#your uncle is a prophet-king

[supreme-leader-stoat]

We're all in agreement that Shallan's kid is going to be incredibly weird (affectionate), right? We're talking about someone who's being raised in Shadesmar by Shallan, Uncle Pattern, Aunt Testament, possibly Ala, and talking to Adolin over the seon.

[feyres-divorce-lawyer]

Types of -Cide For Your Writing

Suicide - Act of killing yourself

Regicide - Act of killing a king or queen

Vaticide - Act of killing a prophet

Parricide - Act of killing any relative

Mariticide - Act of klling your husband

Uxoricide - Act of killing your wife

Siblicide - Act of killing your sibling

Sororicide - Act of killing your sister

Fratricide - Act of killng your brother

Matricide - Act of killing your mother

Filicide - Act of killing your child

Infanticide - Act of killing a child within their first year of life

Patricide - Act of killing your father

Avunculicide - Act of killing your uncle

Nepoticide - Act of killing your nephew

Amicide - Act of killing your friend

Senicide - Act of killing an elderly

Homocide - Act of killing a person

Pedicide - Act of killing children

Democide - Murder of a person or people by the government

Omnicide - Act of killing humans with intentions to make them extinct

Deicide - Act of killing a deity, divine being, or god

Mundicide - Act of killing a planet

[inkdemonapologist]

[BatIM Cthulhu AU] A couple of doodles from session two, which UNSETTLED SAMMY A LOT ACTUALLY...

There have been small changes, throughout New York -- doors opening on the wrong side of the street, houses ending up just a block away from where you remembered them -- but the only people who can even tell seem to be those who remember Carcosa. Joey, Sammy, Henry, Jack, Peter, and Norman all experienced the strange shifting realm when a Mardi Gras party attempted to bring dread Carcosa to New Orleans, but Susie wasn't there. She can't see the changes we see, and the entire rest of the city agrees with her. That door was always there? The car was always that colour. That's where I remember the address being before, and there's no record it was ever different.

She trusts what the boys are reporting must be true, that maybe there are changes she can't see or remember, and both she and Sammy are terrified. These are only little things, but as more and more of the city slips into the world of the King in Yellow, what else might be rewritten...?

Anyway EVERYONE'S HAVING A GREAT TIME. If you're here for Out Of Context Quotes from our session, I have some of those too, here, under the cut!!

[Sammy is played by me, Joey is played by Boo (inkyvendingmachine), Henry is played by Maf (inkcryptid), Jack is played by Mochi (whatyouwantedmetosee) and Thren (haunted-hijinxer) is our GM!]

[Jack] I love how detective Pete is for a guy who is NOT a detective. [Sammy] He just got assigned that by Joey Drew and now it's true. [Joey] Exactly! That's how it works.

[Sammy] The idea of JDS having its own employed detective is really funny to me. "Why do you need that? You're an animation studio." "Well, you know, things come up,"

[GM] Everybody went home I believe, except Joey went to the Studio, which is like home,

[Sammy] Do we have any plan, other than just go in to work, [Jack] I though you were gonna say "other than go insane"...

[Joey] If Prophet's not the one going for the ink, then why is Sammy going for it?! Do they have a SECOND prophet situation??? [Jack] PROPHET...... TWO!!! [Henry] Prophet 2: Electric Boogaloo [Sammy] *tiredly* We don't need any more Prophets..... We don't need any more Sammys..... we have enough.....

[Jack] You just need to sip some ink and tell them it's the wrong number. Like, you've got the wrong guy. [Henry] New stone, who dis?

[Sammy] It was the false king who called through the ink, not our Lord! [Joey] Interesting... [Joey] Joey's going to ask Bendy if he can... feel this? Is he getting calls? *dad voice* Is someone calling you? Don't put your number on the internet!

[GM] Bendy says he wasn't made to be a receiver the same way Sammy was. [Jack] So technically, it's "New Sam, who dis"!

[Joey] Okay, Joey's going to note this all down in his... Notebook Of Nonsense That Plagues Them,

[GM] I'm choosing to believe that whenever Norman called in, he gave some sort of outlandish excuse, and whoever answered the phone didn't... write it down... [Sammy] Like the heckin', grian excuses-- [Joey] "I'm cutting my grass, with scissors" [Jack] Yeah!! He's cutting his grass! With scissors! In winter!!! [Sammy] And then Sammy's like "Do we know why he called out?" and the receptionist is just like "No We Have NO Idea" [Jack] With the most tired sigh. Second only to Grant.

[GM] Fun fact, Norman would answer the phone. [Sammy] Norman actually was just like, "ohhhhhhh i know THIS is some supernatural bullshit happening, I'm gonna stay home"

[Joey] Joey's going to ask Estelle if he looked like-- and give a vague description of Avedon. [GM] .............................. [GM] She is SO impressed that you knew this. [Joey] *delighted cackling*

[Jack] I love how cute Joey is about this kid. Just like... the cool Bendy Uncle! He's not related at all, but, [Joey] I feel like this is kind of how Joey just gets around kids? Maybe Joey does really want kids, just, y'know, doesn't know how to do it when gay? [Sammy] Obviously that won't happen, so-- [Joey] Yeah, [Sammy] --so then you START AN ANIMATION STUDIO, that's the only other option! [GM] Yeah, then all kids are your kids!

[GM] Alright, you've made many phone calls. [Joey] Yeah, [GM] And you only rudely hung up on one of them!

[Sammy] Sammy can surely track that down; he's used to digging up musicians. [Jack] Jack's there to assist with the Talking to People in a way that makes them want to cooperate with you, and not run in fear!

[GM, speaking for Peter] *lists all of the information Peter's dug up* And that's about what he managed to get, today! [Joey] And nothing weird has been happening... to him? [GM] WELL, OKAY. ABOUT THAT,

[Peter] Could you describe again, the strange person who was at the party? What was that guy like? [Joey] *thinking very hard* Which... strange person...? I mean... Denis was there?

[Norman] Try not to fall in a swamp this time. [Joey] I'll let you know if I find one! [Sammy] There's fewer of those in New York, so, I think we're good. [Jack] I mean, you never know,, [Sammy] ...yeah, that's true..... [Joey] HEY, Joey will let him know if he finds one!!! [Sammy] If LAKE PONCHARTRAIN opens up in the MIDDLE OF NEW YORK CITY, that will certainly be something to let all of our friends know!

[GM] Make a social-type checks to have a word with them beforehand! [Sammy] I don't know, if I should do that,,, [GM] SAMMY can make an Appearance check! [Sammy] *laughing* LETS SEE IF IM HANDSOME ENOUGH to get let in!

[GM] Everybody's like "You guys!" You're greeted with nostalgia, and eagerness! and people are trying to small talk you, I'm guessing Sammy's not going for that. [Sammy] I mean, you can try to small talk.... AT him... [Sammy] He doesn't... y'know... it's like playing a game of catch where you throw the ball to somebody, and they just hold the ball. [Sammy] Like.... okay! [GM] I did the thing! [Sammy] Cool, catch successful. [Jack] No give, only throw!

[Sammy] Look, I was trying to drink ink this morning, so I feel like this is a step up.

[Sammy] Sammy will enjoy it! We should do this more often! [Sammy] "We should do this more often" says man who will always be too busy to do this more often,

[GM] They're impressed that, at a job where there was a gunshot right in front of the stage, the thing you want to ask about is where they sourced their music. [Sammy] I LOVE that Sammy's reputation is such that this makes perfect sense to them.

[GM] His name is Alan Leroy. [Sammy] Okay, Leroy works, because then I'll remember it, because of Leroy Jenkins. [GM] This is what's been going through my head the entire time, too...

[GM] They say he's a crazy-talented musician who blew into town a year or two ago? He's really nice and easy to get along with, and when he really gets going he can make sounds come out of his instrument like you've never heard! [Sammy] These... are all.. compliments that would be really impressive except that they can all be interpreted in really concerning ways.......

[GM] If Jack wants to look harder, he can.......... [Jack] I'm doing it, Jack can make little a bad decision! He hasn't made any yet this season!! [Jack] *rolls* That's an extreme success. How much sanity do I lose!!

[Henry] We're ghost hunters. The, the pale guy is a ghost, we're goin' after him. Ghost hunters. [Henry] ...This is why you don't let Henry lead the conversation!!

[Jack] It's occurring to me that we don't know if this guy is alive??? [Joey] YUP! This is a good time to find out! [Henry] Fun! [GM] When have you EVER gone up to somebody's house and found them dead inside? [Jack] Jack hasn't yet... [Henry] The very first scenario! [Sammy] Yeah it was a pretty bad situation as I recall, we were briefly accused of being involved! [Jack] Maybe you guys. Jack's different, though.

[Joey] We wanted to make sure he was doing alright. .....does that need a Fast Talk roll? [GM] Yeah, I was about to say-- [Joey] *rolls* *STARTS CACKLING* [GM] What did you do, do you roll a three again? [Joey] I DID ROLL A THREE! :D THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I ROLLED! [GM] I thought it was the Three Laugh!

[Henry] Henry is tired. Henry rolled a 93. [GM] Well he's out late, you know, he's a family man! He has normal hours, he hasn't been staying up late, living at the studio for the last few years! [Henry] He's regretting not accepting Joey's offer to just go home. [Joey] *muttering* See, Joey knows best!

[GM] Okay, so you guys notice, right off, that the car isn't there. [Sammy] UM. HM. [Jack] Which car did we take again? [Joey] The Mercedes... [Jack] *relieved* Okay good. [Jack] .... I MEAN, NOT GOOD, BUT...

[Joey] No, no I think it's OUR car... it's just... more yellow now... [Jack] I don't like that that means it's getting yellower... [Joey] ...........................So when do we take the sanity hit? [GM] Yeah, that would be now!

[GM] The woman says she's looking forward to when he has his own ship, and they can sail away together! [Henry] [Henry] ...I'm married,...

[Joey] Joey has his face pressed to the window-- no, he probably has the window down, it doesn't matter how cold it is -- and... CAN the window go down? Hold on. [Joey] *sounds of typing* "Car... door... window... down... history... when."

[Henry] Okay, these dice are BANNED. I rolled a 90! [Jack] What if you subtly replace the dice...? [Sammy] With slighty yellower dice!

[Joey] OKAY! There ARE rolling windows, so Joey does have the window rolled down, and he's intensely watching the colour of the car. [Joey] AND ALSO, he's STILL sitting in the middle seat, he's just going to lean over someone to do this. [Sammy] Ah. It's probably me.

[Jack] No, no, Pete and Jack can get kidnapped later and take some massive sanity damage together. ✨Cute date ideas!✨

[Joey] Joey's going to inform Norman that they're going to come over, they need additional eyes on something, [GM] Well, he's good at keeping eyes on things! [Joey] So they'll be over soon. [Sammy] I like how Norman gets a heads up, but with Peter we just show up at his apartment. [Joey] Exactly! [Jack] That's because Joey's kissed Pete. When Joey and Norman kiss then that's -- not good for Sammy, probably. [GM] At least Pete and Sammy are neutral. Non-reactive. [Sammy] Norman and Sammy are "it's complicated" on Facebook.

[Sammy] Okay, we gotta go get Linda, so Susie's not alone, [Jack] We're just playing "how many NPCs can we force Thren to play at once!" How many can we shove in the back of this car.

[Jack] Jack's gonna get home and find out his cats are different colours, [Sammy] Oh NO, [Jack] Comes back and Beans is a tortie now. [Sammy] Or Beans is just an orange cat, [Jack] Oh no! Her braincells! [GM] She needs those! She has all of them!!

[Joey] Depending on who's the affected party, Susie or them, it is actually useful to have a second, like, [Sammy] Someone to compare with? Yeah. [Henry] We don't know WHO the control group is, but ONE of us is the control group!

[Joey] As trusted as Norman is, he isn't one of Joey's... white-knuckle-clutched-keepsakes of a person,

[Sammy] *sarcastic* Okay, everyone ready to go to sleep? That's not a scary prospect right now, right? That's something that we're all really confident about doing? Cool, that's great. [Henry] Yeah, yeah, that's definitely not gonna, it's gonna go great...! [GM] Nobody's even cut their hand on a slick stone! It's fine! [Henry] NO ONE BETTER CUT THEIR HAND ON A SLICK STONE! We got enough problems!! [Joey] (Looking at you, Prophet!)

[Henry] Is Joey,,, sharing this plan with anyone? [Joey] ouo Has anyone asked him?

[Joey] Let's send Henry then! [Henry] Alright. Send Henry to Carcosa! [Sammy] *exasperated* yeah that's fine.... [Joey] It's not FULLY sending him there! It's just making a connection. [Joey] A little bridge! [Sammy] Uggghhhh... Sammy doesn't think we need any bridges to Carcosa. [Sammy] We've got enough Carcosa. [Sammy] Put some back.

[Sammy] This is what happens When You Give a Joey a Dream Spell.

[Sammy] We can't actually guarantee that New York isn't going to sink. That's not out of the question. [Jack] Is the Joey Drew specialty NOT "promising things that aren't necessarily things you can promise??"

[Henry] Actually, before Henry leaves he's going to give Joey a hug. [Joey] He doesn't get to leave. [Henry] Oh. [Joey] But Joey will take the hug!

[Henry] You know this man gives good hugs. You're getting a good Henry hug. [Jack] Gonna crunch all of Joey's terrible, very bad bones. [Henry] He's gonnna try not to crunch all of Joey's terrible bones! [Henry] But, I dunno. [Henry] Roll for damage.

[GM] The lurker knows this is serious, but he's also excited, because he has heard what a slumber party is from Henry's kids.

[GM] Now it is Friday, the 28th of December. [Sammy] Okay. Cool. Let's all make an effort to not ring in the New Year in Carcosa. That's MY New Year's Resolution: Don't Be In Carcosa.

[sweetvelaryon]

Rhaenyra had someone at her side who was a dreamer or even a prophet that warns her if she chooses to fight for her throne she will lose all of her kids plus herself. Eventually everyone will betray her and she will be left alone. shes told lucerys will be the first, then Jace and viserys, later on joffery. she dies not knowing if Aegon her last son will live. she would've given up the throne immediately. she had already lost Visenya. she couldn't bare to lose more kids. her kids. daemon hesitates on giving up the throne but she tells him, I am a mother before a queen. I will not watch my son's and your daughters die for my cause. I refuse to. he agrees and Rhaenyra has a raven sent to her half brother for a terms exchange. all the greens and blacks meet on a beach. Aegon walks to Rhaenyra where she waits for him.

