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blackhavilliard · 4 years

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Modern Manorian AU - Royals Magazine - Feature: Dorian Havilliard

And Dorian’s feaure is finally here! Hope you all enjoy it. Manon’s feature is coming afterwards and I’m soooo excited for that ;D

Includes full interview under the cut. Read on AO3 here.

Tagging: @rufousnmacska, @heir2chaos and @gimmedafood (to say thank you for your comment!) Let me know if you want to be included or you can also subscribe on AO3 too :)

In the midst of a geopolitical crisis that had threatened the existence of the realm of Erilea stood a young king bent, broken but unbowed as he raced against time to thwart the enemy that has long kept his father's kingdom and now his own in its shadows. Now, years after the passing of the storm, King Dorian Havilliard II finds himself in reflection of the years lost and the years found as he governs Adarlan in stride.

Since the first appearance of the then heir apparent on the tabloids of the Rifthold Journal in a splendid attire fit for the handsome royal, it was a lascivious rumour of the young prince’s escapades inside the glass palace that permanently marked Dorian as that of an aristocratic hedonist whose existence lived off the extravagance and luxuries of the wealthy, knowing that he could absolutely get away with it.

While Dorian played the game of pomp and distraction amongst celebrity A-listers, prime ministers, and the one percent, a sinister plot by political conspirators had slowly been brewing – the overthrow of the Havilliard bloodline that has governed Adarlan for a thousand generations.

In the highest tower of Rifthold Palace is where Dorian prefers to spend his time perched on a deep-red velvet armchair sipping on a cold glass of what looked to be a fruity beverage as he pores over the latest fiction novel – a pleasure he shares with his dear friend, Queen Aelin of Terrasen. Their shared bookshelf, The Royal Fleetfoot Bookclub (named after Aelin’s beloved golden retriever, a present from the king one Yulemas) is Erilea’s most popular Book Club. And decidedly so.

Dorian’s misplaced faith on his father, then King Dorian Havilliard I, had been his constant companion after his untimely death that led to Dorian’s premature appointment as sovereign. But as the war raged on between the countries of Erilea, the formalities accustomed to a monarch were lost, which ultimately led to Dorian’s displacement from Adarlan. The young king was lost, angry, and untethered as he navigated the political landscape alongside his powerful friends: Queen Aelin of Terrasen, Lord Rowan of Doranelle, Queen Manon of the Wastes, and his closest friend and confidante, Lord Westfall, whom he sent as an envoy to the Khaganate in the Southern Continent. Dorian became known as The King Without a Crown.

Dorian ushers me to a leathered couch next to an occasional table where he pours a cup of brewed tea. He asks if I’d be interested in something stronger and I decline. He winks, a promise of our eventual liquored celebration after the successful sit-down.

King Dorian is charming, refined and a proud intellectual with a taste of an epicurean. Delegates from all over Erilea would comment on the king’s graceful charisma as he fulfilled his role of a sovereign in all its stringent social specifications. It’s as if the dark years of his early adulthood never existed when you’re in his presence. Dorian is adored by the masses and the politicians alike, and it isn’t hard to see why.

While we share a few niceties – he’s become quite a dear friend over the years – you can’t miss the way his sapphire eyes would steal longing glances out the open balcony. One can observe that it overlooks Rifthold Palace’s private airstrip, and soon everything makes more sense.

King Dorian’s wife Queen Manon Blackbeak rules from her kingdom in the Western Wastes, a two-hour plane ride from the Adarlan capital. After settling into their roles as respective monarchs of their kingdoms, the pair continued their relationship, much to delight of the common people, who were far too enamoured by their relationship for it to be considered healthy. No surprises there though. They’re really that pairing that’s pretty much straight out of a YA fantasy novel with their unbelievable good looks, seemingly opposite yet highly complementary personalities and the kind of sexual tension you could only dream of.

Nonetheless, despite the distance and their responsibilities, no one can deny just how smitten the king is of his wife. He assures me, in his usual playful charm, that she’s most likely missing him more than he is. I laugh. Even he doesn’t believe his own lie.

