#Cardan Greenbriar fanfic | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cloudybarnes · 8 months

Text

Private Encounters

Pairing: Cardan Greenbriar x reader

Summary: you were tired of Cardan constantly attacking you and your friends. one day, though, Cardan asks to speak with you privately, and no good things could come from the prince of elfhame wanting to speak with you with no one else around

Word Count: 2.4k

Masterlist

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"Hurry up, you guys! We're gonna be late again!" Taryn whisper-shouted as you and Jude trailed behind her towards the courtyard.

Usually, you two went alone on your adventures, but Taryn decided she wanted to be spontaneous, too, and wanted to join along. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to have that much fun, and urged you back to class almost as soon as you got there.

"Who cares if we're late?" Jude rolled her eyes. "It's not like anyone would really care."

"Just because they don't like us, doesn't mean I want to draw their attention. Who knows what they'll do." Taryn shifted the picnic basket of food between her hands, nervously. She was always the most cautious of you three; always fearing what they would say or do to you guys.

You scoffed, "Taryn, let's be real. Even if we were there on time and minded our own business, Cardan and his little fanclub would still find some reason to bother us."

Jude chuckled, "he's so insufferable. What I wouldn't do to wipe that idiotic grin off his face."

You laughed, "I'm right there with you. It's like his greatest pleasure is being annoying."

"I don't know." Taryn slows her speed walk to match pace with Jude and I. "I feel like Cardan mostly has it out for you, now, (Y/N)."

You rolled my eyes.

"Oh yeah," Jude agreed. "Ever since we became friends, he's like diverted the hatred for us onto you."

You laughed, "Wow, thanks guys. Who knew being your friend would make a prince despise me."

Jude laughed too. "I don't think it was all our fault. You're human, so he would have hated you anyway."

"That's so reassuring, thanks for that."

Jude smirked, "anytime."

When we finally emerged onto the courtyard where class was taking place, most everyone ignored you, save for the professor.

"Ah," he said, "nice of you three to join us. Please find a seat so we can continue on with our lessons of astronomy."

Taryn bowed her head to keep from looking at anyone. You noticed Jude did not bow her head, but she would not look at the other students.

You, however, must be an idiot to not follow along with them, because your gaze falls straight to Cardan, who is staring back at you with much ferocity.

As the even bigger idiot you are, you do not avert your gaze, but simply glare back at him. To that, and small, devilish grin grows on his face. It almost seems like an invite of this little game you play. He hates you and your friends, goes out of his way to torment you three, and for that, you refuse to back down. Sometimes, you think he likes that you fight him so much.

"(Y/N)," Taryn calls, quietly as to avoid too much attention. She waves you over. Only then do you realize you've been staring at Cardan so long that Jude and Taryn have already set up the blanket and started spreading out the food.

Your cheeks heat as you walk the few feet to where they are sitting. You can hear Cardan snicker as you walk past him and Nicasia.

"What were you thinking!" Taryn scolds as you finally sit down on the blanket. Your professor continues with his lecture, but you don't even bother to pay attention to him.

You shrug, "I'm not really sure. I just can't stand him so much it makes me crazy."

Jude laughs at that. "I'm so glad we're friends, (Y/N). I think I'd go crazy if I didn't have someone else to share my hatred for Cardan with."

You giggle, "well it's a good thing I'm here, then, huh?"

"I don't think anyone is happy you're here."

Looking up from where you're sitting, you see Nicasia and Cardan looming down over you. Seems like the lesson is over as everyone else has abandoned the courtyard.

"Oh, Nicasia, always a pleasure." You rolled your eyes as you stood up. Behind you, you hear the shuffling of Jude standing and pulling Taryn up with here. "To what do we owe you coming over here and bothering us for?"

She smirked, "I have no reason for being near you filthy mortals other than to make sure you stay in your place. You don't belong here. You're frail, and worthless, and someone needs to remind you of that."

You mocked her with a laugh, "is that really all you've got?"

Taryn let out a quiet gasp.

Nicasia narrowed her eyes. "What did you say?"

You shrugged. "All I'm saying is you give the same excuse every time you come over here. 'I'm putting you in your place', 'make sure you know what a worthless mortal you are'. Blah, blah, blah. It's very redundant, Nicasia, and quite truthfully, it's just tiresome." You said condescendingly.

The fire is her eyes was hot. Her fists balled at her side as she glared at you.

Now, it's not like you were looking for trouble, or that you wanted anything bad to happen to you or your friends. You just could not stand the way she and Cardan always came over to you and caused problems.

The slap was expected. Your cheek burned as Nicasia's hand left your face. Taryn couldn't hold back the very audible gasp that left her lips. Looking back to your friends, Taryn looked utterly frightened, and Jude looked angrier than you'd ever seen her.

Right as Nicasia was about to slap you again, Cardan interrupted her.

"Nicasia," Cardan warned as he lifted his hand, "that is quite enough."

You scoffed. "Oh, and since when are you ever the peace maker?"

Cardan smirked, "Since Nicasia decided she was going to slap you. I quite like your face the way it is."

All heads turned to Cardan as he said that. Nicasia looked hurt, Taryn looked almost as confused as you felt, and Jude just looked disgusted.

You narrowed my eyes at Cardan, despite your confusion. "What games are you playing at, Greenbriar?"

His eyebrows shot up in delightful surprise. A cheeky smirk playing on his lips. "I have no games, (Y/L/N)." He spat out your last name like it disgusted but also intrigued him.

He looked between Nicasia, Jude and Taryn. "You, leave us. I have a few words for (Y/N)."

Jude and Taryn looked at each other, confused and contemplating if they should leave or not. You stood your ground though.

"I'll be fine, guys. I'll just meet you back at Madoc's, okay?" You tried to reassure them, though you weren't exactly sure what you were getting yourself into. All you knew was that you didn't want Cardan to know he frightened you.

Jude nodded her head. "We won't be far. And Cardan," she turned to him, "if you so much as touch one hair on her head, I will-"

"Oh relax, would you, Jude? Always resolving your issues with murder." Cardan rolled his eyes. "Leave us. Now."

Jude glared at Cardan before turning to you and giving you a reassuring look. Just as quickly, she turned away and pulled Taryn off with her.

"And you," Cardan said as he turned to Nicasia. "I believe I ordered you away, as well."

Nicasia looked shocked. "Me? Why would I need to be sent away? Whatever punishment you have for the way she spoke to me, I want-"

"Leave, Nicasia. I won't ask you again."

Stunned, Nicasia's mouth hung open just slightly as she looked between you and Cardan. With a 'hmph', Nicasia turned on her heel and strutted away, leaving behind just Cardan and you.

The two of you stood there in silence. You gazed up at him, trying to decipher why he could possibly want to speak with you alone. Maybe he wants to kill you. Maybe he's grown tired of this cat and mouse game you have going on.

"What do you want, Cardan?"

He smirked, and took a daring step closer to you. "I just wanted to talk with you. You're... interesting. I find you intriguing to say the least."

You raised my brow in confusion. "You find me intriguing? Now I know you're toying with me. What do you really want, Cardan?"

He scoffed. "Is it that hard for you to admit that I might find you interesting?"

"How interesting could I possibly be? I'm mortal, remember? Can't believe you would forget, not after you and your friends made it your entire personalities to constantly remind me of my mortality and how worthless you believe me to be."

Cardan's smirk only grew. "You are quite right. You're mortal. Mortals by nature are fragile, slow, susceptible to our tricks, and yet you seem to be quite the opposite."

Your eyebrows shot up, completely shocked by this sort-of compliment you just received from the Prince of Elfhame.

Cardan continued before you could even get a word out. "I dislike mortals quite a bit. I think they are weak. They have little skill that is worth anything, and they are often succumbed to the nature of our people. You, however, are quite different, (Y/N)."

He took a tender step closer to you. Your breath was caught in your throat. Cardan had never shown any type of interest in you. You thought he'd never actually shown anything other than disgust towards you, but maybe you were wrong.

Maybe all of those teasing smirks and cruel comments were him testing you, trying to figure out just how far he could push you.

"You've stood up to me. You've been given every chance to back down. I've seen how far you are willing to go to defend yourself and those little friends of yours. I find it admirable in a way."

You force out a laugh. "You find it admirable? Everything you consider so 'strong' and 'admirable' about me is what I've had to do to survive this place. You've done nothing but make living here just that much harder than it already is for mortals."

You strode closer to Cardan, persistence on your face. His eyes widened slightly, but the daring smirk never faltered from his lips.

Just as you two were chest to chest, you spoke, "answer now, Cardan, what is it you really wanted to tell me?"

"I've already told you, (Y/N). I think you're admirable. I think you're intriguing. I think there is something about you that keeps drawing me in. Something so pulling, it's frustrating how much I think of you."

No words left your mouth. How could they when your jaw laid open the way it was.

Cardan chuckled. "Now, another reason I wanted you here. I must ask: I know you mortals can lie, something we folk can not do, but how are you so good at pretending?"

Your eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Pretending?"

Cardan's smirk only grew, "pretending you aren't in love with me, that is."

The world had stopped. It felt like your entire world had shattered. This was quite possibly the last thing you thought Cardan would get you alone for.

Anyone with eyes could see that Cardan Greenbriar was gorgeous. All of his kind were gorgeous, but he had exceptional beauty. Beside that, you couldn't find one characteristic about him that you had liked. Sure, maybe he stopped Nicasia from hurting you further than she would have. And by the way Jude recalled his cruelty before they met you, it seemed to have subsided quite a bit since you met him. That still doesn't change the fact that he is cruel, and has been for a long time.

"Cat got your tongue?"

You shook your head clear from your thoughts. "No. Just confused how you could possibly think I would be in love with you."

"You want to know how I know you're in love with me, despite what you might believe?" Cardan grinned and closed the already small space between you two. "Because I know how insufferable you find me. I know how I get under your skin, how you lay awake thinking of how much you hate me. I know this because I feel the same towards you, and despite my feelings of irritation with you, I still find myself completely infatuated by you."

"You are?" You questioned, voice so quiet you might barely have heard it, but Cardan sure did.

He grinned. "Oh, yes. I have been infatuated with you from the moment I laid eyes on you. I wasn't lying earlier when I told Nicasia I'd like her to leave your face the way it is. I think you are pretty for a mortal. You give off this glow and iridescence. You are unlike any other mortal I've come across. The way you've kept me up at night, the way I am excited to see you just to have our little spat had me confused for the longest time. Eventually, I just couldn't take it anymore and I’ve decided to act on it."

You couldn't take it anymore. Everything Cardan said resonated so deeply with you. Somehow he knew exactly how you felt. The way you hated him, the way you were angry with yourself when you thought of him so often, everything he said he felt is exactly what you were going through as well.

You decided, if Cardan was going to act on his confusing feelings, you would act on yours as well.

Already chest to chest, you reached up and gripped Cardan hair, tight enough to hurt, and kissed him with all of the pent up anger and hatred for him you had.

If Cardan was surprised, he didn't seem it. He gripped onto your waist and kissed you back with so much ferocity it made your knees weak.

It was hot, and it was unlike any kiss you've ever had before. Kissing Cardan was unleashing something so deep inside of you. All of your confused feelings for him wrapped up all into a long-awaited kiss.

Gasping for air, you and Cardan separated, though not fully. While you were no longer kissing, you had yet to pull your fingers from the tangles of his hair, and he had no plans of letting go of his hold on your waist.

"I still hate you," you said breathlessly.

Cardan smiled, he actually smiled and replied, "I think I hate you more."