"come to surrender?" he asked.

"I will not bend the knee to you Aegon. I know I am by law the rightful heir. by law I am Queen but by nature I am a mother. I will not risk my life or of my children for a chair made of swords. even if my ancestors did make it. I rebuke the throne. dragonstone is yours." she hands him Viserys's crown.

Aegon is confused because he was expecting more of a fight from his older sister.

"I don't believe you," he says as his hand reaches for the crown and grabs it.

"one day you will understand." she gave him a tiny smile before turning around and climbing Syrax.

they end up living in the Dragon Isles that Lucerys found when he got lost with Arrax. years passed and the dragon isles were more powerful than Dragonstone and kings landing power combined. Aemond managed to find them. when he lands in dragon isles he's met with many guards and daemon at front and center.

"I've come to speak to my sister," he says.

daemon allows him to follow him to a massive castle. they enter a small room where Rhaenyra was reading to her twin daughters, Aemma and Laena.

"Aemond?" she questioned as she stood up from her seat. he bends on one knee and holds out Viserys's crown, "take your throne sister. we have lost everything. no one supports us and vhagar is the last dragon." he explained.

she grasped the crown and looked to Daemon for approval. Aemond looked to his right seeing two little silver haired boys staring at him.

"muña," one of them whispers as he looks behind him.

behind them lucerys comes into view. the boy was shocked to see his uncle here of all places. it was then told the boys, Baelon and Aemon, were Luke's Jace's. a yearning part of Aemond reached out for lucerys but he knew he would always be seen as a traitor. Rhaenyra was able to take back her throne saving house targaryen and her family.

[happilyhertale]

Heir to the throne - Daemon Targaryen x niece!reader

Summary: You and your uncle Daemon have a somewhat sullen relationship. Daemon thinks you are weak. And you think he is insufferable and manipulative. But how long can you resist your growing affection for him?

Pairing: Daemon Targaryen x fem!reader

Warnings: Smut; 18+; NSFW; Minors do not continue reading!

Author’s note: Hey you (:

A one-shot Daemon story requested by @dreamlandcreations 🖤 I hope you like it! English is my second language, please forgive me if I made any mistakes (:

Word count: 5.5 k

Other stories of mine

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As the day of your birth dawned, the enchanting chimes of Kings Landing echoed through the city, filling the air with a symphony of celebration. All the people of the realm witnessed your arrival on this earth. As the beloved first-born daughter of King Viserys and his beloved Queen Aemma, it was well known that your father longed for a son. But your father's deep love for you surpassed all pre-determined expectations.

When your mother's womb was filled with new life again, you were still a child yourself, and the anticipation of the arrival of a male heir to stride through the royal halls grew. But fate had other plans, and your sister Rhaenyra graced the world with her presence. From the moment she entered this realm, an unbreakable bond formed between the two of you. Despite Rhaenyra's temperamental nature, you found harmony in each other's company.

During your childhood together, mischievous pranks became part of your playful repertoire, often driving others to despair. While you found solace in the art of needlework and the treasures of old books in the library, Rhaenyra could always be found in the exercise yard, rolling in the earth and eagerly keeping pace with the boys of the court. But you, too, actually took part in such pursuits and proved that your wild spirit burns just as brightly. Countless times you stood by Rhaenyra's side, defending her against the taunts of those who mocked her only because she was a girl. Together, fearlessly and with combined strength, you unceremoniously threw those who dared to challenge you into the dirt.

Yet the longing for a male heir consumed your father Viserys' heart and overshadowed the vibrant love between your parents. Your mother, despite her best efforts, was tired and exhausted after mourning a dead child in the cradle, suffering two stillbirths and two heartbreaking miscarriages. But a glimmer of hope emerged when she became pregnant again, sparking the anticipation of a long-awaited male successor. Even you and Rhaenyra held on to that hope, for you were reluctant to take on the burden of ruling a kingdom. The duties and benefits of being a princess gave you both far more pleasure. But this pregnancy weighed heavily on your mother, sapping her vitality with each passing day. The signs were obvious to you, for she rarely ventured out of her bath anymore.

You and Rhaenyra started spending a few moments together in bed in the evenings at that time. You had numerous conversations ranging from trivia to the prevailing topic of your mother and her exhausting pregnancy. It was during these intimate exchanges that your fear of childbirth was really ignited.

This fear was only fuelled when your mother died in childbirth. Your mother's untimely passing at the birth of the long-awaited male heir shook you and Rhaenyra to the core. But in the midst of the pain, there was a surprising turn of events when your father called you to him. The seriousness that showed on his face set the tone as you and Rhaenyra stood before King Viserys, waiting for his words.

In a calm and serious tone, he unravelled the story of the Song of Ice and Fire and tied together the threads of the prophetic vision of Aegon the Conqueror. As his hopeful gaze fell upon you, a feeling of trepidation crept over you, for you did not know what he was up to. Your father was trying to divert the succession by preferring you to your uncle Daemon and longing for you to ascend the throne. There was silence in the air, broken only by Rhaenyra's radiant smile. But you shook your head resolutely and refused the iron throne that awaited you. And so the path took its course, granting Rhaenyra her rightful place as heir to the throne.

But what you and Rhaenyra also shared was the joyful anticipation that shot through your veins every time your uncle Daemon visited King's Landing. The moment Caraxes appeared in the sky, your heart beat faster and you quickly made your way to the dragon pit. Hastily you traversed the corridors, longing to catch even a glimpse of your beloved uncle. Gasping for breath, you reached the entrance of the dragon pit and waited patiently for his arrival. It wasn't long before Rhaenyra was at your side, waiting as well. And whenever Daemon finally appeared, a radiant smile lit up both your faces.

Without hesitation, you both sprinted towards him, and with effortless strength, he lifted you both up in his arms and carried you towards the keep. Enchanted, you listened to his every word and listened to tales of epic battles and distant lands he had travelled. But over time, things changed. You grew more mature, older and wiser.

Although you still hold your uncle in high esteem, a bittersweet ambivalence stirs within you. You still enjoyed listening to his stories, even if you feigned a certain disinterest. But his shadowy deeds, which always resonated in the depths of your consciousness, repelled you. The same was true of your uncle. He held you in high esteem, considered you his niece and vowed to protect you from the horrors of this world should he have the power to do so. However, he considered you weak, much like your father, King Viserys. It was Rhaenyra, spirited and rebellious, who attracted his affections more. But such things were of no consequence to you. Gaining his attention was not attractive, at least you kept whispering this to yourself.

One day, the whispers of the servants echoed ceaselessly through the air, like a delicate melody. The news was full of excitement - a vibrant festival was to fill the humble streets of Flea Bottom. Enchanting attractions and captivating performers would parade through the avenues, enthralling all who gathered with their enchanting talents. Naturally, your curiosity was piqued, for it had been far too long since you had joined Rhaenyra on a journey through the secret passages of the keep.

As evening fell and dinner drew to a close, you retired to your chambers. Secretly you dressed in the humble attire of the servants and carefully donned a cloak with a hood that concealed your shining silver locks. With great determination, you approached what appeared to be an ordinary wall in your chambers and exerted a gentle but purposeful push. The wall that obeyed your touch gives way, revealing a hidden passageway that lies beyond. A tingle of anticipation flows through you as you enter the hidden passageways and the familiar excitement within you flares up again.

As you arrive in front of the massive keep, you stare upwards, fascinated by the towering walls that seem almost frightening. Relief washes over you, for you knew that tonight you would escape the confines of this fortress and enjoy the freedom that awaited you. Your path leads you unwaveringly to Flea Bottom, a thriving tapestry of life and pleasure. The narrow streets were teeming with happy people, the air was filled with animated conversation and joyous laughter.

At every corner, artists adorned the bustling scene, showing off their talents and attracting the attention of passers-by. The fascination of it all takes hold of you as your gaze wanders upwards to witness a daredevil performer gracefully crossing a taut rope between two old walls. A melodious laugh escapes your lips, evidence of the sheer wonder and enchantment that has captivated you.

The lure of this uncomplicated existence is undeniably great. What is even more enticing is the anonymity it gives you. Here your hair remains unseen, the darkness hides you from prying eyes. Your purple eyes go unnoticed like a hidden gem. You are no princess, but just an ordinary soul among them.

A woman gracefully hands you a glass of wine and a smile graces your lips in response. As you sip the wine, she leads you into the crowd of dancing people. In the square, musicians serenade and enchant those who sway to their melodies. You find yourself in the midst of the cheering crowd, laughing and twirling in blissful abandon. You spill a little wine but pay no attention to the fleeting mishap. Your hood slips briefly, but you deftly straighten it again, preserving your disguise.

But as you turn around briskly, a sudden shock of surprise passes through you. Standing before you is your uncle, Daemon, wrapped in his own cloak.

"Uncle!" you say, startled. Your eyes are wide and you stop abruptly. You are breathing heavily from all your dancing.

But he only grins at you.

"Well, well... What is our little princess doing here?" he asks you.

You clear your throat slightly, "Well... I just wanted to enjoy the festivities," you say softly.

He smiles at you, "I could see that," he grins at you.

"So you're interested in the festivities? And you even sneak out of the keep to do it?" he asks you.

You look at him, "Does that surprise you?" you ask him in return.

He shrugs slightly, "Let's put it this way, I didn't expect it"

He looks at you with a look you can't quite place. Your cheeks flush slightly and you look to the side.

"Well... I have to go, take care princess," he says with a slight grin and continues walking.

You are left a little irritated.

The next day you learn that Rhaenyra was in a brothel with Daemon and you are shocked. You met Daemon on the streets of Flea Bottom, he must have gone straight to a brothel afterwards... When you hear this, you immediately go in search of Rhaenyra.

When you find her, she is standing talking to Ser Criston.

"Rhaenyra," you say, and she responds with a smile.

"Can we talk for a moment?" you ask her.

Ser Criston steps away from you.

When you are alone, you look at her.

"You were in a brothel with Uncle Daemon?" you ask her.

Her eyes grow wide.

"How do you know about that?" she asks you, horrified.

"Well... secrets don't stay secrets here for long... Especially when two silver-haired people visit a brothel," you say.

She swallows visibly.

"So it's true?" you ask her.

She grabs your arm, "He didn't take my maidenhead, I swear," she says to you.

"But how can you be so careless as to go to a brothel with him?" you ask her.

"Do you know what will happen if this gets out?" you ask her further, "Your reputation will be ruined!"

She bites her lip nervously.

"It won't come out... and if it does...I didn't lose my maidenhead to him," she says softly.

But after your father finds out about it, he is furious. He has Daemon brought to him.

"Give me Rhaenyra to take to wife and we will return the House of the Dragon to its proper glory"

There is a brief silence in the throne room as Daemon speaks the words and lies hungover on the floor.

Viserys kneels over him, "Of course... It's not my daughter you lust for, is it?"

He presses the blade a little more against Daemon's neck, "It's my throne"

Daemon grins just slightly.

"You can take her as your wife... But she will no longer be heir to the throne. I will make y/n heir to the throne. Rhaenyra is no longer pure, too wild to rule a kingdom... Hoping that you cannot corrupt y/n, " Viserys finally says.

Daemon gets angry, "You can't do that!"

Viserys stands up, "You'll see what I can do"

And in a moment that seemed to stand the test of time, your father, in a grand production, announced to the realm that you were the rightful heir to the throne. He justifies this monumental decision by acknowledging that he should have recognised your esteemed position as elder sister from the beginning. Deep down, however, both you and Rhaenyra understand the motivations behind this decision, but the revelation leaves you stunned and unprepared. The thought of assuming the role of queen does not suit your heart's desires, but your father, determined and weary of all stormy arguments, rejects all arguments.

The kingdom is in an uproar, and King Viserys hosts an extravagant ball to celebrate this turning point. With unwavering courage, you step into the limelight, knowing that all eyes will be on you all night and your every move will be closely watched. Countless lords vie for your attention, eager to capture your gaze. You, now the embodiment of attraction, become the most desired woman in the realm, igniting ardent desire from all corners. In the midst of this whirlwind, you find a moment of calm, enjoying a sip of wine in solitude, only to be startled by the sudden appearance of your uncle at your side.

"Niece," he says in greeting.

You look over at him slightly and then drink some more of your wine.

"Uncle," you say back.

After a while his voice resounds, "So you are now heir to the throne"

You nod slightly, "I guess that's right," you say.

He smiles slightly, "You don't seem very pleased about it"

You snort slightly, "Well... if you hadn't taken your other niece to a brothel and started rumours about her virtue... Then I wouldn't have to be here," you say.

"So you're not pleased?" he asks you.

You just look at him.

"Why... Why are you taking her to a brothel in the first place? It's irresponsible and immoral," you say.

"'Excuse me... My highly moral niece... but if we are honest, was I ever moral?" he asks you.

You snort again and he looks at you.

"You were out in Flea Bottom yourself...," he finally replies, but you interrupt him.

"... but I didn't go to a brothel!" you say.

He watches you for a moment.

"I had to take Rhaenyra there... I had to show her... To show her what it means to make political decisions… to fulfil duties and also to accept and live out personal preferences," he tells you.

You shake your head slightly, "You can't think of anything better than taking your niece to your brothel?"

You drink from your wine and look out into the crowd again.

He looks at you, a slight smile curling his lips.

"You wish I had gone to the brothel with you?" he asks suddenly.

You choke on your wine.

"Excuse me?" you ask him.

He grins now, "You wish I had chosen you. When I met you on the streets of Flea Bottom... You wish I had taken you by the hand and..."

But you interrupt him.

"What? No! Of course not!" you say to him, but your cheeks blush slightly.

He just grins even more, "Well... If I had known that your father would now install you as heir to the throne... Then I wouldn't have deprived you of this lesson," he says with the same grin on his face.

"Stop it!" you hiss.

"I have no interest in going to a filthy brothel with you," you say to him and you feel the anger rising inside you.

"Well... we don't have to go to a brothel either... I can teach you this lesson in a soft bed," his eyes sparkle as he says this to you.

You just look at him.

"Do you always have to be like this? So manipulative? Maybe you should stop trying to corrupt your brother's daughters... At some point there won't be any children left to succeed to the throne... Or is that what you want? So that you can be named heir to the throne again?" you say to him.

