#300: rise of an empire imagine
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Artemisia x Fem!Reader: Unspoken
Summary: Artemisia + 42 — “How have you survived this long by yourself?”
AO3
Prompts found here!
A/N: I love Artemisia but writing for her after such a long time was definitely a bit of a challenge. That being said, I hope I was able to capture her character well enough!
Full Ficmas List
Tag List: @ghostsunderstoodmysoul @multifandomfix @escapetodreamworld @evil-feather @elenaguarnieri @imtrashinflames @nonbinary-cryptid-baby
Warning(s): Blood, Minor Violence
“Miss, miss, what about this? A beautiful dress for a beautiful woman.”
A richly colored dress is shoved in your face and you reel back, only the hand on your back keeping you upright. The vendors are nothing if not eager this year.
You walk past without acknowledging him and he moves on to the next woman who seems naive enough to suit his tastes. The goods are of fine quality, but the prices are enough to make even you balk. Perhaps your Father wasn’t so remiss in sending you with a companion.
“Do you intend on making a purchase, Princess?” Artemisia asks slowly, “Or will we circle the market again?”
You thought being so close to the water would bring her comfort, but she’s been antsy all morning. The market on the east dock is hardly the worst place she’s accompanied you to and her behavior gives you pause.
“Impatient, Commander?”
“Those willing to do you harm can do so easier if you follow a predictable path.”
“That’s what you’re for.” You offer a pointed look.
Normally, you wouldn’t take so long at the market, but you’re looking for a gift; for your very own companion, coincidentally enough. She would be leaving again in a few moons and you wanted to send something with her.
Jewelry was off the table; she had no use for it and it would only serve as a hazard when she fought. You’d briefly considered a new sword, but knew she was too fond of her current weapons. Going down the weapons route, you decided a small, concealable dagger would serve her well. The problem was finding the right one.
Every weapon you’d seen this far was too ornate. The hilts were made of heavy material or inlaid with a dozen gems that’d impede the point of being concealed. You need something functional that you can adjust just enough to make personal while still serving her well.
“Be that as it may, we shouldn’t tempt them just because I’m capable of defending you.”
“Why not?” You grin, admiring a stall of delicate chains in gold and silver, “I thought you liked spilling blood.”
Artemisia says nothing.
You chuckle and shake your head.
Your eyes catch a stall with a large man hammering metal in the center of countless weapons. It lays tucked behind everything that glitters, simple and cold in its nature. This is your third time around the market and only now do you notice it; it’s the only stall not shouting to draw attention.
Drifting towards it, the stall runner perks up. His eyes trace over you with interest. You can feel Artemisia follow close behind. She’s hardly ever far.
“Ah, a woman of taste. Come, come, let’s see—“ He peruses his selection and holds one out to you, blade first, “Try this one.”
Raising a brow, you reach out, only to find your wrist gripped. Artemisia glares at the man while hissing in your ear, “How have you survived this long by yourself?”
You’re shoved roughly behind Artemisia’s form. She rips the blade from the vendor’s hands, not blinking at the blood it draws from her palm, and holds it out to you. Her eyes pierce the vendor and he seems to tremble where he stands.
Taking the dagger from her hands carefully, you turn it over, inspecting it. It’s beautifully crafted, with a simple hilt and sharp, but ultimately doesn’t stand out to you. There’s an inscription along the blade that you try to read. You fail, coming to realize it isn’t a language you know.
“Use it.”
You look up, trying to place the voice. Artemisia is still glaring at the vendor, while he looks at you, but neither of their lips are moving. Turning, you find no one behind you either.
“Did someone say something?” You ask softly.
Artemisia turns, frowning. She shakes her head. The vendor doesn’t acknowledge your question, only stares, like there’s an answer he can’t understand without you. It makes your skin crawl.
“Kill him.”
Neither of their lips move. But you hear the voice all the same.
You want to drop the dagger from your hands, but you can’t. Your fingers are wrapped around it and unmoving. It’s like your body is reacting independently of your mind, refusing to respond to basic commands, the desire and bloodlust so strong it feels like it’s all you have.
The vendor's eyes light up.
Every warning in your mind is going off. Something is very, very wrong here. But you step forward and turn the dagger blade out. You want to scream, but can’t open your mouth. All you can do is watch yourself pull back with the intent of burying it in his chest.
Artemisia grabs your wrist before it sinks into his skin. He hisses and spits a curse at her, but she only rips the blade out of your hands, throwing it down at his feet.
“Come on, Princess.” She says.
When you don’t budge, eyes glued on the dagger, she takes matters into her own hands. You’re hefted over her shoulder. The action breaks you from your trance, shock overwhelming you.
“Commander, put me down.” You demand. When she continues to weave through the crowds as if she doesn’t hear you, you growl, “Commander!”
The Commander puts you back on your feet and shoves you backwards into an alley. Grabbing a couple of scarves off of the last stall she can see, she wraps one around your head. She uses the other to wrap over her own hair. You stare wordlessly up at her.
You’re pushed into the shadows and she leans against a wall. Her eyes are focused on the main path.
“Where did you go?” Artemisia murmurs, “When you held that weapon?”
“I don’t know…” You admit.
Her gaze turns on you. It’s dark and sharp, “You were going to kill him.”
“I was. I wanted to, but it wasn’t… me.”
She nods as if she knew all of this already. You can see her mind working a mile a minute, all while keeping a hard eye trained on the path. Dozens of people pass by before she looks away.
“Why did you stop me?” You whisper.
“You didn’t want to kill him.” She says simply.
“But how could you know that?”
“I know you, Princess.”
Artemisia says it like it’s the most natural thing to admit. You’ve never met a soul the Commander bothered to know. It warms you from the inside and makes a smile bloom on your face.
You lean up and place a kiss on her cheek. She stares at you and though she doesn’t say anything, you can feel the confusion radiating from her. The simple truth is that like Artemisia has never bothered to know anyone, you’ve never had anyone bother to know you. You’re a stepping stone to your brother or father in the eyes of the court or people; but not to the Commander, it seems.
How odd.
How lovely.
“Kiss her,” Comes that voice again and you freeze, “Claim her.”
When you look into Artemisia’s eyes, something clicks. You smile and grip the edge of her garment to pull her closer. The unyielding armor beneath her dress grounds you, stabilizing your mind while your heart races.
“Artemisia.” You whisper.
“Princess?” Artemisia asks automatically.
“Will you kiss me?” You ask, “Will you claim me?”
There’s a spark of recognition in her dark eyes. Her hands come up to rest on the wall behind you, arms bracketing your head as she does just that; claiming your lips and body and heart without having to say a single word.
#artemisia#artemisia x reader#artemisia 300#300: rise of an empire#300: rise of an empire imagine#300 x reader#artemisia imagine#wlw#wlw imagine#dec2022#multimilfswritings#multimilfsficmas2022
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Can you do a really possessive and dominant Artemisia x Fem Reader story please (with smut), where the reader is a Greek hostage who Artemisia had been charged with keeping a hold of but soon she quickly falls in love with the woman and becomes very possessive over her especially when Misia’s generals get a little to close to her.
Mine just mine
Warnings: Smut, kidnapping, Stockholm syndrome, implicit manipulation and therefore 14+ only
Word count: 1.6 K
Pairing: Artemisia x Fem!Reader
Prompt: Artemisia knows what to do with unplanned guests
Requests: OPEN
[Main masterlist] [Eva Green characters]
"General"
The voice of one of my crew members cut short the explanation coming from my lips as I tried to explain to others how we would have to return to Persia in order to equip ourselves with more weapons.
"What do you want?"
"Shirin saw a body floating on a piece of wood. We saved it."
"A body, a dead body?"
"We thought so, until she opened her eyes."
"Her?"
"Yes. Now she's threatening the crew with a knife?"
"Bring a knife?!"
"Yes."
"You should have told me that first, you animal."
Quickly, I left the small room we were in, climbing up some small stairs to be able to see the scene that was forming.
A girl covered with a white dress, dry hair and battered by the salt of the sea, and with red eyes, was moving from one side to the other, threatening my men with a knife.
"Where am I?" She shouted "who are you?"
The men, like good men, did not even deign to try to respond, they just wanted to get closer.
"Calm down."
The girl turned to look at me, listening to my request. I could notice how her grip on the knife loosened a little, to tighten her fist around it again.
"Who are you, where am I?"
"Welcome to the Persian ship, I am…"
"Artemisia… "whispered
"The same"
Before we could react, the girl ran in my direction, but before she could plunge the knife into me, I hit her head, making her fall unconscious on the floor, dropping the gun. Gently, I took the weapon and checked it. It was made of iron, and on the blade came engraved something. Ἰσοκράτης
This woman was none other than the daughter of Isocrates, the famous Athenian politician. This woman was the definition of a gold mine.
"What do we do with her, General?"
"You and you, chain her up and lock her up tight in the cellar. Don't give her a chance to escape" quickly 2 men took the body and started down the stairs. "And you and you, you are going to take one of the boats and row to Athens, go to Isocrates and tell him the sad story of how his daughter ended up on an enemy ship" I mocked, making my sailors laugh. "Maybe that way we'll get more than Themistocles' head."
All the sailors let out a deep laugh, knowing that something big was on the other side of the horizon.
———————————————————————————
The next time I went down to the cellars, the woman, who I now knew had the name Y/N, was awake, and was even trying to untie the knots in her wrists.
"Try as you might, you can't escape."
My voice seemed to startle her, causing her to stop nibbling on the rope.
"Are you finally going to let me out?" her voice was hoarse. As if he hadn't had any water. My eyes glanced at the floor, realizing I hadn't touched either her food or the glass of water.
"You need to eat, you need to hydrate."
"I asked you a question!" she raised her voice, which made me raise my eyebrows, but that didn't make her back down "Are you finally going to let me go?" she asked again.
"No" I sat down across from her, took the plate she had been given, realizing that she had only been given a measly apple and a glass of water, so with my eyes I began to look for some food. "Not until your dear daddy sends us what we want."
Y/N let out a small but loud laugh, which made me take my eyes off the cereal sacks and land on Y/N's brown eyes.
"Then I'll have to die here."
"What do you mean?"
"My father banished me from Athens. So, no matter whether tomorrow you cut me to pieces or leave me alive, my father will want nothing more to do with me."
I stood silently, watching my master plan fall apart piece by piece.
I let out a big sigh and stood up, throwing the apple away.
"Where are you going?"
"I'll bring you better food."
———————————————————————————
Eventually, I had to realize that Y/N was right.
My men returned with empty hands and verbal refusal from the great politician.
"So, what shall we do?"
I didn't even have the brains to answer them. Even I didn't know what we were going to do with the girl.
It was one more mouth to feed, one more weight for this vessel.
But, she was the most sensual woman my eyes had ever seen.
I couldn't just throw it away.
"Does anyone know if she's awake?"
"Omar went to give her her ration recently and she was awake."
Without waiting any longer, I got up and walked to the cellar door, opening it and finding the woman, who was now held only by a rope around her ankle.
"You were right, your father ignored us."
"I told you so" she commented with a mouth full of rice. She was completely hunched over as her plate was on the floor.
Quickly, I took the spoon out of her hand and grabbed the bowl. I took a spoonful of the food and brought it to her mouth.
"I have to apologize to you" she gave me a confused look, but opened her mouth, letting me feed her, but raised her eyebrows, asking me for an explanation. "For keeping you in a place like this. You deserve better."
"That means you're not going to let me go, right?" she spoke again with her mouth full. She was hungry.
"Do you have someplace where you are completely welcome?" Y/N was quiet and simply waited for me to give her another spoonful. So, I took it and popped it into her mouth. "Here I will give you the life worthy of someone like you."
———————————————————————————
Things escalated very quickly, too quickly for me to relate in detail what actually happened.
Y/N loved it, so much so, that, she went from sleeping on top of a bean bag, to sleeping in my bed, every night, of course, after I stuck my fingers up to her vagina.
But, at first, Y/N at first, she didn't want me to go near her because she said he would never let herself be caught in the enemy's clutches.
"Please… don't stop!"
I pulled my mouth away from her pussy as I watched her eyebrows furrow, little beads of sweat on her forehead, her eyes closed tightly and an open mouth that never failed to be as sensual as she was herself.
"Do you want more, sweet girl?"
"Yes, please."
With force, I smacked one of her buttocks, causing Y/N to give a little jump as a high-pitched squeal came from those plump lips.
"You know how to order correctly."
"My lady, please let me cum."
"Cum for me, pet."
I buried my head between her legs again and began to suck on her bulge, while my index, middle and ring finger in her vagina, almost wanting to touch her insides, causing her now, to let out a loud moan, almost like a scream.
"General?"
Omar's head peeked into my room, causing me to peel my face away from Y/N's pussy and with my right hand I covered the woman's naked body with the blanket.
"What do you want, asshole?"
"We have Misia ships in our sights."
"Just get out."
The man slammed the door shut. I carefully got out of bed.
"Where are you going?" asked Y/N as a claim.
"Outside. I need you to shut up."
"But Artemi…"
"I told you to shut up!"
She did not speak again and allowed me to leave without further ado.
———————————————————————————
"We know you have it, Artemisia."
I stopped pacing the room only to focus my gaze on the man tied in the chair.
"Who are you talking about?"
"Don't get smart with me, Artemisia, we know you're holding Y/N hostage."
"I regret to inform you, General Themistocles, but no one is being held hostage here" the men behind his back began to laugh lightly "Lady Y/N is here of her own free will."
"Why would a woman as worthy as Y/N be with someone like you?"
"Because I fuck her like no one ever can. If you had arrived a few minutes ago, you might have been delighted with her moans."
"You are a danger. You don't deserve anything from her."
"And you do?" quickly, I pulled out my pocketknife and put it to his neck.
"She deserves better."
"She's mine!"
"She doesn't even want to be here with you!"
"No?" I turned away from Themistocles and signaled Omar. Minutes later he arrived with a Y/N on shaky legs and wrapped in the blanket.
"Y/N!"
"Themistocles?"
"Oh, honey" I gave her a smile "Come on, come here."
She as obedient as ever, came to my side, letting me slip my arm around her hip.
"Is Y/N well, has this woman done anything to you?" asked the Athenian.
"Come on, pet, tell this man that you want to stay with me."
I got up to walk to his side and duck my head so that it was in the curve of her shoulder and neck, leaving little kisses on her soft skin. I even went so far as to feel goose bumps.
"Tell him, my love" I whispered close to her ear "tell him you're mine."
"Forgive me General Themistocles, but, I want to stay with my General Artemisia. She is the one to whom I belong."
I gave her a last kiss on her neck to give a cynical and victorious smile to the Greek warrior.
Note:
After many setbacks, writer's block, heat, pride day (by the way, happy LGBT+ pride day and month, I love you) HERE IT IS. I hope I can write the others that remain in two days like this.
PS: Have you seen that my new personality is Barbie?! I am very excited about the movie.
I hope you enjoy it
I appreciate the reblogs, the likes and the comments
taglist: @littlebitchsposts // @xxsekhmet
message me or send an ask to be added to my taglist!
#artemisia x reader#artemisia i de caria x reader#artemisia x fem!reader#artemisia i de caria x fem!reader#eva green#eva green x reader#300 movies#300 rise of an empire#eva green imagine#lgbtq#lesbian
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Rise of the Guardians/The Guardians of Childhood is low-key my Roman Empire.
Like, specifically in the movie verse, there's just... so much that was never elaborated on. It's one of the unfortunate side effects of being kid's media, things get dumbed down for no reason.
Like, Jack Frost in general as a character. He died. DIED. He DROWNED in a pond saving his sister and??? Nothing. The entire moment when he remembered became "Oh I'm the fun guy that had a family and saved my sister!" AND DIED. Very important part that is completely glossed over other than the idea of sacrifice. Like, the other guardians were "chosen," did they not die too? Did Jack lose his memories because he died, but the others were chosen while alive, chose to leave their lives and remembered?
And just, what were his early years? For a very long time, at least a decade, he probably thought he was totally invisible, that he could never have a true conversation with another person, because I doubt that he stumbled upon another spirit/legend for a while.
Like, that would have driven him INSANE. There's no way he wouldn't be super socially awkward from the isolation, much less just totally mentally well. Are spirit's brains built different? They'd have to be, but I don't think they should be able to withstand that level. Like what was the mim thinking??? Seriously just abandoned a TEENAGER he resurrected with no memory or possibility of support, that's wrong.
And on that note, let me reiterate that Jack died. In front of his little sister. Who had to go back home and tell her family what happened. Did he have a father too? More siblings? Friends and family? They had a funeral no doubt, mourned him. Because he died.