#WOOOOO #something about the cruel prince is gonna do it for me EVERYTIME #do people read the cruel prince fanfiction #im not sure but i wrote it anyway cause i want to oh yea #also this is me coming back to life heyo #im also in a harry potter mood so im probably gonna write some more for the harry potter boys soon hehe #cardan greenbriar #cardan x reader #the cruel prince #the cruel prince x reader #the cruel prince fanfic #cardan greenbriar x reader #jude x cardan #cardan greenbriar fanfic #cardan greenbriar oneshot #cardan greenbriar imagine

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jahayla-parker · 1 year

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j j j j j !!!! cardan reacting to y/n wiping his kisses away as a joke hehe

Drama King : Cardan Greenbriar x Reader

Description: 2.8k wc, Cardan is a simp for his wife/reader and becomes very dramatic about her wiping away his kiss. Fluff

Warnings: simp behavior lol, Cardan drinking, minor angst if you squint

“Darling, have you seen my notepad?” Cardan asked, entering their library.

Y/n placed her palm against the page she was on in her book as she looked around her desk.

“The one from this morning?” She wondered.

She recalled Cardan utilizing his forest green gold-bound and embellished notebook during their brief weekly meeting with some of the folk of Elfhame.

Cardan hummed and walked to her, resting his hands on her shoulders as he began massaging them through the material of her gown.

Y/n shook her head before she tilted it back to look up at him, “No, I’m sorry”.

He sighed but nodded, perching himself on the desk next to her, “what are you reading, my dear?”

Y/n silently lifted the book up from the desk.

Her hand now pinched between the pages to keep her place as she showed him the cover.

Cardan squinted his eyes and formed an exaggeratedly disgusted look as he was the title: The Archives of Elfhame, Volume III.

As she lowered the book back to the desk, Cardan scoffed.

“We have far better tales than that rubbish,” He reminded her, waving his hand towards their massive collection of bookshelves.

Y/n chuckled, “I agree, but as Queen of Elfhame, I should really know this information”.

Cardan gave her a smug smirk as he whispered, “I have a better way to teach you”.

“Hmm and that is?” She questioned, raising an eyebrow at him.

“You'll just have to trust me” Cardan winked.

Y/n bit her lip, and shook her head to clear the unfairly attractive sight before her.

“Me, trust you?” Y/n pondered teasingly, “mmmm…yeah, sure”

Cardan crossed his arms over his chest and let out a loud puff of air, “I'm very trustworthy...”

Y/n raised an eyebrow at him, because while Cardan -like most of Elfhame- cannot lie, she knew her husband.

He was more than capable of twisting his words so they were vague enough or otherwise easily misinterpreted.

He chuckled softly, “well, when it comes to you”.

Y/n smiled and nodded.

It was true, y/n could always see through his lexicon manipulations.

She smirked and pretended to think about his offer.

Leaning back into her seat, she sighed, “perhaps when I begin to learn about trickery or the royal lineage, you can teach me, but for now I've got to learn this quick if I want to not make a fool of myself”.

“You couldn’t do that, you’re far too intelligent for that my darling” Cardan tsk’d.

Y/n chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes fluttered bashfully, “mm, I appreciate that gorgeous”.

Cardan blushed and stroked her check delicately, grinning at her.

Y/n hummed softly, leaning into his touch briefly.

She sighed as she pulled back, re-opening her book, “I really do need to focus though”.

Cardan pouted, swinging his legs against the edge of the desk; visually bored.

“Why don't you see if Roach or Ghost have seen your notebook?” Y/n suggested, giving him a small smile.

He seemed pleased at the idea, jumping up and giving her a soft kiss on the cheek before running off.

——

Y/n had finally started to get into a good pace, actually retaining some of the information when she heard her husband enter the library again.

She tried to ignore him, her eyes boring down at the detailed history on the page before her.

Cardan smirked to himself, silently approaching his wife and leaning his head down onto her shoulder.

Y/n suppressed a smile as he placed a kiss to her collarbone and left his lips there for a moment.

She took a deep breath to clear her head and then turned towards him.

“Cardan,” she sighed, “I need to focus”.

He groaned and frowned against her skin, “you can take a break”

“You know I can’t do that. I need to learn this before Friday” y/n argued.

His eyes skimmed the material and he whined, “but it’s boring”.

Y/n nodded, “I know, but still”.

He pouted but gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving to find a way to kill time.

——

A few hours had passed when y/n heard him enter again.

She rubbed her eyes, feeling them becoming exhausted from the constant strain.

Y/n waited quietly for Cardan to announce himself as she stretched her limbs.

But he didn’t say anything, just came up and wrapped his arms around her, over her chest.

She let herself sit like that for a few moments before the text on the page caught her attention.

As she tried to lean forward to resume her reading, her husband softly held her in place.

He smirked and placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

“Cardan” she whined playfully as she lifted her hand to wipe the slobber off her cheek.

He whimpered faintly, removing his hands from around her and stepping back.

“I really need to focus, no more kisses” she joked, still rubbing at her cheek.

Cardan pouted to himself and left silently, sulking out of the room.

Y/n turned to watch him leave, confused that he wasn’t trying to banter with her.

However, as she watched his overly dramatic exit, she lovingly rolled her eyes and returned to her reading.

——

Y/n slid the book backwards on the desk as she stood up.

Her limbs were strained beyond belief and all she wanted to do now was find her husband and curl up beside him to rest.

She grabbed the book and placed it back on the shelf, dragging her hand down the spine as she hummed.

She was finally done, she’d obtained what she needed from the book.

And now she could spend time with her husband, as he had wanted to earlier.

“Hey, have you seen Cardan?” Y/n asked Roach as she entered his office space.

Roach chuckled loudly, “your husband has been drinking”.

Y/n rolled her eyes, uncertain what was so funny about that, “what’s new?”

“Fair enough your highness,” Roach replied, chuckling when y/n groaned at her friend referring to her by her title.

“He’s been mopey and pouting whilst drinking” he added, a humorous glow in his eyes.

Y/n frowned slightly, knowing Cardan had been bored.

She knew it wasn’t her responsibility to cure his boredom.

Yet, she wished he’d have found something other than just pouting and drinking to keep him busy until she’d finished.

Nonetheless, y/n gave Roach a knowing look as this still wasn’t unusual behavior for Cardan.

Roach laughed and shook his head, “y/n, he doesn't really do that unless you're out of town”.

Y/n giggled softly as she recalled the times her husband would become exceptionally clingy when she’d return from a trip away.

“I’ll find him and see what's up, thanks” y/n responded on her way to check the dining hall.

——

Y/n suppressed a giggle as she entered the parlor and found the state her husband was in.

Cardan had his favorite gold-leafed wine glass in his shaky hands, the deep maroon liquid sloshing out from the rim.

She stood in the doorway, watching him curiously.

He seemed to be writing -or attempting to write that is- something important; his focus clearly displayed on his face.

She smiled, he evidently found his stationary at some point today.

“Honey?” Y/n called out softly, leaning against the frame of the door.

Cardan didn’t answer, just kept writing and accidentally dripping wine onto the table and papers as he did.

Y/n pursed her lips and made her way to him, bending down to see the notes in the candle lit room.

Much to her surprise, y/n found her name written at the top of each letter.

There were countless handwritten letters, and they were all addressed to her.

“Car, what’s going on?” She asked softly, placing her hand over his as he lifted the tip of his writing device from the paper briefly.

“You’re mad” he mumbled, setting his glass down before using that hand to softly move y/N’s off his other one.

“No, I’m not” she argued, pulling out the chair beside him.

Cardan didn’t answer, he just kept writing.

Y/n sighed softly, “Cardan, love, why do you think I’m mad?”

This time he finally looked up at her, his eyes glassy but it was hard to tell if it was from the copious amount of alcohol he’d consumed or his emotions.

Nonetheless, y/n hated seeing him like that.

Especially if it was because she’d done something to make him think she was mad.

She frowned deeply, reaching over and pushing the wine glass further away from them before taking both of his hands in hers.

“Cardan, talk to me” she requested, staring at him worriedly.

Cardan’s lips turned downward as his eyes flickered from the papers, to y/N’s eyes, to her cheek, then back to the papers.

“You wiped away my kiss” he stated, his voice laced with the tone of various emotions.

Y/n nearly choked on the smoke coming from the single candle on the table before them as her jaw dropped and lips parted.

“OH MY GOSH!” She exclaimed, dropping his hands and shaking her head, “you're so dramatic!”

“I am not” Cardan argued firmly, a weak glare sent her way as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“That's why you've been moping all day?” She clarified, laughing lightly.

She shook her head, “Car, you know when I'm mad, that's not mad”.

Cardan seemed to think over her words, his eyes shifting to the side as he bit his wine-stained bottom lip.

“Okay, I concede” he replied, looking back at his wife, “but, still, it was offensive”.

Her eyebrows raised as she dipped her head slightly, staring into his eyes, “are you serious?”

“Very much so, yes” Cardan affirmed adamantly, his chest puffed slightly.

Y/n rolled her eyes at his dramatics, “Ca-“.

Cardan stood from the table and kept his balance despite his legs being somewhat unsteady.

“I don't think you deserve my love or kisses right now, l'm sad to say” he declared in a rather formal tone.

She sighed, “Cardan,”.

And just like that, his formal behavior and verbiage were gone.

“Nope” he responded, dramatics back as he pointedly held his head high as he left the room.

Y/n massaged her temples with her thumbs before turning her attention to the mess of notes on the table.

“My dearest y/n/n,

I am terribly sorry for having annoyed you. Forgive me?

- Cardan G. 🖤 ”

“My Queen,

I know you need to learn of Elfhame’s history, but I need to give you kisses. Can’t we compromise?

- Your King”

“Y/n y/m/n y/l/n Greenbriar,

Okkkay so first, I loooove calling you that anyways, you cannot be mad at me for loving you. That is not fair. It’s also not fair to read all day and not be with me. I propose we find a way to make it fair

-Cardan Greenbriar, your husband”

“My dear radiant warrior,

I confess I don’t comprehend why you chose the book over me. I am far more interesting than it is. Am I not? I’m offended you don’t seem to think so.

Sulkingly,

-Yours”

“Y/n, miraculous love,

I forgot what I was going to write. Give me some time.

Oh, right. I’m disgusted that you dared wipe away my love. You could have yelled at me for bothering you. That I could handle.

I think.

But to throw away my kiss, that crosses a line. A line in my heart. And my heart. Oh you get the point.

I expect a formal apology to remedy this.

Expectantly Waiting,

-C.G. Your annoying husband”

“Oh Cardan” y/n sighed, giggling warmly at the letters that she would pin on their wall once the wine stains dried.

She rose from her seat, pushing it in quietly before doing the same with the one he’d occupied moments before.

Y/n blew out the candle, gathered the used and unused stationary, and drank the remainder of his glass of wine.

On her way to find him, she disposed of the unused stationary by placing it on his desk along with the now unlit candle.

She then set his sweet drunkenly written letters on the glass table in their bedroom to air dry.

One of their staff was passing by and kindly offered to take Cardan’s glass off her hands.

So now all that was left to do was to find her moping husband and try to console him; as dramatic as he was behaving or not.

She found him sprawled out on the lounge chair at the end of the hall.

“Cardan,” she whispered softly, “it was a joke”.

“My love is not a joke” he huffed, sitting up as his eyes landed on her.

Y/n sighed as she sat beside him.

Rubbing her thumb over his chiseled cheekbone, she clarified, “I never said it was Cardan. Me wiping away your kiss was the joke”.