Daemon's gaze darkens, but you simply step away from him.

You leave the ball. You quickly try to put a great distance between you and Daemon. You don't know what it is, but the thought of being in a brothel with Daemon stirs something in you. But you quickly move on towards your chambers.

As the morning light wakes you and you step out of your chambers after your morning routine, a bittersweet realisation comes to you - Daemon has once again left King's Landing.

But in the midst of this recurring absence, a new responsibility now weighs on your shoulders and demands your attention. Your father, concerned for your future, keeps dropping hints about potential suitors who might be worthy of you. Some of these suggestions make you recoil in horror, as they are unfamiliar names of lords you have never heard of. Others, with some logic, sound like good partners. But one name keeps coming up - Laenor Velaryon. Laenor, a kind-hearted soul, would guarantee you a respectful marriage. But deep inside you long for a marriage that promises more than a husband who prefers to spend his free time in the company of other men.

While King Viserys wants to leave the final decision to you, he nevertheless tries in his own discreet way to win your heart for this union. Inwardly, you cannot help but envy Rhaenyra, who now enjoys the freedom of choice, unaffected by the burden of political affairs. Yet you are taken aback when she too suddenly expresses her desire for an engagement. Ser Harwin's proposal to marry her is announced by your father, and the glow on Rhaenyra's lips betrays her joy. After much deliberation, your father has given his consent to this betrothal, sealing the path Rhaenyra will take.

Preparations for Rhaenyra's wedding are in full swing, putting an enchanting aura in the air. Although Rhaenyra is no longer heir to the throne, no expense or effort is spared to ensure a magnificent wedding. While you are busy with your own new tasks, you are all the more surprised when your sister's wedding is suddenly only a few days away.

The capital city is welcoming an influx of distinguished guests, with unfamiliar faces packing the halls. Amidst this swirl, fate once again crosses your path with Laenor. Warm greetings are exchanged, and in the absence of your father's watchful presence, you are indeed able to engage in pleasant conversation. Unfortunately, your father never fails to highlight Laenor's presence whenever he can.

On the auspicious day of the wedding, there is a grand ball where wine flows copiously, instilling in you a sense of calm. This makes it a little easier to bear your father's insistent insistence that you dance with Laenor. Your gaze, however, inevitably wanders to Rhaenyra and Ser Harwin, who always wear beaming smiles on their lips. Genuine joy fills your heart for them.

Suddenly a murmur goes through the crowd, growing louder with each passing moment. As you look up from your seat at the head table, you catch sight of the entrance of your uncle, who has been absent throughout the ceremony. Surprised, but not completely taken aback, it seems only logical that he naturally needs to make a special appearance. He exudes an undeniable charm as he strides into the hall, his lips curved into a subtle smile. Your eyes meet briefly, and you detect a hint of mirth in his eyes. Hastily, you avert your gaze and seek refuge in the depths of your wine glass.

Daemon makes his way to Rhaenyra and Ser Harwin and offers them his congratulations before gracefully walking around the table. Finally, he settles across from you. As you avoid his gaze, your attention is abruptly taken by your father, who suddenly stands before you. A smile graces your face as you lift your gaze to meet him, only to lose it again when you see Laenor standing beside your father.

"Y/n. I thought you were going to show Laenor your new dancing skills?" your father asks you.

You smile, "Where do you keep getting these ideas from?," you mumble.

But gracefully you rise from your seat and put on a gentle smile, as if the weight of the world is light on your shoulders. Together with Laenor, you glide to the dance floor, a harmonious couple amidst the lively atmosphere. Laenor, a skilful dance partner, engages you in pleasant conversation. But his presence does not arouse any feelings beyond the warmth of a cousin.

After a few dances, a growing restlessness overcomes you and you long for solitude and a break from the boisterous mood. Seeking solace, you retreat to the edge of the dance floor, the rim of your wine cup finding comfort at your lips. A single, daring sip empties the vessel and quiets your inner turmoil for a moment. In the distance, your father approaches Laenor once more and engages him in conversation. The scene almost amuses you as you notice that Laenor is beginning to seem annoyed too.

You quickly take another cup of wine and leave the festivities before your father can address you again. Cup in hand, you stroll through the corridors and make your way to your chambers. Weary from the day's events, your only desire is to wrap yourself in solitude. As you enter your private chambers, you free yourself from the confines of your dress and let out a relieved sigh as the lacing at your back loosens.

The garment falls to the floor and surrenders to gravity. Wearing a flowing nightgown, you approach the mirror and carefully untangle the intricately braided pigtails that adorned your head. As you lift the brush and prepare to run it through your silken tresses, an unwelcome interruption sounds in the form of a sharp knock on the door. Irritation flickers across your face as you turn to face the unwelcome disturbance.

"Who is it?" you ask. But no one answers. You sigh and go to the door. You open it.

"What is it?" but you pause as you see your uncle.

"Uncle?" you ask.

He smiles slightly at you, "Niece," he says.

You look at each other for a while.

"Won't you invite me in?" he finally asks you.

"I'm not sure I want to," you reply.

He raises his eyebrows a little, but you take a step to the side.

His hands are behind his back and he smiles at you. Slowly he enters your chambers. You close the door and watch him. You see his broad back and notice that he seems to be looking around.

"Not much has changed in your chambers..." he says somewhat absently as he stands at your desk.

You look at him and smile a little, "Did you come here to inspect my chambers?" you ask him.

He turns to you and has to smile a little again, "No... of course not...", he says almost quietly.

He lets his fingers glide lightly over a book lying on your desk.

"You seemed annoyed," he says finally.

Now you are the one raising your eyebrows, "What?" you ask him.

"Well... At the ball... You seemed upset. Upset that Viserys kept trying to badger you with Laenor's presence," he says, smiling at you.

You roll your eyes a little as you think about it again. "Is it that noticeable?" you ask him.

You walk over to the table and drink from your wine again.

"I don't want to marry Laenor," you say finally.

"I like Laenor, he's nice. But I don't want a man who prefers the company of men," you say, turning to face Daemon.

Daemon grins slightly.

"That's understandable... You want a man who desires you," he says to you.

You have to chuckle a little, but shake your head slightly, "I don't think that's an argument that will meet with my father's understanding," you say.

"Well...", Daemon says, "You will be queen, you should decide who you marry... who will rule with you", he says to you.

You drink again of your wine and look at him. You see a sparkle in his purple eyes.

"I could take you to a brothel, if that would help you decide," he says suddenly.

This hits you unexpectedly and you suddenly have to laugh. Your laughter infects Daemon and you hear him chuckle slightly.

"Thank you very much for your offer, uncle. But I think I will decline," you say with a smile.

You look at each other and notice how close you are. You can literally feel his breath on your skin. Suddenly his lips are on yours. You gasp briefly, but then his hand is on your cheek and he holds you tight. The kiss is wild and passionate. You put your hands on his firm chest and pull him closer to you by his waistcoat. You whimper slightly as he gently bites your lower lip. Daemon breaks the kiss briefly. He is breathing heavily. His thumb wanders gently over your lower lip. His eyes seem to be watching your face closely, as if finding even the slightest sign that you don't want this.

"Do you really want me to corrupt another daughter of the king?" he asks you in his deep voice.

You are also breathing heavily and look at him.

"Shut up, uncle," you say simply.

He chuckles lightly and lets his hand slide down your neck. He pulls you close again and kisses you.

He pushes you backwards slightly and you notice the back of your thighs pressing against the desk. His hands are suddenly on your hips and with one quick movement you are sitting on the desk. Daemon is standing between your legs and he starts kissing your neck. Slowly he lets his lips and tongue glide over your soft skin. His fingers slowly slide along your thigh and you gasp.

"Is that okay?" Daemon whispers as he continues to caress your neck. You just nod and wrap your legs around him.

You feel a slight grin on his lips. You start to unbutton his shirt. More and more of his muscular chest is exposed. You notice slight scars on his skin as he lets go of your neck to pull his shirt over his head. You breathe heavily. You let your fingers wander gently over his chest and feel the scars. You bite your lip lightly.

"Shall we stop for a moment and admire each other's bodies?" he asks you with a teasing undertone.

You look up into his eyes. "Shut up, I said," you whisper. He chuckles softly and kisses you again. His hand continues to wander along your thigh. It slides under your nightgown and you let your hand slide down his neck. You gently grab his neck and pull him closer to you. You notice how your undergarments are getting more and more soaked. When his fingers suddenly slide over your folds, you moan into his mouth. He doesn't hesitate for long and pushes your undergarments aside. He feels your wetness immediately and his fingers are immediately soaked.

A deep groan forms in his chest. His fingers find your clit and start to leave firm but gentle movements on it. You moan again and gasp. You grip his neck tighter and he grins at you.

"You like that..." he whispers.

You just whimper as he moves his fingers faster. You kiss him again and try to undo his trousers at the same time. But you are distracted by his fingers. When he suddenly inserts two fingers into you, your efforts stop.

"Daemon...", you moan a little louder now.

"Yes...? I must prepare you for my cock...", he murmurs simply and lets his fingers slide into you.

You look into his eyes. Your cheeks are flushed and you are breathing heavily. He smiles at you. You moan as he lets his fingers disappear inside you again and again. You close your eyes and pull him towards you. Your lips find his lips and when he inserts a third finger, you just whimper. But you start to move your hips towards him.

Suddenly you hear him open his trousers and they slip to the floor. Your tongues continue to dance around each other as he suddenly stops inserting his fingers into you. Instead, he reaches for your undergarments and pulls them down your legs. You breathe heavily and watch his movements. You see him bite his lip as he just drops your undergarments on the floor. But then your gaze falls on his body. Daemon is standing in front of you without his shirt and trousers. And you see his entire size.

You now bite your lip as you look at his cock. It is big and thick and you can already see a few drops polling around at its tip.

His big hand pumps a few times his hot length and then he lets the tip of his cock slide through your wetness. You hear him grunt softly and can't hold back a moan of your own.

He kisses you again and lets his hand wander to your ass. Slowly he pulls you closer to him and you feel him slowly push his cock into you. You bite your lip. You gasp as his big member almost splits you. But it feels so good. He gives you time to adjust to his size. You start to move your hips towards him. And he takes that as a sign and his thrusts become stronger. With each thrust he is deeper inside you. His grunts get louder and you start moaning in unison with him. He fills you completely. Your arms are around his neck and you close your eyes. His hands are on your hips and he makes you slam down on his cock faster. You cry out in passion. The table beneath you starts to creak with each thrust, it is obviously not designed for such activities.

Suddenly one of his hands is on your shoulder and he pushes you down gently. You follow his instruction and lie down on the table. Immediately his hands are on your hips again, setting the pace. You wrap your legs around his waist to push him closer to you. The slapping of your naked skin and your lustful sounds fill your chambers. With each thrust, he grazes your sweet spot in your wet core. You moan out. Daemon notices how your walls clench around his cock.

Without hesitation, he begins to rub your pearl with his thumb. You reach for his biceps as a wave of excitement floods through you.

"Daemon..." you gasp.

"It's all right, I've got you. Show me how good it is for you... Come on my cock," you hear him say in his deep voice. His thumb moves faster and his thrusts become harder.

And then an incredible feeling floods you.

You moan, but his thrusts don't let up.

"Daemon," you moan and continue to grab his biceps.

"Yes... Yes!" he just grunts. You close your eyes and are a moaning mess. And then you hear him groan loudly. His moans become softer until they subside completely. You are both breathing heavily. You are still lying on your desk. Daemon is still standing between your legs. He lets his head hang down and you feel him slowly pull his cock out of you. You notice his cum leaking out of you and dripping onto the floor. But you can't move. Your eyes are closed and you try to catch your breath. You notice how he gently caresses your thigh.

"I wanted to take Rhaenyra's maidenhead that night... In the brothel...", you suddenly hear him say.

You open your eyes and look at him. He looks at you closely.

Neither of you says anything.

When suddenly he breaks the silence again, "But I couldn't"

You continue to look at him.

"Why?" you ask quietly.

He swallows briefly, "When I saw you that night. You, the perfect, good princess who did something forbidden... That somehow confused me..." he says quietly. His fingers continue to caress your thigh.

"I don't know, I just couldn't," he says a little louder.

You have to smile slightly and sit up.

"So my uncle does have a conscience," you say teasingly.

He has to smile slightly, "Then I guess I shouldn't have taken your maidenhead"

You smile, "Who said you did?"

He looks at you a little startled.

"I was joking," you say before he can say anything.

This time he has to laugh. He starts stroking your cheek.

"Maybe your father had better not find out about this," he says suddenly. But you have the feeling that there is a hint of sadness.

You look at him. Suddenly you have to smile slightly.

"Except... When I tell him I want to marry you," you say.

His eyes grow wide.

"What...?" he whispers.

"Well... He wants me to get married. And I get to have the last word," you say.

"But you are so often annoyed with me," he says with a smile.

"Well... at least that guarantees it won't be boring," you say quietly.

Daemon just shakes his head slightly and leans forward. He kisses you softly.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

@aemonds-wifey @hoshi-miharu-blog @arryn-nyx @aemond-targaryenx @praline357 @melsunshine @drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed @lauftivy @dreamlandcreations

[angel-of-hunky-doryness]

How Disney (Unintentionally) Created The Most Sympathetic Disney Villain

Yes, we're talking about Hades. So strap in, folks, this is gonna be a long one.

It may or may not come to a surprise to some of y'all that Mr. Hot head is my favorite Disney Villain. His charm, his sass, and above all his sarcastic one-liners, what isn't there to love about this walking-talking wheeling and dealing Mephistopheles archetype with the most basic villainous ambition of taking over the world.

Okay, fine, the cosmos. But at the end of the day, Hades has a very cut and dry appearance in Disney's Hercules. He doesn't even have nearly as much screentime as other Villains as I had previously believed.