He makes himself comfortable, draping his suit jacket on the back of his armchair as he settles down and shows off his polished Derbys almost as if he’d like to take them off.

LYSANDRA: Should we both take our shoes off? I think we should both take our shoes off.

DORIAN: I thought you’d never ask!

LYSANDRA: I may not be born royal, Your Majesty, but I do know when someone just wants to let loose.

DORIAN: Gods, I want to let loose all the time. Do you think they’ll conspire against me if I do?

LYSANDRA: Judging from your friends in all the high and right places, I’d say there’s a higher chance of Aelin breathing ice than that happening. And even if they tried, I’m sure no one would get past Manon Blackbeak’s wrath.

DORIAN: She’s terrifying, isn’t she?

LYSANDRA: You don’t sound scared of the fact.

DORIAN: Are you scared of your husband, Lady Lysandra?

LYSANDRA: He’s a soft little mushy bear.

DORIAN: Exactly my description of Manon.

LYSANDRA: I really have to ask – for me, for Rowan and for your rabid fans. How did you convince the High Queen of the Witches to get married? Was it ever in the books for you two?

DORIAN: It wasn’t so much as my convincing her as her convincing me.

LYSANDRA: Oh, please.

DORIAN: You’d be surprised to know that she asked me to marry her first. Of course, it was all political expedience at that time coupled with a reasonable amount of care and affection.

LYSANDRA: And you said no?

DORIAN: Not technically.

LYSANDRA: So… technically yes?

DORIAN: I was drunk on self-loathing. I didn’t think I deserved her.

LYSANDRA: Doesn’t love usually overcome these sorts of things?

DORIAN: To some extent. We were at the climax of the war and we both needed to make important decisions for ourselves, for both our kingdoms and for the future we desperately wanted to have. It wasn’t the right time.

LYSANDRA: But you wanted to say yes to her, didn’t you?

DORIAN: Desperately.

LYSANDRA: If it helps, I was really rooting for you both.

DORIAN: So was I.

LYSANDRA: You know, I admit this is quite a treat being your very own interrogator.

DORIAN: Our plans to make Aelin jealous are succeeding.

LYSANDRA: Oh, she'll definitely be furious.

DORIAN: I've always admired her fiery rage. Despite it being extremely dangerous to those unfortunate enough to be close in range.

LYSANDRA: I've had my share of that.

DORIAN: I think we all have.

LYSANDRA: Tell us about Adarlan's relations with Terrasen. Even better, tell us about yours and Queen Aelin's.

DORIAN: It's tabloid worthy.

LYSANDRA: I'm not saying I've read all about it...

DORIAN: I met Celaena first before I met Aelin. And in some ways Aelin also met some counterpart of myself all those years ago. We were young and generally when you’re that young, you’re also that stupid.

LYSANDRA: But isn't it just a perfect time to make mistakes?

DORIAN: Not for a prince. Though, I did not care at that time. Sometimes I still think I don’t. But you want to know about Aelin. One thing, you see her more than I do, and I admit, it does break my heart.

LYSANDRA: Technology helps though, doesn’t it? I can’t remember how many times I’ve interrupted one of your virtual repartees.

DORIAN: She can get quite heated in our discussions. Especially if she has to wait a year or more for the next instalment of a book series.

LYSANDRA: What makes the great King Dorian Havilliard furiously out of element?

DORIAN: The monarchy.

LYSANDRA: Do you ever think back on the good old days?

DORIAN: Mm.

LYSANDRA: What did that consist of for you?

DORIAN: Well, I don’t know if I could really call it the good old days. As heir, I wasted away on frivolity and debauchery. Chaol once remarked on my depravity, and I could have resented him if it hadn’t opened my eyes to the truth.

LYSANDRA: Well, that’s an insight. I noticed the construction of the new palace has been coming along nicely.

DORIAN: It is.

LYSANDRA: The Glass Palace once stood as a symbol of Adarlan’s wealth and power. Now, you’ve opted to modernise the construction except for the addition of the thirteen towers.

DORIAN: The Rifthold Journal has been nagging me about their meaning since the blueprints were made public. They’re relentless.

LYSANDRA: I don’t want to be that friend but I’m dying to know…thirteen? Really?