He let his eyes wander hers for a moment before scoffing loudly, “it is disrespectful to your King, you know, to do that”

Y/n raised her eyebrow at him tauntingly, “and just how many girls are you going around kissing now your Highness?”

Cardan’s eyes widened as he shook his head vehemently, “I haven’t. None other then my heavenly wife”.

Y/n smiled widely as she felt her face warm, “that's much more like it”.

Cardan sat up straighter, grabbing her hand and playing with her wedding ring, “are you done pushing my love away?”.

She rolled her eyes but nodded, “yes, precious boy”.

Cardan’s cheeks flashed red as he grinned wickedly, “then let's go, my dear!”

Y/n felt him tug her hand as he stood up and began to stumble towards the front door.

“Where?” She giggled, following closely to keep him from falling over, “you’re half drunk!”

“Half sober you mean” he corrected with a smirk.

Y/n hummed moving to slide her arm around his torso to stabilize him more, “and where am I following your half sober bum to?”

“You'll see” he responded simply, a shimmer dancing in eyes.

——

After following him for a few minutes, y/n saw a picnic had been set up beside her favorite pond.

“Cardan?” She asked, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

“Yes darling?” Cardan questioned, tenderly removing her hand from his toro so he could guide her to the blanket that was resting on the viridescent grass.

She looked around, her eyes taking note of all the little details he attended to, “what is all of this for sweetheart?”

Cardan sat down on the powder blue blanket, tugging on y/N’s hand to encourage her to do the same.

Her eyes wandered still as she sat before him and smiled.

“I know I was being bothersome earlier, so this is to amend that” he explained, opening the wicker basket beside him.

“Awe” y/n cooed, squeezing his hand as she looked away due to her eyes watering profusely now.

“I set it up before you were so disrespectful of me and my love” he commented, closing the lid to the basket as he pulled out one plate.

“So now I'm banished from it?” She asked, facing him again.

If it weren’t for the joking tone he could hear in her voice, Cardan would’ve -and still nearly did- leap over the gap between them to hold her.

“Of course not” he scoffed teasingly, his fingertips delicately dabbing the corners of her eyes as tears threatened to fall.

He wouldn’t dare joke about it if he thought the tears were anything other than happy ones.

But he knew his wife well enough to tell, and the fact that she was struggling to not smile in order to keep up her pretend offense didn’t hurt either.

“You’ve earned it back, for now” he smirked as he moved his hand and began setting some crackers onto the plate between them.

Y/n gasped dramatically, “oh thank goodness. I’ll do whatever I need to do to stay in your good graces, your highness”.

Cardan rolled his eyes, “and l'm the dramatic one”

“Correct,” she grinned, reaching over and squeezing the pointed tip of his ear before tapping the golden crown resting on his gorgeous curls, “my drama king”.

His jaw dropped and he shook his head but couldn’t suppress his wide smile, “I will take it”.

“Why's that?” Y/n questioned before Cardan slipped a cracker with a slice of cheese on it into her mouth.

“I am choosing to focus on only the being yours part” he admitted smugly, taking a bite of his own cheese and cracker.

Y/n swallowed the remanded of the snack he gave her and bent her back as she leaned forward.

“You're always mine and I have no problem fighting anyone I have to in order to keep it that way” she promised, grinning as his cheeks flushed.

“That won’t be needed my love,” he promised, arching his lower back to match her posture, his lips hovering hers.

“I’m fairly certain everyone knows I'm absolutely besotted by you” Cardan swore before closing the gap between their lips and pulling her closer.

Cardan Greenbriar Navigation

Book Boyfriends Masterlist/Navigation

Main Navigation/Masterlist (All My Works)

Taglist: @ell0ra-br3kk3r

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azastr · 10 months

Text

Tail Troubles and Moonlight Stumbles

Cardan Greenbriar

Description : Cardan helping y/n navigate through the dark because being a human she can't see anything and her accidently stepping on his precious tail

warnings : none

In the dimly lit forest of Elfhame, Cardan Greenbriar, the High King of Faerie, and Y/n found themselves venturing through the shadows. The moonlight barely pierced through the dense canopy, casting an ethereal glow upon the foliage.

As they walked hand in hand, Cardan's raven hair, disheveled as ever, framed his face, emphasizing his sharp features and piercing black eyes. His high cheekbones and pointed ears gave him an otherworldly allure, while a delicate tail swayed behind him. Towering at 5'11, he seemed to effortlessly glide through the darkness.

Y/n, a human girl known for her ambition, pride, and determination, matched Cardan's stride with grace, her steps steady and confident. Her sarcastic nature was evident in the playful gleam in her eyes. She was skilled with swords and daggers, but in this realm of Faerie, humans were despised.

As they ventured further into the woods, Y/n's lack of night vision became apparent. With each step, she stumbled slightly, her hand tightening around Cardan's. Sensing her discomfort, he gently guided her, their fingers intertwining like vines.

"Darling," Cardan's velvety voice whispered, his tone laced with affection, "watch your step. The path can be treacherous."

Y/n huffed, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Oh, believe me, Your Highness, I'm watching. But it's not exactly easy when I can't see a thing."

Cardan chuckled softly, the sound a melody in the night. "Well, fear not, my love. For I am here to guide you through the darkness."

Y/n playfully rolled her eyes. "You know, sometimes I think you enjoy these dramatic moments a little too much."

As they continued their journey, Y/n's foot landed on Cardan's sensitive tail, he let out a theatrical yelp that echoed through the forest. He hopped on one foot, his face contorted in an exaggerated expression of pain, as he dramatically clutched his tail with both hands.

"Darling!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with mock despair. "Must you constantly step on my precious tail? Do you not see how delicate it is? It's the epitome of fae elegance!"

Y/n couldn't help but stifle a giggle, finding Cardan's dramatic display both endearing and amusing. Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she responded, "Oh, please, Cardan. It's not as if I did it on purpose. Besides, I can't see in the dark like you can.”

Cardan's pout deepened, his hand still cradling his tail. "Ah, the plight of a poor mortal," he sighed dramatically, his tone dripping with exaggerated sympathy. "Blind as a bat, stumbling around and wreaking havoc on fae royalty. Truly, it's a tragedy."

Y/n playfully rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Oh, spare me the theatrics, Your Highness," she retorted, her voice filled with playful sarcasm. "You're the one with the tail, after all. Perhaps you should move your delicate tail out of the way next time."

Cardan paused his hopping and gazed at Y/n with a faux expression of offense, placing a hand over his heart. "Oh, so you think it's my fault now, do you? Blaming the High King for his own impeccable elegance. How dare you!"

Y/n's laughter rang through the air as she replied, "Well, someone needs to take responsibility for that dangerously attractive tail of yours."

Cardan's pout transformed into a playful smirk as he approached Y/n, closing the distance between them. He tilted his head, his dark eyes sparkling mischievously. "Ah, so you find my tail dangerously attractive, do you? I must warn you, my dear, it has been known to steal hearts and cause mortals to stumble."

Y/n raised an eyebrow, a playful challenge in her gaze. "Is that a warning or a promise, High King?"

Cardan's laughter joined hers, the sound blending harmoniously in the enchanted forest. "Consider it both, my fiery, sarcastic darling. But don't worry, even if you stumble, I'll always be here to catch you. Even if it means nursing my precious tail back to health."

Their banter continued as they resumed their journey, Cardan's tail swaying gently behind him. Their playful interactions illuminated the darkness, bringing a sense of lightness to their path. In those moments, Y/n realized that Cardan's dramatics and their shared laughter were not just a source of amusement but a reminder of the deep connection they shared—a bond that could withstand any challenge that lay ahead.

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bellarkeex · 8 months

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Treacherous [Cardan POV]

My interpretation of Cardan's POV from the night he wrote the Alice in Wonderland note. Jude. Jude. Jude.

☾ warnings: confused yearning cardan, not sure there is any?, mention of drink & powders, not explict smutty dream

☾ read on ao3: here.

☾ wc: 1036

“Oh, Cardan.” Her sighs echo into the shadowed trees around us.

I grip at every piece of skin I can reach. Though she is below me, I am the one drowning in her presence. Blissfully unaware to any semblance of touch except nails digging into my back, the hot shallow breaths on my neck, and her warmth I am repeatedly sinking into. Little bruises had begun to show on her collar bone and if one were to look carefully, more would be found on her inner thighs.

My stomach twisting at every little sound which escapes her mouth, urging myself on in hope to be blessed with more.

My name on her lips, I know this would be my undoing. What would finally drive me into madness. The becoming of a mere beggar, my only wish to hear her say my name. No matter whether whispered and breathless. Hell, in this nightmare, I’d settle for it being screamed in rage.

⋆⁺⋆⋆⁺⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺

It was not always like this.

Many times, she had surrendered to him, the only words the mortal girl dare to utter being pleas. Begging for him to do many improper things to her. Acts which would seem unbefitting to any other respected prince. Yet, he was not that kind of prince, and such acts were expected of him by now.

Oh, Cardan please. She would beg. It is your mercy I am at.

⋆⁺⋆⋆⁺⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺

Another countless consecutive night, I’ve awoke from a fitful sleep. Restful nights have become a luxury I don’t often receive without, what others would call, an obscene amount of drink or powders. But no amount drink nor powders could free me from this torment.

I’m unsure how long I lay breathless among ruined sweat-soaked sheets before I rip them from my body, recoiling from the bed. Relieved to feel the cool of the wood chain press against my back, instead of the stick of linen.

This is entirely absurd and should be the least of my worries. My supposed girlfriend is frolicking around with my apparent best friend, and I cannot even get a simple mortal to leave me in a moment’s peace.

I fail in my attempt to disregard my most recent horror, memories forcing me to recall each moment. I need to forget each one. But I cannot. I remember them all.

Breath fails me just as much as forgetting does, I cannot go on like this. I am entirely restless.

Jude. She's just a blip. Her sad short mortal life merely just a chapter in comparison to my immortal one, I remind myself. She'll be gone before I've even noticed the years have passed. Jude. Gone. Buried beneath the strange mortal soil in which she came from. Gone and everything will be as though my mind was never plagued.

And yet even now after she's vanished, she remains remembered by the land. Her mark clinging onto the earth. The earth clinging onto her. Jude. As though she's supposed to be here.

But she's not.

It is unsettling, unnatural.

My skin itches whenever her & her twins’ blanket is a foot too close to ours, but she's not even here and I feel like I'm on fire. Invisible flame biting at my skin, engulfing my heart and shooting down to my gut. An appallingly disgusting sensation that cannot be properly explained to those unknowing of the feeling.

I fear I may lash out at any moment. A tamed animal resorting back to its feral ways, and she knows.

She knows; because she is the same. Nothing more than a dog trained to not bite the hand that feeds it. But every so often, something must give.

And something has.

Despite my, as of late highly frequent, delirious state there is no mistaking the gradual slip of her façade. Unbridle rage replacing usual strategic indifference. And though that rage is evidently directed at me, I would be unable to say I’m not intrigued. Intrigued by what she could possibly be mad about? Wondering of what sets her soul alight.

It is depraved, treacherous even, and I cannot contain this. I cannot shape this into a calculated void.

The blank papers sprawled before me on the desk seem to perfectly mirror my deteriorating mental state.

I am not sure if out of sheer anger or desperate yearning for relief, I feel I must write. Attempting to free my mind of every thought it holds.

I need it gone. All of it.

Could all be fixed if she was out of my sight?

I finish one page after another, only stopping when ink begins to leak uncontrolled from the battered end of the pen. I vacantly acknowledge the distant cramping of my fingers, slowly regaining focus.

Beyond some daze, I’m aware of what I've written. Aware of what I have wasted my parchment on.