First appearing quite apropos in the shadiest corner of Olympus ready to raise hell and all manner of chicanery just to incite misery to a newborn baby, only to exit stage left to cue the villainous side-plot with a bit of prophetical verse thrown in for good measure. A plan comes into being and he orders a hit on the aforementioned baby, only for the hit to fail despite y'know being the yutz in charge of the land of the dead *cough cough*

18 years pass and suddenly Hades has to completely 180 his plans, focusing not on his intended target of Olympus but the prophecy hero he thought he already axed. And so he unleashes a horde of monsters upon the city of Thebes as a result. The Titans are freed for some reason, Olympus is easily defeated and rescued, and then so is the plot device- I mean the Titans, and Hercules gives Hades the one punch man treatment, and so Hades is left to reconsider his life choices for all of eternity swirling in the Phlegethon/abyss. Pick your poison, either work.

Alright, cool, glad I got that out of the way. Oh, hold on, my sponsor, is giving me that beady eyed stare to remind our lovely audience that Meg was also an unfortunate victim in Hades' scheme. We'll get to Meg and Hades' relationship in a future post, but to summarize, Hades' treatment of Meg is far, far harsher and has tons more animosity than Hades and Hercules- the titular character mind you- ever had.

But I digress.

Despite, Hades' antagonistic role in the film, there are many, many nuggets that Disney gives that allows the audience to sympathize with his lot in life.

In his very quick introduction- it's a Disney movie the plot has to establish quickly cuz animators have lives too. Insert obligatory pay animator's fairly line here.

We have what I like to call Exhibit Alpha: The Introduction.

Now Disney Villains are no strangers to a dramatic introduction.

I couldn't find the exact gif of Maleficent appearing, but I ended up putting the one above because it proves my point. Everything about Maleficent strikes fear in the hearts of her audience. Everyone is watching her every move because they know she's a formidable threat.

When Hades makes himself known, the Olympians aren't scared or spooked like King Stefan and the 3 fairies were when Maleficent first appeared.

They're annoyed.

To them, Hades is the weird uncle no one invited, but shows up anyway. If anything, it looks like the gods have dealt with him before and know how to put on the cold shoulder to get him to leave faster.

The only one oblivious to all this is Zeus who invites him to stay and enjoy the party. But Hades isn't an idiot. He's very aware of the chilly reception he's getting and declines with this one-liner:

Keep this line in mind, we're going to circle back to it.

Zeus then proceeds to meet Hades with a quip right back and a very punny one at that, earning the first laugh since Hades arrived, and one at Hades' expense.

A laughing fit ensues and Hades storms off in a quiet rage.

A short scene indeed, but it tells us a lot about Hades, Zeus, and the gods.

Hades is an outcast.

Boo-hoo, homeboy just needs a girlfriend. Maybe a flaming flower-picking one, but that's neither here nor there.

Now, the interchange between Zeus and Hades makes it very clear how Hades started to become excluded from his family. Hades is absent to a lot of social gatherings and most of it is because of his job. A job that deals with stiffs, the dead, the dearly departed, however you wanna slice it.

Now before you say- well he was scheming to take over the cosmos on his free time, what do we see in the very next scene?

Over 5 billion souls served. Hades is a busy guy and the movie makes it really clear that even in his spare time meeting with the Fates, the work is piling up. Maybe that's why he's a fast talker, he's always moving and grooving so he can get some time to relax.

Yeah, yeah, we saw him smite some of his people on his small world boat ride, but considering we only see one god working in the underworld, he doesn't have the time of day for them and after eons of this drudgery he's gotten quite apathetic to their pleading.

The shades are just as doomed as him really.

Now we're going to gloss over a few scenes and move to Exhibit Beta: The Thebans.

Hold the phone, Hades isn't even in this scene.

My point exactly. Hades is a bit busy amassing a horde of monsters. Hecc, none of the disgruntled Thebans even mention a monster in their list of disasters. The Monster Mash party starts after Hercules rolled into town thanks to Meg after her failed recruitment of Nessus.

So what does that tell us? Whoever causes floods, earthquakes, fires probably caused by lightning incited these disasters not Hades. Hmm, on a weird side note, I don't think Hades' brothers, the earthshaker or god of storms, fit those descriptions at all.

All these disasters were happening while the Olympians did nothing. It wasn't unheard of for the ancient greek gods to send wayward mortals to do their bidding and help people or free them from monsters, so why does Phil put it upon himself to take Hercules out for the hero life? (Yeah Disney should've included the presence of other gods working on earth to make them out to really be responsible and helpful, hell maybe have Hermes fly in congratulating Herc for completing his training and direct him towards Thebes)

It's almost like Hades is the only god who's present or aware of the woes on earth. Sure he adds to it, but are the Olympians really lounging about doing nothing in this movie?

Exhibit Gamma: Storming the Palace

....

I have no words. Zeus and Hera could've been doing paperwork?? Looking out for their son??? Have a meeting with the Pantheon and that's why they're suddenly blindsided by the Titan attack???

Hades, though sassy, though sarcastic, and just a bucketful of ruthless and malicious described the Olympians to a T.

Hecc, the Olympians had no idea the Titans were out destroying the world until they were literally on their front doorstep. If Hades had told them to destroy half of Greece, they would've done so before the Olympians noticed.

And it's so contrived, but the only reason Hades lost was b/c Hercules shows up and frees some of the gods. Like if one other god was not on Mount Olympus they could've come save the day. But every god was there. Make that a fanfic y'all. ONe where the one god who was- I don't know confined to their island or something wondering where her mother went and so she has to gather all the nymphs and natures spirits to save olympus or some drivel like that.

Hermes had to sound the trumpet like judgement day to get the gods rocking and rolling. And that's not even considering how Hades gets punched into oblivion.

Exhibit Delta: Revelation 20:14 (NIV)

The one god who did his job has been thrown in prison??? Zombie apocalypse??? Is that you??? Where's Shawn when you need him???

Confine him to the underworld, Wonder Boy. Get your Greece Lightning father to take care of business in a flash. He'd get you Meg back in an instant. Just ask nicely. We know Psyche is in attendance. Meg deserves it after all she went through.

I know it's more dramatic, but the world of Hercules is absolutely screwed. Talk about a happy ending with terrible implications for the state of the world. Meg and Hercules are going to die and be sent to an afterlife with no deity to even send them to Elysium, and that's if Hades comes back at all.

*Takes a long drink from my pina colada*

I didn't mean for this post to turn into a hate show on the Disney Olympians. I'm just, I always knew Disney messed up hard on this movie. And yes I adore the hell out of it, but making a villain more sympathetic and likable than the hero? When I started writing this I didn't think it would get this bad, but the more I looked into it?

I haven't even touched how Hades has the worst employees, having to put up with his imps? The Titans who don't even know where the tallest mountain is?

For all his manipulation with Meg, Hades did give her everything he promised her. He's a devil sure, but he's a god of his word. He couldn't even force Meg to seduce Hercules, he had to convince her with some extra added relinquish your soul type bit. Hell, he was even willing to negotiate with Hercules after hurting his dog.

To finish off, even with those nuggets sprinkled in, at the end of the day Hades is a villain through and through. Yes, he's fun, yes, every single one of his lines is an improvised banger, but that's kind of the point.

One of the directors of Hercules once described Hades as being the type of evil that's attractive. Drags you in with promises of honey until you find yourself drowning in mercury. He's Mephistopheles offering you a Faustian deal, Satan with the apple, and this author trying to advertise their terrible fanfic that delves into this very topic.

I remain ever yours, dear readers.

Till next time.

[le-roi-soleil]

Also I'd like to talk about this weird_targaryen_relationship and incestual matrimonial traditions.

First what we see in hotd is Viserys and Aemma deeply in love with each other. Let's just n.b. that Aemma Arryn wasn't his sibling (cousin she was). This marriage seems to be working amazing.

Next would be Daemon and Rhaenyra. Daemon is her uncle, so he is older, and as for me most important - they grew up separately. Yea, Rhaenyra knew her uncle since her childhood, but as she claimed in s2, he'd always been a challenge for her: so close yet so distant, a mystery man.

/I'm not gonna talk about Rhae's fascinating marriage with Laenor, thanks/

And here we come to Aegon and Haelaena. Why didn't it work? Mostly because targtower branch of the family surely had never seen true love between their parents. Viserys kept loving Aemma until his death, Alicent being far from That Woman to him. Alicent put her life to the marriage with the King, not the man she had chosen herself, and it surely becomes an issue, separating her from her kids.

Oh, the kids. Aegon understands himself being a father's disappointment in that scene on the training yard with Cole, Strong and the boys. Also remember Viserys truly loves Rhaenyra and her strong boys, and we feel that shit in Aegon's mind: i am not enough for them to love me. Sad but true, babe. And he says this exactly while driving to his coronation: he never wanted me to be the king, no one needs me, do you love me, mum?

You imbecile.

Aemond's case is much worse. Being treated weird by Aegon and their cousins, he had no background at all, because Aegon must have been the most important figure in his life, but bro is just too stupid to understand. And when this little guy loses his eye, his father never protects him, even worse, he is trying to get the subject of the fight from King's position instead. Yet there is no empathy or pity at all (man, your son has just lost a fuckin eye, pls be a parent for someone else except Rhaenyra). So Aemond tries to find protection in his mother's arms. And Vhagar's. That is why his dragon means so much: it's not just a weapon for the Targaryen.

Haelena is always invisible, but she is the only one visibly loved by her momma and even Rhaenyra, which makes her the most empathetic sibling, but unfortunately she also is a prophet, not being understood seriously by brothers. And now imagine some weird situation: you are thirteen, and you are getting married to your sixteen years old brother whom you've grew up with for the entirely all your lifetime.

Must be such a weird feel. Even for the Targaryens this kind of relationship... Well, they are not delusional and they know perfectly that in Westeros this kind of thing is not ok. And now you have to be married, make heirs and be a couple, and you are just 13 yo. Jesus. With Aegon also, spoiled and lack intelligence. Maybe this stuff works when you are crazy in love with eachother, just like Jaime and Cersei are, but for Haelena's marriage, where she and her brother-husband were so distant, the scenario went horrible. And now I understand why Aegon came to her drunk - maybe not just being alcoholic, but trying to blind himself enough for making love with his small sister, trying to create another heir. And probably this worked until Jaehaerys' death, which finally destroyed a fragile balance between them.

[maddiwrites]

The Daughter

Summary: Enemies to lovers, Weasley x Lestrange. Linked is a more descriptive summary with author's notes (:

Warnings: None

Chapter One: Kyrie Lestrange walked into Hogwarts’s Great Hall with murder on her mind. 

She knew that this year was going to be different than her last four years at this school. But not a good different. No, this was going to be much, much worse. 

 The Dementors stalking their train ride to Hogwarts proved that almost instantly.

Her shoulder bag was heavy with the weight of the Daily Prophet. Of course the weight of the newspaper wasn’t physically holding her down, but the longer she thought about what was written for the whole wizarding world to see, it felt like an elephant was sitting on her shoulders.

 On the front page was Sirius Black, known Death Eater, and now a dangerous escaped prisoner from Azkaban as of a couple weeks ago. Oh, and he also happened to be her uncle. 

“Oi, what’s got your panties in a twist, Lestrange?” Cedrella “Ell” Copplestone, Kryie’s best friend, hip bumped her with a smile on her face. Cedrella was beautiful. Her bleach blonde hair fell in easy waves past her chest. Her brown eyes were striking against her fair skin and her lips were always gorgeously polished with sparking pink lip gloss. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a couple of Dementors.”

Cedrella and Kyrie met on their first day at Hogwarts when they were both sorted into Slytherin. Back then, they were only a shell of what they were now. Timid, nervous, but excited. Now, those little girls were strangers.

Kyrie snorted. “Of course not. But I’m also not stupid enough to tempt one of them with a good time, if you know what I mean.”

“A good time, huh?” Cedrella wiggled her eyebrows. 

“Have you ever heard of the Dementor’s Kiss?” Kyrie asked her in all seriousness. 

“No, we didn’t all grow up learning the ins and outs of Azkaban, you know,” Her best friend smirked. 

Cedrella meant it as a joke, and she said it with pride. However, the indirect mention of Kyrie’s mother hollowed her chest into a bottomless pit, but after fifteen years, Kyrie mastered the art of faking a smile and keeping her head high with feigned confidence. 

“Well, it’s the only kiss, even you, would never ask for, Ell,” Kyrie said. 

“What are you trying to call me?” Cedrella scoffed jokingly.

Kyrie smirked but continued. “Its soul sucking. Literally. Worse than death. And it doesn’t take much to convince them to suck it right out of you.”

“Suck what out of who?” Steven Friar, another fellow Slytherin in her year, conveniently popped his head between the two girls, smirking. 

Kyrie rolled her eyes. “Of course that is all you heard.”

Kyrie also met Steven Friar in her first year of Hogwarts when the Sorting Hat placed them all in Slytherin. Joining them at their table that day was also Ophelia Wenlock, Danny King, Selina Branstone, and Zakir Ancrum. Quickly, this was how her friend group transformed. A group of prideful, parent pleasing, pureblooded, wizards and witches. All part of the house that homed the only students who believed being the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange was a privilege, even if the witch stroked a deep fear within all of them.  

“What can I say, Lestrange, your words put me in a trance,” Steven smiled. 

His curly brown hair brushed against Kyrie’s cheek and his breath smelled of chocolate frogs from the train. Out of all her friends, Steven was the one to make her laugh the hardest. Unlike most Slytherins, he didn’t take life too seriously. Although he always remembered to keep in mind the expectations his parents had for him, he didn’t let it control him. And Kyrie always envied that about him. 

“Oi, get a grip, Friar,” Danny and Zakir matched their pace with the others. “You know, the only thing joining you in your bed this year is your right hand.”

“Jokes on you, I’m a lefty,” Steven winked at his friend.

“What are you talking about, anyway?” Danny asked them.

Out of all of her guy friends, Kyrie was closest to Danny. The bond they shared was different than the ones she had with Steven and Zakir. This one was more serious and intimate. They shared a connection that she couldn’t relate to with any of her other friends. Maybe it was the fact that his parents were similar to Kyrie’s aunt and uncle, who she had been living with for the past thirteen years. They were highly regarded amongst all wizards in Europe. They shared powerful roles in the Ministry, which always added pressure to the ideology of showing off a picture perfect family. There were certain expectations that Danny and Kyrie were meant to meet, and Danny took that role seriously. 

“The Dementors,” Ell said.

The five of them found Selina and Ophelia waiting for them in the Great Hall, saving their friends their seats with the other fifth year students. Kyrie took her seat next to Ophelia and eyed the rest of the room. 