The worst part? He was right there. The whole time. Jack came back to that pond and settlement for hundreds of years, even when it became Burgress. He probably watched his funeral not knowing what was going on, saw his family mourn him without knowing it was for him. He was there when they died, not knowing who they were to him. Did he realize later on? I can only imagine the devastation.
The worst part is Manny probably had to take his memories, because Jack would have been DEPRESSED. He would've tried everything to make them believe, and they probably never would. His parents would probably never see him again, they were adults. His sister was plausible, but she's still mortal. She would have died, Jack would have seen his little sister grow old and die while he stayed eternally young. He might've not ever recovered from that, mim taking his memories distanced him from the pain for when he remembered 300 years later.
But he also could have moved on, grown and loved her descendants and honored her. The mim took that choice away, and that's pretty fucked up.
Then yeah, 300 years of pretty much no acknowledgement. Going into live blind with no guidance or memories, trying to figure yourself out but being ignored by the once who brought you here. Jack would realistically be a little nutty, because wow. It's shown the even other spirits didn't really talk to him, he made them acknowledge him by playing pranks and pissing them off till they confronted him. Maybe it's in spirit's nature to be recluses, but it's not in Jack's. He wanted attention and to be seen, but no one wanted to or could give it to him.
That's why Jamie seeing him for the first time always makes me tear up. This is the first time for HUNDREDS of years that a human has acknowledged him, not an out of touch spirit, but a regular person Jack can connect with, that chose to see him, to believe. That's beautiful, and special.
There's just so many layers to this story that we never got to see, and I'm forever sad DreamWorks abandoned the franchise.
(If anyone has any good fics that explore topics like this, especially Jack's family, please share)
#lol random rant has appeared#my seasonal fixation#rotg#rotg jack frost#jack frost#jackson overland frost#rise of the guardians#rise of the guardians rant#rant
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I have a few, or should I say several, questions about the conversion of Europe from its various polytheistic religions to Christianity. Was it largely peaceful or violent? Were conversions voluntary or coerced initially? Was it somewhere in the middle? When it came to the idol statues, did church authorities forcibly destroy them, or did the people themselves destroy them after converting? Sorry if this is overwhelming, I didn't know who else to ask. God bless!
Ah, the conversion of Europe was a highly variable process that largely depends on where we are talking about.
Conversion to Christianity within the confines of the Roman Empire officially becomes coercive in the decades following 381, with the passing of the Edict of Thessalonica, but I think public sacrifices to the gods were being stigmatized at least since 350. That being said, while forcible conversion under threat of direct violence did occur, it probably didn't happen very frequently. Also keep in mind that by the time the coercive legislature started, a little over half of the Roman Empire was already estimated to be Christian.
Outside the Roman Empire also varies. There seems to have been very little conflict between Christians and pagans in either direction in Ireland, for example, with a pretty much completely peaceful transition to its fully Christianized state by the 560s, a little over a hundred years after the start of Saint Patrick's mission. This may have been the result of the arrival of Halley's Comet, a volcanic winter, and a plague that all happened in the 530s; Christian communities were largely monastic and slightly isolated from their pagan neighbors, and so were less affected by some of the worst forms of societal unrest.
If we look at Frankland and Scandinavia, meanwhile, we start to see a lot of top-down approaches to conversion, where ruling families are converting to Christianity and are expecting their subjects to follow suit. I would imagine there is a significant amount of coercion in this case.
As far as destruction of idols go, we do have examples of wholesale destruction of pagan sacred places (Constantine was the first to do this, in the early 300s), but this phenomenon was actually pretty muted. We do have stories of saints destroying specific idols (Saints Patrick and Boniface come to mind, but I think the historicity of both of those incidents are heavily doubted). Most temple conversions in Italy occurred in the late 600s to mid-700s, when paganism was pretty much completely dead, but apparently there was at least one pagan temple still in operation in Roman Anatolia in the mid-900s.
I would have to look in more detail for Russia and Mesopotamia - but I think the rise of Islam largely put an end to the question of mass conversion to Christianity in the latter, at least.
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Lena Headey’s Characters Scenepack Masterlist
(I made most of them, the ones I did not make will have credit next to them)
Sikes (Twist 2021) Scenepack
Scarlet (Gunpowder Milkshake) Scenepack
Gypsy Moon (9 Bullets) Scenepack
Queen Gorgo (300 & Rise of an Empire) Scenepack
Jeannie Ellis (Zipper/Reckless) Scenepack
Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones All Seasons) Scenepack - wesoupscp
Luce (Imagine Me & You) Scenepack - sweetniqht
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Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 To You
The Iconic British Actress🇬🇧 Of The World Reowned HBO Original 1# Fantasy TV Show Of All Times & Many Major Iconic Movies 🎥 & Tv Shows 📺
She was born in Hamilton in the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda on 3 October 1973, the daughter of English parents Sue and John Headey. Her father, a police officer from Yorkshire, was stationed in Hamilton at the time in the Bermuda Police Service.
She is a British actress🇬🇧. She gained international recognition and acclaim for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister on the HBO epic fantasy drama series Game of Thrones (2011–2019), for which she received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award nomination, and Queen Gorgo in 300 (2006).
Headey made her film debut in the British film, The Clothes in the Wardrobe (US: The Summer House) (1992) alongside film greats Jeanne Moreau, Joan Plowright, and Julie Walters. This was followed by the mystery drama Waterland (1992). She continued to work steadily in British and American films and on television, before gaining further recognition with her lead performances in the films The Brothers Grimm (2005) and 300 (2006). Her other film credits include The Remains of the Day (1993), The Jungle Book (1994), Mrs Dalloway (1997), Ripley's Game (2002), Imagine Me & You (2005), Dredd (2012), The Purge (2013), 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016), and Fighting with My Family (2019).
Outside of film, Headey starred as Sarah Connor in the science fiction television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009) and had recurring roles as Big Mama in the animated series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018–2020) and as Amelia Hughes in the animated web series Infinity Train (2019–2021). She provided voices for the role-playing video game Risen (2009) and the video game tie-in film Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016), as well as the animated series Danger Mouse (2015–2017) and Tales of Arcadia (2017–2018; 2020), and the puppet series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019).
PLEASE WISH THIS INCREDIBLE INCREDIBLE & UPSTANDING BRITISH ACTRESS 🇬🇧 OF ACTING, VOICE OVER ROLES, & VIDEOGAMING ROLES. A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊
YOU KNOW HER
YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW WHO SHE IS
& IF YOU DONT
WELL WINTER IS COMING ❄
THE 1
& ONLY
MS. LENA KATHREN HEADEY AKA CERSEI LANNISTER OF HBO'S GAME OF THRONES 🐲🐉 & AKA SARAH CONNOR OF TERMINATOR 🤖 THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 TO YOU MS. HEADEY & HERE'S TO MANY MORE YEARS TO COME #LenaHeadey #GameOfThrones #TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles #CerseiLannister #SarahConnor
#Lena Headey#Game Of Thrones#cersei lannister#terminator the sarah connor chronicles#Sarah Connor#Spotify
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Okay thanks to movies and series many foreigners are aware of the Trojan and the Thermopylae war (with the 300 Spartnas). But i believe not many know other important battles that happened during ancient Greece.
Which ones do you think are also worth mentioning?
Just some clarifications for interested people who might not know:
While the Trojan War (sometime in c. 1299 BCE - c. 1100) did happen, we have no idea how accurate any realistic event in the Iliad is. The only thing we know is that the consequences of the war were terrible for both sides. The aftermath is believed to have led to a period of deep regression even in victorious Greece, which is known as the Dark Ages.
The Battle of Thermopylae (not war) (480 BC) is a very real battle, part of the ongoing Persian Wars, meaning the attempts of the Persian Empire to conquer the Greek city-states. While the battle was a defeat stained by treason, the conscious sacrifice of the tiny Greek army caused an uprise of pride and resistance from the Greek people, who up to that point were torn as to whether they should fight or not risk opposing to the massive empire. This is why this battle is considered so important.
So some other turning points in Ancient Greek war history were:
The Battle of Marathon (490 BC). First victory of the Greeks against the Persian King Darius I, despite his much larger forces. The Athenian general was Miltiades. Darius wouldn't return but his son Xerxes attempted to materialize his father's dream 10 years later. Western scholars deem this one of the most significant battles in world history.
Naval battle of Salamís (480 BC), Battle of Mycale (479 BC) and the Battle of Plataea (479 BC). Greek victories. In the Battle of Plataea, the Greeks finally manage to create a big army (for Greek standards). This was the final battle that ended the Persian ambitions over Greek territory once and for all.
Many important battles took place during the Peloponnesian War (431 - 404 BCE) but since this was just something that we nowadays would call a hell of a civil war, I don't think it matters a lot to analyze it here. Just imagine literally everyone fighting literally everyone.
Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC). While this is a battle belonging to the great sphere of the violent infighting started and perpetuated after the Peloponnesian War, I'm gonna mention this one because it did change history forever. King Philip II of Macedon alongside the Epirotes, Thessalians, Aetolians, Phoceans and Locrians defeat the usual elites of the Athenians, Thebans, Corinthians, Achaeans, the Chalcidians of Euboea and the Epidaurians. This begins the Macedonian hegemony over Greece, that will lead towards the dissolution of the Greek city-states, the disempowerment of mighty Athens and Sparta, but also the rise of the Macedonian Empire and a more unified sense of Greek identity, in the grand scheme of things.
We talking great battles, right? Not just “side of the angels”... Greeks have given historically significant battles where they were on the offensive, too.
Battle of Issus (333 BC). The Hellenic League led by Alexander the Great defeats the Persian Empire and acquires Asia Minor.
Battle of Gaugamela (331 BC). Under Alexander, Greeks take full control of the Persian Empire.
Battle of the Hydaspes (326 BC). Alexander marches against what is modern-day Pakistan and reaches the outskirts of India.
And we should mention the history-changing defeats:
Pyrrhic War (280–275 BC). The Greek King Pyrrhus of Epirus was asked by the Greeks of South Italy to help them against the rising and expanding Roman Republic. Pyrrhus indeed gave great and demanding fights on their behalf, nearly all of them victories, however these victories were so costly that in the end they turned against the exhausted Greek populations. His victories were soon overturned by the Romans, making famous the phrase “Pyrric victory”, which roughly means “winning the battle and losing the war”.
Battle of Pydna (168 BC). After an initial Greek advantage, Romans eventually defeat the Macedonians and take control of the northern Greek lands.
Battle of Corinth (146 BC). Romans utterly destroy the city of Corinth in the Greek South and assume power over the entirety of Greece, which becomes part of the Roman Empire.
War of Actium (32-30 BC). Long story short, the Romans acquire more and more of the lands once taken by the Greeks. The Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt has been going through civil wars, harbored by the Romans. In the War of Actium taking place in Greece and Egypt, Cleopatra and her Roman ally Mark Anthony are defeated by the Roman Emperor Octavian. This is a defeat of the Egyptian people but also the last nail in the coffin of Greek hegemony in the ancient world.
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Imagine Me & You (2005) + Perfect Sense (2011)
Gorgo x Artemisia || Modern AU || fanvideo - https://youtu.be/73ZpwWunrEI
From Chapter 4: Lilies
#meltemi#artemisia#artemisia 300#gorgo#queen gorgo#300#300 rise of an empire#modern au#fanfiction#fic#femslash#fanfiction.net#gif#my gifs#my edit#imagine me and you#perfect sense#eva green#lena headey#artemisia x gorgo#gorgo /artemisia
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Artemisia x Fem!Reader: Rays of A Sunrise
Summary: fyrepheonix requested "Artemisia from 300: Rise of An Empire Pls, Enemies to friends to lovers" and an Anon requested "I'm very curious about Artemisia, how about her trying to teach reader how to fight, throwing daggers maybe? Obviously that woman wouldn't waste an opportunity to tease, but also is supportive when reader eventually gets better? It'd be super cool!"
AO3
A/N: You know that fic I kept saying I couldn't stop adding to? This is it. This is a 44-page, almost 15,000 word google doc. I really dedicated myself to this one. It made me really happy to write and to see it all come together, so I really hope you like it! Please let me know 💖
Tag List: @ghostsunderstoodmysoul @multifandomfix @evil-feather @simplaif @escapetodreamworld @littlewitch-things @nonbinary-cryptid-baby @imtrashinflames @elenaguarnieri @angel7376
Warning(s): Mild Violence
There are few things more beautiful than a Persian sunrise.
Ever since you were a little girl, you’d wake early and perch on a windowsill, watching as the fiery rays painted the horizon. It was one of the few times the city below was quiet; no shouts of merchants or even the music from the square. Complete and utter peace.
In your position, peace was a rare gift. Days full of conversation and expectation made the mornings like a dream. Until one morning, shouts outside of your door left you agitated. So agitated that you ripped open the door to your chambers in only your nightgown.
You noticed a man first, one you knew well. Then you noticed a woman holding him by the neck. She was beautiful, you noted, but it mattered less than how she was mishandling your friend.
“What do you think you’re doing?” You demanded.
For a brief moment, the woman hesitated. Her eyes met yours and she glared heavily. She wasn’t so beautiful in this moment, she was terrifying. You looked into her eyes and saw only death.
“Removing a threat, your highness. Return to your room.” She said in a brisk tone.
The way she addressed you left you stunned. The rich fabric of her skirts, the golden armor said she was someone who should be important to you. Someone under your father’s thumb. Though she was different. There was more confidence in her shoulders than you’d seen in any of your father’s men. What made her different?
“I will not. This man is my friend, let him go.” You said.
Moving closer to the two of them, there was a beat when you expected her to obey. They always did. Your rank forced them to, whether they cared for you personally or not. The moment never came. Instead, she moved further away from you than before.
This wasn’t a random order. Your father had put her up to this.
“Bahman, tell me you’re not what she says. You’ve been my greatest advisor for years. Was it all a lie?” You asked, realizing that the woman’s favor would be a dead-end.
“No, princess, I swear it. I’d never betray you.” He said.
There were many things you could reasonably say you were good at, others not so much. You were miserable with a bow and arrows and even worse with people at times. But you could always see when someone was lying.
“I believe you,” You smiled, placing a hand on his arm as soon as you could, “He’s innocent. Let him go.”
“Those aren’t my orders, your highness.”
“Will it appease you if I get new ones?”
She stared at you for a long, agonizing moment. There was something curious in her eyes that drew you in. You had a task, however, that you wouldn’t be swayed from. She finally gave you a nod.
You gave Bahman’s arm a reassuring squeeze, folding your arms over your chest and walking away without so much as a glance to the woman. You only cared about getting her away from your friend. Nothing else mattered in this moment.
There was no effort in convincing your father. Despite being a hardened king, he still fell victim to the wants of his little girl. Even if you weren’t so little anymore.
You rushed back to the woman and Bahman with a smug look on your face. Now she’d have to listen to your commands and let your friend go. It’d wipe away some of her overly-confident demeanor. When you returned though, the woman was there and Bahman was not.
“Where is he?” You asked, looking around quickly, panic setting in.
“Your father’s will has been fulfilled, anything beyond that is unimportant.”
“He had a wife and a daughter, what have you done with him?”
“I wouldn’t advise troubling yourself with actions that can not be undone, princess.”
A cold, sweeping emotion covered you. Almost like a veil. It gave you chills, every nerve of your body standing on end as she stood before you. Cold, hard anger was all you could feel. And it would not be tamed.
It wasn’t that she had obviously killed your closest confidant, it wasn’t even that she’d unknowingly disobeyed your father’s order to let Bahman live. It was that she stood before you and had the audacity to look proud of her actions. Of murdering a good man with a beautiful little girl and stealing away the closest thing you had to a true friend.
In a move that was unlike you, you ripped her dagger from its sheath and rushed to plunge it into her chest. Your motions were unplanned and sloppy. They would have made your mentor furious, to see such a lack of form, but it was unimportant to you now. All you wanted was to make her hurt as you did.
She caught your arm swiftly, not moving a muscle otherwise. Her eyes were trained on yours. There was no anger as you expected, though maybe a little surprise.
“I will not fight you, your highness.” She said bluntly.
“I never said you had to.” You ground out.
“I will not allow you to murder me, either. Doing so would not suit you.”
“Don’t ever presume to know anything of me.” You snarled, wrenching your arm from her grasp.
Deep in your heart, you knew she was right. No matter how badly you wished to avenge Bahman, he hated killing, and so did you. It wouldn’t be right to take her life even if you could. But you refused to give her the satisfaction of understanding you at all.
“Stay away from me.”