Etched in ink that has smeared along the pages, onto my fingertips and the desk below me, is her. Jude. I can only stare at her name on the paper below me. Her odd, rounded name to match her odd, rounded ears. Jude.

In spite of my overly warm skin and unruly appearance, a strange serenity clouds my previous spiralling thoughts. Calm slips into the air around me.

But I don't welcome the feeling.

I don't wish to understand it. I don't wish to see it.

Before another thought can begin to plague me, I brush the stained bits of paper in to the first book I reach for – slamming it shut so hard a few stray pencils clatter to the ground, chasing a few stay pages of truth that avoided being encased inside the book. I’d have to remember to burn them later.

Only after a minute do I read the cover of the book beneath my hands. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass.

I almost laugh, as though some sick and twisted work of fate had given me the book itself, deciding to place it in my hands personally. The mortal book I got from my sister. The book my sister got from Judes sister.

I refuse to acknowledge it.

And yet, her name lingers on my fingertips as it lingers on the lands – even after she's gone.

☾ there was definitely more than one jude note, our man was feral for her

#cardan greenbriar fanfic #cardan greenbriar pov #cardan greenbriar #the folk of the air #jurdan #tfota #the cruel prince #the wicked king #the queen of nothing #cardan x jude #jude x cardan #tcp #twk #qon #htkoelths

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daphnechantandshant · 24 days

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Sometimes, Jude will let herself cry into Cardan’s shoulder, let herself be held in his arms, let his hand stop the shaking of her own. She will let him whisper “I’m here” and “I love you” into her ear and let him kiss her tears away. It happens rarely, but when she lets her thoughts spindle out of control (again, rarely) she will think of those three horrible days that Cardan was gone. Those three horrible days that she thought he was gone forever despite what she had been telling herself. She thought about how those three horrible days could have turned into three horrible weeks, months, years. And so she lets herself sink into his warmth and remind herself that he is here, and he loves her, and he’s real. And she prays to a god she didn’t and still doesn’t believe in that it isn’t a dream.

#cardan greenbriar #high queen jude #holly black #jude #jude and cardan #jude duarte #jurdan #jurdan fanfic #tfota #tfota series #the queen of nothing #the folk of the air #the wicked king #twk #tcp #jude x cardan

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discopaddock · 4 months

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THE CRUEL PRINCE - LANDO NORRIS

PAIRING: lando norris x girlfriend!reader

GENRE: fluff

WORD COUNT: 419

WARNINGS: THE CRUEL PRINCE SPOILERS, the folk of the air canon violence kinda??, lando is jealous about cardan

“What are you reading?” Lando asked as he entered the living room after he ended the stream.

“The Cruel Prince” she answered, not even looking at her boyfriend.

“That book from Tiktok? Didn't you buy it like yesterday?” he asked, seeing as his girlfriend had already read the ⅔ of the book.

“Well, I did,” she said and looked at him. “It’s really gripping,” she added. “I haven't read so many pages since, I don't know, I was reading The Chronicles of Narnia” she announced with a smile on her face.

She was happy because reading was giving her a kick again. She wasn't reading for a long time until now, because she was working and traveling with Lando and she was still in blind spot with Frank Herbert's “Dune” and she didn't want to read to be honest.

“Well, then what is it about? Who is the cruel prince?” he asked, sitting next to her.

“I don't really know,” she answered. “There are three brothers and each of them is a prince and each is cruel” she said, but judging from Lando's face, she knew that answer didn't satisfy him. “So there is a prince called Cardan and people from Tiktok think that he is that cruel prince,” she said.

“Why?” the guy asked curiously.

“Well, um, he popped Jude, the main character, and her sister into the river and they almost drowned” she chuckled a little.

“He did WHAT?” Lando was truly worried about what his girlfriend was reading.

“Oh, and he has a tail,” she added with pink cheeks.

“Don't even tell me you like him” she only covered her face with a book and he knew.

“You know I like Timothée and people are fancasting him as Cardan and you know, Lan” she said and bookmarked the page and closed the book. “My heart belongs to you and only you” she announced and kissed his cheek.

“And that main character?” he asked about the plot again.

“She's a human, has a twin sister and when they were seven their step dad killed their parents and kidnapped them to the magic world. Oh, and she hates Cardan and he hates her” she chuckled at his face after she stopped talking about Jude.

“You really need to stop reading this,” Lando sighed and hugged her.

“You know, Cardan’s style in clothing is extravagant so if you…” she started but he cut her off by kissing her.

“Remind me on Halloween” he said only and kissed her again.

masterlist

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viivdle · 25 days

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this happened

and i totally don't have a fic abt it.. cough bloodshed, crimson clover cough

#cardan greenbriar #jude duarte #jurdan #the cruel prince #the wicked king #the queen of nothing #the folk of the air #tfota #tfota memes #holly black #holly blacj #jurdan fic #jurdan fanfic #tfota fic #tfota fanfic #the court of shadows #<3

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iscreammutiny · 1 month

Text

Primroses

Jude x Cardan

Post Qon/Cardan's pov/Angst/Hurt/Comfort if you squint/Cardan is traumatised/Jude is also traumatised damn/bit of fluff in the end

(FIRST EVER JURDAN FIC HELLOOO sorry if the pacing is off and if there are some horrendous mistakes guys english is not my first language☝️ but I'll get there someday ong)

——————————————————————

Several jagged branches snake over a glass window, covering it, as dusk spills onto the High King's sleeping form in slits of pale, shifting light.

But the land, drowsy as it is with the slow rise and fall of his breath, isn't fast enough to stop the cold from creeping in and nipping at his fingers–a troublesome little gift from winter's last of evenings.

He stirs, slumber disrupted from the sudden sharpness in the air, blearily stretching his hand out to grasp for more warmth, fingers splaying out across the bed for the familiar dip of a waist, only to be met with cold, bare sheets. Cardan stills then, eyes snapping open in alarm.

The High King of Elfhame has never been fond of the colder weather. Not only does he find it dull and dreary, he finds it to be cruel too, ironic as that would've been a few years ago.

It irked him then, the fact that there was too much to miss, too much to long for. And It irks him now–now that it holds too many reminders. Of wretched times, of his own year of hollow hands, pierced with the stinging absence of sharp blades and even sharper eyes.

It terrifies him still, the idea of winter returning.

He lies there, frozen in his spot, staring at the ceiling as the branches and leaves covering it start to writhe, coalescing into a dense, panicky mass of rot, sprouting and resprouting again.

Fear is familiar, his one constant, he should be used to it by now. But this...this is entirely separate. A kind of sickness he can't seem to shake off, a bone deep terror, of waiting for the other shoe to drop, the arrow to find its mark, the price of his undeserving head to finally catch up to him.

He doesn't dare turn his head to the side or tear his eyes off the ceiling, doesn't want to look. Because what if he finds out that he's been dreaming all this time–another one of those illusions borne out of plum wine?

That, drunk and slumped over, he's awoken just now to realize that the other side of the bed has been empty all along?

"Jude?", he whispers into the near dark, heart sinking when he hears nothing but the sound of his own breathing. A brief vision of empty palace halls at dusk flashes in his mind, looming above him, echoing with the ghostly voices of distant revels as he shuffles along, moth eaten fur pelts trailing behind his small form. He closes his eyes, allowing the dark to have its way with the unwelcome memory.

It was funny, really. A soundless twilight still seemed to him like a token of his own misery, one he can trace all the way back to the sour tang of cat's milk on his breath, long before the days he’d spent on hollow hall's floor crouching and heaving, finding a detached sort of similarity between his own soul and those terribly vacant halls in his childhood.

And yet, of all the weapons that have ever been used on him, his queen's silence is, by far, the one that has wounded him the most.

Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude-

His chest heaves, straining as the panic fully sets in. He kicks at his sheets and scrambles upright to check, to see for himself because, miraculously, he might just be wrong. Perhaps he has been worrying for naught–and yet.

And yet, a part of him is already thinking: just rip the bandaid off, just rip it and be done with it.

He turns to look and, immediately, the rush in his head goes quiet. The branches overhead cease twisting as breath stutters out of his chest in a faltering sigh. Everything stills, then eases back into place because there it is, silken sheets rumpled on the far side of the bed. There she is, whole and hale, pale light tracing the familiar outline of her silhouette. Must've rolled off to the edge of the bed in her sleep, the chestnut of her hair spilling onto a half occupied pillow, the slow rise and fall of her sleeping form, curled into a scythe of a girl and stars above, could he get more foolish than this?

He uncurls his hands from fists he'd unknowingly wounded them into, watching the crescents buried into his palm turn red. Haltingly, Cardan scoots forward and reaches out towards her. His hand shakes, a whisper of a touch, barely there as he tries to brush the hair out of her face. Her lovely, and for once, untroubled face. He has to be careful because Jude is a light sleeper and any manner of respite is rare for her(and if she is a figment of his imagination—he doesn't want to let go just yet).

Unconsciously, she nestles into his palm as he gingerly traces the hollow of her cheekbone. A sick little laugh crawls up his throat, turning into a quiet sob as he tries to steady his heart. She's here, he tells himself, be still, be still, be still.

Instinctively, his fingers curl around the shell of her ear, thumb caressing its soft, mortal curve. And as his nails lightly press into the skin behind her ear, a hand grips at his wrist, and Jude is bolting upright, taught as a bowstring, shoulders squared as if to attack.

She pins his arm to the bed frame and uses her other hand to push his shoulder backwards. Cardan stiffens.

Her eyes, momentarily wild and unseeing, focus onto his face and she falters mid twist. Her hand on his wrist immediately relaxes, the other one trailing up to rest against the side of his neck, an apologetic frown already crossing her features.

"I'm sorry I–" she sees the stricken expression on his face and stops short – "what is it?"

Her thumb brushes the edge of his jaw and Cardan lets out a shuddering breath, his eyes stinging.The gesture is simple, one he hasn't gotten used to yet, but it is involuntary. The familiarity in her touch has him unspooling.

He covers her hand with his own and shakes his head in what he hopes is an assuring gesture, not trusting his voice at the moment, struggling to collect his thoughts. He knows he's doing it again. That old trick with the mask, trying to smooth its edges over his face. A game of hiding where no one seeks him out–even though he knows now that she will. She'd drag him by the scruff if it came to that. But old habits die hard.

A long moment of silence passes and he realizes that Jude is waiting for him to speak, gently stroking the inside of his wrist, entirely at odds with the smooth, unperturbed set of her face.

And yet, even in the near dark room, where the old wood of her eyes is illuminated only by a thin slash of dusky light, he finds in them a scrap of fear akin to his own–one he knows will take longer than anything else for them to wrestle with and have it buried along with the rest of those who have threatened this fragile peace.

He tucks an unruly strand of hair behind her ear, as he'd been meaning to do before, and presses his mouth to her temple, breathing in the familiar scent of verbena. "It's nothing. You're here." he whispers.

She tilts her head back to look at him, eyes searching, "Of course." She says, lacing their hands together, and then peers around to stare at the window. She waits for a moment while the branches recede to give a clear view of the sky, which is now a luminous ink blue. Humming in thought, she turns back to him and says, "We are to attend council in another hour or two."

"Yes." He answers tiredly, dragging a hand over his face.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to rest for a little while longer, no?"

Cardan smiles a little at that, already nestling back into the sheets and dragging her along "No, of course, it won't." He pulls her in to tuck her head under his chin, "Besides," he continues, "you'll require it if you have to deal with Randalin today."