On the other end of the room, Hufflepuffs pushed each other around playfully.  Next to their table, Ravenclaws were catching up quietly, and behind the Slytherin tables, Gryffindors obnoxiously cackled.

“I heard that Potter kid fainted on the train when he looked at one of them,” Ophelia said with a slight snicker, catching the last of their conversation as they settled in. 

Kyrie glanced over at the Gryffindor table again. Ironically, Harry Potter was turned towards them as well, glaring at Draco Malfoy, who was no doubt teasing the kid about what happened. 

News traveled fast in Hogwarts. Rumor had it one of the Dementors locked onto Potter during the train ride into campus, and the interaction was severe enough to make Harry Potter pass out.

Steven pulled another chocolate frog out of his shoulder bag. Kyrie snatched it out of his hand.

“Hey!” He complained. 

Kyrie threw the chocolate frog at the blonde third year. It hit him in the side of the head, causing him to turn around and glare daggers at his own cousin.

“Leave him alone, Draco,” Kyrie scolded him with a smirk on her face. She glanced over at the younger kid who was scowling at her cousin. His brown hair was sticking up in the back, his glasses askew, and the scar on his forehead peeked out from behind his bangs. “At least wait until the kid looks a little less… peaky.” 

Kyrie winked at the young Gryffindor, remembering their encounter only a couple of weeks ago in Knockturn Alley. Harry flushed and was physically turned away from the Slytherin table by two red headed twins. 

The infamous Fred and George Weasley. They’ve been causing chaos at Hogwarts since they stepped onto campus five years ago. They were adrenaline junkies. The twins were well known for their pranks, always finding a way to improve their jokes and up the stakes. Whereas most of the school loved and laughed at their antics, Kyrie found the two utterly annoying and obnoxious. However, the twins’ perspective of Lestrange and her friends weren’t far off from that either. 

Maybe it was the natural feud between their two houses, or maybe it was that they just knew how to get under each other’s skin. But the Weasleys and their friends have hated Lestrange and her friends for as long as she’s known them. 

The twins narrowed their eyes at Kyrie but were smart enough to keep their mouth shut.

Kyrie smirked at their reaction to her already so early into the school year. She ignored the curious eyes of their little brother, Ron, and his best friend Hermione and turned back to her friends. 

Ell scoffed, noticing the twins’ looks as well. “I’ll tell you one thing I didn’t miss. The stupid dungbombs those idiots like to shoot off in the halls.”

“One stupid prank this year and I will make their lives bloody miserable. I don’t have time to be distracted from studying for the O.W.Ls,” Selina said. She was by far the smartest out of all Kyrie’s friends. Obsessed with her schoolwork, she was on the right path to follow in her parents’ footsteps to work for the Ministry of Magic.

“It’s day one and she’s already talking about the exams,” Zakir rolled his eyes. 

Kyrie snickered and ignored her friend’s scowl. 

“Hey,” Danny leaned in closer to Kyrie. “I like the green. It matches your eyes.”

Kyrie smiled. “I might have to dye it back to pink then. Don’t want you to get distracted from your studies this year.”

Every few weeks, Kyrie dyed streaks of her brunette hair a different color. For majority of the summer, it was a pastel pink. And Danny knew this because he spent the summer pining over Kyrie Lestrange like she was the last woman on Earth. And Kyrie let him, finding no harm in a little summer fling, even if it was with one of her closest friends. But now that the school year had begun, Kyrie had no intentions of continuing said fling. And she made that very clear to him last month. However, it was clearly going to be harder than she thought for Danny. 

“With you in the room, I’ll always be distracted.”

Ell pretended to gag. “Oh please, get a room you two.”

“Happily. Maybe we’ll use yours,” Danny smirked back at her.

“I’m about to lose my appetite and I’ve been looking forward to this food for three months.”

The Great Hall silenced as Professor Dumbledore stood up from his spot at the front table with the other professors of the school. Kyrie eyed each and every one of them, pausing on the face of a man she didn’t recognize. 

The Headmaster took his place at the podium. “Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say, before we become befuddled by our excellent feast. I myself am particularly looking forward to the flaming kiwi cups, which, while somewhat treacherous for those of us with facial hair...” He chuckled at his own joke. “Mm. Yes. First, I'm pleased to welcome Professor R.J. Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Good luck to you, Professor.” The students applauded the new professor. At least he looked a little more…humble than last year’s DADA professor. He waved politely at the students. His sandy hair, matching the color of his facial hair surrounding his mouth, fell lazily on his forehead. He looked to be in his forties. He was dressed in a casual suit that would give the illusion that he had his life put together, but Kyrie could tell there was something…off…about him. “As some of you may know, Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher for many years, has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be filled by none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid!” Hagrid awkwardly stood up, his big body shaking the table in front of him. To this, Kyrie happily applauded the Giant. Unlike most students in her house, Kyrie really liked Hagrid. 

When Hagrid sat down, the atmosphere changed in the Great Hall. Dumbledore didn’t look as pleased as what he was about to say next was of grave importance. “Finally, on a more disquieting note, Hogwarts - at the request of the Ministry of Magic - will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban.” A few murmurs vibrated around her, but what caught her eye was Draco and his two idiot friends Crabbe and Goyle teasing Harry by pretending to faint. “The Dementors will be stationed at the entrances to the grounds. While they are under strict orders not to enter the castle itself, you will on occasion see them as you go about your daily activities. Under no circumstances are you to approach them. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving.”

After dinner, with a belly full of roast chicken, pumpkin juice, and cauldron cakes, Kyrie unpacked her luggage quietly while listening to her friends discuss their summers. 

Selina spent a lot of her time in the Ministry, shadowing her father and getting a head start in making sure her name was well known amongst her father’s peers, so that when it comes time to apply in three years, she’ll be an easy hire. 

Kyrie always admired her friend’s dedication to her education, but sometimes that dedication distracted her from what was also important at Hogwarts – fun. She, Ophelia, and Ell always had to convince her to come to parties hosted in the Slytherin Common Room, talk to the girls she had admitted to holding small crushes on, and close the books early to gossip late into the night.

Ophelia spent most of her summer visiting her cousin in Berlin, spending most of her money at the local shops over there. She had a bit of a spending problem, that one. 

And Cedrella went into intricate detail of her night with a muggle she met at her family’s vacation house in Sussex. 

Kyrie covered her copy of the Daily Prophet under her school sweaters in the bottom drawer of her dresser. She didn’t want to talk about Sirius with anyone. Not even her best friends, and she hoped they wouldn’t bring him up either. 

 Her friend’s teasing voice cooed her name behind her.

“What about you, Kyrie? Have anything you’d like to share about your summer?” Ophelia smirked knowingly. She braided her golden locks back behind her head. Not a single blemish dotted her face after she removed her makeup and was freshly moisturized. Her fingers were always dazzled with rings that fascinated Kyrie. Last year, Ophelia gifted a thick gold and green ring to Kyrie for her birthday. She wore it every day on her right middle finger.

“Yeah, anything about how your green hair matches your green eyes,” Selina giggled. 

Selina’s shoulder length brown hair fell over her face as she leaned over the pillow set on her lap. Her brown skin glowed under the overhead light. Her teeth were beautifully straight and her jaw line exceptionally sharp. Kyrie always wondered why Selina chose to be single. She knew a couple of girls at Hogwarts who were secretly harboring crushes for her friend. 

Kyrie rolled her eyes. “I think you can infer what my summer was like.”

It was no secret that Danny always fancied Kyrie since their first year at Hogwarts. He always took the open seat next to her in the Great Hall, offered to be her partner in Charms and Potions when they shared the class, and was always glued to her side at social events. 

Kyrie tried convincing herself that she felt the same way towards Danny. He was the perfect match in the long run. With their highly respected families, blood purity, and money, every wizard expected them to be married following graduation. 

“Oh come on. Give us details!” Ophelia pushed. 

“Not everyone’s an open book like our dear Ell,” Kyrie said sarcastically.

“Did you at least shag? Or did you torture him with just a kiss?” Selina asked.

Kyrie rolled her eyes again and turned her back to her friends to hide her blushing cheeks as she climbed into bed. 

“Oh, she definitely had sex!” Ophelia said.

“Well, tell us about it!” Selina exclaimed. 

Kyrie glanced at her best friend but she couldn’t read her expression. Ell got uncharacteristically quiet, looking both intrigued and annoyed at the same time. 

Suddenly, Kyrie felt a little guilty that she didn’t tell her best friend first. They told each other everything first before sharing with Ophelia and Selina. But this wasn’t something she wanted to share through a letter. 

Kyrie shrugged. “It was fine.”

“Just fine?” Ophelia asked. 

Cedrella raised a brow. 

“I don’t know…it was…well the first couple of times were awkward –“

“You did it more than once?” Selina asked. 

“Do you want to hear the story or not?” Kyrie said. 

Selina raised her hands in surrender and silently urged her to go on. 

Kyrie was honest with them. She told them that the first couple of times with Danny were a little awkward. With niether of them having done it before, they were feeling a bit shy. But towards the end of the summer, they found their groove and it got better. Kyrie couldn’t deny that there was a physical attraction between her and Danny. But that’s as far as a connection she felt. There were no sparks, no tingles, no butterflies or whatever the fairy tales tell you. There was just…sweat, pants, and a short high. 

Ophelia groaned. “I’m so jealous.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure your perfect guy is out there,” Kyrie said with a wave of her hand. “Isn’t that what they say anyway? You’ll find someone when you’re least expecting it or whatever that dumb shit is.”

“Yeah, that makes me feel better,” Ophelia rolled her eyes. 

“So, what are you going to do this year? String him along again, letting him drool at your feet?” Ell said, straightening out the comforter on her bed. Kyrie froze and tilted her head at the harshness of her words. “He’s clearly in love with you.”

Kyrie answered. “I was honest with him at the end of summer. I said whatever we were doing ends the second we get on the train to come back to Hogwarts. He’s one of my best friends and I don’t want to lose that over some hookup.”

“It wasn’t just a hook up to him, though.”

“Well, it was to me and I made that very clear to him the moment he kissed me for the first time. He knows where I stand and that’s that.” Kyrie said forcefully, growing more and more irritated by Ell’s attitude. “What’s with the third degree, Ell?”

“Nothing,” She shrugged, acting nonchalant. “Just want to make sure you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.” She turned to slide into her own bed.

Kyrie glanced at her other two friends from across the room, but both of them shrugged and awkwardly shuffled under their own covers.

“Whatever,” Kyrie said, changing the subject. “What do your schedules look like for tomorrow?”

[lilacskyly]

My Life For Yours: Part 4 (Satoru Gojo x Reader Soulmate AU)

Fr last part, and btw this whole fic was inspired by 'kagerou days' so i recommended checking that out

‘Hey Mom.. hey Dad… sorry I’m writing to you again, I know you’d probably tell me to do something else with my time. I just don’t get it. I’ve been trying to find the reality where you two are both happy and alive. I know one exists. But each time I try to help, it leads both of you on this cycle till either one of you get the grand idea to kill each other at the same time. I’ve tried talking with Uncle Geto about it, hell I even revealed to him who I am. Yet I still haven’t found the timeline I came from. Mom, Dad, I know you both will die eventually… and I’m sorry for starting this whole mess. I just couldn’t take it when you both died together fighting that damned cursed king. Uncle Yuta tells me I was only 3 around that time. I’m sorry for being so selfish for wanting you both to live longer. I’m sorry for bringing you both into my mess because I myself can’t interact much with it. If I could change the past, I would’ve by now. So please, live for me Mom and Dad.

-Eri Gojo’

Eri sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “Hey.. I know you’re not my actual parents but… thanks for being here…” she spoke to a curse that loomed behind her. The curse couldn’t speak, it was just an amalgamation of her parents bodies from what she saw that day. The curse simply nodded towards her before turning to the door.

“Eri… still here are we?” she heard Yuta’s voice come from the door. She jumped before spinning around in her chair. 

“U-uncle Yuta! Wassup?”

He smiled sadly at her, “Still doing this ‘prophet’ business?” 

She looked down at her hands, “Y-yeah.. Still trying to find the timeline they were alive… I mean.. This can’t be it.. Right?” 

Yuta shrugged, “You’re the prophet here. Just.. know they’d be proud.” Eri nodded, tears welling up in her eyes before muttering an ‘i know’. “You’re stronger than you think Eri, you can do this.” he cheered her on. “But, maybe get some rest tonight? Instead of going into the crossroads?”

“... I’ll try..”

He nodded at her before leaving her room, closing the door behind him.

It wasn’t long till she shut her eyes and found her way to her crossroads. There, she could watch every reality her parents chose, but she could never choose one of her own. It was more like a galleria for her.

“Another night of being alone…” she sighed, flicking around the orbs in the air that glimpsed into each reality. “Seriously.. Why isn’t there a single one where both of you are alive..? Why can’t I get you back..?” She paused. “... that’s it… isn’t it?”

She got to work, flicking away any reality that didn’t fit with her vision until she came upon her own. Her own was hidden under a mass of other realities, it looked so dull now compared to the rest. “... I.. I have to accept that you’re gone… I.. I need to stop trying to interfere… don’t I?” she whispered to herself. She looked towards a pile of shattered realities, the ones that failed in keeping you both alive. “... I’m sorry Mom.. I’m sorry Dad… I.. I have to let you go..” Tears fell out of her eyes as she smashed her reality into the ground. Out of it came other orbs which floated high into the air. She looked into one, seeing both her parents on their wedding day, happily smiling. Wait… they.. They were only engaged when they died… weren’t they?

Did.. did that do it?

Before she could figure that out, she awoke in her bed. Knowing full well she could no longer go into that galleria, she sat there, imagining the life her parents had.

“Hey, goddess? Ya awake?” Gojo’s voice rang out in your ears. “I’ve got a surprise for you~” You opened your eyes lazily before groaning for him to give you 10 more minutes. “Aw… but I’d thought you’d wanna hear our kids' first words?” That got you up.

He smiled before laying on the bed with you, pulling out his phone to show you a video. 

“Heyyy Eri… can you say dada? C’mon! You know you wanna!”

“Da…do?”

“Close! But no, repeat after me… ‘da… da!”

“Dada!”

Gojo paused the video, giving you a shit eating grin. “Sooo… where’s that 20 you owe me?”

“Bullshit! You tricked her into saying that!” you protested causing him to laugh. “I didn’t lose anything!”