Your command was harsh and even a bit childish, but the overwhelming emotions in your gut had left your mind blank. Wanting never to see her again was the only thing on your mind. You heard her say something in return. The slamming of your bedroom door made it difficult to hear, not that you cared to in the first place.
Reaching the window, you let out the bitter tears that’d been threatening your composure. Not only had she killed your closest friend, she’d stolen your sunrise too.
----
That afternoon during your court duties you sought to lay out the situation for your father. You’d barely gotten a word in edgewise before he ordered the doors opened and the very person you hoped to avoid led the common people in. A scowl settled on your face.
At your side, Xerxes noticed your expression. His eyes flickered between you and the woman, then between you and the common people. Some of them were beginning to shy away from you as a result of your scowl. He elbowed you hard.
Immediately, the scowl dropped and was replaced with a look of confusion. You turned on him with furrowed brows.
“What was that for?” You hissed under your breath, doing your best to remain quiet and not interrupt your father.
“You are creating unrest.” He said shortly.
“Unrest?”
“Your emotions are too plain at times, sister. The common people thought it was meant for them.”
A response was poised on the end of your tongue, only warded off by your father sending a glance towards the two of you. He was still speaking to the people, but the two of you drew his attention anyway. You’d drawn the attention of the people too if only for just a moment.
It was too public for him to say anything at the moment, so you were both spared from what was sure to be a severe reprimand. You carefully refocused your attention on the task at hand and only occasionally threw glares in the direction of the woman. Who, no doubt seeing them, didn’t once acknowledge them.
----
“If I gave an order and it was fulfilled, I will not punish one of my servants for it. Least of all my Naval Commander.”
“You had given another command by then.”
“One you were too slow to deliver, my dear.”
Anger was building in the pit of your stomach. It couldn’t be so hard to realize that what happened was wrong. That at the very least, he deserved to be mourned.
“He was innocent, Baba. Is this the precedent we’re setting, that the royal family murders innocents?” You asked.
His gaze turned cool and you felt the urge to shy away from it. You knew what you were doing - you were no fool to his weaknesses, to the weaknesses of any king. Xerxes had frozen as you spoke and waited for any reaction.
“I’ve said my piece. You may feel as you wish, but that will not change.” Your father said.
“Can we… I’d like to take care of his family at least. Ensuring their prosperity is the least I can do.”
He narrowed his eyes before nodding slowly. The grip he’d maintained on the arms of his throne loosened. You let go of some of your anger, relaxing your shoulders and letting them fall back.
“You may give them as much as they require,” He allowed, “But as the threat has not been located, we will have to be extra careful of those we trust.”
You nodded, simply feeling content with having made some sort of progress. Something was better than nothing. The first step was sending for Bahman’s family and breaking the news, not that you were looking forward to it. From there you could help them to remain stable. And if you couldn’t bring your friend back, the least you could do was take care of his family in his stead.
----
“Good morning, Baba.”
You pointedly ignored a new presence at your table, leaning in to place a kiss on your father’s cheek. He didn’t return your greeting except in a low hum. The hearty meal on his plate was more interesting at this early hour.
Xerxes was seated at the other end of the table, far from you, your father, or your guest. His face was drawn and he made the barest hint of eye contact with you. You couldn’t help but let a look of confusion cross your face, though you didn’t pursue any questioning.
The only open seat was next to the one person you wanted to avoid. You refused to look at her, even as you felt her eyes on you. It took all of your composure not to break out into an angry blush. Instead, you focused intently on the tablecloth, only looking up when one of the servants brought your plate.
“Daughter, you know our Commander, of course?” Your father’s voice finally addressed you.
You resisted the urge to tense your shoulders or roll your eyes at the question. How could you possibly forget her? She was one of the pride and joys of Persia. And a murderer. One that you could never get too far away from.
“Yes, Baba.” You said, offering up a tense smile as you speared a vegetable rather violently.
“She’s here on my request,” He said slowly, making your shoulders finally tense. You knew that tone too well, “The threat has still not been eliminated. I’ve asked her to shadow you as a protective measure.”
The scoff that left your mouth was purely accidental, but you felt the situation called for it. You’d been trained in self-defense since you could hold a knife. Any possible threat to your body was something you could handle, you didn’t need any help on that front. And you certainly didn’t want any from the Commander.
“I’m more than capable of handling myself. The Commander has more important tasks than looking after me, perhaps like taking her fleet to any of the furthest possible shores and doing something productive there,” You stood abruptly, though you had just sat down. Giving your father and brother a tense half-smile, “I believe I’ll finish my breakfast in the library.”
Your servants scrambled to clear your space, as you walked quickly out of the room. A sigh left your father’s mouth while passing, inspiring a fresh pang of guilt. He was only looking to maintain your safety. But you refused to make yourself need Artemisia of all people.
Closing the door to the library, the guilt subsided, though you knew an apology would be warranted later. For now, you felt safe surrounded by the smells of leather and fresh ink. None of the inconveniences of the outside would bother you in this room.
After quite some time of flipping through pages and taking in the information there, the door opened. You assumed it was your friend by the way the sun was hanging in the sky.
“Good Afternoon, Amani. I’ve gotten an early start, so you don’t have to transcribe nearly as many chapters today.” You called out, attempting to clean some of the ink off of your fingers.
When the chair across from you scraped against the floor and there was no response, you looked up curiously. Directly into the amused gaze of none other than Artemisia. Instantly, your body tensed and the smile you wore dropped from your face.
“Commander, I wasn’t sure you knew where the library was.” You commented.
“I took the liberty of figuring out, your highness.” Artemisia responded, your jab not seeming to affect her as she propped open a random book.
You glared openly at her, not caring in the slightest if anyone walked in and noticed. You refused to hide your dislike. Her disregard for anyone but herself was completely at the forefront of your mind. The only time she does anything for anyone else, you thought, is to better her reputation.
“How fortunate for me.”
In an effort to get away from her, you rushed between the high shelves. Fortunately, it allowed you a break, and aided your purposes. You’d finished transcribing an old book of Persian poetry. It was a passing hobby you’d taken up to fill your afternoons. You thought that by transcribing the palace library, it’d make Persia seem more welcoming to those who spoke different languages.
Plucking the next book from the shelf, you eyed it slowly. It would take some time to properly do the work justice. When you turned to move back to the table, Artemisia was standing there. You jumped and let out a slight noise.
“What the- Go back to the table and stop frightening me.” You demanded.
“I have to ensure your security. The threat could be lying here in wait.”
“In the library? That’s unlikely.”
“It’s unlikely until someone runs a sword through your chest. You spend most of your time in the library, making it the perfect place.”
“Nobody is in here, I unlock the doors myself.” You grit out, shoving past her.
“Locks can be picked and doors can be locked from the inside,” Artemisia sighed, showing the first sign of emotion besides pride, “If this is to work, your highness, you must stop fighting me.”
You bit back the words on your tongue. If you allowed yourself to speak in anger, you’d come off differently than you intended. Your anger made you foolish, daresay childish. That was the last demeanor you wanted to project as a royal. Especially to someone who’d likely enjoy the glimpse into your anger.
“Fine,” You said finally, “But I have terms of this… arrangement.”
“Name them, your highness.”
“One, we don’t speak unless I choose to speak with you; I’ve had enough conversation with you to last a lifetime. Don't get friendly. Secondly, don’t hover, it’s distracting. You can watch me and keep me safe at a distance. Understood?”
“Perfectly.”
The unaffected air of Artemisia’s demeanor was perilously close to testing your nerves. You’d lost so much at the extension of her reach; your dearest friend and now your freedom. Part of you wished she’d give you something more to despise. The knowledge of what she’d done while fulfilling orders didn’t feel sufficient.
Anything she did was carefully devoid of emotion. Almost to the point where you began questioning if she had emotions at all. You would glance at her more than proper, searching for any clues. A part of you began scheming on how to make her react.
Artemisia only moved when something else around her moved. Servants or advisors would enter the library and she’d watch them critically, scanning them for anything she deemed to be a threat. If you moved, she would watch then too, following at a safe distance if you moved out of her original range.
Nothing caught her off guard. The opening of the library door didn’t startle her, neither did the moments you’d abruptly stand up. It was like she’d been trained not to have reactions. The cold, empty expression she wore was driving you mad; you wanted to know how to break it. You wanted to know how to break her.
Your father had many soldiers of a similar bearing, but you’d even seen them break before. A surprising command or swift punishment would warrant the slightest change, their eyebrows would lift higher on their faces or they’d make brief eye contact with one another.
Artemisia, you unfortunately kept realizing, was entirely different.
So caught in your thoughts, you failed to notice someone else enter the library. There was a buzzing in your ears until it took a familiar shape, forming words.
“Your highness?” A voice broke through, making you look up. From the expression on her face it hadn’t been the first time he called for you. Out of the corner of your eye, you could swear that you saw Artemisia glance over.
“Yes?” You asked, clearing your throat and sitting up straighter than before.
“Fairuza, wife of Bahman, is waiting for an audience in the throne room.”
His words sobered you up. You had called her from her home to tell her the news in person, now you wondered if you’d made the right decision. Sweat formed on your palms.
“I’ll be with her shortly.” You said, wincing slightly at the weak thread in your voice.
He nodded, bowing before you and then taking his leave. The silence felt heavier as thoughts went through your mind. You felt wholly unprepared to give her the news, even more unprepared to handle her reaction to it.
You stood slowly, ignoring the weak feeling in your legs. The walk from the library to the throne room felt painfully long. So lost in your anxiousness and fear, you didn’t have any feelings towards Artemisia following at a distance. If things were different, you mused, you might feel more angry about it.
Upon entering the room, you scarcely had time to breathe before a body slammed into yours. You stumbled, righting yourself just before you fell. A warm hand on your lower back aided you briefly before it was gone.
“Anahita, my love, be careful. We don’t wish to injure her highness.” Fairuza’s voice admonished.
“It’s quite alright,” You said, finally gathering your bearings, “I’m very excited to see her as well.”
You hesitantly ran a hand through the girl’s hair, watching as she beamed. It broke your heart. You didn’t want to taint her heart with the news, to dull her smile when she learns her beloved Baba wasn’t coming home to her. A shaky inhale was all you could do to fortify yourself.
“Your highness, I’m sure you’re busy so we won’t keep you. What have we done to earn the honor of your summons?”
Fairuza meant well, but you wished you had more time. You had no idea how to break such news to someone. In the past, when someone was executed, they had been guilty of a crime. How do you tell a loyal woman that her innocent husband was executed in your service?
“I’m afraid this might be something too… sensitive for little ears.” You said.
“That’s alright, your highness. Anahita is a big girl now.”
You wanted to argue against that statement, but knew it wasn’t your place. You may be a princess, but you were in no way a mother. Faruzia’s judgement was absolute in regards to her daughter.
“Fairuza, Bahman... Bahman won’t be returning home.”
A pin dropping would have felt painfully loud. The silence dragged on, like a punishment for a crime you hadn’t committed. Fairuza’s face crumpled and you wanted to reach out, but she regained her composure just in time.
“What happened?” She asked.
“He was suspected of being a traitor to us.”
“And was he?”
“No. No, he was innocent.”
“Then why was he... “ She tried, but was unable to finish when she looked down at Anahita, who was oblivious to the entire situation.
“The order was carried out before anyone could vouch for his innocence.” You said.
“Who carried out the order, your highness?”
There was a deep, overwhelming emotion in her eyes that you’d never seen. It made you feel ill to even meet her eyes. You couldn’t imagine the pain this brought her, the pain she’d live with for the rest of her life. At your side, your fingers twitched with the desire to point behind you.
“I don’t know.” You said, the words spilling from your mouth unchecked.
Behind you, you heard a sudden inhale. You hated that she’d choose now to show any sense of emotion. It stole any sense of satisfaction you had. You’d caught her off guard, but at what price?
Fairuza nodded slowly. Her fists gripped at her skirts, knuckles turning white with the force of it. You felt for her, but you were also in awe of her composure. You were sure that if you’d been in her situation, you may have reacted much differently.
“Thank you for bringing me here and breaking the news, your highness. We won’t trouble you any further.”
The quick turn-around surprised you, catching you off guard long enough for Fairuza to have collected Anahita. You blinked at her hurry. You were in no such rush to urge them away from you or out of the castle.
“Fairuza, wait,” You called as your mind finally caught up, “This can’t be easy in any way, but I would like to help your family. That way you can all live as you have.”
“I couldn’t accept that, your highness, it-”
“Please, Bahman would want you to be secure.” You interrupted, reaching out and taking the woman’s hands. She stared down at them, not daring to make eye contact with a royal.
A set of eyes felt as if they were burning holes into your back. You wanted to turn around and say anything right about now; tell her to mind her own business, to know her place, anything. No matter how much you wanted to, you couldn’t bring yourself to even acknowledge her at the moment.
You couldn’t ignore that you’d lied on her behalf, protected her against the family of the man she’d killed. Some instinctual part of you had spoken before your brain could tell you not to.
“Thank you, princess, that’s very kind of you.”
Fairuza’s hands squeezed yours before they pulled away, resting on the shoulders of her daughter. You offered what you hoped was a convincing smile. A glinting caught your attention, your eyes drawn to a beautiful necklace resting at her throat. It boasted a beautiful blue pendant, though you couldn’t figure out what it was made of. You snapped back into the moment, feeling embarrassed at how much time you’d let pass.
“No thanks are necessary. The resources you require will be delivered to your home by the morning’s end tomorrow.”
Two of the palace guards escorted them from the room. Before they were completely out of sight, Anahita turned and offered you a small wave goodbye. You returned it instinctually.
As the doors closed, you felt exhausted. Would that be the last time you saw the girl so happy? You wrapped your arms around yourself while the thoughts swarmed. You could have done more, your mind insisted, you could have saved him.
A particularly heavy breath from the woman behind you reminded you where you were. In an instant, you stood completely straight, turning away from where you’d just been. You avoided any and all eye contact with Artemisia as you walked away.
——
The next few days following the meeting found you struggling and throwing yourself into a self-induced isolation as a result. Besides your chambers, the only place you wandered to was the library. You would reside there until long after the sun had set and you had to squint against the candle light to read the pages.
Artemisia bid you a goodnight long before then, in accordance with your father’s new rules; since the threat hadn’t been eliminated or even found out, he wanted the Commander fully on her guard. Every night as the sun touched the horizon, she would excuse herself quietly, and one of your father’s personal guards would replace her until the early morning.
This change gave you what felt like a break from her. From trying to decipher why you couldn’t get her out of your head. Every thought was consumed in some way with her, whether it meant figuring her out or figuring out your reactions to her. It also meant that you were allowed to seriously overwhelm yourself without anyone stepping in. The personal guards were made to be seen, not heard, and they certainly wouldn’t go beyond their bounds to advise you in any way. Only the Commander had the courage to do that. But then again, only the Commander had the advice the crown needed.
Around the middle of the morning, your head would finally drop to the table, and you’d sleep blissfully for half an hour. Then your misery would creep back in and torture you, plaguing you with nightmares. You were lucky to wake up before they went too far.
You’d throw yourself back into your books, content to pretend nothing had ever occurred.
——
One of the following nights, Artemisia did not excuse herself like normal. You worried that maybe you’d misjudged the time until the sky turned black and she was still present.
“Commander,” You asked, “Isn’t it past the bed-time my father set for you?”
You couldn’t help a little tug at the corner of your lips, thinking yourself rather clever.
“Yes, but your father could not spare any of his guard this evening.” She answered neutrally, though you could swear she’d looked the slightest bit amused.
“Why is that?”
“I’m afraid that information is not for anyone's ears but my own.”
“Did my father state that explicitly?”
“Yes.” Artemisia said, raising an eyebrow. She was clearly waiting for you to fight her on this.
Grumbling for a few moments, you went back to your work. You wanted to challenge her on this point and say that as a royal, you were one of the few the rules didn’t completely apply to, but you didn’t have the energy to form such an argument. Your brain felt like it was running in circles. The amount of mistranslations you’d written and scrubbed away to a testament to that.
It wasn’t until you knocked over a vial of ink that you truly felt something besides exhaustion. A large wave of anger slammed into you and as a result, you finally slammed the book shut and tossed it down the table. Unaware of the ink covering your hands, you dragged them down your face, staining part of your cheek.
You let your head rest in your palms, barely fighting against the heaviness of your eyelids. Sleep was beckoning and you went willingly.
When a hand gently shook you awake, you had little idea how much time had passed. You didn’t care at the moment. Your only focus was on who was touching you.
“Princess,” Artemisia’s voice finally whispered into your ear, “You should return to your chambers.”