At that, Jude groans into his chest and he can already feel the cogs turning in her head, coming up with more ways to outmaneuver the council. He chuckles into her hair and rubs her back, "Rest, first." He murmurs and she hums, sleep prodding at the edges of her voice again.

Primroses bloom along the edge of the bed frame, wilder and whiter than any other.

Right there, with his fearsome queen tucked under his chin, the king of Elfhame knows this too: That no fear could ever be stronger than the weight of her battle worn body in his arms. And even that pales in comparison to the ruthless glint in her eyes for when she wields her blade to kill.

#jurdan #jude x cardan #tfota #cardan greenbriar #jude duarte #the cruel prince #folk of the air #holly black #jurdan fanfic #poetry #books #writing #books and art #fantasy #fanfiction

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wanderingpages · 10 months

Note

peach!! can you write a car sex jurdan smut? it can be short but the concept is so sexy 😭 on my knees rn

∞

“You’re trouble,” Cardan had told me minutes prior, but he repeats it now, more wary than he had been when he said it by the bar. Maybe I had used him then, because it sounded like flirting to me and I so badly needed his help. It’s how I’d always gotten what I needed before. Maybe I thought he was no different, so I took him down to a hall no one ever used and pressed him up against the wall. I smiled at him, feeling shy from his attention but not wanting to admit it. My hands had wound around his neck, and his fingertips traced up my shoulder, guiding my hair to one side. He placed a kiss on my throat and I felt it in the pit of my stomach. Then further up he trailed his soft lips and I gasped. I gripped at his hair to guide his lips to mine. He tasted heady and like the scotch I had given him. Cardan had cradled the back of my head, tilting me as he pressed his tongue into my mouth to open and deepen the kiss. He felt like mine, I felt a little guilty answering his question.

“Jude,” he had murmured against my skin, kissing a patch from my mouth to my throat, then his lips were by my ears and he asked, “What do you want from me, princess?” When I told him, he immediately fell back, only half in a daze but vehemently shaking his no – but I won in the end, because here we are, where I asked to be. I feel only a little remorseful and he’s telling me I’m trouble again.

I tilt my body, trying to get a closer look at the scene, but no matter how much I shift and turn, I can’t quite make out who my father is with, nor what he’s saying. My finger absently finds the buttons on the side of the car, but before I can lower the window, Cardan takes hold of my wrist. I’m already practically on top of him, my knees bracing against the console from the passenger’s side, and a hand planted firmly onto his lap. So it shouldn’t bother me when he pulls me closer, tightening his hold on me. Cardan’s warm fingers encircle my wrists, his thumb right where my veins sing.

I’m alive, he should note. I give him a look, eyes unable to stray too far from his still pink and swollen lips. I did that, I think to myself. I wonder how many other can say the same. And then I realize I don’t actually want to consider that at all. Cardan narrows his dark eyes at me, “Don’t even think about it, Jude.” My name on his tongue always felt like sin, but it’s when he teases me with my pseudo-reign that I feel like penance should only a breath away.

“But -” my mouth feels dry, searching for excuses but he shakes his head, halting my explanation.

“We’re not even supposed to be here,” he seethes, “and if you think we’re not being watched right now, you’re sorely mistaking.” I find myself pouting when he firmly guides me back into my seat, forcing me to gather the rest of my surroundings. We’re in a secluded area, backroads lined with trash bags and oily pathways between buildings. My father is currently having a “business meeting,” as he explained before abruptly leaving. I’ve only ever seen business meetings that take place between alleyways in movies that involve the mob.

When I tell Cardan this, pointedly looking at my father’s silhouette, he gives me a dry kind of look I choose to ignore. So long as he’s looking at me, I suppose. He was left in charge of watching over the club in Dad’s absence, but we both knew it just meant watching over me. I was working the bar tonight, a job my father now is incredibly annoyed with, despite the fact it had been his suggested punishment for my overspending a bit.

“Just because there’s no limit does not mean you get to test that theory, Jude.” I roll my eyes now, because jokes on him; I'm a hit at parties now that I know to mix drinks and do little flairs that I’m quite proud of. I like to impress Cardan with them when he leaves Dad’s office and orders something boring on the rocks. I’m nearly positive that’s the charm that had him following me to that hall and led to him driving me right where we are currently parked.

“Haven’t you heard the saying? Curiosity killed the girl.”

“It does not go like that,” I tell Cardan, unamused.

I’m no idiot, I know Madoc’s club is only half of where our family income comes from, and the guests he entertains in the VIP section are never just guests. Business partners maybe, buyers or sellers, I could never tell. It was the same as usual until Dad had gotten a phone call in the middle of his hosting. It had seemed as if he had been waiting for the call all evening. However, him leaving abruptly made me too antsy to stand idle and make vodka cranberries all night. It always felt like the entire staff was in on a big secret I wasn’t apart of. It didn’t help that lately, Dad had been a little worn down, coming home tired or frustrated, answering calls curtly, stuck in his own head looking haggard. I’m allowed to worry.

“You didn’t,” Cardan says, pausing the sudden gnawing I’d been doing on my bottom lip, “by the way. Your bar tricks are not what got you into my car.” I guess he’s a mind reader now too.

“You’re telling me you weren’t impressed with my juggling?” I didn’t even break a bottle this time.

He sighs, “you probably could have just asked and I’d taken you.” I raise an eyebrow, not believing him since even with all my womanly whiles and eccentric charm, I still had to plead with him to get out here. The side of his lip tilts up in a smirk. “I just like watching you beg.” He shrugs, “So, you would have begged.” His warm voice sends a shiver down my spine. “Maybe I would have gotten you on your knees.” He could still get me on my knees if he asked nicely, but I don’t tell him that. Cardan glances out the window, making a face at the two men. “There’s no point in being here if you can’t even hear what’s being said.”

I nod at this, finding my composure. “Exactly, Mr. Greenbriar.” I grin, “We should move closer.”

“No,” he tells me. He fumbles for the lock but my door is swung open before he manages to press the button. His eyes widen, “Jude,” he scowls quietly when I give him a triumphant grin. Without waiting, I duck for cover, sneaking up closer to the building. “Fuck me,” I hear Cardan moan. “Jude, you idiot,” he mutters, silently getting out of the car and following me. When he’s caught up, he pushes me behind him as we near the corner of the building. “You’re gonna get us both killed.”

“Are you not carrying?” I ask a bit startled. “Wait so that wasn’t a gun in your pocket? You really were excited to see me?” His hand comes over my mouth, and my eyes widen in shock, absolutely enthralled with the way he’s decided to manhandle me tonight. I’m always the one testing boundaries, so maybe my heart pounds a little faster at our proximity more than the shooters probably ready to gun us down – if Cardan is right about us being watched.

“Have you always been this bratty?” I wiggle my eyebrows at him instead of giving him an actual answer. He looks heavenwards before moving to stand behind me. One hand is now across my chest, the other still firmly over my mouth. I lick him but he doesn’t let off. “Of course, I’m armed, but I’m not Superman, princess. I don’t even think I have 15 rounds,” he says the last part more to himself, but that’s news to me anyways.

We lean closer to the alleyway, bracing our shoulders on to the bricks of the building. Whatever Dad and his friend are talking about is only slightly less muffled than before. Its longer than I expect to finally make out pretty keywords like “shipment” and “missing equipment,” and then something that has me ridged.

“You have three daughters don’t you, Madoc?”

“Don’t bring them into this,” Dad responds clearly. My heart beats even faster, I'm all too aware of Cardan’s palm searing hot against the unsteady thumping. He pulls me even tighter against him. Dad says, “I came in good faith to hear you out. You’re the one who lost my supplies.”

“You’re the one who lost two of my guys,” the other man counters, not really angry and seemingly uncaring for the men in question. He makes my skin crawl on sight alone.

“That’s not my -”

The other man holds up a finger, cutting my father off, offending me in the process. His phone had been ringing and Cardan stiffens, as the man answers, eyes still boring holes into my father. “Yes…really? Okay...” He hangs up and tilts his head, “Good faith? Someone’s tailing us.”

“I didn’t -” whatever my dad says, I don’t get to hear. Cardan is cursing, grabbing me by the hand and pulling me towards the car. It’s a struggle because my entire body wants to run to Dad, but the hold Cardan has on me is iron tight. A shot goes off and my body seizes. My eyes go so wide they hurt. I only wanted to know what Dad was hiding, wanted in on the big secret everyone knew but me – wanted some type of undeniable proof so he couldn’t brush this away, brush me away. More shots are fired and I’m too far to know who’s shooting at who.

Cardan pulls open the car door and shoves me in before rushing to the other side. I don’t even have my seatbelt on when he pulls out of the spot. I hear more bangs ricocheting and panic begins to set in, “Cardan! Dad -”

“He’s fine – Balekin wasn’t lying.”

“Balekin?”

Cardan doesn’t exactly answer me, but continues, “Madoc definitely brought back up. No good faith and all that.” He waves his hand and it freaks me out that both hands are not on the steering wheel. It also unnerves me that Cardan knows my Dad’s tells more than me. “We, on the other hand…” he trails off, shifting gears and stepping on the gas. My heart flies into my throat. I hurriedly manage to snap on the seatbelt, but even then, I don’t think that’ll protect me at all if Cardan decides to bend us into a tree or light pole or worse – another vehicle. “God,” he mutters, “you’re so reckless, Jude” he mumbles, “absolute fucking brat,” he continues. My cheeks flare pink but I hold my tongue, scared I might vomit if I talk. I grip at the leather seats so tight I feel my knuckles start to cramp. “And me – I follow you like a fucking dog.” Outside is a blur of lights and the night sky. I'm too scared to look at the speedometer but I know it’s beyond what the legal limit is. The one reprieve is that the road is clear for now.

“I think where in a fifty zone,” I finally manage in a squeak. Cardan side eyes me and I let out a yelp, “Oh my god, pay attention to the road!”

My hysterical tone eases him somehow, because he begins to relax. He eyes the rear view mirror and shrugs, taking a hand off the steering wheel again. My heart is beating so fast that my eyes seem to shake at every little pump. “We’re good,” he lets me know. He smirks at me and when I look sick at his lack of attention to the road, he tells me, “Crack the widow, let your hair down and all.” He does it for me with his free hand reaching to the top of my head, pulling at the clip securing my bun. It unravels just as the window slides down. Air gusts through my hair and stings my face.

My ears are filled with the rush of wind. “I…” My words are lost in the noise.

“It’s okay, princess, I’m a good driver,” he promises.

“What are you,” I manage, hoarse, “Dad’s getaway driver?” he shifts gears and I'm seeing double. Soon we’ll be doing donuts in the parking lot.

He shrugs, “When he needs me to be.” I remember what he said about curiosity killing the girl and that must explain the stroke I’m having. I feel like an idiot – a little girl trying to be much bigger than she is. What the hell would Dad even say if I go to him about tonight? He’d probably gaslight me. I shakily look back, wondering if we’re being followed. I calm when I see that its just us. “Do you trust me?”

I nod my head and settle back into the seat. I try to get my mind off of this, thinking about our kiss from earlier instead. Had only an hour passed since then? I should apologize for leading him on only to get him here. Except I hadn’t really led him on. I’ve wanted Cardan since the moment Dad introduced us. I think him working directly under my father only fueled my desire more. It felt very taboo. However, those thoughts only race my pulse for a completely different reason. Slowly, I release my death grip on the seat and hold my hand out to Cardan. He raises a brow, but takes it anyway, letting me squeeze it tightly. “Yeah,” I whisper. I clear my throat, “I trust you.”