“Yeah yeah, keep saying that!” He playfully shoved you before pulling you into a tight hug. “Hey.. dear?” he asked.

“Mhm?”

“This is going to sound super cheesy, so don’t judge me okay? But..." He looked down at his wives hand, decorated with the ring he got you. "...thank you for being here… I couldn’t imagine a reality without you in it... so let’s cherish the one we’re in, yeah?”

[spinthetags]

South Park March Madness begins today!

It’s March 1st, and we’re excited to get March Madness underway! Above are the brackets that we’ll be using, divided into two images due to space. The songs above are a mix of the songs you suggested and the songs the mods filled the extra space with! We have a total of 64 songs, but only one can win.

For the first round, two 24-hour polls will be posted each day at 8 PM EST. Make sure to vote on both of them! The most voted song will move to the next round, while the least voted song will be eliminated. We encourage you to reblog this post with your predictions! We’re curious to see what you all are rooting for.

May the best South Park song win!

Underneath the cut is a transcript of the matches for the first round for if the images are difficult to read! This post will be updated with the winners of each round as the polls are completed.

Put It Down/Eric Don’t Do It VS La Resistance (Mole’s Reprise)

Simultaneous VS Hell Isn’t Good

It’s Easy, Mmmkay VS Joseph Smith Was Called A Prophet

I’m Super VS I’ve Got Some Apples (Lu Lu Lu)

Mountain Town VS Underpants Gnomes Work Song

Chef’s Chocolate Salty Balls VS Santa Claus Is On His Way

Push (Feeling Good on a Wednesday) VS Democracy in Cuba

Rebecca's Song VS The Most Offensive Song Ever

Jackin’ It In San Diego VS Queef Free

Turds VS Give Life A Try

Theme Song VS We Are Living In The Future

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel VS Make It Right

La Resistance VS I Can Change

Dead, Dead, Dead VS I’m Not The Poorest Kid In School

Uncle Fucka VS Theme Song (Goth Kids Version)

A Lonely Jew on Christmas VS Taco Flavored Kisses

Kyle’s Mom’s A Bitch VS The Ballad of Tweek and Craig

It’s Butters! VS Up There

Not My Waterpark VS The Imagination Song

Eyes of a Child VS Faith +1 Medley

Make Bullying Kill Itself VS Ballad of Lemmiwinks

Princess Kenny’s Theme VS It Happened In Sun Valley

Gay Fish VS Do What You Wanna Do

Merry F**king Christmas VS Wendy's Song

Let's Fighting Love VS Crab People Crab People

What What In The Butt VS I’m Gonna Make Love To You Woman

What Would Brian Boitano Do? VS Christmas Time In Hell

Swiss Colony Beef Log VS Somalian Pirates We

Blame Canada VS Getting Gay With Kids

Hey People You Gotta Drive Hybrid Cars VS Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo

I Hate You Guys VS I Got Cred, Bitches

Fingerbang VS Canada On Strike

[doctentaclesrpg]

Of the Meeting of Tatius and Lysias

Transcribed from the oral histories of poet Coeren, Port Calin (RY 478)

Oh, speak, Venus, of the ancient love between Tatius and Lysias, of warrior and charioteer. Speak of their Chariot of deep-iron and cherry-wood; how even now it rests in the temple of fair Chrysocolla. Mars, sing of their victories and doom—and how, even when claimed by cruel winter, a heart may survive to see spring.

Some say Tatius was the strongest man in the land of Intou-that-Was, rough-hewn of body with a shattered-mountain visage. Visar Lysias was his charioteer; a horsebreaker, and champion of the city of Old Visar, in the savage warlike years of the old Shogunate, before the Contagion or Realm.

 It is also  said that Tatius—called sometimes  Pasiap Tatius—was born from a pure bloodline, unbroken by mortals, Dragonblooded mother upon mother unbroken to Dragon of Earth; a family that grew like a pure gemstone vein in their high mountain castle. Tatius grew up wild, untamed, raw, rough as deep-iron; even as a child he was of cold and unyielding resolve, guardian of his mothers’ hall, while they meditated on the deep truths of the Dragons.

The only men he knew from beyond the mountain were his siblings and his mother’s chosen consorts—no others were allowed to ascend to his family’s mountain keep unless they sought them out for marriage. And these were few. Among his people, marriage was a sacred bond, reserved only for worthy princes of the Earth. 

Still, many sought out his mountain home for alliance or conquest. Warrior-queens, and kings alike ascended the winding path to the hall upon the sacred mount, bearing gifts or threats in equal numbers. Against them, Tatius always stood resolute, even as a boy, hurling great rocks down upon them, heedless of their threats and cries. They would be crushed and broken, for none could withstand his unyielding might.

In this fashion he lived and grew, a wild boy, then a man, atop his mountain hall, unmarred by the tempering hand of civilization or Shogunate. Then, when he had just passed the threshold of manhood, a charioteer, flax-haired Lysias, beloved of the Dragon of Wood, sought Tatius out. He had been sent by his uncle’s uncle, the Daimyo of a nearby realm, whose kingdom was embroiled in a bitter feud with a neighbor. Guided by the wisdom of a sorcerous prophet, they learned that victory rested upon a weapon of the strongest, most unyielding deep-iron. Hearing these words, the Immaculate Nonks remembered the tale of the wild son of the mountain and took that to mean Tatius.

When Lysias beheld the treacherous, rocky path before him, and the towering giant that was Tatius, standing like hundred-handed Keregost at the summit, he felt his heart tremble. He had heard of the men and women who died on that very path, broken by the rocks above and below. But Lysias was a bold man, steadfast and devoted in his love for his kingdom. Steadying himself, he cried out:

“Son of Earth, Guardian of the mountain Daimyos, I am Visar Lysias, son of Visar Elea, and I seek your aid. My uncle’s uncle suffers, and my land, great Visar bleeds. I beg of you, lend us your strength. Come down from your mountain, or at least allow me to ascend, and I will be in your debt forever.”

Tatius gave no answer, but hurled great boulders down upon him, bellowing with fury, and Lysias withdrew. And Tatius thought that was the end of the flaxen-haired charioteer. But the next day, Lysias returned and called out:

“Son of Earth, I do not believe you are a beast, or deaf, or blind to honor and sympathy. You will not make me leave as you have made others before. You will find I am stubborn, and used to dealing with willful creatures. What is your answer?”

Tatius roared down, "I am Tatius, and I care not for anything or anyone beyond this mountain. But, I would not like to crush your flaxen-haired head, or your fine horses, so do not come again."

And he threw rocks down at him, and Lysias withdrew once more.

Yet the next day, Lysias returned, and again the next, until a month had passed, and still Tatius’s heart was untempered. Knowing his kingdom could not wait, Lysias finally lost his temper. With furious resolve, he cracked his reins, steadied his chariot with lashings of wood, and raced up the path, darting back and forth, evading every stone sent his way. Try as Tatius might, he could not strike the chariot or its driver. As flaxen-haired Lysias neared the summit, Tatius's stones were cast wider and wider, his will to strike this bold driver weakening. Finally, after a day of furious ascent, Lysias reached the summit and leapt from his chariot. The horses fell to the ground, dying in an instant, lathered and frothing, broken by their journey. He knelt before Tatius and spoke in a steady, clear voice:

“I am Lysias, and my uncle’s uncle has sent me to find a man to win our war. You have taxed me as no man nor beast has before, but I have come to speak with you at last. If you are to reject me once more, speak it to my face, as we Princes should.”

At that moment, Tatius realized—through the days of pleas and rejections—that he had become fond of the flaxen-haired charioteer, and could not speak.

Taking his silence for anger, Lysias turned his face, still kneeling, and said, “I should hate to return to my uncle’s uncle in failure. Yet, I cannot rightly compel your service. If your answer is no, I shall not gainsay it, and ask for but a day to recover in your hall, as I am well spent.”

Yet Tatius remained silent.

Lysias again took this silence for dismissal and stood, beginning to walk to his chariot, saying, “You gaze at me with such thunderous anger, and I see your heart truly is that of deep-iron. I will not stay even one night, if you wish. I will return to my uncle’s uncle, though the path will be more treacherous without my horses.”

Finally, Tatius spoke, his voice low like the grinding of rocks. Stepping forward and taking a knee, he said, “Good prince, I had thought the men outside this mountain strange, but I see now you are stranger than anything I have yet seen. Stay in my hall, as a guest of my honored mothers. I wish to know more of you.”

And Lysias replied sharply, suddenly incensed without knowing why “No, I will not remain for your pity, though I am happy to see you have a heart that can be tempered, if even a little. I shall go. You may keep your mountain and your Daimyos and your boulders.”

Tatius then said, “If you go today, then I shall go with you, for I will not let you leave until I know more of you, for I think I may love you.”

And Lysias stopped, dumbfounded, thinking it a jest. When he turned to see the look of misery on Tatius’s face, he could not stop himself–he laughed, and laughed. And then, as he saw Tatius’s shoulders shrink, and the proud man crumble, he finally answered in great mirth, “Very well. You may follow me until you are certain, and then you may stay or leave as you wish.”

He turned back from his chariot and let Tatius lead him into his mother’s hall. They remained the night there together, then left in the morning, Tatius pulling the chariot like an ox, and Lysias riding.

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh): First Migration, the Year of Sorrow, the Splitting of the Moon

Second Caravan of Muslims Migrate to Abyssinia

7th Year of the prophethood (Year 616)

The king of Abyssinia welcomed the first procession of Muslims in a very fine manner. The Muslims finally had the opportunity to freely worship in a state of peace.

When the Master of the Universe (PBUH) heard this, he suggested that the remaining Muslims in Mecca emigrate as well.

The second procession that set off headed by Hazrat Jafar, the son of our Holy Prophet’s uncle, Abu Talib, was much more crowded than the first one. A group of 92 people, ten of them being women, left Mecca for Abyssinia for the purpose of safeguarding their faith and being able to worship in peace.

While the Muslims emigrated, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) remained in Mecca despite everything. He continued to stand up against the torture and persecution that were continuously committed by the polytheists. He pursued his holy and sublime duty under Allah’s protection and grace. 

Polytheists in search of Muhajirs!

The polytheists of Quraysh panicked when the Muslims migrated to Abyssinia in succession. They did not intend to stop following the Muslims who were living abroad. They worried about the spread of Islam in these kinds of countries and about this glorious faith coming to a state in which it would be insurmountable. Nevertheless, for as long as the Muslims were under the asylum of the King of Abyssinia, it would be much easier for Arabia to be under Islam’s bosom. In this way, the barriers they attempted to place before Islam would be razed to the ground.

The dissatisfied and worried polytheists spoke among themselves and decided to request from the King of Abyssinia that he return the Muslims who had migrated. 

They assigned Amr bin As and Abdullah bin Abi Rabia as their envoys. Their plan was this:

They were going to take valuable gifts to Najashi (the King of Abyssinia) and the other leading figures. The gifts would first be given to the government officials and the polytheists’ wishes would be presented. Afterwards, they would present their gift to the King.

Their purpose behind their plan was this:

By presenting their gifts to the government officials first, they would receive support from the government officials; thus, no chance would be given to the King to talk to the Muslim refugees.

When the envoys went to Abyssinia, they applied their plan.

As they presented their gifts to the government officials, they said:

“Some members of our youth have separated from the path of their forefathers. They have not converted to your faith; they have emerged with a brand new religion. Currently, they are under the sanctuary of your King. We were sent by our tribe to request their return. When we convey our wish to the King, help us by not allowing a chance for the King to speak with the Muslims. Support us in the matter of their surrendering and say: “They obviously know more about and are better acquainted with those who are from among them. They can see their faults better than anyone else.”

The courtiers were deceived by the valuable gifts and promised to support the polytheists.

The envoys went to the presence of the King and expressed their wish:

“O, King! These people, who have left us and have ruined our working order, have come here to damage your religion, country, and society. We came to warn you regarding this matter. They do not recognize Jesus, the Son of Mary, as God’s son. They do not bow down before you when they are in your presence. Return them to us and we will deal with them.” 

As is seen, the envoys expressed their wish in a very sly manner. They knew the King was a Christian and for that reason, they tried to win the King over through this point by saying, “They do not recognize Jesus, the Son of Mary, as God’s son” so that he would be angered.

The courtiers supported what the emissaries said in accordance with plan: “O King, they speak the truth. Of course, they are better acquainted and know them better than anyone else. They can see what faults they have more clearly. Let us surrender the Muslims to them so that they can take them back to their own homeland and tribe.”

While the government officials were sanguinely expecting the King to say, “yes” to their request, Najashi angrily said, “By God, no. I will not surrender those who are helpless, who have settled in my country, and have preferred me to others. I will not make my decision without first talking to them. If the matter is as the envoys say it is, then, I will surrender them and have them return to their homeland. If it is just the opposite, then I will protect and look after them in the best manner.” 

Later, Najashi invited the Muslims to come by sending an inviter. The refugees chose Hazrat Jafar as their representative and went to the palace all together.

The priests that Najashi had invited were inside along with the representatives of the Quraysh.

Hazrat Jafar greeted Najashi when he went amid his presence; however, he did not prostrate before him.

When the courtiers asked Hazrat Jafar, “Why did you not bow down before the King?” he answered,

“We only bow before Allah.”

“Why?” they asked again.

“Allah has sent His Messenger to us and His Messenger has prohibited us from bowing down before anyone other than Allah.”

Upon this, the representatives said, “O King, had we not explained their condition to you?”

Najashi turned to the Muslims and asked, “Why did you come to my country? What state are you in? You are not merchants and you do not seem to want anything. In that case, why did you come to my country? What kind of state is your Prophet in? Explain me why you do not greet me like your countrymen do.”

Before answering these questions, Hazrat Jafar said, “O King, I am going to say three things. If I speak the truth, then affirm what I say; and if I lie, then disaffirm my words. Firstly, command one of these representatives to speak and the other to remain silent!”

Amr bin As was the representative who chose to speak. Upon this, Hazrat Jafar addressed Najashi, “Ask this man if we are slaves who are to be returned to our masters?”

Najashi asked, “O Amr, are they slaves?”

Amr replied, “No, they are dignified free men.”

This time, Hazrat Jafar said, “Ask this man whether we have shed anyone’s blood unjustly and if we are to be given back to those whose blood we have shed?”