DORIAN: You caught me.

LYSANDRA: Gods, I knew it. Rowan will have a fit.

DORIAN: As much as I’d like to take credit for being a Royal Romeo (but feel free to use that from now on), they each symbolise an iteration of hope, love and life. Every single one of them deserves their own monument.

LYSANDRA: What a beautiful gesture, Your Majesty. And it’s true. I will never forget them.

DORIAN: Sobering thought for a Yulemas special, isn’t it?

LYSANDRA: More like a winter exclusive, so we’re good there. But speaking of, I do have a serious bone to pick with you, Your Majesty.

DORIAN: Don’t tell me it’s the time I coerced you and Aedion to go on that Giant Swing when we were in Terrasen, is it? If I remembered correctly, you really enjoyed that.

LYSANDRA: We almost died!

DORIAN: And that makes it more exciting, doesn’t it?

LYSANDRA: You’d be surprised at how many people who don’t think of near-death experiences as something exciting.

DORIAN: [laughs] Am I that cruel?

LYSANDRA: Remember that snow leopard bobble head I once gifted you for Yulemas? Remind me again what you did to it, Your Majesty?

DORIAN: It was godsdamned terrifying, Lysandra. Why are the eyes glowing? Why are they glowing green!

LYSANDRA: That was the whole point of Bad Yulemas!

DORIAN: Manon fished it out of the trash anyway. She has it on my side of the bed at the Wastes. Should I be concerned with this friendship?

LYSANDRA: You and Aedion are lucky bastards, Your Majesty.

DORIAN: Touché

Lysandra Ennar is the Lady of Caraverre and the editor for ROYALS magazine.

MANON: I don't think this will go well.

DORIAN: You think? I really had to charm my way to do this, you know.

MANON: You charm your way out of everything.

DORIAN: And into things too.

MANON: Your favourite past time.

DORIAN: Are you angry? Here, let me compliment you.

MANON: Dorian...

DORIAN: Witchling.

A sneak peek of the Royals Spring Issue featuring Queen Manon Blackbeak and interviewd by King Dorian Havilliard.

#manorian #manon and dorian #manon blackbeak #dorian havilliard #throne of glass #manorian fanfic #manorian fic #manorian modern au #manorian mag au

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aelinskingdom-insta · 6 years

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KoA NYC event, part 2

- Am I going to die reading kingdom of ash? Yes. I mean, maybe yeaaaah. She died a million times writing her books.

- If you were stuck in a deserted island which one of your characters would you like to be stuck with? We’re ruling out any magical powers. Rowan is so intense that I would just be so scared of him, I would bring no skills to the table. He’d be fine with that but I know that he’d be just ugh you’re pathetic and you’re definitely an indoor cat. Aelin would yell at me and then I’d cry and she’d feel bad and then we’d probably be like Jack Sparrow burning all of the rum. Chaol would just spend the whole time obsessively building a raft because he’d be like “I just need to get off this island with this crazy woman”. He’d just like swim out to sea, like sea take me, Jesus take the wheel! I can’t be on this island with her. Being on an island with Manon would be like getting into one of those shark cages. Cause you know when the coconuts run out she’s going to start looking at you... like she’s not a cannibal, but like there are few lines she wouldn’t cross. She would start looking at me like a steak, like a walking steak. So I think if we’re like stuck on an island, I’d be cool with being on the island with Dorian. He’s so nice, and he’s good to look at. And like he tans nicely, he’s not like me I turn into a lobster in the sun, Dorian gets that like bronzed skin, and I’d be like “oh I’m getting sunburned give me your shirt” and we’ll make sure that you get all oiled up with coconut oil so your tan gets even better and those abs... and with Dorian we can talk about everything so we’d talk about the movies and books - I mean Dorian has obviously seen zero movies but in my fantasy he’s seen all of the movies that I love, and I think he’d be so like pleasant and he would find a way off the island or he would sacrifice himself for me to get off the island but like I’d never let go.”