“Hm?” You asked, blinking as her face blurred and unblurred in your vision, “No, I’m content to stay here. My book…”
“Your book is halfway down the table and you’ve spilled your ink. Half of it went to fixing the basic mistakes in your work. It will be here in the morning.” She said, leaving no room for argument.
Staring down the table at the book, you had absolutely no desire to retrieve it. The thought of your plush bed was sounding more enticing with each passing second. You nodded, standing up slowly, not paying too much attention to the warm hand on your arm leading you from the large room.
The walk to your chambers passed in a haze and you only realized where you were when the Commander opened the door for you. A small pang of shame hit you in the chest, but it was quickly overtaken by your exhaustion.
You went to throw yourself in bed when Artemisia’s hold on your arm tightened. Turning just barely, her other hand gripped your chin and turned your face. The hold surprised you and stirred up a peculiar feeling in your gut. Unbidden, your gaze dropped to her lips for a moment before you caught yourself.
“You’ve covered your face in ink. It will stain if it isn’t removed.” Artemisia said, eyes focused on the spot, rubbing at the blemish with her thumb.
“I can take care of it.” You whispered.
She nodded, dropping her hold on you and stepping back. Your body felt much colder than before as she went to stand guard outside.
“Goodnight, Commander.” You called out before she could close the door.
You’d caught her off guard and she looked back with an indescribable look. She nodded, one hand on the door pulling it shut, though not before returning the sentiment, “Goodnight.”
——
Recovering from your brief stint of sleeplessness, you felt a mortified feeling settle in the next morning. You despised the way you’d left yourself vulnerable to so much by not properly caring for yourself. Anyone could have posed a threat, but you wouldn’t have known.
Another part of your mind was refusing to acknowledge the kindness Artemisia had shown you the night before. If she hadn’t forced you to return to your room for a proper night of rest, no one would have. You felt you owed her.
Your gut still twisted with an unpleasant anger at the thought of her, but it couldn’t be said that you were unreasonable. She’d shown you a great deal of kindness and you intended to repay her. Then the two of you would be even and you could go right back to despising her.
“Good morning, Commander.” You said, pulling the doors open and offering her the smallest smile you could without seeming overly warm.
“Good morning, princess,” She greeted you.
Her eyes squared in on your cheek, piquing your curiosity, before understanding flooded you. Visions of her hold on you, her face an inch away from yours only hours before made your face hot. You were ashamed that she’d flustered you without trying.
“I hope your night was quiet.” You said, clearing your throat loudly in the quiet space.
“It was.”
You were walking towards the library slower than normal. Her presence at your side drew your attention, staring into her face rather than at the path ahead. She guided the both of you with ease.
“Have you gotten any rest?” You asked.
For a moment, her eyes moved away from the hall in front of you, meeting yours. She narrowed them as if searching for something. As quickly as she’d done it, her focus was directed back away from you.
“Guarding you is not an opportunity for rest.” She answered finally.
“I wouldn’t have minded. You need your rest as much as I do, if not more.”
“Leaving you unprotected would be irresponsible.”
“So is attempting to protect me with no rest,” Turning her eyes to yours, the two of you locked your gazes in a silent battle, “Lack of sleep impairs judgement, Commander.”
“For you, that may be.”
The two of you arrived at the library doors and you dug into your pocket for the key, only to find your pockets empty. Instead, the intricate brass tool was being held out in front of you. You took it but found yourself distracted while sliding it into the lock. You had no recollection of giving Artemisia the key or of locking the doors. The thought of how many details you were missing nagged at your mind.
Seeing the layout of the library, it remained the way you remembered. Your book laid crooked on the end of the table nearest to you, the spilled ink sat in a half-dried puddle. The fact that it was still wet proved how recently you’d actually been in the room.
You wordlessly settled into a routine, Artemisia standing just inside the door as always. Removing the ink from the wooden table had been easy enough, but you were glad you hadn’t dressed nicely, as drops of ink had colored your skirt.
The door opened and you looked up, watching curiously as one of the castle servants came to clean up the ink. She flushed when she realized you’d already taken care of it.
“My apologies, your highness,” She said, looking at you in worry, “I should have arrived sooner.”
You heard what she was saying to you and your brain was processing it, but your eyes were focused entirely on Artemisia. When the library doors opened, you caught on to an unconscious system; in quick motions, her back would straighten and her hand would fall to the sword on her hip. This time she’d been clumsy, hand missing the hilt of her sword at first. To anyone else it would have been nothing. To you, it spoke volumes to her exhaustion.
More time than appropriate had passed since the timid servant had spoken and you gave her a kind smile, “It’s not a problem, but would you be kind enough to dispose of the rags for me?”
“Of course, your highness.”
The situation was taken care of in no time and the doors shut once more, leaving only you and Artemisia in the room. Her eyes were focused straight ahead, even though yours were focused directly on her, “Commander.” You called.
“Your highness.”
“You’re tired.”
“I’m perfectly rested-”
“Commander, I’m not blind. Lack of sleep will topple even the most formidable leaders. I’m not going anywhere, lay down.” You motioned to a couch just at your left. It wasn’t the most comfortable seat available, but it’d do the trick.
“I will not leave you vulnerable.”
“Will it put you at ease if I lock the doors until you’ve gotten enough rest?”
She looked to be mulling over the idea before she gave you one slow nod. You were on your feet and locking the doors in an instant. Gently, you pushed her over towards the couch. The touch only lasted a few seconds at most, but it was enough to earn you a grumble from the other woman. She didn’t enjoy being handled, it seemed.
Her move to the couch was slow and hesitant. At any second, you expected her to abandon the pursuit and return to her post. She surprised you by actually taking a seat.
Artemisia never looked anything less than composed at all times, but there was something in her form speaking to her discomfort. You avoided looking at her for longer than a moment. If it were you, you reasoned, it’d make you largely uncomfortable to be watched in your sleep.
It didn’t take long for her to fall into sleep. You only knew because her breathing grew heavier in sleep, a fact you tucked away in your mind. Despite your focus on the book before you, you found your eyes drifting back to her. The lack of a blanket rubbed you the wrong way.
You remembered one from the previous day, tucked in the back of the library among the unorganized books. Quietly, you tiptoed back to the area, locating it rather quickly. It was a rich blue color almost like the sea.
Before you could reach for it, a hand clapped around your wrist and made you yelp. You whipped around to see Artemisia was the perpetrator.
“Why in the world are you sneaking up behind me?” You snapped.
“You moved out of my sights.”
“You were asleep, I was out of your sights no matter where I was! Was it so terrible for me to get you a blanket?”
“It was when you’re oblivious to the threats around you.”
“What the hell are you on about, Commander? I’m in no more danger now than I am at the table.” You rolled your eyes, leveling a glare at her.
She didn’t react to your words or your glare, seemingly as if she hadn’t heard them. Her eyes focused behind you before landing back on your own, “Look at the blanket, your highness.”
“What?”
“Look at the blanket.”
“You’re losing your mind, Commander. What in the world am I going to see-”
When you looked back at the blanket, movement caught your eye. You squinted at the object curiously. Then it came again; only this time you made out a bright, lithe form moving among the fabric. The light reflected off of the blue coloring of the body. You backed away, right into Artemisia’s form.
“What is that?” You whispered harshly, looking up at her.
“A snake.” She answered, eyes never leaving the spot in front of you.
“I’m not stupid. What is it doing in my library?”
“I’d gather that it’s the work of whoever wishes to harm your family.”
A chill ran down your spine at the images in your head. You would have grabbed the cloth, completely unsuspecting until a pair of fangs sank into your arm. Only then would you have noticed what had happened. By that point, no matter what you’d done, Artemisia wouldn’t have been able to help you.
You leaned back against her, your legs feeling heavy. Your wrist felt cold as she finally released it, wrapping her arm around your waist to keep you standing.
“I need to dispose of it, your highness.” Artemisia said, the words soft against your ear. You could only nod. With no small amount of composure, you moved to a nearby seat, not trusting your legs.
She drew her sword from the sheath at her hip, nudging the blanket with the sharp end. The snake slithered around it before a mean-looking face appeared. It’s forked tongue shot out, the mouth opening entirely as it hissed.
Not held back by any fear, Artemisia swung up with her sword, ending the threat. You couldn’t watch and looked intently at your feet.
A hand came into view; palm up, waiting only for your own. You took the offered appendage and stood with her help. The threat had been only that, a threat - until now. Now it wasn’t truly a threat, but a promise. They were coming after your family--after you--and it was only a matter of time.
“Thank you.” You whispered weakly.
“Of course.”
Absentmindedly, you wondered if she meant it. She was doing a duty to someone else, always acting as if it was nothing beyond that. You had to think that some of it was. Not everything she’d done for you could be orders, could it? The thought that it very well could be left a hollow feeling in your stomach, though you couldn’t fathom why.
She took the key to the doors from your hand and opened them, yelling something you couldn’t make out at someone you couldn’t see. You sat there as she closed it and glanced over to you, before taking care of the scene behind you.
Within a few minutes, the door burst open and your father marched in, a number of guards at his back. He moved to your side, glancing you over.
“How did this happen?” He asked clearly, in a tone that you knew wasn’t meant for you.
“Someone must have access to the library, your majesty. I locked the doors personally before leaving last night.” Artemisia answered, voice as stiff as her form surely was.
“Who frequents this room?”
“Besides multiple servants, the most frequent visitor is Amani, who helps transcribe the books here.”
“It’s not Amani.” You said immediately, “I’d know.”
“With all due respect, my daughter, you have no way of knowing any of this. None of us do. We need to follow any lead we may have,” King Darius said, looking away from you, “Commander.”
You didn’t have to look at her to know she’d given a nod. The heavy material of her skirts and the clink of her armor alerted you to her movements. If her father was sending her, you knew it wasn’t answers she’d come back with, but blood.
“Commander, don’t.” You said, catching her arm as she moved past. She stopped and looked at your hand on her for a long moment, “Please.”
Only a sharp inhale let you know that she’d really heard you. Placing a hand atop yours and removing it from her arm, all she offered was a squeeze. You looked away with a sinking feeling of acceptance. Your father’s orders came first.
She left the room to fulfill his wishes without so much as a backwards glance. Your father pressed a kiss to your temple, before following after the Commander.
----
You waited in the library for the rest of the day with your father’s guards remaining inside of the door. A part of you couldn’t help but despise them, not for being there, but for being where the Commander should have been. Every time the door opened it was only a servant. Though you jumped up just the same with each entrance.
The hours passed in a blur. You couldn’t focus, every movement around you catching your attention. The doors remained closed for so long that you wondered if they’d ever open again.
Then they did.
You sat up straighter, but it wasn’t the Commander who walked through the doors. It was Amani. She looked shaken, but didn’t have a scratch on her.
“Amani? Are you alright?” You asked softly, standing to greet her.
“I’m… Yes, your highness, just shaken.”
“What happened?”
“His majesty and the Commander came to question me about my time here and… a serpent?”
The woman’s voice was full of enough confusion to confirm your initial thoughts. She hadn’t been the one to place the serpent. You were triumphant in that, but shocked to see her in one piece. Mercy in any form wasn’t Artemisia’s goal.
It seemed she’d made an exception.
----
When you saw her, it would have been all too easy to let the act slide, but you couldn’t. It meant the world to you. You couldn’t imagine it was easy to go against her nature, the habits of battle she’d formed, but she had. She’d done it for you.
“I saw Amani this morning.” You commented offhandedly. Just barely glancing from the pages of your book, she gave you a knowing look.
“I would hope so, your highness. You do work with her.”
You gave her a glare, though there was nothing really behind it. It’d be easier if she wasn’t so cagey about the kind things she did. Though you reasoned they were few and far between. They were certainly not in line with her character either, but that’s what made it so satisfying.
“Thank you... Artemisia” You whispered softly, finally meeting her eyes. You didn’t need to specify what you were thanking her for.
She blinked slowly as if she hadn’t heard you correctly. It made you wonder how long it’d been since anyone had spoken to her and not the Commander. Your heart ached in sympathy. It was one thing to be proud of your rank, but it was another to be completely defined by it - to be nothing else.
For once, her stare was filled with something else. Some emotion you couldn’t decipher. Had you made a mistake, being so informal with her? You opened your mouth to apologize, to do anything to relieve the tension, when she beat you to it.
“You’re welcome.” Artemisia returned in the same soft tone.
Her voice sent a chill through you that you couldn’t decipher, but you wrote it off as the quick change in your own emotions. You shared a nod before returning to your duties. Though you couldn’t help but glance back at her, surprised to see her still watching.
----
“Commander?” You said, immediately opening the door to your chambers to ask her a question. The thought of impropriety didn’t bother you much, but she was sure to keep her eyes away from you.
“Yes?”
“Is General Ahmand going to be part of tonight's celebration?”
“I believe so, your highness.”
You groaned, letting your head fall against the doorframe with a thunk. Artemisia raised an eyebrow, hazarding a glance to you from the corner of her eyes. She looked away as you raised your head.
“General Ahmand has a misguided belief that I harbor affections towards him and seeks to gain my attention at every celebration. I have no desire to interact with him, will you remain close to me?”
Asking the question felt like forcing daggers from your throat. It felt uncomfortable, asking her for help, even though she’d offer it anyway. You’d never willingly let yourself need her before. It was why you’d opened the door in only a slip, so she couldn’t look through you and see such thoughts.
“If you wish it, then it will be so.” Artemisia answered.
Nodding, you lingered there. You wished that there was more to say. More to offer her so she understood your gratitude, but nothing came to mind. None of it felt good enough.
You disappeared back into your chambers as quietly as you’d first appeared.
----
Just as you’d requested, Artemisia stood at your side stoically. One hand rested on the hilt of her sword with the other folded behind her back. Those who approached you did so with visible hesitance, casting multiple glances in the Commander’s direction. You felt relieved that she warded off any unwanted attention.
At least, she did until the drinks began to flow.
You’d had a drink yourself, as was customary. But only one. Any more than that and you would have regretted it later. Experience is the best teacher, as you unfortunately learned years prior.
Everyone laughed louder when they were intoxicated. It was a pleasant sound to cover up an unpleasant thing. Most of the people in the room would be perfectly behaved here in the palace, only to turn later. Normal hands would become rough, melodic voices would go rough. It dissolved any composure that evolution created.
“I believe if Lady H has another drink, she may fall into bed with the wrong person.” You muttered softly to the Commander, hiding your amusement behind the rim of your glass.
Artemisia’s mouth turned up in her version of a smile. You couldn’t help the satisfaction it rendered to know you’d caused her reaction.
“I’m afraid I must disagree.” She said in return.
“Oh? And why is that?”
“Her husband won’t allow her enough freedom to do so.”
The two of you made brief eye contact and you gave her a nod. She was right, you had to admit. Despite the past of Lady H, her husband suffered from too much insecurity to let her out of his sights.
“It feels like such a shame for her talents-” You started, only to be cut off.
“My dear princess,” A sickly sweet voice came from behind you. You rolled your eyes, watching as Artemisia tried to hide a smirk, “What a pleasure it is to see you.”
“General Ahmand,” You turned around, plastering on a fake smile, “What a surprise.”
“I had hoped you would be in attendance, your highness, but I didn’t dare expect. You have many worthier prospects.”
“That I do, but it is a celebration worthy of my attendance. The conquest of Athens is no small feat. I would never dare to slight those who’ve had such a victory.”
“How generous and wise of you, dear princess. Might I trouble your generosity for a dance?”
From beside you, you watched Artemisia clamp her teeth down on her lip. A smile threatened her composure. You wanted to throw a glare her way, but the General’s gaze didn’t waver enough to allow it.
“I’m flattered, General Ahmand, but I am saving my dances for those we’re celebrating tonight. You understand, of course?” You asked with a smile.
His own smile faded, but he wouldn’t dare argue. Not nearly enough alcohol had been consumed to loosen his sense of propriety.
“Of course. Allow me to release your attention, your highness.”
You gave him a nod and tried to maintain face while he left. It wasn’t until he was out of sight that you let the pleasant smile drop and released a low groan.
“How generous you are to reject me, your highness.” Artemisia mocked under her breath, smirk firmly in place.
“Hush.” You whispered.
“But of course, your highness. Your spotless wisdom is law, your highness.”
A laugh erupted from you unbidden, which you covered up with a cough. The action drew the attention from those around you, but no one questioned it. You only offered a smile to relieve their suspicions.
“You’re terrible.” You said, swatting at her arm once all eyes had left you.
“Am I? If there was an altar dedicated to you, he would live upon its steps.”
“Is it so horrible to be admired, Commander?”
“Not at all. Though I wouldn’t take pride in the admiration of General Ahmand.”
