interesting things that shed some light on our current situation.”
“Like what?” You nuzzled into his side, feeling tired after your visit in Haas. Charles focused on the parchment, quill, and ink in front of him. He hoped to ignore the fluttering in his stomach and the pain in his chest.
He started composing his letter to Lorenzo, simultaneously telling you what he had learned. “Redull came to Haas asking for an alliance. Haas demanded to know why, but Redull refused. King Stein heard from King Hamilton that Redull also came to him. We’re nowhere close to knowing their plan, but it’s going to be big. Clearly, Redull doesn’t believe they can do it alone. As long as we keep allies away from them, it’ll buy us more time. I don’t want to believe my worries, but Redull may be looking for war. If they acquire the support of another large kingdom, or even a smaller kingdom such as Lauren or Aston, their army would amass overwhelming numbers that could easily cut down all of Formuline.”
When you didn’t respond with helpful insight or advice, Charles looked down at your sleeping figure. “Oh.” He blinked twice. Does this mean she trusts me now?
**
“Y/n, cherié,” Charles rubbed your back gently. “We’ve arrived in Redull.”
“What?” You mumbled, curling into him. 
“You must awaken. We have to meet with King Verstappen.” 
“Right, yes, alright.” You nodded sagely, and then promptly went back to sleep. Charles chuckled deeply. He continued to whisper sweet nothings into your ear and gently coax you awake until you were fully conscious. “I am so sorry,” you shook your head, embarrassed. “I guess the rocking of the carriage put me to sleep.”
“That’s quite alright, but we still have a meeting to attend to.” Charles knocked on the carriage interior and the door sprung open by a footman. 
“Must I join you in the meeting?” you wondered. 
Charles frowned. “I would prefer it. I’m not sure I trust the people of Redull. Especially the aristocrats. I would rather have you close by so I can see and tend to you.”
“Well, that’s very sweet, Charles, but I’m pretty sure I can handle my own.” 
“If that’s what you want,” he conceded. 
Stepping down from the carriage, you two were greeted by King Verstappen and his son, Prince Max. “Prince Leclerc! Princess Leclerc! What a pleasure to have you join us in Redull!” The two men were dressed to the nines in a way that made you suspect they were trying to upstage or intimidate you. Prince Max muttered something and his father shot him a glare, murmuring a harsh complaint back.
“King Verstappen, how chivalrous of you to invite us,” Charles said.
“Well, once I heard about your newlywed excursion around the continent, I simply had to. It didn’t seem right that you would pass through Formuline without visiting Redull. We are one of your closest allies.” The words had a thinly veiled threat hidden in it. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, after all.
“I can’t imagine how we skipped over Redull,” you spoke up, surprising the Redull monarch. “It pains me that I wouldn’t visit my good friend, Prince Verstappen.” The said man bowed lowly to you. “Oh, and Prince Verstappen,” you began. “King's pawn to e3.”
**
The throne room was bustling with people. You stuck to the edges of the room, priding yourself as a wallflower. You dreaded your decision of not following Charles to his meeting with King Verstappen. Instead of being with your husband, whom you knew, you were stuck in a room full of foreign strangers. Who knew if they were whispering behind your back, plotting the demise of Enza? Needles seemed to prick down your spine. You didn’t feel safe. You felt surrounded by wolves in sheep's clothing. Here in Redull, Charles was the only other sheep you could count on, certain he wasn’t wearing a disguise.
It didn’t help your discomfort that a man kept watching you over the rim of his glass.
This man, in military garb, had shaved blond hair and a lanky frame. His eyes, which bored into you, were a dark brown. You carefully watched as he set down his goblet and stalked over to you. 
Immediately, you turned away. Your gown, which had just been cleaned after the long trip, swished around your feet. The simple tiara that Redull maids had woven into your hair felt heavy. Spying the doors- your exit- you hurried towards them.