There’s a lot to take in, but I'm trying to stabilize my pulse instead. It’s like an onslaught of adrenaline wafting through me repeatedly and I can’t find a release. The car rolls to a stop just off the highway and into the cover of trees and shrubbery, This feels like an illegal spot to park, but what do I know? I watch in a stupor as the slim needle on the dashboard falls from somewhere in the hundreds down, down, down to 0. I find myself absolutely petrified but yet a giggle escapes me. Suddenly, I have this uncontrollable urge to laugh because if I don’t, I think I might cry.

“Are you okay?” Cardan reaches over and unclips my belt. He then brushes my hair back, forcing my gaze to his. He thumbs at my eyes, tearing up from the wind, and not at all because of the emotional turmoil I’m going through.

The rush that had been whipping past my ear had been halted so suddenly that my head begins to sway. I turn to look at him, uncaring for once how unput together I must look. “Dad…”

“He’s fine,” Cardan says again, sure of himself. “Are you?”

“Not dead,” I confirm, and he gives my hand a little squeeze. I give him a dazed look, and then, I smile softly at him. It must have been what he was waiting for. In one swift motion, Cardan tugs me over the console, guiding me to straddle is lap. My skirt hikes up and Cardan only pushes it up higher. There’s a pulse between my legs and when he pulls me down, his breath tickles my skin, filling me with heat all the way to the pit of my stomach.

“You’re okay,” he tells me quietly. “It’s okay, Jude.” I nod, placing my hands in his shoulder, fingers teasing at his dark curls. I stare at his neck, at the tendon there that I want to place my lip against. I bend down to do just that, letting his steady pulse beat against my skin. “Jude,” he murmurs, tilting his head to give me more access. When I press my lips on his skin, he sucks in a breath.

“I'm sorry,” I whisper, leaning up.

His hands run up my thighs, and if I had survived a shootout and a lone speed race, I don’t think I can survive Cardan and the way he looks at me right now. “For what?”

“Using you?”

Cardan chuckles, and reaches one hand up, working at the buttons of my shirt. Slowly, he pushes it off my shoulders, letting the material fall to the floor, all the while he’s admiring the swell of my breasts, contained only by sheer white lace. He looks up at me, gauging my come down from the adrenaline. I’m still utterly tweaked, and every touch of his is no help at all. My skin is on fire everywhere his fingertips touch. He teases a digit over my breast, up my neck and to my chin, pinching it between his fingers and pulling me forward. “I don’t think it counts,” he tells me. “I would have done this anyway,” he reminds me.

“Oh,” is all I can say.

His lips graze against mine and there’s a heat pooling between my legs. I shift, only to find him already hard and straining in his jeans. “Tell me to stop,” he mouths against me. I don’t. My eyes flutter and I hold on to him tighter. I pick at the buttons of his shirt, slowly undoing them until my cool hands can press firmly to his hard chest. His muscle seem to tighten when I graze them. Cardan holds my wrist gently this time, guiding it further down to his navel. “Come on princess, tell me this is a bad idea.” I stay silent. Even if it was a bad idea, I won’t let it stop. “Then open your mouth for me.”

My lips part for him and when our tongues meet, Cardan moans softly. He pulls me in closer, nipping at my bottom lip, sucking on it until my toes curl. His hand on my thigh slides over my ass and between my legs from behind. His fingers deftly rubbing at the already wet cotton and I gasp out, arching my neck, letting him trace his tongue down my skin. He pulls down a strap of my bra with his free hand, meeting my eyes and keeping my gaze as he lowers his head to kiss the tip of my breast. I inhale when his tongue laves my nipple, drawing it into his mouth. He sucks gently at first, finger rubbing over me just as soft. Then, he tugs my underwear to the side, now parting my pussy just as he begins to suck on me harder.

He makes a noise that vibrates against my skin. I hold his head against me, nearly close to weeping. His teeth graze my skin and I jump, hitting my head against the ceiling of the car. He pulls away from me, his lips obscenely wet and his eyes lidded. He reaches up, rubbing my head before feeling the side of his seat and pulling a lever to slowly recline the seat. “Sorry,” he says and I laugh, despite the ache in my breast and the throb in my pussy. I bite at my lip and undo his belt. “You’re so beautiful,” he tells me and my skin heats up. He pulls the other side of my bra down while I stroke his stiff cock. “Beautiful,” he repeats, I'm dripping between my thighs and his finger rubs me faster.

I go in for another kiss. Not short and sweet like I had been intending. This time Cardan kisses me rough and hard. There’s passion and ache between us. He reaches down to align the head of his cock where it needs to be. He rubs the tip between my slit with one hand, the other moves to come between us, rubbing soft circles into my clit. My knees strain on either side of him, and I let out a whimper when he teases the head shallowly. My hand finds his shoulders, and I cry out when he thrusts upwards, impaling me in one swift movement.

“Cardan!” My head falls forward, into his neck, and I try to muffle the cry into his skin. He gives me little time to adjust before he pulls out and slams back in. My muscles pulse when he pauses again, gripping him in spasms. He groans wrapping his arms around my back, moving me to his pace now, and I try to keep up with his steady pounding, but all I can find the energy to do is lay on top of him and take it as the length of him rubs every tender spot within me. I’m groaning and panting and he’s whispering my name.

“Jude…” my nipples feel so tender, brushing against his chest at every thrust, “God – you take me so good, don’t you?” I feel like I’m being spilt in two and its absolutely delicious. “Does that feel good, princess?”

“Yes,” I say, breathing hard. He thrusts into me harder, and harder and swear he’s rocking the car, but I want more of him, so much more. “Yes – Cardan…” my eyes get glassy, and I shut them tight, pressing my head onto his shoulder. He slows down and grabs hold of my hair, pulling my head back. The slower he moves the deeper he seems to go; the tip of his dick kissing at my womb. I whimper, fingers flexing against his skin

“Look at me,” he whispers, sweat sheening his body now, slick and warm. His eyes are wild and full of lust and I'm so gone for him, so absolutely gone for this man. “Tell me,” Cardan requests in a slur. “Say it again.”

“It feels… so good,” I manage, “ah… more,” I beg and he’s ramming into me now, so hard and rough and then I say, “faster… please…” and it’s so frantic that I grab on to the headrest, bracing myself so I could take everything he gives me. There’s a tight knot at the pit of my stomach, and my cunt is dripping onto him. My heart hasn’t calmed down since the first gunshot but I find that I don’t mind the intense thumping anymore; it makes me feel so alive instead of being on the verge of death.

“Come for me, baby,” Cardan orders. He fucks me so recklessly, and his shaft rubs against my throbbing clit at every deep stroke. I feel delirious, holding my breath and clenching my stomach.

“Ah,” I cry out, back arching. His hand in my hair loosens to roam down my body. “I…Oh,” I bite at my lips, feeling the start of an orgasm that wouldn’t quite come. “I don’t know if I…” my confession trails off as I fall back with his guidance, careful not to honk the horn. He slows down again, torturing me. His finger finds my hardened clit and I scream when he presses down on it.

“You can,” Cardan lets me know. “You will,” he promises, in a breath. “For me, just for me.” My hands are frantic, unsure of what to hold onto. He pulls them around his neck, bringing me over him again. “I can go as long as it takes, princess,” he says into my ear before he kisses me there, then lower until his teeth latches on to the curve of my neck, all while fucking me hard and deep and so dirty, driving into me with little mercy. I’ve forgotten my name, it must be Princess with how much he says it. But it doesn’t matter, nothing matters, just him being inside of me does.

He fucks me endlessly and I bite down on his neck, mirroring him, screaming when I come. It feels so intense, I see stars as I shudder uncontrollably. Cardan cries out too, slamming into me one last time, his climax mixing with mine and it seems unending when I shudder again, tightening my thighs against his. I gasp again when my stomach clenches, “Cardan,” I whimper, slowly coming down.

Cardans hand brushes down my back, soothing me as we both try to catch our breaths. He gently lifts me up, letting his cock slip from me. Come drips out of me, pouring onto him but he doesn’t care and I don’t think I care either. He smooths my hair back and pulls me in for a kiss, soft and slow this time. He reaches between us, and my body jolts when he pets my pussy, rubbing at the soreness sure to come soon. When we pull away, I ask, “Where did that come from?”

“Long time in the making,” he grins wryly, “you already knew that though.” I roll my eyes but jump at the vibration in his pants. His phone was buzzing. He pauses his hand on me and reaches into his pocket awkwardly. It’s my dad’s name on the screen and my cheek runs from a soft blush to full on crimson. Cardan unlocks it and reads the message. He looks up at me warily. “He’s asking why you left early from the bar.”

“Tell him I went for a ride.” I grin.

Cardan fights a smile, muttering, “trouble,” like a praise as he begins to type.

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likecanyoujustnot · 2 months

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Jude’s trial, Cardan’s pov

A/n: I’m supposed to be getting ready for my birthday party but I have massive procrastination issues. And this picks off right where the letter ended. Kinda long.

“What do you mean he is dead?”

There were tears in Taryn’s eyes as I paced in front of her.

“He washed up on the beach near our house.” She sniffed. “I don’t know how it happened.”

“When did you notice he was missing?”

I had last seen him two days ago. Entertaining a group of young faeries.

“He didn’t come home after last night and that’s nothing out of the ordinary, you know how he is.”

Yes I did.

“What are you going to do about it?” She looks at me cautiously.

“Hold a trial, I want to find who did this.” I may hate his cheating guts but I wanted to know who in my court thought it was a good idea to kill off my master of revels.

She froze. “Am I a suspect?”

“For now, until we can rule out your innocence.”

She nodded slowly. “What if it was Jude?”

It was my turn to freeze. “What makes you think it was her?”

“She doesn’t like him, and she doesn’t like you much at the moment either, this could be her way of sending a message.”

Not likely. If she wanted to send a message she would’ve crept into my rooms and slit my throat while I slept. This wasn’t her style.

“Trials begin at the beginning of the week, in two days, you are first Taryn.”

She nodded and walked off, a slight tremble in her hands.

Dammit.

Valerian and Locke. Both dead. I didn’t mourn valerian and I doubted I would mourn Locke. They were both awful. But it was now just me and Nicasia. I would probably have to tell her of the murder. She’d probably believe it to be Jude. I don’t know how Taryn could sell out that it might be her twin sister.

I didn’t think it was, but still.

I gave instructions to the guards and Randalin and went back off to my room.

My head was pounding and I wanted nothing more than to just sleep.

I was the king. I could do whatever I wanted.

And so I slept.

The next few days passed without hassle, until the day of the inquest came.

I saw Nicasia first.

She looked awful. Tired and distant. A dress the colours of the sea on her. And next to her stood my mother.

It was night time, the first of the stars visible when a mortal woman walked up to where we stood.

She wore a bronze dress and had a hood pulled over her head.

Taryn looked so much like Jude it hurt. I wonder what would happen if I just left and ran off to the mortal lands to find my wife.

The cold voice of one of my personal guards cut through the chatter. “Taryn Duarte. Wife of Locke. You must stand in the place of petitioners.”

She moved to where she was indicated to stand.

“Taryn?” I asked.

She raises her eyes to me and I am struck by a realisation.

That’s not Taryn.

That’s Jude.

The high queen of faerie.

My wife.

My heart skipped a beat.

“Your majesty.” She said.

“We recognise your grief.” I did my best to keep my voice even. “We would not disturb your mourning were it not for questions over the cause of your husband’s death.” Though I supposed I’m her husband.

Jude.

Here.

“Do you really think she’s sad.” Nicasia cut in. I almost roll my eyes. She steps closer to Taryn- no, Jude- and I tense. Nicasia had a tendency to be irrational, had he friend had just been murdered, making her even more unpredictable. “Did you kill Locke yourself? Or did you get your sister to do it for you?”