- You once said that you had a last line planned for kingdom of ash, is that what ended up being the last line of the book? (That was my question kfksojdkaoajsoa) It is. So I had a bunch of different endings in mind over the years and when I was in Costa Rica in 2013 on vacation and we took this little tour up to this place called the Monteverde cloud forest and it’s one of the most unique incredible places in the world. It was on top of a mountain range and this cloud forest exists in the clouds. And we were doing the drive up into the mountains and we got to this lookout point, and these beautiful mountains were spread around us and I was listening to music in the back of this van trying not to puke on all those tiny roads and we got to this point where the clouds just like opened up and all of this sunshine just came flooding down all around these mountains and the music was just swelling at this one point and I just heard the voice in my head, I heard the last line for the series, and I, surprise, burst into tears. I was with my husband’s family and they were like what’s happening with her? And I was like the view is so gorgeous I’m so moved by the mountains - and I was, but I was like holy shit I just heard the last line of my series! It was like an out of body experience and I loved this last line so so much that I was like Aelin please please don’t fuck this up for me, we gotta get to that last line girl we gotta make it to that and we did. She and I got there somehow, if she survives... *nervous laughing* yeah the last line is “aelin was rotting in her grave with the valg bunnies for ever. And then the bunnies hopped along and fed off of her corpse.“

- How does safe sex work between fae? *laughs and snorts* I was want you guys to know that my family is here today. Like my parents and my grandma. I’ll tell you a little story, my grandma is amazing she’s almost 88 years old, she just came back from 2 weeks in Argentina, she travels all over the world. She’s the most incredible lady. I think about 2 years ago, my grandma is in this book club with a bunch of ladies her age, and they picked acotar as their monthly read. And they wanted to know about the sex. So right before acomaf came out and I said “you know grandma you might not want to read acomaf because there’s a lot of graphic sex.” And grandma was like “well that sounds right up my alley“! So I feel like my grandma is probably cool with me talking about safe sex for the fae. But I like to imagine that they’ve got like tonics and potions that they take, like instead of popping birth control pills, where it’s all on the woman to have to be on birth control, like the man can *Sarah picks up her glass of water* drink their daily “not get a woman knocked up juice”. [...] Maybe we’ll have like a little novella where it’s like “the ladies talk about birth control, a nice Holliday special”.

- Which name came first, Celaena or Aelin? Celaena was the first name that popped into my head. When I began writing the books, I knew I wanted a cool name that meant something neat and I was a big fan of the Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, and there’s a harpie named Celaeno. Celaeno is a real character in Greek mythology and her name means Dark One and I was like oooh Dark One that’s a badass name for an assassin but Celaeno sounds like a burly Italian man *with an Italian accent* “it’s me Celaeno!”. No, so me being 16 years old I swaped the o for an a and that’s how Celaena was born. But what was really weird is that when I named Fleetfoot, like immediately I was like this dog is really fast what do I call her, fleetfoot, but then a couple of years later I was looking into Celaeno the harpie’s mythological origins to see if there was anything I could pull, any little nods that I could have in throne of glass, little references and Easter eggs for Celaena’s name source and I saw that one of Celaeno‘ other names was Fleetfoot, like one of her nicknames, and I was like what the hell... this is why I feel like all of this is happening on another planet and I’m just channeling it somehow. And I don’t even remember where Aelin came from as a name, sometimes I just hear the names in my head and like thank god for those moments cause I hate naming characters. Sometimes I just hear names in my head like I heard Aelin’s name, I heard Feyre’s name, I heard Bryce Quinlan’s name and that’s just how I know, when I hear a name, that’s the name and it’s a weird thing and it sticks and it makes a character come alive in a way. And actually when I first first first wrote throne of glass, Celaena was just an assassin and by chapter three I was like oh and you’re also a magical princess named Aelin, surprise! Cause obviously there has to be a princess involved because of Sailer Moon, the Moon princess. I think Aelin would have enjoyed Sailer Moon, by the way. Aelin would love living in this world, she would never get off her couch cause she would constantly be binge-watching tv shows. iTunes, Aelin would go crazy just like Spotify, all the music. I wish I could open a Wyrdgate and bring her into the world for the day (YEAH WE WISH WE COULD DO THAT TOO). I‘m going to write fan fiction about that. That wouldn’t be weird at all. “Aelin and I hanging out around New York.” Dorkiest fan fiction of all times.