“Come now, who wouldn’t want the attention of a man whose only goal is to gain my father’s favor? He may be more in love with my father than I, but what man isn’t these days?” You said, earning a breath of laughter for your efforts. You tried not to look overly proud of yourself.
The two of you remained side-by-side, Artemisia standing at attention when others came to speak with you. She had little to say and only spoke when prompted, offering nothing beyond pleasantries. Her true humor only revealed when the two of you stood alone.
You had to admit you were enjoying the event more than you expected. The music was pleasant and the atmosphere was calm, more so than any previous night like this. You’d never felt so at ease.
Eventually, to your utter dread, the heroes of the night called on you to claim their dances. With a swift hand, you had been dragged away from your protector before you could realize. Now you found yourself being passed through the group, one dance each, as was custom. They told you stories of battle as you danced, leaving you in awe of many tactical feats.
Much to your dismay, you were joined in a dance by the last hero. You wished to relive all of the dances and hear their stories over again. It must have shown on your face, as the man quirked an eyebrow at your demeanor.
“Is something wrong, your highness?”
“Oh, no, I’m quite alright,” You assured him, “I’m only regretting that the dances are over. Your comrades have wonderful stories.”
“That they do. A life in battle makes you rather skilled in retelling your battles. They’re much better than I, unfortunately.”
“I find that hard to believe. You must have your own way of telling a story that they do not.”
“Not a way that is completed in a single dance, your highness.”
Disappointment flooded you as the song drew to a close and the man bowed. You offered him a nod, making your way back to the Commander. Curiosity gnawed at you, made you wonder if the Commander had similar stories of her own battles. Warmth blossomed in your chest at the thought of her animatedly recounting such a story.
When you returned to her side, you offered her a smile. She didn’t return it, she never did, but neither did she offer any sign of amusement or pleasantness. You felt the warmth in your chest wilt slightly.
“Do you ever tell stories, Commander?” You asked, hoping to break away from whatever was happening.
“Stories?”
“Yes, of your time in battle. Your triumphs and conquests laid out in detail. Our guests were offering me a brilliant retelling of their most recent battles. I was quite enchanted.”
There had been a spark of interest when you first began to explain, but it vanished shortly after. Her eyes were unbearably indifferent. Anything you had experienced earlier, any sign of amusement, was gone.
“I’m afraid I have more important duties than storytelling, your highness.” Was all she offered.
You felt embarrassed that you’d ever asked for such a thing from her and nodded. Silence surrounded you as the music ran down and she escorted you back to your chambers. You tried to ignore the hurt sitting in your chest as you fell asleep.
----
When you woke up, your chambers were still covered in darkness. You couldn’t imagine why you’d woken up until a noise caught your attention.
A soft, hissing noise came from your right. The moonlight coming from the outside illuminated the room enough to give you a glimpse of something. It reflected off of something smooth, but something… moving. You pressed yourself against the headboard as you tried to focus more on it.
Two dark, beady eyes stared back. A forked tongue visible in the sliver of light you had. Cold terror shot through you as you realized what you were seeing.
“Commander!” You tried to call out, but your voice broke, “Commander!”
Complete silence.
The snake moved forward curiously, moonlight catching the scales as it moved. It could’ve been a beautiful sight if it didn’t mean a horrible outcome for you.
“Commander!” You shouted this time.
Nothing.
“What is wrong with you?”
You shrieked as a voice came from your left. Dread filled your bones as Bahman stared back, though you couldn’t figure out why. There was some detail niggling at the back of your brain.
“Why would you call out for her?” He asked, eyes focused unblinkingly on you.
“She… She’s protecting me.” You answered.
“You’ve let yourself rely on her. On the woman who killed me,” He snarled, walking forward. That detail was suddenly crystal clear as you leaned away from him, “You deserve this fate.”
The question of ‘what fate?’ was on your lips, but pain erupted in your body before you could release them. Two razor sharp fangs had imbedded themselves in your leg, leaving you feeling faint already.
“Artemisia!” You screamed.
Two hands on your arms ripped you from the nightmare, barely stopping you from colliding with a strong body as you shot up out of the bed.
“Your highness,” A voice rang in your ears as the hands held you steady, “Your highness, you’re alright.”
It was the Commander. She sat on the edge of your bed, hands on your upper arms, holding you in place. Relief washed over you. It’d only been a nightmare.
“I’m sorry, Commander,” You whispered, throat aching against the action, “What can I do for you?”
Confusion was painted on her face and you couldn’t figure out why. She had come to wake you because there was something she needed, right?
“I don’t require anything from you.”
“Then why did you wake me?”
“You screamed.”
“Oh.” You said, blushing at your own absentmindedness.
A few moments of silence reigned, your mind working in a million different ways. Her hands finally smoothed over you and she released a sigh. You looked at her, but you could only catch a glimpse of her side profile, outlined against what little moonlight existed.
“Rest, your highness,” Artemisia said quietly, standing up and letting go of you. You felt a loss of comfort at the action. But you nodded and turned over, listening as she left the room, and falling asleep shortly after.
----
It was an unspoken decision that the nightmare wouldn’t be discussed. The two of you went about your day as if it never happened, though it was all you could think about. Your heart had felt like it’d beat out of your chest, your mind screaming that you needed the Commander. The Commander would keep you safe. A deep swell of pain had captured your heart when she hadn’t come.
You didn’t like any of it. There had never been a desire to rely on someone so heavily before. You couldn’t--and wouldn’t--acknowledge how it felt. Your work became a much more interesting prospect.
For the first time since you were a child, you were fully engaged in your duties around the palace. You forced yourself to pay complete attention at court, to participate, all of it. You left no opportunity for distraction.
It earned you a surprised, but proud look from your father. You were always well behaved at court though never like this. Normally, you were focused elsewhere. In the library, mainly, though you had other habits— habits you’d been sorely neglecting as of that.
That was how you found yourself out on the training grounds, trying and failing to throw your knives at the targets. You focused all of your thoughts into your movements, but would find them drifting back to the presence behind you.
Ten knives so far, only one hit the target. The edge of it, that is.
“Would you like some assistance?” Artemisia asked. You grit your teeth against the smile you could detect in her voice.
“I’m perfectly fine, thank you.” You said without turning around.
“I see, your goal is to miss the target.”
You turned to glare at her, only to see her approaching anyway with a smug smirk. She turned you back around so that you were facing the target, guiding your arm.
“Start with your arm back here and when it reaches your ear, release the knife.”
Nodding, you did your best to focus on her words and not the sudden way her hands had been on you. Your eyes zeroed in on the target and you swung, releasing the knife as she instructed, but it still failed to accurately hit the target. She let out a curious hum.
“Your form is your downfall. Correct your feet.” She instructed.
You moved your feet into what you thought was the right stance, but she sighed. Part of you wished to give up on the whole endeavor and return to the library. Knives, swords, and armor had never been your expertise -- or even your goal.
A hand grabbed your ankle and you jumped, letting out a squeak. The Commander looked up into your eyes and waited patiently for you to recover. You wished she wouldn’t attempt to move you without warning, but your request was likely to get you nothing but an eye roll. Slowly, you returned to your former placement.
“Are you sure you were trained by the army commander?” She asked, correcting the direction and placement of your stance.
“Of course I am. Why do you ask?”
“I find it difficult to believe anyone he trained could have such an atrocious stance.”
A scowl replaced what had previously been a curious expression. She made no efforts to act ashamed of her comment.
“You do realize you’re within kicking range.” You asked, raising an eyebrow. Sure it was childish, but it would serve her right, you thought.
“I’m well aware,” Artemisia said, but was unbothered as she also corrected your posture, “Keep your abdomen tight. Don’t slouch. Now, go again.”
It wasn’t often that someone else was giving you orders, but you obeyed them nonetheless. Taking a deep breath in, you held it, and went through the motions a few times as practice. On the third practice swing, the knife flew from your hand unrestricted. It landed just outside of the bullseye.
You clapped your hands together in front of you and turned to her, a triumphant smile playing on your lips. She stared at the target for a beat before offering a nod.
“Not terrible.”
Not the most warm compliment, but you took it. You felt invigorated by the small achievement and collected your knives to continue practicing. Over the course of another hour, you had moved your aim closer to the bullseye, but had not managed to hit it. You called it a day when anger began to build.
It had been your hope to impress the Commander with a significant improvement. When none seemed forthcoming, frustration quickly festered in your gut. Ending the session before you became irrationally upset seemed the best course of action.
You walked away from the target and Artemisia followed behind quietly. She feared nothing, but the set of your shoulders left her quiet. Before you disappeared into your chambers to no doubt sulk, she cleared her throat.
“You’re a quick study. Mastering the skill won’t take much longer.” She offered.
The urge to let your jaw drop was astounding. You held back, not wanting to humiliate her. It was kind of her to offer you that comfort. Instead, you nodded.
“Thank you, Commander.”
And as you stepped into your chambers, you felt a smile break out onto your face.
----
You threw yourself into training after that. For some time every morning and every evening before dark, you would stand on the training grounds and throw countless knives at targets. Only once had you hit the center.
It’d been a complete accident, if you were being honest with yourself. The rhythm of throwing the knives and the frustration of missing created a lull. Your mind detached from your body as it moved of its own accord. In that mindless state, your knife embedded itself into the very center of the target, knocking you forcefully back into reality.
Excitement coursed through your veins and you immediately turned to beam at the Commander. She offered the closest thing to a smile you’d ever seen before. It wasn’t much beyond the corner of her mouth twitching upwards, but it’d left you on a high for hours afterwards.
Since then you had been attempting to recreate that same easy, mindless state; all so you could see her smile at you again.
----
For weeks after you had been steadily improving on your aim with the knives, but none of them had quite earned you the same reaction. Still, your stubborn nature refused to let you quit. You were going to prove you were capable, you thought, that was the only reason you were working so hard.
The two of you had fallen into a bit of a habit. You would leave your chambers after sunrise for the training grounds and she’d follow, overseeing the training with a sharp eye. Every now and again, she’d give you instructions or adjust your stance, but that was all.
Today, something about the Commander seemed different. Off. Her skin was always a smooth porcelain, but today there was a sickly tinge to it. You didn’t acknowledge it as you didn’t want to bother her. Though it became more pronounced as the day went on, until it felt wrong to ignore it.
“Commander, are you quite alright?” You asked quietly, watching her expression.
“Perfectly fine, your highness.” She answered quickly. Too quickly. The set of her jaw told you otherwise.
“Mm. I call bull.”
There was no time for her to react to your statement, before you had stopped in your walk. You invaded her personal space and pressed the back of your hand to her forehead. The searing heat there startled you almost as much as her lack of reflexes.
“You’re burning up. How long have you been feeling ill?” You asked, pulling a handkerchief from your sleeve to dab at the sweat on her face.
“Since this morning.” Artemisia said stiffly.
“And you’ve been ignoring it since then? Honestly, you’re supposed to be the intelligent one here.” You sighed, grabbing her and pulling her in the direction of the healer, “We’ll get you seen to immediately.”
For a moment, you could see the apprehension on her features. But whatever had gotten to her must have been affecting her more than she was letting on. She didn’t argue or attempt to combat your decision, she didn’t even make a comment on it. It’d rendered her almost mute.
Her body was pressing into your side more and more. She was losing the strength to hold herself up after having done so all day. It inspired a wave of fear in you seeing her so weak, but you tried to maintain a brave face.
“We’re almost there,” You said softly, squeezing the hand in your own, “Then this will all be handled.”
All she offered you was a grunt and you took it. It seemed better than nothing.
You let decorum fly out the window as you reached the healer, practically beating on the door in your haste. The Commander was slender, but almost completely muscle. Her weight against you was almost too much for you to maintain.
“Your highness, what are you-” The healer asked, taking in the situation curiously.
“She’s ill. I need you to see her immediately.” You demanded and entered the room without being invited.
A long, comfortable looking lounger rested against the wall and you made a beeline for it. Artemisia’s legs were still moving and you took that as a good sign. She was still fighting against whatever was overcoming her. You laid her gently on the lounger and dabbed at her brow again. She attempted to push your hand away.
“Stop fighting me. I’m trying to help.” You hissed.
“Go.”
Despite the weakness that was clear in her form, her tone was stern. As if she was back to normal for only a moment. It made you hesitate, looking down at her in disbelief.
“What? I’m not going-”
“It may be better that way, your highness,” The healer spoke up, looking at the woman with an expression that you didn’t like, “I won’t be able to do much if you’re fussing over her as well.”
“Go.” She repeated.
Leaving her side was the last thing you wanted to do, but you also wanted her to get better. If it was better for you to be absent, you accepted, then you would go. You wouldn’t have to like it.
“Fine. I’ll go, but I want to be updated every hour on her condition. And you,” You said sternly, pressing your handkerchief into her clenched fist, “You have to return this to me when you’re well. Do you understand?”
“Yes. Now go.”
You gave the healer a nod, before finally obeying the Commander’s wishes. The thought of leaving the room made you feel sick to your stomach. There had been a look in the healer’s eye, some sort of pity, that you hated. You didn’t want to think about what it would mean.
Every place you attempted to go reminded you of the situation. Her presence lurked in every corner, reminding you of her sharp wit and steady presence. As you had declared, an update was brought to you every hour, but nothing had changed enough to put you at ease. You didn’t touch any of the food your servants brought and you didn’t dare look in the direction of your work.
Nothing could ease the feelings in your gut. The feelings of fear and desperation, but also the thought that you were missing something. Some piece of the situation. It nagged at the back of your mind and wouldn’t let you go.
“Your highness?”
Snapping from your thoughts, you looked up into the tired face of a servant. You realized in a moment that more time had passed than you thought. Sitting up straighter in your chair, you nodded for the servant to go on.
“The healer is requesting your presence, your highness.”
That was all it took. Like a shot, you were off, meeting up with the healer outside of his chambers. He looked as tired as you felt. You knew it’d probably be kind to inquire after him, but you didn’t care about him right now.
“How is she, sir?” You asked, casting anxious glances at the closed doors.
“It has been a long night, princess. She seems to be improving, but…”
“But?”
“I wanted you here in case her health took a turn for the worst. It isn’t unlikely in a case such as this.”
“And what is that?” You said, fingernails digging into your arm folded over your chest. The thought of her not making it had sent your heart into a frantic beat.
“From my expertise, I believe the Commander has been poisoned.” He said patiently.
“Poisoned? That’s not possible, she’s been with me. She hasn’t had time to be poisoned.”
“I understand that, princess, but that is what the signs tell me.”
“Are you sure that your signs can’t be wrong?”
The healer gave a deep sigh. You knew you were being irrationally combative, but it was easier than accepting the possibility of what he was implying.
“I would recommend remaining at her side during this time, your highness. I will be close if you need my services.” He said, exhaustion in his voice.
You nodded and rushed into the room. A faint sliver of moonlight illuminated the space aside from the few torches. Artemisia remained on the lounger where you’d helped her sit, but she was asleep now. As you approached, you could see that her pallor hadn’t improved. The sickly tinge remained and pulled at your chest.
A sheen of sweat covered her face that you could see. Unconsciously, you reached inside of your sleeve for your handkerchief. You realized when you came up empty. The cloth was still clutched firmly in her hand even in sleep. You refused to disturb her, as you had charged her with giving it back to you. Either she’d return it or you didn’t want it at all.
Another cloth laid on a nearby table and you grabbed it. Pulling up a chair as quietly as possible, you settled at her side. You made slow, careful swipes across her face with the towel. She didn’t stir.
“You’ve given me a scare, Commander,” You whispered as you went about your task, “And now the healer is saying things could still go… wrong. That’s unacceptable.”
She didn’t stir or react in the slightest to your words. You hated it. She was a notoriously light sleeper as you’d learned; with less and less guards available from your father, you would lock the library doors every morning and let her rest. The slightest shift in your seat and she’d move, however unconsciously. If you moved, she was awake and out of her seat in seconds.
“The healer says you were poisoned, but I don’t know how. You haven’t moved away from me in days. I think we’d both notice if something had bitten you.”
A thought that maybe you hadn’t put you on edge. Surely even if you missed such a thing, the Commander wouldn’t have. She made up for your lack of awareness of your surroundings.
“Anyway, you’ll be recovered soon. You’re far too stubborn not to be.”
There was a noise outside of the window that drew your attention away. You slowly realized that it was the chirping of birds. Moving over to the curtains, you opened them a little more to peer out, and found yourself surprised at the pink coloring the horizon. The sun was rising.