“Jude is in exile.” Her words are soft, and I yet again marvel at how easily she can lie. “And I’ve never hurt Locke.”

“No?” I interjected. I leant forward on the throne. My tail twitched. She’s lying again. If she is truly Jude, which she is, she has hurt Locke in the past.

“I lov…” Jude stopped. To anyone else it would look like she was grieving, as though the words were too hard to say.

But I knew better. She was having to force herself to say it.

“I loved him.” She lets out a little sob.

“Sometimes I believed you did yes.” I force my tone to be absentminded, as though I didn’t care. I did believe she loved Locke. And I hated her, for loving him and not me, Locke for tricking her, and myself for not being good enough. “But you could be lying. I am going to put a glamour on you. All it will do is force you to tell us the truth.” I curved my hand and magic shimmered in the air.

“Now, tell me only the truth. What is your name?”

If she wears no protection, under the glamour, she will be forced to admit her title as well. Jude Duarte Greenbriar, High Queen of Elfhame, wife of Cardan.

And that would cause a huge problem.

“Taryn Duarte.” She curtsied. “Daughter of Madoc, wife of Locke, subject of the High King of Elfhame.

Liar. She had to be Jude. I smiled. “What fine courtly manners.”

“I was well instructed.” We were instructed together.

“Did you murder Locke?” There is a silence following my words. The folk quiet in apprehension.

“No.” She said, she gave a pointed look to Nicasia. “Nor did I orchestrate his death. Perhaps we ought to look to the sea, where he was found.”

I wanted to laugh at the poeticness of this moment. Either Taryn had killed Locke and didn’t want anyone to know, or Jude killed both of them and was know planning my own demise. That didn’t scare me as much as it should have.

Nicasia turns to me. “We know Jude murdered Balekin. She confessed as much. And I have long suspected her of killing Valerian.” I wondered how she would react if I told her she had killed him. “If Taryn isn’t the culprit then Jude must be. Queen Orlagh, my mother, swore a truce with you. What possible gain could sue have from the murder of your master of revels? She knew he was your friend- and mine.” Her voice breaks at the end, her grief palpable.

I peer back down at Jude. “Well, what do you think? Did your sister do it? And don’t tell me what I already know. Yes I sent Jude into exile. That may or may not have deterred her.”

She looks like she wants to punch me. “She had no reason to hate Locke, I don’t think she wished him ill.”

“Is that so?” I knew for a fact she did.

“Perhaps it is only court gossip, but there is a popular tale about you, your sister and Locke.” I wanted to snap at my mother for bringing herself into a conversation where she is not needed. “She loved him, but he chose you. Some sisters cannot bear to see the other happy.”

I glanced at her.

“Jude never loved Locke.” Her face went a slight pink. “She loved someone else. He’s the one she’d want dead.”

I flinched at both meanings to her words. She wanted me dead, and she loved me.

I wasn’t sure which alarmed me more.

She loved me

Loved.

As in past tense

“Enough.” I said before she could keep talking. “I have heard all I care to on this subject-”

“No!” Nicasia interrupted. Everyone stirred a little. She cut me off. The high king. She seems to realise it as she goes on. “Taryn could have a charm on her, something that makes her resistant to glamours.”

I glared at Nicasia for undermining my authority. I look back to Jude and give her a cruel smile. “I suppose she’ll have to be searched.”

I could sense Nicasia’s sneer.

Jude stood up taller in a position that reminded me of Oriana. “My husband was murdered. And whether or not you believe me, I do mourn him. I will not make a spectacle of myself for the court’s amusement when his body is barely cold.”

I admired the sheer will and determination in her voice.

My smile only grew. This is was chance to get her alone. “As you wish. Then I suppose I will have to examine you alone in my chambers.”

I could barely keep myself from smiling in glee. Jude was back. And she was following me to my rooms. And there I would ask her why she stayed away so long. Why she didn’t come home to me.

She was nervous, she had no clue I knew she wasn’t Taryn. And that scared her. She knew that if I had her undressed I would know her body. Her scars and imperfections.

Never mind I could tell who she was just off of her face.

I passed a hooded servant carrying pale green wine.

There was a cry and a crash behind me and I wip around. Jude is on the floor, the servant with her. Her dress soaked in wine and the shattered glass around them.

Jude helped the servant girl sweep up debris before she says. “Oh no, my lady, your pardon, you ought not lower yourself.”

One of my guards catches her arm. “Come along,” he said as he lifted her to her feet, and we continued walking.

Two servants open the heavy doors to my chambers and I threw myself down in a low couch in the parlour, Jude stood awkwardly in the centre of the room.

My feet rested on the stone table. “Well.” I said, patting the couch beside me, an invitation for her to sit. “Didn’t you get my letters?”

“What?” She croaked.

“You never replied to a one. I began to wonder if you’d misplaced your ambition in the mortal world.”

“Your majesty.” Her said, voice stiff. “I thought you brought me here to assure yourself I had neither charm nor amulet.”

I raised an eyebrow and my smile deepened. “I will if you like. Shall I command you to remove your clothes? I don’t mind.” Not in the slightest.

“What are you doing.” She’s desperate now. “What are you playing at?”

She still thought she can convince me she’s Taryn. It was adorable. “Jude, you can’t really think I don’t know it’s you. I knew you from the moment you walked in the brugh.”

She shook her head. “That’s not possible.”

I stood, watching her intently. “Come closer.”

She took a step back.

I frowned. “My councillors told me that you met with an ambassador from the court of teeth, that you must be working with Madoc now. I was unwilling to believe it, but seeing the way you look at me, pervades I must.” She was angry, and rightfully so, looking like she wanted to run me through with a knife. “Tell me it’s not true.” It could not be true, she wouldn’t plot against me, would she? Though if I died, she would be free to rule without me, Madoc whispering in her ear.

“I’m not the betrayer here.”

“Are you angry about-” I stopped, studying her face more carefully. “No, you’re afraid. But why would you be afraid of me?” I’d never done anything for her to fear.

“I’m not.” She trembled. “I hate you. You sent me into exile. Everything you say to me, everything you promise, it’s all a trick. And I, stupid enough to believe you once.”

“Of course it was a trick-” I noted that she was now holding a blade. Sheathed, but it looked deadly.

Suddenly everything shook. An explosion that was close enough to cause us both to stumble. Books fell and crystal orbs rolled onto the floor. I looked at her, surprised, before I realised, she could have done this. My eyes narrowed.

Then there’s the sound of metal striking metal, swords.

“Stay here.” She drew the blade.

No. “Jude, don’t-” I call after her as she slipped out of the room.

Dammit.

I had Jude back, and I would not loose her again. I drew into my power, commanding it to listen, to reshape the burgh. Commanding the doorways to crack and shrink. From the screams of the guards I knew that vines, roots and leaves were clicking them, starting to creep around their necks, strangling them.

They had taken Jude.

And they would not forget it.

#cardan greenbriar #the cruel prince #judes trial cardans pov #the queen of nothing #queen of nothing #the folk of the air #folk of the air #jude duarte #jurdan #jurdan fanfic

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neon-academia · 10 months

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bro i sketched a cute jurdan wallpaper for you bro 🛒

"𝐀 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐥𝐟𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲. 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥."

if you're lost dw, it's a scene from a fic i wrote :) i've had so many requests for art of this scene from ch.5 of snakes & lattes. clearly i had fun! it was a wonderful refresher sketch for working with this art style

links to the chapter and original post: post , ao3 , wp

#ill met by moonlight #a midsummer night's meme #snakes and lattes fic #tfota #the cruel prince #cardan greenbriar #jude duarte #jude x cardan #jurdan #tcp #tfota fanfic #tfota fanart #my art #my fic #broooo

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jahayla-parker · 1 year

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Drama King : Cardan Greenbriar x Reader ~

Description: 2.8k wc, Cardan is a simp for his wife/ reader and becomes very dramatic about her wiping away his kiss. Fluff

Warnings: simp behavior lol, Cardan drinking, minor angst if you squint

Territorial : Cardan Greenbriar x Reader *~

Description: 2.9k wc, Cardan isn't pleased when someone makes a move on y/n despite y/n and Cardan having already been together for awhile.

Warnings: jealously, flirtations, mentions of fighting, protectiveness, a little suggestive at the end. Not proofread

TikTok Prank Preference: Stuck Tampon ~

Description: blurb preference based on the viral TikTok prank where the person pretend they have a tampon stuck and need their partner to help them to see how they react.

Warnings: mentions of period related items and topics, minimally suggestive words, otherwise fluff

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rabbitholessk · 14 days

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land soup (or ten year old Jurdan being kids in faerie before everything)

Jude stomps away from Madoc’s stronghold. Her and Taryn just squabbled ferociously and she needs to be as far from Taryn as possible. Taryn wore on her last nerve, especially after dealing with the cries of the new adoptive baby Madoc took in, along with a bride. Jude was due some much needed alone time and quiet.

The luster and frightening feel of Faerie has worn off ever so slightly after the three years her, Taryn, and Vivi have now lived here.

Ten years old, angry with her sister, and with one of her fingers healing where the tip had been bitten off a few odd weeks ago; Jude feels for the first time in a long time, like she is out of place. If she was in the mortal realm, she would have probably taken her bike and rode off somewhere to blow off steam. But alas, her bike is more than likely covered in a thick layer of dust in her family’s former garage. Or, maybe, a different kid was using her bike now.

She shakes the thought and forges on. Careful not to step on any suspicious mushrooms or plants. Jude is ever weary of any creatures looking at her through the trees so she keeps her head high and her focus forward.

She’s walked off farther than she ought to have, but finds herself grateful for it. After passing through the milkwood she happened upon a hidden lake, enshrouded by lazy willow trees and surrounded by flowers in every shade of blue and purple. No matter the horrors of Faerie, there were still these scenes that seemed to have come straight from one of the fairy tale books of her youth.

Jude decides to set up in this beautiful area for a while. Gathering rocks from around the small lake she skips them across the surface. Or attempts to. It’s been a while since she’s done this. It feels bittersweet. Her father had been the one to teach her how to skip rocks on their summer trips to the beach.

“What are you doing?” A commanding, yet curious voice questions over shoulder. To her embarrassment, she startles and whirls around, narrowly missing the mystery person's head with a thrown rock.

With quick reflexes she’s not able to study who the mystery person is, when said person is throwing the rock back at her. She ducks in time, then springs back up to find none other than the youngest Prince of Faerie’s piercing kohl eyes studying her.

“You.”

She’s familiar with Cardan. He’s in the academy with her and Taryn. They don’t interact all that often considering their difference in social standing.

“I command you to show me how to do what you were just doing.” The prince says snootily. Jude has the brief instance where she thinks she wants to laugh in his face or tell him off, but instead she bites her tongue. It was a bad idea to make enemies of the royal family. Respect for the Greenbriar line has been drilled into Taryn and Jude ever since Madoc took them in.

More like he murdered their parents, and kidnapped them. But in faerie, Jude has learned that might just be any other Tuesday for the Folk.

Jude rolls her eyes and trudges closer to the shore of the pristine lake.

“First we need to find some rocks.” She states, searching the bank and finding a small handful. To her surprise the youngest prince has gotten onto his hands and knees and is digging through the dirt. If a Prince of Elfhame digging through dirt is a shock, the tail emerging from behind him is an even bigger one.

She says nothing and waits for him to collect his rocks. She tucks the observation away for a later time, a question for Vivi, perhaps.