“O Amr, have they shed anyone’s blood unjustly?” asked Najashi.

Amr responded, “No, they have not shed a single drop of blood.”

Hazrat Jafar turned towards Najashi once more, “Have we taken goods from the community unjustly, do we have any goods that we are obliged to pay for?”

Najashi said, “O Amr, if these poor men have any debt amounting to one qantar (about 50 kg) of gold then I will pay it off.”

Amr replied, “No, they do not have a carat’s worth of debt!”

Upon this, Najashi asked, “In that case, what do you want from these men?”

Amr responded, “We used to follow the same religion. They left our faith and have submitted to Muhammad’s religion.”

This time Najashi turned to Hazrat Jafar and asked, “Why did you leave a thing that you were committed to for another? Considering that you have separated from the religion of your tribe and do not follow my religion or that of another people’s, what is this religion that you have joined?”

Hazrat Jafar deemed it more suitable to start explaining from the beginning, “O King, we were an ignorant people. We used to worship idols and eat carrion. We used to commit any kind of wrong deed that comes to the mind. We would break off ties with our parents and relatives, harm our neighbors, and oppress the weak. While we were in this state, Allah sent us a Prophet from among ourselves. A prophet whose progeny, integrity, trustworthiness, honor, and purity we knew of. He called us to believe in the existence and oneness of Allah, to worship Him, and to abandon the idols that both we and our forefathers worshipped. He commanded us to be forthright, to deliver all that has been entrusted to us to their rightful places, to protect the rights of our relatives, to get along with our neighbors, and to avoid sins and bloodshed. He prohibited us from fornication, lies, encroaching upon the rights of orphans, and slandering honorable women. We have testified to him and his cause. We have submitted to what he brings from Allah and makes known to us. For that reason, our tribe has treated us like an enemy and has tortured us. They inflicted all kinds of torture and persecution to dissuade us from our religion, hinder us from worshipping Allah, and to make us worship their idols. Due to all of these reasons, we abandoned our homeland and homes and came to your country. We sought shelter from you and preferred you to others. We hope not to face torture and injustice in your presence.” 

Afterwards, Hazrat Jafar responded to the King’s question as to why he did not bow down before him:

“When it comes to the matter of greeting you, we have greeted you with the greeting of Allah’s Apostle. We always greet one another in this manner. We learned from our Prophet (PBUH) that those who will enter Paradise will greet one another in this fashion. For that reason, we have greeted you in this way. When it comes to the matter of prostration, we prostrate before Allah and we take refuge in Allah from bowing down before anyone else.” 

Hazrat Jafar’s words had a very deep impact on Najashi. The polytheists just stood there in silence.

After thinking for some time, Najashi turned to Hazrat Jafar and said, “Do you have anything with you with regards to what you have mentioned?”

“Yes, we do” replied Hazrat Jafar and he followed by reciting the first portion of Surah Maryam: Kaf. Ha. Ya. `Ayn. Sad. (This is) a recital of the Mercy of thy Lord to His Servant Zakariya. Behold! He cried to his Lord in secret. Praying: “O my Lord! Infirm indeed are my bones, and the hair of my head doth glisten with grey: but never am I unblest O my Lord, in my prayer to Thee!” 

The verses that follow explain how Hazrat Maryam became pregnant to Hazrat Isa (Jesus), how Hazrat Isa came into this world, one of his miracles in which he spoke in his cradle, and how he was sent as a Prophet by Allah.

The verses that were read had enough influence over Najashi’s inner world to cause tears to fall from his eyes. In fact, his falling tears ended up soaking his beard. The priests who were present could not help crying, either.

After Najashi’s spirit, which had been affected by the spiritual charm of the Holy Quran, soothed, he said, “By God, this is a Light that emanates from the same lamp with which Moses and Jesus came.”

After making this truthful confession, he turned to the polytheists, “By God, I will not submit them to you nor will I think badly about them in anyway.” 

The representatives did not have any choice in the face of Najashi’s unexpected decision but to leave the palace in a state of disappointment.

Despite this, the representatives, Amr bin As in particular, said they were not going to give up and decided to apply new tactics.

The next day, he came to Najashi’s presence and explained that the Muslims had said strange things about Hazrat Isa.

The King once again deemed it suitable to talk to the Muslims and invited them to his presence. He asked Hazrat Jafar, “What do you think of Hazrat Isa?”

Thus he replied:

“We say whatever our Prophet (PBUH) has brought from Allah and made known to us regarding Hazrat Isa. He is a servant of Allah, a Messenger, and a soul that Allah has sent. He is one of Allah’s words given to Mary, a virtuous virgin who renounced men (meaning that he was born through Allah’s command, “Kun.”)The glory and state of Jesus, the Son of Mary, consists of this.” 

The knowledge the Muslims had on Hazrat Isa made Najashi very happy. He took a stick in his hands, drew a line on the ground, and said, “The difference between your religion and ours is as much as this line. Besides, we do not view the matter any differently than what you say.” 

The deputies were left bitterly disappointed as they had been expecting Najashi to retract his asylum.

Najashi turned to the Muslims and said, “I congratulate you and the individual whom you follow for he is Allah’s Messenger. Besides, we had read about his qualities in the Bible. Mary’s son, Jesus, had also given good tidings about this Messenger to humanity. I swear to God that if he was found in my country that I would carry his shoes and wash his feet.” 

After his words that accepted the prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), the Negus, who saw and understood the truth, stated the following about his attitude toward Muslims from then on as follows:

“Go! Live peacefully and safely in the area of my country that remains untouched and is secure from invasion. Whoever harms you will be perished. (He repeated this three times.) Even if I knew that I could attain a mountain’s worth of gold for hurting the feelings of one of you, I still would not make such an attempt.” 

The deputies did not have any other choice but to return to Mecca after Najashi’s decisive and conclusive words. In fact, the King even returned the gifts they had brought.

When the polytheists of the Quraysh heard this, they were greatly distressed. It could be considered that their fears came true!

Muhajirs Return to Makkah

Despite the fact that Muslims were saved from the persecution and torture of the polytheists and attained the opportunity to freely fulfill their religious duties, they were still living in a foreign place that was far from their motherland in which they were born and raised. This situation saddened them.

About three months after the last procession, they received news that a few of the leading figures from the Quraysh had become Muslims. The conversion of the leading figures meant that the polytheists had submitted to Islam as a whole.

Upon hearing the news, with the assumption that Mecca was no longer a place in which they would be persecuted and insulted, a procession of 39 individuals, six of them being women, set off to return to their motherland. However, when they neared Mecca, they learned that this news was groundless. However, turning back would be very difficult.

In order to enter Mecca, they would have to be under the protection of their polytheist relatives and friends or they would have to ensure that no one could see them. Openly entering the city meant being submitted to the hands of the merciless enemy. Taking this into consideration, some of them preferred being under the sanctuary of their relatives and friends temporarily whereas some others entered the city in secrecy without the need to seek refuge.

Some of them returned to Abyssinia and remained there until the other Muslims migrated to Madina. Some joined the Muslims in Madina after the Hijra while the other Muslims remained in Abyssinia for a long period of time.

Those who returned to Mecca did not leave Mecca until the Hijra to Madina occurred; their faithful hearts shielded them, and helped them zealously persevere with the polytheists’ persecution and torture.

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: REVERED PROPHETS: PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S ACHIEVEMENTS: Part 4

A leader must know his people thoroughly to educate them and lead them to realize a great cause. Alexis Carrel, a great twentieth-century French scientist, and philosopher, still describes human beings as unknown, as the most complex and intricate of creatures.17 However, Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had such a comprehensive knowledge of his people that he could educate them in such a way that they transformed themselves willingly to realize his cause. Knowing how to act in every situation, his decisions never had to be changed or his appointments to office rescinded. He succeeded in bringing the most refined, well-mannered, and civilized society out of an extremely backward, uncivilized, and rough people.

Not only did he eradicate his people’s savage customs and immoral qualities to which they were addicted, but he also equipped and adorned these same desperate, wild, and unyielding peoples with all praiseworthy virtues and made them the teachers and masters of the world, including civilized nations. His domination was not outward; rather, he was the beloved of hearts, the teacher of minds, the trainer of souls, and the ruler of spirits.

Despite all the advanced techniques and methods, modern communities cannot remove permanently so small a vice-like smoking. However, Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, quickly removed many ingrained bad habits with little effort, and replaced them with good habits in such a way that they became inherent in his people’s very being. If people do not believe this, let them go to any part of the modern civilized world with hundreds of philosophers, sociologists, psychologists, pedagogues, and educators and see if they can achieve in one hundred years even one hundredth of what Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, achieved in a year in the uncivilized Arabia of fourteen centuries ago.

The Prophet met all of his detractors with a smile. When the Qurayshi leaders told Abu Talib to make his nephew abandon his mission, the Prophet answered:

O, uncle! Should they place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, so as to make me renounce this mission, I shall not do so. I will never give it up; either it will please God to make it triumph or I will perish in the attempt.

On another occasion, a deputation of the Qurayshi elite offered him all the worldly glory they could imagine if he would abandon his mission:

If you want wealth, we will amass for you as much as you wish; if you aspire to win honor and power, we are prepared to swear allegiance to you as our overlord and king; if you have a fancy for beauty, you shall have the hand of the most beautiful maiden of your own choice.

The terms would be extremely tempting for anyone, but they had no significance in the eyes of the Prophet. He responded:

I want neither wealth nor power. God has commissioned me as a warner to humanity. I deliver His Message to you. Should you accept it, you shall have felicity in this life and eternal bliss in the life Hereafter. Should you reject the Word of God, surely God will decide between you and me.

The faith, perseverance, and resolution with which he carried his mission to ultimate success prove the supreme truth of his cause. Had there been the slightest doubt or uncertainty in his heart, he could not have withstood the opposition that continued for twenty-one long years.

[orynamulty]

I promised to tell you about my character, this post is about Daenys.

How I came up with it;

One evening last year, I was sitting and remembering my life and I remembered Nexo knights. Then I rewatched it (since I didn’t remember almost anything from there), and my thoughts started spinning and bam!the outlines of the character appeared in my head! (damn, I’m a master at writing where it all began😆). To be even more honest, my love for Jestro was resurrected. (I'm not kidding) And from that day I began to think about ff, but for several months I did not dare to start.

When I was thinking about what to name the character, the first thing that came to my mind was Daenys. (then I rewatched season 1 of House of the Dragon, it is my main source of inspiration). From the beginning I thought; 'Okay, so be it, then maybe I'll choose another name.' But time passed and I could no longer perceive her with a different name. She is named after Daenys Targaryen who predicted the doom of Valyria. Daenys also has a Valyrian appearance (silver hair and one of her eyes is dark purple, and the other eye is bright green)

I thought for a long time about who she would be. There are already enough knights, we only have Merlock as a wizard. I decided that she would be a sorceress and a dragon rider. She also wears black and gold clothes. In the first 2 seasons she used a magic wand, but during the battle with Monstrox the wand was broken, she now uses rings instead. Robin created special shoes for her that will allow her to temporarily fly; shoes are also needed in case Daenys falls from the dragon. Things aren't going so well for her with magic, because, let's say, she has a different type of magic, but unfortunately Daenys is the last dragon rider (her dragon is also the last (probably)) and there is no one to teach her.

In my fanfic, King Halbert had a younger brother (I won’t say his name for now) who was a knight, but unfortunately Daenys’s parents died when she was a child and her aunt and uncle took custody of her. Merlock also gave her a golden-colored dragon egg with black spots. This egg belonged to Daenys's mother Alsina, who before her death asked the magician to give it to her daughter when she grew up. Daenys, like Daenys the dreamer, can see prophetic dreams, but cannot interpret them correctly, and there is no one especially to help her. She also sees the Red Witch (another of my characters, I won’t say anything about her, because this is a big spoiler).

Another fact from my fanfic (which I haven’t written there yet) although Daenys is the second princess, her uncle wanted to organize her engagement to Lance! (this is one of the reasons why she doesn’t like him, he also doesn’t treat Jestro very well). But Daenys was able to persuade her uncle not to do this, saying that she is the second princess and will not inherit the throne and all that.

I’ll also tell you a little about her dragon. When Daenys was 10 years old, a female dragon, Semergla, hatched from an egg. The dragoness has grown in 8 years, and now she is slightly larger than a horse, and Daenys was able to ride her only at the beginning of the plot. She has black scales on top and the lower part of her body is covered with golden scales, her horns and claws are black, her eyes are dark gold and the color of fire is also golden. (She, like Daenys, also doesn’t like Lance)

In this post I tried not to write all the information so as to avoid spoilers. I don’t know yet when I will translate my story into English. I was pleased to share with you information about my character and I will be glad if you want to know more about them. The Red Witch will be appearing in my fanfiction soon so maybe I'll post about her.

Thank you for your attention! Have a nice day, everyone!

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

A Promise of Restoration

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard, which was in the palace of the king of Judah.

For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying: “Why are you prophesying like this? You claim that the LORD says, ‘Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the hands of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye. He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will stay until I attend to him, declares the LORD. If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed.’ ”

Jeremiah replied, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying: Behold! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy for yourself my field in Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.’ Then, as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you own the right of inheritance and redemption. Buy it for yourself.’ ”

Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.

So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out seventeen shekels of silver. I signed and sealed the deed, called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales. Then I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy with its terms and conditions, as well as the open copy— and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of my cousin Hanamel and the witnesses who were signing the purchase agreement and all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.

In their sight I instructed Baruch, “This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Take these deeds—both the sealed copy and the open copy of the deed of purchase—and put them in a clay jar to preserve them for a long time. For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”

After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD: “Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!

You show loving devotion to thousands but lay the iniquity of the fathers into the laps of their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the LORD of Hosts, the One great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are on all the ways of the sons of men, to reward each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.

You performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and You do so to this very day, both in Israel and among all mankind. And You have made a name for Yourself, as is the case to this day.

You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror. You gave them this land that You had sworn to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.

They came in and possessed it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law. They failed to perform all that You commanded them to do, and so You have brought upon them all this disaster. See how the siege ramps are mounted against the city to capture it. And by sword and famine and plague, the city has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What You have spoken has happened, as You now see!

Yet You, O Lord GOD, have said to me, ‘Buy for yourself the field with silver and call in witnesses, even though the city has been delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans!’ ”

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?