“I… I’ve been awake all night, it seems,” You said aloud, looking back even though you knew she wouldn’t wake. Returning to her side, you maintained your gaze outside of the window, “The audacity you have to be ill now. This is the last thing I imagined for our first sunrise-”
Oh.
You felt as if someone had reached into your chest and wrapped their fist around your heart. It felt like the organ would stop beating at any moment from the pain you felt. This whole time… It was so clear now; you had fallen in love with the Commander. The sharp, aloof woman had captured your heart.
Now she was laying weak and potentially dying at your side. A feeling of total helplessness washed over you, igniting a fury that you hadn’t expected. You vowed to destroy whoever was behind this.
“You’re not allowed to leave me, Commander,” You whispered finally, “Not until we finish this.”
Overwhelmed by your emotions and the lack of responsiveness, you finally let yourself cry.
----
The first thing you registered was a warm hand on your shoulder. Not gripping it, but resting there. You wondered who was bold enough to touch you so casually.
Raising your head, you winced against the bright light filling the room. Squinting against the light, a pair of eyes met yours. You remembered where you were and who those eyes belonged to.
“You’re awake.” You whispered, not bothering to stop your smile.
“I am.” Artemisia nodded, “It’s comforting that your skills of deduction haven’t abandoned you.”
You were so happy to hear her voice that you could almost ignore the teasing. The barely-there smirk gave you the deepest urge to kiss her. It was all you could think about, but you held yourself back.
“Good to see you’re still you.” You said. Though you tried to make it sound sarcastic, there was too much genuine happiness behind it to stick.
She only nodded, her smirk growing a little wider. It started you when she began to shift and suddenly held something out in front of you. You took a few moments before realizing what it was.
“You demanded that I return it.” She said.
You recalled that. In the heat of the moment, you had only wanted to give her something to hold onto. Something to anchor her to life. She was too hard headed to leave with unfinished business.
“Keep it,” You finally said, pressing it back into her hand, “It’s yours now.”
She looked as if she wanted to argue, but instead she gave you a nod. Any anxious feelings in your gut melted away. You knew what you were doing, how you were leaving yourself open by giving it to her. You didn’t care anymore. Not after last night.
“Your highness?” A small voice called from outside, before the door opened. Standing there with a tray was a servant bearing a tray of food, “I’ve brought a meal for the Commander.”
The tray was set down in front of you and she took her leave. Artemisia didn’t hesitate to pick at the offerings. That nagging feeling from the day before was back in your brain and without warning, you knocked the food from her hand.
“Don’t eat that.”
“Do you expect me to starve?” She said, looking unamused.
“Did you eat before going to the training grounds with me yesterday?” You asked.
“I beg your pardon?”
“By the gods, Artemisia, just answer the question. Did you or did you not eat before we went to the training grounds?”
“Of course, your highness.”
You could see the exact moment that it clicked in her mind. The sickness had rendered a little slower than normal, but she was still extremely sharp. You removed the plate and set it down on a separate table, moving to rush from the area. A hand on your arm stopped you.
“It stands to reason, princess, that if these attacks are no longer exclusive to you…” Artemisia started.
“Then you won’t be the only one in danger.” You finished, your heart dropping. She released your arm after you gave it a squeeze, rushing out of the room.
Stood obediently were two guards. They looked bored when you rushed from the room, before standing up straighter and attempting to look attentive. Their appearance was the last thing on your mind.
“Do not let anyone in that room, do you understand?” You rushed out, barely giving them time to react before taking off at a run.
You paid no mind to the curious looks and the whispers as you ran past. Servants and individuals would move quickly out of your way, staring after you in surprise. You stopped to offer nobody an explanation. Not for the first time, you cursed the placement of the healer’s chambers in the palace. It made no sense to have someone so vital at the furthest point away from you.
It was the least important thing on your list of tasks at the moment, but you’d be glad that it’d finally be fixed. You had been complaining about it for ages.
As you ran, you bunched your skirts at your hips, cursing their length. They were dreadful for running. Naturally, they had no reason to be. You found yourself wishing for one of Artemisia’s dresses. The slits where the legs were would make running and moving much easier. Unfortunately, there wasn’t time for a wardrobe change.
You rounded the last corner to the dining hall and found yourself running straight at the doors. Two guards stood outside the doors, exchanging a glance and then looking at you.
“Open the doors!” You yelled, putting all of your energy into the last length towards the doors. Your calf muscles screamed in protest.
The doors were opened just in time. You had been moving so fast that you weren’t sure you could slow down otherwise. It would have been humiliating to run face-first into the stone doors, though you gathered your brother would get a laugh out of it. Artemisia would no doubt find it amusing too.
Your father and brother were seated at opposite ends of the table. The former was just bringing the first spoonful to his lips when you burst in, his head snapping up in surprise.
“Don’t eat that!” You said, rushing to his side and shoving the plate out of his reach, before looking to Xerxes, “You either. It’s poisoned.”
The spoon fell heavily from your father’s hand. He rose with a scowl, taking in your disheveled appearance with a critical eye. Your lungs were burning, but you resisted the urge to take deep gulps of air.
“How do you know this, sister?” Xerxes spoke first, standing from his seat as well.
“The Commander’s food was poisoned yesterday. I didn’t make the connection until her meal was brought to us.”
“Us?” Xerxes questioned, your father cutting in before he could go further.
“Not now, my son. You are sure of this?”
“I’ve never been more sure, Baba.”
He nodded, turning to a guard at his side. There was no doubt that he’d been listening intently, but he offered no sign of it. His visage was entirely neutral.
All of those in the kitchen were rounded up and brought before the three of you. You and Xerxes stood on either side of your father, while he stayed seated. His hands were folded tightly over his middle, knuckles almost going white as they were brought in. The room was as silent as the crypt.
“Is this all of you?” Your father asked in a terse voice.
“Yes, your majesty.” The head of the kitchen said, bowing his head when your father looked at him, “This is everyone employed in the kitchens.”
He grunted, looking up and down the line of shaking servants. Every head was bowed in submission. In a surprising move, your father turned to you, motioning for you to take over. You nodded and tried to keep a level stare over all of them.
“One, or maybe more of you, have betrayed this family. Yesterday someone important to our country was poisoned and now there has been an attempt on my father and my brother; your king and crown prince. I urge you to come forward now and face your punishment with grace.” You spoke clearly, watching them with a sharp eye.
None stepped forward, though you hadn’t really expected them to. One servant drew your attention more than the others though. Her head was lowered, but her eyes were darting every-which-way, and her frame had started to shake slightly. You raised an eyebrow and looked at your family. They had noticed as well.
With slow, deliberate steps, you walked up to stand before the shaking woman. She was only slightly shorter than you were. Her body tensed, but it didn’t stop her nervous reaction.
“What is your name?” You asked, your voice feeling loud in the silence.
“Madhavi, your highness.” She whispered.
“Is there something you’d like to share, Madhavi?”
Her frightened eyes flickered up to yours for a split second. When she saw how intensely you were staring her down, they returned to the floor. She shook her head. You maintained your stare for a long beat and then turned. Ignoring the curious looks of your father and brother, you caught the attention of the guards behind them.
“Take her away.” You ordered and they moved immediately, clasping a hard grip around each of her arms. She tried to fight and pull away from the guards.
“It wasn’t intentional!” The woman yelled suddenly. You held up a hand for the men to pause.
“And what was it then?”
“I swear it wasn’t on purpose, your highness. The woman handed me what I thought was a seasoning and I’ve seen her around here so often that I took her word for it.”
“What woman?” You asked, brow furrowing.
The doors to the room, the doors you’d burst through earlier, opened suddenly. Artemisia stood there in all of her glory, shoving a familiar face ahead of her. You felt your breath stutter.
“I believe this is the woman she’s referring to, your highness.” Artemisia said, forcing the woman onto her knees.
You approached slowly. The world felt like it was spinning around you. Briefly, you met the Commander’s eyes, feeling utterly confused. Then you finally stared into Fairuza’s hardened face.
“How?” You asked, “How could you do this, after everything we’ve done for you?”
“Everything you’ve done for us? You worked my husband like a dog and gave him next to nothing. He may have been too delusional to see your cruelty, but I am not.” Fairuza spat.
The necklace around her neck glinted. Finally you recognized the single, blue scale resting against her jugular. It was revealed as Artemisia yanked back on her hair, attempting to silence the disrespect coming from her mouth.
“Bahman was paid a fair wage that was more than suitable. If he didn’t reveal that all to you, then that is out of my control,” You said slowly, before grabbing Fairuza’s chin and forcing her to lock gazes with you, “What is in my control is your fate. And it is going to be a terrible one.”
You looked up into Artemisia’s face, seeing a look of curiosity there. You wanted to tell her that this was all for her, that every punishment the woman would endure would be for her. Bahman’s death would haunt the woman’s mind, but Artemisia’s near-death would haunt her body.
“You will pay for your crimes over the rest of your days. I hope it was worth it.” You whispered, releasing her face and motioning for the guards to release the other woman, in favor of grabbing Fairuza.
The lack of fight in the woman made you feel uneasy, but you didn’t waver from your spot until she was completely out of sight. You heard your father dismiss the rest of the staff while you stood, unsure of what to do next. Artemisia’s hand on your arm drew you from your thoughts.
“How are you feeling?” You asked.
“I’m fine, princess. Though I should ask you that.”
“I’d be better if I hadn’t just condemned a woman to a lifetime of torture,” You said, trying to laugh, but it came out terribly bitter, “Now I have to figure out what to do with her daughter.”
“You will find an answer. You always do.”
----
The wind swept through your hair and rustled your dress. You pulled the blanket on your shoulders tighter around you. Despite the sunshine, it had done little to warm you. You peered around the corner with slight impatience.
“Anahita, stay away from the rose bushes,” You called out, “Come inside, it’s almost dark.”
A little head of hair popped up amongst the plants. You felt a smile blossom on your face, almost rivaling the flowers surrounding you in the garden. Ever since Fairuza had been revealed as the traitor, her daughter had come into your care. They lacked any other family who could take her and you’d been happy to do so.
“Coming!” She called, though you knew it’d be at least another five minutes until she actually came inside.
“Still allowing her to run your schedule, I see.”
You turned to see Artemisia propped against the doorway. Her arms boasted a speckled pattern that you recognized as blood. She hadn’t stopped to freshen up before seeking you out, making you her first stop after returning.
“She’s not the only one,” You smiled, approaching her, “Welcome back, Commander.”
Instead of returning your greeting, she gripped the blanket around your shoulders and pulled you into a rough kiss. You melted into the embrace. Her lips were bruising, telling you just how much you’d been missed. A soft whimper left your mouth before you remembered where you were and pulled away.
Your forehead pressed against hers as you took in a ragged breath. A smile pulled at the corner of her mouth and you wanted to kiss it away. Before you could do so, a little pair of arms wrapped themselves around the both of you.
“Hello, Commander!” Anahita said joyfully, looking up at the woman with a bright grin.
“Good evening, Anahita. I trust you’re behaving?” Artemisia said. Her voice was a little more stilted with the girl than with you, but she offered an awkward pat to the girl’s shoulder.
“Of course.”
Artemisia gave her a nod. You wanted to laugh at how uncomfortable the child still made her, though Anahita clearly admired her. She was getting better slowly.
“Alright, you. It’s time for bed,” You said to the girl, pushing her towards the doors. Turning to the Commander, you looked her up and down slowly, “And it is time for you to clean yourself up.”
“Mm. And will you be joining me?” She asked, only loud enough for the two of you to hear.
“We’ll see.”
Artemisia raised an eyebrow, but you only offered a coy smile. You ushered Anahita inside after stealing a quick kiss from the warrior. The excitement settling in your gut made you eager to return to the woman, but you had your duties to the girl first.
----
After getting Anahita into bed and reading her a story, you had rushed back to your chambers. There you found Artemisia submerged in a warm bath, steam rolling off of the water, her arms propped over the sides enticingly. You traced her muscles with your eyes before meeting her gaze. No matter how quiet you tried to be, she always knew you were there.
“Nice of you to join me, your highness.” She said.
“I’m sorry. Anahita wanted a story and I couldn’t deny her. It was hard to get her to sleep, she’ll likely be all over you tomorrow.”
You came to stand next to the bath, intertwining her fingers with your own. Her face didn’t change, but she squeezed your hand lightly.
“We’ll deal with that then. Join me.”
And join her you did. You laid in the warm water with her, exchanging kisses and words, until it had long gone cold. Even after that you didn’t sleep. You propped yourself near the window, watching the stars in the sky as she wrapped herself around you from behind. A pair of lips pressed a kiss behind your ear.
The two of you ventured into more physical pursuits until the morning, leaving you feeling pleasantly sore. Your head was laid on her chest when the sound of chirping caught your attention. Outside of the window, the sun was coming across the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant orange.
“It’s sunrise.” You remarked with a smile.
“So it is.”
“We met at sunrise. Do you remember?”
“I remember you attempting to give me orders, but not that it was sunrise.”
“You ruined my morning. I was so furious with you and I hated you for what felt like ages. Though somehow you wormed your way into my good graces.” You said, pressing a kiss just above her heart.
“We’ve never shared a sunrise.”
“Not on good terms. The only other time, you were… I thought you were going to leave. I couldn’t enjoy it like I wanted, especially since you weren’t awake to see it.”
“I owe you two more sunrises, then?” Artemisia inquired, trailing a hand down the side of your face. The gentle touch left you breathless.
“You owe me far more than that.” You grinned, leaning up to steal a kiss.
Few things may attempt to beat the painted skies of the morning, swirling with pinks and oranges. The birds singing in the trees, calling for the world to wake. Few things are more beautiful than a Persian sunrise - but watching a Persian sunrise in the arms of someone you love is definitely one of them
#artemisia#300: rise of an empire#artemisia 300#artemisia x reader#artemisia imagine#artemisia 300: rise of an empire#300: rise of an empire imagine#300#300 imagine#wlw#wlw imagine#april2021#multimilfswritings
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Hey if your requests are still open can you write a story about artemisia finding out she’s pregnant but also being told she’s being assigned to protect the Princess of Sparta who she eventually falls in love with.
Accident
Warnings: Mentions of implied sexual abuse, strangers to friends to lovers, fluff,
Word count: 1.9 K
Pairing: Artemisia x Fem!Reader
Prompt: Artemisia with a baby. You don't need more explanation and/or context.
Requests: OPEN
[Main masterlist] [Eva Green characters]
I know my capabilities. I know what I am capable of, what I can improve and how little I am bad at. My soldiers knew it, my enemies knew it. But none so much as my lord, the great King Darius; so much so that he allowed me to be the guardian of his youngest daughter, Princess Y/N.
Of course, this has its advantages and disadvantages.
My king had full confidence in me to place his most precious treasure in my care. This made my chest swell with pride.
But, being on the lookout for a spoiled child like Princess Y/N, I had to say goodbye to my faithful friend, the ocean.
The sea, the port and my ship would always be an important part of my history, being the only thing I had known throughout my life. They would always be a part of my life. Despite the gulp of salt water I got the last time I was in those parts.
Before I could ramble on, the palace doors opened abruptly, causing me to cut myself with the small dagger I was playing with.
"So here you are."
And there was my least favorite voice, the voice of Princess Y/N. Sometimes I really felt like I was going to rip her head off every time I heard her voice.
"Yes, I was trying to find my happiness, and you just scared it away."
"Ha ha, even though I really love your jokes, I need you to stop slacking off and accompany me to the market."
"Do I have an option class?"
"Not unless you want to continue to keep your own head."
Before I could comment any further, the princess's head disappeared, letting me know that I had no choice.
I put my gun away and set out to follow the woman.
———————————————————————————
The market always caused me headaches and some dizziness, but today, these symptoms were only getting worse.
"Hey, will you stop being so slow?" shouted the princess just watching as I reloaded my weight in my hand back onto a bard. After a while, I still didn't move "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine" just as I tried to keep walking, but, I felt my head getting even dizzier.
"No, you're not well."
Without much time to process, I felt my legs fail me, but just before my chest hit the ground, the princess's arms caught me.
"Okay, all in all, you're not well."
———————————————————————————
"Okay, tell me, what the fuck happened to you?"
the princess asked as she wrung out a wet cloth to put on my forehead.
"I told you I don't know."
"So, you're fainting just because?"
"May I not faint!"
The princess changed the cloth to proceed to sit on the small bed she had forced me to lie on.
A silence fell between us, me trying to calm my breathing, while T/Y began to play with her fingers, her eyes fixed on the dock.
"Have you had any other symptoms?"
"What?"
"Did it hurt any more, silly?!"
"I don't remember."
"Have you been feeling tired?"
"More than usual."