Jude shows him the motions and watches as Cardan attempts to skip them across the surface. She quickly gets bored when she realizes he’s going to be doing this for a while. His focus is seemingly stuck on perfecting the skill.

Instead, to kill more time, Jude trudges over to a decaying tree stump and takes up an act from her childhood that has been long forgotten. The urge to collect various pieces from nature and make a ‘land soup’ with the stump as the cauldron consumes her. It may be childish for someone whose age is now in the double digits, but she is alone, save for the Prince still tossing rocks. Nonetheless, she indulges on this small ounce of her lost childhood.

After collecting leaves, rocks, brambles, a collection of blue and purple petals Jude stirs them into the cauldron. She found a large stick to act as a stirring device and set to work. Watching with rapt attention as the different bits of nature become this hodge-podge of nasty within the stump, she fails to hear Cardan creep up behind her.

“What is that horrible mess?”

To her great embarrassment, once again, she jolts-- her stick cracks against the stump from the shock.

“It’s land soup.” She mutters.

“Your pardon?”

“It’s a game from my childhood.” She’s not exactly sure how much of her life the Prince knows about, so she only supplies the minimal answer.

“Ah.” He gets closer to the slop. “Have you considered adding water?” Jude swivels to look at him, astounded by his suggestion. If she’s read him correctly, he’s being playful. Before she can answer, Cardan is already rushing the few feet over to the lake. He gathers water in cupped hands, spilling some on the dash over to the stump.

Wordlessly, with two mirroring grins, they hobble back and forth from the stump and the lake with cupped hands of water. The smell becomes atrocious, a sure-fire sign you’ve made land soup properly.

“It smells awful.” Jude remarks, watching as Cardan uses her stick to swirl around the murky contents of the stump.

“It’s more appealing than most of my meals.” From the strangely serious demeanor he adopts, Jude cannot tell if the Prince is joking.

The sun is beginning to set below the horizon. Jude hadn’t realized how long she’d been away. She had tried to retreat when everyone else would have been asleep, completely disregarding why the Prince would ever be awake at this hour as well.

Cardan catches her studying the moon rising in the distance.

“Do you know your way home?” He questions softly. She nods. It’s growing dark now though, and she can’t see in the dark like the fae. The two still stand around the stump.

“I can’t see in the dark.” She admits.

“Madoc’s stronghold?” Cardan asks.

Jude pauses then utters an affirmative. Swiftly his hand wraps around her wrist, and he’s dragging her through the dark patch of forest, until she recognizes the heady smell of the milkwood, all the way until she sees the familiar torches of Madoc’s stronghold just beyond the tree line the two are tucked into.

She’s not sure what to say, or what to do with Cardan. In turn, he decides for both of them. Jude knows the honey laced sound of a glamour. She feels briefly infuriated and hurt, until he begins to speak.

“You will go to your room, sleep, and mention our meeting to no one. You will not remember what happened tonight, you were simply going for a walk and got turned around.”

Jude’s feet trample through the dark until she makes it to the door. Oriana ushers her in and up to her bedroom where Jude flops face first into her mattress. Exhausted with the smell of mud and flowers laced in her hair and clothes. When she wakes she craves honey cakes.

#jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #tfota #jude x cardan #jurdan #the cruel prince #fanfic #also on my ao3

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bellarkeex · 9 months

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Let Someone, Let Me. [Jude x Cardan]

Jude's exhausted from her Queenly duties, Cardan takes care of her

☾ warnings: don’t think there is any, mention of the Undersea, soft Cardan, fluff

☾ read on ao3: here

☾ wc: 745

Exhaustion had seeped into my bones many hours ago. The last few days had seemed like non-stop revels, living council meetings, and running around so often I'm surprised the soles of my shoes are still intact. In my strained attempt to conjure up any final bit of energy I had left, some may say my behaviour had begun to border on 'unseemly'. More so than usual.

Cardan had also been his usual, oh so helpful, self as he'd decided to fill his days with lounging on his half of the throne and entertaining our subjects. I mean, I suppose he's listened to the occasional request.

I reach where Fand stands outside our room. I barely manage to greet her before I'm pushing my way into the room, making a beeline for the bed.

I don't register Cardan laying there until he's pulling me into his side, tucking an arm around me to stroke lazy patterns into my back. His tail coming to rest atop my thigh.

"Well, I've had a very long day of entertaining our lovely folk, what about you my wretched wife?" He sighs with dramatised fatigue into the top of my forehead.

"Is that why the ongoing revel is missing your wonderful presence?"

"Would you stab me if I said maybe I've missed you these last couple days?"

"Not right now." I sign into his chest, letting my hand slide under his lowly buttoned shirt. "It seems like a lot of work."

At that he gives me a small chuckle, before he's sitting up to take my feet into his hands. Fingers carefully untying the laces of the shoes I hadn't managed to take off, then reaching for my stockings to pull them off my aching legs.

Then he's leaving me. Disappearing into the bathroom. I hear faint water begin to fill the tub and when Cardan returns his clothes have been discarded, moonlight illuminating the skin of his chest.

Despite my exhaustion, I can't help but notice the skip of my heartbeat at his sudden nudity. But if Cardan notices the flush of my cheeks, he doesn't mention it.

I don't have the energy to resist as he picks me off the bed to haul me into his arms. Not that I would.

"What are you doing?" I breathe against his neck.

"Jude." he gently shushes me. "Just let someone take care of you for once. Let me."

I'm placed before the filled bath, cool stone beneath my feet sending a chill through my spine. Flickering candlelight reflects in the steaming water below me, creating shadowed waves which dance along the bottom of the tub. I push away any thought of the Undersea, forcing myself to breathe deeper, and narrow my focus on Cardans hands skilfully unlacing the back of my dress to help me step out of it.

"Should I be worried?" I raise my eyebrows in question, gesturing in the direction of the candle. "You seem to have an awful habit of setting your rooms on fire."

He only smiles and begins to lure me into the tub with a soft hand, guiding me to sit in front of him.

I allow myself to rest against my husband as he holds me to his chest, grounding myself in his presence. I'm thankful for the window that has been cracked open, the occasional breeze reminding me I'm above water. Only then do I let myself become conscious of the warm water that's beginning to sooth my sore skin.

Neither of us speak for a while, basking in each other's company trying to make up for lost time. Simply breathing in one another.

Cardan takes his sweet time in gracing his hands over my aching joints, as though he's trying to relieve my body from the tension it holds, before reaching up to gently release my hair from the pins letting it flow over my shoulders. Under his touch I slip deeper into the warmth of his chest, eyes heavy lidded I try to focus on the steady thump of his heart and the light touch of his fingertips.

I must fail in my attempt to resist sleep because I wake beneath the embroidered covers of our bed, washed, and my hair loosely braided.

It doesn't take long for me to fall back into a peaceful sleep, head leaning against the slow rise and fall of Cardans chest.

But not before managing to mumble a barely audible, "I've missed you too."

☾ i like the idea that Cardan knows how to braid hair even though no one's ever taught him. i imagine he has it memorised from all the times he’s watched Jude do it, so he tried to recreate it when she was asleep.

#jurdan #cardan greenbriar #jude duarte #the cruel prince #the wicked king #how the king of elfhame learned to hate stories #tfota #the folk of the air #jude and cardan #the queen of nothing #tcp #twk #tqon #jurdan fanfic #jude x cardan #jude x cardan fluff #jurdan fluff #holly black #htkoelths

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daphnechantandshant · 21 days

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jude and cardan both have re-occuring fears that the other will leave them. And the other always know when they feel that way. jude's brow will twitch when she thinks about it throughout the day. cardan will fidget with his hands all day (because he thinks about it all day). They will pull each other aside on days where they notice this, and will just speak to each other softly. They will tell each other they love them. They will hug, and kiss, and touch each other, just to show each other that they love each other. Sometimes these conversations have a good ending. Sometimes they don't, and they need to talk it out at the end of the day. Sometimes these conversations have smiles. Sometimes these conversations have tears. Either way, they will always be there to pull the other into their arms when they're unsure.

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azastr · 10 months

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The Fae's Vanity

The High King with a tail

Description : Cardan does Y/n's eyeliner

warnings : none

Cardan stood in front of the ornate vanity mirror in their chambers, a delicate silver eyeliner pencil in his hand. The soft glow of candlelight danced across the room, casting flickering shadows on the walls adorned with rich tapestries. He admired his own reflection, his unruly raven hair falling gracefully around his sharp features, and his dark eyes lined with kohl gazing back at him.

Y/n entered the room, her hair cascading down her back. She wore a simple yet elegant gown, the fabric a deep shade of forest green that accentuated her every curve. Her gaze met Cardan's in the mirror, and she flashed him a mischievous smile. She approached him with a confident stride, her steps as graceful as a cat's.

"Darling," Cardan purred, his voice holding a mixture of affection and amusement. "It seems we have a ball to attend, and you, my love, are in need of my expertise." He twirled the eyeliner pencil playfully between his fingers before extending his hand, inviting her to join him.

Y/n raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eyes. "Oh, do enlighten me, my king. I'm eager to see what talents you possess beyond ruling the fae realm." She sauntered closer, taking her place in front of the mirror, standing beside Cardan.

Cardan's lips curved into a sly grin as he dipped the eyeliner pencil in its container, gathering just the right amount of dark pigment. With a steady hand, he leaned in closer, gently brushing the pencil along the edge of Y/n's eyelids, tracing a flawless line. His touch was feather-light, the intimacy of the moment heightened by the silence that enveloped them.

"Darling," he murmured, his voice a soft melody that danced in the air, "you mustn't smudge it. The court will be in awe of your beauty.”

Y/n held her breath, feeling the coolness of the pencil against her skin. She couldn't help but marvel at the delicate precision with which Cardan applied the eyeliner. It was an unexpected tenderness, a vulnerability she only shared with him . Her lips curved into a wry smile, her eyes meeting Cardan's in the mirror.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, my king," she retorted, her voice laced with playful sarcasm. "But thank you for reminding me not to ruin your masterpiece."

Cardan's touch lingered, his fingertips grazing her cheek ever so lightly. "Flattery has always been my weapon of choice," he replied, his tone filled with genuine affection. "But with you, Y/n, it is not flattery. It is truth."

As he finished applying the eyeliner, Cardan took a step back, admiring his handiwork. Y/n's eyes sparkled with a newfound allure, the darkness of the liner enhancing their natural brilliance. She turned to face him, her expression a mixture of adoration and mischief.

"Thank you, my king," Y/n said, her voice tinged with a hint of playfulness. "I suppose I owe you for this small favor."

Cardan chuckled, the sound a low rumble in his chest. "Indeed, you do, my love. But I'm sure we can negotiate the terms of your repayment later."

The air between them crackled with an undeniable chemistry, their banter a dance of wit and desire. They were a formidable duo, each possessing their own strengths and flaws, but together they were unstoppable.

They stood there, their eyes locked in a silent understanding, as if all the secrets of their hearts were shared between them. In that moment, the bond between Cardan and Y/n transcended the boundaries of their respective worlds.

Breaking the spell, Y/n playfully tugged at Cardan's tail, causing him to startle and chuckle. "Now, my king," she said, a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "let's see if you can find a way to tame this wild creature of yours."

Cardan grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, my darling Y/n," he replied, his voice tinged with a challenge, "you have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

With a final glance in the mirror, Y/n and Cardan exchanged a knowing look. Their hearts intertwined, their souls entwined, they were ready to conquer the ball and any obstacle that stood in their way. Love, ambition, and a touch of mischief danced in their eyes as they left the chambers, hand in hand, ready to face the world together.

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