Therefore this is what the LORD says: Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it. And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come in, set it on fire, and burn it, along with the houses of those who provoked Me to anger by burning incense to Baal on their rooftops and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods.

For the children of Israel and of Judah have done nothing but evil in My sight from their youth; indeed, they have done nothing but provoke Me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the LORD.

For this city has aroused My wrath and fury from the day it was built until now. Therefore I will remove it from My presence because of all the evil the children of Israel and of Judah have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their officials, their priests and prophets, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem. They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.

They have placed their abominations in the house that bears My Name, and so have defiled it. They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor had it ever entered My mind, that they should commit such an abomination and cause Judah to sin.

Now therefore, about this city of which you say, ‘It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword and famine and plague,’ this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I will surely gather My people from all the lands to which I have banished them in My furious anger and great wrath, and I will return them to this place and make them dwell in safety. They will be My people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will always fear Me for their own good and for the good of their children after them.

I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put My fear in their hearts, so that they will never turn away from Me. Yes, I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.

For this is what the LORD says: Just as I have brought all this great disaster on this people, so I will bring on them all the good I have promised them. And fields will be bought in this land about which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it has been delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans.’ Fields will be purchased with silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed, and witnessed in the land of Benjamin, in the areas surrounding Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah—the cities of the hill country, the foothills, and the Negev—because I will restore them from captivity, declares the LORD.” — Jeremiah 32 | The Reader’s Bible (BRB) The Reader’s Bible © 2020 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. All rights Reserved. Cross References: Genesis 18:14; Genesis 23:16; Exodus 3:8; Exodus 3:20; Exodus 6:6; Leviticus 25:25; Deuteronomy 4:26; Deuteronomy 9:7; Deuteronomy 14:23; Deuteronomy 28:63; Deuteronomy 30:3; 1 Samuel 9:16; 1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 6:32; 2 Kings 21:1; 2 Kings 25:1; 2 Kings 25:4; 2 Kings 25:11; Ezra 9:7; Nehemiah 3:25; Isaiah 1:4; Isaiah 44:26; Jeremiah 13:19; Jeremiah 21:4; Jeremiah 31:28; Jeremiah 33:10; Jeremiah 36:4-5; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 19:26; Matthew 23:32; Matthew 27:66; Luke 2:27; John 8:2; John 17:21; Acts 7:43; Acts 10:9; Philippians 4:6-7; Hebrews 13:20

[arlechinav-blog]

Interpreting the Stories of Romulus & Remus Through Ovid

This is going to be long but I promise that it will also be interesting. I'm going to use an English translation of Ovid's Fasti, Books 3 & 4, to make it easier for reading. You can read the whole thing over on Theoi. I'm just taking excerpts to keep this just a touch shorter than it otherwise would be but reading the whole thing together will provide you with more context. The thing to remember through all of this is that Ovid is clever and he leans heavily on what was common knowledge in his time. As such, he doesn't come out and translate himself for you...

"Languid she rose, nor knew why she rose so languid, and leaning on a tree she spake these words: “Useful and fortunate, I pray, may that turn out which I saw in a vision of sleep. Or was the vision too clear for sleep? Methought I was by the fire of Ilium, when the woolen fillet slipped from my hair and fell before the sacred hearth. From the fillet there sprang a wondrous sight – two palm-trees side by side. Of them one was the taller and by its heavy boughs spread a canopy over the whole world, and with its foliage touched the topmost stars. Lo, mine uncle wielded an axe against the trees; the warning terrified me and my heart did throb with fear. A woodpecker – the bird of Mars and a she-wolf fought in defense of the twin trunks, and by their help both of the palms were saved.” She finished speaking, and by a feeble effort lifted the full pitcher; she had filed it while she was telling her vision. Meanwhile her belly swelled with a heavenly burden, for Remus was growing, and growing, too, was Quirinus."

In this scene, Silvia the Vestal Virgin has just become pregnant with the twins by the god Mars. She dreams of two palm trees, which is meant to be a bit of foreshadowing because date palms are the sacred trees of Artemis & Apollo--another set of sacred twins with deep connections to lycanthropy traditions in the context of the Roman month of February. Red is also the color of both Mars and Artemis, and Artemis is also the Phoinix--a creature that will rise again in holy fire after its death. Artemis will also assist in the birth of the boys, tying it all back together neatly. Her uncle is the current king and he will seek to murder the twins to secure his own line, which is implied by the chopping of the palm trees. Doing this will offend the god Mars. The woodpecker and she-wolf will try to protect them and succeed. This is a divine prophetic vision that Silvia has.

" When now two heavenly signs remained for the bright god to traverse, before the year could complete its course and run out, Silvia became a mother. The images of Vesta are said to have covered their eyes with their virgin hands; certainly the altar of the goddess trembled, when her priestess was brought to bed, and the terrified flame sank under its own ashes."

Ovid assumes that the reader knows that fire is used heavily in death rituals to drive away the dead. Silvia is a Vestal Virgin, a tender of the holiest fire in Rome. Ordinarily an upright torch signifies life, the first light a child sees when born is represented by this holy fire. Life is the opposite of death. So when the most sacred fire in Rome burns down beneath its coals... that is seriously significant. Also a bit of foreshadowing because the events of the twins' lives will lead them to becoming half alive and half dead, half mortal and half god.

"When Amulius learned of this, scorner of justice that he was (for he had vanquished his brother and robbed him of power), he ordered the twins to be sunk in the river. The water shrank from such a crime, and the boys were left on dry land. Who knows not that the infants throve on the milk of a wild beast, and that a woodpecker often brought food to the abandoned babes? Nor would I pass thee by in silence, Larentia, nurse of so great a nation, nor the help that thou didst give, poor Faustulus. Your honour will find its place when I come to tell of the Larentalia; that festival falls in December, the month dear to the mirthful spirits."

Amulius is the uncle King and he does not want rivals to his throne. He killed his brother, Silvia's father, and that fratricide automatically makes him the worst of villains. Now he moves to murder more family members because he is scum. Because he rejects the babies, they won't bear the family name and they won't be acknowledged as living beings.

River water, running water, represents the journey to the underworld in some cases--it really depends on the context in which it is used. The river refuses to murder the babies, meaning that they don't cross over yet. But the river does bring them to the She-Wolf, which begins their transformation into something other than human. Ovid assumes that readers know that drinking the milk of another person will make you also that person's child. To the point that milk-siblings were not permitted to marry. Drinking the milk of the She-Wolf will make these children officially half-wolf and therefore half-dead. Wolves symbolically represent the spirits of dead warriors. So not only are they half-dead... they are also set on a path that will make them great warriors.

Larenta is a figure that has survived to the modern day as St. Lucia, and Larentalia survives as the very creepy feast of St. Lucia. That hadn't happened yet as Ovid was writing so his Larenta was the human-ish woman who found and adopted Romulus & Remus and raised them back into human society. A Larenta who may also have connections to an Artemis-like goddess of transformation and monsters. I'll have to do a separate blog post on Larenta & St. Lucia, there's too much to unpack there.

"Thrice six years old was the progeny of Mars,"

I don't know if it is relevant but with Ovid peppering everything with massive amounts of symbolism, I feel like mentioning here that:

3 + 6 = 9

3 x 6 = 18 (which is 2 nines)

It might be a bit of a stretch but it was something I noticed. Number symbolism often plays a major role in Mediterranean life. 9 is frequently used as the number of transformation, specifically in lycanthropy traditions, which is why it stood out to me.

"Amulius fell, pierced by the sword of Romulus, and the kingdom was restored to their aged grandfather."

The boys set right the wrong that was done to their grandfather, Silvia's father. Making peace between the dead and the living.

"Mars was the god to be revered by Latium, for that he is the patron of the sword; ‘twas the sword that won for a fierce race empire and glory."

Naturally, they made their dad the most important god in their new society. Ovid was being a bit of a stinker in driving home this historical point. By his time, the chief god rank of Rome had been given to Jupiter and the hierarchy of priests was being rewritten to reduce the influence of the hereditary old priesthoods (the Flamen). Supporting the traditional role of the Flamen was a political move and it probably wasn't well received when Emperor Augustus got wind of it--which may be why Fasti was never completed and Ovid was sent into exile.

"If you would convince yourself that the Kalends of March were really the beginning of the year, you may refer to the following proofs: the laurel-branch of the flamens, after remaining in its place the whole year, is removed (on that day), and fresh leaves are put in the place of honour; then the king’s door is green with the tree of Phoebus, which is set at it; and at thy portal, Old Chapel of the Wards, the same things is done; the withered laurel is withdrawn from the Ilian hearth, that Vesta also may make a brave show, dressed in fresh leaves. Besides ‘tis said that a new fire is lighted in her secret shrine, and the rekindled flame gains strength."

Not directly related to Romulus & Remus but I would like to point out that by going into such detail as to why March is the old traditional beginning of the new year cycle, Ovid is also telling us that February is the month when the year itself dies. This provides a bit of support for some of the other posts I have made about February, the twins, and the symbolism of the Roman wolf cult.  March was the opening of war season and it was also the beginning of the agricultural cycle--of which Mars was closely tied to through his marriage to Ceres. As the sons of Mars, this means that Romulus & Remus had symbolic roles to play throughout the full year--February and March especially.

Now we are going to switch over to Book 4 of Fasti, starting at the 807 mark on Theoi.

"Already the brother of Numitor had suffered punishment, and all the shepherd folk were subject to the twins. The twins agreed to draw the swains together and found a city; the doubt was which of the two should found it. Romulus said, “There needs no contest. Great faith is put in birds; let’s try the birds.” The proposal was accepted. One of the two betook him to the rocks of the wooded Palatine; the other hied at morn to the top of the Aventine. Remus saw six birds; Romulus saw twice six, one after the other: they stood by their compact, and Romulus was accorded the government of the city."

In this part, Ovid establishes that the origin of the Roman people come from shepherd stock. This establishes links to goat-based pastoral traditions that form some of the oldest Roman rituals, combining both Sabine and Etruscan practices. Mars' mother, Juno, was based upon the Etruscan/ Sabine goat-milk goddess Uni--whom I mentioned in another post. Birds are also associated with prophecy and, once again, that Artemis-Larentia-St. Lucy like goddess of transformation.

The brothers are trying to figure out who should be the leader of their people and the decide to perform a bird-based divination. Remus is always depicted as the brother destined to belong wholly to the underworld. The number 6 has many meanings, two of which are disaster or death. Not as bad as 13 BUT 6 is also a lesser number to 12, which is the number of perfection and wholeness. Remus is made to to be simultaneously the death brother and the lesser brother to Romulus.

"Glad at the augury, the citizens laid the foundations, and in short time the new wall stood. The work was urged on by Celer, whom Romulus himself had named and said, “Celer, be this thy are; let no man cross the walls nor the trench which the share hath made: who dares to do so, put him to death.” Ignorant of this, Remus began to mock the lowly walls and say, “Shall these protect the people?” And straightway he leaped across them. Instantly Celer struck the rash man with a shovel. Covered with blood, Remus sank on the stony ground. When the king heard of this, he smothered the springing tears and kept his grief locked up within his breast. He would not weep in public; he set an example of fortitude, and “So fare,” quoth he, “the foe who shall cross my walls.”

Aw, poor Remus. Doomed from the start. In this story, Romulus' hands are not stained with the blood of his own brother and thus Romulus maintains his purity and connection to life. That is Celer's only purpose. Remus crosses the wall and is killed for it. Remus was always meant to be the dead brother and Remus' descendants were always meant to symbolize death. Remus crossing the wall here is also death crossing the wall to invade Rome and that can't be allowed to happen, not even in jest. Not even from your own kin. There are several dance-based rituals in Rome that took place this time of year that pitted stand ins for the two brothers against each other. Remus' place in those rituals is to represent the death of the fields while Romulus' purpose is to secure the safety of those same fields. The brother love each other and are both important but only one can live.

" Yet he granted funeral honours, and could no longer bear to check his tears, and the affection which he had dissembled was plain to see. When they set down the bier, he gave it a last kiss, and said, “Snatched from they brother, loath to part, brother, farewell!” With that he anointed the body before committing it to the flames. Faustulus and Acca, her mournful hair unbound, did the same. Then the Quirites, though not yet known by that name, wept for the youth, and last of all a light was put the pyre, wet with their tears."

In this we see the funeral of Remus and the love his family still had for him. Also, this is why the dead do not like fire.

"On that day, as I was returning from Nomentum to Rome, a white-robed crowd clocked the middle of the road. A flamen was on his way to the grove of ancient Mildew (Robigo), to throw the entrails of a dog and the entrails of a sheep into the flames. Straightway I went up to him to inform myself of the rite. Thy flamen, O Quirinus, pronounced these words: “Thou scaly Mildew, spare the sprouting corn, and let he smooth top quiver on the surface of the ground. O let the crops, nursed by the stars of a propitious sky, grow till they are ripe for the sickle. No feeble power is thine: the corn on which thou hast set thy mark, the sad husbandman gives up for lost. Nor winds, nor showers, nor glistening frost, that nips the sallow corn, harm it so much as when the sun warms the wet stalks; then, dread goddess, is the hour to wreak thy wrath. O spare, I pray, and take thy scabby hands from off the harvest! Harm not the tilth; ‘tis enough that thou hast the power to harm. Grip not the tender crops, but rather grip the hard iron. Forestall the destroyer. Better that thou shouldst gnaw at swords and baneful weapons. There is no need of them: the world is at peace. Now let the rustic gear, the rakes, and the hard hoe, and the curved share be burnished bright; but let rust defile the arms, and when one essays to draw the sword from the scabbard, let him feel it stick from long disuse. But do not thou profane the corn, and ever may the husbandman be able to pay his vows to thee in thine absence.”

This establishes the role the Quinctiliani  (descendants of Romulus) play in the agricultural cycle. As the husband of Ceres, Mars protects the fields. This is physical and warlike in some instances, but also spiritual and ritualistic, as in this case. The robigo, or red spot, reference relates to a type of plant fungus that could wreck an entire crop. This prayer is intended to divert the plant plague from the soil and leaves onto implements of iron, transferring the red spot into a red rust. Mars was a protector of the fields first and a warrior second and this prayer reinforces that idea very much. Stating clearly that is it preferable for a sword to stick in its sheath from disuse rather than for the grain to be profaned with illness.