"Do you feel nauseous in the morning?"
"Not just in the morning" that's when I realized something wasn't quite right. "In fact, I also feel like throwing up when the sea breeze hits my nose."
"The smell of the sea?" I nodded. "How strange, more so being you."
Again an awkward silence filled the room. Until suddenly the princess jumped to her feet.
"Sure!, you're pregnant!"
"Of course not!"
"Does my father know that you are still in service despite your condition?"
"What condition?"
"Well, your pregnancy."
"THAT I'M NOT PREGNANT, DAMN IT!" the shout startled the princess so much that it made her suddenly shut up "excuse me."
"When was the last time you had blood coming out down there?"
Seeing that the princess was taking the conversation very seriously, I got out of bed and sat up.
"I don't really remember."
"Were you with your boyfriend these past few days?"
"Boyfriend?, what are you talking about, a person like me doesn't have time to have partners?"
"So, how the hell did you get pregnant?" we both stared at each other, until the memory came to my mind making me look away uncomfortably. "Artemisia, are you okay?"
"Actually… if anything happened."
———————————————————————————
Weat was running down my forehead, while a constant stabbing pain in my spine, my hips and my pelvic bone causing me to start pushing unconsciously.
For the first time in my life I could say that I was completely terrified.
"Where is she, is she okay?" A tiny, tiny part of my heart felt so much better as soon as I heard T/Y's voice. She quickly walked over to me.
"Are you okay, how are you feeling?"
"Never in my life… have I ever felt as much pain as I did today" I found it hard to speak, the pain was killing me. "And that… I've been pierced in the stomach with a sword."
We both let out a little giggle.
"I'm glad to hear that at least you still have that acidic sense of humor."
Before I could answer her anything, a stabbing pain in my hip made it impossible for me to think of anything but a piercing scream; causing Y/N herself to freak out.
"Princess" one of the nurses called her attention to her "she's about to give birth".
———————————————————————————
"Are you okay?"
"Do you realize this is like the eighth time you've asked me that?"
I myself laughed as I watched T/N move from one side of the room to the other, holding the baby in her arms.
"Do you have any names for him yet?"
As time passed, T/N and I became close. She was the only friend I had. She helped me a lot during the pregnancy, with my job and especially with her father. But I still hadn't been 100 percent honest with her. Maybe it's time to be.
"Can I be honest with you?"
"I thought we were friends…" commented the princess as she looked away from the bundle in her arms to look at me.
"We are" I confirmed
"Friends are sincere," she commented, turning her attention back to the baby.
Inhale a large amount of air and exhale slowly.
"I don't know if I want to keep the baby…."
"What?" she stopped abruptly and started walking straight toward me.
"You said you weren't going to judge me!"
"I'm not judging you…just that" she lifted the baby a little so that he was at my eye level "Who wouldn't want this little fish?" she spoke as she pursed her lips, eliciting a sweet, soft voice for the sleeping child's comfort.
I have to admit, they were both completely adorable in my eyes.
"It's not a matter of wanting it or not" I began to speak, trying to stop T/N from putting the child in my exhausted arms "it's simple. I don't know if you remember, your majesty" I watched as the princess rolled her eyes. I laughed internally and continued to make my point "I am part of your father's military corps and one of my main jobs was to protect you, not the other way around."
"If it's the child's safety you're concerned about, I can take care of him"
"Are you crazy?"
"Why?"
"What would your dad say?, what would your brother say?, what would the kingdom say?"
"I thought you realized that I don't care about the opinion of either my dad, or my inept brother, much less the town when I try to run away hiding on a boat." we both laughed. "We can both raise little Hossein. You and me against the world."
"Hossein?"
"Yes, it means beautiful. Just like this baby, right?" she spoke softly as she bounced the baby a little. "Are you just as beautiful as your mommy?"
"I am not beautiful" I commented as I closed my eyes with the intention of sleeping for a moment.
"Did you hear that, little Hossein, you and I will have to prove to your mommy that she is the most beautiful woman to ever walk the planet."
———————————————————————————
Time passed faster than I would like to admit. And with it, my responsibilities increased. I no longer had to take care of one child, now I had to take care of two.
"Artemisia!"
Not to mention the many tasks that the king gave me.
"Yes, sir, can I help you?"
"No, my daughter, I've just been told by some people that you should see your little ones more often" he smiled at me.
Before he could ask, the door to the throne room crashed open, letting the screams of T/N and Hossein echo throughout the palace.
"Slow down T/N!" shouted the little boy.
"You'll never catch me you little fish!"
As my eyes watched the two unruly little ones screaming and running back and forth, behind me the king's laughter puzzled me a little.
"Oh my daughter, you don't know how much I appreciate the youth and laughter your little Hossein has brought."
"You two, that's enough!"
Both quickly stopped their laughter and stood still. T/N even had to climb down from a step that simulated an obstacle in their game.
"I'm sorry, Mommy" little Hossein pouted rather adorably.
"Yes, sorry mommy."
I had to admit that, when T/N called me mommy, I felt a little electric shock in my intimate part.
"Where have they been?"
"I was with Panem, he promised me he would teach me how to fight, just like you" the boy commented, giving me a toothy smile, the cutest smile I had ever seen.
"That's great, kiddo," I smiled back as my hand tousled his hair. Our way of showing affection for each other. "And you?" I pointed at T/N with my chin.
"I went to see the oracle."
"What for?"
"I tasked her with some important questions for the nation," interrupted the king, winking at T/N.
"Well children, let the king do his job."
My two hands rested on the backs of both of them and guided them out of the room.
Before I knew it Hossein ran off leaving T/N and I alone.
"What did you go to consult the oracle for?"
"My father told you the reason."
"Honey, you know I'm very fond of your father and I'm as close to fond of you as I can get, but I don't think shit of it."
I tried to make her laugh, but T/N just looked at the floor, somewhat uncomfortable.
"If I tell you the real reason, you'll laugh at me."
"Princess, I would never laugh at you."
"Close your eyes" I looked at her suspiciously. "Trust me."
I closed my eyes as instructed, but we didn't move or do anything.
Which began to intrigue me even more.
When I least realized it, T/N's lips collided with mine stealing a kiss, to which I responded almost immediately.
I didn't know that I needed a kiss from T/N's lips in order to be completely happy.
When shortness of breath set in and we had to separate, we both gave each other a smile.
"Hmm I didn't know I wanted this so badly."
"You wanted it too?"
"Sure, T/N. Remember, it's you and me against the world."
"You, me and Hossein" reminded me T/N.
"Sure, let's not forget the little fish. You, Hossein and me."
Note:
It took me a lot longer than I would have liked (college, 104°F heat, and going to my hometown PRIDE march is tough) but IT'S HERE.
Thank you very much for requesting me. I love you ❤
I hope you enjoy it
I appreciate the reblogs, the likes and the comments
taglist: @littlebitchsposts // @xxsekhmet
message me or send an ask to be added to my taglist!
#artemisia x reader#artemisia i de caria x reader#artemisia x fem!reader#artemisia i de caria x fem!reader#eva green#eva green x reader#300 movies#300 rise of an empire#eva green imagine#lgbtq#lesbian
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For his next feat, Laurent Binet should write a children’s book in Python code, or recreate the Bible as a cellphone contract, or translate Socratic dialogues into two dogs sniffing each other at the off-leash park. His debut, “HHhH,” was a meta-historiographical telling of the 1942 assassination of the alpha Nazi Reinhard Heydrich; its successor, “The Seventh Function of Language,” was a detective story about the sudden death of Roland Barthes that treated 1970s French literary theorists like louche rock gods and badass gangsters. His latest, which attests to his status as one of the most intellectually game writers of our time, is a totalized counterfiction of post-1492 world history.
“Civilizations” opens as a heroic Norse legend about the exploits of Freydis Eriksdottir. In Binet’s telling, she leaves behind her father, Erik the Red, to lead a 10th-century crew of loyal Greenlanders to Lambayeque, in northern Peru, where they settle peaceably with the locals. Moving ahead 500 years, Binet works up entries from Christopher Columbus’s God-besotted and misery-filled diary after he and his men cross the Atlantic and begin exploring the Caribbean, only to be fatally outmaneuvered by Taíno royals and warriors.
Then come the life and exploits of the early-16th-century Incan emperor Atahualpa. According to the established historical account, he was executed in Cajamarca, present-day Peru, by the Spanish not long after defeating his own brother, Huáscar, in a continent-spanning civil war. In Binet’s version, young Atahualpa faces only his brother in this conflict and manages to escape Huáscar’s forces by boat. His companions: a pet puma, a small group of fellow Quitonians and the multilingual Cuban princess Higuénamota, his most beloved and politically astute wife. Inspired by distant memories of the otherwise forgotten Columbus, they sail east, eventually arriving in a strange new place: “All of them — men, women, horses, llamas — had survived the great sea. They had reached the land of the rising Sun,” otherwise known as Portugal.
Counterhistorical fiction can provide dopamine-like delights when a writer successfully reverse-engineers the established hierarchies and terms of conventional history, geography and intercultural encounter. The highborn newcomers from the west, a land known as the Four Quarters, first meet in the east lowly “men in brown and white robes, the tops of their heads shaved,” who “knelt on the floor with their hands joined and their eyes closed, muttering inaudible sounds.” A very different kind of believer himself, Atahualpa calls for a ritual burning of meat to honor his sun god. The dirty, sickly, starving locals, who, like the monks, worship a “nailed god,” are drawn by the smell, and to the pitying disgust of the Quitonians, devour the sacred offerings and anything else they can find. Sensing weakness and opportunity all around him, Atahualpa begins making moves.
The Incan’s success owes a great deal to Europe’s fundamental divisiveness, Atahualpa’s own temperamental pragmatism and a reconciliation with his brother, who agrees to support Atahualpa’s campaign to rule the new “Fifth Quarter” to their mutual wealth and protection. After a quick and merciless massacre in Toledo, with tolerance shown for minorities otherwise facing the terms of Inquisition-era Catholicism, Atahualpa takes over Portugal, moves on to Spain and then begins dealing as an equal or better with Italy, France, England and Germany, all variously caught up in the fractures of the Reformation and anxieties about encroaching Islam.
Deploying the dutifully admiring voice and stilted, decorous style of an unnamed historical chronicler, Binet recounts court intrigues, diplomatic negotiations, religio-political conflicts, military expeditions, major battles, alliances made and broken through money and marriage and regencies, and also the expenses and problems of governing ever more land and people. All the while, Atahualpa’s looking out for better deals, possible betrayals and new challengers. Countless ordinary people die along the way.
If Binet played around with literary forms, genres and voices in his earlier fiction, here he and his translator, Sam Taylor, adopt them more straightforwardly, to balance out his imaginative incursion against history itself, even if this means the book can often be boring. This is a defiant, purposeful, unapologetic kind of boring. The very nature of a comprehensive chronicle of large-scale geographic, political, financial, religious and lineal conniving and convolution is necessarily complicated and dry, whether as history or counterhistory.
Fortunately, Binet’s historical feints afford imaginative frissons and relief from paragraph after paragraph of dutiful play-by-play about an empire in the making. Thomas More and Erasmus of Rotterdam exchange spirited letters about the possible harmony between Atahualpa’s sun deity religion and Christianity, while fretting about Henry VIII’s temptation to leave the church for a faith that doesn’t worry much about divorce and remarriage. Needing money from the German über-banker Jakob Fugger, Atahualpa agrees to get rid of Martin Luther for him, which in turn leads to theatrical public disputations and to someone nailing the “Ninety-Five Theses of the Sun” to the wooden doors of a German Incan temple. Machiavelli’s writings prove crucial to Atahualpa’s strategies and success; Copernicus’s heliocentric treatise is very well received by a sun-worshiping royal patron; Titian makes a series of paintings of the emperor at important moments; Michelangelo carves a statue of Atahualpa’s beloved Higuénamota “that can be found today in the great temple in Seville.”
Eventually, Binet torques his own fabulist arrangement: Mexican colonizers arrive in northern Europe. They are already overwhelming Huáscar back in the Four Quarters and are keen to take over the Fifth, too. A whole new set of geopolitical reimaginings and gyrations begins, which, amid much else, eventually sends a downtrodden Cervantes to this novel’s Old World to become an indentured writer. Binet ends by slyly inviting us to imagine Don Quixote, tilting at Aztec pyramids. Bravo and all, but after 300 pages, the counterhistorical starts to lose its charge, more predictable than provocative.
Binet proves, however, more than only a Borgesian magician. As much is evident, for instance, in the letters Atahualpa exchanges with Higuénamota while the Mexicans are advancing across France and the emperor is losing battles and allies fast. They write with the high tone and reserved style befitting both their stations and Binet’s unstinting devotion to form and genre, but greater feeling nevertheless emerges. It’s the feeling two people have when they have gone through much together, only to discover that they are suddenly, decisively living through history — on the losing side.
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Salt in the soil can aid archaeologists in some circumstances, but the same mineral can also be destructive, and is destroying heritage sites, according to the geoarchaeologist Jaafar Jotheri, who described salt as “aggressive … it will destroy the site – destroy the bricks, destroy the cuneiform tablets, destroy everything”.
The destructive power of salt is increasing as concentrations rise amid water shortages caused by dams built upstream by Turkey and Iran, and years of mismanagement of water resources and agriculture within Iraq.
“The salinity in Shatt al-Arab river started to increase from the 90s,” said Ahmad N A Hamdan, a civil engineer who studies the quality of the water in Iraq’s rivers. In his observations, the Shatt al-Arab – formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates - annually tests poor or very poor quality, especially in 2018, which he called a “crisis” year when brackish water sent at least 118,000 people to hospital in southern Basra province during a drought.
The climate crisis is adding to the problem. Iraq is getting hotter and dryer. The United Nations estimates that mean annual temperatures will rise by 2C by 2050 with more days of extreme temperatures of over 50C, while rainfall will drop by as much as 17% during the rainy season and the number of sand and dust storms will more than double from 120 per year to 300. Meanwhile, rising seawater is pushing a wedge of salt up into Iraq and in less than 30 years, parts of southern Iraq could be under water.
“Imagine the next 10 years, most of our sites will be under saline water,” said Jotheri, a professor of archaeology at Al-Qadisiyah University and co-director of the Iraqi-British Nahrein Network researching Iraqi heritage. He started to notice damage from salt at historic sites about a decade ago.
One spot suffering significant damage is Unesco-recognised Babylon, the capital of the Babylonian Empire, where a salty sheen coats 2,600-year-old mud bricks. In the Temple of Ishtar, the Sumerian goddess of love and war, the base of the walls are crumbling. In the depths of the thick wall, salt accumulates until it crystallises, cracking the bricks and causing them to break apart.
Other sites that have been affected are Samarra, the Islamic-era capital with its spiral minaret that is being eroded by sandstorms, and Umm al-Aqarib with its White Temple, palace and cemetery that are being swallowed up by the desert.
This year, Iraq lost a piece of its cultural heritage. On the edge of the desert, 150km south of Babylon, is a bed of salt that was once Sawa Lake. The spring-fed water was home to at least 31 species of bird, including the grey heron and the near-threatened ferruginous duck. Now, it is completely dry because of overuse of water by surrounding farms and climate change. Lack of enforcement of regulations over groundwater use means farmers can freely drill wells and plant wheat fields that are an eruption of lush green in the dusty desert landscape.
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Alternate Motivations || Aro Volturi (HC)
Requested by Anonymous: “can you write a headcanon of aro being a slave to the romanians in his human life?”
Hello there Anon! This is certainly a bit of an AU ask. I usually write within the realms of what can be considered canon. What we do know, is that Aro very much could be older than the Romanians or at least the same age. The Romanian Coven rose to prominence and began their terrifying rule over humans around year 1000 BC. By that time Aro had been a vampire for about 300 years and the Volturi had been around for 100 years. Didyme is also already dead. (I have my own personal headcanons/ret-cons about the timelines, but that's a whole other story)
So below will be some thoughts/headcanons of mine about how this potential backstory could have influenced Aro.
This would change A LOT, if everything else stays the same. God knows where Caius and Marcus is at this point. Because it is my firm belief that Aro very much was the driving force behind The Volturi. Caius and Athenodora are probably still nomads, and god knows what Marcus is doing. Perhaps he found his own coven.
But enter Aro, say he was born around year 0 AD in Greece. We are in the middle of the Roman conquest of Greece and we see the rise of the Roman Empire, even among humans it is a turbulent time. At this point the Romanians have an established rule of 1000 years. Also, vampires are not a secret to humans. The Romanians were open about what they were, and used humans like cattle. Aro would have heard terrible things about the monsters living north of his homeland.