“Do you know where Prince Charles is?” you asked one of the guards stationed nearby. Once he gave you directions, you set out down the corridor he instructed. A quick glance over your shoulder confirmed your fears; the military man was following you. An unnerving smirk flew onto his lips when you made eye contact. You turned away and your steps became faster. You knew that as long as you found Charles, this man would leave you alone. You wondered if you should’ve stayed in the throne room- at least people were there to witness anything. Guards had lined the room, capable of intervening. Cursing your impulsive thinking, you knew you were too far into the halls of Redull to turn back. 
Unfortunately, the man caught up to you just as you rounded a corner. “Princess Y/n of Enza, correct?” His gravelly voice made your insides curl with disgust. 
“Princess Leclerc, yes,” you corrected him, attempting to brush past. Just one more hallway and the room where Charles sat would be in your sights. 
“I’m Duke Samuel Hasting. I also hold the title of a commander of King Verstappen’s cavalry.” He seemed to boast, yet his brag wasn’t as grand as he had hoped.
“Fascinating.” You wanted to roll your eyes. “I also hold the title of married.”
“Yet, where’s your husband?” Hasting looked even more disgusting as he lent into you. 
“In a room right down the hall, actually. Would you like me to grab him for you?” 
“No, no, that’s alright. I’m sure he doesn’t have to know everything that happens to you.” Hasting grabbed your wrist.
“I will scream,” you said lowly. It sounded more like a threat than a warning. “Let go of me this instant.”
“Oh, Princess, you don’t mean that.” It sounded like Hasting was trying to sound seductive, but he just sounded constipated.
“I do mean it,” you retorted. “Why would I say it otherwise? That’s stupid.” You wrenched out of his grip and stormed down the hall. Finally turning the corner, you saw Charles exiting the meeting room, shaking hands with advisors of Redull, looking pleased, yet reserved. 
“Y/n!” Hasting called out sharply.
“Y/n?” Charles’ head turned towards you. You let out a sigh of relief. Seeing your expression, Charles’ brows furrowed. “What’s wrong?” He stepped towards you, hand outstretched and you grasped it thankfully. “Y/n?” he asked again.
“Please, can we leave?” you asked.
“Yes, but why?” Charles’ eyes darted to Hasting, who stood at the end of the corridor.
“Princess Y/n was bothering me,” Hasting smoothly lied. “Making advances, and such. I thought you should know.”
“Is this true, cherié?” Charles glanced down at you. 
You shook your head, a little hurt that he thought you would flirt with another man. “The opposite, actually. I was coming to get you when this… Duke grabbed me.”
“He touched you?” Charles’ words became dangerously low. 
“He took hold of my wrist, Charles. It wasn’t that bad.”
“No, you’re wrong. He should never have touched you. What this Duke did was betray the trust of Enza by pursuing you.” Your husband shot a look at the Redull advisors, who shrunk from his stare.
“Charles, please, can we simply leave? I don’t feel comfortable here.” Admittedly, this new protective, even possessive, side of Charles sparked something within you.
“If that’s what you want.” Charles shot one last glare at Hasting. Hasting glowered back, pissed that you outed him. Charles placed a hand on your back and swept you towards the palace entrance.
As you and your husband passed Hasting, the latter man clapped a strong hand on your shoulder, jerked you backward, and snarled, “you bitch!” His hand drew back, as if to slap you, but Charles intervened.
It would best be described as a dance. Charles’ movements were fluid and languid. In one motion, Charles gently pushed you behind him, reared back, and punched the man. “That is my wife!” A primal instinct seemed to rush over him: an instinct to protect what he loved. 
Blood poured out of Hasting’s broken nose and the skin at Charles’ knuckles split. Redull advisors were quick to pull Charles back, lest he do anything worse. You and Charles were ushered out of the Redull palace, hurried goodbyes from both you and Prince Max; you wanted one good tie to the kingdom. 
Once you were in the carriage, tying one of your handkerchiefs around his hand, you whispered softly, “thank you, Charles.”
Charles’ eyes had gone from livid to loving. “I told you- I’d do anything for you.”
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