- What is your favorite scene of the series? One of the first that jumped to my mind is in HoF, when Aelin and the Valg are facing off and Aelin goes through all of her memories, and it’s like ripping her apart but then she learns to face them and she comes out of the darkness and puts her hand over the prince’s mouth and blasts them into ash. When I wrote that scene I just sobbed and sobbed, and I was so pumped up I didn’t know what to do with myself. I loved that. In ToD, the whole Nestaq scenes… like basically everything of them together, but when they go off into the mountains together like that I could have made that book a thousand pages long just because I loved them so much and Borte, and the whole thing with them and the spiders. Tower of Dawn was such a fun book for me to write, I loved that book. And in EoS when Aelin and Rolfe, oh my god when Aelin is like talking to Rowan and she’s like I haven’t met you, and he’s like oh I’m taken and she’s like your girlfriend must be so hot and then when Aelin puts one of Rolfe’s emeralds in her mouth and throws it out across the room. When I was writing it, I had my feet on my desk, channeling Aelin so hard. I mean the entire ending of empire of storms was just so horrible and brutal, and all of those ships show up and they realise that Aelin arranged for everything, I just like... lost it. And all of QoS. I mean when Lysandra shows up and saves Aedion and Rowan and destroys all of those soldiers as a leopard, Aelin and Dorian when Dorian shatters the Glass Castle, I loved that. I mean literally like any moment in the series I’ve loved. In the Assassin’s Blade, I loved writing about that riverfront party when they’re all dancing and having fun and Aelin going to the theatre... I mean every moment was my favorite. Aelin versus Manon. When Manon first encounters Abraxos and gets thrown into the pit, when she and Abraxos team up. Oh my god, I’m going to cry thinking about all of these moments. Like a whole montage went through my head, with a nice music playing. Here’s the time Manon ripped out that guy’s throat. Here’s when Aelin gutted a man. Nice family memories.

- What power would you want in throne of glass? I think I’d want to be a shapeshifter. I mean who doesn’t want to ability to turn into a sea wyvern and take on horrible sea creature. *whispering and pointing to herself* Not this person. I would love to be able to turn into a bird and fly, a worm... there’s like so much of the world to see, so many ways to experience it that I would want to try out so many different shapes and then the cool party trick like hey do you want to see me turn into a worm? I would like freeze in that moment and they would be like turn into something cool, turn into a wolf or a badger, and I’d be like I can do a worm... and then we would get home later and I’d be like damnit why didn’t I turn into a wolf I can do it! You know when you have that comeback that you remember two hours later that haunts you for years, like that would be me as a shapeshifter I would forget my cool forms and I would do all of the really sad ones. All the time. The worm and a pigeon... pizza rat, that’s what I’d turn into. Pizza rat is my patronus. *laughing* It’s true.

- If there is one message that you would want the readers to take away from the throne of glass series, what would it be? I think looking back at this crazy, amazing journey, at the end of the day I think I would want you guys to take away the message that, and this is going to sound really corny but you can literally do anything that you put your mind to. You can survive anything, and that you’re stronger than you realise. And that no matter how many times you get knocked down, you can get back up. And never stop getting back up. And even when the world tells you that you aren’t good enough, that your dream is stupid or that it’ll never happen, you keep your eyes on the prize and you never listen to those people. You can make it. You’ve got a dream. You can achieve it. I somehow did it, and if I did it you guys can do it. And I hope that Aelin and Manon and Rowan and Chaol and all of them inspired you to never give up, even when it feels hopeless, never give up. It gets better. Even when things seem really dark and really hard... *starts crying* you asked this question! Whoever wrote that I hate you. Even when things seem really dark and really hard, that doesn’t last forever, and you can get through it. And you’ve got strength that you don’t even realise. You can find that strength, and you’ll make it. And I love you guys. At the end of the day, I want you guys to walk away from these books feeling like you can take on the world. And you can do anything. And if that’s what I’ve accomplished with these books, then I can die happy, I guess. If anybody ever puts down what you love, screw them. I love you guys, to whatever end.

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