I can imagine that if Aro ended up directly as a slave for the Romanians, he sadly would be dead. Because it doesn't sound like Vladimir and Stefan likes to keep their human slaves around for too long.
But I would honestly wager that just being human in a world were a powerful vampire coven is growing in strength every year is just as bad. I would not rest easy if I knew that 400 miles away from me there were indestructible vampires that wanted to feast on my blood.
If Aro does end up as a vampire in this timeline, I do believe he would have an even bigger chip on his shoulder when it comes to taking down The Romanians. Having suffered under them personally would shape his outlook on many different things.
The outcome of this timeline would also be that humanity would be under the Romanians rule for much longer. Vampires would be a larger part of history, documented and remembered with fear. Aro spent about 1000 years to build The Volturi before he overthrew Stefan, Vladimir & Co. I’d imagine with the odds stacked against him and the timing being much worse; that he would spend at least 1500 years building his own empire. Even then I don’t think it would be the same. So now we are at what we would call the Renaissance in Europe if it was the regular timeline. But with the Romanians in charge I highly doubt humanity in Europe would be able to flourish the way they have under The Volturi. I can’t even imagine what that would look like.
This is a darker timeline where establishing the secret and maintaining it would be much more difficult. But if anyone is driven and ambitious enough it probably is Aro.
#aro volturi#aro volturi headcanon#AU TIME!!#I tried to channel my inner Vinelle when writing this#Because they have the best metas tbh
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please infodump on zsasz
literally any and every thought youve got on him would be amazing
i love how you write zsasz !!!!
And I love you for loving my writing!!
As for an infodump where to start hhhhh
-Zsasz’s first appearance was in Shadow of the Bat #1 published in July 1992
-He was created by writer Alan Grant and artist Norm Breyfogle (RIP)
-Grant chose the last name ‘Zsasz’ because he randomly saw the name on a book in the library
-Zsasz was created to be Gotham’s Hannibal Lecter- An incredibly deadly, dangerous, cunning, intelligent monster in a human costume… minus the cannibalism, of course.
-Zsasz was first drawn with black scalera and white irises in Shadow of the Bat #4, when Batman grabs him by the back of the neck and pointedly tells Dr. Arkham, “THIS is madness!” This depiction, the opposite of how eyes look, was meant to represent Zsasz’s utter detachment from and lack of humanity. Over the years this depiction “evolved” into fucking Kamina shades because, hell, it was the 90s, I guess.
Zsasz’s backstory has been told two times that I care to recall*- once in the 1996 short story “The First Cut is the Deepest,” and in Rocksteady’s 2013 Arkham City game. In both of these instances, Zsasz is the one telling the story, which has always made me wonder just how truthful it is. Zsasz has no motive to lie or omit or exaggerate, but I’ve still felt like we don’t have the whole story of his fall as Victor and his rise as Zsasz. IF ONLY THE COWARDS AT DC WOULD WRITE A FUCKING YEAR ONE FOR HIM… (totally typed that as ‘for me’ at first….)
Danny Jacobs, the voice actor for Zsasz in the Arkham games, also voiced King Julien in the Penguins of Madagascar series.
I personally headcanon Zsasz as in his early 40s with anywhere from 200-300 kills
Zsasz started killing sometime after the age of 25- that was when his parents died in a completely normal and not at all suspicious as fuck boating accident. At that age, Victor had already graduated magna cum laude with a degree in business and started his own empire, amassing a small personal fortune. The death of his parents gave him a huge inheiritance on top of that; the immense depression that followed their deaths directed him to gambling (and, one can imagine, other vices), and within an unspecified amount of time (a year? Two?), he lost every dollar he had.
Victor Zsasz is canonically the only rogue who can successfully sneak up on Batman
Zsasz has absolutely no MO beyond “is this person alive?” He kills regardless of gender, age, race, etc. Diversity win! This serial killer kills everyonr equally!
In his debut, Zsasz was depicted as a patient far too dangerous to be allowed to walk free. He had a collar to which three guards would attach guidance poles to manuever him around. Zsasz was depicted as not even being allowed to have soap to wash his hands, nor being allowed to feed himself- “After what you did to that last orderly? He’ll never walk again!”
Due to the extreme nature of his confinement, Zsasz practices isometric exercises to stay in peak physical condition
I have been writing about Zsasz for maybe a decade now and DC continue to coward out when it comes to the rich potential Zsasz brings. I mean, he’s such a perfect g-ddamned foil for Batman! Both rich kids, from Gotham dynasties, both severely psychologically impacted by the sudden loss of parents, one young and with support, one an adult and with seemingly no one… Like, if the ages were different, if Victor had been eight and Bruce 25, would they have become who they are? Or would we have Murderous Mister Wayne and Bat-Zsasz? DC COME OUTSIDE I JUST WANT TO TALK
Victor is deathly allergic to pineapple
Zsasz canonically hates guns due to their noise and smell
Anthony Carrigan is a lovely guy but the character he played on Gotham was NOT Zsasz
Chris Messina is a lovely guy but the character he played in Birds of Prey was B A R E L Y Zsasz
Anyone who thinks Zsasz is the type of criminal who would team up with or work under the command of another criminal will see me haunting them every Thursday night at 11:46PM
“Streets of Gotham” fucking sucks
*(I guess his backstory was referenced in that whole Court of Owls bullshit but I choose to ignore said bullshit because they made Zsasz call Penguin “little bird man” and I hate it so much)
#zsasz#victor zsasz#mister zsasz#mr. zsasz#death mention#murder mention#ALL OF MY OPINIONS ARE GOOD ONES
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Songs I Listen to While Writing Sorted by Genre/Type of Scene
(Some songs will be in more than one category)
Romance Scenes-
we fell in love in october by girl in red
Strawberries and Cigarettes by Troye Sivan
Fool by Cavetown
Call Me by 90sFlav
Girls by girl in red
3AM by Finding Hope
Dream Girl by Anna of the North
Stay by Zedd & Alessia Cara
Somebody To Tell Me by Tyler Glenn
Secrets by One Republic
Paris by The Chainsmokers
Safe and Sound by Capital Cities
Wild Heart by Bleachers
A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
Fire on Fire by Sam Smith
Angel With a Shotgun by The Cab
She Looks So Perfect by 5 Seconds of Summer
Jet Pack Blues by Fall Out Boy
Trade Mistakes by Panic! At The Disco
When the Day Met the Night by Panic! At The Disco
Moral of the Story by Ashe
We Can’t Be Friends by Dream Koala
Public Making Out Is Like Ugh by DNE
Moon River by Audrey Hepburn
Mystery of Love by Sufjan Stevens
Alewife by Clairo
Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko
Futile Devices (Doveman Remix) by Sufjan Stevens
Midnight Love by girl in red
Calm Scenes-
Call Me by 90sFlav
5:32 by The Deli
Crush by Esthie
Coffee Breath by Sofia Mills
Santa Monica Dream by Angus & Julia Stone
Fool by Cavetown
Golden Hour by Jonathon Morali
Crosses by José González
Death Bed by Powfu (Beat Only)
3AM by Finding Hope
Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks
Shy Girl by Kedam
Counting Stars by One Republic
Kaleidoscope Eyes by Panic! At The Disco
She Had The World by Panic! At The Disco
This Is Home by Cavetown
Lua by Bright Eyes
Sweater Weather by The Neighborhood
Bedroom by Litany
FLAMIN HOT CHEETOS by Clairo
Will She Come Back by girl in red
To All Of You by Syd Matters
Sad/Emotional Scenes-
Obstacles by Syd Matters
Runaway by Aurora
Cancer by My Chemical Romance
Unsteady by X Ambassadors
State of Dreaming by MARINA
Raquel y Sergio Juntos by Ivan M. Lacamera
Coming Home by Falling in Reverse
Spanish Sahara by Foals
I’m Bad at Life by Falling in Reverse
7 Years by Lukas Graham
Lost It All by Black Veil Brides
Teen Idle by MARINA
Hall of Fame by The Script
Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish
21 Guns by Green Day
Pirate Love Song by Black Heart
Shatter Me by Lindsey Stirling
Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap
Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez
The Light Behind Your Eyes by My Chemical Romance
Helena (So Long and Goodnight) by My Chemical Romance
Famous Last Words by My Chemical Romance
I Don’t Love You by My Chemical Romance
The Ghost of You by My Chemical Romance
Bishop Knife Trick by Fall Out Boy
Indomitable by Casey Lee Williams
The End of All Things by Panic! At The Disco
Always by Panic! At The Disco
Impossible Year by Panic! At The Disco
Dying in LA by Panic! At The Disco
Northern Downpour by Panic! At The Disco
Far Too Young To Die by Panic! At The Disco
This Is Gospel by Panic! At The Disco
House of Memories by Panic! At The Disco
Moral of the Story by Ashe
Reason to Stay by Sody
Anchor by Novo Amor
Sober II (Melodrama) by Lorde
Mt. Washington by Local Natives
Mountains by Message To Bears
Action/Fight Scenes-
Finish Line by Skillet
I Ran (Epic Trailer Version) by Hidden Citizens
Another One Bites The Dust (Epic Trailer Version) by Hidden Citizens
Back From the Dead by Skillet
Never Give In by Black Veil Brides
The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy
DESTROYA by My Chemical Romance
Warriors by Imagine Dragons
Bella Ciao by Manu Pilas
What’s Up Danger by Blackway & Black Caviar
The Resistance by Skillet
Feel Invincible by Skillet
In The End by Black Veil Brides
Days Are Numbered by Black Veil Brides
Fallen Angels by Black Veil Brides
Caffeine by Casey Lee Williams
This Will Be The Day by Casey Lee Williams
300 Violin Orchestra by Jorge Quintero
Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
Ready Aim Fire by Imagine Dragons
Silent Running (Epic Trailer Version) by Hidden Citizens
I’d Love to Change the World (Matstubs Remix) by Jetta
Tommy’s Theme by NOISIA
The Sharpest Lives by My Chemical Romance
Mama by My Chemical Romance
My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up) by Fall Out Boy
The Carpal Tunnel of Love by Fall Out Boy
Young and Menace by Fall Out Boy
Happy/Fun Scenes-
Tongue Tied by Grouplove
Bang! by AJR
100 Bad Days by AJR
Wasted by Tiësto
3 Nights by Dominic Fike
City in a Garden by Fall Out Boy
I Took a Pill in Ibiza (SeeB Remix) by Mike Posner
Safe and Sound by Capital Cities
Collar Full by Panic! At The Disco
Ahead By a Century by The Tragically Hip
American Idiot by Green Day
Superhero by The Script
Wild Things by Alessia Cara
Here’s To Never Growing Up by Avril Lavigne
Do It All The Time by I Don’t Know How But They Found Me
Burn by Ellie Goulding
Move To Miami by Enrique Iglesias & Pitbull
Mad Hatter by Melanie Martinez
King of the World by Young Rising Sons
Bulletproof Heart by My Chemical Romance
Na Na Na by My Chemical Romance
Miss Missing You by Fall Out Boy
Where Did The Party Go by Fall Out Boy
Sunshine Riptide by Fall Out Boy
Last of the Real Ones by Fall Out Boy
Wilson (Expensive Mistakes) by Fall Out Boy
Time To Dance by Panic! At The Disco
Crazy=Genius by Panic! At The Disco
The Overpass by Panic! At The Disco
Roaring 20s by Panic! At The Disco
Victorious by Panic! At The Disco
LA Devotee by Panic! At The Disco
Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time by Panic! At The Disco
Something Good by alt-j
Hollywood by MARINA
Badass/Dark Scenes-
Pretty Waste by Bones UK
Bubblegum Bitch by MARINA
Born For This by The Score
Kings & Queens by Ava Max
Castle by Halsey
Caffeine by Casey Lee Williams
Heaven Knows by The Pretty Reckless
Joan of Arc by In This Moment
Believer by Imagine Dragons
Sand Storm by Apashe
you should see me in a crown by Billie Eilish
Power & Control by MARINA
Fancy by Iggy Azalea
Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift
Empire of Our Own by RAIGN
Revolution by Unsecret & Ruelle
Unstoppable by The Score
Control by Halsey
Gasoline by Halsey
Tag, You’re It by Melanie Martinez
Up In The Air by Thirty Seconds To Mars
So What by P!NK
Do It Like A Dude by Jessie J
Ready For It? by Taylor Swift
Teenagers by My Chemical Romance
Centuries by Fall Out Boy
I Don’t Care by Fall Out Boy
Rat a Tat by Fall Out Boy
Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea by Fall Out Boy
Champion by Fall Out Boy
Thnks fr the Mmrs by Fall Out Boy
One Thing by Casey Lee Williams
I May Fall by Casey Lee Williams
This Life Is Mine by Casey Lee Williams
Let’s Kill Tonight by Panic! At The Disco
Girls/Girls/Boys by Panic! At The Disco
The Good, The Bad, and The Dirty by Panic! At The Disco
Mount Everest by Labrinth
Legendary by Skillet
Homewrecker by MARINA
Modern Day Cain by I Don’t Know How But They Found Me
That One Vibin’ Scene-
When I RIP by Labrinth
Sweatin’ Somethin’ Awful by Okey Dokey
Wasted by Tiësto
Leave Me Alone by I Don’t Know How But They Found Me
Piano Fire by Sparklehorse
Blinding Lights by The Weeknd
Good News by Ocean Park Standoff
Hey There Delilah by Plain White T’s
East of Eden by Zella Day
Hazy Shade of Winter by The Bangles (or the Gerard Way cover)
5:15 by Bridgit Mendler
Here by Alessia Cara
Joan of Arc by In This Moment
Mr. Doctor Man by Palaye Royale
Cool For a Second by Yumi Zouma
Counting Stars by One Republic
Daddy Issues by The Neighborhood
Ho Hey by The Lumineers
We Can’t Be Friends by Dream Koala
Public Making Out Is Like Ugh by DNE
Sober II (Melodrama) by Lorde
North by Sleeping at Last
400 Lux by Lorde
No. 1 Party Anthem by Arctic Monkeys
Still Don’t Know My Name by Labrinth
Primadonna by MARINA
dontmakemefallinlove by Cuco
That ‘Holy Shit I Can’t Believe That Just Happened’ Scene-
All For Us by Labrinth (or the Zendaya version)
Raquel y Sergio Juntos by Ivan M. Lacamera
Forever by Labrinth
Coming Home by Falling in Reverse
Superheroes by Falling in Reverse (also works really well for cliffhanger-ending scenes)
Carry On by Falling in Reverse
The Thunder Rolls by Garth Brooks (if you don’t like country music, listen to the All That Remains cover)
Zombie by The Cranberries
Obstacles by Syd Matters
Glory and Gore by Lorde
Empire of Our Own by RAIGN
When It’s All Over by RAIGN
Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap
The Cinematic Teen Experience Scene-
Amsterdam by Imagine Dragons
Midnight City by M83
Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush (Meg Myers’ cover does better with the category though)
Good News by Ocean Park Standoff
Circles by Post Malone
Rollercoaster by Bleachers
Bad Idea! by girl in red
Mr. Brightside by The Killers
Fireflies by Owl City
Undercover Martyn by Two Door Cinema Club
Check Yes Juliet by We The Kings
The Kids From Yesterday by My Chemical Romance
I’m Not Okay by My Chemical Romance
Fourth of July by Fall Out Boy
Tip Toe by Imagine Dragons
Someone To You by Banners
Gone Gone Gone by Phillip Phillips
Make You Mine by PUBLIC
Out of my League by Fitz and The Tantrums
Perks of Being a Sunflower by Soft Glas
A World Alone by Lorde
Wetsuit by The Vaccines
Bored to Death by blink-182
There’s a Place by The All-American Rejects
18 by Anabor
Mother by Smallpools
Tompkins Square Park by Mumford and Sons
400 Lux by Lorde
The Horse by Beach Fossils
Ribs by Lorde
Can I Call You Tonight? by Dayglow
Hot Rod by Dayglow
Marlboro Nights by Lonely God
Under Stars by Aurora
Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap
Do Not Wat by Wallows
Cold Cold Man by Saint Motel
Forget Her by girl in red
Buzzcut Season by Lorde
A World Alone by Lorde
Time to Pretend by MGMT
Kids by MGMT
Bags by Clairo
My Tears Are Becoming a Sea by M83
Talia by King Princess (or the girl in red cover)
Maybe by girl in red
And yeah that’s all I have for now. If you want any other categories just ask cause I’ll probably make a part two anyways.
#writing#author#songs#music#vibes#the songs i listen to are so specific#they have to be the exact song during the exact scene#its crazy#writer
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